Eating Melbourne

The best way to start the day in Melbourne is with a strong coffee in one of the atmospheric inner city lane way cafes.  This morning we had the added joy of being able to listen to a busker playing some ethereal pieces on his cello for the whole time we were drinking coffee and planning our day.

We met up with Rob's old friend David and his Vanessa for lunch at a little (very long and narrow) hole in the wall Thai restaurant on Victoria Road in Richmond. David ordered all his favourites for us: green papaya salad, steamed salmon green curry, whole snapper, Tom Yum, seafood fried rice...the most delicious fresh food.

We've caught up with David and Van twice this year, once in Canberra and this time in Melbourne. We're making up making for some lost time!

We walked up Victoria Road after, to catch one of the free city trams on La Trobe Street, and we both thought we would love to buy this neo-Classical style terrace as our Melbourne "pad"....but only if the current owners agree to leave that Rover Thomas painting above the fireplace.

We celebrated our last night in Melbourne tonight with another wonderful meal out with friends of Maxie and Rod's at Maha, Shane Delia's celebrated Middle East inspired restaurant, just around the corner from our hotel, in Bath Street.

We chose a four course set menu which included some amazing dishes like ketalfi oysters with sour onion hummus with pomegranate, duck and fig bastilla, beef short ribs, 2 hour roasted lamb shoulder and some desserts to die for. We  all loved the Turkish delight filled doughnuts with rosewater honey, but this halva parfait with yoghurt icecream and sesame tuille was very yummy too.....

 ...as was this Pedro Ximenez cake, and olive oil icecream (again) with rosemary and candied fennel (and chocolate soil).