Melbourne Patron

For months, there had been speculation about the newest dumpling joint to hit Melbourne: Tim Ho Wan (206 Bourke Street). This one was setting the bar high, even for Melbourne diners: it was one of an international franchise based upon the original, a Michelin-star awarded 20-seater restaurant in Hong Kong. Michelin star dumplings! Yes, please. The Queue usually runs around the corner, but moves fast Signs identified the Bourke Street location even before Christmas, so it was no real shock that upon its opening in March, Tim Ho Wan's first Melbourne site boasted queues around the clock. Fortunately, they've done this before (there are currently over 20 Tim Ho Wan sites in Asia and Australia, including four in Sydney), so the waiting area had been neatly sectioned off around the corner, and casual stool seating provided. Menus can be found dotted along the queue area, and in peak times, clipboards are handed out by staff, bearing checklist menus ready to be filled out an...

My chef buddy - whom I've known for years, and whose name I'm going to have to tell you now, since he's deigned to join Twitter , finally - gave a cooking class in Cremorne last week and kindly invited me and my bestie to partake. Chefs Shane Kenny and Mark Favaloro Mark Favaloro (Twitter handle @ChefFluffy ... don't ask) and his sidekick, Shane Kenny ( @Shane_Kenny987 ), met whilst working at the original MoVida , where Shane still holds the fort. Mark now heads up the kitchen at Naked In The Sky on Brunswick Street, and has maintained a strong interest in (and talent for) Spanish cooking. Mark chopping stuff really impressively quickly Our menu/recipe booklets Hence, the theme of this class was "Entertaining - Spanish Style!" and, for a fee, was open to members of the public. Along with other foodies and food appreciators, we were treated to a hands-on demonstration, and (thankfully) the consumption of several tapas dishes and a calamar...