A little morning detour

Last weekend I finally booked and paid for the tickets back to Hong Kong and China. I have been doing a very bad job in hiding my excitement for this upcoming holiday and trip home. There are so many people I want to see and lots of shopping to do, and of course the food...oh god. Please excuse me while I go wipe away the drool from my face.

Since there is still more than 2 months to go before my belly can finally embrace all that Asia has to offer, I will have to make do with whatever I can come across in this far far away land called Melbourne, Australia. Which is a lie, as the Asian food in Melbourne is pretty much on par with what you can get from their originating countries (hurray for multiculturalism!). But seriously, they really need to work a bit harder in the price matching department imo.. ha.  I mean, standard you tiao costs more than a coffee in Melbourne. I would rather save my pennies for the artery-clogging, cancer-inducing stuff from motherland thank you very much.

Anyways you tiao talks aside, I have been digging a particular Asian newcomer lately, that is the little hidden gem that goes by the name of Wonderbao. Despite the shop being tucked away in a tiny laneway off a small side street in typical Melbourne fashion, it hasn't made it too hard for foodies, local students and office workers in making their way to the eatery in search of fluffy, doughy goodness. Judging from the urbanspoon posts, I knew Wonderbao's popularity would mean that I would not be able to simply waltz in at lunch hour and find a spot to sit and enjoy a filling and flavoursome Asian lunch. I had to plan my move strategically. The only way I was going to do an efficient bao run would mean a detour to the eatery by getting of at Melbourne Central Station, eat and then head to work.

The first bao run happened a few weeks ago. I arrived at Wonderbao just after 8 and immediately  thanked myself for choosing not to come at lunch hour. Wonderbao was ever so tiny and there was only enough space for a high bench and a couple of stools by the front window.

For my first bao adventure I ordered a Da Chicken bao, a Taro bao and a cup of soy milk to accompany my breakfast.

Hot Soya Milk $2.80

I started with the Da Chicken Bao. And indeed it was very Da (big). The bao not only contained pieces of chicken but also chunks of mushroom and a slice of hard boiled egg. The bun was fluffy and not overly sweet.

Da Chicken Bao $3.20

Next to try was my taro bao. Whilst pulling the bao apart with both hands I was fully anticipating the bun to reveal a deep purple colour filling. Instead the contents of the bao turned out to be a rather neutral looking grey/brownish hue with the flavours being equally organic and nourishing. There was something so comforting about holding that bao in both hands and devouring it in hasty mouthfuls.

Taro bao $1.70

The soya milk was thick and lovely to start with but as it cooled down slightly, the sweetness overwhelmed me a little. I would love Wonderbao to have a unsweetened version of their soya milk.


My second visit happened yesterday. Alll this excitement about my Asia trip had me craving buns. This time I got the Char siu and Nai Wong accompanied by a lemon tea FOB drink.

Char Siu bao $2.00

The char siu bao again revealed very natural looking contents in comparison to the usual reddish type you can get at your local yumcha joint. These baos reminded me of the pork buns you can get from Japanese convenient shops, only sans the bamboo shoots which would make a worthy contribution towards the overall flavour and texture of the bao.

Nai Wong bao $1.70

Given how much I had enjoyed the taro bao last time, I thought it would be hard to top but this Nai Wong blew my socks off. It was not an amazing new flavour or texture that made me go wow, but to me this humble bao tasted like happiness. It made me a little nostalgic of my childhood in China, of the early mornings, the breakfast stalls, the people rushing in all different directions to work, to school..

Again it was a blissful 10 minutes of appreciation of good food and much-needed me time.
The laneways kept away the hustle and bustle of the CBD, and it was pure serenity - just me and the buns.

As you can see Wonderbao has definitely captured my tummy and heart. Although I am keen on coming back at lunch time to try their guabaos (only available after 10:30 am), the early morning calmness of this hidden establishment is undeniably therapeutic. This morning detour business no doubt will soon become a weekly ritual.

Shop 4/19-37 A'Beckett St
Melbourne VIC
website

More dough for my buck

Okay, so I admit I can be a bit of a foodie stalker on instagram.
Sometime mid last week I saw Melbourne Foodie Winceeee's photo of a pizza joint accompanied by a caption that didn't include a name for the eatery, only a description of its location being close to Melbourne Uni.

The photos were convincing and my curiosity got the better of me, so last Friday I dragged my usual work lunch buddy and partner-in-crime Kimmy towards Lincoln Square to suss out this new kid on the block.

Despite not knowing the name of the pizzeria and unable to find out any information on it via google, thanks to Winceee's mentioning of the address we were able to locate Kaprica without much difficulty. As we arrived smack bang at 12:30, we opened the door to be greeted by a long rectangular room filled with tables and chairs and ..(surprise surprise) lots of human beings.

The interior of Kaprica was rustic and laid-back. Perfect for Carlton without trying too hard to be cool and relevant. These days too many cafes try to outdo each other by installing upsidedown teacup lights and provide menus attached to clipboards. Here the menu is scribbled on a single piece of paper, it's minimalistic but adequate.

After a quick inspection of the menu, Kimmy and I chose the Salmone and Proscuitto pizzas to order. Choosing our items seemed to be the easier part of the ordering process as the restaurant was by then filled to the brim will people and many were already spilling out onto the street, waiting patiently for existing patrons to vacate their tables. It was almost impossible to grab the attention of the frantic waiter who was trying so hard please all.

It took over 20 minutes to place our orders and a further 20-minute wait ensued before any food reached our table. Conscious of time and mind racing with thoughts of work, I couldn't stop staring at Pietro Barbagallo across the room, in the open kitchen tossing the dough and churning out the pizzas. He was in his element, in a world of his own, as if he was completely isolated from all this lunchtime mayhem that was unfolding around him. It was a super impressive thing to watch.

And of course the pizza. When they were finally placed before us, I instantly forgave them for making me wait my entire lunch hour for their arrival. The flavours of the salmon and the little pops of roe complemented each other so well and the proscuitto was, well, its always a winner. But the most impressive thing about the pizzas were definitely the dough and the tomato base. The base managed to pull off both a wonderful chewiness in the middle and a delightful crispy edge. The tomato base was rich and wholesome and did a great job in keeping the toppings grounded so they didn't go overboard.

Salmone (Small) $12

Proscuitto (small) $12

Okay I am salivating just thinking about it.

Given that I have already raved about this place to pretty much every person (who can be bothered with my foodie rants) this past week, Kaprica is definitely my new fav pizzeria, knocking Pizza Religion off the top rank. With it's close proximity to work and their pizza priced at almost half the price of your average D.O.C fanfare, I will definitely be revisiting in the next few weeks. It might be a good idea though to adjust my lunch hour slightly to avoid peak hour pizza rush.

Kaprica
19 Lincoln Square South
Carlton

The froyo edition

I had a crappy time at work last week. The constant stress and frustration has seen me ditching my health salad lunches in favour of Lygon Street gelati (the abnormally warm spring weather wasn't helping!). My "eat clean, train mean" plan has completely derailed in recent weeks and I find myself lacking in willpower and determination.

Although I had been an avid ice cream truck chaser as a child, over the years I have lost most of my enthusiasm for all things icy and sweet. I have regained some of my lost passion in recent times through my interest in frozen yogurt - or as the hipsters and gen-Ys like to call it - froyo!

1. Froyo Truck - Yogurddiction
I stumbled across Yogurddiction on broadsheet sometime ago and have since been "stalking" their facebook statuses almost on a daily basis, wishing they would pass by my office so I can dash out for a froyo break.
After hearing about my discovery, my friend F (who is no doubt the biggest froyo freak I know) volunteered to come and chase the froyo on wheels with me. That day Yogurddiction advised us that they would be setting up shop at Brunswick community garden but by the time we go there mid Sunday afternoon, the froyo truck was no where to be found. Just as we were about to give up, another facebook update informed us they have relocated to nearby Barkly Square. When we reached Barkly Square, we finally saw a glimpse of pink amidst a sea of parked cars.

Toppings <3

As I am totally suckers for anything cute and pink, I became instantly jealous of the guy who was running the truck and briefly contemplated quitting my finance job to join him.

Original + Wild Berry Twist topped with fruit pebbles passionfruit boba and m&m's ($6.00)

I loved how colourful and cute my cup looked :) In terms of flavour it was a shame the contents didn't provide me with the rich, creamy flavours I was anticipating. Although I am yet to become a yogurddict, once the weather gets warmer I will definitely be going around the office trying to convince colleagues to chip in for a deliverly tub, or two. 

Facebook page

2. DIY Froyo - Yo-Chi

After teasing us with some gorgeous summer days through out the week, Melbourne weather decided to chuck a spasm and threw us back into cold, miserable rainy weather over the weekend. On Saturday I was out in St Kilda having lunch at Golden Fields with S, F and M. Despite the cold, wintery weather, F was adamant that we should go visit Yo-Chi in Balaclava after lunch. After our Yogurddiction adventure, F went on a Melbourne-froyo-facebook-page-liking spree and Yo-Chi seemed to be on the top of her list. Since we figured it would probably be another year (or two) before we visit this area again, we all agreed the weather and our full bellies were not suffient excuses to deny ourselves froyo. 

 Honey Soybean and Coconut Froyo with boba, m&m's caramel banana and strawberries ($2.8 per 100g)

I apologise for the lack of pictures, I GOT CARRIED AWAY OMG. For starters the flavours were all so interesting - honey soybean or chai froyo anyone? My favourite would have to be coconut, it tastes extra creamy whilst still retaining the tangy freshness that makes froyo oh so addictive. They have 8 different froyo flavours on offer and you can top it off with more than 20 different toppings ranging from fresh fruit to more unusual offerings such chocolated-coated goji berries.

The shop assistant was super friendly and was more than happy for us to try out all the different flavours. We even had a brief chat about our favourite Melbourne restaurants and other froyo stores, and I hinted to him that Doncaster area is in dire need of a good froyo joint. Fingers crossed he will pass my message onto the owners hehe

I would probably visit more often if the store was located somewhere north of the Yarra, I'm damn jealous of the kids who live in this area - not so jealous of their parents as we observed a lady paying close to $40 for her kids' DIY creations. Note parents, please learn from this poor woman's mistake and do not let your kids run amok in this place, they will (if they haven't already) drive you broke.

Facebook page

3. The original - Cacao Green

Uni buddy S and I caught up in Camberwell on Sunday for some brunch and market fun. As S was desperate for some froyo action, we drove to Glenferrie Cacao Green to satisfy her cravings. I purposely avoided going to the Camberwell store because a friend vented to me about how they did not carry green tea froyo, the flavour we both agreed to be the uttermost superior flavour of all. We arrived at Glenferrie store to find their green tea had also been replaced by pomegranate (Cacao Green website advises all flavours other than original are subject to seasonal changes). We settled for a regular bowl of original/ blueberry twist topped with strawberries, macadamia nuts and coconut jelly. Although blueberry was no match for green tea, the lovely fruity after taste paired well with the chewy, sweet coconut jelly cubes, yum. Cacao Green is probably the pioneer of the recent froyo boom in Melbourne, and being the sister brand of Red Mango has no doubt helped on the PR side of things.

Regular cup with strawberries, coconut jelly and macadamia nuts ($9)

Website

As summer approaches and as we venture further down F's bucket list, more froyo adventures will no doubt ensue. This post will definitely have a sequel to follow, so watch this space! 

Hola! Fonda

Spontaneous after-work foodie trips are the best, even if it means my wallet has to suffer some unexpected damage and vegetables in my fridge meet their sad, lonely deaths. Well the happiness I gain from these outings do make up for it haha. 

I have been wanting to try Fonda Mexican ever since I saw my ex housemate post an instagram pic of her mexican outing, and when the restaurant came up in conversation with a work friend K,   she raved about the huge servings, the cheap prices and most of all, their chunky chips covered in Chipotle Aioli. Now I must go, you had me at chips+aioli. 

As Fonda Mexican is situated near the intersection of Swan and Church Streets in Richmond, it is a pain to get to/ find parking around if I were to drive out there from home. It was however only a short two-stop train ride from Parliament Station to East Richmond then a 5 minute walk, so it worked out to be a very convenient post-work dinner location. 

K was pleasantly surprised to see the joint half-empty as she noted that waiting for a table would be the norm. Well I guess that is the perk of getting there early :D

The decor of Fonda was casual with pops of colour provided by the chairs and the rather impressive chandelier hanging from above. 

After been given menus, I allowed K to make the selections, I would have been happy even if we only had the chips. 

Charred Corn with Chipotle ailoi, ricotta salata and lime $3.5 each

For someone like me who likes all things tangy, the ricotta and chipotle aioli was heaven. It paired well with the sweetness of corn, but I must admit I am still clumsy as when it comes to eating corn on a cob, K does it in a much more dignified and graceful manner. The only other occasion that I can recall eating a similar item was at Mamasita almost two years ago, given that I have little recollection of that experience, this probably beats the latter version, hands down. 

Before we could finish the corn, the chips arrived almost simultaneously with our drinks, Sauv Blanc for K and Horchata for me. Because K can handle alcohol better and I wanted a drink with the stripey straws. 

Fat chips with chipotle aioli $6

Picture crispy, hot, fat chips, seasoned generously with salt crystals and then doused with tangy chipotle sauce. Yum, that is all. 

Horchata $4.5 (yay for stripey straw :) )

Chopped beef burrito $14

Cross-section of the burrito: beef and prok burger, black beans, salsa roja and chipotle aioli

The Horchata (to me it tasted like asian almond milk sans the almond flavour) came in handy when our main item arrived in the form of a beef burrito. The wrap was soft and chewy, its contents incredibly hearty. K informed me that the crispy texture of the filling were provided by crushed pieces of corn chips, which was a nice compliment to the beef, black beans, salad and quinoa. The only criticism I have is just how juicy this wrap was, and by the end of the meal my plate was mountain high with used paper napkins. Then again, this could also be attributed to my poor burrito-eating skills. 

We left Fonda just as the usual dinner queue started to form and a couple first in line was glad to see us vacate our table. I checked my watch and realised it was only half past 6. This was definitely an efficient but satisfying after-work dinner. 

I will definitely have to visit Fonda again for the chips and to try other items on the menu. If anything, the fact that they can provide me with an opportunity to practice eating corn-on-a-cob or burritos in a dignified manner amounts to sufficient reason for a second visit. 

Fonda Mexican
248 Swan St
Richmond 3121
Ph (03) 9429 0085

Website

Heavenly Thailicious

I love RDOs, even if I take half day ones, even if I had to raincheck my half day RDOs, they are still so awesome because you get paid to take time off work to shop/brunch/ do what ever you please. It brings about mixed emotions: of bliss from the freedom coupled with guilt of leaving the office for lunch and heading straight home.

Walking down Swanston St this afternoon in the wintery spring weather made me miss uni days a little - but enough with feelings of melancholy, shall we get onto food talk ;)

Before we backtrack to last weekend I want to quickly mention this gem of a joint that was opened earlier this year at the north end of Exhibition Street. 

Thailicious is located next door to the Mantra Hotel, diagonally across from the Carlton gardens. I stumbled across this eatery earlier this year after the grad in the office came back with a happy smile and a cute cartoon-adorned menu after having a lunchtime date there with her bf.

I have my reservations for newly opened joints with too much cuteness involved in designing the decor/menu etc, so I didn't go in expecting much more than foodcourt level Thai cuisine

Well in this instance, a picture is worth a thousand words so let them speak for themselves:

Crispy pork stir fried with vegetables, chilli and basil leaves 

Deep fried coconut ice cream with maple syrup

The pork was crispy without being oily, the sauce that coated the meat and vegies was just popping with flavour. I am especially fond of the texture of the bamboo shoots in the stir fry, if only I knew where to source them I would totally buy some for home cooking use. The ice cream contains pieces of young coconut jelly, which adds another layer of texture and flavour. The ice cream itself is not overly sweet nor is it heavy. Yum, yum, yum

Today we revisited Thailicious for Friday "eat-out/pig-out" lunch.

Chicken stir fried with cashew and vegetables, Crispy pork stir fried with chilli, vegetables and basil leaves

Red Duck Curry

Again, the crispy pork was so delicious. The batter that coated the chicken was slightly starchy, but the cashew nuts complimented with the sweet and spicy sauce well. The Duck Curry was average by my standards, but then again I am no curry pro and do not possess the ability of determining what exactly constitutes a great curry. 

Overall the service is fast and efficient, the girls are very accommodating and attentive. Although the price is a little bit dearer than your average $10-a-meal Asian joint, if you go with a larger group and order a few mains to share, you will definitely get your money's worth of thailicious goodness ;)

Thailicious
355 Exhibition St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph (03) 9639 1888

hello my dearies

Long time no see! Even though I haven't posted in nearly 12months, it doesn't meant I haven't thought of you everytime I visited a cafe, poked open a poached egg or munched on parmesan-encrusted polenta. Oh  I thought of you when I took five pictures of the same dish, imagining one of them ending up on these pages several hours later.

Soy Latte from The Foodrinkery

Long story short, life got busy and I got lazy. 

Shan't happen no more,  oh yes I shall keep this going, a food diary of some sorts, adding more narrative than whatever instagram is capable of handling. 

There is so much to update you on but I guess this week could be a good place to start.

Since I made sure that this year was the year that I started all things new, I have been frequenting my local gym for almost 2 months. Ever since then I have self-educated myself (through means such as friends, youtube and fitblrs) the importance of eating clean, which has resulted in a significant decline of buying work lunches and a great spike in consumption of raw carrot sticks and hummus. 

Nevertheless, I still need days to "let off steam" and have a "cheat day" here and there, which consists of eating out and not exercising. It's worked out well I guess I savour those meals more and I am doing something great for my body also. I cannot declare that I have that great biniki body, but I am still working towards it. 

So this week's cheat meals consisted of the below:

1. KBBQ at Changgo

T from work has been heckling for sometime to take her out to KBBQ and further her 'fooducation'. After much rescheduling, we finally made it happen at Changgo. I tried so many times to call for a booking using the mobile number but to no avail. D being the helpful and obliging person she is, volunteered to pop by and make a booking in person. I can't thank her enough for doing so as the queue was out the door when we reached Changgo at 6.30 on Friday night.
Here are some reasons why this place is so damn hot right now

Sunrise rice wine

After all the food we were bursting at the seams and was super surprised that the bill only came at $21 pp. 

NOTE: D confirmed that there is actually no number you can call and book on (heaven knows who's mobile myself and half of Melbourne have been leaving numerous missed calls on)  so it's best to head over in person to book and make sure you don't have to wait in the KBBQ smog for a table

2. Saturday brunch with C at The Foodrinkery

C was away from work for a few days of annual leave so it was great to catch up on the goss before we were due to meet in the office kitchen next Monday morning. 

I have been to The Foodrinkery on one previous occasion and was pleasantly surprised by the affordability of their menu. After these few years of weekend brunching, I have grown increasingly accustomed paying $20-25 for a meal and a coffee. you could almost manage this with $15 at The Foodrinkery if you play your cards right.

After much deliberation, I decide to go for the somewhat healthy option of smashed avocado, ricotta and poached eggs on toast, while C went for the croque monsieur topped with fresh avocado

So pretty and with flavours to match. C's Croque Monsieur was actually supposed to be madame topped with a poached egg, but her dislike for poached protein and runny yolks have led to the magnificent discovery of just how well avocado goes with melted cheese and ham goodness. Yum. 

With conversation flowing we had to end things on a sweet note. After taking turns going up to the counter and surveying the options on display, we decided to share a chocolate cupcake and raspberry yoyo.

The cake was more dense than we had expected to be, whilst the flavours were nice and chocolatey it was almost too stodgy for me to finish. The yoyo on the other hand was beautifully buttery and the tang in the raspberry filling made me almost want to go for another. 

As The Foodrinkery is located almost half way between our homes, C and I are looking forward to making this little hidden gem our regular catchup spot. 

3. Girls' brunch - Breakfast Thieves

In recent months, I am finding myself spending a increase amount of time and petrol travelling to Fitzroy in search of scrumptious brunch food and hip hangout spots. I find I am also increasingly trying to dress the part (ie maxi skirts, chunky knits, pale denim shirts)
That aside, F messaged me late last night asking if I wanted to join her and a few other girls for brunch at Breakfast Thieves. I couldn't reply fast enough as I have been wanting to try this place for some time now. The concept of naming dishes after famous criminals was new and the pictures from urbanspoon looked promising.

The interior was a good balance of hip and homeliness, the waiters were hip but helpful. 

The Leprechaun

The food was good but the portions were so gigantic that the wow-factor wore off before I could finish the entire plate. In true girls brunch fashion, we spent the first few minutes of our meal exchanging elements of our own plate with each other, taking some time to evaluate the different flavours of each dish. I must admit I immediately developed food envy for D's Asian influenced dish Botak Chin. The pork was cooked to perfection, melting slightly in the mouth. 

Although the dishes were slightly expensive ($16-$20), the coffee was made to my liking and I will definitely be back to order the above mentioned Asian baddie.