Siem Reap: Haven Training Restaurant, where helping taste good.

Fine dining in Siem Reap was a pleasant experience with local ingredients working their way to excite my palate.  But on my 3rd day, I wanted to fulfil a more noble cause by eating charitably.  I dined at Haven Training Restaurant, a social enterprise aimed at helping the vulnerable by teaching them an important life skill.  Note that Haven is neither religious or governmental.

As important as the background maybe, quality food is all that matters when you are in the industry.  So lets look at what we had that day:

Salt & Pepper Calamari 

This humble dish needs no introduction.  Haven aced it beyond the scoreboard in my opinion.  Crisp, lightly battered and served crisp, these moreish bite sized appetiser was simply but every bit satisfying.  The serve of tartare on the size was well-made with a balance struck between the tartness of the pickles and the creaminess of the mayonnaise.

Fried Corn

The fried corn is NOT a popcorn but rather a traditional Khmer appetiser .  Scrapped of the corn cob, the kernels were fried upon order.  It carried a unique flavour where it was a tad salty, garlicky, mildly spicy and herbed thanks to the generous amounts of chopped coriander.  It was really nice at first but the large serve was hard to finish as the kernels felt a tad oily towards the end!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Like the calamari, I suspect that the Cordon Bleu is another classic Western dish introduced by the owners.  While the best Cordon Bleu probably hails from Switzerland, I was actually pretty impressed with the one served at Haven Training Restaurant.  It was faultless to the extend that even the chicken breast was juicy!   On the inside was a generous slice of ham and a decent kick of cheese!  Not the cheesiest but it was substantial.  If you are lazy like me and swap out the occasional Friday night chicken Parmi for a Cordon Bleu, you will be pretty impressed.  The chips on the side, not impressive at all.  Definitely needs to be crispier!

Khmer Lok Lak

JH’s main was the Khmer Lok Lak after a practice of due diligence to ensure that only the best dishes were ordered.  Surprise surprise.  Another Pad Krapow look-alike.  As I have preached several times in the last two posts, the Khmer palate is very SUBTLE.  So do not expect heavy lashing of fish sauce, sweet soy and lemon. The Khmer Lok Lak was no exception.  It was a little underwhelming but every bit delicious.  Something mom would cook at home because an overdose in seasoning is unhealthy! 

Banana Cake

A surprising appetiser that was quite nice actually.  A littler drier and denser than a typical banana cake but it was flavoursome enough to tempt.  I imagine having it with coconut ice cream would make it even better :P!

Charity is a very sellable idea in this modern day and if you are not convinced, come in without a booking at dinner and be turned away in an instant.  Lunch on the other hand is not so stringent.  And do not get me wrong, I am not belittling the idea of charity and honestly I loved the idea of helping.  As Haven's tagline suggests, “where helping taste good”.  That is because for most parts of the meal, it really did!  But was this meal really a $30 dollar meal including 2 coconuts?  Hmm I wonder.

Haven training kitchen is ranked no.3 on Trip Advisor and despite open voting, I am not sure whether the voters were voting by their mouths or by their intentions.  Needless to say if a person ever asked me whether I would return to Haven?  More yes than no for sure.

WenY

Siem Reap: A quality lunch at Mie Cafe!

The 5 AM Angkor sunrise tour in Siem Reap is a real tourist cliche.  But with nothing else planned and the promise of a spectacular view, I decided to trade good breakfast and some much needed sleep for a temple tour.  Something laughable. The private driver costs $35 for the day and the temple 1 day pass is $20 per person.  Highly recommended for parties wanting a quick tour as group tours are very draggy!

Cruising through the spectacular sights of Angkor Wat, the Bayon Temple and Angkor Thom showed me how these ancient superstructures heralded a preservation initiative by the Khmer government.  But scenic views does not keep a hungry stomach filled.  Not to mention the pack breakfast of cold bread reminded me of why I eat oatmeal instead.

After the temple tour, the private guide will always try to bring you to a restaurant which covers his meal and gives him commission. Fortunately, I found a place before coming and booked a table.  It was Mie Cafe which is located half-way between the temple roads and the city centre.  Just perfect as we were on our way home!  Mie Cafe is one of the many French restaurants with a Khmer inspired menu is Khmer graced with a touch of French.  As always, local produce gets first priority.  The tasting menu is $24 per person plus 7% tax.

To start was the Carpaccio of fresh snake head fish fillet cooked in fresh citrus juice with Cambodian spices, grapefruit and hazelnut oil dressing served with poached egg tempura.

This was a lovely salad!  Firstly, the ceviche was well-coated in a zesty citrus dressing.  Each mouthful of the salad was a bliss, thanks to the generous amount of mint, basil and chillies that made it extremely aromatic.  The oozy yolk from the tempura as well as the dollops of homemade mayonnaise brought the dish together very very nicely.  

(Samlor Pror herh) Crab meat emulsion with green peas, porhok fish and vegetable consommé, wild herb.

The purpose of this course was clear.  The consommé surrounding the barely marinated ingredients intended to rid the palate off the flavours from the rich starter earlier.  This course was hardly impressive but it served its purpose.  It left a clean aftertaste almost as though one had drank a glass of chilled unsweetened tea.  Neat.

Grilled prawn with Amok butter, roasted somanea seed, eggplant with coconut milk and dry cure ham.

When my 3rd course arrived at the table, I was shocked by the quantity on the plate.  But hey, its about the quality and not quantity right? haha.  If you manage to get past that stage, you will appreciate how the prawn was cooked to perfection. The buttery smell made me crave for more instantly!  Pair the prawn with the eggplant stewed with the cured ham and you are certain to get a curry like flavour.  This dish was small but absolutely deadly.

Fried pork with oven roasted giant eggplant, bell pepper and wild mushroom

This was the last savoury course and it looked typically Chinese.  But the immense refinement in cooking technique resulted in an unparalled eggplant dish.  Moist flavoursome mince and melt in your mouth aubergine was all the hype here.  There was some chilli in this dish but extremely mild.  Served with a bowl of rice, this was a dish to remember.  It was really delicious!

Hot and creamy chocolate fondant, homemade mango passion fruit sauce, served with vanilla ice-cream

Fresh out of the oven, I was not convinced by the sloppy presentation consisting of passionfruit and chocolate sauce.  But then, I cut the fondant into half.

And nothing else in the world mattered anymore.  It was simply delicious.  Rich, dark and well-toned sweetness.  This fondant was just spot on. The fruit and mildly acidic passion fruit help add dimension to the dessert and the whole thing just really worked.  If you ever get burnt by the super hot fondant, the ice cream helps :)!

Mie Cafe was on my itinerary as an option, and not an essential.  But after an afternoon dining on meals where everything was so good, I think future itineraries will have to be changed.  The food at Mie Cafe went well beyond our expectations.  From the zesty salad course to the skimpy dish of grilled prawn with butter and the rich chocolate fondant, it was just heaven on earth.  It was no wonder that the trainer at Haven Dining ranks Mie Cafe amongst his top dining destination.  A restaurant worth re-visiting!

WenY

Siem Reap : Is Cuisine Wat Damnak one of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants?

This year, St. Pellegrino recognised Cuisine Wat Damnak’s credentials by awarding it Asia’s 50th best restaurant.  Coming to Siem Reap, I knew I simply had to go. Cuisine Wat Damnak is located just minutes from my hotel the Royal Crown Hotel in Siem Reap which means I could walk to this little super star.   The 8 minute trek was short but not without its own excitement with the grounds unpaved and unchained stray dogs barking ferociously at us.  Lightning and thunder in the background did not help either.  But I guess its these little experiences that you bring home from holidays that spark good conversations.

Cuisine Wat Damnak is helmed by Joannes Riviere and re-creates the usual Khmer cuisine using locally sourced produce.  Every evening there are two menus; one of which incorporates a mixture of seafood and poultry or an all seafood affair.  It costs $24 for 4 courses and $28 for 5 courses. JH and I each decided to each try one of their 6 course tasting menu.  

Amuse Bouche - Wat Damnak’s squid ceviche.

Tender squid, mildly acidic and slightly sweet. It was a pretty good start but I tend to like my ceviche a little colder compared to the conventional serving temperature (i.e room temperature) as the chill helps keep the dish refreshing.

Menu 1, Course 1 - Caramelised palm sugar braised beef, pickled green papaya and rice noodles 

The flavours here are reminiscence of a Thai salad.  The core flavours are very similar to the Amuse Bouche but a much sweetened beef rillette made it yums!

Menu 2, Course 1 - Tamarind and chilli marinated fruit salad, boneless frog leg and herbs

A lovely stir-fry with tender frog flesh.  Decent flavours but I could  not really tell the jackfruit in the salad haha.  I think it was a younger type.

Menu 1, Course 2 - Prawn Ansam cake frilled in banana leaf, peanut sauce and cucumber salad

A unique dish that I truly enjoyed.  Plump juicy prawns wrapped in glutinous rice and grilled over fire on a banana leaf.  A mild fragrance swept across the plate as it arrived.  I was sold.  Sadly, the same cannot be said about the cucumber salad that was mildly bitter.  I would have preferred perhaps another form of salad or none at all on the side.

Menu 2, Course 2 - Steamed Maam with minced pork and egg, herbs, flower and local crudités

I liked this dish of JH’s but the presentation felt botchy and disconnected.  Served with a side of rice, I could not mix the dish up seamlessly as it should be.  Taste wise, it was creamy and all-round quite good.  But it was not a stellar dish.

Menu 1, Course 3 - Smoked fish and pork ribs soup, mushrooms, loofah and young taro roots

Smoked fish were super crispy and pork ribs were cooked till fall-off-the-bone tender.  Its soup base was potently salty which explains the presence of the rice to even the whole dish out.  Great textures of crisp fish and tender pork ribs paired well with the slightly springy mushrooms and tender taro roots.

Menu 2, Course 3 - Tonle Sap croaker fish sour soup with water lily stem an d cabbed leaves and pounded feroniella

The croaker fish soup is an instance where a simple fish is made outstanding.  The broth was slightly underwhelming as the flavours were not quite as pronounced as the curry I had later that evening.  It was OK over all.  Loved the way the fish carried a mild body of smokiness with it.

Menu 1, Course 4 - Sunday fish spicy curry with hot basil, pumpkin and dumpling.

The perfection of the slowly grilled crispy skin fish wins me over anything else.  My expectation of river fish is fishy but Cuisine Wat Damnak proved me wrong.  The fish was cooked so well it had mildly crisp skin with that whiff of smokiness just serenading my nostrils.  Spicy curry fish sauce was creamy and pleasant but not at all spicy.  Eat mouth were layers of flavours that were simply delicious.

Menu 2, Course 4 - Black sticky rice porridge with Mekong langoustine, glazed turnip, jasmine flower and sausage

The langoustine looked gracious sitting on a bed of slow cooked black rice porridge graced by sprinkling of little edible flowers and diced sausages.  The stock on which the langoustine’s sat on felt very French.  I do not have the correct words for it unfortunately!   It was an OK dish that lack a little flavour.  The porridge felt like a pairing too starchy for the final savoury course.  Even more so when rice was served at Courses 2 and 3.  A little too much rice!

Menu 1, Course 5 - Phnom Kulen vanilla panna cotta, cashew crumble, fresh mango and mango sorbet

This has got to be one of the best Panna Cotta I have ever had. It is simple but often made with imperfections.  Cuisine Wat Damnak did well with a silky smooth custard.  It brought it further by pairing the Panna Cotta with a cashew crumble which gave the dessert some nuttiness.  To finish, the fruity note of mango throughout the dessert resulted in a decadent dessert that leaves the palate refreshed.  I doubt anyone would have felt otherwise!

Menu 2, Course 5 - Steamed dark chocolate cake, rice praline and Pandan whipped cream.

The French and their love of rich chocolate desserts has been very well-documented in cook books and shows. But I never knew that steamed cake could be so decadently chocolatey and moist at the same time .  The cake here was soft and spongey with the little pieces of popped rice completing the dish with a crunch.  I unfortunately did not take a liking towards the fragrant Pandan whipped cream.  I wanted Pandan Ice Cream :)!  It would have been much better.  Just a personal preference though.

Cuisine Wat Damnak has literally came from nowhere and made a name for itself on the food Atlas.  From an even bigger picture perspective, it probably helped Siem Reap standout on the world map too.  For a country that lives on a mere $1-2 a day, this $30 meal is by no means a cheap affair.  But was it good?  It definitely was.  The flavours throughout the meal was very crisp.  The finish was clean and there were not lingering/overpowering flavours from the usual suspects of fine dining such as foie gras, sea urchin, and other fatty meats.  Progression was apparent as I went from start to end which is a nice thing to have. But to complement absolute perfection is a claim too farfetched. Execution at Cuisine Wat Damnak was a bit of a hit and a miss depending on which set menu you got.  Whilst I was absolutely satisfied with the poultry and seafood set (Menu 1), the same cannot be said for JH who found the all-seafood menu (Menu 2) a little mundane.  In saying that, it was not all doom and gloom but could definitely have been better.  Do I think Cuisine Wat Damnak deserves a ranking in Asia?  Definitely so!  Room for improvements?  Plenty.  That is what rank 1-49 is for!

WenY

Bites: Balinese Breakfast @ Gooseberries Cafe, Kensington

After about 4 brunches in a week, I thought it was time to up the game and to have something different.  Instagram is an awesome platform for discoveries though pictures are typically deceiving and from there, I found the Gooseberries Cafe in Kensington which is a short 5 minute drive from my place.  Viola~! 

The cafe is situated near the school making weekday parking a breeze.  The converted home has several dining areas but I took a sit in the dining area which felt very nice and airy.  To start, a citrusy lemon curd tart.  

Pint in size but packs a zesty punch.  The curd was a little stiff but nothing unexpected considering it came right out of the fridge.  In saying that, the flavours were spot on.

My choice of brunch today was the Balinese breakfast. Tender grilled chicken skewer, and a fried egg on a bowl of fried rice.  On the side were condiments to pair consisting of some kecap manis, pickled chilli and the obligatory sambal.  

But did it really meet the mark?  In terms of putting the staple rice in a bowl with chicken and rice I think it did pretty well.  A little too much carrot for my liking but the rice was fried well.  

The same cannot be said about the condiments.  On the outside they are the different but with they did not meet my requirements.  The kicap manis out of the bottle was fine by all means but the pickled chilli lacked acidity.  But most disappointing was the sambal.  It lacked the ripeness from the long sautéing which usually results in a robust chilli puree with the hints of tamarind, and prawn paste. It was a little sweet too which means all three condiments was on the sweet side. 

In a nut shell, I did not walk out of Gooseberry Cafe as pumped as when I walked in.  Nonetheless, it served a solid breakfast and I was satisfied.  A few tweaks here and there will probably allow the dish to reach higher marks but it is definitely a very good try.  

WenY

Bites: Quality Japanese @ Kiri, Shenton Park

Kiri has been on my wish list for awhile now.  From the pictures of luscious tempura aubergine topped with miso to their Teriyaki splendours, I was sold very early on but was held back by a time constraint.  Eventually I would pay a visit and that finally happened last week.   In the day, Kiri serves a delicious take away from the cafe side and at night it serves customers fine Japanese cuisine from both the restaurant and cafe side.  

To start, we ordered the Creamy Prawn Croquettes.

These golden brown lovelies were beyond the normal croquettes. For me, the creamy prawns encapsulated in a thin and crisp potato case were a highlight from usual croquettes filled with nothing but carbs!  Little lashings of chilli mayonnaise completed the course.

The mountain of Kara-age.

A honest and humble favourite is preserved in its classic form. Deep fried to perfection, it came out burning hot before being served on a smear of tonkatsu sauce with a wedge of lemon and ponzu.

Crispy squid salad.

A surprise favourite and a definite crowd pleaser.  The tempura battered squid were light and crisp. But it was the amazing pairing with a refreshing salad dressed in sesame sauce that made this dish a hit. 

Dengaku Miso or Aubergine topped with miso.

One advice.  Do not bite straight into these little morsels the moment it hits the table!  Its 100 degree centre is likely to burn your palate and that dollop of Miso with a salty hit is not going to help either.  The famous Kiri dish is a little over-hyped IMHO.  Bland by itself but overly salty with the Miso, I did not really like it.  I think there ought to be better balance and refinement in the miso.  Also, I’m thinking of grilled aubergines instead of fried.  Might just be me though :P!

To share among the table we called a serve of Teriyaki Salmon and Teriyaki Chicken with two rice to share.

Teriyaki Salmon

Teriyaki Chicken

The Teriyaki dishes at Kiri are one of the best in town.  The sweetness is balanced well with the saltiness of the soy and you can tell that the chefs in the kitchen did not come out of YouTube academy like some other places in town.  The chicken was tossed in the sauce well and its crisp edges tell the story of a good frying, but perhaps a tad more reduction in the sauce would allow for a better coat.  All in all, a faultless Teriyaki.  But then comes the price tag.  At $25 for Chicken Teriyaki, the serving size was OK but it did not come with rice which was another $3.50.  The Salmon on the other hand was another well-cooked dish but my pocket felt a little reluctant for $32 without rice again. 

Seated in the cafe side (by will) due to the low availability of seat in the main dining room also means being shrouded in cooking fumes at no less a dining cost.  One tip, having the door open is a quick fix!  The food here was really quite nice but the bill, not so much.  Its delicious Teriyaki is comparable to my favourite one in Kanta but at a much higher price tag.  A Chicken Teriyaki is $14 w/ rice in Kanta whilst in Kiri it was $30.  But considering the demographics of high income earners in the leafy suburb of Shenton Park, it is no surprise that the food in Kiri is priced that way.  However, for the same price one will definitely be tempted to go for the Omakase in Bonsai or Halu/Satsuki and maybe even for a 3 course at Nine Fine Food.  In saying that if prices are not of the essence, you will find yourself pleased with the basic yet necessary offerings that Kiri serves up with decent quality and great authenticity!

WenY

Bites: Brunch-ing @ Hylin, Leederville

Hylin is a suburban cafe situated on the corner of Rail Way Parade and Abbotsford Street in West Leederville.  Hylin caught my attention with its unconventional take on the daily breakfast, all of it documented on TakeMeToFoodieHeaven's blog.  In my week off, I visited Hylin and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their offerings.  

Obligatory drinks to start was a pot of green tea for myself and for my sister, a skinny latte.  Whilst the latte was good, the same cannot be said for the green tea.  It tasted weird as.  Neither was it grassy, or sweet, just painfully bitter for some odd reason!

But that did not dampen my spirits because once I saw my breakfast of chorizo, asparagus and creamed corn ($16.50) hit the table, I was sold.

Despite looking a little withered, the asparagus were cooked well with the fibrous layers removed and it was cooked to the middle just right.  The salty and moderately spicy chorizo paired with the creamed corn sensationally.  Putting a bit of everything in your mouth, you get that bitey chorizo giving you a salty-spiced hit that is complemented by the super smooth sweetcorn puree!  It was yums!

My sister’s choice of breakfasts was the field mushrooms on thick cut bacon served with guacamole and crumbled ricotta on toast ($16.50). Another yummy meal that was high in protein and low on carbs.  Its as thought we were doing some sort of paleo morning diet that morning haha.

The smoky bacon felt as though it were thinner slices of salted minute steak cooked on a grill.  Add cuts of it to the juicy mushrooms and slightly tangy ricotta, damn it was a joy to eat.  The bacon by itself though, is a little salty as one would expect.

Hylin is a good breakfast spot close not far from where I leave and it did not disappoint me in anyway(besides that terrible pot of tea of course!).  The venue is airy so the ever present morning crowd was not a bother thanks to it large open windows.  Add that Hylin's decent prices and you will find yourself very satisfied with a trip here.  However, the bread serve of one which bucks the trend of the usual two slices might leave some walking away hungry.  But as I was only keen for the good stuff rather than stacking up on the boring bread, it was just right!

WenY

Bites: Autumn's Harvest @ Harvest Espresso, Victoria Park

The temperature is cool, and the weather has been slightly gloomy as of late.  But thankfully with the passing of Summer and the coming of Autumn, the trusty crew of Harvest Espresso has changed their menu once again to suit the season.  At 8am on a long weekend morning, their dedication to serve is unwavering with the cafe already half-crowded.  And by 9 a massive line had already formed as Harvest Espresso was one of the few places in town to open.

But queues are the least of my concerns, as I was already seated and enjoying small sips of Harvest Espresso's grassy sweet Macha latte. A first love in Seoul that took 3 years to hit town.   Just minutes later, my breakfast was served.  Grilled squid, grilled morcila, and bruschetta salad served on toast smeared with chicken liver pate.  I know most people would cringe at the idea of having chicken liver, blood sausages and grilled squid for breakfast. 

Putting the norm of having boring Hollandaise and eggs for breakfast aside, one begins to appreciate food beyond the norms. At Harvest Espresso, this dish is about the ripe colours of the season paired with a whiff of incredible chargrilled flavours.  My first bite of the chicken liver pate on toast was absolutely spectacular. Imagine buttery goodness, and spot on seasoning with a subtle brandy flavour.  Then comes the perfectly cooked black pudding pairing with the sweet & acidic bruschetta tossed with plenty of seasoned shallots. Sensational.   I liked every element on the plate and everything worked really really well together.  

Next one up was my sister’s dish of crisp potato rosti topped with shredded snow peas, smoked cod, Onsen egg, and anchovy infused cream sauce served with a drizzle of herbed oil.

The potato rosti at Harvest has always been a highlight thanks to its generous seasoning, and great cooking which ensures a crisp finish.   Each mouthful of the 2015 Autumn “fish” course  was filled with freshness thanks to the shredded snow peas which sat generously between the cod and the potato rosti providing each mouthful with a taste that mellowed in with the salty anchovy cream.  It was yummy although I never quite bought the idea of having fish for breakfast :P!

Harvest Espresso is a place for seeking refuge in the chilly Autumn mornings.  The food is comforting, rich and over all just really interesting.  Its new creations are more than just cosmetic upgrades and goes significantly beyond the marginal improvement act played by most.  Its like a new generation of thought every season.  Kudos.

WenY

Bites: Sushi with a Modern Touch @ The Modern Eatery: House of Aburi Sushi, Fremantle

Sushi is a dish for all.  Regardless of status or culture, the love for sushi is global.  But with sushi places all over the town opening their doors to the gullible, how much actually serve substance on a plate?  I would have to say very few.  Guided by my curious foodie friend Jordan and review of my fellow Perth blogger the Ministry of Gluttony , I travelled a little further beyond my comfort zone to the city of Fremantle to the Modern Eatery: House of Aburi Sushi.  

The Modern Eatery’s decor as it’s name suggests is simple, modern with the bar counter sporting a clean neat line from start to finish.  The look is almost contemporary without the necessary clutter of the furniture.  Then comes the menu which offers a decent range of sushis with most offering the option to have it done as a normal nigiri finished as is or aburi.  The appetiser for the night was the Creamy Crab Croquettes.

Creamy Crab Croquettes ($7) - Simply fried, crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside finished with a drizzling of chilli mayonnaise.  The flavour of crab was present but did not carry a biteable piece of crab flesh.  Regardless, this was one the best Croquettes in town for $7. As a matter of fact, it was probably the best appetiser one could get for $7.

Signature Combo ($20) tells a lot about the concept the Modern Eatery tries to apply to their sushi.  The concept of aburi is to “blow torch” the sushi prior to serving.  In the Signature Combo we have the salmon, tuna and scallop along side 2 pieces of pressed salmon and prawn nigiri topped with their special aburi sauce.

The basic salmon, tuna and scallops were extremely fresh with no questions asked.  The flavours were good with the little toppings to finish.  But I really question the benefits of having them torched.  From past experience, only the fattest parts of the fish are normally blow torched so as to enhance the fatty layers in the fish often resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth feel that is serenaded by a smokey aroma.  At the Modern Eatery the Aburi noticeably produced a more tender finish but lacked the smokiness.

Then comes Modern Eatery’s pressed Salmon and Prawn Nigiri topped with the Signature Aburi sauce.  Looking at it, I felt impressed, with it simple appearance finished with the little grilled marks.  Very nice!  Taste wise it was even better thanks to the Aburi sauce.  It was slightly smokey, creamy and zesty all in one which complemented the seasoning and lightness of the sushi rice.

Itachou Nigiri Combo ($20) is a Signature dish for people who are not a big fan Aburi and want their sushi left “untouched”.

Everything on the plate was impeccably fresh.  From the bright red tuna to the squid, it was all bloody good.  Even the little tuna rolls were phenomenal.  Jordan and I despite using the word fresh so many times, still could not help but repeat it again over and over.  Not to mention, he loved the Unagi Nigiri which had the largest Unagi slice ever.

After going through the classics, our stomachs felt like it still had space to go the extra distance and so we decided to try some of their Craft Roll which employs their kitchen’s modern touches to the classic sushi dish. My choice was the Kamikaze Roll ($12).

Each bite here was to the joy of confusion.  There were so many things to like in this roll.  You had the crispy tempura prawn, the sweetness of the shredded crab meat, decadent Aburi sauce and the list goes one.  With so much happening in the little roll I was enjoying it it but did not know why.  One thing for sure though was that it took an expert hands to wrap that big roll without squeezing the rice flat.  Even the ever popular Mr Munchies in Mount Lawley is known for overly pressing their rice resulting in a gluggy finish.

Fry Me to the Moon was Jordan choice and it was a good call.  I had a very bad experience before in another restaurant where the fried sushi literally absorbed all the oil and tasted absolutely disgusting.  But this one at the Modern Eatery is far from that.  It was yummy!

Biggest like factor?  The perfect frying means the cream cheese was brought just below melting point with a crisp outer.  Coat with the chilli mayo & sweet soy on the plate and enjoy.

The perfect sushi to me is all about acing the rice, and ingredients whilst finishing it off with an “X” factor.  As trivial as it sounds, experts will tell you that there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. At the Modern Eatery: House of Aburi Sushi the rice is delicious, the ingredients extremely fresh and environment really nice for chomping down decadent sushi.  Their Aburi sauce is also worth mentioning thanks to its sparing use unlike other places that drench their sushi in sauces.    Oh and the price for this meal? A very decent $78 including a pot of green tea.

WenY

Bites: Artezen Espresso Bar @ Naturaliste Terrace, Dunsborough.

The last thing one would expect is 2/3rds of the brunch places in the touristy town of Dunsborough to be closed on a long weekend.  But that was exactly what happened.  Thankfully, none of those closed cafes were my  intended destination.  My sister’s skilled recommendation for breakfast was Artezen Cafe.  Needless to say it was really busy.  Before ordering, the waitress reiterated the situation with the huge weekend crowd and informed us that there is a long wait for food or coffee and it might take up to 30 minutes.  We agreed as we were on our way home and had breakfast earlier in the chalet earlier so we were in no hurry anyway.

First up to share with a round of hot drinks was a slice of carrot cake to keep the boredom at bay. Rich in nuts, my main criticism was how the cake felt too dense for my liking. Its like biting into a mud cake except that its a carrot cake.  I personally preferred something dense but not quite as dense. The layer of cream cheese was mediocre at best because it lacked the citrusy notes that usually strikes a balance with the sugar.  It might be a really small issue but it distinguishes a fantastic cake and one that feels cloying in a few bites.

Putting cakes aside, the first dish to reach the table was the Spanish beans with Pita and Fried Egg.  It was simply a joy to look at with its deep red colour looking ripe, and robust.  Even the thought of how squeezing the wedge of lime would enhance the dish already brings a sense of excitement to the table.  True enough, the dish unfolded really well.  It tasted really good!  It is simple but every bit comforting.

The Big Breakfast makes its appearance twice in 4 days! This time around I added a serve of Hollandaise.  I have mentioned before on how hard it is to draw merits from such a common platter yet so very easy to pick out its shortcomings.  It had to be perfect! This is precisely what I meant.  So few elements leave very little room for error.  But here, I got what I ordered that way I liked it.  Bacon was crisped to perfection, eggs runny and Hollandaise silky.  The flavours in the Hollandaise had a rich body of flavour with a mild acidity.  Nice! 

This was actually a Big Breakfast that worked out really well I would have to say. It is one of the better ones along side the old John St. Cafe and Sayers.

Artezen Cafe is a brunch spot that is godsend.  The brunch is credible and is something I am more accustomed to.  Was this a one off?  Possibly not considering my sister’s previous experience here.  A special mention goes out to the staff because despite the busy crowd that day, they were accommodative with my requests for cutleries and drinking glasses.  So, I can assume that they were really nice or their boss told them that all food critics have camera and so all tourist were probably suspects.  Regardless, for the purpose of this review I shall advance with the assumption that my camera played no part at all.  Next time if you are around town, definitely consider stopping by!  Artezen Cafe is a lovely place!

WenY