Popcorn & Toast.

Hare & Grace; Melbourne CBD.

Hare and Grace
525 Collins Street
Melbourne

spring mojito // aperol spritz

Hare & Grace with its roaring fireplace is particularly snug during the winter months. And yet finds its place easily in the warmer months with its ice cold cocktails.

macaroni n cheese croquettes // potato skins 

Crisp crackly potato skins with a creamy parmesan chilli mayo, more aioli than mayo.

grilled scallops, garlic mayo, breadcrumbs  // roast pork belly, pickled pineapple, celery, wood ear mushroom, coriander

Never one to go past scallops, these were plump with a light cloud of garlic mayo & roughness from the breadcrumbs with acidity from the squeeze of lemon.

beef and mushroom pot pie shoe string fries

Allow for 20 minutes.

crispy chicken schnitzel, spiced barley salad // duck confit salad

The confit duck was wonderfully crisp, its saltiness offset by all the other components of clean beanshoots, cucumber & carrots, sweet grapefruit, crunch of peanuts & spongey floss. With underlying heat from the chilli it was a dish with many components yet worked well.

Tempura Hajime; South Melbourne.

Tempura Hajime
60 Park Street
South Melbourne

No different to my prior visit, Tempura Hajime is fast becoming our haven for gorgeously light golden tempura, something I had long given up hope on. The tempura tasting menu is bound to please.

prawn // sweet corn // asparagus // eggplant & chicken mince

Torn between the choice of pink salt from the Murray River with lemon or daikon & tempura dipping sauce.

The sweet corn in pristine neat rows is a favourite.

sweet potato // scallop with sea urchin // zucchini

wagyu // king dory in shiso // mushroom & prawn

A heartier finish but falls short of the tempura’s perfection.

Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar; Southbank.

crispy otway pork belly, dashi, radish, cauliflower // roasted scallops. wild rice, spice

Based on my past experience at Mr Hive & Maze, I’ve always felt the seafood dishes were their strongest suit. The scallops were a popular choice round the table and were soft & supple.

roasted blue eye cod, baby vegetables, chicken broth //  charred spanish mackerel, spring onion, avocado, yuzu //black & blue tuna

The black & blue tuna, relegated to an entree, as good as I remembered. And the charred spanish mackerel, simpler less bold than the tuna, but cooked beautifully.

Akachochin; South Wharf.

Akachochin

japanese style tartare chopped kingfish with spring onion, moromiso, kizami wasabi, olive oil with ricecrackers

Aside from the ochazuke, this is the other dish I come back to Akachochin for. We had double serves of this, it was that good. Rich in miso & heat from the wasabi with clean fresh kingfish.

white fish sashimi with spring onion, momimiroshi, daikon tuma & ponzu dressing

The special for the night, a fresh and clean start but outshone by the bold kingfish.

wagyu tataki, crispy leek, itu-tougarashi & chives

Tender & marbled, gorgeous cuts with a rich miso.

sweet soy marinated seared salmon 

With the distinct fragrance of something blowtorched, I craved the omakase at Shira Nui. 

yose nabeyaki udon 

The least spectacular of the lot. The udon was quite thick & starchy, unlike those silky strands at Nama Nama. 

fish ochazuke - soy marinated sashimi on rice, served with hot green tea

Light & fresh, the sashimi lightly cooked by the hot green tea.

wagyu & pork belly

Grilled, the wagyu was tender, and the pork belly with king browns - while good, wasn’t fatty & luscious.

unagi dashi chazuke -  with hot clear soup, kizami-nori, wasabi, sesame seed, spring onion & oshinko

I remember the days when Shoya had this fantastic unadon that came with gorgeous sleek shiny eel strips, an abundance of nori & sesame on hot fluffy rice, with an entire pot of hot clear broth. Once they took that off the menu, my regular lunches at Shoya stopped too. This is as close as I’ll get to this pet favourite of mine, rice in clear broth with eel.

Beatbox Kitchen; Carlton North.

Beatbox Kitchen
Lygon Street (Albert & Victoria)
East Brunswick

shroom burger  - whole portobello mushroom // raph burger - 170gm grass fed beef

The Raph trumps the Shroom. Even then, a decent burger at best. I much rather Huxtaburger’s The Denise.