11/17/2018

Muharam Cafe (Hawthorn, Vic)

I had a great experience at this Middle-Eastern influenced cafe. I ordered one of their breakfast boards, which has a few samplings of everything. Everything was good, especially the fritter with avo, poached egg and accompanying capsicum salsa. The granola was yummy, too. The mini-croissant was average. Good coffee. The place is modern, clean lines and decor, and very vibrant. Some of the staff were really friendly, but others were totally the opposite. I visited late in the day, so it might be tiredness.

10/02/2018

Prospect Espresso (Camberwell, Vic)

I had a weekday visit to this place and was really pleased with everything. Very good coffee. Menu options were a bit disappointing, but the dish I had was very good regarding flavour; perhaps it lacked a bit of finesse, but was yummy nevertheless. The staff were really sweet and lovely. Service is friendly and relaxed. Small premises, intimate and cosy cafe. Great ambience music. Relaxed vibe overall.

Gloria Jean's Coffees (Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong Vic)

I love Gloria Jeans flavoured coffees. The shop at Highpoint is really tiny, and not inviting to stay there for long, so perfect for takeaway. Not as nice or complete as other shops of the franchise. The staff are very hard-working and friendly, and service is always prompt, but paying 6+ bucks for a small flavoured coffee is a bit too much and really I doubt that I will go back.

Dumplings Plus (Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong Vic)

I prefer this shop on the ground to the one on the 2nd floor in Highpoint. I like their steamed dumpling baskets; they are generous in size, fresh, and the filling is good. My fav dumplings are the chicken & ginger, and the prawn & chives. My main complain is that they tend to be over-steamed, so the dough gets a bit dry and sticky after being on the hot cabinet for a while. Also, I found big chunks of shell from the prawns inside the dumplings. Good cheap jasmine tea pots. Very friendly accommodating staff. If you cannot finish your dish, ask for a takeaway container! It has a very friendly staff, quick service and an ample seating area, however, the tables lacked small dishes to put the sauces.

Rustica (Hawthorn, Vic)

I've been here a couple of times, and I like the place. The menu, to be fair, wasn't that innovative, but if you do well what you offer, then you win me over easily. I had the Babaganush eggs and wow, I could not fault the dish. All the flavours worked beautifully together, a great mix of textures, the eggs were perfectly poached, and the whole ensemble was flawless. I felt tempted to lick the dish! I love Rustica doughnuts, they are sweet but not overly so, and full of flavour. Coffee is good. Fast service. My main complaints are the seating area itself, and the fact that the staff aren't especially friendly

9/30/2018

House of Marley Positive Vibration 2 Wireless Headphones

I have had a pair of this for over two months. Herewith a wrap-up of my experience.

GOOD THINGS
> Good quality sound.
> Good bass.
> Cool design. Very classy and elegant, and they blend perfectly with brown hair.
> Buttons and connecting sockets are discreetly located and barely noticeable, so the set looks very polished.
> Good Bluetooth range, so I can move around my apartment without the quality of the sound changing of the connection braking up.
> It can be easily folded into itself and it is easy to carry. 

SO-SO
> The Battery life. Not too bad but not too good either. Be sure to switch off the set if you aren't going to use it because, otherwise, the battery drains fast. If you switch them off, it will last you for several days of casual listening.
> The phone cord is a bit short and a bit too thick to carry it outside home.
> The design of the switch on-off button could be better. I would have preferred an on-off button that works without having to hold it, just by pushing it once.
 

NOT SO GOOD THINGS
> The earphone pods are too small even for small adult ears, like mine.
> The earphone set is too tight and pressures the head too much. As one can adjust the length of the pods but not the tightness, this set can give you a headache if you want to use it for more than a couple of hours at the time. This is my case, and I have a small head.
> No indicator of battery percentage left. I mean, even if there was, the indicator is at the base of one of the pods, so if you are wearing them you won't be able to see them. It would be great to have a notification bubble appearing on my device showing battery levels. Just a suggestion!

Overall, a good pair of earphones, but there are too many things needing improvement to ignore.

9/22/2018

Colori D'Italia Pizza - Pasta - Cucina (Melbourne CBD)

GOOD
A bit of everything sort of cafeteria.
Generous portions.
Good priced.
Fast service.
Clean spacious premises.
Lovely staff.
Great location.

NOT SO GOOD
The food., bland, unseasoned, lacking flavour. I visited for an early lunch, when the pre-prepared pasta dishes had been just cooked, and the pasta was already a bit on the soft side, not on the al-dente side. I think it would have been overcooked if I had visited 10 minutes later. 

MIND
During the day, which is when I visited, this is more a cafeteria (a la hospital) which offers a bit of everything, mostly pre-prepared food, than a cafe or restaurant. They have a selection of rolls, sandwiches and prepared Italian dishes (fresh pasta dishes, meatballs) for you to choose from.  Except for the breakfast and pizzas, which are cooked on order, the food they were serving was all pre-cooked. On the other hand, for those prices, you cannot expect real Italian either.