XO

Walking into XO feels like stepping into downtown Melbourne – the space is modern, fresh and very stylish. The menu is equally exciting, organised into starters, small and large plates, sides and desserts. We started with the bao ($8 each), which had the most incredibly fluffy texture and were served as burgers, rather than wrap-arounds. Co-owner Kent told us that he and the chef spent months perfecting the recipe, so that they stayed fresh upon service – I can confirm, they certainly do! The combination of the pickled daikon, the unctuous pork belly and the freshness of the cucumber was magical and set our palettes up for the rest of the night. Dish two was the steamed prawn and pork dumplings ($16, includes 4), served with the most delicious soy vinagrette – it had a perfect balance of spice, sweet and vinegar flavours and I may or may not have drunk the leftovers with my spoon. The dumpling filling was fresh and had great, distinct textures – I adore prawns in dumplings and could taste them loud and clear. Yum. My dish of the night was the Asian Bolognaise – fried udon served with a ragout and a 60 degree egg, this is comfort food at its best.

XO, 16 Iluka Street, Narrabundah ACT, http://www.xo-restaurant.com.au

Bobo’s Diner

I have blogged many times about the need for a good, hearty burger, and that was exactly what I felt like when I met my colleagues at Bobo’s Diner in Frankston. They decided to share a plate of ribs, but I was sucked in by the promise of beef, cheese, lettuce and Bobo’s burger sauce that was ‘the original’. The food came out quickly and whilst the filling of my burger huddled like an island amid the sea of bun, once I got to that filling it was oh so good. The patty was wonderfully thick and packed full of ground beef (definitely not beef mince). The cheese and burger sauce added a huge amount of flavour and I actually did really like the soft but slightly crisped bun. The chips were tasty but nothing to write home about – they needed sauce and whilst the mustard on the table was tempting, I went for plain old tomato instead. My colleagues enjoyed the flavour of the ribs but were disappointed that there wasn’t more meat on them. The diner is open until late, and the staff happily let us work away as we ate.

Bobo’s Diner, 435 Nepean Highway, Frankston VIC                                          http://www.bobosdiner.com.au/

Salotto

I’ve been keen to try Salotto in Kingston since it opened last month, so when my friend came back from a long overseas trip, we headed there to catch up. We started with drinks – unfortunately my mojito, whilst a generous size, was like having a lot of rum punch you in the face – there was no subtlety and I couldn’t come close to finishing it, it was so alcoholic. We picked the gameroni all’aglio as our entree, prawns in garlic chilli oil ($18), with a side of Italian bread ($6.50). We were both quite disappointed that for the price, we only received three prawns. We did enjoy soaking the tasty oil up with the bread, but I would probably skip to the main next time. I ordered the saltimbocca for my main and this redeemed the food experience. The meal was very generously portioned and the veal was lovely and tender, perfectly matched with steamed asparagus, baby broccoli and lovely roast potatoes. Salotto does have a great atmosphere, and the staff were happy to let us sit and chat with plenty of time passing between courses, which was just perfect for the occasion.

Salotto, 25 Kennedy Street, Kingston ACT, http://salottobar.com/

Mama’s Buoi

Mama’s Buoi sucked me in with its pretty menus – they’re repurposed old-fashioned photo albums with bright covers. Opening them just confirmed that this would be a good experience. I was dining alone for this meal, and the wait staff, while not super fast, were attentive and friendly. I started with a delicious lychee and gin cocktail, which was bright purple and served in a martini glass – I loved the slightly sweet, fruity flavour and sipped it slowly over the course of my meal. To eat, I ordered the Thit Kho – a caramelised pork belly hot pot. Mmm. The serving arrived in a lovely bowl and came with a large portion of steamed rice. The pork was fatty and tender, and it had absorbed the flavour of the stock, making it quite sweet. There was one flavour that I didn’t like amid the mix (might have been bamboo?) but I could mask it with the onion. I really enjoyed the stock, which I put onto my rice, but I couldn’t finish the bowl by a long shot, so this could be a good one to share. I’d love to come back and try their pho and grilled dishes.

Mama’s Buoi, G25 Melbourne GPO, access via Postal Lane, Melbourne VIC      http://www.mamasbuoi.com.au/

Chez Kimchi

Dinner at Chez Kimchi was my first taste of Korean Fried Chicken (KFC). I’ve had Japanese-style variants, but this was my first authentic experience. We were very excited to explore the broad-ranging menu. We ordered the kimchi pancake, the vegetable bibimbap and the “Incredible” fried chicken, and I started out with a cup of apricot tea served hot – it was beautifully sweet and warming. We sampled the five complementary appetiser dishes – kimchi, seaweed salad, potato in a sweet sauce, pickled cabbage and a bean sprout salad – then got stuck into the kimchi pancake, which seemed a bit more like an onion pancake with kimchi sauce in the batter. There were a couple of pieces of kimchi but it wasn’t quite as kimchi-flavoured as I expected, although the portion size was generous. The KFC was next – coated in an unctuous, soy-ginger sauce, the wings were nicely battered and had plenty of meat on them. This was definitely the highlight of the meal. We thought we’d left the bibimbap long enough to make the rice go crunchy on the bottom but it hadn’t quite – this dish needed the red sauce served with it to stop it being dry, but the veggies included were a good mix. A new favourite for sure.

Chez Kimchi, Shop 11, 70-86 Bunda Street Civic, ACT, no website

Pepper Lunch

I was very excited to see that Pepper Lunch had opened in Adelaide – I’d enjoyed their food years ago in Sydney and stopped in for a quick dinner on my way back from the airport. My first impression was that the restaurant was untidy – the floors were dirty and the tables hadn’t been wiped down, but the staff were hanging around playing on their phones. I can’t fault the service though, my order was taken promptly and the food came out quickly and beautifully presented. I ordered the kimchi beef plate, which includes thin slices of raw beef, a big mound of rice with corn and lots of kimchi. The plate is sizzling hot and you cook your food at the table. The beef was thin and didn’t take long to cook – whilst it wasn’t a high quality cut, the flavour was nice and there was a good amount on the plate. The kimchi was wonderfully spicy and I loved the way the rice started crisping up at the bottom, the longer I left it without stirring. Sure, this isn’t fine dining, but if you’re after a tasty, filling, inexpensive meal, stop in and give it a try.

Pepper Lunch, 82 Gouger Street, Adelaide SA                   http://www.pepperlunch.com.au/

Locale

A friend and I managed to get an outdoors table at Locale for a weeknight dinner – the waitress inside wasn’t particularly attentive and seemed a bit befuddled, but the waiter who looked after our table was friendly and professional. We started out with the hot prawns – a bowl full of prawns in a sauce with chilli (deseeded, so not particularly spicy) and tomatos, served with a delicious flatbread. There weren’t many prawns (about 7 in total), but they were perfectly cooked to tenderness, and anyone ordering this dish should lap up every drop of that sauce. Yum. We then shared a Prosciutto e Rucola pizza – buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, rocket and parmesan. We both commented on how the simple toppings was the hallmark of authentic pizza, and with such thinly shaved prosciutto and scattered rocket and parmesan, it looked to tick all the boxes. Flavour-wise, this pizza was superb – the prosciutto added plenty of salty flavour, which was enhanced by the bite of both the rocket and the parmesan. The base was lovely and thin, and the mozzarella went beautifully stringy! One between two was just right for us and we left with happy tummies.

Locale, Shop 5, Deakin Shops, Hopetoun Circuit, Deakin ACT, http://www.localepizzeria.com.au/