Whilst walking through Melbourne Central, this beautiful typeface caught my eye. Instead of pulling my phone out to discover “what the font,” I got a coffee instead.

Despite being in a food court, Plantation cafe seems to have a semi-decent character/feel. The staff are really cool too, down to earth, have a good sense of humor AND good looking.

With specialty coffee and neat branding, this cafe is the perfect getaway from the monotonous hours of retail therapy.

It’s great because the kitchen separates/hides you away from all the commercial chaos.

Tucked away in a little booth with fresh flowers, a nice little spot to pass time.

A carrot cupcake, pretty dry and average tasting but at least it was pretty.

Escape Melbourne Central inside Melbourne Central - Plantation.

Plantation
Melbourne Central
Melbourne CBD 

Trunk is gorgeous. ‘Gorgeous’ includes an elegant chanel-like logo, a unique vintage identity, edgy furnishings, cute décor and cute staff. It’s no wonder I had to go on a photo frenzy and take heaps of pictures.

The outside is as cute as it is inside, the clean brick walls, the warm outdoor heaters, the luscious plants and nature, all have a very sophisticated but homely edge. This hidden gem is perfect for Friday after work wine downs, and sloshy/sexy Saturdays. A vibrant atmosphere any day of the week in this fabulous area.

The venue includes a lot of different/unique areas catering any occasion. We were after a quick lunch so unfortunately, we couldn’t see the whole place. We headed strait to the casual Diner.

The diner has that classic, industrial make-shift feel, using wood and steel inside a container, but keeping it a bit more sophisticated and polished. I also love the fact that it is exposing natural air and light in a beautiful open environment.

The outdoor seating is very arty, very green, very open, and very awesome. They have quite a few seating options available, all with a brilliant vibe to suit almost any occasion. I love the bee illustrations/art on the wall.

I thought the “honey-garden” was just some awesome art branding, but then this cute little creature came and said hello, I named him Beyoncé. Turns out they really do have rooftop honey gardens. Which is friggin awesome.

They have a signature burger on the menu so we got it. The Burger has, fresh ground wagyu, brioche, red onion, baby cos, and house made pickle. All for only $10, you can add extra’s as well for around $1.50, I added some delicious sautéed mushrooms, divine. Great value for money too.

The plating up was a bit different, you kind of had to assemble the burger yourself, but only lazy bitches would care, I thought it was very quirky and unique-loved it. The pattie was delicious and cooked perfectly, and although the burgers are quite ‘petite’ they were actually quite filling. Love this place and will definitely be back for more! You should totally get drunk at Trunk like a punk, because this place has a whole lot of funk. I should be a rapper.

Trunk Diner
03 9663 7994
275 Exhibition St
Melbourne, VIC 3000

8.5/10

Grasshoppers Feast is one of my favourite breakfast places in Melbourne. It’s a fairly new restaurant, hiding in one of Melbourne’s laneways, but I found it.

I love this place is because they grow their own tomatoes! Not only does it look sexy-sleek behind the counter against the wooden wall, but it also means some of their veggies they use are fresh and directly from their own garden! (Duh!)

This restaurant offers such a warm and modern ambience with friendly staff giving great service. I love the lady, she always has such a warm smile on her face. The seating and furniture is all very modern and sheek.

Bacon and eggs on toast, if this is what grasshoppers eat, I want to be a grasshopper. (Get it, the restaurant name is Grasshoppers Feast?) I’m not very good with jokes, sorry. Kyle got this dish, it’s a simple breakfast but i’m sure it was delicious too. The bread looks so fresh and so does everything else on that plate.

I know I should stop ordering Eggs Benedict Atlantic, but I can’t help it. It’s one of my favourite breakfast dishes, and Grasshoppers Feast make it well, the hollandaise sauce is deliciously balanced, the egg is cooked to perfection and the salmon and spinach is tastes so fresh and flavoursome.

Grasshopper’s Feast
03 9663 8404
Shop 13 The Causeway
Melbourne, VIC 3000

8/10

After saving up a few dollars by skipping a couple of meals, I could finally afford a cheap dinner out. So Luke and I headed across the road to the local Thai takeaway restaurant. I know it’s takeaway restaurants aren’t amazing, but it beats the effort of budgeting $5 cooked meals at home with missing ingredients, risking dissatisfaction and or depression. Na Siam’s menu is simple, you can choose a dish quickly and get it over and done with.

The owners were friendly. They don’t seem to get a whole lot of business so, this made it comfortable for a quick and casual after work dinner, not being surrounded by dumb people (after long hours of dealing with people at work.) Stark takeaway ambience, almost like a waiting room, but thank god I don’t have to do the dishes.

Thai Red Curry, I didn’t get food poisoning and it was only $8.90. Who can complain with that? They also went to the extra effort to dish it up in proper plates and bowls this time, (It was plastic last time,) perhaps it’s because they saw me taking photos of the whole place - or maybe they are just nice people. Oh and the curry was pretty tasty too, creamy, and flavoursome. Value for money.

Na Siam
Somewhere on King Street 

4/10 

Raymen Ya is located down a secret hideaway lane down Melbournes GPO. Famous for their Ramen, which is a Japanese style noodle soup. 

Postal lane provides a great environment, the busy little lane has a ‘fast paced Melbourne’ ambience. The lane provides a good selection of outdoor and indoor seating.

This was my first visit, so I decided to go with their specialty “Charsu Ramen”. Charsu is thinly sliced pork. I got it in a ‘meal’ which included pan fried gyoza and green tea (real green tea, not the crappy stuff). The gyoza was the perfect little entree. Crisp and tasty.

The ramen had flavour, but a little bit salty for my taste. I also would have preferred my egg to be soft boiled, but it was hard boiled. That’s me being forking picky though, I enjoyed the meal/experience. I was with great company (Nick), and ramen is the perfect meal on a rainy/cold day. The bento boxes also looked amazing, perhaps that’s what i’ll try on my next visit!

Ramen Ya
03 9654 5838
25G Melbourne GPO 350 Bourke St
Melbourne, VIC 3000

6/10

Dancing Goat Cafe is just around the corner from my apartment. With good reviews and mentions in The Age Good Cafe Guide, this place was a must visit. I’m not going to lie, this cafe is a bit cute, small and unique with a comfortable atmosphere. With a huge selection of newspapers and magazines available to read, I feel like I could pass time here quite easily.

On arrival I asked to see the lunch menu, I was a bit disappointed to hear that they only had cabinet food. There wasn’t a huge selection, and the choices were either carb based (sandwiches, pannini’s, foccacia’s) or salads. I was convinced to give it a try.

I’m trying to cut down on carbs, and I couldn’t decide on which salad to pick so I got a bit of both. Pumpkin, feta, chickpeas and spinach for one half, and a beetroot, parsley and almond salad on the other. I was worried how well the pumpkin, feta, chickpeas and spinach would go together but to my surprise it had a great flavour and freshness, the pumpkin added the good level of sweetness, and the sprouts and greens balanced the heaviness of the chickpeas and pumpkin. The beetroot and almond salad wasn’t too bad either, a bit plain in comparison but fresh and light and let’s not forget, healthy.

Great Coffee too, and they do specialty roasts if you are interested. Cute place to pop into for lunch, a coffee or time out.

Dancing Goat Cafe

8/10

Gigi calls themselves a sushi bar, yet they are run by Vietnamese and the Vietnamese style is evident throughout. Not the best sushi, and the food tastes more chinese/vietnamese than Japanese. 

Although the furnishings look modern, i’m not too sure about the colour scheme. The antique olive green paint and highlighter chopsticks clash. There is also a lack of hygienic throughout, dirty cutlery and cups.

I got the Teriyaki Udon. These had an overpowering odd flavour, a bit too salty, and didn’t have the teriyaki flavour at all. They tasted more like Hokkien Fried Noodles. The sushi is dry and flavourless.

Gigi is cheap, and the food is average. Acceptable if you are on a low budget, but other than that, you have no excuse. Don’t expect Japanese food here, if you feel like Japanese, there are much better restaurants close by.

Gigi

1/10

Don Don is the fastest Japanese takeaway available in Melbourne. It is located next to Melbourne Central on Swanston Street and is known to serve super fast Japanese food at a very low price. With generous servings, Don Don won’t leave your wallet, or your stomach empty.

Perfect place for a quick lunch. Not a great deal of seating or a spectacular environment, however the have a couple of tables on the street which is great for people watching on a sunny day. The service is fast, you can expect to get your Bento Box or Hot Bowl Meal faster than you can say antidisestablishmentarianism, and with prices below $9 for every meal, you have no excuse to go hungry.

I guess now it comes to the important part, the food. It’s cheap and not nasty. It wouldn’t be my first choice for Japanese food but if you are running tight for time and low on cash, this place is great. Fairly tasty, and a lot healthier than your average fast food. My Bento box included Teriyaki Chicken and Beef Sukiyaki, both tasty… ish.

Quick but not fancy, Don Don has a lot of business as they offer a healthier and convenient alternative to fast food.

Don Don
03 9662 3377
321 Swanston St
Melbourne, VIC 3000

5/10

Affogato Espresso Bar is a cute vintage style cafe located down Hardware Lane in Melbourne, with good food, good coffee, and a cute barista.

The furniture had that funky oldschool, vintage, recycled feel to it. They carried that style throughout their crockery as well. This place gives a very relaxed vibe and a comfortable atmosphere, perfect if you need to take a break from the real world.

I got the grilled chicken with capsicum salsa, at $16.50 great value for money. A light and guilt-free meal. The ingredients were fresh and the dish had a nice simplicity to it. Amy got the tandoori chicken pizza, which made my dish taste a little bland in comparison. Food envy. It had a great flavour and body, not too cheesy with a nice balance of spice. I also got a cappuccino, which was delicious. Did I mention that they have a cute barista?

Affogato Espresso Bar
03 9642 5593
29 Hardware Lane   

8/10

Petaling Street is a restaurant specializing in Malaysian hawker food. A variety of cheap and authentic Malaysian food, ranging from chicken satay skewers, whole steamed fish, laksa, to lemon chicken or sweet and sour pork.

The restaurant in Chinatown is brand new, with new furnishings made from wood, giving it a natural earthy feel. The service was average. Rumour has it the Swanston street venue is not as nice, and the Glen Waverley one does better food. The chain tends to be inconsistent between all venues, so be careful when choosing the right one, as you might not get the same experience.

For a starter I got some satay chicken skewers, these were tasty. The satay sauce had a rich authentic Malaysian style to it, good. I also got the chilli egg and shrimp on rice. This dish wasn’t bad but it had nothing to brag about. The sauce was a bit too sweet and watery, and not enough spice. There was a lack of elements in the dish, minimal veggies/egg. Just some shrimp, a lot of sauce and some rice.

I have mixed feelings about this restaurant, as the food was not too bad, but didn’t have the x factor I was looking for. Maybe I will need to visit again for a true indication of what it is like.

Petaling Street China Town
03 9650 8878
1F/188 Little Bourke St
Melbourne CBD, VIC 3000

5/10

Taiwan cafe is cute little asian restaurant on Swanston street. The place reminded me of 2003, when I was in Taiwan. Back then I described the food as Japanese style Chinese. I was young and naive, but I was also kinda right.

The restaurant has a bit of seating, but it’s tight and squashy. To eat here you will have to squeeze, although that’s pretty standard in the streets of Melbourne. One customer leaned back on his chair and knocked the noodle soup out of another customers table sitting beside him, and that is not standard in Melbourne. (Although it was pretty funny.)

Last time I was here I ordered the wasabi prawns, I highly recommend them. Today I was peckish and felt like entree’s more than a main, so for lunch I had the Oyster Omelette and 6 Dumplings. The omelette was a little bit slimy for my liking, great oyster flavour in the omelette though. Dumplings had sufficient flavour, crispiness and standard size. I had some chilli with mine to spice it up a bit. I love dumplings!

I kind of like this place, they have a lot on their menu that I am still yet to try! How about you try it for me?

Taiwan Cafe
03 9663 6663
273 Swanston St
Melbourne, VIC 3000

6.5/10

Ghin Khao is a Thai restaurant located on busy Swanston Street in Melbourne CBD. I went there for lunch with Ben this week and we got some spring rolls, fish cakes, green curry and a beer of course.

The spring rolls were very basic, small and crispy, similar to the ones you get pre-packaged in the supermarket. The fish cakes were flavoursome. The curry was a little bland for my liking, could have had some more spices and a thicker sauce. The beer was great. We got Chang beer, which is a delicious Thai beer.

Not the best Thai restaurant in Melbourne, but it’s very convenient and cheap. The food looks and taste a little bland and boring. Acceptable when you are on a tight budget, or when you have just had a night out on Friday or Saturday night. (They are open until 4am on those busy nights.)

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Ghin Khao
242 Swanston Street

5/10