slicing almonds and zesting lemons

Something Unexpected @ Q11, South Melbourne

2011-12-25T00:20:00.003+11:00

PG and I are always around the South Melbourne area and this time, we tried Q11. There are also heaps of new places to try just next to the South Melbourne Market but this one is just a true gem. Frequent visitors of the market will definitely know of this place.

Coffee-wise, it's an ok for me. I think St Ali still wins and Freestyle is definitely my next favorite place for good coffee. But food-wise, it's an entire different discussion altogether.

I had the beef hash that morning and it was divine. The sun was just bright that morning for brunch and it was the perfect opportunity to sit outside and enjoy the rays. The menu at Q11 is well-thought out and the combinations worked very well. I just loved how the poached egg on top looked on the plate, almost bursting, waiting to be eaten. The size of the serving was just right for me, not too huge but I was satisfied. Will definitely be back to try the other good things there.

My Trip to India: Food Highlights Part 2

2011-12-22T21:13:00.009+11:00

Ok, so here's part 2...I also attended a friend's wedding, oh boy, do they know how to throw a party! The buffet spend was several metres long with endless varieties of curries (all vegetarian), breads and desserts. It's a feast for the eyes...

The sweet stuff...

Bread, bread, bread...

Chilla Moonglet: A cross between a mini dosa and soft taco, inside is filled with paneer and mixed vegetables. In India, you eat with your hands, so you take a piece of this and dip in into the red (sweet) and green (spicy) sauce. The result was phenomenal. The taste was explosive, full of flavor that worked well together. It's definitely a savory dish. At first sight, it seems to be a confused, undecided little morsel. I would say that this is not a technically

Matar Kulcha: This is something new for me. It's a cross between a bread and a thick pancake but it's freshly cooked on top of the stove (a big stove, at that!). It's crunchy on the outside and fluffy (also doughy) inside. It doesn't taste like anything at all but you have to dip it in the curry sauce next to it. There was also some slivers of onion and cucumber to add some texture.

My Trip to India: Food Highlights Part 1

2011-12-22T20:24:00.009+11:00

Just recently came back from travelling in the north of India - mainly in New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. Also spent some time in Saharanpur and Dehradun for a friend's wedding, which was a totally unique and memorable experience. There had been some pretty odd and unpleasant experiences along the way but overall, it was enjoyable and it's a country that I would like to explore more of it's culture and, of course, food!

Here are some food highlights that I have enjoyed during the trip. I can't remember some of the names but I definitely remembered what they tasted like.

Vada with Sambar: This is the best version of vada that I've had throughout the trip. It was crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. It's a meal in itself and you dip this in a watered down vegetable curry called sambar.

Tandoori Chicken: On our last night in Delhi, one of our travel mates took us to this alley way that's close to a mosque called Kamir. If you're going there for the first time, you WILL get lost. But lucky for us, he had been there and raved about the chicken and the mutton korma. And true enough, this is one of the good versions of tandoori chicken that I've had. It's nothing like the tamed down version of the chicken dish that I've had before. It's fierce and luscious. Even though the chicken was a bit...skinny...you can see the juices flowing out as you cut into it. I can actually see people ordering an entire chicken just for one person!

Bi-da: This is what they eat after a meal. Inside are sweet stuff and pods that tasted like toothpaste. The leaf outside is actually a bit bitter but the combination somehow worked. It's an acquired taste. The first bite will definitely throw you off but take another bite and it's actually not hlaf bad. This version has some shredded coconut inside. My friend admitted that this is version was better than the ones he had from Chennai.

Chicken Kebab: Probably one of the most non-Indian dishes that I've tasted. I think this dish is very Greek. It's marinated in yoghurt and coriander, which made the chicken pieces really tender. I was dredging this thing in chilli water (and I was actually eating the chillies!).

Papad: This tasted exactly like fish crackers, only that it's huge! The street vendors carry this in big baskets covered by a cloth. I know that once you've seen how they sell this on the streets, you wouldn't even think about buying it! It's not the best thing out there but it's interesting.

Dessert comes first: This is probably one of the most popular sweets from India. It is actually deep-fried just to get that really deep brown almost burnt color, then submerged in sugar syrup. It is extremely sweet, the Indians like it that way. They even drink the sugar syrup after they've finished eating the luscious things. Texture-wise, it's actually like cake, not too dense.

Chicken Biryani. So, here's the thing. My friend actually told me that biryani was brought to India by the Muslims. I'm surprised that this is not dish invented by Indians since I've always seen biryani in most Indian restaurants around the city. Needless to say, since we're in the old city of Agra, this was the best chicken biryani I've had by far. I think I've had chicken biryani for 4 times throughout the trip. Some tasted unusual and gave off a flower-y scent, which I'm not entirely sure of the combination of spices. This one below just tasted right and I felt that this is how a real chicken biryani should be. Take note of the rich, deep yellow tinge surrounding each bead of rice, it's almost like gold. Fried sweet onions and shredded carrots on top. Chicken pieces embedded in the rice.

The Sweetest Thing @ Burch and Purchese, Chapel Street

2011-08-07T13:15:00.007+10:00

It was a wet, gloomy walk from the South Yarra station to Burch and Purchese. Makes me wonder why I even bother. It's cold, it's wet and when is winter gonna end??

Walking into Burch and Purchese will melt even the heart of the toughest of men. One word to describe the store is lovely. Or sweet even. I've been satifsying my sweet tooth too much these days, it's been bad for me. Just this past week, I made my way to La Belle Misette and Cupcake Central. These are fast becoming my favorite dessert places for pretty obvious reasons.

Going back to B&P, the place is spacious and pristine with bottles and bars of sweetness stacked on the wall. I took a short walk and was easily able to name about 5 things I want to get from there. The Mandarin Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate Mint, Very Lemon Curd and White Chocolate with Pink Peppercorn bars were all calling out my name, I thought I fell deaf from all that sweetness screeching.
I ended up getting the Half Chocolate and Hazelnut and Half Salted Caramel spread, Cucumber and Lime Sorbet (yes! I'm missing summer!!) and Banana, Caramel and Rum petit cake. Seriously, I wanted to get more but I had to consciously stop myself.
This Sunday morning was a bit cold and wet. I wasn't feeling like breakfast, except a strong cup of piping hot coffee from the plunger, of course. I glanced over to my dining table and remembered that I bought the spread. Several minutes later, I was happily swirling the jar of sweetness, making sure that the chocolate mixes slightly with the salted caramel. A bit of this stuff on a slice of warm toast made me realize how delicious life is.

Visit Burch and Purchese Sweet Studio:
647 Chapel Street
South Yarra

Dosa, the Indian Crepe @ Chilli Padi, Melbourne CBD

2011-07-25T11:03:00.004+10:00

This may seem weird but I've never had a dosa in my life except a few weeks ago. I'm sort of training myself for a trip to India this coming December, so better get aquainted with the food there. I don't want to get a food shock. Most friends who have been to India and back are not too enthusiastic with the food that they've experienced there. There were a couple of things that they told me to stay away from. I realize recently that I actually have more Indian friends than Aussie ones and they have been encouraging about travelling to their country/city/state and stopping me from attempting to try every food in sight.

Back to the dosa. This is a thin crepe made from rice with a filling of mashed potatoes with tumeric and ghee. It is a bit oily. And huge! I definitely love the crispy ends of the crepe and I manage to gobble those parts off as quickly as they came out. The crepe is a bit on the bland side, given that they serve this with 3 sauces, that's understandable. So to those who think that Indian cuisine is limited to just curries, think again. I recommend you give this a try.

SAZL Scenes: Few of My Favorite Things

2011-06-30T20:22:00.004+10:00

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

2011-06-26T13:10:00.003+10:00

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

2011-06-25T11:27:00.004+10:00

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

2011-06-18T17:36:00.003+10:00

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

2011-06-17T17:08:00.001+10:00

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

2011-06-17T11:11:00.002+10:00

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

2011-06-14T22:48:00.003+10:00

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

2011-06-05T19:46:00.004+10:00

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

2011-06-05T13:32:00.004+10:00

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.

Minor Sweets @ Chez Dré, Coventry St, South Melbourne

2011-05-22T19:23:00.006+10:00

I went through my usual market walk today. After getting my food for a week (nothing exciting, just sweet potatoes, chicken breasts, chorizo sausages, shaved ham, veggies and some fruits), I remembered reading a review on The Age Epicure about Chez Dré, the new kid on the Coventry St block. It's been long since there's a new place around there, and I'm glad that there's a new place for market shoppers to hang out.

I was shocked when a place that huge was packed, which is maybe a good sign. I really wanted to eat something but since I found it hard to look for a spot, even at the communal table, I decided to just skip the entire hassle and grab something off the counter. There wasn't much, so I asked for suggestions, which someone gladly helped me with. I chose a plain croissant, salted caramel eclair and fig and lemon macaron.

The verdict is that I loved the macaron. Probably not Luxbite love but the flavors worked well. The fig jam is probably too sweet for the lemon flavor but still, it can be improved.

Now, the salted caramel eclair is just lovely. It's the best eclair I've had by far out of all the afternoon tiffins. Will be back for more desserts.

I also ordered a coffee to go, which is also good. Not the best coffee (compared to St Ali), but promising. While I was waiting for my coffee, I was looking around and noticing a lot of unsatisfied customers. Some were waiting for the menu, for food, for coffee. Ok, not a good sign. Considering that this is a new joint, good to give them a chance to improve on their service or come EARLY (argh...) then I can have their Croque Monsieur! =D

Great Tempura @ Tempura Hajime, Park St

2011-05-14T19:03:00.002+10:00

If you're looking for that perfect intimate place for dinner, Tempura Hajime is the best place to be. With only 12 seats, personalized service is guaranteed. This is truly one of my most memorable dining experiences in Melbourne to date, where the service is homey yet professional and not intrusive.

Another thing that I liked about the place is that it is well lit and does not have that damp or enclosed feeling. If you also like the idea of having a sort-of personal chef cooking for you, this place also ticks the box.

On to the food. Sis and I chose the Tempura Set, consisting of entrees, 7 to 10 pieces of freshly cooked tempura pieces, a main and dessert. Clearly, my expectations were set very high and I was not disappointed.

Entrees were poached chicken in sesame dressing and sashimi (ocean trout, king fish and hapuka with plum sauce). Sis noted that she has had fresher sashimi but I thought it was nice and up to my standards, not veiny.

Mains, from left to right clockwise were the dips (you can choose from lemon juice and sea salt and the traditional tempura sauce and shredded radish. I have to say that both of the dips worked extremely well with the tempura), sweet corn, asparagus, prawn, sweet potato, eel (yes! battered and fried eel!), zucchini with spicy salmon, minced chicken, fish, scallop with uni (my favorite!), mushroom with minced prawn and mixed seafood. The tempura was freshly cooked and immediately served in front of you. There's nothing like crunchy batter that seals that luscious flavor of the food. Needless to say, dinner was sublime and as close to authentic Japanese tempura.
Dessert was also memorable. Yoghurt jelly with cointreau and grapes. Sis admittedly liked this one the best. But who wouldn't? It's not pretending to be a panna cotta but can arguably be one. It's smooth, silky and light. Thumbs up!

Unfortunately, this place has to be reserved for that special occasion and damn, too bad I can't afford to eat like this every night :(

Homey Brekky @ Figs Cafe, Carlton North

2011-05-10T11:49:00.004+10:00

I was planning on having brunch at Dench Bakers but it seemed like everyone had the same idea that morning. After getting me some croissants and olive bread to go, I walked along Nicholson Street, thinking on weather I should walk further down for another trip to Pope Joan.

Feeling lazy, I noticed that the cafés along Nicholson are buzzing with the morning rush. Not a bad sign. I've tried Birdie Num Nums before, which was fairly good but I remembered ordering an uninteresting option from the menu. Walking down, something caught my eye. Figs. Figs? Ok, this I've got to try.

I was instantly welcomed by a server who wore a very Bob Marley looking hat. I don't think everyone could pull off that look but he did! And with blonde hair too! I can't say that I fell in love with the place instantly but I most definitely love the zucchini and feta cheese fritters. And the desert lime chutney, of course. I wanted to ask them if they sell a jar of this somewhere. I can imagine this with grilled meat or fish or in a sandwich with turkey.

Next time you're around Nicholson Street, give this a try.

SAZL Scenes: My Sydney Food Trip

2011-04-30T13:34:00.000+10:00

Of course, this wasn't entirely a food trip. It was too difficult for me to not include everything that we've eaten, so here's a collage I made courtesy of Photovisi Online. I think that this is a great alternative to manually using Paint and editing it. It will be painstaking.

Most of my Sydney food trip, sad to say, was spent at Westfield food court. But, hear me out. The place actually has a good selection of food and the choices are just enough to make us come back here for more.

On our first night, we went to Liverpool Street to try out the sushi train at Sushi Tei. The atmosphere is quite good but I'm a bit disappointed with the options along the sushi train. You can also, of course, ordered from the menu. The first two items from the image were taken from the sushi train. The grilled scallop was not good at all. Bad choice on our part. The smooth topping on top was actually mayonnaise and the entire scallop was smothered with it. I thought it was a waste of seafood. My favorite was the scallop sushi, it was fresh and juicy.

The third picture, Diethnes Special, was taken at Diethnes Greek Restaurant. Sis and I were walking up and down Pitt and George Streets, looking for a good place for dinner. Diethnes was well-hidden and it was just a stroke of chance that we went in. Actually, we were ready to walk past it after glancing at the menu, then a couple started to walked in. They gave us the thumbs up that the place was good, so we went in and checked it out. We had the mezze plate with grilled cheese, 2 dips, lamb meatballs and zucchini fritters. The Diethnes Special proved to be a good home cooked Greek dinner of stewed vegetables, melt-in-your-mouth lamb, cabbage rolls and a nice slice of eggplant moussaka. One thing that was disappointing though was the baklava. It was too soggy. It made us feel that the dessert was not made fresh on the day they served it.

The last picture on the first row was taken from Westfield at Bondi Beach. It's Lobster Mornay. Nothing really special about it.

The entire second row was from Westfield in Sydney CBD. My absolute favorite food stall will have to be Din Tai Fung (where the Xiao Long Bao came from). We also had their Shrimp and Pork Wonton Noodle Soup and Jia Chiang Noodles (minced pork with black bean paste) which were so good I wished they can open a branch in Melbourne.

The third row (first 3 pictures) were from the Bourke Street Bakery. I have their cookbook and after browsing through it, it went high up on my foodie list of places to visit in Sydney. I adored their beef brisket pie among others. We also had their chocolate tart and rhubarb tart that morning.

On the last row, Caramelt is from Guylian along the Opera House strip, which was a nice, light cake. The next two cupcakes were taken from the Sparkle Cupcakery, loved the Oriental Tea gluten free cupcake! The last pictures (third and last rows) were from Sweet Infinity. I had their Honey and Caramel macaron. Not bad at all.

Whew! =)

SAZL Scenes: Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2011: Theatre of Ideas: Bompas and Barr & Elena Arzak

2011-03-13T19:43:00.012+11:00

I really hesitated when I booked this session of Theatre of Ideas. First off, I didn't know what to expect and I'm not sure if I'm going to get my money's worth. After all, it is $160. I chose the session by Bompas and Parr & Elena Arzak because I thought they're different and yes, admittedly, I was curious.

Bompas and Parr were charming. These two jelly mongers from London know their stuff - and it's all wobbly and shmansy. They started off with no culinary experience whatsoever but there's a passion lingering from their respective fields. One majored in Geography and another in Architecture, they talked about how they found out and experimented on how to make the best jelly, to designing their own moulds and to crazy, out of this world projects for various institutions and industries. These guys are the rockstars of the jelly world. One thing that really caught my attention was when they made the orange striped jelly with orange juice and milk. I know this is nothing revolutionary but I think it was really cool. They also gave us a few samples of jellies to taste. The one I tasted was in a shape of a minitiature Shrine of Remembrance and the flavour was, get this, Gin and Tonic. A teaspoon of this baby will set you off with a bang! The second one I tasted was a Champagne with gold leaf Funeral jelly (a tribute to Funeral cakes). It was beautiful and it made me feel rich. =)

The picture below showed the girl sliding through a pool of jelly, just one of their "small" projects.

The striped orange and white jelly that got my attention.

I was sad with Bompas and Parr had to go but I'm excited over Elena Arzak. Emerging from 4 generations of chefs, she simply had to take on the challenge of revolutionizing their restaurant Arzak, in San Sebastian. She talked a bit about the Basque region and how the food is important to its people, then about experimenting with food and having over 400 spices in their spice room. She believes in the code of flavour and adapting to the Basque taste. She started the demo with a simple (or rather not so simple for us anyway!) beetroot cromlech (beetroot juice and tapioca flour, that's fried and puffs up). The picture below.

The picture above, evolved to the picture below, which is the same tapioca flour, half mixed with squid ink and half with turmeric powder (to explain simply). Underneath it are small squares of foie gras topped with onion relish (among other things) and the plate is sprinkled with 3 types of powder - parsley, linchen/sea urchin and chicken powder (or something made with chicken powder).

She explained a lot of things that day but the one below for me was the highlight. Imagine a plate with a view, literally. The screen underneath the plate shows a video of the beach, so you eat off the screen -- Pan fried monkfish, edible shells, jellied starfishes (made from curacao) and seaweed. This is definitely one dish I would love to try.

Just when I thought that there was nothing exciting about food at all, then I came and met these amazing people who are setting the trend on food and how to step up the experience for the people savouring the food. They believe that food does not only nourish, it has to excite the senses as well. If this is the way food is going, I can't wait to be in the future!

Almost Missed Brunch @ Pope Joan, Nicholson Street

2011-03-12T19:38:00.003+11:00

We decided to take the 96 to Nicholson Street to have brunch at Pope Joan. We had fun getting lost, hoping off then on the tram again. At first, we thought we missed it, but then, PG saw that we need to walk 30 minutes to get there, DG thought it's a good idea to hop on again. Yea, I agree. We got off too early. For those who will be taking the 96, get off 2 stops after Scotchmer Street. Walk half a block and you're there.

DG loved the place the instant we walked in. And I have to admit that the place is charming, probably next to Hardware Societé which is my absolute favorite brunch place in terms of the interiors. We decided to take a seat outside the courtyard because it is a good day to be out and indeed it is.
Coffee is from AllPress, which is nice. We had 2 coffees each. DG promptly checked that the foam was not burnt, an inside joke we started when we had bad coffee at Healesville (Giant Steps). Food-wise, I had the Corned beed croquette, fried egg, celeriac remoulade. I can't really say that it's outstanding or mind-blowing but it is certainly different. Combination was good, I love-love-love the celeriac remoulade, I can have cups of these on a sandwich with whatever meat or seafood. The corned beef croquete was nice and I like the way they made it, it wasn't mushy but still bursting with goodness. I honestly envied PG's choice of Smoked Egg, grilled corn zucchini omelette. A mental note to have it next time.
Nice weather with nice good, good coffee and excellent company. Great way to start off the weekend.

Moomba Festival is on!

Macaron Tiffin @ Aria, The Langham Hotel, Melbourne

2011-03-08T20:34:00.003+11:00

I managed to convince PG and MH to come with me to the Langham for afternoon tea. Mission: Hisako Ogita's macarons. Yes, ladies and gents! She's in town for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. It was actually my first time to have afternoon tea at Aria and I have to say that this place is way nicer than the afternoon tea at the Hotel Windsor and at par with The Tea Room at NGV.

The setting of the lounge is opulent and intimate. I love the gold leaf trimmed lamp shades, the plush velvety sofas and the silver. MH had chai latte, PG had the Well Being tea and I had the White Rose tea. Now, on to the tiffin.

We started from the bottom-tier up to the sweets. The sandwiches were nice. They have your usual cucumber sandwich, egg sandwich and tuna sandwich. I liked the ones with the white bread better than the whole grain ones.

The scones were nice and warm. Crumbly and very buttery, just the way I like it. Smother it with a layer of raspbery jam and clotted cream on top. Bliss.

By the time we had the sweets, we were almost full. We weren't able to finish the top tier. I just had a chocolate coated strawberry and a fruit tart. PG and MH weren't too impressed with the eclair, so I skipped it entirely.

Now, the moment of truth, the macarons. There were three flavors: green tea, pink ginger and chocolate. I liked the pink ginger the best. Texture-wise, the three macarons I had were inconsistent. I think the pink ginger was the best because of the taste and the texture of the macaron. It doesn't have a crunchy top that when you bite into it, it was airy inside (that's what happened to the green tea when I bit into it). The chocolate macaron was too crumbly. Of all the macarons I had, these are the least sweet of all. Sweetest would be from Luxbite (but it depends on the flavor).

Brunch on a Rainy Day @ De Clieu, Gertrude Street

2011-02-27T16:38:00.003+11:00

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

2011-02-26T10:50:00.006+11:00

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

2011-02-21T21:09:00.008+11:00

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

2011-02-21T20:26:00.010+11:00

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

2011-02-06T12:47:00.005+11:00

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.

SAZL Sweats: Pork Medallions with Apple and Cider Sauce

2011-01-30T14:03:00.004+11:00

I haven't really "sweated" for a while since I've been back. The most recent cookbook I bought is from Serge Dansreau called French Kitchen. There are so many good recipes to try out from this book. One of which is the Chicken Confit with Fennel and Olives, which I think will take 2 days to do but I'm sure will be sooo worth it. Ok. Back to my story.

I've been crazy over Bulmer's Pear Cider ever since I saw it from Donna Hay's magazine. Now that I think it's out of season, and now, I got hooked with Bulmer's apple cider.

The recipe is pretty straight forward to do and ingredients are direct to the point. Not a lot of chopping required, too. Yea, you can make this pretty much every week, if your waistline can handle the cream :)

I almost followed the recipe to the letter, except that I estimated my ingredients since I just wanted to make 2 serves out of it. First, 2 apples, peeled, deseeded and quartered. Heat a pan with olive oil and butter, slightly fry the apples. When slightly browned, sprinkle some white sugar to caramelize the apples. Remove to a plate.

Pour apple cider into the pan, maybe 150mls, and reduce by half. Set aside. Wipe the pan clean and heat butter. Dust seasoned (with salt and pepper) pork medallions (I used lean pork cutlets)with flour and fry in the heated pan with butter, 4 minutes on each side. Set aside.

Wipe the pan clean. Pour the reduced cider, cream and chopped sage (about a handful), season with salt and pepper and simmer. Add the pork back to the pan and simmer for 5minutes in the sauce. Lastly, add the apples back in, simmer before serving.

Here's a picture of the final stage of simmering...

And before I enjoy the dish...

Overall, it's yummy. I have to say that I never really had a dish where the main herb is just sage. So pork, apples and sage = good. I'll make it again but I'll caramelize the apples more. Maybe use brown sugar the next time.

Familiar Tastes @ Bourke and Collins Streets, Melbourne CBD

2011-01-29T15:11:00.004+11:00

A friend bailed for brunch so I ended up waking early with nothing to do. I could have gone to brunch by myself anyway but couldn't be bothered. I didn't want to waste a fine day for sure. It's 30 degrees out and I've been itching for summer all year long.

So, my day started with a trip to the South Melbourne Market. What the hell? I needed food anyway. I got Philippa's sourdough bread, some shaved ham, ground coffee beans from Padré (which is just amazing, by the way) and some fruits. I realized that I wanted to make that French dish with pork and apples so I also got me some of that and sage. Ok. All set. I'm not leaving the market without eating something. It's peach season, everybody! Peaches, nectarines, more peaches and apricots. I haven't had fresh apricots before so I tried some today. I simply loved these babies! They're plump and not sickeningly sweet. Well, I think most people preferred them dried to enhance the fruit's sweetness more but I just like them as they are. Another new thing that caught my eye is Organic Donuts from Fritz Gelato. The other good thing about it, probably besides being organic that they make it right on the spot! I ordered one Cinnamon flavored organic donut and, how can I say this? It made my day....Ok, ok, it's not the best and perfect donut but....! I never had a fresh one before so this was really some treat. I kept licking the cinnamon sugar-y goodness off my fingertips! Yum oh yum! Apologies, no pictures from my South Melbourne market trip. Next time, I promise....
Ok, so back to the topic at hand. Everyone knows that Chinese new year is just around the corner. Understand that most of the people I work with in the office are either: A. Indians or B. Asians. So yea, it's kind of a big deal :) I decided to spread some good cheer and give red pockets out this year. Well, of course, it will be restriced to friends who have kids, which is just two people. LOL. Walking around Chinatown is not really a huge chore, I quickly got some red pockets (with adorable My Melody cartoons). Aside from some picture taking and some more walking, my tummy started rumbling. I really didn't want to sit down and eat somewhere in Chinatown. I finally thought of heading over to Pacific BBQ and getting my usual Roast Duck with Dry Noodles. I can't begin to tell you how much I missed this dish. I've been around town eating roast duck but still, I liked this one just because...well...just because.
Another craving I had today is for something sweet, and when I say something, I mean, anything! The Greek Precinct sits comfortably beside Pacific BBQ so I went to International Cakes to get myself a sweet Walnut Tart. I had this one with my freshly brewed Padré coffee. I was in heaven....

And now, here I am...idling away at the park...blogging...the day is not yet over...enjoy the rest of your day :)

Coffee, Milk and Tea @ St Ali, South Melbourne

2011-01-26T19:43:00.008+11:00

Original plan: BBQ @ DG's place. Lazy plan: Brunch @ St Ali with WL. Given that we get a one day break from the hectic work week, how would you like to spend it? I'm torn. But in the end, the one with the best coffee wins. I've heard so much about St Ali that sometimes I think, is it too overrated? I checked Google and it has over 200 reviews!

There was a fairly long wait when WL and I got to St Ali -- around 30-35 minutes. Ok, cool. We walked across the street and saw this quaint independent gallery. It currently displays old works from a photographer. He took pictures of artists such as U2, Red Hot Chilli Pepper, Faye Dunaway, all in black and white. Pretty neat stuff. In the end, we decided to wait outside the cafe, so that we won't miss it when we finally get a table.

Inside wasn't as cozy as I expected. True that it has high ceilings but there's something missing. It was too....raw. Not sure if that's the right way to put it but it seems to me that the place was half finished and the bad spots covered by coffee bean bags. Interiors aside, the service was immaculate. Kudos to the ladies who catered to our every whim and were sensitive to our uh...needs =D

Coffee. St Ali's has a distinct taste. Don't get me wrong, it's absolutely not bad at all and it easily slips into my top 3 coffees I've had in all my brunch experiences. I was actually tempted to get another one but they ran out of skinny milk and I didn't want to push the soy in my latte.

Food. Definitely, coming back for more. WL had the secret recipe corn fritters, a.k.a. My Mexican Cousin, I had a bite and it was good. Though today, I was after something lighter and more muted. I had the grilled asparagus with poached eggs, serrano ham and truffle dressing. I compared it to the version of grilled asparagus I had at Outpost and I can't decide which one I liked more. True, both versions are different but equally good. Though I think the grilled asparagus over here were greasier (but tastier). The serrano ham worked well with the richness of the poached eggs and the earthiness of the grilled asparagus. It was just.too.good.

Milk. Ok. Another addition that we had after the meal was their Hot cardamom infused almond milk. Asians out there, you know what I'm talking about. You can't really say you're truly Asian, well more of Chinese really, if you haven't had almond milk at some point in your life. It's a nutty flavored milk processed from almonds and St Ali has this hands down. It's not as thick as I would have liked but the cardamom added just the right touch into it. Cinnamon would have worked well too. You could get a powdered version of almond milk that will be too sweet from Asian groceries.
Tea. Now, the tea wasn't completely necessary but WL and I were getting into the talk. It seemed rude to not order anything while talking so we ordered lemongrass and ginger tea which was quite ok. I normally go for peppermint but hey, I can break away from my normal routine.

Overall, St Ali gets my thumbs up. Will definitely be back for more.

And oh, Happy Australia Day! =)

Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles By Mazet

2011-01-08T22:42:00.003+11:00

Whenever I go for my haircut, I always take a sidetrip to Simon Johnson. Now, I clearly don't have the intention of buying anything, or so I thought. I'm not really a lover of chocolate, or any food in particular, but I do enjoy the finer things -- artisan cheese, hand-made bread, truffles.

As I took up this box of Mazet's chocolates (which was the last one, by the way), I thought I didn't have any idea of what it is...it's all in French. The store clerk approached me, knowing that I'm puzzled. I could however, easily guess that it's chocolate. Chocolate with caramel, perhaps? Yes, it is. But, there's something more. It's salted caramel, he added. Ha! Now, I got exceptionally curious. Some months back, I've read so much from other sources that salted caramel is just divine, with or without chocolate. There's something about the sweetness of the caramel, sprinkled with that salty taste that almost everyone loves. You see, I've never really tried salted caramel before, well, maybe some version of it in some dessert but it's always been with chocolate. The store clerk also assured me that Mazet's creates one of the finest chocolates, and I will be happy with my purchase. Ok. I'm sold.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I open the box, but it's too nicely packaged that I'm afraid I might break it. Anyway, I still did. Looks to me there's a mixture of dark and milk chocolates in the box. As I bit into one, first impression is that there were rice crisps inside the truffle. So it's actually pieces of salted caramel in a soft chocolate centre (a ganaché), covered with chocolate. To say that it's fine quality is true enough, the chocolate was not too sweet and very smooth. It melted on my fingers in as little as 20 seconds. As for the salted caramel part of it all, it is actually hard, salted caramel bits, which was nice in contrast with the chocolate.

Will I buy it again? Well...I will try another one of Mazet's creations but maybe a bar of dark chocolate and without fruits or nuts...or caramel.

SAZL Scenes: Puka Beach, Boracay Islang, Philippines

2011-01-02T14:12:00.004+11:00

Just thought I'd share some pictures of the places I've been to while I'm away. It's a known fact that I'm a beach girl, coming from a tropical country. These are remnants of my vacation.

New Year's Day Dinner @ Tao Yuan Restaurant, Manila, Philippines

2011-01-01T13:35:00.000+11:00

After a day trip to Tagaytay (this is a city that's an hour's drive from Manila but that day's traffic was exceptionally crazy, it took us 4hrs to drive back home), we were all starving from the drive and wanted some dinner. In Manila's Chinatown, it is not unusual for people not to book, unless you're expecting 100 guests. Most of the time, you have to wait for 10-15mins and they'll have a table ready for you. Yes, it just takes us less than an hour to order, to be served, eat and then leave. No kidding.

So what did we have for our first dinner of the year? At Tao Yuan's. A few night's ago, Mom took us to this same place, except that we had their hot pot (yup, you cook your own food but it was good). This time around, we ordered from their a la carte menu. To my surprise, they actually specialize in Malaysian-Singaporean dishes so this is actually NOT a Chinese restaurant but South-East Asian. Hmm....

Below is their version of Tong Po Pork, that is, Braised Pork Belly with Man Tao (steamed white buns). For me, this is the best braised pork I've eaten outside. The soy sauce was just right and it's not too salty or too sweet like the other Filipino altered Chinese tong-po dishes I've had almost my entire life. Eaten with the man tao is just a touch of sheer genius. You can also eat this with rice but the experience will be different.

This is their version of Fried Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce. Instead of pineapples, they used ripe and green mangoes to contrast archieve the sweet and sour tastes of the sauce. All in all, it's not bad.

Fried Ho Fan with Chinese Sweet Sausage. Just average and not too salty.

Apart from the braised pork, this is my next favorite dish of the night: Hainanese Chicken. There is this great debate about whether Hainanese Chicken was invented in Malaysia or Singapore but I have to say that here in Chinatown, come to Tao Yuan for the best Hainanese Chicken. The chicken pieces are flavorsome and juicy with a very silky texture. You can eat this without the sauces.

Lechon @ La Loma, Quezon City, Philippines

2010-12-31T13:46:00.000+11:00

What will the New Year be without lechon? This Philippine delicacy has been revisited and reinvented but nothing beats the lechon from good ol' La Loma. Just looking at the picture below brings back childhood memories of drives to this place every year, where me and my cousins will pick out the fattest and shiniest looking pig. Of course, we seldom order the whole thing, imagine the fat and calories each succulent pig has! But, oh dear, it's all worth it.

As with all sinfully good food, the best part is definitely the skin. This should be the part that you eat first, while it's hot and crispy, or else, you'll lose that crunchiness. Next, move on to that piece of meat with fat layered on top of it. Just a bite will send you off to lovely, piggy heaven...well, not too soon, I hope =). Happy New Year, everyone!

Pre-Christmas Dinner @ El Cirkulo, Pasay Road, Makati

2010-12-22T20:03:00.000+11:00

If you're around in Manila, you have to try the roasted suckling pig at El Cirkulo. Having lechon or roasted suckling pig in the Philippines is part of every special occasion, and I do mean every special occasion. I know this is so loaded with calories and fat but being a Filipino would mean embracing the culture, which includes the food =D.

Having eaten lechon from almost every shop that sells it in Manila, the one at El Cirkulo surely stands out--the flesh was just melts in your mouth and the skin was so crispy, not soggy and oily at all.

We ordered half of the suckling pig which is good for 8 people. Believe me when I say, we totally wiped that suckling pig off the plate!

Boracay Times @ Sur Beach Resort, Boracay, Aklan

2010-12-21T16:02:00.001+11:00

One of the best times I've had during my visit in the Philippines is our trip to Boracay. We stayed at a cozy resort called Sur at Station 1 (the beach area is divided into 3 stations). One of my family's requirments is that the place should be affordable and with a view, well, a beach front view, and Sur fit the bill.

However, we weren't expecting Sur to have one big fat secret: an in-house chef. You can ask Chef Jack Piangco to cook practically anything for you. If it's seafood you want, he can help you shop for them and recommend which way is best to prepare and serve the fresh seafood in the market. You can also tell him what time you would like to have lunch or dinner so that all you do is come down and eat! What more could you ask for?

Here's a rundown of what we had. Most of them were steamed so that we can taste the lovely sweetness of the seafood. The best I've had was the lobster. Yum!

Aria Italian Restaurant @ Boracay, Aklan

2010-12-18T19:05:00.000+11:00

On our first night in Boracay, we wanted something nice and light. Aria is one of the more popular places in the beach, if you prefer food that is not grilled. Surprisingly, the pizza and pasta were both good, considering that we're at the beach and not really in the city. We had pasta Arrabiata and a Napolitana pizza.

SAZL Scenes: Oriental Lilies

2010-11-12T17:27:00.003+11:00

After a week of work, I left early one Friday and went to Bountiful Garden, the flower shop next door. I always have this crazy idea of taking off one day to Paris and working for a florist. The Bountiful Garden is just idyllic and almost dramatic. I just want to stay there forever. Apart from the atmosphere, this is the first time I'm getting my weekly flowers from there and I'm glad I did. The pink Oriental lilies are just lovely to look at, not to mention that they smell so good. I actually wasn't aware of their scent until one day, I opened the door to my apartment and this sweet swiff of fresh lovely scent reached me. I'll always remember that moment when I realized that the scent came from the lilies and how relaxed I felt after a long day's work.

Healthy Flintstones @ Ishiya Stonegrill Restaurant, Little Bourke Street

2010-11-09T21:29:00.005+11:00

Between our previous bites and musings, the term stonegrill has been mentioned a few times at the dinner table. We're all excited about trying out the different types of restaurants around and outside the city, especially those that offer a unique dining experience. Stonegrilling is not an ancient art but I must say one of the healthier forms of cooking food. Having tried the Korean place down Little Bourke and King, I know we're in for a hot night. Today in the city is a lovely 26 degrees, probably not the best time for stonegrilling but what the heck.

With PG and I had the T-bone special, with a plate of sashimi, cold side dishes of asparagus and cucumber. I know the pictures are horrendous because of the lighting but the sashimi slices were fresh and just the right size. I also liked the asparagus and cucumber side dishes, which were tasty palate cleansers and balances the robust flavor of the beef.Now, on to stonegrilling. Word of caution, the slab of volcanic stone is 400C. And surprisingly, lasts for almost an hour. While cooking the meat, it is not smoky at all and the smell does not cling to your hair and clothes (thank God!).
Downsides include: #1 the meat was not seasoned well, it lacked a certain flavor but then again, maybe that's not a bad thing, if you're into the more muted flavor or meat. The sauces definitely did not make up for it. Amazingly, 5 sauces were (from the top: ponzu, wasabi and black pepper, sesame, garlic butter and miso, and teriyaki) not enough to make up for it. #2 The basic rule is to cut and cook the raw meat on the stone. It will be better if the raw meat is separated from the stone grill, maybe another plate, where you cut the raw meat and place it on the stone to cook. I know it won't improve the taste and a mere personal preference.All in all, it was definitely a pleasant experience. Will come back again to try stonegrilling seafood. Sidenote: went to the newly opened Passionflower for ice cream. AZUKI RED BEAN ICE CREAM ROCKS!

Asian-Fusion Tapas @ Huxtable, Smith Street

2010-11-08T20:56:00.009+11:00

For people who have heard about the Cosby show, you'll be familiar with their family name, Huxtable. PG gave us a brief rundown of the tv show -- all African American, ran for about 6-7 years, comedic, wholesome, family-show. I've heard of it before, I might have seen bits and pieces of the series but can't really remember any of it now. All I'm concerned about right now, regardless of the name, is the food.

I haven't read a lot of reviews about this place but I'm a real fan of the entire small bites and shared plates concept. Having come from South East Asia, where sharing food is the main attraction of every meal, having smaller plates and bites is actually pretty exciting for me. It simply means that you get to taste different well-thought out morsels without getting too full (or maybe deceivingly so).

Huxtable has a strangely pleasant and earthy atmosphere, almost heady. The bar is facing the open kitchen (think Cumulus Inc.). Staff is really knowledgeable, friendly and chatty. Drinks are in order. WL managed to choose the wine for us (and for the first time! Bravo!), which is a nice, savory rosé from Bordeaux, France.

For the bites, we ordered what we wanted to try but I had the olive crumbed anchovy mozzarella and smoked tomato. Olive and anchovy crust was an interesting texture and saltiness to the entire chewy mozzarella. The smoked tomato puree is tangy but I think lacked that distinct "smokiness". Overall, a nicely presented bite.
My other choice is the rice flour crusted oyster po'boy, iceberg and sriracha mayo. This is a weird choice for me. When the dish arrived, I'm surprised to see that it's actually a very crusty sandwich (and I do mean very) with 3 crusted and fried pieces of oysters on a bed of iceberg lettuce dressed in spicy mayo. To be honest, I liked the combination but I'm looking for something else in between, maybe a fillet of fish like sardines or mackerel will be good.
To share, first dish is the kingfish sashimi, pear kimchi. I love, love, love the pear kimchi! It's sweet and not too spicy at the same time. Try having a piece of the kingfish sashimi with kimchi and it's divine...

Korean pork ribs, spicy slaw, chilli gherkin. The ribs are tender and spicy and the gherkin balances it all out. I can't remember the gherkin being spicy though.
Roasted duck breast, soy braised daikon, sour plum. Combination is good and concept is very Japanese. Lightness of the daikon cuts through the roasted duck breast. Enjoyable. For dessert, I had the strawberry and marscapone cheescake, pistachio sauce. I must say that this one is not too heavy and almost fluffy. Not your average New York style cheesecake but delicate enough to go hand in hand with the pistachio sauce. I would like it better with whipped cream than the pistachio sauce.

Buck Rarebit and the Late Coffee @ Small Block, Lygon Street

2010-11-06T17:11:00.004+11:00

I'm not really a fan of Lygon Street and this trip to Small Block has it's little surprises. Lygon Street actually reaches out from the city to Brunswick East and the numbers start over. Good thing DG drove us to this place, or else we'll be walking 3kms from the city-side Lygon Street to the Brunswick East-side.

For the most part, Small Block reminds me of Porgie and Jones except that Porgie's coffee is prompt and nice, while Small Block's late and weak. Coffee should be ordered first and will mostly likely arrive midway through the meal. Most of us are not used to having breakfast with water. I need coffee with my brunch.

Breakfast/brunch options are a bit inspired but not ambitious. DG thinks the brunch lacks flavor. I had the Buck Rarebit. It's toasted bagel with whole grain mustard, melted gruyere, grilled asparagus, poached eggs and chilli jam. It's tasty but it's still missing something else.We decided to order muffins because we were not satisfied. Additional coffee was in order. Muffins arrived. Coffee came after. Not a good sign. They need more baristas.

Mexican Haven @ Mamasitas, Collins Street

2010-10-31T15:05:00.006+11:00

The first time I attempted to have dinner at Mamasitas was a couple of weeks ago. I arrived at the address a little early, just eager to see what it looked like and hopefully, get us a table. Believe it or not, on a cold Saturday night, there was a queue of almost 40 people outside. MD and his wife arrived late that night and Mamasitas won't seat you until your entire party arrived. Tough luck, so we left for Izakaya Den.

The second attempt was better because we actually got a seat. We booked tickets to see The Nutcracker, so we went for a pre-theatre dinner. Walking up that dark flight of stairs, you will be greeted by the endless bustle of the bar, the kitchen and the hoard of excited people consuming their Mexican tapas-style food. To be honest, the next place I know that serves Mexican food (that is edible) is Amigos (please don't squirm). I've heard a lot about Mamasitas and PG has been here before, so I have high expectations.

The menu is pretty extensive and somewhat foreign. It is also printed on some kind of subway map or train route of the city. The list looked foreign to me but well explained. So quickly, we picked what we liked from it along with a few drinks.

Chicken Mole - possibly the least favorite. The chicken breast was a bit dry and this was my first mole dish. The taste was a bit confusing but interesting at the same time. I guess I'm trying to make out where the cacao flavor is. It's a bit spicy but not hot. This is definitely a decadent dish for poultry.

Ceviche - PG loved this one. I've had bad experiences with ceviche before, having had them in Manila. Most of the time in a tropical city like Manila, eating raw fish submerged til cooked in vinegar is not a good thing. For my palate, this one passes the test. Try it if you're looking for Mexican style sashimi.

Bite sized tacos - The one on the left is with crabmeat and avocado and on the right is red beans with corn. The one on the right won hands down. Really tasty and it sits well with the small taco. The crabmeat one is a bit confused in flavor.

Quesadilla with truffle oil and mushrooms - This is a unique combo and we all loved it. I can't really sense the truffle oil from the quesadilla. We rarely go for anything vegetarian but this one is really good. The mushrooms made up for the meaty texture. I can eat this by myself. Yea, I'll do that next time.

Prawns with green almond sauce - This dish is the night's winner. The green almond sauce was just amazing. It's rich, creamy and reminded me of a pesto flavored sauce on top of grilled prawns, except that it's less oily. I can imagine this sauce on pasta with pecorino.

Chocolate pudding - I know I raved about the Spiced Chocolate pudding in Portello Rosso being the best out there. This one will be number two. Remember to save room for this one.

Ambiance-wise, the place is terribly small and most times you have to share tables with other people, which rules out your privacy. Seated from anywhere, you seem to be near the entry-way, where hungry people wait for your table. In terms of service, they're very curt and helpful, offering the occasional chat when they're not busy ushering food out from the kitchen, through the bar and to the table.

Bidding for Brunch @ Auction Rooms, North Melbourne

2010-08-30T04:29:00.006+10:00

I'm a sucker for high ceilings. I fall in love with places that actually has beams and exposed ceiling structures, like showing off their skeletons. Besides that, the space helps circulate the smell of coffee and food. Aside from the interior, there are many reasons why I liked Auction Rooms. They have an open kitchen and the food cranking out from there is just damn good. The long queue and 15-20min wait explain everything. Coffee, to be honest, is not consistent. There will be good and bad days. Total hits out of 5 is perhaps 2 (times I had good coffee there).
Now, back to the food. My first time, I had the counter bid which was mushroom ragout with poached eggs on top of polenta. It was lovely. Delicate flavours, interesting texture and well-thought out combination ticked all the boxes for me. My next visits I had the Pork Knuckle sandwich (definitely one of the many good sandwiches I've had in Melbourne) and the Salmon Pastrami (which in my opinion is the ultimate brunch for ladies, light and healthy).

Overall, Auction Rooms reminds me of a cafe I would drive out to on a sunny weekend, catching up with friends over coffee (hopefully good on that day to make it perfect and worth fussing about) and having a good laugh about Wii.

Modern Vietnamese @ Coda Bar + Restaurant

2010-08-15T14:21:00.005+10:00

I'm so glad my friends agreed to come to have dinner at Coda after watching Comedy of Errors at the Athenaeum Theatre. Coda has been on my list of places to eat for ages and finally, fate has brought us together.

I've read some reviews that food here is mediocre, service is slow (and sometimes left some confused people who actually have booked tables) and noisy. When I walked in, I was surprised to experience a relaxed and spacious atmosphere, though Coda is located at the basement. I absolutely loved the fishnet lightings, which made it Asian, rustic and dramatic. There's something almost trashy but still classy about the whole setup.

If you're a fan of prawns, you have to try the Sugar Cane prawn with sweet chilli sauce. It's balls of minced, flavoursome prawn meat with a sugar cane stuck into it like a lollipop. The crunchy texture outside reminded me of fried vermicelli and of course, you cannot have this without the sweet chilli sauce. The prawn balls by themselves were tasty.

I had the Hervey Bay scallop, pearl tapioca and Yarra valley salmon caviar. I loved this one. It actually has melted cheese on the bottom which is kind of like gratinated scallop with salmon roe. Combination-wise, it's very subtle which is perfect because you want to taste the sweetness of the scallop.

Buffalo mozzarella, zucchini fritters, mint and pea salad. This dish has everything that I love on a plate. Fresh mozzarella pieces, zucchini fritters and the freshness of mint and peas. Having recently discovered the convenience of frozen peas, it is fast becoming my favorite vegetable. But of course, the peas used here are so busting with sweetness, they remind me of sweet corn. The dish is simply drizzled with olive oil. You can't go wrong with this one.

Salted cod fritters is WY's dish of choice and surprisingly, the salted cod tasted like crabmeat! It's a must-try as well if you like the texture of crabmeat. Flavour-wise, I'm not too crazy about it, I think it lacks something that I can't put my finger into.

Main dish is Sizzling plate of beef, roasted chilli, kingbrown mushrooms, wing beans and thai basil with rice on the side. It reminded me of a hot Asian kitchen that is so steamy with aromatic soy-based flavors and it made me drool with delight. On the other hand, it also reminded me of food courts in Manila that serve beef steaks on sizzling hot plates overloaded with gravy sauce and garlic-flavoured rice. In short, it reminded me of home.

I had the best soufflé hands-down at Vue de Monde. So I know I got to try Coda's soufflé of the day: Apricot with orange ice cream and gingerbread. The verdict? I have to say it's at par with Vue de Monde's. The apricot taste is just bursting inside my mouth and so clean tasting, I was in soufflé heaven. WY also raved about her dessert which consisted of black sesame ice cream with banana fritters. She loved the ice cream so much that she literally wiped her plate clean! Way to go! =)

SAZL Scenes: Pink Rose and String of Pearls

2010-08-01T19:43:00.004+10:00

Just hanging around tonight, feasting on a blueberry danish I bought from Dench Bakers yesterday morning. I just love their Olive and Rosemary bread toasted up. For me, that's a meal in itself.

Today has been laid back. PG and I went to brunch/lunch at Tom Phat and it quickly became our favorite place to eat. Pork Belly with Red Curry reminds me of how my Uncle W would cook his fried pork belly. The skin was not crispy at all but flavorsome and chewy, it stuck to my tooth. Yum! If only it's closer to my place. I'm looking forward to try their Roti Martabak and Twice Cooked Duck with Chilli-Caramel sauce among others. After walking around Sydney Road, we went back to the city and figured that we're both craving for macarons at the Tea Room, which we just had yesterday. I had two for take-away: Ginger and Green Tea Lime Vodka.

After a short trip to DFO, we called it a day. Out of boredom, I took pictures of a string of pearls a bought some time back. I'll never leave home without this string of pearls. Strangely, I feel naked without them. Seems like my outfit is not as complete. Paired with a pink rose, I think they look romantic and feminine. Sigh...a few hours left before it's Monday again, back to work...

Classic High Tea @ The Tea Room, National Gallery of Victoria

2010-07-31T20:20:00.004+10:00

The last time WY and I went to Persimmon for lunch, she's already been keeping an eye out for high tea at The Tea Room. Needless to say that this cafe is conveniently located inside the NGV, where you can walk a few calories off after treating yourself to pastries and sandwiches or rest your feet after feasting yourself on some art pieces.

Naturally, the Afternoon Tea selection is on our list but we are also starving, after skipping lunch (and breakast). We ordered the Silver Needle and Assam tea to complete our afternoon tea experience. Our tier came soon with smallish sausage rolls, chicken and mushroom pie, 3 finger sandwiches, 2 scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam, chocolate tarts, strawberries and cream boat, a small lemon and vanilla cupcake, 2 macarons and 2 eclairs. Overall, I have to say that the tier is better than the one we had at the Hotel Windsor. It has definitely more quality and each bite is just good.

I also had the Croque Monsieur with Rocket Salad. Very simple but well-executed. The crust of the bread has a crunchy goodness to it without being chewy. Lovely cheese is just melting all around. However, I'm missing the bechemel, remembering Le Triskel.

But we're not finished yet. Having tried the macarons on the tier and WY was a bit disappointed. So we decided to order a fresh round of macarons. To our surprise, our server started giving us a long list of flavors. We got the lychee, pistachio, caramel and chocolate. PG raved on the caramel and chocolate macarons. WY sampled the lot and loved everything. I loved the lychee (and rosewater, if I might add) macarons. I can't stop raving about the lychee macarons. I just loved the silver sparkles on top. You see, I've never had anything with silver sparkles before :).

The place was so busy as we left but we were never left unattended. We walked to the dessert display and we were awestruck with the number of macaron flavors. Imagine, they have a BUBBLE GUM flavored macaron! Our waiter also informed but that the pastry chef studied in France while the chef came from England. Did not get their names, however.

Loved the service, the crew, the desserts, the macarons and we'll be back for more!

PS. Pictures were taken from PG's new HTC Desire phone. Oh, and I want one =D

Drinking Party + Good Food @ World Restaurant and Bar, Southbank

2010-07-23T16:24:00.000+10:00

I'm glad PG suggested to come to this place for dinner. There is a lot to like about the place. I actually didn't care so much about the interiors. It's roomy and slightly cozy, with enough space that your elbows won't bump into some unknown stranger's and far enough that the people on the other table won't know what you're talking about. Tonight is some sort-of a drinking night for us, because we are looking forward to the end of the work week. FRIDAY FINALLY ARRIVED!

Given that we are really not party animals though we do like our drinks. PG and I will usually share a bottle of wine but tonight is cocktail night. I have no idea how PG spotted Green Tea Party from the list of cocktails. It is meant for 2 people to share but, what the heck, we ordered us each a pot of it. From the description: this cocktail brings together Jose Cuevo Tequila,
Smirnoff Citrus Vodka and the much under-rated yet deliciously divine Zen Green Tea
Liqueur. all are complimented with freshly squeezed lemon and lime and topped with
lemonade. Something new to try out and I have to say, we both loved it immensely. It tasted exactly like well-sweetened lemonade, which, according to the Handbook for Drunks, is dangerous if you can't taste alcohol from a concoction that's supposed to have it.

Food service here is fast. I orderd the Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya with Corn Bread. I haven't had jambalaya for a while. I really hoped it was just gumbo (sans rice) but it really tasted a lot like soupy paella. Serving is generous, I counted more than 5 pieces of prawns and heafty pieces of yummy chorizo. Thumbs-up for the generosity! Rice is cooked just to the bite, not too mushy at all. Another side to the whole jambalaya fiesta is the corn bread. It's milky with pieces of corn in it but texture is a bit doughy. I think I'm expecting corn muffin texture but overall, it's not bad at all. Dessert is also generous. Dark Chocolate Creme Brulee. How can you go wrong? Fell in love with the crunchy topping at first sight. Taste is creamy and not overly sweet. You'll definitely taste the dark chocolate from the custard base. Good and yummy.After all that, PG and I got Cosmos for our last hurdle. Here's to living the single life and to lovely friends!

Lovely Brekky Burrito @ Las Chicas, Carlisle Street

2010-07-12T21:57:00.002+10:00

There is lots to love about Las Chicas. One of the things that I loved aside from BBB and pancakes (wickedly paired with bacon and maple syrup!) is my recent discovery that is Brekky Burrito.

I'll keep this blog short, because it's making my mouth water as I think about it. Imagine a mountain of light and fluffy scrambled eggs, wrapped in a soft tortilla, topped with fresh salsa (not the bottled kind which consists of tomatoes and red onions), fresh cilantro, mashed avocado and, oh, did I mention bacon? Yes, there's bacon in there.

Lovely, lovely, lovely. Isn't that just picture perfect?

Selfishness and Seafood Galore @ The Waterfront, Crown Hotel and Casino

2010-07-10T21:32:00.004+10:00

I've been busy with work lately. I started with a new team with a new perspective. But it doesn't mean that I've stopped eating! I have been around too much and unfortunately, been forgetting to bring my camera along. Damn. I have to have better memory. There were some places I must admit that I intentionally forget to bring my camera along, reason being that the place was just too good to share with other people. I have to stop being selfish! Ok. Enough ranting. Moving on.

************************************

One of the more recent places I've been to is The Waterfront at the Crown Hotel and Casino. Sis saw this place last December and she's been wanting to try it. We decided to skip dinner and just go since Crown is less than a block away from where I'm staying.

Sashimi is a must on our list because I did some research and found that this is one of the places where they serve decent sashimi. Needless to say, I was impressed though I still think Yu-u has my vote on the best and freshest sashimi in the city. Not a bad effort. Sis liked it a lot. On our sashimi plate is their sashimi selection: salmon, tuna, king fish.Sis' main is a prawn stir-fry with rice. Fresh but she didn't like the Asian touch to it all that well. Mine is seafood marinara. I have to say that I liked it because (1) it is olive oil based without the oily texture, (2) just enough seafood, (3) well salted, and (4) nice touch of chilli. A well-balanced dish and generous.

Lastly, I would come back here for the view. Sitting outside, the view of the Yarra River was lingering with the light wind playing with our hair. The hotel's infamous torches were also firing up every hour, providing a bit of warmth to the slightly cool evening breeze. What more could you ask for?

Before Fame @ The Italian, Collins Street

2010-07-01T14:57:00.003+10:00

I love eating that The Italian because it's always unpredictable. Whenever you've decided what to get from the menu, you're bound to change your mind, after they tell you the specials.

We didn't have wine that night but the waiter offered to whip something up for us, depending on what we like. I told him that I like peach. It wasn't in season anymore but he assures me that the bar tender will think of something. A few moments later, my peach inspired mocktail arrived and I have to say, I'm impressed. The peach drink tasted like candy but not overly sweet. It does tastes something out of a juice box but with that added Italian flare. Try it some time.

For our entree, we had thinly sliced veal with tuna salad. Not really the ideal combination but somehow, it works. I loved the poached veal so much that I just wanted to eat it on its own. The tuna salad at first was out of place with that slightly mayonnaise-y, celery, slightly onion-y taste but all in all, it brings the dish together.

My main is rolled rabbit loin stuffed with pork fennel sausage and a jus. I can't tell exactly what it is, but I can taste red wine and beef stock. Pretty odd pair for rabbit. I would like the jus to be replaced by something lighter, maybe a consomme or broth. I liked the rabbit but one downside, it's not fully cooked inside. Though light, firm-fleshed and given that it has a very tasty filling which I couldn't get enough of!

All in all, it was a good meal. I will definitely come back for their specials.

Birthday Brunch @ Lawson Grove Shop

2010-06-15T18:58:00.005+10:00

PG's first comment was, "Is that someone's house?" The Lawson Grove Shop is that homey. What I liked most about it is that it's snuggly tucked away from view and from the rest of the world but still, people come together to eat at the cafe. Walking in, it makes you feel as if you've stepped back in time, when there were cows chewing on the green grass and chickens outside.

While it is tucked away, it is no secret to the people living nearby. The coffee is from Gravity and it's smooth, silky and not burnt. I want another one. Food, of course, is the reason why people come back for more. It's rustic, simple yet filling. It is also original and tasty. WL had the french toast with marscapone and poached quince, PG had the baked eggs with sausage (he loved the sausage so much he saved it for last) and I had the brekky burritto. Someone seated beside us talked about how another person loved the breakfast special--toasted brioche with sauteed mushrooms.

Service was fast and quiet, I hardly noticed because the conversation and the company were so good. My brekky burritto has a bit of spice in it which is alright for me. I haven't had spicy breakfast in a while, so this is not bad at all. The scrambled eggs were cooked just creamy and not overly dry, it complemented the rich sour cream and the red kidney beans. A hit of fresh coriander completes the ensemble and it's time to dig in again for another bite.

As our new acquaintance left us, waving pleasantly good-bye, he wished us well saying, "I don't believe in coincidence but I believe in energy and am sure we'll see each other again". If energy will bring us back together again at Lawson Grove Shop, then life's definitely a treat.

SAZL Sweats: Humble Boiled Potatoes

2010-06-05T12:18:00.005+10:00

Almost everybody who knows me understand why I love to watch Pride and Prejudice. The music, the scenery, the costumes, the screenplay and let's not forget the parties, table settings and the food. Food-wise, it might not be significant and somewhat minimal but most happenings were around the table, while they were having breakfast, lunch or dinner. Of course, Jane Austen did not focus on food but on the people. In the movie, however, Mr. Collins complimented on the "excellent boiled potatoes" that night when he came over to the Austen residence to chose a wife. From the stack of huge chunks of boiled potatoes, I noticed that it was glistening and specked with herbs and thought, what does it actually taste like? Most potato dishes I've had were fried, baked or braised. Granted all these were tasty and memorable (like the beetroot and potato gratin at Momo) but boiled potatoes? Hmm...

So I came up with my idea of boiled potatoes, it may not be as healthy but it is really, really yummy!

Ingredients:

4 potatoes, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons cream (any will do, I believe that cream cheese or ricotta will also work well)

1 tablespoon dried parsley

few knubs of butter

a pinch of salt

Method:

Place cut potatoes into a large pot with cold water just enough to cover the potatoes. Bring this to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain the water and return the potatoes to the pot. Place the rest of the ingredients in until butter is melted. Serve warm.

I know it's so simple and you can probably add more or less into the boiled potatoes but on a cold day like this...it's the perfect boiled potatoes for me.

Fine Afternoon Tea @ Hotel Windsor, Spring Street

2010-05-17T20:18:00.008+10:00

I finally got to go to afternoon tea. I'm often by myself when out eating but I thought about having someone to share afternoon tea with me. Really, would afternoon tea work when you're by yourself?? Fortunately, sis is here to save me from solitude. Hehe. Apart from that, she actually has a purpose. The weekend afternoon tea at the Hotel Windsor is served buffet style aside from the tier, which means I get to try more desserts-half a bite for each of us =).

I loved the atmosphere inside the restaurant. It's feminine and light, almost dream-like. I also loved the dark chandeliers dotted around the room, the high ceilings and the heavy curtains. I'm surprised that every table is full. That day, there were two tables with women dressed in pink with fur, headbands and white gloves. It made me feel like I'm in a real afternoon tea party.Aside from the ambiance, of course, I'm here for the food. First, a rose colored champagne is served, followed by tea or coffee, then the 3-tiered afternoon pastries. From the top are scones, savory pastries and finger sanwiches. I've heard so much about cucumber sandwiches and this is also my first time to try one. My first reaction is: is this all there is to a cucumber sandwich?? Oh, well. The savory pastries is another story. It's not as great as I expected to be but I guess it's all traditional and they stuck to it.

But, there's another reason why we came and it's the buffet table. It's not a huge spread but you can easily see the effort it took to think up of almost 6 different fruit pies/tarts, 4 different cakes, a chocolate fountain, crepes and 8 little pastries/cakes. It's unfortunate that they did not have names for all the sweets on display at the table but they're all good. Here are some of them:It's all very nice but I don't think I would go for something like this everyday. Going there is definitely a sweet tooth's dream come true. When we left the place I almost could not breathe from all the cakes I've tried. Overall, I will definitely recommend the Hotel Windsor for afternoon tea and for the experience of dining there.

Another Australian @ Charcoal Lane, Gertrude Street

2010-05-15T22:44:00.003+10:00

Charcoal Lane is really charming. I think there is no other word to describe it. We were seated at the corner of the room for that added privacy. I love it that the establishment has enough room to move around and talk. One more thing I like about it is that it serves Australian food. I think it's less and less that you can say when a restaurant serves Australian food. I have been asked by several people what Australian food is like and I must add Charcoal Lane to my list.

We didn't have wine that night but we had the freshly shucked oysters with lime granita. To be honest, I would rather have the oysters baked or steamed because it was a cold night after all. The combination was good but I ended up taking out the ice from the oysters because it was too cold for my taste.
What I had for dinner was another thing. Native peppered kangaroo fillet, shallot & bush tomato tart, rosella flower jus. Eating a piece of kangaroo meat is not usual and I think this is the first time I've had it ever since I've been here. It was a piece of nicely cooked kangaroo fillet (not medium rare!) on a bed of crisp pastry. It was also artfully presented. This will be the best way to try kangaroo meat. Highly recommended.

Saturday Brunch@ Outpost Cafe, Yarra Street

2010-05-15T10:14:00.002+10:00

What's wonderful about Outpost aside from the food and coffee is the kitchen. I have to admit that I was fascinated about the open kitchen as I walked into the cafe. A wooden board loaded with sandwiches and petite pastries gave off the impression of its abundance is a pleasant sight, plus the busy chefs and staff move like clock-work.

One down-side to the place is the inside of the cafe itself. A bit dark and cramped. There is not enough room, and I do mean literally, for conversation. After less than a couple of hours, the staff would start clearing up the table, almost ushering you out because they're busy (meaning, there are other people waiting to take our seats). It's the first time I've encountered this. Now, on to the food.

PG, MM and sis came with me to try this place out. I'm curious because of two things: one is to see the open kitchen which I've already raved about and another is the coffee, since Outpost serves coffee from St Ali. I actually liked the coffee, it's different to my taste of usual coffee (e.g. Dancing Goat and Las Chicas and Hardware Societe) but good nonetheless.

MM had the Poached Eggs Royal (smoked salmon), Sis had the Ham and Cheezy Toasty (which she liked enormously) while PG and I ordered French toast with Bacon and Maple Syrup (who can resist that honestly?). There are so many aspects to like about this dish. The french toast itself is already good - bread is well soaked with the yummy egg and milk batter, pan fried with a light crust. The entire thing is sprinkled with candied walnuts which is both creative and delicious.

Back to Little Creatures @ Brunswick Street

2010-05-13T19:14:00.002+10:00

It's not often that I get to try something like this and when I do, I would like people to know about it. I guess that mixing charcuterie with fruit is not strange to many but for me, the only combination I know about was when I had pieces of prosciutto and melon (preferably sweet when in season). Having jamon serrano and fresh fig together is a new experience for me, since fresh fig is relatively unheard of in Manila. I have to admit that there are a few elements lacking in this combination but still, it's not a bad combination altogether.

What I love about the dish was the jamon itself. It's almost silky and light, saltiness is just a hint and not overpowering. The fresh figs were not as sweet as I would hope for them to be but a bit on the crunchy side. The croutons didn't really help much, I would rather have a few touches of fresh mozzarella. The olive oil is just enough to coat.

Posh Croque Monsieur @ Cafe Vue, Little Collins Street

2010-05-10T20:12:00.003+10:00

The morning was freezing and we went out to breakfast at Cafe Vue. I know it probably won't be the best-est idea in the world, given this cold morning but sis and I were both starving...plus I wanted something new and different for breakfast.

Cafe Vue is not far from the apartment and I have great expectations in terms of the food and service. This is my second time to one of the Vues (first time being ages ago, by ages, I would mean more than a year). After a short walk, we were seated at Cafe Vue. I'm surprised with how small the place was, really just for the working group wanting some take away coffee and breakfast treats. Since we got time to spend, we ordered Ham and Egg Jaffle and Kurobuta Croque Monsieur for me.

Coffee is good. Croque Monsieur is excellent. This is so far far away from what I had at Le Triskel. Not that LT's not as good. Cafe Vue's is just ladden with butter. I can literally smell the butter when the plate was set in front of me. It was rich, heavy, crunchy, and oh, so good. Living up to the 3 most important ingredients of French cuisine (butter, butter, butter!), this is not breakfast for the faint-hearted. This is probably all a croque monsieur could be, definitely a knotch higher.

I dare you to drop in for a bite of this and I promise you, you won't be back for second helping...well, probably after a month?

Night Out @ Lindt Cafe, Elizabeth Street

2010-04-30T20:02:00.002+10:00

It's a Friday night out for me and sis. Well, I've actually been craving for chocolate...again. I remembered how happy I was when I first saw the Lindt Cafe at Darlington Harbour. I also remembered plaguing my friends why Melbourne does not have one??? When I found out that it opened last July, it was a trip I must make. I like the posh space at Lindt Cafe and, of course, chocolate treats included.

Tonight, my sister had the Wimbledon. It's sort of a strawberry shortcake with white chocolate. I can see the vanilla beans used to make the cake. It's a lighter option to your usual chocolate cake but I think there's definitely a better version of this cake elsewhere.

Meanwhile, I had the Chocolate Caramel Tart. I was totally unprepared for what it would look like so I gave a slight gasp when I saw my tart. There's a layer of milk chocolate on top of the caramel tart. It was kind of difficult to dig your fork into the chocolate, caramel then the tart. But the combination works well. I just hoped that the chocolate was melted and the caramel inside was warm and oozing.

I WANT CHOCOLATE @ Ganache, Toorak Rd

2010-04-26T20:05:00.000+10:00

I haven't been blogging lately. It's not because that I've not been eating well. I think I've been eating too well in fact, that I forgot to bring my trusty camera (or leave it at home on purpose). I realized as I eat through Melbourne, there are some secrets you wouldn't want to share...all because it's just toooo devilishly good. Like Ganache.

I stumbled upon Ganache on one of my first days in Melbourne. I remembered it was a cold night and we were walking along Toorak Rd, taking the tram back to the city. We walked by Ganache and I begged my companions to come in with me. That, my friends, was my first dark chocolate covered orangette. I daresay that I was in heaven...gone to dark chocolate orangette heaven. From that day on, I never stopped thinking about it.

The next time I was back was with PG and DG, both, fortunately for me, chocolate lovers. I remembered so many afternoons when we would stop by Max Brenner or to that Belgian place at the Royal Arcade just for hot chocolate. But, nothing beats the hot chocolate at Ganache. Needless to say, we got addicted and would make up every possible excuse just to go.

Just this weekend, my sister and I went to Ganache. I've been raving this place to her for days when she first arrived and finally we got to go. I had the Cinnamon Hot Chocolate which reminded me of Christmas night outs. Sis had the Hazelnut Hot Chocolate, which I know, of course, was decadent and almost sinful.

We also had the Strawberry and Lime Mousse, which was sublime. The tanginess of the lime went well with hot chocolate, which was rich and intense. Aaaahhh....

Have a cup of hot chocolate at Ganache and you'll understand why it's a secret I wouldn't care sharing =)

Manila Food Post: C2 (Classic Cuisine)

2010-04-01T15:59:00.002+11:00

While I was in Manila, I'm definitely craving for Filipino food. High up on my list of restaurants to visit is almost always C2. The first time I visited this restaurant, they have an open kitchen. There are only a handful of restaurants in Manila that have open kitchens and I can't take my eyes off them! I love seeing them work around frantically but still in order, in an orchestrated chaos. Up to this moment, the thought of having an open kitchen for a restaurant is amazing and also entertaining.

My cousins, sister and I went for a short stop at C2 after a few hours of walking around the mall. One of the dishes I simply must have: Laing (Taro Leaves Cooked in Coconut Milk). I'm not sure when I started to be addicted to this dish but I recalled requesting this dish from my Grandma and, sadly, she can't make it. It's because the taro leaves had to be washed and dried repeatedly or else eating the dish will make your tongue itch! This version from C2 is indeed a classic. I loved the green chillies with this dish. The green chillies had it's own tone of spiciness but will not blow your head off. Overall, it's creamy and not over salted. I noticed myself eating it on its own.Next dish is Sisig. I think there is no translation to this dish. It is made from different parts of the pork's face: ears, cheeks, snout plus innards, mainly pork liver. All the parts are boiled to soften them then combined together with different spices among which are onion, soy sauce and vinegar. It is served with toppings of chicharon (fried pork skin), some chillies and calamansi (small lime). The end result is an extremely tasty dish. Again, I think this is a textural thing and not for people with cholesterol levels that are bordering. I still believe that everyone should try this at least once.

Filipinos love fried rice. To complete our meal, of course, we had Bago-ong (Fish Paste) Fried Rice. This is the best Bago-ong Fried Rice that I've had for a while. Bago-ong is fermented fish paste actually and usually cooked with garlic, tomatoes, ground pork or sometimes tuna. This mixture is tossed with white rice. No salt needed.

For dessert, we had Pastillas (pronounced as pas-til-yas) Panna Cotta. Pastillas is a milk-based dessert. There are different flavors and versions of pastillas across the Philippines, depending on the region and produce that can be mixed with it. I liked the texture of the panna cotta here but can barely taste the milk-based flavor for the pastillas. Still, it's a good effort.

Manila Food Post: My Grandma's Humba (Braised Pork Leg/Knuckles)

2010-03-30T21:40:00.002+11:00

One of my Grandma's dishes that I definitely will not pass is her delicious braised pork leg/knuckles. I remembered wondering why my Grandpa would love eating this dish with lots and lots of white rice. To me, as a child, eating oily food is a no-no and I ended up peeling away all the skin and fat. Stupid me. It's a good thing that I saved myself.

It was a cold winter's night in Taipei at my aunt's place and I was starving after we came back from one of our night outs. The only dish left for dinner that night is just her braised pork leg. I accidentally took a piece of meat with some skin and fat on it. I realized at that moment what I've been missing all my life. Glutinous, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth goodness paired with steaming white rice smothered with the lovely, dark porky sauce. What more could you wish for? I know some of my friends who have a "textural" thing with fat and pork skin. And this is definitely NOT the healthiest food ever. I can clearly classify this as not for the health-conscious and faint-hearted (literally).

If I were to choose my last dish, it would be another taste of this...

Manila Food Post: Uno Seafood Wharf Restaurant

2010-03-29T21:03:00.000+11:00

I've been away and, on the last month, been terribly irresponsible because I've been skipping food trips. I have my reason: I went on a short side trip to Manila. My immensely short trip is not disappointing at all. I realized that I'm missed and loved. But most importantly, my family thought I have not been eating well, because, believe it or not, I LOST WEIGHT! Still, losing weight should not be a justification to stuff myself up. Going back to my first ever dinner out in Manila, of course, should be aptly held in Chinatown, where I was born.

I can't begin to describe the craziness that is Manila's Chinatown. It's probably the world's smallest but, believe me, you'll be astounded as to how busy this piece of area can get, specially during Chinese New Year.

One of the many number of things that you simply cannot miss out while in Chinatown is the food. We had a feast that night with almost 10 dishes. Imagine how you can eat 10 dishes in one seating! So I highlighted the ones that I liked the most.

The first dish out is called a Cold Platter. It consists of cold cuts mainly such as soy chicken, roasted pork, a type of marinated and crunchy seaweed (in the middle) and century duck egg among other items surrounding it. I liked the seaweed the best.

Skipping a good number of dishes, let me introduce you to one of my all time favorite dishes: The Chicken Pie. I remember so many New Year's Eve dinners when one of my aunts would stop by this shop just to buy this chicken pie for NYE. Until one year, this shop closed down. How disappointed I was! So it's indeed a pleasant surprice when I found out that this dish was part of the line-up. I'm not sure what's the best part about it, whether it's the buttery, flaky crust on top or the creamy, oozing chicken with carrots and potatoes inside. I know this may sound like a simple dish to anybody, but it brought so much nostalgia to me, I was almost teary-eyed.Sticky Rice with Mud Crab Crockpot is probably not so high-up my list but I loved the way the dish smelled when it was placed on our table. You can literally smell the smokiness of the rice and the crab. I liked it that the crab was not salty at all and the rice, though a bit bland, has a nice bite.The steamed scallop was the night's most sophisticated dish for me. Though not up to par in terms of taste, it was still tasty.

The night ended up with group photos taken, reminding me of how much part of a family I am. And a big one at that =)

SAZL Sweats: Garlic Chilli Prawns with Saffron Angel Hair

2010-03-04T20:31:00.000+11:00

Nope. I didn't make the saffron flavored angel hair from scratch. I bought it from The Essential Ingredient. It is made from Passsion Pasta and they carry a range of different pastas of flavors and shapes. It is still considered as fresh pasta, so cooking will only take a few good minutes. I cooked my pasta without the salt, which most people would think is a crime, but I wanted to lessen the sodium content in the food I cook.

While the pasta is cooking, I threw in chopped garlic (2 cloves) and fresh chillies (about 2 fiery ones) with olive oil. Once the garlic and chilli flavors are incorporated into the oil, prawns go in next. Prawns cook quickly, then I pour in a couple of splashes of pinot grigio (Innocent Bystander, which I simply love to drink and cook with). Let the whole thing bubble away for the alcohol to evaporate. After a couple of minutes, take it off the heat and threw in a big handful of spinach leaves. By this time, the pasta should be cooked and put this into the prawn mixture. What I did at this point is put in a knub of butter and a sprinkle of salt.

There's nothing left to do but sit back, relax and eat! =)

Japanese Tapas @ Izakaya Den, Russell Street

2010-02-28T21:51:00.000+11:00

A sudden urge to try something new came over me and I decided that....I WANT JAPANESE. My first choice was to go to Maedaya at Richmond but they're closed on Sundays. Good thing, another option is available on Sundays, which is Izakaya Den at Russell Street. This place was received twice at Epicure by The Age and also read fantastic things about it from bloggers.

Another good thing was, I wasn't alone. I have my good friend PG join me for a night out of sake and Japanese knick-knacks. Interior-wise, the place was tunnel-like and the end has a ceiling to floor mirror that made the place looked "deeper". PG also noticed that their specials were projected through a data show, which was quite creative. Good news first for both wine and sake lovers, this place has a good selection of Japanese sake, shochu, reds and whites.

First item on the list is Chargrilled Kurobata pork belly. Ladies and gents, don't be perplexed by the sickly things that you see, these beauties are amazingly flavorful and tender. I loved every bite of it. The taste was still and clear but well-seasoned.

Next is the Stir-fried Japanese mushrooms. When PG tasted this, he was waving his chopsticks towards it, urging me to try it. It was that good. I think nothing is really added into it, just salt some sesame oil and perhaps something else but it is a wickedly good, and not to mention, healthy dish.This is PG's first choice from the menu and I'm glad he chose it. You will never have sushi this fresh before...and I do mean fresh. The taste was cold and almost water-y fresh. Not sure if it is supposed to be this way but it's not bad at all. Inside is pickled konbu, which is a Japanese cabbage-crunch, crunch.

This trip to Izakaya Den wasn't bad at all. I would think this is more of an upscale izakaya. But, westernized-izakaya's aside, this place is worth coming back to.

Tuscan Eggs @ Picnic, Toorak Road

2010-02-28T10:34:00.000+11:00

Having spent months delaying to go to Picnic, I finally made it there in one piece and with a hungry tummy. The place wasn't as packed as I thought it would be on a Sunday morning, since this is the day when people brunch out, prams and jogging pants in full swing. Fortunately, I had a seat and it's nice too.

Firstly, I have to say that I loved Picnic as soon as I walked in--red striped sofas, bottles and bottles of wine and champagne displayed on top of the counter, mirrors with the specials written on it, huge colorful abstract oil paintings hanging behind me. It's girly, a bit trashy, but still delicate and thoughtful.

Next up is brunch. I had my usual first round of soy latte. When I was ready to order, my server told me that the food is a 25 minute wait. 25 minutes?? Why?! They are swamped in the kitche. Ah, so I'm told. Anyway, 25 minutes should not be bad at all, should it?

So I waited patiently, thinking that I might end up being full because of the soy latte rather than the food. Needless to say, coffee here is good. Merely 10minutes passed when my food arrived. It was a pleasant surprise, one I will not complain about. I had the Tuscan poached egg with avocado and tomato salsa. Two thick slices of sourdough bread smeared with cream cheese, topped with chopped tomatoes and red onions and maybe less than a tablespoon of avocado with two beautiful poached eggs on top. This is a good serving and well portioned too. I loved the way the poached eggs jiggled and oozed out as I sliced through it. The bread was lightly toasted and thick enough that you can enjoy the soft chewy inside. Tomatoes are chopped almost in exact cubes, makes me feel thankful for the effort placed into just chopping them.

I left Picnic just slightly full and knowing that I will definitely come back for another round of posh brunch.

SAZL Sweats: Date and Butterscotch Pudding

2010-02-20T13:28:00.003+11:00

I have to say that since I've tried sticky date pudding here, I've always loved the taste. Sticky date pudding is not a posh dessert, though there is something warm and comforting about it. The pudding isn't a real pudding but more of a soft sponge cake studded with dates and the sticky bit will be the caramel, buttery, hot sauce that you pour onto it. A dollop of cream or cold cold vanilla ice cream creates the best contrast to texture and flavor. But this post isn't exactly an ode to sticky date pudding.

Having recently bought a book on baking (the book is aptly called "Bake" by the Australian Women's Weekly), I started ramaging through the recipes to see which ones I wanted to try. I have stopped baking since I came to Melbourne, simply because I don't have an oven in my first apartment and my second apartment I shared with others. Now, having the pleasure of living and cooking alone, I can make and bake anything, anytime I feel like it (you have no idea how good it was just writing that!). Back to the book. It is divided into distinct sections such as biscuits, muffins, sponge cakes, chocolate cakes, desserts and loads more. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a recipe for a Date and Butterscotch Self-Saucing Pudding. The ingredients are fairly basic and I have almost everything in the cupboard except the pitted dates.

I'll skip to the tasting portion of this post. The pudding is perfect on a rainy day, with a warm blanket wrapped around you. At this time I didn't have vanilla ice cream on hand, but the taste was buttery and not too sweet. I think non-chocolate lovers will like this dessert. The pudding was soft and cake-y, not exactly the spongy or pillow-y texture that you would expect but, of course, this is not sticky date pudding. I would like to call it the instant sticky date pudding, because it's so easy to make.

Date and Butterscotch Self-Saucing Pudding (recipe from Bake compiled by The Australian Women's Weekly)

Ingredients for pudding:
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup (110 g) firmly packed brown sugar
20g butter, melted
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
1/2 cup (70g) finely chopped dried seedless dates

Caramel sauce:
1/2 cup (110 g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cups (430ml) boiling water
50 g butter

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Grease 2-litre (8 cup) shallow ovenproof dish.
2. combine flour, sugar, milk, dates in medium bwol. Spread mixture into dish.
3. make caramel sauce. Stir ingredients in medium heatproof jug until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted.
4. Pour caramel sauce slowly over back of spoon onto mixture in dish.
5. Bake pudding about 45 minutes or until centre is firm. Stand 5 minutes before serving.

SAZL Sweats: Chic Roasted Chicken Sandwich

2010-02-14T19:52:00.005+11:00

But this is no ordinary roasted chicken sandwich, mind you. There are a few special things that make this sandwich work extremely well. After my trip to Dench Bakers, I got inspired and bought chicken breasts and some veggies.

For the veggies, I bought baby carrots, eggplant and red bell pepper. I roasted each of the veggies separately, coating them in olive oil and dried oregano for 10 minutes in an 180C oven. Next, I placed the chicken breasts in the baking dish with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I first covered the baking dish with foil and baked the chicken for 15mins. Then, I took out the foil just to reduce the balsamic vinegar to a syrupy sauce for the chicken. Rest the chicken for 10mins in the baking tray after taking it out. Slice to desired bite size pieces, ideally, pieces that will fit nicely in a sandwich.
Assemble any way you like, can be veggies first then roasted chicken slices or the other way around. I chose the olive bread from Dench Bakers as the base of my sandwich. I toasted the sliced bread first before I started to assemble. When I took a bite of my sandwich, I knew I had a winner. I can probably eat this for a straight week. I fortunately bought a bottle of Strongbow to go with my roasted chicken sandwich. Aahh...can life get any better?

Bread Shopping @ Dench Bakers, Scotchmer Street

2010-02-14T19:26:00.001+11:00

I have been delaying my trip to Dench Bakers for a while. Well, my sole purpose is not just to have breakfast but to shop for bread. And I do mean shop. I've had good things from Dench Bakers but I haven't had enough until I can bring some home for myself.

I made it around 9am and believe it or not, the place was packed for breakfast. Don't people wake up late on Sunday mornings? Good thing, there was no shortage of bread. My eyes scanned for the ones that I've heard great things about. My heart was set on buying some croissants and danishes but not quite sure of which "daily" bread to get. Several sites recommended the Schwartzbot (German dark rye bread) and olive bread. I think I can't have both, so I went for the olive bread instead. I also bought the light rye.

As I carried my bag of freshly baked treats, I can literally catch the smell of delicious warm bread. There is nothing better than a smell of freshly baked bread in the morning and I envy those who lived near Dench Bakers close enough to get their hands on one whenever they want to.

I bought the fig and nectarine danishes. The moment I set my bag down from Dench's, I immediately snatched one danish and savoured it piece by piece. I went for the fig danish first. Should I say that it's the best danish in all of Melbourne? You can see the layer upon layer of pastry, all light and flaky. The custard was not too sweet but enough to make you understand why it's there. The fig was fresh and sweet.

Dench Bakers is definitely worth waking up at 8am for...even on a lazy Sunday morning...will be back soon.

SAZL Scenes: Happy Year of the Tiger

2010-02-14T19:15:00.002+11:00

I thought I didn't have the strength to go to Bourke Street today but something was egging me on, giving me the energy to go out today. I was actually expecting today to have a crappy weather, but much to my surprise, we have sun!Took the tram down to Russell Street where the festivity starts. There were firecrackers bursting on every corner store and the asian grocery was jampacked with people. I love Chinatown like this. It brings me back to Manila's Chinatown, where everyday was quite like this. Always bustling. Always something or someone to look at.I took some pictures of how busy the small street got this afternoon...Hope this year brings good luck and prosperity to all =)

Indian Team Lunch @ Red Pepper, Bourke Street

2010-02-01T19:13:00.000+11:00

It's time for another team lunch and I insisted on having it at an Indian restaurant. There is a reason why I don't go to Indian restaurant by myself. I really don't know how to order and I won't be able to tell whether the place is authentic or not. One of the guys assured me that Red Pepper is authentic as he used to eat there often. Indians are picky with their food and the way the food is prepared and tasted. So I guess having them along for this meal at their native restaurant, I'll be in for a treat.

Food, clockwise are butter chicken, lamb roganjosh, Indian cottage cheese paneer and vegetarian dhaal. All these to be eaten with naan and mango lassi. Everything was good (and I'm not trying to be polite) and tasty. But I liked the Indian cottage cheese paneer the best that I was asking one of the guys how to actually make it at home. One of the struggles that I had was eating with just my right hand. The guys made it look so simple but, of course, being used to the fork/spoon/knife routine, I ended up using cutlery towards the end of the meal.

If ever I feel adventurous and wanted to eat at an Indian place, at least I know 4 dishes that I can order from the menu. Thanks, guys!

SAZL Sweats: Chicken and Vegetable Casserole

2010-01-31T21:18:00.005+11:00

I recently got a cookbook called Middle Eastern Cookery by Arto der Haroutunian. I've bought his North African Cookery before, but got it sent home to Manila before I got the chance to try any of the recipes. This time, I came prepared. I bought a dutch-oven, enamel coated cast iron casserole in blaze red. It will be my first time to cook using a casserole and I can't wait. In my excitement, I gathered my ingredients since yesterday and poultry today. Originally, I wanted to try the Armenian Vegetable Casserole, but I know I needed protein. Flipping a few more pages led me to the Chicken and Vegetable Casserole, which is I think equally promising.

First, I used chicken drumsticks for this recipe, dredging them in flour combined with chilli flakes, salt and pepper then lightly frying them in the casserole with some oil. Setting them aside, I added more oil, then fried chopped eggplant, green beans, baby carrots, onions, courgette and red pepper. The chicken pieces are added back in with chopped tomatoes. 3/4 cup of water scented with salt, pepper and chilli flakes are added into the casserole, covered, then baked on a 190C oven, for almost an hour. Mine just cooked for 20-30minutes in the oven. After which, the chicken came out moist and tender on a piping hot, tasty bed of stewed veggies. I had a small bowl immediately with all the lovely "soup". There's nothing left to do except dunk few chunks of bread into it and eat.

Smoked Trout Betel Leaves @ Longrain, Little Bourke

2010-01-31T12:21:00.004+11:00

These photos taken from one of our December lunches when my family visited still stuck on my mind. It's not just the way it looked, but the way it tasted. I had my first taste of the herb wrapped in something I can't remember on one of my first dinner-outs with friends. Honestly, I hated it at that time. It was bitter and dry in the mouth.

It's strange that I ended up convincing Mom and Sis to try this one when we had lunch at Longrain, after having the not-so-nice experience some place else. This is Longrain after all. What could go wrong?

So, what's in it, you ask? It's described as betel leaf topped with smoked trout chilli roasted galangal garlic and trout roe. I definitely think that there's something more in there but the dressing was fantastic. It was zingy and sweet, without being too salty. Though, for me, one or two should be enough to start off the meal. At the end of the meal, my mind was still on that small morsel of herb, packed with flavor.

SAZL Sweats: Oven Baked Salmon Steaks

2010-01-26T15:38:00.001+11:00

I always wondered how restaurants manage to serve salmon steaks perfectly. You know how the salmon steak will be pulping with its sweet juices and majestically coral in color. I hate it when a restaurant overcooks salmon steak or fillet. You can literally see strains of milky clots on the flesh. I think that's a crime. Not that I favor the rare but I'm against overkill, in the effort of being impressive but failing horribly.In my quest to cook the perfect salmon fillet/steak, I only found out how last year, when one particular day of every other week turned out to be "salmon" night. First, let's talk about the marinade. I think that fish should not be marinated too long or else, it will cook the flesh. Acidic condiments used to marinade the fish should not be used as well such as lemon and vinegar among others. If you favor lemon or vinegar, use it as a dressing, when the fish was already cooked. Simply dusting the salmon fillet/steaks from the humble salt and pepper to various dried herbs and spices of your choice will do perfectly. I made mine with oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, honey, salt and olive oil. If olive oil was not used, you can dot the salmon steaks with butter before going into the oven.On a 180C oven, for 15-20minutes will guarantee a well-cooked, juicy piece of salmon steak/fillet. If the outside turned too brown, cover it with foil and return to the oven. I like mine with a touch of pink , so they say. The result was simple but delicious, with the salmon flesh melting in your mouth without the need of chewing.

SAZL Scenes: Ashcombe and Lavender Farm, Mornington Peninsula

2010-01-23T15:41:00.003+11:00

I never understood why my Grandma and aunt loved the smell of lavender. I always find the smell too old or powdery for me. Maybe because I was young at that time. When we visited the lavender farm at Ashcombe, I was astounded with how pretty fresh lavender looks. At first sight, they appear grassy. At another glance, whimsical and graceful against the wind. All the while, they release a subtle, sweet smell, not like those we usually buy commercially at stores. There is something uplifting about looking at a whole bunch of lavender stems, swaying with the wind.

SAZL Sweats: Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint

2010-01-17T21:13:00.002+11:00

I was utterly frustrated today from my studies that I don't feel like writing anything at all. Good thing though was there was always food to comfort and uplift me. Hurriedly, I went over to my kitchen and made watermelon and feta salad.

It has always been my "dream" to try this recipe from the moment I saw it on one of Nigella's summer episodes. I know it doesn't seem thrilling or interesting at the least. For me, to incorporate fruit in salads has that attraction and I wonder at the taste of how sweet and salty would work in a fresh dish.

Herbs and cheese aren't Manila's strongest points but I have to say that we have the best tropical fruits grown and harvested inland. During the summer, we have the sweet, stringy watermelon with dark green skin, not like the one we have in Melbourne now.

Working through what I need is simple enough. I didn't follow Nigella's recipe to the letter. The recipe called for olives, which I omitted. I did follow the bit where she "marinated" the red onion in lime juice, to get rid of the acrid burn of raw onion. The result was a mellow crunch, nothing overpowering and refreshing.

I also took the effort to cool the watermelon, because I like cold salads, especially in warm days like this. The feta cheese that I used was made from skim milk. I'm not sure what will be the difference but I opted for full cream feta cheese but overall, it won't do harm to cut down on the fat. Hehe.

Putting it all together is a simple effort, the last to be in the salad is a touch of olive oil. A light toss, and all you have to do is eat it.

SAZL Scenes: Chandon Estate, Yarra Valley

2010-01-13T21:20:00.004+11:00

During the holidays, we took a day trip to Yarra Valley. It was a bit warm but still pleasant. The Chandon Estate got the hands-down best view of the Yarra Valley with the hills and hectares of vineyard.

After a short and informative tour of the Chandon brewery, it was time to taste the bubbly. I've had Chandon before and I have to say that this will always be my sparkling wine of choice for any special occasion.

During our tasting, they gave us some bread, cheese and fruit preserve to go along with our bubblies. Overall, it was a good day.

Light Dinner @ Movida, Hosier Lane

2010-01-09T18:20:00.002+11:00

I'm feeling restless today. I'm pretty sure I need something important done but I'm simply too lazy to work on anything useful now. My senses aren't really keen on absorbing anything so I've decided to sit back and look at some of the pictures we've taken while mom and sis were here.

While closely inspecting the lot, I noticed that I haven't blogged about our dinner at Movida yet. I know I couldn't possibly miss this one but blame it on the busy holidays and after-holiday work that has creeped up once you've gone into the usual work mode but I digress.

I probably won't be able to remember every detail by now in terms of the specific name of the item ordered though I have to admit that whatever you order in Movida will prove to be interesting.

Truffe - this is Manchengo cheese custard with shaved black truffle. It is served in an egg shell and cold, so don't be surprised. I also believe that it should not be eaten on it's own because it will be too salty. I used it as a spread on the bread served on our table. The result was a very subtle and delicate mixture of cold, melting cheese. Think of it as a cheese spread, but posh and spanish.

Tom Cooper's smocked mackerel - I've had Tom Cooper's smoked salmon and it was fantastic. Mackerel, however, was kind of strange sounding to me. But the result was also wonderful. The mackerel itself was sweet and not salty at all. There was no fishiness to it and though the flesh wasn't as oily as salmon, it was firm. The main contrast to it was the cold sorbet on top. This cold sorbet gave the dish that contrast of saltiness with the sweet flesh.

Beef Cheek in Pedro Ximenez and cauliflower puree - I insisted on letting them try the beef cheek tonight. It was a bit tough on the outside but inside was tender. I think in this area, Anada wins hands down. Dessert was churros with a glass of Pedro XimenezOne other thing that kind of disappointed me, was the service. The waiters were sort of rushing you in and out of the door. While we were ordering, our server "suggested" that we start with 2 or 3 tapas, then 4 raciones for dinner. When we ordered just 1 tapas and 2 raciones, he remarked in this manner: "Weren't you listening when I said you should order 4 raciones? They (referring to the raciones) are usually small." I told him that we weren't famished that night and if we were still hungry, we will just add more. He left us alone to order. Maybe it was because of the holidays and considering that it was a Sunday (they opened on Dec27th), still, he shouldn't have worked that day if he's feeling grumpy. So that's my latest Movida experience.

Sashimi Bento @ Miso, World Square, Sydney

2009-12-31T18:00:00.001+11:00

Our last night at Sydney ended with some delicious Japanese fare. Sis and I were eyeing this quaint restaurant when we passed by World Square. The place was packed and had a long waiting queue. They open at 5:30pm, so we came early on a hot Dec31 in Sydney.

The place was small but clean. The servers were dressed in a semi-contrasting uniform, with aprons and folded caps. Out came the menu, almost all items with pictures. That's a good start. The menu had English and Japanese translations, for those who can read one or both. The Sashimi Teishoku immediately caught our attention. I know what Sydney is well-known for it's seafood, being close to the harbour and all. We had pretty good and fresh sashimi during our trip so while this is a bit pricey than the rest, we hope that the quality will be better. We also ordered the Unagi Don, all to share.

Sashimi Teishoku. I admit that it's not one of the best, but it's considered as outstanding and generous. Each type of sashimi has at least 4-5 slices, all prettily arranged in all their shining glory. The best part was there were little treats inside such as the delicately wrapped and marinated glass noodle and the side of cauliflower and beans. Everything was lovely and supple. If I were to come back to Sydney, this is one of the places I'll have to dine in again.

Unagi Don. We've had unagi before and suffice to say, it was well-cooked but not outstanding. The marinade was subtle and not too salty. Overall, a well executed unagi don.

Love Peking Duck @ Quanjude, Queen Street

2009-12-27T13:45:00.000+11:00

I have been to Quanjude once on a team building lunch. I can't particularly remember how good the peking duck was but it was good. Now, mum insisted that we should have lunch again at Quanjude, simply because it's Beijing's most sought after Peking Duck restaurant. If we were in Beijing, we won't be able to book a table to the restaurant. It's that in demand.

So, off we went to Quanjude. Once we were seated down, the head waiter asked if we wanted duck. We all nodded in consent, saying we want one Peking Duck for our table. We also ordered a few more things. We weren't particularly famished but we were thinking that a Peking Duck won't keep us full for long.

Yang Chou Fried Rice - Mum wanted to order this because this is what we usually order in Chinese restaurants in Manila. It's ordinary but the ingredients were fresh and the rice well-cooked. It's a well-executed rice dish.

Eight Treasures Hot Pot - We all agreed that this is delicious. We never had tofu hotpot this good before. The sauce was just right without being too salty or too thick. The eight treasures included fresh scallops, prawns and chicken. The dish came out piping hot and bubbling, which was a good sign and, yes, it does taste as good as it looks.

One whole Peking Duck - We had ample time to eat this time so we savored every bite. First, the peking duck was sliced by a trained Hong Kong chef. The skin was peeled off for us to eat first. What can I say but sheer delight was inside my mouth. It was crispy and light, and surprisingly, not too oily.

Next, the duck meat was sliced and arranged on a plate. The duck meat was so tender and luscious. I never had Peking Duck this good before. There was a hint of juice in the meat but not oozing out. There is enough moisture to make the meat tender. The slices of duck meat can be arranged on a piece of pancake, with hoisin sauce, slices of cucumber and slices of leeks. Wrap it up and enjoy.

Lastly, the soup was served. The soup was not clear soup but was milky in color. It was not pungent but light, which was unexpected. The taste wasn't what I was expecting from an aromatic duck though it was pleasant and flavorful.

SAZL Sweats : Christmas Day Dinner with Family

2009-12-25T19:11:00.002+11:00

Having my family around to spend Christmas Day with is a rare treat. Being in Melbourne for more than 10months, needless to say I miss being around them, specially during the holidays.

For our Christmas meal, the first stop is to Queen Victoria Market. It was literally packed. I haven't seen so many people shopping. We can hardly walk from one end to the other and need to take detours just to get from one section to another.

With regards to our menu, mum insisted on having potatoes for dinner as our carb. I think she also likes potatoes as opposed to rice. As to my sis, her only request is my baked prawns.

First, the potatoes. The potatoes aren't really my specialty but I just picked the dish up from one of my friend's farewell party. She served a baked creamy potato dish, where the potatoes are thinly sliced, with cream and salt. The original version of the dish had cheese, but she took it out from the last time. For my version, I added parsley and salt to make the dish as a tasty side.

The baked prawns are created because we had left over cream a few years back. I added chopped garlic, dried basil, salt and pepper to the cream. It has been a family favorite eversince. Everyone would ask for me to make this dish. The most difficult part about making it is butterflying the prawns. The rest is easy. Just grill the prawns under a 200C oven for 10mins and you're done.

Christmas Dinner @ Jacques Reymond, Williams Road, Prahran

2009-12-24T18:27:00.000+11:00

A special Christmas season calls for a special Christmas dinner and I've made arrangements for my mum, my sister and me at Jacques Reymond. That night, the Melbourne weather wasn't cooperating, and we were like little wet chicks when we arrived at the restaurant. Even though we were early, we were allowed to go in and soon, everything was well-taken care of.

Our waiter was gracious, as usual, and we decided on what to order. The funny and best thing about the A la Carte menu was that there were 12 items on it. My mum and sis had the 3 course menu and I had the 4 course. Our waiter arranged the entree and mains on which entree would go well with which main, so we didn't have to worry about it.

Two tastes of scallops with seasonal flavours

a ceviche with swede, artichoke chips and lemon myrtle, seared scallops with beetroot, apple and cider emulsion. This is my favorite dish. The scallops are perfectly cooked, the crust formed on the outside and inside was meltingly sweet. Another element that amazed me was the beetroot and apple combination. I can't imagine beetroot and apple going so well together but Jacques Reymond made it possible.

Hare and black pudding

saddle of hare gently seared with sancho spices, witlof and orange, infused tonka bean oil with smoked sweet peppers and apple, devil black pudding. I haven't had hare and black pudding before. The hare surprisingly tastes so much like beef but softer. There was not gamey-ness to it whatsoever, just a smooth, delicate taste. The black pudding however, was another story. I know that this might be top-knotch black pudding but still, it's black pudding and it would depend on the person's preference. It's does not have a bad taste but texturally, it's a cross between a sausage and sponge.

Roasted snapper, espelette pimento and mustard seed butter

a white onion tart, fluffy parsnip and yabbies, textures of enoki and Australian pure virgin olive oil, a green lettuce emulsion. The flavors are predictable but the snapper was perfectly cooked.

The delicacy of milk fed veal sweetbread

the sweetbread is golden roasted in corn syrup and lime, natural sweetened salsify and lemon pulp, baby turnips and campari, corn and chilli pop corn. This, for me, is also the highlight of the evening. I can't remember having sweetbread but I've heard good things and bad things about it. First, when overcooked, not bother to eat it. But undercooked, it can also be a disaster. Knowing the skill of Jacques Reymond, this came out as a perfect dish. The outside was firm but inside was creamy and a bit bouncy. It was deliciously seared then cooked in butter. There were several lovely elements on the dish, namely the baby turnip (cooked in campari) which was both sweet and bitter and the melange of corn, popped and cooked.

We had a bottle of sparkling wine to go with all our dishes. We finished with coffee and petit fours. Overall, we had a wonderful evening, thanks to Jacques Reymond. Merry Christmas!

Delicious Beef Ribs @ The Steakhouse, Westin Denarau, Fiji

2009-12-19T19:34:00.000+11:00

On our last night, we wanted to stop by the Flying Fish for our dinner. Unfortunately, it was packed for the night. We decided to walk to the Westin Denarau to have dinner at Zing, which was also closed. We had dinner already at The Steakhouse but it seems like we were left with no other choice.

We quickly decided on what to order while waiting for our table. A salad, an appetizer and a main. We have good experiences with the way salads are presented and dressed, which are always fresh and without that too zingy dressing, but light, sweet and mellow. We fell in love with it. A fresh garden salad did not disappoint.

The next one, however, was disappointing. The salmon caviar and avocado sushi was a let down. Instead of meticulously rolled and cut pieces of sushi, they were huge huge chunks of sushi rice with nori. Inside were cucumber and avocado. The salmon caviar was salmon roe, around 4-5 pearls per piece of sushi.

The main arrived and we were shocked. The serving was huge for just one person. It's the braised beef ribs which was said to be their specialty. And needless to say, just from the picture, that it was delicious and so melt in your mouth. It came with a side of yummy, chunky mashed potatoes, just the way I like them. The ribs, on the other hand, was a sensation. The meat was unyielding and lovely, and the braised sauce was another story. Though served family style, the beef ribs proved to be a trip worth coming back for. We left the place too full but happy and warm because of the home-y food and great service.

Fijian-Aussie Breakie @ Feast, Sheraton Denarau, Fiji

2009-12-18T00:12:00.000+11:00

I was missing Aussie breakie, can you believe it?? But yes, I need my dose of scrambled eggs, bacon, croissant, and yes, more bacon please! Breakfast buffet at Feast is hard to beat. They have almost everything. Not to mention that they make mean pancakes and excellent poached eggs to feed the Western mob that morning.

And of course, breakfast won't be complete without a platter of freshly sliced fruits from the station.

Fresh From The Sea @ The Wet Edge, Sheraton Denarau, Fiji

2009-12-17T23:55:00.001+11:00

When you're close to the beach, the first thing you would want to eat is seafood. NS and I wanted to try their seafood platter but they were out of stock. Really strange but then again, they have fish fillet and tuna steaks on the menu.

The Wet Edge is close to the ocean and have stunning views of the bay. We chose to just have tap water along with our dinner. I'm just wondering that why they are selling Fijian spring water when they can also serve you water from the tap? Isn't it also Fijian water? Anyway, I had the Tuna Kebab with avocado, tomatoes and fresh salad. Need I say that this is one of the best tasting pieces of tuna that I've had? The huge chunks of tuna are skewered through lemongrass stalks, marinated with light, sweet soy sauce then placed over the barbie. The salad is also a marvel. It wasn't too acidic and also had a sweet, caramelized dressing. Lovely start to a perfect holiday.

SAZL Scenes : Fiji

2009-12-17T23:48:00.001+11:00

Went to lovely Fiji and enjoyed the sun, sea and sand :)

Late Dinner @ Homestead Restaurant, Cairns Colonial Club Resort, Cairns

2009-11-29T20:13:00.001+11:00

JL and I were famished after a day and night's swimming at Cairns Colonial Club Resort. Honestly, I loved the beach pool. Except that there is this raise on the pool that can really hurt your toes and knees. So be careful. Apart from that, the pool was nice and cool. After which, a good 10-15 minutes at the jacuzzi then dinner.

Homestead Restaurant is open until late. Since it's a Sunday night, late means 9:30PM. There is a salad and dessert station buffet style. JL saw the dessert spread and decided to take the buffet. So did I. One first run at the salad station proved promising. There was, of course, salad, potato mix, bean salad, corn salad, soup and bread among others. We were literally taking our time with the food and though it seemed a bit lonely that we're the only 2 people in the restaurant on a Sunday night, it's still all good. The waiter so served us was polite and friendly. He made us feel welcome.
Our mains arrived. It's Rib Eye Fillet with Sweet Mashed Potatoes and Potato Strings. The sauce, from what I can tell, is a highly reduced beef stock. Not bad at all. I loved the simplicity of the sweet potato mash. It's a bit strange I have to admit, being used to the same-old-mashed-potato-story. The sweet mashed potato is earthy and simple, no frills which I love and understand perfectly as it melds delightfully into the jus. The rib eye fillet was cooked to my liking with good marbling on the right places. Finally, I love, love, love the shoestring potatoes on top.Dessert station, however, was wrapped up by the time we finished our main. When JL and I walked up to the station, everything was gone! Imagine the shock. We talked with one of the servers at the counter and asked why it was all packed up already. The server, instead of apologizing, was irritated and told us that they are closed at 9:30pm. I told her that they should have asked us first before wrapping up which was always the case in every buffet restaurant in town. Fortunately, our original server came by and resolved the problem. He went into the kitchen and served us dessert, one of each of the cake slices, on a plate. With that, the problem was resolved. The best bits about the dessert were the Orange and Chocolate Slice and the Blackforest Slice. I didn't care so much for the cream puff and brownie.

Loving Cupcakes @ Sugarworks Cake Studio, Port Douglas, Cairnsc

2009-11-29T17:00:00.000+11:00

Our 20 minute stop at Port Douglas was just way too short. I could easily count up to 5 spots that I'd like to try but there will only be time for one, and a short one at that. Easy enough, I chose Sugarworks Cake Studio, which from a foodie's point of view, is, if I daresay, a good pick.

The store was actually starting to close for the day, I just have around a couple of minutes to decide what I want and can take-away on the bus. Hot drinks are not allowed, so I went for an Iced Coffee. Ahhh, the iced coffee reminded me of the home-made frappes I used to make for my aunts while they chat away on a warm afternoon. There were a range of cakes and goodies, but I opted for the little sweet chocolate cupcake instead to take-away. I ate it when we got back to the hotel and it was dense but not too sweet with just the right fluff.

More goodies from the shop...

SAZL Scenes : Guess Where I've Been?

2009-11-29T16:34:00.000+11:00

Been out for a few days on weekend. Care to guess where I've been? If you've been around Australia, Northern Queensland to be exact, you can easily guess where this is.

...Mossman Gorge...

Not Quite There @ Barnacle Bill's, The Esplanade, Cairns

2009-11-28T17:39:00.000+11:00

JL and I were waiting for the Night Market to start along The Esplanade when we started to see signs of early bird dinners along the street. There were relatively few people around. I noticed that there were more old than young people in Cairns. Hmm, where did all the hot bodies go? Anyway, I digress. Let's talk about food. Seafood. This is, after all, Cairns. Conveniently set along the Great Barrier Reef, they should be serving seafood, right?

I know that Cairns is infamous for mudcrabs, bugs and prawns but I'm in the mood for something light and refreshing. So, why not barramundi? It's posh after all. I should've stuck with the crab. Honestly, there is nothing wrong at all. Except that, would you really find something like this appetizing? I know that maybe I'm not hitting the jackpot here. The plate is not warm when the dish was served. Not a good sign. The fish was bland and pale. Is this steamed or pan-seared? I can't tell. The prawns were crisp and sweet, which was probably why they kept them that way. The avocado and splash of hollandaise sauce on top just didn't cut it for me.

On the slightly upside, they did serve a fresh salad along with my main. In the end, I still wished I went for the mudcrab...

Humble Orechiette @ The Mess Hall, Bourke Street

2009-11-25T21:27:00.003+11:00

What is orechiette? Simply, it's pasta. In English, it translates to "little ears". No doubt that the orechiette from The Mess Hall is handmade and homely, which is commendable. It's soft but firm, with that nice bite. No sogginess. However, one thing that failed in the dish, is the taste. It is too bland.

It is simple orechiette, with garlic, broccolli, chillies, and anchovies. I can't taste the anchovies and adding salt and pepper didn't help so much. I had other good things at The Mess Hall (remember to try their Bulgerian feta sandwich). It just wasn't my good pasta day.

Homey Tagine @ Mecca Bah, Docklands

2009-11-17T20:01:00.000+11:00

Strangely enough, Mecca Bah is under our noses and we can't find it. We have to give the place a call to find out that it sits right along the river. Funny but true. The place is almost packed when we arrived. As we enter the rustic Mediterranean place, I can smell the Turkish pizzas roaring and cracking in their stone oven, waiting to be served and devoured by its patrons. We are hungry when we sat down, so we opted to get some mezzes for starters.

Mezze #1: Moroccan spiced calamari. BD says that it's almost has a hint of curry in it but for me, the calamari tasted nothing like curried squid. The flavor of the coating wasn't intense but has that hint of turmeric, coriander, cumin combo. I didn't care much for the puree and the rocket leaves.

Mezze #2: Salmon and shrimp kibbeh. This dish is an unexpected surprise. I actually liked it but I would prefer the kibbeh to be crisper and less tough. I loved the chickpea puree underneath it. Main: Lamb tagine with preserved lemons and olives. At first glance, I am quite disappointed with the way the dish looked. In a way, I underestimated the taste from its physical appearance. The way it looked is pieces of lamb meat on a tomato-based sauce. I can't even see the cous cous! My spoon dipped onto the cous cous with a piece of ultra-soft piece of lamb shoulder. Amazingly, every bite I took offered a different sensation in my mouth. One mouthful offered a burst of tomato, lemon-y and sweet sauce, then that velvety lamb shoulder begging to be pulled way and the grainy, soft texture of the cous cous was just spot on. It's rich and home-y, almost made me feel like I'm at home, devouring a soup plate of lamb tagine.Dessert: Fig Ice cream with Chocolate Nut Tart. Not the best, but passable. Loved the fig ice cream, though.

One negative thing during dinner was that we waited almost 30minutes for the mains to arrive, leaving us famished once they were set on our table. Servers were also a bit in a rush and difficult to catch their attention. Apart from that, generally, I like the ambiance and setup of the place, with the high ceilings and sun-filled dining area. I think that the place was a bit boring and needs more of the Mediterranean overall feel. Food-wise, it wasn't fantastic.

SAZL Scenes: At Bonbeach

2009-11-15T21:19:00.001+11:00

I love being at the beach, be it just hanging around, playing with the sand along the shore, sunbathing, taking a cool dip on a hot summer day...it's all good...

Bonbeach bathhouses...

Pearly shells...

Along the beach...

Sunny Brekkie @ Lynch's, Domain Road

2009-11-15T10:55:00.005+11:00

I love sunny days. I love breakfasts. I love coffee. Most of all, I love it when I know I have plenty of time to waste. If you're looking for a good place to literally watch time slip away, Lynch's is your best bet. And, oh, did I mention that their quesadilla is delicious?

Good coffee at Lynch's is a given, so I will skip to the ham and cheese quesadilla. Apparently, the quesadilla doesn't only have ham and cheese. It also has tomatoes, pesto and sliced avocadoes. The combination is outstanding and simple. One thing that will be hard to beat though, is the crunchy quesadilla. I thought that the quesadilla will be soft and doughy but I was somewhat shocked when my knife cracked onto it and down to the oozing cheese. The avocado is a welcome addition to the creamy centre and the tomato, fresh. The slices of ham are generous. It's a good start to a sunny day.

Cool Treat @ Funfields, Whittlesea

2009-11-14T15:48:00.001+11:00

Team building hasn't been this hot. The weather, I mean. Saturday makes it the perfect day for sometime away from the city. And when the weather is hot, it's also perfect for some ice cream. In my case, I opted for a cool, fruit juice based popsicle. Let me introduce, Cyclone. This iced treat is not unknown to Aussie kids. It's bright, colorful and tangy but still fresh enough.

Cooling under the shade...

Viva Jamon @ Delicatess, Prahran Market

2009-11-08T19:05:00.005+11:00

"How much does this cost per kilo?"

"It's 400 dollars per kilo" she said.

"Sorry? Say that again..."

I thought I've gone deaf. I think this is one of the most expensive food stuff that I bought during my entire stay here. Delicatess is one of the few stores that actually sells Iberico Jamon. The place is always packed with people looking for good quality hams and cheeses. I noticed that people don't really buy in bulk. They usually buy by the slice. I think it is more of a flavor to be enjoyed and savoured rather than horking it down in one seating, by yourself or with friends.
I got three thinly sliced luxury from this well marbled leg of Iberico pig and I know I got my money's worth once I saw the redness of the meat and just the smell of the fermentation wafting from them.Smell. Honestly, just from a few inches away from the ham, I can already sense a sharp, dank, salty scent reaching my nose. Amazingly, it's not unpleasant. I got the feeling that I'm suddenly enclosed in a stockroom full of ageing legs hanging around me.

Sight. Wow. Should I say that I have never seen a better ham from my limited experience? Every slice is unashamedly red, not blushing, I can see that the original color from the meat is well preserved. There are streaks of fat running out everywhere across the slices, some thin, some thick. Of course, the best part of the ham is always, always, the fat.

Taste. Sharp and salty as it fits the tongue. It's firm and stringy as I chewed on it. As I chewed on it longer, there's this burst of flavor inside my mouth that I can't describe. Lovely, smooth and salty yet sublime texture. For a short while, I felt like I was sitting along a rustic Spanish country side then back again to my apartment. Really.

Chocolate Brioche @ Brioche by Philip, Commercial Road

2009-11-07T16:41:00.002+11:00

I'm really sorry that I had to do this. I was eating this piece of delightful bread and thinking on how devilishly good it is when suddenly...WHY AM I NOT BLOGGING THIS?

Pastry, bread and chocolate lovers alike, you must go to Brioche by Philip and experience their Chocolate Brioche. NOW.

I apologize for the, uhm, almost disappeared image of the brioche. I have to literally stop myself and take some photos first because the next time I'm having this, I'm NOT stopping anymore.

The description I've read is that it's a brioche generously studded with Belgian chocolate chips. Chocolate. Tick. Belgian Chocolate. Tick. Generous. Tick. Just from the outside, you can see that golden brioche "studded" with chocolate chips. And when you eat it, the melted chocolate chips almost oozed out from the bun. The inside is this soft pillowy sensation, followed by bittersweet chocolate goodness. Honestly, I really don't get the brioche-feel but what the heck. It's a damn good pastry.

SAZL Scenes: Chapel Street, Prahran

2009-11-07T10:33:00.000+11:00

I love Chapel Street. I still can't decide which one I like best, whether it's Brunswick or Chapel, but either way, I somehow wished I lived along Chapel Street. It's lovely especially on a sunny day, when there's the full sun shining down and the weather's warm enough to let you do anything. I'm excited and can't wait for summer to arrive at the city. My goal today is to buy wine at The Botanical and olive oil at Oliveria, two of my favorite shops around that area (and The Essential Ingredient, of course).

There are a few things that strike my fancy as I walked along. And I know that whenever I look at these pictures, they will always remind me of a perfect day in Melbourne.

one of the shops that sells flowers, fruits, veggies and dried herbs.

hanging from the ceiling are dried mushrooms, chillies, garlic, and lavender.

this is an example of a cute ad from Oriental Tea.

i know this is sort of a bad picture because of the reflections but i love the way Cafe Dior arranged this display of sweets and a gold tea set.

SAZL Reads: North African Cookery by Arto der Haroutunian

2009-11-03T16:00:00.003+11:00

Passed by Books for Cooks today. I know I want to be out there and enjoy the windy Spring day and I did. For a moment, that is. I can't help but sneeze and get all watery-eyed. A trip to the bookstore is always my favorite errand. It's like being in a candy shop and what's best about it is that it's all about cooking and food. I can pick up 6-10 books easily from the store but I have to stop myself.

The introduction from the book talks about history, religion and culture of the region, which played a huge part in North African cuisine. North African would mean Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya. It also distinguishes the differences between these four, which is enlightening. Just from the short descriptions, the book already left a strong impression on me. If cookbooks that have loads of pictures is your thing, this probably isn't the book for you. There is no, and I'll say it again, no pictures in this book. What you get are basic recipes from the region and surprisingly, are not as complex as I thought they could be. I'm looking forward to try some of them soon.

After the Concert @ Bistro Guillaume, Crown Casino

2009-11-01T23:34:00.009+11:00

How many times have I booked for dinner at Bistro Guillaume and cancelled? More or less, 4. I know! It's embarrassing. But finally, I made it. After the Concert from my subject would mean that I just came from the Andre Rieu Concert at Rod Laver Arena. And should I say that it was one of the highlights of my trip. The concert was fun and exciting, but I digress. Topic at hand: Food. Cuisine: French.

Bistro Guillaume has the staples of French food: terrines, snails and sweetbreads are always good signs. I was starving tonight because I forgot to eat lunch and went straight to the concert and afterwards, I was weak at the knees. After ordering a French white, an amuse bouche came over, two pieces of croquettes with parmesan and pimiento dressing. The croquettes were rich and creamy inside with that good crunch from the outside crumb. I didn't care much for the pimiento dressing, though. But it was a good try.

Entree: Crystal Bay prawn cocktail. This one was delightful and fresh. The dressing was similar to the thousand island dressing I know but with much flair. There are 3 key ingredients: prawns, sliced avocadoes and the shredded lettuce. I noticed that the prawns were a bit tired but when I bit into them, they were still fresh and plump. I think it must have been the way they were deveined.

Main: Pan-seared Kingfish with white asparagus, peas and kipfler potatoes. A simple and clean dish. One of the highlights of this dish is definitely the white asparagus. It was sweet and tender, much much better than the regular green asparagus, though not bad. White asparagus tend to give off a more delicate and muted flavor, less nutty and sweeter. Very flavorful when cooked in butter. The potatoes were a bit dry for me and not the fluffy types that I'm used to. It's rustic with none of the melt-in-your-mouth feel. The fish was cooked just right, but as I ate it, I got the feeling that it's a bit dry and not supple enough.

Dessert: Tarte au Citron. I wouldn't dare to pass a French tart and true enough, the tart was sublime. I loved the light tanginess of that citrus custard that didn't make me wince at every bite I took. And did I mention the crust? That crust. I could eat that crust by itself. Crumbly and buttery, it was immaculate. The best tart crust I've had, hands-down. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the waiter smiled when I took a bite of the tart and sighed with delight.

Another thing that matters a lot to me, especially at a five-star restaurant, is the service. The waiters were curt but informative. They were quick to give suggestions with no signs of awkwardness. They know how to leave their guests alone to enjoy the food and to only come forward when required. As I walked out, two servers (the one who waited my table and the one who took my reservation) opened the heavy wooden doors of Bistro Guillaume to bid me farewell. They made me feel special from start to finish. Merci!

Israeli Brunch @ La Cafe, Nelson Street

2009-11-01T10:15:00.000+11:00

La Cafe has a very different vibe for me. From the menu, it only has a few items but each promises something unique and with a slightly different take on breakfast/brunch. Most items in the menu are vegetarian, except the Big Breakfast that's with chorizo and bacon. But big eaters, don't worry, you'll still end up with a full stomach afterwards.As for me, I chose to have the Shashooka. It's baked eggs in a smallish cast iron skillet with tomato sauce. Honestly, the best part for me, was the bread. Oh my, the bread! It's a cross between Turkish and French bread. The crust was thin and crispy, inside was pillow-y and light.

SAZL Sweats: My Roast Chicken...Almost

2009-10-31T20:33:00.003+11:00

Numerous times that I have tried making roast chicken back in Manila and I can remember all those sweaty days in the kitchen. I have searched and tried almost all of the methods I know, from stuffing the chicken, to carefully separating the skin from the flesh while easing that layer of butter in between, to different kinds of marinades. And numerous times, I have failed with coming out with the perfectly cooked roast chicken because I didn't know how long does it take for it to be perfectly cooked, without destroying the flesh. I can still remember the days when I could hear complaints about how dry the roast chicken was or, worse, undercooked.

In the end, I realize that it doesn't matter what kind of marinade you use, even the plain salt and pepper will work wonders if you know how to roast a chicken properly. Fortunately, I have stumbled upon a roasting technique from Kylie Kwong's Radical Chicken. The method she used was simple. For the first 20-30 mins, cover the chicken with al foil, then roast it in the oven under 180C. After which, roast the chicken on a higher temperature, say 200-220C, removing the al foil for further 20-30 minutes. This way, you will always have a moist chicken with the desirable and sought after crispy skin.

The marinade I used was a mixture of different herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil. I kept this in the refrigerator overnight and take it out 10-15 minutes before I place it in the oven.

When it comes to family dinners, this has been the staple and most requested of all the dishes I make. Bon appetit!