Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

Robata Melbourne Location: 2 Exhibition St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia Featured Items: Sashimi Platter ($29.00 AUD) Note: Upscale Japanese dining with an impressive interior. Prices are on the high side. Prices are in AUD. Verdict: Fresh, delicious sashimi in a beautiful setting, but pricey if you are used to Vancouver sashimi. Happy Friday! I had a lovely dinner with a former HR colleague who is now a friend, and we treated ourselves to a bit of high-end Japanese at the cool Robata. The ambiance and interior are impressive, and it is exactly the kind of place that makes a catch-up feel like a special occasion. Sashimi Platter ($29.00) I went for the Sashimi Platter, and I will be honest: the price is a bit expensive at $29 AUD. Crazy! That said, it was beautifully presented on a bed of crunchy rock salt, with buttery salmon topped with black roe, rich red tuna, silky white fish with grated ginger, and sweet, tender scallop crowned with glistening salmon ...

Osaka Bench Location: 1B/289 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia Featured Items: Curry Chicken Katsu Don ($17.00 AUD) Note: Cozy, small-café feel. The rice portion is very generous. Prices are in AUD. Verdict: Crispy katsu and a decent curry sauce in a charming setting, but go easy on the rice. For a quick lunch, we walked to the nearby Osaka Bench on Flinders Lane. Of course, when I see curry on a menu, I grab it, so there was never any question about what I would order. I went with the Curry Chicken Katsu Don. Curry Chicken Katsu Don ($17.00) The crispy, golden chicken katsu is sliced and smothered in a rich, savoury curry sauce over a bed of fluffy white rice. On the side, there is a pile of fresh, shredded cabbage drizzled with creamy Japanese mayo, along with bright red pickled ginger and a sprinkle of seaweed flakes on top. The sauce was decent and the katsu stayed nicely crispy under all that curry. My only complaint is that it was too much ric...

Petit Corner Location: Ground Floor/342 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia Featured Items: Chilli Chicken Melt ($12.00 AUD), KBBQ Pulled Beef ($12.50 AUD), Mocha and Flat White (large drinks $5.50 AUD) Note: Opens at 6:30 AM, with cozy couches and a bigger food menu than most cafés we have tried so far. Prices are in AUD. Verdict: The best food quality of our Melbourne café stops so far, and a comfy spot for an early start. Happy Friday! We have been hitting coffee shops and cafés all around Melbourne, and today we stopped by Petit Corner because they open at 6:30 AM. Early risers, take note. Honestly, I think this one has the best food quality we have found so far, and it has more options than any of the other shops we have visited. The couches are so cozy and relaxing too, which makes it hard to leave. The Coffee We went with our usual drink order of a rich, chocolatey mocha and a smooth, velvety flat white. A large drink is $5.50. Mocha dusted ...

Laoliuzhou Location: 327 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia Featured Items: Pork & Chive Steamed Dumplings, 10 pieces ($15.90 AUD); Chicken & Shrimp Dumplings, 10 pieces ($15.90 AUD) Note: Open late (we arrived after 9:30 PM), but service is slow and not particularly friendly. Prices are in AUD. Verdict: Worth it for the juicy pork and chive dumplings if you bring patience. Skip it if you are hangry. It was Thursday, and we were hunting for a late dinner. After 9:30 PM, we walked along Elizabeth Street to see what was still open, and that is how we spotted Laoliuzhou. We were hungry and the lights were on, so we decided to give them a try. A Quick Heads-Up Before You Go First, don't expect friendly service. Don't come here with zero patience, or when you're hangry, either. They are slow, so settle in and plan to wait for your food. If you can go in with relaxed expectations, the dumplings make it worthwhile. Pork & Chive ...

The Sherlock Holmes Bar Location: 417 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia Featured Items: Margherita Pizza ($24.50 AUD) Note: English and Irish pub menu. Prices are in AUD. Verdict: A fun spot for a group dinner, but skip the pizza and stick to the classic pub options. It's Wednesday evening, and I'm having dinner with some folks from the tech team. After a long day, we ended up at The Sherlock Holmes Bar on Collins St, a cozy pub with a fascinating menu of English and Irish cuisine. It is exactly the kind of place where a group can settle in, share stories and take their time over dinner. Margherita Pizza ($24.50) I went for the reasonably priced Margherita Pizza ($24.50 AUD). It looked lovely when it arrived: a thin, nicely charred crust, bubbly melted mozzarella and a handful of fresh, fragrant basil leaves on top. Unfortunately, it was a bit too sweet for me. I think the tomato sauce is the culprit, because it leaned much sweeter than I lik...