Being a Chocaholic I was quick to try the Chocolate Room at Forest Hill Chase when I discovered it the other day. However "Room" may not be the best adjective - more of an empty space outside Big W that has been converted into a cafe. My friend and I each had a different hot chocolate (one European Toffee and one Belgian) and whilst they were as good as a standard hot chocolate from a regular cafe, they were not as good as we would have expected from a specialist chocolate shop (the chocolate had not melted through the milk very well). We also both ordered a couple of individual grourmet chocolates and these weren't too bad although they didn't have one of our choices, and were quite expensive, with few combined specials offered.
In my opinion this place doesn't quite live up to expectations (especially of serious chocolate connoisseurs!) but it's pleasant enough if you happen to be at Forest Hill, and is also quite new, so hopefully they improve with time...

I find that this store stocks a large number of products that aren't readily available at nearby Safeway and Coles stores (including lots of low-sodium products which can be hard to find). Their stock rotation is not as good as I would like (so it pays to check use-by dates on perishables), but their meat is always fresh and usually good value. I don't get their catalogue so I only find out about specials when I go to the store. Whilst they have some basic no-name products they aren't over-run with multiple levels of "own brand" products like You'll Love Coles, Coles Smart Buys, Woolworths Select etc... You don't have to pay to use the car park nor do you need a gold coin for the trolleys (unlike Box Hill Centro...) They also provide trolleys with baby capsules attached which is handy if shoping with and you don't want to push a trolley and a pram.

I am always impressed with this Vet Clinic and would be reluctant to take my 2 dogs anywhere else. The staff are very knowledgable and highly competent but also very ethical and caring. They seem to do thier best to provide high quality vet care at a reasonable price. They also seem to be quite commited to voluntary animal welfare work (such as Vets Beyond Borders, Wildlife Victoria, Animal Aid), and occassionaly I find it hard to get an appointment with my prefered Vet (Dr Elaine Ong) as she is overseas helping to desex street dogs in Bali, or in country Victoria helping Koalas injured by bushfires - but I guess that's something you just have to live with if you want a compasionate, ethical Vet!!! They are supportive of complementary medicines but do not push this on you if you prefer traditional Vet care. They have good opening hours (till 7pm weekdays, all day Saturday and Sunday morning) which helps with fitting the dogs' appointments around my other commitments. They are an 'ASAVA hospital of excellence' which I gather means they have exceptionally high standards for hygeine, quality control, ventillation etc... Whilst they don't provide an after-hours emergency service they do liaise with the Animal Emergency Centre in Waverley, so you can take your pet their and have it transfered back to BH vet clinic the next day (luckily I have not had to do this - touch wood!!)

Approximate cost: $Varies depending on reasn for visit

We have an elderly dog with mutliple health problems (including arthritis) and a younger dog who suffers with severe separation anxiety and they both LOVE this place. They treat dogs like dogs (no minitaure human bed, TVs, vases of flowers etc.. here!), provide good food, lots of exercise, a free bath on the day they leave, indoor kennels with attached undercover outdoor area, heating on cold nights (at no extra charge) and staff who really understand dogs. We have also used their optional pick-up service a couple of times, and whilst it's an aditional cost, it is very handy. Yarrambat can be a bit of a drive (depending where you live) but it is not that far from the Western Ring Road so you can drop the dogs off and head straight for the airport or the Hume Hwy. They are also one of the few kennels to open on a Sunday (4-6pm) which is handy if you want to pick the dogs up at the end of the weekend before going back to work on Monday. My only disclaimer is that I have not used their cattery - as I don't own a cat! - so I can only really comment on the dog kennels side of the business.

Approximate cost: $Approx $22/night for a medium dog