![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Insta: melbfoodie_mark
YT: MelbFoodieMark
** Check them out for more food reviews in Melbourne!
-
Decided to finally visit CHEEK after hearing great reviews for months! I was craving American style BBQ so I just couldn't wait any longer to dine at this meat-focused venue. Once we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that their BBQs were all non-traditional and had some sort of asian influences. Although it's not exactly something we expected to have that night, we decided to give it a go
.
We got 'Smoked Short Ribs' ($65), 'Hot Meat Donut' ($7), 'Josper Grilled Broccolini' ($8), and 'Sweet n' Sour Cauliflower' ($15). My favourites were Smoked Short Ribs and Sweet n' Sour Cauliflower. 'Sweet n' Sour Cauliflower' was lightly battered and smothered in sweet and sour sauce and miso ranch. I didn't expect much of it at first but was blown away after tasting how flavourful it was. I really enjoyed light crispy chewiness from battering and soury savoury kick from miso ranch. It was so addictingly delicious that I wanted to get another one. Their 'Smoked Short Ribs', which was braised for over 16 hours, had this light sweetness with rich fatty taste - absolutely delicious! I could tell that they mainly used Bulgogi Sauce to marinate the meat. It was so soft and tender to the point where the meat was lliterally melting in my mouth. Highly Recommend these two! Hot Meat Donut was interesting at first but it was basically a donut filled with meat. .
Overall, it was a decent BBQ experience - but I found it a bit too heavy for me. I really regret not getting their "Mash and Gravy" because looking back, that might have been perfect to balance out the fattiness. Regardless, I really enjoyed my experience here :)
Delicious but I enjoyed dexter more.
OMG that's all I have to say about this place every dish was sensational we ordered brisket, chicken burger, meat donuts, cabbage, lamb and all were mouth watering. This is our new favorite restraurant in Melbourne
I was alittle unsure about this place as first as it was a small cosy restaurant but boy am I wrong.
The appetizers blew me away; lamb ribs, cauliflower and tartare. Just shook the ground beneath me like not another restaurant can top.
I was sure that that the mains wouldn't be as amazing or just alright but once again I was blown away by the food.
Flavour bombs in every bite, the steak was just amazing and cooked to perfection.
Sauce perfection in every dish.
This place is a must visit, a must try, a must return.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
My friend and I recently visited CHEEK on a Friday night for the first time and it was an excellent dining experience (minus the extreme humidity that evening). Staff were extremely friendly and the venue had a really nice atmosphere.
🔆LOCATION🔆
CHEEK is situated on Swanston Street, between Lonsdale and Little Lonsdale Street. The restaurant is not at street level, so you need to look out for a small entry door way with a white tiled wall that has the restaurant’s name on it. You will see a long flight of stairs, luckily you only need to walk up halfway (if you walk up to the very top you will be at Peaches).Â
As you enter through the large sliding door, to the immediate right you see the bar/registration counter and direct line of sight to the kitchen with lots of duck and other meats hanging on display.
To the left there is a long large communal high table and full wall display alcohol bottles. The décor is simple, with white and light blue painted walls.
🔆SERVICE🔆
The service at CHEEK was beyond exceptional. High praises for all the staff, fast and efficient with our orders and our waitress was so friendly and gave us great advice on food items. Empty dishes removed ever so promptly. Water is also filled up even if your glass is only half full.
🔆MENU/PRICE🔆
Between two people we ordered:
2 x Hot Meat Donuts, $7 each
(Sugar coated, pineapple salsa)
Beef Tartare, $16.00
(Korean plum sauce, crispy won tons)
Hanging Tender (300grams) $33.00
Smoked Short Rib, $49.00
Grilled Broccolini, miso, lemon, $8.00
🔆VERDICT🔆
For entree we had the Hot Meat Donut. It’s like East meets West, a cross between Chinese Char Siu Bao X Hot Jam Donut! Haha, that’s the best way of how I can describe it. On the outside it looks like a jam donut, and when you bite into it, its light and fluffy with a bit of sweetness to it. Once you continue further into the donut you can taste the goodness of the sweet smoked grain-fed brisket. For some crazy reason, it somehow works! The first few bites, I was a little uncertain, but as I continued on and polished off the last bit of the donut I was thoroughly convinced that this invention really works! Brilliant!
Next, the beef tartare. The beef was cut into thin small chunks, lightly seasoned in plum sauce and topped with pine nuts, thinly chopped spring onions, white and black sesame seeds. Two sheets of nicely deep fried won ton skins rested on top of the beef tartare. It was simple, yet delicious! Another stand out dish!
For the mains we had the Hanging Tender which was on the specials menu board. It’s actually my first time eating grass-fed Hanging Tender steak. It is apparently more flavourful and also super tender as it is the cut between the loin and ribs. The meat was presented on a large round plate pre-sliced and in a light flavoured gravy. It was seared very well on both sides and cooked medium rare as is recommended for this type of steak. Cooked to perfection, the meat is extremely tender and has a nice strong meaty flavour.
The Smoked Short Ribs was my absolute favourite. The meat was literally melting in my mouth, it was sooo soo tender and delicious. If I had a bowl of rice, I’d mix the gravy from the smoked short ribs into the rice haha!
To finish off our mains we ordered the Broccolini to help balance off the heaviness of the meat, it was nicely charred and sprinkled with sea salt and a wedge of lemon.
Although we had a very “meaty” dinner, everything was super delicious! We left will very full stomach and unfortunately no space for dessert. I would be interested to return to try their BBQ duck!
Wow, the hype certainly lives up the expectations. I did expect a lot being the sister restaurant to Dexter, I was not disappointed.
My friends and I tried a selection of the meats which were to die for! Omg, soooo amazing. We also had the chicken wings and meat donuts to start, both of these dishes unique and delish. I wasn't sure how I would go with the donuts, but I really like them! Definitely a try if you are curious, you won't be disappointed. The bone marrow mash is a favourite of mine at Dexters so when I saw this as a side I knew we had to order it, it was everything and more! The broccolini was also very enjoyable. For dessert we shared the duck fat caramel sundae which was another stellar dish.
Staff did their best to accomodate us, however I feel one more person on the floor would have been more beneficial.
I can't wait to come back, such a great restaurant.
Cheek is the restaurant from the team behind Dexter. I used to go Dexter often when I lived in the north. Love their food. #lunarnewyeareve the only critics I had is the shoe strings fries. Too much salts on top of them, the dip came with it is good enough.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Expectations were high for Cheek seeing that it is helmed by the geniuses behind Dexter. Happy to say that expectations were not only met but were exceeded by a long shot. Up a flight of staircase and you’ll be greeted with the delicious smell of meat and the cheerful hospitality of the staffs.
The iconic meat doughnut has been and still is one of the most amazing dish that I have ever tried. Think a soft fluffy ball, crisped exterior, dusted with sugar and paprika, and filled with meaty and tender beef brisket. Sweet and savoury, rich and bold, this is an epic dish.
The dirty wings, which is fried chicken wings coated with chicken salt and accompanied by hot sauce, is pure perfection. Succulent and crunchy pieces of chicken, coupled with the addictive taste of chicken salt and the spicy kick from the hot sauce.
The meats here are amazing and needs no introduction. The smoked short rib was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the striploin steak was incredibly flavoursome. The dry aged BBQ duck was sensational in both taste and texture. No hints of dryness at all, and there was a subtle hint of smokiness that perfectly complements the natural flavour of the duck.
Even the simple broccolini was beautifully grilled, and of course, we couldn’t go past the deep and buttery bone marrow mash and gravy. The duck fat caramel sundae with peanuts and raspberry was reminiscence of a peanut butter and jelly concoction – absolutely fantastic in taste. A tad runny otherwise it would be a 10 out of 10.
An all-round amazing meal, one that I will definitely be recommending to others and I myself will be returning again very soon.
Food is amazing. Perfectly cooked meat. Will definitely visit again.
Rated: 4.5/5
To try:
- hot meat donuts; love the saucy meat enveloped in a fluffy sugar coated donut
- smoked lamb ribs; these were absolutely delicious, one per person isn't enough. Risk of having sesame seeds in your teeth afterwards is high but worth it
- new york striploin steak; cooked to perfection with the bone marrow and jus giving it a superior meaty punch
- bone marrow mash; no explanation needed, order it.
To skip:
- the meal beforehand so you can order Cheek's whole menu!
Cheek currently seems underrated, get in quick before you can no longer just walk in and have a table!
Tip: Check out their menu on Mryum to assist with your ordering.
Service was spectacular and the food is a meat eater’s heaven. All the flavours are strong and pair nicely with their drinks.
There’s also a fairy bread dessert that’s not actually fairy bread but rather ice cream with fried parsnips - sounds weird but was easily a stand out dessert (excuse the candle in the photo!)
Adrian “Adroso360” L
+5
Brilliant! We ordered pretty much everything on the menu bar 3 dishes when we went, and almost all of it tasted amazing.
The place is up a set of stairs on Swanston St so im not too sure about any disabled access. We also visited for lunch on Friday and it wasn't too busy.
In terms of taste there wasn't too much to fault. Out of the mains the BBQ pepper chicken was my least favorite. But the Lamb Ribs and Pork Loin were great! If you haven't had one, the Hot meat donut is a unique dish to see if you like it or not, so i recommend trying one while here.
The staff where good, friendly and really attentive in replacing table waters so no complaints here.
The only thing is all this goodness of course comes at a cost, so be prepared to spend $30-$40 per person easily without factoring in drinks.
Overall Cheek is a great option for dinner or a splurge lunch in the CBD with really tasty meat dishes.
Hot Meat Donut is a must! I was surprised by how tasty it is. The Cauliflower is pretty nice too - crunchy outside and soft inside, but I think it is a little too saucy.
The Wagyu Rump is so delicious! The fat:meat ratio was perfect and the garlic made everything better. We also tried the Wagyu Brisket but I wasn't as impressed, mainly because the meat feels a little stringy.
For drinks, I got the Starload and I like it :)
I was very impressed with the food at CHEEK. Their menu size wasn't huge but everything they served up was delicious. The duck liver profiteroles was divine, had to get a second serve. Beef tartare serving was small, but very tasty. Couldn't fault at all. Decent selection on drinks too. Definitely worth a try
Wow, wow, wow! That is probably the best meal I’ve had on this entire trip and amazing value as well! On the $60 feed us menu and we were given the doughnuts, the sweet and sour cauliflower (which is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had!) beef tartare, smoked lamb ribs, New York Strip, bone marrow mash & charred broccolini, couldn’t even finish it all and now can’t move!!!
You have to try this place if you’re in or visiting Melbourne, it’s a little hard to find but get in quickly before people are queuing round the block!
Food was amazing, waiter gave great recommendations. I'd eat there every day if I could. My favourites included the cauliflower and broccolini. And the gin selection was the cherry on top.
Good steaks, nice range of beers. We had to wait a fair amount of time for our food to be served, but the staff gave us some freebies to keep us occupied.
Relaxed environment, good for a catch up or a date. Can get a little bit loud and crowded.
Shares a building with Peaches bar, which is a good bar if you want to kick on after dinner.
Located in the heart of the CBD, this place is one of my go to place for perfect meat cravings.
Everything on the menu is so delicious including their cauliflower dish and mash&gravy! Yummmm!
Make a reservation
Order online
Find the best restaurant in Melbourne
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes