Monday 30 September 2013

Hero

RMIT Building 80 (Enter via Stewart St)
445 Swanston St 
Melbourne, VIC 
3000


Students have a knack for finding cheap, good food. Or cheap, good food tends to crop up wherever there are students around. Either way, Hero is a new cafe that’s popped up behind RMIT, targeting hungry students with gargantuan Brooklyn-styled hero subs.




But Michael and Eleena (of The Grain Store fame) aren’t just copy cats, oh no. they’ve borrowed the all-American hero sub idea and turned it into Melbourne-styled feel-good and slightly gourmet sandwiches. It’s messy, it’s hearty, and it’s good for the soul. And whilst Michael had enthusiastically insisted that we try 4 different half-subs between the two of us, by the end we were grateful that we decided to just have 3 – they were THAT huge. 


#Kidroyale ($7.8 half, $11.8 whole)

I had my eyes dead-set on the #Kidroyale ($7.8 half, $11.8 whole), a mouth-watering concoction of slow roasted beef topped with crispy onion rings. This was a smashing sandwich. The pull-apart tender beef was generously flavoured with a sweet and smoky onion jam, and a thick, creamy honey Dijon dressing. And the onion rings on top? Eat them separately or chow it down with the sandwich – it’s all good.


#Bythehour ($7.8 half, $11.8 whole)

The #Bythehour ($7.8 half, $11.8 whole) on the other hand, was a lighter and cleaner taste altogether. Borrowing its inspiration from Mexico, this sandwich was stuffed with pulled pork, flavoursome apple and purple cabbage slaw, and topped with a refreshing corn relish. 


#Brklyn ($7.8 half, $11.8 whole)

The #Brklyn ($7.8 half, $11.8 whole) was my favourite sandwich for the day. The pulled lamb was cooked for 10 hours, and it shows – the meat was unctuous and melted in the mouth, suffused with fragrant cumin. The tangy pickled beetroot and whipped feta on top was the perfect companion to the sticky lamb.

One thing definitely worth mentioning is the bread. Doing away with the mouth-shredding sourdough, Michael and Eleena sourced their custom-made bread locally, resulting in a loaf that is strong enough to hold the fillings, but soft enough to soak up the juices. 


Jam Hot Ball Donut ($2.8)

Chocolate Custard Hot Ball Donut ($2.8)

Though full, we couldn’t say no to a pair of Hot Ball Donuts ($2.8), and a cup of Americano Coffee ($2.5 cup; $4.8 bottomless). The hot jam donuts were light, crisp, and not too sweet, allowing the sticky jam and smooth chocolate custard to shine. The coffee however, was not really my thing. It was a filtered American-styled coffee, and being used to the heady and fragrant Melbourne coffee, I’m afraid this was a bit too weak for me. However for those of you who can’t handle strong coffees, this is a great alternative made with some of the best beans Melbourne has to offer – St Ali Beans.

Hero is something Melbourne has needed for a long time – sandwiches with great ingredients that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The flavours are punchy and exciting, and the portions huge. It has definitely taken a spot on my list of favourite places for a sandwich.

Rating: 14/20 – bye bye subway.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.
Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of Hero

Hero on Urbanspoon

Thursday 26 September 2013

Cookie

252 Swanston St
Melbourne, VIC 3000

I love a good nibble. And it’s even better if it comes with drinks and a chilled out ambience. Now that I’ve finished 3 whole weeks of placements (where I worked 57 hours a week), I decided to celebrate my newly regained freedom at Cookie, a wildly popular watering-hole-slash-modern-Thai-restaurant. 



I had tried to call on Monday morning for a dinner booking the same Friday night, but to no avail. So when we went upstairs, instead of turning right into the restaurant area, we forayed into the buzzing bar end instead, and grabbed ourselves a table. Aside from having to order up at the bar, it’s exactly the same as eating at the restaurant. 





If you think the long food menu (divided into small, medium and large dishes) is confusing, wait until you see the drink menus, aka the hulking tomes lurking at the back of my photo. It covered every possible alcoholic beverage from what seemed to be every possible corner of the earth, though there was a strange dearth of ciders. Admittedly I did give up searching about 10 minutes in, however. 


Amulet Moscato Cider ($9.5)

Eventually, I did manage to find a cider that floated my boat, and before long I was chugging down a lovely bottle of Amulet Moscato Cider ($9.5), an especially sweet and smooth brew with just a hint of spritz. This was also when I confirmed that yes, I do indeed have alcohol (or at least cider) intolerance, difficulty breathing and full body rash and all. 


Steamed Mussels with Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime, Ginger, Coriander and Chilli ($19.5, 1/2kg)

I love me a good plate of mussels, and it doesn’t get better than the flavoursome combination of Steamed Mussels with Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime, Ginger, Coriander and Chilli ($19.5, 1/2kg). The flavours soaked into the plump orange morsels were piquant and tangy, a potent mix of bright Asian herbs and a hint of spice.


Fat Rice Noodles with Duck, Cabbage, Green Peppercorns and Basil ($22)

For some carbs to go along with the seafood, we had the much-lauded Fat Rice Noodles with Duck, Cabbage, Green Peppercorns and Basil ($22). The price tag was steep, but was justified by the succulent chunks of duck bursting from the fat, chewy noodles and crunchy pieces of cabbage.  The younger, milder green peppercorns provided a mellow buzz to the smoky wok flavours.

We probably could have fit in one more medium-sized dish, but I was fighting a battle with my thighs that day. Cookie is more about the drinking than the devouring, but that doesn’t mean the food isn’t great. It’s not just Thai food, it’s hipster Thai food – an unusual combination, which is exactly what Melbourne does best. Do visit if you’re sick of having potato wedges with a VB down at the pub, and are looking for something a bit more refined and exotic.

Rating: 15/20 – oreo-stuffed chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Cookie on Urbanspoon

Sunday 22 September 2013

Spoonbill

637 Chapel Street 
South Yarra, VIC

This is a bad idea. In a valiant effort to cram into as much into my greedy stomach as possible, I had foolishly double booked. So now, after having stuffed my face with a sandwich the length of my arm for lunch, I was facing a 6 course meal with matching wines at Spoonbill less than 5 hours later. Spoiler alert: my stomach expanded to massive proportions and hurt from the amount of food that I had forced it to contain. 



Spoonbill is actually associated with the esteemed Art Series boutique hotels, and whilst I admit I have my hang-ups over snobby, stiff hotel restaurants, Spoonbill was actually nothing like that. After being greeted jovially by staff behind the curved bar near the entrance, we were guided into a dining room that was both stylish and cosy. I could’ve very well worn my dinosaur shirt if I had so wished. 




The 6 Course Sharing Menu ($65pp) with Matching Wines ($25pp) works a bit differently from your usual degustation. Unlike other restaurants which have a set menu, Spoonbill allows you to mix and match from the sharing menu to your heart’s content. Hungry? Have 6 mains if you want. Sweet tooth? One entree and 5 desserts coming up! 



Because of this more free-form version of the degustation however, it meant that wines are harder to match. This problem was overcome by offering the diners a couple of wines to choose from with each course, and a moscato with dessert. And because Chris doesn’t drink wine, the waiter generously offered to pour me a glass of BOTH wines with every course instead. I was rather tipsy by the end but, the boutique wines were worth every stumble on the sidewalk. 


Laurent-Perrier Champagne, Maison Fondee 1812


But first! Each diner partaking in the sharing menu received a glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne, Maison Fondee 1812. The crisp citrus and honey flavours were very enjoyable, accompanied by a large platter of bread and olive oil. 


Salumi Plate

Because of our huge lunch, we had decided on 3 entrees, one main, and 2 desserts. The first of our entrees was the Salumi Plate, a smorgasbord of cured meats and pickles. Being freshly sliced, the jamon, salami, and bresola were pliant and silky, pairing well with the mild, sweet cheddar. 


Queensland King Prawns

Our second entree was the Queensland King Prawns, a pair of crustaceans peeled and char-grilled, resting on ribbons on spicy cabbage salad. The prawns were smoky, plump, and incredibly sweet. Best of all, our lovely waiter fetched me a finger bowl halfway through, encouraging me to pick the prawns apart – the way they’re meant to be eaten. 


Gamekeeper's Sausage

Our last entree was the Gamekeeper’s Sausage. Despite not looking like much, this was absolutely delicious. The sausage pieces were peppery and rustically coarse, and went extremely well with the Spanish black bean sauce that was sweet almost like a jam. Funnily enough though, what got me the most was the bed of enoki mushrooms. Being a type of mushroom that I associate with Asian food, I had never known how heavenly the fresh, slippery strands could be, when sautéed with generous amounts of butter.

To go with our entrees, we had a choice of two different boutique whites – John Kosovich Bottle Aged Reserve Swan Valley Chenin Blanc 2007, and Ros Ritchie Dead Man’s Hill Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2012. And thus began my love affair with the grape. The Chenin Blanc was a light, fruity drop, very good with our salumi plate. The Gewurztraminer on the other hand, was like nothing I’ve ever drank. Instead of bright notes of fruit and floral, this wine had an earthy, chocolate-like quality to it, and was very enjoyable. 


John Olsen’s Famous Paella

John Olsen’s Famous Paella

We were doing quite well up until now, but it was halfway through our main, John Olsen’s Famous Paella, that we hit a wall. It was a fiesta of the ocean, the perfectly cooked mussels plump and creamy, and the broad selection of seafood infusing the fluffy rice with its juices. It wasn’t your traditional paella with the crusty base, but it was a mighty tasty variation. 


Witlof Salad

All the mains were served with sides of Witlof Salad and Broccoli. I really liked the witlof salad, the mixture of syrupy sweet pears, bitter rocket, and mild blue cheese was a classic dance of flavours. The broccoli fared less well, being undercooked and quite flavourless. 


Dandelions Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz/The Lane Block 2 Pinot Gris

To go with our main, we had a choice between a red and a white. Whilst the Dandelions Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz, despite having a very pretty name, didn’t go too well with the paella (though still very delicious with its juicy, bold flavours), the The Lane Block 2 Pinot Gris was sweet, crisp, and a perfect accompaniment to seafood.


Hazelnut Meringue

My stomach had started to hurt at this point, but there was no way I was turning down the Hazelnut Meringue, a beehive of sugar and cream, roasted hazelnuts and espresso syrup. The meringue was light and crisp, and absolutely heavenly with the cool coffee cream. 


Poached Pear

Our final dessert was thankfully quite small. The Poached Pear was a showcase of ginger, the sticky pear (poached in moscato and cider) augmented with intense ginger syrup, tangy ginger brittle, and a cool, herbal ginger ice cream. Thank goodness we didn’t order the chocolate indulgence instead.

It would be extremely remiss of me to not mention the accompanying Lake Breeze Moscato 2011, which was arguably the best dessert of them all. The lightly sparkling dessert wine was delicate with a strong personality, the aromas of tropical fruits and orange blossom absolutely intoxicating. To quote our waiter, ‘you could put a straw in it’. 

If it isn’t painfully obvious by now, I really, really enjoyed Spoonbill. Not that the food was revolutionary but, $65 for 6 courses of delicious food really isn’t half bad. I especially love the range of boutique wines they had, and the handful that I sampled has me keen to come back to try some more. Skip the pretention, try Spoonbill.

Rating: 15.5/20 – spoon. mouth. repeat.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.
Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of Spoonbill. 

Spoonbill Restaurant and Bar on Urbanspoon

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Jalan Alor

7/206 Bourke St 
Melbourne, VIC 
3000

Another action-packed month for Ming, another guest post from Chris. I’m sure you know the drill by now!

Things don’t always go as planned. Take for instance our trip to Sambal Kampung- after having meant to visit for months, not only did we walk far past the restaurant on our first try, but when we made it back we found that it had closed down! Our dinner plans out the window, we needed to find another place to fulfil our Malaysian cravings, and thankfully Ming remembered the nearby Jalan Alor.


Being early for dinner as we usually are, there was plenty of space for us to sit down and work out what to order. The service was sufficient but nothing more as we got some hot tea to combat the outside’s winter chill.


Nasi Ayam Hainan ($11)

Ming ordered the Nasi Ayam Hainan ($11), one of her favourite Malaysian dishes. The rice, served in three small mounds, was enjoyably moist and flavoursome, while the (mostly) boneless chicken mixed to good effect with the sauce. The soup had the familiar hint of MSG, and was otherwise standard for an accompanying soup.


Penang Char Kway Teow ($12)

Penang Char Kway Teow ($12)

I went instead for the Penang Char Kway Teow ($12). This was a thoroughly satisfying interpretation of the dish, with enormous prawns, chewy noodles, and a faint kick of chilli. It stood out (if not by a large margin) from some other versions of this dish that I’ve had.

We left Jalan Alor quite happy, despite not having expected to visit on this night in particular. It won’t blow your socks off, but if you’re in the mood for some Malaysian in the CBD I’d happily point you in its direction.

Rating: 13/20

Jalan Alor on Urbanspoon

Saturday 14 September 2013

Bowery To Williamsburg

16 Oliver Lane 
Melbourne, VIC 
3000


It’s not often I’m super excited about a new restaurant. Excited, yes; downright loony, no. But it would be an understatement to say that I’m pretty keen about Bowery and Williamsburg, ever since I found out that it is the brainchild of Will and Di, the geniuses behind Hardware Societe. I expected great things.





Just like Hardware Societe, Bowery to Williamsburg is hidden away down an easy-to-miss lane, but was given away by a gaggle of hungry diners. It’s a sandwich bar, but the likes of which that I’ve yet to see. If anything, it’s more stylish NYC cafe, crossed with quirky Melbourne brunch. 





It may be 11:30am, but that doesn’t mean the staff don’t know how to have fun. Whilst one counter is getting stocked up with tubs and jars of sandwich ingredients, the other one groaned under the weight of American cakes and pastries, nearly converting me to a dessert brunch instead. 


Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate ($5)

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate ($5). It was pure sin, the dark chocolate mingling with nutty peanut butter, and capped off with a dense layer of foam. It even came with a mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, for those who aren’t satisfied with just drinking their peanut butter and chocolate. 


Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate ($5)

And note the funny looking cup! K and I debated whether or not this was a deliberately made hand-hold, or if it was just another sign that hobo-chic is in. Turns out neither of us were right; it was actually a tin cup specially designed to resemble a melting plastic cup – how clever!


Hot Smoked Salmon ($12.5)

Neither of us could resist the lure of the Hot Smoked Salmon ($12.5), which K ordered in a set that came with a side and a handful of pretzels for $4 extra. The torn salmon jammed between the excellent bread was fresh and tasty, flavoured with a creamy caviar cream cheese, small bursts of caper, and fresh slices of tomato and radish. 


Mac And Cheese

And the Mac and Cheese on the side was nothing to scoff at either. Crammed into a small jar, the classic American comfort food was piping hot and oozing with cheese, the pasta a toothsome al dente. We especially enjoyed scraping off the burnished, crispy pieces of cheese off the edge of the jar.


The Reuben ($12.5)

The Reuben ($12.5)

The Reuben ($12.5) is my idea of the perfect sandwich. The beef was layered so thick it was basically a steak, and the lashings of sauerkraut were drowned in a creamy and spicy Russian sauce, held together by gooey melted cheese. It was hot, meaty, tangy, cheesy, saucy, and between two slices of stellar bread – what more could you ask for?

Will and Di have proved, once again, that they know what’s up. They don’t re-invent the wheel, but they do come up with some ingenious variations of it. Serve that wheel in a cosy cafe for a reasonable price, and they’ve got a roaring trade on their hands. The small cafe can seat a fair 50 patrons, but once things really kick off, there’s always the take-away option. I know I’ll be back, repeatedly.

Rating: 15.5/20 – kickass sandwiches.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. And how long the battery in my camera lasts.

Bowery to Williamsburg on Urbanspoon