Middle Fish

Delicious Southern Thai cuisine is dished up in Middle Fish by some of the friendliest waiters I've ever come across. I can not emphasize enough just how welcoming they were as the staff really embraced the family teamwork ethos. To round the package off the setting is exceptional. Based in a former warehouse, the character of the place really shines through with the exposed brick walls, lofty ceilings and commissioned artwork all coming together to create something worthy of an episode of Grand Designs.

Four years ago I literally lived around the corner from Middle Fish and it was probably the first non student-bargain-fest restaurant I desired to visit. It took a long time to overcome my seemingly unending desire for mcdoubles but eventually I ended up back on Berkeley Street. I was however always far too drawn to indulge myself in Seven Seeds. Middle Fish really is on the same level though. Worth noting is that they apparently had a new menu here when I visited. That menu is ridiculously long, you'll spend ages choosing.

Iced tea with condensed milk $3.5

As I have shamefully allowed to happen too many times. I visited the place a month ago and am fuzzy on the details ie. the captions could be off. As could everything else tbh. First off though, the iced tea was amazing! It had just the right amount of sweetness from the condensed milk to ensure it was straight up delicious but not enough to change the texture to something heavier and more desert like.

Kai Jiew $14.50 - Omelette with spring onion, tofu & toasted sesame seeds on white rice.

As it wasn't long after becoming afternoon, I felt a traditional breakfast option should be on the cards. The Kai Jiew can be had with chicken or tofu. As I don't use too much tofu in my cooking my decision might've been made on a perceived requirement to compensate. It was a good decision. The dish was hearty and had just what you need to set you up for a long day. Flavours blended well but I guess that's to be expected in a traditional dish.

Ka Nhom Jeen $16 - Crispy fried soft shell crab, vermicelli noodle with carrots & southern Thai curried fish broth

The first curry we picked out was apparently hot af so reverted to a milder soft shell crab option. At the moment I swear ssc is a way over hyped burger filling. This was a good use of the meat. Thais just know how sweet, sour and salt should fuse together and this is a fine example.

End verdict: Walk past the doors of Seven Seeds and venture into this place sometime, you won't regret it.

The Merrywell

A down to earth burger bar providing a welcome escape from the white table-cloth lined restaurants at the Crown Southbank promenade. The Merrywell serves up diner style food as most of us know and love at reasonable prices, plus it also boasts an award winning burger that I just had to try. On reflection, the Merrywell is a place the average Australian can go to when having a little bit fancy night at the casino and not have to worry about other people's tastes, as everyone likes a burger (or taco). As a side note, I'd strongly recommend Munich Brauhaus if you're just looking for a place along the water with beer + food - 1 litre glasses, enough said.

Need more neon in Melbourne - look how cool it looks

The menu is clearly designed to mimic the American 1960's style whilst the decor exudes more of a modern cosmopolitan vibe, especially as one glances out the windows to the blue lights of the Melbourne skyline.

Oreo Milkshake $7.50 - Free cherry on top!

The milkshake list here is really quite good with options like 'the fluffernutter', spiced chai and mint chocolate. I suppose I was a bit conservative with my choice but I've got a particular sweetspot for Oreo milkshakes after having been my one relief to the pain of monthly braces tightening. This one is top notch btw ;)

The Merrywell $22 - Beef patty, bacon, cheese, pickles, L.T.O, special sauce, ketchup , mustard & french fries

I'll start off by saying this is no Huxtaburger. Anyone that tries to tell me the best burger in Melbourne is from anywhere else will get a grumpy cat no answer. Beyond that this is actually a pretty good offering. Look at the ingredients and picture the beef being moist, even dripping a bit with the bun lovely and fresh. Solid burger. Chips were alright. Seemed a bit week alongside the burger.

The Hillbilly $15 - Fried chicken, creamy cabbage slaw, jalapeno honey & lime

The healthier choice pictured above was pleasant. I can't rave about it though.
End verdict: I've been here a few too many times but I'm sure I'll end up back soon enough.

Journeyman

So apparently there was this amazing place on Chapel street with a 91% that I'd somehow never heard of. Enter the fray: Journeyman. This place serves up the usual brunch favourites including basics like beans on toast. It does though like every other place of this calibre, pimp them out. Not in a whacky way, but more of a creative twist.

The place itself is fairly nice. Set amongst a retail strip, Journeyman has done a fantastic job at incorporating warehouse renovation trends but in a manner complimentary to its surrounds. By that I mean there is a marked transition as one walks deeper into the cafe (it's rather long) tending towards a more industrialised look as you withdraw from Chapel street. Enough drivel pretending I'm an architect for now, food time!

Man's bald head, with cafe in the background

Gf opted for one of the sandwiches. This is an example of something fairly conventional that was just exceedingly delicious. The almond and cornflake coating worked a treat at complimenting the chicken breast texture. It was homely flavours as I imagine them to be in indulgent pockets of Southern America.

Almond and cornflake crispy chicken $17 - with red cabbage slaw, coriander, lime, charred corn and tomato salsa

Croquette's were my choice in part due to just how much I love a full dish of them every time I return to my country of origin. Instead of being filled solely with potato as I am (very well) accustomed to, they were stuffed with beautifully tender pork. The dish had the crunchiness of the apple, moisture of the hollandaise and the good stuff in the well seasoned pork as well as egg. According to the cooking shows which I waste countless hours watching, this plate had all the elements of a fantastic dish.

Crispy pork croquette $17 - with poached eggs, cider vinegar hollandaise, apple and spinach

The food was well washed down with some fresh OJ and a delightfully cheap filter coffee.
End verdict: Great place to duck into on a shopping expedition south of the river.

Batch brewed filter $3

400 Gradi

400 Gradi has become somewhat of an institution of late in Melbourne. With good reason too. The margherita verace that propelled the restaurant to fame last year is undoubtedly of great quality. If you were to look the restaurant up online today you would encounter a mixed bag of reviews. Quite simply it has fallen victim to hyped expectations that some diners seem to get when visiting renowned/celebrity chef restaurants.

The place is located on the northern section of Lygon street well beyond the traditional pizza pasta strip. It's well worth the journey especially as that end of East Brunswick is bursting with character.

At the restaurant the gf and I went for our standard approach at Italian restaurants:
1 pasta
1 pizza

Such optimisation yo!

Paccheri rigati al sugo d’Anatra $29 - Pasta Paccheri rigate cooked with duck ragu

The pasta probably cost more than some people might think reasonable. I was payday money blind though so no worries! The duck was incredibly tender (read delicious) but I reckon the pasta itself was a tad bit harder than I would've liked.

Margherita verace $21 - San Marzano tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil

Delicious! Best I've ever had? Don't know about that but who cares, that's for judges in far flung countries to decide. I'd be delighted to come back for this. Thin and very moist. To the extent I had to refrain from my usual philistine techniques and equip a knife and fork. Well, for the inner third - the rest was fine in the hand.

Arancini $6 (each) - Crumbed rice ball made with bolognese, peas, saffron served with spicy rosé sauce

 I was starving during this excursion as this was essentially a really late breakfast lunch as always seems to happen on weekends. Hence two starters. Decided to have everything arrive at once: Asian style! With both dishes the sauces were perfect. So well seasoned. The eggplant was particularly pleasant whilst the arancini ball was a bit meh. Worth noting is the good value these did present.

End Verdict: Fairly obvious - I'll be back.

Involtini di melanzane $6 (each) - Eggplant layer with smoked scarmoza, prosciutto cotto, basil, parmesan rolled & oven baked in Napoli sauce

Cacao Lab

Finished work early enough so thought hey, lets spice up the home cooking with a fancy desert. I've walked passed Cacao Lab a few dozen times in Emporium and it always looks appealing as can be. It has one of the brightest shopfronts around so you certainly cant miss it when passing through Driver Lane.

I picked up two of their signature eclairs. Picking was a challenge in itself as the flavours on offer really fun and quirky. Zumbo level diversity.

I really need to write these posts up after consuming the food as I really can't remember what either of these were called. Regardless, get the popcorn one! That thing is godly. Cacao Lab has just shot its way to the top of my fav. desert places. Can't wait to try some of the other eclairs/cakes. 

Industry Beans

I love Fitzroy and I swear if you're going to come across anything interesting in Melbourne, it'll be there. As such hopes are always high for a brunch around here and Industry Beans certainly didn't disappoint.

I actually heard of this cafe not because of the food but due to an award winning interior design. To be honest I didn't really see much of it as the place was full and I was quickly ushered to the outdoor seating. This area probably could've done with an extra fan or two as I was dripping in sweat. Anyway, onto the food!

Passionfruit Panna Cotta $17 - Chia seed granola, rosewater compressed watermelon and rhubarb

I opted for the delight above. All together the flavours mused well and it was a refreshing (very late) breakfast. The rhubarb gel as well as the panna cotta had great soft textures complemented nicely by the crunchiness of the granola. Perhaps a bit too much compressed watermelon for my liking, but then again I'm not a huge fan of the fruit in general. Oh, and the flowers were cute.

Coconut Crusted Brioche $18 - Pineapple compote crushed peanuts, lime curd and coffee caviar

The highlight here was definitely the coffee caviar. It was sort of like jelly balls that when bit into just released a lovely fresh burst of coffee in your mouth. The brioche itself was pleasantly sweet with a subtle undertone of coconut. Peanuts added saltiness to the dish to balance out the sweet salt levels. Pretty yum light summery dish.

I think on balance the brioche was tastier as the panna cotta felt like more of a health food dish.

End verdict: Good food, excellently presented amid great surrounds.

Miss Marmalade

The details of my encounter with Miss Marmalade's are somewhat fuzzy for it's been at least a month since my visit. I write this post mostly out of a feeling of obligation to cover each rateworthy dining experience since my last holiday at the end of January.

Moving on, I recall the cafe being located on a quiet Brunswick street, deceptively suburban for the inner suburbs. The place itself was attuned with the area's vibe - a very homely and family friendly establishment. I sat in what I guess was essentially a secondary room out the back that lacked some of the 'make-up' of the primary. This was fine as the air con here was turned right up helping me catch a breather from the scorching February sun.

Man'which $14 - Slow cooked BBQ pulled pork in brioche buns with chipotle mayo, caramelized onions, and a side of fries

The menu itself has a bunch of classic brunch options refined by the chefs own flair. My partner opted for the Man'which (as she is currently obsessed with sliders) whilst I opted for The Big (I was just hungry).

The Man'which had some good Macca's style shoe-string fries. I genuinely can't remember how the sliders tasted but I'm being assured by a certain someone sitting on the couch with me that they were yum! The Big was served on quite a large plate so don't let the photos deceive you. It was really quite filling - and tasty. At least I think it was The Big but hey.. End verdict: worth a revisit.

The Big $18.60 - Greens free range eggs cooked as you’d like them, double smoked bacon, saucy beans with tomato, rosemary and garlic, crunchy house made hash brown, braised button mushrooms, spicy chorizo and tomato relish on organic sourdough