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Showing posts with label Victoria Park eatery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Victoria Park eatery. Show all posts

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Bites: Galangal Thai Cuisine @ East Victoria Park

Located just minutes from the main café strip in Victoria Park, lies another hidden gem in town.  Galangal Thai Cuisine has been around for years but its hidden location among the East Victoria Park’s suburb shops means it gets little exposure compared to the more main stream ones on the Albany Highway café strip.  The shop is pint as anything but as I have said before, never be too early to write off anything as some of the best things come in small packages.  My meal here with 6 other companions were an absolute bargain with the voucher giving us more than 50% of the price, but even without it, a meal here would not blow your wallet.  Small but complete 3 courses can be as cheap as $30 or as expensive as $60 depending on what you get.
 
It was a good first impression when I found out that their Thai Iced Milk Tea and Coconut Juice started at $3 bucks while sodas were only $2.50.   Comparatively, typical Perth prices for an Iced Milk Tea normally starts from $4.50.  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMy expectation of a small little glass with more ice than anything were seemingly exceeded.  It arrived in a large Ikea see through glass filled to the bream.  Definitely a steal for $3.   Its taste while not the best still proved substantially delicious and refreshing when paired with some of Galangal Thai Cuisine’s slightly spicy offerings.
 
We had 3 appetizers that night.  First was the Papaya Salad or Som Tam with all the condiments including peanuts,  and dried shrimps. A table favourite loved for its crunchy textures which are not only refreshing, but tasty as well. The sauce here had everything it needed. Salty, sweetness, and acidity with a mild heat. Definitely could do with more chili though.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPapaya Salad; shredded papaya, tomatoes, snake beans, chili, roasted peanuts, dried shrimps, lime juice, palm sugar
 
Next was the Tom Yam soup with Chicken($8) or Prawn ($10).  The bowl was slightly larger than your typical bowl but do not feel cheated. The prawn option came with at least 2 or 3 large prawns. Very yummy. While the soup tasted fine as is, I would have really preferred more heat to it. So if you are a thrill seeker, definitely ask for more chili!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERATom Yam; spicy and sour soup with lemon grass, galangal, coriander, kaffir lime leaves. chili, lime juice
 
The last appetizer was the beef salad ($10) and it was by far my favorite appetizer for the night.Perfectly seasoned and cook spot on, the finely sliced beef was absolutely tender. The salad dressing again, was top notch like the Som Tam. However, it was the clever mix of greens and shallots which includes coriander, mint, cucumber that won my heart. It was a simple yet very cleverly put together recipe with all the herbs complimenting one another to give the dish a clean aftertaste. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABeef Salad; lightly cooked beef, shallot, chili, coriander, mint, tomato, fish sauce, lime juice
 
The finish of the appetizers was followed by the arrival of our Pad Thai ($14).  One with prawn and the other with chicken.While the taste was unmistakably Pad Thai, there is an alteration that would have made an OK noodle perfect. That is to reduce the amount of palm sugar used. It was not bad as is but there seemed to be a lingering sweetness in each bite that I did not quite like! In the end, it felt a bit colluded between staying true to its roots or to conform to the Aussie palate. Definitely stick to the former IMHO.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
 
The next dish to hit the table was the beef Masaman.  Sitting close to the top of my curry list which also includes the Red Roasted Duck curry, the Masaman is something that is either extremely moreish with rice or a failure in waiting.   In the hands of Galangal Thai Cuisine’s chef, it was an absolute blessing.  Even Mei, who tended to dislike this dish due to other restaurants who undercook the bovine, found this curry to be delicious.  Seems to me like the chef’s slow cooking methods have paid off as the beef easily fell apart even by means of a spoon.  Served with rice, and its Thai at its best.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABeef Masaman Curry; rich and aromatic beef curry slowly cooked with coconut milk, roasted peanuts, potatoes and tamarind
 
Another dish served best with rice, the Roasted Duck Red Curry.  All the merits of a good Roasted Duck Red Curry was present here.  Perfectly cooked duck served with a slightly crisp skin with a rich and fruity sauce.  Duck breast were not the most tender but nothing noticeable when eaten with rice.  Definitely a crowd pleaser.  This curry can easily be a meal I will happily chow down with a serve of Jasmine rice.  Give me that any day, and I will be a happy man.  No arguing on that. (Edited picture with dual toning to further experiment with Lightroom)  PC010737-2Roasted Red Duck Curry; roasted red duck curry cooked in red curry paste, coconut milk, lychee, tomato, fresh basil
 
The last dish for the night was the Pad Prik King.  A quick stir fry which includes to use of a special in-house chili paste with prawns, snake beans and kaffir lime.  I have to say, it was just bursting with fragrance.  The chili paste was well sautéed and those kaffir lime leaves were just so yums together.  Definitely a good variation from my typical order of Basil Stir Fry. PC010731Pad Prik King; prawns, Thai chili pastel snake beans, Kaffir lime leaves
 
The dessert for the night was a combination of two things that is very true to the Thai street food culture.  One was the sticky rice, and the other was a coconut ice cream with hints of coconut flesh.  Creamy, sweet, and fragrant with a good savory-sweet balance simply brings out the best of this dessert.  Together, they are a pairing that lives at the very top only to be rivaled by its classic siblings; the Durian or Mango with sticky rice.  If I had one wish, it would be to double this desserts size.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe meal for the 7 of us ended up at $140.  That is extremely cheap and much of the cost was shaved off the bill thanks to the use of a Groupon promotion.  But without a the voucher, would it be very much more expensive?  Well for 7 appetizers, mains, dessert and drinks, the bill worked out to be around $280 which was about $40 per head for a complete 3 course plus a drink.  With the level of finesse on the table, a comparable meal elsewhere would not have been any cheaper than what I paid here full price or not.  But while the meal was not too expensive, be wary that the sizes of the food here were not exactly the largest in town.  But with such moreish sauces to go with rice, I doubt you will be complaining much.  Last but not least, I have to commend the decent service displayed by the staff that kept coming to our table despite being extremely busy on a Sunday evening. Our repeated calls for drinks were heard more often than not, and impressively without a sulk. 2 cheers for that.
 
This was definitely the highlight of my foodie hunt last week.  The food was good,  and my dining companions were every bit as awesome.  While its location away from the main café strip brings disadvantages, Galangal Thai Cuisine’s legion of loyal fans along with it’s prestigious recognition from the food industry is sure to keep it strong for a long time to come.   Sadly, this might be the ONLY and truly delicious Thai place in the whole of the Victoria Park area.
 
WenY
Galangal Thai Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Bites: Harvest Espresso @ Victoria Park (Spring menu)

I do not normally go Harvest.  But when I do, a new season starts.  My first post of this pint size establishment on the busy Albany highway backdates to January 13’ which was summer. It is now the 3rd season that I am coming here and because it is Spring, a new menu has been set.  Walking in, I received a familiar greeting that was both warm and welcoming.  On the menu, there were the sandwich staples but more importantly new hot food too.  As the weather has been unusually chilly, windy and wet, my mind quickly decided on the food to order. 

 

But before I had brunch, I shared a cake with my friends.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe almond-orange cake here is gluten-free (GF) which confirms my suspicions.  The only thing which disagreed was my tongue.   Unlike most gluten-free cakes which ChompChomp and my friends describe as dry, and often dense, the one here was so yummy.  Along with a decadent cream cheese frosting, this was absolutely delicious.  It felt in no way like a gluten-free slice. But could this be a case of me having to many bad GF cakes or was this simply good? I shall let you decide! :)

 

My brunch for the chilly morning was a Seasonal Mushroom RaguOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADelicious earthy mushroom flavors with creamy polenta.  The only problem was that I drank the delicious sauce like soup without mixing it up first.  That caused the polenta to feel lacking in seasoning.  Good thing was that it was such a hearty dish that compensated the dull weather.   Great when shared with friends! It might be a little daunting to eat all the creamy polenta alone!

 

Next dish up was the Braised Beef Cheek Pie which takes 15 minutes and is baked fresh upon ordering.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHere, the flaky filo pastry creates an opening scene for the perfectly braised beef cheeks.  Its flavors were strong and is easily any bovine lover’s heaven.  But all hell breaks loose if you are slightly more conservative like my mates who found it too beefy.  I found the beef and carrots palatable but wanted more sweetness perhaps from some baby onions.  Already dreaming of it cheekily as I type this post hehehe.  Once finished, grab your fork and dismantle the graceful celeriac remoulade.  I am not sure what a remoulade is but the celeriac slaw was spot on to cleanse the mouth from the beef I had before!  My mates enjoyed the slaw heaps.

 

Next up was the Baked Almond Brioche which I would describe as a Spring splendorOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERALike celebrating Spring in the  garden, beautiful colors graced the plate.  The toasted brioche was crusty outside, and fluffy on the inside with a rich buttery fragrance.  A lovely toast to enjoy the well-poached strawberries with the little bits of crunchy muesli and raisins giving it more texture.  Also, the panna cotta which used my favourite English tea, Chamomile tasted delicious as it stood prettily next to the brioche. The duo felt perfect together.  The taste was good but visually, it was a spectacular feat.  It was like having breakfast and dessert together :)!

 

Baked Almond Brioche with Chamomile Pannacotta, Poached Fruit and MuesliOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI am not sure how many fans does Harvest Espresso have out there but I definitely am one of them.  A season-based menu keeps things interesting and so far, this has been one of the very few brunch places in Perth which I have not ordered the boring “big breakfast” because there simply is not a need to do so.  Harvest Espresso, keep it up ;)!

 

WenY

Harvest Espresso on Urbanspoon

Monday, July 8, 2013

Bites: Harvest Espresso @ Victoria Park (revisited)

Some habits never die they say.  I have long been a fan of Harvest and this season’s menu did not disappoint. Harvest Espresso has now set gone into its winter phase which captures the best produce in season and I am once again sold.  It looks good, taste good and eats right.  Their tarts are still top notch and its ever growing inventory shouts creativity.

 

In my last visit, I ordered the Cauliflower and Corn fritter, fresh zucchini & herb salad & sumac labneh.

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The cauliflower is a winter gem.  Put it in the hands of Harvest Espresso’s chef and you have the perfect match.  These more-ish fritters were crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  Just my sort of thing.  The acidity of the zucchini and herb salad was appetizingly good.  With the sumac labneh which is a yoghurt based concoction, it was just yum!  For me, I loved all the flavors on the plate.  If I had to retract an ingredient, it would definitely be the source of protein which were the eggs.  Gooey yolks is a beautiful thing but in this dish it toned down the strong bold flavors (acidity) of the labneh which is not quite my preference.   Also, with that extra drizzle of oil around the place the dish felt a little oily towards the end! Nonetheless, it was still very delectable!

 

The little darling ordered a dish that typically represented her.  The French toast, poached pear, mascarpone and almond flakes with maple syrup.   Best part of the dish was that it taste as good as it looked!IMG_1888

For starters, they used a brioche which was just perfect to soak all the syrup!  It came out warm and felt like a good hearty replacement for a winter soup.  The pear was poached just right although it could go 1 notch softer which still did not present a problem.  Also, do not look down on this dish as it is actually pretty big!  She could not finish and so I took over. With such delicious offerings, I could not bear to see it go to waste.

 

Another great seasonal menu by Harvest Espresso.  I cannot wait to see what magic they conjure the next season.  Nothing less than splendid I would expect :)!

 

WenY

Harvest Espresso on Urbanspoon

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Bites: A Spicy Affair @ Victoria Park

While I am probably one of the more introvert foodies around, my occasional foodie meets through tasting invitations or media launches has its perks.  And no, its not the free food.  Rather, the company such as my frequent stalks at ChompChomp or The Queen of Bad Timing which has always given me heads up of what to expect at some of the hottest eateries in town.  Other than that, Shaun who writes on Perth Food Review his adventures around town with his mate Sean, are not short on suggestion for eateries.  For example, these boys with a keen tongue for heat and spice recently introduced to me a great Indian restaurant in Victoria Park called A Spicy Affair.

 

Feeling like having good old spicy Indian food on a freaking cold winter, A Spicy Affair immediately came to mind having remembered Shaun’s recommendation.  It was a Wednesday night and it was beautifully quiet.  The interior is nothing flash but it was homely.  Add that personal touch from the service and I have to say, it was a very cozy affair.  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABig belly Buddha with an accompanying smile!  That was how I felt!

 

To start we called a Chicken Tikka AppetizerOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOh my god.  The chicken was perfectly flavored with spices and more importantly, it was super juicy on the inside.  I loved every bit of this although I was hoping the spices were a little more potent.  The flavors here were subtle but still pleasant.  Accompanying minty dip was no less satisfying and this dish as a whole was a pleaser!  Thumbs up!

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOur next dish was the Beef Vindaloo.  Ask for a spicy curry and this would be it.  Not as if it was a tongue burning bad ass, but it had a good enough kick to make you sweat.  The beef in this was tender and the acidity from the vinegar gave this dish that added flavor which kept us going back for its sauce.   Beef Vindaloo has got to be my favourite beef curry of all time!

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOur next dish was the Palak Aloo.  This dish consisted of spinach cooked with potato and spices.  What spices exactly I do not know.  But this was so yummy!  It differed from my usual Aloo Gobi but in terms of satisfaction, this dish ticked all the boxes for flavor and yumminess!  

 

To go with all our curries, we ordered a few NaanOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAUnfortunately, the Naan here was OK only.  It was not the best, but it was not bad either.  It was as I said OK.  The little fluffy bread was crisp but the garlic one came out a little oily but lacked the flavor of garlic which I wanted.  Butter Naan too came out oily which was expected due to the butter.  But it did not have that lingering aroma of melted butter.  For those reasons, I would have gone for the plain Naan and next time, I will definitely order some of their rice like the Briyani!

 

After finishing all our food, we had a dessert to share.  It was none other than the Gulab JamunOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIf you dislike the strong milky flavor sometimes present in milk or an intense amount of sweetness, this might not be for you.  I fall in a category which dislikes intense sweetness.  However, I have a biasness towards the Gulab Jamun attributed towards my childhood where I developed a fondness for good Indian food and have always loved ending my Indian affairs with the Gulab Jamun.  Its dense yet spongy texture absorbs the lovely syrup infused with cardamom  so very well.  It is just simply lovely.  Yet I find most people not accustomed to the Gulab Jamun to not like it.  I however, differ.  It was fantastic.  This definitely won me over the goat milk ice cream back when I was a kid.

 

A Spicy Affair was a really good eating place.  The owners were so friendly with customers coming into this humble eatery and starting the night with “where is your beautiful wife” and things which to me felt like service on a personal level.  Fishman, little darling and I felt very happy to have eaten here tonight.  We ordered very little today because I felt full!  But next time, I will order more! HEAPS MORE!!!!  Last but not least, thanks Shaun of Perth Food Review for introducing this place to us! See his review here.  Also, this place is GLUTEN friendly which caters for a common allergy!  Kudos to the owners!

 

WenY

Spicy Affair on Urbanspoon

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Bites: Jayusigan @ Victoria Park

Walking into the restaurant we invited ourselves to our seat whilst our Korea hosts stood by the counter busy chatting.  If was only after awhile that we were brought our menu.  Not exactly the hospitality that I was looking for.  Soon, I started getting annoyed by the fact that there was also a foul smell was floating in the area making me quite uncomfortable.  Nevertheless, I quickly scanned the menu and found what I would have for dinner that night.  It did not take long before everyone made their minds up!

While waiting for the food, I saw the picture of the ddeokbokki served in the restaurant and seeing them put eggs, and fishcakes in reminded me of the good times I had in Seoul.  It was awesome!  Definitely had my expectations a little high.

First dish up was the kimchee pancake!                                                                                                                      OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis is customary dining at all my Korean restaurants in Perth.  Fortunately, this was pretty good with all the delicious bit of kimchee goodness except for the fact that it was pretty miserable in size for the price we paid.  In fact, it would only be half of Tookbekgi’s pancake’s size.  Conversely, the slightly crisp top bit still made this every bit delectable.

 

The darling called the bibimbap which was pretty much Korean mixed rice.                                                                       OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIt look magnificent on arrival with all the simple yet tasty garnish on there.  However, as soon as it was all mixed together, it was clear that the restaurant was really stingy.  The important sauce used for mixing had to be double at the very least.  In fact, I think there was a little too much rice and not enough condiments!

 

Sister’s and Yvonne’s order were the kimchee stew and a tofu stew.  I had a little bit of both and found that they tasted the same except that the kimchee stew had a fair bit more sourness to it.                                                    OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASurprisingly at this stage, I was not too sure why has this place got such a negative review.  The food is actually quite OK.  Not it was not the standard of food which I got in South Korea but comparing it to “KOREAN” places like Poppo or Ninikujip in Perth, haha this was at least on par or better.  I still remember the horribly soggy kimchee fried rice from Ninikujip.  Something which we swore never to go back for again. Jeez!

 

Mine was the bulgolgi stew which is an all time favourite anywhere.  Beef pieces cooked with tofu, mushrooms, vermicelli and other vegetables in a soy base soup is often a pleasant bite.  It was pretty yums this one. Especially considering they got the taste right.  It had the sweetness of the beef in the broth along with that really pleasant flavors of the vegetable and that bit of glass noodle to slurp it with. 

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But would I call this divine?  I believe not.  Nevertheless, I have never once complimented a Bulgolgi stew to be divine.  Never.  But would I order this again or in fact come to this restaurant again?  I would.  Yes I know the service sucks and the over all setting felt cheap and to a certain extent that stench was horrible.  But hey, I realized that my bill in this place was actually a tad cheaper compared to other places.  In Tookbekgi which is a favourite of mine, a beef stew is $20 compared to $16.50 here.

 

Yay or Nay?  I would say a YAY.  Not great but the food was hard to fault with.  Just that I did not walk away feeling pleasant.  Perhaps next time.  In fact when I was there a Korean guy was eating alone.  He had complained to the waitress a few times presumably because the food felt lacking in some manner plus their service was questionable!

 

WenY

Jayusigan on Urbanspoon

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Bites: Kuza @ Victoria Park

A new Japanese place never fails to tingle my excitement, but dining with such expectations always lead to mixed endings.  Late last year, Kuza opened along the busy Victoria Park Café strip but I was warned by a few friends that the price it charges is no less than my much hated Sake Bar in Northbridge.  Since then, the Entertainment Card recently added Kuza onto their list, so dining there now comes with a 25% discount.  Walking on a Thursday night, the restaurant was not busy and did not require any bookings.  Waiters quickly served us and offered the four of us a larger table meant for six.  Soon, they found other patrons to fill up those seats.  I really found this weird as other 2 person seats were still very much available.

 

I quickly scanned fellow blogger reviews rather then the menu as it is probably good to know what is worth sharing around the table.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         First starter for the night was the ceviche of salmon.  For me, this was delicious.  While to call it a ceviche feels not quite correct as the acids in no way cooked the fish before it hit the table,   finely shaved onions and a delicious vinaigrette made this a delectable experience!

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         The mock chicken salad was the next dish we ordered.  Hoping to relieve the crispy chicken salad from Bonsai @ Northbridge, I found my enjoyment quickly diminishing with the bitter greens over powering the rest of the ingredients.  Mock chicken is a vegetarian chicken which as really crisp.  One odd member which seemed lost on the plate though, were the little diced bean curd.

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         The next shared plate we ordered were two served of Kuza’s assorted aburi nigiri.  Aburi is simply blow torched sashimi but the winning question really is, does all sashimi torched make good aburi?     Simply NO.  Aburi for me is a technique reserved for the fattiest part of the fish like tuna or salmon belly.  In fact most oily fish would do fine.  Simply blow torching delicious seafood like scallops rarely works for me.  Its original sweetness that mellows with good sashimi rice is already an appealing dish.  So why blow torch and dry it out?  An even bigger issue for me was the fact that the lean fish was blow torched too.  If you have a thing for dry, tough fish, it might be your cue, but this was just totally disappointing.  But no problem beats my biggest issue which was the Aburi nigiri’s  burnt rice.  I really think this was a horrible thing because although it smelt pretty nice, but bitter burned rice with my fish?  Sorry, I would rather not. 

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         Our next dish was the gyoza serve on a capsicum coulis and drizzled with a reduced vinaigrette.  Visually spectacular, these gyoza continue its journey to make the taste buds happy.  But really, how hard is it to make a delicious gyoza?  Nevertheless, a perfectly executed dish deserve recognition. 

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         New can be a good thing.  But calling yourself Kaarage only to be something else?  It was mehhhhhh!   Kaarage to my friends and I is more than just fried chicken bring crispy.  It is also about the good flavors in the marinade.  The slightly pungent flavors of the garlic, ginger and onions is definitely a must.  So when one serves me peppery crispy chicken drizzled with mayo and a side of salsa, YOU MAD BRO?  This was definitely a fail.  It would be nice to try blend the delicious flavors of the kaarage with the salsa, but not bland tasteless chicken with the salsa.  NOPE.  For me this was even a bigger fail compared to the aburi.  Probably because even places like Taka pack good simple flavors into their $8 el cheapo lunch.

 

This brings me to the conclusion that Kuza despite its effort and pricing still have many areas it can work on.  Yes, they did show a certain level of innovation and creativity, but the food really must have taste before looks.  A special mention also goes to the confusion caused by us being seated with another couple.  Foods we did not order came to us.  In fact, every single dish the couple ordered probably landed on our side of the table before travelling up to the couple’s.  WHY SO STINGY WITH SPACE?  For reasons only known to them.  Over all, yes it was hip and cool with all that funky interior, but when it comes to food, it is back to the basics.  Substance before form.  Rather unfortunate but it seems that the gullible little Asian in me took the better side that night and fell trap to the discount.  Total damage that night was $130 with tap water.  Not bad I reckon but neither is it the best value in town.

 

WenY

Kuza Urban Japanese Food on Urbanspoon

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Bites: Harvest Espresso @ Victoria Park

While I have so many pictures from my South Korea and Hong Kong trip, I felt like this place deserved a little more priority.  Made known to me by my sister and fellow blogger ChompChomp (see her review here), I decided to pay Harvest Espresso a visit.   Located on 627 Albany Highway, Victoria Park, Harvest Espresso appears very understated thanks to its location next to a secondhand car dealer.  Walk in and be amazed at how this little café appears no bigger than one’s bedroom.  But that did not matter.  What they did on our breakfast plate made fishman and I very happy people!

 

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Harvest Espresso keeps their menu simple and more importantly, gorgeous.  If you like their Facebook link here, you can see their 2013 menu!

 

To kickoff our breakfast, we had hot drinks and sweet tarts to start!  All tarts were $4.50 each.

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The lemon curd tart was my choice as I am now down with a flu and cough so why not reduce the guilt of eating unhealthy stuff by trying to get some Vitamin C for the flu xD!   I loved every bit of this.  This tart was bursting with the flavors of lemon and the short crust was to die for.  It was, thin and crisp!  The perfect base to sit all that delicious lemon curd in.

 

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Fishman ordered the chocolate ganache tart.  I had a small piece and it was gorgeous.  It was rich and to help reduce the intensity of the chocolate I believe Harvest Espresso has decided to add some orange zest to prevent this delicious tart from becoming cloying.

 

For the real stuff, I ordered the Seasonal Mushrooms, rocket, goats’ cheese, toasted brioche.  As I have gotten bored of eating the full breakfast wherever I go, I tend to look for different types of food.  Food that expresses the creativity of the chef and café rather than the boring big breakfast.  This usually pays off well and this was the case at Harvest.  The mushroom were cooked well, but for fishman it was a little under.  Nonetheless it was joy and the thought of using a dessert bread, the toasted Brioche was absolutely genius.   The crumbled goats cheese finished off the whole experience with a soft somewhat tangy and creamy cheese.  It was slurps!

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Seasonal Mushrooms, rocket, goats’ cheese, toasted brioche

 

For fishman, he ordered the Harvest Spanish Baked Egg, chorizo, tomatoes.  While I only had one spoonful of the bake, I felt like it was really tasty.  You had saltiness in the dish, the acidity and sweetness of the tomatoes which all worked very well with the chorizos.  Actually, we had meatballs and not chorizos in there so this was new.  But with a toasted baguette to dip, I would have preferred a bun that can actually soak up the sauce more efficiently.  Something soft. maybe more fluffy like a roll maybe?  Then again, this is my preference while all places always use French Baguette haha.

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Harvest Spanish Baked Egg, chorizo, tomatoes, cannellini beans.

 

When we woke up we were starving, but when we were done at Harvest, we were stuffed.  It was definitely a good meal and a great new addition to the ever growing Victoria Park strip!  For me, I enjoyed every bit of my meal today, the tart started the meal well and the shroom, goats’ cheese with brioche finished it well.  Sipping chamomile tea is gay but I do not do coffee.  With a seating capacity of 20 people at anyone time, Harvest Espresso is going to be a very busy place in a not too distant future.  I cannot wait to bring my parents and the little darling there.  They serve her favourite fruit tart from what I see online and I believe they can do it well!  Really have to thank Chomp and sis for the introduction!

 

WenY

Harvest Espresso on Urbanspoon

Friday, November 2, 2012

Bites: Crust @ Victoria Park

Crust Pizza has been from my memory about a 2 year old franchise in Victoria Park.  Its that sort of thing which the little darling says she want to try and we kept mentioning it but never actually did go and try it.  Fortunately, one can make amends and recently, I received an invitation from Crust Mount Lawley’s Michelle to go and give their latest offering a shot.  To celebrate the summer season, Crust Pizza has decided to reinvent the classic Margherita and to finish the meal on a healthy note, a caramelized fennel salad.

 

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Crust @ Victoria Park!

 

The Heirloom Tomato Upper Crust Pizza @ $19 is one of Crust Pizza’s new offering.

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For this price you get delicious flavors which for me highlighted the intensity of the tomatoes.  The tomatoes under the pizza oven has developed to the extent where it start caramelizing creating that plump juiciness which just oozes when bitten into.  I could barely fault with the tomatoes being the main element except for its content!  It was perfectly ripe, juicy and just perfect in so many ways.  While that for me was an extreme highlight for such a pizza, I on other hand do question the existence of the buffalo mozzarella which as my photo shows look no more than dollops of mayonnaise.  It barely had any effect.  For $19 it soon becomes a question of value as such old school Margherita was executed so close to perfection but its content did not suffice.  For me, I could have passed on the buffalo Mozzarella but definitely double up those tomatoes.

 

The next pizza which the Peking Duck Pizza @ $24 came recommended by close friends and the store owner Michelle herself.

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This pizza unlike the vegetarian Heirloom Tomato one was covered by a generous amount of shredded duck meal and bok choy.  Its flavors felt close to a typical Peking Duck but could have been better with if those fresh pungent spring onions.  The flavors were really good all in all.  For me the only thing that my fussy side faulted with is the crust of this.  Not quite used to such rough and crispy edges for my Peking Duck dish.  But hey, this is a pizza is it not? Overall, this was a pretty solid performer.  It had quality and consistency albeit my dining companion found the sweetness a little too intense for her liking.

 

And the refreshener to lift the mood off the gueey cheese was the Caramelised Fennel Salad

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If this dish is all about the caramelized fennel, then this is already a winning recipe.  But because the fennel is part of the dish and not a dish of its own, it has to gel with the rest of the lot which includes crumbled ricotta, proscuitto, fresh greens and roasted hazelnut.  For me, it was pretty good if not for the lack dressing which made this too dry.  Just felt as if there is not enough moisture as all we were given was a small packet to pour on top. Over as a salad it was not bad but definitely could have been better.

 

Now that I have eaten as much as I could, I was stuffed and jaw was partly aching from my attempt of trying to down both pizzas which failed miserably.   I cannot thank Michelle enough for this special invitation as I am now able to tick Crust of my list of to places try for 2012.  What Crust has offered me today is a very unique combination of pizzas which buck the trend of what is considered typical.  But with  a price that is not in any way cheap, Crust face a whole lot of contention including Italian staples like Ciao Italia or Il Padrino and even Australian Champs Little Caesars and  Olympic pizza champion Delizioso.   Nevertheless, I believe the Pizzas such as the Peking Duck are there to stay as fans will always look forward to the outstanding flavors the Crust has an offer and while a well composed Pizza Margherita is likely to sell, the few tomatoes are a hard buy for its price.  It either has to be a fair bit cheaper or a whole lot more tomatoes :)!

 

WenY

Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar Victoria Park on Urbanspoon

Saturday, October 27, 2012

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”.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA 

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:OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis 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!

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe 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:OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe 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.

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAGood 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.

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFor 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.

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe 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.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABetween 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.  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAt 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

The Precinct on Urbanspoon