Eat Like Ushi

It's Canberra's truffle season. Who knew that the 40+ degree summers and the 0 degree winters would be ideal cultivating conditions for the Perigord truffles to grow? That was part of the education session from the lucky owner of French Black Truffles of Canberra. He was correct in saying there are cheap imitations - Chinese versions and the much less potent summer black truffles. He neglected to mention the God of all truffles - the white Tuber magnatum (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/tag/Alba). Other than those there's only a few truffle dishes I remember in this lifetime so far - the ridiculously priced degustation at Eleven Madison Park where the truffle supplement was USD100 per head, the 7kg black truffle turkey I made for Christmas in 2011, the French Laundry white truffle risotto I made using the 15g/€60 white truffle I purchased from the Alba white truffle festival in 2012.

After reading about the exceptional quality of The Boat House by the Lake's overall cooking and their reputation for one of the best truffle courses around (especially locally), the $120 food tag didn't seem too much of a risk. Funnily enough on the night I don't think any of the waiters paid any attention to who ordered the $160 wine courses as they were happy to serve anyone. Thanks for the final serving of madeira - brought me back to the tasting rooms in Porto.

Truffle beignets and truffle gougere were served whilst standing around in the foyer. The dark black morsels had warm soft centres and engaged much more than the yellow ones (which I was quite sure were truffle-free cheese).

- Cultured truffle butter, multigrain bread rolls - several servings of warm bread with excellent crusts and soft butter aided digestion throughout the night;
- Truffle porridge, blood pudding, swiss browns, persillade - my adoration of black pudding continued in this dish with crisp flavoursome pieces dominating the other flavours;
- Baked savoy cabbage, raclette, truffle, bacon - to make a cabbage better stuff it with cheese. What a revelation - cabbage has never been so good;
- Pork jowl, truffle soubise, spinach water, apple - a beautiful piece of meat with outstanding flavour and a high meat:fat ratio. The skin was delicious but could have used a little more crispness;
- Truffle spatchcock breast & sausage, parsnip, black tea, pear - probably the dish where the truffle stood out most to me, layered in the roasting of the exceptionally cooked bird;
- Truffle textures, icecream, tapioca, cheesecake - a hint of truffle in the crisps and icecream (which unfortunately was melting too quickly) and a lightly textured cheesecake finished off the formalities.

Petit four (white chocolate truffles) giving credit to the other (less expensive) sort of truffle. If you were wondering, the black stuff wasn't edible. I tried.

There is no doubt the food quality and cooking at The Boat House is excellent. Maybe it's my taste buds but I didn't discern distinct truffle flavour in each dish and for that reason I was slightly disappointed. I think I'd have been happier paying less for the same set course without truffle added. Maybe I've been launching raids on street and comfort food for too long now. 

Nonetheless I'll be back.

It was a depressing evening when I realised my Dimmi points (intended for Soju Girl) had expired. The decision then came to something Asian(ish), bookable on Dimmi for points, and in the Entertainment Book for a nice weekday discount. It had been more than a year since my last trip to The Hungry Buddha, so it seemed appropriate for this occasion. In case you are wondering, the other places that fulfil these 3 criteria are all Thai or Indian.

Warm smells and delicious air greets you on arrival down stairs. There's some tasteful photographs and an excellent landscape painting of what I can only assume is a beautiful part of Nepal.

Rockmelon lassi was a smooth light yoghurt with a fresh hit of rockmelon flavour. Then came the food:

- Mo: Mo: (traditional Nepalese steamed chicken dumpling served with homemade tomato pickle) $9 - interestingly yellow filling and sauce. Not really sure how to describe it. It was fine but I probably wouldn't order it again;
- Khasi ko masu (boneless goat enriched with the flavour of fenugreek, cinnamon, tomatoes, coriander, bay leaves, ginger & garlic) $10 mini serve - a very meaty-edged thin curry sauce rich with the flavours of the tender soft goat pieces;
- Mountain eggplant (& peas cooked in Himalayan spices) $18 - lovely dish sweetened by onions;
- Jhinge tarkari (tiger prawns simmered in the paste of traditional Nepalese spices, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves & coconut milk) $22 - crunchy decent sized prawns in what tasted like a tomato-coconut flavoured sauce (I'm aware the description doesn't mention tomato...);
- Pulao $4 - basmati rice coloured with saffron and small amounts of raisins (but no detected nuts). I don't think the additives were discernible to me more than plain rice;
- Garlic naan $5 - soft pillowy bread topped with very mild diced garlic oil. 

There are so many Nepali dishes left to try. I'll definitely be back for all sorts of things - gorkha beef, jhaneko daal, bheda ko masu lamb or even the other Asian offers such as Sri Lankan roti or Burmese fish. Can't wait.

Canberra is known for its wine region. It isn't something I care about as I don't enjoy drinking wine (other than used in recipes, added to sangria, or mixed blasphemously with coke or lemonade when in Spain). However one particular place 40mins north enticed me with the promise of woodfired pizzas.

Both pizzas (rosemary & potato, chicken & Spanish onion I seem to recall) were covered in thick cheese and had nice crusts with mildly puffy edges. Satisfying for a cold day and maybe even with a glass of wine.

I won't say the pizzas are worth heading out there for, but if there then don't need to hesitate.

It isn't often that you dine with a Jewish person and a Coeliac's person. The combined dietary limitations of no meat (not Kosher), limited seafood (needs fins and scales), no gluten, and just for fun no nuts and limited dairy impact dining options. My approach is to order what I want anyway otherwise I won't get to try the dishes that interest me.

Monster is a very stylish place housed in a modern hotel/cinema complex. The Monday night movie special of $10 (combined with the other local restaurants all being closed on Monday, other than Max Brenner) makes movie and Monster dinner Monday probably a common combination for Canberrans with money to spend. The Palace cinema complex with its cheeses, dips and wine also help to separate away the children and youth. It isn't a bad thing for a childless non-youth like me.

Considering Monster is one often features on Canberra's to-eat list, it's quite remarkable the Urbanspoon rating sat in the realm of approximately 58%.

- Yabby jaffle, horseradish, crème fraiche $19 - I assume yabby meat is expensive. Very expensive. Otherwise there should be a lot more of this nice flavoursome mixture in between cheap supermarket-style whitebread;
- Buttermilk fried quail, sriracha $8 - small half of quail, juicy meat and a thick coating. Not bad;
- Oven roasted trout, parsnip mash, capers and raisins - an evening special of exquisitely cooked fish with a touch of rare to the flesh and a seasoned crisp skin;
- Cauliflower, hazelnut, burnt butter, Reggiano, Sutton truffle $28 - expensive dish without any discernible truffle flavour or aroma (given it is truffle season also). The dish was fine but for the price I'd expect protein or more truffle;
- Roast beetroot, shankleesh, onion, almond, dill $19 - simple dish of beetroot and a few additives;
- Twice cooked pigs cheek, burnt eggplant, hoi sin, scallop floss, Sichuan vinaigrette $32 - I struggle to believe this was cheek and not belly. It had a crisp seasoned skin, a very thick >50% layer of fat, a thin layer of meat, and another thin layer of fat underneath. Cheeks should be meat nuggets with fat running through it and not attached to skin. It was confusing and the amount of edible meat for the price made it a bit difficult. The meat that was there was succulent and tasty. Burnt eggplant clumps were distinctive and the floss had nice flavour and texture. I couldn't detect any Sichuan heat or numbness;
- Poached apples, apple crisps, rhubarb, meringue and earl grey icecream $18 - a hybrid dessert for my gluten-free diner that had a nice combination of flavours and textures. Not bad at all.

The couple at the next door ordered a special that was 4 very large grilled king prawns. They blasphemously didn't eat any of the head and cut straight from the start of the head shell. Wasteful. But the dish looked appealing.

Overall the flavours were fine but the dishes didn't seem particularly special. For the prices, the delivery of actual product seemed to lack. I'd definitely give it another go (as I intend to go back to Palace Cinema sometime), but for now my meal at A. Baker another evening exceeds this one.

Next time I would order ideally without dietary restriction - 38-hour pork neck bao (although for $9??), Grazing beef tartare with miso, special dish of grilled prawns (if available), eggplant main and pulled lamb shoulder.

I've spent many days and evenings walking to/from the Kingston Foreshore past Wild Duck. On first impressions I didn't think it was the place for me. However as the months have past, after reading the menu online multiple times, I felt there was enough in there to entice me inside to finally try it out. Additionally the ratings on Urbanspoon were relatively high, which is unusual for Canberra.

On a quiet Monday evening, we sauntered in. The booths are probably the nicest places to sit but for some reason it wasn't offered to us. I don't particularly like sitting in the middle of a sparsely set room, but it isn't something I should really complain about.

I never quite understood how places charge for tea served in a pot at a per person rate. The same volume of tea (refills are hot water as we know) is used and yet in order to have a 2nd cup, you pay additional. It doesn't make sense to me. Yum cha places take note - it is ridiculous. Anyway, onto the food...

- Scallops with XO Conpoy Chilli (pan seared scallops each topped with a touch of our XO Conpoy chilli, with poached asparagus and salad) 3 for $18.9 - these were delicious small scallops, well cooked with a very non-chilli but flavoursome salted fish topping. $6 per scallop is a little excessive I felt;
- Shao Lin Tofu Puffs (lightly fried tofu puff, served with cinnamon caramelised tofu and fresh silky tofu) $15.9 - these were actually served cold and quite bland. The fresh tofu was probably the nicest for the textural element but not enough to make this dish desirable;
- Singapore Chilli Prawns (king prawns in our chef’s Singapore chilli sauce, served on rice noodle) $32.9 - these prawns were very small for king and $8 each was much too excessive. The prawns lacked the characteristic crunch of Chinese-style frying;
- Manhan Lamb Ribs (slow-cooked in ‘One Hundred’ spices, finished on the grill, served with roasted banana chilli, zucchini & eggplant) $33.9 - quite tasty and chewy, rather than fall-off-the-bone, which isn't a bad thing necessarily. They had a little bit of heat, but really minimal;
- Mixed seasonal vegetables $9.9 - simple vegetables to balance the meal;
- Fried Mantou Bread 2 for $3.5 - chose these over rice as the carbohydrate for the meal. Not as good as my only other occasion at Mao's restaurant in Melbourne but still ok;
- Black Sticky Rice (cinnamon-infused with salted coconut custard, vanilla meringue & Persian candy floss) $14 - a bit of a mish-mash of many different non-Asian dessert elements together with black sticky rice.

Overall I wasn't particularly enamoured with the meal. It was likely a combination that the flavours weren't as exciting as modern Asian can be all over the world (compared to Melbourne's Longrain or Ezard or Rice Papr Scrs, Canberra's Lilotang or Lanterne Rooms, London's immaculate HKK, SF's The Slanted Door etc.) and the price point seemed much too high for what was delivered. Dishes advertised as chilli didn't have any discernible heat (maybe catered exclusively to Western palate) and so overall left a bit wanting.

I think the fact they are in the Entertainment Book will bring me back someday to try it again.

Next time I would order Lamb Shank in Golden Sand, Xinjiang Lamb Skewers, Crispy Xiang Su Duck and Massaman Beef Cheek (Thai food? Maybe not the best choice but beef cheeks...). I don't think any of the dishes I have tried are worth me getting again, other than the mantou fried bread because that's not the easiest to find around town.

I must admit my experience with Filipino food is extremely limited. My first adult trip to Asia back in December 2005 included a initial stop to visit an ex-girlfriend in Manila. This was a trip of firsts - my first adult Asia trip, my first experience on Air Asia (including a 4 hour delay for the KL to Manila leg), my first overseas trip with an ex-girlfriend (which is probably not something the majority of people do...)

I hadn't quite embraced the food revolution at this point in my life and so there isn't much I remember about Manila and Puerto Princesa. What I do remember is sinigang, an incredibly strong flavoured fatty pork adobo at a street stall, the underground river canoe, and a whole lot of humidity. I also DJed at a club somewhere and nearly forgot to bring back my Sennheiser HD25 headphones. Fun times.

Kusina was a restaurant on my list for several months. The bonus of being in the entertainment book make it more enticing. The place seems to be family-style and the menu is filled with good sounding options. Sago't gulaman (brown sugar syrup, gelatin, tapioca pearls) and calamansi juice (sweetened cumquat) were a sweet and sour drink to balance between.

- Ukoy (prawn fritters, sweet potato, tofu, bean sprouts) $9.50
- Crispy Pata (deep fried pork hock) $22 - delicious smelling and tasting meat. I thought the meat was a little dry, but nothing to complain about;
- Grilled fish of the day (with tomato, potato, bacon) - nicely cooked fish although not seemingly in the spirit of Filipino food;
- Pritong Talong (fried eggplant, tomato, red onion, salted duck egg, garlic sauce) $9
- Sinangag (garlic rice) $4pp;
- Turon (banana spring roll, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream) $9.50 - something sweet to finish with. It was ok but nothing special.

I'll definitely be coming back. There's too many other things I want to try and would probably go for a whole new menu next time. Crispy chicken wings, fried soft shell crab, beef rib curry, braised beef cheek, thrice cooked pork, pork belly... not to mention the classic adobo and sinigang. I'm hungry thinking about it.

07-2015

I turned up to Kusina on a Monday night hoping for a quiet place and the try all those dishes listed above. On arriving I discovered they have a weekly Monday night limited menu. This essentially gives you $19 all-you-can-eat white rice, an excellent mildly vinegared thick-cut green papaya salad, and a choice of either the deepfried chicken and pork belly or grilled chicken and pork belly.

Luckily I managed to try both.

The deepfried chicken had a good crunchy coating which went particularly well with the vinegar sauce. Deepfried pork belly was even more crisp and the benefit of the fat layer being fried (and partially disintegrated) meaning the whole piece was easy to eat with less guilt. I actually probably preferred the flavour of the grilled meats, which had excellent sauce coating them and complemented well with the adobo-style soy-vinegar dipping sauce. The chicken particularly was moist, tender and perfectly cooked. That was probably my favourite and also the healthiest of all the meats.

The layer cake was a gelatinous mix of jackfruit (although couldn't taste it to be honest), coconut and a purple yam layer. A nice sticky mess to finish off the meal.

12-2015

Enroute to Thredbo to hike Mount Koscuiszko, I made a final trip to Kusina. It's (sort of) on the way and a cuisine I haven't found an equivalent for in Melbourne at this point.

- Adobong combination (chicken & pork marinated in a traditional sauce of vinegar, soy & garlic) $19.5 - the national dish had excellent succulent meats with a sauce heavy in soy. I tend to prefer (and make mine) more vinegar based but it's good to remind myself how salty the traditional is supposed to be;
- Inihaw na pusit (grilled squid stuffed with tomato, onion, salted duck egg) $22 - I'm used to the Vietnamese version and this was fine but not overwhelming;
- Ensaladang talong (grilled eggplant salad) $8.5.

I'll miss Kusina. It's a shame about the location as otherwise it would be easy to recommend to Canberra visitors who don't have a car.

I've been meaning to try Lilotang since it opened in January. Month after month there was a tentative plan, a special occasion, some murmurs of interest from friends, but in the end work and life got in the way. Finally after 5 months of planning, I made it. On a chilly Tuesday night, I drove and parked at Hotel Realm (free parking after 4:30pm - who knew?). On approaching the entrance, the invisible cloud of charcoal grilled everything permeated around and whet my appetite. The inside decor is a nice combination of cosy, modern, refined, mixed with a little Japanese manga and text.

Sake-tini (Junmai nihonshu sake, dry gin, citrus twist) and ota shuzo 'dokan umeshu' started off proceedings. I'm quite familiar with Choya umeshu, so being able to finally try another one was exciting. This recommended umeshu had a much lighter flavour and body, and as such very easy to drink.

There's a good selection of foods of which the grilled items tended to pique the most interest.

- (complimentary) shichimi grilled edamame - excellent rendition of the usually boiled beans, with this one chargrilled and topped with spicy shichimi;
- Umami-jime Snapper Sashimi (with josephine pear, heirloom tomato) $15 - very clean fish with delicate softness and the slight chew that characterises snapper sashimi. Instead of soy and wasabi, the slightly tart pear sauce gave it a more refined and less overpowered touch;
- Nagoya-style Quail Kara-age (with sweet sansho soy) $18 - the classic kara-age chicken is replaced by a more juicy and succulent bird coated in thin crispy batter laden with sesame seeds. An excellent snack;
- Pork Belly Skewers (with yuzu kosho miso) $16 - excellent chargrilled pork belly slices topped with a thick citrus miso paste. The meat and fat layers weren't easily discernible so just eat the lot and enjoy the flavour;
- Roast Umami Root Vegetables (with orange miso in orange pot) $12 - interesting presentation in a hollowed out orange filled with cubed vegetables (daikon, radish, eggplant etc.) and a orange miso sauce. The sauce is excellent and enhanced further by squeezing some juice from the orange lid. My only issue was this was served prior to the mains, meaning I couldn't mix the vegetables and sauce with rice.

After a brief intermission, it was time for mains.

- Black Cod Saikyo Miso Yaki $32 - I had this first at Nobu in Tokyo. As good as that was, this one is better (and cheaper). The cod is immaculately cooked to soft tender perfection. The miso seems much milder than the Nobu counterpart. Outstanding;
- Chargrilled Wagyu Sirloin (with herb miso) $48 - after the meal at 511 in Tokyo (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/511-tokyo-01-2012) , I realised the only way to eat wagyu was grilled sirloin. This is best one I've had elsewhere. The meat was medium-rare with 2 pieces meltingly soft and another 2 a bit more chewy (presumably the side parts). The meat had a wonderful flavour that I've found lacking in steaks recently, which is why I stopped ordering them;
- Kaki-age Tempura Rice $3.5 - rice was a bit too moist on this day (felt more like sushi rice). The vegetable tempura on top is a nice touch;
- Cauliflower (with walnut dengaku miso) $8 - strong umami grilled cauliflower texturally varied by the walnuts.

There was an extreme case of fullness within me. After a few deep breaths and sitting forward with elbows on the table, a little extra space for dessert was created.

- Sticky Mochi-mochi Tofu with Green Tea Ice-cream $12.5 - very unusual type of tofu being a balance between the usually thick, sticky mochi and thin tofu. The flavour on its own is a little odd but mixes well with the other elements. The green tea ice-cream is exceptionally flavoured and strong;
- Roast Persimmon, Yuzu ice-cream (with walnuts & umeshu) $15 - very refined ice-cream with subtle citrus sourness drawn from the yuzu. Served on a ridiculously hot plate. Watch your fingers!

Overall the food at Lilotang is outstanding. Of the Asian restaurants in Canberra, it sits equivalent to Lanterne Rooms. It's better than Malamay, Chairman & Yip, Akiba and Wild Duck. Of the rest, I'd only pick Akiba over Lilotang for the location (if you were in the city) or you wanted a more rowdy place. But for quality of food, Lilotang is the place to select.

(I won't mention price comparisons because in reality all are expensive.)

Next time I would order again the quail, pork belly skewers, miso cod and Wagyu. Dishes I haven't tried but are focussed on the chargrill would be next, including baby octopus, ox tongue (one of my favourites usually), pork ribs or prawns (as a cheaper alternative to the Wagyu) and cabbage.

For some reason there was a craving for duck. Maybe it was just that I hadn't had Peking duck for a very long time and the memories of China (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/li-qun-roast-duck-restaurant-beijing-01-2010) and my favourite duck of all time in London (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/hkk-london-04-2013) was on my mind.

Luckily Mr. Wei's not only specialises in Beijing duck but also conveniently has an Entertainment Book 25% coupon.

- Baby eggplant - I thought that for a balanced meal with vegetables, fried eggplant was a good idea. It was a decent mix of sauce and fried eggplant whilst waiting for the duck, but largely unnecessary;
- Beijing duck - a whole duck is a huge amount for 2 people. The duck skin wasn't particularly crisp (which was a bit disappointing) and had a small fat layer (less than is traditional but more than I probably prefer for eating without picking it off) and reasonably soft meat. Once wrapped up, it was a nice combination without having an overly memorable duck flavour;
- Duck soup - this was a delicious strongly flavoured duck broth (like I'd want my duck congee to taste) with tofu, vegetables and meat. On a cold night, this was hearty and soul-warming;
- Duck fried rice - the filler dish that was more. Duck fatty meat and skin pieces bringing flavour and fragrance to fried rice. Much better than expected.

Overall although the duck wasn't as good as I'd hoped (or expected), the overall meal was lifted very well by the soup and fried rice. I'll definitely be back with my next Entertainment Book voucher. I wouldn't get the extra entree next time.

After recently expanding my Korean food horizons in Melbourne (the modern Bistro K, the fried chicken of Gami, and the quality basics of Arisoo and Seoul Soul), I felt like seeing what Canberra had to offer. Honestly I re-discovered for the 2nd time in a month that Urban Pantry isn't open on a Tuesday (or Monday) and so picked somewhere else in the vicinity.

In Korea, meals get served with a load of condiments. Although not the same, Tosung certainly gave more than the other Korean places I've been to in Australia. Condiments of kimchi, some kind of white soft jelly I couldn't figure out, tofu and vegetables were served.

- Yungyang Wang Galbitang $13 (beef rib soup) - delicious warming beef soup with tender meat;
- Dolsot bibimbap $13 (Mixed vegetables, beef & egg on steamed rice in hot pot) - gochujang sauce is excellent, but otherwise the individual ingredient flavours weren't too special. Also the rice was probably too wet so there was no burnt crust formed on the bottom;
- Hae Mul Ddeok Bok Ki $25 (rice cake & seafood with chilli sauce) - I was desperate for rice cakes and this $25 dish was the only one. The chilli flavour was great with nice octopus, squid and chewy rice cakes. The shellfish and prawns were a bit disappointing;
- Green tea icecream with chocolate sauce - a nice green tea possibly scooped out of a little cylindrical carton.

The food is nice and not overly expensive for general Canberra and the midst of Manuka. I'd be happy to eat there again and possibly try the charcoal BBQ they are known for.

Over Easter I was grateful some restaurants remained open with normal working hours. On this Good Friday (obviously also a public holiday) I was even more impressed that some like Chong Co were still accepting the Entertainment Card (as it is their option to do so).

Chong Co hadn't appealed overly to me. Although it nearly always seems busy, the location is good and the aromas are nice, there was something about it that didn't feel right. I'm not sure what it is - maybe it's similar to when I'm overseas and feel the aura of a tourist trap. Perhaps it is because I'd heard so much about Morks, which is the upmarket modern Thai version a few shops down (that I still haven't tried yet).

After being seated, the menu seemed a little concerning. For traditional Thai food the prices were very high, even for Canberra. Pad Thai $19 and Laksa $23? Wow.

A Chong Co Colada of pineapple juice, coconut milk and grenadine was reasonable but nothing special. It separated when left during the meal.

- Tom Khar Gai $12.90 - my basic Thai staple that I judge all restaurants upon. The soup was quite thin and didn't have a lot of coconut flavour and the chicken wasn't particularly tender. It did have a nice firm sour lime edge that I liked;
- Roasted Duck Red Curry $25.90 - similarly the curry itself wasn't very thick or strong. The duck was pretty good and the pieces of lychees and pineapple added a contrasting sweetness. Adding this to the coconut rice transformed it (see below);
- Soft Shell Crab in Tamarind Sauce $29.90 - a very large amount of soft shell crab (about 4 altogether) which meant good value, although the crabs themselves weren't as flavoured as I like. The batter was a little heavy. Most of all the tamarind sauce was incredibly powerful and the saltiness made it difficult to eat without a lot of rice. The sauce drenching also meant a good portion of the crab didn't remain crispy.

The coconut rice ($4.50pp) was one of the most intense I've eaten. It was much more similar to coconut glutinous rice dessert in flavour and meant it couldn't be eaten alone. When mixed with the soup of tom kha or the sauces of red curry or tamarind, it turned into something more edible and quite delicious. It was like eating normal jasmine rice and adding a strong coconut-based Thai sauce (which I find more normal).

I think the overall balance of price and quality means I wouldn't eat here without the Entertainment discount. It isn't bad as such and your meal will be adequate, but I think there are better things to have for the full price.