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Sho

31/8/2011

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A long working week ie four 11 to 12 hour days on the trot meant that I needed a good midweek feed that was quick, tasty and close to home. Steve suggested heading towards Crown and having a mosey to see what would take our fancy.

Weirdly out of all the wonderful restaurants, we ended up at Sho which is neither stand out or well known. We did consider the old favourite Nobu but I feared it would take too long and I'd fall asleep and we weren't really dressed well for the other places.

We'd been to Sho before and had noodles and they were ok so we thought we'd give it another try and use the Entertainment card to bring down the cost. Service was ok and we were shown to a table and a drinks order taken quickly.

Sho is decorated quite nicely with a big silk mural in pink and red on the wall. It's a little bit strange in ambience and because it's on the gaming floor, it feels a bit like it's more of a refectory for pokie players and gamblers and there for sustenance than tasty food.

Clientele tends to be Asian which on the one hand is reassuring with regards to authenticity but then most of the gamblers in Crown tend to be Asian anyway so the stats tend to dictate that this would be so anyway!

We ummed and ahhed about what to eat. After a 12 hour day, making decisions seems to defeat me. We toyed with bowls of soup noodles each which we did last time and also deliberated whether to go for the duck special. In the end we just ordered some starters and main dishes to share.

Drinks wise, Steve had a beer and I had a soft drink followed by one of the many Chinese teas they have. I went for a white chrysanthemum one which I found refreshing.


We started with a bowl of chicken and sweet corn soup and some spring rolls. The bowl of soup was large but pretty bland. No taste and I declared it a waste of calories after a few spoonfuls. The Vietnamese spring rolls were pleasant enough. Not really authentically Vietnames. They came with sweet chilli sauce rather than nuoc cham but spring rolls have to be pretty bad to not be enjoyable.

Our main courses were:
  • Crispy pork belly clay pot - wok fried roast pork belly with snow peas in Szechuan chilli sauce
  • Sweet and sour barramundi - deep fried whole barramundi with pine nuts and sweet and sour sauce
Mains came with steamed rice which was plentiful. Overall the dishes looked better than they tasted. The barra was bony and difficult to get to the flesh. The little flesh we did have was bland and lacked the sweetness of fresh fish leading me to think it's frozen barramundi rather than fresh. Not worth the $32 charged.

The pork fared a bit better and there was a generous amount of meat. The snow peas or mange tout were crunchy and had been put into the dish at the right time for them to retain their crispiness. The sauce was just a touch too salty and tasted too much like it was made from a spoonful of Lee Kum Kee chilli and garlic sauce which is all well and good for a home cook like me but not what's expected from a professional kitchen and restaurant that charges $21. 50 for it.

The Entertainment card helped cushion the bill and it came to about $80 for the two of us. For $80 I'd rather go to Pacific on Lonsdale Street or Victoria Street but I guess it was our own fault for wanting to eat closer to home.

In conclusion, dinner filled a hole and we were home within 5 mins of leaving. It was all bit too average though and in Melbourne, average just isn't enough. Out of all the restaurants in Crown, Sho is really not Sho good!

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Bergerac

26/8/2011

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Friday night double date with the Barnes and we headed to Bergerac which they highly recommended. It's a relic of a restaurant from the 70s complete with leather button upholstery seating  and velour chairs as well as the obligatory fringed lamp on the table.

The welcome was warm and very French and we settled down ready to dine on French fancies and other delights.

To begin we went with:
  • Salade Nicoise
  • Escargots á la Bourguignonne
  • Duck tasting plate with slices of smoked duck, foie gras pate and a terrine
  • Ravioli de crabe
Definitely a good start to the meal and we felt as if we could be in France! The escargots were tender and buttery and garlicky and very very rich so I had to share them. I had some samples of Steve's duck tasting plate and enjoyed the flavours. The Barnes declared their starters as winners so smiles all round.

Free flowing Cotes du Rhone completed the French theme.
Main courses were:
  • Cassoulet from the specials board
  • Braised beef checks with mashed potato also from the specials board
  • Bouillabaise
  • Steak frites
Steve enjoyed his cassoulet and scraped the earthenware dish clean. My taste of it was also positive with sweet beans complimented by spicy sausage and rich pork. Karly waxed lyrical about the beef cheeks and there was definitely more than one cow's worth of cheek on her plate. The bouillabaisse was a repeat dish for Cam so he must like it. My steak frites was perhaps not as authentic as in Paris as the fries weren't quite shoestring but the garlic, shallot butter blend on the steak was parfait.


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Dessert we decided to all have a spoonful of the molten chocolate cake which was a good choice. Oozing chocolate with a cleansing vanilla ice cream and a refreshing coulis it was just perfect for each one of us to have savour a mouthful.

Another bottle of wine was ordered, I went for a tea which the waitress seemed very happy about and we continued to enjoy witty repartee. It's a very relaxed and comfortable place with no rush so is a good place for a long lunch or dinner.

After a lovely meal, all the remains to say is vive la France!

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The Old Raffles Place

25/8/2011

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Mid week dinner and rather than head to the usual Victoria Street, I decided to take a recommendation from my friend Ling and we headed to the Old Raffles Place in Collingwood. It's a kitsch kind of place and the kitchen area reminds me of a fish and chip shop and the dining area is like being in someone's house.

The bright red formica tables and laminated menu are reminiscent of the 70s. We ordered a hot and sour soup and some roti to start with. The roti was good and not too greasy and the curry sauce had a good fragrance and kick to it. I would prefer it if they could get rid of the layer of oil that's floats on the top as it stops the roti from soaking up the actual curry sauce.

The hot and sour soup was good - sharp, tangy and spicy. Possibly one of the better versions we've had in Melbourne. Other versions we've had have been either too vinegary or weirdly sweet and very gloopy. This had a nice consistency backed up with some good flavours.
Mains courses we went for sweet and sour pork, fried rice and combination laksa. The sweet and sour pork was very good with big chunks of meat and an array of vegetables. The balance of flavours was spot on. Unfortunately the rice wasn't the best accompaniment as it was a bit too lumpy and overpowering. Plain rice next time!

The laksa was good with three big king prawns that were fres - nothing worse than a mushy prawn and lots of chicken, fish slices and a scallop. The noodles were good and chewy and the broth creamy and tasty. I think the laksa at Queen Vic market is a little tastier but the accompaniments in this one are better. I had difficulty choosing between the laksa and chicken rice so we'll come back next time for the chicken rice.

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Claypots

20/8/2011

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Second time in two weeks here. This shows how much we like it. This time we sat against one of the chiller cabinets and looked into the busy kitchen. We started with two bowls of the clam chowder that we enjoyed last time. This time it was even nicer. Creamier and thicker than previously with good chunks of ham and a few more plump clams made it an enjoyable start to out Saturday lunch.
We followed up the clam chowder with some grilled king prawns. Like last time they were plump and large with a great sweetness and so fresh. Nothing worse than a mushy prawn that's not fresh.

I chose the sambal ray and Steve went for crispy skinned John Dory and we shared the two dishes. I loved the chilli, garlic and sweet soy flavours of the ray and Steve loved the simplicity of the John Dory. Both fishes were very fresh and flavoursome in their own way.

Absolutely love this place for fresh seafood. Can't wait for the Summer to spend more time elbow deep in finger lickin goodness sat at an outside table with the pianist tickling the ivories.

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Sarti

19/8/2011

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Friday night was date night! Barley made the plans himself and secured a table at Sarti. He'd been before with work when we'd first arrived in Melbourne and he's been going on about this amazing steak since then!

It's a busy place with lots of big parties and we stood at the bar for a short time whilst the people at our table paid their bill and the wait staff cleared and re set it. Like many Melbourne places, there were people seated at the bar enjoying their food too. I like that many restaurants serve food at the bar and that it's no bookings for that area. I've had many an enjoyable meal seated at the bar of a buzzy restaurant.
We ordered some stuzzichini which are described as Italian tapas which we shared.
  • Wild harvested Tasmanian wallaby carpaccio, native pepper soil, toasted macadamia nut, bush tomato, cured egg
  • Mamma Lucias ‘suppli’
  • Wild duck and ‘provolone polpette’, pistacchio, aniseed myrtle
  • Oven roasted razor clam, truffled potato, porcini crumb
  • Deep fried zucchini flower stuffed with a ricotta and crab mixture
The wallababy was very gamey in flavour and in spite of all the trimmings it came with the flavour of the meat shone through. The "suppli" aka as arancini balls were pleasant enough but the ones at Giuseppe Arnaldo are little oozier and cheesier which we prefer. The duck polpette was very tasty and quite unusual. The razer clam was also good with strong porcini and truffle flavours coming through. The clam itself was cooked really well and nice and tender. The zucchini flower was crispy and not too greast. The bitterness of the small zucchini still attached the the flower was a refreshing and cleansing background flavour to the rich filling and deep fried heaviness.
I was pretty full after our little starter sampler. However, no time for a breather as our mains were placed in front of us. I'd ordered the rabbit and Steve had gone for chargrilled ribeye, 'con la vera caponata Siciliana'. However it was ‘Mirto’, marinated suckling pork, blood orange glaze, cauliflower and almond puree that was placed in front of me and although a steak did arrive for Steve, it was overcooked to the medium rare he'd ordered.

The restaurant was pretty hectic at this time and the wait staff were zipping from table to table pretty quickly. I sent back my pork as it wasn't what I'd ordered in spite of it looking pretty good. It was brough back to us and we were told that the rabbit would take 15 minutes and we'd be welcome to have the pork to start on whilst we waited for the rabbit. The waiter also took Steve's steak away.

So we dug into the pork. It was really good - sticky and char siu like with excellent crackling. I should have ordered this!

The rabbit and steak arrived pretty quickly and it turned out that they'd given us someone else's pork and well done steak by mistake previously. Anyway confusion averted and handled pretty smoothly. We got free pork anyway! Steve's steak was just beautiful. Cooked to perfection, meaty and juicy; I can understand why he's been raving about this steak since our early days in Melbourne. The slightly sweet, slightly sour caponata that came with it cut through th e denseness of the meat.

The rabbit I ordered was a bit hit and miss. Certain pieces of the meat was juicy and tasty and other bits were a bit overcooked so mushy and dry. It came with a really tasty barley risotto and a few sprouts that were crunchy and the slight bitterness was a lovely contrast to the sweetness of the meat and jus. There were also some sweet pieces of what seemed like sponge cake on the plate. Didn't quite get that and left that to one side.

There were some stellar dishes at Sarti and it's a fun place to dine with a larger group. It seems to be a popular place with large groups. It can get a bit frantic and some of the wait staff don't seem to cope with the stress as well as others so service can be a bit erratic depending on who happens to serve you. Having said that the whole overall experience was a positive one and I'd go back for the steak.
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Lezzet

14/8/2011

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We first came across Lezzet last month when we attended a mezze cookery class which was a fun way to spend a Sunday morning. We had lunch plans then so didn't stay so when dessert class came up we decided to stay.

Attending dessert class was touch and go and right up until 8am that morning we were set to cancel given how I was feeling. I'm sick of mentioning it now but I'm ill with flu or something like that. Anyway after a shower and knowing how much Steve wanted to learn how to make baklava I summoned all energy and decided to go. It is just a two hour class and it's not really strenuous so I thought I'd be ok. I figured I could alway recuperate and sleep for the remainder of the afternoon especially as Steve planned to watch the Richmond game on TV. And true to my word that I did!

Unlike the previous class which took place on a portable work bench in the bar area, dessert class took place in the kitchen and the ever friendly owner / chef Kemal had his elbow deep in filo pastry, melted butter and nuts in no time.

We made baklava and raspberry flavoured Turkish delight. Not being a Turkish delight fan, this stuff was actually quite pleasant although still too sweet for me. The baklava also very sweet was really good though and the sweetness cut through by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We got to take some home with us too.

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So we started our lunch with dessert! And then moved onto a mezze plate comprising of mussels in a cream sauce, slow cooked oxtail, lamb ribs and prawn and scallop mousse in ketafai pastry. The flatbread that came with this was delicious dipped in the cream sauce and although it was all good, I particularly enjoyed the bread. This was the first meal I'd had since Friday night so I was diggin in alright!

Main course was their famous Anatolian lamb slow cooked for 18 hours. By this stage, given my loss in apetite I was already full but it was very good lamb. It came with some tomato couscous and was served with a date jus to give it a little sweetness.

We really enjoyed the food so much so Steve suggested ordering a pizza (they've won prizes for their pizza) to take home and then we wouldn't have to cook dinner! I'm all for not cooking so that we did. Appetite hasn't quite returned in spite of the amazing smelling pizza so have left that for Steve who has chomped his way through it with occasional bouts of "very good". He's also got through the baklava we brought home so that's also a positive sign.

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Coda

12/8/2011

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In spite of illness combined with one of those bad days at work on Friday, I felt rebellious and rather than retreat and wallow in self pity I was determined to go out and get my drink on! Steve and I decided to try Coda and see if we could get a seat at the bar. We arrived at 6pm and took two out of the four remaining places.

Service was friendly from beginning to end and it good fun to sit at the bar and peer into the kitchen. Coda does that Melbournian industrial chic thing as it's decor with haphazardly painted walls and metal grilles and lampshades made from chicken wire.

My lychee martini was delicious and certainly helped me calm down and face the weekend. We decided to order a selection of the small tapas dishes before deciding on main courses.

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Quail lettuce delight with lup cheong, shitake mushroom, coriander and water chestnuts

Very savoury and tasty meat mixture that was juicy and full of texture - crunch of the water chestnuts and the chew of the shitake mushrooms all surrounded by crispy lettuce. Yum!

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Herb crumbed lambchop - looks a bit like something from McDonalds or KFC but far superior. Tender meat with a crispy crumb and a delicate herby flavour.

We also ordered the crispy rice paper rolls which we started eating before we could take a picture. They were deliciously moreish; crunchy and fresh with a zingy dipping sauce.

The great thing about ordering these one person sized servings is that there doesn't have to be any compromise and you can order what you want as opposed to having to share dishes! And great for the solo diner. We saw one lady sat in the corner enjoying lots of individual sized dishes and enjoying every bite.

Steve had the Hervey Bay scallop, pearl tapioca and Yarra Valley salmon caviar and I went for Spanner crab, galangal, roasted chilli and lime betel leaf. Steve enjoyed the scallop and I loved the zingy citrus flavour of the crab brought on by the pink grapefruit. The roasted chilli wasn't as pronounced as I'd hoped it would be.
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Said solo lady diner had one of these brought out to her and we couldn't resist copying. Sugar cane prawn - a  prawn mousse surrounded by crispy vermicelli that was still crackling as it was brought out to us. Reminiscent of one of Steve's favourites, prawn toast, it was entirely enjoyable.

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Moving onto mains we got stuck into the yellow duck curry which comprised of two meaty confit duck legs in a rich and fragrant sauce. The curry is not Thai style or Indian; quite unique really. It has a spicy kick to it but one that creeps up on you starting with a gentle warmth. It's a peppery kind of heat. The duck meat was beautiful that just flaked of the bone into rich chunks of meat.

Steve ordered the special dessert which was a brandy snap basket with a flourless cake with a brandy foam and mandarin sorbet and coulis. I went for the lighter coconut panna cotta, crispy rice and green apple sorbet. Both fruit sorbets were intensely flavoured and very refreshing. My dessert was all about texture with the silky panna cotta and the dry rice and toasted coconut providing added dimensions.

We both really enjoyed dinner at Coda. I have to say that given my blocked nose my tastebuds weren't on great form so I needed some full on flavours to excite me and Coda really delivered. What was also good was we felt in no way rushed and were home by 8pm so I could have an early night and recover from illness!

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Claypots - South Melbourne

7/8/2011

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Sunday at South Melbourne Market and we decided to have a seafood feast at Claypots. We'd heard a lot about the St Kilda establishment so were excited to try our local outlet. We were greeted by a friendly face and found some space at a bar facing the side street. 

After a wander round the cabinets to see the day's offerings and a browse of the blackboard we were ready to order. Well I ordered as Steve was in a can't make up mind mood.

There's a buzzy atmosphere here as it gets quite busy and the bars and little stools fill up. There's also a live pianist who plays quite manic music adding to the frenzy. It's a casual dining experience that's not relaxed but fun so if you're seeking a sedate meal then it's not the right place but if you're already relaxed in the mind and want a bit of revelry, it's the ideal place.
We started off with two bowls of clam chowder. They came with a hunk of soft chewy bread. Deep and comforting this was good soup. It wasn't the creamy New England version but a clear soup with hunks of potato and the odd clam; a good start.

Next up were 4 king prawns done in chilli and garlic with fresh coriander. Exactly my kind of flavours and I thoroughly enjoyed these. Steve doesn't think such prawns are worth the hassle of peeling them as he struggles with that so I peeled his for him and thought it was a great dish.
The final dish I'd ordered was a kingfish cutlet which came grilled but we had to wait a short while for this (not as long as we'd waited at MoMo the previous night for main courses and dessert) as they'd given the fish to the wrong table! The made up for this by giving us a plate of sardines! The grilled kingfish was deliciously fresh with a crispy skin, charred edges and then lovely tender white flesh.

I'd ordered a salad to go with the fish and it was a fresh green salad with tomatoes in a nice vinegary dressing.  A really zingy and cleansing accompaniment to the fish.

The sardines were ok - we ate them but I don't think we'd choose to order them. They're a bit too oily and fishy for me.

I spied some people having mussels and I really wanted some too so we added a serve to our order and they came pretty soon after we finished our kingfish. Just the right amount, cooked very simply and very fresh and delicious. Better than the mussels we had at Belgian Beer Café recently.

We spent $80 in total (including one beer) which I thought was pretty good value for the freshness of the seafood. Looking forward to another visit! This place would be great on a sunny evening when there's no Monday to worry about and the pianist can just take you on a merry jig and bring you back with some tasty seafood!

Claypots Evening Star on Urbanspoon
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Spice Market and MoMo

6/8/2011

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Saturday was make up for a lack of recent dates, date night! Steve had booked MoMo (two hatted Middle Eastern affair headed up by Greg Malouf whom we had experienced during Melbourne Food and Wine week when he partnered with Koko Black to do a chocolate / cocoa themed Morrocan evening) and we planned to do drinks at Spice Market beforehand.

Knowing that both Spice Market and MoMo were upmarket we dressed well for the occasion and headed to Spice Market around 8:30pm. There was no queue (and had there been one we'd have been on the guest list due to our dinner reservation) but it still took a while for the door lady, I guess the call them hostesses, to find Steve's name on her iPad and then she had to take my name too! You know a place thinks it's too cool for school when the guest list is not a clipboard with a Bic biro attached but an iPad!

We also had to get a stamp and it's been a long time since we've had one of those at an evening establishment! This place even dictated where they would stamp us - inner wrist if you want to know.

Finally we made our way down the stairs into this Asian inspired bar which reminded me a lot of Buddakan in New York. There were Asian statues everywhere and little rooms and nooks with lots of rich velvet cushions, birdcages hanging from the ceiling, dim lighting, loud music.

Cocktails were delicious. I started off with a rhubarb and raspberry martini before moving to a more strawberry based concoction. The longer we were there, the more the place filled up with the well heeled and high heeled uber cool Melburnian set!

I'd love one day to hire one of the booths with girlfriends and work my way down the cocktail list or host a party in one of their private areas. Sadly the minimum tabs are way over my budget so I'll have to make door with standing at the bar or sitting in the main area.

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MoMo is beautifully decorated with sparkly light fittings and detailed furnishings. It's dimly lit for atmosphere I guess although that does make menu reading a little difficult.

Wait staff are efficient and all speak with a very posh accent so some may find this a bit stuffy. We rose to the occasion dressed in our finery and put on our best British accent. Steve even dropped his Hull accent for the night and called it Moh - Moh as opposed to Mer Mer which it would be had this be place be on Beverley Road, Hull!

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I ordered a MoMo lemonade to start off with continuing the theme of fruit based cocktails. Got to keep my vit C levels up. It was sharp and tangy and really quite delicious. To our surprise though, when we had the bill at the end of the night, this was down as a mocktail so maybe I'd been fooled out of some vodka!

We opted for the Moorish feast which basically consisted of 4 entrées, 2 mains, 4 sides and a dessert plate. Our waiter was very serious and said that it was his responsibility to tell us that this would mean a LOT of food and most people don't find this manageable. We decided to not let this deter us!


Out came two fish dishes:
  • Seafood Eshkeneh - Persian style rockfish soup with fenugreek and egg threads
  • Warm salad of roasted barramundi with fennel, tarragon and buffalo feta
Had we chosen the entrées rather than have all 4, we'd never have opted for the soup but we are so glad we did. The saffron was so fragrant, the fish perfectly cooked and the crispy pastry bit was the perfect crouton. We both really enjoyed this.

The barramundi was well cooked and the fennel and parsley flavours vibrant and fresh. I've got to say though that the Middle Eastern flavour influences - fennel, parsley, tarragon, mint aren't my preferred flavours as I'm not into aniseedy and strong herby tastes. I can see why some people who love those flavours would do well with this dish but for me, although everything was perfectly executed it didn't hit my flavour spot.

I was looking forward to the Buffalo feta in the barramundi dish but there was very little of it and although I could taste the odd crumb here and there, it was too subtle.

Next up was:
  • Duck breast roasted on the bone, creamy lentil - burghul pilav and baby beets
  • Kifta nayee - Middle Easter style beef tartare with basil, marjoram, smoky chilli and garlic bread
The duck breast was a delight. Fatty plump slices of duck with a sharp and lemony lentil accompaniment and then sweetened by the baby beets. The crispy beet leaf added another texture. This was one of the dishes of the night.

The flavours of the beef tartare were good although the smoked chilli was very subtle and I wouldn't have minded a touch more. The texture was a little strange - not quite slimy but very very smooth and slippy - almost like sausage meat or beef paste. We ate it all so obviously was good if a little strange.
  • Kurobuta pork rib eye, spinach gozleme, creamy freekah with pumpkin and pearl onions
The pork was juicy and tender and the onion added to its sweetness. I though the pearl onions would be those teeny tiny onions but instead we got half a standard onion each which was a little overpowering but the odd piece was good. The creamy freekah certainly had oomph with the Turkish chorizo. It was deep and savoury with some chilli spice running through it which just catches the back of the throat in a good way.
  • Quail in dukkah crumbs, cardamom bacon, mushrooms and beans in verjuice
The signature dish and voted The Age best dish of 2010. Reminiscent of KFC this was a mighty tasty little bird which we thoroughly enjoyed. Cooked to perfection with a crisp and flaky crumb it was a delight to eat.

Side dishes were:
  • Salad - e Shirazi with edible flowers
  • Goat's milk halloumy fritters, almonds and leatherwood honey
  • Warm melting leek salad, shankleesh cheese, bastourma and pumpkin seeds
  • Whipped Dutch cream potatoes, French butter and pine nuts
The halloumy and mashed potatoes were the stand outs. Loved the unusual flavour and texture combination of creamy buttery mash with woody and crunchy pine nuts.
Dessert was like a buffet of different things:
  • Seasonal fruits, pear and juniper sorbet, pistachio halva and dried grapefruit
  • Persian saffron tart, passionfruit curd and mascarpone cheese
  • Rich hot chocolate and Kahlua cake stuffed with whipped Medjool date
  • Lemon and orange flower ice cream, dried rose and hazelnut crumble
The seasonal fruits and pear sorbet was fresh and light and cut through all the richness of the previous courses. It was a great palatte cleanser. Although I don't think we got any dried grapefruit...

The pastry of the tart and the passionfruit curd was delicious. The chocolate fondant was a bit too heavy and rich and I couldn't taste the Kahlua which in Steve's case is a good things as he doesn't like coffee. The ice cream and crumble dish was a bit meh to me and I couldn't taste the real flavours of the ice cream. It was just cold and creamy and a bit citrussy.

The overall opinion of the meal is that we appreciate Greg Malouf's work and combinations of flavours. We have to concede that it's not our preferred flavours but we still enjoyed it. We found the wine quite pricey and the wait staff a little affected and luvvie like which means we never quite felt 100% at ease.

The biggest gripe I have is the length of time between courses. Whilst waiting for our mains, one of the waiters (the one who served us the majority of the time) came to inform us that "the kitchen was having a small melt down" which although the place was full, it wasn't overly full seems a little bit strange and you'd think a two hatted establishment charging the prices it does would have a well oiled kitchen team but I guess there are always off nights and bad nights!

Whilst waiting for dessert a different waiter told us that the chef had had to re do our chocolate cake as he wasn't happy with the first batch which on the one hand is a positive as it means nothing sub standard leaves the kitchen, but on the other hand should professionals have to re do things? I'm not really sure but it did mean I was getting pretty sleepy by the time dessert came and I just wanted it to arrive so I could eat, leave and head home!

During our wait time, the waiter who had served us the most was nowhere to be seen so I assume he'd finished for the night. The number of wait staff around had dwindled and they were pretty much tidying up, replacing table cloths, polishing glasses etc. Whilst I don't have a problem with this activity happening after I've had my meal and am just relaxing with a post dinner drink, it feels strange when it's happening and I'm still waiting for food.

I'm really glad we went and we experienced some really good dishes like the fish soup, duck and mashed potato. If we were given the money we'd spent on the meal again, we'd probably head to Ezard instead where the Asian flavours are more up our street and the wait staff more on our wavelength.


Spice Market on Urbanspoon MoMo Restaurant on Urbanspoon
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Cumulus Inc - revisited

6/8/2011

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Inspired to have a good lunch we decided to see if Cumulus could seat us. We arrived about 12:15 expecting to have to queue but managed to catch it just as people were leaving after breakfast and / or morning tea. We were seated in about 5 minutes of arriving.

As usual the place was busy with a steady flow of people arriving and waiting. Had we arrived any later we would have had to wait for a table.

Our waitress was friendly and attentive. She kept us topped up with bread and wine (a delicious Oakridge chardonnay) and found me a yummy fresh pink grapefruit juice having told me they'd sold out!
The Kitchen charcuterie selection was as good as it was last time. The Sicilian salami was particularly moreish with spices that were strong yet not overpowering. The ham hock terrine was also tasty but with a touch too much jelly for my liking. I'm not a fan of the savoury jelly. The Korobouta prosciutto was delicious - salty and fatty and served at the right temperature to make it melt in the mouth.

We'd been wanting to try the tuna tartare with crushed green pea salad since our last visit and it did not disappoint. Generous chunks of screamingly fresh tuna seasoned and accompanied by sweet pea and a tangy creamy yoghurty dressing. Super scrumptious!
We also tried one of the specials which was a pork and truffle terrine with a foie gras parfait and poached prunes (middle pic). This terrine was very different to the soft ham hock terrine on the charcuterie selection. This was rustic and very meaty almost meat loaf like but what raised it beyond average was the combination of the rich foie gras and the sweet prunes. Great on a hunk of bread.

New season broccoli with boiled egg and Ortiz anchovy and caper crumb was delicious. I was slightly disappointed when we ordered it and the waitress informed us that the slowcooked egg (65 degrees for 65 minutes) was replaced by a sliced soft boiled egg. I wanted an oozy slowcooked eggs so the crumbs and broccoli could soak up the rich yolk. However I have to say the soft boiled egg is not a bad alternative as it adds another texture to the crunch of the crumb and firm chew of the broccoli and there is still a rich moist yolk.

The home made pheasant sausage with creamed brussel sprouts and bacon came at the end of the meal and sadly by this stage the volume of food had defeated me so I couldn't give it the attention and love it deserved! It's a very rich dish so did push me right to the edge and I know had I been hungry this would be a wonderful homely comfort dish that I would have loved.

Next time we'll be trying the lamb shoulder and making sure we have room for the lemon curd madeleines!

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    Fine Print

    For those that know us, this section will probably come with no surprise! Steve and I love eating out so this is our record of our time in Australia.

    This is a blog that is 100% written and edited by Steve and I. All opinions expressed are our own and are not influenced by any third party.

    Any sponsored posts are easily identified as such.

    Thanks for reading barleyblog.

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    View my food journey on Zomato!

    Archives

    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010

    Categories

    All
    Albert Park
    American
    Argentinian
    Armadale
    Armenian
    Beaconsfield
    Beechworth
    Birragurra
    Box Hill
    Breakfast
    Bright
    Brighton
    British
    Brunswick
    Buffet
    Burgers And Pub Grub
    Burmese
    Busselton
    Camberwell
    Canberra
    Carlton
    Cbd
    Chinese
    Collingwood
    Daylesford
    Dessert
    Docklands
    Doncaster
    Elsternwick
    Eltham
    Elwood
    Ethiopian
    European
    Filipino
    Fitzroy
    Flemington
    Flinders
    Footscray
    Fremantle
    French
    Fusion
    Geelong
    German
    Glen Waverley
    Greek
    Hawthorn
    Hobart
    Indian
    Indonesian
    Italian
    Japanese
    Kew
    Korean
    Kyneton
    Launceston
    Malaysian
    Margaret River
    Mexican
    Middle Eastern
    Mildura
    Modern Australian
    Mornington Peninsula
    Northcote
    North Melbourne
    Port Fairy
    Port Melbourne
    Prahran
    Richmond
    Ripponlea
    Rutherglen
    Southbank
    South Melbourne
    South Yarra
    Spanish
    Steakhouse
    St Kilda
    Sydney
    Thai
    Thornbury
    Toorak
    Torquay
    Vietnamese
    Werribee
    Williamstown
    Windsor
    Yarra Valley
    Yum Cha

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