Little Creatures Dining Hall, Fitzroy

  I wish all school assemblies could be held in halls like Little Creatures Dining Hall (222 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy) because then you would actually pay attention to the kid from the grade below who came 3rd in the local music eisteddfod or realise how big of a nose your school principal actually has. Anyhow, Brunswick Street really is full of culinary wonders and with a place like this on the strip, the others have a lot to live up to! 

Tasting Stand

Menu

Pipsqueak Apple Cider/White Rabbit White Ale

 After a pit stop at the tasting stand, we sat down in a chilled booth seat and got ourselves a couple of beverages on tap. Patty enjoyed her Pipsqueak apple cider and I went for the White Rabbit White Ale.

Fresh Cut Chips
with Garlic Aioli

 It's always going to be a monumental day when you have a bowl of chips with some garlic aioli. Enough said.

Spiced Red Lentil Dahl
with Yoghurt & Grilled Flatbread

 Patty went for this bumpy, lentil filled, vegetarian's paradise in a ceramic bowl. It was accompanied by a deliciously soft grilled flatbread which was stupidly tasty. The lentil dahl inside was heavenly and honestly it was good enough to turn anyone vegetarian ... for a day. No longer than that. Let's not kid ourselves. Sorry to any vegetarians out there. I definitely recommend getting a hold onto this dish if you're around the area and a beer really goes hand in hand with all the strong flavours.

Homemade Pie
Chicken & Leek

 This pie was a deceptive dish on the menu ... not in a good way. Like the mischievous child that always used to tease and bully you, this pie stole $22 from me =(. The fact that it tasted 'pretty good' was of little consolation because even if the bully says sorry to you after a few years it'll never undo the damage that he/she caused you beforehand. What? That's deep bro, such a deep food → bullying metaphor. But honestly I don't see how they charge $22 for this, it's beyond me. Was expecting a large circumferential pot pie!

 Loved the set out inside and if you complain about not having enough space inside this 'hangar' of a hall then you're probably an oversized ... plane. Yeah a plane. But honestly, I'd highly recommend parking your plane here for a breezy and relaxed afternoon meal and just let the beer and great food fly you into the sunset.

Bunny Rating-
Categories: Melbourne, Pub/Bar, Snacks

Rice Paper Scissors, Melbourne CBD

 Melbourne's iconic laneways of food and festivities really don't disappoint when they keep serving up places such as Rice Paper Scissors (19 Liverpool Street, Melbourne CBD). Around the corner from our hotel and on the outskirts of Melbourne's mediocre Chinatown, is this little tapas style eatery. Rice Paper Scissors is not a place to roll sushi or play a variation on rock, paper, scissors (haha Bernard, you still got it; don't know if rice beats scissors though), instead it specialises in South East Asian cuisine, most notably Vietnamese and Thai hawker food. 

Awesome centerpiece

It deserves 2 photos

 This centrepiece seriously looks like a green version of an evil minion from Despicable Me 2. All that hair. Patty really wanted to steal one and take it home but I doubt Rice Paper Scissors would see the hairy side of things.

Beer Nuts (Thaw Lsing)
with Kaffir Lime & Chilli Flakes

 We were given a complimentary sake cup full of some 'boxing' nuts that really packed a punch (see what I did there? Nice). These little things grew increasingly addictive, a little bit like heroin. No doubt I was chasing dragons afterwards.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

 Regrettably our only drink of the meal as they have a large selection of wines, cocktails, beers and even some intriguing slushies! It's so hard to go past a well made, traditional Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Probably a little bit too much condensed milk for my liking but it came with an awesome mixer stick so all was saved.

 In true tapas style, they've designed their menu all for sharing and have a 'get hammered plattered for 2' option that we gladly elected for. You get to choose any 5 sharing dishes from their menu for the cut price of $45. I'll have to buy another wallet if I get to save this much every time I go out to eat!

BBQ Lamb Ribs (Sii Krong Nuex)
Mekong Whiskey Marinated Lamb Ribs
in a Stick Special Sauce

 I can safely say that this dish did my head in for the entire trip. It was so mesmerizing, so tantalizing and just marvellous. These gooey, ooey, sticky ribs literally kept me awake at night because I was trying to organise another visit into our busy one week schedule in my head, but alas ... it did not eventuate. The meat slid of the bone like it was tobogganing off ice and the succulent juices and flavours were almost too unbearably good. These ribs were overwhelmingly tasty and throughout the entire trip, this was probably my favourite and most memorable dish!

Thai Fried Chicken (Peek Gai Tod)
Marinated in Galangal, Chilli & Coriander Root

 

 

 Next to come was a pint sized serving of Thai fried chicken accompanied with some mayonnaisy dipping sauce. I just spilt water on myself rethinking the flavours that exploded from the crispy skin. Like actually ... hold on let me get a tissue. Anyhow, I don't think this is on the menu anymore which is a shame but the spices from the marinade worked so well together and the chicken was as moist as wet socks.

Crispy Coconut Wafer (Banh Xeo)
Filled with Pork, Prawn, Bean Shoots & Fresh Herbs

 

 A contemporary twist on a classic Vietnamese dish sees the formation of this sombrero looking saucer. Unlike the traditional one where the crispy pancake cradles the ingredients like a folded omelette, this open Banh Xeo has its guts spilled out and is ready for quick consumption. The pancake was light and crispy and the pork, prawn and bean shoot stir fry on top was tantalizingly good.

Betel Leaf (Miang Kham)
Topped with Roast Duck & Lychee Salad
with Sweet Lime Juice

 Mince wrapped in betel leaf are a match made in Vietnamese heaven and it's almost unbearable to eat such a delicate little cigar shaped roll. I'll be honest here ... I ate it with such enthusiasm and at such speed I didn't really pay attention to what was actually inside; it says it was topped with duck which I don't remember but the mince was either pork or prawn if that helps at all. All that matters is that it was delicious with a capital D and delightful ... also with a capital D.

Steamed Pork Buns (Banh Bao)
with Pork Belly, Cucumber, Shallots & Hoisin Sauce

 

  These buns are nearly as cute as Patty, what? Haha alright buddy. These buns were slightly toasted and jam packed (not with jam haha) full of veggies and a glistening slice of pork belly. It's hearty, juicy and everything that you would want from a pork bun. Would have been even better with a healthy smear of pate on the buns, just saying =).
                    

 This hidden gem was my favourite place during out visit to Melbourne. It had me by the scruff of my neck and Rice Paper Scissors had me hooked like a dog on a leash (so many dog references). A great place for a relaxed meal and there's no better way to enjoy a feast when everything on the menu is recommended for sharing!


Bunny Rating-
Category: Melbourne, Pub/Bar, Snacks

Nieuw Amsterdam, Melbourne CBD

 Time travel takes us back to Melbourne's CBD and under a swift recommendation from brother Andrew, Patty and I head on over to Nieuw Amsterdam (106-112 Hardware Street, Melbourne CBD). This quirky new restaurant/bar has an uncanny New Yorkesque vibe that stems from the black, lacquered wood out front to the bistro and cocktail bar inside.

House Made Bread & Butter

 We're served at the table and provided a plateful of warm salted bread with some butter. Life is so much better with bread and butter.

Too drunk to remember what I had
naaa I actually just forgot, if only though

Whiskey Smash
Bourbon, Fresh Lemon & Mint
over Cruched Ice

 With the entire antarctic; penguins and all, inside of this cocktail glass, Patty and I knew this would be an icey situation (yeahyeahyeah not bad, not your best one though). A beautiful citrusy concoction of bourbon and lemon with a sprig of mint. Simple, elegant and it was as refreshing as ice ... alright mate.

Chicken Waffles
Pate, Terrine, Crispy Chicken Skin, Orange Caramel

 The description says it all really. Our favourite dish of the night and these waffles will get you into a kerfuffle! Doesn't rhyme at all, whatever. Toasted square waffles form the base for a healthy brick of terrine and a delicate quenelle of pate. To top each individual waffle off is a crackled chicken skin and a drop of tart orange caramel. The flavours on this plate were enough to put your tongue into a coma, fortunately it didn't though. You won't want to have waffles for breakfast again, I'll tell you that much.

Pork Trotter & Ham Hock Nuggets
with Burnt Onion Jam

 Essentially pigs leg nuggets, but that doesn't sound very appetising does it? Maybe to my dog. These little rippers are sitting on a squidge of burnt onion jam that was very subtle but the main attraction delivered an awfully good mouthful. The pork trotter and ham hock mixture inside had all the nit and grit which gave these nuggets sensational flavour.


WARNING: So ... what happened next was a catastrophe! Naaa it really wasn't haha. Our appetisers had come in pretty quick time however our mains took a little over an hour to make its way to our table. Patty and I didn't really care though because we were on holiday and it was understandable given that they had only opened their doors a few weeks before. For memory I think we had staring competitions to pass time.

Rabbit Meatballs
Hand Rolled Tagliatelle, Soffrito, Roast Tomato Sauce

 After staring at Patty on the opposite side of the table turn from a beautiful, youthful woman into a wrinkly, leathery grandma all in the space of an hour, our rabbit meatballs finally came! And boy ... was it NOT worth the wait =(. I was so looking forward to eating my own species in ball form but they were really overcooked and that sucked all the life out of the dish. The normally gorgeous tagliatelle was dry and stuck together like wet socks. I need a shoulder right now =(

Southern Style Pork Belly Chops
with Sauerkraut, Apple Sauce, Crackling

 We venture to the mud for some more pork and stumble across this southern styled pork belly. Maybe it was the wait, but this too didn't taste that amazing. The pork was cooked well and the crackling was crisp but there was nothing very special about it. Tasted like pork and veggies. Still good though?

 We also had a tomato salad as well but we decided it didn't deserve a photo.

Pumpkin Donuts
with Kentucky Bourbon Cream

 The night took another U-turn (don't worry it didn't happen over doubled lines, so it was perfectly legal ... haha, that was okay. I'll give it a 7/10) for the night when these little babies arrived to the table. Soft, warm and sugary ... like little babies, these pumpkin batter donuts were mouthfuls of baby goodness. The bourbon cream was so light and added a slight caramelly sweetness. Miss these things.


 Despite Patty watching the hairs on my chin grow for most of the night, we walked out of Nieuw Amsterdam happy and full. We highly recommend the appetisers but the mains seemed very bland for the night, but that may have just been a one off. It's such an interesting place with a great atmosphere and some unique food! Definitely worth giving a go.


Bunny Rating-
Category: Melbourne, Dining