First Time: Royal Melbourne Show

I decided to stay in Melbourne for the mid-semester break, first time not going home and I survived =D wasn't home sick at all! Instead I had the pleasure of relaxing, finishing assignments *sigh*, catching up on movies (YAY!) and eating of course, as well as...GOING TO THE ROYAL MELBOURNE SHOW!!! I was so excited as I have missed the past two Royal Easter Shows in Sydney, so I planned to see as much as I could that day, sadly the weather was not on our side, it was predicting rain and right on the dot at 3pm the torrential downpour came. I still had a lovely day, had some lovely food. The Showgrounds is a lot smaller than Olympic Park so to me it was less exciting, with a lot less displays and stalls to see e.g. cake decorating and the farmers district exhibition. There were also less showbags and the Woolworths food dome was smaller. Maybe the lack of crowds also contributed to the less exciting vibe. It is cheaper entry than Sydney though, so I guess you get what you pay for. Maybe in a few years I will miss it and return, but unlike Sydney, it's not something I will do every year #favouritismiknow

For my first review of Hammer & Tong at their cafe, click here

Hammer & Tong Soft Shell Crab Burger - $12
Cabbage slaw, coriander and spicy mayo
Legitimately lives up to the hype. The crab was AMAZING, moist and
crunchy, not the least bit soggy, however, the oil dripping out of
the burger wasn't exactly aesthetically appetising.
I loved the slaw, wasn't bitter at all and the creamy mayo I believe,
added a nice smoothness to the dish. Also the brioche buns had
that nice little hint of sweetness and were so light and toasty.
It's not a dish I would order regularly just because of the price tag,
but if you are as slow to the hype as me...HURRY UP!!!

Beef Brisket Nuggets - $14
I don't remember the price, but it was around that range.
For the price I certainly was expecting more than an entrée piece.
The salad had a nice vinaigrette and the BBQ sauce was a plum sauce mix I think,
had lovely flavour. The brisket itself was quite dry though, although the croquette crumb
was lovely though, nice and crispy and the flavour was still good. Definitely not a star though.

Single scoop - $5
No matter how full I am, there is always room for cold desserts,
especially gelato. NB: note the creamiest gelato I have had,
but loved the natural flavours.
Pistachio Heaven
I really liked this flavour, a nice subtly, natural pistachio taste,
very smooth, easily to lick and not too sweet.
Bacio Kisses (bilingual tautology lol)
You can't have had gelato and never tried this flavour, it's similar
to a ferrero rocher flavour but with a cooler name, and more
depth in flavour. Now who doesn't love hazelnut and chocolate,
they sure are my OTP :)

 

YES I ACTUALLY GOT TO ENTER THE MASTERCHEF KITCHEN!!!!!

Feast your eyes on the amazing Masterchef pantry...oh and ugly me
blocking the view :P

I LOVE DOGS!