Lux Bite, South Yarra, VIC

Last Thursday I was excited to be heading off to South Yarra where LuxBite was celebrating the silly season and the launch of their new website with a Christmas party instore.LuxBite is a cafe and patisserie that opened in 2010 and since then has well and truly made a mark on the dessert scene in Melbourne. Earlier this year LuxBite made an appearance on Masterchef featuring a Lolly Bag Cake which was created especially for the show. Chef Bernard Chu and business partner Yen Yee are originally from Malaysia and have extensive backgrounds in some of Kuala Lumpur, Sydney and Melbourne's best kitchens. Bernard and Yen describe their approach to LuxBite as combining 'French Technique' with Malaysian flair. I have a sweet tooth and as my mother is from Malaysia and I have visited the country a number of times I was looking forward to sampling their wares! Upon arrival at LuxBite I was greeted with sweets thrust into my hands and sweet delicacies on show that looked too good to eat! There were stunning cakes spread out on a large table, and special Christmas offerings presented as artworks under raised perspex boxes. The Malaysian background of Bernard and Yen was apparent with Asian flavours and cute Asian styling popping out, throughout the room. As I can't eat nuts there were a number of things I couldn't sample, but my friend was happy to take up the tasting challenge, and all reports were very positive. The trays of savory food and desserts were quickly demolished by guests as I and others went back for seconds and thirds.My highlight of the evening was tasting the coloured chocolate box made for the festive season. Each gift box contains a mix of super bright glossy chocolate cubes packed with Asian inspired flavours including Passionfruit and Kaffir Lime, Salted Caramel and my favourite Mandarin Jaffa. In a normal day I'll happily demolish a family block of chocolate from the supermarket without thinking. Eating chocolates like this though is an experience that must be savored. The chocolates are rich and decadent so having a couple of squares is all you need to be satisfied in a sitting. 

I had a lovely evening and was grateful for the invitation to experience LuxBite in all its sweet delicious glory.To contact LuxBite and place your Christmas orders click hereby Angela Menz

Rice Workshop Official Opening, Melbourne, VIC

When the invitation to the official opening of Rice Workshop landed in my inbox I was intrigued and more than a little bit excited. I was promised a new Japanese food concept along with an opening night dress theme of Harajuku. Having been to Japan a few years ago and immediately falling in love with its food and fashion I was looking forward to the evening- and it did not disappoint!

I've had a long time fascination with Harajuku style so I was happy for an excuse to go all out and aim for a super kawaii look to get into the spirit of the night. As a bonus Fashion Torque hosts Jenny Bannister and Phillip Boon were going to be awarding prizes for the best dressed. I plundered my wardrobe for all things bright, fun, sparkly and heaped everything on layer upon layer. Applying my makeup with a heavy hand it was time to brave the wet cold evening with my friend Anthony and find out what Rice Workshop was all about.Located at 238 Little Bourke St in the CBD Melbourne, Restaurateur David Loh and Chef Tomohiro Suzuki have brought the Japanese Donburi concept to the city. For those not familiar with Donburi it means 'bowl' and in food terms refers to a bowl of rice with toppings. Rice Workshop for a relatively small space has plenty of options on the menu and at very purse friendly prices. The restaurant is split over two levels and has a quirky and inviting interior with the upstairs being a bright open dining space. On offer at the launch was a delicious and delightful array of food with my favourite being the stewed beef bowl, which was so good I went back for a second helping (Known as Gyudon in Japan- Rice with beef and onion with a tasty broth).Plenty of guests had got into the theme of the evening with bright and colourful outfits lighting up a very grey evening. The fabulous Jenny Bannister as always was dressed to impress with a long blonde wig and big fuzzy spiders adorning her head. Jenny along with Philip selected me as the winner of the best costume with second place going to Milliner Richard Nylon. He went goth with flowers on his mustache providing a dash of pink. Third place went to his wonderfully fun assistant Kristine Live who had sequin eyebrows topping off her mad Harajuku, Kawaii look.

Given the great tasty food, excellent prices and central location, Rice Workshop is sure to be a hit- especially with workers in the CBD after a quick easy meal and students wanting to get some seriously yummy bang for their buck. I know next time I'm dashing around the city I'll be making a stop at Rice Workshop.By Angela Menz

David's Restaurant, Prahran, VIC

Chapel Street in Prahran isn't a place I frequent these days - maybe six or seven years ago, when I was drawn to the array of (largely uninspiring and overrated) boutiques contained within the long stretch of road. Angela and I both commented on the way to David's that neither of us had visited this area for years, so we wondered what David Zhou and his staff had in store for us, and hoped it wouldn't turn out like the local boutiques I used to shop at.Situated just off Chapel Street on Cecil Place, David's could not be more like the hurly-burly of the nearby main road, nor the décor usually associated with Chinese restaurants - it was bright, light and airy, with whitewashed panelled ceiling and walls, cheerful pots of greenery and twinkling fairy lights. The staff were welcoming, efficient and knowledgeable, giving us much-needed prompts when we couldn't choose between dishes on the rural Shanghai-inspired menu.We made a not-so-authentic start with a cocktail each, Angela opting for the refreshing Bunda Glam (strawberries, liqueur and vodka) as I choose something a little more boozy in Pacific Isle (white rum, plum wine and yuzu liqueur), both $15. Then came the Shanghai Snacks and Parcels in the form of DIY Shredded Duck and Vegie Wraps, $14, Steamed Pork Dumplings, $9, and Prawn and Bamboo Dumplings, $10. The duck and vegie wraps were a social but slightly messy starter, allowing us to pile (read: overfill) slithers of rich, roasted duck into thin, pancake-like wraps. The prawn and bamboo dumplings glowed green thanks to the addition of bok choy juice in the skin, which also added an earthiness to the juicy prawns, while the pork dumplings were arguably some of the best I've ever eaten - I'd return for these alone.Already feeling content from the starters, we were presented with two generous mains and some quality fried rice. We welcomed the clean, fresh taste of the Coriander Fish Fillet and Snowpeas, $25, which would make a perfect, light dish for the health-conscious. Unlike the gooey decadence of the aptly-named Country Comfort: Sticky Pork Belly with Chat Potatoes, $23 - two-bite portions of gloriously fatty pork belly smothered in sweet, moreish sauce with lumps of fluffy potatoes.Even though we struggled through the mains, we couldn't bypass the temptation of dessert - especially when it involved dumplings with chocolate. And so it was we stuffed in some Soft-Centred White Chocolate Dumplings with Peanut and Coconut Praline and Icecream, $9. Being allergic to nuts, Angela was thrilled when our host Yunan said it wouldn't be a problem to serve the dish without the praline, allowing us both to indulge in the little sticky parcels of white chocolate goodness. We washed them down with a "soothing digestive" Jasmine Pearl Tea, $10, which provided a cleansing end to a somewhat gluttonous evening.Given its close proximity to many popular post-races hangouts, David's is a great location for a gourmet pit-stop on raceday evenings, providing deliciously satisfying fare in a social and relaxing environment. Bookings are advised, especially during Melbourne Cup week (and it must be noted David's is closed on Melbourne Cup Day).Angela says: Dining at David's was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. My highlights of the evening were the pork dumplings and the dumpling dessert. As a lover of dumplings I have to go with Lisa say these are definitely some of the best I've ever eaten. I also wish to note how pleasantly my allergy to nuts was dealt with. I felt very comfortable with how it was handled- which as anyone with a nut allergy knows isn't always the case when dining out.   

David's Restaurant, 4 Cecil Place, Prahran, VIC. Open for lunch Monday - Friday 12-3pm, Saturday and Sunday 11:30am-3pm, and dinner Monday - Wednesday 6pm-10pm, Thursday and Sunday 6pm-10:30pm, Friday and Saturday 6pm-11pm. Book online or call (03) 9529 5199 for a reservation.OTOT dined as guests of David Zhou.By Lisa Tan and Angela Menz