Whilst most of Melbourne would probably have tried Gami Chicken & Beer already, I for one have been back many times. It's hard to resist the deliciousness of the Soy Garlic flavour, even the Sweet Chili is hard to beat in terms of Korean Fried Chicken flavours.

There is one particular items though that brings me back to Gami, the Fried Rice Cake ($5.50). These delicious fried rice cakes are coasted with Gami sweet chili sauce. What makes these rice cakes so special you may ask? 

They have been lightly fried before being coated in the Gami sweet chili sauce. The light frying is what makes them different in texture to most other tteok bok ki at other Korean restaurants. I've only found one other place (Seoul Soul, Richmond) that does it! Whilst generally, the rice cakes are just soft and chewy, and coated in a chili sauce, the frying on the rice cake in this case creates a crisp layer yet soft and chewy on the inside. I first discovered this technique in David Chang's Momofuku book, and was blown away at the difference in texture it made.

Trust me, next time try the fried rice cake at Gami. It's well worth it :D :D 

The chicken at Gami is moist on the inside, with a medium crisp batter. Served along with a side of cabbage salad. Pick a can of Hite, Korean beer or some Asahi, Japanese beer and you're set for a good meal. 

Sir Charles has a modern, industrial vibe to the space. With copper accents and gorgeous turquoise and white features across the walls, it feels like a room from the latest season of The Block. With ample space between each table, the open plan layout of the cafe makes you feel like you have your own personal space, even though you're sharing with others. 

The menu is divided into breakfast, lunch and dinner. With breakfast from 7am - 4pm daily, and lunch from midday to 4pm. Dinner begins from 5pm Thursday - Saturdays, with plates of various sizes to share or have individually. With an Asian focus, the menu has a range of inspired dishes including Korean, Japanese and Thai fusion.

Mr Curious chose the Sir Charles Benedict with panko crumbed eggs, sriracha hollandaise and bacon on roti ($16.50). The eggs were light and crispy on the outside, with a lovely gooey centre, making for some pretty good egg yolk porn if you're into that *wink*.

Mr D had the Ocean Trout with dashi, noodles, king mushrooms with 63 degree egg ($17.50). Unfortunately, Mr D finished it to the last spoonful of dashi before I could even have a taste.

This Korean Fried Chicken Burger ($15.00) blew my mind. Filled with their homemade kimchi, a creamy wasabi mayo and BBQ sauce. The chicken had a light, crispy batter on the outside and super moist on the inside. To top it all off it came with a side of pickled coleslaw that had good kick to round out the flavour of the burger.

A long over due catch up with the girls was needed and Baby Pizza for some Italian food was in order. From the people that brought you Chin Chin's, the Lucas Group brings to you Baby Pizza. Open for several months now, just after the busy end of Church Street, Richmond, near Top Paddock. Baby Cafe & Pizzeria offers artisan pizzas made with flour imported from Naples and specialty pizzas with lighter base texture. 

I opted for a pasta for the evening, a handmade tagliatelle duck ragu. Suggested by our waiter for the evening, the tagliatelle was cooked al dente with soft richly flavoured braised duck ragu. Lightly tossed in the delicious ragu sauce, it has my thumbs up.

Miss N ordered the Piselli e Prosciutto - a delicious combination of buffalo mozzarella, san daniele prosciutto, pea, mint and shaved parmesan on top. Along with the Insalata Mista - a mixed green leaf and fennel salad. The texture of the mozzarella was smooth with a lovely bite, if I could bring this home and eat it on some fresh bread, it would be heaven. 

To top off the night we shared the specialty pizza - Pizza Dolce. Topped with salted caramel, poached pear, lemon thyme crumble and nougat gelato on top it was hard to say no, and very hard to stop at one bite!

The lemon thyme crumble was delicious on top of the salted caramel, giving the pizza a lovely crunch with the slightest hint of thyme. The nougat gelato on top was ahhh-mazing, with chunks of soft nougat throughout it's a very over the top, decadent pizza that is a must try. 

All in all, the pizza base texture here is a tad on the thin side, but still delicious and chewy. I rate the duck ragu tagliatelle as a must try if you do ever visit. Most of the dishes are designed to be shared with the group, and having little bites of all the delicious flavours is probably the best way to try Baby Pizza. 

Baby Cafe & Pizza

631-633 Church St

Richmond, VIC 3121

Torquay is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road, a little way south of Geelong, it had surf culture ingrained in it's history and home to the famous Bell Beach. With golden sand beaches spanning kilometers, there's plenty of beach for everyone. This post is just a couple of snapshots of our family trip down to Torquay. 

Bells Beach is known internationally for its surf waves, and the world's longest running surfing competition held each Easter.

Continuing our drive down to Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. 

As you enter the main doors, you are greeted with a spacious entranceway, with huge crystal chandelier and expansive marble floors before checking in at concierge. Check in is a very efficient and personalised service, where they explain the details of the services they provide as well as the dining options.

Our Superior Room had neither a view of the Marina Mirage complex, or Sea World Drive. I didn't expect much in terms of view for the conference rate we paid. We looked out onto the exit of the guest carpark and some planter boxes.  

Did the room look like the image on their website? Pretty close, we did not have a little couch or the pool views. however the room was well furnished with all the necessities. The cushions sitting on the bed were silk printed, each with their own design. The room itself had a couple of nicks in the plaster corners, and the bathroom was a very dark marble stone, making the room feel smaller, however it had it's own full size jacuzzi, and separate shower and toilet.

Towels were changed twice daily, and your bed turned down each night with a little "gift" left each night, and aroma therapy signature Versace oils lit so when you returned from dinner your bed was ready and beckoning you to have a lie down. The hallways to the rooms have framed Versace illustrations from some of their collections. 

Mr Curious and I tend to be so busy exploring outside the hotel when we travel, that we never fully make use of the facilities the hotels and resorts provide. We have made it our mission to at least try the pool at each hotel. The Palazzo Versace has a large outdoor pool with mini sand beach, there are beach bean bags with umbrellas, and lounge chairs for guests to use. The cabanas have a daily charge, and can be booked the day before, packages start at $140 for two with sparkling Italian mineral water, chilled sparkling wine and fruit platter. 

Each morning we had full buffet breakfast at the Il Barocco restaurant looking out onto the pool area. The Palazzo Versace uses it's own collection of Versace diningware, with rumours that a cup when broken costs them $50. The buffet is extensive with a range of cuisines to suit its international clientelle, including congee with all the various condiments, your standard western fare of bacon, eggs, sausages, mushrooms, croissants etc. A good selection of cured meats, cheeses and antipasto platters, fresh fruit and salads, and pastries baked daily.  

Would I stay here again? If I wanted pure luxury and relaxing resort vacation, then maybe yes. The service at the Palazzo Versace is impeccable, and staff were always welcoming and helpful at every time we required assistance. Located just across the road from the Marina Mirage shopping complex with many well known shops and restaurants, it is good for those who just want to relax and do nothing on their holiday.