Birthday lunch @ The Estelle, Melbourne

This time of the year is always busy with a few birthdays in the family, hence why it's been quiet on the blog for the past month. A few weeks ago my birthday fell on a Friday, and hubby took a couple of hours off work to treat me to a lovely lunch at The Estelle in Northcote. We have been fortunate that the Covid-19 restrictions lifted sufficiently just prior to the November birthdays in our family, and simply going out for a meal with hubby felt like such a wonderful treat after being stuck at home in lockdown for half the year! We were pleased to find an elegant restaurant serving fine dining only five minutes drive away from home! In keeping with Covid-19 regulations set by the Victorian government, only a few indoor tables were available for booking to allow for adequate social distancing, and only the classic Estelle 4-course degustation was available for indoor dining. I was more than happy to have the kitchen decide the food for me, and all I needed to do was sit back, relax and enjoy the experience. The only extras we ordered were the half dozen oysters, and the Wagyu supplement course. Everything went fantastically well, and we enjoyed the friendly service and the food that were delicious and beautifully presented.

The dark and earthy interior of Estelle contrast the bright artistic halo lights hanging overhead:

A Negroni for me, and a creamy soda for hubby who had to return to work after lunch, and hence the designated driver:

Onion and parmesan brioche, herbed sour cream:

Beef cracker with coffee and sesame; and baby crudites in olive oil with caramelised garlic dip:

Merimbula oyster with mignonette:

Jonella farm asparagus, hay smoked hollandaise, egg yolk:

Cured kingfish, bonito cream, fennel, nori:

Flinders Island spring lamb, radish, nasturtium:

Supplement course: Westholme wagyu porterhouse, native pepper sauce, sarladaise potatoes $30:

Coconut and rhubarb pavlova, lemon myrtle:

The Estelle
243-245 High St
Northcote VIC 3070
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9489 4609

Outer Circle Social Club

Melbourne is in Stage 4 lockdown at the moment, so it's a very sombre mood everyone here is feeling. This is not a good time for business owners, and I hope that I won't see too many of our local favourites close down for good when we emerge from lockdown. Outer Circle Social Club is one of our favourites for coffee and brunch around here. It's tucked away from the main street in the middle of a light industrial area, and this is the closest cafe to our house that serves superb coffee and delicious food. The space is a cleverly converted warehouse with a bright and modern minimalist design. Service was genial and welcoming, and the coffee and food certainly warrant coming back for more. I loved the quirky names for the menu items. Although hubby has enjoyed a few coffees here since we first discovered this little gem, we only managed to squeeze in one brunch date here before the Covid-19 lockdowns happened. I miss dining out, I miss kid-free time, and we will most definitely revisit Outer Circle Social Club regularly once we can dine out again.

Ample outdoor dining space:

Converted warehouse interior:

Excellent coffee:

Pig In A Blanket - smoked pulled pork shoulder wrapped up burrito-style with slaw, avo and a black bean, corn, jalapeno salsa:

Old Mate Ruben The Reuben Is Still Here - house-smoked brisket piled high and toasted between rye bread with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing; served with crisps and a pickle:

Outer Circle Social Club
1/299 Arthur St
Fairfield VIC 3078
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9486 3119

Excellent brunch and coffee @ Bean Counter Cafe, Melbourne

It is so much fun trying out all the nearby places for brunch, something that I had sorely missed during the recent months of lockdown. Bean Counter Cafe was somewhere we had gone to have our brunch dates a couple of times, and the most recent revisit happened on the very last day we would be kids-free for the next two and a half months. Bean Counter Cafe is a great choice for excellent coffee and delicious food in a cosy atmosphere. Service is always friendly too!

Alfresco dining (a great option for social distancing):

The coffee doesn't disappoint here:

New Age Benedict - slow-cooked pulled lamb shoulder on two rosti's, poached eggs, sumac hollandaise and kale. I loved the rosti alternative to the usual English muffin, and the lamb was beautifully tender and flavourful:

Pulled Pork Stack - slow-cooked pork belly on a hash tower with poached eggs, spinach and hollandaise. Great presentation, and an excellent brunch choice that was ordered again on a revisit:

Bean Counter Cafe
15 Railway Pl
Fairfield VIC 3078
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9482 1170

Delightful High Tea @ Hopetoun Tea Rooms, Melbourne

I have a soft spot for high teas, ever since my first afternoon tea experience in London almost a decade ago. Hopetoun Tea Rooms is an institution of the Melbourne tea scene, and one of the city's most famous and oldest cake shops, so it was only a matter of time before I would enjoy high tea there. Hopetoun Tea Rooms was one of the two options for hubby and I to celebrate our anniversary, but I discovered that this place is so popular that it is booked out for months in advance, and I could not secure a reservation for our anniversary celebration. So I looked ahead to the next special occasion date three months later, and saw availability in my younger sister's and my birthday month, so I proposed to my sister that we jointly celebrate our birthdays with high tea at Hopetoun Tea Rooms. My suggestion was enthusiastically accepted, and I went ahead with booking a date, with a special note of our joint birthdays and the fact that my sister was also pregnant. Just prior to our high tea date, I came across news that the owners of the tea house were facing some issues with the owners of the Block Arcade, so I entered the venue with the knowledge that it would possibly be my only opportunity to enjoy high tea there. However when the lovely lady owner came by for a chat with us, she assured me that the tea house would not be closing down soon. I suppose time will tell if Hopetoun Tea House will reopen for business after the government lifts the current Covid-19 restrictions on cafes and restaurants.

The window display of gorgeous cakes and tarts beckon tantalisingly next to the entrance:

The high ceiling and striking Victorian-era wallpaper were fitting for the slightly subdued atmosphere inside:

There was a queue of people outside waiting for tables when we arrived, and I felt fortunate that I had secured a table for us months ago. My sister and I were warmly welcomed and shown to our seats. Approximately a third of the tables were set aside for high tea reservations (indicated by the table cloths), and the remainder were available for walk-ins. Hopetoun Tea Rooms supplied a specially prepared plate of savouries for my sister that were void of any ingredients that would be unsafe for expecting mothers to consume, and my sister appreciated the thoughtful touch. We thoroughly enjoyed every sip of our coffee and tea, and savoured every morsel of our 3-tier high tea set. Our experience at Hopetoun Tea Rooms was delightful, and I hope that I can bring hubby here next time so he can experience it as well.

Our table:

My sister enjoyed one of 25 organic teas available at Hopetoun Tea Rooms:

Cappuccino for me:

My sister also indulged in an affogato during high tea:

The 3-tiers of high tea goodies:

Savouries included quiche lorraine, roast beef sandwich (sirloin with cheddar cheese, gherkin, horseradish mayonnaise and roquette in dark rye bread), pinwheels (Champagne ham, egg, with grain mustard and mayonnaise in white bread), classic devilled eggs en croûte (hard boiled eggs whipped with English mustard and mayonnaise), and vegetarian quiche:

My sister's pregnancy-friendly plate had a ham-free sandwich:

Sweets contained an assortment of signature petit fours. This is heaven on a plate for any sweet tooth:

A plate of fresh fruit for a boost of healthy amongst all the indulgence:

My favourite part of any high tea - fresh baked scones! These were accompanied with Hanks triple berry and double cream:

Hopetoun Tea Rooms
Shops 1 and 2
Block Arcade
282 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9650 2777

Coffee and brunch @ Station Grind Cafe, Melbourne

Station Grind Cafe is a relatively newcomer to the dining scene on Station Street in Fairfield, and the name alone enticed us to walk through the door, with the promise of good coffee within. The bright and cheerful decor was welcoming as we were told by the equally cheerful staff to take a seat at any unoccupied table. I adore the play area at the back, and I made note of it for the unlikely event that we would want to dine out with our three children (I love our children dearly, but having a meal with all three of them anywhere but home is a great feat that is taxing both physically and mentally!). The coffee did not disappoint, and the food was lipsmackingly good. Station Grind Cafe is on our list of places to revisit once restrictions are lifted!

A little play area complete with a large blackboard. Safety could probably be improved with a playpen fence to prevent kids wandering into the path of waitstaff carrying hot foods:

I had a piccolo while hubby had his usual cappuccino:

Pulled Lamb Benny - a brilliant combo of pulled lamb and eggs on an English muffin:

Smash It Away - dill and mint infused avocado topped with feta cheese and eggs (poached was my choice) on a savoury waffle. I enjoyed this just fine with poached eggs, but others who prefer more flavours (like my hubby) may like it better with scrambled eggs:

106 Station Street
Fairfield VIC 3078
Australia
Tel. (03) 8488 9316

Brunch and coffee @ Fifteen Pounds Cafe, Melbourne

It's the truth that good coffee is never far away anywhere in Melbourne, and hubby and I have been enjoying our monthly brunch dates trying out different cafes near home. Fifteen Pounds is yet another winner for us, for good coffee and delicious food. It's very conveniently located next to Fairfield Station, on the quieter side of the rail tracks, and easy to locate. The interior is cozy and comfortable, and there are outdoor tables both out in front on the sidewalk and at the back. There are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options on the menu. This is definitely a place we will revisit frequently for our brunch dates.

Delicious coffee here:

Hash Stack 2.0 - homemade hashbrowns with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce served with half avocado and haloumi on a beetroot puree smear. This was a delicious vegetarian dish:

The Roman - rustica multigrain toast topped with fresh avocado, crispy prosciutto, wild rocket tossed with shaved parmesan, two poached eggs and homemade basil pesto. I enjoyed this version of smashed avo very much:

Fifteen Pounds
21-23 Railway Pl
Fairfield VIC 3078
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9482 4481

Revisit: Operator25, Melbourne

Happy new year to all! Last month was yet another incredibly busy month, with the end-of-school-year hustle and bustle including our eldest kid's graduation, and the usual busyness of the end of year festivities. We also hosted my in-laws from Brisbane who visited for a week to spend Christmas with us. One of our favourite places to bring our out-of-town guests is brunch at Operator25 and then a short stroll to the Queen Vic Market, which is the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere. We first visited Operator25 a few years ago when we met up with a cousin, during a trip to Melbourne while we were still living in Hong Kong. We certainly didn't know that we would be back for many more visits, and we have enjoyed every visit. The drinks menu are as innovative and creative as the food, and I especially love the beautiful latte art that accompanies the hot drinks. The menu changes seasonally, so there's always something new to try everytime we visited. It is a very popular brunch joint, so I always make bookings on days that Operator25 accepts reservations (on weekdays only for groups over 6), which is essential whenever dining out with children. The benedict creations and burgers are always excellent choices, and all the other dishes we've tried have also been fabulous.

Check out the latte art:

Kaya Matcha Latte - a sweet, beautiful combination of flavours from two different cuisines:

Hot chocolate:

Mocha:

Picolo latte:

Teriyaki Benedict - Teriyaki pulled pork on toasted brioche with yuzu hollandaise, mizuna leaves and wonton crisps:

Balinese Pork Burger - Balinese marinated pork belly, fried egg, chilli mayo, crispy shallots, coriander, cabbage and carrot slaw on brioche bun:

Citrus-cured Salmon with tapioca and polenta croquettes, yuzu dressing, compressed cucumber, fresh tomatoes, wasabi mayonnaise and pickled beetroot and a poached egg:

Japanese Open Omelette with octopus, wakame, spring onion, edamame, Japanese mayo and miso buttered toast:

Rendang Benedict - pulled beef brisket rendang on brioche toast, poached eggs, lime hollandaise and wonton crisps:

Korean Fried Chicken Burger - fried chicken on black brioche bun, soy garlic sauce, butter lettuce, kimchi mayo, pickled radish and spiced potato crisps:

Operator25
25 Wills St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9670 3278