Our Favourite Eats Series




That white sign is annoying! It wasn't here the last time I took this picture, it used to be a phone store but is now a coffee shop, also the karaoke bar used to be an asian takeaway place. Many things have changed since we discovered Tokui Sushi back in the modelling years (it was a looong time ago). But one thing that hasn't changed is the price here at Tokui Sushi.



Known for their always $2 sushi, Tokui is the cheapest sushi joint in the city or anywhere. Ok so the place next to my apartment does $2 sushi too, but it's not popular. And with popularity comes high turnover rates meaning more freshly made sushi. 



While it's limited to handrolls that are $2, there are packs and sashimi too. The variety is much smaller than the new Sushi Hub, but it works out to be much much cheaper when you consider how much sushi we eat (weekly visits). Rolls are mainly traditional ones, and the salmon isn't chewy!







Sashimi packs! The yellow rolls are tamago/egg rolls, dessert sushi. Not pictured is plain inari, $1.80 each. If you drop by before the chef leaves at 3pm you could order a custom pack. Prices the assorted (row 1 & 2) are $6, and row 3 just sashimi is $8. While cheap it's always fresh too.






They also sell drinks, though sushi is what we're here for. My favourites are the Califorinian roll, the salmon and tamago. The fried ones I'm not too big a fan of, but that's a personal preference, as when I think sushi I consider it a healthier fast food option.






Service here is always fast and friendly, Tokui is located very close to 7 Eleven near Melbourne Central on La Trobe. To get there from Melbourne Cetral Station you can go through the shopping center, towards Forever New, and turn left when you get to the street. It's the second place. 

Or from Flinders, take the tram to Bourke St (really Little Bourke really, with where it stops) and walk a block or two towards Melbourne Central. It's on the same block, left of the 7 Eleven opposite McDonalds.

Saturday 26th November



As it gets darker the blue lanterns light up radiating a white glow, replacing the usual purply pink ones that turn red after dark. It's a nice change, though aren't as amazing as the red ones as night, ah vibrant, that's the word I'm after. But if we blast the saturation it'll looks good.




If you're with citibank you get access to the 'Citi VIP' area, once again the only area under cover pretty much. There's clean tables, a bar and two restaurants they deliver to your table. They're always the less popular places though. That picture of the grey skies, that's what the weather was really like on day 2.  






We decided to skip hanging out in the area in favour of eating in the next line. That's the reality of it, lines and more lines. Divide and conquer. Group shots are completely planned. Shots with lots of different vendors, also planned.







From BaoStop we tried both the fries and bao. The pecking duck fries at $15 was pretty much peking duck and sauce on top of fries. There is no ratio. While it was nice there wasn't enough sauce or duck. Better off buying peking ducks and fries on its own.





Peking Duck Gua Bao - Small piece of duck that was mostly chewy... a dud. But duck serving are rarely ever generous. But in theory this would have been amazing. Also the size was absolutely nothing like in the picture (see above).  

Braised Pork Belly Gua Bao - Jas says meh, it was average.

Fried Chicken Gua Bao - A slightly hot sauce with coleslaw under the chicken it felt a bit like a taco. It was good but fairly average too. 

The bun parts themselves were slightly sweet rather than savory, fluffy white dough. The idea was great, but on execution they were average good. 










Fried Chicken Gua Bao - w hot sauce and kim chi cabbage it was quite nice and simple.

Panko Crumbed Eggplant Gua Bao - Melting like butter, I liked it while jas said it wasn't cooked as well as he'd liked.

Roast Pork Belly Gua Bao - With a sweet smokey bbq sauce and cucumber this was the bests of the six jas ate, a must for all pork lovers.




Menu log offered their own seating area, thin rugs on the ground and some bean bags, with delivery fro two places. Located up in the hill it was for the view.




Mr. Miyagi was one of the most popular stalls with the longest lines, no one had lines like them. Sporting Japanese fusion food these tacos were quite exciting, as no one offers anything like them. We had...

Mr. M’s Salmon: Grilled salmon, sushi rice, kim chi, Japanese mayo and chili oil in a nori taco shell. I'd expected this to be amazing, but it wasn't. It was average, once again concept over taste. I would have preferred something more like sashimi with the sauces and rice. Maybe different sashimis.

Tempura soft shell crab: Tempura soft shell crab, sushi rice, curried mayo, avocado guacamole, pickled jalapenos in a nori taco shell. - Fairing better than the salmon this seemed to be the best seller. Crispy crab and avocado, two things Melbourne loves. The curried mayo was on the sweet side and need more spice though. A try once thing.






Milk chocolate and matcha gelato with white choc x pistachio crunch in a green tea waffle cone. This was the highlight of the night noodle markets! It was like a premium magnum (think back to the magnum bar) married a connetto/Drumstick. All the textures and complimenting flavours, it was delicious!


Only On Sundaes $12 - Salted coconut sorbet with black sticky rice and lychee tapioca, caramelized puff pastry with lemon grass and white choc ganche.

Hmm... I'm not sure if that's what we had, because it didn't taste like that. Instead it was a lychee rose cream with tapioca/sago and coconut ice cream-y sorbet, atop a red bean rice base that was hard and horrible like yesterday's rice. So basically the top was great, but not the base.



I do love that Messina always offers something you can't get in-stores. The rest you can, though with the food festivals, they give you an opportunity to try a bit of everything. A series of expensive snacks, so better than others.

A card-less festival! Moving towards the taste event, which launched/was on during the same weekend, they both embraced card only. It makes everything easier, but what about those who don't use card? Grandma says she's not going, as she's skeptical and says they'll have her card info and empty out her account. But then again these food festivals are for young/older professionals with plenty of disposable income.

We were surprized not to see a bubble tea stall actually, there were only bars.

Friday 11th November



Following exams comes the Taste of Melbourne (in two posts) and the Night Noodle Markets! Both launching within the same 48hrs, though one goes for four days while the other three weeks. Meaning more time to visit!

• A huge cash-less card only, 
• outdoor festival food festival,
• inspired by Asian hawker markets, 
• but much much cleaner that 
• goes for three weeks 
• is what the Night Noodle Markets is. 

Foodtrucks come from local resturants/places like Mr Miyaki, Messinna and from Sydney, like YumCha & that Strawberry Watermelon Cake! 


They even have my favourite drink, coconut water! These were $6-7-ish. All that's missing is a cute little paper umbrella! The only reason I didn't actually get one was, that there wasn't an offer to bring it back and have it cut open, so you can eat the flesh.


Mercedes Benz had some seating, and a top level! With trying to fit in all the events we didn't get a chance to go up there, but there's always next year. 


Harvey Norman was there for a competition that uses skills that I lack. Throw the dumplings into the noodle box then vaccum the flour on the carpet. Fastest time each night wins a vaccum! The record that night we were there was about 30secs. I set the record for the longest time - 3minutes... My dumplings either completely missed, or bounced off...






The drink of the event was Pimms, the perfect refreshing drink that comes with warmer days. There was a pop-up bar near morman a month or so ago that sold Pimm Popsicles! Sadly here you couldn't get them.


Launch Night No.2 at the Night Nooddle Markets was hosted on two very tall white timber tables, and blocks of fake grass (great for that flatlay angle) within the Pimms Garden. 

We didn't eat everything we shot, instead we sampled many dishes to get an ideal of what we'd like to get. Baos, tacos and messina were amomg my picks.






















Mr. M’s Salmon: Grilled salmon, sushi rice, kim chi, 
Japanese mayo and chili oil in a nori taco shell.

Panko Prawn: Crispy crumbed Prawn, sushi rice, teriyaki sauce, 
wasabi mayo, crushed wasabi peas in a nori taco shell

Friday 11th November



This morning we headed out to Encore, a popular event space with lovely and very bright views of St Kilda Beach for the Bloggers Brunch, presented by Kid's Business Communication.

An event for mommy and lifestyle bloggers, a chance to meet brands and network, and chat up instant collaboration or post-event ones. Speed networking, with speakers. Inspiring mumtrepreneurs shared their inspiring stories and all on the theme "Healthy, Wealthy and Wise".



Soon it was networking time! Said to be brunch, it was more like a light lunch, which we skipped to maximize networking opps. 

This is has one of the best organized events we've been to, as on arrival we were given a bookmark shaped list with all the social media accounts and hashtags. On the other side was a stamp hunt, each stand you visit gives you a stamp. A completed stamp sheet enter you into a draw to win a macaron tower!





Naturalizer is about both style and comfort, something that isn't very modern unfortunately. These days it's all "no pain no gain" and there's the idea that anyone can wear any show, but that's not true. I can't shop at Wittness and most mainstream stores, with my wide and flat feet. But with Naturalizer there's hope! We're excited about visiting the store soon.


Little Innoscents offers 100% natural, pure and Australian Certified Organic (ACO) baby skincare as well as the whole family and some household products, like dish washing and laundry liquid. They also have essential oils which I'm a fan of! Stay tuned for a review.




Bondi Chai won the fine food awards in Hobart (capital of the often left out Tasmania, an island/state of Australia down the bottom), a milk-soluble chai latte pre-mix it's a lovely warm hug of a drink, though can be iced for summer or used in a range of desserts.  





Check out all these colourful and fun lunch boxes/bags and accessories by Smash! Their latest range 'Nude Food Movers' is all about reducing trash, referring to one use sandwich bags/wrap, individually packed snacks and co. A greener less waste future, reflecting on our evolving values.


We've got our eye on that glitter lunch bag! The variety is huge! Much more than when we were kids, though I was home schooled and so never really had a lunch bag. How awesome is that typo-ish bottle? And that blue gel pack, that's an ice block.





Earth Choice is part of Natures Organics (think Coles and Wesfarmers), an Australian family owned company creating environmentally responsible products, of the best quality, at the lowest possible price. They offer vegan plant based products, with recyclable packing, that aren't tested on animals. Pretty cheap and easy to find we get ours from Chemist Warehouse. 


From Blossom & Bear comes this print on gratefulness and motherhood. I sent it to my mother who sent it back actually with a note saying there are more burdens than good times when it come to having kids. Ok... 


Being right in front of the beach we just had to go for a walk after wards though didn't get very far it was very bright out there! Though we managed to organize everything into three bags!







Thank you Kid's Business Communication for a great event, one of the best speed networking expo like events we've been to! And as an event planner we've been to many events. Looking forwards to testing out the products and sharing our thoughts!

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