Eat Like Ushi

Whilst waiting for my car to be serviced, I noticed conveniently the location of nearby Goodberry's. I hadn't been there before but a friend had been raving about the incredible frozen custards they served and how it was a must try before leaving Canberra.

Noticing them in the Entertainment Book, I proceeded to order two of them. All for myself.

I ordered chocolate custard with cheesecake and also vanilla custard with cookie dough.

Sure it was a hot day but there was no way a non-sweet tooth like myself could (just after lunch at Malaysian Chapter especially) finish two let alone one. It was sugar overload. It was an unfortunate day for wastage but at least I've tried it and know that I really just prefer good quality gelato (eg. Frugii) with no additives. I think the days of Cold Rock or concretes from Shake Shack and the such are behind me. Part of growing older...

It's cheap, it looks like a diner and it's open every day in an area that at least has decent parking during the evenings. What more could you ask for? There is flavour (which I'm sure is partially assisted by MSG), lots to pick from, and takeaway containers when you aren't able to finish the meal.

On this occasion I had the Mapo tofu on rice, spicy eggplant with noodles, Shanghai fried pork dumplings and steamed vegetarian dumplings. Enjoy them with vinegar and chilli sauce and you'll be satisfied.

The food isn't as good or flavoursome as Red Chilli Sichuan, but that's another meal in another setting for another price tier.

It's been a long time since I've been to Vegie Bar. I remember a brief romance with their Mee Goreng starting back in 2000 under the influence of a girl who took me there. I never thought vegetarian could taste so good back in those days.

Fast forward 15 years later and the institution still stands, although much less niche and more standard. Because it was 330pm this day, a full meal was unnecessary, but a few snacks were ordered to tide things over before dinner later.

- Raw Malaysian Curry (daikon, carrot capsicum & vegies tossed in lemongrass & coconut raw curry sauce, served with bloomed wild rice & currants, snowpea shoots, coriander & lime) $17.5 - essentially raw vegetables with satay sauce. I suppose I underestimated what "raw" meant in this dish but I know this is not the type of "curry" I like to eat;
- Samosa (filled with mild vegetable curry, served with tzatziki & fresh chilli sauce) $5 - nice, hot and crispy;
- Rice Balls (blend of brown rice & finely chopped mixed vegies, topped with peanut satay sauce) $7.5 - excellent firm outsides and delicious chewy textures centres.

I wasn't hungry enough to experience all Vegie Bar has to offer so will have to leave it for another time to test my memory of mee goreng.

01-2016

After moving house and not having a fridge or cooking facilities for a while, eating out becomes a little tedious and a bit of a chore. As vegetables tend to be the least value for money or (in many places) the least exciting dishes, one becomes quite devoid of vegetable nutrition. Enter us back into the dinner realms of Brunswick Street.

- Mee Goreng (hokkien noodles wok-tossed with vegies, tofu, sauteed potato in a lightly spiced peanut sauce) $17 - as excellent as I remember with thick noodles and sauce and solid ingredients;
- Moroccan Stew (rich tomato & chickpea stew with roasted eggplant, currant & almond couscous, mint yoghurt, marinated cucumber, hazelnut dukkah & fresh parsley, served with warm pita bread) $16 - the dish mainly tasted of tomato to me with hints of other middle Eastern elements;
- Vegan Nachos (oven baked corn chips topped with vegan cheese, Mexican black beans, tomato salsa, spring onion, guacamole, jalapenos & vegan cashew sour cream) $16.5 - a nice snack but not overly exciting to me especially given the price. I suppose the vegan part makes it more expensive and unique (and difficult to make);
- Crispy Green Salad (blanched snow peas & green beans, toasted hazelnuts, pomegranate seeds & snap-dried mandarine with an umaboshi, tahini & orange dressing) $12 - great combination of textures and flavours.

These 4 with a serve of rice balls were too much for a hungry 3. Interestingly Vegie Bar do not allow you to take away leftovers (however they seem to allow takeaway orders - not sure how that works...)

They've stood the test of time and even though not many other dishes appeal to me, I'll happily go back for the rice balls and mee goreng. I've been meaning to try Yong Green Food nearby but each time they've been closed.

I had Mocan & Green Grout on my eat list for a while. I can't quite remember where I read about it, most likely a Canberra recommended food list or best breakfasts or something along those lines. New Acton wasn't the most convenient area for me to get to any morning, so this was likely the main reason it took nearly 2 years to get there.

It's a small cosy place where opportune seating means you can watch the cooking action unfolding in front of you in what I would've thought was an impossibly small area to feed the hungry waiting for gourmet breakfasts and coffees. The menu is also quite small (which probably helps given the limited space) and makes decisions easier.

- Chai tea - I'm slowly turning from chai lattes to chai tea with milk (courtesy of Local Press). This version was ok but I'd probably get a smoothie instead next time;
- Smashed Eggs with Smoked Trout, Nettle, Sorrel, Parmesan $18 - I can't say I've ever seen smashed eggs before and it does look a bit like a mess. It seemed a bit of an odd way to present the dish with the expensive ingredient of smoked trout hidden underneath (and only a small amount of it);
- Baked Eggs, Charred Eggplant, Harissa, Meredith Chevre $17 - baked eggs

What I can say is the bread from A. Baker is phenomenal. I went to follow up by buying my own loaf from there but they were out of loaves that appealed to me. I'm happy I finally tried this place, but I do personally prefer the food and drink at others - Local Press, Cupping Room and ONA would be the main ones. 

If I was in the area I'd probably try the breakfast at A. Baker considering their excellent bread and also the outstanding dinner from 2014 (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/a-baker-canberra-11-2014). Slow cooked local eggs, crispy smoked salmon, sauteed silver beet, ginger, charred bread and a takeaway of 100% dark rye or dark ale sourdough sounds like an excellent morning.

After 4 years away I was finally returning to Melbourne. Whereas I'd previously lived in Abbotsford, my new haunt was going to be Footscray. In the midst of December summer heat and the tedium of rental hunting, I was glad there was a reputed burger joint in the area. Considering the burger craze of everywhere 1st world, it wasn't surprising someone had brought it to the western market.

What I like is the nerdy-geeky old school gaming feel. There's even an arcade machine in the corner (that may be decorative - I didn't get close enough to look). What I also like is the open kitchen, watching the staff hard at work cooking and assembling and also mildly concerned (or amused) at the pool of black grease hanging off the ceiling...

- 8bit with Cheese (beef, tomato, lettuce, red onion, pickles, mustard, cheese, ketchup, 8bit sauce) $9.50 - I had to try the namesake standard burger for a comparator. It was quite nice however to me the patty was too thin. Considering they advertised medium-rare (did they advertise this or was I just hoping/expecting this?), it was too cooked for my liking and I can see with a thin patty how easy this is to do;
- 1 Up Mushroom Burger (crumbed mushroom, cheese, tomato, red onion, green tomato relish, lettuce, mustard, 8bit sauce) $10.00 - the vegetarian burger offering had a lot to live up to considering the incredible BrodVeg (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/brodburger-canberra-2014). There's no way it could've compared given the ingredients (essentially the same as the beef burgers but with mushroom) but having said that the burger overall was good quality and tasty;
- Chilli Cheese Fries (beer battered fries, chilli beef, cheese sauce, jalapenos, spring onions) $8.50 - ever since MEATliquor (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/meatliquor-london-03-2012) Chili Fries I've had to order these every opportunity I get. Good on 8bit for an offering. I haven't found one that gives me the same feeling, including using the one from the MEATliquor Chronicles cookbook, but 8bit had a good solid attempt with a strong cheese sauce. It's not a replacement but for now it'll definitely do.

I'll be back, not just because I'm now going to be local, but because I want to.

Next time I would order the After Burner (beef with chilli) or Golden Axe (fried chicken) burgers, the Fatal Fury hotdog (topped with chilli beef reminiscent of my best ever dog at MEATmarket), chilli cheese fries or the excessive looking Loaded fries, and wash it down with an unhealthy sounding Strawberry Cheesecake milkshake.

02-2016

I decided to have a second run at 8bit after wandering through Footscray deciding what pho I should have.

After re-reading my earlier post, I settled on the After Burner and the Loaded fries.

After Burner $10.50 was definitely a more enjoyable burger for me than the 8bit. The brioche bun was particularly soft with crunchy edges on the flat side adding nice texture. The beef was once again thin and more cooked than the advertised medium rare. The collation of tomato, red onion, lettuce, jalapeno and the fused sauces of chilli, chipotle and mustard worked well. I think the cheese made it too much for me and toward the end it was the dominant flavour.

Loaded Fries $10 was excessive. The first few bites were great, of potato gems with crispy salty coatings, chilli beef, cheese sauce, salty bacon and some pickles, cucumber, jalapenos and onions for contrast. Toward the end, the saltiness of the gems and bacon and cheese got too much for me and I couldn't finish it (I suppose it wouldn't be expected for one person to finish an entire serve though). I think the gems were nicer than the fries from last my visit, but I'd have to think hard whether it would be worth ordering the Loaded over Chilli Fries just for that.

After all the saltiness as I stood to leave I asked for a cup of tap water. It was refused and I was told "we don't serve tap water". I'm expected to buy a bottle of water or another drink? Sorry, but that's crap.

06-2016

I couldn't decide what to eat for a birthday lunch. Of all things, I looked to the internet and various "what is my favourite food" surveys and their incredible inaccuracy and bias toward food types of the commoners. Not that common foods are bad, but I doubt these surveys were designed with the connoisseur of any food in mind.

Nonetheless with an indecisive mind and no other guidance, the three common themes were fried chicken, burgers and 40% junk food (which really isn't that much). I decided a fat treat of 8bit seemed to fit.

The Golden Axe burger has a thick fried chicken patty a bit of slaw and some token cheese. The chicken had decent texture and some crisp coating but the flavour seemed very mild and didn't really have a strong "chicken" presence. What stood out the most was an intense slightly buttery flavour from the bun and possibly the chicken, as well as some kind of burnt sensation from the chicken coat. The butter taste was much too strong for me and I'm surprised how it even got there at high levels.

The potato gems reinforced themselves as delicious salted parts ruffled to maximise fried surface area, crisp and good. Even the small serve was too much for me to finish on my own but that doesn't detract from how good they are.

I'll stick to the After Burner burger (with or without cheese) and some gems (loaded or naked) to share from now on. The dog does intrigue me still so perhaps give that a go.

I've been craving good Japanese food for a while. I wax and wane between this - after 6 trips there, I sometimes find it difficult to justify the price difference here and there, particularly for quality sashimi/nigiri. Considering you can almost get a return flight to Tokyo now for close to the same price as a Melbourne omakase menu makes it even more likely I might shun the local places in preference for those overseas. Canberra seriously lacks any kind of good traditional-type Japanese restaurant. Lilotang has outstanding food and Akiba has more comforting bar food, but neither have the same kind of elegance nor classic feel to them which I have missed.

After a quick read through the chef hats and reviews (and because Minamishima as the other competitor wasn't open), I ended up at Kappo for the celebratory meal between Christmas and New Year. The menu is intriguing - essentially an omakase of varying numbers of courses (naturally I selected the odoroki 9 course for $150 per head) and a listing of the ingredients that would feature (in order to remove ones that don't sit with you).

There's some autonomy in selecting your chopsticks from the presentation case and similarly sake sets to drink Okuharima from. Then comes the food, bit by bit...

- Miso tofu with daikon yuzu;
- Coffin Bay oyster with caviar (very creamy with a hint of tartness), vegetables with a delicious walnut satay sauce, fig with puffed rice, deep-fried juicy quail;
- Buckwheat tofu, dashi, ginger & daikon - umami soup and my first experience with the lovely buckwheat tofu;
- The Ocean - lobster, salmon, scallop, salmon roe, black rice, seaweed, sea grapes served separately then mixed together;
- Mustard leaves, kaki tempura, balsamic reduction
- Nigiri course - Toro with black garlic, King George whiting with ginger, Tasmanian salmon with daikon & chilli;
- Chawanmushi - sweet corn, crunchy "par" (?) meat which was some kind of delicious mollusc (texture reminds me of what they call arkshell in Japan but with a clam flavour). An outstanding combination;
- Puff rice tempura, scampi, zucchini flower topped with this incredible creation of wasabi ice;
- Wagyu sirloin with black salt, hoisin, peppers & sour peach
- Ume rice tsukemono

Desserts
- Yuzu & honey sorbet;
- Chocolate cigar, Japanese donut, apricot jelly with azuki beans;
- Creme brulee.

Roasted green tea was served to finish off the evening. An exceptional meal with modern twists on the traditional kaiseki. Yes, it is quite expensive. I can't wait to return to Japan.

On Christmas morning I was surprised so many cafes and restaurants remained open. When I say so many, that really wasn't many at all, but given the day I expected almost complete shutdown. After a night of excessive ham and celebratory meats, the mood was for vegetarian to give much needed assistance to digestion.

Vegie Bar was an obvious choice, however after arriving to a queue both inside and outside, it seemed more prudent to search elsewhere. Long on my list is Yong Green Food but they were doing the expected thing and having a holiday on the holiday. After a short walk, Radhey appeared with its self-promotion of chai and all things natural. The queue included some real hippie types (not hipsters) with the unusually placed piercings, colourful clothes and headwear.

- A lunch plate of Thai vegetable curry with roti (roti was more like a chapati, mild curry), sweet potato shepherd's pie (sweet potato mash and lentil base), arancini ball (fresh fried and delicious rice middle);
- Tandoori tofu wrap (pan-seared marinated tofu & salad in a toasted spinach flatbread with homemade tandoori mayo) $12
- Raw brownie - delicious, not too sweet, base of dates and topped with thick chocolate and walnut.

The soy chai and iced soy chai were both delicious, well spiced with good notes of ginger. I'll happily come back here even when there are other vegetarian options nearby.

After some exhausting Boxing Day shopping and traversing the thousands that had descended into the city, lunch was much needed. Unfortunately Mugen was closed and meant a planned cross city walk to Ikkoryu for ramen. However enroute a very "Melbourne" laneway appeared and my eye was caught by a sign - "Shandong Mama Mini". I had heard rave reviews about the dumplings but had never made it there. This seemed a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the previous (mis)fortune. There was only one other person eating here in the middle of lunchtime and so I didn't have to experience this new fad of queuing.

Black soy milk was something I'd only previously tried at Seoul Soul. The Korean version seems a bit stronger in flavour and more preferred by me. The sauces were standard soy and vinegar, homemade chilli oil (which I bought some as a KK gift) and the garlic chilli sauce that comes with Mackerel Fish dumplings (which is an exceptional sauce of chilli, vinegar and heavy garlic).

- Mackerel Fish dumplings (fresh fillet mixed with coriander, ginger & chives into a mousse-texture filling) $12.8 for 7 - delicious roll-shaped dumplings with a great textural contrast of soft mousse filling, chewy top and crisp fried bottom;
- Little Rachel Seafood dumplings (prawn, calamari, salmon, chives, cabbage & sesame oil) $10.8 for 7 - nice dumplings with the salmon standing out more than the prawn or calamari;
- Stewed Beef Shank Bun (with coriander, peanuts & toasted sesame) $4.8 - beef was soft and seemed braised in masterstock. The bun itself wasn't the best as it seemed a little firm and not that soft and bouncy;
- Wasabi spinach salad $8.5 - blanched leaves and stems mixed through with a small hit of wasabi. A little expensive but if you want a vegetable dish this is a decent option.

I can see why the Mackerel Fish dumplings are the most well known here. I can also see why the chilli garlic sauce is so strongly advertised in the menu. Both are exceptional. I'll come back again for those, to try other varieties of dumplings, the pork belly bun (just to see how the pork compares with all the rest) and fried chicken wings. Without having looked yet, I wonder how much extra variety the mothership has?

I had an afternoon wedding on in the lovely wine region of Coldstream on Melbourne Cup weekend Sunday. The location lent itself to a nice relaxing lunch in the area just before the rains hit down with spiteful vengeance.

Luckily I was told to visit Innocent Bystander, to take advantage of the free tastings (including a delicious "real" apple cider that I took home, a moscato and a little vermouth) and the excellent woodfired pizza (spicy pork sausage, buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomato + chilli $25).

The food and drinks are excellent and the venue buzzes some excitement and atmosphere. It's a great place to visit.

On a hot Braddon evening, it seemed most apt to head to Frugii for dessert. The heat of the weather and also from the mild chillies from Mandalay Bus were still fresh and a cooling finale was sought.

The icecream and gelato flavours were varied but it seemed difficult to go back the great 2-flavour combination of dark chocolate and cherry. I've spent a bit of time at home trying to recreate the dark chocolate cherry king shake that used to be on the winter menu at Cupping Room and so this was an easy choice. The dark chocolate was smooth and sweet, similar to a 65% block. The cherry had moderate flavour and complemented well. Of course the gin & tonic, lychee and espresso flavours also appealed but you have to can't have them all (well I can't at least)

Additionally they were advertising some alcoholic dessert pops and the dark chocolate one had an unsweet, mildly bitter cocoa dryness, similar to eating 80-85% dark chocolate. I didn't mind it, but I can see lesser chocolate people (ie. those who prefer white or milk) wouldn't like this at all.

I've seen Frugii being sold by the tub at Essential Ingredient in Kingston. I'll have to grab a tub before I leave.