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Kōhī No Deshi, Brunswick

Paul
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0
Kōhī No Deshi, Brunswick

MELBOURNE | Kōhī No Deshi is the sister venue of Disciple Roasters, located directly next door in the backstreets of Brunswick. Disciple is owner Marwin Shaw’s roastery, and the place to visit for some of Melbourne’s best expressions of black espresso and filter based coffees. Kōhī No Deshi, forms a counterpoint to this, and is the venue to visit if you’re looking for something more playful and experimental.

The small, bright space was built entirely from recycled and repurposed materials from the existing building. White painted walls, light timber, and a row of pink Mazzer grinders lean into the playful aspect of the venue.

Dairy and plant-based milk drinks are the focus at Kōhī No Deshi, leaning into a wave of coffee that’s about showing how coffee can be used in non-traditional ways, with the same consideration and attention to detail that underlines specialty coffee.

Browse the board behind the coffee bar and you’ll see a menu of interesting sounding drinks, along with the suggested ‘milk’ to have with it. Things like a caramel and peach drink using Disciple’s ‘Sakura Blend’ espresso and cow’s milk as a base; and a toffee apple drink made with Disciple’s ‘Chocho Blend’ espresso beans and your choice of Bonsoy or ‘Happy Happy’ almond milk.

There’s also a brilliant affogato – your espresso bean of choice, with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream especially made by Sundae School for Kōhī No Deshi. For non-coffee drinkers, there’s also decaf, hot chocolate, and original and decaf Monk’s chai.

If you want a small bite, there’s a little selection of house-baked pastries on the counter. Things like yuzu shortbread-like cookies and daifuku filled with seasonal fruits (strawberry and raspberry when I visited).

You can buy beans for home, along with hand-made cups, mugs, and pour over equipment from one of Marwin’s other side projects, Disciple Pottery Studio. You’ll notice the beautiful pottery as the vessels in which your drinks are served.

Kōhī No Deshi

18 Black Street
Brunswick
Victoria 3056
Australia

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

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:00am to 3:00pm

Sanhe Congee, West Melbourne

Paul
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0
Sanhe Congee, West Melbourne

MELBOURNE | There’s nothing quite like discovering a new gem while walking around town, and Sanhe Congee definitely fits the bill. I noticed the new restaurant about a two months ago while walking along Victoria Street. Research brought up nothing more than a Google Maps and Uber Eats listing, but it mattered not. My spider sense was tingling. The curiosity of What’s On Melbourne was also piqued, and I popped in over the weekend to find out more and grab some photos for them.

Sanhe Congee specialises in Chinese-style, comforting Asian rice porridge, congee. You’ll find 30 savoury and sweet versions on the menu, with flavours like Chinese yam and pork mince; preserved egg with Chinese sausage; and shiitake mushroom with pork ribs. It’s a hearty base, to which you can add things like longan, corn, and fermented bean paste. I tried the preserved egg with Chinese sausage and loved the savoury, slightly funky, flavour.

Along with congee, you’ll also find a selection of light, healthy soups, dim sum, and sides. Soups are predominantly chicken or pork rib based, with your choice of vegetable or mushroom. The pork rib soup with chewy, nest-like dictyophora mushroom, jujube, and wolf berry (goji berry), is one of the most popular options, and is great.

Dim sum and sides include things like steamed pork buns, salted egg custard buns, and brown sugar glutinous rice cakes. The dumplings are brilliant for a place that doesn’t specialise in them. Great flavour and texture with a delicate, chewy skin.

To drink, it’s a small selection of soda, Wong Lo Kat herbal tea, and sweetened soy milk.

Sanhe Congee

185 Victoria Street
West Melbourne
Victoria 3003
Australia

Telephone: 0483 041 822
E-mail: n/a
Website: n/a

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:00am to 3:00pm; 5:00pm to 9:00pm

Odd Culture, Fitzroy

Paul
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0
Odd Culture, Fitzroy

MELBOURNE | Old Culture Group are behind some of Sydney’s best drinking establishments, so when they announced they were opening their first venue in Melbourne, Odd Culture Fitzroy, expectations were high.

Similar to the original Odd Culture in Sydney’s Newtown, Odd Culture Fitzroy is a hybrid bar and bottle shop serving interesting beer, wine and cocktails from the funky, fermentation side of things.

Housed inside an old post office on Brunswick Street that’s been stripped back to its bones, you’ll find a large bar on one side with fridges and shelves stocked with interesting things on the other. There’s loads of seating inside and a spacious courtyard out back.

Behind the bar you’ll find 12 taps pouring a diverse selection of beers, be it local craft IPAs, or sours from some of the world’s be sour beer brewers like Wildflower, Cantillon, and Jester King. The wine list is equally diverse, featuring mostly minimal intervention wines along with a few traditional drops.

Cocktails also lean funky. ‘Far From The Tree’, a blend of Four Pillars Green Apple & Rhubarb Gin, koji apple, lemon, and shiso, is a great summer option. Traditional cocktails are available on request, with an impressive selection of spirits from around the world behind the bar. If the menu doesn’t tickle your fancy, everything from the bottle shop can be purchased to enjoy on premesis.

Odd Culture’s food menu is snack focused, designed to go well with the kind of drinks being showcased. There’s my favourite, the chicken liver pate with fish sauce caramel and potato crisps; along with things like buffalo mozzarella with bottarga, and mandarin; charcuterie and cheese plates; and Cantabrian anchovies with butter and shallots.

Odd Culture Fitzroy

296 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9069 3212
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Thu: 3:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 1:00am
Sun: 12:00pm to 11:00pm

Best Honolulu Hikes, A Guide

Paul
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0
Best Honolulu Hikes, A Guide

HONOLULU | Hawaii is well known for its many hikes. Across the Hawaiian Island’s there’s a diverse array of breath-taking hikes, with options for people of all fitness levels. It’s possible to build an entire itinerary solely focused around hiking, but what if you’re on a city break.

I love visiting Hawaii for many reasons, with a short break spent in Honolulu only always a good option. I can relax, and enjoy the city’s vibrant food, drink, and street art scene. That doesn’t mean however, that I don’t want to fit in a few hikes, despite it being a city break.

Thankfully there are several great hikes to be found within Honolulu’s city limits, all of which are a short drive or even less than an hour walk from Waikiki and other central parts of the city. Below you’ll find a list of my favourites, in alphabetical order.

Remember, bring a hat and sunscreen, and water to stay hydrated.

Diamond Head State Monument

Diamond Head State Monument is one of Hawaii’s most recognised landmarks. Formed over 300,000 years ago as part of a single volcanic eruption. Hiking to the summit along is easy to moderate, with a clearly defined path. When you reach the summit, you’re treated to some of the most spectacular views of Honolulu, across the Pacific Ocean, and surrounding mountains and valleys

Hanauma Bay Ridge Hike

This easy to moderate, relatively short hike is a great option for those looking for a coastal option. The Hanauma Bay Ridge Hike follows the rocky coastline, with secluded beaches, and views of Koko Head Crater and Hanauma Bay.

Koko Crater Railway Trailhead

This difficult hike will see you tackling over 1,000 stairs, which are actually old railway ties that date back to World War II. Back then, they were used to transport cargo up the hillside to military pillbox bunkers. Amazing views of the Koko Head Crater and the east Honolulu shoreline await those who reach the summit.

Makiki Valley Trail

This popular hike is an easy one with minimal changes in altitude that takes you through lush natural forest. Terrain is rocky and filled with large tree roots, and it can get muddy. If you’re looking to go further, Makiki Valley Trail links with several other medium difficulty trails, such as the Pu’u Ohia Trail and the Pauoa Flats Trail.

Mānoa Falls Trail

One of Hawaii’s earliest hiking trails, Mānoa Falls Trail is a popular and easy rainforest trail with a waterfall at the end. It’s been used as a filming location in Jurassic Park and the TV series Lost. You can continue via the more challenging ʻAihualama Trail to the Maikiki Valley Trail and more.

Moanalua Valley Trail

Hiking the Stairway to Heaven (Haiku Stairs) might be illegal these days, but there’s still a way to see the stairs, and get a similar view to what you used to get when you hiked them. That’s by hiking along the Moanalua Valley Trail.

It’s a moderate to difficult hike, with steep inclines and muddy pathways. The views across Southern Oahu, from the abandoned radio tower at the peak, are spectacular.

Wa’ahila Ridge Trail

The Wa’ahila Ridge Trail is a moderate to difficult ridge hike that originates in Wa’ahila Ridge State Recreation Area. It offers stunning views across Manoa Valley, Palolo Valley, Honolulu and the Ko’olau Range. It’s also a great hike for those looking for native Hawaiian plants like koa and ‘ohia lehua, and native birds like amakihi and apapane.

Hazel, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Hazel, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Hazel opened on Flinders Lane in 2019. At the time, it was one of café-focused Mulberry Group’s earliest forays into the restaurant side of hospitality. Split across two levels in the heritage-listed Richard Allen & Son, Hazel is a light space with heritage details, high ceilings, exposed brickwork, and natural materials.

Downstairs, you’ll find the bar surrounded by stools, tables, and plush seating, while upstairs it’s an open kitchen looking across a dining floor. In the basement, you’ll find Mulberry Group’s moody cocktail bar, Dessous.

The menu follows the ‘drink and a few snacks or a full meal to share’ structure. There’s snacks and larger dishes, accompanied by an extensive wine list, local craft beer, and cocktails made using local, independent spirits. Of note is the Coravin system and the presence of 375ml wine bottles, meaning you can try wines where a full bottle might be out of your price range.

Open flames and wood-fired grilling features prominently in the kitchen, where you’ll find top quality local produce being used to make an assortment of tasty menu options. Much is made on site from scratch, including Hazel’s cheese, bread, and charcuterie. Sustainability and low-waste are also proudly espoused.

As tends to be the case with similar venues in 2023, the snacks section of the menu is where the best stuff is happening. Highlights when I dined on the spring menu included Venus Bay Baby Octopus with broccoli leaf and parsley sauce; new season asparagus with preserved lemon and salmon pearls; and Warialda beef tartare with lovage and game chips. Pork crackers topped with whipped cod roe are also well worth your time.

Hazel

164 Flinders Lane
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9070 4938
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Tue: 5:30pm to 10:00pm
Wed – Sat: 12:00pm to 3:00pm, 5:30pm to 10:00pm

Eat Pierogi Make Love, Brunswick East

Paul
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0
Eat Pierogi Make Love, Brunswick East

MELBOURNE | Polish-born and raised Dominika Sikorska, and Guy Daley, an Australian, met and fell in love in London. When they moved to Australia, they started pop-up and food truck Pierogi Pierogi, introducing Melburnians to the famed Polish dumpling. 10 years later, they’ve realised their dream of opening a bricks and mortar restaurant.

Eat Pierogi Make Love is a contemporary Polish restaurant, that’s already proving to be a hit with locals since opening five weeks ago. The old G-Grill and Lukumades spot is unrecognisable. A long bar and open kitchen on one side and booths on the other extends to the rear of the space. Out the back, a simple, small courtyard for outdoor dining.

Showcasing the cuisine that Dominika and Guy love, the duo have created a restaurant offering classic Polish dishes with contemporary flair. It’s a menu that traverses Poland’s diverse regions, showing how the country’s turbulent history has influenced its cuisine.

The menu is sorted into ‘food for vodka’, small plates, mains, and pierogi. Śledź, spelt bread topped with pickled red herring, onion, fennel, parsley, red peppercorns, and red currants is a great way to start. Pair it with a shot of one of the 14 vodkas on offer.

Kaszanka, Polish blood sausage, is baked with red onions, apples and horseradish. It’s a savoury, sweet, delight. Also delightful is the Gzik. It’s a twarożek (Polish cottage cheese dip), served atop a bed of smashed fried potatoes, topped with radishes and chives. Be sure, too, to try the karkówka – slow cooked pork skewers covered in sticky blueberry sauce, served with spring bigos (cabbage-based hunter’s stew).

You can’t visit Eat Pierogi Make Love without ordering pierogi. There’s five types on the menu, with the Ruskie being a favourite. The filling of potato and twaróg cheese, and topping of dill and sour cream is something special.

To drink it’s vodka of course, along with Polish and local beer, mostly local wines, and fun cocktails. Try the szarlotka. It’s a cocktail that riffs on the Polish apple pie of the same name, combining vodka, apple, and cinnamon. 

Eat Pierogi Make Love

161 Lygon Street
Brunswick East
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: 0431 905 559
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Thu: 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 12:00am

Boulder Street Art Guide

Paul
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0
Boulder Street Art Guide

BOULDER | Where there’s a university, there’s a creative student population, and where there’s a creative student population, there’s street art. Boulder is a university town, and it punches well above its weight when it comes to street art.

The street art scene in Boulder is diverse, with large murals you can’t help but notice on main streets, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stencils and paste ups hidden down unassuming alleyways. The art draws upon a variety of themes from the social and political, to the historical and fun. Keep your eyes peeled, and you’ll find a whole lot of interesting pieces.

The street art scene in Boulder is very community driven. Non-profit organisations such as Street Wise Arts help create murals, community events and youth education programs that enhance the urban environment, and ensure representation for all artists.

While you can find murals in many of Boulder’s neighbourhoods, the majority of Boulder’s street art is located downtown. In this Boulder street art guide, I’ve selected four neighbourhoods, ordered in a way that you can do a self-guided walking tour through all of them.

University Hill

Located south of Downtown, and directly west of the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus, University Hill (aka ‘the Hill’) is a mixed-use neighbourhood with a large student population. It’s a vibrant neighbourhood full of cheap eats, great bars, and live music venues.

The area around 13th Street and College Ave is where you’ll find many of University Hill’s murals. Many of them are painted by students, and deal with timely topics.

Downtown

Take a short walk up Broadway from University Hill, and you’ll find yourself in Downtown’s West End. Just before crossing into Downtown, you’ll pass by the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, which is well worth your time.

Many of Downtown’s murals are located along Pearl Street, Walnut Street, and Spruce Street, and the small streets and alleyways that connect the three thoroughfares. There’s always something new to discover, but there are also older murals that have been maintained. The ‘Frank Shorter Runners’ Mural’, on the corner of Spruce and Broadway, has been around since 1997.

Be sure to check out the alleyways around here and not just the main streets. Boulder Alley Gallery is a community imitative which has seen 30 alley and back-of-building doors repurposed into an outdoor artist gallery featuring murals by local artists.

Whittier

Whittier is one of Boulder’s oldest and most desirable neighbourhoods. Its known for its well preserved Victorian-era houses, one of which was the house in 1970s sitcom, Mork and Mindy. Bordering Downtown’s East End, Whittier is full of art galleries, independent boutiques, and places to eat and drink.

Walking there to explore the neighbourhood and its street art flows naturally as you leave Downtown.

Boulder Junction

Keep heading east through Whittier and you’ll find yourself in Boulder Junction. Historically an industrial neighbourhood with poor non-car accessibility and little amenities, it’s been developing over the past 15 years as a transit-oriented, planned 160-acre, multiuse urban residential and commercial area.

It’s an interesting neighbourhood that’s still finding its identity, and you can tell that it’s changing fast as it develops. Walking through Boulder Junction, you’ll find interesting shops, some great bars, breweries, and food spots, and several impressive murals.

Identified artists featured in the image gallery include:

Happy discoveries on your street art walk through Boulder. What are your favourites places for street art in Boulder? What are you favourite Boulder murals?

Le Yeahllow, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Le Yeahllow, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Le Yeahllow is a cake shop known for its beautifully presented cakes and baked treats. They’ve just opened their second store in Melbourne’s CBD, which I recently visited for What’s On Melbourne.

Co-founder Samsky Yeung is the man behind Le Yeahllow’s creations. Samsky worked in venues like Flower Drum and White Mojo, where he developed a knack for creating ‘edible art’ desserts. His skill is evident when you look at the cake cabinet at Le Yeahllow, which is filled with colourful, creative looking treats.

Cakes lean towards the light end of the spectrum, featuring a mixture of classic flavours and unique flavour combinations. There’s whole cakes, petit gateau, and macarons, along with a selection of cookies, loose leaf teas, and other things to enjoy in store or take away, packaged as gifts.

‘Balloon Puppy’ is moist chocolate base cake layered with black tea whipped ganache, tangy sour cherry compote, shortbread crumble, and chocolate feuilletine. It comes topped with an edible mini balloon puppy. ‘Mango Yo-Yo’, my favourite, is a light mango cheesecake with mango confit, creamy yoghurt mousse, mango coulis, and chiffon sponge cake on a sable base.

Macaron flavours include things like yuzu, Earl Grey and calamansi, and blueberry cheesecake. To drink, it’s an assortment of coffee and non-coffee based lattes, Valrhona hot and iced chocolate, and house-made tea and fruit spritzes.

Le Yeahllow

366 Little Collins Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9600 1129
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Fri: 7:00am to 6:30pm
Sat – Sun: 9:30am to 6:30pm

The Rocket Society, Brunswick East

Paul
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0
The Rocket Society, Brunswick East

MELBOURNE | The Rocket Society is a new wine bar by Joseph Abboud, located next door to his recently relocated iconic Lebanese restaurant, Rumi. Named after Lebanon’s short lived 1960s space programme (a move came out about it in 2012), the Rocket Society is the youthful, fun counterpart to 17 year-old Rumi.

Whereas Rumi is all about the restaurant’s classic dishes that diners know and love, the Rocket Society is where Joe and the kitchen flex their creative muscles. It’s a small venue, with space for 20 people overlooking an alfresco laneway that’s home to Bridge Road Brewers’s new brewpub, and the soon to open FOMO cinemas.

Open from lunch until night, the menu is constantly changing. During the day, it’s wraps with flavours like beef kofta, parsley, tomato and sumac; and my favourite, chips, toum, and pickles.

As night approaches, the menu switches to a more snacky wine bar affair. Lamb and sweetbread kebabs; salt and Aleppo pepper seasoned fried barramundi wing with toum tartare sauce; and HSP croquettes are just a few of the things you can expect to find on the menu. Those three dishes in particular, are well worth trying. And yes, there’s hummus and flatbread.

To drink it’s light, fun wines, and creative cocktails created by bar manager Grace McArthur. Grace is really into mezcal at the moment, so be sure to try one of her smoky mezcal creations. If you’re looking for a bolder wine than what’s on the menu, you can also ask to take a look at Rumi’s wine list.

The Rocket Society

2 Village Avenue
Brunswick East
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9388 8255
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:00am to 10:00pm

Local Brewing Co., Clifton Hill

Paul
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0
Local Brewing Co., Clifton Hill

MELBOURNE | Local Brewing Co. was founded in 2019 by mates Claudia Mitchell, Chris Cefala, Hugo Mylecharane, Sam Harris and Nick Campbell. They met at university, bonding over a love of craft beer an social enterprise. After operating without a space to call their own in the early years, they opened their long-awaited Clifton Hill brewpub in 2023. I was recently invited to take a look.

I’ve been a fan of what Local Brewing have been doing since I first heard about them in 2019. They’ve teamed up with SecondBite, an organisation that rescues food from major supermarkets and passes it on to hungry families. For every four/six pack and pint of beer sold, they provide a meal to someone in need. To date, Local Brewing have donated over 200,000 meals.

As well as donating meals, Local Brewing also try to minimise waste by using surplus ingredients from partners like fruit and bread, to brew some of their limited/seasonal beers.

The brewpub follows the classic template, being located in an old warehouse. There’s a few communal long tables out the front, and capacity for 75 inside on a combination of long, high tables, and smaller tables. Upstairs, there’s a mezzanine level which can be hired for events.

There’s 10 taps behind the bar where you’ll find Local Brewing’s core range of beers; limited, venue-only releases; and guest beers from breweries that the team love. Beers are served in pots and pints, and you can have a little taste of anything that you’re interested in before committing to a glass. I’m a big fan of the Hazy Nectarine, a 4.5% ABV Pale Ale made using surplus nectarines and day fresh bakery bread that have been diverted
from reaching landfill, showcasing Simcoe, Galaxy, and El Doardo hops.

If you’re not a beer drinker, there’s a small, diverse list of local wines from across the flavour and style spectrum, as well as a page of seven house cocktails, with classics available on request.

To eat, it’s pizzas made from the permeant food truck out front. An airy sourdough base with flavours like the ‘Luigi’ (potato, pork and fennel sausage, smoked scamorza, radicchio, and leek oil), and ‘Gino’ (whipped goats curd, roast peppers, rocket, prosciutto, and parmesan). There’s also a few snacks like chips, a cheese plate, and Chappy’s chips.

Local Brewing Co.

3 Hilton Street
Clifton Hill
Victoria 3068
Australia

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

Open
Wed – Thu: 3:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 10:00pm

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