Eat Like Ushi

I'm starting to explore South Yarra a little more as the site of my new workplace. I wandered for the first time through Prahran market which is unexpectedly shiny and not as ridiculously expensive as I thought. Despite the allure of the mussels and falafel stands, I instead crossed the road to find Third Wave and its good reputation for smoked meats and burgers.

The menu reads like a junk food dream - smoked ribs and chicken, unhealthy sounding burgers and shakes.

The lunch menu had good value meals including my choice of the Meat Lovers $16.5 - plain tasting brisket which was soft in parts and less so in others, nice smoked glazed chicken wings and delicious slightly chilli dry-spiced thick beef ribs. The Que You Spicy BBQ sauce had a deep sweet flavour and there was distinct horseradish in the mayo.

The blackforest shake (chocolate, cherries, vanilla) $10.9 sounded right up my alley but it wasn't as thick as advertised, didn't have any chunks (which I'd expect from real cherries blended) and was surprisingly light in colour (possibly mostly vanilla).

Next time I would order the Chicken Chicken set or Juicy Lucy or Oh Mamma burger for lunch. For dinner I'd try the pork ribs or lamb shoulder for dinner. I'd then be able to judge if I liked these over these more than the beef ribs. I'd wash it down by trying the Nutella or Bounty shakes.

I'd read many great reviews about Belle's, moreso from essential Melbourne eats for 2015. As much as I go through chicken phases (whether it be Nando's, local roasts from various shops and supermarkets, the occasional KFC) I must admit that in recent years chicken doesn't excite me like other meats. It may be my own shift to slow cuts and there really isn't any slow cooking chickens (if you exclude the brining, smoking and ridiculous low heats of Heston).

Belle's may have garnered a little more interest for me when I heard a girl I know may have been dating the family member of whoever started up Belle's (maybe her name is Belle?).

There was an initial decision to eat a leftovers home lunch, but this changed by the coincidence of driving along Gertrude Street at lunchtime and so it began.

- Cardamom lemonade $6 - housemade tart lemonade with a mild hint of cardamom. Refreshing;
- Fried oysters with pickled fennel & ranch $18 - small crisp oysters but losing the ocean flavour I enjoy them so much for;
- Dark meat (drumstick & thigh) with 3 bean salad, red peppers & dill $18 - great meat, extraordinarily crispy batter coating with nice flavour. The salad was a little bland compared to the spice of the batters;
- Tenders with old bay fries $16 - very soft chicken pieces with a slightly softer batter. Good fries with a similar spice mix.

I'm not sure what the spice coating is but I'd think it contains salt, pepper, milk powder (or some kind of cheese powder which is the aftertaste I had) and paprika. I'm sure there's another 20 spices in it that I can't discern. 

I ordered medium heat which was quite minimal. Housemade hot sauce provided quite a kick of vinegar and a definite extra bit of chilli. To me it seemed similar to Nando's periperi but less thick. It wasn't unpleasantly hot but I didn't think I needed it for the fries nor chicken, but others who like dipping things may disagree.

Thanks for redeeming my faith in chicken.

Next time I would order dark meat with old bay fries and an extra wing or tender. I might try hot instead to medium to see how well I handle it.

03-2016

I was in the area for a housewarming and the icing on the cake was the thought of the opportunity to return to Belle's. On this occasion the new items tried were the special of Mac & Cheese (very thick, cheesy with distinct bacon taste and not overly rich) and Wings with Pickles (wings had great flavour and crunchy coatings and the pickles were nice too but probably a bit too much considering the dishes come with 4 pickles already).

I also had the dark meat with fries and it reinforced my preference for fries over another side (although if dining alone, another/additional side may be necessary to offset the salty heavy flavours) and also how much I like the dark meat's combination of crisp seasoning but also chunks of pure meat (which the wings don't have). Both are great but I'd probably give the edge to the dark meat, as 4 wings seemed like potentially too much flavouring. I also went for medium again and so will need the upgrade to hot as I felt barely any heat at all.

Iced tea had a sweet strong peppermint flavour and I enjoyed it more than the cardamom lemonade from last visit.

This trip reaffirmed my thoughts of Belle's having some of my favourite (and the best) chicken I've eaten anywhere.

My first experience with Dainty Sichuan was quite a disappointing one (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/dainty-sichuan-food-melbourne-01-2014). It was the Box Hill branch and for lunch we had a hotpot that seemed more MSG than quality. I left wondering how this chain had received accolades proclaiming some of the best food in Melbourne and if their a la carte dishes would be better. Since then I have enjoyed Hunan and Sichuan food more. I enjoy it much more than the typical Cantonese that most people associate with Chinese food. Even though Mao's on Brunswick Street and their fried mantou only lives in my dreams, the many dumpling places and Red Chilli Sichuan (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/red-chilli-sichuan-canberra-12-2013) helped this along much over the past 2 years.

Finally I booked at the mothership in South Yarra to see

- Bang Bang Chicken (chilli & Szechuan pepper, sweet & sour) $19.8 - a cold dish of delicious chicken and vegetables slivered together;
- Cumin lamb ribs $26.8 - as usual my favourite with thick (fatty) pieces of meat and great potent flavour;
- Fish-flavoured eggplant (pickled chilli, sweet & sour) $19.8 - not really fishy, but just good eggplant fried with soft insides;
- Fried pork slices $28.8 - tasty pork without too much fat served with chewy bits of bread;
- Fried fish $42.8 - the fish was nice and like many Sichuan places, when served with that many chillies, they aren't actually hot. Some of the vegetables in it are a little oddly textured.

It may be obvious that the ribs and eggplant were my choice (as would mapo tofu if I had my way) and I liked these dishes the best. I don't mind pork belly and fried fish but have noticed in Sichuan places I don't tend to like them as much (and if the added bits like vegetables and breads aren't that good, the price becomes higher than it already is).

I think it would be silly to suggest they don't enhance flavours with the good old 621. I've even heard suggestions that some of these restaurants (not Dainty Sichuan specifically) may re-use chillies (otherwise they go through a LOT) and that could be why some dishes with so many chillies aren't actually that hot. I couldn't refute either of these claims but suffice to say the food tastes very good and I'll be back hopefully at a time when I have more control over the ordering.

In the meantime, where's my Fuchsia Dunlop books?

I'm starting to like it around here. Maybe it's the cheap produce at the markets or the cheap ethnic variety of restaurants around. I kinda like the new place I'm living in too if I'm honest. I don't think I'd heard of Seddon (let alone ever been there) up until a couple of weeks ago. It's a pleasant area with quite a lot of cafes within a small proximity and somewhere I can see hipster-ing up in the near future (some are there already).

Mixed in there is a well rated Japanese place. After my recent return to Samurai (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/samurai-melbourne-01-2016) some extra cheap Japanese food wouldn't go astray. Since I had to pickup nearby dry cleaning (the reason I visited Seddon for the first time) lunch was a good idea.

- Agedashi tofu (with ground ginger & daikon in sweet dashi) $9 - the winter warmer and pleaser is very nice here. The tofu has a crisp outside and the dashi is extremely strong;
- Tonkatsu (panko-coated home-made deep fried pork with spiced sauce) $11 - nice and crunchy although a little small for the price;
- Shabu-shabu udon (chicken salad with shabu-shabu style sesame dressing) $15 - I'll admit I thought it would be a hot dish and didn't read the description properly. The chicken was ok, minimally on the dry side and the dressing quite savoury;
- Soupless soba (sesame-fried fried, niku-beef & egg) $15 - I do like cold soba noodles with sesame dressing generally. This had much less sesame flavour but instead the specks of pink ginger really made it delicious. I liked it a lot.

I'll definitely be back for some cheapish Japanese fare. I don't think the sashimi smash will live up to legendary chirashi at Ume Nomiya on Gertrude Street (any hipsters heard of that place?) but I can dream. Additionally kara age, tempura and takoyaki staples will need to also be tested.

I knew that Konjo sounded familiar but I couldn't place it. Even the tribal orange coloured sign looked familiar. It wasn't after the meal when the host said there was a branch in Collingwood did it make sense. I'm sure I've been once on Smith Street.

Considering the much more well known Lalibela is next door, it's a curious question why I ended up in Konjo. Two reasons - I needed to use credit card that day (and Lalibela is cash only) and I had read Konjo had a buffet for around $15 per head. In the end Konjo didn't have a buffet. Looking now at the website the buffet is only Friday and Saturday lunches but the a la carte isn't much more expensive anyway.

As three of us were eating, we ordered three dishes which were served together. The injera is dark and so extra sour. It isn't for the faint hearted or those very new to Ethiopian cuisine. Indeed once when I bought a pack of 5 (for $5!!) from Flemington Road I couldn't eat them all due to sour overload (and they don't keep long at home before mould or drying out in the fridge). However for a once off meal, the extra tang really does bind the flavours of the dishes together.

- Beyeinatu (6 vegetable sampler) $14 - a colourful assortment of split peas, lentils and vegetables. None were individually great (often I find one of the vegie dishes supreme) but a good combination for variety;
- Lamb misto $14 - half lamb kai wot (spicy stew in onions, garlic and berbere which I liked more) and half lamb alicha (non-spicy stew with potatoes, carrots cooked in turmeric, onions & garlic);
- Doro Wot (single piece of chicken marinated in lemon, simmered in onion, garlic & spice blend with a hard boiled egg) $16 - they told me this was hot and having made it from scratch before I can attest that it can be fiery. However this version was very mild and sweet which was unexpected. I think I do prefer the hotter more savoury version.

I did like the extra tangy injera and will next time request that at all Ethiopian places. Overall I have liked the stews at Lalibela and The Abyssinian better previously.

Next time I would order the beyeinatu (for vegetables and contrast) and the lamb kai wot or try the half/half (beef tibs and rare kitfo) or the fried lamb derek tibs. It's a communal eating experience so there should be opportunity to order several types. Otherwise there's always the buffet option!

I've found myself a favourite new traditional Korean food place in Melbourne. Honestly I haven't been to that many, but Arisoo has taken over Seoul Soul as my local in Abbotsford and so until I find another I'll be happy here.

I'd walked past a few times and it was good to see some diversity opening in Victoria Street instead of the endless similar Vietnamese cuisines. There's even a Singaporean place near eLounge which I thought the area was missing for a while. One of the things that attracted me to Arisoo in the first place was the offer of fried chicken, which Seoul Soul doesn't have. Chimac has it too but for some reason it seems to be closed quite often when I'm around and the normal Korean dishes appeal more to me than Chimac's fusion Mexican fare.

I've started drinking sikhye (Korean rice punch) at most places which here reminds me of a sweet barley drink. In other places it tasted more cinnamon like horchata. The Korean meal tradition of giving out lots of little accompaniments is preserved here with tangy kimchi, beanshoots and some crunchy vegetables.

- Kimchi Pancakes with onions & soy sauce $10 - nice crisp outsides with chewy middles. These were fine but I don't tend to be much of a pancake person generally;
- Vegetable japchae (stirfried sweet potato starch noodles with mushrooms, chives, carrots & onions) $13 - I really like the distinct chewy gummy texture of sweet potato noodles. No others I've had are like it and I'm a growing fan;
- Spicy soft tofu stew with seafood $15 - delicious piping hot broth to ladle over rice with small bite-sized pieces of seafood;
- Original & soy garlic fried chicken $17 - very good crunchy outsides and lovely thick sauce on the soy & garlic. I preferred the flavoured over original but either is fine. I'd be interested to try the seasoned (spicy) but I do tend to find spicy KFC too hot for me generally.

The food is extremely good. I probably wouldn't get the pancakes again (they usually aren't my preference) but any of the other 3 dishes along with the hot stone bibimbap or tteokbokki rice cakes would be perfect.

On Christmas eve I revisited the old haunt of Gertrude Street in search of breakfast. The intent was to try Archie's (closed), then Hammer & Tong (also closed) and so ended up at a less frequented area to the corner shop of Addict.

- Potato hash & mushroom duxelle (with roasted field mushroom, a poached egg & caramelised onion) $18 - I first heard of a mushroom duxelle during the 1st season of Junior Masterchef (cooked during a beef wellington from memory). I succumb to fried potatoes in all forms and so the dish seemed appropriate. The duxelle wasn't too strong a flavour and the hash was quite mild too (possibly a result of being thick and so less fried surface area). It seemed a little small to satisfy me (or maybe I'm used to huge breakfast plates).

Soy chai was served in pot. It smelled spiced but wasn't very strong and didn't detect much ginger.

I'm still keen to try their breakfast for 2 and the Ssamjang glazed roast pork belly.

Over the Christmas period, my brother was really keen to try a new brunch spot called Archie's. The first time we tried it was closed. Hmm. We ended up at Addict. The second time we tried, he was convinced it would be open - "it says so on the website". It was closed. We ended up at Arcadia.

This third time (without my brother) I walked down Gertrude Street and coincidentally saw it open for business and ready to try. I was hoping the name was a tribute to Archie comics (Betty, Veronica, Reggie and Jughead etc.) but I fear not.

The menu looks to have a few different items to most cafes I see these days. This is always a good sign.

- Huevos sucios (dirty eggs) (with tater tots, jalapeno spiked Monterrey Jack, avocado and tomatillo salsa, black beans, fried eggs, chipotle mayo) $17.5 - for some reason I missed the words tater tots and ordered hash browns as well. The potato overload was delicious with crisp outsides and lots of flavour (both taste identical btw). The rest of the items were fine, although I couldn't really taste any jalapeno, spiciness or cheese. As a carb person, I would've liked it (and I thought it was going to) come with bread;
- Dark chocolate, raspberry smoothie $9 - a very nice rendition, not quite as fantastic as Cupping Room's cherry version, but still hit the spot.

There's a few more dishes I'd like to savour here - crispy poached eggs with kimchi & enoki or Godmother chilli scrambled eggs in particular. I'll be back.

05-2016

During a late afternoon stroll along Gertrude Street, I was peckish. There was a dinner coming up so at 4:30pm not only did I feel like something small, most places would be closed by then.

Luckily Archie's was serving and I suppose I recognise the All Day reference since I didn't know they also stay open through to dinner. My great first impression a few months back was reinforced along this visit.

The same dark chocolate and raspberry smoothie washed down an excellent croissant they filled with gruyere cheese and really flavoursome ham ($9.5). Salad of roasted cauliflower, salted zucchini, golden raisins, mint, quinoa and tahini ($16.5) was also a great combination of textures and flavours with tangy sumac spice to layer it.

I didn't get to try so many of the dishes I wanted from last visit so this was just a brief boost to keep my interest up.

I was there at the start. That's what the hipsters say apparently. Well considering I lived above the cafe there aren't many who can say they were there before me. Before the crowds. Before the next door area opened. Before the staff changed over (however many times). All the way back in 2009 when my housemate said "the cafe downstairs is actually quite good" and I'd then stop in for a meal after night shifts (I'd usually hold off passing by Proud Mary, Fatto Mano, Arcadia, Birdman and De Clieu but succumb by the time I got home.

Does anyone remember the blonde guy with curly hair who kept a pen behind his ear?

In any case, over the past few years away, I think I'd noticed the standard wasn't as good. Perhaps the menu hadn't progressed whilst so many other new cafes had come. They still served the best chai latte full of ginger flavour but the food was less inventive.

During mid-2015 I found myself returning there. Eggs in Hell (grilled polenta, spicy chorizo ragu, poached eggs, fior de latte & basil) $19.5 was a nice new dish with clean flavours, nice chorizo sauce and polenta serving as the new bread. It was good and may have reigned in a new chapter.

Fast forward to January, when an unexpected visit to Melbourne left me needing a pick-me-up breakfast and another new dish caught my eye - Chilli Scrambled Eggs (fried chilli & soybean scrambled eggs on toast, pickled shiitake mushrooms, crispy shallots, chilli oil, fresh coriander & pork belly) $23. Now this dish is sensational - strongly flavoured oils, salt and chilli rolling together and complemented by coriander. The pork belly is crisp, tender and full of flavour. I had it twice within a week on two separate visits to Melbourne and both were memorable. Considering the dish is relatively Asian inspired, I'm not sure how the bacon option would go.

I'd only order this dish if you like strong flavour - I've heard it may be too potent for others with more sensitive palates.

Welcome back Three Bags Full.

As I progressively and slowly eat my way through each of Melbourne's ramen places (it's harder than you think when you don't live in the same city).

One of the more interesting things I'd read was the yuzu tonkotsu which I haven't heard of previously, and the bright green eye-catching broth.

It was a quiet weekday lunch just before Christmas and I plonked myself in a corner at the front counter to keep nicely in my own solitude. I'd mention the multitude of customisations offered but you can clearly see it in the photo.

The yuzu tonkotsu broth is different and excellent (what the hell happened to my photo??? - now replaced with a later eggless version with pork belly instead). There's a distinctive spicy pepper with a touch of citrus. It's quite delicious. The broth was reasonably thick, but I'd need to order the baseline tonkotsu to directly compare it to Bone Daddies. The chashu is nice, soft and not overly fatty. What's more impressive is the free serve of extra noodles if you want it - just to ensure you are as full as possible. The extra serve is delivered when requested and piping hot to even warm up the broth again slightly.

Of the places in Melbourne tried thusfar, Hakate Gensuke is my favourite standard tonkotsu but that could well be only because I haven't tried it at Ikkoryu. The yuzu version could well be my overall favourite. I still want to try their original tonkotsu (set the standard), black garlic (because I always crush extra raw garlic into my tonkotsu) and spicy tobanjan (always reminds me of Iron Chef Chen Kenichi) so I'm going to have to be social and go with other people so I don't miss out.

05-2016

I went back one evening to try the black garlic. It reaffirmed the quality of broth, decent noodles and meat and overall satisfaction. The black garlic has a deep savoury flavour as compared to the yuzu that is spicy and tart. I can't say which one I like better, but overall probably I'd give the slight edge to the yuzu.