The Yoga Social

Bought through: Living Social

Voucher for: One-Month Unlimited Yoga Pass for One ($29)

The Yoga Social

A few months ago, at the height of winter in Melbourne, I finally thought, I can't let the freezing winds and dark mornings turn me into a hibernating sloth - I need to do some kind of exercise!

But... I hate jogging; had left behind in WA not only Zumba Katie and the awesome Mel Davies of Bounce Funk; but even regular swing dancing classes with the fun and zany crew of the Perth Swing Dance Academy.

I needed to ease myself into exercise as I think I would have reacted badly to a bout of boot camp. 

Thankfully, a voucher for The Yoga Social popped up, and it was the perfect antidote to the wild and woolly weather beating down on Melbourne at the time. 

The serene second storey studio of The Yoga Social, located in King Street in Melbourne's CBD is a oasis of calm. Sheltered from the elements and dimly lit in the main yoga section by meditative candlelight, the classes are suitable for all skill levels with the friendly and helpful intructors offering variations and modifications to stretch, flex and balance to the best of your abilities.

The Unlimited Yoga Pass meant you can come for as many classes as you like and I think I averaged about 3 classes a week during that month, dashing down Bourke St in a flurry only to leave beautifically calm at the end of my practise. You register online and can book and cancel with ease through The Yoga Social website or via their app with MindBody.

I really noticed an improvement in my overall strength and flexibility during the month and would have continued the classes if they were more affordable - I think you might only get good value if you did at least 3 - 4 classes a week, but that might mean you wouldn't be able to get a variety of other forms of exercise which I was beginning to crave towards the end of my trial month. And that's why I switched it up and trialled Fernwood Fitness for a bit - I was missing some weights and cardio!

However, I can thoroughly recommend The Yoga Social for those who enjoy getting their omm on in the heart of the city CBD.

Pros: Conveniently and centrally located in the Melbourne CBD; decent sized studio space; helpful, knowledgable and friendly instructors; calming tea in the reception area before or after class; close to trams and transport; easy booking online system

Cons: A bit pricey for the Unlimited option (though the ten pack is better costed); it can get a bit busy with bodies right after work

The Australian Ballet - La Bayadere

Bought through: The Entertainment Book

Voucher for: One complimentary B or C RESERVE TICKET when another B or C RESERVE TICKET of equal or greater value is purchased - Valid for "La Bayadere" 28, 29 August and 2, 3, September 2014. Redeem after 1st April 2014

The Australian Ballet - La Bayadere

This voucher was soooo definitely worth it! Alister and I had fantastic B Reserve seats (normally ticketed at about $75 - $100 each) and the view was  superb. 
The full stage, clear and unobstructed at half the usual price.

The ballet itself was gorgeously filled with exotic costuming and sumptuous design, and it was the first time I had seen the Australian Ballet perform - having moved from Perth last year, I had previously enjoyed the creative and clever productions from the West Australian Ballet Company.

While the subject matter was a tragic Indian love affair - La Bayadere translates as, "The Temple Dancer", the choreography was quite European and the music serenely French in tone - I was secretly hoping for a touch of Bollywood rhythm, but alas, no authentic temple drums erupted with irrepressible south-Asian beats. 

This voucher does have a caveat - you can only use it for certain productions (and on certain days) that will be listed in The Entertainment Book at the time of printing - you may not be able to use it for just any Australian Ballet performance or throughout the full season.

I'm actually having some trouble finding out if I can use the Victorian Opera voucher for a show next year (still awaiting their consideration from their marketing team), but if you don't mind planning a little in advance this is still a very good deal and a great opportunity to see some world class performances affordably.

Alister and I had a great time at the ballet.

Pros: Half price seats to A-list performances at the Arts Centre Melbourne

Cons: Restrictions on productions and dates within that production

Chez Olivier

Bought through: Entertainment Book
Voucher for: 25% off the total bill

Chez Olivier

Ahh.... The French - the language, the culture, the food! All of it is tres, tres romantique and I can well understand why this bistro has it's reputation as a location for lovers - it has flattering mood lighting, delicious aromas and of course, a marvellous selection of wines to spark that special date.

My companion this evening was not Awesome Alister however, but gal pal Violeta, as we caught up for an early dinner ahead of a show at Chapel Off Chapel theatre - the funny and fierce Spike Heels.

We had ordered the pre-theatre menu and what a delightful bargain that was! I don't know if this is requested often, but on our night, it was the better considered option than choosing separate entrees and mains or the specials of the day. The only caveat is that you are seated and finished by 7.30pm, which suited Violeta and I perfectly as our show started at 8.00pm.

My entree was beautifully plated and served on a bed of sea salt and oh, my! The taste was sublime. I normally never add salt to most of my meals - I suspect most dishes have enough salt as it is - but this was something different. The fresh bread with butter and salt that is de rigeur at most European establishments was also elevated to a heavenly mouthful with every bite - and why boulougaries are prized in France. 

My main however, was a bit ordinary, looking like a sporadic tossing of vegetables and buttons of meat to resemble a Pollack painting. It was okay, but I guess I had higher expectations as my entree was such a sensation.

Violeta remarked that she would have to come back with her husband as she doesn't get a chance to eat French cuisine very often of this standard, and with Chez Olivier's extensive wine list, it's the perfect romantic atmosphere for lovers. 
So overall worth trying again when a flight to Paris might be a touch prohibitive.

Pros: artfully plated meals in a delightfully Francophile bistro; quick and reasonably priced pre-theatre menu; in the heart of Prahran and close to Chapel Off Chapel theatre

Cons: My main meal in this instance was not very satisfying; might be a bit pricey without a voucher

Thai Terrace

Bought through: The Entertainment Book - Melbourne 2014 / 2015

Voucher For: 25% off the total bill

Thai Terrace

My lovely housemate Ashleigh is off on an absolute adventure for the rest of the year - hitting the trek trail to Nepal, checking out meditative ashrams in Central Asia and rounding out 2014 with some time in Europe to maybe enjoy a magical white Christmas.

I thought it might be nice to have a "Happy Travels Ashleigh!" house meal together and as the girl in question is cheerfully vegetarian, Asian food is the perfect option to satisfy all appetites.

Thai Terrace, located in the small shopping village at the Earl St end of Pakingham St in Kew appears to have had a recent refurbishment, and has not only retained it's customers but added to its clientele. 

The warm exotic browns decorating their interior dining area signalled the equatorial tropics and the piquant smells that envelope you upon entry made your tastebuds salivate in anticipation of dishes to enjoy.

The staff were attentive and accommodating, and reminded me of my trip to Thailand where I found the general population full of gentle and sociable smiles towards visitors to their country.

With our party of eight, we were a fairly big table, and the place was pretty busy even mid-week; however I've mostly subscribed to the etiquette that booking in advance will afford you all courtesy, and we had a prime location in the main front section of the restaurant. 

All dishes sampled by my table, be there individually or shared were pronounced as seriously delish, with heavy sighs of appreciation for tropical tastes not usually entertained in the winter months.

I had bought a surprise rainbow cake from Breadtop for Ashleigh (the 2014/15 Entertainment Book has a 25% discount voucher for their gateaus) and Thai Terrace were marvellous in presenting it on a lovely platter and supplying cutlery and crockery for the table with no whisper of cakeage (which personally would make me think rather negatively towards any establishment seeking to retain and cultivate customers). 

Breadtop's sponges are so light, I almost felt like I was ingesting air! The rainbow layers brought forth squeals of delight from the table (dominated by women) and they had flourished it's pristine snow surface with a "Have a wonderful trip Ashleigh!" chocolate plaque.

The whole evening was full of warmth, lightness and joy - a perfect celebration send-off for a gorgeous gal.

Pros: lovely, warm interiors; family friendly and helpful staff; many delicious dishes to satisfy vegetarians and omnivores alike

Cons: None on this occasion 

Me N Roll

Bought through: Scoopon (by Awesome Alister)
Voucher for: All you can eat sushi feast for 2 people (two vouchers)

Me N Roll

Do you like sushi? Enough to relish an all-you-can-eat rice roll-tacular? Well, have I found the place for you!

Me N Roll, a recent addition to the burgeoning Asian food experience that makes up Hawthorn's Glenferrie Shopping Strip, is located close to Swinburne University with reasonable parking to be found at Hawthorn Arts Centre. 

I have to say, I did have some problems making the initial booking over the phone with the voucher Alister provided for me - there is a 90 minute session for the all-you-can-eat option, and Me N Roll are quite insistent that you get there right on your booking. There have been complaints previously from customers who felt they didn't get enough time to gorge on the sushi buffet train before close of evening. Our initial plans with one couple for an 8.30pm meet had fallen through, so we managed to satify the protocol and properly confirm to Me N Roll's suggested booking time of 8.00pm and take full advantage of that strict window before their 9.30pm closing.

The location itself has a small face on Glenferrie Road, but opens to a decent dining size with charmingly cute kawaii touches throughout, a perfect location for Alister and I to chance to catch up with my friend Sarah (who lived and worked in Japan with the JET program) and her Australian-Japanese pal Haruko. 

Onto the food! Now, you get a choice of 4 sushi variations for the table to start off with, but you can only get an extra plate when you finish a platter. The portion sizes were generous, however you had to keep to the options available on their B and C lists. Diners could also help themselves to miso soup from an urn, and table water was provided and easily accessible.

Intrigued by the menu, I decided to try out one of the fruity rice wines and was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in a nostalgic bottle with enough for the whole table to enjoy (though it was mainly Alister and I sipping the blueberry sake shake with lip-smacking relish). 

Having arrived a little ahead of Sarah and Haruko and getting picture peckish from the menu, Alister and I had hungrily chosen four rolls to start off with that we thought everyone might enjoy. We then got egg on our face when Sarah and Haruko arrived - turns out Haruko is vegetarian! Cringe! Thankfully we managed to finish one platter super quick and she proceeded to order one of about four vegetarian sushi options from the lists.

Overall, a pretty decent taster voucher for some fun, filling food and sweet service, definitely worth a visit back to try out more of the menu.

Pros: conveniently located in the Glenferrie Shopping street in Hawthorn; delicious food; yummy fruity sake

Cons: was a bit hard to book in initially; some of the sushi variations might be a bit adventurous in taste and texture; early closing times 

Spaghetti Tree Restaurant

Bought through: Entertainment Book
Voucher for: 25% off the total bill

Spaghetti Tree Restaurant

I love that there are so many foodie options open at all times close to my work - having previously lived in Perth, there were occasions when you'd want to meet someone for a early dinner after 5.00pm but for some reason there would be nothing but food courts open during those in-between hours of 4.30pm - 6.30pm. Hardly table dining!

With my pal Jessica still visiting from the West Coast proclaiming a hankering for some Italian food, where could we three (the party included Violeta) go for something authentically molto bene? 

With a name like The Spaghetti Tree Restaurant, I amusingly wondered if the owners had been tickled by the famous BBC April Fools joke from the late 50s.  Having walked by the restaurant front on a number of occasions and glanced good crowds within, I thought this might be a good choice for an early dinner.

Violeta, myself and Jessica at Spaghetti Tree

Boasting a large variety of traditional pastas, seafood and international dishes, there was more than enough menu options to keep all of us happy. The service was fast and friendly with the peppy waitress obliging us by taking this cute photo of the occasion. 

Super close to Spring St's Parliament station and walking distance from the Princess Theatre and various entertainment attractions at the Paris End of town, the pronouncement overall was very positive with Violeta especially loving her dish (and she admits to being pretty picky with her Italian options in general!)
Serving sizes were just right, not overloaded or undersized, and with a 25% discount to the total bill, a easy hip pocket option when eating out.

Pros: tasty traditional Italian meals; Paris End of Melbourne; close to theatres, cinemas and other attractions; open most days from 11.30am until late

Cons: none on this dining day

Grafali's Speciality Coffee

Bought through: Living Social (by Awesome Alister)

Voucher for: Brunch and Juice or Coffee for Two ($19), Four ($35) or Six ($55) at Social Media Fave

Grafali's Speciality Coffee

Sundays are made for brunch. Don't you think? You get to sleep in, wake up when you like and potter down to a happy cafe with absolutely no intention of counting calories or stressing about what's in the pantry. Love it!

Awesome Alister treated me on my birthday weekend to a morning meal at Grafali's, located close to the Punt Road end of Bridge Road and one of the few cafes open on a Sunday (this area must be more trafficked during the work week).

Bright and airy with a European feel to the decor, the speciality of the house appeared to be Belgian waffles, but I'm more a of savoury gal for breakfast and instead chose poached eggs and salmon with beetroot, spinach and hash browns. Alister had one of the breakfasts on the menu and coffees were also included in the voucher.

I would say the meals were fine, but not especially outstanding. They both seemed to get cool fairly quickly (maybe the chilly weather?) And as a result I didn't manage to finish all of my dish. Alister also seemed rather nonplussed about his breakfast. The looked lovely plated up though.

The cafe does have lots of lovely sweet selections on offer and of course, it is always an occassion to have a Belgian waffle, so I think I might give this cafe another try in the future.

Pros: Nice staff; good selection of pretty cakes and pastries; an opportunity to walk off your meal window shopping along Bridge Road

Cons: our meals got cold fairly quickly

Table By S

Bought through: LivingSocial (by Awesome Alister)

Voucher for: Korean Fusion Stone Grill and Share Plate Degustation for Four with a Stone Grill and Share Dish per Couple plus a Tapas Dish and Wine or Beer per Person ($98 - value $231.40) - 97% Rating on Urbanspoon!

Table By S

I recently had one of the best surprises of my life. 

It was my birthday weekend, and I thought I was headed for a lovely date night with Alister to new Korean hot (s)pot, Table By S.

Though a little off the dining beaten track on Peel St - normally a relatively lively area during the day due to it's proximity to the Queen Victoria Markets - I'm always happy to try something foodie new and different, and of course, it was my birthday! 

The chilly night's air was completely forgotten the moment we stepped through the entry and a sociable babble permeated throughout the restaurant's open plan setting with direct views to the kitchens at the far end of the space. 

Heaters throughout kept the Melbourne artic temps at bay and there were little spot fires everywhere as the speciality of the house was food cooked on a Korean stone grill, a spectacular way to entertain diners and have them salivating in anticipation.

My first twig that something was afoot was that the table we were presented to was rounded by four seats. Interesting... but I was maybe thinking, so they didn't have any other place settings, though the restaurant was pretty busy. Then my good friend Suzanne unexpectedly turned up. Wow! This was great! I hadn't expected to see her and it was a lovely surprise. I guess it crossed my mind that maybe someone else might be joining us, but I didn't think too hard about it, I was busy admiring Suzanne's fun gifts of disco ball earrings and a costume saloon shot garter presented in a pretty ceramic bowl. 

Gorgeous Jessica and I

Then it happened. I had a tap on my shoulder and there, grinning like a Cheshire cat that got the cream was my gorgeous pal Jessica, who had flown in from Perth to surprise me!! 

It was amazing... It was overwhelming...! I think I must have squealed a little (witnesses say a lot), and laughed and cried all at the same time. I just couldn't believe it! I was wondering, where am I? I thought I was in Melbourne, but Jess lives in Perth... am I now in Perth? No, she's in Melbourne! Squee...! Seriously, one of my best. birthdays. ever. Thank you so much everyone.

After that, the excitement levelled out a little (though I kept poking Jess occassional throughout the evening just to remind myself that yes, she was real and here in Melbourne), and our meal was organised and set up in earnest. We had a helpful and hilarious waitress who looked like the younger sibling of funny and fiesty comedian Margaret Cho. She was great and guided us with descriptions for the feast to come. 

And the food...! Korean tapas style dishes whetted the appetite, and generous portions from the stone grill and share plates would almost have been too, too much, however married friends Violeta and Michal turned up just in time from an after-work seminar and brought an end appreciation to the meal to do it justice.

We got our spectacular table show (round of applause everyone!) and meats galore to make any culinary carnivore happy. All in all, an absolutely awesome night!

Pros: generous portions; intriguing tapas and taste combinations; helpful and personality plus waitstaff; warm, popular setting and seating

Cons: a little off the beaten Melbourne CBD dining track (hidden gem!); bring your appetite else suffer from can't-eat-anymore regret

San Churros Windsor

Bought through: San Churros website

Voucher for: Free churros and chocolate for two on your birthday

 San Churros Windsor

There are lots of great things about your birthday - people wishing you a happy day, spontaneous cupcake surprises from work colleagues, and freebies from generous companies eager to get in on the celebratory glow. Whee!!

San Churros has got to have one of the sweetest deals out there. C'mon, free churros and chocolate for two - for your birthday!! It can be used either side of your birth date (though I hear tell it might potentially be good for that whole week) and you just have to show the staff at ordering proof in the form of a driver's license, birth certificate or any other official document.

Alister and I headed over to San Churros Windsor in Chapel St, an easily accessible location with an open feel for the dark chocolate woods and Spanish stylized filigree favoured by this franchise. The staff were nice and the place quite busy after the dinner rush with patrons eager to get their sweet on after a chilly winter's day. We ordered a couple of hot chocolate drinks to accompany the dessert, and the promotional chilli macaron as I love trying out new taste sensations.

All that chocolate was almost a little too much of a good thing for Alister - San Churros use pretty much the real deal in their delectable concoctions - coverture chocolate, which has a minimum of 32% cocoa butter. 
Being a fan of white chocolate his drink was probably extra sweet as San Churros White has a soft vanilla flavour with hints of honey giving an overall caramelly finish - aye carumba! Sugar rush!

I'm afraid I have no such switch-off, as I easily finished my Spanish donut portion, the Azteca chilli cinnamon hot chocolate drink, and the macaron.

Must be that extra dessert stomach I seem to have...

Pros: This offer is free! You just have to sign up via their website.

Cons: Only good for your birthday, but that's probably a good thing too...!

The People's Waffle

Bought through: Groupon
Voucher for: Belgian Waffle with Drink for Two ($9) at The People's Waffle, Hawthorn 

The People's Waffle

When I first came over to Melbourne, I wasn't quite sure which suburbs might suit me best to live in. Do I want something cool and funky? Friendly and safe? Or community focused and quirky? Friends Lian and Suzanne advocated a variety of locations and I dutifully plugged them into accommodation search drives and took a punt. 


Well, I lucked in as I'm now fortunate enough to call the Eastern suburbs home, and am walking distance to the great Glenferrie Road, a veritable mecca of shopping and dining that stretches from Kew to Caulfield.
Hawthorn is
particularly bustling, and as you enjoy the gorgeous views of houses grand designed, you are continually greeted by new and fun foodie options to tempt your evolving palate.
The People's Waffle is a relatively recent addition and looks to take on the burgeoning frozen yogurt and cupcake crowd that clamour towards a destination dessert location. 

And why the heck not? The smells that greet myself and Alister as we front up after our Saturday morning walk instantly made me salivate in anticipation, and the friendly staffer behind the counter volunteered us for the next batch just cooking up - mmmmm, anticipating deliciousness and service with a smile! 

Apparently Liege waffles are made from a dough, not a batter, and are much denser in texture with a crunchy crisp coating (that's the caramelised pearl sugar making sure you get a satisfying sound as you bite in).

Alister and I were treated to a sweet blueberry waffle and the savoury jamon and cheese, both of which elicited an enthusiastic "This is yum!" from my fellow diner. I have a feeling The People's Waffle might gain some monthly regulars eager to sample their growing menu.

Pros: lovely fit out with warm wood in welcoming colours; oh-my-gosh, UH-mazing waffle wafting smells spilling out onto the sidewalk; friendly and helpful staff

Cons: a potentially widening waistline... more walks up that Hawthorn hill!