Hooked – Delicious Tasting Healthy Seafood

Outside Hooked

Inside Hooked

Inside Hooked

Counter at Hooked

Inside Hooked

Seating at Hooked

Interesting Saying

Seating at Hooked

Sauces at Hooked

Drinks at Hooked

Box For One – 1 House Fish, 6 Calamari with Rice & Asian Greens

Drinks we had at Hooked

Superfood Salad – Qunioa, Broccoli, Rocket, Spinach, Semi Dried Tomatoes, Peats, Mint, Toasted Pumpkin, Sunflower & Sesame Seeds finished with a drizzle of yoghurt lemon dressing with Grilled Fish

Box For One – 1 House Fish, 6 Calamari with Rice & Asian Greens

Superfood Salad – Qunioa, Broccoli, Rocket, Spinach, Semi Dried Tomatoes, Peats, Mint, Toasted Pumpkin, Sunflower & Sesame Seeds finished with a drizzle of yoghurt lemon dressing with Grilled Fish

Menu:

Hooked is the brainchild of Ray Good and has been around for a while now serving healthy seafood – in three different branches – Fitzroy, Windsor and its newest branch in Hawthorn. I was lucky enough to be invited to try out their latest branch.

The fit-out is exactly what you would expect to find beach-side with a modern twist – white rustic wooden panels combined with white washed exposed brick walls. There is a large communal table at the centre of the venue, surrounded by wooden tables which largely seat parties of two. To the right along the wall are sailor striped booth style seats and a lifebuoy with the inscription – Hooked – In Cod we Trust – further adding to the seaside vibe. Painted on the brick wall as you walk in is a mural of a blue grenadier, further on the wall is a painting of a diver complete with a diving suit – something for you to admire whilst you await your food. These extra touches, together with the friendly smiles of the staff behind the counter complete the warm and welcoming feel.

The menu is located on top the counter which you order from – which is reminiscent of a your local fish and chip store. There are a plethora of selections to decide from. There is a Seafood section from which you can order House Fish (either Grilled or Lightly Tempura Battered) or Calamari (Grilled or Salt & Pepper Battered) both served with either Hand Cut Chips OR Rice & Asian Greens OR Salad. There are Boxes available – Box for One (1 House Fish, 6 Calamari), Box for Two (2 House Fish, 8 Calamari, 2 King Prawns) and a Kids Box (Fish Bites or Calamari with Rice or Mini Chips and Juice Box or Water – with a side salad). The two Boxes also come with the same option of Hand Cut Chips, Rice & Asian Greens or Salad.

There are also 3 different burgers to choose from – Hooked Fish Burger, Seared Tuna Burger and a Veggie Burger. If you are feeling like something different maybe you can try out their Taco and Burrito Menu (Fish Burrito) – with two selections of tacos – Baja Fish and Grilled Prawn. If Salads is more your thing – there are three delicious sounding salads to choose from – The Hooked Salad, Superfood Salad – think quinoa, broccoli, spinach, sunflower seeds etc and an Asian Slaw.

There are also specials that you can have during Lunch hours, as well as a Fisherman’s Soup all for $10.95. You can also buy Extras if you want to add to your meal – such as Chips, Prawns, Scallops. In addition to this are their Home Made Sauces – Dill & Caper Tartare, Sambal, Salsa Verde or Sweet Chili. What’s great is that they give you a recommendation as to which sauce works well with a particular dish. For example the Sambal is delicious with grilled fish with rice or salad. There are also Gluten Free options available. Drinks include the usual soft drinks, Charlies range of fresh juices as well as Phoenix New Zealand Organic drinks.

I decided to order the Box for One – and chose Grilled Fish and Salt & Pepper Calamari, as well as Rice & Asian Greens, with Sambal sauce on the side (I went with the recommended salsa – but was keen also to try the sauce). The dish comes out served on a large white round plate, with the seafood on the one side and the rice and Asian greens on the other with the salsa and a slice of lemon in the middle of the two. The house fish they serve is blue grenadier – the fish was fresh, white, fleshy and cooked to perfection and tasted absolutely delicious – you really don’t need the addition of anything else. The fish remained succulent and juicy which was another win. The rice has a mix of sweet and savory flavours – thanks to the combination of soy, kecap manis together with a dash of sesame oil. The grains are separate – just the way I like my rice. The Asian Greens are blanched and lightly sautéed – keeping in theme of being healthy whilst being the perfect accompaniment to the rest of the dish. The Calamari was another standout – I loved the lightly battered salt and pepper tempura flavouring. There wasn’t a thick layer of batter rather a light covering, which allowed you to enjoy the freshness of the calamari and also made for a less greasy dish overall.

S ordered the Superfood Salad (Quinoa, Broccoli, Rocket, Spinach, Semi Dried Tomatoes, Peas, Mint, Toasted Pumpkin, Sunflower Seeds & Sesame Seeds finished with a drizzle of Yoghurt Lemon Dressing) with a side of House Fish together with the Salsa Verde sauce. We shared our dish with each other so I got to sample some of her Superfood salad. Once again the salad had a combination of refreshing flavours and crunchy textures which was finished off well thanks to the yoghurt lemon dressing. S liked the salad so much that since then she has tried to replicate this at home. The Salsa Verde sauced packed a punch of flavours with coriander being the main character and was quite delicious.

Hooked prides itself on producing healthy food with the key factors being highlighted – low in fat and cholesterol, high in protein and rich in Omega 3. This is thanks to the use of cholesterol free cottonseed oil in all their cooking. Their chips are freshly hand cut from Gippsland potatoes each and every day, and cooked from scratch using cottonseed oil. A fun fact to note is that Hooked will not serve any flake – after all it isn’t a fish!

Hooked has created a modern day healthier version of your local fish and chip shop – which includes an inviting ambiance and vibe that makes you feel like you have just spent a day at the beach. Together with friendly and warm service, delicious tasting food and funky décor – it should be next on your list to visit!

Note: Students can receive a 10% discount (Monday to Thursday 11:30am – 5pm)
Another thing to note is that the Fitzroy and Windsor branches are fully licensed, with the Hawthorn Alcohol License coming soon!

Rating : 4 Pandas
Price: $
Menu – Refer to above pictures or check out http://www.hooked.net.au/menu/
Fullness: 100%
Atmosphere / Ambience: Casual, Warm, Inviting and Beach-like
Standout Dish: House fish & Calamari, Superfood Salad
Service: Friendly and Welcoming as well as prompt – we were surprised at how quickly our food came out, despite being quite full.
Online Booking: No
Restaurant Details and Location:
http://www.hooked.net.au/contact/hawthorn/
669 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
Tel No: 9939 4412

Opening Hours:
Sunday to Wednesday: 11.30am-9.00pm
Thursday to Saturday: 11.30am-9.30pm

Other Branches
http://www.hooked.net.au/contact/fitzroy/                                                               http://www.hooked.net.au/contact/windsor/
384 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy                                                                                         172 Chapel Street, Windsor
Tel No: 9417 7740                                                                                                               Tel No: 9529 1075

Opening Hours:                                                                                                              Opening Hours:
Sunday to Wednesday: 11.30am-9.00pm                                                                      Sunday to Wednesday: 11.30am-9.00pm
Thursday to Saturday: 11.30am-9.30pm                                                                       Thursday to Saturday: 11.30am-9.30pm

                                                                                                     

 

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The Petty Officer – Close Stroll to the Beach

The cool artwork at The Petty Officer

Inside The Petty Office

Inside The Petty Office

Inside The Petty Office

Sweets

Beetroot, zucchini and haloumi fritter, avocado, spinach, poached egg, tomato relish

Latte at The Petty Officer

Local chorizo, potato croquettes, sautéed spinach, poached eggs, parsnip relish

After lining up for almost 5 hrs to get into The Block, N and I needed to grab something to eat. We decided to walk around the Albert Park area – where The Block was located – and stumbled on The Petty Officer. I had previously wanted to come here, but had momentarily forgotten about it.

The Petty Officer is located in Bridport Street in Albert Park and is owned by Dave and Zoe Makin, Adam Mariani and Matthew Lewin – who are also behind Axil Coffee (Hawthorn). Located in what used to be a former fine dining restaurant in its former life in a restored Victorian building. The fit out is brilliant – it has huge windows allowing the natural sunlight to stream through and is very spacey and roomy – thanks to the high ceilings, as well as the layout. As you walk in you are drawn to the massive bird motif behind the coffee station – which stands out in black & white against the white backdrop of the wall. The tables are all wooden – a mix of high and low tables – and paired nicely with black chairs and stools. Another stand out are the hour glass shaped light shades that dot the ceiling throughout the space. Near the back of the venue is a communal table complete with cherry blossom art work on the walls. Chic and classy, yet relaxed.

It was quite a nice Melbourne day – so we decided to sit outside. Being the owners of Axil – coffee is a strong point here at The Petty Officer. I order a latte whilst mulling over the menu. Espresso coffee is the main focus, however there are filter options as well. My latte is crisp, nutty and left a clean finish on the palate at the end. Delicious!

The head chef is Dan Woollard (ex-Il Solito Posto) and there is a breakfast menu that is served all day together with a lunch menu. Everything is made in-house except the bread. There are the favourites such as Avocado Smash with Feta, Buttermilk Pancakes, Baked Eggs, Bircher Museli with a yoghurt Pannacotta as well as a Fritter dish. For lunch you will find dishes such as a Lamb Wrap, Cauliflower Salad, a Pulled Pork burger as well as some Chicken Dishes. Refer to the menu above for more info.

I decide to order the Beetroot, zucchini and haloumi fritter, avocado, spinach, poached egg, tomato relish in the end. I was tossing up between this dish and the Spicy Baked Eggs. The dish was different to any other fritter dish I have seen – instead of smaller individual fritters on the plate – this fritter was one large round and flat fritter – with the avocado, spinach, poached egg and tomato relish all placed cleverly on top and finished with flowers. The fritter had an interesting combination of flavours and was not dry at all. The combination of beetroot, zucchini and haloumi was very refreshing and combined with the other whole elements was great. The fritter itself is quite dense and overall the dish is very filling. The poached egg was gooey and runny just like how it is meant to be.

N ordered the Local chorizo, potato croquettes, sautéed spinach, poached eggs, parsnip relish. The chorizo was in the centre of the dish, and is flanked by the potato croquettes and the poached eggs on top. N is a huge fan of chorizo and said that the quality and flavour of this chorizo was top notch. I tried some of his potato croquettes – which were crispy on the outside and soft and cloud-like on the inside – really delicious.

The Petty Officer is a licensed café and offers a selection of red and white wines, along with ciders and beers. There are sweet goodies in the form of cookies, cupcakes and muffins located at the counter inside that look scrumptious as well.

The Petty Officer (which takes its name from a navy rank) – is located a short stroll from the beach – is a great place to spend a weekend having a casual breakfast with dishes that bring you quality and taste.

Rating : 4 Pandas
Price: $$
Menu – Refer to  http://www.thepettyofficer.com.au/
Fullness: 100%
Atmosphere / Ambience: Casual, Classy, Relaxed. Great place to spend on the weekend just to chill out and enjoy some great coffee and food!
Service: Friendly staff
Online Booking: No
Restaurant Details and Location:
 http://www.thepettyofficer.com.au/
113 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park
Tel No: 9686 3000

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun 7:00 am – 4:00 pm

NSHRY – Japanese Inspired Dishes

NSHRY

Inside NSHRY

Latte @ NSHRY

NSHRY Breakfast – Asparagus, Spinach & Mushroom on Goats Cheese and Toasted Sourdough topped with an Egg and a Tomato and Shiso Vinagerette

Umami Burger – Beef, Umami Rub, Brown Mushroom Suace, Gruyere, Caramelised Onion between a sweet Brioche Bun with a side of Beer Battered Chips, Slaw, Cornichrons, Spicy Chip Dip, Tomato Sauce and Wasabi Kewpie

I have been wanting to try out NSHRY for a while and finally made it down on a Sunday morning. NSHRY – pronounced “Noshery” is located along the beach at Albert Park on Beaconsfield Parade. In keeping with their name – the theme of this place is to focus on a variety of Noshes that not only look great but taste great. They change and evolve their menu every few weeks.

NSHRY is a classy glass box on the beach in a sense and has its very on outside area. The outside area is fantastic on beautiful summer’s day as it the best views of the beach. On this day the sun was out but the sea breeze together with the wind from time to time made it a bit chilly – we did still opt to sit outside though. It was around 11:30am and the place was packed with people who had ventured here after their morning run as well as young families and friends catching up. The inside is all about strong lines and modernity – with the ceiling being their major feature – consisting of wooden shards and reminiscent of stalactites.

We ordered coffees to start and then decided on what food we wanted. I went for the NSHRY Breakfast – Asparagus, Spinach & Mushroom on Goats Cheese and Toasted Sourdough topped with an Egg and a Tomato and Shiso Vinagerette  and N ordered the Unami Burger. The waiter was friendly and attentive, and when I was ordering my breakkie dish I just pointed at what I wanted instead saying it even though I knew it was pronounced Noshery and told me I had to say the dish name or he wouldn’t put it through which I thought was funny =)

The coffee was delicious – it was smooth and rich and had a great creamy caramel flavour. NSHRY has a Synesso Espresso machine and there are other options of how you can have your coffee. You could try the single-origin coffee which is brewed with a Siphon or Cold-Drip as well.

Our meals came out shortly after and the presentation of each of the dishes was really good, as you can see from the pictures above. Both the dishes had their version of a Japanese influence. My dish had poached crumbed eggs, which were crumbed nicely and the crumb was fresh, tasty and crunchy. Just what you want in a crumb! I haven’t had the combination of peas, spinach and asparagus before and eventhough sometimes there was a bit too much of a “green” overkill, the sauces made all the difference in putting these elements together. It was an interesting dish. N enjoyed his burger and the three different sauces the burger came with was fantastic. There was aioli, tomato and a spicy chilli sauce. N said the patty (which is handmade) was juicy & tasty and the bread was soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. The burger also came with Parmesan crisps, chips and coleslaw on the side. The Parmesan crisps is something you don’t usually see coming with a burger, but it was a great addition.

NSHRY is a great place for a beachside brunch and would be fantastic during those lovely summery days – but having said that even in the cooler days it is just as good! The mesh of Japanese elements into a Western meal is done impeccably and the menu has variety. Put this place on your list to check out.

Rating : 4 Pandas
Price: $$
Menu – Can be viewed at http://www.nshry.com.au/NSHRY_SAMPLE_MENU.pdf
Fullness: 100%
Atmosphere / Ambience: Fun, Vibrant and has an amazing view of the beach. Great start to the day – you can hang out at the beach afterwards.
Standout Dish: NSHRY Breakfast
Service: Fantastic, Attentive and Friendly. The staff always seem willing to help in any way they can.
Online Booking: No
Restaurant Details and Location:
http://www.nshry.com.au
129A Beaconsfield Pde, Albert Park
Tel No: 9682 1077

Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 8am – 4pm

Stokehouse – Beachside Beauty with Divine Food!

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– John Dory Fillet, Hickory Smoked Clams, Banana Chillies, Baby Onions, Carrot Purée
– King Prawn and Bug Tortellini, Smoked Tomato, Peas, Baby Gem Lettuce, Saffron and Shellfish Veloute
– Seared Magret Duck Breast and Leg Pastillas, Poached Rhubarb and Fennel Salad, Garlic Purée, Smoked Kaiser
– Crispy Chicken with Pancetta, Mushrooms and Greens
– Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse and Nougat Crunch, Salted Caramel, Honeycomb, Malt Ice Cream
– The Bombe – Frozen White Chocolate Parfait with Strawberry Sorbet and Toasted Meringue

The Stokehouse has the perfect location setting with views overlooking St Kilda beach. There are two parts to this restaurant – the Upstairs which is the elegant more stylish part and the Downstairs Bar & Grill which is a more casual setting and serves pizzas, pastas etc – perfect place for a casual catch up with friends all year round. The Bar & Grill is currently closed for renovations and will open up in November 2012. A new Stokehouse Cafe is coming soon as well – keep checking back to their site or follow them at Twitter to find out more information (@Stokehouse). Stokehouse menus are created by executive chef Anthony Musara and head chef Oliver Gould, and represent the best of Modern Australian fine dining.

My friends and I headed to Stokehouse Upstairs for Dinner and it was the first time there for all of us. We were shown to our tables by our friendly waiter. The place is decked out in white but in a classy and elegant manner. There is a balcony which overlooks the beach, where you can have some casual drinks before retreating to your table. The view is not only relaxing but calming. We ordered the King Prawn and Bug Tortellini, Smoked Tomato, Peas, Baby Gem Lettuce, Saffron and Shellfish Veloute as an Entree to share. The home-made pasta parcels were fresh and cooked perfectly. Even though in the picture there appears to be a lot of “foam” aka Veloute, there wasn’t. The mixture of King Prawn and Bug was flavoursome and together with the other elements of the dish worked perfectly. My main was the John Dory Fillet, Hickory Smoked Clams, Banana Chillies, Baby Onions, Carrot Purée. The combination of the Fish and the Smoked Clams were fantastic and dipped in the carrot purée created a smoky sweet mixture. The presentation of all the dishes had a touch of elegance and even though there were so many elements present on the plate. The dishes weren’t too cluttered, and the use of white plates enhanced the fresh colour of all the ingredients.

Next was my favourite course – DESSERT! I had read about The Bombe – as it the most talked about dessert at the Stokehouse and has been a feature on their menu for a very long time, and it sure did not disappoint. It comes standing proudly in the centre of the plate – a cross-section of frozen white chocolate parfait, strawberry sorbet on a sponge base encircled by a thick layer of blow-torched meringue, which taste like clouds in your mouth. It is simply delicious and you find yourself savouring every mouthful. The strawberries that come to the side don’t even need to be there, the Bombe on its on is all you need. The other dessert we had was the Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse and Nougat Crunch, Salted Caramel, Honeycomb, Malt Ice Cream. This was pretty spectacular as well – the mousse was light and fluffy and together with the salted caramel and honeycomb somewhat offset the powerful chocolate taste. I have never had malt ice cream before, so this was a nice addition.

The Stokehouse to put it simply has great food, wine, service, ambience and views which makes for a memorable dining experience no matter what time of day you go. You can catch the sunset or even just enjoy the night time view of the sea.

Note: The restaurant upstairs can acommodate up to 135 guests seated for an a la carte meal or up to 300 standing for cocktails. Exclusive use of the restaurant space is suitable for wedding ceremonies or any other special occasion.

Rating : 4.5 Pandas
Price: $$$$
Menu – A la Carte – can be found online
Upstairs at http://www.stokehousemelbourne.com.au/upstairs/,
Bar&Grill – http://www.stokehousemelbourne.com.au/bar-grill/.
All new Stokehouse Cafe coming soon – http://www.stokehousecafe.com.au/
Fullness: 100%
Atmosphere / Ambience: Stylish yet casual and has lovely views. Great for a dinner with friends, a private function like a wedding (where you can hire out the entire Stokehouse Upstairs) or for date night.
Standout Dish:
Service: Fantastic, Friendly and Attentive. Stokehouse is known for their great service and they didn’t disappoint when we went there.
Online Booking: Yes via website –
Upstairs – http://www.stokehousemelbourne.com.au/upstairs/,
Bar&Grill – http://www.stokehousemelbourne.com.au/bar-grill/.
All new Stokehouse Cafe coming soon – http://www.stokehousecafe.com.au/
Restaurant Details and Location:
http://www.stokehousemelbourne.com.au/
30 Jacka Bvd, St Kilda
Tel No: 9525 5555

Opening Hours:
Lunch:
Monday to Saturday: 12pm – 2:30pm
Sunday: 12pm – 3pm

Dinner:
Monday to Sunday: 6pm-10.30pm