Bites: Crazy About Dumplings @ Authentic Bites Dumpling House.

Coming home from site there was a sudden craving for dumplings, so my sister’s suggestion to go to Authentic Bites Dumpling House in Northbridge was timely.  This little shop has queues building up early even before the doors open which I found to be very Melbourne-esque where all popular dumpling houses had long queues.  But hey lets skip the queue talk and get inside.

The dining area is small but the turnover here is relatively quick.  The menu is pretty straightforward with a few of our favourite appetisers making a surprise appearance.  To start was a serve of drunken chicken and lightly pickled cucumbers

Drunken Chicken:

Both, were amazing especially the chicken which had the fragrant of the wine coating the smooth chicken flesh.  Its flavour was very mild and what was even more surprising was how the cold chicken tasted more fresh than heavy.  Then comes the tangy cucumbers marinated in a little chilli, salt, sugar and some Szechuan pepper corn.  Light numbing but superbly flavourful. It was a table favourite least to say!

The  Shanghai Dumpling we ordered were a mixture Pork and Crab.

While I would normally go for the normal pork dumplings after a mediocre experience at Shanghai Street Dumpling in Melbourne, the lure of the briny crab flavour paired with the juicy pork was hard to resist.  Fortunately, Authentic Bites did not disappoint.  The flavours were great and I really enjoyed it then.  Except for the fact that I went to Singapore and had an even more amazing Shanghai Dumpling where the skin was really thin.  No one likes thick dumpling skin!! Especially when steamed :P!

We also had some noodles! The Braised Beef Noodle soup.

The braised beef itself was no doubt on part with some of the best braised beef in town and I was over all very impressed.  What disappointed me was the broth which I felt could have been more beefy.  It was very mild so I decided to enhance its flavours with some soy and chilli oil.  Over all,  not too bad but nothing to rave about!

We also had the famous the pot stickers filled with a morrish mix of spicy kimchee and juicy pork.  Unfortunately I did a terrible job of getting a picture so there will be none.  The dumplings themselves were very similar to the ones you’d get elsewhere but with a special crispy finish to bottom.  It was really yums.  I mean who would complain when they get more crispy bits right?  Authentic Bites Dumpling House serves some serious dumplings but even better appetisers.   Their noodles? Hmmm those were ok but I would not come back for them.  Dumplings?  Definitely.  Dad though has his preference set for the more dainty Cantonese style dumplings served at yamaha.  So this is not on his list!

WenY

Bites: Amazing Confectionaries @ Bites by D, Mount Hawthorn.

While a delightful high tea would have been an afternoon too dainty for me, some amazing looking cakes and some friends would make a good afternoon tea.  In this occasion my ex-colleagues and  I decided to visit Bites by D, a boutique bakery stocked with premium looking confectionaries.  Scanning the counter, the attention to detail on the cakes were sensation.  Everything looked so perfect!

From Left to Right: the Fresh Berry Tart, Summer Delight and Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart

The products from Bite by D were superb.  Glorious to see but even better to taste.  The Summer Delight for example looks deceivingly similar to the famous Watermelon cake from Blackstar Pastry in Sydney but is nothing like that at all.  In fact, I reckon the Summer Delight packs a better, more refreshing flavour that is not only more fruity in taste but more interesting in texture.  I really enjoyed the mix of berry favoured jelly and the tart lemony scent in the luscious cream at the top!  The berry tart was OK but my second favourite on the plate was the Salted Caramel Tart!

From Left to Right: the Opera Cake and Winter Delight

On this other plate, we ordered another two different pastries and I reckon we got a tie this round. The Winter Delight was very similar in approach to the Summer Delight with the addition of the chocolate which brought a sense of nuttiness and warmth to the plate.  The Opera cake on the other hand, is full on indulgence without an overbearing sweetness.  Lots of melting moment as I savoured each bite.  Quite a rare moment considering how I keep telling people that I am not a sweet tooth!

Bites by D is definitely a new favourite of mine.  While the likes of Chu Bakery, La Belle Sweets and Choux Cafe were really good, I felt that l enjoyed the cakes at Bites by D more. In saying that though, whenever Bites by D is hosting a high tea the environment is quite full on with no noise containment whatsoever.  So if you are a group of 4 sitting near the group of 20 people having high tea, you might feel a little outnumbered and rightfully so.  Even then, where pastries matters Bites by D came tops!

WenY

Bites: Matcha Croissants @ La Belle Sweets, Victoria Park

Most pastries aren’t really my kind of thing but Matcha is. When I heard that a new patisserie in town was serving Matcha filled croissant, I was super keen.  Best of all its not too far from where I live.  La Belle Sweets in Lathlain recently opened their door to the public and the social media has covered them pretty well.  From catchy Pokemon cakes to delicious looking pastries, La Belle Sweets has it all.  

Sitting places are extremely limited which made it feel like a takeaway place.  Fortunately, we got a spot and that was nice!  Between the us, we got coffee and some pastries to share. 

The pastry chef’s skills is unquestionable with the layers of the croissants defined so very clearly.  Buttery, flakey and super fresh.  Everything one the table was pretty decent!  However, I felt like there could be more Matcha cream in the croissant as it was not much!  I guess sometimes there is an expectation in life that when you open something like that and the Matcha just bowls you over haha.  This was probably just nice.  La Belle Sweets’ Matcha cream itself is sensational.  Strong flavoured, not to sweet with that strong kick of grassy Matcha note.  Just what I wanted!

My morning at La Belle Sweets was rather short but it was time well spent.   The pastries we had that morning were several of the many that La Belle Sweets pump out of the oven.  My over all experience was unquestionably positive. In saying that note that I am not a sweets person.  So if you are a sweet tooth you might be in quite some trouble!

WenY