Swedish Pizza | Templestowe

Vegetarian SP ($15 regular)

Who doesn't like pizza?  If you raised your hand, then please check your pulse because I think something must be wrong! ha! :)  In a town full of pizza shops, pretty much every place has the same-same. No surprises and definitely nothing new. Maybe one place has some cheese-stuffed crust, while another has spaghetti as a topping, but in all honesty - it's not very exciting.

But Swedish Pizza, now there's definitely something new! As you've might have seen from a previous post of ours about Swedish Pizza, we really like this little place. There's some of those classic pizza standards on the menu, but it's their complete uniqueness, combined with great tasting pizzas, that keep us coming back!

Kebab & Kebab SP ($15 regular)

We met up with some friends this time, who were very intrigued by the name of the place and 4 pizzas were finally ordered...after much chatting and debate on which new taste to try.

I ordered the Vegetarian SP ($15 regular), with paprika, artichoke, olives, onions and jalepenos. It was supposed to come with champignons, but opted those suckers out.  As mentioned in our previous post, these pizzas are huge, so a 'regular' is like a large - and definitely plenty of food for a hungry bear. I happily devoured this special pizza - full of flavour and wonderful hits of heat from the paprika and jalepenos.

The Stockholm ($15 regular)

Shawn ended up with a half & half. Half of the normal Kebab and then other other half was the Kebab SP ($15 regular). So his pizza was topped with the standard kebab, onion, green pepper and kebab sauce. And the SP side had all those toppings plus champignons, paprika and bernaise sauce. He thoroughly enjoyed both sides...until they were completely gone!

Our foodie & chef friend Alex ordered The Stockholm ($15 regular) which was sprinkled with marinated beef fillet, champignons, onion and garlic. He had nothing but good comments to make about his pizza choice...and it quickly disappeared, too!

Boat Pizza ($15 regular)

After much cajoling with Rhiannon about the name of the pizza she selected, the Boat pizza ($15 regular), hers arrived with marinated beef fillet, champignons, onion and kebab sauce. She remarked it was really good and a great choice, even though I annoyed her constantly throughout her meal by saying "I sunk your battleship" a million times!

All in all, another great evening at Swedish Pizza. With half a dozen pizzas tested now, we can safely recommend anyone give these guys a try -- you will be extremely pleased with the taste, quality and price!

Woodstock Pizzicheria | Brunswick

Woodstock Pizzicheria

It was a great moment when we received a text message from the lovely Elena, advising her legendary pizza-making husband Michele had re-sufaced in the culinary scene by way of Woodstock Pizzicheria. For those of you "in the know" - I need not say anymore about Elena & Michele's amazing reputation for making the best pizza's in Melbourne. But, for those of you who don't know what I'm on about...well, you should go to Woodstock Pizzicheria to find out (although, you won't find Elena there).

Hello Michele!

So, within 24 hours of getting Elena's text, we were walking into Woodstock's front doors. It's a mammoth restaurant (far, far cry from where they came from in Heidelberg) and beautifully fitted out.  As we were shown to our seats, a familiar & lovely smile appeared in the pizza kitchen - Michele was in the house! Oh yeah!

Beer & Wine

I quickly ordered a glass of white wine ($7) and Shawn ordered a Carlton Draught ($5/285ml). We sipped as we perused the menu, which isn't large, but is varied enough to cater to most tastes. We were a bit surprised at not having the choice to choose the size of our pizzas, but hey - when in Rome, right?

Caprese Salad

Our absolutely delicious, yet dishearteningly small, Caprese Salad ($15) hit the table just moments before the pizzas arrived. It was like a little teaser salad, with four pieces of tomato, the same amount of mozarella di Bufala, and a handful of rocket and basil. The salad experience ended way too soon and although we wished there was more of it, our eyes widened at the lovely pizzas that now sat before us.

Woodstock Pizza

I had the Woodstock Pizza ($20) with pomodoro, fior di latte, roast potatos, carmelised onions, eggplant, zucchini, oregano and pecorino cheese. Can't really say anything else except: YUM. All the right amounts of seasoning and flavour made me a very happy lady.

Zio Antonio Pizza

Shawn opted for the Zio Antonio Pizza ($20). Decorated with pomodoro, fior di latte, fresh ricotta cheese, cacciatore salami and olives. Suffice to say the salami was the star and it disappeared from the table without a second thought.

De Cecco Olive Oil

I must take a moment though to mention an honourable side-kick to our pizzas, the De Cecco Extra Virgina Olive Oil that sat on our table. We looked at the bottle while we waited for the food to arrive, and both agreed we'd give it a shot. And boy did we ever! Once we splashed a few drops onto the first pizza slice, it was impossible not to continue doing it to the next, and the next! That's some amazing olive oil and a fantastic accompaniment to our pizzas!

Being nice and full, our bill was dispatched totaling $67. Considering the atmosphere and quality, it was a well priced dinner. Both the food and restaurant are amazing. For us, the only thing missing was Elena. :)

One of the dining tables

If you're into gourmet pizzas, and I don't mean the loosely used term "gourmet" that you see on frozen pizza boxes, I mean real gourmet pizzas....then you must add Woodstock Pizzicheria to your To-Do list.

Make sure to arrive early, otherwise you'll have to wait for a table, and watch everybody else enjoying their pizzas before you!

Enjoy!

Va Tutto | Ivanhoe

Silver Christmas deco at our table :)

We've been going to Va Tutto since they opened back in 2005 and are really
surprised the Urbanspoon rating isn't significantly higher. We've dined at various times for lunch and dinner, as well spent the last two Christmas's there...and have only great experiences to report on!

My Gingerbread man!

This leads to the purpose of today's blog: Christmas lunch 2012! To have someone else do all the hard work for you on a public holiday, we all thought $140 per head for such a delicious meal and lovely surrounding was well worth it! Our lunch included entrees, mains, and dessert - all of your own choice from their large holiday menu. (Drinks aren't included in the set price)

Herb Pizza

We were greeted with warm & friendly smiles all around, and seated at an adorably packed, silver themed table in the main restaurant. Little gingerbread men stood at each wine glass, silver Christmas crackers on our side plates, and little stars sprinkled around the middle of the table. Ahh, this is Christmas!

The complimentary herb pizza was most welcome when it arrived at the table shortly after we sat down, we munched away while sipping on our glasses of Wild River Chardonnay ($32/bottle).

Oysters

Gyoza

Shawn started off with a serve of their famous hand-made gyoza. Stuffed with prawns & scallops, these little fried morsels were accompanied with wasabi soy dressing, chilli vinegar, and cucumber & green papaya salad. By far, this entree is one of Shawn's absolute favourites!

Shawn's father ordered the 1/2 dozen freshly shucked oysters (served natural) and couldn't stop raving about how beautiful they were! All wonderfully fresh, tasty, and eaten very quickly!

Zucchini Flowers

Both myself and Shawn's mother ordered the crispy fried zucchini flowers filled with goats cheese & pesto. What can we say - so much goodness in such a small package! The biggest challenge of this dish, is to include all those little touches on the plate in with each mouthful of the cheese & pesto. The beetroot puree and fresh pomegranate salad worked beautifully with the cheese & pesto, combining salt and sweet, as well as creaminess and crunch. Happy days!

Punjabi Indian Curry

By now the restaurant had their second sitting in full force, and the place was packed with happy patrons. The wait staff were a little under pressure, but managed it all smoothly. This was also the time we ordered a second bottle of chardonnay!

All our mains were well presented, and with the exception of Shawn's, on very large plates. It's amazing how much can be crammed on a single table!

It all worked though, and Shawn's main meal was the most nontraditional of all: Punjabi Indian chicken curry with basmati rice and naan bread. If you follow our blog at all, you'll realize we're huge fans of Indian, and are even accomplished in cooks in the cuisine. Our high regard for Va Tutto's flavours, and our love of Indian is what made Shawn pick this dish. The curry was softly infused with Punjabi spices, meaning it was just exotic enough to satisfy curry fans, but not too bold or spicy to scare off the locals. The rice was soft and naan crunchy. Very pleased!

Lamb Shank

Shawn's father had the slow braised lamb shank, but for the life of me I can't remember what accompanied it. Have a look and let me know if you know what it's sitting on! ha! Regardless, as I was speaking with Shawn's father, he touched his fork to the shank, and the meat simply fell off. Literally, it just fell off and his eyes widened with the excitement of what delicate deliciousness awaited him! It goes without saying, the dish was completely enjoyed!

Wild Barramundi

Technically, I'm a pescatarian, although I eat fish but rarely. I personally consider myself a vegetarian because my pescatarian tendencies only really appear if I'm having a celebratory dinner. Anyway, on Christmas day I find myself looking at the fish dishes...partly because I've been told (by both Shawn and his mother) that the steamed fillet of wild Barramundi is a hands-down winner of a dish.  And after seeing them both eat it with immense pleasure last year, I decided to order it today. The lovely piece of fish sat delicately atop Asian greens in a shallow pond of soy, ginger, chilli and coriander - I understand why they loved it so much. The Barramundi skin was crispy, yet the fish itself was moist and flaked lovingly into the tangy soy-styled sauce it sat in. The greens were lightly cooked and crunchy (as they should be!) - a winner in my book!

Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli

Shawn's mother ended up ordering a dish I've eaten once before at Va Tutto: the pumpkin and ricotta ravioli. Big pieces of ravioli are complimented with parmesan, butter, pinenuts, and currants. It's a beautifully executed dish, with those little nuts offsetting the softness of the pasta, and with all flavours working in harmony. Shawn's mother enjoyed it completely, and even had the kindness to share a few pieces (as it was a large portion!) around the table :)

Mascarpone cheesecake

Is there room for desserts? Of course there is! Both Shawn and his mother ordered the mascarpone cheesecake with pear, butterscotch sauce and walnut ice cream. I've had this one before and can vouch for it's absolute goodness - you feel really naughty eating this cheesecake! And may I note that neither of them offered to share ;P

Ice Cream Sandwich

I had the white chocolate and espresso ice cream sandwich, which were perfectly sized for the massive flavours they contained! And in good form, I ate all three pieces in near a blink of an eye!

Sticky Date Pudding

Shawn's father had the warm sticky date and pear pudding, with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce. It must have been good. Because he didn't speak much once it arrived, and by the time I scoffed down my dessert, I looked over and his was gone. Not sure who won that race, but regardless, the empty plate sang praises for his dish!

Overall, a wonderful day & great meal! As I said at the start of this review, Va Tutto have always provided us with amazing dining experiences - both in the quality of food and service. If you haven't been, take our word for it, and go!

Swedish Pizza | Templestowe

Swedish Pizza

I know, it seems sort of odd to use the words "Swedish" and "Pizza" in the same sentence. But let me assure you that this new pizza eatery in Templestowe will make you wish you'd learned the phrase long ago.

We've passed by this little restaurant many times and Shawn would always say, "We need to give that place a go. I'm intrigued!" And finally, it happened last week, and we're now honestly fans of Swedish Pizza!

Opened only 8 months ago by two eager-to-please, humble brothers (in-law), Swedish Pizza's goal is to bring real Swedish-style pizza to Melbourne. It's been a labour of love for brother chef, with his 15 years experience making Swedish pizzas in his own shop back in Sweden. He's spent countless hours sourcing the right cheese, the right salami, and all the other correct ingredients here in Australia to maintain authenticity.

Swedish Pizza

First, let me clarify that - at the core - this is pizza we're talking about. The Swedish version of pizza. The bases are thinner, yet much, much larger than standard Aussie pizza sizes. Their "Regular" is really a "Large" while their "Family" sized pizza should probably go under the name "Gigantic."

Their toppings, although used sparingly, are packed full of flavour. There's no need to overload a pizza with toppings when you use high quality and delicious ingredients. People forget that sometimes less is more; remember, these pizzas are bordering on gourmet.  And while I'm talking about toppings, let me say it didn't go unnoticed how nicely they were all arranged, clearly done by a very proud chef.

Mexikana (Regular)

Shawn ordered a regular Mexikana (Mexican $15), topped with marinated beef, brilliant "sucuk" salami, onion and green chili peppers. This pizza is now officially Shawn's favourite. The salami had intense flavour and the cheese was slightly stronger than what you'd get on other pizzas. Shawn was in heaven. He's been looking for a spicy, hot & bold flavour pizza for ages now, and we know his mates will be keen to learn about this discovery! The only possible negative comes from an over-indulgence aspect because Shawn ate the entire thing in one sitting. And that was a big, big pizza!!

I always like to get the Margherita ($11.00) whenever I first try a new pizza place. My thinking is, if they can make their basic pizza taste good, then there's hope for the rest. When my humongous "regular" was delivered to the table, it looked and tasted beautiful - and with it came a crunchy Swedish salad (sort of like coleslaw) that I spooned onto each slice. Just lovely.  I think that salad comes with each pizza order by the way.

Margherita (Regular)

Overall, there's a fantastic mixture of classic pizzas, as well as authentic Swedish ones, on this massive menu to satisfy everyone in your party. Remember, you don't have to go full throttle and try a completely authentic Swedish pizza to start, maybe give a more familiar one a go and see how you like the subtle differences.

This little pizza eatery is also licensed - so muster up the courage to try something new. It will be delicious and you will be happy. Trust us, give them a go. :)

Mehek Indian Restaurant | Greensborough

It's a pokey little restaurant, with about 6 or so tables, and not having tested the waters here for many years, we decided on takeaway at Mehek Indian Restaurant.

As we often do when ordering Asian takeaway, we put our rice cooker on, ordered the food, then went along our merry way to pick up our dinner.

Aloo Gobhi (L) and Mutter Paneer (R)

There's no genteel way of serving up Indian curries - which are packed to the brim in a takeaway container - so please forgive the somewhat sloppiness of my dish pictured here.

The bold flavour from the Mutter Paneer ($11.50) surprised me: a sharp tomato bite contrasted the curry's creaminess. Peas and chunks of paneer cheese popped up every now and then like little jack-in-the-boxes, making this altogether a very lovely dish.

We believe Aloo Gobhi ($11.50) is a great indicator of how good an Indian chef is at creating vegetarian meals, and this serving didn't disappoint. Just the right amount of potato pieces and yummy mouthfuls of cauliflower played around in this semi-dry, yet spicy curry. Other than a bit of excess oil floating around, it was spot on.

Garlic Naan

The only let down were the garlic naans ($2.50/ea), but let me qualify this statement by saying they were okay and we ate them (how could we not?). It just appears to us, these weren't fresh naans. We think they might be premade, frozen, then microwaved before tossed into a hot oven when ordered. Why do we think that? Because they were chewy and lacked any crunch - a clear sign they're not freshly made. And that makes a big difference.


Aside from needing a little spruce up with the decor (not sure what that plastic snake of lights in the window is supposed to do for the dining experience), at least Mehek is good...and better yet, consistently good. So, whether you eat in or order takeway, give them a try. What the mehek, right? :P

Greenhills Fish & Chips | Greensborough

Flake, Potato Cakes & Chips

This was our fourth visit to Greenhills Fish & Chips, and we've got to give these guys credit - they're pretty consistent!

We ordered 2 pieces of of flake ($4.80/ea), which came out in the standard batter - not too thick and not too thin. The fish was slightly dry, but nothing to cry about. Add to our order two big potato cakes ($0.90/ea) that were nicely cooked and crunchy. Then to top off the starch craving, we grabbed a perfectly salted & crunchy-on-the-outside and soft-in-the-inside minimum of chips ($3.00).

Out of all our visits, only once were we not completely satisfied, and that was because the chips fell short of the mark. But this latest meal ticked all the boxes and we'll happily go back again for another lazy Friday night meal!

Bhoj Indian Restaurant | Templestowe

Bhoj Templestowe

To celebrate Shawn's birthday, we booked in at Bhoj Indian Restaurant, a place we frequented many years ago. Previous experience prepared us for being served some great food, and with Shawn's parents onboard for the evening, we ventured on to Templestowe.

For those of you who've never been, Bhoj is situated in an odd spot, awkwardly positioned atop another set of shops in Templestowe Village. You'd never know it was there if you weren't specifically seeking it out. As we approached the double-fronted restaurant, we noticed their signage boasted food festival awards year on year, but nothing since 2002? Hmmm...is that a good thing or not? Not sure, let's keep an open mind.

Onion Bhajia

The interior decor, like so many other Indian restaurants, looked as though - at one time in its past - was probably really nice. But over the years, has become worn-down and dated. The place lacked atmosphere, but we got over that quickly because our server was extremely warm & friendly.

Vegetable Samosa

We're here to celebrate, so a bottle of De Bortoli Willowglen Chardonnay ($20) was promptly ordered (and a second came a bit later in the evening!). The lovely wine arrived at our table, but without an ice bucket. It was happily tasted, poured and then placed on the table. Poppadoms were also served, which were crispy and spiced very well.

Chicken Malai Kali Kebab

To start, we ordered Onion Bhajia ($6.70/4 pcs), Vegetable Samosas ($6.70/2 pcs), and chicken Malai Kali Kebab ($11.20). The fried onion bhajia came out moist, yet crunchy, which is just right. But for the record, one seemed as though it was missing part of itself, perhaps lost the battle with the fryer? Not sure what happened there, but it didn't stop us from eating them. The vegetable samosas were stuffed with the usual spiced potato and peas, they were very large, but disappeared quickly! Birthday boy kept the Malai Kali Kebab to himself, boasting it to be the best flavoured entree ever: moist chicken, heaps of spice, and a hint of cheese & yogurt, grilled beautifully in the tandoori oven. Let me note right now that Shawn's willing to go back again just to eat this entree (and it comes in a main meal, too).  Entress devoured, time for the mains.

Prawn Hara Piaza Mirchi

Dal Makhni, Nan, Aloo Gobhi

Beef Madras

What we believe was called something Hara Piaza Mirchi ($20.50) came out full of prawns and plenty of peppercorns. Actually, lots of peppercorns, probably a bit too much, but nice nevertheless. The Aloo Gobhi ($10.90) was a nice mixture of potato and cauliflower, and nicely spiced. It's important to mention at this point, Shawn's mother thought she was scoring the singular green bean of this dish (note photo: near the top left of the serving bowl). When I wasn't looking, it disappeared, and moments later was asked by her if Aloo Gobhi had green beans - of which I replied "I don't think so" and the culprit was quickly spat out because the little green sliver was becoming increasingly hot. Please note: no green beans in this dish, that's a green chili!

It was quite unfortunate that the Dal Makhni ($9.90) completely lacked flavour, because it actually looked really good! It's so strange to ask for salt at an Indian restaurant, but after our first taste of this dish, we just had to. Once our server overcame the mortification of being asked for salt, he brought it to us and wanted ensure he knew which dish it was for. We pointed to the dal and then applied the salt. Bingo! With the salt, it transformed into Dal Makhni - and tasted really good.

The Beef Madras ($16.50) had mustard seeds, a robust flavour, and the beef pieces were quite tender.  The Saffron Rice ($5.90/large) was as to be expected, and the Nan ($2.90/ea) and Garlic Nan ($3.60/ea) were very well cooked.

Garlic Nan

Rating? Entrees 3/3, while mains were 2/4. Add the poppadoms, rice and nans into the mix, and the well-priced wine, makes it 9/11. Deduct lack of atmosphere & outdated decor, we arrive at 9/12 = 75% overall. So, while the experience was okay overall, our expectations were not quite met.

With all that said, we'd say that Bhoj is good. But, not anything like what you'd expect upon seeing those awards listed on their signage.