Dexter

456 High Street, Preston

Dexter is a restaurant which is known as a "non-traditional American BBQ" restaurant. Although Dexter is located out of the way in Preston, it has somehow found itself known as one the best American BBQ restaurants in Melbourne. With the amazing reputation that it has amassed, we had to drop in for a snack while we were in the area.

Dexter

Hot meat donuts

The hot meat donuts are a well known favourite of many of the patrons from Dexter. The snack is especially popular during the times they are open for lunch, as the crispy and doughy outside, as well as the flavourful filling is an amazing combination.

Pulled pork bun

Although the pulled pork bun was very messy to eat, it was very delicious. The pulled pork was juicy and had a lovely flavour which was enhanced by the sauces and complemented by the pickles and slaw.

Dexter definitely lived up to my expectations of it and I would definitely recommend a visit here for any BBQ connoisseur. I will definitely be back to try more of their menu, especially their smoked meats. 

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Spiral Beans

539 Plenty Road, Preston

Spiral Beans is the new iteration of what was previously known as Disco Beans. The collaboration between Disco Beans and Spiral Foods has created Spiral Beans, a restaurant serving health conscious, vegan friendly and gluten-free friendly whole foods with a Japanese twist.

Every part of Spiral Beans has a considerable amount of meaning or thought put behind it, from the local organic produce and food to the various design elements using Japanese inspired decor.

Spiral Beans

Clean and bright

Simple and elegant

5 elements plate

The 5 Elements plate uses many different methods of preparation and ingredients to provide a showcase of the 5 flavours; bitter, salty, sweet, sour and umami. The plate included pickled cucumber with ginger, beetroot with tofu, house made kimchi, potato, fried konnyaku balls and fish. Each element of the dish was thoughtfully created to present the range of elements, as well as the skills of the chef and although each separate element was created very well, the dish presented as a whole was on a completely different level.

Home made gyoza (vegan)

Tempura vegetables with grilled fish

Although the grilled fish in this dish was cooked well with a good flavour, it was definitely outshone by the tempura vegetables. Unlike many others I have tried before, the batter was only barely coating the vegetables. This allowed us to enjoy the full flavour of the vegetables, which was lovely in contrast to the huge amounts of heavy batter you might find elsewhere.  

Sashimi salad

When the sashimi salad arrived we were instantly amazed by the presentation of the dish. The beautiful presentation of sashimi reminded us of the colours of a spring garden and the clean flavours and textures only served to lift the dish up even further.

"Tuna" nigiri sushi

The nigiri sushi is a set of two different types of vegan and gluten free sushi. The marinated tomato topping was bursting with flavour, as tomatoes are naturally rich in glutamic acid, which is where the umami flavour comes from. This was a lovely contrast to the cucumber and ume nigiri, which had an amazing texture and slight acidity to it.

Kuzu pudding 

House made probiotic drink

I had come to Spiral Beans with some doubts in my mind, as the typical vegan restaurants I have visited before fell short in both their execution and the options they offered. I was however very pleasantly surprised, by not only the amazing range of dishes available, but also the immense amount of thought that went into creating both their individual dishes and an entire experience out of their offerings. I am definitely excited to visit again and would definitely recommend everybody give them a try, vegan or not.

We were invited and dined courtesy of Spiral Beans.

Food Rating 9/10

Overall Rating 9.5/10