J_elias86

Thanks for your information. That sounds really interesting. By the sounds of it you were doing around 70 hours a week? Is that correct? I'm intrigued by the learning difference between hands on and book study. It sounds like you were working with some amazing products.

I wanted to hear a few opinions on hours of work / lifestyle balance. I know it is important to be on the floor in the restaurant conveying knowledge, However, it is also important to have leisure time to improve that knowledge. A few questions for those practicing as Somms: * How many hours are you currently working in your resto? * How do these hours vary with previous restos you have worked at? * Are you happy with the hours you are working? * Do you have any experience working in france / italy as a somm? if so, how did this vary? Kindest, J.

Di Stasio is a gentleman's club. They take the Italian old world cheesiness to a new high. The room is dimly lit so that it creates mystique. For me there is a fine line between mystique and seediness. Depends what mood you catch me in. I'll either love it or hate it (like most people). Most days its the negative.

Call me boring But I think the Botanical on Domain road is a good place. Very contempory and has somethigns that suits all. Also consider Il Nostro Baretto in the CBD. (very loud) For fusion asian try one of the Bourke st ones, Gingerboy, Longrain etc. Malaysian I like Laksa Me in Liverpool Lane. But i'm with shinboners, each one of the restaraunts I just gave you very different. you need to narrow it down man.

Thanks Kerry, I'm trying what you said. Tomorrow is another day... for chocolate. They are setting as we speak. I'll report once they are knocked out.

Hi all, I'm a real novice and I need some assistance with basic moulding. I read through this post and would like some clarification on some basic problems I cannot solve. My Process: tempering: My technique from what I understand of wybauw's seeding method, is to melt 2/3 of the chocolate (felchin dark) (45-50) celsius and then reduce the temperature by slowly adding already tempered chunks, back down to 28 degrees celsius. Once that is completed I bring the chocolate back up to 33 degrees celsius and pour into the mould. I am using a basic square polycarbonate mould which is of very good quality. To practice I have been tempering the chocolate, filling the mould up completely, then placing it in the fridge straight away for about an hour/hour and a half, and then demould. I have not been filling the insides, just making solid squares. I believe that the problem emanates from the cleanliness of my mold or cooling technique. I have had mixed reports about mold hygiene. So far I have been cleaning the mold with warm water, and sometimes placing in the dishwasher. Last time I did not, clean it, but merely cleaned the inside with cotton balls. I seem to be getting some sort of patchiness after I demold. Am I supposed to clean my mold? If so, how? if not, what do I do about the chocolate that surrounds that other part of the mold, i.e. the residue left on the sides of the mold. Also what do I do with the actual mold cavity. I have provided two pictures. One I believe was perfect, the other present the problem at hand. Would using an air-gun solve this problem? If there are any texts that thoroughly explore these basics, Could you please recommend them. Thanks, in advance, Josh, The bottom left appears to be perfect, but the third from the left along the bottom highlights my problem the best.

I think both sides to this argument are valid. Chef's office, it sound like you are desperately trying to rationalise this problem. I don't think there is a solution to the inordinate and unfair influence that restaurant critics have. I think that it is important for you to resassure yourself by taking a more global outlook at the industry. If you want to talk about restaurants staying open and vulnerability to commercial failure, sure it is easy to blame it on a reviewer. In truth the restaurants that fail for this reason will be those restaurants that struggle to maintain a loyal clientele and instead decide to shoot for the stars by offering a more pretentious and less accessible product. The key to commercial viability, irrespective of critical comment is understanding a neiche and a clientele. Respect and consistency for the consumer can magically transform an average steak to a great steak. I'd love to think that the people who keep restaurants are open have a great understanding of produce. Whilst knowledge is increasing, this is not so for the majority of neighbourhood restaurants. So if you want to take the risk and shoot for the stars, you need to be prepared to fall. However, if you want to be hospitable to a certain group of people over a prolonged time and offer them a hospitality, I think you'll find that food costs mean less and less. I love the sense of neighbourhood that you endorse. I too have witnessed it several times in the industry. However, that neighbourhood is distinct from the sensationalist vaccuum that is the food media. The more a restaurant owner embraces this concept, the less likely they are to suffer commercial failure. However, that does not mean that they won't! Obviously.

The Italian Was reviewed today in THE AGE. 14/20. Lethlean complained about the selection of fresh pasta instead of dry pasta for his particular meal. He should be thankful that his was al-dente, mine was overcooked enough to be served to a toothless grandma! The review is attatched here: Review of the Italian from epicure

Went to Grossi Cellar bar today. Will review for my blog. In short, Papardelle con salsicce (sauage ragout), my brother had pumpkin ravioli with sage and butter. Fantastic and simple. Sat at the bar and the atmosphere was really good. Great pasta that was cooked with expertise. I am looking forward to try the main restaurant soon! Oh yeah, I love offal. Locking in that trippa!! As discussed in that other thread, Offal is so underrated!

I said that it is not creme anglaise.. otherwise, what defines a custard?

I believe Fratelli Paradiso is in the same mould as North Bondai. But yes, it should be a Sydney thread. BTW, my brother traveled to grossi yesterday and had a late lunch in the cellar bar. He loved it. I'm going there asap. Cheers.

Don't know about your own vanilla extract, (that is where beans are boiled). Probably vanilla vodka though!

Hey peoples, Posted my thoughts on custard in my blog The day of the expanding man I wanted to know how you guys do it. And whether you have any variations. Cheers, Josh

Don't mention it. Just eat a Louis!

Its from a Ducasse book. It is also steeped in tradition. One would suggest that the name Louis XV (being a king), probably indicates it was well before Ducasse's time. If you want to be really fussy, your hotel probably didn't invent it either. As far as I am aware No one knows the exact original recipe. It just an age old thing that everyone tries to create. The fundamentals of the four layers and thier textual differences, at heart, are the same. Having said all this, I don't think Ducasse's take is that far from centre. Maybe try making it, and compare it to the one you had at the hotel. Note; If you have not been to the hotel, now you have a perfectly good excuse!

Louis Quinze, by Alain Ducasse Serves 21 as Dessert. (Makes 21 individual portions). French Arrogance? A Chocolate mouse. A Chocolate Ganache. A hazelnut dacquoise. An "appariel feullitine". No, I'm not referring to a posh pastry store. I'm referring to one single dessert. The Louis XV or "louis quinze". Affectionately served to the former king of France, this dessert, or pudding, was acclaimed the "best dessert in the world" by some hastily constructed British "authority" (three food critics), claiming to make such findings as part of their mini-series. Is it is possible to make such a distinction. Probably not. Was this a good enough excuse to make the dessert myself. Yes. Thus, with similar arrogance to the creators of the pudding, and one eighth the expertise, I set about conquering Louis. Obviously only the best chocolate can be used in this choc-centric dessert. I used Felchin; Grand Cru 65% Cocoa for my dark, and Valrhona White Culinaire for my white (Which I brought back with me from France). The base of the Louis is the dacqouise, then a layer of the feullitine. Put in a ring mould and then chilled in the fridge. That is topped with a layer of the mousse and once that has set, finish with the ganache. The Recipe that I used is translated from French (at great pains), from the dessert encyclopedia by Alain Ducasse. NOTE: THIS RECIPE IS FOR 21. I divided by three, to cater for seven. You will not end up using all the ingredients. There was a lot of dacquoise and feuillitine left over. Just use amounts sensibly. Also Note that the paradise ganache must be prepared the night before. Ingredients: FOR The Hazelnut Dacquoise(meringue): 1 kilogram of hazelnut powder 1 kilogram of granulated sugar 800 grams of egg whites 400 grams icing sugar FOR L’Appariel Feuilletine: 300g white chocolate 1.2 kilogram(s) of praline (finely ground) (in blender or just chopped) NOTE: THE SUB RECIPE DOWN THE BOTTOM. 600 grams feuillitine. (crushed gaufrette, French wafer biscuits, (I used crunched up waffle ice cream cones) FOR Chocolate Mousse: 800g Paradise Ganache 700 Mililitres of Whipping Cream FOR Paradise Ganache (By itself it is the icing and when combined with cream it forms the mousse): 900 Millilitres whipping cream 1.2 kilograms of sugar 1.5 litres of water 1 Kilogram of chocolate 500 Millitres of double cream 500g cocoa powder For the hazelnut Dacqouise (meringue) of hazelnut powder of granulated sugar of egg whites icing sugar METHOD: The Paradise Ganache (the day before): The paradise ganache is part of the frosting and the mousse. Stand-alone it is thefrostingg. Once you add whipped cream to it, it becomes the mousse. It must be prepared the night before. Mixture 1: Chop the chocolate very finely. Bring the whipping cream to the boil. Remove the cream from the heat and pour onto the chopped chocolate and mix well. Mixture 2: In aseparatee bowl bring the water, sugar, the cocoa and the double cream to the boil. Mix 1 kg of the mixture 1 with 1 litre of mixture 2. Then leave this finished product in te fridge for 24 hours. This is the paradise ganache. The Dacquoise: Mix the hazelnut powder and the granulated sugar. Whip the whites with an electric whisk till stiff peaks and add the icing sugar a little at a time. Add the meringue mixture to the hazelnut and sugar mixture and mix very delicately. Grease a baking tray (40*60cm) and layer with baking paper and spread one layer of the mixture (As thin as possible). Cook in a fan forced oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Then leave in the fridge to cool. When cool Cut out the dacquoise in discs of 10cm diameter with a cookie cutter. The Feuilletine: Chop the white chocolate and melt in a bain marie together with the finely ground praline. Once melted, take off the heat add the feuilletine. Mix everything together well. Then, take the dacquoise disks and while surrounded by the circular mould, add a layer of the feuilletine. Then place back in the fridge to solidify. The Mousse: Whip the whipping cream. Fold it delicately into 800 grams (for 21 people) of the paradise ganache. Then layer the the mouse into the circle moulds. Put in the fridge to set. Final Assembly: Remove from the mould. heat up the paradise ganache, to liquid, but not hot (as it will melt the mousse). Place the louis on a wire rack and Ladle the liquid ganache over the louis. Leave to cool. I was a bit to eager and did not give the mousse proper (any) time to set in its own right, so the ganache collapsed it a bit. Usually in France it is served with gold leaf. As nice and pretentious as that sounds, I chose a strawberry. (SUB RECIPE) (Praline: 250 g toasted nuts 1 cup sugar ½ cup of water spread nuts over a lightly oiled baking tray. Dissolve sugar with water and bring to 125-128 degrees Celsius. Pour over nuts and leave to harden.) Pictures available at The day of the expanding man Keywords: Dessert, Chocolate ( RG1751 )

It is amazing how many starting points emanated from cafe e cucina. Have you been to North Bondai Italian? I do believe that Icebergs, is a little, if not a lot too expensive. But my mum went to nth bondai and brought me back a menu. Whilst again, probably costing more than it should, everything is like that in Sydney. It would be interesting to consider what such a restauarant would charge in melbourne. Also, whether or not it would be embraced by the local community. Il Nostro would probably be in the same league as nth bondai, not icebergs. I'm not really sure where icebergs stands.

Hey PCL, I tried Il Nostro Baretto today for lunch. Thanks for the hint, it was great. I had risotto, my brother farfelle and we were both impressed. This is the exact type of italian, and price range which we yearn for. Haven't tried Grossi yet, probably next on the cards. (If I can bring myself to walk through the hideous doors). Don't you think melbourne needs more of these! I reviewed it on my blog f you want to read further. The day of the expanding man Many thanks, J

sorry. Should have been in pastry section. My bad. Too eager. If someone can move it, that would be great.

The King of desserts. When I was making this I couldn't find anything here on this. So I though I'd post my recipe and results. You should have a try, The ducasse recipe worked quite well. This is directly taken from my newly created blog. For the photos, go to it. THE DAY OF THE EXPANDING MAN French Arrogance? A Chocolate mouse. A Chocolate Ganache. A hazelnut dacquoise. An "appariel feullitine". No, I'm not referring to a posh pastry store. I'm referring to one single dessert. The Louis XV or "louis quinze". Affectionately served to the former king of France, this dessert, or pudding, was acclaimed the "best dessert in the world" by some hastily constructed British "authority" (three food critics), claiming to make such findings as part of their mini-series. Is it is possible to make such a distinction. Probably not. Was this a good enough excuse to make the dessert myself. Yes. Thus, with similar arrogance to the creators of the pudding, and one eighth the expertise, I set about conquering Louis. Obviously only the best chocolate can be used in this choc-centric dessert. I used Felchin; Grand Cru 65% Cocoa for my dark, and Valrhona White Culinaire for my white (Which I brought back with me from France). The base of the Louis is the dacqouise, then a layer of the feullitine. Put in a ring mould and then chilled in the fridge. That is topped with a layer of the mousse and once that has set, finish with the ganache. The Recipe that I used is translated from French (at great pains), from the dessert encyclopedia by Alain Ducasse. NOTE: THIS RECIPE IS FOR 21. I divided by three, to cater for seven. You will not end up using all the ingredients. There was a lot of dacquoise and feuillitine left over. Just use amounts sensibly. Also Note that the paradise ganache must be prepared the night before. Ingredients: FOR The Hazelnut Dacquoise(meringue): 1 kilogram of hazelnut powder 1 kilogram of granulated sugar 800 grams of egg whites 400 grams icing sugar FOR L’Appariel Feuilletine: 300g white chocolate 1.2 kilogram(s) of praline (finely ground) (in blender or just chopped) NOTE: THE SUB RECIPE DOWN THE BOTTOM. 600 grams feuillitine. (crushed gaufrette, French wafer biscuits, (I used crunched up waffle ice cream cones) FOR Chocolate Mousse: 800g Paradise Ganache 700 Mililitres of Whipping Cream FOR Paradise Ganache (By itself it is the icing and when combined with cream it forms the mousse): 900 Millilitres whipping cream 1.2 kilograms of sugar 1.5 litres of water 1 Kilogram of chocolate 500 Millitres of double cream 500g cocoa powder METHOD: The Paradise Ganache (the day before): The paradise ganache is part of the frosting and the mousse. Stand-alone it is thefrostingg. Once you add whipped cream to it, it becomes the mousse. It must be prepared the night before. Mixture 1: Chop the chocolate very finely. Bring the whipping cream to the boil. Remove the cream from the heat and pour onto the chopped chocolate and mix well. Mixture 2: In aseparatee bowl bring the water, sugar, the cocoa and the double cream to the boil. Mix 1 kg of the mixture 1 with 1 litre of mixture 2. Then leave this finished product in te fridge for 24 hours. This is the paradise ganache. The Dacquoise: Mix the hazelnut powder and the granulated sugar. Whip the whites with an electric whisk till stiff peaks and add the icing sugar a little at a time. Add the meringue mixture to the hazelnut and sugar mixture and mix very delicately. Grease a baking tray (40*60cm) and layer with baking paper and spread one layer of the mixture (As thin as possible). Cook in a fan forced oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Then leave in the fridge to cool. When cool Cut out the dacquoise in discs of 10cm diameter with a cookie cutter. The Feuilletine: Chop the white chocolate and melt in a bain marie together with the finely ground praline. Once melted, take off the heat add the feuilletine. Mix everything together well. Then, take the dacquoise disks and while surrounded by the circular mould, add a layer of the feuilletine. Then place back in the fridge to solidify. The Mousse: Whip the whipping cream. Fold it delicately into 800 grams (for 21 people) of the paradise ganache. Then layer the the mouse into the circle moulds. Put in the fridge to set. Final Assembly: Remove from the mould. heat up the paradise ganache, to liquid, but not hot (as it will melt the mousse). Place the louis on a wire rack and Ladle the liquid ganache over the louis. Leave to cool. I was a bit to eager and did not give the mousse proper (any) time to set in its own right, so the ganache collapsed it a bit. Usually in France it is served with gold leaf. As nice and pretentious as that sounds, I chose a strawberry. (SUB RECIPE) (Praline: 250 g toasted nuts 1 cup sugar ½ cup of water spread nuts over a lightly oiled baking tray. Dissolve sugar with water and bring to 125-128 degrees Celsius. Pour over nuts and leave to harden.)

I agree, Melbourne really falls flat in the szechuan department.

Pacific seafood house in toorak rd south yarra is always packed. Good stuff, reasonable price and very quick service. But clearly not your flowerdrum, chois, nor for that matter, is it dirt cheap.

For future references: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=89120 Cheers, J

Now that I’ve done the French, I’ve completed my eating itinerary. In terms of recommending restaurants in the future, following my now enhanced knowledge, I would make the following comments: 1)-The French Café: Wham, Bam full of glam. Big night out, no doubt, this is where its at. Book well in advance, as we were very lucky to scrape in with only three days notice. 2)-The O’Connel St. Bistro: Wine and simple grub. Well executed food, that sits in halfway house between france and italy, but is certainly full of modern takes to traditional dishes. A sure stop for those who like their wine, and I guess, there food too. Simple, but incredibly effective. 2)- Toto’s: Traditional Italian. Authentic modern Italian with a few traditional takes, but don’t expect to enter without the prospect of being stuffed full of food. 3)-Molten: Modern International dishes. Well executed with minimal, (but some) fuss. The menu is wide, safe and makes this restaurant an easy place to eat. Not unbelievable, but seemingly consistent. Note: The ranking is somewhat arbitrary. The French Café is clearly one. O’Connel and toto’s I’ve put next to each other simply because they are in a somewhat similar category and which one you go to depends on whether you want a quieter household experience, or a larger room, open fire, Italian experience. Molten is last, not because it is the worst restaurant, but because it fights in a lower category. Indeed, if I live in Auckland, I might even travel to Molten the most often. This guide is based for travellers. So if you’ve just had a long day, and want no fuss, maybe molten is your go. “Special delivery for Hoops McCann” - The Engine Room: This one was next off the bat, but just missed the cut. I’ve heard some very interesting things about this restaurant. Supposed to be innovative, and the chef is supposed to have creative twists on bistro fare. Its in a great position. - The Grove. Had one of our best meals at this joint last time in Auckland, But decided not to make our way around. It is a great place and would strongly recommend for those on longer stays. - Vinnies: Ex-Head chef at White has taken over here. We were tempted, at first, until we saw the menu. Some very strange combinations indeed. As much as I like the new, there were quite a few combinations that were perhaps best left to the kitchen hand. If inventive cuisine rocks your boat, then try it out. But I recommend a squiz at the menu beforehand. - Rocco: Another, should’ve, could’ve would’ve didn’t. Looked interesting, modern Italian, from what I can recall. Worth a try. “Bodacious Cowboys, such as your friends, will never be welcome here” - The White: I think time has past this old dame by. Some would claim she never had it, but from what I’ve heard, things have gone down hill badly over the last couple of years. Unless you're the type of person who likes seeing Keith Richards fall out of his hammock, perhaps a steer clear zone. - Non-solo Pizza, Gina’s and Red. All terrible concierge crap recommended on our first trip. On our fourth trip now, I still wake up in a cold sweat. But by all means, if there is someone you don’t like, perhaps reel off one of these names to them. I’d like to thank those of you who guided me to some of these. Hope this aids those travelling to Auckland in the future. Any updates, suggestions or questions. Feel free to post. Its been a pleasure. J.

The French Frontier: Well, its been a long pleasing and filling last couple of days. And what better way to complete the trip, than with a voyage to Auckland’s pearl, The French Café. As far as reputation goes, its hard to find a restaurant as well renowned as the French Café. Within NZ it is well accepted that the French Café hold the heavyweight crown. This was our second visit to the restaurant. We decided to go the tasting menu this time. We though it was best for them to show us what they do best. “Green Pea Cappuccino with Porcini Powder Foie Gras Parfait with Apple Caramel and Pear Relish Marinated Tuna, Escabeche of Fresh Crab, Coriander, Tomato Jelly and Ginger Oil ? Snail, Chicken and Foie Gras Tortellini with Baked Snail, Parsley Butter and Garli Caramelised Onion, Fig and Beetroot Tart with French Goats Cheese and Red Wine Syrup? Crispy Roast Duckling with Mandarin Puree, Kumara Mash, Steamed Bok Choy and Jus of Oranges or Roasted Crayfish Tail with Sweet Carrot Puree, Almond Foam, Baby Cress and Mandarin Oil Passionfruit Jelly with Iced Nougat, Pineapple Confit and Banana Passionfruit Sorbet Warm Bitter Chocolate Souffle with Hot Chocolate Sauce, Orange Puree and Butterscotch Ice Cream $95.00 w/the option of matching wines for an additional $65.00.” The meal was great. Every dish had its own balances and textural devices and was excellently crafted in its own right. Together they combined for one of the superior dining experiences. I am not nearly going to describe every dish, just a few small notes/gripes. -The tomato Jelly/Gelato, in the marinated tuna dish was way too sweet. Couldn’t eat it. I restaurants should steer clear of this concept. After having a tomato shot at vue de monde which was equally repulsive, I just don’t get it. - The Almond foam with the crayfish tasted like almond essence. It tasted like a cheap candy store sought of almond. Though the crayfish was cooked so nicely that the dish was still edible with the sweet carrot mash, the foam was not a brighter note. Maybe if the foam was made with less intensity it would complement the crayfish better. For that reason, I would strongly recommend choosing the duck if you were ordering from this menu. - The deserts were fantastic! If you are coming to Auckland, or simply wanting a great night out, look no further than The French Café. Its a glitzy and incredibly well run operation. You will have to make an evening out of it, especially if you do the tasting menu, but its well worth it. Regards, J