Melbourne Summer Eats

I've just returned from a relaxing 10 day visit in Melbourne, soaking up the sun, nabbing a few bargains and doing lots of eating. Below are my top three Melbourne Eats, I confess I am missing Chapel Street and my brother's inner city apartment already. Suburbia seems overrated.










1. Suzuki Night Markets @ Queen Victoria Markets

Before you enter the markets you can hear a thumping folk band entertaining the hungry crowd. An intoxicating mix of smells greets you as you gently nudge your way through the people. The problem is how do you choose what to eat? Stalls sizzle with an international array of freshly fried, battered, stewed, grilled and baked foods. Worse still is watching what other people are eating - this induces serious food envy. The lack of empty tables necessitates eating wherever you can, perching on any empty space while you feast on New Orleans Creole Jambalaya with chicken and chorizo or honey dumplings and wash it all down with a sangria.





2. Hutong Dumpling Bar, 162 Commercial Road, Prahran

This upmarket Chinese restaurant has a dumpling viewing window so you can watch the chefs in action. The duck roasting oven is also on customer display and apparently cost $300,000! Either way, I enjoyed the shanghai dumplings as an entree when yours first bite releases the hot soup into your mouth, the specialty claypot melt-in-your-mouth scallops and eggplant and the very sweet pork spare ribs in a honey sauce. The service was a bit hit and miss though.



3. Ganache, 250 Toorak Road, South Yarra

My best friends swears this is the best chocolatier in Melbourne. I opted for the hazelnut fan slice and she had the passionfruit and mango slice accompanied by lemongrass T2 tea. The milk chocolate was velvety and smooth perfected by the wafer base sandwiching the crunched hazelnuts. I tasted her slice too which was light and fluffy, the sweetness of the fruit offset by the white chocolate mousse. This made for a rather decadent afternoon tea.

Whilst this isn't a "top 3" you have to eat Lord of the Fries if you're in Melbourne after a big night or snack attack, just a pity they ran out of the below:



All photos were taken on my iPhone. Big thanks to my bro for letting me crash on his futon! =)