Australia Archives - Gazing and Grazing

Da Noi is a Slice of Sardinia in Melbourne

March 24th, 2017

Melbourne's Da Noi restaurant serves up a sunny slice of Sardinia, from freshly grilled octopus to slow roasted kid (young goat). Food like this is almost always wonderfully satisfying, where the taste of quality meat shines through with minimal garnishing. "Honest" food as some other reviewers call it. It helps that the food is cooked well. We normally just leave our meal in the hands of chef-owner Pietro Porcu and this leads to a series of seafood based antipasti,...

Attica – One of Melbourne’s “Musts”

February 7th, 2016

I've been watching a documentary on Ben Shewry, chef of Melbourne's Attica, and thinking that I must return to the restaurant. Attica uses local ingredients - yes, wallaby, for one - but presents them in a totally delicious manner. While some of the dishes can be said to be experimental, I found that he didn't go overboard - not like Mugaritz (see blog) in Spain where some dishes were definitely challenging. The other reason for returning was that the entire experience was a lot of fun...

Melbourne – Estelle by Scott Pickett Worth a Try, Good Food Offsets Opening Day Quirks

August 2nd, 2015

Estelle by Scott Pickett ("ESP") is a fine dining, omakase-only new eatery by the guy behind the popular St. Crispin and Estelle Bistro. While the fine modern-Australian cuisine was good, we came on opening night on July 17 when the service was less than stellar and they had a quirky exhaust system. I believe they should be able to resolve these teething problems but if not, be in for a slightly longer evening than expected and wear clothes you don't mind smelling of food. Overall, I think...

Melbourne’s The Kettle Black – Good Design and Brunch

July 24th, 2015

A good reason to go back to The Kettle Black

Melbourne seems to be awash with a number of good breakfast/brunch cafes currently and one-year old The Kettle Black has great decor, service, and food. I came here after an overnight flight from Singapore so it was just nice to be out walking and with a good cup of coffee. But what instantly struck me about The Kettle Black is its welcoming interior design - fresh white walls and muted citrus tones and lots of natural light - and helpful staff.

Located not far from the CBD near the...

Melbourne’s Bluebonnet Barbecue – A Bit of Texas Downunder

June 1st, 2015

For those of us who live closer to Australia than to the U.S., a trip to Melbourne is probably easier to wrangle. And if you have a craving for good, old lone star barbecue, then Bluebonnet Barbecue in Melbourne may fill those needs. Besides excellent Angus beef ribs, they also make their own sausages and have really good sides.

While the Australians claim the "barbie" as part of their culture, I don't think it beats the way the Americans slow cook their beef ribs so that the meat falls...