Time for Thanh Phong

Thanh Phong
Shop 7, 240 Victoria St, Richmond

With a craving for Vietnamese food, Bun and I headed to Victoria St. With a plethora of Vietnamese restaurants to choose from, and being the lazy people that we are, we decided simply to walk into the one closest to where we parked the car. Thanh Phong it was. A waiter zipped through the tables, frisbeeing dishes off to customers, and greeted us at the door with a cheery, toothless grin. We took one of the last free tables, and were quickly handed menus.

Rice paper rolls with pork and prawn

We started with pork and prawn rice paper rolls. Wrapped in crispy lettuce and dunked into the sweet peanutty dipping sauce, the rolls were a light and refreshing start to lunch.

Broken rice with shredded pork and pork chop

Bun's broken rice was one of the better versions we've tried. Although slightly smaller portioned, the aromatic grilled pork and the garlicky shredded pork skin made every mouthful an increasingly eager one.

Combination Vietnamese Pancake

My Vietnamese pancake was a mammoth sized parcel. Bulging at the sides with fresh bean shoots and juicy prawns, and doused in fish sauce, this was a crunchy/salty/sourish/sweet/awesome cake of pan. I was already full less than halfway through it, but I kept eating. Just one more bite, just one more... and then it was gone.

Thanh Phong ticked all the right boxes. Tasty, cheap and quick Vietnamese food. Friendly and efficient service, and a casual atmosphere. The frontage doesn't particularly stand out, so keep an eye out for a bluish/green sign when trolling the street.

Little cups of cake

Little Cupcakes

Shop 7, Degraves St, Melbourne

Everybody loves cupcakes. Now imagine this - fitting 10 cupcakes into your mouth at once. This is the type of super human feat Little Cupcakes allows you to achieve. This cosy store churns out freshly baked handmade treats to the hordes of customers it attracts everyday.

After waiting patiently in line, it was finally my turn to choose from an assortment of tiny (and not so tiny delights). A mini cupcake (roughly a quarter of the size of a standard) will cost you $2, and a standard size between $4 - $4.20 each. I couldn't decide on one mini cupcake, so I got five...

From the top: Rasberry White Choc, Cookies and Cream, Mint Choc, Cream Cheese Choc, and Belgian Choc

Rasberry White Choc was the best. Buttery, melt in your mouth icing, with a moist cake base. Mint Choc came a close second, which is surprising considering I usually think all mint sweets taste like toothpaste. In this case however, the mint icing was light and delicate and paired well with the crunchy malteaser on top. I'd happily brush my teeth with it everyday.

So if you're ever down this end of the city, make sure to visit this little treasure cave and shove one (or five) of these delights into your mouth, and be on your merry way.

Liar Liar pants on fire

Liar Liar

90 Kinkora Rd, Hawthorn

Saturday morning brunch was at Liar Liar, a busy little cafe just off Glenferrie Rd. Walk in the door, and your senses are assaulted by the pleasant aroma of espresso. We sat at a large communal table, surrounded by trendy Hawthorners and young families doing the after-morning-sport food run.

French Toast

Big Fat Liar

I got the french toast with poached plums, mascarpone and maple syrup; Bun got the Big Fat Liar - the in house big breakfast combo. My french toast was a three tier mountain of sweet sweet heaven. One bite combined crunchy bread with gooey warm syrup, tart sour plum and creamy mascarpone - a taste explosion that drove me into the ultimate food euphoria. Bun's big breakfast included a few welcome variations to the traditional big breakfast get up. A chunky tomato relish, herby continental sausages, and juicy firm mushrooms kicked the gourmet-ness into overdrive.

Banana Chai Smoothie & Latte

Bun's latte, although aesthetically pleasing to the eyeball, could've been a little hotter, and my banana chai smoothie could've been cooler. Aside from these temperature mishaps, Liar Liar is a true testament to what a standout cafe should be.