SAZL Scenes: Few of My Favorite Things

This week has been insane at work and there were a couple of things that made me feel not quite myself. I felt beaten down and dragged around in the mud but then again, thank God for friends! Little did I realize that I've slowly surrounded myself and the apartment with delicious things. It took some time for me to come to this point and it has given me a lot to reflect on and be thankful for.

Each item in this picture represents a part of my life and my stay here. None of them is bittersweet but just a pure, overwhelming sensation of being here, in the moment, absorbing everything and everyone around me. Even though troubles come, there's always that fact that they go away. You won't always be in that stinky, rotten situation. There will be this sudden element or factor that will pull you back up: a good piece of chocolate, a sweet heart-warming thought, an encouraging message from a friend...it just goes on and on...

Yoghurt and Strawberries. Two of my sister's favorite things. I love these two things because they remind me so much of her. During her short trips here, she would always request just these. Well, just the strawberries actually. Strawberries in Manila are small and sour (not to mention pricey) even at their peak. I remembered her reaction when she saw the huge sized berries which were just plump, seedy, sweet and juicy...like a small ruby. And every bite is just delish!

Red Wine from Bordeaux. I know, I know. I'm in Australia. The land of the New World wines. Once in a few weeks, I'll indulge myself with a good crisp bottle of Bordeaux. I think it represents more than just a wine from this region. It's a dream to be there someday and experience France for myself.

Chocolate from Ganache. Back in Manila, the only chocolate I've known is Max Brenner. The first time I tasted a very good hot chocolate was from what PG and I would call, "that Belgian place". Everyone in my family knows that I simply adore dark chocolate, the darker, the better. I've known that a real true blue blooded dark chocolate should taste like: smooth, silky, sexy...Ganache 75% chocolate is it.

Donna Hay Magazine. I can't begin to articulate how Donna Hay changed my way of looking at food. Coming from an Asian family, food is always there, waiting for you and always just dumped on a plate, quickly slaughtered and torn apart by the people sitting around it. There is no sense of beauty, only of smell and taste. But dear, sweet Donna Hay taught me the sense of elevating the visual aspect of plating up food on a higher level. Food doesn't only have to taste good but look good too. It's not only the substance but the beauty.

SAZL Sweats: My Saturday Roast

Haven't made a good roast for a while. For the first half of summer, I only roasted chicken breasts, without the skin. There are some down sides to eating healthy. Less or no butter, low sodium, low carb...low everything. The only food routine that I've kept up is to have my lemon "detox" drink. It's just simply lemon juice, sea salt and hot water. A nice balance of lemon juice and sea salt before going to bed or first thing when I wake up.

I've decided to make a good nice roast today but I still want to go towards that healthy route. Trim the excess fat off the chicken, so that you'll be left with nice clear juices from the chicken instead of the fat. At this point, you can try to massage some butter under the skin of the chicken. This will make the skin more crispy and flavoursome. Massage dried parsley, dried chilli flakes, sea salt, pepper and olive oil onto the chicken. What I'd like to do is to mix that up first, then massage it over the chicken. Marinating the chicken will also be fine but I'd rather not put the chicken back to the fridge once its down to room temperature.

Place the chicken breast side up on the roasting tray. It's good if you have one of those trays that has a wire rack to put the meat on so that the juices will drip down. Cover the chicken with al foil, or at least the breast part. Oven temp is 180C fan forced. After 30-40 minutes, remove the al foil, crank the oven temp up to 200C for another 15minutes. This will give your chicken that golden crispy look and makes you want to dig in! Once the chicken is cooked to perfection, take it out of the oven and loosely cover with al foil to rest it properly. 10-15minutes will be best.

Strain the pan juices. Add a dollop of butter and whisk into a thick but not too creamy consistency. Season to taste.

Crave the chicken. Remove the legs with the thigh still on. Slice the chicken breasts into your preferred thickness. I'd like them thin, so that I can have them on a sandwich with salad the next day.

Have your chicken with buttered veggies or potatoes done in whatever way you like.

The Luscious Mexican @ The Table, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

We're all going through a food-poisoning phase these days but that wouldn't stop us from paying a visit to The Table at St Kilda. Ever since I've read about this place, it stuck in my head and I knew that I have to try this place. I know that currently, Mamasitas reigns supreme over modern Mexican food and admittedly, it's true. With the range of alcohol and food over there, no wonder that place is always swamped...but I digress...

The moment PG and I stepped in, he immediately noticed that there are Tequila tastings posted on the board. Imagine a restaurant that instead of posting their dinner specials, they post Tequila tastings, that's my kind of place. We arrived early and I instantly liked the big and small clouds of light fixtures. It gave the room a nice dusty feel, almost as if you're under the stars, only that the sun is just setting.

I had their Blood Orange and Ginger Caipairinha, which was fantastic. The ginger was grated fresh and it packed a punch. The only problem was consistency. I ordered another one, and it didn't taste the same. It was sweeter and the punch was gone. Well, needless to say they need to train their bartender better.

PG and I shared a plate of Nachos with prawns, crabmeat, avocado, salsa and manchego cheese. It was yummy and oh, so tasty. I noticed that the prawns and crabmeat were juicy and sweet and it worked so well with the avocado and salsa. Nothing overpowering or too salty about it. Thumbs up!

We decided not to get mains, so I had the Confit Duck and Pomegranate Tamales. I'm not sure how to rate this dish. It wasn't unpleasant and the combinations worked well on their favor. I wasn't expecting the tamales to come in logs instead of them wrapped up like the traditional ones.

I absolutely loved the dessert of Valrhona flourless chocolate with chilli spiked almond praline. It reminded me so much of the spiced chocolate pudding at Portello Rosso that I almost wished they served this up as a pudding. It also came with a scoop of smooth vanilla ice cream. I placed a small dollop of this on top of the cake and it was umami.

Will definitely come back for the Tequila tastings :)

Chocolate Caramel Treat @ Luxbite, Toorak Rd, South Yarra

While having brunch at Luxbite, (I had their Eggs Benedict with burnt butter hollandaise and it was delish, thought a bit on the luxurious side!) I took away a red velvet tea cake with rose infused icing and their ET, a chocolate and salted caramel mousse with chocolate covered caramel flavored popcorn on top.

I couldn't wait to try the ET. When I got home, I gobbled half of it down, with most of the popcorn gone :). I thought that the popcorn will be soggy but believe it or not, it was crunchy and fresh! It is a bit on the sweet side so be prepared. It will be good with tea or strong coffee. What a nice ending to a birthday week!

Belated Birthday Dinner @ No 35, Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne

I decided to celebrate my birthday later in the week. Maybe celebrating your birthday not on the exact day means something, but not to me. It's just an excuse to dress up and eat out at some place different. And this time, it's at No 35.

The night started off at the Atrium 35 for drinks. I absolutely love the interiors, with its liquid glassy walls and endless waves of shimmering textile hanging above us. It made it look like the sky was made from gold. After an hour or so, it's time to head to No 35. Two reasons for choosing this restaurant: it has a Chef's hat and there's a view to die for.

I wasn't expecting to have dinner this complex. To be honest, I haven't had something this upscale for a while since Jacques Reymond. My entree was a feast for the eyes. When it was served, I gasped with delight. It was picture perfect. Basically, it's slow cooked salmon, with porcini and parsnips. I think there's also celeriac pureé in there. But the combination was just spot on. I can imagine this with another rich fish like seabass or cod.

Main dish was wild barramundi with potatoes and pork croquette. The pork croquette was just lovely and crispy. I didn't think it worked well with the rest of the dish but it was the tastiest thing on the plate.

I had the Coco Bongo tea with has a coconut and mango flavor. I'm not a fan of scented fruit teas, especially coconut, but this black tea was delicious. Dessert is a warm carrot and walnut cake. Imagine my delight when it came with a Happy Birthday message on the plate! :) I know it's nothing extravagant but it just made the night memorable and special.

No 35 is not a place where you would have dinner every night but for special occasions, you can be sure to impress that special someone with this choice.

The Pancakes that went to Japan @ Okonomi-Ju, Rebecca Walk, Melbourne CBD

Okonomi-Ju is just a few steps away from where I live, I've always taken it for granted. Little did I know that they serve up these nice Japanese pancakes called okonomiyaki, which they put up on the board with pride. There are no fancy Japanese chefs in this little establishment. Just honest, simple and wholesome food. I'm also surprised that in a few months from this opening, it has already gathered a nice group of fans who liked this warm, creamy snack along with some other things. Okonomi-Ju also serves donburi and some traditional Japanese sweets, which I have yet to try.

I ordered the vegetarian/tofu okonomiyaki pancake, which has both a crunchy and creamy texture at the same time. The only problem I had with this was that it has too much sauce. Maybe this is the way it is served even in Osaka, but maybe a little less salty would make it perfect.

SAZL Sweats: Tarte Tatins

I had some left over puff pastry in the freezer and don't really know what to do with it. My eyes floated to the table and what have I got? An orange and an apple. Sounds like your average school girl snack or lunch box.

After spending one day browsing through cookbooks and Donna Hay magazines, I learned something simple and special: tarte tatin. It's a French classic and who doesn't like that? I didn't hit it hard on the caramel because I didn't want it to be too sweet, plus, I only have an apple.

I pulled out my last sheet of puff pastry to thaw. Just one apple, I cored, peeled and sliced it not too thinly, because I still want the texture from the apple, not mushed up baby food. I placed them in a saucepan, placed 50g of softened butter and 30g of white sugar with 1tsp cinnamon powder. Brown sugar or honey can also be used. Over medium-heat, dissolve the sugar while the butter is heating up. The sliced apples should still be a bit firm. A nice brown caramel should be the result from the mix. Btw, I used a pink lady apple for this. Line the cooked, caramelized apples along the puff pastry, place them on a baking tray. 180C for 15-20mins til they are nice and puffed up.

Once out from the oven, you can place a dollop of vanilla ice cream or cream on top while it's still warm. Yum!

Boozy Cocktails @ Bar Santo, St Kilda

PG got a message on Friday for $10 Cocktails and $2 pintxos at Bar Santo. First impression, nah, probably just your average run-of-the-mill cocktail bar, but this place can serve up some good drinks. I'm not really a drinking person (so they say). My idea of a good cocktail is one from 1806 or Bertha Brown but, what the hell, let's check it out anyway.

First off, drinks here are mixed by a former mixologist from Der Raum, so that's a good sign. Next, the chocolate martini here is A.W.E.S.O.M.E. Please come over and try this. Definitely, next to the Bittersweet Chocolate and Orange martini I've had at 1806.

Pintxos on the other hand were also decent, we shared chicken drumettes and prawn. Tasty and goes well with the cocktails.

Imagine yourself having a good time with a group of friends, having a good laugh, talking about bitches and what-nots, and you have the perfect night-out. Will be back for more.

SAZL Scenes: Good Food and Wine Festival 2011

After a nice brunch at St Ali this morning, we headed off to the Good Food and Wine Festival at the Convention Centre. I got a few shots from the festival because we went in early, so it wasn't too crowded.

I thought they have a nice selection of wine and beer stalls but the food was a bit disappointing for me. I was on the prowl for a good black truffle sauce but wasn't able to find one :(. I was, however, able to get a new bags of beetroot and sweet potato chips from Thomas Chipman. I love how thinly they sliced the chips, they're sweet and almost melt in my mouth feel. Ahh, healthy chips :D

I got a good bottle of Cheeky Rascal's Raspberry and Apple Cider from Rebello Wines. It's got the nice taste of raspberry without the tartness or sweetness. It is actually made with 6% raspberry and 94% apple (from a mix of different kinds). And oh, it's 8% alcohol.

There has been a time when I got addicted to chai (didn't we all??). The perfect chai powder for me is from Arkadia which you can get from IGA or Woolworth's. I wouldn't pass on the chance of getting one from the festival. Bondi Chai has 2 flavors: Vanilla Honey and Club Cinnamon. Nothing beats the spiciness of cinnamon on the cold winter night...

Lushies. Handcrafted marshmallows. I actually got this for a friend. Now, I'm regretting that I didn't get more for myself :(

Two hours later, we started bumping into people, on our way out. I guess it's a good thing that we decided to come early.