Mr Miyagi

99 Chapel Street, Windsor

For me, Mr Miyagi has long been one of those restaurants which has had mixed reviews. On one hand, they have many stellar online reviews which has put them on my list of restaurants to visit, while on the other hand, many of my friends and colleagues who have visited Mr Miyagi have been left with a sub-par experience. With such polarizing reviews I decided that I would need to visit and judge them for myself.

Edamame

Miyagi Fried Chicken

Although Mr Miyagi has a great range of Japanese inspired drinks and dishes, they are perhaps most well known for their Miyagi Fried Chicken. A long time ago I didn't really think too much of fried chicken, as although I love the dish, I felt that the creative liberty you can take with it is somewhat limited. However, as I discovered more and more establishments offering their own special variations I realised that it could be so much more. The fried chicken at Mr Miyagi was cooked so that it had a crispy coating with a juicy center, while the "MFC seasoning" added accentuation to the juicy chicken and the Kewpie mayo on the side tied it all together.

Now that I've visited Mr Miyagi for myself, I can honestly dismiss the doubts I had about them before. Their menu of both comfort food and beers, as well as their Japanese fusion dishes and cocktails is sure to have something for any occasion. Their staff were also lovely during the evening and one of the waitresses even chased us down the road as I had left my camera behind. Against the recommendation of my friends, I will definitely be visiting Mr Miyagi again!

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Small Print Pizza Bar

388 High Street, Windsor

Small Print Pizza Bar is a somewhat recently opened pizza bar located just a short walk from the main Windsor and Prahran dining precinct. What sets Small Print apart from all the other high quality pizza restaurants that are popping up around Melbourne though, would definitely have to be their environmentally friendly approach. They aim to be a zero waste venue by reducing packaging where possible, while using every part of their raw ingredients, as well as composting their organic waste and using seasonal and organic produce.

 Small print

The kitchen

 Passiona - passionfruit, pineapple and lemon

WIthout any exaggeration, Small Print's house made soft drinks are some of the best that I have ever tasted. We tried the Passiona, which is made from a house-made cordial of my favourite fruit flavours topped off with tapped sparkling water. The drink itself had an amazing, yet light flavour and also had just the right amount of sweetness, which I appreciated, as a lot of soft drinks are far too sweet for my taste.

Chorizo, asparagus and capers

The pizza topped with chorizo, asparagus and capers was the special on offer when we visited Small Print. The flavour combination was one that I have never tried before, but it was definitely satisfying. The thin crust was the perfect thickness, which is definitely hard to find as I am quite picky when it comes to pizza crusts. Apart from the crust, the ingredients were all high quality and did not have the living daylights cooked out of them, which is a fault I find in a lot of other pizzas.

If you are an environmentally conscious person who loves pizza, as well as small charming venues, then Small Print Pizza Bar is definitely a place you should be looking to visit. Their friendly staff will definitely make you feel welcome!

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Small Print Pizza Bar.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Resto BoBo

110 Chapel Street, Windsor

Tarte flambée has come to Melbourne and Resto BoBo is the place to be if you want to be one of the first to try this Alsace specialty. Dan, who is the man behind Resto BoBo, first encountered tarte flambée on a trip to France and has been hooked ever since. Putting his career on hold, he has spent the last two years bringing his vision to life in the form of Resto BoBo.

Lemon lime & bitters

The bar area

Design

Tarte flambée

Finishing touches on the Tarte flambée

Goat's cheese and apricot

Duck liver parfait and pickled onion

Tarte flambée is a French specialty dish originating in the region of Alsace. Basically a French rendition of a pizza, tarte flambée consists of a thin dough base which is usually then covered with cheese and other toppings.

During the launch we were invited to try a range of canapes as well as a selection of tarte flambées from their menu. My favourite of the night was the La Fermiere, which had good strong flavours. The prunes, thyme and goat's cheese were well balanced and tied up nicely with the sweetness from the honey. The other tarte flambée which I greatly enjoyed was the La Belle Vie, which contained blue cheese, vanilla poached pear and rocket as toppings. I was expecting the blue cheese to be quite pungent and overpower the dish, however the cheese was quite light and worked well with the vanilla poached pear.

Resto BoBo is the exact restaurant that I have been waiting to come to Melbourne. Apart from their tarte flambée, Resto Bobo also boasts a growing collection of of local and French wines, which pair nicely with their menu of cheese, charcuterie and tarte flambée. With incredibly friendly and passionate staff as well as a great atmosphere, food and wine Resto BoBo is definitely making a name for itself in the Melbourne food scene.

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Resto BoBo.

Food Rating 9/10

Overall Rating 9/10

House of Hoi An

1/40 Green Street, Windsor

House of Hoi An is the new iteration of Vietnamese cuisine in Melbourne. As the first overseas venture by the internationally renowned chef and restaurateur Ms Trinh Diem Vy, who is known as the face behind Taste Vietnam, House of Hoi An brings with it her decades of culinary experience and tradition. 

House of Hoi An

Tones of red

Bar area 

Fried wontons with crab meat - Hoanh thanh chien $18.00

Duck Salad - Goi vit $18.00

The duck salad was a combination of duck, cabbage, green mango, onion, mint, sesame and Hoi An chilli sauce. The duck salad was possibly one of the best salads that I have tried in recent years. The combination of multiple textural elements with fresh flavours, lovely duck and a hint of spice worked wonders together.

BBQ Chicken and lime leaf - Ga nuong la chanh $28.00

The BBQ chicken and lime leaf was a solid dish with well cooked elements. The chicken was tender with a little touch of extra flavour from the grill and the coconut rice, sauce and salad were fresh additions that added an extra touch.

Sauteed prawns in coconut - Tom rim nuoc dua $34.00

Although there were many elements in this dish, the king prawns still managed to shine through as the main attraction of the dish. While I find that some dishes served at other restaurants tend to mask the flavour of their main ingredient with many unnecessary elements, the king prawns in this dish were actually elevated with the use different flavours and textures.

Frozen banana in 3 types of coconut - Kem chuoi $15.00

Usually I avoid ordering desserts, as I find myself disappointed more often than not. However, the frozen banana and coconut dessert was phenomenal. The contrasting textures of the coconut and the frozen banana created a very pleasant mouthfeel, which accentuated the creaminess of dish. 

House of Hoi An brings something new to Melbourne's Vietnamese culinary scene. Many of the Vietnamese restaurants in Melbourne have just been churning out the same type of Vietnamese food for many years and while some of these restaurants do it better than others, it can be a bit tiring. House of Hoi An uses similar Vietnamese flavours, but instead of going down the same path, they have created a fresh approach while still adhering to tradition. I would definitely recommend everybody who enjoys Vietnamese cuisine to give House of Hoi An a try!

We were invited and dined courtesy of House of Hoi An.

Food Rating 9/10

Overall Rating 9/10

Borsch, Vodka & Tears

173 Chapel Street, Windsor

Borsch, Vodka & Tears is a Polish restaurant and bar located on Melbourne's Chapel Street. Styled after a Kraków cellar bar, Borsch, Vodka & Tears specialises in Polish vodka, authentic wormwood absinthe and contemporary Polish dishes.

Na zdrowie!

A range of decor

Bartenders in action

White borsch $15.50

Dining at Borsch, Vodka & Tears meant that we definitely had to try their namesake dish, the Polish white borsch. The borsch was a hearty soup with lots of different elements and great flavours that helped warm me up on a cold night.

Bison wings $16.50

12 Hour roast pork $19.00

There were some ups and downs to the dishes we ordered. While the portion sizes were good for the price, the 12 hour roast pork was under-seasoned and the wings were slightly overcooked as well as the sauce not being as spicy as I expected it to be.

Orange and pomegranate caipiroska $16.00

The orange and pomegranate caipiroska was the highlight of the night. A great balance of sweetness from the muddled orange, a slight amount of pomegranate and mint flavour with the vodka base completing the drink.

Although the food had a few small issues to it, the great atmosphere and drinks of the bar as well as the attentive service made for a great experience. I will definitely be coming back to try out more of their extensive drinks menu.

Food Rating 7.5/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Messina

171 Chapel Street, Windsor

As one of the most popular gelato shops in Melbourne, a trip to Gelato Messina can be a great way to end a night with something sweet. With stores in Fitzroy, Richmond and Windsor, Gelato Messina has quickly become a well known name in Melbourne.

Gelato Messina

Stylish interior

Very busy night

Being one of the most popular Gelato stores in Melbourne means that it can get very busy. Sometimes it can feel like you are being rushed as they are trying serve people quickly, however the service in general was still quite good and the staff were all very friendly.

Wide range of flavours

Even more flavours

Apple pie & choc chip $6.80

Coconut lychee & Salted caramel $6.80

Gelato Messina boasts a huge range of flavours, with some of them more unique than others. I had the coconut lychee & salted caramel as I love both of those flavours by themselves, but having them together made them have an even better flavour. My friend had a combination of apple pie and choc chip, I did not try any of it but I was told it was quite tasty and contained actual chunks of apple pie in it.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Journeyman

169 Chapel Street, Windsor

I have heard many great things about Journeyman, however I don't often have time to eat breakfast out, so when I found myself debating suggestions for breakfast with some friends, I took the opportunity to make sure we ended up here.

Busy weekday

Large and stylish space

I was expecting a long wait from what I had heard about the place, but we were swiftly led to a table by a very polite waitress.

Busy kitchen

All day menu

Strong Latte $4.00

Chai Latte $4.50

The Chai latte had a beautiful scent when it arrived and after trying it, the taste expectations matched the one left by the scent.

Toasted Waffles $15.00

The toasted waffles were presented beautifully with fresh fruits, smoked maple syrup and blueberry compote. I love a good waffle and although it tasted amazing, it was really sweet and not as suitable for us since we were having breakfast while tired.

Smashed Avocado $19.00

Journey Eggs Benedict $19.00

The eggs benedict were an amazing combination of the traditional eggs and hollandaise sauce combined with the ever present pork and apple. Originally we each ordered one of these, however after tasting it we immediately ordered another, possibly one of the best breakfast dishes I have tried.

Chilli Scrambled Eggs $18.00

The chilli scrambled eggs were creamy and had a nice chilli kick, which was a good way to wake me up a little. To be honest though, even though the chilli scrambled eggs were amazing, to me the real star of the dish was the mozzarella, basil and baguette. 

Journeyman is a great way to enjoy breakfast for any occasion, whether it be a breakfast by yourself or with friends. The menu has a good variety of different breakfast or brunch dishes and the food that we ordered was lovely. I would highly recommend anybody who is willing to head to Windsor for breakfast to try out Journeyman.

Food Rating 9/10

Overall Rating 9.5/10