I've been in Melbourne for 36 hours now, and even though I have no idea what time it is or even what day it is, I do know that I'm having a very good time.
I always like being in Australia: the food's good, the people are witty and the sky wide; a winning combo, I'd say. I'm working pretty hard, and so I haven't had a great deal of time for snouting out eating opportunities, but my record is not too shabby so far: a pistachio ice-cream at Donovan's that was like edible eau-de-nil satin; a greedy box of Burch & Purchase's gold-dusted salted caramels; some truly luscious lollipop strawberries from Sunny Ridge farm in Mornington Peninsula; and a snatched lunch at Gingerboy, where the culinary prizes were the coconutty almost-carpaccio of kingfish with peanuts and the son-in-law eggs - think soft boiled eggs, shelled then deep-fried to be eaten (whole) with a chilli-jam and a crispy allium mixture to dip them in first.
Now, I know I've got the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival to busy me happily over the weekend, but I dare say that I'll have more bonne bouches to report on before - d.v. - I get back home!
