Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

Pinoy Oktoberfest at Queen Victoria Market Location: Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Featured Items: Palabok from Kaldero Cafe & Restaurant ($20 AUD); Grilled TJ Hotdog ($7 AUD), Ilocos Empanada ($15 AUD) and Puto Bumbong ($14 AUD) from Joy's BBQ Grill Vendors: Kaldero Cafe & Restaurant (206/208 Ryrie St, Geelong VIC 3220); Joy's BBQ Grill (72 Hampstead Rd, Maidstone VIC 3012) Note: Festival food stalls. Prices are in AUD. Verdict: A comforting taste of home, especially the Ilocos empanada and puto bumbong, which are hard to find in Vancouver. Happy Saturday! It's a foodie day, and that is the plan. We started this cloudy morning by walking to Queen Victoria Market for the Pinoy Oktoberfest event, and I honestly feel like this event was made for us. Below is the list of food and vendors we tried. We focused on dishes we cannot get easily in Vancouver. Let's begin! 1. Palabok ($20) from Kaldero Cafe & Restau...

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 ...