Had a Friday morning breakfast meeting and this place is close to the office. I'd never been but had walked past the blackboard on the main street signalling to turn down a Melbourne alleyway.

We descended down into this basement cafe and it's quite large by Melbourne cafe standards with some quirky, shabby chic and eccentric decor stuffed in the nooks and crannies and a bright mural on the wall. There's definitely a sense of individuality and a cheery personality.

In some ways it reminded me of a Mediterranean taverna and in other ways it brought back memories of hippy style student cafes from my 90s yourh.

Service was friendly and prompt too and the food came out quite quickly meaning we were back at the office in an hour.

The speciality seems to be dips or stuffed bread bowls. I had the Mediterranean shakshouka with a side of bacon and my dining companion made up a breakfast of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and some other random things. I don't think she knew what she was going to end up with! Coffees were long and strong and piping hot.

The hash browns were unusual and not the pre made stuff. They were seasoned with spices - cumin and maybe some others and were really quite delicious. Like a cross between a falafel and hash brown. I enjoyed my bread bowl although it was quite large so I left the lid. The bowl was softer than I thought it would be but it still held its shape. The tomato ragu was intense and punchy and went well with oozy eggs and salty bacon. It's all quite homely and rustic which is sometimes welcome especially in the cold weather, The generous serves meant we were set up for the day!

Destination Carlton Wine Room for a get together with Shern, Jon and Matt on a Saturday evening. I'd been with Steve a few weeks prior for a drink before we had dinner at The Town Mouse and we liked the atmosphere and enjoyed the couple of beverages we had so I was looking forward to returning.

It was a busy service and we were seated upstairs which doesn't have quite the same bistro / wine bar feel as downstairs. Our waitress was friendly and upbeat but as the evening went on we discovered she's been drafted in as emergency cover hence when we asked where the ladies were she couldn't answer! She apologised at a later point in the evening for a "haphazard" evening but more on that later.

We skipped starters and went straight to main courses with a couple of side dishes:

• O'Connor Striploin with a brown butter, pickled onion and mustard
• Half roasted chicken with charred leeks and golden raisins
• Housemade tagliatelle with beef shin ragu, garlic and Pecorino
• Crispy roast pork jowl and a Slipper Jack mushroom ragu
• Roasted baby carrots with smoked almond, honey and almond
• Baked cauliflower with macadamia and caper marjoram

Our food did take a long time to get to us and I think the full house plus some sort of function elsewhere in the building was probably the reason for that. The staff were stretched quite thinly and rushing around trying to tend to everyone. They didn't come across over stressed or frazzled but certainly there was a lack of attentiveness. I wouldn't have used the word "haphazard" as our waitress did but there was certainly room for improvement.

Food wise it was a bit of a mixed bag. The dishes looked appetising. I had the roast chicken and it was tasty and cooked well but it wasn't very generous with 1 piece of charred leek and the chicken was more of a baby chicken...Similarly the roast pork jowl and the steak kind of met expectations flavour wise but didn't feel particularly value for money,

Sadly the tagliatelle was a fail; a tiny portion for $24 and it was cold. Tasty but cold and because service was inattentive and no one came to check in, there wasn't much scope to send it back plus we'd waited so long for the food, satisfying hunger took priority.

The cauliflower looked impressive - half a head baked and it tasted nice enough with a nutty puree but not enough of a calling card to cause us to return. I don't like carrots so didn't have any but the plate was cleared so they must have been good to eat.

Service was sparse; food was decent but not enough of a draw for a repeat visit and there was just some warmth, hospitality and generosity missing which is a shame as for a local neighbourhood gem, if it had those qualities, I'd be a regular.

The Union Hotel was the chosen location for a casual girls, post work dinner where the chatter comes first closely followed by decent and simple food. It's a popular place and there became increasingly busy over the course of the evening so it's clearly well liked.

The menu has all the pub classics as well as a handful of more creative offerings on the specials board. We pretty much went classic bar the 12 hour braised lamb ribs which were paired with the slightly more unusual broccolini and sweetcorn puree. Flavours were good, the lamb was tender and the fat rendered out so not greasy. I liked the crunchy freshness of the broccolini and the sweetness of the corn with a tang of mint sauce although the puree was a bit coarse and grainy. Didn't hold me back from eating it all though!

Between us there were many parmas and I went steak with Paris butter. Admittedly the accompaniments we ordered with our meals weren't quite as straightforward with a mix of mash, salad, chips and veggies in various combinations and a request for no carrots in my vegetables. But it wasn't unreasonable I thought and we didn't order anything not on the menu. But I did hear the guy behind the bar criticise our order and say that the kitchen wasn't going to like us! I'm not sure I like being told that I'm a pain when I don't think I was that painful...

The food came out pretty quickly considering it was busy and the plates looked appetising. Golden melting cheese, chunky chips and melting butter on my steak. Our research informed us that Parmas of Melbourne had slated the Union for its offering but my Parma consuming company begged to differ and said it was pretty good. The steak was a decent pub steak and I liked the capers and shallots in the butter. Not sure it is authentically Paris butter but it was good flavoured butter that went well with the meaty hunk of steak.

At the end of the meal we decided to order a dessert and a round of drinks. The pub was busy at the is point in the evening and a large group of revellers had arrived. I placed my order of dessert, one glass of wine, two mineral waters and a latte with the server and again was made to feel like I was a pain. The wine was sloshed into a glass, the mineral waters came out of the fridge tops removed but no glasses and I had to find my own straws and I was told that I'd have to wait for the latte and it would be ages. I acknowledged I could wait because we'd have to wait for the dessert anyway and got no response. So as I received my change I sought clarification and asked if it was a no for the latte and the guy said yeah. 

So I don't have an issue that there was no coffee available because it was busy. My issue is that instead of the passive aggressive line of "oh it'll be ages for the latte" just come right out and apologise and explain no coffee. Instead I'm left wondering am I going to get a coffee or not...

Dessert came and it was a fudgey and decadent flourless chocolate cake with a strawberry sauce and orange cream. The fruit elements cut through some of the sweetness and as a shared finisher to proceedings it did its job satisfactorily.

In summary, decent pub food and if you are local it's a reliable option for feed. Service at the bar is lacksadaisical and bordering on unprofessional although some points regained because the waitress who actually delivered the food was very smiley and knew what she was doing.

Sunday lunch was spent with with Ling, Noah, Stef and baby Bunty and we gathered in Flemington for Laksa King. This was Steve and my first visit but the rest of the group have been before. Stef is almost a regular but it is in her 'hood. It was busy so lucky we had a reservation and they didn't seem to mind when we weren't all there at the pre booked time.

Service is more efficient than friendly but it works and we're attended to promptly. 

Steve and I share the lobak which was tasty; more meaty than spring roll like but good. I went with fish fillet laksa which was generous with at least 5 pieces of fried fish. Steve went shredded duck laksa and Stef had combo laksa.

The laksas went down a treat. Loved the balance of flavours and it wasn't overly coconutty and creamy. I could have done with more spice but the chilli sambal we asked for helped. We found these vibrant bowls of sunshine yellow goodness to be great value for money at less than $15 per serve depending on the type. $10.80 for the combo!

Ling had the Ipoh Hor Fun which also looked huge and delicious with lots of eggy gravy.

Noah had the roast chicken rice which to me looked a little dry and more meagre than the noodle dishes but it seemed to be well received. Water bottles were replaced regularly, not necessarily with a smile but I'm ok with that!

Laksa King is worth the travel for good laksa and there's plenty more to try next time.

I enjoyed the fresh pot of tea as opposed to the flasks that remain on the tables in other similar restaurants. Feels more hygienic! Pleased also to report the bathrooms were good too. I usually avoid them as they can be off putting but all good here.

I had the bun bo hue which is the beef and lemongrass noodle soup. There was warm spice throughout and I enjoyed the different bits in it including some shiny cubes of liver which I thought I wouldn't like but actually they weren't strong in flavour. The noodles were nice and springy. The broth probably could be hotter. There was beef in it but I'm sure there was also pork so if you're a non pork eater, buyer beware as it's not in the description.

Steve had the stewed duck noodle soup and that looked inviting too with a duck leg floating in the bowl. The broth was pretty sweet which came from the dried dates that were in there and he enjoyed his bowl too.

We share a Vietnamese pancake which is pretty big and looks impressive. All golden yellow and crispy thin crepe like. The dipping sauce was flavoursome but really if it wasn't for the dipping sauce it would have been quite bland. Stirfried beanshoots with a tiny bit of pork and the odd mini frozen prawn. I wanted to order some spring rolls too but the waiter said it would have been too much.

The menu is huge with lots of items to choose from so it can be a bit confusing if you're indecisive like us. We enjoyed the lunch enough but definitely it's a place that relies on MSG. Could definitely taste it and felt the dehydrating effects afterwards.

Not many places would put the humble Supper Inn up against world renowned Noma! But I love it as I enjoy both wholeheartedly!

We decided to start off with a plate of charcuterie which came out quickly. Wafer thin slices of well seasoned pork enriched with fat. Yum! Already I could feel myself relaxing, The bench seating looks uncomfortable - high backed and rigid but it's surprisingly supportive. No cushions needed.

We progressed to sharing the:

• Cured scallop, fermented buttermilk, cavalo nero
• Mushroom broth with spelt and Parmesan

The scallop dish was the first to arrive; a dramatic and vibrant green with chunks of scallop centred on the dish. The broth like buttermilk was flecked with the green cavalo nero oil and provided the acidic tang but surprisingly the scallops didn't add much sweetness and the main flavour notes were the zing and salt. Steve really enjoyed the freshness whereas I wanted more sweet scallop flavour which I found was overpowered. But undeniably this was unusual and creative.

The mushroom broth was amazing. Creamy but still light and packed full of umami goodness with some bite from the spelt and I think what was some type of cabbage. I could have eaten a whole massive bowl of this with some bread. Perfect for a Winter dinner. I want some more right now!

And so we continued and we ordered the hanger steak with Jerusalem artichoke and a side of potatoes dauphine. Dauphine is different to dauphinoise and I must admit I was expecting that creamy, layered potato dish but instead these golden nuggets arrived. Turns out potatoes dauphine is completely different. Just as decadent though! Described as puffed potato, it is the lightest ever mash encrusted and fried and seasoned with salt and I think chives or spring onion. Delicious. 

What was also darn delicious was the hanger steak. It can be tough but this version was not tough but it had texture and most of all lots of flavour with a creamy Jerusalem artichoke puree that was silky and so decadent and then some crunchy Jerusalem artichokes for more texture. This was Winter food at its best.

Bar Liberty is interesting, Great for a drink, great for a meal. It's non traditional and creative but still remains approachable and low key with no pretentiousness. You're my new friend Liberty!
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Last night was wet and cold so we needed some warm comfort food. We've walked past Ibla a number of times and always said we'd visit and I'd heard from a friend and colleague it was good so I called up in the afternoon and secured two spots at the bar. There's no online booking and I also noticed that they run their reservations old school style with a big hardback diary. Ibla certainly has the essence of a trattoria; traditional and familiar but the fit out is modern and fresh so it feels much more current.

I always worry about bar seating - I love the theatre and being in the thick of things but often it's uncomfortable. At Ibla, I'm pleased to say the stools are comfortable and there's a ledge to perch the feet. There are no handbag or coat hooks but our bits and bobs were kindly stored somewhere else for us.

The lamb did leave a bit of fattiness in the mouth but again the wholesome flavours of traditional Italy left behind a warm glow.

We decided to try the pizzoli described as a pizza sandwich and good for sharing, It did take a while for it to come out and basically the pizza base is sliced in half so it's two thin layers of base sandwiching the filling. We went with the Diavolo with spicy salami, black olives and roasted capsicums. It looks less appetising than a pizza because visually it's just the baked pizza base and it looks like a Mexican quesadilla. We enjoyed the crunchiness of the thin base which was light and grease free. The roasted peppers were flavoursome and the toppings were a good balance of flavours; salty salami, sweet capsicum, creamy cheese, briny olives. I'd have loved a bit more spice so either a more fiery salami or some chilli.

It's a small premises and whilst we were there it filled up quickly. A couple of larger parties came in after us and that pretty much meant it was a full house. It can get buzzy, busy and noisy but that's often the charm of a trattoria.

Service was friendly and attentive. The waitress did reassure us a couple of times our pizza was coming and I'm not sure if our wait is standard or something went wrong as it wasn't explained. I think the left hand needs to talk to the right hand more as we were often asked twice by different people if we wanted more to drink or ready to order etc. but better to be asked twice than not all I guess.

Ibla Cucina is a good, solid, local dining gem. It's decently priced, is authentic with its food so there's plenty to enjoy.