20 best dishes of 2015

#AMBERxBENU bamboo shoot with black truffle bao

Greedy food folk like me are lucky to eat a lot of good things all the time*, and I'm so very grateful to everyone who makes good food available to us (me!). In no particular order, I'd just like to celebrate 20 very memorable dishes I had (something I started 4 years ago and was supposed to continue annually but didn't - here's 2011 and 2012).

Burch & Purchese - My favourite cakes in Melbourne

Caramel, chocolate & hazelnut choux at Burch & Purchese

I've wanted to write about Burch & Purchese for ages - I came here about half a dozen times buying basically all the cakes we ever needed on the project I was working on (shooting this movie, and yeah we needed a lot of cake) because it was just so darned good. You can tell from the pics that I came around Chinese New Year 2015 - yes, it has taken me that long to blog it but anyone who reads this blog shouldn't be surprised by now :P

Lûmé - Bright young things in South Melbourne

Lambs blood ganache rolled in maple oats, native apple jam and riberry pepper

On Lûmé's website, it says, "Some circumflexes appear for no known reason". Circumflexes are a bit of a leitmotif in the branding, so I take that as the founders keeping things fun and light hearted - pretty clever, as the food is unapologetically high-end.

Boundary Espresso, Melbourne - Up North

Turkish Breakfast at Boundary Espresso

As a member of a stereotypical Asian family in Australia, we never ventured far from our home in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Preston, where Boundary Espresso is, was to me just a name on the road sign on the way to the airport.

Working on a project in Melbourne for the past two months has allowed me to be reacquainted with my city, especially the northern suburbs, which my relatives would have told me was a "danger zone" (plus other marginally racist comments people say behind closed doors that I won't repeat here). In short, as a little girl in Melbourne, we basically never ventured north of Fitzroy.

Moon Under Water - Best Meals of 2014

Moon Under Water, at Builders Arms Hotel

I get really excited every time I go back to Melbourne. Don't get me wrong, I love Hong Kong, but Melbourne is home too, and after all, it's where I learned to love food after a childhood/adolescence of indifference.

And pretty much as I was getting ready to leave Melbourne, the name Andrew McConnell started popping up everywhere, initially in relation to Cumulus Inc, which I didn't visit until I returned to the city on a work trip. I was blown away - to me, McConnell's restaurants - Cumulus Inc, Cumulus Up, Moon Under Water, in particular* - are the very definition of the hard-to-define (some say problematic) genre called Modern Australian.

Attica, Melbourne, and a chef who walks the talk

Deep-fried mussels

I've been procrastinating about this post about Attica, because there is so much to say, and when that happens, I end up like a clumsy teenage nerd on her first date and I ramble and fail to say what I really want to say. This blog post is not going to be anywhere as lyrical as the meal.

Attica

The restaurant is in Ripponlea, an inconspicuous suburb in the south, on what is essentially the suburb's high street, amidst pharmacies, second-hand bookshops and takeaway eateries - basically, it's not where you'd expect to find one of Australia's best restaurants, which is refreshing.

Australians all let us rejoice! Cumulus Inc, Melbourne

Kitchen charcuterie selection

What makes you fall in love with a food or beverage outlet? Good food, servers who know your name, or a stool for your handbag? I can't pinpoint exactly what combination of things gets me excited, but I can tell you Cumulus Inc. has it.

Yarra Valley, a Day Trip

Vines in Yarra Valley

A couple of weeks ago I was back in Melbourne for a few days, playing tour guide and driver to my aunt, who was there partially for work. it was her first time there and I was eager to show her all the things I love about the state I called home for so many years (in many ways, it still is). The weather, being Melbourne, was beautiful one minute and shockingly horrid the next, so when I woke up late one morning (we never adjusted to Melbourne time!) to find that the sky was clear, I called Bella Vedere in Yarra Valley for a table straight away, and off we went.

Melbourne: just a quickie

"Quick" was pretty much the theme of my entire Melbourne trip. I flew out of Hong Kong Friday night, arrived Sat morning, ate, saw people and cleared out my room (parents are renting out my childhood home) in 36 hours, (almost missed my flight) and left Sunday night. Crazy, but do-able and surprisingly relaxing. Something about the air in Melb methinks.

Anyway this post will be a quickie too. After dinner at Hako (mediocre, might post about it later - then again, I might not, you'll just have to take my word for it that it was so-so), we pottered down for a (quick) drink and spin around Spice Market (never seen Melbourne so dressed up and anal about the door), then down to The Press Club for dessert.

The 'breakfast'

(Apologies for the horrid photo, still camera-less at that stage)

SO good - apparently almost no one orders this, perhaps coz of the obscure name - but you should if you go (and if it's still on the menu...). Inspired by a breakfast George (Calombaris) had in Greece. Full of refreshing, light, tart flavours, even people who don't normally order dessert will enjoy it. Starting from bottom, going clockwise - berry 'smoothie'; yogurt with honey and preserved figs & sultanas; 'muesli bar' (behind second smoothie) with popped rice, held together with honey; 'lollipop' - ice cream coated with white chocolate

We also got to preview another dessert (basically a super rich salted caramel slice), because - disclaimer - my friend is a chef there - but was too busy stuffing myself and forgot to take a pic...

Had a glass of Alain Brumont Pacherenc Doux 'Les Larmes Celestes' Petit Manseng 2004 too, not incredibly exciting on the nose, but on the palate it was kind of light honey-ish with a hint of toasted... something. Went pretty well with the Breakfast actually.

The Press Club
72 Flinders St (cnr Exhibition)
City, Melbourne
Australia
+61 3 9677 9677

Melbourne - Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons

Sad to inform y'all that it's been more than a week after I've left Melbourne (in which I stayed for a whirlwind 7 days). One of the highlights of my trip (apart form my cousin's wedding, of course) was an excellent dinner at GAS, the new Terzini place at Crown.

Firstly, they don't take reservations, so my advice would be to go earlier or later (dinner service begins at 6pm) - we went at 9pm.

Location: where one of the Warner Bros. stores were - the space is hence pretty big, and the decor is quite industrial meets retro, with 50s-style tiling all round. Not exactly to my liking, but the salumi glass case just behind the bar area is an ace gawping opportunity.

Menu: large, very reasonably priced (mains come in approx. under $30), split into various sections - antipasti, zuppe, pasta, meats, crudo (raw), seafood, offal (yes, offal is a category), dolci etc. The style of food is casual, hearty Italian - think ragu, braised meats, veal, simple steamed fish etc.

We started with veal polpotte (pls excuse any spelling mistakes) from the antipasti cat., and "hand dive" hervy bay scallops plus sardines from the crudo section. The scallops were mind-blowingly fresh and was perfectly paired with its slightly tangy dressing + lemon juice. veal meatballs were good too, deep golden brown and piping hot from the deep fryer, v. tasty.

         

pig's trotter, scrumalicious scallops, sardines

Mains - two of us had pastas, which were very well done, but the highlight was the stuffed pig's trotter from the offal section of the menu. It was stuffed with lamb sausage, celery, majoram etc. and cooked till the pork skin was translucent and jelly-like. It was delicious, if not a bit too salty - though it does come on a bed of veg (watercress? silverbeet?)

Dessert - portions were pretty big, so we could only fit one dessert in - it was a fresh raspberry, mascapone and vanilla tart. Perfect tart base (like a tuile - crisp, yet cookie-substantial), runny mascarpone mixed with grappa for a slight twang, and juicy berries. Simple yet totally yum!
So all in all I was very impressed (not so much by the sparse/capricious decor, but anyway, I'm not here to eat tiles), esp. for the price. Dinner for 3, incl. a glass of vino each came to A$150, which is a bargain at Crown, and for food and service of that calibre. (Service by the way was swift, though not always perfect, but never annoying).

Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons
Crown Promenade
+613 9694 7400

Cellar Bargains

Sorry, this isn't a post about wine - but if you want to have bang for your buck to the max, try out this Italian treasure, the cheapest sibling (as in least expensive, not lacking in class) of the Grossi Florentino trio.

More detail to come.

Meals: around $10-20

Grossi Florentino Cellar Bar
80 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Open: Mon-Sat 7.30am-midnight
Tel: +613 9662 1811

Shhh....!

I've found coffee heaven in the eastern suburbs, but don't tell too many people 'cause this place isn't exactly big and the last thing i want to do (being the selfish caffeine addict that i am) is have to wait in line for 10 minutes for a coffee...

They roast on-site and you can buy a zillion different blends of coffee by weight to have at home, or just duck in for a take-out or a quick coffee (you won't be staying too long because they don't have food, apart from a few sweet things, and plus it gets so busy you'd feel awkward hogging a seat for too long anyway).

i had a long macchiato: strength - check. heady crema - check. textured milk - check. balanced aroma/taste - check.

i.e. the coffee is excellent. and i'm pretty conservative with word choice.

i suppose i needn't say more, except that we also tried out their vanilla slice and it's pretty damn good (although perhaps they just buy it off someone??) - just don't put sugar in your coffee 'cause it's sweet enough .

if you live in the eastern suburbs (of metro melbourne), you'll love me for telling you about this place.

caffe romeo
319 doncaster road
north balwyn vic 3104
australia
open: mon-fri 8am-6pm, sat 8am-5pm

[click here to see what others had to say about it]

The Taming of the Brew

Friends and family of caffeine addicts beware. Letting your coffee lover near Icoco is like releasing a five year-old in a toy store.

First, they’ll stand staring wide-eyed at the shelves, transfixed by the sight of espresso cups, shiny stainless steel milk frothing jugs and bags of coffee beans roasted on site. Then, they’ll see the scintillating silver espresso machine and the coffee menu on the wall behind the counter, and they’ll tug you gingerly by the sleeve with a smirk on their face that tells you that they want to take all this home. To really get them jigging, whisper to your five year-old that if they ask the lovely ladies behind the counter politely, they might be able to get a glimpse of the almighty roaster out the back. While they’re jumping up and down like a veritable preschooler, sit yourself down on one of the humble black tables and have a read of the coffee menu on the wall. It’ll tell you a single shot of espresso is made with 7-8 grams of ground coffee that is extracted for 25 seconds to give you 25 millilitres of their heavenly brew, and that your latte has a double shot of espresso (40 millilitres of extraction from 14-15 grams of coffee in 30 seconds) in a large glass with textured milk. No wonder it’s called a coffee ‘menu’. By now, even the occasional coffee drinker should be excited.

Only a coffee aficionado confident in their baristas would be bold enough to write in such detail without being labelled pretentious, so I decided have a go at their macchiato (“single shot in a traditional espresso cup with a ‘touch’ of textured milk” though I ordered a long macchiato, so I imagine it would have had a double shot). The coffee came, as promised, with no more than a dash of milk – purists would protest that milk is utter blasphemy, so by all means have yourself an espresso or a long black, because the coffee here is so heartbreakingly good, you won’t taste an ounce of unwanted bitterness; it just rolls around on your tongue like velvet with a fullness and complexity of taste akin to a good cognac.

To go with your coffee, there are several cakes, which are rumoured to be as great as the coffee, on which I unfortunately had to give up in place of a proper lunch, which wasn’t bad either. They have a range of panini and some specials, such as homemade pizza, soup and a healthy roasted vegetable lasagne. The Moroccan lamb panini came toasted with slightly spicy lamb mince, roasted eggplant, squash and baby spinach. An interesting and pleasing combination that breaks away from the café staples of roast veg and bococcini, roast beef and the like. If you happen to walk in wanting breakfast, they also have the usual suspects such as scrambled eggs on toast.

Coffee has often been reserved for adults, but for real kids (i.e. not the one begging you to buy the coffee machine), there are storybooks and puzzles, as well as a children’s menu, so mum and dad can enjoy their food and coffee in relative peace. Alternatively, soak in the sun on the pavement tables (if you’re lucky enough to see the sun in the gloomy Melbourne winter).

The star here is undoubtedly the coffee. The baristas are incredibly friendly, skilful and knowledgeable, and the coffees they make are sure to have even the most doubtful and unadventurous drinker excited.

Their beans are also being distributed in other cafés under the 'Woven' brand.

Average spending: AUD$5-15 p.p.

Icoco café and foodstore
143 Victoria Ave
Albert Park VIC 3207
Australia
Tel: +613 9690 7638
Open: Daily 8am-5pm

Seasons greetings

As winter dawns upon us (for those of us in the southern hemisphere), it seems harder and harder to get out of the house. The heater’s on, the kettle’s boiling, you’re in your snuggly booties and shapeless but warm trackie dacks, and the sofa looks more inviting than ever. But there are rewards for those who brave the chilling winds and venture into the depths of the country.

The Yarra Valley isn’t exactly so far into the country anyway. In about an hour’s drive from the city, you can have yourself an excellent sample of local produce. Of course, you can go and pick your own apples, pears and what not, but how about having the fruits of the regional harvest expertly prepared and presented in a quaint setting (à la wicker chair, Victorian garden patio and starched napkins)? Then off you go to Healesville Hotel.

They make it no secret that they were awarded ‘Country Restaurant of the Year’ by the 2006 The Age Good Food Guide; you’ll see signage all around the entrance of the restaurant displaying proudly the pair of hats (out of a maximum of three) they’ve earned.

To be frank, we were indeed lured to this place because of its title, but became slightly wary about seeing the aggressive marketing leveraged from it when we arrived, but we’d made reservations and we’d driven this far, so there was no backing out. Lucky we didn’t because if only for the slippery jack gnocchi, it would have been worth the trip.

We’d seen the slippery jacks for sale in the deli next door and weren’t particularly amused by the look of this large mushroom. Heaped into a basket, they looked flaccid and limp and had a colour that I could only describe as mouldy soil, but to our dismay these unwelcoming looking fungi were on the specials board for lunch, featuring in a dish of housemade gnocchi. As it turns out, slippery jacks are firm, almost to the extent of having a crunch, and have a wonderful grassy, smoky flavour that proved themselves as the perfect partner to the fluffy pillows of potato gnocchi. Burnt butter with herbs brings the best of both worlds together.

The menu tells us that the paprika grilled quail is from the Yarra Valley, and comes with roasted quince (very much in season), rocket and manchego cheese. It arrives butterflied, with a crisp, apricot brown skin, atop fresh green leaves and ruby red chunks of quince as promised. The quail is tender and juicy, however a little lacking in flavour.

The main of roasted duckling is charming, although not as architecturally appealing as the previous dishes, but the depth of flavours make up for whatever was lacking. Wonderfully savoury, especially with the surrounding pool of reduction, the duckling was well complemented by the sweetness of the cannelloni packed with brightly coloured grated carrot.

There are just enough choices for dessert to have any sweet tooth psychologically torn. Although my hazelnut pudding with figs would have satisfied anyone, dessert fan or otherwise, as it was never cloyingly sweet; the pudding even had savoury qualities, and the vine leaf in which it was wrapped provided an additional shade of flavour that made the dessert feel wholesome yet sophisticated. A sprinkling of roughly chopped hazelnuts adds texture and brings a slightly ‘wild’ side to an otherwise tame dish.

The winelist is incredibly long, and while the mixture of local, smaller labels as well as European selections is appreciated, brevity is what challenges the sommelier.

Despite its slightly above-average (only very slightly) prices, given its relative proximity to metro Melbourne, the restaurant is quite popular, so remember to book ahead.

Come on, produce this well used is worth getting out of your ugg boots for.

Average spending per person: AUD$40-50

Healesville Hotel
256 Maroondah Hwy
Healesville VIC 3777
Australia
Tel: +613 5962 4002
Open: Daily Noon-3pm, 6-10pm
Website: www.healesvillehotel.com.au

Get those feet under - The Undertaker, Hawthorn

went to the undertaker tonight. but fear not, it's not a dead person typing here, and i'm not due to go to a funeral (touch wood).

the undertaker is the name of a new-ish restaurant in hawthorn. not your typical suburban thing, thank goodness, but not really city-standard either. prices are less reasonable than the city - probably due to lack of direct competition - there aren't many real restaurants in the eastern suburbs. let me be fair - to be precise, mains were reasonably priced, while 'small plates to share' and desserts were not. the 'small plates' were indeed 'small', but unless you have a scalpel on hand, not so easy 'to share'. desserts lacked skill - very little cooking or even assembly is involved, and the servings were small, but nonetheless they cost the price of a decent lunch with coffee (around $12). i had a chestnut cake with roasted quinces and a yogurt/cream thing. the cake was something i could have easily made, and the serving was easily one sixteenth of the whole cake. the quinces were cold. no, not room temp, cold.

anyhow, to their credit, nothing was bad. my little quail was actually quite tender and juicy, though a little lacking in flavour, but the combination with fresh grapes was pleasing and unexpected. the grilled sticks of polenta on the side were very well made. this is probably the only dish i'd ever recommend here. my gnocchi with black cabbage and something else (i've forgotten) was tiny - though it would've helped, visually, if it weren't served in finger bowl sized crockery. hmm, and i just realised - where was my black cabbage? i had loads of spinach but surely...

the wine list is decent; there are several choices by the glass, which was great cause it was just dad and i and he was having fish. (i hardly ever have white wine by choice.) my milkwood 2003 pinot noir was surprisingly nice for an australian pinot. flowery on the nose, light but rounded on the tongue - i shan't go into it any more cause i'm no wine commentator. i'm worse than an amateur :P all i can say is i want to go out and buy a dozen.

a value for money suburban place it is not, but for a mid week i'm-too-lazy-to-cook-or-go-out-and-i-feel-rich-this-week night, it's a decent bet. and apparently, they can do bookings for up to ten people (without it being a 'function' with reduced menus and all that crap), which is pretty cool if you tend to have dinners with extended family (yes, i am speaking from many years' experience). it's got a nice looking bar too, so it might be a good place to pop into for a late night drink and dessert with friends. speaking of good-looking, the decor isn't bad - you can tell they spent heaps on it; though i've never understood why restaurant interiors in melbourne are becoming increasingly ignorant of acoustics. too many places end up sounding like sunday yum chas on busy nights.

it's very popular with the easterners, so remember to book. (though beware that they do have one of those horrid "press 1 for X" recordings...)

the undertaker
329 burwood road (near cnr glenferrie road)
hawthorn 3122
tel: 98183944
open: daily noon-3pm, 6-10pm

[edit]
forgot to say that this place has this funny name because they took over the site of a real undertaker... scaryyyyyyy kakaka

Intellectual property - Journal

Okay, fine. I admit. I’m a nerd. Letting me loose in a library or a bookshop is like dropping a strawberry into a chocolate fondue: you’ll literally have to fork me out; and simple conversations with me can lead to full-blown discussions about whether the concept of a truly global organisation is a myth.

Journal, a café on the corner of Flinders Lane and Degraves Street, tucked neatly into the City Library inside the CAE, is the perfect place for us nerds, ahem, intellectuals. And you needn’t worry about being glued to your book (and hence your seat) or have begun a never-ending debate, because fortunately, they’re open until late on weekdays, a rare sight for cafés in the CBD.

The timber bookshelves hanging above the communal tables complete the literary atmosphere without the stuffiness of an old bookshop thanks to the large windows opening up to the view of boho Flinders Lane and the equally chic Library.

In the evening they serve antipasto as well as a range of small dishes, such as salads, bruschetta and soup, and have ‘construct your own roll’ offerings greatly anticipated by the hungry CBD hoards at lunchtime.

My chickpea and vegetable soup was a tomato-based broth with small hunks of potato and carrot along with a generous handful (or two) of chickpeas, making it a very pleasant and comforting soup to have on that cold, rainy (aka typical Melbourne) night. It came with a slice of toast drizzled in olive oil, as do their salads, like the witlof, pear and ricotta salad, or the more traditional Italian rocket and tomato.



The roast pumpkin and fetta bruschetta was excellent. Thick, sweetly roasted golden wedges of pumpkin lay atop a large slice of toasted sourdough, the whole thing finished off with a generous slice of fetta and a sprinkling of spices.



As for sweets, they have several danishes as well as Portuguese egg tarts and little bars of rocky roads. They’re all displayed up front, so leave your debating opponent to conjure up new arguments for a minute and wander up for a glimpse. They act more as an accompaniment to the coffee (which is superb, so why you would want anything else to steal the show?), rather than shine on their own, but my pear danish was pleasing nonetheless.



The service is friendly enough, though timing could be better. Having arrived early in the evening with the place not exactly buzzing, we weren’t expecting to be asked every three seconds whether we were ready to order yet. We had made it clear we were to order food, so giving us a couple more minutes to study the menu (especially when written on a chalkboard a fair way from our table) would only seem natural. When we were ready to order however, staff attention seemed to have diverted from us.



Everything at Journal, the lighting, the surroundings, the general hum of the place, the food and the coffee (oh my goodness, did I mention the coffee?) is almost faultless, and it exudes that kind of welcoming sensation that you get when you arrive home and know you can just curl up with a book and forget about the trivial things in life like who’s going to do the dishes. I mean, when did you last hear of Sartre or Confucius worrying about chores?

Journal
253 Flinders Lane (corner Degraves Street)
Melbourne 3000
Tel: +613 9650 4399
Open: Mon-Fri 6.30am-late, Sat 8am-6pm

Fine wining - Gertrude Street Enoteca

What would Melbourne be without its rightful scattering of cafés? For a long time we’ve boasted the most restaurants per capita in Australia, as well as claiming our superiority for all things foodie. Recent years have seen the emergence an increasing number of casual but wine-focused eating places around town, such as City Wine Shop on Spring Street, and Gertrude Street Enoteca in Fitzroy.

Gertrude Street is definitely the food-lover’s street of the season, with an organic baker and food store, a great pizza place (Ladro) that’s worth every ounce of hype it’s received since opening, even a bookstore that specializes in cookbooks (Books for Cooks). Gertrude Street Enoteca (enoteca is the Italian name for a wine shop which could also be a bar/café) completes the landscape beautifully.

Passing by in a car, the enoteca’s humble exterior reveals little of the greatness within. Look into the deep space and you will gasp upon seeing the abundance of wines lining the walls. Step in and you will stand in amusement of the chains of garlic, bay leaves and cured meats descending from the ceiling, their aromas filling the Scandinavian-chic marble and blonde wood room, wafting amid the gratifying scent of coffee.

We arrive for lunch a little early, but unfortunately not early enough for breakfast, so we wait, musing at the range of wines – Italian (of course), French, Australian, New Zealand, but to list a few of the origins – while the small selection of lunch choices are being made in the back kitchen by the lovely Rosa with whom we chatted while enjoying a refreshing prickly pear salad. (Although I think poor Rosa was feeling less than refreshed about having to handle the spiky fruits.) The golden-yellow fruits have a pleasing texture, in between mango (a similar stringy, fibrous quality) and cantaloupe, and lay, assembled in a spontaneous manner, with rocket, prosciutto and parmesan. The salty cured taste of the wonderfully stretchy prosciutto, is helped by the shavings of parmesan to articulate how great antipasti ingredients can be. Though for more antipasti, they have a platter, which has been all the rave in Melbourne recently.

There are three sandwich-type offerings today – a focaccia with pickled artichokes, provolone and rocket, a panini with zucchini frittata, fetta, mint and rocket, and a porterhouse panini with horseradish mayonnaise, cheddar, caramelized onions and lettuce, which we chose. The porterhouse was thin, but would still be classified as a steak for its juiciness. The whole panini was spruced up by the great condiments, particularly the onions that were caramelized so well I thought those soft translucent strings were relish. We had been seriously prepared to ask them to warm it up for us, as we knew to do this by default in most cafés, but to our delight, it arrived crisp, tender, warm, and not too thick. The art of a good sandwich is revealed when the hungry customer raises it to a vertical and yet hardly anything falls out.

Gertrude Street Enoteca isn’t about fancy pansy food. It’s about having a relaxing time with good food, wine and company. I needn’t be reminded that I must be back soon for some late night drinks and antipasto, if I’m lucky enough to find a table, that is.

Average spending per person: $10-15 (excluding wine)

Gertrude Street Enoteca
229 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy 3065
Tel: +613 9415 8262
Open: Mon – Fri: 8.30am – late, Sat: 10am – late

Good ol’ steak - A & V Lazar Charcoal Grill

The story begins with an accusation that I am on the way to becoming a vegetarian. So I like my vegetables, but no offence to those amongst us who have decided not to kill and ingest animal matter, but to me, the two must coexist. Hence I was led to begin a quest for the greatest vego-unfriendly place, and where better to begin than from steakhouses, where flesh and blood reign, and hopefully where a good glass of red wouldn't be far off.

I'd been past Lazar on the way to Brunswick Street plenty of times, though its drabby, graffiti-attacked red brick exterior never much inspired me to find out what was inside. Honestly, it wasn't until The Good Food Guide crowned it the Best Steakhouse for 2005 that I noticed its prominence in our dining landscape. Their price range looked substantially better than what would've been my first choice, Charcoal Grill on the Hill in Kew, and their BYO policy with no corkage was a huge incentive - it would guarantee us a good drop of red and keep our wallets safe from harm. (Charcoal Grill, on the other hand, is known to have a veritable tome of a wine list, with prices to match.)

The chance came to try it out when we were to celebrate a birthday amongst some meat-loving friends. Hardly costing any more than the TGI Friday suggestion, I practically leaped at the opportunity to book a table at Lazar, and a spot on leap it was.

The menu consists of not much more than (surprise, surprise!) beef. Mains are definitely the highlight here, so feel free to lay low on the entrees, though there’s a rich beef broth, beef cevapcici, as well as fiery pork sausages for those in need of a little departure from the red stuff. Then, to the lead acts: choose from rump, scotch fillet, porterhouse (sirloin), and eye fillet, all aged on the bone in a cool room on this very premises and chargrilled to your liking. The result is steak that is fibrous yet tender, and so juicy that you’d think they'd injected liquid into it. As I was chewing through the wonderfully crisp and flavoursome charred exterior, the rich juices filled my mouth like no steak had ever before. It was impossible to imagine that each small morsel could contain so many juices, especially after such intense grilling that lends the outside to become almost blackened.

The steak is cooked to perfection with almost scientific accuracy. A medium, for example, remains red inside, but juices no longer flow out of it. This is also helped by the resting of the meat, letting the fibres to relax after cooking, hence allowing maximal fluid retention.

The observant among us may realise that the places are not set with steak knives, and neither will they bring you any, not because they’re mean, but because you simply won’t need one. Their steaks almost magically divide into bitesized portions upon application of minimal effort with your ever so average looking knife. Note to competing steakhouses: buy high-quality grass-fed beef, age your steaks well, and you’ll save on buying expensive steak knives.

Unlike beef such as wagyu that relies on heavy marbling of fat for its suppleness, the tenderness of the steaks at Lazar is from the ageing and the sheer superiority of the produce. Using good ol’ Australian beef means that we are assured of the bold flavours and aromas of this delightful meat.

For the uncompromising vegetarian in me, I was relieved to find that all steaks are served with a simple and agreeable potato, lettuce and tomato salad.

The wine list has a reasonable range and labels, but we were slightly worried by the fact that no vintages are mentioned. While this is probably an indication that the same vintages are always offered, we weren’t too bothered as we’d brought along our own. However if you’re bringing an extra special bottle, the miniature stemware may disappoint.

Desserts were never meant to be a steakhouse’s forte, and Lazar doesn’t stray from the mainstream in this respect. Apart from scoops of ice cream, there are crepes with huge strawberries, ice cream and cream that can easily be shared between two, as well as simple lemon and sugar ones. Not quite as 'orgasmic' as suggested by the witty and conversational waiter, but nonetheless homely and satisfying in its predictability.

Nothing ever changes at Lazar – the bricks, the wooden panels and mirrors, the bow-tied waiters, the menu – it can hardly be called an ‘it’ place. But if it ain’t broke (and oh no, it ain’t!), why fix it?

A&V Lazar Charcoal Grill [edit: now sadly closed]
87 Johnston Street
Fitzroy 3065
Tel: 9419 2073
Open: Mon-Fri noon-3pm, Mon-Sat 6-10pm

Worth marketing - Coffea

It would be hard to imagine anyone who finds doing household chores genuinely pleasurable, but if I had to choose one I’d rather do, my first choice by far would be food shopping, not the supermarket kind though, mind you. Limp veggies under fluorescent lights, factory salami, and apples that taste like cardboard have never really been my thing.

I always volunteer to do this chore, pretending that it’s just as painful as vacuuming, while snickering discreetly as I drive out to the Queen Victoria Market, which is my best bet for crisp green beans, fresh salad leaves, honey scented apples, as well as polish sausages, and an infinite variety of cheeses.

As if I need any more motivation to come here, there are places to stop by for a coffee and a lunch too, like the famous Bratwurst shop in the Deli section (hotdog-type rolls with the aforementioned German sausage; if you don’t know where it is, just look for the longest line in the Section), or the humble Coffea on the Elizabeth Street side of the market.

Given its market presence and its name, the fact that Coffea is a coffee merchant as well as a café should be of little surprise. Coffee fanatics will love the brewing accessories for sale on one side if the shop, unless they’d been momentarily transfixed by the commercial roaster at work right in the middle of the room. With equipment and a name like theirs, they would be terribly wrong to dare offer mediocre coffee – and luckily, they couldn’t be more on target. Perfect is not a word I use lightly, but the coffees here are just that. Not too strong yet superbly aromatic and never, I mean never, bitter.

Most mornings Coffea is bustling with CBD workers and perhaps early market-goers, who, either grabbing a takeaway pastry or enjoying a sit-down breakfast, are all here for a stellar coffee.

While sitting inside seemed the obvious choice for me in this weather, at lunchtime, hoards of hungry souls filled the many pavement seats, staying toasty under the outdoor heaters.

Lunch here is a ham and cheese affair. Well, except your “ham” could be prosciutto, pancetta or shaved leg ham, and your “cheese” could be parmesan or provolone – no plastic cheese here, thank you very much. Usually some salad greens like garden-fresh baby spinach or rocket are thrown in too, as well as relishes and sauces. A grilled vegetable ciabatta included artichokes, an interesting choice as a sandwich ingredient, as are salad-like combinations such as green beans and tuna. There are real salads too, as well as soup for those in need of a winter warmer.

My mushroom paté, prosciutto and parmesan ciabatta came toasted and on a warmed plate. Brownie points for attention to detail. The paté was more like a dense mushroom purée, its fragrance resonating in my mouth long after my final bite, rivaling the intensity of a madly expensive truffle purée I bought recently from a French farmer in London. The flavour of this truffle purée is tremendously rich, but hardly overpowering, satisfying one’s oral cavity like flowers blossoming all at once, filling a meadow on a spring morning. This mushroom paté is less exhilarating, but nevertheless an elating employment of this much more modest fungus.

The prosciutto and parmesan on their own are excellent ingredients. The prosciutto was moist and stretchy with that lovely cured flavour, while the parmesan was creamily rich and just pungent enough. The two together though, was less successful, becoming a bit too salty, even with the thick bread around it.

Non-coffee drinkers need not fret, as Coffea also offers a range of other beverages, such as chai, hot chocolate, and Italian bottled soft drinks.

You never know, with a visit to Coffea as a reward for doing chores, you might even see me polishing my roof soon.

Average spending: $5-15 pp.

Coffea
521 Elizabeth Street
Melbourne 3000
Tel: +613 9326 7388
Open: Mon 7.30am-3.30pm, Tue & Thu 7am-4pm, Fri 7am-5pm, Sat 7.30am-3pm, Sun 9am-4pm

Alice in Tofuland - tofu shop international

I'd always had a belief that bad food can be made to taste good by adding more fat. Deep-fry a less-than-fresh piece of fish slapped in thick batter, and most people would happily munch away at it. Put enough butter and cream into your mashed potatoes and you¡¯d be called a master chef. But by no means am I suggesting that fats are nothing but evil ¨C quite the contrary. The famous Shanghainese "lion's head" meatball would be horribly tough and dry if only lean pork was used. It needs the moisture and lubricating qualities of evenly dispersed fat in the mince.

Or so I thought. My argument was quickly rebutted with a comment that the best ¡®lion¡¯s head¡¯ with the same (or even better) texture and flavour is made by mixing lean pork with tofu.

Most people are well-acquainted with these bricks of soybean derivatives, be they silky white or golden-skinned and earthily dense. They are now an essential part of vegetarian cuisine, of the east, west, and beyond, and culinary creativity with the humble ingredient has yet to see its limits. Some people swear by it, others loathe it, and I personally think that those in the latter category should be sent into mandatory tastebud training. If there was a qualified centre for this, it would undoubtedly be the Tofu Shop International on Bridge Road.

Here, soybeans are used for almost everything, from sweet slices to felafels, and even ¡®soyvlakis¡¯ (instant points for linguistic creativity). The soy felafel is brilliantly flavoursome and the addition of walnuts makes it all the more exciting as you crunch through the generous heap of salad inside the pita bread lined with all their sauces and condiments (tofu dip, peanut satay sauce, yogurt, chilli, Japanese pickled ginger). It looks deceptively tame as you sit at the stools in front of the glass counter watching the amiable staff assemble it before you, but it transforms into a bit of a roller-coaster ride in your mouth, with the vegetables and the nuts trying to outdo each other on the vertical crunch scale and the sauces and felafel making your tongue spin laterally, adding up to create a breathtaking ride.

The main offering at this cozy shop is, however, the array of dishes that one can pick and choose from to construct hearty lunches in bowls of three sizes ¨C small, medium and large. All are vegetarian and you can pick as many different dishes as you like ¨C staff will adjust proportions accordingly or as you request. We chose a medium bowl and tried four dishes. The curried parsnip with tofu was pleasantly spiced, and went well with the natural sweetness brought out of the parsnip. The coconut sauce penetrated well into the layers of the halved Brussels sprouts, and was an interesting and successful combination with the chunks sweet potato and cauliflower florets. The broccoli with vinegared lettuce and sliced mushrooms was superbly done, with all flavours and textures working in perfect harmony.

Everything was cooked to perfection ¨C the broccoli soft enough to be easily bitten into yet retaining its fresh green colour, the parsnip preserving a hint of tangy heat, the sweet potato, cauliflower and brussels sprouts all just right, despite differing requirements in cooking times, and the pumpkin roasted so tenderly that I forgot about removing the skin.

The bowls are offered with a small amount of rice, which does a good job of absorbing the lovely juices and sauces.

Sweet things forever catch my eye, and here, in the glass cabinet, they may be in the form of an innovative Chinese red date and coconut slice, or an impossibly stone-fruity peach and tofu slice. The tofu gives it a surprisingly smooth and creamy quality, but cleverly stays away from the overwhelming density that slices tend towards.

No matter where you sit, you will undoubtedly see some interesting merchandise for sale ¨C I saw a hangover cure behind the counter, as well as a good range of teas (including chai) on the shelves that line the walls on one side of the shop.

We've stuffed our faces with great food, yet we leave feeling refreshed and satisfied, detoxified, almost.

Big brand theme parks can be fun sometimes, but your trusty, local, down-to-earth amusements are often more delightful (on your hip pocket too).

Tofu Shop International
78 Bridge Rd
Richmond
Melbourne, Australia
+613 9429 6204