Dumplings Plus

269 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Earlier in the year Dumplings Plus on Swanston Street received a makeover, which resulted in a bright and clean new restaurant with a beautiful store-front display for their take-away items. It was this take-away display that lured me in to Dumplings Plus after a long night out.

 Dumplings Plus

 Stir fried noodles & beef slices in honey pepper sauce $13.80

Pan-fried mixed dumplings $12.40

I absolutely love dumplings and have tried many different styles of dumplings from a broad range of cultures including, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Polish and more. Although I have tried a wide range of styles, the Chinese style dumplings have always been a favourite of mine. The dumplings at Dumplings Plus had a slightly thicker skin than I was used to, but it was not overbearing, as the filling was quite robust in texture and flavour.

While there are definitely better choices for dumplings in the CBD, Dumplings Plus is definitely a good choice. The no-frills simplicity of the dumplings and other Chinese dishes they serve make it a good choice for a quick meal.

Food Rating 6.5/10

Overall Rating 6.5/10

Mary Miller

171 Miller Street, Fitzroy North

Previously the location of Me & Julio, Miller Street is now the home of the small and cosy Mary Miller Cafe. The simple and laid-back neighborhood atmosphere of the cafe is a welcome change from the nearby Brunswick restaurants and cafes, which makes it a great place for a casual breakfast or lunch - or for parents from the nearby school to relax before picking up their kids!

Chocolate milkshake

Being located next to a school, the chocolate milkshake is one of their most popular menu items. The milkshake had a rich chocolate flavour, but was unfortunately let down by the large amount of froth.

Beetroot, matcha and turmeric lattes

Steak sandwich

The steak sandwich was actually similar to a steak sandwich that I enjoyed at The Burger Lounge, so I was quite happy about it. The sandwich itself was a simple dish consisting steak, along with swiss cheese, caramelised onion, roquette, mayonnaise and beetroot relish. The steak was tender and while the other ingredients were all present, none of them overpowered the main ingredient of the steak.

Wagyu beef burger

My friend ordered the wagyu beef burger as they were looking for something a little more substantial. The composition of the burger itself was excellent, with a good balance of tasty components, such as the caramelised onion, short cut bacon and tomato relish. Although the burger as a whole was quite a good dish, it was not without shortcomings - the biggest of which was the wagyu patty, which was slightly overcooked and dry.

Zucchini and haloumi fritters

We were recommended the zucchini and haloumi fritters so we decided to give them a try, even though we already had quite a decent amount of food. The dish as a whole served as a wonderful and filling breakfast, with a mixture of fresh and savoury elements. While we did enjoy the fritters, we found it to be slightly on the heavy side, although some people might enjoy this.

Mary Miller is an great new cafe with amazing options for everybody, whether you are looking for a light breakfast, heavy lunch or are just stopping by for a milkshake after picking up the kids. While there were some minor setbacks and problems with the food, the overall standards and concepts were good and with some time, Mary Miller Cafe will definitely be a great cafe!

Were were invited by and dined courtesy of Mary Miller Cafe. 

Food Rating 7.5/10

Overall Rating 8/10