(almost) 4 days in Melbourne

It's amazing how short a 4 day trip to somewhere you love can feel. No matter how long I schedule for my visits to Melbourne I can never squish in everything I want to see...let alone everything I want to eat. I gave it my best shot though on this last trip...

Mamasita

As soon as I dropped my bags at my hotel I raced out to grab a late lunch at Mamasita.This is one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne and until Mr Moustache opened in Sydney it was the best Mexican I'd ever had in Australia. I always order a Tamarind Jarrito (I've never seen this on offer anywhere else), Mexican corn (oh Lord, its good! The cheese, the cheese!), soft shell tacos (fish is their best) and a bowl plantain chips (again with the cheese).

Wonderbao

Bao's are the new black...so of course I was desperate to try this place!  I heard about Wonderbao about a year ago and up until this trip they'd not been opening on weekends. It didn't really matter this time as I'd arrived in Melbourne on a Thursday...but for future weekend trips I'm glad I can pay them a visit on the weekend.

The cafe is a little hard to find...it's at the back of a modern-looking building and faces out to a small laneway. The space is tiny, just a few bench seats inside but when I arrive for afternoon I manage to snaffle myself a seat. If I hadn't *just* had lunch at Mamasita I would've gone for a few things on the menu, but as it is I went with the suggestion of one of the staff and choose the braised pork belly gao bao. It's messy...but pretty darn tasty.

Melbourne Cat Cafe

Can I just say "squeeee"! Australia's very first cat cafe opened in Melbourne the week before my visit...talk about epically perfect timing. And no, for all of your smart Alec's out there, they don't serve cat...you get to pay you money and spend an hour stalking cats to pat whilst interrupting their nap time. Fun.

The concept is pretty similar to the cat cafes we visited in Japan this year...though they aren't *quite* as strict with "the rules". We get to leave our shoes on for example and there's a distinct lack of hand sanitizer on every counter (though you should wash your hands in the loos before/after your patting session). The space is WAY bigger than anything we encountered in Japan too...this place had room after room with CATS! Wall to wall CATS (well about 12...so not quite wall to wall).  Just like Japan this is a fun and relaxing way to while away an hour (or more if you book for more time).  Unlike Japan the cats here are all rescue cats...unlike the cat cafes in Japan where most of the "staff" are pure bred. I like our model much better to be honest and all of the cats here seemed really happy with their new digs.

There's not much of a "cafe" to the Cat Cafe but there's a Japanese-esque vending machine downstairs and the staff with bring up a hot drink...or a cold drink...to sip on whilst you pat your cat of choice.

Nama Nama

Cat patting really works up an appetite so I decided to check out Nama Nama for dinner - a casual Japanese udon joint owned by the people behind Izakaya Den.

It was the draw of Udon that made me really want to try this place, and whilst the Udon was good (though pricey) I'm not sure I'm in love with this place. I'm sad the Edamame were served cold -- like out of the fridge cold, the service was 'weird' (I was the only person in the place but had to keep getting up to ask the waitress if I could order) and the bowl the Udon was served in was so deep and awkward for a noob chopstick user (and even difficult when I switched over to a trusty fork). I wish they'd had a few more snack sized dishes to help paid out my Udon.

All of that aside I think this place is closing down soon and being reopened as something else...

Queenies "Breakfast City tour"

The next morning I'd booked myself into a breakfast city tour run by Andrew Prior who was a contestant on Masterchef  (to quote Andrew "the season that noone watched" LOL). Andrew is a very vibrant personality and his vivaciousness and love of food come across as he leads us around Melbourne.

Our tour kicks off with breakfast at Pei Modern and I order the Eggs Benedict with an OJ on the side. I like starting off the tour with a meal...it gives us a chance to hear what the tour guide has to say and to meet our other tour-goers. The eggs-benny are really good...good yolk porn.

This tour doesn't take us "into" a lot of places for sampling like many other tours do, it's more like having a friend show you around town as they point out the tasty places they like to eat. It's perfect for me. I especially liked seeing where Melbourne's smallest bar is located...I wonder if I'd even try to get in given it can only accommodate about 10 people are any one time.

Little Veggie Patch Co

Even though I've packed up my balcony garden I'm still really interested in urban gardens and love to take an opportunity to see community gardens whenever I can.  The Little Veggie Patch Co has a "pop-up patch" on a carpark rooftop behind Federation Square. I've heard that the patch is so popular that it's actually become a permanent fixture and houses plots of inner-city residents/workers plus a host of patches for restaurants. Super cool. I LOVE it!

Supernormal

During the food tour Andrew points out Supernormal to us - a new(ish) modern Asian restaurant located on Flinders Lane. As an aside is Flinders Lane the BEST street in Melbourne, or what? So many great places to eat PLUS my favorite fabric store is on this street too.

I wanted to try Supernormal as Andrew tells us that even though the menu is designed for sharing they are MORE than happy to make smaller portions if you're dining on your own (I was...I came to Melbourne on my own as Dave was gallivanting around Europe on a sporting trip). As soon as I sit down at the counter I'm told that anything I want to order can be made in a smaller portion...nice one Supernormal. After the yummy Lobster Roll at Devon I was keen to try this one -- good, but not *quite* as good as Devon. I also had a yummy (1/2 serve) crab salad and some pickles. Happy. I'd go back here in a heartbeat.

Fonda

I decided to try Fonda for dinner as it was close to my hotel and you know, it's Mexican. Was it as good as Mamasita (if you're a Mamasita fan comparisons have to be made)?  Hmmm...truth be told...no. But it wasn't bad...it just wasn't Mamasita.

I'm not a fan of places where you have to go up to the counter to order, especially when you're dining on your own as it means you cannot leave anything on the table in case someone snaffles it. That aside, the food was good, it just wasn't Mamasita. The corn was good with just the right about of spice to give it a little heat and I loved my margarita...in a jar.

 Cumulus Inc

I went to Cumulus Inc a few times on my trip as it was so close to my hotel and they do really good coffee. The good thing about traveling alone is that you can usually nab a spare seat at the bar without much of a wait - which I do on both my visits. I had the most amazing baked eggs here for breakfast one morning - I think the addition of shankleesh cheese is what really made this dish amazing.

Jimmy Grants

I adored the grain salad I had at Jimmy Grhttp://jimmygrants.com.au/ants during my last Melbourne visit and there was NO way I was missing out on it this trip. I decided to check out the branch at the new Melbourne Emporium - very swish - and I am happy to report the grain salad was just as good as I remember. And, some happy news (if it's true) is that Jimmy Grants is going to be opening a branch in Parramatta. Seems quite random but if the rumour is tree I'm going to be one happy, grain salad eating, camper.

Huxtaburger

After an afternoon of wandering around the fabric shops at Fitzroy I found myself right in the vicinity of Huxtaburger. It would be rude not to pop in for a burger, right? I just love these burgers - soft bun, perhaps cooked and seasoned beef patties. If only Huxtaburger would move to Sydney too.

BistroVue

On my second last day in Melbourne the BFF flew down with his cousin and we decided to go for a fancy dinner at Bistro Vue. I love French food and was really looking forward to this meal but it fell a bit flat for me. The layout of the restaurant just didn't feel very comfortable to me -- we were sort of sat in a corridor and the service felt a bit pushy given that we only had a 2 hour window to eat.

I liked the food that I ordered, steak tartare and a grilled lamb dish. My friends ordered some wonderful French mainstays - confit duck, french onion soup and steak with frittes. We didn't have time to enjoy dessert at BistroVue as we ran out of time...but not too worry, I'd probably eaten enough on this day anyway.

Bowrey to Williamsburg

Are you full yet? Luckily I still had room for one more delicious Melbourne breakfast at the NYC inspired Bowery to Williamsburg. My cornbeef hash with potatoes was delish and my piccolo latte was perfect. I just love how Melbourne has so many great cafes in the CBD that open all weekend...if only Sydney took a leaf out of Melbourne's book in this respect the city would be a much more fun (and tasty place) to hang out on a weekend.

The End xoxo

PS, oh, there may have been a cheeky Souva that I snuck in from Jimmy Grants after breakfast but let's just keep that between us, ok?

Mr Moustache, Bondi

Miss Piggy and The Boy dined as guests of Mr Moustache and Wasamedia.

I'm so happy to have been invited to try Bondi's Mr Moustache - a modern Mexican restaurant that brings the street food flavours of Mexico right to our door here in Sydney.  I've not been to Mexico (yet) but it's immediately obvious that the food at Mr Moustache is not the Tex Mex we're so used to being served here. Hooray *Mexican Wave*.

We sit at the bar, always the best spot in my opinion, and our bartender keeps us entertained throughout our lunch. He gives us a rundown on how Mezcal – the spirit of choice at Mr Moustache – is made and explains the different between this tipple and the ever-famous Tequila (it’s all in the Agave plants used people).

We’re poured a little shot of Mezcal to drink out of a traditional vessel – that looks like a bit seed pod, or half a tennis ball sans fuzzy bits. The Mezcal has a woody, smoky flavour and has quite a warming sensation as you drink it. It’s not overly strong so is quite easy just to drink on its own.

Although why drink Mezcal straight up when there’s cocktails on offer. I get to try two Mezcal-based cocktails over the course of our lunch and they are both GREAT yet totally different to each other.

The first cocktail I try is the "Little Fatso's Fizz" that's a mix of Creme de Pamplemousse (that's grapefruit in French ooh la la), orange bitters, fresh pink grapefruit, fresh lime sugar, egg whites and soda. The drink gets its name as Pamplemousse is often French slang for "Fatty"...phew, noone's calling me fat!

My second drink has such an ethereal title that I choose it based on name alone.  "The Cloud People" is named after the first Indian group to rise to prominence in the Valley of Oaxaca (who are believed to have descended from the clouds). Whilst the first cocktail was quite "light, with a milder taste" The Cloud People really packs a punch thanks to the Nuestra Soleda that is infused with Chilli Ancho.

We're also handed a traditional Mexican bar snack to try - dried mango dusted in chilli salt (they'd run out of grasshoppers which is often what sitting at the bar will get you). The chilli isn't too hot and I love how the salt and sweet mango pair together. 

The Boy sticks to his beverage of choice, beer, though I do try to convince him that “real men do drink cocktails”. No dice. We’re both paritculary impressed by the the “Taco Beer” that has been special designed by two woman who travelled through Mexico and devised a beer that is perfect to drink with Tacos.

One of the joys of sitting at the bar is getting to chat with the bar-tender who offers us some orange wedges that come dusted in Mezcal worm salt.  Yes, that's right WORM salt. The crushed, dried worm has a very smoky, and someone hot flavour - a bit like chilli. It's very good and totally unexpected!

Before our food arrives a trio of house-made salsa arrive at our table. We’re encouraged to add these to our dishes to help enhance the falvours of the food. First up is a Macha – a smoky mix of roasted peanuts and morita chilli. Secondly we have a Serrano – a mild salsa of coriander, lime juice, Serrano chilli, onion and gGarlic. And last but not least, a hot little Habanero.

The minute I taste the ESQUITES I know that Sydney finally has it’s answer to my beloved Mamasita (in fact this place is better but don’t tell anyone as I still want to be able to get a table here whenever I want). A little shot glass is filled with warm corn-off-the-cob that is topped with creamy mayo, soft, melting Fresco cheese and Piquín chilli powder. Far out THIS IS GOOD STUFF!

GUACAMOLE ($13.00) served with house made corn chips alongside freshly made beetroot chips and sweet potato chips. The Guac is fresh and zingy with lots of zesty lemon juice, salt, pepper, pico de gallo. We’re told there are a few secret Mr Moustache ingredients but I think they’d have to kill us if they told us what the secret ingredient is! It’s great to see a twist on the regular side of corn chips with beetroot AND sweet potato chips also jostling for space on the place.

When our next dish comes with a pair of gloves I begin to wonder what is to befall us! We’re told that the TORTITA AHOGADA – a braised Pork Mini Sandwich bathed with Árbol Chilli Sauce – is what Mexicans love to eat after a big night out before heading home to sleep it off. The sandwich is a messy affair, hence the gloves, and it’s filled to overflowing with beans, braised shoulder pork and pork belly that is doused in a HOT HOT HOT Árbol sauce, spicy pickled onion and avocado. It’s spicy but it’s a heat that creeps up on you slowly, stays for a few minutes and then disappears. I’ve got to say this is better than any midnight kebab or Macca’s run I’ve ever had after a night out.

The PESCADO BAJA - beer-battered Fish taco – is one of the most popular tacos at Mr Moustache and I can see why! Crispy fish is topped with zesty cabbage that is pickled in cumin and vinegar. The whole lot is doused in some creamy chipotle Mayo that has just the right amount of smoky heat to it.

We also try the PORTOBELLO mushroom taco which the chef tells us is one of his favourites, especially when topped with the Macha Sauce (a nutty mix of peanuts and chilli). Of course Mushrooms go well with cheese and we delighted to taste a mix of mozzarella and Fresco cheese.

Where there are tacos there’s a good chance you’ll also find TOSTADITAS – round tortilla chips piled high with yummy Mexican toppings.

Our fist Tostadita is the ATUN - fresh Marinated Albacore Tuna – topped with sashimi-grade abacore tuna, cucumber, avocado and MORE secret ingredients. I wonder what these mysterious secret ingredients are? Perhaps Colonel Sanders knows? The tuna is marinated in a mix of soy, orange juice, and garlic and is finished with onion. Really, really good! Such fresh flavours and the marinade really does justice to the fresh, meaty tuna.

Our next Tostadita is the PATO - refried Beans and Spicy Duck with red Onion and Sour Cream. The duck is marinated and cooked in a Mr Moustache Tinga sauce (chipotle-tomato sauce). To me this gives the duck quite a sweet and also smoky flavour. Again, brilliant!

Have you left room for dessert? Yes? Excellent!

First up we have the Plátanos Machos - caramelised banana with coffee liquor and cajeta (milk caramel), served with vanilla ice cream (from Gelato Mesina just up the road – WIINING). Mounds of sweet caramelised bananas are severed in a luscious pool of sweet agave syrup that is then set ablaze with liquor. Yep, it’s as good as it sounds!

And to finish up an amazingly wonderful lunch we have the Brownie Picosito De Chocolate - Chilli Choc Brownie served with Vanilla Ice Cream. The brownie is served warm in a pool of chocolate sauce and is sprinkled with salted candied peanuts.

After our meal...and cocktails are done with...we get a taste of Mexican youth culture. Hilarous! The barman brings out the "shock box" which apparently all the young-uns in Mexico do once they've have a few drinks. Just press that button, all holds hands and we'll shoot some electricity through you. First one to let go shouts drinks for EVERYONE. OLE!

Time for us oldies to head home. Crazy fun.

Mr Moustache is at 69-71 Hall Street, Bondi Beach (they are just off the main street, down the arcade). Phone them on 9300 8892.