N’Shry, Albert Park

There aren’t going to be many better spots to come running up the sand in those teeny-tiny budgie smugglers and sprawl in that chair, sipping on a freshly squeezed juice and looking out into the waters dreaming of a better life.

No let downs on the menu, as N’Shry serves up some pretty gourmet stuff that does justice to the setting and suburb that surely targets the young professional and hipster demographic of the Albert Park/Port Melbourne area.



Croque Madame – Pain de Mie with gruyere cheese, Grandmother Ham, béchamel sauce, Dijon mustard, topped with an egg with capsicum and eggplant relish and a side of tomato. Ham and cheese toasties this ain’t.



Panko crumbed corn and zucchini fritters topped with smoked salmon, avocado, a poached egg and wasabi kewpie.



Umami Burger – 200g Wagyu and Angus beef cooked to medium rare, Umami rub, brown mushroom sauce, gruyere, caramelised onions, oven roasted tomato and a parmesan crisp between a sweet brioche bun with a side of onion rings, slaw, cornichons, spicy chip dip and wasabi kewpie. There is a lot going but a lot going for it. A luxurious main that makes the mind say “oh no you shouldn’t” but the stomach “oh yes I just did”.



Make hay at “Noshery” while the Melbourne sun shines.

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Where? 129a Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park, VIC
What? Breakfast $12-22, Lunch $18-27

Grand Hotel, Yarra Glen

This heritage looking structure houses pub classics enjoyed either inside the bistro or on the decking outside perfect for a few sparklies or ciders on a balmy day.



Steak and fries cooked to order.



Chicken parma: the fillet is generous.



Bad angle of the lasagne that looks like it has seen better days.



Beef burger: the beetroot makes it Aussie.

No fuss, no nonsense stuff that’s cooked by people who give a damn.


3.5 / 5 yums!
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Where? 19 Bell St, Yarra Glen, VIC
What? Mains $20-30

Hoi An Quan, Hampton

Could there be good Vietnamese outside the hubs of Footscray, Springvale or Richmond?



Crispy Spring rolls are fine, with a decent nuoc cham dipping sauce.



Better versions of the wonton and char siu noodle soup found at Hong Kong style cafés.



Grilled pork on vermicelli: nice carmelisation on the meat



Grilled pork chop on broken rice: as above



Combination pho: you’ll need the hoisin and chilli for flavour.

Some choices are fine, but next time I’ll be driving the extra kilometres for a better range.


2.5 / 5 yums!
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Where? 912 Nepean Highway, Hampton, VIC
What? Most dishes around $10

Marmalade Cafe, Brighton

Long before Jack Johnson came out with the 3 Rs to educate our social conscious, this shy Brighton East café was taking at least 2 of the Rs to the extreme by reusing and recycling most of the fixtures and fittings. And with a bit of elbow grease to spruce up, there’s an airy, effortless country feel taking the best of a Caucasian granny flat with her 22 year old designer daughter’s sensibility.

So what happened to the third R? So while the menu is basically classics done extremely well, the dishes served up are far from reduced, as you’ll feed to make the most of puberty growth spurt. Hollandaise sauce has the texture of engine oil with just enough acidity that’s divine on perfectly poached eggs. A must, even as a side to dip with your gourmet sanger. Big brekky comes with sautéed mushrooms and quality baked beans along with the usual eggs, snags and bacon. Shepherds Pie will provide a complete meal of protein, carbs and veg as stewed down whole chunks of steak in a mildly peppery gravy served in a mini cauldron topped with a creamy mash, long beans and toasted soldiers for dipping. Delightfully regional.

A humble place that is what it is. Only thing missing is some banana pancakes.

4 / 5 yums!
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Where? 763 Hawthorn Road, Brighton East, VIC
What? Dishes $8 - $15

Turkish Place, Brighton

There is a little place in Brighton on Bay Street. They sell shaved lamb and chicken doner, skewered shish in a peppery spice and chopped herbs cooked on a chargrill in kebabs or meals with rice, Turkish bread, salad and a yoghurt and carrot dip. It is really yummy. The humus and eggplant dips also look yummy. I want to try the baklava next time. I like that Turkish place.

3 / 5 yums!
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Where? 344 Bay St, Brighton, VIC
What? Kebabs $8.50 – 11, Meals $14-16

Ah’Loys Malaysian Restaurant, Brighton

To avoid any confusion with the Korova Milk Bar, this stylish, clean, white room in Brighton is smartly titled “Malaysian Restaurant”. So there might not be any milk laced with drugs, but judging by the lack of empty seats, the menu of typical hawker fare of kuay teow, nasi and mees with a few shared dishes is highly addictive.

Though having been spoilt by a few choice places in the east and south-east, it’s hard to look past the minor flaws of the otherwise reasonable renditions. Hor-Fun had a good wet egg sauce but lacked the char on the flat white noodles. Same with the mee goreng but it had the salty sweetness of kecap manis and chilli sauce heat. Laksa had more chilli bite than curry depth than one you’ll find in Kensington.

I can’t say that I share the enthusiasm of the Brightonites for Ah’Loys. I’ll get my Malaysian fix from another dealer.


2.5 / 5 yums!
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Where? 278 Bay St, Brighton, VIC
What? Individual mains around $12





Left to Right: Hor-Fun, Laksa, Mee-Goreng

Ripples, Bentleigh

So clean is this Bentleigh Chinese restaurant I’m sure they’d be no objections from the medical board to perform open heart surgery on one of the lazy susans. Which makes this yum cha experience so strange. Despite the absence of mould and general wear and tear that typically mark a suburban joint, there’s no quality loss from the Malvern original. The only downer was the lack of soup in the xiao long bao, but otherwise enjoy fine examples of the all the yum cha staples in surrounds designed to fit 1.5 Asians per chair.


3.5 / 5 yums!
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Where? 453 Centre Rd, Bentleigh, VIC
What? Yum cha around $20 per person