Broadsheet Cafe-The Premises, Melbourne

Broadsheet Cafe-The Premises
24 Crossley Street, Melbourne

As we continue our blog journey of indulgence with Melbourne's Food and Wine festival, I bring you today, a blurb about the temporary 'Broadsheet' cafe with special appearances of THE PREMISES.

Background: Broadsheet is actually a news/publishing company that champions everything Melbourne; from food to art to design and very very hip stuff. You can find them online and sometimes in print. This year, to celebrate the festival, Broadsheet decided to bring Melbournians a temporary little hole in a wall amongst dumpsters and cool retailers on Crossley St, to enjoy sinful caffeine from a variety of Coffee connoisseurs and Baristas from around the vicinity.

Day 5, we celebrate the coffee making skills of a cafe from the burbs' of Kensington called The Premises. I came in about a little before noon and the place is already packed with Everyone. The deco is simple: a nice big community table, a few variable chairs and stools with the machine at the end of the space. Coffee starts at $3.80 and are chic-ly contained in special takeaway cups with the Broadsheet logo and the 'cafe of the day' branding. I was also impressed by the nice little coffee coasters that are available to rest your paper cup on.

The coffee served today is very exotic, I cannot really remember the full details but I saw a 'TORAJA' brew in it which reminds me of coffins inserted in limestones mountains and cannibals of that region of Borneo. Taste was strong with a tinge of bitterness, maybe a reflection of the rawness of where it came from. The beans were happily supplied by Seven Seas, a local Coffee Roaster around the corner from the city.

I am excited of this project. Its like an installation for beverage. Do check Broadsheet cafe when you are in the city. Coffee technicians change daily so it will always be a surprise.

Broadsheet Cafe Operator Schedule

Fri 4 - Seven Seeds
Sat 5 - Five Senses
Sun 6 - Dead Man Espresso
Mon 7 - Market Lane
Tue 8 - The Premises
Wed 9 - Seven Seeds
Thu 10 - Five Senses
Fri 11 - Proud Mary
Sat 12 - Dead Man Espresso
Sun 13 - Proud Mary
Mon 14 - Market Lane

A Sparkling Feast & French Market at Dominique Portet , Coldstream

Dominique Portet
870 Maroondah Highway
Coldstream

http://www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/event/1701

AS part of the Food an Wine festival, I decided to drive 70km out of the city to the Yarra Valley Shire to surround myself with Frenchy stuffs. Its still in its infant stage of a big event. I was expecting Cheese and Bread but none were there. It was more wine tasting, Crepes, French Limonade in jars, Sausages, and a few French looking stuffs. It can be seen as a disappointment as I brought 2 more friends with me and they were surprised how small scale it is. I do not mind the scale of it somehow but truly enjoy the scenery.

Dominique Portet is located in the middle of the Yarra Valley amongst the many vineyards of that region. One can be definitely be overwhelmed by the beauty of the surroundings of plantations, mountains and blue skies on a good day.

There, I ate some Macaroons, Smoked Salmon on bread, Limonade and one of the yummiest bag of fresh expensive caramelised macadamias. All brought from many Victorians small gourmet related businesses. Good way to find things closer to your home.

There were also free wine tasting for anyone interested in buying some home.Apparently very good bourgeois wine!

The festival of food and wine is happening allover Victoria for the next couple of weeks, I suggest anyone here to go search for a good event to enjoy and eat. On the way back we also decided to stop in Warburton and bought some homemade Strawberry and Plum jam off the roadside. :P

Auntie's Dumplings, Carnegie

Aunties dumplings is one of those places where it caters to both Asian and Western demographic.


The exterior on Koornang Road


Yummy Boiled Chicken and Prawn dumplings, 'auntie' and a waitress in the background.


Vegetarian Noodle Soup

68 Koornang Road
Carnegie
Phone: 95686641
Open 7 Days

Chinese restaurants have been around in Australia for a long time. They can be found in any suburb and used to be catered to the Western taste. Aunties dumplings is one of those places where it caters to both Asian and Western demographic.

When we first started going over to Auntie's dumplings in 2008, we were intrigued how a huge bowl of noodles cost only $6.50. Both Chris and me have absolute love for noodle soups and to find that here we have more than 5 types on a single menu, its heaven for us.

Auntie's dumpling is located on the main street of Suburb,Carnegie and is one of the many Asian eateries along it. One can say, its the only one that is always full. I think I have to blame Matt Preston for his review of the place in 2009 in The Age. Now, if we arrived a little too late, we would have to wait in queue for at least 10 minutes.

Of course we come back not for the service or the ambience. The decor is no frills and the 'auntie' herself, for all these years, I have only seen her smile once.

Its more because of the food. Chris feels its one of the healthiest meals you can get at $7.50 and also delicious. Its basically our unofficial quick fix hang out, and takes us less than 10 minutes to get there. Our usual selection are meals number 8. Boiled Chicken and Prawn dumplings(10 pieces), $8.00 and 38. Vegetarian Noodle soup, $7.50, off their yellow menu. We have also ordered their fried noodles, Roast Duck, Mapo Tofu, fried rice and many more in the past. All very good, we have no complaints. They also have quite a variety of different Chinese food from different provinces from China, there is a lot to explore.


UPSIDE
1) Cheap, generous amount and healthy
2) Open till late - 9pm
3) Good accessibility to venue and Wheelchair Friendly

DOWNSIDE
1) CASH ONLY, although there is ATM machines and banks on the main road.
2) No smile from Auntie
3) Always Crowded during Peak time


Rate:
Price- low- medium
Food- 4/5
Service- 2/5
Ambiance- no frills but very clean
Accessibility- 5/5


**Suitable for small to medium size groups
**Train stop- Carnegie station - heaps of buses pass by as well.