So I pretty my stumbled upon this place whilst shopping on Chapel Street. I was actually on my way…read moreto Shanghai Village but thought what the hell, I'll give it a go. So we sat down and a friendly waiter brought us some well needed green tea. The service was actually really prompt without making you feel pressured. The staff were also friendly which I think you often find lacking in fast serve dumpling places. So anyway, onto the food. They have a wide range of steamed and fried dumpling offerings including Pork, Beef, Prawn and Vegetable, as well as an array of noodle and rice dishes and sides such as steamed broccoli. All much of a muchness you might think. Well think again. My lunch date and I ordered a plate of steamed pork and a plate of steamed vegetable dumplings to share. The pork were really good, really tasty and cooked to perfection. We were smiling, good call coming here we thought. Then came the vegetable dumplings. Taste sensation! So full of flavour, to the point you could pick all the individual flavours out as they came through. So our smiles became cheesy grins. We came, we savoured, we smashed those tasty dumplings, we left contented. And we both agreed, we will be back.

After a run along the beach, The Boardwalk was a welcoming sight. Fresh juice, smoothies, assorted…read morebaked goods and a wide variety of gelato is all available here for a decent price. I opted for the fresh juice which was made fast and with some good looking fruit. They have pineapple, apple, watermelon, and strawberry and I went for the mix. This is honestly the best fresh juice I've ever had. Not too sweet but definitely a treat after a long hot run.

After the huge disappointment of the Boardwalk Cafe I came into this little offer next door and I…read moremust say that I was really impressed. It certainly wasn't crowded, and there was enough room on the deck outside where I could sit, eat my ice cream, drink my drink, and watch all of the activity on the beach. The prices were pretty standard, but they did have a pretty good selection of icecream on offer. They also had beer, though I suspect that you can't take it beyond the store (since St Kilda is a dry zone). The staff were also pretty friendly, and since it wasn't all that crowded I could spend some time selecting my flavours without feeling rushed. I must say that this is a pretty good little cafe that is probably my preferred choice in the St Kilda Baths.

First things first, Armstrong St Food Store serves breakfast until 3pm. This is perfect for when…read moreyou're hungover enough to miss the Sunday brunch hour and can't face the empty contents of your fridge/cupboard. There's a nice array of meal options, however nothing to really make it standout from the cafe crowd.

The small cakes are incredible! You can get 3 for $13…read more The oreo thing was one of the best chocolate desserts I've ever had. My chocoholic bf also agrees with that assessment. It's smashed up oreos, Bailey's cream, and milk chocolate mousse covered in ganache. The citrus custard thing w/ a macaron on top was also incredible. The pecan pie was our least favorite. It was super nutty compared to the ones in the U.S. Also, pecan pie is just always better served warm. ***You definitely need to try the oreo thing!*** Tip: if you're using a card, there is a $10 minimum.

Coffee, Chocolate Macaroons, what more could you ask for?…read more One of my absolute favourite places for coffee and cake in St Kilda, the team at Cacao produce some of the most incredible Macaroons I have ever tried not surprising they won the award for Melbourne's Best Macaron & Melbourne's Best Designer Macaron in 2010. You can treat your tastebuds with flavours like pistachio, licorice, coconut and jam and cream lamington just to name a few! As if that wasn't sweetly satisfying enough Cacao also make their own selection of fine chocolates, which you can buy them singularly or mix and match for a whole box. The coffee is also well above standard, you will often see commuters around St Kilda with yellow paper take away cups, enjoying a caffeine boost on their way to work. Cacao is a chocolate or coffee lovers dream if you like to enjoy the finer things in life look no further than this incredible little patisserie.

Studfield Fruit Supply stocks really good quality, fresh fruit. This is the place where my Mum buys…read morefruit that is eaten by the family within two days. (The quickest our family eats fruit.) The store is rectangular in shape and while small manages to hold quite a bit of fruit. The prices aren't anything to rave about although you are getting better quality than most places so it's not like you're getting ripped off here. They also stock tinned fruit and veg, which I found quite bizarre. I have never seen tinned goods in a fruit store before. Another surprise were the bottles of orange juice. It is a good idea though and they are still fruit products after all. Service here is pretty good - there's generally about two people working. One serves and the other puts out stock and helps people in the store find things or determine how ripe they are.

It's refreshing to go in to a supermarket on a Saturday morning and be greeted by an event! There…read moreare people demonstrating various delicacies, there is music playing, a sausage sizzle at the front and if you like you can have a quick coffee as well and you can read the paper before or after you filled your bags. Phil, his family and crew have an amazing place. It is what a grocer should be, one that knows you, one that can take a request and make sure he stocks it if available. The variety is amazing, there are cheeses from all around the world, fresh fruits and veggies (amazing quality), a decent selection of organic veggies as well. They support local products and have anything from locally produced peanut butter to kimchi. You do not get "regular" stuff here and if you want the cheapest of the cheap, this is not necessarily the place to go. While you can get most stuff that a household needs you will still need to go to a butcher to get quality meat, there is one just up the street on Millers Road and to other supermarkets to replenish your toiletries and other regular household items. This place is an enrichment to our suburb, we need more places like that.... ... you friendly neighborhood grocer.

Altona Fresh is THE place to go in the west for cured meats, specialty deli grocery items, and…read morecheese, wonderful cheese! We stock up on mozzarella, wild boar sausage, tortillas, hot sauce, and delectable prosciutto every few weeks. Service is super friendly, and although not exactly cheap, it's priced reasonably for the quality of the goods on offer. When you're done filling your basket with fresh Italian/Spanish/Mexican/Greek treats, grab a coffee and a pastry to enjoy in their little cafe area.

The bohemian, Forbidden Forest interior made me pause at Three Monkeys. And perusing the menu…read moreofferings made me check in for breakfast. The decor is completely charming and the bench at the front offers great vantage point for people watching along Chapel St. There are some left of centre brunch offerings. I eeny-meeny-miney-mo'd my way to "The Antipodean" - corn fritters with smoked salmon, poached eggs, tomato cucumber salsa and roquette. It was a plentiful dish and the eggs were cooked perfectly, but fritters were a little dry to tell the truth. The coffee however - seriously better than good! Creamy, creamy crema and a bit on the strong side. Service was super charming too.

Epic sized wagyu burger, delish chips. Coffee needs to be a lil stronger when an extra shot is…read moreadded. But all in all god times. Staff are lovely

Yes, a cake that tastes like lolly bags does exist! As seen…read moreon Master Chef, this multilayered cake of oozy goodness starts with banana lolly Joconde and finishes with a topping of Redskin glaze! Oooh and the Blue Calpis is also a must!

So happy to finally crossed LuxBite off my list, a sweet spot in South Yarra that I had been eyeing…read moreon for a while. Residing on the long stretch of Toorak Rd, just a couple of blocks from the metro station. LuxBite is a medium-sized cafe that has successfully creates a charming and homey atmosphere with a touch of class from the high ceiling, modern design and marble table top. I walked in at around 3:30 p.m., and already they ran out of 50% of their selections, also missed the opportunity to try their MasterChef famous Lolly bag cake *sad* My pick of treats: Kuma - A wonderful play of strawberry and banana cream flavor on top of a chocolate tart pastry. The presentation was insanely adorable, but taste-wise, it was too sweet and heavy for my liking. The chocolate decorations was not delicate and the tart based pastry was a tad too hard. With each cake costing $8-9 each, expensive for what basically amounts to a few bites. Be My Love - Again, the presentation was so darn cute, almost too beautiful to be eaten. However, it was just as forgettable as the previous. A milk chocolate mousse with raspberry jelly in the middle- it has that combination taste of sweet and sour that was a little too overpowering for my palate. The best part about my trip to LuxBite however, has got to be sipping their Rose lychee latte. Mildly infused Rose-lychee flavor latte garnished with raspberry bits. Quite creative, delicious and slightly bitter - a perfect remedy to tone down the richness and sweetness of the cake. Short to say, LuxBite was just an alright experience for me, but I would say it's still worth the try - the taste might not be anything too special, but the cake artistry here is superb and the staffs are full of smiles. Would definitely be back for the Lolly bag one day!