Owner: Candid Cuisine URL:http://www.candidcuisine.com/ Join Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:03:29 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Take two guys, add a serving of hunger, a dash of laziness, and what do you have?: A blog full of food reviews!
This blog will consist of very candid, no-holds-barred restaurant reviews of places around our hometown of Melbourne, Australia, but occasio Site statistics:Click here
Ye Shanghai 2007-04-08 18:17:04 For our first review, we wanted to pick somewhere we hadn't been before, and I remembered this place.
Ye Shanghai
, a Chinese restaurant in the heart of the city in busy Swanston St, has been open about a year or more, but we just hadn't gotten around to visiting. So today was the day.
Welcome! 2007-03-29 05:16:57 Take two guys, add a serving of hunger, a dash of laziness, and what do you have?: A blog full of food reviews!
Welcome
to Candid Cuisine.
Minh Tan II 2007-04-12 08:24:25 Minh Tan II is a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant in Richmond. I had never actually been inside, but i'd walked past this restaurant many times on my way to my regular haunt, about half a block further down Victoria St.
Two friends if ours, John & Robert, asked us out to dinner. We decided that we would visit Minh Tan II, after Robert mentioned the food he'd eaten on previous occasions was fantastic.
Post-Mao Cafe 2007-04-19 08:50:48 Post-Mao Cafe is a quaint, brightly painted restaurant situated toward the top end of Melbourne's Chinatown. Normally, we stay clear of places that have someone out the front trying to coax people inside - as I figure if they need that, they can't be very good.
But a few groups of people seemed to be heading in without needing any persuasion, so we decided to give it a go as well.
Ye Shanghai - Revisited 2007-04-24 16:15:44 As we were pondering what to cook last night, my friend Kenny rang to tell me he was in Melbourne, and asked us out to dinner. Problem solved! I decided we'd take Kenny to Ye Shanghai
, but this time we would sample a nice selection from the main menu.
We got ready, and headed into the city. After driving around in circles for a while looking for a park, (Damn busy for a Sunday night!?) we finally found one. Then we made our way to Ye Shanghai, where Kenny was waiting outside. Read more:Revisited
Hao Phong 2007-04-23 15:05:13 Nestled in the heart of Footscray, the recently refurbished Hao Phong
does a brisk trade.
For many Vietnamese, Sunday lunch means one thing: Phở (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup).
To give you an idea of its popularity, there are at least 5 or 6 other restaurants within close proximity that just serve this one dish. If Yum-Cha (Dim-Sum) could be classed as an unofficial Chinese pastime, Pho would be the Vietnamese equivalent.
Spicy Fish 2007-05-17 07:06:19 Last night, we went to Spicy
Fish in Little Bourke St. We've walked past a few times lately, and it always seemed packed. So we thought either the food must be good and customers keep coming back, or a lot of people go there wondering the same thing as ourselves.
After being shown to our seats near the rear of the restaurant, we were presented with a substantial menu, and a laminated 'Specials' leaflet. The waitress fetched us two glasses and a bottle of chilled water, and left us to decide.
Spaghetti Tree 2007-05-14 04:41:54 Last Tuesday we went to Spaghetti
Tree for dinner. Situated close to the top of Bourke St, this restaurant has been open for many years, and has a regular clientele.
I'd previously been here a couple of years ago with some friends on a Friday night, and they had a guy playing the piano as the live entertainment / background music. I'm not sure if they still do that, or maybe it only happens on the busy nights.
Poon’s Chinese Take-Away & Milk Bar 2007-05-13 13:48:32 Being Mother's Day today, I took a quick trip up to see my parents, in Ballarat.
I was a bit late leaving, so it was lunchtime when I arrived. I was hungry. I had a craving. Poonie's Takeaway! I thought.
I'm not sure of their opening hours, but they never seem to be closed. Read more:Chinese
Nyala African Restaurant 2007-05-21 22:01:34 On Saturday I didn't feel like cooking dinner, so I rang John & Robert to see if they wanted to eat out somewhere with us. I decided we'd go somewhere a bit different, and I had Nyala African
Restaurant in mind.
I rang and attempted to book, but was told they were already booked out - but if I rang back in half an hour, he'd confirm some bookings to see if he had any cancellations. Wow, Nyala's certainly become busier than when I last visited, which was a couple of years ago. I rang back, and we were in luck, so I booked us in for 7.30.
Golden Orchids 2007-05-30 04:48:34 Once again, we set out in search of a decent place to have dinner. Tonight, we visited GoldenOrchids
, who proclaim to have been the first Malaysian restaurant in Melbourne.
This two-storey eatery, open since 1973, boasts three claims to fame: Its 'signature dish', the Malaysian Chilli Prawns, its range of Malaysian Curries, and its Satays.
Jaipur Curry Bar 2007-06-06 23:23:45 16 Bourke St, Melbourne
At work, our team had its monthly Luncheon yesterday. Instead of going somewhere for the usual Chicken Parmagiana or Steak and Chips, someone suggested we should try an Indian restaurant for a change. Especially considering half our team are Indian.
The place recommended to us was JaipurCurry
Bar, a narrow fronted place at the top of Bourke St, opposite the Hard Rock Cafe. It's easy to spot though, with the brightly coloured beads dangling in the window - and the other two curry places right beside it.
We had a booking for 12:15, and were told to be prompt. Two of the guys went ahead early, to secure our seats.
Ichiban Boshi 2007-06-15 10:50:49 Recently, we took a trip to Sydney and I insisted on taking Louis to this restaurant my friends took me to last time I visited - Ichiban Boshi.
Situated nextdoor to Kinokuniya in The Galeries Victoria (opposite the massive Queen Victoria Building), Ichiban Boshi commands an exceptionally brisk trade. In peak times, you take a number, and wait. And listen carefully for your number to be called, which can take anything upto half an hour - but it's worth the wait.
Shark Fin House 2007-06-25 07:35:03 On Saturday we went to Shark
Fin House
with two friends, Jin and Kian.
I rang up at 10am, expecting them to be booked out, but they had some room available for their late (1.30) session.
The only trouble with having yum-cha on a Saturday is finding a park. Most parks are 1 hour limit, and you normally need at least 1 1/2 hours to have a nice relaxed yum-cha. We were lucky and found a 2 hour park at the top end of Exhibition St, and filled the $3.50-per-hour meter with coins.
We got to Shark Fin on time, and joined the queue in the (cramped) foyer. Then, once the lift arrived back at ground, we were told to go to L2. So we crammed in the lift with everyone else.
Sydney Workin’ 2007-07-10 01:06:11 Just thought to drop you guys a note - we haven’t disappeared, I’ve been doing some work in Sydney
and haven’t had access to the programs I need to resize all our great food pics, but we’ll put some more reviews up soon!
In the meantime if you want some more tummy-candy, check out some of [...] Read more:Workin
Nakashima - Sydney 2007-07-11 08:07:17 A different view outside a different window, although the weather is very similar. Hello from Sydney
, where i'll be working for the next week.
The day was busy, and the time passed quickly. After asking a few co-workers about a restaurant they'd recommend, I decided that tonight we'd try out Nakashima Japanese Restaurant, at The Rocks.
Sailor’s Thai Canteen - Sydney 2007-07-12 08:24:22 Building on our successful dining experience at The Rocks last night, we decided we'd head down there again to find out what other hidden gems we could find.
I finished work later than usual, so I freshened up at the hotel, and then we walked down George St again. We hadn't ventured far when I spied a small sign above a doorway, simply titled 'Sailor
's Thai'.
As I looked through the window, it seemed quite busy - which is always a good sign - and despite the single long bench type seating, the interior looked cosy and inviting. We decided to give it a try. Read more:Sydney
Marigold Citymark - Sydney 2007-07-15 06:14:06 No trip to Sydney
would be complete without sampling the local yum-cha on offer, so on Sunday we headed to Marigold Citymark with two of Louis' friends.
Having very limited internet access I was unable to check up to see the general reviews on Marigold, but judging from the crowds packing into the lifts, it seemed to be quite a popular place.
We squeezed in with everyone else and alighted at the 4th floor, but evidently the 5th floor is the main restaurant level.
Dolcissimo - Sydney 2007-07-13 08:31:12 On friday night, Sydney
was bustling. People, and cars, everywhere. We were going to meet a couple of friends of mine for dinner, but car parking was going to be a problem.
Instead of eating in the city, I told Ray that i'd let him choose a restaurant - a sensible choice seeing as they live here and should know a few good places. After a 15 minute drive, we ended up in Haberfield, outside Dolcissimo, a large Italian restaurant. Ray recently had dinner here, and said it was very good.
The Conservatory @ Crown - Rasa Malaysia Feast 2007-07-24 01:00:18 We recently visited The Conservatory, for their "Rasa MalaysiaFeast
", which was a Malaysian-themed food banquet on offer from the 11th to 25th July.
Here's the official marketing spiel;
As Malaysia celebrates 50 years of nationhood, Conservatory welcomes celebrity chef Ismail Ahmad and master chefs Chiew Yean Teng, Lam Teck Seong, Sharun bin Ramil and Md Zamri bin Awaludin.
They will present a range of Malaysian specialties on the buffet, spanning Chinese, Indian and Nyonya cuisines.
Diners may also enjoy performances by a Malaysian dance troupe, who will perform during lunch and dinner. Read more:Crown
Tai Pan 2007-08-05 08:55:39 Lately, the quality of city yum cha seems to be a bit lacking, so last Sunday we ventured out to the suburbs with John & Robert for a decent feed.
We'd booked a table at Tai Pan in Doncaster for their morning session. As we got there on time right on 11, everything was already in full swing. As soon as we were seated, we were being offered goodies off a trolley - before our tea had even arrived!
Due to the design of the restaurant, the main eating area at Tai Pan is raised - which is the best spot to get a seat if you can, as the trolleys don't go downstairs to the small eating area, so down there you rely on waitresses with hand platters walking around.
Even though we were on time, the main area was filling up fast. About 10 minutes later, the place was full.
Candid Update: 23/09/2007 2007-09-23 00:27:52 Candid Cuisine apologizes for the lack of updates. Damien is currently rather busy with his job and Louis is also occupied with university coursework. But food is food, and a man’s still gotta eat, therefore we promise to put up more reviews soon. Stay tuned! Read more:Update
Taste of Malaysia 2007-08-21 07:06:30 Last weekend, the weather here in Melbourne decided to do its best to keep people at home. Drizzly rain and wind. Undeterred, we met up with a few friends and ventured upto King St, where there are more than a few restaurants popping up.
Amongst them, Taste of Malaysia
beckoned with its bright red sign, a few doors down from the corner of Lonsdale St. Not yet having found a Malaysian restaurant we'd recommend to being on-par with real Malaysian food from a Malaysian mamak (despite obvious currency differences), we decided to give it a go.
Loi Loi Vietnamese & Chinese Restaurant 2007-09-28 06:35:58 A couple of weeks ago, a friend of Louis', David, took us to dinner at Loi Loi, in Richmond.
David is a self-confessed foodie, and describes Loi Loi as one of his regular haunts - so we had some reasonable expectations that we'd have a good meal.
Being a Friday night, getting from one side of the city over to Richmond was no easy feat. We were to meet at 7.00, but by the time I got through the traffic, it was about 7.15.
Parking wasn't hard to find as Loi Loi is situated sort of down the 'forgotten end' of Victoria St (forgotten by me anyway, as i'd never ventured beyond Church St for food). Read more:Vietnamese
, Chinese
Buffet: Melba @ The Langham 2007-10-10 00:36:15 A couple of months ago my work had a team lunch at the Melba Buffet
. We each paid $28.50, which was reasonably priced (at the high end of the scale) and was quite enjoyable.
Louis' Birthday came up recently and seeing as he loves seafood, I couldn't think of anything better than a buffet of seafood to feast upon. We'd already been to (and been let down by) the Conservatory, so Melba sounded like a good bet.
Coincidently being Fathers' Day, reservations were scarce - we were able to book the last table they had available. The buffet price varies depending on the menu and the day of the week (and time of year). When I went with work colleagues, we paid $28.50 p/p for the full lunch buffet on a Tuesday. The Weekend Dinner price was slightly higher, at $69.50 per person. We figured we'd just eat a lot to get our money's worth.
Satay Inn Malaysian Restaurant 2007-10-26 23:19:27 Last night we took a trip up to Satay
Inn (opposite the Vic Market) in Victoria St, for dinner.
From looking at their website, it looked like we would finally find some of the authentic Malaysian
dishes we'd been searching for since we started this blog. Especially when I saw this claim - "...our cooking is done by a Malaysian chef who knows his craft well. Not a non-Malaysian who is doubtful about what the taste should be..."
Their website isn't flash, but I hoped they put the real effort in where it counted - into the food. The pictures on the site had the feel of the kinds of dishes you'd be served at a Malaysian Mamak, so fingers crossed.
Red Silks Restaurant & Bar 2007-10-12 00:00:06 Last week we were in the City around dinner time, so we wandered upto Red Silks, in Bourke St, for dinner. Well known amongst Melbournes' student population for its large menu and fairly cheap pricing, it's always busy.
Red Silks is situated upstairs in the Mid City arcade (above BreadTalk), so it's pretty easy to find.
Upon entering we were shown to a table in the sunken 'lounge' area inside, (outside on the balcony is the smokers' area) and were given a menu each. I noticed they'd just introduced a new menu, and were offering 10% off for their birthday special until the 7th. Bargain!
Okra Restaurant 2007-11-02 03:28:11 Last night we visited Okra in Hawthorn East, for dinner with John & Robert.
A couple of days earlier, I was once again scouring the net for a the ever elusive decent Malaysian restaurant. Miettas had a review from a couple of years ago for Okra, and I figured that if they were still around, they must have something going for them - so I recommended we take a look.
Okra has narrow street frontage so keep a sharp look out, but when it gets darker of a night you'll be easily able to spot the neon sign.
There was ample parking in the Dan Murphy's / Dick Smith carpark a few doors up, though with the amount of food we ate we probably should have planned a longer walk back to the car. ;)
Seared Steak & Seafood 2007-11-18 20:01:35 Last Saturday, we spent the afternoon watching a movie at Highpoint, and then as it was already dinner time by the time it finished, we decided to drop by Seared for a lazy dinner.
Situated outside on the lowest level (Level 1), occupying the space previously held by Kenny Rogers Roasters, Seared is fairly new on the block.
We had the choice of eating inside or out, but as there were people smoking in the outdoor area, we chose to eat inside. There's nothing worse than trying to enjoy your dinner whilst breathing someone's secondhand smoke. Read more:Steak
Seoul House 2007-12-17 23:36:31 On Saturday night we went out with some friends for some Korean food. There are a surprising number of Korean Restaurants here in Melbourne, although lately I noticed a few have disappeared.
After discovering Seoul
Garden on Exhibition St is no longer open, (and the building has probably been flattened by now) we walked back a block and spied the sign for Seoul House
, upstairs on the corner of Lonsdale and Russell.
Recommend Site To A Friend
