Welcome to Melbourne Foodie. The blogspace of a 21 year old foodie with a passion for fine dining and quality food and produce.
Melbourne Foodie is my way of expressing and recording some of the experiences I have had for others to enjoy. I always welcome any feedback,
comments or restaurant suggestions you may have and would love to hear from you soon.
MUST TRY SOON: Church St Enoteca, Da Noi, Tetsuya's (Sydney).
RESTAURANT OF THE MOMENT: Rockpool Bar & Grill
BLOG OF THE MONTH: 1001 Dinners: Simple reviews, hundreds of restaurants
Happy eating,
Jon!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Sydney: Foodie adventures I haven't posted
Last month I went on a trip to Sydney with good friends Robert & Kat. Here are a few experiences that I have never got around to posting.
1) East Ocean Chinese Restaurant: In a nutshell, dissappointed. The a la carte food was pretty average, though some of the live fish dishes (which we did not order) looked excellent. I returned the following night (because it was the only yum cha open at midnight) for yum cha, which was excellent, though one of my scallop dumplings was full of broken bits of shell, which kind of ruined the whole experience again. Service was also rather disgraceful. They must be given some credit though: for getting our order right on both occasions.
A la carte:
Roasted BBQ duck: OK, but lots of bones and less than perfect meat and skin.
Salt and Pepper Calamari: Coated in a heavy batter which made it difficult to really taste and enjoy.
Chicken with broccoli: Once again fine, but nothing exciting.
Yum Cha: Good quality and good value - much better food quality than anything I have experienced in Melbourne
Scallop Dumplings: The best thing I tried and the worst. Wonderful freshness, though a mouth full of crushed scallop shell is not a nice experience.
Prawn Dumplings:
Pork Dumplings:
Pork buns: Light and fluffy with real chunks of meat.
2) Gung Ho: A cheap Asian restaurant, in Haymarket next to our original accommodation, that served up rather tasty offerings for the $10-$13 price of most dishes. Probably worthy of a full review: very friendly staff and a great informal place to eat. Robert and Kat ate here several times.
A chicken and vegetable soup; served with rice and salad:
Extremely tender beef brisket red curry: I really liked this.
A good version of salt and pepper calamari with a light, crispy batter:
3) Lenotre Afternoon Tea @ The Sofitel Wentworth: As a Club Sofitel guest this was a fabulous complimentary indulgence every afternoon, as was an excellent brekfast, as well as canapes and top shelf booze in the evenings. I must also give praise to the first rate accommodation and uber comfy beds.
Dessert selection:
Lenotre Dessert platter:
Eclair and lemon tart: Yum.
Chocolate millefeuille and raspberry macaroon: More yum.
4) MV2000 Dinner Cruise: A fantastic experience. I went for the Sky Deck Gold 7-course degustation dinner with an open bar and matched wines, which was $159. The food was pretty good, but not exceptional. It was a lot of fun though: live music and got better and better as I drunk more and the night went on. Will definitely do this again the next time I am in Sydney.
The vessel:
Main Course:
Dessert:
Oh, and I can proudly say that I climed the bridge.
1) East Ocean Chinese Restaurant: In a nutshell, dissappointed. The a la carte food was pretty average, though some of the live fish dishes (which we did not order) looked excellent. I returned the following night (because it was the only yum cha open at midnight) for yum cha, which was excellent, though one of my scallop dumplings was full of broken bits of shell, which kind of ruined the whole experience again. Service was also rather disgraceful. They must be given some credit though: for getting our order right on both occasions.
A la carte:
Roasted BBQ duck: OK, but lots of bones and less than perfect meat and skin.
Salt and Pepper Calamari: Coated in a heavy batter which made it difficult to really taste and enjoy.
Chicken with broccoli: Once again fine, but nothing exciting.
Yum Cha: Good quality and good value - much better food quality than anything I have experienced in Melbourne
Scallop Dumplings: The best thing I tried and the worst. Wonderful freshness, though a mouth full of crushed scallop shell is not a nice experience.
Prawn Dumplings:
Pork Dumplings:
Pork buns: Light and fluffy with real chunks of meat.
2) Gung Ho: A cheap Asian restaurant, in Haymarket next to our original accommodation, that served up rather tasty offerings for the $10-$13 price of most dishes. Probably worthy of a full review: very friendly staff and a great informal place to eat. Robert and Kat ate here several times.
A chicken and vegetable soup; served with rice and salad:
Extremely tender beef brisket red curry: I really liked this.
A good version of salt and pepper calamari with a light, crispy batter:
3) Lenotre Afternoon Tea @ The Sofitel Wentworth: As a Club Sofitel guest this was a fabulous complimentary indulgence every afternoon, as was an excellent brekfast, as well as canapes and top shelf booze in the evenings. I must also give praise to the first rate accommodation and uber comfy beds.
Dessert selection:
Lenotre Dessert platter:
Eclair and lemon tart: Yum.
Chocolate millefeuille and raspberry macaroon: More yum.
4) MV2000 Dinner Cruise: A fantastic experience. I went for the Sky Deck Gold 7-course degustation dinner with an open bar and matched wines, which was $159. The food was pretty good, but not exceptional. It was a lot of fun though: live music and got better and better as I drunk more and the night went on. Will definitely do this again the next time I am in Sydney.
The vessel:
Main Course:
Dessert:
Oh, and I can proudly say that I climed the bridge.
Labels: East Ocean (Sydney), Gung Ho (Sydney), Lenotre Afternoon Tea (Sydney), REVIEWS: Casual Dining, REVIEWS: Interstate
Monday, March 17, 2008
Pancakes on the Rocks (Sydney)
Whilst in Sydney there were a couple of places that I really wanted to try for brekfast. One place that I did get around to trying was Pancakes on the Rocks; going there for a late brekfast with Robert and Kat on our second morning.
We went to the Darling Harbour location, being told by hotel staff that the original "Rocks" store is gone (not sure if this is true?) and arrive to a quiet, fairly new establishment with comfortable leather booth seating. Menus, with pictures of each dish, arrive and we order. Robert gets the ribs, Kat orders crepes and I order a long stack of pancakes (only $8.95, as opposed to $13.40 at the Pancake Parlour).
We really enjoyed the food and went back again for brunch a couple of days later.
Here are some pictures of the tatsty things we tried.
Famous Long Stack ($8.95): 4 thick buttermilk pancakes served with your choice of whipped butter, cream or ice cream and maple syrup. Or you can have cream and ice-cream, as I did for $1 extra. These were really good pancakes. Robert tells me that the chocolate pancakes are not as good.
Strawberry Patch ($12.95): Buttermilk pancakes (or crepes) with fresh strawberries, cream, vanilla ice-cream and strawberry coullis.
Farmers Brunch ($14.95): Crepes filled with potato, bacon, egg, onion, cheese topped with a creamy cheese sauce and a mixed lettuce side salad.
Pork Ribs ($23.95): A huge rack covered in barbeque sauce, served with wedges. Robert enjoyed them, stating that the barbeque sauce was particularly excellent, and proclaimed that the wedges in Sydney were awesome.
Now I can tell you I wouldn't mind having a Pancakes on the Rocks in Melbourne. The excellent long stack with thick buttermilk pancakes I had was a damn lot better than the stingy stack I had at Pancake Parlour last week - which had thinner, flavourless pancakes and only a small scoop of cream, and Pancakes on the Rocks was much cheaper.
If you are in Sydney and want good pancakes in a nice setting then you should definitely try Pancakes on the Rocks. Established in 1975 its become something of an institution. Final words for the jukebox and video screens which were pretty cool.
www.pancakesontherocks.com.au
We went to the Darling Harbour location, being told by hotel staff that the original "Rocks" store is gone (not sure if this is true?) and arrive to a quiet, fairly new establishment with comfortable leather booth seating. Menus, with pictures of each dish, arrive and we order. Robert gets the ribs, Kat orders crepes and I order a long stack of pancakes (only $8.95, as opposed to $13.40 at the Pancake Parlour).
We really enjoyed the food and went back again for brunch a couple of days later.
Here are some pictures of the tatsty things we tried.
Famous Long Stack ($8.95): 4 thick buttermilk pancakes served with your choice of whipped butter, cream or ice cream and maple syrup. Or you can have cream and ice-cream, as I did for $1 extra. These were really good pancakes. Robert tells me that the chocolate pancakes are not as good.
Strawberry Patch ($12.95): Buttermilk pancakes (or crepes) with fresh strawberries, cream, vanilla ice-cream and strawberry coullis.
Farmers Brunch ($14.95): Crepes filled with potato, bacon, egg, onion, cheese topped with a creamy cheese sauce and a mixed lettuce side salad.
Pork Ribs ($23.95): A huge rack covered in barbeque sauce, served with wedges. Robert enjoyed them, stating that the barbeque sauce was particularly excellent, and proclaimed that the wedges in Sydney were awesome.
Now I can tell you I wouldn't mind having a Pancakes on the Rocks in Melbourne. The excellent long stack with thick buttermilk pancakes I had was a damn lot better than the stingy stack I had at Pancake Parlour last week - which had thinner, flavourless pancakes and only a small scoop of cream, and Pancakes on the Rocks was much cheaper.
If you are in Sydney and want good pancakes in a nice setting then you should definitely try Pancakes on the Rocks. Established in 1975 its become something of an institution. Final words for the jukebox and video screens which were pretty cool.
www.pancakesontherocks.com.au
Labels: Pancakes on the Rocks, REVIEWS: Interstate, Reviews: Tasty Treats
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Lindt Cafe (Sydney)
I do not know why we don't have a Lindt Cafe in Melbourne, but we should. Located at Darling Harbour, Sydney as well as a couple of other locations are these wonderful little chocolate cafes/ concept shops, selling and serving all things Lindt. From hot chocolate to gourmet cakes and ice-creams this place is a chocoholics dream.
I popped in with friends and enjoyed a great hot chocolate and some pretty good macaroons: amazing flavours and light shells, though the centres were a little hard. R&K had the seriously good-looking iced chocolate and some hand-made truffles which they sware were the best they have had.
Lindt Milk Hot Chocolate:
Macroons: Champagne Cream & Pistachio Delice.
So if you are in Sydney and want to treat yourself why not head to the Lindt Cafe for a little indulgence. You know you deserve it.
==============
And for those in Melbourne, don't despair, we have Koko Black (which Sydney does NOT) which also does seriously good hot chocolate and much more (review to come).
I popped in with friends and enjoyed a great hot chocolate and some pretty good macaroons: amazing flavours and light shells, though the centres were a little hard. R&K had the seriously good-looking iced chocolate and some hand-made truffles which they sware were the best they have had.
Lindt Milk Hot Chocolate:
Macroons: Champagne Cream & Pistachio Delice.
So if you are in Sydney and want to treat yourself why not head to the Lindt Cafe for a little indulgence. You know you deserve it.
==============
And for those in Melbourne, don't despair, we have Koko Black (which Sydney does NOT) which also does seriously good hot chocolate and much more (review to come).
Labels: Lindt Cafe (Sydney), REVIEWS: Interstate, Reviews: Tasty Treats
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Marque IV (Hobart)
As some of you may be aware I recently travelled to Tasmania for a short holiday/ foodie trip. Unfortunately I was only there for four days and was restricted largely to Hobart itself. That being said it was a very enjoyable trip. I visited a number of restaurants and cafes and enjoyed some wonderful produce including fresh Tasmanian salmon, cheeses, leatherwood honey and Bruny Island fudge as well as some good fish, chowder and local wines at various casual restaurants. I even visited the Cadbury factory which was a journey within itself.
Hobart really is a lovely city. It has a beautiful river setting and is fairly peaceful and full of lovely little cafes, markets, galleries and museums. Needless to say it was a great trip, and a good opportunity to explore a city that I had never visited before.
For my final night in Hobart I decided to visit a restaurant which I have read many good things about. It is a restaurant that literally stared me in the face each day I was in Hobart as it is conveniently located along the pier of the hotel where I was staying. That restaurant is Marque IV, perched along the base of the Elizabeth Street pier.
Marque IV gets its name as it is the fourth restaurant to have occupied its stunning waterfront location. Opening in 2005, Marque IV can best be described as a "Modern Australian" restaurant with a range of European and Asian influences throughout their food. It is modern, spacious, boasts fantastic views across the Derwent river, and is expensive, particularly by Hobart standards, with entrees around $25 and most mains at least $40. On the evening of my visit I opt for the degustation menu ($135), with matched Australian wines. This menu proves popular on the Friday night, with many surrounding tables also ordering this way. I don't think anyone could have been dissapointed with the offerings. Every course presented was absolutely stunning. The matched wines were also very good, and represented good value at only $45 extra for eight generous pourings. It goes to show that you don't need to pair expensive French and foreign wines with every course to create an excellent vinous adventure. The largely Tasmanian based selection worked exceptionally well with the meal.
This statement from their website accurately sums up the dining experience: "To dine at Marque IV is to expect contemporary fine dining, surrounded by waterfront harbour views. The atmosphere is suited to relaxation with friends and colleagues, the ultimate escapism. The ambience is understated, with starched linen, low lighting and subtle jazz filling the room." And most importantly the food is brilliant.
I am sure it is the food you are most interested in reading about though, so here we go:
Things start off with a crusty bread roll and a delicate dish of olive and chilli oil:
then:
Demi tasse of porcini mushroom, white bean, truffle oil and chives:
Seriosuly one of the most delicious things I have ever consumed. A creamy, fluffy, intense broth carefully flavoured by porcini and truffle. Orgasmic.
Wine: 2005 Milton Limited Release pinot noir chardonnay
Sashimi of Macquarie Harbour ocean trout, squid ink risotto, ginger and blood orange vinaigrette:
A tiny, fresh slice of ocean trout sitting on a perfect quinelle of sticky, squid ink risotto with dots of accompanying vinaigrettes on the plate. Very well executed.
Spring Bay baby abalone ceviche, zucchini flower, almond oil:
An exquisite dish. Paper thin slices of raw abalone are given a non-typical treatment, covered in a frothy dressing, finished with baby herbs and two perfectly fried segments of crispy zucchini flower and a drizzling of almond oil. Sublime.]
Wine: 2007 Clemens Hill sauvignon blanc
Seared Spring Bay scallops and red cooked brisket, Vietnamese salad lemongrass and lime leaf foam:
Another excellent dish. Two fresh, local scallops top a slab of slow cooked, tender brisket. The dish is sided by a fragrant herb salad and a magnificent lime, lemongrass foam. It is an excellent dish. I cannot really say much more.
Wine: 2007 Chartley Estate pinot gris
Caramelized pork belly, granny smith apple tapioca and candied walnuts:
A perfect cube of slow roasted pork, tender and gelatinous inside with perfectly crisp crackling. This is served atop a vibrant green apple puree and is finished with tapioca pearls that have been cooked with granny smith apples to provide colour and flavour. The dish is finished with two candied walnuts and some baby herbs to aid in presentation.
Wine: Derwent Estate pinot noir
Ashbolt elderflower 'champagne', Lark distillery gin sorbet and lime foam:
A yummy pallette cleanser with a difference. Presented as a cocktail it is sweet/ sour and very refreshing.
Carpaccio of cured King Island beef tenderloin, calamata olive mousse, sweet and sour courgette, pink eye potato wafers and salsa verde:
The main course. Four slices of the sweetest, most tender beef you could possibly want finished with an array of accompaniments; each of which makes the dish unique and amazing. I can still taste these flavours in the back of my mouth - the sweet and sour courgette complimenting the beef and the creaminess of the olive mousse. Once again, sublime.
Wine: 2006 Serafino cabernet sauvignon
'Sashimi' of mango, lychee and pickled ginger syrup:
So simple, yet so perfect. The freshest mango is given a wonderful treatment of sweet pickled ginger syrup and finished with some strawberry flakes and a fresh lychee. A dish to slowly pick apart and savour. Its all about freshness and seasonality and I love it.
Wine: 2000 Kreglinger Brut
Warm Valrhona Manjari tart, ginger syrup, muscatel and armagnac ice-cream:
Its rich and indulgent and really does taste every bit as good as it looks.
2005 Laurel Bank dessert riesling
I don't need to say too much more about the food. It is perfectly balanced in flavour, beautifully presented and tastes divine. Do yourself a favour and visit this place the next time you are in Hobart.
Marque IV serves inventive, quality food in a classy environment, with smart service to match. An exceptional restaurant in all aspects which is very hard to fault. Very Highly Recommended.
MY RATING: 18/20 - Food 9/10 Ambience 4.5/5 Service 4.5/5
www.marqueiv.com.au
Hobart really is a lovely city. It has a beautiful river setting and is fairly peaceful and full of lovely little cafes, markets, galleries and museums. Needless to say it was a great trip, and a good opportunity to explore a city that I had never visited before.
For my final night in Hobart I decided to visit a restaurant which I have read many good things about. It is a restaurant that literally stared me in the face each day I was in Hobart as it is conveniently located along the pier of the hotel where I was staying. That restaurant is Marque IV, perched along the base of the Elizabeth Street pier.
Marque IV gets its name as it is the fourth restaurant to have occupied its stunning waterfront location. Opening in 2005, Marque IV can best be described as a "Modern Australian" restaurant with a range of European and Asian influences throughout their food. It is modern, spacious, boasts fantastic views across the Derwent river, and is expensive, particularly by Hobart standards, with entrees around $25 and most mains at least $40. On the evening of my visit I opt for the degustation menu ($135), with matched Australian wines. This menu proves popular on the Friday night, with many surrounding tables also ordering this way. I don't think anyone could have been dissapointed with the offerings. Every course presented was absolutely stunning. The matched wines were also very good, and represented good value at only $45 extra for eight generous pourings. It goes to show that you don't need to pair expensive French and foreign wines with every course to create an excellent vinous adventure. The largely Tasmanian based selection worked exceptionally well with the meal.
This statement from their website accurately sums up the dining experience: "To dine at Marque IV is to expect contemporary fine dining, surrounded by waterfront harbour views. The atmosphere is suited to relaxation with friends and colleagues, the ultimate escapism. The ambience is understated, with starched linen, low lighting and subtle jazz filling the room." And most importantly the food is brilliant.
I am sure it is the food you are most interested in reading about though, so here we go:
Things start off with a crusty bread roll and a delicate dish of olive and chilli oil:
then:
Demi tasse of porcini mushroom, white bean, truffle oil and chives:
Seriosuly one of the most delicious things I have ever consumed. A creamy, fluffy, intense broth carefully flavoured by porcini and truffle. Orgasmic.
Wine: 2005 Milton Limited Release pinot noir chardonnay
Sashimi of Macquarie Harbour ocean trout, squid ink risotto, ginger and blood orange vinaigrette:
A tiny, fresh slice of ocean trout sitting on a perfect quinelle of sticky, squid ink risotto with dots of accompanying vinaigrettes on the plate. Very well executed.
Spring Bay baby abalone ceviche, zucchini flower, almond oil:
An exquisite dish. Paper thin slices of raw abalone are given a non-typical treatment, covered in a frothy dressing, finished with baby herbs and two perfectly fried segments of crispy zucchini flower and a drizzling of almond oil. Sublime.]
Wine: 2007 Clemens Hill sauvignon blanc
Seared Spring Bay scallops and red cooked brisket, Vietnamese salad lemongrass and lime leaf foam:
Another excellent dish. Two fresh, local scallops top a slab of slow cooked, tender brisket. The dish is sided by a fragrant herb salad and a magnificent lime, lemongrass foam. It is an excellent dish. I cannot really say much more.
Wine: 2007 Chartley Estate pinot gris
Caramelized pork belly, granny smith apple tapioca and candied walnuts:
A perfect cube of slow roasted pork, tender and gelatinous inside with perfectly crisp crackling. This is served atop a vibrant green apple puree and is finished with tapioca pearls that have been cooked with granny smith apples to provide colour and flavour. The dish is finished with two candied walnuts and some baby herbs to aid in presentation.
Wine: Derwent Estate pinot noir
Ashbolt elderflower 'champagne', Lark distillery gin sorbet and lime foam:
A yummy pallette cleanser with a difference. Presented as a cocktail it is sweet/ sour and very refreshing.
Carpaccio of cured King Island beef tenderloin, calamata olive mousse, sweet and sour courgette, pink eye potato wafers and salsa verde:
The main course. Four slices of the sweetest, most tender beef you could possibly want finished with an array of accompaniments; each of which makes the dish unique and amazing. I can still taste these flavours in the back of my mouth - the sweet and sour courgette complimenting the beef and the creaminess of the olive mousse. Once again, sublime.
Wine: 2006 Serafino cabernet sauvignon
'Sashimi' of mango, lychee and pickled ginger syrup:
So simple, yet so perfect. The freshest mango is given a wonderful treatment of sweet pickled ginger syrup and finished with some strawberry flakes and a fresh lychee. A dish to slowly pick apart and savour. Its all about freshness and seasonality and I love it.
Wine: 2000 Kreglinger Brut
Warm Valrhona Manjari tart, ginger syrup, muscatel and armagnac ice-cream:
Its rich and indulgent and really does taste every bit as good as it looks.
2005 Laurel Bank dessert riesling
I don't need to say too much more about the food. It is perfectly balanced in flavour, beautifully presented and tastes divine. Do yourself a favour and visit this place the next time you are in Hobart.
Marque IV serves inventive, quality food in a classy environment, with smart service to match. An exceptional restaurant in all aspects which is very hard to fault. Very Highly Recommended.
MY RATING: 18/20 - Food 9/10 Ambience 4.5/5 Service 4.5/5
www.marqueiv.com.au
Labels: Marque IV (Hobart), REVIEWS: Interstate
