Ramen Ya, Melbourne

Highlight – Decent prices for the CBD

Lowlight – Noodles were quite average

Charshu Ramen

Chicken Katsu

FOOD?

After an intense half a day of shopping we decided to take a break for lunch at Melbourne’s GPO. By this point we were starving as we didn’t eat much for breakfast. I opted for the popular house special, Charshu Tonkotsu Ramen. The charshu slices were very thin and tender but too bad there was so little of it. Noodles reminded me of Maggi noodles but I was super hungry so managed to finish it all. The broth was tasty and helped keep me warm from the chilly winds outside.

As my fiancé usually orders the ramen he decided to try the Chicken Katsu Bento Box for a change. The batter of the chicken was well seasoned and there was a generous amount of katsu sauce and kewpie mayo. The rest of the dish was filled with standard bento box items, gyoza dumplings, salad and rice.

SERVICE?

Orders are made at the counter and customers are free to sit wherever they please with their table number. Meals were delivered relatively quickly after ordering although there was a slight mix up in our orders where they delivered two bento boxes to us instead of one.

AMBIENCE?

Not much ambience, customers are mainly there to eat and go. There are a handful of communal tables outside and some indoor seating if you’re lucky.

VALUE?

Well priced for a restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD with most items around the $10 mark. Regulars can obtain a loyalty card where if you buy nine ramen meals you receive the tenth one free.

BOOKINGS?

At the GPO restaurant, bookings are only accepted for dinner. It can get quite busy during lunchtime on weekdays. The Bourke Street chain allows bookings for both lunch and dinner.

out of 10!

Ramen Ya
Shop 25G, Melbourne’s GPO, 350 Bourke  Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9654 5838 

Shop 9, The Paramount, 108 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9662 1001 

The Hardware Sociéte, Melbourne

Highlight – Delectable CBD brunch spot

Lowlight – No bookings policy

Croque Madame

Baked eggs with chorizo, tomatoes, spinach

FOOD?

To start off our day in the city we decided to grab some brekky before our full day of shopping. At first we attempted to visit Mr Tulk but unfortunately due to it being a Sunday it was closed. Hardware Societe was somewhat close so we decided to give that a go.

When we first approached I was weary about the patrons waiting outside but decided to put our name on the list anyway. The waitress informed us the wait would be around 10-15 minutes so we decided to wait it out since it was too cold to walk elsewhere. I ordered a coffee to keep me warm and by the time it arrived our table was ready.

I’m a fan of the Croque Monsier and Madame trend at cafes. My dining companion mentioned she had not tried one before so I encouraged her to give it a go. The toast was warm and crunchy filled with salmon and melted gruyere cheese topped with a glossy sunny-side up fried egg.

I tried the hearty baked eggs with lots of chorizo, tomatoes and spinach. It was the perfect hot meal for the first week of Winter. Just a few comments though, I know it adds to the taste but I would have preferred my bread without the drenching in olive oil. And there was probably a bit too much cooked egg yoke for my liking, it would have been nice if it were runnier to add to the dipping sauce.

SERVICE?

We were seated at the bar stools facing the small kitchen area and were surprised to see only two cooks churning out the meals. They were both very systematic in their processes and delivered the food efficiently.

AMBIENCE?

Cute bustling cafe that’s constantly full of people indulging in delicious food and deep conversation. Seats are situated quite close together so there is little space between tables allowing for sneaky eavesdropping. There’s also a large share table at the back of the room.

VALUE?

Very affordable and good value for money considering the city location.

BOOKINGS?

Bookings and credit cards are not accepted here. We waited around 10-15 minutes for our table on Sunday for brunch which I felt was quite reasonable.

out of 10!

The Hardware Societe
118-120 Hardware Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9078 5992

Movida Bar de Tapas, Melbourne

Highlight – Amazing presentation

Lowlight – No space for dessert!

Cordorniz - Pressed quail & morcilla with apple & pickled garlic

Croquetas de choco en su tinta - Squid ink croqueta with cuttlefish

Pate de Pato - Duck liver parfait with Pedro Ximenez foam and toasted brioche

Carrillera de Buey - Slowly braised beef cheek in Pedro Ximenez on cauliflower puree

FOOD?

We were first greeted with a plate of fresh bread and olive oil and a reasonably large menu choice. We consulted with our waiter and he helped us to make our choices.

Each dish was presented beautifully and used bold flavours that did not fail to impress. Even though the serving sizes were small, the dishes were surprisingly filling, especially the braised beef cheek drenched in Pedro Ximenez. I could only eat small portions at a time as the taste was so intense.

My favourite dish was the squid ink croqueta wrapped in perfectly cooked cuttlefish. When split open it was completely black inside and had a crumbly yet moist texture. My partner’s favourite by far was the duck liver parfait with foam and toasted brioche. When all elements were consumed together the dish was well balanced. I appreciated the foam as it helped minimise the strong duck liver taste for me.

SERVICE?

Staff were friendly and knowledgeable of the menu, making suggestions for our order.

AMBIENCE?

I loved the layout of the restaurant, perfect for couples or small groups as the restaurant is not very big. We were seated along the window on tall bar stools so we had the view of Melbourne’s street art and tourist groups walking by taking photos of the infamous lane way. I can definitely see why it is one of Melbourne’s top eateries and will continue to be so for a long time coming.

VALUE?

A tad overpriced considering the portion sizes but then again customers are willing to pay for this considering the popularity of Chef Frank Camorra and the Movida brand.

BOOKINGS?

We were in the city for a friend’s wedding ceremony and decided to spontaneously drop by Movida to see if they had a spare table for lunch. Just after we were seated several other groups entered to try their luck with a table but unfortunately for them they had to wait. As such, it’s probably best to book well in advance, especially if you’re after a table of more than two.

out of 10!

Movida Bar de Tapas
1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9663 3038

Chin Chin, Melbourne

Highlight – Overall flavoursome Asian inspired food

Lowlight – Maitre de was not very welcoming

FOOD?

The menu is quite extensive with a variety of small and large dishes designed to share. We started the night with braised suckling pig ‘roll ups’ which are pretty much DIY pancakes with fresh vegies and herbs complimented by a tangy sauce. These are a great sharing dish for two. Next up was the dish that reminded me of the ying and yang concept, crispy barramundi and green apple salad contrasted with caramelised pork, chilli and lemongrass. Both complimentary opposites that went perfectly together.

Pork 'roll ups' - red braised suckling pig with pancakes, slaw & sour herbs

Crispy barramundi and green apple salad with caramelised pork, chilli & lemongrass

Our final savoury dish was the dry red curry of soft shell crab, asparagus, thai basil and kaffir lime leaf. There was also a mystery ingredient which was a cross between a fig and a potato that I was not a huge fan of. Other than that the soft shell crabs were crunchy on the outside and not too oily.

To finish we ordered the tempting palm sugar ice cream sundae sprinkled with chunky pieces of honeycomb and doused with lime syrup. Awesome choice if you have a super sweet tooth!

Dry red curry of soft shell crab with asparagus, Thai basil & kaffir lime leaf

Palm sugar ice cream sundae with salted honeycomb & lime syrup

SERVICE?

Even though the staff at the door were not very friendly our waiter was very helpful. He knew the menu extremely well and assisted us with our choices by pointing out the restaurant favourites.

AMBIENCE?

The restaurant makes use of its space well with tables situated quite close to each other and plenty of seating around the bar and kitchen areas.

VALUE?

The menu is reasonably priced with most items valued less than $30. With the use of fresh ingredients and aromatic herbs, dishes are worth the price tag.

BOOKINGS?

Yet another no bookings policy restaurant to add to the list. We went here on a Wednesday night and didn’t have much of a wait however we were only after a table of two. Having said this it was still quite busy but nothing compared to Mamasita.

out of 10!

Chin Chin
125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 8663 2000

Mamasita, Melbourne

Highlight – The ever so popular corn on a stick

Lowlight – Waiting an hour for our table

Elotes callejeros - “street style” chargrilled corn, queso, chipotle mayonnaise & lime

de Cangrejo - crab meat, avocado, cucumber, tamarind mayonnaise & red chilli tostaditas

Filete de cerdo con tamarindo - pork fillet, tamarind chipotle glaze, braised cabbage, cranberries & apple pico de gallo

Frituras de manzana - apple fritters, vanilla pear sorbet

FOOD?

My favourite dish was the chargrilled corn dusted with seasoning and melted cheese. The seasoning reminded me of the limited edition McDonald’s shaker fries that come with the Mexican inspired El maco meal. It’s definitely the dish to try when visiting Mamasita.

There is an array of tortilla toppings to choose from. We chose the juicy crab meat with avocado, tamarind, mayo and red chilli to start. The first tortilla I bit into must have had a piece of chilli in it as both my mouth and upper lip felt like it was on fire! This burning sensation lasted throughout the night and I couldn’t really taste the next tortilla which consisted of chorizo, cabbage, coriander and onion.

For our main, we had the pork fillet with tamarind chipotle glaze, braised cabbage and apple pico de gallo sprinkled with cranberries. It was a unique combination of flavours – that didn’t seem quite Mexican – yet it managed to fill us up after our light starters.

To finish we enjoyed deep fried apple fritters topped with a scoop of vanilla pear sorbet. The dish wasn’t as oily as I was expecting and the sorbet complemented the fritters.

SERVICE?

Staff were welcoming and friendly. From my observations, they managed the never-ending queue with an effective process in place. Wait staff were knowledgeable of the menu and kindly made suggestions of the more popular items. However, due to the constant bustle of the restaurant it was difficult to catch someone’s attention when we required service.

AMBIENCE?

Mamasita’s popularity is astounding and is evident in the fact that people are willing to wait hours just to get into the restaurant. Noise levels are high due to voices competing against each other in order to be heard.

VALUE?

Overpriced Mexican-style food which so many customers are willing to pay for.

BOOKINGS?

Unfortunately Mamasita does not take bookings unless you have a group between 8 and 10 people. Everyone else has to wait patiently on the staircase.

I came here with my best friend on a Tuesday night at around 6pm. We were informed there would be a 15 minute wait on the stairs and then an additional 15 minutes at the bar before a table would be free. This didn’t sound so bad at the time however it ended up being a one hour wait. Adding to this, there wasn’t any space at the bar so we ended up standing awkwardly in the middle of the walkway with our drinks. So be prepared as the wait time estimates they give you may not be so accurate.

out of 10!

Mamasita
Level 1/11 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9650 3821