We'll start from Sunday and work backwards, a little 'Benjamin Button' if you will...
Sunday
Hubby and I had another delicious brunch at
Inkr7, Inkerman St, St Kilda. We had counted down the days until their summer holiday break was over, and finally we could go again for their yummo brunch. They have newly renovated their courtyard, which is cute, stylish and very relaxing to sit in. I enjoyed their poached eggs special with chickpea and courgette fritters, and a sweet chilli aioli. Ian had their smoked trout eggs, which were fabulous again. My mocha was also excellent.
Thursday
Thursday was my Dad's 60th birthday (happy birthday Dad) and my Mum and Dad were in Melbourne to celebrate. My sister and I took them to
Harvey's, Murphy St, South Yarra, for a special brunch. I had never been there before, but had been lusting after their food for months after discovering their
website. Harvey's is in a gorgeous converted cottage, and it does really feel like you are eating in someone's home. Service was very good, with the food arriving within an acceptable time.
I had the corn fritters with smoked salmon and sour cream. I do love my corn fritters, and these were excellent.
Thanks to my dad for sending me the photos.My sister chose the truffle scrambled eggs with mushroom and spinach. I tasted it, it was yum. She said the mushrooms on the plate were her favourite part of the dish.

My mum had the ricotta hotcakes with caramellised banana and vanilla yoghurt - the yoghurt was freshly made with real vanilla beans. I know she enjoyed it, because she couldn't stop talking about it for the next day and wanted to back for more!
They were as good as they look in the photo.
My dad had the eggs florentine with a side serve of smoked salmon. For some reason, he forgot to take a photo of his own food!
Harvey's is very, very good, but a bit expensive for every day (or every weekend). It is a great place for a special occasion brunch.
Thursday dinner
For my Dad's birthday dinner, we went to
Sails on the Bay, Elwood. Yes, I have been there many times before, and you can scroll back via my special occasion link to see my previous reviews. My sister and I decided on the steamed blue eye which was done asian-style with a mirin, sake and soy broth, shiitake mushrooms and and bokchoy. It was yum, although the greyish appearance of the fish made it not look very pretty. The pickled ginger on top was a great addition.
My Mum and my brother-in-law Joe had the porterhouse steak with a mustard glaze and kipfler potatoes, and Ian and my Dad had the ocean trout with creme fraiche and lemon zest on a bed of peas, artichokes and broad beans. We all shared chips and various salads with our mains, which were also great.
For dessert, each couple got the assiette for two people. This consisted of a long plate adorned with lemon & almond cake, coconut & lime sorbet, minted strawberry jelly, passionfruit & pineapple parfait, strawberry sorbet, lemon posset and white chocolate & cherry delice. For my Dad's plate, they even added a 'white chocolate sign' which said happy birthday, and gave him a candle to blow out. The dessert was delicious and the lemon posset was probably my favourite.
Sails has the gorgeous views and cool beachy decor, but the price of the food probably doesn't match its quality. For similar pricing and atmosphere, but better quality, Half Moon in Brighton is miles ahead.
Wednesday
On Wednesday night, I tried out the new-ish Kosher restaurant in town,
Kimberley Grill, Inkerman Road, Caulfield with my in-laws, parents and my husband. Located in the Quest Kimberley, the grill utilises the same chef as the old Park Grill in the same space as the Kimberley buffet. The menu mostly consists of steak, schnitzels and chicken, with some pasta and salads thrown in for good measure. Prices are expensive, but not much more than a good steak house.
The food and service is decent and much improved from the ol' Park Grill. I had their veal schnitzel, which came with chips and salad. The schnitzel was a little bit fatty and over-battered, but overall it tasted good. Ian's T-bone was also tasty; he did enjoy being able to eat meat whilst out at a restaurant. Their onion rings are a stand-out, a nice treat if you don't mind ignoring the oil left behind. I have also heard that their spring rolls are a good choice for a starter.
Monday
Monday was a quick dinner at
Gurkha's, Chapel St, Prahran. My parents had just arrived back from the their cruise around New Zealand and were hoping for some yum Asian food. Gurkha's is Nepalese, so I guess it fit the bill! Their Gurkha's special was great, as per usual, even though we still don't know what is in it. I had a grilled chicken dish, but was only able to eat half of it due to a sore tummy. My Dad had their goat curry, which is one of their signature dishes, and my hubby had a mushroom dish.