Sem-sav quaffing

 Though I’m not usually a fan of the semillon grape, this semillon sauvignon blanc had just the right amount of tropical sweetness to balance our rich, spicy Malaysian meal at Old Town Kopitiam in Melbourne. In keeping with the down-to-earth style of the restaurant, this bottle was a mere $18 (not BYO sadly) and kept our total meal cost to less than $50 for two of us.

Old Town Kopitiam, Melbourne

I had begun to worry that all my reviews were positive. A bit like Homer Simpson when he first embarks on a (short-lived) career as a food critic. His love of all food means the whole town of Springfield overeat, everywhere and everything.

HuTong Dumpling Bar, Melbourne

HuTong was one of many on my Melbourne wishlist, and yet we ended up there by accident. On our way from Cookie (for drinks) to Pellegrini’s (for dinner) we looked down an alleyway and saw Flowerdrum, which I knew was opposite HuTong Dumplings. Being a little “bien”, hot and hungry, we turned down the alley and took our chance that they’d have a table for two even though it was 8pm on a Thursday night.

Dumpling Sisters, Melbourne

On our first afternoon in Melbourne we arrived at 4pm, hungry and desperate for something quick and tasty. Around the corner from our apartment we found Dumpling Sisters, with a menu full of old favourites like xiao long bao and Zhajiang mian (Shanghai style noodles with pork mince and cucumber). Tables ready with chilli oil and black vinegar were a welcome sight!

MoVida, Melbourne

MoVida was the only place in Melbourne which I actually booked for, for two reasons: the first being I knew it would be busy (especially being ranked number one in Melbourne on Urbanspoon), the second that I really really REALLY wanted to try it out – it was number one on my Melbourne wishlist. We made a booking for Friday lunch, all dinner spaces having been booked out weeks in advance.

Cicciolina, St Kilda

Wandering along Acland St, Mr Black and I were looking for somewhere special to eat. When I spied the sign for Cicciolina next to a small dark dining room I got excited – I’d heard great things about this place, and yet here it was, so simple and unassuming. And even though it was busy, because it was a Wednesday lunchtime there was a spare table for the two of us. Hurrah!

Trunk Bar and Diner, Melbourne

We popped into Trunk one morning for a quick breakfast. Having come across this courtyard cafe/bar/pub randomly, we didn’t expect much – plus the menu was quite limited and mostly American. However, we quickly changed our minds after being greeted with friendly and efficient service and enjoying a well-made coffee.