Brunch on a Rainy Day @ De Clieu, Gertrude Street

It started to rain about 9am and it didn't stop. I'm glad thar PG didn't bail because I'm hungry and he's hungry. I was telling PG about some possible brunch places that I'd like to try and among them was De Clieu. Another promising option is Pope Joan but we'll save it for another (sunnier) day.

I was surprised to walk through a sliding door into the café. Impressive. What's more impressive is how nicely clean-cut and edgy the place is. It fitted right into the hippie Gertrude Street area. I absolutely loved the lights all lined up neatly over each table. It reminds me of a vague shaping light (like a space craft) hovering over planet earth but I digress.

Coffee is one of the best on this side of Gertrude Street. I could have ordered another and another. I had the Spring onion roti, pork neck and fried egg with barbeque sauce. The roti reminded me of a pie in Manila that I used to have with red bean paste inside it, it is my grandfather's favorite, instead, this one is made with thinly sliced spring onions inside. There were generous rounds of pork neck slices, they were tender and tasted a lot like barbeque pork, probably sweeter. Overall, the dish was more sweet than savory. If you like a savory breakfast, this is probably not a good option.

Moroccan Night Out @ LaPaella, Sydney Rd, Brunswick

I'll start with this. Whenever there's an opportunity to try something new, always go for it. I have to admit that something new is always appealing to me. But of course, there has to be a limit. PG always talked about this dish that he had at a Moroccan restaurant while he was still in the US. It's chicken in filo pastry and drizzled with honey. Yes, it's both sweet and savory. Being Asian, that taste sensation is not totally new to me but still, it is appealing. I'm sure that the Moroccans have something that I want to try. So some research is required.

That night, EB came with us as well. He's from around that region, so he knows a lot than we do with this kind of food. During the course of our meal, he actually told us that this is his type of food, food that he can eat everyday. And I have to agree that this is wholesome, comfort food. Food on a rainy day, food when you tripped and fell on the curb and you run home crying to mom, and she whips up something like this to calm you down (and wipe those tears away).

I was actually surprised when I entered La Paella. I immediately thought: this is not my place. There were certain pieces in the restaurant that I love. The comfy sofas, the colorful tiled tables and tinted lamps. Maybe, this is how it feels to be in Morocco. The place has a strange feel and smell to it. It feels old but then again, I haven't ever been in a place like this before. It's a bit shady but there is a certain familiarity that I can't place.

Entreé: Bastilla. Sweet chicken and almonds wrapped in filo pastry and fried, dusted with powdered sugar. The verdict? Delish. Yes, really. The raw almonds are crushed into a certain consistency that's not too overwhelmingly marzipan-like. There is still texture in it. It's still savory enough to not be classified as a dessert. The small bowl on the lower left side is called Harissa. It's a chilli sauce that is served a bit chilled. It's watery and nutty. And I got addicted over it when they served the freshly baked bread with it. I just couldn't stop!

EB had the Lamb Shank below. And yes, the meat was sooo tender, it's falling off the bone. I'm not too crazy about the sauce, though. It's a bit spicy but not enough to capture my enthusiasm. Admittedly, it's a clean dish. Well-prepared but I could use a touch more salt into this.

Beef Tagine. If there's one dish you HAVE to try, this is it. Sweetly spiked with cinnamon, prunes and almonds (which are still a bit raw for my taste but did not affect the flavor whatsoever), the beef chunks in this dish were just soo tender and luscious, it's like sinking into a lush, velvety plush sofa. Amazingly good. The sauce was just rich and vibrant. There's nothing shy about it at all.

We also had the almond pastry for dessert, which was just ok, with black Moroccan coffee with cinnamon and cloves. The coffee came with an almond biscuit. I liked the biscuit more than the actual almond dessert. A good way to complete the night.

The Better Dessert @ Ludlow Formation, Southbank

The Ludlow Formation might be the next hottest bar along Southbank. PG and I were there for a somewhat early lunch. This is going to be a short post until the next time I went there, which will be soon.

The atmosphere was spot on and I love the food. PG had some tapas: Chicken meatballs and Bacon and Cheese Croquettes which was on the specials board. I had the Grilled Salmon Fillet with Potato and Marinated Zucchini which I adored. It was just right and not too much and not too expensive.

What I actually wanted to highlighted was the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Whip. Please, all chocolate lovers or chocolate truffle lovers, try this. You'll be in for a treat. You'll be served an elegantly plated, subtley flavored dark chocolate truffle with a whipped chocolate mousse inside. It was art on a plate. Kudos to the pastry chef! Will be back for more!

BTW, it's Smoke and Mirrors Season everyone! :) Enjoy!

C'est Chic @ France-Soir, Toorak Rd, South Yarra

When you think of French food, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? It might be the meat, the croissants, the créme bruleé or maybe all of the above. To me, it is always the snails. And I do think the measure of a good French restaurant will definitely be the escargot. Enriched with butter, garlic and parsley, subtle yet rich and of course, you have to dunk your bread into the sauce :) ok, that's not too chic.

What my friend WL loves about France-Soir is that it's unpretentious. Sure, the atmosphere is nice and warm and inviting and all that. To me, it's small and crowded but well-staffed and efficient. The waiters know their stuff and they really don't entertain indecisions. I actually came to France-Soir already decided on what I want to have. Ze snails and ze duck l'orange. After deciding on a nice Pinot Noir, I want my food and let's do it right.

Escargots de Bourgogne a l'ail. Snails in garlic butter. 7 smallish cups came in warm and cozily placed on a plate. I can see the lovely beauties swimming in garlic butter. The sizes of the snails are almost uniform which goes to show that these were carefully picked and they fit perfectly into the cups. The snails were firm and there was no earthiness to the taste at all. I guess there was just too much butter to actually cover the taste. It almost reminded me of delicate mushrooms with minced garlic and butter. A must try.

Demi-caneton rôti, à l'orange. Half roasted duckling with orange sauce. I can't really say that this is a let-down but I had high expectations. The duck breast was cut too thick, though juicy and with a tinge of pink. The duck leg confit was tender and I loved the crispy skin but on the inside it was a bit dry. The orange sauce was sweet but I wanted more of that tangy-ness. I'm not sure what exactly to expect but I wanted a more robust taste to the dish. The sauce I found too watery, I was hoping for a more syrupy consistency. It wasn't an utmost failure because the dish was enjoyable.

Iles flottantes. Soft meringue, créme anglaise. I love love love the créme anglaise. It was just the right consistency with that lovely vanilla scent and flavor to it. I could just drink the thing. The soft meringue was like a sweet puffy cloud that melts in my mouth. With the cream, it was just sheer bliss. I know, I know. It's not chocolate but it will do.
France-soir will be worth coming back to if you're looking for a good home-cooked French meal. Simple and to the point but not too in your face. It offers tradition and authenticity to those who are looking for it.

Guilty Pleasures @ LuxBite, South Yarra

I've browsed all over the internet to read about reviews of LuxBite. It's relatively new and it's increasingly popular, especially to those macaron addicts like me. Most of you might know by now that my definition of a good macaron is one that is produced at the Tea Room @NGV. There was a time when I go there EVERY WEEKEND just to get macarons. It.Was.Insane.Really.
I hate to say that I envy every single one of you who lives in South Yarra or at least those that have the capacity to go there every day at their convenience. LuxBite is the most recent addition to the macaron loving crowd. After reading all about it from a handful of reliable foodie bloggers, I literally yanked myself out of bed today to try it out.

The patisserie is something that's cut out of a magazine. It's all in white, with simple chairs but very tasteful. Interiors are well-thought out and looks like nothing could go wrong here. I didn't have the time to have a proper sit down tea with macarons, so I just decided to take some away.

I chose the Bestseller pack which has 8 pieces for $19. My apologies because my brain can't contain all of the flavors in the box. But what I can remember are: Rose and Lychee, Kaya Toast, Chocolate Freckles, Sicilian Pistachio, Raspberry, Watermelon Yoghurt, Peanut Butter and Jelly. Well, that's 7 out of 8. They have 16 flavors in total. Maybe I'll try all of them next time :)

So what's the verdict? Love.Love.Love. I can say that they're at par with the macarons at the Tea Room. Though the macarons at the TR are bigger and thicker. Sweetness wise, they're not too sweet and the flavors are out of this planet. I love the Watermelon Yoghurt. I can have 5 of these babies.
The Rose and Lychee is also one of my favorites, though I like TR's version better. There's something about the rosewater cream that just screams: EAT ME.I also tried the Kaya Toast which is...hmm...buttery. If you enjoy Kaya toast, you'll like this one.