Bento Lunch Special @ Taxi Dining Room, Melbourne

After receiving an invitation to try the new Bento Lunch Special at Taxi Dining Room, how could I refuse?

A bloggers lunch had been organized and there were more SLR’s than one knew what to do with. The discussion was food filled and the company was lovely.

The idea of the Bento Lunch Special at Taxi is about taking the traditional Bento idea and presenting it staged and with a fine dining twist. The traditional concept however remains the same, sushi, miso, and a main. It is also able to be enjoyed within an hour, a working lunch at its finest.

To start we were presented with a beautiful sushi and sashimi platter. It was fresh, flavoursome and melted in your mouth as good sushi should.

Salmon Miso Soup with Wakami and Shimeji Mushrooms was next. This was outstanding. The flavours were complex and rich and delicious. The mushrooms added texture and the chilli oil laid on top added heat and punch. It was unanimous around the table that this one was of the best Miso’s out there.

For main, there are always two options available: one seafood and one meat, catering to different tastes.

On this particular day the meat dish was Sticky Pork Belly with seared Scallops and red nam jim.

The pork was crisp and sticky and full of flavour. The scallops were fresh and plump. The red nam jim was spicy and the perfect combination while a fresh salad counteracted the richness and heat of the dish. Beautiful.

The Seafood dish on this day was a Snapper with Red Pepper Essence and Crumbed Mussels.

I was told that the snapper was brilliant, perfectly crisp skin and soft as butter on the inside.

To finish off the meal we were presented with a trio or sorbets.

Coconut and Passion fruit sorbet, which was creamy and tart all at once.

Green Tea sorbet, which had distinct flavour and a creamy texture.

Finally, a Mandarin Sorbet, which was the stand out for me. Fresh and tart and brought out the brilliant citrus flavours of the fruit.

The sorbet selection was the perfect end to the meal, light, refreshing and expertly put together.

It was a lovely couple of hours and the meal was delicious. I will be sure to return to see what is on the Bento Lunch next time.

For more information:

Taxi Dining Room

Level 1
Transport Hotel
Fed Square, Melbourne
(03) 9654 8808

www.transporthotel.com.au/

Drinks with the Girls @ Go Go Bar, Melbourne

When I heard that Go Go Bar was opening last Monday night I couldn’t help but drag the girls out for a cheeky drink.

We entered the busting Chin Chin restaurant and headed down the stairs to the exciting new venture below. Excited and friendly staff greeted us, clearly eagerly awaiting opening night.

The bar is dark and sexy with large round booths, cozy seating as well as risen tables down the Center.

We settled into our huge round booths and took to the menu.

The menu is quite unique offering options broken down by season. Each season offers a few cocktails, a few beers and two or three wines by the glass. That’s all folks! It’s not a big menu, but its different and fun.

There is also food available from Chin Chin upstairs, so if yours struggling to get a table in the restaurant, you can still get a taste of the food. We ordered the Soy and Spice crusted nuts, which were really flavoursome and the perfect little addition to our drinks.

We decided to do something a little different and order the DIY Champagne Cocktail. This involved a bottle of champagne, three different shots (elderflower, plum wine and cassis) and a bowl of fresh strawberries. Between the three of us, this was quite an order!

We happily nibbles, poured, mixed and chatted the night away.

I’m looking forward to coming back to have another drink and some food at what I am sure will be a packed venue.

For more information:

Go Go Bar

125 Flinders lane, Melbourne

(Enter via Higsons Lane or Chin Chin)

(03) 8663 2020

www.gogobar.com.au

Launch Party @ Brasserie Bread Melbourne, South Melbourne

Last night was the launch of Brasserie Bread Melbourne! While the café and retail shop are to be open in November with cooking classes to follow, the ovens, the bakers and the passion have officially landed in South Melbourne.

The huge open industrial bakery was a site to see! Its open and clean and huge, I cant even imagine how much fun it must be to be able to bake there.

We got the opportunity to watch Ian hard at work baking loaf after loaf of delicious breads.

 

While drinks were being served, a display of some of Brasseries finest breads were on offer with gourmet cheese, olives, oils and jams. This was only the beginning.

The bread…

I tried the sourdough first, just with olive oil and could already taste the difference. The soft textured centre had a perfect crisp crust and a beautiful sourdough flavour. I new I was in for a good night of tasting!

The cheese platter was next on my list.

The crisp breads, fllavoured with rosemary and sea salt were packed with flavour and had a great texture. Perfect for cheese.

The fruit bread was also provided with the cheese. This was moist and soft. There was no hind of firmness that is often found in fruit breads.

Then there was the sour cherry bread. This was divine! Huge chunks of soft dough were flavoured with whole sour cherries and drizzled with oil. Sweet, soft and delicious.

Finally, there was the banana bread. Yum yum yum. This was moist and soft. I didn’t even try the jam, which was out as an accompaniment. This bread didn’t need anything.

Now…the hot food started to circulate. I was literally in heaven!

A stand out for me was the Quinoa and Soya Sourdough bread, which was served toasted with goat’s cheese, sundried tomatoes and basil. The flavours from the seeds and the toasted texture of the beautiful loaf were insane!

The caramelized garlic bread was also a favourite of mine. The soft loaf was served hot with whole garlic cloves baked into the bread. The flavours were so powerful, yet elegant. It was something quite special.

The story…

The speeches were next. Here we got an insight into the world of Artisan baking and the philosophy behind it. David, CEO told us that what separates them in their passion.

“We honour the tradition of Artisan Baking” He told us.

What does this mean? For Brasserie Bread, it means three things: ingredients, skill/technique and time. Sourdough takes three days to make and you can’t rush the process. It was evident that they add a little bit of passion in along the way.

“Share the passion, share the experience” David told us.

The Melbourne Store was also relying on one other thing…the 16 year old sourdough starter that the Sydney team drove all the way to South Melbourne. While they could have sent it via air or other various ways, they decided that it should be a journey of love. So they set off for the long journey and fed it all the way.

This starter is ‘the heart and soul of all of our sourdough bread”, they told us proudly.

The sweets…

As someone with a huge sweet tooth I was very excited when it was announced that sweets were being brought around.

The first one I tried was the chocolate caramel tart. Crisp buttery shortbread base topped with oozy caramel and then finished with a soft chocolate top. Just delicious.

Then I sampled the raspberry and pistachio friend. This was moist and rich and had excellent texture contrast provided by the pistachios.

While ice cream was being brought around, I have to admit I was holding out for the chocolate brownie I had heard was on the way.

It was so worth the wait. It was dense and chocolaty with busts of chocolate chunks and nuts. The best brownie I think I have ever tasted. (I apologise for no picture here…i was a little over excited!)

The evening was a pleasure to be a part of. There was so much excitement, pride and passion in the room; I simply cannot wait until the café, retail store and classes open!

For more information:

Brasserie Bread Melbourne

150 Thistlewaite St

South Melbourne, 3205

www.brasseriebread.com.au

Birthday Dinner @ Hellenic Republic, Brunswick East

One of my best friends birthday fell on a Tuesday night this year. Not a great night to hit the dance floor, but perfect to hit up a great restaurant.

To my delight, this particular friend chose to celebrate her birthday at Hellenic Republic, yet another venture from George Colombaris. After amazing experiences at both Maha and The Press Club, I had wanted to visit Hellenic Republic for a while.

The surroundings of the restaurant are not all that inviting, so when the doors open and your taken inside into a large loud welcoming dining room, you can’t help but smile.

After settling in with a bottle of white wine we began to discuss our menu choices. The waitress told us everything should be shared.

Feeling a little overwhelmed by delicious choices and the large amount of Greek on the menu we asked for assistance. We told the waitress that we wanted dips and cheeses and breads to start as well as some meats and fish for mains. We also had a few sides in mind and she was kind enough to offer a small serve of these so we could try everything!

Our entrée arrived…

It was a beautiful array of dips of all flavours with endless grilled flatbread. We also received the grilled saganaki with preserved figs.

The dips were chickpea, eggplant, white bean and Tzatziki. While this is somewhat of a standard entree at a Greek restaurant, it was extra ordinary. The dips were so flavoursome and fresh. The bread was char grilled and brought that unique flavour to the meal. The figs on the Saganaki added sweetness and punch, which you usually don’t find.

The staff

I would like to point out here the staff. They were fantastic! Professional, friendly, chatty, educated and helpful. Like all of George Colombaris’ restaurants that I have dined at, there is an element of familiarity that instantly occurs with the wait staff. How this happens, I do not know! Maybe I should ask George…

On to the main…

The first meal that arrived was the crispy skinned salmon, with the portions changed to cater for our table of four. This dish was simple. Skin on salmon, cooked to perfection with nothing else getting in the way. It was beautiful.

Next was the chicken. This is one of the best dishes I have had in a while, and by far the best chicken dish I have ever had. The chicken was succulent and juicy and packed with that signature-grilled flavour. I was struggling to remember to eat the other dishes.

We chose two sides to accompany our meat and seafood. The first was the salad of grains, currents, seeds, nuts and labne on top. This was the perfect combination to the grilled meats. It was crunchy and packed with flavour. I am a huge fan of nuts and seeds and this was showcasing them brilliantly.

Finally, we had a serve of the potatoes. Big fat perfectly crispy skin on chips were happily devoured along with the rest of the meal.

What really blew me away here was the fact that on paper the menu items read very simply, yet when you eat them they literally explode with flavour, texture, and flavour combinations that are expertly thought out. I find myself coming back to Greek family hospitality. The food is simple, delicious, full of the best ingredients and you feel comfortable enjoying it!

To top this off, the birthday girl was presented a birthday dessert as a surprise at the end of the meal.

I am heading back next week for an Up Close and Personal Lunch to meet George Colombaris and head chef Travis McAuley…I’m going to have to try to find out their secrets!

 

For more information:

Hellenic Republic

434 Lygon Street

Brunswick East 3057

(03) 9381 1222

 

 

An attempt to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever! @ Home

Trailing through food blogs as I do from time to time, I began to see a pattern. People were agreeing that Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, now used by the NY Times is the best!

That was it…I had the try them.

Recipe in hand, I had a challenge. The resting time made this a delayed gratification sort of thing, but I was willing to do it! I went out and bought the two different types of sugar, two different types of flour and a serious amount of chocolate and got to work.

Sifting, mixing, stirring, a cheeky cookie batter taste here and there and we came to our cookie batter. It was wrapped and placed in the fridge where I patiently left it for about 36 hours.

Like a little kid on Christmas morning (or me on Christmas morning ill admit) I jumped out of bed, ran to the fridge ready to make my beauties.

With the new ice cream scoop I bought, I began placing even portions on the delicious dough on the trays. It was an endless task as there were lots of cookies, but I managed. A crack of sea salt for the top and they were ready for baking.

Into the oven they went.

Patience was needed once again as I waited. 10 minutes never feels so long as it does when there are cookies at the end.

Out came batch one and in went batch, two three four…

So, were these really that good?

It was in their texture I first noticed a difference, strong and sturdy, not crumbling at all yet they managed to stay soft and chewy in the centre for days!

The taste…to die for. They were rich and chewy and the salt added a new dimension to the cookie that was delicious.

I took them to a family function that day to share my efforts. I received text messages the next day talking about the cookies, talking about the salty addition. In my books, that’s an amazing outcome.

Thank you Jacques Torres, your cookies are a delight!

The recipe (from the NYT):

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Jacques Torres

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces 285 g) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces 227) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds (567) bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.

 

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

 

 

 

 

 

Family Lunch @ Maha Bar and Grill, Melbourne

When my Aunty suggested lunch at Maha one afternoon, I obviously didn’t argue. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was quite excited!

As you enter the restaurant and take the stairs downward, you enter a different world. The leather and wood fill your eyes and the incense fills your nose. It’s a transformation! The staff here only contributes to this, with divine service. A rare experience where the staff make you feel comfortable and relaxed and completely taken care of all at the one time.

Now to the menu… with only time for two courses, we opted to start with mains as we all have a bit of a sweet tooth.

The main affair…

With three of us, we managed to order nearly the whole main selection.

My aunty ordered the Tunisian brik Bangalow Pork Belly, Pork Popcorn, Lebanese Kimchi and Onion Mayo.

My sister, the non meat eater at the table ordered a slightly altered version of the New Zealand King Salmon, Crab Mafouf, Corn Custard, Sucuk and White Asparagus.

They were both absolutely blown away. In addition, my sister noted that the Smoked Eggplant, fenegreek, seeds and nuts with Gbejniet Cheese which we ordered on the side, was the best side dish she has ever eaten.

I went with the 12 hour roasted Mt. Leura Lamb Shoulder with pistachio and green olive tabouleh. It was accompanied with an almond pilaf and labne on the side.

The lamb was simply divine. The meat was tender and moist, with charred pieces on the edges, which exploded, with flavour in my mouth. The tabouleh added tart flavours and crunch, which balanced out the richness of the lamb perfectly. The Labne also added perfect contrast.

A sweet ending…

After a flawless main experience we eagerly received the dessert menu. My aunty admitted the Turkish Delight filled doughnuts with Olive oil Chocolate Mousse, Rosewater Honey and White chocolate Dust was what made this a must visit venue for her, so she ordered them.

She was not at all disappointed. While the doughnuts, she told me were absolutely beautiful, she could have easily just eaten the mousse on its own! A perfect ending to her meal.

My sister and I both ordered the Salted Caramel with Bitter Chocolate Ice Cream, Crunchy Cous Cous and roasted Peanut Foam.

While choosing a favorite dessert is impossible, this dish is most certainly up there. The rich creamy salted caramel paired with the ice cream was a sinfully delicious combination. The cous cous and the peanuts on top expertly provided crunch and contrast, while the peanut foam brought through the delicious peanut flavour to just top off the dish.

If I could have licked the bowl I would have!

Maha, is a transformation. A time machine into another world where we all eat like kings! I cannot recommend it more highly. I am eagerly awaiting my return visit to sample the banquet menu.

For more information:

Maha Bar and Grill

21 Bond St
Melbourne 3000

(03) 9629 5900

http://www.mahabg.com.au/