Restaurant Reviews – Page 5

Squires Loft Nunawading

March 4, 2016 Posted in Australian, Food Reviews, Nunawading, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Squires Loft have several locations across Victoria and even a few interstate. Their Nunawading outlet is located in Brandsmart, on Whitehorse Road. As with the other outlets, their main appeal is their selection of steaks and grill options. At Nunawading, they also have a bar menu option as well as a dining in menu to choose from.

Their Char-grilled salmon with creamy garlic sauce was a lovely medium-rare and had a fantastic grilled aroma to it. The garlic sauce that comes with the salmon is a delicious sauce to go with it, just add a bit of black pepper to spice it up.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

All the mains come with your choice of fries, baked potato or a side salad. The fries are also quite good actually.//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Chicken breast fillet is also another winner. Moist and tender, but still having that nice charred flavour to it. A black pepper or mushroom sauce would have probably paired better than the garlic sauce but the garlic sauce is very nice I must say.

Last words

Great tasting steaks, for an affordable price.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Squires Loft
54/288 Whitehorse Road (Brandsmart)
Nunawading VIC 3131

Frozen by A Thousand Blessings – Doncaster

February 19, 2016 Posted in Australian, Desserts, Doncaster, Food Reviews, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

I first came across Frozen by a Thousand Blessings in Richmond, after a bowl of ramen next door. I was so happy when I saw that they had opened another outlet in the Doncaster Shopping Centre. What I love about their frozen yoghurts is how creamy they are but taste quite light and fresh. Most of the time I don’t even need the toppings as not to spoil the flavour of the yoghurts.

Frozen have a great variety of flavours and the one that I always go back to is their Coconut flavour, with desiccated coconut shavings to give it that added texture. The popping pearls with mango inside as a topping are something I recommend adding to the coconut one!

The other flavours that I love were the Pomegranate and Almond Milk & Hazelnut. Super delicious.

Last words

One of the best frozen yoghurt places in Melbourne.

Frozen by a Thousand Blessings
Westfield Doncaster
Ground Floor
619 Doncaster Road
Doncaster VIC 3108

Chin Chin

February 12, 2016 Posted in Asian, Food Reviews, Melbourne, Restaurant Reviews, ThaiLeave a comment

Chin Chin, popular as ever, is located on Flinders Lane in the Melbourne CBD offers Thai and South East Asian flavours with a Western twist. For tables under ten, it’s walk-in only and queuing to put your name down on the list! It’s a very vibrant place and that always seems to be buzzing.

The menu offers something for everyone and what I like about it, is that while sharing is ideal because you can try a bit of everything, these dishes also are great for one. If you’re undecided on what to order, Chin Chin’s offer their Feed Me menu, where they will select various dishes from the menu on your behalf.

The Kingfish Sashimi is amazing. I love the acidity of the limes, slightly punchy chilli with the Thai basil. The fish is lovely and fresh as well.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js Caramelised Sticky Pork with herb salad and chilli vinegar is very bold in flavour. The pork is ever so tender.

The Chin Chin Pork “Roll Ups” are another winner. I love the tender, and flavoursome pork with the very thin pancakes and the sweet and salty Peking Duck like sauce.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js The Pork ribs here are a stunner. It’s probably my favourite dish of the night. The meat just comes straight off the bone, so good. So tender, like butter. A must.//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Crispy Barramundi Salad with Green Apples, Pork, herbs and chillies, is lovely and fresh.

The Jungle curry with braised pork shoulder is very spicy! I prefer a curry with sauce to be honest, but this isn’t too bad.

To finish off the meal, this Coconut Sago with Sweetcorn Ice cream and puffed rice is delicious. Lovely coconut flavour and the crunchy puffed rice adds a nice texture to it.

Last words

Chin Chin makes some incredible dishes, with bold and fresh flavours. Service could be better and especially for the price, plus they added on extra dishes on top of the “Feed Me” menu last time we dined there.

Chin Chin
125 Flinders Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000

Ramen Bankara

February 5, 2016 Posted in Doncaster, Food Reviews, Japanese, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Ramen Bankara has now three outlets with the two cities stores opening up in the last couple of months. However, it was the Doncaster outlet that was first in Australia, located inside the Westfield shopping centre and providing more options for those wanting Japanese cuisine with Hanaichi and Hakata Gensuke preceding it.

I love ramen and even when I was in Japan, I never tired of it. Ramen Bankara has a choice of three different soup bases with your choice of add ons such as eggs, chashu, bamboo shoots and seaweed. Each classic option has a premium version with more add ons.

Their Bankara Ramen has pork broth as its base and it’s absolutely delicious. It has an amazing rich pork flavour, and their pork belly is so tender. One downside, was the amount of fat floating in the broth. I’d love if they sieved a bit of it out but other than that, it’s the one to get.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Chuka Soba Ramen is another pork broth but this has the added option of getting it spicy. It’s a milder broth and a bit more tangy and cleaner for the palate.

Ramen Bankara’s Tonkotsu can also be ordered spicy, and it’s more creamy than the Chuka Soba. It’s made from pork bones that give it that creamy texture. I like the spicy kick more in the Tonkotsu.

Last words

There aren’t too many choices for good ramen around these parts of town so Ramen Bankara satisfies those cravings just nicely.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Ramen Bankara – Doncaster
Westfield Doncaster Shopping Centre
Ground Level, 619 Doncaster Road
Doncaster VIC 3108

Nachos Cantina – Mount Waverley

January 8, 2016 Posted in Food Reviews, Mexican, Mount Waverley, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

After an extensive search on Zomato I came across Nachos Cantina in Mount Waverley which had pretty great reviews to its name. I love Mexican food; flavourful meat, corn, rice, sometimes spicy, and copious amounts of cheese. What’s more to love?

Nachos Cantina’s Enchiladas are absolutely delicious. Served with rice these are a little bit spicy but everything complements each other.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsI was a bit disappointed by the Buffalo Wings, we ordered a mix of Spicy and BBQ, but for the price and taste wise it wasn’t anything special. //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Sizziling Fajitas with rice and warm tortillas, guacamole and salsa was another tasty dish. I loved the marinade they add to the meat, and eaten with the tortilla and salad it’s a great meal.

Tex Mex Ribs with Mexican Salad was an interesting one. The salad comes in a deep fried cup but I found that a tad too oily for my liking. The ribs were tender but wasn’t a big fan of the flavour. The rice in all the dishes, on the other hand, was flavourful and fresh.

Last words

Delicious meals for a great price and I now don’t have to venture too far for good Mexican food.

Nachos Cantina
175 Waverley Road
Mount Waverley VIC 3149

PappaRich – Doncaster

January 1, 2016 Posted in Doncaster, Food Reviews, Malaysian, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

PappaRich is practically everywhere in Melbourne, and interestingly their Doncaster outlet is located in a separate building and not part of a shopping centre or shopping strip. It’s a spacious area but bustling during the weekends. If you had never been to a PappaRich before, they basically offer a wide selection of Malaysian rice, noodle and roti dishes along with a an almost innumerable amount of drinks to choose from.

PappaRich’s Chicken Curry Laksa is one of the better laksa’s around town, but still the ones to beat are Chef Lagenda and Laksa King. It’s just creamy enough, with the right amount of chilli and spices. With a hint of mint to freshen it up.

Their Red Chicken Briyani with Fried Eggplant is a dish you wouldn’t often come across as it leans towards the more Indian/Malaysian style of cooking unlike most Malaysian restaurants which are more Chinese influenced.

I love Briyani and the rice here has that lovely spices infused into the rice, but I detest sultanas in dishes so I very rarely (read: never) order this. Comes with a crispy thin pappadam too!

Their drinks are usually quite good, I opt for the Soy Bean Milk with Grass Jelly on many occasions because it’s not too sweet and getting it with jelly is always enjoyable.

Last words

Doncaster outlet doesn’t stray too far from the standard set by Chadstone or Glen Waverley so it’s nice to have one on the eastern side of town.

PappaRich Doncaster
540 Doncaster Road
Doncaster VIC 3108

Moo Chi In Fusion

December 7, 2015 Posted in Asian, Fitzroy, Food Reviews, Malaysian, Restaurant Reviews, WesternLeave a comment

Moo Chi In Fusion has recently opened its doors on Johnston St in Fitzroy. Just minutes down from the bustle of Smith Street, this Asian Fusion restaurant impresses and entices you to stray away from the main streets of Fitzroy. Once you walk into the venue, you’re greeted with this spectacular artwork and friendly staff to boot.

The menu at Moo Chi has an interesting mix of entrees, salads, mains and desserts with some making a slight twist on the traditional dishes you might find elsewhere.

One of the popular items on their entrees menu is their Angry Bird, marinated ribs with their own spice mix served with some onions and herbs. The flavour in their chicken ribs is stunning. Perfect amount of spiciness, and even though I do enjoy a bit of spiciness if you can deal with pepper this is fine! I could probably have a few drinks and just this on its own for a meal.

Moo Chi’s Mini Moo Bun can be ordered in a few different choices. Starting with your choice of brioche or lettuce wrap (which I must try next time) and then your choice of filling of either pulled pork, fried tofu, soft shell crab or roast chicken. Being a fan of pulled pork that was a no brainer.

Deliciously tender pork with pickled vegetables and herbs that reminded me of a great coleslaw of sorts it goes great together and I’d definitely order that again.

Their mains selection leans towards the more Malaysian, Asian style of cuisine but I saw on the menu there was Seafood Spaghetti which I’m curious to try. The Chap Choy Curry is one of your vegetarian options and I love the creaminess of it. With a hint of spices, with vegetables cooked al dente that adds great texture to the dish.

The Kapitan Chicken Curry is a dry coconut curry (without sauce) with a hint of lemon grass. The chicken was cooked well and flavour-wise it wasn’t too creamy and the spices weren’t overpowering.

Their Singaporean Pork Spare Ribs is dressed with a sweet and sour sauce. The sauce at Moo Chi isn’t the same kind of sweet and sour sauce you may find in Chinese restaurants, and it has a more subtle sweetness and sourness to it. The pork pulls away easily and it’s not too fatty. I loved the how well the pork was cooked but I felt there was something missing from the sauce.

At Moo Chi, they have a few more Asian leaning desserts like Honeydew and Rockmelon Sago but also some Western style desserts like their Crème brûlée. Smooth custard with a crunchy top and served with a biscuit to enjoy it with. Not too sweet and has a nice vanilla taste to it.

Last words

I loved the Angry Bird and Mini Moo Buns and Moo Chi’s mains were flavourful and cooked with care. A real find in Fitzroy and I definitely recommend giving it a try.

Moo Chi In Fusion
72 Johnston St
Fitzroy VIC 3065

Mon – Closed
Tues to Thurs – 5:00 – 10:30 PM
Fri to Sun – Lunch 12:00 – 3:00 PM and Dinner 5:00 – 10:30 PM

*Opening hours current as at 7 December 2015

DonToo

December 4, 2015 Posted in Food Reviews, Japanese, Melbourne, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

DonToo, part of the Don Don’s family is like their other outlets where they serve a selection of Donburi dishes during lunch time. However interestingly, during the evening it offers a number of different ramen to choose from. With ramen stores rising in popularity, DonToo’s ramen still is a fine place to go to.

One of their ramen’s is their Laksa Ramen with a creamy curry laksa soup base. It’s quite a generous serving and with the lovely Japanese style eggs as well. Laksa Ramen isn’t too common and it would be one of my first choices!

Their Miso Ramen is also very tasty, flavourful and the addition of corn is a nice touch. I found they add just a bit too much bean sprouts but that’s a small negative.

Seafood Ramen

With this store, beers are on the menu so what goes well with beer? Fried Chicken, naturally. Try it with the chilli sauce!

Last words

DonToo does lunch well, like Japanese fast food and it does ramen even better.

DonToo
330 Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Gyoza Gyoza

November 27, 2015 Posted in Chadstone, Food Reviews, Japanese, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Gyoza Gyoza in Chadstone Shopping Centre is the sister outlet to the CBD store. It distinguishes itself by being more of a tapas style Japanese eatery with small little dishes, with a number of gyoza fillings to choose from and a selection of drinks as well.

While gyoza is its specialty, the other selection of dishes aren’t left behind in terms of quality. The Hot Soba noodles soup has a very clean tasting soup stock, and simply tastes fresh with the added spring onions. Subtle flavour, but has all the right elements for a nice noodle soup.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Fried Chicken (Tori Karage) isn’t too memorable. It’s crisp-crunchy but its very dry on its own, so the Japanese mayonnaise is much needed.

The Crab claws are crunchy, not too fried and have a nice moist crab filling. It isn’t anything special, I quite prefer the crab claws in Waya in Glen Waverley just for the crab taste but it’s actually very similar.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js The Fried Rice is flavourful, surprisingly. Just with a bit more pepper and it’s spot on//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Mince garlic and pork Gyoza has a lovely taste to it. Subtlety of the garlic and pork flavour work well.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Wagyu and red onion is an interesting idea but in terms of flavour, it comes out quite bland. Not a big fan of it but it isn’t a disaster by any means.

Last words

While the food at Gyoza Gyoza is fairly decent, service wise it isn’t anything special and the small venue I feel detracts from the whole ambience.

Gyoza Gyoza
Chadstone Shopping Centre
Upper Level, 1341 Dandenong Road
Chadstone VIC 3148

Shizuku Ramen & Craft Beer

October 30, 2015 Posted in Abbotsford, Food Reviews, Japanese, Restaurant Reviews, Richmond2 Comments

Shizuku on Victoria St, is another Ramen place making its mark in Melbourne and spreading out from the CBD. While ramen is their specialty, it also prides itself on the craft beer offerings, with of course, a large range of Japanese beers, local and worldwide varieties. Ramen doesn’t come cheap though, with an average ramen costing $15 plus, however if you are able to dine there during lunch you are able to select one of their lunch specials.

Their Tonkotsu Miso Ramen comes with bamboo shoots, cha shu pork belly, Japanese style eggs with a very flavourful miso pork broth. I found it to be quite reminiscent of the many ramen shops in Japan in terms of flavour but more sparse in ingredients here.

Shizuku’s Fried Rice also is quite flavourful, and the spring onions add a nice freshness to it.

The gyoza filling is also tasty with the hint of ginger and pork flavour with crispy skin.

Shizuku’s Shoyu Ramen with cha shu, bamboo shoots and egg in a lovely clean tasting soy sauce broth again hits the mark. It’s quite a tasty meal and decent for their lunch special.

Last words
Value for money during lunch but questionable for dinner. Delicious Ramen dishes and would be fantastic with a cold one during warmer weather.

Shizuku Ramen & Craft Beer
309 Victoria Street
Abbotsford VIC 3067

ohdenny

Category: Restaurant Reviews

Squires Loft Nunawading

Frozen by A Thousand Blessings – Doncaster

Chin Chin

Ramen Bankara

Nachos Cantina – Mount Waverley

PappaRich – Doncaster

Moo Chi In Fusion

DonToo

Gyoza Gyoza

Shizuku Ramen & Craft Beer