Jimmy Grants

Hello, souva of my dreams. Greek food isn’t really a big thing in Canberra, so on this visit to Melbourne it was near the top of my list. I stood in queue at a busy lunchtime and ordered the Mr Papadopoulos ($12.5), a souva with lamb, mustard aioli, chips, onion and parsley, with a side of chips ($4.50) served with fetta and oregano (swoon). The food did take a while, but was clearly cooked fresh, and served nicely for dine-in enjoyment on an Emporium plate. I must confess, this souva had the nicest, softest pita wrap of any souva I’ve had (including the one at Gazi), and it wasn’t overly dense. That left me free to enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth, smoky pieces of lamb, which were plentiful and utterly divine. The parsley and onion added a tabouleh-esque touch, and the chips within were great, although not quite as great as the side of chips. Oh my, I was so full from the souva (which I couldn’t finish), but I kept shovelling those chips in. Yum. The fetta was lovely and salty, the chips crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside… A very filling and very tasty lunch. Greek food craving  satisfied.

Jimmy Grants, Emporium Melbourne, Level Three, 287 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC, http://jimmygrants.com.au/

Burger Theory

Adelaideans are so lucky – you guys are going through a serious burger craze, and you get fun places like Burger Theory! Firstly a food truck, now a bricks-and-mortar store (sound familiar?), Burger Theory is everything that a burger place should be; no frills, fresh-cooked and full of energy. We both ordered the Pearl’s Cheeseburger ($11) and shared a side of fries ($4). Yes, at first glance the burgers look small, but good things come in small packages! Firstly, let me say that these are rock-star patties – utterly delicious and perfectly cooked, this is everything that a self-respecting burger patty should aspire to be. Burger Theory has also won my heart by targeting my ultimate weakness. Pickles. You guys, there are a LOT of pickles on this burger. Not just a couple of shredded bits, or two lonely slices, but a whole base covered in thick sliced pickle goodness. This is obviously amped up to “winner” by the ketchup and mustard sauce combo. The fries were excellent too, crisp outside and soft inside, I didn’t think they needed sauce and we devoured them pretty quickly. So heart-eyes emoji all around, basically. #cometocanberra?

Burger Theory, 8-10 Union Street, Adelaide SA, http://www.burgertheory.com/

Red Brick Espresso

Not being a coffee drinker, Red Brick wasn’t too high on my foodie list, but a friend invited me there for a catch up and so off I went. The brunch menu is actually quite good, with a few breakfasty options and a few lunchy options. I chose a classic fried egg and bacon roll ($10.90), mostly because it was served with kewpie mayonnaise! We sat inside, admiring the texta-art scene drawn on the wall, showing the local shops. I also drooled a bit over the danishes and pastries at the counter, but decided to be good. This time. The roll came out fairly quickly, and I was very happy to see egg yolk oozing down the side (yay!). The toasted brioche bun was quite substantial, and I was pleased by the amount of bacon included in the serve. The bacon was a bit fatty, but there was enough crispy bits mixed in to not be a problem. Rocket is my favourite ‘leafy green thing’, particularly when paired with creamy kewpie, which brings out the sharp bitey flavour of the rocket. Overall this was a nice breakfast, although nothing particularly outstanding. I’d come back to try the lunchy options.

Red Brick Espresso, Shop 4/35 Curtin Place, Curtin ACT, http://redbrickespresso.com.au/

Rice Paper Scissors

I must say, I did judge the book by its cover with this one – I was enchanted by the décor at RPS, so we stopped in for a very late lunch-snack, grabbing a seat at the bar before the kitchen closed. The menu is an exciting exploration of South East Asia, and I couldn’t go past the temptation of soft shell crab mini banh mi ($13 for 2), plus a house made lemon iced tea ($4.50). Served in a fashionable jar, the iced tea had both lemon and lemongrass, but both were well balanced and not overpowering. The staff here are friendly and chatty, creating a welcoming atmosphere that we enjoyed. The food came out fairly quickly, and it definitely confirmed our order choice. Served on soft brioche buns, the banh mi were utterly delightful – the generous portion of crab was just the right blend of crisp and soft, bringing great flavour and texture to the dish. The house made pate added a creaminess to each mouthful, and I particularly liked the addition of pickled vegetables, which, with the fresh coriander, lifted this to a whole other level. I will definitely be back!

Rice Paper Scissors, 19 Liverpool Street, Melbourne VIC, http://www.ricepaperscissors.com.au/

Lolo and Lola

Canberra is entirely to blame for my love of Filipino food – luckily, Lolo and Lola can help me feed the habit started by Kusina! The latest shipping container store to open at Westside, Lolo and Lola (formerly Waterhouse Bakery) offer fresh Filipino dishes and cakes with a menu that changes daily. I went on a Friday and ordered the Grilled Pork Tocino ($12) – cured sweet pork slices served with rice and a tomato salad – to takeaway. The portion size is fantastic – exactly the right amount of food for lunch, and I was impressed by the amount of pork in the serve. The meat was amazingly delicious – sweet as the menu says, but also very tender. The spring onion sprinkled on top helped to lift the flavour and I loved the way some of the sweet coating from the pork oozed onto the rice, which I’m sure was infused with garlic (yum). The tomato salad had wedges of fresh tomato, slices of red onion and cucumber  it was really refreshing to contrast the heavier pork and rice, but I’ll save this dish for weekends as the raw onion was strong and not ideal for going back to work! I’d very happily order this dish again and can’t wait to try more from the exciting menu!

Lolo and Lola, Westside Acton, 3 Barrine Drive, Acton ACT, no website

Mint Rd

I’ve been meaning to visit Mint Rd at the Narrabundah shops for quite a long time, and finally took the opportunity one warm Saturday morning. This is clearly a place that has its regulars – staff were happily chatting away to customers on a first name-basis, and the small space has a welcoming, community feel. The breakfast menu is comfortingly simple – no chefy pretensions here, just straightforward, good food. I chose the bacon and egg roll ($6.50) and a Noah’s apple and peach juice ($4) – sadly no fresh juice option. My roll didn’t take long to come out, and I was impressed with the size. Served on a round Turkish bread roll cut in half, the fried egg was perched atop a good sized portion of bacon, with just the right amount of my choice of BBQ sauce slathered on the bread. On first bite, I was delighted to discover that pepper had been sprinkled on the cooked-through egg, elevating it from ‘good’ to ‘awesome’. This may not be the place for crispy bacon lovers, but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this breakfast – I’ll be back to try the lunch menu soon.

Mint Rd, 59 Boolimba Crescent, Narrabundah ACT, http://www.mintrd.com.au/

Double Shot

This was by far my best experience at Double Shot – I only had a short amount of time for lunch, and the waitress was very happy to point me to menu items that wouldn’t take too long to prepare. I really appreciated that level of service, and ordered one of the toasted sandwiches ($10), picking the tuna as something a bit different. As promised, my meal came out quickly and I was struck by the simple but appealing presentation on a small sandwich board. On first bite, it was clear that this was a very special toastie. The bread was lovely and flavoursome, having been pan-fried in butter to create rich, luxurious mouthfuls that hit just the right balance of crisp and soft for my taste. Inside, the sierra tuna was thickly packed in, well-mixed with capers, green olives, spanish onion and aioli. The combination was fantastic, every ingredient bringing something to the flavour party (yes, I’d invite them all again). Combined with the buttery bread, what may seem like a humble toastie is elevated into a gourmet delight. Apart from the pickle, the garnish salad was a bit thin for me, but the lettuce leaves did break up the richness nicely.

Double Shot, 18 Duff Place, Deakin ACT , http://doubleshotdeakin.com.au/