Where:8 Rankins Lane,Melbourne

When: Breakfast and Lunch 7 days

Contact: (03) 9600 4054

Vego :)

It’s easy to presume without visiting, that Manchester Press would be merely another over-hyped, over-crowded café, pushing fashion over quality of experience. Thankfully it is not, and yes, the hype is completely justified. Melbournites might roll their eyes when I explain that Manchester Press is located down a cobblestoned CBD laneway and housed in a converted industrial space. I know that we’ve heard it all before. What’s impressive is that Manchester Press pulls it off beautifully. If you excuse the ridiculously low table housed in the back corner (I pitied the people crouched over their food) the room is pretty ergonomic for a warehouse space. The paint-splattered concrete floor and communal tables are probably as much roughing as you can expect. Good I say, nobody really wants to sit on a milk crate pretending to look comfortable. I was impressed with the warm glow of the venue on a grey, chilly morning. The lighting was soft and the music dreamy; not to mention, very up-to-the-minute.

The wait-staff are clearly hip, but not too cool to treat you nicely. I was delighted to find they were incredibly switched-on, polite and cheerful.

Coffee is the main showpiece at M.P., and the Batistas take pride in their work. The little bunny in my latte was delightful but not to the detriment of the coffee. It was excellent, strong and put together beautifully.

The food menu isn’t particularly inspiring; it’s very small and limited to various bagel-based meals. From the breakfast menu my dining partner ordered the “Baked Eggs with Cherry Toms, Feta and Chorizo ($16)” which came with a toasted bagel. I opted for the “Fruit and Nut Bagel- topped with mixed berry mascarpone, strawberries and pistachio dust.” ($12).

Let’s start with the eggs; the chorizo was an optional extra and if you’re an omnivore you’d be nutty to pass on it. Chorizo fans will know that it is very difficult to find real chorizo and not some wimpy, dull, imposter sausage.Manchester have the real deal, and there is plenty of it in the baked eggs which ensures a perfect infusion throughout. The feta is also high quality and the creamy Danish kind, which is perfect for melting into the eggs and chorizo. With a whole sesame bagel and butter on the side, this dish isn’t likely to leave anyone grumpy.

Baked Eggs with Cherry Toms, Feta and Chorizo ($16)

The Fruit and Nut bagel was toasted which enhanced the powerful cinnamon notes and the mixed berry mascarpone was gorgeous; decadently rich and heady. Although I had to scrape a few spoons of the cheese off, otherwise I would’ve likely suffered some internal organ shock; the piles of it were just insane. Unfortunately it was also ice-cold, which cut through any romanticism the toasty cinnamon had achieved. Now I’m just being fussy I know, the icy topping was probably because they’d only just taken it out of the fridge from the night before. Overall, the bagel was good, but could’ve used more fruit and less cheese.

If you’re planning on visiting Manchester Press, be aware that a few hundred people may have had the same idea. Attending outside of peak times will ensure you get to enjoy a peaceful meal on one of the good tables and no long wait times.

Fruit and Nut Bagel- topped with mixed berry mascarpone, strawberries and pistachio dust ($12)

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Where:295 Bay St Port Melbourne

When: Weekdays 7am-3pm, Weekends 8am-3pm

Contact: (03) 9077 3813

Vego :)

Avocado, lime and goat’s cheese on Turkish bread, topped with a soft poached egg ($14)

Port Melbourne is a strange sort of place; Lycra-swathed cyclists, dogs, and lots of affluent white people, When I was strolling up Bay Street a mother called out, “Sienna and Beau get out of the way!” as her children rode their bikes down the footpath, their glossy Labrador in tow.

Stereotypes aside, there are some good eats to be had in Port Melbourne. Balderdash for example, might be somewhere you’ve heard of as it’s been a local favourite for some time and for good reason; it’s good. Heading in for a spot of brunch on a weekend, you might have to sit outside as we did, because it gets busy. Most impressive are their range of coffee systems; featuring cold drip and pour-over as well as espresso. Turns out I first ordered a weak Earl Grey tea which arrived in a tiny pot with enough leaves to have poisoned me. Generous; maybe, drinkable; no and weak; certainly not. I asked for some hot water to weaken my tea and it arrived in a cappuccino cup; exponentially difficult to pour from. When the tea still showed very little signs of weakening I resorted to simply scooping the leaves out, to my dining company’s horror I counted five spoonfuls of leaves. The remaining water was still too concentrated to drink. This little incident aside, the cappuccino I ordered afterwards was excellent. 

For my tummy I ordered the Avocado, lime and goat’s cheese on Turkish bread, topped with a soft poached egg ($14). I was delighted with the results. The creamy goat’s cheese was just a genius combination with the avocado and the lime was infused throughout but it did come with a wedge for you to squeeze over as well. The poached egg was perfect and the whole dish came artfully drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic. I can’t even begin to believe how fantastic things might get if you were to add the bacon (17.50).

Sitting outside on the benches was OK in the sunshine but had it been miserable, the footpath and passing traffic may well have soured the deal. I’d gladly return and wait for a seat inside next time. And of course, avoid ordering a tea.

Food: 4.5/5

Service 2/5

Ambiance: 2/5 (when seated outside)

Where: 359 Napier St Fitzroy

When: Weekdays 7.30-4.30, Weekends 8-4.30

Contact: (03) 9417 2274

Licensed

Cash Only

Little Ici is a well loved favourite in Fitzroy, and it’s easy to see why. While undoubtedly cool, the tiny café is not so edgy as to sacrifice comfort and functionality. The chairs are old and heavy; wood with leather seating pads. Parisian little lampshades jut out from the wood-panelled walls and provide pockets of warm lighting. It’s a cosy sort of place and the menu offers a well-balanced selection ranging from the comforting to the sophisticated, with plenty of exciting vegetarian options. The music is volume-appropriate and pretty good too; I was treated to Bowie while I ate my lunch.

I ordered a latte ($3.50) and a Worker’s Bun: Fried egg, roaming bacon, tomato, vintage cheddar, spinach and tomato chilli jam ($10.50). Both arrived without too much wait which was fantastic considering the ANZAC day crowds. The latte looked a little pale but actually had enough kick, and a complex palate. It’s hard to find Fair Trade coffee this good. When the Worker’s Bun arrived I sussed out the bread first, like I always do. It passed with flying colours; fluffy, dense and fresh. Inside things were pretty good too with thick, richly flavoured bacon and lusciously smooth fresh spinach leaves. I didn’t notice the cheddar so much but there was a lot of tomato, and I kicked some of it out. The dressing was very creamy with a touch of mustard. Plenty of chilli jam too, which was heavily spiced with cumin. I’m not such a fan of cumin which dampened my bun-enthusiasm a little. Cumin sympathisers will however, not be disappointed.

I had a great time at Ici, and although service with a smile can fluctuate depending on which member of staff serves you, service was generally good and efficient. A little haven in Fitzroy with prices I can live with and quality I can get used to.

Worker’s Bun: Fried egg, roaming bacon, tomato, vintage cheddar, spinach and tomato chilli jam ($10.50)

Food: 4/5

Service: 3/5

Ambiance: 4/5

When: Monday-Friday 12pm-late, Saturday 6pm-late Sundays: December, functions.

Where:27 Mc Killop Street Melbourne

Contact: (03) 9603 1601

Banquet is not vegetarian friendly

CC & EFTPOS available

 My first initial impression of Red Spice Road was mixed; it was huge and with the majority of the space occupied by a few single monster tables, it felt more like a function venue than a restaurant. Chic as it may be, practical as I’m sure it is the whole boarding-school dining-room feel was not enticing for me. To be fair however, the noise level from the patrons sitting right next to me was surprisingly non-intrusive as it absorbed into the large space. Tasteful trip-hop pulsing crisply through the air couldn’t have hurt either. Visibility was comfortably low; the dining room illuminated softly by large hanging orbs. So I was subdued by the beauty of the place and so was able to handle sharing my table with the entire restaurant.

 My partner and I made an early booking to take advantage of the ridiculously good value out-before-7pm weekday special. Diners all receive the same appetiser then select three of five available mains to share. This is all ordered from a special banquet menu (but the pork belly features on the main menu). Watch out vegetarians, there’s nothing here for you in this banquet. Steamed Jasmine rice is included and dessert is five dollars extra. All this is twenty-five dollars per person for a minimum of two people. Our choices of mains were as follows, Pork Belly with Chilli Caramel, Apple Slaw and Black Vinegar. Chicken Larb- Minced Chicken Salad with Coriander, Mint, Chilli, Kaffir Lime and Roasted Rice Powder. Beef Rendang- Malaysian Beef Curry with Coconut, Potato and Cucumber Relish.

Beef Rendang- Malaysian Beef Curry with Coconut, Potato and Cucumber Relish

We didn’t think that the serves would be generous but they were and could have easily fed a third person. You know that feeling when something is so tasty your mouth and your tummy are at war over whether to stop or continue eating? Well that happened. Good old Red Spice Road knows how to please a glutton. While the betel leaf appetizers (topped with tiny chicken morsels, chilli, coriander and lemongrass) were mere mouthfuls, yet delicious. The mains were generous bowls piled high, all presenting a good proportion of vegetables or salad to meat. People rave about the pork belly at Red Spice Road and I’m no different. Sitting in a palm-sugar caramel syrup with spicy Vietnamese mint salad, this meat was so tender and creamy that it felt like butter in my mouth. The edges were a little charred which added a welcome smokiness to the dish.

 Then there was the beef rendang; something usually so hard to get right. It was fantastic to enjoy this curry without it being too salty or too sweet yet still full-flavoured. The beef was very fatty though, and because it was disguised in the gravy I couldn’t anticipate which pieces were going to have a layer of fat on them or not, which meant that I ate much less of this dish than the others. I was glad that there were wholesome chunks of potato to snap up too. The cucumber salad with coconut on the top was a welcome refreshing crunch.

Pork Belly with Chilli Caramel, Apple Slaw and Black Vinegar

Chicken Larb was our third main and probably the least interesting of the three, although nothing about it was unpleasant. Just a little on the salty side and not as complex in flavour as the others.

 After all of this I was actually really sad that I didn’t have room for dessert. For an extra five dollars the Pandan Cream Coconut Jelly, Peanut Praline, Puffed Wild Rice, Tapioca Pearls and Coconut Ice-cream sounded dreamy. We did however blow some money on drinks. I had the Cherry Martini which was delicious but not very strong.

 I was really happy with the service at Red Spice Road. I was worried we might somehow be treated differently for coming in for the cheap dinner special but the vibe is surprisingly casual for a deluxe sort of eatery. We enjoyed lightening fast service, and genuine, friendly faces. I would definitely come back for the $25 special or an inventive cocktail (which may not knock you flat but still keep manage to interesting). It is a shame I can’t bring my vegetarian friends to the banquet, but at least I can tell them all about it.

Cherry Cocktail (Martini) $17

Food: 4/5

Service: 5/5

Ambiance: 2.5/5

When: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner during the week

Where:296 Russel Street Melbourne

Contact: (03) 9671 4815

Licensed

Grilled Beef Satay ($8)

I don’t know about you guys but I have lost count of the times I’ve had bad satay in Melbourne. Fortunately that’s all changing and you can now get great satay at (almost) rupiah prices at N’s Satay Bar in town. The restaurant is a square little room (more seating upstairs) with a communal table in the centre and chunky wooden stools snuggled up to a long, snaking ledge. If you pick one of the stools facing the window into the kitchen you’ll be able to watch your satay being cooked. And it’s quite a performance with their two-grill process; the satay are cooked on an initial grill and attentively brushed with several sauces, next they’re transferred to a smoking grill where they’re enveloped in a flavour-haze for several minutes. I ordered the Grilled Beef Satay for $8 and the result was tender, smoked perfection.

Fried wontons ($7)

Satay aside, there are plenty of other tasty options on the menu. I picked out the fried wontons ($7) and Nasi Uduk ($9.50).  While the wontons were a little on the bland side they did the job and had plenty of fleshy, crispy bits. The Uduk promised coconut rice, fried chicken, fried egg and a chicken soup and at $9.50 you may be forgiven for thinking this meal would be modest, but really it was a generous size and very decent quality. The rice was richly fragrant, the chicken not too oily and the soup had plenty of punchy flavour. It may occur to you that I’d over ordered, and you’d be right. Fortunately the price tag allows for as much gluttony as you like. I even had a Bintang too, because I could.

Nasi Uduk ($9.50)

With its flat-screen T.V. and bizarre electric-blue lighting, N’s Satay Bar isn’t as cool as Misschu down the road but rest assured that its cuisine is more authentic than its décor. With sweet, respectful staff and a real passion for genuine satay, N’s is head-and-shoulders-above most in it’s price range.

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 2/5

Where: 453-507 Docklands Drive, Melbourne

When: Saturdays 10am-9pm (currently closed for Winter, back soon!)

Contact: (03) 93646631

Vego :)

Licensed

While this isn’t exactly a restaurant review, People’s Market at Docklands offered plenty of culinary options to be enjoyed. Heading down on a grey Saturday morning was still plenty atmospheric even with the trademark Docklands winds howling down at us. If you can handle giving up two dollars, you’ll be able to park your car within a few seconds walk of all the market action. Because the establishment is still wet behind the ears, there aren’t a huge number of stalls but what’s there is generally good. Think country show crossed with southbank market and a festival. There’s some organic fresh produce and gourmet cheese, wine, olive oil (we bought the locally-pressed garlic oil for $12) as well as jewellery, clothing and toys. Get a tarot reading, buy some art or stuff your face. There’re plenty of food options to choose from housed in shipping containers and food vans (so hot right now). A lot of thought had gone into to the feel of the market, which was much more like Melbourne bar favourites like Section 8 and (the late) St Jerome’s. Party lights arched over the main food square and tasteful music cranked-it from ample speakers. Hipster bar ₤1000 Bend had a set-up too, which I imagine would go off when the sun goes down.

So finally, we can talk about the food. We sampled dumplings from Wun Hung with their special homemade sauce. A very far cry from anything Asian, the meat was a bland chicken mix and the sauce a gloopy sweet n’ sour concoction which tasted like something you’d get with chicken nuggets. A real shame because the staff were so friendly. Perhaps you could just visit them for a chat.

Lamb gozleme and steamed dumplings

Alongside the dumplings we branched out to Turkish with some gozleme from the shipping container labelled “Turkish Gozleme”. Served by a little old lady with a head-scarf this place felt like the real deal. We chose the lamb gozleme ($10) which was came piping hot drizzled with yogurt and chilli (optional toppings). Perfect comfort food on a blustery morning, the gozleme’s simple, traditional flavours hit the spot.

Post food we then managed to nibble on as many free samples as we could find. The organic chocolate stall proved to be a good choice with all their products fair-trade and plenty of vegan-friendly options too. Try the dark chocolate and jaffa, it’s a winner. We walked away fat and happy. Fappy.

While the People’s Market till has some growth to do, it kept us amused for a good hour and was worth the $2. One of the few markets open from morning till late with a party vibe; this hits a new niche for Melbourne.

Food: 2.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Where:16 Errol Street, North Melbourne

When: Weekdays 6:30am-6pm, Saturdays 7am-3pm

Cash only

Primarily take-away

Vego :)

Something quite special has popped up on Errol Street in North Melbourne. Crumbs Bakery; a sweet little slice of a shop bringing a breath of fresh air to the stale part of the shopping strip. They offer freshly baked bread, coffee and a small but thoughtful range of treats. At the moment you can buy hot cross buns with a dark spiced dough and sticky apricot glaze. There’s always a pizza slice available for lunch and inside you’ll find little treats like chewy coconut macaroons and rich brownies.

Today I helped myself to a Apple, Zucchini and Walnut muffin ($3.50), recommended by the staff. It was amazing. You should not be put off by the zucchini as it contributed as a juicy binding agent rather than a savory flavour. The top was littered with spiced sugar and walnut nibbles while large disks of soft apple floated through the centre. Overall the result was exactly what you would want from a muffin; not too sweet and wholesomely substantial.

Get down to Crumbs, the staff are always lovely and the eats are neat.

Apple, Walnut and Zucchini Spiced Muffin ($3.50)

Food: 5/5

Where: 221 Barkly St St Kilda

When: Tues-Fri 5pm-Late, Weekends 12pm-Late

Contact: 1300 274 227

Eat in/Take-away

Nostalgic: The view from our table

What’s the perfect rock food? Why it’s chunky, oily, char-grilled meat of course. Argentinean BBQ is no doubt going to be big in Melbourne and Pure Pop Records in St Kilda are right on trend, serving up a limited menu of meaty treats in their hole-in-the-wall BBQ out the back of the record shop. While it may feel a little weird walking into a record shop looking for a meal, it is somewhat comforting to sit amongst the old vinyl with that sort of musty library smell and browse the covers while you wait. When we showed up for a mid-week dinner, quirky old blues was wafting around the room. This was soon switched off when a band started up out the back (you can eat out there too, although there’s not much in the way of seating). The volume was gig-level loud, as it tunnelled through the record store. Great if you’re here for the band, not so great if you’d like to hear yourself think. And I wasn’t much a fan of the blues band and their fake American accents.

Mixed grill ($22)

Looking at the menu I wished I’d come for the lunch special, Chorizo sandwich and a pot of beer for $8 sounded like a great deal. For dinner, the menu offers things like chorizo, chicken wings, beef ribs or a mixed grill for a taste of everything. Apparently there’re alternative muchies for vegetarians also. We settled on the mixed grill ($22) and planned to share it. When it arrived we were disappointed to find it was actually a meal for one, deceptive for such a high price tag. The chicken and the ribs both had a lemony, garlic dressing which was pretty zingy and nice. The leafy salad was generously dressed in a similar flavour palate. The chorizo I’m sad to say was more plain sausage than flavourful, spicy Argentinean. Chewing through the ribs was a feat indeed; I practically gave up in the end as the meat was so rough. Unfortunately we ended up running next door to Mr Natural’s Vegetarian Pizza to fill up our tummies.

While I certainly wouldn’t be too fussy ordering the odd chicken wing while watching a band out the back, Pure Pop’s general dining experience is pretty average. Essentially they’re a cute record store and a bar, let’s just leave it there.

Food: 2/5

Service: 2.5/5

Ambiance: 3.5/5