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Annie Smithers Bistrot and Produce

30/6/2013

We found ourselves in Kyneton this Sunday and having walked up and down Piper Street decided to see if Annie Smithers had room for us which they did.

We were greeted by a friendly waiter and shown to the airy, red bring dining room which I immediately felt comfortable. Loved having lots of space and the big round table for two. Too many restaurants have teeny tiny tables; nice to be able to stretch out in the country!

Our entrees consisted of:

Grilled quail, cauliflower fritters, organic farro, beetroot, chervil, holy goat fromage frais
Mushroom and tallegio souffle, walnut and leaves salad

We swapped plates half way through so could taste both. The quail had a slight Indian twist to it with a fragrant spicing through the lentils and the cauliflower fritters or pakora. The fromage frais was like a raita cutting through it and giving it a tang and the beetroot kind of neither here or there. Steve did comment that whilst the quail was tasty the dish did confuse him.

The souffle was light and fluffy fragrant with cheese and the walnut salad complimented its delicate flavours. I think it could have been a bit more seasoned and was on the too delicate side.

I preferred the quail but Steve preferred the souffle proving that different people have different tastes.

Main courses were:

Confit free range duck leg, roasted breast, broccoli spears, Jersualem artichoke puree, pickled quince, witlof, vincotto
Braised lamb shoulder, Brussel sprouts with bacon, pommes puree, croquette of jumbuck shoulder, salsa verde, jus

I chose the duck and requested no parsnips. I found the meat tender and tasty. I'd have liked more roasted breast as there were only three thin slices. The confit duck leg shredded so easily and was delicious. The vincotto and Jerusalem artichoke puree made a beautiful thick and glossy sauce that was so tasty. The quince and duck were a perfect pairing and I enjoyed the green veg.

Steve went with the lamb and really enjoyed it. The meat was tender and tasty, the bacon salty and chunky and the mash decadent and buttery. It was a rich dish though whereas the duck felt fresher and lighter.

Lime curd tart, scorched meringue, citrus, lemon and mint granita
White chocolate cream, baked rhubarb, rhubarb and rose geranium sorbet, tuile

We had room for dessert and I chose the lime curd tart and Steve went with the white chocolate cream.

I enjoyed the sharp citrus flavours of the tart softened by sweet meringue and texturally the crunch of the pastry stopped the whole thing being mushy. The sharpness of the lime was great too. Only slight flaw was the lime curd was slightly grainy in the mouth so something had separated somewhere and the granita was all just a bit watery and unnecessary. I think it just made the pastry soggy.

Steve's manly pink choice was again like my tart very pretty. Loved the seductive wobble of the white chocolate cream flecked with vanilla. He declared the cream as being very good but the sorbet quite perfume like. Can't have been too bad though as the plate was empty!

We enjoyed Sunday lunch here - relaxed but still refined. We learnt Annie herself has moved on but the kitchen crew and mostly the same and she still returns to say hi and they are keen to continue with her values of principles maintaining the garden and keeping produce levels local and of superior quality.

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Mercy Bar + Eatery

22/6/2013

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Saturday night and my friend Christine and I wanted to catch up and converse over cocktails, wine and food. I wanted somewhere hip that would make us feel like we were out on a Saturday night but not overly loud so we could actually chit chat and talk.

I booked Virginia Plain and received a phone call from Matt in the week that they'd changed names and had a bit of a refurb but the booking was safe and the kitchen staff hadn't changed. Nice of him to call which resolved any potential confusion on the night.

So Virginia Plain was underrated and more like a restaurant with a bar. Mercy is more like a a bar with a restaurant. It still feels airy and spacious which is a good thing but has a bit more Melbourne grit to it.

The welcome was friendly if not a bit frantic as drinks and ordering took a bit of time and we were a little overlooked with the general busyness of 8pm on a Saturday night. Nevertheless every time a member of the team did serve us, it was done enthusiastically and warmly.

We dallied over cocktails, took our time to decide on food and eventually in our own time place our order which was received passionately by the maitre d' who helped us with quantity and what to try.

We started off with bloody good Bloody Mary oyster shooters. We didn't know whether to go shot first then oyster or the other way round. We decided to go oyster first which was sweet and salty and then washed it down with a shot of tomato, gazpacho style substance. Loved the tang of tomato and it's sweet finish. Not sure if it was spiked with vodka or not but enjoyed the sweetness, tanginess and spice. We followed up the shots with a dozen oysters which were so intensely fresh, meaty and creamy.

Our small dishes all came out quite quickly and soon we had a tableful of food including the above:

Scallops with black pudding stuffed pigs trotters on mash
MFQ - Mercy Fried Quail

I've had the scallops and black pudding before and enjoyed it so though I'd introduce Christine to it. I forgot how great the mash potato is all creamy and silky.

The MFQ was nice enough but not the most outstanding quail I've had. A touch overcooked so a little dry in parts.

Crispy onion rings and spicy mayo
Greenvale farm pulled pork and crackling slider

The onion rings were crispy and the batter nice and thin which is the way I prefer my onion rings. The mayo had a spicy spike to it which cut through the creamy mayo and the deep fried fattiness that comes with onion rings.

The pulled pork slider had a great Chinese char-suiness to it and I liked the meaty pulled pork and the sweet brioche but I missed any crackling which was a shame as the added texture and general tastiness of crackling could have made this little slider phenomenal. So as it stands Spice Temple still is the winner of the best crispy pork slider.

And to end things sweetly we decide to share the mini Madeleines that came with two different dipping sauces.

Can't help but think they're copying Cumulus and got to say the lemon curd Cumulus version comes out on top.

However I love that this is a bagful of mini Mads and that we can just make our way through these fluffy pillows of buttery, sugary goodness. Deliciously light, fresh out of the oven and fragrant of beautiful sponge we enjoyed every single one until we were stuffed and could not eat another thing!

Overall Mercy Bar was the best place for our little tete a tete because it was fun with a touch of Melbourne hipster but at the same time, we could take our time, graze, drink, chat at audible volumes and enjoy each other's company. To me, Mercy is like Virginia let loose, on holiday, freestyling and I get that about it. Mercy is very honest, doesn't pretend to be something she isn't and having met her once, I like her and I think it'll be fun to see her again.

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Tonka

13/6/2013

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It had been a while since Charlotte, Claire and I had met up for post work for a feed. Since the last meet up, Lucy has had a baby, Zoe and is now on maternity leave so isn't working in the city and Claire is now 6 months pregnant! So whilst Claire is still around we really do need to make the most of the time she is still at work for our post work dinners. After a few emails we decided to try out Tonka which is the new kid on the Flinders Lane block.

Apparently where the club Honky Tonks used to be...but we three relatively nouveau Melbournians don't remember it. What we did notice this wet night was it was so typically Melbourne. Off a back graffitied back street, almost unnoticeable signage, through an inconspicuous doorway into a startling big dining restaurant. Unexpectedly large with an open kitchen and bar and lots of tables to the back.

The welcome was warm and friendly enough. Drinks were ordered quickly and we decided to let the wait staff decide on our food and leave it to them. Our waitress seemed very efficient and at ease with coming up with a feast accommodating the dietary requirements of our pregnant guest.

Smoked trout betel leaf with coconut, chilli, pomelo and kaffir lime came out first and was a tasty delight. Deep herby flavours reminiscent of Thailand with fresh fish

Pappadums with a tomato, red onion and coriander salsa were what Charlotte specifed she had to try and they were crispy and fresh and the salsa was a good accompaniment which was tasty but really did just taste of tomato, red onion and coriander. Not really unlike anything I couldn't reproduce at home.

The pani puri, crispy parcel filled with spiced potato, mung beans, date and tamarind chutney with aromatic water was unusually presented with a small bottle of aromatic water to pour into the pastry. Gimmicky or tasty? Well I can see why you have to pour the water just before eating otherwise any earlier the pastry would go soggy so the gimmick is at least practical. In terms of taste, it was nice enough...pastry with some spiced mashed potato. Pleasant enough but not mindblowingly amazing.

The Crystal Bay prawn and chicken salad with green beans, chilli and coconut that came next was much more satisfying. Big chunks of sweet prawn and meaty chicken with crunchy greens. Looking at it I was expecting the tanginess and creaminess of mayonnaise but it's actually more like coconut cream so it didn't feel oily or fatty and the tang came from the fresh lime cheek on the side. Loved the hints of coconut both in the subtle dressing and the toasty bits sprinkled on top.

Continuing along the stream of success came the soft-shell crab pakora with pickled cucumber, lemon, chilli and mint. I'm not sure how many serves came in our portion but there were about two pieces each and they were yummy. Meaty, juicy, crispy and well seasoned.

We then moved onto Avani’s lamb curry with roasted coconut, black cardamom and white poppy seeds along with naan bread and a dish of fried cauliflower, garam masala salt, fenugreek and yoghurt dressing.

The curry wasn't spicy in terms of chilli heat but was fragrant and aromatic with the warmth of black pepper. The meat was tender and the naan bread was great dunked in sauce. It was a decent enough curry and was on a par with the curries from other establishments like Red Spice Road, Coda, Bang Pop, Chin Chin etc. Although I think the duck curry from Bang Pop has the edge...just...

The roasted cauliflower was great - unusual and the sharp tang of the yoghurt dressing cut through the rich flavours of the curry.

And that was our meal. It was probably the right amount and gave us space in our bellies to order dessert. I think one more dish wouldn't have gone amiss though and was surprised they didn't bring another main.

So we moved onto dessert and actually making the dessert decision did take some time. But it was Charlotte's birthday and every birthday girl deserves dessert! She opted for peanut butter parfait, salted caramel, chocolate mousse and caramelised popcorn. It looked very appealing and I stole a bit of delicious popcorn from her. She has informed me and allowed me to quote that this was the best dessert she'd had in a long time. I guess that means she approves.

I went with coconut rice pudding, mango sorbet, pineapple chiboust and shortbread. This was a great way to finish the meal not being that huge a chocolate fan. To me a great dessert isn't necessarily chocolate and I prefer non cooked fruit creations like this. I loved the creaminess of the rice pudding, the tang of the sorbet and the textures and butteriness of the shortbread crumbs. Claire agreed having dipped a spoon in both camps. She enjoyed another berry based mocktail as her dessert.

Tonka isn't the place for a chicken jalfrezi, rice and naan and several pints of Kingfisher. In all honesty, we've not found a place like that in Melbourne. It's unusual fusion, quite light and delicate. Certainly enjoyable and different to the usual Thai / Chinese fusion. This new kid is quite welcome on the block.

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Wat Da Pho

6/6/2013

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Every time we drive by this place it always looks busy so it's been on the list to try for a while.

We made it on a damp Thursday evening last week and again the place was filled with people but we were able to take two places at the large communal table.

The fit out is funky; the place is clean and the welcome is friendly. It has fast become a South Melbourne favourite and a popular neighbourhood restaurant.

I like the tongue in cheek name and it has a real youthful, entrepreneur vibe about it. Interesting to see one or two solo diners too and I would also feel safe and happy dining for one,

We started off with some chicken skewers that come with rice noodles, cucumber, lettuce and dipping sauce on a big wooden board. Presentation is simple but smart. The meat is tender and the dipping sauce fresh and zingy. Loved the noodle and the crispy lettuce and cucumber textures. Only slight issue is I find it quite difficult to eat as it all turns to mush in my hand and the dipping sauce drips everywhere so I get quite sticky and my clothes are tinged with that pungent Asian fish sauce fragrance!

The pork spring rolls also presented on a board are cripsy and fresh. So far so good and yeah it's a few dollars more expensive than Victoria Street but it's closer to home for us and the fit out and decor is nicer so we don't begrudge the slightly higher prices and feel it's still value for money.

I went with The Lot Pho which has a bit of everything in it and Steve goes with the rare beef and brisket version.

The broth is fragrant and piping hot. It does have an oily sheen to it which is a little off putting and the flavours aren't quite as clean and pure as Victoria Street. However, this is still a tasty version and there is very little in it. The meat balls and beef itself is of good quality and probably better than Victoria Street as it was less stringy.

We enjoyed our meal here and left feeling satisfied and happy to return. Happy to recommend.

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Middle Park Hotel

2/6/2013

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Sunday lunch and we wanted something satisfying. Knowing that Sunday roasts in this part of the World are different to UK, we have pretty much given up on trying to find something similar and have learnt to embrace the different. Ok, so there's no Yorkshire pudding, lashings of gravy, carvery, groaning plateful but we can find flavoursome roast meat, interesting side dishes, relaxed environments and generally speaking more sunshine! We take what we can get!

Today we ventured to the Middle Park Hotel to enjoy a relaxing lunch with Rob and Lorna. It's convenient to get to and the place has a relaxed but busy vibe.

The boys go with beer, Lorna is in Sunday recovery mode and I try going down the wine front but after one head to the safer territory of diet coke!

Food wise we share two Scotch eggs between three. Rob refrains not being a fan of whole eggs. Apparently mashed up it's fine just not when they're whole or cut in half! Served with HP sauce and a mustard mayo. It's a good Scotch egg. Not too heavy and the HP sauce adds piquancy. The mustard mayo is too mustardy for me but I can imagine it being popular with the mustard fans.

Not knowing what to have Steve and I strike a deal. We go half and hald on fish and chips and the Parisien burger. There is a choice of about 5 different burgers on the menu; different blends of cow and topping. I'm excited by the fish and chips as it promises mushy peas and there is a bottle of Sarsons malt vinegar available which isn't the norm in Melbourne.

The fish and chips are a small serve really but I remind myself it only cost $14 which in Melbourne money is a bargain. (Yeah not so in UK moolah but let's not linger on that point). Disappointingly the mushy peas are a small blob and not the ladleful I expected. The pickled onion is a nice touch albeit unexpected. The fish was tasty. The chips weren't quite chip shop chips but the Sarsons made it better.

Steve thought the burger was strange but I'm not really sure what he means by that. To me it was a reasonable burger. The patty was dense and juicy. I liked the brioche bun and the shoestring fries. It wasn't a blow me out the water burger but it was decent enough.

I think next time we see what else it has to offer. The chicken shnitzel and Sunday roast (

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Gazi

1/6/2013

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I met up with my friend Carrie to try out Gazi for lunch on Saturday. I was running a little late, saw Carrie seated in the window, waved and smiled and headed to The Press Club entrance and found I couldn't get in! This confused me so I headed back out, waved at Carrie again and tried the other side of the building and this time made it in!

The welcome was warm and friendly and it was like walking into an old friend's place after they have redecorated. Kind of familiar, yet different with lots to absorb and take in. The kitchen is in the same place but opened up. The lights at the old chef's table are the same. It's light and airy and I notice the natural light coming in through the windows and the height of the ceilings so much more than when it was in its former state. I liked the plant pots on the ceiling - not really sure if there is meaning behind it.

We were too busy chit chatting and didn't want decision making over food to cut in over valuable talk time so decided to go with the ten plate option.

Drinks wise Carrie was on the delicious Fever Tree ginger ale and I started off with an espresso martini. I always loved the Press Club version so very pleased standards have not slipped after the hiatus.

First to come were two dips - a hummus and a tzatziki with some warm bread. Very traditional. The tzatziki was cool, fresh and fragrant with dill with textures of cucumber running through it. Carrie's remark was "why can't all tzatziki taste like this?" and I think it's true that the stuff at the supermarket just doesn't quite have the freshness and flavours.

The hummus was also delicious - seasoned with salt and paprika it was hearty with a thick rich texture.

I was beginning to understand the concept of Gazi. People use the words Greek street food and I don't quite think it's that but it is traditional family favourites shared with all generations. It's like mamma has opened up her kitchen to her children and grandchildren to cook with her.

We devoured the saganaki with kumquat whilst it was still hot and gooey. Fried cheese you are a friend. The prawns that came out were heady with garlic and a delicious mouthful.

We then dug into crispy skinned salmon with a walnut pesto and I loved the silky fish. It was just saved from being overcooked and actually my preference would be for it to have been slightly more rare. Nevertheless, it was great salmon and the walnut pesto enhanced the natural flavours of the fish.

Our meat dishes were a beautiful spit roast pork belly with crackling on an apple skordalia and roast chicken on a red capsicum puree. Oh the pork was crackling was delightful and the pork meat fatty but juicy and ever so tasty. I found the chicken flavoursome but a touch overcooked and therefore a little dry. However Carrie loved the chicken.

Our side dishes included a beautiful iceberg salad with grated cheese and a tart vinaigrette. Crisp and clean it was a refreshing accompaniment. And the other side was an indulgence of crispy fries topped with feta cheese and oregano. Yes George C has put his name to chips and yes the culinary crowds have reacted to this in horror. I get it. How can a fancy pants chef capable of the sublime reduce himself to cheesy chips? But then if Gazi is about accessible, unpretentious food then why not? Gazi isn't about fine dining or food that can't be cooked at home. I think it's about tasty and honest food and what's not honest about cheesy chips if it works? And yes in this case the crispy fries and creamy cheese fragranced with oregano works and takes me back to Summers in Santorini and a late night feed following too much beer and dancing! Nothing wrong with that memory!

Dessert was a treat of Greek doughnuts topped with cocoa nibs and honey. Incredibly sweet but who can turn down deep fried dough? And we also enjoyed a beautiful creme brulee topped with praline, date puree an Turkish Delight. Whilst I prefer my creme brulee to have that traditional sugar top that cracks when struck with a spoon, I couldn't fault the creamy, custardy, vanilllary delight beneath. Carrie had the bright idea of doughnut topped with a dollop of creme brulee and the girl isn't just bright; she's genius!

Undeniably Gazi is not unlike Hellenic Republic or St Kats food wise. Undeniably I've always enjoyed every meal I've had at Hellenic Republic or St Kats. Therefore I don't need to be a Greek philosopher to conclude that I enjoyed Gazi and I definitely did. I'm trying to understand the reason people don't like it and I guess it's because expectations are that the food served is meant to be more cutting edge perhaps because it's George at the helm. But George can't eat fancy every night and when he doesn't I figure he goes with Gazi style delights. Although given his recent weight loss and svelte figure, maybe he doesn't eat feta and chips that often! Oh well, all the more for the rest of us!

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Annie Smithers Bistrot and Produce

Mercy Bar + Eatery

Tonka

Wat Da Pho

Middle Park Hotel

Gazi

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