Fire in the Bowl @ Oriental Tea House

Location: Gd 068/69 Melbourne Central Shopping Centre (Enter via Elizabeth St. entrance)
Phone: 03 9066 0207
Link: http://www.orientalteahouse.com.au/
Cuisine: Chinese

What has three serves of dumplings, sweet potato noodles, tofu skin, cabbage, pieces of chicken and fish and A TONNE of chilli and peppers…?

Dine Hear Promotion

How does your favourite restaurant sound? Dine Hear is calling all diners & restaurant lovers for a chance to win 1 of 3 iPad minis!

Cafe Review: Bing Boy

Location: Melbourne Central
Phone: 03 9922 1100
Link: http://www.bingboy.com.au/stores/melbourne-central/
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Sandwiches/Subs

Bing Boy is a new urban Asian street food outlet which combines Asian and Western cuisines to create a new funky fresh style which is suitable for people of all ages.

Oyster Frenzy #7 @ Albert Park Hotel

Location: 83 Dundas Pace, Albert Park
Phone: 03 9690 5459
Link: http://www.thealbertpark.com.au/
Cuisine: Pub/Bar Food, Seafood, International

Gastrology bloggers joined Melbourne’s seafood enthusiasts at the Albert Park Hotel last Thursday to pay homage to Australia’s wonderful oysters in all of their briny glory at Oyster Frenzy #7.

Restaurant Review: Nine Elephants

Location: 67 Village Street, Docklands
Phone: 03 9670 9909
Link: http://www.nineelephants.com.au/
Cuisine: Thai
Overall Impression: 6/10

Voted the #1 restaurant in Docklands on Urbanspoon (at the time of this blog post), Alanna and I were excited to dine at Nine Elephants. We both love Thai food and were keen to see if the restaurant would live up to its reputation.

Wine Baptism of Fire Launch

Gastrology bloggers attended the launch of The Wine Baptism of Fire last night. Wine Baptism of Fire is the first of its kind - a new winemaking competition for non-winemakers.

Upcoming Event: Oyster Frenzy @ Albert Park Hotel

Melbourne’s seafood enthusiasts converge on the Albert Park Hotel to celebrate Australia’s best oyster varieties, in all their briny glory at Oyster Frenzy # 7.

WTC Wharf - Progressive dinner

Located on Siddeley Street, nestled on the city-side banks of the Yarra River and adjacent to Crown Casino and South Wharf, WTC Wharf is fast becoming one of Melbourne's most exciting new precincts. We arrived at 6.30 pm for our progressive dinner - entree, main and dessert at 3 different restaurants!

5 & Dime Bagels

Location: Varies
Phone: 0433 339 367
Link: http://www.5dimebagel.com.au/ and facebook
Cuisine: Bakery

Zev Forman, owner and baker of 5 & Dime, has set out to bring fresh New York style bagels to Melbourne.

Cafe Review: Liar Liar

Location: 90 Kinkora Road, Hawthorn
Phone: 03 9818 8864
Link: http://www.liarliar.net.au/
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Coffee, Breakfast/Brunch
Overall Impression: 7/10

G and I decided to catch up at Liar Liar, an extremely popular café just off Glenferrie Road. As it was late Sunday morning (the peak of brunch hour), there was a bearable 15 minute wait for a table. 

We loved the casual and relaxed ambience of the place. We each had coffees to start our morning and then again to finish our catch up – their house blend is fabulous!

David's now delivering!

Location: 4 Cecil Pl, Prahran
Phone: 03 9529 5199
Link: davidsrestaurant.com.au
Cuisine: Chinese

As of the 5th of February, the iconic David’s restaurant does delivery. Whether you’re after a box of bao for the office, a snack of soft shell river prawns or a steaming bowl of sticky pork belly & chat potatoes for dinner, David’s delivers deliciousness to your door.

Mexican Brunch @ ASC

Location: 2 Acland Street, St Kilda
Phone: (03) 9536 1175
Link: www.aclandstcantina.com.au
Cuisine: Mexican
Overall Impression: 9/10

Lovers of Mexican fare that are bored by regular brunch options will rejoice at the ability to enjoy brunch with a tasty Mexican twist.

Warm Up Winter campaign launched to support the 500,000 Victorians struggling to meet the cost of living

Foodbank Victoria has launched its Warm Up Winter campaign this month, aiming to raise $100,000 for the 500,000 Victorians struggling to meet the cost of living. 

Restaurant Review: Friends of mine

Location: 506 Swan Street, Richmond
Phone: 03 9428 7516
Link: http://www.friendsofmine.com.au/
Cuisine: Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee
Overall Impression: 6.5/10 

Friends of Mine is a popular eatery in Richmond. It doesn't matter what day of the week it is, Friends of Mine is consistently packed with patrons.

Restaurant Review: Crabapple Kitchen

Location: 659 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
Phone: 03 9078 5492
Link: http://www.crabapplekitchen.com.au/
Cuisine: Coffee, Breakfast/Brunch, Mediterranean
Overall Impression: 7/10

I love lazy Sunday brunches. It's amazing what some good coffee and delicious breakkie can do.

Cafe Review: Auction Rooms

Location: 103-107 Errol Street, North Melbourne
Phone: 03 9326 7749
Link: http://www.auctionroomscafe.com.au/
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Coffee, Breakfast/Brunch
Overall Impression: 8/10

Auction Rooms is one of Melbourne's most highly regarded brunch/coffee places and for good reason. The menu features a wonderful array of delicious brunch options and the coffee served is consistently of a great standard.