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Getting a decent cup of coffee has never been a problem in Melbourne, and there's a fair chance your barista will be Italian. Now there's a growing trend to tea houses and chocolate shops.
T2, the Fitzroy-based retailer launched the tea revival a decade or so ago and there's also plenty of Asian places selling pearl tea and sesame and almond milk teas, but for something a little more stylish seek out the Ay Oriental Tea House at the South Yarra end of Chapel St. There's a page-long menu of small, shareable dishes and a menu of teas almost as long with drink matches for fried, spicy and steamed offerings. Out front from the modern canteen is a Shanghai-style emporium that sells tea and tea accessories.
Hot chocolate is the perfect late afternoon warmer and we found the best cup at San Churro, in Brunswick St. The new outlet declares itself a chocolateria and plans more shops. It's classic hot chocolate glides down like liquid satin, but the Aztec, with a hint of chilli and cinnamon, is the ripsnorter. The San Churro menu includes a tapas plate of chocolate goodies, chocolates to takeaway, chocolate icecream and churros, the skinny Spanish-style doughnut served with hot dipping chocolate.
Funnily enough all the staff seemed to be young men and most of the customers were women. They do say chocolate is a substitute ...
* Ay Oriental Tea House, 455 Chapel St. Open daily from 10.30am until late.
* Chocolateria San Churro, 227b Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Daytime hours.
Off with their hats
The Melbourne Age's excellent Good Food Guide, caused a flap in its recently published 2007 edition by downgrading Melbourne's world renowned Chinese restaurant Flower Drum from three hats to two.
Only two restaurants rate three hats, Jacques Reymond, for fine-dining in the suburb of Windsor, and in town the showy Vue de Monde, whose more casual - and less pricey - Bistro Vue should be open by year's end. But even a one-hat restaurant has to score 15 out of 20 to rate as reliably good or notable in its class, so the guide really is a visitor's bible. It has named Vue de monde, in Little Collins St, as restaurant of the year and best new restaurant and chef of the year go to Three, One, Two (at 312 Drummond St, Carlton), where Andrew McConnell (ex Circa and the Prince in St Kilda) reigns. The best wine list, according to the guide, is at ezard.
Trends by the book
Degustation is the rage, allowing chefs to control the dining experience, by choosing a tasting platter to showcase their style. French cuisine is in and Greek is having a renaissance, says the Good Food Guide. It says hot ingredients of the past year have included soft-shell crab, chorizo, black pudding, eel, charcuterie, smoked tomato, tarte tatin, pork belly, confit duck and zucchini flowers. The central city is also deemed the place to go, which makes life easier for the tourist.
A little bit of Italy
One of the nicest ways to remember a memorable meal is to try to recreate it at home. Any number of top chefs have their own recipe books, many available at their restaurants. But few are as blatant as at Melbourne institution, Grossi Florentino, at 80 Bourke St. "Buy My Book" shrieks the sign in the window for Guy Grossi's My Italian Heart - recipes from an Italian kitchen. With the food rated some of the best Italian in the city (zucchini flowers stuffed with goat's cheese, camomile brulee) and his cellar bar still rocking, why not indeed?
