Shinboners
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Posts posted by Shinboners
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The only time I eat the old Four n twenty pie is when I'm at the footy.....and I have to be truly starving to have one.
These days, there's only two options for pies. Either find a good bakery or make your own. So far, it has been a pretty cold Melbourne autumn, so I've been doing many stews. I usually make enough so I can make a couple of pies for the following night's dinner.
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I don't think I've ever seen B&Js in Australia.
If you're ever in Melbourne, you might want to check out USA Foods. The address is 11 Nicholson Street, Bentleigh and the phone number is (03) 9576-5655
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I'm not sure if this falls into the category of "it's always been there, but you haven't noticed until now", BUT, in the last couple of weeks, I've noticed that many of the butchers at the Queen Vic market have been selling marrow bones.
I bought a few marrow bones and treated myself this morning to a breakfast of roast bone marrow with parsley salad (as per the Henderson recipe in Nose To Tail Eating). Whilst some of the marrow did dissolve into liquid, the marrow that did get through the roasting process was superb, and the dish as a whole was a joy.
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PCL might rejoice at this one, but last night, I enjoyed a pinot noir! It was the 2005 Bress Pinot Noir (Yarra Valley). Okay, my main gripe with pinot noirs is that they taste like cough mixture, and whilst this wine had that taste, it was well in the background. Interestingly, I thought that it was good to have that aspect on the palate, as I got the feeling that if it wasn't there at all, the wine wouldn't have been as interesting or enjoyable.
The other wine we enjoyed was the 2004 Metala Shiraz Cabernet. It only cost me about $15, and I reckon it's a bargain at that price. It's the type of wine I really enjoy - soft, smooth, not too much tannins, and those chocolate/coffee/liquourice flavours. It seems to be a good all rounder as it would go with plenty of different types of food.
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I had a wander into the Hill of Content bookshop today and they've got Teague Ezard's new cookbook in stock. It's called "Lotus" and sells for $49.95. I spent a good ten minutes browsing through it and I'd say that it's everything that Kylie Kwong's cookbook should have been, but wasn't.
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To celebrate our first year in our new home, we opened the bottle of 1996 Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz to go along with our slow roasted rib of beef (we got the beef from Excel butchers and used Neil Perry's recipe). Ah, it was heaven.
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I would say Sydney is best for world class restaurants (Tetsuyas, Rockpool etc),
I do wonder if that's really the case or whether it's simply a matter that when people think of Australia, they think of Sydney AND Sydney chefs being better at promoting themselves than their Melbourne counterparts.
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and then Shin pops up there and has a good time...
Well, anytime we can get away from the little one is bound to be a good time.
Service was exceptionally incompetent.<snip>
The maitre'd spent most of his time giggling and gossiping (a generous term really) about customers.
If the head isn't screwed on properly, then the body won't function properly.
As I said in my review, I was not impressed by the head waitering staff, but they weren't as bad as you described them.
I didn't like the dining room, especially the faux crowdedness and tables hidden behind columns (architectural fault of the whole complex really) so you couldn't see the servers and they of course, didn't really want to see you so it seemed like.I don't know if you read the preamble on the menu, but it spoke about what a brasserie was and how it was supposed to be friendly and informal (or something like that). It's ironic considering that the design of the room doesn't encourage informality (compare it to, say, France Soir or Libertine - both have different designs, but both have informal and friendly feels to them), and the senior staff don't seem to promote it.
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Or which restaurants feature foods we are not likely to find in the US, or that wouldn't be as good here?
The first place that came to mind for me is Abla's in Carlton. It's homestyle Lebanese food, and it is excellent value.
Another place of interest would be Pure South in the Southbank complex. They specialise in using produce from Tasmania and Bass Strait.
And whilst you're in Melbourne, don't forget to drop into Pelligrini's (located on Bourke Street in the city) for a shot of coffee.
Someone else might be able to help me with the name and location here, but isn't there a fairly highly rated pub out in Healesville/Yarra Valley that specialises in using produce from that area?
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Well, I don't suppose anyone would want to be accused of snobbery, but the Brasserie is a great restaurant in the wrong location. As I have posted above, I am not a fan of the Krown Kasino. There is something about the crowds that go there that makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable. Usually, at the end of any great dinner at a restuarant, you leave with a glow on the face and a lovely walk back to the car, you get lost in the fresh memories of the meal just enjoyed. But not at Krown - the crowds, the groups of bored teenagers, the members of the trakky dack army, and the gambling junkies who have that oddly blank, but focussed look about them. Leaving the carpark is not a delight as you warily watch out for those who are speeding around, looking for a park, whilst on their phones letting their friends know that they'll see them in a matter of minutes. We should have driven home talking about the food, but ended up talking about the countless reasons why we'd never return to the Krown Komplex.
Which is all a little bit unfair because the Brasserie is a very good restaurant.
We were presented with a couple of good bread rolls, with lemon scented olive oil and a dukkah, a nice way to ease in as we studied the menu.
Despite my best efforts to convince my better half to have a different entree, we enjoyed the same one. It was a gravalax wagyu beef carpaccio with ravigotte vinaigrette. The presentation was stunning, the beef hidden under a layer of finely chopped herbs, several thin slices of parmasen, and a little hill of pickled celariac. Flavours just jumped all over the tongue, each mouthful seemed to be different than the last. Sometimes it was a tang of lemon, another it was the bite of capers, and in another, the sweetness of the meat. It was a thoroughly enjoyable way to start the meal.
Both of us had a tricky time deciding what to have for our mains. After seriously contemplating one of the specials for the night....a cassoulet....I finally went for the duck breast with spicy figs and a confit of leg. A large meaty duck breast duly arrived, sliced in four sections, with a couple of the spiced figs. The breast was firm, juicy, and tender, but perhaps ever so slightly overdone. The figs had an interesting flavour. They weren't overly sweet, but that was a good thing. Nor were they overly spiced, it was just one of those situations were you knew the spices were there, but you couldn't quite pinpoint them. But as enjoyable as these two parts of the dish were, the confit duck leg was heavenly. Soft and stringy meat, with a slight hit of salt, and encased in a crispy shell, it was a joy and I was starting to have regrets on passing on the cassoulet.
On the other side of the table sat a duet of pan-fried tenderloin, burgandy beef, and confit potato. She received two pieces of the tenderloin, one of the burgandy beef, and three of the confit potatoes (kipflers). Each part of the dish was as good as anywhere else that we've enjoyed beef. The burgandy beef was extremely good with a blackened (without tasting burned) shell encasing pink and tasty meat, and all with and extraordinary combination of the taste of the beef and the wine. I did think that the potatoes seemed to be slightly powdery, but that's only a minor quibble.
As usual, we are fans of dessert, and the Brasserie is pretty handy in this department. I loved my almond and apricot clafoutis, served with pistachio ice-cream. The clafoutis was moist and the flavours of the fruit shone, and its buddy was probably the tastiest pistachio ice-cream that I've ever had. The missus was overjoyed with her slice of chocolate tart served with mango sorbet. The tart was rich in its dark chocolate flavour, but it was also surprisingly light. And like my ice cream, the flavour of the mango sorbet shone brightly.
I should also mention the coffee. It came in a very large cup (the last time I had coffee in a cup this large was in Los Angeles), and I was rather wary that I'd be let down with a rather weak coffee. But much to my surprise and pleasure, the coffee was rich and smooth. It was the best coffee that I've had in a restaurant since the Grossi Florentino.
The service was, well, interesting in that there didn't seem to be a unity of approach. The head staff were very formal, but the floor staff were very friendly.
If we ignore its location, I reckon the Brasserie is worth visiting. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the food.
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I enjoyed another recipe from the Danks Street Depot cookbook tonight. It was the slow-roasted pork shoulder. Although I modified the recipe (shorter cooking time, used some pork shoulder that was already boned), it was wonderful.
I love these recipes where you do about fifteen minutes of prep work and let time take its course with the actual cooking.
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Nice work Julian.
Ditto. Great review.
But then again, I"ve heard many wonderful things about Circa and will most likely eat there soon.I've been saying that for the best part of the last two years. But everytime I check their menu, nothing really appeals to me.
I did enjoy McConnell's cooking at the old Diningroom 211, and I suspect that I'll probably follow him and eat at Mrs. Jones rather than go to Circa.
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There isn't a recipe for a fish soup in the book.
Anyway, I did the sauteed duck livers and prosciutto on toast for brunch on the weekend, and it worked a treat.
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We opened a bottle of 1997 Joseph Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. The winemaker uses a technique called the Amargne method to produce the wine. This involves drying the grapes before crushing them.
The bouquet made little impact on me. It just smelled, well, like wine...albeit a very smooth one. Nothing overpowering, just a nice little pleasant aroma. The taste however....oh, it was like sipping velvet. Again, it wasn't about power, just rich, but strangely soft, flavours of dark berries, chocolate, and coffee. There were no tannins to speak of.
We kept half of the bottle back for tonight when we're going to tuck into some braised lamb shanks. I think they'll be a treat together.
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Do you have any of Diana Kennedy's books? They are wonderful. Although I do have a soft spot for Bayless as we used to eat at his restaurants when we were in Chicago.
What's the best Kennedy cookbook to start with? The missus is a big fan of Mexican food, so I really should try and cook it for her once in a while.
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The website does look very elegant. The cookbook looks like a must have as well. Yhis could be a very good year for cookbooks with this one and books by Teague Ezard and Karen Martini due out.
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I don't have time for a long winded review but I do feel it worth mentioning that it is very possible to achieve high level dining in a hotel setting in Australia after eating at The Harbour Kitchen in Sydney's Park Hyatt.
I think the next time I'm in Sydney for work, I'll make sure I book myself into this hotel.
And if you'd like to join me for dinner, that would be very cool.
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Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and advice. It's also good to hear that people rate Australian fish as being pretty good too.
For Shinboners - In Australian waters there are a few species of flounder, don't substitue these for Sole as the are really quite nasty, unless you like the taste of mud.I don't eat much flounder these days as my parents cooked it quite often when I was a kid.
We get some Australian fish here in New York, so I've had the chance to taste a couple of examples (John Dory and Barramundi) repeatedly,Do you know if the barramundi you had was farmed or wild?
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Well, I wasn't going to buy this cookbook, but a certain bookshop that I visit an awful lot put the wrong price on it.....$24.95 instead of $34.95. In fact, I went in again on Friday, they've still got the wrong price. *cough* Carlton store *cough*
The book does have a really nice feel to it. The photography is very good, reminding me of the work in Damian Pignolet's cookbook. It feels warm and comforting.
And warm and comforting is the feel of many of the recipies. Flicking through it, many of the recipes are for autumn and winter, with England, France, and Italy providing the main inspirations. For instance, you'll find recipes for corned beef, duck confit, and spaghetti with cauliflower strascicata within the book. Recipes are divided into seven sections with titles like, "I love Spring and new beginnings", "A break in the heart", and "Food to warm the cockles". IT does make a change from the usual categories, and for me, it works as you look for the recipies by "feel" rather than by "key ingredient".
Most sections have around 8 recipies. Each recipe opens with some comments by Ingersoll where he talks about his own history with the recipe and some notes on the ingredients and its preparation. You could almost imagine him saying the same things if he were to present the recipe on a TV show. He then follows with the list of ingredients and some very detailed instructions. Often, he'll give you a cooking process and explain how this process helps the cooking of the dish. This impresses me greatly as it can only help people understand the whys and hows of cooking.
Overall, I think it's a pretty impressive cookbook. It's certainly worth the $35RRP, and I'd say that it's probably one of the best in that price bracket. I think the book is pitched at those who have developed some basic skills and want to take themselves up another level. But I think that experienced cooks will also find recipes they'll enjot too.
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For those who liked Tessa Kiros's first two cookbooks, Twelve and Falling Cloudberries, she's got a new cookbook out called "Apples For Jam". It's got the same layout and feel of her first two cookbooks, but the recipes fall into the style of family cooking - comfort food, things the kids can cook etc.
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Most of us have had this problem. We've got our cool new cookbook from Europe or America. There is a stunning fish recipe we'd like to try. We have all the ingredients except for one....the fish.
So, what Australian fish can we substitute for our European and American counterparts?
Here's a few for starters:
Plaice.
Sole.
Haddock.
Cod.
Herring.
If you've got suggestions and other fish and their substitutes, please let us know.
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Funny though, I lived overseas for 12 years and ate local/street food the whole time and the yak was the only bad experience.
Sometimes there appears to be no rhyme or reason for people's reactions to street food.
A friend of mine visited Laos, and at one of the villages, she along with other travellers, all ate street food from this one vendor. None of them had a problem. Another tourist comes along, eats the same food from the same vendor, and ends up in hospital.
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I'd say if it was the oysters you'd probabaly be writing your posts from the toilet seat right now.
They can be nasty little buggers.
After working very hard to avoid things like oysters and mussels during a trip to Taiwan, I was bought a bowl of congee one morning....complete with oysters and mussels on the bottom. By lunchtime, I was, as you wrote earlier, exploding from both ends. By evening, I was in hospital on a drip.
As bad as that experience was, it didn't put me off eating oysters and mussels in Australia.
Australian MEAT pies
in Australia & New Zealand: Cooking & Baking
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I'm the same. I haven't eaten McDonalds/Hungry Jacks/Red Rooster/KFC etc. for almost ten years, and I haven't missed it.