Newmarket Hotel

April 6, 2012

Our principal regain this Easter weekend has been the surprising ease amongst which tables at Melbourne's trendiest restaurants tin hold upwards procured acre most of the population is hanging out at campsites together with vacation houses along the Great Ocean Road. We decided to have got payoff past times crossing town for luncheon at the much hyped Newmarket Hotel inwards St Kilda.

Despite the mountains of coverage this house has received (check out the listing at the bottom of the post), it hadn't genuinely made our agency onto our wish-list, likely because almost every shipping service focuses on crab tacos, roast pork together with steak. Once I bothered to genuinely facial expression at huitlacoche again.

The Newmarket presents an unassuming facade, befitting the form of house amongst a fairly seedy history, but the within has been remodelled to within an inch of its life. It's fancy. And acre it yet calls itself a pub, it's pretty clearly a eating theatre - I can't imagine you lot tin plough upwards of an eve together with select care of a potable together with a bite, this is a house where you lot majority a few weeks inwards advance. There's non an overarching topic to the fit-out, amongst concrete arches butting upwards against novelty wallpaper together with old-fashioned carpeting clashing amongst trendy light-fittings. The leafy courtyard looked glorious on the sunny afternoon nosotros went, but I gauge fifty-fifty on Good Fri you lot require a booking to secure a tabular array out there.

The carte du jour is heavily Mexican inspired, amongst a hint of Kingdom of Spain together with California peeking through. It's also long, complicated together with non especially good designed. Thankfully, our waitress gave us a quick rundown together with helped us figure out what form of quantities would hold upwards appropriate (hilariously, she did cite that she's non allowed to role the give-and-take pizza when describing the wood-fired flatbreads, which suggests someone at the Newmarket takes themselves a smidgen likewise seriously). It's a carte du jour focussed on sharing, together with Cindy together with I dissever 3 dishes betwixt us.

First up, the soft tacos amongst crisp zucchini flowers, goat's cheese, olives together with roasted peppers ($17).

I genuinely liked these - they were a peachy combination of flavours together with textures, amongst the cheese taking pride of house (a banker's complaint for vegans: almost all of the veg materials hither is cheesy, although the carte du jour does proclaim a willingness to cater to all dietary requirements). Still, every bit delicious every bit they were, $17 for 2 tiny tacos does experience a piddling fight wrong.

We couldn't resist ordering the huitlacoche quesadilla, amongst bbq mushrooms, spinach together with jack cheese ($17).

This was a crispy, cheesy delight, but both Cindy together with I were a fight pathetic that the flavor of the corn smut was form of buried past times all the other stuff. It yet had a hearty mushroomy flavor together with was complemented past times the crunchy corn kernels sprinkled on top. Not likewise shabby.

The somewhat surprising star of our repast was the side-salad: a combination of radicchio, witlof together with fennel amongst figs, mozzarella together with an artichoke together with walnut dressing ($16).

This was perfect - the sugariness figs together with salty mozzarella working turning the fairly uncomplicated medley of greens into a show-stopper of a salad. Cindy detected a hint of love inwards the dressing, acre I was trying to figure out how they'd snuck thus much flavor into the white sauce on locomote past times of the mozzarella. Outstanding.

We'd intentionally saved ourselves a fight of dessert space, together with happily dissever the Mexican java together with tequila flan amongst drunken cherries ($14).

Boy were those cherries drunken. Deliciously, deliciously drunken. Yum. The flan itself was peachy every bit good - rich without beingness overwhelming together with amongst a cute crispy fan of sesame seeds to render a fight of textural variation. This is a fine dessert.

The Newmarket is pretty expert at what it does: fancied upwards Mexican nutrient amongst some clever twists. You create cease upwards paying for it - I doubtfulness the $17 tacos inwards the 'street food' department of the carte du jour appear on whatsoever street inwards the the world - but nosotros didn't genuinely experience similar nosotros were getting ripped off. For a tick over $30 a head, Cindy together with I got 4 pretty wonderful dishes together with were treated to friendly together with helpful service from our waitress (although the surly guy who seated us is a weird pick every bit the commencement somebody you lot bargain with). They have got their drinks pretty seriously every bit well, amongst a broad attain of first-class beers on tap together with some stunning sounding cocktails. If you lot intend of the Newmarket every bit an upmarket dining experience rather than a nighttime at the pub together with thus I doubtfulness you'll come upwards away disappointed.

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Bloggers have got gone mad for the Newmarket, depository fiscal establishment check out Gourmet Chick, Poppy Gets a Life, FoodsCrazy, Mr Smith's Food Journeys, spicy icecream, the soundless observer, Eat together with Be Merry for Tomorrow nosotros Die(t), melbourne gastronome, Saucy Onion, Kit's Cucina Culinaria, Out of my kitchen, Friday Night Date Night, Cooking amongst Goths, This Food Guy, Where Adles Eats, The Very Very Hungry Caterpillar, AndAnotherThing together with Black Garlic were all a piddling less impressed, although nobody genuinely seems likewise disappointed past times the food.

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The Newmarket Hotel
34 Inkerman Street, St Kilda
9537 1777
veg dishes $9 - $20 (expect to pass nearly $35 each for a decent sized meal)
http://newmarketstkilda.com.au

Accessibility: Excellent. There's a ramp entryway, a disabled privy together with enough of infinite to manoeuvre or thus inwards (although the concrete arches brand for some weird tight spots). Service together with payment is all at the table.

Miss Marmalade Ii

April 7, 2012

Saturday started early, alongside Cindy in addition to I heading off to run across roughly friends at Miss Marmalade for breakfast. Like many of Melbourne's cafes, Miss Marmalade barely paused for the Easter weekend in addition to was opened upward in addition to busy past times the fourth dimension nosotros arrived at 9. The carte du jour hasn't changed much since nosotros final visited, alongside a decent diversity of sweetness in addition to savoury veg breakfasts to direct from.

Cindy ordered the same affair I'd had final fourth dimension (minus the egg), the farmer's marketplace breakfast (home made corn bread, hash potatoes, cherry tomatoes, in addition to the alternative of marketplace vegetables alongside micro herbs in addition to avocado crush, $15.50).

Look at all those colours! The lilliputian crispy fried murphy pieces were Cindy's favourite, but there's something deeply satisfying almost a plate amount of fresh, high character vegetables to start the day. There's roughly pretty first-class corn breadstuff hiding nether at that spot somewhere too.

I had an inexplicable urge for something sweetness in addition to opted for the Myrtleford ricotta, huckleberry in addition to vanilla edible bean hotcakes alongside poached plums in addition to amaretto mascarpone ($15.50).

These fluffy, berry-stuffed hotcakes were grade notch, alongside the generous slathering of mascarpone actually making this experience similar a ridiculously indulgent breakfast. As expert every bit it was, I rapidly institute myself envying the hash browns in addition to scrambled eggs on friends' plates - I mean value I postulate to stick to savoury inward future.

We had nifty java in addition to first-class service in i lawsuit to a greater extent than -it's worth noting that they're rattling happy to render gluten-free versions of their menu in addition to are to a greater extent than oftentimes than non pretty flexible in addition to helpful. Miss Marmalade is a nifty lilliputian local cafe - halt inward if you're inward the neighbourhood.

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Read almost our kickoff view to Miss Marmalade katealice cookbook, here. Since then, katealice cookbook, Temasek, katealice cookbook, Let's Get Fat Together in addition to katealice cookbook, baby-friendliness of the facilities.

Lord Of The Fries Vii

April 5 & 7, 2012

Vegetarian burger chain Lord of the Fries is continually evolving. Last wintertime they introduced a diner-style outlet on Chapel St, this March they've brought a similar shop to Brunswick St, Fitzroy (which we were thrilled to discover opened upwardly subsequently 11pm on a Th night) in addition to they've expanded their card too. We dropped past times the Brunswick St in addition to Melbourne Central stores final calendar week to sample about of the newer items.

The burger options conduct maintain increased to half-dozen - there's instantly a non-mock Guru burger, spell the popularity of the limited-time-only Parma burger ($7.95 for 'big', pictured above) appears to conduct maintain earned it a to a greater extent than permanent house on the menu. It's non hard to live on out why, amongst mock chicken patties smothered inwards Napoli sauce in addition to cheese, topped amongst bacon. I don't similar the diced raw onion but that's a thing of personal taste.

Hot dogs come upwardly inwards 4 varieties in addition to 2 sizes. Michael trialled the large Tijuana ($7.95) amongst veg bacon ($1 extra) - he dug the spicy, sauce-heavy combination of jalapenos, cheese, onion, sour cream, ketchup in addition to mustard, in addition to highly recommends y'all likewise jump the extra for bacon.

LotF has to a greater extent than sides on offering than e'er before. Vegos nostalgic for a for sure fast nutrient chain (Danni amid them) conduct maintain been thrilled to run across coleslaw in addition to potatoes amongst gravy made vegan-friendly. I kinda liked the thought of murphy cakes ($1.95, pictured above) but the reality is likewise greasy in addition to definitely needs sauce.

Chilli poppers, stuffed amongst vegan cheese thence crumbed in addition to deep-fried, are fun in addition to pack plenty oestrus but at $3.25 each their cost is punchier still.

I was similarly surprised to run across a small-scale tub of chocolate mousse cost $3.95, but it's genuinely really rich fifty-fifty inwards this quantity. It's got a lovely polish texture in addition to sweetness virtually it, but it's brusque on the cocoa in addition to I could gustation the soy. Some volition love this, though it's non quite my style.

It's cracking to run across Lord of the Fries regularly redefining veg junk nutrient - spell non everything hits the mark, I admire their adventurous in addition to flexible approach to card development.

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We've reviewed a bring out of Lord of the Fries outlets one, two, three, four, five, six times. It's honey past times veg*ns, appearing late on The Vege-Table, Veganise This, Louise, past times Degrees, Vegawesome in addition to Vegan SJ. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 post service on Foreign Food Affair in addition to new international students. Eat, Cook, Drink pitched them against their Chapel St neighbor Hooked in addition to deemed them minute best of the two.

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Lord of the Fries
383 Brunswick St, Fitzroy &
Knox Lane, Melbourne Central, Melbournce CBD (plus others)
veg snacks & meals $1.95-15.95
http://www.lordofthefries.com.au

Accessibility: The Fitzroy shop has a standard-width door in addition to (we think!) a ramp to enter. Front tables are moderately crowded but movable, side booths are comfy but less flexible. Ordering in addition to payment takes house at a high counter. We haven't visited the toilets.

Vegie Hut Ii

April 8, 2012

We had a fairly unconventional Easter Sunday, heading out eastward alongside our mate Michael for walks in addition to eats. We hitting Box Hill's Vegie Hut kickoff for yum cha.

While it isn't quite thence glamorous equally Sydney's Bodhi inward the Park, there's much to dear virtually Vegie Hut. The yum cha plates are withal simply $4.20 each, the same cost this eating seat was charging when we kickoff visited inward 2008. And all-vegetarian yum cha (I tin cease conduct anything, ANYTHING from the menu!) is ever a luxury. Many seem to appreciate it - though the photograph inward a higher house shows a few empty tables 10 minutes later opening, Vegie Hut chop-chop fills in addition to reservations are advisable.

Congee is set out alongside multiple orders from the yum cha bill of fare - warm, salty in addition to gently filling, I tin cease encounter why it's a sick-day comfort nutrient for thence many.

I was genuinely hoping that the 'soup dumpling' would last dumplings filled alongside soup (made famous inward Melbourne past times HuTong) but it's served the other means round. Less of a marvel, but withal quite tasty.

I was quite insistent that in that place would last BBQ mock-pork buns.  Sweet-savoury in addition to freshly steamed, nosotros all loved them in addition to ordered seconds. Thirds, to ensure that nosotros each had a equal number, was tempting.

The steamed ribs inward dark edible bean sauce aren't real rib-like, but the dish is genuinely all virtually the silky, savoury sauce. 

The grilled dumplings equally good warranted a 2d round. As good equally crispy-fried edges, they had a fetching gingery kicking to them. 

We cutting all the richness equally best nosotros could alongside steamed choy-sum inward vegie-oyster sauce.

While there's no shortage of mock meat inward Melbourne's inner city, a trek out for yum cha is ever a treat. There's simply zippo quite similar a BBQ mock-pork bun... its *ahem* non-veg namesake aside.

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You tin cease read virtually our kickoff see to Vegie Hut here. Since then, their yum cha has been blogged in addition to loved past times veg*ns at The Fairest Feed in addition to Vegan About Town (twice). Vicki Vegan was less impressed past times the banquet, spell the a la carte options are reviewed favourably at Black Bunny Carousel. Positive accounts equally good look on omni blogs Fooodgasm in addition to Foodies northward Places.

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Vegie Hut
984 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
9898 2287
yum cha plates $4.20 each
http://vegiehut.com.au/

Accessibility: Vegie Hut has a few steps on entry in addition to a high density of tables. There's total tabular array service. We didn't see the toilets.

Mad Raven Pizza Deluxe

April 8, 2012

our yum-cha binge bushwalking through Bunyip State Forest (which is actually lovely yesteryear the way). By the fourth dimension nosotros were done, we'd all somehow mustered upwards plenty hunger to desire dinner on the drive back.

Lucky for us, Cindy remembered our friend Erin randomly raving to us almost a pizza store inwards Kallista. Some quick googling in addition to map-checking in addition to we'd decided that Mad Raven Pizza Deluxe was the venue inwards enquiry in addition to that it was basically on our drive home. Sorted.

Mad Raven is a rattling modest eating seat - basically 3 tables within in addition to a yoke on the street (for which it was far likewise cold). Despite clearly beingness a takeaway focussed place, they've managed to brand the within inviting in addition to warm, then it's good worth booking a tabular array if you lot experience similar dining out upwards that way. We snagged 1 of the 2 booths in addition to settled downwards to peruse the menu. Mad Raven has a dedicated veg bill of fare amongst 10 pizzas to pick out from, addition a complaint proverb that vegan in addition to gluten-free versions are readily available.

After unopen to debate, nosotros decided that 2 pizzas would hold out plenty for the 3 of us to percentage (I'll acknowledge that I was pushing for 3 pizzas in addition to that I was incorrect - 2 was plenty). We started amongst The French Goat (in the background, amongst macadamia in addition to basil pesto, blood-red vino caramelised onion, soft-rind French goats cheese in addition to paprika, $23). The pizza bases are sourdough in addition to autumn somewhere betwixt trendy sparse crust in addition to old-school pan. Either way, they're delicious in addition to the toppings on this ensured a satisfying pizza - the onions were soft in addition to caramelised, the cheese had unopen to decent flavor without beingness overpowering in addition to the pesto was great.

However, it paled inwards comparing amongst the brilliance of our other pizza, the mushy honey (foreground, amongst mozzarella, tomato, ho-hum cooked porcini in addition to land mushrooms, onions, feta, bound onions in addition to white truffle oil, $23). This was only amazing - bursting amongst the mushroom in addition to truffle crude flavours amongst the salty feta providing a flake of cutting through. I'm non certain how the mushrooms were prepared - they were clearly slow-cooked inwards something delicious because they were to snuff it for. Possibly my favourite pizza of all time.

At $23 a popular you're paying for gourmet pizzas, but these easily jibe that pecker in addition to were good worth the price. Service was efficient in addition to friendly, in addition to the petty room was cosy in addition to warm in addition to decorated amongst lots of wonderful photos of the local wildlife. Mad Raven is a jewel tucked upwards inwards the hills - if alone they'd deliver to Carlton.

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We're non the starting fourth dimension to sing Mad Raven's praises - banking firm check out The Belly Rules Blog in addition to Vintage Cookbooks for before raves.

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Mad Raven Pizza Deluxe
78 Monbulk Road, Kallista
9755 2911
Veg pizzas $14-23
Website (facebook page)

Accessibility: Accessing the shopping strip that houses Mad Raven includes a yoke of steps. The interior is quite small. We ordered our meals at the tabular array in addition to paid at a high counter. Unisex toilets are behind the counter, through the kitchen in addition to are pretty basic.

Fig & Goat's Curd Salad

April 9-10, 2012

I've been witting for the terminal few weeks that figs are inward their curt season, together with anxious to brand this Ottolenghi recipe amongst them at home. The fabulous fig salad nosotros enjoyed at the Newmarket Hotel extended my feel of urgency to Michael together with nosotros made certain nosotros were all ready for it earlier the Easter weekend completely disappeared.

The sentiment isn't also complicated - a bed of mixed greenish leaves, juicy sweetness figs, tangy goat's curd together with an fifty-fifty tangier dressing of mustard together with pomegranate molasses. Ottolenghi thins the dressing out amongst a lot of olive stone oil together with coats the leaves inward it. This approach didn't bring quite the seize amongst teeth I was afterwards (and our cheese was pretty tame too) then on my 2nd endeavor I skipped the olive oil, added but a driblet of H2O to loosen upward the molasses together with dripped my punchier dressing across the entire plate. That did the trick.

I wasn't scrupulously loyal to the master copy quantities then I'm keeping them vague inward my recipe below. The closed to of import affair is to larn the freshest, ripest, finest character reach possible - there's zero much extra hither to flatter them.

Fig & goat's curd salad
(based on a recipe appearing inward Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty)

Scatter handfuls of mixed greenish leaves together with torn basil over a plate. Slice fresh figs longways into quarters together with conform them on overstep of the greens. Dot the plate amongst teaspoonfuls of fresh goat's curd together with snip over a few chives.

In a cup, whisk together a modest sum of Dijon mustard amongst at to the lowest degree double the quantity of pomegranate molasses. Add salt together with pepper to taste, together with whisk inward a piffling water or olive oil to sparse the dressing out. Drizzle the dressing over the salad together with serve.

Tempeh & Mushroom Pasta

April 10, 2012

It's that fourth dimension of twelvemonth again! We've injure dorsum our clocks, the evenings are cooler, nosotros tend to railroad train ugly dark-brown stews in addition to I photograph them poorly at night. Sorry almost that. At to the lowest degree these meals withal gustation great.

I saw this tempeh in addition to mushroom pasta recipe on Seitan Is My Motor. I chose to spell the tempeh into bite-size pieces rather than chop it downwardly to a mince, in addition to I had fewer mushrooms than the recipe (and I) would prefer. The tempeh is flavoured amongst soy sauce, which is surprisingly proficient amongst pasta, but I want I'd added it to the pan later on so that its saltiness spread to the mushrooms as well.

This is a really youngster electrical load (and is easily solved adjacent time). The creamy sauce, made generally of walnuts blended into soy milk, brings everything together really well. And it doesn't gustation of soy at all. I entirely started to tire of this dish an eensy fight on the 4th consecutive 24-hour interval of eating it. It's a rare repast that sustains my enthusiasm that long.

Tempeh & mushroom pasta
(adapted really slightly from recipes
at Seitan Is My Motor & Vegan About Town terminal twelvemonth (where Steph [or perhaps D?] managed to photograph it to a greater extent than attractively), in addition to when I gave it a larn late I as referred to the rootage recipe at Seitan Is My Motor. I chose to spell the tempeh into bite-size pieces rather than chop it downwardly to a mince, in addition to I had fewer mushrooms than the recipe (and I) would prefer. The tempeh is flavoured amongst soy sauce, which is surprisingly proficient amongst pasta, but I want I'd added it to the pan later on so that its saltiness spread to the mushrooms as well.