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Stripes like the big top, with a touch of minimalism from the subdued beige paint above the stripes and scattered generic Asian memorabilia, a mask there, a vase here and don't forget some bamboo sticks in the vase too!
Circuz has a bit of an identity crisis.
But who can blame it, according to Urbanspoon it's an Italian, tapas place, Brad tells me before that it was a niche vegetarian restaurant and now...it's Japanese. The poor place could use a bit of a face lift.
Our waiters were exceptionally well dressed and polite, confusing me a little more as I perused through the menu, with a generous section dedicated to a vast amount of entrees, followed by yakitori skewers and simple noodle and rice dishes. Whilst good service is always appreciated, I don't necessarily feel like it suited the place...or the menu, I feel like I was almost over served...if that's possible.
Since the option was there (and because my sweet tooth was niggling me), we opted for a glass each of plum wine, sweet and refreshing.
Temptations of warm chawan mushi and takoyaki were present on the menu in entrees, but it had been far too long and we just cannot go past a healthy serving of sashimi. 12 pieces for $13? At that price, the least we could do was give it a try! It was beautifully presented, the salmon would've been the favourite, velvety, smooth, sweet, whilst I personally did not favour the tuna very much. The texture of it was not as fresh as I would have expected honestly...
To warm our stomachs at 9:30pm (talk about a super late dinner for me!), we both decided to get rice bowls. I went with the Gyu Tan Don, ox tongue with teriyaki sauce with chilli and spring onion over rice. Very underwhelming. Where was my sauce? The whole thing was so dry, especially with that much rice, the ox tongue wasn't particularly tender and quite flavourless. The rice itself was quite dry yet sticky too (oxymoron going on there?) and whilst at $11.90 or however much it was, I knew not to expect much but still could not help but be a bit disappointed.
Brad made the far smarter choice and what would've been my other option, of getting the Unagi Don. The unagi was naturally tender and succulent and quite generous with the sauce, which was perfect for mixing up in the rice and just flavouring everything. It was served on top of a bit of tamago, which was sweet and fluffy, cutting through the richness of the sauce, with a few peas tossed in. In my opinion, a far better choice than the Gyu Tan Don.
As we finished up, close to 10pm, I noticed a group bustle in through the door, flourishing 'Dah-lings' on everyone and seemed to be quite friendly with the Maitre De'; looking dashing in a suit. He really looked like he should be surrounded by white table cloths, not rickety old tables, which they all were! We tried changing tables after seating to find it had the exact same problem, so we gave up and dealt with it. This group that was then sat looked like they were receiving a full fleshed 3 course meal, or maybe more, as they were served entrees and wine.
And there Brad and I were just gobbling up a rice bowl like a pair of Uni students. Well he is. I'm not.
So as expressed at the beginning of the blog, I'm perplexed and confused. The image or what they're trying to do is a bit lost on me and they're stranded somewhere inbetween. They could use a more focused vision and ambiance. I suppose it'll be interesting to see how long this management keep up, maybe it will take off, they will get a make over and I will return with more lavish comments next time. Or maybe not...and I'm sure I'll have something new to comment on anyway.
Circuz193 Coleman Parade Glen Waverley, 3150
Some people like a place that looks like it's going to explode with people, where the music is pumping, the families are jovial and talking loudly so that their neighbour can hear them over the noisy tunes.
I'm honestly not so much one of those people, but that's what I initially found when Brad and I entered Mocha Jo's for a spot of lunch. I like a happy little buzz and bustle, but I don't enjoy constantly bending over to get closer to hear people! Sometimes it's just a matter of turning the music down a tiny bit...
However as the afternoon went on, as people left, the decibels reduced, it became far more bearable and I got to enjoy how cute Mocha Jo's is. It is so satisfying to be inside, where the warm wooden interior makes you feel wrapped up and cosy as the blustery winds outside carry on.
I love a sweet chai latte and for whatever reason, Glen Waverly seems to do them sweet and quite a bit bigger than most other places! No complaints from me!
Mocha Jo's menu is a curious little melting pot, with the standard salads, pastas and risottos as most cafes have, but with some curry, roti, saganaki and Moroccan dishes tossed in there.
Brad got the soup of the day, a warming tomato and lentil soup, nothing exciting, but consumed in perfect weather for it. I personally like my soups a barmix-ed to high heaven and deliciously creamy, but this was very comforting.
I went with the roast vegetable stack (trying to be healthy here!), I just couldn't resist when I saw so many of my favourites there - grilled eggplant, zucchini, roast capsicum, pumpkin, onion, baby spinach, potato roesti and to top if all off a sprinkling of fetta. Whilst not the most interesting dish in textures, everything was quite soft even though there were so many elements, it was fairly tasty with the roesti potato surprising me the most. It didn't look fabulous, at the bottom of the veggie pile, nothing like the roesti's I got in Switzerland, but there were some herbs throughout it which made it quite aromatic and very tasty.
Thinking two entrees wouldn't be enough for us, we also decided to get the wedges...which may or may not have been such a great idea! It was just a ginormous pile of perfectly golden wedges, crisp on the outside and seasoned to perfection. It was definitely too much, yet we sat there and slowly demolished them, especially those little crispy ones, I don't think I let Brad have one. Teehee. They were certainly generous with the sweet chilli sauce and sour cream, pouring over the sides of the little condiments plate.
I couldn't help but notice again, how efficient the service staff were, they were there when you needed them and like Coco Lounge, even though they gave us a water bottle on the table, came over to top up our waters anyway. Competition amongst the cafes in Kingsway seems to be pretty fierce...although just quietly, I did find Coco Lounge to be a little more in my tastes. Very much enjoyed my lunch at Mocha Jo's still though!
David and I attended the rather exciting Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Designer series catwalk on Friday at the Melbourne Town Hall, immersing ourselves amongst the well dressed and beautiful, ooh-ing and aah-ing at the quiff styled models as they strutted about.
After the buzz, pretty lights and sexy music, we both wandered over to Mahjong Black and stepped into elegant, seductive black tones, soft and sensual lighting and an overall calm, serene atmosphere. Mahjong Black very quietly opened a few weeks ago, the smaller sister to it's flagship restaurant, Mahjong, in St Kilda. I was honestly quite surprised when I found the place not particularly full on a Friday night, although was certainly not surprised to see the David and I were possibly the youngest (and possibly noisiest) customers!
Service from the get go was absolutely amazing, the waiters were charming, ever so friendly and helpful. From pulling out my chair as I sat, to assisting David with his jacket as he took it off and ever so quickly providing us with water, all in the first 5 minutes! As David and I bantered over what entrees to get, someone very swiftly came over to very, very politely interrupt us, introduce the specials and make his own recommendations. Whilst I don't like over-exuberant service, I do enjoy being fussed over and Mahjong Black does that exceptionally well.
We both ordered a glass of the Clic Bianco, a white wine from Italy and before our entrees came out, were given sweet buns, instead of bread, obviously since we're at a Chinese restaurant. It was served with black and white sesame seeds, certainly a different way to start off your meal! (And I do apologise for the dark, grainy pictures, only so much you can do in low light!)
We started with one of the recommendations from the waiter, the duck spring rolls. Oh my goodness, I know it said 3 on the menu, but these were huge! As David said they "are like the size of 3 normal spring rolls put end to end"! I couldn't stop gawking at them! When I eventually sunk my teeth into them though, I enjoyed the beautifully crunchy and light pastry absolutely stuffed with rich and flavoursome duck. The certainly didn't hold back on squeezing the meat in there. And although they would've been fried and were filled with duck, the rolls weren't particularly oily at all. Very enjoyable and also very much recommended from me as well too!
We followed up with a second entree of mini san choi baos. Just two. I know in the menu it said mini, but I wouldn't have minded something a tinier bit bigger...they were still delicious though. The little piece of lettuce that the mince chicken and vegetables were balanced on was remarkable firm, fresh and crunchy, I was surprised the whole thing didn't buckle over and splat on my lovely Melbourne designer dress when I picked it up. It was served with plum sauce on the side (which is what led to David wanting to order this in the first place...) and some nuts to garnish at will...and both David and I were pretty willful. The flavours in this were good, although I feel this dish might be slightly overpriced...
Onto our mains, our first was a special for the night, a beef dish with white radish, it was very tasty with nice home-cooked flavours and the beef and radish were both of a beautiful soft texture. I particularly liked the radish actually, it cut through some of the rich and thick sauce.
Funny story though, it was originally served on a glass plate, as presented above. All the plates are lovely and warm when they come out. David and I were happily chit chatting when we hear a massive crack out of nowhere. Befuddled we look around the restaurant, both clarifying we heard the sound when I look down at the plate and see a huge dark line cross from one side to the other. Our glass plate could not take the heat and very politely snapped in half! Thankfully our waiters were very quickly on the job and hurriedly cleared the plate away and we were assured we'd get a fresh one soon. What more can you ask for really?
As I've mentioned many times before, I'm a sucker for eggplants. So whilst I was originally leaning towards an eggplant entree, I was strongly suggested to have the eggplant with black pepper sauce. Good move waiter. The eggplants were exceptionally cooked, whilst I am used to and do enjoy exceptionally soft eggplants, these still retained their shape but were tender enough to bite through and soft enough to absorb the seasoning and flavours from the sauce. Which was very, very peppery. I loved it, David found it too spicy. Make your choice.
It's quite a lot of food for two people, my stomach was happily expanding under my elastic waistband dress (I dress appropriately to eat out), which I expressed to the waiters, but when we were proposed with the prospect of an ice-cream dumpling to share, I'm pretty sure both David and my eyes lit up as silly, childish grins crept onto our faces. How could we say no?
Isn't it just gorgeous? I couldn't bear to it straight away, admiring the playfulness of the presentation. The disc of watermelon, stacked with a chocolate filled wafer stick, two mochi-style ice-cream dumplings and lightly drizzled with a ginger syrup. Small enough to not be cumbersome, big enough to split in half to share. The skin of the dumpling was so light and not at all chewy like the ones I occasionally buy from the Asian supermarkets. The ginger syrup was so subtle and so delicate, a very light overtone that just quietly added that little kick to the ice-cream. It was all very refreshing and I could easily see myself coming back again just to have this.
All in all, I really enjoyed my dinner at Mahjong Black, David thought it was a bit pricey, but seeing as we really had a full size almost three course meal, I felt the quality of food and quantity of food justified the price. The only thing I thought was extremely unreasonable was having to pay $6 for a serve of rice. Can rice really be made that spectacular? I honestly find it quite hard to believe, but fortunately I don't eat much rice so we only had to get one serve for David this time.
I look forward to seeing how Mahjong Black does and whilst I won't be here on a regular basis, I think it's somewhere I would be more than happy to come back once in a while, whether for a special occasion or not. Although, every dining experience can be an occasion can't it?
Mahjong Black118 Little Collins StMelbourne, 3000
Ah nostalgia. The strange feeling I got as I guided my mother and a few of our neighbours through my old secondary school to the Krome Dining Room, which on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons is transformed into 'The Terrace Restaurant'.
Yup, we went to my old school to have a spot of high tea. At MLC, there is a VET hospitality class, giving the option for girls in Year 11 and 12 to either train in front of house work or in the kitchen. The theory learned skills are then put to practice, either during high tea on Wednesday afternoons or for lunch service on Thursdays, which according to my neighbour, are fully booked out to the end of the year! Although at $10 for a main and $7 for entrees and dessert...I can certainly understand why!
So 2pm found me back in the 'Krome Dining Room', where I used to have my rehearsals for the school musical festival, although it had been recently refurbished and is looking far brighter and sharper than before, when it was brown, mouldy and a just a touch dowdy.
We were guided to our table by a bright-eyed, smiling student/waitress, who then took our tea orders (they use T2 teas). It took a bit longer than I expected for our tea to get to us, but quite shortly after that we were brought out our goodies...
Mmm! An assortment of sweet and savoury, we were presented with gingerbread, coconut slices, chocolate cupcakes, passionfruit yoyos, chicken and avocado sandwiches, pumpkin pizza and a cheese and chilli pastry.
The food was a bit of touch and go. The less popular items being the cheese and chilli pastry, which was quite oily and heavy, reminiscent of a typical party sausage roll and the chocolate cupcakes which was terribly, terribly dry. Give me some cream, give me some butter! The fairy floss on top of it was great, but it could have at least used some icing or something!
The favourites would definitely have been the gingerbread, which was remarkably light and the passionfruit yoyos. The yoyos were very very short, just crumbling in my mouth and with the dollop of rich and flavourful passionfruit cream, it just melted away instead. If we were allowed seconds, I'm pretty sure I would've gone for more!
For $10 for the food and a cup of tea or coffee, I didn't think the price was too unreasonable but I have been told the high tea at Box Hill TAFE is far superior. So whilst I may not come back again, I think it is a bit fun for something a bit different and it might be appropriate for me to get my old school friends back together for lunch one day...
I went to Swinburne Uni in Prahran, so tucked in very cosily on the corner of High St and Chapel St, for three years and never stepped foot into so many of the cafes that populate Chapel St.
Gosh that was three years wasted! But at least I'm catching up now! We trotted into Globe Cafe, which I had passed by so many times, saw close up, saw renovate, saw re-open and only now, maybe 5 years later? I decide to venture in.
Globe Cafe used to look like a skater hang out from the outside, to be frank, or it at least gave off that, young, urban vibe. I remember it's blue and white paint, with a dob of red and sci-fi looking logo, it looked like a simplified atom, appropriate for chemistry class, but maybe not for a cafe.
However after renovations, where they were closed for a couple of months if I remember correctly, and it now definitely caters to those who like a calming space to have their coffee or breakfast, the coffee loving design students and the families with matured children who may get together for lunch on a Sunday.
The Globe Cafe occupies the Old Prahran Court House, and after the renovations it certainly reflects that with marble juxtoposed against charming wooden benches and little bits and pieces, like the old school chandelier (I can call it that can't I?), giving it a comfortable charm whilst still being classy.
We sat out near the front, but it looked like they probably had more space out the back and according to the website, some gorgeous function rooms. The front of these places can be so deceiving!
Cute water bottles! I love little touches like these.
What to get...what to get...I do admit, I must be on a mini quest to fill up this blog with breakfast, as we ended up ordering from the breakfast menu, even though it was lunch....again.
Latte and chai latte respectively, the problem with chai latte's done like this is that I end up getting so full because I drink them so fast and because it's in a teapot, I get more cups!
I hadn't had baked eggs in a while and my eyes pretty much jumped to them when I opened up the menu. Globe does their baked eggs with a spicy tomato and bean sauce with multi-seed bread. Whilst a little bit oily looking, it was still very nice...and the spicy sauce? It really had a very sharp bite! My mouth was left glowingly warm for a while after. The yolks of the egg in this are still runny, just in case you don't like that, whilst not as hearty as a baked egg with tomatoes and sausage, the beans are still very filling and the spicyness certainly makes up for it. The multi-seed bread served with it, was toasted to a crisp perfection and I really loved the textures of the seeds, really delightful and perfect for soaking up the last of the saucy stuff.
Having gotten the big breakfast at Chimmy's the other day, Brad decided to keep it a little simpler and got the free range eggs, poached, obviously, also served on the multi-seed bread and also decided to get some hashbrowns on the side. The eggs looked delicious, although I didn't try them myself and the hashbrowns of grated potato were just light, not excessively oily and crispy on the outside. Seasoned well too, they were very tasty.
Service was prompt and friendly and I really did enjoy the atomsphere of Globe. It easily charmed me, with a bright but refined interior and airy disposition (yes I'm personifying the cafe). Definitely interested in coming back to sample some of the dinner menu, or to just pop by for another lazy breakfast/lunch. Yet another draw to the cooler end of Chapel St (I am Prahran biased. Sorry South Yarra lovers!)
Globe Cafe
218 Chapel St
Prahran, 3181
Chimmy's on Bridge Road, when Brad and I walked by, I didn't really expect to like it, as the door you entered through looked a bit like those old bakery windows from the 1960s with those huge ass cookies and lamingtons. I concluded I'm just getting too used to slick, pretty places and that I really shouldn't judge from initial impressions!
The place honestly reminds me a bit of Abbotsford Convent, and well, I think the Convent does supply them with bread, so that makes a bit of sense. It's all on display when you walk in, with a bevy of sweet goodies to tempt you as well. I nearly caved in on those macarons...
As I walked through the first room to the second room, with tables and seating and all that important stuff, I was pleased to see how much it brightened up, with larger windows and with brick walls and well loved wooden chairs and tables, it had a rather rustic character.
Oop. He caught me taking photos of him this time. Teehee.
Again, we had had a rather lazy morning with breakfast at home, and even though it was nearly two by the time we got to Chimmy's, we were both feeling something from the breakfast menu.
Whilst food and drinks get served to your table, you have to go make your order at the counter in the other room and bring back a number to your table. Oh my goodness. When I initially went up, there were only one or two people in front of me, by the time I had placed my order, paid and turned to head back, the queue (or crowd) to order had built up to easily 10 people. Very busy and obviously a family loved place, we found a baby or two around us!
My chai was extremely underwhelming, it had this oddly smoky flavour, which I didn't really enjoy. I actually only drank half of it, then after finishing my breakfast realised I hadn't finished drinking it! Suppose it's a sign if I completely forget that I even ordered a drink...
Brad ordered 'The Big Fry Up', which came with fried eggs (obviously), sausages, field mushrooms, grilled cherry tomatoes, bacon and an extremely generous serve of 'brekkie' potatoes. I personally felt like the serve of potatoes was a little too generous, the plate looked a bit unbalanced visually (graphic designer-douche coming through), they were also rather uninteresting in texture, I had hoped when stealing a few that they would be crisp and slightly crunchy, but alas it was not. Although to be fair, everything else on the plate looked quite delicious and Brad did completely clean his plate, I really don't know how he keeps managing to do all these huge breakfasts...
For once, I decided I would get something other than eggs. As delectable as they are. I opted instead to get the field mushrooms with thyme, truffle oil, crumbed fetta and avocado. I've had a dish similar to this at Snow Pony, which came to me all chopped up and looking like a delectable blob of vegetable spread, so I found it quite interesting to have it served to me as such. My avocado wasn't even cut up?! So while it lost a few points on aesthetics, the flavour was definitely still there, the truffle oil really adding that touch of luxury to the mushrooms and with the thyme (which they seasoned generously with) and fetta, it really came out rich and seductive. I also opted to get gluten free bread, a nice thick slice of it, which was deliciously nutty and wholesome, which balanced the richness of the mushrooms.
I had thought I had the lighter dish, but I'm pretty sure I was still waddling out with a very full tummy....into the gelato shop next door.
Breakfast and creamy gelato goodness, what could be better?!
I certainly have intentions to come back and try the 'morning meringue', with cherries, shaved dark chocolate and mascarpone, which I wasn't quite game enough to have for lunch. Maybe afternoon tea sometime?
Chimmy's Bridge Road344 Bridge Rd Richmond, 3121
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