Melbourne: Perfect Steaks @ Rockpool Bar and Grill, Crown Melbourne

Rockpool Bar and Grill in Perth was my first massive steak crush.  Between its bolder flavoured grain-fed or the more mellow, lighter tasting grass-fed beef, there was always something for everyone.  As Australia’s first internationally acclaimed restaurant, I have always wondered how does Rockpool Bar and Grill in Melbourne compare to the one back home in Perth.  On a cool Sunday night, I decide to take a trip to Bovine Heaven.  Whilst I have no pictures of the entrance, the original Rockpool Bar and Grill in Melbourne sports the same long hallway graced by cuts of beef being dry-aged.  A true sight to behold!  Its interior was darker than the establishment in Perth but sets the mood for a good night out.

But food beyond anything else is key to my verdict of any restaurant.  Why should it not be after all?  Our starter was a Wagyu Bolognese.  A classic favourite since my first trip to Rockpool back in Perth!  Here, the waiter takes courtesy of plating a main size one into two appetiser sized ones to avoid the fuss of splitting.

With no questions, the mince melts in your mouth whilst the sauce was just perfect.  But the pasta was not as thin as the one in Perth!  

The grain-fed rib eye.

Its dark red middle is symbolic of why dry-aged beef is such a priceless commodity among foodies and beef lovers alike!  The flavour is just yums and the way Rockpool cooks the steak always elevates the joy of eating it.  At Rockpool, a perfectly charred steak that never fails to hit the sweet spot is a norm.  Tender, cooked to order and the temperature of frying the steak is just spot on!  For my condiments, I chose the Dijon Mustard and Harissa as both help bring the best out of the steak!  But if you are not a fan of mild mustard, the spice laden Harissa might just be your thing.

No meal at Rockpool is ever complete without its famed Mac n Cheese side.  And what can I say?  Fat on fat on fat?  Nobody got time for concerns!  It was yummy!  But for some reason though, the charm it first had on me 3 years ago had seemed to worn off.  It no longer felt all that special.. and I wonder why!

We also ordered a side of chopped salad which looked absolutely rubbish after being tossed in the dressing but here is a picture of the oven-roasted pumpkin and sweet potatoes topped with a roasted garlic yoghurt.  This was really nice! It was my second time having it at Rockpool and I still cannot get over the way the garlicky condiment harmonises with the sweet edible tuber!

A sweet ending of what I can only remember now as some sort of cheese cake with strawberries, meringue and what I believe instead of a biscuit base, was grated coconut?  Hahaha I really was so full at this point that sharing a dessert was all my stomach can afford.  

But I have to say, it was an impressive slice this one.  I was quite hesitant to follow XL’s choice of cake because cheesecakes had always been a fairly “heavy” dessert but this felt nothing like the conventional cheesecakes!  Instead it was rather refreshing and led the dinner to a good ending!

A meal at any Rockpool establishment comes with a tag that most find unjustifiable.  But coming here once a year for that once in a blue moon treat makes a lot of sense to me.  You get the prime service, absolutely delicious steaks and over all, an amazing meal.  The food here does not carry the cues of modern molecular gastronomy and lacks the necessary elements of surprise of fine dining but what Rockpool does is make the classic staples like steak & chips, absolutely spectacular.  I mean after all lets be honest to ourselves, how many times have you been served an absolutely rubbish $30 steak? 1 too many I’d say.

WenY

Melbourne: Brunches of 2014 (Breakfast Thieves)

Breakfast Thieves, Fitzroy

With my homies arriving from Perth, it was definitely time to reach out to more interesting places around Melbourne.  After a mediocre experience at Hammer & Tong, I was in not in anyway keen to return in the limited time I had.  But fret not, hipster suburb Fitzroy had plenty more on offer.  For today’s brunch, Breakfast Thieves situated just off Smith Street on the leafy Gore Street was our host.

Brunch at the Breakfast Thieves on cool Friday morning could not get any better.   Considering that it was a quiet day, the service was gratuitous and prompt.  The hot chocolate here was quality but not as stellar as the one I had at Architect & Heroes.  In saying that though, I could do with the $3.50 price tag any day!  For breakfast we had:

THE LEGEND: Spicy baked eggs with spanish chorizo, mushrooms, green peas, corn & feta served with herbed garlic toast

The cliché, with a little more swag is the right way to describe the Breakfast Thieves version of baked eggs.  The herbed garlic toast that came with it was a good enough reason to order this dish.  It has been a long time since someone served me an interesting carbohydrate on the side!  The smokey chorizo flavours through the goey yolk and tomato base paired well with the creamy, almost neutral feta.  Yummy!

LEPRECHAUN: Corn fritters on roasted fennel puree, burnt butter brussel sprouts, avocado mousse, pomegranate and raisin with poached eggs.

The highlight of the brunch at the Breakfast Thieves was probably the fritters.  Mildly crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, really there was nothing to hate.  Its fennel puree was seasoned well and every thing just seemed to complement each other really well.  Oh, do I even need to mention its picturesque plating too? Probably too obvious.    I do not normally harshly compare restaurants, but this really shames the fritters at Hammer & Tong big time.  Sorry bud.

THE BREAKFAST CHAIN: Quince & apple, almond crumble with triffle berry yoghurt, side of soft-boiled eggs & English cheddar melted soldiers.

A green chain with what I would consider a decadent vegan option is something AC ordered.  Needless to say, I was impressed and never would I imagine that something like that could be vegetarian!  Tasty soldiers for dipping were so good I ate it on its own!  However, the eggs here were a bit of a 50-50 as one was perfect whilst the other was overcooked.  But with two other sweet options  on the side, it was hard to stay disappointed for long!

The name Breakfast Thieves is definitely not representative of its prices but rather, how I would be willing to let this establishment play thief to my mornings if I become a Melbournian.  Its barely secluded location on a leafy street means that there was a lot of value in just the ambience itself.  Its food is far from the modern breakfast gastronome but what it does, it does well.  Really well in fact.  I would not like to talk this up because after all, hype kills.  Breakfast spot in Fitzroy?  Done.

Operator 25, CBD

Hardware Société, CBD

Hammer & Tong, Fitzroy

Seven Seeds, Carlton

LE MIEL et la lune, Carlton

WenY

Melbourne: Brunches of 2014 (LE MIEL et la lune)

LE MIEL et la lune, Carlton

A short track through the Carlton hills for a morning walk with my little girl Daisy means I was ready for a good breakfast.  Today’s brunch was at LE MIEL et la lune, a French sounding cafe situated just a few steps away from the busy Lygon Street.

At 9am, the venue was not overly crowded allowing a prompt yet welcoming service from the  LE MIEL et la lune breakfast crew.  Add that to a menu that is long and elaborate, it looked to be a promising morning.  But coming here solo means my choices are limited to one.  I learned the hard way when I ordered a pad thai and a beef salad all for myself just a day earlier at Ying Thai 2!

That morning, I wanted something special so I went for an extravagant French toast.  The one at LE MIEL et la lune came topped with bacon caramelised bananas, crushed pistachio and butter scotch.  Absolutely scrumptious.

Buttery brioche, silky thin butterscotch, and perfectly caramelised bananas sets the standard for the most orgasmic first bite.  The addition of the bacon can be likened to adding salt in a chocolate cake. It enhances the flavour.  Here it played the same role.  Textural wise though, I was not overly impressed.  Too damn soft =/.  Soft bananas, silky butterscotch, and airy toast was perfect but all that was missing was a few slices of extremely crispy streaky bacon.  I would have preferred that over the pieces of lean and limp ones! A personal preference I guess?  

So pretty!  This easily rivals or betters the one served at Gusto Food in South Perth. 

LE MIEL et la lune served me an indulgent meal today.  So many indulgences all on one plate, of which almost every element was done to perfection.  I was happy.  Very.  Any unhappiness would almost relate directly back to the fact that I was alone and could not sample the other awesome dishes like the pork hash, fritters and even the Korea inspire Gnocchi.  It was time to stop dreaming now.  

Operator 25, CBD

Hardware Société, CBD

Hammer & Tong, Fitzroy

Seven Seeds, Carlton

Breakfast Thieves, Fitzroy

WenY

Melbourne: Brunches of 2014 (Seven Seeds, Carlton)

Seven Seeds, Carlton

With a name more synonymous to that of an artisan coffee roaster, this was the last place I expected to find a brunch spot.  Last winter, I stumbled across this little institution about 200 steps from my friend’s abode in Carlton and had been keen to try it ever since.  Was their highly rated coffee as good as their brunch?  I headed there with XL’s housemate, KK to give the place a try.  He told me to expect a very healthy brunch which got me sort of concerned.  But without trying I would not know right?!

Housed in a refurbished warehouse, it was a busy place at 8am.  More interestingly,  diners are invited to see the Seven Seeds production line made in a room encased with glass.  More than half the space was dedicated to that whilst the kitchen felt no smaller than 10 squares max!  But hey, sometimes the smallest kitchens make the best food no?  Drinks here are fine, but the hot chocolate was not life changing one.  So duh right?  Its was a coffee place after all!

For my brunch, I decided to go for the WelshRarebit.  Imagine a toasted bread topped with a tasty cheese, and mildly pungent mustard mixture before being grilled momentarily to melt.  If you are a fan of both cheese and mustard alike, you would find that this was an absolute beauty.

Before I dug into the dish, I realised that Seven Seeds paid strong attention to detail.  On my dish, "fried poached eggs" sat on the rarebits with a refreshing mixed green leaf salad fixed atop. Altogether it looked sensational.  More importantly, this was not sickening in anyway as everything complemented each other well.  I am actually quite surprised that several greasy elements can come together without being cloying!  

While mine was not one of the healthier options, the Green Eggs was KK’s choice.

Whilst I had just a very little piece, it was yummy!   Nothing really outlandishly special but hard to dislike.  Perfectly poached eggs, well-presented and simple.   My only regret was perhaps not paying more attention to the sauce.  Was it a pesto?  Was it a chimichurri?  Or perhaps an avocado mix? 

Handmade crumpets with coffee-infused butter, toasted hazelnut crumb and coffee caramel was something I decided to share with KK to end our meals.

As a person who does not drink coffee, I actually enjoyed this sweet ending of mine for several reasons.  First off were the soft and fluffy crumpets which made eating a bliss. No knife or fork required here.  Additionally, the use of coffee gave this dish a lovely smell which made my senses tingle.  Lastly, its composition of which was sweet, salty, and fragrant altogether with the crunchiness of the crushed nuts was simply yummy!

Whilst I am unwilling to commit to saying that Seven Seeds is the best brunch in town, it would not be too far off.  Its casual yet relaxing environment makes this a likeable place to dine while still being conveniently located within walking distance from the city.  Add that to Seven Seed’s fair prices and well-prepared dishes like the green eggs, the Welsh Rarebit and coffee-infused crumpet, it was hard to say no!

Operator 25, CBD

Hardware Société, CBD

Hammer & Tong, Fitzroy

LE MIEL et la lune, Carlton

Breakfast Thieves, Fitzroy

WenY

Bites: The 7am breakfast, Architect & Heroes @ Subiaco

Waking up between 5 and 6 in the morning during my holidays sounds like an absolute waste after a long period of grinding.  Nevertheless, the term breakfast soon becomes something very relevant and interestingly rewarding.  My first morning at home was a breakfast date with my sister at Architects and Heroes.  This geek themed hipster-ish place in Subiaco has a cosy fit out which walls are graced by the many characters in comics.

My morning staple switches between a choice of tea or chocolate.  In this instance, it was the latter and I was glad to have ordered the hot chocolate here.  It is easily one of the best cocoa drink in town if not the best.  It tasted mildly sweet with a good cocoa intensity and more importantly, a smooth creamy consistency.  Give me a cup any day and I will gladly drink it up. 

Almond Croissant, what is there to dislike?

My initial choice for breakfast was the steak but the kitchen ran out of cooking oil or something. Taking a second look at the menu, I decided to go with a serve of green eggs.

Taste wise, the green eggs were really nice and the eggs were cooked well.  It was a shame that the yolks were not runnier.  My biggest dislike though was probably how the layout & presentation did not complement the eating.  I would have liked the slabs of ham placed on the toast before letting the eggs lay sexily on the toast and have the lot oozing with the green sauce.  Why the whinge?  The sauce was distributed quite poorly across the board leaving the dish quite dry at the end. =/!

Architect & Heroes is a promising cafe with heaps of potential left to tap.  Just not that morning whilst I was there.  As is, a little boring.  But with more attention to detail, and some TLC amongst the elements on the plate, this suburban eatery can propel itself to heroic proportions.  But its ok, most heroes never looked cool in their first costume anyway!  Better luck next time :P!

WenY

Bites: Modern Izakaya @ Bonsai Restaurant & Lounge, Northbridge.

During Halloween the canteen tried serving Teriyaki, I never knew a dish could be so relevant to a theme until I ate the Teriyaki Chicken they made. It surely was Halloween.  To help regain some comfort, I revisited one of the best Modern Izakaya in town, Bonsai.  Located on Roe St, this is my go to place which I visit for modern Japanese fusion that never leaves you walking out with a limp wallet.  My recent meal here was no different.

To start, we ordered a chicken salad topped with crispy wanton skin (extra $1.00).  Looking back at my previous posts, I labelled the salad here as a “convert” and this time around, it was not different.  This was simply my kind of salad; flavourfully robust, juicy, and fresh.  Always add the crispy wanton skin as it gives the salad a good crunch that matches with the fresh bite of the cabbage.

Next up was the Aburi salmon nigiri topped with a dollop of red miso.  Having the salmon blow torched gave the fish a really nice smokey fragrance while making it more tender too.  The Aburi here never fails to satisfy although this time around it could have been a torched a little more evenly.

A dish of seared scallops! Nom nom nom!  These little beauties were seared to perfection.  Loved the topping which Bonsai does for them lovelies.  It complements this dish well.

Some might consider the crab claws a little bit of a dud.  It is true, they are.  But when you bite into Bonsai's version of it, you will know why it is not.  So any perception you might have thinking that it is similar to the artificial ones bought from the oriental shop can now be discarded.  

Keep calm, dip into mayo.

Buta no Kakuni is a classic favourite of mine when I go to Japanese restaurants.  Braised for hours in a broth made from a mix of Mirin and soy, the humble pork belly is made into a melt-in-your mouth protein with a darkish brown appearance.  Its flavours are not meant to be overly salty or sweet but aim is to strike a good balance between them.  Here the sauce was all the rave but the pork felt lacking.  It was still hard and was not soft through.   It is in this aspect that Bonsai failed to deliver.  

For the mains we started with a crispy skin duck;

It was crispy skin with no doubt,while the duck itself was cooked to perfection with the middle slightly pinkish leaving it tender.  Equally impressive was its presentation which was pretty damn nice.  Looking on at the pictures I have taken, it was clear Bonsai was not there to make good food. But rather good looking ones too.  Imagine a manicured plant, because that is after all, the art of Bonsai.

The last main we ordered to share was the Teriyaki Wagyu Steak.

This has always been a favourite of mine since my second visit to Bonsai a couple years back.  With a  choice of how you want it cooked, we asked for medium rare and that is exactly what we got.  Topped with shavings of mildy pickled onions, they complemented the tender beef.  But the highlight of it all was the sauce.  A quality Teriyaki base with a subtle butter flavour made this dish simply sensational.  A dish which have been recognised by my peers, friends and family for not being 1 dimensional.Bonsai, you’ve done it again.  Thank you for the great hospitality and delicious food. 

WenY

Bites: A Meal at the Vineyard @ Lamont's , Swan Valley

After a hectic week involving a car service, catching up with the ex-colleagues, my mentor and just getting through the chores around the house, I was in Swan Valley for a day trip.  More importantly, I discovered a whole new place of happiness in the Valley.  It is the famous Lamont’s Vineyard.  While the whole menu looked all very decadent, I was a little cautious after my last attempt to fine dine at Lamont’s Bishop went pear-shaped leaving a huge hole in my pocket.  Needless to say, a few queries at the counter to ask about the waiter's favourite dishes as well as her other recommendations soon had me decide on the dishes I was going to order.

The first to arrive was the crispy pork belly, cauliflower puree, and caramelised onions.

The puree was silky smooth and the pork was the crispiest.  Salad at the top was refreshing, and the onions were caramelised till sticky-sweet.  While most techniques were aced without question, it was the simplest detail that was left out.  Salt.  Spices.  I felt that the pork could do with more salt-marinade as it was a little bit bland and did not standout from the lot.  Still, it was a decent eat.

Deep fried prawns, grated coconut, and avocado soba was the next dish.  Splendid.  This was my dish of the day without question.  Prawn so amazing you thought you were at the seaside and soba so well modernised it felt just right.  Drizzling the lemon over the soba, you are left with a silky smooth soba with a creamy avocado coating.  This normally gets a little cloying but when you have the diced bits of onions and coriander playing with your senses where it was a little bit pungent, a little bit herbed and it all felt very interesting especially towards the end with a citrusy note from the lime juice.  I truly enjoyed it.  Despite being deep fried and having bits of creamy avocado, I did not feel overwhelmed at any one point!

Steak, croquette, caramelised root vegetables and salad, with a side of chips with truffle oil.  While it was hard to fault with the steak dish, it more -standard than special.  Still, there was nothing wrong.  The steak was well-cooked, croquettes crisp with a fluffy inside and over all just very nice.  But when you have a side of chips cooked so bloody amazing, you soon disregard everything else.  The chips at Lamont’s Vineyard soon became a highlight.  Yobi who was with me commented that why do most places do chips so bad.  This is amazing he says!  True enough, I was thoroughly impressed by the humble potato.  If you ever come to Lamont’s Vineyard, this is definitely worth ordering.  Even if you are here just for the drinks!

To end was a caramel tart that came highly recommended by the waitress. On the first bite, you might feel like you have had enough because it was so very rich but there always seemed to be a taste that had me come back.  The gooey texture topped with some crunchy nuts with its crumbly base made the tart a very yummy.  In the end, it was never quite enough to share for three. 

But having called too many dishes to share earlier means I was left to bring the macaron’s back home.  These were made by the famous Jean Pierre Sancho Patisserie.  Crunchy top with a chewy centre, there was nothing much too praise for a person who is not a fan of sugar.  Admittedly though, the macarons were very visually impressive.

Comparing the Vineyard to the fine dining establishment at Lamont’s Bishop, I really adored the former more.  Lamont’s Vineyard on a Saturday afternoon is a lovely place.  It was just so relaxed.   Food is simple, honest and not overly complicated.  The environment was relaxed and it all felt very comfortable.  Being with my old buddy and his girlfriend also meant that it was time spent well.  A lovely end to a long week I have to say :)!

WenY

Bites: Plain Bread @ Bread In Common, Fremantle

Bread In Common on Pakenham Street is a name I often hear where iconic dining is concerned in Fremantle along with the likes of Cicerello’s and Little Creatures bar.  It actually surprises me to hear that this fairly new eatery had already achieved a reputable status in Fremantle over a short period. Just before Yobi and his girlfriend headed to Cicerello’s I decided that we should all have some light brunch here to understand what the hype was.  

Walking in, I liked the interior which was quite simple but carried a lot of substance.  I noticed how well the wood on wood combination and the light bulbs presented in a minimalistic cable X bulb combination worked nicely together!

To start, we could go no further than the homemade bread with two dips.  One was a sausage dip while the other was a zucchini sesame one.   I had also asked the other bread staples which was butter and olive oil.  It was an all out affair on this one.

The bread here have all the perks of a homemade bread but unfortunately that was where it all ended.  It was simply nothing outstanding and felt all too plain.  The centre of the bread was not as expected.  But more disappointingly were the dips which were really quite mediocre.  Between the two, the zucchini one was more outstanding than the other sausage one.  Taste wise, I would not be such a hard critique but considering the price we paid for what I perceive as “1 large table spoon” of each, it was really quite disappointing.  I think Brika does a better deal with their dip when you have size X price X taste considered in the equation.

Our shared meal was a poached salmon with cauliflower, goji berries and some herbs scattered around the top.  While the salmon was poached to perfection, everything else in this dish could not be anymore boring than white paper.  The salmon carried little seasoning which was good to enjoy the delicate protein, but when it came to remainder of the plate, that cauliflower finely diced to act as a staple carbohydrate was absolutely terrible.  In fact, a little too raw for my liking.  I preference would be to have it blanched longer to make it soft and fluffy.  Basic seasoning of salt and pepper would have been much appreciated.

But hey, it was not the end of the world.  The duck fat roasted potatoes was probably the second best dish I have had this weekend.  It was bloody good.  Loved the bits of caramelised garlic that came with the potato.  Bloody sweet.  Homemade ketchup was a nice touch that did not carry the same artificial sweetness the bottled ones do.  Over all, this had to be my biggest like walking away from this place ;0!

The service here was OK but hardly commendable.  On that not so busy Saturday, we asked two different waiters thrice for a refill of bread to come with our non-existent butter and olive oil with a constant reminder that an order had already been placed before.  It took them a long time only to appear with two orders of bread which we could not finish.  With more than 80% approval and 800 odd likes, I was expecting a whole lot more from Bread In Common.  I do not believe that I am asking for  a lot.  Simple plating  with a balance between substance and value would definitely have sufficed.  Yay or Nay?  Definitely nay for me.

WenY

Bites: Spring Time Decadence @ Harvest Espresso, Victoria Park

The last time I dined at Harvest Espresso, I felt happy but not quite the rockstar feeling I got from their menu in the past.  Coincidentally, Heston Blumenthal the world’s most popular gastronomy celebrity has priced his Fat Duck degustation at Crown Melbourne at a jaw dropping $525.  This had me thinking of Harvest Espresso’s Spring Menu just released last week and I soon realised that you can feel awesome for some really small dollars.

Just look at this beauty.

It did not take long for XL to decide what she wanted.  Spending the last few months in Melbourne did not lure her away from the temptation of re-visiting her favourite brunch place in Perth while she was in town last week.  The mushrooms were her choice.

Perfectly sautéed Mushrooms ($19.50) served with two slices of rye arrived looking exceptional.  Each mouthful had the juicy mushrooms bursting in flavour with a mild sweetness from the tarragon cream.  Absolutely stunning.  Just what Spring needed.  

I decided to call the melt-in-your-mouth Beef Tongue ($21.50) served atop a creamy Polenta cake, all of which came dressed to impress.

It looked so damn refined sitting there.  I will be honest. I get bored when something is too simple and when its complicated like that I really enjoy it although I do not understand what I am eating.  But was I buggered?   Hell no.  The textures from the crumbs to the creamy polenta with the jus of the beef tongue, it all simply worked.

At the end of the meal, I feel the same like I would have felt after a degustation.  Filled to the bream, and  extremely satisfied.  This time around, with my pockets still full.  Harvest Espresso’s spring menu certainly adds colour to Spring with their great flavours and sophisticated pairing.  It is probably close to 2 or perhaps 3 years now since Harvest Espresso first started.  No signs of complacency.  Truly a great brunch spot!

WenY