Hello my foodies!!

Over the few months I’ve been visiting many different places and tasted many different dishes (food that is… not the plate! lol.. lame.. i know… ) and tried different varieties of wine! :D I actually did a wine appreciation introductory course in July at the Prince Wine Store and have been dying to write about it!!!

Amongst that information, I’ve seriously got a backlog of heaps of yummy yummy food I need to talk about!!!

So over the next few weeks, I’ll talk about what I’ve learnt and share all this with you guys!!


Where to start..

Cape Schanck RACV Resort – Cape Schanck

(Yes, Taki goes wherever I go!)

I really only went here for one night but the view and the food was amazingg!! It was during Winter and it was one of the rare occasion when we saw SUN! I know! It was like… Where are we?? Queensland? lol.. ok.. it wasn’t that exotic!

Whenever I go somewhere nice, I usually order the duck because it’s something that’s not something I can make at home, so I pay someone to do it. lol..

 

I forgot what it’s called. LOL … Somewhere along the lines of Duck Confit, Potato hash brownie things, vegies and an Orange sauce! It was good!! Tender, succulent! I now will say this… I am a Duck Breast person! Definitely Duck Breast!! mmm… And I took the advice of the waiter and had it with a Pinot Noir… Although.. at that time.. i didn’t know how to enjoy it!

Now for dessert!

Are you ready?

Sticky date pudding with butter scotch sauce and macadamia ice cream… mmmm.. the sugar thing was a little too thick to bite… but the ice cream was good!

A Vanilla panna cotta with raspberry compute, sugar crisp, vanilla and raspberry macaron. Mmmmmmm this was YUMM!!! Like really yum!! (The crack on the macaron… my fault.. accidentally dropped my phone on it.. lol.. it was so tasty my phone wanted some ok!?)

The continental breakfast the next day was great as well! Would I go there again… probably not, unless it was on special… But then again.. all you RACV club car holders (like I), we get discounts! The RACV Cape Schanck Resort is one of those places you go to play GOLF! Definitely need to come here if golf is your thing!!

Otherwise, Room + Food, I’d give it a 3.5/5 … Not quite 4… and I say this because of what I compared it to..



Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove – Red Hill

This picture is for all those who watch “美食大三通” on TVBS Asia! When I saw them, I was like, “I know them!” my friend was like thinking they were my relatives or something. LOL OMG.. then I explained to her and then to all the staff at Montalto’s Cellar Door as well!!

OHH.. there’s a $5.00 charge for wine tasting at the cellar door!! But guess what!! They forgot to charge me and my friend!! Why…? Cos I entertained them with my stories of these Taiwanese Travel Show people! LOL

The Food… I’m sorry.. I have to swear… THE FOOD AT MONTALTO IS F*CKING AMAZING!!

Like OMG, I would so totally have my last meal here!! OMG!! The food here is SOOOOOOO damn expensive, but oh so worth it!!

Carrot soup with Leek foam… Complimentary… So good!!! Strange idea, Carrot soup, but.. it actually reminded me of “Bo Kho” for all those Vietnamese people out there!! :D

Olive bread and olive oil! The Olive Oil is like.. DIVINE! Like.. OMG… you can taste Olive! Not just oil! So Good!!

Quail and Foie Gras over lentils and potato… OMG.. YUMMMMMMMMM!!! Quail and any liver pate is like divine!! But this was sooo yummmmmmmmm!!! Like so yummmmm!!

Scallops! The best scallop I’ve ever had!! Perfectly cooked through!! Crusty but silky smooth on the inside. I have a problem with undercooked food.. either serve it raw, or cooked well (all apart from steak) .. and Montalto.. they made me Oh-SO-Happy with these guys!!! SO GOOD!!

No I didn’t have a glass of wine this time! lol I was the designated driver… but I did try some wines at the cellar door.. I remember the Shiraz was really good… really soft, fruity… cigar box.. lol (A wine tasting joke from our class!)

What do I give Montalto? 5/5 The best!!! The yummiest place ever and if you are going to have a quiet weekend or relaxation at the Hot Springs down in Rosebud, you have to stop by Montalto in Red Hill! You HAVE TO!

But if you won’t be travelling to the beaches on that side of the world.. Then you have to go to the beaches on the closer side of the world!




The Cerberus Beach House – Half Moon Bay

Now I am a beach hanger.. as most of you will know.. and my favourite go to beach is “Half Moon Bay” sort of halfway between Black Rock and Sandringham… I usually go there to study.. I know.. That’s how I roll.. LOL

But anyway.. I’ve always wanted to go to this cafe that my friend has told me about but wasn’t sure where it was… So I was here one day with my Berra friend.. and thought.. why not try this place out.. we were walking around and saw this dinghy looking blue shack thing… and I thought.. is this it?

Walked up the stairs.. and … wow… Should have totally made a reservation! I wanted to sit on the window seats! At the top of the Cerberus Beach House.. the view is absolutely amazing!! Like ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! And it was a sunny day as well!!

I didn’t try much on this day… and only had a small entree..

I tried the “Thai Styled Crab Cakes” with I think it was avocado that swipe you see there.. lol.. and proscuito wrapped salad… The crab cakes were good! Herbatitious (is that a word?), fragrant… the salad… I specifically said “Can you please just give me plain lettuce.. I can’t eat Rocket or Endive”… and what’s inside the wrap! Yup!! I felt sick afterwards!

My friend had the spagetti marinara. It looked good and apparently it tasted good.

I had a sparkling wine this day.. It was just an ordinary one.. didn’t write down the name..

The Cerberus Beach House is one of those romantic places you take someone special, or a place to take some good friends to enjoy a good view! Definitely deserves a 4/5 because of the view! Food wise.. it is pricey… So yes.. a special day!! ;D

But if you’re looking for seafood-y but not wanting to spend too much.. why not stop by Springvale!



Tan Lac Vien – Springvale

I had photos ok! So I’m going to do a review!

I go to this place for one thing! Crab Noodles! “Banh Canh Cua” lol.. (I lol cos last time I wrote, Banh Cun Cua!)

but this night, I tried something different!

Pipies in a …. XO sauce with crunchy deep fried doughnut sticks “Yow Jau Guai” … mmmmm that’s comfort food for me! (Stole your line Mr. Luke Nguyen!! :D )

Sizzling mongolian beef! Another comfort chinese food!!

The star of this restaurant is the Crab noodles! At $18 a bowl, it is a bargain with a few chunks of mud crab in it! Remember to add a few slices of fresh chilli in it! Adds to the flavour!! :D

This joint, Tan Lac Vien, is a place that my friends and I go to when we’re in Springvale and just want to go somewhere homely.. I’d give this place a 3.5/5 … it’s a nice Asian place to get some comfort Asian cuisine!

Oooo I found a picture of the Banh Canh Cua that I was talking about from the FaceBook Page!! (remember to like!!)

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!

Since we’re in Springvale!



Nam Giao – Springvale

I’ve eaten at many different Asian restaurants but no one does Bun Bo Hue like they do at Nam Giao at the back of Springvale Road… sort of on the corner of Lightwood Road and on that road… It has the same name as the song by Duffy… the train station.. OH yeah.. Nam Giao is opposite Springvale Station! LOL

I don’t have a photo of this place because every time I get my Bun Bo Hue (Thick Vermicelli noodles in spicy soup with Beef slices, pig trotter, pork tofu, egg bake and fish cake) I just eat it! I can’t even wait to take a photo of it!

To eat it, you’ve got to add the salad coleslaw thing in, squeeze a little bit of lemon, add a few slices of chilli! HEAVEN!




Okkkk… that must be enough food for this week! From the depths of Mornington Peninsula, to Beach Road, to Springvale.. Stay tuned for the next installments… We’ve still got:

Prince Wine Store – St Kilda

International Wines

De Bortelli Winery – Yarra Valley

Newcastle

Little Snackeroos

Food and Wine Matching – Lygon Street

and more!!

Until then, Thanks for reading!!

Karen x