Vue de Monde, Rialto Tower, Melbourne CBD

Instagram: @joicejlau



I'm going to have to finish off my New Zealand miniseries later - exams got in the way of me getting it done earlier - because right now I have a number of people nagging me to post photos from my Vue de Monde experience, not surprisingly!

The Rialto Tower. Vue de Monde sits on the 55th floor.

Last week I had some relatives arriving on a visit from overseas and we had the great privilege of taking a nine-course degustation at Shannon Bennett's famed establishment. Now, normally I'd write a detailed review, but in this case I really don't think it's necessary. Today, I'll just let the photos and videos do most of the talking...

I requested a "good table" due to our overseas visitors, and we were duly treated to one with views of Melbourne's CBD.

 

Pre-appetiser: house-made salt and vinegar chips with macadamia paste

New Zealand Report: Vaniyé (Vaniye), Parnell, Auckland

Instagram: @joicejlau

Earlier this year, my mum and I visited New Zealand properly for the first time (airport transits don't count as visits!) with a long weekend getaway to Auckland. I know, I know...some of you out there might scratch your heads at the idea of just visiting Auckland. However, (a) I only had a few days' time - not enough to do the whole South Island thing, (b) the flights worked out cheapest, and (c) I have a mate in Auckland, who did a fantastic job showing me his city. And of course, NZ has an excellent reputation when it comes to wining and dining no matter which city you visit. As such, I thought it would be fun to do a miniseries of blog posts to share some of my musings and dining thoughts from my journey. To whet your appetite, here's my favourite photo from my trip:

The view from Devonport towards Auckland CBD