Breakfast @ Magic Mountain Saloon

Magic Mountain Saloon brings the vibrancy of the Thai café culture to its breakfast offerings in Melbourne.

From the creators of Cookie, The Toff In Town, Revolver Upstairs and Boney, Magic Mountain Saloon opened in January this year and already has a loyal band of followers thanks to its authentic Thai cuisine which offers something distinctive for Melbourne’s breakfast culture.

Located at the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, a significant feature of Magic Mountain Saloon is its design - a fusion of industrial and contemporary. 

Green Curry Chicken Thighs, Apple Eggplant & Bamboo Shoots

The perfectly seasoned curry possessed the customary punchy flavours exhibited by South East Asian curries and was a great match for the beautifully cooked chicken. We loved the inclusion of tender eggplant and textural bamboo shoots.

Sour Orange Snapper Curry, Prawns & Morning Glory

The snapper curry was an outstanding curry which had a unique flavour and ample spice. It was a clean and bright dish with a perfect salt-sour-heat balance.

Black Sticky Rice, Strawberries, Banana, Coconut Cream & Dried Mango Granola

A modern breakfast take on the traditional Thai dessert of black sticky rice pudding with coconut, this bowl of goodness arrived as pretty as a picture, boasting a lovely deep purple colour. Magic Mountain Saloon’s version was absolutely moreish - luscious and striking without being too sweet. It was wonderful with fresh strawberries, banana and textural mango granola.

Magic Mountain Saloon provides a new dimension to brunch in Melbourne by offering an authentic Thai breakfast experience.

Location: 62 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

Phone: 03 9078 0078

Link: http://magicmountainsaloon.com.au/

Cuisine: Thai, Asian

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Magic Mountain Saloon.

The Left-Handed Chef

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of The Left-Handed Chef.

With a name that pays homage to the man behind it all, The Left-Handed Chef is a café that pleases patrons with life’s simple pleasures done well. 

With a relaxed, unpretentious and uncomplicated approach, the food features a variety of brunch options that will suit everyone, coupled with a friendly ambience.

Led by owner and Chef Ehud Malka, the kitchen is in capable hands. Ehud’s passion for food is clear and it is this unwavering passion and love for the small pleasures in life that imbues his creations with an air of fun and joy.

Pulled pork tacos 

The tacos were filled with an addictive medley of crackling, hot apple chutney, coleslaw and slowly roasted pork. The pulled pork was both tender and delicious, with caramel undertones. This brunch dish had it all - crackling, tender meat and vibrant fresh flavours.

Haloumi salad

The haloumi salad was delicious. This seemingly simple dish boasted balanced layers of flavour. The deep fried, salty haloumi was crisp on the exterior and matched beautifully with the rocket, pistachio, roasted pumpkin and asparagus. The balsamic reduction provided sweetness and acid, as did the pomegranate which also added a wonderful textural element. 

Serving good food at affordable prices, the Left-Handed Chef has unsurprisingly become a favourite choice for locals. A lovely and versatile meeting place, the cafe caters for lunching families to passer-by’s looking for a quick bite.

Location: 219 Park Street, South Melbourne

Phone: 03 9645 5800

Link: Facebook

Cuisine: Coffee, Sandwiches, Salad, Brunch

#GastrologyInDubai - Breakfast @ Reform Social & Grill

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Reform Social & Grill.

Best known for its authentic gastropub lunch and dinner experience, Reform Social & Grill Dubai is also home to the city’s best English breakfast.

The breakfast menu features an array of fresh and healthy breakfast options as well as fresh fruit smoothies. 

Located in The Lakes, Emirates Living District, the venue possesses an eclectic charm with a contemporary vibe and is surrounded by an idyllic garden.

Eggs Royale - Poached eggs, smoked salmon, hollandaise sauce

Two perfectly poached eggs were succulently seasoned with savoury smoked salmon and accompanied by a wonderfully luxurious hollandaise sauce a top a grilled English muffin. In all, this dish was a respectable assembly of breakfast essentials.

Pancakes with bacon and maple syrup

A simple breakfast favourite that amalgamates the best things in life (such as bacon). The pancake was fluffy and moist and embellished with delicious maple syrup.

Reform Social & Grill Dubai has succeeded in crafting a convivial atmosphere in which to enjoy a weekday brunch. Friendly and hospitable wait staff will be at your service throughout your meal.

Location: The Lakes Club, Emirates Living District, Dubai

Phone: +971 (4) 4542638

Link: http://www.reformsocialgrill.ae/

Cuisine: English

Bossy Boots

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Bossy Boots.

Drawing on the talent of two top Melbourne chefs Bossy Boots delivers generous hospitality and home cooked gourmet food in a contemporary café setting.

Under the guidance of chefs Ben Forehan and Rachael Browne, Bossy Boots are in capable hands. The pair have worked at notable Melbourne kitchens such as Stokehouse, Circa and Dench Bakers and are classically trained having both studied Vienoisserie at E’cole Le Notre, in Paris.

Bossy Boots has a large local following and is known for its relaxed ambience with chic courtyard and large windows  - the result is an inviting bright space. 

The menu is about fresh, honest food, with a mix of brunch and lunch staples and a nod to Italian fare.

Coffee is from Supreme and served expertly from a La Marzocco espresso machine.

Chicken Stuffed Peppers

The stuffed peppers were a brilliant start to our lunch at Bossy Boots. The peppers were bursting with flavour. The dish was uncomplicated but well executed.

Corn fritters with crispy bacon, avocado salsa, sour cream and chives.

The corn fritters had a crunchy golden brown exterior and were succulently sweet making for a great start to the day.

Carrot and macadamia cake

The carrot cake was a sweet end to our visit. The cake was moreish, moist, perfectly balanced and beautifully textured as a result of the luscious macadamia nuts that had been scattered generously throughout the cake and the citrus element in the icing added interest.

Bossy Boots café also offers some delicious take home food options. We took home a delicious chicken pie which we absolutely loved. The pastry was crisp and flaky – a testament to being worked carefully by masters of pastries Ben and Rachael. Rich and hearty with generous morsels of beautifully slow cooked chicken, it was an excellent pie.

Bossy Boots is an iconic café with its own relaxed style, creating a hub that is unique to Brighton and presents a wonderful counterpoint to the inner city, lane way cafes springing up around Melbourne.

Location: 106 Bay Street,  Brighton 

Phone: 03 9596 6825 

Link: http://www.bossyboots.com.au/ 

Cuisine: Breakfast, Salad, Bakery

Hobba's autumn menu launch

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Hobba.

Boasting a vibrant industrial space, Hobba is an impressive operation in Prahran which delivers honest, locally produced food with big flavour.

Autumn is upon us and Hobba have pulled together an invitingly new and warm menu to bring us into the season. Gastrology were invited along to a first tasting of this autumn menu.

The driving force behind Hobba’s food and drink offerings is head chef, Rhys Hunter. Starting his career early at Giuseppe Arnaldo and Sons in Melbourne and moving onto North Bondi Italian in

Sydney, both by the Iceburgs Group, Rhys has gained an impressive resume. 

With over a decade of cooking experience under his belt, this young chef has taken a fresh and exciting approach with his dishes at Hobba. 

Hobba’s Vietnamese ‘Banh mi’

Hobba’s rendition of the Vietnamese pork banh mi was the highlight of our evening. The sweet and buttery brioche buns crunchy bread roll was shimmered with pâté and filled with generous serves of marinated cooked pork loin, topped with Asian greens, fresh chilli and the most delectable pork crackling crumb. It was both fresh and very tasty.

Pan seared snapper 

served with cauliflower puree, potato gratin, asparagus and heirloom beets and purple cauliflower 

While the flavours of the dish were simple, the quality of the snapper was exemplary. The skin of the fish was perfectly seared to be very crisp while the flesh was delicate and moist. It was a wonderfully simple dish that allowed the natural subtle sweetness of the fish to be enjoyed.

Wild mushrooms

Woodear, enoki and oyster mushrooms, served with sherry jus, green chives and a slow poached egg (65 degrees Celsius)

A perfectly poached (at 65 degrees) egg was accompanied by a generous serve of exceedingly plump mushrooms, a top a slice of crunchy grilled bread. 

Chili con carne

Served with 10-hour confit brisket and goats cheese croquette. Topped with a slow poached egg (65 degree Celsius) and shaved dark chocolate. 

Alfa Feast

Southern style slow cooked pulled pork served with fried eggs, fresh alfalfa salad and pear cider reduction hollandaise. 

The feature component of this respectable assembly of breakfast items was the Southern style slow cooked pulled pork. Imparting a unique flavour from the use of southern spices, it was beautifully tender, and was slathered in a beautiful BBQ sauce. The alfalfa was a great addition which brought a lovely freshness to the dish. 

Hotcakes

Fluffy with some real "height", the hotcakes was adorned with seasonal berries, whipped mascarpone, honeycomb, vanilla bean and house-made maple syrup. A simple breakfast favourite that amalgamates the best things in life. 

We took home a little gift from Hobba to enjoy the next day... 

Classic brownie

The classic brownie was perhaps one of the best we have ever tried. Possessing the perfect exterior crunchy layer with a dense cakey layer to follow before a perfectly gooey interior.  It was captivating!

Hobba’s new menu caters for all tastebuds. Whether you’re after clean superfoods, something healthy but a little cheeky or simply downright dirty to cure that hangover, Hobba has you sorted.

Location: 428 Malvern Road  Prahran

Phone: 03 9510 8336

Link: http://www.hobba.com.au/

Cuisine: Breakfast, International, Modern Australian

A weekend away at RACV Torquay Resort

With the picturesque backdrop of an expansive golf course and Torquay and Jan Juc beaches, RACV Torquay Resort is a tranquil location for a luxurious escape – and all within easy reach of Melbourne. The Gastrology team were therefore understandably excited when offered the opportunity to head down to the RACV Torquay Resort for some serious R&R.

RACV Torquay caters for all wants and desires, boasting direct beach access and a range of facilities including a day spa, indoor pool, and restaurants and bars (ranging from family friendly to more upmarket). Golfers are also extremely well catered for with a challenging 18-hole traditional links-style golf course. 

Premium Ocean View Rooms

We were delighted to be put up in a plush Premium Ocean View Room with simply stunning views over the golf course through to Torquay beach. 

The stresses of the city immediately evaporated as we gazed out from the huge windows. 

The room was modern, stylish and featured numerous luxurious touches such as the floor to ceiling stone bathrooms (complete with premium L’Occitane amenities) as well as a Nespresso machine, wonderfully comfortable king size bed, pillow menu and, of course, all of the other features you would expect from a resort of this calibre. 

The room was also incredibly quiet, preserving the sense of serenity.

Dining @ RACV Torquay Resort

After sitting down with Executive Chef Michael Bannerman and Food and Beverage Manager Andre Smaniotto, it is clear that there is a strong drive and focus at RACV Club Torquay to provide top quality, flexible dining experiences using locally sourced produce and beverages. 

Number One Restaurant and wine bar

During our stay we had the pleasure of enjoying delicious, locally sourced produce and excellent wines whilst taking in the stunning views from the fabulous Number One Restaurant and wine bar. 

Located on the second floor of the RACV Torquay Resort, Number One Restaurant and Wine Bar offers delicious modern Australian cuisine in a relaxed space of cavernous proportions. 

With executive chef Michael Bannerman the helm (previously head chef at Bacash, Crown Casino’s Number 8 and Philippe Mouchel’s right-hand man at Melbourne’s PM24) the kitchen serves up simple, elegant dishes which showcase seasonal, local ingredients. 

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Breakfast at RACV Torquay Resort is served at Number One Restaurant.

Breakfast is a decadent affair with a full buffet on offer and waffles, pancakes, omelettes, poached eggs, fried eggs and all others items cooked by the chefs in the open kitchen. Alternatively, if you want a really lazy start to the day then it is hard to resist having breakfast served in the luxury of your room...

We opted for a wonderful spread of eggs, bacon, tomatoes and sausages as well as muesli, toast, pastries, coffees, juices and yoghurt – all delivered to our room as the morning sun rose across the landscaped vistas outside of our windows.

White’s Paddock Bistro & Bar 

For a more casual, fun and quick dining experience, White’s Paddock Bistro & Bar is a great place to meet up with friends after a massage or a round of golf. 

The bistro menu has a broadly Mediterranean theme, featuring breads, appetizers, salads, pasta, items from the grill and a special mussels menu.

One Spa

From the moment you enter One Spa, time stops and you are transported to another world. Serene and indulgent, One Spa offers a large range of beauty and relaxation treatments so that you can get the pampering you truly deserve. 

We opted for an indulgent package which included a Geisha Tub Soak, Anti - Stress Full Body Massage, sparkling wine and chocolate covered strawberries and access to the Hammam Bathing facilities which include a steam room and thermal stone room, flotation pool, spa pool and experiential showers. 

The skilled therapists displayed the utmost professionalism and made our experience a memorable one. Following our rejuvenating treatments and with a newfound air of tranquillity, we wandered into the One Spa lounge to sip on sparkling wine, herbal tea and eat some seriously succulent chocolate coated strawberries – it does not get much better than that. 

Without exception, staff at RACV Torquay Resort were professional, friendly and always worked hard to ensure our stay was as enjoyable as possible. From the excellent food, fine wines and indulgent spa treatments, we enjoyed our weekend away at RACV Torquay immensely and simply cannot wait to return.

Location: Racv Torquay Resort, 1 Great Ocean Road, Torquay
Phone: 03 5261 1600
Link: RACV Torquay Resort



Gastrology bloggers wined, dined and reclined courtesy of RACV Torquay.