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Pastuso

3/9/2017

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Pastuso is one of the Flinders Lane jewels, I have never quite got round to visiting. What I have heard about is mixed - there are some serious fans and some that still need winning over.

Steve and I joined our friends Zoe and Kirsty for a late Sunday lunch on a sunny September afternoon. We were early and our table wasn't quite ready so I enjoyed a refreshing pisco sour beforehand. 

The restaurant is large with tables well spaced out. We were quite comfortable at our little round table which aided the sharing of the dishes we ordered. We put ourselves in the capable hands of our dining companions whe had visited several times before.
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We started off with a couple of ceviches and a couple of entrees:

  • SALMON - Ora King salmon with a sour orange dressing and plantain chips
  • TIRADITO DE CORBINA – Hiramasa kingfish with aji mirasol and miso dressing, crispy nori seaweed and flying fish roe
  • ​SALCHICHA DE HUACHO – Traditional Peruvian house made sausage, caramelized onion puree, soft egg and herb panko
  • CHICHARRON DE POLLO – Spicy fried chicken, lima bean and aji amarillo puree, salsa criolla and Asian celery

The kingfish ceviche and the fried chicken were my favourites. Some great flavour balances and crispy non greasy fried chicken. I found the sour orange dressing for the salmon too one sided and sharp, overpowering the fish.

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We shared a couple of main dishes:

  • PALETILLA DE CORDERO - Smoked lamb shoulder, grilled kale, smoked chilli salsa and pickled cucumber
The second dish was pork belly but it was a special so I don't have a description.

  • YUCAS – Fried cassava chips with spicy rocoto mayonnaise

The lamb was delicious - smokiness and sweetness with some spice. The pork was tasty but a little dry. I found the fried cassava chips quite interesting, I was expecting crackers not actual chips.

The cheese and mayo dip were yummy. The texture of the chips are pretty dense and starchier than potato. They're probably no better than potato but it's fun to try new things and they're an interesting alternative.
Dessert wise we carried on the sharing route:

DELICIA DE PINA - Vanilla meringue parfait with pineapple sauce and freeze dried mango yoghurt

PICARONES —Sweet potato and pumpkin doughnuts served with cinnamon infused raw sugar syrup and white chocolate mousse

I found the doughnuts looked appealing and I liked that they weren't overly sweet but the texture was a but mushy like baked sweet potato which I found weird for a doughnut.
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The vanilla parfait was more of the texture I was expecting and I enjoyed the light, fresh, tropical flavours.

Pastuso is solid place for that Peruvian, South American influenced cuisine. It's interesting and there's plenty of choice to satisfy all preferences. I think it's better to dine here in a group and enjoy the large main dishes and feast family style. Personally I prefer Asian flavours but that's only a personal preference and not a reflection of the food on offer. I found our time there enjoyable and the food mostly hit the mark.
Pastuso Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Hotel Jesus

27/11/2016

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Gloomy Sunday afternoon and we are in need of good cheer so we seek the spicy heat of Mexico and gather as a dining group of 4 at Hotel Jesus. It's a quiet afternoon for this place that gets pumping on a Saturday night but we like the chilled out downtime.

The laminated menu card with photographs of some of the dishes is a little twee but then so is the shrine of beer bottles en route to the bathrooms. It's all a bit kitschy tongue in cheeky. I'm less fussed about dodgy decor as long as the tacos are terrific.

Service is pretty friendly and prompt and we get ticking away on our order sheet putting in our individual requests for tostadas, tacos, quesadillas and volcanes as well as shared dishes. Arriba arriba we urge as tummies need to be filled!
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The guacamole is super smooth and it's tasty with one large disc of a chip per person. Weirdly the bean dip comes with a whole basket of crackers and chips. Whilst the dip is not the most attractive to look at, it's pretty tasty with a swirl of chilli oil and a sprinkling of cheese. When are refried beans pretty anyway?
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We share two plates of ceviche - white fish and seafood cocktail. I love the tomato dressing and the mix of fish, prawn and octopus in the seafood cocktail. Think bloody Mary style flavours spiked with fresh seafood. The white fish is ceviche is less chunky and more crumbly, not quite what I had in mind but still fresh and tasty.
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We ordered our own choice of tostadas, tacos, quesadillas and volcanes which is effectively a melted cheese topped tostada. There's plenty of choices for topping - beef, chicken, pork, fish, prawn...And there are a medley of condiments to enhance the flavour experience including a Diablo sauce that apparently is the spicy one but I didn't find it too spicy...

I enjoyed the prawn ceviche tostada which does pack a punch of chilli heat and also the beef taco. The tuna quesadilla is like a slightly more gourmet tuna and cheese toastie and the volcanes are heavier and greasier than the other offerings with the addition of melted cheese.

There's something for everyone at Hotel Jesus. It's casual, it's cheery and it comes with fresh flavours and plenty of spice. Pretty pleasing really.
Hotel Jesus Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Little Hop

7/2/2016

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Jason Jones is in Singapore leaving B'Stilla and B'Stilla Cantina up for grabs. Los Hermanos has moved into the cantina retaining the floral vinyl tablecloths outside and the street food cuisine.
We were meeting up with Kirsty and Marty; our friends from NZ who were in town. We needed something quick as we had to be off elsewhere after lunch and also something big enough for Steve and I as breakfast and lunch combined but light enough for Kirsty and Marty who had had a decent brekkie.

We arrived just after midday on Sunday and Little Hop was just waking up so it was a little bleary eyed and not quite ready for us. The ball soon started rolling though and the gents even went to Coles to buy some sparkling water for us.

We ordered guacamole to share and the corn chips arrived but the guac was a little late but that's because the avocado was still being mashed. We didn't mind waiting for it to be made fresh and it was yummy when it arrived ready to be mixed with little piles of red onion, jalapeno and tomato.

Then it's taco time. Steve and I had 3 each; I went pork, chicken and fish and he did beef, mushroom and fish. They're served open and with plenty of filling; watch out for juicy leakage! I loved the flavours of the chicken and pork and they did taste different with the pork having more fruit and pickle and the chicken charred and smoky. The fish was battered and it was nice but I prefer my fish grilled. Ironically the fish was Steve's favourite. 

Kirsty and Marty had 2 each so it was perfect for them. In all, we had a great lunch and it was speedy and tasty. Very tempting to call in again whilst Los Hermanos are in town!

Little Hop Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Smith and Daughters

7/6/2014

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Every time we go past Smith and Daughters, no matter what time of day it is always pumping so unsurprisingly during a Saturday Fitzroy wandering, I wasn't surprised Steve wanted to try. I'm always skeptical about vegetarian restaurants but felt I had nothing to lose.

We take a seat and I have a mixed fruit juice which is sweet and delicious. Steve has some sort of smoothie made with berries, almond milk and I think coconut. It's all a bit weird for me with hints of cocoa in it but then he finds my juice too intense so each to their own. We also had tea which was nice and strong, just like we like it. Melbourne cafes may offer the best coffee but they often fail with tea. This was a winning brew.

We decide to go with their two omelette options and share them. They arrive quickly, cutely presented in a cast iron pan,


Baked Spanish omelette - Potato, mushroom, chorizo and sweet peppers topped with saffron sofrito and served with toasted bread

Baked Mexican omelette - Potato, chargrilled peppers, grilled sweetcorn and mushroom topped with tomatillo salsa and avocado served with warm corn tortillas

We don't realise until after that Smith and Daughters is completely dairy free and veggie so the chorizo has to be non meat but it doesn't stop us from enjoying this. The omelettes are fluffy with an almost scrambled egg texture. The flavourse are good although I don't stumble on much potato in either omelette. Maybe Steve ate it all...

Anyway, all pleasant enough. I think I'm game enough to go back for dinner. I'm not sure about returning for breakfast though because as much as I didn't realise the chorizo was veggie, I definitely know there was no bacon on the menu!
Smith and Daughters on Urbanspoon
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Paco y Lola

14/2/2014

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Ceviche Alcapulco: Fresh fish, marinated in lemon, tossed with orange and lime zest, nectarines, capers, olives, and fresh green chilli

BBQ Elotes: Chargrilled corn rubbed with Lime and jalapeno sour cream, rolled over Monterey Jack cheese, sprinkled with our gremolata and Tajin

Tostados: Crispy tortillas, served with refried black beans, salsa fresca and twice cooked duck breast in Tinga sauce

Quesadilla Frijoles: Red beans, corn kernels, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, coriander and a mild blend of Central American spices

Chili Con Carne: Slow cooked beef with black eye peas, red beans and a blend of Guajillo and ancho chilies, served with a light sour cream and hominy rice

We enjoyed a wonderful Mexican feast seated outdoors. The food was good enough and well priced. We did think that the courses would come out individually so felt that we were waiting a while but then everything came out together so I guess that was why it took longer. We weren't averse to having a smorgasbord laid out in front of us and we enjoyed being able to gorge and taste all the different flavours.

The elotes were yummy - almost as good as Mamasita but not quite there and quite small for the $6 per half cob. Having said that the tostados were much more generous. We really enjoyed the zinginess of the ceviche and the melty cheesey beaniness of the yummy quesadilla that was soft, gooey and oozey.

Slow cooked chili con carne was special too and with a depth of smoky flavour that went so well with the nutty buttery hominy rice,

Service wasn't effusively friendly but it was pleasant enough and we were in and out in just over an hour which is what we wanted.
Paco Y Lola on Urbanspoon
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Senoritas

6/9/2012

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What an aptly named restaurant for a girly gathering. We had a reservation for 7pm and upon arrival were shown to our table and a drinks order taken promptly.

The decor is a mix of gothic meets feminine boudoir; certainly eclectic. I like the round table we were seated at and the cocktails were great. I loved the zingy gingery goodness of the Diablo.

We were given menus and the waitress vaguely explained that we should go for 4 small dishes and less if we went for a big dish. We had to ask her to clarify she meant 4 small things each so that meant 16 small things. The menu is vast and so may things sounded delicious - small plates, side dishes, dishes to share... so to make things easier we decided to ask her to just feed us much like they do at Mamasita and Chin Chin. She said she was more than happy to and it was something they often did for customers.

So the first item to come out were nachos with guacamole which we enjoyed followed by prawn tacos and then some fish tacos. The tacos were reasonable; nothing like the impressive flavours and the first experience we had at Mamasita but decent enough. Weirdly though our waitress then came up to us to see if we wanted more food...somewhat puzzling given we'd only had nacos and two mini tacos each so we asked her to keep it coming. And another plate of tacos came...and another visit from the waitress to see if we were ok for food. Where were the main dishes? Where were the sides? Instead we were given some cactus on toast...pickled slimy veggie things on a nacho. We ate it but there weren't any noises of enjoyment. Then the two cheese quesadilla came out but they were bite sized and had blue cheese which I don't like so I left it. The fact the other girls didn't want it speaks volumes as to whether they enjoyed their's.

By this stage we were so underwhelmed we didn't want dessert so just settled the bill and went. Perhaps we did the wrong thing by entrusting the waitress with our dinner but we only did that because we thought she would showcase the best items and the menu sounded so appetising it was too difficult to make our own decisions. Where was the corn, the ceviche,
the pork ribs, the chicken mole, the potato salad? Instead we got taco after taco (boring) and then two canapes.

We really wanted to enjoy this but sadly Senoritas failed to deliver both in slick service and in the quality of the food.

Señoritas on Urbanspoon
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Mamasita

19/2/2012

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Firstly I love Mamasita and enjoyed every meal I've had there and I'm even pretty patient about the whole queue thing they have going on. Just have to write a quick review though that this Friday night wasn't quite so good.

It started off well with only a few people ahead of us, a warm welcome and a cooler temperature in the restaurant. Apparently they have a new air con unit.

Food was hit and miss sadly although service was as friendly as it always is. The elotes although super tasty as usual; I love the spicy, zingy lime and cheesy flavours were actually cold but I was so hungry I forgave them that and ate it before I considered sending it back! And before I knew it the corn had been eaten and I felt a little disappointed I hadn't been more patient and got a hotter version...

Anyway it was minor flaw and sadly there was another minor flaw coming. The ceviche was too sharp and tasted more of lime than fish.

And then the major flaw; the black pudding taco was horrible and I usually love black pudding. I took one bite and found it over greasy, too squidgy, too fatty and not tasty so I had to leave it. It was not pleasant.

Positive experiences include great venison tostaditas which we'd not had before. The roast potatoes (also a new dish for us) were also great.

If this had been my first Mamasita experience I would wonder what the hype was about. But I know it can be great so I was more disappointed than anything else. I guess much like our Gingerboy experience, it must have been an off day. Unlike our Gingerboy experience I'm prepared to give this place another chance because I've experienced a non off day and I have enough faith that it will be good again...

Mamasita on Urbanspoon
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High Tech Burrito

11/1/2012

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_Post holiday catch up over Mexican food - yes please? And that was the plan with Ling and Noah. The conversation would be good for certain so hopefully the food would also be up to scratch.

High Tech Burrito is on Glenferrie Road and looks like another quasi Subway or fast food outlet. And it's the usual fast food drill, look up at a menu, order at the counter, take a seat in a plastic chair at a melamine table.

I actually arrived early so took a seat and waited and I wasn't made exceptionally welcome but nor did I receive funny looks for sitting there alone with no order. When we did finally order the attendant was friendly and offered an opinion on what was good when asked so this marked High Tech Burrito as a step above one of the many fast food chains.
We shared some nachos and chose the nachos loco which come topped with pico de gallo, black beans, sour cream and a choice of meat and we chose pulled pork. As Ling is a non cheese lover, we requested the cheese on the side. Good nachos! The actual nachos were crisp and light and in spite of eating lots they didn't get too greasy or heavy on the stomach. The pork was tender and there was a good amount of it.

Ling went for the fish tacos which she declare ok but not a huge hit. I'm giessing the fish was frozen.
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I went for the:

GRILLED FAJITA BURRITO
GRILLED STEAK OR CHICKEN SAUTÉED WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS, MELTED CHEESE, SPANISH RICE, SALSA, LIME SOUR CREAM, IN A GRILLED FLOUR TORTILLA

I opted for steak and the meat tasted fresh and of good quality. The whole thing tasted good but I guess it's hard to mess up this kind of mushed up together meal.

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Steve and Noah went for:

GODZILLA ™ THE MONSTER STEAK & CHICKEN, BEANS, SPANISH RICE, CHEESE, GUACAMOLE, LIME SOUR CREAM, LETTUCE, TOMATOES, ONIONS, BLACK OLIVES, AND MILD SALSA IN A GRILLED FLOUR TORTILLA.

It was just huge. You can see in this picture that it's a burrito that needs both hands. Given there was not much left behind of this animal of a burrito, we can only conclude it was good!

High Tech Burrito does offer a superior burrito to the likes of Salsa's. The quality of the core ingredients is better so altogether a better burrito is created. Having said that is it worth travelling out to...hmmm...I probably wouldn't make the trek myself as Salsa's is ok enough to satisfy a craving! If in the area, it's worth a drop in for sure.

High Tech Burrito Australia on Urbanspoon
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Bluecorn

19/11/2011

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After a day session on the beer, what better to fill bellies than Mexican cuisine.

Our group of 5 headed to Bluecorn in the hope that margaritas and chilli would warm us out of the Melbourne rain.

At 4:30pm the place was pretty much empty but that suited us. I settled down to a strawberry and coconut margarita. There was a wide choice and between us there was punch, espresso margarita and beers ordered.

Service was efficient if not the warmest but certainly acceptable.

Nachos with melted cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream came out quickly for us to share and this was a great start to our meal. Not too greasy and not too overladen with topping that the nachos go soggy but enough so that the nachos have a decent covering. We also shared some fat chips with chilli salt. Not quite fat chips but roasted baby potatoes they came with sour cream and a sprinkling of spring onions and were also delicious

Between us we ordered a variety of burritos (twice baked and too large to wrap) and I had the rump steak fajitas. There were murmurs of appreciation as we dug into our dishes. The steak fajitas came with rice and about 5 tortillas. The steak was tender almost as if it had been stewed and the flavours strong and powerful. The guacamole tasted fresh and I really enjoyed it.

The restaurant is small so I can imagine it can get hot, sweaty and frantic on a busy night but for us on a wet Saturday afternoon it was perfect!
Bluecorn on Urbanspoon
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Mamasita

3/9/2011

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Friday night was date night and we decided to have an early dinner at Mamasita. We ummed and aahed about going to City Wine Shop for a bottle of wine beforehand but then just thought we'd go straight to Mamasita instead to guarantee no wait for a table.

It was a beautiful Melbourne evening; a little blustery but we enjoyed a really pleasant walk down Collins Street. As we neared the Holy Grail, we could see hordes of people lined outside and it was only 5pm!

This was my second time here and Steve's first and I was really up for a good feed and a fun time!



We hoped the masses of people were lining the street because the door hadn't opened yet. As we joined the end of the queue the door opened and we moved from being 50 yards outside the entrance to the actual entrance. We paused for a while at the bottom of the stairs and there were a couple of brief stops as we moved up the stairs but before long we were there!
 
An exchange of smiles later, and we were shown to two pretty good seats at the back of the restaurant where we had a good view all down the dining room. I think the tip the waiter gave me back when I first came which is to be really nice, certainly didn't hurt and it made for great service and we had a good time. I think it means a lot to stressed out, hardworking wait staff when customers show they're happy to be there and having a good time. I know I certainly appreciate it when my clients want to work with me than demand things from me.
Anyway we settled in and ordered some drinks. Steve commented that he found the little bar stool to be a little uncomfortable but I guess I have insulation on my behind so was pretty ok. I ordered a grapefruit and tequila slush thing which took a little getting used to; a bit too salty but I began to enjoy it more towards the end when it was less salty.

We made our way around Mexico with tasting different bottles of lager. Yes me; I drank lager! I think with all the great flavours of the food, lager actually went really well with it.

Last time I came, we simply asked the waiter to feed us and that was great. This time, having tried a few things, I had a better idea of what I wanted to eat and not eat so Steve and I made our own choices.
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We started with a shot of pozolito which is a spiced pork soup with strip of tortilla chips and a wedge of lime. We were given little forks to pick out the pork meat and then share the broth that was left. This was ever so satisfying with warm, peppery flavours that made the tongue tingle. Perfect on a cold Winter's night and pretty good on a Melbourne Spring evening too!

Next were the amazing elotes callejeros which is effectively "street style" chargrilled corn ont he cob, queso, chipotle mayonnaise and lime. South America must be a happy place if everyone is roaming the streets eating corn on the cob on a skewer! This is Mamasita's signature dish I think and I love it so much. I can't eat normal corn on the cob anymore. I love the way every bite gets the cheese and the mayonnaise and the citrussy lime. Admittedly the cheese smells a bit like feet but it tastes so good.

And here end my pictures because I was told, in a very nice and friendly way I must say, to turn off my flash and subsequently the rest of the pictures didn't come out as lighting was not great. You'll have to rely on my descriptions instead.

Next up were the tostaditas which are little tortilla crisps with a topping on it. We went for de maíz which was more corn, black beans, epazote, jalapeño sals and queso fresco and also the pollo ones, chargrilled chicken, avocado, queso fresco and chipotle mayonnaise. Toppings were generous and these mounds of goodness along with a crispy tortilla crisp were a delight. I love the black beans even though they're vegetarian and the chicken ones were also so so tasty.

The lamb quesadilla that came next was actually nice and light and not too heavy. The tortilla wasn't greasy and the filling was just right.

We shared a small ceviche - ceviche de atún which was yellowfin tuna, blood orange, avocado, pickled jalapeno, lime, coriander and toasted sesame seeds. The flavours weren't as complicated as the description sounds. Tomato and tuna were the overriding tastes and it was fresh and tasty enough. It's like a poor man's take on the tuna and tomato dish at Jacques Reymond and I'd probably not bust a gut to have to order this one again but it was pleasant enough.

Our main course was the estofado de cabra - chipotle braised goat, roasted sweetcorn paste. The portion was generous and the meat tender. It came off the bone very easily and was rich and dark. Wrapped up in some tortilla it was rich and meaty. Got to admit though that the goat flavour wasn't particularly strong and it could have been lamb that we were eating.

We had absolutely no room for dessert and had to waddle our way back home. Upon reflection, the food was great at Mamasita and if the waiters treat you well it's a fun place to be. Our seats were a great viewing platform for people watching. I'd love to come here with 6 friends and Steve and just ask to be fed. It's fun to watch people eat with their hands and share the dishes - all very convivial and sociable. Sadly I know that Fridays and Saturdays are booked out till January and booking a table for February now seems a bit too premature even for me and I'm a planner.

When we return, the corn and the tostaditas are a must. I'm then open to trying different things and extending the repertoire. The rest of the dishes although very good, aren't mindblowingly so that they have to be experienced again. However the standard and quality provide me with the reassurance and confidence to try everything else including more beer!

Mamasita on Urbanspoon
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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.

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