Blog Archives

Huxtable

31/8/2013

It's taken us three years to get to Huxtable and we may have been delayed but our welcome on a sunny Saturday afternoon was fresh and friendly,

I liked the bright dining room with lots of natural light coming in from the windows. I liked the wooden table and the grey banquette we were seated at. The neutral tones kept things informal and relaxed and that's how we felt throughout the meal.

We pretty much worked our way down the meny sharing all the way.
Xo bun with crab, jalapeno, thai basil mayo (not pictured)
More like a crab mayo sandwich I didn't get much heat or spiciness. It was light and fresh but wasn't the most flavoursome or memorable mini bun dish. The pork belly slider at Spice Temple still holds that crown.

Jalapeno & cheddar croquette
Two small crispy balls soft and fluffy on the inside spiked with a jalapeno heat. These were delicious and as good as the amazing wild mushroom croquetttes at The Commoner.

Duck liver parfait donut w cognac glaze
This was a bite size canape and really too rich for my taste but Steve loved it. I found the creaminess of the parfait and the intensity of the foie gras too much and too decadent that I couldn't have any more than the half bite I took but Steve argued that he could have had the whole thing and more!

Pork rillettes, black pudding, apple, toasted milk bread
Great flavour combinations here - white potted pork, spicy black pudding that was a but flabbier than what I'm used and worried me as I don't like that sort of gelatinous texture but when used as a spread was fine and the some sweetness from the apple and the toasted bread.

Tuna tataki, bonito soy dressing, dashi, finger lime, daikon
Clean flavours, quite heavy on the salt but the meaty tuna coped with that.

Korean bbq pork ribs, spicy slaw, chilli gherkin
Excellent deep fried golden goodness and I loved the coleslaw and the crunchy gherkin. I think what could have elevated this dish to being sublime would have been perhaps some apple through the slaw - just something a bit zingy to cut through all the fattiness. The gherkin did it a bit but apple would provide the tartness but also a little sweetness.

Roasted lamb rump, smoked eggplant, farro & kale
Beautiful slices of pink meat with some flavoursome accompaniments - really nothing to dislike!

Sweetcorn, macaroni & smoked mozzarella, chipotle
An amazing bowl of comfort homeliness. Al dente macaroni not reduced to a sticky gloopy mess but coated in a silky sauce. Loved the sweetness and then the smokiness and creaminess and then the spike of chipotle. Very clever combination of flavours.

Roasted peanut parfait, brioche crumbs, raspberry jam & sorbet
A lovely sweet salty and fruity dessert to finish off a great meal.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Huxtable and were impressed by the creativity and the passion in the food, Looking forward to the next visit already. Indeed, what took us so long to get there in the first place.

Huxtable on Urbanspoon

The Gem

30/8/2013

Sounds so cute - The Gem. We decided on a different dining style for the get together with Ling, Noah and Stef and through a little bit of discussion and research I found The Gem and booked a Friday night table.

It was nice to sit in a homely cosy place on a cold Wintry evening and I liked our large wooden table with the benched seating.

Our waitress was friendly and offered advice over our menu choices and really gave high praise to the steak special making us all drool for it and raised our expectations....

We started off sharing a few items:

Kafalograviera saganaki with zaatar, grilled Turkish bread and lemon
Salt and pepper calamari served with rocket, lemon and aioli
Buttermilk fried chicken tenderloins with smoked chipotle mayonnaise
Crispy lamb short ribs with warmed hummus, harissa and jus

Strange that the waitress didn't assist with the lamb short ribs order as only two ribs arrived so we kinda shredded the meat off the bone and each had a mouthful. It would have been nicer to have a rib each and we did ask that by sharing all these items whether we'd have enough...Stand out dish was probably the fried chicken - boneless tenderloins true to their name by being tender and in spite of being deep fried, remained juicy.

Between us for main courses we had:

14 hour pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and southern BBQ sauce served with fries
Boeuf bourguignon pie served with creamy mash potato, peas, carrot and thyme puree
Fish `n ́ chips, battered or grilled served with salad and homemade tartare sauce
Steak special with potatoes, onions and chimmichurri

The two boys had the pie and it looked nice enough if a bit dry. Steve said it was fine but I think Noah would have liked some gravy. Steve's ok with dry food.

The fish and chips were ok - just fish and chips but a bit greasy.

Stef and I shared the sandwich and the steak. The boys helped with the steak though as it was pretty big. The steak had been overhyped. It was a good texture and there was a sweetness to it from the marinade and the chimichurri was pretty zippy. Stef said it didn't live up to expectation. Steve didn't like the smokiness and said the chimichurri was too overpowering. I liked the texture and thought that alone raised the quality given we were in a pub. I didn't mind the smoky sweetness from the BBQ but agreed the chimichurri was too vinegary,

The pulled pork sandwich was pleasantly good. Soft roll, sweet pork and coleslaw.

Overall the Gem provided us with a filling meal at ok prices. I wouldn't rush back but it wasn't the worst place to dine. I liked the cosiness of the dining areas and the food whilst not faultless was decent pub food.

The Gem Bar and Dining on Urbanspoon

St Ali

25/8/2013

Finally we get to try St Ali. Every other time the queue has defeated us but this Sunday proved to be the day. We were seated at a communal table with some hip, young Melbournians and we soon were able to place an order for food and drinks. Not being coffee drinkers our tea and juice options were pretty good.

Looking at the pictures our plates of food seem pretty brown and dark topped with some greenery and I guess they were. The whole cavernous warehouse whilst spacious also wasn't particularly well lit and the place had a hum but it didn't feel as light and free as Two Birds One Stone or Top Paddock. It felt more wintry and closed and dark which I guess in Winter is not a bad thing.

So our food - Steve had some black pudding special with a fried egg and I had the Mexican Cousin ie secret recipe corn fritters with poached eggs, grilled halloumi, tomato salsa, tomato relish & green salad.

The fritters were like croquettes - individual torpedo shaped rather than disc like which is what I expected. They were pretty heavy, and light on the corn. I struggled to get through them all.

I've got to say whilst service was friendly and efficient enough and the food came quickly, it wasn't my favourite place and I don't think we're dying to return. Plenty of other options in South Melbourne without the hype and the queues.

St Ali on Urbanspoon

Two Birds One Stone

24/8/2013

We love a good weekend breakfast and have tried to be up and out on a Saturday morning and we were able to this weekend. We ventured to the much praised Two Birds One Stone and Steve dropped me off to secure a table whilst he parked the car.

Unusually there was no queue and we were able to take up two spaces at the communal table. I loved the light and bright dining area, the booth seating down one wall and the general buzz of the place.

Steve went with the full breakfast option with bacon, sausage patties, eggs, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms and halloumi. It was a giant plateful and it was really good.

I had the corn fritters, smoked salmon, snow pea tendrils, avocado and a poached egg. It was pleasant enough but I think to elevate it to the sublime it needed more smoked salmon and the corn fritters needed to be a little crispier ad more packed with corn.

We enjoyed the ambience of the place. I would thoroughly recommend Steve's dish so if it's a full traditional breakfast you want this is the place. If you're wanting alternate breakfast options then I think Top Paddock does those alternatives better.

Two Birds One Stone on Urbanspoon

Pinocchio's Pizza Restaurant

23/8/2013

WePinocchio's was the destination for a double date with Rachel and Tim. It's one of their neighbourhood faves and upon entering offered respite from the dark drizzly evening outside.

White walls with pencil sketches from the tale of Pinocchio, spotlight lighting and candlelight made it a twinkly environment to be. Waitress service was fairly attentive and it wasn't too long a wait for drinks.

We all shared different types of bruschetta. Large slices of toasted bread topped with generous amounts of mixed mushrooms, or tomatoes or rocket.

Each one was delicious in its own way staying true to Italian flavours and good produce - simple flavour combinations that are classic yet work on crispy bread. The topping to bread ratio worked and kept the crispy bruschetta moist.

Between us we had a pizza and three pasta dishes including a lasagne (vincigrassi), seafood spaghetti (frutti di mare) and the lamb papperdelle.

The pasta is home made and I found that with the seafood spaghetti (frutti di mare), the strands stuck together and the whole thing was quite heavy and dense. The flavours of seafood, chilli, garlic and olive oil was good. There were hints of tomato and I'd have liked a little bit more. I think the delicate nature of seafood needs a lighter pasta.

The lamb papperdelle combined with the heavier pasta was much more of a winning combination. Tasty chunks of lamb that was flavoursome with almost dumpling like al dente pasta. The robustness of the lamb could take the doughier pasta better than the seafood could.

The lasagne was apparently nice enough - rich and satisfying but could do with some more gratin ie crispy cheesy edges.

The slice of pizza I had was good - thin and crispy, sweet tomato and creamy cheese.

We were more than replete by the end of our meal and the quiet ambience of the place was great for a double date. The food was satisfying enough but was more of a backdrop for us four to catch up.

Pinocchio's Pizza Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Cafe di Stasio

17/8/2013

Saturday night was spent in St Kilda with friends Marty and Kirsty and we tried out Cafe di Stasio. Our table was at 20:45 and when we arrived there was a bit of hanging around the entrance waiting for them to sort us out and then we were ushered to the bar where we stood against the marble and had a drink.

A table in the bar area by the window became available so we got out of everyone's way and sat there. We were very comfortable there and enjoyed watching the party goers walk by and when our actual table was ready and the lovely hostess came to get us, she also suggested that we could stay put if we so desired and so we stayed there. The hostess even brought over a white tablecloth to formalise proceedings!

The menu is extensive and then with a couple of specials thrown in, then truly spoilt for choice and so many things sound so delicious and appealing.

Between us our entrees included specials of deep friend whitebait, grilled king prawns, gnocchi bolognese and the seared tuna with fennel, capers and pancetta which was on the menu.

Have to admit the courses came slowly and did drag out. Although our hostess was lovely in the beginning, by the time it was entree time we didn't see her any more and when the waiters were present they were efficient but we were very much left alone for long periods of time and water glasses were not refilled regularly.

Onto the food though. I had the gnocchi and it was delicious and just the right size. The gnocchi was light and fluffy and the ragu meaty and tomatoey. Yummy. Steve's whitebait also went down well. Crispy and still meaty there was a lot of them and they were done well. Apparently no complaints with the prawns and the tuna.

Our main courses were the quail risotto, bucatini amatriciana, crumbed veal cutlet stuffed with prosciutto and Fontina cheese and roast duck with spatzle.

Steve had the risotto and said it was what he needed on a hangover and it was pleasant enough but the duck risotto at Tutto Bene is better. Kirsty seemed to enjoy the bucatini but wasn't enamoured and apparently the flavours weren't as big as they could be. I think the veal cutlet went down fine for Marty. I enjoyed most of the duck - some of it was a but fatty and flabby and I think the spatzle was actually a bit too buttery to go with it all. I liked the flavour of the spatzle by itself and maybe with a leaner cleaner meat. The texture was a bit bitty though and more like scrambled egg rather than actual bigger pieces.

In this high end Italian space I think Cecconi's does it slightly better both in service and food. Dessert didn't appeal to us and getting menus and waiting for them to take the order just seemed to take too long as did trying to catch someone's eye to get the bill and then the subsequent card payments. So much so that we actually just upped and left using the door in the bar and slipped out and no one said good bye or were around to help us. I appreciate that because we had a late booking, by the time we were finishing it was closer to midnight and so they may have been on reduced staff numbers but the place was still pretty busy with customers so I expected more by way of attentiveness.

The verdict is that it was nice enough. I think regulars are treated well and don't have the service issues we encountered so if we were regulars it would probably be a much better meal. Unfortunately we don't live close enough nor was it good enough for us to want to become regulars. Chicken and egg situation really and I didn't like it enough to break the cycle and confidently say that we would return of our own accord.

Café Di Stasio on Urbanspoon

Saint Crispin

10/8/2013

We've been waiting our turn to for a blessing from Saint Crispin which has opened to rave reviews. I don't think I've heard one bad thing about it. We went with Chris and Kerry. I met Chris through work and he knows Scott, head chef at Saint Crispin and we made plans to try it out together.

The restaurant has the relaxed vibe that The Estelle has and I love the double ceiling height which makes it feel airy and roomy. The tables are comfortable to sit at and large enough for all the dishes so there's no uncomfortable plate Tetris going on. Service was snappy and personal throughout and the place had a real electric buzziness going on but not overly so that it becomes overstimulation.

Proceedings began with some snacks - black olive macarons, truffle marshmallow and some crispy pork scratchings seasoned with spices. The macarons and marshmallow were more sweet than anything else and then the salty pork scratchings balanced the sweetness with some salty spiciness. Very more ish.

First course was the Wagyu bresaola, shallot rings, purple cauliflower and hay ash and there was a secret quail's egg amidst the slices of Wagyu. Slightly warm in temperature I loved this take on a steak tartare. Meaty and then a tang from the pickled purple cauliflower and some smokiness from the hay ash. Delicious.

The next dish was a duck salad with foie gras parfait and different leaves topped with shaved black truffle - kind of like a charcuterie plate. I got the impression we had gone off menu here and this was a gift from chef!

King salmon, shaved calamari, oyster, squid ink and saffron came next and this was right up my street. The salmon was so rich and fresh and the oyster added saltiness. Steve's not a fan of salmon so this was probably his least favourite but he still ate it all.

Another popular dish arrived - Pullet egg, mushrooms, parmesan, goats curd and black rice. I was advised that a pullet is a hen that is less than 12 months old and the eggs they lay are smaller in size which means that they are more yolk than white which in turn makes them richer. So this dish had an oozing egg underneath the goats curd and rice. Taste wise - I loved it all the. Rich runny egg yolk, creamy cheese, earthy mushrooms and then toasty brown rice. So creative and so clever.

By this time our tummies were getting full but we persevered. The John Dory, octopus, red wine and chickpeas was taking us to the comfort food and more classical dish space. Clean flavours of delicious Dory, chickpeas and braised octopus.

And then we were onto the main meat dish which was the veal cheek, hand rolled macaroni and miso which was topped with shaved black truffle. This is a special dish and I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a signature dish. The veal is sticky, rich and heavy and is lightened by the green veg and the two tubes of pasta which have soaked up all the meat juices. Loved the macaroni so much. Having had so many courses though and they were all super generous in size meant that by the time this arrived we were probably not as appreciative of it as we could have been. I think that if we were on a two or three course a la carte then it would have been heavenly but as the end to the savoury courses on the degustation, it was just a smidgen too heavy. Fine line between ending heavenly and heavily!

Now I recall dessert at The Estelle being my least favourite so I wondered what delights would be here at Saint Crispin.

A cube of pumpkin, pecan, maple and cream cheese arrived. I guess it's like a deconstructed pumpkin pie / cheesecake but pumpkin isn't really a dessert to me and I just felt it should have tasted savoury like pumpkin soup than like a mousse. Steve enjoyed it though and ate mine for me! We also had a second cube of blood orange parfait, white lemon, yoghurt and mandarin which was more my thing but not something that was hugely memorable. There was a chocolate, earl grey, milk and ginger on the menu that sounded intriguing and I think I'd have had liked to try that. Next time maybe.

There was also a little oaty flapjack type disc that came after we paid the bill and that was a delicious end to an incredibly impressive meal. Highly recommend Saint Crispin for its creativity, ambience and definitely for the savoury dishes. In my opinion they do the savoury better than the dessert. Don't get me wrong - dessert isn't bad, just not my thing. I'm itching to return though and try more. Saint Crispin definitely has its place in the Melbourne hotbed of amazing restaurants and what is impressive is that it has secured its place in such a short time. Mighty achievement.

Saint Crispin on Urbanspoon

Top Paddock

10/8/2013

I love breakfast. Melbourne does great things with eggs and breakfast. Unfortunately I am never up in time on a Saturday or Sunday to take advantage. However, we departed from the usual and were actually up at a decent hour this Saturday and after some deliberation as to which current trendy breakfast haunt to go to we headed to Top Paddock.

Lucky for us we beat the crowds and were shown to a table immediately where we ordered our orange juices and tea both of which were great and arrived quickly.

I went with the gin and lime cured Ocean Trout filet with pickled baby beets, potato galette, poached eggs and goats curd. It was so pretty on the white plate and not quite what I expected but it was better. I thought the galette would be on the bottom but actually it was three cubes of galette and in my mind the trout would have been sliced like smoked salmon but I guess the filet in the title should have given the game away!

Anyway slices or filet who cares? This was just a culinary delight. Crispy skinned fish, still juicy and slightly rare on the inside and then beautiful runny yolk eggs, potato to soak it up, goats curd added creamy goodness and the beets an earthy and sweet tang.

Steve chose my second choice which was the white anchovies and jamon Serrano with fried eggs, Padron peppers and Manchego cheese on toast. Another pretty dish colourful and fresh looking. I had a forkful and loved the saltiness, creaminess, richness from the egg yolks and then the toast to mop it all up.

There are so many wonderfully described dishes on the Top Paddock menu to try that I know we'll be back. We found the service impersonal but efficient. We were in and out within 45 minutes! However when it was clear we were done and weren't ordering any more, I did feel the pressure to vacate the table. I hope that had we continued with drinks or muffins we could have continued to have the table and not felt pressure to move. Next time I'd love it to be a more leisurely visit.

Top Paddock on Urbanspoon

Ciao Cielo

9/8/2013

Friday always seems so far away when I'm blogging on a Sunday or at work on a Monday but then it gathers speed and momentum and all of a sudden, the weekend has landed! Steve booked Ciao Cielo in Port Melbourne and we ventured into this twinkly and romantic neighbourhood bistro. White tablecloths and candlelight provides an atmosphere that feels special and elegant. Service is attentive and the feel is intimate.

I chose to start with the smoked fish and potato chowder which was on the specials and Steve went with spaghetti bolognese. I enjoyed the thick and comforting chowder and Steve enjoyed the meaty spaghetti which was spiced with cinammon and other flavours giving it an intensity and twist away from the usual midweek dinner version! Later on another couple came and sat at the table next to us and she exclaimed that she came back especially for the spaghetti bolognese as it was the most amazing one she'd ever had! I'm not sure it was that good but each to their own!

It's the season for quail and I'm a lover of the little bird so went with the BBQ Vincotto glazed quails, pomegranate, macadamia nut, grape, & frigola salad. Prebsentation was a little try hard with a perfect garden of salad and grapes placed with precision. I enjoyed the quail and the sweetness of the glaze and promegranate - quite a classic combination that was executed decently.

Steve enjoyed the Hopkins River Grain Fed eye fillet with rosemary polenta croquettes, oak lettuce and Spanish onion salad and red wine jus. This looked more appetising than the quail I thought and the croquettes looked so appealing all golden and crispy. The steak was great - flavoursome and tender. The salad was dressed well and the leaves were fresh and vibrant. The croquettes tasted as good as they looked. Three were very generous and I think we didn't manage to get through all of them.

Steve and I swapped plates halfway so we could enjoy both the dishes and we also shared a bowl of great shoestring fries that were crispy and salty. Perfect bistro fries!

Dessert time and I went with the churros and was advised to go half dark choc and half white so not one to flout advise I went with it and it was so good. When the dark chocolate became a bit too bitter I'd swap to the creamy sweet milky white chocolate and when that became to sugary and sweet I'd get the bitter hit from the dark. Oh the delights of choice!

Steve's choice was a honey and almond semi freddo with a persimon carpaccio and it certainly was fancy. He enjoyed the sweetness and lightness of it.

Ciao Cielo is a lovely neighbourhood restaurant and I can imagine if we lived in Port Melbourne it would be a favourite. I loved the twinkliness and the intimacy of it. Definitely a romantic date place.

Ciao Cielo on Urbanspoon

The Commoner

4/8/2013

Our long awaited return to The Commoner...My memories of The Commoner prior to this visit were so fond...sitting in the courtyard during the height of Summer enjoying a great Sunday dinner then moving into the cooler indoors and sitting in the window enjoying dessert. We'd been meaning to return for a while and the fire that took place there obviously pushed back that second date. We were pleased to hear of the re opening and made a commitment to pick up where we left off....

We started off with some nibbles. Love nibbling...

Rabbit confit and bacon on toast, pickled quince came first and we enjoyed the blend of saltiness, meatiness and sweetness in this little canape of delight. Then came the wild mushroom croquettes. Oh the croquettes...crunchy mini pillows of goodness, sweet, creamy and funghi fragrant. Oh how we debated about getting more and we were so close to it but felt that we had to hold back for the sake of not wasting what was to come.

Bad things come in threes, and we turned this to good things come in threes and our third nibble was home smoked quail with raisins, almond and sweet vinegar. I loved the rich smokiness, the tang of the raisins and the crunch of almonds and it edged out the delicious quail dish from Cecconi's the night before. Steve enjoyed it too but preferred the fetta and beetroot version from Cecconi's but I put that down to the fact that one of his favourite flavour combos is beetroot and a creamy cheese so anything with that will always win him over.

Nibbles over we headed to mains and shared the belly pork with apples and a side of schmaltzy roast potatoes. Schmaltzy as they're cooked in chicken fat. Roast meat fit for a Sunday really and those potatoes were just so wrong that they were amazing.

For dessert I kept things light with the mandarin curd, whey sorbet, and fruit and I loved the icy freshness and the zinginess of the citrus. Steve went with the brown ale pudding, salted caramel sauce which came with a jug or cream to pour over. He was completely won over by this dessert which was apparently feather light and amazing...How to describe my taste? Hints of chocolate, slightly salty and ferrous in flavour but in an incredibly appealing way. Not sugary sweet, bitter sweet like good dark chocolate then feather light spongey in texture with a creaminess to wash the intensity away.

You know how we turned down the possibility of extra mushroom croquettes? Well we didn't have the willpower to do this when it came to more brown ale pudding! And another portion made its way to our tables, onto our spoons and into our mouths!! Yes triple dessert and this was after two wonderful bottles of wine and a couple of cheeky dessert drinks!

Just an amazing Sunday feed. Love you The Commoner!

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