Keith_W
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Posts posted by Keith_W
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I was in the city today ... just got home! Sounds as if we almost crossed paths
And yes it would be good to meet up with annachan and a few others for an eG dinner somewhere. I am going to Cutler & Co tonight for my 40th birthday 
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Hey Chris ... you should show them Acland St, Degraves St, Lygon St, Sydney Rd, Malvern Rd, and Station St ... as well as all the markets (Prahran, QVM, Footscray, and Camberwell) ...
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You should be able to find activated charcoal and ascorbic acid (aka Vitamin C) at your local chemist.
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Great start, Chris! Given that i'm in Melbourne as well (but a different part of the city) it will be interesting to read about your experience.
Hassouni, Melbourne is a very multicultural city. There are Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Koreans, Thais, Philipinos, Greeks, Italians, French, Germans, Dutch, Spaniards, Portuguese, Russians, Yugoslavians, Africans (mostly from Somalia and South Africa), Lebanese, Israelis, Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans ... and the occasional Anglo
I know how to say good morning in 15 different languages. All these ethnic groups have their own enclaves, many have specialty shops for food and music, and many more have restaurants. I am lucky to live in a city like this. -
Sobaaddict, interesting looking eggs. Did they have double yolks?
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I have NEVER had a good experience with any joint that delivers food. Have you?
Anyway, if you must eat like that - I suggest you try some of the bakeries and charcutiers around your area. It takes no effort to slap together a delicious baguette with some ham, or salmon, with nice cheese and a salad.
I don't know where all the other Melbourne eG'ers live ... there are a few more who seem to be strangely silent
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If you are in North Melbourne, you will be within walking distance of Queen Vic Markets and the CBD. Is that why you chose the place?
Anyway, for good cheap food ... try the Ramen. You could replicate what a group of food bloggers did and try all the top rated Ramen places. Articles here:
http://jeroxie.com/addiction/where-is-the-best-ramen-in-melbourne-cbd
http://offthespork.blogspot.com/2010/04/melbourne-cbd-ramen-hunting.html
http://themsg.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/ramen-battle-the-final/
(you can find more links within the article).
Otherwise, good cheap places are abundant in Little Bourke St (i.e. Chinatown). Stashed everywhere else in town are plenty of exquisite little eateries, but not on a budget.
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Broken English I suspect he was using Isomalt.
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Hi James, mine was not a bone-in ribeye roast. It was deboned and cut into 2cm thick steaks.
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I made the ribeye with bone marrow sauce yesterday. I ignored Heston's recommendation to slow roast the ribeye and used my usual method (sous-vide followed by grill). I followed the bone marrow sauce to the letter, down to using his exact recipe for the beef stock. The sauce was a real knockout - unctuous, gelatinous, beefy, multiple layers of flavour, and had a real mustard and tarragon hit. My only criticism is that it was too rich. It calls for 100g of butter, and 100g of bone marrow (which itself is very fatty!). I think it could do without 100g of butter, perhaps 20g would be more appropriate.
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I am not aware of a topic dealing with tableware on this forum, so I thought I would start one. I must admit I am a sucker for nice tableware, be it plates, cutlery, table linen, or accessories. I sometimes see very nice pieces when I go to restaurants, but I would like to know where I can buy such pieces myself! So I thought I would throw the question open to eGulleters - what sexy tableware do you own, or aspire to own?
Here are mine.
For everyday dining, I have a full set of Denby Jet dinner plates, bowls, and soup bowls. I have used Denby for quite a while - the plates are sturdy and heavy, are microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe, and have a nice glaze. However they are not the last word in refinement, and they look rather understated in a UK sort of way:
For special occasions, I bring out the Nachtmann Bossa Nova plates. Nachtmann is a division of Riedel, who are famous for their wine glasses. Unfortunately, the Nachtmann isn't as sturdy as the Denbys and I have already broken one by putting it in the oven. I wasn't trying to cook anything on it, I was only trying to keep the food warm! That aside, the plates do have an undeniable beauty:
My cutlery set is from Cutipol. This is a Portugese firm that makes affordable stainless steel cutlery with very nice designs. The one I have is the Ergo. This picture isn't very good but it gives you an idea:
I am looking for a new set of plates and I must admit that IVV Italy has caught my eye. For some reason, you can't find it on their webpage, but I do find the Marrakech attractive. It comes in a few different colours.
Does anyone else have any suggestions?
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Yes I did have Flower Drum in mind when I said that the Chinese food in Sydney is better than Melbourne
When was the last time you went to Flower Drum? How many Chinese customers did you see? Many Chinese avoid the place because you can eat just as well for less elsewhere. Oh, and you can't exactly drop in on a whim if you felt like some crab congee in the middle of the night -
Sorry anna, the Chinese food in Sydney is simply better than Melbourne. Sydney has Din Tai Fung and Golden Century. Melbourne has nothing that comes close.
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anna, for $600 you can live like a king in Glen Waverley. But it is out of the way and the only local markets are Asian. Or, you could have a 2 bedroom flat in South Yarra. Or, a medium sized townhouse in Yarraville / Maribyrnong / Ascot Vale. Remember that buying food is only half of it ... you need a decent kitchen as well
RRO - I don't really rate the Yum Cha in Melbourne that highly. Sydney is much better IMO! That said, my usual haunts are Crystal Jade in Chinatown, or Red Emperor in Southbank. Tai Pan in Doncaster used to be good, but it can be variable. Hu Tong in Prahran is OK.
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anna, the problem with most property near Prahran is that they are small and expensive. There should be quite a few rentals around South Yarra and Prahran, but be warned that these are in high demand. For what you will pay to live there, you could get a mansion in an outer suburb.
I think the ultimate address if you are crazy about food is Carlton or Fitzroy. There are dozens of good butchers, provedores, bakeries, grocers, and specialty retailers nearby. Not only that, but Melbourne's best restaurants are all within a 5km radius. If you live there, you would be better off riding a bicycle and using public transport than using your car.
The problem with my suburb (nice as it is) is that you are more car dependent, and there aren't very many good restaurants around. Suburbs like mine tend to have more families, and families tend not to eat out.
You could live in one of the inner Western suburbs. Something like Yarraville, Ascot Vale, and Maribyrnong are affordable, newish suburbs with a lot of character and decent sized family homes. Your nearby markets would be Footscray and Vic Markets.
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Actually realized that I did not answer all your questions yesterday.
*Other than at markets, good places for meat? Seafood (sashimi grade fish)? Produce?Specialty butchers. The best (IMO) is Peter Bouchier of Toorak. Otherwise, I still prefer buying meat in the markets. As for seafood, all the best fishmongers are in markets.
*Bakeries - French, Italian, Asian - want some decent crusty bread!Asian bakeries can be found anywhere. As for French bakeries, here are a few:
- Brioche by Phillipe (opposite Prahran markets) - run by a former patissiere for a 3 Michelan star restaurant
- Laurent (franchises in the city, Kew)
- Brown's (franchise) in Canterbury and elsewhere
- Depot de Pain in Fitzroy and Hawthorn
*Gourmet shops - where do I go when I want to pick up the fancy stuff like Jamon Iberico, great cheeses, high end chocolates (for baking/confectionery), hard to find/specialty ingredients (something I may need for recipes in MC)Gourmet provedores:
- Essential Ingredient in Prahran Market
- Simon Johnson in Fitzroy, Toorak, and Chadstone
Cheese shops:
- Simon Johnson in Fitzroy
- Richmond Hill Larder and Cafe
- David Jones in the city (you will be surprised!)
- Darriwil Farm in Canterbury
- many shops in Prahran and Vic markets
Modernist ingredients:
- Essential Ingredient
- Melbourne Food Depot
*Ethnic shops - Mexican/South American, Asian, European- Asian shops are everywhere, but the best ones are in the city, Box Hill, Footscray, Glen Waverley, and Springvale.
- Suzuran in Surrey Hills - for Japanese
- Casa Iberica in Fitzroy - specialist Spanish provedore
- A1 in Sydney Rd, Brunswick - specialist Middle Eastern grocer
- USA Foods in Oakleigh South - for American food!
*Kitchenware - small appliances (sous vide set up?), gadgets, cookware, etc.- Essential Ingredient in Prahran
- Scullerymade in Armadale
- Chef's Hat in South Melbourne (opposite the market) <-- check this place out, it's amazing
Also, are there any good websites to look up things like restaurants, shops and services?- Urbanspoon
- The Age Good Food Guide, and The Age Foodies Guide
- Numerous food blogs
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Hi Anna, congratulations on your move to Melbourne. If food is important to you, I would avoid Williamstown. You have to cross the bridge to get to the nearest decent markets (Footscray and Vic Markets), and it isn't very easy if the traffic is bad.
I tend not to bother with Vic Market - they tend to compete on price rather than quality. If it is quality you are after - then nothing beats Prahran Market. The best fishmonger(s) in Melbourne are there, and all the butchers are upscale and will give you unparalleled service.
I live in Camberwell. Nearby, I have:
- Leo's of Hartwell - upscale supermarket where you can buy truffles, foie gras, gourmet meats, fine wine, and the usual daily stuff.
- Box Hill Market - typical cheap Asian market, but with Asian stuff you won't find in places like Prahran Market
- Pi Pi's and DucGo - buy live fish, live crabs, live lobster
- Suzuran - specialty Japanese grocery shop
- Camberwell Market - probably the third best behind Prahran and Vic markets (Asian markets like Box Hill, Footscray, and Springvale excepted - those are in a different field)
- Chadstone Shopping Center - the largest shopping center in the Southern Hemisphere. In it, you can find Simon Johnson Provedores and Jones the Grocer provedores.
- Maling Rd - an old fashioned shopping strip in the gentrified suburb of Canterbury. In it, there is Darriwill Farm and Cornelius for cheese, as well as two very good greengrocers, a butcher, and a fishmonger, as well as 3 bakeries.
- Le Croissant - French bakery.
- Depot de Pain in Hawthorn - French bakery.
Yeah, I like where I live
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Any Australian reading this might or might not feel the same way. My nominations:
Masterchef Australia. Typical of Australian TV productions, they took a classy UK Masterchef and fused it with Big Brother to produce a lame reality TV competition where those who sob the loudest gain the most mileage. It is also handy product placement for various sponsors of the show and several wannabe celebrity chefs. Truly second rate TV for the housewife class.
Huey. All that fat wheezy Huey does is think up of recipes for canned Apricots or whatever that his product sponsors have asked him to promote. The timing of his show (morning TV) tells you all you need to know about what the TV execs think of his cooking.
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It seems as if I am the only one who has cooked the caramelized carrots from this book. I made up my own spice mix which included powdered cumin, fennel seed, and chopped parsley tossed in at the very end. It was simply a beautiful dish - I was surprised to see the carrots get mopped up at the dinner party ahead of the french fries and meat dishes!
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mm84321, you are making the rest of us look like hacks. Your food is simply stunning - I love the contrast of colours and textures. Please keep posting - you are an inspiration!
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Hi Dakki, a few years ago I would only shoot with a DSLR. These days I feel that pocket sized cameras are nearly as good. Remember: it is the photographer who takes the picture, not the camera. Every photographer has to learn to live with the limitations of themselves or their equipment. However, many think that the limitation is with the equipment, rather than themselves. If you know what you are doing, you can shoot superior pictures with the most humble P&S camera - better even than a novice with a DSLR.
I use an Olympus XZ-1, which is an enthusiast camera in a P&S body. It can go up to ISO 3200 (but in reality you wouldn't want to go above 1600), it has an F/1.8 lens, it has manual controls, and an accessory hot shoe. I don't know about the Canon S95 / S100 but as long as it has a decent lens and sensor it should be fine.
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Remove the guesswork from your cooking and use a meat thermometer.
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I bought it from a specialist provedore in Australia. Sorry.
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I love deep frying things with Trisol. I made the most amazing fried whitebait - these are like crispy fish snacks. Mix flour and Trisol in a 50:50 ratio, then roll the whitebait in the flour. Fry until lightly coloured. Serve with crudites and a dipping sauce (mayo, aioli, sweet chilli, etc).
eG Foodblog: ChrisTaylor (2012) - On the south east side. Down south.
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
anna, I think Casa Iberica has Serrano, and not the real stuff. I have seen Iberico in Jones the Grocer (Chadstone and Doncaster), Simon Johnson, and in a few posh butchers, e.g. Peter Bouchier of Toorak.
South Melbourne market also focuses on quality. It is slightly downmarket compared to Prahran, but you can buy almost the same things there. It has a very good Polish butcher - which is reason enough for me to make the trip.
Other markets worth checking out - Footscray and Springvale (Vietnamese and Asian produce).