About charlene

When it is time for breakfast, Charlene thinks about lunch. When it is lunchtime, she thinks about dinner. It is a vicious cycle everyday for Charlene who had caused friends and relatives to be annoyed with her need to be supplied with food every few hours. Easily excitable by food, her endeavors have taken her to eating competition (okay, just one), restaurants round the world and homeless shelters around Australia just to try the soup of the day. She also loves to rummage the fridge of unsuspecting victims, while trying to maintain her dignity in doing so. With a passion for writing, Charlene also maintains her own food blog http://thepenguineats.wordpress.com but is sadly eating more than she can type.
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Bondi Beach Bum

by charlene on 2011/05/19 in Australia, Foodie Guide

What makes a good beach? 3 words: Sun, Sand and Surf. Bondi beach is perfect for all you beach bums whether it’s an adrenaline rush or a lazy chill out at the beach you seek. In all honesty, it’s one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to. I love the sand here… it’s so soft and gentle on the skin as compared to that yellow grainy sand typically found at other beaches (ugh!)

However, what really gives Bondi it’s edge is this little cosy cafe called Trio (56 Campbell Parade). My friend and I decided to try it out after researching for good food at Bondi. A TIP: google search items such as “best food in Sydney”, “Best restaurants in Sydney”. It’s really helpful to find good places worth spending your money on; the more reviews, chances are the better it is.

Back to Trio.

The half an hour waiting time did not reside well with our growling tummies, but luckily we had our determination to see us through!

Trio is a great place for a catch-up brunch with the girls or guys. It is somewhat fusion, as they are inspired by middle eastern and mediterranean cuisines. A word of caution though, you may feel slightly disappointed at the limited variety of dishes they offer. They have only about 15 items on the menu which was a small setback for me because I love choices- plenty of them.

We decided to order “Boss eggs” which are scrambled eggs with feta & truffle oil served with sourdough toast, avocado & prosciutto, “Charcoal grilled banana bread”, “corn fritters”, and an eggplant dish consisting of grilled eggplant, hummus, and toast. Initially when the food came, we were slightly disappointed. It looked pretty simple, something that we could do at home instead of spending all this money to eat. But it was so worth it.

Ever had a moment when you bit into your first bite and it’s so good that you just don’t want to talk? The meal was practically eaten in silence. The eggplant dish was delicious; the combination of eggplant and hummus on toast was perfect. The corn fritters were crisp and satisfying and what separated it from other corn fritters I’ve tried was the smoky flavor of the tomato chutney.

The charcoal grilled Banana bread smelt heavenly, and the comforting scent of vanilla and bananas filled the room as the waitress walked towards our table. The large portion of the bread and of course it’s smell caused the diners around to look at us (possibly in envy hehe). The moist chewy texture of the Banana bread went well together with the sweet cream that it came with. The cream was not too heavy or sweet which would have been overwhelming for the dish.

The real big boss of the day however was the Boss eggs dish. It is my firm belief that everyone should try boss eggs at least once in your lifetime. The only word to describe Boss eggs is “Epiphany”. That’s how I felt when I tucked into that delicious dish… the truffle enhanced the flavor of the eggs that made it mind-blowingly delicious. The flavor was deepened with the inclusion of prosciutto ham which gave it a textured salty layer… I am smiling just thinking about it.

A brunch at Trio shouldn’t be missed! Expect to pay about $25 for a good meal, but I spent over $40 though out of pure greed.

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Basking under the Bali sun and Eating Seafood on the Beach

by charlene on 2011/03/15 in Asia, Featured Article, Food and Travel, Foodie Guide

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I love Bali. The $9USD massages by the beach, the seafood barbecues, and the feeling of bliss that you are away from the stresses of home. Before talking about the foodie dream beach, I would like to relate my experience with my driver in Bali, Indonesia.

Upon arriving in Bali, I went through a throng of drivers who were waiting for their arriving passengers to find my designated driver, Nyoman. Upon finding him, I thanked and tipped my luggage carrier who was also called Nyoman. I thought it was a strange coincidence but it wasn’t. What I discovered (from Nyoman the driver no less) is that the people in Bali generally have the same names. There are a ton of people called Nyoman, Putu, and Made. The system is such that if you are a first born and male or female, you get called “Putu”, “Wayan”or “Negah”. If you are second born you are called “Made” or “Kadek”. In case you are wondering, “Nyoman” is the third child. Nyoman commented on how lucky we were to get him. He’s usually busy with important delegates and today he decided to take a break from them. He’s supposedly driven Bill Clinton, the Sultan of Brunei, UN leaders, and various important CEOs. He even offered to have a police escort for us when we leave the hotel. Ever been driving on the road and suddenly you have to move to the side because the police are coming with someone important? He offered that experience for a day, for a mere $300 USD.

Anyway, Nyoman suggested that we visit Jimbaran beach which is a dream for any Food Trotter. It’s widely known for its fresh seafood kiosks along the stretch of the beach. Who doesn’t like barbecued seafood on one of the cleanest beaches in Bali? Sadly, he did not recommend a good restaurant to try because to him they all have the same standard. We went into one of the restaurants in a rush so I did not take down the name, but I assure you that it has the same standard as other seafood restaurants in Jimbaran. They all sell similar foods! There’s literally 20-30 seafood restaurants on Jimbaran so take your time to look through.

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Initially when I entered the restaurant, I was slightly disappointed. It looked empty inside so I thought it might not have been good. It was only when I went outside that I realized that most customers prefer to stay outside to enjoy the setting sunset. One tip about Jimbaran is that you should go around 5 to 6pm so that you can enjoy the sunset while you eat. There is plenty of fresh seafood at the entrance of the restaurant so you know that you are getting quality cuisine. My waiter brought me to the front where I could choose which lobster, fish, and crab I wanted.

Normally I hate choosing live seafood… I feel overwhelming guilt for those that I’m about to eat. The lobster in question stared me down with its beady eyes, with pincers ready to hurt if I decided to steam it. (Sorry, Lobster!) There are a variety of sauces to choose from: the traditional bali sauce, black pepper, chili, and so on. I ordered chili crab, lobster in traditional bali sauce, and steamed fish. To add on this tropical experience, I ordered a coconut.

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A tip, do not order the coconut. It’s not a small sweet coconut, but rather a huge and sort of bitter in taste coconut.

The cuisine was enjoyable. The lobster was full of meat and one can taste the charcoal used to barbecue the meat. The chili crab was pretty good too but it really depends on your taste; I loved it but my parents did not enjoy it because they did not like the flavour. The steamed fish was fresh and delicious.

However, the highlight of the night was the grilled corn located in a small stand outside the restaurant and by the beach. Costing about $1-$2 per corn, it is a small price to pay for a taste of heaven. Sweet, salty and buttery with smell of it being delicately roasted in the charcoal grill made me want to buy a few more to eat. Sadly, my stomach couldn’t digest anymore food.

When you come to Bali, do take a stop over to Jimbaran for an good meal after a long tiring day of… resting at the beach.

[Pictures courtesy of Charlene, Aidil & Shaz, Emily in Singapore, Travel Living Bliss, cute8833, and mbiru]

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The $188 salad during Chinese New Year in Singapore

by charlene on 2011/02/15 in Asia, Featured Article, Foodie Guide

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My family doesn’t normally like to eat vegetables. At every gathering, we prefer to feast on scrumptious dishes of meat: pork, beef, lamb, chicken, fish… you name it, we eat it. But every Chinese New Year Eve, you’ll see my uncles rushing to toss carrot and cucumber strips while beseeching good luck and more money in the coming year. It can be an other-worldy experience…. but Welcome to a typical Chinese New Years celebration in Singapore!

The Yusheng dish was started in the Southern Song dynasty but has been given a modern twist by a Singaporean chef called Than Mui Kai (who is also one of the 4 heavenly great chefs in Singapore during the 1960s!) I wish I had been alive then if only to try their cooking because my older family members often lament about the food of the good old days.

Lets go back to Yusheng.

For many families in Singapore, the first item on the menu would be Yusheng. Literally translated, Yusheng means “raw fish”. It stands that it is a raw fish salad which is tossed for good luck and fortune. It consists of about 17 ingredients (a lot considering it’s just a salad), with each ingredient symbolizing some kind of good fortune for those who consume it.

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For example: eating carrots and daikon brings good luck and prosperity, sweet fruits such as pomelo and candied melon symbolize good fortune, and crispy crackers represent nuggets, as in golden nuggets for more money!!

Having Yusheng on the table is a ritual. This ritual is also referred as “lo hei” or toss up. The higher you toss, the more fortune you will get. First, the waitress will balance a large plate on one hand and serve it down swiftly in front of you. She smiles and wishes you Happy New Year before getting ready to prepare the salad. First she will start by dressing the salmon (or any other fish) with lime slices while reciting the phrase “nian nian you yu” (年年有余) or “every year has fish”, a Chinese proverb meaning “abundance throughout the year”. She then adds pomelo over the dish and says the phrase “da li da ji” 大力打击 meaning “luck and auspicious value”. This goes on until all the ingredients are added, one by one.

Next you will be served long chopsticks which are approximately the length of your arm. This is to enable you to toss your salad the highest you can. Generally everyone stands up to perform this because of everyone wants to toss it higher and higher up. Its also less messy this way. After tossing the salad, you are allowed to put a serving onto your plate.

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What does Yusheng taste like? It’s sweet and crunchy, and tastes of sweet plum sauce and crunchy peanut. It has come to my attention that those in the younger generation love Yusheng whereas the older generation generally don’t favour the taste. Personally, I’m crazy over it.

Yusheng has become quite the icon in Singapore and it’s safe to say almost no one celebrates Chinese New Year without it. However, the original version has since been modified in order to cater to different tastes and budgets.

The most basic and cost-friendly form of yusheng is ordering the dish without fish slices. However, many splurge and order with fish slices and from there, they can choose from salmon, tuna, or mackerel. Some places I recommend for this are Soup Restaurant (B1-07 ,290 Orchard Paragon) or Grand Shanghai (Level ground of Grand Corpthrone Hotel, 392 Havelock Road). Both restaurants are great for Yusheng but both offer very different ambiances. Soup Kitchen is tailored after the Chinese women construction workers that came in the early 1900s offering homey cuisine. Grand Shanghai focuses on the sassy songstress era of the 1940s in China’s busiest city. The prices are more steep at Grand Shanghai with its minimum price of $48 for Yusheng versus $38 for Soup Kitchen.

For those looking for something more upscale, say Yusheng with added gold dust and champagne jelly, I suggest trying out Jade restaurant (Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square ). The price is $48 as well but for a much smaller portion compared to Grand Shanghai. Still, it’s worth it for those wanting to ring in the New Year right!!

YuSheng can go up to $188 which is quite a big sum for raw carrots. But hey, us chinese are known for being calculative with money so why not let loose once a year?

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Mean Greek Meat Not for the Meek

by charlene on 2011/01/18 in Australia, Featured Article, Foodie Guide

“There’s two kinds of people, Greeks and everybody else who wish they was greeks” -Gus Portokalos in “My big fat greek wedding” (2002)

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Being Greek comes with a certain self-affirming mentality. In sum, it’s captured by the word “Viva El Greco” meaning that they are proud to be Greek. Having a deep rooted-sense of history plagued by war and innovation, the Greeks have developed a sense of ‘spirit’ characterised by their passionate outlook on life, loud laughter, friendliness, and emphasis on familial closeness. Also, they are known to be stubborn, arrogant, and proud. It’s just a generalization but if true, it makes them all the more charming.

My favorite characteristic of Greeks is that they are big eaters. It shows they really do know how to savour life for its good stuff.

Melbourne, being a foodies dream is unsurprisingly a very Greek place. It has the largest Greek population in the world (outside of Greece of course) and just like all other large groups of nationalities, it had formed its own cultural area right in heart of Melbourne city. It’s called “Greek Precinct” and it’s located in the eastern end of Lonsdale street, which is at Melbourne’s CBD area. It is also conveniently located next to Chinatown.

I can’t lie. Initially, I was disappointed with the small size of the Greek Precinct. When I was reading the tour guides, I was expecting something flamboyant and loud, just like Greek culture. Or at least the size of Lygon street or Chinatown which had rows and rows of restaurants. I kept walking through Greek Precinct thinking that I had missed the street. It’s so small geographically compared to the two previously mentioned lavish streets.

However, after taking my time to explore the minimal offerings offered there, its not so much about quantity as it is quality. This makes me understand the pride of the greeks; they may be a small community compared to the other nationalities but they are proud of what they are and what they do. In this case, Stalacities a greek restaurant specializing in roasted meats is certainly good at what they do.  A favorite with Australia sporting teams, tourists, meat-craving locals, and post-clubbing youngsters, Stalacities has made its mark as an icon of Melbourne. If you are traveling to Melbourne, do make sure you save your stomach for their meal. Its open 24/7 so come anytime.

Generally, those in the know order certain dishes from Stalacites.  Personally, I always start with some warm pita bread and mixed dips. The dips are eggplant, hommus (chickpea), tazkitki (cucumber), and tarama (caviar). And of course, some calamari. Admittedly, the calamari usually turns out soggy here. However, I find that oddly satisfying with greek food.

For my main meal I would order a chicken or a lamb giro meal (above). It consists of  slow-roasted delicious chunks of meat that have a gratifying salty flavor without being too dry. One can taste the effort used to make this dish especially because of the somehow smokey smell of the meat, which is not easily attained.

A meal at Stalacities is really satisfying for all meat lovers. However, there are others who contest with my opinion. Some say that Lambs which serves the same food is better. I have never tried their food before, perhaps because of my loyalty to Stalacities (again, my drama fantasy world of competing restaurants to be the best). The address is provided below and maybe you could take a look! And let me know how it fares.

Photo taken by  Walking Melbourne

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Restaurants:

Stalactities

177-183 Lonsdale St
Melbourne, Vic 3000
Price per meal: $25-30 AUD

(considering the above portion is meant for two people)

hints: Try to go on a weekday. They usually have to rush out orders for the weekend crowd so the roasted meat isn’t as finely roasted as the weekday ones.

Lambs
98-100 Lygon Street
Melbourne, Vic 3053
Price per meal: $25-30 AUD

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A Facination with Chinatowns: Good Food (a la Ling Nam) and Nougats

by charlene on 2010/12/09 in Australia, Featured Article, Foodie Guide

There are currently 31 countries that have a Chinatown in their districts. The word “Chinatown” means “the streets of the Tang people”, with tang referring to the Tang dynasty which is considered to be the greatest period of Chinese civilization. I’ve always been amazed at how there seems to be a chinatown in every country I visit. It shows how much the Chinese diasporas have reached worldwide. There’s even one in Nauru, a small island nation in Micronesia in the South Pacific.

A tidbit about Chinatowns was that they never emerged due to conscious choice. Chinatowns developed as a reaction to the racial segregation overseas Chinese faced in their new found land. As a result, they created their own chinatown quarters, with food and shops similar to home, which created a sense of community and belonging for these new migrants. Chinatowns now have evolved into an area which locals and tourists alike can immerse themselves in Chinese culture, without having the exorbitant travel fees of travelling to China.

So here are the top 10 Chinatowns from around the world to satisfy your taste buds and cultural immersion:

  1. Manhattan, New York City
  2. Vancouver, Canada
  3. San Francisco, California
  4. Havana, Cuba
  5. Singapore
  6. Binondo, Manila, Philippines
  7. Jakarta, Indonesia
  8. Brisbane, Australia
  9. London, England
  10. Manchester, England
Chinatown in Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne Chinatown is one of Melbourne’s most popular areas. Although the cabinet makers and lodging houses which Chinatown once consisted of are now gone, they have been replaced by eating houses and top end restaurants. Within the historical structure and arches that are characteristic of Chinatown lies a well-known secret by Australian foodies: Ling Nam (204 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000)

This place is the favorite with parents (to bring their loved ones to) and drunkards (with a hankering for good food after midnight) alike. Apparently it’s been around since the 1970′s and they have a reputation as an incredibly authentic family-style-cooking restaurant, which pleases the guests. The portions are huge and very reasonably priced.

Crispy fried chicken

Despite having a piece in your chopsticks, you will get jealous when your dining partner takes another piece pictured: small size portion

This dish has a healthy crunch to it and the spices are amazing (KFC crispy chicken aficionados, you will love this chicken). The only problem is that they don’t provide knives so you have to struggle at eating it with your chopsticks. This can look very unglamorous.

Salt and Pepper Squid , Braised Vegetables, and Sweet and Sour Fish

The salt and pepper squid is excellent. Just from looking at the picture, you KNOW it’s a good one. My fellow diners were eyeing when it was still in the server’s hand, and from when it was set down on the table, it was gulped down in 10 minutes.

The braised vegetables are good; it’s not too salty and it tastes like something my grandmother would cook.

Sweet and sour fish is made with actual sweet and sour sauce which I was happy about. I had an unhappy meal once when my sweet and sour pork was just honey and lemon! The batter around the fish has a comforting, somehow buttery flavour to it as well.

I enjoyed a really satisfying meal and after writing this post, I still have a hankering for it.

Sadly, many people are still scared of Lingnam because of its filthy conditions. It was so bad in 2007 that the Melbourne council fined them $55,000 AUD and newspapers (loving the taste of controversy) gave in-depth explanations on how dirty it was. Now it’s 2010, and people are coming back. It was crowded when I went there. Honestly, I prefer it when a restaurant has been shut down or paid a heavy fine for not being clean. Once bitten twice shy, they will surely maintain high hygiene standards in case there’s another surprise check.

When you’re visiting Chinatown, you might want to grab a pack of nougats. One thing about Melbourne’s Chinatown is that it has a lot of shops selling nougats. A lot more varieties that those sold in Melbourne airports.

Nougats come from Europe and are a mixture of beaten egg whites and honey with a lot of nuts and candies in it. After describing this, I realize that these do not sound the most appetizing but they are dee-leeesh-cious!  Depending on the composition of the ingredients, it can come into hard or soft forms. It also comes in flavors such as original, cappuccino, peppermint, etc.

Both forms have a nice blend of honey and nutty flavours.  The hard form gives a nice satisfying crunch for those who love crunchy foods. For those with weaker teeth or hate the trouble of crunching, the soft one gives a nice gooey consistency akin to glutinous rice. Sadly I didn’t take down the address but if you see oriental shops selling sheepskin boots and other local Australian products, the nougats are there!

[Photos courtesy of Sarah Cooks, t.linn, zhaoxue, and rabbit lim]

Contacts

Ling Nam

204 Little Bourke Street

Number: 039663 2347

Prices: Expect to pay about $15-25 per pax

Hint: Its easy to miss due to its small door size unlike many other restaurants. Keep your eyes wide open!

Nougats

Prices: Aus $25 for 1kg

Aus $ 20 for 500 g,

Aus $8 for 250g

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Lygon Street: Gangland Wars and Great Italian Food in Melbourne Australia

by charlene on 2010/11/04 in Australia, Featured Article, Food and Travel

The Melbourne cemetery lies on the western side of Lygon Street. Earlier in August 2010, two died from a shootout related to the gangland wars. Indeed, Lygon street can be a little spooky (perfect for those still in the mood of Halloween!) Yet, the street comes alive at night with hungry patrons happily chattering about the meal that they are going to order. The atmosphere is robust with laughter, the smell of wood-fired oven pizzas, and the occasional fast car zipping about.

Welcome to Lygon Street, also unofficially known as “little Italy” to the locals here in Melbourne. It has the biggest selection of Italian restaurants and cafes of anywhere in Australia, and was the first suburb in Melbourne to promote eating outdoors on tables and chairs situated at footpaths. What official sites do not tell you is that it is a street that the mafias of Melbourne like to call “home”. Every authentic Italian restaurant seems to have a mafia boss as a regular, if not the owner of the restaurant!  It sounds intimidating, but be not afraid!  Restaurateurs will welcome you with open arms plus giving you an incentive of having a free bottle of wine or two.

The restaurant of the day is Café Cavallino, which serves authentic Southern Italian style Pizza and Pasta. Car enthusiasts will love this place because the decoration is Formula One themed. The racetrack uniforms, signed memorabilia, and friendly staff will put a smile on your face.

Deciding not to go too fancy, I ordered the Italian basics: Garlic bread, Lasagna, Spaghetti Bolognese, and Calamari. In hindsight, I wish I ordered the linguini marinara that the lady in front of me did.

The Garlic bread was wonderful; it has a slightly alarming orange tint, but I reasoned perhaps they added some extra ingredient. I gobbled it up within seconds.

The Beef Lasagna was an entre-sized portion but it was still very generous in the number of pasta layers. It was good, thick, and hearty. I wish the sauce on the top was heated up more (it was a little cold by the time it got to my table) but the lasagna was still piping hot from the oven.

The Spaghetti Bolognese looks a little watery in the photo which may be a turn off to those who love thick sauces (like me!), but I assure you it was very very satisfying. Although there could be more meat sauce, the amount served had a rich wine and tomato taste that made the dish incredibly savoury.

The Calamari was acceptable, although honestly, I’ve had better. It was deep-fried until crunchy and the spices were well-proportioned and complimentary so I was a happy diner.

For dessert, my friend and I walked down the street to Il Dolce Freddos which hands down has the best gelato in Melbourne.  I love this ice-cream place because it is not afraid to experiment with flavors. Which Gelato places would you get flavours such as pandan coconut and durian? And they are GOOD.

I ordered the strange combination of Roche and Durian ($4.80 AUD). The Roche flavor is the ice cream version of Ferrero Roche, with actual blended bits inside. It is not too concentrated in taste but makes you feel like you are eating a giant Ferrero Roche which, in itself, is really awesome. The Durian flavour is surprisingly accurate to the durian fruit itself, and they must use good quality durian because the flavor is just so strong. That said, it’s not too overpowering… just delicious stuff.

Be it for a romantic date, a catch-up session for friends or just you looking for food, come to Lygon street. You’ll be spoilt for choice.

Contacts

Café Cavallino
181 Lygon St
Carlton, 3053
03 9437 5520
Mains: $15-25 per pax
Booking hints: it seats 300 so don’t worry even it’s a Saturday night

Ill Dolce Freddo
Ground 116 Lygon Street Victoria 3053
(03) 9639 3344,
Mains:  Less than $15 (and that’s if you’re a decadent glutton!)
Booking hints: By 10pm Roche is likely to be sold out

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