Melbourne 2016 (Part 1)

Hello! I am back from Melbourne, and straight into work. But the good news is that I had a super fun time in Melbourne. The food was great, company was excellent and activities were exciting! I flew down from Brisbane on Thursday morning. Even though I was flying Virgin, I decided I would not get a Doughnut Time doughnut pre-flight, as I was expecting to eat a lot of doughnuts in Melbourne (actually, I did not... but that was OK... I ate many other delicious things). Leigh and I had timed our flights to arrive close to each other, and due to some delays they actually arrived at the same time! We got in at about 2.30, and caught the Skybus to Southern Cross Station. We were absolutely ravenous, plus it was cold and raining, so we decided to pick up some Lord of the Fries to snack on at the station before heading to our hotel.

I had the mini chicken burger (which was OK), and the French Canadian Chunky Fries aka poutine (no photo of that because they were all blurry).



Then we headed to our hotel. It was cold and raining, I was cold and sad. But then we warmed up and I was able to put on all my Melbourne layers before we went out for dinner. And when we went out, I was actually quite snug! Bringing my super warm Tasmania jacket was definitely a good move. I normally try and get to Melbourne on a Thursday to go to the Cornish Arms for trivia and ridiculous food. We did both! We started with some Spicy Wings to share with the table. I just had a few little bits, because of the spicy, but the dill mayo was delicious and really toned down any heat.



The vegan special for the night was chicken and waffles with bacon and hashbrowns, though none of us got it. I had the Krautrock Pizza, which had Tofurkey, potatoes, onion, cheese and gravy. Unfortunately no saurkraut, which I had thought there would be from the name. It was good, though I tend to find they are often a bit uneven with their toppings. It definitely needed a little something extra as well. Leigh had the Chimmi Dog, which was Tofurkey, peppers, onions, Gardein beefless tips and cheese in a roll with chimichurri sauce and dill dijonaise, with onion rings and slaw. She reported that it was very salty, and unfortunately the chimichurri sauce was really just a small drizzle. Our other friends for the Vegan Ribwich (which was quite yummy, I tried a bit), and the Souvlaki (which is a favourite among regulars).









On Friday morning we decided to try somewhere new, and after a short bus ride ended up at Admiral Cheng Ho. I started with a Chai Latte (it was OK), and Leigh had a coffee that she loved (she got a second one). While the vegan sweet potato pancakes sounded delicious (though I would skip the coconut ice cream), there was one dish that really spoke to my heart... avocado toast. I know, I know! But it wasn't just any avocado toast. It had white bean puree, kraut, herbs (including dill, my favourite) and avocado feta. It was delicious! The feta was more like a yummy, salty spread than a traditional feta. Overall, it was a delicious avocado toast. We both had it. Oh, also some pickled cucumber on the side! We also split a freshly baked vegan berry muffin, which was a fabulous muffin.







Then we headed to the Jurassic World exhibit at Melbourne Museum to see some dinosaurs. The whole thing is set up as if you were going to Jurassic World itself, so it is problematic in that it is set up as a zoo completely with petting area and breeding lab. But it had the most amazing animatronic dinosaurs! Including a t-rex that actually walked! Unfortunately, to create the Jurassic World drama, they sometimes had the dinosaurs acting distressed, with flashing red lights. I know they were robots, but the amount of expression they had in their eyes was amazing. My favourite part was the Stegosaurus, because they are my favourite dinosaurs!





For lunch, we headed to the beloved Smith & Deli to pick up a sandwich picnic to take back to the hotel! Leigh was starving, so ordered a Kimchi and Cheese scroll to eat while we were waiting.



We got three sandwiches to take back and share. The Reubenwich (Pastrami, sauerkraut, pickles, russian dressing on rye), The Little Havana (A traditional pressed Cuban: Ham, roast turkey, mozzarella, pickles, cheddar & mojo dressing) and The Tim Curried Egg Salad (I can’t believe it’s not curried egg-salad with shredded iceberg).







Unfortunately, The Tim Curried just tasted overwhelmingly of curry powder and not much else. I couldn't finish my half of it. The Reubenstein was yummy, though needed to be a little more vinegary. But good! However, the standout was definitely The Little Havana. It was so yummy! This sandwich comes very highly recommended by everyone who has ever had it. Here is a photo of a sandwich stack.



Then I had one of the most beautiful food experiences of my life. I had picked up a sweet for myself, and had settled on the Strawberry and Hibiscus Curd Chocolate Sandwich Cookie. Little did I know that the curd contained within is one of the most magical and delicious substances ever invented. Poor Leigh was trying to have a nap, while I was exclaiming in rapture with every nibble. So. Damn. Good. I need a tub of that curd to eat forever. Oh my goodness. I need them to make that every time I come to Melbourne. So good. Cannot explain enough how good it was. Do you believe me that it was good? However good you think it might be, it is infinity times better.





Cute Kitty Photo of the Post





Whenever I am away, my mum always sends me lots of photos of the girls. She sent me these ones before I even got to the airport!