Dinner at Moods, Berwick

Last night I met up with my gorgeous girlfriends for dinner in Berwick. We have visited Moods before as a group and were happy with the food. The restaurant accommodated a pram without any fuss and the menu was quite lengthy, there was plenty of choices. There were many drool-worthy cakes on display but none of us ordered any dessert this time round.

The customer service could be a little more attentive but most of our dinner choices were yummy. I ordered Mediterranean Salad with Lamb. For $24.90 it wasn't a cheap salad, nor was it hugely filling but it was enjoyable.

Kebabs from Kebabs House, Rosebud

Kebabs House

Address: Shop 1/ 913 Point Nepean Rd, Rosebud

Phone: (03) 5982 1500

Yesterday we went on a road trip and stopped for kebabs in Rosebud. On the window of the Kebabs House was a big sign saying they have 'Melbourne's Best Souvlaki as mentioned in the Herald Sun.' The date of that award was January 2010. A lot must have changed in the last 16 months. Unfortunately, to explain my lamb kebab ($7.50) as disappointing is a bit of an understatement. 

• The main disappointment and a real frustration for me was the lamb. They didn't use 'real' lamb, it was processed
• There was only a tiny sprinkling of salad
• The kebab was served in what looked a lot like a hot dog bun. I think the bread was probably made on site but isn't the type of wrap you would associate with a kebab

T enjoyed his kebab so at least one of us was satisfied.

This is about one quarter of the size of the kebab

We also ordered an egg salad ($4.50) which was very fresh. In addition to the egg, there was onion and plenty of parsley.

While you wait for your food to be prepared there are plenty of new magazines to read through which was a little treat. The shop was very clean and the staff were polite.

Punjab Sweets

Punjab Sweets

Address: 2b Mason St, DandenongPhone: (03) 9792 1694 
Punjab Sweets is a modestly decked out Indian sweet shop in Dandenong. While the place is named after it's sweet treats, it is the Indian curries that keeps us coming back for more. This is probably where I got my first taste of Indian food many years ago.
They offer take-away or you can eat in at the humble dining section. While the presentation of the eating area leaves a lot to be desired, one must not forget they are there to enjoy the delicious, cheaply priced food, not critique the interior.

It is always fun to stand at the counter, look up at the large yellow menu and make the decision about which mouth watering dish to try that day.

Today we ordered 2 Vegetarian Samosas. At $1.50 each they are an amazing bargain! The samosas were totally delicious, fried to perfection and full of flavour. The second picture below shows all the tasty chunks of potatoes and peas.

We ordered two dishes, one of which was Chicken Curry ($8.50). This was simple but tasty. Unlike the similar flavoured Chicken Masala, this has no chunky pieces of onion or capsicum, it is just chicken and gravy. T loved it.

Palak Paneer ($7) was the vegetarian choice. We asked for extra paneer and there was plenty added. This was tasty too, although T mentioned that the colour wasn't quite right. He said it should be a deeper green colour and have a bit more flavour but I was happy with it.

We ordered 4 Naans ($1 each) to eat with the curries. They were cooked beautifully, spread with a little butter and were served nice and warm.

We have come to Punjab Sweets many times and always leave shaking our heads (happily) at the low price we payed for such a great meal. Today was just the same as usual; we left feeling full, satisfied and with plenty of change in our pockets.

Dinner at La Collina Pizzeria

La Collina Pizzeria

Address:1640 Burwood Highway, Belgrave 
Phone: (03) 9752 5470 

I remembered to take my camera along to Sunday's dinner at a local Italian restaurant. 
We ordered a very simple meal, T had really been wanting to have a pizza and I'm always pretty content with soup. 
There were three soups on offer; Minestrone, Pumpkin or Mixed Vegetable & Lentil (all $7). I love lentils so that was my choice. The soup had something missing, don't get me wrong, it was nice but just missed any kick. I found it very interesting to see what appeared to be lettuce in the soup and it was still pretty crisp. I would have expected a bowl of soup to be served with some bread but this wasn't. I guess that makes good business sense really; encourage the customer to buy something they can bite into so satisfy that craving of crunch.

T chose a Mexicana Pizza ($13), it was topped with salami, capsicum and olives. I had a little bite without trying any salami and was shocked by how incredibly salty it was. It seems the olives weren't rinsed because the saltiness from just one olive was completely overpowering. I honestly couldn't taste any flavour in that mouthful, only salt. T picked most of the olives off and didn't complain too much so the pizza must have been ok once they were removed.

The Osso Bucco seemed to be very popular that night as most tables appeared to have ordered that dish. I did notice the takeaway section of the restaurant was super busy on Saturday night and it does seem a pretty popular place. The interior of the restaurant was quite basic, it was clean but dated. The staff were nice, especially the man who we paid at the end, he had a lovely warmth about him.

Breakfast at Belgrave Manor Earthly Pleasures Cafe

Belgrave Manor Earthly Pleasures Cafe

Address: 1627 Burwood Highway, Belgrave

Phone: (03) 9754 7899

T and I just spent a lovely weekend in Belgrave so we had the opportunity to try out a few of the local cafes and restaurants.
For dinner on Saturday night we went to Honey Thai. This is a basic Thai restaurant with standard food. The staff were friendly and accommodating but there seemed to be too few of them to cater for the number of customers. (I didn't take any photos.)

On Sunday morning we headed out for a late breakfast at Belgrave Manor Earthly Pleasures Cafe. The cafe is a bit of a hidden sanctuary that is lovely inside and out.
There were many tasty options on the menu as well as on the daily specials board but we ordered quickly and headed out to the only table soaked in mid morning sun.
We started with coffees which were very nice.

I ordered porridge with seasonal poached fruit and sweet hazelnut dukkah ($10.50). The small amount of fruit was delicious and the sesame seeds were something a bit different. I found the porridge itself could have been a little more flavorsome, maybe it wasn't as milky as I've come to expect. When the topping was all mixed through it was nice but not amazing.

T ordered scrambled eggs on sourdough with brie, spring onions and spinach ($14.50). He loved every mouthful! I had a bite and found the inclusion of the spring onion complemented the scrambled eggs perfectly.

Our waiter was super friendly, he wore a huge smile on his face and it made our experience all the nicer.

The view from our table.

As soon as we left our table, another group of people moved there; prime real estate!The location and feel of the place is just beautiful. I would love to return here for lunch or dinner.

Parkmore Charcoal Chicken for Dinner

Parkmore Charcoal Chicken
Address: Parkmore Shopping Centre, 317 Cheltenham Rd, Keysborough
Phone: (03) 9798 5955  

We have visited this store a number of times and have always really enjoyed their charcoal cooked lamb on the spit but not this time!! The lamb was REALLY fatty. Usually it is a little crunchy on the outside and perfectly cooked with minimal fat. 
T ordered Gyros, chips and salad (lamb, chips and egg salad) $11.80.

How it looked when the lid was first opened.

After the chips were moved to the side.

I ordered a small serving of lamb ($6) and a small coleslaw ($3.20). They came in the same sized container.

While the lamb was a big let down, the chips and salads were decent.
We will probably head back to Parkmore Charcoal Chicken store in the hope that they have returned to their former high standards, but if we have an experience like this again, it will be for the last time.

Take-away from Golden Star, Bendigo

Golden Star

Address: 382 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo

Phone:  (03) 5443 4814

I'd been wanting to have some Chinese while in Bendigo so we stopped by Golden Star restaurant for a late take-away dinner. The waitress who took our order was lovely; bubbly and incredibly friendly. I do, however, have to fault her on one thing, her recommendation that I order Mixed Vegetables ($12.80) over Eggplant Braised in Brown Sauce ($13.80). Oh, how I should have chosen the eggplant....

The smell of Chinese wofting through the car as we travelled back to the motel was very tempting.

T ordered Chilli Chicken ($12.80) which was very nice. The chicken was good quality, it came with plenty of vegies and just the right amount of chilli.

The Mixed Vegetables was really bland. The variety of vegetables was good and they were cooked well but seriously lacked flavour. They were so plain that I resorted to pouring over some of the chilli chicken's spare sauce. I didn't eat much.

The small Steamed Rice ($3) was cooked perfectly, though that's not tricky to do.
Unfortunately, my craving for Chinese wasn't exactly satisfied.

Dinner at Shamrock, Bendigo

Shamrock

Address: Corner Pall Mall & Williamson Street, Bendigo
Phone: (03) 5443 0333

We were in Bendigo for the weekend and decided to visit the pub for dinner. We sat at a table next to the window and slowly perused the enticing menu. For starters T ordered Warm Turkish Bread ($8) with 3 'homemade' dips. The bread was delivered to the table warm and wrapped in paper, it was very impressive. The dips (spring onion, hummus & tzatziki) were nothing mind blowing but this entree was a very nice start to the meal.

I thought I'd lash out and go for the Ocean Trout ($27.90) served on an asparagus risotto with seared scallops and fennel remoulade. Unfortunately it seams our meal was sitting around for a while before being brought out to us because when the dish arrived the scallops were lukewarm and completely flavourless. The skin of the trout was no longer crispy and there was very little colour on the plate. On the upside, the fennel was interesting and the risotto wasn't too bad but overall, I was very unimpressed and felt rather ripped off.

T had Lamb Risotto ($17.50) cooked with rosemary and Gold Fields fetta cheese, finished with garlic yoghurt. I don't recall ever seeing lamb risotto before but it sounded interesting and looked rather tasty. There were a few whole garlic cubes which wasn't really appetizing and the serving was quite small but T enjoyed it.

The service was pretty good and the hotel was neat and well presented but overall, we had expected more from the Shamrock. Pub meals seem to be a bit hit and miss and this one was no exception; great starter, ok risotto and disappointing fish.
Perhaps next time we're in Bendigo we'll dine here again and hope for a better meal but I don't imagine we will be up that way anytime soon.

Fazio's for Dinner

Fazio's

Address:  462 Hampton Street, Hampton
Phone: (03) 9598 9396

T's favourite indulgence is a thin crusted pepperoni pizza and he has found a new favourite place to get it. He enjoyed a take-away pizza from Fazio's about two months back and was eager to return for a dine in meal.
Of course, he ordered a Reggio Pizza- tomato, mozzarella, hot salami, black olives ($16 for small). He enjoyed every single mouthful. He even suggested this should be the restaurant we return to for all celebrations and special occasions in the future.

I didn't really want pizza or pasta so I ordered Warm portobello mushrooms with goats cheese, rocket and pine nut salad ($15 entree size).  When I ordered it the waitress advised me it was quite small and would not fill me if I was hungry. I wasn't particularly hungry so it was perfect; perfect in size, perfect in presentation and absolutely perfect in flavour. Perfect!

The photo is pretty unimpressive, the complete opposite of the DELICIOUS dish!

Our dining experience was enjoyable however there were a few small things that could have made it better.
While the waiting staff were all lovely when dealing directly with paying customers, I did see two instances when one staff member was dealing with children that I think could have been handled better.
The back area of the restaurant, heading to the toilets left a lot to be desired. It's was like a spare draw or a spare bedroom- its ok to be untidy but that mess shouldn't be seen by visitors/customers.

On the other hand, seeing clearly into the kitchen is a nice touch, so is having the pizza oven visible from the street, very enticing!

We will absolutely be back, the food could not be faulted though I do hope the back of house would be tidied up a bit next time.

Dinner at Cafe Lecco

Cafe Lecco 

Address: 14 Atherton Rd, Oakleigh

Phone: 03 9569 0661 

Last night we decided on Italian for dinner and headed to Cafe Lecco in Oakleigh. It is a quiet little place and we had our choice of tables even though it was a Friday night, we chose to sit outside.

T ordered the Calabrese Fettucine with salami, onion, olives, hot chilli & tomato sauce ($17). He said the first few mouthfuls weren't very flavoursome, but he thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the dish.

I chose a Marinara Pizza with tomato, cheese, seafood, garlic & olive oil ($12). It was quite nice. I'm used to vegies on my pizza so this was very different for me. The crust was fabulous!

T also wanted some Garlic Bread ($6.50), he almost ate the whole thing. It wasn't really browned on the top, nor was it cut far enough through but it was tasty.

I wanted a Bowl of Vegetables (7.50) to have with my pizza but it was also overlooked and wasn't brought out until 15-20 mins after the other dishes, by which time I was nearly finished my meal. When this came out it appeared very unexciting but, looks can be deceiving! Whatever was used to season/dress the vegies was great and I really enjoyed these.

 

Service was average. We were given two glasses of water once we'd ordered but no one ever offered to fill them up, we had to ask. The delay in bringing out our vegetables was also disappointing.

The food was nice but we will look for a different Italian restaurant next time.

Lunch at Red Stag, Eurobin (near Bright)

Red Stag

Address: 324 Hughes Lane, Eurobin 

Phone: 03  57562365

We spent last weekend in Bright and while there, a number of people suggested we visit the Red Stag Deer and Emu Farm. While there, we were able to feed, pat and observe deer, emus, goats and ostriches. We had a great time bottle feeding some of the young animals!

After we'd had our fun it was time for lunch so we headed to the restaurant. The menu had lots of tasty options but, of course, many of them were based around venison, which neither of us wanted to eat after interacting with the cute deer before hand.

We originally ordered Bruschetta topped with Pear, Blue Cheese and Fennel Salad ($15) but were told soon after placing our order that it wasn't available that day. Not to worry, it turns out our mains were filling enough without needing an entree.

T opted for something vegetarian and thoroughly enjoyed his Gnocchi with Pesto ($23).

I ordered Salmon Fillet on mash with salad and Ginger Soy Glaze ($26), it was AMAZING!  When the meal came out the presentation was very nice (the photo definitely doesn't do it justice) and the smell of the glaze was very tempting. I cannot fault this meal, every mouthful was an absolute pleasure. The salmon skin was slightly crispy and perfectly cooked, the mashed potato was tasty, the glaze was divine and the salad was dressed perfectly. Mmmmmm! This truly was the best meal I have had in a very long time!

Unfortunately I dug into my meal before taking a photo! Too tasty to resist!

The waiting staff were all friendly. We ordered an Iced Tea which our waiter forgot to bring out to us before T reminded him. To make up for the oversight, we weren't even charged for the drink!

Our delicious lunch was made even more pleasurable by the view from the restaurant's deck.

I highly recommend The Red Stag Restaurant to anyone visiting the Alpine Region. I thoroughly look forward to returning next time we are in the area.

Dinner at Maharani, Bentleigh

Maharani

Address: 65 Patterson Road, Bentleigh
Phone: 9557 1030

Last night I didn’t feel like cooking so we went out for Indian. I chose the restaurant because I found a 2-4-1 meal deal coupon. We had visited this place some time back and I don’t remember the meal being anything special. Last night’s experience was much the same. To quote T, the meal was “Okay but nothing special.”

On the table when we arrived there were two sauces; a mint and a tamarind one and we were promptly given some Pappadums to eat while we decided what to order. I had looked at the on-line menu for the restaurant before arriving and was disappointed to see a price difference of $2 for all menu items.

T ordered a Mango Lassi ($4 I think) which he really enjoyed. When it arrived I was very impressed to see the design on top, it was a nice little touch.

 While we were waiting for our meal we took the time to look at the décor. Let’s say, it leaves a lot to be desired. Wall paint was peeling in at least one area and there were many scuff marks from chairs. I also noticed a tea light candle holder with an old candle and we had no offer to light a new one.

When our dinner plates were brought out they were warm, which is always good to see, and our food came out within a reasonable time. 

We had Lamb Masala ($12.90). Which I thought was nice enough; no gristly bits but not a memorable dish.

We also had Kabuli Channa ($11.90).

The Naans ($2.50 each) were tasty, they were my favourite part of the meal.

The waitress who tended to us most of the time was very nice and did a good job, however the other waitress seemed unsure of how to deal comfortably with customers.

Even with the 2-4-1 voucher, our meal cost a little over $26. Not as cheap as I was expecting after looking at the web prices. Maharani is probably not somewhere we will visit again but with a facelift it would have greater potential.

Brunch at Main Street, Mordialloc

Main Street

Address: 505 Main Street, Mordialloc Vic

Phone: 03 9580 8150

We arrived here for Sunday brunch to see a busy and bustling café. Due to the huge number of customers, we gave our names and waited to be summoned when a table was free. We didin’t have to wait too long to be seated and considering the popularity of the café we didn’t really wait too long for our meal to arrive once we ordered it.

The food and drinks did not disappoint!

Our drinks arrived first. I had a freshly squeezed Grapefruit juice $4.20. It was my first time trying fresh grapefruit juice and it hit the spot perfectly.

T had a ‘Sunday latte’ (a double shot latte) $4. He said it’s the best coffee he has had in ages.

I wasn’t feeling 100% so I ordered Fruit & Nut Toast $6.50. Two very thick slices of toast arrived, with two pieces of butter. Each of the slices was nicely toasted, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Smeared with a little butter, the toast was very tasty, though it may have been even better with a little bit of honey as well.

T ordered the Vegie Patch - 2 eggs (which he had scrambled) served on sourdough spread with avocado, oven baked tomato, mushrooms, spinach, roasted peppers & feta $16.50

His meal was scrumptious! The avocado added a delightful flavour to the eggs, the mushrooms were beautifully cooked and the wilted spinach was mouthfuls of goodness. 

As well as the food I really appreciated the whole atmosphere of the café. Patrons and staff seemed relaxed and the service was super friendly, even though it was really busy. The interior is also really well designed and organised.

It was our first visit to Main Street but will definitely not be our last!