tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32633878211678039482024-03-13T08:07:02.552-07:00Hedonistic HabitsA Melbourne hedonist's adventures in dining, drinking and life...Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-45961749791314232502013-06-11T05:00:00.001-07:002013-06-11T05:05:37.082-07:00Gorging for a month...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After a bit of a work induced blogging hiatus I thought it would be fun to reminisce about the month of eating that has led me to hitting the gym almost every day and subsisting on Lite'n Easy for a few weeks; desperate measures to avoid buying new jeans and to get ready for an upcoming northern hemisphere summer visit.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="http://meatmother.com.au/" target="_blank">Meatmother</a></h4>
I ducked into Meatmother in Richmond with my Kansas City barbecue obsessed father and barbecue novice BF to check out what the 'cue in Richmond was like. From a Melbourne perspective it was decent but I probably wouldn't repeat visit if it were located in the US (to be fair i have only been to top notch barbecue restaurants in KC and Austin and my dad regularly smokes me low and slow ribs of amazingness). If only Aaron <a href="http://hedonistichabits.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/austin-tacious.html" target="_blank">Franklin</a> would set up shop in Melbourne.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Pork ribs with a side of BBQ beans</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Brisket with slaw </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Beef short rib with mac and cheese</td></tr>
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Highlights: the bacon old fashioned, the fun bartender, the sides, the short rib and the pork ribs<br />
Avoid: the brisket if you've ever been to Texas and eaten barbecue - it is nicely cooked beef but missing a smokiness<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1741253/restaurant/Melbourne/Meatmother-Richmond"><img alt="Meatmother on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1741253/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
<h4>
Work lunch @PM24</h4>
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My team at work went for a celebratory lunch at PM24 after a major deadline.<br />
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The three course set menu was good value. I had the pork terrine, the rotisserie chicken and the pear and almond tart (and a fair amount of wine...). The chicken was the highlight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Gravlax</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Rotisserie chicken</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Almond and pear tart</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Pork terrine</td></tr>
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I personally think that there are <a href="http://hedonistichabits.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/an-afternoon-on-peninsula-la-petanque.html" target="_blank">regional restaurants</a> that are doing more exciting and consistent food that probably deserve more hats than PM24.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1562239/restaurant/CBD/PM24-Melbourne"><img alt="PM24 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1562239/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
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<h4>
Spring St Grocer</h4>
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I've been in to Spring St Grocer a few times since it opened (so many times for the gelati when the gelateria opened last year). Since the grocer/deli/cheesemonger section opened, I've found that their interesting array sandwiches make an excellent addition to my work lunch options (prices ranging from $10 for a more basic sandwich to $16 for one with foie gras). They started out with a menu of over 20 sandwiches but are curating them down to a few less. Usually I would be unhappy about that, but in this case it will help reduce that feeling of being overwhelmed by choice. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Pastrami on rye</td></tr>
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Spring St Grocer's take home pasta sauces are also worth a look if you're feeling lazy - absolutely delicious.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1716412/restaurant/CBD/Spring-St-Grocer-Melbourne"><img alt="Spring St Grocer on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1716412/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
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<h4>
EARL Canteen</h4>
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After hearing that EARL would be opening a second outpost in Collins Place I developed an insurmountable craving for pork belly that could only be cured by a long trek down to the legal district for a sandwich meal aka crackling delivery device. EARL's pork belly has long been one of my favourite sandwiches in Melbourne. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1523387/restaurant/CBD/EARL-Canteen-Melbourne"><img alt="EARL Canteen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1523387/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Mildura Brewery Pub and Stefano's Bakery Cafe</h4>
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On a recent whirlwind work consultation trip to Mildura we ducked into Mildura Brewery for a decent pub lunch. I ordered the rump steak thinking it would be the smaller of the three steaks on offer, but ended up with one of the largest steaks ever seen in Australia. It was huge. It was also very flavoursome, properly aged, and well cooked.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Giant steak</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/346/1594822/restaurant/Victoria/Mildura-Brewery-Pub-Mildura"><img alt="Mildura Brewery Pub on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1594822/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
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We also had a lovely breakfast at Stefano's cafe with passable coffee. Both are worth a visit if you find yourself in Mildura.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Poached eggs with mushrooms, goats curd and hollandaise</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/346/1624283/restaurant/Victoria/Stefanos-Cafe-Bakery-Mildura"><img alt="Stefano's Cafe Bakery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1624283/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
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<h4>
Industry Beans</h4>
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A good friend of mine, who rarely gets excited about eating out, recently sent me an excited text about the food at Industry Beans. I'm glad I took her recommendation and trawled the back streets of Fitzroy to drop in for a weekend 'brunch' (at around 3pm). </div>
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The coffee is exceptional and the kitchen is keeping up by delivering innovative dishes that tie in with the coffee. I really enjoyed the cold drip 'caviar' with the French toast. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">French toast</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwAzGSHCDaAjuMkvcHGhaNiDTaYx3BiDkSXC-SWeXu0_co1YzrhGyeO5A8P_vxs0g0Mk9SP78jb01lz-ulGIZIK0d9r-a4zeaVArEhu1yfTWLP-IMPgJwt45-iIcGca0QQghe3eUFLuY/s1600/IMG_2137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwAzGSHCDaAjuMkvcHGhaNiDTaYx3BiDkSXC-SWeXu0_co1YzrhGyeO5A8P_vxs0g0Mk9SP78jb01lz-ulGIZIK0d9r-a4zeaVArEhu1yfTWLP-IMPgJwt45-iIcGca0QQghe3eUFLuY/s320/IMG_2137.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Deep fried poached eggs</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1736362/restaurant/Melbourne/Industry-Beans-Fitzroy"><img alt="Industry Beans on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1736362/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-74312075111300865342013-06-11T03:07:00.002-07:002013-06-11T03:07:20.657-07:00An afternoon on the peninsula: La Pétanque<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On the Saturday before mother's day I took my mum for a pampering afternoon on the Mornington Peninsula.</div>
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We started out with a decadent lunch at La Pétanque in the gourmet hamlet of Main Ridge (also home to Ten Minutes by Tractor). This was risky because nice restaurants have an innate ability to fail miserably when I happen to take my mum to them. Luckily that didn't happen this time. </div>
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La Pétanque is a set in beautiful location is a posh meets rustic 'barn'. It also has a little spot to actually play pétanque while overlooking the grounds. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The setting</td></tr>
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We started with a delightful amuse bouche of saffron poached potato creme fraiche and salmon roe.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Our entree was an exquisite dish of dill cured salmon with blue swimmer crab with gin and tonic jelly. </span></div>
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My mum had the crown roasted pheasant special that was resting on a cassoulet and topped with latticed potato. It was fantastic but slightly overshadowed by my main (which I of course shared). </div>
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The Aylesbury duck breast is the best overall duck dish that I have ever eaten (and I have eaten a lot of duck). The breast was perfectly cooked: juicy, a bit pink and with crispy skin (but not so crispy that it was hard). The duck liver parfait was a richly spiced accompaniment to the duck that added that level of decadence that could make you feel guilty as you eat - if you were that way inclined. The rhubarb and sous vide beetroot added an earthy balance. There is a wistful tear in my eye just thinking about it as a write this. </div>
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Our dessert was a wintry rhubarb ice cream with rice pudding crumbed apple.<br />
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Highlights: everything, the duck, the location, the service<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/346/1491841/restaurant/Victoria/Red-Hill/La-Petanque-Main-Ridge"><img alt="La Petanque on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1491841/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
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We followed lunch up with a visit to <a href="http://www.peninsulahotsprings.com/" target="_blank">Peninsula Hot Springs</a> for more relaxation. I would recommend a visit if you haven't been. The hill top pool has a spectacular view and the facilities (which include a hammam steam room) are lovely.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-45566464579833655142012-11-22T04:41:00.000-08:002012-11-22T04:42:48.477-08:00Twelve days of gluttony...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the tail end of the spring racing carnival, after
countless canapés, innumerable glasses of champagne, beautiful fashion and too
much dancing, I thought I would have a bit of down time before the season got
too silly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was (of course) ambitious and I was drawn into the
whirl of social engagements and temptations to eat out that emerge with the
sunshine after a dreary Melbourne winter. I didn’t really think about blogging
during most of these dining expeditions so the photos are a bit light on—thanks
to me being heavier on the wine or gin and tonics or ciders. Therefore, I have
decided to whack together a few of the highlights in one post (let me know if
you like this format and I’ll do some more of them). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Intimate Dinner @ <a href="http://anada.com.au/" target="_blank">Añada</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Añada is one of those warm and inviting restaurants that has
a great atmosphere for a date or a catch-up with a friend. It’s also a bit of
an institution in the Melbourne Spanish dining scene and has been since Jesse
Gerner opened it on a (then) quiet part of Gertrude Street in 2008. My friends that
have been to both Añada and MoVida argue about which out of the two they
prefer, but from those discussions and my own experience I would say that Añada
is traditional where MoVida is innovative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesse Gerner has also opened the Aylesbury in the city to compete in the
more cutting edge arena. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the Friday evening of my visit, I started with the
Valformosa Brut Cava ($10.50), while my dinner date had a G&T. our drinks
accompanied some freshly shucked oysters that were small and luscious ($3.80
each). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We shared a variety of tapas, including: the salt cod and garlic
shoot croquetas ($3.50), the grilled quail with freekah and pomegranate seeds
($6.50), bone marrow on toast and fried cauliflower with zataar and yogurt
($4.50). The highlights were the out of control decadence of the marrow on
toast and the grilled quail. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our choices for raciones were the deliciously soft fleshed
and crispy skinned pork belly with fennel seed and smoky aubergine and the rich
slow roasted beef cheeks in oloroso with fava bean pure<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">e (both $20). We had the beetroot with
mint and labne on the side. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/760072/restaurant/Melbourne/Collingwood/Anada-Fitzroy"><img alt="Añada on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/760072/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </b><br />
<b>Coffee @ Market Lane,
Prahran Market</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favourite weekend coffee place is Market Lane. It’s
consistently awesome due to their high quality beans and milk (Jonesy’s) and
top notch skilled baristas. Another benefit is its location next to all of the
deliciousness inside the Prahran Market.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC8ABiJdOYh_AT2VAVDqzXYwH2pzwVinkNj2MOZLCld98N5KKVZdYVBbdwBno-wltniiYt-PvafDyeA-BwEt6zuZM5IqD74c6wI480GvIjKAUHsrDA7UGP39sjyK8m6d35sE2fU7pdRI/s1600/IMG_0670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC8ABiJdOYh_AT2VAVDqzXYwH2pzwVinkNj2MOZLCld98N5KKVZdYVBbdwBno-wltniiYt-PvafDyeA-BwEt6zuZM5IqD74c6wI480GvIjKAUHsrDA7UGP39sjyK8m6d35sE2fU7pdRI/s400/IMG_0670.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1492995/restaurant/Melbourne/South-Yarra-Toorak/Market-Lane-Coffee-South-Yarra"><img alt="Market Lane Coffee on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1492995/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Pizza dinner @ <a href="http://www.babypizza.com.au/" target="_blank">Baby Pizza</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I ducked into Baby Pizza on a sunny Sunday evening for a
quick post-pub/staving off a hangover dinner with friends. We kicked off with a
refreshing campari and prosecco spritzer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We started with the bufala caprese salad ($18.5), which on
that night had some quality issues with the bufala. However, my housemate,
Chuck, has subsequently brought home the caprese with some pizzas and the
bufala was fine, but I still don’t love the addition of olives to caprese.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3u6gp4IFRe8RTwuwTFtSLSyAJrWm-7dGgllh51jk-Pi58mBAvUogyh6kVZdeBT6p1GPrx2vfklhrwiol-QS9QYrV6CBVXX_A55balrKBCCFJcUUNZA7A0Rg60kSK89JCke3wLpdImlE/s1600/IMG_1116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3u6gp4IFRe8RTwuwTFtSLSyAJrWm-7dGgllh51jk-Pi58mBAvUogyh6kVZdeBT6p1GPrx2vfklhrwiol-QS9QYrV6CBVXX_A55balrKBCCFJcUUNZA7A0Rg60kSK89JCke3wLpdImlE/s320/IMG_1116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
We also had the broccolini with anchovies, garlic and chilli
($13.5).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIMMHK-D9UD92Rzz4-1mRTFnuq6bRTG37xLaXQ8WKeZe6dNZ6eFSjPtSC_Se8OU_dP69f4YTxhe_mnlo3MW5-nAZfth9qVrSmHLAxg5k12ED69nbGw5o3MsMucOFoTIgzD_8ifOoQX9M/s1600/IMG_1114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIMMHK-D9UD92Rzz4-1mRTFnuq6bRTG37xLaXQ8WKeZe6dNZ6eFSjPtSC_Se8OU_dP69f4YTxhe_mnlo3MW5-nAZfth9qVrSmHLAxg5k12ED69nbGw5o3MsMucOFoTIgzD_8ifOoQX9M/s320/IMG_1114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Our first pizza has ruined me for all other hangover cure
pizzas ($18.50). The guianciale alla carbonara is a naughty mix of guanciale,
pecorino, fior di latte and egg yolk on a pretty awesome base. It is the kind
of pizza you should inhale within three minutes of it getting to the table for
premium enjoyment.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRBMmtf83fHepC-acUoMKBCYjK6cSBKFaLuGy_WkJB-I5GDUuPLw4BvaLpDTj29w7WE5KeBmmSpjinBSXc8ZCQLSsps4ypO3RAXnxk4p-SnMbiiOKwZ6ZINMAEgMxlarDtim9wK48XXs/s1600/IMG_1118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRBMmtf83fHepC-acUoMKBCYjK6cSBKFaLuGy_WkJB-I5GDUuPLw4BvaLpDTj29w7WE5KeBmmSpjinBSXc8ZCQLSsps4ypO3RAXnxk4p-SnMbiiOKwZ6ZINMAEgMxlarDtim9wK48XXs/s320/IMG_1118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
We also had the fior de zucca ($18.50).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKMMem9z0llJu7t-YPbXxGNTKR6j6I5nJ6iQOw2XHkCc68jpmXUmcHqy1KBMw81oK36N6nqmXYmGdmWAkeheMnzN1WxoOO0PDvwiciFZsdT7EhP7C_rrJw4yNs25D0dVfiRZ9mRowkr8/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKMMem9z0llJu7t-YPbXxGNTKR6j6I5nJ6iQOw2XHkCc68jpmXUmcHqy1KBMw81oK36N6nqmXYmGdmWAkeheMnzN1WxoOO0PDvwiciFZsdT7EhP7C_rrJw4yNs25D0dVfiRZ9mRowkr8/s320/IMG_1117.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The other highlight of our meal was the decadent crème caramello
(sorry no photo). Chuck’s very apt description was ‘sex in mouth’.<br />
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1702070/restaurant/Melbourne/Baby-Cafe-Pizzeria-Richmond"><img alt="Baby Cafe & Pizzeria on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1702070/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Sandwich lunch @ Martha Ray’s</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a sunny Tuesday one of my regular lunch buddies and I
decided to jump on a tram to Fitzroy in search of sandwiches instead of our
usual lurking around the CBD. Firstly, trams to Fitzroy provide a bit more
colour and entertainment than the CBD and secondly we wanted to test if we
could lunch in that area within our regular lunch break.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We ordered some coffees to assist us in reading the menu as
well as maintaining optimum caffeine levels. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Upon perusing the menu, we were both struggling to decide
between the Rueben and the pork belly sandwiches (both around $13-$14). So decided
to order one each and share.The pork belly was pretty good.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9SyOCFi0qR2vDRu7xH_5q5b-ixY60f4tlagiVYKsuht8rIjSXT5h1aOKMfS-zspqmipaD2TdgANWfWbVR3-ODYvpsHAMw3qhBIxH1P5-_N2985JtzZw6kvafm0Rs3HpUNftXlztG-oQ/s1600/IMG_1124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9SyOCFi0qR2vDRu7xH_5q5b-ixY60f4tlagiVYKsuht8rIjSXT5h1aOKMfS-zspqmipaD2TdgANWfWbVR3-ODYvpsHAMw3qhBIxH1P5-_N2985JtzZw6kvafm0Rs3HpUNftXlztG-oQ/s400/IMG_1124.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
However, we both had our first bite of the Rueben at the
same time and there was that kind of instant animosity that can only ever exist
when two foodies decide to share then realise that one dish is superior – guns at
20 paces.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZ-rKA4j8KqRbG3rnHkEtJH4LyDEemQMzxr9bR4RaKmG1_YCxKMez9Sj05tYbGIAuCBRD5zuLuDRo5bvyIJ3u8XMFG-FeIER1V61_pDmRgtxO26CHT-9cevzycF23HZKrsYAEKUnKVV4/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZ-rKA4j8KqRbG3rnHkEtJH4LyDEemQMzxr9bR4RaKmG1_YCxKMez9Sj05tYbGIAuCBRD5zuLuDRo5bvyIJ3u8XMFG-FeIER1V61_pDmRgtxO26CHT-9cevzycF23HZKrsYAEKUnKVV4/s400/IMG_1125.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1677628/restaurant/Melbourne/Martha-Rays-Fitzroy"><img alt="Martha Ray's on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1677628/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Dinner @ Dainty Sichuan</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the week I decided to take my dad out for Sichuan
while my chilli averse mum was out of town on business. Dainty Sichuan is one
of those places that is pretty much impossible to dislike (unless you hate
chilli or good food).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We ordered the cumin lamb slices (two chilli rating), which
were numbingly tasty.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YUdoxYzAq4UwRfgycU7nLWMeZGem2OJ-MxoSYF_KxRsm2Ml2DioE68D4kHD-xkBtSNgwQoAIbGf-gj3OCrN5jXD1Kl-na-2ZRIFqhJmpdZ7GZMuM_20aFju9EN0jfCAtUFQ9lB-amOQ/s1600/IMG_1139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YUdoxYzAq4UwRfgycU7nLWMeZGem2OJ-MxoSYF_KxRsm2Ml2DioE68D4kHD-xkBtSNgwQoAIbGf-gj3OCrN5jXD1Kl-na-2ZRIFqhJmpdZ7GZMuM_20aFju9EN0jfCAtUFQ9lB-amOQ/s400/IMG_1139.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
They paired brilliantly with the amazing fish flavoured
eggplant. The eggplant dish is basically deep-fried eggplant chips that are coated
in sugar, deep fried again then coated in chilli sauce – the flavour and
texture combination is perfect.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9U7o4xyOeK-oVuhAO2afgPO9tyIsy64aBxccJBdzXkGbBz_7Grd792yN9z6S_ILgsfd3MrVdzhUdorrvg-yQzYBy8BdwvDjBf_xdVrWm9kkmodwHIi2eDyBCfPq4clGU-StiFWIm8TyU/s1600/IMG_1140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9U7o4xyOeK-oVuhAO2afgPO9tyIsy64aBxccJBdzXkGbBz_7Grd792yN9z6S_ILgsfd3MrVdzhUdorrvg-yQzYBy8BdwvDjBf_xdVrWm9kkmodwHIi2eDyBCfPq4clGU-StiFWIm8TyU/s400/IMG_1140.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9U7o4xyOeK-oVuhAO2afgPO9tyIsy64aBxccJBdzXkGbBz_7Grd792yN9z6S_ILgsfd3MrVdzhUdorrvg-yQzYBy8BdwvDjBf_xdVrWm9kkmodwHIi2eDyBCfPq4clGU-StiFWIm8TyU/s1600/IMG_1140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/760554/restaurant/Melbourne/South-Yarra-Toorak/Dainty-Sichuan-South-Yarra"><img alt="Dainty Sichuan on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/760554/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Weekend Brunch @ <a href="http://www.demitrisfeast.com.au/" target="_blank">Demitri's Feast</a></b></div>
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Before heading off on a hens weekend I ducked into Demitri's Feast in Richmond for some delicious breakfast.</div>
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I had the baclava french toast - yum ($15).<br />
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My brunch buddy had the smashed avocado ($17.5).</div>
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We shared the patates with ouzo aoli ($6.5) </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1463225/restaurant/Melbourne/Demitris-Feast-Richmond"><img alt="Demitri's Feast on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1463225/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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<b>Red Hill Wandering</b></div>
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After a hens weekend in Portsea with the girls, we delayed
our journey back to Melbourne with a visit to <a href="http://www.tgallant.com.au/verification.aspx?redirect=default.aspx" target="_blank">T’Gallant</a> for wine tasting and
lunch.<br />
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We shared the pepperoni pizza and the mushroom and taleggio
pizza.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/346/1511036/restaurant/Victoria/Red-Hill/TGallant-Spuntino-Bar-Main-Ridge"><img alt="T'Gallant Spuntino Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1511036/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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We also dropped into <a href="http://www.sunnyridge.com.au/" target="_blank">Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm</a>.<br />
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<b>Weekday lunch in Shep</b></div>
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On a work trip to Shepparton I managed to find a decent
lunch destination, the <a href="http://www.thetellercollective.com/" target="_blank">Teller Collective</a> (that is probably better in its more
formal dinner capacity).</div>
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It was a pleasant surprise amongst the usual disappointment that
accompanies dining in regional Victoria when you aren’t in Dunkeld, Bright,
Daylesford, Kyneton or Beechworth (ok there are some brilliant restaurants in
regional Victoria).<br />
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I had the pulled brisket sandwich with southern style
coleslaw and chips ($16.5).<br />
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One of my colleagues had the gnocchi with beef ragout
($16.5).<br />
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While the other had the salmon gravlax with asparagus and
chargrilled ciabatta.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/346/1563744/restaurant/Victoria/The-Teller-Collective-Shepparton"><img alt="The Teller Collective on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1563744/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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We also dropped by the <a href="http://www.taturahotbread.com.au/" target="_blank">Tatura Bakery</a> for an award winning
vanilla slice.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-49249871932875489682012-11-08T04:04:00.001-08:002012-11-08T04:05:17.358-08:00London Lunching @ Muriel's Kitchen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
During my recent eurotip I ate a lot of good food in some amazing places...<br />
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On my first day in London, upon discovering that I was staying nearby to where an old friend has been living, he decided to give me a tour of his neighbourhood, South Kensington.<br />
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It's a pretty upmarket area (on the Piccadilly line) with a lot of museums, Royal Albert Hall, cute shops and cafes, as well as Hyde Park just to the north. On this rather grey summer afternoon, my friend took me to one of his favourite local lunch destinations, <a href="http://www.murielskitchen.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Muriel's Kitchen</a>. Muriel's Kitchen is a gorgeous cafe (with an amazing cake display) based on the concept of one of the proprietor's grandmother's kitchen. It's beautifully homey and the food all looks like something my own gran would have cooked (if she had such styled crockery).<br />
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We started with coffees. Not being a local I ordered a cappuccino without realising that Melburnians should not order milk coffee in London unless they like weak cappuccinos (or are hanging out at <a href="http://www.flatwhitecafe.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flat White</a> or <a href="http://www.workshopcoffee.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St. Ali London</a>) Regardless, it was better than the coffee I'd had in Paris.<br />
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We ordered some of the colourful salads (both<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> £4.25) </span>to accompany our shared main. The first of these was a delicious combination of still crisp sugar snap peas and beans with orange, hazelnut, red onion and herbs (parsley and dill).<br />
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The next salad was a more Asian style combination of broccoli, chilli, garlic, soy and sesame seeds.<br />
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We also shared a hearty main of Italian style meatballs in a basil and tomato sugo (<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">£8.99)</span><br />
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While we were both far from hungry, the lure of the cake display led to the order of a decadent pear and pecan cake with coffee cream cheese frosting. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1620449/restaurant/London/South-Kensington/Muriels-Kitchen-Kensington"><img alt="Muriel's Kitchen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1620449/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-69961167100594797922012-09-09T04:52:00.000-07:002012-09-09T04:55:35.520-07:00CBD Lunches: Kenzan @ GPO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One of my favourite places for a quick bite of quality
lunchtime sushi is the Kenzan outpost in the GPO building.
I work near the posh main Kenzan restaurant, but don’t generally have the
time or the cash to pop in for a quick $35 bento. Instead I prefer heading to Kenzan @ GPO, which is not the cheapest Japanese lunch option in
the city, but the quality ingredients are worth it. </div>
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It specialises in
high-quality sushi rolls with interesting ingredients. All of the nori rolls
are roll your own, which ensures that the nori is pleasantly crisp and much
tastier than pre-rolled nori. The sushi rolls range from $3.50-$5. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVkdFaOMXniNgTGPhJqs-ewmb9O8yQ6ZyVkpr8tgbWnxzhsgG7KLKoAAyx9ofSi3525H2r48LTx_p1VXizbe_FBxDPQeUJND3JznfEnp-Ubb66Fl7tRY7p-5zPMaEo-_3ff-wlMP2EqU/s1600/IMG_0522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVkdFaOMXniNgTGPhJqs-ewmb9O8yQ6ZyVkpr8tgbWnxzhsgG7KLKoAAyx9ofSi3525H2r48LTx_p1VXizbe_FBxDPQeUJND3JznfEnp-Ubb66Fl7tRY7p-5zPMaEo-_3ff-wlMP2EqU/s400/IMG_0522.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft shell crab inside out roll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVC5-mWUnIrMUlmu_k0RMqS2GPPOCVgf7H4Oy5i-E9FEoCcxymx2YO3elyiVixV_iFTMhsLf37giqaHoKMCOH9XezHAKvE7xvCCJ0GdH_SheZUkB-0vYgeN6EuF-jUSjTjKqyNtXoZH3w/s1600/IMG_0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVC5-mWUnIrMUlmu_k0RMqS2GPPOCVgf7H4Oy5i-E9FEoCcxymx2YO3elyiVixV_iFTMhsLf37giqaHoKMCOH9XezHAKvE7xvCCJ0GdH_SheZUkB-0vYgeN6EuF-jUSjTjKqyNtXoZH3w/s400/IMG_0538.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prawn and avocado inside out roll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASVeyMGG669oJegzVZU1aPCkz1sXQKXm1pDeMf1_duTkgWTXquyUj9MX5AZmnlrDWTohgnpOR8HMBoNO2_AkPk7hUAwAUU1EL6eqMZ0wArDQATR0v22zVJb-aR3YvpQ7byt34-BuEMa4/s1600/IMG_0540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASVeyMGG669oJegzVZU1aPCkz1sXQKXm1pDeMf1_duTkgWTXquyUj9MX5AZmnlrDWTohgnpOR8HMBoNO2_AkPk7hUAwAUU1EL6eqMZ0wArDQATR0v22zVJb-aR3YvpQ7byt34-BuEMa4/s400/IMG_0540.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy tuna nori roll: pre-rolled state</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbNWfrAIuhOM5k_bSUE68jyh7so5hkcdxihJDbmjZqBwj3T0zlXJU6ADWlRS3Sf47vs28_Q3KjXqxHG2W9ZWPkPLtg3W8drLN7963P0F4R4GOSypWxGcN4-BFP4Lq3YK4udwDDcRZ5sk/s1600/IMG_0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbNWfrAIuhOM5k_bSUE68jyh7so5hkcdxihJDbmjZqBwj3T0zlXJU6ADWlRS3Sf47vs28_Q3KjXqxHG2W9ZWPkPLtg3W8drLN7963P0F4R4GOSypWxGcN4-BFP4Lq3YK4udwDDcRZ5sk/s400/IMG_0541.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy tuna nori roll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Their
sashimi (around $15 for a small serve) is also super fresh and perfectly
prepared. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The noodle options are also a
good choice for something more substantial. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqn13HJTpAGB3CmXoO37TW7DcnOSYm5h_dEoJ8uiPUz4HHCOf0vtIPZLcmolsL-qwTabXOxkYrgeZuywbkyzvi-vvxFG1bqp0ZQgO34Qu3Ovi5NLGAGQLj1MveNYI1yV1TXqbPKSOpA0/s1600/IMG_0524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqn13HJTpAGB3CmXoO37TW7DcnOSYm5h_dEoJ8uiPUz4HHCOf0vtIPZLcmolsL-qwTabXOxkYrgeZuywbkyzvi-vvxFG1bqp0ZQgO34Qu3Ovi5NLGAGQLj1MveNYI1yV1TXqbPKSOpA0/s400/IMG_0524.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sashimi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBStei2d8wsrcJxStC7Yfscv6qxUvRwusJpUrbpIeDxPrFPaiBFtSNxNwsS1tsibpkMq2URpq_a0hAzIuyPwsZliXI9sQbJjG4u-snlq_m8jCcj9mONzZMkdqlk5xYazCbe2MR5HWe5ZM/s1600/IMG_0525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBStei2d8wsrcJxStC7Yfscv6qxUvRwusJpUrbpIeDxPrFPaiBFtSNxNwsS1tsibpkMq2URpq_a0hAzIuyPwsZliXI9sQbJjG4u-snlq_m8jCcj9mONzZMkdqlk5xYazCbe2MR5HWe5ZM/s400/IMG_0525.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork ramen noodles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCc37SRRGphvReWDKXoZTNFGba2ZUd3B1OOIVSt8vmh708poRxu2S_Q2oQaeGjASL1Gk_yG4AGjCZ0VSCd0JKdaHYcwzmLa0XMp54KYplKFZJWlSioSmLAQUn8y19MMSzU5jq4RtQ9AM/s1600/IMG_0539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCc37SRRGphvReWDKXoZTNFGba2ZUd3B1OOIVSt8vmh708poRxu2S_Q2oQaeGjASL1Gk_yG4AGjCZ0VSCd0JKdaHYcwzmLa0XMp54KYplKFZJWlSioSmLAQUn8y19MMSzU5jq4RtQ9AM/s400/IMG_0539.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetable udon noodles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/760993/restaurant/CBD/Kenzan-GPO-Melbourne"><img alt="Kenzan @ GPO on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/760993/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-40618774876949111792012-06-17T16:11:00.002-07:002012-06-18T03:32:11.474-07:00Doña Tona @ Penny Blue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a rough Monday in the office I went along with PHo and AC to try out the Doña Tona pop-up at Penny Blue.<br />
<br />
Doña Tona has been popping up at Penny blue for the last three weeks serving a rotating range of tacos, tamales and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sope" target="_blank">sopes</a> to hungry Melburnians. What sets Doña Tona apart from the many new Mexican places around the CBD is its quality home style cooking courtesy of the front-of-house manager's mother, Rosa.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK69e4sXFP5yuS-XIhCkbT0plRZzk4m5Vdpx0Abv1F0xYA0_I9VlqMLxduABvB9aa1-qJZtGXRC656x4oyP_uL1LhGGNrokKmprnqEVZTSH3y4mx04n5GDSAj-qAQUmkVVQXa-7Swkge8/s1600/2012-06-04-280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK69e4sXFP5yuS-XIhCkbT0plRZzk4m5Vdpx0Abv1F0xYA0_I9VlqMLxduABvB9aa1-qJZtGXRC656x4oyP_uL1LhGGNrokKmprnqEVZTSH3y4mx04n5GDSAj-qAQUmkVVQXa-7Swkge8/s320/2012-06-04-280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tongue tacos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>What we ate</b>: a warming pork and chicken sopa with pork crackling, beef sopes, vegetarian sopes, beef tongue tacos and poached chuck steak tacos. The highlights were the sublime beef tongue tacos and the vegetarian sopes (suprisingly better than the beef).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqhw5s6siAyyvYxTR3_PYdTBajqEbr3nNXG15UNkAq_Z6KJNuWbiE_Zf3X92P-KHColMjw2C-5PPAuMvSzEKIvpJKVAZjQRfX4iyAC6hEbTwV-IZD9YbJHnEzKpS66PdMQsAL6ZpJuSc/s1600/2012-05-28-256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqhw5s6siAyyvYxTR3_PYdTBajqEbr3nNXG15UNkAq_Z6KJNuWbiE_Zf3X92P-KHColMjw2C-5PPAuMvSzEKIvpJKVAZjQRfX4iyAC6hEbTwV-IZD9YbJHnEzKpS66PdMQsAL6ZpJuSc/s320/2012-05-28-256.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sopes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5V0Q2rawCWbtqS-0StcGaZaVGf8GYj_Wu6yjL2pG95bFpALZMu4IXId48a3emTisD9TadnndvqCxESBgj6pBB6e5qb8sw1vrgzWTITuuI68w2Dpod4IWt7Chv5uUY_LSB7urpRaoUbk/s1600/2012-06-04-276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5V0Q2rawCWbtqS-0StcGaZaVGf8GYj_Wu6yjL2pG95bFpALZMu4IXId48a3emTisD9TadnndvqCxESBgj6pBB6e5qb8sw1vrgzWTITuuI68w2Dpod4IWt7Chv5uUY_LSB7urpRaoUbk/s320/2012-06-04-276.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork sopa and crackling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What we drank</b>: sierra Nevada pale ale - one of my favourite American beers. Hopefully someone can start importing Fat Tire.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-38fvso6peEceio9RxDtjxrg1WhVpGMAa-rBV7TJv8yCNXeK3LSDtlwVuU6eWjCx0UcERxcd9A16MB47oo4q7i5dyJBVpVvIB4dwU9R8Fx8UIqsUvE6WjYxgjk78uiUVYGUp1XTNZzY/s1600/2012-06-04-283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-38fvso6peEceio9RxDtjxrg1WhVpGMAa-rBV7TJv8yCNXeK3LSDtlwVuU6eWjCx0UcERxcd9A16MB47oo4q7i5dyJBVpVvIB4dwU9R8Fx8UIqsUvE6WjYxgjk78uiUVYGUp1XTNZzY/s320/2012-06-04-283.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crackling and pale ale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1597621/restaurant/CBD/Penny-Blue-Melbourne"><img alt="Penny Blue on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1597621/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-20450044644081773552012-05-14T03:44:00.000-07:002012-06-18T04:00:58.693-07:00MFWF Express Lunches: Taxi and Grossi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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During MFAWF I roped a few of my colleagues into express
lunches ($35) at Taxi Dinging Room and Grossi Florentino. The MFAWF express lunches are a great way to try out some of Melbourne's best restaurants without breaking the bank. </div>
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<a href="http://www.grossiflorentino.com/grossi-florentino.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Grossi Florentino: the grill</b></a></div>
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Grossi Florentino is one of Melbourne’s best known Italian restaurants,
run by Guy Grossi. It has three sections in a grand building at the top end of
Bourke Street – the Cellar Bar, the Grill and the upstairs Restaurant, which is a grander
affair. </div>
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Upon calling to make my booking at Grossi I was assured that
the grill was serving the same express menu to the booked out upstairs (I’m a
bit sceptical about this). Nonetheless, the Grill was definitely a gathering
place for movers and shakers that Friday lunch with gossip girl type sightings
of a former test cricketer and a rather unpopular former immigration minister
tucking into Italian fare. </div>
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We started out meal with good crusty bread with top notch
olive oil and some herb blends for dipping. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdwiUBNLLmmdz5YuekTdKiwhuAAmQY3gDQVjfjA6SO-jiRNNe6M33dcXT9j9NneJOmQhgSgRrNwRD35IMDCwNBwUUk6zcJBCm2CnmDytRhieSqFJsBES0hN9l6vtOPxJ43LAQMI1sgCM/s1600/IMG_1192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdwiUBNLLmmdz5YuekTdKiwhuAAmQY3gDQVjfjA6SO-jiRNNe6M33dcXT9j9NneJOmQhgSgRrNwRD35IMDCwNBwUUk6zcJBCm2CnmDytRhieSqFJsBES0hN9l6vtOPxJ43LAQMI1sgCM/s320/IMG_1192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My colleague JP began his meal with a delightful salad of
fig, prosciutto, rocket and pecorino. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDDTLnIC67Go_C5WwyF0GdPCkWnSjm4YwAZoB_2J1m23mr0EBdNr2OWlckt879_Odchie-q0K5-rEYgS5LkeyjBo-n3iEPIm2cxy1Xev9KzWaJOE3wgY39uG3367OwGMQ9isRte3sX24/s1600/IMG_1193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDDTLnIC67Go_C5WwyF0GdPCkWnSjm4YwAZoB_2J1m23mr0EBdNr2OWlckt879_Odchie-q0K5-rEYgS5LkeyjBo-n3iEPIm2cxy1Xev9KzWaJOE3wgY39uG3367OwGMQ9isRte3sX24/s320/IMG_1193.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The other two of us started with a deliciously rustic trofie
pasta with spiced Sicilian sausage. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOnfQtqGMuIFAZPWcccd3uQsftoLtQZnymhrGyzPYZZ7W9LsF_qS2NdLw1f9Dd6ACDv2p-2K8W3LhkdvkrVw37V4gQQtiObYWMKmXGBmIhhJfM-B9sg69_pAj-O7MOcLx2_i3yoIYotY/s1600/IMG_1194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOnfQtqGMuIFAZPWcccd3uQsftoLtQZnymhrGyzPYZZ7W9LsF_qS2NdLw1f9Dd6ACDv2p-2K8W3LhkdvkrVw37V4gQQtiObYWMKmXGBmIhhJfM-B9sg69_pAj-O7MOcLx2_i3yoIYotY/s320/IMG_1194.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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JP (maintaining his individuality) ordered the chicken with
spiced pearl cous cous (served with a wedge of lemon), which was excellent
despite its dull description. </div>
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I chose the calves liver with onion and mashed potatoes,
which was a perfect comforting winter dish.<br />
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We decided to get a dessert to share. The crème caramel was
hugely underwhelming with substandard taste, texture and presentation that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“makes me feel like I’m being punished” – JP.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/760821/restaurant/CBD/Grossi-Florentino-Melbourne"><img alt="Grossi Florentino on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/760821/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.taxidiningroom.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Taxi Dining Room</b></a></div>
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Our express lunch at
Taxi was my favourite of the two. Taxi Dining Room is set in a
beautifully light and airy room with glamorous city views.<br />
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Our meal began with warm bread rolls.</div>
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My starter of sticky pork with roasted sea scallop, hot
chilli dressing and apple slaw was excellent.</div>
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My main of crispy Szechuan
duck with pumpkin, daikon salad and blood orange was perfectly cooked and well
balanced. </div>
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The other main of roasted
barramundi fillet with soft shell crab with sriracha mayonnaise was reportedly
also delicious. </div>
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We finished with a good
hit of caffeine to negate the effects of the wine. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/761876/restaurant/CBD/Taxi-Dining-Room-Melbourne"><img alt="Taxi Dining Room on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/761876/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-71784773688606082682012-02-28T02:17:00.000-08:002012-06-18T04:11:16.177-07:00Decadent dinner @ Daniel NYC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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During my visit to NYC last August I wanted to have one
truly memorable, fabulous and decadent evening with my travel crazy cousin Josh
from Kansas City (who was filming material for a pilot for the Travel Channel)
and his housemate B who was visiting on business. My strategy for this was to
pick one of the best restaurants in the city and make sure I had a booking. As
Per Se was closed for the summer my choice was <a href="http://danielnyc.com/daniel.html" target="_blank">Daniel</a>, one of the few
restaurants to combine three Michelin stars with four NYT stars. I was close to
being swayed by twitter advice from Matt Preston about the awesomeness of
Corton but decided that the long running success and the more sedately
luxurious dining setting would be better.</div>
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Daniel has the choice between a la carte, three course prix
fixe ($108 + tax & tip) or tasting menu (six course $195 + $105 wine
pairings and eight course $220 + $130 wine pairings). We chose the three course
option after I made it clear to my dates that we would be sharing each course because I was blogging (quite possibly the motivating factor in me having a food blog). We chose Domaine Joseph Drouhin Vaudon Chablis
(2009, $60) from the heavy tome that was the wine list after consultation with
the Sommelier. </div>
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Our meal began with an amuse bouche of golden beet salad,
borscht and smoked salmon to whet our appetites.</div>
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For the first course I chose the trio of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_char" target="_blank">arctic char</a>, which
showcased the versatility of the main ingredient brilliantly. The confit with
tarragon and lemon balm (right) was delicious as was the pickled with yellow
tomato vinaigrette and turmeric (left); however, the standout was the tartar
with wasabi and Northern Lights caviar – a wonderful contrast of textures and
flavours. </div>
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Josh’s chilled melon veloute with Maine lobster, compressed
watermelon, lomo Iberico and espelette pepper cream was also amazing with its
subtly spiced melon veloute contrasting nicely with the delicate lobster and
more punchy combination of watermelon and ham. </div>
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B’s choice of peekytoe crab in an heirloom tomato gelée with
Thai basil, avocado, mango, lilliput capers and olive bread tuile was a
deliciously summery combination. </div>
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I chose the duo of beef for my main, which comprised of
delectably sticky Black Angus short ribs with cauliflower mousseline and lusciously
tender seared wagyu tenderloin with chantarelles, crispy potato and poached
bone marrow. </div>
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Josh had the tasting of veal with rare roasted tenderloin
with eggplant puree, amazing braised cheeks with glazed zucchini and crispy
sweetbreads with caper caponata (which was hastily remade when B knocked water
onto Josh’s plate). The sweetbreads were ‘unfortunately’ a bit daunting for
Josh, so I helped him out by finishing them. </div>
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B’s chose the Yellowfin tuna ‘a la plancha’ (Spanish for
grilled) with sweet pepper ragout, marinated anchovies, chickpea panisse,
mustard salad and iberico ham.</div>
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For dessert I was swayed by the warm guanaja chocolate coolant
with liquid caramel, fleur de sel and milk sorbet. The coulant was decadent
with its oozing salted caramel paired with a not too sweet milk sorbet… and
yes that is gold leaf on the cake. </div>
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Josh chose the lemongrass poached pineapple with coconut meringue,
lime-rum gelée
and piña colada sorbet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFop4cxOlPtB-82vAKTPUmNbB5r3QJ3Bm1s5_uFdyFixgiKnc2I56fAhnQDa0EEZj6Kh9MvoMAw7JgiNrpUtW8WnNadDNNh629-ixwR7eJS-Iy3ROcn6CocV__zj_-pQ-volnT2_NFzI/s1600/IMG_0798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFop4cxOlPtB-82vAKTPUmNbB5r3QJ3Bm1s5_uFdyFixgiKnc2I56fAhnQDa0EEZj6Kh9MvoMAw7JgiNrpUtW8WnNadDNNh629-ixwR7eJS-Iy3ROcn6CocV__zj_-pQ-volnT2_NFzI/s320/IMG_0798.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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B went with the caramelized hazelnut crumble with dulce de
leche cream, caraïbe chocolate mousse and horchata ice cream.</div>
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Our server decided to bring us out the lavender-honey
roasted apricots with almond milk cream, crunchy praline and apricot saffron
sorbet, compliments of the house. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKjpfVAJXDQiOMqQoSUBbe4axOehBgPh5Gxr7KUvRbEhYoGTG5StKJ6JfjFTzIAS4WV0m8LFMhWjf3vGINKVqSZgBTGpJTCPzIoFRwZJD1IjWLb-zrbIJY9-ycJmXbgatKqC4OiS0eBs/s1600/IMG_0799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKjpfVAJXDQiOMqQoSUBbe4axOehBgPh5Gxr7KUvRbEhYoGTG5StKJ6JfjFTzIAS4WV0m8LFMhWjf3vGINKVqSZgBTGpJTCPzIoFRwZJD1IjWLb-zrbIJY9-ycJmXbgatKqC4OiS0eBs/s320/IMG_0799.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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By this stage we were feeling pretty full but were tempted
into further indulgence by:</div>
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freshly baked madeleines still warm from the oven,</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5s4jGdTk59xSMua9InixckjSzdL4pec1ilwnT1bMAWY2mg3cE2U98GF_ZKfZEkRjRSM89msU20O75F5vUVTokhGfbJ9eaag8FDJ5VP_WJ0whaKXVf3vd1tsSlf2jngdgEYmherSCwtA/s1600/IMG_0801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5s4jGdTk59xSMua9InixckjSzdL4pec1ilwnT1bMAWY2mg3cE2U98GF_ZKfZEkRjRSM89msU20O75F5vUVTokhGfbJ9eaag8FDJ5VP_WJ0whaKXVf3vd1tsSlf2jngdgEYmherSCwtA/s320/IMG_0801.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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petit
fours,</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlSA7Ar4rGB9CAOag2u44UKzLXfLHZDucc0SE14nkG2fAfb3dnrgasj8VdegExwuUT_weTQZh5eLnUwKVrHt9WLlyDozybASFGeUoBecrQ0IHDRhrDckq9VzTH-7CY_tY1s7CyBuCt08/s1600/IMG_0802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlSA7Ar4rGB9CAOag2u44UKzLXfLHZDucc0SE14nkG2fAfb3dnrgasj8VdegExwuUT_weTQZh5eLnUwKVrHt9WLlyDozybASFGeUoBecrQ0IHDRhrDckq9VzTH-7CY_tY1s7CyBuCt08/s320/IMG_0802.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and finally chocolates.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9q-2-N0AR-j8LtBfrqzwWeTg_HkPQOjZMeO6kTSGMpfABmGUvEYAssUpa1iC80OH76TQh5U2vfnUsSC9hYA2304Bebp7Sn2k-f2jhHxUDfpYwF3Jt8gnMdjPvo2g8oCPqN2TpClAyc4/s1600/IMG_0804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9q-2-N0AR-j8LtBfrqzwWeTg_HkPQOjZMeO6kTSGMpfABmGUvEYAssUpa1iC80OH76TQh5U2vfnUsSC9hYA2304Bebp7Sn2k-f2jhHxUDfpYwF3Jt8gnMdjPvo2g8oCPqN2TpClAyc4/s320/IMG_0804.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/25745/restaurant/Upper-East-Side/Daniel-New-York"><img alt="Daniel on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/25745/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-14690313871222127842012-01-23T05:51:00.000-08:002012-01-24T02:29:54.526-08:00CBD lunches: affordable luxury @ Waffle On<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Workers in Melbourne’s CBD are spoiled for choice when it
comes to lunchtime sustenance to fuel their afternoon of hard work (or endless
meetings interspersed with internet time wasting). I want to share one of my
favourite budget friendly but luxurious lunch spots. </div>
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Waffle On is one of those places that everyone would have
walked past (it’s sneakily sitting at the top of the Degraves Street subway
entrance to Flinders Street) but not necessarily noticed. It specialises in
baguettes and of course waffles. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNApShtHfUJwGYUg6zMCkiY7306wnscuHgYpaHAQqNTcvmog8f4_sHwP-Y-MN6At1Rtx-pLTYDPycG8fhWyZKp9az3YSJAO1CDSsIiK3X7lPvQufXVxxqoKGAQcHQiPy9_6oX2xZuy8M/s1600/IMG_1164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNApShtHfUJwGYUg6zMCkiY7306wnscuHgYpaHAQqNTcvmog8f4_sHwP-Y-MN6At1Rtx-pLTYDPycG8fhWyZKp9az3YSJAO1CDSsIiK3X7lPvQufXVxxqoKGAQcHQiPy9_6oX2xZuy8M/s320/IMG_1164.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The waffles are top notch and range from around $3-6
depending on how piggy you’re feeling with toppings (ice cream and maple is
$6). </div>
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There are seven types of baguettes (all $9, or $10 with
water), which are fresh baked throughout the day and filled upon request by the
charming French owner/baguette maestro . My favourite baguette is so favoured
that I have only ever once ordered a different type (the roast beef, awesome
but not my favourite). Not even blogging would draw me away from ordering the
chicken baguette, which is filled with slices of house cooked tender chicken,
lettuce, tomato and a delicious house made mayonnaise. </div>
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My equally gluttonous lunch companion ordered the ham, gruyere,
cornichon and mustard baguette, which
was also delicious (note: he has now switched to the chicken upon return
visits).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvxFRJDIN0fioSrHFjgye-8snwlBA-kqswmElT2j1NYyzSA_J1s_RwXoGqcqp-MnrDeiqqz4oB8AmkjUuO4XLeDFmBInvrW8uoJOJgI-QmoR-Goe746z6yhuzyuoZGFEWRJgTRM4z-PM/s1600/IMG_1166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvxFRJDIN0fioSrHFjgye-8snwlBA-kqswmElT2j1NYyzSA_J1s_RwXoGqcqp-MnrDeiqqz4oB8AmkjUuO4XLeDFmBInvrW8uoJOJgI-QmoR-Goe746z6yhuzyuoZGFEWRJgTRM4z-PM/s320/IMG_1166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The baguettes are always perfectly crispy on the outside and
on most occasions (including this one) the soft interior bread is still warm.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1446010/restaurant/CBD/Waffle-On-Melbourne"><img alt="Waffle On on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1446010/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-13960982808774750602011-11-30T04:22:00.001-08:002012-06-18T03:45:40.818-07:00Mexican: dos & don’ts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As my regular readers may have gathered, Mexican cuisine is
something I love. This stems from being raised on Mexican and eating as much of
it as possible on my infrequent visits back to the USA. So when restaurateurs
decide to open a Mexican outpost because it’s 'like so cool right now' without
learning how to make the food properly it really makes me angry (think Ari Gold
tirade). Luckily my faith has been restored by some first time restaurateurs setting up shop in Richmond. <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Paco’s Tacos (don’ts)</b></span></div>
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When I heard that Paco’s Tacos had replaced the
underperforming Movida Terraza (financially underperforming, the food was
actually decent) I was really excited to have a more accessible lunch taco
option than Mamasita (hopefully without a side of groan inducing hipster attitude). </div>
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Last week I got some of my regular lunch buddies together
for a girl’s lunch at Paco’s. Firstly I’ll give them credit for the positives:
it’s a great outdoor venue that would be good for after work drinks in summer,
they have their kitchen garden spread around the tables, which adds a point of
interest. </div>
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We started our lunch with a flustered and slightly rude
server when ordering at the counter, which I generally forgive when a
restaurant is busy but not when it’s practically empty as it was at 12:05 on a Wednesday.
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We began with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicharr%C3%B3n" target="_blank">Chicharrones</a> (pork crackling $10) with
salsa verde and a roasted capsicum salsa. The salsas were flavourful, however,
the crackling should be cut smaller and be crispy (ours was hit and miss, which
makes it hard to bite through giant chunks). </div>
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H ordered some vegetarian tacos ($6 as are all their tacos),
which had black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and queso fresco. Main Problem:
as with all of the tacos we ordered, the corn tortillas were not prepared
properly. They hadn’t been toasted on a grill and they were cold, had a bad
flaky texture and fell apart. Again I would have let this slide on the basis of
it being a one-off, but my reading of <a href="http://sharkingforchipsanddrinks.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/pacos-tacos-movidas-new-baby-not-up-to-scratch/" target="_blank">other diners</a> reviews suggests that it’s a
constant issue (who cares if the tortillas are from Casa Iberica if you don’t
know how to serve them).</div>
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Y and I shared the ‘pulled’ pork tacos with pineapple. The filling
was fine but the tortillas were problematic. </div>
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Next we tried the prawn tacos.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XXEDLMuXRY09sFdyxSq7nxQEGO6DDvfWTU-LNzzPA-ywWvfOds_U4IRBPy5q3je5wadNi5klZor9i3vqb7qZYFMoTE4KVSnUyC-55-g7Lrp81bNp4J09M33oEGfXT9_UnVBbC776m9o/s1600/IMG_1135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XXEDLMuXRY09sFdyxSq7nxQEGO6DDvfWTU-LNzzPA-ywWvfOds_U4IRBPy5q3je5wadNi5klZor9i3vqb7qZYFMoTE4KVSnUyC-55-g7Lrp81bNp4J09M33oEGfXT9_UnVBbC776m9o/s320/IMG_1135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The roast duck with ‘mole’ was pretty bland. Proper <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_%28sauce%29" target="_blank">mole</a> is
one of the more complex sauces in existence often containing more than 20
ingredients, while this one tasted like it was missing about 75 per cent of
those. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavqtzvXOg5skSahcico_6I1w-60fVp2O8LWCIPq_AOd4ICJ7oJWbzuMhlQipfrK8QZfl2LTOIu4QTQQw0MdMggWErQA-fZlaed2bB-cESMO6G6bvVZp_Eeg6aql26IIbMTibb-89uVOY/s1600/IMG_1136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavqtzvXOg5skSahcico_6I1w-60fVp2O8LWCIPq_AOd4ICJ7oJWbzuMhlQipfrK8QZfl2LTOIu4QTQQw0MdMggWErQA-fZlaed2bB-cESMO6G6bvVZp_Eeg6aql26IIbMTibb-89uVOY/s320/IMG_1136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We finished on a better note with the grilled corn with
chipotle and an interesting mix of cheddar and queso fresco ($6). The corn was
deliciously charred and cheesy and was well accompanied with lime. But
seriously, it would be pretty hard to ruin grilled corn. </div>
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<b>My tips for Paco’s Tacos:</b></div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span>Do your research properly before opening a
restaurant</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span>Learn how to prepare corn tortillas</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span>Fix up your recipes</li>
<li>Try your food before you put it on the menu so
that you don’t end up with giant chewy pieces of crackling, crap tortillas and entire
stalks of coriander on your tacos</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span>Make sure you’ve got some consistency coming out
of your kitchen (i.e. so that Gordon Ramsay wouldn’t have a coronary while
shouting the F-word repeatedly at your cooks, not that that would be a bad
outcome)</li>
</ol>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1631574/restaurant/CBD/Pacos-Tacos-Melbourne"><img alt="Pacos Tacos on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1631574/biglink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #0b5394;">Fonda Mexican (dos)</b></span></div>
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This week I decided to dip my toe back into the Mexican dining
scene with a dinner visit to the brand new cantina, Fonda on Swan Street in
Richmond with Clare. </div>
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It was buzzing when we arrived with a lot of people waiting
for takeaway or tables. I was craning my neck to check out the action in the
open kitchen, which included a guy dedicated to pressing and grilling tortillas
(awesome). </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUfxm0H-aeziVzS0qc96SMDXbN1-uBMR7DOjA2GNm-oNLPAyzLG6TbIU-Tx4_IFf-6nXw0xfaBTNUMhagEHWcoVUvkgK1ZubMkLIn6RFSsHD75dRkwAdWGiXawdtbMARyolXuyEdRrTg/s1600/IMG_1163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUfxm0H-aeziVzS0qc96SMDXbN1-uBMR7DOjA2GNm-oNLPAyzLG6TbIU-Tx4_IFf-6nXw0xfaBTNUMhagEHWcoVUvkgK1ZubMkLIn6RFSsHD75dRkwAdWGiXawdtbMARyolXuyEdRrTg/s320/IMG_1163.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fonda at the end of dinner (note the tortilla press on the left)</td></tr>
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We were finally seated in the cute courtyard at the back and
proceeded to peruse the soft opening menu (they’ve only been open for a few
weeks and are still tweaking things). I
wanted to order everything but had to compromise and pick out a selection to
share. </div>
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Our beverage choice was pink grapefruit and guava Jarritos
Soda ($4.5). </div>
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We started with the delicious fish taco with chipotle aioli,
pickled onion and carrot with cabbage ($6). This was mine and Clare’s favourite
for the night with the crispy crumbed fish and creamy aioli (topped with some
hot sauce of course).</div>
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The braised pork taco with pineapple, onion, coriander and
lime ($5) was also good.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iunId7OnE3fSudCl2E2S8Jq4Yqi_nG2hJsW0Mwm-fb53cf7siy07OuTiyRuBmZx_kThyvUAzoYdsJmW28Qviv2SU2TxNAEKg16oTLBWLUbK9YlthE5EwWzWWZNq1G2gsZNmGvvGk1z0/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iunId7OnE3fSudCl2E2S8Jq4Yqi_nG2hJsW0Mwm-fb53cf7siy07OuTiyRuBmZx_kThyvUAzoYdsJmW28Qviv2SU2TxNAEKg16oTLBWLUbK9YlthE5EwWzWWZNq1G2gsZNmGvvGk1z0/s320/IMG_1160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next we had the juicy charred corn with chipotle aioli,
salted ricotta (milder than queso fresco) and lime (could’ve been more generous
with the lime, it was difficult to squeeze anything out of the lime stubs). </div>
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To finish we shared the chopped beef burrito ($13.50) with
black beans, salsa roja and chipotle aioli. The burrito was beefy good (really
good flour tortilla) but could be improved with the aioli inside and a bit of
salsa fresca to brighten up the flavours. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcSvJoKybl-8B5V6smlJZdkRnsdP6FcQQtjL9lJJGMkKVwoZO3Z33fBWbLLR0xg6sOpCdfzjvcAZBnQ6cLA8wmRqBPvSrjCvwpWUTIyaWKp-apb5fN9qPKXvi2hmf7cWZhrABXq_B260/s1600/IMG_1162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcSvJoKybl-8B5V6smlJZdkRnsdP6FcQQtjL9lJJGMkKVwoZO3Z33fBWbLLR0xg6sOpCdfzjvcAZBnQ6cLA8wmRqBPvSrjCvwpWUTIyaWKp-apb5fN9qPKXvi2hmf7cWZhrABXq_B260/s320/IMG_1162.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I’m really stoked to have a place like Fonda in the neighbourhood. </div>
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Update: Things I’ve tried since that are worth a try:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>the new beef brisket taco</li>
<li>the horchata</li>
<li>potent margaritas</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1631993/restaurant/Melbourne/Fonda-Mexican-Richmond"><img alt="Fonda Mexican on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1631993/biglink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-17699178270998567802011-11-22T03:24:00.001-08:002011-11-30T04:56:29.222-08:00West Side Story: Duchess of Spotswood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It’s a trial getting me to cross over neutral territory to
go back northside after my triumphant return to the south earlier this year, so
you can only imagine how rare it is for me to cross the Westgate. However, last
Saturday my household was persuaded to make the journey on a grey drizzly
morning in search of a different kind of brunch offering and a catch up with
our lone westside friend. I know every
man and his dog has blogged about Duchess of Spotswood but I like to give
credit where it is due and they are doing something out of the ordinary. </div>
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The Duchess is located in a quiet stretch of shops in
Spotswood (flashbacks to scienceworks anyone?) and has a gran's dining room stripped bare feel with
communal tables, a chandelier and an enticing pastry cabinet. It’s always busy rain or shine
but rain reduces its capacity by making the courtyard untenable. Its menu is heavily
influenced by English sensibilities and its dishes have a variety of clever names. </div>
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We started with a round of coffees, which were good but not photographed due to the desperate need
for caffeine interfering with cameras. </div>
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I ordered the Duchess of Pork (I do have a slight porcine
obsession), which was a very porky combination of crispy fried pork jowl
terrine with fried egg (that was a touch of pork floss on the egg with the truffle), rich truffle sauce and sourdough toast for dipping
($18.50).</div>
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Y ordered the lighter option of Simple Pleasures, which was
a fresh tasting combination of broad beans, asparagus, radish herbs and goats
curd with sourdough toast and poached eggs ($17.50)</div>
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B had the Breakfast of Champignons: an aptly named
combination of potato and barley hash with field mushrooms, Stilton and poached
eggs ($17.50). The Stilton did slightly overpower the rest of the flavours as
would be expected so I wouldn’t recommend if you aren’t a fan of pungent cheese
(which B and I luckily are). </div>
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I’d say it’s worth the trip but be prepared to wait.</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1507086/restaurant/Melbourne/Yarraville/Duchess-of-Spotswood-Spotswood"><img alt="Duchess of Spotswood on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1507086/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
</div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-66153022892836998352011-11-22T02:17:00.001-08:002012-02-29T04:05:28.444-08:00Chicago: Part 2 - Chilam Balam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a long day swimming and sunbathing with KC, we joined a friend for dinner at <a href="http://www.chilambalamchicago.com/index.html" target="_blank">Chilam Balam</a> in Lakeview, a cute little area about 10 minutes north of the CBD.<br />
<br />
Chilam Balam has a very relaxed vibe with its unassuming basement location, dinner party vibe and eclectic tunes. Something about the place made me feel like the playlist had been tailored for my tastes as well as the menu. Chilam Balam’s talented young chef, Chuy Valencia, has paid his dues at top restaurants including a stint as sous chef at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. He works with seasonal ingredients, changing the menu often and cultivating close relationships with local producers. The attention to detail shows in the expert flavour combinations and execution.<br />
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We began our meal with a jug of agua fresca (then a bottle of byo wine) and ahi tuna ceviche with ground cherry pico de gallo, tamarind, sweet corn and crispy plantain chips ($15.95 + tax and tip). The ceviche was and incredible combination of fresh and sour flavours with the crunch of the plantain chips.<br />
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Our next dish was lamb shank barbacoa with red chilli sope, with a peanut thickened salsa served with lime and queso fresco ($14.25). The lamb was unctuous and the dish was hearty without being overly stodgy.<br />
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This was followed by pan roasted duck breast with adobo sauce, mashed Yukon potato, grilled haricot vert and chorizo ($14.95). The duck was served with tortillas to make tacos with – delicious.<br />
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The grilled pork loin with pasilla sauce, grilled summer squash, aged cheese and fried fingerling potatoes ($13.95) was also served with tortillas.<br />
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The grilled flank steak, roasted potato, crispy onion, guajillo chilli and coriander ($13.95) was tender and would pair perfectly with some Colorado beer (maybe fat tire).<br />
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We were fit to burst by this stage but had to try a dessert. We decided on the chilli chocolate mousse with spiced goats cheese, orange liqueur flambéed marshmallow and fried plantain ($7.50). It was a deliciously adult version of a chocolate cheesecake with intriguing flavours working in synch.<br />
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I did do my best for my Melbourne compatriots and beg the owner to set up shop way down south but I’m not sure if it worked…<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/2/1464900/restaurant/Lake-View/Chilam-Balam-Chicago"><img alt="Chilam Balam on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1464900/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
</div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-37914319425368126712011-10-31T02:54:00.000-07:002012-02-29T04:10:59.368-08:00Chicago: All that... food 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">O</span><span style="font-size: small;">n
my recent trip to the US I stopped for a few days in Chicago to visit my
College roommate and check out what Chicago had to offer. Chicago has an
abundance of good restaurants and an innovative dining scene. It’s also home to
some of the top restaurants in the USA if not the world (Alinea, Next etc.).
Unfortunately my quest to get tickets to Next Restaurant was unsuccessful thanks
to a lack of understanding and a billing system that doesn’t accept foreign
credit cards (tsk tsk it’s 2011 get with the program). Instead I had to ‘settle’
with going to a few different restaurants to sample the variety available in
Chicago. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The French
Market</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Before
lunching at Blackbird KC and I wondered around admiring the red brick buildings.
We wandered into Chicago’s French market to admire the baked goods and see what
kind of produce was available...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMpKxdDRyBPmnm5NU8zZp2ku3nz7DgOToXNMFu_XbFclQ2qfQ4H1ZIlux5l6Mgridk-7V0A4RpZp-C8uquQsisGG4t1Uc6oI7BLCTLRxI5-_NNth9V4_bmMOAD-l5yfQh2ggkNgmnb6I/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMpKxdDRyBPmnm5NU8zZp2ku3nz7DgOToXNMFu_XbFclQ2qfQ4H1ZIlux5l6Mgridk-7V0A4RpZp-C8uquQsisGG4t1Uc6oI7BLCTLRxI5-_NNth9V4_bmMOAD-l5yfQh2ggkNgmnb6I/s320/IMG_0664.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macarons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGqyZp4RbVcqLS0QuQRhC9Y2EVhUJkWsdaS8EFvyPiB-TCyKTaRWFQi2G71dMcbxEs6235-8GSO6MWuRjyYcCo4D48o7WY8K09lNBaRf_8pa7zTCmyd5xY6rGIj27AoaGdK_uu2WJJEw/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGqyZp4RbVcqLS0QuQRhC9Y2EVhUJkWsdaS8EFvyPiB-TCyKTaRWFQi2G71dMcbxEs6235-8GSO6MWuRjyYcCo4D48o7WY8K09lNBaRf_8pa7zTCmyd5xY6rGIj27AoaGdK_uu2WJJEw/s320/IMG_0666.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pastries</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://blackbirdrestaurant.com/#"><b>Blackbird</b></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Blackbird is the flagship of the James Beard Award winning
chef, Paul Kahan, a Chicago born and bred culinary master. Its fit out is very
modern and light filled with non-offensive white façade and white/grey and dark
wood interior. Despite the modern touches, the main dining room is charming, no
doubt assisted by the sunshine streaming in from outside (lunch visit) to warm
diners accompanied by extremely competent staff that one would expect at a michelin starred restaurant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Upon entering the well oiled machine that is blackbird, KC
and I were made extremely welcome by our server. We chose the extremely good
value $22 (plus tax & gratuity) three course prix fixe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We began our meal with brilliant cocktails ($12). Blackberry Betty: a sophisticated short cocktail combining Plymouth
Gin, crème de violette, basil, blackberry and lime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Blackbird Orange: a sweet, sour and caramelised concoction
of Moon Mountain Coastal Citrus vodka, Punt e Mes vermouth, orange marmalade
and ginger beer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Very good sourdough
with cultured butter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">An entrée of chilled vichyssoise with parmesan gourgeres
(croutons) and ginger cream was poured at the table and deliciously creamy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The other entrée of charred baby sepia (cuttlefish) with
green tomatoes, blueberries, chamomile almonds and cynar was beautifully presented
and an interesting combination of flavours and textures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">A main of roasted chicken and sausage with lime onions,
tamarind and smoked cucumbers was also impeccably presented. The roast chicken
was deliciously succulent and well accompanied by the cubes of tamarind and
smoked cucumber; however the sausage was quite dry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The wood grilled sturgeon with chantarelles, kohlrabi,
plums, thai poppy jam and brown butter fish sauce was good, the only discordant
note for me was the poppy jam. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For dessert my highlight was the vanilla parfait with
blackberries, saffron honey and milk meringue. The milk meringue was extremely
light and combined wonderfully with the berries, honey and parfait. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDDiqAWyFThWCqunWxPHNSISMtZyz6gEBzSXRYnJ2mrI-o9AWnIEKC98kXcjbMIvzcvP5gSBVb3nkGQMgjGFwwVxLjSDu2G2fDq-o5w90F5xqfFFuvTBXi6QTGPJhkYhcqTXfntP3q4Y/s1600/IMG_0697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDDiqAWyFThWCqunWxPHNSISMtZyz6gEBzSXRYnJ2mrI-o9AWnIEKC98kXcjbMIvzcvP5gSBVb3nkGQMgjGFwwVxLjSDu2G2fDq-o5w90F5xqfFFuvTBXi6QTGPJhkYhcqTXfntP3q4Y/s320/IMG_0697.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The milk chocolate mousse with grilled corn and silk, frozen
peaches (sorbet) and mesquite was also delicious. The slightly off beat flavour
combinations corn, chocolate, peach and mesquite worked well for me but scared
KC a bit. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEx9qQxiaQhl7A35hLHY5sANM-c-oBqkgHTnspEc7u2t1eBdKJiUnIGWNa2rS9hE-54WWv3RGnvxAoixxs2s7xggveqs6RScgHKXFHYYP_jOeO-Fes2ODCAvTTjZpyC4qinHuQl4WoU0/s1600/IMG_0696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEx9qQxiaQhl7A35hLHY5sANM-c-oBqkgHTnspEc7u2t1eBdKJiUnIGWNa2rS9hE-54WWv3RGnvxAoixxs2s7xggveqs6RScgHKXFHYYP_jOeO-Fes2ODCAvTTjZpyC4qinHuQl4WoU0/s320/IMG_0696.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Rating: highly recommended </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/2/10691/restaurant/West-Loop/Blackbird-Chicago"><img alt="Blackbird on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/10691/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Next Chilam Balam... </span></div>
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</span></div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-13522796418198250552011-10-31T00:03:00.000-07:002011-11-30T04:58:27.155-08:00Tomato-tastic amateur gardening hour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My addiction to really good tomatoes has become a tad energy consuming over this long weekend. Instead of buying them from markets to eat on their own or paired with basil and top notch mozzarella, I decided to buy some different varieties of plants from Ripponlea and plant my own. This may have been excessive in terms of effort and probably more expensive than just buying them, but now I get to have the satisfaction of watching them grow (hopefully) and raiding them for choice fruit like a naughty child (note: i may have gotten in trouble for doing this in my uncle's and gran's garden as a child).<br />
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Future salad ingredients waiting to be planted and super awesome new blue leather gardening gloves (pretty close to 'kingfisher' blue if you ever had a 72 set of derwents). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DDDejYXI0WF1_WjsZkYtBSESjycAUmB5gbhg-s9vu4xWRV_DtR_lS6uj60kf5ct_Yg7fHOprwrvsiFIzkOK9GmL3S4v8GRstv5r5XKyAKOjRDXCFP8UTnjEH4LswxHqaQ2yOJ70pJ5Y/s1600/IMG_1102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DDDejYXI0WF1_WjsZkYtBSESjycAUmB5gbhg-s9vu4xWRV_DtR_lS6uj60kf5ct_Yg7fHOprwrvsiFIzkOK9GmL3S4v8GRstv5r5XKyAKOjRDXCFP8UTnjEH4LswxHqaQ2yOJ70pJ5Y/s320/IMG_1102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
My new basil plant hanging out with my replaced flat leaf parsley (probably too close together but who cares).<br />
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My lone impulse buy strawberry plant waiting to be re-potted when i can be bothered getting it a bigger pot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGohfbBXRk7ucKE5239f5W-QKEHpqGZC54vWuvy3oAJOuQ3peX_GejtExezUBzSgOIIfqzL61lLQzOt0ggDJj1_tQ-mDP10Ii_jZY7-F2ENxWhzGnHZ6cRmVC9ggR2CZDXC5qejRywRpQ/s1600/IMG_1104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGohfbBXRk7ucKE5239f5W-QKEHpqGZC54vWuvy3oAJOuQ3peX_GejtExezUBzSgOIIfqzL61lLQzOt0ggDJj1_tQ-mDP10Ii_jZY7-F2ENxWhzGnHZ6cRmVC9ggR2CZDXC5qejRywRpQ/s320/IMG_1104.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A few of the tomato plants, one of them will grow green fruit with tiger stripes, pretty cool. </div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-53777937704331227942011-10-26T04:42:00.000-07:002011-11-30T04:58:52.304-08:00All things nice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On a recent sunny Sunday afternoon, a girlfriend and I cured
ourselves from post-museum low blood sugar with an overdose of sugar. </div>
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Our first stop was <a href="http://www.luxbite.com.au/">LuxBite</a> in South Yarra for some
deliciously pretty macarons ($22 box of 8). The macarons were fairly good but
not as amazing as some (Duncan’s, Josephine’s, La Belle Miette). The highlights
for me were the rose & lychee and the heilala crème brullee.</div>
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Our next stop was the sugary wonderland of <a href="http://www.burchandpurchese.com/">Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio</a> (also in South Yarra). The sweet studio is full of
beautiful and imaginative cakes and sweets that make eyes bigger than stomachs
and delight the senses. </div>
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The blackcurrant ‘cloud’ ($5) was the most amazingly
flavourful meringue I’ve tasted.</div>
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The coconut, passionfruit, ginger and mint desert ($9) was a
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I’ll definitely be returning to Burch and Purchese to try
their other delights. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1589023/restaurant/Victoria/South-Yarra-Toorak/Burch-Purchese-Sweet-Studio-South-Yarra"><img alt="Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1589023/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
</div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-75478826781513991742011-09-26T03:32:00.000-07:002012-02-29T04:08:49.517-08:00Kansas City here I come<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.lidias-kc.com/"><b>Lidia’s Italy</b></a></div>
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On my recent trip to the USA I paid a visit to family in
Kansas City. KC is not generally known for it’s culinary prowess, however, I did
eat while I was there and it wasn’t all bad. </div>
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On my first day in town, my grandma and aunts took me to
brunch at Lidia’s Italy, which is the westernmost of Lidia Bastianich’s ‘Lidia’
branded restaurant group. </div>
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Lidia’s is in a beautiful red brick building with an refined
farmhouse vibe. On Sundays they have a market brunch ($24) that features a
buffet of antipasto and desserts with a la carte mains. The food was rustic and
flavourful but the presentation was lacking. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnP0FB0Zsfp8jmcCzjqcL9h6zlN-lCaIgRBbaVbKp1ogsHySrpz_QYtSqMchWLNLOYsl60w1QW_AO8sQa1bdMOHikdm42iWwOe640QIjH7kzGLX65nR6AJ7kvnY5Han0wGVnTtPxN8I8/s1600/IMG_0559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnP0FB0Zsfp8jmcCzjqcL9h6zlN-lCaIgRBbaVbKp1ogsHySrpz_QYtSqMchWLNLOYsl60w1QW_AO8sQa1bdMOHikdm42iWwOe640QIjH7kzGLX65nR6AJ7kvnY5Han0wGVnTtPxN8I8/s320/IMG_0559.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selection of bread
with sweet butter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQF6o8twntTDSZdHdxAHsnJ6d1tJAJ0YvEX5S7Wv0fVw5MnW6lkThyzo0PfrWBAzd0W8z_NeaQ2Df4_9yNkC2J2wV519QntD5xmsq7xE0ITryM7W6N7JdDVlLKGyfp097gBstWGGc0lo/s1600/IMG_0561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQF6o8twntTDSZdHdxAHsnJ6d1tJAJ0YvEX5S7Wv0fVw5MnW6lkThyzo0PfrWBAzd0W8z_NeaQ2Df4_9yNkC2J2wV519QntD5xmsq7xE0ITryM7W6N7JdDVlLKGyfp097gBstWGGc0lo/s320/IMG_0561.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Selection from antipasto table – heirloom tomato panzanella
was the highlight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7d24_dqJfKz8la-nBMOkOH3mG4Ikipj16PrAg8oIpP7pIr4feZ2ug9L8rJD8REqRIIKcxvpxaQHv52shpPpfO9BWz0PGpEUtrHLkJZFNTohAlM2Qoj3M1zSSCKMDDapSn7iBUbNQ91g/s1600/IMG_0563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7d24_dqJfKz8la-nBMOkOH3mG4Ikipj16PrAg8oIpP7pIr4feZ2ug9L8rJD8REqRIIKcxvpxaQHv52shpPpfO9BWz0PGpEUtrHLkJZFNTohAlM2Qoj3M1zSSCKMDDapSn7iBUbNQ91g/s320/IMG_0563.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gnocchi with duck ragu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4tquMxlfV-8-ioiYAn9MG2Fa3yHwmIojDQyx7sD_2Vx6YhYHMyltMg0K28i4gI3lYFLsdGaix2qpplNRT-zU39H20vMF_Nh-PhFi8gNMDF-fe1U10lzQ5HLmXBBkaqblt52lLN-9uUw/s1600/IMG_0564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4tquMxlfV-8-ioiYAn9MG2Fa3yHwmIojDQyx7sD_2Vx6YhYHMyltMg0K28i4gI3lYFLsdGaix2qpplNRT-zU39H20vMF_Nh-PhFi8gNMDF-fe1U10lzQ5HLmXBBkaqblt52lLN-9uUw/s320/IMG_0564.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled salmon fillet with string beans, Yukon gold potatoes
and mustard sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGL1oztgDvCd23GRT8JFcJdH-gT3UVNqXvRcMg-aj9hdxtliR9jDDkCaco_usW7DLfDzttUcSBbe55mA67eQuEop8TKSXyRYdwj8gRA_9MFiYh4_L51vELMdNUnuP2_VRgm7C1NDpXzko/s1600/IMG_0565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGL1oztgDvCd23GRT8JFcJdH-gT3UVNqXvRcMg-aj9hdxtliR9jDDkCaco_usW7DLfDzttUcSBbe55mA67eQuEop8TKSXyRYdwj8gRA_9MFiYh4_L51vELMdNUnuP2_VRgm7C1NDpXzko/s320/IMG_0565.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lasagna Bolognese</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-s8qUdnt8_pTPKlY3Fid6uTppCpwpwZg4hHZ7emwu8V8NTX6lhFiEsd6kk76N56aTHYmyKzEvR5PowYtqmh2iSpMN0xch2KZwA9R3tNV0kbtffiXxEQwEzq-nBOgyERt-EucsYzkuv9g/s1600/IMG_0566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-s8qUdnt8_pTPKlY3Fid6uTppCpwpwZg4hHZ7emwu8V8NTX6lhFiEsd6kk76N56aTHYmyKzEvR5PowYtqmh2iSpMN0xch2KZwA9R3tNV0kbtffiXxEQwEzq-nBOgyERt-EucsYzkuv9g/s320/IMG_0566.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork shank</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpmalAn9kpKEkQYFJO4dZ_zkJ0dPFHr2oC0cQj_V4WpKWDSllF_J1YmmVaKMnyKo1dyGwQwyHHZ6hwARfSp_Z2FGNJmaUqGyY13b0WglI73dSzNfjP3GD7A1wfjRxr_4Hc-IWDdv63xM/s1600/IMG_0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpmalAn9kpKEkQYFJO4dZ_zkJ0dPFHr2oC0cQj_V4WpKWDSllF_J1YmmVaKMnyKo1dyGwQwyHHZ6hwARfSp_Z2FGNJmaUqGyY13b0WglI73dSzNfjP3GD7A1wfjRxr_4Hc-IWDdv63xM/s320/IMG_0567.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled chicken panini</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/34/381243/restaurant/Crossroads-Arts-District-Crown-Center/Lidias-Kansas-City-Kansas-City"><img alt="Lidia's Kansas City on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/381243/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.jackstackbbq.com/images/art/JSBBQ_Dining_Menu.pdf"><b>Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue – Martin City</b></a></div>
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Kansas City is good at barbecue. This relates to its long
history as a location for cattle sales to the east and becomes evident during
football season when you see the cloud of barbecue smoke from the tailgaters
long before you can see Arrowhead Stadium. KC style barbeque is generally
hickory based with a sweeter sauce than you would find in Texas. </div>
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Jack Stack is one of the oldest barbecue restaurants in town
and is generally thought to be the best. The meat is smoky and tender, the
sauce a tasty mixture of smoke, heat and molasses. One of the highlights of
Kansas City style barbecue is the smoky hickory pit beans, which are a slow
cooked combination the smoky meat, sauce and beans. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYC40cvupgrkuV4riZLgEk-QUHdf_MfkfI1hAWtyXsytqLBg5mX5WK2IEeuKc_LmzYIJ6wWdQ9jsMmwWLxpxwLo4a_fr9-CQdF-ehZz4dKnSAzDE4DIR2wzUxVx8ehWK6nWEMFy5V7bU/s1600/IMG_0600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYC40cvupgrkuV4riZLgEk-QUHdf_MfkfI1hAWtyXsytqLBg5mX5WK2IEeuKc_LmzYIJ6wWdQ9jsMmwWLxpxwLo4a_fr9-CQdF-ehZz4dKnSAzDE4DIR2wzUxVx8ehWK6nWEMFy5V7bU/s320/IMG_0600.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">‘Jumbo’ sandwich with turkey and pork </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCY8GMfqAii2-KDhf1T-ulf4vt-_a88Ei4JsO4_8AmJjupG6KVtVPQaE2xQpDfOg4kcfit4HYYpH-4APAp5F4Velrf6JAZk-NkclENSpDC_1DK4ToxR2mjfFEo1N5ljw3u2CaW3Hx1Ms/s1600/IMG_0601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCY8GMfqAii2-KDhf1T-ulf4vt-_a88Ei4JsO4_8AmJjupG6KVtVPQaE2xQpDfOg4kcfit4HYYpH-4APAp5F4Velrf6JAZk-NkclENSpDC_1DK4ToxR2mjfFEo1N5ljw3u2CaW3Hx1Ms/s320/IMG_0601.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork baby back ribs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVQWi_BTeROad7-72qSsmY6HO3QoSC-Z_kokrTHq3MBHUcuuB0s2nuW0vDXeDXP-flDiRtMfORl-3HZIZlt8fOVzCTA6ZTHHxgEQObwBvnw2hcWzzn7l0Ul1_9eu1MApQbNr3D4ZkNmQ/s1600/IMG_0603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVQWi_BTeROad7-72qSsmY6HO3QoSC-Z_kokrTHq3MBHUcuuB0s2nuW0vDXeDXP-flDiRtMfORl-3HZIZlt8fOVzCTA6ZTHHxgEQObwBvnw2hcWzzn7l0Ul1_9eu1MApQbNr3D4ZkNmQ/s320/IMG_0603.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sides of potato salad and hickory pit beans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/34/380686/restaurant/South-Kansas-City/Fiorellas-Jack-Stack-Barbecue-South-K-C-Kansas-City"><img alt="Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue (South K.C.) on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/380686/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-31559539790094539402011-09-14T05:13:00.000-07:002011-09-26T21:57:36.594-07:00Momofuku-d @ Ssäm Bar, Milk Bar and Má Pêche<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I was planning the NYC leg of my USA trip, my hit list
looked something like this:</div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span>Shop</li>
<li>Eat David Chang and Christina Tosi’s food</li>
<li>Party</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span>Museums and stuff </li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span>Eat at a three Michelin starred and four NYT
starred restaurant</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span>Eat more food from random NYC gems</li>
</ol>
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Now that I’ve done all of those things #5 could be bumped to
the top of the list, but that story will have to wait for another day when I
feel I can give the proper attention to my upcoming love letter to Daniel
Boulud. </div>
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David Chang is pretty much the closest the restaurant
industry has to a rock star of the uber cool variety. I’m not saying that he’s
necessarily better than other top chefs, just that he has serious buzz around
him and a kickass attitude. His cult like following stems from his ballsy but
polished fusion of various Asian cuisines and southern cuisine, and his famous
steamed pork buns. </div>
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<b><a href="http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/ssam-bar/">Ssäm Bar</a> and <a href="http://www.momofuku.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/east-village-menu-aug-1.jpg">Milk Bar</a></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y01NJgnJWk_-haSKjRGqtA7-qdgTnrDy_qddvxSyeB-K0OqrxowuDmMulneZiE78ck24UJLRfBDKQZc7cuwJLmaKGtUZot_KmHjP0RBuD7Xz20oVm5UUrlH06RoZdwpHj7LFuvWB2i8/s1600/IMG_0766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y01NJgnJWk_-haSKjRGqtA7-qdgTnrDy_qddvxSyeB-K0OqrxowuDmMulneZiE78ck24UJLRfBDKQZc7cuwJLmaKGtUZot_KmHjP0RBuD7Xz20oVm5UUrlH06RoZdwpHj7LFuvWB2i8/s320/IMG_0766.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bloggers Tools</td></tr>
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On my second evening in New York I dragged my friends A
& Y along to Ssäm Bar in the East Village for dinner (this wasn’t a
particularly difficult task). We took the sharing approach and started with a bottle
of pinot grigio and jonah crab claws with harissa mayo ($16). The crab claws
were served on ice and were pre-cracked, which made it easier to get to the
sweet flesh. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIS8UmXt9fEz8ib94pcsAvuWtJJDjOoOn8JpSw009yZKYIBBeIQ9tIJ4FT1p0TXWmAA_k5SIrCmLF9wCcVushIPQWAnoI2UweEm5diVsmjGK8IUfs3s2zD0QbHXwpWZT77UUuw2nYySc/s1600/IMG_0763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIS8UmXt9fEz8ib94pcsAvuWtJJDjOoOn8JpSw009yZKYIBBeIQ9tIJ4FT1p0TXWmAA_k5SIrCmLF9wCcVushIPQWAnoI2UweEm5diVsmjGK8IUfs3s2zD0QbHXwpWZT77UUuw2nYySc/s1600/IMG_0763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIS8UmXt9fEz8ib94pcsAvuWtJJDjOoOn8JpSw009yZKYIBBeIQ9tIJ4FT1p0TXWmAA_k5SIrCmLF9wCcVushIPQWAnoI2UweEm5diVsmjGK8IUfs3s2zD0QbHXwpWZT77UUuw2nYySc/s320/IMG_0763.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Claws were followed by the deliciously sinful steamed
buns with pork belly, hoisin, cucumber and scallion ($10 for 2). They were
addictively awesome served with the Sriracha chilli sauce; a cross between
peking duck and steamed pork buns.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileCr924xtFtySMSIcPwj6Yfy7B-NJSeKy7YZnC1uirUjFqMFt8GdXuRkyVpNJvut9kZ8NjeVz70H12Y0ILFnJHZgHrRt1v6e-sTXJoaSuSdDFO6Pyp6mT5BHJXh-X9EE_sPeXTgtDeqc/s1600/IMG_0764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileCr924xtFtySMSIcPwj6Yfy7B-NJSeKy7YZnC1uirUjFqMFt8GdXuRkyVpNJvut9kZ8NjeVz70H12Y0ILFnJHZgHrRt1v6e-sTXJoaSuSdDFO6Pyp6mT5BHJXh-X9EE_sPeXTgtDeqc/s320/IMG_0764.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was followed by a plate of Finchville Farm’s ham from
Kentucky ($11) that was served with crusty bread and espresso ‘gravy’. The
thinly sliced ham was cured and combined brilliantly with the creamy espresso
gravy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNn7t-xjl7b3yJvrvWuaia29tD2tpWDSdRKQ1KDlEcAdhxgZGupUwKGawK30FzGcMyocO6OlPhyKoUIdzp4Ewmz-EBiG_qqwlJNH6SNpJWi-HFdHuU_1pJACWTUC8m7jUma3EHH5ytOb4/s1600/IMG_0767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNn7t-xjl7b3yJvrvWuaia29tD2tpWDSdRKQ1KDlEcAdhxgZGupUwKGawK30FzGcMyocO6OlPhyKoUIdzp4Ewmz-EBiG_qqwlJNH6SNpJWi-HFdHuU_1pJACWTUC8m7jUma3EHH5ytOb4/s320/IMG_0767.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our next dish was market greens ($10 silverbeet) with xo
sauce that was underwhelming.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2ne0y2VIKJ8dwpqp7aj9XtCL15A1q9o0tlO97pI24Gz-Ai2QNlD8xchoAe6eCBQtSm9L7w8vm_PUqk1xxAKM8ggjPrsMcqRTpwP764oD-36BBVvHXxkDR1pMGMtlvp5BFyOlJRLgnn8/s1600/IMG_0770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2ne0y2VIKJ8dwpqp7aj9XtCL15A1q9o0tlO97pI24Gz-Ai2QNlD8xchoAe6eCBQtSm9L7w8vm_PUqk1xxAKM8ggjPrsMcqRTpwP764oD-36BBVvHXxkDR1pMGMtlvp5BFyOlJRLgnn8/s320/IMG_0770.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our first main was the roasted lamb loin & belly with
bulgur, snap peas and egg yolk ($26). The lamb loin was very tender and
beautifully cooked while the tenderloin was even better. The gooey egg yolk and
slightly crisp bulger were excellent accompaniments.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGh3hRVakQj5Xel9UsKM3dIWJEsWAxRcCC9RaYvTVPOnsoEX1c-KWO1zCp0hzyW1AHhl9u891HCu3Vwtg1vqxnNDVhqiQyPK2Lk8ZOkAkFyzyIREYcixBJZeaGWVJ_Qm2sQPrV729FqF4/s1600/IMG_0773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGh3hRVakQj5Xel9UsKM3dIWJEsWAxRcCC9RaYvTVPOnsoEX1c-KWO1zCp0hzyW1AHhl9u891HCu3Vwtg1vqxnNDVhqiQyPK2Lk8ZOkAkFyzyIREYcixBJZeaGWVJ_Qm2sQPrV729FqF4/s320/IMG_0773.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO24dy4FHloAolFkzw52aBLJYQUbHFHg8QBOdchs5i4EmrMf_23Bi-QEABr5MjCdIUkHBgqKPvf02xzm2PrDrKktIcP_gQW0nSHTDiTOSKQ-NF3ARKTnrm5FFX75l_TrJLEkFOOWclFvM/s1600/IMG_0772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
</div>
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The poached chicken with sticky rice, morels and spring
onion ($25) was very tender and the sauce packed a serious flavour punch.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO24dy4FHloAolFkzw52aBLJYQUbHFHg8QBOdchs5i4EmrMf_23Bi-QEABr5MjCdIUkHBgqKPvf02xzm2PrDrKktIcP_gQW0nSHTDiTOSKQ-NF3ARKTnrm5FFX75l_TrJLEkFOOWclFvM/s1600/IMG_0772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO24dy4FHloAolFkzw52aBLJYQUbHFHg8QBOdchs5i4EmrMf_23Bi-QEABr5MjCdIUkHBgqKPvf02xzm2PrDrKktIcP_gQW0nSHTDiTOSKQ-NF3ARKTnrm5FFX75l_TrJLEkFOOWclFvM/s320/IMG_0772.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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Our meal was slightly soured by our waitress who seemed to hate
life that evening. Judging by the quality of service delivered by the other
staff I would assume this was an anomaly.</div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/34692/restaurant/East-Village/Momofuku-Ssam-Bar-New-York"><img alt="Momofuku Ssäm Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/34692/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
<br />
After we finished up we wandered across the road to the Milk
Bar to get some pies and ice cream.
<br />
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The Cereal Milk soft serve ($4.5) with cornflake topping was
a more-ish creamy, salty and sweet treat that was perfected with the crunchy
topping. If I could get that soft serve in Collins Street I would eat it all of
the time.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS5z19ngkrsbOyfE7ntSYbNac1p7JEb9yw6wFcKG2ctEF86zQuD333nZGN3DUB9zDS5P5bRU7PMvKyruv4b2Z61h72B-eruji6WrdqlCuQN6AZeLVF1qaCjIFiz6vHZLDdy28sdLDY9Y/s1600/IMG_0777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS5z19ngkrsbOyfE7ntSYbNac1p7JEb9yw6wFcKG2ctEF86zQuD333nZGN3DUB9zDS5P5bRU7PMvKyruv4b2Z61h72B-eruji6WrdqlCuQN6AZeLVF1qaCjIFiz6vHZLDdy28sdLDY9Y/s1600/IMG_0777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS5z19ngkrsbOyfE7ntSYbNac1p7JEb9yw6wFcKG2ctEF86zQuD333nZGN3DUB9zDS5P5bRU7PMvKyruv4b2Z61h72B-eruji6WrdqlCuQN6AZeLVF1qaCjIFiz6vHZLDdy28sdLDY9Y/s320/IMG_0777.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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Eating the decadently salty, buttery caramel Crack Pie
($5.25) with the crisp coconut crust made me feel like my arteries were
hardening in a good way.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfL0wTsKpX3W9O9debrpCkcEyEKAIaDLPVpXcSJz2L5vcBj5uV3EZHUhAAHtPJF9hZ2dIHEKyfghcmiwWhdOEZ07G0MdkeZlWAr0PhhuGFhFieXLhEp4mHSungoh_cGmOImAQ8hl9Btw/s1600/IMG_0778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfL0wTsKpX3W9O9debrpCkcEyEKAIaDLPVpXcSJz2L5vcBj5uV3EZHUhAAHtPJF9hZ2dIHEKyfghcmiwWhdOEZ07G0MdkeZlWAr0PhhuGFhFieXLhEp4mHSungoh_cGmOImAQ8hl9Btw/s320/IMG_0778.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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The Grasshopper Pie($5.25) was also a delicious combination
of mint, chocolate, butter and marshmallow. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0iOGzfo746SJNXaozd0GXBzTO4O4wszc2I0-ytdyB6IIHO_qEV8VAIzkGAJJf6SCm2bKprqOsJ67PDPsaUpelxkrk20VnndvIJCjG-_ThXEPQ6_L3uxc-BLpLcDQk28dTcpzN-AEqxs/s1600/IMG_0779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0iOGzfo746SJNXaozd0GXBzTO4O4wszc2I0-ytdyB6IIHO_qEV8VAIzkGAJJf6SCm2bKprqOsJ67PDPsaUpelxkrk20VnndvIJCjG-_ThXEPQ6_L3uxc-BLpLcDQk28dTcpzN-AEqxs/s320/IMG_0779.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/777704/restaurant/East-Village/Momofuku-Milk-Bar-New-York"><img alt="Momofuku Milk Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/777704/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/ma-peche/menu/lunch/"><b>Má Pêche</b></a><br />
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After a long morning wandering around MoMA, my cousin J and
I hungrily descended on Momofuku’s midtown restaurant, Má Pêche.
J was tired of listening to me talk about the steamed pork buns and Cereal Milk
soft serve and wanted to try them. Má Pêche has a cool minimalist fit
out with an upstairs bar and basement restaurant.</div>
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We started with the niman ranch beef tartare, which was
flavoured soy, scallion and mint ($16). The tartare had fresh flavours was a
brilliant textural combination with the crisp <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krupuk">krupuk</a> it was served with.<br />
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</div>
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We had more steamed buns…<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9DxM1nXT1F8Lx3Mz96OnSoG0nh5MlYRwPcwX34HsZST85gxqxoIxBBDi0zCXe5TeS2_DsFjKWpLuiwFNArog3NY87cY6HhCoH_bSFyInVmG-OwrMnBF8A-yqS9T7j1lBtlT9iKZmKVg/s1600/IMG_0896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9DxM1nXT1F8Lx3Mz96OnSoG0nh5MlYRwPcwX34HsZST85gxqxoIxBBDi0zCXe5TeS2_DsFjKWpLuiwFNArog3NY87cY6HhCoH_bSFyInVmG-OwrMnBF8A-yqS9T7j1lBtlT9iKZmKVg/s320/IMG_0896.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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This was followed by a bahn mi with sticky slow cooked lamb
shoulder, jalapeño, eggplant and cranberry ($10).<br />
<br />
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We finished with Cereal Milk and choc-malt soft serve<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZTXQ3RnuBfNdcukLbBQpzly6tTTG3it71N1McnY0yW1kwJMNx0UjeEbUjoUX8gcfH0MCjYHJIOCHF87lTODAOS-wf6uRlO2QwbuCUZ1_UVoorb5gN4tihNgLTcgxwunyJP36sQ6RleM/s1600/IMG_0898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZTXQ3RnuBfNdcukLbBQpzly6tTTG3it71N1McnY0yW1kwJMNx0UjeEbUjoUX8gcfH0MCjYHJIOCHF87lTODAOS-wf6uRlO2QwbuCUZ1_UVoorb5gN4tihNgLTcgxwunyJP36sQ6RleM/s320/IMG_0898.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1489850/restaurant/Midtown-West/Ma-Peche-New-York"><img alt="Ma Peche on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1489850/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
<br />
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*note: all prices exclude tax and tip</div>
</div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-11921925897142927872011-09-12T06:07:00.000-07:002011-09-26T21:50:21.140-07:00Austin-tatious<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">At
the tail end of my recent US trip, I spent a few days in Austin, TX. Texas may
not be the first destination you’d think of when planning a trip to America, but
with the Qantas replacing their Sydney to San Francisco route with a Sydney to
Dallas route, more Australians are visiting. Tips from fellow travellers led me
to bypass Dallas in favour of the hipper State Capitol. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92DNbs6uiU6Z02CKcXF6TQq_OUdUEhwTEfNExtjZNIsh4BvCTTu8o4VARHXJAM-8tF_uAImJZvepE5zJ-rtgCJoO_KCruOSbkJTnh4fcWbj-i-Yd4YHVu1J7suR3z7R8DDz8lVNEWwOI/s1600/IMG_0950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92DNbs6uiU6Z02CKcXF6TQq_OUdUEhwTEfNExtjZNIsh4BvCTTu8o4VARHXJAM-8tF_uAImJZvepE5zJ-rtgCJoO_KCruOSbkJTnh4fcWbj-i-Yd4YHVu1J7suR3z7R8DDz8lVNEWwOI/s320/IMG_0950.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Austin
is home to a plethora of universities, including the University of Texas. This
helps to explain the abundance of fixies, which make any Melbournian feel at
home (not to mention the availability of somewhat passable coffee). Its
insulation from the economic downturn and young population have helped spark a
resurgent restaurant, bar and music scene, led by events like <a href="http://sxsw.com/">SXSW</a> and <a href="http://www.aclfestival.com/">Austin City Limits</a>. </span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Austin is HOT in the
middle of summer, my four days were spent in a temperature range of 30 degrees
overnight to 43 degrees during the day, making it ideal for chilling by the
pool, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barton_Springs_Pool">springs</a> or <a href="http://www.tubetexas.com/">tubing</a> down one of the rivers around the city. It also makes
Austin an ideal location for outdoor bars, food trailers and restaurants, of
which there are many. My highlights are places which I would frequent if they
were magically transferred to Melbourne (in fact I’d probably do a happy dance
if that happened). </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Franklin Barbecue</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">My
love affair with Austin began while googling ‘Austin BBQ NYT’ on my second
morning in Austin, determined to have a Texas comparison to the Kansas City barbecue
I enjoyed as a child and while in Kansas City at the beginning of my trip
(note: I add NYT to any restaurant google in the USA because I am a NYT dining
and wine addict). <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbecue">Barbecue</a> is an art form in the USA, with different styles
across the south and Kansas City. There are different types of wood used for
smoking (hickory, mesquite etc.), sauces ranging with varying levels of
vinegar, heat and sweetness, and different types of meat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">My
search pointed to Franklin Barbecue, which has been voted the best barbecue restaurant in
America by <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/slideshows/2011/07/aaron-franklin-barbecue-best-restaurant-in-america#intro">Bon Appetit Magazine</a>. Franklin Barbecue started as a food truck but moved
to a bricks and mortar location earlier this year. Its owner Aaron Franklin <a href="http://franklinbarbecue.com/menu.html">serves</a>
up pulled pork, pork ribs, sausages and more importantly, brisket. Franklin Barbecue
has a double threat of cool factor and culinary credibility. Upon my 12 o’clock
arrival at Franklin, I was confronted with a line of hungry people snaking
around the interior of the restaurant and spilling out onto the porch. There
was no option but to join the queue, chat to the giant Texas football team
members and random Italian academics in the line and see what all of the hype
was about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">By
the time I had made it to the front of the line, I’d befriended the aforementioned
Italian and wavered about five times on my order. I went with the option of a
plate of brisket and pulled pork with slaw and pinto beans on the side that also
came with a bit of banter with Aaron Franklin while he was chopping brisket.
The brisket was deliciously tender, smoky and juicy that was perfectly matched
with the smoky heat of the barbecue sauce that also had a hint of espresso. The
porky goodness of the pulled pork was more suited to the slaw. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">By the time I'd finished lunch they had sold out of meat. I
was really tempted to go back and try the ‘Tipsy Texan’ sandwich the next day but Torchy’s
Tacos won out. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiO1sF1u1xGAddyJJDXDrGCD8SxmgDuOysONoGWiJrNTfpUeU_LROVUxuF4-B_-D7d53_tErwO8yJpEaw4m6pOLX0mRLnoVbq1OZ9bQcrBHljImN7j6RKo5FCPY4Mxz14_uC-EWHc7dU/s1600/IMG_0994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiO1sF1u1xGAddyJJDXDrGCD8SxmgDuOysONoGWiJrNTfpUeU_LROVUxuF4-B_-D7d53_tErwO8yJpEaw4m6pOLX0mRLnoVbq1OZ9bQcrBHljImN7j6RKo5FCPY4Mxz14_uC-EWHc7dU/s320/IMG_0994.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/11/1494289/restaurant/East-Austin/Franklin-Barbecue-Austin"><img alt="Franklin Barbecue on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1494289/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://eastsideshowroom.com/"><b>East Side Showroom</b></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">After
sharing lunch at Franklin, I ended up catching up with the Italian and friends
at East Side Showroom for a light dinner and cocktails. East Side is a
speakeasy themed bar with dark lighting, an interesting <a href="http://eastsideshowroom.com/menus/cuisine_menu.php">menu</a> that mixes
southern food with modern American, 20s music and a great mix of prohibition
era and modern <a href="http://eastsideshowroom.com/menus/cocktails_menu.php">cocktails</a> with a Texan twist. We shared bison carpaccio,
antelope tartar, shrimp gumbalaya, lime crème</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">brûlée and a delicious peach pie. The whisky sour cocktail was the best I’ve tasted anywhere. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmuyV3FNyMmsBVKm5dj8Yyvs9QUxHP15wOrpMHSrR3mEoye4IncI92wmJLXaabPHjmDPdIGNHcqbUXIGYTCsztKyPmS5IJMKKglscwVhhuKh4hXC-cCmhcgfN2PpW6a_hVHq0Td7sWW8/s1600/IMG_0997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmuyV3FNyMmsBVKm5dj8Yyvs9QUxHP15wOrpMHSrR3mEoye4IncI92wmJLXaabPHjmDPdIGNHcqbUXIGYTCsztKyPmS5IJMKKglscwVhhuKh4hXC-cCmhcgfN2PpW6a_hVHq0Td7sWW8/s320/IMG_0997.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">It was impeccably executed
with its smoky rye and luxardo cherry. Unfortunately
the lighting did not allow for good photos. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/11/1470845/restaurant/East-Austin/East-Side-Show-Room-Austin"><img alt="East Side Show Room on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1470845/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://torchystacos.com/"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Torchy’s Tacos</span></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">My
hosts from the evening before recommended that I check out the <a href="http://torchystacos.com/food/tacos/">tacos</a> at Torchy’s.
Torchy’s has several food trailers around Austin and has its main base at
Torchy’s Trailer Park on south first. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Having heard about the fried avocado taco
($3.25), I had to try it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz17iuhI7mwyMHH0IX39Y7-jKPSoYdKcE3TNsfDyTzFG0uN49OMKJzg2KjqRo8Yq5rAospgq0U9b8Xl2TxnwT3rluhdZurVv1KHc2kfLHziwMhThS3iODRPctmpIVBbk4KvHIeEP1q26Q/s1600/IMG_1018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz17iuhI7mwyMHH0IX39Y7-jKPSoYdKcE3TNsfDyTzFG0uN49OMKJzg2KjqRo8Yq5rAospgq0U9b8Xl2TxnwT3rluhdZurVv1KHc2kfLHziwMhThS3iODRPctmpIVBbk4KvHIeEP1q26Q/s320/IMG_1018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">The
juxtaposition of the crisp batter and the creamy avocado was addictive. I
also tried the democrat ($3.75) which was a delicious mix of shredded beef,
coriander, queso fresco and pico de gallo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Places
like Torchy’s make Mamasita and Melbourne’s lone taco truck seem passé* (* to
be fair, there aren’t many Mexicans in Melbourne)</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/11/723636/restaurant/South-Congress-SoCo/Torchys-Tacos-Austin"><img alt="Torchy's Tacos on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/723636/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-56384884316000308552011-07-27T06:33:00.000-07:002012-02-29T04:13:24.651-08:00Midweek Dinner @ Colonel Tan's<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Several weeks ago I braved the sticky floors to catch up with a friend at Colonel Tan’s (AKA Revolver Upstairs) for a final dinner before he jetted off to regions unknown. While I associate Revs with hipster bands and trashbags, I’d heard that Karen Batson of Cookie fame had transformed Revolver Upstairs into a cracking American themed Thai restaurant during evening hours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We drank Rekorderlig pear cider with our starter of corn fritters with sweet chilli ($9.50), which were satisfyingly crispy and excellent for soaking up booze. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl63zgWAFSCv1tKkEXf9sABRYWup4ibvqkFvDF7QemUz5NvGv7okVAUGur-YJf9GgD7t2vEkyPAUDYS1yapesPhOsYHvTS9M6m5fJCaiQSnmyaukV6Iz8XfqrOkjJpHlg722X4Ds44H8o/s1600/IMG_0498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl63zgWAFSCv1tKkEXf9sABRYWup4ibvqkFvDF7QemUz5NvGv7okVAUGur-YJf9GgD7t2vEkyPAUDYS1yapesPhOsYHvTS9M6m5fJCaiQSnmyaukV6Iz8XfqrOkjJpHlg722X4Ds44H8o/s320/IMG_0498.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The pork and prawn donuts ($12.50) were accompanied by a chilli jam that was a piquant mixture of chilli, peanut, coriander and vinegar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmSAvlLGcYOTEU8BsagaImpx6yArTpMUqwfdBDzd47pK825JKnXhk3WxxLfDqsMDU2p54Rm6jI0DlfGhmKE1FF6aSK7_yArzg1zBTWFofH72oIidXAxn47HF2yE4DKrN_88p1jFo4q6I/s1600/IMG_0497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmSAvlLGcYOTEU8BsagaImpx6yArTpMUqwfdBDzd47pK825JKnXhk3WxxLfDqsMDU2p54Rm6jI0DlfGhmKE1FF6aSK7_yArzg1zBTWFofH72oIidXAxn47HF2yE4DKrN_88p1jFo4q6I/s320/IMG_0497.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As we wanted to eat pretty much everything on the menu, we deferred to the superior knowledge of our waitress to narrow things down. The first dish she recommended was the stirfried daikon cake with mushrooms and bean shoots ($14.50). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGigKBjbqxcKvZ0Ql496-l3GKdj5h-2lzkVu8oEdqNrF5O8yeMUkc1mOl4-GuyL_hbtun_IFSigH-Dz0VoeoaLdZZmNNQcc4wopIKEKz9RB_l-PwYya932z_ZicnsTYqySmGtxhwkv-Q/s1600/IMG_0496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGigKBjbqxcKvZ0Ql496-l3GKdj5h-2lzkVu8oEdqNrF5O8yeMUkc1mOl4-GuyL_hbtun_IFSigH-Dz0VoeoaLdZZmNNQcc4wopIKEKz9RB_l-PwYya932z_ZicnsTYqySmGtxhwkv-Q/s320/IMG_0496.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The gooey daikon cake went well with the umami sauce and Chinese fungus. She also recommended the ‘Crying Tiger’ ($14.50), which was deliciously rare slices of beef with chilli, thai basil, soy and lime. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9Rg_5JXikbo2YTHDB8LOo5MYw3pxflQLM3txNG2LOQNHJBiTwn03_yCpfxY8PPI1jqHKhCoroU8SN_nGf6ALGDoJAlfg_r7sAIkrwI0Xpo2C2Vj_cnj86SU9FJ-Qm1N4nhDetT8pq5Y/s1600/IMG_0495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9Rg_5JXikbo2YTHDB8LOo5MYw3pxflQLM3txNG2LOQNHJBiTwn03_yCpfxY8PPI1jqHKhCoroU8SN_nGf6ALGDoJAlfg_r7sAIkrwI0Xpo2C2Vj_cnj86SU9FJ-Qm1N4nhDetT8pq5Y/s320/IMG_0495.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Colonel Tan’s provides a reasonably priced oasis for Southsiders. </span> </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1470947/restaurant/Victoria/Colonel-Tans-Prahran"><img alt="Colonel Tan's on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1470947/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
</div>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-65542472731535932522011-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-11T06:02:16.321-07:00Weekend 'brunch' @ Batch Espresso<div class="MsoNormal">I recently caught up with a mate for a hungover late brunch at Batch Espresso. Batch is a haven for kiwi expats and Melburnians alike with its hipster décor and reasonable priced menu peppered with kiwi classics. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Given our slightly rough state we started with decent coffees. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I ordered the fried egg with roesti, rocket and harissa yogurt ($14). The yolk was runny and the roesti suitably stodgy without being gluggy. The spicy harissa yogurt and peppery rocket were excellent accompaniments. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">My similarly hungover friend ordered the baked eggs with chorizo, chilli, manchego and sheep’s yogurt ($15). The eggs were perfectly cooked with runny yolks, which paired with the chilli chorizo were delicious to mop up with the crusty toast. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The sight of baked goods tempted us to indulge in a slice of decadent rhubarb and apple pie ($5.5). It was cased in cake rather than short crust and served hot with clotted cream on the side. Yum. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/760163/restaurant/Victoria/Batch-Espresso-St-Kilda"><img alt="Batch Espresso on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/760163/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-24524878096798504812011-06-24T00:34:00.000-07:002012-09-09T18:50:44.385-07:00CBD lunches: Hairy Canary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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*disclaimer* this post is about a complimentary meal, which was a tasting of a variety of specials in testing at Hairy Canary</div>
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Last week PHo took me to lunch to try a ‘wicked wild boar sandwich’ at Hairy Canary. Hairy Canary is generally thought of as a bar that serves food. However, with Justin Beilin (a friend of PHo’s) recently taking over as executive chef for it and its younger sibling, Hairy Little Sister, it is shifting its focus to the food. Justin has also recently poached Manuel Villegas from Garcia and Sons in Windsor to lend more Spanish sensibility to their menu. </div>
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Upon arrival, Justin sat us down and explained that he wanted us to test out some of the specials they were trying as part of their revamping of the menu. We began with slow braised calamari and crushed baby potatoes. The calamari was tender and braised in a rich caramelised onion sauce, while the rosemary flavoured potatoes complimented the braise. </div>
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Our next dish was roast suckling pig and cacciatore sausage croquettes with a chipotle romesco. The croquettes were nicely crispy on the outside with a luxurious pork and delice cheese filling. </div>
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The croquettes were followed with the wild boar toasted sandwich with onion marmalade, Dijon and baby cos. The boar was slow roasted, which resulted in a meltingly good sandwich filling that combined well with the crisp lettuce and condiments. Wild boar is an unusual menu item in Melbourne, so I asked Chef Justin about it. He explained that on a recent trip to visit their goat supplier in Gippsland, their supplier mentioned that they had had a problem with wild boars tormenting their herd. They have a license to cull them, however hadn’t had any demand for the meat. Justin happily took one off his hands to feature in a series of winter weekend roasts at Hairy Canary (and of course our tasty sandwich).</div>
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The next course was a confit Spanish short rib served with roasted bone marrow and a basque style caper and paprika butter sauce. The beef combined well with the sauce and rich marrow. In the context of our tasting it provided a lull amongst punchier dishes. </div>
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Our final savoury course was a cracking dish of fresh linguini with hand foraged rare mushrooms and rich but delicately flavoured marron bisque (mushrooms pictured below). </div>
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We finished our meal with a good chocolate mousse with fresh honeycomb and chocolate Persian fairy floss – an interesting mix of textures. </div>
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I'd like to see Hairy Canary offering tasting menus like this one. </div>
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*All photos courtesy of PHo</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/760835/restaurant/CBD/Hairy-Canary-Melbourne"><img alt="Hairy Canary on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/760835/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-63267413465704830812011-06-14T07:01:00.000-07:002012-09-09T18:48:59.413-07:00CBD lunches: Roule Galette<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was recently joined by PHo and <a href="http://cocopearl.blogspot.com/">YP</a> for a Friday lunch at one of my favourite Friday lunch venues, <a href="http://roulegalette.com.au/">Roule Galette</a>. Roule Galette serves galettes (savoury buckwheat crepes) and crêpes in tiny café on Scott Alley off Flinders Lane.<br />
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Some of the perks of food blogging include creative direction in venue choices and tasting rights. On this Friday we agreed to order three galettes and divide them so we all got to taste all three. We began our meal with a Perry from <a href="http://www.henrycider.com/">Henry of Harcourt</a> ($11 for 500ml), a traditional accompaniment to galettes, and a nicely dressed side salad.<br />
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Our first galette was the Monsieur K ($14) that was filled with creamy melted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raclette">raclette</a> and topped with salty prosciutto.<br />
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Next came the Forestière ($9.50) filled with a decadent mixture of béchamel, bacon, mushrooms and cheese.<br />
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Our final galette was the Saint Jacques ($18) filled with flavourful sautéed leek and topped with seared scallops (a tiny bit more done than PHo and I would prefer).<br />
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Time constraints meant we skipped the crêpes. However PHo and a dropped into Breadwell to pick up some Macarons by Josephine ($2.50).<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Earl Grey and Rosewater</span></i></div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/778038/restaurant/Victoria/CBD/Roule-Galette-Melbourne"><img alt="Roule Galette on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/778038/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-34884107513603674102011-06-14T05:12:00.000-07:002011-06-14T05:22:37.616-07:00Weeknight dinner @ Ichi Ni<div class="MsoNormal">Ichi Ni</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 The Esplanade, St Kilda<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Last week a friend took me for a late dinner at <a href="http://www.ichini.com.au/#/WELCOME">Ichi Ni</a> in St Kilda. Located next door to the Espy and sharing the same owners, Ichi Ni is one of the many Izakayas that have invaded Melbourne of late. Our table overlooked the bay and had a good view of the open kitchen.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb10eveJxvyccXg1buglh-asTL8m_OD_JQ9dnE7elOqF9MqrhCr57J4Gt_NcAD7T2IWc4lk0H_Ezwz6OPEW6ZJ8Ero84vOuLU2Gw6fGb-sBOASu9bQA-N-D_WczqDUlIrucB4no0rhhjg/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb10eveJxvyccXg1buglh-asTL8m_OD_JQ9dnE7elOqF9MqrhCr57J4Gt_NcAD7T2IWc4lk0H_Ezwz6OPEW6ZJ8Ero84vOuLU2Gw6fGb-sBOASu9bQA-N-D_WczqDUlIrucB4no0rhhjg/s320/IMG_0437.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(My date's attempt at turning the Blood's sign into 'blog')</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The wine list is mostly dominated by Australian offerings with a smattering of New Zealand. We started with one of the ‘warm jugs’ of Suishen sake ($14 160ml) and edamame with salt ($6.5). The fruity sake was warming on a cold night and the edamame didn’t survive long enough to photograph well due to their ravenous company. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqpsy9nzW7XgfyVFsIS9vQR3gsW3nxoLM_NV79dgSpw7qWUhrrwLrqzb-URKuaDzE_mDB1Z7YSvPFCOIJBuQ6xJLI7LesZEvsBMg7uJQSC9sORuZO9RaysX8VZ1Mue6iDkEHIkTwP3w0/s1600/IMG_0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqpsy9nzW7XgfyVFsIS9vQR3gsW3nxoLM_NV79dgSpw7qWUhrrwLrqzb-URKuaDzE_mDB1Z7YSvPFCOIJBuQ6xJLI7LesZEvsBMg7uJQSC9sORuZO9RaysX8VZ1Mue6iDkEHIkTwP3w0/s320/IMG_0444.JPG" width="292" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb8uht7JccW8y2c5xlyUl1iKXC0S-381oRYmPxnyoi5vw1vq4vVDzfYmoia_NAOJA2PvFugUnCQjriuwx2nuETCK5itKHhR4Z0dZo6_TE7TmTnb73wL_5nxRUqzUlk-xR695IS3R0CAw/s1600/IMG_0438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb8uht7JccW8y2c5xlyUl1iKXC0S-381oRYmPxnyoi5vw1vq4vVDzfYmoia_NAOJA2PvFugUnCQjriuwx2nuETCK5itKHhR4Z0dZo6_TE7TmTnb73wL_5nxRUqzUlk-xR695IS3R0CAw/s320/IMG_0438.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The menu has a good mixture of small dishes designed to accompany a boozy night. The miso soup ($3.5) also helped to warm us up.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We ordered the unagi (eel) and hamachi (kingfish) yakitori (both $10 for 2), however we ended up with the wagyu ($28.5) instead of the unagi, which was a bit disappointing. The wagyu was smoky, sweet and tender . The hamachi was thinly sliced, which resulted in it being served a bit overcooked and dry, although it had good flavour. On a previous visit to Ichi Ni, I enjoyed the unagi and butabara (pork belly $8) yakitori that were both deliciously juicy. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcGki8NQvEk0xiNKStRNKaIFllk1sGFluxpRK0rkH-JXgrPYjIi1nSBumHYPxhn82nqK0bF2WsnQ9u1MVv5JOdn0ef5ZLgSwE8E1LwZT99y0Qm2sESekLpdVDgcwMMhyJw3C7q9Ry-iE/s1600/IMG_0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcGki8NQvEk0xiNKStRNKaIFllk1sGFluxpRK0rkH-JXgrPYjIi1nSBumHYPxhn82nqK0bF2WsnQ9u1MVv5JOdn0ef5ZLgSwE8E1LwZT99y0Qm2sESekLpdVDgcwMMhyJw3C7q9Ry-iE/s320/IMG_0441.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVC4AuPfPf06jgpU5C1VOMOcXV-XZv9M99wLD9zfD4GEdmxsCeoxTJMq3ZBjc3ymkY4zSf00Pm2Gvc8wjJC4cg88Z1vXV3nJxBJ8LV5JeqWgSGUwVFB-X1ET3oWUOP7uKyS-ucW0vqF0/s1600/IMG_0442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVC4AuPfPf06jgpU5C1VOMOcXV-XZv9M99wLD9zfD4GEdmxsCeoxTJMq3ZBjc3ymkY4zSf00Pm2Gvc8wjJC4cg88Z1vXV3nJxBJ8LV5JeqWgSGUwVFB-X1ET3oWUOP7uKyS-ucW0vqF0/s320/IMG_0442.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our next dish was the miso pork belly ($12) and of course another jug of sake. The miso marinated pork was thinly sliced and grilled to perfection.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCyeaZnQXp1iejave5hT1Oxu1gRjAuskmiJ7IoVPSA8kMeEjd4NvfwOfNI_BZBcnFluM1nzTrSAlTMs5x8TcTNuE4OOeGkj6gt-H1Gg0pr1jrWGis7nLgNo05bn381h8KYPTC-zhnjaU/s1600/IMG_0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCyeaZnQXp1iejave5hT1Oxu1gRjAuskmiJ7IoVPSA8kMeEjd4NvfwOfNI_BZBcnFluM1nzTrSAlTMs5x8TcTNuE4OOeGkj6gt-H1Gg0pr1jrWGis7nLgNo05bn381h8KYPTC-zhnjaU/s320/IMG_0443.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We finished with a sashimi platter ($34) and dragon roll ($20). The sashimi was presented beautifully and was all meltingly fresh. The tuna tataki, tuna slices and kingfish were amazing as well as the scallop sashimi covered in roe. The dragon roll contained seared tuna, cucumber and avocado and was topped with chilli sauce and Japanese mayo. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp26Q7gtwaGpcQgr6VQHwNO3AFBJi_65Gv9-ARwNlooQcxvs23Kgi702U0kiY8SFc1Fn9VAlVZnuKySkSjfKHojHy-1ULMh0UAzvWe2eyKxYPtD6aNJlI_sJPTpzRF7m7B0Ecqwe7hoI0/s1600/IMG_0445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp26Q7gtwaGpcQgr6VQHwNO3AFBJi_65Gv9-ARwNlooQcxvs23Kgi702U0kiY8SFc1Fn9VAlVZnuKySkSjfKHojHy-1ULMh0UAzvWe2eyKxYPtD6aNJlI_sJPTpzRF7m7B0Ecqwe7hoI0/s320/IMG_0445.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATGkWEuIMmRDz11DT_g019cIUWab2UfDcy3zcFDwEPzvzLAOkZJxLBpd-z6hNEoPrEM9XMl4BIB86fYNsbuyHJhJ0Dv9f84Xq6_MOfxo48ohQjejPuYdMVaDGRhWoHkbXylfAwLNwGT8/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATGkWEuIMmRDz11DT_g019cIUWab2UfDcy3zcFDwEPzvzLAOkZJxLBpd-z6hNEoPrEM9XMl4BIB86fYNsbuyHJhJ0Dv9f84Xq6_MOfxo48ohQjejPuYdMVaDGRhWoHkbXylfAwLNwGT8/s320/IMG_0446.JPG" width="241" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Despite the minor hiccups with the yakitori, Ichi Ni is a great place for a quiet dinner or hitting the sake. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Highlights: miso pork belly and sashimi platter</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lowlight: yakitori mix up </div><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1436151/restaurant/Victoria/Ichi-Ni-Izakaya-St-Kilda"><img alt="Ichi Ni Izakaya on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1436151/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-28803009034773836182011-06-08T06:52:00.000-07:002011-06-09T17:15:48.308-07:00Duck, Duck...... Duck! @ Old Kingdom, CollingwoodLast week I visited Old Kingdom on Smith Street in search of duck to celebrate a friend’s birthday. While Simon Lay is no longer a fixture (having opened a new restaurant in Box Hill South) Old Kingdom is still a mecca for the many duck lovers of Melbourne. It’s unapologetically lacking in fine dining finesse, which adds to its appeal for gluttons wanting their fix of crispy, fatty goodness in a pancake. The décor is simple, the tables covered in paper (you’ll see why) and the service cursory.<br />
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The duck must be ordered in advance (1-2 days) and is delivered in three courses for the paltry price of $55. One duck had me and my two dining companions well and truly stuffed full of duck-tastic awesomeness. The banquet began with the theatrical delivery of the whole duck to the table, where the optimistically white shirted server performed a deft dissection of the duck and explained how to make a Peking duck pancake (for the uninitiated). The pancakes were delicate and thin, the spring onion and cucumber crisp, the hoisin just right and the duck the right ratio of crispy skin to fat and meat. The duck meat itself was still juicy and the plate of duck pieces included the wings, legs and part of the neck for those who like to nibble. The waiter was happy to bring out extra pancakes and vegetables when we ran out. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7Ax-caWv96Qym0MLjoQrayBZalqzNG5Omfed95nllmaLSc96u4Yvxu8dJnowtGsPdYDyW0OtrPOxacQMLJFv4Q62NW7B6KFs3XGjGkGl00S8hSMxqqUC28jDd91ayUCdDE0dJEuYuUY/s1600/IMG_0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7Ax-caWv96Qym0MLjoQrayBZalqzNG5Omfed95nllmaLSc96u4Yvxu8dJnowtGsPdYDyW0OtrPOxacQMLJFv4Q62NW7B6KFs3XGjGkGl00S8hSMxqqUC28jDd91ayUCdDE0dJEuYuUY/s1600/IMG_0421.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7Ax-caWv96Qym0MLjoQrayBZalqzNG5Omfed95nllmaLSc96u4Yvxu8dJnowtGsPdYDyW0OtrPOxacQMLJFv4Q62NW7B6KFs3XGjGkGl00S8hSMxqqUC28jDd91ayUCdDE0dJEuYuUY/s320/IMG_0421.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAv4ExRsELBNEjSJcSz1g5NS-xRoIraDEkOH4eFItYYABbMHDuOA4uhUdTaxojb7e_Bz5fEMFhhYgSwtiP2eWJlRlZOmJ2HFE-CfkQkSTcMrPPzXXyfF4AHf7fGZgP2ouaMM1_yxmu4Q/s1600/IMG_0426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAv4ExRsELBNEjSJcSz1g5NS-xRoIraDEkOH4eFItYYABbMHDuOA4uhUdTaxojb7e_Bz5fEMFhhYgSwtiP2eWJlRlZOmJ2HFE-CfkQkSTcMrPPzXXyfF4AHf7fGZgP2ouaMM1_yxmu4Q/s320/IMG_0426.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The second course was, of course, going to struggle to live up to the decadent duck pancakes. However, the bean shoot and duck stir fry provided a refreshing follow up to the rich first/main course. It was delicately flavoured, smoky from the wok and the bean shoots maintained their crisp.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JzSYJtPART0JtKYPUdtBhAzdYugSC8XpxDTRysECTGVs4SrUHWD9c-5jJPz89fkPOLFbrarvOpP2at9gZtG_QXoZi4V1JYFNtBT6bsTKeVag4eE-rUWsCQZ_VYvl9aMVVeHAKaE7cqM/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JzSYJtPART0JtKYPUdtBhAzdYugSC8XpxDTRysECTGVs4SrUHWD9c-5jJPz89fkPOLFbrarvOpP2at9gZtG_QXoZi4V1JYFNtBT6bsTKeVag4eE-rUWsCQZ_VYvl9aMVVeHAKaE7cqM/s320/IMG_0427.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The soup was a warming and light cleanser to finish the meal. The duck flavoured the broth nicely and the tofu had soaked up the flavours of the broth and the slight spiciness of the mustard greens.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCyccET_2dQXlK761wwpRF_D7jEpxfVwMmd3PeTt6fPKPP-9quwcRxf-P00roLjNjcl08dwG_EY-ojtvqpmjIoSpV58zcTJBxeEkTxQCmB5MVF_YGW1Dv2gF0Rgsu5GFGfdriUxdl9oo/s1600/IMG_0428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCyccET_2dQXlK761wwpRF_D7jEpxfVwMmd3PeTt6fPKPP-9quwcRxf-P00roLjNjcl08dwG_EY-ojtvqpmjIoSpV58zcTJBxeEkTxQCmB5MVF_YGW1Dv2gF0Rgsu5GFGfdriUxdl9oo/s320/IMG_0428.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Visiting Old Kingdom without being disappointed, has me forming grand plans of going on a duck odyssey a la <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/duck-hunting/2008/08/11/1218306718469.html">Matt Preston’s effort for the Age</a> back in the good days before he jumped ship to Taste in the Herald Sun. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/761399/restaurant/Victoria/Collingwood/Old-Kingdom-Fitzroy"><img alt="Old Kingdom on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/761399/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263387821167803948.post-81186610511724008132011-06-08T06:01:00.000-07:002012-09-09T18:49:21.739-07:00CBD lunches: Yu-u<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="street-address">137 Flinders Lane (entry in Oliver Lane opposite Coda)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">This week I caught up for lunch </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">at Yu-u on Flinders Lane </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">with a friend who had recently returned from a stint in Sydney. Yu-u is one of those quintessentially Melbourne venues with its unsigned entrance in a graffittied laneway that one can only enter after ringing a doorbell. Clearly it was the logical choice for cleansing my friend of the shiny Sydney filth. </span></div>
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Yu-u is a popular destination for its reasonably priced lunch set menu ($18.5). Choices include vegetarian, sashimi and different meat options. We started with a small jug of warm sake, the name of which I neglected to document. It was a perfect choice for an extremely chilly Melbourne day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHNlgHIXfHfyF9lRWnfp9p_L0Ky8yf5MmL6taOVslw4ECGLTmbr9UH6d0hIXdBM9JXp-uT5HHTsFkjBdint9Bsu6CKohxuXi9pB9_ICIKJcW62ZOO96DpwYzKlD1EVZAPhRhu2PZwXjo/s1600/IMG_0447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHNlgHIXfHfyF9lRWnfp9p_L0Ky8yf5MmL6taOVslw4ECGLTmbr9UH6d0hIXdBM9JXp-uT5HHTsFkjBdint9Bsu6CKohxuXi9pB9_ICIKJcW62ZOO96DpwYzKlD1EVZAPhRhu2PZwXjo/s320/IMG_0447.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I ordered the sashimi set, while my dining companion ordered the pork. Both sets included hot soup with cabbage and carrot, perfect for a freezing day. They also had a yummy seaweed salad that was suitably flavoured with sesame, and pickled cabbage and carrots that combined sweetness with crunchy piquancy. As an accompaniment to my sashimi, I chose the seasoned rich, which was subtly flavoured with mushroom and of a similar texture to Chinese sticky rice. The sashimi was super fresh and included salmon, salmon belly, tuna and kingfish. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpr1KGUbz1eTxJFb30sJIr2mXszFQ9wqw-WSOk63N1KJ5CGp8aJuZBkgyYCVLbyawLDhITVN5g8K7_atlYTHYl63M2EQKOIw2a49e1WI6RAeo55XiDZV7hoyHfGGHUxRno69WHhwJBE8k/s1600/IMG_0448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpr1KGUbz1eTxJFb30sJIr2mXszFQ9wqw-WSOk63N1KJ5CGp8aJuZBkgyYCVLbyawLDhITVN5g8K7_atlYTHYl63M2EQKOIw2a49e1WI6RAeo55XiDZV7hoyHfGGHUxRno69WHhwJBE8k/s320/IMG_0448.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The pork dish was a delicious combination of thinly sliced pork with a savoury ginger sauce, served on some type of puree with daikon and a refreshing side salad.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEila1KHdimZUOm2xMXH35XzwN1aYEZUddcCyt3zneyLP5KLFIBxRvy71DRIJHoooPkayEiauRPPWf6jgYVYMt0qKsO1ZFqP0pWyYq6rcf98zLXce4FqlfbSH3JIcKBO7TBhZVNY4WbRL9w/s1600/IMG_0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEila1KHdimZUOm2xMXH35XzwN1aYEZUddcCyt3zneyLP5KLFIBxRvy71DRIJHoooPkayEiauRPPWf6jgYVYMt0qKsO1ZFqP0pWyYq6rcf98zLXce4FqlfbSH3JIcKBO7TBhZVNY4WbRL9w/s320/IMG_0449.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lunch finished with a refreshing slice of rockmelon.</div>
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I’ll definitely be adding Yu-u to my lunch rotation. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1442213/restaurant/Victoria/CBD/Yu-U-Melbourne"><img alt="Yu-U on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1442213/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947519295514167174noreply@blogger.com0