Brunetti is something of an institution for serious set keen for a pit-stop of caffeine and cake. But for BigMouth and CB, last night was our first meal at its restaurant.

At first, a little unnerved by the hub-bub and clatter of the cafe bar, pasticceria and gelataria, our jangled nerves were soon to be soothed as we were ushered to the more sedate atmosphere of the cosy restaurant.
The menu boasted an array of traditional Italian dishes such as panini, bruschetta, calzone and soup. But we were tempted by offerings from the special’s board.

CB selected the Risotto Porcini. Its flavoursome mushrooms delighting us both. While BigMouth chose the Calamari Ripieni, served in a tangy Romano sauce. We shared a small garden salad which was most generous in its proportion and could easily have been dubbed “large”.
Although the restaurant does offer desserts, it is more common for patrons to wander off to the pasticceria section to be stumped by the wide range of options available. Be dazzled by the opera cake (layers of almond sponge, coffee butter cream and chocolate ganache), the biscuits and confectionery, or a cup of mixed gelato. Pick one (or more) and it follows you back to the dining table to complete your meal.

CB went for the passionfruit tart, which we decided would have been better with more of the former (the passionfruit) and less of the latter (the tart). BigMouth, having already shared in ample sampling from CB’s meals (without reciprocating), display a futile bravado at belated restraint - and nominated to have an affogato, which was delicious.

Add one glass of mineral water (for CB) and two glasses of wine (for BigMouth), wave the “Entertainment Gold Card” for a 25% discount, and then be pleasantly surprised to find the entire feast at a remarkably low $64.40.

BigMouth and CB were at Ocha Tuesday evening for the opening of its 2007 dining season.

Although it was the first night for staff after the summer break, they didn’t miss a beat as we where ushered through to a window seat.

Without fail, CB and I return regularly to this strikingly small Japanese restaurant and which never fails to impress us for the quality of its cuisine, service and down-right value. As it ranks among our favourites, we have a rolling booking that aims to have us dine there once every 10 or so weeks.

Simply furnished, and with relatively few tables, a casual passerby might not realise the sizable cult following this establishment has built. But don’t bother showing up without a booking hoping to find an empty seat. Reservations are usually booked solid for weeks in advance for its three sittings - lunch through to 2:30pm, an early evening set from 6pm to 7:45pm, and a second evening setting from 8pm to sometime after 10:30pm.

The kitchen never fails to thrill us with its modern twist on Japanese cuisine.

This eatery’s reputation firmly rests on its food. What Bigmouth loves about the place is being able to ignore the menu, entrust the staff to pick a variety of dishes, and know that every dish that emerges from the kitchen will dazzle and delight the tastebuds. Even more impressive is that the staff have learnt and understood CB’s dining requirements and are still able to furbish us with an array of shared plates that cater to the polar extremes of our culinary habits.

We always finish the evening happy on every visit.

Bigmouth generally does all the cooking at our establishment; but with the outlaw/inlaws paying a visit last weekend, CB wanted to make an impression. So she went out to the kitchen to rattle those pots and pans.

This is largely unexplored territory to her, so it wasn’t long before the call came forth: “where are the oven trays?” My reply being: “check the oven”.

Now this was subject to great scorn be poured upon Bigmouth from all quarters: ”The oven? What an odd place to store unused oven trays? Only you would do such a thing.” But I’m sure this idea is the product of folklore handed down from generation to generation - back from an era when the best remedy to prevent rust on older-style baking trays was to have then dry in a cooling oven.

So this little domestic incident prompts today’s question: in a tight kitchen where space is a premium, do you find similar solutions for storage? Or is Bigmouth truly the odd-man-out?

BigMouth & CB dropped into Southgate yesterday for early “elevenes” and decided to give La Camera a shot.

Located at the mid level east end of Southgate, the restaurant and cafe is well positioned to offer patron’s impressive views over the river and up towards the MCG.

The sole remaining serve of tiramisu looked sadly deflatted, disappointing considering that they claim it to be the world’s best. So for the morning sugar hit I had the lemon meringue; it tasted good, but I was slightly disappointed as the crust had a feeling of yesterday about it.

CB settled for a generous slice apple crumble cheesecake which was fresh and filling.

The setting would normally have been nice, however for some odd reason our waiter had chosen to seat us beside a “McDonalds style” keyboard used for punching through orders to the kitchen. If the restaurant had been full, this would have been forgiveable. But as there were seats aplenty in sunny positions throughout the establishment, the cramped and noisy conditions were difficult to endure. We longed to be seated by the window and watched people go by.