Lu's BBQ

I miss Shanghai. I miss the people, the tall buildings, the freedom, the crazy antics and the convenience of just about everything. But most of all, I miss the food - specifically the lamb skewers (羊肉串) just a minute away from where I stayed. And so when I set foot into Lu’s BBQ handily located on Koornang Road, I could hardly contain myself. 

Lamb Skewers (羊肉串)

You must order the lamb skewers here. Cooked on long metal skewers, each skewer of lamb is pierced with juicy pieces of lamb, with just enough fat to melt-in-your-mouth and intensify the flavour and texture. Dusted in fragrant cumin and it's sister spices, these are dangerously addictive. With over 20 lamb skewers, yeah - you could say I am quite fond of them.

Cucumber Salad & Seaweed Salad

To accompany our lamb skewers, we also ordered a serving of cucumber salad and a seaweed salad. We interspersed between these two crunchy yet soothing salads between bites of mind-blowinging tasty lamb.

Lu's BBQ - you are absolutely amazing. That is all.

Lu's BBQ
49 Koornang Road
Carnegie, VIC

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Vapiano

With over 135 restaurants in 26 countries, it was about time Vapiano made it's way to Melbourne. Popping up just over a year ago, Vapiano is an innovative European concept - celebrating traditional Italian recipes and bringing them to life with some good ol' Aussie know-how. Let's not forget how effortlessly snazzy the space is - warm lighting, chic furniture with fresh spots of greenery here and there.

Ordering is made easy here - make your way to your station of choose (pizza, pasta, drinks), order directly from the chefs and tap your Vapiano Chip Card (provided upon arrival). Then what ? Watch as your meal is cooked right before your eyes. Essentially, a fancy canteen for grown-ups !

Pizza Bianco

I ordered the Pizza Bianco - a white pizza, which was a welcomed change from your usual traditional heavy-on tomato based pizzas. Smeared with a rich garlic cream sauce, delicate slices of rosemary infused potato and mozzarella, the flavours were spot on. Though the pizza base had a nice chew to it, I wished they had left it in the oven a tad longer for a golden exterior to develop. 

Pizza Barbecue Pollo

Straight out of the oven, the Pizza Barbecue Pollo smelt wonderful, with it's smokey aroma wafting through the air. Layer upon layer, there was a base of homemade tomato and barbecue sauce scattered with chicken breast, red onions, smoked cheese and mozzarella. A delightful mouthful, though we felt they could have been much more generous with the chicken. 

All'Arrabbiata

With over 10 freshly made pasta options and 17 tempting sauces to choose from, I couldn't blame my friend for taking a little longer to choose what he wanted. In the end, he opted for linguine with a classic all'arrabbiata sauce. The thin flat strands of pasta were cooked to al dente, pairing beautifully with the vibrant spicy sauce. Quoting him word for word, he commented that this dish held a divine spicy aftertaste which was very "sapid."

Pollo e Spinaci

My other friend went for the Pollo e Spinaci - each individual ribbon of tagliatelle coated in a well balanced sauce of homamade basil pesto and cream, tossed with tender chicken breast peices, fresh spinach and paremeson. Though rather under-seasoned, she still enjoyed this dish. 

What I enjoyed most about Vapiano if that there is a focus placed firmly on freshness - with all fruits, vegetables and herbs sourced from farms locally within the states. I mean, there's a mini herb garden at every table - how much more fresh can you get than that ?

Overall, we had a lot of fun at Vapiano and whilst the concept of an up-market canteen was pleasant, I cannot say I will be rushing back anytime soon. Perhaps it's  my penchant for much more exciting and bolder flavours, Vapiano simply did not win me over. But for the less selective, this may just be up your alley.

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of Open Haus and Vapiano

Vapiano
347 Flinders Lane  
Melbourne, VIC 

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Tall Timber

There's a lot to like about Tall Timber. And it's not just the food, but the whole package - it's the real deal. 

Decked out in timber (duh!), the whole look and feel of the place is clean, casual and relaxed. Filled with the glorious aroma of coffee wafting through the air, the bright airy space is attributed by tall ceilings and white washed brick walls. 

The menu offers your classic brunch items, but with flair. Think Eggs Benedict jazzed up with slow cooked pork shoulder smothered in apple cider hollandaise. Let's not forget their super-duper food dish of sautéed kale, asparagus, greenback with poached eggs, almonds, and goats curd on quinoa loaf. 

Skinny Flat White

Brunch really is not brunch without a mandatory skinny flat white. I trust you guys know this by now !

Roast Pumpkin Bruschetta

My Roast Pumpkin Bruschetta was unbelievable. On a striking black plate, the dish came out looking magnificent - with an earthy hummus as the base, two crunchy slices of toasted quinoa loaf, bright orange smashed pumpkin, two perfectly poached eggs littered with micro herbs. Not only magnificent in looks, my pumpkin dish also tasted amazing. The sweetness of the roast pumpkin paired with the creaminess of the feta worked beautifully with the crunchy mix of dukkah.

Sourdough with Smashed Avo

On the other hand, my friend opted for a more simpler dish - toasted sourdough with a side of smashed avocado. Exactly what she was after.

You really can't deny it - Tall Timber is one appealing cafe. For me, it ticked all the right boxes in ambience, service and price. Add to this enjoyable coffee and delightful food offerings and we have ourselves a winner. And a happy little piggy.

Tall Timber

60 Commercial Road  

Prahran, VIC

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