@chocolatesuze My first visit to Gimlet in Melbourne so you know what that means? It’s lobster time! #melbournefood #melbourne #gimlet #lobster #melbournerestaurant ♬ original sound – ChocolateSuze

Tell anyone you’re going to visit Gimlet in Melbourne and chances are they will immediately nod and say ‘get the lobster’. We start with some cocktails and get the Gnocco fritto with bresaola and parmesan cream to start and then the lobster show begins!

The ⅓ WA rock lobster is wood roasted and comes with saffron rice. The lobster is presented to us first for photos and then carefully deshelled table side. Once the meat is removed the juices are poured onto the rice and the lobster is laid back. The fragrance of the lobster in the rice was so incredible and loved the crispy bits on the bottom of the pan. The lobster was good, smoky and sweet though it was a touch towards the drier side.

We also ordered the wood roasted garfish with caviar sauce which was so beautifully cooked and just perfect, I could’ve eaten this forever.

For dessert there was gingerbread and the most refreshing mandarin gelato and also the almond milk and meyer lemon gelato with caramelished brioche

@chocolatesuze Salma’s Canteen bringing all of Andy Bowdy’s cakes and pastries back into my life #sydney #rosebery #salmascanteen #sydneycafe #sydneyfood ♬ Look at the Sky – Porter Robinson

I’m sure everyone has heard of Andy Bowdy and his incredible cakes and I was devastated when Saga Enmore closed in June. The good news is that Salma’s Canteen is now open in Alexandria and selling cakes and pastries along with mega salad plates.

I swung by during lunch and chose the large main plate for $26 which comes with a choice of protein. There’s schnitzel or meatballs but I chose the 100g smoked salmon which was incredibly delicious but quite small. Luckily the salad servings were generous, I chose the cauliflower dukkah and parsley, the pumpkin dukkah with yoghurt and the risoni w pinenuts, corn and herbs.

On a second visit I got another large main plate and also got the beetroot with goats curd and hazelnuts, carrots, pecan and coriander and the risoni. The meatballs were tender and juicy but again I wanted more of the protein.

Onto desserts! The salted honey tart is my pick of the lot, the buttery pastry shell holds a beautiful custardy filling. I loved the banana cream pie, the dark chocolate tart base was the perfect level of bitterness to match the sweet filling.

The dulce brown butter tart was on the too sweet side but again the pastry was buttery and incredible and the sticky bun is perfect with a cup of tea.

There’s also a fridge along one wall of the shop filled with jams, passionfruit curd, tiramisu and also ready to eat foods.

@chocolatesuze Would you pay $35 for a burger? #clambar #sydney #sydneyrestaurant #sydneyfood #sydneyburgers ♬ original sound – ChocolateSuze

Would you pay $35 for a burger? I was curious about the hype of Clam Bar so you know I had try it. The cheese and bacon burger is definitely on the pricey side of burgers even for Sydney but it’s a big boy, with a hefty 250g grass fed patty and a generous piece of bacon on top. I liked it and would probably order it again and share. Oh and skip the fries and instead order the incredible beef fat potatoes.

The spaghetti with clams arrive and a cloud of garlic envelopes the table, the pasta is delicious and the clams are tender.

We’ve decided to go all out and order most of the sides on the menu, the corn and gruyere gratin is amazing as expected and the creamed spinach is also delicious and soul comforting. We were surprised to see the macaroni alla vodka as a side and we demolished this and would gladly have a main size portion.

For dessert we order the Clam Bar cheesecake with an unexpected presentation, raspberries and almond biscuit are layered on the bottom of the bowl and covered in chantilly cream.

@chocolatesuze The best sausage and egg muffin #sunshinecoast #queensland #queenslander #sunshinecoastfoodie ♬ Weekend – Ashley Mehta

On our road trip up to the Sunshine Coast I became obsessed with Walter’s Diner, a sandwich joint in an old-school, 1950’s building in Maroochydore. The bacon and egg muffin is a classic and is stuffed with so much bacon, but it’s the sausage and egg muffin that stole my heart. The pork sausage patty is perfectly seasoned and just so delicious. I also had to get the pancakes which were light and fluffy with vanilla bean icecream and maple syrup. And also a side of crispy hashbrowns.

We returned at lunch another day for the fresh sandwiches. The maple honey roasted leg ham with swiss cheese is awesome especially with the fat slices of bread and we also got the reuben combo but I felt the beef brisket and the pastrami didn’t really work well together. But anywhos we ended up going back for the sausage and egg muffin for the next 2 days straight so defs add Walter’s to your list