Roule Galette, Flinders Ln

My mum is here! So, that only means one thing.. revisits to my favourite restaurants! The list has been endless: Hardware Societe, Mamasita, Seven Seeds and one of them was Roule Galette!

The small and cozy crêperie, filled with warmth from freshly brewed coffee and beautifully made crêpes & galettes, is tucked away in Scott Alley (along Flinders Lane). They offer a variety of savoury galettes and sweet crêpes with some of them available as take-aways.

Coffee: The best way to start a lazy lunch.

 

Complète (Egg, Ham, Shredded Cheese and Butter)

A parcel of goodness! The galette was thin and slightly crisp. A cut through the center gave a little of each element -the saltiness from the ham, the gooey cheese, the runny egg yolk and the delicate galette. Like breakfast, in a mouthful.

Sarah (Tuna, Spinach, Salad & Tomatoes)

It was wonderfully light and refreshing! The galette gave it a good base which reminded me a lot of a very healthy pizza! But if you're looking for something comforting and hearty, go for those filled with cheese ;)

They're open everyday, so, pop by for a quick take-away or a long brunch!

241 Flinders Ln Scott Aly
Melbourne, 3000

www.roulegalette.com.au 

Mad Mex & Cacao Green, CBD

The simple taco: fast, fresh & tasty. One day, I would visit Mexico and devour every street food in my sight but for now, I'd settle for a taco from Melbourne Central's food court. Mad Mex offers a wide range of choices: from nachos to churros, from mild to picante, from chicken to veggie. It's kinda like Subway, with a Mexican makeover.

Veggie Soft Taco with Guacamole

The picante sauce is the only way to go with this! It packed a punch and went incredibly well with the creamy (and slightly chilled) guacamole. The fresh tomatoes refreshed the taco while the sauteed vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, etc.) gave a little, comforting warmth. Mouthful after mouthful and before I knew it, the taco disappeared!

And what's life like without a sweet note to end the day? ;)

Green Tea Frozen Yogurt with Roasted Almonds, Crushed Walnuts & Blueberry Compote

I've always been a big fan of Cacao Green's yogurt. It's creamy, organic and the flavours aren't artificially sweet (till it makes you sick!). And dare I say, the best around.

Mad Mex

Level 2, Dining Hall, Melbourne Central
Melbourne, 3000

www.madmex.com.au 

Cacao Green

285 Swanston St
Melbourne, 3000

www.cacaogreen.com.au 

Red Velvet, Cupcake Central

If you've been reading my previous ravings about Cupcake Central, then you'll probably know that I absolutely love their cupcakes! This time, I decided to try one of their very popular classic ...

Red Velvet (with cream cheese frosting)

One bite and I was silently rejoicing that they bake these babies everyday! The cupcake was beautifully moist, light and airy. And the best part? The frosting! It wasn't sickeningly sweet like lots of other red velvets out there. It was perfect.

Can't wait for my next one!! Something simple like Vanilla Vanilla? or chocolate-y like Devils Food Chocolate? or something fruity/flowery like Lavender Lemon? 

Oh! The choices we have to make in life...

Churro Eating Competition

Is it possible that Melbourne has been blessed with a whole week of sun?? Let's keep our fingers crossed for the week ahead!! But to kick-start the sunny reign, Spanish Doughnuts held a Churro Eating Competition on the sunny Saturday afternoon at Federation Square. Ah.. Watch people stuff themselves with deep-fried goodness? I'm in!

The event started with some groovy music and salsa dancing!

It was sunny, people were dancing & the table was filled with churros. Yummy!

And now.. to the serious stuff. Stuff as much churros down as you can in 2 minutes!

When they were given the go, everyone started chomping!!

... one by one

... or by mouthfuls!

With loads of water to wash 'em down!

Either ways, it was a fun & one-of-a-kind event! And, congrats to the winner! :)

Okonomi-Ju, CBD

Okonomi-Ju is a cute little shop you'll find under the rattling bridge every time a train passes by. As I entered the place, memories of my home-stay trip in Japan flooded back almost instantly! I remembered how my home-stay mom made the biggest okonomiyaki I've ever seen and they were loaded with my favourite pickled ginger :)

You can read the walls while waiting for your okonomiyaki!

Seafood Okonomiyaki

It wasn't doughy or chewy like most okonomiyaki you get around in Melbourne! The massive amount of cabbage gave the okonomiyaki a lovely crunchiness with each bite and they were definitely generous with the sauce and mayo. The amount of seafood (prawns and squid) was reasonable but I wished that they had given me more pickled ginger!

Besides okonomiyaki, they have a selection takoyaki, donburi, noodles and even dessert! Give them a try or if you're rushing for time, they do take-aways too!

86 Rebecca Walk

Batman Park

Melbourne 3000

www.mitsuno.com.au/okonomi/ju.html

Cupcake Central, Melbourne Central

The cupcakes here are freshly baked everyday and the flavours rotate everyday according to their cupcake calendar (which gives me another reason to return everyday!).

The easy decision in this situation is: "I want one."
The hard decision: "Which one?" but I finally settled with the best combination ever discovered besides, pb&j, of course.

Chocolate & Hazelnut

Think Nutella. Think Ferrero Rocher. Think Kinder. The flavours aside, the cupcake was superbly moist and the icing was light, sweet & sinfully good. The sprinkle of hazelnuts gave the cupcake a needed crunch & trust me.. it's pretty hard to stop at one!

Cherry Pistachio

The first cupcake stuck in my mind throughout the day and so, I returned for another one the next day! The bright purple contrasting with dots of green popped out among the others and caught my eyes. The first bite? Wow. Personally, I preferred this! It was interestingly... refreshing!

However, I did expect a stronger cherry flavour but only got a hint of it.

I have found a new haven. To all cupcake lovers out there, this is the place to be & right now, I'm on a mission:
Operation Try-Every-Flavours-Possible. 

• Red Velvet
• Black Velvet
• Green Tea & Red Bean 
• Mandarin & Chamomile
• Peanut Butter & Jelly
•  White Chocolate Raspberry

Ps. And today, I leave you with something special. An original by a dear friend of mine :)

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150346299665072
and
sorry for the iPhone pictures!

Any favourite flavour combinations?

Melbourne Central Food Court

or

Shop 7/672 Glenferrie Road

Hawthorn

Melbourne, 3122

(03) 9077 4542

www.cupcakecentral.com.au

A Nutty Addiction

Addiction. Physically dependent on a particular substance (thank you Oxford Dictionary!).
And that substance? Nuts.

Cashew & Almond Natural Butter from Woolworths' Macro and  Mrs. May's Nut Bars

Both the nut butters were smooth, creamy (without too much oil separation) & worth every spoonful. The almond butter was definitely my favourite out of the two. Nicely roasted with the taste of almonds lingering in your mouth with each bite.

The nut bars from Mrs. Mays came in different flavours: strawberry, blueberry, cranberry & tropical. Personally, I'm in love with the blueberry! They aren't' as sweet as some nut bars and the sweetness certainly didn't 'cover up' the taste of the nuts!

The best nut butter of all? Peanut butter.

Sanitarium's Natural Peanut Butter (Crunchy) can be found in both Woolies and Coles but only Coles seems to sell the smooth version. Either way, this peanut butter is unpretentious, wonderfully creamy and highly addictive. As you crack open the jar, the delightful scent of roasted peanuts hits you and the next thing you know? You're eating them by tablespoons.

And it's made up of only one ingredient. Yup, peanuts.

Be Natural's 5 Whole Grain Flakes with Cashew, Almond, Hazelnut & Coconut with linseed, pepita & amaranth clusters

My eyes caught a glimpse of the magic words: cashew, almond & hazelnut and I was immediately sold. I taste-tested them with and without milk and they taste equally good in both! The cereal was still crunchy in milk and the nuts & clusters gave a good crunch to each bite. Without milk, it was strangely addictive. Every bite just leads to another...

And I'll leave you with a picture of Roasted Peanut Tong Sui (sweet soup) for you to ogle upon.

Just like peanut butter.

Any wonderful addictions?

Lentil As Anything, Collingwood

Beautifully located opposite Collingwood Children's Farm and in the Abbortsford Convent, this place is a gem! Despite the cold, rainy weather (brr...) the warm meal gave me warmth and comfort.

The lunch buffet starts at 12pm but for those early riser, a nice range of breakfast can be ordered from their breakfast menu (including pancakes!!!).

The buffet included:

Garden Salad, Lentil Curry, Chickpea Curry, Frittata (I think?), Tomato & Mushroom Pasta, Rice, Soup and if I'm not mistaken.. a rice-based dessert.

My favourite? The lentil curry! It reminds me of dahl I get back home in Malaysia...

All the dishes were well-flavoured and they were constantly refilled!

 Finished off my warm & hearty meal with a cup of Soy Hot Chocolate and an apple!

Ended up in Ikea and wondered if ..

it's even possible for someone to resist Ikea's 50 cents soft-serve? ;)

The pay-any-amount-you-want concept in Lentil As Anything do benefit those people in need. So, if you can give generously!

1 St Heliers St Abbotsford Convent
Abbotsford, 3067

Collingwood

(03) 9419 6444

www.lentilasanything.com 

Mamasita, CBD

I have been dying to visit Mamasita ever since there was explosion of foodie blogs raving about their food. After days of daydreaming about tacos and their highly recommended corn, the day finally arrived. So, equipped with my beloved Nikon D5000, I headed down for my Mexican experience!

Except... I foolishly turned up without my camera's memory card :( and was left snapping with the second best thing, my iPhone. But all that was long forgotten when this piece of heaven on a stick arrived ...

Elotes callejeros

"Street Style" chargrilled corn with queso, chipotle mayonnaise & lime

One word: Orgasmic. One bite and you get a taste of the sweet, crunchy corn while the creamy & zesty mayo lingers in your tastebuds. And don't forget the cheese! It added an extra flavour which rounded up the corn perfectly.

As unglamorous as picking corn stuck in between your teeth, it was worth every single bite.

Some salsa and sauce to go with the tacos!

Tacos de Camarones (Marinated prawns with habanero chillies & chipotle almond salsa)

and

Tacos al Pastor ( Braised pork with pineapple, coriander & white onion)

I had the prawn taco and every bite was an adventure. The tortilla was soft & warm (unlike the store-bought ones!), the prawns were beautifully cooked and chipotle almond salsa added to "sauciness" & creaminess to the best taco I've ever eaten!

While I devoured my taco, my friend contentedly savoured her juicy pork taco. My new travel destination? Mexico!

Papas

Roast potatoes, serrano chilli & parsley

A little something to accompany our tacos! I'm not much of a 'potato-person' but this was good. With the hot sauce? Even better.

Feel like some Mexican? Head to Mamasita! No. Actually, feel like eating? Give Mamasita a try!

But do be early or expect a long queue!

Level 1, 11 Collins St
Melbourne, 3000

(03) 9650 3821

 www.mamasita.com.au 

 

Creperie le Triskel, Hardware Ln

Europe:
The continent that I've fallen in love with.
Travelled there more than I've ever travelled in Asia.
Had my 3rd trip to France last year. And I don't plan to stop.

Along Hardware Lane, I stumbled upon Creperie le Triskel, just in time to satisfy my crepe cravings. There were choices for savoury galettes and sweet crepes but I stuck to the sweet side;)

French Chestnut Puree Crepe

The crepe was delicate, thin and light. The sweetness of the chestnut puree bursts with every mouthful and I couldn't get enough of it! Close your eyes & chew and be transported to France...

32 Hardware Lane
Melbourne, 3000

(04) 6640 6404

 

Melbourne University Food Co-op, Carlton

Week 2 of Semester 2. Errands to run, books to buy, lectures to attend. So, for lunch I had to grab something quick, easy and nutritious! And one place popped into my head almost instantly..

Food Co-op!

Peanut Butter Roll with Pumpkin Bread

Nut butter has always been a big part of my daily consumption. Almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter... So, no surprise I chose this over Tofu Rolls & Hummus Rolls. As for the bread, there was a choice of pumpkin, spelt or multigrain. Pumpkin bread?? That sounds interesting enough to try!

The bread was generously smothered in crunchy peanut butter and plumply filled with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, beet-roots & alfalfa sprouts. Deliciously crunchy, nutty, sweet and healthy!

Union Building Level 1, 

University of Melbourne

Carlton, 3053

(03) 9347 8716