Restaurant Review: Yering Station

Location: The Wine Bar Restaurant, Yering Station
Link: http://www.yering.com/cpa/htm/htm_article.asp?page_id=119>
Cuisine: Modern European

 Located in the charming surrounds of Yarra Valley, the food was equally as impressive.

The following was the lunch menu available on the day J and I went:

entree
red wine poached pear and brie tart, hazelnut vinaigrette 19.50
sweet corn and lime filled zucchini flowers, avocado and beetroot salad, tomato cream, basil coulis 19.50
smoked salmon and fennel risotto with pan-fried scampi, cinnamon velouté 20.00
grilled prawns wrapped in pork belly, snow pea salad, nam prick sauce 21.00
rabbit and chanterelle mushroom ravioli, fried parsnip, lettuce and capsicum salad, wild mushroom jus 21.00
prosciutto, smoked quail, chicken and pistachio roulade with olive jam, walnut oil 21.00

main
roasted salmon fillet, grilled prawn, scallop tortellini with tomato, basil and scampi fumet 34.00 baby snapper and kataifi wrapped scallop, confit potato, sauce gribiche 33.00
king fish and Moreton Bay bug with celeriac brandade, smoked tomatoes, olive tapenade 34.00 tarte Tatin of summer peas, crumbed Persian Fetta filled shallots, asparagus, lemon beurre blanc 32.00
pork filled with porcini mushrooms, potato, treviso and herb tartlet, sauce cavalier 33.00
roast lamb loin with potato, basil and sour cream crush, onion jam, Manchego and witlof salad 35.00
beef eye fillet with tomato and beef sausage, pommes Anna, creamy red wine and capsicum jus 35.00

side
cocktail potatoes with rosemary and garlic 9.00
salad of cos, olives, cherry tomatoes with Persian Fetta, vincotto dressing 10.00

dessert
vacherin of mango sorbet, seasonal fruits and double cream, kiwifruit coulis 15.00
white chocolate and malt bavarois filled with poached cherries, passionfruit sauce 15.00
slowly cooked chocolate and ginger fondant, orange sorbet 14.50
raspberry mousse with toffee cage, pink champagne zabaglione 14.50
dessert assiette for two chefs selection of the above desserts 34.00
house selection of cheeses with tropical jam 21.00

Entree
I ordered the prosciutto, smoked quail, chicken and pistachio roulade with olive jam, walnut oil. This was pleasant but could have been better. There were some interesting flavours but I found it a little bland and disappointing. The saltiness of the prosciutto had somewhat masked the usually distinct and rather strong smoked quail flavours. I quite liked the olive jam though.

Main
I ordered the king fish and Moreton Bay bug with celeriac brandade, smoked tomatoes, olive tapenade. The celery root blended with brandade (what I assume to be a puree that incorporated boiled potatoes) had a beautiful soft and melt-in-your-mouth texture. The king fish was perfectly done, with its deliciously crispy skin. The Moreton Bay bug was good as well. The thing that made this dish to die for was the combination of the flavours and textures when eaten together. The crispy skin of the king fish, the soft celeriac brandade, the salty olive tapenade, the sweet and sour smoked tomatoes - it all cane together beautifully. My taste buds were in heaven.

Dessert
We had the 'dessert assiette for two' which was basically every dessert that was on the menu but presumably in a miniature version. Everything was lovely but nothing in particular stood out. The only comment I will make will be with regards to the portion... It was MASSIVE. We managed to finish barely half of what we were served. Don't get me wrong, the dessert platter delivered everything you would expect but my advise is to share it with at least another couple.

Overall Impression: 7/10
Good service, beautiful food and a lovely ambience that overlooks the Yarra ranges.

Restaurant Review: Bridge Road Brewers

Location: Old Coach House, 50 Ford St, Beechworth

Phone: (03) 5728 2703

Link: www.bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

Overall Impression: 6.5/10

Bridge Road Brewers have gained a cult following in recent times. Their beers have been appearing in pubs that stock beer from craft breweries of late. I have noticed their appearance at The Royston and Purvis (a beer store in Richmond) which is how R, J and I came to know of its existence.

We were thrilled to visit the brewery in Beechworth. We immediately noticed that the door handle to the bar area was a beer tap which we all thought was a nice touch. We each had the tasting paddle. This gave us the opportunity to sample 10 small glasses of beer each. Although not exceptional, the beer is certainly better than average.

The pizzas were delicious.

"Morrison Street Butchers” Sausage Pizzasausage pieces and a mustard sauce drizzle.
$15.50 small, $18.00 large

Double Smoked Ham Pizza
Mushroom, tomato, oregano, bocconcini, double smoked ham from
$14.00 small, $16.50 large

Thin crusted, it was neither soggy nor too dry. The ham was locally sourced. Being double smoked, it was delicious and it was obvious that it was good quality ham.

There are also freshly baked pretzels available. They were notably good. Definitely better than the pretzels you get off the street in New York. You know the ones you have to spend a good 10 seconds just dusting salt off? These were not too sweet and had just the right amount of salt.

If only it wasn’t a three hour drive away.

Restaurant Review: Mrs Brown at Victoria Hotel, Rutherglen

Location: 90 Main Street, Rutherglen
Phone: 02 6032 8610
Link: http://www.victoriahotelrutherglen.com.au/
Overall Impression: 6/10

Located on Main Street, Mrs Brown at Victoria Hotel looks like any ordinary bar when you step inside.  But enter the beautifully renovated dining area and discover a romantically relaxed scene. With candlelit wooden tables and timber floors, it was a welcomed sight.   

Entrees:

 Mussels from the night's specials board

 Wild mushroom tartlet's with parmasan and rocket salad

 Arancini with a gourmet feta salad and house chutney

The food was pleasant and met expectations but it was nothing to write home about.

One thing we did notice was the unusually small mark up on the wines. It was on average, a mere $5 mark up perbottle.

Main: Slow roasted maryland of duck, red cabbage, rocket and hazelnuts

The duck was tender and well cooked but had overly subtle flavours. The salad that came with it was too sour. As a whole, it was not a very balanced dish.

Main: Veal Escalope with wine and cream sauce potatoes and vegetables

The tender veal and the creamy sauce made this a very hearty country-style dish. It was overall very enjoyable to eat.

Main: Lamb backstrap stuffed with feta and spinach and served with cream potatoes and vegatables

The lamb was cooked to perfection and in my opinion, was the best main course of the night.

Main: Grilled Cape Grim scotch fillet, fat chips, bobbie burns shiraz sauce with a gourmet salad

The steak was cooked to our liking and was delicious. It was well seasoned and tender. It was simple, to the point and executed well.

 It was soon time for dessert.

Date pudding with a Chambers muscat toffee sauce and gundowring spice ice cream

We had expected a moist and dense date pudding with intense flavours. Instead, our date pudding was a lot lighter and had the texture of a sponge cake. That said, the date pudding was still pleasant to eat.

Affrogato

espresso, frangelico and ice cream

We ended the night with a delectable cheese platter. All in all, it was a lovely night out  -good food, good wine.

Cafe Review: Parker Pies

Location: 86-88 Main Street, Rutherglen
Phone: (02) 6032 9605
Link: http://www.parkerpies.com.au/index.php
Overall Impression: 9/10

Rutherglen is a beautifully small country town renowned for its sweet wines (mainly for their muscat and muscadelle (used to be known as Tokay but for legal reasons this is no longer acceptable). Three and a half hours later, we finally arrived on a Saturday afternoon. We stayed in a lovely cottage on Main Street during our brief but memorable visit.

It was wonderful to visit winery after winery. We certainly did not leave empty handed at any of the wineries.

In terms of our foodie adventures at Rutherglen, we could not go pass Parker Pies. Renowned for their award-winning pies, we were all excited to dine at their café. In the past, we have had their pies sent to J’s place in bulk but they have stopped offering this service. As such, J and I were feeling particularly deprived of the pies and this was a wonderful treat. Their pie menu boasts 26 varieties of pies.  My favourite pies include the Crocodile pie (Crocodile and crab meat in a sweet chilli sauce) and the Venison pie (Venison flavoured with juniper berries and orange with local Rutherglen wine).

Unfortunately, we discovered that not all their pies are ready to eat at the café. With a lot of the more exotic varieties, you could only buy them frozen (which we happily did).

What makes Parker Pies so special are the fact that they use fresh, wholesome, local produce. Everything is smacked full of flavour. Hearty, tasty and most importantly, everything tasted real.

Café Review: Cup of Truth

Location: 12 Campbell Arcade Degraves St Subway, Melbourne

Phone: 0415 962 922

Overall Impression: 7/10

It was time for the truth. We were ushered there by someone important. “But I thought you didn’t like any of the coffee places nearby?” J asked, puzzled. The response was, “Who said it is nearby? All will be revealed when we get there.”

And off we went, trying to keep up with his pace. We soon reached the entrance of the train station and he went down the stairs. Slightly alarmed, we hoped that we weren’t taking a train somewhere just to get a cup of coffee.

When we ventured down the flight of stairs, we were greeted with a lonesome coffee stand. It was called ‘The Cup of Truth’ – and how appropriate for our purposes that day. The coffee was very pleasant and the novelty of it all was expounded by the fact that the location felt so secret. It is not enough that Melbourne has great coffee. They just have to be located in intimate spaces. And sometimes, the coffee places are so cool a simple alley way just won’t do.

Restaurant/Bar Review: Nobu

Location: Riverside at Crown
Phone: (03) 9292 7879
Link: www.noburestaurants.com
Cuisine: Modern Japanese

Decided to check out Aperitivo Fridays at Nobu's bar. We had lots of sake, cocktails and plum wine and this came with complimentary tapas.

Edamame to start

Whitefish Sashimi with dried miso and sushi

Everything you would expect. Whitefish sashimi had a bit of an Assam Laksa flavour to it which I really liked.

Beef Toban Yaki (on skewers)

Black cod with miso (on spoons)

The black cod with miso was amazing. It had a great balance in terms of flavour: salty yet sweet, crisp skin, soft flesh, with just a hint of sourness.
The beef toban yaki was delicious. Very tender. Strong soy and mirin flavours. The meat was soft and tender. Every piece was cooked to perfection.

Hokusetsu Onigoroshi Devil Killer (Cold)
Tasted quite dry, crisp and clean. Very strong.

Overall Impression: 7/10
Definitely worthwhile for both the drinks on offer and the delicious tapas. Lovely ambience and great service.

Restaurant Review: Bucatini

Location: 454 Whitehorse Rd, Mitcham

Phone: (03) 9873 0268

Link: http://bucatini.com.au/

Overall Impression: 7/10

J and I both took a wonderful week off work recently and it was filled with culinary delights.

One such delight was Bucatini. After shopping at Harvey Norman in Mitcham we decided to sample one of the local restaurants. After hopping into the car and driving around for less than a minute, Bucatini caught our eye.

We drove into quite a substantial parking compound for Bucatini patrons and were surprised to see that it was completely full. Prior to this occasion, we had never even heard of the restaurant but this quickly sparked our curiosity and suddenly we were eager to dine there.

It was strange walking into this lovely restaurant. It was literally located among direct factory outlets etc so this was an unexpected find.

We were seated close to the beaming fire place. Everything felt so cosy. The ambience was warm and relaxed. Looking around, we could see that the restaurant attracted many pensioners.

We noticed a $25 lunch special. This included either an entrée and a main; or a main and a dessert. At that price, it was hard to resist.

Roasted whole field mushroom, topped with sun-dried tomato pesto, goats fetta and a balsamic reduction

Porterhouse Steak- Grilled to your liking and served with chat potatoes, spinach and red wine jus, pepper or mushroom sauce

Every course was of a good standard. The dishes were simple but very enjoyable to eat. The only downside was the manner in which our steaks were cooked. We had asked for our steaks to be cooked medium-rare but it was cooked to more of a well-done state. That said, the steaks were both tender and still very pleasant to eat.

After J was almost finished with his main, the wine finally arrived. This was quite disappointing but was made good by the fact that the wine had clearly been poured out of a fresh bottle. So often when you order wine by the glass, you receive wine that is a bit worse for wear so this was a good surprise.

Mixed Berry Crepes

Our meal ended on a high note with these crepes. With just the perfect level of sweetness, they were delightful.

We cannot wait to go back and sample their a la carte menu!

Restaurant Review: Scugnizzo

Location: 558 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9670 5622

Link: www.scugnizzo.com.au

Overall Impression: 4.5/10 

After reading review upon review lavishing praises on Scugnizzo, I was excited when the opportunity to dine there finally arose. Located in an alley way, it was the perfect scene for a Melbourne culinary gem.

As soon as we were seated, we were served with beautifully crusty bread, butter and the most delicious extra virgin olive oil. On top of that, we were greeted with a complimentary serve of antipasto that consisted of predominantly olives and pumpkin pieces. It was all very nice. It was an excellent start to the night.

Unfortunately, the brilliant start was not indicative of what was to come. After we had placed our orders, we waited for approximately an hour and a half before our meals finally arrived. Needless to say, this was rather disappointing given the restaurant was not very busy at all.

We shared all our food that night and as a whole, the dishes were incredibly underwhelming, especially in terms of flavour and balance. For example, the entrée of mussels that we had was overly sour. All I could taste was vinegar and this completely masked the sweetness and subtlety of the mussels.

We also ordered from the specials board that night. One of the dishes that we thought would have a lot of promise was the veal. The flavours were surprisingly monotonous. On top of that, it was also clearly lacking basic seasoning.

Entree: Cozze gratinate $10

Gratin of Mussels with rocket, sundried tomato, reggiano and vincotto

Entree: Grigliata di calamari $19

Grilled calamari with roast cherry tomato and spring onion salad

Pasta: Bucatini con Sarde e Bottarga $24

Bucatini with sardines, bottarga, broad beans and puttanesca sauce

Main: Saltimbocca alla Napoletana $34

Veal Saltimbocca with prosciutto, scamorza and tomato sauce

Pasta: Gnocchi di mare allo zafferano $25

House made saffron gnocchi with scallop ragú, grilled scampi and salsa verde

Risotto Piemontese $24

Grilled butterflied quail with porcini and gorgonzola risotto

Ambience wise, Scugnizzo is amazing. I loved the brick walls that cleverly retained a warm and cosy atmosphere. I loved the perfect amount of lighting. I loved how the place was set up.

Yes, I truly wanted so much to love this place and the food.

Unfortunately, our expectations were not met that night. I don’t mind paying $34 for a beautiful hearty plate of veal with flavours synonymous with rustic Italian cuisine but what we received was far from that.

Scugnizzo has quite a limited menu. In that menu, the offerings portray simple, Italian ‘soul’ food but at the same time demands top end prices. As such, we expected the delivery to be right on the money. Suffice to say, we left disappointed that night.

Restaurant Review: La Citta

Location: 11 Degraves St, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9014 8824

Link: www.lacitta.net.au

Overall Impression: 6/10

K, Z, J and I decided to all catch up during our lunch break at Degraves St today. We are all heading up to Rutherglen this weekend so we needed to discuss accomodation options. The girls already had food and only wanted coffee and the boys were starving so we decided to dine at La Citta because the restaurant didn't seem very busy and there were lots of seats available.

Overall, the service was surprisingly slow given how empty the restaurant was. The food however, was worth the wait.

Rib eye char-grilled with hand cut fat polenta chips and mushroom saunce

The steak was juicy and tender. Cooked medium rare, as requested. The polenta chips were deliciously crisp and very well seasoned. It was a very enjoyable main.

Lamb, parsnip puree, spinach and jus

The lamb was tender and everything on the plate was again, well seasoned and good.

At the end of the meal, we had accidentally been short changed. I had the horrible task of going back up to the counter to ask for the correct amount of change. As such, the meal unfortunately ended on a very sour note. I could tell that the lady behind the counter did not believe me entirely but was relieved that she gave me the benefit of doubt. As we left the restaurant, I could feel our group being evil-eyed by the staff. It was not a good feeling. To be fair, I can understand why. If I don't return, it would only be because I don't think I would be welcome back after that.

Restaurant Review: Hog's Breath Cafe

Location: Shop 2209 Knox Ozone Corner Stud Rd And Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South
Phone: (03) 9887 4555

Link: www.hogsbreath.com.au
Overall Impression: 5/10

.

The food screamed of mediocrity. Over-priced mediocrity. It wasn't good enough that I would go back but it wasn't bad enough that I would refuse to dine there if I had reason to be there apart from the food.

Calamari Prime Rib $33.95

Calamari Prime Rib – Traditional Cut

Tender Prime Rib topped with salt & pepper crumbed calamari rings and honey sweet chilli sauce.

Served with curly fries and salad

Garlic Prawn Prime Rib $34.95

Garlic Prawn Prime Rib – Traditional Cut

Flame-grilled Prime Rib and 3 pan-fried tiger prawns finished in a garlic & white wine cream sauce.

Served with mash potato and roasted vegetables.

Both the steaks were cooked to our liking. In terms of quality, we were both impressed: juicy, flavoursome and well seasoned. However, as with many chain family restaurants, the side dishes were very disappointing to say the least. The steamed vegetables had little to no seasoning. The vegetables had merely been boiled in water. The curly fries were crunchy but greasier than one would expect. The prawns were obviously frozen packeted prawns.

Sticky Date Pudding $8.95

"Individual baked sticky date pudding, delicious homemade butterscotch sauce, ice cream and cream. An unexpected pleasure!"

Mississippi Mud Cake $8.95 "We’ve guarded the recipe for over 20 years. Served with cream and ice cream. Don’t get done for resisting dessert!"

The desserts were very "TGI Fridays". Pleasant but again, mediocre. Servings were very large. Each dessert could have easily been shared between a couple. Unlike the steaks we had, the desserts were very well-priced.

This lunch set us back more than $50 each. We both agreed that if it had been $30 each, we would go back without hesitation.

Cafe Review: Brother Baba Budan

Location: 359 Little Bourke St, Melbourne 

Link: www.brotherbababudan.com.au

Cuisine: Coffee

Overall Impression: 8/10

It's one of those things you learn very quickly in the corporate world - People come and go.

I still remember the first time someone I had grown quite fond of leaving during my grad year. I was devastated. Holding back tears (quite unsuccessfully), I bid her a warm farewell.

Anyway, it has happened again. The thing is, I don't have many 'friends' at work so when a colleague that also happens to be a friend leaves, I cannot help but feel very disappointed. I understand the decision he has made and am excited for him as he starts his new life with his fiancé by travelling the world. So, JA, JW, Mimsy and I decided to grab coffee at Brother Baba Budan to reminisce the good times we have had together at work.

I loved the chairs hanging down from the ceiling. The décor was funky and warm at the same time.

With their Seven Seeds coffee beans, we were all sure that the coffee would be excellent.

Short Macchiato

And the Long Macchiato said to the Short Macchiato...

And the coffee was brilliant. No wonder the 'three beans' status. Be warned though, this place does get quite crowded during lunchtime.

Restaurant Review: Emporio della Pasta

Location: Crown Entertainment Complex, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

Phone: (03) 9292 7815  

Link: http://www.crowncasino.com.au/dining/venue/1275/emporio-della-pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Overall Impression: 6/10

Set in the relatively newer parts of Crown casino, Emporio della pasta is a casual Italian eatery with a focus on (as it name suggests), pasta. J and I had dinner here for the second time last week and we were both happy (again) with what we got.

Tagliatelle con salsiccia al vino rosso (Tagliatelle with Italian sausage, black olives, mushrooms, basil and red wine)

Gnocchi alla campagnola (Napoli sauce, anchovies, capers, broccollini, green olives and basil)

What I particularly liked about the gnocchi was the fact that it was clearly hand-made. The beautifully soft pillows of light and fluffy gnocchi were a delight.

There is nothing revolutionary about the food at Emporio della Pasta. It is simple and to the point - and it works! The only downside is that the restaurant is clearly understaffed. In fact, when we arrived, there was a very long queue but when we looked into the dining area, there were more empty tables than there were filled ones. The waitstaff were frantically trying to seat everyone but it was difficult given there were not many of them. And as would be expected, the level of service during the night suffered as a result.
Ambience wise, as it is very much a casual eatery, it can get quite noisy. I.e. it is much more suited for a casual gathering than a romantic date.

Restaurant Review: Royal Standard Hotel

Location: 333 William Street, West Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9328 2295

Link: www.royalstandardhotel.com.au

Cuisine: Gastropub food

Overall Impression: 5/10

There is nothing royal about the food at The Royal Standard Hotel. At best it is passable, run of the mill pub fare. That said, perhaps that is exactly what it seeks to achieve and does.

As you will see from the pictures below, there is a theme that runs through every main course's plating technique. I would suggest that the the technique executed is one of 'piling up'. This technique is achieved by simply piling up one component of a dish on top of another to form the highest peak possible.  

Pork Chop served on a bed of creamy mash, spinach & apple cider sauce $24

The pork was dry. It was difficult to taste anything else apart from the generous serve of the mash that swam in the sea of cream. The apple cider sauce tasted like cream with little chunks of apple in it.

Veal Limone – tender medallions in a creamy lemon sauce. Served on a creamy mash with sautéed baby spinach $22

The veal was unfortunately tough. Sinew-riden and insipid, it was disappointing. The creamy lemon sauce tasted familiar. Almost like the aforementioned apple cider sauce, except this time, the bits of apple had been omitted and a bit of lemon juice had been added in its place.

Grain fed Porterhouse Steak with mushroom sauce, wedges & salad $26

The grain fed porterhouse steak was very good. For the purposes of this exercise, let us ignore the overly generous amounts of mushroom sauce that tasted like it came out of a packet, and concentrate on the steak. The steak itself was juicy and tender. There was obviously good marbling throughout the steak and it had very good flavour. Although it was not the best tasting beef I have had, I would dare say it is one of the better porterhouse steaks I have tried at any pub. The wedges were also very nice. Beautifully crisp on the outside and deliciously soft on the inside.

Lattice Apple Pie $7
For $7, it was very fair.

Although our dining experience this time was hardly encouraging, the thing about this pub is that the service is impeccable. The waiter who attended to us was attentive and friendly without being intrusive. The food came out promptly and the lay out was such that the tables were well spread out. It had a very casual and relaxed ambience and parking was not a problem even though we were there on a Friday night. Moreover, for what we received (especially in terms of portion sizes), the prices were very much justified. All in all, I would come back for the porterhouse steak but perhaps request for the mushroom sauce on the side.

Recipe: Good Vanilla bean ice cream

We finally got to use Snowy, J's brand new ice cream machine. J finished work a little later than he had hoped but we both decided that we would push on and make ice cream last night. It turned out to be a late night but it was well worth it. The following is the recipe for the delicious vanilla ice cream we made.

Ingredients:

• 2 vanilla beans
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• yolks from 3 large eggs

This recipe makes about 1.5 litres of ice cream

1) Place cream and milk into a pot.

2) Halve the vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape the seeds and put them in the pot.

3) Bring the mixture almost to a boil but never let it start boilling. Stir it occasionally and remove it from heat.

4) In a large bowl, beat the yolk of the eggs with the sugar until it forms a thick custard.

5)  Pour the cream, milk and vanilla mixture slowly into the large bowl, stirring continuously. This will form a custard.

6) Cook the custard over a low heat until the consistency of the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.

7)  Pour the custard into a clean bowl and leave it to cool for at least 3 hours or until cold (maximum of 1 day).

8) Switch on the ice cream machine. Pour the cooled custard into the ice cream machine.

9) Wait for it to churn for 40 minutes.

10) The ice cream should be ready at this stage. Transfer the ice cream into an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

Vanilla pods

Custard being poured into Snowy.

Little Snowy churning away...

 And soon Snowy had made us a delectable Vanilla bean ice cream

 Good job, Snowy!

Cafe Review: Animal Orchestra

Location: 163 Grattan St,Carlton

Phone: (03) 9349 4944 

Cuisine: Cafe-style

Overall Impression: 5/10

It was strange to be back again after so long. The last time I was here, I was finishing my final year at university, finishing a degree that no longer exists -  it was eaten up by the Melbourne model's JD program. I remember this place having the best soup *ever*, so I thought I would re-live the memories.

Beef Goulash

And how things change. It was not what was on offer that had changed (I don't think). It was me. As I looked down at my very watery Goulash and looked for any traces of beef I could find, I was very disappointed. It was more a clear vegetable soup than a hearty Goulash. Suffice to say, my opinion of Animal Orchestra has changed dramatically.  It probably has the best soup on the Melbourne University campus but that is all. The soup itself was a nice tasty soup. If only it had been marketed to me as a vegetable soup made from beef stock.

Restaurant Review: The Hungarian

Location: 362 Bridge Rd, Richmond

Phone: 0421 993 132

Cuisine: Hungarian

Overall Impression: 6.5/10

The Hungarian has been slowly but surely, gaining a cult following in the Melbourne dining scene. Having had the opportunity to dine there last Saturday night, it is easy to understand why. Set in a small dining area, the setting makes you feel immediately warm and very much welcome. It almost felt like I had been invited over for dinner by a Hungarian friend, whose nagymama was busy in the kitchen preparing us a hearty meal.

Having said that, as with home-style cooked food, the dishes were undoubtedly one dimensional when it came to flavour. Not that that was a bad thing. Everything was hearty, well-seasoned and had beautiful flavours. However, that said, the variations that appeared from dish to dish were slight. Everything tasted quite similar.
The soups were not what I had expected. What was named on the menu as "The heartiest Lentil soup in the world' was surprisingly thin in consistency but again, was smacked full of flavour and well seasoned.

The desserts were good. The Sour apple strudel was delicious with the ice cream. Even though on the menu, the ice cream is optional, I would highly recommend paying that extra $1 for it because it really balances the otherwise very sour strudel.

The prices were very reasonable. With entrees around the $10 mark, soups around $10, mains around $20 and desserts about $7.

The following are pictures of the dishes we had with the descriptions per the menu. Enjoy!

Entree: soft rolls with potato and beef - four petite crumbed soft spring rolls with creamy beef, mash and delicate spices

Entree: Csirkeraguleves (chicken and vegetable soup)

Entree: The heartiest lentil soup in the world

Main: The secret of Buda - This secret is not out yet, so DO NOT ASK! We make it, you eat it, full stop. ***

Served with Rice or Noki.

Main: The Drunken Pig - A less subtle, masculine dish; a robustly spiced paprika-pork casserole, concocted with a lot of heavy Hungarian Dreher beer to save you on alcohol.
Served with Rice or Noki.

Main: Hungarian Goulash

Served with Rice or Noki.

Dessert: Sour Apple Strudel served with a ball of ice cream

Dessert: Hungarian ground walnuts and cinnamon crepe

All in all, The Hungarian delivers what it promises, good, hearty, wholesome-tasting, home-cooked Hungarian food. It does not however, go any further. Which, in this case isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Restaurant & Event Review: Dracula's Cabaret Restaurant

Location: 100 Victoria ,Carlton

Phone: (03) 9347 3344

Link: http://www.draculas.com.au/

Cuisine: Pub-style

Overall Impression: 5/10

I must say I was fearful of what was to come. No, not of the vampires or draculas I would face. Instead, it was all the warnings I had received about the Dracula's establishment. My foodie friends had warned me of inedible food accompanied with entertainment that was downright tacky and devoid of any entertainment value. But on the other hand, I had also heard that even so, it was something worth experiencing during one's life time nontheless. So, against my better judgment, I decided to take J there as one of his birthday presents. I really wanted to take him out for a meal so I gave him the choice of having dinner at:

a) a hatted restaurant; or 

b) Dracula's.

I remember asking him over the phone and the silence that came after. Finally, a few conversations later, he decided he would prefer to go to Dracula's because, (I quote) "it would be hillariously bad".

So, we were finally there, with the tickets in our hot little hands and to my surprise the queue was ridiculously long. I was suddenly very excited to see what it would be like inside. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside so I cannot share my journey with you through pictures this time.

And soon it was our turn to enter Dracula's abode. It was wonderfully themed. Everything fitted into the blood-sucking/Vampire theme. And to my surprise, everything worked really well. Yes, the show was tacky, but it delivered everything it promised. It would be unfair to compare the performances to the likes of The Phantom of The Opera. Such a performance would be in a completely different league. As such, like should be compared to like. And for a bit of fun, I thought Dracula's was an enjoyable night out. So long as you're not looking for something amazing that might awe you with theatrical exuberance. So, with the right frame of mind and level of expectation, it was very much enjoyable.

The Menu

Entree: Crispy wonton cupfilled with asian-spiced chicken, served with a mild capsicum relish and dried spring onions

Main course :Grilled prime eye fillet steak

Served on a bed of creamy potato mash and seasonal vegetables, topped with a brandy and peppercorn jus

Main course :Glazed pork cutlet

With herb-roasted chat potatoes, seasoned greens, fruit chutney and sweet potato shavings

Dessert:Death by chocolate

A decadent dark chocolate coffin occupied by a sinful mix of butterscotch schnapps mousse, honeycomb and freshly dug chocolate ‘dirt’

The above was what J and I had ordered from menu. Let's just say, I would highly disagree with the phrase written on bold and in large fonts on the website: "The food alone is worth the ticket price". No. It. Is. Not. At best it is of the same standard as an average meal I would get at a food court. That said, it was definitely not inedible. In fact, I quite liked the Glazed Pork Cutlet. It was juicy and well cooked. The pork itself was well seasoned and had a good flavour to it. The accompanying elements were however, insipid and lacked basic seasoning. I would not recommend Dracula's for a fine culinary experience but my point is that the food was OK. Not great, but OK.

As a whole, however, the experience was a good one. If you are looking for a stress-free, fun night out with nothing too fancy or elaborate, Dracula's might just be the sort of outing you are looking for.

We even got ourselves a little coffin-shaped souvenir to remind us of the fun we had!

Event Review: Catering by The Signature at The Plaza Ballroom

Location: 191 Collins St, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9299 9860Link: http://www.marrinertheatres.com.au/venue_plaza.html

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Overall Impression: 7/10

Mark Haynes is the executive chef behind The Signature, the catering service provided at the Plaza Ballroom.

Entree: Tapas of saffron prawns, tomato and chorizo with a white bean puree and candied chilli

This cold entree was simple and to the point. The prawns were perfectly cooked. The salty chorizo alongside the creamy puree was a good match. As a whole, it was a pleasant entree.

Main: Roasted sage and rosemary lamb rack with a tagine eggplant, capsicum and lentil du puy

The lamb was cooked to my liking- medium, which meant it was juicy and tender. Beautifully presented, the rack of the lamb was frenched and the plating was simple but effective. The lentil du puy was delicious and matched the lamb very well. The tagine was a let down as it did not go well with the other elements on the plate.

Main: Slow cooked oven roasted chicken with lemon and herbs, pickled red cabbage and a fine cauliflower puree 

This was delicious. The chicken was juicy and tender and everything on the plate worked well together. The sweetness of the cauliflower puree, the touch of sourness from the lemon infused chicken and the pickled red cabbage made this a well-balanced course.

Dessert: Trio of tastes

Quenelle of lemon myrtle and white chocolate ganache

Champagne sorbet topped with strawberry compote

Pistachio and chocolate truffle slice

The dinner ended on a high, with this beautiful dessert. The Quenelle of lemon myrtle and white chocolate ganache was a highlight for me. Sour and sweet it was texturely chewy (not dissimilar to Konyaku jelly) and went beautifully with the creamy white chocolate that accompanied it.

This dessert on the other hand, was at best passable. Made from Agar Jelly with a fruit based syrup poured over it, it was uninspiring and texturally boring.

Petit fours

Overall, I was pleased with the quality of the offerings. Good food is hard to come by when a large group is catered for. So, this was, as a whole a good experience. The Plaza Ballroom is a beautiful venue with an elegant and formal ambience.

Restaurant Review: Claypots

Location: 213 Barkly St, St Kilda

Phone: (03) 9534 1282

Cuisine: Seafood

Overall Impression: 6/10

Having been to the restaurant part of Claypots and having had a satisfying dining experience, I was surprised to hear about the $5 seafood Paella at the bar section of Claypots. It invoked my curiosity, so J and I decided to check it out last Sunday night. The Paella is available 7 days a week from 6pm to 7pm. The trick is that only one giant paellera is cooked and served per night. It is on a first come first serve basis.

$5 Seafood Paella

The Paella was delicious. Every element was cooked very well. The calamari was tender and delicious, the prawns and mussels tasted fresh. The dish as a whole was perfectly seasoned and was smacked filled with flavour. But as would be expected, the serving is small, as you can see.

Overall, Claypots serves consistently good seafood (even when it comes to $5 paellas at the bar!). Nothing spectacular or revolutionary but it is nontheless, good and honest seafood.

Cafe Review: Cacao Green

Location: 285 Swanston St, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9654 9674

Link: www.cacaogreen.com.au
www.facebook.com/CacaoGreenAUS

Cuisine: Desserts

Overall Impression: 8/10

Fair trade and organic, I thought Cacao Green might be too good to be true. Known as Red Mango in other parts of the world (300 stores all up), I was glad that Cacao Green had finally opened its doors in Melbourne. This is the brand's first Australian store. I was keen to sample the menu on offer.

Brightly lit on bustling Swanston Street, J and I headed there for the first time on a Saturday afternoon.

We were pleased to see that there was an array of choices on the menu. The menu included Organic Frozen Yogurts, Parfaits, Smoothies, Yogurt Drinks/Frappe, Organic Brazillian Chocolate drinks, tea and coffee. For those with a sweet tooth, it was a welcome sight.

And who could forget the choice of toppings available for just that extra bit of excitement on your yogurt!

The thing that I noticed immediately was how prompt and friendly the waitstaff and the environment was - which is always good when you're in a hurry. And in a sense we were because J and I were going to a costume themed ball that night and J still had not found what he was going to wear! *sigh* Men...But I digress. Now back to the toppings:

Toppings: seasonal fresh fruits, compotes, granola and a variety of nuts (I tried honey macadamia and it was delectable!) and cheesecake bites.

Our yogurts soon arrived. The following are the latest seasonal flavours. The flavours change throughout the year so be quick if you want to sample these.

Frozen yogurt: Matcha (green tea)

The yogurt was beautifully creamy and there was an ample amount of sweetness that did not overpower the twang that comes with a good frozen yogurt. The green tea flavour was surprisingly light. The thing to note is that green tea frozen yogurt is very different from green tea ice cream so don't expect something dense that is smacked with green tea flavour. This is a lighter much more refreshing version. I personally, really liked it but J thought it was a little strange for his liking. We both however, agreed that it tasted very creamy and natural. 

Frozen yogurt: Chocolate

This was a lot more mainstream. Extremely pleasant and delightful. It tasted like a premium chocolate soft serve with a beautifully smooth and creamy yogurt texture.

Frozen yogurt: Italian Original

This was a winner.

It was their pièce de résistance.  

It is no wonder that this is Cacao Green's signature flavour. I was delighted with every moreish mouthful that melted in my mouth. The sweetness and the tangyness of the yogurt was perfectly balanced. Thankfully, unlike the other two aforementined flavours, this is a constant. Highly recommended!

J and I were both extremely surprised to find out that the frozen yogurt contained a mere 0.5% fat. And rest assured, it does NOT taste low in fat. In fact, it was unbelievably creamy and tasted incredibly natural. Like I said, it is a winner!

Gourmet Waffles: Blueberry Almond and Walnut Waffle

Believe it or not, the waffle tasted better than it looked.

The crispy waffle crust and the soft fluffy insides slowly soaking the sweet blueberry compote - delicious. The best waffles are light, airy, sweet and crisp. The gourmet waffles at Cacao Green ticked all those boxes. The roasted crispy almond flakes provided a good textural element to the plate and it was GOOD.

We finished our gastronomical adventure at Cacao Green with a 60% Cacao Hot chocolate.

It was obvious that the hot chocolate was made from good quality chocolate. I soon discovered that it was made from Brazillian organic chocolate- AMMA

It was beautifully balanced - bitter and sweet with hints of walnut and fruit flavours. In contrast to the hot chocolate ordinarily found around Melbourne (e.g. Koko Black), this was much lighter. That is not to say that the chocolate was not intense. It was, in every sense chocolatey and rich but it was not dense. And I believe that this is a matter of taste and preference. On this occassion, given I had just had yogurts and a waffle, this was perfect.

The delicious 60% dark hot chocolate residue

Looks like they weren't lying about using real chocolate. None of that powdered crap, thank you very much.

And I cannot wait to go back. Especially for the Italian Original Frozen Yogurt!

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Cacao Green and Nuffnang Australia.