The peoples' democratic blog of Matt Hayward

On the corner of High and Williams Roads, you could very easily overlook this newish restaurant. While Hebron may conjure up images of Palestinian or Isreali food, it’s a very fresh view on Korean cuisine.  While the menu cites biblical inspiration for the name, it also is very quirkily categorises Korean classics under a Hollywood [...]

Based on the advice of a Mr Tony Bourdain, I put aside my passionate hatred for this suburb and checked out Half Moon.
Their 7 course degustation is without doubt the best meal I’ve had in years. Fish was a key feature, with a delightfully rich fish soup and an amazingly flavoursome fried snapper fillet. Oh [...]

As a recent trip to Ezard proved, fine dining is actually pretty easy. Dress all your staff in black, have them breathe hot air down your neck about the Argentinian fine grain, hand groomed, organic alfalfa garnishing your plate and charge several hundred dollars for the privilege. Serving good, consistent cheap food you’d kill your [...]

For a special occaision, I decided to succumb to The Age’s Epicure to guide my gastronomic destiny. Nothing like going blind and putting all your money on black. Frankly it didn’t work out too well. Sotano is at the Hilton, that is the new Hilton, which is in the new part of Melbourne – the [...]

I thought all was lost when Cafe Zen changed hands on Chapel St. They used to have the best hollandaise sauce (with eggs Atlantic) ever. That place went really down hill service wise any way. But a few doors up down the Windsor end of Chapel St, I found my new thing: 80 Spaces.
Inside the [...]

A tad pretentious, but somehow vital is the new SOS. A bit on the painful side of avant garde, this restaurant is brand spankers new. Despite being above a common as muck food court in Melbourne Central (cnr of Spencer St and La Trobe Sts), it’s so fancy, you’re lucky if you can find the [...]

A few weeks back the snow was pretty bad in Victoria. So we decided to drive up to Bright. A town about 3.5 hours out of Melbourne nestled between the snowfields, the King Valley gourmet region and Glenrowan.
The theory was that if the snow picked up, then we wouldn’t waste money going skiing. But if [...]

Not your average Chinese take away, but has the service of one.

Ever thought you’d spend your Sunday hunting mushrooms at a Mornington vineyard? I never did. But it has its perks and was actually pretty fun!

This weekly free wine tasting at one of Fed Square’s finest is an absolute must for those that want to learn the poetry of the palette.