Lentil as Anything

If any of you lovely people have the misfortune of following my instagram feed (i.e. lots of #foodporn, photos of old buildings and my feet), you may have seen that I am having a bit of a love affair with Lentil as Anything, particularly the lovely restaurant down at the Abbotsford Convent.

In a brief summary, Lentil as Anything is a not-for-profit chain of restaurants in Melbourne with a "pay as you feel" philosophy. Food is prepared and served predominately by volunteers, is vegetarian and is as sustainable and locally sourced as possible. There is no prices on any of the meals. Rather, you come in and enjoy your food, then pay what you feel the meal was worth in one of the "magic boxes" on your way out. The aim of this is to focus on individuals, rather than money, so that those that can't afford to pay for a regular meal at a restaurant can pay as much - or as little - as they want without feeling looked down upon. 

I have been to both the Footscray and Abbotsford restaurants, which offer a communal eating atmosphere, and a self serve buffet of deliciousness. Simply grab a plate and load it up with what you will.

I am drooling looking back at this photo. Meals usually consist of curries, rice, salads, and often focus around a particular cuisine. I've had Mexican, Ethiopian (best injera ever) and Mediterranean. 

The two other restaurants I have yet to check out (emphasis on "yet" here) are in Preston and St Kilda, and offer a menu rather than buffet style affair. The philosophy behind Lentils is fantastic, and the generosity of volunteers and patrons is amazing. I am eager to see developments of this organisation in the future!

I love the chilled out atmosphere at Abbotsford restaurant, as well as the Convent itself. I could spend all day gazing at this beautiful old buildings.

Have you been to Lentil as Anything before? Or the Convent? It is such a beautiful part of the city.

Reanna.

Being Fancy: Dinner on the Colonial Tramcar

Trams have become a rather iconic part of Melbourne over the years, and even more iconic is probably the famed fleet of tramcar restaurants. I have often chanced upon one slowly crawling along the St Kilda tram lines, and fantasised about dinner upon it. However, I never investigated them anymore, feeling such an indulgence would be far too fancy for myself. This Christmas just gone, however, Chris and I were lucky enough to receive a voucher for an early dinner upon the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. Naturally, we were far too excited - any gift involving food, wine and Melbourne is sure to please us. We booked in our dinner within a matter of weeks and eagerly leapt on board our tram,

The trams themselves are simply amazing to behold. The indoor decor was beautiful, representing past colonial times with plush cushions and brass fittings. The staff were wonderful and enthusiastic, as well as ever willing to ensure your wine glass was full. 

The early dinner included a three course meal of appetisers, a main, and dessert. All of it was delicious, though nothing incredibly spectacular. The wine, on the other hand, was fantastic. Experiencing the atmosphere of eating and enjoying each others company on these quaint trams was by far the highlight of the night. 

I wish I had captured more photos of the interior of the tram, but as you can see above the mood lighting was not helping my (poor) attempts at photography!

If you are ever in need of a gift for someone, or just a fancy date night with a bit of classic Melbournian twist, try it out! Have you been on any fancy date nights lately? I love going out for nights like this, I really feel like it's a great way to spend quality time with my quality man.
Reanna.

Crossways

I've been meaning to write about Crossways ever since I started up this little blog. And the honest reason I haven't done so yet is that whenever I eat here, I'm so eager to start devouring my meal that I'm halfway through by the time I remember I was going to take a photo! But today, I exerted some self control so I can share one of my favourite lunch places in Melbourne.

Crossways is little more than a doorway amidst the chaos of Swanston Street in the CBD. It's one of those places you normally discover through word of mouth (I was informed of it's existence by a relative), or if you are one of those people that actually takes the business cards people hand out on the streets. Either way, once you find it you won't regret it.

For $7.50 (or $5.50 concession, student life wins again) you are entitled to "all you can eat", but the servings at Crossways are so huge that I cannot imagine going back for seconds! The menu is set, with a different main meal and dessert on rotation every day. The main meal (which is vegan and gluten free) consists of rice, curry and papadums, while dessert is a sweet halva with custard (vegetarian). You can also help yourself to water, lassi and cordial. As basic as the meal is, I have never had a bad experience eating here. It's just so. Damn. Delicious.

Seriously, Chris and I come here far too often.

This place is always packed around lunch time, but there is plenty of seating available. Service is at a counter up the back, from which you collect your own cutlery and serving tray. This place is more of a canteen than a restaurant, but everyone who works there is lovely.
If you ever want a cheap, delicious and quick lunch fix in the CBD, this is the place. I'll probably be in the corner devouring a plate myself!

What are you favourite cheap lunch destinations? Any old faithfuls?
Reanna.

The Abyssinian

Living near Racecourse Road - and just living in Melbourne in general - has certainly opened my eyes up to the incredible variety of cuisines available out there to try. It's hard to believe that I used to be so horrendously fussy as a child (seriously, I'm pretty sure I used to have chicken burritoes, with plain chicken and cheese in a tortilla), because now I love nothing more than going out to try something completely different! Well, not everything... I still haven't brought myself up to raw fish.

We spied the Abyssinian way back in last November when we first moved up to Melbourne. Like a lot of the restaurants along Racecourse Road, it doesn't look overly fancy, but it looked inviting enough to try out. Plus, we had never really heard much about Ethiopian cuisine. So when Chris' mum came up for a visit awhile back, we jumped at the chance to try out this place.

The place is rather dark and cosy, and seemed rather quiet. But business certainly picked up as the night progressed (I'll admit, we were there rather early!). Service was quick and effective, while not overly enthusiastic and informative. We opted for a couple of African beers and ciders, and decided to try the chefs selection (around $20-$25 a head, it gets cheaper the more people order it).

And what a good choice that was! We were a bit surprised when it came out, as it was one huge platter filled to the brim with food. And no cutlery! The plate was lined with injera, a soft and spongy pancake, from which you rip of chunks and grab handfuls of the various curries. The chefs selection gave us a choice of eight curries (4 meat, 4 vegetarian, and there is a fully vegetarian option available) and a small salad in the middle. It was certainly a (messy) experience eating with our hands, but it was so fun! And all the curries were delicious. I'd highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a truly cultural foodie experience. 

I definitely want to go back, but the other day I discovered a recipe for making my own (cheats) version of injera, so I whipped up a little Ethiopian feast at home! I'll be sure to share next time I make it. 

Tried any new cuisines lately?

Reanna.

Valley Cellar Door

The area Chris and I live in isn't exactly the most abundant location for trendy little bars and drinking holes. There is a couple of pubs and gaming venues nearby, but nothing much in the way of cute little bars hidden away in the alleyways of the CBD. The Valley Cellar Door is one of the rare exceptions to this rule.

Tucked in between the shopping centre and some other shops along Hall Street in Moonee Ponds, this little bar used to be nothing more than a bottle shop. While it still serves this purpose, all the drinks on sale are now available to have at the bar (for a corkage fee), as well as a selection of four rotating tap beers. And there's no Carlton or VB to be seen here - they only offer craft beers, ciders and wines. I'm talking Holgate, Hawthorn Brewery, and the like. Delicious.

There is seating out the front, indoors, and there is even a little beer garden out the back. And according to their website, they have plans to expand the interior and build a kitchen! While the Valley Cellar Door does offer a small selection of cheeses and nuts for purchase, they offer no other food. BUT they have a BYO food policy! There are plenty of takeaway places in the vicinity - many of them will deliver to the bar - so it's not uncommon to see a group of friends digging into pizza, Chinese or Indian our of plastic containers while drinking boutique wine!

Chris and I splashed out and bought some cheap almonds and grapes with us. So classy.

I love the atmosphere of this place. It's chilled out, intimate, yet at the same time often quite busy.

Do you have a favourite little bar?

Reanna.

Jimmy Grants

This Spring weather is just so wonderful, I still can't get over it! This Saturday just gone was particularly beautiful, so Chris and I headed over the Smith Street in Collingwood to try out Jimmy Grants with a friend.

Located in a side street just off Smith Street, this tiny eatery was almost overflowing with customers at lunch time! This restaurant is only new on the market, and is owned by George Calombaris. Our friend who came along with us had informed us of this place, as he works at another of George's restaurants over in Brunswick.

Despite the lunch time rush, we were squeezed onto a bench overlooking the kitchen. Paper menus are on the tables, and you order at the counter (take away is also available!), and drinks can be purchased at a separate bar. I tried Mythos, a Hellenic beer, and it was amazing on such a warm afternoon!

Chris got in before me and ordered the "homer souva" (falafel and coleslaw), so I decided to have a go at the "patris souva" (prawns, cucumber, mayo, honey). We decided to share a bowl of the grain salad, and out friend had a try of the "bonegilla" combo souva.

Our meals were out to us in no time, which was quite impressive considering how busy the place was. We were all impressed with our souvlakis, though if I were to go again I would opt for the falafel souvlaki, but that's just because I'm not a huge fan of prawns! The pitas were wonderfully soft and warm, and the grain salad was delicious. It was mix of grains (I identified freekah and lentils), nuts, herbs, raisins and greek yoghurt. So essentially, everything I love in a bowl.

Overall it was a fun lunch, however we didn't hang around long after our meal as the dining area was a bit cramped - plus we wanted to enjoy the sunshine! Everything, except a couple of larger platter meals, comes in at under $10, and the young service staff were all fantastic.

Have you eaten out anywhere new recently? 

Reanna.

Don Tojo

As uni students, Chris and I are always on the lookout for a good cheap eat. Thankfully, Melbourne has an abundance of restaurants that offer good food at a low price.

How Chris and I had never been to Don Tojo before is still a shock to me. I couldn't believe how cheap it was! We had both walked past it numerous times, as it's located just around the corner from Melbourne Uni in Carlton.

Customer service was not exactly fantastic - you ordered at the counter, and had to go collect your own meal from the service area when the waiter (actually, they weren't really waiters... service staff?) tells you it's ready. However, our meal was ready in about five minutes, if even that! We had barely sat down before it was ready.

Everything was priced between $5-$10 on their small menu. Chris and I ordered two dishes, which we shared - a Don Don Box and a Vegetarian Don. While nothing special, both dishes were tasty enough, though a bit lacking in the way of vegetables for my liking. But that's just me.

The venue itself was rather small, making it somewhat crowded. A large pallet of Asahi slabs also takes up a fair amount of space - but I suppose they need that many considering the beer is only $4 a bottle!

Considering it's proximity to uni, I'll definitely be back here when semester starts! You can't go wrong with cheap Asian.

Reanna.

Wooga Korean Restaurant

My boyfriend and I have recently started a new tradition of having a "date night" once a month - basically, we just go out to a restaurant for dinner, then head over to a bar for a few drinks. My boyfriend thought it would be fun if we take turns surprising each other with our dinner destination. He went first, and took me out to a cute lebanese tapas place called Agraba. Then last weekend, it was my turn. Making decisions is not exactly my forte, so I began stressing I would never find a nice place within our budget (we're both uni students, so we try keep on the cheaper side when eating out!). After typing multiple combinations of "cheap eats Melbourne" into Google, I eventually stumbled across Wooga Korean Restaurant. Located on Victoria Street, directly across from the Queen Victoria Market, this restaurant offered a fun dining experience. Reviews online spoke of barbecuing your own meat, which had captured my attention.

Korean BBQ pro?

We arrived about 6:45pm, and found the restaurant already quite busy. However, we were quickly seated and offered menus. There are a number of main meals, cuts of meats and soups to select from on the menu, but we opted for one of the set barbecue menus. "Option A" ($39, to serve 2) offered us three cuts of meat, tofu soup and two serves of rice. We were also given a combination of four delicious side dishes - kimchi, bean sprouts, pickled daikon and cabbage salad - that could be refilled as much as you liked. The kimchi was delicious! I had never had it before, but have seen recipes for it online and am now eager to try make it at home. We also tried out one of the Korean beers on the menu - Hite.

A bed of hot coals was placed in front of us, and a waiter brought out the meat and started cooking it for us, returning occasionally to turn it or cut it - probably as we looked like we has no idea what we were doing! We were a bit concerned that three cuts of meat between the two of us would be quite a lot (we aren't huge meat eaters), but it was just about perfect. The cuts were all thin and cooked quickly, and you could grab them off the barbecue when they were cooked to your liking and dunk them in the sauce offered to you. Chopsticks were the utensil on offer, so eating was a bit of a struggle for me!

By the end we were both satisfied, and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Having a bed of hot coals on the table was perfect for a cold Melbourne night! The staff, while efficient, were a bit difficult to call over and lacked personality. But all in all, I would recommend this place. I definitely want to try it out again, but with a bigger group of people. More people = more variety!

Have you ever been to a Korean BBQ? What are your favourite date night destinations?

--

Reanna.