Hoping to grab a quite bite before heading in to work, I pop into Hard Pressed, situated within easy access by train and tram. The interior is dark and very retro, and despite the wet and dreary Melbourne weather they’re doing a good trade. [caption id="attachment_12016" align="aligncenter" width="800"] El Cubano - Orange braised pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, Dijon mustard ($15)[/caption] They’ve been known for their sandwiches, or tortas, but on my visit they seemed to have cut back on the torta menu and there’s only one. [caption id="attachment_12015" align="aligncenter" width="800"] El...

Right next to Camberwell station on Railway Parade, Coffeehead has been providing locals with a coffee-focused venue since 2011. Ash has over 30 years experience as a chef himself, training and working in London before coming to Australia and spending time under Gary Mehigan at Novotel on Collins. Through further work at Blue Train in Crown, he met Paul Mathis, eventually taking over Mathis' CoffeeHead. When Ash Nathan became the owner, he decided to start roasting his own beans on-site with their Probat roaster and retail them, providing...

Frances Food & Coffee has bagged a spot right next to Queen Vic Markets, which is particularly handy for those on the way to or from market shopping, or an outing at Flagstaff Gardens. Most of the fresh produce used here does in fact come from QVM, enabling the brother and sister duo, Sofia and Stefan Soltys, to support local businesses. [caption id="attachment_12006" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Sauteed balsamic mushrooms with Persian feta, confit garlic puree, wild rocket and multigrain toast ($16)[/caption] The crispy pork belly with beetroot relish, chilli scrambled eggs...

Of course, New Shanghai is famous for their dumplings, but they also serve a wide range of dishes that don’t involve those special bites of goodness. As much as I love their New Shanghai pan-fried dumplings, we decided save some stomach space in order to explore the other options on the menu. [caption id="attachment_11835" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Steamed 'Lion's Head' meatball in broth, crab meat and Chinese chestnut ($7.50)[/caption] We started with the steamed Lions head meatball in broth with crab meat and Chinese chestnuts. The broth was beautifully light yet...

After making a worldwide impression, South Korea's Milkcow has now landed in Australia, at least for a short time via its pop-up in The Strand. Collaborating with local businesses, Milkcow allows for our ice cream to be matched a selection of toppings, sauces and other little goodies. Chocolate is supplied by Naked Truth Chocolates, coffee is from Sensory Lab, and other sweet options include caramel popcorn, honeycomb, macarons, and Insta-worthy fairy floss. [caption id="attachment_11814" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Mont Blanc - Oreo crumbs, chocolate rocks and Italian apple syrup, fairy floss...

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