East End Den

Let me introduce to you, East End Den - Melbourne's newest basement kitchen & bar located deep down in the belly of Chinatown. Starring locally sourced food and drinks, East End Den's killer cocktails and small plates are sure to please.

Trust me. Head east now !

Natural Oyster with Shallot Vinegar

Bloody Mary Oyster Shooter with Basil

Lamb Cutlets, Chermoula, Crispy Potato and Watercress

Chorizo Croquettes with Lime Aioli

Scallops with Broccoli Puree, Radish and Blood Orange

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of East End Den

East End Den
51 Little Bourke Street  
Melbourne, VIC 3000
http://www.eastendden.com.au

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Morris Jones

Located on the bustling Windsor end of Chapel Street, Morris Jones serves Australian cuisine lead by Head Chef Matthew Butcher. Their philosophy is all about creating delicious, quirky and playful food with a touch of theatre matched with craft cocktails of distinction in a lively space. Need I say more ?

Lychee Martini - Lychees, pink grapefruit and lime

My Lobster Bun

Zucchini Flowers with marinated tomatoes, cous cous and smoked goats curd

Curry Spiced Scallops with 4 textures of cauliflower and ox tail sauce

New Zealand Salmon with beetroot & miso, celeriac and corn puffs

Sweet Pea Risotto with tomato essence, mascarpone cream and crunchy quinoa

New Season Asparagus with burnt butter

Triple Cooked Chips

Morris Jones
163 Chapel Street  
Windsor, VIC 3181
http://www.morrisjones.com.au 

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Taste of Melbourne 2014 | Taste of Melbourne Giveaway - 2 x Double Passes

Wow, has another year passed already ? 

You know what that means though - Taste of Melbourne is back again, enriching the lakeside lawns of Albert Park this November 13th-16th with food, food and more food. Hang out with Melbourne's leading culinary masterminds, rub shoulders with like minded food lovers, immerse yourself in cooking classes, check out the latest food trends or simply enjoy the atmosphere. Taste of Melbourne. Be there.

This year, Taste of Melbourne have over 60 bite-sized dishes on offer from the likes of Brooks Restaurant & Bar, Lucy Liu, Mamasita, Gazi, Nieuw Amsterdam, MoVida and more.

You can imagine how excited I was to fly #TasteAir and embark on a culinary flight around Melbourne to preview some of Taste of Melbourne’s 2014 restaurants. 

FIRST STOP: BROOKS RESTAURANT & BAR

Sher Wagyu Rib

We kicked off the night at Brooks Restaurant & Bar, lodged beneath the streets of Melbourne, secluded in the basement of the heritage-listed Austral House on Collins Street. I was instantly wooed by their Sher Wagyu Rib - juicy, tender and of slightly gelatinous texture, the boneless rib was glazed in a sticky charcoal vegetable puree and crowned with fried vinegar infused shallots. What blew me away though was the Roasted Cauliflower Ice-cream - the roasting of the cauliflower brought out the most amazing depth of flavour and together with a drizzle of toffee caramel sauce, my tastebuds were in heaven.

SECOND STOP: LUCY LIU

Freshly Shucked Oysters

Green Papaya Salad with Beans

Lucy Liu Wagyu Beef F1 7+ & Lucy Liu Spiced Green Apple Coleslaw

Our next destination was Lucy Liu, the newest and trendiest multicultural Asian eating and drinking space. Here we started with Freshly Shucked Oysters with tangy nam jim and an authentic Green Papaya Salad with Beans that even Mama Piggy would have to agree with. We then sunk our teeth into a premium grade 7 Porterhouse Wagyu Steak with exceptional marbling and flavour which was lifted even higher with yakiniku dipping sauce and a hot mustard horseradish crème fraîche.

FINAL STOP: MAMASITA

Elote Callejero

Braised Zucchini Molotes

Tamal de Camarones

Taco de Pescado and Taco de Puerco

The third and final stop was Mamasita, arguably one of Melbourne's favourites. Our tastebuds were further tempted by their famous street style chargrilled corn (my all time favourite!), alluring and tasty Tamal de Camarones and earthy Braised Zucchini Molotes. The star of the show went to the tacos though, both the Taco de Pescado and Taco de Puerco were explosive in flavour and freshness. You can't miss these.

Taste of Melbourne Giveaway - 2 x Double Passes

So how do I win ? 

1. Like Confessions of a Little Piggy on Facebook

2. Follow Confessions of a Little Piggy on Instagram

3. Send me an email answering "Which restaurant are you most excited to visit at The Taste of Melbourne?" to confessionsofalittlepiggy@gmail.com


Giveaway Terms and Conditions: 

- Entries are open until Sunday, November 2nd at midnight AEST. 

 
- Winners will be notified via email by Monday, November 3rd, and winners’ postal address will need to be provided to confessionsofalittlepiggy@gmail.com within 48 hours. 

 
- Each winner will receive a Double Pass (valued at $60.00) which entitles them and a friend entrance to one session at The Taste of Melbourne. 

- Tickets cannot be resold for commercial gain.

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of Hot House Media & Events, Brooks Restaurant & Bar, Lucy Liu and Mamasita 

What: Taste of Melbourne 2014 

Where: Pelican Lawn, Albert Park Lake
When: Thursday November 13 - Sunday November 16, 2014 

http://www.tasteofmelbourne.com.au 

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Philhellene

Located on Mt Alexander Road, Philhellene is a warm family restaurant that focuses on provincial Greek cuisine. The interior is homely and rustic with its brick walls adorned with family photos, spitting fire place and heavy wooden features. And Philhellenism, “the love of Greek culture” is what it is all about. 

Straight away, our attention was drawn to their specials board – Stuffed Zucchini Flowers and Lamb & Artichoke Fricassee were just a couple of the dishes that stood out to us. Our lovely waitress patiently explained each and every special in great detail, with her eyes lighting up as she described her personal favourites.

Spinach Feta Kalitsounia

The Spinach Feta Kakutsouni was a dish we could not look past. Crispy buttery pastries filled with a jumble of spinach and salty cheese that was all kinds of delicious. Dipping these in cool and creamy tzatziki, we devoured these savoury goodies in a flash.

Chargrilled Octopus

We also ordered the Chargrilled Octopus, which had just the right chew and char to it. Drizzled in extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, my friend thoroughly enjoyed this dish.

Roast Kid Goat

The 5 hours slow roasted kid goat was superbly tender, with chunks of meat falling off the bone. Together with a warm salad of broad beans and peas and roast potatoes, we felt this dish was cooked marvellously though would have loved for more flavour.

Spicy Seafood Saganaki

This saganaki dish was a fiesta of succulent prawns, mussels, swordfish and cous cous soaked in a garlic-rich spicy tomato sauce. We loved the addition of almond flakes which gave a lovely crunch to the dish. Not wanting to waste a drop, we mopped up the hearty sauce with the crusty bread.

Quince Crumble

At this point, our bellies were close to bursting - but somehow, just somehow, our waitress persuaded us to finish off with something sweet. The quince crumble particularly caught my friend’s eye. Delicate slices of quince soaked in brandy and spices, baked in custard and topped with crumble. Safe to say, my friend was all smiles after this.

All in all, our meal at Philhellene was delightful. In true Greek style, food was full bodied and generous. Service is friendly and attentive, which really further highlighted just how proud and passionate they are about their food. Philhellenism, it’s a thing.


confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of Philhellene

Philhellene
551-553 Mt Alexander Road
Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039
 

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