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Kowloon Cafe City, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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Kowloon Cafe City, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Kowloon Cafe City is the CBD location of Glen Waverley cha chaan teng (Hong Hong style cafe), Kowloon Cafe. I recently popped in for What’s On Melbourne to scope it out in advance of Lunar New Year.

Cha chaan tengs developed post World War Two in Hong Kong, influenced by British culture, as a way for everyday people to enjoy Western cuisine. The food on offer is uniquely Hong Kong – eclectic, affordable diner food combining Cantonese and Western flavours and influences.

The menu at Kowloon Cafe City is extensive, and features all of the classics. Things like pineapple/bolo buns, egg and ham sandwiches on white bread, instant noodle and macaroni soups, and barbecue and fried meats on rice.

There’s a whole lot of set meals, and drinks like Hong Kong style milk tea and coffee, Horlicks, and lemon with Ribena.

There’s a lot on the menu that’ll sound instantly appealing to you; and a lot that you’ll be scratching your head about with uncertainty. Be sure to order some things from both categories for a delicious experience that’s different from your usual ‘Melbourne’ cafe.

Kowloon Cafe City

K-Mart Centre, Shop 13
222 Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9654 7816
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Wed – Mon: 11:00am – 7:00pm

La Candelaria Cafe, Brunswick East

Paul
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La Candelaria Cafe, Brunswick East

MELBOURNE | La Candelaria Cafe is a Colombian cafe that’s opened in the Brunswick East space that was formerly home to cafe, Poached. Half the menu offers a similar selection of classic Melbourne brunch options, but what’s exciting about this place is the other half of the menu, which is full of Colombian brunch options.

La Candelaria Cafe is inspired by the Bogota neighbourhood of the same name. It’s a historic neighbourhood in downtown Bogota, full of interesting architecture, museums, and history. As a visitor, La Candelaria is a must visit neighbourhood to learn about Colombian culture, and at La Candelaria cafe, owner/chef Steve Penalosa hopes to introduce Melburnians to Colombian culture and food.

Steve’s food is very homely. Recipes passed down from his mother and grandmother. Local and Colombian ingredients are used to create an assortment of delicious dishes, from the familiar to the lesser known in Australia.

There’s Colombian-style empanadas, with a thicker, crunchier exterior than the more common Argentinean-style found in Australia. Arepas are served plain, or with an assortment of sides like eggs and cheese. There’s also chorizo, baked eggs similar to shakshuka, and more.

For something bigger, the lunch menu features things like Mazorca Desgranada, Colombia’s answer to the HSP. It’s a mixture of fried corn, sauteed onion, chicken, beef, and oozy mozzarella served atop a bed of fries, fresh lettuce and tomato. The Picada is a great way to get a mix of things. It’s a plate of flavoursome grilled rump steak, chicken, and pork, along with papa criolla (small yellow Colombian potatoes), chorizo, sweet plantains, black pudding, fried yuca/cassava, guacamole, and chips.

As customers become more accustomed to the Colombian dishes on the menu, more are being introduced. Keep an eye out for the weekly and daily specials, where you’ll find all kinds of interesting specialties popping up.

To drink, it’s an assortment of espresso based coffees, soft drinks, Colombian drinks, smoothies, and juices. I recommend trying the lulada. It’s a refreshing drink that’s super popular in Colombia, made from the tangy citrus fruit, lulo.

La Candelaria Cafe

169 Lygon Street
Brunswick East
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 0370128155
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Fri: 7:30am to 4:00pm
Sat: 8:00am to 6:00am
Sun: 8:30am to 3:30pm

Secret Kitchen (Chinatown), Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Secret Kitchen (Chinatown), Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Secret Kitchen has been around since 2007, and in that time they’ve built a reputation as one of the best places in Melbourne for yum cha. Across three sittings each day, you can enjoy a vast selection of quality Cantonese dim sum, all prepared fresh on site each day.

When I visited recently to get some photos for What’s On Melbourne, I had a chat with marketing and communications manager Karen Lee about the restaurant. When a popular restaurant is approaching its 17th year, no small feat given the competitiveness of Melbourne’s restaurant scene and the trials and tribulations of the past few years, what is there for people to know about that they might not already know?

The answer to that question is that while yum cha is what Secret Kitchen is known for, and a big part of what they do, there’s a completely separate dinner menu. On this menu you’ll find an assortment of traditional and modern Cantonese dishes. Post photoshoot, I had to have a quick nibble of everything before moving on to my next menu. I hadn’t had breakfast that day and the food all looked and smelled so good.

Being a favourite of mine for yum cha, it’s no surprise that Secret Kitchen’s non-yum cha dishes are quality. It’s things like hand made dumplings, braised, and roasted meats (call ahead to ensure you can snag one of the roast goose), double boiled soups with rich broths, and a whole lot of fresh seafood dishes. Seafood is a specialty here – you’ll notice all of the fresh seafood in tanks as you walk in.

Also of note, is that while the menu is broadly Cantonese, there are several specialties from other Chinese regions. Things like XinJiang-style roasted lamb shank, and Szechuan spicy fish fillet.

It’s a big menu and one that, after those few bites I had after my photoshoot, I’m keen to explore more of. Maybe dinner rather than yum cha next time.

Secret Kitchen (Chinatown)

222 Exhibition Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9988 7778
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Fri: 11:30am – 3:00pm, 5:30pm to 10:00pm
Sat – Sun: 10:30am to 3:00pm, 5:30pm to 10:00pm

Clover, Richmond

Paul
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0
Clover, Richmond

MELBOURNE | It’s been far to long since I’ve ventured into Richmond for a feed and a drink, and just as long since I’ve last eaten Charley Snadden-Wilson’s food. With the new venue that Charlie has opened up with Lyndon Kubis, Clover, finally up and running after several delays outside of the duo’s control, of course I had to get myself over there to check it out.

Inspired by the wine caves of Paris, Clover is a wine bar in the mould that’s all the buzz at the moment. Interesting wines, and epic food that’s as much of a part of the venue as the drinks list.

Charlie’s made a name for himself cooking at several top venues around town over the past decade – Etta, Town Mouse, Embla, and The Moon to name a few. The food coming out of the kitchen at Clover is a continuation of this. Delicious things with a focus on ingredients cooked over fire. To be specific, a huge custom built Brick Chef oven and grill. Do nab a seat at the VERY open kitchen.

Local, seasonal produce, a minimal waste philosophy, you get the drill. It’s all very now and it’s all very good. Honey bread served in melted butter flecked with Provence herbs (i.e. fancy garlic bread) sets the scene for what’s to come. Make sure to save some bread for mopping up the sauces from the other dishes.

A few of the highlights include wonderfully charred leeks, soft and topped with a whey creme; fruits de mer – a selection of seafood that’s best at the market on a given day; and smoked tri tip, thinly sliced with fennel and thousand island dressing atop a toasted slice of that bread.

Dessert is something you won’t want to skip. In particular, the surprisingly light rhubarb brown sugar cake, topped with a fluffy coconut merginge-like cream.

For drinks, Lyndon’s list is perhaps what separates Clover from similar venues around town. There are interesting local wines and spirits on the 200 strong bottle list, but it’s mostly interesting stuff from abroad. Exciting things from young winemakers and distillers in places like France and Italy, that you don’t often see in Australia.

Whether popping in for drinks and a snack, of a full blown dinner, Clover is a killer, must try venue.

Clover

193 Swan Street
Richmond
Victoria 3121
Australia

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

Open
Tue – Wed: 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Thu – Sat: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 5:00pm

Pick Prik, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Pick Prik, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | There’s a new Thai restaurant, Pick Prik, that’s popped up in the back space of Heng Thai. I recently visited for What’s On Melbourne to find out more.

The name comes from the two English spellings of the Thai word for the Thai aka bird’s eye chilli. Unlike the hotpot focus of the restaurant at the front, Pick Prik puts the focus on Issan style street food eats. Everything is made fresh on site, and you can see the staff pounding and mixing ingredients into sauces and pastes at the counter, which also serves as a raw bar for seafood and fresh cut fruit.

To start, it’s all about raw seafood and salads. Things like Korean soy marinated (which is a popular snack in Thailand) prawn, crab, and salmon, and the must try spicy salmon salad. Both the versions – with and without fermented fish dressing, are great.

Moving away from seafood, it’s things like wonderfully crispy fried chicken atop spicy Thai salad, grilled beef fillet and pork neck, and pork loaf salad with salted egg. The deep fried pork belly with fish sauce is a must try.

There’s also a few soups. The MAMA noodle tom yum seafood pot is great, with a fragrant, complex broth. For dessert, it’s a few treats like durian ice cream, grass jelly in syrup, and fresh cut fruit topped with your choice of sweet fish sauce, spicy shrimp sauce, or chilli salt with shrimp paste.

Pick Prik

Shop 2/131 Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: 0452 594 542
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Sun – Thu: 5:30pm to 10:00pm
Fri – Sat: 5:30pm to 11:00pm

BrewDog Pentridge, Coburg

Paul
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0
BrewDog Pentridge, Coburg

MELBOURNE | Scottish craft brewery giants BrewDog launched in Australia with BrewDog DogTap Brisbane back in 2019, and now it’s Melbourne’s turn to get in on the action. The new BrewDog Pentridge opened last month in Pentridge Prison’s E Division building. It’s a collaboration with Australian Venue Co (Garden State Hotel, Prahran Hotel, Yarra Botanica) that sees the former prison block’s heritage elements worked in to what’s an impressive venue.

The space is huge. More than 1000-square-metres spread across the front beer garden and two levels inside. The beer garden is what was the prison yard (be aware that not all tables are shaded), and inside the various rooms of the old sandstone building have been converted into a number of different areas with their own vibe.

There’s 26 beer taps, pouring BrewDog’s own beers and a few guest beers from other local craft breweries. There’s popular core range beers, rotating seasonal brews, and a quality, accessible wine and cocktail list. My go to is Elvis Juice, a piney, citrus driven 6.5% ABV American IPA brewed with grapefruit peel.

For food, it’s the pub classics done right that BrewDog is known for, with some local tweaks by Australian Venue Co executive chef Telina Menzies. Think parmas, pizzas, burgers, and grazing plates. Definitely try the fantastic buffalo wings. There’s lots of vegan options on the menu, and all dietaries are well catered for. Victorian producers are showcased, and highlighted on the menu.

If you want some takeaways for home, there’s also a retail section full of cans and bottles of BrewDog beers. Unlike the Brisbane venue, however, you won’t find hard to source imports from other breweries.

BrewDog Pentridge

1 Champ Street
Coburg
Victoria 3058
Australia

Telephone: (03) 8840 4896
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Sun – Wed: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Thu – Sat: 12:00pm to 12:00am

Hotel Lombardo, Coburg

Paul
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0
Hotel Lombardo, Coburg

MELBOURNE | Hotel Lombardo is a Coburg pizzeria and bar, opened by owner Travis Lombardo in August last year. Travis spent a decade living in Brooklyn before moving back to Melbourne, and wanted to open a venue that captured the casual, melting pot dive bars and Italian-American pizza joints he enjoyed over there.

The venue certain fits the bill, and feels well worn in, like a local’s place that’s been around forever. The wood panelling, chequered tiles, and prints of life in New York during the 1970s all combine to give Hotel Lombardo a retro, fun, welcoming feel.

There’s booths, seats at the bar, and a beer garden out back. At the front, a free pull table is an added bonus. The mixed crowd of all ages and stripes when I visited is as good an indicator as any that Travis’ venue is hitting the mark with locals.

As for those pizzas – it’s 72 hour slow fermented dough cooked fast with fire for a thin base and puffy, charred crust. I opted for the simple classics – a margherita and the pepperoni. Both hit the spot wonderfully. Quality ingredients with a good base to toppings ratio.

Other flavours include things like the spicy Picante with nduja, sopressa, capsicum, and mozzarella; and the Calypso Mortadelle. That one has red sauce, crisp mortadella, pineapple, mozzarella, and a dash of golden syrup. There’s also a few snacks like arancini and deli plates.

To drink, it’s classic cocktails, house specials, and a mixture of accessible and interesting wines and beers.

Hotel Lombardo

11-13 Sydney Road
Coburg
Victoria 3058
Australia

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

Open
Wed – Thu: 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri: 4:00pm to 1:00am
Sat: 2:00pm to 1:00am
Sat: 2:00pm to 11:00pm

Ovolo The Valley, Fortitude Valley

Paul
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0
Ovolo The Valley, Fortitude Valley

BRISBANE | Ovolo The Valley is a boutique hotel in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. Opened at the end of 2018, it’s a modern hotel with a bright, funky aesthetic that blends art, music, and pop-culture.

Location

Ovolo The Valley is well located at the north end of trendy Fortitude Valley, bordering the up and coming neighbourhood of Newstead. It’s amongst some of the city’s best food and drink spots and boutiques, and a a 20 minute walk from Brisbane’s CBD.

Rooms

The hotel features 130 modern, spacious, rooms in five configurations. There’s medium and larger rooms, large rooms with a spa, Valley suites, and the glamorous Rock Star suites. I stayed in one of the large rooms, and was impressed by the size, and the clever placement of power and USB outlets throughout.

The king sized be is plush and comfortable, as are the pillows. Towards the window, there’s a long couch, seat, and table. Across from the bed, it’s a desk with a mirror, and large TV with Google Chromecast. There’s also an Amazon Echo with Alexa, and a few books and magazines.

The bathroom features a large walk in shower and twin sinks. Large, fixed container of Biology amenities are provided. Essentials like cotton buds and a shower cap are provided, and there’s a suit of other extra complimentary items, like razors and toothbrushes, that you can call for if you wish. Both the bathroom and the main room, contain ample storage space.

If you book directly through the hotel, there are several extras you’ll find included at no extra cost. There’s a “loot bag” filled with snacks, that’s topped up daily, a minibar which is restocked each day with water, soft drink, juice, beer, and wine, and a free round of drinks at the bar downstairs each day during happy hour.

Wi-Fi is free, fast, and available in all rooms (and throughout the hotel). Room service is a selection of dishes from hotel restaurant, ZA ZA TA.

Amenities

Guests have access to Ovolo The Valley’s free self-service laundry, and a free candy and fruit water station at the lobby bar. There’s a pool on the roof, and a small 24/7 gym.

The hotel is pet friendly, and there’s flexible check in and check out on request. If you have a car, the hotel offers valet parking for $60.00 per night, and self-parking for $35.00 per night.

Eat & Drink

The hotel has two food and drink offerings. Kazba is a Tel Aviv inspired cocktail bar offering the classics, plus house cocktails made with house-made Middle Eastern cordials, sodas, teas and unique produce for garnishes. For food it’s Middle Eastern vegetarian mezze style street food dishes cooked over charcoal and wood.

Restaurant ZA ZA TA is also Tel Aviv inspired, offering a vegetarian menu celebrating locally sourced fresh produce. Middle Eastern dishes with hints of the Mediterranean like BBQ cauliflower shawarma, batata harra potatoes, and haloumi doughnuts.

If you book directly, there’s a complimentary continental breakfast at ZA ZA TA.

You’re also in the vicinity of some of Brisbane’s best places to eat and drink. Some of my favourites include cafe and coffee roastery Industry Beans, bakery Sprout Artisan Bakery, modern Greek restaurant Hellenika, contemporary Australian restaurant Essa, and craft brewery Range.

Ovolo The Valley

1000 Ann Street
Fortitude Valley
Queensland 4006
Australia

Telephone: (07) 3253 6999
E-mail: n/a
Website

Moon Mart, West Melbourne

Paul
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0
Moon Mart, West Melbourne

MELBOURNE | Moon Mart is a tiny cafe and pantry, tucked away in the back streets of West Melbourne. It’s owned by Eun Hee An, known from her time in the kitchen at Sydney venues Moon Park and Paper Bird, and her lockdown condiments and ferments, and Hee An’s friend Mei Onsamlee (ex Bill’s Cafe, Momofuku Seiobo, and Paper Bird).

Housed in the space that was formerly home to Roller Door cafe, the aim at Moon Mart is to provide food and products that are unique in their flavour profiles while remaining respectful to the traditional techniques and recipes they are inspired by. Korean and Japanese influences are particularly well represented.

This philosophy can be seen throughout the concise menu. There’s specialty tea (try the chrysanthemum and pandan infusion), coffee from Primary Coffee, sandwiches, rice sets, and Asian-inspired pastries. A core selection of favourites, and rotating specials.

For breakfast, try the jaffle with Emmental, smoked mozzarella and kimchi. The hash brown with okonomiyaki toppings is also great. For lunch, it’s things like gochujang-braised beef bibimbap made in onggi (traditional earthenware pots), and the famed Paper Bird Berkshire pork katsu sando.

Don’t leave without trying a few pastries. I opted for the tangy yuzu doughnut and, rich chocolate mochi brownie, both of which were great.

Across from the counter where you order, there’s a fridge and shelves, stocked with Hee An’s small-batch condiments, rare Korean ingredients imported by Table 181 and a few other goodies inspired by the food cultures of Asia. Things like kimchi, yuzu miso, and vinegars. You can also buy Primary Coffee coffee beans, whole or ground.

Moon Mart

11-13 Stawell Street
West Melbourne
Victoria 3003
Australia

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

Open
Tue – Wed: 7:00am to 12:00am
Thu – Fri: 7:00am to 3:00pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 3:00pm

Honolulu Street Art Guide

Paul
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0
Honolulu Street Art Guide

HONOLULU | Hawaii’s capital is a great place to discover street art. Venture beyond the tourist hotspots, and you’ll find a city with a thriving street art scene. Talented local artists tell stories about themselves, and the islands that they call home, as well as painting things that they simply like.

It’s not just local artists either. Around February each year, artists from across the USA and the world descend on Honolulu to participate in POW! WOW! Hawaii. It’s a gathering that celebrates culture, music and art, and results in several impressive murals being created across Honolulu’s trendy Kaka’ako neighbourhood. Visit, and you can see many of these murals from years’ past, and more.

In this Honolulu street art guide, I’ll tell you about some of my favourite spots in which you can find Honolulu’s best street art. Most of it is centred on the aforementioned Kaka’ako and Kaimuki, and each of those neighbourhoods have their own, more detailed guides, that I’ve linked in this article.

I’ve listed the main areas to find street art in Honolulu alphabetically. From the popular and well known spots, to the more obscure. Use it as a starting point, and happy exploring!

Ala Moana

Walking from Waikiki to the trendy, street art-filled neighbourhood that is Kaka’ako, you’ll pass through Ala Moana. Most visitors come to the neighbourhood for the sprawling mall, Ala Moana Centre. Venture beyond the mall, however, and you’ll find several murals, small and large, touching on a variety of themes.

Chinatown

Chinatown has long been home to some of Honolulu’s most well preserved historic architecture, markets, and great Asian restaurants. In recent years, the area has seen several trendy restaurants and bars pop up. As part of the area’s transformation, several murals have popped up across the neighbourhood.

Of particular note are the painted electrical boxes. They follow a theme of Kipuka, which symbolizes hope and regrowth. Through the murals, the story of Chinatown’s resiliency, its history, and its people, is told.

Kaimuki

Kaimuki is a residential neighbourhood in Honolulu with a retail and dining strip that’s home to plenty of street art. Far away from the tourist spots, it has a real local’s, community vibe.

You can check out my dedicated Kaimiku street art guide here. It covers the best spots to find street art in the area, along with the neighbouring neighbourhood of Kapahulu.

Kaka’ako

Located between Waikiki and Downtown Honolulu, Kaka’ako was primarily an industrial neighbourhood of warehouses and workshop. Today, it’s one of the trendiest parts of Honolulu, with a vibrant food, drink, and arts scene.

I’ve created a detailed Kaka’ako street art guide, which you can find here. It gives you more details on the neighbourhood and areas in which to find street art, and features a whole lot more pictures.

Kapahulu

Kapahulu Avenue starts at the tip of Waikiki and is filled with fantastic places to eat and drink. Most visitors to the area come for this reason, but what’s less known is that the area is also home to a whole lot of street art.

For a more detailed guide on the neighbourhood’s street art, check out my Kaimiku street art guide here. It deals with Kapahulu and Kaimuki, which I advise you do together in one street art walk.

Waikiki

Chances are you’ll be staying in Waikiki during your visit to Honolulu. The tourist heart of Honolulu doesn’t have a lot of street art, but there is some. Of particular note is the 16 story high “Whaling Wall” by artist Wyland. Originally painted in 1995 as part of the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, Wyland restored the mural in 2018.

Identified artists featured in the image gallery include:

Happy discoveries on your walk through Honolulu using my Honolulu street art guide. What are your favourites places for street art in Honolulu? Have you found any other pieces outside of these street art hotspots that you love?

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