Koko Black @ 52 Collins Street - Melbourne Blogger Meetup by Nuffnang

I'm terribly late you know =)

I had the pleasure of attending my first Blogger meetup yesterday in Melbourne.. and although we got off to a slow and (silent) akward start... I think I've made some new friends =)


I never thought I'd be part of a group of people where, when food is served... there is a flurry of activity.. not to eat the food but to catch the best picture of the food.. how silly we must have looked... But I came home announcing to the Boy, "I've found my people!"


A selection of chocolate pieces courtesy of Nuffnang (thank you!)


My Chocolate Affagato (still my fave to drink at KoKo Black) and I influenced Simone from alookinmybook to try one too =)

Emma from thecakemistress hands embracing her soy hot chocolate... isn't it pretty?


Violet's ice chocolate (I have no idea why she ordered ice.. it was raining and cold...)


For once I was so engrossed on making new friends and sharing stories, that I've completed neglected to take note of what we had...


So I'm going to go with assorted pastries and cakes ^_^


One of the pretty cakes.. I don't think I tried this one.. but hey! Looks pretty!


This last one was a pear and chocolate tart (I know this because Sarah from Nuffnang was presenting it to us)


Time for some pictures with people =)


The waittress looked a bit wary as she stepped in front of Penny from Jeroxie as she was trying to gather all of us to take a group shot...


Sylvia, Michelle and Emma listening to some conversation (there were a few)...


Simone, Violet and I


I also spoke to Ceri who writes for healthypartygirl, who has a mobile version of her blog!! Amazing!


Group shot of all who attended... I didn't quite get to speak to everyone as we were separated into two tables (groups).. so maybe next time?

Great job to the organisers, Violet and Penny!! Thank you again and here's to the next one!!!

*Disclaimer: All food ratings are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality

Food/ Cuisine: Chocolate
Dining Style: Chocolate Cafe
Overall Food Rating (Based on the Dining style): 7/10
Restaurant ambiance: 8/10
Service/ Attitude: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10

Address:
52 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Tel:(03) 9663 5567

Website:http://kokoblack.com

KoKo Black @ Collins Street is open from
Mon - Fri : 9.30am-5.30pm
and Saturday :11am-4pm
Closed on Sundays

How to get there:

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Kin Kin (Restaurant) Chili Pan Mee @ Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Recently back on Melbourne soil from KL ... O' Melbourne, why are you so cold to me?

Malaysia, the land so beautiful yet so dangerous, with food worth risking your life and dying for...

So, I was ecstatic that I was taken to Kin Kin to try their famous Chili Pan Mee!!


First of all, it's located KL, so Madam Mummy would never take me there...

Secondly, Madam Mummy hates Pan Mee... so I have to rely on my wonderful friends to take me to certain places to search for delectable delights!


After hearing so much about this famed Chili Pan Mee... I was really and truly happy to have the chance to eat here...


My Bronze friend commented, "Wah, you how many days never eat?!"... (Manglish for... "Woah, what on earth? Have you been starving?")


This was also because he ordered 2 bowls of noodles (being greedy) and couldn't finish it up, so Ms Tinymouse and I helped out (as we have Big Melbourne Tummies)...


The noodles' were quite akin to La Mien (freshly made noodles) rather than the normal Pan Mee noodles...


And the chili flakes added a whole new dimension to this dish...


Being a fan of normal pan mee... and the delicious sambal (chili paste) that comes with it, I can't quite seem to compare which style I like more as they are quite different...

Apart from the deep fried anchovies (Ikan Bilis), mince pork, and the vegetable in the soup, it's a totally different dish altogether...

I must admit, I quite like it... so much so, that it was the highlight of my trip... (I didn't do much eating this trip :( )

*Disclaimer: All food ratings are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality

Food/ Cuisine: Malaysian
Dining Style: Hawker Style Restaurant
Overall Food Rating (Based on the Dining style): 8/10
Restaurant ambiance: 8/10 (we managed a seating, which is apparently quite difficult, but we showed up 12pm sharp)
Service/ Attitude: 7/10 (I didn't experience the rudeness which some claim... which was a positive for me)
Value for money: 6/10 (Quite pricey, by KL standards... 5 bowls of noodles, 1 bowl of pork ball (serving 5) and drinks (herbal tea)... RM40!!!)

Address:
40 Ground Floor,
Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman 1,
off Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman,
Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, turn left when you see the Honda showroom. Turn left again, Kin Kin is located in the midst of mechanic shops.

In terms of the address, Google Maps and Google are giving me two different addresses (one road apart), it's somewhere on that block, and shouldn't be too hard to find... it's within walking distance to the Sime Darby building

Tel:(03) 016 3728069

Kin Kin is open on
Weekdays 7:30am – 9:00 pm and
Weekends 7:30am – 4:30pm
Closed on the last Sunday of the month

How to get there:

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Daikanyama @ Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This is how backlogged I am with my holiday food postings ^_^... I was brought to Daikanyama on my Birthday at the beginning of this year =)


Knowing how much I love food, and doing reviews, the Boys took me to Changkat for dinner and drinks and I really enjoyed myself =)


We had a few cocktails.. this was some banana liqueur


This was sake and green tea? I think... it was a fuzzy night...


It was quite busy for a weeknight, but this is Kuala Lumpur, and every night is a busy night...


We started off with some Soft Shell Crab salad


Bacon Asparagus Yakitori


This could have been the Sake Bomb Maki (Salmon, Soft Shell Crab and Avocado)


Chicken Yakitori


Bacon Cheese Yakitori (slurp!)


For the life of me, I can't remember what this is, except that it had an abundance of Bonito flakes (look at it!)


Salmon Fried Rice


Garlic Fried Rice



Absolutely loved this place!!!

*Disclaimer: All food ratings are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality

Food/ Cuisine:Japanese
Dining Style: Restaurant
Overall Food Rating (Based on the Dining style): 8/10
Restaurant ambiance: 8/10
Service/ Attitude: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10 (It's a bit pricey but the quality is good)

Address:
42 Changkat Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur 50200
Malaysia

Tel:(03) 21410323

Daikanyama is open from
Mon - Thurs: 5.30pm-12.00am and
Fri - Sat: 5.30pm - 3.00am

How to get there:

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North East China Family @ Flinders Lane, Melbourne

One Friday afternoon, Funnyman and I decided to go out for lunch...


It was before the weather turned ice cold on us, but we were craving for quick Chinese... dumplings were the best option we could think of, so off we went... in search of the back streets of Flinders Lane...


We had both noticed (on separate occasions) that North East China Family was always busy and crowded during lunch hour, so based on that, we assumed that this was a good sign...


ASS-of-U-an-ME was what became of this visit...we were seated (with a group of 5 strangers), and were told that if we wanted pan fried dumplings, there would be a 30 minute wait... so with that ominous warning, we went with two steamed dumplings...


We decided to order the Chicken and Prawn Dumplings (15 pieces) $ 11 and the Pork and Crab Dumplings (15 pieces) $12... or as Funnyman called it, our Farmyard meets seafood dishes...

We were getting really excited (both very hungry as it was) and the fact that this place was so busy and full must have meant that the food was fantastic! (There was a line forming at the entrance, it was a Friday after all)...


Unfortunately, the excitement stops there... after waiting for 45 minutes and hailing the waitresses (who couldn't seem to communicate very well) and asking them three times (on separate occasions) how much longer it'd take, and with our lunch hour long past gone, we were forced to do the inevitable...

We walked out... on empty stomachs and the feeling of being cheated and unsatisfied...


Unhappy with that result, the following Tuesday (12pm sharp), Funnyman and I made our return...

And boy what a difference the service was on a normal weekday...


We were seated upstairs, and placed our order (we placed our order immediately upon being seated as we didn't want to waste any time)...


Our food arrived in 5 minutes!!!


Now if I had done this food review visit on a normal weekday, I would have given this an entirely different rating...

However, having had a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde experience with this place... I've been given an honest insight to the running of this establishment...

Service aside, the dumplings were nothing to shout about. Sure, they were good dumplings. But were they great dumplings? Dumplings that would make the Emperor of the Qing or Ming dynasty come back for more?

Definitely not. No where near the quality of dumplings from Hutong Dumpling Bar in the city, nor even the dumplings from Auntie's Dumplings in Carnegie... (Which reminds me, that I have to do a review there soon, I keep putting it off, because it doesn't need a review!)

Edible...But that's about it.

Would I come back for more? Maybe.. but definitely not during lunchtime on a Friday... I'm not too sure why the others keep coming back...

*Disclaimer: All food ratings are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality

Food/ Cuisine: Northern Chinese (Specialty: Dumplings)
Dining Style: Restaurant/ Canteen/ Asian Coffee Shop (Share Tables)
Overall Food Rating (Based on the Dining style): 5/10
Restaurant ambiance: 4/10 (I think I'm being too nice)
Service/ Attitude: 4/10
Value for money: 5/10

Address:
302 Flinders Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000

Tel:(03) 9629 9968

North East China Family
is open
Mon-Fri from 12.00pm-3.00pm & 5.00-9.00pm
Saturday 5.00-9.00pm

How to get there:

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Les Petit Truffe C'est moi!!

I am going to be lazy today and let the pictures do the talking =P

This was when D&Z were in Melbourne galivanting... we cooked this when they were not killing wallabies...

Winter vegetables with carrot puree

Roasted Stuffed Capsicum with Truffle mash


Chicken Roulade with Serrano Ham, crumbed with fresh thyme and sage and tarragon flowers


Roasted pork loins with creamy white sauce, thyme and gherkin


Group shot of the fabulous spread...


Poached pears with cinnamon and vanilla bean



Dévore ton coeur mes amis!