QUICK BITE: Peko Peko - Cafe/Restaurant

Peko Peko for Lunch

   (degusted 28/5/2011)
 

We came to this cute little Taiwanese/Japanese fusion restaurant (more Taiwanese I guess), after the very fortunate shake of the Urbanspoon spinners*, and this little gem spun its way onto our lunchtime radar.
Typically difficult to find (aren't all the good ones hidden?) Peko Peko is not much to look at - just one of a strip of mundane looking shops, near the commercial realestate offices of Lemon Baxter. 

The address says Southbank, but gee whiz the town planners were liberal in the area names... There's nothing "bank" about this place - its closer to Albert Park Lake than to the bank of the Yarra (for me, "Southbank" ends at City road).

Just Popping in for lunch.

The menu hints at giving a little bit of something for whatever you might be craving... our glimpse across the menu revealed at least 15 items that we'd like have a crack at in the next proper sitting when we go back, and the range extends through all the asian staples - from spring rolls, noodle soups, to dumplings and rices... but the hit - according to all the other blogs is the Pop Chicken (forget Maccas and FKC (sic) - can't compete with this one). One of those for me, thanks waitress. The small piece of tofu was delicious, and on the basis of the morsel I got with this bento, next time I'd order a tofu-based meal to have more of it.

If I could get this Pop chicken to eat with my beers when I'm down at the local, I fear that I would seldom be anywhere else!

Pop chicken bento. Remarkably, the tofu was an unexpected highlight.

The other items tasted were the chilli chicken bento (fear not the chilli) and the Ocean Peko, which was a little tasting plate of fishy goodness.. The Chilli Chicken was delicious - sweet and salty and chilli - just right (they warned us it would be "hot" but it seems some people should be ashamed of their lack of heat tolerance..).  If you can handle a jalopeno on your subway footlong, then this dish is a walk in the Albert Park. This is a dish I would easily get food envy from, if someone else was eating it and not sharing; so tasty, and the sauce perfect to drop in the plain rice and soak it all up.  On the Ocean Peko plate, the winner was the wasabi mayo on the prawns with a piece of pineapple - genius. Also, those beautifully wrapped parcels looked just too good to eat (but weren't, and were eaten with very little problems at all) and the scallops - YUM.

Chilli Chicken Bento. Same good tofu with this one.

Ocean Peko - seafood tasting plate.
Prawns with wasabi mayo and pineapple were top notch.

Sipping away...

I was disappointed with the espresso, which was neither short nor black enough - although it would probably suffice for most punters, or those who prefer to ruin good coffee with milk and that other nasty stuff... oh yes, sugar. Easier to grab a bottle of iced tea and just enjoy the food - although the spicy and crunchy food here would be a perfect accompaniment to a few fine ales.

Rating:  Nom (x3)  out of the scale:

Meh                      It’ll Do                   Nom(x3)                              Must go back!

NB: While rated 3xnoms, we will definitely go back. Probably many times in the near future.

Done and Degusted @ Peko Peko…
Pop Chicken bento
Chilli Chicken bento
Ocean Peko

(....and looking forward to sampling at least another 10 or 15 dishes soon...)

Peko Peko  (03) 9686 1109; 181 Wells St, Southbank

*One final note. The urbanspoon application was on an Android device. *rasberry* to iOS users.... :P

Quick Bite: Degani Bakery Café, Eltham

Degani’s for a quick lunch

(degusted 21/5/2011)

Just a quick bite here, and we were pleasantly surprised with this café in Eltham. On a street back from the main road, it’s in a prominent position – high side of the street with commanding corner position. Eltham itself seems to be quite a charming and bustling little town – with small village atmosphere that I didn’t expect from this part of outer, leafy suburbia (reminded me a little of Mornington).

Sitting on the sun-drenched balcony that runs the length of the Degani shopfront (and continues on to next door’s Nando’s), it was a magnificent stage for the lunch performance. A quick espresso shot to get me started was standard café quality (no glass of water, though) – not outstanding, but for those unfamiliar with Melbourne cafés an “average” shot is pretty damn good... The soy Mocha was good, according to the sweet tooth.

The strawberry milkshake went down perfectly- sweet and thick, but a good fruity flavour, not overly syrupy. The trio of dips tamed my craving for carbs, and the crispy (not crumbly!) pastry of the meat pie was a delight. Friends with us were happy enough with their food, although the staff found it difficult to understand the request for a salad – yes, just a plain salad – they first came out with a fruit salad, and later managed to throw some leaves together and dress it appropriately. 

Pie, Milkshake, dips & bread, espresso and mocha.
Add sunshine and you get a really nice quick bite for lunch..

 Overall feeling: Milkshake and pie really hit the spot, and a great place to sit and soak up the warming rays on a clear winter’s day.

Would we go back? Well, we’d try the number of other offerings in this little town before we could make that call, but I would not hesitate in suggesting someone checks it out for themselves.

Rating:  IT’ll Do, and a half.

 Meh                      It’ll Do        (It’ll do + 0.5)           Nom(x3)             Must go back!

Done and Degusted @ Dagani Bakery Café, Eltham…

Espresso

Soy Mocha

Trio of dips

Aussie beef pie

Strawberry Milkshake

Fresh OJ.


Degani Bakery Cafe - 9439 6686
Shop 1, 6-20 Luck Street, Eltham  VIC  3095