Melbourne's bargain foodie

Cumulus Inc.

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:00:00 +0000

The meal at Cumulus inc. was easily one of my enjoyable meal in recent times, I left there a very satisfied man.

Let me take you through it. I went there for late lunch (2+ in the afternoon), place was packed, tables were all taken, only seats available were two seats at the bar.

2 kinds of Bread (Wholemeal and white) were served. Definitely not your average bread, set the tone for the meal. Firstly, crispy school prawns sautéed with chilli and garlic. The best of both worlds, you get the sweetness of the prawns, and the crispness of the shell. Have it whole, with a twist of lemon and you are in heaven.

Crispy school prawns sautéed with chilli and garlic-$14

Next up Kitchen Charcuterie selection, wagyu bresoala, prociutto, salami and pressed chicken terrine. Recently I've been a sucker for charcuterie plates, so I enjoyed everything. If I had to choose my favourite, I would go for the Wagyu Bresoala, for very obvious reasons.

Kitchen Charcuterie selection-$24

For mains, we had the Crumbed pig tails and buttered snails, a dish as beautiful as it sounds. Been wanting to try some pig's tail since Fergus Henderson crumbed up some pig tail's on Masterchef. The version at Cumulus's is less rustic, the pig's tail here is beautifully crumbed (with Japanese Panko), what you get is unctuous pork fillings and crisp coating, it was simply amazing. The buttered snails on the side, was beautifully cooked, juicy and flavourful, it was flawless.

Mustard Crumbed Pig's Tails with buttered snails, pickled shallots and watercress-$21

To accompany the dish a salad that was out of this world, the perfect complement to the oily, buttery main of pig's tail. This fresh, zingy and textural salad was a real surprise, it was like having a refreshing, light risotto. Terrific!

Cracked Wheat, freekah salad, preserved lemon and barberries-$11

To cap it off, a very well though out dessert. Again Andrew McConnell, has weaved his magic, a dessert that have everything, colour, texture, good contrasting flavours. The combination, of the heat from the ginger granita, and bitter sweet ruby grapefruit (fresh and jelly) is really beautiful. The Vanilla Ice cream adds decadence, all in all a great restaurant style dessert.

Ginger Granita, grapefruit and vanilla ice cream

Cumulus inc

45 Flinders Ln
Melbourne Victoria 3000, Australia
Ph: (03) 9650 1445

http://www.cumulusinc.com.au/

Open 7 days

Score: 4.75/5

View Larger Map

Shira nui- lunch special

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:00:00 +0000

I am a big fan of Shira Nui, have always opted for Omakase, every time I do go there. I heard that they serve a pretty damn good lunch too, so I checked it out.

Drum-rolls...

Fresh Sashimi of tuna, salmon and kingfish on a bed of rice. The dish is made more opulent with servings of unagi, king prawn and tamago. The result is a mish mash of everything that is good about Japanese food, freshness, simplicity and clean flavours.

Kaisendon

I opted for the tempura soba, cause I am a sucker for it, loved it since my fateful trip to Japan, where I grew to appreciate. The tempura at Shira Uni is pretty solid, light and crisp, pretty much what you will find in most good Japanese restaurant.

Tempura Soba

Between our mains, we were able to squeeze in a couple of their signature sushis. Beef cooked on a side, drizzled with a sweet onion sauce of sort. The Salmon quickly pan fried seasoned, was spicy and peppery. The downside? IT cost a bomb. $18 for 4 pieces!

Beef and Salmon Sushi

Food For Though: Lunch Sets are about $20, they usually include Miso Soup/Rice/Chawanmushi, depending on the set.

Score:4/5
Open Tue-Sat 12pm-2pm,
6pm-10pm

Shira Nui
247 Springvale Rd Glen Waverley
VIC 3150
PH: (03) 9886 7755

View Larger Map

Dead Man Espresso!

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:25:00 +0000

Dead man Espresso rocks, serves up one the best coffee in this side of town (I am sure the boys at St.Ali, might beg to differ) and along with that, a highly innovative brunch/lunch menu.

I had the their take on a Panzanella Salad, salad of stale bread, was sexed up with two smoky sausages, poached eggs, basil pesto and heirloom tomatoes. The dish was an overall winner, with sausage adding oomps, and the flowing larva of egg yolk that is easily soaked by the bread.

The use of heirloom tomatoes was interesting, where one could taste the subtleties of the three different tomatoes. On the downside, the massive amount of pepper on the pesto was unforgivable, it was too peppery, I had to spoon it off.

Panzanella salad of smoky sausages, eggs, pesto and heirloom tomatoes

This is my breakfast dish of the year, sheer brilliance. Buttered toasted Brioche sandwich, a spinach puree of sort, the most succulent, unctuous piece of pork belly. Finish with the Gazpacho, and you will end the meal with a clean, refreshing note. The basic salad on the side didn't do much for me, it was OK, basic greens you find in the market, dressed simply.

"B.L.T"

Score: 4/5

Open Weekdays 7am-4pm;
Weekends 8am-4pm

35 Market St
South Melbourne VIC 3205
Ph:(03) 9686 2255
http://www.deadmanespresso.com.au/

View Larger Map

Ocha 2 Go

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:06:00 +0000

Its such a shame that a Japanese restaurant of Ocha 2 Go's quality is not available in every suburb in Melbourne. The food I had, was nothing less gratifying, worth every second driving down the often clogged Burwood Road.

A selection of Sushi and Sashimi, is restricted to Salom and Tuna, but boy was it good. Really really fresh tuna, and salmon was presented. It was capped with a lovely roll of salmon avocado, extravagantly topped with cod roe.

Sashimi and Sushi -$14.50

The supposedly legendary prawn balls. Deep fried prawns balls, crumbed with oats (not too different from weet-bixs), served on a bed shredded daikon. Nice, savoury and crunchy, but nothing extraordinary, the daikon cuts the greasyness.

Ocha Prawn Balls- $12

This dish is a winner for me, comfort food at its best. Marinated minced chicken, and scrambled eggs, and peas on top of rice. The excess sauce from the minced chicken floats the rice somewhat, making this dish even more irresistible.

Soboro Rice- $14.50

Open Tue-Thu 11:30am-2:30pm,
5:30pm-9:30pm;
Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm;
Sat 5:30pm-10pm;
Sun 5:30pm-9:30pm

64 Burwood Rd
Hawthorn VIC 3122
Ph:(03) 9819 6928
http://www.ocha.com.au/ocha2go.html

View Larger Map

Vue Cafe @ 401

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:45:00 +0000

We were at Cafe Vue (St. Kilda Road) last week and had the $35 (two courses) from the menu de jour. We ordered an entree dish and a main each.

The duck ravioli was good, generous filling of richly flavoured duck, finished with a cream sauce and fried sage. A beautiful entree dish, a delightful way to start a meal.

Duck Ravioli

If the duck ravioli, this was excellent, a dish fit for a king. Beautifully seared scallops, on a truffled mashed potato, horseradish puree. This is great, applaud for searing the scallops to perfection (nice and rare in between) and aromatic mashed potato was on another level.

Scallops, truffled mashed potato

Classic chef's dish. Chefs love to use cheap cuts of meats and turn them into something exquisite. On this occasion, the boys @ Cafe Vue, cooked the beef cheek to perfection, it was really tender. In addition, baby vegetables were also served.

Braised Beef Cheeks and Baby Vegetables

My partner in crime chose the miso marinated fillet of barramundi, with wine sauce. The fish was cooked very nicely, the miso wasn't over powering. Yumm. A showcase of technique and knowledge of pairing of ingredients.

The Vue Cafe on St Kilda Road, offers a slightly more informal kind of dining, and not so much a cafe per se.

Good Value for money meal, $35 for two really well executed dishes.

Food: $10-$35
Score: 4/5
Hours: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Vue Cafe @ 401

401 St Kilda Rd

South Yarra, VIC 3141
www.vuedemonde.com.au

View Larger Map

Hunky Dory

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Hunky Dory is my favourite Fish and Chips place in Melbourne. Period.

I have been to numerous Fish and Chips places (e.g. Hooked) I reckon this place is still the best.

I love Hunky Dory for many reasons, but especially for the: good batter, friendly service, fantastic Greek salad and of course really really fresh seafood.

The "Asian"-$16.50

Three really fresh fillets of fish seared to perfection on the hot grill, topped with some delicious sweet chili sauce. The fish is accompanied with rice/chips and salad ( greek, garden, rocket) and a wedge of lemon. This a favourite of ours, the chewy rice and crunchy salad, complements the fish really well. The drizzle of the ubiquitous sweet chili really added the yumm factor.

Bay Pack-$10.70

The bay pack is classic fish and chips combo, with the exception of two little calamari rings. I love the how chewy the batter is, nice texture when you bite into it. The chips are OK, and they serve it with good tartar sauce serve on a scallop shell.

Food for thought: Be prepared to wait, if eating in on most nights. If not, opt for the takeaway.

Hunky Dory do not have an EFTPOST facility, so please bring some cash.

Score:3.75

Hours: Monday- Sunday 11:30- 12am

Hunky Dory
3/181 Bay St,
Port Melbourne VIC 3207
Ph: (03) 9646 1020‎

View Larger Map

Mart 130

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 04:17:00 +0000

Tram stop number 130 on the 96 route is my favourite, tram stop. Mart 130 (Tram spelled backwards), have all the components of a kick-ass cafe, great buzz, friendly service, good coffee, and of course great food. I have been there heaps of times, and 9 out of 10 occasions, its excellent. Its pretty much the same, this time around.

Seated down on the communal table, orders were taken without fuss. We ordered the Number 3. and the baked beans (non-vegetarian option-with ham hock).

This dish is light and fresh, shavings of smoked salmon, was topped with organic poached eggs, all sitting on a creme fraiche lathered sourdough. A light and refreshing dish like this is just what you need to start your day.

No. 3

This dish might look mushy, unattractive and unappealing, but this dish is about substance then presentation. The baked beans cooked to perfection in a rich stew. Again it was on top of sourdough (apparently sourced from Dench), and the uber delicious goat cheese.

Ham hock baked beans with crumbed goat's cheese and sourdough

Food For Thought: Unless you get there really early, avoid weekends/public holidays, the wait is usually horrendously long.

Food:$10-$20
Score: 4/5
Hours: Early Morning-Late Afternoon

Mart 130
107a Canterbury Road,
Middle Park VIC,3206
Ph: (03) 9690 8831‎

View Larger Map

Salsa's

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Salsa's is a guilty pleasure of mine. This Mexican fast food place really hits the notes for me, and is a must go when I visit Chadstone.

The food here is probably not REAL mexican food per say, but really tasty none the less.

I'll give you a snapshot.

Shoe-string fries are tossed with seasoning, (similar to Nando's peri peri salt, but with a hint of lime salt). And if you are really hungry you could order nacho fries, a chilli corn-carne esque topping, plus cheese and onion, and peppers.

Nacho Fries

Burritos are really filling, savoury ground meat, refried beans, wrap firmly, with the ubiquitous iceberg lettuce and tomatoes. The combination of crunchy lettuce, mysterious ground meat, with warm tortilla wrap is really damn good. A friend of mine, can down 2-3 of these burritos. Easy.

Original Burrito Baby!

The "bowl", is just what they have in burritos unwrapped and served in a bowl, (without the wrap, which means minus the calories. The 5 vegetables marketed to be in the "bowl" is sure to target people who are health conscious. But to have sparse servings of broccoli, onions, carrots, peppers, will not help to offset the massive calorie intake of starch and protein (chicken and rice).
None the less, Its still very enjoyable, and I will be happy to much down on it everyday!

5 Vegs & Meat

Score: 3.5/5

Salsa's
Shop 65B, Chadstone Shopping Centre
1341 Dandendong Road
Chadstone, VIC 3148
Ph: (03) 9569 1131

View Larger Map

Zen Japanese Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Zen Japanese restaurant on the surface, look like any other regular Japanese restaurant in suburban Melbourne, but delve deeper and you will find a restaurant with grace and well executed food.

Lunch boxes are a steal, at $9-9.50, its one of the most value for money lunch boxes in this side of town. You get a salad, a main, rice and Miso Soup.

A refreshing salad of crunchy lettuce dressed with light sesame based dressing, was a nice start.

A properly cooked Miso soup is rare these days, even in some decent Japanese restaurants, restaurants nowadays seem to take shortcut approach of cooking them (water+ miso soup pack). I can't vouch that the one at Zen is not made from the soup pack, but the miso i had was pretty good.

The Nasu-Dengaku was solid delicious, thick, savoury/sweet miso splattered over a baked eggplant. A play on texture and and flavour.

Nasu-Dengaku

And to the main dishes...

They both essentially have the same teriyaki sauce on them. Teriyaki sauce, was OK, nothing really to rave about. The salmon fillet was executed to perfection Salmon, while chicken was cooked well with chars on both side, whilst retaining juiciness in the middle.

Chicken Teriyaki and House Salad

Salmon Teriyaki and House Salad

In addition, the service was really top notched service staff were gracious, and the constant pouring of tea into our empty tea cups, I would have to admit, left us slightly embarrassed.

Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30 - 2:30
Dinner Mon-Sun 18:00 - 22:00
Fully Licensed & BYO (wine only)

Score: 3.75/5

388 Burwood Rd,
Hawthorn, VIC3122
Ph:(03) 9818 0116
http://www.zenjp.com.au/

View Larger Map

Momotaro Ramen

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:01:00 +0000

I heard of lots of good things about this ramen house on Bridge road, some even consider it to be the BEST in Melbourne. With such a bold claim, I was the on the next available first train to Richmond.

I will have to admit that a lazy and hot evening was not probably the most ideal day to have a hot, bowl of ramen noodles, but my insatiable appetite and curiosity for the ramen was too much to bear.

Momotaro ramen is not the most flashiest of places, fits only 20+ people tops, orders are made at the counter and food delivered to your table.

I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen, (stock made with pork bone marrow) it was topped with beansprouts, nori, egg, corn, ramen and of course a slice of pork (chashu). What hit me first was how much lighter the stock is compared to the one the fammous Ramen Store in Sdyney (Gumshara Ramen) Next was how tender, juicy and flavoursome the pork was. While the other ingredients fell short, egg was too cooked for my liking ( I love those runny yolk, soft boiled eggs that they serve in other ramen houses) and the corn was bland. The ramen noodle, I would say was better than average at the very best.

Tonkotsu Ramen

SM ordered the Shoyu based ramen, (made with soya based soup), it was topped with the basic ingredient, the soup was definitely lighter and less "meaty/savoury" taste to it. The ingredients were almost essentially the same with the tonkatsu ramen, and more or less had the same taste/ flavour profile.

Shoyu-based Ramen

I haven't had the chance to try other Ramen places in Melbourne, but judging on what I had that day, I will be pretty disappointed, if it was indeed the best ramen house in Melbourne.

Food for thought: There was a picture on the wall, of the chef with Jacques Raymond.

Momotaro Ramen392 Bridge Rd,
Richmond VIC 3121
Ph:(03) 9421 1661‎

Tue-Sat: L: 11:30am-2:30pm
Tue-Sat: D: 6pm-9:30pm

Score: 3/5

I Carusi

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:05:00 +0000

My general inclination to anything Pizza has brought me here, which according to its name suggest its the original branch of the Pizzaria I carusi II (St. Kilda).

And not unlike its St Kilda cousin, this branch is housed in a simple building, rather drab building where it does not do justice, considering the awesome pizza they have on offer.

The night started off pleasantly, where we were seated in the corner at back of the restaurant, a simple printed A4 paper menu was given to us.

A decision was made to have a small pizza each, where we had the Grey Oregano, the Salmone and the all moda de giuseppe.

The all moda de giuseppe which had rosemary and potato toppings was a hit, rosemary scented potaoes were perfectly cooked, while the caramelized onion gave a hint of sweetness.

This decedent pizza was layered with delicious smoked salmon and then further topped up with those golden pearls of goodness: salmon roe. Yumm.

The Grey oregani pizza (not pictured) is a celebration of all great about Italian, exquisite slithers of prosciutto and savoury Parmiagiano Regiano dominated the crust, while the rocket leaves gave it a pepperish, bitter finish.

To put an icing on the cake as they say, we ordered ordered a mixed Chocolate Calzone and dark chocolate pear pizza (both) were served with a lovely vanilla ice cream that were complete with speckles of vanilla beans. While the Calazone was borderline orgasmic, the poached pear was a disappointment, it was grossly overcooked it was really soft, it lacked bite.

But overall I still love I carusi, pizzas are good and fairly priced. I will be coming back here soon enough, but on that occasion, I would give the Pear a miss.

Meat Wine & Co

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

I attended a birthday dinner @ the Meat Wine & Co last week, we had a set meal already planned for us, which consisted of a selection of entree (garlic bread and mixed ribs), mains of either Angus Steak, chicken Skewers, Salmon Skewers and vegetarian pasta. Dessert was a selection of either Creme Brulee or Pecan Pie.

The Entree of garlic bread was nothing to rave about, toasted bread smeared with garlic butter, neither tasty nor bad. While, the entree of mixed ribs ( lamb, pork, beef) were pretty average, apart from the pork ribs which were a hit on the table.

I ordered the angus steak for the mains (what else?), 120 days grain fed beefy goodness was cooked to my liking, it was rich and succulent and served with the obligatory chips! We were also served a selection of sauces that we could choose from( peppercorn, garlic, mustard, etc)

To cap it off, the desserts were served and needlessly presented in an outlandish manner.

Creme Brulee- It was not good at all, the custard was disappointingly bland. It was boring. In addition, the sad looking pastries at the other end of the plate, really did not do anything to the dish.

Creme Brulee

Pecan Pie- It was surprisingly good, nutty, savoury goodness topped with chunky malt ice cream and caramel gave. It was a fine end to an enjoyable dinner.

Pecan Pie

Meat Wine & Co
Freshwater Place,
Queensbridge Square, 3 Queensbridge St
Southbank VIC 3006
Ph: (03) 9696 5333

http://www.themeatandwineco.com/

Mon-Thurs
Lunch: 12-3pm
Dinner: 6-10pm

Friday-Saturday
12pm-late

Sunday
12pm-10pm

Score:3.5/5

Lunch @ St. Ali

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:55:00 +0000

St Ali has always been known for their splendid coffee, however it might surprise some that it serves good, breakfast/brunch/lunch.

We were there on a lazy afternoon, parked the car @ Coles and strolled our way to this grungy cafe.

We ordered the "my mexican cousin" and "lamb pizza", and of course the all too famous St. Ali coffee (see St Ali post)

My Mexican Cousin

Very similar to Mart 130's corn fritters. The corn was plumb and juicy, the salsa complimented the poached egg and fritter well. A nice and decent dish all together. It however could do without the greens, it did not add any flavour to the dish.

Lamb Pizza

The lamb in the "lamb pizza" (Pide base), is reminiscence to the pizzas at Lucky Coq, good bold flavours. A dollop of yogurt and rocket gave it an extra dimension. Another decent dish on offering at St Ali.

12-18 Yarra Place
South Melbourne VIC 3205
Ph: (03) 9686 2990
http://www.stali.com.au/
http://stalimelbourne.wordpress.com/

Mon-Sat 7.30am-5.00pm
Sunday 8.30am-4.00pm
$3.50-$7 (Drinks and Cakes)
$13-$25 (Food and Beverages)

i carusi ii

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:30:00 +0000

This blog post has been in the backburner for quite sometime but here we go...

Actually I have driven/walked past this restaurant quite of few times, without bothering the find out what the fuss was (it was always crowded though).

So when my brother who is from out of town, brought me there, I was pleasantly suprised and excited at the prospect of trying it out. To my surprise it was a pizzeria.

This pizzeria has a distinctive, casual, easy going feel, housed in a corner building, where quality cured meats are hung. We arrived on a weekday night and it was pretty full, we had to wait for a good while even though we had made reservations.

We were eventually seated after a short while, we ordered two savory pizza and a dessert pizza.

Grey Oregano-$16

This pizza is a homage to prosciutto, great pizza base and crust supplemented the experience. I can seriously have this everyday of the week.

Gamberi Piccante-$18

Juicy and plump tiger prawns of the bed of the i carusi piza base, it could possibly be one of the most extravagant pizza i have had. Pity, we only had one tiger prawn each,

Pizza Dolce- Strawberry and chocolate ($9.50)

To cap off this pizza centric meal, we finished the meal with a dessert pizza of warm chocolate, strawberry on a pizza base and icing sugar. It was nirvana on the plate, the combination of warm chocolate, and slightly salty base was really magical. And if you feel like rewarding yourself after a long day, do add a dollop of fresh cream, so so sinful.

I Carusi II,
231 Barkly Street
St Kilda 3182 VIC
Ph: (03) 9593 6033
http://www.icarusiii.com.au/

Open 7 days from 6pm

Score: 4/5

Out of Town: Beijing, China

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

I was also in Beijing, China for a couple for nights, really love Beijing for its rich history and beautiful ancient buildings...

Forbidden City

Chinese "Fast Food"

This pack of rice, was bought in the cafe inside the walls of the forbidden city, hot water was added at the bottom of the box, and it was steaming away. After ten minutes, a bowl of steamed rice and mince pork was ready to be eaten!

Forbidden City: Blanketed in Snow

Forbidden City

Wang Fu Jing "Small Eats" Street

The Bird Nest Stadium

The Cube

Dong Hua Men "Small Eats" Streets

This had a slightly more authentic feel that the Wang fu jing small eats street. (which I did not really bother to document) Walk towards the Lotte mall, and make a left if walking from Wang fu jing station direction.

Probably the worst tasting drink in the world:" Lemon Water"

The Ubiquitous candy

Old Beijing...

Chinese Satay anyone?

Pupae anyone?

Unidentified dried goods!
Sea Horse

Smelly Dofu

Note: In my previous post, I said that I would post pictures of my dining experience at a famous Peking Duck restaurant (Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant), but the pictures turn up, very bad, so I will not post it. However, I really do recommend eating the Peking Duck there as it was really outstanding! I tried eating the famous Quan Ju de restaurant (they have a branch in Melbourne , Elizabeth Street) and concluded that Da Dong was way superior, in every sense.

The address is:
Dongsishitiao,
southwest of Dongsi shi tiao Bridge
Nanxincang International Building
Ph: (010) 5169-0328

Out of Town: Shanghai, China

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:55:00 +0000

I was in Shanghai for a couple of days, pleasantly surprised how much far it has come since my last trip there...

Outside Shanghai's old town

Shanghai Old Town- Swamped with tourist and tourist goodies

Yue Yuen Garden, Shanghai

Roasted Chinese Chestnut: A steal @ around AUD$ 2.5 /500g

The World Famous Xiao Long Bao Restaurant:
Nan Xiang Steamed Bun Restaurant

Baskets of Xiao Long Bao

Close-up of a staff making Xiao Long Bao

tang bao

Nan Xiang steamed bun restaurant is very famous and some considered it to have the best XLB (Xiao Long Bao) in the world. I am sure some would concur, but heck, the XLB I had that night was freaking wicked, especially the ones with crab roe, and the funky looking tang or soup bun- it was out of this world. The soup bun had a straw attached to it, which allowed diners to sip on the rich soup stock.

It was a memorable experience, and because of the uniqueness of some of the XLB, I think it was better than Hutong's ( I do have to point out that the pork XLBs are pretty much the same as the ones at Hutong! Great job Hutong Melbourne!)

Note: The Nan Xiang yu yuen branch, has two levels, 1st level does takeaway and the second level does full table service.

Nan Xiang Steamed Bun Restaurant
85 Yuyuan Road,(2nd Flr) Huangpu, Shanghai
+86 21 6355 4206

Out of town: China

noreply@blogger.com (smellymosquito) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:29:00 +0000

I have not had the chance to review Melbourne's eateries as I have been away from Melbourne during the festive seasons.

To compensate for it, (well sort off) I will post, posts on some great places to go if, or when you do go to China.

Among them, is a very famous Xiao Long Bao and a modern Peking duck restaurant in Beijing.

Stay tuned...

Jock's Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:27:00 +0000

This ice creamery in Albert park was recently voted to have one of the best ice creams in Melbourne. It is easy to understand why, Jock's goes beyond the conventional flavours. Wacky flavours such as Obama-Rama ( Peanut butter & Jelly), a reference to President Obama's victory in the US presidential election. Jock's is however most famous for their fresh take on Hokey Pokey (Vanilla ice cream and tofee), which I quote from the age epicure "...will cause a riot if they sell out". Jock's are also known for their seasonality, new ice cream flavours are introduced every now and then.

Other notable flavours that I have tried and enjoyed include: baked apple, kiwi sorbet, raspberry panna cotta, gingerbread and pistachio.

Jock's Ice Cream
83 Victoria Ave
Albert Park VIC 3206‎
Ph: (03) 9686 3838‎
Daily: noon-9pm

Ice Cream starts from $2.20

Score: 4/5

Gumshara Ramen

noreply@blogger.com (smellymosquito) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:37:00 +0000

I came here with very high expectations after the wonderful post by Grab Your Fork on Gumshara Ramen. Captured in vivid details were the painful process of making this deceivingly simple looking bowl of ramen noodles. This noodle soup, is made with, water, pork bones and a whole lot of LOVE.

The result is a super thick & rich broth, that is unrivaled. While I greatly admire the chef's work and tremendous efforts in creating this bowl of noodles, is not entirely too my liking, in my personal opinion too salty ( I understand that you can request for one that is less salty/thick). It was also made worse by me ordering the ramen with garlic, which of course has a surprisingly intense garlic taste, which I am not a big fan of.

Another criticism that I can put forward is the lack of texture in the dish, maybe it is made that way, i.e. texture is not a key component of the dish. Nonetheless, it did pop into my mind when i was eating it.

I did entirely enjoy the expertly cooked pork slices, (other places tend to make it really chewy) and the most beautiful seasoned soft-boiled egg.

I must say that I am slightly disappointed with the noodles that evening. (maybe it has got to do over expectations)

I must say, I will give it the benefit of the doubt and try it again, this time minus the garlic and milder version of the broth. Thank you.

Garlic Pork Tonkatsu Ramen-$10.50

Gumshara Ramen
Shop209, 25-29 Dixon Street
Haymarket, NSW 2000
Tuesday- Sunday 10am-10pm

Noodles Start @ $8.50

Score:3/5

Quay

noreply@blogger.com (smellymosquito) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:20:00 +0000

I was in Sydney for a couple of days and could not resist the lunch menu, at Quay. The lunch menu represents a collection of Quay's signature dishes.

We arrived after a walk in the unapologetic Sydney sun, located stone's throw away from the the Sydney Opera House and Harbour bridge, the restaurant has great views of the waters.

We opted for the 3 course which is $95 (pricey, but well worth
it)

We were offered bread and butter to start with, I chose the organic sourdough and smellymosquito opted for the polenta/sun flower seed.

A complimentary appetizer/hors D'oeuvre was then served. A beautiful, tuna tartare, tapioca pearls and horseradish creme fraiche.

Appetizer

We then proceeded to entrees, where we each ordered two separate dishes, I had the mud crab "congee" , a take on traditional rice congee, a rich deceivingly simple dish.

Mud Crab Congee

SM ordered the aptly named sea pearls, beautiful looking gems of the seas are presented as such. From top, bluefin tuna sashimi, octupus tentacles, dashi jelly, scallops. Not only was it aesthetically beautiful it also went down on the palate. This was the highlight of the lunch.

Sea Pearls

Entrees were followed by mains, which I had duck confit and SM, the sublime truffle poached chicken breast.

The confit of duck was well presented, nice and crisp , delicious. The addition, of the baby vegetables ( garlic shoots, baby onions, etc), in my opinion did not really add a whole lot. But overall, the dish was still a winner, and I would order it again.

Duck Confit, scallops with baby vegetables

The most succulent chicken breast, when the wait staff, told us about the special, I was awfully worried, poached chicken breast, sounds really unappetizing. However, kudos to Quay, it was outstanding, a testament of the Peter Gilmore's technique. The chicken breast was flavorful, juicy and delicious.

Truffle-poached Chicken Breast

To top it off, we each went for the Quay's signature desserts the snow peach egg and eight texture chocolate cake.

The white peach snow egg, was very original, a ball, of egg white with white peach as the "yolk", in a bed of shaved ice. The sudden explosion of the white peach was pleasing to the eye and palate.

White Peach Snow egg part 1

White Peach Snow egg part 2

The waiter came with a pot of ganache and said "this is the last, eighth texture of the cake" After which, we cheekily counted the textures in the cake! The dessert was rich and decadent, amazing stuff!

Eight Texture chocolate cake.

The view from the our table

Quay
Circular Quay West
Sydney 2000
Ph: (02) 9251 5600
http://www.quay.com.au/index.html

Lunch:Tuesday- Friday 12-2:30pm
Dinner: Monday-Sunday 6-10pm

Score: 4.75/5

Horoki

noreply@blogger.com (smellymosquito) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:00:00 +0000

I have been really busy in recent while, so posts have not been published as frequently as it should be. But anyhow, now that I have a little breather, postings should be more frequent.

A couple of nights ago, I visited this Modern Japanese eating place and I was really blown away by the food there. The small eatery/ drinking hole, serves food to share ( japanese tapas style like the ones they @ Aka tombo, but just more inventive and progressive)

Among the two of us, we ordered 5 dishes

The first of which was the tuna carpaccio was packed with flavour, sliced tuna, dressed with soy, with shavings of parmigiano reggiano, and Jap mayonaise on the edges. This funky dish, packed a punch, the combination of the cheese, soy and tuna was surprisingly good. It had the added amusement of being served in the biggest plate in the world, I swear.

Tuna Carpaccio-$13.50

Next in line, was the daikon salad. Heck, who would have thought that daikon tastes that good, shavings of daikon, slithers of "rice crackers", Sashimi of : king fish, tuna, salmon, scallops and cod roe gave make this dish a real hit. It was a play on texture, as it was on flavour, really great.

Daikon Salad-$13.50

Thirdly, a "snack-size" pizza of chicken teriyaki, a playfull take on regular pizza. I swear you find of these in cafes and drinking houses in Japan. Shredded chicken and sweet corn litters the pizza, finished with teriyaki sauce, spring onions and seaweed.

Chicken Teriyaki Pizza-$11.50

The Fourth dish, Japanese style spicy cod roe pasta. That sauce, man...its orgasm on a plate. It was explosive (literally) spicy cod roe butter sauce-AMAZING. A great candidate for my last meal.

Last but not least, oven roasted octopus (not pictured). Probably, the only glitch of the night, it was overcooked, tough and rubbery. Not to mention bitter. I will give it a pass.

The bill was about $80, with a bottle of sake, it is not cheap, but its definitely worth it.

Horoki
19 Liverpool St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph:(03) 9663 2227
Open Weekdays 12pm-2:30pm
6pm-11pm; Sat 6pm-11pm

Score: 4/5

Peko Peko

noreply@blogger.com (smellymosquito) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:58:00 +0000

A modern Asian Cafe to say the least. This little retreat on Wells Street appeals to the the "office and residential crowd". It seems to be always busy during the day and the night. This modern cafe offers, tasty, innovative Taiwanese/Japanese food. Dishes such as chicken pop, teppan chicken, tobiko scallops and wasabi mayo beef Strips are a must try.

Chicken Pop Peko Box- $11.50

Taiwanese Beef Noodle-$8

P.S: It gets so busy on Friday/Saturday nights that you might need to make reservations!

Peko Peko
190 Wells St
South Melbourne VIC 3025
Ph: (03) 9686 1109

Fri 10:30am-10pm
Sat 12-10pm

Score: 3.5/5

Lindt Cafe's Macaron

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:33:00 +0000

I still can't get past the fact that they charge double for eating in as opposed to take-aways! But none the less, they do good macarons. The macarons, not in order are: chocolate, dark chocolate, rose, strawberry, hazelnut, pistachio (my favourite).

Assorted Lindt Macaron

Lindt Cafe

271 Collins St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: (03) 9667 0900

Open Mon-Thu 7:30am-7pm
Fri 7:30am-9pm
Weekends 9:30am-7pm

Score: 3.5/5

Shira Nui Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:30:00 +0000

Could this be Melbourne's best sushi restaurant? Book early, sit at the counter and have Omakase. Allow Chef-Hiro to take charge, as he bedazzles you with slick knife skills and funky blow torches. Sushi here is bold and flavorsome, the use of exotic ingredients executed with perfection. You are expected to have a minimum of 7-8 different Sushi, where thereafter is up to you.

We started snapping away only after the 3rd sushi. The 3rd sushi was blanched squid, the squid was expertly scored by the Chef-Hiro, and then taken to the kitchen to blanch. It was topped with a sweet "soy" dressing, the result is the perfect squid sushi, delicious.

Squid: A Work of Art?

Beef Tataki: Rare beef thinly slices, seared and topped with "yakiniku-esque" sauce, if this does not get you going, I do not know what will. Very very good.

Beef Tataki: Beefilicious

Blow-torched Japanese Sea Pike: The fish itself had a slight fishy flavour, which is similar to Mackerel.

Japanese Sea Pike

Maguro (Tuna) Steak: This is sort of a classic, beautifully seared tuna (nice and rare in the inside topped with a sweet soya sauce dressing. This absolutely rocks.

Maguro Steak

Kingfish marinated in a sweet soy based marinate, results in this delightful sushi. The use of Kingfish is appropriate as it has the it among other fish, has the "body" to take such a heavy marinate.

Marinated King Fish Belly

Spicy Salmon Tartare, was delightful, made into "battleship" style, topped with a delightful raw quail egg. The great knife skills to pry open the eggs and the subsequent separation of yolk and white, is an enjoyment by itself.

Spicy Salmon Tartare

The Baked Oyster sushi was a great modern take on a sushi, lovely baked fresh oyster served "battleship style". The lovely juice from the cheese and oyster was absorbed by rice at the bottom of the sushi. Really really delicious.

Baked Oyster Sushi

Another outstanding Sushi, probably one of my favourite! Chef-Hiro asked if we wish to have something different, in terms of flavour, he says that "its nicer than scallops!". Cod fish is torched and dressed with sweet miso.

Sweet Miso Cod

Lovely scallop was seared to perfection, the sweet and fresh flavours of the scallops really blended well with the vinigered sushi. Execellent. A must have at Shira Nui.

Scallops

The pinnacle of the meal. We completed the meal with this decadent, fatty salmon belly. The salmon roe was the icing on the cake, absolutely delish!

Salmon Belly

This complimentary sushi was one of a kind, jelly of tuna and prawn wrapped battleship style, topped with spring onions. It gave a clean and refreshing end to this great sushi experience.

Tuna and Prawn jelly Sushi

Shira Nui
247 Springvale Rd
Glen Waverley VIC 3150
Ph: (03) 9886 7755
Open Tue-Sat 12pm-2pm, 6pm-10pm

Omakase- 7 to 8 type of sushi @ about $70-$80
Score: 4.5/5

Cafe Vue

noreply@blogger.com (arnold) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:58:00 +0000

Shannon Bennett Vue De Monde's must be one of the most enchanting places to eat in Melbourne, the attention to details and service, the execution of exquisite ingredients with great finesse. It is no doubt one of Melbourne's premier dining experience-the Rolls Royce of dining in Melbourne. This "rolls royce of dining" experience however will set you $150! (That is excluding drinks, tips etc.)

US mortals however are still able to savour his inventive cooking, through his more restrained Cafe Vue.

This Cafe offers mortals the chance to sample some of his take on modern cooking, a small menu, of baguettes and pastries fills the counter, made to order food includes dishes such as the Vue burger, Wagyu beef pies, wraps, etc.

But what I love most about Cafe Vue is the offering of lunch boxes (changes every month). The lunch boxes usually consist of a Starter, a savoury, a salad and a sweet.

The September Menu consist of Red pepper gazpacho, Potato & Smoked trout salad, Pork & Coleslaw wrap, Valrhona chocolate macaroon.

Cafe Vue Lunch Box-$15

A short description is as followed:

A refreshing fresh hit of the gazpacho, could have tasted better if the weather had been kind on us, the rain and strong winds did not set up for a gazpacho.

The Potato salad, was well seasoned, perfectly blanched potatoes and rich smoked trout with a mayonnaise-esque dressing.

Savoury was fresh, too fresh, I did not enjoy it, (especially the raw beansprouts), I think they took the concept of this Vietnamese-inspired wrap a little step too far.

Sweet! The macarons were really delicious, chocolate fillings were rich and flavourful.

To cap it off we also had a decadent pear tart.

Pear Tart:$4.50

Cafe Vue
430 Little Collins St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph:(03) 9691 3899
http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/cafe-vue.aspx
Open Weekdays 7am-4pm

Score: 3.5/5