LAM LAM - Vietnamese Cafe

A new addition to High Street is LAM LAM Vietnamese cafe, a little bit of Victoria Street, Richmond located a few doors from the Northcote Town Hall. A success from the day it opened early in 2010, Lam Lam is a welcome addition to the High Street eating scene.

As befits a Vietnamese cafe, tables are laminex, cutlery is in a stainless steel cylinder, tea is in the thermos, and a box of tissues serves as serviettes. We enjoyed a feast. First course was soup - I had the Won Ton soup and the other Clubbers opted for the Chicken and Cornflour. Both where delicious. We also shared chicken skewers and spring rolls

For mains we shared, Lemon Chicken, Pork 4 seasons, Vegetables with ginger, Szechuan Calamari, Four Seasons Prawns and rice. Plenty for the five of us. All delicious and all served promptly by friendly waiting staff. And how much did this feast cost us? Less than $20 each.

Value for money is one reason people keep coming back, other reasons include the quality of the food, the speed of the service, and cheery ambience. LAM LAM is not licensed, you can BYO and corkage is minimal. And if you must drink and you forgot to bring your own, pop across the road to the Peacock Hotel and buy what you please.

This is not the place to dally, this is a place to eat and move on. I liked this place so much I went back the week after. Being so close to the Town Hall we were well placed for heading off to the Magic Festival, which was great fun and I will watch our for again next year. But back to LAM LAM, there are no pretensions here, what you see is what you get, a good quality Vietnamese Cafe.

LAM LAM, 209 High Street, Northcote 9482 5258

Sigiri -- It's a good idea to like coconut

Sigiri, is one of those unimposing places that only vaguely register. I have lived in Northcote for what now amounts to decades and I can't remember when it wasn't there. Yet in all that time I have never eaten there nor indeed had I wanted to eat there. Thankfully, due to the Cafe Club I broke out of my rut and had enjoyed the delights that are Sigiri.

The decor is designer proof, it is clear that the owners have decorated the place in a style that suits them, from fringed umbrella's to giant, display size, bottles of cocoa cola. The walls are brick with happy decorations including a wall of masks. But it is not the decor that attracts people to come back again and again - it is the food.

The hoppers are a must - "bowls" made out of a bready coconut mixture that you use to eat with your meal. Ours came and one had a fried egg sitting down the bottom. One with in our group claimed that it looked like a bra on the run.

This place is all about curries. Our favourite was the pumpkin curry, but all were good. We also had the banana pancakes and they were eagerly enjoyed by all.

Prices were reasonable and on the weekends there are buffet nights where you can taste a wide variety of the Sri Lankan cuisine. I do believe that on buffet nights, it is less than $30.

As I mentioned from the begining of this entry. Sigiri is a place to return to again and again, and I am delighted to say that one of our group has, in the few weeks since we sampled this fine establishment, been back twice.

To close a word of warning, you may now be able to get into Sigiri without a booking, but as the word of mouth continues to spread you might find yourself standing in a queue.

Sigiri on Urbanspoon

Bar Idda - It's Italian but where are the Nonnas? -@ L'Osteria??

In April, the Cafe Club extended their territory to Lygon Street, East Brunswick. Bar Idda - the new hip Italian on the block. And very popular it is too. Indeed so popular that you have to choose which sitting you want - 6.30pm or 8.30pm. None of this choosing a time to suit you and staying as long as you like stuff. No this is all about - get the food, have the experience, and go -- hopefully in time for the next batch of punters not to know that you have been there sitting in their seats only seconds before they arrive.

The food is excellent, and the service is friendly, knowledgeable and prompt. But really is this what an Italian Cafe/ Restaurant is all about? I mention this because on Saturday, I went to another Italian Cafe/Restaurant not too far away in Nicholson Street, Fitzroy, L'Osteria, the place has been there for over 20 years and the food is to coin a well used foodie phrase - rustic. But what hits you about L'Osteria and what is missing at Cafe Ida - is the sense of local eatery. That this is, a place that local people walk to, a place for the whole family, Mum, Dad, Nonna and the kids. On Saturday night at L'Osteria nearly every table was occupied by a family- with at least one Nonna. Mother's Day being the next day may have had something to do with this. But somehow I think that even without this much loved celebratory day, L' Osteria, like numerous Italian establishments in the area (Red Olive?) would have been places that welcomed the whole family.

Not so at Bar Idda - unless of course you were a very hip young family with good time keeping skills. No, this is a place for people who want to eat at the new chic spot. The food is yummy. And it is a place to be seen. But is is not a place to settle in, with a group of friends, for a night of easy conversation and plenty of red. For that - go to one of the many family owned and run Italian cafes in the area. They will welcome your patronage and to show you how much they enjoyed having you there, don't be surprised if at the end of the evening they give you a complementary limoncello or grappa.

Wesley Anne - lovely outside - grumpy service

It was a warm March night when the Cafe Club went to the Wesley Anne. One of our cohort is a regular at the place, loves, the atmosphere and the live music. Indeed she says it is one of her favourite places. It was Cait who got there first and made the wise decision to sit out in the rear garden. Not one of those chic courtyards to be found in other establishments, nor it is have the blokeishness of a beer garden. No this was a little bit of out door heaven, trees, tables, pagolas, and of all things a cruddy old caravan. Don't ask me why.

To get food you have to go inside and line up and say what you want, You pay individually and the food arrives as it is ready. This can lead to a rather disjointed mutual dining experience and not to be recommended for people who want to enjoy the feeling of sharing a meal with friends. You may get to watch your friend eat while you wait for your meal to arrive, but really that is not very satisfying, is it?

The food itself was passable and the price reasonable. Would I go back. Umm no don't think so - they just did not make us feel like valued customers. Rather we came away feeling disappointed that we had upset their evening by turning up and creating work. All very disappointing for Miss Gen Y -- as I said earlier it is (was?) one of her favourite places

Second tasty outing: Coco Loco

For the Tasty Dozen's second outing we ventured into the exotic Coco Loco where you can travel to the Argentine without a passport. Chocolate is the passion of the owner (major hunk) and the way he traverses the universe. There are chocolate martini's, hot chocolate, cool chocolate, and crepes. Not your usual crepe, these are made from special glueten free powder and made with love and tender care. Each is a work of art - the banana, the cheese and potato, the pumpkin and last but not least the chocolate and basil pesto crepe. A combination that can only have been created in some kind of dark, smoke filled room full of hookers.

The group for this outing was eclectic, there was our weary baby boomer, snazzy Miss Gen Y, wearing a little french inspired number, White Man Gen Y, and our happy couple -- made of 3, including a budding Mr Spock..... beam me up now Scottie.

The Cafe Club all agreed that we would give Coco Loco a 9/10. Mood lighting, soft jazz, handsome waiters, yummy food, and exotic drinks mean one thing --- take a date and you are sure to get lucky.


Coco Loco, 219 High Street, Northcote, 3070, ph 9482 7033
http://www.cocoloco1.wordpress.com/