Switch Lifestyle

We've driven by Switch Lifestyle numerous times but ET has never really noticed it before, so he was a bit surprised when I suggested we try it out for breakfast.  I went the usual route of French Toast which  was cut nice and thick and served with enough sauce to cover everything without drowning it.  And note the sauce was not the usual clear, runny maple syrup.  The verdict - yum.  Although now I'm re-reading the menu, I think I was supposed to get caramelised bananas.  I think I was robbed! ;)

ET thought the Switch Breakfast was tasty and even found the mushrooms flavoursome.  It was only then that he realised how good brekky can be, if done well.

We have no complaints about the staff and water was served freely but the loud pumping music really doesn't suit the breakfast crowd, specially when there were several families with babies as well as the older generation dining there at that time.  Even so, I have a hard task finding a different place that serves a good breakfast without trekking across town and having to wait to be served.


Switch Lifestyle
Shop 8129-8131 Melbourne St, Knox OZone, Wantirna South

Sapporo Japanese Restaurant (III)

Because we’ve been to Sapporo a couple of times, we decided to try the Matsuya Set Banquet for a bit of variety.  Firstly we were served the nice, traditional strong-flavoured miso soup.

The Sushi and California Rolls were ok.

Gyozas also passed the test.

The next dish up was the chicken skewers.  This was the first time I tried lemon on my Yakitori, and I must say it does make a difference.  From now the lemon will no longer just be a garnish to me.

Tempura was served with a funny fan-shaped piece.  I wasn’t game enough to try it until I had eaten the other so it was cold and unappealing to me.  I’m still unsure what it is but I think it’s just noodles.  Someone correct me if I’m wrong.

Beef Teppanyaki arrived on a sizzling plate.  The dish had nice big chunks of meat and some of it was still slightly pink if taken off the plate early enough.

Neither ET nor I being huge fans of ice cream, the green tea ice cream was given an ok vote.

Lastly, my Japanese tea arrived in a huge teapot - enough to quench the thirst of 2 other people even though I was the only one drinking it.  (You can just see the spout in the photo below, next to the carafe of half a litre of water).

Sapporo Japanese Restaurant
432 Mitcham Rd, Mitcham

La Q Woodfire Pizza Restaurant

A last minute change of plans saw us walking into La Q.  Being a relatively small place, all the indoor tables were taken by the time we left.  But on to the food.  ET tried the Carbonara Fettucini which was good.

My Gnocchi was also nice, not at all chewy.

Although reluctant to have some at first, ET really liked the Chocolate Pudding with Chocolate Sauce.  I thought it was a bit dry and plating seemed a little old-fashioned;  I don't see why they needed to sprinkle powdered chocolate over the whole plate.

La Q Woodfire Pizza Restaurant
223 High St, Kew

Lazy Moe's (III)

Back again for a quick feed and knowing Lazy Moe's have big servings, ET & I went straight for mains.  Unfortunately ET's Porterhouse had rinds and chewy bits so he thinks he chose the wrong cut.

My parmagiana was ok but ET and I didn't like the cheese on top - it all stuck together and wouldn't cut properly so I pulled most of it off.

The waitress actually asked upon taking our order if we were there the other night.  Of course we were actually there for breakfast.  And although the staff are usually attentive, I don't like that they ask how our meal is right in the middle of it, specially when two people ask within minutes of each other.




Lazy Moe's Forest Hill
320 Canterbury Rd, Forest Hill

Claypots

Claypots show you all their tapas style dishes on a big tray.  ET thinks it strange, but knows it’s a good tactic as not many people would refuse when the goods are all presented in front of you.  So it wasn’t a surprise we fell into that category and chose the Greek type salad that ET liked.  I chose what I believe was dried kelp.  ET thought the flavour was real subtle so it needed some sort of sauce to balance it.

We then went for a Cajun claypot (being it’s namesake, you really got to order at least one of them!).  It had a little spice which people with normal tolerance probably wouldn’t notice.  ET really liked this dish although neither of us saw or tasted the anchovies.  And we had to ask for bread as they serve the claypot on its own.  At least they didn’t charge us for it unlike some other places.

Next we went with grilled fish.  This came with some bokchoy and potatoes which was overcooked and dry, unfortunately.   

Even though we ordered the larger size fish, we still managed to polish it all off minus the head.

Claypots

153 Gertrude St, Fitzroy

An An Vietnamese Restaurant

An An's was half empty so service was quick and staff were attentive.  Firstly they served the Tom Yum soup.  And although it looked hot enough to ET, unfortunately it wasn't.

The chicken and taro An An Spring rolls didn't have enough filling for me to taste properly.  Or perhaps I was still disappointed that the chef’s recommended Shredded Pork Paper Rolls were unavailable.

The traditional Vietnamese deep fried fish cake was one large piece cut into slices, not the patties I was expecting.  ET liked how the pepper on the batter contrasted with the subtle flavour of the fish.

My Grilled Lemongrass Chicken on rice didn't have too much lemongrass flavour which was ok by me.

There was enough rice from my dish to share with ET who ordered Sizzling Mongolian Beef.  The dish was brought to our table with the waitress covering her hands with her jumper (health and safety issues, anyone?).  Plus, all that sizzling left oil splatters all over the table.  Luckily there were serviettes on the table and not the cheap thin tissues found at most Vietnamese Restaurants.

An An Vietnamese Restaurant
598 Station St, Box Hill

Lazy Moe's (II)

Not surprisingly ET chose Moe's Big Breakfast and I went for Bacon & Scrambled Eggs on toast.  What surprised me was the toast came unbuttered.  And both our dishes only came with one piece of sliced white bread.  Not surprisingly we ordered 2 more pieces of toast which also arrived unbuttered.  And for this priviledge we were charged $4!!

The dishes were not vey good or tasty but they came in a big serve, (as they always are at Lazy Moe's) and I think I got about five whole rashers of bacon on my plate.

The waitress was good and even asked if I wanted water when I finished my coffee and didn't order another drink.  That's a big tick and she brought it in a big glass with ice and a straw.  The straw was unexpected but I surprisingly used it.  :p


Lazy Moe's Forest Hill
320 Canterbury Rd, Forest Hill

Suishaya Inn

Walking in without a booking, we were advised we only had a limited time because of a later booking.  We were hungry so we started off with several entrees.  Miso Shiru (miso soup) was good and the Osumino - chicken and fish soup tasted more of fish and less of chicken.  I didn't quite like the Gyoza but I can't remember the reason why :")

The Nasu Dengaku was a thick lenghtwise cut of grilled eggplant topped with miso sauce that was spilling over the sides.  It was served with a fork and spoon but it was still hard to cut and divide but I enjoyed the taste.

Finally for main ET chose the Sashimi.  It wasn't bad but the "horseradish" was not very hot.  Perhaps that's the reason why they didn't refer to is as wasabi?

I went for fish cooked in miso flavoured sauce.  The fish arrived in 3 large pieces with only the top totally covered in sauce so the bottom ones hardly got any.  It made me wish they left the eggplant dish instead of clearing it away.  Nevertheless ET & I both thought the dish intesting.

Suishaya Inn not only advertise but they also calculate on your bill the 10% discount you would get for paying cash.  And with that kind of figure in front of you, how can you resist?


Suishaya Inn
62A Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood

Red Cup Cafe

A corner cafe a few minutes away from Box Hill’s busy strip, Red Cup always seem to do a busy trade.  Although their coffee was only so-so and their water was self-serve (something I’m not fond of), they at least had a couple of twists in their menu.

Case in point was my ‘Big pork rissole in Turkish bread with grilled apple’.  Not normally something I would serve all together, and although the rissole had a strong pork taste, I was glad I tried it anyhow.
ET thought the pasta with chicken, mushroom and snow-peas was a “weird setup” because there was more chicken than pasta.  He had to take a knife and cut the big strips of chicken so it would fit into his mouth!

Red Cup Cafe
1124 Whitehorse Rd, Box HiIl

Carson’s Lounge

We had been to Carson’s Lounge for lunch before so I thought we should give it a shot for dinner.  The staff poured us some water soon after arrival and they continually filled it throughout the night which is nice.  But they did it so often that I was tempted to ask them to just leave a jug on the table!  I mean it’s nice to have your water refilled, but perhaps they should wait until it’s almost empty before they do.
ET’s was disappointed to find the steak he ordered rare was cooked on the outside and was barely pink on the inside.
My Tanaku fish didn’t blow me away either and the mash underneath it was too smooth and processed for my liking and I couldn’t see or taste enough of the blood red oranges.
However the serving grace was the chocolate and caramel tart dessert.  The mains were served in huge plates but don’t let this fool you - the servings aren’t in proportion to the plate size.  So without entree, I definitely needed this extra course. 
Surprisingly ET enjoyed it more than I did.  I thought it was very chocolately and I couldn’t taste the caramel underneath.  Plus I didn’t think the strawberry ice cream matched the tart.  But apart from the ice cream, we managed to polish off the whole dish, including the candied pecans.


Carson's Lounge
33 Ballarat St, Yarraville

Cafe Coco

Arriving lunchtime with one other person in the cafe, I wasn’t sure how good this Cafe Coco would be. 
The coffee was just ok but I quite enjoyed my Pesto Chicken with Spinach sandwich.  I was surprised to find pesto smeared onto the bread as well as the chicken but that, along with the creamy aioli made the sandwich more appealing to me.
ET’s Chicken Tandoori Focaccia was also nice.
But we really enjoyed the chips.  They were the correct crunchy texture and the chmichurri sauce drizzled across the top was an interesting change.  Although I’m not sure why they call it “Big chips”…
Having a few more couples come in during the hour we were there, service was attentive but not overbearing, plus we were given water as soon as we sat down so just from that simple act, they already got a smile from me!


Cafe Coco
129 Smith St, Fitzroy

Indochine Vietnamese Restaurant

Indochine was busy with diners and takeaway orders  but the manager stayed charming throughout the entire night.

For starters ET ordered Hot & Sour Tom Yum Soup.  ET thought everything was spot on except that it wasn’t hot enough for him.
I ordered the Mince Prawn wrapped around a sugarcane.  I chose it a for the novelty factor but I actually ended up liking the grilled flavour of it.  And luckily the menu said not to eat the sugar cane because I’m sure I would’ve gnawed into it!

The rice paper rolls weren’t a hit with ET.  He thought the wrapper was too thick and overall it lacked flavour.

For mains I talked ET into ordering the Sizzle Fried Whole Snapper with Tamarind Sauce (no dry red chilli on my account).  ET liked it and didn’t even bother putting any of the accompanying sauce on it.
He also liked his order of Bo la lot (minced beef wrapped in Betel leaves).  I thought the leaves were a bit chewy and the meat a bit dry.  This dish had the rice paper and lettuce layered on the side, ready for wrapping but ET and I ate most of it with rice. 

Admittedly most of the dishes we ordered had noodles, lettuce and carrots so we were pretty much over eating the same accompaniments.  But at least I finally sated my craving for a Vietnamese restaurant in the area.

Indochine Vietnamese Restaurant
51 Carrington Rd, Box Hill

Redgum Restaurant

Randomly searching for a place to eat, we stumbled across Redgum.  Unsure of what they serve, we asked to see the menu before we took a seat.  I think this was our mistake as they took the order of a table who arrived several minutes after we did yet we still had to wave someone down to take our order.

When served, the eggs on ET’s Big Breakfast seemed a little overcooked around the edges but the sausages looked a little anaemic to me.  What do you think?
Atop my French Toast, I was surprised to find the caramelised banana cut lengthwise rather than diagonally.  But this meant more caramel flavour and that made me smile.  Although ET (the banana fan) actually had to ask me what the things were on top of the French Toast!  Having a look at the photo below, I think I understand where he’s coming from now.
Here’s a close up shot of the caramelised banana.  I just like the way it glistens in this photo - yum!
And on a final note, I felt they were a bit stingy on the maple syrup.  There wasn’t enough to fully coat all three pieces of the French Toast but since they charge $0.50 for extra maple syrup, I decided to just deal with it.


Redgum Restaurant
2 Victoria Rd, Lilydale

The Oven

Make sure you order pizza at The Oven, either that or become a regular because that’s the only way you’ll be served here.

ET & I both ordered pasta and from my seat I had to watch the 2 guys behind the counter make pizza after pizza.  One of the guys eventually disappeared (presumably to deliver the pizzas?) and the other continued to make even more pizzas; one of which was served to a couple who arrived after we had already ordered.

When finally served, my lasagne had a burnt corner on top and when I hungrily cut into it, I found the whole bottom layer was also burnt black. 

ET’s ravioli just ok.  Correct me if I’m wrong here, but when the ‘chef’ orders one of the waitresses to cook it for him because he’s “too busy” to do it himself, then directs her on how to cook it over his shoulder, then what the hell do you expect???

To top it all off, we had waited over 30 minutes for our meals with no apologies for the delay or offer of a discount even though the couple (who we presume are regulars and friends of the chef) got served before us AND didn’t even seem to pay.  I had no intention of blogging about this place (hence no photos) but I had such a bad experience that this place is now blacklisted in my book.  Enough said!!


The Oven
339 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Aroy-D Thai Restaurant

ET was surprised at the decor at Aroy-d, he said it wasn’t what he expected.  I must admit there was quite a lot of wood and brick.
I thought it would be a good idea to order the mix entree so we could get a taste of the 2 entree dishes I was tossing up between; plus a few other things to boot.  However I found myself disappointed by the Coconut Prawn (all I could taste was the toasted coconut and none of the prawn) and the Thai Fish Cakes which I was looking forward to.  But both ET & I nodded our agreement to the curry puff.  Although it wasn’t spicy, the pastry was golden and it was nicely filled.
ET went for one of the chicken stir fry mains which had a nice strong flavour but I’m not sure I could've eaten the whole dish, specially as I saw chilli flakes all over it.
My steamed fish with ginger sauce was also nice but I think the fish may either have been frozen or just over-cooked as it didn’t have a soft texture or flake easily like I expected.
Water wellness passed the test but staff could have been more attentive to diners and not so focused on the steady stream of take away orders.  But a big plus for the super cheap beer and the wine which was quite a generous serve so ET was impressed.


Aroy-D Thai Restaurant
178 Warrandyte Rd, North Ringwood