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Steer Bar and Grill

30/11/2012

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Friday night and Steve had made a 9pm reservation. We arrived on time and the place was buzzing and fairly loud - all quite trendy but not that personal. We were shown to our table and I admired my cow bone cutlery rest. Slightly bemused at the array of knives, forks and chopsticks but I guess all had a purpose.

 When she took our initial drinks order and we tried to order our wine, she said she'd sent the sommelier but he never appeared but she was pretty intent that this should happen and all but refused to let us tell her what we wanted!

I don't doubt it was a busy night but our appetisers didn't arrive until 9:55pm and all we received was a frantic and stressed out "I'm sorry" from our busy waitress and the sommelier had still failed to show. So we ended up just flagging down another waiter and asking for the bottle of wine we wanted.

Appetisers finally arrived:
  • Sher Full Blood Wagyu Rump Cap Tataki
  • Oysters Gazpacho - Tomato gazpacho/olive oil/coriander/cumin
  • Kyoto Style Pickled Oysters - Tobiko/kewpie/konbu dipping sauce
  • Oysters Au Naturel - Shallot vinegar
Well the long anticipated wait meant they really had to deliver for us to enjoy our Steer experience. The Wagyu Tataki was small in portion but the slices were thick and meaty. Really delicious and definitely superior quality meat. I just couldn't figure out how they were so busy that it took almost an hour for our entrees to come out.

The oysters looked appealing and I started with the Au Naturel first. I found the vinegar dressing very salty and there was shell in my oyster. Strike 1. Second oyster was the Kyoto Style and all I could taste was salt and an after effect of oil in the mouth from the Kewpie mayo and shell again. Strike 2. Third time lucky? Well I enjoyed the Gazpacho version the most as there was no shell and the balance of flavour was better and I could actually pick out the sweetness of the oyster against the spiced tomato whereas the first two I could only pick out salt with no oyster sweetness.

Maybe this was just me as Steve said he enjoyed the saltiness of the Kyoto style...and maybe I was just unlucky with the shell.
Lucky we didn't have to wait an hour for our main courses and these arrived pretty soon after along with our chose bottle of Heathcote Shiraz. We'd gone for:
  • Darling Downs F1 Wagyu 400+ Days Fed Dry Aged Porterhouse FI-7 250g (‘BMS’7)
  • O’Connor Black Angus / Hereford Premium Hand Select Dry Aged Scotch Fillet FI-6 300g (‘BMS’5)
•‘BMS’=Beef Marble Score
•FI=Flavour Intensity

And for our accompaniments a Caesar Salad and a totem pole of onion rings. Before we could tuck in though our waitress came by with a huge tray of mustards and condiments. And it's always typical that when you have one customer who is generally dissatisfied, things go wrong even more...yep, there was a fiasco. She pretty much emptied all the little ramekins (at least 12 of them) in our direction getting mustard on Steve's jeans and onion jam on my legs! I went from being pretty annoyed at the place to feeling incredibly sorry for her as she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Anyway with the help of her colleagues we moved to another table and were comped some of our drinks and finally we could eat.

The beef was excellent. We both preferred the Darling Downs and felt it had a cleaner and lighter taste to it. Nothing to complain about the O'Connor though. The onion rings were good although the batter could be lighter in my opinion but Steve liked the doughy batter.

The Caesar Salad was adequate - no more better or special than any Melbourne cafe's attempt and no real anchovies. Our coddled egg served separately, although good in principle was no better than a good poached egg. I felt the egg was slightly undercooked as there was some soft jelly egg white clinging onto the leaves which is unappetising. The croutons were good though!

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Bone marrow came with the steak and I have to say this was the first time for both of us to try. It was covered in a herby crust. My reaction to bone marrow - urgh! Like a slippery globule of unseasoned meaty fat to me although Steve says he quite enjoyed it! Nice idea and great for those who like bone marrow.

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We decided to stick around for dessert and went for the Steer’s Donut Custard, Chocolate Cream, Raspberry Jelly which came attractively presented in a Kilner jar.
 It was a pretty light and creamy dessert with all the flavours mentioned in its name. More trifle like than donut as the donut were more like crumbs. There was definitely a donut taste in the mouth but none of the satisfaction of biting into a plump fried piece of sugared dough.

Steer sadly was a bit of a comedy of errors for us and in our opinion not worthy of it's one hat. If friends suggest we go again, I'd gently suggest trying somewhere else for steak. For somewhere tried and tested I'd head to the Station Hotel in Footscray - less trendy but food wise much stronger and better value for money. For the money we spent, I reckon we could have done a pared back version at Rockpool. Or there are other steakhouses we haven't tried. We just feel that there's got to be better out there.

Steer Bar and Grill on Urbanspoon
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Ramen Ya

27/11/2012

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Rainy Tuesday.

Lunch with the A team. A for Asian. Plus Kristy. Friendly and familiar company. Easy to be with.

Soupy, slurpy, savoury, salty ramen.

Good green tea with the puffed rice in it.

Great chilli oil and that more ish Japanese spicy powder.

Quick and efficient.

Hit the spot.

One slight minus - some of the cha shu meat was a tough fatty.

Ramen Ya on Urbanspoon
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Rockpool

25/11/2012

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Sunday should be funday and what can be more fun than chit chat with a girlfriend so that's what Stef and I did.

We met up in Southbank and strolled to Rockpool, took up a corner table at the bar and cranked up our funday Sunday.

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We came for the burger so the burger we had. They had two burgers on the bar menu. There was a mishima (type of cow) burger as well as the full blood Wagyu. I asked the waiter about the difference and he started to explain about the cows as if I was stupid (I know they're two diffferent cows). I just wanted to know the differences in the actual meat pattie in taste or appearance to help me choose.

In the end he offered to slice each one into two so Stef and I could have half and half. Excellent! His pretentious cow explanation was forgiven as he displayed a practical streak.

The burgers came out and we sighed in delight. And promptly forgot which half was which. There were definitely differences. I liked the first half most. I think it was the mishima. It was juicier and not as dense. The patty wasn't as firmly packed together. Still enjoyed the second half but a whole one of those would have been pretty heavy in the tummy.

Stef commented that she could tell it was a superior burger because although it was juicy and jam packed full it didn't fall apart when hand held.

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Our accompaniments were woodfired veggies with goats curd. I expected asparagus and Spring veg but it was a more autumnal collection of pumpkin and onion. Delicious but not as fresh as I expected. The fried were delicious - dry and crisp with little grease.

We ended funday with profiteroles with ice cream, hazelnuts and chocolate. Four little poufs of heavenly patisserie; just what we needed to send us on our way back into the sunshine with smiley faces and light hearts.

I had experienced disappointment the night before at Rosetta and was feeling despondent about Neil Perry but this little lunch set us right. He was also sat at the bar too so a little sneaky look at him was pretty fun too. Rock and Rose huh? I prefer the Rock.

Rockpool Bar and Grill on Urbanspoon
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Rosetta

24/11/2012

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I had such high hopes for Rosetta even though Steve had said he failed to see how a plate of pasta (non seafood) however good it was could command a $30 price tag but I was open to being convinced or at least my purse was.

And my partner in crime...also open. The lovely Kimmy. See her here.

First impressions, loved the beach club, Hamptons feel of the outside terrace. Our main waitress was just delightful and we kicked off proceedings with a delicious rhubarb bellini.

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We started with the Tonno from the Crudi and Carpacci part of the menu and it was described as tuna with Sicilian sea salt, grapefruit and pine nuts.

The velvety red tuna was delicious with a fragrant zingy zap of grapefruit, a salty hit and the toasty after notes of the nuts.

We both felt this was a good dish perhaps a dollar or two overpriced but still really enjoyable. This tuna along with our bellinis which were promptly followed by a couple of Red Expresses meant relaxation was definitely coming along.

We moved to the Antipasti and went with the asparagus, boiled egg and parmesan as well as the mozzarella with grilled eggplant, zucchini, peppers and chilli.

We loved the asparagus all fresh and green and al dente seasoned with the salty parmesan and then softened by the creamy moreish egg. Just so yummy.

The mozzarella dish wasn't such a hit. The veggies were a little over oily and soggy. The chilli wasn't really discernable. More seasoning was required and whilst the waitress had mentioned this was top grade mozzarella and it may well have been, it didn't taste any more special or top grade to the stuff served by other restaurants. Shame.
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Given it's Kim and I on a date and we just egg each other on to spend lots of money and indulge our inner goddesses in a guilt free, we can't take our money with us and we work hard so we deserve it mind set we did give the boat the old heave ho and ordered some highly priced seafood for our main courses.

We decided to share three things:

  • Tagliarini Neri - handpicked warm mud crab with fresh chilli and lemon zest
  • Grigliata Mista di Mare - charcoal grilled prawns, cuttlefish, baby octopus and mussels with extra virgin oil and lemon]
  • Grilled Moreton Bay bug (special dish)
The pasta came all dramatic and monochrome and the first bite was good. Crab tasted of crab and lemon olive oil of lemon olive oil and pasta of pasta but the second and third bites were the same with no excitement or party in the mouth. We also found bits of shell and as any Masterchef viewer knows; bits of shell are a no no.

So reluctantly we had to have a quiet word with a waitress and it was actually not the waitress who had been looking after us in a really friendly and warm manner but someone else passing by. She responded to the shell issue with the line that "it's hand picked so you have to expect some shell" and I could tell she didn't believe us about the flavours as her response was, "if you're not happy with it, I will return it to the kitchen" with as much warmth as the soggy eggplant slices from earlier and a smile as genuine as pleather. Her words although strictly professional were not personal and the emphasis was that she was doing it because we weren't happy and not because the dish was at fault...interesting isn't it?

Anyway to conclude the spaghetti saga, 10 or so minutes later the waitress comes back this time all smiles and full of sunshine and she says. "you're absolutely right. Chef tried the dish and agreed it lacked all the flavours. We suspect there's been a mix up as there was a request for a version with no chilli and that must have gone out to you." Well if that's true I hope the dude who requested no chilli and got our version wasn't allergic! Oh and the waitress was so generous she told us she wouldn't be charging us for it - whoopidee doo! I think we deserved more than that but didn't have the fight or passion in me.

Ok so the other two dishes. Well really both have the same verdict. Good fresh seafood but severely over priced. The grilled seafood was $45 and the bug $65 and really just not worth that amount of money both in volume and flavour. If the dishes were half the price I'd have been a happy seafood eater but here I struggled to see the positive.

In for a penny, in for a pound they say and as if we hadn't spent enough already! Well we may gave spent enough but we hadn't filled the tummies enough! So we went with dessert and I had the panna cotta with rhubarb and strawberry compote and Kim had the flourless chocolate cake with Chantilly cream.

The best course was dessert. Beautifully presented and really good. The panna cotta had the sexy wobbliness of being just set which means it and just the right amount of gelatine which is hard to get right. And it was fragrantly vanilla - y just lightly kissed by the vanilla fairy. The compote was chunky so there was texture against the silky cream and it was sweet against the soft sugary panna cotta with a tart rhubarb finish. Lovely.

Kim declared the chocolate cake a winner too. Not too dense and kept light enough for the hot weather.

Again like the choices on the Antipasti section of the menu at $21 each, slightly over priced but not offensively so unlike the previous dishes.
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So the desserts went down well. Sadly the bill not so much! We tried to drown the horror with espresso martinis but that seemed to add to the terror although, the martinis themselves went' down well!

My thoughts of Rosetta is that she is one expensive lady - all style, very little substance except for the odd sweet streak that appears occasionally. A real disappointment unfortunately and if there is a next time, it won't be on me. I can't imagine spending that amount again and it would have to be a faceless, corporate therefore guilt free expense to get me there again. A shame really as I loved the ambience.

Rosetta on Urbanspoon
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Issus

23/11/2012

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Saturday brunch and my girlfriend Christine and I had a small corner table in this busy laneway eatery. We enjoyed some fresh juice and she ordered the chicken and avocado salad. I went with the trio of tacos and we shared some friend potatoes with paprika and mayo.

There's a nice vibe to the place. There's a wide menu with lots of choice. Looking at other people's orders I might stick with brunch options next time involving eggs as they looked pretty delicious.

Thoughts on the food we did order and not the food we didn't...the potatoes were a little over greasy. The chicken and avocado salad was all a bit wet although generous in portion but it wasn't crispy or fresh or light like a salad should be. The chicken and pulled pork tacos in the trio of tacos were better than the beef one. I just didn't like the beef and kim chi flavours and I felt the flatbread was too dry.

My request for a second juice was taken but it didn't appear so I assume the busy waitress forgot. It also didn't appear on the bill so let's go with the she forgot line.

All in all not the worst place but its saving grace is the wide breakfast menu and I'm a sucker for eggs, and it's location and ambience. If I'm in the area, I may well pop back in.

Issus on Urbanspoon
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Chuckle Park

23/11/2012

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My foodie colleague Susan and I had walked past Chuckle Park one day and the sign advertising pulled pork sandwiches had caught our eye so we shelved it in the lunchtime inspirations box.

On a sunny Friday, I was reminded by Susan of this and her mention of pulled pork lured the Director of the project we both work on and fellow foodie, Ken into trying out this little gem.

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We liked the quirky fit out with the jam jar lights hanging overhead and the caravan serving hatch.

There was only one member of staff responsible for serving and cooking by the looks of things and whilst he was friendly enough was struggling to keep up the pace. When we ordered he informed us our food would take 20 minutes if not more and that there were no more meat balls.

We went with pulled pork rolls each and corn on the cob (elotes) and we took our seats in the sunshine and waited. And waited. And basically everyone else there were also waiting and we were last. Good thing we were conversationalists and we enjoyed having a chit chat and the break out of the office. And we had been warned about the delay and it wasn't unpleasant sat in the little courtyard with a typical Melbourne view of an alleyway adorned with graffiti and industrial sized bins.  So Melbourne to be seated in a quirky place with a quirky view.
After about a 30 minute wait our food came. We were so excited. A little disappointed with size and the colour was a bit beige but the bun looked soft, there was cheese and it smelt good.

Flavours were intense - a spicy kick, a taste of BBQ. Pretty good and the overall conclusion was that it was worth the wait however two would be a better portion size for one appetite! We had to wait another 5 or so minutes for the corn and when it arrived there was silence as focused on eating. The lime, the cheese, the paprika all made the corn super good. Not quite as good as Mamasita but still very tasty.

If I had the time to spare, it was a sunny afternoon and was in the right frame of mind so that the laid out vibe of the server  / chef wasn't going to annoy me then I'd definitely return. The key thing is not to be in a hurry and not to be stressed because Chuckle Park is about happiness and sunshine and cocktails in jars and not about time constraints and getting things done!

I complimented chef / server on his rolls and he was really happy. I don't think he'll be speeding things up though.
Chuckle Park Bar and Eatery on Urbanspoon
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L'Osteria Scusami

22/11/2012

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Mid week dinner and Steve and I wanted something close to home that was quick and easy so we decided to try the bar section of Scusami in the Southgate Centre. We've always bypassed Scusami as it seems quite pricey but the l'osteria section is certainly much more modestly priced.

I started off with a cauliflower and leek soup with a swirl of pesto. It was a smooth and slightly creamy soup, nicely seasoned and flavoured. It could have done with being a few degrees warmer I think but the cooler temperature meant that the hungry belly was fed more quickly!

Steve had the bruschetta and the bread was crunchy on the outside and nice and doughy inside which is my preference. The tomato topping was zingy and fresh. So far, simple but effective.
I had the seafood spaghetti priced at $19. The seafood was of a decent quality and the pasta nicely al dente. I feel it was value for money - not lots of seafood but just enough and I prefer less seafood but better quality as opposed to lots of nasty cheap seafood.

Steve went with a braised lamb ragu with olives and orrechiette. This was a very generous portion for under $20 and pretty flavoursome too. Rich and hearty he had to leave a bit!

We were in and out quickly. Service was friendly enough but efficient so it was what we were looking for.
Scusami on Urbanspoon
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The Calombaris Challenge

17/11/2012

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In the last fortnight I have been lucky enough to eat at 5 of the 7 MADE establishment restaurants probably better known as eateries that Calombaris has ownership of. It wasn't intentional to participate in such a pleasurable endurance test but things just turned out that way.

It all started as my in laws (mother, father and brother aka known as mo, fo, bro) paid us a visit from UK and were keen to try a little of the George magic so we decided to take them for a family feast at Hellenic Republic and then some fine dining at Press Club over lunch which we thought would give them a taster of both ends of the scale.

Our visit to Hellenic Republic was on a Wednesday evening and the place was as busy as a Greek taverna in the Summer. We had a very enthusiastic waiter look after us. Only minor gripe was air con was turned up a notch too much for us so it didn't quite feel like a Mediterranean Summer but seriously it was a minor gripe and once the food came we soon warmed up.

Rather than go with a fixed menu we chose what we fancied and with guidance in relation to volume from our friendly waiter, we think we did pretty well.

We enjoyed a few nibbley small plates to begin with including some bread and dips (tzatziki and fava the split pea one with truffle), saganaki with peppered figs and the grilled asparagus, broken egg, anchovy mayo, tsoureki crumbs.

The meat dishes - lamb, chicken and pork were all seasoned well with the true flavours of the meat coming through but enhanced by char grill and some herbaceous notes. Our sides of Cypriot salad of grains, pulses, nuts, yoghurt and the potatoes fried in olive oil, oregano, salt were also moreish and flavoursome. I particularly like the grain salad and the sweet tang of the pomegranate elevate it above the much loved freekah salad at Cumulus in my humble opinion. Both are great though, don't get me wrong!

We shared various desserts including the Hellenic Mess, Greek doughnuts, vanilla custard pastry and baklava. I enjoyed the doughnuts with some ice cream - too sweet without it. Custard pastry was like a spring roll / vanilla slice. My father in law seemed to love the Hellenic Mess but the rest of us prefer the more traditional style and I don't need Ouzo in my strawberry sauce. Sad to say baklava was a little disappointing and Steve prefers the one from Steve's Deli at South Melbourne market.

Overall it was a great family feast where we could chatter and share food and catch up and share food and enjoy each other's company and share food. It's all very care free and like a Greek holiday. Great as a first reunion dinner for us.
Our Press Club visit was highly anticipated and it really did have a lot to live up to. It was quiet when we arrived but soon filled up with a mix of business people and others obviously enjoying a leisurely Friday lunch like us.
There are various lunch options to choose from  that suits a range of budgets and time available for lunch from a simple 2 courses at $38 per person (3 courses at $45) to a family style sharing a la Maha or Embrasse on a Sunday when it was open at $50 and then the most expensive mini symposium or degustation at $85.

After much umming and ahhing we decided to go with the degustation and also opted for an additional Wagyu beef course that was described in such delectable detail that we couldn't refuse.

We'd have loved to have sat at the Chef's Table but with 5 of us that wasn't possible. However we were able to look over and watch all the activity over this busy lunch service.

We loved our food and were lucky enough to be able to taste some additional courses too. As luck would have it, and it was unexpected the table next to us assigned to two former colleagues and now friends of mine (Kim and Greg) so we enjoyed some banter over the food.

What did we enjoy? All of it but if I were to summarise some highlights they would be:
  • Freshness of the first green asparagus dish which was crunchy and herbaceous with a cold tang of horseradish contrasted by the natural warming heat of it
  • Beautiful tuna tartare with a lovely contrasting cube of seared tuna 
  • Sweet, creamy and unctuous crab with fresh almonds and a salty sea note running through. This was a surprise course for us.
  • Surf and turf - fleshy barramundi with a heavy braised beef cheek accompaniment. Surprisingly the dish held up the heavy and hearty meaty goodness.
  • Another surprise course served in a paper bag -  a chiko roll like one from a fish and chip place but made with wallaby. It was like a yummy Greggs pasty for those UK readers. The wallaby theme continued to another surprise course.
  • Beautiful rare wallaby with a strong gamey flavour sweetened by beets and bitter chocolate
  • Lamb with a lovely ratatouille of eggplant but I felt the middle eastern spicing was a not my thing. The goats milk bubbles were very unusual and exciting though.
  • The Wagyu was really special. Melted on the tongue, incredibly rich and succulent. Almost spongey in texture unlike anything I've had before
  • Sweet saganaki dessert was a talking point especially as it was sweetened by beetroot and the sweetness cut through with a yoghurt ice cream. Like the Wagyu, it was something so different to anything we'd had before but this time it was because it was created that way whereas the Wagyu is a natural product that is just so different
We also enjoyed the Zeus chocolate dessert that Steve and I have had previously and our waitress was kind enough to bring some extra vinegar chocolate sticks that we love so much.

George popped into the restaurant and he found some time to come over and say hello which was very good of him making us feel welcome and valued.

I love the combination of cleverness and creativity that the Press Club brings out but also that it sticks to familiar flavours and its roots are traditional so whilst there are unusual and things that raise questions and causes dinner table discussions, there is no denying it's still delicious.

Following the Press Club, I was invited to a business lunch by a supplier at PM 24. It wasn't my choice so don't go thinking I'm a mad GC fan and every meal I have has to support him! Having said that I was pleased with the decision.

There were 5 of us at the lunch and we had main courses and desserts. My companions all decided to go with the signature rotisserie chicken and in my bid to be different I went steak frites with bearnaise sauce.

It was classical French cooking and we appreciated the superior produce and traditional execution done well. My frites were more the traditional Aussie hot chip and not the crispy shoestring fries of France so perhaps there's something there to think about but they were good chips so not really a point of criticism more a point of consideration.

Service was efficient and unobtrusive. Clever that they bring the tray of desserts to the table as saying no and declining becomes far too difficult. I went for the pretty fruit tart and the others opted for a coffee cream and the rum baba. Comments were that the rum baba packed a powerful punch of rum. The coffee cream was coffee flavoured and creamy so pleasant enough. My fruit tart was a little dry but because it was small the dryness wasn't too much of an issue.

Lunch at PM24 was followed by a last family dinner with mo fo bro at St Katherine's. My father in law chose to go there so Georgie C seems to be a Barley fave. During their trip here we had some epic meals and went to some great places and we let my father in law have free reign as to where he wanted to go for our last supper before they left and St Katherine's was his choice so off we went on Wednesday evening.


It was unexpectedly busy. I think because it's based in Kew and it's a school night it wouldn't be but tables were full when we arrived and we had quite a late sitting. Admittedly it quietened down a lot by the time or main courses arrived but by then it was almost 9pm so not surprising.

We deliberated over their feast menus or to come up with our own and we decided to go with our own instincts and choose what we wanted.

The dips were as per the previous time we had them, delicious. The fava one wasn't on the menu and was replaced by a carrot and pumpkin one which seemed the least popular on our table. I'm not a carrot fan so didn't expect to like it anyway. The bread went down a storm and I think in the space of three minutes we chowed down 4 bagfuls!

Grilled halloumi was good but apparently not as good as the saganaki with peppered figs at Hellenic. Lamb sausage was a bit too dense and meaty for me but the men liked it. I loved the KFC which was pure meat with a moreish BBQ sauce and Kewpie mayo. Also have to mention that the packaging at St Kat's is always fun with bright stripey tubs and paper bags of bread.

The grilled John Dory was one of my favourites with a zesty and herby flavouring to it. We also shared the ribs and the mixed dish of chicken and lamb. Chips and tarama was passed around and my wariness of the tarama turned into delight. It wasn't overly fishy and was more creamy and salty so a good alternative to aioli. I also enjoyed the rice pilaf and corn salad as per the last visit.

Dessert time consisted of a couple of the Mrs Whippi's and some panna cotta. Mrs Whippi was a success. The panna cotta I felt was a little mediocre. The raspberry flavours didn't really come through and there wasn't a lot of panna cotta - just a few blobs scattered around. The lemon although delicious by itself overwhelmed the rest of the components of the dish so all I could taste was lemon.

Discussions over dinner was that St Kat's is quite similar to Hellenic Republic in its family sharing style.  I personally prefer the taverna vibe at Hellenic as St Kat's is a little bright and refectory like for me but the food at St Kat's floats my boat more. The overall verdict was that food preferences laid with St Kat's but the saganaki at Hellenic Republic is the best dish between the two overall.

Following this dinner, a few work colleagues and I had lunch at Maha the next day! Not my idea ok!? We went for the two course soufra for $35 and it was great. We started off with some bread and mezze consisting of some whole almonds with cumin salt, olives, a walnut dip and some radishes in honey, black pepper and coriander. Who knew almonds had a furry coating like a peach? The bread was warm and soft and after one roll each, a second one came out soon after.

Our main course was a piece of Spanish mackerel done sous vide on top of some wilted spinach and the signature 12 our lamb with some mushroom rice and a fresh salad. The quality of these dishes is very good and the price tag makes it such value for money. No one could not enjoy mackerel cooked well and soft tender lamb.

We were well looked after and food was served within the time frame we requested and we all left with full bellies and smiley faces. Winner!

So that was my Calombaris endurance test and what a one it was. Friends have said that I wimped out and really should have fitted the other two in. I guess without sponsorship I wasn't able to finish the course!
Hellenic Republic on Urbanspoon The Press Club on Urbanspoon St Katherine's on Urbanspoon Maha Restaurant on Urbanspoon PM24 on Urbanspoon
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Cumulus

1/11/2012

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So one of the things we wanted to do during the in laws visit to Melbourne was take them to some of the typical Melbourne restaurants that are our faves and enjoy some of the signature dishes so that meant dining at Cumulus of course.

We arrived around 1pm on a weekday and although there was no queue, there was also no table. Lucky for us the bar was free so we were able to wait there for about 20 minutes before a table became available so we enjoyed some pink lemonades and some pink grapefruit juice prior to ordering wine. Much more convenient than venturing out and finding somewhere.

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We ordered our favourites to share: charcuterie selection, tuna tartare, lamb shoulder, potatoes, freekah salad, asparagus and it all went down really well.

This was one of my bro in law and mo in law's favourite meals as it's hearty, wholesome food with not too may weird and fancy stuff. It's all about good produce cooked well.

We devoured the lamb shoulder and the bones were cleaned completely of any tasty morsel of meat!

Dessert wise we shared the strawberry jelly with coconut sorbet, the citrus salad, meringue and custard that is currently Steve's favourite dessert as well as madeleines all round.

All incredibly familiar yet wonderful and the love for Cumulus runs as deep as ever.

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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.

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