Best pho in the city

Around this time of year I start to get serious pho cravings.  Nothing warms me up in winter like a bowl of steaming Vietnamese noodle soup especially with a sprinkling of fiery chopped chillis on top.  Of course I know that the best pho in Melbourne is to be found on Victoria street in Richmond or out in "Little Vietnam" in Dandenong but since neither of those are really convenient for city workers like me on a lunch break I've narrowed this list to the best pho in the city for a quick lunch time hit.  Forget a flu injection, you just need a couple of bowls of pho.

The oh-so-pretty pho plus a rice paper roll at Roll'd

Gourmet Giveaway - De'Longhi coffee machine

It's been a relief to get back to Melbourne from London just to drink some decent coffee (sorry London but it's true).  After all, some of the best coffee in the world is served up here and many long-lasting friendships, partnerships and relationships have been made or sealed over a cup of the aromatic stuff.

It must be love... or just a barista who is into coffee art

How to make salted caramel ice-cream

If there is one thing MTV man has taught me it is that ice-cream is a food for all seasons.  He is just as happy tucking into a bowl of ice-cream in the depths of winter as he is with an ice-cream cone on the beach on a summer's day.  That's why I haven't let the current freezing conditions deter me from making a big batch of salted caramel ice-cream.   The added bonus is that for all you lovely international Gourmet Chick readers the timing of this post may even be spot on.

Salted caramel ice-cream to go

Hawk and Hunter

The boys behind Hawk and Hunter have a knack for setting up a cafe in exactly the place where locals are crying out for good coffee and decent food.  After all that's what they did in a neglected area of Brighton with the brilliant Little Ox.

There's a huge communal table at the back of Hawk and Hunter

How to make lemon meringue tart

It was one of those catch ups that took months to organise.  It shouldn't be that hard to pin down a date for a lunch for six girlfriends who all live in the same city but somehow each day that was suggested clashed with someone's holiday or family event or life crisis.  Eventually though we found a little oasis of space and managed to all meet up at my friend Jo's house for a long lunch.

Lemon meringue tart

Tokyo Teppanyaki plus a Gourmet Giveaway

Tokyo Teppanyaki is a Chapel street stalwart to the extent that MTV can even remember going there for his 18th birthday.  It was a blast from the past to return last week and see the waiting staff racing between tables clad in kimonos and chefs firing up vast teppanyaki grills at each table.  This is a restaurant where the extractor fans really get a work out.  

Our chef in action at Tokyo Teppanyaki

Beechworth (Gourmet Chick in the High Country)

It seems like around every corner in Beechworth there is a cafe, restaurant, gourmet food store, winery or even a brewery.  For the long weekend MTV and I headed to Beechworth to get out of the city, eat and drink too much and clock up some quality time in front of the open fire.  We were about a month too late to see the Autumn leaves at their best on Beechworth's trees but the leaves still made a virtual leaf carpet of red and yellow around the town's streets.

A carpet of leaves in Beechworth

The Roast Collection

Ever eaten hogget? I hadn't, but I got the chance to on Monday night as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine festival's Roast Collection which includes over 80 different roast events throughout Victoria in June.  I am all about winter hibernation with books, ugg boots (indoors only thanks), DVD box sets, and of course a great excuse for a roast with all the trimmings.  Yes, it's glamour central here at Chez Gourmet Chick, even if Melbourne's winter is nothing on the London winters I am used to the colder weather is still a great excuse to indulge in all of these things.

Diavoletti cheese

Ginger Boy

The whole point of writing a blog is that it is not a democracy.  It is a one woman dictatorship on here and I really do love being able to say and do whatever I think.  But I am a benevolent dictator and I like to please you, my fabulous readers, so when I raved about the son in law eggs at Easy Tiger in Smith Street and a reader said the son in law eggs at Ginger Boy were better, I just had to go and try them.

The famous son in law eggs at Ginger Boy

House boat in Kerala (Gourmet Chick in India)

Sometimes the best laid travel plans go awry.  When I was traveling in India cruising along the backwaters of Kerala on a thatched house boat sounded like my idea of paradise.  I imagined myself sunbathing on the balcony of the house boat while watching the locals paddle past in their canoes before heading downstairs for a feast of Keralan food and a cold Kingfisher beer.

Our captain steers us down the Kerala backwaters

Earl Canteen

I caused some controversy recently because I wrote an article for Time Out on the top ten sandwiches in Melbourne.  In the name of research, I devoured a whole lot of sandwich and agonised over the list but it turns out people are very passionate about the humble sanga and so I have copped a little bit of criticism from Time Out's readers.

The famous Earl pork belly sandwich but without the usual cabbage accompaniments

Casa Ciuccio

My friend Anna visiting from Sydney for the weekend gave me the perfect excuse to book into Casa Ciuccio in Fitzroy for dinner.  She used to live in Melbourne so I wanted to show her what she is missing out on.  Admittedly, I had been wanting to check out the latest venture from Chef Matt McConnell and the team behind Bar Lourinha since it opened in April.  I reasoned that a pre dinner drink at Gertrude Street Enoteca then a post dinner drink at Southpaw bar made it a pretty perfect Melbourne night.

Char grilled octopus 

Safari dinner at Southwarf Promenade

I like to think that I am fairly up to date with what is happening in Melbourne but it seems like I just  turned my back for a moment and a whole new area has sprung up, South Wharf Promenade.   MTV and I were invited to go and explore the area on a safari style dinner, moving from restaurant to restaurant with each course, it was a concept that sounded great but first we actually had to find South Wharf Promenade.

Foie gras at Meat Market