9/08/2018

Billy's Central (Melbourne Central, Vic)

I've been to this place plenty of times due to its convenient location and prompt service.

I like their menu, which changes often. Everything I have tried has been good, on the large size, and nicely presented. They also have a good selection of smoothies and teas. However, I have always left feeling that my food could have been better, that my dishes were a step down for what they were intended to be, if you know what I mean. Take the last dish I had, for example, the taste was good, all the single elements were great, but the toast was too small to accommodate all the adds-ons, and the dish lacked texture, so it was all too 'mashy'.  I think if they put a bit of more thought on the dishes, the food could be even better.

Good coffee.

Friendly staff and quick service.

Functional premises.

Average prices.

La Porchetta (Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong Vic)

If you are hungry and craving carbs in the Highpoint shopping mall this is your place. They have a mix of pasta and pizza dishes, with different sizes on offer. I had one of their small pizzas (the sausage, broccoli and ricotta) and it was very tasty. Not bad, but not good either. The small size is more than enough for lunch. Friendly caring staff. Outdated premises. I found the prices on the high side for what they serve, but this is Highpoint.

Unabara Lobster & Oyster Bar (Melbourne Central, Vic)

I've been there a couple of times, and left feeling that the dishes tasted good but were way overpriced, especially taking into account that some of the dumplings are frozen. I love their mocktails. Correct service, but on the slow side even when the place is not half full. Great location. They aren't happy to adjust dishes, so they lose business just because of their lack of flexibility.

8/28/2018

The Resistance (Hawthorn Vic)

Don't resist the resistance! They have great burgers and fries at reasonable prices, in a killer location and very friendly staff. The burger was asbsolutely yummy, well assembled, the bun the righ size, so tender and briochey. Flavoursome well cooked meat. I had the simpler burger and I was impressed. Why not 5 stars? Because it took ages for a simple burger to come to my place even though I was the only customer waiting. And because, to me, the place lacks a bit of glam.

#Somalieats (Flemington, Vic)

Honest authentic Somali food at reasonable prices. The food is cooked from scratch, home-style, something that always excites me. The place is frequented by first and second generation Somalis, so that's a guarantee of authenticity to me.

I had the tasting platter. It has two yummy fritters,  hearty spiced rice with lamb, and a refreshing yogurt-based dessert with mango, grated coconut and walnuts. I loved everything.  The mains are man-size, so you won't leave hungry. The tasting platter is also man-sized, something that always makes my belly happy.  

The staff are really friendly.

Relaxed atmosphere. 

I would happily give them five stars if it wasn't because some dishes were still unavailable, and on the making, after 1pm; on the other hand, is understandable as there are just a couple of ladies attending to the kitchen.

I love genuine  international food eateries, and this is one of those!

Saint James (Malvern, Vic)

I went all the way to this place due to the high ratings, and I was disappointed except for the coffee, which was excellent. My dish was good enough, but nothing especial. I had the bacon mash cake dish and it was lovely; I especially liked the accompanying sauces and pickles and a the overall dish. However, if you mention 'bacon' together with 'mash, I expect the bacon to be more noticeable. Friendly staff. OK premises

8/11/2018

Ubuntu Vegan Cafe (Hawthorn Vic)

I had a great experience in this vegan cafe. I am not vegan but omnivorous, so I also eat vegan. and I am fascinated by how veganism works with taste. 

I had the Lizzy burger, with comes with a basket of sweet-potato chips. Wow! It is a mix of beetroot brioche bun, pineapple and Portobello mushrooms, an odd mix of things, I thought. However, all the flavours work together and my burger was finger-leaking yummy. The chips were also yummy, crunchy and very tasty.   The main downside is  that, due to the way the burger was assembled, the filling kept sliding out, so I had to use knife and fork to finish my burger. To me, that's a let down because a burger is something I want to eat with my bare hands.

I'm a bit of a coffee nerd. Not having skim milk to have mine was a bit of, I dunno. However, they have an excellent soya milk coffee! The soya barely noticeable.

The staff were totally awesome, genuinely friendly.

The premises lack character, so it is not a place you go to experience the place and ambience.

Pricing is on the high side.