Now that we live North of the river, old favourites are now distant memories. And one that has been neglected is Claypots in South Melbourne. Today we actually ventured across the river as I had an errand to run in Southbank and it really didn't take much convincing for us to decide to have lunch here.

The razor clams and the snapper were new to us but the rest are old favourites and once the steaming bowl of pasta arrived we were transported back to what felt like the familiarity and warmth of home. The pasta is always al dente and the saltiness and tanginess of the white anchovies and the tingling warmth of the chilli is always such a delight.

The razor clams were cooked in white wine and garlic and they were delicious too. We'd forgotten how tasty the sambal kingfish is and for a small piece of fish which could be easily overcooked, this was perfect. Shred of white fish meat just came off the bone and the spice and sweetness of the sambal was just a wonderful flavour sensation.

Claypots do amazing crushed potatoes. The texture and the flavour of these floury pieces of warm potato just work so well with the delicate nature of the fish. The snapper alla puttanesca wasn't quite what we envisioned as we thought it would be in a tomatoey olive sauce but actully it was pan fired with more of a tapenade on the side. Still delicious and probably better not to be drenched and over powered in sauce in hindsight.

And our favourite the John Dory; which I didn't take a picture of as it's not always the prettiest of fishes once fried up but it is so delicious. Delicate, white, sweet flesh and then the lemongrass, chilli paste it comes with just brings out that sweetness.

We miss you Claypots. Shame we now live so far. Like good friends though, it's worth the effort and the travel. We'll not leave it so long next time.

It was such a wet night and the rain just kept on pouring. Steve and I sought refuge and warm comfort with Eastern European cuisine which is a relatively new restaurant on Brunswick Street and a stone's throw from home. The initial welcome was warm and I was shown to a corner table. It wasn't particularly busy; maybe 3 or 4 tables. I did have to wait a while before water and menus arrived.

Inside it reminds me of a little place in Prague so it feels pretty authentic. There are a lot of things to choose both food and drink and the range of European beers is pretty impressive including one of Steve's favourites; Bitburger.

It was a shame that our drinks stayed on the bar counter for quite a while before a member of the wait staff could bring them over. It wasn't busy but for a moment, no one was working on the floor! So the drinks just stayed there. Finally they came over and we placed our order.

We ordered the crumbed Camembert with beetroot dip to share and 4 little golden pyramids came out. The oozy cheese was creamy and gooey with a crunchy crumb and the fruitiness of the beetroot went well. We did think it was pricey at $12 for 4 little nuggets though.

Steve had the Hungarian schnitzel stuffed with sausage and cheese and I had the Transylvanian veal shnitzel which was topped with ham, cheese and a tomato sauce. It was pretty impressive when it came out and looked huge. It was actually battered very thin though so in spite of the surface area the proportion of veal probably wasn't as much as one would think. It was tasty enough but more about the tomato sauce, ham and cheese than the schnitzel. 

Steve and I found the dollop of mash, or peasant potatoes as they were called was gluey and not really to our liking. 

In all, this was hearty food which was pleasant against the downpour but we felt that it was over priced as the local pub does a good parma for half or a third of the price.

We spent Saturday in the Yarra Valley on a 24 seater minibus celebrating Richie's 40th birthday. It was a lot of fun and lunch was at Zonzo's. Whilst the weather was wet, grey and miserable there was plenty of cheer and Zonzo's was warm and welcoming.

$45 per head and there was a share feast of antipasto, salads and a lot of pizza. Perfect to soak up all the wine we'd had and the prepare us for more!

The antipasto and salads came out first. A platter of cured meats, blue cheese, grilled vegetables, olives, mozzarella, balsamic onions and other titbits. And a basket of warm flatbread. Pretty delicious.

There were two salads both very simple but very delicious and fresh; a rocket, pine nut and Parmesan number and a Cos, feta and olive one.

Then the pizzas came rolling out.Lots of different choices including a prawn one, onbe with blue cheese, bacon and mushroom, prosciutto; definitely something for everyoner.

Service was efficient and accomplished. There were lots of big groups so I think if you were wanting an intimate table for two you'd feel pretty overwhelmed but it's a really good quality and good value lunch destination when in the Yarra Valley.

Friday evening with friends; what better than drinks and pizza? Shern had booked us a table at Kaprica and after a few pre dinner beverages we were ready to be fed.

Seated cosily around a round table, I loved the handwritten menu and the laid back but busy atmosphere. I didn't like the smell of drains near the toilets but luckily that was localised and we were seated far far away.

We started off with sharing some the buffalo mozzarella salad, the garlic and chilli prawns and the bresaola. When we realised it was 4 prawns per serve, we ordered another dish pronto and that came pretty quickly. We loved dipping the bread into the garlicky, chilli prawn oil. All so tasty and great way to start off the feast with some fresh and intense flavours.

Pizza wise we went with 4 large ones to share between 6. It was so hard to decide but we ended up with:

Prosciutto - Tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto, rocket and parmesan
Mr John - Tomato, mozzarella, pesto and hot salami
Potato - Mozzarella, potato, caramelised onion, rosemary
Salmone - Tomato, marscapone, red onion, salmon, fish roe

This was damn fine pizza. Thin crispy bases, delicious but simple toppings. Non greasy and a pleasure to eat. There are so many other pizzas I want to return to try and also the pasta which looked wonderful coming out of the kitchen.

So tempted by the delicious little tarts in the glass cabinet but we resisted and with warm tummies and happy minds we ventured back out into the wintry night.

We walked in at 12:30pm and it was empty. But walking through the pub to the dining area was pleasant. It's monochrome-esque but doesn't feel stark or cold; more NYC casual chic. It's not a large place so it retains a nice intimate feel. 

We're greeted warmly and water arrives quickly along with a complimentary mini glass of house kombucha which is a fermented tea. I've read about the restorative properties of this drink but never been adventurous enough to try it for fear it would be too weird so this little sampler is perfect. It's refreshing, with a hint of fizz and some tropical fruit flavours but not sugary. Not unlike a fruit iced tea. 

We browse the menu and I'm tempted by the salted caramel martini and the "Roving Mary" which is their take on the Bloody Mary. I'm seeing Sunday in with a bang! I decide to go savoury and it's a huge glass which is well balanced between spice and vodka but it's huge and I leave maybe a couple of centimetres before I decide to switch to wine as it's taking too much room in my tummy and I need plenty of room!

The items on the menu sound appetising split into Snacks, Small, Vegetarian, Larger and Dessert. We have a chat with our server about what to order and I think we get it just right. I enjoy seeing the open kitchen too and watching the chefs in action and one lady frying potato crisps!

We order two cigars of chicken liver parfait, date and salted peanut to start proceedings from the Snacks section.

Crumbly, creamy, crunchy and then with a hint of sweetness and a lingering flavour note of a Snickers bar! How can chicken liver parfait taste like Snickers? But it works. The chicken liver is soft and creamy and not too intense and I think I would like more of salty hit but Steve likes it the way it is and agrees it is reminiscent of Snickers. Must be the date sweetness and the salty peanuts.

It's a velvety soup, not too heavy on the cream which is good and the potato crisp which is two pieces sandwiched with a creamy, herby cheese, really elevates the humble nature of this pot of warmth. I think without the crisp this would have been pleasant but unremarkable but the crisp makes it memorable.

Short rib dumplings, masterstock & balsamic was revolutionary for us! A beautiful dark stock of Asian flavours and a then a mellow but tangy note of balsamic. The dumplings were encased in an almost pasta like wrapper and a beautiful slow cooked, sweet but beefy filling. This was truly remarkable and unexpected; a kind of cross between an Italian style tortellini al brodo but with an Asian flavour of star anise and cinammon.

And the revolution continued through to the next course of hen's egg, smoked potato and lots of mushrooms. Again an amazing stock base, oozy egg goodness, creamy potato, earthy mushrooms and a crunchy toasty final hit of sunflower seeds. Such a delight.

Steve commented that the stocks the chefs use in this place are really top drawer and our server informed us that they follow the Asian tradition of continuously retaining the stock and using it in many of their dishes to add that to those deep layers of flavour.

We also enjoyed the Flinders Island lamb rump, charcoal eggplant, ricotta and bric. The lamb was perfectly pink and the kale added a fresh green element to counter act the richness of the meat. The dramatic slate grey eggplant and pure white ricotta were contrasting in colour and flavour with the ricotta mellowing out some of the harshness that can come with BBQ and ash. I'd seen the one of the chef's cooking the lamb over a flame and that chargrilled intensity came through and just stopped shy of being acrid and over powering. Clever cooking.

We'd enjoyed our meal so much that Steve couldn't resist but suggest we also try the duck two ways, beetroot, broccoli and hazelnut as we'd toyed with ordering but backed off for fear of over doing it. This was a beautifully presented plate of pink, yellow, burgundy and green. The broccoli tasted amazing, the beetroot was delicious and the duck confit and duck breast were out of this world. We're so glad we included this jazzy little number.

And whilst we were indulging, it would have been wrong to leave without sampling dessert. I suggested sharing but Steve wasn't convinced so he ordered the Granny Smiths, butterscotch, buckwheat and cardamom and I went with the passionfruit, white chocolate, coconut which came with licorice sorbet but I requested that on the side if possible as I don't like licorice usually but wanted to give it a try. The chef and waitress were so kind to accommodate this and the ball of sorbet came on a separate dish which I tried with the first mouthful of dessert. I can see how it works as the licorice adds a final flavour note that is almost floral but I preferred the dessert without it.

I loved the crisp tart shell, soft and sweet mousse like white chocolate headily scented with vanilla and almost custard like, fresh zappy fruit flavours of blood orange and passion fruit and then toasty coconut. The meringue shards added some sweetness to balance the citrus tartness of the fruit. They weren't quite crisp and were a little sticky and soft to the touch so perhaps the moisture had got to it but still oh so enjoyable.

Steve enjoyed his apples. The cardamom sorbet was a touch over creative and not pleasant in isolation but apparently altogether it worked.

Give that we had not gone without at all this meal then what the heck; I ordered the salted caramel espresso martini to round things off.

This was delicious; strong, smooth, with a hint of creamy sweetness but just a touch and no overt sugar tones. What a way to finish a fine fine lunch!

Steve and I feel that it has been a long long time since a new restaurant has impressed us so much. Can you tell we loved it here? It wasn't just the food but also the beautiful decor and the passionate and friendly waitress we enjoyed chatting to.

It was a shame that there were only 2 - 3 tables in as this place is worthy of so much more adulation than what we have given it!

It is only 10 weeks old though so it's only a matter of time before it gains a following. It surely deserves it. Such a contrast to a very mediocre dinner we had in the CBD on Friday and similarly priced too.

TGIF! And I'd been looking forward to a good Friday feast all day and to seeing the A team plus other halves. Stef booked the table for 6:30pm and I caught the lift to the second floor with some bright, young, hipster girls with midriffs showing, high heels ready for a night out.

Feeling distinctly dowdy, I was shown to our table and Stef and Kerem had also just arrived. The boothed seating is lovely and roomy for 6. The overall decor is pretty swish and very P'Diddy / NYC. The waitstaff are all attractive and impeccably groomed too. Charlie commented to one of the waiters that when he was here last, he was wearing his Jordans with a suit and the waiter retorted; "what Jordans? They're Prada!" So I guess that short exchange demonstrated how well we didn't fit in! I mean Charlie likes to think he's gangsta and the boss, but we also knows he helps his mum and dad out every Saturday with the family business so he's a far cry from Al Capone.

I decided to give into Fun Friday and started off with an espresso martini as a little pick me up. It was an ok espresso martini but for $20 I've had far better.

We all ordered mains and sides and Steve and I share the Bovine Tasting Plate which were 3 different steaks each 150g: 

• Robbins Island Wagyu Flat Iron 
• Tasmanian Vintage 
• Eye Fillet Rangers Valley Rump

Most of us had some form of moo but Kerem went with the Half roast Saskia Beer chicken, gnocchi alla Romana & field mushrooms.
 
Across the table we also shared:

• Beef fat potatoes, garlic aioli 
  
• Brussel sprouts, maple glazed & crispy bacon
  
• Baked chipotle green beans
  

The food did take a while to come out and it wasn't exceptionally busy but it's a pleasant dining area to sit at. I did notice a table have to use their torch function on their phones to read the menus. And the music is a little loud but that's hipster for you. 

So our bovine tasting plate came with a little copper pot of gravy and some potato gratin. Stef was given the wrong steak and there was much confusion and halfway through the meal a salad and a new steak came out but we couldn't hear what the waiter was trying to tell us. And he wasn't very smiley. A bit pouty! Anyway after he dropped off the salad, took the new steak away and then brought it back, we finally understood it was complimentary to make up for the mistake. Gesture was appreciated.

Poor Stef though as the comedy of errors continued. As we were tight on free surface space on the table we'd moved our water glasses and Stef's drink to the ledge behind us and when we wanted them, they'd gone! And Stef's drink was half full. So they replaced that too.

Anyway back to the food. The steak was cooked beautifully and Steve and I enjoyed that. Sarah's steak seemed very tough and so was Stef's mistake steak but the replacement was far better. Charlie seemed to enjoy his and Kerem's chicken was ok but under seasoned and there was no salt and pepper on the table.

It had been so hard to get wait staff attention throughout our meal so it became too difficult to ask for anything that wasn't essential! I'd ordered bearnaise sauce and that didn't come and I really wanted something as the little pot of gravy was only just enough for the Yorkshire pudding which was an ok Yorkshire pudding. I can make better ones! Not the worst I've had but not the best. Poor little Manchester waiter mustn't have had many good ones to think these ones are amazing. Deprived child. I did actually manage to get some bearnaise and it was tasty. Smooth and creamy with the right tang of vinegar and tarragon.

The side dishes were also just ok. The Brussel sprouts were undercooked and I didn't like the maple syrup pooling at the bottom of the dish. If it had been a maple glaze and the sprouts chargrilled, I think that'd be much better. The chipotle baked green beans tasted like they'd been boiled and then sprinked with some paprika and chilli powder. I thought they'd be baked or braised and I had expectations that it would be smokey and tasty but this was just meh. Beef fat potatoes were bland.

I think that's what the meal was; "meh". I wouldn't rush back if it all. It's all a bit shiny shoes and no underwear for me. The service is inattentive and all about appearances. The Manchester waiter had more personality but we only saw him once. The steak is good but there are many good places for steak. The decor is impressive but shiny newness does not a sustainable restaurant make. Perhaps we were just not glamorous enough clientele for them to be treated well.

Easy like Sunday mornings...and today we took a short walk to Smith Street to try out Mjr Tom. It's a cool fit out - wood, chipboard, corrugated steel but still manages to be cosy with little booths and nooks and crannies. It really manages to balance that industrial chic with warmth so there's clean lines but it's not cold. 

It's pretty quiet when we arrive so we have our pick of tables and it's hard to choose between the heated terrace out front or the intimate booth by the window at the back and we end up going with the window.

Service is very friendly and drinks orders are taken and we spread out with the newspaper and there's plenty of room for both of us to open up and sit in companiable silence.

The Sarten comes in skillet and I like the morcilla and salty, crispy bacon with the creamy aioli all on top of cubes of roast potatoes. It's certainly a good way to start a morning. The thing with these iron skillets though is that I find the food inside gets a little greasy but the sharpness of the artichoke actually helps cut through some of that.

Steve gets through his eggs pretty quickly topping his toast with the egg mixture and eating it with his fingers. It's a little light on mushrooms I think but it all goes down well.

I have my fill of breakfast beverages starting with OJ, then a coffee and then finishing it all off with a pot of tea. The coffee is good; smooth with no bitterness or burnt tones which I like. The tea is also flavoursome and strong.

Loving your work Major Tom!

So on Saturday after a grocery shop and whilst Steve's suffering from a hangover I drag him to Co Do and we order spring rolls, stuffed chicken wings and 2 plates of pork chop on broken rice.

It's reasonably busy but easy to find a table and there are a few group tables of friends and family digging in. Interestingly, they're all eating pho...

The spring rolls arrive quickly and they're hot, crispy and tasty. Good start! The plates of pork arrive soon after and it's not as impressive looking as Footscray's offering. I think an oval dish always looks more generous and the Footscray version manages to get the pork really golden whereas this was less glistening but it's all about the taste right. 

It's actually deceiving because the food is piled up so there's more there than meets the eye. There's the shredded pork and vermicelli, some meatloaf and two good pieces of pork as well as the ubiquitous pickles and fried egg. Flavour wise it's good. The pate flavour is quite strong but not off putting and the pork chops whilst not crispy is more tender and braised style but I like it all. 

And the stuffed chicken wings are delicious too. Thin crispy skin, boneless and stuffed with a pork mince mixture that is punchy and spicy they're pretty rich and hefty but yummy. One is enough though!

This is a good family style all rounder for Vietnamese food I think and I don't think I'll leave it 4.5 years to return this time!

Steve and I have had a lovely weekend in the Yarra Valley with the Timberts (Shern and Jon.) We stayed at Furmston House where we have been previously and we obviously love it in there hence the return and on Saturday we spent the day with Geoff from Yarra Valley Private Winery Tours. As part of the itinerary, lunch was provided at Tokar.

We and the Timberts have both previously been to Tokar for a wine tasting a while back and separately. Upon discussion, we found we had similar experiences in that it was a rushed tasting and service was not as attentive as it could have been as it was the same staff as in the restaurant which was busy at the time. So we both concluded that it was more a restaurant than a cellar door.

So unconvinced by the cellar door, we hoped to be convinced by the restaurant offering. We were welcomed warmly and shown to our table immediately. Thanks to Geoff's planning, there was no need to wait. 

Our table was a roomy square table not far from the windows and in the cut and thrust of the dining room which had a nice ambience and a Mediterranean feel.

After we chose our food options, we were shown to the counter for wine tasting and looked after professionally although, part of the commentary did sound a bit scripted.

Anyway we were definitely better looked after this time round although we found the wine so so but we'd probably been spoilt having been round the best that the Yarra Valley has to offer. There was enough to find something pleasant to accompany lunch though naturally!

Jon, Shern and I all went with the Calamari Spiced with Ras El Hanout, Oregano Labne and a Fennel and Parsley Salad. It looked quite appetising, golden and crispy. It was piping hot and the crust was crispy and the calamari very tender. It was the kind of food that is needed at 1:15pm having started the winery tour at 10am! Flavour wise, I felt it was lacking. The Ras El Hanout didn't seem to be there, the dollop of oregano labne was tangy and creamy but it was really small and the fennel and parsley salad really needed some sort of acidic dressing. So the basics were right in terms of temperature, texture and quality of produce but it really needed a good whollop of flavour.

The Confit Duck Rillettes that Steve ordered was much tastier and was classically executed with no complaints.

Our dishes were probably best described as "fine". Not terrible, but not amazing. Acceptable is probably another word I could use. It reminded me of wedding food so like mass banqueting rather than a la carte.

Shern's saffron infused wild mushroom paella, thyme, sherry and shaved Parmesan was probably the worst pick. The shaved Parmeson was more chunks of melted non descript stringy cheese and the rice was undercooked so chalky and grainy and the rice was suspended in some gloopy soupy liquid.

Whilst we weren't overly impressed and don't feel the need to return we also realise that there aren't a huge amount of options in the Yarra Valley for a tour group to use. My usual preferred choice of Innocent Bystander in Healesville is too busy and has enough customers of its own without having to broker some relationship with tour groups. I've had pizza at Coldstream Brewery and there "fine" like this place so no gain there. Coombe Estate, De Bortoli all take too long and are expensive which would increase the cost of the tour. Platters at Medhurst whilst tasty are again expensive and something more substantial is probably sensible when on a wine tour.

Whilst the food and wine were merely acceptable, I did feel that the service was pretty attentive.

As we took our seats, we were asked if we wanted dips and saganaki and we nodded our assent and just asked our waiter to bring out food. First came the bread basket with warm, soft, white, pillowy bread ready to dip in into the plate of baba ganoush, tzatziki that had a flavoursome garlic hit and the salty taramasalata. There was also fried courgette pieces, calamari salad, green beans and carrots on the plate as well as a second dish of chargrilled octopus in a tangy vinaigrette.

As we made our way through the first offerings, three skillets also arrived. There was one filled to the brim with scallops another with fried calamari and the third was the very necessary gooey saganaki. Oh fried cheese! The scallops were sweet and plump and the calamari crispy with the lightest of crusts. What a wonderful start. Rustic, homely Greek food at it's best really.

Our waiter asked us what meat and fish we wanted and he listed off a lot of things! I thought he said cod with potatoes. Jon thought he said cock and potatoes. The others saw him put his fingers on his head to imitate horns but still didn't really know what he meant. Not helped when he told us he also had chicken-lamb. He also listed a whole load of fish and when we said we'd go for the King George whiting, he suggested the baby Snapper which he never mentioned in the first place! Oh the fun of communication. Anyway we left it in his hands. It seemed the easiest thing to do.

What arrived was some grilled pork in salt and pepper served on the bone, the goat on potatoes, some shaved lamb and the baby Snapper. The goat was soft and tender and the potatoes braised in the juices. The Snapper was just so simple and unadorned but the flesh was so sweet and yummy - probably my favourite. The pork was tasty but a little dry for me and the lamb shreds with onions was another delicious dish.

We had a bowl of Greek salad to help cut through the richness of the meat and we slowly made our way through all these dishes of deliciousness.

And our friendly waiter came by to offer us dessert which arrived as a plate of mixed sweet treats. There was custard pudding thing, baklava, Turkish delight and some halva. 

It looked like we'd struggle but we weren't rushed and gradually over time a respectable dent was made. Team effort though.

We had a really fun night at Jim's. It's not sophisticated food but it tastes honest and satisfying. It can be a little off putting not knowing how much everything costs until the bill comes and I have heard that Jim can have a reputation of over feeding and therefore hiking up the bill. Our bill came to $50 per head which included a decent tip and it was BYO with no corkage so we felt that it was good value for a night of giggles, gorging and a real taste of Greece.