Red Hill Brewery Cafe

Red Hill Brewery Cafe is to restaurants what smart casual is to dress codes. In the middle of the Mornington Peninsula's cellar door mecca, this venue exudes neither the fine dining polish or the calculated casualness of others in the area. Instead it's the real deal rancho-relaxo. Choose the airy dining room with floor to ceiling windows, or the covered deck as you're presented first and foremost with the drinks list. Beer is not surprisingly the focus and if you can't choose between Golden Ale, Wheat Bear, Belgian Blonde or Scotch Ale you can purchase a tasing paddle for $12.

As the ideal venue for long, late lunches you'd be advised to take your time over the brief, but satisfying list of "Nibbles for Sharing". Belgian Nibblies' bite-size slices of Gouda is a strange concept but worth it to sample the salty dipping condiments, almost as moreish as the spicy, ale-roasted nuts. However neither should take precedence over the gooey Stoemp Cakes. Crumbed and fried, these cheesy mashed vegetable patties with housemade mayonnaise are sure to please all.

Mains are served quickly so it's not a bad idea to wait and order after you've enjoyed your nibbles. Still, most find it difficult to wait for the venue's star food attraction. An inch thick slab of tender corned beef served on-top of parsnip mash has fellow diners and waitstaff alike hovering like star-struck school girls. The Brewmaster's Ploughmans is the perfect canvas to showcase the Cafe's emphasis on local produce and includes a delightful chunk of pork pie, while another favourite beer standard, the Steak Sandwich, impresses all with its sheer size as it parades from the kitchen to tables. Disappointingly the pork belly fails to crackle but a special of chicken delights with its contrast of rich, creamy mustard sauce and crisp, fresh snow peas. Diners comment on the generous servings, exceptional value at less than $30, while washing it all down with more beer. Wine drinkers are not forgotten, with a brief list of locals by both bottle and glass. Vegetarians, on the other hand, may find life difficult.

Dessert specials are listed on the wall, if you have space after all that beer. Chocolate sticky date pudding has thick, dark chocolate sauce replacing butterscotch in spectacular fashion, while a rhubarb and almond tart is a civilised, although conservative, way to finish the afternoon. Not enough room? A serving of local cheese, matched to the seasonal beer will wrap things up nicely.

Stretching and rolling your way out the door you'll encounter afternoon drinkers enjoying the beer. You'll wish you could join them for just one more pot, if only your stomach had room.

The Fawkner Bistro Bar

Floor to ceiling windows through which to observe the bleak winter weather increase the appeal of the Fawkner Bistro Bar's open wood fire. Add a quality list of local and imported wines by the glass and a bowl of unctuous olives and you may stay put all afternoon.

Those feeling peckish may be tempted to cross the floor to the restaurant, perhaps motivated to try the widely renowned Fish and Chips. Beer battered King George Whiting fillets demonstrate that simple really is best. Elsewhere on the menu a rib eye cooked to perfection and a tender but under-seasoned duck confit deliver generous serving sizes. Unfortunately such portions are a stark contrast to that of the lone vegetarian main of roast portobello mushroom caps, stuffed with pearl barley and preserved lemon and served with a quenelle of goats cheese. You'll need to make use of the complimentary bread and extensive entree and pasta menus instead.

Service has its ups and downs with less than subtle waitresses often dampening the mood. Fortunately a dessert menu hitting well-loved standards, including a warm chocolate brownies and a creme brulee, rounds out the meal well and leaves diners happy to forgive most sins.

The Fawkner Bistro Bar
03 9867 5853
52 Toorak Rd West
South Yarra
Victoria

Entrees: $10-18
Pasta: $26-27 (entree serves available)
Mains: $27-32
Desserts: $10-15

Charcoal Lane

It's been a week since dinner at Charcoal Lane and I'm still gushing about the experience to anyone who will listen. A Sydney friend of mine, Mrs G, who works for Mission Australia and was down for the Melbourne Cup Pin and Win promotion, suggested the venue for our catch-up weeks ago and I'd been looking forward to it ever since.

The first thing that strikes me about Charcoal Lane is not the beautiful bluestone building itself, but the way the warm lighting shines through the windows, welcoming patrons and passers-by alike. Modern, interiors are clean and simple resulting in an overwhelming feeling of space.

We were greeted by pleasant staff and left to settle in and contemplate wine list and menu, before enjoying an amuse bouche of creamy salmon. An entree of poached WA marron was tempting, but the kangaroo tataki came highly recommended and didn't fail to deliver. Rich, tender red meat was lifted by the freshness of ginger and soy while occasional tastes of wasabi (or was it horseradish?) used an element of surprise to thrill. Serious food envy circulated around our table, with two of us enjoying kangaroo tataki, but it was largely unfounded. S-bo ate the marron which, whilst subtler than the kangaroo, was delicate in flavour and beautifully presented and Mrs G's risotto of garden peas, native mint and mascarpone cheese spoke loudly of spring, particularly with the addition of bright green broad beans.

Sitting on the receiving end of food envy continued with the arrival of mine and Mrs G's main: crispy pork belly, seared scallop, ginger glaze, apple salad and fried saltbush. I find pork belly disappoints more frequently than it delivers, probably due to its frequency of menu appearances across the city, so it's stars like this that make me realise the gamble is worth it. I will continue to order pork belly in the hope I get a dish like this, every time. A dish where crispy really means crispy and a generous slab of moist flesh can actually be found under the delicious fat. Two huge, tender scallops, amazing in their own right, were a mere garnish in the shadow of such great pork belly.

I told you I was gushing.

Elsewhere on the table, Mr G (not to be mistaken as Mr G off Summer Heights High) enjoyed barramundi fillet and S-bo ate slow cooked wildfire spiced king salmon, which, although delicious, could have upped the wildfire spice. I'd love to know what's in the peppery and herby blend and S-bo was craving for more.

The wine list is familiar and comfortable thanks to a selection of quality Australian drops and good value is a bonus. Of course it's fun to browse wine lists that rival War and Peace sometimes (a bit like this post), but the concise, reliable offering was somewhat relaxing. We still managed to change our mind three times and for that I apologise to the waitress. After downing an '08 Punt Road Pinot Gris (between the four of us, that is) we went a little bit gaga over a 2008(?) Warramate Pinot Noir.

The blow-by-blow monologue continues into dessert. Don't even try to consider what to have, order the selection of desserts for two. It cuts out indecisiveness and you get to try all 5. I want to describe each one in detail but I'll try to stick to a quick run-down. The selection is strikingly presented with orange crisps, mandarin mushrooms and a gravity-defying maple syrup snap all pointing skywards. A surprise favourite of mine was the rice pudding, cinnamon myrtle, strawberry gum and date icecream, the dark chocolate tart was always going to be a crowd please and I have to give a special mention to the Heilala Vanilla ice-cream accompanying the flourless blood orange pudding.

I didn't set out to document a chronological recollection of the evening, but every bit was good. How to choose which bits to write about? Charcoal Lane is a lovely story and a noble, successful pursuit; but, its also a great restaurant in its own right. We ate great food in a polished yet relaxed atmosphere, supporting a great cause along the way seemed like a bonus when, in actual fact, the bonus is the former.


Charcoal Lane
136 Gertrude St
Fitzroy

(03) 9418 3411

Mr Wolf

It's been a little while since I've been to Mr Wolf in St Kilda, but it still holds a little piece of my heart. It was one of the first restaurants I went to in Melbourne upon moving here, it was where I took S-bo when he completed his last CA exam and it's where I had potato on a pizza for the first time ever. The patate pizza comes and goes as the menu shifts, but Mr Wolf is still getting it right.

Specials for the kiddies make the venue ideal for families; but, if you're not blessed with little angels you should choose to eat a but later. Whilst providing a laid-back, casual vibe, the marble table tops and timber interiors can also bounce sound around rather effectively.

Don't be fooled into thinking Mr Wolf is just about pizza, infact the antipasto items are so moreish you might not even make it to pizza. Mt Zero mixed olives are sophistacated nibbles, but why not consume an entire course worth of food? Crumbed eggplant fritters, served with lemon yoghurt mayonnaise, have a creamy texture inside a batter so light you'll believe its healthy, and the salted fish cakes dance to a similar tune.

The famous pizzas are supplemented by a few other options, including lasagne, a wet dish of the day and, on the night we visited, a nicoise salad special, which GB enjoyed. I stuck with the basics and, just like the patate pizza experience four years ago, this visited heralded an eating epiphany: I ate anchovy on a pizza and actually liked it! Diavolo (tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, olives, capers, chilli, oregano, basil) had no overpowering fishiness, instead a mild salty seafood flavour greeted this sceptical eater.

That's not to say I'm an anchovy convert, I'll definitely try anchovy on a pizza again but on this evening I was happy to stop at one piece, particularly when we'd ordered a few other winners. Signore Lupo (my pick; roast tomato, roast cauliflower, mozzarella, sausage, pancetta, chilli) was dominated by the chilli but had a wonderful chewy texture thanks to the sausage and mozzarella, and Funghi (porcini, roasted garlic paste, mozzarella, roast mushrooms, thyme) shifted the focus onto the fantastic Mr Wolf bases (also available in gluten free). Unfortunately, a chorizo pizza special had too many toppings and the flavours got a little lost, but hey, you win some, loose some. The chorizo itself was great, it could have been served on cardboard and I'd still be happy.

One unexpected winner, particularly given the quantity of pizzas with chilli on them, was the cabbage salad. A not-quite-coleslaw offering was GR's suggestion and thank goodness we obliged. Many a diner has been known to walk out the door with a copy of Karen Martini's Cooking at Home book just so they can make this salad at home.

We glossed over Mr Wolf's dessert menu as we had another dessert venue in mind (St Kilda, dessert? Melbourne foodies will know exactly where I mean). Still, we couldn't resist a scoop or two of Mr Wolf's vanilla icecream made with the deliciousness of Heilala Vanilla pods. Thanks to the kitchen for sorting this little sampler out for us ;-)

Eating Write & Pub lunch at Hotel Warnambool

For the last 2 Tuesdays I have been attending a course entitled "Eating Write". It's essentially a food writer's course and it was a birthday present from my workmates. I'm learning all sorts of great things. Like yes, you should obtain a menu instead of relying on your memory. Yes, it's ok to take notes as long as you can disguise it and yes, it's ok to tell the restaurant you are a reviewer after you have eaten & paid. In addition to learnings, there are also some challenges. No point taking a course if you're not going to be challenged. This week our homework was to write a review of no more than 110 words. For a professional writer this might seem like a piece of cake. For me as a blogger this indicates I must cut out my blog-ramblings. You know those ramblings...they allow you to type as you think so the words on the page have little structure. I like to think they are endearing but in reality they're probably ill-thought out.

I'm not to keen to change the way I write on my blog, as I see it as much more of a personal expression. But I'm enjoying learning new styles that I might be able to use elsewhere. Lets face it, we could all do with a little structure in our lives.

So without further ado, here is my short review on Hotel Warnambool. It's very raw, I would work a little more on it before going public but since it's a simple writing exercise I will share it with you.

Hotel Warnambool

Eat with the locals as exposed timber beams and a log fire encourage patrons to settle in. The menu predicts standard counter meals, however the kitchen is shared with the restaurant at rear so diners will be pleasantly surprised. Fetta, bocconcini, pesto and parmesan pizza bread will adequately fill until mains arrive to distinguish offerings from standard pub-grub. A specials board might offer beef satay that falls apart at the touch of a fork whilst chicken schnitzel is actually house-crumbed fillets topped with a tangy herb yoghurt. One thing that does stick to pub tradition is the hefty serve of chips and salad on the side. A large selection of beers on tap will ensure you don't go thirsty.

Thai Saffron, Auburn

Peter, from Souvlaki for the Soul, and I have been having a discussion about Thai on and off for a little while now. You can get some excellent Thai here in Australia and now more and more people are travelling from Aus to Thailand. So it's no surprise that many people are familiar with really good, really authentic Thai. I've discussed my favourite type of Thai food previously (and here) yet I think I haven't articulated myself very well. Whilst I could sit down and be blown away by authentic Thai (and have elsewhere) with the freshest of ingredients, the Thai I crave when I'm hungover, when I want a quick takeaway meal or when I'm in need of some comforting fare, is far from authentic. Sure the staff and chef are Thai, but the food is aimed at the western market, with an emphasis on get in, eat and get out. It's not necessarily an experience, more a means to fill the belly. I love the gloopy sauces which are both sweet and salty at the same time. I love the smell and taste of starchy rice straight from the rice cooker. It screams warmth and an edible meal to me, as it was where I'd go when I could handle on-campus food no longer.

Sometimes it's hard to pick a difference in taste from one dish to another, the meat is usually thinly sliced to disguise it's dryness, yet I like this. There are times (usually those mentioned above) when I would even pick this cheap style of Thai over authentic. The purists may scream, but that's the way it is with me.

So without further ado, I give you Thai Saffron. Many months ago when I explained to Flatmate what I had been missing in my Thai food down here she said she knew just the place. It's taken us this long to get there,but we tried it last week. This was a regular haunt of Flatmate's when she lived over that way and I can see why. No frills decor, cheap prices and quick service are just the ticket for those nights you can't be bothered to cook.

We ordered Chicken Satay, Pork and vegetables in oyster sauce and Stir-fried tofu with vegetables. The food nearly beat us to the table, which is worrying, but it was piping hot and the vegetables crisp. We remarked that when cooking vegetables at home we clearly cook them for a little too long. For $39.10 we had 3 mains with rice and 3 softdrinks. Not bad considering we wound up more than satisfied, with food still on the plate. I made sort work of stirring the satay sauce into my rice at the end and munching on that for as long as I could hold out. I'd eat rice drenched in satay sauce alone, or coconut curry, for lunch every day if I didn't suspect it could be bad for me.
With my craving satisfied I think I can safely move forward from here, but I'll always no where to turn when I need my "just-like-Newtown_Thai" fix.

Thai Saffron is on the corner of Riversdale and Auburn Roads.

Tom Phat, Brunswick

Oh Blog, how rude am I to leave you repeatedly for a week at a time without posting. I promise to try harder. I think I am suffering from Blogger's Block. I have little inspiration at the moment to document the great food I've been eating. I'm not worried by this. Other bloggers seem to go through the same ebbs and flows and always come back out on top. There's a few of us around who are toning down the writing a bit, and I think it's because of the weather. Sitting behind a computer is not my favourite thing to do when it's sunny outside. Then again, it might not be blogger's block, perhaps just poor time management. It's already past 10 pm and I am hoping to get up bright and early for the gym tomorrow morning. As I write this I still need to pack some clothes for such madness and pack a lunch for work. Ok, so that's no big deal in the scheme of life, I know the mother's out there are tut tutting and wondering how I would ever survive time management as a parent. I'm sure you're probably right, but it's not really a worry as I don't intend on having a family anytime soon.

So from writers blog to time management to kids (?) I seem to have strayed off the topic of food. Since my last post I have participated in our 2nd Ironchef lunch, dined here at Tom Phat, feasted at Bar Lourinha and made some little free-form lemon curd tartlets. I can only hope to recap over the next few days. Other delights include marinated, butterflied leg of lamb at G&Ts house, a picnic at Point Lonsdale and an icecream in Queenscliff.

I won't start with Ironchef because, frankly I can't remember the proper name of what Foges cooked. And I can't get it wrong now can I? I can tell you how it was a delightful late lunch which started in sunshine and ended in rain. The rain came right about the time S-bo and I realised we needed to be at Sydney Road for dinner. Nothing a rude exit and a quick cab ride couldn't fix.

Here's where the bottle of wine consumed over lunch starts to cloud my memory. We ate duck spring rolls, salt and pepper calamari, Panang curry and two other stir fries. How's that for detail huh? I can say with some certainty that I enjoyed out little visit to Tom Phat. Here is something close to the Thai of my uni days, dressed up in stylish surroundings. On a rainy night such as our visit, Tom Phat's dimly lit decor is quite enveloping and I would have been very comfortable on my bench seat for quite some time.

Cream Cafe Bar, Canberra

Back to Canberra for a visit last weekend and a group of us had dinner at a new restaurant, Cream. I was a litle taken aback upon entry with the bright flourescent lights but realised once seated that whilst it was different, it did work. My initial impression is that Cream tries to cover too many bases: Restaurant, Bar and Cafe all in one, instead of doing one thing well. However I later reaslied that Canberra needs somewhere like this to lift the profile of dining in Canberra. Whilst they are not raising the bar in quality by any stretch, they are re-setting the bar in terms of style. Canberra's nightlife has always been questionned and as far as I know this is the first place where you can enjoy a good meal or just have a couple of drinks.

Unfortunately Cream already has a reputation for particularly slow staff. The organiser of our dinner opted for a banquet because she thought it might mean our meals arrived at the table in a more timely fashion. No such luck. We were all seated within 30 minutes of our 7.30 pm booking. The waitress kindly came and opened our bottles of wine but we then sat there for 5-10 minutes longer before someone realised that wine glasses might come in handy. I'm not sure whether it was because the wait staff weren't very good or because they were understaffed, but attention to detail was not a focus.

The first half of our banquet was inspiring. Delicious dips with pita and garlic turkish bread filled the growing hunger until the tapas plates arrived. Marinated olives sat alongside rocket and parmesan salad. Prawn wontons were crisply fried and tasted of lime, however the chilli balsamic dipping sauce was nowhere to be seen. Salt and pepper marinated quail was flavoursome and a pleasure to eat whilst the roma tomatoes stuffed with goats cheese with red wine balsamic syrup were definitely something new for Canberra.

Sadly the quality stopped here. Considering we had a 7.30pm booking, the long wait between our tapas plates and main course started to drain us. One diner who had to leave at 10pm missed her mains altogether. Just after 10 large bowls of pasta and pad thai arrived almost as an afterthought. The website states "served in tradition banquet fashion" so I can only assume they were aiming for the current trend of communal eating. Instead, given the wait, I felt like the chef had forgotten us then thrown something together at the last minute. The Conchiglie Putanesca seemed like something I would whip up on a Sunday night with a tin of tomatoes and some frozen veges. The Pappardelle however was something different. Piping hot lamb sat amongst the pasta ribbons and simply fell apart on the fork, nevermind melt in your mouth. Perhaps we waited so long because they were slow-cooking the lamb to order. I would almost say the wait was worth it.

Overall I would say don't go to Cream to experience new heights in Dining. But do go to lift the profile of eating in Canberra. If this restaurant does well hopefully more of it's kind will open, which is exactly what Canberra's eating scene needs. We can only hope the quality will follow shortly after.

Asiana

Having grown up in the country I often fall into the trap that Chinese food is not particularly extravagant or special. Now before you blow your trumpets and think I am being unfair, you must realise that Chinese restaurants exist in nearly all NSW country towns and are as cheap and cheerful as your next-door fish and chip shop. There was never anything wrong with the food, and it was always a treat to have takeaway on a Friday night, regardless of what you were eating, but special dinners involved trips to other local restaurants. Usually a birthday treat for someone in the family. The humble Cantonese restaurants of my childhood served the MSG versions of sweet and sour pork, beef and cashew and honey chicken, always preceded by a serve of spring rolls.

Leaving my country town heritage and moving to Sydney I discovered Thai restaurants. I’ve mentioned my love of Thai previously but I also specify what sort of Thai: cheap. And no, this is not because I am a scrooge, it is because it’s exactly the sort of Thai that I became used to. Cheap Thai replaced my Friday night Chinese meals of childhood. $10 meals on Newtown’s King St became a staple weekly treat. Now when I eat Thai I look for those familiar tastes and smells. When I don’t get them I am disappointed because my expectations aren’t met. That’s not because my expectations are high, they are just specific.

Sowly, slowly my perception of Asian foods, and Chinese in particular, are changing. Yes, a trip to Flower Drum definitely contributed but the kick start was on a work trip to Melbourne before relocating last year. We went to a restaurant in Chinatown called Kun Ming. All of a sudden Chinese restaurants offered polished service. I crossed out good here because there was nothing wrong with service in other restaurants, it just wasn’t polished. Battered dishes such as honey chicken and salt and pepper squid were no longer oily and stodgy, but light and salty and perfect for bringing out the underlying flavour.

In a sense I have been falling into good Chinese, the same way I practically fell into Kun Ming and Flower Drum. A drink with a friend at the Beach Hotel in Albert Park, before heading out to a movie, on the weekend turned into a need for some food. A hop, skip and a jump up the road and I fell into Asiana. Now this restaurant isn’t Chinese as such, more a selection of flavours from Asia. What’s more it puts in a regular appearance in The Age Good Food Guide.

We had no booking but there was no problem seating 2 of us. And when we explained our time constraints that was no problem either. Being in a bit of a hurry I spent very little time reading the menu. There is a large selection so I honed in on one or two things that I wanted to try and away we went. For future reference I did notice specials which appear on the menu and the blackboard as well as house specialties in the menu, which are very enticing. There’s also a large selection of entrees so if you felt like picking and choosing you’d be well positioned to do so. There’s a good range of wine by the glass but expect to pay about $10/glass. Alternatively BYO for $10 corkage.

Between the two of us we ordered salt and pepper calamari (entrée size), Vietnamese inspired lemongrass chicken and Singapore noodles. We had asked for all dishes to arrive together and the food was beautifully presented at our table and then whisked away for serving. Perhaps the food appeared a little too quickly but we had mentioned timeframes and it did seem hot and fresh. The calamari was delicious with just the right amount of chilli garnish to give a kick if you chose. Appearance-wise the lemongrass chicken was quite plain, sliced chicken meat with only a small amount of garnish, no vegetables. Unfortunately the plainness extended to the taste, I would have preferred the lemongrass to be a little stronger but this didn’t prevent the chicken from being tender and succulent. That’s succulent in the moist way, not the KFC advertisement way. And for future reference, the Singapore noodle dish was HUGE for 2 people. All up $75 for 2 glasses of wine and 3 dishes which, whilst not quite $10 Thai standard, is not bad I guess. On top of that there is a great feel to this restaurant. Low lighting and mute décor seem to absorb noise so the packed restaurant had a buzz which made you feel that yes, you were in a good, popular restaurant and yet you could still hear the diner across from you.

Asiana
181 Victoria Ave
Albert Park

Spicy Fish

Should I have realised that all dishes in a restaurant called Spicy Fish would be spicy? No, probably not. The reason all our food was spicy was 'cause we left the ordering to the South Australian & S-bo. The restaurant actually indicates spiciness of food by placing chillies on the menu and I tell you what, they don't lie.


This venue was the South Australian's recommendation and it should be noted that he hasn't failed us yet. I'm not so sure about this place though.....

According to the South Australian, the drawcard dish here is the Scallops & Eggplant however I didn't get around to trying it as we ordered far too much food, most of it of the "burn off your tastebud variety". We were not sure what to do with Chicken & Chilli (top) when it arrived. However turns out it's not the spiciest thing we ordered. I've never encountered this before, perhaps because I usually eat the westernised version of Chinese food, but in this particular dish the chicken came complete with bones. Now this wouldn't normally be a problem, but the pieces were very small and about one third chicken, one third batter and one third bone. I persevered but in the end crunching bones is not my favourite meal. I actually enjoyed the chillies more.

I followed the chilli chicken with crispy duck and was unimpressed. As I said, I'm sure Flower Drum has ruined any chance I have of enjoying Chinese food because S-bo and the South Australian raved about this duck.

After duck I moved on to salt and pepper calamari (not pictured sorry). The calamari pieces were great. I love anything battered and this was a prime example. Also there was just enough chili lingering on the batter to add a kick. In amongst the calamari were bright red slices of fresh chili, with seeds. Now I'd handled the Chilli Chicken fine so surely the smallest little slice of chilli in this dish would be a piece of cake, right? Nope. This was pretty hot, possibly the most concentrated spice I've had (the slice was less than half a centimetre). I toughed it up however and kept eating. That's when I came across my downfall...a whole half of one of these lethal little guys sitting on the plate. I offered it to S-bo and he politely declined. Being the mature (and slightly tipsy) person I was that night I then challenged the South Australian to eat "the chunk". He accepted the challenge and proceeded to pick out an equal amount of chili for myself. With four pairs of eyes on me I couldn't offer a challenge and then refuse to take it myself. I should have though. After a good 30 seconds of chewing I no longer had tastebuds and the South Australian was crying, water teeming down his cheeks.

How do you recover from such an experience? You eat as much rice with sweet and sour sauce and drink as much red wine as possible, because that's the only relief available on your table. You can ask for water but the waiter will laugh as he delivers it. But can you handle more spice? I was yet to try the restaurant's namesake, spicy fish so I gave it a shot. I really didn't think I had any tastebuds left but I had just enough for this dish to tip me over the edge. All I can say about it is hot! Now others might disagree and granted I'm not the biggest eater of spicy food, but I did just eat nearly half of the hottest chili in the world so no-one's allowed to call me a wuss this time.

The wrap up from Spicy Fish is that I didn't enjoy the food that much, but let's be fair, I didn't make any selections myself. I'm sure there are items on the menu which aren't spicy and that's what I would have chosen. If you like your spice, go for it but don't expect any other taste sensations at the same time. My main gripe was the price, we payed$130 between 5 for our selection of crazy Chinese spice and I thought it was a little too much considering the portion sizes. The South Australian has not let us down previously and again made a good selection. Perhaps not because of the food but because we spent all night laughing. You can find such hilarity yourself in Chinatown.

Provincia

It was my birthday on Saturday and S-bo took me for dinner at Provincia. I’ve blogged about breakfast here before however I thought this time I’d sit back and enjoy a nice dinner with S-bo, celebrate my birthday and not worry about rushing home to blog (although who am I kidding, my posts are always late).

So no camera, no photos, no mentally preparing what to write. Still I can’t help but post because the experience was simply wonderful. Andrea, the owner/manager/chef/head waiter brings his own warmth to each table. His thick Italian accent talks you through antipasti to have with your aperitif and points out the short comings of his grasp of the English language, as displayed ever-so-subtly on the menu. Still, such casualness in dealing with the customers doesn’t detract from the fact you are eating at a very stylish, very ‘schmick’ establishment.

The menu swings from simple pasta dishes, available in small and large sizes, to more substantial mains. It’s Italian as the locals might know it. There’s no bolognese, no lasagne and no tiramisu. If you want that go to Lygon St. However if you want something to tempt you to jump on a place and find any Italian household who will cook their regional specialty, come to Provincia. S-bo enjoyed Lamb Shanks on Polenta whilst I had Pasta with Osso bucco sauce.

The winelist includes a lot of Italian wines which I know wine lovers are wary of. S-bo and I chose an Australian Sangiovese only to be told it wasn’t available. But don’t worry, there was another one, an Italian, for similar price and better! We were dutifully provided with a bottle of Sangiovese Di Romagna, Umberto Cesario (I think). Whilst I’m not certain on the name luckily I remember the label because S-bo and I are going to hunt this one down. It was sensational. When we find it I’ll publish the actual name and you can all go forth and get your own! Trust me.

For dessert I couldn’t decide between the Chocolate Pudding or the Blueberry Panna Cotta with hazelnut praline. Andrea recommended the pudding and I was rewarded. I can’t remember such a sumptuous dessert. An individual made-to-order, soft centred chocolate pudding arrived with a pear poached in red wine and nougat icecream. Amazing.

So where is Provincia? It’s on Victoria Avenue, Albert Park. The number 1 tram will take you right past and I promise you wont regret the tip. Mains are priced reasonably at around $20-30, with pastas a little less. If you think travelling across the city is a bit of a gamble why not come on a Sunday or Monday evening: 2 courses + glass of wine for $25. Although Sunday nights you wont get Andrea’s service as he’s in the kitchen.

St Kilda's David Moyle & Stokehouse

My parents were in town for a week and they wanted to take me out for dinner on Wednesday evening as an early birthday celebration. We ummed and ahhed about where to go, until I remembered Downstairs Stokehouse has guest chefs on Wednesday nights. The deal is $39.50 for 2 courses and I was certain such good value would book up quickly. However 4.30pm on Wednesday afternoon there was still room for 4. Mum, Dad, S-bo and I turned up and not only was there space for us, we’d been seated at the window. Score!

I haven’t eaten upstairs, but downstairs had the laid back feel you expect from a casual eatery, with warm, low lighting to add just a bit of “specialness” of an evening. Service is relaxed, as you would expect, with very bubbly and endearing waitresses. Perhaps the setting on its own isn’t quite enough for a special dinner but throw in a guest chef and hey presto! On this particular evening we were catered for by David Moyle from Circa, St Kilda. Like upstairs Stokehouse, Circa has also earned two hats.

The menu: For entrée Mum & Dad had smoked eel and roasted potato soup, bacon and crème fraiche, whilst S-bo and I both opted for slow cooked organic carrot salad, white onion, shanklish and sorrel.

The flavours of the salad were very delicate, with none overpowering the others. I’ve never eaten shanklish before, nor did I know what it was. I now know its cow’s milk cheese made in Syria or Lebanon, although some sources say sheep’s or goat’s milk as well. My take? It’s like a smooth version of feta. Apparently it comes in a ball, almost like a dirty tennis ball according to Wikipedia, however on this occasion it was crumbled through the salad. There was a form of creamy yellow dressing of which I’m still not sure what it was. I’d guess that it included some pureed carrot. The carrots themselves, little dutch ones with stems still attached, were sweet and tender but they were just carrots. What brought this dish alive were the flavours together as a whole. The white onion deserves special mention as well for bringing excellent tangy bursts to the plate.

Mum and Dad both enjoyed their soup. I tried some of the eel and it tasted, well, smoked. Funny that. They were both very impressed.

Mixing up the combinations for mains, Dad and I had confit lamb brik, parsnip and yoghurt puree with roasted lamb sauce whilst S-bo and Mum had wood roasted calamari, grilled radicchio, black Victorian olives and pink fur potatoes. S-bo enjoyed the calamari very much, whilst Mum found the sauce a little spicy. The sauce was actually quite mild but I’m sure my mother isn’t the only person around with a very low tolerance to spice. I think it should have been stated on the menu to ensure everyone had the best chance to fully enjoy their main.

Dad and I were a little dismayed when our dinner arrived. It appeared to be a small slice of lamb fillet, some strange rectangular thing and a couple of broad beans. Of course the strange rectangular thing was actually the brik and it was choc-full of flavour. Shredded lamb mixed with a myriad of flavours, including parsnip I guess, was drizzled with the yoghurt puree. Use all this to mop up the roasted lamb sauce and I was in heaven. Interestingly enough the rare slice of lamb was very tough to cut, almost like sticking a knife into rubber, but once in the mouth it was so very tender. Second to the lamb were the amazing tomatoes on my plate. You wouldn’t think that little tomatoes could stand up to a dish such as this but they must have been so fresh and ripe when picked off the vine. The last time I remember eating a tomato that tasted so good was on our road trip from Sydney to Adelaide via the coast. We picked up some ripe organic toms from a growers market and I decided to shed my childhood hang-up of not eating tomatoes. I’ve never looked back.

Dessert didn’t tempt us quite so much at the time. We skipped malted milk parfait with sherry and prunes for cake and coffee on Acland St. Always a winner…if you know what to choose, which of course varies from person to person.

Before ending this post I should mention the wine. We ordered a bottle of Underground Pinot Noir. Whilst not your most stunning Pinot it was still particularly enjoyable and at $33 a bottle restaurant price, is probably much better positioned for most of us than your stunning Pinot. Coincidentally Mum, Dad and I drove past Underground the next day on the Mornington Penninsula. We were going a little fast to stop and returned a different way in the afternoon, but it’s definitely a vineyard to keep your eye out for.

Downstairs Stokehouse has a couple of different weekly events including the guest chefs on Wednesday and some lunch specials. You should check it out if you’re after something a little different without paying the earth. You are also welcome to order off the standard downstairs menu too.

Cafe Gusto, Queenscliff

This is yet another back-post. I seem to be forever taking photos and not getting around to posting. The photos stack up and before you know it it’s 2 weeks since I had this meal. On the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend (happy birthday Liz) S-bo and I took a drive down to Queenscliff. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but I’m sure it was very appropriate to visit Her Majesty’s cliff on Her Majesty’s birthday holiday.

It was what I am beginning to see as a typical Victorian day: windy and rainy. S-bo and I were in search of a warm cozy place to have a nice meal and a good glass of wine, we found it at Café Gusto. A strange building, this place seems like it would really come into it’s own during summer. The inside dining area is quite small, long and skinny but out the back is a huge area, perfect for a party, with pavers and a nice garden, including a herb garden! Since it wasn’t summer, the inside did us quite well. The open fire kept us warm and cozy as we watched the chefs prepare meals in the open kitchen. Ordering provided no contest, the menu isn’t limited, with quite a good selection of sandwiches, salads and a curry or two, but neither S-bo nor I could go past bangers and mash on such a rainy day. Thick pork sausages, field mushrooms, caramelized onions and tomato relish on sourdough. Heaven in a sausage skin. The meal didn’t disappoint, I can only assume the tomato relish was homemade because it was just so good, definitely the highlight on the plate.

The service was pretty standard for café, our order was taken and meals arrived in a timely manner which is notable considering how busy they were, some cafes can fall apart at the seams as soon as all their tables fill. What’s more the staff were friendly and bubbly.

S-bo and I washed our meal down with a nice glass of pinot. Being two weeks ago I can’t remember what pinot, but it was a nice way to spend a holiday lunch. The wine list is charmingly written on a blackboard and it looks like it’s edited frequently, indicating to me that Café Gusto pays attention to what wines it’s serving and rotates on a regular basis. Unfortunately, despite a large range of bottles, wine by the glass was a little harder to come by. The red options included a shiraz, a merlot and the pinot. Considering this was the only fault I could find (not that I go looking for faults) I’d give Café Gusto a thumbs up!

Mr Wolf, St Kilda

Karen Martini's creation if I'm right, this is what my friends SD & Newie would call “fancy pizza”. And coincidentally we all toddled off to Mr Wolf’s for SD & Newie’s farewell party. It was a sad and exciting occasion. Sad as two friends of mine are about to go overseas indefinitely and exciting because it spells new challenges for them AND means S-bo and I got to go to Mr Wolf. We went here the very first weekend I moved to Melbourne and loved it. But it’s not an everyday experience…they don’t call it “fancy pizza” for nothing.

I think I may have ordered the same pizza we had last time we went too…Pancetta (below). I can’t find it on the website’s menu but it had pancetta (obviously), mozzarella, basil I think, olives and chilli. Our first time to Mr Wolf I found the chilli a bit much so this time I asked them to tone it down a little. Unfortunately I then ended up with too little chilli. My mistake really. It’s not that I don’t like (moderately) spicy food; I’m just big on chilli overpowering other flavours. I should just build my tolerance.


S-bo had a special, Porcetta (top) (possibly dubious spelling here). The pizza consisted of pork, artichoke and lemon among other things. He was keen to try something different but wasn’t so sold on this. It was a little unconventional I guess, I think I liked it more than him.

There was a very different vibe on a Saturday night compared to the Sunday that we visited. Obviously, being busy, it wasn’t as relaxed. I remember the service first time round as being exceptional whilst this time it was simply adequate. The waitress was friendly and efficient, but did need chasing when drinks were empty. To be fair we were a difficult booking: large and early, arriving in dribs and drabs. The evening was far more about friends catching up and I’m sure service would have been its usual top notch if our objective was more about the food. I really don’t want to nit-pick the restaurant because the evening was great, but it does beg the question should service be of the same standard regardless of what night of the week you attend a restaurant?

Similarly the pizza wasn’t quite as good as I remembered, but then I did bland-down my pizza and on our first visit I was entirely in awe of all things Melbourne, having lived here for all of 1 ½ days. Don’t get me wrong, it’s exceptional pizza, fancy even, I just had particularly high standards on this occasion.

Mr Wolf does BYO on Tuesday nights, so I’m keen to head along and pair a bottle of Sangiovese that I’ve been hoarding for a while with a delectable pizza. They also have takeaway and home delivery.

Note: On second thoughts I may have had Calabrese on my first visit.... should return to compare and contrast me-thinks.

Mr Wolf
9-15 Inkerman St
St Kilda (03) 9534 0255

Koh Samui

The restaurant in Middle Park that is, not the location (I wish).

For my first three years in Sydney I lived in Newtown. As we lived on campus and ate the associated food, my friends and I often got takeaway. And what better place to be getting takeaway than Sydney's Thai Food capital. Consequently I have very high standards when it comes to Thai food. Although, I was a uni student and not eating in the finest establishments, so perhaps it's more appropriate to say I have very specific standards.

Koh Samui didn't quite match those standards, although it's clear that a lot of care goes into the dishes. To tell you the truth, I can't even remember the name of my dish. I'm sure it's loosely translated to flash-fried chicken with vegetables and tamarind. The word Maram seems to stick in my mind, or something similar. Kai (chicken?) Maram? Nevermind, the chicken was excellet; light with just a hint of peanut oil to satisfy the wicked side in me. The vegetables were standard (Australian) Thai fare, fresh and thinly sliced. S-bo had the Thai Chilli Squid which was well on the tough side.

Koh Samui seems to be reaching out with their menu, producing dishes that I don't associate with my lower-end-of-the-market Thai history. Things like Baby Snappper La Prik (deep fried whole baby snapper with special lime sauce) were not things I was privvy to at university. I was looking for my familiar Pad Prew Warn, of which I can't even remember how to spell, Satays and greasy spring rolls. There were spring rolls and they weren't greasy which, despite my previous statement, is a good thing. They were however a little light on filling.

I'm not saying bad things about Koh Samui because it's not a good place. It just didn't match my previous prejudies. The service is attentive and the atmosphere good, as long as they keep the music playing. Don't be misled by the Richardson St entrance. The tables seen from the front window were vacant and deserted, however out the back are more tables and more people in a nice modern, but not stark setting. The price is more than I would usually pay for Thai ($16-$26 for a main), with smaller portions. But there's that uni student again. Although, for that price in Newtown you could be getting some pretty damn amazing Thai food and excellent.

I guess I'll go back. Until I can find a Newtown Thai in Melbourne I'll always need something to satisfy my cravings.

251 Richardson St
Middle Park
(03) 9696 3080