Killing Two Birds With One Stone

I'm pretty sure my coffee companion had to pick my jaw up off the floor this morning when we walked into recently opened South Yarra cafe Two Birds One Stone. With its Scandinavian design, naked light bulbs and terrariums, nothing says upper class hipster quite like this space, brought to you by the former crew of Liar Liar and Three Bags Full. I was also amazed to see the huge option of seating available! whether your a subconscious alcoholic who loves to be seated at the bar, a social being who delights in the communal table or a couple who just want to make out in a booth, Two Birds have you covered. There's something about this place that I can't quite put my finger on, but as soon as we walked through the door I felt good vibes flying at me from all directions, from the friendly staff to the smiling baristas churning out lattes behind the hard working Synesso machine.

The coffee, made from the five senses blend (this name totally always makes me think of the movie 'The Sixth Sense'...wouldn't it be cool if there was a coffee that could make you see ghosts!), was great and I also indulged in a Panama Don Pepe filter which was extremely drinkable, quite floral and had a light acidity. The food here is, to say the least, da bomb (which is to be expected from ex-Press Club Group chef, David Finlayson). Given the fact that they opened only in July, I was thoroughly impressed with the well developed menu that has offerings from the classic bircher to a rich salt cod and potato cake on wilted spinach. We selected the white omelette filled with hot smoked salmon and fennel salad and the deeeelectable smashed avocado and feta on grainy toast with capers and radish.

All in all, a fantastic and friendly cafe that I will definitely be traveling across town for again (and thats saying a lot...I don't get on the Frankston or Cranbourne line for just any old latte people!). In terms of both coffee and food this place really does kill two birds with one stone.

Melbourne's Taco Trip

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past year or so, you would have noticed that Mexican food has hit Melbourne harder than a night out on tequila. Taquerias have been popping up on every street corner faster than, well, a pack of moustache sporting Mexicans. Hipsters venture out eagerly to authentic Los Amates on Johnston street, social networkers eagerly await the location of their local Taco Truck via Twitter and the brave (and most likely very hungry) tackle the impossible queues at infamous Mamasita, where the wait for a table can be up to three hours. Oh yes, melbourne does indeed have the taco trend bug (I wonder if its contagious...) and I get the feeling it will be sticking with us for quite some time.

So you can imagine the surprise of a co-worker when they asked where my favourite Mexican restaurant was and I had to reply that I'd never actually eaten Mexican food in Melbourne. Shock horror! Their disbelief was so great in fact, that I felt shamed into rounding up an eager vegetarian friend and heading out to Trippy Tacos,on Gertrude street, later that week. This place is the ultimate in casual dining (as well as being all vegetarian with vegan options), with an order and pay at the counter system and a grab your own cutlery and chipotle sauce concept. Both my friend and I couldn't go past the Original Trippy Taco Burrito filled with black beans, salad, cheese and salsa (which was made even more delicious by our own addition of avocado. Genius, I know). Also adored here are the paprika spiked fries and the grilled tofu burrito. By no means authentic it was still a relaxed and finger licking good introduction into Melbourne's Mexican food scene...it's good to see that the this food trend is still as hot as a handful of jalapeños.

So...we were kinda hungry and couldn't wait for photos to be taken, but you get the idea.

Warning: May Contain Spruiking...

Mmm...nothing beats the smell of freshly ground coffee beans in the morning, and that's exactly the what I'm greeted with as I walk through the door of my most favoured cafe. Ok, I may be a little biased about this one as the cafe in question, Reverence Specialty Coffee and Tea, happens to be my place of work. But I figure, what's a blog without a little bias, right? Situated on the suburban shopping strip that is Union Road in Ascot Vale, this little cafe run by brother and sister duo Annie and Andreas Martinu has become a local favourite. And why wouldn't it be with all day breakfast offerings like (my personal favourite) heirloom tomatoes with avocado and fetta on shallot toast and corn cakes with guacamole, avocado, coriander salsa and bacon and relish.

It's been such a pleasure being a part of this growing business, getting to know the locals (we give them name like 'latte man' and 'chicken sandwich guy') and, of course, learning about the coffee. This aspect is the heart and soul of the cafe and just watching the baristas at work has made me realise how much of a science and art coffee making really is. The house blend, 'Carousel', is a mixture of three beans; a Columbia Santa Rita, Ethiopia Yorgacheffe and Tanzania Blackburn Estate, or the much more romantic name 'Clouds of August'. The short black offers tasting notes with savoury tones of cocoa and hints of cranberry with a delicate peach acidity. Sound good? It is! (ok, thats my spruiking done, I promise). Also on offer is the 'Candyman' blend from Auction Rooms as well as weekly alternating filter coffees available in either aero press or pour over.

So, if you do decide to pop in and say hi be prepared for the best coffee experience OF YOUR LIFE!! Ok, so I lied about the spruiking...sue me.

On the Ball

The good old university ball. A night of sophistication, romance and fine fashion...well, at least for the first two hours before the free champagne and Kanye kicks in. But of course the very first question that entered my head when I was told I had a ticket to the Monash Science 'Winter Wonderland' ball was, what am I going to wear?! A new dress seemed absolutely necessary (yes, I do use formal outings as an excuse to buy new clothes. What of it?). I won't lie to you people, I do have a million and one dresses but none of them seemed right. And then, after weeks of searching, rummaging and agonising, I found it. The perfect dress. It was practically calling my name through the white shiny corridors of the Galleries Lafayette in Paris. The amazing, teal colored Karen Millen dress...and it was half price with the last one in my size! If ever there was a moment that I believed in God, it was this. I honestly believe that if you find the perfect dress for an occasion the night will be a success. Even if, by some terrible coincidence, you end up with a bad case of food poisoning, you can be safe in the knowledge that you looked really good with your head stuck in the toilet. So when I spied this ellegant number I knew straight away that it was fate.

Naturally, one of the best parts of a formal night out is getting ready for it, so I hijacked a friend for the afternoon who so wonderfully attended to my hair, nails and make up (I truly have the most wonderful friends). I was very happy with the overall effect, blue and green rimmed eyes to match the dress, subtle silver earrings with the perfect amount of shiny and the most wonderful hand made clutch with enough sparkle to rival a whole Swarovski shop. The night itself was fantastic. All my friends looked amazing, particularly Jess who was wearing a stunning floor length black Charlie Brown dress. The venue, Peninsular at Docklands, was decked out with blue lights, snow machines and people on stilts (good to know where the hard earned tax payer money is going), and they catered perfectly to our need for excess amounts of champagne. All in all, an incredible night. it was indeed a winter wonderland...and thankfully no food poisoning ensued.

What I wore:
Dress: Karen Millen
Shoes: Vintage Italian
Clutch: Lakshmi
Ring: Banjo and Lola
Nails: O.P.I.
Fur Stole: Vintage

Dumpling Deliciousness

The humble dumpling. It's enough to cast any hard core melburnian out into the night to face the cold and bitter winter streets. We know it's worth fighting through the wind and hail just for a mouthful of that perfect pillowy deliciousness. These Xao Long Bao from Hu Tong dumpling bar are no exception and are truly legendary round these parts. To be unhappily greeted by the somewhat flustered staff and be seated after a potential wait of 40 minutes just to get your hands on a bamboo basket of these precious little gems is practically a right of passage. But I can guarantee that any wait is worth the experience. Perfectly cooked wontons, neither gluggy nor dry, are filled with a soft and oh so juicy pork mince and surrounded by a pool of warm soup. The correct method of eating is to take a dainty little nibble so as to drink the soup before eating the dumpling, however I prefer the much more eloquent method of so graciously shoving the whole thing in my mouth at once and letting it explode like some kind of savory Asian Tim tam bomb (hot, i know). Just ensure that you don't shower your dumpling- eating companion with hot broth...trust me, it can be quite painful. They're worth any amount of pain though and there's nothing quite like biting into one and having the warm goodness trickling down your throat...it's an experience that any true Melburnian would be happy to fight through the very worst of weather for. So, if you have not had the pleasure, nay, the privelege, of tasting these pockets of perfection, then really people, what are you waiting for? To sum them up in one word? Amazeballs.

A spot of Spring cleaning

Though it may not be so obviously apparent, due to the somewhat miserable weather, Spring has finally sprung here in Melbourne town. Flowers are beginning to blossom, there's the smell of freshly mown grass in the air and, most importantly, I don't have to dress myself in a million layers so I look like the Michellin Man every time I step out of my door. Personally, I find this time of year extremely motivating. I think it has something to do with all the new growth...after all, if mother nature's putting in all this effort then surely we should be able to manage a little self improvement. The past few days have been particularly productive for me. I've managed to unpack my suitcase after my European holiday, find another job and begun my ritual Spring cleaning. But this is no ordinary Spring clean out, oh no. I'm talking about the clean out that brings a nervous sweat to fashion hoarders everywhere. The clean out that strikes fear into the very heart of every op-shopper who too often finds themself saying 'I probably won't wear it, but it's too cheap not to buy!'. Yes people, you know the one I'm talking about...the wardrobe clean out.

It's not that I consider myself to be a clothes hoarder (a shoe hoarder perhaps, but that's a whole nother therapy session all together), but we're all guilty of keeping an item (or twenty) in the hopes that our money didn't go to waist and that one day we will find the perfect opportunity to wear said item. I, on many occasions, have found myself thinking, 'I should probably keep this bright purple off the shoulder top, just in case someone has an 80's themed party!'. But not this time. This time I had to be brutal. As previously mentioned I've just returned from a little European jaunt, however, my suitcase (cough, extra eleven kilos) was not so little when I got back. Staring into my dark, overcrowded wardrobe, trying to figure out how exactly how I was going to fit in the eight new dresses I bought, was like playing a game of impossible fashion tetras. And so, I bravely went where no man has gone before (hopefully. Unless my brothers been wearing my skirts again) and plowed head first into the challenge. At first I was timid, gently sorting and thinking logically. But after a good hour or so I was like some kind of sartorial Judge Judy, sentencing about a third of my clothes to the rubbish bin. I was a woman possessed and no slightly too small top or old pair of shorts were safe from my wrath. It is truely interesting what one finds squashed at the very back of ones own wardrobe...why did I keep that pair of size six pink ballet flats? And why do I have a wetsuit?!

A good two and a half hours later I emerged sweating but victorious. My wardrobe is now seven pairs of shoes, nine dresses, five skirts, two shorts, three scarves and four pairs of pants lighter. It's amazing how accomplished and satisfied I felt afterwards...and now there's enough space for all of my new European clothes! Happy Spring cleaning everyone! Before and after shots...

Melbourne Musings

Ahh Melbourne. Home of cafes serving the all day breakfast, hipsters with their obligatory fixies and thick framed glasses and bars down lane ways that you practically need a sat nav and Christopher Columbus to locate. I've called this city home for the past 19 years of my life and feel as though I'm still learning about its weird and wacky wonderfulness every single day. From having my taste buds tantalized by some of Australia's best restaurants to gazing longingly at the outfits of the oh so chic shoppers down Brunswick street, I truly believe that we have some of the finest fashion, food, coffee and culture in the world

In my past years of living here I'd like to think I've grown to know Melbourne quite well...I've partaken in its festivals, danced in its live music venues, brunched amongst the hipsters of Gertrude, indulged in its restaurants, and perhaps even, cough, overindulged in the clubs on King street. But with a new cafe, restaurant and fashion trend starting on what seems like every street corner, it can be a little difficult to keep up. I feel as though it's my duty as a dedicated Melbournian to continue exploring this city full of whimsy and fantasticalness (that's totally a word, look it up). Through this blog I shall bring you the very best of Melbourne: style (including that of yours truly), coffee, food, music, festivals and anything else that it's willing to give up. I shall work tirelessly, leaving no shop un-entered, no coffee un-sipped and no dumpling un-eaten. It's going to be tough, but someone's gotta do it.