My Birthday at Fuji Teppanyaki

Fuji Teppanyaki - http://www.fujiteppanyaki.com.au/ - Saturday 20th November 2010

545-547 Mt. Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds

Hello,
As you know, we invited 11 close friends to dinner in November to mark my 32nd Birthday (15th Nov). What better way to celebrate ones birthday than with food, wine and conversation…

Great company gathered intimately around an iron griddle – thank you to all!

Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan, which means iron plate, and yaki, which means grilled, broiled or pan-fried.

Atmosphere: 3.5 stars

Management neatly tucked us away at the back of the restaurant in a function-like type room. In retrospect, our party was for 14 people. There was a 50th birthday party in the same room with around 30 guests which added to the commotion and somewhat vibrant atmosphere. Everything was in fast motion, except for the drink staff. Keep your jacket at arms length as the air-con was in full swing; ironic seeing as we were seated around a hot grill.

Food: 4 stars

The food was authentic, delicious, non-greasy and oh so fresh! There was a lot of variety, generous portions and an assortment of flavours. The barbequed prawn heads were a stand-out in our book.

Staff/Service: 3.5 stars

Wait staff were pleasant and composed throughout service. The service was good and our x2 Japanese Teppanyaki chefs, who in hindsight were Chinese, were very skilled at cooking and entertaining. Once they got word it was my birthday, staff scurried around initiating a personal touch; I was handed a Samurai Sword, asked to smile and given a Fuji Teppanyaki framed photo within seconds or so it felt.

Decor: 2 stars

Any decoration or added flair went unnoticed. Aside from the chopsticks, most bits and bobs were un-authentic, uninspired and very sparse. But that was only in the back room, the front section had a bit more going on. 

Pricing: 3.5 stars

We opted for the $65 p/person set-menu. This did not include dessert or drinks. Overall, everyone was very satisfied and felt the quantity and quality of the food vs. the price was very reasonable and competitive. Make a note that Fuji Teppanyaki is a BYO restaurant which is a bonus.

Peace,

Giuliana, Stacey & Anna

Special dinner this month..

Fuji Teppanyaki in Moonee Ponds on Sat 20 Nov.
Doubles up as my Birthday dinner with some special guests to boot!

MAMASITA - Level 1, 11 Collins Street, Melbourne

Ola!


Mamasita is a brilliant Mexican Restaurant & Bar conveniently located at the Paris end of Collins Street, practically on the corner of Spring Street.

One important note, you will not be seated at your table unless all parties are present - so arrive early and together!

Series of events..

Atmosphere - 4 Stars (Out of a potential 5 Stars)
/Let's start with the most distracting thing of all.. the bad smell :( Apparently they were having issues with their pipes and we suffered the brunt of the odour because we were seated very close to the bar. It was seriously powerful and disgusting.. the sewage pipes perhaps??
/The beautiful Mexican music (derived from Cuban Music) was set at a perfect level.
/We were very impressed with the restaurant layout; there was a variety of sections and seating creating a domestic surrounding.
/Very, very busy! We didn't anticipate the popularity of this eatery.. incredible!

Food - 4.5 Stars
/Mamasita offers some wonderful Mexican dishes including the 'Elotes Callejeros' to start. Seriously the best chargrilled corn (on the cob) we have ever eaten!! It's classified "street style" and it's served with queso (cheese), chipotle (onion maybe??) mayonnaise & lime.. absolutely friggen delicious!
/You should back this up with some 'Tostaditas de Cangrejo.' Bite size parcels of crab meat, avocado, cucumber, tamarind, mayonnaise & chabanero which I think means jalapenos?? Regardless, delicious and spicy!
/Above all, tasty, authentic and perfect for sharing! Actually, we highly recommend sharing every dish so you can taste as many different flavours and ingredients as possible! Such a treat!!

Service - 3.5 Stars
/Even though it was an extremely busy Thursday night, Elvis our waiter never made us feel rushed or unimportant.
/Elvis and Vera were friendly, competent and had good product knowledge. Elvis made some great food recommendations which made us feel happy!
/Our wait staff were consistently available at all stages of the evening.


Design - 3 Stars
/Bland and uninspiring, no real point of difference hence why we didn't take any photographs.
/A few nice embellishments throughout the restaurant including a feature wall.

Pricing - 4.5 Stars
/Imagine our surprise when we received the bill - no more than $47 each! Fantastic value for 3 very full bellies!! Important to note, meal included dessert and only a couple of glasses of wine.

Recommendation
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous food! Mamasita Mexican Restaurant & Bar is TOP pick on our blog! Quick tip.. do your homework and arrive early because you can't book a table for a small group. There were people waiting in line even when we finished up at around 8:30.

Adiós

Giuliana, Stacey & Anna

Next up...

Mamasita!
Stacey and I must be the only people left in Melbourne who haven't been!! Stay tuned.. Something wicked this way comes!

PARIS GO BISTRO - Rathdowne St, Carlton

Bonsoir!

Tonight we ate at Paris GO. A French Bistro with the most delightful customer service! The restaurant was recommended to Anna by her sister, and for very good reasons.
www.parisgo.com.au

Paris GO is close to our homes and extremely convenient if you opt to catch a tram and have a few Vins!

Stacey, Anna and I have come up with a nifty rating system.. (we think so anyway : ) 

Atmosphere - 3.5 Stars (Out of a potential 5 Stars)
/The music was pleasant and appropriate. It started out too faint then eventually got switched off which was disappointing.
/We booked for 6pm, so given, it was quiet at this time. When we finished up at around 9pm, almost all the tables were occupied. We were surprised by the number of people at a French restaurant in Carlton on a Wednesday night. In typical style, we tried to establish which couples were on a first date, who made a reservation and which tables were walk-ins hehe!

Food - 3 Stars
/The dessert was a stand out! We happily indulged in two servings of Creme brulee (caramelised cream custard) and Profiteroles filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with hot chocolate! Need we say more.. except that Stacey licked the plate clean!
/Although the Terrine de canard maison (home made duck terrine) is an entree, it's an extremely generous portion - We suggest you share this one, it's a delicious accompaniment to the fresh bread they give you!

Service - 5 Stars!!
/Julien our Waiter was outstanding, charismatic, chatty and very funny! He also demonstrated great attention to detail and efficiency. Fingers crossed Julien is working when/if you visit Paris Go!

Design - 3 Stars
/Simple with eclectic elements. The scattered French prints, red velvet bench seats and detailed green ceiling are aspects worth highlighting!

Pricing - 4 Stars
/Very reasonably priced for what was on offer. Entree, main, dessert (each) and a few wines worked out to $75 p/person.

Recommendation
We had an enjoyable evening at Paris Go. We would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is interested in dining at a small, quaint French restaurant in Carlton with good food and fabulous service!

Au Revoir!

Giuliana, Stacey and Anna