Juno & May

Disclosure: I was invited to dine as a guest of the restaurant

I love a good neighbourhood restaurant. The atmosphere is usually a lot cosier, pace relaxed, friendly and smilier than CBD outlets…and the parking is super easy. 

Juno & May, located in Camberwell on Burke Road is all of the above plus some wicked good modern Australian grub. The restaurant is actually named after two cows that chef Henry Honner and his brother would milk, before and after school, to save enough money for a TV back in the day! The place definitely doesn’t look anything like a farm, but the food does focus on quality local produce. 

Daisy and I visited on a cold night in August (in this extended Melbourne winter!) and got cosy in a couple of booths. The dim lit yet contemporary space was very soothing - especially after a long day at the office!

We started, on their recommendation, with their version of the Dim Sim with chicken and shiitake mushroom, ginger, garlic, kaffir lime, sriracha chilli and crushed peanuts on lettuce cups. These come as plump individual servings, and I was surprised with how full of flavour and texture these were. I’m not a big dim sim eater myself, but if they all tasted like this, I might be! Meaty and nutty, I loved the kick of heat and the crispness of the lettuce. 

When it came to ordering the buttermilk fried chicken with chipotle mayo, Daisy and I pretty much looked at each other and nodded at each other in sync. Hard to go wrong is it? Served in nice little mouthful portions, like popcorn chicken, the chicken was juicy with gorgeously crisp batter. And is there anything better than chipotle mayo with a kick? Moreish stuff. 

The ceviche with citrus, avocado, tomato, coriander, chilli and shallots also had a nice kick of heat - this one was a nice dish, but not super memorable out of everything we had…but that’s because all the other dishes were pretty darned delicious. 

I loved the roasted cauliflower and green wheat salad with almonds, barberries, fresh mint and yoghurt - all of my favourite things! Earthy, loads of texture and I loved the sweetness of the barberries with the crunch of the almonds. A good balance to our other main which was a big ol’ hunk of meat….

We absolutely had to order the chargrilled 16 hour beef short ribs with house mash and chimmichurri. Goodness, the meat just fell off the bone and was so tender. Perfectly comforting wintery food…which is still pretty good for this weather! 

At this point Daisy and I were stuffed. But whenever there’s two of us…there’s always got to be two desserts! 

We went for a light and fresh dessert option and a rich one to balance it out. The Eton mess with fresh seasonal fruit, meringue and cream was exactly as you would hope for it to be. 

But really, the star tonight was Henry’s favourite chocolate soft-centered pudding with English toffee and vanilla bean ice-cream. Oh lord have mercy! There are soft-centered puddings…and then there’s this. Perfectly baked, but it just overflows with chocolatey fudgey goodness when broken over. Gorgeous rich and dark, and not too sweet, we couldn’t get enough. 

Juno & May also opens for breakfast and lunch, with a coffee window that also opens at the back of the store and into the giant carpark in front of the Woolworths and Target there. 

I didn’t have expectations going into Juno & May, which is often the best, as I was delighted with the friendly and attentive service - even by the waitress who was working her first service (good job!), and the food was vibrant, but comforting and familiar at the same time. 

And man that chocolate pudding….

Juno & May

662 Burke Street

Camberwell 3124

 

Legacy

Although my eating out lists are excessively long, there are some (in fact many) weekend mornings where Brad asks where we’re going to go for brunch and I answer him with a blank look on my face. Who’s supposed to remember all these cafes that are opening anyway?

Many of these mornings, I trawl through Urbanspoon to see what’s new in the area that I may not have heard of and just this past weekend, the exercise certainly paid off as I stumbled onto Legacy in Camberwell, from the same people behind Collective Espresso, who’s just a little over two weeks old now. 

Located down on a sleepy section of Camberwell Road, past the craziness of the main junction, Legacy is fresh, bright and very welcoming. Bricks, light shades of wood and narrow strips of light keep the space smart and tidy, with a long communal table and a smattering of tables. 

After visiting Serotonin Dealer and Kettle Black the weekend before, not having a wait for tables or food was very refreshing…but I have a feeling that might not last long here at Legacy with the upbeat and friendly staff and a menu that reads beautifully. 

It had been a while since I had had a Prana chai, and at Legacy, although the price was a bit on the steeper side ($6.80 for a soy one!), the barista worked it well and it was delicious. 

The menu slants to the healthy side of things, but the flavour isn’t neglected. Brad’s sweet potato, kale and amaranth fritters are served up with creamy goats cheese, Kaiser bacon and cherry vine tomato chutney, and a poached egg for good measure too. Wow. This is a dense and filling little meal, but so delicious. Brad doesn’t often comment on food other than to say it’s good, or okay, but he did make mention that he enjoyed the sweet tomato flavour from the chutney. The sweet potato fritters were lovely and flavoursome as well, I had a bit of flavour envy going on when I had my mouthful.

But then I was too distracted really with my Power Bowl, dragon fruit (or you can choose acai), with housemade coconut yoghurt, strawberries, banana, chia seeds, granola and hazelnut crumb. Dragon fruit seems to be having a moment, but who can resist it in all it’s stunningly vibrant purple glory? Helps that it’s sweet and delicious too, especially when mixed with the creamy and smooth coconut yoghurt, with a gentle coconut flavour that’s not overwhelming. The granola is toasted, and slightly sticky, adding a touch of indulgence. 

It’s a surprisingly filling dish, and although I wanted to complete it, there were a couple of spoonful lefts taunting me when I let the dish be taken away. 

Legacy also makes their own doughnuts in house, which are just stunning to look at. I took a new flavour home, with white chocolate icing topped with Reece’s peanut butter cups, and loved every minute of it. The doughnut itself was a bit on the denser side, but I did enjoy that these weren’t very oily and didn’t leave me feeling heavy afterwards. 

Legacy ticked all the boxes for me, I love staff who are enthusiastic about their food (especially about dragon fruit) and look happy to be there, bright and light interiors and food that puts a smile on my dial. Good work Legacy. 

Legacy

347 Camberwell Road

Camberwell 3124

Boss Pizzeria

This sign just makes me so happy. I love food, and I love eating and I'm wholly in for eating like bosses. None of this say you love food and push food around the plate, own that love, eat like a boss…someone on twitter did say that's what I do best….

Boss Pizzeria is a new addition to Camberwell, perched right by the station, in a cosy little corner shop. The space was much smaller than I imagined when I had read about it on Broadsheet, but it was very cute. A couple of high benches, a few tables inside and long communal tables on the footpath which are going to be awesome in summer. 

If you ask me.

With the wood fire oven roaring away in the kitchen, it's obvious what to order here. However, we're quickly convinced to give their 'Boss Board', an antipasti platter, a try. For $15 for two, it's hard to pass up, and we're rewarded with a phenomenal spread of beautiful cured meats, crisp wood fired flat bread, sweet gorgonzola drizzled in balsamic, roast capsicums, olives and mackerel (or sardines? I forget). 

I absolutely love it, usually Brad and I order two pizzas if we go to a pizzeria, however ordering one pizza and a plate of antipasti definitely lightens the carbohydrate load and adds quite a bit of variety to the meal. Definitely recommended.

But let's not forget the star of the show either. Our Amante Della Carne pizza, smoked buffalo mozzarella, san marzano tomatoes, Italian sausage, pancetta, shaved ham and salami on a gluten free base is gorgeous. Although loaded with loads of meat, it's all balanced well and topped with some restraint so that it doesn't weigh down the pizza. The meats themselves are absolutely delicious, juicy sausages, crispy salami; bliss! And just the right amount of melted puddles of cheese. 

Absolutely nothing to dislike. 

Although they're still waiting on their liquor license, Boss Pizzeria is a solid addition to the neighbourhood. I also quite like they're just across Burke Road from East of Everything in the meantime, where Brad and I skipped over to for a chilled out beverage to help us digest all the goodness in our bellies. 

Boss Pizzeria

25 Cookson Street

Camberwell

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East of Everything + Smith and Daughters + The General Store

Disclosure: I was invited to the below restaurants and events as a guest 

Goodness, life seems to be getting the best of me, and although I am trying to keep up with the writing…it can be a challenge sometimes! So here's a little round up for a couple of media events I've been invited to…

East of Everything 

Level 3, 72 Auburn Parade

Camberwell 3124

When it comes to going out for a drink, my brain is quick to jump to the city or inner suburbs such as Fitzroy, Collingwood or Richmond, which are littered with funky little bars and some nice drinking holes.

But out in Camberwell? Who would've thought a great little beer spot could be found there? 

East of Everything brings a fantastic selection of rotating beers on tap and food from the Southern states of America to a surprisingly light and bright space (c'mon, who doesn't think dark and pub-like when they think beer?) tucked up a rather unassuming staircase. On a sunny summer evening, it was a very soothing environment to be in as light poured through the windows. 

A tasting paddle was the perfect way to get a nice taste of a couple of the beers, from left to right we sampled a Kolsch from the Mornington Peninsula Brewery, a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Hargreaves Hill El Dorada IPA and a Beer Here Vinter Ale. 

I particularly adored the lightness of the Kolsch, bringing me back to my time in Dusseldorf, where Cologne, or Köln, was just a half hour train ride away, where Kolsch is the specialty brew. And although the weather was not typical weather for a dark and heavy beer, like the Vinter Ale, I loved how Christmassy it tasted, making me wish for a white Christmas!

With good beer, comes good food (or so we hope) and East of Everything does not let you down. We're talking mac n' cheese croquettes, pulled pork and the piece de resistance? A fried chicken po'boy. Awwww damn!

The mouth waters on sight, with a rich barbecue sauce spread over a perfectly crunchy and fried piece of chicken. It's surprisingly juicy, off set with just a bit of slaw hidden at the back, to make sure you kids are still eating your veg. 

Brad and I had actually visited East of Everyting once before, and I honestly think it makes for a great date spot with it's chilled out vibe, and I guess if your date can handle a full po'boy, they're surely a keeper…

Smith and Daughters 

172 Brunswick Street

Fitzroy 3065

Call me stupid, but it didn't occur to me that a 'plant based' menu meant vegan for the longest time. Honestly! 

So I was honestly genuinely surprised to rock up at the Smith and Daughters preview to learn that everything was indeed vegan (with the waitresses rocking out 'vegan' shirts). 

But even then, I wasn't entirely convinced as I browsed the menu and found 'tuna' croquettes and 'prawns' in the paella, but true to their word, it is indeed vegan, with any 'meat' to be found made out of vegetable protein, but the 'vegan' aspect is not what they're trying to promote, which I think is honestly a very clever move. 

After all if the food is banging, is it really going to hurt anyone to eat more vegetables? Probably not. And fortunately at Smith and Daughters, the food was amazing, with so much variance in flavour and variety. I tend to find vegetarian places tend to taste a little same, same sometimes, but definitely not here!

From the zesty and bright oyster mushroom and white bean ceviche, to the fresh and homey flavours of the tamales, to the earthy and richly spiced aromas of the pazole. 

I was definitely very impressed with the paella, bursting with tomatoey goodness and a surprising depth I wasn't necessarily expecting. Complete with faux prawn. We were all given a small bowl, and I would have easily gone for seconds…if I had the tummy space! 

One absolutely cannot miss out on the jalapeno, cucumber and coriander margarita which is definitely one of my favourite cocktails of the year currently. Savoury, salty, spiciness, alcohol, what's really not to like? 

The General Store

213 Franklin Street

Melbourne 

"It looks like the guys from American Pickers walked in and threw up on the place."

This was Brad's immediate observations upon walking through a fridge, in lieu of a door, and into the General Store, on a quiet corner of Franklin Street opposite the Queen Victoria Market. 

Inspired by old US Trading Posts that later evolved into store that sold just about everything, the General Store is a curious space, where one can get some food for a nibble, a drink or three, sit on out of commission coffee machines, buy your groceries…and even get your hair cut by the in-house barber. 

Righto. 

The place is huge, two buildings with a common courtyard in the middle. Even when the bar was heaving with load beats and limited personal space, it was nice to be able to find a relatively quiet corner to take catch a breather, or at least hear your friend! 

There was a great mix of booze on the night, Fog City's sangria making an appearance, a great Canadian Club cocktail (which was far too easy to drink) in mandatory hipster mason jars, and Trumpeters alcoholic ice tea, which was probably my favourite thing of the night. 

My other favourite thing of the night (I can have more than one right?) is this milk crate Statue of Liberty which stands in the courtyard, which is also used as a vertical vegetable patch, where bartenders freshly pick their garnishes for their cocktails. 

Not everyone's kind of interesting, but I wouldn't say no if I was in the area (especially with those nachos…)