Wagamama Ramen

On the 2nd night I went out with a friend and we decided to go for something simple. I had the Wagamama Ramen. It was quite ordinary - nothing to shout about. 






The menu design is funky and trendy. I like the man with the bowl to the face - very Asian.



Wagamama is located in the QV which is one of the newer developments in Melbourne. The whole place has a somewhat uni campus vibe about it, probabaly it was designed to cater to the many uni students nearby from RMIT and Melbourne Uni.

Dinner at The Italian

On the first night of my visit I was invited to a dinner at The Italian, a high end Italian restaurant at the Eastern end of Collins Street. The restaurant is very stylish, with a split level design. The entrance is at the lowest level, which steps up to the main dining area. There is another private dining area on the mezzanine floor.



Like most of the high end restaurants in Melbourne, the wait staff are all carefully chosen to fit the venue - they call it casting. We had a very friendly waiter, but he was horrified by how we were ordering the dinner - everything to share - Chinese Style. He came around to it eventually. 

First were the starters - Prosciuto with Rockmelon, Deep Fried Calamari, and Poached Eggs on a bed of Asparagus.







Everything was delicious - especially the calamari which was done just right.

Next I had the Roasted Tomato Soup with Deep Fried Salt Cod. It was very good, but quite filling as there was a lot of barley in the soup. I ended up sharing the soup as I couldn't possibly finish it.



Next came the mains - Roasted Ribeye Steak, Roasted Duck, Spaghetti with Prawns, Raviolli with Rabbit and Pappardelle with Roast Duck. Again, everything was superb - especially the Ribeye Steak which was tender and full of flavour. The Roasted Duck came a close second, and the Raviolli which was very interesting with a lot of complex flavours. Even the spaghetti which is a simple dish is elevated by the taste of the sauce, which is clean but at the same time complex.  











Finally came the desserts - Pannacotta with Dark Cherry Sauce, Ricotta Ice Cream with Candied Orange Peels, and Creme Caramel with Rubard Sauce.







All in all it was a wonderfull meal, and I would go back for the Ribeye Steak alone. Melbourne food certainly doesn't disappoint.

Melbourne Coffee

I love coffee, and Melbourne is one of the coffee capitals of the world. Not for Melbourne the Starbucks and Coffee Beans, though you can certainly find those here. At every corner you will find little or big cafes serving the precious brew - much like our kopitiams in Malaysia, and it is undisputed that Australia has some of the best baristas in the world.

Australia also has a lot of home-grown brands which has gone international, e.g. Coffex & Hudsons. But what is most interesting is discovering that obscure little cafe which serves your favourite brew.

While I didn't have much time to try out many places this trip, we did make a few coffee stops. This cafe is located in the lobby of an office block. The barista really takes pain to make the coffee look good.



An amazing work of art.



The Crema is the Canvas !

Breakfast In Melbourne 3

Melbourne has a large Vietnamese community, and one of the great things which they have brought to Australia must be the Pho Bo - Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup. I've had Pho Bo in Vietnam, but the one in Melbourne is still the best, maybe because of the freshness of the ingredients, especially the beef. There is also the special chilly sauce, which adds another dimension to the enjoyment of the noodles.



The classic simple combination of good beef stock, rice noodles and garnish. It is so tasty !



Fresh garnish and the ubiquitous basil leaves. I like to put in a whole bunch in the soup.



Chu The - one of the popular places for Pho along Victoria Street, Richmond.

Breakfasts in Melbourne 2

Another popular place for breakfast in Melbourne is The European. When we went there, the placed was packed. Melburnians sure love their food.

I ordered the bacon, mushroom  and scrambled eggs on toast. The bread was the best I've had. Toasted to perfection, it was smoky and had a satisfying bite.



The Eggs Florentine - poached eggs on spinach and toast, was another classic breakfast item. The Hollandaise sauce was really great, even better then Grossi's in my opinion.



This is the Black Pudding (blood sausage) in tomato sauce topped with cheese. It sounds icky, but tastes really good.



This looks like it could be in Paris or London. I guess that's why it's so popular.

Breakfasts in Melbourne

According to some food bloggers in Melbourne, Grossi Florentino is one of the best places for breakfast. Grossi is a European Style Restaurant. It has 3 main sections - a bar, a dining room and a place for drinks upstairs. The breakfast is served in the bar.

I ordered the Eggs Atlantic, which is poached eggs and smoked salmon on toast with a Hollandaise sauce. The eggs are done perfectly, firm outside and soft and just a little bit runny inside. The smoke salmon is really good, but what elevates the dish was the Hollandaise sauce. Creamy and rich with just a little bit of tartness, it goes really well with the rest of the ingredients. The bread is also great, firm and with some bite.



This is the egg omellette with bacon on toast. I didn't try it but it looks delicious as well.



My generous host ordered the Date Pudding. He got some frowns from the waiter - he didn't think it would go well with the other breakfasts. The pudding was really delicious, served with a caramel sauce and heavy cream.




A view of Grossi from outside.

Melbourne in Winter

I went on a business trip to Melbourne recently. Touched down at 7.00 a.m. on 2nd June - officially the 2nd day of winter. It was 5 degrees outside, much colder then I thought.

Flying nowadays is usually a disappointing experience. You just don't feel the romance of travel any more, what with the constant warnings on things we can't take on board, long queues at the check-in counters, etc. And the in-flight service, don't even talk about it ! Just see what they serve for a mid-night snack and judge for yourself.



This is a view of Melbourne - it was really foggy most of the time.



Burke Street Mall. This view hasn't changed over the years except for the new street furniture.



The Myers shop-windows, a crowd favourite especially for their Christmas decorations. Right now they are featuring a New York Themed display.







I always check out the food gallery in David Jones to see what's new. It hasn't changed much since my last visit a year ago. The pastry section is still very tempting though !

Melbourne Australia's second largest city

Melbourne - the capital of Victoria and Australia's second largest city - is a modern, cosmopolitan city with a host of entertainment, sports, and culinary, cultural and shopping options to be enjoyed. The streets, parks, distinctive cultural precincts and waterfront area of Melbourne make it a magnificent city to explore at leisure.
The city has an amazing range of attractions and activities to keep you entertained all year round.
Enjoy a cruise along the Yarra River, re-live some great sporting memories on a tour of the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) or see some spectacular 360-degree views from the Melbourne Observation Deck.
Explore the animal kingdom at the Melbourne Zoo or dive with the sharks at the Melbourne Aquarium. Join in some interactive footy action at the AFL ( Australian Football League) Hall of Fame & Sensation or enjoy the international art on offer at NGV International and Australian art at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia.
To find out how Melbourne became the city it is today, spend a day or two at one of the many local museums. The Melbourne Museum houses the state collection in an imposing modern building. The Immigration Museum and Maritime Museum- home of the Polly Woodside, highlight key events in the growth of Melbourne, while the Gold Treasury Museum shows how Melbourne became a city built on gold.
Other histories include the stomach-turning tales of the Old Melbourne Gaol, Ned Kelly's armour at the State Library of Victoria and Cooks' Cottage the parental home of Captain James Cook. Kids will love the hands on workshops and new playground at ArtPlay, and the Champions Australian Racing Museum & Hall of Fame at Federation Square.
Melbourne attractions include:

Federation Square - Fast becoming the cultural icon of Melbourne with its 'Fractal Façade' system on each building in the square. The façade is made up of triangles made of sandstone, zinc and glass pieced together at different orientations and surface angles. See it from the inside at The Atrium and the BMW Edge Theatre indoor amphitheatre. The Square is home to restaurants, cafes, bars and retail outlets as well as venues including the Melbourne Visitor Centre, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Australian Racing Museum and the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia - dedicated exclusively to Australian art.
Queen Victoria Market - a Melbourne institution since the late 1860s, you can shop for gourmet food, clothing, toys, souvenirs and more. Closed Monday and Wednesday.
Melbourne Cricket Ground - Melbourne's home of cricket and Australian Rules football, and the heart of the 1956 Olympic Games and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. There are tours and the ground houses the Australian Gallery of Sport, Olympic Museum and the Cricket Hall of Fame.
Southbank - a bustling entertainment complex situated on the south side of the Yarra River, housing Crown Casino, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cinemas, sculpture, artworks and more. There is an open air Arts & Crafts market on Sundays.
Melbourne Aquarium - a state-of-the-art aquarium located by the Yarra River, featuring sharks, stingrays and coral.
St Patrick's Cathedral - with soaring interiors and stained glass windows.
Melbourne Tram Car Dinner - A unique way to see the city of Melbourne whilst enjoying the fine Australian Cuisine.
Old Melbourne Gaol and Penal Museum - amongst the museum's chilling exhibits are the gallows from which Ned Kelly was hung. If you're brave, take a night-time tour of the jail.
Docklands - New Quay - a short walk or tram ride from the CBD, you'll find restaurants, cafes, bars and riverside walkways decorated with public artworks.
The Shrine of Remembrance - in the parklands of Kings Domain, off St Kilda Road, a fine European-style boulevard.
St Kilda - beachside suburb with restaurants, cafes, bars and famous Luna Park.
Scienceworks - a hands-on, innovative science museum in Spotswood also includes Melbourne Planetarium. Exhibits include Australia's first plane and car.
Melbourne Museum - innovative collection housed in a stunning modernist building.
Lygon Street, Carlton - known as "Little Italy", a popular restaurant, cafe and bar strip.
Brunswick Street, Fitzroy - a street with a bohemian heart, with cafes, restaurants, clubs and fashion shopping.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia Bird View

Melbourne, Game Land

Melbourne, Australia

You can't help but fall in love with this southern city that boasts a vibrant cultural scene, a sports crazy population, and culinary indulgences aplenty. While not getting as much international tourism or media attention as its northern neighbor Sydney, Melbourne's sublime appeal lies in its laid-back attitude, its distinctive cosmopolitan flavor, and a rich calendar of events from Formula 1 to comedy festivals. The center of the city is a great starting point with Victorian architectural gems; myriad hidden lane ways; and hole-in-the-wall shops, bars and restaurants. Venture bayside to St. Kilda for a roller-blade along the beach, a slice of cake on Acland Street, and some serious people-watching, or head to funky Fitzroy for more fine food, art galleries, and nightlife. Make sure to drag yourself away from the city itself and explore the coastline along the rugged Great Ocean Road, one of the world's best road trips.
"Melbourne is Australia's most European city, combining stylish café culture and a passion for the arts with world-class sporting venues, new-world wineries, and dramatic coastal scenery." -- Rob Flynn, Global Travel Publisher

Melbourne, Australia...Top Destinations 2010

"Melbourne is Australia's most European city, combining stylish café culture and a passion for the arts with world-class sporting venues, new-world wineries, and dramatic coastal scenery." --Rob Flynn, Global Travel Publisher

You can't help but fall in love with this southern city that boasts a vibrant cultural scene, a sports crazy population, and culinary indulgences aplenty. While not getting as much international tourism or media attention as its northern neighbor Sydney, Melbourne's sublime appeal lies in its laid-back attitude, its distinctive cosmopolitan flavor, and a rich calendar of events from Formula 1 to comedy festivals. The center of the city is a great starting point with Victorian architectural gems; myriad hidden lane ways; and hole-in-the-wall shops, bars and restaurants. Venture bayside to St. Kilda for a roller-blade along the beach, a slice of cake on Acland Street, and some serious people-watching, or head to funky Fitzroy for more fine food, art galleries, and nightlife. Make sure to drag yourself away from the city itself and explore the coastline along the rugged Great Ocean Road, one of the world's best road trips.