Lucky Chan

There is no shortage of asian restaurants in the Southbank complex nor in Melbourne central. In fact I feel they may dominate the general food styles available. Picking one from the many and choosing the best for the meal you want at the time may be the hardest of dinning choices. Fortunately for us we chose, just by chance, Lucky Chan. We had not eaten here before so it was a real pig-in-a-poke. 

I chose two meat meals, one as entree and one main. Could  not have made a better choice. The whole peas in a pod were too hard to eat but the succulent meat more than made up for it. Add two glasses of a light white wine and a bowl of special fried rice, what a lunch! I’ll be back for more.

Ambiance is Chinese as you would expect, no cuddles from staff who lent more toward the business of serving than welcoming and friendly. Noise level was low but on a Wednesday thats what you would expect. Go for the window seat and go for the food and enjoy a fine dinning experience without the fine dinning price. 

Mascalzone Altona - Victoria

Being in Altona right on lunchtime means we need somewhere to eat. The fish and chip shop appeared to be doing a thriving business but today, not for us. “Any time Italian” is my motto. Thinking about it “Anytime Greek” works also. But today Italian won over. Stumbling upon Mascalzone was the best thing which could happen to us on a sunny cool day in Altona near the water. Plenty to chose from on the menu and all looking extremely enticing. 

Love my creamy pastas so that was my selection. Pricing is very reasonable and decor (though a little rundown) tends toward Italian but just. The food is why you would come here and if we lived in the area this would be our goto restaurant of choice. Servings are generous, quality is high and presentation is verges on fine dining. The meals were promptly prepared and served hot and well plated. 

We could not pick a fault with the food in any way and left nothing except a dry plate. Coffee is good too and drinks keenly priced. Parking is just around the corner and a park across the road. Good location, excellent food, good service and good pricing make this spot a spot for all to go. Worth the drive if you are not a local and if you are a local and haven’t dined here, you should. 

Greca Street - Oakleigh, Victoria

  When out and about we swung by the main food street in Oakleigh. Portman Street is the main drag for fine Greek food and restaurants. We have eaten here a few times but not for years. Greca Street  is one fine, new looking and extensive restaurant. The decor is modern, clean and fresh. Floors, tables and chairs are all beautiful timbers and there is a long bar. Dine in or out or in a glassed cabin on the street. 

The menu is very enticing with many shared plates then their traditional Greek meals. This is where I chose from. There are also Greek wines by the glass or bottle plus many other wine selections. The food was absolutely delicious and plenty of it. Both of us struggled to complete our means and though full, had us thinking when we could come back. 

There is free parking at the end of the street and its only short walk to Greca. I’d book ahead though the restaurant is large it filled quickly and we were lucky to get in. Not overly expensive and with delicious food to live for, easy parking and a beautiful establishment, there is NO reason not to go. Make it a date. 

Bouzy Rouge restaurant and bar - Richmond

 The wife was required to see a specialist at an Epworth clinic (nothing too serious). Figuring it was right on lunchtime she looked up a restaurant nearby. We booked, arrived early and for a while had the restaurant to ourselves. The decor at Bouzy Rouge cannot be described it has to be seen. An eclectic collection of interesting items, very large and small from all over the world. I believe the owner is French and food is Mediterranean influenced. I wanted two courses but we were pressed for time so a main is all we had time for. 

You may feel you are in France or Spain the surrounds are so foreign and elegant to what we would expect to see in Oz. And there is sooo much you just can’t take it all in. The food is good, very well priced and the service prompted and friendly. Parking could be tight but go when quiet in the Richmond area and you should be OK. We are already planning our return and will be taking friends who I know will appreciate the unique spectacle that is Bouzy Rouge. 

Thai Orchid - Christchurch, New Zealand

 Staying at the Chateau on the Park in Christchurch and not being a big fan of the restaurant at the hotel, we looked further afield for dinning. We didn’t have to look far to find Thai Orchid within a short walk from our hotel. It was recommended by our Ola driver that day on our way back to the hotel. Glad he did because we had an excellent Thai meal. In fact it was more than a meal with enough food to feed another two adults. No scrimping on food quantity here or food quality both were well covered. 

Cocktails were excellent also and service very good. The ambiance is Thai though the music was soul. Both entree and main, for my wife and myself, were delicious and almost too much. We should have shared those well presented fried king prawns. Absolutely no complaints here, all-in-all a great dinning experience. Should we be back in Christchurch we will definitely eat here again. 

Mac’s Steakhouse - Rotorua, New Zealand.

 Searching on a cold wet night for somewhere to cocktail and eat and found Mac’s in a covered street called Eat Street. One all under over street has many restaurants and bars covering many food styles. Lets get down to it; at Mac’s not only was the three courses delicious and generous - for both my wife and self - but extremely well presented. The kitchen knows its craft to a “T”.

From onion rings to steak to creme brulee and throw in a few cocktails, everything and I mean everything was perfect. Well maybe not the Syrah wine, it was awful but not the fault of the restaurant. I would love to break every meal down but I would have to get flowery and it would become tedious. We both even added extras to our mains which was no problems for the kitchen. The extras, in my case sautéed mushrooms, again were perfect and a big generous serve to go with the steak and all its trimmings. Just go. Nuff said. 

Bistro Gentil - Wanaka New Zealand

Eating out big at lunch then backing up for a big french meal is not what I like to do. We are leaving Wanaka and we really wanted to try this local french restaurant. Careful menu selections meant three smaller meals but did leave us feeling we had over-dined for the day. Regardless the food here at Bistro Gentil was excellent. Its unfortunate we may never be here, in Wanaka NZ, ever again. The place, people and food has been excellent. 

The establishment may need a freshen-up but the food is undoubtably french. I would liked to have tried more from the menu but was really satisfied with my selections. Would I go back again, hell yeah! Would I choose the same from the menu, no. I’d like to try other dishes but I know it would all be supper tasty and make me hungry for more. Definitely put thus tasty spot on your list. 

Cardrona Distillery - Wanaka New Zealand.

 We expected a lot from this distillery way out in the middle of almost nowhere but only 30 minutes from Wanaka. The tour was not what we went for but the food was. A window seat in the quiet restaurant area was all we needed plus a menu. We had wanted local oysters since the day we landed but lucked-out where ever we went. Not today and oysters are not on the menu. You arrive for lunch and if lucky the oysters have arrived also. 

The plates are for sharing and a dozens “bluff oysters” and the gin - “Source” - made onsite offered the accompaniment. Vinaigrette was drizzled over each oyster before and a sip of gin after. Then onto the venison medallions with beetroot in about four different ways. And of course desert. 

Cardrona Distillery is a modern clean establishment on beautiful expansive grounds. A tour can be had but it costs, just go for the food and ambience. Staff are friendly and there is plenty of parking but be prepared for a short uphill walk. Pricing is about right but not cheap depending on food and drinks ordered. Definitely worth a visit even if you don’t eat there but you’ll miss some fine food, rare gin and cocktails. 

Trout Cafe, Restaurant and Bar

Always when OS we are chasing good good eating and hoped to be wowed whenever we dine. OK if we pull into the local cafe and by a pie we may not expect to be knocked off our feet. Though we were in Te Anau with a pie and sausage roll from Miles Best Pies. Both were jammed with succulent meat and gravy and served just at the right temperature. Hard to believe a sausage roll full of chunks of real meat. 

With a restaurant called “Trout” you would expect it to be all about fish. But not so, equal balance of other protein, salads etc. For me the baggers and mash had me at first glance and my wife the prawn salad. Three big home made gourmet sausages in a rich dark sauce with bacon, onions etc. and sitting on a firm mash. Very, very lovely and very filling. 

What a great surprise though we were out for lunch we didn’t expect to be so “treated” to such very good food. Nice modern surroundings with dine in or dine out choice and easy parking. Reasonably priced food with a good selection of local beers and drinks. Staff helpful and friendly also. Trout is one cafe you must try if in the area - Wanaka NZ - and if you are nearby do make the effort to visit. Can’t imagine you could ever be disappointed regardless of your meal choice. We were both thrilled. 

Finz Seaford and Grill - Queenstown New Zealand

Finz had all the trade marks of a seafood eating experience you don’t want to miss. Well here is the rub- miss it! We booked and you must because it is very crowded and noisy. There is NO PARKING nearby and expect to park out of Queenstown centre and walk in or cab in. Its warm because, inside, you are packed in. Staff are friendly and food is promptly served. This is where it all falls apart. The food is not that good where is should have been fabulous it was less so and of course, not cheap. You want to be stunned by food presentation and quality but you are numbed. Look else where and if there is one thing Queenstown has is lots of very good looking fine dining eateries. 

Issues of parking will always be a problem here and for us, who was only staying a very short distance out of town, we cabbed in for a boat tour because we knew parking anywhere nearby would be impossible. Queenstown and surrounding suburbs are beautiful and vibrant, very friendly and not over priced. Seek out good eating spots and bars and enjoy beautiful New Zealand. We did. 

Joe’s Garage - Queenstown New Zealand.

First night in New Zealand and looking for a quick bite in the local shopping area you are often tempted to just eat and run. I wished we had of ran. We had a choice of a good looking local pub and across the road Joe’s Garage. We chose Joe’s. It is an Americanised eatery with the usual burgers and chips type meals. But when the bacon in the burger is cardboard hard, there is a thick slice of cucumber sticking out the side and the chips are cremated there is not a lot to be enjoyed. The wife’s chowder though, she said, was enjoyable. No need to harp on, go to the pub across the road or try another food outlet, Joe’s is not where you want to be. 

Bailiez Cafe & Bar - Lake Te Anau

 When travailing overseas you are always hoping to find some excellent dining spots. Fortunately for use right close to where we were staying in Te Anau New Zealand was an excellent hotel bar. The name is Cafe & Bar  but its no cafe. Once more fortunately for us the food was beyond excellence. Friendly service and parking right at the establishment made it a delight to get to and a greater delight to dine at. 

Being many deer farms on the approach to the town meant that venison had to be on the menu. But it tastes a lot better served-up. First time for a very ling time, I had Bambi, smothered in a rich sauce with choice vegetables, on a plate. So flavoursome, so tender. The herb bread before was also an absolute dream which had us come back the next night for herb bread and cocktails.

The feeling is up market country pub the decor a little dated but with some of the best food in the area in front of you begging to be devoured, you’ll not be noticing the furniture. So if you happened to be in the area just go. Don’t think about it, go!