Eat Like Ushi

For my mother's birthday I wanted to pick something a cuisine she wouldn't usually go for. In fact the last time I took her to something similar was the incredible Pitt Cue Co in London (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/pitt-cue-co-london-08-2012-12-2012). Fast forward 3.5 years later and it was a good time to take her for more American-style BBQ. I read that there was live music that evening and I did have some reservations of loud music and the inability to hear each other. This was confirmed walking through the front door but abated when heading through to the more dedicated dining section at the back.

Unfortunately it seems the BBQ jackfruit on the online menu was not available anymore (or seasonal - that may mean they use fresh rather than canned fruit which is great?) so had to make do without it.

- Trio dips $10 - lovely tortilla chips with a tangy spicy salsa fresca, plain unadulterated guacamole & thick cheesy cerveza con queso;
- Texas Fries (chopped jalapenos, melted cheese, spring onion, chipotle aioli, pit chilli beans) $16 - heavy seasoned but delicious combination of fries and chilli. I'd usually expect some beef mince but this was fine without it;
- Southern Fish Stew (crispy skin barramundi, tiger prawns, local pipis & potatoes) $30 - a slightly lighter dish of excellent fish and a few seafood and other garnishes in nice thick sauce/broth;
- Sunday Roast (beer brine roast poussin, celeriac puree, braised Brussel sprouts, heritage carrots, Americana popover) $25 - a tender bird with some very fine caramelised Brussel sprouts. The popover (assuming that is the equivalent of an English Yorkshire pudding) was quite disappointing though being chewy and not that useful other than a vessel for some sauces;
- BBQ Beef Brisket $20 - exceptionally tender meat which went well alone or with the chilli sauce;
- BBQ Lamb Ribs $15 - the meat was good however the thick slabs of fat surrounding it meant picking for morsels;
- BBQ sides - chipotle coleslaw $4 (standard), German-style potato salad $4 (a bit plain), smoked mac & cheese with bacon crumb $5 (nice and slightly heavy).

Unfortunately the pulled lamb was sold out that evening, but I'd select that over the lamb ribs next time. I'm interested to try the pork ribs too as I think The Gem would handle them very well. Otherwise anything else they serve I'll be happy to eat.

Upon leaving the live band had started kicking off and some swing dancing was happening. A lovely scene.

In an area I'm not used to visiting, this electric coloured building and decor serves delicious Vietnamese food. The price point is a bit high (perhaps reflective of the location off Chapel Street) but I had no issues with the flavours. At 630pm on Tuesday the place had lots of spare tables and a smattering filled up closer toward 730-8.

The lemongrass and ginger hot tea served on arrival was refreshing, cleansing and healing.
Roll your own BBQ pork (thit nuong) served with peanut sauce ($4 per roll) was a bit small but tasted good.
Pomelo salad was sensational with some prawns and nuoc mam.
Rockling with dill and caramelised pork belly were also fine dishes (rockling with dill seemed more unique for Vietnamese cuisine to me).
Special of Eggplant claypot had nice flavour with a tangy sauce.

All dishes we had were served with some kind of carbohydrate (rice, rice paper, noodles) and some salad with herbs and dipping/pouring sauce.

Paid $45 for food (+ tea) which seemed very reasonable overall.
No photos this time.

During the lunch intermission of a private Hue city tour, the driver took us to a restaurant. After sitting down I saw the table of mature-aged German tourists wowing over an ornate food sculpture being brought out. Hmm... it looked slightly familiar. The menu seemed very tourist orientated and we decided to leave. Upon walking outside, a horde of many tour buses stopped and the swarms began. I'm glad we left. I then recalled my booking at Tien Gia Vien for the next day which is the better reputed version of that restaurant we departed.

In any case the tour driver and guide seem perplexed by us leaving. What did we want to eat for lunch then? I asked them to take us to somewhere they eat for lunch. Off we went.

Huyen Anh was located in a hidden location behind a petrol station. There were inside and outside seating areas and I was the only non-Vietnamese person there. They specialise in thit nuong - the grilled meat that makes the dish bun thit nuong so phenomenal. The meat at this place was charred and flavoured to an exceptional level. After tasting it in a dish, I had to order more of the grilled meat on its own (served with salad and sauce anyway).

What luck to find such a place.

In a quiet street close to the hotel, Nina's was the choice for a slightly smaller dinner. The food is lovely home-style served that evening by one of the daughters of the house. The cooking and flavour is lovely and a great dining choice for any time of day.

- Nina's Special Soup;
- Khoai Pancake (shrimp, pork, bean sprouts served with a peanut sauce) - similar to banh xeo;
- Fried Fish cooked traditionally (similar to spring rolls) - fried rice paper rolls rather than the typical coating.

Once getting off the bus from Hoi An to Hue, the afternoon leg stretch included a search for the more potent Vietnamese soup noodles. The hotel reception recommended a place which was a decent walk along some quiet roads and to a neighbourhood place.

I can't honestly remember the name of this place, so if anyone recognises it please let me know!

It's been a long time since I actually visited Boudin. In researching my food venues for the trip, Boudin and their chowder in sourdough was extremely highly regarded. The first Boudin I walked past was at Fisherman's Wharf, complete with the artistic and impressive animal designs in the shop window.

I was enroute to dinner at Ferry Plaza so didn't stop in, but managed to sample Boudin's fare the next day (at a location that I can't precisely recall).

The sourdough revolution hit Melbourne around the time of extreme brunch cafe culture circa 2009 and I was there to embrace it. It was a farcry from the supermarket sourdough I was made to eat back in the early 90s when my mum tried to take wheat out of my diet (N.B I'm aware now that sourdough is still wheat based). Of all the types I've tried around various cafes and bakeries in Australia, none has yet surpassed my experience at Boudin - the crusty bowl exterior, the soft spongy bread and the unmistakable tangy sour taste that I search for. Other than the bread, the chowder isn't bad either.

A fantastic dish and one I look forward to revisiting. Next time I'll be sure to take some bread home too. My sourdough journey continues.

I've only heard of Maidstone previously when I met a girl who lived there. This was all the way back in 1998 and the only reasons I remember this (and her name) is because she was exceptionally cute and we happened to be in the same Chemistry class at The School for Excellence. Sadly that was the only time I saw her but life moves on 18 years later.

With great enthusiasm I found myself heading to this mysterious suburb in search of a South American restaurant. It's located on a small strip of shops and there is nothing else there to go for (in the evenings at least). The hosts are from El Salvador (I think I recall) and the food seems to represent the Central and South American continent. The mural photos on the walls are particularly interesting to look at and make a trip to South America the highest travel priority (as it has been for a few years).

My favourite a Latin drink in horchata started things off. After trying it first in the Mission districts of San Francisco (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/poc-chuc-san-francisco-10-2011) and then the mothership of Valencia (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/horchateria-de-santa-catalina-valencia-10-2013). I imagine this one was made with rice milk and cinnamon (although I've read El Salvador use morro seeds, whatever they are) and less likely the tigernuts that I saw in Valencia. In any case the drink is nice, refreshing and not syrupy at all. There is a bit of textural grit to it (which I don't mind) suggesting perhaps it is ground seeds? The guava smoothie was also very nice and seemed freshly made also and not poured from some bottle. It wasn't overly sweet either which is always good.

- Platanos Fritos (madura plantains served with refried beans & sour cream) $8.5 - London introduced me to fried plantains at the Saturday Upmarket in Shoreditch and since then I've wanted them every opportunity I get. Although quite expensive for the amount of actual plantain, they were delicious and sweet. The beans and sour cream are unnecessary in my mind and just detract from the main star;
- Parrillada Pa'Dos (sizzling plate of asado beef with chicken ribs, spanish chorizo, prawns, quail & vegetables served with chimichurri salad) $40 - a big plate of meat which could've used extra chimichurri given the volume. In order of favourites, the beef asado was an exceptional cut of 2 beef shortribs, tender, flavoured and outstanding. The chicken wings were similarly nicely seasoned and grilled. The prawns, quail and two little chorizos were all ok but not nearly as memorable as the other two (particularly the rib).

I got a $2 side of tortillas which made it more fun to eat the meat in a wrapped form.

There's a few dishes that sound good for next time. I'd probably lean towards a main with the beef shortribs (if available, the Guanacos Carne Asada seems closest but not the same) or the chicken (porcion de pollo).

There aren't many places who serve "modern Malaysian" cuisine, but Blue Chillies has been doing it for years. I stumbled across here with my parents probably around 2001 with my last meal there somewhere between 2007-2009. Although the years have gone by and the owners have changed hands (the floor and management staff may be the same), I still fondly remember the duck in this beautiful sweet and tangy sauce. If Longrain's deep fried pork hock in soy caramel sauce has an equal, this could be it.

With great anticipation I ended up back here on a quiet evening. Lo and behold the duck still exists and lots of other dishes sound fantastic too.

- Black Pepper Soft Shell Crab (with ground peppercorn sauce and aromatic curry leaves) $15 - a reasonable starter although the sauce had a better flavour than the intrinsic crab flavour (both a good sauce and an underpowered crab);
- Pork Ribs (wok roasted and caramelised with chilli jam) $36 - the ribs were huge for pork but the meat texture was quite firm and chewy and the sauce not deep and caramel enough. An expensive dish and one I don't think I'd get again;
- Salt & Pepper Okra (coated in a light rice flour batter and wok swirled with garlic, chilli and spices) $19 - the vegetable dish was made more palatable by frying into a soft slightly crisp batter. The seasoning was nice overall but I could've used a touch more salt and chilli in it;
- Thrice Cooked Duck (served in a sauce of wild ginger flower, lemongrass, chilli and lime juice) $30 - the final dish brought out was as dreamy as I remember. I'm not sure what thrice ways the duck is cooked, but I'd guess steamed, roasted then fried. The combination of textures with excellent duck flavour and then the incredible sauce to top it off makes it wonderful. Nothing has changed in years and for this dish nothing needs to.

Next time I would order the thrice cooked duck every single time. I'd complement it with duck rendang (if not considered duck overload), or a fish dish (barramundi or crispy fried snapper) and try the spicy eggplant as the vegetable option.

My bao journey continues. From Momofuku to Yum Bun then throughout London, Europe, Bali and back in Canberra and Melbourne. Wonderbao (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/wonderbao-melbourne-10-2012) has been the posterchild for bao in Melbourne and with its benefits and limitations, some new contenders is always welcome.

For some reason the place is only open Sunday-Wednesday. I'm not sure the rationale behind this but I would've thought since it's located in a bar that Thurs-Sat would be more prime but perhaps everyone goes to the city and not Footscray on those days.

Pork belly is the mainstay for bao but these guys do it differently. Instead of the usual hoisin, sriracha and spring onion, there's seems pulled and tastes strongly of soy-heavy masterstock. The beef brisket could be more tender and had a touch of Chinese medicinal flavour to it - luckily the chimichong sauce (whatever that is) brings an excellent tangy fresh element to it and nearly makes that dish.

I've been told the fish (in particular) and the chicken are the best ones so I'll have to try those next time. My favourites have always been the standard pork belly followed by duck (forget about soft shell crab) so I was a bit disappointed that these standards aren't there (but maybe that's to avoid the label of simply copying others).

The bread itself is lovely, big and soft and no complaints there. The bottom is much much hotter than the top (whatever that means).

I was in the mood for a nice souvlaki or doner kebab. The memories of Yarralumla Pide House were lingering and making me salivate. I was working night shift so needed something relatively quick. A search of Footscray came across an extraordinarily highly rated Footscray's Best Kebab House (no fooling you in the name) but I didn't have the time to walk. Instead I found a South Melbourne store that was semi enroute with a drive.

Turkish Kebabs (aka Kebabs on Clarendon) was well rated and even on a Friday night the streets were quiet and parking was exceptionally easy.

For some reason I succumbed into ordering the iskender, which had some nice chicken and lamb from the spit, very good pieces of Turkish bread underneath, and topped with yoghurt and tomato sauce (my preference is for garlic/tzatziki and chilli). It took about 20mins to make (which they informed me at the start) and I thought for the price of $17.5 it came with salad and dips and things but unfortunately it didn't classify as a meal, so got a $4.5 of tabbouleh on the side. It was ok, full of parsley, but seemed to lack a bit of zing and zip.

For $22 it was a solid meal but just seemed too highly priced. I think I would've enjoyed a standard $10 doner in Turkish bread with long strands of meat mixed with garlic and chilli sauce.