The Ortolan's Last Meal

RECIPE: Soba Noodle Salad

2012-01-30T16:53:00.003+11:00

I spied this post by Scandi Foodie and was reminded about how much I love soba noodles. Uncomplicated, refreshing, cooling, delicious. I love a small bowl of the noodles with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, sliced shallots and a drizzle of ponzu sauce.

So why not make some, ey?

I was also making some Vietnamese rice paper rolls, so it turned into a sorta of Japanese/Thai fusion dish because I used whatever I had on hand. I'd recommend you do the same and not bother sticking to the recipe.

Mix together:
- 100g of soba noodles, cooked as per packet instructions and rinsed with cold water
- 1 small carrot (I used purple because they're sexy) shaved with a vegetable/speed peeler
- Around 20 snow pea sprouts, torn in half
- A few coriander, mint and Thai basil leaves, torn roughly with your hands
- 2 T ponzu sauce
- 1 T sesame oil
- A small grating of garlic and ginger

BEER: MIKKELLER Texas Ranger (Barrel Aged)

2012-01-29T16:18:00.002+11:00

The regular Texas Ranger is a fairly middle of the road chipotle flavoured porter (well, as middle of the road as Mikkeller can get). Here, it gets thrown in a Speyside whiskey barrel for 3 months.

Small but thick head. Dissipates quickly and leaves and inky looking beverage.

Sweet malt dominates the nose. A little raw chilli heat, cocoa, chocolate milk, raspberries.

Low but appropriate carbonation in the mouth: you want this smooth.

There’s still a little chilli linger after spending time in the barrel, but the flavour is big on chocolate milk. Some raspberries and cocoa. It’s all quite nice, but doesn’t fill the palate like similarly big barrel-aged drops.

More chipotle heat on the end, with a little sweetness. Pleasant and linger-y.

89%

BEER: MIKKELLER Black

2012-01-28T16:01:00.002+11:00

It’s actually got “black” on the label written in Japanese characters, which I can’t read or reproduce from my anglo/racist keyboard. At least... I think it says "black"...

Perhaps it’s best to say that it’s the beer that is a 16.5% imperial stout alcohol bomb.

I first had it on tap during the Mikkeller tap takeover at the Local Taphouse and found it quite perplexing. Would the bottle also perplex me?

Small, thick head that holds reasonably well.

It smells... weird. Alcohol, malt, pot.

It attacks the palate, puckering the mouth, without any sourness. Low, thick carbonation.

It tastes... strange. So much alcohol. Too much. It’s not hidden like in other drinks. Sweetness lingers in the background, but never makes it to the front. Aftertaste of Panadol and leather.

Another, much smaller sip. The sweetness is all over. Molasses all over. Chocolate sauce, port, caramelised figs. Delicious.

This is such a strange beer. It’s a beer for sipping slowly. Drink too much—or too fast—and your tastebuds get destroyed. Sip it and savour it, but don’t forget. It’s like a pet tiger: if you get too comfortable with it, it’s gonna maul your fucking eyes out and the media will report on the story and draw attention to the bizarre life you lead with your magic/lion show “partner”.

87%

BEER: MIKKELLER Spontanredcurrant

2012-01-18T21:30:00.002+11:00

This is more like it. The Spontanale series has been a bit of a hit and miss for me, but my final one proves to be my favourite. No prizes for guessing the flavour in Spontanredcurrant.

The sweetness from the currant is well contained—almost weak cordially—and is well balanced against the funk and the sour to deliver a very drinkable limbic.

Still not outstanding, but my favourite of the series and a very tasty beverage.

87%

Spherification

2012-01-15T17:42:00.003+11:00

While it might be a little played out in high-end restaurants these days, spherification at home is both extremely fun and full of possibilities.

I made a puree of strawberries with a little honey, sugar and balsamic vinegar. The rest, as they say, is algae.

RESTAURANT: Lynn's Shanghai Cuisine

2012-01-12T21:47:00.002+11:00

With all of the northern Chinese and Shanghainese food I eat/blog about, you might be thinking that I'd sick of it by now.

If so, you obviously haven't fallen into the embrace of said food like most of Sydney. The heady mix of ginger, vinegar, soy and chilli is the perfume that stirs us so. As ubiquitous as it is comforting as it is ever-mysterious.

Sigh.

Finally trying Lynn's Shanghai. Which is in a club, of all places. Normally clubs are terrible places, filled with terrible things and I avoid them like I normally avoid terrible things. But for soup dumplings I'm willing to cast off the shackles of my mortal hatred of terrible things. Once. FOR SCIENCE!

The place has a slightly "clubby" feel to it (FYI, if you tell them you're only going to the restaurant you, apparently, don't need to sign in) but it's only slight. You could just as easily be in any other Chinese restaurant that has tried to make the best of a slightly cold, "modern" room.

Soup dumplings. Xiao Long Bao. The XLBs. The place claims to have the best in Sydney--better than Din Tai Fung--and they're admittedly pretty good. They're missing the big herbal, salty notes that I like, but, for a more subtley flavoured, well-textured, porky, ultra-soupy XLB you could do a lot worse than Lynn's version.

The fried pork buns are also bursting at the seams, just aching for a chance to spray you with scalding, porcine stock. They have a nice crunch and, while missing the same herbal notes as the XLBs, are damn agreeable.

The cold starters are solid and a good option, since the hot stuff can take a while to arrive. Drunken chicken is a nicely flavoured, slow-poached chicken. The silken tofu slices with century egg are also a solid choice.

As with many Chinese restaurants, the fried beans are a great, salty, delicious choice. Here they'd similarly great, but hopelessly misadvertised. The menu says green beans and bamboo shoots, but what arrived was green beans and pork mince. Other blogs show green beans, bamboo shoots and pork mince. I get that it's sometimes hard to put up bamboo shoots, but you need to communicate it. A bamboo shoot fiend (*cough*me*cough*) or a non-pork eater isn't going to be happy with the alternative turning up.

Every wrong in the world is forgotten when a plate of crispy duck and steamed buns hits the table. It's like Peking duck, but on steroids. Split a bun, slather on some hoisin, stuff it generously with crispy duck and shallots, forget about everything. Maybe dip it into your leftover ginger/vinegar/chilli/soy mix from the soup dumplings or maybe even chase it with some sips of Tsingtao from a chilled glass. Such a good dish.

Service is good and occasionally enthusiastic, but slightly slow. I'd imagine that if you order all hot dishes that you'll be in for a wait for your food. Also, if you want something (more Tsingtaos) then make sure you don't delay. It can be hard to get attention of staff in some parts of the U-shaped restaurant.

That said, the food is good. And that's what you want, really. There are small details that stop it from becoming great--small holes in the soup dumplings, no bamboo shoots in the bamboo shoot and bean dish, etc--but it's damn solid. I rate Taste of Shanghai as a slightly (but noticeably) better CBD Shanghainese place in terms of food and maybe service and maybe ambiance, but Lynn's is a rock-solid alternative with slightly better prices and a slightly better chance of getting in during peak times. I'll definitely be back for more.

RATING: Will return to [?]

WINE: BERECHE ET FILS Reflet d'Antan NV

2012-01-10T19:35:00.004+11:00

A stunningly good grower champagne produced using the solera system. Honey, red and green apples, almond and dried apricots, but also a savoury quality to it as well.

92%

RECIPE: Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)

2012-01-07T16:43:00.002+11:00

Over the Christmas and New Year break there have been quite a few barbeques going on near my place that are within nose range but depressingly out of reach. You might be tucking into an awesome meal when you smell it, but there is nothing that will beat the perfume of grilling meat. I had to have it.

I've been eating a lot of Vietnamese and Thai food lately (the best food for a Sydney summer--after barbeques, of course--for mine), so wanted some of that flavour in my grilled meat. The answer was an obvious one: gai yang.

It's not the most traditional recipe (which would probably use a whole or broken down chicken and would omit soy) but it's pretty easy and it's bloody tasty.

Marinate:
- 1 kg of chicken thigh fillets, cut in half
- 2 T of Thai fish sauce
- 2 T light soy
- 2 T dark soy
- Pinch of salt
- Generous pinch of palm sugar (or brown)

And the following blended up to a rough paste:
- 2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 2 thumbs of ginger
- 2 red chillis, deseeded if you want it mild like I do

Mix everything together well so all parts of the chicken are covered. Cover well in a container or in a bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap and marinate overnight (minimum 2 hours).

Cooking:
It's not rocket science. Cook until you start seeing some lovely charred edges either on the barbeque, under the grill or in an oven as hot as it goes. Once done, a little squeeze of lemon or lime will go a long way.

Serve on it's own or even in rice paper wraps (or lettuce leaves) with a Viet herb mix, bean sprouts and vermicelli.

However you serve it, it tastes nice dipped into some nouc cham, the Vietnamese dipping sauce.

Nouc Cham
1. In a medium-sized bowl, add 1 T of sugar (white or palm). Add 1 C of warm water and stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Add 2 T of rice wine vinegar, 1.5 T of thai fish sauce, the juice of 1 lime and mix.
- Finely chop 3 garlic cloves and 1 red chilli (leave the seeds in) and add to the bowl.
- Stir and check for seasoning. You may need to add more of something to balance out the dipping sauce to your taste. It should be sour, but also salty from the fish sauce, tart from the citrus and sweet from the sugar.

RESTAURANT: Chinatown Noodle King

2012-01-05T20:36:00.002+11:00

Chinatown Noodle King has been on my radar for quite a while. I'd often pass it when walking up Sussex St for a bit of lunch at work (which is occasionally on said Sussex St) and wonder how this king was anointed. I also saw it mentioned by the pony-tailed chef, Neil Perry, in an article on "where chefs go to eat" and a few times on the twitter.

The facts:
- Northern Chinese food
- Northern Chinese food prices
- More comfortable than the average Northern Chinese restaurant (which isn't saying a lot)

Oh, and ice-cold Tsingtaos, which immediately launch the restaurant into the upper echelon of dining experiences. It may have taken a reminder, and service may occasionally require a little prompting (the norm for Northern Chinese restaurants), but when it comes it's pretty damn good.

The menu throws up a few surprises to the normal Northern Chinese menus that are dumplings, stir fries, pork buns, noodles, salads. Here they also have some lesser cuts of meat and offal in dishes (can't help but laugh at the listing of "brochette of tripe") and some hot pots. Not being huge offal fans we give it a miss though.

Curiously, there is also a page for "traditional snacks", which is code for "sliced and fried pancakes". Served with your choice of meat and vegetables, it's closer to being a fried rice noodle stir fry and is worth trying.

And what of the noodles that the noodle king has been king'd for? They're pretty good! Soft and slippery, well cooked and well adorned with meat and vegetables. I would have liked a little more "bite" to the noodle, but it's still very good.

A Northern Chinese restaurant experience for a whitey like me wouldn't be complete without some white man's crack: dumplings. We go for the boiled dumplings in hot and spicy sauce. It's basically boiled dumplings that skip a step, since they're already covered in a mix of chilli, soy and vinegar. The ratio is good and it keeps the dumplings from drying out (and of course saves me from having to manually compose the mix myself).

We also go for a stir fry and the cumin lamb is one of my all time favourites so it gets the nod. This is an enjoyable version.

While I don't find the food better than some of my favourite Northern Chinese restaurants (ie Chinese Noodle Restaurant/House and Sea Bay), it's not far off. And with more comfortable/less-cramped seating and less chance of queues (AND ICE COLD TSINGTAOS), I can see Chinatown Noodle King becoming a regular haunt for me and my friends.

RATING: Will return to [?]

ARTICLE: Age Verification for Alcohol Websites

2012-01-04T20:55:00.002+11:00

If you're reading this (an article on a food and booze centric website) then there's a fairly good chance that you've found yourself on the website for an alcohol company at some point(s) in time. At said website you were probably presented with a splash page that required you to enter your birth date or confirm that you were "of legal drinking age in your country/region/province/house". If not, check Heineken.com for an example.

It's a phenomenon that is at best puzzling and at worst inconvenient. Why do you need to confirm you're of legal age to view promotional material relating to alcohol, when you can turn on the TV or walk down the street and face the same promotional material with no restriction? More importantly, does a drop-down box asking your birth date really act as a deterrent to someone under the legal drinking age wanting to view the site?

[note: I'm considering those sites which do NOT sell alcohol; just those that market. Age verification for selling of alcohol is far more tricky]

The answer to the latter is a resounding no, as it's completely useless to use a drop-down box as an accurate age verification method. So, in the interests of filling space on the blog, I tried to find out why alcohol companies do it.

Basically: is the age verification screen required by law?

I'm going to preface this by saying that my "findings" were "found" with nothing more than a cursory Google search. If you use this as a basis to make a legal decision then you're a dead-set goose. This post is--at best--an attempt to stimulate conversation on the subject.

First off, I tried to find out what the laws were in each country. It was bloody hard to find anything on the legal requirements for alcohol websites so this may not be 100% correct and up to date. More than happy to change this if you have any better information at hand.

Australia: No legal requirement for non-selling websites, but laws for the sale of alcohol online.
New Zealand: Advertising standards require age verification. I can't see if it's federal law or an industry body but all NZ sites I visited use age verification.
United States: No legal requirement. However, it is "recommended" by government bodies and there is an industry code which also strongly recommends it.
Canada: No legal requirement, but a voluntary code.
Europe/UK: No legal requirements, but bigger names are part of a voluntary industry body called the European Forum for Responsible Drinking which does appear to require age verification.

Other comments:
- I couldn't find any countries that had specific rules around how age verification must be done. ie should there be a double-confirmation? Should the use use text and not a drop-down box (because the extra effort of typing will inspire truthfulness)?
- There appears to be a lot of activity around regulation in this area from both governments and industry bodies in the past couple of years (more in the "advertising material that is harmful to minors" sense than the literal "alcohol websites"). It's fairly assured that this will be an area of change and debate in the coming years that will undoubtedly lead to many alcohol companies having to change their approach (or lack thereof) to age verification online. Certainly so as online selling becomes more common for alcohol companies (particularly the smaller companies).

The overwhelming "vibe" of all of this is that there is no clear legal requirements for alcohol companies to include an age verification splash screen. HOWEVER, the overwhelming majority of companies (particularly the larger ones) include it as a sort of faux "commitment to responsible drinking".

This is more likely a commitment to "showing that we do all we can to discourage underage drinking" and cover their arses from any legal action resulting from lax attitudes or/and exploitation of the "gray" nature of current legislation.

So, given that there aren't many "legal" barriers stopping alcohol companies from removing the annoying age verification from their websites, should they? Well, from a user perspective the answer is an absolutely resounding yes. Current age verification is easily fudged and offers no real deterrent other than the annoyance of having to enter a valid birth date. Even as someone of legal drinking age, I will enter whatever age is more convenient that will let me into the fucking site.

I see the ethical standpoint as a moot point. Given it is so easy to get around, there shouldn't be any ethical complaints about not having age verification splash screens on the off chance that an underage individual accidentally falls onto the site and doesn't want to view the material and will spontaneously combust upon viewing of said material.

But from a legal standpoint... I have no legal background other than the Legal Studies class I took in year 11 in high school (and it was a public high school so you know it was bad)... from a legal standpoint, given the litigious nature of our society, you'd be crazy to not include the splash screen if you were a major alcohol company. If you're a small one then chances are you aren't going to get sued for marketing to minors, but do you want to take the risk?

But is there a risk at all, if we're only talking about advertising? In Australia, if an advertisement is considered to cross the line by someone then they take their grievance to some sort of advertising standards board who will rule on the matter. I can't see this option available in many countries for alcohol companies marketing online. Does everyone really need to be babied for the sake of vague laws?

Given the utter uselessness of age verification screens, do we need this "softly, softly" approach by alcohol companies online? What will it take for them to be eliminated? Clearer regulations? Let's do it then. Stop this consolation to the lowest common denominator who MAY complain about the material being too accessible.

Some good sites/posts/articles that helped put this post together:
http://www.legallibations.com/2009/11/what-are-your-first-amendment-rights.html
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/12/07/the-unusable-and-superficial-world-of-beer-and-alcohol-websites/
http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2009/09/10/verify-this-alcohol-sites-and-age-verification/
http://www.efrd.org/main.html
http://www.asa.co.nz/code_liquor_promo.php
http://www.adstandards.com.au/process/theprocesssteps/specificproductsandissues/alcoholadvertising

RESTAURANT: The Parramatta Round-up

2012-01-02T19:09:00.004+11:00

It's been something stupid like 3 years that I've been working in Parramatta. In that time, I've had the (sometimes dubious) opportunity to try a lot of the local goods. I don't always write about them, but felt like it was time to summarise some of the options I haven't mentioned before that are on offer to the office worker in Parramatta (particularly those around Smith/George sts).

Benjamin's Bakery
Near the corner of Charles and George sts is your typical Vietnamese bakery. And that means pretty cheap banh mi for lunch. In addition to solid pork and chicken rolls are some boxes of vermicelli noodle salads and rice paper rolls. It's cheap, it's tasty and the flavours are clean.

Oriental Tucker Box
Mostly Malaysian but a bit of everything. Most people choose the laksa or the 2 choices from the bain marie with rice, but they're not that great for mine. Char kway teow is okay, as is the short soup. They also have a small bowl of soba noodles which isn't bad.

Coco Lane
Formerly a no-brainer for the choice of coffee when they were serving Campos, Coco Lane is now under new management and serving Toby's Estate. It's still probably one of the better coffees around Parra. I haven't had the food but it looks solid.

The Artisan's Apprentice
Tucked away in a nothing-arcade in Church st mall is a stupidly good bakery. The sourdoughs and fruit loaves at this place are out of control. A few other nice options if you're looking for a bread-based snack or meal.

El Jannah
An institution. Get here (Granville) early to avoid the rush and get some of the best charcoal chicken around. They also do some solid stuff with other meats, but it's the chicken that brings the people in. The chicken roll is amazing with delicious pickles and a crazy-good garlic sauce.

La Mono
Don't want to brave the crowds at El Jannah or can't get to Granville for some reason (leprosy?)? Then maybe La Mono in Merrylands is the go. It's almost as good as El Jannah, but makes up for it with usually smaller queues. Solid food all round: tasty, tasty wraps, lighty, crispy falafel and tasty, tasty toum.

Bavarian Bier Cafe
Chances are you've visited one of these places before. Bucketloads of German beer served in big glasses alongside plenty of schnitzels, sausages, pork things and whatever else it is that German's eat (people?). If you're not like me and you like German beer and want a decent schnitzel then give this one a go.

Temasek
I've never been as wild about Temasek as a lot of other people, but I'd still recommend giving it a go. Good, authentic Singaporean/Malaysian food like Hainan chicken rice and nasi lemak. Recommended that you order ahead if you're getting take-away as this place gets PACKED at lunch.

Hyderabad House
While they do serve a normal menu that's your standard Hyderabadi fair, their lunch buffet is pretty great. For around $13 you get as much as you want from whatever 3-4 dishes they put out that day. It's usually a vegetable curry, a dalh and a chicken curry. It won't blow you away but it's a very solid option, especially if you're starving.

Kings Indian
Food on par with the above, but a bit nicer looking if you go for the full menu.

The Collector Hotel
Collector offers up an alternative to standard pub fare by serving a mostly Thai menu, with a few of the more popular pub choices (burgers, fish and chips, etc) thrown in. It's your standard suburban Thai that leans to western palates, but is enjoyable enough if you make the right choice. The noodle dishes are usually solid, as is the massaman curry.

The Albion Hotel
Further down George st is the Albion. At night and on weekends it's a good place to go if you enjoy house music and being a horrible human being. At lunchtimes it's more laid back and is one of the few options at that end of town to get "normal pub grub", albeit "normal pub grub" that is done a bit better. They have pizzas, burgers, fish and chips, pasta dishes, salads, etc, etc, etc. It won't blow you away but it usually isn't terrible. Outdoor seating is nice when the weather is good.

In the Mood for Thai
A better option for Thai would be this nearby spot. Standard Thai but some good decent dishes on the menu. Nice place to go in good weather when all of the windows are open.

Ma'leisia Cafe
Nearby is this relatively new Malaysian joint. Actually a fairly solid place, though a slightly limitied menu that is heavy on the nasi lemak-esque dishes. Last time I was there they had some really good lunch specials on. Ais kecang to takeaway is awesome/dangerous.

Hong Fu
While Hong Fu is pretty well known and regarded in the west, I've always felt that it's a bit overrated when you compare it to some of the joints in Chinatown. There are even a couple of places on George st (opposite the Aldi) that I favour. Still, you can get a good meal there. The stir fries are solid and some of the Szechuan dishes like tofu with century egg are quite nice.

Port Bar
It's on the river, near the ferry stop. Which is good. I found the food fairly middle of the road Italian fare at river-view prices.

Criniti's
Similar but more expensive is Criniti's on Church st.

Kanzo
A small Japanese-of-all-trades place on the George st strip. Okay place to stop for some soba, mixed dishes or sushi. Sashimi is just okay.

Manaeesh Bakery & Pizza
Like manoush, that awesome Lebanese pizza topped with zaatar? Well it finally came to Parra a few months ago. In addition to the zaatar there are also plenty of other options like meat and cheese or labne and vegetable. It's not the best manoush I've ever had (or the cheapest) but it's really good value and really tasty. Pro tip: don't be like me and over order. Any more than one and you will become obese.

CIDER: FAMILLE DUPONT Cidre Bouche Fermier 2008

2012-01-01T19:58:00.003+11:00

A proper cider. That is, it doesn't taste like fairy floss. Unpasteurised, bottle conditioned and (I think) unfiltered. Superfine bead. Intense and lively yet smooth. Like eating an apple, core and all. Sharp, round fruit with a little hint of musk. Smooth finish that is totally "apple".

90%

BEER: HOPDOG Secret Santa 2011

2011-12-20T20:35:00.002+11:00

Another day another Christmas beer. This time from South Nowra in NSW.

It's an 8.6% abv, 70 IBU, "Festive spiced Belgian style ale" that contains gingerbreads.

I've found the carbonation of Hopdog beers to be extremely unpredictable. This bottle pours a small head that quickly dissipates.

Interesting nose. You get the sweet malt and yeast like a normal Belgian strong ale, but there are more elusive smells of spice, egg and cream.

Low carbonation but a thick mouthfeel.

The taste up front is your typical Belgian strong ale: sweet, hoppy and yeasty. This gives way to an almost fruity middle of oranges, ginger, honey, malt. The finish is absent on the front and middle palates, but leaves some sweet and malty hops lingering in the background.

It's not a bad Christmas ale, but it's not really a great Christmas ale. I can barely see any of the gingerbread in it. Although, fans of Belgian strong ales will probably enjoy kicking back with this and slowly working through it.

83%

BEER: MIKKELLER Til Fra Via (To From Via) 2011

2011-12-19T19:38:00.001+11:00

Christmas means just one thing: Christmas beers!

Like many things, we’re a bit unlucky in Australia to be blessed with glorious sunshine during Christmas time. The weather may be great for eating prawns and laying on a beach, but it’s pretty shocking for drinking dark beer, which Christmas beers from Europe typically are.

Thankfully, summer so far has been a shocker and the weather is just cold enough to keep getting stuck into some darks (not like we did in 1788 <-- bad joke).

Very large, thick head. Heaps of carbonation; needed to give it a rest for a minute. Very pretty head. Blends from dark to light.

A lot of liquorice on the nose. Some chipotle spice. Malt.

Thick mouthful and a good level of carbonation which quickly dissipates.

Liquorice and blueberries on the mouth. Juniper. Vanilla. Chipotle. Not a huge bucket of flavour and it’s easily drowned out by the burnt malt finish, which has great length.

It’s a very nice drop, but a little out of balance with the bitterness for mine. If you like a thick, strong, bitter beer then this could be worth a shot.

87%

BEER: BROUWERIJ DE MOLEN Bommen & Granaten (Bombs & Granades)

2011-12-16T20:57:00.003+11:00

From my favourite Dutch brewer (oh, you don't have one?) comes a very big barley wine.

How big?

54 EBU, 15.2% abv, 750ml, wax and cork seal.

Despite the Fort Knox seal, my bottle is flat as a tack so I can't comment on carbonation. The unfortunate thing with buying beers from de Molen in Australia is that the carbonation is wildly unpredictable: you could get a flat beer, you could have a beer that tries to explode in your face (my roof is dented from the time a cork and net shot off before I'd even touched it).

That dark-brown/gold, hazy colour that all good barley wines have.

The smell of alcohol that all good barley wines have. Maybe a little sweet grain and red apple.

Front palate is yeast, alcohol, grain. Bitter sweet. Mid and back palate is where the fun is. Big tart red apples, orange peel, honey, yeast. Superb length in a delicious finish.

Another very good beer from a very good brewer. It's not my favourite de Molen (I rate Hel & Verdoemenis, Mout & Mocca, Bloed Zweet & Tranen and Rasputin higher (in descending order)) but it's up there.

90%

RESTAURANT: Momofuku Seiobo

2011-12-15T20:16:00.000+11:00

Around 18 months ago I perched myself at a small counter in a New York restaurant. What followed was one of my top 3 meals in a year that featured meals at some of the best restaurants in New York, Sydney, Melbourne and Europe.

The setting was casual, approachable and filled with awesome music (Explosions in the Sky during dinner? Yes. Yes. Yep.); I could hear the chefs breathe; I could see the entire dish evolve from ingredient to full-form; the food was incredible; deceptively simple; spot on execution.

And then, it's in Sydney.

Seiobo launches and is a pretty similar copy of Ko, that place where I had that amazing meal.

People complain about the booking system, but it's fair. I don't have to wait months for a table; I don't have to throw out different dates; I don't have to wait on hold. It's either confirmed immediately or it's not.

The people that complain about the booking system. Is this restaurant really for them? Are they will to play by the rules of the restaurant in order to have every part of the experience controlled? Will they like the awesome music, or will it be "loud"?

My first visit left me speechless. I wasn't expecting to have such an amazing meal in my backyard. It felt like I had to travel to find food so good.

The second visit: just as good. Tweaks here and there, matching beverages changed.

It's hard to call out great dishes as there are so many. Much talking has been done of the pork bun (or is that "Pork Bun"?) but you only need to last a couple more courses before you face the excellent marron with charred white asparagus, leek and lemon. Produce shines.

Next up is the radish with the most incredible sauce of ever. Burnt watermelon, fermented blackbean, wagyu. Every sense gets swamped, then cleared by the radish. It's like that burnt edge of a roast in drink form.

Soon after, silky pasta tossed with goats cheese, chilli, pickled tomatoes, mint and fried basil. Sweet, sour, fatty, smooth, crunchy. Totally delightful.

Next up is a roasted bit of trumpeter (a fish which also features near the start) with an awesome squid ink sauce.

Then....

You know what... Just bloody well go there.

Oh, and it's easy to call out the average dishes. There are none. Every dish is at least "very good".

Matching beverages (wine, sake, beer) are all spot on from the infamous Charles Leong and the extremely likeable Rich Hargreave, and service from the whole floor is relaxed, cheery and smooth.

I think the thing with Seiobo is that it's not for everyone. The music, the booking system, the bar seating. Your grandma probably isn't going to like it. But if listening to Mobb Deep and eating pork with her hands sounds good, then Momofuku Seiobo is her fine-diner.

It's definitely my new favourite fine-dining restaurant in Sydney. And, as such, is the first to earn this rating:

RATING: Will constantly return to [?]

BAR: The Baxter Inn

2011-12-14T21:48:00.001+11:00

The other day, I took a quick look at Baxter Inn, the new venture from the kids behind the stupidly popular Shady Pines.

You'll be pleased to know that it's hard to find. Busy on a Monday night.

Billed as a Chicago sports bar with no sports, it's probably more of a post-prohibition/speakeasy bar that is a bit more common.

I always find Shady Pines a little confusing. Do I get one of the beers from the tight list, a well-made cocktail or a shot of scotch? YOU CAN'T DO EVERYTHING WELL, SHADY PINEZZZZZ.

Here, there is no doubt. Scotch. So much scotch.

An extremely strong range that will keep you occupied for months, including some of my favourites like Ardbeg and Bunnahabhain.

Thankfully, the Shady Pines feel is maintained. Casual, fun, approachable, excellent.

In short, an essential stop for anyone that appreciates scotch, or wants to become a said boring person.

RATING: Will return to [?]

BEER: 4 PINES Kolsch

2011-12-13T21:30:00.002+11:00

Out of Manly comes an impressive and drinkable kolsch. For those unfamiliar with the kolsch style, it originated in Germany (obvs) and is something like a pale ale, but with less bitterness, more citrusy sweet tones and more of a straw colour.

Head disappears pretty quickly. Kind of funny because the last 4 Pines beer I had is their stout which has a massively thick, lingering head.

Citrus on the nose, with a little white sugar and slight floral notes.

Low carbonation, but a good level if you don’t want to start on a fizz bomb.

Tastes like sweet citrus at first, then gives way to slight bitterness and malt. Full but clean mouthfeel.

Lingering slight bitterness on the finish but overall quite clean.

Drinks well and easy. Uncomplicated. A clean and refreshing drink that would be great to start with. Would go well with seafood and salty/oily bites.

83%

RESTAURANT: Cafe Sopra (Bridge St)

2011-12-11T21:00:00.002+11:00

I've been wanting to check out Cafe Sopra and Fratelli Fresh for a while now, but could never be bothered visiting one of the existing outposts. So I was quite happy when a new one seemingly popped up overnight in the CBD, where I do the majority of my culinary consumption.

Everything I hoped for. In short.

Produce is stupidly good, dishes are uncomplicated, prices are very reasonable, flavours are spot on.

The caprese is one of the best versions I've ever had. Totally basic in terms of ingredients and presentation, but with some of the most delicious tomatoes I can remember.

Panzanilla with white anchovies is similarly delicious.

Fried zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese? Forget about it. Deliciously cheesey, executed perfectly and moreish to the detriment of my health.

Pasta features heavily on the menu. While the spaghetti in tomato sauce is simple, the meatballs are superlative. A bit of cumin giving them a meaty sweetness.

Orechiette with peas and salsice is simple but extremely delicious.

Oh, and massive. The portions are huge. After a zucchini flower as an appetiser, an entree, a side of bread and a bowl of pasta each we're ridiculously full. But... you know... dessert and all that...

I go for, of course, the tiramisu. It's a tiramisu and it's bloody good. Creamy, a little sweet, a little bit of coffee, a little bit of booze, a little cakey. It's the sort of tiramisu you'd get at home.

The wine list is short, but interesting and well priced.

Service is fine. The place can occasionally be dominated by irritating banker-types that spoil the Italian atmosphere, but the food quickly distracts. Although I wouldn't want to be on the end tables that people constantly wander past after they meander down the stairs.

Pretty much everything I look for in a restaurant in terms of food an experience though. Simple, uncomplicated food with a few, excellent ingredients, executed perfectly and priced reasonably.

RATING: Will return to [?]

BEER: MIKKELLER Black Hole (Peat Barrel Edition)

2011-12-05T20:38:00.001+11:00

Surprisingly large, thick head.

Smells of burnt peat and malt.

Tastes so beautiful. Chocolatey malt up first, then coffee, then vanilla, the hazelnut, then a burnt peat finish.

Finish is sweet and peaty and lasts.

If you’re a fan of scotch and imperial stouts this is an essential purchase.

95%

BEER: MIKKELLER George! (Bourbon Barrel Aged Edition)

2011-12-04T18:44:00.002+11:00

Another bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. You’d think I’d tire of this, but I don’t.

Brewed as a tribute to George Foreman, apparently. 12.12% abv.

Not much of a head. Thick and greasy as hell.

Nose is beautiful. Caramelised malt, chocolate milk, bourbon. JESUS COCKTAIL.

A taste. Yes. Finally. Thick, light carbonation. Maaaaaaalt. Round and full. Rich. Sweet from the bourbon. The balance is spot on. Tremendous mouthfeel; exactly what you want from a full-on, intense imp stout.

The finish is bitter, coffee and sugar. So thick it coats your tongue and lasts for ages. For just how long I have no idea, I couldn’t wait for another sip.

My only gripe is the 250ml bottle. Add another 0 to that and we’ll talk.

96%

RESTAURANT: Number One Wine Bar

2011-12-03T14:51:00.002+11:00

It's been a crazy couple of years for Tony Bilson.

After being dropped to two hats in the 2010 edition of the Good Food Guide, 2011 looked like it was going to be a redefining year for Bilson. He regrouped and appointed Diego Munoz as head chef at his flagship restaurant in the Radisson. It took the team a while to readjust to the new approach, but once it did Bilson's was one of the suddenly hottest restaurants in the country. It continued it's spectacular run with restoration to three hat status a few months ago.

Then, pretty much overnight, it was all gone. Bilson's had gone bust. Along with Number One Wine Bar.

A few weeks later, despite Bilson's and Number One still being under administration, Tony Bilson flagged that he was going to reopen Number One with new backers. Much to the ~~delight~~ delight of staff and creditors that were still owed money. In fairness to the man, Bilson too had lost money in the collapse.

It all makes for juicy reading, but I went to the relaunched Number One purely to try and get some good, simple food from a dude that has been cooking French food at a high level for pretty much ever.

Number One and Bilson's share more than a chef in common: the decor is dated in both. My chair feels like it's going to retire at any second.

The menu is mostly classic, simple French bistro fare. Tripe a la mode de Caen sits happily next to a pot au feu on the menu. Prices are reasonable: entrees average around $20, mains $30 and desserts $15. And we're in a wine bar, so there's a good range of wine on offer by both the glass and bottle, with plenty of bottles around the $50 mark.

Snails in puff pastry are a good start. Each snail individually wrapped in a puff pastry shell, with watercress and an amazing sauce that is something like bernaise. It's not modern food and it's not modern presentation. It looks like something you'd see in the 90s. But it is a good dish.

Gazpacho is a fresh, simple starter, served with a piece of jamon on toast. It gets good reviews, as does the creme of foie gras, again served with toast.

Mains are a little less successful. While the flavours of everything on the plate make the confit duck a tasty dish (again, superb sauce), the meat isn't as fall-off-the-bone as you want from confit duck. Nor is the skin quite uniformly crisp. I wrestle with the meat for a while before leaving a fair amount of it on the bone.

The execution of the duck breast is more on point, and goes down well. Though the whole cherries it's served with make for some difficult eating.

The suckling pig gets a good but not great verdict. It too is served with whole cherries and potato chips.

Desserts are solid efforts. Again, the presentation is fairly dated and, again, the sauces are excellent.

Bilson's daughter and son work the room, looking after the front of house and wine, respectively. The family feel adds some warmth to the place, but when Tony comes out of the kitchen to survey the room (which happens often) the stress of the still-warm collapse is clearly affecting them all.

Service as a whole still has some kinks to work out (the re-opening was only last week) but I can see them getting there.

Putting aside the past--which isn't easy when you're in a restaurant and the godfather of Australian fine-dining is in the kitchen--I leave Number One having had a decent meal. The prices are reasonable and the food is reasonable. But reasonable food isn't enough in a city that is bursting at the seams with places in this price range that can deliver great food. I would happily go back to Number One to eat again and look forward to a good meal, but I don't think I'll be rushing back or recommending the place to others. That said, here is a man that has done a lot for the Australian dining scene and I hope he succeeds.

RATING: Okay, may go back [?]

BEER: MIKKELLER Spontancassis

2011-11-30T20:49:00.000+11:00

Ah, sweet, sweet blackcurrant. Also know as cassis in some European circles.

A large, airy, pink head on the pour, much like the Spontangrape I reviewed the other day. The head also dissipates fairly quickly, again, much like the Spontangrape.

The nose is sour, dark berries and a little vanilla. Kind of like a berry sourdough.

Quite similar to the Spontangrape in flavour, as you’d expect. Though the blackcurrant comes through more than the grape. The berry flavour also helps soften some of the impact from the sour funk by injecting a little freshness and sweetness.

Good length on the finish, though the cassis flavour becomes a bit cloying.

86%

COCKTAIL: The Fuzzy No. 8

2011-11-29T18:08:00.007+11:00

Inspired by the no. 8 from Icebergs, which is the same as the below sans sparkling water.

1 shot Campari
1 shot vodka
3/4 C freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice
1/4 C sparkling water

1. Put plenty of ice in the cup.
2. Add (in order) vodka, Campari, grapefruit, sparkling water.
3. Mix, taste for levels.

Perfect in a sticky Sydney summer, even though grapefruit isn't in season.

You can substitute freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit for bottled, but you won't get as good as a result.

BEER: MIKKELLER Spontangrape

2011-11-28T22:00:00.002+11:00

A new range of offerings from Danish gypsy-brewer-extraordinaire Mikkeller has hit the shelves. After a somewhat lacklustre ris a la m’ale, I head into the range of 7 “spontan-“ lambics that have arrived.

An interesting move, with lambics being one of the few styles left that Mikkeller hasn’t had a shot at. Until now, I guess.

A large, airy head on the pour, which quickly dissipates.

Smells like your average limbic, really. Slightly sour and funky, with a little grape.

Light on the carbonation. Just enough to push it along. Which is good, I find you don’t want a lot of bubbles in a lambic.

Reminds me a lot of a Cantillon in the balance of the funk and the sour. It’s not at the extreme end of the scale, but it’s definitely no shrinking, funky violet. You get the grape but it comes across slightly muddled and more like artificial green grapes. Grape aside, it’s a really tasty funk going on.

The 7.7% abv really helps the flavours fill out the mouth.

Finish has good length, as you’d expect from a sour beer that will pucker you up for days.

83%

RECIPE: Butter Chicken

2011-11-27T21:47:00.005+11:00

Miss Understood.

As hard as it may be to believe, that is actually not the title of an album from American, female rapper, Missy Elliott. Believe me, I thought it was and I checked Wikipedia so quick!

So... butter chicken ey....

Did you know that Westfield food courts save 5% of electricity automatically if an Indian takeaway joint has a stall there, since their butter chicken is so neon-bright-orange that it actually doubles as a light source? If you ask me, the whole "solar panel" thing (that was a thing, right?) was a waste of time: they should have just put butter chicken in people's houses to generate energy. And it's not like it would get used up, since the only people that like butter chicken hate Indian food.

Hunt for Red October (also not a Missy Elliot album)

Okay, so that was a bit harsh (ed: a lot harsh). Butter chicken is an alright dish when you're getting into Indian food and don't want to be blown away by spice. But after a while.... a man wants more. A man wants... an authentic butter chicken.

Stage One: Marinate
- Wrap a bulb of garlic in foil and roast in an oven until soft. Set aside to cool.
- While the garlic is roasting, make a garam masala from scratch. Be sure to include 1/2 T of fenugreek seeds, 1 T of coriander seeds and 1.5T of cumin seeds. Don't shy away from dried chillis: a butter chicken doesn't have to be mild. You'll need around 5 T of garam masala all up.
- Take 1kg of chicken thigh fillets and trim off any excess skin of unwanted bits (hey, chicken butchers, stop leaving fucken bone shards in the fillets). Quarter them and add them in a large bowl/dish (ideally not metallic).
- Peel and roughly chop ginger so you have around 4 thumbs worth.
- Peel and roughly chop fresh turmeric so you have around 3 thumbs worth.
- Put the ginger, turmeric and the insides of the garlic bulb (cut the bottom off, squeeze out the goodness) into a food processor and blend.
- Add 3T of the masala, the ginger/garlic/turmeric mix, 500g of yoghurt (Greek is fine), 2 T of chilli powder, the juice of a lime and a good pinch of salt to the bowl of chicken. Mix well so the chicken is well coated in the mix. Cover in cling film and leave in the fridge overnight.

Step Two: Chicken
- There are a few options here to try and replicate the tandoor char on the chicken (hint: you won't get close). Either you can bbq, grill or bake the pieces of chicken chicken (in order of how good the results will be) (save the leftover marinade). Whatever method you choose, you need to get your fire as screaming hot as possible and you need to cook the chicken until it starts to get some char. If the chicken releases some moisture during cooking, pour it into a pot/bowl and we'll use it later. Set aside the cooked chicken.

Step Three: The Actual Cooking
- In a large pot, melt a tablespoon of ghee or butter and add the leftover marinade and any juices you saved from cooking. Over a low heat, cool this for around 15 mins until it goes darker, stirring occasionally.
- Add 3 tins of pureed tomato, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar and cook for a further 20 mins.
- Add 150g of unsalted butter (or ghee) straight from the fridge and stir until melted.
- Add your remaining garam masala (around 2T), 1 T of chilli powder and 2 T of dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi in an Indian supermarket).
- Add the chicken, stir and cook for a further 30 mins.

- Serve it with naan and rice.

(Yes, I'm aware I served the below with flatbread and no rice. IF YOU COOK YOU CAN DO STUFF LIKE THAT)

BEER: SIERRA NEVADA / DOGFISH HEAD Life & Limb

2011-11-27T17:26:00.002+11:00

An American strong ale made with birch and maple from two of the biggest names in American craft brewing today.

Carbonation is perfect throughout, beginning with a perfect head.

Maple, birch and chocolate on the nose.

Medium to thick weight in the mouth. First you get the birch, then some sweeter grain tones—almost like a barley wine—before it wraps things up with a big release of maple on the finish. Great balance of flavours.

The maple rounds out and you’re left with a mapley, malty taste for quite a while.

Perfectly executed, excellently balanced and flavoured. Exactly what you’d expect from these two heavyweight craft brewers.

92%

BEER: PORT BREWING "Older Viscosity" Boubon Barrel Aged American Strong Ale

2011-11-21T21:09:00.004+11:00

So I’d had the Old Viscosity from Port Brewing before, as well as a bunch of other beers from them and stable-mate Lost Abbey. And, quite frankly, I haven’t been overly impressed with any of them. Good? Without a doubt. Great? Not for me.

So I was fairly non-plussed when Older Viscosity came along. From what I can see it’s the older brother to the Old Viscosity and hits a smaller bottle after spending over six months in bourbon barrels.

Poors black as sin. Not much of a head to speak of.

The nose is HUGE. Bourbon dominates up front, before vanilla comes through. Then coffee and caramel.

It hits the palate and is almost too strong, until the heat from the bourbon dissipates and leaves caramel, coffee, vanilla and a little aniseed. Perfect balance. Slight carbonation pushes it along. The finish lasts forever.

I’ve just made a new entry to my list of top 5 beers of all time.

96%

BEER: JOLLY PUMPKIN "La Roja" Artisan Amber Ale

2011-11-15T20:16:00.003+11:00

WHAT'S NEW, PUSSYCAT? (suggestive) WHOOOOOOOA A WHOOOOOOOOA WHOOOOOA WHOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOOOA

Ahem.

As a huge fan of sour ales, I was super excited to get my three hands on this thing (I was so excited I grew a new hand) as Jolly Pumpkin are well regarded in the US.

Not a lot of head.

Staggeringly beautiful sour, fruity nose. Almost candylike.

Carbonation is also low in the body, letting the sour nectar glide around the mouth. It’s a robust sourness, probably a result of the barrel ageing. So hard to pin down the flavours. It’s as much green apple as it is strawberry as it is plum. Nothing is overly musty like a lot of other sour beers.

After a while (it’s a 750ml bottle) it loses a bit of it’s excitement as the oak overpowers, unlike one of the better Rodenbachs (grand cru or vintage) or the Liefmans Goudenband would. Still, an excellent, complex drop.

91%

WINE: SEPPELTSFIELD Para 100 Year Old Tawny 1911

2011-11-13T16:41:00.005+11:00

What can be said of one of the world's greatest wines?

Maybe some reasons about why it's so incredible.

Seppeltsfield are one of Australia's oldest wineries having been established way back in 1851. Some time in the 70s (the 1870s that is), Benno Seppelt got the idea of putting a 500L barrel of one of his vintage tawnys away for a lazy 100 years. So, since 1978, Seppeltsfield having been putting out a vintage port that is 100 years old.

Not surprisingly, it's become one of the most unique and iconic fortified wines in the world.

As a fan of fortified wine, I've been aching after this for years. Finally, I got my hands on some.

A lot of wine reviews describe a wine as viscous or "clinging to the sides of the glass". You realise that's all bullshit when you see how this clings. Almost like syrup to a spoon.

Coming in at around 21% means there is quite a lot of heat on the nose. Like smelling dried fruits soaking in brandy. But the wonderfully complex aroma is there too, entering the nostrils and immediately swamping the brain.

It's thick and luscious but not stupidly so. You still know you're drinking wine.

But the flavours. The flavours. Staggering. Something between coconut sugar and a rich Christmas pudding. But with so many different spices and flavours thrown in there. And it's so generous: just think of a flavour and you'll probably find it in there, somewhere.

It goes without saying but the finish lasts forever, leaving you with a lot of time to reflect on an extraordinary wine that has changed everything you thought you knew about "good" fortified wine.

100% (obviously)

THE LINKDOWN: Five Food Links

2011-10-30T16:48:00.002+11:00

It's been a while since I last shared some links, but I've had some sitting around for a while that continue to be well worth a read. So let's get the sharing underway. Shall we <--rhetorical question. We shall.

How beer might meet its match
From the UK, the Guardian brings us a blog which covers off some thoughts on the increasing trend of matching beer with food with the same gusto that you would match wine. It's an interesting article that makes you question the role of beer in food.

An Introduction and Rallying Cry
New York's most famous Italian chef, Mario Batali delivers the intro to Esquire's "How to Eat Like a Man" series (which is also a handy book for guys that aren't familiar with the kitchen). Some of the linked articles and recipes are also worth a read.

50 of the World’s Best Breakfasts
Around the world in 50 breakfasts. Fascinating and delicious.

A Letter that all Chefs (and Anyone Who Eats) Need to Read
Through Mark Bittman comes an interesting open letter from a meat wholesaler than supplies all ends of the spectrum, who is encouraging customers to think more about what they're buying and eating.

Foodpairing
And interesting site/product that maps out flavour links between different ingredients. While you have to pay for full access, there are some free examples that get the creative juices flowing.

RESTAURANT: The Bridge Room

2011-10-09T19:27:00.000+11:00

While it may be new on the scene, The Bridge Room has a very familiar feeling to it. Behind the pans is Ross Lusted, who spent a bit of time as exec chef at Rockpool. Behind the chequebook is the Fink Group who are also behind the likes of Quay and Otto.

The dishes seem kind of similar too and many of them recall similar dishes around Sydney and the rest of the world, but with interesting touches added.

The salad of organic heirloom carrots with sheep's milk curd is astounding. The carrots are prepared in different ways--ash grilled, raw, salt-baked--and the characters of each meld together to form an excellent dish that transcends any suggestion of "vegetarian cuisine". With the goats curd rounding the dish out in the mouth, it was easy the dish of the night for me.

The raw wagyu shoulder with enoki mushrooms and horseradish is another excellent dish and reminds me a bit of the wagyu main I had at Marque a couple of weeks ago. Superb depth of flavours.

Scallop with corn and osmanthus flower sounded great on the menu but doesn't really do enough to the well-tried scallop and corn flavour combo to make me want it over the other starters.

Mains feel a bit more basic, with the flavour and texture combos toned down to let the focus ingredient shine. The David Blackmore wagyu is topped with veal tongue and pairs nicely with the smoked shallot and potato mash. It's enjoyable, but feels like a step back after the more elaborate starters and I'm not blow away by the wagyu. While I didn't try them myself, the slow-grilled Junee lamb and ash-grilled duck receive similar verdicts.

The chocolate cannelon is an enjoyable eat with the "aero" chocolate adding additional texture and the raspberries adding a nice tartness.

Service is solid and the wine list has some interesting selections, adding to the experience.

Despite it's strengths, I wasn't blown away by my meal. There is no doubt the produce is exceptional and there is a lot of technique in those dishes, but I get the feeling we're still yet to see the best from the kitchen. The concept of the restaurant is strong and there were moments of brilliance (the carrot entree), so I'm going to put the rest down to the restaurant still being in it's infancy and the kinks still being worked out.

But for now, there just isn't enough meat on the bone for me to want to return over any of the restaurants it's competing with in that price range (entrees mid 20s, mains around 40). I'll wait a while to see what changes have happened.

RATING: Okay, may go back [?]

ARTICLE: Ethics and Food Blogging

2011-10-03T20:48:00.000+11:00

Things were so much better, back in the old days. Life was as slow as the women and everything made sense, except for the way women were described. But then the internet came along and—gosh—decided to move heaps fast and stuff. So fast that it starts moving on to new places before people can understand what was going on at that last place.

Which is probably why food blogs get a lot of critical discussion, despite being a fun, delicious and inspiring hobby for most.

While food bloggers just go about their business, people are freaking out because FOOD BLOGS ARE OUT OF CONTROL (TM) (note: you have to read that while screaming). Food blogs have kept doing things when people are still yet to really know what the whole point of food blogs is. If any.

We have papers and newspapers and stuff (ie anything printed on a tree/creature) and their food-related words have worked pretty well for the last few million years. So why do food blogs have to be so different? It boggles the mind because they should be identical, since the model has been so perfected.

Note: I am fully aware that the sarcastic tone and abrupt shifting of phrase is not really doing anything except make this post hard to follow. I am also aware that no one is ready this so this note is for myself, mainly. So freakin’ meta!

There has been a lot of disjointed discussion lately around ethics in food blogging. I say disjointed because a few people have mentioned it, but no one has had a MASSIVE think about it.

There was more structured discussion a year or two back when there was a voluntary code of ethics launched for bloggers. Some bloggers got together and decided that they’d put together a short code of ethics that broadly fell into the following categories:
- Be responsible for anything you post; Blogging is akin to actually being an author/publisher.
- Don’t be a dick.
- Disclose any freebies.
- Follow the same rules/ethics as journalists.

Since then, there has been a plethora of articles comparing food blogging to traditional (read: tree based) food writing (admittedly, mostly by the latter group). I don’t really see them as structured discussions on ethics in food blogging, since the extent of that is mostly the odd like thrown in that usually says “bloggers are only in it for free food and they don’t even disclose their free food!!!!!”

Must be a terrible bunch, these food bloggers; Only out to get free food and punch people in the dicks.

And that’s probably why there hasn’t been a whole heap of dialogue on the topic: everyone slightly interested in the topic pretty much thinks that it will all be fine if bloggers just stopped being dicks.

But that’s completely missing the point.

Blogging, by definition, is a journal of the writer’s thoughts. I admit that it may be a simplistic, but it’s broadly correct and representative of food bloggers. Most food bloggers start blogging merely to share thoughts on food. The overwhelming majority do not start a food blog to gain free food or build a profitable site, as some articles seem to suggest.

The offline equivalent of these blogs would be a personal notepad or a scrapbook; Something that allows the writer to enter their thoughts on food or on a dish that they’re cooking. It may even be a group of friends that they talk about food with or share restaurant experiences.

Does anyone suggest that people act ethically when writing in their notebook or when talking with friends about food? I propose that it is similarly foolish to suggest a code of ethics for the online equivalent of these interactions.

I’m not suggesting that there aren’t legal or moral considerations, because there are. But they aren’t up for debate. Bloggers have legal considerations any time they publish something online, whereas they may not when just talking to friends. But I’m not going to pretend to know anything about that.

The moral considerations are somewhat similar to the legal considerations in that they aren’t really up for debate: society has it’s moral expectations of what is published or said, for better or worse. There is no moral difference between lying in a restaurant review on a food blog to lying when you tell friends about your restaurant experience in person. If you get sprung, you get judged in roughly the same way.

The supposed “anonymity” of a blogger makes no difference to this either, in case you were going to suggest that. The same legal boundaries apply, and the same moral judgements will be made to the character that the anonymous blogger has created.

While the concept of blog readers following “characters” and not the actual person (even if the food blogger is a real person that isn’t hiding behind an alias or shortened name) is another idea worth exploring, I don’t see it greatly impacting on the topic of ethics in food blogging. No, my main objection to a discussion on ethics for food blogging is related more to the format itself: the internet blog.

The internet is pretty fucken weird. Despite popular belief (the popular belief of people that like to talk about food blogs, which is, ironically, not a very popular thing), most people don’t read a blog like they would a publication. That is, they don’t religiously read that blog and only that. The internet has taught us that information is only as relevant as how current it is. Real world publications are followed because they cover what the reader wants, in the general tone of what the reader wants. There is little benefit in reading an article on the same event from a different news provider.

People buy newspapers because it gives them the most relevant news in the way that they want it. A blog is never going to be as comprehensive as a newspaper. People will generally read a large selection of food blogs to provide that same level of coverage. If at all: many people eschew the following of blogs and follow aggregation sites which collate food blog content (ie Urbanspoon, Foodgawker, RSS feed aggregators) and remove any attachment to the author. When using these sites, the reader will confer with a number of sources and form an opinion. Though If a certain food blogger is found to share similar opinions on restaurants then their opinion may carry more weight than others.

In short, individual authors don’t matter a whole heap. Food blogs are followed for either the currency of the information or the similar ideas shared by the reader. I could be cynical and say that pictures--and not content--are a main reason too, but I’ll abstain.

The internet blurs the line of what is ethical. How can someone that illegally downloads music demand a code of ethics in food blogging?

Or, more accurately, why would someone that illegally downloads music CARE if each and every food blog is behaving ethically?

The vast majority of food blog readers are following the rules of the internet and:
1.Only follow what’s current.
2.Reading a number of food blogs to form an opinion.

The relationship between the reader and the food blogger is currency and quantity. Quality of writing plays only a supporting role. It’s also worth observing that it’s generally the same people calling for a code of ethics in food blogging who are also pining for better quality writing in food blogs. How can you have the former before you have the latter?

I don’t argue that an ethical food blog is a good blog and I’m probably one of those people calling for better writing and more ethics in food blogging. But codes of ethics should only be discussed when they’re appropriate. A journalist needs to follow a code of ethics because people read their work and assume it is truthful and transparent; people read food blogs because they contain tidbits of information about food-related matters that the reader is interested in. People do not read just one or two food blogs and take their word as gospel. The tangibility of a newspaper or a magazine is a different level of publication to a hastily written internet journal. While there are still legal and moral considerations, only one needs to have strict ethical concerns.

As an aside, these ethical concerns that journalists abide by have to be representative of the ethical concerns of the publication they’re writing for. A journalist operating with no ethics won’t (or shouldn’t, there are exceptions) last at a publication if their standards are not met. The food blogger is. The food blogger, just like the journalist, is operating to the standards of their publication and are—like the journalist—writing to that standard, even if it is a (much, in some cases) lower one.

To summarise, I believe that a code of ethics for food blogging is pointless for the following reasons.
1.While it is still a form of publication, and internet blog is not written or read in the same ways as something like a newspaper or magazine. Therefore, you cannot apply the same rules.
2.Food blogs are closer to real world conversations about food and restaurants than they are to newspaper/magazine articles.
3.There are still legal and moral concerns, but they are already assumed. Anyone not following them in a food blog will be dealt with in similar ways to a physical newspaper or food magazine.
4.The internet itself blurs the ethical line. Food bloggers are merely playing in that ethical environment.
5.While a high standard of writing and ethics in a food blog is desirable, a code is not appropriate and will not be successful in an online environment.

BEER: Gouden Carolus - Cuvee van de Keizer Blauw 2010

2011-09-28T20:34:00.004+10:00

Belgian Strong Ale
Approx $20
750ml, 11% alc

I'm a huge fan of the Gouden Carolus Classic, one of the nicest Belgian beers you'll ever meet. It's as hugely flavoured as it is hugely drinkable.

But... it has a big sister.

Meet Cuvee van de Keizer, a fairly similar beer, brewed yearly (for a while, I think. It may have stopped) on the birthday of Charles V, the "Holy" Roman Emperor who suffered from terrible gout.

If I was Charles V I'd be ~~dead~~ pretty bloody happy that someone had made such an exceptional beer for my birthday.

It has the same sort of pruney, spicey, sweet opening of the normal Carolus Classic, but it's just the little bit smoother. A bit sweeter too. Stacks of vanilla. More refined. The finish is sweet, rich and smooth.

Despite being 11% it's really (scarily) drinkable. Beautifully refined, smooth and sweet. Like a good dessert wine.

96%

RESTAURANT: Best Hand Made Noodle Restaurant

2011-09-25T16:34:00.003+10:00

I love modesty. Which is probably why I find myself in yet another Chinese restaurant claiming to have the best noodles or dumplings.

Tucked away in an alley behind the Agincourt pub near UTS, Best Hand Made Noodle Restaurant (a name that rolls off the tongue: Bonus points) looks like a pretty cool place to eat. Like it could be a secret spot to destroy some noodles and dumplings.

I'm in a large group so we go into the upstairs room. I'll call it the party room because the high energy dance music being pumped out makes us all want to bust out the glow sticks and start off our meal with an entree of red mitsubishis.

We start off with a couple of noodle dishes and while they might not be the best hand made noodles, they are pretty damn good hand made noodles.

Unfortunately, that's as good as it gets. The dumplings appear to start their life frozen and don't offer much in the way of flavour. Shallot lamb is lacking some garlic or ginger and the meat is cut too thin to be enjoyable.

The xin jiang lamb skewers aren't good. Packed with MSG and lamb sliced too thin and oddly chewy from being coated in cornflour before cooking. The other night at Silk Road I ate 6 myself. Here, one is plenty.

Tea coming from a teabag and not leaves is also a little disappointing for me, much preferring the leaves.

While the noodles were great, everything else we had was either par for the course or below average. I doubt I'll be returning, considering how many great Northern Chinese restaurants are nearby. If I do return, I'll be leaning heavily towards the noodle dishes.

RATING: Will probably not return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Opera Kitchen

2011-09-23T16:18:00.001+10:00

I've never been a "touristy" sort of guy, which is probably why I felt dirtier the closer I got the Circular Quay. Partially dirty because I knew I was going to have to spend $4.50 on a bottle of water because I was thirsty.

There isn't enough steel wool in the world to get me clean.

I was there to see a movie that was showing at the Dendy (13 Assassins: 4 stars out of 7) and I FELT SO DIRTY.

Afterwards, the hunger pangs were almost unbearable. So we headed to the Opera Kitchen for some overpriced food in the shadow of the Opera House (do I need to capitalise that?) and in the shadow of tourists (fairly sure that doesn't need capitalising).

The great thing about Opera Kitchen is that they bring together all of these eating places--Miss Chu's, Cloudy Bay Fish Co, Becasse Bakery, Charlie & Co, Kenji--and you only have to order once. This is great for a fat dude like me because it means I get to start with Japanese food, move on the Vietnamese, then finish with burgers if I so wish. Oh, and (PS) I wished.

You order whatever you want, grab a seat and they bring it all out to you. Smart!

Kenji's nigiri was solid. Good quality. Tasty.

Miss Chu's was it's usual self. Which is good. And small in portion so you can smash heaps of stuff.

I got my first taste of Charlie & Co's chilli dog and it didn't disappoint. It wasn't perfect (the dog was a bit dry) but it hit the spot. Truffle (oil) and parmesan fries were also their dependable selves.

Yes it's all bloody expensive compared to the other locations of these outlets, but you get a view of the entire harbour, a cool breeze and the ability to create your own cross-cultural degustation. It's nice.

The tourists walk by awkwardly, looking for clues as to how to act in this mysterious land. You feel like a bit of a king. Because this view is yours. The cool breeze is yours. And you--you alone--decide if you want to give it out.

Oh. And you have a steamer basket in front of you filled with delicious treats.

RESTAURANT: Black by Ezard / Balla / Messina

2011-09-22T21:31:00.005+10:00

It's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open it's open.

It's open. Star City was a pretty good place to lose money and to drink overpriced drinks. No doubt about it. But when they announced they were going to undergo a huge development and bring in some of Australia's and the world's best chefs, I was suddenly contemplating a move to Pyrmont just to be closer to it all.

Had all of the restaurants opened up together, I was also planning on taking leave from work for a couple of weeks just to eat everywhere and not have to worry about getting up early. But alas.

While some of the other names are still yet to open (Zumbo, Chang, Golden Century, etc), the all shiny The Star has been launched with some excellent eating options. Yes, ones worth going to Pyrmont for!

So what better way to try them than in one night. One after the other?

I start things off at Black by Ezard because I'd checked the websites earlier and Balla didn't seem quite as busy as Black so I reckon I have a better chance of rocking up later without a booking. See, I'm a researcher and all that. I'm not some uneducated blogger spouting off at the... spout.

I'd visited Teage Ezard's Melbourne restaurants--Gingerboy and Ezard--and enjoyed them quite thoroughly, so Black was high on my list of anticipated openings.

The first thing you notice is that it's quite black. The designer that suggested a black colour scheme is a genius, because it looks sleek and sexy as hell. Dark wood, moody lighting and a communal table (aka slab of wood) all fit together nicely and do a bloody good job of making you forget you're in a sort of shopping centre section of a casino. At least, until the tourists come in wearing what appear to be tracksuit pants.

The ipad-housed wine list is tempting and thorough, but in the interests of a quick evening I don't waste any time locking in an awesome half bottle of the American Elkhorn Peak pinot noir.

To start, a poached egg with potato cream and what appear to be potato threads with a herb and truffle salad. Apparently, it's a signature dish of the place. Not apparently, it's bloody awesome. The crunchy threads on top, the perfectly poached egg in the middle, the cream on the bottom. Every mouthful has all of the textures covered.

You don't come to a steak restaurant without ordering steak, even if they do offer fish cooked sous vide in 2000 year old sea water. The wagyu flat iron (marble score 9+) gloriously satisfies the steak component. Perfectly cooked and incredibly rich. It's delicious.

A side of potato gratin is equally rich and delicious. It's cheesy, creamy and a stupid choice if you're thinking about eating another entire meal shortly.

The dessert menu is hard going. Of the half dozen or so choices, they all look great. I thought I'd decided on the chocolate dessert, before I decided on the apple cake, until I finally rested on "Honeycrunch", an exceptionally good honey parfait with great textures.

Petit fours took the form of a chilli and jam filled doughnut with a chocolate dipping sauce. Excellent.

The restaurant only opened last week but the staff are holding things up well. A few kinks to work out but that's totally expected at this early stage of the game. But at their best they're already friendly, charming and helpful.

Black is definitely going to get a revisit.

RATING: Will return to [?]

While it would have been nice to take a break after eating a full meal, I don't really get the option during the walk to Stefano Manfredi's Balla, since it's only 10 metres away.

Contrasting Black's (er) black, Balla is on the whiter side. This isn't very informative.

I walk in and it's immediately apparent that shit is hectic. A party of four have just been turned away, every table is full in the restaurant, the bar is busy, waiters and waitresses are furiously darting all over the place and staff appear to be doing a lot of what can optimistically be described as "prioritising".

I manage to snag one of the last seats in the bar where they, thankfully (for the sake of this experiment anyway), serve the full menu.

While Black did a great job of making you forget you're in a casino/shopping centre, the bar section of Balla is more exposed, with it's top to toe glass walls. Black gave me a view of a sexy dining room and a bit of the harbour, but Balla's bar view is mostly of the people coming and going from the casino. Admittedly, I was enjoying the people watching that it provided.

In the space of a couple of minutes, a whole heap of someone else's food arrives at my table, gets confusedly taken away, I get asked for an order before I'm given a menu, a waitress appears to be "checking with her manager" and the kitchen appears to be stressing the fuck out. Concerning.

But then it gets better all of a sudden.

I have a solid valpolicella in front of me one second, then I have a solid valpolicella and all of my food in front of me the next. Best.recovery.ever.

They have lardo. Oh dear sweet lord they have lardo. Cured pork fat. I haven't had it since I was in Italy, yet I still dream of it. The waitress warns/checks that I know that lardo is cured fat and I feel like laughing at her for delaying the delivery of my lardo with such nonsense.

It's shaved so fine that you can almost see through the fatty ribbon. I wrap some around some grissini, put it in my mouth and IT.JUST.MELTS. It's stunning. And it's only something like $7. It's a brilliant appetiser or bar snack. Get a bottle of sparkling wine and a bucket of lardo and you have a party.

Macceronchini with yabbies, butter and sesame seeds is perfect in its execution. Good ingredients that compliment each other, thrown together. A joy to eat.

Ox cheek braised in red wine on a pea puree is so soft that I have no idea how it has maintained it's structure. It's stupidly tender to the point of disintegration. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the big, rich flavour that the menu promised, but it's still a very solid dish.

Dessert time (again) and while I was tempted to just get another plate of lardo, the chocolate tartufo seems like it's worth a shot. Deliciously rich chocolate mousse encased in chocolate, surrounded by citrus segments. It's a nice dish, and good value, but doesn't really blow me away. Something about the combination of citrus segments and chocolate just doesn't quite work for me. It's the mouthfeel of thick chocolate with thin citrus juice. Just not right. But still a good dish as a whole and chocolate lovers will go nuts for how rich the non-citrus part is.

Similar to my journey to Spiedo the other night, there's a trolley full of grappa to choose from. I go for age again and this time it's the Nonino 12 year old that fills my glass. At $40 a glass you expect a lot and it delivers. Rich, robust flavours with a looooong finish. I could sit on it for a while if I didn't have to get some sleep before work tomorrow (should have taken that damn annual leave).

The service had some problems during the night but they'll easily sort it out with time. And it was partly my fault for rocking up right at the high point of a packed dinner service. The staff were friendly and seemed to be enjoying the place.

With it's reasonable prices, extensive wine list and tempting menu, I can see Balla being a good destination for some mid-range Italian food. Time will tell if it has to pull to drag me across the bridge--away from the likes of Pendolino and Spiedo--when I want good Italian food, but I'm certainly going to give it a few more stabs before I make my mind up.

RATING: Will return to [?]

For some stupid reason I leave Balla and walk another 10 metres to Messina, the new outpost of the Darlinghurst gelato store with a cult-like following. I've never tried their gelato before and I didn't want to miss another opportunity.

I see what the fuss is about. Excellently made gelato and a great range of flavours.

I can't wait to repeat this stupid journey once he next lot of restaurants at The Star open up.

RESTAURANT: Spiedo

2011-09-21T18:26:00.002+10:00

With my level 6 cherry popped last week with Xanthi, I was back to Westfield for another turn. This time it would be at it's Italian next-door-neighbour, Spiedo.

I was pumped for this. With my love for Italian food and long held desire to try the much lauded food of Ormeggio at the Spit (and much hated travelling over the bridge for anything) there was much anticipation.

I'd seen a couple of reviews which had photos of the food, so I steered us towards a more substantial meal.

Pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta) is a favourite of mine, so having that as an entree was a no-brainer. With potato, cabbage, fontina and sage it's money-in-the-bank delicious. And significantly more substantial than the ox tongue with salsa verde and rainbow trout crude that my dining companions opt for (which admittedly looked delicious and got good reviews).

The wine is flowing, as with any good Italian meal. The northern-Italian-centric wine list is reasonably priced and full of plenty of tempting bottles. Any chance of it being intimidating is eliminated by the staff being so willing to assist and recommend.

A fan of all things slow-cooked, the bresciano with polenta was a no brainer. Slow roasted meat with a rich sauce over an awesome polenta? Brilliant. Delicious, tender, rich, soft, creamy. Everything.

The potato gnocchi with a wild boar ragout is excellent too, though, and nearly has me regretting my choice. For a split-second. Until I hoover another mouthful of meat and polenta.

We're fitting in as much bread as possible and picking at the tomato salad. And it's probably just enough.

Enough room for dessert and the homemade gelato, Spiedo tiramisu and a raspberry dessert all find good homes. The grappa trolley also arrives with a good selection and is readily imbibed. The tiramisu makes a nice change from the usual, though I'm not sure if I prefer it over the traditional version.

The "homebrew" grappa is worth a shot (pun intended), as is the insane, $55 a glass aged grappa that I forget the name of.

Spiedo is a great pick for regional Italian food in a CBD starved of choice. If you make sure you account for the smaller size of some dishes when ordering, you should be fine.

I get the feeling that this is only the beginning and, once the team settles in, we're going to be in store for some awesome dining.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Der Raum @ Marque

2011-09-19T16:34:00.008+10:00

Twitter is great for sharing little tidbits of information contained in 140 characters or less. But it seems totally insufficient sometimes. I don't know how it contained the short tweet that I saw from Der Raum saying they were going to be doing a dinner at Marque restaurant in the new future.

Wait... what?

This is bigger-than-140-characters-huge!

Yes. A one off night from my favourite cocktail bar and my favourite high-end Sydney restaurant. Oh, and it would be on my birthday. If there is a God and he made this happen, then I have to give the dude credit for choosing excellent gifts.

The day of my birthday couldn't pass quickly enough.

My patience was rewarded with the first offering from Der Raum: sous vide chamomile with a chamomile fog, served in a transparent teapot that was left on the table to brood. Clever, since the first few sips were warm, but the liquid nitrogen in the teapot meant that the last pour was ice cold. Marque contributed an equally impressive appetiser in the form of a foie gas and olive truffle mousse sandwiched between two crisp shards of bonito. I wanted to eat approx 50 of them. That's how you have a mother fucking tea party.

The next dish was one of my favourites from my last visit to Marque. Almond jelly with blue swimmer crab, almond gazpacho, sweet corn and avruga is a beautifully balanced dish with excellent texture. It was matched with a sparkling almond cocktail from Der Raum that had a barrel aged sugar cube in it that slowly disolved. It was a fascinating drink that constantly evolved as the sugar disolved, but was a questionable match with the delicately flavoured dish because of how sweet and almondy it was.

A couple of good-but-not-wow dishes arrived before the mind-blowngly good/clear-winner of a course: smoked duck egg with sorrel, green strawberries, tea and toast. This was paired with what was probably my favourite cocktail when I visited Der Raum: the Bax Beat Pinot, a red wine made out of beetroot juice, citrus and fernet branca. The dish was rich but balanced and very moreish. The "wine" was delicious, very characteristic of a red wine and provided a minty finish to help get rid of any cloyingness from the egg.

Pigeon with mullet roe, sauteed lettuce, cucumber and dill was a very solid dish, held up by the slightly nutty flavour of the roasted lettuce. But it was around this time that I was getting a bit restless. Namely because I was still hungry. Not sure if it was just that day but I was perpetually hungry for the entire three hour dinner. Which was kind of scary, because it was the first time (from memory) that I'd felt that in my "dining career". My dining companions said they felt "content" from the dinner, but I just wasn't seeing it.

Before I knew it dessert was here. Firstly a delicious sauternes custard to set things up. Then the "tomberries" dessert, which was quite nice. Tomatoes stuffed with strawberries or something like that. With the creme fraiche it was refreshing, sweet and perfectly balanced.

Overall a bloody excellent way to spend a Monday night (and a birthday). While it wasn't as breath-taking as my last visit, overall the food and drink on offer was excellent. I can't wait for my next experience at either Marque or Der Raum or... dare I say it... both again...

Though next time I won't be rocking up starving.

RECIPE: Baked Polenta and Meatballs

2011-09-14T19:40:00.000+10:00

I made some meatballs in tomato sauce and had a bit left over. I soon found that there are only so many nights in a row that you can eat meatballs in tomato sauce before you get extremely bored of eating meatballs in tomato sauce.

So I decided to mix it up a little.

Start off with your sad old meatballs in tomato or your sad old ragu and put it in a baking dish (mood and age not a matter for concern). Whatever sad old thing you have, it has to be saucy. You want at least 3cm of liquid.

Coat it all with a dusting fine polenta (uncooked).

Add stacks of grated reggiano or pandano.

Drizzle with olive oil, crack on some pepper and put into a 220c oven until everything is golden brown (around 45-60 mins).

The polenta will suck up some liquid, the cheese will brown, meat edges will get crispy.

Add on some freshly chopped parsley if you have it. Drizzle with olive oil.

Serve with bread and a side salad and red wine and your boring old dish is suddenly new and sexy.

RESTAURANT: Xanthi

2011-09-13T17:19:00.000+10:00

Since it opened, the food court on Level 5 of the new Sydney Westfield has been my lunch destination of choice. So I thought it was about time that I gave the restaurant precinct on level 6 a shot. The fractionally small Greek part of me decided that Xanthi would be a good bet.

I'd never been to it's predecessor, Perama, but it was fairly well regarded. I was slightly sceptical though, based on my history of being generally disappointed by the quality of Greek food in Sydney (namely the CBD) that tends to verge on the tedious serving of a mezze platter, followed by slow cooked lamb and ended with baklava.

We kick things off with the delicious moked eggplant dip and a bottle of the respectable Lafkiotis Agionimo. Fried veal sweetbreads arrive too and they're superb: crispy, rich and stupidly more-ish.

Things were going well until the loukanika arrived. That made things go very well. Heavily herbed and spiced grilled sausage, delicious with a squeeze of lemon. I gave up dipping my bread in olive oil and dipped it in the fat that the sausage left behind. Insanely good.

The famous pork belly baklava is the sort of modernised Greek food that should happen in more places. Sweet from the date sauce, flaky filo, supported by the soft pork belly. It's a very nice dish.

Onto a bottle of the Domaine Sigalas Mavrottragano. It's among the most expensive on the (entirely Greek from what I can see) wine list, but with good reason. It's superb. Big fruit and gravel flavours, but with a smooth structure.

Lamb from the spit hits the table moments before our jaws do. The meat is tender, juicy, smokey, um.... delicious. A squeeze of lemon and a bit of tzatsiki and you're in heaven.

We also go for the Greek coleslaw and the tomato and white anchovy salad on the side to add a bit of balance to our diet. They're both very tasty.

The salted bonito arrives late and it's probably the worst possible savoury dish to end on. They're certainly not lying about the salted part, the fish is dredged in it. It's not to any of our tastes, but I could see some salt-fiends digging it.

Desserts are good but don't hit as hard as the savoury courses. Byzantine Ekmek is kind of similar to the BTS at House, but not as enjoyable. It's a pleasant and simple note to end on. Garden of Aphrodite is a stunning dish to look at and has it's strong points, but the taste doesn't quite live up to the look of the plate. Though it went superbly with a bottle of the delicious Samos Vin Doux.

Both desserts are only served with spoons, when forks would assist greatly. It was one of a couple of service missteps that night, but, thankfully, they didn't really detract from it being an enjoyable one.

Despite us going overboard on the food and wine, the bill was extremely reasonable considering how good the everything was. The food was excellent in most places, the menu is overwhelmingly more tempting than most Greek places in the CBD and the Greek-centric wine list is well assembled, good value and well worth exploring. While service had a few minor problems, they kept everything moving well and they've helped with the restaurant's lively, boisterous mood. In short, I can't wait to go back for more.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RESTAURANT: El Loco

2011-09-12T16:47:00.002+10:00

I'll never forget the time I was at the Excelsior, watching a band in the cramped uni-lodge-esque back room, and I saw convicted paedophile Dennis Ferguson.

(Side note: This blog has been nominated for an award for "best restaurant review to begin with a reference to paedophiles". In a few days I'll post details on how you can vote for us.)

He was rocking the fuck out to some psychedelic prog rock, with no shirt, oblivious to the dozen or so guys in the audience that were plotting to bash him at the first opportunity.

Today at El Loco, that spot is occupied by an Asian family of all ages. There's about fifteen of them and they're huddled over the bright blue table, earnestly deciding what dishes to order.

I'm a few metres away on an equally bright red table, in the general region of where I was standing that fateful night last year, watching my friend portion out El Loco's hotdog. Part of me is being greedy and wants the whole thing, the other part is wanting to try even more dishes from the menu.

The Excelsior and the drab back room have changed massively since Merivale bought it out 9 or so months ago. And while my beloved post-rock may be gone, it has been replaced by fresh food, a breezy room and droves of hipsters. Hipsters aside, it's been a significantly positive change.

Tacos arrive. They're all good. Fresh and refreshing. The tofu taco is good enough to please meateaters too, so don't skip that one. On my second visit I skipped the secret taco, not being the most adventurous offal eater and not being convinced by the honeycomb tripe that was in the last one I had. Sometimes it's a bit hard to find the main ingredient of the filling, but it's no disaster.

I get my part of the hot dog and it's just as good as my last visit. A nice dog, piquant salsa, mayo and mountains of cheese.

The grilled fish with fennel salad and salsa verde is pretty awesome, held together by the deliciously balanced salsa. It's probably my favourite dish so far.

Corn chips with guac and salsa sit on the table and are great to pick at before, between and after dishes.

El Loco is the sort of place that Sydney has desperately needed for the last... oh... ever. Fresh, tasty, cheap, fun and non-stodgy Mexican food. The value is excellent and the venue is, to the best of my knowledge, now paedophile free.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RECIPE: Smoked Chicken and Grilled Asparagus Salad

2011-09-11T16:26:00.005+10:00

I'm such a smoked chicken fiend. That shit is amazing. And when I get some, I nearly always make a variation of this salad.

- 1/2 a smoked chicken breast, skin removed, sliced
- 1 T of chilli lime mayo
- 1 good splash of olive oil
- 12 cashew nuts, quickly roasted in a hot pan
- 6 asparagus stalks, woody stems removed, lightly brushed with olive oil and cooked on a hot pan or griddle pan then roughly chopped
- Some shaved grana pandano or reggiano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 poached egg (optional)
- 1/2 a stalk of celery, finely sliced (optional - not included here)
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil

RECIPE: Beef Vindaloo

2011-09-05T19:29:00.006+10:00

I remember when I was still relatively young an Indian restaurant and take-away opened up nearby. Considering the suburban ethnic diet for the past 50 years had consisted of honey chicken from the local Chinese restaurant, this was a big step.

For my father and I, this was a fairly exciting development. We'd made trying hot dishes and acting like it didn't burn us because we were men "our thing", so the prospect of eating firecely hot vindaloo represented something of a pinnacle.

I haven't had it much since then, preferring to opt for less intense curries that I can actually taste without chilli burning my tongue into oblivion.

But then I decided to make it.

Serves 6 with rice and naan. Medium heat.

Masala
- 1 T mustard seeds
- 2 T curry leaves
- 12 green cardamom pods
- 2 T black peppercorns
- 3 T cumin seeds
- 3 star anise
- 1 medium cassia quill
- 5 dried chillis
- 1 t turmeric powder

Roast in the oven until fragrant. Approx 5-10 mins.

Grind. Add 1 T sea salt.

Garlic
- 1 head of garlic, wrapped in foil

Roast in the oven for around 45 mins until soft. Set aside to cool.

Cut open and squeeze out the garlic.

Base
- 2 medium brown onions
- 5 red chillis, deseeded
- 2 green chilli, deseeded
- 3 thumb sized pieces of peeled ginger
- The garlic from the above

Puree all in a blender/hand mixer.

Beef Vindaloo

In a large saucepan on a medium-high heat add 3 T of ghee and allow to melt. Add the base and cook for 10 mins, stirring regularly so the mixture doesn't stick.

Add the masala and 1kg of diced beef. Stir until the beef goes brown.

Add 1.5L of vegetable stock and 1 t of palm or brown sugar (or jaggery).

Bring to the boil and reduce to a low heat. Cook, uncovered, for around 3 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart soft.

Add either 1/2 C of tamarid juice or 1/4 C of white wine vinegar. Stir.

In a saucepan, heat 2 T of ghee. Add 1 medium brown onion, sliced fairly finely. Add a good pinch of sea salt. Stir regularly until onions are brown. Add 1 T of dried curry leaves and 1 t of cumin seeds. Once cumin seeds are popping and curry leaves look fried, add to the pot and stir.

Serve with rice and naan.

Great the next day.

Maybe some mint sauce for a cooling hit (1 bunch of mint leaves, 1 small Lebanese cucumber without core or skin, 1 tub yoghurt, pinch of salt, blend, lemon juice to taste).

Maybe reduce curry further and shred meat and put inside Vietnamese spring roll wraps and fry if you want to go all next level.

RECIPE: Steak

2011-09-04T22:42:00.003+10:00

I've always had a difficult relationship with steak.

But we're working on it.

And it's getting better. Slowly.

ARTICLE: In Praise of the Rochefort 10

2011-09-04T22:28:00.001+10:00

For a day that may have dramatically altered my life, I remember nearly none of it. Though that may be explained by the fact that the day contained beer. A lot of it. Maybe. I can't remember (ed: we established that earlier).

I don't remember why we were there, but we'd gone to the Belgian Beer Cafe in The Rocks with the promise of good beer. That was odd in it's own right because "good beer" around that time was mostly defined by how fresh the keg of Carlton Draught or Tooheys New was.

I think we started light and moved to the dark.

I don't think my preference for dark beers had been found yet.

We might had moved through the list and discovered sensational beers like the Gouden Carolous, the Chimay Blu or the Gouden Draak (which was extremely good because it had a golden dragon on the bottle). But there was a point when the Rochefort 10 was ordered. They didn't have the 6 or the 8, just the 10. It was one of the more expensive beers on the list for reasons which we didn't yet understand. Someone probably got it as a dare; to appear odd. Oh, you got that beer? Crazy. We're young men having the time of our lives. Let us high-five.

You can tell by the smell of it. Like a girl our age back then, wearing Impulse, mildly attractive; we new we wanted it. Even among great beers, the Rochefort 10 stands out when you smell it. It smells thick, caramelised, fruity, rich, complex. You get the hint of the 11.3% alcohol in there, but it's not a strong smell. It's like you're smelling a sultana that has been soaked in good brandy. It's a sultana that has been around and knows a few things.

The taste is borderline unbelievable, especially if you're use to Carlton Draughts and Tooheys News. It transcends beer. Think of the complex fruit and cake flavours of a great fruitcake, but turned to liquid and mellowed out. You're kind of there.

Even if you've never had a sip before, it brings back memories of family christmases; of great sandwiches, where the flavours and textures are in harmony; of chocolate cakes that are rich but not cloying so you feel like you could eat them forever; of your first crush because there is something raw and confusing about it; of your first love because it's familiar but it's your everything and you can't imagine a life without it.

I knew I liked it from the first bottle. But I didn't know how much I liked it. I was without context; I'd only had the most rudimentary of beers at that point. But as I explored beer in all it's shapes and forms, the Rochefort 10 has always been special.

In a word, those monks know their shit (ed: that's five words...).

RECIPE: Murgh Methi (Chicken and Fenugreek Leaf Curry)

2011-08-31T21:36:00.003+10:00

I was watching TV a couple of week's back and a cooking show was on. It was your typical cooking/travel show where the chef/cook goes somewhere exotic and cooks up food that poor people eat. This was certainly no different.

The Rajashtani people on the talking rectangle certainly looked poor. So the food must be good, right?

Sure thing. Two things stood out at me: yoghurt and fenugreek leaves.

I am well versed with yoghurt as an ingredient--going as far as using it on my speciality/daily dish of muesli with yoghurt--but I'd only ever used fenugreek in seed form. I enjoyed it in seed form, so what of the leaves? Huh, what of them? Are you silent because you are checking what of the fenugreek leaves?

But I digress (get back to me on that). Shockingly, Bondi Junction--normally the hub of culturally different food--was oddly devoid of fenugreek leaves when I was looking for them, so I got my trusty Indian spice/leaf supplier from work to hook me up with some. I then chucked said leaves with aforementioned yoghurt and made some stuff. There's slightly more to it than that.

Serves 6 with rice, mild-to-medium spice.

The Masala
- 1 T salt
- 1 large cinnamon quill
- 12 cardamom pods (the green variety, 3 of the black ones)
- 2 star anise
- 2 T cumin seeds
- 6 dried chillis
- 2 t fenugreek seeds
- 2 t black peppercorns
- 2 T chilli powder
- 4 cloves

Put that on an oven tray and into a moderate oven until you can smell the spices (5-10 mins if the oven is preheated).

Once cool, blend to a fine powder.

Fenugreek
- 1 C fenugreek leaves

Blend them up into a powder.

Garlic
- 1 bulb of garlic

Wrap it in foil and put it in a moderate oven for around 45 mins until it feels soft. Let it cool.

Once cool, cut the base off and squeeze out the delicious, gooey, roasted garlic.

The Other Stuff
- 1 handful of ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 onions, sliced.
- 3 T ghee
- 1 K chicken thigh fillets (or 1.5 K bone in)
- 1 K natural yoghurt (greek)
- 1 C peas (fresh are best but frozen are fine)
- 1 T sugar (caster or brown)

The cooking
1. Add the ghee, ginger, garlic, onions, masala. Cook over a medium heat until onions are translucent.
2. Add the chicken. Cook until white.
3. Add the yoghurt. Stir. Add the fenugreek leaves. Add the sugar.
4. Keep it over a low heat, stirring every now and then, until the chicken falls apart (around an hour). Add the peas after half an hour or so if fresh. If frozen, add 15 mins before you finish cooking. You can't really over cook this so don't worry about that.

Serve over rice with naan, obviously. With poor people around you, optionally.

I brought some in for my beloved spice merchant at work to get the word from an official Indian on my (fairly non-traditional) curry. He was a fan. Apparently, so were his housemates.

I think this may only be the beginning of this recipe. Further refinement could produce something incredible. At the moment it is merely "very good".

And there is so much more that can be done with fenugreek leaves (methi) that I'm yet to discover. Can't wait.

RESTAURANT: Tianyuan Asian Fast Food

2011-08-26T06:58:00.000+10:00

I have to admit, I had my doubts when Hong Fu, the hugely popular Chinese restaurant in Parramatta, moved up the road, away from the crowded Church st and into the outskirts of the corporate area near Colonial Tower.

But the corporates must have an almighty appetite for Asian food, because not only has Hong Fu continued to thrive (despite it not being as good as many people say, in my opinion), but a new takeaway and dine-in Chinese restaurant has opened only two doors down to plug the apparent gap and is already getting a steady following.

The dreaded and non-committal "Asian" in it's name belies the quality and authenticity that Tianyuan Asian Fast Food has sitting alongside the western favourites like honey chicken and sweet and sour pork. While the entrees like the shallot pancake and dumplings appear to come from the freezer and aren't anything special, the mapo tofu ($10.80 or $7.80 with rice) is extremely solid. So too are the dry-fried beans with pork ($12.80). Both dishes are available as part of the bain-marie lunch special, which is top value at $7.50 for 2 choices with rice or $8.80 for 3.

It's the dine-in food, though, that is the best bet. The versions of the above dishes benefit heavily from being freshly made, and you open up some of the better dishes. The beef stir-fried in cumin sauce ($12.80) is delicious with a brilliant clarity of flavour. The kungpao chicken ($12.80) is also well worth your ordering. The dry-fry shredded beef in spicy sauce ($18.80) isn't bad either.

Service is fairly typical for a cheap Chinese restaurant, though with their mix of bain-marie specials, take-away and dine-in available, it can get a bit busy.

I'm interested to see how this place evolves. For the first week or two it was mostly people popping in for the lunch special to see if the food was any good. A few weeks later and nearly all of the tables are taken for Friday lunch, almost to the surprise of the staff. And I was a little surprised too. What was sterile and boring when empty is exciting, loud and vibrant when full. Catering to both the westernised tastes and those of people looking for more authentic flavours is smart, and I can't wait to go back and find more dishes that I personally enjoy.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RECIPE: Chocolate and Pistachio Brownies

2011-08-22T18:00:00.000+10:00

I like the moister, fudgier style of brownie. So I made it as such.

Ingredients
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 100g of dark cooking chocolate
- A small drizzle of vanilla paste (optional)
- 1 t coffee
- 1 T cocoa powder
- 1 C caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 C peeled, roughly chopped pistachios
- 1 C plain flour
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes

Method
1. Preheat oven to 160c.
2. Over a double-boiler, melt down the chocolate and butter.
3. Once melted, add the vanilla, coffee, cocoa powder and sugar. Stir and remove from the heat.
4. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, add the eggs, one by one and mix thoroughly.
5. Add the pistachios and flour and mix.
6. Add the salt and mix.
7. Put the mixture in a greased, medium sized tin (I used an 8"x8") and put into the oven. Cook for 30 mins.
8. Turn the oven off and leave until cool enough to handle.
9. Remove from the oven and eat whenevs.

RESTAURANT: Taste of Shanghai (World Square)

2011-08-21T16:59:00.000+10:00

Usually when I walk through World Square and pass Taste of Shanghai it’s after I’ve had dinner elsewhere. I’ve wanted to go there for a while, since the crowd that’s constantly hanging around outside at around 8 must count for something.

Finally, I went there.

I shouldn’t have waited so long to come, because the food is awesome. The pan-fried pork dumplings had a crispy base and a great, soupy filling. The cumin lamb stirfry was one of the best I’ve had and the shredded pork in yu xiang sauce with golden buns is delicious. Yes it’s probably 25% more expensive than normal Chinese places serving Shanghainese food, but the quality is there. Service is pretty friendly and quick, and it’s a pretty comfortable place.

A second was just as--if not more--enjoyable. The fried pork buns were delicious and still filled with heaps of soup (to my shirt's detriment) and give the dumplings a run for their money. While mapo tofu isn't up with some other Szechuan restaurants around the city, it's still very respectable. And cod fried in shallots was well cooked and delicious, being a popular dish in the restaurant for good reason.

My one gripe is with all of the additional charges. For example, it will have pork dumplings listed as $9, but you have to add $2 for getting them fried. Or the milk tea with pearls in the drinks section is listed as $4 + 50c (50c for the pearls). It’s good if you want to order a dish without the extra charge item (ie unfried dumplings) but if you just want what’s on the menu without then it feels like they’re just adding an extra cost to screw you. That’s not the case, but that’s how human psychology works. Give me a flat fee and let's keep the transaction at that.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RECIPE: Fresh Pappardelle with Broadbeans in a Chorizo, Porcini and Burnt Butter Sauce

2011-08-18T16:15:00.002+10:00

This dish has a very similar (nearly identical) core to yesterday’s dish, but comes across totally different.

Start by making some pasta dough (no, dried pasta will not work in this dish—fresh egg pasta is essential) with 1 heaped cup of 00 flour. Pretty simple. Just make a well in the centre of the flour and add around 4 egg yolks. Slowly incorporate the flour into the egg until you have a pasta dough. If the dough is wet then add some more flour. I always guess at the quantity needed ~~because I’m a lazy idiot~~ and find that it’s easiest to make it wetter and dry it with flour than make it dry and try to add more egg to a brick of dough.

After covering it in cling film and resting it in the fridge for 30 mins or so, roll it out over a lightly floured surface then cut into sections for the pasta machine. Start on the widest setting then roll the dough through each setting once until you’re done on the finest setting. If you don’t have a pasta machine, roll it as thin as you can get it with a rolling pin or a bottle covered in glad wrap. Once done, gently and loosely roll the dough up and slice it around 1cm thick so you have pappardelle.

You’ll need to work smart when you’re cooking the dish.

Take one pot—slightly bigger than you think you’ll need for the pasta--and get it onto a rolling boil.

Get your ingredients together. 50g of butter, 5 torn sage leaves, a little bit of thyme, the beans from 5 broadbeans and 3 tablespoons of chorizo and porcini jus.

In a pan on a medium-high heat, add the butter, sage and thyme. Heavily salt the boiling pot of water and add the pasta. Add the broadbeans and some cracked black pepper.

Once the butter is looking slightly brown the pasta should be cooked. But check the pasta as you go. It won’t take long to cook. Once the pasta is done, add it to the pan using tongs. A bit of the pasta water will help the sauce stick to the pasta. Immediately add the chorizo and porcini jus and toss.

Put all into a bowl and grate a whole heap of parmesan of the top.

It should make 2 serves.

RECIPE: Pan-Fried Latchet with Broad Beans, Jamon, Sage and Chorizo and Porcini Jus

2011-08-17T20:32:00.000+10:00

This works fine with any white fish that is a bit stronger in flavour. Flathead would be an excellent substitute.

Dust the fish fillet with flour mixed with a little salt and pepper.

Put a pan on a medium-high heat and add a good knob of butter. Once it starts melting, add the fish, skin side down.

Add 3 torn sage leaves and 1 torn slice of jamon Serrano (prosciutto would be fine as a substitute).

Once the fish is looking golden brown and crispy, turn it over and add the beans from 3 broadbeans (I like to break then in half before adding). It should only need 1-2 mins on this side, depending on the thickness of the fillet.

Once the fish is done, put it on a plate with the jamon and broadbeans. In the pan, add roughly 3 tablespoons of chorizo and porcini jus (unreduced. Add only 2 teaspoons if jus is reduced), stir and ladle a couple of spoonfuls of this sauce on and around the fish.

Finish the dish with a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some thyme leaves.

RECIPE: Chorizo and Porcini Jus

2011-08-16T15:42:00.001+10:00

Chop up 3 chorizo and put them in a medium pot with half a handful of dried porcini and 1 sheet of dried nori (torn up). If you have a brulee torch, give some of the chorizo a bit of colour. If not, put the pot over a hot stove and stir for 30 seconds.

Add enough water to just cover the contents and put in a low oven (around 100c) for 3 or so hours.

Strain into a smaller pot. You can either further reduce the contents (by around ¾) for an intense sauce, or keep as is, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and blend and add to other sauces/dishes for a rich (but less intense) boost at the end.

If you let it cool or use it later, make sure you include some of the fat that congeals. The majority of flavour is in that fat.

You can still keep the chorizo that were strained off and cook with them too. They won’t be as strong or oily, but can still be used in heaps of different ways.

Over the next 2 days I'll show you 2 things you can cook with the jus.

BEER: Beers of the Week

2011-08-15T15:37:00.000+10:00

Been a few months since I did this, so let's get into it without any delay.

3rd Place - Theakston "Old Peculier"

I haven’t seen this one around before, which is odd considering it’s over 100 years old.

No mistaking that it’s an English old ale. Rich, roasty malt flavours with a background of spice and fruit. It holds a good middle ground of flavour for an old ale, not being overpowering in any particular characteristic and, as a result, drinks really well.

86%

2nd Place - Sierra Nevada 011 Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale

A fresh hop ale made each autumn when hops are at their ripest, once for the northern hemisphere and once for the southern hemisphere. This is the latter, brewing up a shipment of hops from New Zealand sent to California craft beer meganaut, Sierra Nevada.

Not surprisingly, it’s packed with floral, oily hops with a good structure of fruit and bitterness. It drinks super well and has an excellent depth of flavour.

89%

1st Place - Eric Bordelet Poire Granit

This week’s beer of the week isn’t actually a beer. Eric Bordelet is one of the finest producers of cider in the world and they don’t come any better than his incredible pear cider. Unlike nearly every other pear cider on the market, this actually tastes like pears. Pears with the skin on and smelling of the tree. Sweet, crisp, earthy and well-rounded; a cider of supreme flavour and balance.

It’s not cheap (around $40-50 for a 750ml bottle), but trust me when I say that it’s worth it. It’s a classy as hell drop with outstanding balance. It’s great on it’s own or with food. It shines with the obvious pairings like apple-based desserts and cheese, but is also great with pork, some fish dishes, salty or fried food and appetisers. Not that it’s much of a secret; I’ve had it paired with dishes in some excellent restaurants like Melbourne’s Attica (where I first had it) and Cumulus, and Barcelona’s Comcerc24.

He also makes a pretty mean calvados that is worth checking out.

97%

RESTAURANT: Bilson's

2011-08-14T15:00:00.001+10:00

Something happened last time I went to Bilson's. I don't think there's any other way to describe it.

I went there once and it was a superb meal; instantly one of my favourites. Then they got a new head chef and announced that they were going to serve a 15 course meal that would take around 4 hours and would cost $280--just for food.

So far so good, I suppose.

I went there expecting something similar to the first experience, but a little different and much longer. I knew there was a new head chef and saw that as a plus. And even though the new chef was only a month or so in, people were already saying that he was doing a great job.

But, man, was that shit underwhelming. Broths were added to dishes and made them a headache to eat, elements on the plate destroyed other elements, modern techniques felt added-on rather than vital to the dish, service was a little unpolished and the wine pairings didn't always match the food. One of my favourite restaurants in Sydney had become something confusing and better-off avoided.

While I kept wondering what happened, excellent reviews kept on pouring in, climaxing with the apparent return to 3 hats from the Good Food Guide. Basically, I started to doubt myself.

There was only one solution: a ~$450 roll of the die.

It started the same way it did last time, with the fish chips: dry, crisp chips made from fish and potato, served with a tartare that is fairly inconsequential, with the chips being tasty and salty enough on their own without a punch of vinegar to go with it. This time, however, the chips seem thinner and crispier; less like the legs of soft shell crabs like last time.

An amuse bouche arrives and it catches me off guard. I'm probably getting this wrong, but I think it was a sweet potato mousse with ginger, miso, croutons, black sesame cake and a couple of other things. It was fucking brilliant. Flavourwise it was perfect. But, more relevantly, the dish worked in the bowl. It was texturally brilliant. Every element played it's role to perfection. This was nothing like last time. And it was only the amuse bouche. So much better than the coconut and garlic amuse served last time. A good sign.

The next three dishes that follow were fairly similar to dishes served last time.

The starter of oyster, king crab, apple cous cous and yogurt works a lot better on the second take. The compressed apple, celery and (I think) finger lime were balanced perfectly, whereas last time they ruined the texture of the dish by being in large chunks. There's a buzz of chilli which is almost profound. The flavour and heat of red chilli is, strangely, well matched to the mineral flavours of the oyster. A staggering amount of work has gone into making the many elements work together and it really pays off.

The dish that pissed me off the most last time is back and it's barely changed. The raw and barely cooked prawn parts are great. And the fried (I think) quinoa adds a nice texture. But I find that the consomme that gets added at the table to be really confusing and just ruin the way the dish eats. It makes the quinoa soggy--but not soggy enough to make it texturally interesting--and on a relatively flat plate with a relatively flat spoon, it eats poorly. It's not a bad dish, but it's not a great dish.

The slight reworking of the carrot, calamari, shaved macadamia and cocoa is, however, a great dish. Somewhat forgettable and confusing last time, it's reworked the balance of the elements and become outstanding. Everything on it makes sense and the combination of the shaved macadamia with the sweetness of the carrot and calamari is bang on. The matching wine is a cracker--an aromatic, almondy pigato--and takes the dish to the next level, giving the dish a buttery but clean finish.

Enter The Marron. I don't recall the next dish--marron with a rectangle of butternut pumpkin, milk foam and mandarin puree--from last time. If it had have been served I'm certain I would have, because it's awesome. Great textures, super marron, a foam that makes sense and that mandarin puree in combination with the flax seeds atop the marron holds all of the flavours together.

Egg yolk with truffled chicken soup and cauliflower is nice but is difficult to eat in the same way that the prawn dish is due to the barely cooked yolk that oozes all over the plate once punctured. Ever tried to eat some egg yolk off a plate with a fork? Fairly frustrating. It's like that. The truffles barely come across and aren't really necessary. The dish is better than what I remember of last time--and certainly isn't "bad"--but it still isn't one of the better dishes, despite promising a luxurious experience on paper. The saving grace is the brilliant matching wine that cuts through the cloyingness of the yolk but still allows the dish the richness it requires.

Smoked mackeral with salsify, jerusalem artichoke, rosemary and citrus banishes any bad thoughts. It's perfectly balanced, well-textured and beautifully flavoured. Oddly, the star of the dish is the powdered citrus, which holds all of the flavours together. It's a contender for dish of the night.

The next dish--inspired by chef Munoz's time at El Bulli--is just insane. It's a rich, parmesan-laden polenta, spherified, along with fried zucchini flower petals, hazelnuts and some pieces of baby zucchini. Fucking incredible. A rich polenta is great on it's own, but to have it contained in a gnochi-like morsel that explodes in your mouth is something special. Along with some texture from the crisp zucchini flower petals and hazelnuts and the flavour of the hazelnut and baby zucchini rounds out everything perfectly. Thanks for ruining polenta for me forever. It WAS my one of my favourite things before this dish set the bar WAY too high for me.

The mushroom and quail dishes that follow are also excellent, rounding out a spectacular middle of the menu. If every dish was like the middle section of dishes you'd have a contender for best restaurant in the country, if not the goddamn hemisphere.

A plate with pears arrives and a hare jus is poured. Like the prawn and egg yolk dishes, it eats poorly. Eating a jus/broth/consomme with their thin spoon is fairly unrewarding. Balance wise, I felt the chunks of pear were a bit strong for the hare jus. Although the small brushing of oloroso sherry add a nice depth to the flavour. Another saving grace was, again, the wine pairing. The DJP mencia was best mates with the hare jus, taking both to new heights.

The final savoury course is the wagyu shank--cooked for something like 30 hours--with kipfler potatoes and a watercress puree. It's almost like mashed potatoes and corned beef, but significantly better. A really nice dish that looks tremendous on the plate. Last time I really hated the wine match which was some sort of red and got totally blown away by the rich potato mash. I'm still not blown away by the red that is matched this time.

The cheese course takes the form of mascarpone with beetroot, orange and white sesame. A brilliant and refreshing dish after the rich beef dish. The mascarpone is perfectly flavoured and the other elements add good flavour and texture to the dish.

"Citrus" is the first dish and replaces the rose, raspberry and white chocolate dish from last time that I felt ate poorly. It's brilliant and, yes, citrussy. Citrus in all it's guises, put into plenty of different forms. Great flavour, great texture and eats so much better than last time. And very, very citrussy.

"Equatorial" finishes things off. A gooey chocolate fondant covered in coffee mousse, chocolate sauce and chocolate snow. Chocolate and coffee on an extreme, rich scale. Good flavours but I don't like the way it eats. A fondant covered in sauce doesn't really work. And the chocolate snow on the side of the bowl feels added on. There's no denying that there were some great elements on the plate (or bowl, as it were) but for me I think it needs a bit of a rework if it wants to be on the same tremendous level as some of those savoury courses.

It all concludes with the chocolate box--a box filled with chocolates and an edible base, which you can't really eat because it doesn't taste great--which I refuse to accept as a course because it's basically just petit fours, which isn't normally (ever) considered a course.

I leave around three and a half hours after I began, shaking my head. The turnaround from my last meal is incredible. The food is, generally, exceptional. The wine pairings are often inspiring. The staff now appear to be brimming with pride in their food and are well represented by sommelier Richard Hargreaves who is as passionate about the restaurant as he is likeable as he is great at matching wines.

I now rate Bilson's up with Marque and Quay as Sydney's best fine-dining restaurants. Better than Sepia, better than .est, better than Bentley. More importantly, Bilson's is better than I've ever seen Bilson's before. They're on a great path here.

RATING: Will return to [?] (promotion from 'Okay, may go back')

RECIPE: Taramosalata and Buffalo Mozzarella Pizza

2011-08-08T19:35:00.003+10:00

It’s late. You’ve been drinking. You’ve got that unshakeable hunger for something hot and oily and juicy. You could swing past that kebab joint near the station on your way home and suit the craving that way. But... there’s a problem.

You’re drunk at home tonight because your friends don’t want you hanging around after what happened last weekend at Darren’s place in the laundry with his purebred Suffolk lamb. Why does he have a pet Suffolk lamb in his laundry? It doesn’t matter, they tell you. And if it did matter, what you did wasn’t going to shed any light on the question.

So you’re at home, drunk, questioning your sexuality and you’re craving something to eat. It has to be quick. It has to be easy. It can’t be lamb. At least... not until you reconcile these feelings you’re having...

How about a super easy pizza? A unique one. Because you’re a unique sort of guy.

Put your oven on it’s highest setting and chuck a thin oven tray in there.

Take a wrap. I use a souvlaki wrap because it has a nice thickness but you could use a Lebanese one or something like that.

Spread it very thinly with taramosalata (should be around a heaped tablespoon).

Get some buffalo mozzarella. Around 50 grams should do it (which is roughly half a medium sized ball). Tear it into a few chunks and put it around the pizza. Don’t put it in the centre as it could make it soggy. I know it’s hard to concentrate now because the white cheese is reminding you of a Suffolk lamb, but I need you to stay with me for a bit longer.

Give the whole thing a little drizzle with olive oil.

Hopefully your oven is screaming hot now. Put the pizza on the tray and let it cook. Cook it until the edges are well browned but not burnt. It should take around 10 mins.

Take the pizza out. Another drizzle with olive oil. A few drops of lemon juice if you have a lemon around. A little cracked black pepper. Slice into pieces.

Eat.

Wash up.

Cry yourself to sleep.

Yes, again.

RECIPE: Prawn Ceviche

2011-08-01T15:14:00.002+10:00

Ceviche is a noble dish. THERE I SAID IT.

It could just be one of those awesome dishes from a part of the world that has been around for centuries and was created purely out of what was available to the people making it. But it's more than that; it's a dish that doesn't let you lie.

There's nowhere to hide in a ceviche (especially if you make a small quantity lolololol). If you don't use the freshest of ingredients then your dish is going to totally blow. Hell, you even risk poisoning whoever eats your dish if you use dodgy seafood. You don't get that shit with a lasagne.

This recipe is good for any shellfish or boneless white fish. I'd originally intended to do this with scallops, but the prawns at the fish store looked a bit fresher. You could use a combination of seafood if you wanted, but just make sure whatever you use is extremely fresh. If you can't find fresh seafood don't make a ceviche. If you even attempt it you will spontaneously combust and fish parasites will feast on your charred remains.

Ingredients

- 250g of prawns (peeled, deveined weight), roughly chopped
- 1.5 lemons
- 1 lime
- 2 chillis, deseeded and finely chopped (to taste)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 shallot
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 big handful of corriander leaves, finely chopped
- 4-6 mint leaves, finely chopped
- Olive oil to finish

Method

1. In a shallow bowl, add the juice of 1 lemon, 1 lime and the zest of 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 a lime.
2. Finely grate the garlic and shallot into the bowl.
3. Add the chillis and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Add around 4/5 of the corriander and mint. Reserve the rest for finishing.
5. Add your prawns, mix and refrigerate for 25 mins, mixing after 15 mins.
6. To finish, transport the mixture to a serving bowl, discarding the liquid. Finish with the reserved herbs, a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately with crusty bread, toasted wraps or prawn crackers.

THE LINKDOWN: Five Food Links

2011-07-23T17:39:00.002+10:00

Monteiths: A single source of bastardry
Interesting beer story from New Zealand that has been getting a lot of press in the beer circle. Essentially, Monteith's have trademarked the name of a well-known style of beer and have gone to some lengths to stop other people from using the name. I'm not sure what leaves a worse taste in the mouth: this story or the actual taste of radler beers.

The Serious Eats Guide to Taco Styles
Food site Serious Eats takes a look at tacos. A very, very detailed look at tacos. Styles, types, flavours, whatever. This article is foodgasm stuff.

The Beer Diet!
A man lives on a diet of nothing but beer for 46 days. Interviewlarity ensues.

Marco Pierre White to Heston Blumenthal: The ten greatest chefs by Raymond Blanc
Legendary chef Raymond Blanc rattles off a list of who he thinks the 10 best ever chefs are.

The Congo Cookbook
African food is severely unexplored in this country, which is a shame because there are some absolutely killer dishes that originate from the continent. This site is an excellent resource for recipes from all over Africa.

RESTAURANT: Sepia

2011-07-09T20:14:00.002+10:00

It's become something of a tradition that I take my mother out for dinner for her birthday. I think it started a few years back when I didn't have any ideas for presents and thought that a meal out with the world's greatest son in the world would compare favourably with Ferrero Rochers and nighties with pictures of dogs on them.

I can safely say it has become a tradition because as early as a month out from her birthday, my mother was already asking leading questions about where I'd take her this year. My father also looked on eagerly, again hoping to tag along and score a free meal. I struggled this year because it's not an easy question to answer.

My friends and I have grown up in the cultural melting pot that Sydney has become in the last couple of decades, so there are nearly no cuisines or dishes that are off limits. But my parents are of another generation. Entire countries are ruled out for how unusual their trademark flavours are for people not accustomed to them. A hint of pink in a steak can cause a fear in my father so palpable that I can momentarily hesitate from sipping red wine, for fear that it's only red because it's full of botchelism.

So when I decided to take them to Sepia for my mum's birthday, I was stepping out on a bit of a limb. Any red meat would be... well... red, ingredients that weren't present in suburban Sydney in the 60s would be on the plate (probably emulsified with rare meat) and there was the off chance that communists would be somewhere in the restaurant. And if my memory from history class is correct, everyone that grew up in the 60 just plain DISLIKED communists.

I'd been to Sepia twice before, but both times for the business lunch. So even though I kind of knew what I was in for. I also kind of didn't.

Would I be kicked out of the family because of an offensive gel?

What I was pretty confident of was that the service would be excellent: both of my previous visits had been punctuated by warm, friendly service. This time, no difference. The staff are all so calm and friendly that you feel comfortable from the minute you walk in.

There had been a small change in the kitchen, with former head chef (and ex-Fat Duck chef) Graeme McLaughlin having headed to Melbourne to head up Guillaume Brahimi's Bistro Guillaume at Crown. But with Martin Benn and Daniel Puskas in the kitchen, the food is still going to be spectacular.

On my previous visit I'd tried the Spanner crab and buckwheat risotto. It's still spectacular. Rich and full of shellfish flavour, but light enough so that you feel like you could happily eat it for the rest of your life and not get tired.

A take on scallop sushi is art on the plate, with droplets of avocado cream and pickled ginger sauce the only distraction from a few plump scallops, cooked perfectly and totally black from what appears to be a dusting of nori.

Jerusalem artichokes are a fantastic combination with egg and mushroom, so it's no surprise that the dish is delicious. While the slow-cooked egg is perfect and incredibly tempting, it doesn't wow me like the other two entrees.

To avoid any red meat awkwardness I'd sold my parents on Sepia having spectacular seafood, being backed by George de Costi and all that. They take the bait (ed: terrible pun) and it's seafood all round.

The scampi tail and murray cod with a shellfish jus is spectacular. Perfectly balanced between the sweetness of seafood and the richness of the jus. It just "works" on the plate and it's probably my pick for dish of the night.

Slow cooked ocean trout is perfectly executed and the combination of flavours excellent. It's an exciting dish, proving that it's possible to do a dish of confit of ocean trout in Sydney that's actually exciting.

My choice of main was probably the worst dish of the night. King George whiting with broad beans (I think) and tapioca pearls sounded like the sort of thing I love, but was the lacking flavour that every other dish had. It was made interesting texturally because of the tapioca pearls and the fish was perfectly cooked, but that was about it. It made me think back to the mulloway I had at Bentley a couple of days earlier and how much I preferred that, which probably isn't a good thing.

A side of roasted kipfler potatoes was delicious, with a hum of vinegar giving it that extra kick.

Sepia's chocolate forest dessert is fairly well known, so that was a no-brainer. It's a deconstructed black forest cake that looks like a delicious forest. And it tastes like a delicious dish, with so many textures that every bite is an experience. It doesn't quite reach the heights of the terroir dessert at Attica in Melbourne, which set the benchmark for edible forests for me, but that's nitpicking.

The "weiss" bar combines different textures of white chocolate and raspberry, and totally wins because of the awesome dehydrated chocolate mousse on top.

I'm a huge fan of savoury/sweet dishes, so the candied beetroots on the dessert menu call my name. It combines beetroot in different forms (cake, sorbet, whole baby beetroot, sauce) and it's an excellent combination of textures, flavours and inventiveness. The savoury "root" flavour of the beetroot still comes through which I thought could put some people off, but my parents both enjoy it, which speaks volumes.

We head out and I appear to have solidified my position in the family, which is great news. I've also gotten a fantastic meal in the process.

While I wouldn't rate Sepia as highly as the likes of Quay and Marque (my clear top 2), it sits with the best of the rest. I can see myself coming back soon to finally have the degustation. And for the business lunch. And for the wine bar. And maybe again for the a la carte.

RATING: Will return to [?] (unchanged)

RESTAURANT: Bentley Bar and Restaurant

2011-07-05T22:10:00.002+10:00

This is my second return to Bentley. Check out the review from the first visit.

We decided to play things a little differently on this visit. The first time we went all out with the degustation with matching wines, cocktails to start and after dessert drinks and coffees. This time we decided to go a la carte. A somewhat scary decision, since whenever I hit up restaurants like this the kneejerk reaction is to go the deg with wines.

Would the a la carte be enough food? How would we go with the limited choice? When will that rash clear up? So.many.questions.

The answers would be yes, very well and it depends on whether this new cream will work or not.

Instead of getting an entree each we get 4 of the dishes from the appetiser section and split those. They're refined tapas and they're pretty bloody good. The kingfish ceviche is light, tangy and herbal, which is a pretty ace way to start. Beef tartare with spherified wasabi is delicious, beautiful to look at and moreish as hell (which is moreish, from all reports). Smoked eel parfait succeeds because of it's clarity of flavour and mix of smooth and crunchy texture. Foie gras parfait with puffed rice and pickled raisin is a total stunner: smooth, crunchy, sweet, savoury, fatty, acidic. Probably the dish of the night.

The wine list has the whole range of champagnes from Jacques Selosse, one of the best, most unique small houses on the market, so we opt for one of those. And it's spectacular.

For mains we go for the capsicum and pepper flavoured lamb with chick peas. Like a homely stew in terms of components, but with an excellent clarity of flavours that gives the dish real excitement. The other option is the mulloway with a whole bunch of things I forget. It's perfectly cooked, light, excellently balanced and delicious.

To finish, the date custard with musk meringue and rockmelon sorbet has a great balance of flavours and textures, but my vote goes to the liquid mandarin which combines mandarin done in various ways with chocolate. A perfect expression of winter.

We finish and realise that even though we went a la carte we tried 8 different dishes and spent more all up. A curious result that will require more testing in future.

Excellent flavours, casual vibe, solid staff, excellent wine list. Bentley is still not up there with Marque and Quay in my opinion, but it's one of the best of the rest.

RATING: Will return to [?] (unchanged)

THE LINKDOWN: Five Food Links

2011-07-03T19:05:00.002+10:00

British farmers forced to pay the cost of supermarket price wars
Great piece in The Observer about UK farmers getting screwed by their major supermarkets over there. Awfully familiar...

Junior Masterchef – Would You Sign The Contract?
Some of the details on the contracts that contestants (or, more accurately, their parents) are having to sign for the next season of Junior Masterchef. A lot of it is standard legal speak, but it makes me feel pretty creepy that there's the chance that some of it could actually be enforced.

PRODUCE REPORT – JULY 2011
The July produce report from Market Fresh (a really handy site if you want to cook seasonally). A quick run-through of the key fruit and vege in season with some good trips on how to prepare them.

10 worst food trends
Jonathan Gold, one of the top food writers in the world, compiles the 10 food/restaurant trends of 2011 that annoy him the most. Most seem to relate to chefs acting like divas and ignoring what customers want.

Beer History: The 'Other' Sour Beers
Sour beers are starting to undergo a real resurgence in the craft beer scene. This article has a look at some of the lesser known sour beers.

RESTAURANT: Madang

2011-07-02T22:08:00.003+10:00

I had my heart broken a while ago.

It was a busy Thursday night and I was out with a couple of friends looking for a meal. Everywhere was full and we were starving. Waiting was not.an.option.

We went to Shinara, our favourite Korean BBQ joint for their legendary all you can eat BBQ treats. And we found out that it was gone. Some new buffet shit was there and the grills were shit and everything was shit.

During it's heyday, Shinara was fucking insane. You paid $40 or so for all you can eat food and cooked it on your BBQ. Seafood, wagyu, yuukwe, pancakes, gyoza, ALL THE MEAT IN THE WORLD. I nearly died there 3 times. But then it started slipping; the food became more and more frozen. By the end, it was becoming borderline. And when the new management took over and the shitty buffet thingy happened I think I actually cried real meattears.

Only now have I felt ready to get back into Koreanbarbequeing. And what better place than Madang, the alleyway joint that has been named as Sydney's best too many times to mention (in all honesty I can't be bothered researching that).

So we go there and order and it's not all you can eat but it's still okay. I have to get over that. The BBQ is fired and straight away I see it's the perfect temperature: searing hot but with some cooler spots.

We get some meat and some yuukwe and some pork and kimchee and it's so good. And then the meat arrives and we cook that and it's awesome too. Better than any of the other KBBQs I've been to.

They have bukboonja (raspberry wine) and bak se ju which I see as essential KBBQ companions.

And the prices are okay for the quality and the service is good for a KBBQ and you just chill out and smash some meat and enjoy. They could improve on the quantity and quality of the sides that come with the meat (need more kimchee and more lettuce and not shit lettuce), but that's my only criticism. Madang is great.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Liana's

2011-07-01T21:59:00.002+10:00

Church St, Parramatta. The home of evil food. And here I am at an Italian restaurant with a lunch special that is way too cheap ($9.90 for a main dish WITH a drink).

666

I opt for the ragu with fettucine because it's one of my favourite dishes around. I know I'm setting a high bar.

And it doesn't really make it over the bar. The fettucine (which is apparently homemade) is nice. But the sauce isn't a ragu. It's a tomato sauce with chunks of dull veal in it.

The price is good and the serving is huge. To pay $9.90 and get a meal and a glass of wine is good in anyone's book. But it's not great. The restaurant is so-so. The staff are "okay".

If you want some cheap, decent Italian then it's a good place. Otherwise, I don't see the point.

RATING: Okay, may go back [?]

RESTAURANT: Cumulus Inc [Melbourne]

2011-06-23T20:58:00.001+10:00

If I type "cum" into Google, the second match is for Cumulus Inc, a totally kick-arse restaurant that I visited last time I was in Melbourne, run by one of the hottest chefs going around, Andrew McConnell.

Last time I went was for breakfast and I really enjoyed it. They totally smashed it with an egg cooked at 65c for 65 minutes and with a watermelon salad. While I generally don't eat out for breakfast much, this probably remains the best breakfast I've had "out".

After a return to breakfast was thwarted the day before by, well, people, we decided to come back right on opening to ENSURE that our final meal in Melbourne was lunch at Cumulus Inc.

We kick off with some soft shell crab. And it's really nice. Then we have some foie gras parfait and that's really nice too, with some sweet accompaniment to balance it out.

Tuna tartare with a pea salad is simple but probably the highlight of the meal. Chunks of tuna with a perfectly seasoned pea salad.

One of my favourite items of food arrives in the form of boudin noir (black pudding) with a salad of smoked tomato and parsley. It's so rich that the drink we got for our meal (Eric Bordelet's magnificent pear cider, my favourite cider in the world) struggles to cut through it. It's not perfectly in balance but it's bloody good.

Mustard crumbed pigs tail is next and--you guessed it--it's tasty. Crunchy from the crumb and unctuous from the tail. I would have liked more crunch to balance the gelatinous fat, but I'll still take it.

I could say the same for the slow-cooked beef brisket with mushrooms and (if I remember correctly) some sort of white vege puree: excellent, but on the rich side of balanced. And even though there was some dirt on the mushrooms that I got, it was probably the runner up dish to the tuna tartare.

Service was friendly and efficient (given the number of people waiting, probably not surprising). Prices reasonable for the quality. Hugely solid dishes with only minor quibbles.

I need to get to Cutler & Co next time I'm in Melbourne. A return visit to Cumulus Inc also needs to find a spot on the itinerary.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RECIPE: Chocolate Ganache and Mandarin Ricotta Tart

2011-06-22T20:53:00.006+10:00

Base
- In a mixing bowl add 1 cup of plain flour and 100g of soft butter. Work the butter and flour with your fingers until they're like fine breadcrumbs, kind of like you're making a crumble.
- To that, add a inch of salt, 2 tablespoons of caster sugar, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. A little mid of mandarin zest too if you can be bothered.
- Using a knife, cut the mixture together (you pretty much keep slicing through the mixture until it starts coming together).
- When it starts feeling similar to a dough, ditch the knife and finish it off with your hands. The pastry should be in between a firm dough and a wet dough. Solid enough to roll out, and not wet so that when you poke it you finger comes out clean. Don't overwork it. If it's too wet, add more flour.
- Wrap in cling film and put it in the fridge for 30 mins or so.
- After 30 mins (or so) preheat the oven to 160c and take your pastry out of the fridge. Roll it out so that it's circular (if you're using a circular tin) and around 5mils thick. Tip: if it's too elastic and hard to work then try putting it in the fridge for longer to cool down. And make sure you don't overwork the pastry.
- Put your rolled out pastry into a buttered tin. You want to have sides that are at least 6cm deep.
- Poke some holes in the base with a fork, cover it with baking paper and weigh down the middle if you having some of those ceramic ball things. Cook the dough until the base looks firm. Ideally you don't want any colour, but the base won't cook any further past this point so that's the focus.
- Take it out and let it cool.

Mandarin Ricotta
- Ideally, you should do this while the tart is resting in the fridge or blind baking. But you can do it the day before if you want to.
- In a bowl, mix together around 600g of ricotta, 2 heaped tablespoons of icing sugar, the zest of 1 mandarin, around 1/4 of a cup of mandarin juice and (optional) a shot of brandy/cognac/grappa/etc. Mix until it's smooth. The smoother the better.
- Taste the mixture. You only want it to be ever so slightly sweet and only have a hint of mandarin. If needed, adjust it. If you want to assault people with sweetness or mandarin then add more. Personal taste plays a big factor here.
- Check the texture. You want it smooth and slightly running. Pourable, basically. If you need it runnier, add more mandarin juice.

Baked Mandarin Ricotta Tart
- So your tart base has been blind-baked and has cooled. You've made the mandarin ricotta filling.
- Poor the ricotta filling into the tart base so it leaves a gap of around a centimetre to the top of the sides.
- Put this into the oven and cook until the sides of the tart start to get a bit golden. Probably around 40 mins.
- Once cooked, take out of the oven to cool.

Chocolate Ganache
- Set up a double-boiler (a mixing bowl above a pot filled with simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water level).
- Into the bowl add 200g of cooking milk chocolate. Let that melt down, stirring often. Take this slowly. If it's going too fast, take the bowl off the heat for 20 seconds or so and let it cool.
- When the chocolate has completely melted, slowly add 150ml of room temperature cream. Mix it through. Again, don't rush this step; control the temperature.
- Add 25g of softened butter. Mix through.
- Optional: add a small amount of vanilla beans or vanilla paste. NOT essence or extract.
- Set aside to cool slightly.

Chocolate Ganache and Mandarin Ricotta Tart
- Pour the ganache over the cooled tart so the level of chocolate reaches the top of the sides (but doesn't overflow).
- Put into the fridge to cool completely. At least 2 hours.

There you have it. Looks complicated, but, trust me, it's really easy.

RECIPE: Polenta with Ragu

2011-06-21T20:49:00.000+10:00

RECIPE: Beetroot Tortellini, Sauted Mushrooms, Beef and Red Wine Jus

2011-06-20T18:15:00.001+10:00

RECIPE: Seared Scallops, Prosciutto Crumbs, Cauliflower and Tellegio Puree

2011-06-19T16:07:00.007+10:00

RESTAURANTS: Cafe Excello / HuTong / Crazy Wings [Melbourne]

2011-06-17T22:27:00.003+10:00

I was looking forward to breakfast today because we were hoping to go to Cumulus Inc, where I'd had a brilliant breakfast the last time I was in town (oh, 65/65 egg how I adore). Unfortunately, we got there and it was packed. So we went to the European. Unfortunately, that too was packed so we went to the first cafe we saw: Cafe Excello.

It's nothing special and it doesn't try to be (at least, I hope). Decent breakfast, decent coffee. Okay.

Lunch was going to be great. A return to HuTong, where last time I popped in for some quick dumplings.

I took charge of the ordering and went hard on the xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and other dumpling related things, with some mapo tofu thrown in to fill us up. The mapo tofu order also partly motivated to exercise the demons from the subpar version at Wonton House the night before.

HuTong didn't disappoint, bringing out some excellent dumplings and a very solid mapo tofu (although the rice was delivered something like 15 mins after said mapo tofu, which was stupid). Wontons in spicy sauce were a nice surprise. Instead of your favourite fried dumpling place, the flavours here are clear, sharp and perfectly-balance.

We'd originally hoped to check out Izakaya Den for dinner, but arrived to find it shut. Oh. So across the road and into Crazy Wings where we'd missed out the other night. I couldn't wait to compare it to the Sydney version.

A bit of a different setup. We write down our order on a printout of a menu and they go off to cook it. It's quickly obvious that the service blows. The plates and cups we're given for our water are wet. The water is tepid. We aren't given any napkins or chopsticks until we ask. The wait for our food is extremely long. The bathrooms are the most evil places I have seen on this earth. Other people are getting food but we're not. I know they ordered before us, but surely you can bring us a few skewers during the time you bring them around 8 lots?

I have a very high tolerance for slow and poor service, but this was very nearly my breaking point. So I imagine some people will find it unacceptable.

But when the food finally arrives it's great. Exceptional. The xin jiang spices are back on all of the skewers and it's brilliant. But there are some surprises in store. Chicken skin skewers? OH MY GOD. I would happily eat these until I died. Happily.

The cooking is a little better here than in Sydney. Whenever fat is present it melts in the mouth, and the spices penetrate deeper than in Sydney.

We learn from our mistakes in Sydney and get some carbs in the form of the fried rice, which is surprisingly nice.

The pork skin skewer arrives and it isn't the pork crackling I'd hoped it would be, but can't win em all. Note to self/Crazy Wings: pork crackling skewers.

If you can get over the bad service and dirty restaurant then sink a couple of Tsingtaos and enjoy some good skewer action. The lamb and the chicken skin are essential.

RESTAURANTS: Perk Up / MoVida / Becco / Mrs Parma's [Melbourne]

2011-06-17T21:33:00.005+10:00

We woke from the late night before, brushing the sleep from our eyes to reveal a dilemma. We had a lunch booking at 12, which didn't leave enough time for a big breakfast.

We left the hotel and hit up the first place that appeared to contain coffee and light food: Perkup, a pretty no-nonsense cafe/food thing near Southern Cross station.

The food was okay. The coffees okay. The spot was hit.

The lunch booking in question was the ubiquitous tourist journey to Movida. I've heard that if you're a tourist in Melbourne and you have a blog and you don't go to Movida then YOU PROBABLY WILL DEFINITELY DIE.

I went here last time I was here and a return was a no-brainer. This time I enjoyed the hell out of the Pyrenees wet roast (braised?) lamb breast, the duck liver parfait with pedro xim foam, pork neck in prunes, wagyu tartare and the legendary beef cheek in pedro xim with cauliflower puree.

Disappointed that some of my favourites from last time (namely the air dried wagyu with egg and the morcilla) were missing. But onwards and upwards I guess.

Service was friendly, though they did get one of the dishes wrong. I won't think less of you if you write my order down. Seriously.

For mine, I still think that Sydney's Bodega has the edge over it as the best modern tapas I've had, however slight that edge may be.

Our dinner was going to be an interesting one. One of my travel companions work colleagues recommended Becco as the best meal she'd ever had in Melbourne, despite it being something like five years ago. Despite me mentioning that I'd heard nothing but "okay but not great" from people that have been there recently and trying to compromise by suggesting a quick lunch or a plate before moving on to somewhere else so we don't "burn a meal" there, I got overruled and Becco was the destination.

What can I say? It was okay, but definitely not great. It wasn't current. The selection of antipasto as an entree gave me a selection of 3 bites, all more boring than the last. Someone opted for the stuffed olives and for nearly $20 only got a few stuffed olives in a tired cup. They weren't blown away by the flavour. It was a similar reaction from the one that ordered the 2 small pieces of lambs brain.

Mains weren't much better. I enjoyed the abundance of quail in my casarecche with quail ragu but the superfluity of olives put the ragu off balance. Eggplant tortellini looked fresh on the plate and ate okay but didn't blow anyone away. And for over $40 the spaghetti marinara was fairly par for the course. Desserts didn't look like anything special.

Becco looks like a nice and promising restaurant, but the food--while pleasant--is a total snoozefest. We all agreed that the co-worker dropped the ball on this one.

RATING: Will probably not return to [?]

The night finished with a walk around the corner to Mrs Parma's for some drinks.

While it seemed like a fairly unassuming schnitzelhaus, this place single-handed gives the middle finger to Sydney's appreciation for craft brewing. We've got nowhere like this where a normal sort of restaurant is dedicated to having local craft brews on trap, as well as a very solid local craft list in the fridge. Kudos.

RESTAURANTS: St Ali / Flora / Naked For Satan / Le Petit Gateau / Koko Black / Wonton House / Der Raum / Siglo [Melbourne]

2011-06-15T22:49:00.005+10:00

Don't blink. This was one day. When I go, I go hard.

For such a long day, it's important to get an early start. So at the crack of dawn (around 9/930) we woke up and got ready to head to South Melbourne for one of the best regarded cafes/coffee practitioners around: St Ali.

It's hit. Far too hip. Like every single inch of air has been designed for you to glance it and go "huh, that's cool!"

Thankfully, the coffee is exceptional. In addition to making a great version of your normal coffees they do the oh so fancy cold press and syphon methods. It was my first experience with both and I was blown away, particularly with the syphon coffee which produced an outstanding cup.

The food was a great backup for the coffee, with the dutch oven a bowl full of delicious goodness like beans, feta, poached egg and sourdough.

It was all really great, but I still think it's stupid to line up for a cafe in the morning, when I usually need a coffee and dose of relaxation before I die. And I get the idea that this place PACKS.OUT.

Still, brilliant coffee.

RATING: Will return to [?]

We left breakfast a bit late so had to head to lunch to meet a friend without any break. The idea was the check out the popular North East China Family, but it proved too popular, so Flora Indian Restaurant was the new location.

There was one thing I was here for: paper dosa. Those HUGE pastry/pancake sorta thingys that come with some curry and other goods. And they had it.

It was all solid, but not spectacular. Decent flavours in the curry but a bit bland. Still, a good, cheap option and paper dosas (!!!!!).

RATING: Okay, may go back [?]

Infused vodkas, 80c bar snacks, good booze list. I don't need more than that to get me going.

And going we did. To Fitzroy (clumsy turn of phrase).

Something weird happened. At the start I really liked it because I like all of those things I mentioned. But then I noticed what cheap pintxos does to people. It attracts families (what?), parents with their babies, people killing time. It feels wrong that a place trying so hard to please people is... attracting the wrong clientele?

I don't know. Part of the place says I should be doing serious eating and drinking. But the other half tells me that this is a halfway house for people with nothing better to do (or eat).

But they need to be praised/attended for bringing a great booze list and cheap bar snacks which finally show overpriced tapas places how it should be done.

RATING: Will return to [?]

After a couple of infused vodkas and savoury pintxos I was craving some sweetness. Where else but Le Petit Gateaux, a place with some very solid sweets. And probably a guy buying too many of said sweets.

The coffee and chocolate tart is ridiculously smooth and balanced. The napolitana is a bit dull, but that's only because it's compared with some of the other great options. Well worth checking out.

I was also obliged to go to Koko Black and get some sweet, sweet candy for my family, who are fairly addicted to the excellent chocolates coming out of this store.

Good selection of flavours and superbly smooth chocolate. Winning combination. I ate a box and felt sick.

Dinner time (already?) and we were hoping to check out Crazy Wings, but that was full. So we walked for a bit and stumbled into Wonton House because... well... I guess because wontons are nice.

But this place was average.

Congee was nice but a little plain. Dumplings were okay but overfilled. The mapo tofu appeared to have sweet chilli sauce in it and was the main misstep of the night. Fried wontons were okay. Xiao long bao were good.

It hit the spot, but nothing else.

RATING: Will probably not return to [?]

Off to Richmond where I was pretty excited to finally be heading to what has been lauded as one of the best cocktail bars in the country. Would it live up to the hype?

You have NO FUCKING IDEA HOW MUCH IT LIVED UP TO THE HYPE.

Best cocktails I have had anywhere in the world, without question. Tremendous flavours, amazing bartending skill, electric-blanket-warm service, unrivalled presentation skills.

Der Raum had it all. We stayed for around 3 hours and drank every cocktail on their list (as well as a couple others) and I kept wanting more.

I can't even begin to describe how great the cocktails were. One that looked and smelled like a dark beer but tasted incredible? Yes. One served in a wine bottle and wine glass that had the characteristics of red wine? Definitely.

Every single thing was excellent. I will come here every single time I come to Melbourne.

But the night wasn't over.

We decided to head the Melbourne's late-night institution, Siglo, for some late-night, roof-top cognac and cigars.

I dislike Siglo because it's always busy and it can get expensive, but I love Siglo because you can get some brilliant stuff on their booze list and it has a pretty good vibe.

I just want the whole place to myself.

It was a long day.

RESTAURANTS: Mamasita / MoMo / Cookie [Melbourne]

2011-06-14T22:13:00.002+10:00

Is it wrong (or weird) to plan a trip around meals? Sure as fuck hope not. What started as a long weekend trip turned into a 5-day feast, with arrival and departure times set around meals.

We dropped our bags at the hotel and headed to the eastern end of Collins St, stomachs growling a few steps back. I'd heard Mamasita did alright with it's modern/fresh Mexican food. It would be a refreshing break from the stodgy fecal matter that most Mexican restaurants in Sydney serve.

I'd timed it so we would arrive after the lunch rush and would have the place to ourself. And so it was. We walked up the stairs and faced a rapidly emptying restaurant and put an order in for everything that looked good. Tosatads are things on toasts, essentially. Pulled pork is good, crab is brilliant with it's zingy, punchy flavours that somehow don't overshadow the crab. Tacos (soft shell) are also good with the pulled pork and blacks bean options totally killing it. Ceviche is solid. Quesadilla with corn fungus is also good. Sangria hits the spot but is lacking a little punch (no pun intended).

Service is efficient and friendly, but that could be because of the time we arrived. Prices reasonable.

After a lifetime of terrible Mexican restaurant food, Mamasita is a breath of fresh air. The flavours are fresh and zingy. Execution was ever so slightly off in some places, but on the whole it's a very solid dining experience.

RATING: Will return to [?]

The first dinner was also to be the best. Well, we hoped. Only one deg was booked for the trip and the honours went to MoMo for reasons that had little to do with food AND THEY'RE MY PERSONAL PRIVATE REASONS.

After finding the mythical elevator we head up and find a pretty stunning restaurant. It's like being surrounded by carpet. All around you. Hugging you.

We go for the moorish tasting menu which I think translates as "don't eat lunch 2 hours before coming here or you will die from overeating" (literal) and involves every course in the universe.

Warm salad of roasted Barra with a salad of fennel, tarragon and buffalo feta is a killer dish. Sweet, juicy fish paired with the subtle flavours of everything else I just mentioned. The buffalo feta is amazing: sweet, salty, subtle, creamy all in one.

The beef tartare, with brick pastry and some creamy stuffy exploding out of it is delicious with the garlic Turkish bread.

Turkish fish doctors stew? Forget about it. A brilliant plate of perfectly cooked and flavoured seafood. The pork rib eye with spinach gozleme and freekeh is decent enough but with slightly tough pork and slightly dull flavours is the dish that falls short on the night, despite the delicious potatoes with pine nuts on the side.

Dessert is ridiculous. One of the best fondants, passionfruit tarts and mini-trifles I've ever had. Perfection. It sounded rich and it was. Until the fruit and sorbet with dried grapefruit was tasted and calmed everything. Stunning end to the meal.

Service was good, wine matching was good. Baring the pork course, the 14 plates were brilliant. Not life-changing, but brilliant flavours, served well. And generously.

RATING: Will return to [?]

Drinks were also had at Cookie. Extremely busy bar/restaurant and for good reason. Spectacular beverage list for whatever your poison is. I only wish that I was the only person there so I could enjoy it without the crowds.

RESTAURANT: Crazy Wings (Chinatown)

2011-06-04T16:29:00.004+10:00

Things taste better when they’re skewered and grilled. It’s a fact. And it applies to everything, not just meat. I once had a grilled fur coat and it was way tastier than a fur coat cooked any other way.

So expectations were high for Crazy Wings, where the philosophy is to get something, cover it in the same spice mixture used for xin jiang lamb skewers (chilli, ginger, garlic, cumin, etc) and grill it over coals. That “something” comes from all of the major food groups; lamb, chicken, beef, quail, mushroom, fish.

Gimmicks of everything being prefaced with “crazy” (like everything at McDonalds being “Mc”) aside, it’s top food. The xin jiang lamb skewers are cooked perfectly, with the fat melting in the mouth. And that’s basically the story for everything else we tried. The chicken fillet was succulent, the chicken hearts tender. The only way to describe the grilled vegetable skewers is “addictive” (parents, this is how to get kids to eat vege).

While very enjoyable, the skewers aren’t perfect, with the spice mix feeling slightly out of harmony on some of the choices. Thankfully it doesn’t detract too much from the overall enjoyment.

Service is fine, although it was a bit weird seeing a waitress with huge cuts all up her arm. That said, seeing that much exposed flesh sure puts you in the mood for meat. Prices are decent considering how much meat you’re eating.

The only downside is that it’s pretty much all skewers. We had dozens of skewers piled high and still felt like there was room left. The rice sides on the menu didn’t overly appeal, so we lacked some filling carbs--something that needs to be fixed when we next return. Considering how good the skewers were, that will be fairly soon.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RECIPE: Cured Fish

2011-05-18T20:42:00.006+10:00

Bad pun: This cured fish is so ill! HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHA (repeat x 1,000,000)(ed: no fucking way am I going to do that)

I used flathead. It tasted good. I also tried with another fish (gemfish?) and it wasn't as good. Salmon would go well. I think perch would too.

I covered approx 300g of flathead fillets with the juice of an orange, the zest of an orange, the juice of a lemon, the zest of a lemon, a tablespoon of capers, a few sprigs of thyme, a handful of roughly chopped dill, a bit of black pepper, a shot of gin (o hai Hendrick's) and a handful of salt. I made sure the whole fish was covered, wrapped it up VERY well, put it on a plate and left it fridgeally for 3 days.

After 3 days the outside of the fish was white. It looked "cooked". I sliced it thinly and put it on a plate. I gave that a very good drizzle of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt, a little pepper and a little bit of fresh thyme.

Eaten with slightly warm bread it was amazing.

RECIPE: How To Get Perfect Roast Vegetables

2011-05-15T21:12:00.002+10:00

A lot of the recipes that I put on this site require a bit of prerequisite knowledge and extrapolation. When you start cooking, one of the hardest things to overcome is vagueness, so I want to try and put some of the simpler recipes that I know up here. Firstly for my memory, and secondly so I don't scare of people that are just learning to cook.

Roasting vegetables was one of the first things that I learned to cook well. And while many of the things that I first learned well and then improved on as my skills grew, my technique for roasting vegetables has remained pretty much unchanged.

Before starting to roast vegetables you need to prepare them. The prep will be the same regardless of what method you decide to use.

For sweet potatoes, should peel away all of the skin.
For potatoes, cut out any bad looking bits.
For carrots, it's your call. I usually peel them if the carrots look "rough" but just wash them if not.
For pumpkin, I generally take the skin off, but it isn't necessary.
For parsnip, I recommend peeling.
For garlic, I prefer to take the skin off and just keep the clove/edible bits.
For tomatoes, onions, green beans, just wash and leave untouched.
For beetroot, I prefer to peel.

If the vege is large it will take longer to cook. Consider cutting it in halves or quarters if you want to reduce cooking time. If you are cooking multiple vegetables at once, try and keep everything roughly the same size (no need to be pedantic).

And always wash after cutting.

Okay, there are two ways to get perfectly roasted vegetables. Each way has it's pros and cons.

Firstly:

The Par-Boil Then Roast Method

Note: par-boiling refers to when you boil something to the point of being cooked or almost cooked as the first step in the cooking process.

This method is best used for the heavier root vege like potato, carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip and beetroot. It's unsuitable for soft vegetables like tomato, green beans and onion because they don't need to be softened before roasting. While you may feel that garlic isn't suitable, a quick par-boil beforehand will mellow the flavour so you'll get a more mellow end product.

The big pro of this method is that the vegetables will be incredibly crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. It's also a little more foolproof because you do all of the cooking during the first stage, so undercooked vege easily avoidable, as well as the potential to overcook (and dry out) that is there in the other method. It's also the faster of the two methods.

The cons are that you'll be faced with more washing up from this method (a large pot and a colander) and there are a couple more steps (albeit easy steps). Also, I'm not a nutritionist but I'm pretty sure that when you par-boil vege before roasting that you're boiling away the vitamins and minerals in the vege.

1. Put all of your vege into a pot large enough to hold them. Cover with cold water and add a tablespoon or so of salt.

2. Bring it to the boil and cook until the vegetables are cooked. Best way to test this is to get a butter knife and poke it into the middle of a large or thick piece.

3. Turn your oven to around 220c. Put your roasting pan inside.

4. Once the vegetable feels soft and doesn't resist the knife, drain it in a colander. Give it a good shake to get rid of the water and "rough up" the vegetables a bit. The less perfect the vege, the crunchier they'll get.

5. Take your roasting pan out of the oven, cover with some baking paper and put the vege on. Drizzle everything with a neutral oil (tasteless) like grapeseed oil, salt and pepper. You can also add herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano. Spices like cumin, paprika and sumac also go well. If you're using any vege that wasn't par-boiled (tomato, onion, etc) then add it now.

6. Give everything a mix so all of the vege is coated in the oil/herbs/spices.

7. Put it in the oven and cook until golden brown. It will take around an hour, but check every 25 minutes or so and give the pan a good shake/mix so all sides of the vege is roasted.

The end result will be crunchy and fluffy.

The second method is...

The Straight Roast

I find myself using this method most of the time, simply because it's less effort and there is less to clean up at the end.

It works pretty much for all vegetables, but if you're using a mix of vegetables that need more cooking (ie potato and pumpkin) and vege that just needs some browning (tomato, onion, garlic) then you need to consider adding it in stages.

So the big pro is that there is less effort involved and less cleaning at the end. Also, because you aren't boiling away any nutrients, I think this option is healthier. I find that this method will give you a creamy inside to the vege, whereas the first method gives you a fluffy inside.

The con is that the results aren't quite as good as the first method. If you overcook the vegetables here then they can dry out. Also, if you undercook the vege then it will be hard and inedible.

1. Get your oven tray and cover with baking paper. Put your vege. As I mentioned above, if you are cooking a mix of things that will take a long time and a short time, then add the quick vege later on.

2. Cover with grapeseed oil or a similar tasteless oil (sunflower), salt, pepper and similar spices and herbs as I mentioned in point #5 above. Mix so everything is coated. Put into a 170c oven.

3. The denser vege like potatoes, pumpkin, etc will take around 2 hours to cook, but it depends on your oven. I recommend checking after an hour and then around every 25 mins after that. Each time you check, mix the vege around so every side is perfectly roasted. Vege like tomatoes will only take around 30 mins. But get to know your oven and cook by feel and you'll be fine.

4. The end result will be a dark golden colour. But it's essential that you try a larger piece of the vege to ensure that it is creamy in the middle.

And there you go. Two ways to roast vege with two different outcomes. Hopefully two easy to follow recipes that will let you master roasted vege if you haven't already.

I want this post to be as easy to follow as possible. So if you believe that it isn't, let me know in the comments what parts need more detail.

Also, if you want advise on any other vegetables that I haven't mentioned, let me know.

BEER: Beers of the Week

2011-05-07T16:54:00.000+10:00

3rd Place - Feral Brewing Co "Fanta Pants" Red Ale

The Local Taphouse (of Darlinghurst and St Kilda fame) is normally one of the best places to go for a drink. A comfortable place, friendly staff, good food and, most importantly, a spectacular selection of beers, both on tap and in the fridge. Every now and again, though, they do something a little special. Read: their SpecTAPulars, where they invite 20 different brewers to provide something interesting for the day. And now they've come up with the tap takeover. First up is Feral Brewing from the Swan Valley in WA, who have answered the call and provided 20 different beers to fill up the taps at the Taphouse.

While not many of the beers blew me away, there was one that impressed to no end, "Fanta Pants". Dark mahogany red with a bitter, malty nose. It sips beautifully. It benefits greatly from being tapped on the day because the freshness gives it a real spark. Add to that the huge, bitter, hoppy beginning and the perfect amount of sweetness through the middle and on the end, and you have a great beer.

89%

2nd Place - Russian River "Pliny the Elder" DIPA (Double/Imperial Pale Ale)

So my favourite bottle shop, Platinum Liquor has gotten in a MASSIVE shipment of beer from America's West Coast. And to the victor come the spoils. A beer that sits second on the Beer Advocate list and (when I checked) eighteenth on the Rate Beer list. You know this is going to be serious.

I might not be an IPA fanboy like the rest of the world, but as soon as I give this a sniff I know I'm going to like it. Caramelised orange is how I'd best describe it. With a bit of vanilla thrown in. And that's exactly how it tastes. But with something different added in. I can't put my finger on it, but it's awesome. It's like the beer equivalent of MSG that I'm tasting.

While I get the feeling that this is a bit overrated (it's not the second best beer in the world, sorry), it is still excellent.

94%

1st Place - Green Flash Double Stout

I first tasted this beer in a smallish pub in New York called Pony Bar. For the two weeks I spent in New York, I finished nearly every night in the place. Why? Hands down, no doubt about it, unquestionably, the best selection of beer I'd ever seen, having never really gotten involved in the craft beer "scene". They had around a dozen taps and as soon as a beer ran out they'd add a new one. Of all the beers I tried at this place, this was the second. And it was the best.

I love my stouts, but, fuck me, this is exceptionally drinkable. The bottle advertises "big, bold and complex" and that is the perfect way to describe this beer. Totally malt driven and, at 8.8% abv, it's as strong as it is sessionable. But there's a complexity to it that I find totally addictive.

Apparently the boys at Platinum only got in 4 x 4 packs of this beer. I have bad news for you. I'm going to buy every single one. It's exceptional. It's the best sessionable stout I've ever tasted.

95%

RESTAURANT: Tetsuya's

2011-05-04T22:10:00.004+10:00

I remember Tetsuya's two or three years ago. You would utter the word and everyone knew what you were talking about. You weren't talking about a mere restaurant: you were talking about a Sydney institution. An institution that stood for luxury; for excellence; for refinement; for the ultimate in Sydney--nay Australian--nay Australasian--fine dining. And it had been like that for years.

Put simply, Tetsuya's put Sydney (and Australian) food on the map. Sure, there were heaps of other great chefs and restaurants that helped champion the cause. But everyone knew Tetsuya's. It was the pinnacle.

The moment I started thinking about doing any "fine dining", Tetsuya's entered my thoughts. It was number one on the wishlist. I barely even bothered about wishlists, but Tetsuya's was the top spot. At times the wishlist existed solely because I couldn't get Tetsuya's out of my head. But it wasn't that easy to get it out of my head.

Well, that's a lie. The simple way of exorcising the thought was the dine at Tetsuya's. But it was never that easy. The tremendous waits for tables were known by everyone. I tried once, offering to take the next free booking, but was told the next free booking was in eight months time. For a midweek dinner. That wouldn't do. No one--I don't care who it is--can make me book eight fucking months in advance. For anything.

So I went elsewhere. I suffered almost no waits going to places like Quay, Marque, Bentley, Flying Fish, Galileo at it's peak, Omega before it shut, Becasse, Sepia, .est, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Oscillate Wildly. I went to New York and ate at the best restaurants I could; restaurants regarded as the best in the world. I went to Melbourne and did the same. Then across Europe and went... a tad overkill.

Still. I could never shake Tets.

Along the way, though, Tetsuya's has been going on it's own journey. From the unrivalled top of the Australian dining scene, Tetsuya's is now in question. Peter Gilmore's Quay has emerged as the new Australasian favourite. Competitors that were never in competition before are now being mentioned before Tets. Right or wrong, meaningful or not, it lost a hat in the Good Food Guide, arguably the most influential restaurant guide in the state. The same guide where, three years earlier, it was restaurant of the year. Alongside that, the general public had increased it's awareness of food, had begun growing increasingly more savvy and, with that, demanding. The times. They are. A changing.

The rumours were that waits for midweek tables were down to just a couple of weeks. I rang on a Wednesday and was giving a Tuesday booking. Forget about a six month wait. Six days. Only six days. Sweet dreams are made of some sort of weird brain chemical and also this.

I went through those gates--those gates that I'd walked past dozens of times, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything that would give away what it was like inside--with no expectations. My previously high expectations had been balanced to nothingness by the general ambivalence that people seemed to be feeling for the restaurant these days. In short, I went through expecting nothing. I was a clean slate.

You're assaulted with service. Straight away. It's deafening. That's the only way to describe it. Except, perhaps, shock and awe. Staff are everywhere, doing everything. Opening doors (a two man job, apparently), parking cars, watching people parking cars, taking names, watching the process of taking names. The Experience is what they call it.

They run you through the menu and I suppose it's okay. I feel a bit stifled. Oddly, it feels out of place. Because the restaurant itself feels a little dated. It doesn't feel like a restaurant in 2011. Or maybe because it seems like it actually would hurt them to crack a joke. I think it would hurt me too.

We start with a cucumber soup with yoghurt and (I think) sea cucumber. It's great. Fresh. Lively. A great start. The oysters, dressed in vinegar and ginger, are too, if a little overdressed. Yellowfin tuna sashimi with shishito and garlic chips next and it tastes great, although you need to get your ratios right because the charred shishito tries to overpower every bite.

Scampi with bean curd and junsai is a cracker of a dish. Different textures of "wobble", different subtle flavours. Paired with a fruity, slightly acidic riesling, the whole dish is totally spot on. It's a wow moment. Yeah, one o' dem.

The signature dish is up next. Confit ocean trout, nowadays a fixture on hundreds of menus across Australia. It's paired here with apple, konbu and celery. But mostly with apple. The matchsticks of apple that sit under the fish do compliment the dish in terms of flavour, but said matchsticks don't seem to compliment the texture of the dish. I put a chunk of beautifully cooked and seasoned trout in my mouth and find myself constantly chewing through sticks of apple after the trout has been procssed.

On the side is a green leaf salad that I have to say is a little overdressed. The pool of dressing left in the bowl with attest to that. It's also a side that would be suited to one of the red meat dishes further down the menu. The strong dressing and slightly bitter leaves of the salad totally destroys the subtle flavour of the ocean trout, which was already swimming upstream to escape the wrath of the apple julienne.

Cod with blackbean and bacon passes without too much fanfare--the cod is either an odd texture or slightly over. But then the shredded, braised oxtail with lotus root and sea cucumber arrives and the fanfare returns. The sea cucumber here plays a textural role similar to the fat of the meat. But it's the bit of bite in the lotus root that pushes this dish along. Solid.

Then the roasted breast of quail wrapped in, I think, pancetta with pine mushrooms and what is apparently lardo (according to the take home menu). Paired with a pinot noir made for Tetsuya's by Bass Phillip, one of my favourite pinot noir makers, the dish is spectacular. The quail is juicy, flavoursome and perfect. With the delicious pine mushrooms and lardo (or whatever else it is) it has the perfect balance. I mention to my dining companion that I could eat a lot of this, but I'm being reserved. I would happily eat a bucket of this with my hands if I had a bottle or two of the wine on the side. It's the dish of the night and part of me knows it.

Lamb with eggplant next and it's good enough. The eggplant again feels like it's playing the "fat" of the dish, which is smart.

Dessert time and we kick off with a grape sorbet which is good but adds little and a warm tarte tatin, which feels related to a creme brulee. The matched botrytis reisling feels too strong for a subdued dish. And it still does for the next dish, musk melon in sauternes with black pepper, which just tastes like honeydew with a little black pepper.

Finally, a chocolate pave. It's simple but delicious, matched to a nice tokay from Seppeltsfield. Until the chai mochi as a quasi-petit four (or petit one).

Now. A couple of the dishes I may have missed an element, because the take home menu they gave us at the end was wrong. We didn't ask for it; it was part of the "experience". If we hadn't have been given the menu, the "experience" (TM?) wouldn't have been affected at all, but after giving us a menu with a couple of incorrect dishes? Forget about it. (no, we didn't go off menu at all)

Before leaving I take one last look at the spectacular Japanese garden the table overlooks and try to sum up the meal. The service was good in that every need was taken care of. But it was lacking a bit of fun; a bit of personality. Anyone can repeat the same thing table after table, night after night.

The matching wines could have been better. Some courses could have been better. Some details could have been better.

My meal was good. There is no denying that. No dish was bad and there were some really, really great dishes. But if I compare this to other restaurants I've been to across the world (or even Sydney)... there is a tangible difference between the truly "great" restaurants to Tetsuya's. In every element.

I can't see any other diners around me in the midst of euphoria. I maybe see some diners (and reviewers) that remember when Tesuya's was "the" restaurant and when the "experience" (and food) truly was world class. But the world has moved on. Just because you had a transcendental meal at Tetsuya's a couple of years ago doesn't mean it's the best now. Putting aside any emotional or histrionic attachment just makes you feel like Tetsuya' is... just another "good" fine-dining restaurant in Sydney.

RATING: Okay, may go back [?]

RESTAURANT: Silk Road and Uighur Cuisine

2011-05-03T09:31:00.000+10:00

Uyghur cuisine. The food of choice of Turkics (basically, Chinese muslims) living in China. Since I first tasted it at Uighur Cuisine on Dixon St in Chinatown, I fell in love. These.people.know.how.to.eat.

While Uighur Cuisine still has the best Xinjiang lamb skewers I've tasted, I've found that Silk Road is more rounded, offering some great handmade noodles dishes and some really great rendition of Szechuan dishes. Uighur Cuisine is a bit more hit and miss, with some pretty average dishes on the menu

There are two Silk Roads. The bigger (and newer) one on Thomas Street (opposite the perennial favourite, Chinese Noodle Restaurant) and one on (I think) the corner of Ultimo Road and Quay Street (basically, up the lane from the Thomas Street one).

The Xinjiang lamb skewers are essential. While I maybe have posted a recipe for the skewers and some spring rolls, it's hard to beat the original, fired over some coals, or whatever it is they fire them over (poor performance?). I find the ones on Quay/Ultimo are a bit fatty, but still quite edible.

But it's the side dishes that make the meal. The meat pancake thing is puffy and crunchy and oily and delicious. As is the chicken with Chinese buns. And the spicy tofu salad (a typical Szechuan dish). And... you get the idea. The dumplings seem to be a bit frozen and reheated, so keep your wits about you and order things that don't seem "standard" and you'll totally win at eating.

RATING: Will constantly return to [?]

RECIPE: Ragu

2011-05-01T22:33:00.001+10:00

In a long line of girls that I would describe as simultaneously "interesting" and "attractive", she was the latest one.

As smart as she was handsome, she possessed an inherent ability to analyse situations and be all... "meta" about shit.

Finally we were at the stage where it wasn't weird or presumptuous to ask the person to the other person's place for what can only be described as "a date" (TM).

I decided to make ragu.

Ragu is an amazing dish. But it's the sort of thing that doesn't try to be. A meat sauce for pasta that has as many variations as it does people attempting to make it.

My attempting to make it contains thusly:
- 1 cacchiatori
- 3 pork and fennel sausages, with filling squeezed out so they're like meatballs
- 250g of whatever mince looks good
- 250g of diced whatever meat looks nice and fatty
- 50g of smoked speck
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- Either 8 tomatoes peeled and diced, or 2 tins of tomatoes
- Half a bulb of garlic, roasted in the oven
- Half a bottle of a fruity wine
- 1.5 litres of a weakish vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds, ground
- A solid grating of nutmeg
- A couple of basil leaves, a few sage leaves and a small grab of parsley chopped fairly finely
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Neutral oil to good it in

I cook that according to a normal stew recipe sort of thing, add it to some pasta (papardelle or penne are my favourites) and top it with some freshly chopped parsley and a good grating or shaving of parmigianno reggiano and I'm done.

It's just so perfect.

The ragu on it's own is like an amazing stew that would be great enough on it's own. But then you add good pasta and you add good cheese and it becomes one of the best dishes around. And all you did was stew together some meats that looked good and some seasonal vegetables. It's peasant food. It shouldn't be this great, but it is. And if you add some crusty bread, a simple garden salad on the side and a solid red wine... enough said.

She noticed that I was more interesting with the ragu than I was her, so she left (not until after finishing her bowl, I should add).

I think I'll be forever single. Because never have I ever felt as much for a woman as I have for a good ragu.

BEER: Beers of the Week

2011-04-30T21:06:00.003+10:00

A new segment. Maybe.

3rd place - Murray's Craft Brewing Co "Angry Man" Brown Ale.

From what I understand this beer is relatively new to the market, despite having come out earlier, I think only on tap. If that makes sense (it doesn't; it's probably wrong).

It opens with a big, big hit of bitterness and hops. It makes you're thinking one of those weak, bitter brown ales that don't really play to their colour. But then malt appears on the midpalate and balances things off a little, until a really nice waft of milk chocolate comes through on the finish.

While this isn't a great or complicated beer, you can easily enjoy 3 or 4 bottles until the bitterness becomes a little too much.

85%

2nd place - Mikkeller/Three Floyds "Oatgoop" Barley Wine.

I don't know if I've mentioned it on the blog before, but up until around 18 months ago I was a wine man. I definitely enjoyed a good beer (my favourites were the Belgians I'd had at the Belgian Beer Cafe), but it was so hard to find quality beer in a retail setting that I gave up. That all changed around nine months after I moved to Bellevue Hill in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. Sitting on the main road of the suburb's small collection of neighbourhood shops is the local bottle-o, Platinum Liquor. I'd written it off as a mere neighbourhood bottle-o. But then I went inside... Little did I know that this shop has one of the best selections of beer in Sydney. Since that first visit, when I loaded up on a whole bunch of exceptional beers (picked out with the help of the amazingly knowledgeable staff) I've been hooked on beer, visiting regularly to top up supplies. And if the amazing beer wasn't enough, the staff often throw an interesting bottle of something I haven't tried before my way (in a non-threatening way). Today I got a bottle of this Mikkeller/Three Floyds barley wine collabo that had been sitting on the shelf for a while and has apparently escaped my attention.

The shelf time has helped this beer hugely. It's stunningly mellow for a barley wine. It starts slightly sweet but the sweetness and barleyness (what?) just keeps growing. By the end it's like a sweet porridge.

Carbonation is also mellow, making this beer stupidly easy to drink, which is stupidly dangerous considering it's 10.4% abv.

90%

1st place - Coopers Best Extra Stout.

I'm a stout man. I won't deny it. The malty sweetness in dark beers hits my tastebuds in the best spots, meaning that if I find a decent enough stout I can drink far, far too many, unlike a lighter beer that tends to wear the palate our too quickly by only hitting the savoury senses.

Coopers Best Extra Stout is, in my opinion, easily Australia's best stout, in terms of consistency and ease of availability. There are some smaller producers that I think edge it out, but they don't have the reach or the consistency.

The taste doesn't really evolve much. It starts bitter, with a bit of cocoa. And that's how it ends. But the carbonation is at the perfect spot between lively and sessionable. And you get hints of greatness along the way. A bit of malt here, some nutmeg there.

It all adds up to make a delicious beer that is consistently good, well circulated, great value, on par with some of the best mass-produced stouts around and, for some reason, very Australian. And that's why it's my beer of the week.

88%

RESTAURANT: Gumshara Ramen

2011-04-27T20:09:00.002+10:00

Today I was craving noodles something fierce. This is hardly surprising. On the list of things that I often crave, noodles are up there with things like "booze", "human attention" and "for the tears to stop". Also not surprising was that when I felt the craving humming in my stomach, my attention switched to a familiar tiny ramen stall in Chinatown.

Gumshara is an astonishing place, if only for the fact that I think everyone on the planet agrees that the tonkatsu ramen there is the best in the CBD, if not the country. Yes, it's that.fucking.good.

It has a bit of a soup nazi feel to it. It's hidden in a food court that you'd find hard to stumble upon (despite it being so close to Dixon St). You walk up to the counter, usually after queueing for a couple of minutes (during which time you watch the one or two guys in the kitchen going about their business), you ask the lady for the tonkatsu ramen and you ask her for the soft boiled egg. You wait for a few minutes, they call your number (even though you KNOW that bowl is yours), you lurch forward and collect the tray, and then you find a seat, weaving between other people carrying ramen or stir fries or Hainan chicken rice.

Not since I dabbled in catholicism as a child have I had that feeling of being surrounded by people that follow the same rituals; the same movements. The people there for the first time stick out, until they (quickly) learn the motions.

All of a sudden you aren't aware of anything around you. Your eyes are wide but you see nothing but what's in front of you.

Tunnel vision.

You can taste it all separately. The noodles. The sheet of seaweed. The soft boiled egg. The mushrooms. The spring onions. And... the broth... A pork broth so thick and heady that it leaves your lips sticky, your head light, your stomach heated through and your tastes buds sate like they've never been sate before. You just got flavourfucked.

Sure you could have gone for something else like the garlic tonkatsu or the shoyu ramen. But nothing comes to the tonkatsu. Nothing except for the next time you head to Gumshara. Thankfully, that will happen more often that you think is reasonable. Because it's that craving. It's such a specific craving; a craving that can't be killed off by any other bowl of tonkatsu ramen.

RATING: Will constantly return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Flying Fish

2011-04-23T20:56:00.003+10:00

My last (and first (and only)) visit to Flying Fish in Pyrmont was around two years ago. While this sounds a little odd considering how much I enjoyed that meal, it does show how many fine dining options there are in Sydney. If you enjoy trying different restaurants, but can’t afford to go every week, then it’s going to be quite a while before you return to some of these places if you like them. To dine here I was forgoing the chance to try some of the other fine-diners that I am still yet to enjoy.

Being two years since my last visit, I was a little nervous about how it was going to pan out, as it was roughly the same time gap since I last visited Bilson’s. And we all know how that turned out. With so many great dining experiences since the last visit, had my palate or standards changed? Had I become (gasp) more discerning?

Walking to the restaurant, I realised I certainly hadn’t become any better at navigating. Last time we came here we wandered around the Pyrmont waterside for ages looking for the restaurant. I joked that this time that wouldn’t happen. Minutes later, it did. Take note, children. Look at a map first. (AND WEAR A SWEATER WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!!!)

Two things made me enjoy Flying Fish the last time I was there. Firstly, and not surprisingly for a restaurant with a piscatorial name, the seafood was spectacular. Fresh, well selected and well handled. The other reason was the service. I still have fond memories of the sommelier we had that night. Knowledgeable of what he was serving, but also friendly and, most importantly, fun. While the view is spectacular, I think the memories of that night are the reason why we requested an upstairs table for the return visit, on the off chance that we might get the same table and have the same sommelier serve us.

While I don’t consider it an official “Thing That Made Me Enjoy Flying Fish Last Time I Was There” (TM), the fact that it serves up refined Sri Lankan food is also a bit of an appeal to me, a huge fan of the flavours that country’s cuisine puts out.

Finally we see the pier we have to walk up, making sure we avoid the delivery/parking lane that we walked up last time.

While we don’t get an upstairs table, we do get a table right by the window, overlooking the harbour. A pretty fair compromise.

After a tasty amuse bouche of a crab, caviar and cream tart, the first dish arrives. And it is a total stunner. Seared yellow fin tuna with grapefruit, pork belly, pork crackling and black pepper caramel. A great piece of fish, perfectly cooked. The caramel is too sweet on its own, but plays an important part when everything on the dish is combined. It has that sweet/savoury thing happening and it definitely wakes the taste buds up. There’s also a few layers of texture which work well together. Although there is maybe a little too much caramel on the plate. The sourness of the grapefruit adding another dimension to the flavour and transporting it to a sweet/sour Sri Lankan dish, as if a fair whack of tamarind was added. The grapefruit also cuts the sweetness of the caramel and leaves a neutral taste in the mouth. The dish is paired with a borderline tasteless rose (I hate roses normally so don’t take my word for anything here) which feels oddly appropriate.

I feel guilty for leaving some caramel on the plate, but the dish would be too sweet if I ate it all. Then again, it’s caramel. Does it really matter if I leave some on the plate? Hmm, a deep metaphysical debate to be considered when my dining companion leaves the table for a toilet break.

Looks like Bilson’s last week just wasn’t.that.good. Two years ago Flying Fish was great. Two years later it is great.

Ocean trout cooked sous vide is next and it’s delicious. Regardless of how many restaurants have a confit/sous vide/slow-cooked ocean trout dish, it never gets dull. Here it sits with quinoa and a pea mousse and is topped with (if I remember correctly) caviar. The fish is incredibly soft and pairs well with the flavours and textures of the other ingredients. The puffed quinoa adds that textural element that was attempted in multiple dishes at Bilson’s last week but wasn’t achieved.

Soft shell crab with black pepper curry leaf sauce and coconut salad is amazing. Each element is separate. And excellent. I seem to remember there also being some grapefruit there, again playing with the sweet/sour of Sri Lankan food (if the black pepper curry sauce wasn’t enough of a nod to the sub-continent).

The dinner takes a severe turn. Roasted hapuka (similar to groper) with hazelnut, balsamic potato, grape, capers and buerre noisette. From dishes that played straight to Sri Lankan taste, we’re now playing to French/Italian. The punchy, curry flavours are turned down and the flavour of the ingredients are turned up. Well-paired ingredients and an excellent bit of fish add up to an excellent dish.

After a palate cleanser of berry jelly with cucumber, pomegranate and fruit (a spoon would have been nice to eat this with), we stay subdued and hit up a piece of wagyu with shredded, braised short rib, mushroom, beetroot puree, smoked leek and horseradish sauce. On the side is a leaf salad, perfectly crisp and perfectly dressed. The beef—in both forms—is delicious. As is the mushroom. As is... you get the idea. A great dish. Part of me thinks that Flying Fish should concentrate on fish for every course and set itself apart as a “fish restaurant”, but it was a great dish so I won’t complain.

Cheese course next with some gorgonzola, figs and other things I don’t recall. A good cheese course. I don’t normally like blue cheese, finding the aftertaste too confronting, but the fig pairs well.

“Tastes and textures of apple” is next and it’s probably the first dish that feels like it’s trying to appeal to diner’s more accustomed to other (read: French) fine diners around Sydney. Apple is presented various ways. It’s delicious. I love apple. I would have liked a wine pairing with this too, though, as it isn’t an insubstantial dish. A good wine pairing would have made this a very solid dish.

Finally, a banana plate. Banana tart, a piece of banana and a banana and popcorn semi-freddo. Banana and I have had out differences over the years, but this is delicious. It’s banana.

Service was a little mixed on the night, with some staff being excellent--friendly and informed—but others seemingly going through the motions.

Wine matches to the food were generally good, but the wines weren’t that great for some of the courses. I’d like to see some more excellent local wines used and less of a reliance on the international wines that often have less bang for the buck.

The chair I was in was terrible. While comfortable to sit on, the backs sloped back slightly at the top, meaning that whenever I sat back against the chair, I was leaning back slightly and felt off balance. An unnerving feeling. But that could have been because of me, no one else seemed to be having that problem.

After my first visit of Flying Fish I knew it was good, but I didn’t think it was in the top echelon of restaurants in Sydney. I still believe that. While there are some tremendous flavours on the plate and a great selection of seafood to be had, the food just doesn’t have that perfect balance that the top restaurants do. Still, for the uniqueness of a Sri Lankan fine-diner and for excellent seafood (and everything else) it’s WELL worth a visit.

While I hope that I get to return before two more years, I doubt that it’s going to happen. With the new set of (amazing) restaurants due to open later in the year at nearby Star City, I imagine that I’ll be spending a lot of time there. Being out of the way, I hope that Flying Fish can stay open and competitive and continue to serve up great food for many more years to come.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Bilson's

2011-04-14T22:52:00.004+10:00

When the 2011 Good Food Guide was announced, the local culinary scene went pretty apeshit over Tetsuya’s dropping down from three to two hats. But in the background, an equally apeshit demotion was taking place: Bilson’s also dropped from three to two. This I felt was unjust. My visit to Bilson’s had been spectacular. I’d rated the restaurant up with Quay and Marque as the best in Sydney.

But in the food business, a lot can change in two years.

Enter a new chef at Bilson’s with an ambitious plan, and enter a new appreciation for fine dining at This Blog. It almost went hand in hand: Bilson’s brought out a 15 course degustation that they claimed was amongst the best in the world, just after a year in which I’d had some of the best degustations of the world.

But 15 courses? Fuck me, that’s a lot of goddamn courses.

A lot of press has been made of the $280 price tag that accompanies said 15 courses, and excludes and drinks that accompany said 15 courses. But, really, if it turned out to be great food then it’s hardly a rip off: It takes a lot of staff to make fifteen courses of well-presented food that includes excellent ingredients.

And so I headed in, having been warned that it will take around four hours to see the entirety of the “epiphanie” menu.

What ensued was five hours and fifteen courses of... food.

Part of me doesn’t want to take anything away from a restaurant ambitious enough to challenge themselves with an audacious goal of a fifteen course meal and a desire to be held among the world’s best.

Another part of me looks for excuses as to why I wasn’t in raptures about the food. Had too much dining spoilt me? No, it would have given me even more appreciation. Was there something about the mood that impacted the dining experience? No, we were in good spirits. Was there something wrong with my palate? I doubt it.

But it’s the largest part that is saying that it was just a lacklustre meal. It certainly wasn’t poor; and there certainly wasn’t any “bad” dishes. The whole thing was just completely uninspiring.

Because of balance.

Balance was lacking.

I don’t see why some people oppose the use of modern techniques in cooking. I partly understand why they object, but still don’t fully understand why they can’t just change their mind once they realise how nice it can often be.

But here... Here modern techniques are to blame.

Modern techniques work purely because they delivery tastes in a different and sometimes entirely unexpected way. There is no point in using modern techniques for the sake of using modern techniques, which it felt like in my dinner at Bilson’s. You can compress the shit out of apple, but it’s pointless if the texture and flavour don’t gel with the rest of dish.

A great dish—in a fine dining setting—works in the mouth. You feel like every ingredient and texture was placed there for a reason. And it was, because that’s fine dining. But I got that feeling maybe twice during the fifteen opportunities that they had to deliver it. A world standard restaurant will deliver nearly fifteen.

The frustrating thing is that nearly every dish had an element to it that was thoroughly enjoyable. There was the green apple cous cous. The dried chicken skin. The meaty cod. The calamari. But something would spoil it every. Single. Time. The cod and the chicken skin were great on that plate, but then a furious punch of citrus was introduced and would destroy any lingering flavours. Where was the balance? Citrus may have worked, but in the right proportion; delivered in the right way.

The best dishes were when it was kept simple. Seasonal vegetables with some cheese and a little coffee to provide a bitter balance, expertly placed to provide a clear distinction from the earlier, more cloying dishes. Some seasonal mushrooms with an acidic hum of vinegar.

But just as there were hints that things were looking good—very good—something came along and ruined it. Beef short ribs were as tender as you can get, but they came with too much potato and watercress, which ruined the balance and made the dish far too light to carry the red wine it was matched too. And then lamb with an eggplant and miso puree, which is a puree that has been used dozens of times and felt dull in the face of a seemingly ambitious menu. Or a raspberry encased in a gold leaf covered square of jelly, for no reason whatsoever.

And I have to feel sorry for the people that opt for one of the other degustations and pay the supplement for the chocolate box, which is nothing more than chocolates in the place of petit fours.

Sadly, it wasn’t just the food that has changed since my last meal at Bilson’s. The borderline empty dining room was devoid of any enjoyment, which was served in abundance last time. And while the sommelier was knowledgeable, he lacked the presence of the last head sommelier.

While Bilson’s is still serving up good food, I felt it was a long way off serving food at the top of world standard. And there was a severe lack of epiphanies. For the money, every serious Sydney restaurant is doing markedly better food. I wish Bilson’s was doing better food and I could recommend it to people, because my first time there was amazing. But now... I’m going to be pointing people—and myself—elsewhere.

RATING: Okay, may go back [?]

Tacos

2011-03-31T22:01:00.006+11:00

The great Mexi-Con. Why must all Mexican food in Sydney be so god-awful? In the midst of unbridled culinary discovery, why is the height of Mexican exploration the cooking of a meat with an Old El Paso simmer sauce instead of the normal taco sauce?

You can do better, Sydney, you fuck.

Tacos.

1.
Slow roasted pork belly
Julienne of green apple
Red onion, sliced
Cheese
Sour cream
Pork crackling, cut up
Salt and pepper
Chipotle chilli sauce.

2.
Chicken thighs, cumin, paprika, garlic, coriander seeds, coriander stalk, grilled tomatoes, red onion, a cup of water. Slow cooked until the liquid evaporates.
Oil, black beans, cumin, paprika, garlic, weak vegetable stock. Blend. It's a bean dip.
Avocado, red onion, garlic, lime, coriander, olive oil, salt, pepper. Blend. Guac.
Cheese.
Sour cream.
Chipotle chilli sauce.

3.
Chorizo
Bean dip
Guac
Cheese
Sour cream
Chipotle.

I don't have any photos because I ate them too fast because they were too good. A good taco is immediate gratification.

Come on. Fucking think.

Good quality food, cooked with care. Fuck off stale corn chips and processed cheese. Embrace spice. Above everything, embrace freshness.

Cross the border of decency (hint: to decency).

This is just the beginning.

RESTAURANT: Flavour of Ceylon

2011-03-16T20:55:00.002+11:00

Sri Lankan cuisine is severely underrated in Sydney. While cuisine from their like-minded brethren India and Malaysia is well regarded, the poor Sri Lankans don't get the same love. Granted, a lot of it is because of the severe lack of Sri Lankan restaurants in Sydney, BUT STILL!!!!!

How can you not love it? Take the almost undefeatable Indian foods that every human on the Earth loves and inject some flair from the likes of Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries and you have amazing, spicy food with spectacular depth and freshness. It's food that is both lively and deep at the same time.

And so I find myself at a place called Flavour of Ceylon in Parramatta on my lunch break.

Let's be honest, the decor is so far outdated I'd feel like a dirty old man for giving Betty White a kiss on the cheek (is she even alive?) if I took her there on a date when the paint was last dried.

But the food. Fuck me, the food.

The lamb vindaloo is a great vindaloo. The black pepper curry was as close to a revelation as I was going to get on that day. Until I came to the EPIC spring hopper biryiani--a mix of spring hoppers (Google them), meat, vegetables, sauce, spice, nuts, fried dried anchovies, and more. The egg kohtuu was dry on that day, but still quite good.

Service was friendly, but all that matters here is the food. How do you beat massive portions of excellent food? And my massive portions, I mean MASSIVE. For three starving guys we got 4 dishes with rice, and we had at least a dishes worth left over. If you only got a main you'd feel full. And they also have a cheaper lunch menu which looks like good value. Though, if I'm being honest, not as pretty as the menu offerings.

So don't come here for decor or service or any of that rubbish. Come here, order off the menu, resist the temptation to order something Indian-sounding and order something you haven't had before, eat it, wash it down with a bottle of their Sri Lankan ginger beer or BYO some light red wine (pinot noir says hi) and, by all means, enjoy the hell out of it.

I just wish it wasn't in Parramatta. Food this good shouldn't be hidden so far away.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RECIPE: Mangalore Rasam

2011-03-09T21:22:00.004+11:00

(Clockwise, from right: mangalore rasam, mint rasam, the rasam)

Rasam is a hot and sour soup that (as far as Wikipedia tells me) is big in Southern India and the Tamil areas of India and Sri Lanka. There are dozens of regional variations, which all seam to feature ingredients that are found in that area.

Typically, from the recipes I've seen, the hot part comes from mustard seeds and dried chillis, and the sour part comes from tamarind. In areas where tamarind isn't widely available, they seem to favourite the sourness of lime juice or fermented milk (mmmm).

The other day someone gave me Pushpesh Pant's epic "India: The Cookbook" to take a look at. I browsed through the 1000 recipes inside, but it was rasam that jumped out at me. I've never had it before, but the combination of flavours spoke to me. On an... ingredient... level...

I made three versions from Pant's book: the rasam (the more traditional Tamil Nadu version, as far as I could see), a mint rasam (which substituted tamarind for lime) and a version of rasam from Mangalore, a South-Western coastal city in India. The latter version, with it's use of fried coconut and tomato would prove to be my favourite.

Thusly, I have made a few tweaks to Pant's recipe and I present it for your approval:

Stage One:
- Put 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil into a pan.
- Add 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds, a pinch of fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon of mash/urad dal (if you can't find that (you won't if you don't go to an Indian grocer) just use any dal), a dozen dried curry leaves and 1 tablespoon of coconut.
- Cook, stirring often, until everything is toasted and golden.
- Take off the heat and set the mix aside to cool.
- Your alternative there is to put everything in the oven (minus the ghee/oil) and roast it for a couple of minutes.
- Wrap a few cloves of garlic in foil and put into a moderate over. No need to peel yet.

Stage Two:
- Dice 2 medium sized tomatoes. If you want, you could also dice a capsicum.
- Remove garlic from the oven and remove skin.
- In a pot, add 4 cups (about a litre) of water, a tablespoon of tamarind paste, a generous pinch of salt and stir well.
- While that cooks (stir it every now and then) blend up your toasted spices and dals in a hand blender or spice mix. Blend it to a powder.
- Add the garlic and spice mix to the pot. Stir it, obviously. It should be a soupy consistency. Add more water if needed.

Stage Three;
- In a pan, put a little ghee or oil and get it warm. Add a few dried chillis with their seeds removed, torn up a little, a generous pinch of mustard seeds, a generous pinch of cumin seeds, another dozen or so dried curry leaves and, if you have it, a pinch of asafoetida/hing (which stops the bloated feeling you get after eating lentils).
- As soon as the mustard seeds start popping, add the contents of the pan into your pot of rasam.

Serve over basmati rice with a bit of naan. You'll be a hero. If you aren't already.

RECIPE: Ginger and Shallot Beef

2011-03-06T13:47:00.002+11:00

Shallots cut into batons, a finger of ginger sliced, 2 cloves of garlic, diced.

Beef, sliced thinly, dusted with cornflour and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Fry the beef in hot oil. Once brown add the shallots, ginger and garlic.

Once cooked, add a few tablespoons of light soy sauce and mix.

A variation: Ginger and Shallot Prawns

Same as above, but replace beef with prawns and use half the amount of soy sauce.

RESTAURANT: Jazz City Diner

2011-03-05T19:42:00.003+11:00

Opened a few months ago, this small American diner style thing is as unassuming as it is good. It's just... there... on the street (not literally, of course). And you go in, and everyone's laid back, and you sit down and you eat good, reasonably priced food.

I fail to see a problem with this scenario.

The burgers are good. Juicy, flavoursome, good balance in ingredients. The onion rings they come with are addictive and probably took 2 years off my life. If you wash it down with something like a chocolate milkshake or a root beer float then you're doing well for yourself.

The main course style dishes also punch above their weight. I'm in what looks and feels like a diner, but I'm eating excellent pork belly with a smart combination of flavours, and stupidly rich coca cola braise short ribs. For dishes priced in the mid $20s mark, they do damn well. The portions seem on the smaller side, but the food is extremely rich and quite filling.

We finish with pie (pecan or banana on this particular night) and it was a stupid decision after the other food eaten. It's a nice pie, but I don't know what is hurting me more: the sugar rush or the body struggling to process the rich food.

While I wouldn't repeat that amount of eating again, I would come back to this place. For a lighter lunch or dinner I couldn't think of many things better that a nice burger, those onion rings and a nice milkshake. Except for maybe one of the main dishes and a milkshake.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Il Vicoletto

2011-03-03T22:43:00.002+11:00

It seems a bit strange to call a restaurant "The Alley" when your address says Crown St, Darlinghurst. Last time I checked, that was a fairly decent "road" (or "street". Is there a difference?).

Normally I would have been a bit "okay, whatever" but I think it's an accurate name for this place, since it seems to exist in a parallel universe where main roads are alleys and restaurants from the 70s are still relevant in 2011.

It almost feels like a mistake walking into this place with it's ancient decor. Like you meant to go to a prototypical Darlinghurst restaurant but accidentally went back in time (which happens SO OFTEN to me).

It reminds me of my childhood in the suburbs. Or something. And they weren't particularly glamorous occasions (all of childhood was an unglamorous occasion, really).

The menu is standard old school Italian food, with a tinge of "people that live in Darlinghurst want to create their own dish so it's versatile". We start with pasta and it's solid. It's not great, but it's certainly not bad. For around $10/11 for the entree size (around $15 for the main) it punches well for it's weight.

The wine list isn't the best. For reds we have the choice of Lindeman's or Wolf Blass. Opting for BYO seems to be a better option next time.

Pizzas next and (again) it's solid. Not great, but not bad. The pasta is probably better.

The are meat dishes on the menu, but we prefer to keep it simple with pizza and pasta.

To finish, tiramisu. One of the yardsticks of an Italian restaurant. And it's good. A cube on the plate of decent tiramisu. What more could you want.

The key to this place is value for money. Nothing is great about this place, but nothing is bad. Hell, even the 70s decor is somewhat charming in the way it reminds me of my youth. But for 3 full courses and a bottle of wine we paid under $50 a head.

And that's pretty good value. Especially in a CBD starved of acceptable, cheap Italian food.

RATING: Will return to [?]

RECIPE: Xin Jiang Lamb Spring Rolls

2011-03-02T21:39:00.002+11:00

This will probably come across as arrogant or foolish, but these spring rolls are probably one of the best things I've ever made. I don't even want to know how many of these things I'd be able to eat.

And best of all, they're pretty easy.

First, you need to make a big pot of filling for the spring rolls. Grab everything in my Xin Jiang lamb skewer recipe and put it into a pot. But this time, use only 500g of meat and double the amount of soy. This will give you enough filling for around 12 large spring rolls.

Brown off the lamb, then add 4 cups of water. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a low/medium heat.

Cook the lamb like this until the meat falls apart. It should take 1-2 hours, but check it every now and then to see how it's going and if any more water is needed. The end result will be a wet mixture of soft, shredded lamb.

Set that aside to cool in the fridge.

Once cool, you're ready to assemble. On a large spring roll sheet (of adjust if you're using smaller), add a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and some pieces of finely sliced shallot (sliced on the diagonal). Roll like a spring roll/burrito, making sure the ends have been completely sealed.

Then fry them off in some hot oil until golden brown.

Dust with some ground cumin and szechuan pepper to finish.

RECIPE: Haleem

2011-02-20T18:18:00.002+11:00

Haleem, sometimes dubbed the king of curries, is a thick, porridge like curry with variations all over the middle east and south/central Asia. In India, the dish is most closely associated with the Hyderabad state, where it is consumed en masse during Ramadan (because of high-protein, slow-burning nature) and on special occasions, particularly weddings.

Oh, and it's probably one of the best slow-cooked dishes in India. That "king of curry" tag isn't a slick marketing term.

But it didn't have the most glorious of origins. Haleem is said to have originated as a beggar's dish. The beggar would go door to door, accepting whatever grains or meats the house could spare. They would then cook it up with enough spices until it was edible.

I first fell in love with haleem in the same was that many Sydneysiders do-at Faheem's Fast Food in Enmore. Since that first bite, haleem has become one of the few dishes that I actually feel withdrawal symptoms for.

Faheem's remained one of the only places that I could get a hit of it. At least until last week, when I went to an Indian work colleague's place after work on the promise of homemade haleem. And I'm not sure if it was because of the beer consumed beforehand, but his version of haleem gave Faheem's a very serious run for it's money. It was more robustly spiced, cooked for longer. It was, in a word, amazing.

And when I got the recipe off him, I shook with delight, like a twitchy ice fiend that had been given the recipe for the magical powder.

Bondi Junction is not the best place to get authentic Indian ingredients, so I made a few substitutions. The version I ended up with was also utterly fantastic.

Equipment Needed:
- 1 very large pot with lid
- 1 medium sized pot with lid
- 1 saucepan
- 1 stickblender or a food processor with a large capacity.

Ingredients: (for around 12 serves)
- 1 cup channa dal (split chick peas) (I used yellow split peas)
- 1/2 cup masoor dal (red lentils)
- 1/2 cup moong dal (split mung beans) (I used green lentils)
- 1/2 cup mash/urad dal (I used pearl barley)
- 1/4 cup basmati rice
- 1/2 cup rolled barley (or rolled oats)
- 1/2 cup cracked wheat/burghul
- 1/2 kilo of diced beef
- 2 bulbs of garlic
- 2 finger sized pieces of garlic
- 1 tub of ghee
- 6 curry leaves (or around 12 if dried)
- 20 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 12 cardamom pods
- 2 tablespoons of black peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons of cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- 2 tablespoons of chilli powder
- 4 onions
- Mint leaves to garnish
- Coriander leaves to garnish
- Fried shallots to garnish (you can get these in the Asian section of the supermarket)
- Lemon juice to garnish

Yes, there are a lot of ingredients, but it's not that hard to make. Out of 37 I would rate this as 8 difficult.

Method: (not including the overnight soaking, will take around 8 hours to cook)
- The night before you're making your haleem, soak all of your dals in plenty of water. This will speed up the cooking process on the day.
- Start the day by rinsing all of the lentils (except the red lentils and mash dal/pearl barley), putting them in the larger pot and covering them with around 8 litres of water.
- Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and topping up with water if needed.
- Add the red lentils, mash dal and rice. Top up with water if needed. Add a good pinch of salt. Cook for another hour.
- Skim off any froth that forms on the top.

- As soon as your add the last of the lentils, put the oven at around 200o.
- Wrap the 2 garlic heads individually in foil and put them in the oven.
- On a baking tray covered with foil or baking paper, put the curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, black peppercorns and cumin seeds. Roast for around 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Using the blender or a spice grinder, grind up the contents of the tray. This is your garam masala mix.
- Slice 2 onions in half moon, and finely grate 1 of the ginger fingers, making sure to get any juice that comes out.
- In the other pot, add 3 big tablespoons of ghee and sweat down 2 sliced onions.
- Once the onions have cooked down a bit (but not picked up any colour) add the beef and stir.
- Add the grated ginger and stir.
- Remove the garlic head from the oven, take a thin slice off the base of the bulb and hopefully you should be able to squeeze out the roasted garlic inside. Add that to the beef and onion pot.
- Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of chilli powder.
- Add around 4 cups of water, cover and set the heat to low. Check occasionally to sir and top up with water if needed, it should resemble a wet curry when finished.

- Back to the lentil pot and add the rolled oats/barley and cracked wheat/burghul. Add more water if needed.
- Stir until it takes on a porridge consistency. Turn off the heat.
- Using the hand mixer or food processor, puree the contents of the pot and leave aside.

- When the beef is cooked and is falling apart, either remove the beef from the pot and shred or use a masher and mash the contents of the pot, breaking up the beef.
- Add the contents of this pot to the large pot filled with lentils.
- Stir well to combine.
- Slice the remaining 2 onions in half moon shape.
- In a saucepan, add 2 big spoons of ghee then fry the onions until crispy. Set the onions aside on some paper towel for serving later, but keep as much of the ghee as possible.
- Add this ghee to the large pot and stir to combine.
- While the haleem is now effectively done, it will benefit by a few more hours cooking.

- When you're ready to eat the haleem, spoon into a bowl and garnish with the onions fried earlier, some fried shallots, a few mint leaves, a few coriander leaves, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some finely sliced ginger (from the other piece of ginger we have). You can also add some sliced green chilli if you like, but it should have a nice amount of heat as it is.

And there you have it. Haleem.

It's not a hard recipe, but it is time consuming and requires some forward planning. But if you do make the effort then you will be richly rewarded, for this is a truly breathtaking dish.

RESTAURANT: Phamish

2011-02-14T21:55:00.002+11:00

It's in Darlinghurst. It's "westernised" Vietnamese. It's good.

That about covers it.

Further detail:
- The duck and prawn pancakes are amazing. When I go I always wonder how many I could eat in one sitting.
- The beef ragu is a delicious beef stew. Slow-cooked until the meat falls apart. It's a lot more subtle in flavour than the other dishes on the menu, but it's great.
- Soft shell crab is another excellent dish.
- There are some average dishes, like the sesame lamb with just doesn't get the flavour right.
- Crab dumplings are solid. As are the chargrilled pork ball skewers.
- It's not the most authentic Vietnamese around, nor is it the best, but for a cheap bite in Darlinghurst you could do MUCH worse than head to Phamish (around 6-630 or it could be full), put in a large order for duck and prawn pancakes (and a few other things) and have a good meal.

RATING: Will return to [?]

The Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular @ The Local Taphouse, Darlinghurst

2011-02-13T13:46:00.004+11:00

While I've gotten into beer in a pretty big way in the past 1-2 years, my knowledge of Australian craft beer is pretty limited. I've also never been to The Local Taphouse before, despite it having a good reputation for things.

So when I heard that The Local Taphouse was holding an event where 22 of Australia's craft brewers would be showing off neverbeforeseen beers, it had to be the perfect storm.

So the way this thing works is that The Local invites a selection of craft brewers to brew either a totally unique beer for the event, or to launch a new beer on the night. The result is some pretty crazy stuff (read the super-refreshing 'Cucumber Sandwich' by Mountain Goat Brewery and the extremely spicy chilli chocolate porter from Hunter Beer Co).

My main worry was that I'd have to choose what beers I wanted to try. How wrong I was. They offer small 60ml tastings, so it actually is possible to try every beer on offer without going broke and dying from overconsumption.

It was a fantastic night and a great way to try out a whole heap of new craft breweries. Can't wait for the next one.

My ratings of all of the beers are as follows (and are heavily subjective):
1. Last Drop - Original Fass Bier. 83
2. Mountain Goat - Cucumber Sandwich. 76
3. Otway - Organic Blueberry Hefeweizen. Sold out when we got there.
4. Kooinda - Raspberry Wit. 54 (I can't stand witbiers)
5. Burleigh Brewing - Fanny Gertrude's Anzac Bickie Beer. 75
6. Wig & Pen - kb (Berliner Weisse). 71
7. Stone & Wood - Red Relief. 75
8. True South - Cherry Bomb (cherry and coconut porter). 85
9. Lobethal/Brew Boys - Quince Pale Ale. 88
10. Doctor's Orders - Zephyr (double white ale). 0 (I HATE white ales and can't rate this)
11. Hunter - Chocolate Chilli Porter. 81
12. Hargreaves/Red Hill - 2 Hills Maibock. 85
13. 4 Pines - Wee Heavy (Scotch Ale). 91
14. Feral - Karma Citra (Black IPA). 87
15. Jamieson - Lemon Myrtle IPA. 86
16. Holgate - The Empress (imperial mocha porter). 91
17. Bridge Road - Big Red Rocket (imperial red ale). 92
18. Murray's Imperious (imperial belgian blond). 88

RECIPE: Boko-Boko

2011-02-10T22:06:00.003+11:00

Boko-Boko (sometimes called 'harees' and similar to the Indian dish 'haleem') is, as far as the internet tells me, a dish popular in Eastern Africa. It's made from split wheat and meat and is a sort of porridge.

This probably isn't authentic, but it's brilliant.

- Tablespoon of ghee in a pot on a medium-high heat
- 2 tablespoons of cumin
- 2 grated cloves of garlic
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- A good amount of salt and pepper
- Add a lamb shoulder (trimmed of excessive fat/skin/weird bits/etc)

- Brown the lamb shoulder all over.

- Add 2 cups of bulghur
- Add 6 cups of vegetable stock

- Stir

- Cover it and put it into an oven set at 130c
- Cook until the lamb is falling off the bone
- If it's drying out then add more vegetable stock
- Take it out of the oven, remove the lamb and shred the meat, removing any bone or excess fat
- Remove the cinnamon sticks
- Put the pot on the stove and return the lamb to the pot
- Stir aggressively--preferably with a potato masher--and attempt to smash that pot of stuff into a porridge-like consistency. Or just use a hand blender.

- Garnish with fried shallots, fresh coriander, lemon juice and fried green chilli

RECIPE: Nyama Choma

2011-02-09T22:27:00.004+11:00

I guess this is kind of like nyama choma--marinated and grilled meat, Kenyan style. Not really but whatever. I don't care.

3 cloves of garlic, grated
Small piece of ginger (half a thumb) of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 a teaspoon of ground pepper
Good pinch of salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Good splash of olive oil
Some chopped coriander (one of them. Leaves, roots, stem and all)
1kg of the meat of your choice (I used diced lamb)

Combine, cover and marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours.

If meat is diced, skewer it.

Cook the meat under the grill/on the bbq/over coals/etc/etc. Just get it as hot as it goes.

It's good. Have it with a really cold beer. Pale ale maybe.

RESTAURANT: Red Chilli Szechuan (Harbour St, Chinatown)

2011-02-01T10:00:00.002+11:00

Yesterday I wrote about the Dixon Street outlet of Red Chilli Szechuan. Today, I write about the one a couple of minutes walk away on Harbour Street (at the bottom of Goulburn St).

It's newer, the fit-out is nicer, the food is a little more refined (not by much) and it's more expensive.

Oh, and it's fucking amazing.

Really. I was expecting it to be pretty much the same food as the Dixon St restaurant, but in a nicer setting. How wrong was.

Somehow the food is better. It tastes cleaner. The flavours are clearer: It's like every flavour has been set to target an exact area of the mouth.

The beef hotpot was stunning. Fiercely hot, but with a sauce so complex I nearly felt like I could drink it by itself. The sliced pork with leek was also brilliant. Though it was a simple dish, every bite was clear and perfect. Big flavour and big taste.

I can't wait to go back and have more, maybe even some of the seafood they have on the menu.

My only complaint is that the Tsingtaos weren't as cold/glacial as they are on Dixon Street.

RATING: Will constantly return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Red Chilli Szechuan (Dixon St, Chinatown)

2011-01-31T10:00:00.001+11:00

The Red Chilli Szechuan restaurant chain has expanded all over Sydney. But before Chatswood, before Burwood, before Glebe, before Chinatown v2 there was Dixon Street.

And it's where I fell in love with Szechuan food. The numbing heat, the sweetness, the sourness

Since that first date I've probably been back to Red Chilli Szechuan a dozen or so times. Other Szechuan places are nice enough, but they just haven't got the same balance that Red Chilli does.

Their mapo tofu is outstanding and is a constant order. As is the century egg with tofu or green chilli. Anything they do involving pork belly is outstanding, but I'm a fan of the pork belly with bamboo shoots. And the stir-fried dishes also deserve a look in, most packing a ridiculous amount of flavour and texture.

And always, always the food is washed down with some of the coldest Tsingtaos around, that always arrive within six seconds of being ordered.

I wouldn't say that this branch of Red Chilli is a fancy looking restaurant, but it's definitely a cool and comfortable space, both very important qualities to have when you're eating food that spicy. Service is quick, efficient and easy to get the attention of, which adds to the comfort of the place. And prices are also extremely reasonable.

The inevitable rectal burn the next day from such consuming copious amounts of fierce chilli may be intense/ungodly, but with the food this great it's totally worth it.

RATING: Will constantly return to [?]

RECIPE: Beans and Rice (But Nice)

2011-01-29T21:02:00.005+11:00

I didn't mean for that headline to rhyme and to sound so trite. So please ignore that bad parts of it.

But there's no dollars for nothin' else
I got beans, rice and bread on my shelf
KRS One - Loves Gonna Getcha (Material Love)

(This was after reheating. Fresh, it looks even better IF YOU CAN BELIEVE THAT!)

After a few weekends of excess, I wanted to make something that wasn't over the top and that was relatively simple. And what better way to keep it simple than pretend to be poor like a poor person and eat a poor person's food (not literally; gross) like beans and rice?

The following things

Part 1
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
- 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and diced
- 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 brown onion, diced
- Around 2 tablespoons of neutral oil
- 3 dried chillis, deseeded somewhat and chopped finely

Part 2
- 1 teaspoon of paprika (preferably smoked)
- A pinch of cinnamon (optional)
- A pinch of coriander seeds (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste

Part 3
- 1/2 a red capsicum, roughly chopped
- 1/2 a green capsicum, roughly chopped
- 4 tomatoes, skin removed and roughly chopped

Part 4
- 2 cups of red rice (other types of rice would work, except white)
- 1 tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 cups of vegetable stock

Part 5
- Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish
- A few things of coriander (you want leaf and stem)

But HOOOOW?

- Add the oil into a large pot on a medium heat.
- Once warm, add the rest of the Part 1 ingredients.
- Stir them for a while until the onions have sweated down a bit.
- Add Part 2's ingredients. A heavy pinch of salt and pepper should suffice at this stage.
- Add Part 3's ingredients and stir for a little while until the capsicums and tomatoes have softened a little.
- Add Part 4's ingredients and stir to combine.
- Lower the stove to the lowest setting and simmer until the rice has cooked. Stir a couple of times and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
- It tastes great on its own, but if you need to make it handsome then add a sprinkle of finely chopped coriander.

RECIPE: Soft Shell Crab Tempura with Mint Yoghurt

2011-01-25T20:31:00.000+11:00

I'd never cooked with soft shell crab before. So when I saw a box of frozen softies at the fish shop I thought it was high type that I killed some vulnerable animals.

ARTICLE: The Overt World of Boring Journalists

2011-01-24T22:11:00.000+11:00

Last time it was Food Bloggers (TM) vs Chefs. This time it's Food Bloggers (TM) vs (gasp) Food Writers. And, once again, modern day journalism has missed the point. Completely.

I haven't been able to find the link to the original article in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday, but check out Grab Your Fork for the article and ensuing discussion.

When will your get the idea, modern day journalism? Will it be Wednesday? Will Wednesday be when you get the idea?

Truth be told, everyone has missed the point. Except a few people, but I'm rounding down here for the point of effect.

Here is a dot point summary of the article to save you having to read the Daily Telegraph:
- Food blogging IS EVERYWHERE RECENTLY (even in your child's cupboard!)!
- Just because you like food DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD DO THAT OUT LOUD!
- Food bloggers aren't critical like, well, food critics.
- Gourmet Traveller's Pat Nourse: I like Lemonpi's blog (really only because she is an actual chef so it's a moot point).
- Grab Your Fork's Helen Yee: Blogs are good because blogs are a different source of information and they aren't trying to be hardcore food writers.
- Discussion on PR companies using food bloggers, which is a one-sided comment that food bloggers (TM) are greedy for free food and untalented BUT WE USE THEM ANYWAY.
- Great point from Fooderati's Melissa Leong: "It broadens the spectrum of what we consider news and communication".
- A restaurant critic that receives free food criticising a food blogger that receives free food because FOOD BLOGGERS ARE SHITHOUSE AT WRITING.
- Bunch of semi-jaded, quasi conclusions from said critic that (conveniently) echo the tone and point of the article that probably weren't intended by said critic to be used as the conclusion but the author of the article felt it fitting to put said words there.

And it was only a short article. Amazing how they can cover so many different topics in depth! (<---Sarcasm. They cannot.)

This all goes back to a shitty article I wrote a couple of months ago about how food writing is dying because (paraphrasing) 1) the information landscape has changed and people access news and information differently than before (ie through newspapers) and 2) food writing (from a professional and amateur standpoint) is in a really really big hole and good writing isn't a) happening at the moment and b) possible.

So let's look at the article. Take out the noise and you have the following point:
1. Food bloggers don't have the same traits as food critics. Namely: criticism and ability.

This is entirely the wrong article to be writing. As I discussed in my last piece of words, the argument isn't about the validity of food blogging (TM) at all. It's here. It's here for the foreseeable future, totally regardless of how many free dinners you give it.

I would have been satisfied to just rest on Leong's point that "[Food Blogging TM]... (ed: I just used an ellipses, suck it critics) broadens the spectrum of what we consider news and communication,"--because she totally gets it there--but she weakened her stance (at least in my opinion) with "you certainly look at some people's offerings out there and you think, 'Ooh, why did they think blogging was a good idea?'" That kind of ruined everything (just look at Tunisia!).

They don't care if it's a good idea. It's the internet. Most things are bad ideas on the internet. The internet itself was a good idea. Everything since then has been questionable.

Let me restate my argument from before: food bloggers are not food critics and that is not the purpose of food blogging as a medium. Some may be great writers, some may be terrible, but it's beside the point. Food blogging is about everyone in the world with an internet connection having a change to voice their opinion.

Hell, it's not even limited to food blogging.

I also have a blog where I (attempt to) write comedy. Because I didn't study comedy in any form, do I have no legitimacy, in the same way that a food blogger has no legitimacy to write about food? Do I have any authority to share my opinion of what's funny? When I started doing stand-up, did I suddenly get credibility to discuss comedy? Was it straight away, or was it after a set period of time? Or do only people that have gone to uni to get a journalism degree have the credibility to discuss what is and is not funny?

My point is (~~too obvious and insulting to your reader's intelligence~~) that it doesn't matter. Blogging (forget about food for a second, I know it's hard) had nothing to do with having any authority. It's about a stream of words from people. Some of it has meaning and value, most of it doesn't. But the internet isn't about taking in every piece of information; the internet is about sorting through the clusterfuck and finding what YOU, THE INTERNET USER wants to read. Integrity doesn't play a part in the process. If a blog post reviewing a restaurant isn't critical enough, then find one that is sufficiently critical.

If I angled my site as a competitor/peer to food critics and fronted like I was a legitimate "food writer" then, yes, I have every right to be judged against that journalistic standard. But the reality is that the clear majority of food blogging isn't about that. It's about that internet ideal of sharing parts of your life and hoping that someone (somewhere) else finds it interesting, in a sort of new-millennial dance of validation and interaction.

And if everyone could thinking of blogging as JUST THAT, then that would be... well... just swell... and maybe... just maybe... writers for media outlets could write about something that was actually interesting and relevant for a change.