http://www.chardanae.com Adventures with fine wine and fine food. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:47:19 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en With the abundance of great restaurants in Melbourne, you feel like a fool when you just can't think of anywhere you'd like to go at a whim. But we were lucky enough to get a table on a Sunday for lunch at Coda in Flinders Lane. After trying a few ... http://www.chardanae.com/2009/10/14/honey-its-cold-outside-welcome-to-coda-oh-yes-welcome/ Don’t make the mistake of ordering just one! A shopping pick-me-up of the Spanish Chocolate kind. MoVida – Hosier Lane Melbourne Well I’m easing back into the adventure that is Melbourne dining, after an obvious absence, and should let you know that Sash and I now equal three. Navigating Melbourne’s laneways is ... http://www.chardanae.com/2009/05/05/chardanae-is-out-and-about-again-needing-a-spanish-pick-me-up/ Warung Agus - 305 Victoria Street, West Melbourne There's something about the Balinese that stays with you long after you return from a trip. It's not the smiles, although they are delightfully welcoming, its not the sunsets, although they are entrancingly mesmerising, its not the gentle background of chimes, although ... http://www.chardanae.com/2008/10/27/chardanae-appreciates-the-dong-dong-dong-of-the-balinese-chimes/ Have a listen to one of New Zealand's most favoured female winemaker's Jane Cooper, as she runs through her new range of Alexia wines with special mention of where Alexia fits in with the Matahiwi range. CHECK OUT JANE'S ALEXIA WINES AT CELLARDOR.COM.AU CHECK OUT JANE'S MATAHIWI RANGE AT CELLARDOR.COM.AU http://www.chardanae.com/2008/09/11/jane-cooper-alexia-and-matahiwi-estates-new-zealand/ Byron or Bust - Chardanae goes far East Byron Bay has always been an enigma to me. I had visualised a Noosa-esque place minus the Bugga-boos, with a few more surfboards and baby's in body-slings. I was actually not too far off the mark. Byron was more raw than I expected ... http://www.chardanae.com/2008/08/26/byron-or-bust-chardanae-goes-far-east-kind-of/ Seamstress Bar and Restaurant 113 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne Yes, it was a very special occasion, and Chardanae thought she would be clever by booking a surprise Monday night dinner for her birthday-boy husband. With Sash believing I had booked this weeks ago for a 7 o’clock dinner, as 6 pm approached on ... http://www.chardanae.com/2008/07/07/romance-or-fun-chardanae-goes-cantonese-at-seamstress-lonsdale-street-melbourne/ Shouldn’t be only Port Melbourne’s best kept secret! Omahs 138 Rouse Street, Port Melbourne, 3207 Maybe it’s the sentimentality of my honeymoon in Penang, or maybe it’s just the appreciation that Malaysian food is without doubt the most fabulous blend of spices and exoticness on offer for my tastebuds, ... http://www.chardanae.com/2008/07/07/68/ Pelican 16 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda Okay, okay it’s an oldie but a goodie!! How else can you truly enjoy the vibrancy of Fitzroy St, St Kilda, but by sitting near the sun, and enjoying fine fresh meze at decent prices? Enter Pelican stage right! I hadn’t been there for about 12 ... http://www.chardanae.com/2008/07/07/chardanae-misses-her-grandmas-cooking-pelican-restaurant-st-kilda-melbourne/ Donovans 40 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda Foreshore, Victoria I had had a rough couple of days and really needed to unwind. I find there’s nothing more soothing than the lapping of water on the shore, and a nice view to boot. Destination Donovans, St Kilda. It’s like an opulent beach house, with a ... http://www.chardanae.com/2008/07/07/chardanae-takes-a-trip-to-the-ocean-donovans-st-kilda-foreshore-melbourne/ “You just don’t go out and have prawns and duck for that price…you just don’t!!” Cho Gao – Asian Beer Café 311 Level 3 Melbourne Central It’s the end of October and the nights are starting to get balmy. Once again we found ourselves wandering through the hustle and bustle of Melbourne ... http://www.chardanae.com/2008/07/07/cho-gao-asian-beer-cafe-melbourne-central-complex-melbourne/