Gurney Drive - 284 Victoria St, West Melbourne

Heard rumours of a new and decent Malaysian restaurant that has opened up not too long ago on Victoria St and as I’ve been craving for spicy food the whole week, we went off to Gurney Drive in search of good Malaysian hawker food.

Fully expecting to be greeted by the smell of spices and grease typical of Malaysian hawker centers, I was disappointed when we were greeted by a newly renovated, clean, neat and tidy restaurant which reminded me more of a mid-upper Chinese restaurant than Gurney Drive in Penang. After all, with a name like Gurney Drive which is famous for producing some of the best hawker food in Malaysia, I would probably have decked it out in plastic chair and tables. The strong crowd and nice-looking plates of food on tables looked promising though.

As I was with a group of friends, we managed to order a few different dishes. First up, the Hainanese chicken rice which I was told was pretty good though I think the chicken tasted a little bland. The rice was nice and soup was typical MSG soup, I guess.

The Penang Nasi Pattaya which came wrapped in an omelet was visually impressive and tasted pretty good though I must say I am not a big fan of fried rice when eating out as I think they tend to be a waste of money.

Another fried rice dish that was ordered was the pineapple fried rice, served in half a pineapple. It was visually impressive but also tasted pretty good, I must say. Fried with a nice mixture of spices and seasonings, it brought back memories of a favourite childhood dish.

I didn’t get to try the Mamak Mee Goreng but was told that it was just ok, a bit on the sweet side though(not as spicy as my friend had hoped it to be).

The Malaysian style roast chicken was a winner with a tasty offering of chicken and nice chili and ginger paste to go with it. The rice was also spot-on with its flavour.

The Curry Laksa had a good soup base which is the most important thing. It definitely reminded Ms K of Malaysia and her primary school canteen-more of a curry than a laksa, according to her. Being Malaysian, I know what she’s talking about but perhaps, not many of you would. 

It was a busy Sunday night and so service was a little slow but food came out in good time and staffs were always courteous. Would I return? Probably (and indeed, I have been back since this first visit). Next time though, I’d like to try the nyonya fish which looked amazing. I was also told by the boss that it’s one of their popular dishes. Also, amidst all the food we had, we had forgotten to order the CHAR KUEY TEOW, a lapse that I corrected on my second visit (though forgot my camera). The noodle was nicely fried with the necessary burnt/smoky aroma to it (what we Malaysians call ‘wok breathe’). I have seen in other blog of people lamenting the lack of egg and lap cheong and I have to agree that it lacked an egg or two but I can easily do without lap cheong, a food that reminds me of dissections…

Filou's Pattisserie - Corner of Fenwick and Lygon St, Carlton North

Finally, a beautiful day forecasted…and most importantly, a nice breakfast to look forward to. We got to Filou’s early in the morning and was greeted by the sweet smell of pastry (butter :D). The staffs were busy bringing out fresh pastries and other goodies from the kitchen and I couldn’t help but feel myself being drawn to the display cabinet full of tempting offerings.


For savoury, we settled for the spinach slice and mushroom pie and for sweets, an almond croissant, or should I say, croissants aux amandes…to wash it down, it was my usual long black.

The mushroom pie had a slight sourness to it that I personally thought overpowered the taste of the mushrooms. We were trying to work out where or what was added to it and I think it’s either sour cream or lemon…the pastry, however, was divine. Flaky without tasting oily, the crunchiness of it going ooh so well with the creamy mushroom filling.

The spinach slice was a very generous serve of vegetables. One could be forgiven for thinking it’s healthy but there was no masking the melt-in-your-mouth pastry that encased it.

It was just after 8am but yes, we just had to have something sweet to finish this deliciously sinful meal off and for me, the crux of French patisseries is the croissant. Being indecisive (and having not seen the vanilla slice), I decided on the almond croissant. The flakiness of the croissant was evident even from the outlook and we were not disappointed. The almond filling gave it a slightly cake-like/moist texture on a croissant that would otherwise be flaky but perhaps, a bit dry or over baked. Personally, I love my croissants to be flaky on the outside with a slight chewiness inside, so with the almond filling, it ticked the right box though without it (the edges), it was slightly on the dry side for me.

There’s nothing much to say about my coffee as I thought it was slightly burnt and didn’t quite enjoy it that much. So, I guess I’m off to Green Refectory for my second cup today…

Parisian Patisserie Boulangerie - 19 Keilor Road, Essendon

Okay, so I’ve heard really good things about this place…and the photos I’ve seen so far from other bloggers as well as their comments convinced me to travel from home (all the way in the east) at a blasphemous hour, through morning peak hour traffic, to Essendon, for some butter, egg, flour and lots of sugar…was it worth it?

I know it doesn’t start with F but it is French and that’s and F-word…

First impression of the place reminds me of cafes in Paris, clean, neat and sterile? The place is small and when we got there, was full, so we were directed down the hall to a small inner dining room that had a lone, larg-ish table.

 

We ordered from the counter and Mr F got the famed croissant d’amande and escargot to go with his usual Chai Latte whilst Miss J got a mixed berry brioche and a chocolate milkshake. I knew what I wanted…a Mille Feuille and the Egg brioche, having seen a divine photo of it on omnomnomnom, http://bright-copper-kettle.blogspot.com/2010/08/parisian-patisserie-moonee-valley.html

 Service was decent, professional and attentive, though I wouldn’t exactly call it friendly. Perhaps they were quite busy at the time…? Food and drinks came quickly enough and away we went.

 The star of the morning I would definitely say is the famed almond croissant. True to its reputation, it came with a nice crunch on the outside, soft and fluffy with a slight cakey texture on the inside. I thoroughly expected it to be too sweet but found it quite nice. Also expected it to taste buttery but was pleasantly surprised by the lightness of it and the slight vanilla taste it carried. Definitely a big plus for the almond croissant!!

 The egg brioche which I had high hopes for was alas, overcooked. The egg was hard and the yolk fully fried. The brioche as with all the pastries was nice and light and would have been excellent were it not for the much overcooked EGG! To me, that’s how eggs are killed, by overcooking the yolk…honestly, I don’t care about the white. I’m happy to have it fully cooked or par cooked but the yolk…the life of the egg…it needs, I repeat, needs to be given the right respect!

 The mixed berry brioche saved the failed egg brioche by having a nice, light, not too sweet, custard filling that complemented the berries and the brioche very well.

The escargot was nothing too special, perhaps a bit on the sweet side for me especially with all the of sultanas in it.

 The Mille Feuille, which I ended up having to takeaway, was excellently done. I was trying to compare it to the excellent one I had at French Lettuce and the pretty decent one from French Quarters and would probably rate it between the two with French Lettuce still ticking all the right boxes for me. The pastry was nice and crunchy and went extremely well with the not too sweet custard filling.

 

  So, was it worth the 1 hour 15 min drive? Definitely for the almond croissants but perhaps, I should consider walking next time…calories in vs calories out….

Cold Soba Noodles

The idea was simple enough, eat my way through A-Z, blogging and sharing my experience with family and friends. The execution, however, has become quite difficult as I seem to get distracted very easily with the goal, so as always, ideas were set to be changed, so unfortunately, I have decided that I will go my own way and blog all my food experiences…the ones worth mentioning, of course…

Melbourne has just endured a scorching 36°C day and for the first time in recent memory, I did not feel like dinner. Actually, that would be a lie. I did feel like dinner but all I felt like was ice cream. But isn’t dinner by definition something savory?? Or at least, that’s what I’ve been brought up to believe in. Savory ice cream? Peanut butter ice cream? That’s sweet and a bit savory? I can have dinner and dessert all rolled in one...

Maybe not…so I got thinking and finally, am reminded of a dish I had when I was travelling in Japan last year. A quick bowl of plum pudding and date & walnut ice cream followed by a quick trip to the Asian grocery store later, this is what I whipped up: Japanese Soba Noodle with my version of soba sauce and sides.

Soba そば, is a type of thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. It can be served either cold or in hot soup as soup noodle. For today, I’m serving it cold with a side of freshly julienned carrots, cucumber, enoki mushroom, seaweed and alas but not least, kim chi. I know, I know…kim chi?? Where does that fit in?? Well, I wanted something cold and that was available and I felt like it too, so kim chi it was and it went down very nicely, thank you very much.

For the dipping sauce, I kept it quick and simple by using dashi stock (from dashi granules), dissolving it in water, then boiling it with mirin, bit of sugar and soy sauce. The sauce was then kept in the fridge to cool.

Store bought dehydrated soba noodle was used and after cooking it, was kept in the fridge as well as I prepared my sides.

To serve, I added some wasabi and chili paste (I like my spices, even in hot weather) to the dipping sauce and topped it with dry roasted sesame seeds and mixed everything (except the kim chi) together for an easy, one bowl meal. The result, a super easy, healthy, home cooked meal perfect for the hot weather. The dipping sauce was mild tasting but flavorsome enough, bringing out the hotness of the wasabi and complementing the fresh, mild flavored sides.

Elevenses - 585 Little Collins St, CBD

After having had a restricted diet for 3 weeks, I’m finally back in the market for good food. Ooh…how I have deprived my taste buds…not my tummy though…there was definitely enough food but when they generally taste similar (cooked with pretty much the same herbs, no/minimal spices, same vegetables, salt…) and you know exactly what you’ll be having for each meal for the next 3 weeks, it gets a bit tiring and uninspiring. But ooh…well, I have discovered that I am not that fussy with food and for a greater cause, I will be willing to go on it again (which I will after a few weeks’ break) but for now, please, allow me to eat, drink and be merry!! :D

So, Elevenses is a café that I’ve been meaning to try but due to my work schedule, have not been able to make it there but Melbourne Cup day is definitely a good day to go as they tweeted that they’ll be open. Parking was easy in Melbourne and it was easy enough to get there. The place was empty apart from the girls and I was actually surprised at how small it was but I guess it is after all, an espresso bar.

Toby’s Estate is a favorite blend and I quickly got my caffeine hit organized. As I still couldn’t have ‘proper’ food, I had to watch and take notes as my friends ordered their meals…the Braised rabbit sandwich and the Roast pork sandwich. Too bad they didn't have the Kangaroo/Rooben sandwich on the day.

They were both interesting items, not commonly seen in small eateries and can easily be done badly. On the other hand, they can be ‘Wow! This is great!!’ The pork was definitely the latter, pulling apart easily whilst still moist and tender. The vegetables(yes, including the gerkhin) made it appear very healthy and gourmet. The rabbit on the other hand was a bit tougher and I was told, takes some getting used to as it’s not a familiar meat to have with a slightly stronger taste compared to chicken.

Ms K had the almond croissant which was a bit too dense, appearing more ‘cakey’ than light and flaky as croissants should be.

Coffees were well made and my strong latte was definitely appreciated. So, Elevenses, a good place for socially, ethically and environmentally responsible coffee, good place for a quick elevenses(aka morning tea/smoko), not so good for a sit down meal or to catchup as space is very limited.

Suggestion: honey on bread with condensed milk?? 

Dench Bakers - 109 Scotchmer St, Fitzroy North

Okay, I've been a bit slow getting my posts up...mainly because I've agreed (ages ago, before the conception of this blog) to join a study for IBS/Crohns where certain dietary sugar is analysed for their effects in people with these conditions. I do not and do not wish for anyone to have it but I've been recruited as a 'normal, healthy, control'. Why did I join? Well, I was told that all I needed to do was EAT!! So, I thought, how hard can that be? Of course, there's the added benefit of being provided with the food that I need to eat. SUPER!! Then, of course, as always, there is a downside...I need to record all my symptoms. I can do that....and...collect urine and stool sample...hmm....(okay, you guys don't need the details)

The thing is, I've agreed to do it, so I am doing it. Right now! Which means I can't really eat out(I won't cheat). So, unless you want to know how my food, provided by Monash University/Eastern Health, tastes like, there will be a slight delay between posts as I participate in this worthy study.

Anyway, I really wanted to get past 'D' because I knew where I wanted to go - Dench Bakers, in Fitzroy North. The reason...I heard rumours that the bread that I had from Court Jesters, which fascinated me so much (till this day), was from Dench Bakers. How cool is that?

So, finally, I persuaded a friend to join me for lunch at Dench Bakers. I quickly reheated my special study food, minestrone soup, and gobbled that down with special spelt bread provided by the study (they were nice) and headed off to Dench Bakers in Scotchmer St, Fitzroy North. Thankfully, we were able to get a table inside but given that it was past lunch time, they had run out of most of their sandwiches/focaccias/paninis (aka sandwich in Italian but usually referred to pressed/toasted ones in Oz). My friend settled for a salami focaccia which came with generous amount of salad in it.

There was also a special menu and personally, I thought the asparagus, white bean paste on toast looked good, so did the braised sticky lamb but poor me, I settled for a long black, added my very own Liddell's lactose free milk (which I did bring along) and soaked in the environment.

The place isn't big but the way the tables were arranged made it fairly spacious and though it wasn't packed, it was steadily busy with groups of people coming and going. The staff were courteous and professional (some would probably say a bit pretentious??), the food, from what I was told and I could see, was very nice. I would have loved, absolutely loved, to try some of the cakes/desserts on offer, including the Bienenstich (I absolutely love custard) but oo well, for the greater good of all with IBS/Crohns, I resisted. But next time I'm back, you know what I'll be getting...

Court Jester Cafe - 15 Breese St, Brunswick

And so, the story begins…

In ancient times from a land far away, there lived a lonesome beast. Known only by a select few, the secret of the 'Jester' has been kept secure and hidden from a world that was not quite ready for it.(taken from http://www.courtjestercafe.com.au/)

Until now…

The story goes on that the Jester eventually escaped a life of captivity into a world of freedom, escaping a life of bland, uninspiring food into a world of filled with choices in ingredients, tastes and textures…

The eventual partnership between Jester and ‘Maxcat’ brings together food, with all its different tastes and textures and art, with its unique textures and complex philosophies.

At Court Jester Café, the two work so well together, each enhancing the experience of the other. The moment we walked in, we were greeted by colourful work of arts and a mild, woody and pleasantly smoky aroma from the kitchen. The menu, as we were told was written on the wall that’s been made into a big chalkboard set amidst works of art by local artists. A large communal table sits in the middle of this warehouse convert with a few chairs and tables out front and in the small courtyard behind.

Court Jester Café serves none of the mild, traditional breakfasts of jam on toast or croissants or muesli. Rather, it has a very unique and interesting menu that looks very German to me. I was told it was Eastern European but perhaps, Central European is more accurate??

Anyway, after spending 10minutes craning our necks and staring at a menu that’s full of, ‘I want to try this’, ‘this sounds interesting’, ‘should we order this as well? No, that’ll be too much…’, we finally decided on the Creamy Casper (baked eggs) and Golapki (polish style cabbage rolls). We had our usual, chai latte for Mr A and long black with side of soy for me.

The drinks took a while to arrive but when they did, they arrived in cute saucers that reminded me of my grandma’s treasures. The chai was pretty decent though honestly, I thought the long black was a bit too bitter for me.

Whilst we were waiting for our food, I noticed some chisels left out on the table and realized that patrons are actually encouraged to ‘do some arts’ whilst waiting, so without any further encouragement, I started carving my name into the table (I’ll think of something more original for my next wait).

When the food eventually arrived, it looked so impressive that the wait was forgiven. The baked eggs were done to perfection, crisp topping with beautifully baked gruyere cheese. It tasted fantastic too, each ingredient not overpowering the other. It also did not taste greasy but rather, the gruyere cheese gave it a sweet and slightly salty but definitely creamy taste and texture.

My cabbage rolls with sauerkraut was done beautifully. I’ve found traditional sauerkraut to be too sour for my taste and generally do not like them but these ones were definitely not sour but rather, I found them slightly sweet and complemented the golapkis very well. Maybe they're not as fermented??

The bread that I had was quite unique as well. Apart from the smokiness from the wood fire over, it had a mild fragrance that was fruity as well as flowery. It was puzzling enough that I spent the whole time trying to figure the taste out…and still figuring (cause I forgot to ask!! Oo well, just have to return again…but i think it's rye with some ground spices...the way the germans like it?!?)

All in all, it was an absolute pleasure to have dined here (though good coffee would have made it absolutely, wonderfully fantastic) and I could not stop raving about it for the rest of the day. Will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu.