food geek

Restaurants, recipes, rants.

St. Kilda

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>Stokehouse, 30 Jacka Boulevard, St. Kilda
www.stokehouse.com.au
The Stokehouse is a bit of a Melbourne institution, located right by the water on the St. Kilda beachfront. Downstairs is casual dining and drinks, with an outdoor terrace – great for anytime of the day or night. We used to come here when I had no money and sit for hours over a coffee, watching the St. Kilda people roller-blading by. Upstairs is fine dining, with similar spectacular views across the bay.

Soul Mama, St. Kilda Sea Baths, Jacka Boulevard, St. Kilda
www.soulmama.com.au
Great vegetarian food and fantastic cocktails, with spectacular views across the bay.

Café Tien Tien, 217 Barkly Street, St. Kilda
A wonderful Chinese/Singaporean restaurant with a great wine list and fascinating décor including a genuine Buddhist shrine. Food is beautifully presented and service is impeccable.

Chinta Ria Soul, 92 Acland Street, St. Kilda
This is the first Malaysian restaurant I ever visited, and my niece had to order for me! The food blew me away the first time, and every time since. The music is laid-back, and you don’t have far to fall to find a great cake shop for dessert afterwards.

Café Barcelona, 25 Fitzroy St., St Kilda
They say the food isn’t completely authentic, but it’s still delicious. Sit on the sidewalk and sip a sangria and let them bring you a parade of tapas as you watch the world go by. (but check out my more recent review for a cautionary tale)

Vineyard, 71A Acland St., St Kilda
It’s a bit of a see-and-be-seen spot, but a truly democratic crowd from locals to backpackers to people just off the beach. Modern Australian food, a decent winelist and buzzy atmosphere.

Cicciolina, 130 Acland St., St Kilda
A Melbourne institution, Cicciolina’s is reputed to be the best Italian restaurant in Melbourne. Owned and run by women, this cosy restaurant is the favourite eatery of many of Melbourne’s biggest chefs – and I guess they know their stuff. The back bar is where Melbourne’s finest wait for their (unbookable) table, and the wine list is legendary.

Mr. Wolf, 9-15 Inkerman St, St Kilda
We ate here one very hot Melbourne Sunday with friends who have just moved in to a new town house across the road from this bar/restaurant. As as result the place was deserted, most people having fled to the beach. Secondly the air-conditioning had not been adjusted accordingly so by the end of our meal I was fast approaching frostbite. That said, the pizzas were light and delicious. Toppings such as the Signore Lupo (roast tomato, roast cauliflower, mozzarella, sausage, pancetta and chilli) and the Patate (potato, taleggio, parmigiano and rosemary) make for innovative dining, and the wine list is decent enough too.

East of Town

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Café Sienna, 402 Chapel Street, Prahran
No visit to Chapel Street would be complete without lunch at a café watching all the Melbourne beautiful people going by. Where better than Café Sienna – if there is nobody interesting walking past you can always watch the clientele… lunchtimes bring a mix of drug dealers, students and rich girls. Caeser salad is pretty good too.

Botanical, 169 Domain Rd South Yarra
www.thebotanical.com.au
Botanical’s recent transformation is complete – with its style and exceptional food making it the Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year 2004 and Best Wine List 2005. According to their website, the Bubble Bar at the Botanical is the perfect place to take somebody if you wish to seduce them!

Thy Thy 1, 142 Victoria Street, Richmond
“Bloody good cheap grub” is how somebody once described this great local restaurant, upstairs above the shops on Victoria Street. Service is efficient in this slice of Vietnam right in the middle of Melbourne. You won’t get to linger all night – or even have a table to yourself – but the food is worth it every time.

west of town

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>Thien An, Footscray
Little Vietnam is full of cheap and cheerful eateries, many within or beside the cavernous Footscray Market (recommended by no less than Rick Stein for the quality of its fresh produce, meats and seafood).

Closer to the train station, though, is a famed little place which has a loyal following – you will see a small crowd of people waiting outside each evening before opening time. It’s BYO (bring-your-own) as you would expect, and $20 a head will buy you a substantial three-course feast.

Thai Angels, Barkly Street, West Footscray
Hidden down in West Footscray, this tiny place boasts a lovely coffee shop during the day, but serves up some of the best Thai food in Melbourne at night. The young waiting staff are friendly and attentive, and if you ask for “Thai hot” your taste buds won’t be disappointed! It’s BYO too although the wine list has plenty of good-value choice too.

Sirens Restaurant, Williamstown Beach
www.sirensrestaurant.com
One of my local favourites – this lovely restaurant in the old art deco bathing pavilion looks out over the bay, and is a great place to watch the sunset or the pelicans flying past.

Port Melbourne

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>Campari
campari.melbourneaustralia.com.au
Right beside the Tasmanian ferryport, Campari has an interesting mix of Mediterranean food on its wide menu. Tapas are fresh and varied, the paella is authentic and rich, the pastas to die for, and the hot plate dishes are a meat-lover’s dream.

The inside is not as atmospheric as the outside tables – a bit café-ish – although they are open for breakfast too (try the churros and chocolate). But sit on the deck and watch the passers-by watch you eat with the beautiful people.

Fitzroy

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>Gertrude Street Enoteca
www.gertrudestreetenoteca.com
My friend Noela introduced me to this charming, cramped little wine bar on bohemian Gertrude Street. It is owned by Brigitte Hafner (chef and food writer for The Age Epicure). The Italian tapas-style dishes come mainly from the Piedmont region, the server told me.

The wine list is enormous, with a decent number served by the glass. They also have an excellent selection of whiskies and whiskys. I spied such exotic (for Aus) bottles as Barbados’ Mount Gay Extra Old rum and Spain’s Cardenal Mendoza brandy on the shelves too.

I am told the highlight is the real Valrhona Hot Chocolate with rum. I will be back.

Guru da Dhaba, 240 Johnston Street
This local Indian has a friendly feel although the décor is more country house than Indian palace. Good street food is listed alongside the usual menu and a weekly specials list. The chef always comes out to ask if your food was OK. The vegetable vindalho is particularly good. BYO.

Sukho Thai, 234 Johnston Street
Sit in the front of the restaurant, and passers-by will think you are sitting cross-legged on traditional Thai mats at low tables. Actually, your feet are cunningly hidden in holes in the floor, so cramps are unlikely.

The satay has a good bite to it, and the pad thai filling and delicious. Everything else we saw served looked appetising and well presented. BYO.

Mario’s, 303 Brunswick Street
A Melbourne institution, Mario’s was set up twenty years ago by two Marios as the front for their catering business. Their breakfasts are legendary, their wines by the glass well-chosen (try the Black Chook shiraz) and the food traditional Italian for the most part. Sit and watch bohemian Melbourne stroll past, and listen to the jaded but droll waiters rule supreme.

Panama Dining Room, 3/231 Smith Street
Climb about six dimly-lit flights of stairs to reach this airy loft space filled with mis-matched furniture and quirkly light fittings. Shoot some pool or lounge near floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Fitzroy roofscape. The menu is limited, but well-selected and excellent value. Eating well here for under $20 is to be expected, and the wine list is interesting too.

Southbank

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>Red Emperor, Unit 3, 3, Southgate Avenue, Southbank
www.redemperor.com.au
We went here for Mena’s birthday and it was a treat. Red Emperor is known as one of the best places for yum cha (or dim sum as we know it is Europe) in Melbourne. The food is sublime, the river views expansive, the service polite and efficient.

Lee’s rules for eating at the Emperor include:
– Always order the “all you can eat” option
– Never order rice or noodles
– Try not to choose from every trolley going past
– Save some space for the really good stuff at the end
– Don’t bother with dessert unless you like melon or semolina

Miyako, shop UR2, Upper Level, Southbank
www.miyakocuisine.com.au
Beautiful views of the river from the sheltered balcony, waitresses in kimonos and delicious food. What’s not to like?!

E Gusto
www.egusto.com.au
This is so popular with local office people that the company I’m temping for call it “the boardroom”. An easy-going popular place with outside tables right on the river, E Gusto has a good Italian menu and a relaxed feel.

Blue Train
www.bluetrain.com.au
This is a great place to meet with friends as the menu is so wide it pleases everybody. Wood-fired pizzas with original toppings are my favourite, although the Asian fusion dishes are also tempting – try the beef curry. Wine list is short enough but well-chosen with almost everything available by the glass.

Bear Brass
www.bearbrass.com.au
A trendy bar in the Southgate building, it’s a great place to people-watch after work or on an early summer’s evening. Cocktails are good and bar snacks hit the spot.