Brunetti, Lygon St, Carlton, Melbourne

Brunetti was on one of the places to go to for desserts or sweets on my list when we went to Melbourne. Since we were having dinner at Lygon St, we decided to go and find Brunetti. What we did not realise was that the queue and how packed it was. I had to wait for a while until the crowd had died down to even take a photo. Since Brunetti has relocated from its previous venue, it is now at least about three times the size they were before. Having a huge bar to serve customers coffee, tea and other sorts of beverages, it is a order-at-counter but then you do have to take it yourself when it's ready. Serving a wide range of cakes, pastries, savouries and more, it is sure to fit with any tastebuds.

Plenty of seating available however it can get over crowded sometimes and you may get a seat at the corner without any view.

We both were quite full after having dinner at Lygon St, but we just had to make some tummy space for dessert. We ordered a 'Flat White' and a 'Cappuccino' and waited as our cakes arrived. 

'Sfogliatella' is a baked flakey pastry with sweet ricotta cheese and citrus.

Simply look at its many layers, the Sfogliatella is a unique, petite pastry dish you should not miss out on.

'Hazelnut and Coffee Torte' ($7.6) is an elegant yet unique cake consisting of a flourless hazelnut sponge layered with a mocha mousse dusted with icing sugar.

Although it did say it had a Hazelnut sponge in between the mocha mousse, it had also some sort of flaky pastry amongst it as you are able to hear the crack and also trying to slice or fork a bit was quite hard and not as easy as you would on a normal sponge cake. The mocha mousse was the highlight of the dish, it was not too sweet but it was rather just right. The Hazelnut sponge allowed the whole cake to have the balance between sweetness, density and also fluffiness. It was a great combination in having a Hazelnut sponge and mocha mousse, of course if you wanted it more simple, you could've opter for a vanilla custard or just simply cream in between but by having that mocha mousse allowed the dish to be taken to the next level.

This reminded me of Mille Feuille but not having a vanilla base or a simple thin puff pastry in between and to hold it altogether. Having the hazelnut sponge cake and the mocha mousse created an elegant dish as well as giving you a different taste rather than the traditional Vanilla Slice.

If you aren't up for either cakes or any sweet nibbles, there is a Gelati section at the end of the strip as well as some savoury items on the menu.

Ying Thai 2, Lygon St, Carlton, Melbourne

Ying Thai 2 is a branch of Ying Thai at Lygon St, Carlton. Although I would usually not eat Thai food or any other type of cuisine other than Italian here at Lygon St, my other half had told me that he wanted to go to Ying Thai and that there was a dish that was a must-try. So, without further discussion, we decided to head our way there from the CBD. Ying Thai is an authentic, humble and very green Thai eatery. There has been many buzz previously about this place but every time I do go to Melbourne, I tend to wander off elsewhere, by what I mean is that I would go to other restaurants to eat or to try. When you do try look for it, it may be very crowded and you may have to wait for a bit for a table but they do serve their dishes pretty quickly. Plus, indoor and outdoor seatings are both available.

Many artwork of traditional cartoons on the whole left side of the restaurant's walls.

'Yum Sam Grob' (Crispy Pork Skin: $14.9) is a mixed salad with prawns, squid, vegetables and their special sauce topped with Crispy Pork Skin. You may choose Crispy Fish skin if you would like a more seafood based and/or if you do not want pork. I wonder why this dish is so popular and I quite understand why. Being presented nicely in a green leaf plate (which actually reminds me of a similar plate I have at home as well..) and topped with coriander, it may seem like a healthy dish when you know you are ordering a salad. But then, when it comes out, there seems to be more meat/seafood than the mixed leaves which I am not going to complain since it is great having a salad but then the meat or toppings isn't limited as many salads do tend to have more greens rather than its dressing or toppings.

When ordering this, remember that this would take you to Thailand, bringing you street food but served nicely and you are eating at a proper restaurant. Another thing that I may add is that with this dish, you will be able to get your buds tasting the sweet, salty and sweet, as well as crunchy and crispy through each of the different elements within the dish. The salad is placed at the bottom so do give it a good mix if you prefer but if not, then start digging into the well marinated prawns and squid giving you a sweet but sticky as well as a salty base then go into your Crispy pork skin and I have to say that they are not stingy with the portion and cutting. The Crispy pork skin were great, big chunks and crispy throughout with a more tangy but sweet marination as well. Having cashews and the salad as well as onions and tomatoes here and there allowed the dish to have a brightness and also makes it more refreshing than the warmth of the cooked seafood and hot crispy pork skin.

Be careful as it can get a bit spicy for some but just right for others. It was a bit spicy to me but then my level of spiciness that I can handle isn't much but I did not mind it at all, even if the spices were hitting my tongue, I still wanted to dig in for more. A must have and it will leave you smiling throughout the meal. A great dish to share as I don't recommend it having it alone as it can get quite repetitious in terms of taste and also it's better to order a few dishes and try as many as you can with your friends or family or date. No wonder this dish is popular and what everyone raves about when they hear about Ying Thai.

'Pud Thai' (Chicken: $15.90) is a classic Thai noodle dish but this is one of the noodle dishes I always opt to buy rather than the other options. A thin rice noodle stir fried with the meat of your choice with bean sprouts, vegetables, dried shrimpes, crushed peanuts and egg. Sounds simple? But when you do have a taste of the dish, you then realise why every Asian country have their own traditional, classic and signature rice or noodle dish.

Having the crushed peanuts on top allows you to mix the noodles when it arrives in front of you to have that equal amount as well as balance. If you do have peanut allergies, do tell the waiter when you order so that they won't put it on top or even, you could ask for it to be put aside. I'm sure they won't mind. The pad thai was rather sweet overall and the soy sauce colour was not very visible but amongst it, you can taste the garlic, chilli and the other spices they have added in combined well and made the dish delicious.

Hofbräuhaus, Market Lane, Melbourne CBD

When in Melbourne, sometimes you just have confusion when eating out because of the so many choices available. We were wanting European food that night and I just really wanted German or Bavarian food and so off we go trying to look for a restaurant in the CBD near our hotel. Since we knew we might be having a very meaty dinner, we decided not to be too full for lunch but to leave our tummies grumbling by the time we arrived for dinner. It was the best choice we made because that night, as we entered Hofbrahaus with grumbling tummies and left with what felt like a giant in our tummies and too full to walk back to the hotel..

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Koko Black, Royal Arcade, Bourke St, Melbourne CBD

'Chocolate Alchemy Cake'

Koko Black in Royal Arcade, Melbourne may just be one of the sweetest chocolate cafes I would have been in. The arcade itself is filled with many boutiques and cafes. This post may be abit outdated since it was last year when I came but I didn't have the time and yes, again, I lost a few of the pics somewhere and all I could find was these ones so I might as well write a bit about it and will write more when I visit again. I'm pretty sure some of the cakes has changed now since then but some are still the same.

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American Doughnut Kitchen, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne CBD

Now, for your Melbourners, you don't have to worry about this and you guys would probably already know what I'm going to write about. But for those who has never been to Melbourne or Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, then you are missing out big time mates.. Of course, Queen Victoria Markets is filled with goodness, from fresh fruit and veges to fresh baked pastries or deli cheeses and cured meats, even handmade goods or your fresh fishes, you can find it all here, all under one roof. It doesn't open everyday but when it does, it will be good if you could come before lunchtime because it does get packed quite easily. It's always nice walking through the markets on a chilly day in Melbourne. Now, this little ball of goodness above is a Queen Victoria Market visit must-have, oh this is a definite fix you must entice yourself upon whenever you go to Queen Vic, don't ask why, just do it and after you have taken a bite, I'm pretty sure you will fall in love with it as much as I did.
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The Hardware Societe, Hardware St, Melbourne CBD

Of course, for those who knows Melbourne and its home to all of the interesting food and European style laneways, you will not be surprised by the amount of Best Breakfast in town that was listed. Of course, don't forget the Melbourne coffees.. I definitely know that Brisbane has topped up their game in the food industry and have presented us with various openings of new creative and unique food culture. Brisbane or Sydney or Melbourne, they all have their food culture, in their own uniqueness and dashing way.

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Apollo Bay Hotel. Great Ocean Rd, Apollo Bay, Victoria

As we were in Melbourne for a few days, we thought we would visit the Great Ocean Road where the 12 Apostles lie. Along the way, we stopped by at Apollo Bay Hotel for a quick lunch before heading off to see the 12 Apostles. Apollo Bay Hotel is a humble hotel located in Apollo Bay, situated with a magnificent views of the ocean and mountains, a popular tourist hotel when wanting to stay over while taking a trip down to the 12 Apostles.

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Spicy Fish, Little Bourke St, Melbourne CBD, Melbourne

It was about 9.30 pm in chilly Melbourne when we decided to have dinner. As I had a few places I had wanted to go for dinner, we made our way to the restaurant. We wanted a nice warm chinese meal at the time so we didn't particularly noticed the Italian or Korean etc etc restaurants as we passed by it. Unfortunately, the restaurant I had wanted to go to was closed and so, having to walk back again, I decided to try the next one on my list, and again, it seemed to have closed earlier than what I thought it would normally be. I wasn't being judgemental or anything, but since it is in the CBD, plus near Chinatown, and may I have to remind you that it is a Chinese restaurant may it be a Dumplings restaurant or just a noodle soup but no, I did not expect it to close at around this time.

And so, our journey ended us with grumbling tummies, trying to look for a Chinese restaurant in the heart of Little Bourke St area and some were quite filled but the menu didn't interest us. We came across 'Spicy Fish' a restaurant located on the GF of Target Centre, a restaurant that didn't look as much as appealing but what the heck, we gave it a shot.. So that's how we ended up here, in 'Spicy Fish', whilst being tired of walking around at night trying to find a casual delicious Chinese restaurant.

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The Quarter, Degraves St, Melbourne CBD, Melbourne

If you ever stumble upon Degraves St in Melbourne CBD, I would recommend you to walk through it, find a suitable or eye-catching place and dine there whether it may be for breakfast, lunch, dessert or even just coffee and cake. Degraves St is a must visit definitely, with its European style laneways, a variety of coffee shops and as you walk through it, the smell of the aroma from coffee beans is just what make Melbourne, Melbourne. Alfresco setting, warm interiors, it just simply reminded me of those little European cafes even their lamps and seats reminded me of them.

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Gami Chicken & Beer, Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne CBD

Gami Chicken and Beer has a few locations scattered in Melbourne CBD, we wanted to go somewhere close to where we were so we went to the Little Lonsdale St Branch, however we kind of got lost and went the opposite direction and since it was hard finding the numbers on the buildings, we actually ended up having to make a u-turn and walk back to the other side, Little Lonsdale St was quite a long road. So, this chicken better be good we thought, since we even wanted to go somewhere else since we couldn't be bothered walking back and far.. but in the end, we thought, who cares, just give it a go, and definitely... no regrets.
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