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Salona, Richmond

Paul
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Salona, Richmond

MELBOURNE | Salona has been serving up traditional Greek food to Richmond locals since 1969. Tony Atherinos and his son, Thomas Konis, acquired the restaurant in 1980, when its clientele was mostly of Greek immigrants who frequented Swan Street’s gambling dens. Thomas’ son, Stavros, took over the reigns in the late 2000s. Today, he runs the restaurant with his wife, Alexandra, and brother Alex.

Under Stavros’ stewardship, the menu has evolved, serving the classics that Salona has long been known for, while delving deeper into tradition. Not necessarily modernising, but evolving and refining. The restaurant’s biggest transformation occurred last year, when the family took over the Tsitsanis Travel Centre space next door. This more than doubled Salona’s capacity and gave the space a fresh, but still cosy, look and feel.

While renovations were occurring, Stavros teamed up with friend and mentor Con Christopoulos to open pop-up, now permanent restaurant, Kafeneion. Insights gained from running Kafeneion with Con have helped shape the updated Salona. There’s an even deeper delving into heritage, inspired by the restaurant’s history and family recipes, trips to Greece, and what contemporaries are doing in Melbourne as the city experiences a new wave of Greek dining.

Produce is locally sourced, apart from Greek olive oil and some Greek cheeses. Fish is wild-caught, while meat comes from purveyors like G. McBean Family Butcher. Greek-Australian producers are championed, with things like mastika from Macedon Distillery, and wine by Stelios Kimonides. Speaking of drinks, cocktail fans should try the baklava syrup old fashioned.

Light and airy whipped white cod roe taramasalata is a perfect way to start your meal. Also get the warm and creamy Santorini-style fava dip. All dips are served with complimentary warm, crusty bread. After, you might want to try the house-pickled Fremantle Octopus, or Kefalograviera saganaki with apricot jam. I highly recommend the sikotakia – pan-fried lamb liver, perfect drizzled with fresh lemon juice.

For larger dishes, there’s dishes like papoutsaki – eggplant filled with beef ragu, and béchamel; mixed seafood, tomato, garlic, and herb youvetsi; and kokkinisto. The latter is a comforting stew of slow-braised beef in rich tomato sauce, served over pasta. A number of old favourites exist as rotating daily special. The Friday and Saturday special, kleftiko, is a must try. Goat is marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, and oregano, and placed atop thin-sliced potatoes and herbs. Wrapped in parchment paper, it’s slow cooked in the oven until tender.

Sides keep it simple, with things like olive oil chips, Greek village salad, and seasonal greens with lemon and olive oil. For dessert, it’s hard to go past portokalopita – a moist, sweet orange cake made with dried filo instead of flour. It goes great with Greek coffee, or a nip of ouzo.

Salona

260A Swan Street
Richmond
Victoria 3121
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9429 1460
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sat: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 8:30pm

Halaya, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Halaya, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Halaya opened late last year, an evolution of Elbert Estampador and Laurice Fajardo’s previous venue on the same site, CEREE. The change in focus resulted from Elbert and Laurice pausing to think about what they truly wanted to achieve with the space, and by looking at what customers were responding to and what regulars were asking for.

The name Halaya, comes from ube halaya, the ubiquitous Filipino purple yam dessert. House-made ube halaya is used in most of Halaya’s treats. You’ll find it in cinnamon scrolls, Swiss rolls, and sponge cakes, and in almost all of the sweet menu options.

There’s shokupan French toast, filled with baked peaches, silky ube crème anglaise, topped with caramelised brûlée; ube buttermilk pancakes topped with ube halaya, seasonal fruits, and maple whipped cream; and ube champorado – glutinous rice and ube porridge with coconut clusters, strawberry compote, and toasted milk powder.

The savoury menu while still rooted in traditional, is more playful than before. There’s still traditional Filipino dishes on the menu, but now there’s a wider selection of dishes that fuse Filipino flavours and ingredients with Western-style “Melbourne” brunch dishes. It’s a way for Elbert and Laurice to introduce Filipino flavours to those who might not be familiar with the cuisine.

If you’re a fan of eggs bennedict, you have to try the Halaya version. Toasted pandesal is topped with a house made longanisa patty, banana ketchup glaze, poached eggs, and hollandaise. It’s brilliant. Feel like a sandwich? Get the Brisket Bistek Melt. It’s a toasted sourdough sandwich of tender bistek-inspired beef brisket, calamansi soy glaze, onions, cheese, roasted garlic mayo, and pickles. If it’s fried chicken you’re after, Halaya takes the flavours of the classic pork dish, Bicol express, and turns it into a bowl of garlic rice topped with crispy buttermilk fried chicken, and lashings of coconut cream, shrimp paste sauce, and green chilli salsa.

To drink, it’s top quality coffee, along with signature lattes like strawberry matcha, ube cloud, and turon iced-coffee. There’s also tea and cold-pressed juice, and a new liquor license that allows for a small wine selection, plus popular Filipino beers, and beer from Manila-based craft brewery, Engkanto.

Halaya

285 Spring Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9329 8000
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Fri: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 4:00pm

The Pinnacle, Fitzroy North

Paul
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0
The Pinnacle, Fitzroy North

MELBOURNE | I’m no stranger to Fitzroy pub, The Pinnacle. The distinctive wedge-shaped heritage-listed building opened in 1886 as a land sales office, and soon after became the North Fitzroy Post Office. In the late 1990s, it was transformed into a pub, The Fitzroy Pinnacle Hotel. It became a local’s haunt, known for its great vibe, quality pub meals, and support for up-and-coming artists through its live music programme. When I started visiting after moving to Melbourne in 2012, the Pinnacle was also building quite the reputation for its diverse, local selection of craft beer.

Unfortunately, a fire ripped through the kitchen in 2015, causing significant damage to the building and closing the bar for two years. COVID hitting while the venue was still recovering, compounded things, and the pub never truly got back on its feet. The Fitzroy Pinnacle Hotel closed in January this year but, in a stroke of excellent news, the space was taken over by Michael Bascetta, co-founder of Bar Liberty, Capitano, Falco, and Reed House (he’s only still actively involved in the latter).

Michael has been wanting to open a pub for a few years, and when the opportunity to take over the Fitzroy Pinnacle Hotel presented itself, he jumped on it. The things that needed to be updated and refreshed were, but make no mistake, this is still a pub at heart, and immediately recognisable the moment you walk inside. Now simply named ‘The Pinnacle’, changes include things like removing the velvet curtains to let in more natural light and painting the walls white. Both help brighten the space, and highlight the building’s heritage elements. While the music stage is no longer present, you can expect to find live music in the beer garden in the future, once the team has found its feet and the venue’s settled in.

Venue manager Jamie McDonnell (ex Reed House, JKS Restaurants London) leads front of house, while the kitchen is run by head chef Scott Eddington (co-owner of Arnold’s Wine Bar in Kensington, ex Mamasita and A1 Canteen). On the menu, you’ll find a tight selection of pub classics, made with top notch local produce, with a nod to seasonality. Think chicken schnitzel with seasonal salad and chips; a cheese burger with mustard aioli, tomato relish, pickles, and chips; and daily steak, parma, and roast specials.

To drink, it’s a keenly priced, accessible selection of local beer and wine, and a handful of cocktails. There’s around 15 varied and interesting wines available by the glass, and a decent little selection of drinks for those looking for something booze-free. In a refreshing rarity in this city, you can find an alcohol-free beer, Bridge Road’s Free Time, on tap. And yes, in the one exception to the local drinks rule, you can get Guinness on tap.

The Pinnacle

251 St Georges Road
Fitzroy North
Victoria 3068
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Thu: 4:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 10:00pm

Patris, Brunswick

Paul
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0
Patris, Brunswick

MELBOURNE | R.H.M.S Patris is the name of the ship that brought Maria Vamvakinou, along with a host of other Greek and Southern European immigrants, to Melbourne between 1959 and 1975. Now, it’s also the name of a new Greek/Eastern European restaurant in Brunswick, owned by Maria, who went on to have a successful career as a Federal MP, and her family.

Step inside, and it feels like you’ve stepped into the family home. The restaurant is adorned with retro furniture and trinkets from the family home. A bookshelf is lined with books that reflect the family’s passion for food, culture, and humanitarianism, The walls are adorned with abstract prints and paintings, many of which were created by Maria’s Cypriot-born husband, Dr. Michalis Michael.

Inside the kitchen, you’ll find Maria and Michalis’ son Stavros, and son-in-law, Johnny. Together, they’ve created a menu that takes inspiration predominantly from regional Cypriot specialities, with influences from the wider Eastern European and Mediterranean region. Traditional family dishes sit side by side with new creations. Stella runs front of house, enthusiastically taking guests through the menu, sharing the story of the food and the restaurant.

It’s all made using top quality local and Greek produce. Olive oil is pressed by Stavros and Stella’s aunt in the Peloponnese, using olives from her own tree. The food is humble, and delicious, showcasing the quality of the produce. Fried calamari is served with ladolemono for a big citrus hit. Okra, with caramelised onion and sumac, is a must try, with just the right balance of crunch and mucilaginousness. Zucchini fritters with crumbed fetta, are surprisingly light.

Eliópita, filled with roasted onion, kalamáta, olives, parsley, and mint, is a flaky, parcel-like take on the favourite. For something larger, you can’t go wrong with tender, slow cooked lamb shoulder with pomegranate glaze, and zhug; and a serving of roasted lemon potatoes.

To drink, it’s a tight selection of Greek-themed cocktails and mocktails, local and Greek wine, local beer and cider, coffee, and tea. The pomegranate sour, which blends Starward Single Malt Whisky, pomegranate, and lemon syrup, is a great choice.

Before you leave, check out the counter for a selection of products for home. There’s things like Johnny’s take on chilli oil, mushroom pâté, and biscuits made by 13-year-old Brunswick local, Sylvana Tramontana. Also be sure to keep an eye out for things like cooking classes, themed dinners, and cultural events that Patris occasionally hosts.

Patris

140 Barkly Street
Brunswick
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Thu – Fri: 6:00pm to 10:00pm

Garfield Pizzeria, Carlton

Paul
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0
Garfield Pizzeria, Carlton

MELBOURNE | There’s been a lot going on behind the hoardings at 297 Lygon Street, since Jamie Valmorbida closed King & Godfree in 2024. He’s been working on three distinct venues, aimed at breathing new life to the area, while staying true to his family’s and the neighbourhood’s Italian heritage. The first venue, Garfield Pizzeria, opens today. I was invited to the launch for a sneak peek.

Garfield is inspired by the pizza tradition of Italy, Tokyo’s forward-thinking pizza scene, and Melbourne’s own Italian-Australian pizza heritage. It’s named not for the lasagne-loving cat, but for a local cat that kept builders’ company during the build.

Dough is made using Molino Casillo wheat flour, fermented at high hydration for 72 hours. It’s hand stretched using the Tokyo stretch method, before being topped and baked in a Marana Forni ‘Rotoforno’ wood-fired oven from Italy. The resulting base is lighter and airier than a Neapolitan one, with more char. It was long pizzas at the launch, but usually, they’ll be 23cm discs.

Flavours have been developed by culinary director Karen Martini, head pizza-maker Sangsub Ha, and executive chef, Mark Glenn. For familiar flavours, you can’t go wrong with a classic margarita, or the namesake ‘Garfield’. It’s lasagne in pizza form, with Donati’s beef and pork sausage meatballs, red sauce, and parmesan.

For a more unexpected flavour combo, I recommend the Hawaiano. Inspired by the divisive Hawaiian pizza, Garfield’s version uses lacto-fermented, roasted pineapple; zippy house-made barbeque sauce; and unctuous, thin-sliced mortadella.

Beyond pizza, there’s salads, and snacks like labneh eggplant chips, sushi rice four cheese arancini, and Sichuan pepper salt calamari. Those with a sweet tooth can enjoy lemon Biscoff tiramisu cheesecake, and Pocky-topped yoghurt soft serve made in collaboration with Jamie and his sister Lisa’s gelateria, Pidapipo, next door.

To drink It’s local and Italian beer, wine, and cocktails on tap and in the fridges. Wines lean fun and minimal intervention, and if you find something you really like, you can grab a bottle or drink to-go

Garfield Pizzeria

297 Lygon Street
Carlton
Victoria 3053
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Tue – Sun: 4:00pm to 10:00pm

StandardX Melbourne, Fitzroy

Paul
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0
StandardX Melbourne, Fitzroy

MELBOURNE | The launch of Fitzroy hotel, StandardX Melbourne, in 2024 was The Standard Group’s first foray into the Australian market. It was their first ‘X’ hotel, the suffix signifying a younger, rebellious take on the Standards typical hotel. It was also a necessity to differentiate the hotel from longstanding Fitzroy pub, The Standard. I was invited in recently to stay a night at the hotel, and to also check out the relaunched restaurant offering, Bistro X, and rooftop bar, On Top.

Interiors were designed by Melbourne-based studio Hecker Guthrie. Various spaces fit in with Standard’s broader portfolio, with a local angle. It’s a blend of locally sourced natural materials and industrial rawness, showcasing local artisans. Woodturning & Joinery is by Charles Sandford, there’s furniture by designer Jordan Fleming, and artist and designer Anna Varendorff, and artwork and photography by Brodie Kokkinos.

Staff are friendly when you arrive, happy to have a chat about the neighbourhood and provide you with any pointers. You can check in online, before your arrival, needing only to pick up your room key and show a credit/debit card for pre-authorisation.

Location

StandardX Melbourne is a hotel that harkens back to the group’s roots when it was founded in Los Angeles in 1999. Namely, to offer stylish, unfussy hotels in trendy neighbourhoods that beg to be explored.

Located on Rose Street in Fitzroy, on the site formerly home to excellent coffee roaster Industry Beans (now just up the road), and a gym, StandardX Melbourne provides a great base for exploration of my most frequented parts of Melbourne. In fact, the food and culture neighbourhood tour that I run a few times a month almost directly passes by the hotel.

Fitzroy is an eclectic neighbourhood filled with amazing restaurants, bars, cafes, pubs, street art, independent boutiques, and architecture. On weekends, you’ve got the added bonus of the Rose Street Artist’s Market, and Fitzroy Mills Markets on the same street as the hotel.

Beyond Fitzroy itself, you can head across to similarly trendy Collingwood, or catch the 96 tram, a four minute walk-away on Nicholson Street, to any number of Melbourne hotspots. Head north along the tramline and you’ll pass through Carlton, ending up in up-and-coming Brunswick East. Southbound, you’ll pass through the CBD, Southbank, South Melbourne, and end up in bay-side suburb St Kilda.

If walking is more your thing, the CBD is just a 25 minute walk away, via the beautiful Carlton Gardens. The latter is home to venues like the Melbourne Museum, and UNESCO heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building. If you’ve got an event to see at the MCG, or the wider Melbourne sporting precinct, you can get there in less than half an hour by public transport.

Rooms

StandardX Melbourne features 125 rooms, ranging from cosy Standard King rooms, through to spacious Suites featuring views across Fitzroy and the CBD. I stayed in a Deluxe King Room, a more spacious version of the Standard King.

Bright rooms feature floor to ceiling windows, with regular blinds, and black-out blinds that roll down behind them. It’s a clean, fresh design, white and light timber, accented by pops of colour and artwork by local artist, Jane Sinclair.

Rooms are well thought out, plenty of power outlets in useful positions, and an empty bar fridge so you can put your own things in there. USB-C instead of USB-A sockets on the outlets would have been nice, but it’s not a big deal. Above the fridge is a coffee station, with utensils and cutlery tucked away beneath it. To the side, you’ll find storage for luggage, a clothing rack, and a pull out chair.

There’s a small but useable fold-out work space, and a large, comfortable bed with pillows that have a nice balance between firmness and softness. There’s also a pillow menu if you want to swap the standard pillows for something different.

A large TV has free to air channels, music, and streaming. There’s also a portable Bluetooth speaker next to the bed. Moving to the bathroom, it’s a compact affair but also very well designed. There’s a regular and rain combo shower, small but useable mirror, soft towels and bathrobes, and amenities by Davines.

The entire hotel, and all rooms, come with free WiFi.

Amenities

Standard hotels have always been geared towards those that enjoy having a base for exploring a neighbourhood. This hotel ticks the essential boxes, but, you won’t find things like a club room, or a gym on site. What you will find, however is a small retail space called ‘The Box’.

Located next to the reception counter, The Box features mix of daily essentials, wellness items, fashionable goods, snacks and drinks, to enjoy on the go or in your room. It’s a great selection of stuff, featuring mostly local goods, including several things that I have in my own house, and that you’ll find in some of the neighbourhood’s best bars and restaurants.

Eat & Drink

There’s two food and drink options at StandardX Melbourne – ground floor restaurant, Bistro X, and rooftop bar, On Top.

Bistro X, which opened in December last year, feels more self assured and right for the area than its predecessor, Bang. Headed up by chef Ben John, the restaurant features a French-leaning, modern Australian menu, that showcases the best quality seasonal produce, sourced from independent Aussie producers. Ben’s cooking also draws upon Melbourne’s rich, multicultural tapestry, and incorporates native ingredients. You can read my full write-up of the restaurant here.

On Top, ia a rooftop bar open to hotel guests only, that ticks all of the right boxes. As a Fitzroy regular, I loved being able to look down on the neighbourhood to get a perspective I hadn’t seen before. The view of the CBD skyline is also different than that you usually see. On the menu, you’ll find beer, minimal intervention wines, and cocktails made using artisanal spirits. Almost all drinks are sourced from small-scale, independent Victorian producers.

The Verdict

StandardX Melbourne is a welcome addition to Melbourne’s hotel scene. Fitzroy is one of my favourite neighbourhoods to spend time in as a local, and I think it’s great that there’s a hotel like this in the area. When I travel to other cities, it’s the kind of hotel in the kind of neighbourhood that appeals to me. They’ve focused on all of the things that are important to the sort of traveller who, perhaps ironically, likes to spend most of their time in a city away from the hotel.

The fact that the restaurant and rooftop bar hold their own in the neighbourhood, is a bonus. Even without that, if I was a visitor to Melbourne, StandardX would be high on my list of accommodation options. In fact, I’ve already recommended the hotel to a few like-minded out of town friends.

StandardX Melbourne

62 Rose Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9124 4800
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Bistro X, Fitzroy

Paul
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0
Bistro X, Fitzroy

MELBOURNE | Bistro X is the restaurant of trendy Fitzroy hotel, StandardX. It, along with rooftop bar, ‘On Top’, aim to provide not just destinations worth eating and drinking at for guests of the hotel, but to provide options that stand on their own in a part of town that’s filled with quality hospitality options. I was recently invited in to stay the hotel, and experience the venues.

After switching up the hotel’s food and beverage offering with a pop-up led by Shannon Bennet, in the middle of last year, Bistro X gave the pop-up’s New Zealand-born chef, Ben John, the permanent head chef role in December last year. With experience cooking at the likes of Vue du Monde, Pure South, and London’s The Ledbury, Ben’s cooking is very much aligned to the seasonal, French-leaning, modern Australian theme of Bistro X.

Produce is of the highest quality, sourced from independent, mostly Victorian producers, that he’s built relationships with over the years. It’s technique driven food, simple at heart, that lets the produce shine. While the French influence is apparent throughout the menu, Ben’s cooking also draws upon Melbourne’s rich, multicultural tapestry, and incorporates native ingredients.

A rich, duck liver tartelette, with black apple and Comte, is a decedent way to kick off your meal. If you’d like to start with something lighter, there’s a refreshing melon skewer with Guindilla pepper, fennel pollen, and lime.

Moving from snacks to entrees, the beef tartare with egg yolk, and house made crisps, is an easy choice. I also highly recommend what was, for me, one of the standout dishes of the night – an octopus “ratatoullie” with fermented capsicum vinaigrette, and lime labneh. It’s the intersection of Southern France, and North Africa, with a Melbourne touch, on a plate.

For larger plates, it’s things like mussels with Gascony butter, and sourdough; market fish with brown butter, capers, lemon, and fennel; and Blackmore wagyu steaks. Try the ‘Denver’ cut, a wonderfully marbled piece of steak meat from the chuck, similar to bavette, not often seen in Australia.

The drinks menu features house and classic cocktails, local beers, and a diverse wine list featuring local and European drops. Bistro X also operates as StandardX’s breakfast dining spot. At that time, you’ll find quality versions of Melbourne brunch classics like smashed avocado on toast, chilli scrambled eggs, and a bacon and egg sandwich.

Bistro X

419 Fitzroy Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9124 4814
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon: 7:00am to 11:00am
Tue – Thu: 7:00am to 11:00am, 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Fri: 7:00am to 11:00am, 12:00pm to 3:00pm, 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Sat: 8:00am to 3:00pm, 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Sun: 8:00am to 11:00am

ChickyBoi, Fitzroy

Paul
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0
ChickyBoi, Fitzroy

MELBOURNE | When you’ve been tweaking your home-made fried chicken sandwich recipe for so long that it’s reached the stage where you think it’s better than (or at least as good as) the best that’s on offer anywhere else in Melbourne, what do you do? In the case of civil engineer, Adriel Reddy, you start running pop-ups across Melbourne in your spare time.

Adriel launched ChickyBoi in October 2024, and momentum steadily built as more and more Melburnians tried his fried chicken sandwiches at places like Palomino Bar, Pizza Elettrica, and Welcome To Brunswick. At the start of this year, the space in the bottle shop side of Near & Far, last home to yakitori pop-up Matsuyama (which now has a permanent location in Prahran Market), became available. Adriel jumped at the opportunity to give ChickyBoi a semi-permanent home, and made the decision to quit his day job, and dedicate himself to ChickyBoi full-time.

The menu consists of two chicken sandwiches. The ‘ChickyBoi OG’ features seasoned fried chicken, dill ranch, dill pickles, and iceberg lettuce, inside a soft Martin’s potato roll. The second option, ‘SpicyBoi’, fills a Martin’s potato roll with Nashville spicy oil-dipped fried chicken, dill ranch sauce, bread and butter pickles, and iceberg lettuce. Occasionally, you’ll find a third, rotating special on the menu. When I visited it was a banh mi-inspired chicken sandwich, ‘Lunarboi’. A few weeks prior, there was a Chick-fil-A-inspired honey mustard mayo creation.

The chicken is, of course, the superstar of each sandwich. Hand-breaded, double-dredged, and rested chicken thigh, resulting in an ultra-crispy coating and juicy meat. Combined with well-balance flavours and textures, you’ve got chicken sandwiches that are deserving of their reputation.

Adriel mentioned to me that he doesn’t just want to sell some of the best fried chicken sandwiches in Melbourne, but the best, period. He’s constantly tweaking his recipe, for example experimenting with different resting times and temperatures to achieve a stronger adherence between the coating and the chicken. There’s no chips on the menu yet. Adriel says he’s got them to the level of ‘really good’, but won’t put them on the menu until they’re ‘the best’.

Combine this kaizen-like philosophy with a product that’s already excellent, and it’s easy to see why ChickyBoi, whilst already great, is likely going to get better. I look forward to eating through the evolution.

ChickyBoi

375 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:30am to 11:30pm

Mondo Gelateria, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Mondo Gelateria, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Recent years have seen a slew of new gelato spots opening up across Melbourne, catering to this city’s insatiable appetite for the creamy treat. One of the newest is Mondo Gelateria, which opened last month. I was recently invited in to visit, and spent some time chatting with owner, and head gelato maker, Rio Olivetti.

Rio hails from Verona, but has lived in Melbourne for many years. Starting his hospitality career as waiter at Evolution Bar, he fell in love with mixology and bartending, progressing his career and eventually managing venues like Penny Black, and Black Pearl. He started his bottled cocktail business, Numero IX, during lockdowns, which he still runs today.

Owning his own gelateria was something that always appealed to Rio, but he wanted to more than just an owner, so enrolled at Bologna’s renowned Carpigiani Gelato University, learning how to make gelato from one of the world’s best, Stefano Tarquinio. This training, combined with a deep knowledge of flavours and balance honed by years spent developing cocktails, shines through when you try the gelato at Mondo.

There’s 28 core and limited traditional and less common gelato and sorbet flavours on offer, inspired by the flavours of the world. Everything is made on site, using the best quality local and imported ingredients. Creaminess, balance of flavour, and restraint is a common thread throughout.

The signature pistachio crunch gelato is a must try. An excellent version of the classic, made using premium pistachios from Sicily. Pandan kaya uses fresh pandan, cold extracted on site, while lemon cheesecake with almond faithfully recreates the layered flavours you find in the namesake cake. Cake fans should also try the black forest, with chunks of chocolate sponge, and kirsch-soaked Amarena cherries.

For sorbet, pink guava provides a burst of freshness that shouts ‘summer’, as does the calamansi plum. Lemon chai is a flavour that Rio is particularly proud of, one that took him the longest to perfect. Eat it, and you’ll taste the spice notes of the chai first, followed by a rush of lemon soon after. It’s a delight.

Beyond gelato, there’s cookies and pastries from in-house Taiwanese pastry chefs Peini Yu and Jasper Yang. There’s Veneziano coffee, and iced coffee and tea creations. Try the ‘Silk Road’, a blend of espresso, pistachio milk, chocolate cream, and pink salt.

After dark, you’ll find alcohol-infused creations, along with DJs spinning tunes on the decks. If you see Rio, be sure to have a chat. He’s one of those owner-operators that exemplifies what hospitality is all about, and loves chatting with customers.

Mondo Gelateria

215 Elizabeth Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:30am to 11:30pm

Flying Scoot Economy Class From Melbourne To Singapore

Paul
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0
Flying Scoot Economy Class From Melbourne To Singapore

TRAVEL | Scoot operate between one and two flights a day between Melbourne and Singapore. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (“Dreamliner”) is currently used on the route. Travellers can choose between Economy, and ScootPlus class. I flew Economy Class. The average flight time on this route is 7 hours and 45 minutes.

Check In

You can check in online, or using Scoot’s app. You can enter in all relevant information before your flight, and receive an electronic boarding pass that you can print, access from the Scoot app, or add to your Apple or Google Wallet. There’s also the option of checking in at the airport using a kiosk or at a staffed counter.

If you have luggage to check in, you can print your bag tag(s) from the kiosks at the airport using you boarding pass. You can also head over to a staffed counter.

Loyalty

Scoot is part of the Singapore Airlines Group, and is linked to Singapore Airline’s KrisFlyer loyalty program, which is free to join. Note that while flying Scoot will earn you KrisFlyer points, they won’t earn you Star Alliance points.

There is no Scoot lounge at Melbourne airport.

Luggage

Being a low-cost airline, there are a variety of different combinations of ticket type and addons that will determine how much luggage you’re allowed to check in and bring on board.

All Scoot Economy tickets allow you take on piece of cabin luggage on board, plus a small bag, with a total weight of no more than 10kg (22lb). ScootPlus tickets bump up the weight allowance to 15kg (33lb).

Checked luggage is not included with Scoot Economy tickets. If you want to have checked luggage, you purchase an addon that gets you between 20kg (44lb) and 40kg (88lb) of checked luggage allowance. ScootPlus tickets come with 30kg (66lb) of checked luggage allowance, with the same addon options as in Economy, if you need more.

Service

Having brought my own food, snacks, and water on board, I had minimal interaction with the staff during my flight. From my observations, staff looked to be professional and efficient.

Cabin

The Scoot Economy cabin on the Dreamliner that flies from Melbourne to Singapore features 314 seats, in a 3-3-3 layout. It’s a clean, basic cabin, with a white, yellow, and blue colour scheme, in line with Scoot’s branding.

Seat

The fabric seat has dimensions of about 79cm x 42cm (31in x 16.5in). It’s a small light, slimline seat, so you don’t have much in the way of leg room. The seats are narrower than most, and it’s noticeable. I found the fabric and cushioning to be more comfortable that the similarly sized pleather seat that I experienced flying AirAsia few months prior. While there are options to upgrade to a seat with more legroom (Economy’s ‘Scoot-in-Silence’ section), all Economy seats are the same width. If you want a wider seat, you need to book a ScootPlus ticket.

Like any economy seat, the seat doesn’t recline that far back (15cm/6in). There’s a small mesh pocket that you can fit a book or a few small items in. Being a mesh pocket, be sure to check that nothing small has slipped out before you leave the plane.

There is in seat power, but unless you have a ScootPlus ticket, you’ll need to pay for an addon to be able to access the power.

Entertainment

There’s no in-flight entertainment on this route, and no seat-back screens. Make sure your devices are fully charged before you board.

Food

My basic Economy ticket did not include any food. Knowing this, I stocked up on some snacks and and a meal to get me through the flight. Water is provided, with more water available on request. As it turns out, snacks are OK, but you’re not meant to bring outside meals on board. When the attendant spotted me eating my take-away container of noodles (dry, not soupy), I was reminded of this fact, but was allowed to finish them. My advice is to stick to things that at least look snacky for a ‘main’ meal, and don’t require a plate/bowl or utensils. Sushi rolls, wraps, etc.

If you do want to purchase food and drink, there’s a decent selection of snacks, drinks, and hot meals on offer. If you want one of the hot meals, you need to pre-book at least 24 hours before your flight. It’s quite well priced compared to what you usually pay on low-cost airlines, with options like

Options for the hot meals include things like Nasi Lemak, Chicken Biriyani, Laksa, and Pomodoro Pasta. For snacks that haven’t been pre-booked, it’s things like wraps, sandwiches, and cake.

Amenities

There are no amenities on this flight.

Verdict

This was my first time flying Scoot, and it delivered almost everything that I expect from a budget airline. A small, but acceptable seat, a clean cabin, and an on-time departure and arrival. The ‘no outside meals’ rule is something that I’ve not encountered on other budget airlines before, but it’s easily dealt with by sticking to snacks and something ‘hands only’ for a more substantial feed. Given how much money I saved on this flight compared to if I’d flown a full service airline, I’d definitely fly Scoot again.

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