Frou Frou, Hawksburn - Forget it!

This morning, Jarrod and I thought it would be nice to go up high street and have breakfast at Spoonfull, the caterers he does work for. Unfortunately when we got there they were packed, which is a good sign, so we thought we'd have a look around to see what else was available.

The Tasting Spoon is on the corner of Chatsworth Road and High Street. I happened to live down the other end of Chatsworth Road when I first moved to Melbourne, so I thought it would be fun to go back to my old haunts and see how much things had changed.

We wondered down Chatsworth Road to Hawksburn for breakfast.

Past my old post office, the IGA I used to go to for food, past Husk, where the Bank of Melbourne used to be and then we found ourselves at Frou-Frou. My memories of it were hazy so we decided to eat there, they had outside seats and there was one free so we plonked ourselves down and waited for a someone to come out and and take our order.

So after a minute of two of looking at ourselves, Jarrod went in to check out what the go was. It ended up that that we had to order and pay for the meal at the counter, now in Melbourne that is something you would only expect to do in one of the more dodgy suburbs.

We both ordered the Eggs Florentine with tomatoes and hash browns. The meal took a while to come out, but I didn't find that too much of an issue as it was nice to sit there and soak up the past.

When our meal came out, I took a bite... I would have swallowed if I could, but the muffin was untoasted and the egg was over cooked/hard. Have you ever had a nibble of an untoasted english muffin? It's sort of dough like... Combine that with the soggy spinach and it was like clag!

Over cooked egg yolk is never good even at the best of times!

The hash browns were okay so I had a couple of bites as I was totally famished.

I was really not happy with the meal, so I decided that I would take them back in and ask them to fix it. They weren't cheap so I thought that I was fully justified.

I took the plates inside and was quickly attended to by the waitress who took the plates to get me 'soft eggs and hard muffins'.

Tick Tick Tick... Time passed and our food was brought back out.

'Which one of you had the half eaten hash brown?'

WHAT THE!?!

It was me, I replied.

Down the plate was lowered to the table... The thoughts going through my head as to what was about to be put in front of me, was like the visions of your life flashing before you as you are having a near death experience.

The egg and muffin looked okay, but there was no surprise that there was a half eaten, skanky looking hash brown on my plate. Fair enough I thought, but it had better be hot and crispy.

I took a bite and it was the most disgusting thing I had ever put in my mouth! Well it was as disgusting as eating a fish eye. Out of my mouth it flew, across the table narrowly missing Jarrod.

Hmmmm, I wonder if those are fresh tomatoes? HA! Hardly...

I poked the egg to check that it was soft... It was... I didn't bother taking a bite, I was so mortified with what I had been served and the total lack of pride they took in the food they served, I couldn't bring myself to eating any of it.

We got up and we walked off in disgust.

We ended up at Mojito's next to the Prahran Market and ordered Eggs Florentine with hash browns. They were cheaper and they were perfect the first time they came out.

I personally think that if you serve up a meal that isn't right, then when you bring it back out, the items that are meant to be hot should be fresh. You can get away with returning a salad if it's presentation is right, but hash browns and roasted tomatoes should be replaced.

Mental note for next time: Be careful of places that make you pay before a meal, once they have your money you don't have a leg to stand on.

And a note to all you people out there reading this: DO N0T EAT AT FROU FROU'S IN HAWKSBURN!

Movida Next Door - Definitely no second fiddle

For years now I have been trying to get in to Movida, a tapas restaurant in Melbourne City. Every time I've had the opportunity or thought of it, they have been booked out. Every time I've wanted to take a date there, I haven't been able to get a table.

And I'm terrible with things that I can't have!

Having never eaten at Movida has in no way stopped me from recommending it to any and every one who has asked me for a dining recommendation. I have heard so many good things about it and the anticipation has been building for years, it's been driving me crazy...

With expectations like this, I was building myself up for disappointment and I knew it.

Tonight Jarrod, my flatmate, organised for a group of us to go to the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard Trivia night, however due to the fact that it was so popular and we were so late booking a table we missed out. No worries, we decided to catch up and go to a Melbourne Restaurant instead. I haven't written many reviews on Melbourne City Restaurants so I thought it was a good chance to check out something different.

We caught up at Beer Deluxe, I wasn't all that keen to eat there as it was a bit too pubby, so Jarrod suggested Movida... OMG here was my opportunity. Although, would there be a table?

Alas, would you believe it? No.

Luckily for me, there is Movida Next Door. I don't know about this for sure, but I think that due to their success with the restaurant they opened it up to catch the overflow. It is a casual bar and less restaurant than Movida, which makes the two of them very complementary.

The atmosphere in Movida Next Door is a bit louder, there are high tables with bar stools to sit at and a bar to stand at and have a drink.

We stood at the bar to have a drink or two whilst we waited for a table. The bar staff were amazingly friendly and quick to get a drink into us. After a drink and a snack we got seated.

There was an extensive selection of tapas on the menu, we ate dishes from boned Quail to Abalone Broth; Braised Ox Tongue that was like melt in your mouth pate and Goats Cheese with Sardines.

Oh, the food was sublime.

The service was impeccable. The staff were engaging and were able to describe in detail all the wines on the menu. We were so impressed with their ability to talk confidently about everything on offer, we decided to indulge in one of everything.

If this was the appetiser for Movida then I may have eaten too much, but in reality, I can't wait for the main course.

I will definitely continue to to recommend to everyone to eat at Movida or even Movida Next Door. I was not let down and if anything they exceeded my expectations.

This is somewhere that everyone should go and try out.

Alimentari - Brunswick Street Breakfast.

I am known for my fads. There was the vegetarianism which morphed into flexitarianism; there was the vitamin and mineral binges; the detoxes; high protein and low carb; lite n easy; and the list goes on...

Not only the types of food but where I eat also becomes a fad.

About a month ago, I started riding to and from work, it works out to be about 7 to 8km each way and I burn between 250 - 300 kcals. Doing so has given me an insatiable appetite and by the time I get to work I could eat a horse!

So, I get to work, shower and then it's time for breakfast. My current fad is to head down to Alimentari (the deli) for breakfast. One of the main reasons is that they have a couple of tasty options, already made up on display and ready to be cooked.

My current dining choices are a mini, a bess and a large strong latte.

Mini: This is a small (mini) sourdough roll filled with scrambled eggs and a piece of pruschetto. I have this straight away and it stave's off the hunger pains.

Bess: These are a roll with an egg, bacon, cheese and tomato. Heated up in the grill and dripping with goodness.

Strong Latte: Needs no explanation!

This has been hitting the spot several times a week now and I feel like I'm addicted. Although, if I wasn't riding to and from work, I would hate to see what it would do to me :)

Oh, and another good thing about becoming a regular is that when you walk in you get greeted with that recognition, smile and no need to have to explain what you are after.

Thanks guys, love having breakfast with you.

Madame SouSou - I just ate it!

Oh my, I've just gotten home from dinner at Madame SouSou and I just had to write about it.

I was meant to go to Star Trek tonight with Mark, but we hadn't booked tickets, the good seats were all gone and the Gold Class options were all at really inconvenient times, so we decided the best option would be to join Stephen and Peta for dinner to celebrate her birthday.

Dinner tonight was at Madame SouSou's on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. Now one thing I really love, if you hadn't realised by now is Melbourne food. Reviews I'm finding are coming thick and fast and for the purpose of this blog it's turning out to be an asset.

I'd been to Madame SouSou for breakfast and lunch before. Madame SouSou is a French Restaurant nestled in the South end of Brunswick Street, rich with ambience and atmosphere. Madame SouSou was chosen for dinner as the aim was to eat somewhere nice where the food would be top end without prices similar to the Labour Government's spending spree.

We started off with a bottle of wine, of course we went for a Marlborough Sounds Sauv Blanc. We tasted one from the Yarra Valley, but the more floral fuller taste of the Marlborough Sounds options beat it hands down. The service was great, attentive and friendly.

We share hors d'oeuvres; Mushroom Bruschetta and Calamari with School Prawn. It was tasty, cooked to perfection and devoured in no time.

The meals were served well apart enough for us to enjoy conversation and not feel rushed, it was obvious this was no fast food churn and burn place to eat.

For dinner Mark and I had the Braised Beef Cheek and yes, the idea of eating cheek was the reason I picked it. Stephen ordered the Chicken Ballantine, whilst Peta had the eggplant.

I'll show my ignorance at this stage and point out I had expected my beef cheek to be a piece of fatty skin similar to pork belly. I was surprised to see this decent chunk of beef to appear in front of me. The beef cheek was one of the most tender succulent and melt in the mouth pieces of meat I'd had; second only to wagyu.

Stephen's chicken was juicy, reminiscent of the country whilst Peta's eggplant proved why the waitress gave us that knowing look and approving comment when she delivered it.

Although stuffed to the brim we couldn't resist ordering desert. I had the Belgian chocolate mousse, Mark and Peta the Creme Brûlée and Stephen the winner of the round had the Chocolate Fondant. Our's were great but Stephen's hot fondant was rich and irresistible.

A sign of how good the meal was, is that I started blogging as soon as I got home and if it's the place Justin Timberlake eats when he's in town take the hint.

Back to Spudbar Brunswick Street

I'm sitting here with my belly aching!

We went back to Spudbar Brunswick Street for lunch again today... hmmmmm... I chose to make my own, but it resembled the Italian, oh well. It was great.

As an attractant to return, they have customer loyalty cards where you get the tenth spud for free. So far it seems to be working.

Maedaya - Do it your self Japanese

It took Melinda and I a couple of years to finally make it to each others birthday, but last year for her birthday dinner we went to Sake and Grill Maedaya.

So when I heard that I would be eating with Ange and her friend Bex in Richmond, it was the first place I thought of to eat at. Ange had just finished work at Ministry of Dance and she was catching up with Bex Trist, a friend of hers from New Zealand, for dinner so I tagged along. Ends up that Bex also grew up in Plimmerton, where I had grown up so we had an instant report.

Neither Ange or Bex had been to Maedaya, so I got to break them in. Downstairs is this great grill and the experience on offer upstairs, which is where we were headed, is the reason I had brought them there.

The meal is something that you cook yourself. The menu is a wide range of raw meats from chicken to waygu and all the vegies you would expect to see in any japanese meal. Beautifully laid out images designed to whet your appetite and entice you to order and cook.

Once we had ordered the staff bought out this little BBQ like grill filled with hot coals and then out came the plates of raw food. The idea here is that you cook the food yourself and eat it fresh off the grill. Such a novel idea, I love to eat freshly cooked hot food.

I did most of the cooking, but then again, I love that kind of thing and the girls had lots to catch up on, so it ended up working out just right.

We had our fill of food and sake and the meal came to less than $20 each. We didn't go there for a cheap eat, that was just a bonus and the food was so healthy as it was all cooked on the grill and there was no frying involved at all.

This is a fun place to eat, where you can expect great prices and a healthy meal to boot.