Japanese Adventures @ Shujinko

225 Russell St, Melbourne VIC

9654 0989

Open 24 Hours

The infamous 24 hour ramen shop, it's the perfect restaurant after a night out if it weren't for the long queues. Dining here for a late dinner, the atmosphere was definitely loud with the occasion Japanese greetings from the workers, a comfortable environment. 

Tsukemen ($14.50)

various vegetables, and special seafood sauce with thick and chewy noodles

Ordering the Tsukemen for myself, I found the dish to be quite underwhelming. The broth lacked flavour and depth, whilst the noodles, in my opinion did not match well with the broth. I've had plenty different types of Tsukemen before but unfortunately this is rated quite low in my list. 

(5.5/10)

I also had the gyoza which I forgot to take a photo of, and it was pretty good. Delicious flavour and made the dish even better with the dipping sauce, I would highly recommend it on the side. 

(7.5/10)

Food - 6.5 / 10 

Ambiance - 8 / 10

Service - 8 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 22.5 / 30

Cafe Adventures @ Manchester Press

8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne VIC

9600 4054

7am - 5pm Weekdays

9am - 5pm Weekends

Hidden in a secret lane in Melbourne CBD, Manchester Press has been renown for their famous collection of bagel indulgences. From savoury, sweet and even a bit of both, you'll be sure to satisfy your bagel-cravings at Manchester Press

If you've never been here before, then bear in mind that you might need the great power of google maps in finding this place as I wandered around for like 5 minutes before deciding to rely on it.

NY Lox ($14)

a mountain of smoked salmon & baby capers, served on top of a fresh dill cream cheese

A generous serving of smoked salmon had me salivating when the dish came out. The salmon was delicious, but I felt that the dish could've been better if there was more of the dill cream cheese. The bagel itself was quite dry and hard.

As this was my first time ever eating bagels, I wasn't sure if that's how the texture is supposed to be.

(7/10)

Mel's Maple Mayhem ($13)

Toasted blueberry bagel topped with grilled bacon, mascarpone, sliced banana & drowned in authentic canadian maple

I've always known that bacon and sweet flavours were a trend, but I never pictured it being that great to be honest. After having a bite of Mel's Maple Mayhem, I could see why it's popular. The bacon flavour works really well with the maple syrup, banana and blueberry bagel, but the bacon was quite dry and was difficult to chew on which is either from over-cooking or the bacon was left out ?

(5.5/10)

Chorizo ($14)

grilled spanish chorizo, spinach, sliced tomato and cheese topped with tomato relish

The chorizo was amazing!, bursting with flavour, they worked well with the other components of the dish. To be honest it was my favourite out of the 3 that I tried, and i'll definitely be getting this the next time I come back.

Though the only fault which may be due to personal tastes is the toasted bagel. As mentioned above I wasn't sure if the bagel being really dry is normal. Maybe another visit will let me know.

(8.5/10)

Salted Caramel Cookie

&

Vanilla Bean Cookie

Finishing off with irresistible desserts which I saw on the counter, the Salted Caramel & Vanilla Bean cookie were absolute delicious. But a warning, this isn't a sweet to have all to yourself. After the first few bites the cookie becomes overpowering with sweetness and becomes too much.

(8/10)

Food - 7.1/ 10 

Ambience - 7 / 10

Service - 6 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 20.1 / 30

Korean Adventures @ Yami Yami (LaTrobe)

200 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC

9654 4460

12pm - 9:30pm Everyday

Another Yami Yami post, but this time it's the Latrobe / Melbourne Central edition. 

Compared to the Lonsdale St Yami Yami, this store features different dishes that aren't seen in their sister store. Though both stores have their own specialty / exclusive items.

Beef Japchae

In terms of quantity, Yami Yami La Trobe beats a lot of other Korean joints by far, the flavour is on par with many other places I've been too which is a good thing as I have yet to try a japchae which I actually dislike.

(7/10)

Seafood & Spring Onion Pancake

Tasted too "flour-y"?, I didn't like the seafood and spring onion pancake as much, the overall flavour wasn't that great and was disappointing in general.

(4/10)

Deep Fried Chicken w/ Spicy Rice Cake & Cheese

This is a specialty at this store, I've ordered almost every time I come here with my friends as it's the 'must have' dish when it comes to sharing and I highly recommend it. It's a combination of fried chicken and spicy rice cake (Ddeokbeokki), and you simply can't go wrong with that. 

A warning though, if you can't deal with spicy food, then this isn't for you. The spiciness level can vary depending on your visit, but most of the times I've had it, it was extremely spicy but so delicious. 

(7/10)

Kimchi Pancake

Definitely the better pancake if I were to compare it to the seafood and spring onion one. the kimchi flavour is delicious and works amazingly well when you dip it in the soy sauce.

Unfortunately from experience, the kimchi pancake can vary in quality sometime, with one time I went, the pancake was dripping in oil and tasted bad. But from what I've seen, they've maintained their consistency.

(7/10)

Food - 6 / 10

Ambiance - 7 / 10

Service - 7 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 20 / 30

 

Cafe Adventures @ Eden's Backyard

161/163 Nicholson St, Carlton VIC 

9663 8887

Monday: Closed

Tue - Fri: 7:30am - 4:00pm
Sat - Sun: 8:30am - 4:00pm

I've been meaning to try Eden's Backyard for quite some time now. From their adorable coffee art and delicious looking food on my Zomato feed, I was excited. 

My friend 'D' and I came in around 2pm and there was plenty of space inside. with a cute garden theme at the back, the interior of the cafe was chic and laid-back.

I was planning to order the 'Bob The Burger' after much deciding on the tram to the cafe, but my hopes and dreams were ruined when we were informed that they had ran out of ingredients. Devastated and hungry, I decided to order my 2nd option which was the Lasagna.

Green Tea Latte ($4.5)

To be honest, one of the main reasons I wanted to come here was so I could see this adorable whale art in person. The green tea latte as a drink was average at best, the matcha taste wasn't distinct and lacked overall flavour

(5.5/10)

Brekkie Chicken Lasagna ($18)

Chicken ragu, light bechamel sauce, sauteed spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, fried egg

The lasagna was delicious!, served piping hot, you can taste the ricotta and mozzarella cheese really well on each bite of the lasagna. The fried egg enhanced the flavours of the cheeses and delicious chicken ragu. Though I felt that the presentation of the dish can be improved as it looked quite boring. Perhaps a salad or some sort of side would work better.

(8.5/10)

Shephard's Lover

Mild chicken curry w/ cheesy potato mash

The Shephard's Lover was a potato lovers heaven. The cheesy and smooth potato mash was delightful, and the chicken curry at the bottom worked well with the potato mash when combined. Whilst the potato mash was good, the flavour was quite overpowering, as there was much more mash than curry..

(7/10)

Food - 7/ 10

Ambiance - 7 / 10

Service - 7 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 21/ 30

 

Mexican Adventures @ Pablo Honey (Invited)

 68 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182

9534 3246

11:00am - 1:00am Everyday

On the courtesy of the Em, I was invited to dine at Pablo Honey, a Tapas & Tequila bar situated in St Kilda. Renown for their innovative and cocktails and tapas sharing plates, I've been looking forward to coming down for quite some time. To be honest I haven't tried much authentic Mexican cuisine at all so this was a first, and an exciting experience. 

Pablo's Blossom
a zingy blend of gin, lychee and cranberry all combined in a snow cone like drink
My choice of cocktail was the Pablo's Blossom, I was looking for something that was refreshing and sweet. Whilst the drink did deliver in the refreshing department, the flavour was lacking, resulting in a watered down taste which I will assume is from the large quantity of crushed ice.

(5/10)

Pearfect

blend of Absolut pear, elderflower and apple

My friend 'D' ordered the Pearfect, unfortunately it was the same result as the Pablo's Blossom. The flavour was lacking and felt watered down, perhaps that's how the drink is supposed to be?. Unfortunately it did not suit our tastes.

(5/10)

Chorizo & Cheese Fundido

Hickory corn chips

Starting off with a number of recommendations from our waiter, the Chorizo & Cheese Fundido was spectacular. I did not expect the presentation of this at all. The chorizo & cheese fundido worked really well with the hickory corn chips, combining the 2 flavours made a marvelous aftertaste

(9/10)

Grilled Spiced Mackerel

Jicama, coriander & smoked chilli

Spicy, that's the first thing I think of when I ate this dish. It was spicy, and I loved it!, the grilled spiced mackerel was cooked perfectly, resulting in a tender texture. the spiced mackerel and smoked chilli combination gave that dish the spice element I enjoyed.

(8/10)

Prawn & Crab Moqueca

coconut, tomato & coriander

So i'm a huge fan of spicy food, and after eating the spiced mackerel, my chilli endurance was pretty strong. But the prawn & crab moqueca almost doubled in spice level compared to the mackerel. It was way too spicy, resulting in my failed attempt of eating the dish. 

The seafood was delicious, though the crab meat was lacking so all I was eating most of the time were the prawn and vegetables. Perhaps if they added something else to compliment the dish then it would be better

(6/10)

Grass Fed Beef Tartare

salted egg yolk, smoked chilli, finger lime, coriander & cumin seed lavosh

Soft & tender, the grass fed beef tartare was amazing. The meat had a soft texture which required minimal chewing. Paired with the smoked chilli or finger lime, there was a number of flavours which exploded in my mouth. Accompanied by the bread/pastry that accompanied it, the soft and tender meat, joined with the crispy cracker was a marvelous duo.

(8.5/10)

Chipotle BBQ Lamb Shoulder

salsa roja, black bean hommus & tortilla

I was absolutely stuffed at this point, and the final savoury dish was from the ''Large plates' menu which meant it was going to be a struggle to finish. 

First off, the lamb shoulder was inconsistent. 3/4 of the lamb was beautifully tender and soft, and the rest was completely burnt, resulting in an inedible portion, but that was probably due to the method of cooking.

The black bean hommus, in all honesty. I couldn't taste anything at all when I combined it with the tortilla and lamb shoulder. It tasted flavorless so I barely touched it in the end.

the tortilla were nicely toasted and warm and worked really well when everything was combined.

(7/10)

Dulce De Leche Mousse

Berries & bitter chocolate popping candy

Saw photos of the Dulce De Luche Mousse online and it looked funky!, mousse was smooth, creamy and delicious. Combined with the kick affect of the popping candy it really created that 'party in your mouth' feel which I enjoyed. Unfortunately the skull candy casing? was not my cup of tea.

(7/10)

Food - 6.9 / 10

Ambiance - 8.5 / 10

Service - 8 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 23.4/ 30

Cafe Adventures @ Bowery To Williamsburg

16 Oliver Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

9077 0162

7:30am - 3pm Weekdays

8:30am - 3pm Weekends

Mmm, delicious New-York style sandwiches is what Bowery To Williamsburg is known for. With their diner style seating, open kitchen right in front of your eyes so you can watch your delicious sandwiches come to life, it's an eye-catching feast. 

Arriving during lunch hours, they were only serving their signature sandwiches and sides. To be honest I had no idea they did other cafe/breakfast dishes so I am definitely coming back to give them a try.

I've heard many stories about their mac'n'cheese so I was looking forward to that the most. Unfortunately, even after arriving around 1pm, the mac'n'cheese were already sold out! but not all was lost when the chef told us that there was still 1 remaining, a blessing it truly was :)

Philly Cheese Steak ($17) (+Side)

Smoked beef brisket, onions, peppers, mushrooms, provolone cheese

My friend 'T' got the philly cheese steak, the portion was definitely larger than anticipated, the smoked beef brisket topped with melted provolone cheese was a beautiful combination. Packed with flavour of the mixture of ingredients, it was surprisingly basic? Not sure how to describe it but I was expecting a mixture of flavours due to the combination of ingredients. Nonetheless a filling dish.

(6/10)

The Reuben ($17)  (+Side)

pastrami beef brisket, sauerkraut, russian dressing, swiss cheese

I decided even before arriving that I'd get the Reuben, always had a soft spot for them. Bowery To Williamsbrug does them quite well, with layers of pastrami beef brisket, sauerkraut and the marvelous melted swiss cheese, It was absolutely delicious! I'm not fond of pickles but in this case, the pickle accompanying the sandwich was amazing, Definitely will ordering an extra one on my next visit.

(8/10)

The portion for both sandwiches were way more than expected, to be honest I was already feeling quite full after the first half.

Mac'n'Cheese (Inc in Set Menu)

To be frank, this was my first time eating oven baked Mac'n'Cheese, and it was the most delicious thing I had during my time at Bowery To Williamsburg. Absolutely delicious, packed with flavour, simply just amazing. It was definitely my kind of food.

(10/10)

Potato Salad (Salad of the day)

Another delicious side, the potato was just right and the sauce was stunning!. Not entirely sure what was in it, but I could taste pickles which worked really well with the rest of the flavours.

(7.5/10)

Food - 7.8 / 10

Ambiance - 6 / 10

Service - 7 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 20.8 / 30

Burger Adventures @ The Burger Block (Invited)

85 Willsmere Rd, Kew VIC 3101

9854 5771

7am - 3pm Mon - Fri

9am - 4pm Sat         

       Sunday Closed        

On the courtesy of Brenda, I was invited to The Burger Block to try out some of their signature burgers. Located on Willsmere Rd, Kew. the cafe is easily accessible by bus or tram, and even easier by car (which unfortunately I did not have).

I rarely travel to the Eastern suburbs as I'm from the West so this was quite the adventure for me.

Upon entering, we were greeted by friendly workers and a cozy atmosphere. With a display of burgers on their counter, there was so many delicious options to choose from

Red Lantern (JPN/THAI) ($12.9)

american cheese, bacon, spanish onions, lettuce, tomato & wasabi mayo

After spending a good 10 minutes deciding on what burger I wanted, I opted for the Red Lanttern. I find it pretty cool how the cafe labels their burgers with countries.

The burger was delicious!, packed with flavour, the bun was soft, juicy patty, everything worked really well together. Unfortunately I was expecting more spice as the burger had a 2 chilli rating on the menu. I wasn't able to get that punch I was hoping for, perhaps if they added jalepenos? or something with more kick then I would give it a higher rating.

 But overall a satisfying burger

(7.5/10)

The Black Jack (HK/JPN) ($13.5) (no tomato)

american cheese, bacon, grilled mushrooms, spanish onions, lettuce, black pepper sauce & jap mayo

My friend 'D' ordered 'The Black Jack'. the burger was just as great as the 'Red Lantern', but I preferred mine more whilst 'D' preferred hers. 

The black pepper sauce was strong, On my first bite I was greeted with a strong and delicious sauce which complimented the burger really well. 

Combined with the grilled mushrooms, spanish onions, bacon, cheese and the meat patty. Oh, it was a delicious burger. I would've loved to try this with tomato, but wasn't able to due to 'D' being allergic.

Perhaps next time :)?

(8/10)

Loaded Chips ($7.5) (Small)

Beer battered chips, aioli furikake (roasted seaweed seasoning)

I loved the 'Aioli Furikake', which was the roasted seaweed seasoning with I believe is with japanese mayo. It gave the crispy chips a lovely flavour. Though as you have more, the flavour can be quite overpowering, which happened to be towards the end.

(7.5/10)

Iced Chocolate w/ Ice Cream ($6)

Nothing to spectacular, the drink was nice, smooth and cold. The ice-cream added that extra element which made it more enjoyable, though I think the quality of the ice-cream can be better.

/7/10)

Iced Matcha w/ Ice Cream

Originally, I thought the 'Iced sencha & matcha green tea' was the iced matcha w/ green tea. Luckily, the girl working had a feeling that I wanted the Iced matcha, so she was able to get it for me. From my understanding, it isn't on the menu but you can order it.

The iced matcha was delightful, though it lacked in matcha flavour, it was creamy and delicious.

(6/10)

Food - 7.3 / 10

Ambiance - 7 / 10

Service - 9 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 23.3 / 30