Review - Kinfolk - $-$$$ - V

Kinfolk is not your average cafe. It's not the organic produce that sets them apart, nor is it the good coffee or primo service on offer - it's the fact that they promoting ethical consumption and allowing you to 'vote with your dollar'.

The cafe has been open for about 6 weeks now at the Southern Cross end of Melbourne's Bourke Street. It has been set up as social enterprise whereby the proceeds will be siphoned into various charity projects. And you get to choose where your money will go.

Everything about the cafe has sustainability in mind; from the recycled and donated materials used to build it, to the fresh produce and coffee beans. A lot of the staff are volunteers and there is a list of names on the wall giving kudos to all the tradies that helped to literally put Kinfolk together.


The dining room has a high-ceiling and communal tables, as well as a bench up a the giant window if you fancy watching the world go by. A three dimensional artwork of birds sitting in a tree peer down over you as you enjoy your food.

The menu is seasonal and for lunch offers soups, open sandwiches, toasted sandwiches and lots of delicious little cakes. Average meal price is $8.50 and I opted for the zucchini frittata open sandwich with green olive tapenade. The frittata was served cold on rye bread and the tapenade was more like a salsa with capers thrown into the mix. It was super fresh tasting with a really astringent, zingy little dressing that covered the ribbons of finely sliced frittata.
The coffee was spot-on, which was no surprise as the barista from my local cafe was behind the machine! Nice to see a familiar face at a new place, but it was also a clear indication of the calibre of Melbourne hospo peeps that are obviously behind this fantastic enterprise (I don't drink coffee just anywhere you know).

Eenny, meeny, miny, mo...

After my lunch I was given a coffee bean and told to pop it in one of four labeled jars. This how you cast your vote as to where you lunch money goes. Up on the wall in the front of the cafe is a chalkboard listing the various projects that you can choose from which are currently in: Ghana, Rwanda, Palm Island and good old Melbourne town.

On it's own Kinfolk is a great cafe and I would go there for lunch anytime but the fact that they are putting the profits into such worthwhile projects and being so mindful of how they operate is truly impressive. More Kulinary Karma abounds and Kinfolk are leading the way!



Enjoy!

Review - EARL Canteen - $$ - V

There has been so much hype about EARL since it opened I wasn't sure what to expect. It is located at the top end of Melbourne's CBD, tucked into the corner of a courtyard surrounded by big buildings and frequented at lunchtime by (as dubbed by those of us who don't wear them) 'suits'.

Skyscraper gazing

The staff at this futuristic looking sandwich bar are very friendly and advised me on arrival that if I wanted to eat in that full table service would be provided. I did. I sat out in the courtyard where mercifully Melbourne's sun was shining and listened in on very important phone calls being conducted all around me by very important people. Well so I assumed: loud = important yes?

In a controversial move I opted not for the pork belly sandwich that everyone has been raving about but instead ordered the Truffled Mushroom Wrap. It comes in a tortilla with wilted spinach, 'autumnal mushrooms', truffle paste and a soft cooked egg.


The wrap was a little floury for me and even though the egg was cooked well it was a little cold. I'm not sure how you would go trying to eat this as a takeaway? The filling is pretty squishy and the odds on the bottom of the tortilla holding in all the juicy goodness are perhaps not the best. Lucky for me I had a knife and fork and opened it up and tucked right in. It was like eating a forest, which is exactly what I want when I order something autumnal and truffle-y. The flavours were earthy and layered and demanded that I took my time and savoured every mouthful.

A forest masquerading as a sandwich

Once I polished off my lunch I was offered a coffee which I gladly accepted and even though they forgot it to begin with, when it did finally arrive it had been expertly made.
After watching Adriano Zumbo on you-know-what last night I was in the mood for a much raved about macaron to go with my latte but alas there were none! Sold out! Gutted!

These are not your average sandwiches and you don't pay average prices either; city-workers next time the boss says lunch is on them I'd be pitching this place.
The hype piqued my interest originally - the pork belly, the macarons, the handmade crumpets - all of which I am yet to try. So I will return, I need to in order to really make up mind.



Enjoy!

Review - STREAT Mobile Food Cart - $-$$ - V

OK Melbournians listen up! This is your social conscience speaking.

It is pretty chilly and wet in our fair city at the moment, which always makes me think about those less fortunate than my lucky self. People who perhaps aren't able to keep warm, or get the food and support that they need. There are various ways that we can help and now it's as simple as buying your lunch.
Yes, you heard right - YOU buy lunch and help homeless youth. It's win win!


Fed Square has become the location for STREAT's first mobile food cart. STREAT is a social enterprise that is providing disadvantaged youth with training and support for long-term careers in hospitality. There is loads of information over here about this amazing organisation.

You will find the cart opposite St Paul's Cathedral on the Flinders Street side of Fed Square, where they trade Tuesday-Saturday, serving up delicious hawker-style food. The seasonal menu is featuring lots winter warming curries and wraps at the moment. By far the biggest bargain is soup and roll for $5!

Just in case you didn't believe me - it really is $5!

On my first visit to STREAT I chowed down on a chickpea, lentil and spinach wrap for $8.50. The wrap itself is roti-like bread full of a mix of lentil and chickpeas and is a little like dahl. It was spicy in a flavour sense, but not hot like curry and the baby spinach inside is fresh and gives a bit of texture and crunch. Best of all it filled me up right until dinner time and I got all warm and fuzzy knowing that every cent of my lunch money was helping out someone trying to make a change in their life.


Next time you're in the city I highly recommend going to grab a bite from the STREAT cart, it's cheap, healthy and delicious - a winning combination for a quick lunch. And you will be helping your community - Kulinary Karma at its finest.
You don't just have to take my word for it either, head over to Penny's and she'll tell you all about it too...


(If you don't live in Melbourne but would like to contribute to this fine enterprise you can do so over here.)



Enjoy!

Review - Brother Baba Budan - $ - V

Brother Baba Budan is...

quite simply...

in my humble opinion...

Melbourne's best coffee.


The End.

Review - Cookie - $$-$$$ - V

What a treat to go out for dinner on a Monday night. And even more of a treat to share a meal with the fab Montan sisters!

I am often surprised by how many people I know that live in Melbourne and have never eaten at Cookie. It's a little pricey for a quick lunch I guess, but if you want some quality Thai - in a nice setting and with great service - then you can't go wrong here.

I did say it was low lit

Day or night I love this dining room. It's high ceilings and big windows make it bright and airy on a sunny day. And the low lighting and table doilies provide a warm and cosy dinner on a chilly evening. Long, boozy Sunday lunches are a joy with the uber-stocked bar; and raucous evening meals with a big crew are just as enjoyable.

Imagine what they'd say about this plating on Masterchef...

The waiters here know their way around the giant book of a wine list and they don't hesitate to make a call if you ask them to choose between possibles when you're finding it hard to order. And it is hard to order here because the menu is large and incredibly appetising. It is divided into small, medium and large dishes which you can pick and choose to devise starters and mains; or just order lots of little things to share - there are no rules here.


It is Thai food, cooked more often than not by Thai chefs, so as our waiter diplomatically put it 'It's Thai hot, not Aussie hot', when quizzed about the heat of the curries. She also advised that it depends on the chef, as I recounted having my head spun the last time I ordered the egg net. I'm not wimpy when it comes to spicy, but boy did that one test my mettle.

Tonight we enjoyed: Pad Thai - simple traditional noodles but fresh and tasty; yellow curry with snapper and green papaya - medium spiced and pretty fishy tasting broth, but with good variation in texture; pork belly with green beans - salty, fatty, perfectly crisp pork but beware the pieces of green chili masquerading as beans; and steamed salmon with ginger, Chinese broccoli and lemongrass - milky, perfectly cooked fish, but a little light on flavours elsewhere. Coconut rice to share and a lovely night was had by all.



Enjoy!

Review - Pellegrini's - $-$$$

Pellegrini's is a Melbourne institution and one of those places you either love or hate.

Me? I love it. It's old school and serves up no-frills, home-style Italian cooking.
Stalwarts will argue whether the best seats are near the kitchen or at the bar. Me? I like the bar.

On a blustery day, with a book to keep you company, it's the warmest place in Melbourne.
The coffee is fierce and sometimes so are the waiters, but when you step through the door approach it as a step back in time.
On different days there are different specials - Friday is for gnocchi, for example. Most mains will set you back about $13-$15 and are served with giant slices of white bread for mopping up leftover sauce.


There's no coca-cola and no vino here. But there are staff who roll their r's without sounding like prats and deliciously refreshing watermelon and lemon granitas.

Try and save some room for dessert and a short macchiato. And if you're short on time, before a show or a meeting, the service is fast and you can be in and out in 15 minutes.



Enjoy!

Review - HuTong Dumpling Bar Melbourne - $$-$$$

Located in lane off Melbourne's China Town, HuTong Dumpling Bar is leading the way with the city's obsession with little stuffed pillows of food. It has raised the bar and the old favourites where the service is bad, the floor dirty and the dumplings cheap are no longer good enough. Paying twice the price and deigning to book a table is sure sign things are changing.

I'm not joking when I say you need to book. It is virtually impossible to get a table just by turning up, especially if there are more than two of you. Why is this? Simple: Shao-long Bao. Talk of these little babies has swept around Melbourne faster than a scalped Meredith ticket up for grabs.
But let's not jump ahead.

The first thing you notice when you enter the restaurant is the glassed-in area where the dumplings are made. I assume the man with the tallest hat is the chief dumpling maker. Chief smiles back happily as you peer into his fish tank-like world, quietly chuckling to himself that he'll never let you know the secret of the Shao-long Bao.
His wooden rolling pin whips the balls of dough into the thin dumpling casings that are then stuffed with a sumptuous filling and pinched delicately, but quickly closed. Into the bamboo steamer they go, to await being summoned for eating.

Downstairs the seating is on squat wooden stools that anyone over five feet tall would struggle to find comfortable. Upstairs there are tables that are much more fitting for a long meal but they can also be noisy and a little squishy, so if you're shy about eavesdropping on who said to what to whom at Friday's work drinks, ask for a booth.

I've been visiting HuTong since it opened almost a year ago. Over this time the menu has become illustrated, the prices have increased and today I noticed a guide to eating Shao-long Bao sitting on the table. I guess that's called progress; I call it annoying. Once things start to get popular they often start to lose their original appeal, but those damn Bao lure me back again and again.

The menu tells you that the focus is on traditional hutong-style food, so along with the dumplings you'll find various offal offerings; claypots; rice and noodle dishes; and some fairly hefty Szechuan spiced dishes. I don't know what any of these are like - I only go there for the dumplings.

The Shao-long Bao comes in a bamboo steamer and holds eight pieces. Timing is everything when it comes to enjoying these. Dive in too early and you're guaranteed a scalded tongue which means no more dumpling enjoyment for you. Tuck in too late and they will be stuck to the paper in the base of the steamer resulting in a blow out. YOU DO NOT WANT A BLOW OUT.
Why the big deal? It's because the dumpling is not only filled with beef but also with broth. So your little meaty ball is floating in soup, INSIDE the dumpling. 'Tis magic. But that broth doth burn so be careful.
Grab your chopsticks and pick up the dumpling very carefully, I go for just under the puckered top. Dip it into the ginger and soy sauce and then rest it in your spoon, up near your mouth. The guide on the table says to nibble; I say put the whole thing in your gob and let it explode onto your tongue as you bite into it. The flavours and textures of dough, mince and soup all happening at once are superb. Besides, if you over-nibble sometimes the broth shoots out of the dumpling and you may leave with it in your hair (I wouldn't write something so ludicrous unless I knew for sure).

In addition to the Shao-long Bao you should sample the pan-fried pork dumplings which are served stuck in a flour and water concoction like a sticky, crunchy crepe.
I am a giant fan of the stir-fry spinach in ginger sauce, as it is fresh and light every single time.
I find the veggie dumplings that are served in a spinach cocoon to be a little too thick for my tastes and the shrimp dumpling have mostly pork filler and only one tiny prawn in each one, so some false advertising there.

Whatever you do, if you're going for lunch, don't eat breakfast; and if you're planning dinner there, I'd skip lunch.

You can hop on over to tummyrumbles to check out their review or see what my hero Matt Preston has to say about the HuTong over here.

Please leave your comments about the HuTong Dumpling Bar below.
You can find it at:
14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne
Ph: 03 9650 8128

Enjoy!