Grossi Florentino

As a surprise my partner took me here for dinner. I have to say, before I even go into the detail about the food... BEST DINING EXPERIENCE I have ever had!

We had the degustation as I really couldn't decide what to pick from the menu. As the night started and before our courses even came out, lots of little surprises came our way. There was the candied eggplant jam toast. Interesting flavors and pairing of flavors.

The bread.... I know this is something little and most people don't mention... But that butter.... velvety smooth, you can taste the rosemary and the full bodied butter intensity. Then there was the lardo.... made from lard.. it was those things you just had to try a little bit of. Then the house olive oil and olives.

To start there was a bincho albacore tuna. A bit of a Japanese influence being raw tuna with charred leak and red onion fennel. Very refreshing way to start the dish.

Veal mousse, this was one of the surprises that came out on a box like a lollipop. Not knowing what to expect you take one bite and this intense flavour explosion of a texture you expect to be sweet, but is instead meaty and punchy. It's a good surprise.... It's almost something you want to just spread on bread.





I did a bit of playing around with the menu and swapped my tuna for the smoked quail and foie gras terrine. This was a heavier dish, but to me it was worth it. Intense flavors that did not overpower one another.

Next was the steamed toothfish. I must say on the menu, this looked really boring but I think it actually ended up being my favorite for the night. The flavors were so delicate and the way it was cooked, the natural sweetness of the fish came out. Together with the nashi and crispy chickpeas, it had all the right textures as well. It was like a ballerina dancing on my tastebuds.

Quinoa salad with mushroom, pinenuts and mayo was another surprise we go in between our meals. This was light and refreshing, I could see myself eating a whole bowl for lunch.

The famous duck and porcini tortellini that I have long heard about. It sure does live up. Basic flavors and true mushroom taste. Nothing artificial but all about the natural taste. Then a bit of sweetness from the candied pear. Delicious!

Suckling pig served with artichokes, apple cider sauce, cumquat, pepper and cime di rapa. If you have this dish on it's own or as part of a 3 course meal, it's a total winner, however as part of a degustation.... it is very heavy. The succulent meat and paired with that sauce.... followed by the cumquat.... It really is a beautiful dish but sadly after so many courses beforehand, stomach space tends to be limited at this point. 

Strawberry sorbet with strawberry jam and shortbread. The sorbet was beautiful and light, teamed with the jam it gave it that extra kick in strawberry intensity. Only thing was, I think I was given a bit too much jam on my serving, after I finished my sorbet and shortbread there was still a lot of jam leftover. For a restaurant of this caliber, I expect finer attention to detail.

Finally the Chocolate part fait. It was light and fluffy and went beautifully with the ice cream. It was very good way to end the meal, however if I looked at it in isolation, this does not even come close to the best dessert that I have ever eaten. If I was to compare it to another restaurant dessert..... umm say.. Mr Hive's Chocolate bar... there would be no comparison.

At the end of the night we got to take home a goodies bag which was a beautiful way to end the night for me. Red wine vinegar and pasta to continue the experience at home.... I was stoked!

Overall I would give it a 18.75/20. The service was amazing, they truly know how to make you feel special and let you feel 'in charge' of the evening. Guy Grossi himself did come out at one stage of the evening, this to me felt quite special, a lot celebrity chefs seems to have forgotten their roots and don't really cook in their own restaurants anymore, so to actually see Guy come out in his chef whites, I was impressed. Generally speaking the food was as you would expect, besides the small hiccup in the dessert, it was one of the best nights of eating out, I've had in a long time.

Meatball & Wine Bar

I had to check this place out last Friday. When I walked in it was a buzzing atmosphere, and we got a lovely waiter who put up with my friends and myself who were quite loud from a couple of pre-drinks while waiting for the table.

To start we got the cheese plate. We paired it with this lovely bottle of red (but now I just can't remember the name, all I remember was that it was $80 a bottle). The mozzarella on that board just perfect with the red. I couldn't tell if it was the red that made the cheese great or vice versa but either way I was impressed.

We got a few selection of the balls to share. Chicken with white sauce on peas was the crowd favourite of the night. My partner just could not get enough. The chicken was done just perfectly, still juicy in the centre finished with a light cream sauce. 

Next there was the beef balls with red sauce on mash. Personally this was my favourite, lovely classic favours, the tomato paste was overpowering just just complmentary. Mash was a smooth consistency

Fish balls with green sauce on pasta was an interesting concept to me. On paper, I just didn't think it would work, but surprisingly it wasn't that bad. Wasn't my favorite but it wasn't bland as I had imagine it to be. The green pesto sauce was probably the hero of this dish as the pasta and the fish balls would have been bland in comparison to the other balls on the menu without that sauce.

Pork ball with red sauce and Italian beans was also a hit in my eyes. 

The sliders, I didn't actually get to try as I wasn't quick enough, but from the reception around the table, everybody seemed to have wanted seconds (had we not ordered so much food earlier).

 
For dessert I just had to try the whoopie mac. Sadly the gooey chocolate cookie, I had hope to get was sold out. Instead I went for Pistachio and lemon shortcake cookie with a caramel ice cream centre.... I like the concept a lot but end result was fairly ordinary and didn't feel like it was worth $11.50. I could've done something like that at home..... =(

The tiramisu..... let's not even bother going there. Not worth trying....

Overall I loved all the meatballs and wine (I guess as the name would suggest, IT IS a meat ball and wine place). Sadly the dessert was a big let down for me. I would give this place 15/20. decent price and good food.

Gazi

This is the new kid on the block in George Calombaris empire of restaurants and eateries across Australia. It is themed as a Greek Street food eatery and is situated where Press Club use to be.

With a hip and urban vibe, the resturant was buzzing when I visited on the weekend. Light is dim but there was full view of the kitchen, far from a fine dining place. 

The menu is set out to be shared and quite affordable. To start I was quite greedy and went with 3 dips and bread (purely because I could not choose and narrow it down to one). The first dip I got was the cauliflower, smoked almonds and crispy pork mince. I can honestly say, I have never had a dip like this. The flavours were more something you would except as puree on the bottom of a dish in a fine restaurant. the cauliflower taste was robust and intense, then together with the pork mince.... I never knew cauliflower and pork mince would go so well together. MUST TRY
Next dip was the Taramosalata with prawn crackers, this was another explosion of flavours in your mouth. The fish roe flavour was so refined then paired with the salty prawn cracker, it's a flavour you need to try it for yourself.
Finally there was the Sweet potato skordalia, pinenuts, orange. This sounds very orginary compared to the other two. Full bodied sweet potato with buttery reminders of pinenuts. However I learnt to like it more and more as the meal progressed. As the other 2 flavours were very intense, this play a nice balance on my pallet and acted as a good contrast of flavours.

For the main I ordered both the chicken and beef souvlaki. The chicken one was the best chicken souvlaki I have ever eaten. The chicken was juicy and succulent, so juicy that as I ate, the chicken juice came out of the other end of the wrap. It was simply served with chips, onions and mustard mayo. The bread was homemade and thicker than your usual bread but it really does showcase street food CAN be do well inside a restaurant without being overly expensive. 
The beef souvlaki was also nice, but once you have tasted the chicken, the beef will only rate as second best.

On the side we got the feta chips. Interesting flavours and I could easily dust off an entire bowl in 1 sitting.

To finish off I had to try the Pavlova, I saw so many of them walk pass me during my meal and it looked so beautiful. This was a light dessert to finish off the meal despite how big it actually looks. The grapefruit curd and cream was just a divine combination of sourness and creamy texture.

Overall I would give this place a 18/20. There aren't many places that make me want to go back and try the entire menu, but this is one of those places.


 

L'Ovivo

Situated in busy suburban street, this is favourite among est the locals and not the easiest place to get a booking on a Friday night. As a family operated business, it doesn't get much cosier. You walk in and straight away you can smell an Italian kitchen.

On a cold winter night we started with the Arinchini balls. Balls had a crunchy exterior while the risotto was still moist and packed with flavour. Along with a tangy tomato paste, it was a great way to start the meal. 
Next (although the picture looks the same)we got goat cheese fritter. crispy and cheesy...... yummmmmmmmmmmm.

We actually also ordered meat balls but the waitress was frank enough to say that we were over ordering (and she as completely right)

Soup of the day was pumpkin.A nice winter warmer and it was hearty

too. A buttery pumpkin consistency with ginger in it to give it that bit of punch. As good as it gets with a family style pumpkin soup!

This is the dish I always get when I come here. The gnocchi is great the way it is on the menu, but personally I like a tomato cream sauce more as the pasta tastes less heavy this way. With many places they don't take menu alterations well, but here they always get it right.

Overall I give this place a 16/20. This isn't a fine dining restaurant but for what they aim to do, they do it very well. Great local eat out and decent prices along with great service. I can't really fault them on much.


 

Touche Hombre

I always walk pass and see queues at this place so I was always curious. So I finally tried the place and honestly.... it wasn't worth the wait. The food was nice but with the line normally in this place .... is just not worth that wait.

I got the large posse menu since I was with a big group of people.

We started with the corn chips with guacamole. The guacamole's was fresh which was nice to see, but this starter for me just lacked the kick to get my pallet going. Personally, I really need the salsa as well with this.

Next was the fatty lamb ribs... it was good street style food. I could see myself going back for more.

Then there was the corn. I always look forward to the grilled corn in Mexican restaurants. This corn really good corn but I would still say it's second to Mamasita. If you have never had Mamasita's version of it, you will be really impressed but once you have, this place is just second place at best.

For the main, it was in the style of make your own taco. With soft shell, you could pick your own fillings from grilled chicken, battered fish with a range salsa and cabbage chilli salad. I found the fish really juicy without compromising on the crispiness of the batter.

As a dessert there was the much anticipated ice cream sandwich. This was the best part of the meal!! I loved the chili kick in the ice cream. If you have a sweet tooth, it worth trying.

Overall I would rate it a 14/20. It's a nice spin on Mexican and modern 'hipster' appeal.

Two Birds One Stone

Recently visited this place for lunch. Located on Claremont St in South Yarra it's just off the main street, but still easy enough to find. It's a rather small and cosy place which makes it a good brunch places on weekends. Onto the food...

I love my mushrooms, so I couldn't go pass the roasted mushrooms with feta on toast. Served with watercress leaves, this was nice brunch option. It wasn't exceptional but then again... how exceptional can mushroom and feta on toast get? It was a nice dish but with so many brunch places out there... nothing really set it apart from the competition. I know they are owned by the same people that bought us Top Paddock and Three bags Full..... but the mushroom and feta.... just wasn't quite the same... I can't quite put my finger on it to say why it's different either....

Next I got the Black Angus Steak Sandwich, with bacon, beetroot chutney and chesse. I preferred this over the mushrooms, only being that that beetroot chutney worked really well with the Angus and bacon. You can get steak sandwiches at a lot of places but this was a more sophisticated spend on your regular pub variety.

My friend got the Reuben and mentioned that it was worth trying ;)

I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to try the yoghurt panna cotta, when I go back that is definitely on my list to try.



Overall I would rate it a 14/20. It's a nice place to hangout on the weekend. Nice decor inside too!

 

Top Paddock

So I have heard about this place for awhile and I FINALLY got around to going to it. Been craving bunch for awhile, so on a nice cool autumn weekend it was the day that I get off my ass and try it.

Located in the Richmond/Toorak vicinity there was no doubt this will be those new trending brunch spots with cool decor. And I wasn't disappointed, I know the food should be the focus, but sometimes being in a nice cosy environment just makes that experience a bit better. 

To start off I grabbed a latte and this sadly disappointed. I am no coffee expert but I do know enough when the coffee beans are burnt and the milk was too hot when they made the latte.... not a good start.

The menu had a good range to choose from but nothing crazy exciting. End up settling for the ricotta hot cakes and Top Paddock homemade sausage with green tomato. To me the ricotta hot cakes was the winning dish of the day. Served with blue berry, maple syrup, mascarpone and seeds it was good combinations of flavours and texture

Unfortunately the Top Paddock homemade sausage was not as good. That's not to say it's not good, but just once you compare it to the ricotta hot cakes, the hot cakes will always win. To me the bread was a tad soggy and the green tomatoes did nothing for me. I did like the eggs, bacon, sausage and relish but it wasn't anything made it exceptional.

Overall: 14/20. I would go with a bunch of friend as it is a good hang out for brunch. I think I need to try more before I can fully give it a fair score.