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Two Little Pigs Charcuterie & Grind, Brunswick

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Two Little Pigs Charcuterie & Grind Brunswick is one of the more interesting places to open up on the rapidly evolving Sydney Road this year. Being a local, I’m loving the changes that are occurring in the area and am always keen to try out what’s new.

When Two Little Pigs first opened they were extremely busy, helped along by the heavy promotion by Broadsheet of their hot jam doughcakes with caramelised bacon ice-cream. Yes they sound amazing however I don’t think the owners were expecting such high demand. I’d heard a lot of mixed reviews about the food and service in those early days so thought I’d give things a chance to settle down before visiting myself.

two little pigs brunswick cafe review

So how were things at Two Little Pigs 6 months after launch? The simple answer? Excellent.

The space is bright, white and simple and the fact that the owners, cousins Jonathan Ioannou and Terrence Farrugia love coffee and pork is evident throughout with Charcuterie clearly on display, including smallgoods hanging from the arched roof towards the back of the cafe. The menu offers a range of savoury and sweet breakfast and lunch options with, as the name and visuals indicate, a focus on meat and charcuterie, all of which is created onsite using great quality, fresh, locally sourced produce.

two little pigs brunswick cafe review

Cappuccino/Flat White ($3.80)

On the coffee front, a house blend is on offer as well as a couple of single origins. Bewing methods on offer include espresso from the La Marzocco Strada, filter and pour-over. I ordered a flat white and Lauren ordered a cappuccino – both were smooth and even tasting and did the trick nicely.

two little pigs brunswick cafe review

Watermelon Salad ($16.90)

For something light we went for one of the summer options, the watermelon salad. The pomegranate, Persian feta, jamon, pine nuts & rocket all combined nicely. The Jamon isn’t strictly necessary but neither of us were complaining about it – think of it as a bonus.

two little pigs brunswick cafe review

Charcuturie Breakfast ($19.90)

There was a lot that was tempting on the menu, but we couldn’t visit Two Little Pigs without indulging in some charcuturie. The charcuturie breakfast contains a nice selection of items – fried free range eggs, Serrano jamon, Spanish blood sausage, duck liver pâté, tomato, polski pickles with multigrain toast. I couldn’t fault any of it, with my highlight being the blood sausage which had a great texture and the perfect blood sausage taste. I’m a big fan of black pudding/blood sausage and far too often people get it wrong but not here.

two little pigs brunswick cafe review

Hot Jam Doughcakes With Caramalised Bacon Icecream (#13.50)

We were already quite full by this stage but of course this was going to happen. The famous item that caused all of the hype at launch is a good one. The doughcakes are supposed to be a cross between pancakes and doughnuts but I didn’t really get the doughtnut bit – they just seem like really nice, thick but light pancakes. The caramelised  bacon ice cream really hit the spot nicely – the bacon taste is evident but not too overpowering. Together, both components work really well. The only criticism that Lauren and I both had was that there’s perhaps too much jam in the doughcakes which make them sweeter than they need to be. Texture and flavour wise however, they’re really good.

two little pigs brunswick cafe review

As well as the dine in menu options, there are a range of cakes, pastries and charcuterie items to take away.

two little pigs brunswick cafe review

two little pigs brunswick cafe review

What was clear from my visit to Two Little Pigs was that any issues that they had at launch have long been ironed out. The food is great, the service is friendly and attentive and the atmosphere is nice and relaxed. A perfect weekend brunch spot and a great addition to the burgeoning Sydney Road cafe scene.

Two Little Pigs Charcuterie & Grind

146 Sydney Road
Brunswick
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9939 4042
Email:             [email protected]
Website:       Facebook

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:00am to 4:00pm

Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind on Urbanspoon

Matcha Green Tea Bread Scrolls: Recipe

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It’s no secret that Lauren and I are a bit obsessed when it comes to matcha. We love green tea, and when it comes to desserts matcha, along with chocolate is something that needs to be ordered if it’s on the menu. When the two are combined, even better! This matcha green tea bread scroll recipe combines the best of matcha and chocolate and the matcha isn’t too overpowering which makes it a great entry point for people who haven’t yet tried a matcha dessert. The inside of the scolls are dense and soft while the outside layer is nice and crispy.

matcha green tea bread recipe


Preparation Time: 30 minutes          /          Waiting Time: 12 hours          /          Cooking Time: 35-40 minutes          /          Makes 6 scrolls


Ingredients

  • 500g bread flour or plain flour
  • 7 g instant yeast
  • 3 tbsp (45ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 300ml warm water
  • 2 tbsp (30g) white sugar
  • 3 tbsp (45g) matcha powder
  • 3 tbsp (45g) icing sugar
  • 6 tbsp (90g) grated white chocolate

 

Method

  1. Mix together in a bowl the flour, yeast, water and olive oil to form a dough.
  2. Lightly knead the dough until it feels tight and doesn’t stretch, about 5 minutes.
  3. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for 12 hours.
  4. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius, fan forced.
  5. Lightly knead the dough until any excess air has gone, about 2 minutes.
  6. Divide the dough into 6 even portions and, for each portion, set aside a quarter.
  7. Roll out the bigger portions of the dough until they are about 1cm thick.
  8. Combine the matcha powder and the icing sugar. Sprinkle 1 tbsp (15g) and 1 tbsp (15g) of white chocolate evenly across each portion of dough.
  9. Roll the dough lengthwise into a long sausage.
  10. Take one end of the dough and roll it into itself to form a scroll and set aside.
  11. Roll the smaller portions of dough that you set aside into 1cm thick slabs.
  12. Place the scrolls on top of the slabs and wrap up the scrolls to form little parcels. What you need to to is pull the slab around the entirety of the scroll on all sides so that it’s completely covered across to the top.
  13. Ensure that each parcel is firmly sealed when you’ve pulled it over the scroll then turn upside down so that the seal (where the slab has come together after being pulled together) is at the bottom. This will prevent leakage when baking.
  14. Lightly mark the top of the scrolls with a knife.
  15. Place the scrolls on greaseproof paper on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 mins depending on your oven – the scrolls will be golden brown when they are ready.
  16. When the scrolls have cooled, sprinkle a tiny bit of matcha on the top for presentation.

 

Notes

The basic bread recipe works really well with a variety of ingredients. You’ll need to adjust the proportions to account for differing textures and densities if you want to play around but it’s a great base. For example we made earl grey tea and raspberry scrolls using the same bread base a while back. The 300ml of water was infused with earl grey tea and a bit more flour was required because of the moisture in the raspberries.

Osaka Craft Beer Pub Crawl

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Osaka is known as “the kitchen of Japan” and it doesn’t take visitor long to realise that this nickname is warranted. The people of Osaka love to eat and drink, and the options available to engage in both in are plentiful. The Osaka craft beer (Ji Bīru) scene really kicked off in 2012 and is very impressive, with many bars and pubs that serve an extensive range of craft beer and some pretty decent food too. There are a lot of small breweries around the country making some great stuff, and there are also a lot of craft beers from the USA that are hard to find outside of the USA on offer – most of the craft beer bars in Osaka have a range that’s around 60% Japan, 35% USA, 5% other.

When I first visited Japan in May 2014 I didn’t really being to explore the craft beer scene in the country until I reached Tokyo (you can read my post “Discovering Tokyo’s Craft Beer Bars” here). Having the unexpected opportunity to be back in Osaka so soon after my first visit, I wasn’t about to make the same mistake and did my research. Armed with a list of “must try” venues, I was determined to visit them all before the week was out.

 

Yellow Ape Craft

This very small bar with 30 taps was one of my  favourites. On the first night I visited, Yellow Ape were having their 2nd anniversary celebrations and there was food being grilled out the front and a fun, casual atmosphere both inside and out. There were quite a few interesting beers on tap, including the newly tapped 2014 “Black Tokyo” BrewDog’s individual contribution to the 3 way collaboration between BrewDog, Nøgne Ø and Mikkeller. It was intense at 16.5% ABV but tasted brilliant.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

There was a ¥300 cover charge if you wanted to sit upstairs (something that’s unfortunately common in Osaka bars, but decreasingly so) but you did get a choice of a number of actually decent snacks which made up for it.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Yellow Ape Craft
2 Chome-4-9 Imabashi
Chūō-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

 

Garage 39

Garage 39 was another one of my favourites. Housed in a former garage, it’s a decent sized venue (perhaps the largest of the craft beer bars I visited in Osaka) and, along with having 15 taps they also had very good food and excellent service.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Garage 39
2 Chome-5-15 Awajimachi
Chūō-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

 

World Beer & Cafe QBrick

World Beer & Cafe QBrick is one of the granddaddies of the Osaka craft beer scene. The space isn’t as “cool” as some of the newer ones however there is a decent selection of beers on offer across the 16 taps, there’s a very good bottle selection that, as the name of the venue suggests, spans the globe. I’ll choose to ignore the fact that their Australian bottle selection contains VB rather than any of the brilliant Australian craft beers.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

QBrick also has a ¥300 cover charge which, unlike Yellow Ape, is charged regardless and only give you a small bowl of nuts in return. Worth visiting, but not as good as some of the newer players in town.

Osaka craft beer bars map

World Beer & Cafe QBrick
4 Chome-6-12 Hiranomachi
Chūō-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

 

Dig Beer Bar

Another one of the better options for craft beer in Osaka is Dig Beer Bar. It’s another small space and offers a very good selection of beers from Japan and the USA. With 16 taps and a decent bottle selection, you’re likely to find something you haven’t tried before at Dig. The fact that the food is good, the atmosphere is friendly and there’s no cover charge doesn’t hurt either.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Dig Beer Bar
1 Chome-12-31 Kyōmachibori
Nishi-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

 

Beer Belly Edobori

Beer Belly Edobori is one of 3 Beer Belly craft beer bars owned by the seemingly everywhere Minoh Beer. It’s not as big as the Tenma flagship however still has a decent range of Minoh beers across its 14 taps, which includes 4 hand pumps. If you’re looking for non-Minoh beers this isn’t the place for you however if you want to sample some Minoh beers that you won’t find elsewhere this is the place to be.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Beer Belly Edobori
2 Chome-1-21 Edobori
Nishi-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

Also

Beer Belly Tenma
7-4 Ikedachō
Kita-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

Beer Belly Higobashi
1 Chome-1-30 Tosabori
Nishi-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

 

Craft Beer Works Kamikaze

Craft Beer Works Kamikaze is a smallish venue that has a good range of mostly Japanese beers plus a few American ones across its 23 taps. There’s a lot here that you can find elsewhere but there are also a few beers that are hard to find which makes visiting well worthwhile. The food is decent too and there’s no cover charge.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Craft Beer Works Kamikaze
1 Chome-22-12 Kitahorie
Nishi-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

 

Craft Beer Base

Craft Beer Base has an upstairs and downstairs section, 23 taps and a very impressive bottle selection – better than any of the other craft beer bars I visited on this trip. If you want to drink any of the bottled beers on premises you have to pay double, but with the way beer is priced in Japan, all this does is brings them up to standard bottle price so it’s not as unreasonable as it sounds.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

The upstairs area was quiet when we visited, but it was a Sunday night. Downstairs was still busy.

Osaka craft beer bars map

We wanted to purchase a few beers to go and were ushered to the coolroom which had an extensive selection of beers mostly from Japan and the USA – many of which I’d never heard of before. Impressive stuff!

Osaka craft beer bars map

Craft Beer Base
1 Chome-2-11 Ōyodominami
Kita-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

 

Lezzet Craft Beer & Food Experience Bar

Lezzet, being near Tennoji station, is on its own location wise compared to many of the other craft beer bars in Osaka. It’s got an interesting, old fashioned vibe about it and 14 taps (with another 14 lines ready to go when/if it becomes more popular). There was a ¥300 cover charge which gave you a small bowl of snacks. While the space itself was very well done and unique, the higher than average prices of the beer, the cover charge and a tap list that, while impressive, isn’t really any different than the others was a disappointment.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Osaka craft beer bars map

Lezzet Craft Beer & Food Experience Bar
2 Chome-3-21 Matsuzakichō
Abeno-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

 

Beer Stand Molto!

Beer Stand Molto! is tiny and, as the name suggests, standing room only. There might only be 5 taps however the 30 bottles on offer are impressive, and included beers that I hadn’t seen elsewhere in Japan. The food menu is a kind of Japanese/Italian fusion which isn’t too bad either.

Osaka craft beer bars map

This place is hard to find – we spent a good 25 minutes looking for it so here are some directions to help. Assuming you have the address loaded up on your map so you know generally were you’re heading, as you exit Umeda station towards the location you’ll spot this Books Kinokuniya store.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Stepping outside and turning to face right, this is the view.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Walk forward about 10 meters and to your left you’ll see this. Walk through it.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Turn right when you reach the end and you’ll see this view. Beer Stand Molto! is about halfway down on the left, where the yellow sign is.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Nearby on the 31F floor of the Umeda Grand Building is Craft Beer House Molto which has 24 taps, a more extensive menu and a view over Osaka from the long main bar. I didn’t visit but by all accounts it’s worth checking out.

Beer Stand Molto!
1 Chome-1-3 Shibata
Kita-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

Also

Craft Beer House Molto
Umeda Grand Building, 31F
8-47 Kakudachō
Kita-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

 

Craft Beer Bar Marciero

I didn’t get a chance to visit Marciero as it was closed on the night I went there. What I do know is that the place is tiny, holding only 10 people and has 8 taps which are supposed to be rotated heavily and contain interesting stuff that’s not found elsewhere. Mostly Japanese beers with occasional American ones.

Osaka craft beer bars map

Craft Beer Bar Marciero
8-10 Dōyamachō
Kita-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu

Perfect Charcoal BBQ Chicken: Recipe

5

When it comes to the perfect charcoal BBQ chicken recipe, there are a lot of ideas and techniques around. Lauren and I have tried a lot of them since we purchased our Weber Kettle BBQ back in June and after some trial and error we think we’ve perfected it. Moist and juicy meat with a golden crispy, salty skin.

charcoal bbq chicken recpie


Preparation Time: 15 minutes          /          Cooking Time: 120 minutes          /          Serves 4-6


Ingredients

  • 1.6-1.7kg chicken
  • 1/4 lemon
  • 1/4 tsp (2.5g) table salt
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 10 sage leaves, roughly chopped
  • 3 sage leaves, torn
  • sea salt flakes
  • cracked black pepper

 

Method

charcoal bbq chicken recpie

  1. Take the butter out of the fridge and split into 2 portions – 10g and 15g.
  2. Put 40 charcoal briquettes into a chimney starter and light.
  3. Wipe the outside and inside of the chicken dry with paper towels. This is important, as you don’t want any unnecessary moisture present when the chicken is cooking.
  4. Once the butter is soft, combine the 10g portion with the juice from the 1/4 lemon, the 1/4 tsp table salt, the crushed garlic and the 10 roughly chopped sage leaves.
  5. Once the above is mixed together, rub it around the inside cavity of the chicken. There will be some lemon juice left over and you can discard this.
  6. Truss the chicken.
  7. Rub the remaining 15g of butter over the chicken. You want to get an even rub of butter all over the chicken but also want clumps of soft butter as shown in the picture above. Don’t ask me why, but this seems to result in a crispier skin.
  8. Place pieces of the 3 torn sage leaves onto the clumps of butter.
  9. Sprinkle a generous amount of sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper over the top of the chicken. As you can see in the picture above, don’t be shy when it comes to the salt – make it rain.
  10. When your charcoal is ready, which should be about 25 minutes after you lit it, place one half on either side of your BBQ. It’s important to ensure that the chicken cooks using indirect heat so make sure the charcoal is not directly under the chicken.
  11. Cover the charcoal with the top cooking grate and place the chicken on top of this grate.
  12. Place the lid on top of the kettle BBQ. Make sure that the air vents are open.
  13. 2 hours later, your chicken should be ready to carve and serve. If you’re unsure, place a meat thermometer in the breast or thigh of the chicken – the temperature should be around 75 degrees Celsius/165 degrees Fahrenheit.

charcoal bbq chicken recpie

Notes

Trussing the chicken isn’t absolutely necessary, however it does promote even cooking.

The sage and lemon isn’t absolutely necessary either however it does add a nice flavour to the chicken.

Don’t open the lid while cooking the chicken as the heat will escape and the temperature will drop.

Brunetti Aperitivo Danzante: Event

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Sogni D’Oro Aperitivo Danzante is a collaboration between Carlton institution Brunetti, wine makers Two Italian Boys and White Rabbit Entertainment. I was invited to check out the 1950s inspired Act I “La Dolce Vita”, which launched the series on Friday 17 October.

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

Fresh mozzarella was being made on the spot courtesy of Giorgio Linguanti from That’s Amore Cheese. It was, unsurprisingly given how fresh it was, very good.

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

There was a lot of food on the night, and nobody was left standing around getting hungry as cold platters full of bread, cheese and small goods and hot wood fired pizzas and arancini were being constantly served. I had to leave earlier than I would have liked so unfortunately I missed out on the pasta and the alcohol-infused Aperitif gelato.

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

Two Italian Boys launched their 2013 vintage Prosecco on the night which, unlike in previous years, was made in Valdobbiadene in Italy’s Treviso region which is famous for its Prosecco. I had a glass (or two) and thought that it was a really good example of the style.

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

It wasn’t just the food that was in constant supply. There were 2 bars and several waiters making sure that nobody was thirsty.

brunetti aperitivo danzante

The vibe was fun and had a very Italian flavour about it. At times it felt like an Italian wedding at the part of the night when the formalities are done with and everyone lets their hair down. Food, drink, music (courtesy of the live DJ), dancing and conversation – it was good, old fashioned fun with a variety of age groups mingling in the crowd.

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

brunetti aperitivo danzante sogni d'oro

Act I might be done and dusted, however there is still more to come. Act II will take place on December 4th at Brunetti Carlton and the beach themed Act III will be held on January 23rd at Brunetti City Square, with the entirity of City Square being taken over for the event. Salut!

Hearty Pumpkin Soup: Recipe

4

This hearty pumpkin soup recipe uses natural, unsweetened yoghurt instead of cream which results in a creamy texture with a lot less fat than the alternative. It also adds a slight tartness to the soup with balances nicely with the sweetness of the pumpkin.

The garlic bread on the side is optional and goes someway towards negating the whole “lower fat” thing but hey, cutting back where you can is better than not at all right 😉

hearty pumpkin soup recipe


Preparation Time: 10 minutes          /          Cooking Time: 95 minutes          /          Serves 6-8


Ingredients

  • 1kg Japanese pumpkin
  • 20g butter, melted
  • 1 stalk celery, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 1 carrot, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 2 small brown onion, sliced
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 1 cup natural, unsweetened yoghurt
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 handful flat leaf parsley

 

Method

  1. Discard the seeds and skin from the pumpkin.
  2. Cut the pumpkin into 2-3 cm chunks.
  3. In a large saucepan add the melted butter, pumpkin, celery, carrot and onion. Brown for a few minutes.
  4. Add the chicken stock and simmer on a low heat for 90 minutes.
  5. Remove the soup from the heat and blend with a food processor or hand blender.
  6. Stir in the yoghurt, add salt & pepper to taste, garnish with parsley and serve.

 

Notes

You could make your own garlic bread of course, but full disclosure here, the one in the photo was store bought. We’re big fans of the La Famiglia Traditional Sourdough Loaf with Butter.

Japanese pumpkin is also known as kabocha squash or kent pumpkin.

If you can’t get your hands on any Japanese pumpkin, butternut pumpkin/squash is a suitable alternative.

Win Taste Of Melbourne Tickets 2014

1

taste of melbourne tickets

Taste of Melbourne is an annual event that’s held at Albert Park’s Pelican Lawns. Running from 13-16 November in 2014, there will be a wide range of food related stalls and activities on offer for attendees, including a a selection of over 60 bite sized dishes from some of Melbourne’s best restaurants including Mamasita, Huxtable & Huxtaburger, MoVida, Lucy Liu, Burch & Purchese, Pope JoanBrooks Restaurant & Bar and more.

There will also be live music, cooking classes and displays, and a variety of other food and drink related activities. Attendees will also have the opportunity to sample and purchase offerings from over 100 artisan producers from around the country at the Artisan Producers Market.

taste of melbourne tickets

Thanks to the event organisers I have 3 double passes for the Thursday evening or Friday lunch session valued at $50 each to give away to 3 lucky readers. To enter, all you need to do is subscribe to The City Lane by clicking on the link below. Existing subscribers can also enter.

ENTER THE COMPETITION

Entries close on Sunday 2 November and winners will be notified by e-mail on Monday 3 November.

Valentino Calabrian Kitchen: Event

0

Valentino Calabrian Kitchen Toorak is an Italian restaurant that specialises in Calabrian food from Italy’s south. I was invited to Valentino to help celebrate the launch of head chef and part owner Riccardo Momesso’s cookbook “Antonio and Lucia”. The book is reflective of the food that’s on offer at Valentino – that is, the food that Riccardo grew up with – food that his parents and grandparents cooked for him, family recipes that have been passed down through the generations.

The kitchen’s menu changes daily, with most dishes dependent on what produce is available fresh that day. A variety of  mains and desserts are offered, as well as a small selection of pizzas and pastas however the main focus of the menu is the extensive anitpasto/stuzzichini selection, which is complimented with a focused selection of Italian wines, aperitivi and digestivi.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

The space is a decent size, with a combination of bar and table seating and the anitpasto/stuzzichini on display in a cabinet that forms part of the large marble bar that looks across the open kitchen.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Tarali, Nduja, Calabrian Caviar

To start with were the tarali (semi soft savoury biscuits), nduja (a spicy spreadable pork sausage – Calabrian salami if you will) and Calabrian caviar, which isn’t actually caviar but rather baby sardines mixed with peperoncini, salt and fennel tips. It’s also known as sardella.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the tarali, I know that it’s supposed to have the semi soft texture that it did but to me that made it seem like stale biscuits. Never to mind, because I thoroughly enjoyed the nduja, which had a real kick to it and the Calabrian caviar, which was also quite spicy and salty.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Sourdough & Ciabatta

Some bread to spread the above with, and mop up sauces as the food came out.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Baccala and Potato Suppli

I really liked these – they reminded me of the fish cakes that my mother sometimes makes. Soft, dense, fishy (in a good way – baccala is dried salted cod) and crispy on the outside.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Swordfish Involtini

The swordfish was one of my favourite dishes of the night. Involitini translates as “little bundles” and the swordfish was tightly wrapped around breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, onion and a few other things. A surprisingly dense dish that was full of flavour.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Maccu di Fave, Prawns, Pecorino

This had a surprising texture to it. It looked very similar to hummus and that’s what I was expecting. While the flavour was very similar to hummus, the maccu di fave was a lot creamier and the taste of the fava beans was more pronounced than the taste of the chickpeas in hummus is.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Lamb & Eggplant Polpette

Like everything else on the menu these meatballs were examples of simple, honest Calabrian food. Nothing surprising flavour wise, just some tasty lamb meatballs.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Zucchini Gratinate

Zucchini with a gratin of breadcrumbs and parmesan on top. Simple. Tasty.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Cavatelli, Spicy Sausage, Rapeseed Oil

Moving onto the mains, the cavetlli was perfectly cooked al dente with a spicy sausage and rapeseed oil. I wasn’t completely sold on this dish, with the flavours falling a bit flat compared to the other things I ate during the night. It wasn’t bad by any means, but didn’t hit the highs of some of the other dishes.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Braised Wild Goat, Broadbeans, Burrata

I liked this dish. The goat was tender, the beans (I’m usually not a fan) were nice and the burrata added a creaminess to each mouthful.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Zeppole with Orange Blossom Honey and Cinnamon

These “Calabrian doughnuts” had a nice flavour to them owing to the classic honey and cinnamon combination. Compared to the doughnuts that most of us are used to they were denser, drier and less crispy – nice, but lacking that je ne sais quoi that “normal” doughnuts possess.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Watermelon, Salted Ricotta, Pistachios

This was a surprising highlight of the night. Perfectly ripe chunks of watermelon soaked in a mint infused water, topped with super thin slices of salted ricotta and crushed pistachios. Light and refreshing, this is one for the summer.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Overall I enjoyed my dinner at Valentino. Momesso’s aim was to bring honest Calabrian food to diners and the food I ate definitely had a rustic character about it – it wasn’t trying to be a typical Italian “please everyone” menu. In fact Momesso himself stated on the night that some of the dishes might not be completely authentic as such, but were made the way his mum taught him, which I respect. The highlights came from the anitpasto/stuzzichini selection and if I was in the area I could see myself coming back and ordering a range of anitpasto/stuzzichini to share amongst friends.

valentino calabrian kitchen toorak

Valentino Calabrian Kitchen

517 Malvern Road
Hawksburn
Victoria 3142
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9826 8815
Email:          [email protected]
Website:      http://valentinorestaurant.com.au/

Open
Tue – Thu: 5:30pm to 11:30pm
Fri – Sun: 12:00pm to 12:00am

Valentino Calabrian Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Sichuan House, Melbourne CBD

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Sichuan House Melbourne is, as the name suggests, a restaurant that specialises is Sichuan cuisine. Hidden down a laneway in Chinatown it offers diners the chance to experience authentic Sichuan food. Authentic means hot when it comes to Sichuan food and, while there are enough mild options on the menu for those who can’t handle the heat, the real reward comes from submitting oneself to the chilli.

The space is very simple. The reason it looks completely empty is because we were here at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon, with only a few of the tables behind us occupied. By all accounts it’s very popular in the evenings, having built up a dedicated following and big reputation since it opened in 2004.

sichuan house melbourne review

Food wise, it’s all about authentic Sichuan food. The menu contains a variety of options, with a heat scale for each menu item that ranges from 0 to 3 chillies . There’s a section that contains mild Sichaun food and another section that contains dumplings but let’s be honest – it’s the Sichuan food that’s getting people in here, with the other items catering for the token friend who doesn’t like spicy food. The servings here are huge and the food is definitely designed to share. My wife and I couldn’t finish what we ordered, which could have easily fed 4 people.

Kung Pao Chicken ($21.00)

The Kung Pao chicken is one of the specialities of Sichuan House and it’s not hard to see why. The plate comes out and it’s piled high with chicken, chillies and a whole lot of peanuts. Sichuan peppers are of course also there. In true Sichuan style this dish builds in intensity as each mouthful is consumed. “That’s not that spicy” soon gives way to “pass me something to drink!” as the chillies being to dance their way around your mouth. Despite this I couldn’t stop eating it. Hot, tender, crunchy and very fragrant – it’s the signature dish for a reason.

sichuan house melbourne review

Fish Flavoured Pork Threads ($19.50)

This is one of my favourite Sichuan dishes. The pork is soft, the heat is not overly intense (relative to other Sichuan dishes) and there’s a good balance between sweet, salty and sour. The pork threads at Sichuan House were very tasty, although not quite as good as the ones that I’ve eaten at Dainty Sichuan, which have more of a gelatinous texture to them. They were, however, better than the ones that I ate at China Chilli.

sichuan house melbourne review

Pickled Cucumber ($10.00)

The cucumber wasn’t as pickled as I had expected and was spicy, but not overly so. In the context of the meal it was the “refreshing” option, if one can say that about Sichuan food.

sichuan house melbourne review

I’d heard a lot of good things about Sichuan House and was glad to finally get around to eating here. Dainty Sichuan is still at the top of my list for Sichuan food in Melbourne however I’d have no complaints about eating at Sichaun House again. There were a lot of things on the menu that looked interesting and next time time I’ll make sure I bring a few friends along so that we can order a wider variety of dishes and actually get through the big servings.

sichuan house melbourne review

Sichuan House

22-26 Corrs Lane
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9650 8589
Email:          [email protected]
Website:      http://sichuanhouse.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:00am to 3:00pm; 5:00pm to 10:00pm

Sichuan House on Urbanspoon

Goat Curry: Recipe

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The first time that Lauren and I tried this goat curry recipe we actually used wallaby. While wallaby works well, we prefer goat as it’s easier to find and has a sweetness about it. The great thing about this recipe, apart from the fact that it tastes good, is the fact that there is no cream and very little butter/ghee involved. This means that the curry is a lot healthier than most curries.

lean goat curry recipe


Preparation Time: 20 minutes          /          Cooking Time: 2.5 hours          /          Serves 6


Ingredients

  • 1 kg goat shoulder or leg
  • 3 tbsp (45ml) tomato ketchup
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) ghee or butter
  • 1 large brown onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tbsp (15g) ginger powder
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5g) fennel seeds, ground
  • 2 tsp (10g) coriander seeds, crushed
  • 2 tsp (10g) cumin seeds, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5g) tumeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5g) hot chilli powder
  • 2 tsp (10g) garam masala
  • 690g tomato puree
  • 400ml water
  • a pinch of rock salt

 

Method

  1. Add the garlic, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and salt into a pestle and mortar. Grind into a paste.
  2. Add the ginger, turmeric, chilli and garam masala to the paste and mix well.
  3. In a large saucepan, melt the ghee on a high heat. Once the ghee has melted add the spice paste and onion and cook until the onions have caramalised and are golden.
  4. Add the goat to the pot.
  5. After a few minutes add the tomato puree, tomato paste and water.
  6. Turn the pot down to a simmer and leave it to cook for about 2.5 hours until the goat meat is cooked but still tender.
  7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
  8. Serve with basmati rice and naan bread/roti.

 

Notes

Goat is a very lean meat. Make sure you check it regularly when it’s cooking as it gets quite tough when overcooked.
You could substitute goat meat for lamb or beef if you prefer, just make sure you adjust the cooking time accordingly. We like goat meat because it’s lean and has a sweetness to it.