Quirky Cookie can cook

Self-described as a Disco, an Eating House and a Beer Hall, Cookie claims to be many things. Showing off what would surely be the longest bar in Melbourne, plus a drinks menu of equally impressive length, Cookie has established itself as one of Melbourne CBD's premier social hang-outs. Whether it be for after-work drinks, a dinner date or a dance, Cookie has it covered. Located one level up on Swanston Street, you can expect to find a classy, yet down-to-earth spot with a pleasantly mixed crowd and an absolutely buzzing atmosphere. 

Image courtesy of melbournepubs.com

One of my favourite features of Cookie is its charming Juliet balconies which overlook Swanston Street and are the ideal position to take in the Melbourne air and watch the world go by. In stark contrast to its exterior is the spacious, noisy indoor area where it's always a challenge to find a seat. Another favourite feature, the quirky wallpaper featuring a crowd of black and white photographed faces, adds a certain kitsch element to the mish-mash of decor. Somehow though, it works. 

Having been to Cookie on a few occasions to drink and dance, I had been dying to come back to sample their much-talked-about dinner menu. So Wednesday night, I caught up with my French friend M for some Thai-inspired food done Cookie-style. Having moved to Australia from France almost one year ago, M gushed about how lucky we Aussies are to have such a diverse choice of food from such a mixture of cultures. Here I was, thinking the French must boast the be-all and end-all of culinary experiences! It just goes to show how much we take for granted this wonderful melting pot of culture that we are blessed with.

Being such a massive venue with such a massive bar, would of course call for a dinner menu just as massive. It was near impossible to make a decision because each item truly sounded as exquisite as the next! The menu was divided into Small Dishes, Medium Dishes and Large Dishes and the prices seemed very reasonable for what was on offer. The decider would be whether the meals tasted as good as they were described. Wanting to sample as much as we could, we decided to share two items from the Small Dishes section and go from there. I chose the Baked scallops with chilli oil and pomelo salad ($26.5), while M chose the Grilled banana chilli with minced chicken and kaffir lime ($14.5). Both were beautifully presented and the serves were more than sufficient. The scallops were baked in their shell and adorned with an elegant-looking fusion of Thai flavours. Thai food is traditionally characterised by the delicate balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy  flavours each contained in most Thai dishes. We definitely tasted a lovely kick of chilli, which was then balanced with after-flavours of coriander, lime, coconut and a hint of pomelo (a relative of the grapefruit). 

The banana chilli was an interesting concept, with what appeared to be most of the insides of the banana replaced with the kaffir lime and chicken combination and then grilled until it was slightly sweet, a little spicy and very succulent, virtually melting in the mouth. Both meals definitely exceeded expectations. 

Not quite finished sampling the exotic menu, we selected a dessert to share: Banana fritters with honey and coconut ice cream ($12.5) The fritters were deep fried, so there was a balance of savoury and sweet from both the hot, gooey banana and the honey, and they were nicely complimented by the big dollop of coconut ice cream with a touch of mint to cleanse the palate.

Cookie had already established its cool, 'disco' reputation in my books and proven itself to be the stylish, so-called 'beer hall' it proclaims to be, however it is the 'eating house' aspect that it so proudly promotes but is often forgotten. Incredibly, Cookie succeeds at all three levels with sophistication, cleverness and originality.

Cookie

252 Swanston Street

Melbourne

Ph: 9663 7660

European delights

It was a miserable, wintery old Saturday morning and my girlfriends and I were about to gnaw off our own arms in hunger. I decided we should go on a recommendation and use trusty Google maps to find the esteemed Melbourne dining institution, known simply as The European. I admit, I had been begged to try this place by my food-loving Dad who lives hours away in a sleepy Queensland country town and spends much of his spare time living vicariously through my city-dwelling-restaurant-hopping experiences. So I thought I should take one for the team and try this place he had heard so much about. It's a tough gig, but someone's gotta do it! 


Located up the top of Spring Street, opposite Parliament building in the Melbourne CBD, The European really is reminiscent of a bustling timber-furnished restaurant you would expect to find in Europe. The warm interior, big chalk-scrawled blackboards and rustic decor are defining features that make this place so inviting. But it was the culinary fare that really resonated with us.

To begin, I embraced the chance to order a freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice. It's not very often you see that on a restaurant menu and if you do, it comes 'fresh'...from a bottle. But this was straight-up, no-bullshit, pink, sweet, refreshing, tangy, invigorating goodness directly from the fruit itself. And it was damn good. (Yes, so damn good that I did need to squish every one of those adjectives in there to make sure I highlighted just how epicly good it was.) I downed it in a blink and had to be restrained from ordering seconds. In hindsight I was grateful my girlfriends kept me under control, because it meant I still had plenty of tummy-room for the scrumptious delights that were still to come. 

K ordered the Breakfast Bruschetta, which came with roasted mushrooms, pancetta, poached egg and roquette, R chose the Breakfast Crumble with cinnamon poached fruit and yoghurt, while I surrendered to my cravings and requested The European Breakfast: poached eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomato and crusty toast. Sounds like your standard 'big breaky' and on paper it was, but on the plate, it was so much more. And because that combination didn't seem like enough fat and grease, I lashed out and got a serve of hollandaise on the side. What a ridiculously good choice that was! Buttery, creamy, velvety, slightly tangy, melt-in-your-mouth, heart-stopping, artery-clogging flawlessness! It was hollandaise perfection. Yes, I tried all three breakies and yes they were all amazing in their own right, but - wow - I truly could have eaten a bucket of that hollandaise on its own. Naughty, maybe. But so worth it.

John Lethlean summed it up perfectly in his 2006 review for Epicure: "...The European is not Spanish... Nor is it French, Italian, Austrian or Greek. The European is a hybrid creation that evokes memories (and the occasional bit of longing) for the wine bars and cafes of all those places; and the extent to which the concept resonates with Melbournians can be measured in the place's longevity..." 

I can't argue with that. Here's to heavenly hollandaise and having our very own taste of Europe right at our doorstep.

The European

161 Spring Street

MELBOURNE

Ph: 03 96540811

Baclava toast and ouzo for breakfast

From their clever reuse of industrial fetta tins as seating, to their innovative breakfast menu, Demitri's Feast hits the mark when it comes to finding an original breakfast spot in Melbourne. Demitri's stands out as one of the best in its class, insisting on using local, fresh, seasonal, free range and organic products to serve breaky and lunch with a distinctly Greek influence. Its bright Meditteranean-blue exterior stencilled with white tree patterns quite literally stands out among the drab shop fronts in Richmond's Swan Street. 

You won't find any plain old bacon and egg rolls at this place. Demitri's prides itself on its trademark quirky twists on classic dishes. You won't see a drop of maple syrup in sight when ordering the Baclava French toast ($11)- Demitri's signature dish and a local's favourite. Rather, the two whopping slabs of eggy, toasty goodness come served with a dusting of crushed walnuts, a dollop of the freshest greek yoghurt and a heavenly orange honey syrup. But words don't do it justice. You just must try this Greek spin on a French classic - it is seriously awesome. 

Other menu items include Poached Eggs with ouzo and dill cured salmon and spinach ($15.5), Sage Mushrooms with manouri cheese, toasted almonds and rocket on sourdough ($12.5), Zucchini Fritters with free range bacon and oregano roasted tomatoes ($14.5) and Semolina Pancakes with Greek yoghurt, rose jam, pistachios and orange honey syrup ($11). I could go on, but you get the picture. It's mouthwatering stuff. 

Be prepared to wait for a table for five or ten minutes (they don't take bookings), but  trust me, it's worth the wait - the brilliant waitstaff will ensure you are taken care of with a coffee-hit ready for you in the nick of time. Or, for the more daring / not-yet-sober, a shot of chilled ouzo before breakfast, in authentic Greek style. The Age Cheap Eats named Demitri's as 2010's Breakfast of the Year - and with good reason. Since first discovering it, I have made a cheeky visit every weekend for the past three weeks. Simply nothing else beats it on a lazy Sunday morning. I dare you to knock back an ouzo.

Demitri's Feast

141 Swan Street
Richmond, 3121
Ph: 9428 8659