HOT Chat: Fiona Maxwell of Next Wave

Next Wave is a biennial arts event which is Australia’s leading festival for young artists, arts workers and young audiences. The festival features works from artists aged 16 to 30 including dance, theatre, visual arts, performance, new media and literature. I first came across it when I volunteered in 2006 as a gallery guard at [...]

HOT: Pasta Al Giro, Mezzo Bar & Grill, 35 Lt Bourke St, Melbourne

After three weeks of non-stop Chinese food on our honeymoon, what a nice way to get back into real (Western) life than to sit down to Southern Italian comfort food with Pasta Al Giro.
What is Pasta Al Giro? A feast of fresh and filled pasta to share with your table for $45 a head, held [...]

HOT: Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St, Collingwood

I’ve previously blogged about the fantastic range of dried goods and produce available at Friends of the Earth, but last week was the first time I sampled some of the vegan/vegetarian food served in the laidback cafe.
During the week you can get a mixed salad plate which has a bit of everything heaped on it, [...]

NOT: Breadwell, 135 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Breadwell? BreadNOT.
This small café is popular with the lawyer/banker crowd down towards the Paris end of Collins St, and I’m not sure why because the food that L and I had for lunch was pretty poor.

To whit – Breadwell’s ‘famous’ spicy meatballs with pasta ($20) and green lentil dahl with yoghurt and crispy (huh?) chapatti [...]

HOT: Las Vegan Bakery & Cafe, 22 Smith St, Collingwood

I’d been meaning to visit Las Vegan Bakery & Cafe ever since they were awarded 2009 Victorian Vegetarian Restaurant of the Year by Vegetarian Network Victoria. I’m not sure how many other restaurants were in contention, but it’s a pretty impressive title nonetheless.
Las Vegan is a small little colourful cafe filled with the kind of [...]

HOT: Izakaya Chuji, 165 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Izakaya Chuji proudly pronounces that it’s been operating since 1989. It must be doing something right if it’s still going strong after 20 years, despite a rather dingy interior (and increasing in dinginess the further away from the window you are) and no-frills service.

At lunch time the 50s diner-like setup is full of office workers [...]

HOT: Melbourne Dae Jang Geum Korean BBQ, Level 1, 235 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

Melbourne Dae Jang Geum Korean BBQ is the sort of restaurant that I would normally avoid in Chinatown. The entrance is manned by a bored tout in national costume wielding a picture menu. Plus as it’s upstairs you can’t check whether there are any patrons inside.
If you make your dining choices in the same way, [...]

HOT: Von Haus, 1 Crossley St, Melbourne

Von Haus. I’m imagining a private club for beardy little men with a penchant for tweed knickerbockers.
The reality is much more cool. Von Haus is a café/bar with an almost invisible doorway on achingly stylish Crossley Street. Step inside and it’s like being in your best friend’s cosy, rustic dining room with perfectly distressed walls.

The [...]

HOT: The Tofu Shop International, 78 Bridge Rd, Richmond

If you overdosed on chocolate after the Easter Bunny’s visit, now might be a good time to head over to The Tofu Shop International.
This Bridge Road casual dining spot has been in business for around 25 years, before tofu/vegetarianism became trendy, so it must be doing something right. It’s a pretty pared back approach – the [...]

HOT: The Graham Hotel, 97 Graham Street, Port Melbourne

In the last of Gourmet Chick’s guest posts series, we take a trip to Port Melbourne to sample some gastropub fare. Gourmet Chick is a Melburnian living in London who writes about food in London and around the world (including Melbourne) at www.gourmet-chick.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @msgourmetchick. Thanks Gourmet Chick!
When is [...]