Picky Piggies: Cafe

Reuben Hills has become a household name in Surry Hills. We decided to revisit for the namesake "(Not) Reuben" sandwich in our desperation to find a good Reuben in Sydney after the sad close down of Ruby & Rach, which in our opinion was the hands-down best Reuben joint at the time. Read til the end for the verdict...

The Not Reuben $21.50

The "Not Reuben" seriously has nothing to do with Reuben Sandwich, it is more appropriately a brisket sandwich or for meat-lovers like us really a veggie sandwich plus a thin slice of brisket on the side. Imagine a moist and juicy piece of brisket...well this was the complete opposite. Apart from the sweetness of the coleslaw we couldn't really taste anything else.

Fried Chicken Basket $19.50

We are glad we ordered this chicken and restored the rightful balance of protein in a weekend brunch. We came for the "Not Reuben" but found solace in the chicken. The seasoning was familiar and good in a way, with a hint of chilli kick to it. The chicken was perfectly cooked, the skin was thin and crispy with the meat tender and juicy.

Food: 5/10
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 6/10

Highlight:

The chicken is safe choice

Lowlight:

Pricey for what you get

Website: http://www.reubenhills.com.au/

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Finally a place bringing Sydneysiders the famed towel roll, which is the latest dessert to catch the trend in Asia. We've been wanting to try this for a while, so the Piggies are here to report our findings 🐷

Double Sauce Omurice $19.8

As well as specialising in towel rolls, Moka actually has a small food menu serving Japanese style comfort food. We got the half-half omurice with demi-glace sauce and Japanese curry sauce. The demi-glace is a Japanese style beef stew, and the Japanese curry has the usual carrots & potatoes and the somewhat unusual minced meat. We expected the rice also to be half-half - plain and fried rice - as per the menu, and were a bit disappointed that it was all plain rice. Taste wise, it's similar to what you can make at home with the instant curry blocks available at Japanese/Asian grocers.

Pork Katsu $5.8

For less than $6, this pork katsu meets the expectations. Albeit it was a small portion the pork was well fried with a crunchy crust.

Matcha Towel Roll $18

...the highlight and reason why we are here! We were surprised by how soft the crepe was, with the smooth creamy filling it was a simple but delightful dessert. The crepe was so delicate that you can eat this cake without teeth 😲 We could taste that Moka used high quality matcha. As tealovers ourselves it would have been even better if it was a bit stronger. The towel roll also comes in chocolate and taro flavours, and we'd be keen to try them too!

Food: 6/10 (towel roll itself would be 8/10)
Service: 6/10
Atmosphere: 4/10

Highlight:

Towel roll lives up to expectations

Lowlight:

Food and decor can improve

Website:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Restaurant/Moka-577411852601398/

1 comments

Don't Lose Your Temper is a homey and cosy patisserie located in the quite Melbourne suburbia. Their cakes look amazing in pictures and real life. Just looking at them now almost made us fall for them again... if only they taste as good as they look. The proverb that "looks can be deceiving" is very fitting here😂

Banoffee Tart $8.5

Neither of us are banana fans, but we had to get this heavenly looking cake, so we made an exception. We've had great banoffee desserts in the past, sadly this was not one of them. With an overload of sugar: salted peanut caramel, banana, white chocolate, marshmallow, and milk chocolate (all sweet ingredients), we soon realised getting this cake was a mistake. Given these ingredients, we think it probably takes a genius to balance the flavours without the dessert ending up like a sugar explosion.

Brownie $7.5

After the initial taste test we crossed our fingers hoping this one wouldn't be another sugar bomb... but again this was another cake buried in sweetness 😰

At this point our mood hit a low point of the day, and then we remembered the name - Don't Lose Your Temper - you can't say you haven't been warned! Overall, our impression was that the two cakes we got were both sugar heavy, and lacked depth and refinement. For those looking for a sugar high this is the place.

Food: 3/10
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 6/10

Highlight:

Friendly crew
Good presentation

Lowlight:

Cakes don't taste as good as they look

Website: https://dontloseyourtemper.com.au/

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With a twist to the European deli/restaurant idea, Calia brings to Melbourne diners an affordable Michelin-starred-chef-designed menu featuring Asian inspired dishes, artisanal desserts, and gourmet goods. Almost 18 months after its opening, the place is still jam-packed with people. Does it live up to the hype? The piggies are here to do some digging!

The shop half is almost as big as the restaurant with produce sourced from local Australian suppliers as well as some imported goods that may be hard to find elsewhere.

Cake Cabinet (from Bibelot)

Crispy Roast Pork Bowl $17.9

This bowl tantalised our piggy snouts with its amazing visual presentation. The dewy 63°C egg was incredibly runny, coating the rice in sticky, gooey egg yolk. However, the pork itself was disappointing. The crackling wasn't crunchy at all, but rather tough and chewy. The meat was lukewarm, dry, and didn't have much flavour.

The King $18.2

Don't be deceived by the looks - these aren't "King" worms crawling over rocks. The Alaskan King crab legs were topped with a generous amount of sweet miso mayonnaise and then torched - a simple and delicious dish.

Salted Egg Yolk Chicken $11.9

Calia's take on Taiwanese Fried Chicken cleverly featured the use of salted duck egg yolk, another traditional Chinese ingredient. The chicken was a bit overcooked, but no matter, the egg yolk carried the dish.

The Marbled Sukiyaki Bowl $16.9

The tender beef was flavoured well with the sweet and gingery sukiyaki sauce and the runny egg. However, the quality of the beef was average, and there was a slight gamey taste.

Matcha Latte $5.5

The matcha latte was almost too cute to drink... and that's fine, we ordered it for the latte art an have to say it was money well-spent. The drink only comes sweetened as the matcha is premixed into a syrup.

Matcha Mia Tiramisu $10.9

As we dug into this dessert our spoon easily glided past the layer of soft matcha cream, sinking into the coffee-drenched lady fingers. It was not overly sweet but a bit dense for tiramsu.

Matcha Lava Cake $15.9

We completed our 3-course matcha experience with the signature lava cake. Hot and cold; matcha and chocolate; smooth and crumbly - this dessert was full of contrast, and everything paired well together. The bittersweet rich matcha centre added additional complexity to the already bittersweet chocolate cake. This was our favourite dessert of the day.

Hojicha

Being tea-lovers we also ordered the Hojicha, which looked absolutely serene and elegant. Unfortunately, the taste didn't live up to the aesthetics. There was a mere whisper of hojicha in the thin brown layer. This dessert should have been better named the Plum, as the sour plum centre dominated the overall flavour and we didn't really know what the hojicha was there for.

We could definitely see why Calia is a popular destination for friends and families. The environment is modern and casual, and conveniently located in a shopping mall in the heart of Melbourne. The price is affordable and the menu is extensive. Most of all, the food looks pretty, and certainly instaworthy. Nevertheless, for fellas looking to satisfy the palate as much as the eyes, this may not be the ideal place.

Food: 5/10
Service: 7/10
Atmosphere: 8/10

Highlight:

A cool atmosphere
Diverse menu
Affordable prices

Lowlight:

Not for serious foodies

Website: http://calia.com.au/

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Located in a quite neighbourhood, Lolo and Wren serves up comfort food in a cafe setting, with a chilled and relaxed environment, an extensive menu, and large portions.

Pork Jowl $17.50

We were shocked at the size of the pork jowl when it arrived at our table. The panko egg (almost like a scotch egg except there was no meat wrapping) was coated in a layer of thin breadcrumbs, and was perfectly fried with a gooey yolk centre. We were less excited about the pork jowl. We ordered this dish for the egg and didn't expect much for the pork, and our expectations were proven correct. The pork was served lukewarm and the meat was still tough despite being slow cooked. This particular piece we got was also very fatty making most of it unedible, and the coleslaw didn't help cut through the grease as it was rather sweet.

Crispy Crocque Monsieur $18

Is this the ultimate cheese sandwich? Originated is France, Crocque Monsieur is a ham and cheese sandwich that's either baked or fried. This humongous sandwich was loaded with cheese and few slices of ham. With additional bread crumbs added on the outside, this sandwich was fried until golden brown, leaving the outside super crunchy and the inside bursting with melty cheese. The bad? This sandwich was no one-man task as it can get pretty heavy in the end with all that cheese (the tomato relish did help a little bit).

Spanish Omelette $23.50

It was a good move that we got this Spanish omelette, as at this stage we desperately needed some vegetables. The omelette had a crispy edge while the inside was packed with tomato, capsicum, potato, avocado and chorizo. The dollops of sour cream and shaved parmesan cheese provided some creaminess. There was also a bowl of rocket salad on the side too.

Food: 5.5/10
Service: 5/10
Atmosphere: 5/10

Highlight:

Large portions

Lowlight:

Food was not bad but delivery may improve with a more focused menu
Cafe goers expect a good meal to mark a good beginning to the weekend, and if the waitress has a negative attitude this really rubs off on the diners.

Website: http://loloandwren.com.au/

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On this very trip to Melbourne, I must say Mörk was one of the great surprises we found. Revolving around a chocolate theme, this place offers an array of cacao drinks. The characteristic menu takes on inspirations from Australia's natural landscape, and turns that into a theatrical and a culinary experience - the whole thing is destined to impress. For chocolate lovers this is as good as chocolate gets.

Forager $10

Mörk has managed the impossible: it has created a sweet, enjoyable concoction that captures Australia, in one small bowl. Using a familiar smell, the perfume of oak moss immediately sets you in the outback bush. This aromatic sensation of being in Australia is reinforced by the sight and taste of eucalyptus. The hot chocolate blends well with the ice cream, which had a subtle macadamia and wattle seed flavour, keeping the focus on the chocolate.

Campfire $10

There is something about smoke and burnt marshmallow - a typical treat to be had around a campfire. Again Mörk engages all your senses, with the clever use of maple smoke and charcoal salt, taking a simple idea and executing it to perfection. The individual elements showcase extreme attention to detail while complementing the chocolate.

The Whole Nut (Vegan) $8

It was hard to believe there was no milk in this. The dark chocolate made with hazelnut milk was smooth and creamy, highlighting a unique hazelnut aroma. It's no secret hazelnut and chocolate are best friends, but just how well they went together without anything else was an impressive feat.

Hazelnut Wafer (comes with The Whole Nut)

As well as a la carte, Mörk also sells a range of chocolate related products off the shelf.

Pre-made Chocolate Milk

a variety of Cacao Powders

What a fun and memorable impression Mörk has left us, something we'll miss until our next visit!

Food: 10/10
Service: 9/10
Atmosphere: 8/10

Highlight:

Go for the experience, or the chocolate, and you won't be disappointed
Good value

Lowlight:

We have not found a comparable chocolate place in Sydney (or anywhere else for that matter)

Website: http://morkchocolate.com.au/
Address: 150 Errol St, North Melbourne, VIC 3051
Hours: Mon Closed
Tue-Sun 9am-5pm

Phone: (03) 9328 1386

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