Vue de Monde - Part 3, Still Perfect

430 Little Collins St
Melbourne, 3000
Ph: 96913888
Website: Vue de Monde

I love Vue de Monde. I think the previous sentence best encapsulates my feelings towards dining at what I believe is still Melbourne's premier restaurant. I've had the pleasure of dining at Vue de Monde twice before, and each experience is still ingrained strongly in my mind. Not every dish of food may be mind blowing perfect, but the overall experience transcends the food. For one night, dining at Vue de Monde makes me feel like a king. Some may think that it's pretentious, and I would agree. But what's wrong with feeling important for one night. It's not often that you get to feel so important, so I thoroughly enjoy it.

My most recent visit at Vue de Monde was yet another perfect night. Some dishes are so amazingly delicious, such as the Marron with Radish, with the contrasting textures of radish just truly spellbinding. The Duck with Potato, again dazzled me with the different textures of potato combining perfectly with the duck. There was one dish that didn't work for me, which was the Venison with Chocolate, where the venison alone was tasty but didn't combine well with the chocolate. This did not diminish the experience at the least since I was enjoying myself so much.

Service here, as I keep saying, is just spot on perfect, with the right level of attention and friendliness whilst still being professional and not crowding you. And on the topic of space, the tables are positioned so perfectly in the stunningly decorated space such that I still got all the ambiance from the other diners but felt like I was on an island. This enabled me to feel all the other excited diners while still fully concentrating on my riveting conversation with my dining companion. We were so carefree in our discussions as it didn't feel like anyone else in the room could hear us, yet did not feel isolated or uncomfortable. I was fortunate enough to be seated directly in front of the kitchen and mirror and it was just an orgy for the senses. I got to see what the chefs were making with meticulous precision, smell the amazing aromas from the plethora of dishes, hear the sounds of the food being cooked and finally taste the creations that were being assembled before me. If possible, I would recommend asking for that table directly in front of the kitchen as it's a better view than the chef's table I think, without the imposition of having to order the gourmand meal.

So I will wrap my latest Vue de Monde meal with photos of the dishes I sampled that night. The meals are on a constant rotation so you never know what wonders awaits. I cannot wait till I go back again, hopefully before they move out of the current premise. It may get a lost costlier to dine at Vue de Monde in future, but I shall try to return as it's a perfect dining experience.



Above: Stunning room with the perfect level of class, lighting and ambiance.
Left, Right: Exquisite cutlery and glassware.



Above: Great birds eye view of the chefs working.




Above: Heidi Garden Salad.
Left, Right: Amuse Bouche, Salmon Eggs.




Above: Marron and Radish.
Left, Right: Venison and Chocolate, Celery Plate Cleanser.




Above: Duck and Potato.
Left, Right: Waygu Cheeks and Potato, Lemonade Fizzers.




Above: Rhubarb and Cream.
Left, Right: Cheese, Chocolate Souffle.




Above: Candy Cigarettes.
Left, Right: Marshmallows, Meringues.

Overall Rating: 20/20, A dining experience so perfect it transcends the food.

Scores: 1-9: Unacceptable, don't bother. 10-11: Just OK,some shortcomings. 12: Fair. 13: Getting there. 14: Recommended. 15: Good. 16: Really good. 17: Truly excellent. 18: An outstanding experience. 19-20:Approaching perfection, Victoria's best.

Green Goose

7 station st
Malvern, VIC 3144
Ph: 9576 0044

When breakfast king Adrian contacted me about trying out a new cafe, how could I resist. With his extensive research on cafes, he would be able to tell me whether the food was good or not. It was excellent to catch up with Adrian and Chris over a very relaxed brunch.

I was surprised to find Green Goose near the Princes Highway end just off Glenferrie Road. I didn't really think there was a cafe culture there, but it was quite full so I guess if you build it, they will come. Adrian, Chris, Ling and I were seated at a very comfortable booth table towards the back of the restaurant. We weren't sure if it would rain so didn't sit outside in the outdoor area but on a sunnier day, I'd definitely eat outside as I find the inside space a bit dark for my liking. The cafe is a long narrow space and had a slightly crowded feel, which I don't particularly like during lunch as I like it light and breezy. However, the same long and narrow space used at Izakaya Den used for dinner is very much to my liking. Go figure.


From the fairly diverse menu, Adrian picked the Poached Pear with Cinnamon Brioche. It sounded really good and definitely had the wow factor in terms of appearance, but Adrian thought it only tasted ok. Ling go the Eggs Benedict with extra Chorizo. It looked very good and she said the eggs were good, although the Chorizo was a bit burnt. Chris and I both go the French Toast, which neither of us really liked. I found it neither here or there. The toast component had a bit of egg on it but I would have preferred more. The bacon could also have been crisper for me if they are going to pair it with maple syrup. The syrup was just tasteable so the dish felt like a savoury dish with a weird sweetness. The balance just wasn't right.



Luckily, dessert was really good and brought everyone's mood back up. The Hazelnut Cake was very moist and beautifully creamy with the buttercream. I absolutely loved it. The Pannacott with Wine Jelly was also a great mix of the two flavours. And surprisingly for me, I absolutely adored the Flourless Organe Cake. Flourless cakes tend to be a bit dry, but this one wasn't, and was even better combined with the cream. This was when Chris told us about his food phobia and how he would not eat any type of sauce. So he would eat a burger without tomato sauce and not have cream with his cake. It's strange what people will refuse to eat after bad experiences. Ling doesn't eat Roast Duck because she got really sick from it once. I don't eat mussels ever since I got sick from the two times I tried it, and that was over 10 years ago. Yet I will eat more equally pungent seafood such as raw oysters that I adore, sea urchin, blood clams, pippies etc. Do you stay away from eating any particular foods due to bad previous experiences?



The service was serviceable, with a guy who looked like the owner and one of the waitresses being warm and friendly. Another waitress was like an ice queen and quite direct and sour faced. I didn't feel it in the ambiance stake, with the back end being too dark for my liking. Food wise, the savoury breakfast items were not that good, but the lunch menu looked far more promising on paper and I would go back to try as I know I can reward myself with ultra delicious desserts afterward if the savoury dishes aren't too good.

Kimchi Hut - Part 3

185 Coleman Pde
Glen Waverley, VIC 3150
Ph:9574 8383

Kimchi Hut has been one of my favourite Korean cheap eats since it opened more than two years ago. There is nothing particularly innovative about the food, just that it's done better than at other Korean restaurants. I go there so often that I never think about reblogging it again as my last review on it was over two years ago. So I've decided to post my most recent visit there.

In the two years that it's been open, they haven't tweaked the menu at all and equally the quality hasn't dropped. The prices have gone up about a dollar a dish but I think it still presents excellent value for money. On this particular night, our group of 6 enjoyed our usual selections of dishes. The Mild Beef soup is one of my favourites. A clean soup gets infused with flavours from the vegetables, beef and rice cakes. There is a dipping sauce for the beef which consists of soy, mustard and a raw egg which coats the beef to make it smooth and also give it a slight kick. I love it.



The other mains we had are the Beef Bulgogi (above left), Jap Chae, Spicy Pork and Beef Ribs. It's quite meat heavy but we all love our sizzling meats. The bulgogi is one of the better ones in Melbourne, with the right amount of sweetness. I'm not a massive fan of Jap Chae at any time, and I think this one is ok too. The others liked it a lot more than me. I do however, love their Spicy Pork and Beef Ribs. The spicy pork used here is slightly more fatty and I'm a fan of that. I should also make a mention of their banchan, which I really like. Their kimchi is one of my favourites and I like the sweet potato as well. The jelly with the sweet soy is not bad either.



Desserts at Asian restaurants always seem to be an after-thought, and it's not different here. The standard fare of ice cream and ice cream with canned fruits are on offer. Sometimes I'll go with the mixed ice cream (green tea, sesame, red bean) and sometimes I'll pass. Why don't you put more thought into your desserts all you Asian restaurant owners out there? I beg of you to please improve them. We don't want just ice cream and fried bananas every time.

Besides the lack of dessert, everything else is to my liking. The family that runs the restaurant are really nice people and do a good job with service. The hired staff are equally friendly and efficient. It's constantly full in the restaurant so book ahead and be prepared for lots of noise. It's not too loud that you can't hear each other but a good level of buzz. I would definitely recommend eating here with a larger group, as you can share dishes as some of the soups and table meat cooking require more people.

Overall Rating: 15/20, Great simple food at very good prices.

Scores: 1-9: Unacceptable, don't bother. 10-11: Just OK,some shortcomings. 12: Fair. 13: Getting there. 14: Recommended. 15: Good. 16: Really good. 17: Truly excellent. 18: An outstanding experience. 19-20:Approaching perfection, Victoria's best.

D.O.C. Pizza and Mozzarella Bar

295 Drummond St
Carlton, VIC 3053
Ph:93472998

D.O.C Pizza and Mozzarella Bar has been on my radar for a while now. I'm not sure where I first heard about it but I know that I always say I will visit it when I'm in the Lygon area but inevitably forgot. I'm glad that I finally tried it as I will be a returning customer for sure. Unlike some of the other supposed Italian places along Lygon, the pizzas here are stunningly simple and delicious, tasting like the thin crust pizzas that I had in Italy on my holidays recently.


We had the Assortment of Cured Meat Platter to start. A large wooden board help an assortment of prosciuttos, bresaola, salami and ham were accompanied by a beautiful mozzarella. I really liked all the cured meats and the salty meats went perfectly with the creamy mozzarella.


A simple Porcini Mushroom Pizza was elevated with some truffle oil. The crisp base was a highlight, in contrast to some soggy bases of pizzas from other places.


My favourite part of every meal, dessert, was a major highlight. The Goats Cheese Tiramisu sounds strange but was extremely delicious. It was so smooth and creamy and one of the best Tiramisu I've eaten.


The service was simple and relaxed, with the waiters giving their most Italian service, constantly saying "prego". The ambiance was equally relaxed, with convivial diners enjoying their night. I would definitely be returning to sample some of the other pizzas as they all looked extremely delicious.

Here are some other bloggers reviews:
Sarah Cooks
Half Eaten

Peko Peko

190 wells
South Melbourne, VIC 3205
Ph: 96861109

I was invited to attend a bloggers lunch at Peko Peko by Sarah and Vanessa from Nuffnang. I arrived on the day to find Michele, Billy and Gem and Tristan as well.

Peko Peko is located in South Melbourne and was where Vanessa used to work. I also later found out another friend used to work there as well. Small world. Vanessa showed us her photo on the wall of fame. She also invited us to look around at the art work done by Jack, the owner and an ex-graphic designer.



The art work was extremely interesting, if at times a bit macabre in a fun type of way, if that's possible. I liked the drawing below of the birds taking what they needed and also the "man-period" drawing. Lots of cute little ornaments surround the counter area and give diners lots of visual stimulus.



Sarah was running late so we did what all good bloggers did, we started eating without her. We had an assortment of entrees to start with. The Silky Egg Tofu with Tempura Sprinkles was a simple dish but I loved it. Notice my photo of the dish with only half the dish cropped, it's my duplication of the Michele/Donna Hay style photography. Other entrees included Wasabi Mayo Prawn, Peko Sausages, Salt and Chilli Calamari and Pepper Squid Ball. Each was very delicious, with my favourite being the crisp and tender calamari. I was most interested in the Peko Sausage, as it was a Taiwanese type of sausage which I had never tried before. It was like a sweet pork sausage, and once we had it was the raw garlic, was a great dish.



The mains contained Pop Chicken, Crispy Honey Beef, Mince Mince, Chilli Calamari and Taiwan Sausage. Sides of vegetables were also served. The Pop Chicken was my favourite of the dishes. How can you not love fried chicken right? I found the Crispy Honey Beef to be quite nice, although a bit too salty. It needed to go with more rice but I was already quite full. The mince is comfort food that my mum makes, with pork and eggs stewed in soy. Finally, the chilli calamari again was good but a tad salty. I loved the crispness of the vegetables and Michele and I were wondering what the delicious sauce was. We were commenting that it's on all Japanese type salad. We have since found out that it is Roasted Sesame dressing.



Finally, my favourite part of dessert did not disappoint. There was quite a few options on the menu and Michele and I were quite greedy and ordered three of them to try between the two of us. The Cheese Cake Duo contained a fluffy Japanese style cheese cake, which I have made previously. It's sinfully delicious as it's totally deceptive. It tastes so light but is actually laced with cream cheese, cream, eggs and sugar, love it. The Yoyo Pancake was a warm cake enveloping a smooth custard. It was served with ice cream drenched with syrup, how can you go wrong. Finally, the Earl Grey Pannacotta was the perfect texture and laced with the flavour of tea. It went beautifully with the sesame ice cream.




That rounded out an extremely satisfying meal with my fellow food bloggers. I really enjoyed the food here and would come back if I was in the area. The restaurant was filled with many locals all happily enjoying a relaxing lunch in a comfortable surrounding, which must be a good sign.

Thanks to Jack from Peko Peko and Nuffnang for my complimentary meal.