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