Chefs Shaun Quade (formerly of Royal Mail Hotel, Quay, Biota Dining and Urbane) and John-Paul Fiechtner (Bo Innovation, Hong Kong, and Le Chateaubriand, Paris) intrigued us with their pop-up preview before the official opening of Lume, and successfully excited their audience with thoughts of what was to come. A2 wanted to visit back in August, but it was relatively new so we decided to give them time to find their feet. With its sudden popularity it's unlikely we would have been able to secure a last-minute booking anyway!...

Saliva-inducing images of Mr Miyagi's nori tacos have been floating around for so long, and being a sucker for Japanese food I immediately added it to my every-growing list of places to try. I knew they were at the Night Noodle Markets selling a few varieties of nori taco, but I prefer visiting actual restaurants, plus, I also wanted to see what else was on the menu. The number of people in the group enabled us to book one of the three dark and cosy booths available. If you...

Caffe La Via has been occupying its spot on Glenferrie Road since 1999. Known for sporting a Modern Australian menu with a Mediterranean slant, they've just undergone a renovation and a menu refresh. We began the night with some Aperol Spritz before tucking into some appetisers. [caption id="attachment_10823" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Battered Zucchini Flower Stuffed with Ricotta and Served with Mint Sauce ($4.50)[/caption] The zucchini flowers were encased in a light and crunchy batter and stuffed full of pillowy ricotta, the mint sauce the perfect foil for brightening each mouthful. [caption id="attachment_10818" align="aligncenter"...

Located on the corner of Ferrars and Bank Street, Railway Hotel was built in 1968 and sports an art deco interior. Like many other pubs, weeknight specials abound, like pasta night Mondays, Tuesday parma night and Wednesday steak night. The menu is seasonal and shows some American influence together with some classic pub grub. [caption id="attachment_10726" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Crispy Skin Chicken Breast on Sweetcorn and Leek Risotto, Rocket Salad and Shaved Parmesan Cheese $21[/caption] Mum's crispy skin chicken breast rested on a sweet cork and leek risotto topped with roquette...

Cafe by day, bar by night, Turbine Cafe & Bar has been in operation for a number of weeks and I was invited to their launch party. It was a pleasantly warm evening, and to the backdrop of live music we snacked on roasted nuts along with our drinks. We sampled some of their food offerings such as focaccia with pumpkin and beetroot dip, vegetable sliders and fried chicken sliders. Though the buns of the sliders were a bit dry, the juiciness of the chicken helped to offset it. I...

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