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Whisky At The Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

Paul

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16 September 2014

Japanese whisky has been increasing in international popularity in recent years, however the country has been producing whisky since 1923, when Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii founded Japan’s first whisky distillery in Yamazaki. The Suntory Yamazaki Distillery is still operating in the same location today, in a picturesque valley with access to clean, soft mineral water and a climate that’s well suited to the aging process.

I discovered Japanese whisky a few years ago, when I was introduced to the Yamazaki 12 and was an instant convert. About a year later I tried the Hibiki 12, which became my favourite whisky. The Suntory Yamazaki Distillery is only a 15 minute train ride from Kyoto’s main train station so when I was planning my trip to Japan, a visit to the distillery was a must.

The tour is free and includes tastings at the end. It’s quite popular, so make sure you book online or by phone before you visit. The tour is run in Japanese, however audio guides in English, Chinese and French are provided.

After meeting outside, we were taken to a room where mash tuns convert the starches in the crushed grain into sugars for fermentation.

Once the mash tuns have done their work, the resultant product, wort, is drained into the washback vessels below and has yeast added to it, which allows fermentation to begin. Different yeasts result in different flavours.

After about 3 days of fermentation, the “wash” is distilled in one of several bronze stills. The shape of the still and the temperature and heating methods used can all have an effect on flavour.

We then had a walk through the aging warehouse which contains tens of thousands of casks at various stages of aging. The unpleasant smell of the fermenting grain from the earlier rooms gave way to the smell of actual whisky. The whisky is aged in casks made from a variety of types of wood, with different wood imparting different flavours to the whisky. For example Japanese oak (Mizunara) from Hokkaido is used for some blends and gives the whisky floral undertones particular to that part of Japan.

The first ever cask (now empty) of Yamazaki single malt from 1924.

With the main part of the tour over, the group was taken to the tasting room, via some Japanese gardens.

Included in the tour are tastings of the Hakushu 10 and 12 and the Yamazaki 10 and 12. While the Yamazaki single malts are smooth and light with floral aromas, the Hakushu (distilled in a facility located in the forest on the slopes of Mount Kaikoma) uses snow melt as its water source and has a peatier, smoky taste. The Hibiki blends combine elements of both of the single malts.

Once tasting was over, we found ourselves where we began, in the main room which contains both the tasting counter and the whisky library on the ground floor and the gift shop upstairs.

The whisky library is impressive, housing a collection of over 7,000 types of whisky from around the world.

My wife and I decided to try the Hibiki 17, 21 and 30, as well as the Yamazaki 18 and 25. Samples at the tasting counter are not free.

We enjoyed all 5 of the whiskies we tried, however my wife and I both agreed that the Hibiki 21 was the standout of the lot. This was not too surprising as it’s one of the most awarded whiskies in the world, including World’s Best Blended Whisky at the 2013 World Whiskies Awards and with a “Trophy”, which is the highest award at the International Spirits Challenge 2014. It’s currently my favourite whisky. From Suntory:

Color : bronze amber
Nose : cooked fruit, blackberry, ripe banana, caramel
Palate : sandalwood, honeycomb, dried apricot and Mizunara (Japanese oak)
Finish : long, rich and incense

I was very happy with the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery tour. The setting is beautiful and makes a nice change from the city. Given that the tour is free and you get samples at the end, visiting is a no-brainer for anyone with a passing interest in whisky. One word of advice though, if you want to purchase one of the standard range whiskies, you’re better off not purchasing from the girt shop but from a liquor store/the airport instead as prices are inflated.

If you do visit and are looking for a feed, I strongly recommend this place. The distillery is about a 5 minute walk from Yamazaki train station and right near the train station, on the first side street across the road, is this place which serves some brilliant food. I was surprised that there weren’t more people from the tour eating here – as far as I could tell my wife and I were the only non-Japanese people here.

…sorry, but I couldn’t resist.

Street Scenes Of Osaka

Paul

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15 September 2014

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One of the things I enjoy doing most when overseas is to observe the world around me and watch people go about their lives. For all of the attractions and sights that a given city might contain, it’s the people that give a city its life. Osaka is Japan’s second biggest city by size and home to 19 million people, meaning that there is not shortage of opportunities to people watch.

I was staying in Namba, in the south of Osaka which is a popular entertainment district due to the large number of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and pachinkio parlours. There’s also a lot of shopping in the area, including Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street.

Hozen-ji Temple was founded in 1637 and was a large complex of buildings however most were destroyed in World War II. It’s unexpected when walking around this part of Namba. Walking through the modern streets and buildings surrounding the area, you notice the quaint stone paved lane way, which is full of restaurants and bars. At the end of the lane way is the temple.

Before visiting Japan I’d heard all about the vast number of vending machines dotted around the various cities however I was still surprised at just how many there were. While I didn’t come across any vending machines selling anything too unusual, there were drink vending machines everywhere. On main streets, in car parks, down alleyways, at the back of buildings and just about anywhere else one could be crammed in. I made good use of the vending machines during my stay in the country, with a variety of hot and cold drinks available whenever I was thirsty.

One of the many things that I love about Japan is that while there are lots of modern buildings, high rises and a fast pace of life, there are also loads of intimate spaces. Osaka is full of little alleyways that are packed with restaurants, bars and the like with a slower pace than the busier streets that the alleyways are connecting.

The sound of gaming machines coming from the large number of pachinko parlours is unmistakable. There are lots of groups of salary men out and about during the week, winding down after a long day at the office.

Shinsaibashi is just north of Namba and is the main shopping area of Osaka. It’s home to a lot of shops ranging from independent boutiques to global flagships and high end stores.

Dotonbori, which is in Namba is one of the main attractions in Osaka and runs along the Dotonbori canal. It’s a popular entertainment district known for its affordable food, large video screens, illuminated billboards and signs. A lot of restaurants in the area had these massive mechanical fixtures. The “Kani Doraku Crab”, which is 6.5 metres wide with moving legs and eye stalks has been doing its thing since 1960.

As night approaches, everything in the area steps up a notch. The number of people on the streets swells and the bright lights are turned on. The atmosphere is, excuse the pun, electric.

There are a lot of small streets as you walk the streets between Namba and Shinsaibashi and all of them are full of activity.

There’s a lot happening on the vibrant streets of Osaka and during my stay I was only able to explore a fraction of it. I look forward to returning one day and exploring some more.

Grey Goose Taste By Appointment: Event

Paul

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13 September 2014

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In 2011, Grey Goose Vodka launched a series of “Taste By Appointment” events in the UK, aimed at helping attendees understand their flavour preferences while enjoying some great drinks and food. The Taste By Appointment concept proved to be a success and was subsequently launched outside of the UK. In September 2014 the concept hit Australia and I was invited to attend the Melbourne Taste By Appointment event at Collingwood’s Saint Crispin (you can read my review of Saint Crispin here).

The event was hosted by mixologist, jazz pianist and Grey Goose Global Brand Ambassador Joe McCanta, who went into great detail about taste – how it works, its complexities, its components and why it’s so subjective and personal to each one of us. I was very impressed with McCanta’s knowledge and leaned a few new “taste theory” related things throughout the night.

The first taste experiment started with the bread. The bread was baked without salt and we tried it alone and then with the addition of salt to demonstrate the importance of salt as a flavour enhancer.

The first dish proper to come out was an Amouse Bouche plate, designed to exhibit a further 3 of the 5 known elements of taste.

Sweet: Bannockburn chicken, golden raisin jam.

Sour: Hapuka ceviche, lime, coriander.

Bitter: Ocean trout, blood orange endive, cucumber.

All 3 tasted great, however my favourite was the sweet one. Interestingly, when McCanta asked the room to raise their hands to indicate which was their preferred option of the 3, the room was evenly split 3 ways.

After some more theory, we were directed towards this set up on the tables and encouraged to use our experiences from the first dish plus the theory we had just learned, to make a cocktail. We had Grey Goose Vodka, soda water, salt, sugar, bitters and lemon juice. We first made a “balanced” cocktail and then modified it until we got the flavours working the way that we liked.

We were then told to add, as we desired, lemon peel, mint and pepper to our cocktails. McCanta explained the flavour profiles of all the components and what was actually going on with our brains and taste buds as we experienced each one. We were taught the best way to extract the flavours from each component, such as clapping the mint a few times or rolling the inside of the lemon peel across the rims of our glasses.

The main dish was wagyu beef check and rump, miso eggplant, fricasse of mushrooms, parmesan gel and soil. It was matched with a Grey Goose Vodka and Noilly Prat dry vermouth martini washed with black truffle butter and plum vinegar. The drink was created by James Wynn-Williams, the Australian Grey Goose Brand Ambassador. Unsurprisingly, the cocktail and the main worked brilliantly together, exhibiting the taste element of umami.

For dessert, we were served a parfait of hazelnuts, caramelised pear, crispy phyllo pastry and almond gel. I was really impressed with this dessert. The super crispy, honey snap like texture of the phyllo pastry was unlike any phyllo pastry I’ve tried before. Simple flavours that worked really well together. It was paired with a surprisingly strong sparkling pear and vodka cocktail.

To finish off the meal we were served coffee and a trio of chocolates. One smooth, one crunchy and one chilli.

Joe Grbac, head chef at Saint Crispin, created the 3 course meal especially for this event and came in to have a little chat with us at the end of the night. The food at Saint Crispin is always outstanding, and what we were served at the Taste By Appointment event was no exception.

Once the meal was done, we were invited next door to Saint Crispin’s bar, Thomas Olive, to try a bespoke martini created with flavours influenced by what we had just learned. I was going to try and use some of my new-found knowledge but to be honest when I walked up to the bar and saw dried mangoes and bananas as two of the options on the plates in front of me my mind instantly said “tropical Martini!”. The cocktail was described to me as it was being made, with lemon juice being added in order to balance the added sweetness that was present in the dried fruit. It was delicious.

My wife went for an umami flavour trip with a bacon and shitake martini which drew quite a few curious looks from those around us. It was different, that’s for sure but it worked.

I was really impressed by the Taste By Appointment even that Grey Goose put on. The drinks were excellent, the food was outstanding and Joe McCanta was not only very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, but a genuinely nice guy to chat to. I had the opportunity to interview McCanta about a few things that were of interest to me, and I think will be of interest to you about the world of food and drink. You can read the interview here.

Cheers!

Osaka: Kuromon Ichiba Market

Paul

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11 September 2014

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Osaka’s Kuromon Ichiba Market was established in the early 1900s during the mid-Taisho era and contains over 170 shops along a length of almost 600 meters. Although primarily catering to the restaurant industry, the market is open to the public and contains a huge variety of places selling all kinds of fresh local delicacies, with a focus on fresh seafood.

It’s important to note that in Japan, it is considered rude to walk around while eating. If you do get something to eat from one of the stalls, stand to the side and eat it before continuing to walk around.

This place was selling a variety of raw, steamed and grilled seafood. My wife and I tried scallops and conk which were raw and, as I suppose seems obvious, very fresh.

Quite a few stalls were selling cold tempura. I assumed that they wouldn’t taste that good as they had been sitting out for a while but we tried a few things and they were still very tasty and crispy.

While the market predominantly deals with fresh fruit and vegetables and seafood, there are some meat stalls too. This place sold varying grades of Kobe beef.

It was simply cooked on the hotplate and served with some salt and pepper on the side. I’d tried wagyu beef before but this was by fat the best I had ever tasted. The sirlion was very tender, and the fat melted as soon as it hit my tongue. It was extremely luxurious and the taste remained in my mouth for quite a while. Up to an hour later I was still repeatedly making comments to my wife about how amazing it was.

Osaka’s Kuromon Ichiba Market is well worth a visit both to try a variety of food and to see a slice of everyday Osaka life in action.

Cherry Blossom Season In Osaka

Paul

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9 September 2014

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Cherry blossom season in Japan begins as early as January in Okinawa and moves north, ending as late as May in Hokkaido. For most of the major cities in Japan, the first blossoms (kaika) open in late March/early April, reaching full bloom (mankai) about a week later. Full bloom itself lasts about a week, and can be cut short by wind or rain, as the blossoms are very delicate.

While a cherry blossom is actually the flower of any of several trees of the genus Prunus that can be found around the world, it is the Japanese cherry blossom (sakura) that the term is most commonly associated with.

I was in Osaka in early April in 2014, which coincided with full bloom. Cherry trees were blossoming all over the city, and one of the best places to see the sakura was Osaka Castle Park, which is home to about 600 cherry trees, as well as 95 kinds of Japanese apricot/plum (ume) flowers across 1250 trees which also bloom in Spring and look quite similar to sakura.

The blooming of the sakura is considered a symbol of hope and renewal, and signifies that winter has come to an end and spring is on its way. Philosophically, the short blooming season represents the ephemeral nature of life as well as mortality – youth and beauty followed by sudden death.

Every year, the Japanese Meteorological Agency tracks the “cherry blossom front” as it moves up the country, and Japanese flock to the various parks, temples and shrines where the cherry blossoms are blooming to hold flower viewing parties and to picnic under the cherry trees (hanami). The hanami tradition was started by the elite of the Imperial Court during the Nara Period in 710-794 and was, over time, adopted by the common people, becoming entrenched across all levels of Japanese society by the Edo period in the early 1600s.

When I was at Osaka Castle Park, it was quite busy with tourists, school groups, families and bridal parties making the most of the natural beauty.

There’s really not much else to say about cherry blossom season in Japan. It’s a wonderful thing to experience, not just for the beauty of the cherry blossoms themselves, but for the happiness and sense of optimism that the season brings. It also doesn’t hurt that the sakura tastes great too, and is used as an ingredient to flavour all sorts of food and drink during this time of year, including chocolate, cakes, soda and beer.

Osaka: Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street

Paul

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8 September 2014

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Osaka: Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street

Sennichimae Doguyasuji (which roughly translates as “Cooking Tools Street”) is a 150 metre long shopping arcade dedicated to providing cooking tools and equipment to Osaka’s chefs and restaurateurs. It is similar to Tokyo’s Kitchen Town, Kappabashi, but a lot more compact. Everything that a chef or restaurateur could want can be found here – knives, bowls, takoyaki grills, neon signs, plastic food, utensils, appliances and much more.

Originating around 1882, when traders began to sell wares along the street linking Sennichimae in Hozenji to Odaishi-san in Tennoji Temple and Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, Sennichimae Doguyasuji in its current form came into being in 1970 when it, along with many other streets in Osaka were merged and covered to become arcades.

Despite the large number of multi-level stores in the arcade, there’s quite a lot of variety and most of the shops are worth looking at, as there’s a chance you might find something that isn’t being sold elsewhere. Sennichimae Doguyasuji certainly gives credence to Osaka’s nickname as “Japan’s kitchen”.

No space is wasted. This shop in particular was crammed to the maximum.

Sakai, which is only a 15 minute train ride from Namba station is the historical home of sword making in Japan, and has been so since the 14th century. In an attempt to modernise the country after the Meiji Restoration, the carrying of samurai swords was banned and many of the city’s swordmakers started making knives. Today, Sakai is known for its excellent knives and Sennichimae Doguyasuji is home to many knife stores.

I purchased a Santoku knife from the store in the photo below, about a third of the way down the arcade on the right. The guy at the end in the middle of the photo spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable. He guided me towards the perfect knife for my needs. It’s an excellent knife and it has become my go to knife for everyday use in my kitchen at home – a Sakai Takayuki Grand Chef Santoku Knife, 180mm if you’re curious.

There were a lot of places selling bowls, cups and cutlery and this one on the left just past the entrance of the arcade was one of the best. Not the biggest range but what they did have was good and well priced.

Sennichimae Doguyasuji is a 3 minute walk from Namba Station or a 5 minute walk from Nippombashi Station and is a must visit for anyone with the even the slightest interest in cooking. You’ll be hard pressed to not walk away with something.

Raglan Roast Coffee: Review

Paul

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1 September 2014

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Raglan Roast Coffee Wellington is going to be the subject of what is quite possibly my shortest review to date. At first, I wondered whether I should even bother but you know what, I like telling you all about where I’ve had good stuff be it food, drinks or travel experiences and the fact of the matter is that Raglan Roast do some very good coffee. It’s that simple. I got a flat white and it was spot on.

Grab a coffee and some gelato, a bagel or a pastry and chill out in the eclectic room at the back. You can also grab beans to take away and purchase a variety of coffee brewing equipment. Some of the stuff back here is actually for sale (surfboards, shoes etc), having been designed by local artists and craftspeople . The surf ethic is apparent throughout (the first Raglan Roast is located in the New Zealand surf town of Raglan).

Raglan Roast Coffee

40 Abel Smith Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 801 6558
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://raglanroast.co.nz/

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:30am to 5:00pm

Melbourne: Where I Ate In 2014 (Part 2)

Paul

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31 August 2014

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3 months have passed since I wrote part 1 of my “Melbourne: Where I Ate In 2014” list, and the winter has been good to diners in Melbourne with a lot of new places to eat opening up. I’ve been less interested in rushing to check out the latest spots this winter, and have tried to spend more time exploring some of Melbourne’s less publicised places regardless of how new they are. That’s not to say that I haven’t gone to any new places, but it’s easy to get caught up with all of the new openings in this city and forget about the places that have been around for years doing great stuff.

As always, there have been a mixture of hits and misses in the places that I’ve tried, and a large number of them I never “properly” reviewed. So here they are, the places that I ate at this winter that I never reviewed but think you should know about.

Lazerpig Pizza Parlour

Opened by the team that runs the Grace Darling, Lazerpig ticks all of the expected stereotypes that one would expect to find in Collingwood in 2014. Don’t let this dissuade you though. Service can get slow when it’s busy, however the staff are friendly and, more importantly, the food is pretty good. Wood-fired pizzas with top quality ingredients and traditional and non-traditional topping combinations are the main draw here, and a range of sides are offered too. I was very happy with my pizza and sides (pickles and croquettes) and would happily visit again.

A changing selection of cuts of meat on the charcoal grill are also offered along with a small range of craft beers and the usual wines and spirits. Be warned though – the place gets busy and very loud.

Lazerpig Pizza Parlour

9-11 Peel Street
Collingwood
Victoria 3066
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9417 1177
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.lazerpig.com.au/

Open
Mon: 4:00pm to late
Tue – Fri: 12:00pm to late
Sat – Sun: 2:00pm to late

Rainbow Hotel

Tucked away in the back streets of Fitzroy, the Rainbow Hotel is over 140 years old. The unspectacular exterior makes way for an interior that, while revamped a few years ago, has retained its old pub character. It’s unpretentious and there’s a great selection of craft beers both on taps and in bottles. When I’m out in this part of town I generally drop in for a drink however I’ve also eaten here a few times too. The menu is nothing fancy – just good old fashioned pub grub with some more modern gastropub type dishes. For me it’s always a toss up between the chicken parma or the Rainbow burger with bacon.

Rainbow Hotel

27 St David Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9419 4193
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://therainbow.com.au/

Open
Mon – Thu: 3:00pm to late
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 1:00am
Sun: 12:00pm to 11:00pm

Mook Ji Bar

Korean might be the “on trend” food at the moment but the fact of the matter is that there have been loads of restaurants in Melbourne doing no-nonsense Korean food for man years. Mook Ji Bar doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a place that does the good stuff well. The food is very well priced, tastes great and service is lightning fast. The fried chicken with chilli and the kimchi pancakes are the must try dishes.

Mook Ji Bar

406 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9600 2661
Email: n/a
Website: Facebook

Open
Mon – Sat: 11:30pm to 11:00pm
Sat – Sun: 3:00pm to 10:00pm

Melbourne Dae Jang Geum Korean BBQ

Dae Jang Geum is another Korean restaurant that does the basics well. Unlike Mook Ji Bar though, which for the most part eschews the self BBQ tables, Dae Jang Geum leans more towards the Korean BBQ side of things with grills on most of the tables. Nothing fancy, just well priced, simple Korean food. I like coming in for the lunch specials which are great value.

Melbourne Dae Jang Geum Korean BBQ

235 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9662 9445
Email: n/a
Website: n/a

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:00pm to 10:00pm

Bomba

I was a big fan of the Aylesbury, and in particular the Aylesbury Rooftop bar. It’s since been rebranded as Bomba, with the theme now “Spanish workers’ bar”. There are a range of tapas and mains on offer but the focus is very much on share plates. Things are a lot less formal than they used to be but what hasn’t changed is the great service and quality food. The spiced beetroot and goats curd toast and the leek and manchego croquetta are two of my favourites, and Bomba continues to be a place that I like to go to for some after work drinks and snacks.

Bomba

103 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9077 0451
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://bombabar.com.au/

Open
Lunch
Mon – Fri: 10:00pm to 3:00pm

Dinner
Sun – Thu: 5:00pm to 10:30pm
Fri – Sat: 5:00pm to 11:00pm

Dainty Sichuan Food

Dainty Sichuan had been on my to-do list ever since I saw it on the Melbourne episode of “No Reservations” back in 2009. Since then it’s moved locations, expanded and become more and more popular. I finally got around to trying it in 2014 and was hoping that it would still be good. Thankfully I wasn’t disappointed. While the service can leave a lot to be desired, there’s no denying that the food is quality. Nothing is toned down for Western tastes and some of the dishes (for example the first one in the photo) are seriously hot.

My favourite discovery was pork threads. I’d never tried them before and they were threads of meaty, gelatinous, sweet and sour deliciousness that everyone should try.

Dainty Sichuan Food

Level 2
206 Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9650 2188
Email: n/a
Website: Facebook

Open
Lunch
Mon – Sun: 10:30am to 3:00pm

Dinner
Sun – Thu: 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Fri – Sat: 5:00pm to 10:30pm

The Beer & Burger Bar

This place does exactly what it says it will, offering a range of burgers with a focus on locally sourced ingredients as well as a tight selection of craft beers. The burgers aren’t the best I’ve had in Melbourne but they certainly aren’t bad. For me it’s an option if I’m going to see something at the MCG and want a bite before/after the game – in other words if I’m in the area it’s on my list.

The Beer & Burger Bar

112 Swan Street
Richmond
Victoria 3121
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9429 5934
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.tbbb.com.au/

Open
Mon – Wed: 11:00pm to 10:00pm
Thu – Sun: 11:00pm to 11:00pm

Hobba

I used to work near Hobba so was able to visit with some regularity however these days I’m not in the area that often and, coupled with the fact that Hobba’s not open for dinner means that I don’t visit that much any more. It’s a shame because the food at Hobba is really nice. There’s nothing that screams “get yourself here now” on the menu – just a variety of tasty, simple breakfast/brunch options and some great sandwiches that use fresh, seasonal produce. A great option if you’re in the area.

Hobba

428 Malvern Road
Prahran
Victoria 3181
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9510 8336
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://hobba.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sat: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Sun: 8:00pm to 4:00pm

Ras Dashen

I’d been meaning to make a trip out to Footscray to try some Ethiopean food for a long time and finally got around to it when I visited Ras Dashen. When I visited I had no idea what Ethiopean food was all about so ordered the dish in the photo, which seemed like it was quite popular with the other patrons. The thing on the bottom is “injera” which is a pancake made from fermented dough. It has a very tangy taste to it and is used to eat the other food. You scoop a bit of the things from the bowls on top into a piece of injera that you rip off and away you go. The main topping was kitfo, which is a spiced beef mince which you can choose to have cooked or raw. White cheese and chilli sauce finished it off. The flavours were unlike anything I’d ever eaten before and I’m really keen to try some of the other things on the menu.

Ras Dashen

121 Nicholson Street
Footscray
Victoria 3011
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9687 3293
Email: [email protected]
Website: Facebook

Open
Mon – Thu: 12:00pm to 9:00pm
Fri – Sun: 12:00pm to 10:00pm

Pizza Wagon

Pizza Wagon is run by “an Australian boy and an English girl in a French van”. The proposition is very straightforward – simple wood-fired pizzas using quality ingredients and techniques they both learned in Italy. The result? Some seriously good pizza. They were set up at Moon Dog brewery when I tried and where they are will depend on the day.

Pizza Wagon

Location Varies, Check Twitter on the day.

Telephone: (03) 5902 2555
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://pizzawagon.com.au/

Open
Depends on the location/day/venue.

La Belle Miette

La Belle Miette is a small French patisserie that focuses on macarons. The hype around macarons in Melbourne might have died down, however there’s no denying that a good macaron always has been and always will be a great sweet. Over the past almost 3 years I’d not found macarons better than those at Sydney Road’s “By Josephene” so was keen to hear whether the praise that had been heaped upon La Belle Miette’s macarons was justified. In short, the answer is yes.

A range of flavours, both traditional and more novel are offered and great quality ingredients, including chocolate from Cacao Barry and Callebaut are used. The texture is perfect and the taste great. My favourite was the Salted Caramel and Mariage Freres Earl Grey Chocolate.

La Belle Miette

30 Hardware Lane
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9077 3778
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://labellemiette.com.au/

Open
Mon – Thu: 10:00am to 6:00pm
Fri: 10:00am to 9:00pm
Sat: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Sun: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Supper Inn

For me, Supper Inn fulfils a very specific role in Melbourne dining. Are the staff friendly? No. Is the food amongst the best Chinese food in Melbourne? No. Would I go there for lunch or dinner? No. Why go there you ask? Simple – the service might not be friendly but it’s fast and efficient, the food might not be amongst the best in town, but it’s still decent and the menu is extensive. While there are better lunch and dinner options elsewhere in the CBD, the prices at Supper Inn are low and it’s open until the early hours of the morning, 7 days a week. If you’re looking for decent, affordable feed in the CBD after midnight, Supper Inn should definitely be on your list.

Supper Inn

15 Celetial Avenue
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9663 4759
Email: n/a
Website: Facebook

Open
Mon – Thu: 5:30pm to 2:30am
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 2:30am

Beervana 2014

Paul

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26 August 2014

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Beervana is an annual beer festival held in Wellington, New Zealand that aims to showcase the best that the country’s craft brewers have to offer. It runs across 2 days, with over 200 craft beers from New Zealand (and some from Australia) on offer. I attended in 2013 and was so impressed by Wellington and its craft beer scene that I decided to return again in 2014 for a long weekend.

There are 4 sessions. Friday afternoon, Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night. Last year I went to the Friday afternoon and Saturday night sessions and, while both were fun, I found Friday afternoon to be more rewarding as it had more of the special beers (media and festive brews) available and was less crowded, with more industry types and beer aficionados in attendance. With that in mind, I just attended the Friday afternoon session this year, and dedicated more time to visiting all of the craft beer bars and breweries around the city during the rest of my stay.

The ticket price only includes entry – to buy drinks and food the token system that’s become standard at these sorts of food and drink festivals was used but with a twist. Instead of tokens, attendees were given a wrist band that could be loaded up with credit and scanned to pay for things at the various booths. Beer came in either 75ml samples or a full 250ml, the price varying by alcohol content. A nice change from other festivals that use the token system was that and credit left on a wristband at the end of the session was fully refundable. A big tick for that.

The first guy in the photo below was one of many volunteers that were walking around with big backpacks full of water, which was a responsible, appreciated move. The guy in the middle was one of the volunteers serving beers at the media brew bar – the device he’s holding is the “token” scanner. The third guy was from Epic Brewing Company, serving up up beer and free BBQ sausage bites.

As occurred last year one of my favourite breweries, Garage Project, were out in full force with a range of unique beers to sample. The “beer workshop” kicked off with their #IPA topped with hop infused nitro ice-cream that had a very unique flavour.

Panhead Custom Ales, who have come forward leaps and bounds with their beers over the past year had this guy getting tattooed next to their bar. Why not?

As well as the beer itself, there were also a range of workshops that people could attend and some great food on offer from various Wellington food businesses. My favourite beer of Beervana 2014, which I rated 4.5/5 was:

Brave Bikkie Brown Ale – Behemoth Brewing Company

It was an ANZAC themed coconut and cocoa nib brown ale – like a chocolate covered ANZAC biscuit. Really, really enjoyable and a clear winner for me. 4/5 stars went to.

Epicurean Coffee & Fig – Epic Brewing Company
Jam Grenade – Funk Estate
Kiwi Sour – Good George Brewing
Vainglory – Garage Project
2 Pot Flat White – Garage Project
Cereal Milk Stout – Garage Project

I really enjoyed Beervana 2014 and it was a step up from 2013 in both size and the number of beers on offer. It’s certainly becoming more popular with Australians too. I knew of several people from the East Coast of Australia who had flown over for the weekend- many more than last year. Along with Beervana, Wellington itself has a very vibrant craft beer scene and it all adds up to a great weekend. If you’d like to read about some of Wellington’s best craft beer bars and breweries you can check out my guide here.

The friends I flew over with all had a great time and we’re already looking forward to attending again next year. The only criticisms I would make were that a wider selection of “one off” brews would have been good and that the official Beervana app needs some work. It wasn’t linked to the Untappd app (contrast this with the excellent GABS 2014 app) and it was prone to crashing, which often led to a loss of all prior check-in data – my friend fell victim to this on several occasions. All in all though, a job well done from the organisers.

Meatmaiden, Melbourne CBD

Paul

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25 August 2014

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Meatmaiden Melbourne is the sister restaurant to Richmond’s Meatmother by owners Neil Hamblen and Nick Johnston (disclosure: I work for Nick Johnston in another, unrelated capacity). Taking over the space formerly occupied by the ill fated Little Hunter, this sleek, industrial CBD venue takes the offering of Meatmother and turns things up to 11. I was invited to the preview dinner to sample various dishes from the menu and learn about what Meatmaiden aims to offer Melbourne diners.

Justin Wise, formerly of The Point and The Press Club, has created a menu which not only focuses on meat (along with the smoker, there’s also a grill), but also provides a range of options for vegetarians and pescetarians. In fact, I was impressed by variety and quality of food that came out before we even got to the meat. The dishes are designed to share, and a casual attitude with a focus on honest food is apparent. In the month following the launch, Wise’s former The Point colleague Riki Day will take the reigns as head chef.

The space is very modern, sleek and industrial – those who visited Little Hunter will instantly recognise various elements of the restaurant, with the changes and improvements made by Fitzroy’s Urchin Associates equally apparent. The meat cabinet can’t be missed as you sit in the main dining area and is very impressive.

Crisps

The crisps are made on site and are offered to all diners upon being seated, whether it be at the tables for a full meal or at the long bar for a drink and a snack.

Beef Jerky

The beef jerky is also made on site. I’m not too well versed on what good beef jerky should taste like if I’m being honest – the offering at Meatmaiden was certainly “meaty”, for lack of a better word, and had a chewy/soft texture.

Pickled Heirloom Veg, Chilli & Goat Curd

The pickles are one area where the step up from Meatmother is apparent. The heirloom veg provided a point of difference to the usual pickled offerings and the addition of soft goats cheese to the mix created a nice counterbalance to the pickled vegetables.

Both the BBQ sauce and hot sauce are made on site.

Oysters Of The Day With Smoked Fennel Dressing

The oysters were really tasty. They will come from different parts of Australia depending on seasonality and what’s fresh and are designed to be chewed, not gulped down in one hit which is how I usually eat them.

Cajun Seared Tuna, Horseradish, Avocado

It might be sacrilegious to say this about a seafood dish at a place called Meatmaiden, however the tuna was probably my favourite dish of the night. Slightly seared with avocado and horseradish mayonnaise, all of the components really combined nicely both flavour wise and texturally.

Grilled Mooloolaba Prawns

One of the least complex dishes of the night, these were simply good quality grilled prawns.

Southern Fried Chicken Ribs, Tequila Mayo

Another highlight of the night was the fried chicken. It was topped with a tequila mayonnaise and went really well with the chilli sauce.

Lobster Mac & Cheese

The third highlight was the lobster mac and cheese. This thing was decadent and contained a generous serve of lobster atop a classic, creamy mac and cheese. Definitely one to share amongst the table.

BBQ Eggplant, Capsicum & Roasted Tomato

The eggplant was probably the least impressive of the dishes that I tried on this night. It wasn’t bad, and the use of honey in the glaze was a great touch, but compared to the other offerings it didn’t blow me away.

NQA (“Not Quite American”) Salad

The salad might not be “Not Quite American” but it was very tasty. The lightness provided a welcome break from the relatively heavier dishes of the night. It was nice to see the relatively (in Australia) underrated pomegranate being used.

Smoked Barramundi With Charred Cauliflower

One of the guests didn’t eat meat and was given this lightly smoked Barramundi. I didn’t try it but here’s a photo for you in any case.

Hand-cut Chips With Spiced Salt

The chips were decent but not mind blowing. They weren’t quite as crisp as they could have been.

20-Hour Rangers Valley Wagyu Brisket

Moving onto the beef, the Rangers Valley wagyu brisket, rubbed with Tasmanian pepper berry, and smoked for 20 hours was amazing. It fell off my fork as I went to grab a piece and when I ate it the whole thing melted in my mouth. The smokiness was very apparent and overall it was a real winner. My favourite of the beef options.

O’Connor Pasture-fed Flat Iron Steak

The flat iron (oyster blade) was not as good as the wagyu but it was still very good. It was cooked medium rare on the grill as opposed to being smoked so was more of a “traditional” steak.

A decent selection of spirits and a 6 tap system of rotating local and American craft beers (expect beers on the taps from Rogue, Founders, Moon Dog, Mornington and Mountain Goat at launch), combined with craft beer bottles and a concise, focused wine list is what’s on offer on the drinks front. As with Meatmother, there will be a particular focus on bourbons. Hamblen and Johnston want people to have fun and feel comfortable and relaxed whether they come in for a sit down meal or for a few drinks and snacks at the bar.

After we had recovered from all of the food that had come out we were treated to dessert. Wise told us that the aim with the desserts wasn’t to challenge people, but to do classic flavours and dishes well.

Choc-bar & Raspberry Sorbet

The chocolate bar, which was kind of like a brownie and raspberry sorbet was my favourite. The sorbet was really tasty and actually vegan. In fact where possible, and if the flavours won’t be compromised, Wise is aiming to get a few vegan options on the menu.

Crack Mom’s Apple Pie With Vanilla Ice Cream

The apple pie contained, along with apple, big raisins and was very tatsy. Again, nothing fancy, just a classic dish done well. The lid of the pie was very crispy and buttery which I loved.

I was really impressed by the food at Meatmaiden. Being a preview, they team were keen to hear the feedback of those in attendance and, based on the quality of the food on offer that night and the passion of all involved, I can see Meatmaiden becoming a popular venue as it finds its groove. It opens on Wednesday 27 August.

Meatmaiden

Basement
195 Little Collins Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9078 7747
Email: n/a
Website: http://www.meatmaiden.com.au/

Open
Tue – Sat: 11:00am to late

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Crisps

Beef Jerky

Pickled Heirloom Veg, Chilli & Goat Curd

Oysters Of The Day With Smoked Fennel Dressing

Cajun Seared Tuna, Horseradish, Avocado

Grilled Mooloolaba Prawns

Southern Fried Chicken Ribs, Tequila Mayo

Lobster Mac & Cheese

BBQ Eggplant, Capsicum & Roasted Tomato

NQA (“Not Quite American”) Salad

Smoked Barramundi With Charred Cauliflower

Hand-cut Chips With Spiced Salt

20-Hour Rangers Valley Wagyu Brisket

O’Connor Pasture-fed Flat Iron Steak

Choc-bar & Raspberry Sorbet

Crack Mom’s Apple Pie With Vanilla Ice Cream

Meatmaiden

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