Best of Melbourne 2019: all the winners in one place
It’s no secret Melburnians are spoiled for choice. Our Best of Melbourne series let you vote for your favourite picks in a wide range of categories — here are the best of the best, from hairdressers to personal trainers, mechanics to coffee shops.
The Best of Melbourne
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No matter if you’re on the search for a great hairdresser, mechanic or personal trainer, you want to know who others recommend.
In Melbourne we’re spoiled for choice, but it’s reassuring to know that businesses are backed by popular opinion.
And sometimes you want to find the best the city has to offer, listed in one place.
It’s why Leader Community News and the Herald Sun launched our Best of Melbourne series in August — it’s your one-stop-shop to all your favourite things in Melbourne.
Since then we’ve brought you a wide range of our city’s most popular tradespeople, foodie hot spots, beauty gurus, pooch pamperers and fitness fanatics.
Here are your winners...
BEST HAIRDRESSER
Komotis.j hairdressing salon, Reservoir
22 Gellibrand Cres
It’s official — Jorge Gogonis and his Reservoir salon, Komotis.j, are the best in Melbourne.
The 25-year-old only went out on his own a year and a half ago, after building a loyal following at salons in Fairfield, Moonee Ponds and Richmond.
“It was a dream to open up a salon of my own — hopefully one of many,” Gogonis says.
“It’s just a huge passion of mine — I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
SEE THE FULL LIST OF MELBOURNE’S BEST HAIRDRESSERS
His clients, he says, “look after me, and I look after them”.
“ I love to treat them the way I love to be treated,” he says.
“I think they love me because I’m so real — there’s no crap. I just think I’m a real person, there’s no pretentiousness. I try to give them my very best and I think they can see that, they see how much I try.”
More: facebook.com/komotis.j
Also try: Capelli É Bellezza, Frankston; Lady and the Hare, Melton; Unicorn Manes by Mykey, Preston
BEST FISH AND CHIPS
FnC fish n chips, Essendon
325 Keilor Rd
Brothers Norm and Zaaf Khzam have only owned their Essendon fish and chip shop for a year, but already their takeaway-with-a-twist is paying dividends.
Billing themselves as “old school meets new school”, the business has won the crown of Melbourne’s best.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF MELBOURNE’S BEST FISH AND CHIP SHOPS
The shop has an innovative menu, selling not only traditional fish and chips, but unique burgers, loaded fries and the popular fish tacos, which Norm Khzam discovered in Bali.
“I think the reality these days is you’ve got to be better or different, or both,” he says.
“You look at our burger menu, and I think it’s competitive with burger shops, which is the latest craze — but there’s still a focus on fish.
“Fish tacos, it just makes sense to me. I think the Melbourne landscape is very educated these days, and you look at the burger and Mexican craze, but fish shops don’t do tacos.”
More: facebook.com/FnC-fish-n-chips-637333893317918/
Also try: Blue Marlin Fish n Chips, Caroline Springs; Hooked and Cooked on Rooks, Nunawading; Main Fish and Chips and Kebabs, Eltham
BEST PERSONAL TRAINER
Nawel Taha, Body by Nawel, Glenroy
32 Hilton St
Nawel Taha is breaking down fitness barriers and changing lives across Melbourne’s north.
Taha, 36, was crowned Melbourne’s best personal trainer thanks to a huge swell of support from her adoring female clients, most of whom are Muslim.
Taha, an Australian-born Muslim whose parents migrated to Melbourne from Lebanon, operates from her home studio in Glenroy as well as halls at Belle Vue Park Primary and Fawkner Leisure Centre.
She has been heralded as “all about female empowerment”, with her social media full of inspiring transformation photos of women who have turned their lives around.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF MELBOURNE’S BEST PERSONAL TRAINERS
Although Taha’s studio is open to all women, she says her Muslim clients have increased “quite significantly”.
“The demand is definitely there,” she says.
“I think many of them won’t go to the gym or have the confidence to walk into the gym because many of them are mixed gyms.
“(As a Muslim woman) I think they have the perception of, well, if she can do it, she’s not going to have any limitations, then why can’t we get out there and improve ourselves.”
Body By Nawel offers personal training, group fitness sessions, nutrition coaching and the popular T42 body challenge — a six week health, fitness and wellbeing program.
More: facebook.com/bodybynawel
Also try: Beaux Glenn, Dynamicardio, Lilydale and Kilsyth; Paul Sahlberg, Snap Fitness Sunbury; Caitlin Devidas, Hustle & Thrive, Heidelberg and Thornbury
BEST COFFEE SPOT
Volt Cafe, Clyde North
Selandra Rise Shopping Centre, corner Selandra and Linsell boulevards
Cathy and Maki Mastrogiannakos have thrown their all into their Clyde North cafe — and their customers have rewarded them.
The husband-and-wife duo’s Volt Cafe has been named Melbourne’s top coffee spot, with loyal patrons hailing their “delicious, fresh and strong coffee”, always delivered with a smile.
Mrs Mastrogiannakos worked in finance at Monash Uni for 12 years, but she and her husband come from families with strong hospitality pedigrees, and the lure to the industry was strong.
“My dad was a chef by trade and we always had shops, fine dining restaurants, takeaway pizza shops, cafes,” she says.
“In Greece (Maki’s) dad always had souvlaki places, charcoal chicken places.
“We thought we’d take the risk and do something on our own.”
SEE THE FULL LIST OF MELBOURNE’S BEST COFFEE SPOTS
The couple, who juggle cafe life with bringing up kids Samara, 12, and Rafael, 10, live in Oakleigh but were drawn to start their Clyde North shop four years ago because “we knew this area needed more cafes like this”.
“Since we started that’s all we hear from our customers, ‘thank you for bringing a city-style cafe out to us’. The risk paid off,” Mrs Mastrogiannakos says.
The cafe uses specialty beans from Collingwood’s Proud Mary.
More: facebook.com/thevoltcafe
Also try: Project Black Speciality Coffee, Mitcham; Aussie Veterans Coffee Co, Boronia; Split Bean Cafe, Mernda
BEST CHILDCARE EDUCATOR
Emma Murphy, ELC Mernda
5 Bent St
When Emma Murphy was a kid, she reckons her mum had an inkling she was destined to work with little ones.
“I grew up being really nurturing, apparently mum said I was always playing with dolls and looking after kids when I was little,” Ms Murphy laughs.
Her dedication to youngsters has paid off, with Ms Murphy being named the best childcare educator in Melbourne.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF MELBOURNE’S BEST CHILDCARE EDUCATORS
The 30-year-old started working at ELC Mernda four-and-a-half years ago and is the pre-kinder room leader.
She says her love for the job is “endless” and she enjoys seeing the kids’ development.
“It’s very rewarding seeing them develop throughout a year,” she says.
“The recognition from parents, the relationships you build. You see the change from the start of the year to the end of the year and you’re like, wow.
“When parents come in and they say they have been coming home and saying they learnt this from you — I love that.
“When you think it hasn’t sunk in, it has — it’s amazing.”
More: www.elcmernda.com.au
Also try: Nadia Carbonari, Ardlie Street Early Learning and Kinder, Westmeadows; Jade Nicholson, Maple Street Early Learning, Blackburn; Ryan Sullivan, Goodstart Early Learning, Pakenham
BEST DOG GROOMER
Hairy Cherubs, Whittlesea
2434 Plenty Rd
Hairy Cherubs owner Trish Wileman laughs when asked if she has kids.
“I much prefer the four-legged variety than the two-legged — anyone who knows me know that,” she jokes.
The proud mum to white standard poodles Rio, 11 and Monroe, four, has been dedicated to pooches for 21 years, and runs her popular grooming business from a 150-year-old heritage cottage in Whittlesea township.
Already named Australia’s favourite dog groomer two years running by dog directory Dogshare, Mrs Wileman now has another feather in her cap — she’s also been voted Melbourne’s best.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF MELBOURNE’S BEST DOG GROOMERS
Mrs Wileman and husband Tony started their careers in a different direction: hospitality.
“We decided that the long hours weren’t really doing us justice and we just wanted to do something that we were really passionate about,” she says.
“He went into lawn and garden care and I went into dog grooming.
“It was a bit scary and challenging but it worked and we took the risk and it’s paid off.”
Mrs Wileman and her three staff work long hours, doing everything from nail trims, breed clips, pet tidies, and big de-sheds for the likes of golden retrievers, labradors and german shepherds.
And despite what some people think, the job is about far more than just putting bows in dogs’ hair — although Mrs Wileman admits it’s a fun part, and she still gets a thrill seeing her pampered customers on the streets.
“In the evenings I’ll see them in the local area walking the dogs down the pavement and they’re all blinged up and I get a bit of a kick out of that.
“They look so gorgeous — I did that.”
More: facebook.com/Hairy-Cherubs-109368152457816/
Also try: Masters Pet Grooming, Point Cook; Pen Poochies Doggie Hairdresser, Beaumaris; Short Bark N Sides Dog and Cat Grooming, Mornington
BEST BEAUTY THERAPIST
Natspa – Clinical Skin Health and Beauty, Essendon
29 Woodland St
They are a beautiful crew inside and out at Natspa, as evidenced by the lashings of votes that poured in for them.
“We have a two-pronged approach here – we treat people’s skin on the outside but we’ve also got a naturopath here who takes care of the insides,” co-owner and skin aesthetician Rennae Irvine says.
The Essendon business has been around for almost 30 years, with Ms Irvine clocking up 15 of them.
“I’m becoming part of the furniture,” she laughs.
She says today’s fast-paced lifestyles and stress can have an impact on one’s skin, and acne can have a range of causes
“There’s no self care for so many people these days, we really need to take a moment and be kind to ourselves.”
Natspa’s beauty and body services include hair removal, waxing, spray tans and massages.
So what is the reason Ms Irvine got into beauty therapy?
“The pinnacle for us is being able to help people feel happier and more confident in their own skin again – that’s what brings job satisfaction for us,” she says.
“I love being able to put a smile back on their face.”
More: natspa.com.au
facebook.com/natspahealthandclinicalskin
Also try: Ebony Belle Beauty, Croydon South; Peninsula Life Medispa, Mornington; Essential Beauty Northland, Preston
BEST MECHANIC
The Wheel Gallery, Campbellfield
1830 Sydney Rd
When you take your car to The Wheel Gallery, you may be delivered some bad news — but that’s a good thing.
“When the car is no good, we just tell them it’s no good — you need to get another car,” owner Hassan Halwani says.
But it’s this honesty which has seen Mr Halwani — known as Huss — and his twin brother Bassam, aka Bass, and their Campbellfield business take the crown of Melbourne’s best mechanic.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF MELBOURNE’S BEST MECHANICS
Customers flock to The Wheel Gallery because they know the 37-year-olds will give it to them straight — and won’t rip them off.
“I don’t believe it’s about what you charge — people just want honesty,” Mr Halwani says.
“At the end of the day people will remember your service and your honesty, but they’re not going to remember how much they paid.”
The business, established in 2013, offers “basically anything car related” — including all aspects of servicing and diagnostics.
“We came together and said why don’t be open up a place and do wheels, tyres and mechanics all under one roof,” Mr Halwani says.
He looks after the wheels and tyres, while Bass manages the mechanical aspects.
And they’re busier than ever.
“I don’t know if I want to be any busier than what I am,” he jokes.
“I think it’s more word-of-mouth that we get our business from.
“When you find a good mechanic you start telling everyone about it — you can’t really advertise that.”
More: www.thewheelgallery.com.au
facebook.com/WWW.THEWHEELGALLERY.COM.AU/
Also try: Autoclinic, Heidelberg West; His ‘n’ Hers Automotive Solutions, Kilsyth; DMD Automotives, Caroline Springs
BEST BUTCHER
Brian’s Gourmet Meats, Lyndhurst
Shop 8, corner Thompson Rd and Marriott Boulevard
From his humble “little shop in Cranny”, Brian Rollason home delivers his meat all over Melbourne — sending it as far as Apollo Bay.
That’s how good it is — and it’s why Mr Rollason and his shop, Brian’s Gourmet Meats, have been crowned Melbourne’s best butcher.
Aside from the fact the meat tastes amazing, the shop’s other big selling point is it’s 100 per cent gluten free.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF MELBOURNE’S BEST BUTCHERS
In fact, Brian’s Gourmet Meats was the first Australian butcher to be fully certified by Coeliac Australia and is one of only two in the country with the title.
“Bernie who works for us, her little daughter is coeliac and I saw what sort of food they were offering and no one had a proper offer, so we wanted to change that way of thinking, which we have,” Mr Rollason says.
He went on a mission to source local gluten free ingredients, finding the best tasting breadcrumbs, pastry and marinades and spending hours experimenting, cooking and sampling.
“Our whole shop is 100 per cent gluten free so if you come in and you’re not a coeliac you can still eat it because it tastes awesome,” he says.
Mr Rollason and wife Angela source all their meat locally, from Gippsland and the Mornington Peninsula, and their home delivery service is hugely popular.
“I’d say from our little shop at Cranny we go down as far as Apollo Bay one way, we go to Bendigo, Ballarat, we go to Shepparton, we go all the way down to Bairnsdale, we do Phillip Island and all that area,” he says.
More: www.briansgourmetmeats.com.au
facebook.com/BriansGourmetMeats/
Also try: Keilor Continental Butchers, Keilor; Rob’s British Butchers, Dandenong; Char Char Char Butchers, Parkdale