Nitro Lab

Still in denial – how long until summer again? #icecreamthurs. I am a sucker for anything raspberry-flavoured. Wandering up Bourke Street, I came across Nitro Lab (which also seems to be called The Lab Nitrogen Gelato – confusing!) and was sucked in by the prospect of combining two of my favourite things – raspberry and nutella. The lady behind the counter was really friendly, and when I asked about the dairy-free options she gave me a really comprehensive outline of my choices. Luckily, the raspberry gelato is actually a sorbet – I decided not to go totally dairy-free and had the ‘golden gaytime’ crumb and nutella on top. The shop was fairly quiet so I only waited for a couple of minutes for my sorbet – the novelty of watching them make it with N2 doesn’t seem to wear off! The nutella dollop was massive and I tried to mix it in with the sorbet. The crumb was lovely and crispy, although it didn’t really taste like a golden gaytime crumb. The sorbet itself was the right balance between sweet and tart and there was plenty of it in the cup. Yum.

Nitro Lab, 188 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC, no website

St Ali

Note to self: the South Melbourne markets aren’t open on a Monday. Luckily St Ali is – in fact they’re open 365 days, so you can’t get it wrong (like I did with the markets). Instead of wandering through the markets a friend and I settled in at St Ali for afternoon tea, soaking up the sunshine from their outdoor seating which looks out onto the street. We were both tempted by the cake display and I caved first and ordered the fruit danish and a ‘hydrate’ juice, while my friend picked the lemon and marshmallow tart and a ‘detox’ juice. The juices were served in large, tall glasses and didn’t have much foam – mine had watermelon, apple and mint, although I could still taste the carrot from the detox juice which must have gone through the juicer first. The danish was lovely and crisp, with the pastry flaking off in large pieces to enjoy. The fresh blueberries, apricot and strawberries sat on a bed of custard which brought the whole sweet to life.  I could have happily eaten another if it hadn’t been so filling! Definitely a great place to while away an afternoon.

St Ali Coffee Roasters, 12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne VIC  www.stali.com.au

Shimbashi

I visited Shimbashi once in 2012 and remember a) the restaurant not appearing to have a name and b) the amazing soba they served. On this visit, I ducked in for a late lunch (last orders are 2:30pm) and was reminded once again how fantastic simple Japanese food can be. I ordered the teriyaki salmon special, which came with a rice bowl topped with lettuce and salmon, a small bowl of pickles, and a serve of soba. I ate the salmon first as the hot dish (I’d chosen cold soba), and was surprised at how large the serving was. The teriyaki sauce was sweet and rich, and was just the right amount to coat the perfectly cooked fish and most of the rice. I dipped the lettuce in the small salad I’d received on arrival to give it some dressing, which complemented the pickles nicely. The soba was equally delicious, with spring onion and seaweed to add extra flavour. The noodles were obviously handmade and had a great springiness to them which sent me straight back to Japan. Simple, delicate and authentic Japanese that I will definitely be coming back for.

Shimbashi Japanese soba and sake bar, 17 Liverpool Street, Melbourne VIC     http://www.shimbashisobamelbourne.net/

Cumulus Inc

Friends had raved about the breakfast at Cumulus Inc when we were last in Melbourne, so on this visit I made it my first stop. Like Akiba in Canberra, Cumulus is friendly to the solo traveller, seating me along the bar overlooking the kitchen where I could watch the chefs bustling away. I started with a glass of berry lemonade, which was beautifully refreshing and had the underlying bitterness of homemade lemonade. The berries added sweetness without being sickly. I chose the heirloom tomato dish to eat, and added the optional Serrano jamon. The dish was perfectly presented, with the straciatella cheese layered under the jamon and the seasoned tomatoes. A perfect mouthful had a bit of each element, including the divine bread which added so much flavour to the whole. The cheese had a distinctive flavour that matched the tomatoes really well and the staff were happy to let me enjoy it slowly while I read my book. To finish I treated myself to a canelle, which was done in the authentic French style – an almost burnt outer shell with a soft and delicate inside. I now see what everyone has been raving about, Cumulus is all class.

Cumulus Inc, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC                 http://www.cumulusinc.com.au

Romeo Lane

I came across Romeo Lane wandering the side streets off Little Bourke Street and am so glad that I did. I fell completely in love with this gem of a bar, from its stained glass lamp to its old-fashioned napkins. I was welcomed on arrival and brought a glass of water in a heavy crystal glass to the seat I’d chosen in the window overlooking the laneway. The cocktail list is simple but sophisticated, and I picked the White Light with champagne, sherry and peach. I was a bit peckish and ordered a serve of the duck and sherry pate as well. My cocktail came out first, served on a delicate silver dish, and brimming with bubbles. The drink was well-balanced, with sweetness from the peach and a rounded richness from the two alcohols. It was a pleasure to savour, and was obviously made by a practiced hand. Their cocktail menu changes monthly, so get in quick to try this one! The pate was equally superb, served with crispy lavosh strands, raisins, tiny citrus wedges and shiso. The log of pate was smooth, rich and beautifully flavoured, and the accompaniments only enhanced the elegant flavors. Romeo Lane is a class act very much worth visiting.

Romeo Lane, 1a Crossley Street, Melbourne VIC                 http://www.romeolane.com.au

Manchester Press

This is exactly the kind of place I wanted to eat at on my visit to Melbourne – a little place hiding on a narrow laneway, but full of life, funky decor and good food. I actually stumbled across it by accident on my laneway wanderings, and quickly decided to come back for breakfast the next day. The cafe is large and airy, with huge communal tables and lovely indoor plants dotted around the place. Whilst Manchester Press is mostly about the coffee, their food menu is all about the bagels. After much consideration, I opted for the fruit and nut bagel, which was served with mixed berry marscapone, fresh strawberries and crushed pistachios. After ordering, I was given a letterpress wood cut out ‘U’ as my table number, which was a nice touch to the Press theme. When the bagel came out I was amazed by the generous amount of marscapone and pistachio – the bagel was dense and nicely toasted, and the texture of the pistachios contrasted the smooth marscapone and the juicy strawberries perfectly. It was a great way to start the day, and the kind of place that sums up all the good things about Melbourne.

Manchester Press, 8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne VIC, no website

Lux Bite

Ok, so technically I haven’t been to Lux Bite. But a friend accepted my challenge to bring back a sweet from Melbourne that you can’t get in Canberra – this was the result. A quick google reveals that this cake was actually featured on Masterchef too, so must be tough to make! Called the ‘Lolly Bag Cake’, this little slice is full of layers of childhood flavour. The strongest is without a doubt the green layer (spearmint leaf buttercream), but upon deconstruction the other flavours get their moment – redskin, banana and musk. The highlight for me was the layer of freckles (who doesn’t love chocolate freckles?), which gave some crunch, and the ‘banana Joconde’ (sponge). Whilst all the flavours don’t exactly complement each other if you take a mouthful of them all, they don’t exactly clash either, leaving a slightly confused but largely minty taste in your mouth. I found I enjoyed the individual flavours much more after pulling it apart. Now the pressue is on to bring my friend something good back from Adelaide in return. Thoughts?

Lux Bite, 38 Toorak Rd, South Yarra VIC                                     http://www.luxbite.com.au