Archive for category Tapas
Sharing Everything @ MoVida Aqui, Melbourne
Posted by amystown in Melbourne, Melbourne CBD, Seafood, Tapas on September 27, 2011
With Friday night looming, I took a chance and called MoVida to see if they had any reservations available for any of their venues. To my surprise they had a late seating free at MoVida Aqui, I jumped at the opportunity!
We climbed the metal stairs and entered the huge open restaurant with excitement.
The waitress kindly explained how the menu worked, never having eaten there before, and we were off deciding!
Tapas Classics – bites!
We both chose one of the Bomba (Catalan Potato bomb filed with Chorizo).
This was yummy, rich from the mashed potato, flavour from the chorizo in the centre and crunchy from the crisp outer layer. The sauce that was drizzled over the top was a little spicy and added a bit of punch. I have to say; I would have like a little more sauce to potato ratio, but not a huge complaint.
We both also chose the Bocadillo de Calamares (calamari sandwich with Basque quindilla and mayonnaise).
I ordered this upon recommendation and my goodness I was not disappointed! This was by far the standout for me. The calamari was lightly floured and fried and was the perfect texture. It was then sandwiched between crunchy fresh rolls and lathered with beautifully fresh flavoured mayonnaise. I would have been happy with 10 more of these for the night!
We moved on however…
Raciones – shared dishes
We chose two of these dishes to share.
The first was the Vieira (Live half shell Western Australian Scallops with jamon and potato foam).
Again, it was great. The jamon was crisp and salty offering contrast to the juicy fresh scallops. They were so fresh, there was sand in a few of the shells which did detract from the experience a little, but again a minor complaint.
Our second choice was the Carillera de Buey (slowly braised beef cheek in Pedro Ximenez on cauliflower puree).
Just beautiful! The beef was so tender that when we went to cut it in half it almost melted underneath the fork. It melted in your mouth and the sauce was rich and thick and mixed with the puree perfectly. The puree was creamy, yet didn’t over power the dish and was not too rich either. Delicious!
Poste – Dessert
We again decided to share.
We ordered one Ganacha (Hot Chocolate ganache with turron and almond praline ice cream), which was my choice!
This was heavenly. The inside was perfectly moist and runny and the flavour was rich and chocolatey. The ice cream complimented the richness nicely, while the nougat was an exciting crunchy chewy extra.
We also ordered the special of the day, which was the caramelized lemon tart, my boyfriends all time favourite dessert. Saying that he was not disappointed is a big thing! Crisp top, tart creamy texture and firm pastry…really what more does one need from a lemon tart!
We sipped our Pedro Ximenez feeling very full and happy.
For more information:
Movida Aqui
Level 1, 500 Bourke St, Melbourne
http://www.movida.com.au/aqui.html
Pre-show Dinner @ The Long Room, Collins St, Melbourne
The other night my boyfriend and I had tickets to the wonderful acapella group Naturally 7. With the show at 7 30, an early dinner was in order.
Having been to The Long Room once before in a large group, I thought it would be nice to go back for a quite dinner and a few drinks. With both a sushi menu and an extensive tapas menu, it caters to a wide audience.
At first when we arrived at what should be The Long Room, we were again met with an arcade type shopping center front. Remembering to press on, we ventured inside and made our way down the darkened stairs. As we enter we were welcomed into the dark and seductive world that is The Long Room. Huge leather couches, mood lighting and moose heads make you feel like you’re in a mansion from another century. The beautiful wait staff are more than welcoming and add to the time machine experience.
We ordered a bottle of the Moet & Chandon and settled in to our candle lit table.
I ordered the sushi platter for my meal.
There was a huge and varied range of nigiri on the platter and each piece was just as fresh as the next. Just like good sushi should be, it melted in your mouth.
My boyfriend, not as much of a fan of the sushi, ordered a couple of tapas items.He chose the crumbed calamari with aioli.
Then the chicken gyoza’s. The tapas serves were very generous and were presented beautifully in old school metal frying pans.
The Long Room caters for huge groups as well as intimate dinners and does so with style.
I am already looking forward to going back!
For more information:
The Long Room
162 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9663 7226
www.thelongroom.com.au/
A cozy dinner @ The Fitz, Brunswick Street Fitzroy
Living so close to Brunswick Street it is often my go to place when I can’t decide where to eat, drink or meet friends.
While I’ve had many a drink up stairs at the Fitz and even eaten tapas upstairs at Damask Bar I hadn’t eaten at the restaurant downstairs until last week.
The atmosphere at The Fitz is very homely, with warm wooden décor and a fireplace for the winter. They set up the small restaurant space well, making it feel like you’re the only people there.
The menu takes inspiration from the Mediterranean with their entrée menu consisting mostly of tapas style items. Arancini, saganaki, bread and dips and calamari were among the options.
I shared the saganaki and the Turkish bread with hummus with a fellow diner. It was beautiful! The saganaki was the perfect level of crisp and salty with the wonderful cheese flavour still strong. Now…While its difficult to get Turkish bread and hummus wrong, the bread was fresh and just lightly toasted to give it that necessary crunch. The calamari, with a light crisp batter, was also apparently amazing.
It was my main, which really impressed me however. I had such a difficult time choosing. There are heaps of pasta and risotto options, gourmet salads as well as an array of delicious looking mains including the Fitz burger and the Moroccan chicken tagine, yet it was the Honey Chicken & Pumpkin Risotto Finished With Sugar Snaps, Cherry Tomatoes, Shaved Parmesan and Chilli Jam that really caught my eye.
It was by far the best risotto that I have ever had! The chicken was tender and moist and the beans and the tomatos created freshness often lacking in a risotto. To finish it off the Parmesan gave it a sharp intensity while the chilli jam, which was dispersed in little pockets, provided random bursts of heat and flavour.
While I was too full for dessert I did sneak a cheeky taste of both desserts ordered – the Lemon Tart and the Baked Berry Cheesecake – which were both absolutely beautiful.
The Fitz marries comfort with fine dining and arrives in the middle with satisfying and beautifully put together dishes.
Perfect for a nice occasion or when you’re in the mood for a cozy venue. A lovely night out!
For more information:
347 Brunswick St,
Fitzroy, Vic 3065
| Ph: 03 9417 5794
http://www.thefitz.com.au/
Tapas and pizza @ Denn Bar and Restaurant, Northcote
Posted by amystown in Gluten Free, Pizza, Tapas on February 22, 2011
Having walked past Denn so many times but never gone in, I thought it was the perfect place to suggest when a girlfriend asked where we should go to dinner one night.
With wooden and leather décor, Denn had the perfect vibe for the tapas and wood fired menu that it offers.
As the three of us looked at the tapas menu for entrée and had a crazy thought that they might be able to make the dips and bread gluten free as they offered gluten free pizza bases. When we asked our friendly young waiter he was like “of course”…with two gluten free members in our party we were over the moon!
Our shared entrée of grilled gluten free flat bread (with normal bread for the gluten eater ) with dips as well as tomato-marinated prawns was amazing. The prawns were sweet and spicy and the garlic aioli that accompanied them just completed the flavour.
Then to the gluten free flatbread…for those of you who haven’t eaten gluten free bread, you usually wouldn’t eat it alone unless forced! This bread was soft and flavoursome and I found myself eating the garlic and and sea salt topped bread alone, forgetting we even had dips!
Other entrees (all around the $15 mark) included saganaki, vine leaves, marinated olives, and a large range of flavoured flatbreads.
Then to our main. There were pastas, risottos, and meat and fish dishes on offer, yet Denn are known for their woodfired pizzas so we thought it made sense to sample them. With the gluten free bread such a hit, I had high hopes for my pizza.
When my mushroom, haloumi, pesto and sundried tomato pizza arrived my hopes rose again, and as I tasted it I was not at all disappointed. The bread was the perfect crisp for a pizza base and the generous toppings coated every inch!
The other pizzas on the table received the same reception. My sister who is not gluten free also informed me that it was the best normal pizza she has had in a very long time, so don’t feel this place only has gluten free goodies on offer!
Pastas, pizzas, risottos all came around the $22 mark with the steak and fish of the day prices varying a little more and moving closer to the $30 mark.
Another venue I would recommend to lovers of both tapas and pizza and definitely for those of you also on a gluten free diet.
For more information:
Denn Bar and Restaurant
113 High Street
Northcote VIC 3070
(03) 9482 1231
www.denn.com.au/
Sun, great food and…Bridesmaids @ Republica in St Kilda
So…my big sister is getting married! With four bridesmaids, what better excuse to spend an afternoon eating and drinking in the sun! Nothing brings people together like a few drinks and great food.
With the weather predicting 30 degrees and sunny I set out to find a beach side venue. I went to Google and searched “gluten free tapas St Kilda”…to my surprise I was inundated with results; Republica caught my eye.
As we arrived, I was not disappointed. We headed straight to their beer garden out the back to secure a table in the sun. While the venue was very busy with tables in short supply, the décor manages to work beautifully to make you feel like you’re in your own little world!
The view from our table…
With celebration in the air we ordered our first bottle of sparkling…with many to follow!
Our sparkling of choice: Croser Pinot Noir/Chardonnay NV from Adelaide Hills SA. Quite light and not too sweet…easy to drink 
As the conversation flowed and tangents were taken, it took us almost an hour and a half to get around to ordering lunch.
When we eventually got around to the menu (marked gluten free, much to my delight!) it took us even longer to decide!
The menu features a range of tapas items (ranging from $10 to $20 with platters slightly more expensive), pizzas under $20 and mains consisting of what I would describe as beachside gourmet ranging $25 to $35. Desserts for $10 completed the menu.
With my head swimming with choices, I became more confused when I looked at the specials board and saw a Prosciutto wrapped scallops with French lentils, broccolini and lemon crème fraiche. I have to say that the service was amazing and the waiter who I asked for intolerance assistance made many a trip to the kitchen with a final answer of “they will work something out for you” and a smile. Did they ever! My meal was amazing. The scallops were perfectly seared on the outside and soft on the inside and the small lentils flavoured with spices created a flavour contrast to the smooth seafood. The expertly cooked broccolini added a slight crunch and freshness, which I have to say really completed this meal. I do add word of warning here, if ordering a main I recommend ordering sides, as the portions are not large.
My sister and the bride to be ordered the roasted blue eye, which demonstrated the kitchens ability for presentation as well as taste. She told me that blue eye, was cooked perfectly and that the carrot puree was sweet without overpowering the other flavours. Finally the cod brandade, which we were not completely sure what it was turned out to be a type of cod and potato ‘cake’ was crisp and delicious.
Finally the pizzas (enough on their own) created a bit of excitement from my friends as they all leaned in to steal a bite.
As the day turned into night, to our surprise and delight a band started and the dancing followed!
For more info:
Republica
10-18 Jacka Blvd
St Kilda VIC 3182
(03) 8598 9055
www.republica.net.au/
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