Take me to the high Heavens

Saturday night and headed into Richmond to catch a concert left us time to enjoy a nice dinner out. Not eating in Richmond often left us on the scout for something that would take our fancy and of course fill our stomachs that were rumbling.

I needed something fresh and tasty, that wasn't going to be too heavy but overall satisfying and there is one cuisine that does this exact thing, Japanese. There is nothing I like more than fresh Japanese cuisine, and Maedaya has certainly delivered every element of what I would expect from true Japanese. It's not just about the sushi and sashimi of which most westerners recognise Japanese to be, there is so much more behind it.

With not taking reservations under 5 people we had to try our luck and walk in, with a short waiting list on the go it was only less than 10 minutes to wait for a table to come available, which isn't too bad however there is of course possibilities that it could be longer.

A menu of what could end up being a large feast is placed before us, and I am overwhelmed with the choices of dishes. I could eat it all, but I wont. Trying the process of elimination whilst enjoying some Locus chips and a Honey Choya and soda in hand, it's a battle to choose the dishes we so desire.

Choya embraces a balance of sweet, acidity and exotic fragrance that comes from the ume fruit. All natural flavours and slow ageing it was a great aperitif.

To start we choose the hand roll of Crab and avocado with crisp fried onion. Remarkable is the only way to explain it. This hand roll was so fresh it made me realise that fresh is valued and respected here and that I hadn't actually had true freshness like this. The rice perfectly cooked the flavours are to die for. A unique spin on the usual hand rolls with the crisp onion pieces on the top too. Mouth watering in every way, just a slight pull on the seaweed when biting into it, but it didn't bother us as everything else was so amazing.

To follow we enjoyed some Wagyu beef rolls and soft shell crab. The wagyu rolls were tender and flavoursome, a melt in your mouth beef. The soft shell crab although maybe not so picturesque as other dishes were, it was coated in herbs, salt & pepper that made your taste buds sing to the high heavens. Perfectly cooked and truly a delight to be able to enjoy the entire crab. A fine balance between sweetness from the crab and the herb crust was enjoyable.

Tempura prawns served with a roe dip was fresh and tasty, however the tempura a little flakey. The coasting unfortunately fell straight off the juicy prawns so we were left eating the prawns with the dip then picking up the batter. The gyoza were the best I've ever had. Most of the time when we order gyoza they are still water logged causing the dumpling itself to fall to pieces and difficult to eat, but not at Maedaya. Pan seared bases made bought a perfect depth of flavour and the dumpling batter made perfectly that kept the filling in tack whilst eating and not having to loose anything in the sauce. Juicy pork filling made it easy to just order plate after plate.

Now we come to the skewers, something that we don't often see in other Japanese restaurants, and being here embracing such bold flavours made us want to try something new and what also seemed to be a popular choice as we engaged in interest of watching grill flames from the open area.

Selecting the tasting plates of both options provided us a great selection and after sharing all the other dishes it was already a feast for kings. The Maedaya Chicken ball skewer selection known as Tsukune Topping consisted of groups of 3 chicken balls grilled on a skewer and each dressed with a different spice or sauce of wasabi mayo, garlic chip, spicy miso mayo, nanami chilli pepper and black pepper. Each showcasing great flavours and enjoyable. But my favourite skewer selection is the Maedays Sumiyaki set. Tender skewers of Tsukune chicken balls, Yakitori Chicken, Chilli Inari Bean Curd, Gyu Kushi Beef and Butakushi Pork Belly. Each skewer so tender and succulent all charcoal grilled and coated in flavoursome sauces and spices.

Dessert was an option and destined to be sharing or else we would explode. We went for the platter capturing traditional Japanese sweet rice cake mochi & dango served with a scoop of green tea ice cream. Unusual textures I must admit with the skewer being explained as a coating of soy and sugar. If you are an adventurous person you may not enjoy this as much as it's very difficult for me to explain it to you as their is nothing I have eaten that I could compare it too. A glutinous rice ball is the essence of this dish and provides a very gummy texture or a chewy dough. Filled with red bean paste they are not over flavoursome and quiet bland, but it's the weirdness of the gummy texture. The green tea ice cream is awesome though, smooth and mild the tea flavour is not so strong that after a couple of mouthfuls you'd have to stop because your taste buds have been over dosed in such a strong tea.

Our over all experience was divine and are amazed in such freshness. We would have no trouble in returning here, even if their was a longer wait for a table, or maybe we will just have to make sure we have more than 5 people so we can book a head of time.

What I loved as well was the detail in service. Not only welcoming and helpful in selections of meals and suggestions of matching sake to your dish, but the awareness if something didn't look right. Ordering a cocktail of the Choya Heaven and being delivered it was noticed it was not to their standard and was removed and replaced with a new one.

Placing such high standards into the service and such pride in their dishes truly shows a great respect to how they wish to showcase the restaurant of which I respect and love seeing.

Maedaya

400 Bridge rd,

Richmond, VIC

9428 - 3918

Breath taken

Black Rock is just not filled with history down on Half moon bay with the HMVS (Her Majesty's Victorian Ship) Cerberus, which came to rest after years of service in the Victorian Naval Forces, Commonwealth Navel Forces and the Royal Australian Navy. It is home to a magnificent restaurant "Cerberus Beach House'.

This outstanding secluded restaurant over looks the cove of Half Moon bay that sweeps around to the views of the city, and of course perfect views of the HMVS Cerberus wreck. It is so tranquil both day and night and is truly a haven for those who venture here.

Just finishing their celebrations of there 2nd birthday we are welcomed with open arms and shown to our candle light table. Acoustic seductive tunes played by Josh Roydhouse makes a perfect setting for those for a romantic dinner, or just to enjoy a relaxing night out with friends or family.

Breath taking as the view may be, the food is even more so. Each dish is show cased with great technique with every element perfectly matched to make it mouth watering.

Starting our night with the sharing plate of Ham hock & leek terrine, presented on a wooden paddle was accompanied with confit duck rillettes, fig jam, pickled eggs and marinated artichoke. Served with warm bread this was a fantastic beginning to our evening. Most people would know terrines to be served at fridge cold temperatures but we were pleased to find that here they serve it more at room temperature. The flavours of both the terrine and the rillettes were perfect, natural flavours with nothing over powering to dissolve what was to be the hero's of the dish. The pickled eggs were a fantastic modern spin on the dish. Never having pickled eggs before this was a perfect time to do so. A hint of spice and believed to have been pickled in red wine vinegar making it purple in colour was delicious and a great accompaniment to both the ham and duck.

The daily special main of Spaghetti with Chatham island blue cod with asparagus and pesto butter was almost unexplainable, but if that truly was the case I wouldn't be doing a very good job in trying to entice you. Almost not wanting to give the hubby a try due to it's succulent mouth watering flavours, I don't think I've had fish this perfectly cooked in a long time. The blue cod pieces just fell apart and was a treasure for your taste buds, the pesto was fresh and flavoursome but not over powering to take away from the flavours of the cod. Not thinking I could get through the large serving it was more surprising that I couldn't stop and before you knew it I had finished. This was worth commending the chef and passing on my gratitude for bringing such amazing flavours to me.

With the other main being the Lamb back strap, this too in cased natural flavours of which complimented each element either on their own or made for a match in heaven when put together. Tender lamb with roasted pumpkin, marinated fetta cubes rocket and walnut salad finished with a balsamic glaze. There was nothing on the plate that wasn't meant to be here, and if you are not overly fond of eating seafood then go for this dish. It would have to be a crowd pleaser for sure as it defiantly won us over.

Dessert of the Pineapple and star anise tart tatin and the daily souffle special of plum souffle with raspberry sorbet was on order to finish this delectable evening, and it was not to disappoint either. The Pineapple tart tatin served with delicate clover honey ice cream and a sesame tuile is very unique and was ultimately delicious and sweet. Golden pastry with caramelised pineapple rings finished with such a smooth sweet honey ice cream that just cut through the acidity of the pineapple. The tuile was a fantastic accompaniment and I think they should sell little packets of them as they are addictive that I wanted more.

Priding themselves with their ever changing souffle flavours, and so they should be. So light and delicate with subtle plum flavours in this evenings special, with a full flavoured raspberry sorbet was ultimately amazing. The sorbet can be noticed to have used real fruit instead of flavouring and like almost eating raspberries straight from the bush, was a great accompaniment to such a light souffle.

Service is outstanding and we loved the service of Scott who not only made us laugh and enjoy the dining experience, went out of the way to answer any questions about the area or information about the dishes.

Open for Lunch and Dinner Tuesday til Sunday, with Breakfast coming to be available once summer comes around allows you plenty of time to go down and enjoy both views, fine service and ultimately brilliant food. We are already planning our bookings for breakfast to ensure we wont miss out because surly in summer months this gem will be bustling with diners lining up to get in.

Whats even better is that it's not in the city. With such great flavours and detail that are put into their menu, who would want to deal with parking and travelling? This hidden gem needs not only supporters from the local community, but those who cherish such great food.

Cerberus Beach House has entered into our foodie hearts and will endeavour to continue to support them not only by eating here on a regular occurrence but by spreading the word on how breath taken we are with this established venue.

Cerberus Beach House

250 Beach road

Boat Shed 212

Half Moon Bay, Black Rock, VIC

9533- 4028

A fashionable elite

So it's been said that Hardware Societe it the primo of cafes at the moment, so of course I had to see for myself. An early finish at work lead me into the city to stroll down Hardware lane to venture into this more than popular cafe.

Fresh yellow and white interior is more than uplifting and the canary yellow coffee machine and tea cups hanging on the back wall makes for a casual and perky atmosphere. I love the low hanging industrial lights that have been detailed with floral and the case of random produce for sale. Small tables placed along the wall with a large round communal table and seating at the bar invites for new friendships.

The menu shouts restaurant value but at cafe prices, with a lunch selection of pork belly, ox tail, lamb shanks and more. Truly a winter inspired menu all of which are hearty and desired during these cold months.

I as always am tempted with Pork belly of which was finished with a prawn and rocket salad with a baked apple which bought a spin onto the usual apple sauce that you get with roasted pork. The meat just fell apart and was mouth watering and had succulent sweetness. With the hint of prawn allowed another depth of flavour and as it was mixed with the rocket leaves it made a great combination of flavours. The baked whole apple on the side was lovely but perhaps could have added too much sweetness to the dish. Crackling oh how I love the, was perfectly salted and reasonably crispy, some areas were a bit chewy but still rather enjoyable.

A friend of mine tried the ox tail sausage of which I got to sample. This too was a magnificent dish full flavoured and rich. Everything just melted away and with the accompaniment of mushrooms this hearty dish truly hit the spot.

The coffee was nice, held good colour in the crema and mellow toning. served at perfect temperature too. I love the style of cups and the variations in colours which makes it uplifting. I fell in love with their hot chocolates though. A dash of rich chocolate and a dollop of cream served in a cup and on the side some hot chocolate milk. Different from any other serving hot chocolates and allows this to be their own style and uniqueness. It does get rich though the longer you leave it melting of course so if you don't like it too intense don't allow that chocolate to melt all the way.

I tend to question though the change of food style when it came to desserts. From having restaurant quality meals then changing it to country home style tea cakes. For me it fits with the venue itself but not with the menu. A peanut apple crumble was what caught my eye, served warm and with a dollop of cream and some stewed rhubarb was lovely. Hard to get through the large serving myself, these tea cakes are ideal to share.

Service was a little shy of attentiveness, and although I understand they were busy I felt that once the lunch rush had finished so had the service. Having to call the waiter over to order the dessert, the comment was you need to choose from the cabinet, although we had already done. Beside us was only 1 other filled table so I'm not too sure how we had to call for someone. The other question is to why plates were removed and additional beverages or even letting us know of the cake display was available. Mind you when there was service at the beginning of our dining experience it was bubbly and informative with letting us know the daily specials and explaining the lamb shanks.

Perhaps I'd venture here again when the CBD calls me for a wonder down hardware lane, but I feel that there are some other cafes that could impress me more from my experience. They still have beautiful food and capturing natural flavours through great produce, and its light interior does make you feel warm and welcome, but for me this has not won me over to rush their again.

The Hardware Societe

118 - 120 Hardware St,

Melbourne, VIC

9078 - 5992

Fair

I am noticing that more and more products are becoming part of Fair Trade of which I am a high supporter in.  My most recent supporter I was interested in finding was Cadbury chocolate. But as my Husband says it was bound for them to become a supporter as there products already support Halal so why not support Fair Trade..... fair comment really.

If you've seen Fair Trade marks around and just walk past it consider the difference you could have been making. Most people know coffee being the main source of Fair trade produce but their is so much more out their that you may be unaware of.

If you are not sure on what Fair trade is it's a program started in the late 1940's where United States started selling needle work from Puerto Rico and started the first formal Fair Trade store in 1958. It is to bring better prices, much needed better working conditions, local sustainability and best of all fair terms for the farmers and workers in the developing world.

Fair trade looks at all injustice of conventional trade of which allows the weak or poor produces to be paid sustainable prices. This allows these farmers who struggle to develop their produce and environment and have more control over their lives.

I watched a documentary a while ago on the cost of coffee beans and how the poor farmers who work so hard to develop there produce, transported it to a seller and after delivering more than 200 kilos in beans they only walked away with minimal dollars to what their coffee would make thousands once sold. It identified to me how unfair and how abused these farmers were. It was shocking to see a farmer get excited about the few dollars he had when the seller themselves were about to place a 200% profit margin per kilo and walk away with that money.

By enforcing Fair trade it helps these farmers tackle poverty and improve their produce quality that we so desire to consume.

By having Cadbury who is such a well known brand to all of us demonstrates the empowerment that Fair trade is bringing us. This itself will support the cocoa industry and in both 2009 and 2010 Cadbury was the highest purchaser from the cocoa farmers.

But it's just not cocoa or coffee that are in need of support. It includes hand crafts, honey, banana's, cotton, wine, tea and sugar, fresh fruit and gold the list continues. It shows that not just us that are struggling with the economic crisis, it's effecting everyone and we need to come together and support each other as much as we can.

Within the Association of Fair trade you have major supporters such as AusAid - assisting in developing countries to reduce poverty and increase sustainability. NZAid - supporting Fair trade and building consumer awareness. Oxfam - challenging businesses that choose to sell unfair trade and assist in the Asia Pacific Fair trade unity. Trade Aid - A non profit organisation increasing the well being of suffering or disadvantaged farmers. Christian World Service and World Vision - assisting the communities with the poverty and hunger.

For me as a person who takes interest in where our produce may be imported from and think about the % increase traders mark on everything and what the farmers had to sell it for, I have become a large supporter of Fair trade. I believe that the little man who has grown, hand picked and transported it to a buyer that they have done the work and should be shown respect for bringing us food when they themselves struggle to provide for their own families.

So if you believe in helping struggling farmers and and want to join me and support them to get a better $ for their produce then look for the independent consumer label (shown below) which guarantees they are a certified Fair trade supporters who have provided the farmers with the better $ for there produce of which is increasing standards in 20 countries.

! MAKE IT A FAIR WORLD !

Meet me on the corner

A bustling Sunday and in need of some good food we were lead to the newest addition to Mentone "the Corner Store".

This modern designed cafe with touch of Scottish feel with its tartan

carpets and wall panels was unique in itself and had a great feel. A brick laid bar, wooden planks on the roof and a roped blocked dining area made it feel that it should have been filled with coloured balls to make it a play pen.

Although fairly loud inside you can choose to sit under the enormous heaters outside for another option or perhaps one use at the bar on the other side. Not too sure what made it so loud as we would have thought the wood planked roof would have soaked up most of the noise but it felt like it was bouncing it back, or maybe it was because of all the ladies out for a good time who choose to speak over each other.

The menu was tempting with some prices a little questionable but had a good selection of breakfast and lunch dishes as well as dinner. With their own spin on some dishes and if your still a traditionalist you are able to enjoy those happy go lucky eggs your way and add extras to them. What I loved was reading their Vision, it reads "Our vision for The Corner Store is to offer you, the people, a place to share food & wine with family & friends. We want to see lots of plates being passed around the table & don't even mind if you talk with your mouth full. Whether you have been lining the up on RSVP & you're on a first date, to lazy to cook or you're celebrating a milestone, we want you to sit back, relax & enjoy what we've put together'/ It was a nice welcoming to their menu and made you feel somewhat apart of the place itself.

I went for the Calamari salad which was served with a spinach, pumpkin and roasted capsicum salad finished with compressed watermelon and pine nuts. Very refreshing and the crisp calamari was so tender and mouth watering. Perfectly cooked I actually think it's been a while since I've had calamari this beautiful. The compressed watermelon added a new depth into a dressing on the salad and was perfect on a sunny day.

Paul went for the breakfast dog , a kransky wrapped in a long bun served with onion jam and rocket leaves. Unfortunately not an overall winner on this one with the price, it's a little shy of value. The kransky a little under cooked but when mentioning it to staff it was fixed which was nice to see.In addition we also grabbed some cauliflower and Gruyere cheese balls which was served with a delicious tangy salsa Verde, and some crisp paprika salted chips served with a creamy aioli. I didn't test their coffees as I'm trying to cut back my caffeine intake at the moment, which is very difficult for me but Paul did enjoy his and said that it had a great well rounded flavour and was served at proper temperature.

The Corner Store is in conjunction with another 2 places 'Main Street" in Mordialloc and 'The Parks" in Parkdale, which are all fairly local to each other and all successful so it is clear that they are establishing something that the area is needing.

Before ordering though make sure you either ask for the specials or look on the back white tiled wall near the coffee machine. They have some great dishes on their when we went and were disappointed we missed out as we saw them after we got everything. So don't be to hasty.

Overall it was a pleasant experience and glad to see the locals have taken to it so well.

The Corner Store

1 Swanston Street

Mentone, VIC

9583 - 6462

A dumpling fix

It wasn't without debate today whether to venture into a suggested dumpling restaurant in Glenhuntly when all the city dumpling places were booked out or didn't feel like eating at 10pm, but it proved to be better than we anticipated.

It has been a long time since we had ventured into such a low budget interiored Chinese restaurant and did seem a little out of place, but the menu spoke dumplings and that's what I wanted.

Hand painted walls bought some atmosphere but unfortunately not much more, with no music and a madiocre service made us left with not to much else to embrace with the scene of which we were taking in.

An extensive menu allows you to select from dumplings, yum cha, large meals or noodles and vegetables so choices are not limited, but as you already know I was after dumplings.

The first that caught my eye were the chilli oil dumplings, these heat smacking dumplings were cooked delicately and soaked up beautiful chilli heat from the oil. Defiantly one to clear any sinus problems that you might have. A serving of 15 was a great size to share, as I don't think I could have taken the entire heat of the 15. The longer they sit in the oil though be careful as they do become fragile and make sure if you've touched the oil don't go rubbing your eye, cause you'll know all about it quick enough (I know).

To follow we went for the mushroom dumplings that were pan fried and succulent. They weren't over powering with mushroom and were combined with a mix of vegetables, they were enjoyable with a touch of soy vinegar or sweet and sour dipping sauce you can grab at the communal sauce bar.

Some Peking duck pastries as they call them, but pretty much pancakes were jam packed with sticky Peking BBQ sauce and such with hints of chives. The pancakes were light and delicious. We were surprised at the amount of duck that was in there for the price that we paid and we were truly happy with these and highly advisable.

Some pumpkin fritters and prawn crab spring rolls were both as unusual as each other. The fritters were almost dessert like with such sweetness. Similar to a pumpkin pie these bite sized fritters were somewhat chewy but flavoursome. The spring rolls were nice but missed a little bit of umph in flavour. I was expecting to get a higher bang of crab and prawn flavour, it unfortunately just fell under par. However the light pastry surrounding it was far from the usual pastry found around spring rolls so it was different to try.

The one questionable dish out of all of them were the lamb kidneys. The menu said lamb kidneys and I ordered lamb kidneys, but these were not lamb kidneys......they were chicken. Now I know most things are said to taste just like chicken, but this time it was. Although tasty chicken pieces skewered and on the bone, coated in Sichuan and other spices I am still confused as how they were lambs kidneys and comparing them to the picture in the menu provided the dish matched to it, so this was the evening puzzler.

Finishing our night with perfect BBQ pork and egg custard buns was the great ender. Almost pillow like, these steaming hot treats made it a complete evening.

With distant service from what started as table service but leading to having to order at the counter, it is not somewhere you go if you are trying to impress or take a first date. But if you are looking for a very casual quick meal with dishes not exceeding over $10.00 then yeah go for it. The food is tasty, just lacks a litte ambiance and if you had dumpling cravings like I did, then it will fix you up pretty good.

Chinatown Dumpling

1146 Glenhuntly rd,

Glenhuntly, VIC

9572-4953

My Happiness

It's amazing how subliminal messages can cause you to think and react and make you want something although you don't really need it. Well I walked past a Gelati van and although not subliminal I wanted ice cream, but not just any ice cream..... Davey Mac's ice cream. I found it a perfect match when I entered and Powderfinger's My Happiness was on in the back ground as this truly is My Happiness.

Black rock has always needed an ice creamery as my husband and I have said after living here for 5-6 years and am glad to see that us locals have scored a good one. The Artisan ice creamery makes all delectable flavours on the premises and although it may be a little chilli at the moment you should go down and indulge in these delicious creamy tasteful ice creams.

For summer Davey Mac's is open every day til about 10pm, and winter trading makes them close earlier and closed Mondays, but their is still a every chance for you to get down and to indulge in there delights. You don't have to get a cone or a bowl and eat it their and then, what we love doing is getting the take home packs and indulge on the couch back at home watching a movie especially at the moment. During summer grab a cone and go for a walk on the foreshore, it's perfect.

With about 20 flavours to choose from every day there is sure to be something that interests you. But don't expect it to always be there. With such a high demand in multiple flavours the are not always going to be there and as they make on premises they choose to bring in new exciting flavours to give you something new.

My top three flavours are the Dark Chocolate Sorbet, The Mandarin Sorbet and the Cherry yoghurt. Let's start with the Dark chocolate shall we, one that is very popular since coming out and we always ensure if it's on display that we grab it. Very chocolatey but as it's a sorbet it's not as heavy and you could eat so much of this it's unbelievable. What we love about it is that you can't see it in any other ice cream parlor which makes it so much more exciting. It matches perfectly with either a fruit based or creamy flavour ice cream.

The Mandarin sorbet is just like your eating the actual fruit. So vibrant in colour and intense in flavour it's truly a summers treat. It's just like your having a frosty fruit as it's just so refreshing. In actual fact all their fruit based sorbets are just like this, passionfruit, mango even the banana. The flavours are powerful you would never think you were having an ice cream.

Now the Cherry Yoghurt is separate to the ice cream or sorbet, it's sour cherry and vanilla creamy yoghurt is amazing. Perfect to go with a fruit pudding or on top of some fresh berries or even a chocolate tart perhaps. It's smooth creamy and not to rich or heavy. Not like your old school frozen yoghurts it's a lot softer and easier to consume.

Each time we visit there is always something new to try such as there malt flavour which is out at the moment, mix it with some chocolate and you've got yourself a choc malt milkshake almost. If you aren't a fan of that dark black licorice ice cream you get in other ice creameries then I suggest you try it here, it's unbelievable and the best I've ever had. Not so intense in aniseed flavouring, it's natural in colour not black and just has hints of licorice pieces. Coconut has actual coconut through it too. Going here makes it almost feel like it's Willy Wonka but in ice cream "raspberries taste like raspberries and the snozeberries taste like snozeberries".

You get the exact natural flavours that you expect to get when eating ice cream and isn't filled with fake colourings so it's good for the kids too. So glad it's located only a few blocks away cause in summer time those late walks are going to be rewarding with an ice cream in hand.

Davey Mac's

602 Balcombe rd,

Black Rock, VIC

9589-0636

Don't forget to be AWESOME

A quaint little place nestles in between Cheltenham and Beaumaris, and only true locals know where I'm talking about, but it is time to put the word out their to everyone. The Parlor Milk bar and Kitchen is a gem  hidden beside the local golf course and schools, a little up from a strip of local shops and has provides the best of the best coffee, service and food.

I've been going here for a short while now, after I noticed it on a bus trip to Southland shopping centre and I'm glad I found it. It's clean cheque and country style interior with rich wooden tables, large industrial down lights (that were here before they become the in thing on the Block), fire place and gifts displays around the cafe makes it for humble dining.

The staff are always friendly, not once have we experienced bad service from this team. It's so relaxing to see a team working together, having fun and enjoying what they do. Each of them are happy to talk to the customers and serve and then behind the scenes they are still smiling working and enjoying their general chit chat. It's surprising as a customer how you feel when someone brings negative energy back with them, you may not notice it effecting your overall dining experience but it does. And sitting here watching the staff just makes me smile and enjoy the surroundings even more.

So a nice sunny winters Sunday morning calls for a cooked breakfast, although late as a long sleep in was required we headed down crossing our fingers that a table would be free, but also prepared and rugged up to brace the cold winds outside if needed, but we were lucky on this instance to get a table inside. If you are planning to go especially for a Sunday you can book, and I advise it especially if your travelling.

Settling down and coffee on the way..... I need my coffee....we begin planning our morning breakfast. The tunes of Michael Jackson in the background hypes me up and I sing along with the music while I read their menu, it also makes me want to listen to it all day long, in fact I'm listening to him right now as I'm typing (did you guess I'm a Michael Jackson fan?).

The breakfasts are always amazing and have their own modern spin on the usual standard cafe breakfasts which is what makes it so great. Eggs Benedict stands itself usually with poached eggs, bacon and hollandaise. Sorry No bacon on the Parlor's Benedict, lets gorge oneself and have some pork belly instead. The portion size is nothing over the top so it fills you up but doesn't make you feel like you've gone over the top either. They never fail in poaching eggs, so creamy light and of course a runny egg yolk, and if you're after the perfect poached eggs.....hello this is the place to go! As I've had the Benedict before and Paul enjoyed his taste last time he decided to go for this one today.

Today I went with my breakfast treat of Pancakes. Beautifully fluffy ricotta pancakes topped with a berry compote (winter berries used) with a serving of ice-cream, maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar for good measure. It's OK as I said it was late about 11:30 so it's not so terrible to be having ice cream for breakfast (so I tell myself). They were so delicious I could have gone for another round. I was satisfied and in heaven with this breakfast treat.

If you're after other tasty dishes try the salmon and potato rosti breakfast, so yum and rich, this was the first breakfast we tried and highly recommend it along with the Benedict and pancakes.

Now for you coffee lovers out there, go here for a coffee. They use a fantastic coffee bean with mellow creamy tones and it is so smooth to drink. Luscious flavours and these guys know how to respect there coffee. Not once has there been a bad coffee and if you're on the run you can grab a take away too. $3.30 for reg and $4.50 for large, they are more than reasonable prices for the amazing coffees.

On leaving I am enticed with their cake and lolly display at the counter, with fresh muffins on cooling racks. Perfectly displayed for impulse purchases for those mum's as they head out the door, but my favorite thing it there motivational poster sitting next to the counter's bench. "Don't forget to be AWESOME". What a great thing to read on your way out, and guy's who work at the Parlor........ you are already AWESOME.

The Parlor Milkbar & Kitchen

40 Weatherall rd

Cheltenham, VIC

9515-4514