Fast forwarding through many adventures less-worthy of mentioning, one of the wintry cold afternoons I found myself at Balwyn North and Kew. The true reason why I would be at this 'random', off the radar suburb was that I was searching for the best Thai restaurant around Melbourne, and I wanted to explore a new area. So Kati Thai seemed to fit the bill with its stellar TripAdvisor score (but, there are only 4 reviews accounting for its 4.5, so... that's not how you use a review site guys).

I like dining alone, but the saddest part of it is that I can't try many dishes at one go. I went along with a plate of Pad Thai, which I was craving for, and then sat down to admire the intricate Thai designs on the walls.

Pad Thai. It certainly didn't wow me, not even as much as the one I had in Adelaide (Star of Siam, Gouger Street). This one at Kati Thai, I found it pretty ordinary and overly sweet and salty at the same time, and wonder if the other dishes fare better. I'd never know because I was already full, but many people recommend the Massaman Curry if you ever drop by. Kew had other interesting finds, including the Alexandra Gardens and a really retro radio shop (where I had the most extended conversation with a White Australian in my entire trip).

More pictures on Alexandra Gardens, named after Queen Alexandra and opened in 1908. Like most other gardens around Melbourne, it is incredibly quiet and underused. As beautiful as a garden like this, it is quite unimaginable why people are not flocking here in droves to have picnics. Well, it's just me being Singaporean to think about that, but yes, it's really extremely gorgeous and serene.