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

Añada

197 Gertrude Street, Melbourne


Spanish restaurants are one of my favourite destinations when I head out to eat, as I can always look forward to enjoying the well rounded hearty flavours and great Spanish wines. From the large selection of Spanish tapas restaurants in Melbourne, Añada has to be one of my favourites, with a lovely, cosy interior and great staff, Añada makes you feel welcome before you even try any of their delectable food offerings.

Sangria

Patatas bravas

Patatas bravas is a very well known dish and served in almost all of the Spanish tapas restaurants I have visited. The dish served at Añada contained potatoes that were fried well, with a good balance of the sauce and aioli.

Crispy eggplant

Arroz negro paella, calamari, prawns, mussels, trevally & ink

Chargrilled Angus rump cap

Although all of the dishes at Añada were exceptional, I particularly enjoyed the chargrilled Angus rump cap. Every element of the dish was prepared to a high standard, with amazingly cooked beef and a hint of horseradish, which gave it a little flavourful kick that I was not used to, but enjoyed immensely.

Crema catalana

As a lover of desserts and all things sweet, as well as having trained as a pastry chef, I was quite embarrassed by the fact that I had never heard of crema catalana before. The smooth custardy dessert was very similar to the French creme brulee, but was more fragrant and had a lovely orange flavour spread throughout it.

Añada is definitely a restaurant I look forward to visiting and is usually the first on my mind when I am thinking about Spanish food. With a great food offering as well as an expansive Spanish drinks menu and friendly team of staff, you can easily see why Añada is one of the best.

Food Rating 9/10

Overall Rating 9/10

Legacy

347 Camberwell Road, Camberwell

Legacy is a popular cafe in Camberwell which serves good coffee and a vibrant range of brunch menu items. We decided to visit Legacy after an active morning out, but we had to wait 30 minutes for a table, as we had a decently large group and the cafe being quite busy.

Legacy

Sriracha and chorizo eggs benny with kaiser bacon

Sushi bowl

The food we ordered at Legacy was all prepared very well. The dishes were filling, cooked well and filled with a variety of fresh ingredients and flavours, which was something we definitely needed to refill after a long morning. The eggs benny in particular was the dish I enjoyed the most, as the poached eggs were cooked perfectly and were accentuated by the rich yet smooth hollandaise sauce.

Because of their popularity and how busy Legacy is, I felt that the service was a bit rushed and somewhat neglected. However, the staff were definitely still friendly and I would definitely recommend giving Legacy a visit if you enjoy breakfast or brunch, although perhaps when they are slightly less busy.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Shanghai Dumpling House

25 Tattersalls Lane, Melbourne

Shanghai Dumpling House is a popular dumpling restaurant located on Tattersalls Lane. Their location puts them right next to many popular CBD destinations, including Melbourne Central, QV and Section 8 Container Bar.

Spring rolls

Fried mushroom and vegetable dumpling

Steamed pumpkin dumpling

Prawn dumpling

Mushroom and vegetable dumpling

Greens with oyster sauce

Steamed pork dumpling

The food at Shanghai Dumpling House is some of the cheapest food in the city and will definitely fill you up for $10 or less. We chose to have the all you can eat for $16.50 per person, which gave us the choice of trying a large range of their menu items. Unfortunately you do indeed get what you pay for and the food was sub standard at best. The fillings of the dumplings were bland and lacked enough seasoning, while the skins were thick and chewy.

Shanghai Dumpling House is definitely a haven for the poor uni students roaming around the city, with cheap prices and filling food they have become quite popular. However, for those people looking for something more than just filling up your stomach, there are many better choices.

Food Rating 5/10

Overall Rating 5/10

Big Boy BBQ

2/27-31 Hardware Lane, Melbourne

American BBQ is a cuisine that seems simple on the outside, but actually has many different styles and techniques to it. Big Boy BBQ is said to have been one of the first restaurants to introduce American BBQ to Melbourne using "low and slow" cooking methods by smoking the meats over hickory wood.

The Dorothy

Ribs for one $21.00

Wings 'n ribs platter $49.00

I chose the wings 'n ribs platter as I was feeling particularly hungry and wanted something quite fulfilling. The platter comes with regular wings, a choice of ribs and 2 sides, for which I chose crispy fried onion strings and chilli with brisket burnt ends and beans. 

The meat dishes served at Big Boy BBQ were all cooked very nicely. While the meat remained juicy and tender, the flavour was something I felt was slightly monotonous throughout the different dishes.

Food Rating 7/10

Overall Rating 7/10

France-Soir

11 Toorak Road, South Yarra

Melbourne has no shortage of French restaurants, ranging from the small French diners and bistros to the finest of dining venues. One of these is France-Soir, a small French bistro style restaurant on the busy Toorak Road in South Yarra.

Huîtres naturelles

Steak au poivre

My friend ordered the steak au poivre, which is a a scotch fillet coated with black pepper. As a black pepper lover, the dish was enjoyed very much, with tender and flavourful meat and a generous coating of black pepper.

Duck à l'orange

Duck à l'orange is a very well known dish which originated in France and gained popularity internationally. The duck was cooked magnificently, with the duck breast still retaining moisture and a pink tinge. The real star of the dish was definitely the sauce though, with hints of orange that accentuated the duck instead of overpowering it, which is a common problem I have encountered before when ordering duck à l'orange.

Mashed potato

Frites

The frites, or french fries were the only part of the meal which was disappointing. When the fries came out they were not particularly hot, and the crispy texture I was expecting was not there.

With the number of French restaurants in Melbourne it is definitely difficult to make a name for yourself. France-Soir has been able to do just that, with lovely and traditional French dishes, as well as a good mix of French and Australian wines on their wine list. I will definitely be back for more!

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8/10 

Bebu

2/31 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne

Bebu is a small Korean eatery hidden down A'beckett street just a minutes walk away from Melbourne's RMIT university. They serve a large range of Korean style dishes, ranging from the ever present bibimbap to their special crazy tteokbokki set.

The kitchen

Cold kimchi noodle

As one of my favourite Korean dishes, I always like to try cold noodles when visiting Korean restaurants, whether it be in the summer or winter. The cold noodle dish served at Bebu was similar to a mix of the two styles of cold noodles that I am familiar with, the spicy bibim naengmyeon and the mild mul naengmyeon. The most enjoyable aspect of the dish was the balance of flavours, especially the vinegary flavours and the spice.

Fried eggplant with chilli caramel and peanuts

The fried eggplant dish was a dish completely different from most of the eggplant dishes I have tried in the past. The eggplant itself was soft on the inside, yet had a nice and crispy coating, which along with the nuts, gave the dish good textural contrast. 

My experience at Bebu was a very enjoyable one. The dishes served used a lot of Korean flavours and techniques, but the added creative twist to their style was a very welcome and refreshing change, I look forward to visiting again!

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10