tastebudds

117 ways for University students to save money

2006-09-21T14:22:00.000+10:00

2. Take the free checks that the bank offers in the maximum amount they allow - mine was initially going to give me 50, but for some reason I thought I needed more right away and paid $4.95 for another 50. If you need more, you simply go online and order more, but leftover checks are more typical than not, especially with online bill pay options becoming more commonplace. Extra checks become nothing more than wasted paper and wasted dollars.

10. For those beer lovers who really dislike the cheap beer, join a beer brewers club or get a group of dorm mates to brew beer. In the last few years the hobby has grown exponentially and college students everywhere are brewing. Warning: brewing may not be “legal” in your dorm room….que sera, sera.

14. If you can’t borrow, buy used college textbooks. On sites like Amazon.com used hardcover books are often cheapest. Soft cover are more valued for convenience, so if you’re willing to haul a couple extra ounces, then hardcover is the cost-saving choice. ISBN.nu allows you to easily compare book prices from major online book stores. The campus bookstore will sell a supply of used books, but they are limited; so check the online sources as well.

19. Have a coffee fix? If you are one of millions of college students ducking into the corner coffeehouse every morning for your daily cuppa Joe, then you are wasting money.
Your daily latte, cappuccino, or mocha will run you between $2.50 and $3.50 depending on the size you need. Seven days of that routine costs you $17.50 per week, $70 per month and around $280.00 per semester! That’s over $500 a year you drank in morning caffeine. Make your own. By the time you graduate from a four-year degree, you’ve saved over $2000 in coffee beverages. That’s just one a day….Buy a decent coffee maker or even a small espresso/cappuccino machine for your dorm room or apartment. You’ll save hundreds of dollars.

62. Pay utility bills before they are due. Avoid late fees.

65. Living on an upper floor will typically keep you warmer in the winter, but it’ll get hotter in the summer. If you go to school in a region where winters are longer then upper floors are smart, otherwise live low.

93. Use an inexpensive or free internet phone calling service. Once upon a time the sound quality and incidence of dropped digital data packets was high, but VoIP calls have come a long way, baby. Some families, especially those spread far and wide, even international, subscribe to an online conference service. Here everyone in the group may participate in a group meeting, share photos, keep current with goings on, etc.

110. We're not endorsing prostitution, bu you can give some of yourself by donating blood plasma can net you an extra couple hundred dollars a month. But, be careful if you try combining this with alchohol. ;)

Though these tips aren't written for the Australian Students (both international and local) in mind, there are definitely some stuff we can pick up from. I'm saving money already.

link

starstruck

2006-09-12T19:07:00.000+10:00

Once again our coffee industry is milked to the fullest with the latest addition of yet another Starbucks outlet on Swanston Street (cnr Lonsdale). Our next bet is one more at La Trobe St... like yeah, why not?

just wait a moment

2006-09-06T19:25:00.000+10:00

I know some of you have totally given up hope on us (oh you impatient people haha). But for some, you still check back our website like there's no tomorrow.

Just a short update about what has been happening. As much as we are slackers of our own class, we have not ditched this space for another million-dollar venture. We're currently working on a publication for the Melbourne University Overseas Student's Society which is due in a week's time. Heh.

Oh, just to get you excited, short snippets of what has been going on in Melbourne CBD and outskirts are coming up within the week. So if you don't want to miss out, really, trust me, you gotta stick around.

labouring till the crocs come home,
willywei

krispy kravins

2006-07-14T21:38:00.000+10:00

Greetings all!

A ~~couple of friends~~ group of friends with myself (liwei) went up to visit what they would say the most vibrant city of Australia, Sydney (of cos I would beg to differ). Lately, Krispy Kreme (a US donut chain) has become synonymous with the capital city.

Details about when Krispy Kreme started and all are misrepresentations, do not follow at all cost. The problem with recording the above video was that the donuts we had were not fresh. Just before we left Sydney, I decided to give it one more chance, this time to get one straight from the oven. And trust me, the ones from those hot stoves are the ones you're after. Although you could microwave them (the original glazed ones) for 8 seconds (in selected microwave ovens only), it wouldn't taste as good.

The good news for Victorians is, there is one outlet in Melbourne too!

Sydney Outlets
4 York Street
(opposite Wynyard Park)
Wynyard NSW 2000

Sydney Domestic Terminal T3, T2, Sydney Airport
Sydney

Melbourne Outlet
Fountain Gate
Westfield Fountain Gate, Narre Warren
(access via Narre Warren North Road)
Melway Reference 110 E4

credits: host liwei cameraman lucien ong

feel the heat

2006-06-05T21:46:00.000+10:00

Hey you!

Busy with exams? So are we. Bear with us for a little while longer as issue four is still in the oven.

Craving for something to read? Check out our archives on your right. In the meanwhile, if you've got anything, like anything at all to tell us (probably something constructive) feel free to drop us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!

See you guys two weeks from now! Study smart, not hard!

--
the tastebudds team

2006-05-05T14:52:00.000+10:00

issue three

seeking nirvana

a sweet style of vegetarian Indian awaits to be discovered.
[read more]

speed dating

michelle shows us how to whip up a quick sticky date pudding guaranteed to delight your guests.
[read more]

All of Their Bases Are Belong to Us

searching for recipes online is not as hard when their bases belong to us.
[read more]

sticky dating

2006-05-04T15:46:00.000+10:00

Dates, especially dried pitted ones have many nutritional facts that many of us don't know about. It contains many sources of minerals, vitamins and fibres. While we wanted to make something sweet, we didn't want anything sinful either, which made sticky date pudding our obvious choice.

Sticky date pudding, also known as the sticky toffee pudding is a hugely popular British dessert amongst the locals, often served in high-end restaurants with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce. This is all but a simplified version of the basic sticky, but of course you are free - and encouraged - to experiment with ginger or .

Keep in mind while making this, that although it may look incredibly gross and faeces-like after going through the blender, it tastes incredibly good with that butterscotch hot sauce. Funny thing with the pudding was the more we ate it, the tastier it became. It's just one of those weird desserts that doesn't make you sick the more you eat it. Oh, one more thing, make sure you keep an eye on the pudding while baking, as it tends to bake faster than the required time (we should know - ours got burnt bad.). So, enjoy getting sticky with the dates!

sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce

makes enough for 4

100g dried pitted dates
150ml boiling water
half tsp bicarbonate of soda
25g chopped butter
50g brown sugar
1 egg
half cup of self-raising flour

for the sauce
75g firmly packed brown sugar
150ml of cream
40g chopped butter

Method

Preheat oven to 150 deg. Lay baking paper over cake pan.
Soak dates in boiling water, stirring in the bicarbonate. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Puree date mixture with butter and sugar in a blender. Add eggs and flour and continue blending until smooth. Pour mixture into the cake pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or so, checking with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. (in which case it is ready)
Meanwhile, combine ingredients for butterscotch sauce in a saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth and slightly thickened.
Once pudding is ready, allow it to stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm with butterscotch sauce or ice cream.

Nirvana Vegetarian Café: The Friendly Vegetarian Café

2006-05-04T11:43:00.000+10:00

486 Bridge road
Richmond 3121

Getting there: take trams 48 or 75 from flinders st
visit www.nirvanacafe.com

What I don’t like about this tiny café is how it shouts for attention with the overuse of newpaper features and giant, enlarged copies of the Cheap Eats best vegetarian dish award (which shall be revealed in just a bit) that are so eagerly plastered against their shop window. I don’t like places that try too hard to yank you in, especially when pleasing comfort awaits instore.

Having said that, it was absolutely impossible to find along Bridge Road. You would think that most cafes would try to carve a business along the busier strips, but this one had us on a wild goose chase, for we had no idea what to look out for. It would seem this café is as elusive as nirvana itself.

A first impression filled with Hindi music sounding like many clashing gold bangles greeted us. A woman, not-so-young, bore a sweet grin that looked worried at the same time, maybe because we seemed to be a indecisive bunch and was afraid we get up and leave. We were, after all, the only ones there. She quickly ushered us to the pink sponge-stuffed benches, scattered with pink and grey sequined cushions to match. She then runs back to the safety in the space behind the hotbar and props herself to WATCH US READ THE MENU. We look at her, she looks at us. We look away, glance back and still, she’s looking at us. It was so awkward! And it’s not as though we’re skinny white sunburned people smackbang in the middle of Bombay right?

We get the feeling that she’s very insecure…

…when really, there is no reason to. For lunch, they serve specials that entail a base of fragrant basmati rice, with a choice of 2 curries ($6) or 4 ($7), out of a possible four. They are: pumpkin, potato, lentil (daal) and chickpea. Because this café tends to serve Indian food that originates from the north, their curries tend not to take on a heaty disposition, resorting to a sweet blend instead. We rate their pumpkin as their best curry because it had the melt-in-your-mouth factor that was hugely satisfying in the cold; then followed closely by potato, chickpea, then lentil, which we found to be quite dry and unpleasantly paste-like.

And another great thing is that all these curries are healthy! They contain almost zero cholesterol because they don’t use any meat-derived products. Plus I quote, “beans and lentils are the best source of vegetable fibre. They also contain plenty of iron, potassium and protein!” Like, wow!

One thing we always succumb to is false advertising. When the menu said samosas cost $2, and out came ONE, you can imagine how cheated we felt. One miserable samosa between the three of us! Hmmph. For that we have taken away half a spoon from you, you I-can’t-keep-my-eyes-off-chinese-customers woman.

Ok… here comes their award-winning dish *indian drumrolls*, the Narratan Kofta ($13.80)!
Sounds so fancy-schmancy right?

Well, it is.

Kofta refers to anything that is minced into bitesized balls and in this case, it was a queer combination of paneer (Indian cottage cheese), that was really smooth and some other chewy spices I cannot differentiate. I do know that it was heavily DROWNED in a creamy butterscotch-coloured sauce with ginger and cardamom and maybe even fennel but I’m not too sure. When you first take a bite you are seriously, lost for words; not so much because it’s fantastically scrumptious or anything but rather you can’t tell the f--- what you’re eating.
By this point the once hip Hindu music did a one eighty and turned into some weird techno remix and immediately I imagine this deaf Indian DJ in the back spinning his own tunes while flipping chappatis.

Normally with Indian food you’d expect a lot of heat, which is why the trusty Lassi comes in handy. Lassi($3.80) is traditionally a yoghurt drink in the style of a milkshake, with simple honest flavours like rosewater. I did try their mango one (which is supposedly popular with her regular white customers) and yes, it has won me over! (I am now officially white. yay!)

Whilst the rest of you may not tolerate dairy so well, there’s always chai (Indian tea at $3) that has become hugely popular on recent years, finding itself in things like chai lattes and other essences. Chai contains the aforementioned cardamom and fennel, mixed with milk and sugar, and is traditionally ‘pulled’, by which I mean you transfer the tea from one cup to another to aerate it. I like chai, but dear liwei discovers it’s not quite his cup of tea. Mwhahahaha. Geddit?

Amongst their vast array of dishes include roti chanai (Indian flat bread at $2) and Kulfi (Indian ice cream at $4.50) and the rotiroll (Indian souvlaki at $6.50). But whatever you choose, you must be game enough to stick through the dish till the end, or else you may never discover nirvana…

all of their bases are belong to us

2006-04-23T14:19:00.000+10:00

What do I cook when I'm sick? What should I bake for my neighbour's housewarming party? Gosh, how am I gonna amaze my future-in-laws? Searching for the perfect recipe can often be a very daunting task. Especially with all those cookbooks and newspaper snip-outs. Sometimes even searching for the perfect simple meal you always wanted online can also prove to be very difficult- being spoilt for choices.

Today we here at tastebudds shall try (note, 'try') our hand at educating you, our readership, on searching for your delectable 'one' via several recipe search engines. Numerous food blogs have sprung up from over the years, including ourselves although we believe that we're very much differentiated from the usual population *ahem*. There are also a couple of them who specialise their efforts solely on recipes alone, that have paid off for themselves and the many people who need the service. So many recipe engines to choose, too little time left to cook, tell me which one is best? We have singled down to three of our more preferred recipe databases and they are pretty easy to use as well.

To prove the functionalities of the three sites we have chosen, we will be testing them in search with a dish of the following elements: main course, chicken, asparagus, 1 hour cook time.

Allrecipes has a complete online resource center for all your gastronomical needs. They've got this very hand-dandy link that helps you look for recipes with the ingredients you already have saving you the effort of dressing up before going out to your nearest grocer which isn't very near. Allrecipes' Clipboard function is rather astounding. For people who are just out there to squander their time away have a choice of browsing through their recipe database and sorting them to "Recently Viewed Recipes", "Bookmarked Recipes" and "Shopping List Recipes". Of course you have to register with them first which is absolutely free. Their recipes tells you the amount of preparation time and cook time. You can even tell them how many guests you're serving and they'll scale the ratios for you. For the weak hearted or the diet conscious individuals, cholesterol counting is done for you. They've got lots more stuff, but I shan't spoil it for you go check it out yourself. Have fun!

result: Chicken and Asparagus Fettucine

Okay listen up, people who are allergic to gluten or wheat, or requires dishes to be low in calcium/sodium/whatever, Epicurious's recipe search is meant for you! Most of their recipes are taken from food magazines such as Gourmet and Bon Appetit. Just like Allrecipes, Epicurious also has for themselves a recipe box which performs more or less the same functions as Allrecipes' clipboard. However they have gone one step (or actually many more steps) further to provide restaurant reviews from Berlin to Washington DC.

result: Parmesan-Crusted Chicken and Asparagus with Sauce Maltaise

Fortunately/Unfortunately, Google has done it again with their Google Base. Google Base has somehow integrated recipe searching into part of their nifty search system. Honestly, they don't exactly have a recipes database. What they do is this: they index every recipe there is on the web and put them into their own search system. So in the very end you'd probably be getting recipes from every recipe website there is.

result: non-applicable.

So actually recipes aren't that all hard to search for online. Knowing what you want and where to get does the trick. But of course, sometimes they look overly professional that you really wonder if they can be done by a student cook (like yourself). So in that case, check out our own recipes section where the 'not-so-professional' chefs tell you what disasters you can potentially avoid and where else you can improve on. Sometimes grandma's old recipe book is the miracle and works best. Hope this helps.

2006-03-28T14:36:00.000+11:00

issue two

Babka

Cos bread is good for you. There are alot more than just what goes into your pie and sandwiches.
[read more]

Orange Eggs?

What could come out from this exotic fusion of protein and citrus? Read on to find out what blunders or surprises we've made.
[read more]

The Beautiful Games We Play

We must apologise for the untimeliness of this article. Even then, the spirit of the Games must live on!
[read more]

Come Flu with Me

Down with the flu bug? Same here. We tip off some tricks from the hat about managing this deadly virus at a time like this.
[read more]

orange eggs?

2006-03-26T23:34:00.000+11:00

Orange Egg Sandwich

No, there is no such thing as an orange egg so don’t be fooled into thinking it was something rare and exotic. This will be, by far, one of the easiest things to make as far as this section will go, which was originally conceived in mind for the warmer days of pre-autumn. But it seems Melbourne is ahead of herself this year…

We’ve chosen to use Vienna bread which is slightly different to normal bread in that it is baked in steam to retain inner moisture, while the crust lightly browns and becomes crisp, even flaky (yum). Vienna bread can be cheaply bought at Safeway/Coles for less than a dollar a loaf, although you probably wouldn’t really need an entire loaf.

Navel oranges were particularly chosen for it peels/cuts easily due to its thick rind and best of all, no seeds! They have thick, meaty flesh with lots of sweet juice, and is considered one of the best types of orange out there.

Ingredients

Couple slices of Vienna bread
4 eggs
200g of shaved leg ham, or chicken ham
one navel orange
grated mozzarella
dollop of butter

Method

Cut off the skin of the orange (including the white pith) so you’re left with a fleshy orange ball. Slice into desired thickness. (don’t wear white when you do this!)
Whisk eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper as desired.
Let the butter sizzle in a pan, before tipping the eggs in. Stir a couple of times, then add in the shaved ham.
Meanwhile, toast the slices of Vienna and lay cheese on to melt.
When eggs and ham are ready, toss them on top of the cheese, followed by the orange slices to form, the Orange Egg Sandwich! Beware this is a deeply satisfying meal.

the beautiful games we play

2006-03-26T21:53:00.000+11:00

For most of the way, Hellen Cherono of Kenya seemed well on top, but determined Australian Kerryn McCann remained hot on her tracks, desperately clinging onto what’s left battered by sheer demoralisation. We buried our faces in hands - Cherono appeared younger, fitter and more ready to dish out the goods. Could 38 year-old McCann defy the odds? With two kilometres to go, and the MCG in full sight, McCann mustered all her might, by now fuelled only by the roar from the MCG. And she did it.

In a magnificent triumph over her competitor, McCann took the gold, and her son, by the hand, and proudly marched around the stadium, basking in well-earned glory. We punched our fists in the air, cheered, even cried out in jubilance, absent-mindedly forgetting: how did she do it?

And how heartwrenching was the moment when Craig Mottram (from the 4 X 100 sprint) was tripped to the ground, all because he was a victim of a simple chain reaction!

One cannot deny the magic that surrounds the Games. It makes you abandon all routine, however important, so we may stand stock-still in time to admire their courage, strength and power. It sucks you into this vortex of emotional highs and lows as you watch the heroes of our generation face the difficulties that parallel those of our lives. Everybody loves a good drama, and this is no exception. We root for the underdog, back up our favourites, and share their joys and sorrows. To borrow Ben Lee’s lyric “We’re all in this together” plainly describes how we all are equally spellbound by this magic.

I must confess, I’m not a huge sporting fan. But there are times when I succumb to brilliant packaging offered by international sporting events such as the Games, where I suddenly become abnormally interested in all sporting events. Personally I find squash one of the most retarded games invented (hitting against a wall? come on!) but even that sparked some excitement in me. Synchronised swimming took much flak for its credibility as a sport, but I don’t care - it’s sheer hard work ~~and sexy legs~~ that counts. The more I watched the athletes, the more I learned who I liked and who I didn’t, which ultimately determined who I rooted for, because it’s not so much the better player than it is the better personality I wanted to win.

In this one moment in basketball where one player had fallen, it was so interesting to note how everyone in the crowd went “ooh” all at the same time. That unison made me think. Did that moment strip us bare to our human core? To those who were blind to the pathetic attempts by racial rioters to divide us, are we really all that different? When athletes reached breaking point, I was undeniably moved by the single tear because not only did it reveal their pride, but also their vulnerability as human beings, and for me this has become so reassuring in this increasingly cold and segregated society. In my books, this is what reality tv should really be about. (and not bombastic, lewd personalities purposely caught parading in their birthday suits)

Judging from the spectacular closing ceremony, Melbourne sure has set the bar pretty high for Delhi 2010. Now all I can do is sit and wait in anticipation for more “yoga-inspired” and “lightbulb-twisting” dance routines, and maybe, just maybe, my next sporgasm.

come flu with me

2006-03-26T16:59:00.000+11:00

I don’t know about you, but my body is increasingly lousy at adapting to the weather. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for the whole four seasons thing. It’s just that annoying transitory changes of sprinter and wautumn really throw my system off.

Tissues in hand have now become a permanent fixture, totally clashing with my (soon-to-be) black-and-blue winter look. My symptoms were strangely hayfever-like -- I had a nose I couldn’t catch, a throat I’m dying to rip out, and eyes that watered so often I thought I had cataract.

I’m guessing I have the flu. As you may already know, the flu spreads when you cough or sneeze, launching infected droplets into the air for your “friend” to breathe in. You can be spreading the flu even before you develop symptoms, so make sure you wash your hands frequently kids!

Every year this in sprinter there's much hype about flu vaccines. These little vials of miracle drugs are inactivated, by which I mean it contains a dead virus strain designed for your body to make antibodies against, so you can build up your own defences.

But the key question is, are they effective?

Whilst many shot-takers will attest to its benefits, research claims that only 5 to 20% of people actually do get infected. What about the placebo effect? With such a subjective matter at hand, who’s to say it actually works? Apparently the common flu vaccine targets influenza A or B, but most of the time people are infected with flu-like symptoms that do not directly correlate with those two strains. Often we try and treat the symptoms instead of targetting the source, which is rather understanble due to the lack of affirmative evidence. Hence it is little wonder why people are confused as to how to safeguard oneself against this potential pandemic!

For those who have unrelentless faith in doctors *cough cough*, a flu shot usually costs around $20-25 in Melbourne, and you can have it done at any clinic provided you make an appointment first. Just make sure you don't babble on about some other illness you have for it will incur a hefty consultation fee.

Whether you swing towards natural medicine or not, tastebudds has some tips for you. In true Survivor-style, here's how you can win immunity:

1)We recommend you go the extra mile to include extra Vitamin C, iron, zinc and antioxidants in your diet. These can be found by increasing your intake of onion, garlic, red meat, seafood and citrus fruits. Try to eat fruit, rather than drink its juice as the sugars dissolve too readily into the bloodstream and will return err, via the other end.

2) Rest more, and by this we don’t mean oversleeping into lectures (although that is a keen possibility) as much as we mean sleeping EARLIER. And don’t forget to include time to relax, unwind and laugh to get those happy endorphins pumpin’.

3) ~~Avoid people.~~ Avoid small, crowded places; because most of the time someone is bound to have the flu or “flu-like symptoms” and IT WILL HUNT YOU DOWN. Someone rubbing his nose will touch something someone else will touch, causing that someone to cough causing another to sneeze causing another to sniff, use tissues, then drop out of their pockets, which the janitor will touch, pick up, perpetuating this malicious cycle.

Therefore it is our duty as responsible citizens of Melbourne to take the health of our city into our own hands and wash them clean, because even the mighty John So can only do So much.

babka

2006-03-26T14:32:00.000+11:00

Closed on Mondays
358 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy
9416 0091

Getting there: Take any bus from along Lygon Street towards Brunswick Street. Be sure to get a ticket!

A tropical getaway to somewhere near the exotic Madagascar. A coconut hut with hula girls serving you freshly squeezed citrus juice. Ahh.. Well that was my impression when i first heard the name Babka. Boy, was I totally wrong (in a good sense)!

Lavished with mahogany and redwood furnitures, Babka is one of your modest family shops that offers fresh-from-the-oven pastry and bread. They serve a loyal base of customers who are always back for more.

The Beef, Burgundy(wine) and Mushrooms Babka Pie is not to be mistakened for another frozen lump of dough from your local supermarket. To ensure an all-rounded diet, it is served together with generous helpings of salads, tomato relish and bread. An alluring combination of ingredients is wrapped within crispy 'home-made' pastry to bring out the fullest taste of wine-marinated red meat and mushrooms. Do try their Spicy Kasoundi(aka tomato relish) with rocket, served as a sidedish. If you're not a careful/clean eater, be sure to practice your cutlery handling skills(especially while cutting the pie). Another pie to buckle down would be their Lamb and Dried Apricot.

If you're a fan of fresh bread and other similar wheat products, you'll crave after their Rare Roast Beef, Grain Mustard, Salad and Multigrain Sandwich (what a mouthful!). You must eat the bread no matter what diet you're on. Moist, and delicate, not drying the mouth like most bread do, Keegan could very well drink this like water. This made-to-order sandwich has a delectable combination of grain mustard with hints of horseradish(somewhat like wasabi) that lingers for just a moment (an extremely exciting experience for Keegan this one) and tender beef slices that doesn't fall off easily. The flavour isn't Over The Top(OTT) with the addition of staples of lettuce and tomatoes, to round off this sandwich nicely. Cheers to this creation.

Babka is a pleasant and quiet place for a few friends to chill out and catch up. With hospitable service by youthful ladies, every effort to travel to this hang out is worth it. Albeit the gourmet adventure, eating in would be foolish for the tight-budgeted student; taking away is the better option even though they don't give you the greens.

2006-03-21T12:56:00.000+11:00

issue one

Tastebudds returns this season with more reasons to give you what we find in Melbourne.

Tastier Things

What's in or out this season for Tastebudds? We let you in on our plans for the Semester ahead, and things you can get excited about with us.
[read more]

Assembly Line

Chief Editor Keegan goes along the shadowed areas of Hardware Lane to bring you amazing discoveries of cheap Japanese Cuisine.
[read more]

Rag pasta with pumpkin and coriander

Bringing pasta making to a newer level of creativity. You won't quite believe how easy and fun it is to make this dish.
[read more]

Dontoo

2006-03-18T22:13:00.000+11:00

330 Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC3000

Dontoo is another of Melbourne’s well-kept secrets that hides behind – but no means shadowed by – the dodgier sibling Don Don. It attracts the dominantly male business crowd with its swinging jazz tunes, cheap bento and pan-asian countergirls.

There lies a bustling air of vibrancy to this tiny joint, toned down only by the darkstained tables and chairs that speak of class. Purple walls are sponged down to give a relaxed space, with nothing more than a few ornamental pieces as adornment.

Barely a minute past our time of order, the first dish comes in. We scuttle back to the counter in bewilderment, as we ask ourselves, could this be fresh? Efficiency is so high you'd think they were slaves in an assembly line!

Sukiyaki Don ($5.60) is a modestly sized dish with tender beef and onion slivers, liberally sprinkled over in unstructured beauty. The red pieces you see are preserved, julienned ginger, no doubt providing pleasant contrast to the salty-sweetness of the sake soy. We discovered that its rice is of the long-grain variety(cheapskates), instead of the short-grains the real Japanese use.

However, one may take their can’t-care-less-about-presentation approach rather authentically Japanese. Wabi-sabi, a new concept to Western culture, is the art of appreciating beauty in all its impermanence, imperfections and incompletions - and Dontoo has embraced that.

Just brimming with greens is the Niku Udon($6.70), a classic rice noodle dish with similarly prepared beef slivers carelessly dumped into the miso-infused broth, again, in pretty disarray. We had trouble extinguishing amongt the mix of greens but the broccoli stuck out like a sore thumb. Equally frustrating was hunting for the udon, for it had this uncanny ability to hide behind the foliage. It turned out to be quite ordinary, really.

But the real gem is the Dondon Box($7.80), justified not only for its striking colours, but also for its fun-to-eat factor. Load up your spoon with a base of rice, add a slice of sauce-drenched teriyaki beef, top the lot with seaweed shreds, and presto – your very own (and shortlived) masterpiece! Compartmentalism has never been so exciting! The teriyaki sauce is wondefully concocted, earning the chicken the thumbs up. The accompanying salad is loaded with great tangy Japanese mayo, rounding up the balanced meal nicely.

Everything about Dontoo is self-service, which serves its purpose of satisfying the hungry lunchtimers well. There is nothing more irritating than waving your hands and pulling pathetic help-me-because-I-need-your-assistance faces at ignorant waitstaff. I’d rather help myself, thank you.

3.5 spoons out of five

Rag pasta with pumpkin and coriander

2006-03-18T18:33:00.000+11:00

Ingredients:

Lasagne sheets

Chicken fillet, cut into thin strips

Butternut pumpkin, sliced as thinly as possible

Bunch of coriander

Lettuce of your choice

clove of garlic

parmesan cheese, to taste

Tastier things

2006-03-18T12:53:00.001+11:00

Keegan describes our current situation as rising 'from the ashes'. And our readership never quite heard from us after last year's Spring break.

Putting things into perspective, Tastebudds was running Beta mode last year. We just forgot to add the "beta" in. Things we tried, and failed. Other things we tried, and you liked. Honestly, failure in itself could very well be success.

Tastebudds returns to the scene to bring you what could be the very best of Melbourne(or hopefully to be). We heard your cries and your fears, got our grey matter together to see how things could work better.

For the uninitiated, who the heck are we? ~~Bloody~~ Right. Take us as a group of University students who caters for the gastronomical and economical needs of our own kind.

This online magazine now runs two main sections that matter most, reviews and recipes. Occasionally we may dish out articles that could serve useful for international students like ourselves(buying textbooks, getting the cheapest, upcoming events, etc). Threading on 'new-found-land' can be a daunting task for youthful 18-20 year-olds, we totally understand that. Trust us.

Just last week we made a two trips down the city to scour for worthy places to review. We dumped the first one simply because it wasn't good enough. Under $10, with food that still excites your tastebudds is still our promise! Should we exhaust our database of restaurants in the City, we've got loads more under our sleeves in the inner-city towns!

To guide the helpless student cooks, without the need of buying more books. Tell me you haven't had a hard time getting books for university already. Why else are you going to spend more money on recipes you don't even know that could work? Our very own tastebuddies put their culinary skills to the test(whether good or bad) and tell you what disasters you could possibly avoid when trying our 'tried-and-true' recipes. Beat that.

Socialites are taking over the internet. Sharing is caring. Popular social bookmarking websites, such as del.icio.us and digg take us by storm. If they could do that, why can't we do the same!? Read our reviews? Been there, done that? Tell us! Email us details about your favourite hang-outs and restaurants that we ought to recommend. Recipes you wanna share with the world and claim your fame from the kitchen? By all means send it to us! Check out our simple guidelines for your recipe submissions.

The greatest part about this revamp is this: we're gonna update on a weekly basis. Waiting for two weeks for an issue was ridiculous(now we know). Behold, for tastier things are about to come(though we're still tweaking our website, so beware of certain bugs)!

Semester Ends

2005-10-11T16:35:00.000+10:00

TasteBudds will be on a hiatus due to academic pressures. Also during this period of time, we will be re-managing our resources to serve you better. We're considering purchasing a more stable web hosting service, so please bear with us for the moment!

We have managed to recover our archives properly - hooray! However, due to recent changes in our management of articles, several editor's letters may seem a little 'out-of-point'. But all links should work. If you encounter a missing link, do email us! Thanks mate!

Also this gives time to include new features, so come back when you're exams are over too!

Mugging really hard,

No. 5

2005-09-12T22:10:00.000+10:00

No. 5 is uniquely different from its surrounding cafés. They give themself a distinct "darker" look. Think "Sin City". Just 2 overhead lamps that keep the little space lit. If you're looking for a place to chill out or just to catch up with old time buddies, then this is the place for you!

Just like any other cafes, they too serve coffee (like duh right). While your 'weaker' friends prefer their coffee less flavoursome, you might love their full-bodied-overly-bitter coffee. After all, flavour is still one's choice. Flat white here costs $2.50.

Ice chocolate was nothing spectacular. Pretty ordinary. People who are hardcore chocolate lovers can give this a miss while those who are 'diabetic' can make this their choice. Served with vanilla ice cream, this beverage comes in at $4.00.

All muffins are priced at $3 each. The Raspberry muffin is rather fruity, even throughout the baked dough. Sadly, it tastes like microwaved Supermarket muffins. More moisture in the muffin itself would have made it more delectable. But definitely, the muffin can be worth to be part of your high-tea session.

13/20

St Jeromes

2005-09-12T21:58:00.000+10:00

There’s just no telling what a door beholds these days – everything takes us into dark, damp corners each with their own little surprises ready to pounce on the unprepared or the narrow-minded. As humans we think we’ve seen the world, jaded. Used to the sights of mainstream society, but boy, is St Jerome an eyeopener.

Sneaky is the word to describe it. Everything about this place sneaks up onto right before you actually find yourself in it, and then it just hits you, hard.

Façade: a cosy little teashop

Counter area: distinctive retro styling

Verandah: Walls swamped with graffiti and an abandoned stereo set whose golden days are hard to put a finger on.

Go in and you’ll see what I mean.

Looks aside, the girls who take your orders giggle around, outrageously spouting lyrics to oldies, all with the unmistakable look of goth in their eyes.

I looked around, shit scared by their chutzpah, before finally agreeing on a flat white($2). This was marginally less robust than the one from No. 5, which I enjoyed less because of it’s strength. But I found the presentation of this drink unsatisfactory, because THE SWIRLS WERE SO MESSY! It just looked so low-grade, but nonetheless of the right consistency, for my taste anyway.

“Would you like a fri-AND?” she asks.

Friend? No thanks I’ve got one at the back, I thought.

“Hm what are they?” (points to a muffin-like thing)

“They’re friands, a bit like cheescake”

Wow. Friands ($3.50). They taste just like chocolate chip muffins, and turned out to be quite pleasant to eat. Generous chocolate chip, but again, sloppy presentation. The girl picked one up with her ~~thongs~~ (I wish) tongs and plonked them onto a plate, which I had to take to my table myself. They were, nevertheless, polite. Ok. Cheesecake my foot. TASTED NOTHING LIKE IT. Got me all excited for nothing. To think I was going to taste something as heavenly as cheesecake in what looked like a measly muffin which turned out to be just that, was so disappointing and NOT WORTH the money. IN spite of this, the point of consolation is I tried something I’ve never heard of before, so I guess there’s always new things to be jaded with.

But the major issue with this place, despite its interest, is that it attracts a mixed bag of people most would call weird, with piercings and outrageously dyed tones of shocking pink and electric blue. Smokers tend to frequent as well, which was quite off-putting for environmentalist me.

12/20

Singapore Chom Chom

2005-08-24T22:15:00.000+10:00

Back in Singapore, I stayed in the vicinity of Chomp Chomp (yes, the real one) which is in Serangoon Gardens.

And now, you find a Singapore Chom Chom along Bourke Street CBD (corner Russell St). Upon first look you would think that they are trying their utmost to imitate something of supreme standard. They remove the "p's" from the "Chomp" so as not to infringe copyright laws (if there were any at all). Paint their banners in red to instil patriotism. And who knows what they're up to next?

But seriously, the open mind will come to find that their food tastes good. There are times when the cynical mind can be wrong.

Take for example, Nasi Lemak. Who would have thought $7.80 can get you so much. Coconut rice serves with luncheon meat, fried cuttlefish and anchovies, and a sunny-side-up. Not forgetting sambal chilli and cucumbers.

I was also given the thumbs up for the Minced Meat Noodle. When they say "spicy", they really mean spicy. And there is no need to ask for extra chilli unless you really want to ask for it. Minced pork, flat noodles, mushrooms, fishcakes, makes the perfect mix. ($7.80)

This is a personal recommendation from me. I found a dish worthy to be called “Wan Ton Mee”. The taste is also worth one tonne. Sweet BBQ pork on egg noodles. You have a choice of steamed or fried dumplings. And the soup is just to taste! I hope I’m not exaggerating here, but it really did taste very good that day. $7.80.

All in all, this shop did not rip off Singapore’s reputation of good food. Good on you, mate!

15/20 budds

p.s. don't expect to spend more than $10 here.

Changi Nasi Lemak

2005-08-24T22:12:00.000+10:00

In Singapore, Changi Village is renowned for great hawker food, as well as the scrupulous activities in the twilight hours belonging to those of blurred genders. And while Changi Prison still lurks of ominous speculations of ghosts and residual spirits, it does not hold back the faithful. But amongst the tough competition from so many ethnic groups in Australia, they may need more than just faith to succeed.

CVNL is interesting. It’s laid-out in such a way that it mimics the canteen. The interiors are rather barren and devoid of the warmth of cloth and upholstery which reflects the cold, hard-knock school life. Cutlery is laid out on the table, and glasses are placed at the back. Funny thing is that they use beer glasses when Muslims own the restaurant!

Anyway I found service to be substandard. The man at the counter had no clue as to what was spicy and general information about their dishes (for which I can only excuse if he’s new), so he kept on turning to his ‘supervisor’ before us before echoing whatever he just said. Which I feel is simply a poor effort in itself anyway because if you’re new, they the least you could do is ask the cooks what they served before standing behinding the counter like a white elephant, spastically punching the cash register.

Sidenote: I think I scared him with my stare so he didn’t dare ask for my payment until I offered it to him. Hahaha.

There’s a choice of Nasi Lemak Rendang or Chicken ($7.50), but Rendang looked markedly more appetising and less dry. It includes their sambal, ikan bilis with peanuts, egg and cucumber slices. Apparently according to one taster the ‘ikan bilis gives a nice touch’ and the meat ‘falls apart nicely’. Rice was deemed to be nicely done and not over-cooked, and then she drew all these analogies to college food but I’m just not going to go there folks. And there’s a student discount to this dish, perhaps because it’s their signature one.

I had the privilege of taking the Mee Siam ($6.50), which is a soupy rice noodle that rocketed me way beyond my thresholds of chilli tolerance! Ah! I was really sweating quite readily, and no amount of water helped. But on the other hand I like the spiciness of it all because it really kicks me awake, which really helps in afternoon lectures. My nasal passages clear up and it’s all good. But I only ever say this when I’m not eating something spicy, so I guess it doesn’t really count?

Argued to look the best, Kway Teow Goreng ($6.50) was described as having just the right amount of sweetness, though that really depends on personal tastes. I for one do not want to be swamped with sweetness because I DONOT want to (ever, hopefully) need to visit the dentist. This dish consists of shredded carrots, beef, shrimp, spring onion and tomato slices on the side. Don’t ask me why, but they were found to be off-putting to say the least.

Above all the thing that pissed everyone off was the Crispy Noodle in a Claypot ($8.50). It took a good half an hour for it to reach the table when typically something like that should be whipped up most speedily. Service gets the thumbs down. Another odd thing was that there was all the noodles were submerged in watery gravy that there is no Crispy anymore. Plus the fact that it was served with a claypot lid only adds to that oddity and strangeness of this restaurant’s interpretations.

On the whole there is still considerable shortcomings, but costs are rather reasonable for the student to afford. And who can resist an occasional spicy kick?

13/20 budds

Boba Pearl

2005-08-08T22:21:00.000+10:00

Ah... This is one place you can get authentic Singaporean food. Yes, and I mean authentic.

Some may claim that the food here is not up to standard, but sometimes it is just the best you can settle for.

One thing you MUST try, is the Bak Chor Mee. Bak Chor Mee is hokkien for Minced Meat Noodles. You have 2 choices of noodles. Mee Pok (somewhat like fettucine) and Mee Tia (the normal egg noodles). We would recommend Mee Pok. Noodles with minced meat, garnished with mushrooms and fried shallots, it makes a satisfactory dish.

If you've been to Singapore, you definitely have been asked to try Hainanese Chicken Rice. Yes, they serve the very same dish here. It is fascinating how one dish can taste differently in different places. Steamed chicken with sesame and light soy sauce served with fragrant rice. Of course, we can tell you another place for this truly Sinaporean dish.

Lastly, featured in this issue for Boba Pearl is the Chwee Kueh. Chwee Kueh actually means water cake in Hokkien. It is made with rice flour though, weird! Served with pickled turnip, this dish is wicked! Great for supper and get-togethers with friends.

Café Sweethearts

2005-05-23T22:32:00.000+10:00

Prepare Thy Wallets- $14
You must try this- Blueberry Pancakes! and Polenta

Slapped next to Bang and Ofulsen in South Melbourne is Café Sweethearts. This is a place not only for sweethearts but people of all ages and sizes are welcomed (if you cannot fit through the door, you can sit outside). This building of yellow is situated around the corner of a small lane (what is it with corners man!) with seating on both the inside and outside. The opening hours for breakfast are from 7am to 3pm, accommodating for both the early and the late riser.

Due to our late arrival and the lack of foresight to reserve, we ended up sitting outside in the sunless, cold-breezed air. However, we had a little peek of how the inside looked like. The ambience feels quite laid back, good for wasting a lazy Sunday afternoon reading or talking senseless nothings. It gave the feeling of a scene right out of a French film where the protagonist invites his beloved for coffee and they sit there chatting nonchalantly for hours. Proceeding to the outside, the three tables were positioned side by side right under the tree. Thankfully there weren’t any birds so we didn’t have to worry about nature’s calls and the associated bombing.

The menu comprises different savoury and sweets for breakfast. They had an array of ways to do eggs, different types of pancakes, a couple of choices of croissants, side dishes and last but not least, tea and coffees.

Lumberjack Pancakes

The Lumberjack Pancakes ($11) comprises plain pancakes topped with a fried egg and grilled bacon accompanied by a tiny ewer of thick maple syrup. The fried egg, sunny side up had the yolk a little off the middle of egg.. The pancakes were too moist, sticky and the batter was somewhat uncooked. Other than that, it tasted pretty standard, nothing fancy or different from the normal kind. They didn’t score many points with its consumer. However, the portions were just right, not too big and not too small but it was quite expensive.

Blueberry Pancakes ($16) were one of the nicest dishes around. The pancakes, (surprise surprise) had blueberries in it. You can actually eat the blue berry fruit! How cool is that! It is served with one hash brown that consisted of potato and a tad of spring onion and grilled bacon. It had a nice fluffiness of mashed potato. The hash brown was not too salty but it was salty enough to blend in, contrasting it to the sweetness of the pancakes. The pancakes had the right level of moisture in it, making it soft and there was enough air incorporated into the batter; allowing a flounce and bounce of fluff in every bite. On a whole, the dish was good even though the price was considerably steep.

Ham, Tomato and Cheese Croissant

Next up, the Ham, Tomato and Cheese Croissant ($8). The croissant was sliced in the middle and stuffed with tomatoes, ham and cheese. The pastry was light and flaky, with a tint of sweetness to it. The tomato had a light sour and sweet taste to it with the salt from the ham and the chalky taste of the cheese. The dish just came together nicely. It has a good mixture and blends of the all the flavours with no ingredient dominating the entire taste of the pastry. Besides the dish, a beverage, Hot Chocolate ($2.90) ordered to accompany the croissant. The hot chocolate was quite chocolaty and rich. It came with two marshmallows and loads of froth topped with chocolate powder. It had a good taste even though it is small. In all, the portions were filling enough for the taster who willing paid for her breakfast.

This section up next will definitely intrigue scramble egg lovers. There were five ways in which scramble eggs were introduced in a dish. In the five ways, the two similar ones were the Scramble eggs on light rye toast with grilled bacon or grilled ham ($10 each). Reviews on the former thought that the eggs had a good texture it and every bite had real eggs in it but the comment were that it tasted too plain and there was a need to add your own salt and pepper. The toast hiding underneath the scrambled eggs were too soggy for the taster but the bacon was good, it was not too oily and the salt level was good. Special mentions were given to the cup of Mocha ($2.90). There wasn’t too much milk and the coffee taste was just enough to kick start your day. Overall, the price of the food was a bit too expensive but other than that, it was good.

Scramble eggs with grilled ham had eggs that were too dry and too bland. We speculated that the eggs were left out in the cold for too long; same going for the salty and fatty ham. The taste of the ham overpowered the whole dish. This dish was a flop. To add fuel to the fire, the English Breakfast Tea ($3.00) ordered had a bitter taste at the start. The taster was a little unsatisfied, having to pay so much for something not up to standard.

Scrambled eggs with Rocket and Cheese

Third on the scrambled egg list is the only vegetarian dish ordered, Scrambled eggs with Rocket and Cheese ($7.50), the cheapest dish of the day. It came with toast, scrambled eggs and leaves of vegetables shaped in a funky way. The vegetables were raw and taste fine and fresh. Whilst the eggs will turn out better with a bit more water in them. The dish was filling enough and there were no complaints on the price range.

The next dish is the Florestiere scrambled eggs served on toasted English muffins with Grilled Bacon on Hollandaise sauce and Mushrooms with fresh herbs ($15). The dish received some favourable comments from the other tasters. Even though it is a little pricey, it tasted really good. The hollandaise sauce on the eggs were really creamy and it went well with the rest of the set. The muffin was toasted to crisp perfection and the mushrooms were fried to a light brown color, moist, juicy and not too salty. All in all, the dish was fulfilling and satisfactory.

The very last dish ate for breakfast is the Scrambled eggs with Polenta, Grilled Tomatoes and basil leaves ($9.50). The taster of this dish was extremely contented with the polenta and the tomatoes. The corn in the polenta was cooked just the way she liked it- flavourful with garlic and salt. Like all the other eggs, this one was smooth and milky, but needed more salt. Tomatoes were nice and charred on the outside, juicy on the inside. For the price paid, our taster was really full and thought that the dish was value for money.

Lastly, we were greeted with service that was quite personal. Even though there weren’t any exchange of names or self-introduction, we felt warm (if you were wondering, it is not the temperature) and welcomed. The waitresses were quite hospitable even though they were quite busy, having the need to feed a house full of hungry people. They were also quite prompt with finding a table of arriving customers. Overall, this place is a place worth going to if you have a car. Even though its transport is not readily available, the ambience and food will make it all worth while.

Lesson learnt: When it is windy, always put utensils on your napkins as paperweights

15/20 budds

Café Sweethearts
263 Coventry Street
South Melbourne 3205
Ph: 96906753

Written by Wen

Il Primo Ristorante

2005-05-10T22:50:00.000+10:00

Prepare thy wallets - $15
You must try this - Omelette

Since most of us couldn’t make it to the previous breakfast outing, we decided we deserved a brilliant breakfast to make up for it (plus, with the others constantly rubbing in how AWESOME the previous breakfast was, how could we not?) So on that very chilly Saturday morning, we (and our high expectations) made our way to Il Primo, a little eatery sitting snugly on Lygon. When we first walked in, everything lived up to our expectations-homely feeling, excellent service, little crowd and overall, a very country-like feel, with the color scheme varying between dark green, yellow and cream. But before we all clap and cheer and celebrate, read on…

The drinks we ordered came first: Hot chocolate ($4.90), Tea ($3.00), Orange juice ($3.90), Apple juice ($3.90) and Cappuccino ($3.20). Not much was said about the teas, so I’d assume that they tasted satisfactory. As for the hot chocolate and cappuccino- we agreed it was a perfect balance. The hot chocolate was strong yet light, albeit a little on the sweet side, but I personally have an extremely sweet tooth so no complaints! The coffee lover (and connoisseur) loved her cappuccino too- the milk did not overwhelm the cappuccino.

Then the breakfasts arrived! First up, we have the Continental Breakfast ($9.50). The oozing cheese and buttery croissant looked delectable, sending our expectations sky-high, so obviously we were disappointed when it turned out tasting like any other croissant would. Not worth the price. And as the croissant crumbled, so did our expectations.

Next, we had an English Breakfast ($13.80), yet again we let out expectations build up. The servings were conveniently gargantuan, so the three of us who decided to share left feeling full. Everything on the English breakfast plate tasted mediocre and predictable. The only point of redemption was the mushrooms. Sauteed until they were a tad charred on the sides, these mushrooms retained their natural sweetness, but still failing to conpensate for the rest. Both the sausage and bacon were too hard, but let’s blame the chilly morning, shall we?

The Australian Breakfast ($13.80) was exactly the same as the English breakfast, except that it did not have the impressive mushrooms (what a waste!). Maybe that’s just because many Australians were from England. But again, no rave reviews. So far everything tasted ordinary, which truthfully, was extremely disappointing.

Thank goodness for the messiah of the breakfast! The Omelette ($14.80). For an omelette costing that much, we’d expect it must taste pretty awesome! And it did. You can add a range of toppings for your omelette along with a filling of cheese (we’re guessing mozzarella), ham and mushrooms. Being delightful, everyone gave it the tongues up! There were a lot of fresh mushrooms and ham, so it wasn’t meagre and pathetic.

Apart from the (not-too-pleasing) food, the service was really good (I keep saying good). The waitress was extremely professional and at the same time, personal too. She kept making sure we were fine and that we were enjoying our breakfast. (Although there is a very fine line between attention and annoyance.) If only the food was as excellent as their service…*wishful thinking*

Lesson learnt: Surprisingly, school isn’t the only thing not worth waking for.

12/20 Budds

Written by: Vicc

Il Primo Ristorante
242 Lygon St
Carlton 3053
P 9663 6100

Joe's Garage

2005-05-10T22:44:00.000+10:00

Prepare thy Wallets - $13
You must try this - Joe's Legendary Pancake

Our dear editors nearly got a riot from their writers when they announced that we’d be reviewing breakfasts for the month of May. I, for one, am not even the kind that’s up early enough for my first meal to be considered ‘breakfast’. You can quite accurately say that my tastebudds were still asleep when we’d arrived at Joe’s Garage. Distinguishable, perhaps, only by the massive 2-D cow that acts as both a signpost and what can be considered a mascot, Joe’s Garage otherwise blends in with the visual cacophony of stores along Brunswick Street. As far as the menu is concerned, the place is open from about 10am to 3am and the ambience of the store has to perform the remarkable feat of maintaining visual coherence throughout its service hours – which it does quite well, if I’m any judge. You can’t honestly imagine having a watering hole open in the day, can you? I really had a thing for the sun coming through a length of glass in the roof, reminding you that it is, morning. It’s a very well maintained ‘chill-out’ place, with nothing suspicious under the clean leathery seats, up-beat (very ‘morning’) café latino muzak, mambo-esque paintings and models plus a reasonably stocked post-card stand that’s the welcoming signifier of any decent café, in my opinion.

We didn’t take -that- long to find a corner. What we did take some time with, is decide on what we wanted to have for the morning. I’d like to point out at this juncture, that Joe’s Garage has a list of ‘specials’ in the menu on occasion (look in the direction of the chalkboards). This article will also attempt a risk assessment with regards to not adhering to every regular to Joe’s.

Joe’s Big Breakfast is, like the name suggests, really filling for the Asian appetite. Eggs Florentine (that is, poached eggs served with spinach and yummy liquid cheese), tomatoes, toast with butter and lamb sausages constitute the dish. Are you salivating already? The sausages were greasy, as is the tendency of everything grilled, but this is balanced out by the spinach and tomatoes. Burnt or undercooked bits of grilled meat also often threaten to overwhelm the taste. Thankfully, this was not the case. Our taster washed it all down with English Breakfast tea, and I must say that he was quite pleased with the whole thing. If you’re health conscious, had an all-nighter and need breakfast, this is a worthwhile $11.50 you should consider.

As with standard breakfasts, you have a choice of egg – fried, poached or scrambled. This reviewer went a la carte, ordering scrambled eggs on toast ($6.50) with lamb sausage ($2.00, available from a variety of add-ons that include hash browns and bacon). I’d like to highlight that I loved the blend of the scrambled egg so much that I think it’s a crime to add pepper for taste in this case, its ‘eggi-ness’ not killed by heat or excessive milk. This selection of breakfast, though standard, is thoroughly satisfying in Joe’s context, recommended for anyone who wants a serious departure from your readily available McDonald’s Big Breakfast Meal.

The following two dishes do not appear on the regular Joe’s menu:

The scrambled egg with chorizo mushroom pesto and sun-dried tomatoes served on muffins ($9.00) dish was explored by two tasters, who agree that this is an interesting and perhaps, exotic, alternative to the above two dishes. They both compliment the even texture in every mouthful of egg (scrambled), peas, carrots, mushrooms and muffin (as compared to toast). Carbohydrates apparently have the tendency to numb the flavour of its supplementary ingredients if you’re not careful. This mildly sweet, yet healthily balanced delight is served in justifiable portions and finds itself in our good books.

The French toast with strawberry & cinnamon butter ($7.50), on the other hand, didn’t quite live up to the expectations of its reviewer – especially given the fact that there were only two strawberry halves on the bread. Cinnamon butter didn’t exactly go well with French toast, the taster not fond of the awkward blend of sweet and savoury, especially since this is breakfast. I found it too soggy, considering the fact that it, after all, is supposed to be toast. This is something the adventurous might want to risk, with a couple of friends – not recommended in big, successive mouthfuls.

I’d like to conclude, at this juncture, that as with most things off the standard menu, one has to be as adventurous as the chef who’s concocting the dish. Risk always involves the possibility of disappointment. With the exception of the French toast special, however, Joe’s is a rather safe place to attempt what you feel is appealing for your morning, be it standard bacon and eggs or ‘different’ concoctions, even if it hasn’t been on the menu that long. We’re here to share the risks we took with you, not take the risk for you. Everyone’s got different tastebudds.

Well, we very nearly committed the offence of not trying Joe’s Legendary Pancake (only $8.90!). “Why ‘legendary’”, you ask? As did we – until we tasted the thing. We decided to go for the banana honey flavour over cinnamon (for certain reasons) and/or blueberry. Imagine a thick, crispy-crusted pancake with banana anywhere you cut, on top of vanilla ice cream, strawberries (which we had to fight over) and a choice of maple syrup or honey. A mouthful of some cold vanilla, a tang strawberry, maple syrup and soft, warm banana pancake has got such exquisite taste, it takes you places. I don’t think cold and warm, soft and crispy have gone so well together for a while. There is a fore-warning on the menu that it’ll take up to 20 minutes for the pancake to be ready. I tell you, it’s worth the wait. Our recommended dish this week is truly legendary.

The pricing of Joe’s is only to be expected of anything of its kind. It is manageable for the student – on a day when he/she decides that he/she wants something good for the morning, that isn’t exactly spoiling him/her. Mind you, the food here is in rather big portions so if you’re not prepared to pay or stomach everything, bring people. Like I said in my previous article, good company always makes things so much more enjoyable. Our service earns a few more points for not telling us “everything’s good, really” and actually opining on what’s popular (in the case of the pancake and the specials). Bottles of water come with cups of ice, tea comes with a mini-sieve, attention is adequate and the billing is accurate. Joe’s Garage is indeed one of the places worth waking up for. Tell your friends!

Mocha with Chocolate

tastebudds

Lesson Learnt: Ray Croc should have been shot.

18/20 budds (I kid you not)

Written by: ahdong

Joe’s Garage
366 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy 3065
P 9419 9944
F 9415 1538
Email: joesgrge@ozemail.com.au

Izakaya Chuji

2005-04-25T22:52:00.000+10:00

The title explains it. You’ve probably walk past it so many times (at least I have) but will not think of going in. Or just completely miss it due to its lack of interior lighting. (must be on a shoe-string budget man…)

Looks small from the outside but when inside, the place is huge compared to most Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. That's Izakaya Chuji.There’s a flight of stairs leading upwards. It looked like something straight out from a Japanese gangster movie. How funny.

Anyway, on the menu there were set lunches, sushi and noodles. We had Tobiko Sushi ($4.80), Tempura udon ($9.80), Tendon ($11.50), Japanese Beef Curry ($7.80), Gyudon ($8.50), Oyako Don ($9.50), Curry Katsu Don ($12.00), Sukiyaki Set ($11.00) and Chicken Teriyaki Set ($9.50).

beef
tastebudds

The first dish to arrive is Gyu don. As the name suggests, it was served with rice, topped with beef and onion fried in sukiyaki sauce and Miso soup. No complains about the sauce becoming too soggy, and beef was nicely tender. The taste of it is pretty good and the portion size is reasonable being priced at $8.50, we found it expensive for just a rice box and soup.

tempura udon
tastebudds

Tempura udon came with prawns and vegetables soak in the udon. It tasted quite good, the soup was not too salty and the udon proportion is substantial. A joy to eat when cold and blustery outside, as the warm soup leaves you warm and satisfied!

Japanese beef Curry
tastebudds

Japanese beef curry is beef served with rice and Miso soup. The beef was cooked nicely; neither over or under cooked. This dish taste quite good except that they could have been more curry, since it was hardly spicy, so much of the rice remained white.

Oyako Don
tastebudds

The next one is Oyako don. Basically onions, eggs and chicken fried together in teriyaki sauce on rice. The sauce was neither too watery nor was it too dry. It came with a side dish of Udon and Miso soup. It is value for money as the portions were quite big and it tasted authentic.

Curry Katsu Don
tastebudds

In the Curry Katsu don, the Katsu was fried to perfect crispiness and the meat in the curry was beef. The sauce had the right amount of thickness but there was too little rice for us gluttons. Other than that, it tasted awesome!

Sukiyaki Set
tastebudds

Next up, the Sukiyaki set. This dish is served in a clay pot filled with vegetables and beef in the sukiyaki soup with a raw egg and rice. The taste of it was really good even though the soup tasted a little too seasoned and there was too little rice.

chicken
tastebudds

Following that is the Chicken Teriyaki Set. The presentation of this dish was quite pleasing even though the vegetables looked a little intimidating. The taste of it was quite good and the proportions were ample. The chicken was tender and flavourful, married well with good teriyaki sauce.

Tobiko Sushi
tastebudds

Moving on, for those who don’t know, Tobiko is flying fish roe sushi. Served as a pair, this sushi was more pleasing to the eye than to the palate, having found to be on the salty side. Also, serving is too small for $4.50.

TenDon
tastebudds

Tendon is served with Tempura with a choice soba or udon for side dish. Okay, the word ‘tendon’ really reminded us of an actual mammalian tendon at first glance. Not an appetising thought indeed. Anyhow, udon was all and well, but sadly ruined by tempura, and vice versa. Tempura was supposed to be crispy but wasn’t in broth, and Tendon soup was now coated in a thin film of oil. So in order to prevent such occurrences, the two should ideally be served separate. Or are we just too fussy?

Most dishes carried an authentic taste of Japanese, although there was a compromise in presentation, save Chicken Teriyaki. But all things considered, it is definitely better than places that come up with a Japanese name and hire Japanese waitresses but do not serve authentic Japanese food. Now we don’t have to travel to Japan for genuineness.

As a matter of opinion, the ambience exuded a gangster woody feel, with the dimmed lights and elongated layout dramatising the effect. But then the décor seemed lazy because the Japanese paper lamps that adorned the corridor were also an advertising tool for sushi sauce. Like I said, shoestring budget. The owner also strategically placed a wall- hugging mirror on one side, making the place look twice as large, not to mention fulfilling the vanities of certain patrons.

However, their service gets the thumbs down. For one, we were chased out of the place after lunch because the owner had to go leaving a lone Caucasian waitress in charge of our table. As a result, there was a mix up with one order, leaving one rather disgruntled. And for another, dishes were quite overpriced for students, considering service charge as well. But if you are working and don’t mind spending that extra dollar or two (or three) for a good meal, we recommend this fine place. (Then what if you’re a student and working? Then toss a coin lah) Just don’t go in like at 2.30pm or risk being chased out with a broom. Hahaha.

Lesson learnt: Always look round the corner ‘cause you never know what you can’t find.

13.5/20 budds

Written by: Wen

Izakaya Chuji
165 Lonsdale St
Melbourne VIC 3000

Phone Number : 0396638118

Meshiya 'Teppanyaki & Ramen' Japanese Restaurant

2005-04-24T22:54:00.000+10:00

The Meshiya ‘Teppanyaki & Ramen’ Japanese restaurant is an elongated length at the end of QV along Lonsdale Street. I’m personally fond of modernist ambience, where shades match and colours don’t collide, so with the exception of blaring J-pop when we first arrived, I don’t have that many qualms about the décor and suchlike. That said, I still think they should leave the soy sauce and wasabe on the table – minimalism shouldn’t infringe on convenience, especially when it comes to food. Chilled water came in glasses that looked like they were meant for hard liquor, which can either mean they really like us, or they’re a bit behind on the washing. Still, it goes with the make up of the place.

shop1
tastebudds

The menu talks the standard Japanese out-of-Japan routine, with a few minor twists and turns. At this point, I must highlight that they feature ‘Teppanyaki & Ramen’ as a specialty, so they aren’t really big on sushi per se - which is weird because they’ve got some of the best rice we’ve tasted in a while. Don, udon, soba or ramen accompany most of the dishes here. (i.e. Gyu Niku comes in the form of either don, udon or ramen.)

Katsu Don
tastebudds

The Katsu Don ($8.30) exemplifies what dishes that share a similar name should be like - decent Japanese rice, accompanying sauce that is a good blend of sweet and salty though our taster prefers the Katsu a tad crispier. When you’re in this line, you tend to be critical about the way your pork is fried. It is, nonetheless, a recommended dish.

Meshiya Tekka Don
tastebudds

Unique to this place is, perhaps, the Meshiya Tekka Don ($8.30) – think minced sashimi with soy sauce on rice. The wasabe comes in a separate saucer. Our taster thinks the tastebud “damage” should be limited to 1 or 2 mouthfuls, not a whole bowl. Too much of this savoury stuff and you could end up in the latrine for a while. Not recommended for weak stomachs. Another way would be to, perhaps, exclude the salty additives from the dish and leave it to the diner’s good judgment. This dish is probably something to share with a good many friends for maximum enjoyment.

Teri Tori Don
tastebudds

Our taste neurons trembled at the mention of the ever familiar Teri Tori Don ($8.30) , that is, teriyaki chicken with rice. This rendition does fall short of expectations, though. Our taster comments on the lack of marinade and the inclusion of too much saltiness in the chicken, tender as it is. There’s also celery which is, admittedly, rather out of place amongst the standard greens that grace the dish.

Ume Bento
tastebudds

The Ume Bento ($8.80) offers a variety consisting of prawn tempura, teriyaki chicken and fried fish with, well, rice. This “lesser” bento cannot boast of much, save its carbohydrate staple and its fried fish. It was common consensus that the prawn tempura was of the ‘scrawny’ variety, with too much oil retained in its batter, making it something more like tempura prawn, than its reverse. More rice would’ve been good as well.

Sakura Bento
tastebudds

The “greater” Sakura Bento ($10.80), in the opinion of our taster, didn’t quite live up either. Our beef biscuit was something, I quote, ‘out of a Chinese hawker’s’ frying pan and the chicken, non-teriyaki, rather disappointing. The only thing vaguely authentic to the Japanese tradition was the Unagi, or seasoned eel, though our taster prefers it a little less limp. The rice, brilliant as it was, could’ve been in more abundant proportions.

The Bentos, to say the least, aren’t recommended. I won’t even try to include the ‘value-for-money’ point in this discussion.

Gyu Niku Udon
tastebudds

Ten Zaru Soba
tastebudds

Our tasters, at any rate, prefer the Gyu Niku Udon ($8.80) and the Ten Zaru Soba ($8.80) over most of the rice dishes so far. The “tempura prawn” that comes with the soba has already been mentioned, so we’d just like to praise the soba itself here. It, thankfully, didn’t clump together, as is the tendency of cold or soggy noodles. The Gyu Niku Udon has got noodle that doesn’t squirm in your spoon, thus splashing soup on your prized outfit. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t flaccid either – good mixes are what pleases this taster. It passed the standard chilli sauce test I subject my udon to: chilli (in proper portions) shouldn’t kill the taste of the soup, but instead enhance it. In conclusion, we had a thoroughly good afternoon with the noodles.

On the whole, I’d rate the authenticity of the food at a score that’s a slight better than the average. I’ll leave the number up to you. It is a disappointment that the place doesn’t offer an assortment of sushi and I’m not talking about the hand-rolls. We weren’t exactly raving about it, but perhaps the rice is the best feature of this restaurant. Our waiter either forgot our chopsticks and serviettes or decided to leave them till everyone got their food, but I’m the forgiving kind. After all, they were quite prompt with the food and responding to requests.

We’ve reached the point where we gripe about the munny. In essence, I suppose you’re paying for the ambience of the location as well as the, rather, prompt service on top of the food, as minimal as the modernist décor is. Expect for it to burn a hole that’s slightly larger than your average loop. ‘Service charge’ doesn’t appear in the receipt. I’d recommend this little eatery if you’re in the mood for some starchy substantial with a straight dish and you want to leave an impression on whoever you’re bringing along. A good one that is.

Lesson learnt: Food aside, odd corners are always interesting locations.

16/20 budds

Written by: ahDong

Meshiya QV Japanese Restaurant
200 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne Vic 3000
T 9654 6242
F 9654 9434

Ume Sushi House

2005-04-09T22:57:00.000+10:00

Salmon, Karaage, Crab Meat Handroll
tastebudds

Karaage Sushi was probably the first thing I noticed on the menu when I stepped into Ume Sushi House. Quite possibly because all the usual places I visit only have a range of Teriyaki chicken and salmon, which can get boring sometimes. But, if Teriyaki sushi, California roll and Tamago sushi is your cup of tea, don’t fret! They’ve got it all there, along with a really reasonable price range of $1.80 to about $2. The Karaage sushi was probably the most popular one during the lunch because it was really good and the meat portion is very substantial, but let’s not forget the fact that it was the cheapest! Hehe.

California and Sashimi set
tastebudds

Okonomiyaki
tastebudds

Apart from sushi as snacks, they have Okonomiyaki, $2.80, a pan-fried Japanese pancake made from vegetables and flour. The one we ate was slightly over cooked, with extra crunch on the sides. Weirdly, we actually enjoyed that extra crunch and it somehow made the center part a little more chewy.

For the main meals, they have a wide range of Donburis and Bentos at very awesome prices too! The Donburis and Ramen are all $7.50 and the bentos range from about $9.80 to no more than $12. But let’s talk specifics.

Teriyaki Beef Don
tastebudds

First up, we have the Teriyaki Beef Don. The portion was extremely substantial, both the meat and rice. The beef was very tender and the sauce, although a tad sweet, was an awesome accompaniment to the beef. Also, not forgetting the fact that unlike some places, which have too starchy a sauce or too watery one, this sauce was just right, even the rice was great too! Most of us would have experienced the trouble of having rice that is too sticky or too dry and broken, however the rice was just right this time! If you are not a fan of beef, you can always request for the beef to be changed to chicken and the staff will most willingly do so for you. The standard of the Teriyaki Chicken is just as high, with meat extremely smooth as well.

Teriyaki Chicken Don
tastebudds

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To end off, I’ll tell you what I loved most about the place-the miso soup. Miso soup comes with every donburi and fortunately, unlike most places, which serve the soup clear with tofu and seaweed in it, Ume Sushi House has the kind with actual miso in it-my personal favourite. Oh and another thing that probably would be another basis of Ume Sushi’s appeal, would be the 10% student discount we got. Sweet!

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Lesson Learnt- Never judge a bowl of ramen by it’s cover.

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17/20 budds

\r\n

Ume Sushi House

\r\n

385 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne, Vic 3000
Tel: 0670 0308
Fax: 9670 0309

To end off, I’ll tell you what I loved most about the place-the Miso Soup. Miso soup comes with every donburi and fortunately, unlike most places, which serve the soup clear with tofu and seaweed in it, Ume Sushi House has the kind with actual miso in it-my personal favourite. Oh and another thing that probably would be another basis of Ume Sushi’s appeal, would be the 10% student discount we got. Sweet!

Lesson Learnt- Never judge a bowl of ramen by it’s cover.

17/20 budds

Writen by: Victoria

Ume Sushi House

385 Little Bourke Street

Melbourne, Vic 3000

Tel: 0670 0308

Fax: 9670 0309

Sushi Deli

2005-04-09T22:56:00.000+10:00

First up in this month's theme is Sushi Deli, a quaint little shop immersed amongst a sea of eating places on Lt Bourke St. Fierce competition I must say but nonetheless a reasonable place to get your sushi. It's located on a slope, which isn't such a hindrance unless you happen to be clumsy with your sushi...haha...there was this one time when this guy dropped his sushi, and then it rolled all the way down...hahaha.. Anyway, most patrons come in for takeaway, likely because there sitting inside is a real squeeze. Practically half the shop is the kitchen, and almost a half of the remaining half is taken up by a huge array of Asian drinks. Overpriced Asian drinks that is.

floor plan
tastebudds

With such a tight squeeze, we had no choice but to dine al fresco. Three aluminium tables, three chairs on each, carelessly arranged downslope. They are irritatingly scratchy against the pavement, and do little to pamper our overworked backs.

The menu consists of the staples of Jap cuisine, such as bento boxes and ramen with miso. We chose Lunch Box Special ($8.90), Meat Ramen ($7.50), Chicken Teriyaki Rice ($7.50), Unagidon ($8.90), Curry Rice ($7.50) and of course, an assortment of sushi (from $1.80). Most dishes come with mixed vegetables and come in one serving size.

Lunch Box Special, ironically, isn’t all that special as far as bento boxes go. Rice, Teriyaki chicken, three sushi, and vegetables. And did I mention the lack of authenticity? Broccoli and carrots were cooked to crunchy imperfection. The Japanese short grain rice – which looked longer than usual – questioned its authenticity. Alas, the only redemption point is that the chicken was tender enough, accompanied with ample sauce.

Meat Ramen - Soy Base
tastebudds

Meat Ramen - Miso Base
tastebudds

'Soy or miso base sir?' asks the waitress, her Jap nationality immediately obvious. We’ve tried both, but they tasted the same. Perhaps there is no difference, but why would they deceive us? Hmph. Feeling so violated now lah. Think we know nothing about ramen and udon and miso and soy, anyhow go and mix everything together…Anyways, either was salty and oily. The ramen looked of the instant variety, though it didn’t taste so, so that’s good. Enough ‘chew’ in the noodle to satisfy. Coming back to the vegetable issue, we cannot understand how broccoli and corn became part of Japanese cuisine. Did we miss a trend somewhere?

Unagi Don
tastebudds

Teriyaki Chicken Rice
tastebudds

Unagidon, or grilled eel on rice/noodle, is a favourite. But sadly it’s also the most expensive. Premium slice of eel, deboned and grilled in teriyaki sauce. Unagi has wonderful texture and softeness, so you don’t get any bits stuck between your teeth. (Don’t you hate it when that happens? You desperately try and get rid of it with your tongue, screwing your face into all sorts of expressions you never knew you had). On the other hand, Teriyaki chicken tends to be breast meat, so if you don’t eat it properly then you’ll get fibres of meat wedged between teeth. A most unpleasant feeling. Curry Rice felt ‘flat’ and ‘bland’, having no kick to it. Having been to Sushi Deli for a number of times, we’ve found the rice to be inconsistent. Sometimes it’s soggy, other times it’s hard or chewy… What happened to quality control man?! Aren’t Japs perfectionists?!

Curry Rice
tastebudds

Beef Teriyaki Handroll
tastebudds

Salmon Handroll
tastebudds

I have a confession to make. I can’t stand wasabi!!!(you can call me wimp for all I care) Hate it when it goes up your nose, into your eyes, and you cry over a piece of rolled-up rice. Here are Sushi Deli, most of the sushi are spread with this pungent herb paste so be forewarned. From memory, Chicken Teriyaki is the only one that doesn’t have it. Seaweed (nori) was found to be too hard for our liking.

(so sick of talking about chicken teriyaki. Almost every paragraph also got say…)

Overall, Sushi Deli is a substandard sushi outlet. There isn’t a great deal of variety there, given their cellular shop space. There is potential for vast improvement.

Lesson learnt: Bring toothpicks wherever you go.

11.5/20 budds

Written by: Keegan

Sushi Deli
tastebudds

Sushi Deli
395 Little Bourke St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Cnr Hardware Lane
Tel: 9670 6688

Corretto

2005-03-19T23:00:00.000+11:00

An Italian twirls his tiny moustache as he ponders just how many more pizzas he has to knead, toss and throw into the oven. Moments later, he snaps back to reality. The next order just came in.

Stacked against rival Papa Gino’s, Corretto is a fine restaurant on its own. It looks like Gino’s: similar floor space, mirrored layout and they even have the same type of seating. Green for Corretto, red for Gino, if you happen to stand in between, bored enough to notice. (To you-know-who-you-are: be on time!). The walls are clad in bright pictures of ferraris, an obvious supporting statement. And overhead you can see a model of a racing car whose manufacturer is…you guessed it. Ferrari. Waitresses outnumber waiters, which really isn’t a problem since they’re usually more attending towards customers. They all come in white tops and black pants, batteries sold separately.

We were quickly ushered to our table, decked in red and white tablecloth, which, for some reason, has been the only table we’ve ever been assigned to. Surely they can’t be racist and condemn us to that one table, can they? So anyway glass bottles of water came promptly, as we drank to the final meal of the day.

Correttos boasts a whole range of pastas, and pizzas, not to mention steaks, so it does take quite a while before you can totally absorb everything on offer and make a choice. So if you’re in a rush and you’re waiting for someone, then it’s advisable that you go over the menu at the window and pick what you want beforehand. Or better still, pick something disgusting for the other person in revenge.

We had Pasta Al Quattro Formagi, Penne ($10.50, $14.50), Carbonara, Fettucine ($9.50, $13.50), Prawns Alla Zingara, Risotto ($12.50, $22.50 ->!!!!!!!!!!!) and Mushroom Steak ($21.50). We must say that these pastas aren’t the cheapest of the lot, purely because the best pastas don’t usually come at the best prices.

Al Quattro Formagi, Penne
tastebudds

Formagi consists of FOUR different cheeses – gorgonzole, parmesan, paleggio and fontina, plus crème and herbs. So naturally the pasta tasted cheesy and thick. It was quite overpowering, but at least we could taste several dimensions of cheesiness. It wasn’t a bad choice, but not a great one either.

Prawns Alla Zingara, Risotto
tastebudds

On the other hand, Prawns Alla Zingara, Risotto was a bad choice. As posh as it may sound, it’s basically a dry rice dish with pepper, mushroom, olives, garlic, napoli (tomato-based) sauce, basil and parsley. We felt the risotto was not cooked long enough, so it was hard and dry. Adding more napoli sauce might help, but we felt it wasn’t cooked through enough. Prawns were semi-fresh. So overall, taste didn’t justify price. It wasn’t much more than ‘rice with tomato sauce’, as one critic mentioned.

Carbonare Fettucine
tastebudds

Carbonare Fettucine was a taste for sore buds. It was presented simply - coloured strands bathed in cream sauce. It was surprisingly light and fluffy, revealing hints of egg white, unlike others we’ve had in the past. The fettucine wasn’t in uniform width and thickness, signs of something truly homemade. Thick and thin on the same strand, our tongues were feeling the smooth, seductive curves of the fettucine. Haha. Reasonably priced too.

And now, the one dish you must try…

Mushroom Steak
willywei

The Mushroom Steak on hotplate. Really there isn’t that much in it. Just good, old-fashioned pure meat with creme mushroom sauce. Omg. Heavenly tastes and smells for those who still haven’t quite evolved that far from our meat-loving ancestors. Two whole slabs of meat, done to medium-rare, to allow for the heat from the hotplate. So don’t ever ask for well-done; you would need jaws of steel for the resulting chewiness. Unless of course, evolution betrayed you and you still eat like a caveperson, as barbaric as ever. Quoted as ‘nevertheless the best steak I have ever eaten’, this steak is tops on the list. Served with a choice of chips, salad or vegetables. Get chips or salad, never the vegetables. Trust us.

And even after we were done with our cow, we could still smell more sizzling steaks being served to other customers, tempting our tastebuds even more. So, restaurant-owners-to-be take note: Never underestimate the power of THE SMELL. It’s the reason why Amos became famous.

Tiramisu
tastebudds

Lastly we had tiramisu for dessert…Tiramisu was more expensive at $6, as compared to Gino’s while the slice was smaller too. The sponge layers were pleasant at best, but the cream on top was found to be solid and overly-set. So don’t take grandma or grandpa there for tiramisu okie?

Overall a pleasant dining experience, with a reasonable standard of service was maintained. Yes, we were all happy…until the bill was brought over. Haha. No money le. Enjoy your Easter break everyone!

Lesson learnt: Simple is best. Even if it’s just a cow.

16/20 budds

Correttos
225 – 227 Lygon St
Carlton Melbourne
P 9347 2300
F 9347 2466
correttos@alphalink.com.au

Red Rock

2005-03-19T22:59:00.000+11:00

There’s something quite alluring about Red Rock. Quietly nestled halfway along Elgin, everything about this place is black. Typical you say? It appeared more squashed than cosy, though we never ventured inside to sit or use the toilets (assuming they have them) to see exactly how small it is. We chose to dine al fresco, on black tables and black chairs, illuminated only by rays of a setting sun.

Initial service was good, as the waitress gladly fetched water for us, laid the table, brought the menus. She had a pleasant disposition, immediately setting us at ease. But after we placed our order it took a heck of a long time for our order to come. A couple of people walked in, stretching her duties even more. I bet a Connex train would have arrived sooner.

The ambience was laid-back, tranquil and peaceful. No noisy foul-mouthed youths, no annoying Ferraris or Porches racing by; and most of all, no customers. It’s like the very life of the restaurant was missing.

Aussie Pizza
tastebudds

First thing that came was our Meat Lovers Pizza ($8.50, $13, $15), which was embedded with pepperoni, chicken, bacon and barbecue sauce. The pan on which it was served was clean and shiny. Smells of sweetened meat and barbecue sauce spread like wildfire. Looks good, smells good, and tastes even better. Meat was well-scattered, cheese was ample and the crust was superb. It looked thick, but then when you bite into it, it’s soft to the touch, while the base still remains crispy. But we don’t advise you to order takeaway pizza since the crust tends to get soggy on the trip back.

Pesto Veal Raviolli
tastebudds

Alas, all good things must come to an end. (so soon right?) Out came Pesto Veal Raviolli, a basil pinenut blended garlic cream sauce with veal raviolli. Shockingly green all over, this dish had me gulping down water as though my bladder had a comparable capacity to that of the Yarra. Too much green puts me off, and the garlic flavours were too much. Someone get me a breath mint.

Pollo Con Avocado, Fettucini
tastebudds

Pollo Con Avocado has chicken, avocado, mushroom, garlic, cream and napoli sauce. Serving size was ample for an entrée, but with quantity there must be quality. The accompanying fettucine did little to mask the taste of dry, overcooked chicken fillets. Marinara Penne was a sneaky little dish. Apparently the chef chose to place all the seafood at the bottom of the dish, all of which were in less-than-bite-sized pieces. The amount of cream sauce looked right, but then the penne itself was just undercooked. So you have to do a fair bit of chewing, not only on the squid bits.

Marinara Penne
tastebudds

Chicken Risotto
tastebudds

Lastly, the Chicken Risotto. What a letdown. It had the colour of baked beans, if that’s appetising for any of you. Most of the time, as critics, we do not judge a pasta dish solely on its appearance. Unfortunately, this was an exception. See for yourself.

On top of a weird taste of chicken, the dish looked like it had just been through someone’s gastrointestinal tract, possibly from a bulimic worker, all sprinkled with cheese on top. Normally we can finish everything on our plates, but seriously, we couldn’t do it this time. Sorry folks.

On the whole the only reason worth making a trip there is for the pizza. Love the topping, and how it’s not over-ridden with cheese. A clean and tasty pizza we say. As for the other dishes, we’re less than adamant about them so proceed at your own peril.

Lesson learnt: A red stone restaurant gathers no customers.

11/20 budds

Red Rock Restaurant
183 Elgin St (perpendicular to Lygon)
Carlton
P 9349 2198

Papa Gino's

2005-03-07T23:02:00.000+11:00

Now here’s a name I like. Papa Gino’s sounds Italian enough, enough to give the name a rusty trusty feel to it. It conjures up images of an ol’ moustached Italian man who has been making pasta for years and knows how to whip up good pasta on a cold winter’s night. Man. The magic of The Name. Such a powerful marketing tool to appeal to our emotional needs. (if you don’t understand what I’m rattling on about it’s alright) Bright red letters against a white background makes it easy to spot from afar; and while not meaning to sidetrack, Liwei said, ‘have you noticed how brands with red and white on them seem to do exceptionally well?’ (To non-Singaporeans, this is not some propaganda meant to brainwash you so don’t worry, because I will ensure Liwei doesn’t go further than that….*psst* He’s a sneaky fella) (and if you still don't get it, its the Singapore flag)

Almost always jammed pack with patrons both inside and out, Papa Gino’s is the place to be seen eating. They have a wide array of pastas, and riso, which is short grain rice that can be used to substitute pasta. Other than pizza, steaks are served as well, which is a welcome change after you’ve had one too many mouthfuls of cheesy pastas and pizza, or you’re just not in the mood, like me lately.

One thing you really notice on a warm night is how cool it is to sit inside. The interiors are all brick walls, so the walls are cool, therefore you stay cool. So really, it was nice to sit inside. Dark, with strategically placed spotlights and hanging lamps; we love the ambience. The waiters and waitresses dress casually in their black tees and pants, so there’s a nice balance between formality and carefreeness (if there’s such a word). Ok so maybe not the most original of dress codes but yeah, it works for me anyway.

We ordered Carbonara Penne, Amatriciana Riso, a Aussie and Marinara Pizza. Entrees go for $8.90, while mains are $10.50. Pizzas are $8, $11.50, and $15.50 for small, medium and large respectively. Liwei had the Carbonara, and he felt that it was abosulutely sensational; the white sauce had the right amount of cream too it so it was neither to thick or runny, so he ended up scooping more onto his spoon even after he was done with the Penne. Meanwhile I was spooning the Amatriciana, a dish my dad introduced to me, not that it’s relevant. What I find intriguing about the Amatriciana is that it’s considered a spicy tomato-based sauce, but then it’s only spicy for the first spoonful, but then it doesn’t affect me afterwards, which is a miracle really since I have absolutely next to zero tolerance for chilli. (and my curry tolerance isn’t that much better either, while wasabi is like so out of my league…I wonder how my friend takes it..) So anyway those two sauces are worth having a taste of.

Amatriciana Riso
tastebudds

Carbonara Penne
tastebudds

The pizzas have nice crispy bases, neither too thick nor too thin, because I hate it when you bite into really thick pizzas and it totally nullifies the tastes of the toppings. The Aussie pizza looked strange because it looked as though someone just splattered an egg in the middle, so it looks slightly careless in its presentation. The Marinara was a good mouthful of oysters, mussels and prawns and mushroom. What you can expect from any good Marinara pizza. Though, they could have scattered the seafood with more evenness, and maybe arrange one of the prawns a little more to the side….muahaha….(You must be wondering this guy is so damn picky…someone should shoot him for being such an ingrate….for god’s sake it’s just pizza)

Marinara Pizza
tastebudds

Aussie Pizza
tastebudds

Another plus point is that they serve you complementary bread, with butter of course, because you can’t just eat bread. It’s barbaric to try and stuff the bread into your mouth without having to carefully spread butter all over in smooth measured strokes. But then we found the bread a wee bit chewy, so suddenly I found myself wondering if the bread was stale….but since none of use developed bowel problems I presume it’s okay. Unless you’re absolutely paranoid. Then just give it to your dog or something.

And one more thing. WATER’S FREE!!!! I cannot stress enough the importance of water because cheese kills your water content in your body, so we all need that extra fluid to keep going. Being poor students, we simply cannot afford to buy water, so if we can freeload, then we shall. It’s a must.

Service is commendable because the waiter came by to ask us if we were ready to order. Thrice. So it’s either their service is so fantastically prompt, or they want to hurry us so they can usher someone else or table and make more money. I had a bent fork tip on my table and so when I asked for another one, they politely handed me another. So there, people. Good service. And if you want to test anyone’s service, accidentally but purposely drop a fork (knives are too noisy) and see if someone comes and attends to you) If not, too bad. No fork for you. Or tell them to fork off.

We then proceeded onto dessert - tiramisu – a classic Italian dessert made from mascarpone cheese, alcohol, coffee, sandwiched between spongy layers of um, sponge cake. And garnished with a sliced strawberry, which added a nice bright red colour to the dessert plate. One friend felt that it too soggy, because it kept falling apart on her fork. I just think she has no skill la.

Tiramisu
tastebudds

So on the whole, Papa Gino’s is a relatively expensive restaurant, but you do get your money’s worth so don’t freak out about the whole price range. But when there’s need to celebrate, then Papa Gino’s is the way to go.

Oh and before I go I’d just like to say how kind of Liwei and Michelle to severe the top half of my head in the previous main banner. I bet they’re just not happy about our height disparities. Thanks guys.

17/20 budds

221 Lygon St Carlton
T 9347 5758

Mark's Place

2005-03-07T23:01:00.000+11:00

First up. Mark’s Place. Sounds cheesy. It’s like the owner, (presumably someone by the name of Mark) couldn’t be bothered to come up with a more resounding name to distinguish itself. I mean, it’s like whenever I talk to someone who hasn’t heard about Mark’s Place, they’ll be like oh, who’s Mark? I had to ask that question the first time I heard it, and I just thought it was so corny and lazy. It’s like:

Me: ‘Hey we’re going to Mark’s Place for dinner. Wanna come?’
Them: ‘Hmm ok, but I don’t know Mark and where he lives.’
Me: ‘Oh no, Mark’s Place is the name of a restaurant.’
Them: ‘Oh.’ *turns away in embarrassment*

So bottom line is it’s bloody irritating to keep telling them that Mark’s Place isn’t really the home of someone I know by the name of Mark.

And so quickly diving into the issue, we find that Mark’s Place is often patronised by Asian students, and to cater for them, the waitresses are Asian as well. So if you’re against Asians in anyway, don’t go there. No, actually get out. We don’t want you on this site. You shouldn’t even be here you racist dingo. And because Mark’s is situated on the corner of Swanston St and Grattan St, this little Italian café is easy to spot with it’s bright pink and blue mural spread across it’s exterior brick wall.

As we were ushered to our seats, we were greeted by a stock standard laminated menu that looks more like a dingy placemat than anything, with stripes of red and green everywhere, in an attempt to establish itself as an ITALIAN restaurant. I, for one, like to go to a restaurant where you can open the menu, and there’s nice, posh looking leather cover that says menu. And I found it quite overwhelming as I walked in to find so many Ferrari car posters plastered on every wall, and then there’s a footy ranking list, a projector screen and a tv. I don’t mean to diss them solely on their décor, but it feels like a teenager’s room, only larger. And with swinging doors to the toilets harking back to the cowboy days, I don’t know what to believe. It really kills the ambience for a nice casual dinner where you can catch up with old buds. Too many distractions. Just who came up with the décor?! Mark himself?

Ok so there’s pasta and pizza, yeah the works. We ordered Penne Carbonara($10), Fettucine Vegetarian($10), and Spaghetti Marinara($11). I had the Vegetarian, which, shockingly, had broccoli and cauliflower in it. I was imagining more of an exotic selection of vegetables, maybe with a drizzle of olive oil as well, but then it looked like cauliflower and broccoli with ketchup. No-no. Don’t eat it even if you’re a vegetarian; get a salad if you must.

Fettucine Vegetarian
tastebudds

Penne Carbonara
tastebudds

Liwei had the Carbonara. It was simply presented, with a sprig of parsley on the side, which he quietly placed aside. He thought the Carbonara, while creamy, was too heavy for him. He decided that the sauce was way too thick to slide smoothly down his throat, so he ended up having to PURCHASE a bottle of water (I talk about this in just a bit). The bacon pieces were more like cubes you can buy from the deli section of the supermarket. But at least they were generous with it. So bacon lovers, you know where to go. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Drink lots beforehand.

Spaghetti Marinara
tastebudds

Of all the pasta dishes we tried, the Marinara was the best. It distinctly had a seafood smell, which totally engulfed out noses and so all we could smell was seafood, though I suspect it’s because they hadn’t cooked it properly so it still smells like the sea. Hmm. But since none of us had food poisoning I strike that off. It had mussels and clams and a couple of prawns. Not too bad la. It’s probably one of their better dishes.

But what really irks me is the lack of water. They just don’t serve you water. As in for free. Like they took the water ban in Victoria a tad too seriously. So if you become thirsty (which you most probably will) you have no choice but to order a drink from the menu. READ: You have to. Michelle brought in her water bottle and placed it on the table. She sipped and then she was told nicely by one of the many bored waitresses that she wasn’t to drink from her bottle. Well, as least she was courteous….

Okay I think I’ve become biased against Mark, so one thing good is the service. They are nice, young pretty Chinese girls there so there might be some eye candy there if you’re interested. They are attentive and smiley, so I guess they hired the right people. They dress in black. How original.

Honestly, we weren’t the least bit thrilled to have dined there, but if you’re into the Simpsons and cannot miss a SINGLE episode (like my brothers), even for dinner, then Mark is the Place for you. Or if there’s a footy game on you want to catch. On the final note, interestingly, Mark’s Place is the only Italian restaurant I know that isn’t on Lygon. Now that’s something to think about.

12/20 budds

680 Swanston St, Carlton
(corner of Grattan St)
T 9347 0474

Meet Ko(ko) Black

2004-11-20T15:42:00.000+11:00

Move over Max Brenner, we have a competitor in the house! Sitting quietly in the Royal Arcade on Bourke St lies a haven for chocolate lovers-Koko Black. Opened last December, Koko Black has won the hearts of many chocolate lovers ever since. Founder Shane Hills aims to 'evolve and challenge expectations of the ultimate, indulgent chocolate experience.' Inspiring indeed.

The chocolate 'salon' is run by Master Confectioner Dominique Persoone and his wife, Fabienne de Staercke, both from The Chocolate Line in Belgium. Master Chocolatier Dries
Cnockaert often can be seen behind the display glass meticuluosly at work, adding doses of creativity to his sinful yet heavenly creations. On the right you will see glass displays which remind me of the kind you see in jewellery stores. Others behind the counter greet you with a smile as they rush to prepare orders, as the 'salon' is often packed with frequent businesspeople. Most of them come for light business discussions, others come to unwind after a hard day's work.

The most popular pick amongst Melburnians is probably the Iced Chocolate. And with summer gearing up, it has become a clear favourite. Everything chocolate-chocolate and vanilla ice cream, with homemade chocolate syrup lathed against the insides, topped with delicate chocolate shavings which melt in your mouth(sorry M&Ms). Also worth noting are the shards of chocolate embedded in the ice cream, with a touch of honeycomb in them. Truly a treat for the senses! But of course it doesn't come cheap. $5.50 per glass, but I assure you it's worth your money.

Also availabe is the Belgian Spoil. It is basically an assorted platter of chocolate items, each having a unique flavour. The richest of which is undeniably the dark chocolate mousse, sprinkled with finely chopped nuts. There's also chocolate ice cream (again) in it's pure form, but nonetheless creamy and smooooooth. haha I just love that word, so excuse me. On the other side of the elongated platter is a single piece of shortbread, also buttery in texture and flavour. And right at the very end there are two pieces of chocolate. Innocent looking I must say. One's a typical piece of milk chocolate, but the other's interesting. A demure coat of dark chocolate that looks like it's been lashed by chocolate whips, with an unusual paste-like STRAWBERRY centre which tasted slightly 'savoury' as critiqued by a friend, but then it's STRAWBERRY!!!! Who would have thought of that??!!! I guess the guy's as creative as they say he is...haha. And to provide a sense of balance and transition, there's a cube(literally) of chocolate cake sitting in the middle of the platter to bridge the liquids on one end and the solids on the other, since cake tends to have a slighlt squishy texture to it. Haha, this is so bullshit. Belgian Spoil comes with two hot chocolates or iced chocolates as mentioned above, all at a price of $18. So go ahead and splurge if they fancy your budds; oops i mean buds!

I do apologise for not including other items on the menu, plainly because, one, I can't take so much chocolate in one sitting; two, my dad's not a millionaire, so I presume yours isn't either. Nevertheless do take a peek and soak up the chocolatey atmosphere!

17/20 budds

Koko Black
Shop 4 Royal Arcade
335 Bourke Street
Melbourne 3000
Ph: 9639 8911>>>>>>it's best to leave a reservation in order not to be disappointed
Fax: 9663 5197
www.kokoblack.com

Feedback: gneake@gmail.com

Cafe Corretto

2004-11-16T16:09:00.000+11:00

Folks, there's going to be a new layout of posts from now on. We've felt that we should do away with all the messy links by the sides since Willywei's quite busy with things at the moment...BUSY PLAYING that is. And I'm a total klutz at computers and whatever that makes them tick so. Haha. But ok lah, he did lots for tastebudds when I just sat back and studied. Haha. Now it's my turn.

Ferrari lovers! Hear me! Cafe Corretto is the ultimate ferrari diner's paradise. The whole place is adorned with flashy shots of those speed demons, and their F1 drivers. And there are even cabinets boasting suits belonging to F1 drivers! Go check those out, if, unlike me, you're a real Ferrari fan; and as you can see I don't really do them justice from a mere paragraph of description.

OK the food. Yes. Since there are a multitude of pasta choices at other Lygon Italian restaurants, and since I've already mentioned pasta in my last article, I shall touch on steak. Mmm. Thick juicy fillets sizzling on hot plates.

There's the mushroom steak with cream sauce, which is, in my opinion, pretty much a mainstay in most steak places, though Willywei is absolutely crazy over them. He goes on and on about how fragrant his mushroom sauce is...yeah..and the rest is just blah blah. So basically it's a classic fillet, drizzled with hot cream sauce topped off with chunks of tasty mushroom. Notably the aroma is considerably sweet and fragrant, and it completely drowned out the aroma from my Mexican steak, which I will touch on in just a bit.

The Mexican steak is similar to the mushroom one in terms of serving size and presentation, so the only difference is the topping. It has sliced onions, diced onions and chopped tomatoes, slightly mashed, hence releasing a delicate Meditterrean
waft. However, much to my surprise and disappointment, the flavours somewhat clashed.
I think the toppings didn't blend in that well so the Mexican flavours were not fully expressed. Didn't do justice to my wallet and tastebuds. Haha. But what the heck, it was the last day of the exams so I didn't care much.

For those who are less than interested in the aforementioned steaks, there are more to select from.

Garlic
Scotch Fillet
Porterhouse
Cracked Pepper
Dianne

Ok I must say I have no idea what the last one is. Haha. Sounds weird. Garlic and Cracked Pepper are self-explanatory; Scotch Fillet and Porterhouse, from what I can gather from the stuttering Italian-accented waiter, who btw needs to improve his proficiency and pronunciation in English, said that it's just a plain jane steak fillet. No sauce, nothing, but I'm thinking otherwise because there must be a reason for the word 'Scotch'. Perhaps to him it has mild taste as compared to what he is accustomed to, (who knows what those ang mohs consume) so it seems 'normal' . And he mentioned, to my disgust, that there was a little slice of fat on the side, like I would jump for joy at the sight of it. My, doesn't that say something about his regular customers....haha. I mean, what kind of waiter goes around promoting a dish by mentioning the phrase 'slice of fat'? Not just fat, but a WHOLE SLICE of it. I'm not surprised if I don't see him the next time I go there...erm...that is if I decide to be nice.

All steaks are served with a choice of chips, salad or vegetables. I couldn't tell the difference btw the last two until it came out. The salad's and the chips are decent. Rocket and lettuce, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and diced tomatoes. Chips are just the usual crinkle cut type which i absolutely loathe because they contain nothing by air. Stupid. And the vegetables. Disgusting. Boiled potatoes and broccoli and carrots, which looks almost like baby food. Ok maybe I'm exaggerating. But since I was hungry, I took a little bit of everthing. Hahaha.

Mushroom and Mexican steaks are priced at $21.50, which I must say is reasonable lah.
The rest are in that ballpark so be prepared to have a little extra cash at hand should you want to try their steaks.

15/20 budds

Cafe Corretto
Fully Licensed Pizza Restaurant
225-227 Lygon St Calton 3053
Ph: 9347 2300
Fax: 9347 2466
Email: corretto@alphalink.com

Just a thought on pasta

2004-11-06T14:50:00.000+11:00

Have you ever stepped into an Italian restaurant; you know, the posh ones along Lygon Street and it's absolutely chock a block on a Saturday as twentysomething aussies settle down for a hefty meal after a long week's hard work. You're served by an ever-smiling store manager, who seemingly spills out all the offers they have that night in an effortless manner, without slip-ups and mispronunciations. He's usually a stocky fella, and you're lucky like me you can see the top of his baldish patch, with nothing but a couple of strands of grey hair.

And then here comes the menu. You sit down with your friend and begin discussing about the ambience and the different experiences you've had with other pasta restaurants. Then you're friend just does the unthinkable and the unimaginable. He or she chooses spaghetti bolognese. How exciting. Let me think...isn't that the single most popular pasta dish one can whip up at HOME??? And for those who think it's really that different and so much better than what we can have at home. (that is unless you're a total wreck in the kitchen and can't tell the difference btw tuna and chicken, as with Jessica Simpson, but I doubt she'll be raeding this)Yep, you're wrong. It's just like any other. Ok, however I must comment that most the pasta is homemade there, but then so is fettucine, tortellini and ravioli and angel hair. Come on.....the last thing you want to do when you're out is to remind you of home. Come on...dare to try another type of pasta, and dare to try another sauce. It's not like you can eat it once in your life and your decision will be life threatening.

It just irks me to see my friends order so bland as spaghetti bolognese. Maybe it's their culture from their home country. If it tastes good, then why should I change? Well, to put it simply, it's because there are so many other tastier types out there and textures to which one should render the palate. But, it still boils down to personal choice; if you're like garfield, and likes only one type of pasta, then suit yourself. But I still urge you to dare to try.

Archives - Features

2004-02-22T16:42:00.000+11:00

The Beautiful Games We Play
review of the 2006 Common Wealth Games held in Melbourne
Come Flu with Me
tips and tricks to battle the annoying flu bug during season transitions
All of Their Bases are Belong to Us
searching for recipes online can be quite neat too

Recipes - Guidelines for Submission

2004-02-22T16:33:00.000+11:00

Easy as One, Two, Three!
note, you must have cooked this dish before!

Cook the dish
Take a couple of photos (just incase some don't look good enough) of your masterpiece
Type in the ingredients you uses, and the preparation it in steps.

With that, email all of the above mentioned to tastebudds@gmail.com! We'll get back to you about it as soon as possible :)

disclaimer

2004-02-22T14:34:00.000+11:00

under construction

credits

2004-02-22T14:33:00.000+11:00

tastebudds is virtually impossible without these guys. Thanks!

blogger
sxc.hu

Frequently Asked Question

2004-02-22T14:31:00.000+11:00

We're still asking ourselves a few questions. Come back soon when we figure them out.

Archives - Recipes

2004-02-22T12:37:00.000+11:00

Want to share your recipes? We tell you how.

contact

2004-02-22T12:32:00.000+11:00

let us know what you think, your recipes to share and the places you've been.

tastebudds@gmail.com

about ourselves

2004-02-22T12:29:00.000+11:00

The concept of Tastebudds was conceived on the 22 nd Feb 2004, shortly after school buddies Li Wei(aka willywei) and Keegan realised that there was an urgent problem faced amongst many high school and uni students- food. What to eat; where to eat; how to eat and ok, maybe not why since that’s a stupid question we’re just not gonna answer. Frustrated with the lack of good affordable food, they have decided to venture out into the unknown to scour the streets for the best cheap eats Melbourne has to offer.

Through the years, Tastebudds expanded and resized to see how it could work best. Our very own photographer and creative editor, Michelle Tng joins us in our journey.

We aim to serve YOU, the independent student, whose modest cashflow hardly leaves room for lavish eateries. Sincerely we hope that our undying passion for food is put to good use, so on that note, we present you Tastebudds! Bon Appetit!

Archives - Reviews - Location

2004-02-22T12:24:00.000+11:00

Bridge Road
Nirvana Vegetarian Cafe

Brunswick
Babka
Joe's Garage

Bourke St
KoKo Black
Sushi Deli
Ume Sushi House
Singapore Chom Chom

Chinatown

Flinders St and Collins St
No. 5

La Trobe St
Changi Nasi Lemak

Lonsdale St
Meshiya 'Teppanyaki & Ramen' Japanese Restaurant
Izakaya Chuji
St Jerome's
Dontoo

Lygon St / Carlton
Boba Pearl
Corretto
Il Primo Restaurant
Mark's Place
Papa Gino's
Red Rock

St Kilda

South Melbourne
Cafe Sweethearts

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Archives - Issues

2004-02-22T12:23:00.000+11:00

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Archives - Reviews

2004-02-22T12:20:00.000+11:00

All prices and addresses cited in our reviews are accurate on the date of publishing. Check our disclaimer for more details.

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