Le Bon Continental Cake Shop, St Kilda

There’s a certain charm to those cake shops on Acland Street have that were probably frequented by your father’s mother and father and your mother’s father and mother. There might be doubts over the date of production of the rows and columns of tarts, slices, logs and pastries that look like they’ve been on rotation since your parent’s time, however they’ve aged gracefully. A little daggy, but they’ll always be an attraction of the Bayside suburb.

2 / 5 yums!
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Where? 93 Acland St, St Kilda, VIC

Claypots, St Kilda

Jessica Simpsons out there shouldn’t get too mixed up at Claypots. There’s no chance tuna will get confused for chicken. It’s surprising that this popular fish doesn’t feature on their blackboard menus, because they pretty much have everything else that lives in water on stock to fry up or slow cook in their self titled claypots. And with the worldly flavours of Morocco, Thailand, India and Cajun in the kitchen’s arsenal, there’s sure to be an assault on the tastebuds.

Take for example the shellfish that requires both hands to get stuck into the king prawns, crabs, mussels and yabbies that are stir-fried with lemongrass, chilli and coriander. Even the most dexterous of fingers won’t get to the sweet flesh quickly enough. The same cavalier approach can’t be taken when taking on the whole fishes complete with bones, such as the crispy skinned dory or black bream covered by a creamy, mild red curry that plays nice for the masses. Claypots are a much more spoon friendly affair, the creamy Malaysian style laksa my pick.

Didn’t try the sweets, but didn’t enquire about them either. And just to be clear to any Jessicas that might be reading out there. There are no chooks, but plenty (good) tastes of the sea.


3.5 / 5 yums!
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Where? 213 Barkly St, St Kilda, VIC
What? Fish $30-60, Claypots $20







Left to Right: Shellfish Stir-Fry, Silver Dory, Black Bream with Thai Red Curry, Malay Claypot, Cajun Claypot

Hellenic Republic, Brunswick East

Masterchef George is so hot right now and will soon give the people of Kew the Calomabis tan. I’ll freely admit that I’m a gusher, so it’s embarrassing that I’ve never been to his second child, until now. And it’s every bit as good as his first, albeit in a different way. There’s none of the typically stodgy and bloating meat fest of an old school Greek Tavern, Hellenic Republic rejoices in the simplicity of the cuisine. Sharing is Mr Calombaris’ philosophy, and we’re glad that he does. But you’d want the mildly salted white cod roe dip and plenty of warm triangles of pita all to yourself. Don’t feel guilty though, for selfishness is a common emotion for most of the dishes.

Peppered figs are beautifully caramelised, their delicate sweetness the perfect foil on top of the pan fried grilled cheese. You’ll get a combination of beautifully charred and tender garlicy lamb from the spit, a squeeze of lemon all that’s required. Parsley and lemon slices stuffed in grilled whole baby snapper the perfect way to enjoy fresh catch. Had to pass on the cured meats, salads, Thalassino Youvetsi (braised seafood “casserole”) and the Yia Yia’s Moussaka to save room for the velvety olive oil white chocolate and lavender mousse and sweet preserved cherries that read as a standout on the menu and duly delivers.

Hot food at a hot place. Slip, slop, slap to avoid the sunburn at Hellenic Republic.


4 / 5 yums!
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Where? 434 Lygon St, Brunswick East, VIC
What? Smalls $8-19, Grills and Mains $20-32, Desserts $13









Left to Right: Taramosalata, Pita Bread, Saganaki, Lamb Spit, Baby Snapper and accompanying lemon sauce on ice, White Chocolate Mousse

Little Cupcakes, Melbourne

It was hard to avoid the curiosity surrounding the arrival those mini cakes that are supposedly the size of a cup and made fashionable by a fictional New York quartet when they arrived in Sydney. I’m not sure how it was in Melbourne, but there’s still plenty of gloss at this boutique shop that fits perfectly in the café friendly Degraves Street. If the missus is angry with ya, the road to redemption could start with a cute Red Velvet, Belgian chocolate, orange jaffa, raspberry white chocolate or cookies and cream. Or all of them if she’s really mad.


3 / 5 yums!
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Where? 7 Degraves St, Melbourne, VIC

New Wind, Windsor

It’s not surprising that Vietnam’s Smith gets mispronounced. Nugent, Nugget, Nee-Goo-Yen. But say the words of this cleverly named Windsor cheap eat fast and you’ll get pretty close. The sanitised menu of a typical Springvale or Richmond joint that combines Western Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes including bun (vermicelli), pho and rice is a bit hit and miss. Broken rice not so broken looking like normal long grain, but the pork chop fine. Tomato rice good, however let down by the well done grilled beef. The chef suggestions don’t disappoint: a South Vietnamese clay pot is a bubbling stew of pork, garlic, brown sugar and fish sauce and be seduced by the headline crispy duck stuffed with prawn sizzling plate. A final thought, won’t find too many Trans here on a Saturday night, but plenty of Smiths, so get in early.


2.5 / 5 yums!
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Where? 120 Chapel St, Windsor, VIC
What? Dishes around $10







Left to Right: Spring Rolls, Banh Xeo, Broken Rice, Diced Beef Tomato Rice, Pad Thai, South Vietnamese Clay Pot, Duck stuffed Prawn

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

Top 5 - Malaysian Hawker eats

Here is my list on the top 5 Malaysian eats in Melbourne; Tell me what you think!

5. Petaling Street - above average across the board, you'll find it hard to go wrong, but you'll find it hard to be wowed! The Assam laksa is your best bet.
111 Kingsway, Glen Waverley 3150

4. Straits Cafe - taste the char from the wok on the kuay teow, traditional nasi lamek and the slippery, barely cooked egg sauce over the hor fun.
694 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster 3108

3. Rich Maha - with an Indian Malaysian slant, this eatery serves up consistently good curries, a mean new goreng, and I think pioneered freshly made roti in Melbourne.
Shop 3, 499 Burwood Hwy, Vermont South 3133 or Equitable Place off Little Collins St Melbourne 3000

2. Laksa King - they could serve nothing else but their selection of deliciously addicitive laksa and still make this list.
320 Racecourse Road, Flemington 3031

1. Penang Coffee House - all round delicious hawker dishes, kuai teow laced with wok hei, depth in the laksa and fun and friendly service gives PCH a well deserved number 1.
549 Burwood Rd. Hawthorn 3122