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.

Bahari has been on the 'must visit' list for some time now. Finally we made it; thanks to Progressive PR for an invitation to a banquet to showcase Cypriot halloumi. It was wild and wet Thursday evening and there was no better place to shelter from the storm than in this intimate venue, cosy with warm Hellenic hospitality and where companionship flowed frmo fellow food enthusiasts and Halloumi lovers.

The first round of food paraded out and friendships with strangers were forged as we passed plates and shared dishes.

SMALL PLATES

• Trio of Dips - Tzatziki, Melitzanosalata, Taramasalata
• Hallomi and Thyme Cigars
• Kolokithokeftedes; Zucchini and Fetta Fritters
• Halloumi with Pomegranate Molasses
• Chargrilled Octopus

All the dishes were delicious - traditional and flavourful, simple and oh so effective. The pita bread was soft, warm and pillowy and the perfect counterfoil to the creamy cool tzatziki, salty umami laden taramasalata and the mellow and rich eggplant melitzanasalata. We had a small accident when beer bottle fell into bread but a new dish of toasty warm doughy goodness soon replaced the unfortunate demise of our previous plate. I think my favourite was the eggplant but I definitely ate my fair share of the others to try and reach that conclusion and had to keep tasting to make sire my decision stood!

Other notables were the zucchini fritters; more oozy, melted stringy cheese than zucchini but who can turn down melted cheese. And on that note, fried halloumi - always a crowd pleaser especially with the tang of the pomegranate seeds and molasses.

Chargrilled octopus offered a cleaner, more acrid flavour against the richness of the dips and cheese especially with the zesty kick of squeezed lemon.

As the banquet progressed we moved onto main dishes and strengthened those relationships round the table with further feasting.

​PROTEINS AND SIDES

• Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder
• Halloumi, Pork and Fennel Sheftalies
• Greek 'Horiatiki' Salad
• Cypriot Cabbage Salad
• Crispy Skin, Lemon Potatoes

Tender, flavoursome lamb and home made pork sausages (sheftalies) accompanied by crisp, clean salads and indulgent fried potatoes is a heartwarming culinary delight that warms the soul and fills the belly!

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.

Food order is taken efficiently and we find the service personable but not intrusive. It's pretty busy with lots of activity and a couple of tables close by are pretty loud. What is it with the need to screech and shout? Whilst it's a cosy and almost romantic setting, the noise levels this Saturday night and the fact that most tables were groups of four or more pretty much would eliminate this place as a great date venue. Maybe it's better when it's quieter so mid week might be more intimate.

Steve and I share:

• Sticky lamb ribs (unpictured)
• Sheep’s haloumi with peppered wild figs

Tim has the:

• Octopus, chick pea puree, chorizo, wild oregano

I think this dish is attractively presented which is hard to do with octopus.

The food is quite classic really but executed well. The haloumi and figs combo is as tasty as expected - salty, chewy cheese and then sweet, sticky fig and warming pepper notes. The lamb ribs were less sticky and more well roasted but tasty enough. I had lamb ribs on Thursday night at MeatMaiden and found them to be a little more generous is size and a touch tastier but this was still good.

Others round the table had steak tartare which was a generous portion and enough for two to share and some oysters appeared too.

The entrees did their job of gently expanding the tummies and whetting the appetite so we were ready for main courses which took a little time to come out but the chit chat and wine helped us while away the time.

Steve and I shared our main courses so we could get a taste of both:

• Lamb loin with eggplant puree and roasted tomato
• John Dee Flat rump cap, garlic puree, charred cucumber, café de Paris butter

Both cuts of meat were perfectly pink and blushing. The lamb was flavoursome and I thought the eggplant and tomato would make it a bit Mediterraneany but it didn't quite have that summery feel. It wasn't quite what I thought it would be and was more classical French than passionate Italian but still very enjoyable.

The steak was tender and I did enjoy the rareness of it although that did mean it wasn't quite warm enough to melt the butter into liquid droplets of gold and instead it remained thick and spread like.

We share all the side dishes on offer and particularly enjoyed the chargrilled zucchini. Not quite enough chips for the six of us and I think I ended up with one so might have been nice for the waiter to recommend another serve. But I made up for the lack of chips with dessert!

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.

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!

During my dad's visit, although he did a lot of cooking for us, we also wanted to take him out enjoy some good food. One of the things we liked to do together at the weekend was to do our grocery shopping in either Richmond or Box Hill. Already a fan of pho in Richmond, I thought it was time for a change so we headed for the other Victoria Street stalwart; Jinda Thai.

Lucky for us we arrived just after midday on Saturday and there was a table available for us. As always, service is attentive if a little brusque but the efficiency works.

We shared some traditional Thai favourites as entrees; spring rolls, fish cakes and satay skewers. They were all executed well. Crispy spring rolls, springy fishcakes and creamy nutty satay skewers.

Our main courses were a red duck curry, chicken green curry and some pad thai. Again all delicious. We also ordered 2 serves of sticky rice. The portions are not large and the sticky rice was especially small that we ordered some more plain rice.

Lovely authentic fresh flavours that were clear, clean and crisp. All the notes were there pure and delicious and well balanced and nothing was over flourished.

The last couple of time we have been, we have never had the crepe cake so this time I wouldn't let it go, Torn between green tea flavour, milk tea flavour, salted caramel or coconut I went with the green tea. Probably should have gone with coconut. I didn't like thick sauce as it was bit too much like claggy custard but the light mousse like texture of the cake was good. One to try again I think.

I do like the flavours at Jinda Thai and I enjoy the food but the portions can't be called generous. So it's good in the way that small groups can order more and taste a wider range of dishes but not so good as that more dishes ordered equates to higher cost so it's not quite at the usual price point of Victoria Street.

So much choice on Victoria Street. It used to be all about the pho at I Love Pho and the duck at Pacific House but now there is much more.

Steve and I were invited to try out Shizuku Ramen which marries Japanese cuising and craft beer.

Small and welcoming decor is minimal but attractive with lanterns and dark wood. The menu is so vast and it's hard to choose what to eat but of course we manage! We start off with one of the gyoza options and go classic and traditional.

GYOZA CLASSIC - 6pcs pan fried pork mince & cabbage dumplings, spring onions, homemade tangy sesame vinaigrette

This was followed by sashimi.

TUNA TARTARE - sashimi grade ground tuna in SHIZUKU dressing, served with deep fried gyoza skin
SALMON CARPACCIO - salmon sashimi, fresh orange soy
SCALLOP SASHIMI - hokkaido scallop, yuzu ponzu, wasabi mayo

Whilst the sashimi is creative and generous in portion I prefer the more classic flavours.

SHREDDED CHICKEN - aka Bang Bang Chicken, cold dish of steamed free range chicken strips, sesame sauce,
chilled cucumber

SHOYU RAMEN - marinated cha shu pork belly, bamboo shoots, spring onions, home brewed soy sauce

TAN TAN MEN - free range pork mince, chilli oil, preserved vegetables, rich sesame sauce

The bowls of noodles were perfect for this rainy, grey Winter's day. Good deep flavoured broth and springy strings of noodles.

If pho doesn't appeal and you're on ictoria Street remember this option. Thanks for dinner Shinzuku Ramen. Really appreciate it.

Having never been to Baby before, I've actually managed to have two meals here in the last two weeks! The menu here is such a crowd pleaser that I'm not surprised it's popular and I can say that the two time I've been the consistency has been there too!

Visit number 1 was with JCray (John and Craig from Sydney) after a long day at the tennis and a mini pub crawl we needed sustenance and fast!
Our arrival just after 9pm on a Saturday night meant that the quickest way to be seated and order would be to take an outside table so we did. The only downfall to this was that it was so dark it was hard to read the menu. Although that could have been the fact we'd had a bit too much to drink! Whatever it was, we managed in the end.

Soon we were able to dig into a some mixed charcuterie with a blob of mozzarella to tear into along with some salty flatbread. This platter was inhaled by the 4 of us along with the mixed croquettes and arancini.

Pizzas wise, between us we went for the San Daniele and the Broccolini. Our second visit, this time with the Mortons and Chantal and Ben on a sunny Sunday lunchtime saw us expand our pizza repertoire and include the Salumi pizza.

The pizzas are delicious. Generous topping, thing and crispy bases and I even ate the crusts! Both times Steve and I shared a pizza and a pasta and this is a good way to get the best of both worlds. Visit number 2 saw us move into the salad / veggie section too and we enjoyed the broccolini with chilli and anchovy.

Pasta wise, it's very hard to go past the duck tagliatelle which is just so satisfying and delicious. The tagliatelle is al dente and just soaks ups the juices from the duck. This was so good we had it again when we returned.

Baby is a fun place to dine with a menu that appeals to everyone. I challenge even the mos pickiest of eaters to not find something to their liking...as long as such picky eaters are amenable to pizza and pasta of course.

I'd heard and read so much about Jinda Thai that I was really keen for a Thai feast. So on a hot evening, Steve and I headed ti Richmond. Gosh it was a warm day.

The large warehouse style dining room helped with the heat although it still remained on the warm side - not unbearable though. We were shown to a table right at the back of the large room in the far corner and it was a cosy little nook. I was apprehensive that we would struggle to catch the waitstaff being so tucked away but actually upon reflection, we were pretty well looked after.

It was super busy full of Friday night diners in high spirits so it was hardly a relaxing dinner but it was fun, frenzied and atmospheric.

Our menu choices included:

Som tum salad with soft shell crab - nicely balanced in terms of sweet, sour and spicy definitely a winner
Red duck curry with pineapple and sticky rice - creamy and mild with fresh, zingy pineapple. I think it could be a little more flavoursome with more duck meat but still tasty.
Boat noodles with stewed beef - not right for a hot Summer evening. Incredibly intense with some deep spices that make it more a wintry dish/
Pad Thai with chicken - a good version that wasn't gloopy. Another winner
Sweet and sour fish - fresh and tasty. Yum.

And Steve drank beer to keep cool and I went with the Thai iced tea which was light and sweet and so refreshing. I could have drank a vat of it!

Price wise JInda is more exxy than a bowl of pho at one of the neighbouring restaurants so it's definitely one of the pricier places on Victoria Street, However we're not talking hipster Melbourne Chin Chin prices either so it's a good option.