The Serve column, M: Melbourne inside out magazine

Valent, D 2011, 'The Serve: Armadale', M: Melbourne inside out, 1 May, 2011, p. 16, John Fairfax, Newcastle, NSW. 


Each week Dani Valent surveys suburbs around Melbourne for the best food each one has to offer.  In this issue's column, Valent reviews the Coin Laundry, a newly opened cafe in Armadale.  The column has a definite Sunday magazine feel to it: relaxed, affable but also informative.  Aside from the main review, Valent also gives the reader alternative places to visit while in each suburb (perhaps, in case the venue that is the subject of the main review turns out to be packed).  As different locales are chosen each week, this column may not always have specifically 'affordable' venues reviewed (The Serve's column for the following week for example, took the reader to Melbourne's notoriously affluent Bayside suburbs -- not the prime hunting grounds for foodies on a budget).  Nevertheless, this column 'serves' as adequate Sunday reading, if you're looking for inspiration for your next food adventure.  W.V.

Foodspotting mobile App for iOS and Android

Foodspotting 2011, Foodspotting: a visual guide to good food and where to find it, New York, viewed 16 May 2010, <http://www.foodspotting.com/apps>.

While I freely confess to being a tech geek, I have to admit that I only joined the smartphone set late last year when I bought my first iPhone.  It was a momentous occasion, and soon after I decided to explore what I could do with it.  I had a couple of late shifts at the library at the time and often I would venture down the eateries near Lygon St. for dinner.  I often told my friends how good and cheap the food was around that area, being so close to the university, but I've never had the chance to show them.  Until now:  introducing Foodspotting for mobile devices.  Foodspotting is a location-based service for iOS and Android devices which allows users to upload and share interesting food photos along with their reviews and recommendations with other users of the app.  Depending on where you are, Foodspotting can also generate a list of recommended eateries based on these user reviews which can also be narrowed down based on what's close, recent uploads and most recommended places.  For the tech-savvy gourmet and the foodie-on-the-go, this app definitely an app to pick up. W.V.

Foodspotting Lite for Android
Foodspotting for iOS

'Broth of fresh air' featured article, M: Melbourne inside out magazine

Unreich, R 2011, ''Broth of fresh air', M: Melbourne inside out, 1 May, 2011, p. 10, John Fairfax, Newcastle, NSW.

In this featured article, Rachelle Unreich takes us on a veritable tour of Melbourne's multicultural food scene through a seasonal favourite: soup.  With the cold weather well and truly setting in and Melburnians bracing for record lows, an aromatic, hearty bowl of broth can be a panacea for the winter-weary soul.  Unreich's list includes familiar favourites such as Pelligrini's and the Station Hotel, but also other welcome additions for the more adventurous. This list may not be comprehensive; certainly, there are other (deserving) restaurants, but it does provide soup enthusiasts of every persuasion a starting point to start their adventure. W.V.

Got a secret soup place you want to recommend?  Comment below!

Sunday Night Dinner column, Sunday Life magazine, The Age

Apelgren, J 2010, 'Sunday Night Dinner: Pizza Religion', Sunday Life magazine, 1 May 2011, p. 40 (Food & Wine section), Fairfax Media, Pyrmont, NSW.

Growing up, I often enjoyed rifling through the weekend newspaper looking for the kids section for the comic strips and puzzles.  I still like comic strips and puzzles today, but more often I find myself looking in the paper for restaurant reviews and recipes.  A couple of weeks ago in The Age's complementary Sunday Life magazine, Janne Apelgren reviewed Pizza Religion, a gourmet pizzeria with a twist on traditional fare located in Melbourne's east suburban heartland of Hawthorn.  Apelgren, who is coincidentally the editor of The Age's Good Food Guide, intrepidly ventures into new food venues around Melbourne and provides wonderfully descriptive accounts of the cuisine on offer in this short but sumptuous weekend column.  Consider it a recommendation for a place to eat after reading the paper. W.V.

Dine out: Melburnian's own restaurant and winery guide 12th edition

Maloney, A (ed.) 2003, Dine out : Melburnians' own restaurant and winery guide, 12th edn, Dine Out Melbourne, Port Melbourne.

While this guide has not seen yearly updates like the more popular The Age Good Food guide, it still presents itself as a reliable and relevant guide to eating out in Melbourne.  While the first half of its contents is dedicated to descriptions of eateries in Melbourne, organised by cuisine, the second half delves into the wealth of country Victoria's wine producing regions.  The descriptions of establishments reviewed in this book while concise, are very informative, indicating the price range of meals, contact information as well as suitability for large group gatherings.  

It might be a sign of the times, but a savvy foodie these days would prefer to get information on the best places to eat out on the internet.  But even then, Dine Out would still earn a place on our bookshelf, if only for its nostalgic and historic value.  W.V.

Eatability website

eatability 2010, eatability Melbourne, Australia, viewed 3 May 2011, <http://www.eatability.com.au/au/melbourne/>.

Eatability started life a typical local food guide, but has since gone on to expand its scope to businesses other than restaurants and cafes in late 2010.  However, eatability's appeal still lies with what it does best: providing a comprehensive, finely tuned search engine for places to eat in and around Melbourne.  The site's homepage is packed with a lot of information which may be daunting for first time visitors, but the wealth of resources here is well worth tackling the steep learning curve.  While its basic search function is great for discovering new places, users can narrow their search results by cuisine, locality and price range.  Furthermore, not only  can registered users can share their experiences at a particular venue, but they can also place orders for delivery or take-away as well as book their next outing for selected establishments.  For the foodlover who likes to plan ahead, eatability is a good place to start. W.V.

Rice Bar (But Not Only Rice)

This bustling corner cafe has had several short-lived incarnations in the past at its current location but it has really hit its stride in the last few years being known as Rice Bar (But Not Only Rice).  There's not a lot to distinguish Rice Bar from other similar Asian cafes around Melbourne : the ever-present flasks of Chinese tea, the extensive laminated menus and the utilitarian design of the dining room. But perhaps the thing that makes Rice Bar stands out is how it lets its dishes speak for itself.

Being in close proximity to the University of Melbourne, Rice Bar has a regular stream of international students through its doors despite the appearance of competitors in recent years.  Their menu, which has changed very little over the years boasts the familiar standard dishes (Singapore noodles, Beef in black bean sauce, etc.) but refreshingly Rice Bar also offers something different for the more adventurous, among them pan mee, a noodle soup served with mushrooms and anchovies or bak kut teh, a popular Chinese dish of pork ribs, slow cooked in a spice-infused tea broth.

Only after several visits to Rice Bar can you gain appreciation of another of its virtues: consistency.  It's easy to pick out favourites from their extensive menu of Malaysian, Indonesian, Hakka, and Cantonese dishes.  Regular patrons of Rice Bar know that such favourites will rarely ever drop in quality.  Most main dishes are priced at around the $10-12 dollars and portions are generous.  

All in all, Rice Bar's variety in their offerings and consistent quality keep the regulars (such as myself) coming back.  The service is almost always fast, friendly and accommodating, regardless of the time of day or how busy they get.  You'd be hard-pressed to find a place you'd be willing to frequent... except maybe, another Rice Bar.  W.V.

Eat and be merry, for tomorrow we die(t) blog

Eat and be merry, for tomorrow we die(t) 2010, viewed 30th April 2011, <http://eatandbemerryfortomorrowwediet.blogspot.com/>

This blog is currently number 1 on Urbanspoon's blog rankings, boasting over 125,520 page views and 176 blog entries, each giving a detailed review of eateries in and around Melbourne.  Although this blog only started publishing restaurant and cafe reviews in February 2010, it has quickly attracted a large following with its attentive and even treatment of each of the establishments visited.   Each post includes photos of the venues and the dishes reviewed, and is punctuated with a concise rating summary.  Any Melbourne foodie would do well to have this blog bookmarked. W.V.