Posts Tagged ‘CBD’
It is fascinating how a small circle of batter can carry with it such confusion from the way it is pronounced to its origin. I will be the first to admit that apart from enjoying these fancy little treats, I didn’t give its history much thought until I discovered La Belle Miette. It was here that I first heard the word MacarOn (Mah-Ka-Rhon) used instead of MacarOOn ( Mak-Kah-Roon) to describe these fragile cookies. This had me intrigued as I have always pronounced it like the latter and there was no way the Master Chef judges could get it wrong too or could they? Read More
Buried deep within the confines of China Town in the CBD, Shoya is a restaurant recommended by many for its modern spin on traditional Japanese Omakase cuisine. Would Japanese master-chef Shigeo Nonaka live up to his reputation for unique and exquisite flavours? Read More
The Nicolini family have been affectionately referred to as the Pizza Kings of Melbourne since their humble beginnings with Pizza Espresso in 1997. Repeatedly voted the city’s best Pizzeria, they successfully revolutionized thick, cheap and greasy pizzas to “designer” pizzas with thinner, crispier crusts topped with gourmet ingredients. The business was subsequently sold in 2003 and the brothers moved onto trendier grounds to open Carlton Espresso in the same year, followed by nearby D.O.C. in 2007. The pizza story didn’t end there; with the opening of +39 and Espressino in 2009. Read More
A frivolous decision landed us at Mexico’s doorstep after Mr. Photographer finished his hair appointment in the city one fine Saturday. At 5pm, it was too early for dinner and too late for afternoon tea leaving us with hardly any safe options. The one easy choice would have been my current haunt Chin Chin but after dining there seven times in a span of a month was becoming quite a cause for concern. So with brief deliberations and opening hours in check, I flippantly suggested the other super hyped eatery Mamasita. Read More
This is exactly the kind of eatery I have been waiting for; outrageously unrestrained flavours served all day in a snazzy setting. Chin Chin needs no lengthy introduction here because the last time I looked on Urbanspoon, it had 50 blog posts and 140 reviews after being open for a mere five months. Entrepreneur and Pearl restaurant owner Chris Lucas must be one fine master in persuasion for luring two of Australia’s top Mod-Asian chef gurus to head his latest venture in Melbourne’s CBD; Executive Chef Andrew Gimber (ex Jimmy Liks, Nahm) and Head Chef Ben Cooper (ex St Ali, Nobu, Ezard, Nahm, Longrain). So with CVs that impressive, does the food match up to the frenzied media hype? Without a doubt, it is an absolute yes! Read More
It’s not often that we venture out to the city for an evening meal given the traffic, car parking difficulties and the inconvenience of distance. This was punctuated by the fact that an AFL final was on that evening and spectators streaming out of the Melbourne Cricket Ground would be on the prowl for dinner. Alas, this outing was for a special occasion and we always make exceptions for special occasions. For some, this meant paying top dollar for a car park even when they didn’t really need to. Read More
“He who controls the spice, controls the Universe.” – Baron Harkonnen.
As an asian with a Chinese/Malaysian background to boot, going to a place that is known for wings so spicy that it will “take you to hell and back” is something I knew I had to cross off my proverbial food bucket list.
So, late last month, a friend and I decided to make the trek down to the CBD, to test our mettle against what was being called the spiciest wings in Melbourne!
Who wins? Who loses? More importantly. . . are these wings just overdosed scoville skewers or is there something here that will keep us coming back for more?