food : chokolait

On a rather cold summer's night fox and i were roaming the streets of melbourne for a cozy hangout that supplied also chocolate, a vice we share. After discovering that the beloved and very pretty interiors of koko club were not open we knew not of what to do. But saviour behold! Chokolait was!

sort of, i think they were only open until we kicked outselves out. Nonetheless drinks were great and yummy! Fox had a classic: belgium hot chocolate

And i had a hot jaffa:

They were really great and yum and just what the doctor ordered! Between this place and Koko black , i think i liked the food here better but Koko Black's interior design is prettier. So i guess it just depends on how you're feeling right?

food: pancake parlour

It is only with restless indecision that I usually wind up at the Pancake Parlour. I usually am not very satisfied, but I usually know that I won't be; prices are over the top, food is average at best. Their saving grace is whimsical and wholly likeable traditional Alice in Wonderland style decor and charming parquet flooring and polished booths. And finally at last, on the menu something to talk about; Chocolate strawberry Jubilee pancakes.



In fox is a deadful (or dreadful) blogger part 2, here is what is left of the Chocolate Jubilee; a triumphant, over the top (excellently so) combination of chocolate pancakes, icecream, whipped cream, hot chocolate fudge, chocolate flakes and strawberries. Wow.




Fuck it looks like crap. But trust me, it is go-ooo-d. Probably too good. If you don't love life you don't deserve such rampant and disgusting decadence.

food: kra ta ron

Okay, I realise I'm posting a lot of food at the moment. Disclaimer: I'm not a pig, really! Also suddenzzz isn't just a food blog either! It's just that I/ we (Fox and I) went to a city school for four years but never really took full advantage of its facilities so now I/we're repenting. In the form of eating out at fit fab and funkeh places like the fit fab and funkeh people we are. And by fit I mean fit in a british way, as in hot (if i just used that word wrong, please don't correct me!).

So anyway, it was my birthday a couple of days ago. Yay! Finally legal etc etc. So my crush took me out for dinner as per tradition. To an extent I kind of feel like we compete over who can find the cooler restaurant, except I think i get bonus marks for also pre-buying cupcakes/ mini cakes, but you know I'm just saying...

Wow, what a tangent. Anyway! This year the place was Kr Ta Ron, a Thai restaurant and Barbeque. We did the bbq because it's like its specialty and stuff. The set and stuff was pretty cool. The bbq-ing bit is at the top and the soupy stuff (they have soupy stuff!) is at the bottom and you can cook your vegies and stuff there. So to me it was kind of like a barbeque crossed hot pot thing. Which is good because I like both.

It's now also set out as an all-you-can-eat sort of thing, so sure enough we got all we could eat.

And in action:

The trouble with the vermicelli was that it burnt easily; apply olive oil liberally. Also! The squid is not cooked unless it's curly. Must be curly.

To be honest the food was really just okay. I mean it's barbeque so no matter how elaborate it is, it's still just a bee bee kew. That being said, the set was pretty fun. There's just something so enticing about cooking food and then eating it (straight away!) that sets the experience apart.

Kra Ta Ron, 195 Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria

food: mr. tulk

Part two of Wolfs' adventures in cafe hunting launches her to a place close to home, or at least was her home until she found the City Library. Yes that's right! The attache of the State Library (of Victoria, Australia): Mr. Tulk.

First impressions were a warped sense of nostalgia- the place resembled the interiors of the library itself. A rather cruel trick perhaps, but very effective and elegantly done. The design screams of Melbourne. Or perhaps considering the life of the cafe during lunch breaks, mutters wittyly of Melbourne with raised eyebrows and a hint of a smile over newpapers (The Age or the Australian only, the Herald Sun is shunned).

I love the lightbulbs in the above photo, but wonder how they keep up with the energy bills and if they realise the impact of their carbon footprint. But then I think of how good it looks and decides to let materialism take over.

Food itself was not as pretty as Koko Black but very much more lunch worthy, if you know what I mean. Chocolate is great but it just doesn't hit the spot as well as a poached chicken baguette

or perhaps a pork and chickpea soup with yoghurt.

Okay, so sure these arn't as pretty as the foodstuff of Koko Black, but you know, inner beauty. Let me just say, that chicken baguette though definately not the most prettiest thing I've seen was pretty amazing. For bonus points, I didn't experience that awakward moment towards the end when you realise that you've devoured more bread than recommended for bread-insides ratio either. Pretty sweet.

source: yourrestaurants.com.au/, theage.com.au/, own

food: koko black

Call me a creature of habit, a traditionalist or boring but I've always wanted to become a cafe's regular. The sort costumer that always sits on the same table, makes idle chit chat with the owners and has a 'usual', after trying everything on the menu bien sur. But of course in order to become a regular one must find a good cafe and up until recently I thought I had it. It was a cute little place tucked away in one of Melbourne many lane ways with a comforting menu and an ambient atmosphere. Until it renovated. It's such a shame as well because one of the things I loved most about the place were it's vintage French posters and old school heater (you put to pull a draw string to turn it on). Unfortunately the owners were on a much different wavelength to I and decided to modernise. Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with a little po-mo, but for me that's something I associate with bars and clubs and restaurants while cafes are cosy soft and warm. Much like a bear.

So now I'm on a mission to find a new place with my first hit being Koko Black in the Royal Arcade. Yes I realise that Koko Black is a franchise and that I'm probably selling myself out to the corporate devil and such, but you should check out the interior decoration of this place. Really, who can say no to dark wallpaper, cherub bearing chandeliers and leather armchairs? No one. Plus sitting near the windows upstairs gives an advantageous position for snipering. It also gives an advantageous position for generally overlooking the arcade, which is nice too.

Presentation wise everything is very chic and rather decadent, which fits well with it's emphasis on chocolate based beverages I think. Case in point: Ice Chocolate, Belgian Hot Chocolate and Coffee Affogato

Personally I think the coffee of the Coffee Affogato was a bit too strong for me, so I'm pretty sure I won't be ordering that again. Then again I get shaky after drinking a regular Caramelatte from Gloria Jeans so I'm really not one to go by. But chocolate is the house specialty and the chocolate drinks were great so that's the main point.

edit: as if turns out affogato is a long black with ice cream, hence my shakiness