Saturday, November 2, 2013

Waffee - CBD Opening


Once hidden away in Altona, Waffee is finally opening in the CBD!


There's nothing better than an authentic handmade Belgian waffle and a nice cuppa.



They have a gorgeous selection of waffles, my favourite is chocolate stick.
I can't wait until they're open so I can try them all.

They open on the 2nd of November. Go in and enjoy a waffle!


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Mr. Miyagi

Mr. Miyagi is a newly opened Japanese eatery and bar located in Windsor. After hearing a few good things and seeing some promising photos on instagram, I thought it'd be a cool place to check out.

Unfortunately most of my experience with Mr. Miyagi proved to be utterly disappointing and I doubt I'll ever return on my own volition. 
For a place that tries so hard to look Japanese by plastering vintage Kirin beer posters and Japanese newspapers all over their walls and menus, they're probably as Japanese as a california roll. If they bothered to just do a tiny bit more research, they probably wouldn't have failed so much. After I noticed that the chopsticks were placed vertically instead of horizontally...I knew something was amiss.

There were a few other reasons why I left so unsatisfied, which i'll try to explain in this blog.

1. Firsltly, after being seated in a spacious booth the atmosphere was immediately ruined by the stench wafting toward us from the bathroom. It certainly did not get my appetite going.

2. Our first waitress was very nice but she obviously didn't know much about Japanese food. The way she butchered the word gyoza as 'guy-oh-za" or nigiri as 'nigehri' was kind of embarrassing but of course those are honest mistakes. However the second waitress was equally as nice but even more disappointing when she described the japanese omelette on our sushi platter as "a Japanese egg thing, I don't really know what it's called but it's sweet". It's never very reassuring when you know more than the wait staff.

3. Yes, the staff were nice but their incessant asking of if we wanted drinks started to get on my nerves. We were obviously not drinking as the majority of the table asked for mocktails (which were great) yet they still persisted.


4. The sushi and sashimi platter we ordered was just a complete disaster. We waited much longer than expected for it and when it did arrive I was almost....offended. Mr. Miyagi obviously didn't have a proper sushi chef or even a sushi knife from the look of our plate. The slices were ridiculously thick and looked as if they were hacked away with a butter knife. Some pieces were not clearly cut and were still stuck together, another even had a hole in it. The worst part was that they tried to hide these faults in the plating.
Don't even get me started on the nigiri sushi....the pieces were obviously mashed together by hand like a child with a mud pie until a sushi resembling shape emerged. What a bloody joke.




Thankfully there aren't many situations that deep fried food can not salvage and their Miyagi fried chicken with kyupi mayonnaise dipping sauce lived up to its reputation. Also their battered sweet corn, wagyu tataki and tempura battered crab roll proved to be popular items amongst the table. 

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The place looks very trendy and makes up for the lack of any Japanese food on Chapel street but I'd prefer Izakaya den any day.


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Jacques Reymond Cuisine du Temps - Jacques for Jack

Hello Readers,

It was recently my boyfriend, Jack's birthday and so to celebrate the occasion I made a booking at Jacques Reymond's eponymous restaurant. A little Jacques for Jack.

The gorgeous restaurant is located in Prahran, an 1880's mansion with a beautifully lush garden. We rang their doorbell and were warmly welcomed by the staff. We sat in the cellar room, a simple yet modern room with a vast collection of wines and champagne next to our humble little table.

After ordering myself a glass of champagne and having a glance at the menu, we of course decided on the 9 course degustation menu. I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of our first course but it was a flavorsome mushroom broth. A great start to the night that left my taste buds ready for more.


Our second course was yellow fin tuna, smoked salmon mousse, togarashi and lemon caviar. Described as one of the highlights of the evening, this was easily my favourite course of the night. The tuna was heavenly and melted in your mouth but it was the spiced nougatine on top that made this dish a revelation. The delicate snap and the sweetness of the nougatine paired with the tenderness of the tuna was an unusual but genius combination. 


Next was King George Whiting with an acidities of pickles and yuzu. A perfect example of Jacques Reymond's affinity for french technique with asian flavours, a prevalent theme in most of his dishes.


The fourth course was cuttlefish, pork shoulder and crispy chicken skin. A bold dish with an unmistakable Thai influence of tangy, sweet and sour flavours.


Our palate cleanser was the most interesting dish of the night. Parmesan custard, green peas, macerated grapes, wasabi and apple granita. A daring combination to say the least but one that surprisingly works well. The granita was my favourite component, such great and refreshing flavours.


Next was a salad of Flinders Island lamb, smoked eucalyptus scallop, scampi and masterstock jelly. An elegant surf and turf with unbelievably tasty lamb. There was so much flavour packed into that single slice of lamb, and with the addition of scampi and scallop, you simply can't go wrong.


Our next meat course was Sher Wagyu a la plancha, burnt onion and coffee. The beef was of course cooked to perfection and the sauces were a great accompaniment. The mushrooms and every other element of the dish served to enhance the flavour of the beef.


Our adorable little pre-dessert was Carmague organic red rice, apricot and sencha sorbet and champagne foam. The dehydrated raspberries gave the rice pudding a nice bit of bite but I adored the sencha sorbet. As a self proclaimed tea lover, I really enjoyed the it. The sorbet was sweet but still kept the delicate flavour of sencha tea.


Our dessert was Chocolate and chestnut mont blanc, bayleaf and cassis, bourbon chantilly and some spiced figs. What really made this dessert special was a little parcel that arrived with it, pictures above. It was warm and gave off a beautiful aroma that complimented the components of our dessert. It's those sort of little things that really impress me and give the whole dining experience an added....je ne sais quoi.

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We ended our evening with tea and some petit fours. It was very sweet of the staff to write Happy Birthday in chocolate for Jack as well. It was a lovely evening, which I hope he enjoyed as much as I did.

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After dining at Jacques Reymond's my boyfriend and I have officially eaten at all the three hatted restaurants in Melbourne. I feel like I've won some sort of culinary bingo hahaha.

Jacques Reymond has been an iconic Melbourne chef for well over 20 years but unfortunately he will a be retiring in December so I recommend you get in quickly before then. The restaurant will then be left to his two long time deputy chefs Thomas Woods and Hayden McFarland, appropriately renaming the restaurant to The Woodland House. I also hope to try as much of Jacques Reymond's food as possible before he retires so I've secured a booking at the Legends Dinner at Brooks in October, which he is a part of. I'll definitely write a blog about that dinner too.

Thank you for reading.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Steer Bar & Grill


This extremely overdue blog is about Steer Bar and Grill. It's a steakhouse near my work that's satisfying Melbourne's growing demand for a bloody good steak.

Their philosophy is simple; quality steak comes from cows treated with love and respect.
Whilst you're ordering, the staff comes around with a large wooden board with the various cuts of steaks they have placed upon it, which I think is a brilliant idea! Being able to see the steak to get an idea of its marbling and size is extremely helpful when trying to decide. The staff are very friendly and helpful as well, obviously very knowledgeable when it comes to steak.

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We started our evening with half a dozen oysters, which were lovely. 


I would definitely recommend the house cut bacon, it is a must try! The bacon is a juicy and thick slice of pure guilt that comes with an extraordinary housemade BBQ sauce.


Our steaks, as expected were cooked to perfection, so tender and flavourful. No nonsense just the great taste of beef. Our steaks also came with a little bit of bone marrow, which was a tasty treat.


The foie gras potato puree was absolutely divine. I would personally like to thank the person who decided to combine foie gras and pureed potato. I could've polished off the whole bowl on my own, table etiquette was the only thing stopping me from licking the bowl clean.

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The desserts were also a highlight as well.


Their tart was lovely, it had a lot of different elements from marshmallows, jellies, meringues and ice cream.


The most memorable was the Bombe Alaska. The only way to make dessert better is having it set on fire! A touch of theatrics accompanied with ice cream enclosed in meringue. What more could you ask for?
The little bits of jelly with the Bombe Alaska went very well too, a little bit of citrus to cut through the sweetness of the meringue.

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I have to confess I went to Steer twice within 2 weeks, I liked it so much I had to bring more friends. If you're one of my particularly carnivorous readers, definitely give this place a try. 

Thanks for reading, I'll hopefully dish out a new blog soon.


Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Attica


For my 21st birthday, I was lucky enough to have a surprise reservation at the well renowned Attica. A restaurant that has been highly recommended to me and has had a long standing place on my 'Places to go' list. My boyfriend being the attentive, sneaky but adorable boyfriend he is had made a tentative booking since January. I could not be more grateful for having him in my life.

I adored the simplicity of all the dishes at Attica. We naturally went for the 8 course degustation. We found everything was quite minimalist but the complexities and depth of flavours astonish you. 


Our first amuse bouche embodied that very concept. It was a simple dish of Sorrel leaves from their very own garden and housemade creme fraiche. At first it felt strange just eating a single leaf, but the taste took me by surprise. My palate was ready for more!



The next dish was appropriately named 'The Walnut' which came with adorable tiny pickled carrots.
The inside of the walnut is revealed to us by staff and inside is a delicious walnut reduction.


Our final amuse bouche would have to be one of my favourites in terms of presentation. It was a crumbed mussel but the presentation just resonated with me. The simplicity of it, the colours, the contrast, it was all put together so beautifully. The face is painted on a mussel shell and I couldn't help admiring it until our server sadly took the plate away. I'm still wondering whether or not it's Ben Shewry's face....


Our first dish was Western Australian Snow Crab, Shiitake, Eleven Basils and Buckwheat. The delicate crab meat was lovely, which goes well with the strong flavours of the basils and shiitake broth. The added texture of the buckwheat really  brought everything together.


The next dish was Marron and Fermented Corn. A very luxurious dish centred on a succulent piece of Marron. The rich sauce was the perfect accompaniment. 


Our next dish was called  'A simple dish of Potato cooked in the earth it was grown'. There was nothing fancy or complicated about this dish, it just let the flavours and textures speak for itself. The potato tasted amazing and my knife glided through it like butter. I savoured every bite.


This was followed by a dish of Cucumbers, Sauce of Burnet and Dried River Trout. A lovely zesty dish filled with gorgeous shades of green. The dried river trout was not overpowering and went well with the crunchy cucumbers. This dish even impressed my boyfriend who's quite a meat-loving man.


Next was King George Whiting in Paperbark. The fish came to us folded in an envelope of paperbark and we opened it up to release an intoxicating buttery aroma. I ate this dish slowly from left to right, savouring each morsel of fish. 


Our final main waas Flinders Island Wallaby, Scorched Macadamia and Ground Berry. This was my first time eating Wallaby and I enjoyed it alot. It's a very lean meat so it was of course served rare but it was still tender and delicious, not bloody at all. I was pleasantly surprised at how well macadamia and berry went with wallaby. 



Before dessert, we were asked if we'd like a tour of the Attica garden out back, we of course agreed and I excitedly made my way past all the diners, the kitchen and out the back door. 

There we were introduced to one of their chefs and he gave us a fantastic apple tea and a housemade vanilla and coconut marshmallow to roast on a fire. It was so much fun chatting with the chef and admiring the lush greenery of their garden. We discussed skydiving, Thomas Keller and admired their mural on the wall. It was a pleasure to know that all 11 basils from our crab dish was grown in that very spot.


When we sat back at our table our dessert was Fresh Curd Ice Cream and Blueberries covered in beautiful chrysanthemum petals. There were fresh and dehydrated blueberries, which gave the dish some bite. The flavours were so lovely and fresh.


Our next dessert had us wondering since the beginning of the evening. It is simply called 'Plight of the Bees' so we assumed it involved honey but we could have never imagined it would be such an exquisite dessert.
It was a multi-layered sensation using 2 different kinds of honey. I had no idea what each individual layer was but the deeper my spoon went in the more surprises I discovered, like a sorbet and a wafer like layer.


Thus the end of our degustation came around and to our delight I was offered the option of an extra dessert. Of course, I couldn't refuse and what was called Ben's interpretation of an Afghan biscuit appeared before me. It was fantastic, the textures and the chocolate! Oh, the chocolate! I greedily spooned this dessert down completely forgetting how full I was from all the previous courses. 



Dinner for us naturally ends with a lovely cup of Jasmine tea and yet another surprise from Ben. A delightful white chocolate egg filled with salted caramel. The egg is speckled to look like a Pukeko egg, which embodies Ben's philosophy as a chef. All of this is explained on the back of a painting of the Pukeko bird given to you at the end of the evening.

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Eating at Attica wasn't just a dining experience, I felt as  if i was admiring the works of an artist whilst walking through a museum. The interior of the restaurant is mostly black including the walls and the curtains. Coupled with the single spotlight above you, the masterpieces before you are the truly focus of your attention. 

Ben Shewry's appreciation for art is apparent from the mural of his inspiration in the garden and his father's painting of the Pukeko bird that they give you a copy of. Ben might not be a painter but he is a truly inspired chef. Our waiter told us stories of how he dreams up creations during his 3 hour commute home and how everything is perfected on his experimental degustations on Tuesday nights. I could not ask for a more dedicated chef but I only wish that my dreams were so magical as well. 

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Storm in a Teacup.


Hello There,
I recently took a trip down Smith St for a long overdue visit to Storm in a Teacup. Storm in a Teacup is the baby of Sarah Cowell former tea sommelier at Vue de Monde, whom I had the pleasure of meeting when I had dinner there. Her tea knowledge and passion is inspirational and I am glad she could share her love of tea with all of Melbourne now.


Basically Storm in a Teacup is a Tea bar, so they are a bar but specialize in brewing tea as well. A place like this was a heaven sent for me, there are very few places in Melbourne that do their tea justice. Most 'tea drinkers' are happy sipping from a teapot crammed with too many leaves, filled with boiling water, steeping for much too long. At Storm in a Teacup, no matter which tea you select from their extensive list, you can be sure that the tea you are drinking is brewed with the utmost respect and care. The water temperature is perfect, the steeping time is exact and the ratio of tea and leaves is well balanced.

photo courtesy of: http://storminateacup.com.au

In simpler words, they do tea RIGHT.
They also do some pretty damn good cocktails as well. ;)

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I, of course could not resist their little food menu. I shared a charcuterie board and a vegie smash plate with my friend. Charcuterie boards are always great but what surprised me was the vegie smash. I really really enjoyed the flavours; there was an eggplant, beetroot and pumpkin vegie smash. Just really good simple flavours that I polished off in no time. All the staff are very knowledgeable and friendly so they can really help you decide on a tea as well as tempt you to try their selection of cakes.
They're always baking something new so pop in and have a look. 

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If you're a true lover of tea, you'll love this place. It's just amazing that a place like this has opened, it's a reflection of Melbourne's growing tea community and the recognition of tea's importance in culinary society. 
I sincerely hope you guys check this place out, it's doing some great things.


Address:  
  48A Smith Street
  Collingwood, Vic. 3066
Telephone: (03) 9415 9593
Opening Hours:  Tues & Wed 10am-6pm
                                  Thurs 10am-9pm
                                Fri & Sat 10am-11pm
                                    Sun 10am-6pm
                                    Closed Monday

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Sushi Dai


Hello Readers!

So today is the final blog about my trip to Japan. This time it's not fine dining but a humble sushi place called Sushi Dai.



Located in Tsukiji Fish Market, the biggest fish market in the world Sushi Dai was pretty hard to find at first but after a bit of looking we eventually found it.
their long lines starting from 4:30 in the morning. However we were very lucky and were the second last couple to be served. As we stood in line they gave us hot tea, we ended up waiting an hour and a half but it was completely worth it.


We had the Omakase and it started off with glorious Tuna! It was so fatty and wonderfully melted in your mouth. 


Next was what the chef called Golden Ice Snapper, I'm not sure what it really is but it was yummy.


We ordered some beer and they gave us some octopus, because octopus is beer food! 


This was followed by some Sea Urchin. It was really rich and sweet!


This is Horse Mackerel.


Some Japanese Omelette, which is a lot sweeter than you would expect. 


This was clam. So fresh that it was still alive and moving! At first I thought it was a bit creepy but I just popped it in my mouth and it was yummy. 


This was sea eel. The best eel I've ever had.


Some Tuna and Shellfish rolls.


Tile fish, such a gorgeous looking piece of sushi.


Ikura sushi or Salmon Roe. It was delicious, big bursts of flavour in my mouth.

At the end of our omakase, they asked if we'd like to have any more sushi....


We of course asked for another serving of their amazing tuna. 


This was one of the three chefs in the very small Sushi Dai restaurant. He was extremely friendly and tried to speak as much english to my boyfriend as possible and spoke Japanese to me as slowly as possible haha.


We had a really good time there, we felt very welcome and all the staff were extremely friendly. 
The sushi was beyond compare to anything I've ever had in Australia. You just can't beat the freshness fish from Tsukiji.