Vini Spuntini @ Chadstone SC (Melbourne, VIC)

I am eager to feature this little cafe located in Chadstone Shopping Centre as it has been my favourite lunch place to go to when I shop at Chadstone. Vini Spuntini has an order and pay at counter concept where you order, pay, and tell them which table you will be seating at (numbers are displayed clearly on each table).

The cafe sells pizza, salad, sandwiches, pastries, cakes and a few daily hot food specials for the more indulgent client. I am the indulgent one most of the time.

I love their pumpkin pizza, which is full of flavour, and enough to make me go back for more. The crust is crunchy with a cream-cracker taste, and they use full-flavoured cheeses which makes the pizza rich and fulfilling.

The ricotta and spinach-filled tortellini tossed in napoli sauce is heavenly. The dish is savoury and leaves a fresh tomato flavour in my mouth. The plate is always clean when I eat their pasta.

I think quality makes up for the price, which is slightly higher than other cafes which cook their pasta in bulk. This one cooks them one at a time.

Vini Spuntini is located at:

Chadstone Shopping Centre
Shop B 142
1341 Dandenong Rd
Chadstone 3148 VIC

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Breakfast @ Seven Seeds (Melbourne, VIC)

A friend of my friend recommended this little cafe called Seven Seeds for good breakfast and coffee. It is a hidden gem within bustling Melbourne. Located near Queen Vic Market, this eatery's grey facade blends with the other warehouse buildings in the vicinity. Even the sign is small.

We were lucky to have an address to go to. With a little map in hand, we started walking from our tram stop on Elizabeth St towards Berkeley. Seriously, nobody would know about this place other than by word of mouth. We stopped at the front of the building, and wondered if we were at the right place; which door to open, when we saw a young man open a wooden door like it was his own home.

We followed him, of course, and voila! We saw the tiny sign on the way in. The interior was simple, but had a really cosy feel. Cement floors with timber fixtures, and cast iron frames.

We sat down after enquiring if we needed to order at the counter. Extra brownie points for table service.

The menu and cutlery were in an old metal bullet storage box. We ordered a French toasted Brioche with mascarpone :

The whole dish was rich and sweet, perfect for people with a sweet tooth. I loved the textures; softness of the french toasted bread, creamy mascarpone and the crunch of the ameratti. I would have preferred it less sweet though.

and Mashed beetroot and Fetta on sourdough toast with pistachio dukkah:

OMG! This was heavenly. I love beetroot. I love rocket. I love cheese. And the whole combination just did it for me. A slight sourness with the final squeeze of a lemon wedge, sweetness of the beetroot, and a little zing from the rocket. Lovely.

Our breakfast ended with a nice cup of cafe latte. The coffee was different from the ones we normally drink elsewhere. It had a stronger roast flavour, and was perfect. We could still taste the coffee even if it was with milk.

I will definitely go back again. I like the ambience, the food, the coffee, and the fact that it was like a secret eating place. Find it if you can.

Seven Seeds is located at:

106 - 114 Berkeley St
Carlton VIC 3053, Australia
(03)9347 8664

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Portugal Day @ Queen Vic Market (Melbourne, VIC)

Taking a break from my assignments, I came across a few photos that I would like to share with you. It was on Portugal Day (13/6), and the Portuguese celebrate with a festival at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia.

My cousin and I headed to the market at around 9am to see what it was all about. There were stalls lined in the carpark of the market selling Portuguese egg tarts, Grilled Sardines, Chorizos and donuts, Portuguese style called Farturas.

The donuts were long instead of round, but had the same cinnamon sugar coating and consistency of the common donut.

The grilled sardine was somewhat salty, but we later found out, we had to remove the skin as the fish was coated with salt before grilling. The flesh was nice and firm. Tasty too. I have forgotten the prices of the foods, but recall that they were costly for such simple fare. The hotdog you see in the picture is the chorizo (spicy sausage) roll, which I think cost AUD7.00 each.

We were quite happy with our outing, although it would have been nicer if there were more stalls with more varieties of food and drinks. The highlight of the day was the portuguese dance by a group of children.

Looking forward to the next festival in town soon. Time to check the calendar!

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