The Cornershop

11 Ballarat St
Yarraville  3013

03 9689 0052

Right across from the Sun Theatre, in amongst the hustle and bustle of Yarraville Village, you will find The Cornershop, a lovely little cafe that has made itself right at home nestled in between the quaint book and homewares shops of Ballarat st. An area that has slowly been gaining popularity since property prices started soaring here in Melbourne.

David Danks (of Public House, Guernica) and Iain Munro (of Cafe Le Chien) have definitely found a gap in the market here in this inner west oasis and have stamped their presence by delivering quality food made from quality produce. 

I had read a lot of reviews that warned about 'The Mummies' and their over sized prams taking over the place, but this didn't concern me so much as I'm usually one of them. I was ready to navigate my way through  the gathering of well dressed mums with their blonde babies and bugaboo strollers, but luckily we picked a good day and time to go, so we were able to just wonder in and sit right down. 

I did have a huge sense of déjà vu when I first stepped into this cafe. Light and airy, vintage furniture, cute tattooed wait staff and the obligatory uber cool barista. It was a site that I had seen many times this year alone, but the things that do set this cafe apart from the newbies setting up here and there and everywhere, are the menu and the pricing. They have incorporated some strong Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Hispanic and Indian flavours into their exciting breakfast menu, and have managed to do it without charging you an arm and a leg. So it's no wonder that people are queueing up here to have something other than dry toast, gooey beans and badly poached eggs.

Breakfast Menu

Baked Eggs w/ Eggplant, Kasundi Relish and Feta   $12

Spanish Braised Beans w/Smoked Paprika on Sourdough   $11
+ bacon and black pudding extra $3.50 each

Oh I was so happy when I saw my baked eggs come out and placed on the table in front of me, not only because I was super hungry, but also because that delicately baked egg looked so perfect and the tantalising smell that was being emitted from that terracotta casuela was making my mouth water. As soon as I took my first bite, I knew that we had chosen the perfect spot for breakfast on this bright sunny day. The lovely sweetness of the Kasundi relish worked so well along side the feta and the egg. My only complaint was the size, however that may only be because I was so hungry.
The beans with paprika may have been a wiser choice, considering my epic hunger on this particular day, as they were well cooked, substantial and packed full of flavour. As an addition my breakfast companion also ordered a side of some bacon and a nice big serve of soft black pudding,
I enjoyed my visit here to The Cornershop. The service was nice, and the seats were comfy which was good because the lovely and bright corner allotment of the cafe made for fantastic people watching possibilities. They also do lunch and dinner which I have as yet not tried, but I sneaked a peak at the menu and the choices are lovely and once again incredibly well priced, so we will definitely be back especially considering that there is a nice little outdoor seating area. I'll be the one enjoying my meal while my child screams and I pretend not to notice.

Ratings out of 10
Food 6.5/10
Service 6.5/10

Atmosphere 6.5/10

Value  8.5/10

The Cornershop  7/10

Would I return? Yes

Caramalised Onion Tart 2 Ways.

We have the wonderful honour of welcoming 2 new babies into our family at the start of next year(no not mine), and so yesterday we celebrated one of those bubs and his/her mum. I appointed myself party planner and cooked up a storm so that her guests would be well fed.
During the cooking frenzy I whipped up 2 savoury tarts that were so yum, they were the shizzle! I didn't actually have plans to write about them, but because they were so tasty, quick and easy, I thought it only right to share the love.
For both tarts you will need:
Sheets of puff pastry(store bought is fine) and caramelised onions

Caramelised onion recipe:

• 2 tbl olive oil
• 4 brown onions, sliced
• 1 tbl brown sugar
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Method:
-Cook onions in olive oil over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until they are soften
-Add the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until nicely browned -Remove from the heat and allow to cool

Caramelised onions, Meredith Goats Cheese w/basil oil Tart

• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• Caramelised onions
• 100 gms goats cheese
• 2 tbl freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• Basil
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Caramelised onions, Meredith Goats Cheese w/basil oil

-Finely chop 10 basil leaves and place in a small bowl, add enough olive oil to cover and put aside
-Pre heat oven at 210°C
-Place a sheet of puff party onto a tray that has been lined with baking paper
-Spread half the amount of pre-prepared caramelised onion over the pastry sheet leaving a 2cm border
-In a bowl place goats cheese and Parmesan together, blend well
-Scatter cheese combo over the onions
-Slice tomato and place on tart and season each slice with salt and pepper
-Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is crispy and puffy
-Spoon basil oil over the tomatoes


Caramelised onion, Roasted red capsicum and Chorizo Tart

• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• Caramelised onion
• 1 small red capsicum
• Olive oil
• 1 Chorizo sausage
• Salt and pepper to taste

Caramelised onion, Roasted red capsicum and Chorizo Tart

 

-Preheat oven at 230°C 

-Cut the capsicums into quarters

-Remove the seeds and the membranes.Place on a large oven tray, skin side up and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper

-Roast in preheated oven until the capsicum softens and skin blisters

-Remove from oven and put aside until cool

-Lower over temperature to 210°C

-Slice chorizo and fry in a large frying pan over a medium heat, brown slightly. Put aside till needed

-Place a sheet of puff pastry onto a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper

-Place the remaining caramelised onions onto the pastry sheet leaving a 2 cm border 

-Thickly slice the capsicum and scatter over the onions

-Place sliced chorizo over the capsicum

-Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is crispy and puffy

Summer

In Australia, Summer starts on the 1st of December and runs through till the end of February. It is when we can finally shed our layers to expose our pasty skin to the warmth of the sun. Just remember to do it safely and legally, as no one wants skin cancer, wrinkly skin or to see someone else's naughty bits out on the street. Seasonal fruits and veggies are available aplenty, filled with anti-oxidants and vitamins to help restore that healthy glow. Eat fresh, and you'll be able to step out feeling great.


Fruit
Apple(Abas)              Apricot                      Berries                       Cherry

Chilli                          Currants                    Lychee                      Mango              

Mangosteen              Melons                      Nectarine                    Passionfruit           

Peach                        Pineapple                 Plum                           Prickly pear             

Rambutan                  Starfruit                     Tamarillo

Vegetables
Asparagus                 Avocados                  Beans                         Celery       

Choko                       Capsicum                  Cucumber                   Lettuce                

Okra                          Onions                       Peas                          Radish        

Squash                      Spring Onion              Sweetcorn                   Tomato   

Zucchini                     Zucchini flowers

Flower Drum

17 Market Ln
Melbourne, VIC 3000


03 9662 3655

After years of wanting, I finally had the chance to dine at Flower Drum. A restaurant which has for the last 36 years been a constant in the Melbourne food scene. Truth is, I have wanted to eat there for as long as I can remember. Like most Melburnians(if not all) it is a restaurant that I have always known about. So imagine my joy when my husband asked if I wanted to eat there for our weekly night out. 

We are greeted on the ground floor by an extremely professional host and shown to the ye'olde looking lift. My excitement is growing as is my anticipation. How will the food be? Is the service as good as everyone claims? Most importantly, what will the dining room look like? Then the doors open and there in front of me is the scene that I had pictured in my mind. The plush fabrics, the rich colour palette, the stained wood and the beautifully set tables with immaculately white table cloths. All that was missing was Bruce Lee bursting in and having a fight with many a bad guy, just like in all those Kung Fu movies I loved so much as a child.
Bernie is presented as the man who will take care of us on this night. I am extremely nosey, so through conversation I discover that he has been a waiter here at Flower Drum for over 20 years. A story I totally believe as the man looks past retirement age, but boy is he sprightly. We are in good hands.

Hot and Sour Soup

Baked Crab Shell

Deep Fried Prawns

Stir Fried Crayfish

Peking Duck

+25 for Blackmore's Wagyu Beef

Special Fried Rice

Selection of Desserts

2008 Heathcote Estate Shiraz

We choose the banquet menu for our special evening and this will set you back $185 per person. We decide against the matching wines however. Our drink of choice is the 2008 Heathcote Estate Shiraz at $90 a bottle.
As a starter we are given the choice of the Hot and Sour soup or the Spinach and Crab. I chose the first but wished I hadn't, as I felt that my soup was neither hot nor sour, however I did sneak a taste of the Spinach and Crab from one of my dinner companions and it was lovely and fragrant.
We were next presented with a Baked Crab Shell that held delicate crab meat mixed with turmeric, garlic and onion. it was lovely with subtle flavours.
I was looking forward to the Deep Fried Prawns as the crab was so delicious, but the truth is they weren't great. Don't get me wrong they weren't bad tasting in anyway, just dull. All in all it was an underwhelming dish of 3 prawns on a saucer with snap peas.
Sadly the Stir Fried Crayfish with ginger was also an average dish and it looked so similar to the prawns. it was as though no creativity had gone into the taste or presentation.
It is said that apart form the impeccable service, one should dine at the Flower Drum for the Peking Duck. Perfectly cooked pieces of duck prepared and wrapped at your table. It is quiet obvious that Bernie has done this at least 1000 times and his expertise did not go unnoticed. Oh and that Hoisin sauce...classic.
If possible pay extra for the Blackmore's Wagyu Beef, it is worth every dollar. It truly is a beautiful piece of meat. However is seems a wasted opportunity to come up with something amazing. Great meat but sadly an uninspired dish with a boring vegetable side.
I enjoy Special Fried Rice, always have, but for $185 per person I expect something truly special. Nice enough but like with the other dishes something was missing.
For dessert we shared Deep Fried Ice cream, Deep Fried Banana and some sort of Deep Fried Dumplings. A sickly sweet way to end a meal, but when you are having Chinese it just seems to be the done thing. Although if we had been offered an alternative to Deep Fried things with ice cream, we probably would have chosen it.
The service here really is some of the best I've had in  Melbourne. If I didn't steer my sight away from my table, I would have sworn we were dining in the restaurant alone. Glasses filled and wine bottles replenished seamlessly. Which may account for how 5 of us went through 8 bottles.
I was unfortunately disappointed with the food. There were a couple of courses that I really enjoyed, but the rest were lacking, not so much in taste, but in imagination. For the prices you are being charged you expect more than just nice and OK, You expect to have your socks blown off, not unlike that magical restaurant scene from 'When Harry Met Sally' (you know the one I mean).
I was wondering whether I was expecting too much from Flower Drum, after all it is an institution that was at one stage voted in the top 20 restaurants in the world. Is it that their standards have dropped or  have our tastes developed and moved ahead? All the while they have decided to cling to former glory by standing still. But like a middle aged woman trying to squeeze into her year 12 formal dress, there comes a time when they must realise that what was once fabulous may not be so great today.

Ratings out of 10
Food 6.75/10
Service 8.75/10

Atmosphere 7/10

Value 3/10

Flower Drum  6.3/10

Would I return? No