Review - Dr Jekyll - $-$$$ - V

Grey Street in St Kilda is similar to the creepy classic The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in that it can have two very distinct sides; one of them not altogether pleasant (nowhere else in Melbourne are you more likely to see people sans underwear than here). Its seedy underbelly may never totally disappear but there is certainly an abundance of tasteful places popping up around this infamous street.

Making a strong mark on the strip is a cafe named after the 'good' character of Robert Louis Stevenson's story - Dr Jekyll. Run by ex-Orange employees Roy and Matthew this place is hospitality at its finest - you know, the kind where you are treated hospitably? The first thing I noticed as I waited for my coffee (apart from Matthew opening the door for everyone) is the rapport that these guys have with their patrons. Everyone is greeted warmly from the minute they enter. The owners even smile at you.

I perched in the front window to watch the world go by and was a bit bewildered by the lunch menu - prepared in an open kitchen - because everything on it sounded so evilly delicious. Sandwich choices included: house-cured ocean trout with ribbons of cucumber; Shaw River buffalo mozzarella (have mercy) with prosciutto; Istra capocollo with caramelised onions and cornichons. I mean really - what's a girl to do? I opted for what could be considered a 'safe' choice and ordered the poached chicken on sour dough.
The moist chicken was crammed into the soft bread along with avocado, baby spinach and a super creamy chive mayo. This was not your run of the mill chicken sanger, it was flavoursome, filling and obviously made with not only fresh ingredients but with love (I could taste it).

The coffee was so good that one wasn't enough and while I waited for my takeaway Roy and I got chatting. I found it a breath of fresh air that he wanted to know if worked or lived around his cafe, whether or not I enjoyed my lunch, what I was up to for the rest of the day etc. This is a man who cares about his clientele and obviously knows that a smile and some friendly chit chat goes a long way when it comes to repeat business.
And repeat I will! I have the lunch menu to work through and obviously haven't investigated breakfast so I look forward to spending many a lazy brunch in their courtyard and getting to know my new favourite local.



Enjoy!

Review - Monk Bodhi Dharma - $-$$$ - V

My friend Sara is moving to LA soon so she's a bit sad that she's only just discovered Monk Bodhi Dharma cafe. I'm a bit sad that Sara's moving but that's another story.

Tucked down a lane behind one of the stupormarkets on bustling Carlisle Street in Balaclava this cafe is easily missed by those not in the know. As you may have inferred by the name, their menu is focused on vegetarian and vegan food with ayurvedic properties. Translation: it's good for you. It's also filling and pretty damn tasty too. Each day there are various soups and stews on offer for lunch as well as plenty of hearty breakfast fare even without eggs and bacon. (And, there's always super pretty cupcakes on the counter as you walk in the front door, so steel your self-control upon entering if you're trying to be good.)

The premises itself is quite small but the space is well used with a beautiful communal table as the centerpiece and fresh flowers poking out of vases strung from the ceiling. Even the menus are pretty, printed on floral Japanese paper.
I've visited a fair few times recently and have indulged in the world's biggest and most moist piece of banana bread with lemon ricotta and a Moroccan-style stew with chickpeas, minted couscous and some bitey sweet chili relish.

The Monk also roast their own coffee, serve syphon and have a comprehensive list of fairtrade and organic teas on offer. The tea infusion is very precise and the pots and cups differ depending on which one you choose. My most recent choice was based solely on the name - Iron Goddess - which hadn't even made it onto the menu yet.

Regular breakfast degustation mornings are held and you can keep an eye on their blog for other events. I'm also pleased to report that if you forget your re-usable coffee cup and have to have a takeaway it will be served in a biodegradable cup.

Visit the Monk for holistic hospitality at it's best.



Enjoy!

Review - Ichi Ni - $$-$$$ - V

I hadn't bothered with Ichi Ni before as my very trusted foodie friend had given it a massive thumbs down not long after it first opened. But since then I have heard really great reports and thought that I should make up my own mind and give it a whirl.

We went to see the hilarious Bill Bailey at the gorgeous, and thankfully still standing, Palais Theatre (in your face triangle development!) so it was the perfect excuse to try Ichi Ni.

When we arrived we were greeted with a smilely 'moshimoshi' from the chefs in the open plan kitchen. There's various types of seating at Ichi Ni: a heated deck, booths, regular tables or you can sit up at the bar and watch the masters at work. The decor is all dark wood and red upholstery and drapes, with these great retro printed lanterns hanging above the bar and lots of mirrors and shiny surfaces.

The waiters were super friendly and knowledgeable, their denim aprons add to the relaxed vibe and they explained how best to order without sounding bossy or overbearing.
Being an izakaya the food is meant for sharing and is described as Japanese-style tapas; we were told the two most popular dishes are the ebi mayo - deep fried tiger prawns with Japanese mayo - and the gyoza. I'd heard good things about the gyoza so we ordered both recommendations and added edamame, nama kaki (fresh oysters with ponzu) and vegetable and fish tempura tasting plates.
We also went for some yakitori (skewers) and tried the unagi (eel) and pork belly. When I asked if we had enough dishes for four people the waiter said probably one or two more would be suitable but he suggested we eat and if wanted more we could just order more later.


The food was served quickly and two dishes arrived at a time. There was just enough space between courses and everything was simply delicious. The wasabi that was in the mayo served drizzled over the prawns was just superb. The oysters were so fresh, the spring onion on top providing a nice zing and crunch against the meat of the mollusk.
The gyoza was good but not groundbreaking and the pink tinged pickled radish dipping sauce the accompanied the tempura was also excellent, although the tempura batter was a little soft.
The yakitori has two skewers per serve and they were nice and char-grilled in flavoured.
Our waiter was spot on with his suggestion as to how much food we needed, so extra king prawns and gyoza were needed. What a shame - not!
There is sushi and sashimi featured on the menu, as well as dishes for one if you're not in the mood to share.

I'm kind of sad in a way that I waited this long to visit Ichi Ni but perhaps it took a little while for them to find their groove. I will be trying to convince my friend to give it another try because I think it's great. In fact my friend asked me today where I think he should have his birthday dinner in a few weeks and I suggested it without hesitation, I can't wait to go back!



Enjoy!

Review - En Izakaya - $-$$$ - V

I have a confession to make. When En Izakaya debuted with 3 stars in Cheap Eats this year I didn't understand what the fuss was all about, but that was because I thought it was a different place on Carlisle Street. Some foodie local I am - woops!
Clearly I am the only person that didn't know the location, because rocking up late on a Wednesday night without a booking was a little naive. It was packed. But the waiter had the good grace not to roll his eyes at me and instead took my number, shooed us out the door for a drink down the road and promised to call me within 30 minutes. And he kept his word.
As he showed us to our table I didn't know where to look. The dishes listed on the specials board grabbed my attention first. Then there were the celebs from various rock'n'roll quiz shows at different tables. But what I couldn't stop staring at were all the drunk people! Everyone seemed to be smashed. On a Wednesday! Totally rock'n'roll and completely understandable when consuming sake.

Miso soup with pork belly

The wait staff here are on the money. The woman who looked after us for the evening discouraged us from ordering too much and made it clear that if we needed more, then we just ask. This is because the dishes are designed for sharing - a Japanese version of tapas if you will. And it was sage advice, because we were full at the end of our mini feast.
Miso soup with pork belly for $4 was a great start. We followed this up with a spinner crab omelette with shiitake, shimeji and field mushrooms. The dish was a little cold to be honest, but we were hungry by this stage and I couldn't wait. The egg was fluffy and the different mushrooms did add to the layers of flavour.

Spinner crab omelette

Next was another cold dish - but it was supposed to be. Okara salad - mashed soybeans and miso mayo. I LOVE this dish. I could have eaten just a big bowl of it and the miso soup and been quite happy. It tasted kind of nutty and fresh and not like anything I've had before. Very hard to explain but super good.

Okara salad

In addition to the salad and served at the same time were: sticky rice coated steamed dumplings of prawn, chicken and ginger with a mustard and vinegar dipping sauce; and tuna sashimi laced with spring onion and soy and wasabi dressing.

Sticky rice coated dumplings

I was getting a bit cross about the slow service by the time the food arrived, but apparently the sashimi was the culprit as they dress it and then let it marinate for half an hour. It would have been good to know this beforehand, however the fish was truly melt in the mouth and worth the wait.

Sashimi

I thoroughly enjoyed our meal at En Izakaya. Mr Tea was not as impressed as me but he admitted to liking traditional-style when dining Japanese and this food is modern and all about sharing.
And it's rowdy! People are eating and drinking and being merry and taking their time; because you have to. Some of these dishes take a while to prepare and it's for this reason there is a good chance you'll have two drinks under your belt before having eaten and then you'll seem drunk to new arrivals.



Enjoy!

Review - Miss Jackson - $$-$$$ - V

The only downside to being spoilt for choice is having to choose! This morning I spent some quality time in bed with the latest Cheap Eats guide trying to decide on somewhere new to have breakfast. Thanks to a few too many glasses of bubbles last night I didn't really want to venture too far home so I decided on Miss Jackson in St Kilda.

The thing that immediately stood out for me was how relaxed and calm this cafe is. The hustle and bustle of Grey Street and all that entails - sex workers, backpackers, drug dealers and advertising execs all living harmoniously together - seems like a million miles away as soon as you ascend the stairs.

A shiny coffee machine, impressive looking brownies and muffins and a super friendly barista greeted us as we entered. We were encouraged to sit wherever we liked and chose the very last of four separate dining rooms.
The interior of Miss Jackson is all-white walls devoid of decoration, dark and blonde wood furniture and it felt a little stark.


The service was friendly and attentive but the actual arrival of our coffees and food was slow. Allpress are the beans of choice for the cafe and even though it was smooth and enjoyable we had to get the lattes down quickly in order for them not to become stone cold.

Even though the menu is not huge, there are enough appetising dishes to make picking one a little difficult. Mr Tea went for the corn fritters after seriously considering the corned beef sandwich. The people near us, who were trying to enjoy their lunch, had to deal with our food envy as we peered at their giant sandwich served on a cheese board.
I almost ordered herb scrambled eggs on cornbread. I don't actually like scrambled eggs but often in the throes of a hangover I have a menu meltdown and go for something that I would never eat. Common sense prevailed though and I opted for poached eggs on sour dough toast with a side of mushrooms and oven roasted tomatoes.

The corn fritters were more like corn pancakes. They were fluffy and flavoursome; the accompanying relish sweet and tangy; the bacon cooked well, not too crispy; but today's avocado was a little unripe and too hard to eat.
The eggs were perfectly poached with a little drizzle of olive oil on top and the yolk exploded all over the crunchy toast as soon as my knife pierced the googies. Two big meaty mushrooms and a generous serve of cherry tomatoes rounded out my plate. There was a distinct lack of salt on our table or any others near us and I wondered if this is a public service to protect our arteries. I was so hungry by that stage I just dug in without it, which was silly because the sides would have benefited from some seasoning.
(*Edit* I'm not the only one noticing the lack of salt on Melbourne's tables)

There was no need to hang around once we'd eaten, and as we left we realised we'd spent more time waiting than we had eating. Considering the cafe was far from full, the kitchen really needs to giddy-up because the wait time was real let down to what was an otherwise OK breakfast. With so many other choices in Melbourne, I'm sorry Miss Jackson but I'm not sure when I'll be back.



Enjoy!

Review - I Carusi II - $$$

I distinctly remember three things happening on the first day I was in Naples.
(And yes I know it's actually Napoli when in Italy or you are a speaker of that beautiful language; but I am in Melbourne and not one of those annoying people that need to drop in the accent of a word that doesn't belong to me. See Babka bakery on Sunday morning for example: 'Can I please have a cwa-son?')

Number 1
I caught a man trying to pick Mr Tea's pocket on the bus about five minutes after we arrived.

Number 2
I caught Mr Tea blushing as we were checked into our hostel by a gorgeous, raven-haired cross between Monica Bellucci and Sofia Loren circa 1960, called Carrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrla, who referred to him as Roberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrto.

Number 3
I ate the best pizza I'd ever had.

I also remember the first time I ate at I Carussi II because it transported me back to Naples. No one tried to rob me but there were a lot of gorgeous Italians working there and the pizza was superb.

Tucked down the end of Barkly Street in St Kilda that is almost the suburb of Elwood, I Carussi II is the little brother of the original I Carussi in Brunswick.
The restaurant has linen draped tables extending onto the pavement, minimalist decor and one page paper menus. The smell of pizzas cooking coming from the door would challenge even the most hardened carb-avoider.

The pizzas are thin based little numbers with simple, fresh toppings: buffalo mozarella, whole leaves of basil, smoked salmon, sopressa, gorgonzola, tiger prawns. Are you getting the idea? The wine list is not huge, but is in Italian so don't be shy if you need to ask one of the friendly wait staff for a recommendation.
There is antipasto if you fancy a nibble before the main event - lovely cold meats, olives, roasted peppers - and three very simple salads to accompany your pizza.
My tip would be to share a pizza and a salad so you have room for one of the dessert pizzas, such as peach and white chocolate.

You would think that pizza is one of those things that would be hard to mess up, yet so many restaurants do. I Carusi II on the other hand have the right to bust out their Italian accents when it comes to their pizzas, they are the real deal and obviously made with amoré.

Enjoy!