Well hello there, you gorgeous curvaceous thing…
On our recent visit to Melbourne, we stayed at The Cullen Hotel in Prahran.
We really like the Art Series hotels. We’d previously stayed at The Olsen, but were unable to secure a room there this time, so booked into The Cullen instead. It was a great move too – our big family room was spacious and comfortable, the staff were young and friendly, and the location couldn’t have been better. It was an easy 500m stroll to the railway station, and directly opposite the fabulous Prahran Market.
Like the other hotels in the chain, The Cullen is fully decorated with the artwork of Australian artist Adam Cullen. It wasn’t really to my taste, but I did find this gorgeous fibreglass cow very appealing…
Several of Adam Cullen’s artworks revolve around images of iconic Australian bushranger Ned Kelly…
The hotel offers Smart Cars, bicycles and Vespas for hire, all emblazoned with signature artwork…
One of the best features of the Cullen is the independently run Hu Tong Peking Duck and Dumpling Restaurant – their wontons in hot chilli sauce were sublime. We ordered two more takeaway serves on our final night there…
. . . . .
The Prahran Market, Melbourne’s oldest fresh food market, is located directly opposite the hotel. Despite being under renovation, the produce on offer was mindboggling!
Our first stop was Damian Pike’s Mushroom stall…
I’ve never seen such a wide range of wild and cultivated mushrooms for sale before…
These baby snowball cauliflowers were the size of a softball. They didn’t have a price on them, but I hope they were expensive, because they’re a right bugger to grow…
Beautiful romanesco broccoli – did you know that it grows in a Fibonacci sequence? Not in our backyard though, we’ve never managed to get one to germinate…
A further stroll through the permanent stalls at the markets took us to the fabulous Naheda’s Choice…
And even though it was only 11am, we found ourselves tasting the wares of the incredibly generous Ghassan and Naheda…
“We’re only here for the day,” I explained, not wanting them to waste their samples on one-off customers. They just laughed at me and kept offering tasting bites of their incredibly delicious dips. There was so much to choose from that it was hard to decide, but we finally settled on their guacamole, garlic dip, tabbouleh and traditional tarama (they had three different varieties in the cabinet).
As we were paying, they insisted on giving us a small tub of their traditional garlic dip to try (an emulsification of pure oil and raw garlic), as well as a packet of rice crackers to go with our purchases.
I was intrigued by their Turkish Delights dipped in rose petals (but didn’t buy any)…
If you’re in Melbourne, please pop into the Prahran Market and buy something from Ghassan and Naheda. Folks who are so passionate about their product, and so eager and generous to share it with others, deserve our support!
Armed with our bag of dips and some fresh leg ham we’d picked up at the neighbouring deli, we went in search of bread to complete our lunch. The sourdough at Noisette looked very tempting, and they were kind enough to hand slice a loaf for us…
The fresh produce section offered a wide range of specialty organic meat, free range poultry and seafood providores…
It was great to see free range chicken stock at D & J Poultry…
A tower of anchovies, carefully constructed that morning…
A large Essential Ingredient store occupies a corner of the market…
In the open air section of the market, we came across a stall selling freshly cooked mussels…
…and this delightful jazz trio, who were more than happy to ham it up for passersby…
Prahran, I think I love you. We’ve definitely found our favourite place to stay in Melbourne!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
What a great time you must have had. Everything from the hotel to the music trio looks great. Love the angle of the cow in the first image! I’d love to stroll through that market – there’s certainly excellent shopping in Melbourne xx
Charlie, I’ve never seen a food market like it! If we were locals, I’m pretty sure I’d drop a small fortune there every week! xx
Great recommendation – cant wait to try it some time – the market looked fabulous!
Nic, definitely worth a visit! :)
Your family knows how to enjoy a weekend! And all those foods looked – well, my mouth is watering.
Heidi, there’s more to come! I’m just giving everyone a little break.. ;-)
When is Brisbane going to get a market like this?! It’s hard enough to just find organic meat! I don’t think you could have found a more appropriate location to stay Celia.
Claire, even Eveleigh Market here in Sydney can’t really compete with what was on offer at Prahran – and the latter is open five days a week!
worth staying here just to be close to Prahan market, one of our favourites also.
Roz, we looked our the window from our hotel room onto the Market. It was that close! :)
Celia Not often I feel a twinge of homesickness now for the city I grew up in but this post certainly flicked that switch. Are there still lots of bookstores in Prahran?
Madge, I’m sorry to say that I didn’t see a single bookstore! It’s now a very trendy place with lots of boutiques, restaurants and a surprising number of shoe shops!
Is this heaven on earth? I’m serious… This market just kept getting better and better as I scrolled! One of my favorite things to do when visiting new places is to check out the local market scene. I think I would’ve hijacked that Mussel Pot truck, stocked it with goods from Essential (maybe some prosciutto too), and high tailed it out of there!! This place looks pretty awesome :)
Em, I desperately wanted to be rich and have a kitchen to play in, just so I could buy all those different varieties of mushroom to try. The Mussel Pot looked so tempting, but I was loathe to stink up the hotel room with the shells! :)
Ha ha I hear you on that one! I’m glad you enjoyed your visit otherwise!
PS- IMK is up!! Have a great weekend :) xx
Love this post Celia, from beginning to end!
Thanks darling. Not often that we get away, so it was such a treat to find something so good on our travels!
I love this Celia, it makes me want to jump on a plane and get a taste of the big smoke right now! x
Jane, it makes me want to go back this weekend! Not going to happen unfortunately.. ;-)
Jealous. That is what I am. That market looks superb. Will definitely check it out when next in Melbourne.
Tania, wait a little while until the renovations are complete, I think it will be even better!
The Prahran markets are a favourite spot of mine, as is Ghassan and Naheda’s gorgeous stall. We always pay a visit and buy much more than we can eat (no self-discipline), but as we stay with friends the extra food never goes to waste.
Amanda, I seriously contemplated packing a few dips into my luggage to take home!
Oh Celia: how wonderful for you! The hotel looks interesting but I do not know the artist well: not quite ‘my thing’ either methinks! But the Prahan Markets. A dear Kiwi cousin of mine lived practically next door to it for a decade or so and we were forever in Melbourne on business wy back when: Oh I did love it so and it still seems to provide a magic wonderfland for foodies . . .thank you for sharing!
Eha, it’s brand new to us, and such a find – it was like coming across Aladdin’s Cave! :)
I’m going to Melbourne very soon. My 9 year old just put his order in for mussels from the van and dumplings from across the road after seeing your pictures.
Jenny, the dumplings are to die for, definitely worth seeking out! I wish I’d tried the mussels, but I was loathe to have the shells in the hotel room overnight.. :)
We ended up doing our trip to Prahan markets on the “the coldest day Melbourne had had in 60 years”! And it was pouring down. Needless to say the chilli mussles were definitely in order to warm up our cold tummies while my two boys ( 6 & 9 ) joined in the chess club held on Saturdays.
I recommend the mussles next time you are there, more of a thai style than the Italian way they are served in Perth, with lovely fresh herbs and a good zing of chilli when you dip your bread into the sauce at the end – just what we needed. Mr nine really enjoyed them.
Never had the Dumplings as we were staying in Chinatown so had our fill there!
Now THATS a market! WOW those dips look amazing, just my kind of place! And I’d love to find a butcher that sells their home made free range chicken stock. 2 for $6 is a steal!
Its a shame the supermaket varieties are awful. I make my own and freeze, but it’d be nice to find somewhere that you could go to for some back up
Lisa, we make our own too, but I’d love to be able to buy it as well. And I agree, it’s a bargain – I didn’t buy any, but I complimented the stall holders for having it available!
YAY for weekends away! You definitely made the most of your time away :D And Turkish delight rolled in rose petals? Swoooon!
Lorraine, there were just SO many rose petals on them! I couldn’t imagine eating it, but it did look pretty!
What a fantastic weekend – very jealous!
There’s still more to come.. :)
A mouth-watering post. You describe it beautifully, Celia. It is years since I have been to the Prahran Market but with a daughter now living in Melbourne I can see us getting back there before too long.
Thanks for the reminder.
Fairy, thank you! And now you have a great excuse to visit! :)
That market is amazing! Hope you had a good time away :)
Tandy, it was great! We don’t get away often, so this was a real treat!
I’ve only visited the Victoria Markets and will have to add Prahran to the list for next time. I’ve tried growing the Romanesco with no luck as well. How cool to see them for sale.
Jo, we’ve never made it to the Vic Markets – maybe we will next time. After seeing the romanesco, I think we’re going to try again.. :)
I love the Prahran markets, they are my favourite markets in Melbourne. I think I need another visit.
Deb, they’re under renovation at the moment, so could be worth giving them a couple of months before you visit..
You make me want to visit Prahan as a matter of priority! What a great peek into this wonderful suburb.
Kari, it was our first time there, but I think I’d like to stay somewhere in Prahran when we visit from now on!
Hi Celia, this is the market where I bought that black garlic (from the mushroom stall) several years ago! Still looks as fabulous as it was then.
Glad you have had a fun time in Melbourne ,
Diana
Thanks Di! Hope all is well, haven’t seen you guys in ages! xx
That looks like a great trip. Anywhere with a good market is up the top of my list of places to visit! Thanks for sharing.
Pat, isn’t that the beauty of blogging? You can come to the markets with me, and I can go caravanning with you! :)
You are making me hungry and its only 8:45 AM here! I think I would love the Prahran market too; I would have to be dragged out. Those wonton dumplings sound divine. We love dumplings steamed and served w/ any hot sauce. Sounds like a wonderful weekend/mini-vacation. I’m jealous!! Wishing I could visit there too.
Mel, the dumplings were a chance find, and they were so good that we had to order them again before we left. It was only three days in Melbourne, but there was so much to see! :)
I loved the Prahran market when I lived in Melbourne. I could never visit without shopping at The Essential Ingredient and then I had to have some chocolates. The artwork is quirky – I think I’d like it. I do like the cow!
Maureen, there was a second cow, but it was covered in angry graffiti, and I didn’t like it nearly as much. I’m sure it had a message to convey though. :) I’m don’t shop at EI much any more (I find them very expensive), but I have to admit that this store was very impressive!
I want to go there! How could you even decide what to buy? Thanks for sharing your delicious adventure. Hugs, Maz. (Time to make some dip!)
Thanks Maz, the dips were hard to choose – we must have tasted a dozen different types. They have one combination which they call “the bomb”, which is an olive/aioli dip on half the cracker and a pesto on the other half. It really was fantastic!
All this and Comic Con, too? Oh, Celia. What a wonderful holiday! I fear, though, that once I “discovered” the Prahan Market, I would have called the airline and arranged to take a different flight home. It’s like going to a fine museum. There’s just too much to see in one day and you must go back. I’m so glad you had such a nice get-away.
John, there’s more to come! And thank you – it was a wonderful and much needed break! x
Celia I’m surprised that Pete and the boys could get you out of there, that’s what I call a real market, all the lovely fresh food plus the gorgeous deli and artisan products. Perhaps I can hire a complete helicopter to take me down and bring my packages back. Come to think of it, a road train is more my style.
Rose, we were traveling without check-in baggage, or I’d probably have stocked up and come home with a suitcase full of food like Obelix in the Asterix comics! :)
What a great family trip you all had – so lucky to have such fun times all together and kind of you to share it with us ! Market photo bliss and I loved the Comic Con post too :)
Thanks darling, it really was great fun! I still have a museum post to come! :)
I don’t know if I could be that restrained Celia! I would want to try or buy a bit of everything! I’m so glad you had such a nice trip away, and hope you felt refreshed after a couple of days off :) xox
Becca, thank you love, we really needed the break! Every single dip at Naheda’s stall was divine – I could have bought the lot!
I may have to change digs next visit to Melbourne…although my newly moved sister will want us to stay with her which is good as she is near enough to Queen Vic markets but we may treat ourselves to a night in Prahran, as opposed to our usual place in St Kilda. The Cullen looks good. I’ve only heard good things about it and The Olsen. I like Adam Cullen’s work, and I love the cows. I enjoy Melbourne for many reasons but none beat the food ;)
ED, the markets are pretty close to Prahran station – we were quite pleased with how well Melbourne’s public transport system worked after we’d gotten our heads around the MYKI cards.. :)
Oh how I miss the Prahran markets. My dad used to live on the South Yarra end of Chapel Street, and when I was visiting during uni holidays, I’d always duck up to the Prahran markets to get food to cook everyone dinner. So much choice, such fresh produce.
Jas, the previous time we were in Melbourne, we stayed at the Olsen, which is at the South Yarra end of Chapel Street. There’s not nearly as much shopping there, but it IS quite close to the market, isn’t it! :)
Celia how fabulous. I used to live over the bridge, one street away from Prahran Market. Loved it then, it looks fabulous now. Glad you had such a great time in Melbourne. Maybe one day I will return. Thank you for tickling the memories.
Kay, it must have been amazing to live so close to the market! I think I’d have been shopping there every day if I was within walking distance! :)
Welcome to town! Agree the Art Series Hotels always seem on the ball. Food photos are literally making me drool (i’m a salt tooth so all of the bread and olives and dips are heaven to me). Didn’t realise there was free range stock to be found at the market; thanks for the heads up!
Do shout next time you’re around and I can give you some more places to try if you like.
Thank you! That sounds great! :)
Envy that mushroom stall. LOVE the last pic.
They were great performers too, Sally! I envy everyone in Melbourne who has regular access to that mushroom stall as well! :)
Gosh it’s been a very very long time since I’ve had the pleasure to visit Melbourne. You should be their PR specialist because you certainly know how to entice people to visit. That market is amazing and now I know where I would stay when visiting.
You’re kind, thank you, but we really did have a fabulous time. Next time I’d like to go for longer and lose an entire day at the Prahran Market!