Mozzarella Bar, Seddon

103 Victoria Street
Seddon
Vic 3011

The first word of mouth feedback we got about the Mozzarella Bar on Victoria Street in Seddon was positive, but the first couple of evenings we'd been past it had been rammed so we hadn't tried. After reading some mixed on reviews on Urbanspoon we were still keen to check it out, as it still seemed popular. On a Friday in late summer we easily got a table outside...

...although we may have struggled inside as it was as busy as usual. We perused the menu, and were offered drinks and served by a variety of the team, but everything ran smoothly.

We eschewed other options and made a bee-line for the pizzas which arrived pretty promptly given the full house. The Napoli topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte, anchovies, olives and fresh chill packed a spicy punch. With seed filled fellas removed went down well, so much so that I didn't get to trade a slice to try! 

I went for the Campagna which featured roasted eggplant and pesto on a traditional skinny wood fired base. There seems to be a mixed reaction to the style of pizza, but it reminded me of some of the best traditional offerings I've had both here in Melbourne and Italy. Yes there is a wide crust and the more heavily topped centre can get a little soft, but that's just how I remember it!

We also had a side of the green beans with pine nuts which also had a massive garlic hit!

With a few drinks the bill came to $79, so not cheap, but the quality of the food made it seem fair. The service was good all evening and the manager or owner was keen to mention at the end that they would be offering special deal cards during the forthcoming Seddon festival (7/3/15). We also like Casa di Tutti across the road and Seddon is lucky to have two great options (and competition) for pizza!

Casa di Tutti, Seddon

160 Victoria Street
Seddon
VIC 3011

When Casa di Tutti replaced Tin Pan Alley it didn't seem like a massive change, with one Italian restaurant being replaced by another and the fit out remaining similar. I guess that’s why we didn't rush to eat there, along with the good pizza's up the road at the Plough. When we decided we were up for take away it was a good opportunity to give it a try. I picked up 15 minutes after my call and the boxes were warm, apparently the content had only just come out of the oven.

The pesto and eggplant combination on the Melanzana was a great combination and surpassed our expectation!

One the team mentioned that they had run out of the white truffle oil, so we had extra portobello and porcini mushrooms on our Funghi along with the napoli sauce, mozzarells and basil. The mushrooms flavour was strong, which we enjoyed.

At $16 a pizza they weren't cheap, but were worth it for great toppings on fantastic thin wood fired oven bases. It was fairly quiet for a Saturday night when I swung by to pick up, but the team were friendly. I think we will be eating more from Casa di Tutti, whether in house or back at home.

The Indian Palette, Seddon

1/140 Victoria Street
Seddon
Victoria 3011

We've walked past The Indian Palette many times since it opened, and often thought about going in but were dissuaded by the empty tables.

We'd read good things about the food and on a recent Friday needing a curry fix and not fancying the walk over to West Footscray we decided to take the plunge. As we'd expected it was pretty quiet, with only one other couple eating in. Several take out customers came in over the time we were there.

The menu featured plenty of dishes I didn't recognise, as well as a few more familiar offerings. The Gutti Vankayakura had two small eggplant in a sauce seasoned with ground nut, tamarind pulp and finished with South Indian spices. Although whole the aubergines were tender and the sauce complimented them well.

We asked for the hot version of the Andhra Kodi Kura a favourite homestyle Southern Indian spicy chicken dish, but it was perfect for us.

The Dal Makhani a favourite of ours containing black lentils cooked with tomato, fenugreek and butter was a little light on the pulses for us, but the flavours were great.

The rice was fluffy and light, the naan not quite as puffy and light as I prefer.

The service was occasionally interrupted by calls from take out customers, as there was only one waitress covering both tasks. The food was cooked to order in a reasonable time and the bill came to $67 with a few beers. The lack of atmosphere means will probably make the walk west to the more popular options in that direction, unless we notice an uptick in patronage, it is a handy local option for take out though.

ajitoya

82 Charles Street
Seddon,
VIC 3011

We've wandered past ajitoya and read good things about it, but hadn't ventured inside until deciding to give it a go on a chilly autumn evening. It had often been either very busy looking or closed up, but the website seemed to give a better good run down of the food on offer and the opening hours then I'd noticed before. It was definitely a bit cold to be sitting outside and we were glad to have booked, as it was busy most of the time we were there on a Tuesday night. 

The front section of the restaurant features a counter and several small tables as well as a bar style table by the window. The lights were held in industrial looking jars. Through the door way was the shop area which may have shrunk in size and the kitchen, after that there was another dining area with a larger table, before getting to a small courtyard with a few more tables...

We started off by sharing a bowl of edamame which were very subtlety salted, but still very moorish.

The prawn and vegetable gyoza 'sauced and sprinkled' were my highlight, carefully made, crisp, delicate and flavoursome, with a perfect accompanying combination of accompanying tastes.

I had the curry udon, apparently Osaka style mildy sweet and light curry stock with udon lurking underneath and well cooked chicken and some potato too. It was thicker than some Japanese curry's I'd tried and the heartiness was appreciated given the temperatures outside!

The crispy tempura prawn, fish and vegies on top of the 'ten don' were spectacular but not quite as crisp and crunchy as expected. There wasn't much sign of the 'thickened soy based sauce' and some of my curry sauce was purloined to accompany the rice.

We were a little unadventurous in selecting Asahi and Kirin over the craft beers, but maybe next time! The service was friendly and swift given how busy they were. The bill came to $64, and I'm sure we'll be back as it's probably our closest Japanese eatery, although Sekai Japanese Ramen in Footscray and Ebi Fine Food in WeFo aren't far away, and offer different slants...

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White Guy Cooks Thai - Take Two

Food Truck
Fridays - Often found at:
Harris Reserve
Gammon Street
Seddon
Vic 3011

The White Guy Cooks Thai truck was back in Seddon, so I made sure I go there earlier than the previous visit on this occasion, arriving at Harris Reserve around 6:30. The park was much busier than it normally is, and there were perhaps a dozen people around the truck. Most people were waiting for their food, rather than to order, and as I'd already checked out the menu for the day from the picture on twitter, I was able to order swiftly, the food then took 10 to 15 minutes to be ready, not too long to wait on a pleasant evening.As with a previous visit the menu wasn't totally Thai, and also featured dishes from other Asian countries.

We shared quite a few items from the menu. I only had a bite of the pork belly 'banh mi' slider, which was tasty but a little dry.

The Som Tum or Green papaya salad lived up to expectations.

The chicken and water chestnut gyoza with soy and lime dipping sauce were supper crispy as with the previous visit.

Massaman is one of favourite thai dishes and the beef curry rated pretty highly, with great authentic flavours fall apart stewed meat. It was served with rice and Asian coleslaw.

The Veg Green Curry of eggplant, sweet potato and green beans was also served with with rice and Asian coleslaw. Again the flavour was great although I found the veggies a little on the overcooked side for a thai style dish.

The five dishes came to $43 and we'd happily eat from the truck again, it certainly pays to get in fairly early to get a choice from the full range of dishes...

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White Guy Cooks Thai

Foodtruck - various suburbs in Melbourne's west

The White Guy Cooks Thai food truck has been plying its trade in the West for a few months, and getting a bit of a buzz. We hadn't managed to track it down, other than a random encounter when we were out for a bike ride and the truck was closed for their afternoon break.

To find out where the truck is, follow their twitter account or their facebook page.

Regular haunts include parks in Yarraville, Footscray and West Footscray, all not far from home for us, and when a Friday in Seddon came up, we planned to make our way down.

Various reasons meant it wasn't until about ten to eight that I finally arrived and found a menu full of items already sold out. As it was pretty much all that was available I grabbed the Chicken and water chestnut Gyoza with extra Asian Coleslaw.

The Gyoza were deep fried and looked perfectly golden and crisp. I took them home to share, and they were probably a little on the cool side after the 5 to 10 minute walk. They were enjoyable and nicely flavoured and the coleslaw was pleasant. Perhaps we'd been expecting too much, but it wasn't the knockout we were expecting.

The food was prepared quickly and the staff were very friendly. We will have to give the truck another chance, and get there a bit more promptly next time!

Gaylord

4 Tattersalls Lane
Melbourne
VIC 3000

Gaylord is a bit of Melbourne institution, and one of the few Indian restaurants in Melbourne I knew and visited when I was here 10 years ago. It is on Tattersalls Lane, between Little Bourke and Lonsdale at the Swanston Street end of China Town, across the road from Camy Shanghai Dumpling.

The interior is quite a contrast from the laneway outside, with bright verging on gaudy decor. I'd only been in at night before, so maybe it seemed even brighter when were the first pair of dinners to arrive  for lunch mid-week. A couple of tables were occupied soon after we arrived, but there didn't seem to be a lunchtime rush...

We both ordered Thali's and were soon presented with some popadoms and raita, whilst looking a little darker than usual, were actually pretty standard.

We had to wait a while for our orders to arrive, when they did Phil's non-vegetarian combination included chicken curry, lamb masala and dahl, along with salad and yoghurt. Overall it was fine but lacked a bit of punch. Our garlic naan breads arrived just after the rest of the dishes and were soft and fresh.

My vegetarian  thali also shared most of the same components, with the exception of the palak pannear and the potato and pea curry (alo maiter paneer?). All the dishes were pleasant but a little on the watery side, and were nicely flavoured if not particularly spicy.

The meals were good value at around the $12 mark, and the service was fine, if just a tiny bit on the slow side. Sometimes it is nice not to feel too rushed at lunch. Gaylord seems to be standing up to the test of time.

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Chicco - Seddon

77 Charles street,
Seddon,
Vic, 3011

Chicco sprang up on the site of the former Touks a few months ago, but we hadn't made it down. There have been plenty of superficial changes to the decor and a new all white exterior, but the layout is still the same. It was fairly busy on the SUnday lunchtime when we visited, but we managed to grab a table in the spring sunshine.

The site at the end of Victoria street meant we had a view straight back up the street, and the trees down the middle of the street are growing to add a nice arborial touch.

We had coffees first up, my long black was a little on the intense side for my tastes, and could perhaps been just a little longer. the cups were cute and the tea spoons reminded me on my dear departed grandma's.

I had the vegetable and chickpea pattie stack with tomato relish and hummus. These were actually presented side by side on a bed of fresh peppery rocket. They were well executed, full of flavour and despite being tender held together well. The condiments were both great, the relish being the winner for me.

The home made baked beans with pesto and roast red onions was good without quite departing far enough from my memories of beans on toast to be really special.

The bill came to $37.50, which was fair for what we'd had. The staff were friendly and the service prompt. It's a great addition to the range of café's and eateries in Seddon and a good change from Touk's although from someone who mainly eats out in the evening, not quite so convenient. I did note that they were advertising the arrival of degustation dinner nights, which could be worth a visit!

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