Hawa Charcoal Chicken

I was first introduced to the world of Lebanese-styled charcoal chicken by El Jannah, which is considered by many to be the best chicken shop in Sydney. But the world of charcoal chicken in Sydney is a large one, and today I decide to go a block down the road from El Jannah to Hawa Charcoal Chicken – another magnate on the Sydney chook scene. Like all good charcoal chicken places, you can smell Hawa before you see it, but only just. This place is so enormous it takes up about half a dozen store fronts, the seating area set up like a shopping centre food court. Except instead of a bunch of different stores, it is Lebanese-styled charcoal chicken…

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03/03/2021
Cheapie Lunch (Under $20), Granville, Lebanese, Middle Eastern

Gringos Mexican Cantina

Riding off the back of my lovely dinner at Tres a Cinco, I was keen for some more Mexican food. A quick look around led me to Gringos Mexican Cantina, which is not only close to where I live, but also made Zomato’s collection of best street food. I was sold. Initial impressions were a tad underwhelming; take away the obligatory Frida Kahlo references and hot sauce bottles, and this place may as well be a family restaurant in one of the quainter Sydney suburbs. The crowds however were a good sign; despite it only being a Wednesday, there was only one seat left for walk-ins, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their food heartily. The mural on the back…

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24/02/2021
Cheapie Lunch (Under $20), Fast Food, Mexican, Putney

Big Dog’s Deli

After over a year of being engaged, Chris and I have finally booked our wedding venue! The original plan was to go back down to Melbourne around May to check out, and hopefully book a place, but obviously that couldn’t happen. Thankfully we weren’t planning on getting married until the year after I finish med school, aka 2022, so there was no harm done, and we were still able to get the venue we wanted for when we wanted. And in case anyone is curious, we’re getting married at Glasshaus Inside, aka probably the most beautiful, and most millennial place to get hitched in all of Melbourne.

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17/02/2021
American, Cafe, Cheapie Lunch (Under $20), Diner, Fast Food, Richmond, Sandwiches

Tres a Cinco

Remember what I said about being devastated over missing out on many a Melbourne restaurant whilst I was stuck in Sydney due to Covid? Well one of the restaurants that I was most upset about not getting to eat at was Bar Tini, the brainchild of Frank Camorra, aka the father of Spanish food (and tapas in general) in Melbourne. Unfortunately, before I had a chance to get myself to Bar Tini, it had shut down, and that boat has sailed forevermore. But it’s not all bad news; for once it’s not Covid that took down Bar Tini, at least not directly in any case. Being both an amazing chef and a shrewd businessman, Camorra realised that as popular as…

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10/02/2021
Bar, Melbourne CBD, Mexican, Mr. Moneybags ($50 Plus), Street Food, Tapas, Wine Bar

Ima Project Cafe

Being back in Melbourne after a whole year of Covid restrictions is no insignificant event. It’s the longest I’ve ever been away from my family or friends, and just thinking about all the restaurants I didn’t get to eat at absolutely breaks my heart. So between spending as much time as I can with my loved ones, I’ve had the difficult job of deciding on where to eat in my short week-and-a-half in Melbourne. Thankfully K had a good idea of what he wanted to eat; having been in strict lockdown for about 3 months, he hasn’t had Japanese food for almost as long, and that’s how we ended up at Ima Project Café for brunch.

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03/02/2021
Asian, Breakfast, Brunch, Cafe, Carlton, Japanese, Just A Bit Special ($20-$35)

Pizza Madre

Here’s to the end of 2020 (well, at the time of writing anyway)! Although I can’t speak definitively for everyone, I’m pretty sure most people absolutely cannot wait to bid goodbye to this strange and uncomfortable year. And what better way is there to celebrate the end of this long, hard slog than with a pizza party? I don’t have a whole lot in the way of pizza options around my place, but a quick 20 minute drive towards the city gets me to Pizza Madre, which consistently makes its way onto best-of lists, despite being an entirely vegetarian operation. And although its name suggests something familiar and cosy, Pizza Madre is less of a mother, and more of an…

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27/01/2021
European, Italian, Just A Bit Special ($20-$35), Marrickville, Pizza, Vegetarian