Excellent Tapas @ MoVida Bar de Tapas y Vino, Hosier Lane

My expectations were set pretty high after reading through countless reviews of MoVida. A lot of them gave high marks and good reviews on its tapas, specifically Cecina, the air cured Wagyu beef. My reservation is as usual, for one and I know that this is one bar that I shouldn't miss. I've never tried or been in a tapas bar before and Spanish cuisine for me is always limited to paella, chorizo and the occasional garlic mushrooms or shrimps in olive oil served inside shallow terra cotta plates. But, fortunately, not in MoVida's book.



I got it all planned out. After reading all those reviews, I planned on which items to order but told myself to listen to the specials and whatever was drawn on the chalkboard. Right.



At 6pm, MoVida was already buzzing with the night crowd, considering that it's a Thursday night, not exactly a weekend. I took my place at the bar, at first, feeling awkward. My bar waiter came suddenly, giving me the wine list. I opted for the La Primavera Tempranillo, a smooth, easy to drink Spanish red. After I ordered my wine, the main menu was handed to me. Of course, it didn't take long for me to decide on what I want. I had my order memorized in my head. My waiter normally didn't took notes as the customers ordered, but with me, he had to take a few notes so as not to miss anything. So I had the following:



Tapas:


Oyster with Jamon and Olive Oil: This was part of the tapas special. Very fresh and briny oyster with a mix of olive oil and jamon pieces. With the zing of lemon, a simple and fresh start to a line of tapas to come.


Anchoa - Hand filleted Cantabrian artisan anchovy on crouton with smoked tomato sorbet. Clearly, very salty and fishy yet fresh anchovy fillet on a thin crisp crouton. The smoked tomato sorbet really didn't help much in balancing out the taste, but I like the cold and room temperature combination in the mouth. Anchovy lover's favorite tapas.




San Jacobo de Cordonice - Hunter Valley Quail, partially boned, crumbed, and filled with Jamon and Mahon Cheese. This is very similar to chicken cordon bleu but lighter and classier. It's just a relatively small portion but it is intense enough for you to savour each small bite and remember.





Viera - Roasted Spring Bay scallop with jamon and potato foam. Oh, how to describe this. I'll start with the potato foam on top. The potato foam tasted creamy and rich, very similar to mashed potato but lighter and airier version of it definitely. I can't really tell if there's butter but it is pleasant. The jamon is fried to a crisp and sat along side lightly roasted scallop. As I sliced into the scallop, its juices burst onto the potato form, forming an almost non-almugamating sauce in the scallop shell. I had to take a piece of my bread to absorb all that heavenly potion. Excellent.




Costilla con sobrasada - Roasted lamb cutlet encased in a Catalan pork & paprika pate. This came last but definitely not the least. Actually, the racion came before this tapas. Ok. So there's the lamb cutlet and there's the pesto on top. The pesto is probably made from parsley and cilantro, both very fresh tasting herbs. The lamb cutlet was medium well, not reeking with blood but still so tender and game-y. I say game-y because it was just lightly seasoned with salt, cracked pepper and olive oil, pan-seared then roasted and topped with the pesto. But wait, there's more. The paprika paste is actually fresh chorizo on each side of the cutlet, which gave it the flavor, spice and saltiness. I can really taste the paprika from the minced chorizo. Overall, this is a well-executed dish.

Racion:

Cecina - Air cured wagyu beef thinly sliced with a truffle foam and poached egg. This really wasn't my first choice but seeing that this was voted Best Dish of the Year a few years back, I simply had to try this. Pictures on some of the blogs really made this dish looked unappetizing, so I had my doubts but don't judge a book by its over. When this dish arrived, I was really hesitant to try it. Again, there was layering: Wagyu beef under potato foam under a beautifully poached egg. I sliced into the poached egg and the rich yolk immediately oozed out and combined with the potato foam and slipped onto the Wagyu beef. I sliced a piece of the perfectly marbled piece of Wagyu beef and coated it with the sauce. The moment it hit my tongue, I know what they were all talking about. Rich, luscious almost luxurious, warm, salty feeling all exploding at the same time but still, it gave you the feeling of home. No exaggeration, I immediately felt like being back at my aunt's kitchen baking butter cookies. It was really that good. The description of excellent just wouldn't cut it.

Waiter: "Madame! You've been doing well. Are you full?"

Me: "Nope. I want dessert."

I'm definitely not leaving this place without dessert. Ok. I let my eyes wander to the big chalkboard lining the upper part of the wall, arguing with myself whether I should order the churros or the flan or the hot ganache. My waiter suggested the Dessert Special. A chocolate fudge with hazelnut mousse with vanilla bean ice cream. Clearly, I don't see this on the menu, so I just went for it and ordered the Pedro Ximenez to accompany my dessert. Another note here, this is my first Pedro Ximenez and it is an excellent wine for dessert. I stuck my nose into the glass and the first hint of prunes hit me, followed by an almost toffee/caramel smell. Very rich and warm. My dessert came and as it promised, chocolate and hazelnut heaven. What could go wrong. This pure decadence has 4 layers: chocolate ganache, hazelnut mousse, dark chocolate and crisp nougat crunch. All that with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Not too sweet but packs a punch and went well with my Pedro Ximenez. A good end to an exceptional meal.

After a few tapas, a racion, a dessert and 2 glasses of wine later, being seated at the bar, people could clearly see and count how much I was ordering. Since I'm really there to eat and not to chat, I ate and enjoyed to my heart's content. The lady with her partner seated next to me caught my eye and asked me which one was the best. The definite answer was the Wagyu beef. So good. So real. So MoVida.

SAZL Sweats: Pork Loin Slices in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Was really planning to make chorizo stew tonight but forgot that I already defrosted the pork loin slices that I've prepared last Sunday. The creamy sauce was an inspiration from Donna Hay's Magazine of Chicken with Mushroom and Tarragon Sauce, also creamy in texture.

After so much deviation from the original recipe and I got carried away with the idea of Ludo Cafe's delicious and juicy sage mushrooms with breakfast last time, so I wanted to make the sauce from that taste. I wasn't prepared with fresh herbs so all I used in this recipe were dried spices that were stocked in the pantry. The pork loin slices were originally and should be made into tonkatsu with bbq sauce, but they ended up with mushrooms and cream.

I have cooked dishes out of the blue or from memory of the magazines that I've been reading this month namely: Gourmet Traveller Australia (April 2009), Saveur (May 2009) and Donna Hay Magazine (April/May 2009). Donna Hay's magazine is just packed with so many recipes and articles, which really got me inspired and encouraged to make this recipe.



There are really no exact measurements, just remember to taste as you season and go along. I had some leftover garlic and lemon butter sauce from last night, so I just reheated that but olive oil is a good replacement. When hot, sautee the sliced mushrooms until cooked and dust a bit of dried sage into it, place them aside. On the same pan, lightly fry the pork loin slices just to give them color but not thoroughly cook it. Set them aside. To make the sauce, place the mushrooms back into the pan and add about 2 cups pork stock (beef or chicken is fine). Bring this to a boil and add the cream. It depends on how creamy you want, I added around 1/2 cup single pouring cream into this and added dried thyme and dried rosemary. Not too much of the herbs or it might be too strong and end up unedible. Cracked black pepper to taste. Added the pork loin slices back in and simmer over low heat for 10-15 mins. Salt to taste at the end. The result: creamy and very mushroom-y sauce. The apartment just smelled so good with the herbs from the sauce. Pork loin slices are just tender but not threading apart.
Improvements would include more browning of the pork loin slices, I think they still looked a bit pale. I'm thinking of adding onions to the recipe for flavor too.

Han Guuk Kwan @ Victoria Street, Melbourne

Today is 14 degrees in the city and cold pre-autumn weathers call for warm, spicy food. WGroup has been craving for Korean food after our Oriental Spoon extravaganza near Melbourne Central, which I think is a tad expensive but food wasn't expectional or too authentic. On one of my earlier food experiences in Melbourne, Ms MNG brought me to dinner with some friends at Han Guk Kwan. Since I was relatively new to the area, I lost my bearings and forgot the name and place of the establishment. During my first time, I remembered eating everything spicy at the Korean place-- soup, appetizer, main dish (except the noodles which was exceptional). I caught myself coughing midway as of the friends asked me if the food was good. I forgot what I said exactly, but I hoped that I got the point across, that it was good Korean food I've had in a long while without hurting my wallet.


Now, back to the main story, so WGroup's craving led me to suggest the place again. I texted Ms MNG for the place and researched on how to go. There was really no plan at all on when to eat at the place, but Sunday seemed like a good idea since Thursday, the weather forecast was 14 degrees max and 7 degrees min. Nice. Cold. Korean. Spicy.


I ordered what I recalled was good: Traditional Marinated Beef Hotpot, Spicy Seafood Hotpot, Sweet and Spicy Chicken, Chap Chae and a few pots of tea (corn and green teas). As soon as the Sweet and Spicy Chicken hit the group's taste buds that immediate oohhs and aahhs came. Best fried chicken they've ever had. And I have to agree. It was everything it said: sweet and spicy fried chicken.



Carrying on, Chap Chae. This, I later learned, is not glass noodles but actually potato noodles. Whatever. It is also so damn good. Peppery, thick, sweet sauce with lots and lots of onions, leeks, carrots, and straw mushrooms. It was also simple but delicious. Not to mention that the serving was huge. The texture was crunchy, slippery, with a sudden burst of rounded soft mushrooms.




Hotpots. Oh, which one to try first. Since the beef hotpot came first and was bubbling away, everyone dug into that first. Also with lots of veggies, the beef was marinated in a light sweet sauce which cooked into the soup. I wasn't a fan of the hotpot, but this will satisfy people who don't really care for spicy hotpots and prefer the sweeter taste of it. Again, lots of onions, shitake mushrooms, leeks.


Spicy Seafood Hotpot. My favorite of the lot. They used the flaky dried chillies in making kim chi, so prepare yourself for something hot, and I do mean, really hot. The seafood paid off a bit though it wasn't all that fresh but cooking the seafood into the soup gave it a fresh and well-rounded flavor as opposed to being a bland stock. Fish, crab, mussels, clams, and squid consisted the pot of lovely soup, bubbling away until they're all gone.

Great Sausage Roll @ Babka, Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Babka has always been one of the spots I want to visit in Brunswick. My last attempt failed because it was rainy and the store was already closed. This time, I passed by Babka by accident. I noticed a cafe where there was a long line and inside, it was packed with people and the lovely smell of the freshly baked bread swafting from its doors. Yes, it was Babka. I hurriedly went in to queue up and luckily, since I only need a table for one, I was ushered to a seat by the window.

After the browsing through the simple menu of pies, pastries and breakfast plates, I opted for the one that was on the chalkboard. Chalkboard menu boasted chowders, salads, and simple mains, mostly with some kind of bread or savory pastry. I chose the Pork, Veal and Rosemary Sausage Roll with Babka's Tomato Sauce.

The weather from my view was perfect, sunny but not too hot and not too cold that will send your coffee's temperature down in a matter of minutes. I looked around Babka. It was busy, cozy, with people all digging in to their meat pieces and chowders. On the other end, people were queueing up for their famous breads, tarts and minced pies. I reckon the person baking them must be frantically keeping up with the orders. Once something comes out, it will be gone in just a few minutes.



A few slices of bread and butter came prior to my dish, along with my flat white. The bread was fresh, soft and tightly-knit. It wasn't warm as I expected but it was good anyways. I'm just wondering now if the sausage roll I ordered will make me full enough since I will still be walking for a few hours.


As I gazed down at my sausage roll, I'm beginning to think that I made the wrong choice. It looked pale and boring, with a rocket salad and a tad bit of tomato sauce on the side. Oh, no. I sliced my table knife into the sausage roll and out came the most delightfully, meaty smell I've ever experienced. It wasn't the red minced meat usually seen from your regular bakery that sells sausage rolls. I can see the rosemary and onions with chunky pieces of pork and veal inside. What amazes me was the light taste of the minced meat. It wasn't pungent but it was juicy and savory enough, and with a little bit of the sweet tomato sauce, it was just right. Undoubtedly, the best sausage roll I've ever had from my stay here in Melbourne. Too bad I was full to try a slice of their tarts. I'll be back!

Brunswick Breaky @ Cavallero, Smith Street, Collingwood

Brunswick has fast been becoming my favorite spot for shopping, eating or just plain walking around when I'm in the mood. Of course, I had my day pretty much planned out today and breakfast is at the top of my list. Cavallero has been long raved as one of the hottest spots along Smith Street both as a sizzling bar at night then transforming into your family-friendly cafe in the morning, as if nothing happened the night before.





Walking into the cafe/bar really hit me with the feeling that it is clean, straightforward and no-nonsense. Interiors are simple and a bit on the "rough" feel, with only a few bulbs hanging down from the high ceiling and a deer's head mounted on the stark white walls just on top of the bar. Nice yet not intimdating for diners with or without their children and pets.


Food is also simple yet unusual on its own terms. The breakfast, lunch and dinner items are neatly printed on 100% recycled paper and presents produce as dictated by the season--autumn. Their breakfast menu is definitely not your average eggs and toast. Organic muesli, granola and free-range eggs are just among the ingredients that make up the menu, which implies that what they serve is genuine, should be good for you and house-made. I opted for the three egg omelette with chorizo, fresh tomatoes and tomato relish and my soy latte.


Coffee is good, well, pretty great actually and I wonder if its organic coffee as well. It is smooth, creamy and has a clean finish to it. None of the bitterness or acidity at the end of your palate, which makes you want to say "yack".


Excuse the Sports Section of the Sunday Herald on my table, I'm not a fan of any sort of sport here in Melbourne but seeing the place is already packed with early morning goers, the morning papers have been shred into pieces with only the boring sports section left. No offense to sports fans.


Ah, at last, my lovely three egg omelette. I'm a bit surprised that the omelette does not have cream or milk in it and the fresh chorizo is well, skimp. Fresh chorizo didn't came in chunks but in minced form and scattered inside the omelette with minced red onion. It was just ok by regular standard though the coffee and the freshness of the eggs made up for it.

Shopping Breaktime @ Mama Sousou, Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

This came unexpectedly as I'm tired from walking and all that shopping, I wanted to go home. I realized that I'm a bit far off from the tram route that I'm supposed to take, so I decided to stop by one of the many cafes along Brunswick. Mama Sousou caught my eye since there were a lot of people sitting outside under the shades. I went in and asked for a table for one. There were quite a few seats available inside, so I chose the one by the window. I wasn't hungry but needed a snack to go with my Limonata.


Next logical choice would be dessert and there's quite a few to choose from, being very French in interiors but also a bit swanky, I ordered their Apple Tarte Tatin with Buttermilk Sorbet. May sound traditional but with a twist of dairy-based sorbet instead of the usual vanilla ice cream.


Nina Simone and Ray Charles were playing in the background, reminiscent of the good old Southern rhythm and blues. Sometimes, the sounds would switch from French cabaret tunes to romantic sounds of that bygone era. Walls covered with old, washed-out posters with a humunguous black chandelier which made me feel like I'm inside someone's old French-style salon.


I just bought M.F.K. Fisher's Long Ago in Dijon book from a second-hand bookstore. So I rested my feet on the window pane (stealthily) and drank my Limonata on a slightly hot Melbourne day.
The apple tarte tatin didn't come for at least a good 15-20 minutes later. It was fresh from the oven, I can tell and the caramel was oozing out of the flaky crown of luscious apples. Honestly, it was too sweet for my taste but I reckon it would go well with tea or strong coffee. The buttermilk sorbet is another surprise, which I think aims to cut down on the sweetness of the tart but failed to do so.

Doyle's Fisherman's Wharf @ Watson's Bay, Sydney

Watson's Bay at one of Sydney's pristine harbors is definitely a haven of delights and sumputuous fresh seafood. Aside from the nice people with a nice park and a nice little beach, they truly now how to serve up pretty good seafood along that area. If you're up for a day at the park and picnic with family and friends, this is definitely one of the best spots to have it.

WGroup and I ordered food at Doyle's Fisherman's Wharf individually, since we were pretty much stuffed with fish and chips for two days to share more F&C AGAIN, so I orderd the Mixed BBQ Seafood with Rice and Salad. It is good for a number of reasons: (1) it wasn't hefty, (2) not too tasty and emphasized on the fresh mixed seafood, (3) not too much of everything, (4) good portions of shrimps and fish, (5) and great bbq marinade. I'm guessing more on paprika, butter, S&P and parsley.

Coco Cubana @ Kings Cross, Sydney

I'm a morning person. Usual morning call is 7am and it seems like the coffee cranking somewhere sends a buzzing wake-up call to me. Though my body and brain wasn't entirely functional at that time, my taste buds were already up and craving for the golden black liquid.


Walking along Kings Cross, there were quite a few cafes around, but one definitely caught my eye since day one in Sydney--Coco Cubana. A Cuban-themed coffee place with dark wood, heavily-leathered (and battered) sofa chairs, and tables with tops that seemed to look like finished with heavy stains of reds, maroons and browns. Oh, and, of course, the dim lights for the final effect.


Simple food. Apricot danish. Simple coffee. Skinny latte. Thank goodness that their coffee wasn't burnt. Surprisingly, one of the better coffees I've had since I came to Sydney. The first day where I had my coffee was considered terrible for me (I won't mention the name of the cafe...for now).

Melbourne Fine Diner Series, Part II: Vue de Monde

Tingling sensation and pulsating nerves, that's how I feel whenever I know I'm about to enter the elegant and sophisticated world of French food. Vue de Monde had set its mark high up the list of French restaurants in Melbourne and around the world, dishing up traditional French cuisine to the novice and expert palates.





I was ushered to my seat and, undeniably, I got the best seat of the house. In front of me was where all the action is. The open kitchen. The sight and sounds of cooking and the chefs moving around the kitchen never fail to entertain and captivate me, as I inspect how every dish served out was prepared with precision and care.





I browsed over the wine menu and chose a Le Mont Chenin Blanc 2007 by the glass. I have no idea what this is honestly, but it tasted good. It's French white wine and embodied how French wines should be - light and fragrant to the nose. It was fragrant that I felt like I'm sitting outside with orange blossoms, amongst white linen covered tables and white painted metal chairs. It's got a clean taste that hits me every time and amazingly drinkable. I finished the entire glass in the middle of my main.




I opted for the three course Menu du Jour: main, entree, dessert and a glass of wine.


Main : CANNELLONI À LA TOMATE (Tomato cannelloni with green tomato gazpacho)





This is a well-rounded dish with sweet, tang and freshness all courtesy of tomatoes. I was surprised with how the tomato cannelloni was prepared where the tomato pasta contrasted with the soft white cheese squeezed in between. It was just a simple cannelloni but with the green tomato gazpacho, it was a deadly combo. Drop-dead sublime. I think I liked this the best of all entrees I've tried. The gazpacho complimented the tomato cannelloni well, along with the sweet baby tomatoes and basil-scented breadcrumbs, it's all good.


Entree : TRUITE AUX HERBES (Brook trout with sorrel three ways)





Brook trout is something new to me and I never went beyond salmon, cod and sole. This dish, though intricate in its own way, is a bit understated for me. I expected "three ways" to be prepared three ways (maybe three sauces or three methods of cooking), rather than the trout being arranged on three different areas on the plate. However, the spinach puree and sauce made up for that. The way that the trout was presented and cooked oozed freshness and dignity, without so much flare but honest and pure in taste. I spread the spinach puree onto the piece of trout, cutting through the flesh and seeing its white, firm flakes give way to by table knife. It wasn't too oily or rich or too sweet. It was not briny and did not take over the taste of the spinach. It is what it is. Fresh ingredients complimented each other well.






My entree was accompanied with a simple salad with fennel, baby tomatoes and hazelnut vinaigrette. The highlight of the salad was the vinaigrette. My first vinaigrette and it did not disappoint. The hazelnut puree with the olive oil was sweet and lovely amongst the crisp leaves and fennel.


Dessert: SOUFFLÉ À L’ORANGE (Orange soufflé with chocolate ice cream )




First time I've had orange souffle after the last time I've made it at culinary school. It brought back so many memories of my cooking days back in Manila. This version, however, was sweeter and the dark chocolate ice cream was the perfect combination to the orange souffle.


Finally, I had chamomile tea accompanied with sweets. The sweet part was a bit unexpected but it came with my tea, so I'm not complaining. From right to left : blood orange jelly, marble truffle, I forgot what this one was called but technically its orange rind and a piece of biscuit which tasted stale when it touched the tongue but turned sweet with a few drops of the lemon oil, biscuit pop with caramel and coconut, and dark chocolate with caramel sauce inside. The best one was the dark chocolate.

Market Breakfast @ Cafe Panette, Cecil Street, South Melbourne

Opening a cafe across a market is a good idea, you get to rest those tired shoulders and feet with a filling breakfast and a good cup of coffee. There was an event today at the city, which had be walking for an hour and a half before getting to the tram stop. It was a bit grueling, like I joined a walkathon before my breakfast. Good thing Cafe Panette was armed to the teeth to crank up a good breakfast for the weary walker.

Table for one was already set in place, waiting for me to sit and eat my breakfast. I ordered my usual skinny latte and a sweet muffin with the Sunday paper. The sweet muffin was the best I've had to date, every bite oozed butter and milk, then melted down to sweet and tang of peaches. It was so good, I wished I had the recipe. It wasn't massive, like the ones that regular cafes in the city would sell. It was just the right size, still warm and crumbly.

I had Joe's Melting Muffins. I was struggling whether to order Corn Fritters against it, but in the end, the bacon rashers were calling out to me. Simply, Joe's Melting Muffins had slices of avocadoes under tomatoes under bacon rashers under melted tasty Swiss cheese. I can tell that the cheese was melted through the salamander, just to get that browned and melted outside for the cheese. The dish was just enough for me, since I was a bit close to my "starving" level from all that walking.

The ambiance in the cafe made me feel at home, with the servers whisking to and fro. There were rustic paintings here and there, wood stacked on one side, ready to be fired (theatrically). I loved the way the hard-paned windows strategically placed between two-seater tables. It made the entire level felt intimate, almost like the perfect breakfast date for two.