Blog Archives -

Teppanyaki Twice - Koko

29/5/2011

Steve and I tried Koko last weekend for our Saturday lunch and really enjoyed it. I just knew my friend Emma would love it as she enjoyed Shoya but there was bit too much raw stuff for her so the teppanyaki set lunch at Koko would be perfect. A little bit of sashimi to challenge her tastebuds and food boundaries but not too much.

We met outside Koko in the nice little corner with the comfy sofas and had a quick chit chat before heading in. We were still missing our fourth dining companion who was having a train nightmare. This time Koko was busier and there was a smoky smell hanging in the air which is inevitable at a teppanyaki place.

We decided to order some sushi whilst we waited for Brittany. We ordered hotate piri karai maki which is an inside-out nori roll with fried crispy Hokkaido scallops and salad with spicy mayonnaise and gyuniku tataki sushi - thinly sliced seared Australian sirloin nigiri with red onion and mayonnaise.

The inside out roll was so delicious and the clever little thing was even crispy on the outside with the thinnest and lightest coating of batter over the rice. Truly delicious. The beef nigiri was good too but not as good as the scallop one. The beed was tender and literally just seared 1mm on the outside which I think was a visual challenge for Emma as it was very rare.

As with last time we opted for the special lunch. Brit doesn't eat seafood so she had the beef set and they kindly subsituted the sashimi for some vegetarian sushi rolls. We had a different chef this time who smiled a lot but wasn't quite as entertaining as Jimmy Liu. Not an issue though as Koko teppanyaki is about the good food and a little banter as opposed to the usual circus show with the egg throwing etc that can take place. I think that's why I prefer Koko; it's less embarrassing and the restaurant is actually a nice place to sit in.

The food was as good as last time; the fish and dipping sauce a great combo and the Victorian tenderloin tasty and tender.

Having learnt from last time, I requested no wasabi ice cream and the waitress gave us a choice; green tea, black sesame, red bean, maple and walnut, rice pudding or vanilla. Brit and I opted green tea, Steve went vanilla, Emma chose maple and walnut upon recommendation from the waitress. She tried to change her mind to rice pudding but was sternly told that the maple and walnut was a better choice!

Brit and Emma had never met previously but the teppanyaki bonded them. That's the great thing with teppanyaki; it's a good dinner date as it provides something to talk about and good food.

Koko on Urbanspoon

Walter's Wine Bar

28/5/2011

Another Saturday lunch date; this time we struggled to come up with a place that we hadn't yet been to that was in walking distance that would be conducive to a long leisurely lunch with a bottle of wine. Most of the places we thought about; Sarti, Verge, Bottega all didn't seem to be open for lunch on a Saturday.

We ended up trying to decide between going back to Nobu or trying Walter's Wine Bar. Walt won because although Steve had been before, I hadn't and because we were off to Koko the next day so a different cuisine was a good idea.

The whole Southgate Centre is going through refurbishment but it seems that most the outlets are empty or closing down which is a real shame. As a Southbank resident, I'd like to see some more mainstream shops as well as the the independent's. A more balanced range of shops would mean I'd go and spend Saturday afternoons there browsing which I don't do now as I find them all a bit hit and miss and there's not that much choice. A Coles or Woolworths would be convenient too.

Anyway for the sake of the good restaurants there, I hope things get better and passing trade increases. At the moment I think people only go to the Southgate upper floors for a particular restaurant which means the business miss out on passers by unless situated on the river terrace.

Walter's is nicely fitted out. We received a friendly welcome from the waitress and were seated by a window with a view of the Yarra. We saw a man lose his canoe and fall into the river too which was entertaining for us although probably not for him. Falling into the Yarra in the Winter can't be great fun.

We both opted for soup as a starter. Steve went for field mushroom soup with goat's cheese croutons. I went for the pork and ginger dumplings in a spicy broth. We were also served repeat portions of bread and butter by our friendly waitress.

The dumplings were meaty and not too dense and the broth was savoury with a warm spice. I love coriander and it also had those crispy onion bits that you sometimes get sprinked on rice in hawker restaurants. I think a citrus kick whether a squeeze of lemon or lime would have been a welcome addition but all in all a pretty good start for me.

Steve's mushroom soup was a little bit bland and grainy for my tastes but the goat's cheese croutons really livened it up. The creaminess of the cheese really lifted the soup from ok to yummy.

We both opted for the 300g “Pure South” grass fed porterhouse, hand cut chips, red wine butter and pepper sauce but it was a tough decision for me. I really fancied the Jamon roasted wild kingfish with saffron & mussel risotto, preserved lemon aioli too but fear of food envy meant that I had to order the same as Steve.

It was the right decision. The steak was tender and tasty with good char grilled flavour and still rare enough for me. The chips were crisp and great with the extra aioli I asked for. The aioli tasted more yoghurty, creme fraiche based than mayonnaisey which was actually better with this meal as it was lighter.

We ordered a shiraz roussanne blended wine which we didn't realise was 14.5% until it arrived. I could smell its strength from the the moment the top came off and it certainly packed a punch. It went great with the steak but we couldn't manage another bottle, nor would it have been a wine to drink on an empty stomach! The wine list at Walter's is large with a lot from New Zealand. I love New Zealand wine but it would be good to see a few more Victorian wines and a few more wallet friendly choices.

In spite of the soup and the steak, we decided we had enough stomach space to share a pavlova which looked very pretty when it arrived. It was nice enough but the meringue was a little grainy and the cream, meringue, strawberries ratio could have been better; not enough cream to lift the sweetness of the meringue.

We enjoyed our lunch and the food and wine combo set us up for a great lazy afternoon of napping and newspaper reading. I think when picking somewhere for dinner there are probably other places to try but for a boozy Saturday lunch it's not a bad choice at all.

Walter's Wine Bar on Urbanspoon

Stellini Bar Revisited

24/5/2011

Another post work girlie catch up session over dinner was due and having had a good experience at Stellini Bar previously I suggested it to a bunch of friends who hadn't been before.

As per the previous visit, it was a dreary Melbourne night so plates of pasta seemed like a good option. It was fairly quiet and we were the only table at one point but we were soon joined byt a large group who sat at the big table.

Polenta chips with aioli and zucchini (courgettes for you Brits) fritters tickled our fancy. The polenta chip is an usual thing with a crisp coating (almost shell like it's that crispy) and a soft centre. Pretty bland without the aioli but pretty moreish when dunked. They are like the fluffier, lighter chip. The fritterds were also good in a sweet chilli type dip; hot and fluffy with some herby flavours coming through. Deep fried goodness for round one!

Main courses were an array of pasta and gnocchi. Most were declared good. My pappardelle with duck ragu (supposed to be orrechiette but they ran out) was particularly tasty. Lots of shredded slow cooked meat, tomato sauce, silky pasta and then salty parmesan cheese coming through. Claire commented that her orrechiette with chilli, anchovy, broccoli and garlic could do with more flavours.

Pasta and red wine on a dreary Winter's night coupled with some good conversation in a warm and cosy Italian bistro makes for a good mid week night out.

Stellini Bar on Urbanspoon

Giant Steps | Innocent Bystander

22/5/2011

Two of my favourite work colleagues (Karly and Jacqui who is also my boss) met up here with our hubbies and Jacqui's two little boys for a leisurely Sunday lunch. It's a big place with lots of parking on the main street in Healesville. A great starting point for a trip out in the Yarra Valley and the White Rabbit Brewery is just next door. Ambience wise there was lots of hustle and bustle but all good and not stressful. We were seated in a huge booth which was conducive to conversation and enough space for the two wee ones to spread out.

Service was friendly enough and the food arrived pretty promptly. Between us we sampled various pizzas - spicy sausage being a popular choice with two of those ordered plus a salami calabrese one and a mushroom, parmesan and truffle oil one. There was also a couple of portions of chips, a roast chicken, lemon mayo, avocado and watercress sandwich in Turkish bread and a gruyere and smoked ham sandwich with French butter in a Parisian baguette.

There were noises of appreciation for the pizza plus an odd "gosh it's got a kick" comment regarding the spicy sausage. The pizza bases were thin and crispy just how I like it. Chips were deliciously crispy and seasoned with flakes of sea salt. The accompanying aioli wasa great dip.

I really enjoyed the roast chicken sandwich once I'd seasoned it with a touch of salt. Steve liked it but preferred the pizza. I found the chicken and watercress and avocado combo juicy and went well with the delicious bread. I couldn't really taste the lemon mayo though and I think a citrus tang would have been a good additional flavour.

Mr and Mrs Barnes enjoyed the ham and cheese sandwich. It was described as Charles Arnaud Gruyère de Comté, Pastoral double smoked leg ham & beurre d’isigny French butter on house baked Parisian style baguette which sounds a lot more impressive than ham and cheese sandwich. It came with a little pot of mustard which Cam thoroughly enjoyed; so much so that more than a dollop went on his pizza...

The young uns indulged in the kids menu of fish fingers and also some pizza followed by ice cream and their choices certainly looked kid friendly as well as fresh and wholesome.

We were really impressed by the quality of the food and if in the area again would be our lunchplace of choice.

Giant Steps / Innocent Bystander Winery on Urbanspoon

Koko

21/5/2011

Saturday lunchtime and how better to spend it than in a good restaurant with a bottle of wine. Slightly disconcerting that the first thing to pass my lips today after a heavy night out was wine but we got over that!

We've been wanting to try Koko for a while and try and compare to Nobu. Koko offers teppanyaki and a la carte Japanese food on level 3 of the Casino complex. I always think that because it's tucked away it can't be as busy as the other places at the Casino but online reviews show a loyal following and a discount available through the Entertainment Book must help drum up business.

We were offered a choice of teppenyaki or to sit at a table and we opted for teppanyaki. Lunchtime set menus start at $50 and they also offer various bento boxes, noodles and rice dishes.

Service was quiet but efficient and there were lots of smiles. The wine was kept very chilled and topped up. We opted for the $60 teppanyaki menu and added some chawan mushi (savoury egg custard) as a side. The sashimi arrived first with some Japanese pickle which tasted like caramelised onions but cold. We had salmon, tuna and snapper sashimi all of wich was of very good quality. Next came some vegetable tempura and done really well; light and crunchy with little grease. The dipping sauce was perfect and not over salty which it sometimes can be.

Our extra chawan mushi came all steamy and silky smooth. There was chicken, Japanese fishcake, a scallop and a king prawn in it all encased in the steamed egg mixture. The fillings were cooked perfectly - slight criticism would be a little extra seasoning or some soy would have been great.

Then the star of the show appeared - our chef Jimmy Liu! What a character. He joked with us about sport and UK and showed us all the photos he has with various stars he's cooked for. He's obviously very proud of where he works and encouraged us to have a look round all the private dining rooms.

Anyway back to the food. Chef Liu started off cooking some seafood; prawns, scallops and sea perch which we dipped in the soy and vinegar sauce. Very delicious.

Next was the fillet of beef, fried mushrooms and spinach. The tomato salsa went great with the veggies and the sesame sauce was a delight and went so well with the tender beef. We were impressed by the cooking skills and the quality of the produce. The main course also came with some steamed rice and miso soup.

We were seated round the table next to another young Chinese couple. They are probably the same age as my cousins and really sweet to talk to. We chit chatted over dessert about life in Australia and UK and he's a big soccer fan (Man Utd) so is really keen to go over there.

Dessert was wasabi ice cream - the only disappointment to our meal. Next time we will specify a different flavour I think. Jimmy kept telling us that we would get vanilla but it didn't happen and when he found out we had been given wasabi he pretty much agreed it wasn't a good choice and that next time we should ask for vanilla and I certainly hope there will be a next time.

So $60 budget would we go to Nobu for a three course lunch or Koko. Tough call. I think I need to try both several times to help me come to a decision!

Koko on Urbanspoon

400 Gradi

20/5/2011

Following drinks trolley destruction on Friday we headed to Lygon Street in search of some more drink and some food. After some liquid refreshment at the Quarry Hotel, we crossed the road and found 400 Gradi.

They were able to seat 6 of use immediately although we were tucked away and by the toilet. Service was prompt and some waitresses were friendly, other less so.

Between the six of us we ordered pizzas, some pasta dishes, the steak special, some stuffed olives and some arancini balls. Food arrived quickly. The arancini balls were ok; not that special although I did like the accompanying tomato sauce which had a little bit of spice running through it. The sauce stopped the balls from being too dry and bland. The stuffed olives went down well too.

Pizzas were pretty good. The dough was more chewy that crispy which made it quite heavy but the toppings were generous and the whole thing soaked up the drinks we had well. There were comments of appreciation for the pasta but the steak special wasn't all that good. I didn't try but it looked like small portion and the reaction to it was lukewarm.

For a chance encounter on a Friday night with no planning or reservations, after lots to drink this was pretty good given that we were seated and served quickly and most the food was tasty. Not a place I'd be raring to go back but if we found ourselves in the area again, it wouldn't be the worst choice in the World.

400 Gradi on Urbanspoon

Red Emperor

15/5/2011

I'd heard about Red Emperor and it's all you can eat yum cha and had wanted to try it for a while primarily because if it was good, it could become a regular haunt given that it's so close to home. Whilst it's not cheap at $50 per head on a Sunday, it's a great excuse to try new things and not just the usual favourites.

We were seated upstairs and had a nice window view. Soon the trollies started coming round with their offerings. Looking over the edge of our area and downstairs, I couldn't help but feel there more choices on the ground floor. Having said that, over the course of our session, I certainly didn't want for any more!

Service was attentive with water glasses being re filled often, empty dishes taken away quickly and the tea pot topped up regularly. Food wise there was a wide choice of dumplings. The steamed ones were mostly good. There were one or two that didn't quite work - hot and sour dumpling which taste of tom yam soup which we love but not as a dumpling, fishcakes that were cold and a cheesy scallop dish that was also cold. I guess the key thing is to try and get the fresh stuff or at least the stuff that keeps the heat. Stuff that did taste good were the siu mai, chive dumplings, stuffed mushrooms and scallop dumplings.

If there was another complaint it would be that there seemed a lot more steamed dishes on offer than fried stuff and Steve likes his fried stuff. Dessert offerings were a little disappointing - what looked like a pineapple bun was dry and had a weird red filling which I thought was red bean paste but didn't taste of much except sugar. The almond cookies were a bit dry and floury. The egg tarts were good though.

We concluded that Red Emperor is miles better than Dragon Boat but not as good as Shark Fin Inn or Shark Fin House. It is more expensive but is more convenient for us to get to and the service and ambience is nicer than the Chinatown offerings so it's a bit of a tough call. I guess the biggest problem with Red Emperor is that the quality of the dishes is inconsistent. If they could just turn up the notch a little on the deliciousness of their dim sum then it would be the outright winner.

It's funny; I wouldn't take my parents or Chinese family here as there are better and tastier places but I would bring Western friends as I think they'd find the dim sum pretty good and they'd probably prefer the ambience and the friendly service.

Red Emperor on Urbanspoon

Grossi Florentino Cellar Bar

14/5/2011

After cocktails at Madame Brussels, I was keen to find some good comfort food. A conversation on Friday with one of my contractors had piqued my interest in going to the Cellar Bar so whilst in the area it made sense to call in. It wasn't too cold an evening but there were some scattered showers and if the wind picked up and blew the rain, it wasn't pleasant so when we were told that a table inside would take at least 30 minutes if not more, we had a bit of a dilemma.

We decided to mull over the dilemma at an outside table taking advantage of a dry spell in between showers. We explained to the waiter that we wanted a table inside eventually but for now would have a drink. He seemed amenable to this and friendly enough. Ten minutes later we were joined by our new friends, Claire and Martyn and they weren't sure if they wer going to join us for food but would certainly have a drink. Manchester United were playing Blackburn later that night and Martyn wanted to get back to watch it. The waiter was unphased by the additional guests and drinks were soon served.

After a bit of chit chat and some browsing of the menu, plujs some football banter from the waiter as well as a tip that the game would be shown at a bar 2 minutes away, the Worthingtons decided to stay for food and 4 main courses were ordered and a salad. We decided to brave the elements and risk the rain and lucky for us, it remained dry.

Claire had cannelloni, Martyn ordered the lasagne, Steve went for spaghetti bolognese and I went for the smoked chicken, peas and cream penne. I was a little hesitant about my dish for fear that the cream would be too rich and was torn between this one and the buccatini amatriciana which was tomato based with chilli and pancetta but the friendly waiter (not the football fan) convinced me the smoked chicken was the way to go. Steve and I also shared a prosciutto, pear and mozzarella salad.

The pasta was soon served and the table fell silent. My pasta dish was delicious. The pasta was al dente and the creaminess was just rich enough to be tasty but not overly so. Portion size isn't huge but that means there's room for dessert. I think general concensus was that for the price the food was good enough. Steve's comment was that his spag bol was cooked well but lacked a bit of depth and richness but for $16 it was pleasant enough. I think Martyn felt the same about his lasagne.

Claire and Martyn left after the main course to rush back in time for the football. The prompt arrival of the food combined with some speedy eating skills meant they could get back in time and didn't need to stay in the city to watch it. Steve and I decided to prolong the outdoor eating experience with dessert.

Steve went for lemon tart and I had tiramisu. The lemon tart was bit sweeter than I like and the pastry on the bottom wasn't cooked through; probably because of the thick tart filling. However Steve really enjoyed it and said the pastry got better and the crust was really good. Typical that I dig in and get the piece that isn't done! The tiramisu was lovely; light and creamy and just a good end to a decent meal.

The Cellar Bar is a good place for comfort food if in the area. As long as it is consistent, and generally the reviews indicate that it is, then it's a reliable choice. Sitting outside would be very pleasant on a dry evening perhaps a few degrees warmer than when we were there.

The Cellar Bar (Grossi Florentino) on Urbanspoon

Stellini Bar

12/5/2011

I keep getting the name the wrong way round and calling it Bar Stellini which sounds like I'm about to say a naughty word! Anyway, I met up with Jordan and Katherine for a post work bite to eat on Thursday. We'd agreed 6:30pm and given I officially finish at 5:30pm I thought I would have plenty of time. As luck would have it, there was a fire drill at work that afternoon which meant I lost an hour of my day and that set me back which meant that I had to walk very briskly (I don't run) to Stellini Bar.

It was dark by 6:30pm - Winter is truly here and I walked straight past it without realising so had to turn back. Jordan and Katherine looked very at home sat at the end of the big table and there was ample space for me. Stellini Bar is an intimate Italian kitchen with one big communal table where we sat and few other small bistro seats. The kitchen is pretty small and the specials are written on the tiled white wall behind the bar. It's open 7am till late, 7 days a week and serves right through the day and I guess as they run out of stuff, they'll rub it off the wall. The panna cotta disappeared halfway during the evening...

There were a few other diners in that evening but it was far from full. I can imagine it can get pretty crammed though on a busy night.

I ordered the lamb shank, polenta and green beans that was on the specials wall but I was very tempted by the other two special dishes - orrechiete pasta with a pork ragu and gnocchi with a duck ragu. Katherine went for the pasta and Katherine chose a barramundi dish.

The food takes its time to arrive and I guess that is because it's being cooked as opposed to heated up. I really enjoyed my lamb shank that came in a tomato sauce and there was a general concensus that the food was tasty. It's a nice quiet atmosphere that's dimly lit and very conducive to red wine and chatter - great place for three girls to catch up!

Stellini Bar on Urbanspoon

Ootoro

11/5/2011

Another mid week date night with a deals.com voucher. This time it was on a dark and wet evening so good thing we only had a very short walk to Ootoro which is on Riverside Quay slightly set back from the main strip of restaurants.

Steve has walked past Ootoro on a lunchtime and says it's usually quite busy with office workers. On an evening, in particular this Wednesday evening at 7pm, it was much quieter and I'm sure it's not just the rain keeping people away. Being set back from the strip is probably not great for evening business. We were probably the 5th table there but it felt much emptier as it's a brightly lit, refectory style dining room. There were some other couples and a few suited single diners, probably grabbing a quick dinner afer a late night at the office.

We had $50 worth of credit and we ordered some gyoza and sushi and I had the seafood laksa (not exactly Japanese) and Steve went for katsudon. Green tea was served in the tiniest pots and tiniest cups which wasn't very practical.

Food arrived quickly and it was all pretty average. I suspect the gyoza was pre made stuff ordered in and re heated. Not bad but not great either. Sushi was pretty standard. The bricks of rice for the nigiri were pretty chunky and were more filling than usual sushi rice. The seafood laksa was fine. The good thing was that the seafood tasted fresh and the noodles were cooked well. The broth needed some more seasoning.

Overall, it's a reasonably cheap place to eat especially for the Southbank so perhaps we'd call in again as it's so close to home for a bento box but there are definitely better eateries around and going to Richmond would be cheaper and tastier but for the times that driving seems too far, I'm sure Ootoro would be ok.

Ootoro on Urbanspoon