Melbourne Patron

With recent additions  Shop Ramen , Hinoki Japanese Pantry and BistroK , plus long-stayers  Peko Peko , Easy Tiger , Wabi Sabi Salon , Wood Spoon Kitchen and more, Smith Street, Collingwood is slowly turning into an Asian food haven, with a strong focus on Japanese cuisine. Woohoo! One night after some ramen, friends and I decided we needed dessert, and sake. (Essential.) We walked past the freshly minted Pabu Grill & Sake (190 Smith Street, Collingwood) and decided to give it a shot. We sat at the front communal table and were given very attentive service by the host. I was particularly keen to sample the sake flight and one of my favourite all-time desserts, mochi. (See my previous rave about them here .) The green tea ones were okay, but the plain and melon flavoured ones were delicious. A selection of MOCHI !!! Pabu (Japanese for 'pub') pitches itself as a modern Izakaya, or Japanese tapas bar - that is, a casual establishment where the foo...

This joint is the kind of joint you call a joint. Know what I mean? It's only been open a few months, and it ain't much to look at from the outside, but inside it's retro, kitsch, fun and loud. A funky lil downtown craft beer bar and pizza joint. Bar, complete with booths and disco ball Fluoro numbers let you know when your pizza's ready   Frankie's Pizza is marked by a fluoro sign outside its bouncer-minded doorway at 50 Hunter Street, Sydney. It doesn't appear to have a website as yet, or even a phone number, so you'll just have to trust me on this. Head down a stairwell and you'll find yourself in a friendly-feeling, dimly-lit pizza restaurant with classic red checked tablecloths and a central bar. Pizza is by the slice or by the pie and it's pretty decent: Spinach pizza Can't remember... Something like Capricciosa? Through a side door is where the real party hides. A long, dark den serves as the main bar...