All Posts - Page 380 of 421

Din Tai Fung Melbourne Emporium, Melbourne CBD

Paul

-

20 June 2015

Din Tai Fung Melbourne Emporium has opened, and is the world famous dumpling chain’s first foray into the Melbourne market. We were invited to the launch and weren’t going to say no, given our love for dumplings.

Ever since Dendy Harjanto opened Australia’s first Din Tai Fung in Sydney in 2008, awareness of the brand in this country has increase massively and, after opening 7 stores in Sydney, Dendy felt that the time was right to bring Din Tai Fung to Melbourne.

Din Tai Fung Melbourne Emporium occupies the top level of Emporium Melbourne, and with a capacity of 235 people, it’s the largest branch in Australia. Anticipation for Din Tai Fung in Melbourne has been high – when we arrived there was a wait of over an hour. When you put your name down for a table you are given a buzzer so you can do some shopping while you wait and head back when the buzzer starts vibrating.

Originating in Taiwan in 1972 (it was a cooking oil shop prior to that), Din Tai Fung is one of the world’s best known dumpling brands – we’ve personally eaten at their branches in Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore and have never been disappointed. It’s a franchised chain that’s managed to maintain a good level of quality despite expansion. Talking to Dendy and his wife Shin at the launch of Din Tai Fung Melbourne Emporium, we got some insight as to why this might be the case.

Firstly, there is a minimum standard that all of the kitchen staff are required to adhere to when making dumplings. Each one is hand made from start to end, and weighed twice during the process to ensure it falls within an acceptable range. The famous Xi Long Bao are required to contain exactly 18 folds, and each chef has to complete 3 months of training before they are allowed to make them.

Moving on to the menu, we were impressed to see that there was a focus on local produce. Dendy told us that as a franchisee, he is given a certain amount of leeway as to what he can do with the menu at each of his Din Tai Fung branches. For the Melbourne Emporium branch, the wine list is exclusively Victorian and, where possible, the ingredients used are also Victorian. On the menu, there are things that are consistent across all branches, such as the Xiao Long Bao but there are also some dishes that are catered to local and seasonal tastes – for example the black truffle pork dumpling currently on the menu won’t be found on the menu at Dendy’s Indonesian Din Tai Fung stores.

Drinks wise, there are a range of beers, wines and spirits on offer, along with juices and soft drinks. Along with the aforementioned Victorian wine list, we were also impressed with the beer selection. Yes, Victoria Bitter is on the menu but move down the list and you’ll see beers from craft breweries such as Wellington’s Garage Project on offer. Oh and there’s the option to add a shot of alcohol to any of the juices if you want.

Spicy Shrimp & Pork Wonton

These wontons had a good kick to them and were very tasty. They weren’t as delicate as some of the other dumplings that we ate during the night, but that’s by design.

Mango Shrimp Roll

These were one of our favourite appetisers of the night. Crumbed and fried mango and shrimp rolls. The mangoes come from Queensland, so are available fresh all year ’round and balanced well with the shrimp. Proper comfort food.

Steamed Pork Dumpling (Xiao Long Bao)

The famous Xiao Long Bao didn’t disappoint. The dumpling skins were delicate and light and held in the delicious broth and pork inside.

There’s a guide on each table that helps newbies learn how to eat Xiao Long Bao properly – it’s a 2 step process.

Mint & Lychee Freeze

The mint & lychee freeze was our favourite drink of the night and made us wish for the return of summer. Fresh mint, big lychees and finely crushed ice – perfect.

Green Bean with Minced Pork

These beans were the surprise hit of the night. The general consensus on the table was that these were one of the highlights. They crunch of the beans was offset by the softness of the pork, and there was a nice sweetness to the dish. Beans as a highlight, who would have thought?

Shrimp & Pork Shao Mai

We were big fans of the shrimp & pork shao mai, which was akin to getting 2 dumplings in one. The key is to hold these at the bottom, and bite off the top bit containing the shrimp first. You’re then left with a pork dumpling below, which you can add some more soy and/or vinegar to before finishing it off.

Crispy Fried Chicken with Chilli

These morsels of deep fried chicken were delicious, and not greasy at all. Think popcorn chicken with a Chinese twist – you really can’t go wrong.

Egg Fried Rice with Fried Pork Chop

The egg fried rice with fried pork chop reminded us of a dish we had in Malaysia. The rice was light and fluggy and the pork was very tender with a crisp coating. Another dish that falls well and truly into the comfort food basket.

Vegetarian Jiao Zi

These were created in order to satisfy the increasing demand for vegetarian options in Australia. They were very tasty, but couldn’t really compete with the pork and shrimp options.

Cha Jiang Noodle with Minced Pork

These noodles were quite thin – akin to number 4 spaghetti and were topped with a dollop of minced pork. The first thing we thought when this came out was “spaghetti bolognaise” and indeed, that’s exactly what this tasted like, with a Chinese rather than Italian twist.

Peach & Yuzu Freeze

The second “freeze” that we enjoyed was Japanese inspired. This was also tasty, but wasn’t quite as good as the mint and lychee one we tried earlier.

Black Truffle Dumplings

These were new to the Australian menu, as Dendy and Shin wanted to do something a bit non-traditional and use black truffles which are now in season. No truffle oil here – each dumpling contained a piece of proper truffle, with the smell oozing out of the dumpling as soon as the skin was pierced. Very tasty and indulgent, one of these is definitely enough.

Mango Pudding

The mango pudding is Din Tai Fung Australia’s signature dessert, and is a very light, surprisingly not overly sweet pudding. Simple and tasty.

Large Triple Mango & Triple Strawberry Crushed Ice

Another thing that we tried on the night that made us long for warmer weather were these crushed ice towers. Another example of simplicity, these were both quite sweet but good fun, with everyone on the table trying to attack the towers without causing any accidents as they became less structurally sound.

Taro Gelato & Golden Taro Bread

The surprise package of the night on the dessert front was this dessert. We’re big fans of taro however several on the table had not tried taro before. The ice cream was soft and creamy and the deep friend golden taro filled bread was utterly moreish. Combined, this dessert was really a level above the others that we had. If you only have one dessert at Din Tai Fung, make it this.

We had big expectations for Din Tai Fung Emporium Melbourne and are happy to say that they were met. The food was very tasty and the quality was at the level that we’ve experienced at other branches around the world. Well worth your time, just keep those long lines in mind.

Din Tai Fung

Level 4, Emporium Melbourne
287 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9654 1876
Email: n/a
Website: https://www.dintaifung.com.au/

Open
Mon: 8:00am to 4:00pm
Tue – Fri: 8:00am to 11:00pm
Sat: 11:00am to 11:00pm

Tukk & Co, Docklands

Jeff

-

19 June 2015

0

A common lament of people working in or visiting the Docklands precinct of Melbourne has been the ‘soulless’ feel of the area. Despite the opening of many large corporate offices in the area, the continual increase in the number of apartments being built, and the associated increase in people in the area, there is still a distinct lack of eating and drinking establishments that one would actually want to visit.

Enter Tukk & Co, a new cafe and casual eatery that is looking to change the vibe and image of Docklands. Tukk & Co claims to be the first ‘laneway cafe’ in Docklands, however we question whether you can call the space between the NAB and Medibank buildings past the footbridge on the west side of Southern Cross station a laneway. In any case, it’s a moot point.

It would be easy to miss the simple frontage of Tukk & Co – a single poster in the window is the only indication of the food that might be served within. Apparently this is due to the regulations imposed on traders in the area which restrict the amount of external advertising that is permitted to improve uniformity which we think is a bit of a shame. City planners take note – you do not make an area vibrant by eliminating the opportunity for expression and individuality.

The inside of Tukk & Co is a split-level space – on the top floor is a coffee-shop style setup serving single origin coffee and simple lunch foods such as croissants and salads. One of the aims of the team at Tukk & Co (one of whom formerly worked as an architect) is to create a ‘haven’ for office workers in Docklands with a non-corporate feel and to this end the interior has been designed to be distinct from the otherwise dominant use of concrete and metal. The extensive use of wood and round corners on the benches both creates a warmth that contrasts against the cold feel of the rest of the area and also echoes the Medibank building in which the venue is located.

Angular shapes have been used extensively on the ceiling to reflect the NAB building across the way. We really liked the way that the interior design had been so thoroughly thought out.

Downstairs is a separate counter and a full service kitchen that uses a similar design motif to the upper level. The team at Tukk & Co aimed to create a range of food that can be eaten ‘on the go’ by busy office workers, but which is more interesting than the typical sandwiches and rolls that are available at city cafes. To this end the menu offers an interesting array of Asian buns, burgers and tacos, all of which can be readily eaten with one hand.

For those with the time to sit down and eat there is also a casual dining area. Again the space has been well designed with the use of light colours, soft lighting and plant life creating a relaxing environment to spend one’s lunch break.

Spicy Chicken Taco ($5,50) & Beef Bulgogi Taco ($5.60)

The first thing that we sampled was the soft shell tacos, which came in spicy chicken, bulgogi and calamari varieties of which we tried the first two. The very first thing that we noticed was the heavy layer of parmesan on the tacos which we found overwhelmed the ingredients underneath – we would suggest that less parmesan be used with the option for customers to add extra cheese to taste. Once we got through this we enjoyed the flavours and the combination of ingredients, particularly the spicy chicken – although we thought this could potentially have been spicier (but this might not be to all diners’ taste).

Roast Pork Belly, BBQ Pork & Mushroom Buns ($4,50 each)

Next we sampled three of the four buns on offer (the fourth, in the bottom right, contains lemongrass beef with Vietnamese salad and dressing) which are made entirely in house daily. The roast pork belly was definitely the pick of the lot, the pork was well cooked with the right mix of meat and fat and good crispiness from the skin, the slaw gave extra crunch and the sweet chilli sauce in particular gave the bun a nice subtle kick. The BBQ pork bun also worked well combining good flavour from the pork with an Asian slaw and pickled mustard for crunch and kick. The mushroom bun was disappointing by comparison, we found that there was either not enough teriyaki sauce or that the sauce itself was not sufficiently flavoursome so the overall taste was rather bland.

Single Origin Coffee ($3,70)

Finally, we couldn’t leave without sampling the coffee, which if you look at their website is what Tukk & Co are all about. The team have linked up with some of Melbourne’s best coffee roasters, including Proud Mary and Market Lane Coffee to bring a differentiated coffee experience. On this occasion we tried the blend from El Salvador which had berry undertones and was definitely a step up from the coffee that is more generally available in the city. The custom printed cups were a nice touch also.

Tukk & Co offers good, reasonably priced food that provides a more interesting alternative typical sandwiches in an environment that is a refreshing change from the rest of the Docklands. We would say that the team have made a good start at trying to change the vibe and image of the area and would recommend that anyone who works in Docklands pop down there for a coffee and/or some lunch.

Tukk & Co

8/720 Bourke Street
Docklands
Victoria 3008
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9642 4724
E-mail: n/a
Website: http://www.tukk.com.au/

Open
Coffee, Mon-Fri: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Food, Mon-Fri: 11:30am to 2:30pm

Healthy No-Cream Corn Chowder: Recipe

Lauren

-

18 June 2015

0

Corn Chowder is a great, hearty dish but can be higher in calories than desired. As the cooler months start to set in, I start becoming more conscious about creating healthy meals which satisfy my desire for warmth without making my jeans tighter. This dish is a quick healthy soup you can make on a rainy day or after work when all you want to do is hibernate.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes / Cooking Time: 30 minutes / Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 thyme springs
250g fresh corn, cut off the cob
1 brown onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 Ruby Lou or Royal Blue potato, peeled and cubed
2L chicken or vegetable stock
250ml full cream mi;k
30g plain flour
5ml olive oil

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.
Add the thyme, onion, celery and garlic to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the flour then slowly start adding in the stock and the milk.
Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the potato and corn and simmer for a further 15 minutes..
Discard the thyme stalks and serve.

Notes

Potential variations :

– Add some lean protein such as chicken at the end of the dish.

– Serve with Cruskits smeared in a saffron mayonnaise. This can be simply made with 4 saffron threads ground in a mortar which are then mixed with 30g of a whole egg mayonnaise.

Istanbul Food Guide

Paul

-

17 June 2015

4

Istanbul is a city that’s much larger than many realise. Spread out over 5,343 square kilometres, the former capital of Turkey (today the capital is Ankara) is home to 14.4 million people, making it the 5th largest city in the world. The city is one of the world’s true crossroads, finding itself in both Europe and Asia and has seen influences throughout its development from all over. As you’d expect, this all combines to make Istanbul one of the world’s truly great, diverse food cities.

What though, do most people know about Turkish food? Ask the average person on the street outside of Turkey what they know about Turkish food and you won’t get too much of an answer beyond “kebabs”. Turkish coffee, baklava and Turkish delights may also come up in conversation but generally, people’s knowledge will be limited. We’ll admit that before we visited Turkey our knowledge on the diversity of food in Turkey was rather limited too.

There’s a lot to cover in this city, but we’ll be keeping this Istanbul food guide focused on the Beyoğlu and Kadıköy districts, which is where most people tend to congregate and where a lot of Istanbul’s best restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs can be found. We’ve also included some great spots in the Fatih area – this is the part of Istanbul where most of the tourist sites are located and it can be hard to separate the quality from the rubbish. Whether it’s street food, a fancy meal or just a small snack that you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find it in Istanbul. A range of the types of food that can be found in Istanbul is listed, along with suggestions on where you can go to find some of the best examples of that food.

Also, we’d like to give a special thanks to Nick from Sharking For Chips & Drinks, for helping us find some of these great spots.

Kebab

Kebabs are unquestionably the Turkish food that most people are familiar with. The kebab however, is much more than the late night sliced meat wrapped in pita that most outside of Turkey associate with the term “kebab”. At its core, a kebab consists of pieces of meat, fish or vegetables that have been grilled on a skewer or spit. In Turkey there are at least 40 different types of kebab, with the following being the most common:

Sish Kebab – Meat threaded on a skewer and grilled. Cubes of vegetables and/or fruit are usually used too.
Döner Kebab – Sliced lamb, beef, or chicken, slowly roasted on a vertical rotating spit. Similar to Middle Eastern shawarma and Greek gyros. Döner kebab is most commonly served in a pita wrap with salad.
Adana Kebab – a long, hand-minced meat kebab mounted on a wide iron skewer and grilled over charcoal.

It’s not hard to find a good kebab in Istanbul. The best advice that we can give you is to follow your nose. If you are walking down the street and you start to smell the scent of beautifully flame grilled meat, then start looking around. Usually you’ll find the source nearby, and if the place is good there will be locals eating there. Here are a few recommendations that particularly stood out for us.

Sehzade Cağ Kebap

This place specialises in cağ, a type of kebab that originated in Erzurum, a city in eastern Turkey. Slices of lamb (only lamb is used for cağ) and tail fat are marinated in yoghurt, black pepper and sliced onions overnight. They are then impaled on a spit and stacked thickly. The spit is then placed horizontally on a rotating mechanism and placed next to open flames, where it rotates and grills.

Cağ is not as common in Istanbul as other types of kebab, but it’s worth seeking out as it’s flavoursome and a lot more tender than many other types of kebab. One of the best places to find cağ in Istanbul is Sehzade Cağ Kebap.

The menu is small and very affordable – we recommend you order everything, as it all tastes great. Starters include a chilli paste, salad and a buffalo milk yoghurt.

You can read more about tea in Turkey in the “Coffee & Tea” section below – it’s very common and you’ll find people drinking it everywhere here.

Cağ kebab on skewers.

Cağ kebab with salad, wrapped in a thin pita.

A traditional lentil soup (mercimek çorbası) with bread. This was surprisingly one of the highlights.

A dessert of tel kadayıf, which consists of long thin noodle shreds combined with syrup and nuts. Tasty, but very sweet.

A Turkish coffee to finish the meal of course.

Sehzade Cağ Kebap
Hocapaşa Hamamı Sokak, No 6
Fatih, İstanbul

Kemer Dürüm Evi

This is the perfect example of why sometimes the best thing to do when hungry is follow your nose. Well I lie – we had actually eaten about half an hour prior and weren’t that hungry but when we smelt the grilled meat from the other end of the street we knew we had to find the source and try something. We followed our noses until we found Kemer Dürüm Evi and ordered what seemed to be popular amongst the locals we noticed ordering food, both to takeaway and eat in.

The meat in this dish had quite a spicy kick to it, and the bulgur pilavı (tomato and green pepper mixed with bulgur) was a surprisingly delicious addition. For only a few dollars (USD), it was an absolute bargain.

These kind of grills (Ocakbaşı) are very common in Istanbul. You’ll see the grill master busy grilling a variety of meats and vegetables on skewers. Ventilation shafts allow the smoke to escape outdoors – this is what we could smell from afar.

Kemer Dürüm Evi
Bozdoğan Kemeri Caddesi, No 63
Fatih, İstanbul

Dürümzadee

This place was on our list but unfortunately we never got the chance to visit. By all accounts it’s one of the best places to get a dürüm kebab in Istanbul. If you manage to visit, let us know what you thought in the comments below!

Also a word of warning. There are 2 places with this name, so make sure you go to the correct one as the other place doesn’t have a great reputation.
Dürümzade
Kamer Hatun Caddesi, No 16/A
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Grilled Meat

Meat is an important part of the Turkish diet, however it wasn’t always this way. When the Greeks were in control of what is now Turkey, meat was not something you’d commonly find in Byzantium (the ancient Greek name for Istanbul). It was only when the Turkmen nomads took control that meat became an important part of Turkish cuisine.

The most common form of grilled meat in Turkey is of course, the already discussed kebab, however other kinds of grilled meats are also popular – lamb chops, kofte (meatballs – not always grilled), and even tartar (raw mince – and most definitely not grilled) are all easily found in Turkey.

Zübeyir Ocakbaşı

If you’re looking to try a range of some of the best grilled meats that Istanbul has to offer, then Zübeyir Ocakbaşı, which has been popular in this city ever since it opened in 2006, is a must. Ocakbaşı is the word for the long grill covered with a copper hood that you will see in many a restaurant in Turkey. This is where the meat in Turkey gets its amazing flavour – grilled over hot coals.

It’s not just about the meat here – the meze on offer is also great quality, especially the cacık (which is analogous to Greek tzatziki).

You can’t go wrong with any of the meats on offer, but we’d highly recommend you get the lamb chops in amongst your selection – they are delectable. Another must do is to wrap a few cubes of kebab meat with some grilled tomato and green pepper in the supplied flat bread.

You simply must visit Zübeyir Ocakbaşı if you’re in Istanbul as it really is one of the best places for grilled meat in the city.

Zübeyir Ocakbaşı
Bekar Sokak, No 28
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Antiochia Concept

Antiochia Concept specialises in cuisine from Antakya, in Turkey’s Hatay Province. The food is spicier than in other parts of Turkey and the meze are generally sweeter.

I questioned whether or not I should include Antiochia Concept in this list, but decided to for one simple reason: The food that we ate here was really good. The lamb in particular was some of the best we tried in Istanbul – nicely charred on the outside and beautifully tender, cooked medium on the inside. The wrapped beef kebabs that we ate were also very tasty and full of flavour, with a great interplay between sweet and spicy.

If the food was so good, why, did I question Antiochia Concept’s inclusion in this list? Well reports indicate that the food at this restaurant which is popular with both locals and tourists can be quite inconsistent. We might have had an excellent meal (although admittedly the service was slow), but I’ve read stories about people who have had some pretty bad experiences both food and service wise at this place. At the end of the day, I’ll leave the choice up to you.

Antiochia Concept
Minare Sokak, No 21/A
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Breakfast

Breakfast is an important meal in Turkey and the full Turkish breakfast spread is one of the best breakfasts we’ve seen anywhere in the world. Certain aspects of the Turkish breakfast vary from region to region but there’s a lot that’s consistent. Tea, bread, white cheese, old cheese (kaşar peyniri), black and/or green olives (zeytin), butter, honey, jam, an omlette or boiled eggs (yumurta), sliced tomatoes and/or cucumbers are all staples.

Van Kahvati Evi

Van Kahvati Evi has a reputation for serving up one of the best Turkish breakfasts in town and when we ordered the traditional breakfast spread from this popular cafe we could see why. All of the essential components were present and everything tasted great. The addition of halva and a range of spreads (including Nutella, which might not be traditional but seems to have become the world’s de-facto favourite spread) served to sweeten the deal. this impressive serving was actually only a serving for one, but it easily fed 2 people.

We also ordered some gozleme, not because the food above wasn’t enough, but because we wanted to try some. We got the spinach version which was very tasty – the bread was quite light and the dish wasn’t oily, as can sometimes be the case with gozleme.

Along with breakfast, Van Kahvati Evi operates as most cafes do and serves decent lunch and cafe food too, but you don’t have to worry about rushing here for breakfast, as it’s served all day.

Van Kahvati Evi
Defterdar Yokuşu, No 52
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Cuma

Cuma is another place that serves up a top quality Turkish breakfast and a variety of other impressive dishes throughout the day (just check out the menu on their website – impressive!). Unfortunately we ran out of time to try it but we thought we’d let you know as we’ve only heard good things.

Cuma
Çukurucuma Caddesi, No 53/A
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Baklava

If there’s a Turkish food other than kebabs that people outside of Turkey have heard about this is it. Baklava is made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts, sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It’s popular in Turkey, Greece and throughout the Middle East (basically anywhere that was a part of the Ottoman Empire) with the Turkish version usually containing pistachios, walnuts or almonds.

Sweet shops are easy to find all over Istanbul, and if a place sells baklava you’ll usually notice it on display in the window.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu

Karaköy Güllüoğlu is one of the most famous places to get baklava in Istanbul – it’s been selling its creations since 1820! Thankfully, it lives up to its reputation, with the baklava not being overly syrupy and the pasty layers being nicely defined and crispy. There are a range of types to choose from, with different nuts and syrups being used. I went for the pistachio, walnut and chocolate baklavas. The best were the walnut and the chocolate, which had a deep real cocoa flavour to it.

Along with baklava, a range of other desserts such as Turkish delight, cakes and flans are sold here but the baklava is what it’s all about.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu
Mumhane Caddesi, No 171
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Gaziantepli Baklavacı Bilgeoğlu

Gaziantepli is just as famous as Karaköy, with the secret (well not really a secret) behind its famously buttery baklava being the use of clarified butter (which you can buy on its own to take home and cook with). We didn’t get the chance to visit but by all accounts the baklava here is heavenly, with the pistachio version being particularly well regarded.

Gaziantepli Baklavacı Bilgeoğlu
Nailbey Sokak, No 1/B
Kadıköy, İstanbul

Lokum (Turkish Delight)

At their most basic, lokum are a starch and sugar gel, flavoured with rose water, mastic or lemon water. They are often cubed and coated with icing sugar. They have a solid, dense jelly-like texture and are very tasty. Sometimes nuts are used as well although it’s not a necessity. As with Baklava, lokum are plentiful throughout Istanbul and can be seen gracing the displays of many a sweet and convenience store. It’s actually pretty hard to find a bad lokum as it’s such a simple delicacy.

Altan Şekerleme

We didn’t have the chance to get to Altan Şekerleme but for more varieties and flavours than you’re ever likely to need, this is supposed to be the place to go. It’s a sweet shop that’s been operating since 1865 which sells a variety of sweets. Along with lokum, they are also known for their Akide, which is a type of hard candy.

Altan Şekerleme
Kıble Çeşme Caddesi, No 68
Eminönü, Fatih, İstanbul

Coffee & Tea

Mention Turkey and coffee to most and for good reason, minds will instantly go towards the traditional Turkish coffee. The old school Turkish coffee is hugely popular in Turkey and can be found at basically any place that sells food or drink. It’s prepared by boiling finely ground (beans are ground as fine as is possible) roasted coffee beans (any beans will do) in a pot over a stove top, with or without sugar. The coffee is served in a small cup with the grounds, which are allowed to settle. It’s a thick and intense coffee with a very unique flavour.

We had a lot of Turkish coffees while in Istanbul and all of them were great. What I want to focus on below are the new generation of coffee shops that are embracing a variety of coffee styles from around the world. Third wave coffee has hit Istanbul, and no matter how you like your coffee, you’ll be able to find a place that does what you want.

Kronotrop

If you haven’t heard the term “third wave coffee” before it’s a movement that focuses on attaining the highest quality of coffee craftsmanship possible. From the growing of the beans, sustainability of farms, roasting of the beans to the final cup of coffee, all aspects of the process are focused on. Kronotrop is one of the best examples of a third wave coffee shop in Istanbul, with a range of single origins and blends from around the world available to have brewed using almost any method you can think of. Turkish coffee, espresso, cold drip, filter – it’s all here. The coffee is, as one would expect, outstanding.

Turkish coffee can be made using any beans that one chooses, but when you come to a place like Kronotrop and they’re using the best beans that there are in the world, you notice the step up in quality compared to the rest. Along with coffee, a small selection of cakes and snacks is offered to enjoy in this chilled out, funky space.

Kronotrop
Firuzağa Cami Sokak, No 2/B
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Holy Coffee

Holy coffee is another third wave coffee shop in a part of Istanbul that’s full of quirky antique shops. The coffee is very good and the fit out is very homely. Along with coffee, there’s a range of biscuits, cakes, sandwiches, soups and salads on offer to satisfy those who are feeling peckish.

Holy Coffee
Hacıoğlu Sokak, No 1/B
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Geyik

Yet another excellent third wave coffee shop in Istanbul is Geyik. Not only do they serve an impressive range of coffee styles using excellent beans, but the place also operates as a cocktail bar at night. It’s become quite popular since opening in 2014 and for good reason – the service is great and the coffee (and by all accounts the cocktails too) is top notch. Serkan İpekli, the co-owner and barista was the 2013 Turkish Barista Champion so you know he knows his stuff.

During evenings, Geyik operates as a bar and the fitout suits this perfectly. On weekends, breakfast is also offered and, if you’re really keen, you can partake in one of their coffee appreciation workshops.

Geyik
Akarsu Caddesi, No 18
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Brew Lab

We didn’t get a chance to grab a coffee from Brew Lab but it’s yet another third wave coffee shop that is highly regarded. It’s all about the coffee here, with every kind of style imaginable on offer. Food wise, it’s only a small selection of pastries and cakes that are available.

Brew Lab
Yeni Çarşı, Caddesi No:5
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Tebessum Café

This is a cafe that we stumbled across walking down a street in a university district and we had to include it here because of its rooftop. The cafe is clearly aimed at the youthful, student crowd, with the bottom floor full of people playing arcade games. Walk up a few flights of stairs to the rooftop and you’re transported to an extremely chilled out lounge area. Grab a beanbag, order a drink and chill out.

Tebessum Café
Cemal Yener Tosyalı Caddesi, No 69
Fatih, İstanbul

Pide

Pide is the Turkish name for pita and is the round, soft, slightly leavened flat-bread that many will be familiar with. It’s very common in Turkey, either to wrap kebabs or to eat with dips and you’ll find it at most places that you eat lunch or dinner at. Another common way that pide is prepared is somewhat like a pizza, with a filling, usually meat or cheese, placed on top or inside of the dough before baking.

Fatih Karadenize Pidecisi

This 3 storey pide restaurant has been providing Istanbul locals with their fill of some of the best pide in town since 1957. The menu is very simple, with only 10 or so types of pide on offer. We went for the open faced cheese (peynirli) pide with egg and the mince (kiymali) pide and egg. You can smell the pide baking as you sit and wait and, when the food does reach your table, you’re not disappointed.

The exterior of the pide is crispy, and the interior is soft and chewy. Egg is optional for all of the pide on offer here but seeing the raw egg crack open and cook on top of the pide on the tables around you, you know that it’s an option you need to choose. Simple indulgence at its best, and one of the best things that we ate in Istanbul.

Fatih Karadenize Pidecisi
Büyük Karaman Caddesi, No 45/47
Fatih, İstanbul

Börek/Gozleme

Börek is very common in Turkey, and varies slightly by region – usually it’s the ingredients used or the shape that’s different. In Istanbul, it’s easy to find varieties from all over the country. What exactly is börek? It’s a baked, filled pastry made with thin, flaky layers of filo pastry (or yufka). The layers are coated with oil or butter and filled with mince, spinach, feta or a similar white cheese.

There are lots of hole in the wall places where you can find börek, such as the place below. It’s common at many cafes and restaurants too. The spinach börek we ate at Van Kahvati Evi when we were out for breakfast was great for example – not too heavy or oily with the right proportion of pastry to filling.

Gozleme can also be found throughout Istanbul. It’s similar to börek however it uses lightly grilled, thin flat bread which is filled and sealed before grilling.

Meze

Meze are a selection of small dishes, usually meant to accompany alcohol as snacks or as an entree before a main meal. There are a wide range of meze that can be found in Turkey, ranging from meat dishes to vegetable dishes, dips to cheese and olives, and a whole lot in between. The number of meze options is so large that it could easily warrant its own post. Some of the most common include:

beyaz peynir (white cheese)
kavun (sliced ripe melon)
acılı ezme (hot pepper paste often with walnuts)
haydari (thick strained yogurt with herbs)
patlıcan salatası (cold eggplant salad)
kalamar tava (fried calamari or squid)
midye dolma and midye tava (stuffed or fried mussels)
enginar (artichokes)
cacık (yogurt with cucumber and garlic)
dolma or sarma (rice-stuffed vine leaves or other stuffed vegetables, such as bell peppers)
arnavut ciğeri (a liver dish, served cold)
çiğ köfte (raw meatballs with bulgur)

Çiya Sofrası

From the outset, let me tell you that this place, which is located in the fish market district of Kadiköy, does not serve the best meze in Istanbul. We had better meze at the other restaurants that we ate at however what Çiya Sofrası does offer is one of the largest ranges of meze in town. Indeed, there were a lot of dishes here that we didn’t see elsewhere in the city, at least not all in the same place at the same time.

This place comes up on a lot of tourist guides and as a result is very popular with tourists – on the night that we visited there were barely any locals inside. I’ve included it however so you can see what some of the meze dishes that don’t appear elsewhere on this post look like.

Braised spinach

Etli Taze Fasulye (green beans stew with meat)

Mercimekli kofte (Bulgur wheat balls)

Sucuk (raw spicy sausage)

Felafel

Çiya Sofrası
Güneşli Bahçe Sokak, No:43
Kadıköy, İstanbul

Milk-Based Desserts

Beyond the baklava, Turkish delight and usual cakes, tarts and biscuits that are common in Turkey is something quite unique and that is Turkish milk-based desserts – generally puddings of some sort.

Özkonak Muhallebicisi

This place has been serving up puddings (and savoury lunches) since the 1960s and is rightfully famous, with its puddings having a reputation as some of the best in the city. We couldn’t decide which to try so we got the 3 the man behind the counter said were the most popular.

The 3 puddings, clockwise from top left to bottom, were:

kazandibi – burnt milk pudding
sütlaç – rice pudding
tavuk göğsü – chicken breast pudding

I quite enjoyed all 3 puddings. The burnt milk pudding was very sweet and tasted quite plain while the rice pudding had a nice texture and flavour to it – not unlike other rice puddings I’ve tried before. We all enjoyed those 2 puddings but the 3rd, the chicken breast pudding, was divisive. We had no idea what to expect with this and upon trying it the first thing that was unusual was the texture – gluey is the best term I can use to describe it. Flavour wise it was sweet and very tasty – hints of vanilla with just the slightest flavour of, you guessed it chicken breast. Not for everyone, but I was a fan.

Özkonak Muhallebicisi
Akarsu Caddesi, No 46/B
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Drinking (Alcohol)

Turkey might be a predominantly Muslim country but there are not shortage of places to find alcohol, with beer, wine and spirits being ready available all over Istanbul. Efes and Bomonti are the 2 most common beer brands you’ll see in Turkey – nothing special but they do the trick. There is also Turkish craft beer but it’s not easy to find.

The national alcoholic drink of Turkey is Raki, which is an unsweetened, anise flavoured drink. It’s usually drunk with water – it’s clear but when added to water turns milky white. It’s quite tasty but the aniseed flavour is strong. If you don’t like Sambucca or Ouzo you won’t like Raki.

Finally, wine is very popular in Turkey and in fact the country is home to several wine growing regions that make great quality local wines.

Solera Winery

One of the best places to sample Turkish wines is Solera winery, which has an extensive selection of exclusively Turkish wines on offer. The owner really knows his stuff and if you tell him the kind of wines that you like he’ll take you on a tour of the various wine producing regions of Turkey, finding a drop to suit your taste.

We may have finished off a few bottles while at Solera.

A small selection of food is also offered, including this tasty cheese board.

Solera Winery
Yeniçarşı Caddesi, No 44
Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Seafood

Given its location along the surprisingly blue Bosphorus, and indeed the abundant coastline that the country has, seafood isn’t hard to come by in Istanbul. While it can at times seem that seafood takes a back seat to meat, it’s easily found if you want some, indeed many a seafood restaurant can be found along the Bosphorus. The most popular kinds of seafood in Turkey are anchovies, sardines, calamari and whiting.

Balik Ekmek

This is one place that we really wanted to try but simply ran out of time. Balik means fish and Ekmek means bread. Each morning on both the Eminonu and Karakoy sides of the Galata Bridge, little stalls with grills and “Balik Ekmek” signs set up shop, selling simple sandwiches of bread filled with fresh caught and grilled mackerel, salted and sprinkled with red pepper, served with onion, lettuce, and a wedge of lemon. It sounds like simple deliciousness and by all accounts it is. Make sure you have one for me and let me know how it was in the comments below.

Balik Ekmek
Galata Bridge, Eminonu and Karakoy sides
Fatih, İstanbul

So there you have it, your one stop guide on where and what to eat in Istanbul. Have you been to Istanbul before? We’d love to hear about your food experiences and recommendations in the comments below.

Wig & Pen Tavern & Brewery, Acton

Chris

-

16 June 2015

0

Nestled in part of the ANU Canberra campus is a little place called Wig & Pen Tavern & Brewery. I had discovered this via a Google search, but after mentioning it to friends who had spent time in Canberra, I quickly discovered it was anything but a secret. I was there on a Wednesday evening and when I walked in, part of me still wondered if I was in the right place. But once I saw the beer taps, I quickly ignored that wonder.

From the selection I first chose the Duckmaloi Red Ale. Given my love of Red Ales, it was a predictable choice I know, but when in a strange city, you tend to run to what you know. The beer is red from the right angles, of course, but it was also a really solid flavour. Not overpowering, such as Matilda Bay’s Ruby Tuesday, but not too watery either. It tasted almost organic, kind of like it was made by from someone who has taken the time to work out what great red ale should taste like. Subtle, but just in the right way.

After some generous tasting portions, my next choices went to the 70 Shillings, an ‘export ale’ that was light but had a surprising full flavour, and the Sequioa, an American Pale Ale with a creamy taste. All three of these beers, along with the tastings, follow a strong undercurrent of smooth over hoppy. For the non-beer lovers, I mention this because in the same way that coffee can be strong but also overwhelmingly bitter, so too can craft beer, and often an overwhelming taste of hops can outweigh the brewers intent.

Taking my eyes away from my beer and to the place itself, it wasn’t what I expected, but let me build on that. Wig & Pen’s location means it has a feel that is both on-campus and strangely abstract from it. This is not a gastro pub, and it is not the first place you would take visiting dignitaries, which is what I assume is what everyone does in Canberra. But its prices, $12 for a pint, mean that it’s also not a place you would go to as a student accustomed to prices half that. Instead, Wig & Pen gravitates in the middle ground. The culture is a little off-centre: they were playing Portishead when I walked in; it’s a little homely: the place felt like somewhere I would hang out in Fitzroy, Melbourne; and it’s aesthetics are no-frills: think of a pub like Labour in Vain and you might be on to something.

Of course, as with a place like this, you would expect a crowd to match. It is next door to the school of music so when I was there, the orchestra appeared in tuxedos, sans bowties, after their performance. For a Melbournian from the North, I felt quite at home.

Overall, I really liked Wig & Pen Brewery. If you’re willing to make the effort to find it, which isn’t too hard with Google maps by your side, you will be pleasantly rewarded. The staff are friendly, the beer is great, and for someone from out of town, it is very easy to feel like a local there.

It’s not the prettiest place, but it’s got a different kind of charm, a style that wouldn’t be out of place in Fitzroy or Newtown. It’s the local favourite, it’s the underdog, and it’s the one that your friends, who went to Canberra to be anything other than to be a politician, would remember and recommend.

If you’re in Canberra on business, take the clients you like here. Or if you’re just in Canberra, make a point to spend some time here.

Wig & Pen Tavern & Brewery

Llewellyn Hall, William Herbert Place
Acton
Australian Capital Territory 2601

Telephone: (02) 6248 0171
Email: n/a
Website: www.facebook.com/wigandpen.canberra

Open
Mon – Wed: 11:30am to 10:00pm
Thurs: 11:30am to 11:00pm
Fri: 11:30am to 12:00am
Sat: 2:00pm to 12:00am

UK Supermarket Beers: The Bargain Bin

Paul M

-

15 June 2015

3

One thing that has always fascinated me since I moved to London is the accessibility of alcohol. Coming from Australia, I grew up only knowing very strict rules about where you could buy and consume alcohol. Somehow, despite the restrictions, us Australians have still managed to earn ourselves a reputation for liking a drink. Europeans must find it bemusing that we aren’t able to buy our beer from the same place we buy every other grocery staple, and must scratch their heads when they realise that despite these laws, it’s perfectly legal for the supermarkets to open up liquor stores directly next door. The joys of bureaucracy.

Moving back to the discussion of grocery staples, of which beer is one (don’t give me that look, deep down you all know I’m right), the fact of the matter is that if I wanted to pick up the crucial items for a romantic night in: frozen pizza, a few beers, and a Viennetta (join the queue ladies), then I would have to line up at two different checkouts in two different stores.

Imagine my giddy delight upon landing in London several years ago and being confronted with an aisle in the supermarket dedicated to alcohol. Much to the anger of publicans the length of the land, the supermarkets shift large volumes of beer, wines and spirits. Likewise the government like to commission studies that inevitably end up pinning the blame of the “binge drinking culture” squarely on the supermarkets. Even with an alcohol duty (somewhere upwards of £0.40 per pint) and VAT of 20%, supermarkets are still somehow managing to sell beer at relatively low prices. Sometimes so low you wonder how they make any money.

Which brings me to the point of this post. I like beer, good beer. I also like a bargain. Are the two things compatible? Can I find great tasting cheap beer? The thing that I found most intriguing when I first encountered supermarkets stocking beer was that they had beers in their value home brand ranges. I’d always wondered what these beers tasted like. Were they as bad as their packaging and price point suggested? I’ve had some fairly atrocious other own brand staples (look, let’s just accept beer is indeed a staple ok?), from watery baked beans, super tangy face-scrunching tomato ketchup, and lemonade that had reached its sugar saturation point. Could these beers break the mould?

So I set about to find out. I do this so you, the faithful reader, need not suffer the heart breaking choice between finishing that beer with “unique notes” or sending it on its way down your sink and out in to the Thames (that’s where it all still goes right?). Will you look like a tramp or a champ lined up at the checkout with these in your basket? Lets see…

I selected own brand lagers from the 3 biggest supermarkets in the UK – a “tasting flight” consisting of Tesco Everyday Value Lager, ASDA Smart Price Lager and Sainsbury’s Basics Lager. Interestingly all 3 are the same price give or take 5p (£1 for 4 cans), and they are all exactly the same 2.0% ABV. A kind of no-mans land of alcohol content. At that strength I suspect my net calorie consumption would end up negative due to the more frequent calls of nature.

There are a few reasons I suspect the alcohol content has been set at this half-strength level. Firstly, halving the strength results in halving the portion of duty that is calculated on alcohol content. Secondly, the UK government continues to dither over imposing a minimum price per alcohol unit. Each of these 440ml cans at 2% ABV comes in, somewhat unsurprisingly, at 0.9 units of alcohol. I suspect these beers might avoid having to adhere to any minimum price criteria because they are below a whole unit of alcohol. It all seems a bit pointless however if the beer isn’t any good.

Tesco Everyday Value Lager

Of the 3 beers sampled, the Tesco lager maintained its head far longer than the other two. That’s got to be worth something, right? On the nose there was nothing particularly exciting. In fact I was lucky to detect notes of beer at all. On the palate – exceptionally weak. My taste buds went to the party all dressed up and then realised it was just a movie night in with a few people you don’t actually like, watching a movie you thoroughly despise, and the popcorn’s burnt. In other words, somewhat underwhelming.

ASDA Smart Price Lager

The ASDA was the most difficult of the 3 to source, thanks to ASDA stores mainly being larger, harder to reach stores out in the suburbs. So it has an uphill battle to be a mainstay in my fridge. On pouring, it went flat the quickest of the three sampled. But after that, it was a nose in front on the others. It had a slightly darker hue than its competition, and had a slightly stronger, bolder taste to it.

Sainsbury’s Basics Lager

Bonus points to this one for having the most embarrassing packaging. It screams out from the basket to other shoppers that you are doing things cheap. But is it cheerful? Well it appeared to be the cleanest, most crisp and bigger bubbled of the beers. The colour was the lightest of the 3, almost champagne-like. As for taste, in a fairly dismal field, I would say it was last even among them. I found nothing interesting at all about its flavour. That clear, crisp look comes at a cost it would seem.

In a blind taste test of the beers I was able to successfully pick out the ASDA lager but could not split the Tesco and Sainsbury’s offerings. Given I felt it was the strongest flavour of the three, I put the ASDA lager ahead in my rankings. The other two can share the second place podium. All three should be ashamed of their efforts though. None were particularly inspiring. I didn’t even manage to finish my sample cans. My biggest concern now is, I have 9 more cans to creatively dispose of.

To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if all 3 beers are brewed by the same supplier, as they had far more in common with each other than they had differences.

These own brand beers are priced cheaper than the supermarket sell cans of soft drink and around the same price that they sell bottles of mineral water. So something clearly doesn’t add up.

My next challenge, once I have space again, is to try the “premium” own brand beers. These are around 3 times the price, but a lot of that increase is accounted for by the doubling of the alcohol content. Having last weekend sampled one of the contenders, I predict the results might be a little more encouraging. Stay tuned!

The Broadsheet Restaurant, Fitzroy

Paul

-

14 June 2015

0

So, Broadsheet have opened The Broadsheet Restaurant, an 8 week popup on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy. Reactions on social media have been as expected, ranging from “OMFG, totes amazeballs” to declarations that the end of the world is nigh. The truth, well as is often the case the truth lies somewhere on the spectrum between these 2 extremes.

The Broadsheet restaurant certainly ticks all of the expected boxes – it’s located in a popup space occupying what used to be a hardware store that is turning into high end apartments in the rapidly gentrifying Fitzroy, everything about the operation is slick, and items like kale and baked eggs can be found on the menu. What then, is The Broadsheet Restaurant all about? Broadsheet state that “From the coffee to the cocktails, the fit-out to the furniture and most importantly, the menu, The Broadsheet Restaurant represents the best of Melbourne”. A bold claim that exhibits much grandeur indeed.

Designed by Therefore Studio, the space utilises materials fitting of a temporary operation, such as unfinished timber boards and uneven table tops and bench seating. The result is a space that is clean and simple, and makes good use of the natural light streaming through the large windows. It’s quite Swedish in its sensibility and an impressive effort given the 10 day turnaround required to put the thing together.

Moving onto the food and drinks, again I shall quote directly from Broadsheet; “Our team of restaurateurs, bartenders and cafe operators have created an experience that combines everything we love about dining in this city: our favourite dishes, our best-loved coffee and most creative drinking.” Indeed, the menu reads like a who’s who of big hitting names in Melbourne’s food scene, with each contributor providing an item for the menu – Estelle Bistro, Five Points Deli, The Town Mouse, Top Paddock, Coda, Huxtable and Tivoli Road Bakery are just a few of the names involved.

Coffee ($4.00)

Coffee is provided courtesy of Small Batch Roasting Co. The filter blend was light and juicy, with a range of complex flavours coming through. The flat white was also tasty, not particularly complex but smooth and inoffensive. It’s important to note that there’s no option for skim milk, just full cream milk. In fact, there’s no flexibility with the menu at all, but more about that later.

Twice Baked Brioche French Toast ($18.00)

Our first breakfast choice came courtesy to Top Paddock, and was their highly regarded twice baked brioche French toast with fennel poached pears and burnt caramel sorbet. It is every bit as good as the description suggests, with the moist, but not sloppy brioche matching brilliantly with the poached pears and caramel. The sprinkling of rosewater and edible rose leaves adds the finishing touch that really elevates this dish. Texturally and flavour wise, this is a complex, delicious thing of beauty.

Unfortunately, Lauren wasn’t able to try it due to her nut allergy – in fact, she wasn’t able to try a good chunk of the best looking breakfast options due to the presence of nuts. Normally a kitchen is able to accommodate a nut allergy, especially as most of the time it’s just nuts sprinkled on the top that need to be omitted. The food at The Broadsheet Restaurant is prepared by a team of cooks not linked to the contributing restaurants, who have been taught how to make each dish by chefs from the contributing restaurants. Whether its a fear of “screwing up” or a quest for “purity” we were disappointed by this lack of flexibility. We were also disappointed that there were items on the menu, such as the French toast, which made no mention of the fact that they contained nuts.

In this day and age, it’s important to state allergens on a menu. The fact that the menu made an effort to disclose whether or not dishes were gluten free or vegan, but not whether or not they contained nuts was puzzling, especially given that a nut allergy is the only one of 3 mentioned that could result in death. Not a trendy enough allergy perhaps? Most people who have a nut allergy will ask before ordering, as we did, however it’s very easy to forget to ask sometimes, and to rely on the menu – risky stuff.

Toasted Reuben Sandwich ($17.00)

The toasted Reuben sandwich on dark rye with corned brisket, sauerkraut, Swiss and Russian dressing came courtesy of Five Points Deli. I’ve had this one before, and it’s one of my favourite sandwiches in Melbourne. It was Lauren’s first time trying it and she was very impressed. The proportion of ingredients is spot on and the thing is very big – you won’t walk away feeling hungry.

Drinks wise, a selection of cocktails created by Boilermaker House’s Jack Sotti is offered along with 4 classic bottled cocktails from The Everleigh. One thing I found very puzzling given the stated aim of The Broadsheet Restaurant was that with all of the amazing independent craft breweries that Melbourne has, the single tap beer was Stella Artios, described on the menu as (yes I’m serious) “Perfectly poured in nine steps, presented in a chalice”. Thankfully bottles of Sample Pale Ale, Hawker IPA, Hargreaves Hill ESB and Moon Dog American Brown save the beer list. A small, focused selection of red, white and sparkling wines from around Victoria is also on offer.

How well then, has The Broadsheet Restaurant done at meeting its lofty ambitions? For those of you who wanted to hate it I’m sorry to say, but there’s a lot here to like. The space is well designed, the food is great and the service is top notch – friendly, attentive and efficient. The Broadsheet Restaurant’s strength however, is also its weakness. Everything is a bit too “perfect” – the lack of flexibility with the menu, and fact that the kitchen is essentially outsourced makes things feel a bit cold.

In this manner, The Broadsheet Restaurant feels somewhat soulless. It certainly captures one part of what makes dining and drinking in this city so great, but it is only one part – the flashy part, the popular part, the part that people who are part of “the scene” know about. There’s a whole other part of Melbourne’s food and drink scene that’s just as important in making this city great and that’s nowhere to be found. The smaller operations, the undiscovered gems, the restaurants and bars without big marketing budgets, places that don’t have the money to pay for a feature in Broadsheet’s online and paper publications. To truly capture what’s great about this city, and hit the highs demanded by The Broadsheet Restaurant’s lofty goals, the net must be cast wider. Is this even possible to do in one place, over the space of only a few weeks? Perhaps not.

To me, The Broadsheet Restaurant is analogous to a robot. I like robots – they are new, they are shiny, they are “cool” and they do what they are meant to do with precision. A robot however, can never quite take the place of a person, just the way that a machine made piece of furniture can never match that intangible something special that a hand made piece exudes. The former isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but you can’t help but notice that there’s something missing.

The Broadsheet Restaurant is open from Friday, 5 June 2015 to Sunday, 2 August 2015.

The Broadsheet Restaurant

166 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: n/a
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://broadsheetrestaurant.com.au/

Open
Mon – Tue: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Wed – Sun: 7:00am to 1:00am

Herb Crusted Whiting: Recipe

Paul

-

12 June 2015

2

My grandfather loves fishing and one of my enduring childhood memories is going to my grandparent’s house and eating pan fried fresh whiting with a simple breadcrumb coating. Inspired by this, we’ve created a herb crusted whiting recipe which adds a bit of a flavour boost while upping the healthiness credentials by baking instead of pan frying. The fact that it’s super quick to prepare and cook is a nice bonus too.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes / Cooking Time: 10 minutes / Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

20 whiting
125g panko
20g parsley
1 preserved lemon rind, diced
1 small garlic clove, crushed
20g chives, finely chopped
40g extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C fan forced.
In a bowl mix together the panko, parsley, preserved lemon, garlic, chives, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Line a tray with baking paper.
Fill each whiting with a little bit of the mixture and place them onto the tray.
Sprinkle the remaining filling on top of the whiting.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil on the top of the tray and serve.

Notes

If you don’t have panko you can use regular breadcumbs, you’ll just get a denser crumb. If you do use regular breadcrumbs, reduce the quantity to 100g.

If you don’t have preserved lemon, you can use regular lemon, but make sure you add the juice as well as the rind. The flavour will still be there, it just won’t be as intense as with the preserved lemon.

Supernormal: The First Birthday Dinner

Chris

-

11 June 2015

1

The City Lane was recently invited to help celebrate the first birthday of one of our favourite restaurants, Supernormal, and I’ll admit the invite caused a lot of discussion. How do you write about a popular restaurant that you’ve been to several times with fresh eyes? But the debate between our offices was short lived. The answer, of course, was to send someone who had never been there before.

The answer was to send me, the same me who foolishly brought to the event a poorly functioning camera, so big apologies for the less-than-great photography. Anyway, on with the show.

Supernormal is known for a lot of things: its design; its chef; its atmosphere; but the main thing that continued to catch my attention was its lobster roll. My occasional failed exploits in finding these can be heard in episode six of the Brunswick Beer Collective podcast, so it should come as no surprise that I was more than a little excited to try them here.

But a dinner can’t consist only of these glorious delicacies, and sooner or later a more balanced meal is required. For Supernormal’s first birthday, that balanced meal was what chef Andrew McConnell described to me as a ‘greatest hits’ of sorts. It would be a celebration of everything the restaurant had become over the past year, and a little of what we could expect in the future.

So, with fresh eyes (and a dodgy camera), let me show you Supernormal.

Pickled Cucumber, Wakame & Shiitake, Fried Cauliflower

This start to the meal unexpectedly started arguments among my tablemates. It’s not that we didn’t like it, quite the opposite actually, but it was more that it felt almost beyond comprehension that cauliflower could taste like something that wasn’t white sauce. Of course, we soon realised, the reason the cauliflower tasted so good was because it didn’t taste anything like cauliflower. Instead, this deep fried starter, which in my opinion could have easily held it’s own as an unconventional main, caused a breakdown of dinner table chivalry as we each vied for who would take the last one on the plate.

There were more starters of course, each with their own charms, but the cauliflower was most certainly the unexpected standout.

Sea Urchin, Seaweed Cracker

With the first bite of these, it would be easy to think of them as a little subdued, but as you go further on they finish with a hit of salt that packs a pretty intense punch. However, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone complaining about this. Instead, the combination of the sea urchin and the cracker results in an elegant, if brash flavour, with one complimenting the other brilliantly.

Duckfish, White Soy & Ginger

The raw section of the menu began with the Duck fish, although I’ll admit, when this dish was announced, I initially only heard the duck part. But I was very happy to discover there was no poultry involved. The dish offers a combination that is both satisfying and complex, and it’s something I would highly recommend if you choose from the raw menu.

Cobia, Pickled Fennel, Yuzukosho

This second part of the raw section had a flavour I really didn’t expect, which I assume was caused by the spicy Yuzukosho. The taste had a slight bitterness to it too which meant it wasn’t quite as big a hit with my tablemates as the Duck fish, but I found it quite enjoyable all the same, although perhaps only in small doses.

Clams & Seaweed Butter

With chopsticks, these required a certain level of dexterity to eat right, but once you’re able to negotiate it out of the shell, the butter acts as a neat balance to the clam. However, if you’re going to attempt to eat these with chopsticks, make sure you’re confident with the utensils first otherwise separating the shell could prove more than entertaining for your table mates.

Spicy Cold Cuts

If you want to start a fight, I highly recommend doing so with this. They look unassuming of course, and with a subtle name like ‘Spicy cold cuts’ there is a slight anonymity to the meat being served. But if you’re wondering, that would Ox tongue on your plate. From the outset it was utterly delicious and incredibly moreish, but I did get the feeling that many on the table would have been happy to not know the animal they were eating. But as with the cauliflower, this was one dish that caused dinner table chivalry to be deftly thrown out the window.

New England Lobster Roll

When these appeared, the silence was noticeable in the room. It came first when the lobster rolls appeared and people’s eyes followed them as they made their way to the table; the second was when we ate them and found that any further conversation could wait for another time; and the final silence was of contentment when they were done and we lamented that it was over so soon…

Okay, maybe I’ve over-dramatised this one, but it is difficult not to be impressed by these rolls. Prior to starting the dinner, chef Andrew McConnell had joked with me that the entire meal would consist of 5 different variations on the roll, which would have been a commendable effort if he had been serious. Maybe one day there will be a need to evolve this recipe into something new, but I hope that day doesn’t come anytime soon.

White Cut Chicken, House Noodles, Sesame Peanuts & Chilli Oil

It was always going to be tough to follow the lobster roll and thankfully this salad chooses to offer something quite different instead. It was in no way simple of course, but within the open complexity of some of the other dishes offered, this chicken salad showed that there were times when simple was completely and utterly appropriate. It was definitely underrated within this menu, and could even be described as ‘safe’, but I don’t think it should be discounted.

Short Rib Of Beef, Pepper Sauce & Tripe Lettuces & Ginger Vinegar

This was one of the new things we had heard about, and I can assure you, it does not disappoint. The beef is incredibly tender and the photo here (see my earlier apology) really doesn’t do justice to how good this meal is. At one point I did wonder if it might supplant the lobster roll as being my new favourite.

Meringue, Jasmine, Lychee & Raspberry

And after all this, there was still the dessert. It’s quite simple of course, and there is nothing groundbreaking about a meringue, but unlike most, this one does manage to perform a rare feat in delivering a sweet that doesn’t taste like it is just pure sugar on a nice plate. It’s elegant and simple, but it works.

Sesame Cookies And Tea

At their essense, these are really just peanut butter in a biscuit. But once you let that idea settle in your mind, this and a cup of tea really make a for a nice way to finish an evening.

In the end, there’s really nothing I can tell you about Supernormal that you probably don’t already know. Supernormal’s courses remain some of the finest and most interesting Melbourne has to offer and its desire to reframe the way we see food, such as cauliflower, aims to both challenge and inspire.

At one year in, Supernormal’s unquenchable thirst for quality and originality ensures Melbournians will continue to return to this charming Flinders Lane attraction. Hats off to Andrew McConnell and his team.

Supernormal

180 Flinders Lane
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9650 8688
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.supernormal.net.au

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

Brisbane Weekender: Where To Eat

Paul

-

10 June 2015

0

Brisbane is somewhere we’d been meaning to get to forever but hadn’t had the chance to until now. We stayed at the excellent TRYP Fortitude Valley and spent a lot of our time exploring this area which, around Ann, James and Constance streets, has a lot to offer. We also explored Southbank and the West End, and discovered plenty of Brisbane gems, many of which we didn’t get to try. One thing is certain, our weekend in Brisbane convinced us that we need to get back here again sometime. If you find yourself in Brisbane sometime, we can easily recommend any of the below to you.

Ben’s Burgers

Ben’s Burgers is one of the names that comes up when you ask people where to go for the best burger in Brisbane. There’s been some backlash online for Ben’s steadfast refusal to alter any of the burgers on the menu but this hasn’t hurt their popularity. We visited for breakfast so can’t comment on the burgers personally but as far as the muffins we had are concerned, we couldn’t fault them. Lauren had the sausage muffin and I had the bacon muffin – think Sausage McMuffin and Bacon & Egg McMuffins but made using the highest quality ingredients.

Coffee, shakes and green smoothies are also offered but be warned, ordereing a tasty, healhty green smoothie with your meal won’t balance out the calories!

Ben’s Burgers

5 Winn Lane
Fortitude Valley
Queensland 4006
Australia

Telephone: (07) 3195 3094
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://bensburgers.com.au/

Open
Mon: 7:00am to 2:00pm
Tue – Thu: 7:00am to 10:00pm
Fri: 7:00am to 11:00pm
Sat: 8:00am to 11:00pm
Sun: 8:00am to 9:00pm

Brew

Brew is located in a basement down a laneway and along with great coffee, offers a range or breakfast, lunch and bar food options. It operates as a cafe during the day, taking on more of a bar vibe during the night. Even though we just went for a coffee, we were impressed with the look of some of the food we saw coming out and were particularly surprised to see a very decent range of craft beer on tap.

One downside which we read about before visiting which was confirmed when we visited was that service was quite inattentive. When you get the attention of the wait-staff they are very pleasant, friendly and helpful, however getting their attention can be a challenge.

Brew

Lower Burnett Lane
Brisbane
Queensland 4000
Australia

Telephone: (07) 3211 4242
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://brewgroup.com.au/

Open
Mon: 7:00am to 5:00pm
Tue – Wed: 7:00am to 10:00pm
Thu – Fri: 7:00am to 11:30pm
Sat: 9:00am to 11:30pm
Sun: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Brisbane Brewing Co

Brisbane Brewing Co is the newest venue from Michelle and Grant Clark, the team behind Woolongabba’s Brisbane Brewhouse. Hidden down a laneway off Boundary Street, behind a car park it took us a few minutes to find after reaching the address but when we did find it, we were glad we sought it out.

Diners can either eat in the alfresco area outside or in the cooler indoor area. Food is a surprisingly solid offering of roasts and smoked meats, with a focus on charcuterie boards and salads. We were pleased with all of the food that we ordered – the only complaint was that the kumara chips were lacking in crunch. The meats were especially tasty, with the slow roasted smokiness coming through nicely.

Beer wise, there are 10 taps – 8 brewed on site and 2 guest taps. The taps rotate on a regular basis and a range of bottled beers are also offered, showcasing the best that Queensland has to offer along with favourites from elsewhere. The tasting paddle which we chose was a good way to sample what was on offer. Service was a bit slow however we’d definitely visit again – it’s a really chilled out space.

Brisbane Brewing Co

124 Boundary Street
West End
Queensland 4101
Australia

Telephone: (07) 3891 1011
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://brisbanebrewing.com.au/

Open
Mon – Thu: 4:00pm to 12:00am
Fri – Sat: 11:00am to 12:00am

Gerard’s Bistro

Gerard’s Bistro provided us with our best food experience in Brisbane. From the food to the service, everything was flawless. Chef Ben Williamson’s food is very much influenced by the Middle East but it’s unlike any food from those regions that we’ve eaten before. Why? Because in effect it’s fine dining in a casual space – the closest we have in Melbourne is Rumi however that is a strictly Lebanese affair. The ingredients and flavours of the dishes that we ate were undeniably Middle Eastern but the technique and attention to detail was very much fine dining.

The food is designed for sharing and all of the dishes pictured were easily split between 4 people. Everything we ate was great, however highlights included the pork belly, basturma and fried chicken.

This place gets very busy so if you want to visit, a booking is essential to avoid a long wait for a table. Oh and Gerard’s is also open for breakfast on weekends.

Gerard’s Bistro

Gerard’s Lane
14 James Street
Fortitude Valley
Queensland 4006
Australia

Telephone: (07) 3852 3822
Email: n/a
Website: http://gerardsbistro.com.au/

Open
Mon: 6:00pm to late
Tue – Fri: 12:00pm to late
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 11:00am; 12:00pm to late

Jahh Tiger

Jahh Tiger is one of the best examples of Jamaican food in Australia. Indeed, we’ve not seen a place like this anywhere else in Australia. Inspired by their trip to Jamaica for their honeymoon (and a pre-existing love of Jamaican food and culture) owners Lucy and Michael Forsyth decided to open up a “rum and jerk shack” serving up proper Jamaican food and drinks. I’ll be the first to admit that we’re not experts when it comes to Jamaican food, with the best we’ve eaten being in Brixton in London, where there’s a strong Jamaican community. In fact Lucy was first introduced to Jamaican food when she lived in Brixton.

We were really impressed with the jerk chicken and snacks that we ate and the cocktails were delicious, so delicious in fact that what was meant to be a cocktail and snack turned into a meal with several cocktails and beer. The space is really chilled out and relaxing and the tunes theme appropriate. Highly recommended, especially on a lazy weekend.

Jahh Tiger

3/1 Park Road
Milton
Queensland 4064
Australia

Telephone: (07) 3367 8356
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.jahhtiger.com.au/

Open
Tue – Thu: 11:30am to 11:00pm
Fri: 11:30am to 12:00am
Sat: 3:00pm to 12:00am
Sun: 3:00pm to 10:00am

Lost Boys

Lost Boys is a Peter Pan inspired cafe bar that, when you walk inside, immediately evokes flashes of childhood. A tree with fairy lights stands to one side while games and Golden books of fairytales are available to play with and read. The food and drinks at Lost Boys however, is anything but child’s play. Everything at this vegetarian eatery, is prepared onsite daily using the highest quality locally sourced organic (where possible) ingredients.

We visited for breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed the muesli and poached eggs on toast. What impressed us most however were the drinks – the coconut iced chocolate was delicious and tasted just like a golden rough. In the evenings the cafe switches to bar mode with a menu more suited to the evenings and a range of organic beers, ciders and spirits. A really nice space with a focus on the good things.

Lost Boys

694 Ann Street
Fortitude Valley
Queensland 4006
Australia

Telephone: (07) 3162 4195
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.lostboysfortitudevalley.com/

Open
Mon – Sat: 7:00am to late
Sun: 8:00am to late

Are you from Brisbane or have you visited recently? What are your hot tips for visitors looking for a good feed in Brisbane?

THE CITY LANEEAT & TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL

THE CITY LANEEAT & TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL

Spicy Shrimp & Pork Wonton

Mango Shrimp Roll

Steamed Pork Dumpling (Xiao Long Bao)

Mint & Lychee Freeze

Green Bean with Minced Pork

Shrimp & Pork Shao Mai

Crispy Fried Chicken with Chilli

Egg Fried Rice with Fried Pork Chop

Vegetarian Jiao Zi

Cha Jiang Noodle with Minced Pork

Peach & Yuzu Freeze

Black Truffle Dumplings

Mango Pudding

Large Triple Mango & Triple Strawberry Crushed Ice

Taro Gelato & Golden Taro Bread

Din Tai Fung

Spicy Chicken Taco ($5,50) & Beef Bulgogi Taco ($5.60)

Roast Pork Belly, BBQ Pork & Mushroom Buns ($4,50 each)

Single Origin Coffee ($3,70)

Tukk & Co

Ingredients

Method

Notes

Kebab

Sehzade Cağ Kebap

Kemer Dürüm Evi

Dürümzadee

Grilled Meat

Zübeyir Ocakbaşı

Antiochia Concept

Breakfast

Van Kahvati Evi

Cuma

Baklava

Karaköy Güllüoğlu

Gaziantepli Baklavacı Bilgeoğlu

Lokum (Turkish Delight)

Altan Şekerleme

Coffee & Tea

Kronotrop

Holy Coffee

Geyik

Brew Lab

Tebessum Café

Pide

Fatih Karadenize Pidecisi

Börek/Gozleme

Meze

Çiya Sofrası

Milk-Based Desserts

Özkonak Muhallebicisi

Drinking (Alcohol)

Solera Winery

Seafood

Balik Ekmek

Wig & Pen Tavern & Brewery

Tesco Everyday Value Lager

ASDA Smart Price Lager

Sainsbury’s Basics Lager

Coffee ($4.00)

Twice Baked Brioche French Toast ($18.00)

Toasted Reuben Sandwich ($17.00)

The Broadsheet Restaurant

Ingredients

Method

Notes

Pickled Cucumber, Wakame & Shiitake, Fried Cauliflower

Sea Urchin, Seaweed Cracker

Duckfish, White Soy & Ginger

Cobia, Pickled Fennel, Yuzukosho

Clams & Seaweed Butter

Spicy Cold Cuts

New England Lobster Roll

White Cut Chicken, House Noodles, Sesame Peanuts & Chilli Oil

Short Rib Of Beef, Pepper Sauce & Tripe Lettuces & Ginger Vinegar

Meringue, Jasmine, Lychee & Raspberry

Sesame Cookies And Tea

Supernormal