Joel's Birthday in Alta for Treasure Tuesday

 

There are birthdays that deserve lavish celebrations, and there are those made unforgettable simply by sharing an exceptional meal with someone you love. We finally found the time to celebrate his birthday at ALT Pasta Bar, tucked away in Melbourne's atmospheric Niagara Lane, where artisan pasta is elevated into an art form.

ALT—short for "Alternative"—is the vision of owner and executive chef Mino Han, whose philosophy is to honour Italian tradition while reimagining it through contemporary technique and subtle Korean influences. Every strand of pasta is handmade in-house, reflecting the same meticulous craftsmanship that has earned Han national acclaim, including recognition as a Gourmet Traveller Best New Talent finalist and an appearance on Netflix's Culinary Class Wars.

I ordered the truffle pasta, and from the very first forkful it was pure indulgence. The sauce clung to every ribbon with remarkable richness—dense, velvety and deeply aromatic, allowing the earthy perfume of truffle to linger long after each bite. It was one of the most intensely flavourful pasta dishes I have ever tasted, luxurious without ever feeling excessive.

Joel chose the Moreton Bay Bug seafood pasta, where the sweetness of the shellfish met a beautifully creamy sauce bursting with bold savoury depth. Every mouthful carried the unmistakable confidence of a kitchen that understands how to build layers of flavour while allowing the finest ingredients to remain the stars of the plate.

What made the evening even more satisfying was that such craftsmanship came without an extravagant price tag. For food of this calibre, ALT felt remarkably approachable, proving that memorable dining need not come with unnecessary extravagance. We left not only with happy appetites, but with the quiet contentment that comes from celebrating life's small milestones exactly as they should be—over wonderful food and even better company.

My camera, unfortunately, spent the evening forgotten in the car, so every photograph was taken on my mobile phone instead. Yet perhaps that was fitting. The images may not possess the crispness of a proper lens, but they captured something far more enduring: candlelit plates of exquisite pasta, shared laughter across the table, and the simple joy of finally celebrating his birthday together.

The restaurant is here Alta Pasta Restaurant

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Adelaide Mural Victoria Street Mural for Mural Monday

 

During my stay at the Playford Hotel in Adelaide for this year's geriatric conference, I often found my gaze drawn across the street to an elegant steakhouse adorned with a striking mural. It lent the place an air of sophistication, inviting the promise of an exceptional dining experience. Curious, I eventually stepped inside.

The meal was pleasant enough—the steak competently prepared and enjoyable without fault. Yet, for all its stylish presentation and premium pricing, it never quite rose to the heights its surroundings seemed to promise. Like the mural itself, the restaurant excelled in appearance and atmosphere, but the memory it left was more one of admiration than delight. 

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Mural Monday

Vue De Monde Melbourne for Treasure Tuesday

 

Roast Eel 

Smoked cocktail

Picked Oyster

Caviar on pumpkin mesh

Merren 3 eats

Pineapple sorbet with floral crisps

Cured Kangaroo meat 

We are getting older 

Souffle 

Joel’s birthday was celebrated just last week, an occasion for which I had secured a reservation no less than three months in advance. The booking, as expected, was gone within minutes of the reservation page opening—testament to the enduring allure of this esteemed establishment, which has held its place among Melbourne’s finest dining destinations for over a quarter of a century. Indeed, having now dined at virtually every hatted restaurant in the city, it feels as though we are truly savouring the richness of life’s finer pleasures.

For this special evening, we were seated at Vue de Monde, a culinary landmark atop the Rialto. The evening unfolded with an elegant succession of courses—each a thoughtful homage to native Australian ingredients and refined technique. There was the delicate smoked eel with white chocolate and caviar, a bold yet balanced expression of contrasts. The Western Australian marron arrived perfectly poached, nestled in a vivid green sauce of Geraldton wax and finger lime. A course of Flinders Island lamb followed, prepared with such precision that it seemed to melt upon the tongue. Even the bread service—a warm, crusty sourdough with house-cultured butter—was elevated to a ceremonial delight.

The degustation concluded with an exquisite arrangement of petit fours: wattleseed macarons, eucalyptus marshmallows, and a hand-churned ice cream, theatrically frozen in liquid nitrogen at the table. Each dish was presented with care, matched by service that was both attentive and effortlessly refined.

To commemorate the occasion visually, I brought along my new Sony 16mm f1.8 lens. Its compact form and brilliant aperture made it an ideal companion for capturing the quiet drama of the dining scene—the glint of glassware, the sheen on porcelain, the gentle fall of candlelight on plated artistry.

Sony A7RV

FE 16mm f1.8 GM

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Phillipe French Restaurant set lunch menu for Treasure Tuesday

 

This restaurant is run by a well-known French chef who moved to Australia in 1993. I was stood up by my date on that day. At least, the food was great!

The escargots are just a delight (1st pic). The desert is so creamy and soft to taste. 

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Restaurant Lucy Liu Sign for Tom's Sign2

 

This entrance has been viral on IG for so many years. It is almost like a cult happening. The food is of fusion style between southeast Asia and Japanese. A bit dear for the pricing. But my former photo group always come to meet here for the sake of taking a snap at the front door. I guess we are all addicted to mad marketing on social media. 

Panasonic G9

Leica 12-60mm f2.8-4

Linking Tom's Sign2

Bouchon Bendigo - http://www.bouchonbendigo.com.au/

The french meal. Bad backlit shot but this was my team at GEM Hospice


http://www.bouchonbendigo.com.au/

Red Spice Restaurant in QV Melbourne

A very nice meal in QV Melbourne. The twice cooked pork was simply gorgeous.

Lulo Spanish Bar and Cafe Beef

I had this plate with Joel last evening. Really tender braised beef ribs. Strong flavour in deed.

On Glenferrie road.

Fusion cuisine

Fusion of French and Italian. In fact, the difference between the two cuisine was really small. French focused on flavouring derived from sauces while Italian relied on flavour coming from actual ingredients.

Black Cod from Shoya - 1 hat restaurant in Melbourne CBD

It is really a busy day that it took me 4 hour to drive to Warrnambool then 4 hours driving back to Melbourne. Soooooooo tired...

This was the special dish ordered in Shoya where the moist juicy fish was roasted in miso paste. It tastes heavenly.

The restaurant is in this link http://www.shoya.com.au/ 

The photo was taken by Voigtlander 40mm f2 

Grilled Ocean Trout flooded in lemon juice

The special of the day from a restaurant on Glenferrie st in Hawthorn

A lot of posh looking ladies trying to eat similar dish in there. This plate is full of lemon!!! So sour that I want to cry

Breakfast at Hyatt Hotel

Breakfast is the sign of civilisation

Ox tongue ravioli - Italian

A restaurant discovered in the boring Richmond of Victoria. Very nice winter food though. One hat restaurant.

Quail smoked and onion boiled

At traralgon Neilsons. A very delicate dish

Bridge St Melbourne Breakfast

Torch is reknown for coffee. It has a good reputation. The visit to the place was quite an unusual expereince on its own. The coffee smell filled the air. It was just heavenly.

The menu looks great with a large selection of dishes to pick from

My omlette was with basil pesto. Very aromatic.

The place was rather made a country style with a touch of homeliness.

Fusion dish, Kobe Jones, Dockland

It was once said ...

Fusion cuisine is something when a chef is not well trained in 2 fields, combining half learnt skill from 2 styles of cuisine...

Sad existence.

However, this one did taste great. A bit of Japanese and French.

Kobe Jones, Dockland., Melbourne.

This Greek lamb stew is beautiful

What a smile!

The smile is priceless.

King Salmon

This dish is so luxuriously seasoned. It made my day