My top dishes of 2012

The end of a year always brings a chance to look back at the year that was, and to publish a million and one ‘Best of’ lists.

Along with some other great Melbourne food bloggers and Twitter friends over at Sharking for Chips and Drinks I shared my top Melbourne dishes of 2012.

My top Melbourne dishes of 2012
(with some honourable mentions, and my top dishes from my Sydney trips)

• Rockwell & Sons
  Fried chicken meal on Wednesdays.

  This is the kind of fried chicken that you lie awake at night thinking about- crispy batter which melts into tender, juicy meat. Accompanying the chicken are the best biscuits you’ve ever eaten; soft and delicate inside with a flaky, buttery crust. Made with Myrtleford buttermilk these biscuits are magnificent towers and beg to be torn into. The “mac and cheese” is rich and moreish without being overpowering, and the coleslaw is lively, with a light creaminess. On this occasion the other sides, which change week to week, were grilled asparagus with that sweet char, and pickled vegetables which brought the palate alive amongst the rich dishes.

  

• Pei Modern
  Dutch cream potatoes with mojama and bone marrow.

  Dutch cream potatoes and luscious bone marrow sunk in a pool of decadent potato foam and dusted with mojama (dried, cured tuna) and coffee. This dish is sinfully delicious and begs to be savoured; perfect proof that a few perfect ingredients can deliver an overwhelming experience.

   

• Crabapple Kitchen
  Myrtleford buttermilk pancakes with banana, salted peanut praline, whipped Mascarpone & pure Canadian maple syrup.

  The Myrtleford buttermilk pancakes is set to be one of their signature dishes. The crunch of salted peanut praline offers a counterpart to the soft milky pancakes, littered with chunks of banana, and the creamy tang of whipped mascarpone balances with the sweet maple syrup.

   

• Chin Chin
  Twice cooked Hopkins River beef short rib with coriander & prik nahm pla.

  Beef short ribs seem to be one of the cuts du jour, popping up on menus everywhere (competing for space with lamb shoulder!). Chin Chin’s version is the best I’ve had this year, meltingly tender but with the moreish richness being balanced by the coriander and zingy prik nahm pla sauce.

  
  (Photo thanks to the blog Off the Spork, who takes beautiful photos)

• Burch and Purchese
  Rose, Apple and Beetroot Crumble (from their dessert nights).

  A great balance of taste and texture: crumb, beetroot sponge, rose cream and jelly, crystallised rose petal. The sweetness was kept in check by the acidity coming from the pickled apple, fizzy apple sorbet and yoghurt elements.

   

• Brooks of Melbourne
  Chicken parfait, rye bread pillows, blackcurrant jam
  (almost every dish here is a winner, but this is a perfect reinvention of a dish that appears on almost every menu at the moment).

  A luxurious parfait ensconced in a delicate shell of rye bread, with a glistening pearl of blackcurrant jam on top, beg to be savoured with a glass of wine. It’s not hard to see that they’re going to become a firm fixture on the menu, the perfect bar snack to accompany an after-work drink.

   

• Ladro and Baby Café & Pizzeria (it’s a tie!)
  ‘Funghi’ pizza.

  Ladro: It’s hard to beat the pizzas at Ladro, for me their crust is the perfect balance between crispy and pillowy. Their mushroom pizza is simple, yet delicious, and always top of my list to order.

  Baby: A pizza with mushrooms just begs for me to order it, and the ‘Funghi’ was one of the best I’ve tried. An abundance of cheesy goodness with buffalo taleggio and fior di latte, sauteed wild mushrooms and thyme; it was nice to see a selection of real wild mushrooms.

  
  (‘Funghi’ pizza from Baby)

• Attica
  Flinders Island Wallaby, Bunya Pine, Ground Berry; tied with their Kumara, Almond & Pyegana.

  Attica always wows me with their dishes, and it’s hard to nominate the ‘best’ dish when dining there.
  The classic ‘Attica’ dish for me this year was the wallaby, pushing boundaries with the lean, and slightly gamey, meat balanced by the pine flavour.
  In terms of sheer enjoyment their salt-baked kumara (sweet potato) with the texture of almond, soft egg yolk and rich pyegana cream sauce won hands down.

  

• Lau’s Family Kitchen
  I could list the entire menu, highlights are: Singapore-style prawns, beef brisket, ma po tofu, rice noodle rolls.

  For me Lau’s is as much about the service and whole experience as it is about the food. That’s not to discount the food though, which is always perfectly cooked and balanced. Prawns are moist and tender, with Singapore-style chili sauce; the beef brisket is flaking with a rich sauce; eye fillet is stir-fried medium-rare with slivers of garlic and ginger… you get the idea, every dish is delicious.

   

• Union Dining
  Shared Sunday lunch (changes every week, highlights have been: confit duck with lentils; prawn salad with broad beans and ricotta).

  They’re the kind of simple yet delicious plates that you would happily eat all day, every day. Each of them a perfect journey of flavour and texture, where each component sings in harmony and becomes a celebration of the season. A salad of sweet prawn and fresh spring broad beans balances with the salty creaminess of ricotta and the crunch of crispy onions and seeds with a dusting of dukkah spice.

  
  

Honourable Mentions

• The Sharing House
  Wagyu short rib, truffle jus, braised celery.

  Slow-cooked wagyu short rib, flaking with a gentle nudge of the knife and with a rich buttery flavour, complimented by the earthy truffle jus, and the braised celery adding that clean note through the dish.

   

• MoVida
  Quince Paste Cigar with Whipped Buffalo Milk Cheese (although it’s hard to go past their Slowly Braised Beef Cheek in Pedro Ximenez on Cauliflower Puree).

  MoVida is one of those places that you can guarantee leaving satisfied. Their quince paste cigars are cylinders of semi-dried quince paste filled with silky, salty cheese; a wonderful balance of texture and flavour. A permanent fixture on their menu is the beef cheek, slow cooked until it melts in the mouth, with enough sweetness and depth from the pedro ximenez sauce, served with a rich, silky cauliflower puree.

   

• Easy Tiger
  Hot & sour fish curry with snake beans & siamese watercress.

  Easy Tiger serves up perfectly balanced Thai food, and their hot and sour fish curry nails the Thai balance of sweet, salt, sour and chili perfectly. It’s one of those simple dishes that makes your tastebuds feel alive.

Top Sydney dishes of 2012

• Momofuku Seiōbo
  Spanner crab, miso, panko.

  The miso is smooth and creamy, with a gentle flavour that does not overpower the delicate crab, and the fried panko adds a much needed textural element. This was my favourite dish, simple but perfectly executed, and shows the restraint of the chefs when balancing flavours.

   

• 4Fourteen
  Chicken Wing, Parfait, Crispy Tortilla and Apple Chutney.

  A moreish treat of a deboned chicken wing, sitting atop rich, smooth chicken liver parfait. Apple chutney cuts through the richness of the dish, and a crispy tortilla adds that element of crunch and texture.

   

• Billy Kwong
  Wok-Fried Rice Noodle Rolls with Braised Biodynamic Beef & Black Beans.

  Normally you see rice noodle rolls steamed, with that gelatinous texture that you love or hate, but here they’re fried to give a crisp texture on the outside, that melts into the comforting softness of slow-braised brisket inside. The spring onions and micro-herbs give an element of sweetness and freshness to cut through the beef.

   

Those are my highlights of 2012, get in touch via comments or Twitter and let me know yours.

See you all in 2013 for more great food.

Rockwell and Sons
288 Smith St, Collingwood, Victoria, 3066
http://www.rockwellandsons.com.au/

Pei Modern
Collins Place, 45 Collins St, Melbourne.
http://www.peimodern.com.au/

Crabapple Kitchen
659 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, 3122
http://www.crabapplekitchen.com.au

Chin Chin
125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
http://www.chinchinrestaurant.com.au/

Burch and Purchese Sweet Studio
647 Chapel Street, South Yarra
http://www.burchandpurchese.com/

Brooks of Melbourne
115-117 Collins st (basement), Melbourne.
http://brooksofmelbourne.com/

Ladro
162 Greville St, Prahran
http://ladro.com.au/

Baby Café & Pizzeria
631-633 Church St, Richmond, 3121
http://www.babypizza.com.au

Attica
74 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea
http://www.attica.com.au/

Lau’s Family Kitchen
4 Acland St, St Kilda
http://www.lausfamilykitchen.com.au/

Union Dining
270 – 272 Swan Street, Richmond 3121
http://www.uniondining.com.au/

The Sharing House
35 South Wharf Promenade, South Wharf, Melbourne
http://www.thesharinghouse.com.au/

MoVida
1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne
http://www.movida.com.au

Easy Tiger
96 Smith St, Collingwood
http://www.easytiger.co/

Momofuku Seiōbo
The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont, Sydney
http://momofuku.com/sydney/seiobo/

Billy Kwong
355 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010
http://www.kyliekwong.org/BillyKwongs.aspx

4fourteen
72a Fitzroy St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010
http://www.4fourteen.com.au/

Sydney’s rockstar: Momofuku Seiōbo

Momofuku Seiōbo, Pyrmont, Sydney.
September 15, 2012

Momofuku Seiōbo is everything I love about modern fine dining. It cuts out of the fuss, doesn’t take itself too seriously, delivers something different than every other restaurant and, of course, has amazing food. Yes the system to get a reservation is like trying to get tickets to the most popular gig in town and they’ve only decided to release 30 tickets, but it’s best not to let it ruin the experience. Basically Momofuku is the rockstar of Sydney dining.

The space is dark, sleek and sexy with a few tables dotted on the main floor, a handful of seats at the bar (you can often grab seats here without a reservation and enjoy the bar menu), but the grand event are the stools around the kitchen. Open kitchens have been around for a while, but this is an evolution of the chef’s table; eating whilst you gaze at the theatre of a working kitchen (Chin Chin, Baby and 4Fourteen, amongst others, have similar kitchen seating). There’s no awkward lulls in conversation, or checking your phone when a dining partner goes to the bathroom, when you can watch the chefs flow around the kitchen, prepping and cooking, and swooping in to help each other plate up. There’s also the added enjoyment of trying to predict which dish is next, the plates down the line with curls of sashimi or the small deep bowls right in front of you being dotted with crab and sprinkled with crumbs.

The service also takes a novel turn with the chefs presenting and explaining all of the dishes, mostly with enthusiasm. The wait staff themselves can focus on delivering outstanding service and attention to detail; you never need to wait or ask for anything and often notice that your glass is miraculously full again. The menu is set, numerous courses for dinner and an abridged version for lunch, with wine (including sake) matches or a short but varied wine list; for those wanting to veer away from alcohol there’s a unique juice matching option. The pacing of the meal is timed to perfection, just enough time to get lost in the view before the next dish is presented.

The food at David Chang’s first restaurant outside New York City (his Toronto outfit has recently opened) has dashes of Asian influence but mostly focuses on seasonal Australian produce and ‘global’ cuisine. The kitchen is led by Benjamin Greeno, who has worked with Sat Bains in the UK and the New York Momofuku restaurants, before heading to Sydney to open Seiōbo.  The dishes are inventive and fresh, making the most of the produce and pushing boundaries with sweet-savoury combinations, seen best in the petit four of pork fat caramel doughnut. Most exciting to me is the simplicity of the dishes and that razor-sharp focus of delivering perfection on each element, while balancing delicate and strong flavours and textures on the same plate.

My lunch visit began with nori, blood and chicharone snacks; a punch to begin the meal with the rich metallic, yet almost fruity, pig’s blood. The first course is elegant, although not the most memorable dish, with curls of delicate striped trumpeter playing off the crunch of celery and the heady notes of mustard essence.  Next is the signature Momofuku pork bun; it is as good as they say, the only disappointment being that you only get one. It is a perfect combination of flavours and texture: soft bun, juicy pork, the gentle salt and acid hit from the pickled cucumber, fragrant hoisin and the kick of heat from the Sriracha. You can imagine being perched at a bar, drink in hand, polishing off a plate of them.

Balls of potato arrive, cooked in beef fat, accompanied by the sweet muskiness of bottarga, and peppery watercress. The potato treads that textural line between soft and undercooked, and the dish is heightened with a falling snow of citrus zest. At this point in service, the chefs are gliding in unison, moving from station to station, and it is addictive viewing. The bowls that have been sitting at the station directly in front of us start being plated up with soft downy crab, miso emulsion and panko crumbs. The miso is smooth and creamy, with a gentle flavour that does not overpower the delicate crab, and the fried panko adds a much needed textural element. This was my favourite dish, simple but perfectly executed, and shows the restraint of the chefs when balancing flavours.

Zucchini is presented in various forms and preparations: raw paper-thin slices, chargrilled chunks, flower and stem; each perfectly prepared. It is served with earthy black garlic and soft unctuous egg yolk that retains texture rather than spilling across the plate. This is another dish that lives on its plays on texture and balancing the subtle zucchini with the strong black garlic. Following is mulloway, with chargrilled lettuce, kohlrabi shavings and young garlic emulsion. The mulloway is perfectly cooked, caramelised yet flaking, and its meaty texture ties well with the young garlic, the char from the lettuce,  and the subtle notes of smoked roe in the sauce.

You know there is some serious meat coming when presented with a chunky knife that could be used for hunting. The pork neck is full of delicious pork flavour and works perfectly with the soft sweet cabbage and the notes of oyster coming from the sauce. It is nice to see a hunk of meat served that is tender but has not lost its thick meaty nature. Too often we are given cuts of meat that have been slow-cooked and sous-vided within an inch of its life, and you lose that wonderful feel of cutting and biting through it.

The playful cheese course has cider jelly (on a previous visit it was a sweet piccalilli) showered in light shavings of Bruny Island’s unpasteurised C2 cheese topped with a crisp of rye bread. Dessert is shimmering coins of translucent pear along with native Australian muntries, which have a slightly floral, mildly bitter, apple-esque flavour, laced with glorious honey cream and nutty crumbs. It is a gentle and comforting way to end the meal, despite feeling like you could eat a bowl of the honey cream on its own, but the true finale is the pork fat caramel doughnut. A warm pillowy doughnut, drenched in sugar, and filled with a dark caramel caught reminiscing about bacon.

Most restaurants would not attempt, let alone pull off, ending a meal with a sweet-savoury punch, but it sums up Momofuku perfectly. Rockstars do as they please, invert the rules and constantly surprise. Momofuku has arrived.

Momofuku Seiōbo
The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont, Sydney
http://momofuku.com/sydney/seiobo/

The perfect Sunday lunch with Union Dining

Union Dining, Richmond.
December 16, 2012

Sunday lunch is one of those traditions that should be preserved and cherished. They bring back memories of childhood and family; being with those you love and sharing a meal together. For those times that you want to enjoy a great meal with family and friends, but without labouring away in the kitchen, Union Dining is there to give you a lazy Sunday lunch (or any meal) without the stress.

Union Dining opened in 2011 under chef Nicky Riemer (Melbourne Wine Room, Trunk, Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder) and front-of-house Adam Cash (Cutler & Co, Ezard). The room is unpretentious with pale walls, warm wood, high ceilings and large arches, with a few provincial touches like the hessian sacking around the hanging lights. This style carries through to the uncomplicated provincial European food and the passionate and confident staff (whose descriptions of the specials are addictively enthusiastic). The wine list is generous, with a strong selection from Australia and across Europe, and the list, and staff, guide you well.

The food makes the most of seasonal produce, and is fresh, clean and vibrant. For Sunday lunch they serve a la carte or a ‘shared provincial experience’ for the whole table, and my suggestion is to go with the chef’s choice and let them take care of all the details; you won’t be disappointed. The shared meal begins with a selection of appetisers, then a main and side, followed by dessert. It is worth noting that despite it being a shared meal, they will look after anyone with food allergies and provide them with their own serve where needed (as always advance notice is the best bet).

Not to discount the main meals, but I adore the appetisers every time I visit. They’re the kind of simple yet delicious plates that you would happily eat all day, every day. Each of them a perfect journey of flavour and texture, where each component sings in harmony and becomes a celebration of the season. A salad of sweet prawn and fresh spring broad beans balances with the salty creaminess of ricotta and the crunch of crispy onions and seeds with a dusting of dukkah spice. Their panzanella has chunks of charred bread which slowly soak up the juices of the sweet tomatoes, with cucumber and parsley bringing a vibrant freshness, and the capers and buttermilk adding salty and acidic notes. Another dish has hunks of smoked ham hock, which is meltingly tender, juicy slices of sweet roasted apple, as well crunch and texture from roasted hazelnuts and black quinoa, lifted with herbacious parsley. The final appetiser on this visit was trimmed spears of al dente asparagus with gently oozing soft egg, sweetly acidic balsamic shallots and smooth goat’s curd.

The main dish moved us into the festive season with roast chicken stuffed with shiitake, confit garlic and caramelised onion, served with gently roasted whole cherries and a vinaigrette-influenced jus. The chicken is tender and juicy, with the stuffing bringing comforting earthy sweetness. On the side are crunchy roasted potatoes served with caramel and prunes; despite sounding overly sweet it balances well, especially with the gentle acidity of the cherries and jus.

Fitting with the season, and at the end of a generous meal, dessert is strawberries and vanilla ice cream. Beneath such a simple description lies a sublime dish. While they may lack that burst of juiciness that most strawberries give, the Yarra Valley alpine strawberries have an intensity of flavour that puts your standard strawberries to shame. Hard to describe, but delicious to eat, these berries are small but with a soft texture and a rich, smooth, decadent flavour. Accompanied by an unctuous passionfruit curd and vanilla ice cream, this is a perfect end to a wonderful meal.

I can’t recommend Union Dining enough as one of those restaurants that always delivers perfect service and food but with no attitude or fuss. This is about unpretentious food that delivers layers of flavour, texture and variety. Their shared Sunday lunch gives you the perfect chance to indulge in a comforting meal with family and friends, knowing that you will leave with fond memories and plans to return.

Union Dining
270 – 272 Swan Street, Richmond 3121
http://www.uniondining.com.au/

The Impeccable Pei Modern

Pei Modern, Melbourne CBD.
November 14, 2012

We can all breathe a sigh of relief that Melbourne can enjoy Mark Best’s food without needing to head North. Pei Modern is his first Southern venture and it delivers the top-notch service and food that makes his restaurant Marque in Sydney so special, but settling into a much more approachable groove. Where Marque aims for the fine-dining crowd with an adventurous degustation, Pei Modern delivers an all-day bistro-style experience. That is not to say that the food is any less spectacular, but that it’s more accessible and relaxed.

Nestled at the bottom of the Sofitel and named after I. M. Pei, the architect who designed Collins Place, Pei Modern has that Scandinavian aesthetic of pale crisp furnishings. The restaurant moves from a bar area with its own menu, through to the comfortably designed main room (despite my personal dislike of plastic chairs), with a generous outside terrace as well. The service team is led by Ainslie Lubbock, winner of this year’s Good Food Guide service excellence award, and is warm, with a strong attention to detail. The kitchen is run by head chef Matt Germanchis, and the menu features new takes on classic Marque dishes as well as exploring new territory with so-called ‘bistronomy’ dishes. Breakfast has its own menu, while lunch and dinner share most dishes, and while you can order a la carte, the seven course dinner menu for $90 (lunch is four courses for $50) is the best experience.

The food is technically perfect, without being overcomplicated, and lets the simplicity of the produce speak for itself, yet there’s often a twist or a more unusual ingredient that lends an edge to the dishes. The Almond Gazpacho with Blue Swimmer Crab has moved south to become a staple of the menu; this dish is rich and creamy without overpowering the crab, and red grapes add a sweet acidity throughout. Another Marque classic is dutch cream potatoes and luscious bone marrow sunk in a pool of decadent potato foam and dusted with mojama (dried, cured tuna) and coffee. This dish is sinfully delicious and begs to be savoured; perfect proof that a few perfect ingredients can deliver an overwhelming experience.

Dining with someone who tends to avoid offal, the lamb sweetbread dish made them an instant convert. Nuggets of crumbed and fried sweetbread were delicate and well-seasoned, and the simplicity of the tender carrot and sauce were a revelation of how delicious the humble carrot can be. One constant across the menu was the generousity of each plate, with our final savoury course offering lavish tender-pink slices of hanger steak with chargrilled and smoky bullhorn pepper and an aromatic harissa paste.

Smooth mango sorbet with vibrant ginger granita was a perfect combination of flavour; light and delicate with a refreshing zing from the ginger. It sounds very simplistic, which it is, but it was mouth-wateringly delicious. The second dessert didn’t feel as harmonious, with rich chocolate ganache and hazelnut off-set by a lemonade sorbet. While both parts of the dessert were good on their own, the lemonade sorbet tended to cleanse the palate too much, for me, washing away the luxurious chocolate.

Pei Modern delivers the polish and taste of Mark Best’s Marque, but makes the wise choice to make it more of an everyday experience, rather than just for special occasions. The excellent service and simple dishes with an edge are why it was named Best New Restaurant by the Good Food Guide. The highest praise you can give a restaurant is that they delivered such good food that it’s hard to pick a favourite dish, and Pei Modern made it impossible to decide. This is one of the best dining experiences I’ve had all year.

Pei Modern
Collins Place, 45 Collins St, Melbourne.
http://www.peimodern.com.au/

Soulful food with Rockwell & Sons

Rockwell and Sons, Collingwood.
November 21, 2012

Rockwell and Sons brings an interesting juxtaposition to the Smith Street strip, with the food balancing between comforting American soul food and dishes that lean towards fine dining. On the first visit it’ll be hard to get past the alluring meats in buns (let’s all agree to retire “dude food”), but the rest of the menu is worth exploring, especially as it’s designed to share with the whole table.

Chef and owner Casey Wall, from North Virginia, by way of some top restaurants in New York (Spotted Pig included) and Cutler & Co, brings an experience and passion of American classics to Melbourne, and it delivers on all fronts. The room goes for the sparse industrial feel with concrete floors, plain wood and open ceilings, which fits perfectly into Collingwood and the homely food. The service is led by Manu Potoi, from Wellington and ex-Attica, and brings a casual polish to the experience. Drinks have a strong beer focus, including some great local brews like the Mountain Goat Triple Hightail, which suits the food, but does feature a short, well-selected list of wines as well (and spirits too).

The highlight for me is the Wednesday night fried chicken, which is not to discredit the rest of the menu (which I’ll cover another time), but this offers something unique to Melbourne dining. This week’s review in The Age’s Epicure  details the lengthy 3-day process of delivering the perfect fried chicken, and perfection it is. This is the kind of fried chicken that you lie awake at night thinking about- crispy batter, that doesn’t ooze grease, which melts into tender, juicy meat. As well as offering a whole fried chicken, the $60 meal comes with all the Southern-style trimmings, which would feed three people easily, or four to five if you want to explore some of the other temptations on the menu as well.

Accompanying the chicken are the best biscuits (if you don’t know about biscuits, think lighter, fluffier scones and you’re almost there) you’ve ever eaten; soft and delicate inside with a flaky, buttery crust. Made with Myrtleford buttermilk (which I love, and is gracing menus Melbourne-wide) these biscuits are magnificent towers and beg to be torn into. The “mac and cheese” is rich and moreish without being overpowering, and the coleslaw is lively, with a light creaminess. On this occasion the other sides, which change week to week, were grilled asparagus with that sweet char, and pickled vegetables which brought the palate alive amongst the rich dishes.

We also had the “hush puppies” as well- crisp, yet fluffy, deep fried nuggets of cornmeal batter served with maple syrup butter. The hush puppies themselves did not blow me away, but with the maple syrup butter it had a captivating balance of salt and sugar.

After only being open a few months, Rockwell and Sons is hitting its stride, with fantastic word-of-mouth and great reviews, and it’s going to get busy- make sure you call up and book your Wednesday night fried chicken now.

Rockwell and Sons
288 Smith St, Collingwood, Victoria, 3066
http://www.rockwellandsons.com.au/

Baby Café and Pizzeria

Baby Café & Pizzeria, Richmond.
October 29, 2012

Baby is the new arrival from Chris Lucas, the man behind the ever popular Chin Chin in the CBD, and brings a new life to the site that was, until recently, Pearl. Baby aims to do for Italian food what Chin Chin did for Asian cuisine, create a fun, casual eatery which thrums with passionate energy. The formula still proves to be a winner with an element of familiarity between the two (neon, menu style, learning a new language in the toilet, eating around the open kitchen), but with enough individuality that they don’t come across as cloned twins.

Baby has its tongue firmly in cheek when it comes to its style and image, with lascivious lips, genitalia-like pink neon lights and a promo video that has spurred debate of sleazy vs sexy (see it here). If anyone takes offence then they’re missing the point. The design of the restaurant itself can only be described as modern rustic with pale wood, canvas on walls, and all manner of meat and cactus dangling around the kitchen; the bright neon adds bursts of colour. The kitchen is run by Executive Chef Domenic Pipicelli, who has previously worked at Becco and Mama Baba, aided by new Italian imports head chef Nicola Dusi and head pizza chef Daniele Colombo.

The service is friendly, informative (helping navigate the menu and Italian language) and enthusiastic, possibly a little too enthusiastic and attentive but I would take that any day over dreary and distant. The kitchen is quick, especially the pizzas, so there’s no going hungry here. The menu follows the traditional Italian style of antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci (desserts), but it’s more relaxed with ‘Salumi and Mozzarella’ and ‘Small Tastes’ leading into Pasta, Specialita (mains) with salads and side dishes, as well as a large selection of pizzas. There’s also the Banchetto set menu option, which if it’s anything like Chin Chin’s will be a generous adventure through the menu. The wine list showcases bottles from the different regions of Italy, with some local options dotted throughout, and fit with the reasonably priced menu.

We start with a selection of smaller dishes. Our ‘Accoppiati’ (selection of matched cheese and cured meat), was speck, asiago, zucchini with thyme, and grissini. A simple platter but one which shows off the quality of the produce being used. The rich speck with creamy and salty asiago cheese; the zucchini have that sweet chargrilled flavour but without becoming soggy. The ‘Arancini & Crocchette’ is a selection of three morsels: two risotto balls and one croquette. These are simple items but often hard to perfect; at Baby they were all delicious. One arancini and croquette were very cheesy (never a bad thing), with the second arancini having a bolognese filling. Our final antipasti was the ‘Peperoncino dolce e salsiccia’, which were a highlight for me. Gorgeously sweet chargilled peppers bursting with a sausage, rice and friarielli (rapini) filling, these were so good that I wish I hadn’t been sharing.

Next was the ‘Paccheri al porro’, large tubes of pasta, perfectly cooked, with mounds of sweet caramelised leek and reggiano cheese. They had me at caramelised leek with this dish, and it was a winner, though it did need a touch more salt (handily provided on the table, along with chili flakes if you want a kick). The ‘Polpette di carne’ was probably the best dish of the night for me (although the pizzas were very close), moist meatballs in a rich, but not overpowering, tomato sauce, served on a bed of soft cheesy polenta. While the meatballs were good, it was the polenta, so often done badly, that was hard to stop eating, going so far as to scrape the serving plate of every last mouthful.

It would have been wrong to not try the pizzas, so we went for the ‘Funghi’ and the “specialty” pan fried ‘Burrata’. The pizzas strike that harmonious balance of a crisp, almost-chargrilled crust with a pillowy chewiness inside. A pizza with mushrooms just begs for me to order it, and the ‘Funghi’ was one of the best I’ve tried (Ladro also delivers a fanastic version). An abundance of cheesy goodness with buffalo taleggio and fior di latte, sauteed wild mushrooms and thyme; it was nice to see a selection of real wild mushrooms not portobello (which doesn’t really class as a wild mushroom in my opinion). The ‘Burrata’ hails from Baby’s “specialty” pizzas, some pan fried and some grilled. This one was pan fried and had a crispier crust than the regular pizzas, but without being greasy like other pan pizzas. The burrata itself, a type of mozzarella which has much creamier interior, was like floating on a cloud of dairy bliss, creamy and slightly salty but with a lightness that’s perfect for spring and summer. The burrata worked perfectly with the sweet acidic cherry tomatoes, the bright herbaceous note of basil and a chef not afraid of using enough sea salt to really bring out the sweetness of the tomato.

It’s very rare that I feel too full to not even share a dessert, but on this occasion it was an insurmountable challenge. Yet I’m happy to know that there’s more virgin (fitting in with the pseudo-sexual theme) territory to explore on my next visit, along with trying to make a larger dent in the extensive menu (something it shares with Chin Chin, where you feel you’ll never try every dish).

Baby is certainly another winner like Chin Chin, bringing some energy back to Italian eateries. As well as bringing some additional vibrancy to Richmond, which has some classy places like Union Dining, but mostly just boring quick and easy options. Baby is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with the breakfast menu offering some modern Italian twists on classic dishes.

Baby Café & Pizzeria
631-633 Church St, Richmond, 3121
http://www.babypizza.com.au

Cooking at home during spring

So I’ve been rather busy lately with trips to Sydney for work, and what seemed like an endless week of birthday celebrations. So with all of that done and dusted, it’s been rather nice to spend a bit of time at home in the kitchen relaxing, as well as letting the wallet recover!

Spring in Melbourne is the perfect season for cooking and eating. You get those lovely warm sunny days perfect for lighter dishes, with great spring produce like peas, broad beans and lamb, but there’s still enough chilly days to be able to do a few more winter comfort food dishes before the idea of turning the oven on in a 35 degree house becomes unbearable. Spring is also the time of year to unwrap the barbecue and suffer the consequences of not having cleaned and sanitised it back in Autumn. One thing I did learn is that barbecuing is much easier after daylight savings kicks in, as you don’t head outside at 7pm to find it pitch black and end up trying to cook by the pale moonlight (and torch).

Below are a couple of dishes that I’ve done over the past month or so, with recipes where I have them, otherwise the general ingredients I threw together.

Chocolate fondant

So while I’ve admitted to not being a huge chocoholic, there’s something so sinfully perfect about a chocolate fondant, with that oozing molten centre.
From memory, it is a Gordon Ramsay recipe that I use.

Serves 2

Ingredients
• 50g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
• 2 tsp cocoa powder, to dust
• 50g good quality bitter chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), in pieces
• 1 free range egg
• 1 free range egg yolk
• 60g caster sugar
• 50g plain flour

Method
1. Preheat oven to 160˚C
2. Butter two large ramekins, about 7.5cm in diameter, then dust liberally with cocoa, shaking out any excess.
3. Slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a small bowl set over a pan of hot water, then take off the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Using an electric whisk, whisk the whole egg, egg yolk and sugar together until pale and thick, then incorporate the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour over the mixture and gently fold in, using a large metal spoon. Divide between the ramekins and bake for 12 minutes.
5. Turn the chocolate fondants out on to warmed plates. Dust with icing sugar if you like and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Crispy skin salmon with chives and jalapeño smashed potato

Not much to say here, some wonderful Tasmanian salmon, done with crispy skin. Then just some roughly mashed up potato (skins on, it’s a weeknight!), with some chives, jalapeño and olive oil (dash of milk or yoghurt if you need it).

For me the way to get crispy skin is to dry the skin with a paper towel, then scrape the skin with the blade of a sharp knife, then dry with a paper towel again to get it perfectly dry. Get the pan smoking hot (no oil). Generous sprinkle of good salt on the skin just before it goes in the pan and rub it in. When the pan is smoking, add a dash of oil, then straight in with the fish, skin-side down and hold it down (gently) so the skin keeps in contact with the pan and doesn’t curl away. Then cook it most of the time on the skin and then finish with a quick go on the flesh side.

Plains Paddock lamb chops (order some here), with pea, feta and mint pasta; simple vinaigrette.

This is one of those no recipe weeknight dishes, with minimal effort and fuss. With such great tasting lamb it would be a shame to complicate things. It really is just peas, mint, feta and pasta. The dressing is basically  influenced by chimchurri- parsley, garlic, chili, olive oil, vinegar.

Peas, pancetta, orzo/risoni.

Oddly enough I saw a very similar dish on an episode of Nigellissima a few days after I last cooked this dish, although I don’t do it in the same risotto-style as her. Basically just pancetta crisped up in a little oil, then cooked with peas, garlic and a little chicken stock until peas are tender; cooking the pasta in stock also. Then just combine with Parmigiano-Reggiano, a knob of good butter and plenty of fresh pepper.

Beef short rib, gentleman’s relish.

This is Andrew McConnell’s dish from the Builders Arms Hotel/Moon under Water. Wagyu short rib slow cooked with vegetables, garlic, herbs and stock, then finished in the oven, or frying pan, to give it a lovely caramelised exterior. Served with a spicy and tangy Gentleman’s relish, which is more HP than the anchovy paste of old. It’s hard not to fall head over heels in love with short rib, that gorgeous velvet smooth texture and rich flavour.

The recipe appeared in Gourmet Traveller, the link is below.
http://gourmettraveller.com.au/cape-grim-short-rib-mustard-leaf-gentlemans-relish.htm

Tiramisu.

One of those ubiquitous and often abused desserts, but when done properly it can be breathtaking. Smooth marsala-laced cream, a kick of espresso and booze from the sponge layer, and finished with a bitter cocoa note. It’s something I often lean towards when doing a family-style dinner, as it’s easy to make in large quantities and only gets better when prepared in advance.

I tend to use a recipe that uses the egg whites to lighten and thicken the cream layer, but for those who don’t like the idea of uncooked egg whites then you can use whipped cream instead (it just makes it much richer and heavier). I’ve put recipes below for both, but the top recipe is definitely my pick.

Egg-white version, serves 6

• 3 eggs, separated
• ½ cup caster sugar
• ¼ cup Marsala wine
• 400g mascarpone
• 200mls strong espresso coffee
• 2 tablespoons dark rum or brandy (or cointreau etc if you want to shake things up)
• 20-30 sponge fingers (Savoiardi)
• 100g dark chocolate, grated (or 2 tbsp of bitter cocoa)

1. Place egg yolks, sugar and Marsala in a heatproof bowl or in the top of a double boiler and beat until frothy. Place over simmering water and beat continuously until the mixture is thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone.
2. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the egg and mascarpone mix.
3. Mix the coffee and rum or brandy in a dish. Quickly dip half the sponge fingers into the liquid, then lay them on the bottom of a 30cm x 18cm dish or 6 individual serving glasses. You need to dip them quickly so they do not soak up too much liquid and become soggy.
4. Pour over half the mascarpone and egg mix. Repeat with a layer of sponge fingers and mascarpone mix. Sprinkle the top of the tiramisu with grated chocolate (or dust with cocoa). Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving. Serves 6.

Cream version, serves 6-8

• 1  1/2 cups strong espresso coffee
• 2 tablespoons dark rum or brandy (or cointreau etc if you want to shake things up)
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 450 g mascarpone
• 1 1/2 cup cream (that will whip)
• 30-40 sponge fingers (Savoiardi)
• 150g dark chocolate, grated (or 2 tbsp of bitter cocoa)

1. Place egg yolks, sugar and Marsala in a heatproof bowl or in the top of a double boiler and beat until frothy. Place over simmering water and beat continuously until the mixture is thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone. Leave to cool a little if the mix feels warm.
2. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the egg and mascarpone mix.
3. Mix the coffee and rum or brandy in a dish. Quickly dip half the sponge fingers into the liquid, then lay them on the bottom of a 30cm x 18cm dish (or slightly larger, or make an additional small serve for the cook!) or 6-8 individual serving glasses. You need to dip them quickly so they do not soak up too much liquid and become soggy.
4. Pour over half the mascarpone and egg mix. Repeat with a layer of sponge fingers and mascarpone mix. Sprinkle the top of the tiramisu with grated chocolate (or dust with cocoa). Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Crabapple Kitchen, my new local favourite

Crabapple Kitchen, Hawthorn.
October 27, 2012

The Glenferrie Road strip in Hawthorn has always thrived with bakeries, fast food, and quick and easy eateries. However, apart from Tao Tao House serving some fantastic dim sum, I’ve found it lacking in offering a more polished experience. That is a thing of the past with the fairly recent arrival of Crabapple Kitchen, which has created an oasis of relaxation amidst the hustle of weekend families and weekday university students. It is led by New Zealand chef Greg Feck, who has an impressive history working with the likes of Jamie Oliver, Ben O’Donoghue, and Stephanie Alexander at Richmond Hill Café & Larder, but who more recently opened Sapore in St Kilda and the FoodandTravelCo cooking school with partner Kim Coronica.

The white picket fence on the pavement outside speaks volumes of the nostalgic comfort that Crabapple Kitchen embodies. You can order Campos coffee and takeaway treats through the front window, then the cafe opens onto a rustic-style kitchen and bar area, while the seated area flows through the long room to the working kitchen at the rear. The design is warm and inviting and recalls the charms of a country kitchen, with warm colours, wooden furniture and, on this visit, baby pumpkins dotted on tables (our pumpkin was called Ricardo).

So far I’ve only had chance to explore the breakfast menu but having read the lunch menu (begins at 11:30am), which features spiced duck meatballs, 12-hour Merino and slow-cooked pork, it won’t be long until I do. Of note is that they’re beginning to experiment with opening for dinner, starting Friday November 2.

Despite having no booking and going the busy Sunday morning after a rave review in the Herald Sun, we were seated at the bar area for a coffee and to peruse the menu while we had a short wait for a table. The service is casual and friendly, exactly what you want from your local eatery, but without lacking an attention to detail. Campos coffee is served, a brand that I don’t see often in Melbourne, but which I have frequently in Sydney when visiting my head office; as well as T2 tea and a range of fresh juices and smoothies.

The menu takes two approaches, one part is Greg’s interpretations of classic breakfast menu items, with the second featuring more unique global choices from their travels around the world. Each dish highlights great produce and local producers with Myrtleford butter/milk, Meredith Dairy feta and various high-quality meats appearing across the menu.

The Myrtleford buttermilk pancakes is set to be one of their signature dishes. The crunch of salted peanut praline offers a counterpart to the soft milky pancakes, littered with chunks of banana, and the creamy tang of whipped mascarpone balances with the sweet maple syrup.

Their take on ‘baked beans’ is a generous serve of cannellini beans, slow-cooked in tomato, garlic and herbs; so rich and warm that it’s hard not to smile when eating it. The melted taleggio and an, optional, poached egg ooze through the beans and makes the accompanying crunchy herb bruschetta perfect for dipping.

On the more adventurous global side, the Northern Indian-style eggs, inspired by Jalandhar City, is similarly comforting with a warming lentil and carrot curry that never overpowers with its subtle and aromatic use of spices. Two poached eggs beg to be burst open and let their golden yolks mingle into the curry, with a spiced yoghurt offering a, not entirely necessary, dash of acidity. The grilled wholemeal flatbread has a lovely charred flavour that adds to the dish when mopping the bowl of every drop. This was easily my favourite dish.

I’m not one for having seafood at breakfast time, but with someone else at the table ordering it, I was able to try the Swedish inspired smoked ocean trout. The trout was gorgeously tender, served on grilled bread (gluten-free sourdough on this occasion) with delicately arranged shallots, cornichons, caperberries, horseradish creme fraiche and seaweed caviar on top. While not my personal choice, this dish showed the artistic hand behind the food, with beautiful plating that you don’t often find at breakfast.

Crabapple Kitchen has deservedly become my new favourite local restaurant/cafe, and that’s without trying the well-received lunch menu. Even if you don’t have the good fortune of living around the corner, this is definitely worth travelling for, and being able to book online (see their website) is an additional blessing.

Crabapple Kitchen
659 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, 3122
http://www.crabapplekitchen.com.au

The Sharing House and West Winds Gin

The Sharing House, South Wharf.
October 24, 2012

The Sharing House held an event, in collaboration with West Winds Gin, to celebrate head chef Mark Briggs’ Young Chef of the Year win at The Age 2013 awards. I was lucky enough to win tickets to the event and I’m so glad I did, as this was the best introduction possible to The Sharing House.

The Sharing House opened earlier in the year on South Wharf, near the Hilton and DFO, overlooking the Yarra. South Wharf isn’t an area of Melbourne that I get to very much and it’s still finding its feet, but the allure of warmer weather will bring people out of hibernation to lounge outside on the promenade with a cold drink and great food.

The restaurant channels a casual industrial vibe, with high exposed ceilings and perfectly fits the style of the restored cargo sheds where the restaurant is situated. A simple white colour scheme is brought to life by bright primary colours, with lego-style decoration around the bar and kitchen. Huge open windows are designed for warm nights and being able to make the most of being beside the river.

The evening was a riot, a beautiful combination of perfectly executed and balanced food, a short hop around Europe with the matched wines and a blast of energy from West Winds Gin. West Winds Gin produce two award-winning gins in Australia using water from Margaret River. Sabre is a more traditional British-style gin with that classic citrus note and the addition of wattle seed to add a smoothness. Cutlass is a contemporary gin with bush tomato and more coriander seed to make a more savoury, aromatic spirit. The Cutlass was definitely my favourite, which was lucky as each table was given a bottle with a variety of mixers (tomato, capsicum, snow pea and celery) to make our unique twists on the classic G&T.  Not only was the gin amazing but the two guys from West Winds Gin brought such passion and enthusiasm that added so much to the whole evening.

We were given a vibrant citrus-based gin cocktail on arrival and a chance to explore the surroundings while enjoying canapes (crab and avocado cones, carrot marshmellow, cheese croquettes- which were amazing!). The first course was Chatham Island blue cod, cured in West Winds gin, served with textures of melon. The blue cod had a lovely texture, not completely melt-in-your-mouth like many fish, but it had substance and depth to it which added so much to the dish.

This was followed by a terrine of partridge, which had a balance of smoother textured meat with generous pieces of partridge to deliver a play on textures. The merlot vinegar was reduced to a a glorious stickiness with an acidity that married with the rich terrine.

The main event was a slow-cooked wagyu short rib, flaking with a gentle nudge of the knife and with a rich buttery flavour, complimented by the earthy truffle jus, and the braised celery adding that clean note through the dish.

A gin and tonic sorbet (as if it could have been anything else!) led into the dessert, a Violet and Honeycomb crumble. A rope of rich dark chocolate ganache, chunks of crispy honeycomb, with a subtle vanilla cream and studded with various textures of chocolate. It was a dish that would please those die-hard chocoholics, but also with a lightness of touch that didn’t overpower the meal.

It was a great night out, and the generosity of The Sharing House and West Winds Gin was fantastic. Mark Briggs makes the most of each ingredient and executes the dishes perfectly. There may have been a bit of a sore head in the morning, but it was more than worth it to find out that tomato does indeed go well with a Gin and Tonic!

The Sharing House
35 South Wharf Promenade, South Wharf, Melbourne
http://www.thesharinghouse.com.au/

West Winds Gin
http://thewestwindsgin.com/home/

Birthday week

So I’ve just finished celebrating a milestone birthday with a week of celebrations with my family of friends. It’s left me rather drained but brimming with the generosity of the people in my life.

It began with a weekend away with my partner at the Lake House in Daylesford. Having grown up in the Yorkshire Dales I always love to enjoy some peace and quiet away from the city. The waterfront suites have an amazing view of the lake and all manor of waterfowl, which is complimented by the warmth of the staff and the fantastic food. Our two night package included the degustation (with matched wines) on the first night and a three course a la carte dinner on the second night. One thing they do very well at the Lake House is to make every guest feel uniquely special, a credit to their fine staff. Two standout dishes to me were the roast pork and morcilla, and the chicken and mushrooms; both were a celebration of the produce, showing that you don’t need to complicate dishes when the ingredients are this good.

After another wonderful breakfast at the Lake House on Sunday morning, we had a leisurely drive back to Melbourne. That night was a birthday dinner with friends at Chin Chin, the perfect venue for a rather rowdy table. I’ve been to Chin Chin several times and always leave impressed (and staggeringly full!), but this time they blew me away. The generosity of the food was overwhelming with dish after dish of perfectly balanced food. The green papaya and ‘Crying Tiger’ salads treaded the tightrope of sweet, sour, salty and heat with precision; the beef short rib was meltingly tender and the best dish of the night; and the coconut sago wiped out any repressed memories of bland sago paste from my childhood. Our waiter for the night should be commended for remaining friendly and insightful amidst the frantic action of the dining room.

Monday, my birthday itself, was a chance to drop it down a gear, with a lovely brunch at Crabapple Kitchen in Hawthorn. A newcomer to my local neighbourhood strip, and a welcome one at that. The Indian-style eggs, floating in a subtly spiced lentil curry became even better with each spoonful, and the Myrtleford buttermilk pancakes with salted peanut praline and mascarpone were sinfully delicious. I’m looking forward to exploring the rest of the breakfast and lunch menu at my new favourite local.

Wednesday brought around the opening night (to the public at least) of Brooks. I won’t go on about Brooks, as I’ve written about the evening in detail here, but it was wonderful to see Nic Poelaert’s new adventures after Embrasse. The food, service, wine and company were fantastic.

Bringing the week to a close was an opportunity to welcome old and new friends alike into our home and make them feel welcome. It started off with an early (for a Saturday) visit to Prahran market, for an abundance of antipasti. As nice as it is to cook and share that with those close to you, after a certain number of guests, there’s a definite need to keep it simple. Cheddars, brie, chèvre, feta and ‘roaring forties’ blue, ribbons of prosciutto, mounds of salami, various bowls of marinated and preserved produce, along with a never-ending supply of bread (with the outstanding Myrtleford butter) were scattered throughout the house and garden.

The highlight to the evening was the cake from Burch and Purchese, my go-to for celebration cakes (to be honest, it’s my go-to whenever cake is needed!). This time we went for a large version of their Chocolate, Salted Caramel and Mandarin, with a second smaller cake, the Chocolate and Explosive Raspberry cake (just so we didn’t run out).  They decorated both cakes so that they visually worked together, and it provided a centrepiece with ‘wow’ factor. There’s nothing better after a few drinks than a wickedly decadent slice of cake.

So that’s it for another year and another decade, and now it’s time to recover!