Reviews by vct

This review is for We Cafe, Melbourne VIC

verified email - 10 Dec 2012

Was first introduced to this place as the place that has 10 springrolls for $3.50. I haven't been back recently so this many have changed. We've been here a few times and I've fallen in love with their golden crispy chicken. You can get it on it's own as a snack or you can get it in a bento box with rice.

Another thing we've tried here is the pork belly bento box. I love pork belly, but I did not love this. My friend assures me that he had this a previous time where it tasted amazing, but the time he took me to try the pork belly bento? It was terrible. Even my friend agreed something was different. He later theorised that when he took me there, it was late afternoon around 2pm, and that the pork belly had probably been sitting there for a while which is why the taste was so terrible. This is his only theory since the time he went and ate the not so terrible pork belly was early in the day around 11am.

If you ask me whether I would return and try the pork belly again, I would definitely say no. I am not wasting my money on a 50/50 chance of it being terrible. If I were to return I would stick with my golden crispy chicken.

This review is for Glaze It Studio, Elsternwick VIC

verified email - 10 Dec 2012

Came here with a few friends using a Scoopon I had purchased. This is a nice little pottery studio where you can paint your own ceramics whether it be a teapot, teacups, plates or ornaments. There's a lot of selection and from what the owner told us, their ceramics change every now and then.

There is an artist's fee which covers you for the whole day, I believe it was $7 when I went. Then, prices vary depending on the ceramic items you pick, they're usually written on the bottom of the item. So $7 as a base fee, then anything you actually paint is extra, which means you only pay the artist's fee once.

It was actually a lot of fun painting things that we could later take home to use. I painted a teapot while my friends painted mugs and teacups with saucers. Most of the prices are reasonable for the items. One thing I found strange with my teapot after it was glazed was that the lid no longer fit snugly, but I think that's how ceramics tend to work out.

There's a whole heap of stencils for those who don't have as much creative or artistic flair as others and the whole process is relatively simple and easy. They have a room at the back for birthday parties as well. Definitely would be a fun family day activity.

Approximate cost: $20

This review is for Pole Princess, Reservoir VIC

verified email - 10 Dec 2012

Friend had her 21st birthday here as a group pole dancing lesson from using a coupon. Everyone was a little awkward at first but the instructor was very friendly and managed to get most people to open up. Really helpful in giving everyone tips on how to do the moves correctly.

It really was a good workout for your core muscles and a good cardio workout. Classes are about that of normal dance classes and they offer different types of classes as well like stretch n flex and cheerleading.

This review is for Guk Bab, Melbourne VIC

verified email - 10 Dec 2012

Went here for a dinner and ordered a kimchi pancake and pork bone soup to share. The food was pretty good and the servings were decent. I have to be honest that I have no idea how much it totalled to because it was paid for by my co-worker. I think it might have been around $60 including some beers. The staff were very friendly and very accommodating when we were asking about holding a fairly large function here with 60 or so people. Just keep an eye on the stove when it's boiling the soup though, because it ended up spilling onto some documents I had on the seat next to me. I would return here again for the food and service. The atmosphere is also really nice and customers are greeted by staff as you enter the door.

This review is for Tarng, Melbourne VIC

verified email - 10 Dec 2012

Whenever I come here I order the Pork bone soup (I forget the actual name on the menu but it should be the first soup option). It's spicy. I'll tell you that now. The serving portion is definitely worth what you pay for and the staff are friendly no matter whether you have one soup between two or one soup between six (I know because I did both of these). I think it's rare these days to find a restaurant where you aren't given the evil eye because you're not ordering heaps but have a somewhat large group of people.

The soup is plentiful in terms of ingredients and meat. Some restaurants like to pack their soups with cabbage and things that aren't meat (I like my meat!), this is not one of those restaurants. If you are sharing one soup between two, you will definitely leave feeling full and satisfied. I would definitely return here to develop my tolerance for spice!

This review is for Spiga Bar, Melbourne VIC

verified email - 10 Dec 2012

Came here for a late breakfast/early lunch with a friend. We were quite possibly 5-10 minutes away from getting the lunch menu, but we weren't even told this. From when we sat down all we were offered was the breakfast menu. Even when we ordered, he didn't tell us that the restaurant had moved into the lunch service. Now I know this might not seem like such a big deal, but there was definitely more variety on the lunch menu, and it was also much more value for money.

I ended up ordering the big breakfast and a hot chocolate. The hot chocolate wasn't bad, but it definitely isn't one of the best I've tasted. The big breakfast however, I found to be terrible. I barely ate any of it. The eggs were supposed to be scrambled but they weren't quite that. Part of the egg were overcooked and parts were undercooked. Not exactly the most appetising thing. The sourdough bread underneath the egg was not worth eating, it tasted like cardboard. The sausage was a sausage, nothing much to say there. The bacon was extremely salty, now I know bacon is supposed to be salty but this just tasted as if it was marinated in salt, fried in salt then covered in salt for serving. All it did was make me thirsty. To be completely honest, I hated what I was eating. Everything except one tiny thing. The homemade hashbrown was the ONLY thing I enjoyed eating. It was the only redeeming quality of the big breakfast. I honestly felt like I wasted heaps of money and heaps of food eating here, and I won't be going back.

Approximate cost: $16

This review is for Gami Chicken And Beer, Melbourne VIC

verified email - 13 Nov 2012

Friend has his birthday dinner here, and he paid for everything so I'm not really sure on how much it actually cost. I'd heard a lot about Gami before and was really eager to try their chicken. And I must say it definitely lived up to its expectations. Also, be prepared to get your hands dirty!! The sauces are absolutely delicious and the chicken is beautifully cooked. You can order rice if you feel odd just eating the chicken on its own. The sweet chilli one is very sweet and very spicy, but really tasty.

Another surprising thing was the cheese and corn dish. My friend ordered it so I have no idea what it's called, but it's essentially melted cheese cooked in a sort of frying pan with corn kernels. It's not overly cheesy in terms of flavouring but it's definitely for people who like cheese. A spoonful or two for those who like cheese in moderation should be alright.

They say Gami is also famous for their house beer. I'm not really much of a beer drinker so I couldn't taste what was so good about it, though I do agree that it is very smooth. They also offer other Asian beers as well as other Korean alcohol beverages like soju or rice wine.

Overall I really enjoyed the food here, I didn't take much notice of the service though it did appear they have limited staff. But the food came out pretty fast so I'm assuming the service is good. The staff seemed friendly though you might need to get out of your seat if you need something and approach the staff at the counter/bar because they might be busy or not see you from where they're stationed. I would definitely return again for more chicken and more cheese and corn. Make sure to book in advance so you don't miss out!

This review is for Menya Ramen, Melbourne VIC

verified email - 13 Nov 2012

Had a late dinner here on a Sunday night. Table for 9 was easily accommodated for by pushing 3 tables together. Orders are taken and paid for at the same time at the register and you take a number for your order so they can find you and deliver your meal to you.

Most of us got ramen, but about 3 ordered a rice dish. Rice dishes were noticeably larger compared with the ramen dishes, although this was probably due to them having more rice. So if you're hungry and looking for something cheap, go for a rice dish as most were actually cheaper than the ramen dishes but you got a lot more in portion size.

My friend and I shared a Gyoza Ramen and a Mango Pudding. We actually received the mango pudding when we paid for it as they just had them in a fridge near the register, so we ate the mango pudding while we waited for our ramen.

The first thing we noticed about the pudding was how different it was to what was pictured on the menu. The menu showed a pudding that appeared to have pieces of mango in it. While eating it, there were no mango pieces and the quality of it was something that we could have easily bought at a supermarket or made ourselves at home. For the price we paid it wasn't too bad though.

The Gyoza Ramen was decent. There was about 6 or 7 gyoza with some pieces of what I think (still not sure even after I ate them) were some type of mushroom, and one piece of meat which turned out to be pork. The gyoza actually tasted pretty good, as did the piece of pork (though I do wish we had more than one small piece). The noodles however, were a bit disappointing. They were really soft, as if they'd been sitting in soup for a while and had soaked up the soap. It wasn't mushy but it did taste a bit soggy. Edible, but I'm guessing fresher noodles would have made the dish a lot better. So for the Ramen dish, the noodles were a bit of a let down.

The service was okay I suppose, what you would expect from a restaurant where orders aren't taken at the table. Don't expect waiters to ask you if you'd like anything to drink or any of that type of service. If you need something, go up to the register and ask for it.

Approximate cost: $10

This review is for Max Brenner, Melbourne VIC

verified email - 11 Nov 2012

Ordered the Chocolate Pizza with a Crunch. For $16 the size was not terribly expensive but not exactly cheap either. It tasted pretty good, very much a chocolate overdose. I like Max Brenner and would return again but probably wouldn't order the chocolate pizza. While it was good it is a bit overrated considering all the praise I've heard about chocolate pizzas from my friends. Both my friend and I agree that the atmosphere of this particular store isn't too great since it is in a laneway and walkway. Since it is a franchise, most of the offerings are the same as you would find elsewhere.

This review is for La Porchetta, North Melbourne VIC

verified email - 11 Nov 2012

Had dinner here because my friend and I were craving focaccias so we ordered the ricotta and spinach focaccia and bowl of steamed vegetables. The focaccia was really tasty and the steamed vegetable portion was okay but for $8 it probably isn't the best value option. Although the food was pretty good in terms of taste, I suggest eating fast because the food wasn't very hot when we received it, so half way through our meal and conversation our food went cold. I would go here again because the service was really fast and efficient and friendly but if the food arrives at the same temperature as yesterday then I would eat first, talk later.

Approximate cost: $15