Bagelicious

What's more to love than a soft, chewy bagel complemented with a wide selection of tantalising flavours ? Yeah, it's pretty hard to beat. So when Yonathan from Bagelicious invited a bagel buddy and myself to check out his second addition to the Bagelicious family, I was all smiles. 

Chicken Schnitzel

Our first choice was the Chicken Schnitzel on a poppy studded bagel, a unanimous decision. The schnitzel was thick yet tender, crusted in a lovely golden coating and smeared in a generous dollop of mustard and mayo. The crunchy salad of cucumber, lettuce and tomato was refreshing and made the bagel whole (minus the hole). 

Smoked Chicken

The Smoked Chicken from the Pressed Toast Bagel menu came highly recommended by Yonathan, and boy it did not disappoint. Served on an Everything Bagel, the bagel came out in a rainbow of pesto, smoked chicken, roast capsicum, red onion and cheddar. The sharp cheese melted straight into the juicy chicken whilst the vegetables added a fresh touch to each bite. 

Cinnamon & Raisin 

We ended with the Cinnamon & Raisin Bagel hot out of the oven, oozing with the heavenly pairing of peanut butter and jelly. Mm mm mmm.

My oh my did I enjoy Bagelicious. These are what I call #baegoals

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

Bagelicious

646 Glenferrie Road  

Hawthorn, VIC 3122

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St Zita's Cafe

Conveniently located in the heart of Glen Huntly, St Zita's Cafe is what I call your local suburban cafe. It doesn't claim to be anything revolutionary, instead they heavily focus on the classics that satisfy and making you feel at home. Home sweet home.

St Zita's Fritters

It's not often I find myself craving fritters, but today was the day. Corn and zucchini fritters dotted with herbs, a fresh tomato and avo salsa, a handful of peppery rocket followed with a dollop of a rich and mildly tangy crème fraîche. The addition of poached eggs ? Hello protein ! What I would have loved to see were a couple more fritters though (oink oink) and a crispier exterior if I were to be extra picky.

Green Eggs and Ham 

What a plateful the Green Eggs and Ham was ! A luscious pile of creamy, golden goodness atop two slices of 7 grain toast, buttered mushrooms, black beans and roast tomatoes over a bed of vibrant green basil pesto rich in parmesan and pine nuts. Let's not forget the sexy folds of prosciutto and added hash brown (naughty naughty). Because really, no big breakfast is complete without a super crispy hash brown.

Overall ? St Zita's Cafe delights with traditional, honest food and friendly staff in a warm homely ambience. A true local's choice.

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of St Zita's Cafe

St Zita's Cafe

1167 Glen Huntly Road  

Glen Huntly, VIC 3163

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Humburger

A licensed exotic burger eating house - Eat. Drink. Hum.

Frenchy - Beef, Potato Rosti, Herb Hollandaise, Chunky Garden Mayo and Cornichons

New York - 2 x Beef, Bacon, Cheddar, Caramelised Onion, Pickles, Mayo and Tomato Sauce

Fries with Hum Seasoning

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

Humburger
789 Glenferrie Road
Hawthorn, VIC 3122

http://humburger.com.au 

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District Brewer

Joining the likes of Little Tommy Tucker and Merchant's Guild, District Brewer is the newest kid to join the neighbourhood. I must say Bentleigh, I am impressed. Melbourne's north-side feels down in the south-eastern suburbs ? Hell freakin' yeah !

Skinny Flat White

Duck Rillettes 

Duck Rillettes ? Why the duck not ? Paired with the tenderness and sweetness of the grilled pumpkin brioche, richness and creaminess of the cauliflower cheese, the crispness of the salt & vinegar kale chips, the crunch of the Asian granola and runny goodness of the poached eggs ? It's pretty hard to say no.

Stuffed Fig French Toast

My brunch buddy, a sucker for anything and everything sweet had to have the Stuffed Fig French Toast. Complemented with a chocolate & coffee crumble, mango pop rock sherbet, brie custard and strawberry bitters, a sugar coma was inevitable.

Head on over and say hi to District Brewer. Go on, don't be shy.

District Brewer
36 Brewer Road
Bentleigh, VIC 3204

http://www.districtbrewer.com.au

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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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