Agathé Pâtisserie, South Melbourne

We got up early and made the trip to South Melbourne Market to get the best pick of Agathé Pâtisserie's famous pastries.

All of the day's baked goods are quaintly displayed at the counter. Staff were friendly and Agathe could be seen working away behind the scenes. There is no seating so we had to make the agonizing trip home as the buttery scent filled the car.

The Pain au Chocolat ($6.00) was super flaky, buttery and delicious. The expertise really shows. Recommend.

Pain au Chocolat

I’m pretty sure I asked for the Salted Caramel Cruffin but I got the Nutella Cruffin ($8.00) instead. Again flaky and buttery pastry and beautiful crème pâtissière. A bit heavy though.

Nutella Cruffin

Verdict: Pricey but amazing pastries.

Food: 9

Service: 7.5

Atmosphere: 8

Value: 7

Would I come back? Probably.

Chatime, CBD

Thirsty, we went to Chatime QV and ordered their two ‘most popular’ drinks: the Premium Pearl Milk Tea and the Matcha Tea Latte with Red Beans.

Indoor and outdoor seating is available.

When you order, you can select the amount of ice and sugar you want. We went with 50% ice and regular sweetness.

Since there was only one staff member working when we went, service was quite slow.

The Premium Pearl Milk Tea ($5.30) had chewy pearls and wasn’t too sweet. Not bad.

Premium Pearl Milk Tea

The Matcha Tea Latte with Red Beans ($5.60) was also not too sweet, but was somewhat lacking in the matcha flavour. Remember to shake before drinking.

Matcha Tea Latte

Verdict: Average bubble tea.

Food: 7

Service: 7

Atmosphere: 8

Value: 7

Would I come back? Possibly.

Mr Burger, CBD

On the corner of Swanston & LaTrobe Streets where Snag Stand used to be, Mr Burger has opened another store. We went and tried out their burgers.

Here you pay and pick up your meal at the counter when you are called.

We decided to try two burgers, the first of which being the Mr Burger ($10.00) – beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mustard, mayo & tomato sauce. Good with the brioche bun but a bit plain.

Mr Burger - beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mustard, mayo & tomato sauce

The second was the Mr Hot ($13.00) – beef, cheese, bacon, onion rings, chilli mayo & jalapeños. This was much tastier with heat from the chilli mayo and jalapeños. Recommend.

Mr Hot - beef, cheese, bacon, onion rings, chilli mayo & jalapenos

We also had a Large Chips ($5.00). Nice and thick and seasoned with what I believe was chicken salt.

Chips

Verdict: Decent burgers.

Food: 7

Service: 8

Atmosphere: 7

Value: 7

Would I come back? Maybe.

Hoa Tran, Springvale

On the way back from the Mornington Peninsula, we were craving Vietnamese so we headed to Hoa Tran in the very Vietnamese Springvale.

Its relatively anonymous exterior on a backstreet in Springvale belies its vibrant and bustling interior.

The first dish was the Broken Rice with Pork Chop, Fried Egg, Shredded Pork & Eggcake ($10.00). If you come here you must order this! The pork was unbelievably juicy and the rice was so addictive. We would soon find out why…

Broken Rice with Pork Chop, Fried Egg, Shredded Pork & Eggcake

The second was the Sliced Beef Phở ($10.00). The soup had a deep flavour and the noodles were soft, but the beef was quite tough and nasty.

Sliced Beef Pho

Next was the Flame-Grilled Pork Vermicelli Salad ($10.00). The pork had been battered and fried giving it a fried chicken taste. Vegetables were fresh and peanuts gave it extra crunch.

Flame-Grilled Pork Vermicelli Salad

We had finished the first three dishes and were still waiting on the Chicken & Prawn Spring Rolls with Lettuce & Fish Sauce (8pc, $9.50). We asked a waiter about it and apparently they they had forgotten about it. Not to worry, as it wasn’t long before a plate of piping-hot spring rolls was on our table. You could tell that these were freshly cooked. They were very crunchy on the outside but the filling was a bit mushy and had a bit of a weird taste. Have had better. A generous amount of lettuce and dipping sauce.

Chicken & Pork Spring Rolls

Warning: we probably went through 2 litres of water each afterwards due to the amount of MSG which they obviously use!

Verdict: If you don’t mind the insatiable thirst that comes with MSG, come here for the cheapest and most addictive Vietnamese food in Melbourne.

Food: 9

Service: 8

Atmosphere: 7

Value: 9.5

Would I come back? If I was in the area, definitely.

Red Hill Epicurean, Red Hill

On a day trip to the Mornington Peninsula, we decided to stop at Red Hill Epicurean for lunch to try their pizza.

‘The Shed’, as it’s called, is quite impressive. A big, bright and open space.

Our waitress seemed genuinely friendly and helpful at first, however when I told her we were fine with water, she questioned me in a slightly sarcastic tone which I found rude.

The first pizza we ordered was the Napul’e ($26.80) – tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, anchovies & oregano. The toppings were okay but you could tell that they weren’t high-quality. While we were expecting the base to be ‘thin and soft-crusted’ as it says on the menu, what we were not expecting was a base so thin that it was soggy and could not be picked up without the use of both hands.

Napul'e - tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, anchovies & oregano

The second was the Dante ($28.50) – pork sausages, mozzarella, mushrooms, truffle paste & caciocavallo. The flavours were nicer than those of the Napul’e thanks to the tart truffle paste. But once again it was let down by the soggy crust.

Dante - pork sausages, mozzarella, mushrooms, truffle paste & caciocavallo

If this were in Melbourne, it simply would not survive at these insane prices. It is only because they are so far out that they can charge this much. Quite frankly, there are better and cheaper options nearby.

Verdict: Overpriced pizza in a nice setting.

Food: 7

Service: 6

Atmosphere: 9

Value: 4

Would I come back? No.

Nine Taiwanese Dessert House, CBD

As Taiwanese food continues to tighten its grip on Melbourne through bubble tea, frozen desserts and deep-fried deliciousness, we look at what Nine Taiwanese Dessert House brings to the table (literally).

The décor is rather random, with old-school Chinese film posters juxtaposed with birdcages and deer heads.

Once you’ve decided what you want, you order and pay at the counter, then receive a number and sit at a table.

We ordered the Super Spicy Deep-Fried Squid ($8.00). Extremely juicy and flavourful, but you do begin to notice the oiliness after a few pieces. Warning: addictive!

Super Spicy Deep-Fried Squid

We also had the Shaved Ice with Tapioca Balls, Red Beans, Peanuts & Sago ($6.80). You can choose any four toppings from the list on the menu, which also includes a variety of beans and jellies (note that some toppings like taro balls cost extra). The ice was refreshing, and although sweet thanks to the sugar syrup, it was balanced out by the not-so-sweet toppings. The tapioca balls and sago were bouncy and the peanuts had been cooked in some kind of creamy sauce.

Shaved Ice with Tapioca Balls, Red Beans, Peanuts & Sago

Verdict: Very solid Taiwanese snacks and desserts.

Food: 9

Service: 8

Atmopshere: 7

Value: 8.5

Would I come back? Yes.

Doughnut Time, CBD

Tucked away on the first floor of Topshop Emporium is the much-hyped and Instagrammed Doughnut Time. We went to check out what all the fuss is about.

There is no seating so it is a grab-and-go affair. However, you can easily find a seat in the walkways of Emporium.

We decided on The Butternut ($6.00) – burnt butter and pistachio. It was quite large – enough to share between two after lunch – but still a little pricey. Not doughy but lighter and more bread-like in texture. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that sweet. Nice butter flavour and crunch from the pistachios.

The Butternut

Verdict: Very pretty doughnuts, but not the cheapest.

Food: 8

Service: 9

Atmopshere: 8

Value: 6.5

Would I come back? Probably. They would make a good gift.