Plume at Highpoint

200 Rosamond Road
Maribyrnong
9318 6833

Yum Cha in Melbourne has definitely been on the slide in terms of quaility. Chinatown is no longer the place to go on a Sunday afternoon with the whole family for dumplings, suburbs like Box Hill, Doncaster and Springvale now call themselves home to the better yum cha restaurants, but one must not forget the West, and this is where Plume comes in. Located right next door to Highpoint, Plume at Highpoint is the sister restaurant to the popular Plume Doncaster.

The place is busy like any good yum cha restaurant but service is still present, there are trolleys being pushed full of baskets of hot food.

We start off with everyone's favourite, prawn dumplings, there are 4 in total, the skin could have been more translucent but the fillings are fresh and the prawns were big. Great with a touch of chilli sauce.

We then moved onto one of the delicacies of yum cha, chicken feet, I know there are many out there who would never try this, but its one of the must haves when having yum cha, it's hard to find on the menu else where. These were steamed with black bean and chilli.

Another popular dumpling is the 'shark fin' dumpling. Don't let the name fool you, there is no shark fin in this dumpling, it's basically a mix of prawns and pork, a bit of a disappointment and for the cost I rather stick with the old fave prawn dumplings.

There are spring rolls and there is the below, minced prawns wrapped in tofu sheets which are lightly fried parcels of fingersized yummyness. Another great option is prawn wrapped in rice paper, these are once again lightly fried.

The salt and pepper white bait were crispy and meaty, but lacked some seasoning.

The taro dumplings are filled with minced pork wrapped in a thick layer of taro that has been boiled and mashed. These are then deep fried with the outer layer becoming crispy.

Egg tarts were fresh out of the oven, the puff pastry was soft and crispy but the egg seemed a tad over cooked, but we have definitely have had some of the best egg tarts here in the past.

Plume at Highpoint differs from your usually yum cha restaurant, here the service is friendly, you are asked which type of tea you want when you sit down, you can ask for chilli paste, chilli oil and even fresh chilli, service comes with a smile, the ladies pushing the food trolleys are wonderful. They all seem to have been working there a long time and they are a great help in suggesting what to eat.

It is slightly pricier than some other Chinese yum cha places, but for the improved service and comfort in dining, we find it more than worthwhile. Top notch yum cha without the exorbitant prices (such as Oriental Tea House). Don't bother for dinner though, have been there before for dinner which is worlds apart from their yum cha!

Melba Restaurant

The Langham Hotel
1 Southgate Avenue
South Bank
1800 641 107

Located inside the 5-Star Langham Hotel in Southbank, the Melba Buffet Restaurant has long being a place to celebrate and relax. Although there are two schools of thought for 5 Star Buffet restaurants in Melbourne, Melba or Crown Conservatory, but Melba has always been winning the votes amongst our friends.

The seafood selection is typical for a buffet, you have your oysters, prawns and spanner crab. The oysters and prawns were fresh and sweet but the crab tasted a bit average.

One of the great inclusions of the Melba buffet is their own tandoori oven, this is kept busy with people lining up to order their freshly made naan bread. You can have garlic, herbs, chill BUT one must leave room for a chocolate filled naan bread for dessert with fresh ice cream, just ask the nice chef to make it (they will know what you mean). They also serve some pretty good Indian food.

The Melba also offer made to order fresh sashimi and sushi, the selection available includes salmon, tuna, octopus, swordfish and more.

In terms of hot food, you can have made to order pasta and noodles. The roast corner includes beef, pork, chicken and peking duck, but don't expect peking duck to be made the usual way. Instead of using the crispy skin, duck meat is used here.

In terms of salads and cold meats Melba has the full range. They have a great selection of cheese.

But the main reason people go to buffets is for the dessert I think and The Melba offers some of the best range of sweets. In bite sized servings one can grab more then one and still feel like they are being good to their tummy. The tiramisu is one of the best in Melbourne, creme caramel and creme brulee were both top notch. And what can you say about that chocolate fountain!

Would we come back? For sure, if only for the naan bread and that chocolate fountain. For those who still haven't chosen a place for Mother's Day, grab that phone and book Melba before everyone else does!

Fruits of Passion

188 Bellair Street
Kensington
9376 8588

Our local and favourite brunch spot, located right opposite Kensington Station, Fruits of Passion offers day long breakfast on weekends and a great coffee before the journey into work during the week. There are other breakfast cafes on Bellair Street but sadly we are very loyal and have stuck with Fruits of Passion when we feel like a great brunch. To begin they know how to make a good coffee, unlike some places they know the difference between a long mac and a long black.

The must have dish (when hungry) is eggs benedict, instead of a muffins they use hash browns, so bad that it is good. The ham and eggs are cooked perfectly every time, it's topped up with spinach leaves which gives it a balance and at least you feel like you have eaten something healthy. Their special 'yummy dressing' is a great touch, we have never fully worked out what goes into it. Extra mushrooms were juicy and well flavored.

Another favourite dish is their vegetarian deluxe consisting of sun dried tomatoes, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach and eggs your way on sourdough toast. Once again the poached eggs are runny yet firm. A side dish of sausage is another must have extra.

Fruits of Passion have been around for years, a place that we walked in for a quick coffee has turned into our favorite brunch cafe, we always know that we will get great food, great service and of course great coffee.

Match Bar & Grill

219 Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
9654 6522

Match Bar & Grill opened over a year ago in Melbourne, its first in Australia, located in the heart of the CBD. The bar offers great cocktails and no fuss wines. There is even a list of things you won't find at Match Bar like no pints, no happy hour and no 'apple martinis'. During the week it is filled with after work suits who enjoy a bit more class then the local pub, with a fully automatic wine cabinet stocked with wine selected from Matt Skinner you can try a shot, half a glass to a full glass of wine. Match Bar is spacious and offers a nice back drop of Swanston St in Melbourne when drinking on the outdoor deck during the summer.

They have recently updated their menu with thanks to Paul Wilson, never having had a meal prior to this change we are unable to compare. We ordered the olives which were supposedly marinated in rosemary, these sadly disappointed as the olives lacked flavour and were soft. The mushroom and gruyere croquettes were cheap ($1.50 each) and such good value, these were lightly fried and salted, the gruyere complimented the mushrooms so well, they sat light in the mouth with a burst of flavour.

Having not been to the Vic Markets for a few weeks and missing the bratwurst, seeing that Match Bar offered a hot dog we did bite and ordered this immediately. They serve this with the staples, caramelised onions, dijonaise and sauerkraut. The buns was nice and crusty however the bratwurst could have been spicy as it missed a bit of bite.

One of their newest menu items and one we heard so much about was their David Blackmore Wagyu burger ($25), these came with a side of fries. The burger had pancetta, cheese, lettuce and some nice pickles, the pattie was nice and moist.

Match Bar is a great place to visit after work being in such a great location and having a spacious outdoor deck, this place takes their wines, beers and most importantly cocktails seriously and with a new 'beefed' up menu there is no longer a need to drink and then walk aimlessly down Swanston St for that Chinese or souvlaki.