Right - Here it is - I am gonna say it. I am pissed off!!
Good, now that I have that off why chest, you might wonder why? One simple reason - my space and suburb have changed too much and I dont like it.
When I moved here, it was all DINKS and female couples in sensible shoes and male fellows in designer sunglasses and flip flops dining together. The suburb had an edgy feel to it and was full of the movers and shakers you would expect. My local cafe (I am spoiled for choice with six of them) where I have eaten for the past 5 years used to be filled with couples that would politely nod at one another on saturday morning, knowing that we had bumped into one another at a gay venue the night before or been at the same queer film.
Of late, I walk in and have to dodge designer prams, parked in the doorway and in any available space. Now it is not the biggest venue and staff are always deftly dancing between communal and individual tables with caffeinated beverages. There are boobs out with infants suckling away with no care in the world, and yummy daddies with slings and papooses hanging off them with heads lolling backwards and forwards with the movement of dads body.
I am still pissed off. I dont want to suggest that people should not be there, doing this and that, with their prams, papooses and suckling babes, but I dont want it in my suburb. I dont want to dodge prams in my cafe.
It is funny that as real estate changes and suburbs are adopted by pooves and lesbians, the straight folks follow and things change. I have seen this before in Sydney and I will no doubt see it again.
But I dont know that I want to be in the burb where it happens.
That feels better
Friday, November 14, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Asian Dining
Right – I have to admit it here and now, I am spoiled. All these years of tarting around the industry affords one an intriguing network of contacts, and on occasion, these contacts provide me with an amazing experience. Recently, there were 2 cases in point....
Sho, Crown Complex, Southbank, Melbourne
On the gambling floor at Crown Melbourne, the den of iniquity of which I am not overly enamoured, sits Sho. Opened recently, Sho is all about noodles, tea and a show of sorts. Pin is a noodle artist – I use the word artist as chef seems so ... lazy, and he is able to turn a lump of dough into the finest noodles in what seems like just minutes.
But Sho is about more than that – it has a tea list printed on bamboo that would almost put anything else I have seen to shame. From as little as $3 and up to $10, you can sit and sip with some sensational offerings from the open kitchen, all of which occurs very quickly.
The decor has a collective of many Chinese motifs including some very clever use of amazingly large abacus type entry columns – a must to check out along with the pressed tea sculptures. I have long been a lover of good tea and now I have found somewhere that will provide the best of Chinese tea, some of which can be purchased to take home.
Hop in and check it out – and once you are done, you can throw a few shekels onto the gaming floor and try your luck after some lucky tea and lucky food. The team are efficient and friendly and happy to explain anything you need. If you can, check out the traditional tea ceremonies as well – a must if you are one who dips a twinings bag into hot water and calls it a cuppa.
Hanuman, The Holiday Inn. 93 Mitchell Street, Darwin
Whilst on the Asian idea, if you are in the top end, then a visit to Hanuman in Darwin is an absolute must. Jimmy Shu is a legend of the Australian food and wine scene and his restaurant is a mix of Thai, Chinese, Indian and Nonya cuisines.
With a fantastic wine list to get the palette ready, there are plenty of choices to kick off any dining experience. Then, onto the food. A little village of hanuman oysters (I know, it sound strange but bear with me here), was our first starter. Each oyster comes macerated in chilli, lemongrass, sweet basil, ginger and coriander in some rice wine – perfectly poached and with a tiny tagine like hood on each part of the specially designed plate. We also had mushrooms minced with pork, prawn and spices, some besan floured amritsari fish and all were just spectacular.
We moved onto a vegetable course, with some stunning okra (not something featured on a lot of menus but beautifully prepared) that was tossed with onion, tomato, chilli and tamarind. Masala cauliflower was sensational as another vegetable offering; along with aloo mutter (a pea and potato curry). Vegetables have never tasted so good.
The onto another course, with some a duck curry and it was spectacular, according to my dining companions. I forget that a lot of curries contain pineapple, to which one is fiercely allergic, and as such, need to avoid at all costs. The pork belly was another spectacular surprise (regular readers will know of my passion for the pig) cooked Toew Chiu Chinese style, with star anise and cinnamon. It was indeed worth the calories it provided to my ever expanding girth. The butter chicken was a standout – with a base of crushed cashews, tomato and mildly spiced, this was pretty much one of the most traditional and tasty I have found in my journeys.
Sensibly, we decided that dessert was not an option although there are some very traditional offerings that looked amazing. Wine however, was consumed with gusto. We started with a Henschke Julius riesling which is the perfect marriage for spicy Asian food. Moving to a Kooyong Pinot Noir from the Mornington Peninsula, another great marriage of spice and some mild tannin. Finally, we downed an Alkoomi Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margaret River that worked beautifully with duck, pork and chicken.
Jimmy Shu was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in Malaysia and has had restaurants across Australia and SE Asia. A new Hanuman is about to enter the Cairns market so Queenslanders keep your tastebuds peeled. Jimmy loves food and this tells in recipes he has developed over decades. These recipes form the basis of his menus and his choice of chefs reflects the dynamic mix of cuisines on offer at Hanuman.
There is nothing to fault in either of these amazing dining experiences and if you have a hankering for some quality Asian food, then try Sho or Hanuman if you can. My experiences were fantastic and I trust that yours will be also.
Sho, Crown Complex, Southbank, Melbourne
On the gambling floor at Crown Melbourne, the den of iniquity of which I am not overly enamoured, sits Sho. Opened recently, Sho is all about noodles, tea and a show of sorts. Pin is a noodle artist – I use the word artist as chef seems so ... lazy, and he is able to turn a lump of dough into the finest noodles in what seems like just minutes.
But Sho is about more than that – it has a tea list printed on bamboo that would almost put anything else I have seen to shame. From as little as $3 and up to $10, you can sit and sip with some sensational offerings from the open kitchen, all of which occurs very quickly.
The decor has a collective of many Chinese motifs including some very clever use of amazingly large abacus type entry columns – a must to check out along with the pressed tea sculptures. I have long been a lover of good tea and now I have found somewhere that will provide the best of Chinese tea, some of which can be purchased to take home.
Hop in and check it out – and once you are done, you can throw a few shekels onto the gaming floor and try your luck after some lucky tea and lucky food. The team are efficient and friendly and happy to explain anything you need. If you can, check out the traditional tea ceremonies as well – a must if you are one who dips a twinings bag into hot water and calls it a cuppa.
Hanuman, The Holiday Inn. 93 Mitchell Street, Darwin
Whilst on the Asian idea, if you are in the top end, then a visit to Hanuman in Darwin is an absolute must. Jimmy Shu is a legend of the Australian food and wine scene and his restaurant is a mix of Thai, Chinese, Indian and Nonya cuisines.
With a fantastic wine list to get the palette ready, there are plenty of choices to kick off any dining experience. Then, onto the food. A little village of hanuman oysters (I know, it sound strange but bear with me here), was our first starter. Each oyster comes macerated in chilli, lemongrass, sweet basil, ginger and coriander in some rice wine – perfectly poached and with a tiny tagine like hood on each part of the specially designed plate. We also had mushrooms minced with pork, prawn and spices, some besan floured amritsari fish and all were just spectacular.
We moved onto a vegetable course, with some stunning okra (not something featured on a lot of menus but beautifully prepared) that was tossed with onion, tomato, chilli and tamarind. Masala cauliflower was sensational as another vegetable offering; along with aloo mutter (a pea and potato curry). Vegetables have never tasted so good.
The onto another course, with some a duck curry and it was spectacular, according to my dining companions. I forget that a lot of curries contain pineapple, to which one is fiercely allergic, and as such, need to avoid at all costs. The pork belly was another spectacular surprise (regular readers will know of my passion for the pig) cooked Toew Chiu Chinese style, with star anise and cinnamon. It was indeed worth the calories it provided to my ever expanding girth. The butter chicken was a standout – with a base of crushed cashews, tomato and mildly spiced, this was pretty much one of the most traditional and tasty I have found in my journeys.
Sensibly, we decided that dessert was not an option although there are some very traditional offerings that looked amazing. Wine however, was consumed with gusto. We started with a Henschke Julius riesling which is the perfect marriage for spicy Asian food. Moving to a Kooyong Pinot Noir from the Mornington Peninsula, another great marriage of spice and some mild tannin. Finally, we downed an Alkoomi Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margaret River that worked beautifully with duck, pork and chicken.
Jimmy Shu was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in Malaysia and has had restaurants across Australia and SE Asia. A new Hanuman is about to enter the Cairns market so Queenslanders keep your tastebuds peeled. Jimmy loves food and this tells in recipes he has developed over decades. These recipes form the basis of his menus and his choice of chefs reflects the dynamic mix of cuisines on offer at Hanuman.
There is nothing to fault in either of these amazing dining experiences and if you have a hankering for some quality Asian food, then try Sho or Hanuman if you can. My experiences were fantastic and I trust that yours will be also.
recent offerings
I have been very slack in maintaining this blog. Very slack indeed. I do hope to keep it going as freshly as possible now and here is the latest installment.
MEAT – Adrian Richardson.
Being a carnivore is something I manage to do extremely well. Inhaling pig and duck until my face hurts is a pleasure that I would never surrender. I know that the life of a vegetarian is one that espouses healthy living and a love of all things non meat but I am unashamed in my love of anything that once quacked or oinked.
Recently, one of my favourite Melbourne chefs who knows much about the offerings of the flesh and its treatment launched a book titled Meat. Adrian Richardson from Carlton’s La Luna is passionate, opinionated and dedicated to flesh. He spent time as a vegetarian and yet this book reflects his long held belief about how knowing about meat, what to do with it and how to treat it, forms part of our culture. Too often we choose bad or incorrectly labelled meat, or we choose meat for entirely the wrong type of dish.
This book is filled with Richardson’s knowledge of beef, pork, poultry, venison and other carnivore’s delights. I highly recommend the Twice Cooked Pork Belly with toffee crisp crackling or his roasted duck with pomegranate glaze. I also have finally got an idea how he makes those delicious little pork and fennel sausages. This book is worth the purchase price simply for that recipe alone. It’s a great thunking tome of a book, with beautiful photography and a fresh look at the way to purchase, cook and eat meat.
For those that love a bit of meat as much as I do, this comes very highly recommended for you or as a great gift for the silly season.
Bistro Flor – 555 Nicholson Street (corner McPherson St), Carlton
What do you get when you cross a composer of international music with a visionary chef?? You get Bistro Flor, a new name for an old established eatery in Melbourne. Known to many as Tansy’s, (or at least those old enough to remember), this new French Italian inspired eatery has seen some changes, and this one is definitely for the better.
The food is spectacular, and has both brunch and dinner menus available. Dinner is fantastic and the service matches the exceptional food on offer. House cured duck breast is perfectly sweet and is served with pistachio, quince paste and goats curd cream. Grilled octopus, kipfler potato and cherry tomato salad with baba ganoush or Tuna carpaccio with ruby grapefruit and caper citronette are exceptional ways to start. Followers that cover the farineaux (rice and pasta) and something more substantial were also very good. My mate raves still about the Provençale-style seafood stew with charred crouton and saffron rouille for the intensity and simplicity of the dish. Ocean trout with fennel, currants, pinenuts and white anchovies and Confit duck with endive, pear and walnut salad were also sampled and apart from some minor faults here and there, we were incredibly impressed.
Sides and desserts make up a great dinner menu and the wine list sparkles with a collection of Australian and International offerings that suit the food so very well. It’s always difficult to re open somewhere that was once boasted as the best going around at the time, but what Chef Matthew has achieved already is something to boast about. For locals who know the venue and people seeking out somewhere new, the fact that it is gay owned and operated should also provide further incentive to have a gay old time at Bistro Flor. Check it out, it’s worth the approx $60 per head for any occasion.
De Bortoli Gulf Station Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is another of the things that makes me moist on most occasions, and it is not a cheap wine to produce. Best varieties come from cold climate locations, and I am afraid that I have found something that I am loathe to share. I am sure the more I bang on about it, the more difficult to buy or expensive this wine is going to become. However, Matt Skinner rates it highly (he was Jamie Oliver’s Sommelier) so good enough for him, then good enough for me.
Steve Webber and Young Winemaker of the Year, Bill Downie are at the helm of this wine, and they have created a brilliant pinot noir. It is a ballsy pinot that is very well balanced. It is a dark almost plum colour and the earthy nose is also loaded with spice and fruit. With some mild tannins to kick in at the end of the palate, the remainder is intense and shows the best of the variety. It ‘s a Yarra Valley wine, so if you don’t believe me, get down to the valley or pick up a case at your local off license.
MEAT – Adrian Richardson.
Being a carnivore is something I manage to do extremely well. Inhaling pig and duck until my face hurts is a pleasure that I would never surrender. I know that the life of a vegetarian is one that espouses healthy living and a love of all things non meat but I am unashamed in my love of anything that once quacked or oinked.
Recently, one of my favourite Melbourne chefs who knows much about the offerings of the flesh and its treatment launched a book titled Meat. Adrian Richardson from Carlton’s La Luna is passionate, opinionated and dedicated to flesh. He spent time as a vegetarian and yet this book reflects his long held belief about how knowing about meat, what to do with it and how to treat it, forms part of our culture. Too often we choose bad or incorrectly labelled meat, or we choose meat for entirely the wrong type of dish.
This book is filled with Richardson’s knowledge of beef, pork, poultry, venison and other carnivore’s delights. I highly recommend the Twice Cooked Pork Belly with toffee crisp crackling or his roasted duck with pomegranate glaze. I also have finally got an idea how he makes those delicious little pork and fennel sausages. This book is worth the purchase price simply for that recipe alone. It’s a great thunking tome of a book, with beautiful photography and a fresh look at the way to purchase, cook and eat meat.
For those that love a bit of meat as much as I do, this comes very highly recommended for you or as a great gift for the silly season.
Bistro Flor – 555 Nicholson Street (corner McPherson St), Carlton
What do you get when you cross a composer of international music with a visionary chef?? You get Bistro Flor, a new name for an old established eatery in Melbourne. Known to many as Tansy’s, (or at least those old enough to remember), this new French Italian inspired eatery has seen some changes, and this one is definitely for the better.
The food is spectacular, and has both brunch and dinner menus available. Dinner is fantastic and the service matches the exceptional food on offer. House cured duck breast is perfectly sweet and is served with pistachio, quince paste and goats curd cream. Grilled octopus, kipfler potato and cherry tomato salad with baba ganoush or Tuna carpaccio with ruby grapefruit and caper citronette are exceptional ways to start. Followers that cover the farineaux (rice and pasta) and something more substantial were also very good. My mate raves still about the Provençale-style seafood stew with charred crouton and saffron rouille for the intensity and simplicity of the dish. Ocean trout with fennel, currants, pinenuts and white anchovies and Confit duck with endive, pear and walnut salad were also sampled and apart from some minor faults here and there, we were incredibly impressed.
Sides and desserts make up a great dinner menu and the wine list sparkles with a collection of Australian and International offerings that suit the food so very well. It’s always difficult to re open somewhere that was once boasted as the best going around at the time, but what Chef Matthew has achieved already is something to boast about. For locals who know the venue and people seeking out somewhere new, the fact that it is gay owned and operated should also provide further incentive to have a gay old time at Bistro Flor. Check it out, it’s worth the approx $60 per head for any occasion.
De Bortoli Gulf Station Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is another of the things that makes me moist on most occasions, and it is not a cheap wine to produce. Best varieties come from cold climate locations, and I am afraid that I have found something that I am loathe to share. I am sure the more I bang on about it, the more difficult to buy or expensive this wine is going to become. However, Matt Skinner rates it highly (he was Jamie Oliver’s Sommelier) so good enough for him, then good enough for me.
Steve Webber and Young Winemaker of the Year, Bill Downie are at the helm of this wine, and they have created a brilliant pinot noir. It is a ballsy pinot that is very well balanced. It is a dark almost plum colour and the earthy nose is also loaded with spice and fruit. With some mild tannins to kick in at the end of the palate, the remainder is intense and shows the best of the variety. It ‘s a Yarra Valley wine, so if you don’t believe me, get down to the valley or pick up a case at your local off license.
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