tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-209131012024-03-13T21:36:30.053+11:00We Do Chew Our Foodcontrary to popular belief
(Melbourne Chapter)Chaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04637505159489093537noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-30070274399641192832010-04-18T16:17:00.004+10:002010-04-19T12:47:58.576+10:00maze<div style="text-align: justify;">maze Melbourne is the newest of the seemingly unending restaurants from the McRamsay conveyor belt of restaurants, gastropubs and cafes from Gordon Ramsay. Housed in the new Crown Metropol hotel on the city's swanky Southbank precinct, maze is unfortunately situated on the Clarendon St end of the jewel of Crown. Looking out the window through the earth toned curtains you can expect to see not the light reflecting off the Yarra or the glittering necklace of lights from the CBD - but a noisy cacophony of cars and a rather sad IGA. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Booking is apparently essential. It can be done online through Dimmi where upon booking you are reminded 'not to cancel or not turn up, as this could prevent you from booking again'. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our reservation was for 8.30pm on a Friday night. We got there at 8pm and were invited to have a drink and wait for our table. We were shown to the lovely lounge area with seats to the walls, low tables and retro swivel chairs. The characters from TV's Mad Men would not have felt out of place dangling Martinis from their fingers there. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Like so many restaurants we have dined in before - we gave maze the 'LLB' test. If they can't do a decent Lemon Lime Bitters then do they really deserve to be open? Harsh but we all have our own litmus test for places and people. Our drinks arrived and they were lacking. Very very light if at all on the Bitters. Too much ice and way too many wedges of lime. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">8.30pm rolled around and the reservation desk looked more harried than ever - at least 6 staff members staring at the computer screen, pointing and shaking their heads. No one came over to check on us or indicate they were running late with our table. We chuckled to ourselves and wondered if the Dimmi disclaimer could work both ways - where we could 'not book again due to restaurant running late'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">8.45pm we signalled over a flustered young lady and asked her to check on our table. She went away and conferred with the busy reception desk. Then she came back to us and said someone from the desk will come over to us. Apparently she was ill equipped to deliver the news, whatever it was. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">We waited another 5 minutes and then someone did indeed come over to ask if WE were ready for our table. We said yes. She asked us to leave our drinks that they would follow us in. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The restaurant itself is done in earth tones and somewhat lacking in light. Two (could be more) over large light fixtures in dangerous spikes hung overhead and provided little if any lighting. Each table had a tiny candle. That was going to be bad for my iphone camera. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">At this time it was past 9pm. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">At 9.15pm our table server came over and asked if we wanted drinks. We told her our drinks from the lobby must have gotten lost, as they have not yet found us. She said she would check on them. We perused the menu whilst she rounded up the bloodhounds to search for our drinks. Ahh but at least we had tepid water in our tumblers. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The menu is interesting in its concept. Degustation is recommended and I am yet unsure as to whether a la carte is possible. The first page indicates 7 courses for $95. We were advised that the following pages contained starters and mains and we were recommended to 'choose 4-5 savoury courses' - 3 lighter courses from the starters and 2 heavier courses from the mains. I was disappointed in the menu as the dishes were all safe and predictable. Nothing jumped out at me and said 'oh you have to eat this'. Faced with the task of choosing without any recommendations from the wait staff (and the prospect of waiting another hour to eat) we made choices. Lighter courses we chose include <span class="UIStory_Message">artichoke veloute with rock lobster garlic chips and green beans ($10.91), </span><span class="UIStory_Message">smoked eel kipfer potato sour cream black garlic and shaved foie gras ($12.73), scallop with champagne foam ($16.36 each), quail ($13.64), rabbit ($17.27). Our drinks never did follow us to the dining room so we ended up ordering two glasses of German Riesling. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">Bread arrived with Maldon sea salt and 'seaweed butter'. We loved the seaweed butter - creamy with a hint of ozone. The bread was very light and chewy. Baked in house apparently.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">I was impressed with some of the food - the scallops were beautifully cooked and tasted great. No taste to the 'champagne foam' - it might as well have been 'champagne illusion'. What was off-putting was the powerful smear of parsley on the plate. Completely erased the taste of the fresh, sweet scallops. Shame really. The artichoke soup was lovely and smoky. The rock lobster still cleanly flavoured and the beans adding a little crunch to the velvet soup. This was a faultless dish to me.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">I enjoyed the smoked eel as well - as nice as the foie gras sounds on this dish, it served no purpose apart than to look good on the menu. There was no taste of foie gras. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">My husband complained that his rabbit was tough - which was a shame since he was very excited about having rabbit. His quail was more successful.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">Our mains - poussin ($20) and beef ($20.91) for him and lamb ($21.82) and beef for me. His chicken was delicious, moist and flavourful. However the skin was not crisp therefore inedible to me or my husband. My lamb was wonderful in texture - the loin was tender and juicy but ruined by the over salting on top of the piece. When I put it in my mouth my tongue immediately became sore from the salt. I was most disappointed in that. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">The beef. Well what can we say about the beef? Texture wise it was a work of art. Tender to the point of dissolving on the tongue. Taste wise? Nothing. We might as well have eaten beautifully textured wood. There was no taste at all. We were looking forward to the beef more than any other course since it was so popular with everyone around us. What a colossal disappointment. The horseradish mash was soft and pleasant tasting instead of being luxurious, silky and decadent (Bistro Guillaume).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">At this time it was well past 11pm.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">We ordered two desserts because we felt we had to. Chocolate fondant ($14.55) and Coconut pannacotta ($14.55) and two espressos ($3.64 each). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">Desserts were delicious and faultless. Espressos were terrible - tasted of bad beans, poor roasting and inexperience coffee making. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">We asked for our bill twice and were kept waiting another 15 minutes whilst table staff moved around the dining room looking lost, confused and tired. Our bill came to $293.59 ... yes... they charged us for the 2 LLBs we never even had two sips of and they forgot. This was just the icing on the huge cake of disappointment.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">I was beyond angry at this point so I advised the person who brought the bill that the LLB were 'lost' on the way to the table and we should not be charged for them. He took the bill away and 15 more minutes elapsed before we got a new bill ... this time for $289.50. Yes folks, they took 1 LLB away and left the other. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">Before my husband committed a crime we paid and left. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="UIStory_Message">So would I recommend maze? No. Absolutely not. Overpriced food. Inexperienced staff. Melbourne has better dining experiences and you deserve better. </span></div><span class="UIStory_Message"></span></div><span class="UIStory_Message"><br />
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<h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="UIStory_Message"></span></h3>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-8328468628063359532008-12-21T17:37:00.002+11:002008-12-21T18:27:43.571+11:00Longrain (Melbourne)44 Little Bourke St<div>Melbourne VIC</div><div>Australia 3000</div><div>T - +61 3 9671 3151 (they do not take reservations for less than 6 people)</div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">For those familiar with Longrain Sydney, it's not 'same same but different' - let's face it <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city> has a food culture like very few other places. It seems people in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city> live to eat rather than the other way around. Food is so much a part of our culture we have a peculiar relationship with our restaurants. If we like the restaurant, we shamelessly promote it - as we would do something so deeply personal to us. If we do not like it we don't tell anyone - we simply never mention it. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">It is with that in mind that I hereby shameless promote Longrain. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">Longrain Menu sings loudly of chef Martin Boetz influence - with strong Thai/Asian flavours lending itself to balance, harmony and taste - oh boy was there taste! If you're looking for lacklustre, cookie-cutter Thai food then you're at the wrong place. Walking through the door and being confronted with large communal tables and a kitchen humming with activity - you know you're somewhere out of the ordinary. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">The tables are all impeccably polished and set with cloth napkins and western cutlery. If you're a couple you sit side by side instead of facing each other. This is a great idea since the food is so good - you want to quietly sigh and whisper to your companion rather than look at them. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">My suggestion is to order a cocktail from the brilliant list - I heartily recommend anything with lychee - I think along with mango, cherries and raspberries, lychees are the most delicious, exotic fruit - that translucent lushness, that sweet tartness... oh ...<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">The food. Well I think people who have been to Longrain (Syd or Melb) know and they are unanimous in their praise and their worship. Rightly so. We wanted to try everything - the menu looks small but it isn't - it is created with intelligence - knowing that people, when face with many choices of pork or beef or fish, will narrow it down to 2 and then 1. When the choice is of 2 completely unctuous dishes it becomes a challenge then you have to talk with your table staff for them to help you. And help they do at Longrain. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">Our table staff helped our decision down to Betel Leaf topped with prawn peanuts toasted coconut and ginger, Caramelised Pork Hock with five spice and chilli vinegar (sml), Crisp fried soft shell crab with a green mango salad and a roasted eschalot dressing (sml) and finally crisp fried pork with chilli and basil stir-fry. A word of advice - the dishes are large and ideal for sharing - so if your table staff recommends a small portion - heed their advice.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">The Betel Leaf was a mouthful of perfection - prawn meat complimented by the crunch of peanut, toasty goodness of coconut and a combination of sauces - I don't know what sauce or how much - but it was the most amazing single mouthful ever. You sit and think about it a few days after you get home - wondering but never quite getting it. You will never forget it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">Pork Hock - this dish was the best thing I had ever eaten - ever. If I have to have a 'last dish' then this would be it. I would build a Pork Hock Taj Mahal to this dish. You have no idea how good it is unless you go and eat it. If you don't eat anything else next year - make this your pilgrimage. Deeply golden pork hocks - obviously master stocked and deep-fried to a crisp outside, tender meat and that orgasmic gelatinous lip smacking fat - it is the stuff people write poetry about or in my case, a review. These love-at-first-bite pieces of pork are accompanied by two bowls of condiments - a heavenly sweet rich caramel (palm sugar based) and its alter ego, a bowl of clear chilli vinegar with perfect rounds of Christmas-red chilli. You choose how sweet or tart or what balance you like and you go to town on that dish. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">After that dish my husband and I were ready to pledge our undying love and leave - but there was more...<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">Crisp fried soft shell crab with a green mango salad and a roasted eschalot dressing - you've probably had deep fried soft shell crab before, if so then you're about to eat the real thing for the first time at Longrain. Impossibly crisp crabs in a deliciously tart, hot, sour and sweet salad with dressing. Incredibly - there was crab! Real crab in my soft shell crab dish! I tasted crab which was a real surprise - I loved this dish and would order it again in a heartbeat. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">Crisp fried pork with chilli and basil stir-fry - this dish we couldn't do justice to - simply because we were already in love and being shown the older, more complex dish to the pork hock. We were full from the other courses so we only mustered a few bites of this dish. I think it was a deep, fragrant, well balanced dish that would set more than a few hearts on fire. From what I tasted the pork was crisp, juicy and completely complimented by the jumble of snake beans, crunchy fried basil, chilli shards and that complex sauce - oh boy, that sauce...<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">We were sated. We were surprised. We were happy. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">Our bill - $123.00 for 2. This included rice for 2 ($6) and $2 for charity. Plus 1 cocktail, 1 soft drink and all that food... <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black">A small price to pay for a dish which now has me in its thrall - a dish I'm off to fantasise of now. </span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-26244809979930249342008-08-23T15:48:00.003+10:002008-08-23T23:55:01.279+10:00A Taste of Melbourne<div align="justify">Thanks to Chai I went to the Taste of Melbourne festival today. It was delicious!</div><div align="justify">Since I don't have a lot of time to post (leaving on holiday in 1 day and haven't packed anything!) here is the tour we did - </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><strong>The Courthouse</strong> - Carbonade of beef with pomme puree, parsley and caper salad. Absolutely delicious, tender melt-in-your mouth beef with buttery pomme puree and a sharp zingy salad. </div><div align="justify"><strong>Circa, the Prince</strong> - Slow cooked Sher Wagyu, braised meat pie, truffled coleslaw, licorice spiced pumpkin. Meltingly tender wagyu, perfectly seasoned with soft flakes of sea salt as tasty as beef I've ever had. The meat pie was too small to really stand out. I tasted no truffle in the slaw, which was crunchy and fresh. The pumpkin was ... well ... pumpkin. </div><div align="justify"><strong>The Press Club</strong> - "Hellenic Republic" lamb souvlaki. Apparently I'm not the only one putting chips in my souvlaki! Soft doughy bread encasing tender lamb cuddled up to a few french fries and a lick of mustard. Very sexy. </div><div align="justify"><strong>Nobu</strong> - Beef Tataki: Seared beef topped with onion ponzu, spring onions and garlic chips with ponzu dress. Pink slices of just seared beef in zesty sauce topped with crunchy garlic and soft spring onions made for a memorable mouthful. I loved the heady vinegar of the sauce - made me want to sip it from a wine glass.</div><div align="justify"><strong>Verge</strong> - Slow cooked pork belly ‘Nan Ban Zuke’, shiitake and seaweed. An interesting fusion of sweet, sour, salty and deep flavours. 2 little slices of pork belly does not lend itself to being shared for tasting however the deep, richness of the sauce and the slippery shiitake will never be forgotten. Class Act. </div><div align="justify"><strong>Interlude</strong> - Roast Beef with Trimmings. Pale pink and tender the beef. Sweet and sticky the jus. Meaty and firm the veg (carrots). Warm was the horseradish sauce. Perfect was the bread sauce to absorb all the juices and create a grand plate indeed. </div><div align="justify"><strong>Jacques Reymond</strong> - Saddle of Highland venison tataki, soft parmesan polenta. Wonderfully rich, strong flavoured venison overpowered the lacklustre polenta and the few beans. The parmesan wafer was crunchy and moreish.</div><div align="justify"><strong>Longrain</strong> - Vanilla Tapioca pudding with lychees & jackfruit. One of the most amazing, love-at-first-bite dishes of my life. If you try one dish and one dish only from this list, try this one. The absolute stand out for me and my better half, we both thought this was the best dish of the whole festival - a triumph!</div><div align="justify"><strong>The Press Club</strong> - "Press Club" mastic pannacotta married with "Maha" turkish delight filled doughnuts. Soft creamy just-set pannacotta bed on which two or three plump doughy donuts cuddle - not just any donut, flavour packed with turkish delight! A dreamy yet rock n roll dessert, deserving of the kudos from everyone who had some. </div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>*we had no fish or seafood because we are travelling in a day. No point taking a risk.</strong></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-73304654135044261612008-05-02T13:57:00.002+10:002008-05-02T14:01:29.901+10:00100 Mile CafeLevel 3, Melbourne Central<br />211 La Trobe St, Melbourne Victoria 3000<br />contact@100milecafe.com.au<br />P 9654 0808 F 9654 1080<br />Mod Oz Locavorian<br />Dinner, Thursday 1st May 2008<br /><br />The website address may be <a href="http://www.sosmelbourne.com.au/">http://www.sosmelbourne.com.au/</a>, but sos is long gone and 100 Mile Cafe has taken its place. Rather than being vego-pescetarian only - no dairy, no meat, no eggs - the new incarnation is omnivorous in its cooking but ecofriendly and locavotarian (is that even a word?) in its ethics. Unfortunately our table <i>didn't</i> come with a natty placemat-like guide to the restaurant, but I had done some prior research (read: studied the menu during my downtime at work) and was impressed by the thought that went into it. I may not have spent quite as much thought deciding what to buy (I should have gotten a chicken dish!) but as I was being ruled by my empty, rumbling stomach, I went with what I thought would be a large meal, rather than going for flavour and intelligence. Which is why I ended up with a plate full of burger (beef-tofu), chips and salad, while my dining partner had the smallest serve I've ever seen for a main dish in a restaurant, of red mullet fillets.<br /><br />But I get ahead of myself here. The room itself deserves a bit of discussion, as it is a very '00s venue, and very new-Melbourne-Central. It's located in a shopping centre in the city, but on the outskirts of the actual complex, so the escalators we took to reach the front door were the only real reminder of our very mercantile surrounding. A long corridor - with a "fish don't grow on trees" montage of real tree trunks - took us to a room with a central bar, an outside drinkies area, and a simple, slightly echoey space of simple chipboard-looking chairs (though painted a dashing orange or white), small square tables, and a dotted-dashed-cutout plane of more chipboard or something lining the ceiling. VERY '00s. A lot of exposed pale wood rough-hewn beams supporting the ceiling in some form further accentuated the bar. VERY Melbourne Central. VERY cool.<br /><br />The waiters were sweethearts, too. A bit chatty, a bit joking, and perfectly matching the surprisingly affordable menu. I do suspect that they could do with raising the prices just a few dollars if it meant getting more food on the plate. The "Grilled Red Mullet fillets with fennel, peas and watercress" (which was listed on the menu as containing - and was delivered with - kohlrabi as well) was so small, I made sure to reserve my salad and some chips for my dining partner to eat as well. So I can't report on her dish, nor on my salad, but those chips sure were yum. The burger itself had a curiously quiet flavour, no doubt as a result of the inclusion of silken tofu. But the texture certainly benefited - I ate the entire burger quite happily, but skipped the boring looking white bread roll it was sandwiched in.<br /><br />We had actually started with house-baked olive oil and salt flat bread that blew my mind. My dining partner told me it was spelt, and I was just in love. It had an echo in the flavour of crispbread crackers, but with a beautifully sensual, clever texture of both crisp and chewiness, with a dusty base that turned one of my pink sleeves a lovely shade of salmon. For $5 for a plate piled high with squares, the bread was reasonably priced and I could have quite happily taken a box home as takeaway.<br /><br />The desserts were similarly impressive, a strawberry souffle rising almost twice as tall as its dish, and a champagne, lemongrass, and something-else sorbet was delicately flavoured, with each note coming through with perfect clarity. My tall, rectangular rhubarb tart concealed within a veritable swimming pool of liquid custard, so I did get a bit messy. The rich pastry, perfectly cooked rhubarb, and tangy pear compote mousse accompanying went perfectly with the dollop of cream I had requested on the side. At $14 each they were reasonably priced, and I don't think they need any price increase if possible! They were decent sized serves for the cost.<br /><br />Because the menu is seasonal, it's also a prime candidate for return visits which won't leave me totally bored of eating the same food over and over. Variety in the mains, similarly excellent desserts (all the dishes came with sorbets, so I suspect the winter menu is yet to be fully introduced), and more of that bread, and I'll return time and time again.Naomi Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09772793919966289027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-66500896377970863492008-03-27T13:35:00.004+11:002008-03-27T13:50:03.868+11:00Degustation at Circa<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">I attended <a href="http://www.circa.com.au/">Circa </a>(</span> Circa, The Prince, 2 Acland St, St Kilda, 9536 1122, <a href="mailto:circa@circa.com.au">circa@circa.com.au</a>) <span style="" lang="EN-US">for the birthday dinner of my best friend, along with her parents, brother, partner, and another friend.<span style=""> </span>We were seated at a round table in a corner with a door to the balcony where we could watch wedding-goers continuing their party which was being pushed into some function room as we arrived for our 6:30pm reservation.<span style=""> </span>It was a tight squeeze but thanks to the billowing white curtain separating the room, behind our backs, there was enough space for the waiters to get their job done.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">It was an interesting mix of people – the brother seemed to have forgotten about the dinner entirely, but the staff showed no surprise or frustration when he showed up an hour after the rest of us and told the waiter to start serving him the degustation from where everyone else was up to.<span style=""> </span>The partner was only about one week out of hospital for having her gall bladder removed, and is on a strict no-fat diet as a result.<span style=""> </span>It was a bit disappointing therefore when we asked the waiter if there could be any substitutions in the degustation and were told in no uncertain terms that there couldn’t.<span style=""> </span>I wonder if perhaps we should have been asked <i style="">why</i> we were inquiring?<span style=""> </span>After a bit of faffing around, we decided on degustation anyway, and ordered two vegetarian degustations, and five meatatarian.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Three hours passed from <i style="">amuse bouche</i> to the second dessert course, a total of 9 courses.<span style=""> </span>The standard was exceptionally high, with a focus on some seriously fresh and flavourful produce, and beautifully impeccable presentation.<span style=""> </span>Of course.<span style=""> </span>Without the massive white plates, cleverly indented depressions for soup and artistic drizzles covering half the plate, we would all realise that degustation is nothing but a massive tease – a hook to force you to return to order what you would have preferred ten times the amount of.<span style=""> </span>Personally, I would have traded in the Wagyu for the heirloom tomatoes, and skipped some amazingly rich goats cheese for extra olive oil sorbet to eat with the tomatoes.<span style=""> </span>In fact when I was at Ezard a few weeks later, I ordered their heirloom tomato salad with feta and microshoots or something, and was sorely disappointed. But I digress - the masochist in me loves degustations, as does my inability to ever make a decision.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">I wrote down my impressions throughout dinner using my brand spanking new Nokia with its clever little Notes function, so here goes a dot point summary of what we ate:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amuse bouche:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Cauliflower cream, black roe, cucumber foam, globes of cucumber, NSW oyster, smoky strong aftertaste.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Course 1:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">White bean soup, tiny cubes of chewy chorizo, tiny cannelini beans, shreds of flavourful crab, tiny sprigs of maybe baby sweetpea shoots, salty bits - sometimes crab sometimes bean, orange oil from the soup, which was poured at the table.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Course 2:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Flat wedge of pale brown smoked eel with a sweet frothy cream, sitting on dill, parsley and maybe baby beetroot leaves, translucent tube of striated potato with more herbs standing in it, about ¼ teaspoon of crumbled maple bacon.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Course 3:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Three small snails, lightly breaded, gently fried, garlic flavour and fried bits, small pool of oil fried in, 2 breaded fried pigs ears I didn’t eat, small squares of iceberg lettuce, vivid green lightly flavoured parsley sauce.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Course 4:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Miniature roma half, two quarter slices of maybe a beefsteak, wedge of purple green skinned and seeded strong almost smoky, half a sweet cheery tomato, sweet liquid olive oil sorbet, black olive oil which was actually oil mixed with balsemic vinegar, large chewy sweet cheesy fruity wafer.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Course 5:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Disc of dense, creamy, mild but with a slowly pungent aftertaste, white goats cheese, long irregular curls of thin cheese cracker announced as wafer.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Course 6:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Mound of small pearl barley sauteed with slippery, soft baby shallots, with small cubes and rectangular wedges of Wagyu beef scattered throughout.<span style=""> </span>The beef appears to be very slowly sauteed, or maybe roasted with a lot of liquid.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Course 7:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Small square of plain dense sponge cake with a lightly aerated, gelled, smooth, subtly tangy yogurt topping about a third as tall as the cake, served with a small melon-baller scoop of lemon-celery sorbet, a very light flavour and texture.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Course 8:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Glass of berry royale – sweet, rich, lingering dark berry juice topped with a moscato wine fluffy cream, served with a rich buttery pastry cracker, with a collection of fresh berries in more juice, and a scoop of beautiful cream.<span style=""> </span>Perhaps the “Petite tartlet of berries, soured cream, moscato and berry royal” described on their website?</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Some discrepancies emerged, such as the “black olive oil” listed on the menu in the heirloom tomato dish, which tasted suspiciously like a high quality vinaigrette of EVOO and balsemic vinegar.<span style=""> </span>The maple smoked bacon from the eel was perhaps a quarter of teaspoon in total, and if I had planned to eat it (I went half-heartedly kosher for the night) I suspect I would have been disappointed.<span style=""> </span>The vegetarian “organic carrot salad” was 3 halves of carrots, perhaps slightly roasted, served with yogurt – the recipients were quite let down.<span style=""> </span>One serve was even sent back when it was discovered that at least one carrot piece was so woody, the knife couldn’t cut through it.<span style=""> </span>I felt that the mound of pearl barley served with the Wagyu was a cop-out – it was by far the biggest of the dishes in terms of both sheer volume of food and the filling-ness of the food.<span style=""> </span>And to be filled up by pearl barley in a lackadaisical broth?<span style=""> </span>Meh!<span style=""> </span>However as the first steak I have had since jaw surgery, the Wagyu really did deliver.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">And that’s about all I can report on that was negative in any way.<span style=""> </span>A bit of waxing rhapsodic is doubtless in order.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">The olive oil sorbet with the heirloom tomatoes was the simplest dish, and yet my favourite.<span style=""> </span>It just goes to show what my slightly less gastronomically inclined other half is starting to point out himself – good quality produce is the most important factor in creating a masterpiece in the kitchen.<span style=""> </span>The tomatoes were beautiful as-is, and coated in the slightest sweetness of creamy EVOO, were just heavenly.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Snails – my goodness, how much fun are snails!<span style=""> </span>I hesitated for a split-split-second and realised that my brain was thinking “snails!” and so I resolved to stop thinking about the word and just eat the small ball of fried yumminess.<span style=""> </span>They were perfect – I couldn’t even tell you exactly what snails tasted like, but as oysters taste of the sea, I’m voting that snails taste of the earth.<span style=""> </span>And garlic.<span style=""> </span>And oil.<span style=""> </span>And parsley.<span style=""> </span>Those French really know what they’re doing.<span style=""> </span>And so chewy!<span style=""> </span>Like oysters, the texture is part and parcel of the experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">The desserts were both examples of masterful gourmet cooking – I wouldn’t have ordered lemon-celery sorbet, and the sponge cake was fairly bland with only a slight tang to the yogurt topping, but combine them all together, and I thought I was gracefully dancing through a meadow of sunflowers and butterflies.<span style=""> </span>So light and refreshing, all textures combining seamlessly and the celery working perfectly with the sponge.<span style=""> </span>The royale (cue many jokes about <i style="">royale with cheese</i>) was my first experience with this dish, and while I found the top layer of moscato cream to have a slightly bitter? sour? taste, combined with the mouth-coating berry juice, whipped cream and the crisp of the pastry, a revelation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">At $125 for my non-vegetarian degustation, I think it was very reasonably priced.<span style=""> </span>I wasn’t too full by the end of the meal because I had skipped most of the barley (they got stuck in my braces), and I am a pretty light eater, but I do think the amount of food was sufficient, if not quite indulgent.<span style=""> </span>Excepting that one carrot, the quality of the food was superb, so there was no feeling that we were paying inflated prices for nothing more preparation and presentation – I would happily pay the premium price for what I felt was premium produce.<span style=""> </span>The service was impeccable, if a little standoffish and not quite as friendly as Ezard, but in the staff’s defence, the joint was jumping – I could swear that when we left at 11pm, I saw a table starting on their <i style="">amuse bouches</i> for their own degustation.<span style=""> </span>I managed to drive home without falling asleep behind the wheel, and slept the fine, leaden sleep of the sated and content.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Naomi Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09772793919966289027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-84289509965246114712008-03-05T19:04:00.005+11:002008-03-05T20:07:20.270+11:00GingerboyChef - Teage Ezard<br />Location - Crossley St, City<br />Open - (L) M-F 12pm-2.30pm (D) M-S 6pm-Late<br />Food - Hawker Inspired with a touch of Sophistication<br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I was looking forward to this little food excursion for some time now - actually since Teage Ezard (he of the reputable '<a href="http://www.ezard.com.au/">Ezard'</a> in Melbourne) opened the shiny glass doors of his cheeky salute to hawker inspired food of Singapore and Bangkok. I have eaten at his flagship restaurant and I knew the standard to be expected.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I booked the reservation about 10am and by 11.30am they had called to confirm the availablity (taking care to remind me that seating at 6.30pm need to vacate the table by 8.30pm). I received a text message a minute later confirming that someone would call me to make the reservation. Hmmm. I was left wondering after the conversation on the phone what they would do if we hadn't finished eating by 8.30pm - would we have a Faulty Towers episode of kicking us out? Probably not. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">We were seated very promptly by Young, Hip and Trendy (my names for the red-shirt, black pants wait staff). The decor is very very sexy - think black, sleek, shiny with red compliments. Very clever bamboo painted back studded with fairy lights against one wall, comfortable padded seats on one side and fragile-looking, translucent plastic chairs on the other side. The table is set with chop-sticks, metal spoon and fork and a rather competent paper dining napkin. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I ordered one of the house-cocktails (Water Lilly - vodka, lychee and watermelon) and the boy ordered a soft drink. The menu is definitely South East Asian inspired - lots of very enticing things to tempt the tastebuds. We settled on - Chicken Satay Dumplings with Cucumber Relish, Crispy Chilli Salt Cuttlefish with Lemon and Sesame and Soft Shell Crab with Green Chilli to start. </div><div align="justify">The Cuttlefish was one of the best I have ever had - light almost tempura batter around tender white cuttlefish pieces. Enough to share but very hard to since they were so tasty. I loved the effort of a wedge of lemon in muslin. The Dumplings were excellent - meaty and packed full of chicken, peanuts and a healthy whack of chilli. I liked them more than the boy did. I was very impressed with the cucumber relish - chunks of fresh crisp cucumber scattered with tender pink tendrils of pickled shallot. The Soft Shell Crab was not on the menu, it was written on the mirrored 'specials' area - I didn't think it lived up to the hype. I like soft shell crab however these had none of the crisp lightness I expected. Maybe the dressing was too heavy but I loved the dressing - full of flavour, perfect rounds of green chilli and other aromatics in a spicy, vinegar dressing. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">For our mains - we chose two 'sharing' dishes - Singapore Noodles with Coconut Laksa and Spiced Vegetables, Grain Fed Wagyu Rump with Black Pepper Sauce and Kim Chee and we couldn't resist the Fried Corn Cakes. </div><div align="justify">There was a 20 minute wait between when our entrees plates were removed and when our mains were placed before us. I don't mind waiting but when there is a timeframe involved - makes for a few uneasy moments.</div><div align="justify">Young, Hip and Trendy made quick work of clearing away the table and ensuring the glasses were refilled - they even made room for the oversized plate and bowl bearing the mains. The corn cakes were bliss. Pure and simple. Golden brown, speckled with chilli and redolent with garlic. Tender corn and fluffy batter - I wanted some of Neil Perry's Chilli Caramel sauce to make a little puddle to dunk the little darlings into. If you go for nothing else, go for the fried Corn Cakes. The Wagyu Rump were 6 tender slices of beef, cooked rare and perched atop a boat of black pepper sauce stuffed with swoon-worthy garlic pieces. The best part of the whole dish for me was the much-avoided Kim Chee - why aren't more people embracing this fierce combination of crunchy cabbage, chilli, garlic and so many other things? I love kim chee - and I don't think it smells bad in the least - I think people psych themselves up about the 'fermented cabbage' and prepare themselves not to like it. Shame really, but more for me. The Singapore Noodles with Laksa had amazing flavour. I stopped just short of tipping the bowl to my mouth and drinking the laksa - coconut rich and sweet, chilli hot, tomato sour, snakebeans to add crunch, cabbage for a tender bite ... the list goes on and on. One of the best I have had (the best is still Penang Coffee House in Hawthorne). The Singapore Noodles and Laksa is vegetarian but you don't really miss the soft succulent pieces of sweet, pink edged roast pork, shards of broth soaked chicken, tiny prawns... oh who am I kidding? I missed it. The boy and I loved the texture of the crispy noodles in the laksa - a great idea when all the other laksas are a combination of slippery thick egg noodles and thin rice noodles. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Oh yes, those awesome corn cakes to soak up the black pepper sauce and the laksa broth as well ... there is no bad way to enjoy corn cakes. </div><div align="justify">We made it out of there in under an hour - great turn around for great food and a Melbourne gem in the making. <strong>7/10</strong></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1157958329459896232007-11-17T16:51:00.000+11:002007-11-17T14:47:47.173+11:00France Soir, South Yarra, French food (could you tell from the name?)[Originally published on the 11th Sept 2006]<br /><br /><p>France Soir </p><p>11 Toorak Rd, South Yarra </p><p>phone: (03) 9866 8569 </p><p>prices: entrees high teens, mains low to mid 30s </p><p>Cuisine: der. </p><p>Last week our neighbour-Denis-who-is-moving-to-Hong-Kong said he would take us out for dinner to say thanks for the highly embellished reference I wrote him (we used to work together) and told me I could pick the place... </p><p>Last night, we headed off for a slap-up feast a la <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Creosote">Mr Creosote</a> at France Soir, home of lovely French waiters (who in my experience are NOT snooty if you ask for condiments), and French-bistroiness. It's one of my fave places to eat, even though they once felt it necessary to point out to me that steak tartare is in fact raw (admittedly I was pretty young at the time, I guess it's possible I might not have known and therefore freaked out at being served a plate of raw mince with a raw egg yolk on top...). To start with, they bring you delicious French bread and unsalted butter. No wanky dishes of oil here. And they offer you more once you guts the first lot, rather than glare at you balefully should you dare to ask, as Oliver did, for more. We followed the silver baskets of bready goodness by sharing a dozen oysters (freshly shucked when you order them), which came on a large dish of crushed ice and were accompanied by a niftily-carved lemon and a small dish of some sort of sauce (it was delicious and I think it had garlic in it, and maybe a bit of soy. Hard to say). Very good oysters. I had a fillet steak with bernaise sauce, which was utterly delicious. My dining companions had veal (poor baby cows) and minute steak. We accompanied the lot with a very nice bottle of red (it was French but I don't have a clue what it was - I will say that the wine list was in length comparable to an Umberto Eco novel) and some shared vegetables - peas & carrots with bacon lardons (which it turns out are lovely fatty cubes of bacon) and mash, and they brought pomme frites (as the French call French fries) to the table which we hadn't even ordered, which was a bonus. Although actually it's possible Denis ordered them sneakily to avoid my disapproval of the ordering of two different sorts of potato. Most of the mains don't come with veg or salad, so you do have to order them seperately.<br /><br />The veal, which came in a mushroom and white wine sauce was pronounced "exotic" by Denis (although exactly how veal in a mushroom sauce could possibly be exotic I am left wondering), and also "delicious". And the minute steak disappeared (fittingly) in about a minute, accompanied by a red wine sauce, so there didn't seem to be any complaints about that, either. The pomme frites were eaten with the remainder of my bernaise sauce, so there was no need to ask for mayonnaise.<br /><br />The steak tartare on a previous occasion was delicious - they prepared it "to taste" meaning you can ask for the requisite amount of spiciness and make sure it's not too full of capers (do ask about this as the time I didn't I found there were WAY too many capers). It's not as good as the steak tartare at the Macleay Street Bistro (73a MacLeay St Potts Point, (02) 9358 4891) in Sydney (where I've been told if you're lucky you may spot Paul Keating grabbing a bite of dinner), but it's pretty good. They bring yet more pomme frites with it, but I prefer to ask for some extra bread. There's nothing like steak tartare on some soft white bread with a thick layer of butter (insert Homer-style drooling here), although for anything other than tartare or a bread pudding I'd rather a rye or at least a grainy bread.<br /><br />Also well worth it are the French onion soup, which is satisfyingly hearty and cheesy, and the salad with blue cheese dressing. I have had blue cheese dressing in other establishments, only to find it either too cheesy or not cheesy enough, but like Goldilocks, I found the blue cheese dressing at France Soir just cheesy enough.<br /><br />If you're a vegetarian - one of the crazy sort who doesn't eat seafood at any rate (we all know it's <a href="http://www.lyricsfreak.com/n/nirvana/something+in+the+way_20101135.html">okay to eat fish cause they don't have any feelings</a>) - go somewhere else for dinner. You're not going to get any love here. Other than salads, there are not really any vegetarian options on the menu (even the peas have bacon in them, for heaven's sake), and they are not all that likely to be obliging if you ask, as the woman on the next table found out when she did. The waiter went away to confer with the kitchen staff and came back to tell her "We can do you some steamed vegetables" (in snooty French accents). Eventually it seemed they settled the matter of an entree by offering her an asparagus and caviar entree "without the caviar".<br /><br />The dessert was the crowning glory of the evening. Denis ordered a latte, Mr H had a Cafe Royale (which was delish, I tried it), and I had an Earl Grey tea. Unlike some places that do nice coffee but then give you a tea bag if you want tea, the tea was made with leaves, came in a proper pot, and (as requested) was nice and weak (nothing is more disgusting than strong Earl Grey tea - or even worse, milk in Earl Grey tea. People who drink Earl Grey tea with milk shall die by the sword when I rule the world. But I digress). And then came the Creme Brulee, with three spoons - there was unfortunately no way we were going to be able to fit in a dessert each, much as I was simply longing for the Isles flotant, which consists of floating clouds of soft meringue in a light sky of vanilla. But the Creme Brulee was the King of Creme Brulees, crunchy slightly burnt toffee surface, with light cremey goodness beneath. Despite the fact that we were all so full we were threatening to explode like Mr Creosote the dessert disappeared directly.<br /><br />I can only say it was lucky they didn't offer us a wafer-thin after dinner mint, or there would have been an incident.</p>From the lion's mouthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269847882599124126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1174706525578581782007-03-24T15:08:00.000+11:002007-03-24T15:22:05.600+11:00EQ Cafe Bar<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Melbourne Concert Hall<br />100 St Kilda Road<br />Southbank VIC 3000<br />Owner - Dur-é Dara</strong></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">When you have tickets for a show at the Arts Centre for an 8pm start time and you are seated at your table, no, make that bar in front of the ginormous coffee machine at 6.10pm, you don’t want to wait an hour between your entrée and your main. This causes anxiousness in diners and more than a few murmurings on walking out, complaining to the diminutive, elegantly dressed, harried round figure of Dur-é and of course, writing a review on how wronged you were by the dining experience. </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify"><br />We had tickets to Weird Al at Hamer Hall so we decided to forgo the temptations of Fed Square and give EQ a chance. I had gone a long time ago, when it first opened to positive reviews and great expectations, after all, an enviable location and an Australian culinary entrepreneur with stellar experience under her … caftan? Yes, I think it was a caftan, very flowy, much like a round coffee bean nestled in a truffle – but I digress.</div><div align="justify"><br />We were told at the door by a wait staff (I am not going to mention how wrong it is for wait staff to be allowed to work with huge cold sores on their lips, ew!) that the only table available was at the bar. Okay, we were happy to take that, after all, I had already mentioned how good the fish cakes were … so we sat and perused the wine list, then the menu – the wine list is quite good, a wide range of local and international reds, whites and all the other drinkables in between. Recommended is the <a href="http://www.wairauriverwines.com/estate_range.htm">Wairau River Estate Riesling </a>as its quite light and fresh with passionfruit and pepper notes. Great with fish.</div><div align="justify"><br />After twenty minutes the barista conjuring out coffees ten a minute in front of us took pity on us and took our drink order, we didn’t want to take a risk of being ignored again so when he brought the drinks we asked if he could take our food order, I pretended not to notice the fleeting look of annoyance that flitted across his face before he said ‘sure’. We ordered fishcakes ($8) to share and these came about 7 minutes after orders, great. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">They were as good as I remembered – crisp and crunchy on the outside, fluffy and tasting of baccalà and potato – served with a gorgeous red pepper dip and a few fresh rocket leaves. We were almost ready to forgive the wait for our order with the quality of the food. But it was not to be. Over an hour later with no one even so much as batting an eyelid our way to replenish our tepid water, empty drink glass or thunderous expressions. We were about to give up and just walk out when as if reading our minds, our mains arrived. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">I had a sexy little salad of smoked chicken, Loganiza sausage, potato and grapes in a light mayonnaise sauce ($18) and my partner had spaghettini with a ragu of pork and beef ($23). Great flavours in both dishes, clearly chef Stephanie Maier and her crew are doing good things in the kitchen. The wait-staff who delivered our mains grudgingly brought over the basket of presliced bread and offered us a piece each - no bread plates, no butter. The rule of bread is, great bread no butter, average bread - don't serve it! </div><div align="justify"><br />Sadly, like so many eating establishments out there, EQ sufferes from excellent food let down by shoddy service. Considering where they are located and the crowd they cater for, timing should be the strong point at EQ but it is severely lacking. As my dining partner commented, <em>even if the food wasn’t as great, if the service was wonderful, you’d be more likely to come back because you would feel looked after</em>. I would recommend booking ahead and not making plans for after if you want to experience good food in a vibrant atmosphere … that or just walk across to Fed Square.</span> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1172783271113267232007-03-02T08:07:00.000+11:002007-03-03T09:15:51.180+11:00Yeah Maan, South Yarra, Caribbean[Yay!!! Our first solicited review. Many thanks Mairead. Check out her <a href="http://www.maireaddoyle.com/index2.html">website</a>. Pretty cool. Uses flash and everything. - Chai]<br /><br /><br /><b>Yeah Maan</b><br />Address: <b>340 Punt Road South Yarra 3141</b><br />Phone Number: <b>(03) 9820 2707</b><br />website: <b>www.yeahmaan.com.au</b><br /><br />Price Range: <b>$20-40 for a meal</b><br /><br />Total price: $221 for seven, not including wine<br />$31 per person<br /><br />There is only one Caribbean restaurant in Melbourne (well there is a cafe called Babble On Babylon but it is only open in the daytime). It happens to be that our local bus takes us straight there, through the city centre and out the other side, right to the nearest corner. Some friends had warned us that the food was good but the portions were tiny, but we needed to see for ourselves.<br /><br />And so it was that we took seven mates along there one Saturday night to see if it was anything worth talking about.<br /><br />Yeah Maan is a tiny terraced building, converted from a house, with enough seating for about forty downstairs and another small dining room upstairs. Instead of the expected reggae blasting out, we were delighted to hear some classic soca tunes. We had a reservation but they didn't seem to know anything about that. We were shown to the upstairs room, and although we had explained that it was a reservation for seven people, we were asked to sit at a smaller table until we insisted we needed more room.<br /><br />Once everybody had arrived we were pretty desperate for a drink - or at least some glasses for our BYO wine. In the end Orlando obliged by going downstairs himself. We thought that might shake up the waitresses, but we waited quite a long time for anybody to come and see if we were OK. It was the girl's first night so she didn't know much, but she was sweet.<br /><br />Apart from myself and Orlando, we had three people who had only eaten Caribbean food in our house (Mena, Eileen and Kelvin), and two people who had no idea what they were in for (Australian Ida and Italian Viviana). The Trinidadian doubles served up were generous and talked about for days; Mena's Stamp 'n' Go was a huge portion and absolutely divine. Orlando and I both had the Pick Up Salt Fish, which was saltfish mixed with onions, tomato and peppers served on a dumpling. It reminded both of us how much we love saltfish, and I promised to go get some and start cooking it again. Pity we can't get ackee anywhere though...<br /><br />The chilly janga roti (chilli prawns) were not too hot and spicy, which was probably just as well for the virgins. You could probably ask for them to be made a bit hotter. Kelvin chose the aloo pies, a huge portion of spicy potato balls which were tasty enough but nothing exciting.<br /><br />The mains were even better. Eileen was served an enormous portion of jerk chicken and cassava fries, which she struggled manfully to consume, but ended up pleading with everybody to finish for her. She said it was lovely, but not as nice as Orlando's (well, you can't get Walkerswood here either).<br /><br />The curried goat was really lovely, but I forgot to ask for mine to be made hot, so although it was tasty there was no kick to it. Orlando had asked for his hot, but it wasn't much better than mine. The rice and peas were made with small kidney beans (guess what? No gunga peas in Aus...) but it worked fine. Mena scored again with the ginger tamarind chicken which was beautifully seasoned, a good strong kick. The calypso chicken looked good, but even for the virgins it seemed very mildly-flavoured.<br /><br />The service didn't get any better. We helped ourselves to more napkins, water and fresh glasses from behind our personal minibar in the corner, and raided the other tables for new candles for the table. Even when we wanted the bill, it warranted another trip downstairs. Maybe if we had been seated down with everybody else it might have been better.<br /><br />Nonetheless, we were not in any hurry and the relaxed vibe certainly didn't ruin the evening. We put the world to rights without fear of annoying other diners with our noise, we finished a few bottles of wine and enjoyed some fine West Indian food. The rumours of small portions were well and truly scotched, and we will definitely come back again for more.<br /><br />Review written by <a href="http://www.maireaddoyle.com/index2.html">Mairead</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1170731705486201392007-02-06T14:58:00.000+11:002007-02-06T14:59:23.313+11:00The Stokehouse - St KildaAddress: 30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda, Victoria 3182<br />Phone Number: (03) 9525 5555<br />Functions Phone Number: (03) 9536 1135<br />Fax Number: (03) 9525 5291<br />email: <a href="mailto:stokehouse@theprince.com.au">stokehouse@theprince.com.au</a><br />website: <a href="http://www.stokehouse.com.au/">http://www.stokehouse.com.au/</a><br /><br /><u>Upstairs</u><br />Lunch: 12pm - 2:30pm<br />Dinner: 6pm - 10pm<br /><br /><u>Downstairs</u><br />7 Days: 12pm - late<br /><br />Price Range: $17 - $30 for a meal<br /><br />Reviewer: <a href="http://ibloggedmyself.blogspot.com/">BEVIS</a><br />Date: 6th February, 2007<br /><br />Review:<br /><br />Wifey, Sweetums and I took several family members out for dinner on Saturday night, and our restaurant of choice was The Stokehouse. We had a pram with us, and required a table for 12 (in order to cater to the pram - we were actually only 10 people).<br /><br />The specials board promised a lovely-sounding lamb cutlets dish which we were informed had very small portions of lamb cutlets (instead focussing on the mash to fill the plate), so the seven or so of our number who intended to go with the lamb decided instead to order either the risotto or a gourmet pizza.<br /><br />Naturally, I opted to go with the pizza option. I ordered ‘The Stokehouse’ pizza, which was basically a Mexicana. Wifey went with the risotto. She told me her meal was delicious and it certainly looked yummy (even to a non-rice eater like myself). Meanwhile, my pizza was spicy and perfect. Just the way I like it.<br /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4758/485/320/284651/stokehs.gif" border="0" alt="" /><center><b>The Stokehouse, as seen from the beach</center></b><br /><br />We dined ‘downstairs’ (there was a wedding reception being held upstairs), and were placed along a corner table. As we had Sweetums with us, we were eating somewhat early, but this meant we were treated to a beautiful sunset across the water – because the restaurant overlooks St Kilda beach.<br /><br />The layout and organisation of The Stokehouse is such that after being seated, you make up your mind about your order, then walk to the bar and buy your meal and drinks there, giving the server your table number. When the meal comes, you’re free to eat it at your own pace, returning to the bar to buy more drinks if you want them.<br /><br />This means that you’re not in a big rush to move on (no one is hovering, waiting to give you your bill), and when you finish your meal you can simply walk out (or stay for dessert if you wish). As for our group on Saturday night, we decided to follow our meal with a leisurely walk along St Kilda beach and an ice cream on the esplanade as a reward for avoiding all the syringes.<br /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4758/485/320/807200/stoke.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><center><b>The Stokehouse (right) overlooking the beach (left)</center></b><br /><br />The Stokehouse features a charming atmosphere, which – although noisy (the tiled floors make all sounds bounce around, creating quite a din which is not helped by the drunken surfers who were yelling at each other across the table) – really lifts the mood of the meal. There can be no doubt that the view helps a lot.<br /><br />Parking can be a problem, as you’re in St Kilda and it’s $7 for anything longer than two hours, but if you’re travelling by tram or simply walking, it’s “behind Luna Park and a bit to the right”.<br /><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4758/485/320/902343/stokehouse.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><center><b>Some people (not us) enjoying<br />the outdoor dining section</center></b><br /><br />Rating: I give The Stokehouse four out of a possible five stars.<br /><br />Stars: <b>****</b><br /><br /><br />.BEVIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562306688147400195noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1168780297205271722007-01-15T00:11:00.000+11:002007-01-15T01:17:26.650+11:00Flower Drum17 Market Lane Melbourne<br /><br />How does one approach dining at Melbourne's renowned Flower Drum restaurant? Ideally with a bulging wallet and an empty stomach. I'd heard a lot of things about Flower Drum. Mostly, people coo about the service, and then hurry to add that the food is great too. This sits uncomfortably with the scourers of the Cheap Eat, the denizens of Victoria Street, the late afternoon market shopper. Why would you want to be waited on hand and foot? Doesn't it just get awkward? Especially when you're barely out of the Dishwasher Years yourself.<br /><br />The first thing that happened, after being seated in the waiting area so our table could be adjusted from Table of five to Table of four when we had an unfortunate late cancellation, was that we were all seated at our table simultaneously. Four seats, four staff, holding four chairs and placing four bottoms on them with the grace of a square dance. Drink orders were taken. So far so good.<br /><br />There was an awareness of hovering wait staff. Not weightless wait staff mind you, just wait staff who discreetly <span style="font-style: italic;">waited</span> for a break in the conversation or an glass to be emptied and placed on the table to give way for a natural opening to approach the table. I can't decide whether this is too fussy or not. I must say I enjoy familiar and sassy wait staff too - like the waitress at <a href="http://www.borschvodkaandtears.com/">Borsch, Vodka and Tears</a> who took our order by straddling the back of a chair and downing several shots of vodka with us over the course of the evening's indulgences.<br /><br />The light in the large divided room is quite subdued, and decorated with Chinese prints on the walls and the most immense and elaborate flower arrangement ever in the centre. Tables were placed far enough apart to not be party to neighbouring conversations.<br /><br />After looking over the extensive menu (which had no marked prices) helplessly for some minutes the waiter suggested the set banquet. For the princely sum of $150 per head one could enjoy three set entrees followed by three set mains, fruit and tea. We negotiated a substitution (steamed dumplings for snapper) and we were off.<br /><br />After enjoying a fantastic Pinot Gris, first up were the dumplings. Our table had a little side trolley which served as a workstation for our waiter, who assembled much of the food before serving. At the trolley our steamed dumplings were taken from their bamboo steamers and plated. As one would expect, they were translucent and perfect. I'm ashamed to say I've forgotten one of our entrees. But the last was definitely the quail san choi bao, which was perfect but probably out of all our dishes the one I would rate most easily found on par with "lesser" restaurants.<br /><br />The mains started with the duck. And please indulge me here; after 37 years of eating quite well, and not being a crazed fan of duck, I have never tasted anything like it. If I go back (if I can ever afford to go back) to Flower Drum it will be for the duck. It was assembled side of stage: a soft floury crepe, smeared with a streak of plum hoisin was topped with spring onion, a strip of cucumber and a few pieces of deep crimson lacquered, crispy skinned Peking duck. We were told to "eat it like a sandwich", meaning fingers were allowed. It was heaven. The crepe itself was almost skin like in texture - not at all cold and rubbery, and there was a certain magic in the flavours. I used to dream of dumplings. I will now be dreaming of these little parcels of deliciousness.<br /><br />By now, after two rounds of duck pancakes, I was beginning to feel quite full. Which was a great pity, as our lobster had just arrived. I turned down lobster. Do you see? I turned it down! I pushed it round my plate like a sulky 10 year old with a plate full of brussel sprouts. This was getting tricky. There was another course to go and I had no idea what it was going to be.<br /><br />Off to our side of stage I saw our waiter slicing some steaks. Good gravy, surely we couldn't be expected to eat a steak at this late juncture? But indeed we were. Eye fillet, as tender as tofu, seared only enough to brown the outer, was sliced into fat strips and served. I've certainly never tasted anything like it, and it will be the second thing I go back to Flower Drum for. I'm not sure if it was wagyu beef, but it was impossibly succulent. My only regret is that I had eaten too much already and had to leave a portion of it uneaten. Wah!<br /><br />One of the perks of the intense silver service was the warm damp towels served with each course. Much nicer than say, a shiny paper napkin of dubious absorbency.<br /><br />If you want to eat at Flower Drum remember that bookings have to be made about three months in advance, which is about how long you should be saving your pennies for. And maybe cut down on the cream cakes for a while as well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1168214264749449092007-01-08T11:30:00.000+11:002007-01-08T11:25:54.313+11:00Saffron CottageSaffron Cottage<br />1531 Burwood Highway, Tecoma<br />9754 8388<br /><br />"It's a bit pricey for Indian Takeaway", someone grumbled at me when we were discussing Saffron Cottage. And yes, it is a bit more expensive than a cheap'n'cheerful takeaway place with beaded curtains to stop the flies and sticky plastic tablecloths. Then again, it's rather better food than you'd get from such a place. In fact, it's a proper restaurant (proper, in my limited definition, meaning it has linen tablecloths, waiting staff in smart clothes, a decent wine list, and let's not forget: good food).<br /><br />They offer takeaway at 15% discount on the eat-in prices. Mrs. Banttha and I have two young 'uns, so we tend to eat takeaway far more often than we get to go out to dinner - hence, much of our interaction with Saffron Cottage is via the take-away they offer. Recently, Mrs. Banttha's mother came up to mind the Banttha boys, and we skipped out to enjoy a meal.<br /><br />The interior decoration is interesting - a mix of rustic (exposed beams and rough wood panelling) and refined (rather swish bar, neatly-set tables, the usual stuff). It's got a cosy feel, despite being quite large. During winter they have the open fires going - the tables near those go <b>really</b> fast. During warm summer nights, the back porch, with its view up to the Dandenong Ranges National Park, is the place to be.<br /><br />A lot of the menu is standard Indian restaurant fare that any self-respecting Melbournian would know. In my books, this is no bad thing. My sister has more than once accused me of being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Lister">Lister</a> from Red Dwarf - nothing suits me better than a hot curry and a cold beer. I'm sure she didn't mean that I'm a slob.<br /><br />The curries are great - tender chunks of meat, and full flavour - even in their hottest vindaloo, all of the flavours come through beautifully. When we dined there I had the lamb rogan josh, with a glass of merlot (their wine list includes some decent reds, quite a few of them available by the glass). Mrs Banttha chose the mango chicken - between two such tasty meals, there was a long silence at our table, punctuated only by the clink of cutlery.<br /><br />Two curries + rice and a serve of roti bread will set you back about $40. Add a couple of glasses of red wine ($5 - $6 per glass) and maybe a couple of entrees, and you'll still come in around $60.<br /><br />It can get a bit busy at times, so booking a table for a peak night (Friday or Saturday) would be a good idea.<br /><br />Quick summary: decor inviting, staff friendly, food excellent, wine list decent. Criticisms? I have none.Banttha Fodderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523864826802328467noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1166527642634046152006-12-19T22:16:00.000+11:002006-12-19T22:30:25.926+11:00Menu for Hope<div class="post-body"> <div> <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/677573/menuforhopelogo.png" align="right" border="0" hspace="10" width="180" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you lie awake wondering some nights...<br /></span><br />How can I feed the world while potentially earning myself some lush prizes? Wonder no longer. If you have a credit card and as little as $10 (US) to spare you really should go and see the people at <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII">Menu for Hope.</a><br /><br />I've just parted with 10 shekels and I couldn't be happier - because even if I <span style="font-style: italic;">don't</span> win that 10 course degustation menu dinner at Interlude I will certainly have put food into the mouths of hungry people. Maybe both? Dare to dream.<br /><br />Last year this innovative online campaign raised <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeII" target="_blank">US$17,000</a> for <a href="http://www.unicef.org/" target="_blank">UNICEF</a> in just twelve days. This year we are raising funds to support the <a href="http://wfp.org/english/">United Nations World Food Programme</a> and hope to raise much much more.<br /><br />The prizes listed below have all been donated or sourced by foodbloggers across the Asia Pacific region. The generosity of individuals and businesses has been heartfelt and amazing. We hope to continue this spirit of goodwill by encouraging you to purchase raffle tickets for the prize/s you are interested in.<br /><br />Here's what you should do...<br /><br /><ol><li>Go to the donation page at <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII">http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII</a>.<br /></li><li>Make a donation. Each US$10 will grant you one raffle ticket towards a prize of your choice. <strong>Please use the unique prize code</strong> to specify which prize or prizes you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form. Do tell us how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code eg. a donation of US$50 could be 2 tickets for AP01 and 3 for AP02.<br /></li><li>For US donors, if your company matches your charity donation, please remember to check the box and fill in the information so we may claim the corporate match.<br /></li><li><strong>Please check the box to allow us to see your email address</strong> so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.<br /></li><li>Raffle ticket sales end on December 22, 2006. Check <a href="http://chezpim.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Chez Pim</a> on January 15, 2007 when we announce the results of the raffle. Prize drawing will be done electronically. Our friend, the code wizard Derrick at <a href="http://www.obsessionwithfood.com/" target="_blank">Obsession with Food</a>, is responsible for the wicked application that will do the job.</li></ol><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-size:180%;" >ASIA PACIFIC PRIZE ROUND-UP</span><br /><br />Please check quarantine restrictions for your country before bidding on any food products.<br /><br />The full round-up of prizes worldwide can be found on Chez Pim <a href="http://chezpim.typepad.com/blogs/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />The links to "more info" will be gradually updated to direct you to bloggers' specific posts on their individual prizes as they are progressively published.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" frame="hsides" rules="rows"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><b>EAT OUT AND SLEEP WELL</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html"><img style="" alt="win a dining voucher for $200 from Baguette" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/1600/429744/baguette160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>BRISBANE: Dining voucher for AU$200</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.baguette.com.au/" target="_blank">Baguette Restaurant</a>: enjoy classic modern Australian fare with Asian and European influences at this picturesque bistro owned and run by the Domenech family for nearly 30 years.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html">Grab Your Fork</a><br /><b>Code: AP08</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a dining voucher for two at Felix in The Peninsula" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/73674/peninsula160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>HONG KONG: Dining voucher for two</b><br />kindly donated by <a href="http://hongkong.peninsula.com/phk/restaurants_02.html" target="_blank">Felix</a>, a Hong Kong landmark on the 28th floor of The Peninsular Tower. Designed by Philippe Starck, it's as famous for its killer interiors and views as it is for its food. Felix's new chef, American Jason Oakley, has a stunning pedigree. Formerly from the French Laundry and Alex at Wynn's Las Vegas, Oakley's own contemporary cuisine is putting Felix back on the culinary map.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Chubby Hubby</a><br /><b>Code: AP03</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-tis-season-to-give.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a RM500 dining voucher to El Cerdo" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/447025/elcerdo160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>KUALA LUMPUR: RM500 dining voucher</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.elcerdokl.com/" target="_blank">El Cerdo</a> in Tengkat Tong Shin, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Chef Werner is at the helm of El Cerdo which specializes in porcine delights, and <a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Babe</a> thoroughly recommends the pork knuckle for two: "It's slightly different from the usual knuckle; the skin is rubbed and topped with herbs and garlic so in addition to being crispy, there is a fragrant herb aroma with a subtle hint of garlic. It tastes just wonderful."<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-tis-season-to-give.html" target="_blank">Babe in the City - KL</a><br /><b>Code: AP29</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://myfavouritefoods.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a $50 voucher from Chilli Padi" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/723104/chillipadi160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>MELBOURNE: Win a AU$50 dining voucher</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.chillipadi.com.au/" target="_blank">Chilli Padi, Melbourne Central</a> (two vouchers available in separate raffle draws). Feast on modern Asian cuisine or try their ever-popular Chilli Malam to satisfy cravings for a late night feast of hawker-style food.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://myfavouritefoods.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope" target="_blank">A Few of My Favourite Things</a><br /><b>Code: AP23</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://myfavouritefoods.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a $50 voucher from Chilli Padi" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/723104/chillipadi160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>MELBOURNE: Win a AU$50 dining voucher</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.chillipadi.com.au/" target="_blank">Chilli Padi, Melbourne Central</a> (two vouchers available in separate raffle draws). Feast on modern Asian cuisine or try their ever-popular Chilli Malam to satisfy cravings for a late night feast of hawker-style food.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://myfavouritefoods.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope" target="_blank">A Few of My Favourite Things</a><br /><b>Code: AP24</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.tomatom.com/2006/12/buy-your-10-tickets-for-tetsuyas-now" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a $150 dining voucher to Gingerboy" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/830757/gingerboy160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>NEW!</strong></span> <b>MELBOURNE: Win a AU$150 dining voucher</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.gingerboy.com.au/" target="_blank">Gingerboy</a>. Savour all the sweet, sour and chilli bite expected in Asian food and just the right amount of kick. "The chilli might sting your aunty but it won't ruin your date," says <a href="http://www.tomatom.com/" target="_blank">Ed</a>. Gingerboy has a great cocktail list and really bustles, even on a Tuesday lunchtime. With a somewhat pricey menu, this is your chance to experience it for the price of a raffle ticket.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.tomatom.com/2006/12/buy-your-10-tickets-for-tetsuyas-now" target="_blank">Tomato</a><br /><b>Code: AP45</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a degustation dinner for two with matching wines at Interlude" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/913091/interlude160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>MELBOURNE: Degustation dinner for two with matching wines*</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/www.interlude.com.au" target="_blank">Interlude</a> (valued at AU$400). British chef Robin Wickens worked in a number of top London restaurants including Pied a Terre, Bibendum and The Glasshouse before arriving in Melbourne in 2000. Awarded "Best Young Chef" by the 2005 Age Good Food Guide, Interlude offers modern French with innovative twists. *<b>Please note</b> Winning voucher not valid on Saturday evenings.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">At My Table</a><br /><b>Code: AP18</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://ramblingspoon.com/blog/?p=355" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a dinner at Romdeng with Karen Coates, author of Cambodia Now" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/725785/romdeng160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>PHNOM PENH: Dinner at Romdeng in February 2007 accompanied by Karen Coates, author of Cambodia Now.</b><br /><a href="http://ramblingspoon.com/" target="_blank">Karen</a> is keen to take you to Romdeng, a fantastic, elegant nonprofit restaurant serving classic Khmer food. Run by the NGO Mith Samlanh (Friends), this program helps street kids in just about every aspect of life. The Romdeng staff all came from the streets, and they're learning to work as chefs, waiters and waitresses.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://ramblingspoon.com/blog/?p=355" target="_blank">Rambling Spoon</a><br /><b>Code: AP19</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a dining voucher for four with wines at Iggy's" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/940903/iggys160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>SINGAPORE: Dining voucher for four with wines</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.regenthotels.com/webExtra.do?hotelCode=RISIN&key=webextra.dinings" target="_blank">Iggy's</a> (valued at S$1200). An intimate 28-seater on the third floor of the Regent in Singapore, Kevin Gould from The Guardian <a href="http://travel.guardian.co.uk/article/2006/may/27/singapore.travelfoodanddrink.restaurants.hotels" target="_blank">considers it</a> "the subtlest, most satisfying east/west cuisine" he's ever eaten.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Chubby Hubby</a><br /><b>Code: AP01</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a weekend stay with dining voucher at the New Majestic Hotel" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/535616/newmajestic160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>SINGAPORE: Weekend stay in a suite plus dining voucher</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.newmajestichotel.com/" target="_blank">The New Majestic Hotel</a>. This cutting-edge boutique hotel offers 30 different rooms each designed by upcoming Singaporean artists. The Majestic Restaurant offers modern Cantonese. This is hip, funky and utterly chic.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Chubby Hubby</a><br /><b>Code: AP06</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" alt="win a degustation dinner for two with wines from Becasse Restaurant, Sydney" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/221998/becasse160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>SYDNEY: 10-course degustation menu for two people with matching wines</b><br />kindly donated by <a href="http://www.becasse.com.au/" target="_blank">Becasse Restaurant</a> (valued at AU$320): 'Restaurant of the Year' and with two hats awarded by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007, head chef Justin North and the team at Becasse serve Modern French food in warm yet elegant surroundings. The Swarovski crystal chandeliers are something else too.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html">Grab Your Fork</a><br /><b>Code: AP09</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="win a $200 dinner voucher for two at Ocean Room" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/707156/oceanroom160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>SYDNEY: AU$200 dinner voucher for two</b><br />kindly donated by <a href="http://www.oceanroomsydney.com/" target="_blank">Ocean Room</a>: head chef Raita Noda promises modern coastal cuisine with Japanese and Mediterranean influences using only supremely fresh seafood. You have to go just to check out his amazing fishtanks!<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html">Grab Your Fork</a><br /><b>Code: AP10</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="win a $200 dinner voucher to Perama" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/354232/perama160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>NEW!</strong></span> <b>SYDNEY: Dining voucher worth AU$200 </b>kindly donated by <a href="http://www.perama.com.au/" target="_blank">Perama</a>. Enjoy the various tastes of Greece through the ages. Head chef David Tsirekas is happy to design a menu for you and match it with some of the best boutique wines in Greece; or choose your own, from a menu that includes the Moorish flavours of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empire, with dishes like Honey Peppered Figs or Pork Belly Baklava with Date and Mastic Sauce. They also offer caramel baklava ice cream and their olive oil ice cream is unbelievably tasty.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html">Grab Your Fork</a><br /><b>Code: AP46</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="win a dining voucher for two with wines from Tetsuya's Sydney" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/454424/tetsuyas160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>SYDNEY: 10-course degustation menu for two people with matching wines</b><br />kindly donated by <a href="http://www.tetsuyas.com/" target="_blank">Tetsuya's</a>: Wakuda Tetsuya is renowned for his progressive state-of-the-art dishes that marry Japanese philosophy with classic French technique. Tetsuya's was recently <a href="http://www.theworlds50best.com/bestlist.aspx" target="_blank">awarded</a> 5th best restaurant in the world. An amazing dining experience. Tetsuya promises that he'll prepare a very special meal for the winner.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Chubby Hubby</a><br /><b>Code: AP02</b></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><b>TASTY TREATS AND KITCHEN TOOLS</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win two knives by Kasumi and Hattori donated by Razorsharp" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/346092/kniveskasumihattori160%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Two knives: a Kasumi 20cm chef's knife and a Hattori HD 17cm Santoku knife</b><br />kindly donated by <a href="http://www.razorsharp.com.sg/" target="_blank">Razorsharp</a>. Both knives are made in Seki city, Japan, famous for its knifemaking expertise, with superb cutting edges that stay sharper for longer.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Chubby Hubby</a><br /><b>Code: AP04</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://laughinggastronome.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" alt="win a NZ$100 gift voucher to Truffle Food & Wine" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/393159/trufflenz160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>NEW ZEALAND ONLY: NZ$100 gift voucher</b><br />kindly donated by <a href="http://truffle.net.nz/" target="_blank">Truffle Food & Wine</a>. An emporium of hard-to-find imported gourmet goodies, this is your chance to treat yourself to Nielsen Massey vanilla extracts, Poddi Tartufi truffle products and more. <b>Please note</b> that shipping cannot be made to post office boxes or addresses outside of New Zealand.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://laughinggastronome.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Laughing Gastronome</a><br /><b>Code: AP07</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://kokonuggetyumyum.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-check-out-prize-from.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a wagashi Japanese sweets making kit" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/717031/wagashi160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Wagashi Japanese sweets making-kit</b><br />kindly prepared and donated by <a href="http://kokonuggetyumyum.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Obachan</a>, containing: 1 packet mochiko rice flour; 2 packets shiro-an sweetened white bean paste; flat picks, serving plates and Japanese paper for serving; 4 cookie/vegetable cutters in the shape of a maple leaf, cherry blossom, ginkgo leaf and plum blossom; and recipes in English for making ichigo daifuku (strawberry and sweet bean paste in rice cake) and nerikiri sweets. <i>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://kokonuggetyumyum.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Obachan</a></i><br /><br />More info: <a href="http://kokonuggetyumyum.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-check-out-prize-from.html" target="_blank">Obachan's Kitchen and Balcony Garden</a><br /><b>Code: AP16</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.phnomenon.com/index.php/cambodian-food/uncategorized/menu-for-hope-iii" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a half-kilo bag of Kampot peppercorns straight from Cambodia" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/360801/pepper160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Half-kilo bag of Cambodian Kampot peppercorns</b> kindly donated and sent straight to you by <a href="http://phnomenon.com/" target="_blank">Phil</a>. Describing pepper as decadent seems to be something that was lost in the High Middle Ages; a decadence that the manganese rich soils of Kampot have managed to retain. "Never in my life have I been tempted to eat a spoonful of unadulterated peppercorns straight out of their plastic bag," says Phil. The vacuum-packed bag will be posted straight from Kampot, and <b>if you're in Phnom Penh, he will also add a meat tray to the value of 80,000 riel or your choice of Cambodian beer to the same value</b>.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.phnomenon.com/index.php/cambodian-food/uncategorized/menu-for-hope-iii" target="_blank">Phnomenon</a><br /><b>Code: AP17</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html"><img style="" alt="win a honey package from Malfroy's Gold" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/925737/malfroysgold160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Two 500g jars of honey, 300g pack of honeycomb and a beeswax parcel</b><br />kindly donated by <a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/www.malfroysgold.com.au/" target="_blank">Malfroy's Gold</a> (valued at AU$30). This new company has been set up by a migratory bee-keeping family, and although based in the Hawkesbury/Blue Mountains region they move 1000 hives all over the state to find the best 'honey flow' for their bees. All products are 100% natural and made only from what their bees produce. Specialists in pure Eucalyptus honeys, they also sell premium raw beeswax 'bullions' - perfect for use in furniture polish, woodworking, candle making, and natural cosmetics. If you pick up your prize from their stall at the Blackheath Farmers Market, they'll throw in something extra as well!<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html" target="_blank">Grab Your Fork</a><br /><b>Code: AP22</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a cupcake/cake decorating kit" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/69279/tsogbcupcake160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Cupcake/cake decorating kit </b><br />kindly created and donated by <a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Santos</a> (valued at US$60). This personally created kit includes a selection of seasonal cupcake liners, mini espresso cups, mini cutters, a set of three decorating icing tips with disposable plastic cones, food colour gels, various sugar decorations (including edible glitter, coarse sugars and shapes), chocolate sprinkles and nonpareils, and other edible novelties. <i>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Santos</a></i>.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">The Scent of Green Bananas</a><br /><b>Code: AP25</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a Japanese bento box starter kit" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/841033/tsogbbento160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Japanese bento box starter kit </b><br />kindly created and donated by <a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Santos</a> (valued at US$60). This personally created kit contains a copy of Eric Gower's "The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen" cookbook, one bento box container, a set of chopsticks in a handy travel case, and various essential bento supplies like decorative cups and papers, plastic soy sauce containers, mini cutters and rice molds. <i>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Santos</a></i>.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">The Scent of Green Bananas</a><br /><b>Code: AP30</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a traveller's dark chocolate sampler" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/622586/shewhoeats160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Traveller's dark chocolate sampler</b><br />kindly collected and donated by <a href="http://shewhoeats.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Chika</a> who is currently traveling through the US and Europe. Your sampler set will contain 5 or 6 exquisite plain dark chocolate bars, each 2-4 oz / 50-100 g with minimum 70% cacao, from selected American and European chocolatiers. These may include such devoted chocolate makers as Recchiuti Confections of San Francisco, US, and Bonnat of Voiron, France. She will also include one or two extra tasting pieces of milk, white or flavored chocolate.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://shewhoeats.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">She Who Eats</a><br /><b>Code: AP31</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://blog.lemonpi.net/?p=715" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a filled 'boita a biscuits' tin" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/142815/Boite160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>'Boite a biscuits' tin French storage tin filled with trinkets</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://blog.lemonpi.net/" target="_blank">Y</a>. This adorable little biscuit tin was purchased from <a href="http://www.thebaytree.com.au/New%20site/products/homeware/french%20storatge%20tins/french%20storage%20tins.html" target="_blank">The Bay Tree</a> (value AU$45) and will be filled with a surprise selection of handpicked items, mostly biscuit-related and will also include things like Y's favourite tea.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://blog.lemonpi.net/?p=715" target="_blank">blog.lemonpi.net</a><br /><b>Code: AP36</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://mocktale.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win an autographed copy of Simple Chinese Cook by Kylie Kwong and a Fair Trade hamper" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/879990/fairtradehamperkyliekwong160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td align="left" valign="top"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>EXTRA PRIZE!</strong></span> Hamper filled with Fair Trade products </b> kindly purchased for donation by <a href="http://mocktale.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Georgia</a> and an <b>autographed copy of Simple Chinese Cooking by Kylie Kwong</b>, who is a Fair Trade Ambassador. Included in your Fair Trade hamper are 3 x vacuum packs of coffee, 3 x 100g bars of chocolate, honey, jasmine rice, a handwash pump pack and a handbag as well! All products have been produced by people who were paid fairly for their goods. <i>Photo of hamper courtesy of <a href="http://www.mocktale.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mocktale</a></i><br /><br />More info: <a href="http://mocktale.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope.html" target="_blank">Mocktale</a><br /><b>Code: AP40</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html"><img style="" alt="win a Tonfisk designer ceramic teapot and tea" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/634436/tconnection160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>NEW!</strong></span> <b>Tonfisk designer ceramic teapot and tea</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.tconnection.com.sg/" target="_blank">T Connection</a> (valued at S$195). This stylish Tonfisk teapot exudes Scandinavian elegance - all Tonfisk products are handmade in their workshop in Helsinki, Finland. The oak veneer-wrapped holder allows you to handle the teapot easily and helps keep your tea toasty warm as well. Test it out straight away with a cup of T Connection's Sunset Boulevard blend of loose leaf Earl Grey tea - the pack provided will provide many afternoons of sipping bliss.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-dig-deep.html">Grab Your Fork</a><br /><b>Code: AP42</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://myfavouritefoods.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a $100 Koko Black voucher" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/954124/kokoblack160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>NEW!</strong></span> <b>$100 voucher</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.tconnection.com.sg/" target="_blank">Koko Black</a>. Founded by Shane Hills, Koko Black produces some of the best chocolates in Melbourne. Their hot chocolate has been voted the best in Melbourne by the Herald Sun but that's not all they do well--the house truffles are on the favourites list for locals too. With three stores in Melbourne to choose from, there's plenty of choice and opportunity for the discerning chocoholic.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://myfavouritefoods.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope" target="_blank">A Few of My Favourite Things</a><br /><b>Code: AP43</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.aromacookery.com/aromacookery" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a $100 Koko Black voucher" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/35607/aromacookery160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>NEW!</strong></span> <b>SINGAPORE: Six-course high tea for six people</b> kindly created by <a href="http://www.aromacookery.com/aromacookery" target="_blank">Julia</a>. Pamper your family, friends or workmates with a sumptuous high tea. Choose from a menu that includes as fried beehoon, kimbap (Korean-style futomaki), hiyashi chuka (Japanese cold noodles), steamed savoury pumpkin cake, mini pies, Indonesian kueh-kueh (pastries), and chocolate-covered strawberries. Starters, light main courses and dessert will be packed in microwave-proof plasticware and ready to serve. <b>Please note</b>: This voucher can be claimed from March 1, 2007 to November 30, 2007, at a date mutually agreeable by both the winner and Julia. Please allow at least 3 days notice. The prize is self-collection in Outram area, or delivery can be arranged at a transport charge of S$15.00. <i>Photo of hamper courtesy of <a href="http://www.aromacookery.com/aromacookery" target="_blank">Aroma Cookery</a></i><br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.aromacookery.com/aromacookery" target="_blank">Aroma Cookery</a><br /><b>Code: AP48</b></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><br /><b>LIFT YOUR SPIRITS</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a 500ml bottle of handmade cherry vodka" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/498361/cherryvodka160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Bottle of handmade cherry vodka</b><br />kindly made by <a href="http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">tankeduptaco</a> to an authentic Polish recipe, with only the care and attention a dedicated foodie could give. Made from sun-kissed sour cherries, sugar and a mixture of distilled spirits, this liqueur is the essence of cherries with a distinctive cherry kernel flavour. Fantastic by itself or even drizzled over ice cream, it is the perfect liqueur for every occasion and valued at over AU$50. <i>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://tomatom.com/" target="_blank">Tomato</a></i>.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">At My Table</a><br /><b>Code: AP12</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a $100 gift voucher to The Prince Wine Store" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/884499/princewinestore160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>AU$100 gift voucher</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.princewinestore.com.au/pages/1163049484.app" target="_blank">The Prince Wine Store</a>, one of the more serious wine shops in Victoria, Australia, with tastings of local and imported wines every weekend. Up-and-coming wineries are featured along with established stars, and their imported wine list is second to none. Wine education courses are available as well as special wine dinners, often with the winemakers.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">At My Table</a><br /><b>Code: AP33</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.tomatom.com/2006/12/buy-your-10-tickets-for-tetsuyas-now" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a copy of James Halliday's Wine Atlas of Australia" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/972415/wineatlas160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Reference book: <i>Wine Atlas of Australia</i> by James Halliday</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.hardiegrant.com.au/" target="_blank">Hardie Grant Books</a> (valued at AU$79.95). This is the first book to comprehensively map all the wine regions – and there are over seventy – in Australia. A definitive work on Australian wine by one of the country's top wine writers, Halliday examines the types of grapes grown, soil, climate and winegrowing history, and also introduces the most famous and respected wineries, winemakers and their signature wines.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.tomatom.com/2006/12/buy-your-10-tickets-for-tetsuyas-now" target="_blank">Tomato</a><br /><b>Code: AP37</b></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><b>FEASTS FOR THE EYES</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a set of cookbooks and travel books from Editions Didier Millet" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/455725/editions160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>A collection of 7 cookbooks and travel books</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.edmbooks.com/" target="_blank">Editions Didier Millet</a>. The set includes: <i>Hot Chefs Hip Cuisine</i> (original recipes from from 34 of the world’s most daring chefs, including Charlie Trotter, Ferran Adria, Michel Troisgros, Gordan Ramsay and Tetsuya Wakuda); <i>New Chinese Cuisine</i> (chronicling how the chefs at the respected Tung Lok Restaurant group are revamping classic dishes from Sichuan, Hunan, Beijing and Canton); <i>The Six Senses Cookbook</i> (featuring innovative fusion cuisine from resorts and spas in the Maldives, Thailand and Vietnam); and four books from the the Chic series: <i>Shanghai Chic</i>, <i>Singapore Chic</i>, <i>India Chic</i>, and <i>South Africa Chic</i> (history, culture and reviews and listings of each desination's coolest hotels, restaurants, spas, shops and bars).<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Chubby Hubby</a><br /><b>Code: AP05</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2006/12/world-hunger-your-chance-to-help-a-little-2" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win two cookbooks: Let it Simmer by Sean Moran and Where the Heart Is by Karen Martini" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/184509/moranmartini160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Cookbooks: <i>Let it Simmer</i> by Sean Moran and <i>Where the Heart Is</i> by Karen Martini</b> (value AU$110) kindly purchased for donation by <a href="http://thestonesoup.com/blog" target="_blank">stonesoup</a>. Karen Martini is known to many for her weekly cooking features in Sunday Life magazine and her regular segment on Better Homes and Gardens. Sean Moran is the head chef and owner of Sean's Panorama at Bondi.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2006/12/world-hunger-your-chance-to-help-a-little-2" target="_blank">stonesoup</a><br /><b>Code: AP11</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://theoldfoodie.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a personalised food history for the day of your choice" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/956164/theoldfoodie160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Unique personalised food history for the winner's day of choice</b> kindly crafted by <a href="http://theoldfoodie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Old Foodie</a>. This would include commentary on food-related historic events for the day, at least one historic menu and a selection of old recipes that fit the various themes. It would be anything from 4-8 pages, and could be emailed or mailed. A uniquely personal birthday treat for yourself or a food-loving friend.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://theoldfoodie.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope.html" target="_blank">The Old Foodie</a><br /><b>Code: AP13</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://winosandfoodies.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/12/post.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a copy of Taste Favourites cookbook" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/898138/tastefavourites160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Cookbook: <i>Taste Favourites</i> published by Taste Magazine, New Zealand</b><br />(valued at NZ$35) kindly purchased for donation by <a href="http://www.winosandfoodies.typepad.com/" target="_blank">winosandfoodies</a>: a compilation of 70 recipes that includes easy finger foods, recipes for entertaining and plenty of ideas for mid-week meals, baking and desserts.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://winosandfoodies.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/12/post.html" target="_blank">winosandfoodies</a><br /><b>Code: AP14</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://homemades.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-work-from-heart.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a copy of A Cook's Tour of New Zealand" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/720052/cookstournz160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Non-Fiction: <i>A Cook's Tour of New Zealand</i> by Peta Mathias</b><br />(valued at NZ$59.95) kindly purchased for donation by <a href="http://homemades.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Arfi</a>: a food lover's tour of New Zealand with an A-Z of favourite producers and suppliers, and accompanied by recipes and beautiful photos.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://homemades.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-work-from-heart.html" target="_blank">Homemades</a><br /><b>Code: AP15</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://ramblingspoon.com/blog/?p=355" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win an autographed copy of Cambodia Now" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/302388/cambodianow160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Non-Fiction: <i>Cambodia Now: Life in the Wake of War</i>, signed and donated by the author Karen Coates</b>, a freelance journalist who is an Asian correspondent for <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/gourmet/" target="_blank">Gourmet </a>and author of <a href="http://ramblingspoon.com/blog/?p=355" target="_blank">Rambling Spoon</a>. Reviewer Andy Brouwer <a href="http://andybrouwer.co.uk/bookrev.html" target="_blank">describes</a> Cambodia Now as "a must-read for anyone seeking to delve below the flimsy veil of idyllic Cambodian life that most of the tourist hordes see and believe is the real Cambodia."<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://ramblingspoon.com/blog/?p=355" target="_blank">Rambling Spoon</a><br /><b>Code: AP20</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://anhsfoodblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a copy of Instant Entertaining by Donna Hay" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/549696/donnahay160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top"><b>Cookbook: <i>Instant Entertaining</i> by Donna Hay</b> (valued at AU$49.95) kindly purchased for donation by <a href="http://anhsfoodblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Anh</a>: this latest cookbook from Donna Hay offers simple yet stylish recipes to cover a range of occasions. Impress your dinner guests with modern dishes that look great on the plate but don't take hours to create!<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://anhsfoodblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Food Lover's Journey</a><br /><b>Code: AP21</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-tis-season-to-give.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a set of 6 Malaysian cookbooks" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/607815/cookbooksmalaysian160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Cookbooks: Set of six mini books on Malaysian cuisine</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank ">Babe</a>. Published by <a href="http://www.periplus.com/" target="_blank">Periplus</a>, this set includes: <i>Malaysian Favourites</i> by Wendy Hutton; <i>Malaysian Cakes and Desserts</i> by Rohani Jelani; <i>Nyonya Favourites</i> by Lee Geok Boi; <i>Eurasian Favourites</i> by Wendy Hutton; <i>Homestyle Malay Cooking</i> by Rohani Jelani and <i>Delicious Asian Seafood</i> by Lee Geok Boi.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-tis-season-to-give.html" target="_blank ">Babe in the City - KL</a><br /><b>Code: AP26</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-tis-season-to-give.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a set of Nyonya cookbooks" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/571603/cookbooksnonya160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Cookbooks: Two books with a Nyonya theme</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank ">Babe</a>. <i>Nyonya Flavours: A Complete Guide to Penang Straits Chinese Cuisine</i> is jointly published by The State Chinese (Penang) Association and Star Publications (M) Bhd showcasing the history, cuisine and recipes of Penang Nyonyas. The second book, <i>Hawker's Kuih-Muih Favourites</i>, published by Famous Cuisine, is a bilingual edition in Chinese and English. Although not specifically Nyonya, the abundance of cakes and sweets is fitting.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-tis-season-to-give.html" target="_blank ">Babe in the City - KL</a><br /><b>Code: AP27</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-tis-season-to-give.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win two vegetarian cookbooks" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/296396/cookbooksvegetarian160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Cookbooks: Two cookbooks on vegetarian cuisine</b> kindly sponsored by <a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank ">Babe</a>'s hubby KK. <i>Azrah Kamala Shashi's Vegetarian Feasts</i> (Celebrity Chef's Cookbooks series) is published by Times Edition and includes mouthwatering Chinese, Indian, Malay, Thai and Western recipes. Also included is <i>Over 80 Great Vegetarian Cuisines</i> published by Famous Cuisine, a Chinese-English bilingual edition that focuses mainly on Chinese style vegetarian fare.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-tis-season-to-give.html" target="_blank ">Babe in the City -KL</a><br /><b>Code: AP28</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a traditional Malaysian cookbook" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/971955/masakancookbook160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Cookbook: <i>Air Tangan Tengku Puan Pahang: Masakan Tradisional Pahang</i> - a book of traditional Malaysian recipes</b><br />kindly donated by <a href="http://eatingasia.typepad.com/" target="_blank ">Robyn</a>. Printed in both English and bahasa Malaysian, this compilation by the wife of the Pahang Crown Prince features 155 recipes from 11 districts of Pahang state. Richly illustrated with photographs and accompanied by unusual and delicious recipes not published elsewhere, this hardcover book is perfect for the coffee table and a must-have for anyone interested in regional Malaysian cooking.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html" target="_blank ">Eating Asia</a><br /><b>Code: AP32</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://chaxiubao.typepad.com/chaxiubao/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a set of autographed Anthony Bourdain books" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/685455/anthonybourdain160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top"><b>Non-Fiction/Cookbooks: Autographed set of four books by Anthony Bourdain</b> including <i>Nasty Bits</i>, <i>A Cook's Tour</i>, <i>Kitchen Confidential</i> and <i>Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook</i>. If you have yet to be acquainted with the no-nonsense style of writing by Bourdain this is your chance. If you have, I bet you don't have an autographed copy!<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://chaxiubao.typepad.com/chaxiubao/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html" target="_blank">Cha Xiu Bao</a><br /><b>Code: AP34</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.tomatom.com/2006/12/buy-your-10-tickets-for-tetsuyas-now" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a copy of Sunday Lunch by Gordon Ramsay" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/496585/sundaylunch160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>Non-Fiction/Cookbook: <i>Sunday Lunch</i> by Gordon Ramsay</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.hardiegrant.com.au/" target="_blank">Hardie Grant Books</a> (valued at AU$45). <a href="http://www.tomatom.com/" target="_blank">Ed</a> says "What surprised me [is] this really is a practical down-to-earth cookbook. Lots of books from top-rated chefs border on the pretentious and suffer from requiring too many difficult-to-search-out ingredients. Not this one. It's brilliant."<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.tomatom.com/2006/12/buy-your-10-tickets-for-tetsuyas-now" target="_blank">Tomato</a><br /><b>Code: AP38</b></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://joonelovesfood.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a copy of Menu Degustation by Anderson Ho" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/83164/menudegustation160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>NEW!</strong></span><b>Cookbook: <i>Menu Degustation - Tasting Menus of New Asia Cuisine</i> by Anderson Ho</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://joonelovesfood.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Joone</a> (valued at US$30). Singaporean chef Ho is famous for his innovative splicing of Eastern and Western technique. Perhaps you live too far from his restaurant Le Papillon to visit, but you can certainly live vicariously through this degustation-style cookbook which includes recipes for green pea cappuccino with green tea sorbet, and Earl Grey tea ice cream with churros.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://joonelovesfood.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Nibble and Scribble</a><br /><b>Code: AP41</b></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><b>DELICIOUS EXPERIENCES</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://cucinarebecca.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a place on the February session of Writing About Food" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/534074/utsnewwriting160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>UPDATED!</strong></span> SYDNEY: Complimentary place in the six-week Writing About Food short course</b> (valued at AU$345) hosted by acclaimed food journalist John Newton and kindly donated by the <a href="http://www.newwriting.uts.edu.au/courses/index.html" target="_blank">UTS Centre for New Writing</a>. This six-week program is a perfect introduction to food journalism and food writing, with a feedback component for student assignments. <b>Please note</b> This prize is valid for the first 2007 session of this program commencing Tuesday January 30. Classes will be held every Tuesday 6pm-8pm 30 Jan-6 March at the UTS City Campus near Railway Square, Broadway.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://cucinarebecca.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Cucina Rebecca</a><br /><b>Code: AP35</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.tomatom.com/2006/12/buy-your-10-tickets-for-tetsuyas-now" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a voucher for a midweek Retreat Facial at Bodyfreedom" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/189226/bodyfreedom160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><b>MELBOURNE: Biscuit tin containing a voucher for a midweek Retreat Facial</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://www.bodyfreedom.com.au/" target="_blank">Bodyfreedom Urban Retreat</a> (valued at AU$120). This 75-minute luxury pampering includes a cleansing footbath, relaxing back and neck massage, and facial (deep cleansing, double exfoliation, skin type-specific mask and lymphatic drainage face massage) before your body is gently rewoken with ritualistic Balinese body palming as well as a scalp and feet massage.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://www.tomatom.com/2006/12/buy-your-10-tickets-for-tetsuyas-now" target="_blank">Tomato</a><br /><b>Code: AP39</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://realthai.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a tour of Bangkok including all transport and meals" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/202861/bangkoktour160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>NEW!</strong></span> <b>BANGKOK: Custom tour of Bangkok including transport and meals</b> hosted by <a href="http://realthai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Austin</a> (valued at US$150). An American ex-pat who has been living in Thailand since 1999, Austin can speak, read and write fluent Thai. He will take you to two of Bangkok's most vibrant markets, a couple of well-respected restaurants and street stalls, as well as other interesting non food-related sights. This is a unique opportunity to experience the marvels of Bangkok with a multi-lingual foodie who takes amazing photos to boot. <i>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://realthai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Austin</a></i><br /><br />More info: <a href="http://realthai.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html" target="_blank">Real Thai</a><br /><b>Code: AP44</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://cheateat.typepad.com/blog/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a Creative Zen mp3 player" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/42322/creativezen160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>NEW!</strong></span> <b>Creative Zen V Plus 2Gb mp3 player</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://cheateat.typepad.com/" target="_blank">ST</a>. Perfect to store and display all your food photos, you can also play all your favourite tunes whilst you cook, or watch videos whilst you wait in the supermarket queue. Features a 1.5 inch full colour OLED Display, built in FM radio and many other features, packed into a tiny device that will fit inside almost any pocket. ST will also include a mystery food-related bonus: it may be a cookbook, tools or food.<br /><br />More info: <a href="http://cheateat.typepad.com/blog/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html" target="_blank">Cheat Eat</a><br /><b>Code: AP47</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://food.recentrunes.com/" target="_blank"><img style="" alt="win a Creative Zen mp3 player" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4059/426/320/266224/ricoh160.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><strong>NEW!</strong></span> <b>Ricoh Capilo R3 Digital Camera (used) with accessories</b> kindly donated by <a href="http://food.recentrunes.com/" target="_blank">Ivan</a> (he has recently upgraded). This one-year-old 5.1 megapixel camera boasts 7.1x optical zoom, 28-200mm wide angle zoom and the ability to take macro photos from 1cm distance - perfect for the budding foodblogger! Ivan will even include a tripod (new), camera bag (new), camera case (used) and a 5-piece cleaning kit (new). Check out a professional review of this camera <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/0509/05090702ricoh_caplior3.asp" target="_blank">here</a> and some of his photos <a href="http://tinyurl.com/y7e4bj" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://tinyurl.com/y2pv7m" target="_blank">here</a>. <i>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://food.recentrunes.com/" target="_blank">Ivan</a></i><br /><br />More info: <a href="http://food.recentrunes.com/" target="_blank">food.recentrunes.com</a><br /><b>Code: AP49</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>PICK A PRIZE YOU'D LIKE TO WIN</b><br /><b>DONATE NOW and</b><br /><b>HELP US FEED THE WORLD'S HUNGRY</b><br /><br /><b>Raffle ticket sales available now until December 22, 2006</b><br /><b>Winners will be announced on January 15, 2007 on <a href="http://chezpim.typepad.com/blogs/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html" target="_blank">Chez Pim</a></b><br /><br />Menu for Hope III links:<br /><a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII" target="_blank"> Donation Page</a><br /><a href="http://chezpim.typepad.com/blogs/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html" target="_blank">Worldwide prize round-up on Chez Pim</a><br /><a href="http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2006/11/help-us-help-others.html" target="_blank">More information on Grab Your Fork</a> </div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1161120426471107932006-12-10T10:38:00.000+11:002007-01-01T10:43:38.483+11:00Bismi's Gold An Fork, Melbourne CBD, Indian<b>Venue</b>: Bismi Gold An Fork<br /><b>Address</b>: 380 Elizabeth St Melbourne 3000<br /><b>Phone</b>: 03 96544060<br /><br />[Apologies if one character appears more heroic than the other :-) - Chai ]<br /><br /><b>Chai</b> : Welcome to the first tandem foodie review. Today Blogger <b>X</b> (anonymous, cos I hadnt consulted her regarding disclosure, which wouldnt have been a PROBLEM if she wasnt so BUSY as to being unable to complete this review. Anyway, henceforth known as <b>X</b>) and I (ditto <b>C</b>) are walking towards Bismi Gold An Fork, an Indian restaurant located near the north east corner of Elizabeth and La Trobe St, on the fringes of the Melbourne CBD.<br /><br /><b>X</b> : Are we there yet?<br /><br /><b>Chai</b> nods towards the shop sign that looms into view as they turn the corner onto Elizabeth St.<br /><br /><b>C</b> : I do remember having difficulty finding this place the first time.<br /><br /><b>X</b> : Is there a mis-spelling here?<br /><br />[insert meaningless chatter about how it could be the “A” in error, which would make it Gold<b>E</b>n or the missing “D” which would make it “Gold an<b>d</b> Fork” which is at fault. Ask them? Yes, that would be optimal but nowhere near as interesting.]<br /><br />We enter the restaurant and it is reasonably busy. Tables are scarce and after a short strategy meeting, <b>X</b> goes to place her order while <b>C</b> mills around some potential leavers. Having been there several times before, <b>C</b> concludes that it is always like this, ie. difficulty in getting a table. This is one of the reasons why <b>C</b> doesnt come here as often. The other? It takes a little long to prepare your food, which is good and bad, whch <b>C</b> supposes.<br /><br /><b>C</b> glances around and notes that the majority of the patrons appear to be from the subcontinent. This always bodes well, from a culinary perspective.<br /><br />Having managed to snag a table (possibly cos the previous occupants felt uncomfortable with <b>C</b> hanging around close enough to hear their conversations), when <b>X</b> returned, they do the tag team and <b>C</b> goes off to place his order. The queue is reasonably long and is moving a little on the slow side.<br /><br />[This is where <b>X</b>'s impression of the place would have appeared].<br /><br /><b>C</b> returns clutching his food docket. <b>X</b> is gently rocking to the Bollywood music in the background.<br /><br /><b>X</b> : I like the music. It's good music.<br /><br /><b>C</b> : Really? It's kind of loud. What did you end up getting?<br /><br />It appears that <b>X</b> had ordered a Chicken Masala with some Roti and <b>C</b> had yet again ordered a Chicken Murtabak, for his murtabak research, apparently.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5167/587/1600/194738/IMG_0897.1024.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5167/587/320/110253/IMG_0897.1024.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The PA annouces <b>X</b>'s docket number. <b>X</b>'s chicken masala looks good. The roti even better. It's crispy and flakey plus lots and lots of gastronomic adjectives.<br /><br /><b>X</b> gently tears at the roti (a.ka. bread, colloquially), stroking the bread whilst making little strips from it. She tenderly dips the strips into the marsala and gently brings it up towards her slightly parted quivering lips, almost caressing it.<br /><br /><b>C</b> : Ummm, dont wait for me.<br /><br />As the slightly dripping soaked roti enters her mouth, <b>X</b> rolls her eyes, as the pleasure from that first mouthful envelopes all her tastebuds.<br /><br /><b>C</b>: Good?<br /><br /><b>X</b> makes some earthy throaty sound.<br /><br />All that moaning and groaning was making <b>C</b> very hungry. <b>C</b>'s docket number is eventually called and he goes to collect his murtabak. It too is served on a multi compartment stainless steel platter. In one of the compartments was some sort of curry gravy for the murtabak.<br /><br /><b>C</b> (gulps) : Looks pretty good. Want to try some?<br /><br /><b>C</b> cuts a bit off for <b>X</b> to try.<br /><br /><b>C</b> : You like?<br /><b>X</b> makes another earthy throaty sound.<br /><br /><b>C</b>: Homer Simpson, right?<br /><br /><b>X</b> : Huh? Dont watch the Simpsons.<br /><br /><b>C</b> : Hmm, my curry is a tiny bit sour for my taste.<br /><br />However, on trying <b>X</b>'s marsala, <b>C</b> remarks that her curry is certainly very tasty and superior to the one that <b>C</b> was given.<br /><br /><b>C</b> finishes the rest of the murtabak without the curry, cos it really didnt need it.<br /><br />[This is where <b>X</b>'s impression of food would have appeared]<br /><br /><b>X</b> : That music is really getting on my nerves.<br /><br /><b>C</b> : I know what you mean.<br /><br />All up, <b>C</b>'s paid $6.50 for his murtabak and $2.50 for his coke and <b>X</b> paid a lot for hers.<br /><br /><b>C</b> : Shall we go? There are all these people milling around waiting for an empty table and they're making me feel uncomfortable.<br /><br /><b>Rating</b> : <b>Chai</b> gives this 7/10 for food and 9/10 for value.<br /><br />There is a small possibility that <b>X</b> will append her version of events ala <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042876/">Rashomon</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1150326580005333062006-11-16T20:37:00.000+11:002006-12-13T21:52:24.880+11:00Restaurant Air - Chadstone - A La Carte<b>[Reprint. Originally published 18 June 2006]</b><br /><br />Venue: <strong>Restaurant Air</strong><br />Address: <strong>Level 1, David Jones Store, Chadstone Shopping Centre, Princes Highway, Chadstone</strong><br />Parking: <strong>Free. David Jones carpark located Cnr Chadstone Rd and Dandenong Rd, entrance available from either road</strong><br />Opening Hours: <strong>Mon - Wed 9am-5:30pm, Thurs - Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm</strong><br />Price Range: <strong>$7 for cake, $12-18 light meals</strong><br />Link: <a href="http://www.davidjones.com.au/stores/chadstone.jsp">http://www.davidjones.com.au/stores/chadstone.jsp</a><br /><br />I have been to Restaurant Air on two occasions during the past couple of weeks. One was lunch on a weekend with my husband, <a href="http://loganssanctuary.blogspot.com">Logan</a>, and the other was dinner with a group of people from work on a Thursday night.<br /><br />Being slightly boring (and a fan of the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"), I ordered the Salt and Pepper Calamari on a bed of salad both times. On each occasion the dish was cooked slightly differently but both were delicious. At our lunch, Logan ordered the All Day Breakfast and proceeded to devour his plate of eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, crusty bread and hash brown.<br /><br />The staff were rushed off their feet. We were having some difficulty attracting the attention of the waiting staff after our ordered glasses of water failed to appear. Logan also requires copious amounts of sugar in his coffee and we couldn't catch anyone's eye to ask for an amount supplementary to the "one teaspoon" paper-encased serve that arrived with his drink. It was a fantastic cup of coffee all the same.<br /><br />Prime position is a seat by the large window that stretches the length of the restaurant although I think this has more to do with the warmth of the sun coming through than the view of the car park...<br /><br />Patrons were happily talking among themselves, camcordering sweet, young, cherubic children, or settling crying babies. (The restaurant _is_ accessed through the childrens' clothes section of the store.) There were also people queueing for tables so we decided against staying for something from their beautiful array of cakes, which I have gladly sampled on a previous occasion, and continued with our shopping.<br /><br />Dinner with some of my work friends was a more sedate affair and, with a smaller number of occupied tables in the restaurant on this occasion, we had just the right amount of attention lavished on us. The others on my table ordered the Fish and Chips, Tandoori Chicken salad with mango dressing, Steak and the Smoked Trout Tart. The Tart was so good that one member of the table asked for a copy of the recipe to be emailed to her and they dutifully took her details.<br /><br />We decided that we had enough room for dessert and I ordered some Sticky Date Pudding which arrived warmed, surrounded by a moat of butterscotch sauce and with just the right amount of King Island Cream dolloped on the side. Yum! There were cheesecakes and lemon tart and someone ordered a Pavlova Nest with Berry Compote. Mmm, delicious.<br /><br />Although we were a table of seven, they cheerily allowed us to each pay separately at the till at the end of the evening. We left the restaurant very satisfied and there was still enough time to do some more shopping at "<a href="http://www.chadstoneshopping.com.au">Chadstone - The Fashion Capital</a>".<br /><br />All in all, they were very nice meals. I do recommend booking a table for lunch on the weekends if you are definitely wanting to eat there as it is a very popular spot. There can be problems with service when they are busy with a lunch crowd but any issues are quickly rectified if mentioned which is all, I think, you can ask for.<br /><br />The food was great, they probably could have done with another member of staff on the floor the weekend we visited but I like the place all the same. Four out of five Toorak Tractors.<br /><br />Reviewed by <a href="http://heyriss.blogspot.com">Riss</a>.Risshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268578942640324708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1161591508107970542006-10-24T21:52:00.000+10:002006-10-24T21:44:53.873+10:00Fifteen Melbourne<strong>Location:</strong><br />Basement, 115 – 117 Collins Street (Enter through Georges Parade)<br />Melbourne Victoria 3000<br /><br /><strong>Opening Hours:</strong><br />Monday - Saturday, Lunch 12 to 3.00pm and Dinner 6 to 10pm<br />Closed Sundays<br /><br /><strong>Reservations:</strong><br />1300 799 415<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/sandwithl/Fifteen.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Image courtesy of Ms. Phil)</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br />It wasn’t until after I finished my dining experience at <a href="http://www.fifteenmelbourne.com.au/"><strong>Fifteen</strong> </a>Melbourne that I really asked myself the question “<em>Why is it that I chose to eat here tonight instead of say, <a href="http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/">Vue de Monde </a>or <a href="http://www.ezard.com.au/">Ezards </a>or any other equally pricy degustation restaurant</em>?”<br /><br />Sure, the most obvious motive to dine at <strong>Fifteen</strong> is the restaurants’ relationship with Jamie Oliver himself. How can one not be attracted to the idea of a superstar chef whose knowledge and passion for fresh produce and a casual, slap-up approach to cooking has driven the once kitchen fearing water burner back into the cuccina. Those armed with one of Oliver’s many tomes and a willingness to undertake his Italian inspired fare-made-easy behave like they were born to it.<br /><br />Oliver made cooking and food sexy again and the wives/girlfriends/lovers of the world thank him for it.<br /><br />And with this already winning combination of excellent food and sexiness, let us add to the mix Jamie Oliver’s celebrity lifestyle which boasts Madonna, David Beckham and Brad Pitt as his best mates. Who wouldn’t want to spend a night at <strong>Fifteen</strong> in the hope that some of that elusive fairy dust might sit on your shoulders just for one night?<br /><br />But let us not forget the <strong>Fifteen</strong> project itself? Most of us know about Oliver’s much publicised vision to provide employment opportunities for disadvantaged youngsters by bestowing them the skills and the framework to become superstar chefs not unlike himself. And it is indeed a truly wonderful idea. Even if the lustre of television and celebrity association tarnishes in time, these now fledgling chefs will eventually have the transferable skills to make a go of it in pretty much any commercial kitchen in the world. And that is a wonderful gift.<br /><br />So is Jamie Oliver, the<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.fifteenfoundation.org.au/"><strong>Fifteen</strong> </a>program and the six month long wait list for a table reason enough for seven of my chums and I to spend an evening eating the finest food Fifteen can provide and to lay down a cool $1000 for the privilege of it?<br /><br />And aside from the Oliver hyperbole as well as my beloved SJX's desire to have a photo taken with Toby Puttock from ‘<a href="http://readysteadycook.ten.com.au/home.asp">Ready Steady Cook’</a>, the fact of the matter is, I went to <strong>Fifteen</strong> primarily for the immensely glorified food.<br /><br />And in short, the cuisine was horribly disappointing.<br /><br />Being a self considered foodie-type, what with the considerable sum of my annual salary going towards my hedonistic lifestyle of good eating and drinking, given the reputations of all involved, my expectations were reasonably high.<br /><br />But that burst of anticipation, swiftly vanished when I was presented with the six course tasting menu, which was given to us in a post-80’s fluorescent pink paint splashed folder, which didn’t seem to share any cohesion with all the other manner of fashionable funk displayed at <strong>Fifteen</strong> Melbourne. I can only describe this décor as something that will no doubt be out of style as soon as this current nu-wave revival decides to bury itself again for another 20 years. But more on this later.<br /><br />A sinking heart followed my first course of proscuitto salad with peach, buffalo mozzerella and ‘micro’ herbs after it was presented to the table. All the ingredients were fresh of course, to go alongside the ethos of the establishment and presented in that discernable tasting size portions, but it was a just a little bit dull and certainly didn’t kick off the tasting menu experience and our enthusiasm for more.<br /><br />This was followed by sardine fillets, baked with a pinenut, fennel seed and lemon zest. This dish was good but not radiant. The sardines were tender and moist, with a crust that was inventive and flavoursome. A resurgence of optimism came from our table after this dish however I couldn’t help feeling like the food wasn’t going to get much better.<br /><br />Meanwhile, our vegetarian counterparts were presented with zucchini flowers with a basil aioli in lieu of the sardines. This dish looked green and well, saucy. It was difficult to tell what was actually sinking under the aioli. I didn’t get to sample this dish, however when I asked Elaine how it tasted, she responded with a lacklustre “<em>Meh</em>.” No points scored from the vegetarians on this one.<br /><br />Moving right along to the pasta course, we were presented with some exceptional options and some that were not so great. I chose the <strong>Fifteen</strong> ravioli with bio dynamic ricotta, free range egg yolk and served with a white asparagus and butter broth. It was quite possibly the best item on the entire menu and an absolute gastronomic triumph. This pasta, with a hint of citrus and delicate, runny egg yoke nestled around the ricotta centre made me demand to see the man who made this dish so I could personally thank him for his efforts. It was utterly superb!<br /><br />The other pasta courses were regrettably not as thrilling. An dreary stracci with cherry tomato, basil, balsamic and parmesan dish was seriously yawn inducing, and not because of its simplicity but merely because this tomato based pasta lacked any inspiration whatsoever. It was indeed the meal one makes for themselves when you can’t really be bothered cooking.<br /><br />The pappardelle of rabbit ragu, mascarpone and parmesan didn’t rate so well either. The creamy mascarpone didn’t do the excessively salty and overcooked rabbit any favours. SJX frowned at the end of this course and someone at the other end of the table muttered “<em>Why did that taste like milky fish?”<br /></em><br />The remainder of the meal didn’t recover. The main of slow roasted lamb with alforno potatoes, spinach and black olive salsa was offered as cuts of meat that was so incredibly fatty, to actually consider it having any lamb underneath the fat at all was a doubtful conclusion. Oh, and did I mention that this ‘lamb’ was served cold? Unintentionally? My plate was cleared away with half of my meal still on it, consisting of cold lamb fat and a side of watery spinach.<br /><br />Another main of grilled monkfish with Mount Zero Lentils and rainbow chard didn’t make it to the table until 15 minutes after everyone else had received their mains. And the verdict from Baby Dukes when asked? “<em>It’s ok, I guess</em>.” Hmmmm.<br /><br />The vegetarian’s main option was crumbed eggplant with goats cheese and tomato sauce. Again, uneventful and left the vegos feeling ripped off at the lack of innovation with the cuisine.<br /><br />A tiramisu ‘with a twist’ was presented as our dolce course. And the ‘twist’ was undercooked long grain rice in the bottom of a shot glass, topped with mascarpone and chocolate, served with crostolli sticks that were stale and coated in icing sugar.<br /><br />The final course of bio-dynamic South Gippsland aged cheddar and a velvety double blue was enjoyed by the table, along with muscatels, pear and quince paste. The cheese was first-rate and appreciated given the calamity our taste buds tolerated throughout the sitting.<br /><br />I also found it very difficult to relax at <strong>Fifteen</strong>. The hyper colour surroundings and intensely busy human traffic left me feeling rather unsettled. The décor is a mish-mash of unconsolidated styles (80’s urban graffiti meets Renaissance gilding meets Better Homes and Garden) and the designer seemed to not know what they wanted it to be. I did truly love the glass balls suspended from the ceiling doubling as herb pots, brimming with healthy sprigs of parsley and basil. Very cute indeed.<br /><br />That’s not to say that the entire experience was a debacle. I must make special mention of the fact that the service was utterly, supremely flawless. Prudent wait staff made every effort to ensure our experience was pleasurable and endeavoured to grant our every whim including an introduction to the remarkable Paddy, gentle giant and <strong>Fifteen</strong> apprentice responsible for making the exquisite ravioli of eggy, cheesy love. Although our appointed waitress failed to deliver Toby Puttock to my beloved Shane for an introduction and photo-op (he was talking with his publicist, we were told), we noted that she did considerable leg work to oblige our request.<br /><br />So would I eat at <strong>Fifteen</strong> again?<br /><br />I am quite prepared to spend considerable sums of money on fantastic food but what I am not prepared to pay for is a reputation that doesn’t match its high calibre status.<br /><br />I also don’t buy into the argument that because the chefs are students, I should perhaps not expect so much from <strong>Fifteen</strong>.<br /><br />Would you be happy to pay the same prices if we were to eat similar substandard food prepared by an apprentice at another restaurant instead of the kids at <strong>Fifteen</strong>?<br /><br />No?<br /><br />Me either which is why you’ll not find me sitting at a table at <strong>Fifteen</strong> again.<br /><br />I would much rather my money go to the <a href="http://www.angliss.vic.edu.au/">William Angliss College</a> and support the goals of their apprentices. I hear that the food is really very good and I am also comforted in the knowledge that the glory of cooking will forever be their own, and not Jamie Oliver’s.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In the provision of fairplay, please find a review from <a href="http://viciousange.blogspot.com/2006/10/fifteen-melbourne-finally-look-in.html">Vicious Ange </a>who very much enjoyed the food at <strong>Fifteen</strong>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1161207832810243982006-10-19T07:26:00.000+10:002006-10-19T07:46:29.740+10:00IntermissionI suspect everyone is fasting at the moment but in the meantime, here are some food related articles from 2 of the crew that appeared in Tuesday's (17 Oct 2006) Epicure section of The Age.<br /><br />There is <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/to-the-queens-taste/2006/10/16/1160850835076.html">To the Queens Taste</a><br />and <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/put-your-talk-where-your-fork-is/2006/10/16/1160850835118.html">Put Your Talk Where Your Fork Is</a>.<br /><br />Plus if you want to have a look at what places have been reviewed, check out the <a href="http://users.tpg.com.au/ccang/reviews.html">index</a>.<br /><br />ps<br />Drop us a note even if it is just to say hi.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1159153326646153652006-09-25T13:00:00.000+10:002006-10-09T18:04:50.513+10:00The Great Pie Round Up<blockquote>"'Um ... I know this may seem a somewhat esoteric question, but what's in the meat pies?'<br />'Meat.'<br />'And what kind of meat?'<br />'Ah, you want one of the gourmet pies, then?'" </blockquote><p><i>Rincewind and Dibbler (Terry Pratchett, “The Last Continent”)</i><br /><br />Well might you ask what’s actually in a pie. A veritable mystery parcel of tasty goodness. Though some of the carnivores shouldn’t look to closely to identify body parts (is that a snout I see?) or get too upset to find that the minimum 25% ‘meat’ content could legally be including soy protein into the count.<br /><br />But here at We Do Chew Our Food we have it all - gourmet, homemade, frozen, vegan, big and small. Grab a comfy seat and enjoy <b>The Inaugural Great Pie Review</b>.<br /><br /><br /><b>Four'n'Twenty pie</b><br /><a href="http://www.cwaa.org.au/">CWA</a> Cafeteria, Royal Melbourne Show.<br />$4.00<br />Reviewer: <a href="http://fluffyasacat.blogspot.com/" target="-blank">Fluffy</a><br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/1600/warmer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/320/warmer.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Having lined up with the expectation that the CWA would be the place to get the quintessential home made country pie, there was, I'll admit it, crushing disappointment in the fact that the ladies were just there to stock the pie warmer. Still - best not let it affect objectivity.<br /><br />*sniff*<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/1600/pies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/320/pies.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Classic Four'n'Twenty pie, with (free) sauce.<br /><br />Surprise twist! I give this pie a commendable 4 out of 5. The crust was buttery and crispy, the sauce was pleasantly sweet and vinegary. Temperature was perfect. The lost point is due to the filling which had an overly uniform 'slurry' texture.<br /><br /><b>Sargents Party Pies</b><br />Available from all good Supermarkets<br />Price: approx $5 for12 mini pies<br />Reviewer: <a href="http://aheartbeatlater.blogspot.com">debs</a><br /><br />As a very infrequent pie eater (or anything with pastry/fat/tastes good for that matter), I wanted to get the most out of my pie experience. I opted for a pack of 12 Sargents Party Pies as my test subject for a fairly reasonable rate of around $5 for the packet.<br /><br />With great anticipation I put the dozen pies (frozen) on a tray and popped them in the oven for the allocated 10-15 minutes. 25 minutes later and still with half cooked pies, my determination to eat those delectable morsels was wavering, but finally after around double the "suggested" time, they were ready!<br /><br />The pastry was tasty and crisp, however the little "lids" of the pies didn't come off easily and if you, like me, enjoy the little ritual of peeling them off, putting in the sauce and putting the lids back on before eating, then like me you would have ended up with a rather mangled looking party pie in the end.<br /><br />The meat/gravy combination was very pleasant with none of those little gristly bits that you often have to spit out of other, lesser quality party pies and overall myself and my pie eating companion were quite satisfied with our tasty and indulgent lunch.<br /><br />Overall quality: Quite satisfied<br />Overall taste: Quite delicious<br />Overall appearance: Before ripping off tops, quite good: after, not so good<br />Overall rating: 4/5<br /><br />Warning: Pulling off top and allowing centre to cool a little before consumption is well recommended. Those little buggers sure can scold!<br /><br /><b>Brumby’s Pepper Steak Pie</b><br />Brumby's, Williamstown<br />Cost:$3.50 bought cold and heated at home :-)<br />Reviewer: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/24353346" target="-blank">Liz</a><br /><br />Pastry: flaky on top, with black pepper bits for decoration/identification. Sides uniformly textured and tasty.<br />Filling: plenty of fine mince in gravy and surprisingly no nasty or chewy bits. Not too much gravy either. A little heavy on the pepper for my taste but I guess you’d be annoyed if it were light on the pepper!<br />Pretty good. 4/5. Has to be chunky steak to score a 5 with me.<br /><br /><b>Herbert Adams Mixed Vegetable Pastie</b><br />$5.50 for 4<br />Reviewer: <a href="http://betterthancheesecake.blogspot.com/" target="-blank">Susanne</a><br /><br />So who knew pie shops were closed on Sundays? I do now. After finding the two pie shops I could think of shut I had to resort to a Herbert Adams Mixed Vegetable Pastie from Safeway ($5.50 for a pack of four). My god, it's not even a pie. Oh well, us vegetarians have to make the best of what's available I guess.<br /><br />On the box the pie is described as "A delicious medley of the finest garden vegetables encased in our Famous Flaky Pastry." This is a, er, generous description.<br /><br />The pie smelt yummy, and the pastry had a nice texture, but it was slightly bland, as were the "delicious medley" of vegies. It tasted nicer once I loaded on the "dead horse" to give it a bit of flavour (tomato sauce for those not down with aussie lingo).<br /><br />Basically, the pie was as good as I would have expected a supermarket-bought product to be, and it filled a need. It was passable as an easy snack, but I don't think I'd buy this particular range again. I give it two stars out of five.<br /><br />I'm still hanging out for the specialty pie I missed out on today, and a frozen product just doesn't compare...<br /><br /><b>Ferguson Plarre Steak Pie</b><br />From Ferguson Plarre at Victoria Market<br />$3.50 bought cold and heated at home :-)<br />Reviewer: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/24353346" target="-blank">Liz</a><br /><br />Pastry: excellent. Evenly flaky and light on top, lovely flavour. I really wanted to do that rather unattractive thing I did as a kid, which was to eat the top and the filling and leave the pastry case until last! ...but I resisted as there were others present! Filling: excellent too! Tasty fine mince in gravy and again, no chewy or gristly bits. (Nasty bits ruin the whole experience in my view!)<br />4/5 As good a mince pie as you’ll find. Sadly, Ferguson’s don’t do a chunky steak pie.<br /><br /><b>Vegan, tofu topped pie</b><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/1600/IMG_0329.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/320/IMG_0329.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Natural Tucker: 809 Nicholson Street, North Carlton VIC 3054<br />Cost: $4.00<br />Reviewer: <a href="http://confessionsofafoodnazi.blogspot.com" target="-blank">Another outspoken female</a><br /><br />What makes a pie? A pastry case, a wet chunky filling? So what do we make of a combination of vegetables and rice in a spicy sauce sitting in a sourdough bread case, topped with whipped tofu and poppy seeds? Delicious! This is the pie you have when you are not having a pie, or when you are vegan. The pastry being animal product-free is non-greasy and won’t make you feel queasy, but on the downside – ‘aint got no flake. It is relatively thin and doesn’t dominate the experience, just provides a wholesome vehicle for the other ingredients. The vegetables included: sweet potato, potato, carrots, peas (10)* and a little brown rice in a thick tasty gravy.<br /><br />Verdict: 4/5 - die hard followers of the meat pie probably won’t go for it but it’s a flavoursome and healthy variation.<br /><br />* I hate peas, so anything under a dozen I can navigate my way around, without being seriously denied of content. I once counted 30 peas in a vegetable pastie, you can see why i didn't review that one!<br /><br /><br /><b>Spinach, ricotta and pine-nut pie</b><br />Pie-supplier: Babka, 358 Brunswick Street Fitzroy<br />Pie-price: $4.55 takeaway or $9.75 (with bread, salad and chutney)<br />Reviewer: Michael from <a href="http://herestheveg.blogspot.com/" target="-blank">Where's the beef?</a><br /><br />I had high hopes for Babka's pies - they figured in Cheap Eats' "Take 3 - Pies" and the vego options were enthused about specifically. The slight wait for tables at midday on a Tuesday was a further reason to expect particularly delicious food. There were two vegetarian pie options on the menu (as well as a pastie). I opted for spinach, ricotta and pine nut (which I'll eventually get around to reviewing), while Cindy had pumpkin, tomato and basil. The pies could be purchased takeaway on their own, but we were keen to sit and paid double to eat in, with bread, salad and chutney as accompaniments. The pastry was sprinkled with sesame seeds and was reasonably crisp, if not quite perfectly golden, while the pie filling was a pretty decent mix of wilted spinach and ricotta with just a smattering of pine nuts. The whole thing was fairly reminiscent of one of the cheap spinach and cheese filo rolls you can get for about two bucks from Baker's Delight, and while I enjoyed it (the chutney was particularly tasty), it didn't quite measure up to my expectations (or the price tag).<br /><br />Rating: 3/5<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/1600/mail.jpg"><img style="" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/320/mail.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Tony’s Steak Pie</b><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7192/893/1600/Want%20some%20pie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7192/893/320/Want%20some%20pie.jpg" border="0" /></a>Cost $3.00 or less if you do the pie drive thing.<br />Place: <a href="http://www.tonyspies.com/aboutus.html">Tony’s Pies</a><br />341 Sommerville Road, Kingsville 3012<br />Reviewer: <a href="http://huskynutmeg.blogspot.com" target="-blank">Husky Nutmeg</a><br /><br />When my parents arrived in Australia in the 50’s, the only pies they knew about had fruit in them. Not having much of a grasp of English, Mum bought a few pies, which looked delightful, expecting to bite into a cold cinnamon spiced, apple pie. Needless to say, meat pies didn’t have much of a presence during my childhood.<br /><br />So my review: I enjoyed my pie - it was meaty enough to taste like a meal and there weren't any ugly or chewy surprises. With my own judgement being arguably warped, I opted to share said pies with Mip and her cousins, aged between 5.5 and 9.8. The kids' verdict – too bland without sauce. There most definitely needs to be the addition of sauce and preferably chips on the side. Having said that, they added this could have been the best pie they ever tasted had their auntie/mother not cooked them in the microwave (What?!! They were hungry!).<br /></p><p><br /><b>Chicken Chasseur / Flemish Beef Pie</b><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="Photo Sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tummyrumblesblog/257272936/"><img alt="20061001BelgianBeerCafePie" src="http://static.flickr.com/118/257272936_e27b39ead8_m.jpg" height="240" width="169" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.belgianbeercafemelbourne.com/Eureka.htm">Belgian Beer Cafe Eureka</a><br />5 Riverside Quay<br />Southbank - Melbourne<br />Cost: $12.50 (...but it does come with a quenelle of potato mash, pea stoemp and gravy)<br />Reviewer: <a href="http://members.melbpc.org.au/%7Emel/">Mellie</a><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.belgianbeercafemelbourne.com/">Belgian Beer Cafe</a> is better known for its beer, pots of mussels and pomme frits than for its pies. But in the spirit of the inaugural "We Do Chew Our Food" Pie Review, I thought I would sample one of their lesser know menu items. And I must say, I am somewhat impressed (...the fact that I lined the stomach with a few crisp Hoegaardens did nothing to influence that summation either ;-))<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.myspace.com/dannyteo">Elegant Gourmand</a> and <a href="http://member.melbpc.org.au/%7Emel/">I</a> divied up the two pies on offer - a Flemish Beef Pie that was tender and meaty in all the right places, but lacked a certain savoury punchy taste. Then the Chicken Chasseur Pie, which was an absolute winner. A flavoursome wine infused tomato sauce married tender chicken pieces, mushrooms, sliced onions, garlic and thyme into a tasty little parcel. The pastry was flaky and crisp, although the light gravy tended to saturate the pastry, causing sogginess (but it was moreish nonetheless). The filling was generous and of good quality; nice to find real meat in a pie for a change. The sides on the other hand were hit and miss. The hit was the use of real fresh peas in the pea stoemp (mash), the miss was the cold mash potato. But a nicely presented dish, although perhaps a little pricey for a "bar snack".</p><p><em>Rating:<br />Chicken Chasseur Pie: 5<br />Flemish Beef Pie: 3.5<br />The Beer: Priceless</em><br /></p><p><br />Ed at <a href="http://tomatom.com" target="-blank">Tomato</a>m has blogged his review. No ratings, but you get the feeling he enjoyed every forbidden mouthful of his <b>Baker d Chirico meat pie</b>. <a href="http://www.tomatom.com/2006/09/post_23.html" target="-blank">Read</a> about the delicious, gory details.<br /><br /><u>The "just proving the editor doesn't interfere with creative licence" review</u><br /><br /><b>Veggie korma pie</b><br />Location: Myer Bourke St, ground floor, food court.<br />Price: $2.something...(think it was half price cos it was almost 5:00pm)<br />Reviewer: Rachana<br /><br />Served on a paper plate shoved inside a paper bag. The Pie looks yummy & is warm-ish. 1 shudn't need ketchup wit a gud pie, so i didn't get any. Has sesame seeds, some green herbs & yellow & red powder (spices i assume) sprinkled on top. Oh btw I am cheating...it ain't a meat pie. It's a veggie korma pie. But honestly, with my asian background its only right for me to be reviewing some hybrid (east-meets-west) sort of pie. So anyways the lady behind the counter recommended this over their beef pies. Oh & Myer only stocks <a href="http://www.boscastle.com.au/" target="-blank">Boscastle pies</a> & they claim to have a passion for food so my expectations are set pretty high.<br /><br />All my pie experiences (barring Myer fc) have been gawd-aweful. But Boscastle have always managed 2 satisfy in the past....so here goes....<br /><br />Score: 4<br /><br />Reasons:<br /><br />1 Flaky pastry cooked just right. not chewy nor soggy nor hard. jst rite.<br />+1 Filling includes potatoes, carrots, peas etc in some yellowish sauce - so they did mean veggies<br />+1 Curry sauce is mild, can taste some turmeric & something else. A bit sweet but tastes alright with the pastry, besides it did say 'korma' so shoudln't be spicy. A touch of pepper wouldn't have gone amiss though.<br />+1 Didn't miss a sauce on the side, which means the filling must ave been right & there was enough gravy<br />-1 A bit too hot on the inside - so nearly burnt my tongue in the 1st bite - ok so maybe my impatience isn't a defect in the pie but hey it's my review so i can score on woteva i like.<br /><br />besides i think 4 on 5 for a humble Pie is a generous score. So yea if ur after a reliable & good pie-experience, Myer food court or anywhere that serves Boscastle should be a safe bet.<br /><br /><br /><u>I made it myself</u><br /><br /><b>Cindy's I-can't-believe-it's-not-meat pies</b><br />Pie maker extraordinaire: Cindy from <a href="http://herestheveg.blogspot.com" target="-blank">Where's the beef?</a><br /><br />Spinach and cheese are great in pastry, and curried lentils aren't half bad either. But they don't quite fit the bill if you're vegetarian and you want protein soaked in gravy and tomato sauce. When I first discovered TVP (textured vegetable protein) at my local supermarket, I set about developing an imitation of your run-of-the mill, corner-shop variety meat pie. I've got a bit lazy in the presentation stakes, stuffing squares of pastry into a muffin tin, but the key ingredients are there. Store-bought puff pastry flakes up pretty well, and it takes some restraint not to overfill these with brown gravy flavour.<br />Want to give 'em a go? The recipe's <a href="http://herestheveg.blogspot.com/2006/09/september-28-2006-i-cant-believe-its.html" target="-blank">here</a>.<br />It would be immodest of me to rate my own recipe, but my pie-lovin' partner hasn't looked longingly at a "real" meat pie in years.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/1600/mail-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/320/mail-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><u>Honourable mentions</u><br />Not quite reviews but honourable mention go to:<br /><br /><a href="http://armagnacd.blogspot.com/" target="-blank">Armaniac</a> voted for <i>"My local pub, the Albion, in Nth London, had a beef, ale and stilton pie. Everything else is just a pretender..."</i> which is a pity as he now lives in downtown Northcote (Melbourne), so that makes it one very expensive pie.<br /><br /><a href="http://about.theage.com.au/view_profile.asp?intid=1265" target="-blank">Liz Cincotta</a> (of The Age's Top 5 foods fame) narrowed down her top 5, to give her top 2 favourite pie makers to us:<br />Molly Mae's Cafe, 101 High Street, Broadford, phone 5784 3949<br />Mt Martha Fine Foods, 34 Lochiel Avenue, Mount Martha, phone 5974 4407<br /><br /><u>...and for those who get 'sweet' and 'savoury' a little confused</u><br /><br /><b>Hot Apple Pie</b><br /><br />Purchased from: McDonald's Family Restaurant, Endeavour Hills<br /><br />Cost: $1.95<br /><br />Reviewer:<a href="http://scoffitdown.blogspot.com/" target="-blank">BEVIS</a><br /><br />Pastry: Crunchy and tasty, not too hot. Very tasty but makes you thirsty (intentional, I'm sure).<br /><br />Filling: Piping hot chunks of apple (no false advertising here!) and a sauce that makes your mouth water.<br /><br />Packaging: An easy flip-open cardboard casing enables the consumer to hold the hot item without burning their fingers. The pie easily slides in and out of the covering, allowing for the consumer to place it in their handbag, manbag or similar to cool down for a few minutes if the internal heat of the item in question is not to the consumer's personal preferences.<br /><br />Rating: Four stars out of five. I cannot find much fault with the pie, but I like to encourage the makers to continually "strive for a five".<br /><br /><u>But what would we know?</u><br /><br />If the mystery meats in the average pie don't put you off, the experts at the <a target="-blank" fref="http://www.choice.com.au">Australian Consumer Association</a> have found out more than most of us want to know about the top brands of Aussie meat pies. See how they <a href="http://www.choice.com.au/viewarticleasonepage.aspx?id=105214&catId=100286&amp;amp;amp;tid=100008&p=1" target="-blank">rate</a> them.<br /><br /><u>Better late than never</u><br /><br />Missed the first round up but feel inspired to write a review of the best pie in your world? Well, ask nicely, <a href="mailto:chewyfood@gmail.com">mail it in</a> and we'll add yours to the Great Pie Round Up.<br /><br /><b>Mince pie</b><br />Sunny Anh Hot Bread<br />Watton Street, Werribee<br />Cost: $2.20<br />Reviewer: <a href="http://annasfoodnstuff.blogspot.com/" target="-blank">Anna</a><br /><br />I tasted many pies in the spirit of this review, but really can only, in good conscience, review one. It was from Sunny Anh Hot Bread on Watton Street in Werribee, for a cost of $2.20 with free sauce. If the lady behind the counter is to be believed it's made by her, from finely ground steak. To be sure, the filling seemed like quite finely minced meat with no gristle to be found, and the gravy was quite thick, holding everything together well, with just a pinch of pepper (how I like it), and was a good eating temperature, ie. warm without burning my tongue. The pastry was<br />light and flaky, but not so much that just cutting into it resulted in a pastry-flake storm all over the table and my lap.<br /><br />I score it a 4 out of 5. Anyone out in the Werribee area looking for a light lunch, get your pie here (there are other hot bakes and cafes, but I found this the best for under $5).<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/1600/mail.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/320/mail.1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><i>Review rangling initiated and put together by <a href="http://confessionsofafoodnazi.blogspot.com">Another Outspoken Female</a>. Thanks for the participation and fearless chewing of all who were involved.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1159066074551534772006-09-24T12:39:00.000+10:002006-09-24T23:49:19.033+10:00The inaugural “We Do Chew Our Food” pie review<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/1600/800px-Meat_pie.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/673/716/320/800px-Meat_pie.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />Melbourne, the home of We Do Chew Our Food, is paradoxically the epicentre of both the best Australian cuisine and Football. When you put the two together they spell one word – PIE. The meat pie with tomato sauce (ketchup) is perhaps the most iconic Australian dish and almost mandatory to eat at any major sporting event. It even has it’s own <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_meat_pie target=-blank>Wikipedia entry</a>. Thankfully for the vegetarians amongst us – there’s a lot more to pies these days than that first “Four‘nTwenty”.<br /><br />In honour of the footie Grand Final next Saturday (30th September) and after the success of the recent <a href=http://letmeeatnow.blogspot.com/2006/09/sausage-roll.html target=-blank>great sausage roll review</a>, we are now throwing the challenge open to the wider food loving community to send us a pie review from their own town. This savoury morsel can be bought or homemade, meat or vegetarian, gluten-free or caeliac-unfriendly, traditional or contemporary.<br /><br /><br /><u>Guidelines for the review:</u><br /><br />1. If the pie is bought – supply the address, price and description of the pie.<br />2. If homemade – include the recipe.<br />3. Taste the pie before you slather it with sauce/ketchup/chutney (sacrilege for some I know!). Is the pastry flaky, how generous is the filling, does the description of the contents equate with what you find in it?<br />4. Rate the pie from 1 to 5: (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest).<br />5. You are welcome to send a picture, but you don’t have to.<br />6. Send your review to <A HREF="mailto:chewyfood@gmail.com">chewyfood@gmail.com</A> by <b>midnight, Sunday 1st October</b> (note: for those in the northern hemisphere, that means midday Sunday for most of you).<br />7. Have fun!<br /><br />The full review will be posted on <a href=http://letmeeatnow.blogspot.com/ target=-blank>We Do Chew Our Food</a> the next day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1157377037010414682006-09-04T23:14:00.000+10:002006-09-05T17:47:59.006+10:00A sausage roll!By the mystic regulation<br />Of our dark Association,<br />Ere you open conversation<br />With another kindred soul,<br />You must eat a sausage roll!<br /><br />(Chorus)<br />You must eat a sausage roll! A sausage roll!<br /><br />If, in turn, he eats another,<br />That’s a sign that he’s a brother –<br />Each may fully trust the other.<br />It is quaint and it is droll,<br />But it’s bilious on the whole.<br /><br />(Chorus)<br />Very bilious, very bilious on the whole!<br /><br />It’s a greasy kind of pasty,<br />Which, perhaps, a judgement hasty<br />Might consider rather tasty:<br />Once (to speak without disguise)<br />It found favour in our eyes.<br /><br />(Chorus)<br />It found favour, it found favour in our eyes!<br /><br />But when you’ve been six months feeding<br />(As we have) on this exceeding<br />Bilious food, it’s no ill-breeding<br />If at these repulsive pies<br />Our offended gorges rise!<br /><br />But, But,<br /><br />Women:<br />Yes, at these repulsive pies<br />Our offended gorges rise! But, But,<br /><br />Men:<br />Yes, at these repulsive pies<br />Our offended gorges rise!<br />Our offended gorges rise!<br />Our gorges rise!<br /><br />All:<br />By the mystic regulation<br />Of our dark Association,<br />Ere you open conversation<br />With another kindred soul,<br />You must eat a sausage roll!<br /><br />A sausage roll, a sausage roll!<br />A roll, a roll, a sausage roll!<br />A sausage roll!<br /><br />(Chorus)<br />You must eat a sausage-roll, a sausage roll, A roll, a roll, a roll, a roll, a roll, a sausage roll! A roll, a roll, a sausage roll! A sausage roll!<br /><br /><br /><br />"By the mystic regulation"<br />The Grand Duke<br />Gilbert and Sullivan<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/1600/justicehall.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/1600/justicehall.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And such was the decree I issued to my associates at We Do Chew Our Food Inc. AKA the Super Friends. Steely eyed, I took my time to meet the gaze of each member at the Justice League boardroom table that day. This was an important project – but was it important enough to die for? Eating of the sausage roll is not without its dangers. The bad guys known to associate with the riff raff of the pie warmer crowd are a truly nasty bunch – E. coli, botulism, salmonella – the act of stuffing a sausage roll in the old pie hole is not dissimilar to holding a loaded gun to your head and playing Russian Roulette.<br /><br />A delicious, toasty loaded gun. With sauce.<br /><br />If it weren’t for the occasional freaking outstanding sausage roll, what reasonable person would suffer all the inedible greasy over-salted filth which passes for take away goodness? At its best, the sausage roll is foodie brilliance. Engineered to be gob shaped at the cross section, representing as many food groups as you like, edible out of a bag, flaky, delicate yet robust. Finding the perfect sausage roll was a quest worth dying for.<br /><br />Or as any good general worth her salted squid knows, it is, at least, a quest worth sending others out to die for.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Reviewer: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/4813871">Chai</a><br /><br />I told my 9 y.o. kid the We Do Chew Our Food bloggers were going to do a sausage roll review.<br /><br />"Everyone?"<br />“Almost everyone”, I said.<br />"What if they don’t like sausage rolls?"<br />“You don’t have to like it. You just eat it and review it.”<br />"What if you cant eat one? What if you have Celiac's disease?"<br />[silence]<br /><br />Okay, the sausage roll was made on the premises. It was freshly made. Could not taste any traces of sulfate.<br /><br />Location: Somewhere in Camberwell.<br />Not identified cos it's not exactly an endorsement and I don’t want to be responsible for depriving anyone of their livelihood.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Not acceptable Chai! This is about punishing the evil and rewarding the good. We’re not called the freakin Justice League for nothing - Ed.</span><br /><br />Time of consumption: 9.45 a.m.<br />Cost: $2.40<br />Pastry: Was not flaky. Had toasted breadcrumbs on it, which made it sort of crispy/crunchy. Novel. Not unpleasant.<br /><br />Filling: It tasted fine, a little on the bland side and not overly salty like those mass produced rolls. Unfortunately, perhaps it contained a little too much filler. You couldn’t really taste the meat, per se. Also, there was a slight aftertaste. My palate is not sophisticated enough to identify it. Something along the lines of oregano.<br /><br />Tomato sauce: Optional at 20c per pouch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/1600/IMG_0983.0.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/320/IMG_0983.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/1600/IMG_0988.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/320/IMG_0988.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Score : An edible 6 out of 10.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Reviewer: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/15191007">Mellie</a><br />Name: Hanna's Bakeshop<br />Address: 172 High Street, Ashburton, VIC, 3147<br />Phone: 9885 3787<br />Open: 7 days<br />Cost: $2.20, plus an extra $0.20 for squeezy sauce<br /><br />Not being a huge sausage roll fan, mainly due to an aversion of second rate slimy sausage mince, I decided to take on the challenge of the We Do Chew Our Food Great Sausage Roll Review and overcome my bizarre disinclination. So I ventured down to the local bakery, Hanna's Bakeshop in Ashburton, and threw myself into the task wholeheartedly. Surprisingly, the sausage roll was damn yummy, and not brick-like in that sausage mince kind of way. It was heartily full-flavoured and contained perceptible gratings of carrots and a few mushed up peas. The pastry was flaky and buttery and not at all soggy, and it arrived piping hot from the pie warmer. Alas, I decided to bring it home for consumption, pairing it with a particularly good bush tomato ketchup.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/1600/20060901HannasSausageRoll.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/320/20060901HannasSausageRoll.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/1600/20060901EatingHannasSausageRoll.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1806/614/320/20060901EatingHannasSausageRoll.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Reviewer: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/24353346">Liz</a><br />Michels Patisserie, Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre, Burnley.<br />Pastry: It had a texture like damp cardboard with a few flaky bits here and there.<br />Filling: no obvious meat texture – highly processed sausage meat, possibly containing breadcrumbs, plus a few bits of onion and plenty of white pepper.<br />Temperature: ok, bit on the cool side.<br />Tomato sauce: squeezy pack for 30c – outrageous!<br /><br />Overall comment: Undoubtedly mass produced. Extremely average, no better than a Four ‘n Twenty.<br /><br />OR… make your own<br />As a contrast, I thought I’d provide my family’s recipe for the ultimate home made party sausage rolls. Flaky pastry from your supermarket freezer – couldn’t be easier or better.<br /><br />1kg sausage mince (plastic tube at supermarket)<br />1 finely chopped onion<br />Handful of chopped parsley (optional)<br />4-5 sheets of puff pastry (Pampas or similar from supermarket freezer)<br /><br /><br />Mix sausage mince, onion and parsley in a bowl – use your hands if you like.<br /><br />Cut pastry sheet in half. Place a log of sausage mixture (approx 2cm in diameter) along one of the long edges of the pastry. Brush a line of milk or egg along the other long edge of the pastry and roll the meat side towards the milk side. (The milk helps the two layers stick.) You can now cut into smaller 5cm rolls or as big as you like. We usually score the top of the pastry a couple of times by making a couple of 1cm cuts in the top of the pastry roll. This helps steam get out I presume and it looks good. Finally, brush the top with remaining milk/egg to get a nice golden brown top.<br /><br />Place rolls on a greased or baking paper covered baking tray and bake at 200 degrees (C) for 20-25 mins until golden brown.<br /><br />Optional: many people add grated carrot to the mince mix but I prefer the purist recipe.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Reviewer: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/4648530">LadyCracker</a><br />Name: Hanna's Bake Shop<br />Address: 172 High St Ashburton VIC 3147<br /><br />A Saturday ritual in our household is to head to Hanna's Bake Shop with the paper and two little girls in tow to savour the flaky goodness of the bakery's pies and sausage rolls. This weekend was a little different as it was a lonesome Ladycracker catching up on the goings on in the little paper while chowing down on one of the best sausage rolls in Melbourne. Light pastry complements the medium warm temperature of the roll (no burnt mouths here). The filling is a traditional no frills meat mince that doesn't feeling heavy or claggy, leaves plenty of room for a fluffy vanilla milkshake and is tasty without the ubiquitous tomato sauce addition. Life doesn't get any better.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Reviewer: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/9748180">MelbourneGirl</a><br /><br />I tested out of the Pattie's party pack: 18 party pies and 12 little sausage rolls.<br /><br />The sausage rolls had soft pastry, which wasn't flaky. The filling was bland and mushy. I ate half of one, and didn't want the other half. Out of 5 I would give them 1. We only got those cause there were no Four’n’Twenty packs at the supermarket.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Reviewer: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/7322648">Husky Nutmeg</a><br /><br />I would never have thought of a sausage roll as breakfast food but I was on the way to work and with coffee, anything is edible, I thought. I went to <a href="http://www.tonyspies.com/aboutus.html">Tony’s Pies</a> in Kingsville. These people already have a huge reputation for pies and pastries in the West as they do the school/kinder/club pie drives.<br /><br />I was surprised by how hungry I was. The pastry was light, but not over flaky. A very tasty filling and no lardy aftertaste. There was take away sauce but the roll didn’t need it. The price was overshadowed by my latte (mind you, my coffee is always a large) and being my pre-work coffee spot, the service has always been friendly and kinda wholesome.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Reviewer: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/5031694">Fluffy</a><br />Name: Green Refectory<br />Address: Sydney Rd Brunswick VIC 3056<br />Cost: not sure – I think it came to $5.50 with my coffee<br /><br />This review was a bit of a cheat in that I’ve had the sausage roll from Green Refectory before. The food there is uniformly good but the serving staff are generally hired more for their good looks. For this reason you can get someone serving you who is not really concerned that your pie is cold and your juice is hot.<br /><br />I’ve previously enjoyed the sausage roll (homemade) as an eat-in affair plated up with salad and chutney. It was so excellent I would call it the sausage roll that other sausage rolls should aspire to in their sausagey dreams. This time I ordered it in traditional format: in a paper bag with sauce. The pastry was sprinkled with sesame seeds and nice and flaky without being insubstantial. The great shame on this occasion was it just wasn’t hot enough. Below a certain temperature the fats in the sausage roll solidify and give the whole thing an unfortunate waxy texture which could be completely avoided but for a few degrees.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Collaboration and introduction fiendishly devised by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/5031694">Fluffy</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1156388827257851762006-08-26T11:01:00.000+10:002006-08-26T10:54:16.193+10:00for when you want mores, go to limors - CaulfieldLimor's International<br />67 Kooyong, Road<br />Caulfield North 3161<br /><br />T 9509 8183/9509 8855<br /><br />At Limor's, they have the motto:<br /><br /><em>where too much is just enough!</em><br /><em></em><br />This is the sort of place you go when you are ravenous. When you feel you could eat an entire cow, giant squid or a barnyard of chickens. Apologies to the vegetarians amongst us but this is certainly a place for omnivores.<br /><br />Before we go on, I would like to throw out a challenge. I defy anyone to go here and eat one of their main courses on their own. You should be warned, the platters are made to share. Last night we popped in for a quickie, and had the chicken schnitzel platter, and a bowl of chips. The schnitzel came with rice and veg, and salad. This amount was perfectly adequate for our party of 5 [2 adults, 3 kids]. We all have "healthy appetites"* and while my mantra of "portion control" has become a bit of a joke with my man's Italian family, I find that portion control has made all of us healthier, and leaner.<br /><br />Portion control is not something that is exercised at Limor's. We arrive shouting Limor's! and we leave, groaning and doubled over saying "Li-less". We think we are very funny.<br /><br />The schnitzels are fine and perfectly undistinguished in any way. So are the chips: thin, french fry style. Rice is overcooked and peas/carrots likewise. The salads that come with the platters are simple and eastern european in style, with pickled green cabbage and red cabbage, as well as some diced tomato and cucumber. While I like the salad accompaniment, and so does Princess, she LOVES the green cabbage, it's all about the meat. This place is like a meat mecca. Go to Limor's and do some serious worshipping.<br /><br />They also serve dishes of calamari and marinated chicken wings, which we've had before. I have seen people with meat platters; huge silver dishes piled high with all kinds of bbq'd animal products. People hunker down over these meals; there is little talking and much chewing.<br /><br />The decor is brassy and glassy, nothing particularly noteworthy, though they have a little interior atrium garden which is ok. The maitre'd is a small man who has the most beautiful manners and is always very friendly, and always tries to sell you some mocktails for the kids, which at $8.50 each we always say no thanks to. I'm a hard bitch, I know. But he is always very pleasant, and I always am pleasant back. Big smiles. Etc. He reminds of the man from Fantasy Island in the way he stands and kind of welcomes you. But he looks more like Tattoo in the face.<br /><br />Some menu samplers:<br /><br />chicken soup with kreplach<br />garlic prawns<br />atlantic smoked salmon<br />u.s. baby ribs<br />kebabs<br />chicken shasliks<br />continental sausages<br />range of dips<br />falafel<br />whole flounder<br />barramundi<br />the mermaid seafood platter - $49 but serves 2 (or more)<br />range of schnitzels, from wiener to "G"ordon bleu to mexican (?) to american. all serves have three (large) pieces of schnitzel.<br /><br />Then they have pasta dishes as well.<br /><br />This is a great place for a quick and filling feed. It's also fine to take kids there, and there are often other people with kids there who might be noisier than yours, and then you feel better about having kids. This is not a place for romance and hand-holding. There's plenty of room, with large tables for bigger groups. They are licensed and happy to work around food allergies etc. (with notification.)<br /><br />Basically, this is a quick in, quick out sort of joint. It's not cheap but works out all right as you order one dish for $27 between 5 say (as we did last night) rather than two adults having mains for $20+ then three kids for $10 or so (if they have a kid menu. Some places don't and then it's even more expensive.)<br /><br />Takeaway is also available, and boy, is it fast.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />* code for "like to overeat if allowed"Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1141645211161055942006-08-20T21:50:00.000+10:002006-08-20T23:27:38.433+10:00Joseph's Restaurant at Werribee Mansion Hotel. International cuisine.[<b>REPRINT</b> - Originally published Thursday, March 09, 2006]<br /><br />Joseph's Restaurant (at Werribee Mansion)<br />K Road, Werribee, Vic, 3030<br />phone: (03) 9731 4000<br /><a href="http://www.mansionhotel.com.au/facilities_josephs.html">website </a><br />hours: I'm not sure but open for lunch for sure, we had a 12 noon booking. call them.<br />prices: entrees high teens, mains low to mid 30s<br /><br />Today is my honey's birthday so I made him take the day off work, so I could take him to lunch. We drove down to Werribee and had lunch at Joseph's. When we arrived, there was no one else in the restaurant and the table we were given next to a window had a lovely view of the garden.<br /><br />We decided to have a glass each of sparkling wine, Ninth Island from Tasmania. It was very bubbly, always a good sign and cost $11.50 each. Like I have said before I can't really tell the difference between this normal champagne and something that really costs a lot, it is the same to me.<br /><br />The wait staff were really nice, and we were given menus which included, in addition to the a la carte one, a set menu option, with $27.50 for two courses and glass of house wine, or $35 for three courses, with wine.<br /><br />We decided to go a la carte and this is where my memory goes bad. After some quipping about me needing a spy-type wrist watch that I can talk into at moments like these, so I don't have to try and remember stuff, I grabbed the <a href="http://www.lempriere.perpetual.com.au/award_werribee.asp">sculpture programs</a> we had, and scribbled, supposedly in a way that would not draw attention to myself.<br /><br />I ordered spicy calamari on a bed of cous cous, which when it came was gorgeous and fragrant but could have done with just one more spoonful of the cous cous which was fairly miserly in quantity. This was strange because the portion of squid was generous. I really loved this dish.<br /><br />My love had fried zucchini flowers stuffed with Persian fetta, which perched atop a chop of vegetables; the only one I can remember was celery. The fetta oozed out quite spectacularly when each floret was pierced, but I felt the celery just seemed incongruous.<br /><br />The entrees came out too quickly - this was because at the stage of ordering, we were the only guests at table. This I thought was quite nice, and I was having special romantic notions of no one else coming, that we would have the restaurant to ourselves for the entire session. Then I noticed a high chair being positioned at the table next to us. I turned away from thoughts of what this might mean, and concentrated on my squid.<br /><br />The waitress told us, as she served our entrees, that there was bread in the oven for us. I wonder if wait people ever mistakenly say 'buns.' This should have been brought before the entrees. But when it came, we saw straight away that it was good bread. It was crusty yet soft inside, thickly cut, sourdough. But with margarine, not butter.<br /><br />Please indulge me for a moment here. I simply do not understand why any restaurant or fine dining establishment would put margarine on the table. I don't care if it's in a nice circle pat. Please, any restaurateurs out there, if you are reading this, hear me now. One word. Butter. Olive oil is ok. But do not serve margarine. Please.<br /><br />For main I had venison with <em>pommes</em> mash and blueberry and sage jus. Though the waitress explained at the beginning that the red meat dishes would be served medium-rare, my venison was truly rare. This didn't bother me, as I like a rare dish, however it would have put off someone who could never go bluer than a true med-rare. I feel the chef got it wrong with this. Having said that, I loved this dish. The jus was divine. I enjoyed my mashed potatoes, and the venison was tasty and tender. And rare. Did I say that already?<br /><br />John had fillet of salmon, cooked to perfection with crispy skin on a calconn* of seafood, which was chopped potatoes with prawn in a creamy mayonnaisy sort of dressing. We had a side of French beans in butter.<br /><br />The beans were sensational. I would go there again just to eat those beans. They were perfectly cooked, they were straight and they were a beautiful, beautiful green.<br /><br />We loved those beans, oh how we were in raptures over them.<br /><br />Oh, the wine. With my main I had a glass of local shiraz from Werribee because it had a plum nose, rather than the pinot which had a lifted bouquet. My honey had a glass of sauvignon blanc, I don't know where. Had stopped taking notes by then.<br /><br />Have I mentioned the nuns? Well, the family turned up during entree and sat at the table next to us, their child was adorable and she happily coloured in.<br /><br />The two nuns came in and sat at a window table. They were in the "complete garb" and I found they looked quite confronting. They ordered symmetrically; two glasses of coke. Really nice glassware, by the way. Then it seemed they ordered one glass of red wine. The communal wine, my love quipped. My we laughed. Then they had two of the same main meals.<br /><br />For dessert we had cherry ripe souffle with ice cream and raspberry coulis, and mille-feuille with berries. Did you like how I wrote "we" then? I would say the desserts were the ordinary part of the meal. They didn't really measure up and to me weren't worth the $14 odd.<br /><br />So that's about it. $200 including tip, a really fine meal and in lovely surroundings. Afterwards we had a quick stroll through the rose garden, and I used the umbrella as a parasol and made funny, saying over and over again "because I'm a lady, don't you know. I'm a <em>lady</em>" a la <em>Little Britain</em>. I was hilarious and laughed a lot at my joke. No, not tedious and annoying <em>at all.</em><br /><em></em><br />And how did this dreamy day finish?<br /><br />You can pick the ending:<br /><br />[We went home and made wonderful love with very full tummies then had a two-hour nap.]<br /><br />[We went to the school and picked up the kids and then came home and took Gigi for a walk. And found a chair in the street, in a hard-rubbish heap with really nice wood, old you know, antique even, it does need work yes but it's lovely. I knocked on the door, asked the young man if I could take it, he said yes, and we carried it home with us. So happy.]<br /><br /><br />* don't ask, I just don't know<br /><a href="http://www.mansionhotel.com.au/facilities_josephs.html"></a>Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1154773073371791982006-08-07T16:50:00.000+10:002006-08-15T17:45:03.033+10:00Zam Zam - Indian City<b>Venue :</b> Zam Zam Cafe Restaurant <sup>1</sup><br /><b>Cuisine :</b> Indian<br /><b>Address :</b> 364 Lonsdale St, Melbourne 3000<br /><b>Tel number :</b> (03) 9606 0109<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5167/587/1600/390_image%28049%29.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5167/587/320/390_image%28049%29.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Ever since I started cycling to work a fortnight ago (so-so-sooo co-co-coolllldddd, so-so-sooo co-co-colllldddd), all I do is think about FOOD. What's for morning tea, what am I going to have for lunch, what will I be having for dinner and what more in between.<br /><br />Anyway, armed with this frame of mind, choosing what to eat is the primary activity of the day. Despite the presence of many, many excellent and reasonably priced lunch places of various ethnicities all around my place of employment, I repeatedly find myself gravitating towards Zam Zam in my quasi random wanderings at lunch hour, and given that it is not the closest Indian place (ok, at best marginal), this is saying a lot.<br /><br />Indian food. I <b>love</b> it.<br /><br />It's easy to miss this place. The shop front is quite inconspicuous. I usually just tell those interested that it is in between the two JB Hifi entrances on Lonsdale St.<br /><br />On entry, the first thing one notices is the pungent aroma of spices. I dont notice it anymore but it's there. Pleasant? I'm not sure. I do remember that on my first visit there, I thought that it was quite strong but I guess such experiences are all very subjective.<br /><br />The decor is far from flashy, probably opting for functionality over form. You have your formica tables and non-descript chairs. What more do you need?<br /><br />Admittedly, it is lacking a little in the ambience department. It is on the darkish side and the positioning of the fridge and various boxes of drinks etc. do not help. I dont recall any music being played but that could be me tuning out. But the bottom line is that the food is tasty and reasonably cheap (especially for Indian). The food is served on stainless steel compartmentalised plates, likewise the water from stainless steel cups.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5167/587/1600/393_image%28052%29.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5167/587/320/393_image%28052%29.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />I've had the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murtabak">murtabak</a> before which was pretty good. The roti casing was firm and not soggy (firm is good). The filling had just the right spicyness though I suspect they could have been more generous when stuffing this (with the filling). It's hard to describe the complex flavours which come from the many spices used but I assure you, it's salivatory to say the least. That first mouthful, the explosion of flavours. It's phantasmagorical. I can also recommend the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biryani">biryani</a> rice. It was really yummy as well. But generally, I prefer the roti to the rice. I'm salivating as I write this.<br /><br />The lamb? Sorry, I dont eat lamb but I understand the goat curry is pretty good. I dont remember if I do or do not eat goat. Take note that they dont have any beef nor pork dishes, in case you have a preference for that.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5167/587/1600/395_image%28054%29.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5167/587/320/395_image%28054%29.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The curries I've had have all been very tasty especially the butter chicken, which is part of my regular order. What I usually get is the roti (x 2) with the butter chicken and some dhal. This costs me $7.50 but I've been charged $7, $7.20 and $7.70 before. I'm uncertain if there is any correlation with how much I flirt with the pretty Indian lady who sometimes man the counter. The other dishes are all roughly around that price. Unrelated bit of info - I understand the owner is from Penang or so he tells me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5167/587/1600/392_image%28051%29.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5167/587/320/392_image%28051%29.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Turnover seems reasonably brisk and the service was pretty quick. The serves dont always appear overly generous but I've always had difficulty finishing what I get. Maybe my eyes are bigger than my stomach. Regarding bookings, I'm not sure if it is neccessary or if they do take any at all but I guess there is no harm in trying, if you think you need to that is.<br /><br />Anyway, in case it wasnt clear, I do recommend this place. It's had my patronage on a regular basis for many months now.<br /><br />In case you need any reinforcement as to why you should be eating more Indian food, this New Scientist article <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19125635.500-popular-curry-spice-is-a-brain-booster.html">here</a> might help.<br /><br />Here is to brainy food.<br />BTW, the food is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal">halal</a> for the religiously inclined.<br /><br />ps photos to come. Check in later in the week, maybe.<br /><br /><sup>1</sup> Apparently ZamZam is a well near Mecca. More info at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamzam_Well">Wikipedia</a>. Now you cant say you dont learn anything new from this blog.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1153557975414890842006-07-30T21:30:00.000+10:002007-10-25T12:21:00.012+10:00Sataybar – Indonesian lunch bar- CityCuisine: Indonesian market food<br />Address/Phone: 10 Manchester Lane (9663 0322)<br /> and cnr Flinders Lane and Custom House Lane (9629 1466)<br />Hours: 8am – 5pm (Manchester Lane also Friday evenings)<br />Parking: In the city? Forget it! <br />Licence: Beer and wine<br /><br /><br />The first time I had satay was in another century, in a NZ town where the most exotic thing to be found was the ubiquitous Chinese restaurant that still served sliced white bread with the meal. My brother made friends with a new boy in his class, he was Dutch and his family had lived in a far off place called Indonesia. One night we were all invited over to his house for a grand feast featuring exotic spices and flavours that I had never tasted before. The biggest hit of the evening was the skewers of chicken with luxurious peanut sauce. I had entered Satay Heaven!<br /><br />These days neither peanuts nor chicken rate highly on my list of favourite foods. But for some time I had heard about a wonderful cheap eatery that devoted itself to satay worshipping and kept meaning to break out of my regular lunchtime circuit to trek over to a less familiar part of town to sample its wares. Before I had made it, the little beauties opened a second outlet right smack bang on my way to “Sushi 10” and “The Organic Food and Wine Deli”. How lucky was I! <br /><br />The Manchester Lane <a href= http://satay.com.au target=-blank>Sataybar</a> is a skinny rectangle of laneway real estate. It’s squeezy but groovy and as yet I’ve never heard a dud tune coming out of the stereo. The handful of tables lining one side of the place run on tracks to create flexible seating which sounds like a good idea, but unless you are really, really fat (and lets face it, too many satays and that could happen to the best of us) the gap between the fixed bench seat and the table is ergonomically uncomfortable and those itty bitty paper serviettes wont do much to stop the sauce splatters as the forkful travels from plate to mouth. That grumble aside the food is fab and the lustrous peanut sauce, they promise, is made fresh each day.<br /><br />The menu is small and simple, revolving around – you guessed it – satay skewers with peanut sauce. The regular choices are chicken (regular or sweet), lamb, prawn, tofu, vegie or spicy beef. There are daily specials that often include kangaroo. You can just graze on 1 or a number of skewers at $2 a pop or grab a meal package. I have to admit I go there so often that I just need to nod and they know I want a “small tofu” – 2 skewers of tofu, rice, salad and the wondrous sauce. The large version is 3 of any skewers, rice, salad, sauce and krupuk (those tasty polystyrene like vegie crackers). <br /><br />Beverage wise Sataybar boasts coffee java (including soy for the lactose intolerant), a range of local and Indonesian beers and non-alcoholic drinks. There is also tea and wine. There are also $2 sweet bites of traditional delicacies.<br /><br />What more can I say? The food is consistently good, despite the small menu it can suit both those who under eat (“just 1 vegie skewer please”) or like to gorge on a bigger meal. It will suit both vegans and carnivores. Though currently it’s only a lunch venue, the Manchester Lane branch is open on Friday nights for those who want to drink and graze after work.<br /><br />Darn it, why did I review this place? I’ll never get a seat there at lunchtime now!<br /><br /><u>Update:</u> The Satay Bar guys got an offer too good to refuse on the Manchester Lane branch and closed ironically on the day The Age listed them as a hot bar to check out. The original venue is still in full swing and there are promises of a new CBD location opening early 2008. Watch this space!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20913101.post-1153563653910634862006-07-22T20:12:00.000+10:002006-07-22T20:25:32.833+10:00Colmao Flamenco<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">60 Johnston St Fitzroy 3065<br />(03) 9417 4131<br />Open: 7 days 6pm-1am<br />Closed: Good Friday, Christmas Day, New Years<br />Licensed, BYO, Corkage $3.5 Bottle<br />Cards All<br />Seats inside 50, Seats outside 18</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">The ‘Flamenco’ is one of the most vibrant, passionate and exciting dances – so it stands to reason that any restaurant clever enough to incorporate the word ‘flamenco’ in its name, would try to embody as many of those attributes as possible. Just like the legendary dance, Colmao Flamenco relies heavily on tradition – for the dance it’s cultural, for the restaurant it’s family.<br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Situated in the Spanish quarter of Melbourne, on the busy Johnston St, Colmao is easily discernable from the other little restaurants jostling for shoulder space – it’s the one with the cute flamenco dancer doll in the window. It was Friday night so we were prepared for the place to be packed, as it always is on the weekend, and sure enough when we walked in without a reservation the waitress smiled and took my mobile number to call me in 20 minutes when they had a table free. So the boy and I walked out and into the next door bar to have a Corona and listen to the band tune up for later.<br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">20 minutes later and we’re seated on comfortably padded chairs in a much quieter restaurant. On the table we had salt, pepper, cutlery and cloth napkins – yay! Our menus were delivered and we settled back to decide on food. I had heard of the Sangria from Colmao before – almost the stuff of legend around Melbourne … and surely the drink of choice at the annual Latin Festival (in November). We ordered a litre ($15) which came in a real ceramic jug accompanied by two matching tumblers – perfect for keeping the Sangria chilled.<br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">There is the menu with a selection of cold and hot entrees followed by the meat, fish and specialty dishes, there is also a blackboard above the bar with recommended dishes and then a ‘daily specials’ further left of the main board. In the menu you can choose from empanadas, fried sardines, patatas bravas, chorizo skewers, marinated green olives and octopus in tomato sauce. We chose the chorizo skewers and cod-fish fritters (from the recommended board) – the sausages were nicely grilled and smoky with paprika, a little chewy for my liking but the boy liked them. I really enjoyed the fritters, which came in a tiny tapas pan, all golden and fluffy swimming in a rich tomato and garlic sauce which begged for bread to sop up … mmmm..<br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">So many mains to choose from but for us we couldn’t go past paella – that wonderfully golden Valencian dish of rice studded with chunks of chicken, fresh sweet prawns, New Zealand green-lipped mussels, olives and gloriously tender strips of calamari. The serving is for two – and believe me when I tell you its enough – can easily feed four. The rice was cooked perfect for a paella, some people complain when they encounter a bite to the rice, expecting a more risotto-like feel in the mouth but it’s normal for paella to have some al dente.<br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">As full as you will undoubtedly be, you will have room for chocolate con churros (Spanish donuts with dipping chocolate). Four strips of dough deep-fried and tossed in cinnamon sugar cuddled up to a tiny shot-glass of melted chocolate – surely if there is a heaven and this is the dessert they serve for afternoon tea. Any dessert that lures you to stick your finger in the almost empty chocolate glass and lick with moans of pleasure will get my vote any day.</span> </div><div align="justify"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5