Good Ovening

Shop 3, 200 Queen Street, Melbourne

Many of the Melbourne CBD's Korean fried chicken restaurants often find themselves full of customers along with a packed waiting list. Being a relatively newer name, Good Ovening isn't quite as packed as the other restaurants, however they still boast a great range of Korean dishes and drinks and definitely rate as one of my favourite Korean fried chicken restaurants! 

Garden platter

The garden platter is one of the special dishes that I really enjoy ordering at Good Ovening. The oven roasted chicken thigh had an intense flavour from the herbs and slight char, which was quite pleasant when paired with the vegetables, sauces and radish. This made for a dish that was both tasty and fun to share and eat.

 Korean Fried Chicken

First and foremost, Good Ovening is a Korean Fried Chicken restaurant, so you would come to expect their fried chicken to be the best item on their menu. Unfortunately the chicken we ordered was only decent, with a small serving size when compared with other fried chicken restaurants.

Carbonara chicken

The carbonara chicken was another one of the unique dishes from Good Ovening. Although the sauce left some of the chicken with a soggy crust, the flavour was still good and definitely something that was new to me.

Corn cheese

Chilli cheese chicken

Good Ovening has everything that makes a casual restaurant great, which makes it my most recommended Korean fried chicken restaurant. Although we didn't find anything that set apart their fried chicken, every other aspect was well above expectations. The wide range of different Korean food offerings, as well as their range of drinks, atmosphere and friendly service definitely keep me coming back for more!

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Rococo

797 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

First launched in 2005, Rococo brings both classic and contemporary Italian flavours to the table and with two locations, St Kilda and Hawthorn, they are a great place to visit for some modern Italian flavours. When travelling down Hawthorn's Glenferrie Road, it is difficult to miss Rococo. The large signage accompanied by the even larger restaurant will definitely catch your attention.

Since we were not very hungry, we chose to order one pasta dish and one pizza dish to share between the three of us. Although the pizza was enjoyable, with a good balance of flavours within the toppings and a slight char on the crust, I would have to say that we enjoyed the pasta at Rococo a lot more. The reason we enjoyed the pasta more than the pizza was not because of anything incredibly special, rather it was the lack of mistakes that a lot of other large Italian restaurants often make. This includes aspects such as how the pasta is cooked, to the ratio of ingredients and sauce to the pasta.

Although Rococo would not be my first choice if I were looking for an authentic Italian style meal, they would definitely be my choice for a solid meal with Italian flavours, in a relaxed and spacious environment.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Ampang Tofu

13 Village Avenue, Doncaster

Ampang Tofu is a popular Malaysian restaurant located within Village Avenue in Doncaster, along with a selection of other small restaurants and take-outs. I find myself visiting Ampang Tofu quite often, as a good friend of mine lives in the area, but it is often quite hard to find a table available, as I have never seen Ampang Tofu when they aren't busy.

Ampang Tofu

Ampang Yong Tau Foo - Dry

Ampang Yong Tau Foo - Tom Yum

Ampang Tofu is one of my favourite places in Melbourne for Yong Tau Foo, which is a dish found in many Asian countries which consists of stuffed tofu and vegetables along with other various items, such as fish balls and dumplings. I chose to have the tom yum soup as my base since it was best of the choices available. Although I was impressed by the flavour of the soup and the balance of the dish, the real star of the dish was the various pieces of stuffed tofu and vegetables.

Although I have had better variations of this dish overseas in Hong Kong, Ampang Tofu has delivered some of the best and most consistent Yong Tau Foo that I have tried in Melbourne. Unfortunately, they are a bit out of the way, but if you ever find yourself in the eastern suburbs with a craving for Asian food, I would definitely give them a try!

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall  Rating 8/10

Portello Rosso

15 Warburton Lane, Melbourne

Portello Rosso is one of the Melbourne CBD's most popular and well regarded Spanish restaurants. Their menu focuses on their range of small dishes which are great for sharing, but also offers some slightly larger dishes as well. As a specialty, Portello Rosso also offers a variety of amazing paella, as well as a selection of Spanish and Australian wines.

We decided to try a few of their more well known dishes, such as the patatas bravas, which is a staple in Spanish tapas, as well as the paella for which Portello Rosso is known for. The patatas bravas were a great dish which we enjoyed snacking on. The potatoes were crispy on the outside, yet still soft on the inside and the generous amount of sauces, as well as the slight kick from the spice gave the dish an amazing flavour. 

The paella was the dish that we were most looking forward to, as we had heard much about it. Though our expectations were exceeded when the large paella dish arrived and the aroma wafted over us. Each individual element of the dish came together wonderfully and created a harmony of flavours and textures. The favourite part of the dish for me though was definitely the small pieces of crispy paella that had formed on the bottom of the hot pan.

We went to Portello Rosso with high expectations, as the restaurant had quite a good reputation and we were definitely not disappointed. The strong and exotic Spanish flavours, as well as the range of wines and friendly staff make for a great restaurant experience.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Hunky Dory

171-175 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood

When you think of fish and chips in Australia, most people might think of the dingy old corner shop selling oil soaked fish and frozen chips. Hunky Dory has been changing that view since they first opened in 2004 by offering an expansive menu with a range of different seafood and flavours, while still offering the classic fish and chip favourites.

Hunky Dory

Spotless kitchen

Salt and pepper calamari

I ordered the salt and pepper calamari after finishing my main grilled fish dish, as my friends guaranteed me that it would be amazing. Although the dish was quite basic, the calamari was perfectly cooked and possibly some of the most tender calamari I have ever tried.

Grilled flavours from around the world - The Latino

For my main dish, I chose to try their grilled fish with Greek salad instead of the usual fried fish and chips. My expectations for the dish were set incredibly high, as my friends had told me the first time they tried this dish was a life changing experience. While the fish was cooked well and the mix of Mediterranean and Latino flavours were quite enjoyable, I would have to say that it definitely was not a life changing dish.

Hunky Dory is a great place to visit for your seafood fix and with 8 stores around Melbourne you won't need to travel too far to find one. Although they aren't the life changing experience that was described to me by my friends, I would still definitely recommend giving Hunky Dory a visit, as they are far above most other local fish and chip shops.

Food Rating 7.5/10

Overall Rating 7.5/10

Don't Tell Mama Shh

751-753 Doncaster Road, Doncaster

Don't Tell Mama Shh is a Korean restaurant just a few minutes walk away from Westfield Doncaster. They serve many different types of Korean specialties, from bibimbap, to fried chicken and even Korean army stew, all of this in their restaurant with walls that are adorned with quirky little phrases such as Don't tell mama our cooking is better than hers (which we would never dare to do).

Fried rice cake $5

The fried rice cakes were the first thing we ordered. They were covered in a sweet chilli sauce which was a lot more sweet than spicy, but not to the point where it would be unpleasant.

Japchae $17

Mama's fried chicken two flavours $34

Korean fried chicken is a staple dish of many of Melbourne's Korean restaurants, with many specialist restaurants creating a menu based solely on the dish. Despite having these specialist Korean fried chicken restaurants to compete with all over Melbourne, Don't Tell Mama Shh's fried chicken is definitely a contender. Unlike many other places, the sauce coatings aren't overpowering in terms of flavour and sweetness, and form a nice consistency, which creates an even coating for the chicken. All of this is accentuated by how the chicken is cooked, leaving it nice and tender with a good amount of juiciness. 

Don't Tell Mama Shh has become one of the go to Korean restaurants in the eastern suburbs. Although there aren't actually that many competitors in the surrounding area, they are definitely up there in terms of what Melbourne has to offer. 

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Okami Japanese

188 Moreland Road, Brunswick

Okami Japanese is one of the many Japanese buffets in Melbourne offering an all you can eat style dining experience. Although there are many other all you can eat style Japanese buffets, Okami is by far the largest of them, with 8 restaurants currently open around Melbourne.

Teriyaki beef

Sushi and sashimi platter

Chicken skewers

Beef carpaccio

The quality of the food at Okami Japanese is a lot higher than that of other Japanese buffets I have visited. I especially enjoyed the teriyaki beef which was tender and flavourful, as well as the beef carpaccio, which is a dish I order at almost every Japanese restaurant I visit. 

The one downside to Okami I found was that because their restaurant was so popular, the staff struggled to keep up with the orders of multiple tables. This made is so that the pace of the food coming out was incredibly inconsistent, as well as having orders getting forgotten or mixed up.

Even with the inconsistent service, I would still recommend giving Okami a try. Their quality of food, especially for an all you can eat buffet is quite high and for the price of $29.80, the meal is definitely a bargain. 

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 7.5/10

Tai Pan

237-239 Blackburn Road, Doncaster East

Growing up in an Asian family, Yum Cha was a weekly ritual for us. Having tried many of Melbourne's Yum Cha offerings, we have settled for a few favourites of ours, including Shark Fin, Gold Leaf and of course, Tai Pan. 

Having existed as a standalone restaurant for many years, Tai Pan is now under the Secret Kitchen name, which also included a revamp of their menu to include some of Secret Kitchen's dishes.

Going to Yum Cha is more of a complete experience rather than a sampling of individual dishes, as such it is quite difficult to judge each of the separate dishes we tried. Although the Yum Cha at Tai Pan is slightly more expensive than the other places that I usually visit, it is definitely something I do not mind, as the overall experience is generally better. 

Other than the quality of the food, which is of a consistently high standard, the staff also make the rounds and take orders quickly and efficiently, which allows the customers to enjoy the Yum Cha without worrying about flagging staff down constantly or waiting for food. I would definitely recommend giving them a visit for Yum Cha if you are in the area!

Food Rating 7.5/10

Overall Rating 7.5/10

Little Woodpecker

55 Katrina Street, Blackburn

Little Woodpecker is a small local cafe located in Blackburn North that specializes in fresh seasonal brunch items with a little bit of a Middle-Eastern twist, as well as custom roast coffee. As Little Woodpecker is the closest local cafe to me, I often find myself visiting them for a coffee and quick lunch.

Little Woodpecker

 Chai Latte

Grilled chicken burger with extra free range bacon

As a complete dish the burger was very enjoyable, but there were definitely some ups and downs with each element of the dish. Some of the negative points of the burger I noticed were that the chicken breast was slightly dry, which was not a huge problem as well as the fact that the burger was stacked really high, which made it quite difficult to eat without dismantling.

Although there were a couple of small negatives about the meal, I was definitely still satisfied and would visit them again. The location of the cafe is also a godsend for me, as there is a distinct lack of cafes around my area.

Food Rating 7.5/10

Overall Rating 7.5/10

Fonda

651 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

Fonda is a Mexican restaurant with many branches all over Melbourne. It was started in 2011 by two friends, Tim McDonald and Dave Youl, with a vision to develop Mexican street food dishes designed to share using Australian produce, Fonda has grown into one of the biggest names of Mexican food in Melbourne, with 7 restaurants currently open.

Fonda

D.I.Y Tostada board

Charred corn

Various tacos

Since we had already eaten a small dinner before we visited Fonda we decided to share some of their smaller, but more well known dishes. 

The charred corn, which is a signature of Mexican street food was not everything that I had hoped it would be. Although the dish itself was not terrible, there was nothing special that made it stand out from the other Mexican restaurants that I have visited. 

Another slight disappointment was the tacos that we had ordered. While the filling in the tacos were flavourful and balanced, trying to eat them ended up being incredibly messy, as the tortillas were soggy and fell apart in our hands. 

Although the dishes each had some issues with their execution, the exciting flavours of  Mexican cuisine were all there. We enjoyed the mix and match sharing style of the food shown especially in the D.I.Y tostada board, which was a highlight of the meal. Overall I would say that although we were slightly disappointed by Fonda this time around, I would definitely consider visiting them again.

Food Rating 6.5/10

Overall Rating 6.5/10