A trip to the US, learning from pit masters about their craft, has resulted in Chris Terlikar birthing a baby of his own - Bluebonnet Barbeque. After a devastating fire at his original Collingwood restaurant, Terlikar soldiered on to take up a temporary residency at Carlton’s John Curtin Hotel. Now found at the former site of The North Fitzroy Star, Terlikar is continuing to pump out smokey American Barbeque. Australian meats are smoked in-house for up to 14 hours. Sausages and barbecue sauce is also made on-site....

A corner store and cafe, Oxford Larder comes from the owners of the not-too-far-away South of Johnston, Stuart McKenzie and Simon Carver. The interior is tight - there are only about 15 seats indoors and 12 outside. We arrive just past 12pm on a Saturday and manage to snag the last of the tiny round tables inside. ...

It may be just off Chapel Street, but that doesn't mean the foodie excitement is over. Wander a few doors down, and it's hard to miss the colourfully painted facade of House of Hoi An. It's a place where you can delve into the cuisine of its namesake city, where dishes found on the menu might be unlike any you've seen before. Perhaps not as familiar to us here as she is overseas, owner Ms Trinh Diem Vy is a Hoi An local and one of Vietnam’s most well-known...

Outshone by the cuisine of its geographical neighbours, Lao cuisine hasn't made much of an appearance here yet. Pintoh hopes to change that with its spread of modern and traditional Lao dishes. Its menu draws influence from Laos and the northeastern Isan region of Thailand, which has a population of ethnic Lao people that outnumbers those in Laos itself. Staple dishes in Lao cuisine include larb and tam muk hoong (green papaya salad), and sticky rice is a key component of every meal. Flavours also lean more towards the...

Championing the vegan scene in Melbourne, Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse's Smith & Daughters wowed with their Latin American food that was both vegan and tasted good. Open from morning till late, Smith & Daughters serves a brunch menu before moving into a dinner menu for the evenings. Unlike most cafes of late, it’s quite dark inside, even in the middle of the day. There are quirky knick-knacks on shelves at the bar, and different salt and pepper shakers on each table....

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