Lucini Pasta cafe

Old Macaroni Factory |Est 1859 |
and Lucini's Historic Pasta Cafe
64 Main Road Hepburn Springs
Victoria 3461 AUSTRALIA
http://www.macaronifactory.com.au/lucinis-pasta-cafe.htm

Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday for lunch (12-3pm) and dinner (from 6pm)

Bookings recommended on (03) 5348 4345 Mob 0404 123 153

Zucchini, Anchovies and Mushroom cream Linguini

Relics from the past in their dining area.

From the road

Rosemary Balls in Minestrone

Vesuvio Spaghetti (Vegetarian)

A rustic and true to our stereotype of a quaint Italian Village dwelling. Lucini definitely have all of that. Housed in the oldest Italian building in Australia, it is a perfect place to have a plate of pasta. Its history is also a rich one.

When we were there yesterday we shared a Rosemary ball Minestrone and had a plate of pasta each for mains. The soup was wholesome, fresh and the rosemary balls were fragrant and pretty. Th combination was very beautiful experience with fresh crusty bread on the side. My mains was called Vesuvio Spaghetti (not for the faint-hearted!) after the Vesuvius Volcano in Italy, due to its chilli hot gravy that sends your tummy rumbling in ecstasy! I chose it, as I am a lover of chilli and this really drums to my beat. Chillies and tomatoes being pulp and made into beautiful sauce. Debs had a Zuchinni, Anchovies and Mushroom cream Linguini. As she described, she never thought anchovies would taste this beautiful. It was sweet and also soft at the same time.

To top the beautiful wholesome home-cooked meal by Italian ladies in cute villagey headscarf, they lit up the fireplace so that we can eat in warmth and let us wonder around the idyllic Italian compound. Later, we also learned about the fresco tours they have on Saturdays for $10. I think I might go back to that one of these days.

UPSIDE
1) Beautiful home cooked simple wholesome Italian
2) Featured in Cheap Eats
3) Friendly staff of 6th Generation original Italians of that house
4) Ample parking on roadside
5) Ample dining areas
6) Pretty place

DOWNSIDE
1) 75kms from Melbourne- Its in Hepburn Springs
2) Opened only 3 days a week


Rate:
Price-medium- reasonable pricing
Food- 5/5
Service- 4/5
Ambiance- Italian village
Accessibility- 3/5

Miah's Sambalicious- Authentic Malay Cuisine

The Stall


Fried Kway Teow


Mee Rebus


Prices

Miah's Sambalicious- Authentic Malay Cuisine
Shop1, 662**halal**
Blackburn Rd, Clayton (Actual site, On Normanby Road in the RUSDEN HOUSE Apartments,off Blackburn Road)
Contact: 0423701716
Opening hours:11am-8pm everyday

From the main road, one could easily missed it.I did a couple of times and then realised that the site is actually off the main road and in Normanby in the apartment complex. But once spotted, like flies to the light, we were. It was brightly lid even in the night.The entrance is on the 1st level and you drive straight into the parking space on either the ground or 1st level-this is where the shop is at.

A family owned business, Miah's stall had a queue of 8 people when we arrived and we had to wait for our turn.(there are 2 other food shops there too but it seems that theirs are creating the most buzz) Seems like the people over there are regular customers and also desperate Singaporeans who yearns for Proper Singaporean Malay food. Its menu is the yummy hawker centre spread of Lontong, Mee rebus, Nasi Lemak, Roti Prata, Mee goreng and Fried Kway Teow. Cooked by Cik Miah (who is well known for her cooking in the community) and also her daughter Nabillah. They also sell Lychee, Milo Crushed, Teh Tarek and random traditional kueh(cakes) !

Tonight, I decided to get the Kway Teow and Chris, Mee rebus. Verdict. VERY AUTHENTICALLY WELL DONE. We like! The portion is of good size, Taste is there, spiciness kicked in well and best of all freshly made individually, hence the wait, but of course all worth it! Prices starts at $5-$8 for mains, Drinks from $3-$4.

UPSIDE
1) Home cooked yummy hawker centre malay food at its best! Freshly cook for each dish!
2) Reasonably priced!
3) Good accessibility to venue and Wheelchair Friendly
4) Friendly staff
5) Ample parking
6) Ample seating area
7) Open from 11am-8pm everyday, they are thinking of closing midweek though.


DOWNSIDE
1) Visibility from main road
2) Venue a bit dark, even with all lights switched on
3) Entrance is through the carpark only.


Rate:
Price- low-medium
Food- 5/5
Service- 3.5/5
Ambiance- Foodcourt style seating.
Accessibility- 4/5

Come to my workshop! :)

Come to my workshop! :)

The Rocks, Mornington

Vegetarian Paella
Sit on the deck on a sunny day...or sit indoors with the same view

The Rocks at Mornington
1 Schnapper Point Drive
Mornington 3931

03 5973 5599

Daytime : 8am-3pm
Dinner:6pm till late
CLOSED Sunday nights over Winter (June-August) excluding June long weekend.

http://www.therocksmornington.com.au/index.htm

Very Beautiful setting at the end of the pier in Mornington. Crowd are mostly locals and members of the Yacht Club, as it is part of it. Ambiance is fantastic, the place is bright, airy with beautiful spiral lampshades hanging from the high ceiling. You can see the view of the water and sailboats bobbing up and down from anywhere in the restaurant. Staffs are friendly and abundant.

We ordered the the Rocks Fish & Chips, Port Phillip bay flathead tails, apple cider batter, hand cut chips, salad ;Rangers Valley Beef cheek, slow braised, vegetable cassoulet; Vegetarian Paella and BBQ Queenscliff Calamari, watercress, cucumber, tomato, coriander salad. The price was medium to high and food was served very preetily. Coffee starts at $3.50. mains from $22 onwards.

UPSIDE
1) Healthy and fusion style food. Fresh Seafood!
2) Open till late
3) Good accessibility to venue and Wheelchair Friendly


DOWNSIDE
1) Ample parking, but too many people parking around the area.
2) Salad is quite small but other food is generous.


Rate:
Price- medium- high
Food- 4/5
Service- 4/5
Ambiance- Clean, Quiet, Airy and Great Seaview from every angle
Accessibility- 5/5

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.