tana cafe

Yay, it's a long weekend! The Boyfriend and I went out on a lunch date this afternoon to one of my new favourite go-to-place, tana cafe.

I first found out about 'tana cafe' when I-Hua and Shellie both raved about this little gem on Instagram. Boy, am I glad they did!

I absolutely adore tana cafe; this quaint little cafe is set up so well with the perfect ambience. The Boyfriend and I spent our mid-morning just talking, reading the newspaper and enjoying our brunch.

It's a tiny place, but I really love the quirky interior fit out - so simple yet very cosy and welcoming.

Of course I had to have one of the sweet matcha latte. The Boyfriend and I had a cup each, and it wasn't enough. I swear, I could have had two, maybe even three.

It was oh so creamy and delicious! I usually add a teaspoon or two of sugar into my coffee, but because this was already slightly sweetened, there was no need to add more.

But the best part is, they use bonsoy so there's no aftermath of tummy issues for me yay! Even though I am lactose intolerant, I don't usually like soy milk, but this was different, in a good way, of course.

I can't actually pinpoint how that's made possible, but I'll give the barista full credit for making such a great cuppa!

Today we had corn mayo toast to start. The Boyfriend and I both love Korean corn cheese, and this is quite the same, except that it's served on delicious sourdough toast. Oh, it was delish!

The Boyfriend said, "I'll happily eat this for breakfast every morning!" Okay, challenge accepted! I'm looking forward to recreating this dish at home for him.

Baked eggs with multigrain toast was on specials menu today so I thought we'd give it a try. We thought the baked eggs were cooked really well, with a mix of Japanese and Moroccan taste.

Absolutely beautiful! This dish was hearty and filling, but not overwhelmingly so. That's what I love best about tana cafe - their take on really tasty meals that's healthy and not too rich.

I also particularly love how the egg yolks were still gooey. Sorry, no #yolkporn as I was too busy digging in.

We've also had this beautifully presented Japanese rice gratana during our previous visit, several weeks ago.

Brown rice baked in miso flavoured béchamel sauce, tasty cheese, ham, egg, beans, and topped with salad, pickled ginger and dukkah. It looked too pretty to be eaten, don't you think?

It was so tasty, yet still quite light on the palate - and that's exactly what I love about Japanese food. Although having said that, I guess I would have appreciated a little more of the bechamel sauce and cheese. But that's just me because I love my rice with sauce.

And of course, I simply could not resist the Japanese inspired croque monsieur that caught my eye!

I was sold at "miso flavoured bechamel sauce", but unfortunately we could barely taste the miso as it was only just a slight hint.

It was still delicious though. I particularly liked the addition of caramelised onion, which added a kick of deliciousness.

This is possibly the first croque monsieur that I've had that didn't make me jelak upon finishing. In fact I think I'd happily have another slice.

I love everything about tana cafe; from the cute fit out, to the light yet tasty food with Japanese twist, the friendly, polite service. and most importantly, their delicious housemade sweet matcha latte. ;)

tana cafe has a small menu, but everything we've tried thus far has been nothing short of delicious. I also appreciate how everything is very well priced too.

For all the obvious reasons above, I can totally see us coming back time and again! I was just saying to The Boyfriend this morning, "Let's come back again soon so I can try their mocha."

Hero

Several weeks ago, I received an email from Eleena inviting me to enjoy a Hero on the house. A Hero? *eyes light up* When I hear the word hero, the first thing that springs to mind is Iron Man.

Enjoy Iron Man? ;) For sure, why not? I mean, don't you find him oh-so-enticing and hot? *drools* 

But no, *snaps back to reality* Eleena was referring to Hero, the Brooklyn-inspired baguette concept cafe offering oversized subs with big, bold flavours and gourmet fillings to match.

I was also asked to bring a friend or two so I asked The Brudder and his Doctor friend if they wanted to join me. They were rather hesitant when I mentioned "erm something like Subway" in response to their "eat what one?" question.

Their response was something along the lines of "Huh? Eat subs ah? Don't want lah!" But well, I still managed to convince them in the end and all 3 of us skeptical lot headed in to Hero with no expectations whatsoever.

One bite into the first sub, and we had to swallow our words back. Hero is nothing like Subway. Period.

My absolute favourite was the #BRKLYN, which also happened to be the first sub we tried. The pulled lamb was so tender and full of flavour. May I also add that although I am no big fan of beet root, I still inhaled it all? Yes Mama, I did. It was THAT yum!

#BRKLYN on the left, and #BYTHEHOUR on the right

Sitting next to it was #BYTHEHOUR - the corn salsa went so well with the pulled pork and apple slaw. It was a great combination of flavours and textures just dancing about on your taste buds. I am giving it a runner up trophy from me.

But this #KIDROYALE below was a strong contender against the #BRKLYN. I loved it probably just as much, but I think it was that first bite I had that keeps the #BRKLYN top of mind... A little like the whole head over heels kinda feeling if you know what I mean?

The slow roasted beef with onion jam went so well with the honey dijon. And the onion rings? Perfecto! So crispy and yum!

The #CATCHER, pictured below on the far left is the panko crumbed shrimp tossed in Hero's secret seasoning, served with slaw and finished with thousand island dressing. This sub unlike its other peers was a tad too dry for our liking.

But The Brudder and I both agreed that those panko crumbed shrimps were delish - must have been the secret seasoning whatever that is!!! Perhaps a tad bit more of the homemade thousand island would do the trick? ;)

Oh my #PARADISE! My favourite Caesar salad in a baguette? Nuff' said! ;) But may I warn you, a little messy to eat, yeap this is me speaking from experience.

The last one standing is the #THROWBACK which didn't really stand out amongst the 6 that we tried. I think we all felt really neutral about this one. It wasn't spectacularly good but yet I have got no complaints.

I guess it is more like your go-to-sub if you were feeling a little less adventurous and wanted something classic. You know these meatballs can never go wrong. ;)

As if we were not fed enough, Eleena then brought out some hot ball donuts to share. You can opt for either the jam or Jaffa custard, or really I'd say just go for both! Hehehe.

I far prefer the Jaffa custard one more. Yeah, I have a thing or two for Jaffa, although The Boyfriend would go strongly against it. I could almost hear his voice just ringing at the back of my head with each bite I was taking, "Chocolate and fruits should never be combined - they need to be eaten separately."

I beg to differ, that is not true -  it was so so good! The greedy monster in me kinda wished Eleena offered us more. :P I could do with one (or two, or maybe three) of that warm, fluffy goodness right now!

To sum it up, Hero far exceeded my expectations and I really enjoyed everything we tried. I'm not saying so because the meal was on the house but because I truly mean it and reckon you all should give it a go. Good tasting, quality fillings subs paired with an affordable price - you know where you should be heading for lunch next? ;)

The Fussy Brudder commented, "They are actually very nice." This is coming from someone who dislikes sandwiches. Making him eat sandwiches is quite like torturing him, so it means a lot for him to say that Hero is good.

Don't underestimate the power of these subs. Trust me, they will take you by surprise. All you need to do is to look out for this Hero sign, located behind the RMIT university building on Stewart St, and you're in for a good treat.

The best part for me is, Hero is conveniently located just 5 minutes away from where I live. Would I return? Well, I'm sure you will find me there rather often indeed. ;)

But for now, I'm off to dream about Iron Man and I enjoying a good Jaffa custard donut together. Teehee, goodnight world! Zzz

P/S: I'm sorry about the poor quality shots - they do no justice to these beautiful subs at all. I'm blaming it on the lighting which was horrible. The skies turning grey (before it started to pour) and me sitting in an awkward position didn't help.

I ♥ Wonderbao

When I get all sleepy and tired, I do the gibberish sleep-talk. I was on the phone to a close buddy of mine one night and we were chatting away until the wee hours of the morning.

After being on the phone for more than an hour, I was half asleep and started to sleep-talk. I was told in the morning that I randomly exclaimed "我要吃叉烧包!" (I want to eat cha siew bao!) of which I did wake up to a craving for. *shy face*

That was years ago before I started work and became like one of the many other old grannies who go to bed by 10pm. :$

But anyways I was saying, I love bao's so much that I sleep talk about wanting to eat 'em.

You can only imagine my disappointment when I moved to Melbourne six years ago to find that there wasn't any stores that sell good bao's apart from Nam Loong which I don't fancy at all.

I was so excited when I first heard about Wonderbao and the 'bao' trend that is taking over Melbourne.

Thank you Mr and Mrs Bao, you're doing good! :D

And I gotta add, I really do love their branding. It's everywhere! At their counter, stamped on the paper cups and takeaway paper bags, on the bamboo steamers and the oily paper the bao's sit on - love it!

I had a quick look at the short menu and I wanted to try everything! But I know how filling bao's can get despite its size and there's only so much my tummy could fit.

I decided to go for the braised pork belly gua bao ($3.80). For those unfamiliar with the term, gua bao is basically an open bun. You can have any filling you like sandwiched in between. Think Momofuku!

It's like a burst of flavours and texture in your mouth with every bite. I loved it! Reminded me of my favourite dong po yuk from home. 

The pickled mustard and crushed peanuts went really well with the tender meat which was blanketed in sweet sticky sauce. Yum!

There is usually coriander added into the mix as well (yikes!), but I opted out for that.

Being the sweet tooth that I am, I decided to get the dessert 奶黄包 (nai wong bao) which is selling for only $1.70.

The velvety egg custard filling was just perfect - so smooth and it wasn't too sweet.

My 'favouritest' nai wong bao so far is the one that I had from East Ocean in Sydney. But me thinks Wonderbao's version can be a good substitute.

I guess the next time I have a craving, I don't have to cross the border. I just need to walk across the road! :D

However, I personally would not recommend the soya milk. It wasn't sweetened at all. Boo! I mean I'm not expecting it to be like store-bought soya milk, but a little sugar wouldn't harm, hey?

All in all, I really do love Wonderbao's concept and I think the bao's are very reasonably priced. I can definitely see myself returning time and again. I can't wait to try the other bao's!

They're open every weekday from 11am to 6pm which is a bummer because it'll be too late by the time I finish work which is a pity. Otherwise they could make light dinners! *hint*

Regardless, I'm so glad to find that they're now also open on Saturdays for breakfast and lunch from 11am to 4pm.

Wonderbao is hidden away in an alleyway area on Literature Lane - in between A'Beckett and Little Latrobe Street.

Whilst I've read that many others had difficulty finding the store, I located Wonderbao fairly easily. Otherwise, the above map is pretty self-explanatory.

Next on my to-eat-list... Bao Now. And maybe, just maybe I might attempt to make my own Momofuku gua bao! J

How massive a wiener can you handle? ;)

When I first asked The Boyfriend if he wanted to go to Massive Wiener with me, he burst out in hysterical laughter.

Even when I asked our mutual friend, Steve, if he wanted to join us for a Massive Wiener, he exclaimed, "I'm not gay!" LOL!

Well, with such a quirky name, it's hard to refer to the name and not get a raised eyebrow.

Massive Wiener is a hot dog stand located on Greville Street in Prahran with a fairly simple decor. Nothing fancy, no tables, just a little store with benches for you to sit and enjoy your hot dog.

You can opt for either the classic, kraut, pickle, chilli cheese or the vegetarian in 3 different sizes: Massive Wiener (12"), Average Joe (6") and Little Pecker (3").

I have to say it is very reasonably priced ranging from $3.50 to $7. Add fries and drinks, and your meal could add up to about $12.

Left: My massive Kraut Wiener
Right: The Boyfriend's Chilli Cheese Wiener

My kraut wiener was alright, but I very much preferred the boyfriend's. I asked if we could swap, and he instantly shook his head. The chilli cheese, which I had a mouthful of, is pretty good.

I couldn't fault the pork sausage which I think was boiled, but I could be wrong. I do however, have my two cents on the bread. It was too chewy for my liking and I found it quite difficult to eat.

Like I said, apart from its name, there's nothing really extraordinary about this place but I've got nothing to complain about either.

Good value for money, and pretty yummy dog. With a never ending to-eat-list, I'm not sure when I'll head back but the next time I return, I'm having the Chilli Cheese wiener.

If you're adventurous, maybe you could pay Massive Wiener a visit and give their 24" wiener challenge a go. You could either end up on the Wall of Fame and earn yourself discounts on their wieners, or have your picture up on the Wall of Shame. ;)

Trunk Diner

I have walked past this place so many times, but yet I never actually stopped to even notice that it is actually a restaurant cafe.

It wasn't until Eddie showed me an article on Trunk Diner's wagyu burger that I actually learnt about this place. So when I arrived, I thought to myself, "Ooooh, so this is Trunk Diner."

I like how casual the diner looks. Reminds me of the restaurant cafe in Malaysia that serves really good wanton noodles. But I reckon it's a nice place to chill out with friends. :)

Which was exactly what I did, with my two guy friends of whom I haven't gone out with in quite a while. But unfortunately for me, all they did was yak yak yak about poker. (T_T)"

We all ordered the wagyu burger (because that was the purpose of going there anyways) - 175 grams of fresh ground wagyu beef in a grilled brioche with baby cos lettuce, tomatoes and house made pickles.

The burger came de-constructed, so you may add in the sides as you wish, which I was very pleased with because I usually have to remove whatever I don't like (ie. onions especially, but usually everything except tomatoes). So it just makes it easier for me. :P

And yeah, it is pretty affordable at $10 for a wagyu burger, but I also added gruyere cheese (which costed me an extra $1.50) because what's a burger without cheese, isn't it?

I kinda enjoyed it, but if I were to compare Trunk with Plan B, it is no where even close. Same price, different quality. In fact, Plan B is even cheaper. Cox it is $10 with cheese included! :P

The hidden gem.

Jenna and her boyfriend, Eddie, have been raving about how good the Devonshire tea at Mount Dandenong is but I'd just scrunch my nose and go, "No no no, no way am I eating scones again."

Two years ago, I tried scones for the first time, at the much talked about Miss Marples. While others went ahead for a second serve, slabbing on more cream and jam, I on the other hand, had to excuse myself to the toilet to barf. The scones were just so overwhelming, it made me sick.

Well, maybe it's just me, I don't know, but since then, I vowed to never touch scones again. And I never did over this two years. :$

Jenna, however, insisted that I give the scones at Churinga Cafe a try. As seen on the sign above, they claim to be the cafe that serves the best Devonshire tea in the Dandenong range. Of course I was skeptical, but I went ahead for it anyways.

My best friend, Jenna and I. ♥

We both shared a Devonshire tea set (A$10) which consisted of two scrumptious scones and a cup of Ceylon tea, or coffee if you prefer.

Unless you can finish both the scones by yourself, you could share the set then add on $3.50 for an extra cup of tea, just like what we did. :)

The scones, dusted with powdered sugar, were served with in-house forest fruits jam and freshly whipped cream.

Soft, fluffy and light, it was simply yums! This is scones. Now I finally understand why there's such a big hype over scones. They are lovely indeed! *oh, nom nom nom*

I highly recommend Churinga Cafe - a quiet, cozy ambiance to just chill, and enjoy your beautiful scones with a cuppa tea.

Forget the long queues at Miss Marples, Churinga Cafe is definitely Mount Dande's best kept secret. It is like a hidden gem, waiting to be discovered. Add Churinga Cafe next on your to-eat-list and I swear, you'll return to thank me. ;)

Though it might be quite a ride up Mt. Dandenong but trust me, the devonshire tea definitely is worth the hour drive.

Now I can't wait for the next trip up... Is anyone willing to drive me up again, pweety pweese? (*hint hint Jenna* :P)


Note: Don't hesitate to help yourself generously with the luscious cream and jam, aite? Just slab them on and worry about the calories later. ;)