Anzero, Glen Waverley

When I think of Valentine's Day, several things come to mind. There was a year on Valentine's Day when we got accidentally locked out of our house. It was the only Valentine's Day where we had a threesome - ourselves and the locksmith. It was a very expensive date. 

There was another year where we spent 3 hours at a restaurant. The act of eating food took less than an hour, but the rest of time we were waiting for harried servers and kitchen staff churning out meals to all the customers. We had plenty of time to stare into each other's eyes which was the only advantage of the date. 

This Valentine's, we celebrated ahead of time. We went to a neighbourhood Japanese restaurant Anzero. Gaz had heard good reviews of the place and wanted to try it out. It is a small, neat and tidy place. We were ushered to a 'display table' - a table at the front of the restaurant beside the glass windows so passers-by can see us as though we were on display. 

There is a small selection of items on the menu and each item can be made into a set meal for an additional $5. The additional items in the set meal is a fried beef dumpling, an onsen egg, and some cucumber slices. Both single and set meals came with a salad and miso soup. We ordered the 150g scotch steak yakiniku ($27.50). The beef was cooked medium rare and was tender but there were some chewy parts that really tested my teeth strength. It was basically pan fried beef on rice, and while I really liked that I was eating a hearty portion of beef, the dish would benefit from some kind of sauce. The miso soup on the side helped, because it was much too salty on its own. 

The spicy beef karubi ($29.50) was good. The chilli oil sauce gave the whole dish a nice kick, but it is not spicy. The raw egg added some richness to the dish. A second egg came in the form of the onsen egg which was part of the set, so we set that aside to eat with the beef yakiniku. I think upgrading the meal to a set is not really needed because the three additional items are not substantial and are not must have's in term of flavour profile. They are good to have to add variety to the meal though. 

 The portions were on the small side, but we both agreed that we should not be eating too much anyway. The flavours are a bit inconsistent and a bit of a hit and miss - the miso soup was too salty, the beef karubi and dumpling was oily. The restaurant had only recently opened for dinner service so perhaps a refinement of the menu is in order.

Union Deli, Acland Street St Kilda

Gaz took us to a new cafe at St Kilda last weekend. He was in the mood for an American diner type food so he suggested Urban Deli on Acland Street. For lunches, there is a cart out the front of the restaurant that one can see the meats chopped up and the sangas assembled. It looks like it mainly does take aways but have several tables set up outdoors for those who prefer to eat in. I do recommend dining in because the meat plates are too good to enjoy on the go. 

We order the porchetta lunch box ($22) which came with a thick slice of roast pork, sauerkraut, pickles, stuffing, chips and sauce. The roast pork is tender and the crackling where it was crispy was delicious. Some parts of the pork was a bit dry but when I eat it with the stuffing and sauce, it was great. The stuffing is very tasty, I wished I had more of that stuffing. 

The smoked beef brisket ($18) burger had thick slices of tender and flavourful slices of beef brisket, pickles, coleslaw and chips on the side. The portions were generous and it did not leave any bit of hungry in our stomachs. That's a sign of a good lunch date.

 

St Kilda Festival 2026, Robot Song

Leading up to Chinese New Year is the big Spring Clean. Reaching into the nooks and crannies that had only seen light once a year, brushing cobwebs from vents and corners, washing the windows and doors - these are all part and parcel of the big cleaning exercise once a year. I know I would have no qualms about stuffing myself silly at the dinners to come, because of all the calories burnt beforehand!

So it would seem frivolous for me to take a break the weekend before CNY to watch a play at Theatreworks in St Kilda. The play is called Robot Song and is about an autistic girl who was bullied at school and how she and her parents dealt with the issue. It is based on a true story, which made me feel quite upset that such things can be happening in our society. To think that kids can deliberately address a letter to their classmate to wish she had never been born.. how were they brought up? Sadly, the play did not mention whether the bullies were made to understand their actions are wrong or faced any consequences.

After the play, we went for a stroll along the beach. It was a picture perfect day - sunny and clear, not too many people on the foreshore. The development of the penguin viewing platform was new to us, so we went for a walk there and even saw a penguin nestled between the rocks. Soon, it drew a large crowd but happily we managed to snap a picture before the crowd grew too big. 

The wooden jetty has been complemented by a concrete walkway which increased the capacity so more people can walk and sit to enjoy the surroundings. The pavilion at the end of the jetty remains open and is home to a cafe in addition to an extension housing a public change room, and toilets. There is a place along the jetty where people can dive into the sea and climb back up using a steel stair. It is very convenient for those people to shower and get changed at the public change rooms after their dip in the ocean.

The city skyline in the distance looks like a dream. I used to admire city skylines but nowadays I like the view of never ending green pastures and mountains better. But the view of the cerulean sea dotted with sailboats is beautiful. 

 

Ruffey Lake Park

Ruffey Lake Park is a lovely, large public park in Doncaster with a large lake in the middle of the park. It has many walking tracks with paved roads, a playground, picnic tables and bbqs, even a ninja warrior course for kids. What it is lacking though, is shade. There are barely any trees along the walking tracks, so when it is a sunny afternoon, it is not a good idea to walk the park unless one is equipped with sunnies, hat, loads of sunscreen and long sleeve shirt and pants. Riding a mobility scooter would not hurt either. The tracks have a slight gradient which makes it quite a workout. 

 There is a nice boardwalk along the lake where one could try to spot frogs, crickets and ducks. 

We walked for a close to an hour, but could not persevere under the hot sun and soon left for the comfort of air conditioning in the car and home. 

Ampang Tofu, Doncaster

I think one of the little joys of life is to get a great bargain, especially in food. Last weekend, Ampang Tofu had a promotion in their restaurant. They were offering half price yong tau foo noodles. 6 pieces of vegetables and beancurd stuffed with fish paste and noodles in broth for $21.80 normally is half price during lunch time. 

There was a queue as expected, but I soon secured a table and wrote our orders on the slip of paper available at every table. There was another queue for the cashier after which Gaz picked out our selection of yong tau foo at the refrigerated display cabinet. I had asked him to pick vegetable pieces that required no extra deep frying, while he had picked out the fried wonton, fried beancurd, and all the fried pieces of yong tau foo. We were yin and yang indeed! Who would be picking out all the fried pork lard from his noodles, or chicken skin from his Hainanese chicken pieces if I was not around? He would grow into a tub then a barrel!

I ordered yellow noodles and bee hoon in laksa soup. I liked the rich creamy coconut, spicy and salty soup. The fish paste in the yong tau foo was bouncy and lacked any strong fish smell. I liked that the ratio of fish paste to vegetable is generous. 

Gaz's bowl of flat rice noodles in chicken soup was very good too. The soup was chickeny and tasted like home made with actual chicken bones and meat, not just chicken msg powder. I think the soup could have made a good Ipoh kai see hor fun. 

 There have been many unflattering reviews of this restaurant around the wait time and service, but I think one should not dwell too much on the quality of service in a typical Asian restaurant, especially when the restaurant is so good to offer a half price promotion. 

Asian Comedy Showcase, Morris House

When the State Government offers freebies, you don't refuse... so when it is the last weekend of free public transport, we just had to take the train and trams in the city. I also got us some tickets to the Asian Comedy Showcase at Morris House in Exhibition St. The line up was not announced ahead of time, so I had low expectations but it turned out to be one of the best comedy show I had been to. 75 minutes of laughing, all courtesy of Promotix. 

There was He Huang, Takashi Wakasugi, Nathan Chin, and a few other comedians whose names I did not catch. They were all funny and made interesting observations about daily lives which included Asian swear phrases, Uber drivers, rats and dogs. The crowd was a healthy mix of Asians and non Asians. 

Bridgerton Masquerade Parlour

The 4th season of Bridgerton will be streaming on Netflix soon! And how fitting it is to have a party to celebrate it. We were invited (and everyone else too) to a Masquerade Parlour at 362 Little Collins St. Here is the invitation, courtesy of Netflix: 

Netflix cordially invites fans in Melbourne to get masquerade ready for a new fairytale season

Join us from 31st January - 1st February at 362 Little Collins St

Dearest gentle reader, as anticipation swells for Bridgerton Season 4: Part 1 debuting on January 29 - with rising Aussie star Yerin Ha taking the lead as the masked Lady in Silver - Netflix is inviting Melbourne fans to unmask their own fairytale at The Bridgerton Masquerade Parlour. 

Open Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st February, members of the Melbourne ton are invited to:

• Step into Regency-era opulence: Explore a luxurious Bridgerton-inspired space, filled with DIY and guided pampering stations to help esteemed guests perfect their masquerade look.

• Capture the moment: Pose for stunning photos throughout the Parlour and take home their own fairytale portrait in the Masquerade Ballroom set.

• Live the fantasy: Enjoy the company of fellow members of society and get ready for the new season in true Bridgerton style.

The Bridgerton Masquerade Parlour is located at 362 Little Collins St, entry is free and will operate on a first come, first serve basis. 

Yerin Ha makes her debut in this new season as determined and captivating Sophie Baek, opposite Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton. Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down - until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother's masquerade ball. Part 1 drops on 29 January, followed by Part 2 on 26 February. 

Isn't it lovely? There was a queue of about 50 people deep by the time we got there, 99% ladies dressed to the nines and 1% gentlemen who either loved their ladies a lot, or had been threatened to be there. The staff were dressed to their part in costumes of the era and they did a good job in keeping us entertained, providing instructions, helping us all the while keeping a pleasant and friendly demeanour.

After an hour of waiting in the queue, we were finally ushered into the parlour. It was beautifully decorated with wisteria (fake), large flower arrangements (real, beautiful!), costumes on mannequins, a dining table, and other props with things from the period. I think they have done such a great job. 

There were a few 'stations' in the space which were manned with ladies dressed in elaborate dresses to help the guests to choose the colours that look best for their skin, to choose a suitable mask for the 'masquerade ball', to choose gloves and jewellery. At the station where we chose a mask, we interacted with a man who wore a powdered wig and makeup with lip colour nicer than mine! He helped us 'choose' a blue mask and a mysterious mask for Gaz. The lady at the glove station was very kind and gave us instruction on what to expect. I put on a MJ glove, and made Gaz put on a 'napkin' with a brooch on for fun and pictures. After another half an hour of enjoying the experiences of the parlour, we were eventually invited to go upstairs to have our pictures taken. 

The Bridgerton Masquerade Parlour experience - the gossip papers, cards showing our choice of mask (mine was intellectual, so apt!), raspberry macaron

 A lady who had her portrait taken showed us what it looked like - one can choose whether or not to use AI to improve the portrait by superimposing a dress from the era, tiara, and even add hair in the case of a bald gentleman who accompanied his wife there. 

The queue for the portrait was another half hour as it took quite a while for the photographer to manipulate the pictures via AI, and people wanted to pose properly for their portrait. But when it came to our turn, we were quite rushed because it was already 6pm and the parlour was closing. We would have been the last one to take our portraits but for a middle aged lady who snuck in after closing time much to the chagrin of the staff but no one could dissuade her to leave. 

The end result was disappointing compared to the experience of the parlour. So I am glad that we took some time to browse around and take pictures on our own, but did not take too long as to miss our portraits taken by the official photographer. I would show our picture, but it looked nothing like us. Somehow AI managed to make us look much worse than unfiltered pictures!