Quaff in Toorak..

Quaff in Toorak, screams location location! Nestled neatly on 436 Toorak road dining here in the middle of summer is a picturesque affair. Inside Dripping with chandeliers and grand mirrors give it tasteful charm.

On this particular afternoon the mid-day sun was gleaming and had an adverse affect on staff. Food was a touch slow in coming out, luckily sitting outside destracted our grumbly tummies.

When our starters came (minus the cuttlery) I was ready to dig into my simple yet well dressed caeser salad. Most caesar salads come soaked in dressing so my fears was pleasantly answered. A gooey golden yolk dressed the cos lettuce and gave it a rich creamy flavor, no mayo here ladies and gents. It was also served with thin slices of salty robust jamon or spec. The crutons lacked major crunch and was the only let down of the salad.

If hearning corned beef rings alarm bells and images of cans swamp your mind this dish was plated to please. A plentiful mound of velvety smooth potato mash, and crunchy sauteed cabbage was a classic side for the corned beef. The corned beef was well seasoned and was not overbarinly salty. The sweet mustard seed jux was very sweet lip puckering almost and masked most of the flavors of the dish if too much was on your fork.

Hooray for tasting plates i love surpluss and variety always will. The quad glory consisted of vanilla panacota, creamy and silky it was complimented well with a berry coulis. The dry choclolate cake was a space filler, drenched with custard which didnt stand up to the sweetness of the cake. What looked like a upright oyster mushroom was a lemon soufle, fluffy and fragrant shamelessly earnt its place ont he plate. To finish off a poached pear again another spot filler, two out of four your neither up or down. The pear had a crunchy textrure, but lacked the floral aroma and taste of the ruby red juices it was poached in (possibly red wine)

The salad and corned beef was what was up for grabs on the lunch specials menu. Good value for money for those residing in those parts of town, or a secial lunch with mates for us students. Despite me having to get up to find a waitor to take our orders for dessert, overall service was okay Quaff has clean cut flavors in luxurious surroundings,it showcases mediterranean flavours in a fun and creative style. If your ever in this nose rise part of town pop by and find a seat outside to have your lunch.

Edibility rating 6/10

all aboard the steamboat

Its winter, your cold hungry and have a few mates to feed... what to do? the answer Steam boat like duh... there's something so comforting about this wonderful creation, and for those who aren't too familiar this steam boat jibby jabber here's the 411. Its the equivalent of the Japanese shabu shabu, however filled to the brim with other ingredients. If your a glutton like me having 5/6 different ingredients to chomp on for dinner is just bliss. All the ingredients are served raw on different plates and are cooked in the simmering broth. The broth is one of the main components of this dish and can be varied depending on your taste(vegetarian,chicken,seafood). Personally because I'm such a creature of habit, my default broth is tom yum! The spice and zest works perfectly with the seafood. As you continue to eat the broth does its own magic trick and develops into the most rich flavor as it boils down, and the lucky fool who arrives late to dinner gets to benefit from this. when everything is out on the table its all hands on deck, every man for themselves beware thieving poops (your mates)who take your food out of the broth when your not watching.

Check List...
*portable gas stove..
*fairly large but shallow saucepan
*Egg noodles of your choice
*rice noodles " "
*bok choy, napa cabbage
*550 gr topside beef/ slice thinly
*500gr baby squid
*600gr prawns
* your choice of fish balls
*enoki mushrooms

The broth(the lazyboy way)
1.5 litres Chicken stock
* small can tinned pineapples
*2 tomatos chopped n quartered
*3 tbsp tom yum paste..

The broth (amateur cook way)
*2 chicken carcass
*2 medium sized carrots
*1 large onion cut in half
*Put all of the above into a pot of water and simmer for 1hr skim off the 'scum' (floaty bits on top) Then....
add, the tom yum paste and tomatoes, and tinned pineapple.

Nigella inspired recipes

Nigella Lawson now she is in some ways England's very own Martha Stewert, minus the jail time of course. With gorgeous curves like her, you can tell she is a fiend to her chocolate cakes, unctuous puddings and feel good dinners. Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are. Anthelme Brillat-Savarin well who am i to argue, she eats sexy food and she is sexy.. make sense? Her recipes are no fuss, and dare i say for the lazy cook.

If anyone has seen any of her series she they'd know that she does not p'fart around in the kitchen. With all of us being retardedly busy we should all take a page out of Ms Lawsons book. Be it sunshine or rain she always has a recipe that will compliment the day, a few that really struck my fancy was her watermelon salad w feta & olives, thin slices of salmon in a dark sweet soy w grated ginger and spring onions, 'anglo-asian lamb salad' and the sinful Nutella cake...

So in homage to her recipes here are a few of my own with a bit of a twist.

Watermelon salad, with feta and olives
half watermelon, 250gr Feta cheese, handful of olives, mint or parsley (either works good), olive oil 3/4 Tbsp (optional) roasted pistachio as garnish 150gr, lemon sugar
*Thinly slice onion and soak in lemon juice,zest and sugar dressing.
*Cube watermelon and put into a large serving bowel and crumble over feta.
*halve or slice olives
*low heat pan roast the pistachio once done put in a paper bag and crush with a bottom of a mug if you dont have a rolling pin =p
*add olive oil to the soaked onions and juices, mix together and pour on top of watermelon
*garnish w chopped basil or parsley

Lamb Salad
You can make this with left over lamb roast, or if you weren't lucky enough to have it the night before go out and buy lamb loin instead.
350/450gr lamb loin, packet rocket leaves, head of cos lettuce, mint, 1small packet glass noodles, 4 tbsp fish sauce,chopped deseeded small chilli,half lime, 2 tbsp sugar,4 tbsp water
*season lamb with salt and pepper sear over a grill pan or normal pan if you dont have one 5 min per side depending on preferred 'doneness' *cough* med rare ** rest meat before slicing
*soak glass noodles boiling water from kettle
* make a bed of rocket leaves and chopped cos lettuce (bite size)
*make a dressing with the fish sauce,chilli, lime, sugar and water (this dressing recipe is just a guide you can adjust it to your liking depending on whether ur a sweet or salty kida cat)
*rule of thumb though... balance is the key
*cut glass noodles in half drain and lay onto of lettuce
*thinly slice lamb and scatter on to the noodles and drizzle over w dressing
*garnish with mint leaves

Soba noodles with seared salmon
This is a twist on hybrid between nigella and Nobu's recipe(and my own of course), and is for those who are a bit squeamish on raw fish
400/500 gr fresh salmon, half cup of olive oil, small knob of ginger,1 spring onion, 2 tbsp dark soy, 3tbsp** this soba noodle sauce is what i always use and works really well with the salmon you can get it at most asian grocers , cant read japanese read the ingredients at the back if it has soy,dashi,mirin your set!!, soba noodles, long grated zucchini, long grated carrot
*thinly slice salmon and place on plate, grate small amounts of ginger over and garnish with spring onions
*boil water and add in the zucchini and carrot 30/4o seconds before the noodles are done, drain well add soba dressing according to taste.
*make a dressing with dark soy and soba dressing and spoon evenly over salmon
*heat oil until almost smoking and drizzle hot oil over the salmon slightly cooking it
*enjoy the samlon together with the noodles

Nutella cake
This is the extremely lazy boy way of making this Nutella cake but it works and even the most novice of bakers can make this.
1 packet of instant cake mix ** white wings etc, 200/300 grams hazelnuts ,jar nutella, whipped /clotted cream/hazelnut ice cream ** you decide
*prepare cake mix according to instructions cool and cut in half
*spread nutella on both layers of the cake use as much or as little as u like
* roast the hazel nuts on a low heat,crush **not too fine give it crunch!! and sprinkle over the nutella
*put the cake together slice and serve with your choice of cream or ice cream =]

F*** junk food!!

Living in Dandenong we’re a motley crue of flavors from around the world. We’re known for being the most culturally diverse nest, but yet we’re still calling each other chingas, niggers and wogs (derogatory or not). So whom are we hating on nowadays? , I do wonder. There’s an interesting trend we follow. Believe it or not, we always hate the new guy.

Isn’t that how its always been? When the first European immigrants landed all those moons ago, they certainly didn’t get the red carpet treatment. Next up in line were the refugees from Vietnam , Cambodia, our friends from the Middle East ,war torn western Europe and not to mention Sudan and Nigeria. They came to Australia for all sorts of reasons war, famine … heard it all before? There is a reason, I promise.

It’s fair to say our immigrant forefathers came with piss all, but they bought their language, teachings, culture and, yes my friends, the food, the oh so glorious food.
Black, white, brown, yellow, pink, purple, rainbow, I don’t care what colour your skin is we all eat. We all eat to live and for some we live to eat. Our forefathers all came with recipes of home: pho, chevapi, borsch, hor fun. If you’re thinking what the hell are those? Then its time to try something different the next time you’re out. ‘Eat outside the box’, who knows? You might even like it, heaven forbid. How dare we call ourselves culturally diverse if we’re not even willing to try the food? They’re baby steps to embracing others cultures, not to mention improving our health.

When the million dollar question arises, is it what did we do wrong? Or should it be, what are we doing wrong? So when its time to venture off on our own what is it that we are eating? We are heading towards the golden arches and the smiling Colonel Sanders and his saturated, artery-clogging chicken. Ok, so we are time poor, why does this have to mean a poor diet as well? an So ok I’ll spare you the whole ‘junk food is bad for you’ lecture and say that it’s not only our health that’s at risk, its our culture as well. How many times have you seen someone scrunch up his or her nose at trying something new?

MacDonald’s in most parts of town have literally stood the test of time and watched other family run businesses get squashed under its giant corporate foot. They’re making money off our increasing waistlines and sky rocketing sugar and cholesterol levels. Hey there’s nothing an insulin shot, diet pill and proactive** cant fix. Go to most cafeterias around Dandenong especially in the industrial areas and see what they’re serving up. The usual suspects of course, fried pieces of mystery meat, pies (mystery meat), sausages (mystery meat), chiko rolls, fried dim sim, oh and don’t forget the vegetables the potato chips and ‘onion’ rings. Two doors down at another Café the same deal.

This is what’s selling day in and out and yet we complain about how ‘healthier options’ are more expensive, demand and supply. Our love of fast food has embarrassingly earned us the title of the fattest country, finally something we’ve surpassed the Americans with
Is that our food culture? Sure a burger is great but who wants to meet the cow it came from.

This is us, were ignorant to where our food has come from and with the increasing popularity of GM foods what the hell does seasonal produce mean anyway? We are losing ourselves to the fish and chips, charcoal chicken, red rooster and hungry jacks bandwagon. A whopping 55 % of Dandenong’s inhabitants are born overseas and coming from 150 or so countries we should be ashamed of our eating choices.

Why does eating well come with the stigma of diets? And why does knowing what’s good to eat have to do with being food ‘savvy’ or whatever that’s supposed to mean. There are grey skies ahead if we keep on associating eating well as a ‘class’ privilage. We teach sex education at school because we deem it as an importance to us, why don’t we learn about food?

We’re meant to eat three square meals a day, maybe then we wont be so ignorant towards food and make better choices. Food won’t be so intimidating and strange and might even encourage us to see what our neighbours are having for dinner every night. Keeping an open mind and stomach never seemed to do any harm.

No you wont not find the meat lovers special in the streets of Sicily nor will you find sweet and sour chicken in a local’s home in Beijing. Food has gone through such transformations through out time to suite our changing pallets and declining standards. Ditch the fries and burgers, and if you are that much of a fried food fan, try crispy fried noodle combination, or a falafel or vegetable samosa. At least it has some aspect of authenticity and is made of real vegetables and meat. Support local businesses and protect our culture and keep it running through the generations.

The 60’s are over and long gone the hippies, but tolerance should be everlasting even if it’s only showing it through food. Instead of choosing the drive through option, go down to your local shops and see what there is sample. Sit down, have a meal that takes u longer than five minutes to devour, and that actually requires cutlery. Before you say “ew” to something you’ve never tried before, next time your munching on a quarter pounder, have a think about what the little brown patty is made of. Or the supposed’ chicken’ nuggets from red rooster. Yes friends the truth is scary and disgusting. Do it like Bourdain and have ‘no reservations’ on exploring unchartered waters.

In the words of Mr Lennon lets ‘come together’ (pardon the cheese) they say ignorance is bliss but is it really? How long are we going to sit around and watch our heritages and not to mention health disintegrate right before our eyes? Eating food from our peers countries, be they friend or foe wont be the solution to our long list of problems nor will it bring on world peace and make us all love each other and live in harmony. However it’s not a bad way to start, let’s face it reality is a bitch but prevention is way better than a cure.

Pho for the soul

For the die hard Pho Bo fans they need look no further than Pho Hung in Springvale Central. They cater for any offal enthusiast and sliced chicken or beef for the novice. The typical Pho Bo comprises of the aromatic broth, silky long noodles, and choice of meat. Pho Hung’s broth is steamy and sumptuous as it arrives at your table at impressive speed might I add. Delicious melt in your mouth morsels of meat give this light dish body enough to satisfy even the most monstrous appetites.
As with any other rock star food on the go, it comes with its own condiments. Crispy, cold bean shoots to add a delectable subtle crunch with every mouthful, and bright green aromatic basil leaf to add to the glory. As strange as it may seem to put funky colored sauces into your soup, let it be said without them would be like having a piece missing from a jigsaw puzzle.
Pho Hung is were I began my love affair with satay/chilli oil. With a sauce so good there is bound to be a meter long list of ingredients but hey who cares its delicious. It goes without saying eating Pho is an interactive affair. Once the bowls make a safe landing all hands are on deck to create their very own masterpiece. Its quite amusing seeing hands dart around to gather sauces and condiments.
There’s no right or wrong in constructing your Pho, go for life! After a few trials and errors you’ll begin to work out, how much happiness you can fit into your bowl. Just as a guideline for the novice South East Asian cuisine is renowned for its balanced flavors.
A complete meal in a bowl makes it an awesome substitute for the demeaning burger and chips. Definitely a meal for the lads and lassies, easy on the waistline of the ladies and boys buff it up with an upsize.
Come the weekend if a full house isn’t enough to say how good these guys do it here then I don’t know what does. Its a small restaurant and sometimes you have to carefully duck and weave through the tables,but for just as little at $7 .50 a pop how can you go wrong? Eating in springvale is like Russian roulette, be assured Pho Hung is definitely not going to disappoint, just ask the locals the ‘real’ critics.



edibility rating >>8/10<<

Tapas @ Chaddy

So there we were ready to test waters at the ' Tender Trap Tapas and Wine', a new tapas establishment in Chadstone's new fresh food and life style section. Yes we were at the fashion capital however its questionable whether they could be the 'food' capital as well.
Spanish Tapas is a soiree of delicious dishes served in small clay bowls. having tapas is a casual affair, best enjoyed with good company and a rocking glass of wine.... think yum cha with bar that actually has a wine list ... and your close! Tapas in all of its glory is relaxed dining and if your a food whore, being able to gorge on different flavors and textures is a bonus.
we had:
* A platter, made of terrine, pate,jamon (spanish ham),salami,pickled anchovy (strangely enticing), grilled peppers,mushrooms and zucchini. hommus and tatziki dip w bread, olives and almonds.
*Pork ribs
*Paella-chorizo, saffron ,peppers,prawns,mussels.

It was 15 minutes before we got our drinks,further 30 mins for the starters and a painstaking 10 wait for the bread FOR our starters and trailing along 10-15 minutes after that we got our paella. what could of been a quick and tasty dinner, turned out to be a long and draining hoohah. admiring decor and bitching about your day can only hold you off for so long. We should of been enjoying our evening, however the whole night consisted of waiting, the " your food is on its way" line wore extremely thin by the 30 minute mark. yes i was a starving marvin and no i was not a happy camper!
When the platter came, it was a delightful assortment of goodies, the terrine was rather bland and so was the salami it lacked aroma and flavor... which is what every salami want to be right?. There was a measly two pieces for bread for the whole platter which was very annoying considering we had to wait around while for more bread to come. (order your bread in one go if you must guys!)
the spare ribs were what ribs should be, there's no fun in eating ribs when all the meat has fallen off it. The sauce tasted like bbq sauce and wasn't very 'Spanish' but then again Spanish cuisine is regional. it was as Spanish as much as sweet and sour pork is Chinese. I didn't give a flip about authenticity i was starving!
So it all came down to the paella, came out steaming hot which was a good sign, tastefully garnished with red capsicum under seasoned (salt shakers out) but well spiced 'yay' for that!
It's a new establishment and the family at TTTW have yet to find their feet 'decent' enough food but after forking out $70 for waiting all night for your food is a real bummer. They were understaffed for a Friday night, and staff that were on, couldn't keep up. so to all my lads and ladies proceed with caution, great novelty value, don't go on an empty stomach!
edibility rating >>4/10<< sorry guys just wasn't work the wait!!

Thai @ Lemon Leaf

Tired of crap service ? i was, and not a spec of it was found at Lemon Leaf on this occasion. promptly greeted at the door seated and served, Lemon Leaf provided a warm and elegant ambiance with the speed your local take away shop, nice one guys! fast food without the junk. To cover all bases as we always do we chose the duck salad, green chicken curry, roti bread, fried whole barramundi in hot and sour dressing... call it what you like it was sweet and sour and yes I'm ashamed but it worked well with the fried fish and was good value to boot so thumbs up from my end.
salad came out quick smart, in a plentiful mound might i add. thin slices of roasted duck breast was a little over cooked for my liking, however the smokey flavor worked well. the dressing was zesty and sweet a perfect balance of Thai flavors.
The fried barramundi golden and crispy, it was drenched in a ruby red sauce with plump gems of peas and corn to add to the crazy train. it had to of been the strangest sauces i've eaten in a donky while. weird and wonderful so i guess there was no harm in adding vegetables! there were tons of bold flavors at the table, the rich green curry toned the madness down a notch.

The curry itself wasn't as fragrant which was disappointing and could of done with 1-2 more minutes on the heat would of served justice to the vegetables in the curry. Battens of green and red capsicum, bamboo and green beans added color and crunch. chicken was cooked perfectly, and we moped the pale green slush with crispy folds of roti bread.

By the end we were stuffed! not another bite could be had and we even had some curry to take home. Paying the bill was the ending to every eating adventure, and can sometimes be a nasty thing. So it was a nice surprise to have been given a voucher for ten dollars, for our next visit. Lemon leaf provides a twist Thai cuisine in unctuous surroundings, tall ceilings and a glass wine cellar on display. The food well balanced but ordinary, well executed by staff who were polite and gentle. Don't be fooled by the rabbit! its timid but quick, the staff were delightful and we were well looked after. Its the little things that count and its what people remember.
edibility rating >>6/10<<

Sammy's Italian Cuisine

If you ever find yourself in Templestowe and have a hankering for some Italian, Sammy's no fuss italian cuisine is awesome value for your precious papers. On a Saturday night this place is buzzing with hungry patrons, almost at full capacity but not a drop of sweat was seen on the staff. staff were like an well oiled engine, barely phased by our table of seventeen ... wait make that eighteen.
The charming little water fountain at the front gives Sammy's it a hint of Rome, a wide and open dining room carried the sounds of laughter and chatter adding to the fun. Sammy's does Italian how it should be unpretentious and plentiful. Six starters and eighteen mains later we were ready to get our party started.
For starters the bruschetta, seasoned well and zesty the chunky tomato cubes were sitting on warm and crisp bread. The quality of tomato's in recent years have dwindled and your average consumers are chomping down TOMATO IMPOSTERS! unless grown organically our little red friends lack the sweetness and flavor. needless to say i was certainly not expecting organic tomatoes and kudos for the acknowledgment of tasteless tomatoes, by having lemon juice, olive oil and salt really brought out the natural flavors of the tomato.
Our food took two trips by three waiters it was like feeding time at the zoo! ravioli, risotto, spaghetti, linguine parmas and lasagnas! yes heaven was right there on our table of eighteen. I always find that Cabonara and dare i say bologonaise has been done to death come on guys live a little! so i opted for Mussels in a white wine, tomato, garlic and chili sauce. The dish was simple... linguine and mussels! but the flavors were bold.
Next up was the Tutto pizza another schmoozy name for 'the lot'. Sammy's twist on the old fav were plump little smoked mussels and the base of the pizza was crisp to perfection. Sammy's had a selection of assorted cakes! individual slices looked as if it could feed three people, or one sugar junkie. however dessert was the last thing on my mind as i was filled to the brim.
Sammy's is casual dining, but there was nothing casual about the service. Staff were loud, witty and on the ball. Water jugs constantly being topped and diligent table clearing even on a busy night, and even near closing time we were not rushed out by eager staff. So how much was it to feed eighteen hungry mouths? $420.00 close to twenty per head! tell me that isn't value.

Got Milk- Caldermeade Farm-Cafe-Dairy

If you ever find yourself on the way to Phillip Island or anywhere down Gippy, be sure to stop off at the Caldermeade Farm- Cafe-Dairy. Its a dairy farm that seems out in the middle of no where but in fact only 25 minutes from Dandenong... (please no dandy jokes!) Forget about having brunch in South Yarra and head to where the air is cleaner, relax have a cuppa and enjoy an array of quiches and pies. This quaint little cafe prides itself on using local produce and making their own jams and relishes.
when you're done stuffing your face and feeling a tad guilty about all the calories you've gathered from the cream and pies, have a walk outside and get acquainted with the little fuzzies in the animal nursery.

We stepped out of the cold and stepped into snug little cottage, with warm fireplace to welcome us. on that particular day we told our 'sensible' to take a hike and made way for 'calorie loaded heaven on a plate'.
You cant come to Caldermeade and not have scones with jam and cream with a cup of Devonshire tea to wash it all down. The scones come out warm and fluffy, and once you lather on thick layers of rich cream and the ruby jam, your mouth begins to water with anticipation. the cream had the consistency of custard, and it took a lot of will power not to pour the whole pot in my mouth! let me say that my heart goes out for any one who is lactose intolerant. The tea from here came in a aluminum tube, tiny holes allowed tea to permeate slowly, hey presto self straining tea. chic way to have tea, call me a fuddy dud but i like my tea in the more conventional way, its half the fun!

Caldermeade's pancakes,whipped butter and maple syrup give the pancakes at the Pancake Parlor a good run for their money. they were rustic and had a modest charm. Pancakes arent meant to be perfectly round and colored... nothing comforting and warming about pancakes that have been made by a machine.

I opted for the specials board and chose the salmon, spinach and brie cheese quiche. I found it was a little too salty and I'm usually the first one who reaches for the salt shaker. smoked salmon and cheese can be quite salty on their own and would of been a happier pair minus the extra salt. the relish was the missing piece of the puzzle, tangy and perfect to cut the richness of the quiche.

The steak and onion pie, is perfect comfort food on a chilly day. Forget mystery meat, salty gravy and soggy pastry. This pie was in a class of its own with its perfectly golden brown and crisp pastry and melt in your mouth Gippsland prime beef. Yes ladies and gentlemen it was delicious, and came with a side salad and its own relish. The food here are old favorites done well, which is probably why its packed on weekends. Locals and tourist alike can always find a reason to come back.

The only hiccup of the day was the delay of our tea, which was meant to come out at the same time as the scones. However it took a detour and arrived after two requests and two scones later. Its not always service with a smile at Caldermeade (from what i've experienced anyway) luckily for them the food is good enough for third and fourth trip back.

This dairy farm/ cafe in all of its charm is a perfect pit stop and with plenty of signs luring you in along the road its hard to miss! blow off some steam, stuff your face and then go play with the happy chickens and calves. A touch pricey if fifteen dollars for pie gives you any indication of prices. However having prime beef, organic eggs and homemade relish doesn't come cheap unfortunately. but hey its supporting local farmers and produce so why not?
edibility rating >>6.5/10<<

Shira Nui

After two attempted bookings, we were finally there at Shira Nui. Time and time again this little restaurant is overlooked, tucked away on Springvale road. Luxuriously close for all of those in the south eastern burbs, this one hat restaurant is the sushi lovers shangri-la.
This modest 40 seater is buzzing with chatter, despite the acoustics an roseate "Irashaimase!" can still be heard on arrival. Staff looked smart and contemporary in black in contrast to the dated yet cozy ambiance. service was efficient, however sitting at the sushi bar all that was needed came from the two sushi chefs.
There was only one seat that would be suffice for my appetite and that was at the sushi bar. Where else would you want to sit? Once those delicious morsels,carefully crafted by Chef Hiro Nishikura and Yuki Ueno, you want to be the close as you can to the action. Here is the fun part, and the charm that Shira Nui brings to its customers, you submit yourself and your awaiting taste buds to the chefs. For about 80 dollars per head the omakase is a selection of the chefs choice, and for those who love sushi its the mystery that adds to the excitement.
Just like Noah's ark they came by twos, and only stopped once you've surrendered. An array of nigiri sushi right from he chef's hand to your plate. I pride myself on being a sushi heavy weight and i was in it for the long haul! It was either a) i run out of room for these minuscule fruits of the sea or b) they run out of sushi to offer. seeing as this restaurant rates a handsome score of 14.5/20 in the good food guide option a seem the more likely outcome.
After sampling 11 different types of nigiri sushi, each one having its own flavor and integrity and texture. Every piece was different to the other and your nicely advised by the chefs "soy" or "no soy".
After eating twenty two pieces of sushi, four really stood out and grabbed my attention. The ark shell was sweet and slippery on the tongue and a pleasing crunch once bitten into. Perfectly sliced pieces of pike was sprinkled with shichimi and finished off with the blow torch. Turning the peppery shichimi into aromatic charcoal bits, adding smokey flavor to the deliciously gamy pike. The kingfish was simply prepared with lashings of lemon and salt worked graciously, and brought out the sweetness of fish as well and cooking it slightly. the crispy oyster cam out piping hot, biting into resulted in oozing richness. the oyster provided a tiny crunch and got lost amongst the richness of the Japanese mayonnaise.
Filled to the brim it was time to surrender, just when the thought of another bite was tormenting a complimentary piece of sushi was up for the taking. You don't refuse good food no matter what the situation or how full one is. never broken that rule and was certainly not going to on that day either.
Just to keep the smiles rolling for the evening complimentary dessert, the meal ended with a basil sorbet to cleanse and refresh the palette. Ice cold and with a floral like aroma, served its purpose and was light enough to not break the camels back.
For a table of two or in this case two stools, heaven came with a price tag of approx $160.00 so unless your rolling in riches Shira Nui can be enjoyed on the rarer occasions. For those who think 80 dollars is digging a bit deep for sushi, then i dare you to find better sushi at that quality and price within the south eastern neck of the woods..
edibility rating >>8/10<<

Bring back home food!!!

“The cornerstone of good cooking is to source the finest produce” Neil Perry
Well Mr Perry this is up for interpretation, like most statements it has an individual meaning to different people. What is good cooking? I don’t doubt that the general public, you know people like you and me ‘average shmoe, mojo bojo’ have a different idea to what good cooking is. So ask yourself, have a good long think about the best thing you’ve ever eaten.
Chances are whatever it was made of it was neither, organic, specialized nor did it come from king island (which has the general public ooh-ing and ahh-ing associating it with quality) Did your mum’s special dish contain organic vegetables and did she use meat that was massaged and pampered before its trip to the slaughter house? I bet you a pretty penny it tasted damn good any way and time after time it still gives you that same gooey feeling and for one second the world makes sense. Why you ask? because is was made with love and no apologies for the cliche, practice makes perfect and yes it even applies to food.
Fortunate enough being in Melbourne, Melbournian food lovers has the immense luxury of being feed by the culinary heavyweights within Australia. Fine dining is fine dining lets leave the pompous expectations to them shall we and enjoy the little things enough that make you go Mmmm.
Reality check there is no way small/farmers can produce enough livestock to cater for every family with 2.5 kids, the idea of a Babe and a few of his brothers and sisters running around a serene paddock is picturesque true, but with our population how are farmers meant to upkeep this life style and produce enough to satisfies consumer needs? The image of over populated dens of cattle and poultry is shunned upon, it’s either we stop reproducing to lighten the load on the industry or shift our level of thinking and stop being so ignorant.
At Melbourne’s top restaurants your paying on average forty dollars for a main course, at these prices in these times consumers expect quality, and chefs deliver that with good produce and a innovative way in serving it. Somewhere along the lines culinary activist have shot themselves in the foot. Just because you’ve prepared something from home does not give it any less of value than something prepared by a chef in a swank restaurant.
Sunday roasts are still a family favorite and not once was Bessie part of any Angus beef nonsense. No this is not a crusade against the fine dining world, a world in which is respected by many including myself. Its something that many melbournians are very proud of and again self included. It’s about eliminating the ‘snob’ factor and the socio economic factor, you don’t need all the riches in the world to have ‘good cooking’ or food.
Mum and Dads aren’t sourcing out the best produce for dinner; they’re ducking down to the local shops and purchasing what’s available to them, they going to the local butchers, fresh veg and fruit grocer and the infamous Coles and Safeway. We are buying what our pretty pennies can buy and whose is to say it cant be good even if it wasn’t sourced from the best?
For example, in parts of south East Asia, the quality of beef can be quite poor, after years of war and famine let me tell you these folks take nothing lying down. Improvisation and substitution are always handy things to add to the mix. How do you turn the ordinary into gold? Given the tropical climate herbs and spices flourish and are ever plentiful, let me tell you a Cambodian knows how to marinate the heck out of a carcass and make it taste like sex.
Your average meal In south East Asia will cost you 1-2 dollars. Are we catching on? Can’t afford organic tomatoes but like them all the same! Add a sprinkle of sea salt or a dash of lemon to bring out its flavors, meat not the best quality? There’s a massive shelf in one of the isles in coles, compliments to the Mc Cormick family. Doesn’t have to be posh but still taste good. Heck if you’re that adamant on fresh produce and quality, put on those gardening gloves and call yourself farmer Joe.
How about that each family having their own veggie patch out the back, at least you know who grew it. Lets all use our oversized noggins and stop expecting unrealistic changes. Even in recent times with the slowing economy patrons are still eating out twice a week bare minimal. So you see we still not wanting to make our own grub Heston Blumenthal “ you don’t have to be a celebrity chef to cook like one” we get disheartened when our beef stroganoff doesn’t look like its counter part in the recipe book, recipe books and celebrity chefs create a stigma of perfection. When perfection isn’t met the first thought is that it’s wrong.
With mortgage/car/credit card repayments we’re working that little bit harder to earn the papers to cover all these expenses not to mention finding a balance between work and play. We’re tired people and with progressing technology we’re getting lazier too, its highly unlikely we are going to make and extra effort to travel further to source our good produce and have it on the table by six. Instead lets love our bodies and sustain it with ‘slow food’ not ‘fast food’ and if you were to label any thing good and bad my choice would be those two.
Having a home cooked meal to ease your soul is like putting premium unleaded in your tank, you just get more mileage I guess. And if we’re going to be working ourselves to death we might as well make it easier on ourselves. Lets leave the chefy ideals to the specialists and start having a go in making our own dinner burnt bits and all.