All Posts - Page 405 of 421

Sydney Madang, Sydney CBD

Paul

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8 March 2014

Sydney Madang is hidden down a laneway behind the hustle and bustle of Pitt Street and has, over the years, developed a reputation for offering Sydneysiders consistently good Korean at a decent price. My wife and I arrived in Sydney quite late on a Friday night and for our first meal of the trip, decided to head to Sydney Madang which is open until the early hours of the morning, 7 days a week.

Walking down the laneway, past the street art and towards the light of the restaurant, we were greeted by the sound of conversation and laughter. Sydney Madang has a fun, casual vibe. The place was packed, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

The menu is quite extensive and contains an assortment of Korean BBQ options, along with several other dishes. Trying to choose just a handful of dishes is quite difficult, and my wife and I ended up over-ordering as we couldn’t narrow down the options beyond the four that we chose – this kind of food is definitely designed for sharing.

Thick Sliced Pork Belly ($20.00)

The “thick sliced” part of the description was no understatement – the slices of pork belly were very thick, and we were given kitchen scissors to cut them into more manageable sizes of our choosing.

A few minutes on the barbecue and they were ready to eat. Simple and delicious.

Marinated Beef ($15.00)

The marinated beef was also really delicious and very tender. The strips were quite thin so we didn’t have to wait too long for them to cook which was great as we were starving.

There is no watering down of the food here for western tastes. A full range of accompaniments and sauces were made available to us for our meal.

Seafood Pancake ($13.00)

The pancakes were tasty and very filling. The outside was crispy and the inside was quite dense.

Grilled Eel ($19.00)

My wife and I have been getting into eel quite a lot over the past few months. It’s not intentional, but it seems to be appearing on more menus as of late and it’s always interesting to see how different cuisines tackle this creature of the sea which can be difficult to cook. The eel at Sydney Madang was delicious, with a sweet and sticky marinade that really enhanced the flavour of the eel without completely masking it.

I’d been craving Korean food for a few weeks before my visit to Sydney Madang and I was more than happy with the meal that I had there. The food was great, as was the service. Staff were always on hand to replace hotplates when they became too smoky and charred and everything was very efficient. I only wish that I could have eaten as part of a bigger group in order to try more things.

Sydney Madang

371A Pitt Street
Sydney
New South Wales 2000
Australia

Telephone: (02) 9264 7010
Email: n/a
Website: n/a

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:30am to 2:00am

Wellington Craft Beer Guide

Paul

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25 February 2014

0

Wellington, New Zealand and craft beer go together like Winston Churchill and a cigar, hipsters and sriracha, caramel and salt and… you get the picture. I travelled to Wellington last year for Beervana, which is an annual festival put on to showcase the best of craft beer from New Zealand and Australia. In 2013, over 200 beers were available to sample. Beervana was great fun, however the thing that impressed me most during my time in Wellington was the sheer amount of craft beer bars in the city – all within walking distance of each other.

Given that some of the best hops in the world come from New Zealand, it’s unsurprising that some of the best beer in the world does too. Wellington, I look forward to seeing you again in August, but for now let me reminisce by sharing with you all my pick of the city’s best craft beer venues.

Fork & Brewer

Fork & Brewer makes its intentions known to visitors at the outset. Walking up the stairs and past the brewing equipment (Fork & Brewer’s house brews are brewed on site), patrons are greeted by an enormous keg inspired bar, containing 40 taps of beer, as well a decent range of bottled beers, spirits and wine (I won’t write this for subsequent venues – they all offer spirits and wine of course). The venue is quite large and the vibe is, like most places in Wellington, laid back and super friendly. The food menu is quite extensive, however my friends and I didn’t eat here during our stay.

Fork & Brewer

14 Bond Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 472 0033
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://forkandbrewer.co.nz/

Open
Mon – Wed: 11:30am to 10:30pm
Thu: 11:30am to 1:30am
Fri: 11:30am to 3:00am
Sat: 11:30am to 1:30am

Garage Project

Garage Project is one of the best breweries in New Zealand in my opinion. Housed in an old Shell gas station station, these guys create some amazing beers and aren’t afraid to experiment with unusual flavours and brewing techniques (flash heated, fire poker blended beer anyone? Nitro blasted beer slushies more your taste perhaps?).

Tastings are available at the cellar door – my friends and I went 3 times because we liked their beers so much. The highlight was the Lord Cockswain’s Courage Double Bourbon Barrel-Aged porter which was, big call, my favourite beer of 2013. Christmas in a glass would be the best way to describe it with hints of raisin and coconut coming through from the bourbon barrels.

A few of the Garage Project team getting creative at Beervana. It’s beer Jim, but not as we know it.

Garage Project

60 Aro Street
Aro Valley
Wellington 6021
New Zealand

Telephone: n/a
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://garageproject.co.nz/

Open
Mon – Sat: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Sun: 10:00am to 6:30pm

Golding’s Free Dive

Hidden down a lane way, my friends and I stumbled across Golding’s Free Dive by chance on our last day in Wellington. This was just as well, as this American dive themed bar quickly cemented its place as one of our favourite craft beer venues in the city.

A great selection of beers are available on tap and in bottles, and a decent selection of pizzas. There’s a nitro tap, which had the Rogue Shakespeare Stout running through it when we visited and also a custom made hand pump which is as impressive to look at as the beer that comes out of it is to drink.

The staff are super friendly and the venue has a real fun, unpretentious vibe to it. The day we visited there was ramen being served out of the kitchen by the team from the Ramen Shop who go around Wellington taking over kitchens to sell their delicious ramen. There was also a craft beer photography competition being judged. As a result, the place was pumping.

We were the first ones there. Half an hour later you could barely move inside.

If it wasn’t for the Ramen Shop being there, we would have definitely gone for one of the pizzas.

The limited run Funk Estate Super Afro-Disiac was an Imperial Stout loaded full of every aphrodisiac imaginable. It didn’t make me fall in love with my friends, but it was a very delicious brew, with all of the unusual flavours present in just the right amount as not to be overpowering.

Golding’s Free Dive

14 Leeds Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6021
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 381 3616
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://goldingsfreedive.co.nz/

Open
Mon – Sun: 12:00pm to 12:00am

Hashigo Zake

Hashigo Zake is arguably the top craft beer destination in Wellington. As well as serving an excellently crafted selection of tap and bottled beers, they are also one of New Zealand’s biggest importers of craft beer (from December 2013, the wholesale business is run in its own right as “Beer Without Borders“), supplying many of the other craft beer bars around the country. There’s seemingly nothing that these guys can’t source and the staff’s knowledge of, and passion for beer is exceptional.

Food wise, a range of pies, udon noodles and other Japanese snacks are available.

The “naughty fridge” to the left in the background of this photo contains some amazing, rather special beers. My friends and I shared a Mikkeller/Cigar City Swinging Harry Tropical Quad (an Abt/Quadrupel style beer), which was brewed with papaya and mango and aged in Grand Marnier barrels. Cigar City beers are extremely hard to get outside of the United States and when we saw this one in the naughty fridge, we knew we had to have it. It was, unsurprisingly delicious and very tropical tasting.

Hashigo Zake

25 Taranaki Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 384-7300
Email: n/a
Website: http://hashigozake.co.nz/

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

Little Beer Quarter

Little Beer Quarter, or “LBQ” as it’s commonly referred to, is very popular. So popular in fact that we couldn’t even get in there the first time that my friends and I tried. With 14 rotating taps, 2 hand pumps and over 100 different bottled beers to choose from, LBQ draws a varied crowd from the young alternative types to the after work office crowd and the older crowd too. As I noticed with many places that I frequented in Wellington, nobody really seems to care who you are or what your scene is. As long as you’re out and about and willing to enjoy yourself it’s all good. The lack of pretension is and genuine friendliness is very refreshing.

Food is a range of share plates and other gastro-pub type meals, and a range of board games to rekindle memories of one’s youth sweetens the deal even further.

Little Beer Quarter

6 Edward Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 803 3304
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://littlebeerquarter.co.nz/

Open
Mon: 4:00pm to 3:00am
Tue – Sun: 12:00pm to 3:00am

ParrotDog

ParrotDog is another brewery that’s located in the centre of Wellington. Started by two students who liked to home brew, it soon expanded into something much bigger. There’s a cellar door at the brewery where visitors can sample the beers on offer and buy beer to takeaway (bottled or from the tap in a flagon).

The Pitbull American IPA was my favourite of the range, and in a trend I’ve noticed becoming more prevalent as of late, the low alcohol beer “The Dogg” was really good too.

ParrotDog

29 Vivian Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 384 8077
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://parrotdog.co.nz/

Open
Mon – Thu: 10:00am to 6:00am
Fri: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Sat: 12:00am to 6:00pm
Sun: 10:00am to 4:00pm

The Malthouse

The Malthouse was where my Wellington craft beer odyssey began. I entered the venue on a quiet afternoon and was greeted by a friendly bartender who really knew his stuff when it came to craft beer. The offering at the Malthouse is an impressive line up of 28 taps, 2 hand pumps and over 150 bottled beers across 6 different temperature controlled fridges. It’s the kind of place where patrons are really encouraged to broaden their pallets and try something new.

Needless to say, this first afternoon in Wellington was not the last time I would visit the Malthouse during this trip, and when I came back a few nights later, the place was bustling and full of interesting people to chat to.

The Malthouse

48 Courtenay Place
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 802 5484
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://themalthouse.co.nz/

Open
Mon – Tue: 3:00pm to late
Wed – Sun: 12:00pm to late

The Rogue & Vagabond

Describing The Rogue & Vagabond as a craft beer bar is not really correct in that music, including live music is just as important as the beer. A craft beer/live music venue is more apt perhaps? In any case, fans with a wide ranging taste in craft beer and eclectic taste in music will not be disappointed by The Rogue & Vagabond. You can even bring your pet dog if you like.

On the beer front, 16 rotating taps, 2 hand pumps and a decent selection of bottles are on offer and for those who are hungry, a range of snacks, pizzas and pub meals are available. Outdoor seating helps to seal the deal.

The Rogue & Vagabond

18 Garrett Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 381 2321
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://rogueandvagabond.co.nz/

Open
Mon – Sun: 12:00pm to late

The Hop Garden

The Hop Garden places equal focus on good beer, wine and food. There are 12 rotating beer taps and 1 hand pump plus a selection of beers. The range isn’t as extensive as some of the other places on this list, but it’s still a decent range and the food is a cut above the usual pub fare. Most of the venue is in an covered out door area and it has a really laid back, family friendly vibe to it.

Wellington On a Plate, the city’s major food festival, was on at the same time I was visiting. You can read more about it when I put my Wellington Food Guide up, however in the meantime I’ll describe the burger below, which was part of the “Garage Project Burger Challenge” that many of the pubs and restaurants in the city entered.

A quarter kilo of hop-smoked beef with Moore Wilson Fresh Linkwater aged cheddar, red onion and gherkin relish in a Pandoro mixed-grain bun. The hops gave the beef a flavour unlike anything I have ever tried. Unique is the word I will use.

The Hop Garden

13 Pirie Street
Mt Victoria
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 801 8807
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://thehopgarden.co.nz/

Open
Mon – Tue: 3:00pm to late
Wed – Fri: 11:30pm to late
Sat – Sun: 10:30pm to late

The Tap Haus

The Tap Haus is another venue that focuses on wine and beer equally. The beers are mostly local and while the selection isn’t as adventurous as some of the other places on this list, it’s still a decent place to introduce yourself to what New Zealand has to offer on the beer front. A range of bar snacks and pub meals are available for those looking for a bite to eat.

The Tap Haus

145 Victoria Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 805 0045
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://thetaphaus.co.nz/

Open
Mon – Sun: 12:00pm to late

Northern Light, Collingwood

Paul

-

22 February 2014

4

Northern Light Bar & Eatery on Collingwood’s Smith Street is a new eatery where diners can feel comfortable either snacking at the bar over a few drinks or sitting down to eat a proper meal (or as in my case, sitting at the bar for a proper meal and a few drinks).

Owners Adam Liston (ex Commoner) and Glen Bagnara (ex Chester White) have bought to the small space formerly occupied by Gigibaba, a Chinese and Japanese inspired menu, heavily influenced by Liston’s 2 years spent cooking in Shanghai. My wife and I spoke to Liston’s wife Genevieve about the food and it was very clear that they are passionate about what they are doing, with the aim of offering Melburnians the kind of food that they like to eat, using great ingredients and flavours that they’ve encountered over the years.

Exposed brick walls and a tangle of wires stretched across the ceiling suit the vibe of Northern Light well, and there’s hip-hop on the speakers and other eclectic tunes to match.

As with many of the new restaurants opening in this part of town, the menu is focused on share plates, and consists of a mixture of small and larger dishes to mix and match. The cocktail list is small and focused with a selection of local and Japanese beers and a small wine list also on offer

Southern Calamari, Yuzu Mayo & Apple ($13.00)

To start with, our least favourite dish of the night. The squid was nice and the crunchy texture of the apples went well with the soft and slightly chewy texture of the squid, but the mayonnaise was quite over powering and detracted from the light freshness of the other ingredients.

Oyster, Soy, Red Pepper, Ginger (Market Price)

The oysters were very tasty, $4.00 each and from Coffin Bay. I generally prefer my oysters to be plain apart from a dash of vinegar or lemon. I find that other additions take away from the point of the oyster, which is the amazing freshness that good oysters have. In this case, I was pleased that rather than overpower the oysters, the additions enhanced them.

Golden Egg, Caramel, Fried Shallot, Furikake

Another great dish, this one was all about the egg which had a beautiful gooey, orange yolk. As with the oysters, the additional ingredients didn’t overpower the egg, rather they enhanced it.

Daily Sashimi, Pickles, Katsuo Soy (Market Price)

The sashimi of the day was South Australian yellow fin tuna at $19.00. The tuna was very dense and meaty, with a beautiful soft texture. The freshness really shone through.

Braised Xinjiang Lamb Ribs with BBQ Peppers ($17.00)

My wife and I weren’t going to order the lamb ribs, which was the special of the day however when the woman sitting near us at the bar ordered them, the smell was amazing and there wasn’t a chance in the world that we weren’t going to get in on that.

The lamb was tender and full of flavour and the dish was (we were warned before hand) quite spicy. It was one of our favourite dishes of the night. The woman who had ordered the lamb near us asked us what we thought of the lamb before introducing herself as Anna, the farmer at Plains Paddock who supplies the lamb to Northern Light. It was great to hear about the ethical farming practices used in raising the lamb – all animals should be treated this way.

Scampi with Shellfish Mayo & Floss ($12.00)

The scampi is grilled over bincho tan (white coals) and has a beautiful flavour to it. In what’s a recurring them in this review, the other ingredients helped to elevate the dish without detracting from the simple fresh flavour of the main ingredient, the scampi.

Eel, Unagi, Squid Sauce, Salted Grapes, Mojama ($17.00)

My wife and I both agreed that this was our favourite dish of the night. A lot of people get turned off when they see eel on a menu but let me give you the tip – if you go to Northern Light, order this dish. The sweet and salty flavours combine amazingly and the eel itself is very delicate. We had been using the same cutlery throughout the night however when this dish came out, Genevieve brought out new cutlery and plates for us to ensure that there were no other flavours overpowering the delicate flavours of this dish.

Salted duck, cabbages & Kewpie Mayo ($18.00)

The duck was cooked perfectly and the kewpie mayo moved the dish into comfort food territory for me. One of my favourite comfort foods to eat is steamed Japanese rice, pan fried salmon with bulldog sauce and kewpie Mayo. Kewpie Mayo is becoming quite popular in Melbourne nowadays however Bulldog sauce is not something I’ve seen outside of Japanese restaurants. It’s only a matter of time, you heard it from me first!

Yuzu Curd, White Chocolate, Sable ($14.00)

The chocolate dessert that I had was tasty, but I’m going to have to say that my wife’s choice was the winner. The sweetness of the white chocolate and tangy bite of the yuzu curd played each other off brilliantly.

Broken Ice Cream Sandwich ($14.00)

This was very tasty, with all of the different kinds of chocolate working together nicely. The gooey caramel was what really completed each bite.

All in all, I really enjoyed my night at Northern Light. Great, friendly service, a casual vibe, people doing food that they are passionate about, mixing and matching the flavours that they like – designed to share and keenly priced. I really like that, apart from the first squid dish, there was a consistent theme of letting the main ingredient of each dish shine, with other ingredients being used to compliment the primary flavour rather than overpower it.

With a restaurant like this opening in January, I’m encouraged that 2014 will be another great year for eating out in Melbourne. I can’t wait to get back to Northern Light and try some of the other things on the menu.

Northern Light

102 Smith Street
Collingwood
Victoria 3066
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9416 0698
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://northernlightbarandeatery.com

Open
Tue – Sat: 3:00pm to 11:00pm

Event: The Merrywell – The Burger Adventure’s “Best Burger” of 2013

Paul

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12 February 2014

0

Event: The Merrywell – The Burger Adventure’s “Best Burger” of 2013

At the start of each year, the guys over at the Burger Adventure write up a list of their Top 10 burgers for the year just passed. The guys try to review a different burger each week and, as a result, have tried many burgers both in Australia and overseas over the years.

Two of my favourite burgers in Melbourne, Beatbox Kitchen’s Raph Burger and Rockwell & Sons’ Double Patty Smash made Top 10 Burgers of 2013 list, however the number one spot went to the Merrywell’s signature burger, The Merrywell, for the second year running. I was invited to an event that the Merrywell put on to celebrate their award earlier this month and was keen to see what it was all about.

Head chef Ewart Wardhaugh was on hand to show those that were there how he makes the Merrywell Burger. Unsurprisingly, it’s quite simple – as with anything food related, what is important is the quality of ingredients and technique. In the case of the Merrywell Burger, it’s a beef patty which contains a combination of Black Angus chuck rib meat, Black Angus rump cap meat and beef fat cap, a soft damper bun (buttered on the inside), pickles, Roma tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, white cheddar cheese, bacon and “special sauce”. The Merrywell Burger was very tasty and the star was the beef patty which was thick, juicy, charred on the outside and pink on the inside (they way it should be).

The range of sides that were offered at the event were quite good too. My favourite were the fries which were crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside (another thing that’s so simple to perfect yet so often done wrong), the mac and cheese bites with BBQ sauce, and the very addictive (I was going to use moreish, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. Let something like that slide, and the next thing you know you’re using the “words” like “learnings” and using “literally” in the completely wrong way. It’s a slippery slope readers) ranch style “sweet and sour” popcorn.

Is the Merrywell Burger Melbourne’s best burger? To be honest once you get to a list such as the Burger Adventure’s Top 10, it’s hard to start ranking. Including the Merrywell Burger, the number of burgers that I’ve tried on the list is 6 and you honestly can’t go wrong with any of them. To my mind, it’s nice to see a place in an area that’s full of tourists, that could get away with average food due to its location, making the effort to do a proper, quality burger.

If you wanted to have a go at making the burger at home, you can download a copy of the recipe card here.

Melbourne: Where I Ate In 2013 (Part 2)

Paul

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22 January 2014

0

In 2013 I ate a lot of great meals, a few average meals, and a few not so great meals. When I write my reviews, I tend to stick to writing about the places that interest me and that I liked – it’s why anyone who reads my site regularly will notice that my reviews are generally positive. I don’t bother writing about things that I don’t like unless there’s a good and specific reason to do so.

I don’t take my camera with me everywhere, and I don’t take photos of everything that I eat. There’s a time and a place for that and more often than not I’m out with friends in a social setting and taking out a camera all of the time isn’t something that I feel like doing, nor something that I think my friends would appreciate!

What does all of this mean? There are a lot of places that I ate at in 2013 that I never wrote about and never took photos at that, looking back on the year, I’d like to talk about. These aren’t detailed reviews like my usual posts, just a brief run down on some of the places that I ate at that I’ve not mentioned on this blog yet.

Part 1 of my “Where I Ate In 2013” list can be found here.

Jimmy Grant’s

Jimmy Grant’s, along with Gazi, were George Calombaris’ attempts at moving towards a more casual style of dining, a trend which was evident across Melbourne in 2013. Jimmy Grant’s isn’t ground breaking, with many of the menu options being those that have been on the Hellenic Republic menu for years. Is this a bad thing? No. Souvlakis, dips, roasted meats etc are all very tasty and priced very well. One of the new items that I loved was the dark chocolate Wagon Wheel filled with raspberry jam, marshmallow and peanut butter (all the sweets at Jimmy Grant’s are, in fact made by Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio). The funky vibe and great music are a bonus.

Jimmy Grant’s

113 Saint David Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9416 0060
Email: n/a
Website: http://jimmygrants.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:00am to 10:00pm

Baby Cafe & Pizzeria

Baby is owned by the brains behind Chin Chin, Chris Lucas. With a pedigree like that, expectations were high. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu is traditional Italian. Pizza, Pasta, Salads and a selection of mains and extras. Baby isn’t quite the next Chin Chin in what it does with the food but it’s a solid meal and the ingredients are all quality. I went with my wife, grandmother in law and some of her friends and all of the older crowd had a great time – loving the vibe and the food. Good food and an atmosphere that won’t offend anyone.

Baby Cafe & Pizzeria

631-633 Church Street
Richmond
Victoria 3121
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9421 4599
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.babypizza.com.au/

Open
Mon – Fri: 7:00am to 11:00pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 11:00pm

East Elevation

Brunswick East’s Monsieur Truffe rebranded the cafe portion of its factory asEast Elevation in 2013. I’d eaten there before and thankfully, nothing apart from the name had changed. Breakfast and lunch options are excellent and of course, the highlight is the amazing chocolate, one of only a handful of brands in Australia that is made completely on site from the bean. The staff are always really friendly and in fact the management were able to help my wife and I with a very special request in 2013 – they provided us with a bulk selection of their small chocolate bars with customised packaging for our wedding. The chocolates went down a treat on the big day. A range of chocolates are available to take away and thoroughly recommend the 72% Ecuadorian blend, which I use when I bake – it’s divine.

East Elevation

351 Lygon Street
Brunswick East
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9381 5575
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://eastelevation.com.au/

Open
Mon – Fri: 8:00am to 4:00pm
Sat – Sun: 8:30am to 5:00pm

The Spotted Mallard

The Spotted Mallard is not your usual venue. A former reception centre and ballroom it’s now a 300 seater bar/restaurant/live music venue. The furniture and vibe of the place is very eclectic and it comes together really well. It’s a unique spot that feels a bit special. Drinks wise, there are is a decent selection spirits and craft beers on offer. Food wise, the burger was great however the other menu options (a group of 6 of us dined there and all ordered something different) were very hit and miss. For me, it’s a place to have some great beer, a snack and see some great live music.

The Spotted Mallard

314 Sydney Road
Brunswick
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9380 8818
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://spottedmallard.com/

Open
Tue – Fri: 4:00pm to 1:00am
Sat: 2:00pm to 1:00am
Sun: 2:00pm to 11:00pm

Tom Phat

Tom Phat is a restaurant that’s heavily Thai inspired, but also borrows influences from all over South East Asia. They support local, small producers and use sustainable, ethical produce where possible. The food is good – not blow your mind authentic ala Bang Pop but good and definitely worth your time if you’re in the area. The vibe is chilled out and it’s full of people of all ages with friendly staff to match. The adjoining bar, Bah Phat is, as the name suggests, more alcohol focused with a decent happy hour between 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

Tom Phat

182-184 Sydney Road
Brunswick
Victoria 3056
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9381 2374
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://tomphat.com.au/

Open
Mon, Wed – Fri: 11:00am to late
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to late

San Telmo

San Telmo in an Argentine restaurant with the parrilla (a huge charcoal grill imported from Argentina) being the obvious focal point when you walk into the dark and moody restaurant. The food is good, although surprisingly it was the empanadas, vegetables and sides that were the highlight rather than the meat which was good, but not as good as I had expected. The selection of Malbecs is excellent. San Telmo is not bad by any means and a great choice for a group dinner in the CBD, but not as good as the Argentine/Peruvian fusion of Piqueos in Carlton North.

San Telmo

14 Meyers Place
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9650 5525
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://santelmo.com.au/

Open
Mon – Fri: 8:00am to late
Sat – Sun: 12:00am to late

I Carusi

I Carusi was one of the pioneers of authentic Neapolitan pizza in Melbourne. It’s still going strong with it’s traditional Italian menu of pizza, pasta, salads and desserts. The highlight is, as to be expected, the pizzas. Perfectly crispy thin base, and a few quality ingredients on each pizza with the flavours really being allowed to stand out. There’s a lot of equally great competition out there these days, but if you’re in the area I Carusi is worth checking out.

I Carusi

46A Holmes Street
Brunswick East
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9386 5522
Email: n/a
Website: http://icarusipizza.com.au/

Open
Tue – Sun: 5:30pm to late

Thaila Thai

Walk into Thaila Thai and you’re greeted by a fast paced venue with Thai dishes being whipped up in the kitchen at a frenzied pace. The place is very popular offering food that straddles the line between authentic and modified for western tastes. Completely authentic it is not but when it’s good, it’s good. The problem is that the food here is not always good. Get the same dish two days in a row and you’re not guaranteed the same quality or flavour each time. It’s very well priced and I think that this value for money keeps people coming back despite the inconsistencies.

Thaila Thai

82 Lygon Street
Brunswick East
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9387 0659
Email: n/a
Website: n/a

Open
Tue – Sat: 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Sun: 6:30pm to 10:00pm

Horn Please

Horn Please offers modern North Indian food cooked using locally sourced ingredients and has a concise menu that’s a bit different than your usual Indian joint. Many of the favourites are on there, but the street food section is particularly interesting with dishes such as papdi chaat (a Mumbai street food favourite best described as “Indian Nachos”) providing diners with some things they might not have tried before. I love the beer fridge too. It’s full of craft beer and you grab what you like as you please which saves a lot of time waiting for drinks. My biggest criticism is that the space is not designed for conversation – this restaurant is loud.

Horn Please

167 St Georges Road
Fitzroy North
Victoria 3068
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9497 8101
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://hornplease.com.au/

Open
Mon – Tue: 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Thu – Sat: 6:00pm to 10:30pm
Sun: 5:30pm to 9:00pm

Vegie Bar

Vegie Bar was a place that I had to check out given it’s popularity amongst several of my friends and on Urbanspoon. I always like to know for myself if a venue warrants its hype. Vegie Bar has been open for over 20 years and offers, unsurprisingly, a range of organic, vegetarian and raw foods. The menu options take inspiration from all over the world. The food itself is decent, but nothing special when judged amongst the other options out there. Where Vege Bar’s food comes into its own is when compared to other vegetarian options out there. In this context it’s at the top of its game offering those who don’t eat meat an array of options that they just don’t get elsewhere, all in the one spot.

Vegie Bar

380 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9417 6935
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://vegiebar.com.au/

Open
Mon – Fri: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Fri 10:30pm)
Sat – Sun: 9:00pm to 10:00pm (Sat 10:30pm)

Zaatar

Zaatar is run by the children of Chafic Choueiri, the man who opened A1 Bakery all those years ago. The food revolves around Middle Eastern pastries, meze, zoccacia (a foccacia style zaatar bread) and a few other bits and bobs. It’s tasty, quality, cheap and well worth your time – I’ve eaten here on many occasions.

Zaatar

365 Sydney Road
Coburg
Victoria 3058
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9939 9494
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://zaatar.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:00am to 8:00pm

Trivelli Cakes

Trivelli Cakes is a family run Italian cakes shop and patisserie that’s been operating for over 40 years. It’s not trying to be on trend or do anything “exciting” – it’s just doing the same thing it’s always done. Traditional Italian cakes and pastries of the highest quality. It’s worth a trip out here even if you’re not local just to try a few things. The cannelloni (both vanilla and chocolate) is the best I’ve tried in Melbourne – who needs to follow trends when tradition is this good?

Trivelli Cakes

369 Sydney Road
Coburg
Victoria 3058
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9354 5165
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://trivellicakes.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sat: 9:00am to 5:30pm

Melbourne: Where I Ate In 2013 (Part 1)

Paul

-

20 January 2014

5

In 2013 I ate a lot of great meals, a few average meals, and a few not so great meals. When I write my reviews, I tend to stick to writing about the places that interest me and that I liked – it’s why anyone who reads my site regularly will notice that my reviews are generally positive. I don’t bother writing about things that I don’t like unless there’s a good and specific reason to do so.

I don’t take my camera with me everywhere, and I don’t take photos of everything that I eat. There’s a time and a place for that and more often than not I’m out with friends in a social setting and taking out a camera all of the time isn’t something that I feel like doing, nor something that I think my friends would appreciate!

What does all of this mean? There are a lot of places that I ate at in 2013 that I never wrote about and never took photos at that, looking back on the year, I’d like to talk about. These aren’t detailed reviews like my usual posts, just a brief run down on some of the places that I ate at that I’ve not mentioned on this blog yet.

Part 2 of my “Where I Ate In 2013” list can be found here.

Rockwell And Sons

The fact that I didn’t do a review of Rockwell and Sons in 2013 is unusual given that it’s the place that I ate at more times than any other in Melbourne in 2013. Owners Casey Wall (Head Chef) and Manu Potoi (Front of House) serve proper American comfort food in a pared back, fun venue with great hip-hop tunes as an added bonus. The double patty smash burger is a Smith Street institution and, along with the Raph from Beatbox Kitchen is in my opinion the best burger in Melbourne. The lamb ribs and duck wings are amazing, and you’ve never tasted devilled eggs this good before. Add to that a decent, rotating selection of craft beers and you’re set. I’ve never had a bad feed at Rockwell and Sons and it’s my go-to when looking for a reasonably priced, tasty feed in this part of town.

If you can get there for “Fried Chicken Wednesdays”, you can grab some amazing fried chicken (organic chicken brined for 3 days and finished with buttermilk) along with proper southern style biscuits, devilled eggs and a 3 sides.

Rockwell and Sons

288 Smith Street
Collingwood
Victoria 3066
Australia

Telephone: (03) 8415 0700
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.rockwellandsons.com.au/

Open
Dinner: Tue – Sun: 6:00pm to late
Lunch: Fri 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Sat – Sun: 11:00am to 4:00pm

The Moor’s Head

From Rumi’s Josheph Abboud comes The Moor’s Head which sells “inauthentic pizzas” (manoushe and pide) as well as a variety of Lebanese dishes. The space is at the back of a warehouse and ticks all of the boxes for a casual on trend spot. More importantly, the food is great. The standout for me is actually one of the sweets, a fatayer (lebanese pie) called the Ya’oub, which contains halva and banana. It’s very decadent and tastes amazing. Leave some room in your stomach for it at the end of your meal.

The Moor’s Head

Rear 774 High Street
Thornbury 3071
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9484 0173
Email: n/a
Website: http://www.themoorshead.com/

Open
Mon – Sun: 5:30pm to late

Laksa King

A quick glance at Urbanspoon shows Laksa King to be consistently atop the list of cheap eats in Melbourne. I had to go for myself and see if it really was that good or a simply a matter of hype begetting hype. The menu contains a variety of Hawker style dishes that are favourites in Malaysia including, of course, Laksa. I tried the chicken curry laksa and it was very tasty. I had some Roti as well which was decent, although not as good as the roti at Mamak (see below). I plan on going back to try their version of Nasi Lemak sometime soon.

Overall the price is right, and the food hits the spot, although it’s not the best Malaysian food I’ve had in Australia (for that you’ll have to fly to Perth and visit “Hawker’s Cuisine”).

Laksa King

6-12 Pin Oak Crescent
Flemington 3031
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9372 6383
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.laksaking.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:30pm to 3:00pm; 5:00pm to 10:00pm

Danny’s Burgers

Danny’s Burgers is one of the places that comes up on “best burgers in Melbourne” lists with great regularity. Unchanged since 1955, the vibe is old school diner and completely authentic. As for the burgers themselves, I’m not sold. Perhaps you need to have been born in Melbourne to “get it” but to me (and my wife) the burgers were nothing special. Don’t get me wrong, they weren’t bad but fell very much in the category of “dependable late night option” rather than standing on their own as one of Melbourne’s best burgers.

Danny’s Burgers

360 St George’s Road
Fitzroy North 3068
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9481 5847
Email: n/a
Website: n/a

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:30pm to 3:00pm; 5:00pm to 10:00pm

Mamak

When Sydney’s popular Mamak opened in Melbourne expectations were high. I’ve eaten here a few times and some of the mains can be hit and miss – for me it’s all about what Mamak does best, the roti. It’s crispy and flavoursome and the curry dips are both very tasty. Things aren’t watered down at all and the sambal that also comes with the roti is super spicy (you’ve been warned – order the sambal sotong if you’re brave).

Mamak

366 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9670 3137
Email: n/a
Website: http://www.mamak.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:00pm to 2:30pm; 5:30pm to 10:00pm

Cumulus Inc

Part of Andrew McConnel’s every growing restaurant empire, Cumulus Inc was a restaurant that I’d been wanting to eat at since I arrived in Melbourne. I’ve eaten here at breakfast, lunch and dinner, with each occasion being unplanned. The food is fresh and seasonal with a Mediterranean flair and the space is light, airy and sleek. A decent selection of wines are available and the cocktails are very good.

The dinner that I ate was brilliant. I was with a group of friends and we ordered a variety of dishes to share and everyone loved the food. The selection of oysters was particularly impressive, as was the quality of the charcuterie. The lunch that I had with another group of friends was equally impressive.

When I went for breakfast I ordered a takeaway coffee and the house smoked ocean trout bagel, sorrel, capers & cream cheese. The bagel was very good, but not quite as good as the ones that I have eaten at nearby Bowery To Williamsburg. The coffee was excellent.

Cumulus Inc

45 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9650 1445
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://cumulusinc.com.au/

Open
Mon – Fri: 7:00am to 11:00pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 11:00pm

Brunswick East Project

Brunswick East Project is my local cafe and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough to anyone in the area. These guys are serious about their coffee which is roasted on site. The coffees are consistently good, whether it’s a milk based espresso drink, hot filtered drink or cold drip and the small selection of breakfast options are decent too (the breakfast tart and choc-raspberry muffin are my favourite). The beans which I buy for my machine are of the best quality and there is always something interesting new on the bean front to try out. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and it’s got a real local, community vibe about it.

Brunswick East Project

438 Lygon Street
Brunswick East 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9381 1881
Email: n/a
Website: http://padrecoffee.com.au/

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

N2 Extreme Gelato

Another Sydney import, N2 Extreme Geltao hit Melbourne in 2013 and brought ice cream using liquid nitrogen to the city. It’s all very high tech looking when you walk into the store, lab coats, beakers, tubes and smoke combine for dramatic effect. The liquid nitrogen isn’t just a gimmick though – long story short, it’s supposed to create smoother gelato than traditional processes. I first tried liquid nitrogen ice cream back in 2011 at London’s Chin Chin Labs and remember coming away disappointed. The flavours were delicious and the ice cream was nice but it wasn’t anything special and certainly not worth the price premium. Fast forward 2 years and I walked away from N2 with the same feelings. Some of the flavour combinations are wacky and experimental and are great themselves however overall I can’t see the value in paying a price premium for ice cream that really isn’t any better than many others that are already out there.

N2 Extreme Gelato

329 Brunswick Street Street
Fitzroy 3065
Australia

Telephone: n/a
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://n2extremegelato.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sun: 1:00pm to 11:00pm

Tivoli Road Bakery

Full disclosure here. I’ve never actually been to Tivoli Road Bakery, but I have eaten a lot of their bread. One of my resolutions of 2014 is to get south of the river more often and try some more places that way. A friend of mine lives in that part of town and when cronuts were all of the rage she brought a few to my place for a group of us to try. They were delicious, but for me the salted caramel doughnut and apple pie doughnut were the stand outs of the pastry samples that we tried that day.

Subsequently, I’ve tried many different types of bread from Tivoli Road Bakery, as the aforementioned friend has now become the designated “bread person” whenever any of us hosts a dinner. The bread is that good that we don’t bother looking elsewhere.

Tivoli Road Bakery

3 Tivoli Road
South Yarra 3141
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9041 4345
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://tivoliroad.com.au/

Open
Tue – Fri: 7:30am to 4:00pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 4:00pm

A1 Bakery

A1 Bakery was on my radar before I moved to Melbourne, ever since I saw Matt Preston take Anthony Bourdain there in the Melbourne episode of “No Reservations” back in 2009. A1 is a Sydney Road institution and (beyond supplying baked Lebanese goods to businesses across Melbourne) sells a variety of baked goods in its store. The cheese and spinach triangle costs no more than the change in your pocket and in fact, nothing on the menu is expensive. One of my favourite things to eat is the chicken tawook, a chicken wrap full of brilliant flavours and textures. The baklava is also amongst the best I’ve tried anywhere.

Apart from the food, A1 also has a small grocery selection and sells a lot of Lebanese/Mediterranean ingredients that are otherwise hard to find. As a fan of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, this store is very handy in helping me acquire all that I need when cooking out of them.

A1 Bakery

643 Sydney Road
Brunswick 3056
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9386 0440
Email: n/a
Website: http://www.a1bakery.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:00am to 9:00pm

Los Hermanos Mexican Taqueria

The Mexican phase that hit Melbourne was just like any other phase that hits this city. A trend starts in the USA, crosses the pond to London a year later, and makes its way down to Melbourne the year after that. As much as they are predictable, and as frustrating it to see several very ordinary places ride the hype wave to (short term) success, the fact is that there are quality places that do open up and outlast they hype.

When it comes to Mexican food, the level of authenticity of places that opened up during this period ranged from “not very” to “quite”. Generally, venues fell somewhere in the middle. It was refreshing then, to visit Los Hermanos where the food was the closest that I’ve had to real Mexican since I visited the United States a few years back. The owner, Bruno Carreto is actually Mexican and cooks the food that he grew up with. The menu is small and focused and the food is very tasty – plus they do takeaway which holds up well the next day for lunch. My only complaint is that when things get busy the service can suffer.

Los Hermanos Mexican Taqueria

339 Victoria Street
Brunswick 3056
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9939 3661
Email: n/a
Website: http://www.los-hermanos.com.au/

Open
Mon – Sat: 5:30am to 11:00pm

Manchester Press

Manchester Press has a reputation for great coffee and great bagels. When I went, I decided to, unsurprisingly, order coffee and a bagel. The coffee was very good (with some very impressive latte art as a bonus) and the sweet bagel that I had with mixed berries and mascarpone was very good too. It’s not the cheapest breakfast in town but, having said that, servings are decent and you certainly don’t walk away feeling hungry.

Manchester Press

Ground Floor
8 Rankins Lane
Melbourne 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9600 4054
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://8oz.com.au/

Open
Mon – Fri: 7:00am to 5:00pm
Sat – Sun: 9:00am to 5:00pm

Attica, Ripponlea

Paul

-

4 January 2014

4

Attica Melbourne does need much in the way of introduction. Owner/head chef Ben Shewry took over the suburban restaurant in 2005 and since then has slowly turned it into one of the most awarded restaurants in Australia, the most recent being the 2014 Age Good Food Guide Restaurant and Chef of the year awards and the number 21 spot in the 2013 edition of the San Pellegrino “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards. For a such a highly regarded restaurant with a consistent reputation for delivering excellent food and a brilliant dining experience, me writing a review almost seems superfluous.

Attica is located on an unassuming street in suburban Ripponlea, but finding it is not hard as it’s conveniently just around the corner from Ripponlea railway station. The space is a small 60 seater and quite dark, although the spotlights above are positioned to ensure that the tables themselves are very well lit.

The options for diners at Attica are simple. On Tuesday nights there is a $125 “chef’s table” menu which consists of 5 dishes that are being experimented and developed in the kitchen. A $75 matched wine option is also on offer. On Wednesday through Saturday an 8 course degustation (vegetarian option available) for $190 is available with a $115 matched wine option. The bar is quite well stocked and the large selection of local and international wines can be ordered separately along with a selection of beers, cocktails and juices etc.

My wife and I were lucky enough to receive a $700 voucher from a group of friends for our wedding back in May and 6 months after booking the first “Friday or Saturday night available” to say that we were highly anticipating the meal ahead would be a gross understatement.

Because we had the luxury of $700 to spend, we went for the 8 course tasting menu, matched wines, a cocktail each at the start and a single malt whiskey each at the end of it all. It was all very indulgent.

The food at Attica draws upon Shewry’s childhood memories growing up in rural Taranaki in New Zealand and his experiences in Australia. Many of the wild plants and vegetables that feature in the menu are harvested by Shewry on a daily basis from the beach near his home, the backyard garden of the restaurant, and the nearby property which houses a much larger garden for the exclusive use of Attica. The personal influences on the cooking is evident in almost every dish that comes to the table.

Quandong seeds on a plate at the side of the table when we arrived were a hint at the constant link to nature that was to come.

Macadamia Paste, Salt & Jersey Cow Butter

The salt and butter needs no explanation other than that it was of the highest quality and tasted amazing with the bread. Proof that the simple things done well are often the best. The macadamia paste also went very well with the bread, being ground macadamia nuts turned into a paste and mixed with macadamia oil.

House Baked Sourdough Rye

The sourdough was great bread with just the right level of sponginess to go with the above two options. The wait staff were very attentive and, along with topping up our water whenever it was getting low, we were offered more bread, butter and macadamia paste when they too went low. We got one more lot of bread, and it was hard to say no to more but we had to if we were to survive the feast that was to come.

Mushroom Leaf, Carrots & Corn Puree

The mushroom leaf was beautifully presented in a woven basket. On its own it was… leafy, however the purpose of the leaves was to dip them in the corn puree. Together as intended, they worked very well, and the corn puree also worked very well as a dip for the bread.

The carrots were soured in champagne vinegar, honey, and tumeric and were sweet and delicious.

Black Pudding Pikelets, Foam and Flowers

The black pudding pikelets were very interesting. The flavour of the black pudding was very obvious yet the texture was that of a pikelet. It was unusual but it worked.

Flash Fried Mussels with Sea Succulent

This was a very tasty dish. The mussels are no more than 24 hours out of the water and flash fried for 35 seconds just after they have been shucked. It’s fresh and tasty, with the freshness enhanced by the sea succulent. The garnish was edible sea purslane and the painted mussel shell was a portrait of the mussel farmer Lance Wiffen.

Snow Crab, Mandarin and Sorrel

This dish signified the start of the actual 8 courses. I will give up on writing “this dish was delicious” at this stage because the fact is that everything my wife and I ate at Attica was delicious. The steamed Western Australian snow crab was delicate and light and had a great texture.

Marron and Ground Greens

The chewy texture of the marron, also from Western Australia went really well with the grassy texture of the ground greens. The pork fat and onion sauce that they were resting on gave the dish an unexpected body. Having the lightest component of the dish add the “heaviest” flavour was a sensory curve ball.

A Simple Dish of Potato Cooked in the Earth it Was Grown

This is Shewry’s signature dish and, after several years of acclaim, it is about to be taken off the menu. I was thankful that I was able to try it before it was too late. The potato is slow cooked in a Maori-style hangi and left to rest in the soil for a further hour. The result is something so simple with the most amazing flavour and creamy texture. The hickory smoked goats curd and the fried and salted bush leaves all worked to enhance the dish.

Cucumbers, Holy Flax, Sauce of Burnet

This dish was very light and refreshing. Even my wife, who despises cucumbers, polished it off. Holy flax, it turns out, is olive leaf.

King George Whiting in Paperbark

The whiting was a real standout dish. Cooked over coals in paperbark, the fish is imbued with a light smokiness with the butter, tomato juice and lemon myrtle all combining to produce something quite simple and amazing.

The wines were matched perfectly to each dish. Our sommelier was very good. He ascertained our knowledge of wines at the start of the meal and described each wine to us based on this. Regular readers of The City Lane will know that when it comes to wine I’m a “I know what I like and that’s about it” kind of guy and it was nice to gain an understanding of what was going on with each wine, where it was from and why it was selected on a level that I could appreciate.

The wine below was matched to the following dish and was one of only two local wines on the menu that night – Cuvée Ripponlea by Syrahmi 2012 from Heathcote.

Red Kangaroo with Herbs Tended by the Hands of our Cooks

I’d never heard of Quandong until 2013 and it seems to be appearing on an ever increasing number of menus around the country. This is a great thing as there’s no reason that chefs shouldn’t use native fruits and vegetables if they can incorporate them into their meals. In this case the “native peach” provided a sweet counterbalance to the medium cooked tender kangaroo meat. The medley of herbs in the background were all edible.

Strawberry Ice Cream with Chocolate and Freeze Dried Raspberry

At this point of the meal, diners are given a break and taken in individual groups to the garden at the back of the restaurant. A small snack is provided while the staff at the back give a description of the garden and discuss some of the philosophies of the restaurant, answering any questions that diners might have.

My camera was set up for the inside and to be honest I didn’t was to spend time adjusting it to get a good photo of the ice cream while having a conversation to the staff members outside so you’ll have to settle for a blurry picture of this one.

Blueberries, Vinegar and Fresh Cheese

This dessert was brilliant, and one of the best that I have eaten all year. The cheese was actually an ice-cream and the garnish was chrysanthemum leaves and liquorice. The blueberries were freeze dried and some of them were injected with a chewy caramel. It was an amazing combination of flavour and unexpected textures and worked wonderfully.

Raw Strawberry Jam

The raw strawberry jam is just that and doesn’t involve any sugar or anything else. It’s served atop a meringue wafer with a bit of cream. The best word to describe how this tasted is “fresh” (well I suppose “raw” is a better word, but let’s not get into semantics).

The 8 courses finish, but the meal is not yet over. A folded piece of paper is brought to the table, the cover being a painting of two birds by Shewry’s dad Rob. Inside is a story about the Pukeko, that Ben Shewry recalls from his childhood.

A few minutes later and out come two eggs in a nest which despite their appearance are not pukeko eggs, but are in fact white chocolate eggs filled with a gooey salted caramel. A delicious and fitting end to the meal, closing the circle of the story that Shewry is trying to tell with this food.

Attica was every bit as good as I had hoped at it was without a doubt one of my dining highlights of 2013. The 5 hours my wife and I spent (yes the entire experience took that long) at the restaurant passed by without us even realising what the times was – nothing felt rushed, there was no pretension (I was wearing jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers) and the knowledge of the staff was exceptional. The provenance of all of the ingredients used and the details of the cooking techniques were explained perfectly, and no matter what we asked, the staff knew the answer.

Due to the immense popularity of Attica, the reservation system was revamped at the start of 2014. On the first of each month, reservations open for three months ahead of time. I.e. on 1 Feb, tables for May will become available.

The attention to detail and personal touch that Shewry puts into the food at Attica is evident throughout the entire meal, and the result is a dining experience that is truly world class and uniquely Australian with a Kiwi twist.

Attica

74 Glen Eira Road
Ripponlea
Victoria 3185
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9530 0111
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://attica.com.au/

Open
Dinner: Tue – Sat: 6:30pm to late

Gumshara Ramen, Haymarket

Paul

-

21 December 2013

0

Gumshara Ramen Haymarket is well known in Sydney for its authentic Tonkotsu ramen, which has a broth that consists of pork bones that are cooked for several hours to release all of the flavour, marrow, collagen and gelatinous goodness.

There’s no stand alone shop, rather Gumshara is part of a food hall that looks like something straight out of Sinagpore or Hong Kong. There were a variety of places that were selling food from all over Asia but my wife and I were here on a mission, and headed straight to shop 211 towards the back.

It’s all very simple, with a range of ramen dishes and a few other things on offer, and a variety of condiments to add extra flavour and kick to your ramen if you desire.

One thing that’s very important to keep in mind is that the thick soup Tonkotsu ramen is not available between 3:00pm – 5:00pm as during this time the the bones are taken out of the broth and replaced with new bones. Unfortunately my wife and I weren’t aware of this when we arrived at around 4:00pm so we ordered a thick soup miso ramen and a Tonkotsu tomato ramen with light soup.

Tonkotsu Tomato Ramen ($12.00)

I’ve never been to Japan (something I will be rectifying in April of 2014!), however I’ve seen tomato ramen appear on a few menus in both Australia and Asia. It’s not a traditional ramen but I have heard that it is quite popular in Japan. It has a strong tomato soup flavour which tends to divide diners and the tomato ramen from Gumshara was no different. A friend of mine and my wife were not fans at all but I thought it was very tasty, especially after adding some chilli flakes.

Miso Ramen ($12.00)

There was no doubt in any of our minds that the miso ramen was the winner out of the two that we tried. A thick broth which was miso rather than pork bone based, the miso ramen had a great taste to it and the thick broth was luxuriously silky. The fat of the meat melted in our mouths and the noodles were nice and chewy.

I must admit that I’m a lightweight when it comes to the ramen stakes. I’ve tried a few in my time but wouldn’t consider myself an expert. Is the ramen that I ate at Gumshara the best that I have had? Probably not. Is the ramen at Gumshara very tasty, filling and worth eating? Definitely.

Any ramen purists care to throw their hats in the ring?

Gumshara Ramen

Shop 211, 25-29 Dixon Street
Haymarket
New South Wales 2000
Australia

Telephone: 0410 253 180
Email: n/a
Website: n/a

Open
Sun – Mon: 11:30am to 8:30pm
Tue – Sat: 11:30am to 9:00pm

Cook & Archies, Surry Hills

Paul

-

10 December 2013

2

Cook & Archies Surry Hills is a cafe that serves breakfast and lunch in an environment that is refreshingly charming and, for lack of a better term, “nice”. The menu is not busy trying to jump onto the latest trend, rather the dishes are simple, with the focus being on the high quality local produce that is used.

Granola, muesli, eggs, toast, pancakes and the usual breakfast suspects are what you’ll find on the breakfast menu. For lunch a variety of options are available, including but not limited to an impressive looking array of sandwiches and salads.

Eggs with Organic Sourdough ($12.00)

My wife was saving herself for the lunch we had booked at Momofuku Seiobo in a few hours time so kept her order simple. With nothing fancy going on, the quality of the ingredients really shone through. The bread and butter were as good as can be and the eggs (which you can have any way you want) had a beautiful orange yolk.

Unfortunately the eggs were overcooked so, while being tasty, they weren’t what poached eggs should be. We didn’t complain as they were still nice and there’s no point in wasting good food but it was a shame as properly poaching eggs is something every cafe needs to be able to get right. Having said that, we only visited once, and mistakes do happen. Given how positive everything else went with our experience at Cook & Archies I have little doubt that the eggs would have been replaced with properly poached ones if we had complained.

Banana Ricotta Pancakes with Maple Syrup ($16.00)

The pancakes I ordered were light and fluffy, with the ricotta really helping to smooth out the texture. The bananas were slightly caramelised and having the maple syrup (the proper stuff) on the side meant that I was able to control the sweetness. I really enjoyed these.

Coffee ($4.30)

The coffee is a custom blend which is supplied by Single Origin Roasters. As we tend to do, I ordered a flat white and my wife ordered a cappuccino. The coffees weren’t particularly punchy however they were smooth and tasty.

Our waiter was really friendly and when I went up to the counter to pay the bill the staff member behind the counter was also very friendly and talkative. The vibe of Cook & Archies in general was very friendly and genuine. It felt like the kind of place that we could have sat in for hours just chilling out, reading and chatting without any bothers.

Cook & Archies might not be the most innovative cafe in Surry Hills nor the most exciting but this matters not. In a refreshing change from what I see far too often, Cook & Archies doesn’t feel like it’s trying to appeal to anyone other than locals who want a nice cafe with friendly service that serves simple food using top quality local produce. Sounds good to me.

Cook & Archies

4/14 Buckingham Street
Surry Hills
New South Wales 2010
Australia

Telephone: (02) 9310 3933
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://cookandarchies.com.au/

Open
Mon – Fri: 7:00am to 4:300pm
Sat: 8:30pm to 2:00pm

Mr Wong, Sydney CBD

Paul

-

8 December 2013

0

Mr Wong Sydney has been one of the most popular restaurants in the city since opening its doors at the end of 2012, winning many best new restaurant awards. Executive chef Dan Hong (Lotus, El Loco, Ms.G’s) and Head Dim Sum Chef Eric Koh (London’s Hakkasan & Yauatcha) have, with the might of the Hemmes family’s Merrivale group behind them, have brought to Sydney a restaurant that brings Canotonese food to Sydney on a level that’s a cut above what is usually found outside of China.

$4 million went towards renovating the laneway location of Mr Wong and preparing it for opening and this is evident throughout the venue. Walking inside, diners are greeted by a large space full of wood, brick and stone designed by architect Michael McCann. To the right are hundreds of ducks in glass cases, at various stages of drying. The ceiling is an exposed maze of steel and pipes and the lighting is dark, although not too dark as is the case with many new restaurants that have opened in Sydney and Melbourne as of late. Staff are neatly dressed in formal attire yet nothing feels stuffy. Upstairs is the bar. The whole place has a very “1930s Shanghai” vibe about it, further helped along by the jazz and swing soundtrack and assorted decorations. It’s all very impressive.

Bookings can be made for lunch while dinner bookings are only available for groups of 6 or more. My wife and I didn’t have a booking but we arrived when the restaurant opened at midday and were able to get a table for an hour and a half, which was more than enough time for lunch before heading to the airport, and back to the realities of the the real world in Melbourne.

Mr Wong’s menu is extensive, with a range of over 60 [mostly, but not exclusively] Cantonese dishes available as well as a large dim sum menu (of which the full range is available only at lunch). An extensive selection of wine and cocktails are available, but on this occasion my wife and I chose a pot of dragon well tea and a pot of jasmine tea.

Salad of Alaskan Snow Crab, Snowpeas, Leaves, Bamboo Shoots and Ginger ($19.00)

This dish was really tasty. The flavoursome snow crab was allowed to shine, with the other flavours providing subtle additions without overpowering the crab. The bursts of saltiness provided by the salmon roe were a welcome touch.

Scallop and Prawn Shumai ($12.00)

These were delicious, with the dumpling skins tightly coiled around the prawn and scallop. The flying fish roe was used in just the right quantity to top off the shumai.

Alaskan King Crab Noodle Wrap ($12.00)

I really enjoyed these. The crab was very tasty and the super crunchy crispy noodles were in complete contrast to the soft skin dumplings we had eaten before. A more intense dish than the previous two, the star of the noodle wrap really was the noodles.

Roasted Peking Duck (Half) ($45.00)

Mr Wong has an authentic Cantonese roast duck oven and I was told that when I visited I had to order either the Peking duck or the Cantonese duck. My wife and I have eaten a fair few Peking ducks over the years and were keen to try Mr Wong’s take on the dish. The duck was perfect. Tender meat and crispy skin that was full of flavour. The sauce was perfect too. The pancakes had a slightly doughy taste to them which, while still tasty, could have been better.

Mr. Wong’s Special Fried Rice with Pork and Prawn (Small, $18.00)

By this stage of the meal my wife and I were quite full but we really wanted to try the rice as we had seen it come out of the kitchen a few times and it looked great. We were somewhat shocked when we saw that a small fried rice was $18.00 however enough rice to comfortably serve 4 people arrived at our table, so I suppose it’s only small in comparison to the large. The fried rice was simple and not at all greasy. The quality of the ingredients really shone through and it was surprisingly light and airy.

My biggest regret dining at Mr Wong was that I wasn’t able to try more. The extensive menu is designed to be shared and it would have been great to have had a group where many more dishes could have been sampled. I very rarely leave a restaurant without trying dessert but really couldn’t fit any more in on this occasion, which was a shame as the desserts looked excellent, especially the “Lychee and ginger ice, coconut sorbet, pineapple, water chestnuts and herbal jelly”.

It was hard to get the attention of the wait-staff at times due to the fact that the 240 seater restaurant was completely full, but when we did have their attention, the service was great and the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. One criticism I did have was the fact that when the time to pay arrived, we were notified that there was a 1% credit card service charge. I’ve been to many a restaurant where paying by Amex attracts a service charge but never anywhere at this level of dining that has a flat service charge for all credit cards.

You can get excellent Cantonese food for cheaper elsewhere in Sydney, but for perfect execution of classic dishes using the highest quality ingredients in a space with a great, upmarket atmosphere, Mr Wong sets a new benchmark. It’s not the kind of place you eat at on a regular basis when in the mood for Cantonese food, rather it’s a place you visit when you’re looking for something a bit more special.

Mr Wong

3 Bridge Lane
Sydney
New South Wales 2000
Australia

Telephone: (02) 9240 3000
Email: n/a
Website: http://merivale.com.au/mrwong

Open
Lunch: Mon – Sun: 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Dinner: Mon – Wed: 5:30pm to 11:00pm
Thu – Fri: 5:30pm to 12:00am
Sun: 5:30pm to 10:00pm

THE CITY LANEEAT & TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL

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Seafood Pancake ($13.00)

Grilled Eel ($19.00)

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