I'm off to Melbourne again.....

Hey guys hope everyone is doing well.  Sorry for the lack of posts lately have been a bit busy working on something special.

Well Mr S and I are off to Melbourne tomorrow.  Hope you all have a great weekend and week.  I will be gone for the whole week.  I checked out the weather a few minutes ago and BBBrrrrrrr it sounds cold.  Don't think my clothes will be warm enough.  Layering, I think that's the answer.

Bye, take care peeps!!!!

Chocolateria San Churro St Kilda

On the Sunday afternoon of our Melbourne trip we took a tram down to St Kilda for a walk around the Sunday afternoon markets. We also took a stroll down the famous Acland Street where they have the most amazing looking cake shops.

I am very new with this whole blogging thing so quite often I forget to take my camera out and take photo's of everything. Apologies for that, I hope to get better. Anyway we decided to stop for a coffee as it had started to rain. We found this little place called Chocolateria San Churro that had available seats inside. Acland Street was extremely busy, people everywhere for the long weekend. I have never tasted these Spanish donuts so was quite eager to have some. As usual Mr S ordered a hot chocolate and myself a latte. I am not a big fan of hot chocolates, not sure why just prefer coffee.

Hot Chocolate

We also ordered a single serve of churro's as we were still kind of full from our yum cha that morning. The serving for one came with 3 long churro's and we decided on the milk chocolate to dip them in. They were delicious and the chocolate dipping sauce was just heavenly. Mr S thinks they were a little overcooked but I haven't had them before so have nothing to compare them to. I still enjoyed them and so did Mr S because he wasn't knocking them back even if they were a little overcook. He said his hot chocolate was so rich that it was impossible for him to finish it. This is a first. He loves chocolate and I can't believe he didn't finish it. Must have been all the chocolate from the day before at the Lindt cafe.

San Churro's. Above 2 images via San Churro

I wanted to pick this little dish up and lick it clean but my husband stopped me

Photo of the interior

Come on Brisbane you need to catch up!!! I wish we had some of these great places in Brisbane, but then again maybe not. I would end up the size of a house if we had all these fantastic places to eat at.

OMG I just double checked their website and what do you know they have one here in Queensland. Not Brisbane though. There is one up at the Sunshine Coast. Sunshine Plaza Maroochydore. This is about a 2 hour drive from where I live, so I am sure I can manage a drive up there at some stage...Woo hoo!!

More Melbourne

The best meal of my life so far. If there is such a thing, I think I had a food orgasm over the King Prawns with Goats Cheese Tortellini, Burnt Butter, Raisins and Pine Nuts $32.00.

I have never tasted anything like it. Well a small taste of it when we went to Rockpool Sydney and Mr S ordered this but would only give me the smallest taste. I obviously didn't get the full effect back then because I just couldn't believe the party that was going on in my mouth. It is the most amazing dish I have ever tasted. The goats cheese tortellini was so smooth and silky and the burnt butter sauce was just amazing.

Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me. I was only carrying a small clutch and it just wouldn't fit. So all I have to show you is the bill. Expensive, yes!! But well worth it. We did have a gamble at the casino afterwards and won $150.00 so when you add it all up dinner really only came to $168.50.

I have also never tasted beef like this ever. I could go on and on about how great this meal was but I really think everyone should just go there to taste for themselves. Well done Neil Perry, can't decide if I liked Melbourne Rockpool better than Sydney. Don't think you can compare them really.

On another day we ventured to The Lindt Cafe in Collins Street. We don't have one of these here in Brisbane. I think they also have about 4 of them in Sydney. Mr S ordered a Hot chocolate and the Wimbledon and I ordered a latte and the Opera cake. Mr S, who by the way loves chocolate said that while he enjoyed the hot chocolate, for him it was just a bit rich. My latte was fantastic (haven't had a bad coffee in Melbourne yet). I enjoyed my opera cake but wouldn't rave that much about it. I had a taste of the Wimbledon and actually liked that one better than the one I chose. Mr S loved it.

The Menu

The Wimbledon

The Opera

Melbourne

Mr S & I took a trip down to Melbourne on the Anzac long weekend. Mr S is originally from Victoria and we try to get back there at least once a year. Hopefully this year we will be taking another trip later in the year.
Anyway, on the advice of the May 2010 issue of Australian House & Garden city breaks article we decided to have lunch on our first day at Hu Tong Dumpling Bar, 14-16 Market Lane Melbourne. Well all I can say about that is, yummo!!! Great choice House & Garden. In Brisbane we don't really have any dumpling bars, not that I have found anyway. Mr S & I thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. I managed to get a few photo's.

Beautiful light that I just had to take a photo of. The photo doesn't actually do it justice

Our table setting

My favourite beer to wash the food down with.


Our first course of prawn dumplings

Scallop, chive, garlic & prawn dumplings

Double cooked sliced pork with chilli

I would have given Hu Tong a 10 out of 10 but then the next day we went to a place called Lucky Chans at the Crown complex with some friends and it won hands down. I would have to say it was the best yum cha I have ever eaten. Unfortunately I did not get any photo's of it. There probably would have been too many to put on here. It was a massive feast with 6 adults & 4 kids. Don't think I would have been able to keep up with all the dishes that came out. All I can say is that if you get the chance, go there for some of the best yum cha I have ever tasted.

There will be more to come on Melbourne later. I had the best meal of my life on that trip at a little place called Rockpool Bar & Grill, have you heard of it? Not so little though. Will talk about that one next time.

Hope you are having a great weekend. Bye xx00