Tuesday 18 December 2012

Grampians - Halls Gap and Dunkeld

8 years had surpassed since I last stepped foot upon Grampians soil. From vague memory, our photography club had aimed to reach The Pinnacle but didn't reach there in the end due to the hot weather and the fact that everyone was carrying heavy camera gear. Not a great combo! The day before we left Mr. T and I were hoping for decent weather after seeing predictions of thunderstorms and rain during the afternoon. Thankfully, it only applied to metropolitan Melbourne and the weather Gods were nice enough to wait until after we descended from the lookouts. 

The short 4.2km hike to The Pinnacle lookout was worth all the sweat. Some climbing and hopping across rock platforms are involved. Do wear sturdy shoes with decent grip and don't forget the sunscreen. Some people we passed were wearing thongs and jeans - curious to know whether they made it to the top or not! We found that The Pinnacle was the only spot in the Grampians which had cellular reception. If you think you're off track, keep a lookout for any yellow or pink arrow markings on the rocks.



Due to a heavy flood back in January 2011, some roads and paths were damaged. The information centre said they have spent at least $31 million dollars trying to fix it up. Do check the information bulletin on the Grampians National Park website for any updates on road and track closures.

Mackenzie Falls was a somewhat short 1.9km descent. However the elevation was quite high therefore we had to take several breaks going back up. 




That evening we rewarded ourselves with an ala carte dinner at The Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld which was about an hours drive away from Halls Gap. The restaurant was fully booked out since October 2012 but we were happy to sample the bistro menu they had on offer and to choose our own dishes.

The only differences between the restaurant and bistro side were: (a) restaurant side is carpeted while the bistro has floorboards (b) restaurant side uses white tablecloths while the bistro end used the bare table surface (c) degustation options only offered in the restaurant (d) ratio of waitressing staff was considerably higher on the restaurant side (that was a given).




Compared to other 3 chef hat restaurants such as Vue De Monde, Jacques Reymond and Attica, I found the atmosphere at Royal Mail Hotel a bit lacklustre. I was expecting some 'wow' factor since the first thing you notice walking into the dining area was the minimalistic decor. Although we had good views of the open kitchen, glancing over to the restaurant area made me wonder it had to be the service of the staff to bump up the score as I felt something was missing. It didn't entice me to want to experience the degustation menu at all.

The bistro side had two waitresses in charge of about 9 tables. We were unattended to for longer periods of time when it came to giving us our menus and taking the orders. Understandably they were busy and left to deal with the bistro side. But the restaurant side had extra wait staff standing around and not doing anything. Hmmm...

At least the food sort of redeemed itself. For starters, Mr. T ordered the Smoked trout rillettes and whole wheat toast ($18). The texture of rillettes is similar to pate, think of mashed up cooked salmon with herbs. The seasoning was perfect and I could eat it for brekky too.



My entree was the Slow cooked egg, salt fish and mussels, potato and fish crackling ($24). Interesting and delicious combination. I didn't know where to start eating! The fish crackling was amazing in flavour, made the humble prawn cracker seem inferior by comparison.



Main: Flinders Island salt grass lamb, charred onions, broad bean, mint and lemon balm ($38). I've seen previous photos were the broad beans were made into a puree. There was too many broad beans on the plate to polish off. The lamb had a distinct flavour and was cooked well.



Side dish: Brand new potatoes (from their garden), butter, herbs. I thought the edible microherb flowers didn't go well with the potatoes and could be omitted.



Main: Milawa organic chicken, cauliflower and jerusalem artichoke, wild rice and bread pudding ($36). Their "wild rice" was puffed rice immersed with cauliflower bits. The chicken was juicy and not dry at all, the accompanying jus was perfect. This was my first bread pudding but thought it had no flavour? Are they meant to be like that?



We shared the dessert as we were too bloated by the time our mains were cleared. Hazelnut mousse, chocolate and honeycomb ($16). The consistency was more of a cream than a mousse but that satisfied our sweet tooth. The bitter dark chocolate was subtle and combined well with the flecks of honeycomb pieces and the not-too-sweet hazelnut cream.



The following morning we had complimentary cooked breakfast at the Bistro. My order of soft boiled eggs with bacon bits and walnut bread soldiers was a light way to start the morning ($12). Mr T ordered the RMH's "big breakfast" option. A single piece of toast was mounted with all the toppings (tomato, pork sausage, scrambled eggs). After experiencing various brunch sessions, I've definitely seen more bigger and interesting options especially when the normal price tag was $24! The grilled tomato tasted strange, like it was doused in butane gas?? Thank goodness it was included as part of the hotel accommodation stay. The continental breakfast offerings were decent and paid homage to the local produce in the area. 




Royal Mail Hotel on Urbanspoon

Although we stayed in the mountain view room, it wasn't much of a view unless your cabin was located towards the back of the property. I was expecting more for that price ($280 per night) and was disappointed. The rooms felt ordinary and not luxurious at all. The only good thing was that they stocked Peter Morrissey toiletries. We found ants in our first room along the skirting board, bathroom and desk which they promptly arranged for another transfer. If you're going to stay here, opt for the cheaper Garden view room instead.

Grampians makes for a lovely weekend trip away if you don't want to rush getting back to Melbourne on the same day.



Old saw mill near the hotel

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Taxi Dining Room

As part of early Xmas festivities, a work colleague chose Taxi Dining Room for our dinner function after recently having a positive dining experience there.

Despite being awarded Two Chefs Hat back in 2010, Taxi's fusion menu never quite appeal to me. I hesitate when I see cuisines dubbed as Japanese fusion with Modern Australian after having a so-so experiences at Jacques Reymond and Verge. There were some French influences on the menu as well.  Personally I think when you have more than two types of cuisines, the identity of the restaurant begins to become confusing and somewhat disconnected. 

At first glance, the prices of their sushi and sashimi items seem grossly inflated compared to other authentic Japanese restaurants. Sushi and sashimi platter for $62? We did not ask how many pieces there were and stuck to the mains which were averaging at least $42. We were warned in advance to bring a fatter wallet. Once a restaurant appears in The Age Good Food Guide, I guess the higher prices come with increased levels of expectations. Diners are also paying for the premium piece of real estate on Federation Square and a possible view overlooking Swanston Street. The 2013 guide shows that Taxi is 0.5 point short of gaining that one chef hat but it does not list the reasons why.

Anyway, you can tell I had initial reservations about the place and walked in with low expectations. The dining area was bright due to the high ceilings and design of the building. Large windows allowed lots of natural light. They had automatic blinds which would come down when the sun rays became extreme. Décor was simple yet elegant. The only possible thing to note is the noise levels when the restaurant is at full capacity. Tables were too close together and the sounds would bounce off the walls quite easily. 


The butter quenelle came out looking so much like ice-cream that I almost ate it on its own. It was topped with an orange-y coloured salt (smoked).



For starters, we shared 3 entrées. 1. Specials - salmon with mango pieces and mango reduced sauce (didn't see the bill) 2. Tempura seasonal vegetables ($19.50). 3. Crystal Bay prawn sashimi, frozen coconut and plum wine ($24)

I am a huge fan of both salmon and mango so thought this dish should pass. Due to their unique flavours, once it entered the mouth I thought they didn't complement, rather they were competing to dominate one another. The salmon was fresh though. I think better mango is better paired with prawns or something other than salmon. 


That's all the tempura we got. Let's just say there wasn't much to share around...


I've never had prawn sashimi before so it was a weird texture to get used to at first. It was somewhat chewy like a bubble tea jelly, so the coconut worked in this instance. I couldn't taste the plum wine.


For mains, I ordered the pork: Greenvale pork loin, milk braised belly, caramelized apple & ramen. I couldn't find anything special about the pork loin. It had no flavour but was supported by the carmelized apple jus. The crackling was difficult to cut for some reason. I only ate half of the pork belly as it was too gelatinous in nature. The fat wasn't set like the Chinese roast pork variety. I felt like I was eating lard and lost my appetite.




I sampled a friend's rabbit dish which was a special of the day. It was delicious and had different textures, similar to another restaurant which used pig's head as the crispy component. The rabbit wasn't gamey at all which a few people avoided the dish because of that reason. I could happily devour the entire rabbit than the pork dish.



Other dishes were (a) roasted atlantic salmon, otway shitake, asparagus and smoked miso ($38) (b) pan fried John dory with spanner crab dumplings, peas, cos and lardons (a chunk or cube of bacon used to smear or cover meat)($45). Friends commented that they were cooked well and the flavours were light, perfect for a summer evening.



Our waitress handled our large group well and was friendly. Service was attentive when it was needed. Overall you can't really fault the atmosphere of the place or the presentation of the food. Some thought had gone into the plating up to highlight the gourmet ingredients they used. Other places do it just as well without the hefty price tag. The portion sizes were a bit disappointing.

So this dining experience has not changed my view on fusion modern Australian and Japanese cuisine. Maybe another day?

Taxi Dining Room on Urbanspoon

Monday 26 November 2012

Akachochin Masterclass

As a member of EatWithMe, I had no hesitation in signing for the sushi making demonstration when I heard that Akachochin was hosting it.  The restaurant had opened since April 2012 and had maintained consistent food and service according to Urbanspoon members. South Wharf is still establishing itself to be in the high end dining and shopping scene. Other restaurants in the area include The Sharing House, Shed 5, Bohemian Bar and Restaurant just to name a few.

Head Chef Kengo Hiromatsu (and I think owner as well) prepared one of Akachochin's signature dish - Hiramasa Namerou aka kingfish tartare served with rice cracker. The recipe was simplistic but very delicious. The rice cracker could take more than a day to make as it involves a drying out process for that sublime crunchy texture. The soy beans and picked wasabi stalk are other exotic ingredients to tie all the flavours together. I wanted more!




Head Chef Kengo later shed some light into sushi making and the techniques involved. I have been to other sushi making classes before however it is always interesting to hear what other tips the chefs impart.

He prepared an inside-out sushi with the help of a volunteer from our group. She was able to eat her salmon avocado creation afterwards. They served us snapper, tuna, salmon and vegetarian sushi rolls/nigiri. The fish was fresh and served traditionally warm (around human body temperature), not icy cold like Kengo said.





The light dishes were accompanied by a beautifully smooth sake from the Mikata region. Sadly, I didn't get the name of the drink.



Would I return to try their food again? Yes definitely! 

This event was exclusive to EatWithMe members and costed $35 for the sampling dishes including the sake. It was a fun way to meet new people and a nice way to share a meal with other food loving minded people. It may hosted again in the future - best to sign up with EatWithMe to be kept informed of all the happenings!


Akachochin on Urbanspoon

Red Spice Road - QV

Red Spice Road (RSR) has recently opened up a sister branch in QV where the former Duck Duck Goose restaurant resided. Every time I venture into RSR, their famous carmelised pork belly dish is a must order. At first glance the recipe appears complex due to the combination of various flavours and textures. Hence I have not had the leap of faith to attempt it yet. I will post a copy of the recipe in another post.

My dining partner and I went for an early dinner so the express banquet was offered ($25 per person). It comprised of an appetiser, 3 shared mains and steamed rice. One dessert offering was optional for an extra $5. My favourites were the pork belly and the pandan dessert.

A full description of the dishes can be found here: http://www.weekendnotes.com/red-spice-road-qv/



By comparison, I like the McKillop branch more. Pork belly came out warm and not hot thus the texture wasn't quite the same - I hate to think it was microwaved and understand the recipe takes a few hours to make. There's not much you can do with it once it finishes cooking. The service at QV was inattentive. Staff had to be waved at which happened on more than one occasion. The restaurant wasn't busy yet so either more staff was yet to clock on or they weren't assigned designated areas to look after. Hopefully it will pick up once they settle into routine. Three weeks has surpassed since. Will I return? Not in a hurry. I would rather walk over to the McKillop branch instead.

Red Spice Road QV on Urbanspoon

Baking: Scones Attempt #2

In my first ever post for this new blogsphere environment, I attempted to make scones from scratch after experiencing disappointing crumbling ones at a cafe in Olinda. Due to the touristy atmosphere, scones were also charged a fortune for these flour and milk delights. Surprisingly, scones are not too difficult to create at home using ingredients that you should have around the kitchen.

The second scone attempt was made using buttermilk instead, crumbling butter with chilled butter and less oil. The result? A heavier scone that I wouldn't eat too much of. I thought the buttermilk and butter would add more flavour however that proved not to be the case. It just made it denser...and more calorie loaded! The tops of my scone got burnt due to brushing the buttermilk on top :( the recipe called for 230 degrees...I found that too hot and my scones didn't look appealing in the end.



What you will need:



  • 3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 60g chilled butter, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups (375ml) buttermilk, plus extra to brush
  • Raspberry jam, to serve
  • Double cream or clotted cream, to serve

Step by Step:

1. Sift & rub

Preheat oven to 230°C. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Stir

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Pour in the buttermilk and use a butter knife in a cutting action to stir until a soft but sticky dough forms (add more milk if necessary to make the dough soft).

3. Knead & pat

Turn dough out on to a lightly-floured surface and gently knead until dough just comes together (it is important to knead very lightly, as heavy, long kneading develops the gluten in the flour and creates denser scones). Use your fingertips to gently pat the dough into a 2cm-thick disc. (Do not use a rolling pin, as it can be too heavy-handed.)

4. Cut & brush

Lightly flour a 23cm-square cake pan. Use a 5cm-diameter round pastry cutter dipped in flour to cut out scones. Arrange scones side by side in the prepared pan. Gently brush the top of each scone with a little extra buttermilk to glaze (alternatively, dust the scones with flour for a softer finish, if desired.)

5. Bake & serve

Bake scones on the top shelf of preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and scones sound hollow when gently tapped. Turn scones out on to a clean tea towel and cover lightly with another tea towel. Serve scones warm or at room temperature, with jam and cream, or butter, if desired.

Recipe: http://www.homelife.com.au/homes/food/scones+recipe,4620




I will stick with the first recipe until there's another fail-proof recipe floating around :)

Monday 12 November 2012

Hong Kong Dim Sum

The name of the restaurant is not only limited to dim sums alone. I'm surprised that not many Urbanspoon viewers have voted on this as the food during dinner was decent. They served generous portions, flavours were present and it was good value. It seemed overshadowed by other sprawling Chinese or Malaysian eateries nearby but patrons know this place gets busy for a reason.

The decor is not flash but as long as the food didn't disappoint, that is what mattered. The majority of main dishes were $12-$18. Our most expensive dish we ordered was the pippis ($22). The selection of dishes on offer were quite varied and they stuck to mainly traditional Cantonese combinations. Most restaurants would charge more than $20 for a standard main dish of equal portions. We ended up paying $25 per person between  8 people. We were happy with the execution of their dishes and would happily return.

Pippi in XO Sauce

Hotpot eggplant with minced meat

Deep fried Japanese tofu with mushroom veggies in gravy

Taro battered roast duck

Hong Kong Dim Sum on Urbanspoon

Bright (and surrounding Alpine regions)

The weather was finally showing some promising spring weather therefore we opted for a day trip somewhere out of Melbourne. The intention of the road trip to the town of Bright (approx 4 hours drive from Melbourne) was to see what the 24th annual Spring Festival was all about. 

Myrtleford

Our first stopover was at The Butter Factory in Myrtleford as it was close to lunchtime and we were all starving. Restaurant/cafe was operating front of house while the actual butter factory process and deli section was at the back. They offer tours and tastings on Thursdays with bookings only.






Wine: Ladies who shoot their lunch....lol

Different types of butter they produced:




20 Reasons why you should include cultured butter in your diet




They had a good selection of homemade quiches, lasagne, pies etc. I found my lasagne a bit dry and missing some flavours. Mr I ordered one of the Specials of the Day - pork spare ribs in carrot and ridicchio slaw ($18.50). I think the ribs were a tad burnt but the sauce had some Asian influences to it. Mr J liked his homemade quiche. Food was overall so-so unless you order a dish cooked to order. Coffees were decent.

After lunch we went to check out the assortment of deli goods they had on the shelves. They also made jams, spreads and soap.




The Butter Factory's products are stocked locally in Melbourne so you don't have to drive all the way to Myrtleford! If you want to purchase for your pantry, the list is as follows:



Bright

Bloated and tummy's satisfied, we make our way to Bright which was about 20 minutes away from Myrtleford.  The road trip ended up being on the last Sunday of the festival which was a bad idea as it had limited events or programs on that particular day. The previous night they had lit fireworks in the nearby racecourse. The only thing available to us was the open gardens on display which we didn't end up seeing or the winery which had discounted wines for sale. Also being a country town, do note that the majority of shops close by 3pm or 4pm. Upon suggestion of the Visitors Centre, we had the option of the Canyon or the Cherry Tree walk. We didn't go for the latter as the volunteer said, in a very casual tone mind you, to watch out for snakes along that path!! Thanks but no thanks...




One friend commented that the Bright Autumn Festival was much more vibrant and you can at least get some nice photography shots of the autumn coloured leaves of the maple trees lined along the street. We didn't see much trees in semi-cherry blossom state. Instead, we saw masses amount of pollen floating around the air! Picture can be found further below. Luckily we all took hayfever tablets that morning upon seeing the pollen weather report.

Off to the approx 3km return Canyon walk track we go....hi ho hi ho...




Walking along the relatively flat path, the trees looked like it was covered in a light blanket of snow. Until we realised it was actually pollen when we inspected it closer...stay away! I've never seen so much pollen in one area. It seemed like the trees were animals and moulting...haha





During the walk along the river, you will encounter two canyon bridges and ascend on some unpaved rock paths. We saw kids canoeing along the way. The hot weather make our walking tour slightly more difficult. Alas no snakes!


After the sweaty walk, we decided to reward ourselves and offset the exercise with some much needed ice-cream. Queues were expected on this sunny day. I scan the flavours list...zabione??? I had no idea what zabione flavour was so thought I'd be a bit adventurous. It ended up tasting like a weird caramel with off rum flavour...another wrong decision for the day. My other boysenberry flavour was much better but a bit too sweet for my liking.


Next stop was to the winery which featured the discounted wines in the official Spring Festival programme. I forgot the name but it was located along the Great Alphine Road heading back to Melbourne (Hume Highway) after passing Myrtleford. Sadly, the cafe was closing so we couldn't stop for afternoon tea before the long drive home.



Glenrowan

Final stop on the way home was the town of Glenrowan, famous for Ned Kelly's last stand. A quick photo of the giant statue was a must as this country has a love for big things. The museum was closing so we couldn't check it out.


Sunset was happening when we were passing the Yarra Valley. Great views to end the day. 






Overall, it was a tiring daytrip and an overnight stay in Bright or nearby towns is highly recommended. There was also an accessible bike path heading to Bright which appeared popular with locals. The area also offers paragliding and mountain hiking for the slightly more adventurous. Our next trip to Bright will be in autumn/fall 2013, with another intention to sample one of their award winning restaurants.

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