J Cafe, Melbourne CBD

Sushi burgers make so much sense! Both had their origins in mankind's need for convenience. The combination is pure dynamite! Massive kudos to JT for putting me on notice about their awesomeness.

J Cafe is the first and only place where I've ever come across these little parcels of ingenuity. One Saturday, when E and I finally got the chance to go to J Cafe, we couldn't help ourselves and ordered three sushi burgers each.

Izakaya Den, Melbourne CBD

Despite being the self confessed glutton that I am, I'd somehow failed to realize that Izakaya Den was right on our doorsteps. We walked past its entrance several times with iPhones at the ready wondering why the unfathomable GPS signals kept telling us that we were right on top it.

We eventually found our way to the elusive flight of stairs which led down to Izakaya Den. I won't spoil the fun and tell you how to locate it, mostly because I wouldn't be able to do a very good job of it anyway.

Every aspect of the meal met my expectations about how amazing it would be and I was a very very satisfied at the end of a somewhat extended dinner hour.

James Squire Brewhouse, Melbourne CBD

We crossed the road, we ate, we drank. We did not remember.

Behold the national coat of arms side by side. I hope we got our sides right.

My calamari was very sub-standard and I would never order it again.

Red Monkey

The saying third time lucky never really held in this case. We must've driven past it more than half a dozen times, until one night, we found it actually open for business!

The place was a little quirky and the people a little odd, like us. Although, even in a place like this, our Jenga game drew some curious stares. JENGA?!?!?

That's right, Red Monkey has a Jenga set (amongst other games) and I had my Jenga cherry popped that night in a dimly lit courtyard, across a wooden bench.

Perhaps it was beginner's luck, or call it what you may, but I totally dominated. Needless to say, my gaming companion and I have yet to play Jenga ever since.

Vegie Bar, Fitzroy

The first time we drove past it, I had an excited little outburst in the car because I did not expect it to be there. Unsurprisingly, we took a different route home.

The second time we drove past it, I had another not-so-little outburst in the car, because I was almost certain that we were driving by to park nearby and eat there since it was make-her-really-really-happy-day.

The dishes were amazingly simple but amazingly divine. Perhaps the most surprising part was the amount of flavor that was packed into each ingredient such that I had no need to ask for a saltshaker. I was thoroughly impressed.

I can't wait to revisit, and when I do, I'm going to get on the nachos so quickly that my dining companion will not have time to beret me for it.



PS: this is my first post with the tag 'vegetarian', definitely hope that there will be many more to add to the newly created tag.

The Waiting Room, Southbank

Tucked away in the lobby of the Crown Towers, The Waiting Room is supposed to be casual. But somehow it exudes an air of extravagance. Perhaps it has something to do with the way everything seemed to glitter and shine. Oh how I do adore unnecessarily glittery things.

The food menu was very casual and I finally managed to satisfy my craving for nachos.

This was accompanied by a light and tangy side of cevishe.

To complete the night, we indulged in a little sweet decadence. The peanut, caramel and chocolate ganache tart was the most memorable pick of the trio.