Houhai Dumpling House is a rarity in the slew of cafes, Italian restaurants and pubs in the area, which may explain why it was packed to the rafters last Friday night.
Author: Sonia Nair
Sonia Nair is a Melbourne-based food writer who persists with her love of everything deep fried and spicy, despite being diagnosed with a fructose and lactose intolerance one fateful day several years ago.
I remember trying to pay for four drinks at a regional English pub once with a 50 pound note because I’m so conditioned to the ludicrous price of drinks in Melbourne, only for the barman to laughingly inform me that I was out of pocket by a mere £15.95. Brunswick institution Green Refectory is exactly like this.
The Standard Hotel’s prices are not prohibitively high, as is the case with certain gastropubs, and its menu is inventive and varied enough that there’s something for everyone (unless you have intolerances and hate steak).
I’d heard about the legendary Margheritas at Queen Margaret long before I migrated up north, but it took me close to two years after moving to the neighbourhood before I contemplated eating here.
There are plenty of Malaysian dishes that Australians are well acquainted with, but economy rice isn’t one of them.
It’s no secret that I prefer fake meat to real meat, which is how I found myself at Gong De Lin mid-last week.
When you can’t eat onion, garlic and wheat and you’re going out with a vegetarian who doesn’t like cheese (unless it’s on a pizza), an assortment of vegetables (including but not limited to: mushrooms, asparagus and beetroot) and any variation of soup, eating out is an ordeal.
