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!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Max Brenner Chocolate Bar (2)
This morning I met up with friends Robert & Kat at Max Brenner, Glen Waverley. Destined not to have a chocolate overload again I opted for the banana crepes, and a coffee whilst R&K had some of the more indulgent offerings. This was probably a better choice for me. The crepes were much lighter, with just a drizzling of chocolate, and not nearly as overwhelming as the souffle and waffles I speak of in my previous review.
Banana Crepes ($13): Two perfect thin crepes, filled with banana slices, grilled and served warm with a scoop of white chocolate ice-cream and a drizzling of chocolate. Decadent, but not overwhelming.
So, it looks like Max Brenner can be enjoyed by all of us. Those who want something rich and indulgent, as well as those of us seeking a slightly less confronting option.
For all the details see my previous post.
www.maxbrenner.com
Banana Crepes ($13): Two perfect thin crepes, filled with banana slices, grilled and served warm with a scoop of white chocolate ice-cream and a drizzling of chocolate. Decadent, but not overwhelming.
So, it looks like Max Brenner can be enjoyed by all of us. Those who want something rich and indulgent, as well as those of us seeking a slightly less confronting option.
For all the details see my previous post.
www.maxbrenner.com
Labels: Max Brenner, Reviews: Tasty Treats
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Koko Black
Koko Black - I've been promising to review the place for a while now, and I think its finally time. Koko Black does amazing chocolates and much more. Just look at some of the gorgeous products from their easter range. Unfortunately these goodies are a bit out of my price range but the occasional hot chocolate and dessert is definitely within reach. That is if you are strong enough to walk out without buying any of their take-home range. I was only mildly naughty today - buying two blocks of chocolate, and they weren't too expensive - $7 each, good value given how good that they taste.
Some of the easter range at Koko Black: You have to see them in real life to appreciate how beautiful they are. But starting at $20 for the tiny bunnies and about $60 for these bigger ones, I think I will be sticking to the Lindt variety this easter.
The major draw card for me though is their hot chocolate.
Traditional Belgian Hot Chocolate ($5.75): Is this Melbourne's best hot chocolate? Well, I can hardly say that I have tasted them all but I have tried my fair share and for me, Koko Black comes out on top. What makes it so good? They use real Belgian chocolate flakes (no powder), mixed with hot milk and a thick layer of creme. Its served piping hot and is finished with a swirl of chocolate sauce that is spiked for presentation. It looks beautiful and tastes amazing. So creamy and rich but not too overwhelming. It is my perfect hot chocolate and I can confidently say I'm not the only one that loves it. Next time though I'm going to try their Chilli Blend: intriguing.
Something else that I have fallen in love with is the Iced Chocolate ($6.50). It is described as a rich combination of Koko Black's chocolate and vanilla ice-cream, their own special iced chocolate blend, and chocolate shavings. This is so creamy and delicious. The sides of the glass are covered with thick chocolate sauce and it is ultimately finished with two scoops of ice-cream and served with a straw and spoon. Seriously Yum.
And for a real treat you simply mustn't go past the Belgian Spoil ($12): Koko Black's version of a chocolate tasting plate containing: a lovely little chocolate cake, a perfect butter shortbread, 2 belgian chocolate truffles, spiced chocolate mousse and Koko Black's own chocolate ice-cream. This is the ultimate chocolate lovers dessert plate - every component as good as the other. The mousse is particularly good, spiked with hazelnuts and cinamon to make it stand out from the norm. And those truffles from the showcase are just divine.
To top off the experience you also get real service. You sit in a lovely little cafe, on nice tables and chairs, and are immediately brought water and treated as you would expect to be in a good restaurant. This helps to set Koko Black apart from its competitors. Its not cheap, but is well worth the money. Koko Black makes fantastic chocolates and the perfect way to enjoy what they do is to sit down in one of their stores, order a hot chocolate and dissapear into your own dream world. You can watch the in-house chocalatiers creating tasty treats, whilst savouring your own and contemplating what you want to take home with you. It really is that good.
I'm addicted. I drove 26km this morning to Chadstone, my nearest Koko Black location for no other reason than to visit the store. Was it worth it? Hell yeah!
My chocolate blocks: A macadamia milk block and a ginger and walnut dark block.
If you haven't been to Koko Black and don't know what I'm talking about I recommend visiting one of their saloons soon. There are two city stores at the Royal Arcade on Bourke Street, and at the Paris End of Collins Street, as well as locations in Chadstone, Carlton, Camberwell and Canberra. Sydneysiders, you'll just have to live with the Lindt Cafe, or fly down to Melbourne and see what I'm talking about.
www.kokoblack.com
Some of the easter range at Koko Black: You have to see them in real life to appreciate how beautiful they are. But starting at $20 for the tiny bunnies and about $60 for these bigger ones, I think I will be sticking to the Lindt variety this easter.
The major draw card for me though is their hot chocolate.
Traditional Belgian Hot Chocolate ($5.75): Is this Melbourne's best hot chocolate? Well, I can hardly say that I have tasted them all but I have tried my fair share and for me, Koko Black comes out on top. What makes it so good? They use real Belgian chocolate flakes (no powder), mixed with hot milk and a thick layer of creme. Its served piping hot and is finished with a swirl of chocolate sauce that is spiked for presentation. It looks beautiful and tastes amazing. So creamy and rich but not too overwhelming. It is my perfect hot chocolate and I can confidently say I'm not the only one that loves it. Next time though I'm going to try their Chilli Blend: intriguing.
Something else that I have fallen in love with is the Iced Chocolate ($6.50). It is described as a rich combination of Koko Black's chocolate and vanilla ice-cream, their own special iced chocolate blend, and chocolate shavings. This is so creamy and delicious. The sides of the glass are covered with thick chocolate sauce and it is ultimately finished with two scoops of ice-cream and served with a straw and spoon. Seriously Yum.
And for a real treat you simply mustn't go past the Belgian Spoil ($12): Koko Black's version of a chocolate tasting plate containing: a lovely little chocolate cake, a perfect butter shortbread, 2 belgian chocolate truffles, spiced chocolate mousse and Koko Black's own chocolate ice-cream. This is the ultimate chocolate lovers dessert plate - every component as good as the other. The mousse is particularly good, spiked with hazelnuts and cinamon to make it stand out from the norm. And those truffles from the showcase are just divine.
To top off the experience you also get real service. You sit in a lovely little cafe, on nice tables and chairs, and are immediately brought water and treated as you would expect to be in a good restaurant. This helps to set Koko Black apart from its competitors. Its not cheap, but is well worth the money. Koko Black makes fantastic chocolates and the perfect way to enjoy what they do is to sit down in one of their stores, order a hot chocolate and dissapear into your own dream world. You can watch the in-house chocalatiers creating tasty treats, whilst savouring your own and contemplating what you want to take home with you. It really is that good.
I'm addicted. I drove 26km this morning to Chadstone, my nearest Koko Black location for no other reason than to visit the store. Was it worth it? Hell yeah!
My chocolate blocks: A macadamia milk block and a ginger and walnut dark block.
If you haven't been to Koko Black and don't know what I'm talking about I recommend visiting one of their saloons soon. There are two city stores at the Royal Arcade on Bourke Street, and at the Paris End of Collins Street, as well as locations in Chadstone, Carlton, Camberwell and Canberra. Sydneysiders, you'll just have to live with the Lindt Cafe, or fly down to Melbourne and see what I'm talking about.
www.kokoblack.com
Labels: Koko Black, Reviews: Tasty Treats
Monday, March 17, 2008
Pancakes on the Rocks (Sydney)
Whilst in Sydney there were a couple of places that I really wanted to try for brekfast. One place that I did get around to trying was Pancakes on the Rocks; going there for a late brekfast with Robert and Kat on our second morning.
We went to the Darling Harbour location, being told by hotel staff that the original "Rocks" store is gone (not sure if this is true?) and arrive to a quiet, fairly new establishment with comfortable leather booth seating. Menus, with pictures of each dish, arrive and we order. Robert gets the ribs, Kat orders crepes and I order a long stack of pancakes (only $8.95, as opposed to $13.40 at the Pancake Parlour).
We really enjoyed the food and went back again for brunch a couple of days later.
Here are some pictures of the tatsty things we tried.
Famous Long Stack ($8.95): 4 thick buttermilk pancakes served with your choice of whipped butter, cream or ice cream and maple syrup. Or you can have cream and ice-cream, as I did for $1 extra. These were really good pancakes. Robert tells me that the chocolate pancakes are not as good.
Strawberry Patch ($12.95): Buttermilk pancakes (or crepes) with fresh strawberries, cream, vanilla ice-cream and strawberry coullis.
Farmers Brunch ($14.95): Crepes filled with potato, bacon, egg, onion, cheese topped with a creamy cheese sauce and a mixed lettuce side salad.
Pork Ribs ($23.95): A huge rack covered in barbeque sauce, served with wedges. Robert enjoyed them, stating that the barbeque sauce was particularly excellent, and proclaimed that the wedges in Sydney were awesome.
Now I can tell you I wouldn't mind having a Pancakes on the Rocks in Melbourne. The excellent long stack with thick buttermilk pancakes I had was a damn lot better than the stingy stack I had at Pancake Parlour last week - which had thinner, flavourless pancakes and only a small scoop of cream, and Pancakes on the Rocks was much cheaper.
If you are in Sydney and want good pancakes in a nice setting then you should definitely try Pancakes on the Rocks. Established in 1975 its become something of an institution. Final words for the jukebox and video screens which were pretty cool.
www.pancakesontherocks.com.au
We went to the Darling Harbour location, being told by hotel staff that the original "Rocks" store is gone (not sure if this is true?) and arrive to a quiet, fairly new establishment with comfortable leather booth seating. Menus, with pictures of each dish, arrive and we order. Robert gets the ribs, Kat orders crepes and I order a long stack of pancakes (only $8.95, as opposed to $13.40 at the Pancake Parlour).
We really enjoyed the food and went back again for brunch a couple of days later.
Here are some pictures of the tatsty things we tried.
Famous Long Stack ($8.95): 4 thick buttermilk pancakes served with your choice of whipped butter, cream or ice cream and maple syrup. Or you can have cream and ice-cream, as I did for $1 extra. These were really good pancakes. Robert tells me that the chocolate pancakes are not as good.
Strawberry Patch ($12.95): Buttermilk pancakes (or crepes) with fresh strawberries, cream, vanilla ice-cream and strawberry coullis.
Farmers Brunch ($14.95): Crepes filled with potato, bacon, egg, onion, cheese topped with a creamy cheese sauce and a mixed lettuce side salad.
Pork Ribs ($23.95): A huge rack covered in barbeque sauce, served with wedges. Robert enjoyed them, stating that the barbeque sauce was particularly excellent, and proclaimed that the wedges in Sydney were awesome.
Now I can tell you I wouldn't mind having a Pancakes on the Rocks in Melbourne. The excellent long stack with thick buttermilk pancakes I had was a damn lot better than the stingy stack I had at Pancake Parlour last week - which had thinner, flavourless pancakes and only a small scoop of cream, and Pancakes on the Rocks was much cheaper.
If you are in Sydney and want good pancakes in a nice setting then you should definitely try Pancakes on the Rocks. Established in 1975 its become something of an institution. Final words for the jukebox and video screens which were pretty cool.
www.pancakesontherocks.com.au
Labels: Pancakes on the Rocks, REVIEWS: Interstate, Reviews: Tasty Treats
Friday, March 14, 2008
Max Brenner Chocolate Bar
Research - it can be tough, but someone has to do it. On Vida's instructions I rushed myself down to Max Brenner this evening, along with my little brother (research assistant) to sample some of their signature products. The venue of choice for this occasion was their Glen Waverly store, at The Glen Shopping Centre. There is also a Max Brenner at Highpoint, Melbourne Central, QV and a number of branches across Sydney.
As soon as you walk into Max Brenner the smell of chocolate immediately hits you. There is a well of it near the entrance and products everywhere, in liquid and solid form. Max Brenner is a serious chocolate house and seriously good chocolate treats are what they do best. Their philosophy is that chocolate portrays romance, sensuality, passion, addiction, prestige, warmth, sex, love and nostalgia. Chocolate is seen as a culture, rather than a simple taste and the stencilled sign below speaks for itself.
As we arrive I have a look at the menu board. I quickly know that we want the waffles and the souffle, and to drink I must have a hot chocolate, which is available in a variety of forms, and for the r.a. it is an iced frappe. Here's a quick wrap up of our goodies.
Italian Milk Hot Chocolate: available in milk/ white /dark ($5.50): This sinful caraffe of hot chocolate is almost like drinking pure chocolate. It is so thick, creamy and sweet: such an indulgence.
Whipped Milk Chocolate Frappe ($7): This is also extremely rich and chocolatey. A nice cool drink.
Chocolate Souffle ($9.50): Wow - this is really something. Max Brenner's signature delight is this small pillow, which lies in the middle of the plate drizzled in milk chocolate. It is so rich and decadent. As you break into it the centre oozes with warm white chocolate. You take a bite and it just melts away in your mouth. So very rich, but so very good.
Tutti-frutti waffles ($16): Two perfect Belgian waffles warmed under the grill are served covered with warm melted chocolate, along with sliced bananas, strawberries and a scoop of excellent white chocolate ice-cream. Seriously yum, but trying to demolosh two of these is no easy task.
==================
So if you really feel like chocolate it is pretty hard to go past Max Brenner. Just be mindful that their treats are extremely rich and decadent - ordering a hot chocolate AND dessert here is simply too much, even for a sweet tooth like myself. I left rather overwhelmed and feeling like I had consumed much more than I actually did.
Recommended: excellent desserts in a nice setting, but for the best hot chocolate I still cannot go past Koko Black. Review coming soon.
www.maxbrenner.com
As soon as you walk into Max Brenner the smell of chocolate immediately hits you. There is a well of it near the entrance and products everywhere, in liquid and solid form. Max Brenner is a serious chocolate house and seriously good chocolate treats are what they do best. Their philosophy is that chocolate portrays romance, sensuality, passion, addiction, prestige, warmth, sex, love and nostalgia. Chocolate is seen as a culture, rather than a simple taste and the stencilled sign below speaks for itself.
As we arrive I have a look at the menu board. I quickly know that we want the waffles and the souffle, and to drink I must have a hot chocolate, which is available in a variety of forms, and for the r.a. it is an iced frappe. Here's a quick wrap up of our goodies.
Italian Milk Hot Chocolate: available in milk/ white /dark ($5.50): This sinful caraffe of hot chocolate is almost like drinking pure chocolate. It is so thick, creamy and sweet: such an indulgence.
Whipped Milk Chocolate Frappe ($7): This is also extremely rich and chocolatey. A nice cool drink.
Chocolate Souffle ($9.50): Wow - this is really something. Max Brenner's signature delight is this small pillow, which lies in the middle of the plate drizzled in milk chocolate. It is so rich and decadent. As you break into it the centre oozes with warm white chocolate. You take a bite and it just melts away in your mouth. So very rich, but so very good.
Tutti-frutti waffles ($16): Two perfect Belgian waffles warmed under the grill are served covered with warm melted chocolate, along with sliced bananas, strawberries and a scoop of excellent white chocolate ice-cream. Seriously yum, but trying to demolosh two of these is no easy task.
==================
So if you really feel like chocolate it is pretty hard to go past Max Brenner. Just be mindful that their treats are extremely rich and decadent - ordering a hot chocolate AND dessert here is simply too much, even for a sweet tooth like myself. I left rather overwhelmed and feeling like I had consumed much more than I actually did.
Recommended: excellent desserts in a nice setting, but for the best hot chocolate I still cannot go past Koko Black. Review coming soon.
www.maxbrenner.com
Labels: Max Brenner, Reviews: Tasty Treats
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Lindt Cafe (Sydney)
I do not know why we don't have a Lindt Cafe in Melbourne, but we should. Located at Darling Harbour, Sydney as well as a couple of other locations are these wonderful little chocolate cafes/ concept shops, selling and serving all things Lindt. From hot chocolate to gourmet cakes and ice-creams this place is a chocoholics dream.
I popped in with friends and enjoyed a great hot chocolate and some pretty good macaroons: amazing flavours and light shells, though the centres were a little hard. R&K had the seriously good-looking iced chocolate and some hand-made truffles which they sware were the best they have had.
Lindt Milk Hot Chocolate:
Macroons: Champagne Cream & Pistachio Delice.
So if you are in Sydney and want to treat yourself why not head to the Lindt Cafe for a little indulgence. You know you deserve it.
==============
And for those in Melbourne, don't despair, we have Koko Black (which Sydney does NOT) which also does seriously good hot chocolate and much more (review to come).
I popped in with friends and enjoyed a great hot chocolate and some pretty good macaroons: amazing flavours and light shells, though the centres were a little hard. R&K had the seriously good-looking iced chocolate and some hand-made truffles which they sware were the best they have had.
Lindt Milk Hot Chocolate:
Macroons: Champagne Cream & Pistachio Delice.
So if you are in Sydney and want to treat yourself why not head to the Lindt Cafe for a little indulgence. You know you deserve it.
==============
And for those in Melbourne, don't despair, we have Koko Black (which Sydney does NOT) which also does seriously good hot chocolate and much more (review to come).
Labels: Lindt Cafe (Sydney), REVIEWS: Interstate, Reviews: Tasty Treats
