[Melbourne 2022] The Great Ocean Road - A Journey from Portsea to Queenscliff via Ferry, Scenic Route Drive, Jostled with School Kids at Chocolaterie, Lunch at Lorne and Getting Wet at Twelve Apostles

We left our AirBnB accommodation early that morning. Thankfully, weather was good and we were on our way to catch the 9am ferry. It was kinda cool to drive the vehicle onto the ferry with everyone so parked so close to each other.

Portsea 7.47 am, waiting for ferry to arrive

all onboard

departing Portsea

on deck

seagulls

Be careful out there especially with the seagulls hovering over our heads. One nearly shitted on me. Actually, it did but luckily the droppings missed me by an inch, perhaps. Hahaaa.

There's a cafe on the ferry, so we went to grab our morning coffee while enjoying the ride.

what do we have here

pie of some sorts

flat white

chicken pie

sausage roll

pretty tasty

After our breakfast, we went to the upper deck of the ferry to catch the beautiful morning sun.

travelling buddies that made the trip possible

reaching Queenscliff soon

We disembarked from the ferry and drove some more for a few hours.

passing by

nice building

passing by a bridge

passed by a flock of birds

canola/rapeseed field

Most of the nice view were on Ivan's side, so there's only a few photos from my end. We made a pit stop at The Great Ocean Chocolateria and Ice Creamery, to stretch our legs. 

The Great Ocean Chocolateria and Ice Creamery

eclair of some sort served with fresh cream and a shot of hot chocolate

Raspberry Ice Cream

The greatest discovery was the hot chocolate sauce will harden once it meets a colder surface. So we dipped the ice-cream into the chocolate sauce and voila, a hard chocolate shell would form outside of the cold treat. Yums!

We quickly made our exit after the morning ice-cream as there were bus loads of school kids coming into the shop.

Let's enjoy the view along the scenic drive!

We made it to Lorne at about 1pm for a quick lunch. Well, it was supposed to be quick but we got distracted. Read more about it here.

After lunch, we drove some more in order to get to the Twelve Apostles.

lots of cows

eyes on the road

wow, windmill

these are huge

more sheeps

must be nearing Twelve Apostles

there it is!

The Twelve Apostles limestone formation

documenting formations that eroded as well

Thanks to Tracy's persistence and insistence, we got to view The Twelve Apostles before more of it gets eroded.

walking to the other side to take photo

the photo before we got drenched by the rain

The drive to The Twelve Apostles took hours, and the time taken to snap the photos of the attraction was only a few minutes. Ivan wanted to walk to the other photo taking site 10 minutes away from the first scenic point, so we went but halfway through it started to drizzle. Ivan insisted that we press on and that the rain wouldn't get any heavier, and so we continued. Alas, the rain continued to get heavier and by the time we got back to the car, our jackets were dripping water.

Thankful for this group of buddies who braved through rain and sun, and arduous long drive, just to make sure we got the best experience in this trip.

Jersey cows

rainbow after the rain

Thank you Hence, Tracy and Ivan for a memorable trip!

Ka-EN Grill and Sushi Bar @ Capitol Singapore

Was there for a late lunch with Shermaine and Kris, and our birthday treat for Kris.

store front

Kris chose the Premium Buta Kashira Don, while Shermaine decided on inaniwa udon.

Premium Buta Kashira Don @$22

Wagyu Suji Inaniwa Udon @$15

my choice

Premium Buta Don @$19

The accompanying salad and miso soup were good. Lots of dressing for the salad and there's clams in the miso soup!

salad

miso soup

mixed in the runny yolk

The Premium Buta Don uses chestnut pork loin and its texture was nicely tender. Overall, the dish was leaning towards the sweeter side. Hence, requested for the shichimi to balance the taste up a little.

We also shared a side dish of deep fried squid. It came rather late and we had actually forgotten about it. Nevertheless, the dish may looked oily (it was) but the taste was rather good. Crisp on the outside and superbly tender and flavourful on its inside.

Ikageso Karaage @$10

We had a lovely service crew attending to us that day, and she was cheerful and helpful. Attended to our queries and requests, and has adequate knowledge of the menu plus comes by often to check on us. Thank you.

Ka-EN Grill and Sushi Bar

Address: 15 Stamford Rd, #01-82 Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski, Singapore 178906

Website: https://restaurant.momos.io/ka-en-grill-sushi-bar-dd9a8

Contact: 6284 3788

Business Hours:

Mon-Thu: 11am–4pm, 5–10pm

Fri:  11am–4pm, 5pm–12am

Sat: 11am–12am

Sun: 11am–10pm

Po @ The Warehouse Hotel

 "A refined modern Singaporean concept" as stated on their website. Ivan recommended this place for our wine gathering and so we went.

I did some checking up on their food menu prior to the visit and instantly, "expensive local jiak" was ingrained in my mind. I don't think I'd ever be comfortable paying $20 for a plate of chee cheong fun (handmade rice roll), so no to that as of now.

inside Warehouse Hotel

Was ushered to our table because the few of us were early. Warm lights and cosy. Service crew were courteous, and made an effort to attend to our table.

a table in Po

how to enjoy popiah~

For starters, we had cocktails. Guess, which was mine.

Old Soul @$24++

Rose Chan @$26++

Lady Luck @$24++

B.B King @$26++

I could only tell you how mine tasted like. The 'Old Soul' was nothing of what I had expected. It has bourbon, laksa leaf, gula melaka and bitters. Hmmm, maybe am not a bourbon person after all, or this mixture is not my kind of thing. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy it. Moderate alcoholic strength for this drink.

Now, onto the food. Let's start with some 'keropok'. The belinjo crackers was nice. Served with small sides of kechap manis and sambal. The sambal packed a swift punch too!

Bar Snacks

Belinjo Crackers @$9++

I suppose we were expected to like, do tiny dips onto the sambal with our crackers since the amount was so little? Hahaa, not enough for us and we asked for more but it still came in trickling. Limited edition!

There's also the Indonesian Prawn Crackers but that tasted pretty run of the mill. Between the two, I'd recommend Belinjo.

Indonesian Prawn Crackers @$9++

Did we order chicken wing? At first glance, I thought we ordered fried chicken wings but alas, no.. it was the soft-shell crab. Pretty good to eat while it is hot. Didn't need any sauce, but you can have it with the lime mayo dip that came along with it.

Soft Shell Crab @$22++

yummy

Otah @$18++

Wow, the otah was delicious! Just the right balance of chunky, savoury, tangy and a rich coconut milk rempah taste. Lovely.

With just 3 skewers of satay, it better be good at $8 per stick. Well, it was good but not sure if I will order this again.

Charcoal Grilled Iberico Satay @$24++

We also had the Kurobuta Char Siew. Hmm, what's the difference between Kurobuta and Iberico? Well, Iberico is from Spain while Kurobuta is from Japan. Both meat are of a likeable texture.

I preferred the Kurobuta Char Siew at Po because one could taste more of the natural flavours of the meat and since it was sous vide, it has a more tender mouthfeel as well. 

Kurobuta Char Siew @$20++

Popiah

Popiah Classic (6 pax) @$48++

to sprinkle: crushed peanuts, crispy flatfish, crispy shallots, corriander sprigs, chili, garlic, eggs

Yes, one gets to DIY their popiah here. We got the classic ones and there were enough ingredients to  make 2 rolls per pax. I recommend some crushed belinjo inside this mix to make it extra crunchy!

classic popiah with satay

While the appetisers didn't do much to satisfy our hunger, the popiah filled us up pretty quickly. Or was it because we had 2 rolls instead of 1? Muahaha!

But that didn't deter us from trying more food. Time for main course.

Mains

Paper Spring Chicken @$68++

They did a table side carving of the chicken but I didn't get the pre-carve shot as I went to the ladies when the dish was served. Although I had initially balked at the idea of having spring chicken, this dish here was good. The chicken was of a good size (meaning not too small) and it was stuffed with glutinous rice. The star was the rice. So tasty from the conpoy, dried shrimps, mushrooms and chinese sausage. Legit yums.

Equatorial @$24++

Singapore Sazerac @$26++

We didn't have dessert to end the meal. Instead, we had a glammed up version of hokkien mee. 

Giant River Prawns Konbu Mee @$38++

It was impressive, in terms of its visuals. In terms of taste, it was good but I have my favourite elsewhere. Or, maybe I was simply too full.

We spent about $105 per pax. Thank you Hoong An, Ivan, Elle, Tracy and Hence for the company!

Po

Address: 320 Havelock Rd, Singapore 169628

Website: https://www.po.com.sg/

Business Hours:

Closed: Mon-Tues

Wed - Sun: 7–10:30am, 12–3pm, 6–10:30pm

Min Jiang @ Goodwood Park Hotel

Was there for dinner in their private room, and took some photos. The room was comfortable and spacious.

private room

Marinated Jellyfish Flower, Scallop with Black Truffle Mayonnaise, Chicken with Sesame in Sichuan Style

Scallop with Black Truffle Mayonnaise

Chicken with Sesame in Sichuan Style

The best dish for the night was Slow-braised African 5-head Abalone with Truffle Sauce. Well-braised and flavourful, with tender texture.

Slow-braised African 5-head Abalone with Truffle Sauce

The most 'unfortunate' dish of the night was the Kurobuta Cutlet. It was of the right tenderness, and pretty tasty too. But I heard my dining companions commented that this taste was too common.

Pan-Seared Kurobuta Cutlet with Onions in Cantonese Style

Had high expectation on the Stewed Egg Noodles with Half Lobster, but alas... it was a tad bland. Reckoned that the stewed noodles flavours were muted to allow the lobster to shine but the lobster that we had, didn't have much flavour.

Stewed Egg Noodles with Half Lobster

Dessert was Chilled Cream of Avocado. Oooh, first time I ever heard of such dessert! I liked this dessert. Super good! The coffee ice-cream was icy with frozen bits and not overpowering. At the bottom, there's some gula melaka as well. Best part? The young coconut flesh can be scraped and eaten. 

Chilled Cream of Avocado with Coffee Ice-Cream served in Coconut

Min Jiang

Address: 22 Scotts Rd, Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore 228221

Website: https://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/dining/min-jiang

Contact: +65 6730 1704

Business Hours:

Mon - Fri: 11:30am–2:30pm, 6:30–10:30pm

Sat - Sun: 11am–12:30pm, 1–2:30pm, 6:30–10:30pm

[Melbourne 2022] Pho Hung Vuong Saigon @ Footscray

Wanted to try at least one of the more authentic/traditional pho places in Melbourne and so, one day we came across one at Hopkins Street. The shop seemed popular with lots of people still eating even at 3pm!

The store manager was very business-like and she'll inform every walk-in customers (especially non-regulars) that we are free to take a seat at any available table.

menu

So we chose a spot that could fit the 4 of us and it was pretty near the washroom/kitchen area.

self-service

The system here is pretty clear-cut, choose the serving size and then which type of pho. The prices AUD15 (small), AUD16 (medium) and AUD18 (Large). With such a small price difference, maybe it made more sense to order a large to share amongst two pax but we just went ahead and ordered a small bowl each. =P

There is a flask placed at each table, so feel free to pour yourself a cup of hot tea while awaiting for the order to arrive. Small perks like this does brighten up our day especially when the weather was chilly.

hot tea

I was being greedy and chose the beef and chicken combination with offal. Although I was very hungry at such a late timing for lunch, the small bowl of pho turned out to be rather filling and satisfying! 

Beef and Chicken Combination (with offal) - AUD15 (small)

The soup here was flavourful with the necessary depth. Tasted like it had been boiled adequately and with the right ingredients. Loved the raw herbs and sprouts that came with it.

fresh vegetables for the pho

small piece of tendon (perhaps?)

plenty of poached chicken strips

There was plenty of ingredients inside the bowl and was happy with my choice. To change-up the taste, one could always make use of the chili oil condiment for that spicy kick.

this chili oil was good

We also ordered a rice dish to share. Just to have a taste on their grilled meats. Oh, and it didn't disappoint! The grilled pork chop was nicely firm and tender. Sweet savoury meaty bites. However, the shredded pork didn't seem to have much flavour. I loved the pickled carrots on that plate, so good! Plus, the sunny side up still had runny yolk, which was great as it added an eggy creaminess to the plate. The sliced cucumbers had a refreshing taste to reset the palate.

Grilled Pork Chop, Fried Egg and Shredded Pork Rice @AUD16

Sliced Beef and Beef Balls with additional order of blood curd

It was a good meal at this place and with reasonable prices. Payment at the counter, after your meal.

The staff are mainly perfunctory and efficient, so one need to take care and to move out of their way as they go about doing their daily chores.

Pho Hung Vuong Saigon

Address: 128 Hopkins St, Footscray VIC 3011, Australia

Contact: +61 3 9689 6002

Business Hours:

Closed on Wednesdays.

Thu - Tue: 9AM–8:30PM