So what if a grown up gets super excited about penguins?! Have you see Happy feet? Or March of the Penguins? Well I have, and am proud to announce to the world that yes, I have a thing for penguins. Now come on, their cute little beady eyes, their little flightless wings, tubby bellies and the way they just waddle around, who can honestly say they don’t have a thing for penguins!

Did you know that penguins form monogamous pairs (how loyal!) for the breeding season? And unlike reality (sorry boys) BOTH the parents take it in turns to look after  the egg before it hatches while the other makes the trek across vast, icy wilderness to feed upon the fish and other small sea creatures in the ocean?

Ok, so penguin obsession now out in the open, I still decided to go under the alias –  ‘my nine month old niece would love to go visit the fishies at the Melbourne Aquarium, I’ll take her’  – and I did. I hadn’t been to the Melbourne Aquarium in years and years and was very excited to see how it had changed. So first things first; see the penguins. We paid for our entry and made a mad dash to the penguin exhibit. A replica of Antarctica, the animal enclosure was decked out with ice slides, a feeding area, lots of play area and a huge swimming pool that the penguins were shooting through like torpedoes! My niece was in awe of the waddling birds and we happily sat there together for three quarters of an hour, staring into the enclosure, oblivious to any of our other surroundings.

The Melbourne Aquarium had a lot more than just penguins though (although we wouldn’t have minded if it were just a penguin park). We spent the entire morning slowly making our way through the many exhibits. There was a touch and feel pool where we could put our fingers into slimy little sea anemones and hold star fish,  a section dedicated to the  Amazon River and similar environments (there was a poisonous dart frog who was an amazing black and yellow) and a huge tank filled with sharks, big fish and manta rays. If you were game enough you can even go for a dive with the toothy sharks…and I mean I totally would have but you know, my niece was with me and all…

All in all, a great day out (for big kids as well as real kids), there is even an Aquarium café where you can pit stop to refill bellies and have a drink…Steer clear of the fish and chips though…There is something very disturbing about ordering fried fishies at the biggest tank in Melbourne!!

Try the ‘Green Faery’ for an extra kick J

The atmosphere was that of a typical Polish hub, a warm little hideaway, somewhere out in the country where milkmaids still exist and bikes with baskets are prominent. A gypsy couple stole the centre of the restaurant and on accordion and guitar belted out some true-to-home tunes.

As the menu boasted so many typical Polish dishes, I was intrigued to try but all of them. For entre my table and I shared gołąbki (cabbage leaf stuffed with veal, rice and vegetables served with light tomato sauce), Bigos (traditional hunter’s sauerkraut and smoked meat stew served with rye bread) and kopytka (pan-fried polish gnocchi served with a wild mushroom ragout..YUM!) All of which were simply delicious! The authenticity was amazing, and the flavours so complimenting of each other. Who would have thought that a few simple ingredients, along with a super-styln’ chef would create such an amazing flavour experience in your mouth!

A few more vodkas later, we were ready to order our main meals. Now if anyone reading this is of Polish heritage, they would understand the deep connection us Pols have with a traditional dish called Pierogi. Now Pierogi are a typical Polish dish of dumplings with a choice of fillings;

• beef, chicken, herbs and spices with a paprika meat sauce
• porcini mushroom and sauerkraut with a breadcrumb coating
• cheese and potato with fried onion and sour cream

I would even advise the cheese and potato dumplings to the queen!

Our belly’s too full for desert; we embraced the cultural atmosphere a little longer and managed to almost roll to the car.

All in all, it was a very pleasant experience. I left Borsch, Vodka and Tears very pleased, and with the intention of soon returning. Highly recommended and only a short stroll away from our Caroline Serviced Apartments South Yarra property!

For those of you who watch No Reservations, and are a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s, you will know how much of an awesome traveller/foodie he is. The Half Moon is literally underneath Caroline Serviced Apartments Brighton! I don’t need to tell you how good the food is, you can just see and taste with your eyes in the video.

Another well known celeb chef Pete Evans also has the Pantry, the interactive restaurant, as part of his portfolio of restaurants which include Hugo’s Bondi. Click on the link above to see all the special dining events they hold with Australia’s best chefs!

The Pantry is also located a stone’s throw away from Caroline Serviced Apartments Brighton!

How about a view to make any meal and wine taste even better? The middle brighton baths restaurant was awarded 14.5/20 in The Age Good Food Guide, and only 10 minutes away from our apartments in Brighton… Check out this review

Impressive views of the bay.Outdoor dining at the Middle Brighton BathsThe Jetty at Middle Brighton Baths

Outdoor dining at the Middle Brighton Baths

The Jetty at Middle Brighton Baths

Another place to entice your senses, Attica does contemporary dining in the Ripponlea area, which is only 5 minutes away from Brighton. If your looking for an occasion place, this is it! Read this blog post on the restaurant.

Imagine a special weekend away with that special someone, staying in our gorgeous apartments, dining in one of these amazing restaurants, walking down Brighton beach and enjoying the seaside, shopping at the boutiques on Church Street, kayaking in the bay while watching the sunset… All this is just a 15 minute drive from the Melbourne CBD.

If you’ve never been to Brighton in Melbourne, you’re missing out.