Bites: Mrs. S @ Maylands

The significant changes in Maylands has seen its café strip become more attractive. Many indie boutiques  are budding in the area along with some of the bests brunch places in town.  Of the lot, Mrs. S has been the talk of the town for a long time now.  Coming here twice in last few weeks, I can easily tell why.  The food has been great and its menu is not sterile of ideas.  It has changed from my last visit but still keep favorites like the Granny J’s corn bread and the big breakfast on.  But with toast and poached eggs so consistently done over here, it distinguishes itself well with its service.

Coming in late for brunch means we almost did not make it in time for their breakfast menu.  Worried that we might miss out, the waiter made for us a makeshift table consisting of milk crates and magazine but promptly asked us to sit inside when a sit was available.  Service win? Yes it was although it was the little darling that spotted the table first haha.

 

I previously came here and my sister ordered the passion fruit curd cake.  A very lovely cake with a fruity curd in there. This time around, we ordered the lemon curd cake for $4.50 which was no lesser a cake.  It still packed the same fruitiness I had before, this time around with a more citrusy touch.  What kept me puzzled is their clotted cream.  It was hard like half churned butter @@!  It tasted fine nonetheless! Just a little hard to smear on the cake.  Darling who was meant to have a taste ended up having most of it as I knew this was her sort of thing and ordered it more for her then myself :)!

 

The Fishman decided to have Granny J’s Corn Bread with the lot.Granny Junes thick cornbread, bacon, poach eggs and real maple syrup!  The bread is not your typical some bread as it felt a little crumbly to a certain extent and came filled with corn kernels.  But the real beauty lies in its sponginess.  It seems like the bread has absorbed a whole lot of the maple syrup poured onto the bread.  The bacon and syrup on pancakes combination have been a tradition for certain people for a long time now and this for me was absolutely splendid.  Having said that, I only had a mouth of this!  Maybe I would get this the next time around :)!

 

Darling’s poached eggs on toast with bacon and herbed mushrooms with a side of relish $20.50.  This was only a dollar cheaper compared to the big breakfast, but for the little darling, why waste when you know you cannot finish it.  Her words are absolutely true.  Her toast and poached eggs were well cooked but her bacon I thought, could be a little crispier.  Mushroom looked perfectly cooked and as a whole it was cooked well. What surprised me was the fact that she had not used her relish.  In a dish like that, relish is an immensely beautiful condiment to help bring all element on the plate together.  The relish at Mrs. S is tangy and really is good.  This I know because I happily finished whatever darling left on the plate haha.

 

My dish was full on vegetarian like what I had before at Mrs. S and there is absolute no regrets.The beautiful mess of falafel, tatziki, pickled cabbage, rocket, brioche and fried eggs on flat bread toast for $19.60 is not what one would consider cheap.  But considering that the trouble in preparing all the elements required more than just a pan and oil, this was well worth its price.  The brioche was perfectly salted and the sourness of the pickled cabbage was just spot on.  I loved the eggs as it did not feel rubbery and it all went well together.  What I felt could have improved was the finesse of the falafel.  The herbs in there felt a little too subtle.  I wanted more, I wanted the fragrant and aroma of the spices.  The cucumber yoghurt was OK but for me it just lacks the freshness being sat upon all the things which were served hot.  Perhaps next time a served in a shot glass for the diner to pour it where deemed suitable?  This definitely could have been better.  For most parts of the dish, Mrs. S has got it right but because the falafel for me was an important part, this was definitely an average dish.

 

Full like a pig when we were finished. I was satisfied having nibbled at everyone’s dish but for me, my breakfast could definitely have been better.  The cake for me was an absolute pleaser with a delicious curd in the centre.  Darling’s breakfast was good but to me, felt a little too common. It not for the relish, it was really just a decent dish.  Next time around, I would definitely come back for Granny June’s corn bread with the lot.  For me, other than the curd cake, that was the highlight of my trip this time.  Do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Mrs. S, it serves up some pretty kickass breakfast but for me, I am just a little fussy!

 

WenY

Bites: The Precinct @ Victoria Park

The Precinct is one of the more exciting restaurants that have placed itself in the bustling café strip of Victoria Park.  With so many new comers to the business, the Precinct is one of the few that have received fairly good reviews for its  environment and  ambience.  Stepping in, the graffiti scribbled wall in an industrial setting definitely gave the place a feel which I can only describe as  “roomy with a sense of activity”. 

The group sitting area with the colorful and inspiring graffiti.  Is that Queen Elizabeth?  Definitely not my grandmothers for sure hehe.

 

For starters the group of us decided to share a Whitebait with Beer Aioli and Chicken Wings with Nam Jim sauce:This is my first time having Whitebaits and it was a little more than what I expected.  It was not crispy through as I thought it would be.  It still has a meaty texture in the center with a stronger than expected fishiness.  More importantly was how well this would have went with drinks instead of the water we had.  This was unexpectedly salty.  Perhaps Whitebaits are beer foods!

 

The saving grace for our appetizer was the Chicken Wings with Nam Jim sauce.  I enjoyed the sauce a whole lot as it was a smartly played concoction of sweet, sour and saltiness. But at the end, the chicken especially the wing felt a little dry for my liking.The chicken were not cooked to a level which it was meant to be.  It felt slightly drier than expected but the sauce gave it the much needed moisture and flavors. 

 

As for our mains we all called what we thought was nice and decided to share it out:The fishman ordered steak frites with slow cooked egg in medium.  A picture tells a thousand word and what does it tell you about the beef?  At best, the steak was a medium – well-done.   The relish gave a refreshing fix to the Potato Gaufrettes which some has described as no more than store bought chips.  But it was not that bad.  Additionally, fishman complained that the slow cooked egg was overdone as the center was not runny as we had hoped.

 

Good friend and fellow blogger Glenn ordered the ‘Lancashire hot pot’, lamb, potato, pickled cabbage.   When it arrived, it looked like a reinterpretation of its original form.  We had expected a homely casserole style dish with root vegetables but this was totally irregular.  Perfectly arrange slices of lamb topped with pickled cabbage led the pack.  First bite in and I though it was ok as the lamb was soft but tender enough it was not.  All the benefits of a hot pot seems rather redundant in this dish.  It needed more tenderness or some sort of moisture.  Perhaps a hotpot sauce spooned over the beautiful arrangement was all it needed?  At least that was what we thought.

 

For me, I played it safe following the recommendation of another blogger who had eaten there awhile ago.  The half roasted chicken, Jerusalem artichokes, jus.  Unlike conventional roast, the chicken had a slightly crispy skin and a really tender inside.  A tender inside which was so very lacking in all its other dish.  The sauce until now remains a mystery.  Glenn reckons a marmite mix but I had absolutely no idea.  Definitely no ordinary jus or reduction here.   My tender chicken pieces were accompanied by a very nice side of what seemed like pureed chestnuts and an assortment of root vegetables.  This was by far the highlight of the night.

 

The girls decided to share a whole fish stuffed with fish herbs and lemon.  After the little darling and I had some pretty damn good meals at Nine Fine Food and Fuku in the past fortnight, she was absolutely devastated to be served something like that.  For starters, the fish has not been cleaned properly leaving a horrible odor in the stomach.  To make matter worse, the fish still had scales on its belly and the tail section.  To top it all, the dry fish and quinoa absolutely did not make things any better.  In an attempt to get it fixed, I asked for some sauce where none came out until we decided to settle with some beer aioli, for which we were charged an extra $2.  I really am surprised that a fish dish can come out so unpredictably.  This is clearly a warning sign for anyone who think a serve of fish in a place like this is a good idea.

 

To finish off our meal, the little darling had to have her dessert after a disappointing main.Between the 5 of us, we shared two desserts.  The first was a bread and butter pudding.  This to me felt like a very catchy way to serve a bread pudding.  But to serve a whole chunk is asking for trouble.  The moisture was not well spread making it hard to eat.  For me, it would have been heaps better if it was arranged in alternating layers of custard and bread making it a very moist experience.  Sigh.. at least the sauce was rather fragrant.

 

We also called a banofee pie which might seems a little deceptive as we expected a classic English banana and toffee pie.  At Precinct, they have reinterpreted the dish with a crumbly layer ontop of a sweetened banana paste followed by a dark chocolate bottom.  On my first spoonful, I was thrown of by its extreme sweetness which immediately shut my senses such that the bread pudding had absolutely no taste anymore.  But going back for seconds, it was not the chocolate but rather an overly sweet banana layer that was horrible.   In fact, the chocolate felt pretty good.  It was a dark chocolate bottom that felt somewhat like Koko Black’s Belgian Chocolate Mousse.  Nonetheless, a simple English Pie with banana and toffee would have really made the day.

 

At the end we left slightly disappointed, probably more them than me considering out of the 4 mains we ordered, only mine had a above average quality in it.  The starters were mediocre and the desserts were out of touch.  A saving grace was that the waitress that served us was really friendly.  But her power only goes so far as to serve and in the kitchen, that is where all that quality should have been.  Urbanspoon reviews does not seem to be heading in favor of the restaurant as well because customers who have revisited the place since it had opened felt a declining quality too.  Did its popularity got the best of it or was it just a busy Friday?  Perhaps one or none but either ways, it will take a lot of convincing before we return.

 

WenY

Bites: Kanta @ Langford (the 100th time)

Kanta has always been an enjoyable eat.  For most of the food we shared today it was satisfying.  Every trip we had is joy and rarely have we found the food to be deplorable.  Nonetheless, its ever increasing popularity means the crowd is typically more than the 25 seats this places packs and they are immensely particular over their sitting.  You cannot opt for a 7.00pm sitting mind you.  Its either 6.30 or 7.30pm.  Anyways! I have done a few reviews now, the only reason for this is because I was just shooting around more with my new 25mm f1.4 Panasonic Leica lens.  A really shallow DOF for that sweet bokeh, but perhaps a little too shallow!

 

Appetizer on the house:Cold noodles with pickles!

 

Appetizer to share, Ika Shioyaki or grilled squid tentacles with salt.  Lovely!  A drizzle of lemon juice with some mayonnaise! RWAR!

 

Agedashi tofu.  Delicious sauce with nice condiments!   Always a crowd pleaser!

 

Main to share: Gyu tongue steak!  Supposedly one of the healthiest beef cuts in the market, this is one of my staples at Kanta other than the Teriyaki Chicken and Kamo Steak!  Slurps!!

BItes: Catalanos @ Victoria Park

The Entertainment Book has been a wonderful host of discount with various restaurants that are awesome.  Unfortunately not all are awesome.  My recent dinner at this the supposedly “favorite finalists” turned out a disaster and without much ado, the review.

The chili mussels were something the table looked forward to.  The mussels were perfectly cooked before being mixed into a sauce that was in my opinion too plain.  The flavor was very subtle which was good if you just wanted the taste of the mussels.  Clearly enough too, the mussels were cook separately from the sauce before being tossed in it for a bit.  Absolutely tasteless this dish.  Maybe that’s why it did not come with bread to damp the sauce.

 

Next, we order a fettuccini to share.  Our first impressions on this was one good despite the disappointing appetizer.  The creamy red sauce look fabulous with cheese sprinkled on top.  Chicken slices too, looked rather generous.  And that is where it all ends.  The fettuccini was severely undercooked.  I have watched Jamie Oliver and Master Chef in Italy.  It seems like they like their pasta slightly undercooked just below al Dante, and I am pretty sure this was not how it was meant to be.  We were dumbfounded that a basic cooking can be so carelessly prepared.

 

Next was the Carbonara which was probably the best dish that night.  Its pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce was mild and it was over all a pretty good dish.  For me, all it needed was a little more salt.  Despite trying to avoid having too much creamy pasta, this was the only reliable dish that night.

 

Our last dish was the pan-fried veal schnitzel with thick cut chips, fresh salad and a red sauce.   Another massive disappointment on a plate.  Sauce was definitely lackluster.  It was literally flat.  Veal steaks felt as if it was just chucked onto a non-heated pan and left to “boil”.  It was overall horrible.  But hey, the cheep's were pretty nice.

 

Overall, my meal at Catalano’s turned out to be one massive disaster.   This is a place that if you stop outside and wonder whether to try or not, just WALK ON.  Not worth the time and money.  Can definitely get better elsewhere.  Diners clearly deserved better and this is one of the very rare times where my review has turned out so negatively.  The only other time was at Sake Bar and another Thai restaurant.

 

WenY

Bites: The Merrywell.

The Merrywell is one of Crown Casino’s latest effort to boost its image from what was an aged complex to a more upmarket complex.  This high end pub showcases the dynamic duo chefs Grant MacPherson and Sammy De Marco whom Fishman have seen on the television a couple of times.  With a fancy interior and a new courtyard area, the Merrywell clearly distinguishes itself from other more casual pubs.  Unfortunately, the crowd is still typical. 5 men all trying so hard to woo one lady hahaha.

 

Walking up to the reception, we were served but was told that to get a sit on the inside, we would need to leave our names and they would call us back.  But guess what?  That is the worst system ever.  Some people take forever to come, leaving many sits empty!  In the end, the little darling, fishman and I decided to sit in the courtyard which means we had to order food from the bar.

 

When this restaurant first opened, there were rave reviews on food websites giving it a 90% approval rating and such.  Since then, it has plunged to 68%.  Rocking up to the bar counter to order my food, I totally understood why.  Wait for 10 minutes, lean over the counter and the grumpy lady tells you that this is not a service counter, go to the middle to order your food.  Head over to the middle counter, wait 10 minutes to be served and the next young lady says we do not do food at this counter.  It has now been 30 minutes and still no food.  The little darling gave them the WTF treatment and they UNHAPPILY served us.  Add this to half drunk blokes spilling their beers over her leg and that was a really bad and shit service.

 

For the purpose of this review, the quality of the food is kept separate from the service.

What really surprised us after we ordered is that Merrywell actually serves food quite quickly in contrast to what the reviews have mentioned recently.  Our wait for the food only look us 15 minutes.

For starters, we ordered a Mac and Cheese with in-house HP Sauce to share.

These delicious morsels of cheesy goodness definitely qualifies to be a Merrywell specialty.  It was crunchy with a balance of stringy melted cheese and macaroni making it absolutely yummy!  And for me, the HP sauce was definitely another highlight with a rich and tangy taste to it, elevating  the taste of the slightly bland Mac and Cheese.

 

The Lollipop Buffalo Wings were another specialty highlighted on the menu.Coming from home where American Pub food is enjoyed for lunch, delicious buffalo wings are no stranger.  To start, I was really pleased with the celery although I do not really like celery.  The ones used were well aged and not overly old and fibrous.  The Buffalo wings were not dry and was well-cooked.  But my complain lies in the lack of robustness of the flavor.  I wanted more acidity, more heat and all the other intense taste which one would normally dunk in the blue cheese fondue to cool.  For me and Fishman, it could have been better.

 

For our mains, the little darling ordered mini Wagyu burgers.I think these are easily one of the more impressive burgers I have eaten in awhile.  For me, it was the simplicity the stood out.  Its condiments were simple cheddar, BBQ caramelized onions, and pickles.  While the patty was not as juicy as other burger places like Jus Burgers, these little burger were impressive.

 

 

The Fishman as his names suggests, ordered the Roasted Tasmanian Salmon with Potato Pierogi, Pickled Beets, Sour Cream.He said it was pretty good and I would have to agree.  It was also the first time I have tasted Potato Pierogi which is a potato filled dumpling.  All the elements of this dish worked really well although all I had was one bite.  What might be a little turn off was that the salmon felt a little dry.  To be honest, such thin fillet should not be cooked for too long!

 

For me, I ordered Granny Grecco’s Chicken Parma with Spaghetti and Napoli Sauce.Arriving at the table, one thing which instantly caught my attention was the intensity of the sauce.  The flavors of the ripened tomatoes were such a hit in this dish that the slightly soggy chicken parma did not bother me the slightest bit.  The pasta was smooth and plausible but I really did not care about anything because, at that moment, it was all about the sauce.  It was really a good sauce in my opinion.  Most places tend to serve a very light and subtle sauce which sometimes makes me feel that the tomatoes used was barely ripe but the one at Merrywell was really just spot on.

 

At the end, I was really satisfied with my food.  It was pretty much a class act for pub food.  However though, for $40, it might look a little pretentious because pub food is not only about quality, but QUANTITY.  The serving sizes at Merrywell was OK but nowhere near a typical pub.  Service is barely worth mentioning unless it is about its crappiness.  BUT, would I return?  To be honest, I would.  Perhaps not on a weekends without an inside booking and service.

 

WenY

Bites: Imp @ Victoria Park

Recently, the little darling bought me a birthday present which was about 2 months too early.  Nonetheless, it has come at the right time considering the amount of food reviews I would be involved with in the coming weeks.  My new camera deviates from my usual DSLR as the new Olympus OMD EM5 which I now use feels significantly lighter and smaller.  However, adapting to a new system takes time and this is no different.  What better way is there to learn than bringing it out for a spin?!

What a beauty!

 

The Imp had been a brekkie place I would have gone to until Crumpets came by, died and then we had Sayers, Mrs S. and a whole lot of other capable brunch spots.

The Imp still keeps its minimalistic fittings with no rendered walls, all of which gives it an old warehouse look except for its low ceilings.

 

Imp is a popular hangout spot both in the day or at night.  At night, the Imp serves out delicious hot drinks with scrumptious cakes to match.  I have been there for many times now but the cakes I liked best were the spiced pear cake as well as the sticky date pudding.  Others gone on to complement the Imp for their chocolate fudge cake commenting that they never knew cakes could ever taste so good.

 

Last night, the little darling, Yvonne and I called two cakes to share.One was the apple and berry crumble while the other was the chocolate cheesecake.  The little darling loves her berries and for me, the crumble was spot on with all sugar levels kept moderate.  This gives the dessert a well-toned sweetness which complements its acidity.  However though, large pieces of apples tend to absorb the acidity of the berries making them a tad too sour for my liking.  While the berry crumble was pretty good, we were let down by the chocolate cheesecake.  This was especially so by Yvonne as she was expecting a deep chocolate well in the center which was not the case because it was on topped by a chocolate no more than a spoonful.  Cheese taste was milder than what I like and it felt as if they had used sour cream too!  Not too sure but that is alright.

 

While I am not the biggest fan of coffee, sipping tea is probably what I am keen off.  A chamomile tea wrapped in a fury little tea warmer?  I’m sold!  

 

Overall, the Imp is a pretty good night place to spend with friend nibbling cakes and drinking hot drinks.  But do note that Fridays are easily made nightmarish as the small sitting area does not accommodate large groups nicely.  Not to mention diners having dinner does not make things anything easier as they often spend the whole evening sipping wine and ordering tapas.   But for me, a group of 4 would probably be just nice.

 

As for the OMD test run, all I can say is OMG.  If I could fault it, it would be the lack of sharpness which is more likely a lens problem than a camera one.  So perhaps in a bit I will be able to full kit my camera up!

 

WenY

Follow me :)!

Bites: Fuku @ Mosman Park

Yesterday, was a Monday which was far exciting than I expected.  Coming home from work, I quickly dressed myself before pacing myself through a horrible jam to the suburb of Mosman Park.  3 weeks ago, I was invited to the opening of something different.  Owner of Tsunami, Brett and his capable crew has establish a new exclusive eatery called Fuku.  Believe it or not, the venue only sits 16 at any one time despite having enough sake to fill the bellies of a entire ship crew. 

 

Seeing is believing:

Diners are spoilt with a whole wall arranged with premium sakes all hand picked by the chef!

 

The menu at Fuku is a degustation which comes in three trims.  A entry level Omakase @ $110, a mid level one @ $160 and the extravagant one at $280.   These prices include unlimited bottle water as well as green tea for diners. For the night, the little darling and I had the mid level degustation @ $160 per person.  These degustation featured many Japanese food which at first might seem a little typical, but in reality is prepared to provide a heightened sense of satisfaction.

Upon being seated, the chef quickly trimmed the finest slices of sashimi I have had in an extremely long time.  To begin with, I hate sashimi and to convince me to eat it, it has to be pretty good!  The salmon was perfect but what caught my attention was the swordfish sashimi which was spot on.  Definitely a textural kick.  Felt like the smoothest slice on the plate! Spot on.  Finishing the raw slices, we tucked into the blow torched Nigiris which I always like due to the buttery richness of the fish when torched.

 

The next course was another serve of spoon size food which featured the wagyu, a lobster on a spoon and a shell fish.  Is this surf and turf at its finest?   Maybe so!  My favourite of the lot would be the Tsubugai and Octopus served on a small bed of cucumber strips.  That one has just perfect balance of freshness and that slight hint of acidity made it a real pleaser.  Beef was nice with a miso concoction and some salsa.  Really nice!  If anything was missing, perhaps a touch of salt on the lobster would have been nice!

 

After this course, we served a quail course. No picture on this one but the quail was cooked for 12 hours before being smoked on a charcoal grill.  These quails are from Hunter Valley which boasts to have some of the largest quails in the planet.  Over all, the sauce was good and the quail was finished with a note of smokiness which was a nice touch!  We were also served scallops with prawns which is one of the other sure hit combination besides pork belly and scallops.  For me, the large scallops were cooked spot on.  Really sweet and tasty with no loss of juiciness like one would expect from a plump scallop!

Kajiki steak with Daikon radish and preserved ginger.  Each individual element was very well prepared.   The Kajiki or swordfish was spot on and to people like me who has not had such fish before, its texture is really quite different.  Some might mistake the texture to an overcooked fish which in fact is not overcooked.  Daikon radish were soft through with just enough resistance when being cut.  Overpowering ginger performed really well when small bits were eaten with the fish and radish!   This was one of the dishes I liked best!  

 

One of the two chefs entertaining the diners.  This chef is cheeky and is very crafty with his hands.  He easily juggles the eggs with his Teppanyaki spatula!  Sitting around the kitchen is not only a Teppanyaki experience, but rather an entertaining one!

 

Wagyu sirloin steak Mayura Station grade 7.  While this was not the highest grade, it was certainly enough for a decent melt in your mouth sensation when prepared at medium.  And for me, that was good enough.  The steak was served together with a classic Japanese Garlic fried rice.  A state where fried rice and simplicity is at its best.  What turned out to be a let down for me was that the fried rice lacked salt.  A great amount of salt.  Luckily enough, a quick soy fix made it right!

 

At the end of the night, I was filled.  Fish, seafood, bird and beef.. it felt complete.  Freshly slices sashimi, perfectly cooked scallops and beef.  It was all pretty good but the boss was not going to let the night end without a sweet note.

 

For dessert: Genmaicha Pannacotta, Japanese Baumkuchen and Mountain Peach with Kinako!

The Baumkuchen felt a little dense as it was a layered cake.  It had a nice crust of lightly torched sugar.  On the inside, its texture felt a little more like a semolina cake rather than a layered sponge.  What felt really nice is that the mountain peach feels connected to the Baumkuchen in a way that having one of the other helped cut through the sweetness a little.  As for the Pannacotta, I can only insist that such fine things should come in larger serves.  I gave half mine to the little darling as I knew she loved her Pannacotta a lot!  It was silky smooth with a hint of tea taste that felt very subtle.  Perhaps a little subtle for green tea fans.  A very delicious Pannacotta!

 

At the end of the meal, there always is a question to be answered.   Was the experience a good one?  Well, I cannot help but feel indebted to be invited to something so special in Perth.  Food is prepared to my expectations and as I have learned from my sitting at Fuku, the small group of 16 at any one time also felt part of a social experience as everyone can talk to one another despite being strangers.  Not sure how much would other couples like this but it was definitely lovely to be able to chat with other people without any awkward feeling because the restaurant felt intimate in many ways.  At the end, some might question the price tag but everyone would have different a opinion. In my opinion, everyone needs to try and get their own :)!

 

WenY