Desiree Koh:
October 8, 2010. We were beyond ecstatic to be back at Grill'd Burgers - our favorite burger place! Here are the beginnings of a monster killer burger in the making.
Desiree Koh:
The Mighty Melbourne - extra lean beef with a fried egg, beet root slices, cheddar and as much salad as you can stuff before the burger burst out of its wholemeal buns.
Desiree Koh:
A little chip treat!
Desiree Koh:
Dion's Tuscan Delight - lean chicken breast with pesto, herbed mayo and salad.
Desiree Koh:
Happy puppy.
Desiree Koh:
Tea time at Hopetoun Tea Room - pouring an orange rooibos.
Desiree Koh:
My chocolatea - vanilla and chocolate black tea.
Desiree Koh:
We shared this apricot and frangipani tart, with the most delicate creme fraiche ever.
Desiree Koh:
A stop at Naked For Satan in Fitzroy, where I had an octopus, chickpea and olive pinxto. With Diet Coke.
Desiree Koh:
Dinner at Alev Alev, a hole-in-the-wall Turkish delight. Baklava and other desserts in the showcase.
Desiree Koh:
A display of salads.
Desiree Koh:
Stuffed capsicum - some of us felt this way after dinner. Thankfully, not me!
Desiree Koh:
Hummus always puts me in good humor!
Desiree Koh:
Falafel - really well done. Light, fluffy, evenly mixed.
Desiree Koh:
One of the two mixed grill platters we shared. Pretty good pre-race fueling, if you ask me - protein and complex carbs!
Desiree Koh:
Well, the treats might have come a bit early... :)
Desiree Koh:
I was very excited to check out the new Andrew McCullen places, and took Dionnie with me. I'm glad he liked them, too! Here's bread served at Cumulus for lunch.
Desiree Koh:
We shared this chacuterie set from the kitchen with serrano ham, Wagyu bresaola with fresh horseradish, handcut Sicilian salami and pressed pheasant terrine. Dionnie: "The bresaola is to die for."
Desiree Koh:
We considered several items on the amazing menu, but when told that the day's special was this 550g/20oz sirloin on the bone, we went for it immediately. What a beautiful citrus cress topping it was! Simply super steak.
Desiree Koh:
I had to catch a play, so our server recommended the canelle which could be served in record time, which was burnt crispy on the outside, opening up into gorgeous goo. Ahhh!
Desiree Koh:
It was off to Lygon Street, the Italian quarter, for pre-race fueling! The Villa Special pizza is shown here - I thought it was OK, I've had better, so this was disappointing.
Desiree Koh:
The pappardelle al ragu was decent - ya know, you always want red Italian sauces to be robust and hearty, something that can catch up to the chianti (not that I was having any).
Desiree Koh:
Il Dolce Fredo is la vida dolce - I'm not a big fan of gelato but this is one of THE BEST gelato I've ever had in my life. Here I had black forest and honeycrumb. Dionnie had a massive three-scoop serving.
Desiree Koh:
October 10, 2010. It's Race Day! I would run the Melbourne Half every year if I could - what a fantastic race it is.
Desiree Koh:
The finish is phenomenal - one lap around the Melbourne Cricket Grounds as the crowd roars throughout the stadium and the announcer calls out your name at the finish. Just amazing.
Desiree Koh:
We had great weather once more - it was cool for most of the half-marathon, with the sun coming out only for the last 3km or so, making it a very beautiful post-race.
Desiree Koh:
Dionnie ran a 2:14:25 - not bad for not training at all! And his knees held up. Yay for Joint Juice!
Desiree Koh:
Here's the team! Congrats Adeline and Fran on completing your first half-marathons - looking good and great times, girls!
