Breakfast before a road trip and with no plans for the next week (so unlike us on a weekend and with a destination to go to) we needed a good start. We decided to try Pavlov's Duck and with the drizzly rain outside, we were lucky enough to secure a car park spot right outside. Good start!

I decided to have a matcha latte. I've discovered quite a like of these. This wasn't as green as I'd have liked but actually the matcha hit was there and I enjoyed it.

We were seated at one of the large communal tables and were very comfy with all the space to spread out and having brought a newspaper with use, we took advantage. Even when we were joined by another diner, we still had plenty of room. Very pleasant surroundings and we watched the lady at work at the Hopper Station. We were too early to indulge in this traditional Sri Lankan dish but were happy enough to watch her prepare for the weekend trade.

​I went with an Aussie favourite called the John Doe which was smashed avocado on sourdough toast, fetta, poached eggs and I added a side of Istra bacon. Classic combination and all done well with the eggs offering satisfyingly good gooeyness and the bacon had that saltiness that a weekend morning delights in. I also enjoyed the off pearl of pomegranate that just added a little fruity sweetness.

Steve had the Bean Hole which sounds a bit rude if you ask me. Essentially it's spiced mixed beans, ricotta, poached eggs and chorizo. Definitely one for his flavour tastes.

It was the start we wanted and needed and kicked off our long weekend in a satisfying way.

Our first night dinner in during our Port Fairy getaway was at The Stag. We made our booking before the Good Food Guide came out and before there were a few press clippings exuding this place so we were keen to find out if it lived up to the hype.

It's a quaint old homely building on a corner and as we entered through one of the doors we stepped straight into the dining area. Having to wait a moment in between tables of diners, mostly couples was a little conspicuous but we were soon show to our own table and we settled in.

Rather than go with the Tasting Menu we decided a la carte and to share each other's dishes so the result would be similar to Tasting Menu. We also loved that the wine list was all Australian wines and lots of local choices.

The welcome was warm and professional and service throughout was to this exemplary standard. We thoroughly enjoyed being looked after by the ladies in the house who were efficient, friendly and when the wrong menus were brought over and we were asked about water preferences twice, it was all managed so warmly that it didn't matter.

I opted for the abalone and it was really a standout dish. Tender slices of white abalone almost calamari like in texture but so tender and far more flavoursome it was like the flavours of the sea met with earthy notes from the ground from the mushrooms. In spite of the similarity in texture of mushroom and abalone, it just worked. I didn't experience texture of eel but I tasted it so I think it was in the form of the puree beneath the abalone. Very clever and a wonderful way to showcase Port Fairy's produce and export.

​Steve's kangaroo was a take on a steak tartare really with crispy curls of what we assumed was the Bunya nut and egg yolk. To me the flavours were quite intense. Tasty but not the perfect marriage of abalone and musrhooms.

I have to say I loved the lamb rack dish I'd chosen and was sad I had to give up half to do a swapsies with Steve. It was beautifully roasted with tender spiced eggplant and then a tang from the yoghurt. It was pretty traditional and classic but when done well, nothing beats a classic really in my book and this was done so well.

Steve thoroughly enjoyed the wallaby fillet. We did wonder if it would be too similar to the kangaroo entree dish given they're both from the same family and the Warrigal green was ever present. However, not the case and this was another tasty offering.

Our accompaniments were astoundingly amazing. I'm so glad when we didn't know which side dishes to order and deliberated this with our waitress, that she encouraged us to go with both. They couldn't have been any more different except for the wonderful porky goodness of ham hock (which was caramelised or fried off so more like cubed bacon and I love bacon) or the crispy shards of prosciutto.

The cauliflower had been char grilled so there was some lovely roasted flavours coming out and although creamy wasn't heavily so and in spite of not being a fan of horseradish, this was so subtle and really just take the edge of the creaminess. And then the asparagus; such a wonderfully green and clean flavour coming through enriched with gooey egg and salty, jewel like crispy fragments of prosciutto.

We cleaned up every dish!  It did mean we had no room for dessert but we were so satisfied with this meal that I didn't need a sweet finish. Two side dishes took up all the tummy room and that's what filled us up. Although I'll make a general comment about the dishes except for the sides and that they do err on the small size so sides are a necessity. I think I'd have loved another piece of lamb and that's what would have pushed it to beyond great for me in terms of value and taste.

Part wine bar, part jewellery shop, part bistro I have walked past Self Preservation many times but never really ventured in. On a busy Friday evening after work and with no dinner plans, Steve and I were struggling with ideas for a dinner destination and more importantly ideas that would eventuate into a free table for two...

Upon walking past we discovered that the twinkly candlelit room had some free tables and before we knew it we were in and seated in the corner of the communal table with plenty of room to spread out too.

With a glass of wine in hand we were cruising and we ordered:

• Seared scallops on house made black pudding with pea puree 
• Braised early Spring Rabbit, roast squash, zucchini and chickpeas with a broadbean and pea shoot salad 
• Pasta of the day which was with Spanner crab, asparagus, tomato, garlic and chilli
• Melted gruyere and jalapeno home style fries baked with spiced tomato

I wanted to try more but our waitress advised this would be enough to so we restrained.

The scallops arrived first - three little scallops accompanied by three hefty fingers of black pudding. Classic combination but the scallop to black pudding ratio was probably a little bit off so we didn't always get that balance of flavour. It was helped though that the black pudding wasn't as intense in flavour as it can be as I think all that black pudding had it been strong could have been overwhelming. I liked the sweetness of the pea puree to balance some of the stronger robust flavours.

I thought the braised rabbit would have been later with the word Spring in the description. To me it was more autumnal and stew like in spite of the green flecks of broad been. It was tasty enough though.

Pasta was rustic and where the rabbit was autumnal, this was more a Spring Summer dish. The pasta wasn't the silkiest I've had and was actually quite dense but I liked that about it.

The potatoes were like patatas bravas. The tomato sauce was bit too intense and there was a bit too much of it so it was all a bit overpowering.

We realised we'd ordered a bit of an eclectic mix of food and it showed as it didn't all quite come together. The menu is a little bit hotch potch. Not sure what the potatoes really go with but as a Friday night reasonably quick fix it did what it had to.

Steve and I were huge fans of Bayte which was a Middle Eastern restaurant that was the predecessor to newcomer Son in Law. But always open to welcoming and making new friends, we decided to get to know Son in Law one sunny Saturday afternoon.

The layout hasn't changed but there's been a bit of a facelift. Where Bayte was dark woods and coloured glass, Son in Law is hot pink and bright aqua with painted stools and pop art type fonts. It's fun and cheery and doesn't take itself too seriously.

We settle into a table in the courtyard and I enjoy a cool Thai iced tea and is a pretty good version. A touch too sweet for me but refereshing so I ask for my refill to be less sweet and it's perfect.

CRISPY BARRAMUNDI FILLETS - Roasted dry chilli, mint, coriander, red onion, roasted ground rice
FRIED SESAME TOFU - Fried shallots, sesame seeds, sweet tamarind sauce
DEEP FRIED CHICKEN RIBS - Fried shallots, spring onion, choice of nam jim jaew or sweet chilli dipping sauce

So all in all, things work more than they don't work so it's a good meal. We particularly enjoy the gooeyness of the eggs with the spice and sweetness. The pad thai is also well exceuted with smokiness from the wok and a good texture of noodles that is far from gloopy mess that sometimes masquerades as pad thai. Chicken ribs also good; not greasy, hot, crispy and flavoursome with a zippy dipping sauce.

Two things didn't quite work for me. The first was the tofu. I had in my mind silky soft cubes, with a crispy outer but these cubes were pretty dense and chewy kind of like bland halloumi cheese so not really my bad. The green curry was pleasant enough but I think could have done with some deeper complexities of flavour. It was a bit thin in texture and flavour.

We thought it was all well priced and for a local Thai restaurant it was pretty authentic with some fresh flavours. I think Jinda Thai in Richmond might win the flavour stakes by a whisker but this place is a lot less frenetic to sit in and I'd rather return here for an overall more pleasant experience

Red Silks is a favourite lunch haunt for Stef and I when we crave some home style Chinese food. And one Friday evening I took Steve there for a pre show dinner. The pictures are from that meal and we had a sizzling Mongalian beef, crispy salt and pepper pork, spinach with mixed mushrooms and fried rice.

The meat dishes were just ok - kind of takeaway style. The Mongolian beef was a bit too sweet and the beef treated with bicarbonate of soda a bit too much. It's often used to tenderise meat but too much and the meat breaks down and becomes a bit soggy. The salt and pepper pork wasn't spicy or seasoned enough and although it was super crispy it was sliced to thin for me so it ended up being more breadcrumb batter than pork. The fried rice and veggies were really tasty. Red Silks does the wok type dishes really well and there's always plenty of smokiness and flavour notes imparted from skilful wok cooking.

Portion sizes are hefty and as mentioned earlier wok cooked food is tasty. Usually when I come with Stef we share some vegetables, enjoy something with rice or fried rice and maybe a noodle dish and it's a very satisfying lunch, Our favourite is the water spinach with fermented bean curd. Can't get enough of it!

Decor wise it's a bit of an eclectic place. It's constantly Christmas with twinkly fairy lights and wreaths and reindeer decorations and it's like that any time we visit...so somewhat odd. But the food is good and it comes out quickly so I don't mind a brief stay at Santa's grotto. Stick with the wok dishes though.

Saba is a newcomer to Brunswick Street and having read a good write up and had a friend from ballet class recommend it, we decided to give it a go one night after work (and after ballet for me). It's a cheerful place with some brightly coloured woven baskets on the white wall which is a pretty and attractive piece of artwork.

The welcome is very warm and friendly and Saba and her team are personable and they look to really enjoy their work.

Steve enjoys an Ethiopian beer or two and we consider the menu. We go with a chef's choice veggie option of 3 things plus a chicken and a lamb. The food takes its time to arrive but our glasses are charged up and we don't feel forgotten.

After some conversation, a large platter comes out with its own colourful basket lid revealing a lot of injera bread. This is a traditional Ethiopian staple and is eaten with all dishes. Crumpet like but in a wholewheat shade of brown, there's so much but I think that's because all the dishes we order come with it and really for two people we don't need so much of the accompaniment. I'm a little surprised it's not warm and is more room temperature.

Injera is made from the teff grain which is typically grown in Ethiopia and Eritrea as it can thrive in difficult climates. It's gluten free and is meant to be very nutritious. Ground into flour it's predominantly made into injera which is fermented but it can also be used as a gluten free alternative to standard wheat flour.

Injera has a slightly sour taste from the fermentation and a bouncy, pancake like texture. Our accompaniements include a saucy, fiery, spicy chicken drumstick with a hard boiled egg, a milder slightly sweeter and drier diced lamb stew and some veggie options including two lentil based offerins and some garlicky silverbeet.

Out waitress brings out a dishes in little ceramic bowls and then upturns them onto our vast platter of injera ready for us to dig in. I'm not sure of the rules of eating with hands and it's always harder than it looks but we attack using our hunger instincts!

The dishes all taste different demonstrating the use of different spices and cooking methods. All enjoyable and flavoursome it's great to taste the contrasts between the milder and the spicier. Interestingly the injera doesn't soak up the sauces and breakdown to become mush like bread does and remains springy. But it's really filling and we really can't get through all of it. We make good progress with the meats and veggie dishes but there's a lot of injera leftover and it's pretty bloating.

​Gluten free cuisine with a few meat dishes and plenty for the veggies, this should be a popular combination for groups and the Northern suburbs crowds. A little bit quirky, a little bit unorthodox and a whole lot of charm; these ingredients should set up Saba for success.

We were doing our usual weekend grocery shop in Richmond and it was lunchtime. Seoul Soul was conveniently located and I remember having a decent meal there a few years back and Steve fancied trying it.

We ordered some pork dumplings and some veggie dumplings and they were tasty with a crunchy outer shell unlike the steamed or fried dumplings we usually have. These tasted more baked. The pickled veg they were sat on was fragrant with sesame and packed a fiery punch.

We both ordered a stone pot bibimbap and I had the spicy pork and Steve had the beef. With a drizzled of chilli sauce we were set to dig in. The bowl is deceptively deep and there's quite a bit of rice. It was tasty and sometimes I find Korean food overly sweet but this was balanced well flavour wise and I enjoyed the spicy sauce.

The stone pot retains the heat so it does get warm eating it and add the spice then it can get pretty hot. The restaurant itself is quite small and not particularly cool but with it being lunchtime it wasn't too busy so it was good. The food arrived quickly. The service was brisk and efficient but not unfriendly. Pretty well priced and a pretty satisfying and quick option.

We've been living in Fitzroy for 18 months now and pretty much every weekday I go past an old derelict building coloured yellow sandstone with the signage of The Old Colonial Inn. It's all boarded up but in the last 6 months or so I've noticed workmen inside so I was always pretty excited to see how it would turn out. It's a huge building so what can be done with all that space?

So on Friday, Steve and I decided to pop in for gander. There are three levels; a Japanese restaurant on the ground floor and part of the Ichi Ni group which has a popular place in St Kilda. The second floor is The Village People and is like a dining room / bar that is informal and offers Asian fare (ex Longrain chef) and then there's a rooftop bar on the third floor. 

As we enter the doorman gives us a brief rundown so we know which direction to take. We end up putting our names down for a table in the Japanese place (45 minute wait) and explore the other floors before finally having a drink in the The Village People.

It's pretty noisy and busy and I can imagine it will be like this on a weekend. We like the fitout and found the door staff pretty friendly. What we did find strange was whilst there are open outdoor spaces, there's not that much of it and I guess we should have known there'd be no view given where the building is located but when faced with the reality it was a bit "oh, there's nothing to look out at." So Naked for Satan still wins the rooftop bar competition.

We head back downstairs for our table and are shown to a dining area on the lower ground floor which doesn't have the buzz of upstairs and was sometimes empty and devoid of any wait staff which I don't think is a good thing. Anyway more on that later...

The menu has a few things that have been taken from the St Kilda offering but there's plenty of new stuff too. We order a few things:

• KING OYSTER MUSHROOM TEMPURA
• TORI SOBORO – Rice cake grilled with ground chicken served with teriyaki sauce
• WHOLE FLOUNDER TEMPURA
• BEEF TATAKI
• ICHI NI ROLL – 8 pieces of lobster, avocado and cucumber inside out roll topped with flamed salmon and Japanese mayo
• DRAGON ROLL - Spicy raw tuna, avocado, cucumber, roe\

We also ordered soft shell crab tempura but what came rather late was soft shell crab roll and it was pretty bland. That was one blip. The other blip was the wait for drinks and the wait for our later dishes which we had to chase up and when the dish came it wasn't what we ordered. As we paid up to leave, I think one of the waiter sensed all hadn't gone particularly well so we received an apology and an explanation that it's all the teething issues that happen in the first week of opening. 

The couple on the table next to us didn't seem too impressed by the slow service either as they chased up their drinks about 3 times!

Anyway onto the food. The mushroom tempura arrived first and that was really good especially the dipping sauce that had the mellowness that comes from the finely grated radish in the soy base.

We sent the Tori Soboro back as the rice cakes were inedible. I had this at Ichi Ni in St Kilda and it was amazing with doughy, chewy rice cakes but this was just weird. The second lot was a bit better but still not great.

The flounder tempura was attractively presented with the flounder bones bent into a kind of basket. Loved dipping the tempura in the salt to flavour it. If only the soft shell crab tempura had arrived as so far the tempura is the hit.

Beef tataki was pleasant enough. Steve prefers Nobu's version and finds that hard to beat. I liked the thick slices in this version but agree the Nobu flavours are the benchmark.

Ichi Ni roll with the lobster was nice enough but Steve felt it needed something crunchy on it as it was a bit mushy for him. I liked the sweetness of the lobster meat with a little char flavour from the searing of the flesh.

The Dragon Roll was also nice enough. I thought the green and orange roe wasn't particularly attractive - bad colour combo.

The food was ok, the service was barely ok so the whole thing was a bit meh. It has the excuse of it being opening week, but it needs to up its game to be worth the money. Although part of me thinks it might be ok to operate with these lower standards as there's not much choice for good sushi in Fitzroy so no doubt the coolness of the joint will still draw the weekend crowds. I'm not in a hurry to return though...

I had a delightful lunch here on Friday. I'm a first timer and went with my friend Stef who has been before. We ordered:

• Gyoza (6pcs) 餃子 Pan fried dumplings
• Salmon Yukke サーモンユッケ Marinated spicy salmon sashimi
• Kamonan Soba Warm 鴨南蛮きのこそば Warm soup noodle with sliced seasoned duck meat and mushrooms
• Sesame Seiro ごまだれせいろ Chilled plain noodle with sesame sauce

The gyoza tasted fresh and not pre made. I loved the duck noodles and it was Stef who suggested I order that as she loved it when she had it.The broth is really delicate and light but so tasty with tender pieces of duck some yummy mushrooms and a couple of slices of aubergine. The soba noodles that Shimbashi make in house and are famous for were silky and tasty. I think they were a little softer than I'd have liked but I think that has a lot to do with the hot broth so maybe next time I'd go for the chilled option to have more elasticity and bite to the noodles.

Steve had the Sesame Seiro which she enjoyed. The Salmon Yukke was nice enough but a touch over seasoned and over dressed by the marinade which hid the natural flavours of the fish. 

Our food arrived quickly and service was efficient. This is a great little gem and such a good place to drop in for a casual but satisfying meal.

Saturday lunchtime was spent at Neighbourhood Wine where we were whisked back to a bygone era reminiscent of Harry's Bar in Venice. We literally felt we could have been in 20s or 40s Venice with the wood panelling, old fashioned stools and chairs. I can imagine this place is gorgeous in the evening with twinkling candlelight and could be the perfect neighbourhood drop in spot for moonlight and romance.

T​he morcilla was punchy, softened by the creamy yolkiness of the egg and spiked by the chilli and crispy shallot.

The rectangle of pigs trotter and morels was a little fatty in some areas but that might be more the gelatinous nature of trotter but the spicy jalapeno sauce was really tasty and there was a tongue tingling zing. The spiciness and the pickled sweet and tangy onions cut through some of the richness of the packed parcel of trotter. The intensity of the sauce could arguably be said covered up the earthiness of the morels as I couldn't taste that but what I could taste was zippy and good.

• Grass fed Cape Grim bavette steak, fat chips, salad, green peppercorn butter
• Pan roasted snapper, chard leaf and Spring peas with buttermilk dressing and cucumber

So onto our main courses. The snapper was a little messily presented and rough around the edges I felt. There was a nice crispy outer later to the snapper and I liked the pickled cucumber and sweet peas. The snapper was tasty but a smidgen over cooked and when snapper goes over, it gets a little dry and chewy and this was just on the cusp so it had lost the juiciness.

The steak was brilliant though and cooked wonderfully well with a juicy centre and it was a joy to watch the butter melt and dribble and drizzle all over the inviting steak. The chips were arguable more roast potatoes than chips or chunks rather than chips but that's you say potato, I say potahto. It was an incredibly tender steak that was also full of flavour so really really good.

We, well actually I decided we'd share dessert and again I chose to have the Cctrus curd, meringue, marshmallow and marmalade ice cream.

Presented prettily in a glass with a few blueberries, I think I expected the curd to be brighter in colour. It was hard to eat as the ice cream was quite firm and even harder to share so I tipped it out onto the plate.

I liked the marshmallow in that it was kind of like the chewy bits in a meringue. The ice cream was a little icy and I just felt that the flavours could have been zingier and fresher. It was pleasant and enjoyable like a gentle stroll in a leafy park but could have been a tropical tango in Paradise.

This is a little neighbourhood gem. Not without flaws but flaw build character and this is a place full of character and charm.