Melbourne 2014 - Part 2

So the days leading up to the Melbourne trip I did some intensive research, in hopes to create an awesome foodie itinerary. Much to my disappointment, the search term 'Melbourne Foodie Itinerary' brought up many paid food tours but limited blogs on DIY food adventures. So here's my noob, last minute version of...

A Foodie's Walking Tour of Melbourne.

We started the day with a hearty breakfast. Because Aunt-T loves a good breakfast.

1. Cumulus Inc.

Cumulus Up! 2013 Duck waffle, foie gras & prune $9

Its the talk of the town! Cumulus Inc. serves a great... breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. In my 2013 trip, I managed to sample the wonderful Duck waffle from Cumulus Up! But my greatest regret was missing the breakfast.

Shakshouka - baked eggs with roasted peppers and shanklish $17

I'd been looking forward to this for over a year. Did it disappoint? No! Greed & gluttony took over as I ate the whole pan myself (Uncle G is a sleep-in kinda guy, so more Shakshouka for me mwhahahaa!!).

Smoked bacon bap, gentleman's relish $12

Mushrooms on toast with Parmesan & (no) 65/65 egg $16

CT must have been really hungry, because he monstered both dishes. I tried some of the mushrooms, they were nice but probably needed the eggs to make it something special. CT was able to compare his Bacon Burger yesterday at Hardware Soc. with this one. Winner? Cumulus Inc. The bacon here had a little something extra.

Let's start walking after that big meal. Hopefully if you're following this itinerary you didn't get too full from breakfast, because stop 2 isn't far.

2. Waffee

Oh Mai Gawwddd hot waffles been made in from of your eyes! I am especially fond of hot, freshly made Belgian waffles as they are attached to fond childhood memories.

A selection of original, chocolate glazed, cinnamon, chocolate stick or blueberry.

Chocolate stick wedges chocolate in the middle of the hot waffle, so its full of melty chocolate goodness as you bite into it. A natural choice. Uncle G, Ms Strawberry and I share this.

Nom nom nom! Sticky and golden, crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside and oozing with chocolate. I liked it so much I came back for seconds! This time chocolate stick and cinnamon. Cinnamon is a winner!

Now at this point, if you're a hot chips fan, its time to visit some Lord of the Fries, but we passed as we have our own in Sydney now.

If you walk north on Swanston St, then turn left at Elizabeth you will arrive at...

3. Ganache Chocolate

Allegedly this place has the best chocolate cake ever - the Brownie Mousse Slice - we happened to walk past so we just had to try!

Brownie Mousse Slice $8.50

It was everything you'd expect. Rich, heavy, decadent - personally I would have preferred some plain cream to cut the richness.

The Fifth Avenue $8.50

This was everyone's favourite! Still with a rich chocolatey mousse but contrasted by crispy chocolate & raspberry interior.

Passionfruit and Mango $8.50

For those of us who aren't so into chocolate, this is the one. Another delicious option.

[Clockwise from top left] Iced Chocolate; Strawberry and Cream Tea for two; White Chocolate Chai; White Hot Chocolate

After this morning tea, we casually stroll to Hutong Dumpling bar, "the best dumplings in Melbourne". We found them to be quiet mediocre. I was especially unimpressed when the waiter tried to pass "Guo Tie" for "Shen Jian Bao". I was so disappointed I didn't even snap any photos.
But there's so much to eat, I wasn't particularly bothered.

4. La Belle Miette.

Let me explain. Aunt T is not a fan of macaroons (! Blasphemy). I'm always roped into trying them by Uncle G's sweet tooth, so I've actually tried a number of macaroons including Pierre Hermes in Paris.

[Clockwise from top left]Earl Grey, Blueberry, Rose, Salted Caramel $2.50 each

So three friends and I were completely stuffed after so much eating, we intended to share 1 macaroon between four. We ended up each one each and buying a 6 pack to take back to Sydney (mine never made it so far).

[Left to right] Passionfruit; Blueberry; Salted caramel; Raspberry; Earl Grey  $2.50 each

The Earl Grey was by far the favourite. It was unique, with distinct Earl Grey aroma and just the right level of sweetness. Salted Caramel was wonderfully chewy. Blueberry was abundant in real berry flavour and blueberry jam centre. Raspberry was also outstanding!

5. Sea Salt.

Tucked away amongst the cafes is this little seafood gem. I'm glad Ms Eyes. insisted to take us there.

Ms. Eyes says these are the best sushi's ever! (In fact she bought all the inari pictured). We sampled their sushi - it was indeed delicious! Unfortunately we couldn't stomach anymore, we would definitely visit again to try their fish and chips.

Wedding @ The Willows.

Finally I want to include a little tribute to the reason we were down in Melbourne. The weather couldn't be better, the day wouldn't have gone smoother, we couldn't have been happier for our newly wed friends. Together we celebrated the joining of their families at Fitzroy Park.

Following a perfect ceremony, we attended the reception was held at Willow's Restaurant, a quaint function venue perfectly suited to a garden theme.

Simple & sweet, like a Roman holiday, yes? (That Audrey Hepburn movie).

We took our names tags, wrote the answer to the question "Love is...?" and popped it into the bottle.

[Clockwise from top left] Pumpkin risotto, Chicken Caesar salad, Salmon filo parcel

After much photo booth, candy bar and canape fun; it was meal time! The risotto hides inconspicuously amongst protein choices but this entrée wins favourite dish of the night!

[Clockwise from top left] Porterhouse steak; Chicken stuffed with bacon; Fish

Apologies for the vague descriptions, especially for the fish dish, but nevertheless it was a great dish and the potatoes were divine! Ms Strawberry was initially reluctant about ordering the fish but was glad she did in the end. The favourite main of the night, however, would have to go to the chicken.
What's there not to like about chicken and bacon? Its amazing to get chicken so tender and moist in a large function. We were all fans (only wish we had more).

We had the wedding cake for dessert with a choice of Messina Gelato. I really liked this idea actually, as often after dessert no one eats the wedding cake. Its clever planning and maximising resources at its best! I would happily recommend The Willows as a wedding or function venue without hesitation.

It was a superb wedding. If Mr & Mrs Newly-Weds are reading this, congratulations! Thanks for allowing us to share such a special moment with you.