Melbourne

“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”  ― Mark Twain

Day 1: Friday, 11th November 2016

Brekkie at Crux and Co - Albert Road, Melbourne.

They say life is all about balance, and that is the ethos behind the menu at The Crux and Co. Buttery house made croissants, pastries and sweet dishes are balanced out by Korean influenced savoury flavours. 

       Breakfast at Crux and Co was delightful. One week before my trip to Melbourne, I researched and took snapshots of food establishments with amazing reviews and great ratings. My first stop should have been checking into our apartment. Instead we took a little detour to try the first cafe on my list. There were so many delicious foods to select from the menu but I wanted to try something different. I was intrigued to try the lobster bisque. I wanted to know how the flavour combination would work with the squid ink toast. I now know why this cafe is rated 4.5/5. I loved every little thing on this plate and I am pretty sure I left the plate spotless. 

Bisque benedict with tiger prawns, poached eggs & a lobster bisque hollandaise served on squid ink toast
$20.50

Lunch at Tokyo Tina - Chapel Street, Windsor.

Tokyo is yours

After settling down at the apartment, we decided to go out for late lunch before we met up with one of my friends from the Europe trip. This restaurant has a rating of 4.3/5. They have a simple menu with basic flavours. I ordered the Spicy Pork Ramen. I love eating spicy food but this ramen had a little kick of chilli but not so much. The soup was flavoursome and delicious.  I would definitely come back for another Ramen.

Spicy Pork Ramen
Sapporo (Miso) Base, Roast Pork Neck, Corn, Bean Shoots & Butter
$10

Night out at Glamp Cocktail bar, Little Collins Street.

An East African inspired watering hole located in the heart of Melbourne.

My friend invited her boyfriend Christian to join us. Once we found this place, we were greeted by friendly security guards. Downstairs was crowded so we decided to go upstairs and wait for a table to have dinner. Caroline and I brought two cocktails whilst we patiently waited for a table to be available. They had a vast range of exotic cocktails to choose from. We ordered two cocktails each. We loved both our drinks! <3

The bar had two rooms upstairs, one was set up with a wall lounge and few tables. They had a Simba carpet and dimmed lights to create the mood and the atmosphere. The other room was set up in a tent with lots of lounges and seats sort of like walking into an Arabian night. We waited for two hours to try African cuisine but unfortunately it was too crowded that we did not want to wait any longer. I have added Glamp Cocktail Bar to my list to visit again next time I make a trip to Melbourne. We did not realise the bar will be so popular around 6:30pm. It is definitely worth the visit. 

Glamp Cocktail Bar

Dinner at Dragon Boat House Restaurant, China Town.

Specialising in mainly Cantonese fine dining, the assortment and variety of dishes offered will provide endless delight.

After Glamp Bar, Caroline suggest we have dinner at Dragon Boat House Restaurant. It is her favourite Chinese Restaurant in China Town. The restaurant is rated as 3.0/5. The food was great. 

Honey Glazed Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce

Day 2: Saturday, 12th November 2016

Brekkie at Top Paddock, Richmond.

Speciality coffee and creative brekkie dishes in a bright, spacious cafe with white subway tiles.

        Top Paddock served their dishes with pride. The two dishes we received looked like pretty little gardens but edible. My breakfast was dulcet and fruity, I felt like I was floating in the clouds. My hotcakes went pretty well with the English Breakfast tea. Service was exceptionally great. Top Paddock rated as 4.4/5. I want to come back and try every single item on the menu. 

Blueberry and Ricotta hotcakes with berries, maple syrup, seeds and cream
$21.00

Oats Porridge with Strawberry and Rhubarb compote, violet sugar and pistachios
$15.50

            
       Werribee Open Range Zoo

Vervet Monkeys

We went on a one hour Safari tour around the Zoo. The experience was surreal. I sincerely enjoyed my journey at Werribee Open Range Zoo. 

Giraffes

My Best friend

My favourite moment at the zoo

Dinner at Bangpop, South Wharf.

Colourful warehouse-style space for Thai hawker food, plus bar seating, cocktails and water views.

My noodle curry soup was zesty and enjoyable. I tried a bit of Chrissy's meals and they tasted delicious. This restaurant is rated as 4.3/5. During our visit, this place was almost booked out. I think a few tables were booked for functions. Their service was fantastic. I would highly recommend this place for dinner.  

Dtom Kha Ma'Prow Phuktong (Vegan) Pumpkin & Coconut Soup  $15.90
~ Sweet coconut soup with pumpkin, baby corn, cherry tomatoes and shallots ~
&
See Klong Nua - Beef Short Ribs   $20.90
~ Twice cooked beef short ribs with chilli caramel, bean shoot, cucumber & cashew nut salad ~

Khao Soi - Lanna Curry Noodle Soup  $17.90
~ Chiang Mai style noodle curry soup with chicken, egg. ~

Ice Bar Melbourne - Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

Icy cold experience in long snow capes.

Chrissy and I got to Ice Bar at 10pm. We paid $35 for standard entry (snow gear & one cocktail). We had fun playing ice games and taking photos with the ice sculptures. We stayed inside for about 40 minutes and then Chrissy realised she left her ID at the apartment. We took an uber to the apartment to grab her ID and returned back to Brunswick Street for more fun. 

Night out at Black Pearl & Polly Bar - Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

Black Pearl 4.2/5 ~ Mellow bar with comfy couches and an upstairs space with table service, mixing creative cocktails.
Polly Bar 4.3/5 ~ Cocktails, absinthe and tapas in a glam nightspot with crimson decor, velvet stools and couches.

We arrived at 11pm at Black Pearl. The bar was extremely busy. Chrissy and I had to wait 10 minutes to order drinks and find seats. The bartenders were friendly and lovely to chat with. They had creative cocktails on their menu with strong flavours. Whilst I was waiting for my drink, a random guy next to me asked what I ordered and we talked for about 10 minutes or so. I absolutely adore Melbournians. I am always delighted to have a conservation with them. Melbournians are full of energy and they have cheerful personalities.

Around 12pm, we headed to Polly Bar. The light on the Polly sign outside the bar was turned off and we thought the bar was closed. But we decided to check it out anyway and luckily we did. I received exceptional service. I had my very own waitress for the night. I was so surprised that the bar was not crowded. The inside looked exactly like the photos on the internet. We found a red couch at the front corner. It was a very big couch and we loved it. We encountered strange but extremely sweet individuals at this bar. Our waitress was amazing, no rating can justify the service she provided.

Chrissy ordered Nutella cocktail and I ordered Solero. We decided to get veggie chips to nibble on. As we were enjoying our time at Polly's and chatting to the waitress, a random lost drunk guy came and sat next to us. He was so drunk that he could not remember the conservation we had and asked the same questions repeatedly for the past three hours. When the waitress brought our cocktails, she asked if the guy was bothering us. We looked at the guy and felt sorry for him so we decided he could stay.

I loved my time at Polly's. Every time my glass was empty, my waitress would come back and refill my drink. She's amazing and I would definitely revisit this bar again.

Nutella Cocktail, Veggie Chips & Solero

Day 3: Sunday, 13th November 2016

Brekkie at The Fitz Cafe - Brunswick St, Fitzroy.

Inventive brekkie and eclectic dishes in an established venue with a fireplace and outdoor tables.

         We had brekkie with Chrissy's family. It was my first time meeting her foster care family. Such a kind and lovely family of four. The waiter took us to a big cornered table away from the crowd so we could have our own privacy. My Flamingo Bake was delicious. I had it with English Breakfast tea. The cafe is rated as 4.3/5.

Flamingo Bake  $17.50
~ A Duo of Eggs Oven Baked with Napoli, Chorizo, Mushroom, Parsley & Fetta served with Dipping Fingers of Multi Grain ~
&
Fitz Breakfast  $17.50

Lune Croissanterie - Rose St, Fitzroy.

Hole in the world

Chrissy's family recommended us to check this croissant place out. I brought the Almond ($8.50) and Coconut Pandan ($9.50) croissants to have for afternoon tea. The croissants were so tasty and scrumptious. I wanted more. This place is definitely a must to go to if you love croissants or just sweet pastries in general. They bake the croissants in the morning and are only open till they are sold out. We went there around 12:30pm and most of them were sold out. Better get there quick! The bakery is rated as 4.1/5.

Croissant $5.50 ~ Traditional French croissant, prepared over 3 years

Pain au Chocolat $6.00 ~ traditional chocolate croissant, with two organic dark chocolate batons.

Almond $8.50 ~ The Original croissant aux Amandes, prepared with Almond Frangipane & garnished with a healthy amount of flaked almonds.

Coconut Pandan $9.50 ~ Coconut frangipane with a seam of pandan ganache, topped with flaked organic coconut.

Street Art - Hosier & Union Lane, Melbourne.

We only visited two lanes as we could not find the other lanes and it started raining.

Hosier Lane

Hosier Lane

Union Lane

Dinner at Lentil As Anything - St Kilda

Bohemian vegetarian restaurant staffed by volunteers, offering casual, pay as you feel dining.

Caroline's choice to have dinner at Lentil As Anything was a great choice! I have heard a lot about this place. It is rated as 4.7/5 and people pay for their food based on how much they think its worth. Every $2 donation gives a plate of free food to homeless and asylum seekers. Caroline and I found it challenging on how much we should pay for our meal but one of the staff's helped us make this choice by providing us with a chart. This chart shows the breakdown of the money used to run and provide support to homeless and asylum seekers. Food was great.

Green (Thai) Curry

Eureka Tower & Kbox (Karaoke) - Melbourne CBD

Eureka Skydeck $20 Adult Admission. Kbox $30pp to book the room for two hours.

Day 4: Monday, 14th November 2016

11am Check out from our apartment

Jac's place - St Kilda.

        We booked accommodation through Airbnb. We stayed at St Kilda. I absolutely love St Kilda. Chapel Street was 10 minutes walk from our place. They had amazing food choices. Our host, Jac was awesome and extremely helpful to us throughout the trip. She provided us with directions on how to get to the city and nearby attractions.

People say, the way you decorate your place shows a lot about your personality. Jac's place was decorated with plants and unique objects. I did not get a chance to meet Jac but I would say she has a unique personality. She is full of energy, optimistic and compassionate. I would definitely come back and stay here again.

Brunch at Three Bags Full - Nicholson St, Abbotsford.

Industrial-chic cafe with art gallery, prepping eclectic dishes, gourmet coffee and handmade sodas.

I decided to meet Caroline for brunch before I headed back to Sydney. This cafe is rated as 4.4/5. The sweet potato and carrot fritters were sweet and delicious. The fennel and pomegranate salad added a punch to the dish. I was thrilled that my last meal in Melbourne did not disappoint me instead put a big smile on my face. Definitely worth the visit!

Sweet Potato and Carrots Fritters  $18.50
Two Poached Eggs, Whipped Goats Curd, Shaved Fennel and Pomegranate Salad, Almond Dukkah and Herb Oil

      Melbourne is a beautiful city and there is so much to explore. We had very little time but still managed to squeeze a lot of activities. I am super excited to come back. Until next time Melbourne, it has been a great pleasure spending my long weekend here.