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

Hopscotch

When you work until 9:30pm on a weeknight, there are surprisingly few places you can go to get a good feed in Canberra. Wracking our brains, my friend and I rang Hopscotch, and were told that the kitchen would close at 10pm, so if we hurried we could make it. Hurried we did – after a long day with only cheese and crackers for post-5pm sustenance, you can move surprisingly quickly at the thought of a hot meal. When we arrived we were informed that only the snack options were available (but would be available all night). These were by no means dinner, but sharing a few was a makeshift dinner of sorts. We started with the falafel, served with hummus, and the calamari, served with coleslaw. The calamari was a standout, a bit dry by itself, but brought to life with the ‘slaw, which was juicy and had a good kick of spice. The falafel were crumbly and soft, but I found the hummus a bit dry. Not yet full, we went back for a basket of fries with aioli – this was definitely enough to tide us over. The portion was huge! So late night dinner at Hopscotch isn’t a thing, but tasty snacks are.

Hopscotch, 5 Lonsdale St, Braddon                    http://www.hopscotchbar.com.au/

Dong Bang

I was on a quest in Seoul. Having done lots of research before going, I’d discovered that Korea has an equivalent to the Japanese taiyaki, a sweet full of red bean paste in the shape of a fish. The Korean equivalent… isn’t. In fact, the Korean equivalent is known as “poop bread”, because it is shaped as a turd. Who could resist? So I wrote down the train stations dong bang (poop bread in Korean) was meant to be available and set off on my quest. Sadly, the stall had closed at the station I went to, and I despaired of ever finding the mythical poop bread. But, lo and behold, exploring an outdoor mall in Insadong, we walked right up to the top of the spiral (like a knight climbing the spiral stairs to a fairytale tower) and what was there but a stall making fresh, steaming poop bread! I was so excited to buy one that the stall owner produced a huge pink poop bread hat for me to take a photo wearing. Yep. Not even joking. The poop bread itself was well-toasted on the outside and full of delicious red bean paste, the perfect prize at the end of a succesful quest.

Dong Bang, Ssamji-gil, Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, no website

Old Parliament House

Friday drinks at OPH were something of a myth when I moved to Canberra – they’d been all the rage but had since stopped, so I never got to go. But good things come to those who wait – once again OPH is opening its courtyard to those seeking end-of-week beverages. We headed over for a friend’s farewell after work, emerging into a lovely green space full of benches and beanbags. The bar is set up under a pergola and offers wine, beer and cider, and alongside it is the food. For $6, you could choose to eat 1. a bratwurst with sauerkraut, 2. tandoori chicken skewers or 3. a green paw paw salad. I went for the bratwurst, after seeing that it was DIY condiments (yes!). I heaped my hot dog up with bacon chips, sauerkraut, diced pickles, aioli and cheese – it was definitely the right choice. The roll was just the right thickness and held everything together without dominating the flavours, whilst the sauerkraut and pickles really complemented the  sausage. The cheese didn’t add much flavour, but the bacon chips were crispy and worked well with the whole combination. No better way to send a friend off in style.

Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes ACT   http://moadoph.gov.au/events/friday-night-drinks/

Manoffin

We used the metro a lot in Seoul, and part of the fun is peeking at all the shops inside each station. I can’t quite remember which station we discovered Manoffin at, they do seem to be at a range of metro stops throughout the city. While we were there they had a special range of muffins out for Halloween, which were incredibly eye-catching and creative – there were muffins topped with spider webs, bloodshot eyes, creepy faces and fanged monsters. Obviously I had to have one. I decided to try the ‘blue monster’, which was probably the cutest out of the selection with half an oreo biscuit poking out as its mouth. The muffin itself was a plain vanilla flavour, and it was soft and fluffy, as muffins should be. The icing was a nice thickness, and the monster’s eyes were made of  sweet white chocolate buttons. I also went back to try one of their regular muffins, maple flavoured, which was rich and luscious, served with whipped cream and a disk of white chocolate on top. A good value sweet snack when travelling in Seoul, and  fun way to celebrate Halloween!

Manoffin, various locations throughout Seoul                     http://www.manoffin.co.kr/

Spring St Grocer

I tend to need snacks to keep my energy levels up, and mid-afternoon is peak snack-time. In Melbourne, I was pretty spoilt for choice, and wandering down Spring Street, my friend and I came across this providore/corner store complete with gorgeous flowers for sale out the front, it’s own cheese room and a cornucopia of delicious, imported goods. But what drew my eye was the gelato/sorbets for sale out the front. The sign advertised it as from Gelato Primavera, with a menu that changes daily. I was excited to see that some of the best flavours were sorbets – mandarin, chocolate/orange and raspberry/coconut. Adhering to the best ’til last policy, I started with the raspberry/coconut, which tasted a bit dull compared to the other two. It was a tough choice between the chocolate/orange and the mandarin, but in the end chocolate/orange won out – it was so luxurious and it was the better taste to finish with, rather than the slightly bitter mandarin (which was probably the truest of all the flavours). We sat inside, although plenty of people were sitting on a cute bench out the front, and were able to relax for a good half hour recharging the batteries.

Spring St Grocer, 157 Spring Street Melbourne             http://www.springstreetgrocer.com.au/