For high quality, tasty Japanese you can't go past Hanabishi. This is one place that despite the price, it reflects the quality of the food - all dishes came out very fresh and well presented in typical Japanese fashion. The decor is somewhat dated however the level of service is unobtrusive and just at the right level so you can make conversation without discussion or interruption. Sushi and sashimi is very fresh (no sour tuna tastes here)

Approximate cost: $30

Ok, so Melbourne lacks a Din Tai Fung Xiao Loong Bao Taiwanese Restaurant, however here's the next best thing. Hu Tong's chef originally hails from the master Xiao Loong Bao temple of Din Tai Fung in Sydney and he's put his own twist on dishes. They're not quite the same standard but still very very good. The Xiao Loong Bao is made fresh upon placing an order and is very close to Din Tai Fung in Sydney, and the Pot sticker dumplings are also very good too. Chinese noodles (Jia Jiang Mian) - a Chinese Version of Spaghetti Bolognese is also very well done and very tasty. Service is a bit abrupt and many waiters don't speak Cantonese (mostly Mandarin) and some have a bit of trouble understanding English, but we overlooked these because the food is of a good standard. Unfortunately they don't have the crab meat Xiao Loong Bao - maybe that will come if enough people ask! Decor is a blend of old and new Chinese on the top floor and on the ground floor it's like a small cafe with stools and simple tables. Be aware that when they say that the dishes contain chillies and are hot they actually are! Hotness ranges from just above mild to scorching. (A very chilli happy chef and they don't temper the dishes just because you can't take the heat!)

Approximate cost: $15

This place is packed on weekends and provides a great dining experience on the Cockle bay promenade. The quality of the seafood is very high and very fresh. The menu changes from time to time and there is always something new to try along with regulars such as lobster and steaks. The barramundi was very fresh and not overcooked. An interesting dish was the Vongole with Crab meat pasta (real crab meat, not crab stick!). Chips accompanying as a side were crisp and not oily.
The place from a decor level however lacks initimacy and service is more brisk rather than allowing you time to relax and take in the surroundings. (The waiter was somewhat in a hurr to clear everything off the table!)

Approximate cost: $30

Visit this place and it will remind you of the food you get from hawker stalls in Malaysia or Singapore. The quality of the roti and murtabak are great - crispy and fluffy on the outside and melt in the mouth on the inside. All roti and murtabaks are made fresh and you can watch the guy making them from the front of the shop. Satays are also really good - not dried out and with a peanut sauce that gently blends in with the jucyness of the beef or chicken. Mee Goreng is also good, but not as spicy as you'd expect and the Ice Kachang for desert tops off a great meal at a reasonable price. Serving size is average to small, so you may need to order a few dishes to satisfy your hunger, however that means you can try more things instead of being stuck with a single dish for the night! Beware that there is a queue EVERY evening outside this place and if you're in a hurry get there early. When we queued up at 5pm and got to the door when the place opened, we were the last ones to get a seat! (The queue went down the street and around the corner!). This place is typical of a place that concentrates on the food, not the decor and setting which is is average.The atmosphere is busy, the waiters/waitresses on the go all the time and the chefs running full on to fill orders fast.

Approximate cost: $10-15

My car was damaged by another driver reversing into the front of my car. I contacted my insurer who then advised that Symes is a preferred accident repairer. I went with Symes based on the insurer advising that they would be a better repairer than other normal RACV approved repairers. This defintiely wasn't the case. When my car was returned, the radiator was broken and they did not check this, and the repair to the bumper bar was missing parts to secure the bumper bar to the chassis and the car. The bumperbar appears lop sided when you look at the car. Even worse was when I advised that there were parts missing they claimed that the parts were never there and I then had to go to my car dealer to obtain a copy of the diagram showing that the missing parts were there and needed to be replaced. It is dissapointing that they did not check that the radiator of the car was ok when they returned it to me meaning that had I not asked for them to check the car could have been destroyed by overheating!!

Approximate cost: $1200

This place consistently provides high quality, generous proportion Italian meals ranging from pizza and pasta to steaks and seafood. Prices are reasonable and service is friendly. It has been run by the same family for over 10 years. Dishes of note are the risottos, tortellinis and seafood. We have visited this restaurant consistently over the last five years. The decor in the shop is a little old however the food more than makes up for it.

Approximate cost: $20

Yum Cha in Melbourne has reached a very high standard so any place that doesn't cut the mustard (or is that soy sauce?!) won't be around for long. This restaurant is the third in the line of successful Kam Fook restaurants and we expected that it would meet the standard set by previous venues. Unfortunately Kam Fook just doesn't meet expectations on many fronts. The test of a good dim sum place is how well several key dim sums are presented, taste and delivered. The Har Gau (Prawn dumpling) did not contain prawns but prawn mince - not what goes in real Har Gau. Rice Rolls (Har Cheung Fun) containing prawns were not de-veined and had a strong chlorine taste. Both dishes were not steaming hot but lukewarm. Most dishes were covered with plastic covers however were not up to standard and not fresh tasting or hot. Char Siu Bao contained so much fat and coloring we ended up leaving it after finishing one. The ladies with the trolleys did not seem intersted in serving, with many trolleys containing food simply passing buy and not stopping to run through the dishes on offer. It was only when we shouted at the trolley lady to come over to us and tell us what was available that we received service. The teapots were too small resulting in constant calls to the waitress to refill the pot. Tea prices are a very reasonable $1.80 per head. The food came out slowly over an hour and we ended up leaving instead of waiting to obtain the other dishes because the flow of dim sum was too slow. We had around 7 plates of dim sum which totalled $50 - low to average value for yum cha. The time we were there was 12:30pm on a Saturday so you would have expected that there would have been a constant and regular flow of dim sum. At this point in time, Taipan is still the King of Yumcha in tihis area! Kam Fook has a long way to go and will have to do better if it is to succeed in Melbourne. I have been told by some people that at the moment they're finding their way inthe Melbourne market - they need to do that quickly before too many people are dissapointed. Maybe I will try again in 6-8 months but not anytime soon!

Approximate cost: $6

A restaurant that serves a range of food ranging from pizzas to mid class/range food with generous servings and good ingredients. The chicken dishes are tasty and good sized meals and the pizzas have a crusty base and don't skimp on the ingredients.

Approximate cost: $25

Looking for some great local produce to take back home? Visit Peppermint Bay's providore section which has lots of local produce - I purchased the Bruny Island Cheese and Salmon as well as some ham from the store, all having an amazing flavour and taste - the cheese was both mild smooth in its taste - great flavour which went well with the ham which unlike some hams doesn't have a porky flavour. The Salmon was fresh, with no fishy smell and was smooth and full of flavour. There's also a great selection of olive oils, breads and spices from around the area to take home and create your own gourmet sensations!

Approximate cost: $20

Everything in Tasmania shuts down at 6pm, right? Well how about pies at 3am? This pie shop is open 24 hours and is constantly baking fresh pies at at all hours! They're famous for their chicken pies, beef pies and even scallop pies (unfortunately they sold out of these pies so we didn't get a chance to try but I'm sure it would have been as tasty as the chicken and beef pies!) Instead of Tomato Sauce try adding mustard for a more zesty flavour to these pies which only seemed to enhance the experience!

There's also a small range of cakes to try which are good, but the pies are the highlight!

Approximate cost: $8