Tokyo Tina

Welcome a third sister to the family, Tokyo Tina - Windsor's newest contemporary Japanese restaurant-dive bar ! From the brains behind Hanoi Hannah and Saigon Sally, the guys have combined the best eats, beats and vibes inspired from the streets of Japan and brought us the exotic country as it is today.

Jade green tiles, distressed manga posers and timber features set the scene. The menu ? We're talking Japanese street food with a helping hand from neighbour Korea and touches of inspiration from other parts of the world. Tokyo Tina dares to walk the walk and walks a fine line between fusion and modern Asian cuisine.

Open California Roll / Crispy Avo Bao

We started off with the Open California Roll - a delicate wafer of crispy nori topped with plump sushi rice, shredded WA spanner crab, crunchy salad and toasted sesame seed. An elegant and light start to our meal - I could have only wished for more than a mouthful !

We also tried their Crispy Avo Bao - a soft pillowy bun encasing a battered piece of creamy avo, pickled ginger and gochujang. Unfortunately, this dish didn't really do much for me, with its aimless fusion of flavours which were easily overpowered by the pickled ginger.

Tonkatsu Croquettes 

In contrast, the Tonkatsu Croquettes drizzled in bulldog sauce were ever so lovely, crunchy and packed full with flavour. Accompanied by a refreshing coleslaw, these bite-sized morsels were easily my pick of the night.

Medley Tomato Salad

Next up was the Medley Tomato Salad with smoked tofu, slippery knot noodles and shiso. Sadly, a dish that I was not very fond of at all. I understood that it was a simple side dish, however I felt it was far too simple and a little too effortless. 

Karaage Chicken Ribs 

To finish off the night, we nibbled on Tokyo Tina's Karaage Chicken Ribs slathered in hot sauce and dotted in sesame seeds. Chicken ribs have a special place in my heart and with Melbourne's food scene offering such top notch chicken ribs and wings, I could not help but feel a little let down with the ribs at Tokyo Tina. Again, I felt that ingredients and sauces had just been thrown around, without allowing sufficient time for sauces and spices to marinate and soak in, resulting in rather dry and bland ribs. Luckily, the hot sauce and a spritz of lemon picked up its game. Whilst the overall dish was tasty, the results weren’t as amazing as I imagine they had hoped for. 

Regrettably, Tokyo Tina did not leave me salivating. The potential is definitely there so I'm just thinking of giving her a little more time to grow, learn and find her feet before heading back.

Tokyo Tina

66 Chapel Street  

Windsor, VIC 3181

http://www.tokyotina.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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MELT Pizza

When pizza was first invented in Naples over 200 years ago, it was fast and nutritious. Today, with MELT Pizzas’ fresh take on the old classics, it still is.

With MELT as Chapel Street’s latest pizzeria, Windsor residents can now be really picky about their pizza. And I must say, MELT is perfect for the health-conscious. Light dough (no oil, fat or sugar), fresh local produce, all wood-fired in a 400 degree stone oven for 2 minutes – that’s faster than a cup of 2-minute noodles ! No doubt, your taste buds and body will be thanking you after a meal here.

Customised Pizza

For pizzas, we had the choice to pick from their ‘Classics’ or to ‘Customise’ our own. I love playing around with flavours, so when given the opportunity, DIY is the way to go. Starting with a basil pine nut pesto, we complemented our pizza-baby with spinach, roasted pumpkin, Meredith goats cheese, fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. In the oven it went, and literally 2 minutes later, out popped our freshly wood-fired pizza. We adored this wholesome pizza with its crispy chewy base.

Superfood

We also nourished our bodies with a salad of spinach, oven roasted sweet potato, beetroot, broccoli, red quinoa, white quinoa, red rice, pepitas, sunflower seeds, almond flakes dolloped with a yoghurt and a nutty tahini dressing. This pleasantly crunchy super salad offered a wholesome earthy flavour and savoury appeal. What I would have loved for though, was a little more seasoning and perhaps a larger bowl to contain all the goodness this salad offers together.

Meatballs

The more carnivorous side of us enjoyed the Meatballs. Piping hot out of the oven, the grass fed free range beef meatballs sizzled in a spicy tomato sauce and melty cheese. They were exactly what we had hoped for – soaking up the richness of the sauce, the balls were juicy and flavoursome.

The guys here at MELT Pizza take their food very seriously, and it is easy to see they are passionate about what they do. Service is warm and friendly, with staff more than happy to stop by for a chat and laugh. What stood out to me the most was the philosophy of the food, which just adds that extra touch to feel a little more connected with the food on your plate.

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of MELT Pizza

MELT Pizza

171 Chapel Street

Windsor, VIC

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Dukes Coffee Roasters

Over the weekend, a few of us headed over to Dukes Coffee Roasters on Chapel Street to celebrate our friend's birthday - with a Birthday Brunch of course. And it seemed like every other person in Melbourne had the exact same idea. But trust me, it's worth the wait. Dare I say, the wait made it even better.

Avocado Hummus Toast

Three Avocado Hummus Toasts please. Easily dubbed as Duke's signature dish, it was not hard to see why - it was faultless. The eggs were beautifully runny, the bread was crunchy and the glistening honey candied bacon bits were heavenly. Add to that a nutty mix of avocado and hummus spread, a scattering of dukkah, and a healthy handful of watercress, and you have yourself one extremely satisfying dish.

Smashed Avocado

K opted for the lighter and healthier option of Smash Avocado. Piled tall on two hearty slices of sourdough was a creamy avocado and Yarra Valley Feta smash, a medley of heirloom tomatoes,  fresh basil and a poached egg.

Buttermilk Pancakes

On the other end of the table, Birthday Girl enjoyed light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes with bite sized balls of blueberry sweetness, vanilla bean ice cream and an entire pot of maple syrup Of course, crispy pancetta was a obligatory add-on.

Dukes have all the right boxes ticked - offering a relaxed space, great atmosphere and a brilliant brunch menu. It won't be long till I head back for another feed.

Dukes Coffee Roasters

169 Chapel Street

Windsor, VIC

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