I love Hellenic Republic!
Hellenic Republic happiness
We ate and ate and ate !
Pita:
We tried some warm pita bread, squishy and soft, that went down well with the side dips. It was an interesting combination, with the dip and the bread like a sandwich. The bread is made like a flat pancake, but cut into middle-sized pieces, fluffy and thick.
Olives:
These little beauties are juicy and oily, a beautiful edible sphere that can create an exquisite taste and make a wonderful treat for festivals, picnics and parties! Can be mixed with pasta, but usually is served as a side plate. I give these ones a high ranking and 12 yum yums!
Saganaki Cheese:
This is a very special Greek cheese, served with caramelised figs on top. A chewy, creamy cube of loveliness and melts in your mouth directly after you’ve put it in. It is perfect for special occasions and is a delicacy in this restaurant. I am very pleased with this occasional cheese!
Dip:
Eggplant, very smooth, sweet and sour with lots of taste. Goes perfectly with the pita.
Pickles:
Juicy, oh so beautifully lemon sour! These I recommend for all the vegetarian friends! Right on the dot and satisfying for everyone.
BIG V FOOD AWARD 2009
Stuffed vine leaves
Very spectacular how the rice fits perfectly inside the vine leaf wrapping. I have always wanted to try these. It is the juiciest most lovely snack you could pack in your lunchbox! It is very healthy for vego tummies!
Hellenic Republic
434 Lygon Street
Brunswick East 3057
03 9381 1222
http://www.hellenicrepublic.com.au
Melbourne BFF Local Shorts
The Melbourne Bicycle Film Festival (or the BFF!) is held each year, and it has been 3 years of celebrations. We decided to go and check out the Local Shorts which we also had a film entered into.
We rode to the Human Powered Cafe where the films would be shown. It was an exhausting ride in the heat but we made it there! We got to the cafe and sat down in the nearest chair, waiting for the films to begin.
Pip Carroll, the BFF event organiser, jumped up and did a speech about her passion for bike riding and the BFF. Then all the films started.
I couldn’t judge which was the best, however some of my favourites were a story so hilarious about people have accidents on their bikes and another film with a huge bike race including the ‘Yank’ and the ‘Aussie’ and the ‘Pom’. Then of course there was our film called ‘Farm to Pub’ – it was another bike race in Willaura.
We then tucked into yummy dinner at the Human Powered Cafe then we had a great ride back into the City.
Farm to Pub on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLxvM-sxHic
Human Powered Cafe
562 High Street
Thornbury Victoria 3071
http://www.humanpoweredcafe.com.au/
Melbourne Bicycle Film Festival : Launch
Our first BFF event was the launch. We met at a bar called Thousand £ Bend. The place was really cool because it also had a gallery. This time the BFF had set up a bicycle exhibition with sculptures, movies, art and photographs.
While we were there, I met a new friend called Hugo. We looked around the gallery and talked for hours. Then an interviewer called Sonya came. She invited Hugo and I to be interviewed for 3CR and we accepted her invitation and got to speak into the crazy recording instrument.
I can’t wait for the rest of the BFF!
Melbourne Bicycle Film Festival
http://bicyclefilmfestival.com/?p=melbourne
12-29 November
Orla recommends
The Best.Friends.Forever Street Party
Perfect for families – bring your bikes for the Annual Bike Beauty Pageant!
Sunday 29th November 12-5pm
Corner Cambridge and Peel Streets, Collingwood
Thousand £ Bend
361 Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
Mr Tulk’s Rhymes
Eggy eggy goodness
Crispy chip pie
Pancakey cupcakes
What nutrition!
What taste!
Oh my!
Old Mother Hubbard
went to the cupboard
to get her poor dog some chips
the dog and Mother Hubbard
were very pleased with the cupboard
and made themselves some bread and dips
Old McDonald had a cafe
e i e i o!
and at the cafe he had an egg
e i e i o!
with a squelch squelch squelch
and a yum yum yum
and a
squelch
yum
squelch
yum
squelch!
Tongue Twister of the Week ….
six soy slipper slurpers
One of my favourite cafes to go to is Mr Tulk. It is also part of the State Library so I can read books while I’m waiting for my meal.
Mr Tulk
State Library
Corner of Swanston and Lonsdale Streets
Melbourne Victoria 3000
03 8660 5700
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/about/visiting/spaces/cafe.html
The Dwelling at ACCA
It is a spooky haunted house, where nothing stirs but a mouse
A man sits and plays records all his life, voice like concrete and eyes sharp as a knife
The house is falling to bits, splintered wood with some cracks and splits
Next year a lady owns the house, while she is sleeping she hears wails and shouts
She explores the rooms, cupboards and shelves, when she finds out the sounds are coming from herself!
Then in the late 1920s another woman moves in and madness is plenty
The sounds of the car separate from the scene, everything about the house was like a dream
The Dwelling
On until 29th November 2009
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA)
111 Sturt Street
Southbank Victoria 3006
www.accaonline.org.au
From a lover of Wunderkammer
On a very quiet Friday in the hot and stuffy office, I was sitting at my work desk thinking what to do next. I wanted to go out to try a great cafe, but it was barely lunchtime. I decided to go out for a walk with Dad to get some fresh air. I thought that it might be nice to go to a shop that sells old precious things.
When we got onto the street, I saw a sign. It said ‘Old Books’. “Nah’” I thought, “too many stories I’ve heard before”. I was also looking for even older things. Gems, preserved animals, that sort of thing.
We walked a little further on, when I saw a shop that sold very precious art. “Hmmmmm..” I wondered. “I’m looking for things you cannot afford in shops these days, only museums”. I walked up a very strange street, with quite a peculiar shop. I took a look in the window and OH MY GOSH!
There were gems, stuffed bugs and birds, sea creatures, jars and eggs!
“Hang on Dad, slow down. Have a look at this!”
We walked through the door. The musty air was filled with the magic of wondrous objects. Glass cabinets held treasure of faraway hills which probably don’t exist anymore. Little eggs with blue linings and patterns were placed on shelves.
I felt some little frogs made of emerald and their skin felt exactly like a real frog’s.
The real animals, for instance, the beaver, had died naturally. It was amazing how many small parts of the skull could fit in that structure for such a long time. It was very well preserved.
One cabinet caught my eye. A pearl white, smooth and creamy goose egg. I bought it straight away and gave the owner many thankyous and departed back down the strange street. Now I’m in my room, happy and content with my egg.
Wunderkammer
439 Lonsdale St
Melbourne Victoria 3000
03 9642 4694
www.wunderkammer.com.au
Cibi (miso soup with love)
Cibi also sells cool things like this
Green tea muffin with hidden treasure red beans
Vegetarian breakfast/lunch plate and miso soup with love
move over knife and fork!
brown rice tea. mmmmm.
Pumpkin, pickles, miso, rice
That’s what makes it taste so nice!
Creamy, scrummy so very yummy
That is nicely settled in my tummy!
if you think cornflakes are boring,
A Japanese breakfast is adoring!
Wait, there is a special treat
Do not jump out of your seat!
With red bean and vanilla flake
A crummy, smooth, green tea cake!
Cibi
45 Keele Street
Collingwood Victoria
Telephone: 03 9077 3941
http://www.cibi.com.au/
Gingerlee loverlee
I’d just left my fencing tournament and was riding back to the city on my bike, however we decided to stop in for some lunch first. My body was trembling with excitement as I walked into Gingerlee. A cloak of noise covered me as soon as I got inside. Outside was boiling hot, so as I sat down, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Ginger beer was on the menu. Blessed relief! The beaming waitress had asked for the order. I ordered the refreshing ginger beer and a place of poached free range eggs. I stared around at the cafe. There was a totem and paintings of ships and the sea.
I hadn’t had much time to think because the waitress had already put the plate down in front of me. The eggs were creamy and exploded when my fork pierced the whites. The bread was smothered in runny yolk. I also got to share some of Mum’s fantastic vegetarian beans whilst Dad tucked into eggs with mushrooms, avocado and feta.
What an eggy dream! Mum said ‘Come on Orla, time to go’. What? Where? When? Too soon. I will come back one day. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.
Gingerlee
117 Lygon Street
Brunswick East Victoria
Telephone 03 9380 4430
Hanging out with friends
On the weekend I got to hang out with my cousins at a very special birthday. Here are some of the games we played:
Piggy in the Middle
In this game, you have three people. One is in the middle and is the pig. The other two are on either side of the pig. The have the throw the ball to the other person and make sure the pig does not catch it. If the pig does, the person who threw the ball is then the pig.
Up and Down the Stairwell
One person is in the middle of the stairs, one is at the bottom and the other is at the top. The top one throws a balloon to the bottom person, who then throws it to the middle, who then throws it to the top. Tricky stuff with a balloon!
Mulberries
We also picked mulberries which were growing on a mulberry tree in the garden. We got to climb up and pick them ripe. The ones at the bottom were sour and the one at the top were sweet! Be warned though …. mulberry juice stains your fingers and anything else it touches. I’ve still got purple fingers!
Cousins are cool!