Demitri’s Feast
Location: 141 Swan St, Richmond
This week we decided to go out for breakfast to Dimitri’s Feast, a Greek restaurant which was very favourably reviewed in “The Age” in a feature article on cheap eats.
This restaurant has an energetic vibe and a strong line up of regulars heading through to doors for morning coffee. Demitri’s is situated near East Richmond station with trams, and parking handy. We were instantly welcomed, seated on stools made from olive oil tins and given menus (made of box cardboard to continue the recycling theme) listing favorites like French toast, or Greek gems like Rizogalo (Greek rice pudding).
We started with fresh OJ’s and coffee. They only serve regular size, so dad had to have a second flat white.
Lauren had Baclava French toast with walnuts, thick Greek yoghurt and orange honey syrup. She loved it, and was very disappointed that the final portion was whisked away while she was visiting the Ladies. Not the waiters fault, as he did ask if it was still going to be eaten, but mum and dad made an executive decision based on Lauren’s history. Next time they will wait to confirm.
Tori had Semolina Pancakes with rose jam, pistachios, thick Greek yoghurt and orange honey syrup. She thought the pancakes were spot on, being light and fluffy, and the edible rose petals and crushed pistachios were delicious. The orange honey syrup also went very well with the slightly sour yoghurt. Overall a very well balanced dish with just the right amount of different flavors and textures.
Morgan got the Rizogalo (Greek rice pudding) with spiced pear of top. This was excellent and the spiced pear went really well with the pudding, even though it flirted between sweet and savory.
Melinda had the Zucchini Fritters with dill and feta, bacon and baby truss tomatoes which were pretty delicious but the fritters were a little underdone and the dish needed some tomato relish.
Mark had Omeletto with potato, pork sausage, goats cheese served wth toast. It was well cooked and quite filling. This dish also needed some tomato relish. The head waiter said they had sourced some home made relish from a Greek grandma, and would soon have it on the menu.
Service
The staff were friendly and took on the feedback about the relish well. They had no hesitation recommending other restaurants for us to try, and we now have a restaurant known for its duck dishes situated in Collingwood on our list to try. The atmosphere was friendly and had a good energy, but there wasn’t a lot of space and is not set up for large groups. The food was good, freshly prepared and plentiful.
Value for money
Good value and a pretty good experience overall. We would return.
Rating: Kids 7.5/10, Adults 7/10
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Afghan Village Restaurant
Location: 329 Burke Rd, Camberwell
A work colleague of Melinda’s recommended we try this restaurant that cooks northern afghani food and we’re very pleased we did. Once again we made a last minute booking and fortunately they were able to squeeze us in. Afghan Village is a small softly lit restaurant with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The gentleman at front of house made us feel very much at home and the energy was relaxed, despite the restaurant being full with a couple of large tables.
Food
The food was simple and delicious with delicate and subtle flavours. We shared a number of dishes. Chicken Khandahari is the house speciality and we know why. This flavoursome dish reminded us of butter chicken but was ten times better with yoghurt rather than sour cream as the base. The Lamb Korma also went down well – small chunks of lamb that had been stewed in a light sauce until it was about to fall apart. The Afghani Dahl was thick and chunky, resembling mashed potatoes and was incredibly hot (Melinda burning the roof of her mouth). Morgan’s choice was a chicken and beef kebab, incredibly tender marinated meat cooked on a sizzling plate. This was all accompanied by Palau Rice, an afghani staple cooked with bachlani rice along with yoghurt, mint and cucumber sauce.
Dessert was also scrumptious. The kids all had Firnee, a white custard with rosewater and cardamom flavouring. Mark choose Shirpera, a sweet slice with hints of orange and rosewater. Melinda had her favourite Bachlava, three small pieces with generous amounts of honey.
Value for money
Afghani Village is BYO and with the bill coming in well under $150, was great value and we’ll certainly return again.
Rating: 8/10
Interesting facts
Afghani food is often seasoned with lots of spices including samok (dry baby grapes), dill, fresh mint and cardamom.
A work colleague of Melinda’s recommended we try this restaurant that cooks northern afghani food and we’re very pleased we did. Once again we made a last minute booking and fortunately they were able to squeeze us in. Afghan Village is a small softly lit restaurant with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The gentleman at front of house made us feel very much at home and the energy was relaxed, despite the restaurant being full with a couple of large tables.
Food
The food was simple and delicious with delicate and subtle flavours. We shared a number of dishes. Chicken Khandahari is the house speciality and we know why. This flavoursome dish reminded us of butter chicken but was ten times better with yoghurt rather than sour cream as the base. The Lamb Korma also went down well – small chunks of lamb that had been stewed in a light sauce until it was about to fall apart. The Afghani Dahl was thick and chunky, resembling mashed potatoes and was incredibly hot (Melinda burning the roof of her mouth). Morgan’s choice was a chicken and beef kebab, incredibly tender marinated meat cooked on a sizzling plate. This was all accompanied by Palau Rice, an afghani staple cooked with bachlani rice along with yoghurt, mint and cucumber sauce.
Dessert was also scrumptious. The kids all had Firnee, a white custard with rosewater and cardamom flavouring. Mark choose Shirpera, a sweet slice with hints of orange and rosewater. Melinda had her favourite Bachlava, three small pieces with generous amounts of honey.
Value for money
Afghani Village is BYO and with the bill coming in well under $150, was great value and we’ll certainly return again.
Rating: 8/10
Interesting facts
Afghani food is often seasoned with lots of spices including samok (dry baby grapes), dill, fresh mint and cardamom.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Rococo
We ventured to St Kilda for the first time to find an eating spot on spec. A busy and disjointed Saturday meant we missed lunch so we decided to do ' dunch' (as opposed to 'brunch') - a late lunch/early dinner, arriving at St Kilda just after 4 pm.
St Kilda has tones of San Souci and Bondi with a touch of Kings Cross. The bay (what were they thinking when they called it St Kilda Beach?) is flat, open and windy, the local residents represent the full section of life and traditional eating spots are intertwined with cool wine bars and restaurants.
We chose Rococo, an Italian bistro and wine bar. Sitting inside, you look up and see trams flashing by at such speed, it takes us newcomers to Melbourne by surprise.
Location: Rococo - 87-89 Acland Street, St Kilda
Food
We started our meal with garlic bread that was pretty delicious, probably because we were ravenously hungry. We chose different meals for main.
Tori enjoyed her choice of Gnocchi Bolognese. The gnocchi was soft and moist while the sauce was like the stuff we make at home, rich and tomatoey. Lauren's Margarita Pizza had a crust that was deliciously crisp and crunchy although the topping had too much cheese and was slightly oily. Morgan's Pizza Veneto was excellent although again, just slightly over oiled. Not the best pizza he's ever had, but still good.
Melinda and Mark shared a blanco pizza with a topping of prawns, zucchini and mozzarella with a touch of lemon and chilli oil, which they both enjoyed. Although the base was thin and crisp, it lacked that yeasty taste that separates 'ok' from 'really good' pizzas. They also shared a rocket, tomato and feta salad that was passable, the rocket being a bit stringy. The matching wine was excellent.
The service was sporadic depending on who you got to deal with. Some staff were friendly and willing to go out of their way. Others were on rote. They also shoved us down the back even though we asked to be closer to the front so we could get a better view of the trams and people.
Value for money
It was a little on the expensive side so not sure we'd be rushing back. We did spy Karen Martini's Mr Wolf Cafe and Wine bar around the corner in Inkerman Str and we will definitely return to try this one. Karen is one of Melinda's cooking heros and the Good Food Guide has given Mr Wolf an excellent review. The roast garlic pizza sounds like a must try. Karen also runs the Melbourne Wine Room close by in Fitzroy St. We are waiting for Tim and Michelle to visit so we can try this strictly grown up venue out with them.
Overall rating: 6.5/10
After dunch we ventured down to the beach?? seeing the Melbourne version of Luna Park?? and the famous Palais Theatre (bring back Hunters & Collectors) on the way. We also spotted the national surf kiting championship - what a scene.
Walking back along Fitzroy St we found Fitzgerald's Icecream and the pannacotto with raspberry was too delicious for words.
St Kilda has tones of San Souci and Bondi with a touch of Kings Cross. The bay (what were they thinking when they called it St Kilda Beach?) is flat, open and windy, the local residents represent the full section of life and traditional eating spots are intertwined with cool wine bars and restaurants.
We chose Rococo, an Italian bistro and wine bar. Sitting inside, you look up and see trams flashing by at such speed, it takes us newcomers to Melbourne by surprise.
Location: Rococo - 87-89 Acland Street, St Kilda
Food
We started our meal with garlic bread that was pretty delicious, probably because we were ravenously hungry. We chose different meals for main.
Tori enjoyed her choice of Gnocchi Bolognese. The gnocchi was soft and moist while the sauce was like the stuff we make at home, rich and tomatoey. Lauren's Margarita Pizza had a crust that was deliciously crisp and crunchy although the topping had too much cheese and was slightly oily. Morgan's Pizza Veneto was excellent although again, just slightly over oiled. Not the best pizza he's ever had, but still good.
Melinda and Mark shared a blanco pizza with a topping of prawns, zucchini and mozzarella with a touch of lemon and chilli oil, which they both enjoyed. Although the base was thin and crisp, it lacked that yeasty taste that separates 'ok' from 'really good' pizzas. They also shared a rocket, tomato and feta salad that was passable, the rocket being a bit stringy. The matching wine was excellent.
The service was sporadic depending on who you got to deal with. Some staff were friendly and willing to go out of their way. Others were on rote. They also shoved us down the back even though we asked to be closer to the front so we could get a better view of the trams and people.
Value for money
It was a little on the expensive side so not sure we'd be rushing back. We did spy Karen Martini's Mr Wolf Cafe and Wine bar around the corner in Inkerman Str and we will definitely return to try this one. Karen is one of Melinda's cooking heros and the Good Food Guide has given Mr Wolf an excellent review. The roast garlic pizza sounds like a must try. Karen also runs the Melbourne Wine Room close by in Fitzroy St. We are waiting for Tim and Michelle to visit so we can try this strictly grown up venue out with them.
Overall rating: 6.5/10
After dunch we ventured down to the beach?? seeing the Melbourne version of Luna Park?? and the famous Palais Theatre (bring back Hunters & Collectors) on the way. We also spotted the national surf kiting championship - what a scene.
Walking back along Fitzroy St we found Fitzgerald's Icecream and the pannacotto with raspberry was too delicious for words.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saigon Rose
Location: 86 Victoria Street, Richmond
We got ourselves better organised this week, by looking up cheap eats, to make a booking. It’s a pity Morgan wrote down the incorrect address and we were half an hour late.
In choosing a restaurant this week we decided to go with Vietnamese. Victoria St in Richmond is the place to go for good Vietnamese food, so we chose a popular restaurant called Saigon Rose. The adults and the children had very different opinions about the food which is why we’ve given this one two ratings – children and adults.
Service
On a Saturday night Saigon Rose was packed and noisy. To get mum’s attention Lauren had to yell across the table. The service was slow at the start but sped up after the entree, which was a relief.
Food
Our entrees got off to a disappointing start with the classic Vietnamese pancakes. At our favorite Marrickville restaurant, the pancakes are crisp and full of crunchy bean sprouts and a generous serving of chicken and prawns. These were floppy and the filling was not generous and generally tired. Things then picked up with our second entrée – chicken satay. We all agreed this was the most delicious chicken satay we’d ever eaten with just the right balance of flavor, spice and peanuts.
For our first main meal we had combination egg noodles, which Morgan, Lauren and Tori thought were great. Mark and Melinda weren’t as keen on this dish though we all agreed it was tasty and succulent.
Our next dish was a salt and pepper squid which was satisfying but not extremely delicious. The large chunks of fried squid were tender with a hint of chilli.
For our last dish we got roast duck with plum sauce, even though Melinda wanted the pork belly (Morgan’s favorite food is duck and if its on the menu the odds are we will be ordering it). The duck was tasty, heavily flavoured with star anise and cinnamon. The skin was deliciously crunchy and the sauce went well with it.
Value for money
This restaurant was great value at around $20 per head. We would give this one another go.
Rating
Kids 8/10
Adults 6.5/10
We got ourselves better organised this week, by looking up cheap eats, to make a booking. It’s a pity Morgan wrote down the incorrect address and we were half an hour late.
In choosing a restaurant this week we decided to go with Vietnamese. Victoria St in Richmond is the place to go for good Vietnamese food, so we chose a popular restaurant called Saigon Rose. The adults and the children had very different opinions about the food which is why we’ve given this one two ratings – children and adults.
Service
On a Saturday night Saigon Rose was packed and noisy. To get mum’s attention Lauren had to yell across the table. The service was slow at the start but sped up after the entree, which was a relief.
Food
Our entrees got off to a disappointing start with the classic Vietnamese pancakes. At our favorite Marrickville restaurant, the pancakes are crisp and full of crunchy bean sprouts and a generous serving of chicken and prawns. These were floppy and the filling was not generous and generally tired. Things then picked up with our second entrée – chicken satay. We all agreed this was the most delicious chicken satay we’d ever eaten with just the right balance of flavor, spice and peanuts.
For our first main meal we had combination egg noodles, which Morgan, Lauren and Tori thought were great. Mark and Melinda weren’t as keen on this dish though we all agreed it was tasty and succulent.
Our next dish was a salt and pepper squid which was satisfying but not extremely delicious. The large chunks of fried squid were tender with a hint of chilli.
For our last dish we got roast duck with plum sauce, even though Melinda wanted the pork belly (Morgan’s favorite food is duck and if its on the menu the odds are we will be ordering it). The duck was tasty, heavily flavoured with star anise and cinnamon. The skin was deliciously crunchy and the sauce went well with it.
Value for money
This restaurant was great value at around $20 per head. We would give this one another go.
Rating
Kids 8/10
Adults 6.5/10
Monday, February 1, 2010
La Francesca
Location: 512 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills
A local Surrey Hills Italian restaurant, La Francesca has a good vibe with an authentic feel that just seems to force pictures of scooters and Italian landscapes. Fully booked on a Friday night, mostly with clientele over 60 years of age (we were the youngest group there by a long shot).
Food
Our starter of garlic bread and succulent soft shelled crab bruchetta was mouth wateringly delicious. On the main dish front - Anatra al Arrancia, a twice cooked duck in orange sauce. Morgan loves duck and he believes this dish did ducks all around proud. With a sweet orange sauce that very well suited the perfectly cooked duck meat he rated this 8/10. Lauren’s Salt and Pepper Calamari was tender and flavorsome getting a 7/10 rating. Our other mains were disappointing – Tori felt her Lasagna was overcooked (6/10), Mark felt his Risotto Marinara although tasty was too sweet (6/10) and Melinda’s choice of Risotto Ortilano (baked vegies) did not meet expectations at all (5/10).
Value for money
At $170 for the five of us (and it was BYO) you wouldn’t put La Francesca in the ‘cheap and cheerful’ category.
Things we liked
The staff and service at La Francesca were exceptional – welcoming and accommodating with them making space for us with our last minute booking by squeezing us into a table designed for four diners (instead of five).
Things we didn’t like
The misleading pizza oven in the centre of the kitchen of La Francesca was quite frustrating, mainly because they don’t make or sell pizzas. They did last year, apparently.
5.5/10 stars overall
A local Surrey Hills Italian restaurant, La Francesca has a good vibe with an authentic feel that just seems to force pictures of scooters and Italian landscapes. Fully booked on a Friday night, mostly with clientele over 60 years of age (we were the youngest group there by a long shot).
Food
Our starter of garlic bread and succulent soft shelled crab bruchetta was mouth wateringly delicious. On the main dish front - Anatra al Arrancia, a twice cooked duck in orange sauce. Morgan loves duck and he believes this dish did ducks all around proud. With a sweet orange sauce that very well suited the perfectly cooked duck meat he rated this 8/10. Lauren’s Salt and Pepper Calamari was tender and flavorsome getting a 7/10 rating. Our other mains were disappointing – Tori felt her Lasagna was overcooked (6/10), Mark felt his Risotto Marinara although tasty was too sweet (6/10) and Melinda’s choice of Risotto Ortilano (baked vegies) did not meet expectations at all (5/10).
Value for money
At $170 for the five of us (and it was BYO) you wouldn’t put La Francesca in the ‘cheap and cheerful’ category.
Things we liked
The staff and service at La Francesca were exceptional – welcoming and accommodating with them making space for us with our last minute booking by squeezing us into a table designed for four diners (instead of five).
Things we didn’t like
The misleading pizza oven in the centre of the kitchen of La Francesca was quite frustrating, mainly because they don’t make or sell pizzas. They did last year, apparently.
5.5/10 stars overall
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