Dee's Kitchen

Dee's Kitchen
19 Pier Street

Dromana 3936

Dee's Kitchen is a cool cafe/deli in the seaside down of Dromana, on the Mornington Peninsula.

I have been there a couple of times and each time the food was fresh, interesting and delicious.  The cuisine has a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern focus. Their menu is seasonal and nearly everything is made on the premises, bread being the exception.

On my first visit to Dee's I had the delicious shakshouka.  My perfectly poached eggs were nestled in a pool of spicy salsa with spinach and chèvre. A very satisfying dish. Loved the smokiness of the chorizo and the house baked pita was perfect.

Shakshouka - baked Middle Eastern salsa with spinach & chèvre, topped with 2 poached eggs, house baked pita and chorizo / $18.50

 

They do good coffee. 

My second visit was with my brother and sister in law and we were all impressed with our selections.

Broccoli fritters, beetroot & sesame dip, shaved pecorino, pickled pear & roquette salad 
with a poached egg / $19.50

I had the Broccoli fritters which came with a beetroot dip, roquette salad and poached eggs.  This was really tasty.  The fritters were full of flavour and appeared to be baked which I liked. The beetroot was delicious and the salad fresh. A beautiful dish that felt light and healthy.

My sister in law enjoyed the smashed rosemary potato and pumpkin with poached eggs, crispy pancetta and pepperonato. I must say I had a little bit of food envy as I had been considering ordering this dish.  Hard to go past smashed potato and pumpkin for a comfort food fix!

Delicately Smashed Rosemary Potato & Pumpkin with poached eggs, crispy pancetta & pepperonata / $17

My brother had the daily special which was Lamb, walnut & pomegranate meatballs with grain salad and in house made pita. This was really good. Great flavours that went well together. A healthy and satisfying meal.

Lamb, walnut & pomegranate meatballs with grain salad and house pita / $17

And even though we were having 'brunch' food there was wine involved.  Because holidays.

Dee's Kitchen is definitely worth a visit if you are in Dromana. They also have a range of products that you can take home, from prepared meals to cakes and deli items.  I must say it is hard to leave empty handed!

Shed 5

Shed 5
37 Dukes Walk
South Wharf Promenade
South Wharf 3006

Shed 5 is a modern Greek/Mediterranean restaurant in the South Wharf restaurant precinct.  South Wharf is a short walk over the Seafarers Bridge from the WTC Wharf precinct.  Shed 5 is literally located in one of the old cargo sheds on the Yarra River. Renovated of course!  DFO and the Hilton Hotel are neighbours as are a number of restaurants and bars. 

Setting sun giving the city a beautiful glow!

I dined at Shed 5 with my sisters on a beautiful summer night. To start we shared some entrees.

Fava Puree - Fried Chickpeas, Shallot, Hazelnuts $8

I'm afraid my picture does not do the Fava Puree justice.  It was divine.  Creamy and soft then topped with gorgeous crunchy chickpeas and hazelnuts.  I would return to Shed 5 for this dish alone!  We ordered some Pita Bread to dip.  

N'Duja & Mozzarella Croquettes - Oregano & Rosemary Aioli $4ea

The croquettes were delicious.  N'Duja is a spicy, spreadable pork sausage.  The inside of the croquette was soft and gooey.  The outside crisp and crunchy.  Perfect.  The aioli was the perfect accompaniment.

Saganaki Cheese - Grilled Onions & Roasted Peppers $16

The saganaki was lovely.  Salty cheese with sweet onions and peppers - a great combination.

Bannockburn Half Chicken - Zucchini and Haloumi Fritters $32

For main I had the Bannockburn Half Chicken.  A large serve but delicious.  Cooked in the wood oven the skin was beautifully crispy and the meat juicy and succulent.  The fritters were an interesting addition and very tasty.

Slow Roasted Lamb Neck - Dates, Pinenuts, Capers $32

My sisters both ordered the lamb and were very happy with their meal.  The meat was beautifully tender and melted in your mouth.

Spring Village Salad - Peppers, Olives, Green Beans, Barrel Aged Feta $13

Potato Fries - Bay Leaves, Chilli, Rosemary, Garlic $8

We ordered salad and potato fries to enjoy with our mains.  Nice classic flavour combinations.

Almond Praline & Honey Semifreddo, Apricot Sorbet, Berries $12

We were quite full by this stage so just ordered a dessert to share.  It was fine with a nice contrast of flavours.


Shed 5 was a lovely dining experience.  I look forward to returning.
 
 

 

Philhellene

Philhellene

551-553 Mt Alexander Rd
Moonee Ponds, 3039

I had been looking forward to eating at Philhellene for a long time.  I had heard good reviews about this Greek restaurant and really expected to love it, but unfortunately I was disappointed.  It's not that the food was bad.  Overall the food was fine but I felt it was just lacking that little extra.  That little something that makes you want to return again and again. 

The restaurant itself is lovely - cosy and with a warm ambience.  I loved the lights over the bar.  We were seated near an open fire and on this cold winter night it was toasty.  The staff were lovely, very efficient and attentive despite being very busy.

For entree we shared a Meze platter.  The zucchini flowers were definitely the highlight.  The ricotta pastries were lovely but the small sausages and marinated calamari were not very appetising and I really didn't enjoy their flavours. The dips were fine. 

Meze Platter for two

The accompanying pita bread was very nice, warm and crispy.












For mains we shared Baked, Stuffed Calamari and Chicken Souvlaki. I liked the chicken more than the calamari but it was quite plain and uninteresting.  The couscous and potato were tasty.  The calamari was from the specials board and was a bit rubbery and the flavours just didn't seem to work. Normally I love rice dishes but I didn't enjoy the accompanying rice.  The salad was fine.

We finished with coffee and Loukoumades.  A very generous serve, they were ok, nice and hot and sticky with honey, walnuts and cinnamon but a little bit doughy.  

Having read a few of the reviews on Urbanspoon it is obvious that Philhellene is a very popular restaurant.  If I do return I will definitely try the Moussaka which seems to be quite popular.

Byblos

Byblos
38 Siddeley St

WTC Wharf 3005

The WTC (World Trade Centre) Wharf precinct is still largely unknown though it has some great places to eat and drink.  Located on the north bank of the Yarra River opposite the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (known to many as "Jeff's Shed") the WTC Wharf is easily accessible from Spencer Street or Siddeley Street.

Byblos is a bar/restaurant specialising in Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine.  The interior is beautiful, very lush and extravagant.  It is somewhere you can drop into for a cocktail, a quick coffee or a meal.  On this occasion I was dining with my sisters and we decided to share a selection of plates from the Mezat section of the menu, plus a salad and dip.

Fattoush Salad - Mixed green salad with radish, tomato, cucumber, toasted Lebanese bread and a lemon and olive oil dressing

Falafel - Ground chickpeas, broad beans, onion, parsley, garlic and traditional Lebanese spices.  Served with homemade tahini sauce

Pumpkin Kebbi  - Pumpkin, spinach and feta cheese, onion, garlic and spices

Hommos and pita bread - Chickpeas, lemon and tahini.  The picture was taken after we had all had a dip!  It looks a bit oily in the photo but was very tasty

Fatayer - Homemade pastry with spinach, walnuts and Lebanese spices

Calamari and homemade tartar sauce

Whilst everything was fine the calamari and falafel were definitely the picks of the night.  The calamari was tender and beautifully cooked.  The falafel was full of crispy chickpea goodness. The pumpkin kibbi was a bit bland - no discernible pumpkin flavour which was disappointing.  By contrast the Fatayer was quite tasty.  The salad was fresh and crisp, the dip and bread very moreish. 

Dessert 

After all the deep fried goodness we were quite full so decided to share a dessert just to have a little sweet something with our coffee.  It was very good BUT I'm embarrassed to confess that I can't remember what it was!!  Maybe I had too many of these ...

... and not enough of this ;)