Sushi trains epitomise quick satisfaction for me and when you want food quickly, there's nothing better. Sakura Kaiten was recommended to me and so my husband and I popped in peak time on Friday night. Lucky for us there were spare seats so we squeezed in. 

Where sushi trains score high on food speed satisfaction, they struggle with comfort and personal space and Sakura is no different but if it's that authentic Japanese feel you want then it wins on that score. There are the zippy little food transporters that get pushed from the kitchen to the customer. There are Japanese anime figurines all over and it just feels street style authentic. The toilet roll holding Yoda in the bathroom was a little bit of a shock when I entered but it caused a giggle.

There's a wide choice of dishes both to order and also journeying round the conveyor belt. It's possible the widest choice I've seen. Certain dishes were delicious - tuna belly, salmon belly, fried chicken...all good. Not so good was the abalone nigiri. My piece was decent but my husband's had a huge gristly piece attached that hadn't been removed. There was also a whelk looking one that was a bit fishy and sandy for my tastes. Lucky I could remove the memory of it with another delicious piece of tuna.

I found the quality of the produce better than Hotaru. The sushi skills are unrefined though as some of the cuts weren't as precise as they could be; the abalone being an example and the jalapeno in the kingfish dish was all different thicknesses and sizes some bordering on chunks than slices. Our bill came to just over $100 for the two of us including a beer and a soft drink but still within reason.

We took our table in the buzzy French bistro style dining room upstairs and settled in for the evening. It was busy and we were seated in between two other dating couples. The menu is very French with a wide selection of lighter entry course and the main courses stick to the staples of steaks, roast chicken and the like.

We started off with:

• Spanner crab, avocado, brioche and salmon pearls
• Local mushrooms en papillote with shaved black truffle, confit garlic and hazelnuts (unpictured)

The mushroom dish was a special and delicious it was - perfect for the wet and Autumnal evening outside. The spanner crab was the complete opposite but still delicious; light, bright and crunchy. We found the brioche a little dry and sawdust like but the crab, avocado and salmon roe was delightful.

We shared the:

• 700g Dry Aged Cote de Boeuf

It came with some Dijon mustard and grated horseradish so we added the fries. Surprisingly the fries came with a little ramekin of malt vinegar that took me right back to the chips in the UK - such a happy place.

The steak was cooked well; classic fare really.

So Hammer and Tong is no more and in its place is Nomada offering breakfast tapas. The layout is the same but it seems brighter and calmer. We secured two seats at the bar and service took a while but we got there in the end.

Offering a wide range of beverages and 'breakfast tapas', the menu can be a little daunting in terms of thinking what goes with what and how many dishes should we order. There are different sized plates costing $5, $9, $15 and $19. There are also some sweet dishes thrown in amongst the menu items too.

Don't worry about it or think too hard; just order what you fancy. We ended up ordering in two rounds and the couple next to us in three. The food comes out pretty quickly so just start with a few dishes and then add a few, throw in a drink or two and you'll come away pretty happy!
 
Our first order was for about 6 or so items. Actually we ordered two toasties, the one we got being the boquerones and the one that didn't materialise which was the jamon but we had enough to go on so didn't mind too much. The food was delicious so we ordered a second round of three dishes.

• Coal blistered tomatoes, sherry, herbs and manchego
• Chorizo with chilli powder
• Seasonal mushrooms and pickled celery
• Nomada bacon with potato sauce and mushroom powder
• Quail eggs with cumin salt
• Blue Eye croquetas with fennel emulsion
• Boquerones and Mahon toastie
• Jamon Serrano, cured yolk, fresh curd and pear
• Flinders saltgrass lamb on the coals, tomato, yoghurt, eggplant, garlic puree and chilli

We loved the bacon which were two thick cut bacon steaks and were quite mellow compared to the spicy chorizo so both pork but different. Yum! The quail eggs were creamy and rich. Loved the anchovies and Mahon cheese in a toastie; cheesy and umami and crispy and golden. Croquetas were plump and golden brown with a creamy tasty filling. Not one dish was a bad dish. There was oodles of respect for the ingredients and they came together like a symphony in spite of us just ordering haphazardly. Out of confusion came delight!

I also enjoyed the strawberry lemonade and the tea we had was also well made. 

Whilst we initially found the service a little offhand, it improved and we were rewarded with friendly smiles by the end.

We have found a new neighbourhood favourite. Nomada, yesmada!

A new addition on Brunswick St; I popped in for a late lunch on Friday afternoon. Given there was only one of me I decided to forego dumplings and have a hearty plate of Ma Po Tofu on rice and a serve of spring rolls.

I was pleasantly surprised by the spring rolls which seemed home made and reminiscent of what my Dad makes. Crispy golden with shredded meat and Chinese mushrooms they were pretty darn good. The plate of rice and Ma Po Tofu was generous and hearty; packed with flavour and a good chilli kick.The tofu was silky and soft and melted into the rice. I couldn't actually finish all the tofu.

The pot of tea was probably the down point as it was pricey and the little cups to pour into are more for aesthetics than practicality. I ended up pouring the tea into my water glass.

My first experience here was definitely on the more positive end of the scale so I think I'll have to go back for the dumplings.

There were four of us here today enjoying a Saturday lunch in this cosy and bright local Italian. It was certainly warm indoors so a good place to escape the chill of the second day of the Melbourne Winter.

Decor is pleasant with neutral tones, some funky grey tiles at the bar that add to the modern contemporary feel. The tables are close enough for that trattoria / osteria feel but not so much that it's uncomfortable.

Steve and I arrived first and were shown to a table. Water was poured and menus given out but after a while we had to flag a waiter to place a drinks order. And the same happened when our friends arrived. In fact throughout the meal, although the wait staff were friendly we did have to seek out help. More on the service later...

In terms of entrees, between the four of us we ordered:

• Melanzane a’ Parmigiana | Baked eggplant parmigiana
• ‘O Cuoppo ‘e Terra | (Neapolitan fried street food) | Pea arancini, potato croquettes, polenta chips, beer battered zucchini and salty dough balls
• ‘A Tunnat ‘e Mar | Peppered yellow fin tuna, crispy shallots, caper vinaigrette & micro herbs
• Mussels and Clams in White Wine and Tomato

Steve had the tuna and thoroughly enjoyed the fresh flavours. I loved the cheesiness and tomato in the eggplant which was baked so that it was soft and creamy. The mussels and clams went down well and we asked for more bread to dunk in the beautiful cooking liquor. The fried street food was probably the weakest link; heavy and lacking in flavour with all the items being a bit samey and a bit dry. Some dipping sauce like some sugo would help this dish and bring some much needed freshness.

I forgot to take pictures of main courses. I think it was because it took a wee while to come so I was hungry and ready to dig in when they arrived! 

Between us we ordered:

• ‘E Mafaldine ‘a Cacciator | Our version of long curly pasta, slow cooked duck ragú, porcini mushrooms & shaved pecorino cheese
• Spaghetti al Sugo Napoletano | Spaghetti, slow cooked (4 hours) ragú of pork and beef in Napoli sauce
• ‘O Merluzzo all’ Acqua Pazz | Poached rockling in a lightly herbed broth & cherry tomatoes

Both Steve and Rachel had the spaghetti which didn't look too large a serve but apparently looks were deceiving. I had the duck ragu and found it a hearty bowlful. It's interesting that the menu at 38 Chairs does specify that the pasta they offer is not al dente but more of a soft texture and that was certainly true. I enjoyed the flavours of the duck ragu; found it light on the porcini and it was more duck and tomato but nevertheless enjoyable. I think I prefer my pasta al dente though.

TIm had the rockling and that was quite a dainty serve with only two small pieces of fish for a reasonably hefty price.

The food is good so we did order dessert. I had the tiramisu and it was delicious. Strong in chocolate and cocoa flavours with a crunchy topping it wasn't overly rich and was just the right way to finish the meal.

It was generally a good feed with some great dishes - eggplant, tuna and tiramisu being the highlights. The forgettable elements include the street food entree and the patchy service. The soft pasta I'm ok with because the flavours work and they obviously intend it to be that way. I may not take up a chair there as a regular but given it's kind of in our 'hood, I'm open to popping in again.

Friday was no ordinary day at the office. My workplace allows each employee two paid days to volunteer and my team chose to do this together in St. Kilda so I found myself out of the office and Southside. What a big adventure!

We broke for lunch at 12 and given it wasn't my 'hood, we relied on team members whose 'hood it is for a lunch plan and one was made very quickly and efficiently. A phone call was made whilst we were en route and we were told they would have a table for the 10 of us. As we arrived they were just unlocking the doors!

The dining area is nice and roomy with a modern and contemporary look and feel. I can imagine that when busy it will feel buzzy and fun; great for groups and families.

Everyone ordered a dish for themselves and between us there were pizzas, gnocchi, lasagne and salads so the group managed to try most offerings. Although there was only our table and one other table of 4, the food did take a while to arrive. Perhaps if we had mentioned we were on the clock and had to leave in an hour, that might have made a difference. Anyway we just managed the time constraints and had about 15 minutes to eat by the time we were served.

At lunchtime, there are smaller pizzas available for $13 which was great and they were a perfect size for lunch. I really enjoyed the No.15 which was tomato pancetta, ham, onion, free range egg and mozzarella. My yolk was smashed though which I was a little disappointed with. My request for chilli was rewarded with a small dish of chillies in oil and a couple of tangy pickled pieces too which were delicious. The accompanying salad I ordered was fresh and crunchy which was a really good contrast to the heavier, cheesier, carbier pizza.

All the dishes that came to the table looked appetising and generous. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food and there were clean plates all round. Mr. Wolf certainly hit the spot for us!