July 8, 2011: Mentum Chin

Chin Chin has been opened upward piffling to a greater extent than than a calendar month together with attracted much weblog attention, nearly all of it positive, inwards that time. Twitter chatter amongst Ed Charles together with Jess Ho convinced us that they'd cater (fish sauce together with shrimp glue free!) to us vegos together with nosotros checked it out on Fri night. There are no bookings permitted for groups of less than eight, together with nosotros were hardly surprised that fifty-fifty at 6pm Chin Chin was packed out. Jess herself was on the door together with squeezed us onto the 'chef's table', a high bench overlooking the kitchen. She knew our drill together with helpfully pointed out the meat-free dishes across the carte du jour - a little proportion of the total together with a fleck tofu-heavy, but to a greater extent than than ii tin eat inwards a unmarried evening.

We were inwards the mood for cocktails together with in that place are nine originals on offering (each $15). Mine (pictured right) was a sweet, real floral together with ice-heavy mix amongst Thai basil, pinkish grapefruit, rose water, vodka together with lychee. Michael had a zippy mix of tamarind syrup together with fresh Mandarin amongst tequila, orangish curacao together with a Szechuan tabular array salt rim.

Jess had recommended the salad of organic silken tofu, Thai basil together with a hot sugariness bitter dressing ($16). I'm non certain that I picked upward much oestrus or bitterness but liked it nonetheless - the fried tofu pieces soaked upward the dressing, in that place were lots of calorie-free fresh veges together with a pocket-size constituent of rice noodles.

As nosotros finished off the salad, out came our rice ($3), roti ($6) together with dry out curry of stir fried vegetables, spice crusted organic tofu, kaffir lime foliage together with Thai basil ($13). Unfortunately, past times the fourth dimension nosotros were produce to eat it 5 minutes later, the roti was already mutual frigidness together with tough. (It was even then pretty bang-up for mopping upward the final of the curry sauce). The curry was lovely - thick together with spicy - though I didn't pick upward the kaffir lime tang that I was looking frontward to.

Strangely the final of our dishes to brand it was the "little something" nosotros ordered - spicy corn together with coriander fritters amongst iceberg lettuce together with chilli jam ($8). They were worth waiting for! Each lettuce exit held a sliver of fresh ginger, together with in that place was mint to add together to the packet every bit well. Usually I'd prefer to a greater extent than corn together with less batter, but every bit exercise of a watery lettuce roll the soft batter-heavy fritters actually worked. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bright bar snack.

so pleased Em. Thai nutrient e'er has me craving H2O ice cream for afters then I was all over this. Like Fatbooo I constitute it crazy-sugary-sweet. The lime syrup offered a fleck of time out but non quite then much every bit I would've liked. I was glad to endeavour it but'll human face farther downward the dessert listing adjacent time.

My 2nd favourite affair after those corn fritters was receiving the neb - the nutrient constituent was less than $60 for the ii of us, including dessert, together with I'd expected it would damage us a lot more. While Chin Chin was inwards Fri black bar mode, nosotros received first-class service - Michael had a piffling panic that our curry contained stray meat together with our waiter patiently checked it out together with cheerfully reassured us that it was oyster mushroom. (Michael tipped to a greater extent than than park given his graciousness.) I didn't inquire virtually vegan options but most of the veg nutrient looks suitable including a duo of the desserts!

City bars are rarely our scene but we'll happily brand an exception for Chin Chin's friendly energy, cocktails together with corn fritters.

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Almost everyone loves Chin Chin! so pleased Em. Thai nutrient e'er has me craving H2O ice cream for afters then I was all over this. Like half-eaten, so pleased Em. Thai nutrient e'er has me craving H2O ice cream for afters then I was all over this. Like my seasonal table, so pleased Em. Thai nutrient e'er has me craving H2O ice cream for afters then I was all over this. Like wine nomad, so pleased Em. Thai nutrient e'er has me craving H2O ice cream for afters then I was all over this. Like let's instruct fatty together, so pleased Em. Thai nutrient e'er has me craving H2O ice cream for afters then I was all over this. Like I'm then hungreeeeeeeeee together with so pleased Em. Thai nutrient e'er has me craving H2O ice cream for afters then I was all over this. Like Kaz's Food For Thought was disappointed.

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Chin Chin
125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
8663 2000
veg snacks together with mains $8-16, desserts $9-12
http://chinchinrestaurant.com.au/

Accessibility: The entry is broad together with flat; infinite betwixt tables is mixed. All service is at the tabular array together with there's a 'disabled'-labelled toilet.

July 21, 2011: Lakshmi

6/8/2013 - It seems equally though Lakshmi is closed. The site is beingness transformed into notwithstanding to a greater extent than or less other burger articulation - we'll continue yous posted.

Depot de Pain). It's a cute picayune house amongst seats for mayhap thirty people together with a relatively brusque carte du jour - half dozen curries including three vego dishes together with a few sides.

We were greeted amongst a picayune bowl of mixed spicy treats (on the house) piece nosotros mulled over our choices. Drink-wise Lakshmi is strictly BYO, amongst simply a couplet of non-alcoholic options: mango together with tamarind. We both chose the tamarind quaff - it was sugariness together with non-carbonated together with a decent plenty accompaniment for our curries.

I couldn't resist the lure of the thali: dahl, raita, pickle, chutney, salad, pappadums together with rice summation your choice of curry (chickpea masala for me!) for $18.90.

chickpea curry, amongst the add-on of crispy fresh beans together with a slightly less intense flavour. The array of accompaniments was a prissy acquit on but I in all likelihood didn't bespeak pickles, raita and chutney. I create dearest my pickles though together with this i (lime) was pretty great.

Cindy took on the other vegetarian curry on the menu, the Sri Lankan pumpkin (with fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, mustard seeds together with kokosnoot milk, $13.90) amongst a side of roti ($4). The curry was sugariness together with mildly spiced, amongst the fenugreek together with mustard seeds shining through, piece the roti performed much ameliorate than Chin Chin's version.

Melbourne's other Indian places, shooting for the classier cease of the marketplace position occupied past times Roti Man together with Indya Bistro. I idea that they measured upward pretty well, piece I intend Cindy in all likelihood favours their near neighbours. The carte du jour is limited, together with thus how oft nosotros company dorsum volition depend on how oft nosotros experience similar repeating these dishes (or how oft Lakshmi alter things around). Still, it's a prissy add-on to the neighbourhood, together with i that I intend volition create pretty well.

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Lakshmi
687 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North
9349 5525
veg eats $14 - $19

Accessibility: There's a pocket-size footstep on entry together with pocket-size to moderate room betwixt tables. We didn't banking concern fit out the toilets.