Botherambo

 

 

 

Botherambo on Swan Street is as funky as its name. With one side serving up Thai cuisine and the other side consisting of a bar - this place definitely has the options covered.

On this occasion we were here for the food, ordering the Kingfish Island Ceviche, Papaya Salad and vegetarian Lemongrass Chili Carry accompanied with coconut rice. I'm not sure what went quite wrong on our night seeing as this place has so many good reviews on Zomato, but lets just say it's not a good sign when the coconut rice was the dish of the night.

Cerviche is one of my favourite dishes, however this one, whilst plated beautifully was tough and tasted incredibly fishy. The papaya salad was ok - but again, being one of my favourite dishes, with its one dimensional flavour, it certainly wasn't the best one I've ever had.





The sauce in the Lemongrass Chilli Curry tasted delicious, but there was no warning that the corn that was in it was corn on the cob - completely impractical if you're on a date. The amount of  potatoes in this dish also  un-inspiring - if I'm ordering a vegetable curry - I want me some vegetables, not more starch!

 

I also wasn't sure how to quite take the staff. We had a delicious bottle of red perched not more than 30 cm away from us - but on filling up our glasses after they had been empty for 10 minutes (which trust me seems forever after a long day at work) we got patronisingly told off like little school children.

In circumstances where we are spoilt for choice with incredible Thai restaurants in Melbourne - with its peculiar staff and misses on the food - I'm going to have to go with a don't bother.

Food: 2.5/5
Venue: 3/5
Service: 2.5/5
Total: 8/15
Verdict - don't bother - there are too many other good Thai places floating around

65 Swan Street, Richmond

The Market Hotel

The Market Hotel on Clarendon Street has all of the makings of a good local pub. Offering a sports bar, lounge bar and rooftop garden, the venue is absolutely incredible.  With its indoor palm tress, string lights and vertical gardens, you'd be forgiven for thinking you had been whisked away to a tropical jungle.

To eat we ordered the steamed mixed dumplings with a kinging chilli oil and wakame in a soy broth, the "Parma" which was a crumbed prosciutto chicken topped a herbed tomato sugo sauce and buffalo mozzarella and the pan fried gnocchi with tomato water, crispy bacon, cherry tomatoes and spring onion.

Being a pub, I didn't have the highest hope for the dumplings, but I was pleasantly surprised. The fillings were delicious and full of flavour, and the overall dumplings were cooked perfectly. Definitely a dish I would order again.

The gnocchi itself was also cooked perfectly and tasted homemade.  However, the tomatoes tasted tart and acidic, which overpowered the rest of the dish.

The Parma was by far the most elegant parma I have ever seen.  However, it was probably more aptly described as a  chicken schnitzel with roasted tomatoes on top, which, whilst delicious, was a disappointment when you're expecting more of a traditional parma smothered with cheese and sauce.

One thing that the Market Hotel's menu is missing is a desert menu - a pub meal for me just isn't complete without a finale along the lines of a warm and oozy sticky date pudding.  Nonetheless, with its incredible venue, live music on Friday nights and incredibly friendly staff, I will definitely be back to give Market Hotel another shot.

Food: 2.5/5
Venue: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 9.5/15
Verdict: like - get around to trying it at some point

160 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne

Higher Ground

Higher Ground  is the latest member of the Top Paddock/Kettle Black group.  Adding some much needed flair (and good breakfast options) to the legal district, the two levelled venue almost has a New York loft feel - think a bright open space with vertical gardens and exposed brick walls. 

 

The menu itself features the groups' famous ricotta hot cake, with maple syrup, seeds and grains, cream, seasonal fruit and fresh flowers.  Higher Ground's version of it certainly didn't let the team down.  Coming out looking as pretty as a picture, the hot cake was warm and oozy, and the seeds and grain give it the required textual crunch.  


For me, I couldn't go past the Benedict Eggs with dry cured ham, emmental béarnaise, sourdough and vinegar powder.  Now as my followers would know, eggs benny is one of my go-to breakfast items, so the expectations were high...and luckily this one didn't disappoint! Not only was it the most elegant eggs benny I have ever seen, it was incredibly rich and delicious.

On the occasion that we went (I should note that I've heard from friends this is not always the case), the service was commendable. I was offered a coffee whilst waiting for my friends (a small gesture, but surprisingly uncommon during breakfast peak hour), our water glasses were never empty and it took them under 10 minutes to serve us our meals. Higher Ground - I will definitely be back soon.

Service: 4.5/5
Venue: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Total: 12.5/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon.

650 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Miss Chu - South Melbourne

Miss Chu epitomises everything I love about Melbourne's Asian food scene - fresh, cheap, quick and absolutely delicious.

Owning three stores in Melbourne (and a few scattered across NSW) the vibe of Miss Chu's venues is a bit like the Tiki Room in Disneyland (if anyone's ever been?) - bright, funky with a distinct Tiki Hut feel. The way they take your order is also a point of difference - providing each table with an order sheet to be filled in, you just tick the boxes of the food you're after with the pencil provided and away you go!

For me, when visiting Miss Chu, I can never go past the prawn and scallop dumplings and the steamed rice crepes with pork and wood ear mushroom (or, as termed by the Vietnamese, banh cuon). The prawn and scallop dumplings are always packed to the brim with delicious chunks of prawn and scallops, and the banh cuon balances textures and flavours like an absolute pro. Almost the Asian version of cannelloni, the banh cuon manages to the mix the sweet with the spice, the fragrant herbs with the meatiness of the pork mince and wood ear mushrooms, and the silky smoothness of the steamed rice crepes with the crunch of fried spring onions.

On this occasion we also tried the salt and pepper calamari - another win on their menu. Tender on the inside, crisp and flavoursome on the outside, these little morsels were absolutely delicious.

Also offering delivery, Miss Chu is an excellent option if you're in the mood for some Vietnamese.

Food: 4/5
Venue: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Total:11/15
Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon