In the middle of a small shopping strip next to the Manningham Council offices, Kolbeh Persian Restaurant is a simple and modest place offering traditional Persian dishes. We visit on a Friday, and though live music is usually happening every Friday and Saturday night, unfortunately we didn't get to hear any on the day. [caption id="attachment_11436" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Kashk-o Bademjan - Mashed eggplant, fried onion, herbs, and garlic,dressed by kashk (whey) and walnut ($11.50)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11435" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Persian Dips - Salad Olovieh, Cucumber Yogurt, warm grain dip ($9.50)[/caption] We begin...

I don't often venture to the far south eastern suburbs (except perhaps to do some shopping at DFO), so am sadly unaware of cafe options in the area. Head chef and owner Raman is a local himself, and decided that the area needed more good local cafes serving simple and hearty food made with local produce. The Tradesman is the fruit of his vision. Given its position in the middle of industrial buildings and offices, he's gone for a more industrial look to fit in with its surroundings. Its hot...

Eastern European restaurants and bars are not too common in Melbourne at the moment, but Palinka is one of the few. Tucked on the corner of Brunswick St and Kerr St, they keep a large range (over 70) of its namesake spirit and European beers, serving up Eastern European-inspired tapas to go alongside them. The food menu is divided into 'Yummy' and 'Fancy'. The fancy plates are not only bigger, but also feature more complex flavours and techniques. As a separate menu item, the thrice cooked smoked pork hock...

After an unexpectedly early finish to my day, I found myself in the outer eastern suburbs with nothing to do and it wasn't even noon yet. What better thing to do than have a food adventure? A quick search led me to The Firehouse - a smart but unpretentious and informal cafe and restaurant not far from Eastland. The building was a fire station in its former life, hence the name. The seasonal menu is largely Mediterranean. An all-day brunch is available, with the lunch kicking in at...

Kolache Cravings is a new micro bakery that has settled into Preston. Owners Phil and Nona have spent a large amount of time spent living overseas. During a stint in Texas, kolache were one of their favourite snacks, and finding they're not currently in the market in Melbourne the idea to introduce them here was born. Kolache (pronounced ko-LA-chay) are part of Czech cuisine. Soft and fluffy like brioche, but not as rich and buttery in flavour, they're beautiful straight out of the oven. An extensive experimentation process was...

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