Mamasita

I’m no expert on Mexican food, and I haven’t spent a lot of time in Melbourne, but in my less-than-a-week trip in June I ate here twice and was a total convert.  A door-in-the-wall place, Mamasita’s decor is simple – all the energy goes into the food here. I was tempted by the ox tongue & cheek and prawn tacos, and was rewarded for experimenting.  The prawns were beautifully spicy, and the ox meat was melty and tender.  On my second visit I branched out and tried the street-style chargrilled corn, which was doused in cheese and came alive with a drizzle of lime. I then moved on to the steak taco (my favourite apart from the prawn) and chorizo quesadillas stuffed with potato and cheese. Both meals were quick far tastier than I thought Mexican was, and very filling.  I can see where Mamasita gets its reputation from! Check it out if you can grab a table.

Mamasita, Level 1/11 Collins St, Melbourne               http://www.mamasita.com.au/

Monster

Monster on any given day is a cool place to be; located in the Hotel Hotel part of the Nishi building in New Action and full of exotic flowers, Monster is the epitome of modern dining in Canberra. But Monster on a rainy day is especially cool – they have these circular panels of glass in the ceiling over the seats where you can see the water-drenched ferns and rain coming down while you stay cozy at your diamond-shaped table inside.  My friend and I were drawn in by the unusual menu – yabby jaffles, you said? – and so we ventured out in the rain to try these treats.  The jaffles didn’t have chunks of yabby in them as I’d imagined, but they did have a rich creaminess from creme anglaise and chives.  The pork neck bao was surprisingly filling and enlivened by the cucumber kimchi served on top.  But the dish of the day was without a doubt the cured kingfish, served with smoked avocado, pickles and jalapenos.  Incredible flavour and texture, with a real kick from the chilli.  A good place to hole up for a classy feed, rain or shine.

Monster, at Hotel Hotel, NewActon Nishi, 25 Edinburgh Ave, Canberra    http://www.hotel-hotel.com.au/eat-and-drink/monster/

Berkelouw Books

I was pretty sad to hear that Berkelouw had closed their Newtown store, it was a lovely place full of books and food. But never fear, they haven’t gone for good. Yes, it has a different vibe, but the outpost at Westfield Hornsby still has books and food, although no kitchen, sadly. Shelves line the long corridor overlooking the fountain, with books you can sit in armchairs and read while sipping a coffee, or, as I did, chowing down on a piece of cake. The cake selection was pretty good, with several full-sized cakes for slices and a range of cookies and smaller treats. I went for the apple flan, which had a beautiful almond cake underneath the layers of apple doused in that scrumptious sweet glaze that makes cakes shiny and delicious. The serve was enough to keep me going, and it was lovely to sit in the corridor on an armchair (complete with rug underneath!) and flick through the second hand volumes. Walking through the book store afterwards was fun too, so many lovely editions and new things to add to my ‘to read’ list.

Berkelouw Books:

Shop B30-33, Level 3 (on the link bridge), Westfield Shopping Centre, Pacific Highway, Hornsby, Sydney, NSW

http://berkelouw.com.au/stores/hornsby

Tree Eighty Three

Here goes another breakfast post! Tree Eighty Three isn’t in your standard breakfast location, secreted away in Bailey’s Arcade, but when it’s -3 degrees at 7am you don’t mind hiding indoors. I went with friends for a pre-work breakfast, and was impressed with the large space the cafe has across the arcade. There was only one guy behind the counter, and despite there being three orders our food came out together and still hot – that’s some impressive multi-tasking! I had poached eggs on toast with caramelised beetroot and onion, tomato and parsley.  The beetroot was what drew me in, I’m a sucker for beetroot. Overall the meal was tasty, although the onion was a bit strong for a pre-work feed. The beetroot didn’t disappoint and the fresh cherry tomatos popped with flavour. They avoided my bugbear of too-thick, overly-toasted, too-hard-to-cut bread, which got lots of points. To be honest though, I did have order envy looking at my friend’s big breakfast, complete with asparagus and hash brown. Might have to go back for that one.

Tree Eighty Three: 143 London Circuit, Canberra ACT          http://tree83.com.au/

Ryo’s Noodles

I would eat Japanese food for dinner every night if I could. Especially in winter, when you want nothing more than a big, hot, steaming bowl of noodle soup. So that’s exactly what I sought out in Sydney. I’d read that the lines at Ryo’s Noodles can be out the door, so I went early on a weeknight, and didn’t have to wait. It’s a no frills place, with a handwritten copy of the menu on the wall in Japanese on white sheets of paper, as is common in Japanese izakaya (traditional pubs).  I went for the popular tonkotsu ramen and a bottle of ramune (Japanese lemonade). The ramen came out quickly and was hot and hearty. The pork was fatty and melted in your mouth, the broth was full of flavour and the noodles had just the right amount of bite. It was a bit salty, which I didn’t notice until afterwards, but it definitely satisfied my craving for ramen!

Ryo’s Noodles: 125 Falcon St, Crows Nest NSW

Elk and Pea

I love that Elk and Pea has picked teal as their colour. The ‘pea’ is all about peacock, the animal and the colour, and it really works. I met friends I haven’t seen since Christmas (oops) at Elk and Pea for brunch – winter in Canberra isn’t a good time to sit outdoors, but Elk and Pea has a lovely covered outdoor area that is well heated to the point where coats aren’t necessary (yay!). I felt like a more traditional breakfast, so went for the avocado/mushroom/eggs option, which was much bigger than I expected! The eggs were perfectly poached, the mushrooms had so much flavour, and the basil and goats cheese worked really well with the whole meal. I couldn’t quite finish all of my bread, which was nicely toasted but a bit hard to cut, but it was nice to eat a big breakfast slowly while catching up with friends. Yes, it is a busy place where you may not be encouraged to linger on a weekend, but the food and atmosphere are worth a trip. Don’t forget to grab a pretty teal business card!

Elk and Pea: 21 Lonsdale St, Braddon ACT                http://www.elkandpea.com.au/