Piggery Café

From the chef, restauranteur, director and mastermind behind Vue de Monde, Piggery Café is Shannon Bennet’s latest addition to his repertoire. Piggery Café brings a touch of magic to the lands of Sherbrooke with its sense of calm and free-flowing vibes, a space that oozes warmth in a rustic manner with a touch of modernity.

With their philosophy of embracing every facet of the garden-to-plate doctrine, Piggery Café has a lot to boast about. Think premium pork from Greenvale Farm, fish caught by Mark Eather and beefing things up with Blackmore Wagyu. Let's not forget the lamb and wallaby sourced directly from Flinders Island in Tasmania. Coffee wise, you can never go wrong with Five Senses coupled with milk from Schulz Organic Farms. 

Here at Pggery Café, it's all about the “live to eat, not eat to live” mantra.

Skinny Flat White

Chai Latte

Blackmore Wagyu Beef Burger

By far, the most popular dish was the Blackmore Wagyu Beef Burger. I mean, we ordered five of these babies and we were not disappointed. The patty was rich, hearty and seasoned perfectly. Each bite was burger heaven with burger juices dripping from out hands to our elbows. Really, need I say more ? Please refer to the photo above.

Mark Eather Barramundi Burger 

On the other end of the table, my friend ordered the Mark Eather Barramundi Burger which didn't seem to go down as well as the beefy wagyu beef burgers we were chowing down. I also think it's worth mentioning that the boys felt the burgers were much too tiny for their ever-growing appetites.

Lobster Roll

Unfortunately, the Lobster Roll too wasn't the most well received and honestly looked rather naked. Though the flavours and quality were there, the quantity not so much. Of course, it's always quality over quantity but who couldn't do with a bit more lobster ?

House-made Fries

The rustic chips on the other hand were great, filled with pillowy soft potato and crunchy ends laced with salt.

Having Shannon Bennet's name connected with Piggery Café, I'd have to say that I went in with pretty high expectations. Perhaps that was unfair of me. With service noticeably lacking, and friends leaving hungry and unsatiated, those expectations were not completely satisfied. That Blackmore Wagyu Beef Burger though… 

Piggery Café

1 Sherbrooke Road 

Sherbrooke, VIC 3789

http://www.piggerycafe.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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Mr Hendricks Cafe

You don’t find me on this side of town often. But where there is good food, I am more than happy to travel far and wide. And from what I’ve heard, Mr Hendricks is where it’s at. Hey there Mr Hendricks !

 

Skinny Flat White

Crispy Eggs

The crispy eggs had my name all over it. Golden panko-crumbed eggs, smoked ham hock full of flavour and a salad of fennel, radish and walnuts on a bed of velvety smooth sweet potato puree. I mean seriously, check out that yolk porn! The contrastive textures and intertwining flavours made this brunch dish a standout. My only comment would be that the sweet potato was a little too sweet for my liking.

Tempura Soft Shell Crab Burger

My other brunch-goes went for the Tempura Soft Shell Crab Burger with fennel, radish, cabbage, avocado and kewpie. In between mouthfuls of aromatic rosemary fries, both burgers were smashed out in a matter of seconds.

Good food, excellent coffee and attentive service. Mr Hendricks, I like you.

Mr Hendricks Cafe
469 Whitehorse Road
Balwyn, VIC 3103

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Ferdydurke

Nestled away on Tattersalls Lane off Lonsdale Street, you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for hidden gem, Ferdydurke.  

Named after the book Ferdydurke by Witold Gombrowicz, the book explored the problems of immaturity and youth, the creation of identity in interactions with others, and dealt with the ironic, critical examination of class roles in society and culture. All deemed to be extremely scandalous. In the same way, Melbourne’s Ferdydurke too refuses to conform and be stereotyped as a 'beige' city bar.  

Climb two flights of stairs and you’ll find yourself in a relaxed, effortless space - decked out with eccentric decor and walls camouflaged with bright posters, stickers and wall art. Just the place for chilled Sunday bevs and nibbles I say. 

There was a time when I was obsessed with pulled pork. Seriously though, how could I not be ? I bring this up because I think I’m relapsing and I hold Fedrydurke’s Little Lebowskis responsible, with their amazing juicy pulled pork and creamy buttermilk slaw.  

Other Polish goodies include Pan Fried Pork Schnitzel Sandwiches with braised cabbage and apple, cream cheese smear, pickle and dill relish and golden Piroshski filled with roasted mushrooms and fragrant rice, topped with smoky caramelised onion.

Complete with live music, this cool loft style hideaway located in the heart of Melbourne is serving up food and drinks that aim to please. Come hungry, leave happy.

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

Ferdydurke
Levels 1 & 2, 239 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000
http://www.ferdydurke.com.au/

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Fromage a Trois – Cheese & Cider Festival

To be found on the spectacular grounds of Werribee Park Mansion, Fromage a Trois returns on 15th March 2015, boasting a bigger and better line up than ever before.

Fromage a Trois offers the perfect opportunity to wind down, hum along to live music and discover a whole new gastronomic experience in a living, breathing postcard of 19th century Australia. 

Embark on a culinary journey with Australian specialist cheesemakers, artisan cider makers, and some of Melbourne’s most iconic food haunts and trucks (White Guy Cooks Thai or Brûlée Cart anyone ?). The cheese and drinks I hear you ask ? Expect to get cheesy with the likes of Milk the Cow, Boatshed Cheese, and Yarra Valley Dairy. For a naughty drink or two, I'm liking the sounds of Soleil - icy premium lychee infused beer, Cheeky Rascal Ciders and Two Birds Brewing.

  

What: Fromage A Trois

Where: Werribee Park Mansion

When: Sunday, March 15th 2015 

Time: 11.00am – 5.00pm

Cost: Pre-purchased tickets are $35 each (at the door tickers $40) and includes an official tasting glass & event guide. Children 12 years and under can join along for free.

 

Head to the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Website to purchase tickets. 

 

 

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Tanked Kitchen at Less Than Zero

The ingenious team behind Hammer & Tong have done it again. Bringing their A game to Melbourne's inner south, they have added a kitchen takeover to the their collection with the launch of their latest venture, Tanked Kitchen at popular South Yarra bar, Less than Zero.

In celebration of the launch, I was lucky enough to be invited to sample a selection of the Tanked menu and enjoy a selection of beverages from the bar. Woohoo ! 

Organic Padron Peppers

Wardy's Crispy Chicken Ribs

Smoked Chicken Sliders

Avocado Briont Toast

Yoghurt Panna Cotta 

Tempt your tastebuds with Wardy's crowd pleasing Crispy Chicken Ribs tossed in fish fang sauce, spring onion and sesame seeds, or try the Briont Toast smothered with creamy avo, philly cheese, dukkah and coriander. If you're looking for something to satisfy you sweet tooth, the Yoghurt Panna Cotta with sumac strawberries and walnut crumble is sure to please. Simple bar food with explosive flavours.

Changing up the bar scene, Tanked is delicious addition to the neighbourhood and is the place to be seen this summer. Balmy nights, refreshing drinks and enticing nibbles ? Yes. Yes please.

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of ID Collective and Tanked Kitchen

Tanked Kitchen at Less Than Zero

153 Commercial Road  
South Yarra, VIC 3141
http://www.lessthanzerobar.com/ 

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Code Black Coffee

From the team that brought us Code Black in Brunswick comes the new kid on the Block, Code Black on Howard Street in North Melbourne. After four long years of development, the soft-hued space with its pastel tones, lofty stools and blonde wood is finally up and running.

Naturally, Maggie, Peach and I rummaged through our diaries to find a suitable date for us to check it out. Unsurprisingly, this newbie came with a waiting line of 45 minutes.

In time, we finally nabbed ourselves a table and put in our orders for some caffeine and food to settle our rumbling stomaches. The waiting game had resumed, this time round extending our hanger levels with another 30 minute wait. I blame Broadsheet.

Skinny Flat White

  

Black Beans with Jalapeño Cornbread

From the softly smoked black beans with a subtle kick, perfect sunny-side up egg with yolk still completely liquid to the grilled lime – it was simple food cooked well with flavours that packed a punch. I adored their addition of cornbread, bursting with corn kernels which were a much welcomed change from your standard sourdough. Though it was a shame that I couldn't see or taste any jalapeño in my cornbread.

Salt-baked Chicken Salad

Peach stuck with her #cleaneating and went for a light salad consisting of salt-baked chicken, chilli, lime, avocado, watercress, red onion, tomato, herbs and an added poached egg for extra protein.  

  

 Seared Tuna Salad

Following suit, Maggie too went for a salad, opting for the zesty herb-crusted tuna delicately seared rare, served with cucumber, snow pea tendrils, bok choy, chia, millet and a drizzle of Asian dressing. And brunch would not be brunch without eggs, so an added poached egg was a must for Maggie too.

For both dishes I only had a small nibble, but I found that both dishes paled in comparison to my beans, with both salads rather lacking and erred on the blander side of things. At the same time, it does seem unfair to measure up a salad to a full-bodied dish of beans. Luckily for me (not so much the others), this meant no food envy for me this time around.

The food here at Code Black Coffee leans towards lighter and cleaner flavours, appealing to the more health conscious. Service was here and there but hey, these guys are new to the area and still finding their feet. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my visit, though I’m not sure if I can say the same for my brunch buddies. 

Code Black Coffee

119 Howard Street 

North Melbourne, VIC 3051

http://codeblackcoffee.com.au/

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