Welcome to Melbourne Foodie. The blogspace of a 21 year old foodie with a passion for fine dining and quality food and produce.
Melbourne Foodie is my way of expressing and recording some of the experiences I have had for others to enjoy. I always welcome any feedback,
comments or restaurant suggestions you may have and would love to hear from you soon.
MUST TRY SOON: Church St Enoteca, Da Noi, Tetsuya's (Sydney).
RESTAURANT OF THE MOMENT: Rockpool Bar & Grill
BLOG OF THE MONTH: 1001 Dinners: Simple reviews, hundreds of restaurants
Happy eating,
Jon!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Oyster Little Bourke
As part of the Melbourne Food and Wine festival, more than 100 of Victoria's best restaurants are taking part in the "Restaurant Express" Lunch promotion, offering patrons a two course lunch with a glass of Victorian wine and coffee/ tea for only $30. A true bargain given that all of the participating restaurants are "Good Food Guide" recommended, including several hatted establishments. It is a great time to dine in restaurants that may normally be out of reach and that is exactly what I did today enjoying an excellent lunch at Oyster Little Bourke.
Oyster has now been open for two years, and has become renowned for, amongst other things their range of freshly shucked oysters and some of the best steaks in Melbourne. The establishment itself is simple but classy, with quality fittings and smart service to match. I really am privileged to be able to dine here for just $30. You would struggle to get two courses and wine at a simple cafe for this sum. My one whinge however about the setting is the butchers paper on the tables. It really detracts from the ambience, but I believe that this is only taking place at lunchtime, for the Express lunch, to reduce costs and more easily enable two sittings.
On offer for the "Express" lunch are three fantastic entree, main and dessert choices. To start with one can choose between a 1/2 a dozen fresh oysters, salmon gravlax on a potato salad or a fantastic gnocchi dish. And for mains it is a choice of steak, pork or fish. All of which look fantastic. Desserts, including a tiramisu, are also available.
I opt for the gnocchi and steak along with a glass of red. I also order a side of chips to accompany my main.
First Course: Ricotta Gnocchi with a chicken and mushroom ragout:
Generous and delicious. I tend to steer away from Gnocchi in restaurants, but having eaten chef Joseph Vargetto's excellent pasta many times whilst he served at Number 8, I have confidence here and the dish is indeed wonderful: perfectly light pillows of gnocchi sit in a hearty ragout of the most tender braised chicken and mushrooms finished in a thick herby tomato sauce.
Main: New York Steak served minute style on a bed of crushed peas.
A very good course. The steak was seasoned well and perfectly pink inside. It is lightly crusted and sits atop a bed of fresh crushed peas. The flavour of the meat excellent, as was the intense jus surrounding it, showcasing the dish as much more than just a simple piece of steak.
Side: Hand cut French fries ($6):
A picture-perfect example of how chips should be.
The meal is finished with a good cup of coffee and I am rather impressed with the whole experience. Many discounted lunches can result in poor quality food, or diminished servings. This was certainly not the case at Oyster.
The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival ends March 8 so get yourself an express lunch booking and enjoy it while you can. Click here to download a list of participating restaurants.
Oyster offers a year-round lunch special with 2 courses and a glass of wine for $39 or 3 courses for $49. An offer which represents very good value for the quality of food on offer.
Oyster Little Bourke received a score of 15.5 out of 20 in the 2008 Age Good Food Guide and was awarded one chefs hat.
MY RATING: 15.5/20 - Food 8/10 Ambience 3.5/5 Service 4/5
www.oysterlittlebourke.com.au
Oyster has now been open for two years, and has become renowned for, amongst other things their range of freshly shucked oysters and some of the best steaks in Melbourne. The establishment itself is simple but classy, with quality fittings and smart service to match. I really am privileged to be able to dine here for just $30. You would struggle to get two courses and wine at a simple cafe for this sum. My one whinge however about the setting is the butchers paper on the tables. It really detracts from the ambience, but I believe that this is only taking place at lunchtime, for the Express lunch, to reduce costs and more easily enable two sittings.
On offer for the "Express" lunch are three fantastic entree, main and dessert choices. To start with one can choose between a 1/2 a dozen fresh oysters, salmon gravlax on a potato salad or a fantastic gnocchi dish. And for mains it is a choice of steak, pork or fish. All of which look fantastic. Desserts, including a tiramisu, are also available.
I opt for the gnocchi and steak along with a glass of red. I also order a side of chips to accompany my main.
First Course: Ricotta Gnocchi with a chicken and mushroom ragout:
Generous and delicious. I tend to steer away from Gnocchi in restaurants, but having eaten chef Joseph Vargetto's excellent pasta many times whilst he served at Number 8, I have confidence here and the dish is indeed wonderful: perfectly light pillows of gnocchi sit in a hearty ragout of the most tender braised chicken and mushrooms finished in a thick herby tomato sauce.
Main: New York Steak served minute style on a bed of crushed peas.
A very good course. The steak was seasoned well and perfectly pink inside. It is lightly crusted and sits atop a bed of fresh crushed peas. The flavour of the meat excellent, as was the intense jus surrounding it, showcasing the dish as much more than just a simple piece of steak.
Side: Hand cut French fries ($6):
A picture-perfect example of how chips should be.
The meal is finished with a good cup of coffee and I am rather impressed with the whole experience. Many discounted lunches can result in poor quality food, or diminished servings. This was certainly not the case at Oyster.
The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival ends March 8 so get yourself an express lunch booking and enjoy it while you can. Click here to download a list of participating restaurants.
Oyster offers a year-round lunch special with 2 courses and a glass of wine for $39 or 3 courses for $49. An offer which represents very good value for the quality of food on offer.
Oyster Little Bourke received a score of 15.5 out of 20 in the 2008 Age Good Food Guide and was awarded one chefs hat.
MY RATING: 15.5/20 - Food 8/10 Ambience 3.5/5 Service 4/5
www.oysterlittlebourke.com.au
Labels: Foodie Events, Oyster Little Bourke, REVIEWS: Fine Dining
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Out of the Frying Pan – Melbourne Food and Wine Festival!
Fellow bloggers and foodies,
As I’m sure most of you are aware the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has just begun. Between the 22nd of February and the 8th of March Melbourne celebrates with a huge range of food events, seminars, tastings and special lunches and dinners throughout the city.
As I have just found out from Ed at Tomato, this year there are a special series of sessions, one of which is Out of the Frying Pan, an all day talk fest that will enlighten listeners on future trends in food, restaurants and the media. The program suggests that blogging is going to invoke some detailed discussion as the work and presence of bloggers is finally being recognised as important in the industry. Some of the fantastic panellists in this session include Ed Charles from Tomato, leading food critic Matt Preston, and Fairfax writer/ blogger Stephanie Wood. There will be sessions devoted to future food and future media, as well as a dedicated session on how to blog, and how not to blog.
The day will be divided into four sessions, with choices available and the ticket price also includes lunch, with a glass of wine, coffee tastings and a showbag.
If you are interested in attending this event check out the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival event page here.
I recommend checking out the program as there are many sessions of interest ranging from: food writing and media, restaurant designs and trends, waiters: selling or serving; featuring head staff from leading Melbourne restaurants, as well as a dedicated session on the future of drinking.
Out of the Frying Pan is on Monday February 3. Tickets for this full-day event are available for $135 and can be purchased from Ticketmaster.
I look forward to attending the event, and hopefully meeting some fellow bloggers and foodies. It should be a great day.
Thanks to Ed for posting about this event and arranging free tickets for 20 bloggers. You can read Ed’s original post here.
Until later, happy eating.
Jon!
As I’m sure most of you are aware the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has just begun. Between the 22nd of February and the 8th of March Melbourne celebrates with a huge range of food events, seminars, tastings and special lunches and dinners throughout the city.
As I have just found out from Ed at Tomato, this year there are a special series of sessions, one of which is Out of the Frying Pan, an all day talk fest that will enlighten listeners on future trends in food, restaurants and the media. The program suggests that blogging is going to invoke some detailed discussion as the work and presence of bloggers is finally being recognised as important in the industry. Some of the fantastic panellists in this session include Ed Charles from Tomato, leading food critic Matt Preston, and Fairfax writer/ blogger Stephanie Wood. There will be sessions devoted to future food and future media, as well as a dedicated session on how to blog, and how not to blog.
The day will be divided into four sessions, with choices available and the ticket price also includes lunch, with a glass of wine, coffee tastings and a showbag.
If you are interested in attending this event check out the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival event page here.
I recommend checking out the program as there are many sessions of interest ranging from: food writing and media, restaurant designs and trends, waiters: selling or serving; featuring head staff from leading Melbourne restaurants, as well as a dedicated session on the future of drinking.
Out of the Frying Pan is on Monday February 3. Tickets for this full-day event are available for $135 and can be purchased from Ticketmaster.
I look forward to attending the event, and hopefully meeting some fellow bloggers and foodies. It should be a great day.
Thanks to Ed for posting about this event and arranging free tickets for 20 bloggers. You can read Ed’s original post here.
Until later, happy eating.
Jon!
Labels: Foodie Events
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Bloggers' Banquet (Vegout St. Kilda)
Tonight was the Bloggers' Banquet, organised by food writer and blogger Ed Charles from Tomato. The event was held at the wonderful Vegout Community Gardens in St. Kilda and was a fantastic opportunity for bloggers and aspiring bloggers to catch up, meet each other face to face, try each others food and celebrate a common passion, food.
Vegout is located just opposite Luna Park and is a communal garden patch with a fantastic covered area up the back including a large wood fired oven, barbecue, tables and kitchen area. A perfect spot to meet up, cook and relax for a few hours. It was a great opportunity for myself to put faces to names, and also meet a few new bloggers and learn about culinary sites I have yet to explore.
Anyhow this is just a quick entry, with photos of some of the food that was prepared for the night. Thanks to Ed for arranging the gathering and to everyone who attended for their excellent food and company. It was an enjoyable experience on all accounts. If I had to award a dish of the night it would go to Stickyfingers. Her roasted barramundi was incredibly tender and sensational, as was the perfect porcini risotto and those wonderful roasted tomatoes that accompanied it. My chocolate truffles weren’t too bad either.
It was a great evening overall and it was delightful to see how friendly and down to earth everyone was. Can't wait until the next gathering.
Here are a some photos of the food. For more photos see the album that has been created on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/bloggersbanquet/
Above: The woodfire oven @ Vegout
Above: Delicious selection of bread and dips.
Above: Delightful little parcels of haloumi cheese and roasted capsicum baked in the woodfired oven (by Vida).
Above: Amazing spicy barbecue prawns (by Neil - At My Table).
Above: Perfectly grilled vegies:- including pumpkin, asparagus, eggplant and capsicum.
Above: "Mac & Cheese" - with mushrooms - creative and delicious (by Cindy - where's the beef), who also made some lovely little cashew-ginger chocolate drops which I didn't get a picture of.
Above: One of the many pizzas from the woodfired oven.
Above: My humble little offering of pork dumplings/ wontons and some chevapi bites.
Above: The amazing Barramundi by Stickyfingers, sitting on top of a bed of porcini risotto, surrounded by perfectly roasted tomatoes all cooked in the woodfired oven.
Above: Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and finished with goats cheese, and vine ripened tomatoes stuffed with a green olive, garlic and roast capsicum pesto (by goddess). Yum!!
Above: Fresh garden salad.
Above: Strawberries, with a cream and balsamic glaze by Goddess.
Above: A lovely, moist chocolate cake made by Vida.
Above: My Chocolate ganache truffles, dusted in cocoa.
Happy eating all.
Cheers, Jon!
Vegout is located just opposite Luna Park and is a communal garden patch with a fantastic covered area up the back including a large wood fired oven, barbecue, tables and kitchen area. A perfect spot to meet up, cook and relax for a few hours. It was a great opportunity for myself to put faces to names, and also meet a few new bloggers and learn about culinary sites I have yet to explore.
Anyhow this is just a quick entry, with photos of some of the food that was prepared for the night. Thanks to Ed for arranging the gathering and to everyone who attended for their excellent food and company. It was an enjoyable experience on all accounts. If I had to award a dish of the night it would go to Stickyfingers. Her roasted barramundi was incredibly tender and sensational, as was the perfect porcini risotto and those wonderful roasted tomatoes that accompanied it. My chocolate truffles weren’t too bad either.
It was a great evening overall and it was delightful to see how friendly and down to earth everyone was. Can't wait until the next gathering.
Here are a some photos of the food. For more photos see the album that has been created on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/bloggersbanquet/
Above: The woodfire oven @ Vegout
Above: Delicious selection of bread and dips.
Above: Delightful little parcels of haloumi cheese and roasted capsicum baked in the woodfired oven (by Vida).
Above: Amazing spicy barbecue prawns (by Neil - At My Table).
Above: Perfectly grilled vegies:- including pumpkin, asparagus, eggplant and capsicum.
Above: "Mac & Cheese" - with mushrooms - creative and delicious (by Cindy - where's the beef), who also made some lovely little cashew-ginger chocolate drops which I didn't get a picture of.
Above: One of the many pizzas from the woodfired oven.
Above: My humble little offering of pork dumplings/ wontons and some chevapi bites.
Above: The amazing Barramundi by Stickyfingers, sitting on top of a bed of porcini risotto, surrounded by perfectly roasted tomatoes all cooked in the woodfired oven.
Above: Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and finished with goats cheese, and vine ripened tomatoes stuffed with a green olive, garlic and roast capsicum pesto (by goddess). Yum!!
Above: Fresh garden salad.
Above: Strawberries, with a cream and balsamic glaze by Goddess.
Above: A lovely, moist chocolate cake made by Vida.
Above: My Chocolate ganache truffles, dusted in cocoa.
Happy eating all.
Cheers, Jon!
Labels: Foodie Events
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Bloggers Banquet is coming!
Just a reminder to all the bloggers out there that the Bloggers Banquet arranged by food writer and blogger Ed Charles from Tomato is coming up this Monday the 12th of November.
This will be a fantatsic opportunity for all of us foodies to meet each other and try some of each others creations.
I am still not completely sure what I will be bringing. Was thinking of an oven baked risotto and a sweet dessert, but as I am commuting the former may be difficult. Will certainly try and bring something yummy along though.
Anyhow, I am looking forward to this event, and meeting a whole bunch of likeminded people coming together to share a common passion - food.
Where: Vegout community garden: Cnr. Shakespeare Grove & Chaucer Street, St Kilda.
More information: www.tomatom.com
This will be a fantatsic opportunity for all of us foodies to meet each other and try some of each others creations.
I am still not completely sure what I will be bringing. Was thinking of an oven baked risotto and a sweet dessert, but as I am commuting the former may be difficult. Will certainly try and bring something yummy along though.
Anyhow, I am looking forward to this event, and meeting a whole bunch of likeminded people coming together to share a common passion - food.
Where: Vegout community garden: Cnr. Shakespeare Grove & Chaucer Street, St Kilda.
More information: www.tomatom.com
Labels: Foodie Events
