2010 August | MEL: HOT OR NOT

HOT: The Age Good Food Guide 2011 Winners!

August 30, 2010 ⋅ 5 comments

When I first moved to Melbourne, the first couple of books I bought for my new life were: 1. The Age Good Food Guide; 2. The Age Cheap Eats; and 3. A Melways. In a way, you could say that my priorities haven’t changed much since then – the hunt for good food is a [...]

HOT: The Toff in Town, Curtin House, 2/252 Swanston St, Melbourne

August 30, 2010 ⋅ 7 comments

I’ve written about The Toff in Town before but since that post the restaurant’s menu has completely changed focus, so I thought it was worthwhile to do another post on our recent experience at The Toff In Town, this time with pictures. What’s remained the same is the glamorous colonial-era faux train carriage booths, complete [...]

HOT: Taste of Melbourne 2010, Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson St, Carlton

August 29, 2010 ⋅ One comment

It seemed that every foodie brought their taste-testing appetites to the Royal Exhibition Buildings this weekend for the four days of Taste of Melbourne (26-29 August). The Taste festivals in Melbourne and Sydney are a chance for diners to create their own tasting menu from the selection of dishes offered by some of the city’s [...]

HOT: MoVida Next Door, 1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne

August 27, 2010 ⋅ 4 comments

I’ve pretty much given up hope of getting a booking at MoVida nowadays, so I’m very grateful for its little offshoot MoVida Next Door, where I’m more likely to be able to walk into a table if I time it right. Besides, MoVida Next Door has a frontage facing the passing parade of Flinders Street [...]

HOT Chat: Markus Bohm of The Langham

August 26, 2010 ⋅ One comment

You may remember a couple of weeks ago I was invited to The Langham to enjoy their chocolate indulgence high tea. Today’s your opportunity to find out more about the man behind the magic, Head Pastry Chef at The Langham, Markus Bohm. Thanks Markus! Markus, tell me a bit more about your background and how [...]

Ask the Doctor: Small dishes for big eating

August 25, 2010 ⋅ One comment

Help me Doctor!: We are in Melbourne for a long weekend next week and want to fit as many great eateries in as possible. Can you suggest ones that serve smaller dishes so we can visit more than one a night/day/meal? Thanks – Louise Your prescription: Hi Louise, great to hear that you’re planning your Melbourne [...]

HOT: Postal Hall, 116 Russell St, Melbourne

August 24, 2010 ⋅ 6 comments

When I first walked into Postal Hall, it reminded me a bit of an Eastern bloc railway station. The sound of hissing steam bouncing off concrete, glass and metal surfaces. A high ceiling with exposed beams hanging a large functional clock. A brushed metal bench supporting people in transit, as they climbed onto red padded [...]

HOT: Hellenic Republic, 434 Lygon St, Brunswick East

August 23, 2010 ⋅ 5 comments

Thanks to great reviews and of course the Masterchef effect, George Calombaris’ casual Greek eatery Hellenic Republic has been humming steadily ever since it opened in 2008 – and I’ve only now managed to get there. A warning: if you want to eat Sunday lunch at Hellenic Republic, give yourself a good 2 months to ensure that [...]

HOT: Sugadeaux Cupcake Tasting, Provenance Food & Wine, 288 Smith St, Collingwood

August 20, 2010 ⋅ 7 comments

Cupcakes are serious business. And as a blogger who writes a lot about food, I take cupcake tasting very seriously :–) Hence I jumped at the chance to taste test and provide my feedback on some of Sugadeaux’s new cupcake flavours. About 30 food bloggers and customers of Sugadeaux gathered at Provenance Food & Wine [...]

Introducing my new blogging camera

August 17, 2010 ⋅ 32 comments

Sponsored by Nuffnang I write a blog which contains a large number of photos, so I often get asked by people what camera I use for my shots. Well, the answer is I borrow RM’s digital SLR when I know I’m going to be shooting close-ups or in low light and the people around me [...]