Friday 25 November 2011

EARL Canteen

500 Bourke Street (enter via Lt Bourke)
Melbourne, VIC
3000

The sandwich is a pretty nifty invention. A hugely versatile food item, it can be filled with practically anything the sandwich-maker chooses. I remember as a kid, I was exceedingly fond of Vegemite and Potato Chips Sandwiches. But here at EARL Canteen, their sandwiches are just a cut above the bizarre creations of an eight year old. Dedicated to sourcing local, ethical, sustainable and seasonal ingredients, their claim to restaurant quality sandwiches is justified.

Table Setting/Outside
 
Naturally, given all I’ve said above about EARL, and the fact that it’s small and hidden away, it will inevitably be hijacked by throngs of office workers during the lunch hour.

Pre-made Sandwiches and Salads

For those in a rush, EARL displays pre-made sandwiches and salads in a cabinet to take back to your desk. Despite being roughly the same price as the ones most cafes, these lunches are anything but ordinary. You won’t find Caesar salads and Egg sandwiches here. Instead, you’ll find ingredients such as chunks of smoked salmon, quinoa, and prosciutto. 

Pork Belly Sandwich ($13.5)
 
Luckily, K and I weren’t in a rush, so we were able to sit down and indulge in some of the made-to-order sandwiches. K got the infamous Pork Belly Sandwich ($13.5), otherwise known as ‘the sex sandwich’. I’ve had this a long time back, and it’s just the same as I vaguely remember it to be. Resplendent with blistered crackling, the rich meat balanced out by the clean coleslaw and apple slices, and just a bit hard to eat thanks to the excellent but large baguette that’s chewy enough to put bubble gum to shame. A good sandwich without being mind-blowing.

Chicken and Chips Sandwich ($13)
 
We were both intrigued by the Chicken and Chips ($13) sandwich, which beckoned us with candied bacon and potato crisps. The creamy chicken lay on a bed of sweet mashed peas, but the potato chips made this sandwich absurdly crunchy in the best way possible. There weren’t many bacon dices in my half of the sandwich, so K gave me a bit of his. It unfortunately wasn’t sweet at all, which broke my heart a little. But that little blunder aside, I actually quite enjoyed this sandwich. I will probably be lynched by furious bloggers everywhere for saying this but, I’d take this sandwich over the pork belly one any day.

Dessert Cabinet
 
We were both quite full by then, but not too full for dessert. Despite there being polenta syrup cakes and dark chocolate tarts, there was no way we were missing out on the macarons ($2.5 each)

Salted Caramel Macaron and Pistachio Raspberry Macaron ($2.5 ea)
 
Out of the four flavours of the day, we picked salted caramel and pistachio and raspberry. Both were incredibly delicious with a light but chewy exterior and a well-flavoured ganache, but they were also incredibly, incredibly small.

Innards!
 
I’m not sure how sold I am on EARL. I like the concept of gourmet sandwiches and I LOVE their macarons, but the actual sandwiches have fallen short of my expectations both times I went. I wanted to like EARL, I really did, but I think I’ll be getting my sandwiches from Waffle On in the future. 
Rating: 12.5/20 – mediocre sex sandwich


EARL Canteen on Urbanspoon

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Al Alamy

51 Waterfield St
Coburg, VIC 3058


I’m not quite sure what Arabic cuisine is like. In fact, I didn’t even know that Al Alamy was Arabic until I went and did some research. Meaning ‘world of foods’, Al Alamy is true to its name; a cross between a vast playground of exotic groceries and an ethnic bakery/cafe, it’s enough to make any foodie’s eyes glaze over. 

Zaatar Pizza ($1.5)

For just the change you find under your couch cushions, you can grab a Zaatar Pizza ($1.5). A soft doughy base is brushed with olive oil, rubbed with 11 secret herbs and spices and scattered with sesame before being folded in half and slotted into the oven with its siblings. The result is a beautifully pungent pizza with the fragrance and crunch of sesame. I imagine it would taste even better coated in the homemade dips ($5) they have on offer.

Cheese Calzone Pie ($2.5)
 
The Cheese Calzone Pie ($2.5) is a soft bread cave filled with stalactites of squeaky salty cheese. It’s perfect for those of you who want a variation on your standard cheese toastie.

Foull Meddames Plate ($7)

You’ll find a feast in the Foull Meddames Plate ($7), with a terracotta bowl filled with mix of slow cooked fava beans and chick peas, seasoned with garlic, onions, olive oil, and a touch of lemon. On the side is a plate full of crispy pickles, olives, and a whole tomato, and a basket with two soft rounds of pita bread big enough to swaddle a baby. The beans were slightly tart and very creamy, making for a fabulous dip or even just eating on its own with a spoon.

Delicious Delicious Morsel
 
And I love the lack of cutlery, which meant that we were able to scoop up some of the beans in a piece of pita and add some pickles to make one perfect mouthful. Food definitely tastes better when eaten with your hands.

Baklava
 
Even though I was stuffed to the brim, I couldn’t turn down a complimentary piece of baklava. Beautifully flaky and buttery, the outside shell crumbled between my teeth, and I found the nutty and not-too-sweet innards practically dissolving in my mouth. And because Chris (whose hairy arm makes another apperance) didn’t like Middle Eastern sweets, I could have this little morsel of heaven all to myself!

Loose Ingredients/Baklava/Nuts

After we’ve eaten all we could eat, we took a stroll through the grocery section of Al Alamy. There you will find piles of roasted nuts, baskets full of middle eastern sweets, baklava still sitting on the paper it was baked on, and rows upon rows of loose ingredients you can buy for a fraction of the price in supermarkets (not to mention the mind-boggling variety).






 
It was difficult not to buy some of everything to take home with me, but if that’s an excuse to come back, then I don’t mind at all.

Rating: 14.5/20 – amazing value


Al Alamy on Urbanspoon

Friday 18 November 2011

Cacao Green

285 Swanston St
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Cacao Green has been around for a while now, and I’ve been quite a few times, but I’ve never gotten around to blogging it. The reason isn’t because I don’t like it or anything; I’ve just been lazy lazy lazy (bad blogger!). But on a recent trip to Cacao Green with my sister, I finally gave into her prodding and wrote this post.

Toppings
 
Though advertising itself as more of a dessert house serving parfaits, waffles, and a variety of saccharine beverages, not many people order anything other than the frozen yoghurt. The first part of ordering is just like any other ice cream place – you choose your flavour (original, Japanese matcha, strawberry, chocolate), and you choose your size (junior, regular, large). Then it gets interesting. Sitting in a glass cabinet on a bed of ice is a rainbow of different toppings. You want chopped fruit and compotes? You’ve got it. Candied nuts? Tick. Granola? No problem. Cheese cake pieces? Why not! At $1 each, or $2.5 for 3, it’s hard to stop at just a couple.

Japanese Matcha Frozen Yoghurt with Mochi ($5.7)


Tapping into the Asians in us, my sister and I got a junior sized Japanese matcha frozen yoghurt with mochi ($5.7) to share.

Japanese Matcha Frozen Yoghurt with Mochi ($5.7)
 
Those who have been to Cacao Green will understand when I say that there’s no frozen yoghurt quite like the kind here. As opposed to being sticky with sugar, it’s light and tangy with the taste of natural yoghurt shining through. The slight bitterness of the matcha was offset by the generous scoop of the toothsome and sweet marbles of mochi (Japanese rice cake). That said though, my heart still belongs to the Original Frozen Yoghurt. I’m fairly certain that machine has found a way to put the smile of a unicorn into its yoghurt. It’s my all-time favourite summer treat. And winter treat. And so forth.

Though the prices at Cacao Green may be even steeper than that of gelato, it’s justified by the high quality, free trade, and organic ingredients. I’ve even got a membership card – just one more yoghurt before I get 3 free toppings!

Rating: 14/20 – delicious delicious froghurt


Cacao Green on Urbanspoon