Melbourne Weekend: Chloe, Chanel & Cumulus

Thank you all for your lovely comments in my previous post! I had a lovely (yet rushed) weekend in Melbourne...Although I did manage to squeeze in a little bit of window shopping in. Loved this gorgeous mural next to the Chanel store:


click to enlarge (above and/or below) or click HERE for close-up of the tunic


Dress: Chloe beaded tunic (even though it is more of a 'romper' - don't laugh, Susie Poosie, with the bottom part joined in the middle, I wore it as a tunic, over a Witchery black tank stretchy dress...I quite liked the 'draped-to-the-side' effect that had, and it was more comfortable to walk in all day...
Bag: Burberry Malika hobo in tan (Christmas present from my gorgeous sisters)


How much is that 'doggy' (aka Chanel reissue) in the window?

Loved the heel on these Gucci shoes

Beautiful lunch at Cumulus with friends and 'bubbly'...the highlight of our trip

The sight of the bread at Cumulus always puts a huge grin on my face (you can click on the bread picture to enlarge)


Starting with slow cooked octupus with aioli & dehydrated olive...an absolute delight! I loved the little kick the sliver of green chilli gave to each delicious bite-sized morsel...

Grilled zucchini, barrel aged fetta, pine nuts and currants, went beautifully with the dish below:

Mustard crumbed pig's tail, garlic snails, picked shallots & watercress...Even though this may sound a little weird, it was absolutely delicious! So moist, full of beautiful flavour...I wanted more!

The whole slow roast lamb shoulder was incredible! The meat was falling off the bone and so moist & tasty, served with pickled red onions & lemon.

Berry & Frangipane tart (and I took some delightful little cookies with me in a paper bag)

The madeleines filled with lemon curd are absolutely to-die-for, and are more than worth the 15 minute wait...


The reason for my trip to Melbourne, was to attend a function where hubby was to receive a prestigious award. Remember I wrote that he was sitting some very important exams last year? Not only did he pass, but he received the highest marks in the country! Oh yes, I was/am very proud...

Weekend rundown:

Purchases: Nil. I almost purchased the Alpha60 pleated scarves at their GPO store, but could not decide between 2-3 different scarves, thankfully I can purchase them by mail order, I think I have finally decided which ones to get...

Outfits: packed in my suitcase: Witchery black stretchy tank dress, Phi black silk & mesh long sleeveless blazer/jacket, Nathan Jenden pleated wool dress, Chloe beaded tunic, Dries Van Noten silk sequinned clutch, Burberry Malika hobo leather bag in tan, Dries Van Noten 'nude' leather sandals.

Breathtaking moments: Loved the buttersoft leather skirt in Tan at Scanlan & Theodore (slightly draped and tulip-shaped)...but did not even attempt to squeeze myself into it, so as to not depress myself...am hopeful it is still in stores when my body is more 'leather-skirt friendly'. Also fell in love with several pieces at the Willow store, including a drapey yellow silk chiffon blouse, and the beaded belts/necklaces. Was slightly starry eyed when I spotted the Dries Van Noten bracelet from SS'10 at Belinda...stunning! They also had the green clutch below:

style.com

Shops covered:

Hawksburn & Armadale: on Malvern Rd (Hawksburn): Empire Rose, Willow, Belinda; on High St Armadale: Kirrily Johnston, Ksubi, Falke, Aesop, Scanlan & Theodore, Lee Matthews.

City: most stores I tried to go to were closed, so only managed to see a few at the GPO: Acne, Alpha60 and Willow.

Food:

Dinner (night 1) at the new Mexican restaurant Mamasita (1/11 Collins St) - the place was so dark my pictures did not turn out well. I quite enjoyed the corn on the cob with queso, chilli, & lime (with the delicious sauces they bring to your table), I highly recommend the Quesadilla de Huitlacoche (mexican truffle) and the incredible roast lamb (which was absolutely delicious).

Breakfast: was at Mart 130 - cool set-up outside a Tram stop (hence 'Mart' is tram spelt backwards), although unfortunately the food was a bit of a let-down (I had a triple stack of pancakes with belgian chocolate sauce, toasted hazelnuts, banana & vanilla bean mascarpone - sounded much nicer than it tasted I'm afraid), I much preferred the breakfast I had at St Ali in South Melbourne during my last trip in January (I never got the time to post about that trip for the Australian Open, sorry!). Last trip I also had breakfast at Cumulus Inc, which was quite nice (although not as filling as St Ali).

Dinner (night 2): Thaila Thai (Lygon St, Brunswick)- one of my favourite 'cheap eats' in Melbourne, a dinner for 2 including corkage came up to $34, with enough leftovers for hubby to eat the next morning. Love this place!

Lunch: Cumulus Inc. - fabulous food!