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Da Noi

26/4/2013

Friday couldn't come quick enough and Steve and I could do with some escapism so how better than to bto another country through food.

After work we headed to Da Noi in South Yarra for some Sardinian sunshine.

It's a small establishment on two levels, romantically lit by candles. It's a white tablecloth and dim lighting kind of place. Definitely a date place.

We headed up the rickety and narrow staircase to a table for two by the window facing out to the street.

Our waiter was charming and he looked after us well. We felt we were in good hands albeit somewhat eccentric! Some courses took a little while to arrive but never did we feel anything had gone awry or we had been forgotten...more reminded that Italy is about slow food so we should take the opportunity to slow down. We decided to go with non a la carte option and place ourselves in the hands of the chef having discussed with our waiter what to avoid. It was interesting to see that different tables received different dishes so it's not like the kitchen mass produces everything.

Little dishes of antipasto were delivered to our table starting off with arancini balls with veal and a slice of fior di latte and a spiced cauliflower salad. We were impressed by the flavours and the balance of between refinement and the rustic. We also enjoyed some eggplant melanzane, vitello tonnato and a little fish dish with pickled vegetables. These were all served cold and whilst this is authentic and they were all delicious I couldn't help but think that the arancini and the eggplant would have hit the dizzy heights of wonderful if they were warmed through.

Our first warm dish came in the form of a fava bean soup with croutons and a flatbread with pork lard. It was hearty and comforting soup and incredibly delicious. Chewy meaty croutons and crispy flatbread. Yum!

Our pasta dish was tortellini with shitake mushrooms and a brown butter. Again simple flavours. A meaty filling, salty Parmesan and delicately thin al dente pasta made this a winning dish.

Main course was roast goat, garlic and rosemary and roast potatoes. So delicious and again so simple. This was served with a zingy tomato salad with radishes and rocket which provided a good acidic note to cut through the heaviness of the meaty chunks.

We were served a pre dessert of a delicious lemon sorbet followed by this platter of mandarin semi freddo and a chocolate and hazelnut mousse slice thing.

The chocolate mousse was like a Ferrero Rocher and had crunch and silkiness and chocolate and hazelnut in every mouthful. The semi freddo was a light as air but I'm not sure the flavour of it combined well with the chocolate slice.

Stand out dishes for us was the pasta, the soup, the fish and pickled veg. These were like the twinkling stars of the meal but no course was bad. We agreed we both preferred Da Noi over L'Osteria la Passione as it was more elegant and the service and ambience more confident and self assured. It isn't the cheapest but we left feeling extremely full and satisfied. We felt that we had tried so many different things and had eaten our way around Sardinia. We felt relaxed and revived and I guess this means it's worth it's price!

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Huxtaburger

24/4/2013

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Wednesday was a rainy day on the outside and miserable day for me on the inside. Stressed out! But every cloud has a silver lining and it was the night before a public holiday!

I met up with Steve after work, around 7pm and for a change he came into the CBD to meet me instead of me heading over to Southbank. We wanted to eat but nothing too fancy and quick would probably be better as I was susceptible to falling asleep!

I had the bright idea of Huxtaburger in the CBD so we headed to Flinders Lane. Not the easiest to find but I soon spotted the flashing neon sign down the alleyway. It appears this area has had a bit of a revamp since I worked at 333 Collins St, 9 months ago. Although on an evening, only Huxtaburger is open.

Every seat was taken when we arrived but there was no queue so we stood around by one of the cash registers that was closed. Some seats became empty after our food arrived so we scooted over. We both went with the Theo which was a double meat patty and I had chipotle fries whereas Steve went with plain.

The burger bun was delicious - in hindsight double patty is excessive so I probably wouldn't do that next time. The meat bun ratio with a double patty is too heavy on the meat. I loved the juiciness of the burger though, However I found the mustard mayo a bit too sharp and I expected some sweetness from the BBQ sauce but that didn't come through. Next time, for my tastes I would go with no mustard mayo I think.

I liked the crispy fries and the spiciness of the chipotle seasoning. Reminiscent of Hull's chip spice it was like a grown up version with a chilli kick. Free refills on soft drinks was most welcome!

Yeah Huxtaburger saw off that dreary wet Wednesday and brought with it some comfort and warmth.

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Albert St Food and Wine

21/4/2013

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Sundays come round too quick and they come to an end too quick! We enjoyed Sunday lunch today at the busy Albert St Food and Wine. We've been meaning to come by for a while now and today having had no breakfast and ready for a feed seemed as good a time as any.

I called at midday to see if I could book a table for later on and was told they had one bar table left which would mean one of us would be on a stool. Sounded okay to me!

Upon arrival we were shown to said table and I took the stool. I was concerned that the table was a bit small for all the food we were going to order but the wait staff seemed well trained at juggling things round. I took the stool and I wasn't at my most comfiest I have to say but it was good enough.

The menu is similar to that of Cumulus and The Commoner. Before I even ate the food though I felt that I preferred the feel and the cosy intimacy of The Commoner more whereas Albert St seemed a bit less personal but more open. Each to their own I guess.

Our drinks orders were taken quickly and some bread with basil infused whipped butter was served. Good bread, good butter and a good gin fizz!

We started off with the foie gras parfait served with toasted brioche and a peach and ginger chutney, This was delicious - silky smooth and soft with no bitterness and not overly creamy either. Really well balanced and the perfect amount without pushing us over the richness edge. The Kilner jar was scraped clean!

The steak tartare came next and the yolk was cleverly pressed into a hole in the bread and it slowly oozed itself into the meaty mix.

Heavy on the capers the tartare had a good chunky texture with a mustardy whiff about it. Pretty tasty but could have done with more bread to eat with it.

We decided to share main courses; eat half and swap plates! It was hard to choose. I went with the roast lamb shoulder with melted tomatoes, olives and white polenta. A homely and flavoursome dish it was reminiscent of the Mediterranean in Winter.

Steve had the bavette with white onion, beets and horseradish cream. The skirt steak was tasty and the sweet onion, beets and then the horseradish cream altogether provided a yummy sweetness and an interesting and unusual flavour combination.

Both were tasty and enjoyable dishes. The lamb evoked the familiar and the steak was much more unexpectedly unusual.

We also had the ancient grain salad with crispy onion rings, pomegranate and pistachio. Piquant and sharp in flavour it was yummy and a contrast to our meat dishes.

Onto dessert...and here Albert St Food and Wine excelled. We were told Phillipa Sibley herself was around this service and standards were high. We couldn't resist the lemon tart which took 11 years to perfect and the Poire Iggy Pop which was all about pear, salted caramel, popcorn, vanilla icecream and chocolate.

The lemon tart comes with no adornment, no accompaniment and it really needs nothing. Crumbly pastry, zesty lemon, silky smooth and barely set such a delight. It was like a big juicy kiss on the lips by a fairy godmother all in lemon.

The chocolate and pear concoction was also yummy. Where the lemon tart was simple and ungilded this dish had gold leaf and everything. It wasn't overtly chocolatey though more milk chocolate than intense cocoa dark chocolate. The pear flavours from the sorbet and the poached pear were refreshing and the popcorn added a pleasant toastiness.

We had a lovely Sunday lunch here and enjoyed the food very much. Seating wise I'd rather have a corner table in the bar area or a proper table and be able to laze there for longer. The less comfy stool arrangement we had this time meant after we'd eaten we were inclined to rush off.

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Osteria La Passione

20/4/2013

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Saturday night was date night and we ventured over to RIchmond to try Osteria la Passione. We had planned to go the previous Saturday but had to re arrange due to illness and we found the restaurant very accommodating at accepting our late cancellation and rescheduling.

I'd come across this place in the Good Food Guide and heard a few foodies talk about how tasty the food was here. The website looks pretty flash and it creates an impression of what the restaurant would be like. I thought it would be a bit like La Luna Bistro but actually what we found was something a little bit unexpected.

The premises on Bridge Road are very unassuming and unpretentious. It comes across as humble and rustic although our welcome was warm and friendly.

We knew in advance it would be no menus and whilst the term degustation infers fine dining we were expecting it to be more a homely, typical Italian meal with some entrees, a pasta dish, some meat and veggies and dessert and that's exactly what we got.

I did forget to take pictures of some courses though so you'll have to use your imagination. We started off with an octopus salad with celery, Nicola potato and Kalamata olives and some olive oil. I'm not a celery or olive fan but I enjoyed the tender slices of octopus and whilst I didn't eat the celery I liked the floral hint of fragrance it gave to the dish and I ate one of the olives to give the dish the salty seasoning it needed. Overall I can understand that the blend of simple flavours here in this dish works although they're not my favourite flavours.

Next we had a really delicious aubergine melanzana so this is baked aubergine (eggplant if you're Aussie or American) with tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese and bocconcini (little balls of Mozzarella) topped with a basil leaf or two. Again so simple but really delicious and decadently cheesy. With a dish like this, meat is not missed!

But then we did get a dish of meat; charcuterie to be precise and all home made. All from the yummy pig and made by chef on his farm in Yea. There was also a bag of warm flatbreads made to an ancient recipe from Modena apparently. We were instructed to split the bread and stuff it with meat like a mini sandwich and the heat form the bread softens the meat and partially melts some of the fat making yummy morsel...well bigger than a morsel but still mini.

A lot of the veggies and some of the wine comes from chef's homestead so when I call this place homely, I really mean it!

We were given the option of an additional course here which we were promised would be yummy but a surprise. We had already given food dislikes and intolerances when making the table booking so there was a good chance it wouldn't be nightmare on a plate.

A waterbowl appeared so we thought prawns and mussels but actually what was served was quail. Yummy! One of our faves. And the little birdie rested on a pile of fluffy scrambled egg mixed with artichoke and some herbs. I loved the quail as it was so delicious but found the scrambled egg over salty.

Next came our pasta dish. The table next to us were served gnocci with gorgonzola but I had specified no blue cheese so I wondered what we would get and whether we would both be served the same or whether Steve would get the gnocchi. As it turned out we both received casarecce with chef's ragu. And it was was delicious. I think this and the aubergine dish were probably our favourites. Meaty ragu and al dente pasta; so satisfying.

Our main course was a lamb stew made with the shoulder served with spelt. It was a really comforting and savoury stew and the meat was tender and sweet.

Dessert was a panna cotta with strawberry coulis and a gluten free tiramisu. Steve's aversion to coffee meant I stuck with the tiramisu although he did have a dabble and we both thought that it didn't taste of coffee and was more hazelnut or chestnutty. It was light and sweet and a pleasant way to end a big meal. The panna cotta was similarly light but it was probably just a touch too gelatinous or set to be perfect. I like it more when the panna cotta is barely set and quite wobbly whereas this was harder and more solid in texture.

Our bill was pretty pricey - we also had a bottle of wine and a few aperitifs. Was it worth it? Well we really enjoyed our evening so in that respect yes. The food was honest and unpretentious and reminiscent of a traditional Italian meal. I guess the homeliness of the restaurant and the simplicity of the food is a little misleading and creates the expectation that it should be cheaper than it actually is so when the bill arrives it's a bit surprising. However, we concede we drank a lot, ate a lot, enjoyed the flavours and had a good evening so if we're judging on that then it's acceptable but not a bargain!

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Little Ramen Bar

18/4/2013

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A cooler climate has descended upon Melbourne and we also had a day of torrential rain this week...it's soup noodle weather! And the fact I have been to Little Ramen Bar twice in one week or lunch must mean it's good.

And it is good. It's probably my fave lunch at the moment. Although I know it's not for everyone.

So it's housed in this small room. Big groups will struggle to be seated I think but it doesn't feel too cramped. Both times I went with a girlfriend and whilst the tables are quite close together and conversations can be overheard, I didn't feel squished or in the way or vulnerable to bowls of hot soup being spilled on me by passing wait staff.

Both times the room was already full of diners and had to wait a minute or so for someone to vacate their table. I bet this wait time will increase considerably as it becomes more popular.

The time we waited a smidgen longer we were given menus and our order taken so it meant a quicker turnaround. Efficiency at its best. Talking of the menu, it's not the widest and main courses are really all about ramen so if you don't want ramen then you probably want to go elsewhere.

I love the chashu tomago which is basically an upgrade from the basic ramen with extra pork and a boiled egg. They also do a godzilla size. I saw two guys order one each, The bowls looked huge but I'm not sure if there's that much more food in the bowl. Having said that the regular size is perfectly satisfying for me.

So let's deconstruct the elements. Firstly, we taste the broth. It's not a clear broth; I will be honest to say there is fat in the broth which put off one of my dining companions but excited the other as fat means flavour and authentic like in Japan. Taste wise it's really savoury and hits that umami high. None of that weird sweetness I dislike. So tick for the broth in my book although seeing the fat puts me off a little as I like to kid myself that soup noodles is relatively healthy and this well, challenges that thought!

Next noodles; these are noodles done well. I liked the chew and the springiness of the ramen. And I felt there was a decent amount.

And then the periphery items; the pork slices were tender. Nothing wrong with them but nothing particularly great either. The bamboo shoots were good and I can say that because I usually leave them out as they taste funny too me. These ones were salty and I liked the texture. The egg is great. It's kind of semi gooey and the egg white is seasoned; must be marinaded in soy so it's better than just plain egg.

The gyoza is nice enough as an accompaniment. The skin is thin and the filling a good texture. The fried rice, also meant as an accompaniment was great in terms of the chew and the fragrance but it lacked a little in seasoning. However I still enjoyed eating it. Maybe the salty broth from the ramen helped so the bland rice is really meant to be an accompaniment.

Little Ramen Bar is my fave ramen place. It's better value than Nama Nama's udon. I prefer the broth over Ramen Ya's version. It's pricier than pho on Victoria Street but we are talking CBD location and Japanese is usually pricier than Viet so I can accept that. I've not tried Ajisen to make a fully informed choice but for now Little Ramen Bar makes me happy.

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Koko Yee

12/4/2013

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Following on from the comforting hug in a bowl that was the beef udon at Nama Nama I wanted to continue to seek such solace for the next day's lunch and decided to try out Koko Yee.

I went in the late afternoon and the place was pleasantly occupied but I could still have a choice of seat. I found the decor a bit haphazard in that some areas were funky and well done but then the large paper printed menu on the wall with the typos and misspelling and marker pen touch ups and laminate photos on the other wall just didn't seem to match the whitewash and minimalist look. I've since read that the original owners have sold out so that may explain the lack of synergy as old transfers to new. I think I would have preferred the original funk to the new like every other Asian eatery style.

Anyway when it comes to Asian food, decor comes second and food comes first. I went with the soy duck noodles for $12. The plate of food that arrived was generous in appearance and came with the chicken broth. After digging around I discovered that actually it was more than generous with a huge amount of noodles.

Taste wise, I have to say I was a little disappointed. The duck really just tasted of soy sauce - no other spicings or flavourings. The meat itself was bland, no duck flavour just the ubiquitous soy sauce and it was also quite tough and difficult to get off the bone. The noodles were springy and a good texture but again because the duck lacked flavour, it meant the noodles were also bland.

The chicken broth was packed full of flavour - MSG flavour! I ended up pouring some of this over the noodles to get more flavour but I knew in my head this was not a good idea as it was just MSG overload but my tastebuds wanted it!

I wish I'd gone to Koko Yee in the earlier days and enjoyed it when it was actually good.his time round, I don't begrudge the $12 spent and I'm open to spending another $12 there but in no rush to,

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Nama Nama

11/4/2013

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Back from a 3 week trip in UK where the food I ate was good and although perhaps not quite to Melbourne standard it made up for it with nostalgia, dining companions and when home made, cooked with love.

So that means the first few meals in Melbourne have a lot to live up to! I thought I'd try Nama Nama for lunch as I thought it would be comforting and good for the lonely soul.

It was busy and I had to wait for a space to sit. After about 10 minutes I went to the back table in the room by itself to share a table with 3 hip young things. I busied myself with my Kindle and at the same time opened myself to learning about their coursework deadlines, relationship issues, recent dating experiences all those things I now have to live vicariously through others.

I tried the steam bun which was visually very appealing. The bread is like white sliced bread when it's really soft and can be pressed down. I was intrigued by the Nama branding and thought that clever. Slicing it open meant I could appreciate the perfectly cooked runny yoke and the meaty pork pattie inside.

Taste wise it was a great combination. Maybe a touch of a sweet relish could give it another dimension. It was $7 though and I'm not sure 4 bites is worth $7. Certainly I could not just have one of those for lunch. It wouldn't touch the sides! However as an entree it's great. Maybe the solution is not to think of it as the equivalent to a sandwich for lunch but as a dinner entree,

I went with the beef and onion udon with an added egg. I loved the savoury, salty broth. My fear with Japanese and Taiwanese soup noodles is that the broth is too sweet as that's not to my taste but this Nama Nama broth hit my umami spot bang on! The noodles were thick and springy. The star was the perfectly cooked egg, the chewy noodles and the tasty broth. The beef bits were ok but not standout. The bowl was $15 and and the egg an extra $2. I think it's again slightly over priced and would prefer the noodles to be around the $12 but I guess for the sake of $3 it's not going to stop me from going back.

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Da Noi

Huxtaburger

Albert St Food and Wine

Osteria La Passione

Little Ramen Bar

Koko Yee

Nama Nama

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