2010 July | MEL: HOT OR NOT

HOT: Chocolate Buddha giveaway winners!

July 30, 2010 ⋅ One comment

Thank you to everyone for your entries for the Chocolate Buddha giveaway! I’ve dipped into the Kitchenaid of Fortune and here are our two winners of a $50 voucher each to dine at Chocolate Buddha: Gem (Eat Drink Stagger) Vivian Please send your postal address to joyce@melhotornot.com to collect your prize and have a great [...]

NOT: Picture Me: A Model’s Diary

July 30, 2010 ⋅ One comment

MIFF #4: I am going to disclaim responsibility for choosing to see Picture Me: A Model’s Diary at 9:15pm on a school night. So RM and I were flicking through the MIFF program and he surprised me by saying that he wanted to see ‘a visual diary of Sara [Ziff]’s experiences within the sometimes glamourous, [...]

NOT: Four Lions

July 29, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

MIFF #3: Today’s we have a guest review of the MIFF film and upcoming general release, Four Lions, from Yalin, who saw it in the UK several months ago. Friends J+B were at the MIFF screening last night and thought that it was very funny and effective – a HOT. I have a preview pass [...]

HOT: Singapore Chom Chom, 188 Bourke St, Melbourne

July 29, 2010 ⋅ 8 comments

One advantage of living in a multicultural urban centre like Melbourne is the myriad of opportunities for trying out new cuisine with friends of different ethnic backgrounds who can guide you through the menu maze. On my first visit to Singapore Chom Chom, I was glad that S, a Singaporean, was on hand to explain [...]

HOT: Stellini Bar, 198 Little Collins St, Melbourne

July 28, 2010 ⋅ 5 comments

Stellini Bar is small, buzzy and crowded eatery dropped in straight from Milano and filled with office workers and uni students alike. As you’d expect from the owners of The Mess Hall, it serves ready-made sandwiches, piadinas, calzone and easy Italian favourites, 7 days a week from breakfast till late. There is also an unexpectedly [...]

NOT: The Red Chapel

July 27, 2010 ⋅ 2 comments

MIFF #2: I had high hopes for the Danish documentary The Red Chapel. Described as ‘a subversive comedy tour through North Korea’ and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, I was expecting lots of laughs and a rare glimpse into an insular society built on the personality cult of [...]

HOT: Teenage Paparazzo

July 26, 2010 ⋅ One comment

MIFF #1: OK, I confess that I booked Teenage Paparazzo because Adrian Grenier aka Vinnie Chase from Entourage, was the director of the documentary and presenting the film at the festival. Regardless of my groupie-dom, Teenage Paparazzo is an enjoyable film reflecting on the nature of celebrity, society’s insatiable appetite for gossip, why we care [...]

HOT: Melbourne Open House, Melbourne

July 25, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

I think one of the best free events held as part of State of Design is Melbourne Open House. The 2-day event sees public and private buildings all around Melbourne throw open their doors for a rare opportunity for you and I to discover the hidden histories and spaces in and around the CBD. There [...]

HOT: Chocolate Buddha, Federation Square, Melbourne

July 23, 2010 ⋅ 39 comments

Sponsored by Nuffnang When Federation Square first opened back in 2002, Chocolate Buddha was the hottest place to eat and drink. It was the first of the communal Japanese dining halls in Melbourne (before the advent of places like Wagamama) and at night there were queues for the rows of communal tables and bar area. [...]

NOT: Crown Metropol, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

July 22, 2010 ⋅ 2 comments

Today we have a guest post from Foo of the Melbourne-based blog Frugal Foo, which is all about finding great value in food, travel, shopping or anything. Really quite invaluable information, and my favourite posts are Melbourne’s Food Court Underbelly and Where to eat in Melbourne for under $30 a day. Foo has written up [...]