• Barley Background
  • Farewell UK
  • Melbourne Magic
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • Guestbook

Homi Noodle Bar

21/8/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
New kid on the Queen Street block and the Asian hipster family, Homi is a smartly decked out and fun noodle bar. I'd seen some social media on it so paid a lunchtime visit with friend and work colleague. It was a cold and wet Melbourne day so soup noodles were going to be a saving grace.

I arrived first and the welcome was friendly and I took a seat up at the bar. There was one other person there so it was a pretty quiet vibe. Whilst we were there a couple of other diners came in but it's still pretty much a slow crowd. The menu was explained to us with some sparky personality and passion and we both went with the banh canh cua which are rice drop noodles in a crab broth with soft shell crab, quail egg and a prawn a $15.90. We also went with the Eggplant Balado; grilled eggplant with balado sambal, an Indonesian chilli sauce.

The food didn't take too long to arrive. The eggplant looked pretty small for the $9 or $10 charged. Three thin slices making it at least $3 a slice, I can get a sushi roll for $3! The eggplant was a bit chewy. I like it when the eggplant goes mushy and creamy whereas this was still pretty cardboardy. The coriander and chives were nice enough but not good enough to rescue this dish.

The noodles come in a deep, stone bowl that looks chic. It's deceptively deep and there are a lot more noodles in there than you first think so it's better value for money than the eggplant was.

Surprisingly the crab broth is actually that almost gelatinous, thick kind of soup like chicken and sweetcorn soup from a Chinese takeaway or restaurant made with cornflour. I don't mind that kind of soup but I know it's not for everyone and coupled with slippery thick rice drop noodles it gets kind of thick and gloopy. The flavours are pretty good though and the fried soft shell crab is tasty and manages to stay reasonably crispy. It's a pretty carb heavy dish though so it is very filling and isn't the light Vietnamese style noodle dish you might expect.

Although it wasn't quite what I had in mind, I did enjoy it enough to perhaps visit again and try something else. Maybe something less thick and heavy next time. Initial service was friendly but water glasses weren't topped up regularly and wait staff stayed behind the bar rather than working the floor. I guess perhaps it was because the restaurant was pretty empty. I think there's some fine tuning needed but all in all for somewhere new it was a decent start. Onwards and upwards Homi!
Homi Noodle Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
0 Comments

Uncle

2/2/2017

0 Comments

 
I recall visiting Uncle in St Kilda a few years back and it was nice enough but wasn't enough to lure me back and to make that North of the river to South of the river journey. But now that Uncle is in the CBD and on the tram route home on Collins St, a visit is so much more convenient!

I'd arranged to meet my girlfriend Kirsty at 6:30pm on a Thursday evening for a post work catch up and I was around 20 minutes early. There was no queue, the welcome was warm and the wait staff were happy to seat me at a table whilst I waited. Refreshingly different to neighbour Mamasita where getting a table before the whole party is there is night on impossible.
Picture
I decided to call it Thirsty Thursday and started with the Uncle Tom's Collins described as West Winds The Sabre gin, Canton ginger liquer, smoked beetroot shrub, yuzu and lemon. The waiter said it was a good, refreshing choice. I was hoping for something long, cold and fruity. It certainly looked the part with its berry shade of pink and it was long and cold but certainly not fruity. It was pretty sharp and then had a weird smokiness from the shrub. I think a touch of sugar syrup would have helped.

Anyway Kirsty soon arrived and we quickly moved onto The Paris End which is West Winds The Sabre gin, basil syrup, lychee, Angostura bitters, lime and prosecco served like a martini and this was much more up my street...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Hungry tummies meant we got out the starting blocks quickly with:

  • Lime cured hapuka, coconut, pomegranate and chilli on a betel leaf
  • Hot and sour chicken wingettes with ginger and kumquats
  • Young rice prawn banh mi with avocado puree, sriracha mayo and dill
  • Braised beef short rib bao with morcilla and flavours of bun bo hue

The betel leaves arrived first loaded with snowy white fish and coconut shred. Oriental flavours of sesame, coconut and chilli came through and the whole two bite morsel was just delicious. A bright, light and fresh start.

The chicken wingettes were a generous serve and so so tasty. Definitely finger lickin' good with a yummy ginger and kumquat dipping sauce. The baos were nice enough but I think the betel leaf and chicken were better. The prawn one was crispy but I felt there was just a touch too much bread to prawn ratio. The short rib bao was heavier on the protein ratio but you can order extra baos if necessary. The meat shreds and the morcilla adds a savoury hit. I think I was expecting more chilli heat because of the bun bo hue reference. I think the meat could have been softer and juicier. Tasty but not amazing.
Picture
Picture
Our shared main course was impressive:

  • Master stock crispy pork hock with banh hoi, lettuce wraps, fragrant herbs and nuoc cham

Loved the banh hoi which are essentially noodles shapped into little squares. We also ordered some grilled roti whichw as a good call to dip in the sticky glaze and make the lettuce wraps a bit more substantial. I found the meat tender and juicy, the glaze was a little sweet but the dipping sauce helped as that was pretty zippy. It's a messy dish but there's joy in being up to the elbows in meat juices and sticky sauce!

We were so full after that but Kirsty enjoyed another cocktail and ended proceedings with a strong and sweet Vietnamese coffee.

There are plenty more dishes to try on a return visit and the food was certainly good enough to warrant that. The wait staff were also very friendly; personable and casual but certainly not lacksadaisical. If you like Lucy Lui and Chin Chin, this is a good alternative but more Vietnamese in its cuisine. I am surprised by the current low score of 2.9 on Zomato as whilst not perfect, Uncle deserves a bit more love than that!
Uncle Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
0 Comments

St Cloud Eating House

29/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
 This sunny Sunday we happened to be driving around and it soon got to lunch time and we needed inspiration...I consulted my list of places I want to visit and we decided to try St Cloud in Hawthorn East. There were a few tables dining so it was pretty straightforward to get seated. The place is modern, casual and a little bit funky.
Picture
Picture
Picture
We shared a selection from the small plates section of the menu:

  • BBQ scallop, seasonal citrus, chilli, sesame
  • Chicken wings, fish sauce caramel, sticky rice, burnt onions, house pickles
  • Prawn and pork spring rolls served with lettuce, herbs, nuoc cham

The scallops arrived first and whilst they looked pretty, at $7 each, the offering was merely a small mouthful. Yes a tasty mouthful but a pricey one too!

The chicken wings were a bigger serve; four piece atop two cubes of sticky rice all glazed in caramel deliciousness. Thoroughly enjoyed the tasty sweet glaze and the tang of the pickles to cut through it all.

Prawn and pork spring rolls were also tasty with lettuce leaves, beanshoots and coriander to wrap together and dip in the piquant nuoc cham. From a doubtful start of scallops, we were much happier with what followed.
Picture
Picture
Having shared entrees, we chose our own mains:

  • Pho special of the day (chicken) served with beanshoots, chilli, lime, sweet basil, sriracha and hoi sin
  • 5 spice roast pork belly vermicelli bowl, herbs, pickles, nuoc cham

I had the pho which was a much darker broth than I usually see but I enjoyed the depth of flavour that was probably richer than what I'm usually used to which I wasn't quite sure was the best with chicken and maybe red meat would be a slightly better match. The noodles were a touch overcooked so a little bit soft and I really missed having some fresh coriander in it. It wasn't bad and it was tasty but I think Steve's main was far better.

Steve wolfed his vermicelli salad declaring it really good. I enjoyed the taster I had. Actually we enjoyed the whole meal. It wasn't perfect but it was fresh, good quality ingredients and definitely tasty enough.
St Cloud Eating House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
0 Comments

Anchovy

17/12/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
So the festive season is fully in swing now and Steve and I thought we'd try and find some calm amidst the social tornado that comes round this time of year with a dinner date at the much lauded Anchovy in Richmond.
 
We arrived on time for our 8 pm reservation behind some other diners. There seemed to be a little confusion with the people in front of us and then we were shown to two stools at the window bar. It was right next to the front door which I thought might become annoying but it didn't turn out so.

Drinks and water took a little while but after a slow start things took on a better speed and the service became more attentive and personal.
Picture
Picture
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.
Picture
Picture
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.
Picture
Picture
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.



​For main course we had:

  • Wok tossed snake beans, lemongrass sate, shiitake
  • Chargrilled spatchcock, garlic and turmeric, coconut vinaigrette
  • Flathead tail, fish sauce, creme fraiche

The beans had a sweet stickiness to them that was very appetising.
Picture
Picture
Picture
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.
Picture

​We were pretty full after all that but our friendly waitress convinced us that the strawberry dessert was the way to go. She promised us it would be light and wouldn't take long to come out so we jumped on board:

  • Strawberry sorbet, lemon cake, soursop curd

Pretty in shades of pink and red; this is my kind of citrussy, fresh dessert. The soursop curd was like a tropical cheescake filling and I loved the intense strawberry notes of the sorbet with the light lemon cake. We made short work of it!
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.
Anchovy Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
0 Comments

Atlas Dining

10/12/2016

0 Comments

 
Intrigued by the concept of a 22 year old at the helm and a quarterly rotating menu inspired by global travel, I visited Atlas with 3 girlfriends. The fit out and decor is impressive with lots of white and light wood. Our individual leather roll wrap of cutlery is a novelty...evoking nuances of airplane travel and camping weirdly.

The welcome is warm as is the temperature. We're seated in front of the kitchen pass and the heat comes through whereas the front dining area manages to stay slightly cooler.

We toast our arrival and the imminent coming of Christmas with smoked straweberry bellinis and a mojito. They are delicious and go down a treat. Before long, we're on the 6 course journey with matching wines and that's all the decision making we need to do. The rest is all chatter and giggles.
Picture
Picture
Picture




​Bread arrives; 4 substantial pieces of chargrilled warmth and a pot of pate but it's not really explained what it is. Lighter than normal pate with some hints of lemongrass I think, it's absolutely delicious. Good start Atlas!
Picture
Picture
Heirloom tomato is our first dish and an off centre offering of festive red and green arrives with some egg white bits and a clear tomato water is poured out.
Refreshing and clean flavours come through and the different types of tomato provide varying flavours that layer upon themselves giving the simply named dish some complexity. There's a sweet almost dried tomato at the bottom that is also slightly chewy and then there are fresh, tangy tomato flavours from the cut tomatoes and the Vietnamese herbs take us to Asia.



​The courses come out quite quickly but that's ok because they're not huge so there's no need for a break to digest.

  • Octopus, sweet potato and pomelo

A curl of octopus tentacle blushing pink in colour with hints of char is prettily presented. There's sweetness and sharpness and some bouncy texture from the octopus. It's well put together and very enjoyable.
Picture
Picture




​We continue with the fish theme and a whole piece of King George Whiting comes out. 
  • King George Whiting, pickled vegetables, Vietnamese mint

​It's a mini fish and I like the soft texture, sweet flesh and the gentle tang of the pickled vegetables. The Vietnamese mint sauce is a light and doesn't overpower.
 But I We weren't really sure what to expect with the next dish. I know pho and I know beef tartare but I don't know how they can be one.
  • Wagyu beef pho tartare

More beef tartare than pho, it's disappointingly small in size for a main meat course. I actually had a really good beef tartare for lunch earlier that day as an entree and that version was three times the size!

I suspect the pho aspect is the spicing of the beef as the star anise and cinnamon flavours omnipresent in pho broth came through.But the texture was a little greasy and the egg yolk didn't bring it together.
Picture
Picture




​Palates were cleansed by a refreshing little teaser of mango and ginger. Well balanced and light it helped erase the memory of the not so enjoyable beef.



Dessert didn't sound particularly appealing:

  • Grilled corn, tapioca, buffalo curd

I was hoping for something reminiscent of Mamasita's sweetcorn icecream but this was all a little bit weird for our tastes. Sharp, tangy but it didn't buzz my taste buds.

There were some great flavours in this 6 courser but the portion sizes were small and we didn't feel satisfied! Call us greedy but we ended up having a second dinner elsewhere! On paper the menu and wine matching seemed reasonably priced but I'd prefer to pay more and eat more.
Picture
Service was proficient and capable but not personal. The wine matches were read out to us like a script as was the description of the food; we couldn't grasp any personality, passion or energy.
Atlas Dining Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
0 Comments

Thanh Ha 2

11/6/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Today was a grocery shopping day and we headed to Richmond to hit up the Asian supermarket, normal supermarket and the cheap fruit and veggies place to stock up for a cooking feast for the long weekend.

For sustenance we had lunch at Thanh Ha2 primarily because a colleague at work who frequents Victoria St often recommended it and secondly because it was close by to our shopping stops.

It looks quite typical Viet Victoria Street and reassuringly there were some Asian families tucking in to giant plates of food.

We had quite a roomy table which was welcome as we needed the space!
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.

Thanh Ha 2 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
0 Comments

Hochi Mama

13/11/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Friday night and Stef and I decided to have a post work dinner impromptu and having been seduced by the photos of "pho plings" we found our way to meet Hochi Mama walking past our favourite haunts like Shimbashi Soba and Red Silks . Mama better be worth it!
We wondered whether it would be busy but we just bypassed the after work crowd so when we walked in there were only a few tables seated. Not sure who was around to greet us we stood around awkwardly before there was a friendly greeting and awkwardness aside to settle in.

We were advised cocktails could be mocktails (nice touch) and dishes were to share except for the pho of which there were two varieties, beef or chicken. We decided to go with:
  • Pho plings - Pho broth, braised ox tail and pork mince, Vietnamese mint, fresh chilli, white onion, chilli oil
  • Beef banh cuon - Medium rare beef, dried beef, lettuce, cucumber, pickled carrots, fresh herbs, crispy fried shallots and hoi sin peanut dipping sauce
  • Crispy pork belly - Slow roasted pork belly, red cabbage, pickled ginger and red onion slaw, ginger caramel
  • Poached chicken in Vietnamese slaw - Chicken thigh poached in coconut and lemongrass, slaw of wombok, carrots, shallots, kohl rabi, chilli, mixed herbs and fried shallots
  • Fried whole quail - Honey and five spice glaze, braised in master stock then deep fried, served with a salad of mushrooms
We tried to order a beef pho but was then infomed that there's no pho for dinner...bit strange really as isn't pho broth just on the boil constantly?

Anyway we had pho plings on the way so all ok. The beef banh cuon arrived first and they were fine. The dipping sauce was literally a spoonful of hoi sin from a jar with chopped peanuts. Ok but not amazing.

The Pho plings look so pretty with their pleats and a family of four arrive on top of some broth in a bowl. It's a bit of an inside out xiao long bao as the broth is on the outside. We tasted the broth - a bit over salty but ok. We tasted the pho pling...I thought the meat inside bordered on dry and there was an intense flavour of star anise overpowering the whole thing. Couldn't taste teh chilli, the onion, the chilli oil or the mint. Disappointing really. 

The salad came next and looked like it had been tipped out of a bag of Coles pre packaged salad. The chicken had the subtle taste of coconut which was pleasant but there wasn't that much of it. I felt that it was all wombok, some carrot and fried shallots and none of the other ingredients. The dressing wasn't all that special and could have come from a bottle. In all honesty, my Vietnamese salad is fresher and more authentic than this. 

Crispy pork belly was more greasy pork belly and when chewed it releases oil leaving the mouth greasy. The overwhelming taste sensation was just sugar sweetness with no balance. Didn't get the flabvours of any pickle or ginger to take away the sugary greasiness. Not pleasant.

And if it couldn't get any worse, it did. Fried whole quail came out looking like it had been out in the sun far too long. Mahogany brown and ever so wrinkled, this poor quail had met a grizzly death! The leg bone just snapped it was so over cooked, The fibres of the meat stood out individually when shredded and picked apart. Small slaving grace was the rice roll accompaniment that was soft and silky with a few mushrooms on top - more a garnish than salad. Really the state of that little bird was not acceptable so we flagged our waiter, explained the problem and he just seemed confused. I asked him to take it away and he asked me if he should tell the kitchen! Damn right he should tell the kitchen but then he just walked away to the bar and didn't take the dead bird with him? WTF?! So we asked another waitress, one who seemed a bit more with it and she apologised and took it away. SHe came back to let us know we could have another one and they would comp it. Too right, they should comp it. In fact quite frankly that's not really a gesture we should be grateful for. We declined an additional dish as we were pretty over it by this point.

So we quickly paid our bill and left and made way to Red Silks for a second dinner that was far more successful!

So in summary, Hochi Mama looks good like its pho plings; all hip and fun but Stef and I found it style over substance completely and were really disappointed. It's over priced for what it offers and is just not good enough. Hochi Mama? Nochi Mama more like!
Hochi Mama Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
0 Comments

Rice Paper Scissors

2/10/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Last time we came here was a mid week dinner and the food took a bit longer to come out than we'd have liked but today we had all the time in the World so decided to indulge in an Asian feast. We sat at an outside table and enjoyed the sunshine with a Lemongrass Tom Collins cocktails for me and a longneck for Steve.

The cocktails was fragrant and cool; I think it could have done with a bit more sweetness but it was refreshing enough.

We started off ordering 5 small dishes to share. Given this was going to be an indulgent kind of leisurely lunch, we augmented our order with another 3 dishes later on! In total we feasted on:
  • ​PHAT GAI CHOY | Wok-tossed asian greens with fresh shiitake mushrooms  and crispy pork belly in special sauce
  • MA HOR | Caramelised pork, prawn and peanut on sour pineapple
  • SEUA RONG HAI | Char-grilled beef with a spicy citrus dipping sauce
  • YAM PLA FOO | Tapioca dusted barramundi with a green apple and roast cashew salad and nahm jim dressing
  • SII KRONG NUE | Mekong whiskey marinated lamb ribs in a sticky special sauce
  • BANH MI | Crispy soft shell crab with pickled vegetables, herbs and homemade pate
  • KOI PLA | Lime cured kingfish salad with mint, chilli and shallots
  • FILIPINO CHICKEN | Char-grilled chicken in a spicy Filipino style sauce
The food came out pretty quickly actually unlike our first visit. Not super rushed, fast food quick but pacey enough to be enjoyable. Speaking of enjoyment my second cocktail was the Vietnamese espresso martini which was a delightfully creamy concoction with a good punch of alcohol.

All the dishes were tasty and spiked with chilli heat, fragrant with coriander and plenty of lime juice tang. Perhaps worth a special mention was the wok tossed greens. Simple but very tasty with crunchy fragments of pork. The Ma Hor is a great mouthful of sour, sweet, crunchy and nutty and is a great little amuse bouche style option. The Filipino Chicken and the Char-grilled Beef were actually really similar in terms of the dressing used so perhaps just have one or the other. Although having said that, both were tasty. Also tasty were the sticky lamb ribs so they're definitely something to repeat.

In all, it was a damn fine feast. It's different to the likes of Chin Chin, Lucy Liu etc, because there's no rice and it's all small dishes but the lack of rice and the smaller serves means there's more variety. Definitely enjoyable and I'm glad it's so close to home!

Rice Paper Scissors Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
0 Comments

Co Do

15/8/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Co Do was one of the first restaurants we went to when we first arrived and I remember enjoying it but then we ended up discovering pho at I Love Pho and roast duck at Pacific House so it was easily forgotten.

But recently I've been enjoying Viet style pork chop on rice and after an ok offering at Xeom and a favourite at Hao Phuong in Footscray, I'm keen to find a good place North of the river.
Picture
Picture
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!
Click to add a blog post for Co Do on Zomato
0 Comments

Xeom

1/8/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
It's busy season for auditors. Gosh it comes round quick so it meant that Steve was working on Saturday but we had time for a quick lunch. We thought about picking up sushi from Hinoki but then I thought it could be worth trying Xeom so we did.

It was just before midday and the place was empty but it was warm and not off putting. Although the panda water glasses weren't particularly clean so that was less welcoming.

Steve tried to order some hot tea, green or black but we were told no. That's a little weird I thought. But then we saw someone else get a pot later so I think we were misunderstood. And that little cup on the picture looks like tea but it's dipping sauce. I almost picked it up to drink!

Anyway the spring rolls came in this fancy basket which was cute. They were fine - just like what they should be like.

Picture
Picture
I had the pork chop rice and Steve had the crispy chicken and tomato rice. The dishes came out speedily and were attractively appetising. I wasn't sure about the sweet chilli sauce for Steve's dish. I think sweet chilli sauce, as tasty as it is, is a little bit of a cop out for a restaurant but then given I'm ok with tomato sauce, maybe I've got double standards? 

Anyway, the chicken was crispy. The pork chop was well marinaded with fragrant lemon grass and some chilli. I liked the crispy pickled veg. I thought the pork chop was on the small side for the price but I guess that's the difference between being on Smith Street and being in Footscray. The best pork chop rice is definitely Footscray and so much better value with two pieces of golden fried pork and a whole heap of rice but for somewhere easy to access and close to home, this is a reasonable fix even if there is no hot tea!
Click to add a blog post for Xeom on Zomato
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Fine Print

    For those that know us, this section will probably come with no surprise! Steve and I love eating out so this is our record of our time in Australia.

    This is a blog that is 100% written and edited by Steve and I. All opinions expressed are our own and are not influenced by any third party.

    Any sponsored posts are easily identified as such.

    Thanks for reading barleyblog.

    Follow @mindabarley
    View my food journey on Zomato!

    Archives

    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010

    Categories

    All
    Albert Park
    American
    Argentinian
    Armadale
    Armenian
    Beaconsfield
    Beechworth
    Birragurra
    Box Hill
    Breakfast
    Bright
    Brighton
    British
    Brunswick
    Buffet
    Burgers And Pub Grub
    Burmese
    Busselton
    Camberwell
    Canberra
    Carlton
    Cbd
    Chinese
    Collingwood
    Daylesford
    Dessert
    Docklands
    Doncaster
    Elsternwick
    Eltham
    Elwood
    Ethiopian
    European
    Filipino
    Fitzroy
    Flemington
    Flinders
    Footscray
    Fremantle
    French
    Fusion
    Geelong
    German
    Glen Waverley
    Greek
    Hawthorn
    Hobart
    Indian
    Indonesian
    Italian
    Japanese
    Kew
    Korean
    Kyneton
    Launceston
    Malaysian
    Margaret River
    Mexican
    Middle Eastern
    Mildura
    Modern Australian
    Mornington Peninsula
    Northcote
    North Melbourne
    Port Fairy
    Port Melbourne
    Prahran
    Richmond
    Ripponlea
    Rutherglen
    Southbank
    South Melbourne
    South Yarra
    Spanish
    Steakhouse
    St Kilda
    Sydney
    Thai
    Thornbury
    Toorak
    Torquay
    Vietnamese
    Werribee
    Williamstown
    Windsor
    Yarra Valley
    Yum Cha

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.