Wednesday 30 May 2012

Crispy Bacon and Egg Salad


Another salad today. With crispy bacon and egg. Spinach and mushrooms too.

And maybe a piece of buttered wholemeal toast on the side.

Because life is all about balance.


Crispy Bacon and Egg Salad
(serves 2)

The Salad:
150g baby spinach leaves (or mixed greens)
50g mushrooms
1 small red onion
2 rashers of bacon
2  eggs

The Dressing:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil your eggs. 6 minutes for soft, 7 for medium, 9 for hard (but my egg-boiling system is convoluted, so disregard those times).
Fry your bacon up and chop it into little bits.
Wash your spinach, slice your onion, and cut your mushrooms cos we’re making a salad out here. 
Whisk whisk whisk the dressing.
Toss salad and dressing together and top with chopped eggs (whole egg if you soft-boiled them).
Eat, and feel really good about yourself.

Friday 25 May 2012

Cumulus Inc.

45 Flinders Ln
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Cumulus Inc.

I am in my happy place. The end of a long week, my three favourite people in the world, and the promise of an excellent dinner at Cumulus Inc.




A no bookings policy and mega popularity saw us arriving at 5:30 on a Friday afternoon, just beating the after-work crowd. By 6, the airy yet cosy hall had conversation bouncing off the walls, and we practically had to shout to be heard over the hubbub. 

With a menu that is centred on sharing, we ordered a whole lamb shoulder, as well as 5 other side dishes, under the gentle guidance of our helpful waiter. We skipped on the $860 bottle of champagne though.

Bread
Breeeeeead!

BREAD!!!! Two different types of wheaty deliciousness were stacked into an adorable little cast iron pan. One is fluffy and brioche-like, and the other is a moist and chewy seed-studded loaf. And extra butter too! These people read my mind!

Grilled Octopus, Paprika and Basil ($10)

A small dish of Grilled Octopus, Paprika and Basil ($10) was an excellent wake-up call to our tastebuds. Chewy little morsels of octopus with just a hint of smoky paprika, anointed with a daub of lemony mayonnaise, left us hungry for more. 

Tuna Tartare with Crushed Green Pea Salad ($32)

Tuna Tartare with Crushed Green Pea Salad ($32)

The Tuna Tartare with Crushed Green Pea Salad ($32) was a stunning plate, both visually and flavour-wise. What first appeared to be a simple dish revealed surprising complexity upon closer inspection. The cubes of tuna, so fresh and natural it could have been swimming fifteen minutes ago, was infused with a deliciously peppery marinade. The vibrant bed of crushed peas, mint, and goats curd had a delicate sweetness that paired flawlessly with the savoury tuna. A dish full of the fresh flavours of ocean and land.

Wagyu Bresaola ($19 for 40g) - Photo Courtesy of K

Wagyu Bresaola ($19 for 40g)

I was not prepared for this. I was not prepared for the Wagyu Bresaola ($19 for 40g) to completely blow my mind. The sensual softness of the gauze-thin slices of wagyu, wrapped around the crunch of an artichoke chip and enlivened by the grassiness of the lamb sorrel leaf, was an intense mouthful of umami meatiness and perfection. This is a morsel that invades every one of your senses as the marbled beef melts on the tongue, begging to be slowly savoured, but in reality would prove to last little longer than the time it takes to chew, swallow, and sigh.   

Whole Roast Lamb Shoulder ($69)

Lemon and Pickled Red Onion
Whole Roast Lamb Shoulder ($69)
 
The piece de resistance, a Whole Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder ($69) made its way onto our table with a big knife, a pair of tongs, and a bowl of lemon cheeks and pickled red onion. Slow roasted at 88 degrees for 8 hours, before being crisped by a quick trip into a 250 degree oven, this huge chunk of lamb sitting in its own juices practically pulled itself apart. Rich but not too rich, gamey but not too gamey, this perfectly cooked piece of meat could only have been improved by some garlic sauce on the side.

Cracked Wheat and Freekeh Salad, Preserved Lemon, Barberries ($12)

Spiced Cauliflower with Goats Curd ($15) - Photo Courtesy of K

We ordered two salads – Spiced Cauliflower with Goats Curd ($15) and Cracked Wheat with Freekeh Salad, Preserved Lemon, Barberries ($12) – to have with our lamb shoulder. These two seemingly heavy side dishes were actually the ideal accompaniment to the lamb. The cauliflower florets were charred and spicy, with the pomegranate seeds adding a fruity pop to every mouthful. The grain salad was a textural adventure, with little grains that rolled around your mouth along with the brittle roasted almonds. A squeeze of lemon and a dollop of goats curd gave the salad its lightness.



A feast. 

The food at Cumulus Inc. is absolutely amazing; what wasn’t mind-blowing was highly enjoyable, and what wasn’t highly enjoyable wouldn’t have made it within 5 miles of the kitchen. Staff were similarly charming and agreeable, never rushing us despite the large queue at the door all night. Cumulus Inc. has indeed reached heights as lofty as its name.

Rating: 17/20 – cloud nine

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Cake and Voldemort

Black Forest Cake
Black Forest Cake and Voldemort

Thank you mummy and daddy for the lovely black forest birthday cake. And thanks to my amazing little sister who made me the cute little stuffed toy which we christened Voldemort. It’s the best present I’ve ever received <3

Kimchi Hut

185 Coleman Pde
Glen Waverley, VIC 3150


Winter is coming. And a hot pot at Kimchi Hut is the perfect remedy.

Rocking up at 5:30 on a Friday night, the bright interior with practical furniture of blond wood, and plasma screens airing Deal or no Deal is all but empty. Fast forward half an hour and Chris and I had to shout at each other to be heard over squawking kids and uni students. 

Friendly staff came bearing a pot full of their House Corn Tea whilst we perused the menu. Chris said it tasted like drinking a completely plain Dorito, and I have to concede that there is no better way to put it. The hot golden drink, fragrant with corn husks, is rather fabulous. I’ve no idea why anyone would order a different beverage.

Settling for a pot of Mild Beef Soup ($42), we were presented with a small gas stove, on top of which was a pot of soup filled to the brim, and piled high with veggies, thinly sliced beef, disks of chewy rice cake, and slippery sweet potato noodles. A far cry from the traditionally rich and hearty Chinese hot pots, this Korean version is light and chock-full of goodness. The meat and veggies cried out freshness, and the soup itself was clean and nourishing. It’s probably the healthiest and most balanced meal you could wish for. 

Served on the side were five little dishes of Banchan. There were the standard dishes of marinated sprouts and kimchi, but also slightly more unusual offerings, such as squares of translucent chestnut jelly slathered in a spicy sauce, fluffy strips of egg omelette, and some garlic sprouts. They were great for adding flavour and variety to the meal. 

So by now, some of you might be wondering why there haven’t been any photos of this supposedly delicious and restorative hot pot. Well see the thing is, 

I left the memory card for my camera at home.

Ultimate sadness. Here are some iPhone photos of the remnants of our meal instead. 

Mild Beef Soup ($42)

Banchan

Rating: 13.5/20 – dorito tea


Kimchi Hut on Urbanspoon

Sunday 20 May 2012

Lunch, Macarons, Cupcakes, and some Very Special People

Gogi
146-148 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000


In the last exam-free week until mid-June, I accompanied some very special uni friends to Gogi to celebrate the birthdays of Bilge and myself.


Gogi is a small and serene Korean buffet located in the bustle of Chinatown. There’s a Korean BBQ option at night, but during the day, the restaurant is filled with people treating themselves to the $12 Lunch Buffet, which also comes with a free drink.


The selection of food isn’t too big; you’d be silly to expect it to be for the price. But there are silver tureens of meats and stews, and a bright salad bar full of fresh greens and all the kimchi you could possibly eat.

Plate One
 
Instinct took over as I approached the spread, forbidding me from taking more than a mouthful of each dish, so that I might try as many of them as possible. My first plate consisted of an unremarkable seaweed salad and kimchi, some sweet chicken pieces and sweeter pork strips, as well as a piece of crispy spicy chicken that is neither crispy nor spicy. The jap chae however, turned out to be surprisingly yummy. Despite being bland looking and with a noodle-to-vegetable ratio that was way off, the sweet potato noodles were satisfyingly chewy and fragrant with the generous use of sesame oil.

Plate Two
 
The second plate I carried back had a small mound of kimchi fried rice (a bit gluggy), a puddle of vegetable curry (a funny tasting cross between Japanese and Indian), two large pieces of delightfully silken tofu (fished from the tofu and seafood stew), and a couple more twists of the sweet pork whose flavour has grown on me.

Plate Three
 
Being healthy. 

I don’t think any of us expected Gogi to be absolutely amazing. But you really can’t go wrong with a decent spread of Asian dishes that invited you to eat as much as your stomach could handle for just $12. 

Rating: 11.5/20

GoGi on Urbanspoon

---

Moving to a cosier location out of the wind, we found ourselves in San Churro.

Macarons

And out comes some beautiful macarons from La Belle Miette, flawless and perfect, with smooth domes like painted eggshells sandwiching a wickedly creamy ganache. The shell cracks under our teeth, giving away to a center that stays sticky and elastic for a split second, before melting away in a delicious sugar rush.  

La Belle Miette on Urbanspoon



And some adorable cupcakes from Cupcake Central. These were packed with flavour, the crumb moist and tender with a large dollop of soft cream cheese icing on top.

Macaron and Custard Cupcake

The special of the day was practically made for macaron-loving Bilge, who couldn’t stop cooing over the miniature confection. And hidden under the swirl of cream cheese was a luscious and silky pocket of custard. Cupcake Central has outdone itself once again.  

Banana Split Cupcake

And a banana split flavoured cupcake for me, complete with a banana chip, sprinkles, and a cherry on top. 

Cupcake Central Workshop on Urbanspoon


And when I thought the day couldn’t get any better, I was presented with two vouchers for high tea at the Windsor. Thank you so much Sophia, Sneha, Kathy, Bilge, Sarah, Sandu, Jan, Minh-An, Nick, and Keith for making my 19th birthday a memorable one. I’m so lucky to have you guys in my life.

Thursday 17 May 2012

The Grand BBQ

Target Centre, 236 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000


Intimidating is an understatement. Despite being in the Target Center food court, The Grand BBQ operates more like a street side hawker store, where eating isn’t just a simple meal, it’s an experience. Between receiving our numbered ticket and balancing our food precariously to the table, we had already engaged in a turf war over tables, and an epic quest to find cutlery. 

Roast
 
The picture menu is backlit and concise, specialising in roast meats on rice or noodles....

Yong Tofu Cabinet
 
... and yong tofu, a Chinese-Malaysian noodle dish that’s fully customisable with your choice of noodle, broth, and various fish-paste based items.


The chefs work hard here, churning out mountains of noodles in a frantic production line as the stern-faced ladies at the register bark out order after order into the miniscule kitchen.

BBQ Pork and Wonton Soup Noodle ($10.3)
 
BBQ Pork and Wonton Soup Noodle ($10.3) is a favourite childhood meal of mine, albeit one that I haven’t had in a very long time. Dense fists of wonton packed with prawns and pork and umami, fresh egg noodles (FRESH egg noodles!) full of springy goodness, and a light broth that is both cleansing and nourishing. The familiar and comforting flavours are like eating a hug.

Yong Tofu ($10.5)
 
Sending a terrified Chris off to hold our fort, I constructed what’s essentially a curry laksa version of Yong Tofu ($10.5) with egg noodles and vermicelli for him. Included in the price are six pieces of deep fried, fish-pasted items from the cabinet, of which I chose: fish stuffed mushroom, fish stuffed Chinese donut, seafood eggplant, fresh fish cake, fish ball, and lightly fried seafood stuffed beancurd. The curry laksa soup is a bit disappointing – there was a good amount of spice and not too much coconut milk, but it unfortunately lacked any depth of flavour. The generously sized pieces of yong tofu fared a lot better; whilst they are quite similar in taste, the freshness and quality of the ingredients couldn’t be denied. The seafood eggplant, with a wedge of bouncy fishcake sandwiched by a piece of velvety soft eggplant that happily soaked up the soup, ain’t too shabby at all. 

Grand BBQ operates at a lightning pace at lunchtimes, with clientele as varied as Melbourne can provide. The food is simple, the service is limited to the provision of a clean table and cutlery, and portions are on the smaller end for what you pay. Yet I left the restaurant strangely satisfied by the hustle, the bustle, and the fresh wholesome food. But if you want a quiet, relaxing lunch, then you’d better go somewhere else. This place is a goddamned battlefield. 

Rating: 12.5/20 – lunch break wars 

The Grand BBQ on Urbanspoon

Tuesday 15 May 2012

MoVida Next Door

164 Flinders St
Melbourne, VIC 3000


 

A place to fall in love. On a street corner smack-bang in the middle of the Melbourne CBD, MoVida Next Door smells like jamón and feels like Spain. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to get caught up in the warm glow of the lights and the sizzling of prawns a la plancha.




Meeting up with three shamefully late foodies who managed to arrive just before the after work rush, we prepared ourselves for a feast of epic proportions. The difficult part was choosing what to eat; the menu may be short and sweet (for a tapas bar), but the daily specials are extensive and tantalising.

Complimentary Bread
Monte Enebro ($8)

To start off our feast, we were served some complimentary crusty bread, and a thin disk of Monte Enebro ($8). The mustiness of the cheese and sweetness of the fig and quince paste were rolled into one harmonious mouthful of flavours that brought out the best of each other.

Mejilliones ($19)

A large glazed pot filled with glistening mussels found its way onto our table. From the specials menu, the Mejillones ($19) was a simple, hearty serving of mussels cooked in a lemon, parsley and sherry broth. The delicate, orange-lipped lobes inside came away at the tug of a fork. Pop it into your mouth and savour the plump brininess.

Bomba ($4.8ea)

The Bomba ($4.8ea) was a morsel that required no introduction. Made famous by Masterchef, these golden little orbs heralded a crunch that gave way to mashed potato so smooth it could be a puree. The daubs of sauce on top provided a small peppery kick.

Sesos ($5.5)
 
The best thing about eating with foodies is the lack of hesitation in trying something new. Hence the order of Sesos ($5.5), deep fried lamb brains served on top of a lemony mayonnaise. Up until this point, my experience with sweetbreads has been woefully limited. The only time I recall eating noggin was as a 4 year old, when my grandmother insisted that I sucked the slimy brains out of fish heads, as it was supposedly the ultimate brain food. So biting into my chunk of deep fried grey and white matter, I braced myself (without any good reason, really) for a mouthful of fishiness. Except that never came. Instead, the most wonderful creaminess spread out over my tongue. I can only compare it to eating an entire egg yolk in one go, except even more decadent.

Berenjenas ($12.5)
 
Joining the action was a tall bowl of Berenjenas ($12.5), fingers of eggplant chips with a side of salmorejo, a tomato and bread sauce. This was a huge hit around the table. Crunchy, barely-there batter gave way to a center of eggplant that’s so soft it’s almost liquid. Dip into the orange salmorejo for maximum enjoyment.

Pez ($25)
 
Another dish off the specials menu, the Pez ($25) was a fillet of hapuka, fished from the Bass Strait and served with burnt butter sauce, sprouts, and walnuts. One of the favourite dishes of the night, the firmness of the fish was almost reminiscent of chicken thigh in texture. The placid and comforting flavours of fish and burnt butter were enlivened by the skin, which was so brittle it practically shatters audibly.

Morcilla ($16)
Morcilla ($16)
 
Finishing off our adventurous fling with the specials menu, we ordered the Morcilla ($16), a visually stunning dish of blood sausage garnished with croutons, Brussels sprouts, and a pearly slow cooked egg.

Morcilla ($16)
 
We were instructed to break the egg and mix all the ingredients together. The little clusters of blood sausage had the texture of rice pudding, but lacked any actual taste of blood, which was a bit disappointing (that sounded horrific). But add in some deep fried croutons and baby Brussels sprouts that opened up like flower buds on the tongue, my disappointment was all but gone.

Crema Catalana ($13.5)
 
I was pure delight in the form of a little Asian girl when I realised the Crema Catalana ($13.5) was a Spanish version of crème brulee. Tapping our spoons against the caramelised sugar shell, we indulged in spoonful after spoonful of citrusy custard interspersed with shards of bitter toffee. This dessert has earned itself a permanent position as a part of my last meal, if I were to ever commit mass murder.

Churros ($12)
 
No Spanish meal is complete without Churros ($12). Four crispy rods lightly dusted with icing sugar were served with a small cupful of drinking chocolate. The churros were hot and crispy, and a slightly fluffier center would’ve made them perfect. The drinking chocolate was thick but light; too mild for dunking but probably perfect for drinking. 

So there it is. A ridiculously delicious meal of gourmet morsels for just over $30 a head. The no bookings policy and more casual setting ensure a fast turnover of customers. So if the original MoVida is completely booked out, it won’t hurt to try your luck here. The atmosphere and food may be quite different between all the MoVidas, but there is a unanimous theme of excellent produce and inventive dishes, making for what will probably be one of the most exciting and enjoyable meals you will ever have.  

Rating: 16/20 – movida mania


MoVida Next Door on Urbanspoon