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Hop Temple, Ballarat

Paul

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5 March 2016

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BALLARAT | Hop Temple Ballarat is the newest craft beer focused venue in the city, and it joins an ever increasing number of quality establishments from which to purchase quality beer in Ballarat. Ever since local brewer Red Duck started brewing its craft beers in Ballarat in 2005, the city has always had one foot in the craft beer door and Hop Temple is arguably the crown in Ballarat’s craft beer crown.

Located down a laneway, behind a bicycle shop, Hop Temple is housed in a large, open venue that formerly housed a garage and stables. There’s lots of natural sunlight and a surprisingly plentiful amount of vegetation. It’s a very causal space that encourages people to sit in and relax.

The star attraction at Hop Temple is, unsurprisingly, the craft beer selection – there are 16 beers on tap that rotate regularly along with about 60 different bottles to choose from. A variety of style of beer both locally and internationally are represented here. For those who aren’t into beer, there’s a decent range of spirits, cocktails and wines on offer too. The whisky selection in particularly is much better than we had anticipated, and features several rare whiskeys.

We didn’t eat on this occasion but for those looking for a bite, there’s a substantial range of pub favourites on offer. Share plates, burgers, pizzas, jaffles and salads are the kind of thing you can expect. The food coming out of the kitchen looked very appetising, with the flavour options on offer focusing on traditional, simple combinations of ingredients sourced locally where possible.

Conveniently located near Ballarat Railway Station, there’s no excuse not to visit Hop Temple if you find yourself in town. A great spot to while away the afternoon with friends.

Hop Temple

Rear 24-28 Armstrong Street
Ballarat
Victoria 3350
Australia

Telephone: (03) 5317 7158
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.hoptemple.com.au/

Open
Wed – Fri: 4:00pm to 11:00pm
Sat: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 9:00pm

Iran: The Abandoned Ghost Town Of Kharanaq

Paul

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4 March 2016

2

KHARANAQ | In a world with a rapidly growing population, we’re always hearing stories about cities growing faster than anticipated, cities becoming more densely populated, cities becoming more hectic. It’s a common story around the world. How is it then, that there can be cities that decline in population? There are the obvious answers like war and famine, but what else can cause a once vibrant place to decline in population to such an extent that it becomes practically uninhabited? This is one of the questions that I was asking myself as I explored the ruins of the abandoned ghost town of Kharanaq (Kharanagh) in Iran.

Located about 70km north of Yazd, this crumbling mud brick city has been occupied by humans for over 4,000 years (the adobe houses and architecture visible today dates back over 1,000 years). There’s actually a New Town located 2km from the Old Town where the remaining residents of Karanaq live (about 400 people save for a few elderly people who refuse to leave), but it’s the Old Town that captures the imagination of visitors and photographers. It’s a fascinating place to walk through with its winding and decaying alleys, tunnels and spaces, and is located in a picturesque valley.

One of the most visible monuments in the city, and one of the few things around that has been restored is the 15 metre tall Shaking Minaret of Kharanaq. Dating back to the 17th century, the minaret can frequently be seen vibrating. Why? Nobody knows.

This is not your typical tourist attraction and visitors to Kharanaq quickly learn that the words “watch your step” are very important, as the city is literally crumbling away and many of the surfaces are less than stable. Steps and rooftops could give way at any time. I’m sure that once Iran becomes the popular tourist destination that it’s destined to be, busloads of tourists will arrive in Kharanaq to see the ancient ghost town from the safety of a marked and restricted walking route but for now, there’s nobody around and you’re free to go wherever you want in the city.

Most people started to leave Kharanaq in the 1940s. Up until the 1970s there were still some residents who believed the city was worth saving. Construction was started on this mosque around that time but as you can see, even those determined stragglers eventually gave up on Kharanaq. Most of the residents left today are those who are too old and poor to start a new life elsewhere.

It’s obvious from the mosque’s exterior that it’s one of the relatively modern, and final structures to be built (well semi-built) in Kharanaq.

Remnants of everyday life lie scattered throughout Kharanaq, and because of the dust and sand it’s hard to tell how old some of the debris is. Clearly this 7up bottle is relatively new. I found other items that must have dated back until at least the 1970s.

One can’t help but wonder what stories those who lived here would have. Whose house was this? What were they like? Where did they go?

This public bath (Haman) is one of the most fascinating parts of the city for me. I think the fact that it’s relatively well preserved means that there’s a stronger link between the populated city that was and the abandoned ruins that now are.

As for my original question, the reason that Kharanaq was abandoned is a simple one. Drought. Once the drinking water and formerly fertile farmland was no more, the entire lifeblood of the city was gone, and gradually people moved to seek opportunities either in Yazd or the nearby mines.

S04E04: Regular Service Has Resumed

Chris

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3 March 2016

0

PODCAST | In this hangover-, bucks party-, honey-induced episode, Chris discovers what IBU really means (it’s something about bitterness), Jeff becomes an esteemed beer oracle, and Paul takes on an awkward dilemma involving beer and misbegotten honey. We also talk about the merger of sours and saisons and try to act like we know what we’re talking about.

On top of all this, Chris complains about the unexpected increase in cucumber-based beers, but mostly because he doesn’t like cucumber.

Alternative titles for this episode include: The Smiths and Robert Smith; That Good Level of Sour; Know Your Egyptian Gods; It’s Closer to Egypt than Here; and Is Anyone At All Mentioning Egypt?

Featured beers: Acid Wash by Boatrocker Brewing Company and AMON-RA by Red Duck.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Petition Beer Corner, Perth CBD

Paul

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3 March 2016

0

PERTH | Petition Beer Corner Perth is a the craft beer bar that the CBD has been crying out for. Western Australia might be the state that kicked off the craft beer revolution in Australia, and the craft beers that it’s brewers produce might be some of the best regarded in the nation, but until recently it’s actually been hard to get a lot of them on tap at one place.

Located at the Barrack Street end of the the recently renovated heritage listed State Buildings, Petition Beer Corner entices visitors with its exposed brick walls, spacious interior and swathes or natural sunlight. It’s the brainchild of Little Creatures founders and former owners Adrian Fini, Howard Cearns, David Martin and Nic Trimboli and, unsurprisingly given the track record that these guys have, it’s rather good.

The showcase is the 18 taps, which contain a rotating selection of local, interstate and international craft beer. Most beers are available in 3 sizes (150ml, 300ml, 450ml) with prices varying depending mostly on the ABV and country of origin of the beer. You’re looking at an average of $3.50/$7.00/$10.00 for a beer in each of the 3 sizes. A range of styles from Indian Pale Ales to Saisons, Stouts to Hefeweizens are on offer and the friendly and knowledgeable staff are happy to talk customers through the beers on offer on a given day. All staff are accredited as Certified Beer Servers under the Cicerone program, which basically means that they know their stuff – the test requires mastering the facts of at least 49 styles of beer.

It’s not just the 18 taps where good beer can be found. Petition also has a “bottle shop” from which patrons can buy bottled beer to take away or drink in the venue. As with the taps, the bottles range from the local to the foreign, the accessible and familiar to the challenging and rare. I’ve been here twice and have always managed to find beers that I’ve never seen elsewhere. There’s not much of a wine list here, but that’ because Petition Wine Bar & Merchant is located next door.

The food is more than an afterthought at Petition, with head chef Jesse Blake putting together a menu that uses fresh, local ingredients to put a twist on what is, at its essence, posh pub food. For a bigger selection of food you’ll need to visit the adjacent Petition Kitchen (or Long Chim downstairs).

Linley Valley Chicharones, Smoked Ricotta, Onion Creme ($10.00)

These crunchy, deep fried pieces of porky goodness are exactly what you want with your beer. Fatty and salty but not too oily the chicharones were balanced nicely with the dip.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Cabbage Salad, Pickles ($22.00)

Nice fried chicken that was moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, but a bit lacking in flavour without the much needed dipping sauce. Also quite pricey.

BBQ Fries With Aioli ($11.00)

Does what it says on the box. Perfectly acceptable fries that are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. A nice, not overpowering BBQ flavour.

Ceviche Market Fish, Avocado, Sweet Chilli, Rice Chip ($13.00)

A lighter dish to go with the lighter beers on the menu, this one worked really well with a nice textural mix and subtle flavours that didn’t overpower the fresh fish.

Grilled Chorizo With Lemon ($10.00)

One of the most simple items on the menu, the chorizo had a nice little kick to it and left a nice succulent mouth-feel after each bite.

Petition Beer Corner is definitely on the pricer end of the scale, however the offering is such that you want to return. A fantastic space, great service, a brilliant craft beer selection and great pub snacks all add up to a winning offering. Cheers!

Petition Beer Corner

Corner St George’s Terrace & Barrack Street
Perth
Western Australia 6000
Australia

Telephone: (08) 6168 7771
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://petitionperth.com/

Open
Mon – Sat: 11:30am to late
Sun: 12:00am to late

Broccoli & Red Quinoa Salad: Recipe

Lauren

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2 March 2016

0

Post the festive season, guilt starts to kick in over the excessive amount of food and alcohol that has been consumed and the desire for lighter, healthy food takes over. This Broccoli & Red Quinoa Salad recipe was created to help get the healthy eating back on track. It’s high in protein and rich in fibre and minerals. It’s super tasty and will make you feel full despite being a light salad. It’s also good for anyone looking for something vegan or gluten free.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes / Cooking Time: 10 minutes / Serves 2-4

Ingredients

150g red quinoa
150g snow peas
150g broccoli
30ml lemon juice
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, diced
20g mint, chopped finely
20g flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook the quinoa as per the packet’s instructions and allow it to cool.
While you are cooking the quinoa, place the broccoli in a steamer above the quinoa and steam for 5-7 minutes.
Immediately remove the broccoli from the heat and place it in icy water to stop the cooking process.
Drain the broccoli and set it aside.
Remove the both ends of the snow peas (top and tail) and cut into 2cm chunks.
Add the quinoa, broccoli, snow peas, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, mint, parsley and salt and pepper to a bowl.
Mix well and serve.

Notes

You can cook the quinoa in chicken or vegetable stock to add an additional depth of flavour. Also you can lightly toast a handful of slivered almonds in a dry fyring pan for about 3-5 minutes and sprinkle these on top for an extra crunch and a little more protein.

Pretty Mama, Melbourne CBD

Paul

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1 March 2016

0

MELBOURNE | Pretty Mama Melbourne is bringing Caribbean flavour to Melbourne’s Spencer Street, a part of town that has long been a relative no-go zone for food compared to the rest of the CBD. A collaboration between Michael Cotter (Gumbo Kitchen, Po’ Boy Quarter), and Shae Silvestro (ex Brooks, Der Raum), Pretty Mama is a Caribbean Grill/Island Bar that serves up a menu full of Caribbean inspired food and cocktails – and Red Stripe of course.

The space is very casual and laid back, with a beach-side shack kind of vibe going on. The spirits selection is extensive, and includes many interesting and rare top shelf rums amongst other things. All of the classic cocktails are available, but it’s the run infused creations that really take centre stage.

The kitchen is being run by chef Clint Gresham (ex Cobb Lane bakery) and is open to the restaurant. We spoke to Gresham and he told us that diners would be able to sit at the benches around the kitchen and chat to the kitchen staff while enjoying their meals. It’s all keeping with the casual atmosphere that the team at Pretty Mama want to achieve.

We were invited to try a sample of some of Pretty Mama’s signature dishes and were treated to a range of starters and mains.

Puerto Rican Duck Ceviche

The duck fish (or “boar fish” as it’s sometimes known) ceviche was really tasty. It really worked, with the texture of the duck fish adding a not too common with ceviche chewiness to each bit. This was not a bad thing, as all of the ingredients worked really well together.

Twice Cooked Plantains

You don’t see plantains on menus in Australia too often but these, for all intents and purposes, giant bananas are a great fruit to eat fresh or fried. These ones were super crispy, and tasted like a cross between potato chips and a mild banana. Very moreish.

Jamaican Milawa Wood Grilled Jerk Chicken

It wouldn’t be a Caribbean inspired venue if there wasn’t jerk chicken on the menu and the version at Pretty Mama is cooked to perfection on the hot open fire that is there for all to see in the kitchen. It’s not a spicy as we’re used to with jerk chicken, but the coating is full of flavour with a really nice char to it. The meat inside, tender and delicious.

Grilled Pork Chop with Pineapple Ceviche

The grilled pork chop was also excellent, with the pineapple ceviche adding a nice acidic element to the mildly spiced pork.

Haitan Blackened Monkfish

Monkfish isn’t used for this traditional dish in Haiti but in sticking with the ethos to use local ingredients where possible, Pretty Mama have sourced the similar Monkfish. This dish was the only one of the night that didn’t particularly impress. It was nice however it didn’t reach the highs of the other food we tried. It seemed a bit to under seasoned.

We were impressed with what we saw at Pretty Mama. The owners are passionate, the drinks are great, and the food is tasty and a bit different to what you usually find in Melbourne. A welcome addition to this part of town.

Pretty Mama

220 Spencer Street (Enter via Watertank Way)
Melbourne 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9034 4355
E-mail: n/a
Website: http://www.prettymama.com.au/

Open
Tue – Thu: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 1:00am
Sun: 12:00pm to 5:00pm

Shimbu, Brunswick East

Paul

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29 February 2016

0

MELBOURNE | Shimbu Brunswick East offers Melburnians a taste of a cuisine that’s not too common in Melbourne – Tibetan food. It’s a family business, with owner Dorje Wolokh’s family having previously owned Tibetan restaurant “Wild Yak” in Northcote.

Dorje looked at what was happening in this part of town and noticed that many of the businesses that were failing serving curries were doing so because they weren’t doing any thing different. Being based in this part of town we can confirm that the locals here want authentic food and flavours. Many places attempt to do a faux authentic fitout based on what they think people will want, and thrown authenticity out the window when it comes to the actual food. Shimbu does the opposite, and offers an unashamedly modern space to diners. This isn’t the place to visit if you want to be overwhelmed by tacky décor and nick-nacks.

Continuing from the modern fitout is the food itself. The menu is split into 2 parts – traditional and modern. On the traditional side of the menu you find the curries and momos that Tibetan cuisine is known for (and that the head chef has had over 25 years of experience cooking) while on the modern side is food that’s not even Tibetan – fried chicken, bao, tacos. Dorje and his family not only wants to serve traditional Tibetan food, but also offer a range of food that he just really likes and thinks customers will like too. This honesty about what he’s trying to do with Shimbu is refreshing. Basically “Some stuff is authentic, some is not, it is, however, all good.” A small range of beer, wine and cocktails are also on offer. When we were invited to try some of the food a Shimbu we took up the chance to see if this ethos was true. We didn’t pay on this occasion but have included prices for your reference.

Sha Momos ($6.90 for 4, $13.90 for 10)

Momos are a dumpling commonly found in Tibet and Nepal. Sha momos contain beef and have a thick bready skin. At Shimbu you can get sha (beef) or tsel momos and choose to either have them steamed or fried. The steamed momos were very tasty however we found that they were a bit too “bready”. This is a personal preference thing as we’ve tried thick skinned dumplings that have been steamed before and have thought the same thing. With something like bao it works but with these kind of dumplings it makes them heavier than we like.

The fried version work much better. Despite being fried the combination of crispy exterior means that they are less bready and actually lighter than the steamed version. Both tasty, but the fried momos win out on texture.

The spicy dipping sauce that the momos were served with was very tasty and helped to elevate each bite.

Shimbu Fried Chicken ($14.90)

From the non-traditional portion of the menu, the fried chicken is simple and one of the best examples of fried chicken in town. The chicken breast is beautifully moist and tender while the coating is light and crispy. A little bit of mayo and sweet chilli sauce to dip each piece in adds the perfect finishing touch. Nothing fancy or exotic here, just some really good fried chicken.

Bedhai ($14.90) / Solo ($15.90)

The two signature curries at Shimbu are the bedhai and the solo. Bedhai is a curry with coconut milk and vegetables with your choice of meat, while solo is a curry with fresh chilli, onion and tomato, also with your choice of meat. We went for the chicken bedhai and beef solo.

The first thing that struck us about the Bedhai was the size. This is one of the most generous servings of curry and rice we’ve received at a restaurant in Melbourne, and a bargain given the price. The flavours were unique and tasty – a mild curry with very fragrant notes and a generous amount of tender chicken.

We’ve not eaten a lot of Tibetan food so can’t exactly speak to its authenticity but we’d have to assume that the Solo was authentic as it was properly spicy. Each bite had a strong spice kick to it that continued to build over time. Toned down for the general populace this is not. It’s right on the borderline between being very spicy and too spicy but never crosses over into the too spicy region – the flavours beneath the spice are all apparent with each bite. Be warned though if you are adverse to heat.

Shimbu has attempted to do a mixture of traditional Tibetan food and non-traditional food in a casual, modern environment and to our mind has succeeded. The food is fantastic, the servings generous, the pricing keen and the staff genuinely engaged and cheerful. There was a short wait for a table when we visited, and this was only after 2 weeks of being open with next to no publicity. A good sign when you’re attracting the locals this early on in the piece. We will definitely be back as paying customers in the future, especially as it’s on the way home and takeaway is offered!

Shimbu

58 Lygon Street
Brunswick East 3057
Australia

Telephone: 0405 319 161
E-mail: n/a
Website: Facebook

Open
Tue – Sun: 5:00pm to 12:00am

Eat At Some Of Melbourne’s Top Restaurants For $1 & Fight Food Waste

Paul

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28 February 2016

0

Eat At Some Of Melbourne’s Top Restaurants For $1 & Fight Food Waste

MELBOURNE | Want to know how you can eat at some of Melbourne’s top restaurants for just $1.00, and support a good cause in the process? On Saturday 5 March, Melbourne’s restaurant community will come together to show their support for the war against food waste by offering $1.00 dishes exclusively via The YUME App.

Some of Melbourne’s best chefs including Jesse Gerner (Bomba, Green Park Dining, Anada), Guy Grossi (Grossi Florentino), Joe Grbac (St Crispin) and Alejandro Saravia (Pastuso) are getting behind the event and will be posting a limited number of $1.00 dishes on the app from 3:00pm to 4:00pm during “YUME Hour”. All funds raised during YUME Hour will be donated to Melbourne’s four main food rescue charities: OzHarvest, FareShare, Foodbank and SecondBite.

What’s YUME you might be asking? Well it’s a new Melbourne based app from food waste warrior Katy Barfield (SecondBite, Spade & Barrow) that aims to provide restaurants with an easy-to-use tool to either sell or donate their surplus food. Katy hopes Melbourne – Australia’s culinary capital – will soon take the crown as the nation’s food-rescue capital and we had a chat to her about the YUME App and YUME Hour.

Tell us about YUME Hour.

YUME Hour is an exciting event we are hosting as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival to shine a spotlight on the important issue of food waste! On Saturday, 5th of March from 3:00pm to 4:00pm Melbourne’s restaurant community will come together to show their support for YUME and the #waragainstwaste by posting exclusive $1 dishes on The YUME App. Dishes available during YUME Hour will be constructed using surplus ingredients (think Guy Grossi’s cassata gelato made using candied orange peel or Saint Crispin’s ‘Top to Bottom Salad’ of beetroot tops and bottoms, shaved carrot ends, roasted walnuts and celery juice). To take part in YUME Hour, simple download YUME on either the App Store or Google Play and make sure you open the app at 3pm on the 5th of March! Dishes are limited and it’s a case of first in best dressed so make sure you get in quick and reserve your offers.

You’re quite passionate about advocating for a fair and equitable food system. What kick-started this passion for you?

My maternal grandmother lived through WW2 rations in North London and with a family to feed she was the original waste warrior. On a small 2metre square allotment she literally grew everything to feed and nourish 6 hungry mouths and nothing was ever wasted! Bones became soup, potatoes were unpeeled and fat was collected from cooked meat to spread on bread in the form of lard. She passed her valuable learning down to her 23 grandchildren of which I am one and so I learned early on never to take food for granted and to be mindful of every morsel that was destined for the bin!

Do you think society has become more receptive to the ideas you’ve been campaigning for over the years?

Absolutely. 10 years ago food rescue was a new term and it took some explaining, people would look at me puzzled asking ‘is that legal?’. Thank goodness times have changed, and at a recent United Nations lunch delegates were served Burger & Fries made from ‘off-grade’ vegetables, re-purposed bread buns, bruised beet ketchup, pickled cucumber scraps and field corn fries!

How’s the YUME App going?

Any start-up is challenging but a tech start up in a relatively new area that requires people to take action everyday has brought a whole new meaning to the word challenging! The first company we engaged to build the YUME App were experts at marketing themselves as cutting edge and agile with Melbourne based developers on hand but unfortunately that’s all they were expert at and our reality was VERY different. It turned out that they off-shored everything and after 6 months of missed deadlines we were delivered an App that was littered with bugs, could not be built upon and basically didn’t work. So there we were $100K poorer with broken code, it was a dark time.

Luckily the YUME team and our investors held firm and together we raised additional funds, engaged a real Melbourne based developer and started to turn our vision into a reality! Now we have around 250 businesses signed up with nearly 3000 eager consumers ready to pounce on any deals as and when they are posted. We have some amazing ambassadors and exciting new App features in the pipeline. I speak for all of the YUME team when I say how truly grateful we are for everyone who has helped us on our journey so far.

I’ll admit that we’d not heard of it until last week. Is awareness (by both customers and businesses) an issue?

We have been laying low deliberately over the past six months until we were able to get the tech to a point we’re happy with. We finally have a product that we feel really comfortable marketing so we are ramping up our awareness campaigns. To all of your reader out there, please help us spread the YUME word!

How interdependent are YUME, Second Bite and Spade & Barrow?

They are independent in their own right however they are interdependent in the sense that they are all part of the same food waste puzzle. With 1.3 trillion kgs of food being thrown away globally every year and climate change firmly on the menu it will need a number of different solutions working together to make any impact on the food waste mountain that stands before us.

What’s next?

The beauty of YUME is that the possibilities really are endless. Now that we have mastered the tech, there are so many areas of our food system where it can be applied! Sadly, there are substantial leaks in every part of the food system from farm-gate to households. The vision is to evolve YUME as a platform that can be utilised wherever these leaks may appear. We’re very excited to see where YUME takes us in the next six to twelve months.

Mr Ramen San, Melbourne CBD

Paul

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27 February 2016

0

MELBOURNE | Mr Ramen San Melbourne is yet another ramen place that’s opened up in Melbourne. Located in Mid City Arcade in the CBD’s Chinatown, Mr Ramen San is hidden down a corridor in a low ceilinged part of the arcade – it really is like discovering a hole in the wall food spot in Japan. It’s the brainchild of owner and head chef Head Chef Roystan, who spent several years in Japan perfecting his Kyushu tonkotsu ramen. Regular readers of The City Lane will know that Tonkotsu is my favourite style of ramen, and the best style, in my mind, from which to judge different ramen venues in Melbourne.

The space is small and very authentic. Simple wooden stools and tables, with the ramen master stock bubbling away in the kitchen at the back of the premises for all to see. Service is friendly and efficient, just like in Japan.

Roystan cares a lot about providing proper ramen at his shop. There’s a sign on the wall that states his ethos towards ramen, and one read of this made me feel that I was going to enjoy my meal here. The broth is cooked for at least 10 hours, the noodles are handmade on site daily and if you want a larger than standard serving of noodles, you don’t have to pay extra (not that you need them, the servings are generous), a half egg is included in the base price, not as an option. There are things that are essential, the way it is in Japan, yet not always common in Melbourne. Ingredients are, where possible, fresh and sourced locally.

On the drinks front, a small range of Japanese beer (Asahi, Sapporo), sake and soft drinks are offered. There’s also the option of fruit infused beer – it’s odd, but it is authentic and you’ll find this at many an izakaya in Japan.

Tonkotsu Charsu Ramen ($13.90)

When it’s time to order, the staff are more than happy to go through the choices on the menu. The premise is simple – choose your broth and main topping. I of course had to go for the tonkotsu ramen and wasn’t disappointed. The 10 hour slow cooked broth was thick, creamy, silky and full of pork infused goodness while the large pieces of charsu (roast pork) literally melted in my mouth. Also in the bowl are leeks, spring onion, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed and of course, the half egg which in this case was perfectly cooked – nice and gooey. The noodles are thinner than the usual ramen noodles but tasty with a nice springy texture. To my mind, this is one of the best bowls of tonkontsu ramen you can find in Melbourne.

Spicy Tonkotsu Spicy Chicken Ramen ($13.90)

Lauren went for the double spice hit, going for the spicy tonkotsu broth and the spicy chicken. The broth here was slightly thinner than mine, and there was a definite spice kick to each bite. It’s wasn’t “I need a glass of water after each bite” spicy but it was definitely hot enough to get a bit of a sweat happening. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Other dishes are offered at Mr Ramen San too. There’s tsukumen, which is similar to ramen except that the noodles and toppings are served separately to the broth and instead dipped in with each mouthful. The remaining broth can then be thinned out and finished off as a soup at the end of your meal. There are also vegetarian ramen options.

Gyoza ($6.80)

You can choose between pork or vegetable gyoza and as far as the pork ones that we tried go, we couldn’t fault them. A nice flavoursome filling and perfectly chewy dough with just the slightest crunch from the bottom of the pan.

Assorted Mushrooms With Natto ($6.50)

We also went for the assorted mushrooms with natto. natto, for those who don’t know, is a slimy fermented soybean concoction. We love the stuff, with its pungent fermented taste complimenting the mushrooms perfectly but for those of you who aren’t game, you can get the mushrooms without natto.

We don’t exactly know where Melboune’s ramen craze has come from, but as long as there are places like Mr Ramen San offering up quality ramen at this level, bring it on. I’ve already been back several times since my first visit.

Mr Ramen San

Shop 12, Mid City Centre
200 Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9042 1588
E-mail: n/a
Website: http://www.mrramensan.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:00am to 3:00pm; 4:00pm to 9:30pm

S04E03: Live From Village Melbourne

Chris

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25 February 2016

0

PODCAST | In this episode, recorded live from Village Melbourne, Chris discovers beer’s ‘devils triangle’, Jeff attributes avoiding drinking bad beer in a drinking game to the mysterious beer gods, and Paul discusses the rise of craft lager on tap. We also discover that a tap room is not the right location to record a podcast.

Finally, Chris gets really excited when he discovers the Village’s collaboration beer with Mornington Peninsular Brewery is actually a red ale.

Featured beers: The Village Morning(ton) Glory by Mornington Peninsula Brewery and Calypso Pale Ale by Odyssey Tavern & Brewery.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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THE CITY LANEEAT & TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL

THE CITY LANEEAT & TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL

Hop Temple

Linley Valley Chicharones, Smoked Ricotta, Onion Creme ($10.00)

Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Cabbage Salad, Pickles ($22.00)

BBQ Fries With Aioli ($11.00)

Ceviche Market Fish, Avocado, Sweet Chilli, Rice Chip ($13.00)

Grilled Chorizo With Lemon ($10.00)

Petition Beer Corner

Ingredients

Method

Notes

Puerto Rican Duck Ceviche

Twice Cooked Plantains

Jamaican Milawa Wood Grilled Jerk Chicken

Grilled Pork Chop with Pineapple Ceviche

Haitan Blackened Monkfish

Pretty Mama

Sha Momos ($6.90 for 4, $13.90 for 10)

Shimbu Fried Chicken ($14.90)

Bedhai ($14.90) / Solo ($15.90)

Shimbu

Tell us about YUME Hour.

You’re quite passionate about advocating for a fair and equitable food system. What kick-started this passion for you?

Do you think society has become more receptive to the ideas you’ve been campaigning for over the years?

How’s the YUME App going?

I’ll admit that we’d not heard of it until last week. Is awareness (by both customers and businesses) an issue?

How interdependent are YUME, Second Bite and Spade & Barrow?

What’s next?

Tonkotsu Charsu Ramen ($13.90)

Spicy Tonkotsu Spicy Chicken Ramen ($13.90)

Gyoza ($6.80)

Assorted Mushrooms With Natto ($6.50)

Mr Ramen San

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