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: Shop 10, 530 Collins St (enter via Little Collins St)

When: Mon-Fri Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Weekends: Private Functions

Credit Cards avail.

Dine-in

Vego :/ somewhat friendly

Contact: (03) 9614 4500

Mr. Mason, a new restaurant in the Collins Street Stock Exchange Building strives to give the Business Lunchers something ritzier than food court take-away. However one need not traipse any further than the Little Collins St Food court to get a hearty hot meal and wine to match. Mr. Mason seems as equally passionate about their wine and champagne as their food, and perhaps their label of “French Inspired” makes more sense when you read the drinks list than the menu. Dishes available are more Modern Australian than anything else; classic meat and veg and standard salad and chips available as sides as well as some interesting smaller plates to start.

While Mr. Mason is surely at an advantage in terms of accessibility to its business punters, it does have to make do with a fairly unsophisticated front at the entrance to the mall. While they do well to create a cosy hide-away from the bright lights of the food court, their clientele are constantly reminded of their location when they’re forced to exit the restaurant to use the public toilets across the corridor. Nevertheless the venue has pitched its market well, and will no doubt experience a good turnover with business lunches and after-work drinks.

Semolina Crusted Calamari with lemon and aioli ($12)

With a menu changing weekly, there’s always something new to try. We sampled the Semolina Crusted Calamari with lemon and aioli ($12), Charcuterie- homemade pate, terrine, rillets, bresaola, pickles, charred toast ($28) and the Roasted Lamb Rump, bacon lardons, braised lettuce, broad beans, potato dumplings ($32). The staff was very friendly, absent of any stuffiness and knowledgeable enough that I’d happily leave them to order for me. It was also a nice touch how our sparkling water kept flowing, rather than having to purchase a bottle to sit on the table.

While waiting for the food to arrive I took in the interiors which were dark and woody, with a very 70’s pebbled wall as a centre piece in the lounge area. While the carpet in the dining area wasn’t very sexy it did help to absorb the noise, something which the architecture seemed to consider with three segmented areas amongst the venue.

When the calamari arrived we were shocked by the generous portion of the “small plate”. The semolina batter was a nice barely-crunchy casing for the creamy meat, which was accompanied by a mild aioli and fresh watercress. The Charcuterie wasn’t as impressive as its predecessor, hampered by the quality of the bread, a bland pate and dried-out pickles. The terrine had a summery minty infusion and the caramelised onions were delicious but still not enough to redeem this dish for me.

Charcuterie- homemade pate, terrine, rillets, bresaola, pickles, charred toast ($28)

Our final installment was the lamb rump which while was a little rare for my tastes (I ordered it ‘medium’) was very satisfactory. A rich beef reduction generously enveloped the meat and tender baby vegetables. Perhaps most stunning were the potato dumplings; a little Eastern European influence done very well, the doughy discs slightly charred and crispy on the outside.

While the cuisine at Mr. Mason wasn’t particularly innovative, its hearty meat dishes are done nicely and would please many. It would be good to see an improvement in the quality of the cold meat dishes, perhaps a signature Chef dish to sample on the Charcuterie as well. I would definitely try a cocktail upon returning, with names like Grilled Pineapple Daiquiri and Daft Punk, it’s hard to say no.

Roasted Lamb Rump, bacon lardons, braised lettuce, broad beans, potato dumplings ($32)

Food: 3.5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 2/5

Lunchosaurus dined courtesy of Mr.Mason

Where: Cnr Latrobe and Swanston Streets, Melbourne

When: Mon-Thurs 10am-10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-12am, Sun 11am-9pm

EFTPOS Available

Take-away/ Very limited dine-in

Vego :/     (1 main option available)

Contact: (03) 9639 6544

I’m just as vulnerable to a tasty new fad as anyone else and in case you haven’t noticed, Melbourne is getting sausage-happy at the moment. While the Bratwurst shop at QV Market has been bustling for years, it is just recently that new sausage businesses are popping up around town. Snag Stand, tacked onto the North-East shoulder of Melbourne Central is one of them. Originally from Sydney, they have a new store here in Melbs, this time with some particularly hardcore opening hours (open till midnight fri-Sat). Not only are they catching the walk-by lunch crowd, they’re cashing in on the after hours drinking crowd too. Smart no?

Snag Stand proudly state that they only use “Australia’s most respected and awarded artisan butchers”. They’re also pretty fancy with their sauces; with the likes of truffle aioli and a BBQ one made from Coopers’ Pale Ale. They have plenty of interesting combinations all around the $9 mark. There’s also an option to just purchase a “snag in a roll” for $6.90 with toppings at an additional $1 each. I decided to tuck into the Backyarder described as “Classic Aussie beef and tomato sausage on a rustic roll with creamy coleslaw, Coopers Ale BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese” ($8.90).

I was curious to find out whether Snag Stand was more gourmet BBQ or over-priced fast food. I’m disappointed to say it was the latter; with the “rustic roll” remarkably similar to the sugary buns at the golden arches and coleslaw so laden with chemicals that it practically stung my eyes, I felt swindled. The sausage itself was great, I’ll give them that, but tarting it up with the cheapest bread and toppings they could source was a very bad move. As for the Coopers Ale BBQ sauce, I couldn’t distinguish it from the sharp tang of the coleslaw. 

I can only imagine myself returning to eat at Snag Stand under very specific conditions; very late at night after far too much to drink and an unusual amount of money left in my wallet. Snags, I’ll see you then.

The Backyarder ($8.90)

Food: 1.5/5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 1/5

Where: Shop 13 Midtown Plaza (Cnr of Bourke and Swanston Streets)

When: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm Sat 9am-4pm Sun 11am-4pm

Contact: (03) 9654 7778

Pricing: Mains under $25

Vego Friendly

Cash and Card

Sandwich special: Chicken shnitzel with avocado and corn salsa and lime mayonnaise with a side salad ($14.95)

So it seems my favourite CBD eatery is pushing my limits a little bit. Today I ordered the sandwich special, a chicken shnitzel with avocado and corn salsa and lime mayonaise ($14.95), a little bland but ok and with a ‘kickin’ awesome’ salad per usual. However my friends who are weekly regulars have been complaining about the poor service and over-heated (to the point of un-chewable lasagne tops) food. So I was curious to re-review and see how things were going.

While my food was chewable and not over-heated I did notice a distinct difference between the attitudes of the new staff compared to the old (original) peeps. While the long-serving staff were lovely and quick to find us a table, and then an even better table when one became available, the new kids were rather grumpy that we were waiting for a friend who was running fifteen minutes late. We were asked to order three times before she arrived.

After feeling like we’d made enemies of ourselves with the staff we nevertheless managed to enjoyed our meal. After one of us had put their fork down, a waitress snatched the plate away while everyone else was still eating. Then one by one, as if our plates were being hunted, they were snatched beneath us until the last person sat there awkwardly finishing their meal on a naked table. It’s just bad manners to clear the plates away while others on the table are still eating, anyone knows that. To make things worse, our after-lunch coffees came with the bill, which we had not asked for nor been ready for. One of my friends remarked, “I was going to order another coffee, but now I won’t”.

Mister Close is no doubt pushed to capacity as it’s popularity soars, and new staff have been hired to keep up with the pace. However it is so important to maintain the loyalty of one’s customers and I think they’re at serious risk at the moment.

Hopefully we’ll see some better practices from Mister Close soon, as I’m not ready to break up just yet.

Where: L1, 243 Swanston St Melbourne

When: Mon,Tues 11am-12am, Weds, Thurs 11am-3am, Fri 11am-6am, Sat 1pm- 6am, Sun 6am-1am

Contact: (03) 9663 2916

Vego :)

Payment: Cash and CC accepted

If you’re from Melbourne you no doubt have been to or at least heard of The Lounge. For over 20 years this venue has been feeding, watering and boogying the locals. It interests me that this iconic venue isn’t in fact, really crap by now. Their capacity to reinvent themselves by showcasing local artwork, music and by tweaking their menu often enough has kept The Lounge from melting away when the 90’s did. Vibe-wise, they manage to keep Average Joe happy with their relaxed balcony, tap beer and pub-meal options while the more artistic-minded punter can enjoy the showcased work and ever-changing ceiling features (currently upside-down, plastic, potted plants). Foodies can order beyond the realm of the steak and parma and vegetarians will never go hungry here.

We rocked up for after work drinkies and food, and sat ourselves out on the balcony which now sports thick glass windows which can be lowered or lifted depending how much breeze you like in your hair. The large tables and generous floor space are great for large groups. It is unfortunate that smokers dominate the balcony, which detracts from any amount of fresh air you may have had the opportunity to inhale while out there. If you can ignore this it is nice to sit and watch Melbourne light up as Friday night begins.

Cajun Chicken Burger ($13.00)

We ordered the nachos ($13.50), a plate of dips ($12) and the Cajun chicken burger ($13). In what I can only assume was an unintended mishap, the burger arrived an hour after first ordered, long after the other meals were eaten. Timing aside, the burger was good; the lemony, spiced fillet was juicy and the bread wasn’t dry and dusty like so many pub burgers can be. The pink mayonnaise or “Southwest Sauce” was a little weird, probably because it was sweet. They could do better by using the aioli usually served with their fries instead. The smoky flavours of the char-grilled bun and fillet however, brought the whole thing home nicely, tasty good.

Dips ($12)

The nachos were a fantastic array of colour all in a comforting gooey pile. All the best comfort food comes as a pile doesn’t it? The only questionable factor was the $13 price tag, at fifty cents more than the burger with chips I had to wonder how even their pricing was. Also why was the burger listed under “Light Meals”? It wasn’t really smaller than the “main meals”. The dips, also rather expensive at $12 were alright. While the babaganoush was delightfully garlicy and sloppy the hummus was a bland paste, stiff enough to snap the dukkah crisp I was attempting to scoop it with. The pieces of grilled bread were herbed and salted nicely.

Nachos ($13.50)

I’ll probably always go to The Lounge because I find it to be consistently acceptable; the food, the staff and the music create a decent socialising spot where your attention is focused on the person you’re talking to because you have the space to relax, and the time to sit there as long as you like. Because you’re not going to be hurried out because there’s a line of people waiting for your table, nor are you going to cop a lecture from a waiter about where your steak used to frolic and which organic greenery it munched on before it was cooked for you. The Lounge is accessible, unpretentious and fuss free. 

Food: 2.5/5

Service: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Where: 267 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne

When: Mon 9am-8pm, Tues-Weds 9am-Late, Thur-Sat 9am-3am Sun 9am-11pm

Contact: (03) 9663 1700

Dine in/Take-away

Veg & Vegan :)

So the last time I went to Rue Bebelons’ the guy who served me tried to charge me more for a cappuccino than for a latte, because you know, “cappuccinos are harder to make”. I was quite able to talk myself out of paying the “cappuccino tax” but nevertheless I didn’t feel overly compelled to return. Fortunately there’s been a change in management, or so I’ve heard. And now the great service is enough of a reason on its own to return to the Bebelons’.

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If Rue Bebelons’ had shtick it would probably be something like ‘eclectic, eccentric, jazz/soul/funk, cult hide-out’. I don’t know if you can have “cult cafes” but it certainly feels like one to me. What strikes me about it is how completely non-conventional it is, but at the same time they’re in no way subscribing to any sort of pretentious sub-culture. It’s not a “hipster” place; you don’t sit on milk crates and listen to music that was released in the last five minutes while sipping on an $8 cold drip coffee. They play crazy sort of music, in a crazy sort of way (possibly too loud to have a lunch-time conversation over) and their coffee is three bucks. Speaking of, my cappuccino was pretty good with a slightly bitter smoked flavour, its luke-warmness my only gripe.

Pastrami baguette ($6)

So what was for lunch? Well it’s a very easy choice so happens, with only baguettes and soup on the menu. All baguettes come with avocado, cheese, cucumber, tomato, beetroot, lettuce and mayonnaise but you choose the main filler (either pastrami, salami or more salad). At just $6 regular size or $8 large they’re a steal and probably enough to convince you to never make your own lunch again. I had the pastrami and would most likely come back for another considering the excellent value for money, but there isn’t a lot to say about it. They’re literally as if you’d walked down to the supermarket, and put it together yourself (as the bread and meat aren’t anything special) but could you really be bothered doing that? No, didn’t think so. More impressive but equally well priced is the cake; I had the flourless orange toffee cake ($3.50). It had a friendly homemade feel and a pulpy granulated texture with a chewy toffee splash on top. Comforting, juicy, soft, which is all you need in a cake really.

Flourless orange cake and toffee cake ($3.50)

I’m also quite excited to try the $4 pizzas which start from 4pm, perfect to fuel a night out on. You actually really could stay at Rue Bebelons’ all night; they move from café to bar surely and steadily over the afternoon. You could come for a baguette and before you know it be chuzzling sangria at four in the afternoon. Sounds fun to me, which is just the vibe I get from the guys who work there; they genuinely seem like they’re enjoy being there. Good vibes for the staff means good vibes for everyone else, I’ll be back.

Food: 3/5

Service: 5/5

Ambiance: 3.5/5

Where: Shop 28G 350 Bourke St Melbourne (behind the pizza place in the GPO lane)

When: Mon-Sun Lunch, Thurs-Fri Dinner 

Contact: (03) 9663 7767

Cash & CC

Licensed

Cooked tuna and cucumber hand roll ($3.40 each T/A, $3.60 eat in)

Five years ago there seemed nothing more cool and convenient than grabbing a fresh sushi hand roll from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and garnishing it with wasabi and soy fish dribble. Yet I think it is safe to say that the golden age of fast sushi is on it’s way down to scunge-town. Too many times I’ve eaten a hand roll which was old and tired. So after several bad experiences and some media hype about salmonella sushi, I’d stopped eating it altogether. That is until recently…

A friend brought me to Kenzan the other day, snuggled into the GPO laneway between Bourke and Lil Bourke streets it’s a dark place with most of the day light obscured by the buildings on either side. Absolutely packed with eaters, Kenzan’s service is snappy and efficient, so you better know what you plan to order before you are served. There is a large range of Japanese dishes but I was just doing a quick stop-in so I bought two sushi hand rolls ($3.40 T/A $3.60 Eat in, each) from the glass cabinet, most likely Kenzan’s best-sellers. 

Crispy coating

After receiving my order I was glad to have my friend there to explain how to eat it. Unlike usual hand rolls which are ready to eat as they are, Kenzan’s rolls are covered in cellophane with the seaweed separated from the rice. Preferably sitting at a table if you can find one (it’s usually very crowded) you’ll need to un-peel the plastic off both seaweed and rice roll and roll it up yourself. It’s easier than it seems because the rice is really sticky and the seaweed very dry and porous. The result is a salty, crunchy outer and a fresh bouncy filling of excellent quality. I had the cooked tuna and cucumber, unadventurous maybe, satisfyingly delicious, totally. Free soy and wasabi was a bonus. I can’t wait to stop by soon for a proper sit-down meal and a can of Choya Plum wine!

Fresh and bouncy filling

Food: 4/5

Where: Shop 13 Midtown Plaza (Cnr of Bourke and Swanston Streets)

When: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 11am-4pm

Contact: (03) 9654 7778

Pricing: Mains under $25

Vego :)

Cash and Card

I don’t know about you, but the thought of eating a weekend lunch in the city usually sends shivvers down my spine. Melbourne, as cosmopolitan as it is, has not yet blossomed into a 24/7 food haven. There are plenty of good lunch places around during the week but they pack up and leave come Friday afternoon. Fortunately that’s starting to change, and you can now get something other than Little Bourke St Chinese. A fine example of a weekend feeder is Mister Close. It is conveniently “close”; sitting right in the middle of Bourke St Mall. Don’t feel bad if you can’t see it right away, it’s in that arcade on the Swanston St corner. Just head like you’re going to Starbucks but then take a last-minute dive to the right and you’ll see it.  

Because people don’t usually come to Midtown Plaza for a weekend lunch, Mister Close is less hectic than on a weekday. Yet even in the lunch-time rush, staff are welcoming and do their very best to get you comfortable straight away. As soon as you so much as glance at a waiter they’ll have you sitting with a gigantic bottle of tap-water and a menu. There’s something so nice about not having to ask for water, and having so much that you never have to ask for anymore. For those in a hurry, orders can be made at the register otherwise you can eat café-style in the lusciously fitted-out interior. Mister Close does such a great job with lighting, furniture and music that it is entirely possible to forget you’re in a mall.

Although Mister Close specialises in sandwiches and salads I am always tempted by the more “restaurant” options, and I haven’t been a disappointed yet. On my latest visit I had the Italian Meatballs served with Mash ($17.90) which was all sorts of impressive. Served in their trademark ceramic ramekin on a little cheese board, the meatballs were good, and it is hard to make a good meatball. The real champion however was the mash, which was really more like scalloped potatoes with a chewy breadcrumbed cheese topping. A little bit sliced, a little bit mashed and softly tingling with blue cheese. A fresh sprinkling of roquette topped the dish which would have been even better with a hint of dressing.

Italian Meatballs served with Mash ($17.90)

My dining partner had the Moroccan Lamb Pie, which in my excitement I forgot to record the price-tag for, apologies. Whatever he paid for it though, was bound to be worth it, as it was by far the best thing I’ve tasted on the menu. It was a floppy, free-form sort of pie with an intensely rich centre, infused with spices (including a whole cinnamon stick) and melt-in-your-mouth lamb pieces. Although the pie was on the small side it did come with a pot of lemon-infused natural yoghurt and a yummy roquette salad with walnuts, currants and blue cheese.

Moroccan Lamb Pie

The coffees were hot and nicely done, making the most out of a fairly average blend of bean. It is unfortunate that most Fair Trade coffee beans are a bit ‘blah’. This one is really too bitter for my liking, but my cappuccino had a generous dusting of chocolate to smooth things over.

I will be visiting Mister Close again soon, it ticks pretty much all of my boxes, and hopefully it will tick lots of yours too.

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Ambience: 3.5/5