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Here at Olive Sundays there have been a few changes behind the scenes and we are pleased to show you our new website.

What this means is we will not be posting on www.olivesundays.wordpress.com anymore, instead we will be posting lots of delicious things on our new website www.olivesundays.com.

So to continue your subscription with Olive Sundays you will need to follow us again on the new website where we will be writing heaps of mouth watering content for you all in the future.

Follow this link to go to the new site www.olivesundays.com

Thanks for your support!

I heart olivesundays.com!

Olives x

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Hiatus

Hi there Olive Sundays readers,

Apologies no post today but I’ll let you in on a little secret. Here at Olive Sundays we are working on creating a new website that is one hundred times better! Stay tuned for the launch next week. And thanks so much for reading my blog :D

I heart Sundays!

Olives x

Haagen-dazs Pop-up Melbourne

Haagen-Dazs Melbourne popup – Federation Square

It only takes one mouthful of ice-cream for you to fall in love with Haagen-dazs. It’s smooth, creamy and the flavours are incredible. What makes it even more loveable is that each flavour is carefully crafted with pure ingredients, which makes the flavours more intense, real tasting and full of flavour. None of that syrup or fake flavouring stuff and by golly it makes a difference. Haagen-dazs is visiting Melbourne and have created a little pop up restaurant at Federation square so best you be making a trip down there soon. It’s only here for a couple more weeks and it’s definitely worth the visit.

Haagen-Dazs Melbourne popup – Inside

They have a little shed set up at Federation square where you can sit down and enjoy your ice-cream in a booth.

Haagen-Dazs Melbourne popup – Outside

Or you can sit outside in the sun amongst the park like atmosphere with the white chairs, big umbrellas and astroturf. Either way the icecream is awesome and your seating choice with not effect the quality of your icecream.

Haagen-Dazs Melbourne popup – All the ice cream

We tried the Belgian chocolate which had a beautifully intense dark chocolate flavour. It was like eating quality chocolate in ice cream form. It was rich and velvety.

Haagen-Dazs Melbourne popup – Strawberries and cream

The strawberries and cream was amazing. I loved it. They use strawberries that are picked in their peak season so the strawberries are irresistible. It literally tasted like the strawberry ice-cream you get at a strawberry farm.

Haagen-Dazs Melbourne popup – Salted caramel

The salted caramel had little bits of caramel throughout the icecream and was topped with a sticky caramel and salted butter sauce. The caramel had a lovely flavour not too sweet, not too salty, just right.

Haagen-Dazs Melbourne popup – Macadamia nut brittle

The macadamia nut brittle was vanilla icecream with toffee dipped macadamias. We all know vanilla and macadamia work, creamy and creamy. It was smooth with a bit of crunch.

Haagen-Dazs Melbourne popup – Mint choc love

I’m big on choc mint, it’s one of my fave flavours so I was so happy to see it was one of the twelve flavours touring Australia. But they do it a little differently at Haggen-dazs and it is absolutely delicious. They have actual pieces of spearmint leaves and chunks of chocolate fudge throughout the minty icecream. Love love love!

The caramel biscuit and cream was a caramel icecream with pieces of crunchy speculoos biscuit pieces. Kind of like cookies and cream with caramel icecream and caramel biscuits.

Haagen-Dazs Melbourne popup – Melted

We went to the Haagen-dazs POP up after going to the Andy Warhol and Ai Wei Wei POP art exhibition at NGV. So naturally when i looked at my almost finished plate of Haagen-dazs instead of seeing melted ice cream, i saw but a masterpiece. A piece i call ‘pop n daz’ ice cream on cardboard plate.

All of the flavours were super delicious and it makes me sad they wont be around for long. Also unlike some places that only take cash, this place only takes card, so bring your debit/credit card along. This Melbourne pop-up is open until the 16^th of April and then it heads onto Sydney so make it down there some time now. And if you’re like me and already feeling a bit of separation anxiety, maybe stock up with a few take home tubs to eat when they leave.

I heart Haagen-dazs!

Olives x

Haagen-dazs Pop Up
When: 11^th March 2016 – 16^th April 2016
Where: Federation square (opposite flinders st. mac store)
Website: https://haagendazs.com.au/

Olive Sundays Melbourne Easter Faves 2016

Luxbite – Easter shortbread biscuits (image via instagram:@glen_yeo)

Easter is near and hot cross buns are about. And I love that fact that I can lather my hcb’s in butter and eat lots o’ chocolate with absolutely no guilt because…Easter! Some of Melbourne’s restaurants celebrate the Easter holiday by creating special treats, putting hot crosses on everything and naming their creations after egg puns. It’s super egg-citing and personally I love a cheesy egg pun egg-specially during Easter. Here are my Melbourne Easter faves this year. Hop to it!

Rustica – Hot cross buns (image via instagram:@rustica_hq)

 Rustica – Hot cross buns. You know Rustica make egg-ceptional bread and because hot cross buns are kinda like little sweet spiced bread buns it’s a no brainer that the hot cross buns will be amazing!

Mork chocolate – Triple choc mork x buns (image via instagram:@morkchocolate)

Mork chocolate – Triple chocolate Mork X bun w dark chocolate pieces, candied orange and a soft chocolate ganache centre. If you prefer a chokky cross bun, Mork has got you covered. Not one, not two, but three times chocolate.

Short stop – Hot cross doughnuts (image via instagram:@melbournemamma)

Short stop – hot cross doughnuts. A doughnut and hot cross bun hybrid. Spiced dough with cinnamon, nutmeg, brandy-soaked dried fruit. Covered in honey glaze and topped with a cinnamon-spiked icing stripe.

Lune croissanterie – Hot cross cruffin (image via instagram:@lunecroissant)

Lune croissanterie – Hot cross cruffins. Lune cruffins have layers of buttery goodness and now they have a hot cross bun version. Hooray two of my favourite things unite. And now with their Fitzroy store I don’t have to wake up at 4 in the A.M. Winning.

Schmucks bagels – Hot cross bagel (image via instagram:@schmucksbagels)

Schmucks bagels – Hot cross bagel. Who needs a hot cross bun when you can have a hot cross bagel. Pair that with some almond milk co butter and an all press coffee and that’s what I call a good morning.

Eat a scroll – Hot cross scroll (image via instagram:@theplateproject)

Eat a scroll – Hot cross scroll. These cute little scrolls have a cute little Easter crosses. Cinnamon scroll topped with Gianduja (hazelnut choc) and a cream cheese cross.

Om nom – Egg-dulgence (image via instagram:@omnom_dessertbar)

Om nom kitchen & dessert bar – The egg-dulgence. Made with banana milk chocolate brownie, chocolate cream, caramel toffee, roasted mixed nuts and 58% cacao chocolate. Love the egg pun name.

Pidapipo geleteria x Baked chirico – HCB icecream sandwich (image via instagram:@pidapipo_geleteria)

Pidapipo Gelateria – Hot cross bun ice-cream sandwich. The hot cross buns are baked by baker D Chirico and are filled with a big scoop of Pidapipo crema and jam gelato. My kind of sandwich.

Doughnut time – The yolk addict doughnut (image via instagram:@doughnut_time)

Doughnut time – yolk addict. This doughnut has a milk chocolate and toffee glaze and is topped with a Cadbury crème egg. Who knew yolk porn could be so sweet.

Pablo honey – Easter shots (image via instagram:@pablomatcarps)

Pablo honey – Easter shots. These chocoaltey alcoholic shots are served in chocolate Easter eggs. I repeat. Shots in chocolate Easter eggs! It doesn’t get cuter than this.

Luxbite – Egg-licious (image via instagram:@luxbite)

Luxbite – egg-licious easter egg. We all know Luxbite have creative flair so we expect more from them. And they never fail to deliver beautifully eggs-ecuted Easter creations. Lemon mousse, stone fruit jelly, chocolate egg cup with strawberry and milk chocolate crunchy pearls hidden inside.

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter spent with loved ones and copious amounts of chocolate.

I heart Easter!

Olives x

Sabai

Sabai Thai Restaurant – RIchmond

A modern take on traditional Thai food is what Sabai is all about. The husband and wife duo have innovated a new and creative menu that excites. The food is bold, balanced and presented with style. And did I mention totally delicious?

Sabai – Venue

In Thai, Sabai means to be chill. And the relaxed atmosphere supports that vibe where you can pop in to eat for a little or a long time. You can spend time with your loved ones eating and relaxing. In fact this has now sparked my new mantra. Eat and be chill. Yep I like it.

Sabai – Soft shell crab sliders

The soft shell sliders were super cute. The mini buns were filled with crispy soft shell crab and a fresh apple slaw. I was worried I might get full on these because bread, but luckily the buns were fairly light so it wasn’t too filling. A great start to the meal. The only issue was deciding who got to eat the third slider out of the two of us.

Sabai – red curry pork ribs

Slow cooking does wonderful things to meat, which is why the pork baby back ribs were melt-in-your-mouth and were falling of the bone. The ribs were covered in a tasty red curry glaze, which was amazing with the pork. It was absolutely delicious.

Sabai – Duck salad

When the duck salad came out I was in awe of its beauty. It was a colourful rainbow garden of deliciousness. The slices of duck were tender, the vegies were crisp and the herbs were fresh. The sauce had a lovely savoury zing and then there was the caramel popcorn. What? Yes you read correctly, caramel popcorn. It totally worked because it allowed me to add a bit of sweetness as I pleased. Granted I initially want to just eat all of the caramel popcorn on its own, but I found that throughout the dish I could add a pop of sweetness to enhance the flavour. It was awesome.

Sabai – Crispy barramundi

The barramundi was cut into bitesized chunks, battered and fried. It was accompanied with a fresh herb and apple salad and a sweet and sour dressing with chilli and lemongrass. There were lots of punchy flavours; a great balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Sabai – Lamb shank massaman curry

We were impressed when the lamb massaman hit the table. There was a big slow braised lamb shank sitting in the middle. The meat was soft and juicy and the curry was full of flavour. It had potatoes and cashews and a calming cinnamon flavour. It was delish. I liked that it had bold flavours but was light and not overly creamy or sweet. It came steamed rice and roti. Yum.

Sabai – homemade coconut icecream

Now onto dessert. They make their own coconut ice-cream in-house and it’s super smooth and taste like fresh coconut. It’s served with a tropical assortment of jackfruit, lychee jelly and red syrup soaked water chestnuts.

Sabai – Thai tea panna cotta

The Thai tea panna cotta had that lovely sweet condensed milk tea flavour and was balanced with the tartness of the crushed frozen berries, fresh coconut and a little sprig of mint.

Sabai – Affogato w mini magnum

The affogato was unlike any affogato I had seen before. Instead of a scoop of ice-cream, there was a mini Magnum almond sitting in my Kahlua spiked espresso topped with toasted coconut. When you first pick up the mini magnum the chocolate is all melted and it is so good.

Each dish had a modern twist on Thai cuisine but the traditional Thai flavours were all there. It was full of flavour and presented with style.

I heart Sabai!

Olives x

Sabai Thai Restaurant
Address: 460 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121
Website: http://sabairichmond.com.au/
Phone: 03 8528 6884
Trading Hours: Mon-Fri: 11.30am-9.30pm Sat-Sun: 4pm-9.30pm

Uncommon

Uncommon – Street view

Uncommon serve unique dishes using organic and sustainably grown produce. The dishes are created with a combination of ingredients that aren’t commonly used together and the menu definitely excites and sparks curiosity. You will want keep returning to try everything on the menu. Items like salmon pastrami, green apple pesto & coconut bacon will keep you returning for more. The good news is that in addition to brunch they have recently opened for dinner. Hooray!

Uncommon – Venue

The decor is simple with white walls and lots of greenery in hanging pots. Really cute.

Uncommon – Salmon pastrami, whipped honey and herb scramble

Firstly for brunch and currently my favourite dish on the menu is the hand sliced salmon pastrami with a smooth sweet whipped honey on a thin slice of pumpernickel, which is a slightly sweet rye bread. The salmon was cut thinly and the whipped honey was sweet and creamy. Amazing! It was paired with soft herbed scrambled eggs with big pieces of fresh herbs throughout and there was salted kernels and chilli capers, which added good texture.

Uncommon – Greens on toast

The new season asparagus, silverbeet, & avocado is a great combination of greens and was complemented with a green apple pesto and wedges of lemon. It was fresh, had a lot of zing. It also had a creamy ewe’s milk cheese and a beautiful 65 degree egg and was served on toast.

Uncommon – roasted pepperberry duck

The duck was tasty. The tender pieces of roasted pepperberry duck were scattered over a combination of freekah salad, raw pear kimchi, thin slices of radish and a sour barberry vinigarette. There was a fried duck egg on top for good measure. The sour tones in the vinegarette with the duck went really well and the combination of texture made this dish wonderful.

Uncommon – banana and golden flaxseed pikelets

The pikelets are 90% banana & golden flaxseed. And these babies are gluten free. Since there is a prominent amount of banana they mainly taste like mashed banana in a good way though. They were topped with Yarra Valley strawberries, cherries, poached green paw paw, a toasted milk crumb and drizzled with pure maple.

Uncommon – purple sweet potato

Then onto dinner. We got to taste a few of the dinner samples at the launch and it was just as impressive as their brunch menu. They had maple roasted purple sweet potato rounds w sprouted leeks, sorrel, kefir ricotta, smoked coconut & green apple pesto. It was tasty.

Uncommon – cucumber salad

The cucumber was filled with a salad of texture. Buckwheat, roasted cauliflower, kale, chilli & tamari seeds with a tahini yoghurt dressing.

Uncommon – baby free range chicken

The baby free range chicken was delish it was topped with sour onions and cooked in whey, amaranth leaves, lemon and a savoury sauce.

Uncommon – cape grim pure beef

The cape grim pure beef melted in your mouth and was topped with green tomato, a mild chilli & river mint salsa, silverbeet and fresh avocado.

Uncommon – salmon pastrami

Lucky for me they have a dish with the salmon pastrami, whipped honey & salted kernals on their dinner menu. Love.

Uncommon – roasted ginger pear and figs

The roasted ginger pear was sensational it was beautifully poached and was packed with flavour. It was paired with seasonal figs, persian cheese and leaves. Yum!

Uncommon – Chocolate red sauerkraut brownies

Ok and finally for the chocolate red sauerkraut brownie with buckwheat granola and wattleseed whipped yoghurt. It was rich and chocolatey and the red sauerkraut almost acted like a subtle sour cherry and the granola on top added a beautiful crunch element. It was super moist and had a rich chocolate flavour. These were absolutely divine.

Uncommon serve great food and give a care about the environment. The staff are friendly and it’s a great place for brunch and now din dins too. Delish!

I heart Uncommon!

Olives x

Uncommon
Address: 60 Chapel St, Windsor VIC 3181
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncommon3181/
Phone: 03 9510 6655
Trading Hours: Mon- Wed: 7am-3.30pm, Thu-Fri: 7am-11pm, Sat-Sun: 8am-11pm

Changz Canteen

Changz canteen – Elsternwick

Changz canteen is an awesome place where you can catch up with friends for some burgers and bevvies. They are located in Elsternwick and do a mean cheesey. They do burgers but also have other tasty bits and pieces. And keep an eye out for their chilli sauces that are made in house. They are more tasty rather than burn your face off hot and are super delish. Changz has a laid-back atmosphere but the food is quality. My favourite kind of place.

Changz canteen – Venue

It’s a casual dining space with a relaxed vibe and some cool stencils on the wall. They have share tables for larger groups and outdoor seating out front for good weather days.

Changz canteen – Cheesey

The standard cheesey was delish. The beef was juicy, the pickles were sliced super thin, the cheddar cheese was melting, the onion was finely diced and Changz sauce brought it all together which was like a red chilli mayo (not hot).

Changz canteen – Fried chicken ribs w aioli

The chicken ribs were deep-fried, delicious and crunchy and were served with aioli, sesame seeds and spring onions. The chicken was moist and tender. They come in a serve of three or nine. I got three on this occasion but I could have easily devoured nine. Loved them.

Changz canteen – Spicy fries

The spicy fries were great. Firstly I love shoestring chips so that was an easy win but then they were coated in a delicious chilli salt which made them even better. The chilli salt is made out of their house made red habanero sauce, which explains why they’re so tasty.

Changz canteen – Double chilli cheeseburger

We also had the double chilli cheeseburger, which was good too. It’s the kind of place that lets you create your own monster of a burger so if you like to customize you can. Extra bacon, additional patties, chicken bricks, jalepenos etc.

Also they have some beverages available. An apple Somersby cider with my burger, yes please. The staff were lovely and the food was awesome. Gotta love a good cheesey.

I heart Changz Canteen!

Olives x

Changz Canteen
Address: 256 Glen Eira Rd, Elsternwick VIC 3185
Phone: 03 9077 0353
Website: http://changzcanteen.com.au/
Trading hours: Mon-Thu: 12pm-9pm, Fri-Sun: 12pm-10pm

Shimbu

Shimbu – East Brunswick

Shimbu is a Tibetan restaurant recently opened on Lygon St in East Brunswick. They serve a combination of traditional and modernised Tibetan food and all of it will make your mouth water.

Shimbu – Bar

The venue is modern and they have some traditional Tibetan artwork and masks on the wall, which further expresses the traditional/modern feel.

Shimbu – Lychee cocktails

They have a range of cocktails that are sweet, sour and refreshing. We had the lychee ones that were actually not overly sweet and were dangerously easy to drink.

Shimbu – Momos

Momos are Tibetan dumplings; they can be steamed or fried. The steamed ones were filled with a tasty beef filling and are carefully crafted into a shell shape. The fried dumplings were basically the love child of a Shanghai dumpling and a samosa. It looked like a Shanghai dumpling that had been deep-fried but was filled with curried beef and potato. hey had veg dumplings too.

Shimbu – SFC – Shimbu fried chicken

The Shimbu fried chicken aka SFC was great. They were boneless chicken strips that were super crunchy on the outside and super juicy on the inside. They use chicken thigh, which explains the extra juicy part. And they were served with two sauces. A soy and a tomato relish.

Shimbu – Salad

The roasted sesame salad was some leafy greens with a sesame sauce topped with sesame seeds. A good side dish.

Shimbu – Spicy pork belly

The spicy pork belly was cut into little slices and coated in a sticky sauce that packed a punch. It had a good kick of chilli and the pork bits were fatty and wonderful.

Shimbu – Coconut chicken curry

The bedhai coconut curry with chicken was light and fragrant. The chicken was moist and the curry had a good balance of flavours. One of my faves.

Shimbu – Honey beef curry

The nyamo kyurmo was honey beef in a tomato-based sauce. The honey and beef married perfectly and created a caramel beef flavour. The slices of beef were tender and the sauce was balanced well and had fresh herbs through it. It was delish.

Shimbu – Vegetables and vermicelli

The mixed vegetables were stir-fried in soy and were served with vermicelli noodles. It was a lovely light noodle dish.

Shimbu is a stylish Tibetan restaurant sharing tasty family recipes. And if you’re not sure what to order, they have the feed me banquet which will definitely leave you food coma-ing.

I heart Shimbu!

Olives x

Shimbu
Address: 58 Lygon Street, East Brunswick
Phone: 0405 319 161
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shimbu
Trading Hours: Tue-Sun: 5pm – 10.30pm (closed Monday)

Son In Law

Son in law – Collingwood

Son in law is a Thai restaurant in Collingwood that serves traditional Thai dishes with a modern twist. They have some creative fusion dishes like soft-shell crab green curry and fish patty sliders but they also have the more traditional dishes like tom yum and pad thai. We walked in hungry and left with big smiles on our faces. The food was amazing. And those son in law eggs….yum!

Son in law – Coca cola in cute jars

Drinks in jars. Love it.

Son in law – Roti w satay sauce

Roti with satay sauce, always a good starter or side.

Son in law – Fried chicken ribs

The fried chicken ribs were super crunchy and were topped with fresh chilli and spring onions. They came with a side of tangy nam jim jaew for dipping.

Son in law – Tamarind salad

The tamarind salad was sweet, salty, sour and crunchy. It had green apple and pickled carrot and crispy noodles, crunchy been shoots and sweet toasted coconut. The combination of flavours totally worked.

Son in law – Son in law eggs

The son in law eggs were my fave. It is said that a mother in law would serve these eggs to her son in law if she felt he needed to treat her daughter better. Without the exchange of words, this dish expresses to the son in law that he needs to pull his socks up. Pretty funny because my mum ordered two serves. And also they are so yum, so if i was the son in law i would act up all the time just so i can keep eating son in law eggs. These were sensational with the creamy yolk, sour tamarind sauce, heat from the fresh chilli and the freshness from the onions and micro herbs. Absolutely delish! Loved them.

Son in law – Lamb massaman

The lamb massaman curry looked amazing. It came out with a big lamb shank topped with a stick of cinnamon, a star of aniseed and roasted cashews. The meat was tender it tore apart effortlessly and sweet potato was a twist to the classic massaman. The flavours complimented the lamb beautifully.

Son in law – Green curry w soft-shell crab

The soft-shell crab green curry was just as impressive. The crispy, battered, deep-fried soft-shell crab was placed upright, vertically emerging from a sea of green curry. The spicy, coconut, and thai basil flavours went perfectly with the soft-shell crab and I loved that it was unique.

Son in law – Tempura broccoli and cauliflower

The tempura broccoli and cauliflower was nice.

Son in law – Vegetarian spring rolls

The vegetarian spring rolls were nice and crunchy and came with a sweet chilli sauce.

Son in law – Chicken skewers

The grilled chicken skewers were marinated with a sweet smokey Thai sauce and topped with fresh chillies and spring onions.

Son in law – Tofu betel leaf bites

The tofu betel leaf bites were cute. They had strips of tofu, peanuts, mint, lime, roasted coconut and tamarind sauce.

Son in law – Vegetarian pad thai noodles

The vegetarian pad thai noodles were tasty in a well balanced spicy sauce.

Son in law – Twiced cooked pork belly

The twice cooked pork belly was thinly sliced and covered in a sweet, and sticky chilli jam with green beans, been shoots and kaffir lime leaves.

Son in law – Nutella and marshmallow puffs

For dessert they had these deep-fried puff pastries filled with Nutella and a bit of melted marshmallow. OMG they were amaze! They were like Thai curry puffs but instead of a savoury filling, they were filled with sweet justice with a scoop of hazelnut ice-cream on the side. I was met with the conflicting thoughts of wanting to eat it all myself, or share the enjoyment with my loved ones. This confusion was quickly resolved by ordering an additional serve. Crisis averted.

Son in law – Steamed coconut and pandan puddings

The steamed coconut pandan puddings were warm, sweet, creamy, and glutinous with a lovely coconut flavour. They were a nice little treat.

Son in law – Coconut sorbet & green tea ice cream

We also had the green tea ice cream and coconut sorbet which was refreshing.

Son in law is a great Thai restaurant that has a modern twist on traditional Thai dishes. The food is super tasty and has a good kick of flavour and freshness.

I heart Son In Law!

Olives x

Son In Law
Address: 56 Johnston St, Collingwood VIC 3066
Phone: 03 9410 0399
Website: http://www.soninlaw.com.au/
Trading Hours: Fri-Sat: 12pm-4.30pm (lunch), Mon-Sun: 5.30pm-11.30 (dinner)

Arbory Bar & Eatery

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Flinders Walk Melbourne

In Australia, on my birthday, people all around the nation celebrate. Whether they are celebrating the birth of me or Australia day are minor details. The point is that everyone is having fun in the sun. Arbory has a picturesque view of the yarra river, awesome beverages and some bloody good food.

If you look to one side, it’s flinders street station and if you look to the other, it’s a view of the yarra river. What better way to celebrate Australia day than in the middle of two of Melbourne’s historic landmarks. The space is off flinders walk and is completely outdoors but is mostly covered with canopies so you can avoid getting attacked by the sun or the rain or both in one day as per Melbourne weather.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – New England lobster roll

The New England lobster roll had cold chunks of lobster mixed in mayo topped with spring onions. The roll was buttery and toasted. Delish! It was paired with some spicy, tangy potato crisps.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Veg burger

When it comes to vegie burgers, many places do a lame version, with a dry vegie patty majorly lacking in flavour but at arbory they make an awesome veg burger with a big crumbed Portobello mushroom with grilled halloumi, pickles and tomato relish. They had lots of veg options. My vegie friends were happy.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Double cheeseburger and chips

The double cheeseburger was indulgent and delicious. It had a soft buttery bun with two great southern beef patties, bacon, two types of cheeses, thinly sliced pickles and tomato relish. Amazing!

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Southern chicken burger

The Southern fried chicken burger had a big fillet of battered deep-fried southern chicken with lettuce pickles and a smoky chipotle mayo.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – American hot dog

The American hotdogs were great. Loaded with bacon, onion, cheese and pickles.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Truffle fries

I am so glad we ended up getting a bowl of truffle fries. They were incredible. The perfect side to a summer beverage. They were crunchy crinkle-cut fries topped with grated truffle pecorino cheese. Love!

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Pork belly

The tender valley pork belly was tasty, it came with a creamy onion puree and a fresh cabbage and apple slaw.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Barramundi

The fillet of roasted barramundi flaked apart beautifully and the romesco sauce had light capsicum and garlic flavours. The black olive croquettes were whole pitted olives crumbed and deep-fried and the baby leaks were sweet. It was a lovely combination.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Cheese plate

They had some good sharing plates like a charcuterie board and a cheese plate w quince paste & fruit bread.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Pimms and dry

They had some awesome summer fruit jugs like pimms, sangria and aperol spritz.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Sav Blanc

The Mount Vernon Sav Blanc was yum.

Arbory Bar & Eatery – Strangely delish

And my brother made up this drink w agua, soho, mint and orange and it was surprisingly good. They also do a good espresso martini.

Arbory bar is the perfect spot for summer days/nights with friends. They also have covered seated areas and heaters for the colder weather. They have a good variety of beverages to accompany a great variety of food. Everything we ate was delish. Love this place.

I heart Arbory Bar & Eatery!

Olives x

Arbory Bar & Eatery
Adress: Flinders Street Station, 1 Flinders Walk, Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: http://arbory.com.au/
Phone: 03 8648 7644
Trading Hours: Sun-Thu: 7.30am-12am, Fri-Sat: 7.30am-1am

Hawker Hall

Hawker Hall – Windsor

Hawker Hall is the latest edition to Ben Cooper’s restaurant empire and it’s located in Windsor. It’s a happening place with a big open dining space. Good food and good vibes is what keeps this place so busy. It embraces the bold casualness of hawker style food from Singapore and Malaysia and the flavours pack a punch.

Hawker Hall – Housemade soda

They make homemade soda, raspberry and mint was refreshing. They also have a range of alcoholic beverages including beer, wine and cocktails.

Hawker Hall – Nyonya style fried popcorn chicken

The Nyonya style fried popcorn chicken is a good beer snack. Bite size fried chicken pieces w chilli mayo.

Hawker Hall – Panfried braised oxtail dumplings

I know the words ox-tail can be a bit frightening when you see it on the menu but rest assure these pan-fried ox-tail dumplings were anything but. The dumpling skin was thin and the filling had a meaty beef flavour with fresh herbs. They were nice.

Hawker Hall – Beef rendang

The Malay coconut beef rending is their signature dish and it only takes one mouthful to understand why. The flavours are big, bold, intense and balanced to perfection. The meat is tender, the curry is incredibly flavoursome and I love the touch of toasted coconut on top. I first encountered this dish when it debuted at the night noodle market as per the photo. Totally recommend this dish.

Hawker Hall – Salmon in banana leaf

The Otak Otak came in a little wrapped banana leaf parcel. It was salmon with a fragrant indian curry and coconut. The salmon melted in you mouth, the texture was amazing. The aromatic flavours with the soft salmon were beautiful.

Hawker Hall – CKT

The char kway teow a.k.a CKT was yum. It wasn’t the thick flat rice noodles I’m used to in a CKT but it was still hella tasty. It had a smokey soy flavour and was mixed up with prawns, bean shoots and lup cheong (chinese sausage). I loved that it had chinese sausage.

Hawker Hall – Penang duck curry

The Penang duck curry was yum. The shredded duck was moist and it had a nice flavour. It had those mini eggplants that are so super cute and was topped with chopped peanuts.

Hawker Hall – Red sticky date pudding

The sticky red date pudding with coconut caramel was delish. It was soft and pudding like with a sweet, sticky coconut caramel poured over it. It was accompanied by the softest, creamiest coconut ice-cream ever. It had a really lovely texture. We ordered an extra bowl of ice-cream because it was so good.

Hawker hall is very popular like the other Lucas Group establishments, so just a heads up if you’re planning a dinner I suggest to go early otherwise you may have to wait an hour or two.

I heart Hawker Hall!

Olives x

Hawker Hall
Address: 98 Chapel St, Windsor VIC 3181
Website: www.hawkerhall.com.au
Phone: 03 8560 0090
Trading Hours: Mon-Sun: 11am-1am (everyday)

Royal Stacks

Royal Stacks – Melbourne

Royal stacks is a new burger joint in town that opened today. If anyone in Melbourne is an expert on creating a burger it’s Dani Zeini, who has proven his burgery genius through restaurants like Dandenong Pavillion, Grand Trailer Park Taverna, Truck Stop Deluxe and Easey’s. The beef in all the burgers is sourced locally and the patties are minced fresh daily. Even the buns are baked fresh with no preservatives added. These little details are what make these burgers so tasty.

Royal Stacks – Venue

Inside it has an American diner style atmosphere.

Royal Stacks – Single stack

When you’re trying a new burger place for the first time, I feel the classic single stack gives you a good indication of the quality of burger you’re dealing with. This one had an all Australian beef patty, tomato, butter lettuce, American cheddar, special burger sauce and pickles. The meat was juicy, the salad was fresh, the bun was soft the special sauce went well and the cheese oh the cheese. It was delicious.

Royal Stacks – Bacon bacon

The bacon bacon was mammoth, it was one gigantic burger with double beef patties, double bacon, American cheddar, caramalised onions, American mustard, tomato sauce and pickles. This one is not for the faint hearted.

Royal Stacks – Miss Elizabeth

Miss Elizabeth is elegant and gets right down to business, no unnecessary vegies allowed. It’s a beef patty with swiss cheese and truffle mayo. A little bit fancy and a whole lot of delicious.

Royal Stacks – Burger and fries

Prince Harry has a beef patty, butter lettuce, American cheddar, swiss cheese and this amazing horseradish, shallot & gherkin mayo sauce. Yumm!

Royal Stacks – Saint

The Saint burger is the spicy one. It has a spicy chipotle mayo and jalepenos. So it’s definitely for those who like it hot.

They also have the Queen Bee, which has a chickpea patty so vegetarians can enjoy a tasty burger too. And for sides they have shoestring fries and potato gems.

Royal Stacks – Frozen custard

For dessert 7 apples make a frozen custard which was similar to gelato but a little bit sweeter. The chocolate and vanilla were my fave.

Royal Stacks – Queen me

As you walk in there is a royal blue throne with a royal stacks crown. And so naturally…this happened.

Royal stacks is now open so you can pop by on your lunch break, after work or on the weekend for some tasty burgers and beverages in the city.

I heart Royal Stacks!

Olives x

Royal Stacks
Address: 470 Collins Street, Melbourne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Royal-Stacks-1606873396245264/
Phone: 03 97932133

Kwan’s Table

Kwan’s Table – Street view

Kwan’s table is a Thai inspired café and patisserie that recently opened on Inkerman Street in St Kilda.You can visit Kwans for a savoury meal and stay for the sweets, which is what we did on this fine morning. They do modern Thai inspired meals like soft-shell crab in a brioche burger and deep-fried pork belly with an apple salad. Their desserts are inspired by French technique but incorporate Thai flavours like lychee, coconut, pandan and kaya. They only opened about 6 weeks ago but are already making a good impression around town.

Kwan’s Table – Venue

It’s a cute little cafe. And the staff are lovely.

Kwan’s Table – Pandan custard toast

The pandan custard toast was insanely delicious. One mouthful and I was in love. The super thick toast was lathered in a warm smooth creamy pandan wonderland of deliciousness. A generous amount of custard was spread over the toast with toasted coconut sprinkled on top and was cut into bite size squares so it was easy to eat. Loved it. They also have a kaya (coconut jam) custard toast for those who love kaya.

Kwan’s Table – Pork belly salad

The pork belly salad was lovely and fresh. The pork belly pieces were lightly battered and deep fried. The fresh salad had red cabbage, carrot, lettuce, spinach, slithers of apple, coriander and chopped peanuts in a sweet tangy dressing., which was just what I needed on this warm summer day.

Kwan’s Table – Chilli cheese soldiers

We tried the oh-so-cheesy chilli cheese soldiers which was thick toast soldiers with cheese in the middle and cheese on top. It also had sliced red chilli, red onion and coriander scattered over the top. A tasty snack.

Kwan’s Table – Lychee and raspberry charlotte

The lychee and raspberry charlotte had a beautiful raspberry and lychee mousse inside and was encased in a circular fence of mini sponge fingers. It was topped with fresh lychee and raspberries.

Kwan’s Table – Mango and sticky rice macaron

The mango and sticky rice macaron was great. Mango and sticky rice is a traditional Thai dessert but I certainly hadn’t had it inside a macaron before. It was a large sized macaron filled with layered mango and sticky rice bits. It think it had like a mango and sticky rice custard in there too. I know my mum would have loved this one.

Kwan’s Table – Soy latte

And to top off a great brunch date, the coffee was awesome too. They use 5 senses and had bonsoy yay! And also I know I already mentioned this but the pandan toast was bom! I can foresee myself making regular stops to Kwan’s for coffee and pandan toast. In conclusion you need to mosey on down to Kwan’s table for a modern Thai adventure.

I heart Kwan’s Table!

Olives x

Kwans Table
Address: 7 Inkerman St, St Kilda VIC 3182
Phone: 03 9939 3153
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Kwans-Table-730801180375991
Trading Hours: Tue-Sat: 11am-10pm, Sun: 10am-5pm, (closed on Mondays)

Kitty Burns

Kitty Burns – Abbotsford

Kitty Burns is a new brunch café that recently opened in Abbotsford. The menu provokes excitement and the food presentation is on point. Overlooking the yarra they have an open outdoor area, which is perfect for summer days.

Kitty Burns – Venue

The venue has an open space with lots of natural light which gives you positive feels and the greenery and wooden pointed arches give it a modern look.

Kitty Burns – Iced coffee and chocolate

Some drinks to start, iced latte and iced chocolate.

Kitty Burns – Pea and garden mint panna cotta

The pea and garden mint panna cotta is a creative concept. A closed glass jar was presented aside a piece of toast. As I opened the jar, a waft of smokey woodchips drifted out and reveled a beautiful edible garden. There was a silky green panna cotta in the bottom, layered with bacon crumb, potato popcorn, house smoked salmon, a 62 degree egg, pea shoots and edible flowers. The flavour of the panna cotta was light and refreshing and matched perfectly with the crunchy bread. Then the oozy egg yolk, the oily salmon, the salty finely crumbed bacon, and the crunchy potato pops. The flavours and textures all complimented each other. It was delish.

Kitty Burns – Mac and cheese croquette

I also couldn’t refrain from ordering a mac and cheese croquette on the side.

Kitty Burns – Shaved pork belly bun

The KB was tasty. It was shaved free-range pork belly with green mango and papaya slaw and umami mayo in a brioche bun. It had a side of house made pickles and a piece of crunchy chicheron (puffed pork crackle) on top.

Kitty Burns – Hanger steak sandwich

The hanger steak was an open steak sandwich on sourdough. Edible flowers can make even a steak sandwich look pretty. The meat was lovely, you could choose how the meat was cooked (medium) and the outside of the meat had a strong charcoal smokey flavour. It was served with caramelised shitake ketchup, which was aweome and complimented the meat well. Then there was chargrilled cucumber, bean sprouts and coriander. It came with waffle potato crisps, which were crunchy and looked great.

Kitty Burns – French toast

We had the French toast for something sweet. It was a thick piece of bread with a thin layer of sweet eggy deliciousness. It was paired with an interesting range of flavours. The whipped maple syrup added a sweet creaminess, the spots of coffee ganache added richness, the quince added tartness and the compressed poached peaches added a lovely summer flavour.

Kitty Burns is an exciting new brunch spot with an innovative menu and an inspiring atmosphere. Perfect for summer brunches!

I heart Kitty Burns!

Olives x

Kitty Burns
Address: 24 Acacia Pl, Melbourne VIC 3067
Phone: 03 9427 0164
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kitty-Burns-500113663490764/
Trading Hours: Mon-Fri: 6.30am-4.30pm, Sat-Sun: 7.30am-4.30pm

Long Story Short

Long Story Short – Street view

When you’re looking for a place to brunch, Richmond has plenty on offer. And Long Story Short has a relaxed space with an exciting menu to satisfy your brunching needs. Did I mention they have awesome hot chocolate spheres with marshmallows inside. Yep, that alone is a pretty good reason to visit.

Long Story Short – Venue

The venue has a relaxed vibe with modern wooden furniture and low hanging lights.

Long Story Short – Hot chocolate sphere

Hot chocolate at Long Story Short is quite the experience.

Long Story Short – Mmm chocolate

You pour the hot chocolate over the sisko chocolate sphere and it melts down and surprise marshmallows pop up. It’s heaps of fun and delicious too. But a heads up for the photo enthusiasts, eventually the hot chocolate will go cold so make your photo session a quick one.

Long Story Short – Matcha maiden white hot chocolate

There were two flavours, a milk hot chocolate and a matcha maiden white hot chocolate.

Long Story Short – Soft shell crab burger

The soft shell crab was crunchy and the burger bun was covered in seeds (sesame, pumpkin), which added a nice texture. It was filled with fresh herbs and slaw.

Long Story Short – Soft shell crab on slaw

If buns are too carby for you, they also do a soft shell crab salad which is the crispy fried soft shell on top of a fresh and crunchy slaw.

Long Story Short – Pork ribs and watermelon salad

The pork ribs were tasty and tender. It was served with a savoury salad with watermelon pieces. I loved the watermelon it was fresh and went well with the ribs. Yum.

Long Story Short – Chilli scramble

Can’t go wrong with chilli scramble.

Long Story Short – Smashed avo

A brunch staple, smashed avo with poachies.

Long Story Short – Pan fried salmon

Salmon with crispy skin and grain salad with lots of texture. Quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, barley, dried grapes, almonds and fresh herbs.

Long Story Short – Buttermilk pancakes

The Pepe Saya buttermilk pancakes were thick and fluffy (very filling) and had layers of caramalised banana and peanut butter in between. It was topped with a sour cream and vanilla ice cream.

Long Story Short – Cold drip coffee

They have cold drip coffee with different drop times so you can decide how strong you want it. It starts from 10 seconds and goes up to a 60 second drop. The longer the time between drops, the stronger the coffee.

In short, the coffee is strong, the hot chocolates are awesome and it’s a great place to enjoy some tasty food for brunch.

I heart Long Story Short!

Olives x

Long Story Short
Address:10/53 Coppin St, Richmond VIC 3121
Phone: 03 9421 6221
Website: http://www.longstoryshortcafe.com.au/
Trading hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun: 8am-4pm

Note: Olive Sundays was invited as a guest to Long Story Short.

Royal Croquet Club 2015

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015 – Birrarung Marr

The Royal Croquet Club is a summer festival at Birrarung Marr of food, beverages, beats and croquet of course. Today is the last day so grab some friends and head on down.

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015 – Fun in the sun

It was a beautiful summer setting with loads of fake grass and cute seated areas.

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015 – Croquet

Here are some people playing croquet.There were a few more croquet sets this year which was great so more people got a chance to play.

It’s been super hot in late so beverages were in order. They had a lovely range of Yalumba wines and Jugs of Pimms to share with your mates (or drink all to yourself, whatever, no judgement). There was also a captain Morgan’s bar serving the best spiced rum.

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015 – Ruyi crispy chicken w honey wasabi sauce

Ruyi had their crispy chicken bites with sweet honey wasabi sauce. The sauce had a good wasabi punch. Yum!

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015 – Gazi saganaki croquetta w peppered fig sauce

From Gazi we had the saganaki croquette which was like a stick of saganaki crumbed and deep fried. So good! The fried cheese was paired with a peppered fig dipping sauce that was savoury and sweet.

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015 – Bluebonnet BBQ cornbread waffled w smoked pork belly

Bluebonnet BBQ were serving cornbread waffles with smoked pork belly, creamed corn and porcini popcorn. This looked amazing was delicious. It was an interesting combination of flavours and textures. It was great.

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015 – Tokyo Tina kingfish rice paper rolls

The Kingfish rice paper rolls from Tokyo Tina, were simple and fresh. They came with a nice plum dipping sauce.

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015 – Mamasita Corn w cheese and chipotle mayo

Mamasita corn is the best kind of corn. It is slathered with cheese, chipotle mayo and paprika. It was spicy and creamy and amazing. Love.

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015 – Pidapipo gelato

Pidapipo were serving a range of gelato which is so perfect for this weather. They had a range of flavours. Raspberry white chocolate, passionfruit, salted caramel, nutella swirl etc. The Nutella swirl was my fave,

Today is the last day of the event so head down. Perfect weather for it!

I heart the RCC!

Olives x

 

Note: Olive Sundays was invited as a guest to the Royal Croquet Club.

 

Royal Croquet Club Melbourne 2015
Event dates: 10^th December – 20th December 2015
Address: Birrarung Mar
Website: https://royalcroquetclub.com.au/melbourne/
Trading hours: Open daily from Midday

Tetsujin

Tetsuijin is a new Japanese restaurant opening in the Emporium and they have lots to be excited about. We’re talking a sushi train, robata BBQ grill and ultimately some brilliant Japanese food.

Tetsujin – Venue

For the launch this space was transformed into a dance floor but will obviously be filled with tables and chairs when it opens tomorrow.

Tetsujin – So cute

We were greeted with these girls. So cute.

This was the sushi train area.

Tetsujin – Beverages

The restaurant is fully licensed so you can enjoy alcoholic beverages with your meal if you so choose. 

Oysters were in abundance. They were tasty with a tomato oyster gel and fresh spring onions on top.

They had some crunchy vegetables with dip for starters.

Tetsujin – Sushi

They had a range of sushi that was cleverly put together with salmon both rolled inside and placed on top. These ones were pretty with edible flowers. 

They had potato croquettes on pops so they were easy to eat. Some of them had a creamy mayo sauce and some had a soy dressing.

Tetsujin – Salmon and tuna nigiri

Salmon and Tuna nigiri with a glass of wine. Perfect!

 The seaweed inari was nice. They were thin tofu pouches filled with seaweed.

Tetsujin – Crab claws

I liked the fried crab claws, they were filled with shredded crab meat and were battered in crispy panko crumbs. They were sitting in a tomato based sauce with pesto on top.

They had little pork buns which I didn’t get my hands on but the meats were on display, which they would cook on the robata (Jap charcoal) BBQ grill.

Tetsujin – Salmon

This salmon starter was yum. Two mini salmon sushi and a salmon nigiri.

Tetsujin – Octopus balls

The octopus balls had chunks of octopus inside and were fried in a tempura batter.

Tetsujin – Tomato, basil and bocconcini skewers

These skewers were tasty, they were sweet cherry tomatoes, mini balls of bocconcini dressed with a basil sauce. Yum!

Tetsujin – Fried bites filled w glass noodles

These little delights were deep-fried and were filled with mushrooms and glass noodles.

Tetsujin – Fried potato patties w spicy sauce

These vegetarian patties were filled with potato and had a spicy sauce drizzled on top.

Tetsujin – Lots o sushi

You can understand why this assorted plate of sushi was eaten in a matter of seconds. It came out, I took one photo and then they were gone. There was a variety of different sushi served on the night. All delish.

Tetsujin – Yo Mafia!

At the launch they had Japanese wallpaper and Yo Mafia playing beats all night. Tasty food and lots of dancing.

Tetsujin opens tomorrow on the 4^th floor of the emporium next to Din Tai Fung or you can enter via a lift on Caledonian lane. Be sure to check it out. Kanpai!

I heart Tetsujin!

Olives x

Tetsujin
Address: Shop M0004, Emporium Melbourne, 295 Lonsdale Street, VIC
(Entrance via Little Bourke Street & Caledonian Lane)
Website: http://tetsujin.com.au/
Phone: 03 9663 9993
Trading Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat:11am-12am (sushi train closes at 9.30pm everyday)

Note: Olive Sundays was invited as a guest to Tetsujin.

Meatworks

Meatworks – Meat platter

At Meatworks they love their meat and whether you like it slow roasted, braised or smoked, they will deliver the goods. They serve rustic home-style dishes in their South Melbourne restaurant and have an in-house wood smoker. Meat lovers ahoy! They do a smoked meat platter, they also smoke some of the vegies and do a smoked custard for dessert. Lots of deliciousness.

Meatworks – Venue

The entrance sort of looked like a big garage warehouse and inside it had a minimalist industrial look with lots of light.

Meatworks – Spicy silken tofu

While they know their meat, it’s not all just about meat dishes. We tried the spicy silken tofu with smoked pumpkin, zucchini, spiced peanuts, fried shallots and coriander it was delicious. The tofu was soft and smooth, the veg was roasted perfectly and the peanuts added crunch.

Meatworks – Beef brisket Vietnamese bagettes

They had Vietnamese baguettes with 10 hour smoked brisket (so juicy and tender), pickled carrot, cucumber, Asian herbs, fresh chilli and kewpie mayo. They were fresh and flavorsome.

Meatworks – Sweet smoked salmon salad

The sweet smoked salmon salad was amazing. It had chunks of flakey salmon that was delicious on its own. Then it had fresh mint, cucumber, buckwheat, freekah and pomegranate. It was sweet, salty, smoked, delicious! Loved it.

Meatworks – Pulled pork sliders

The pulled pork sliders, which were little buttery buns with a generous amount of pulled pork with pickled veg and spicy mayo. Delish!

Meatworks – Meat platter

The meat platter was a sight to see. It was a wooden board packed with all things meat. There was 10 hour smoked pulled brisket, sticky balsamic lamb ribs, pulled pork and mammoth braised beef ribs. All of the smoked meat was smoked in house and the meat was beautiful and tender.

Meatworks – Homemade sauces (tomato, chilli, bbq)

They had a trio of homemade sauces, they had a tomato relish, BBQ sauce and a chilli sauce which wasn’t very hot but was full of chill flavour.

Meatworks – Hasselback potatoes

To accompany the meat there was some delicious sides. The hasselback potatoes were tasty. They were smoked and roasted perfectly, buttery and soft with a bit of crisp on the outside.

Meatworks – pickled veg salad w balsamic vinegar

The cucumber salad was a great side dish. The cucumbers were pickled in house and had carrots, crunchy peanuts and crispy shallots with a balsamic dressing.

Meatworks – Roasted corn w parmesan and chipotle mayo

The smoked corn on the cobs looked rustic, roasted in their husks. They looked great and were dressed with parmesan cheese and chipotle mayo.

Meatworks – A little bit of everything

Meatworks has a lovely range of dishes on the menu and they know how to put on a feast. The food is flavoursome and comforting. And despite the name, vegie lovers would enjoy this place too. It’s great for a heart-warming homestyle meal.

I heart Meatworks!

Olives x

 Meatworks
Address: 28/30 Ross St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Website: http://www.meatworksco.com/
Phone: 03 9041 5727
Trading Hours: Mon- Sat: 11am-4pm

Note: Olive Sundays was invited as a guest to Meatworks.

The Flying Duck Hotel

The Flying Duck Hotel – Open terrace

The flying duck hotel has been around for many years in fact it first opened in 1868. It has a beautiful beer garden and an open terrace. We were there for the re-launch, where they showcased the beautiful space and introduced their new chef. Lots of beverages and lots of food. It’s where you want to be on a hot summers day.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Beer garden

It had a relaxed vibe and lots of beautiful outdoor space.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Bar

They have an extensive range of beers and wines, which is always a plus.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Beer

Lots o’ beer.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Watermelon sangria

They had big bowls of ice with squares of watermelon sangria. Fruity, red wine soaked watermelon pieces, they were refreshing and sweet.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Homemade prawn crackers

They had these homemade prawn crackers that were tasty. All shapes and sizes.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Strawberry gazpacho & parmesan foam

We tried the shots of strawberry gazpacho with parmesan foam. It was definitely interesting. A strange combo of flavours,

The Flying Duck Hotel – Crumbed oyster w tigers milk and kiffir lime salad

The crumbed oysters were my favourite. They had a light beautifully crunchy crumb with tiger’s milk, which had the oyster flavour with a bit of zest. Delish!

The Flying Duck Hotel – Close up my fave!

Here is a close up. Love!

The Flying Duck Hotel – Chicken pastries w creamy mushroom sauce

The chicken pasties had a light puff pastry and were accompanied by a mushroom sauce. They were dusted with icing sugar, which made them a little sweet.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Kingfish ceviche

The kingfish ceviche was nice and zesty, sitting in a black rice cracker.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Soft-shell crab slider

Little mini sliders are so cute. And they’re even cuter when they have a giant soft shell crab doing a fly-kick out of the bun. It had pickled slaw and aioli. They were yum,

The Flying Duck Hotel – Dumplings

The dumplings had a thick skin pastry and were sitting in a spiced curry sauce.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Pork belly skewers

The pork belly skewers were tasty, they had a sticky marinade with spring onions.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Semi dried tomato croquettes w broccoli pesto

The semi dried tomato croquettes were full of flavour. They were crunchy on the outside and soft and sort of like arancini in the middle. It had a spot of broccoli pesto on top. Tasty.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Mini parma

They had mini parmas, which were little strips of chicken in a tomato sauce wrapped in a lettuce leaf. I’ve never been able to eat a parma in two bites before so it was definitely a first.

The Flying Duck Hotel – Cocktails

We had this passionfruit and lime cocoktail (the name escapes me) and it was delicious!

The Flying Duck Hotel – Nitrogen popcorn w honey and lavender

At the end of the night, the chefs were making nitrogen popcorn with honey and lavender. It looked like frozen popcorn and was incredibly light. It was cold and had a subtle honey floral flavour amongst the creaminess.

Summer is here and the flying duck hotel is a great place to gather some friends together for a tasty feed and some bevvies.

I heart The Flying Duck Hotel!

Olives x

The Flying Duck Hotel
Address: 67 Bendigo St, Prahran VIC 3181
Website: http://flyingduckhotel.com.au/
Phone: 03 9510 8081
Trading Hours: Sun- Wed: 12pm-11pm, Thu-Sat: 12pm-12am

Note: Olive Sundays was invited as a guest to The Flying Duck Hotel.

Sweetfest Melbourne 2015

Sweetfest Melbourne 2015

If you’re a major sweet tooth, Sweetfest is your kind of festival. It houses lots of renowned patisseries, ice-ceameries, chocolateries, donuteries. Ok now I’m just making up words, but you get the point. There is a plethora of sweetness all in one place, ready to be eaten in abundance.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Hoy pinoy ube and caramel puto

Hoy Pinoy had a sweets stall. We know them for their tasty Filipino BBQ but at Sweetfest they had a range of Filipino sweets. They had two types of puto, which is a sweet steamed cake. They had Ube (Purple Yam) and coconut caramel with fairyfloss. They were soft, sweet and delicious.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Hoy pinoy pandan, coconut, sago

We also had the sago dessert, which had pandan jelly, coconut cream, coconut pieces and crunchy caramel coconut clusters on top. Delish.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Black star pastry strawberry watermelon cake

Black star pastry had their famed strawberry watermelon cake, which is popular because it tastes really good. It has a lovely balance of freshness, tart and aromatic tones from the rose petals. They also had peach, blackberry and lavender tarts, which were tasty, the pastry was buttery and short and the filling was fruity and floral.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Black star pastry sweet tacos

We also had the sweet pastry tacos. One had chocolate ganache and raspberry and the other had marshmallow and green tea ganache. They also had a lemon meringue one that had sold out. They were cute.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Short stop doughnuts

Shortstop had a special range of donuts created just for Sweetfest. They had a maple walnut brown butter, matcha yuzu lime, red velvet and strawberry crumble available.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Oregano bakery scrolls

The scrolls at Oregano bakery were delicious. We had the cinnamon, cookies and cream and nutella banana. And they were all great. Perfect with a cup of tea.

Sweetfest Melbourne – St Gerrys greek doughnuts

St Gerry’s had a range of loukoumades (greek doughnuts) with different toppings. They were delicious crunchy deep-fried dough balls with different toppings.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Redbank Emily Brut Cuvee and st gerrys doughnut

On entry you receive a ticket for a complimentary glass of Redbank Emily Brut Cuvee which was nice. They also had some of St Gerry’s greek doughnuts filled with white peach and presseco jelly.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Ganache chocolate christmas santas

Ganache had a range of thier specialty chocolates. They had these really cute chocolate snowmen for Christmas.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Gelato messina x Big gay icecream such a fairy paddlepop

They had a Gelato Messsina truck, unfortunately the mini magic mushroom cake was sold out but we got to try the ‘such a fairy’ paddle pop. It was toast and butter gelato covered in white chocolate and dipped in Big Gay Icecream’s fairy bread sprinkles. Besides the fact that it didn’t taste anything like the fairy bread I know and love, it was a nice sweet icecream pop.

They also had N2 Gelato serving their Ferrero reveal, which is like a gelato version of a Ferrero rocher and Gelato Tino that had interesting flavours like raspberry and rosemary.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Blowtorching my flaming rueben

After eating too many sweets (there is such a thing) you get to the point where you just want something savoury. Luckily Maker and Monger had a stall and they were pumping out a range of savoury toasties. We had the flaming Rueben. The guy literally blow-torched the cheese right in front our faces.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Maker and monger flaming rueben and mork chocolate milk

The melted cheese oozing over the top of our sandwich looked amazing. The Rueben was delicious and was a perfect retreat from all the sweetness. It was salty and sour and cheesey. Loved it! We also had Mork chocolate milk. We figured we couldn’t have a savoury dish at Sweetfest unless it was accompanied by a sweet beverage. The mork chocolate milk was cold and chocolaty. The Rueben reset our palettes so we could continue on eating plentiful amounts of sweets.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Philippas pecan caramel slice

Phillippa makes amazing bread but turns out she also makes amazing sweets. The pecan caramel slice w orange mascarpone was fab. One of my faves. It tasted buttery and brown sugary with caramel and pecans. Lets just call it amazing. I ate it on the drive home and I wished I had eaten it earlier at the event because then I could have bought more.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Katherine Sabbath live on stage

There was lots to do throughout the day, master classes, book signing etc. We got to see the talented Katherine Sabbath live on stage making one of her creative multi coloured drip cakes. They look so awesome and she makes it look super easy.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Naught boy cafe chocolate milkshake

The Naughty boy café had a mega choco lova shake. It was a chocolate milk shake with all the trimmings. It had Nutella around the cup with chocolate sauce and strawberry sauce, meringue, dehydrated fruit crumb and Persian fairy floss. They looked pretty epic.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Raw trader white chocolate and salted caramel slice

From Raw Trader we had the white chocolate and salted caramel slice. It was sweet and creamy and the base had a delicious crumble. I know it had white chocolate and salted caramel but it’s probably the healthiest thing I ate that day.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Bang Bang chocolate donut w side of icecream

At Bang Bang they had Korean donuts filled with icecream and sauce. I accidentally ordered the plain chocolate one and then had to get the icecream on the side. I tried to eat icecream and donut in the same mouthful to emulate the icecream sandwichness. I guess it was kind of the same. Not really.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Bibelot chocolates

At Bibelot they had a range of their chocolates that you could try and buy.

Sweetfest Melbourne – Bibelot salted butter caramel eclair

We got the salted butter caramel eclair, which was super indulgent, the caramel butter cream was divine.

Sweetfest Melbourne – T by Luxbite milo tart

At the Luxbite stall they had macarons, mini cakes and tarts. We had the Milo tart and it was delish. It had a chocolate tart base, filled with a milo choc filling with milo crisps sitting on top. It was super chocolaty and tasted like milo. Yum. Also they had some really cute Christmas gifts too.

They had morning sessions from 9am -1pm and afternoon sessions starting from 2pm-6pm. We went on the Saturday to the afternoon session. There were heaps of great stalls and so many delicious sweets. I must say though it was super dark inside so hopefully next year they get a bit more light into the venue. But overall it was a sweet success. I was majorly sugar crashing later that evening.

I heart Sweetfest!

Olives x

Sweetfest Melbourne 2015
Event dates: 28^th November – 29th November
Address: Como House and Garden – Cnr Williams Road & Lechlade Ave, South Yarra
Website: http://melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/sweetfest
Trading hours: Sat & Sun: 9am-1pm (morning sesh), 2pm-6pm (afternoon sesh)