Tongue Thai'd - Review.

The Scullery has sampled much Thai food in its short history and sometimes I am amazed, sometimes disappointed and sometimes... well I dunno?
What is the real reason a restaurant opens for business? People have a passion for food and hospitality and want to create an experience that fills a niche.... There are many and varied reasons and can go onto the very tenuous but there is very little reason needed when the experience is quality and the food is superb. I believe there is an ebb and flow of clientele based on popularity that can make a restaurant and then break it. People work extremely hard to build the popularity of their restaurants and they enjoy the adrenalin of this in flow. But if that rythym is not maintained the experience will drop off and the clientele will only remember their last visit not the many before that one. So it all seems good with many clientele still coming through the door all based on their last visit - a good one perhaps? Management are not worried because the signs have not changed. The edge is near though and the flood of customers will stop as quickly as it started all based on a critical mass of punters now not so sure of their favourite little Tongue Thai'd restaurant.
I observed some very worrying signs at this favourite little Thai Restaurant, our party were booked in and early on what was always going to be a busy night. (Saturday 27th December - Chrissy leftovers all gone!) Our effeminate host allowed us the choice of moving tables which was very accommodating, and we slipped inside to a table right in the thoroughfare of the tiny, boldly coloured rooms. Some "San Pell", "Creatures" and "Singha" and we ordered promptly and succinctly. The menu is controlled down to price differences of each variation of a dish as is customary in a Thai restaurant, but the menu does not go further than the popular favourites. The 'specials' are used for the genuine Thai gems, like Duck Salad, Green Paw Paw 'Som Tom' spicy salad and others. We settle into our catch up conversation and I keep one eye on the front of house counter, it is what I like to do! Entre's arrive sluggishly which is a concern as they are merely deep fried spring rolls, tofu and Tom Kah Gai. The Tom Kah Gai soup was to sweet to really be thought of as a geniune article. Tongue Thai'd is full and the food is moving out of the kitchen to some big tables, and a banquet type room at the rear of the restaurant. The managers are working and the staff are coping, as soon as one of the large tables finishes up and leaves the manager sits down and the staff are still just coping. This manager is entitled to sit and enjoy the bustle of their busy restaurant, but all around him the wheels start to fall off. We wait a further hour for our mains. The first rush was over and being such a busy night the second wave of punters were now having to wait until 10 o clock for food ordered at eight! I ordered the Paw Paw salad, and was interested when after 40 minutes I am informed the salad was no longer available, this quietly wreaks of a lack of communication between the wait staff and the kitchen. My choices become limited as many of the specials suddenly are no longer available. Being a manager down the staff face tough questions about where's? and why's? this is of course the job of the manager - who is not around. The staff that were coping are now not, they are now heavy footed in an emptying restaurant confused by their own lack of communication. We moved table from 22 to 19, it was somehow the hurdle neither the staff nor the kitchen could quite get over. Just change the number on the order and remember both copies. So after these signs had passed we were pleased to see our meals, which were of a good size. The Red, Green and Penang Curries were all of a consistent standard but no finesse to speak of. The Penang usually the most subtle was over sweet without enough balance (lime acid) to carry the dish. The vegetable’s used were the same for each dish, a rough chop of bamboo shoot, red ‘caps’, 'broc' and onion. This may seem like common, time saving practise, but I’d say it is lazy at the toughest of times. To be honest the food was below standard and really could be criticised further but it would add to mounting case for the 'ebb' from this little Thai Restaurant. With so many loyal punters disappointed in one evening I do not really need to add to their frustration. They will of course think twice when returning, despite the times when the food was great and the staff in rhythm with their needs. A niche is often formed quicker than it is filled, so there is time on the side of the little Thai restaurant, but I will not burn a scented candle in hope for them.

Giles

Festive Photo's...

Kim Wang Super Market, It is super for a reason!

Central Market Frenzy before the holidays!

Individual Lemon Curd tarts for a function - delicious!

Giles

Festive Photo's...

Stephanie Alexander's confusing pancake recipe...

Merlin Inn Catering Satay's are always a hit with the revellers.

Anyone for torte? Cibo lemon torte is a must!

Giles

The Queens Head - Review.

As the crow flies with a stones throw you could describe the vicinity of The Queens Head Hotel from the picturesque Adelaide Oval. It has long been an ideal venue for a decent beer during a summer full of cricket and general frivolity. With forty minutes for a lunch break on a casual Monday I once again venture to the low profile of the very austere venue. I spy some changes with my return to the renovated venue perhaps four years ago, this time someone has made some poor choices. One thing I don't like is a fake facade, this is sadly the first thing that you see on entering the front bar. Fake timber flooring laid the incorrect way in relation to the building tells me someone did not consider the consequences of that decision. I move through to the saloon bar where there used to be a superb bar/bench setup length ways in the tight room, it created a wonderful richness to the room which is now replaced with smaller rectangular tables at bar height which effectively changes the saloon to an ideal speed dating venue! With few minutes to play with I choose a quick fresher dish to lunch on combined with a plastic receptacle of sparkling ale. I went for the floured squid with dill and tomato on rocket doused with a mayo of supermarket quality, I admit I expected more from the dish. The mayo was lifeless, squid was cooked in oil not hot enough to do the job properly and the decision to serve the whole mess in a bowl more suited to a hand full of Ferrero-Rocher it made me feel as though the management did not care about what I thought of this dish. They only care that the floors are easy to mop at the end of the day and that they never run out of glassware. Go back in time or wait another three years before someone cottons on and gets this place back to basics. It is a fake facade of a gastro pub in dire need of a reality check.


Giles

Rose Thai - Restaurant review.

It is common knowledge in the inner northern burbs that Rose Thai is a cheap and cheerful venue. It does have a lot going for it once you make it through the front door, if you didn't make it through the front door you would sight the ramshackle appearance or the rank smell in the car park or the dirty street frontage on Churchill rd. All of these things are exactly what I would associate with a Thai food outlet, there are some very dirty, stinky venues in the streets of Thailand. It all adds to the authenticity of the food - perhaps the few types of cooking where impression of uncleanliness adds to the vibe. The food has it's moments of brilliance but remains relatively basic. Try not to stray to far from the classics Thai dishes as they are named thus for a reason. The chefs specials are fun and quirky in a 1988 sort of way - flaming parcels of fish curry! With pink walls and blue table settings and crown mints it is all a nostalgic mix of old aussie china take out with a new aussie clientele attitude. A few chilled imported rice lagers and things look good, the bill arrives only when they want you to leave and that looks good more often than not. Take away or definitely book as they are busy at the strangest times - like when you can't be stuffed cooking your own grub. It's cheap, cheerful and not trying to change into anything, but may even be creating that port hole into the past that Adelaide is well known for.


Giles

Lucky Asian Grocery, Kilburn - Review.

Being lucky is a completely random occurrence, you can tell when your luck is running cos all those things you are wishing and hoping for just sort of happen. I was wishing and hoping for all of the ingredients for my home made pho to be in the one convenient location, preferably close to home. My efforts up the road were in vain, limp herbs and no bean sprouts. So off I go to get lucky! Fresh Asian herbs, strange cuts of meat and more Asian products than an electrical store. It is a haven for the forgotten products like green papaya for Thai salads and specialty jars of rare and endangered animals. So I got lucky! Oh yeah the home made pho was not bad, so get lucky for all that is good and quirky. Great produce and mind bogglingly cheap!!



Giles

Minestrone Soup, Recipe ~ Video.

Review - Pho @ Charlies Shack.

With a hot tip comment left on The Scullery blog I thought it would be
worth a look in at Charlies Shack on Grote st. On a Tuesday evening
the need for cheap and cheerful Is paramount. Thankfully there is no
fuss at the shack, so the prices are rock bottom and the service is
bare bones. But those bare bones are extremely efficient, cooking,
delivering, taking orders and anything else you care to think of. The
rare beef pho is the go to dish at Charlies, large or small it is a
bowl full of goodness. No wonder pho is the national dish of Vietnam,
it is tasty, filling and has absolutely nothing fake involved. The
quality of the broth, meat and veg is reassuring with the throw
together feel of the place their output is top knotch. Hey it is a
shack! So for the cheapest fastest healthiest meal you could have -
Get to Charlies Shack.

Continental quest! Review.

I have some favourite continental stores where I buy things I don't need - tasty things!

Forza Continental is a low key building on Holbrooks Rd, which is full of freshly baked bread, smallgoods, cheese and everything that is pickled, preserved and imported.
I used to study at a now demolished uni campus across the road and a few slices of provolone, coppa, lepinja and a cold chinotto was all cheaper than the unibar lunch - Brilliant!

Gaganis Bros. is the giant of Adelaide wholesale food importers, they have absolutely everything you need. From wine making to rare liqueurs, frozen pastries, aisles of fetta cheese and of course the cheapest charcoal in town - BBQ bargains everywhere! I love this place, just try and avoid the coin counting Nonna's, they take for ever at the check out.

Omega Foods is the smaller version of Gaganis, but it prides itself on a superb deli section with an amazing olive and cheese section, beans pulses and herbs also feature prominently. Go there to learn...

Imma & Mario's Mercato is the new age of continental store, it has a modern look with a glossy fit out. It is a very good layout with the deli section in the middle and the cafe section to one side, I wonder up and down the aisle's wondering if I will ever be rich enough to afford all of it! It is all very well presented and still reasonably priced - make the trek up Lower North East Rd. and you will be impressed and very jealous that the northerners have it so good!

Thebarton Foodland IGA is possibly the best supermarket for continental goods in general, I don't think they would have ever sold out of sliced white 'nothing' bread. The loaves are crusty and the tinned tomato's are dirt cheap, and sometimes the sultry deli girls laugh at one of your jokes. They are like mermaids with their siren's song drawing you to the sharp rocks of the smallgoods deli! You leave confused.... with so much more produce than you thought you asked for.

Barilla Continental Store is a little continental store compared to the bigger wholesalers mentioned above, but what these guys have is passion. During the last heat wave that sat on Adelaide like a school yard bully I travelled regularly to Grange Beach for a dip. On my return journey I would slip in for a canoli and some fresh coffee, every time I was greeted with happy gusto! My enquiries about my out of order home espresso machine were treated as though my own child was near death. New seals were selected and my espresso maker is purring. Oh yeah and they do pasta.

Search the map on the right hand side for the specific locations of these gems!
Giles

The Royal treatment, Review.

Sunday morning breakfast is once again in the forefront of my mind, after a lovely Saturday evening dining with friends at Concubine on Gouger st.
Our locality in the inner northern suburbs gives us with regular choices, and the Royal Oak Hotel is consistently near the top of that list with good reason. Their kitchen has always maintained high standards, and the bar is solid. The menu changes not so regularly but what they do - they do well. I remember as an intrepid teenager having kangaroo fillet and being amazed how good it tasted, surprising because kangaroo was a new inclusion to most city menus, but few had mastered the technique of not ruining it completely! Combined with some superb wines available in the bottle shop it makes for a great pub restaurant let alone pub. The breakfast menu has all the regular suspects, large and small standard cholesterol kick, as well as a great eggs Benedict with fresh hollandaise. I was saddened to find out the mini can of baked beans has been removed from the large brekky, public liability, sub prime crisis or some hogwash was blamed... A newspaper, a nicely brewed coffee, a comfy booth at the window was required and delivered, perhaps a berocca would of also been useful. I have fond memories of knocking off pints at that bar as though they were spoonfuls, having finished working pans in a kitchen up the street it was a haven of noise and intensity that you could sink into. Hangovers change and time eats up the past and now I am up early on a Sunday morning looking through the world news section, passing comment on the up coming U.S. election and am reminded of a funny joke.......it was funny then - not now!

Giles

Pub-logic, review.

A pub has some very basic rules to follow to ensure the very core of its hospitality requirements are met...
-Beer on tap.
-The Schnitzel will be the benchmark of the whole menu.
-Atmosphere, any at all is good.
After that it is open for interpretation as to what makes a pub work.
When a pub can tick all three boxes and still have pokies and a TAB in the front bar, you know there is some decent hospitality taking place. As is the case with many country pubs, their hearts in the right place and they have to work hard to survive. On the other end of the scale is the pub with everything in its favour and absolutely nothing going for it. My most recent example of this is The Archer Hotel O'Connell St. North Adelaide. It has a great location, a new fit out and buckets of potential. Sadly it rates on par with the now atrocious Oxford Hotel, which eight years ago had itself on the right track. It is now over run with pokies in a once beautiful and well awarded dining room. The Archer Hotel does not even have some good form to regret on, they have been out of form from the beginning. Sadly it seems they were mislead by a consultant who had been to the eccentric Royal Oak and the confusing Bombay Bicycle club and could not make up their mind. So eventually made a poorer hybrid cousin of the two. So no atmosphere here, it only ticks one of my boxes - beer (just). The other boxes need attending immediately! So I turn my focus to the food at the risk of sounding like one G. Ramsey: It is all about your f$%#ing standards, you cannot let them slip. I was informed by the bar staff it was an exceptional evening for the Archer Hotel, the patrons likened to ants and staff like stunned mullets. If their standards on an exceptionally busy night were high then they have only to deal with their minor issues. But it decends into a fracas...
Waiting at the bar I hear "Chef says they are out of chicken for the warm chicken salad!" and I immediately imagine 19 year old third year apprentice Nathaniel sucking back one more pipe in the car park and then crumbing chicken schnitzels in a purple blur to make service deadline. Oblivious to the fact he is out of tenderloin for the salad - he needed some of the breast!!! Nathaniel giggles: Ha he he he hi hi hi hi, breast......
ORDER IN! The docket is torn from the printer and the two copies are seperated, our paranoid chef shifts out of reverse....
Two steak sangas "sweet", Two beef snitties 1 gravy 1 mush extra pepper, two squid salads "shit!!", two fish. He has failed to keep on top of his stock - he almost sold out of squid at lunch? I surmise it is a sunny day, a few white wines and the squid or chicken salad: the rinse set are like clock work in Adelaide! At this stage I should mention that I am hyper critical of most venues, but not openly toward the staff, my inner critique is of the scale. I had the steak sanga, and thankful for the choice.
I understand the staffs pressures and foibles. Weed in between a split shift is never a good idea, and pressure can make you do silly things. To not have some crucial elements of a very simplistic menu is sheer stupidity. There is a Foodland over the road!! Obviously they could not be arsed walking over the road, so in that case honesty is a good policy if it can buy you a way out.... "Sorry to inform you sir that there is but one serve of squid left for the evening can we offer you the special?" No, Nathaniel makes another poor decision: 'I think I will split the single serve (of hideous pre-cut, seasoned and freezer bag squid) and load up the salad to compensate'. This poor hack work does not fool anyone, and results in an embarrassed manager, disappointed patrons and spiteful blogger. Nathaniel never passed SYSTEM D 101.
The Schnitzel box yet to be ticked: The schnitzels were cooked in old oil, looked burnt and tasted like crap. Deep fryers rarely get a chance to cool down in busy kitchens, but changing and cleaning the oil is essential. Dark brown deep fried food is the hallmark of a lazy kitchen.
Honesty on a menu can gain a lot of respect if you deliver what you intended to. If the poor standard is going to continue then rewrite the menu - drop the price so your patrons know what they are in for. You might even exceed their lowered expectations one day!
Tick the boxes and then get to work restoring our faith in a pub.

Giles

Getting on the green...

Do you grow your own?

Do you buy the really expensive outdoor stuff?

Do you choke on the additive laden, super charged, hydroponic monsters?

Here in Australia we have always been blessed with the finest quality greenery.

Is it our vibrant multicultural society?

Is it the post war times that forced people to do some pretty crazy things in their backyard, just to turn a dollar?!

I have sampled some amazing home grown produce over the years, so many good times! Good times!

It all started when I was young....

The largest homegrown tomato I ever saw was over 500gm and looked like it should have been in hand cuffs. Million dollar peaches from the side yard that were so sweet and juicy that would put James in rehab, and have Roald Dahl taken in for questioning. My first ever crop of broad beans were twice my own height, I thought this green thumb thing was a cinch!! Avocados from a neighbours Hass tree always brings back memories of the perfect prawn cocktail. My grandfather used to slice fresh green beans with a small knife so sharp you could shave with it, you only had to wave the beans over some hot water to cook. Fresh passion fruit off the vine - oh my golly gosh - ZING!! Feijoa trees with its funky fruit, I'd put a spoon in my school bag so could pinch some from the house down the street on the corner and eat them on the way. Pomegranate from the Scottish couple that lived opposite our neighbour, they smoked inside and I hated their tiny lounge room. Homemade cumquat marmalade. You know your alive when you chomp on some fresh horseradish recently peeled and pulled from under the apple tree - Hello Nose (cross eyed)!!

More recently I have experienced the joys of home grown olives and Italian tomatoes from the lovely Tony and Toni next door in the burbs. Fresh herbs left at the door step - who knows who from. My mother in laws Asian herbs - kaffir, basil, lemongrass - and shes German! My mothers resurgent asparagus patch that never ceases to surprise! Kipfler potatoes - wax is good!

Coriander will always remind me of running through a dense coriander seed crop my father had irrigated with an old rolling irrigator, which could quite easily kill small boys or so I thought.

Some less memorable moments was the coddling moth infestation in the grannies - it was devastation, casualties everywhere! Why our mother thought that choko was a vegetable young children would enjoy perplexed me and my two elder siblings. Under instruction I helped them dig a hole and bury all the produce on the tree, just to make sure there would be no resurrections we crushed them into the dirt as we went. She could not possibly serve us fresh dirt and choko? Could she?! The flavour of choko is not to far from dirt, but at least dirt has texture.

All of these experiences have made me a pain in the ass to go shopping with...

Giles

My spring Carnival, review.

Public holiday, a few days of annual leave, perfect Spring weather and a wedding wedged in for good measure makes for a massive week of revelry and relaxation. Of course I seek out the unique food experience to enjoy with friends, especially the friends I have not seen in a while.

The lane ways of Melbourne always provide a new experience for a decent coffee and some perfectly poached or scrambled eggs, I always seem to gravitate to the similar sorts of venues - dirty ones with milk crates stacked up nearby. Maybe I don't give myself much hope of enjoying the flash cafe experience, terrazzo, wicker and starched aprons appeal to me but the perceived snobbery of such places always puts me off even if there is none to be seen. Maybe I feel under dressed - I mean one suit is enough for a wedding but one more for the cafe is a little too much. Sneak around the stores and see if you can grab a bargain, and line up lunch - Where to go? On the phone to find where the cheap / cheerful noodle joint is, and superbly positioned around the corner from the death trap hotel. Vietnamese Pho` is a new phenomenon for me and is taking hold of my taste buds and probably will not release its hold till my passport has the stamp of approval. Beef Pho` is aromatic yet spicy, sour yet sweet - All bases covered and satisfaction guaranteed... I could walk through China town in Melbourne and press my face against every shop window to see which ones have the bums on seats and the look of love on the faces of punters but I weigh a recommendation like the price of Gold! So when my number one sister says... 'the one on Russell St. with the chicken and beef head on the sign' we lock in like a seagull on a hot chip!

Wedding - hors d'oeuvre roaming around the moment the bride sighs with relief is an absolute stroke of genius. Hearing "Would you like a G & T sir?" after seeing the choice of lager was just another tick for the decision makers! I was rollicking along after a few hours and combine that with a superb choice for dinner and some swing to spice up the bunions. I cannot speak highly enough of good choices at such functions - Booze, Food, and Music are all crucial to weddings and I have been lucky enough to have been to some beauties. I have also been involved in some shockers, like the one where I served at a buffet and could not count the parachute clad couples on one hand. Parachute seems a silly choice of material when choosing to smoke ciggies like a steam train let alone at a wedding!! - the fire hazard seems a large risk, but whose worried when the Holidays are flowing!

What to do on a morning after? You have two choices: Push through your pain and deal with your issues in your own way, Or.....? I do not believe in the other.... Jump on a tram and consume your body weight in Colombian coffee. I plan to take full toll of my freedom in the big smoke. St. Ari is a small cafe that many South Mebournites would know and most likely feel ho hum about. Mind you it would be their attitude to winning the tatts lotto, '14 million dollars? Yeah I s'pos I could buy a few things...' I, however was intrigued by the genetic background of every casual employee of the coffee roaster come cafe. They all seemed so exotic, Brazilian or Asian I could not put my finger on any of them. Same could be said of the menu which was clearly lunch or breaky - no middle ground. When I saw the mini patisserie cabinet inside I knew my choices were clear, more coffee, fresh apricot danish, individual carrot cake, coconut and berry tart. Never under estimate the absorbent quality of pastries - Yesterdays booze has met its match!!

Having been requested to organise a venue for dinner on Friday evening, I am instantly tightening my shortlist and cursing those tempting venues who don't take reservations. What is the reasoning behind this? Is it to deter the un-willing? Well it deterred us, we could not take a chance with a party of 8... I booked us into a consistent performer with the traditional Italian hospitality to boot, also a chance to sight some underworld players! Rambling back past the bank of the Yarra I slip past the completely inconspicuous Crown Casino, darting in and out so as to not pick up an addiction. I quickly perused the Rockpool, Brahimi and Nobu menu's with some interest but none interested me more than the Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons menu. Having been denied a reservation I thought I would get a feel for the tiled venue over a beer and rather enjoyable chat with one of the jacketed bar staff. A3 sized menu packed full of delightful dishes well within the reach of the common food lover, as though someone told them that they can charge what they like at the base of the Crown Casino cos' everyone else does - but this is what they like to charge.

I slip down Collins St. to see if I can save the life of a suicidal investment banker, but sadly they are struggling to put their plastic office chairs through the toughened glass of their elevated cages. Maybe I will be able to see them binge on my way to a post wedding function at the docklands, one poor fellow walks into one of two doors which is clearly locked - his accomplices re-direct him to the open door and his rampant blood pressure eases momentarily. Like a disoriented pigeon who sees a bath in a shop window- Bang!

A sort of stroke of luck, two of our dinnr booking have decided on another engagement which improves our willingness to hit the banks of the Yarra, and wait for a table at Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons.

Knowing our chances are slim for an immediate table, we slack jaw into the brilliantly finished interior of Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons. We make our presence felt and are happy to enjoy a drink in waiting, 45minutes miraculously becomes 15 and we are directed to a table well positioned at the rear of the cave level lighted venue.

Our waiter seems more like a caricature of a waiter than the real thing, his enthusiasm is somewhat infectious or un settling. Either way he is certainly sure of himself, presuming that we will have a selection of small dishes for entre`. We correct one of his selections as it was the exact copy of one of our post wedding hors d'oeuvre, obviously a popular choice around the platter pushers of Melbourne. I know what I want to eat but what to drink with it seems to be the tougher choice. My recently married male imbiber is also asking tough questions - and the answer becomes easier when the delightfully cautious females of our party opt for a pleasant chilled Sangiovese poured from a font on a marble wall. The venue is sectioned by certain work areas, clearly defined by the stainless racks and stacks of bread piled in, I get an impromptu lesson on the Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons method of their bread plate. The manager jokingly chastises his minion for making a wedge out of a crusty loaf, and I begin to gather the feeling that this unique playful confidence with which the staff operate lends itself to a wonderful atmosphere. I am starting to really envy the Melbournites with this at their tram door!

A hugely satisfying imported Barbera is poured and swilled as the entre's are cleaned up. Oil is sopped up and re poured from bottles set into our tight tables, cafe style with a bit more refinement than a stack of milk crates. It is unpretentious and it is tiled, showing that the two can be found together in harmony. My meal is simple in its concept and even simpler in its presentation, a stuffed pigs trotter. And that was exactly what I got - oh yes and a cheek of lemon... Don't revolt with disgust, the only thing that would give it away would be the sight of it. It tasted like a thick velvet cannelloni stuffed with a loose sausage meat with the aroma of prosciutto, some spices and herbs. Extremely satisfying and well executed. I was keen to try the other choices around our table: Spaghetti with spicy nap sauce and crab steamed in paper, A ragu like soup with black eyed beans, Meatballs, Fresh bean and carrot salad, Roast spuds with garlic and rosemary, mix of olives and lentils with sausages. All had '...such intensity!' to quote former Indian test cricketer Ravi Shastri, his words were ringing through my head after his stirring preview to the first test in Bangalore.

Candy stores and kids, mine was a delightful evening - I am confident that everyone also enjoyed their experience - Mine however was a discovery of an unpretentious, slick and happy venue that I will return to.

Now would someone show me the way to the nearest Gelateria!

Giles

Phat Breakfast, review.

Saturday morning breaky on the main vein Sydney Rd. Enjoying the
sights and sounds of the city at Tom Phat and blogging on the run!
Giles

Its all Greek to me, review.

With the sunshine on your shoulders and the street at your feet the city has a refreshed feel after winter. The smell of vine leaves and some pan fried sheep's milk cheese is the best way to shake the chill out of your bones, Eros Cafe on Rundle St. City can reinvigorate the weariest summer lover on a shiny spring day! I absolutely love nestling around a lopsided table positioned in a perfect alfresco spot, a voyeurs delight to see the people strutting behind their brand labelled goggles.

From The Scullery

Order a Bekro plate, it has a selection of Greek treats, like fetta, dolmathes, spanakopita, marinated vegetable, pickled octopus and tzatziki of course! It is big and enough to fill you up, and not quite enough to finish a bottle of generic lager - perhaps a zingy rose` is a better choice? I love Greek food and it shows, my BBQ's almost always include variations on the Greek theme. Adelaide is blessed with so many great restaurants offering superb Mediterranean delights. When on site remember to spot the boulevardier's in their credit crunching jeans and patent T's and the Tour de anywheres' in their caffeine infused Lycra business suits. We leave our street side vantage almost forgetting to pay, that is how contented I am but I do want to return to this place so we choose the almost maxed account to put another delicious meal on.

FOOD SNOB AWAY!!

Footnote:
Sadly their are many average venues where the experience is less than satisfactory. Why do venues prosper that offer sub-standard imitations? When the method/ingredients are so easy why do so many get it sooooo wrong? If it is a budget your battling then you may be forgiven for thinking the $8.90 carbonara is a reasonable option. Sinister things lie beneath the surface of chain cafes offering cheap, fast, cafe food. Down the road the small cafe struggles to keep up with the juggernaut eating up their clientele and monopolising the urban sprawl. That urban sprawl does not know how much the juggernaut is making a week, or how well the juggernaut owners' new Porsche 4WD handles the shopping complex car park. And if another toothy waitress/actress tells me that the carbonara is 'sooo creamy' I am going to be sick!!!

Giles

Love a rub!

There is nothing quite like a rub to get the juices flowing, I mean who doesn't enjoy a nice little massage. A rub can release a lot of tension especially when teamed with a little aroma and maybe some spice. You are sure to notch up some points with a good rub, anyone on the receiving end will "ooh" & "ahh" as your good work comes to fruition. Some people pussy foot around the rub but I like to go deep and hard! Hit to tough spots and work it into a smooth consistency, it will give the best results - especially with aromas and of coarse a little spice!!
I tend to rub all over, everything gets a little attention. You can sometimes bring a rub to life with the addition of some oils and natural juices!! A little oil here and a bit of juice there, and the one rub can get different results. The softer flesh needs delicate approach, where as tougher stuff requires a bit of manipulation - perhaps some natural juice with higher acidic content.

My new rub:
An easy one to prepare, and is great for any meat to be cooked in a direct heat situation i.e. BBQ, Grill, Roast.
Ingredients quantities are at your discretion... a good tip is to test a little of each ingredient for its intensity and adjust its amount to get a balance.
Salt
Pepper
Fennel Seeds
Cayenne Pepper
Smoked Paprika
Work into a consistent mix in your mortar & pestle.

I BBQ steaks and veggies with this rub, toss the veg in a bit of lemon juice after the sizzle. The meat is cooked with a little dry rub which gets a different flavour to the veg. Rub a dub dub!!

Giles

New seasons growth...

Getting stuck into a hard working weekend can show fantastic results, a real sense of achievement not to mention the sore muscles, back and blisters! My good friend and I took the maroon Fairlane rocket (cats vs. dogs ABC radio - great commentary!!) to the South East to install some serious infrastructure to our fledgling hop garden.
Hops require water and and some line to grow up, so a frame work is required to get them up and away. Past harvests have been mediocre, due to lack of planning and infrastructure.
Plan: All irrigation to go underground, vertical poles and cross braces to span the width of the garden! Easy... sort of, see for your self!

The person who invented the protective work glove, should be hailed as a genius. Good quality gloves can mean the difference between a productive weekend and a pain full, blistered shambles! I will keep you posted on the progress of the crop!

Giles

Don't mention the "Bee Sting Cake" WAR ~ Review.

One of my all time favourite cakes is the Bee Sting Cake, it has a lot to do with my Mother and of course her Mother. The German Yeast Cake was always a big mover at Nana's house as well, it was always partnered with a cup of tea made in a pot which would send retro shoppers into foaming fit, fresh boiling water poured straight from a whistling jug. As Nana got older the water would boil for longer and longer until we upgraded her kettle.

Now that she has shuffled of to a floral recliner in the sky I still think of her whenever those quintessential Germanic moments come around...



My partners request for a Bee Sting Birthday Cake was promptly responded to: "Sure thing!"

With not enough time to make one on a Monday afternoon at the office, and the dinner being organised at the last minute - I decided to purchase one as my Nana used to do. Now here is a regret of mine: Not having asked(sometimes shouting) my Nana "Where do you get the cakes from?"

The local German cake maker has a reputation that is fairly well known for making reasonable pastry on a large scale, supplying many large Adelaide venues without the facility to do it themselves. I thought to myself....Self, here is an opportunity to test out The Rheinland Bakery on Port Rd. Hindmarsh. With a name like that you would assume they would know how to make a good Bee sting.

NO THEY DO NOT!!

Don't let the morbidly obese young human attendant shock you into a sense of security. I was thinking 'She/He?/It? is German, right?! She/He?/It? must eat the cakes, right?! This shop is fully German, right?!!' - FAIL!!

I was bitterly disappointed and I will not sit idly by and let these atrocities carry on! We must fight them on the beaches, and in our cafes, and in our towns. Do not let this sham continue! It is a sham because they feed on our past sensitivities, coaxing us in with 'The German' trickery and wham your choking on the asphyxiating sweetness of the cream filled delights that blinds the truth! They cannot make a decent German favourite, so how can I ever return to what is by all other accounts a reputable bakery?! I have been used - and would like to right the wrongs of the past!


Photo ripped off the web, Warren? took this phot0 at the Apex bakery in Tanunda, Barossa Valley South Australia. Now that is the real Rheinland!!
A search on the web reveals so many recipes for the beloved Bee Sting, here is one I ripped off a site as it has all the hall marks of a good Bee Sting:

Ingredients
Bienenstich cake mixture:
1 3/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) of real butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 tsp. vanilla
6 Tbsp. whole milk
Almond topping mixture:
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) butter
1 Tbsp. milk or cream
Filling mixture:
2 and 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
a pinch of salt

Directions :
Preheat oven to 375° F (190deg.C Bloody Yanks).
Grease and flour a 9" spring form pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Cream the butter until fluffy, add sugar gradually, beating until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla.
Add dry ingredients 1/3rd at a time alternating with the 6 tablespoons of milk.
Stir only enough to blend thoroughly.
Pour into the spring form pan.
The topping:
Heat together almonds, sugar, butter and milk or cream until the
sugar dissolves.
Pat a spoonful of flour over the top of the cake batter using the back of a spoon.
Pour the almond mixture evenly over the batter.
Bake 25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Cool cake while preparing filling.
The filling:
Combine sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks in the top of a double boiler.
Separately heat milk to scalding, slowly pour over egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly and quickly with a whisk.
Place over hot water, cook stirring constantly until smooth and thick. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
Stir in almond extract.
Beat egg whites, adding the salt, until stiff peaks form.
Fold egg whites into the yolk mixture.
Place a piece of wax paper over the top and chill.
Putting it all together:
When the cake has cooled, slice in half cross ways to
make two layers.
Place bottom layer cut side up on cake plate.
Spread with filling.
Top with the second layer with the almond glazed side up.
Refrigerate until time to serve.



Giles

Paella, Recipe ~ Video.

The big tip with this dish is to relax and enjoy the process, let the slow, smokey fire do wonders to your dish and it will surely be a crowd pleaser. The amount of ingredients is always a bit of a mystery, I tend to fly by the seat of my pants - Let your instincts do the work!

When heating up your Chicken and Fish stock throw in all of the shells and heads from the prawns, it will intensify your stock and give it the fresh fishyness you need!

Calaspara rice is by far the best rice to use for Paella, but any good quality risotto rice or carnaroli rice is OK.

Giles

Maintain the rage!!

Ben posted this comment, as an addition to the Market Crusade blog... I like it and concur whole hearted with Ben.
Benny said...
I think description of the supermarket chains as "cold and heartless" don't nearly go far enough. Coles and Woolworths have a duopoly on Australian Grocery sales. 60% of milk sales and 50% of fresh fruit and veg are sold through these 2 stores that have a 40% share of the Australian retail dollar. These companies contract producers to supply them. They expect a 40 to 50% mark up on that product to go straight in to their pocket. What I think the average punter does not realise is that when these products are on special in Woolworths, their profit margin remains constant and the poor producer has to wear the discount or risk losing his contracts.Coles and Woolies bottle shops (Dan Murphy,BWS, etc etc) actually sell beer and wine cheaper than independent bottlo owners can source it wholesale!Why the tirade you may ask? Well you do save money in when you shop at Woolies, but at the same time, buy saving the money, you squeeze the already slender margins of the independent stores, increasing the strangle hold these heartless bastards all ready have on the Australian food market.Rise up, fellow foodies! Vote with your feet and wallets and boycott these vicious bullyboys who make Walmart look like schoolgirls (They only have 15% of the US Grocery market). Support your local independent butcher and veg shop, because they are by default subsidising the losses most producers are making by supplying the majors. Spread the word and the rage and boycott Coles and Woolies in all forms to support Australia's Farmers! Check out this website for more info http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2008/09/02/ex-woolworths-ceo-concerned-market-dominance-may-tarnish-food-production-future.html

Peasant pleasantries...

Cold wintry weather can dampen even the most leavened spirit, but when you are in the drought stricken country side of South Australia rain seems to bring a contented feeling. Water pooling in potholes and running off furrowed earth means prosperity may be nearer for some this year.
What to do...what to do - stoke the fire, another log? Cup of tea, weekend papers? Whats 'so and so' up to? Really.....well I never!
Lunch: Mum somehow cooks a fabulous soup whilst holding an in depth conversation with all of us at the kitchen table. A soup that seems to come from no where, warm you up, satisfy every flavour urge. Peasant soup: A general name for soup that is created out of the ingredient staples of a good kitchen. Cured sausage, vegetables, legumes and stock - what could be easier.
It is a fond memory of mine when I would run through the kitchen, probably away from my marauding sister (she was not much of a bully, more of a persistently influential sibling) and was stopped dead in my tracks by that smell. "Whats that cooking Mum?" Same question every time and it always got the same response "Onions, olive oil and a little butter." I think it took me eight years before I could recognise that sweet, savoury and salivating smell. It brought joy to me and still does cos' I know that there is only good to come from it. It takes children a long time to get around so many of the flavours like certain vegetables, but there were things that I wanted immediately: Fresh made pasta, uncooked dough of any kind, mums cooking chocolate, spoon fulls of Dijon mustard, fresh horseradish, wedges of cheese, mums pesto and dads chili chutney.
There always seemed to be stores of onions, carrot and celery in the kitchen, a 'magic pudding' that came out of the wall in the back of the fridge or cupboard, and refreshed the bag, box or ancient Tupperware container.
Slice cured sausage thinly and brown with a tiny amount of oil, get the fat moving and make sure you get some colour on your pan. Don't be scared of brown bits stuck to your pan, it means things are changing and turning into great flavours. Chop some onion and some garlic and throw in with the sausage, the fat should now be moving out of the sausage and will add great flavour to your soup. If your worried about dying of heart disease, the stress of the worry is probably going to get you first - so the jokes on you. Enjoy a flavourful life! Carrot and celery should be chopped as you care, authentic peasant soup would be chopped into the pot with a small pairing knife. Chef's knifes are a luxury many grandmothers never had, let alone a decent chopping board. Heat your stock. Usually it is chicken stock that is used as the blessed bird was killed on a regular basis and served roasted after church, nothing is wasted and stock is used in dishes there after. I like to put the butter in just before the stock, get the heat high so when you tip the stock in it boils as it hits the pot, this frothing gets the bits off the pan and mixes in the butter. The butter would have been separated from fresh milk from the neighbours dairy and churned in the square timber box, paddled into shape and wrapped in wax paper... It was not so long ago, my grandma would let me know when I was spilling the fresh milk in the bucket on my way from the dairy over the road, and always look left and right when crossing the road not just the milk you just spilt. Legumes require little effort these days, canned beans are sufficient. Soak and boil your berlotti or soy beans, drain them and they apparently freeze all right. You can then toss them in frozen, return to simmer and voila! Season with plenty of cracked pepper and some salt.
I keep bread until it is nearly resembling tropical timber, to combat this I bake it in a low oven to kill any wild penicillin and really get it crispy. Break the once funky bread into your soup and throw your scarf over you left shoulder, preferably your favourite local amateur football team and tuck in. Have seconds, thirds and bloody well do the dishes for your mother you lazy ass.

Giles

They put the WHAT? in the coconut!!

Inspect the ingredients of these two different brands of coconut products, one has %100 Coconut cream in both its milk and cream products. The other has coconut cream, water and a stabiliser to thicken it to the consistency of cream, in both its milk and cream products.

"Mmmmm, I love stabiliser! It is my favourite."

These products are similarly priced yet one is a clearly ripping the consumer off - look at the percentages of actual coconut product! 23%!!

Tell the world or just tell your market/deli/grocer manager!

Giles

Singapore Laksa, Recipe ~ Video.

Cafe culture, review.

Adelaide has a multitude of great venues that serve great food, but why do some get more attention in the certain media than others. Or is it my perception of what they receive?
It seems as though every sports reporter with a few firing synapses end up doing their half baked reports from the foyer of selected cafes. They would report from their lunchtime chair in a pub but putting any doubt that they're cut to rest would be bad for business. A little imagination boys, Please!

Rundle st. has the largest concentration of Cafes and Restaurants in Adelaide, more choice than you could fit in any week of 3 meals a day out on the town. We rolled into a pre-movie meal at Scoozi on Rundle, not to be mistaken for the North Adelaide version which suffers from the over exposure as mentioned above. I have been to Scoozi before but not with my brain switched on to the goings on of one of the smoothest functioning cafes in Adelaide. It is sort of self explanatory - in hospitality if you survive the test of time you must have a successful formula. One of the factors in the equation is an Egyptian native named Emilio (pictured left) who has been working this wood fired oven for 8 years. Brick ovens are an ancient cooking method, I would tend to trust an Egyptian around a brick oven, because an 'Egyptian' trumps your 'Skippy' any day! The pizza menu covers all bases with the traditional to the tested cross over favourites such as Tandoori, which has a respectable amount of chilli to keep you awake!

I went with a Penne Veal Ragu matched with a Coriole Sangiovese, rich, hearty and tender, it is the perfect meal on a cold "Tight Arsed Tuesday" evening. On closer inspection the brick oven is in full swing with pizza after pizza rolling out of the wood fired wonder. Emilio explains he did some time in Italy, and has many fans in the Restaurant - "Yeah Emilio, he makes the best pizza's" responds the horn rimmed wearing barista. You would really appreciate working with someone like Emilio... "Make me something special", as you've been through the menu twice all ready. The real talent shows through - the imagination, skills and flair. Maybe the undercover manager could find it in his heart to put a pizza special on the under utilised chalk board. These places pump out reasonable food at reasonable prices with their eyes closed, you could eat cheaper but then why would you bother reading this if you choose to stop in at the golden arches of death.
Try something different - try a cafe that has been there forever. Try the special - It is not always the dregs of the cool room, it might be the exquisite creation of the illiterate sous chef, sadly often when the chalk hits the board their tasty idea reads like a truck stop take out! As Kevin Rudd would have us say - Don't throw the fair go out the back door! But for your own culinary sake ask a few questions before you go with any daily concoction.
Onward fearless foodie!!

Giles

Pasta...again!?! Recipe ~ Video.

You don't know what you know till you know it. ~ Review.

What do I realise when something fails on me? I realise that I know so little about so much. In a culinary sense there is so much I do not know, but I knew that.

So what to do...

Keep exploring, keep learning? Yep...
Discovery is what I had in mind when my partner and I were resolute in deciding that another degustation in as many weeks was a good idea, not from a fiscal point of view - but for research! It is well known Auge Restaurant on Grote St. has earned it's stripes, these stripes fill a wall with A3 sized awards right to the edges. It was not so well known that they were attempting to match food and wine in a seven course degustation focused solely on Truffles from Manjimup Western Australia. Did you know they grow truffles in WA? The spine of this Restaurant is supported by the far reaching ribs of Italian fare and all the good things that go with it, i.e. wine, passion, wine, cheese and of course passion. But you knew that... The interior of this restaurant is smooth and the well tuned staff operate even smoother, and of course the big colonic water feature up the guts of the place. Running late and struggling to find a park is not a good way to start an evening, 'suffer the consequences' I parked illegally and was estimating the damage bill to be stuck to my wiper!! 'Stuff'em!' We were odd one's out in a venue devoting a night to one ingredient and all the publicity it could harness from it, suited and sparkling we made our way through the also suited and sparkling but significantly older and richer crowd. A few salient locals were present, some with cred. - some with influence, neither with both. Thankfully I did not know who they were, I know when I'm not in the loop. Can the less notable afford this? Yes it was reasonable, perhaps not with a parking fine on top. BUT we enjoy this, don't we?

Prosecco and canapes to start on our arrival were textural and fresh. In the right position of the room you can take full toll of the friendly staff roving the guests, canape ofter canape can be yours - You knew this. Seated and greeted with little flair and some nice humility by owner Terry, wine intro by sommelier James Erskine was descriptive and passionate. My understanding of truffles are growing, I do know that the flavour is best when utilised fresh. Were we prepared for that much fresh truffle or was there new ground for us to tread? First entree of sorts was a truffle custard served in an empty boiled egg with brioche soldiers and some crisp pancetta. A fun dish inspired by those wintry mornings in woolen footy jumpers spent watching cartoon connection with foul mouthed puppets. I was warming to the sensibility of this chef, I was hoping for more fun dishes matched with smart booze. I made some notes so I could cross check those flavours with a far more learned taster... See these notes on the attached picture...Second dish was a carpaccio of venison with a mustard dressing slightly infused with truffle which did not dominate the dish which was a good thing I think. Maybe if the dish was less balanced and more overpowering I would know what it didn't need. I knew that much. Third, the first of the mains was a lobster ravioli in a fennel brodo, a thin soup with zingy flavour. Very little truffle to chalk up on the score card but I could not foresee how truffle could add too a fabulous dish, it seemed more of an idea that Chef wanted to put on a menu - put some truffle in their somewhere and it makes the cut. The glass of Arneis did not rock my boat, but it is not a wine that I would choose drink. I can gather how people would love it. It reminds me of a poorly made wine of other varieties, but I don't know that for sure... Fourth dish was the real acid test of the menu, a pigeon breast from the same farm as the venison in the Adelaide Hills, served with stuffed zampone, foie gras, truffled potato and pickled cavolo nero. What is zampone or cavolo nero? I still don't know after eating it? But this dish was only disappointing in the aspect of the almost raw pigeon, the rest of the dish was beautiful. Foie Gras has to be tried to be understood with the texture of whipped butter and the nutty sweetness that you would get from a sweet nut. The wine that was served with this dish did live up to the exaltation Mr Erskine gave it, it was new to me. A big bold Italian wine with some real quality and finesse.



The last of the more intricate dishes was the poached apple and rosemary pannetone with truffled gelato. My confidence in the kitchen had slipped slightly since the first entree, it was brought back strongly with this first sweet dish with Italian influence. Chef's (not only Italian) worth their weight should nail a gelato and this was positively brilliant! With a truffle-ee warmness to the back palate like an IV in the back of the neck and the refreshing sweetness of well made gelato. James Erskine said in front of a near full house that he would be judged by the choice of wine served with the gelato, I offered support to his braveness but did not feel it did justice to the dish. His reason was that it would cut through the milky sweetness and refresh us. Perhaps - I don't know that it did, that I was sure about. The finale of the nights meal was a cheese and grilled speck, with mache and truffled hazelnuts. The sweet mix of nuts, cheese and pig (truffles inc.) was a quality blend of fine produce. The chef restored my confidence in him but it took all night. Some advice would be to utilise his strong Italian base and keep the fun, avoid finicky dishes with little bang. That pigeon would have been a real hassle to prep and it bombed.

In retrospect I gleaned a lot from the experience, but it exposed so many more flaws in my own knowledge of food and its craft. I know this because I know a little more, and I see the unknown mountain rise up in front of me. Keep exploring and keep learning.

Giles

Spaghettini Tutto Mare, Recipe ~ Video.

Keep me in the dark...

Foodie [foo-dee] -noun Slang.

A person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Foodie's everywhere operate on a diet of magazines, TV, Restaurants and selected events. They are the super consumer, a Foodie would look specifically for a more exclusive or rare ingredient over a satisfactory version with little coaxing required. The Foodie means to impress, to make jealousy rife amongst lesser types. But also to share - and spread knowledge about the good stuff... This is what I aim to do by exposing some of the best stores, deli's, bakeries, continental stores, mercato's, enoteca's and anything else worth mentioning.
So share and share alike - let me know (post a comment) of any uncut gems and I will seek them out.

Here begins the "Foo-dee FILES"

Keep up with the pace and you might even run into me at one of these locations!!

Giles

Pizza puzzle, review.

I have a friend who is tall, has sideburns and a cool blues man attitude, his birthday dinner was at Russells Pizza Bar on Saturday evening at Willunga. I really like the atmosphere of this rough and tumble venue, so I was keen to enjoy the evening with good friends. We were lucky enough to have some friends picking us up and driving us home, esky, jacket, keys, slap slap yep yep. Lets go... Our South Australian Department of Transport is still showing their complete lack of foresight in building an expressway that only goes one way at any one time. We are not as late as we thought, A South Rd usually clogged with all those kids in their Commadoors must be binge drinking in other areas? If you did not know where Russells' was and someone said its on the main street in Willunga you could end up knocking on a few front doors. You would eventually find the dimly lit cottage and shed three doors up from the Pub which comes in very handy especially in our case if you start the journey with 3 bottles of red and end it with none and not a drop down the billy goat! Two bottles remained foolishly on our kitchen table as all 5 of us walked straight past them, and the other bottle found the incline of our parking spot to much and into the gutter with a smash - 98' Coonawarra meets MacLaren Vale ditch water.... The pub has a small selection of reasonably priced quality booze over the bar, we cradled our purchase right back to the table at Russells. The starters had begun which are a hands on arrangement of greens, roast peppers, olives as well as bread, olive oil and some fresh dukkah.
There was rumour of keftedes (spiced meatballs) and they were completely snaffled up by the gaggle of girlfriends, who's opportunistic positions around the table meant optimum returns on effort. I snooped around the place and checked out the garden with aragula, fennel and other lettuce just about going to seed, but kept freshly producing by consistent picking. Pizza's had arrived and we were now in proper position to pick up possessions. Great crust, beautiful cheese - but far too much onion... This could be one of the risks in employing enthusiastic youths, standards can rapidly slip without a close discerning eye over those dishes which make Russells' what it is. Onion at high temp goes transluscent, undetectable by the sixteen year old eye. And the Mediterranean pizza is a wonderful concept, but when dukkah burns it goes extremely bitter and another sign that the chefs are under the pump! I would not have thought that you would cook dukkah, as it is all ready roasted to release the fragrant spice. We are all really enjoying ourselves in the back shed so small pizza puzzles slip to the side, if we were not in such and convivial environment and friends were not so jovial would the pizza stand up? NO.
Sapore Ristorante and Cafe Bar is on Payneham Rd. at Felixstow and it has one of the largest brick ovens I have seen used for cooking since eating at Mama Lisa's at Pt Elliot which sadly did not cook pizza in theirs. Sapore are proud to inform me that the oven does not stop unless on public holidays, it looks inspiring when loaded with pizzas of every traditional variety. I tried a Schiacatta Pomodora, pizza based with olive tepenade ontop is a fresh topping and it was so good I took the rest home and had it the day after - a good sign in my opinion. I was a little circumspect of the price of these dishes as a Cafe traditionally treads the fine line of quality and quantity, My darling had a Risotto Gamberoni with prawn, saffron, zuchinni, chilli and herbs fresh but not quite the aroma of Saffron that wows and stirs the soul. I chose better with a Linguine Tutto Mare (local seafood with fresh toms, chilli and herbs) it was clean and zingy enough to keep me interested and more fresh shellfish than I could want for. Well worth the money, when you think this place could feed you twice the amount of food Russell could with more overhead costs. Why is it that these venues survive? Sapore never shut? Russell is always shut? It is a puzzle.
Tell me if you think Russell's is the greatest thing since "Ancient Rome" or that it is just the atmosphere that keeps the fire warm? And if Maggie Beer would like to write a forward to my cook book I would let her...

Giles

Vue de Monde, Gastronome Menu. Review.

From The Scullery

View of the world, review.

My year 10 English teacher criticised me for starting essays with nonsensical rubbish just to get the ideas rolling in my head. It was obviously frowned upon as it has absolutely nothing to do with the essay, I could have quite easily edited out the left field intro but I always felt obliged to let people in on how I think...

See! there I go again.

My partner and I took a little sojourn to Melbourne recently, we planned on going to some new places like Atticus Finch, my darling sisters house warming and Vue de Monde. If you know something about Vue de Monde and what it represents you might have done one of two things: recoil in disgust or squirm with envy. Such is the nature of the venue it polarises many that go and experience it.

I take food seriously (pretty obvious) but only to a point of being serious about aspects of it. I am serious about the quality of what I cook and pay others so I can enjoy. I am not serious about making food a status symbol to make others feel bad about there insecurities. I've done time in kitchens and front of house and I know how status and hierarchy work, it is ever present in hospitality and it is rare and wonderful experience when it is not felt at a customer level. So when we walked through the large doors of Vue de Monde on Little Collins St. I was fearful for the way we would be treated and what effect this would have on the experience. Having done some homework on the menu I was aware that the food is prepared to an extremely high standard, each dish is thought through and executed with precision. Setting a high standard is reason enough to continue to deliver time and again, the result of lowering this standard would soon have punters avoiding it. If however the service makes a guest feel a little insignificant or insecure how does the next punter respond? Do they take their money elsewhere? No, I have rarely avoided a venue on hearing of an indiscriminate event of below standard service. Combine these aspects I have mentioned and then include X to the equation, X being the cost of the experience to your hip pocket. The bigger X is, the more important the small things become to your experience.

Vue de Monde has dealt with the smallest issues in creating an extraordinary venue, materials have been selected on their utility as well as their vivid colour and style. Treading the stone entry lobby through to the tall glass doors there is a mood you could find in a Milan fashion house, this changes as we ascend the stairs after being warmly greeted and led directly to our table past the hum of a busy restaurant. My ears are hot... Brightly striped chairs contrast the white table clothes and richly coloured floor. I sit facing the kitchen with a good view of the rest of the now large room, it is evident by the ceiling that major work has gone on and this is no ordinary refit and make good. Red clothe power cords for our table and room lighting are knotted and looped in such a way that draws my eye away from other diners, and mutant wine glassware swings in the tangle with its little cargo of growing herbs. Ours are chervil, but I am not game to rip off a bit and try... Should've though, it would have given mother and son circa 1950 at table 6(?) something to talk about, as they were clearly communicating telepathically.

I was going to make the most of this opportunity, deciding to have a full degustation with potentially 14 courses on offer and something to take home. Champagne arrived and a little glass of 'Pea and Ham' soup with a little quail egg confit sitting on top a crisp lettuce punt. Starting with a fun and interpretive dish of a classic is pleasing, the menu aims to not stray far from what I would deem traditional fare. As the elaborate website of Vue de Monde indicates they are "classically inspired... with a modern interpretation". It is clear from the outset that this is also a deconstruction of elements of these classic dishes, segregated, intensified, morphed into what might heighten and challenge the guest's. We progress into more dishes with wine matched amazingly well, intensely fruity and tight flavour expanding as though decompressed rapidly to bolster the finesse of some dishes. I could not comprehend how a simple truffled risotto would change when matched with wine, namely Henriques & Henriques Sercial 5 years old Madeira, Portugal. The view down the barrel of this supremely efficient kitchen cannon was the added show, busy focus, with intermittent quiet banter. I glazed into imagining what these chefs would cook for their partners or mothers? Do they eat chips 'n' gravy or a lamb yiros at the end of a boozy evening? Unlikely, every last one of Shannon Bennett's minions would walk the walk of their craft. Although it would be nice to see one licking sauce off their wrist at a taxi rank at 3am, "Would Sir like chicken salt with your poms de fritte?"

All the wines were fantastic, but I found one mismatched for my palate especially when imbibed with an intensely flavoured pork belly and pork rillette (ground) pancake including stuffed baby apple. A superb wine with real character and qualities but was lost in such a concentrated dish. Open the picture in the next post to view the degustation menu for the matches of food and wine, there are some multiple options for dietary requirements which were managed with ease.

And as our evening drew closer to an end I was starting to sum up in my mind the overall experience, crunching the numbers and including the X's. When almost on queue our Sommelier mentions something about a wine cabinet holding some seriously expensive champagne and the Dom Perignon Room. We had to see, up out of our chairs down the stairs into a side room and there it is! One tall cabinet which could easily usurp inflation in Zimbabwe, down a luscious hall way into the Dom Perignon Rom, a monstrous table made from the old Ponsford Stand seating at the SCG which could quite easily seat 24. Live wide screen feed from above kitchen, to keep the well heeled guest interested in what is happening down the hall.

Feeling pretty chuffed about this opportunity to see something special we grinned our way through the remaining dishes and before we knew it it was into the next day and we were still at the table eating and drinking supreme quality. Glee is a word that springs to mind, so many happily satisfying moments that completely out weigh the few negatives. One waiter could have put our winning evening in jeopardy when he kicked an own goal for the X's, informing me that in his opinion he would stir through the freshly shaved Manjimup Truffles through the risotto. He looked so far down his 18 year old nose he might as well been looking at his baby teeth, I could see his youth and his eagerness to achieve would grind him against many customers. It seemed especially unnecessary to recite instructions contrived from the top, he will grow and learn to put his own spin on the words from the hierarchy. Almost every other waiter had an individual quality to their delivery, some left us confused, inspired and oozing onto the floor. Special mention should go to our Sommelier for the evening she was the gilding on the wonderful evening, putting so much effort does not go un-rewarded and she will be serving wine to the worlds obscenely rich in Oman... I assume that is a promotion?

Dish of the night: The innovation of a chocolate cigar including smoke was a too much fun, I wonder if they were rolled on the inside thigh of a buxom Cuban senorita? With a Muscat it was the clincher, Muscat and I are like cricket and whites (old and boring? not yet but soon)

Wine of the night: After the pork I was willing the Sommelier to hit the mark...Bulls eye! Gamey bunny loin matched with a 2004 Cascabel Monastrell Viña Cascabel McLaren Vale, Australia. That fluffy varmint did not stand a chance.

Giles

Quick pizza, Recipe ~ Video.

To Kill a (s)Mocking - bar? Review.

Lygon St, Melbourne is synonymous with cafe culture and the unfortunate lack of spirit that is often associated with large generic cafe's pumping out pizza, pasta and latte's by the litre. Further North up Lygon the mood changes to a dirtier, snot nosed cousin. Amidst all the dry cleaners and pawn shops is one very cosy venue named Atticus Finch after the lawyer in Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. I trust y'all have read it, or have been made to read it.
To draw any parallels between the books moral hero and this little venue would be tenuous, but I will try. The young mods/nerds in charge of Atticus Finch are left wide open for criticism of such a bold choice of name, but just as Lee's lawyer did in her book Finch is a venue that is a shining light in an otherwise darkly oppressed area - stretching it I know! They can feel proud of their efforts in restoring some equality to the scourge that strikes fear into those down trodden - I'm way off the mark now! Lets get back to reality...
It is a good thing I wasn't paying for the taxi as we struggled to find the un-marked Atticus Finch, which is on the Northern Side of Brunswick Rd. A superb selection of beer, wine and heavy stuff was presented on the 'Rich Mahogany?' book shelves along with quirky artefact's and pop culture icons - notably one Storm Trooper helmet. It sets a tone for the rest of the venue which is payed less attention but the effect works. We slipped into a well proportioned booth and I ordered a Ploughman's plate and a round of drinks, adequately priced for such quality products like Hargreaves Hill Porter, which is a superb roasty chocolate drop. I could spend the whole blog on that beer, but there a more fortes to Atticus Finch. Mosey down the hallway and you will discover the heated deck area packed with smoking punter's and a little further into Atticus' garage there is a pool table. We had planned to slip across the road to the Alderman but there was no reason to leave. The music did not get any louder, the clientele did not vomit on my loafers, the bus boy was humble in his mistake and we had a genuinely good time.
Apparently you must read the book before you die, and I would also suggest you get to Atticus Finch before lung cancer takes it's painful toll on your body and enjoy the casual quality of this shining beacon.

Giles

Gastronomic weekend! Review.

When I travel I try and make it worth the effort, I cram as much in as I can to justify the costs involved. Flying to Melbourne for a weekend of fun, frivolity and little sleep is the general rule of thumb.
Itinerary.
Friday evening: Atticus Finch, casual eatery and easy going quality boozer.
Saturday: My siblings house warming Coburg style, with 'El Salvodar' street food.
Saturday evening: Vue de Monde, haute cuisine to test your senses.
Saturday evening late: Transit Bar, 'Fed' Square. Not much food after thirteen courses at Vue but plenty of whisky and a great band 'Shuffle Club'.

Sunday was spent loudly questioning the sexuality and or parentage of 'the men in white' at a large indoor sporting venue. Thrilled with the tough two point win of the fairer team we burrowed back into the city to beat the taste of draught from my head - both like named foes were defeated. Flights were on time and home beckoned. Penne Puttanesca, SBS and the purring kitten is how the week ended. The gastronomic hangover will last a lifetime.

Read about the best bits soon...

Giles

Hawker and Komodo go neck and neck. Review.

I am always pleased to see new venues and cafes opening up in the inner suburban area. It is a huge risk for the small business owner to open the doors and hope the people will come. I am even more pleased when it is successful, the balance of hospitality, environment and food reinforce the enjoyable experience. Dreams are realised and bills are payed, punters are happy so life goes on. Those punters take the chance on a venue offering an experience, but if it is sub standard and the food or hospitality were poor then return customers are no more. First impressions are crucial, and which small business owner keeps tabs on every customer? The good ones. If on a Sunday morning I propose to my hungry partner that we should enjoy acooked breakfast or early lunch, we simply disregard those venues which have not delivered to our expectations. Small business relies on repeat business unlike high traffic areas such as Gouger or Rundle: AGAIN, First impressions are crucial.

My experience of the Cafe Komodo has been limited to popping my head in and being intrigued by the quirky backyard look, it seems colourful and fun. The interior is a bit under cooked however, with restricted mobility around eclectic (year 5) secondhand tables and chairs. If the Cafe were chokkas I could understand the need for wall to garage door seating. Anywho... A menu that is concise utilises its resources to good effect, using same ingredients in some dishes. I ordered the Komodo plate, which is the big breakfast a staple in any cafe, it was delivered quickly and hot to boot. Which is ideal when the Saturday tabloid is on offer - "Got to concentrate...Concentrate!" The bread was aromatic and the eggs made sweeter with dill, a little sliced sausage made it worth the coin of $17? (The website is wrong, although ask for $13.90) I avoided poorly cooked bacon fat and got into the sweated mushrooms and tomatoes; "Quite adequate". I could have easily ordered my partners dish with very similar ingredients, but realised I made the right choice when I tasted the heavy dough of her pide` bread. It was under far too heavy and the dish lacked any quality to define it from the rest of the menu, most of which was left on the plate due to a wonderful mango smoothie wth honey - yum yum gimme some! All of that aside there was no shortage of hospitality and comfortable ambience, great tunes easing me into my Saturday morning. I am a hard task master, you would not let me coach your kids under 12 footy side for fear of muscle melt down but some things are easy - like breakfast.

Hawker St. Cafe is suffering from the same affliction as Komodo, but with a complete lack of communication. I will forgive a lot of sins for good coffee, and Hawker St. had great coffee - just spell out s-k-i-m milk cos' you get what your given. It is pretty slack of me to say see above in a food review but that is why I have put them together on the same page. They are equally as o..k as each other... in this onelegged sack race I think Komodo won with the old trick of sticking to the menu. Hawker St. promised ciabatta` (which I am still trying to tell the diff. from pide!) but delivered continental toast, promised wild rocket but delivered baby spinach; so obviously the cook for the day which honestly rotates with the rest of 'the gang' did not tell his brothers that "we are out of the nutty, spicy, green shit!" "And those little loaves of chiayawhatthe are all gone!" Big mistake...

It is like the first ever episode of "So you think you dance" - replace dance with cook. Fundamentals people! "You have no rythym, no flair, very little technique - and you have bad hair!"

People need to be told why there venues are underperforming, and why the bills are not being paid. If you think I am too acerbic on these fledgling venues, then seek out a good venue and note the consistency, quality and honesty. People who take such a big risk with their own money in a (food orientated) small business without proper focus on the food are pissing it into the wind! I hope they prove me wrong for their own sake.

Keep punting....Giles