Steve and I had a Saturday night date at Camus recently. I know at least two people who have been recently and they raved about the food and they are people whose food opinions I respect. The French Algerian slant was something we'd read about and were intrigued by so we were excited about what lay ahead.

We walked into what appears to be a cosy and buzzy neighbourhood restaurant. The first waiter I catch the eye of doesn't offer to help nor does he greet us so I speak first and enquire about our reservation. He doesn't respond particularly warmly and says to me that I need to speak to someone else. Luckily that someone else promptly appears. I guess the roles and responsibilities are pretty clearly defined here and you don't do someone else's job but a warmer reception wouldn't have gone amiss.

Anyway, we're here for the food and not to make friends so let's continue...

Drinks orders are taken quickly and they arrive pretty promptly too. In fact, in spite of the rocky initial welcome, we find the service responsive and quick although it's not particularly informative. Our waitress and the other wait staff in our section and friendly but they just don't seem to have the slick experience that normally comes with restaurants in Melbourne. There's nothing particularly wrong; it just feels lacking in personality and that personal touch.

Anyway, like I said we're here for the food rather than making lasting friendships and I've already digressed..

Our starters are:

• ​Marinated quail, radicchio, dry fruit salad, argan oil
• Seared scallops, oxtail, preserved lemon

And the food doesn't disappoint. The plates are presented attractively and there are some wonderful fragrances rising from them of spice and fruit. The tang of the pomegranates in the quail and the bitterness of the radicchio work a treat against sweet flesh of the little bird. The scallops are also delicious - sweet seafood against the rich meat of the oxtail and then the sharp saltiness of preserved lemon to lift it up.

Main courses arrive pretty quickly. In fact the whole meal happens quickly. We didn't feel rushed but the kitchen must be operating like a machine churning out food.

• Braised beef tagine
• Duck bastilla, almonds, fruit chutney
• Crushed potato, lemon, za'atar (unpictured)

The beef tagine was exactly how it should be. Heady with spice and tender fork soft meat; no surprises but it's good to stick with classic. The duck bastilla was delicious and so pretty to look at. Packed full of meat and enhanced by the sweetness of the fruit chutney, it didn't feel dry in spite of there being no sauce.

The white table cloths and old world decor make it an occasion type restaurant for family birthdays where generations come together or grown ups night out or an intimate date. It's not stuffy, far from it, but it is classic.

We loved the sound of the dishes on the Tasting Menu so it was easy to go with that. The dishes came out promptly. Service was friendly although the one waiter who serviced our area was a little stretched when we were at maximum capacity and it wasn't always easy to get his attention. When we did manage to attract him, his response was speedy so it wasn't a bad experience.

The formula of the Tasting Menu hasn't changed from our previous visit. We started off with a series of small bites:

• Oyster shot with mirin and sake
  
• Ora King salmon and kingfish tartare
  
• ‘Black truffle’ potato croquette
  
• Tempura zucchini flowers with goat’s milk fetta
  
• Wagyu bresaola, enoki mushrooms, pickled daikon

The oyster shot was a yummy blend of sweet and salty with a deep savouriness to the liquid. Oyster shots are never the most attractive of dishes, reminding me of the animals preserved in liquid formaldehyde found in old museums and high school biology labs and this was the same. I guess the clear brown consomme like liquid and the shot glass contributed to this! But at least it tasted good!

Next I worked on the warm tempura zucchini flower which was a classic rendition with familiar flavours that have been proven to work and ever consistent, worked again.

The bresaola was well balanced in flavours too with some saltiness from the cured meat, a tang and a crunch from the pickle and then the earthy mushroom.

The salmon and kingfish tartare on a cracker was pleasant enough but need a little citrus kick I feel.

​The small disappointment was the small croquette that looked like a black truffle but didn't have much flavour to it and I found the filling a bit mushy and gluey. A small morsel though so not bad enough to have a huge impact on the overall enjoyment of this first course.

I didn't take a photo of the next course because it was more a dish of foam so it wasn't easy to see the individual tortellini:

• Mushroom wonton-tortellini, peas, truffled Parmigiano-Reggiano sauce

Where the previous fish dish was light and bright, this pasta came with a punch. Flavour wise the cheese foam was intense and rich. The tortellini filling was creamy and decadent and the peas added intensity with a sweet finish. It was delicious but I couldn't eat more than the three pieces served and for me the sauce was just on the side of manageable. Any more cheese in it would have been too overwhelming for me.

It was a little weird to have the noise of a 21st birthday party come through to the refined dining room and even weirder when I wen to the ladies' bathroom and could barely get in with all the young ladies vying for the mirror, reapplying lip gloss and spraying hairspray and perfume. I was transported back to the 90s when I would have been one of them which was a strange sensation given I'd just had a very grown up and civilised meal. This little experience just didn't quite sit with the whole fine dining package.

There are three, two hatted restaurants all within 15 minutes walk of home for us - Cutler & Co,, St, Crispin and here. At all three the food is of a strong standard. I struggle with the darkness of the dining room at Cutler & Co. on an evening and here I felt the ambience especially with the nightclub ending of our meal was also a little off. I think my favourite for food and ambience would be St. Crispin but it's a pretty tight two hat race.

We started off with some snack like proceedings:

• Pork crackling, toasted fennel
• Wok tossed garlic shoots, spice salt

The crackling crackled and then melted in the mouth and was light and tasty with the spices sprinkled on it. The garlic shoots had a tasty char to them and were liberally doused with something tongue tinglingly warm. Both dishes were great to share with a glass of wine and a street view.

Steve and I chose to move away from sharing for the next course and ordered a little amuse bouche style canape each:

• Spanner crab, bun rieu mayo, brioche toast, finger lime
• Vietnamese blood pudding, ginger, cosberg

I had the crab which had the texture of scrambled egg and then little pearls of sharp finger lime burst on the tongue. The crab and brioche was sweet with the brioche adding a layer of toastiness. This was delicious.

The blood pudding was like a lettuce wrap and again very flavoursome.

We went back to sharing and indulged in:

• Smoked beef rump carpaccio, green chilli, soybean sprouts
• Drop noodles, duck, celtuce, curry vinaigrette

I really enjoyed the sesame oil notes in the rump carpacio and the pickled almst fermented like soybean sprouts that were covered by the blanket of beef slices. The green chilli dressing certainly packed a punch of heat. Another tasty and successful dish.

The drop noodles were the follow up punch. The curry vinaigrette is more like a curry paste that the noodles soaked up and the duck meat was tender and tasty. To me it was more Malaysian than Vietnamese which tends to have more delicate flavours but this was still a very welcome course which was well received.

The chicken had great char flavour but wasn't dried out. The dipping sauce added that moreish acidic hit. The flathead was generous in size; we had to watch out for bones given it was effectively a whole fish just with the head cut off. Steve had been unsure about creme fraiche and fish sauce - he's not too keen on creamy sauces but I felt this worked a treat. It wasn't so much creamy but more buttery and the sauce went with the sweet fish flesh so well especially with the tang of the juice from the lemon cheek.

We loved the strong flavours of all the savoury dishes we had and we felt that every course was of a consistently good standard. We had to wait a little while for our mains because we were behind a couple of larger tables. We were also offered to move to two high stools at the bar if we wished as a party hadn't showed up at the time but we didn't think it would be any more comfortable there. The wooden stools are a little hard after a while if I am to be critical. 

My other comment would be that with all the great flavours, sauces and glazes with the dishes we had as our main course, I'd have loved a little steamed rice just to soak everything up.

And pretty much just as our dessert was cleared away, we caught sight of a couple walking past the weekend who are our friends so a tap on the window and they came in. The front staff team welcomed us and let us move to the high bar which by now was pretty empty and we were able to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine as a foursome as we enjoyed the impromptu catch up so we're thankful for the flexibility and hospitality the team offered.

Great evening, great and interesting food that is really very tasty. I'd definitely come back.

I loved Northern Light and I really wanted to love Honcho Noodle. I dined with an ex work colleague now friend early on Thursday evening. I was their first customer of the night and as I was early I had some time just seated at the table enjoying an iced tea. 

The welcome and ongoing service was acceptable but no real personality or personal touch; so unlike Northern Light when Adam Liston used to welcome us like old friends and I'm sure it wasn't just us that received such friendly warmth.

We ordered a few things to share:

‘DAVID CHANG’S' STEAMED PORK BUN
​SPANNER CRAB UDON, SMOKED CRAB BUTTER, YUZU, KIZAMI NORI
SMOKED DUCK HOKKIEN, CHILLI RELISH, BEAN SPROUTS, HOI SIN 
OKONOMIYAKI

The pork bun was definitely the best thing we had. The pork was tender and the crackling wonderfully crisp. The spanner crab udon was overly buttery and just too rich. The smoked duck hokkien was nice enough but not something I couldn't make at happen. It was a touch too sweet for me and lacked fire. The quality of the actual noodles was good - slippery, slurpy and with bite but sadly the accompanying flavours lacked appeal. The okonomiyaki was big but dense, heavy and lacked flavour.

So in all I was disappointed. The pork bun wasn't enough to save the meal and I just don't feel the quality matched the price point.

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!
​

Determined to dine there we sought refuge in the pub on the corner which must be the Hawker Hall holding pen and waited for the text to come through. And an hour and fifteen later it did!

We were shown to a table towards the back of the dining area and we had to wait a while before water and a drinks order taken. So I caught the eye of waiter who seemed a but confused when I said I wanted to order drinks. Maybe we weren't in his section or something. Not the most reassuring start. But not long after our actual waiter came along in braces and high waisted check trousers and a cheery smile and it was pretty plain sailing after that as we left it in his hands in terms of food. The menu is vast so it seemed easier for someone else to make the decisions but there was plenty we didn't get to try and should come back for.
​

SprOur smiley cheerful waiter advised that the food comes out pretty quickly and after an hour and fifteen wait, that is a good thing and very very welcome.

• PRAWN‭ & ‬GINGER DUMPLING W‭. ‬SOY‭ & ‬BLACK VINEGAR CARAMEL‭ (unpictured)

Dumplings came first; 4 snowy white plump parcels. Pretty traditional and classic and a happy start. I didn't get the caramel aspect and the dipping sauce was like what I usually make when I pour soy and black vinegar together to get the salty, tangy balance. Good balance but not as innovative as caramel would suggest. The dumplings were quickly followed up with the two pictured dishes:

• MALAY VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS W‭. ‬GREEN CHILLI SOY‭    
• TOASTED COCONUT MEATBALLS W. LIME & SWEET SOY

​Spring rolls were spring rolls. I prefer Vietnamese style and the best are my grandma's so spring rolls have a hard job to impress me!

The little toasted meatballs did impress though and we were pleasantly surprised as we probably wouldn't have ordered these. The toasty coconut flavour really came through as did the fresh flavour of lemongrass. Delicious bite sized meaty morsels.

• MALAY SHREDDED CHICKEN SALAD W. TOASTED COCONUT SAMBAL
• STEAMED BARRAMUNDI W. RICE NOODLE (unpictured)
• GRILLED BEEF SHORT RIB, OYSTER SAUCE, RED CHILLI & CORIANDER

Between started and main came a few in between dishes and again they came out at a good pace. The chicken salad was zingy and fresh but with a depth of richness from the addition of coconut and coconut cream.

The steamed barramundi comes with about 3 little rolls of rice noodles so it's not quite the noodle dish I though but the fish is steamed perfectly - clean, fresh and light with soy sauce, spring onions, coriander. Again a very traditional and classic Chinese dish.

From the muted clean flavours of salad and steamed fish, in came the spice factor and a dish with more oomph and richness. The short rib came on rice and was rich and tender with a little stickiness. I thought the rice was a touch underdone and a little hard and brittle not helped by a lack of sauce. A touch more juiciness would have elevated this dish.

​We so could have stopped there with the food but where's the fun in that right? And our mains arrived sharing style.

• PENANG DUCK CURRY W. PEANUTS & EGGPLANT
• CAULIFLOWER ROASTED W. TUMERIC, COCONUT & RASINS
• GREEN BEANS, SWEET SOY & TOASTED COCONUT CASHEW

The duck curry was good enough. Super saucy unlike the short rib. Although it was meaty, it could have been any meat really as I think the duck had been mullered and smothered that the duckiness didn't really come through. Green beans were nicely charred and cut through the richness of the food. The dish that wasn't so great was the cauliflower. It was all mushy and tasted over boiled and smothered in cream rather than roasted and spiced which is the impression the description gives. It's creaminess didn't go well with everything else I felt and was a bit overwhelming. But one miss doesn't necessarily make a bad meal.

​We were given free reign over dessert and could choose one to share. There were quite a few that appealed but we went for the most popular:

• MILO DINOSAUR SUNDAE W. CHOCOLATE BISCUIT

Effectively a chocolate ice cream sundae with lots of crunchy biscuit crumb. It offers universal appeal and the cold creaminess of the ice cream went down a treat. It wasn't overly sweet which was good as it was a hefty serving size and it was very enjoyable.

I found the flavours and cooking style of Hawker Hall, although similar to big sister Chin Chin, were less complex and perhaps more authentic to the hawker hall style of Asian food. I loved the speed at which the food arrived and the vast choice of the menu. Understandably not every dish on there will float everyone's boat but feasting on some of them will certainly result in some treasures and I'd go treasure hunting there again for sure.

We took a table out on the street and deliberated over the kebab menu. I went to place our order inside at the very clearly labelled order kiosk:

• A-rab - Lamb, smoked hummus, leaves and pickled bits
• East Coast - Maple glazed pulled pork, crackling, peanut butter hummus, leaves and pickled bits
• Hot crinkle chips and harissa mayo
• Corn dogg - Turkish sausage corn dogg with smoked mustard mayo

All that food came plus two soft drinks came to less than $50 so it's in line with gourmet fast food prices.

Food arrived quickly and we dug in. There were three corn doggs (not sure why it's spelt with a double gg) per serve and that was generous and we couldn't get into the third. Pretty tasty with crispy outer, soft mash encasing a salty, spicy sausage.

The main stars are obviously the kebabs and they were hefty in size. I had the pulled pork and enjoyed the sweetness of the meat and the tang of the pickles. Pretty messy eating! The pita was soft and pillowy. I couldn't taste the garlic yoghurt or spicy sauce much and it was just shy of being well seasoned.

Steve's lamb one was better. Big chunks of tasty lamb that was juicy and meaty. The chips were crunchy and I liked the spicy seasoning on them. The two mayos we had weren't that exciting and a small part of me might have just preferred ketchup!

In summary, nice enough and worth a try but we both personally have a preference to Jimmy Grants offerings. Sorry Biggie! We just feel Jimmy wins out by a whisker in terms of flavour and the friendliness of the wait staff.

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

I came to Tonka when it first opened with a group of girlfriends and although I enjoyed it, we trusted the waitress to order for us and didn't feel she did that great a job but I put that down to inexperience and unfamiliarity, So roll forward 3 years or so and I come here for another girls' night, this time with Shern.

We'd had a few Friday night cocktails before our 8:15pm table so were feeling merry and bright and oh so ready for a feed. Our table wasn't quite ready so we stood by the pass in the narrow corridor and our drinks order was taken by a friendly waiter.

The table wasn't too long and we were shown to a roomy one that could seat 4 but we had it all to ourselves. All the more surface area to put food on!

Our drinks arrived pretty quickly:

Blueberry Punch - Gin, Blueberry, Cucumber, Citrus 
A fresh punch of Hendricks Gin, French Vermouth, peach and cucumber served with a trio of blueberry. An homage to the serving style of Madam Geneva bar in New York.

Pink Lady - Gin, Apple, Pomegranate, Citrus Rich yet refreshing this drink combines American apple brandy, gin, citrus and grenadine. Feminine in name, but definitely not just for the fairer sex.

Mine was the Pink Lady and I liked the sweetness and tartness of it and Shern really enjoyed her Blueberry Punch that had a hint of grassiness from the Hendricks and some interested strips of dehydrated blueberries that looked like seaweed. 

Great cocktails to start off with so thoroughly recommend indulging on those!

Our waitress was friendly and definitely knew the menu and she offered to put something together for us but we were quite taken with some of the dishes so decided to go with what our tummies wanted. The good news is that a few of the curries come in half serves so there's more that can be eaten and shared.

We started off with a bit of a seafood themed couple of dishes which was the plan as we didn't want to go too meat heavy.

• Tuna tartare, rice pappadum, pomegranate, ginger and fresh wasabi
  
• Soft-shell crab pakora with pickled cucumber, lemon, chilli and mint
  

The tuna tartare was delicious. Light and fresh with hints of warming wasabi and then the sweetness of pomegranate bursting here and there. Dolloped on a piece of cracker reminiscent of a prawn cracker, texture and flavour is all there.

Where the tuna was delicate and fresh, the soft shell crab was all about richness and a punchy flavour of salt and pepper rescued with a the soft tang of the pickles. 

The cocktails we started off with were great and this continued through to these opening numbers. We were very pleased.

Next up came some roti and we had it with:

• Duck korma, apple and vanilla spiced beetroot 
  

This was our half serve curry so it was a dainty portion with two bits of duck covered in a pale yellow sauce. So unlike the cloying sweetness of korma curries I've had but still reminiscent of those flavours spiked by the sweetness of the beetroot and refreshed by the sharpness of some apple. The duck shredded off the bone really easily and was a tasty meat to have with this smooth and velvety curry. Yum!

And then our last course we went back to seafood and had the:

• Goan curry with barramundi, Spring Bay mussels, Mooloolaba prawns and Kashmiri chilli 
  

I love a fish curry and I fell in love with this one. Where the duck curry was about warming spice, this one was packed with heat and caught us in the back of the throat but we loved it. There were a few prawns in there, couple of pieces of fish with crispy skin, some mussles and some green beans. The sauce was delicious with rice and the seafood was perfectly cooked.

Shern and I thoroughly enjoyed our food, our cocktails and the bottle of wine we had. We didn't have room for dessert but are excited about returning for more incredible Indian cuisine.

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.