Life & Times in Australia

Maha – the GREAT lunch

2010-06-07T18:48:00.001-07:00

Sum had been telling me bout this place in Melbourne – MAHA at Bond St, Melbourne CBD. She had a marvellous time, every time she went there and had recommended that I should at least try this place once!

and so it is.

Sum, mua and Michael M had agreed to check out the place on a Friday afternoon, while I was in Melbourne.

Entree : lentil paste, pickled cabbage, eggplant+pomegranate, and I can’t really remember what’s the green stuff. And a small jar of olives to be shared amongst the 3 of us.

Mains : Grilled lamb mince (somewhat like souvlakis), and two serves of grilled cod. The cod is cooked just right….and the lamb is really good, though I' would have like it to be a bit cooked…as its rather pink in the center. We were told that its supposed to be as such for lamb….and it taste great, so I’m not complaining at all.

The mains are accompanied by a bowl of long grain rice with specks of noodles, and a bowl of turkish style caesar salad (they used some turkish cheese in the salad)

Sum decided to go vegetarian, so that’s her Main. The chickpeas/lentil thing was amazing, served together with some sort of quiche like pastry….

Our dessert to share :

(i) Pot de creme with corn, topped with a thin layer of caramel sauce and garnished with some crispy popcorn => a nice mix of texture and flavours in one dish!

(ii) Turkish tea ice-cream, served with a pool of chocolates bits and jellys, with a scattering of pomegranate seeds.

(iii) Round doughnut with soft and gooey Turkish delight filling inside. There’s some honey syrup in the bold, if you need to sweeten up the doughnut!.

Lovely meal…..and we had fun guessing what spices were used in Sum’s vegeterian lentil/chickpea dish…..

Moroccan Soup Bar

2010-06-05T10:02:00.001-07:00

On a cold winter night in Melbourne, the three of us got on to a tram and took a ride down to Fitzroy to get a table at the Moroccan Soup Bar.

Sum was asking if I want to join her with her friends, Sue and Richie for dinner. Word of warning from Sum “ Its vegetarian….”

My first reaction was : Hmmm….not something that I’m keen on, but I’ve never had Moroccan food before….so why not!

So, there we are….heading out to Fitzroy from downtown Melbourne, at 5.30pm….. and it felt like its 8 degrees Celsius out there (I’m exaggerating…but its cold enuff).

Once we reached the restaurant, there are already approximately 10 people lining outside the restaurant, waiting for it to open (it opens at 6pm).

When the restaurant opened, we are informed that we have approximately an hour to finish our meal, as the have reservation for another group of 5 at 8pm.

The interior of the restaurant is rather vibrant, with bright yellow walls, and other knicks and knacks to complement the whole place.

Anyhow, back to the restaurant and the food :

Sue and Richie had been to this place before and recommend that we should take the banquet….which works out well, as we have no idea what we want and what sort of food they served.

Entree : Pita bread with a variety of dips (some yoghurt thingy and hummus/pea dip, and loads of pickled vegetable and olives)

Some of the mains : There’s a few platter of saffron/spiced rice with accompanied sides (once again, its a mixed of grilled eggplant, peas, potatoes), some spiced vegetable stew, and the highlight of all, (shown above as the last picture), a yoghurt like dip (taste like tzatziki but a bit more sourish) with chickpeas and loads of crispy baked pita pieces within.

Everyone on the table loves the yoghurt+pea+crispy pita bits dish.

The whole banquet ends with some sweets, as show above, and we were given a small cup of Moroccan coffee….

The crowd in the restaurant when we are about to leave :

The whole meal, cost us $20/pax….which I think is really value for money, considering the amazing food….really simple and down-to-earth food, but with a good mixed of flavours and textures. And with good company ….any meal will be a good meal! The whole dinner experience at this place…..is absolutely amazing!

Moroccan Soup Bar

183 St Georges Rd
Fitzroy North VIC 3068, Australia
(03) 9482 4240

Joe's Beef....?

2009-11-23T02:42:00.000-08:00

Do a google search on Joe's Beef, you'll be directed to heaps of review on this restaurant down in Montreal, an old inn cum pub..serving...well, well-loved pub food.

But these blog entry, is about the 2 piece of steaks that Joe had left in my fridge......and heaps of lovely prosciutto....

And I desperately need to clear off my fridge, in preparation for lots of traveling due to training commitment and i'm heading home to Kuala Lumpur in less than 1 month. So...beef...steak and prosciutto...

what do I do with these stuff...?

I've never in my life cooked beef.....in fact, I used to not eat beef.....well, until a friend converted me with some wagyu beef ...

So, Joe's sort of provided me with the ingredients....then...I've got some tips from Alan...

Alan who claimed to be ...*ahem*....the master chef among his family and friends....

Alan suggested that I wrapped the piece of steak with slices of prosciutto, and popped it in the oven , together with some garlic, a squeeze of lemon....salt & pepper to taste! Hmmmm.......

Well, I'm rather sceptical....seems like its very easy....

Anyway, once I get home, I'm famished...from a 20 mins walk home.....too lazy to heat up the oven. Decided to pan fry the piece of steak....topped it with slices of prosciutto....

Scatter bits of dried sage powder...some cracked pepper....dash of salt...and viola :

Not bad eh?

Still a bit red in side...but not oozing with blood...that's just right

Too be honest, that's after another round in the oven ..possible another 5 mins in the oven at 180 degrees...

Trust me....rare beef is not good...or you can say, I don't appreciate rare beef oozing with blood....ugh...

I ended up having to heat up the oven, as its impossible to pan fry potatoes wedges till they are cooked inside. Popped these babies into the oven for about 20 mins on high in the oven, almost forgotten about them, hence some burnt bits......but as usual, the potatoes are cruchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.

Verdict ? I have another piece of steak to go...2nd try... :D I'll probably need to use more salt & pepper...and maybe should try some red wine sauce... Good meal, and I'm glad I didn't overcook the steak and wasted Joe's money!

A kindred spirit makes everyday a brighter day...

2009-10-31T06:31:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I'm still quite sad that Trudy has left the firm. Not that I'm not happy for her....she's with baby no. 2...and am quite excited on Trudy's behalf.

Life is crap at work, with everyone shouldering more than their share of work, no overtime claim, and literally no "gap" for us to take a breather. And having someone so energetic and cheerful like Trud, its really a blessing!

Deeply missing Trudy, who brighten up all my gloomy days......

The Manse, North Adelaide

2009-10-05T01:15:00.000-07:00

Occasion? My birthday. 27th to be exact...

The age where you've passed the quarter mark of the century, still quite a little bit unsure but with a glimpse of what you'll like to be in your 30s...

Honestly, 2008/2009 had been a turbulent year for me. I took a big leap leaving a bunch of people I can honestly say I love and care for at work, and still dealing with the departure, then I took another big leap of moving to another country and try my hand in living alone.

New experience, new challenges......and the empowerment of being single and alone...balancing the freedom to do as you want, but also to be responsible for everything else (you know, the adult stuff like paying bills, dealing with stuff to repair at home, and even killing icky insects).

Anyway, Elaine read about The Manse, and May Jean was keen to try out the place, and my birthday just became a good excuse to splurge on a good dinner.

And lo and behold.....the food :

Dessert : My favourite for the night. A vanilla souffle.... its better than any birthday cake. Soft and dreamy...its like eating cloud scented with waft of vanilla....To top it all of, I'm really taken by the copper pot.....you don't see them around much.

Another dessert.....which I don't remember what's it was. Note to self to post about dining experience quick or to make some notes.....

I think that's the lamb that everyone ordered....

brown dog cafe

2009-08-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

After a long hard week......every single week.....
What I'm trying to say, its nothing new
Every Monday to Friday.....is painful

But that makes weekends special... *GRIN*
To make weekend more special.........visit a Winter Market.
And for the first time since winter sets in.....its freaking 27 Degrees today...
luvly...dude..its luvly.....

Anyway, Goodwood Winter Market is on today. Just minutes away from the city, I thought it'll be good to give it a try. After the disappointment from the visit to the Adelaide Hills Market at the Old Woolen Mill in Lobethal, I've since learn not to expect a full fledge "market". I start to drop my expectation......like half the size and variety of stuff they sells of that you see at the Street Market in The Curve.

brOwn dOg cafe

Walking down Goodwood Rd, I spotted the brOwn dOg cafe.

And its high time for breakfast............

My Green Egg with Bacon, on a bed of baby spinach......
The drizzle of dark brown sauce on the side, is not chocolate. There's no way you are going to have choc with bacon and egg, rite??? It taste like bits of balsamic vinegar mixed with vegimite. Which goes really really well with the pesto scramble egg, and of course, the bacon...lovely bacon.

Hot chocolate.....with the marshmallow sinking into a lovely pool of chocolate.

All the above for $18.10 ($14++ for brekky, and a standard price of $3.50 for a small cup of hot chocolate).

143 Goodwood Rd

Goodwood, 5034

South Australia

T : 08-8172 1752

M : 0407 182 750

Its raining.....mad, not men

2009-07-29T05:32:00.000-07:00

Being 27 and single.....
Sometimes, you just hope that its raining men.....
But then, when it start to rain everyday of the week during winter...
You practically don't want any sort of rain at all
What you want....is a hot bowl of soup!

Chinese Radish with Bacon Bones

Approximately 750ml of water

500g of Bacon Bones

2 stick of chinese radish

1) Peel and clean the chinese radish. Chopped them into thick wedges.

2) Dunk everything into a slow cooker and let it cook on high for 4-5 hour, or until its boiling hot.

*alternatively, you can boil the soup in a pot, on low...the longer the better. Do watch out for the water level.....unless u like burnt soup...

And you can turn up the heat....

And have a nice bowl of warm soup while watching Criminal Minds.....and drafting your Development Plan for FY2010 ....

Krondorf Road Cafe, Tanunda

2009-07-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

The cafe, came as a recommendation by the guy at the Tourist Information Center in Tanunda, down at the Barossa Valley.

The restaurant is part of a winery, know as Kabminye Wines. The place looks really nice, and I immediately warm up to the design of the building.....I like how the place has lots of natural lights and while dining in the cafe, I can look out at the peaceful scenery of the hills/mountains of the Valley.

I particularly like the antique piano at the entrance.........

Decor & design aside, the food by the Cafe is another story altogether.......hence, before I say anything else about the food, have a look at the presentation :

Pork Belly on top of a bed of potatoes cube.....

A small little pot of roasted potatoes, a quarter of the chicken nicely roastes on a bed of ...well, i forgot what it is, somewhat like a cucumber/saurkraut like underlay.

This is the only nice piece of honest good food ....I like it that they give a small little patch of seasalt on the side. It give the olive oil a lil' kick....in fact, I think it bring out the flavour in the olive oil...

The ACCA/CAT mates......

ABOUT THE FOOD :

There's only one word to describe the food. SALTY..................

The Chef must have overdone it.....and I sincerely hope that he/she is not intentionally trying to poison all his customer by using LOADS of seasalt in the food.

As Hooi Mei puts it, her cut of pork is so salty, that it almost tasted bitter.........

As for the chicken, the roasted skin is as salty, but its good that the juiciness of the chicken breast is still retained. Hence, I'll say that its much more "balance" in comparison to Hooi Mei's pork. But still....its on the "salty" side.

Well, the pot of roasted potatoes...is nicely roasted. But when it comes to the seasoning, once again....its SALTY!!!

All in all, I'll say that its a complete waste of a good piece of pork, and 3 serve of lovely chicken. The cut of the meat (both chicken and port) are really nice, but they are all ruined with the "over" usage of SALT when it come to the cooking.....

The only thing that the CAfe manage to redeem itself from a completely "thumbs down" review.....is the nice olive oil+seasalt+bread. And the coffee served....is pretty good too.

In simple words...its Indian food

2009-07-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

Its a freaking cold night........
And what's best for dinner on a cold night??
I can think of loads .....Shanghai Rice Cake with soup, Kimchi Chigae or a Sung du Bu...

But Jean suggested Charminar...which is just down the road, at Anzac Highway.....

Grainy photo..coz of the cozy and dim lighting....and my Lumix is not really doing a good job. The ambience is pretty good at Charminar.

The blend of decor...is rather interesting....

As with all restaurants in Adelaide, there's a pretty good wine lists...and of course, a bar.

Its quite amusing to see ang mohs trying their hand at Indian food. Somehow , the picture of them all red faced from the spicy food just amuses me.......

The lovely butter chicken. Never had such nice butter chicken, not in Malaysia, not anywhere else. Its just plain...lovely. There's that tangy taste from the tomato, and the creamy consistency of the sauce and that tinge of spiciness and juicy chicken pieces....just makes me salivate all over again. Its incredibly yummy!!! If only I'm not watching my weight....I would have ordered about 5 more pieces of garlic naan to go with it!!!! Alright, I'm exaggerating.....I don't think I'll ever finish 5 garlic naan at one go, even with the bottomless pit that I have..

That's what Charminar called the Tandoori Experience. Literally a platter of tandoori meat platter consisting 2 piece of lamb cutlets, prawns, chicken and...there's this roll of meatloaf thingy, which I've no idea what it is.

All in all, the damage = $42.80.

I'll say that's the average pricing for fine indian cuisine around in Adelaide. I'm sure you can buy 2-3 meals like this (when u convert that into RM and eat in Malaysia), but I doubt you can find a butter chicken that can beat this!!!!

When Maroon 5 sings "Sunday Mornings..."

2009-05-03T00:20:00.001-07:00

I've been spending my Sunday morning brekkie time in Melbourne Street for quite a bit. Its a lovely quiet street, especially on a Sunday (its a totally different story during peak hours), with a handful of cafes and restarants.

My personal favourate was The Melbourne Street Village Bakehouse Cafe, mainly because the people are friendly (I haven't talked to the 2 friendly Mr behind the till, just yet) and its small and homey. The big breakfast are really good, and I have to say, the toast are thick, served with generous (by my standard, its generous coz I'm not a butter fans) douse of creamy butter.

The pleasant looking interior of the Melbourne Street Village Bakehouse Cafe.

This is what I called a hearty breakfast.....

My fav : Toasts....yum yum!!

I feel all happy and contented after a good brekky on a Sunday. Good way to wash away the homesickness.....

Closer to home : Bangkok Thai Restaurant

2009-05-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

This is one unassuming restaurant, that you might just walk past, and not want to go in. The entrance looks very much dated, probably that's how the restaurant look like 20 something years ago. But then, its never good to judge a book by its cover.

In the restaurant, you have a pretty neat and clean setting. Table settings are formal, with wine glass, and I personally find the bronze-like silver cutleries pretty authentic.

I first discover Bangkok Thai, on a cold weeknight. Arriving late from work, I'm too tired and lazy to cook dinner for myself. Hence, its best to eat out or order take away. I popped by the restaurant, which is 5 mins walk from where I'm staying with a mental note that it can't be that bad, plus all I'm ordering is Fried Rice.

I made my order with the friendly Asian man (presumably Thai), and was told that it'll take about 10-15 mins for the fried rice to be ready. When I collected my take away, and went home to have a bite.....I almost declare that its the tastiest fried rice I had since arriving in Adelaide!!

I've since went to Bangkok Thai for dinners, with friends. I've yet to try the duck curry, am very tempted, but just can't find companion that will actually appreciate duck curries (I'm thinking about My Elephant's duck curry with lychee back in Malaysia).

Well, here's some picture that I've took while dining in the restaurant one of those night when I'm too lazy to cook dinner (and to do the washing up):

My favourite : Bangkok Thai Fried Rice (~ AUD$9.90 - $10)
Pandan chicken (Entree) , quite decent, though the chicken can be juicier and less dry. But I like the sweet sticky sauce filled with sesame seeds...goes very well with the chicken.

Food presentation was not bad, eh?

Bangkok Thai Restaurant
Address : 199 Waymouth Street, Adelaide
Contact : 08-8212 0997

Life & Times in Australia

Maha – the GREAT lunch

Moroccan Soup Bar

Moroccan Soup Bar

183 St Georges Rd Fitzroy North VIC 3068, Australia (03) 9482 4240

Joe's Beef....?

A kindred spirit makes everyday a brighter day...

The Manse, North Adelaide

brown dog cafe

Its raining.....mad, not men

Krondorf Road Cafe, Tanunda

In simple words...its Indian food

When Maroon 5 sings "Sunday Mornings..."

Closer to home : Bangkok Thai Restaurant

183 St Georges Rd
Fitzroy North VIC 3068, Australia
(03) 9482 4240