Hartsyard brings all the boys to the yard! Damn right….

Yoooooooooo second time in Hartsyard. The first time was on 2015 and 2nd time well…. now…

Still amazing!!! Tip: always book online. Walk ins are available however you may have to wait. Although if there are spaces on the bar you may also be able to eat there.

So I came here with work mates to celebrate my birthday and it was so worth it! The down side was pretty much the cost of the bill other than that service was awesome and food was ridiculously satisfying.

For drinks we ordered the house creaming soda. When it came out it looks like milk, all white and with a cherry on the top. It tastes like creamy milk at first and no fizz. But… you had to mix it up to get it all fizzed up. Dang what a bunch of rookies we were. 3 out of 5.

To open up we had the chicken skin. Oh my how much I love chicken skin!!! It was crunchy and flavoring was just right with the buffalo chilli sauce!! Put some more people! Gives you a kick in the mouth. And its a good type of kick. Ha! 4 out of 5.

The 2nd dish we had the pumpkin dumplings. We just had to try this one. It was different and had good reviews. It came out beautifully presented with different ingredients on it. It was a subtle pumpkin taste with cheese and sauce. It’s a light dish that has no overpowering ingredients. Good to start off. I would say it’s a 2.5 out of 5 dish.

The third dish, we had the pulled pork. Hmmm my favourite dish of the night. The pulled pork served in a rectangle cube. With glazed bacon at the top and Apple with pork crackles on the side! Yummmmm. Pulled pork were soft however it was a bit dry this time round. Regardless it was amazing. Perfectly flavoured and soft. The bacon with the glaze was just amazing. Chewy and filled with the fatty flavour that we all love. I wished the glaze was all over the top of the pork. That would have made it a 5 out of 5. The Apple and crackling pork were a good side partner in crime. Just something fun to munch on. The cream (I think it was sour cream) made the taste of the pork subtle if you want it lighter.

The fourth dish, we had lamb ribs. Big ass dish with 4 pieces.. just the way I like it. It was smoking hot and looks crunchy. I love the skin tough. It was covered with brown sugar I believe and man, it was awesome!! Remember to lick it all around just because you can. It was moist under that skin as well and I devoured it. Juicy, crispy, crunchy, meaty. Perfect meat! 4 out of 5.

This time round, no dessert as we had it last time. The soft serves are to die for BTW!!! I mean we would love to if our stomach were bigger than our eyes. Instead we went to Hakiki Turkish Gelato. Overall I love this place. I have to say it’s one of my favourite American restaurant. Don’t forget to try the poutine and fried chicken. One of the best as well!

Blast from the past:

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Chin Chin

I wondered what the fuss is all about at Chin Chin…heard so much about it… is it hype or is it for real? So the first night we were in Melbourne, we arrived at the restaurant around 5.30 PM and the line was already going around the block. CRAY! It went pretty quick however, when we got to the front, we still had to wait for about 2 and a half hours… so guys… be prepared to wait or come early or you can chill at their bar downstairs! Unfortunately we could not wait that long…

So… we went back another day (another$) at around 4.30PM and the wait was wayyy quicker… 30 minutes. The vibe inside the restaurant was busy and loud… one thing they had on point were the song choices.. good food + good music = good times..

For the food we had:

Padseuw – loved it…it was sweet however the noodles were rolled therefore the sweetness was balanced (as the inside of the rolled noodles were not exposed to the sauce). Meat was tender and soft… not too chewy. Just right.

Barramundi apple salad – had to try something different you know what I mean?! Fish had no bones – tick! The apple made it super fresh and complimented the kickin spicy sauce. Never knew that apple, spicy sauce and fish could work.. but it did.

King Salmon – The salmon was pink and wrapped in banana leaf…the aroma of the fish combined with the banana leaf was amazing… you gotta sniff it out! When you unwrap the fish out of the leaf it just melts… so soft and juicy. I wouldn’t say it was the best dish … it was just ok for me… Not the biggest fan of fish … sorry.

Caramelised sticky pork – Sticky, crunchy in the outer layer and soft in the inside… always work well with pork.. great dish and delicious..you can’t go wrong with this dish.

Coconut sago – favourite dish of the night!!! AMAZING!!! If you love dessert you will love this.. the ice cream and mango sago at the bottom was just perfect!! The coolness of the ice cream and the softness of the mango sago were doing a tango in my mouth.. love it.. I could seriously order 6 of these!!

Palm sugar ice cream with honeycomb – it was good however it wasn’t something special.. just a normal ice cream and honeycomb. Salted caramel was bitter though.. different but not bad.

Thai drink with mint and lychee – such a refreshing drink with the lychee and mint… sow good!

Overall, Chin Chin was not just a hype, it is a legit and an awesome restaurant. I am not the biggest fan of Thai fusion restaurants but this one is definitely one of my favourites! If you are in Melbourne make sure you go here early and eat your heart out! Remember to share dishes! Great service too… hopefully the Sydney restaurant that is opening in Surry Hills 2017 would be just as good!!! #fingerscrossed