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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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greek-food-stalacities

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)

greek-food-stalacities

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

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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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Inspirational Budget Cooking and Environmental Consciousness Converge

by Nancy Huynh on 2010/12/23 in Australia, Europe, Featured Article, North America

[As we lead up to the New Year, Nancy will be diving further into 2011 Food Trend Predictions, and linking you to food around the world]

Restaurants, like the rest of us, are fighting to survive in a world of tight budgets, and intense competition.  Inspirational Budget Cooking, while seemingly creative in its right, is born from the broader environmental and food trend: Local Food.  With local eating making major strides in 2010, we saw the explosion of farm to table menus in restaurants of various flavours, colours, and stripes, the increase in local CSAs (Community Shared Agriculture), and a renewed affinity for regional craft food (Prince Edward County in Ontario, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn NYC are but a few examples that stand out).

Inspirational Budget Cooking isn’t simply about ensuring a black-inked bottom-line, it’s about using resources more carefully and minimizing waste, while still making great food.  Small plates, minimalist menus, and one or two dish ‘menus’ converges with the latest environmental trends of reduce, reduce, reduce, and local, local, local.

Yet budget cooking is nothing to snuff at. Chefs are truly pushing their creativity and reaching new limits to cook up inspiring dishes with ‘simple’, ‘humble’, and offal ingredients.  Making spare meat parts, like hoof, and tongue, or ‘blah’ local vegetables like parsnips and radishes delectable, palatable and menu worthy is no easy task.  Grandiosity is making way for the humble; foie gras make room for the pâté!

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Food producers are cutting back but still keeping it real.  Giant portions that only the very hefty could ever imagine finishing are replaced with smaller dishes or even with a “choose your own amount” [video @ 2:56] option.  Out of season fare is always pricier to obtain (transport) than local in-season goodies, or housemade pickles, preserves, and jams. New restaurants are opting for ‘previously owned’, ‘lightly used’, and ‘vintage’ furniture and decor for their renovations.  Bare exposed walls, open-concept, and communal tables are both chic and budget savvy.  These dining trends are all part and parcel of the convergence of Environmental Consciousness and Inspirational Budget Cooking.

These trends are not only the latest market trends, but they also prove to be fundamental strategies to staying financially afloat in this economy.  Less is truly more.

[Pictures courtesy of Serious Eats]

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Food Memories of Sydney Australia

by Karen Baksi on 2010/12/16 in Australia, Featured Article, Food and Travel, Foodie Guide, International

australian-food-cuisine

Once upon a time (1770 to be exact), Australia was an island that was claimed by Britain and used as a far-away place to send their convicted criminals to serve out their sentences in a penal colony. Today, it has evolved into a self-governing Commonwealth realm. In contrast with the Anglo-Saxon criminals it was once settled by in the late 18th century, it is now a country with pockets of diverse ethnic populations, especially in the major cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Because of this diversity, the cuisine has taken a decidedly delicious turn. In my down under experiences, I realized that Australia not only has beautiful scenery, a wealth of culture, but also a diversity of cuisine that will really surprise the traveler’s palette.

After a 14 hour flight from SFO, I was anxious to get out and see the attractions: the Harbour Bridge and Opera House alone are juggernauts of sight-seeing!  They are magnificent structures that help bring countless tourists to its shores.  Along Darling Harbour – where the Opera House sits – there are several high end seafood restaurants on the pier.  My Aussie hosts and I decided to pursue a potentially “touristy” path and sit outside and enjoy some of the fruits of the sea with a glass of champagne. Needless to say, when the platter came out, I was in absolute heaven. Crabs, oysters, and these curious creatures called “bay bugs” were laid out for us to enjoy. Bay bugs are a type of flathead lobster similar to the Pacific spiny lobster. The meat has the consistency of lobster but is not as sweet. And the oysters were absolutely gigantic!  They were very tasty: creamy in texture with a wonderful hint of the salty ocean. I, personally, prefer smaller oysters like the Kumamoto, but the flavor of the Sydney Rock oyster is fantastic. As is typical for raw bars, the bill was quite hefty (the champagne didn’t help!) This is a splurge moment, not for a frugal traveler. These types of places command their premium for location and food quality, but sometimes it is worth the price.

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As I explored more of Sydney, I stumbled into Chinatown, located near the harbour on Haymarket.  This is Australia’s largest Chinatown. This bustling neighborhood offers a huge mix of grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, food stands, and clothing & jewelry stores. Chinatown is always buzzing with activity… people walking through, visiting, or conducting business and, of course, eating. Common in Chinatowns, there are food courts with different kinds of Asian cuisines.  It’s a cheap and fun way to explore the the local ethnic foods, and Sydney is no exception. Amongst the Thai soups, Vietnamese noodles, Chinese Dim Sum, and Mongolian BBQ, there was a Malaysian Roti stand. I ordered one roti canai, which is a type of flatbread served with a coconut milk curry. The roti was perfect, soft in the center but crispy on the outer edges.  It went very well with the coconut milk curry, slightly sweet and pretty spicy.  Although my roti was a savory snack, it can also be accompanied with condensed milk for a sweet treat.  My wallet was also happy since the roti canai cost me $3.50 AUD ($3.29 USD).

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Now, a travel food article about Australia cannot be complete without a mention of the unofficial Australian “national dish”: the meat pie. A meat pie is an individual sized pastry containing diced or minced meat and gravy.  There are various interpretations of the dish, some have been refined for fine dining but most meat pies are often eaten as a convenient to-go snack. They are even sold in most local convenience stores, mostly minced meat and gravy types served with tomato sauce (ketchup). My first meat pie in Australia was at the famous and aptly called “Australian Hotel” near the historic “Rocks” area of Sydney harbor. I ordered a beef and bock pie made with Australian beef braised in a bock style beer. It was definitely a little more upscale with puff pastry and a price tag of $18.90 AUD ($17.75 USD). Nevertheless, the beer infused gravy – slightly bitter and rich – was a nice complement to the succulent beef and the flaky puff pastry crust. I also sampled a beef and tomato pie at a Brumby’s, an Australian chain bakery. This pie tasted more like a sloppy joe, salty and slightly sweet, making it a satisfying snack. I can understand why Aussies are so crazy for these bite size pies!

Australia was an amazing place!  My three weeks went by so quickly, but my experiences culinary, and otherwise will always remain deeply in my heart.

[Pictures courtesy of Karen, ifood, ICCTA, and gamespot]

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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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