Eat Like Ushi

After the Korean food overload in Melbourne over the past month (Gami, Bistro K, Chimac) it seemed natural to have some more albeit more traditional/standard. I'd even watched my first ever Korean cooking TV show on SBS in December (Sinae Choi's Korean Food Cult - interesting but I wouldn't overly recommend it). It's difficult justifying Canberra prices for some food items that we are used to seeing cheaply around, but unless you're going to make everything yourself there's nothing to do except suck it up.

Canberra's Chinatown/Asiatown suburb Dickson is lucky enough to have Cantonese, Vietnamese, Malaysia/Singapore, Korea and I'm sure others covered. Apparently they had an Ethiopian place that closed a few months ago (unfortunately) which is actually the main reason for going on this occasion. Nonetheless Korean it was.

As per the custom I discovered in Seoul in December 2008, Korean restaurants like to give a lot of free sides with the meal. Here we were presented with kimchi, beanshoots, grated potato and some sliced sausage & onions.

- Ddeokkochi (deep fried rice cake stick with spicy sweet chilli sauce) - my favourite dish of the lot. Sticks of rice cakes with crisp thin outsides and chewy gummy insides coated by chilli sauce. Fixed a rice cake craving;
- Dolsot-Bibimbap with Beef - stone pot with the usual array of vegetables. It was quite expensive (extra $3 for meat), the rice wasn't crispy on the bottom, I prefer raw egg and the gochujang sauce was very very mild. It was ok, but nothing I'd say was great;
- Haemul-Pajeon (seafood pancake) - a pancake/pizza/doughy concoction with some small squid and shrimp embedded. Again it was ok, but nothing all too great.

Next time I would order rice cakes and more rice cakes (or somehow learn to make them myself). I'd probably stick to a stew for a main as I tend to like Korean kimchi stews and they have a non-kimchi one with rice cakes!

It was a reasonably easy decision in the end. The fridge has nothing except vegetables, which would have made for an adequate dinner. But suddenly the realisation it was Chinese New Year dawned and it seemed a much better idea to go out to somewhere Asian (inspired at least). The choices for a short walk on a 35C evening came down to Wild Duck, Malamay and a local called Madam Woo. In the end Malamay won out due to the recent enamour with Sichuan food (just found out the Szechuan spelling is now obselete) and craving for mapo tofu.

I wasn't expecting any dragon dances or fireworks or the usual fanfare that is found in Chinatowns all over the world (or normal town in Asia) and given it was Canberra I wasn't expecting any Asian diners either. The latter could also be due to that Asians don't often go for higher end or fusion Chinese cuisine.

In any case the Burbury (not Burberry) Hotel hosts the restaurant. The entrance is sleek, books and wine bottles line shelves, the decor is mood lit and quiet and the air-conditioning is welcome. The degustation menu of signature dishes was recommened, but it seemed a little too much food that day.

- Crabmeat Croquette with Smoked Portobello - thin-crusted croquette with mild crab and manchego flavoured interior sitting on an even milder squid ink sauce. Slivers of portobello and cracks of Sichuan peppercorn completed the dish;
- Slow-Cooked Eggplant with Kombu & Chilli Oil - a really excellent exultation of soft eggplant flesh firmly supported by the skin, topped with thick konbu (Japanese spelling) sauce a sesame seeds and sitting in a pool of umami;
- Lamb Shoulder with Cumin & Salted Chilli - shredded lamb pieces in an interesting combination of cumin and black vinegar (I think?). There were pieces of chilli which had almost no detectable heat;
- White Fish with Mapo Tofu - nicely cooked and seasoned barramundi with medium tofu. It was difficult to see where the mapo part came in as it looked as far from it as you could get, with nothing visibly red or chilli. The sauce did have a little hidden kick to it, assumably ground Sichuan pepper or cooked with chilli then removed;
- Chocolate & Chilli Charcoal - strange frozen chocolate (again no detected chilli) mousse, refreshing lemon yoghurt roll, and salted pistachio & mandarin powder bits for crunchy texture. Not too bad overall.

The food flavours were good and more modern than any close resemblance to Sichuan food. There was a distinct lack of chilli impact, but I suppose it wouldn't be best for the business meetings, older Australians and fancy date nights that they probably market towards. The waiter did say that the best dishes for chilli were the Xian roast duck and Sichuan style chicken. I'd still go back again, although not before trying other places that may provide better value for money. Service is good, although we had 3 different waiters which is a bit strange.

Next time I would order the degustation to impress (but it doesn't have the Eggplant) or a la carte otherwise. The BBQ Lamb Ribs, Sichuan Chicken, Braised Oxtail and Xian Roast Duck all appeal to me.

Dainty Sichuan Food Box Hill - The Age Good Food Guide best new under $30. That accolade is enough to make someone want to go. After a recent unexpectedly good Sichuan experience in Canberra filled with numbing chilli, it seemed a good idea to try for a casual quiet lunchtime.

The food ordering process is 3 steps: 1) Select two broths in a ying-yang shaped pot. 2) Select the meat/fish/vegetables you want to self cook in your hotpot. 3) Select from the large variety of condiments/sauces to complement your meal.

Mine turned out to be oxtail and super spicy soup. Wagyu beef, mushrooms, lamb ribs skewers, (frozen) baby squid, mixed balls (squid, fish, meat). Condiments included coriander, spring onion, raw garlic, chilli sauce, sesame oil, sesame dipping sauce, and for some fun value, good old MSG.

What can I say - the super spicy soup is cough-inducing spicy. Oxtail soup tastes quite generic. They also top all soups up with the same murky yellow (MSG-laden I thought) stock. The ribs were good, the squid balls were smooth, all the rest was pretty ordinary. The sauces and condiments add to the flavour but none are really required. (Note adding MSG doesn't change the flavour a whole lot - perhaps that's an indication of how much is in there to begin with?)

It isn't all that cheap, it isn't all that fantastic. It is fun though, and a good way to spend time with people. Go for the right reason. I can't understand why else people would come here for the food itself.

(PS. It's quite possible their non-hotpot food is better. My preferred Sichuan meals have all been dishes, so maybe that's the difference.)

Driving back from Phillip Island on Australia Day Sunday was a hot and bothering affair. Whilst Rafa Nadal was losing to the coolest bandwagon player in town, Wawrinka, a late night dinner was happening at Cocoro (why they decided not to spell it Kokoro I'll never know). I'd long been wanting to go here. Since Anada on Gertrude St replaced one of my favourite small Japanese restaurants, Wabi Sabi Salon had been a reasonable local replacement. But Cocoro had it's own brand of followers and even though I'd walked past dozens of times, I'd never ventured in. Perhaps it was because I don't tend to try places which are cafes attached to shops as such.

Cocoro is definitely more a restaurant first and a place for displaying and showcasing Japanese pottery second. Shelves on the walls are lined with pottery product you can buy and each dish comes out handmade wares that attract its own fair amount of attention.

Besides food and pottery, Cocoro is also proud of its organic green tea. On a hot evening, iced green tea seemed like a good idea but I wouldn't recommend it. A lot of the flavour is lost in the coldness. Organic Black Honey Green Tea Latte on the other hand was smooth and quite sweet, and was served in an inspiring shaped mug.

- Grilled Sake & Soy Sauce Oysters - the oysters were quite small and heavily cooked. They had some strong soy saltiness that was fine, but also reminded me why I only really eat oysters raw;
- Takoyaki - nicely cooked with a more distinct soft nut-like texture different to the usual smooth paste inside. There was a tiny single sucker of octopus inside and a nice heaving of bonito for flavour. The wasabi in the mayonnaise wasn't detectable;
- Crab Sushi - excellent sushi rice wrapped in nori and topped with a smooth blend of mild crab meat. I actually liked the rice and nori more than the crab topping;
- Japanese-style Deep Fried Atlantic Salmon in garlic/ginger/soy/sake marinade - thin slices of smoothly crumbed salmon topped with mayonnaise. A healthier version of kara age I'm thinking.

Overall the food was good and satisfying but nothing I'd say that was outstanding or great. There is a lot of items on the menu, so everyone's Japanese taste can be covered here.

Next time I would order Natural Ponzu Oysters, Aburi Sashimi (although I rarely get sushi/sashimi from restaurants these days), and probably try something staple like Agedashi Tofu or the Beef & Tofu Stew. I'd also leave room for the dessert Green Tea Parfait, which I have high hopes for given their green tea tendencies and the quality of the green tea latte.

I've never been overly impressed with Japanese food in Melbourne. It's one of those things - once to have it in Japan, the quality and price difference is hard to stomach sometimes. Melbourne has a few decent ones of course - Shira Nui has nigiri omakase, Shoya has a nice set menu, Yokoyama has shiromi sushi, Izakaya Den has stylish grit, Koko has atmosphere, Yu-u I still haven't managed to get a second reservation to try - all have very high prices. Chuji is probably the only reasonably cheap one. Nonetheless Bone Daddies has kept my cravings along the lines of ramen, something I'm yet to find a good tonkotsu version here yet. Reading about the new places online, the ramen ones all have mediocre ratings. But light at the end seemed to be a relatively recent (2012) soba venture - something I've walked past in the week prior to eating there and haven't taken notice.

They pride themselves on homemade handmade soba with a buckwheat mill visible in the dining area. The staff are Japanese (adding authenticity) although given the raucous goodbyes, I now would somewhat expect the missing "irasshaimase" to be added.

They have a nice selection of sake and umeshu, including some cocktails. Like everywhere else, it is reasonably expensive but the umeshu range (my choice of Japanese drink poison) is better than I've seen anywhere in the western world.

- Agedashi Tofu - firm tofu, daikon, bonito shavings, spring onion in a strong salty dashi. Delicious;
- Kingfish Salada - tender sashimi slices with mixed salad and ponzu dressing;
- Takoyaki - good doughy texture but I hoped for more tako on the inside;
- Tempura Soba - a beautiful dashi-based miso soup, slightly chewy soba and some nice light prawn & vegetable tempura on the side (thank goodness not served dunked in the soup);
- Sake Pudding - creamy, sweet topped with yuzu citrus. Nice way to balance the meal at the end.

Overall a good experience, something different in Melbourne and something to hit the healthier noodle craving. Perhaps they'll branch out to tonkotsu ramen soon...

Next time I would order any of the soba dishes as well as the agedashi tofu (although if you get the hot soup soba, you might find the flavours of both too similar - but it's worth it). Everything else is optional.

One of the great foods in Germany (if not the only range) are large serves of roasted meats. Some people swear by sausages (of which I'd tend to say German isn't the best) but I think universally non-vegetarians agree that they can at least cook meat.

Harmonie German Club houses the Knuckles German Restaurant, which (surprise surprise) specialises in a roasted pork knuckle. Someone in the party has to have a club membership otherwise pay a $5 member fee (valid for 2 years) to attend.

- Salt & Pepper Prawns - medium-sized deveined prawns in a light batter. Batter and prawn meat both lacked some crispiness but flavour was ok;
- Schweine Haxe (roasted pork knuckle served with mashed potato, sauerkraut & gravy) - a rather large bone-in knuckle with soft gelatinous flesh and beyond-crispy skin. Worked well with the gravy or English mustard for my own preference. Mash was adequate as was sauerkraut;
- Semmel Knodel (Bavarian dumplings) - two dense doughy dumplings in gravy. Ok for carbohydrates but I've never been a fan of the Eastern European dumpling balls;
- Rot Kraut (red cabbage) - like the sauerkraut, a tangy intermission for the meat.

People only seem to come here for beer and pork knuckle. You can share a knuckle between two, but even skinny Aussie girls were having a whole one to themselves.

Next time I would order the Pork Knuckle. If you wanted an alternative (or were sharing), I'd be curious about the Wiener Schnitzel.

I haven't quite gotten used to the cafe culture in Canberra yet. It's quite well known that they lag behind Melbourne (and probably most cuisines). I'm almost afraid to order soy chai lattes for the fear of getting an over-syrupped and cinnamon concoction.

- Chahan (vego wrap, crisp sushi rice cake, avocado, beetroot, spanish onion, sesame dressing, mixed leaves, nori dusties) - essentially a large sushi wrap with some flavoursome sushi rice that had a crunchy crispy edge to it (oven or grill maybe?). Surprisingly plain and good;
- Foghorn Leghorn (free-range half Moroccan barbecue chicken, de-boned with seasoned wedges, herbed sour cream) - deep flavoured chicken with Middle-Eastern flair and decent juicy meat with some excellent spiced wedges although I wasn't a fan of the dill sour cream.

These were washed down with some typical freshly squeezed OJ and a banana brekkie smoothie, which tasty pretty heavy on vanilla ice-cream. The iced cafe that other people ordered looked delectable served in a large beer mug.

There's a lot of good looking food options here. Maybe I'll even try the chai latte next time. It's overall a bit expensive, but that's my welcome to Canberra.

Next time I would order the iced mocha or chai latte and try the Mekong burger or Nipper (fish & chips).

Canberra dining - a conundrum. A small city with a lot of expendable income, where very few people voluntarily come to. Consequently food is expensive no matter what you look for and no matter how cheaply it may be found elsewhere in Australia.

Even the online ratings are a little difficult to judge - you're always not quite sure what taste people have (if any) and when the discrepancy between a chain store in Canberra and other states differ in rating by 30-40% (ie. Canberrans rate it much higher), it makes you wonder...

In any case, it's uncommon that a reputed source such as the Good Food Guide (mostly known to me from The Age in Melbourne) gets finer dining completely wrong. I'm sure there are instances where (like Michelin) the name of the restauranteur has to be catered for more than the quality of food. I wouldn't think there are that many major toes in Canberra to step on.

Eightysix opened less than a year ago. Funnily enough it rated #3 in the Good Food Guide to Canberra for 2013 and landed itself a 73% Urbanspoon rating. Conundrum. Reading the comments, a few seem to relate to inappropriate tactile tactics from staff toward female patrons. It sounds strange. I think I'm safe.

The space is nice. Open kitchen with bar seating, rows of wine, a picture of MPW on the door in the kitchen and even outdoor area for warmer evenings. Our host leads offers the bar seating experience and identifies us as "86 virgins" (sounds like a dream waiting in heaven) before explaining the menu written across the restaurant wall. It's different and fun. People wander around to read the menu.

- Sous Vide Corn with Lime & Coriander - 75C for 45mins then charred and topped with grated cheese and salt crystals. Beautifully cooked and flavoursome. It was resting on a few salt crystals that made the occasional bite salty;
- Steak Tartare with Prawn Crackers - diced (not minced) steak mixed with a sauce of tabasco/wasabi/English mustard, topped with raw egg, onion, chives, salt and pepper. An unusual take on tartare with diced beef chunks eaten on prawn crackers. The taste of the sauce was also stronger than the usual relatively plain French-style. Not bad, just different;
- NZ Bream with lemon & green beans - 57C for 14min in olive oil, topped with salt crystals, pepper, blanched green beans, spring onion, parsley & lemon rind. Soft white fish that pulled apart easily but still kept some firm texture. The outside flesh tasted a little too salty though;
- Charcoal Chicken & Buttermilk Slaw - chicken legs sous vide 67C for 2hours with a long-list marinade of maple syrup, cumin/cinnamon/chilliother spices, and a cabbage/carrot slaw with walnuts, capers. Excellent juicy chicken with a savoury and slightly chilli/sweet edge. Skin wasn't crispy which would be my only other preference. It was topped with salt crystals which probably wasn't necessary;
- Caramel Popcorn Sundae - salted caramel icecream, salted caramel sauce, crispy caramel pieces, salty popcorn and a cone. Gorgeous icecream in a fun dessert. A little too much salt crystals on the bottom.

The food was very well cooked and presented with good portion control. My only recurring theme criticism would be the heavy handed addition of salt (maybe this is a local preference?). At the start of the meal we were given a small dish of salt crystals for our own use. Each of the dishes had full salt crystals sprinkled on top which made each a little over salty (except probably the tartare where it is necessary).

Service was really excellent. Two female hosts spoke to us briefly through the night to see how things were. Two young male chefs preparing food in front of us provided some slapstick entertainment as well as genuine interest in informing about the food and cooking methods. They also gave us extra prawn crackers and ice-cream cone without us asking. A few groups of (attractive) young females weren't getting any additional attention or unwanted advances. Overall a good experience.

Next time I would order some corn and the Charcoal Chicken again. Black Pig (jamon, figs, peaches) looked like a great sharing starter and the whole Lamb Shoulder to share looked heavenly if you had 4-6 people.

07-2015

It has been a long time in between trips to eightysix. I remember the great food last time with a little too much salt. I was keen to see what had changed in that time.

The first thing I noticed was the menu is now also in paper form as well as on the back blackboard. I suppose too many people complained about having to arch their necks and backs to see what was on offer. Unfortunately didn't get any photos so it'll just have to remain in imagination.

- Duck bun with hoisin sauce $8ea - very thin open bun with a small amount of duck meat. Tasted nice but too expensive for the portion;
- Steak tartare with prawn crackers $24 - seemed much more plain than last time reading about it. The diced beef was mixed with a raw egg to top the prawn crackers. Simple and tasty;
- Calamari agnolotti with angel hair chilli $34 - 4 deep fried parcels with crispy outsides and a pretty non-distinctive inside. The topping with angel hair chilli made it special but still too expensive for the offering;
- Black chicken with slaw $40 - an excellent two marylands of beautifully cooked chicken with a thick marinade coating the skin. Served with slaw;
- Beef cheek with potato mash $35 - a perfectly delicate sous-vide cheek with gelatin and flavour. Outstanding.

The $66 lamb shoulder and an interesting spaghetti with "lots of truffles" $50 await me for next time. I was really glad to see the salt has reduced but the flavours remain great. Very impressed.

Possibly the best after midnight food whilst out and about (which usually also involves recovering or an intermission from a big night of spirits) is the souvlaki. It could well be the best in the world out of all I've tried. From Istanbul's islak burger, Adelaide's Ab(ortion), dimsum in Hong Kong, various doner/shawarma from Europe/Middle East, they all have in common the same heavy rich flavour and the regret of indigestion in the morning. I even tried a few specialty types in Turkey, including one comprised of lamb brain, tongue and cheek (sogus kebab) in Izmir. I've been around.

Nonetheless, like all good things, they seem a fantastic idea at the time. Looking for one good enough to eat during normal hours and sober is the best test.

London certainly lacked a souvlaki. Outside of Greece, kebabs are Turkish-inspired and I certainly had my local favourite known simply as Best Kebabs in Whitechapel and a more upmarket one in Elephant & Castle that served as stomach lining prior to Ministry of Sound. Even in Greece itself, the gyros (yiros) uses pork or chicken. My favourite of all-time still has to be the pork at Bairaktaris in Athens, a place I nearly left the airport during a 2.5 hour break just to get. The authentic souvlaki in Greece use pork and chips in a wrap, which is a far cry from the Melbourne ones I was introduced to in 1998.

I was impressed to see a specialty souvlaki shop opening in Collingwood but none other than George. I hoped it would be better than the last one I remember by Anthony Koutoufides, which reportedly didn't use a spit.

- steamed Jimmy Dimmy - fat soft versions of siu mai, simple tasty and moist;
- chips, garlic oil, feta, oregano - the same winning formula from Gazi with the feta adding an uplifting richness to the chips;
- Mr Papadopoulos souvlaki (lamb, mustard aioli, chips, onions, parsley) - delicate chunks of lamb with basic flavour, although lacking the crisp intense flavour hits I'm used to. More refined, horses for courses;
- The Patris souvlaki (prawns, attiki honey, mayo, cucumber, mint, coriander) - wasn't really a fan. Flavours were ok, but I suppose I'm looking for something stronger in a souvlaki.

Some people say the sizes are not the same inflated size as other places in Melbourne. It's a good thing - one of these with a few little side shares is enough for a person. It isn't open until late so it would be unlikely you'd be drunk stumbling in here (unlike Stalactites), but it serves a more gourmet one. If you want big size and heavy flavour, I'd go somewhere else.

Next time I'd order Mr Papadopoulos and a side of chips. I'd be tempted to try the Nonna Maria (chicken) to see what kind of flavour the gyros has. If you haven't been to Hellenic Republic or haven't made it yourself, try the Grain Salad.

05-2015

It's been a long 16 months since my first and only visit to Jimmy Grants. After a few drinks in the city, I was actually in the mood for Messina, however after seeing the 50 person queue, my hunger changed to settle on a souvlaki and chips.

Vaguely recalling my only being moderately impressed the first time, I ordered another Mr Papadopoulus and chips. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe my tastes have changed, but these were fantastic. The souvlaki had once again super tender morsels of lamb, without the crispy parts still, but with excellent succulence and rich not-overly-salty taste. The chips were fresh, crisp and zingy with feta.

I'll remember this time more than the first and be back.

The staff at the Underwater Centre: Dive Seychelles made daily trips to Sagittaire for lunch - a local cafeteria-style takeaway that cooks fantastic French-Creole dishes for around AUD5. The dishes vary from kari beef, spare ribs, pork and vegetables, sweet chilli chicken and an excellent but spicy fish salad. You can select one or two main dishes to be served with rice, sauce and chilli topped cabbage.

What was more fantastic was the fried banana cake. Although not available every day, the sweet soft rich heavenly taste of overripe bananas was seductive. On healthier days Sagittaire offered a baked version which was less sweet and moist, but still an adequate replacement.