Bites: Gorgeous Pastas @ Mason & Bird, Kalamunda.

Mason & Bird, Kalamunda opened its doors to the public a month or two ago and word has been going around that the venue is nothing less than impressive.  I was super keen to try it out and it was safe to say that Mason & Bird did not disappoint.  The large group of us ordered pretty much the whole menu and I got to visually feast on everything (only because the table was too long and my short limbs could not stretch that far!)

To get the morning started were a round of hot drinks:

I am the biggest fan of Matcha Latte ever since I was in Seoul many years back.  That first taste of this milky-sweet-grassy drink has kept me coming back.  Unfortunately this was my biggest dislike at Mason & Bird.  The matcha just did not hit my palate with the grassy-sweet scent I was expecting.  If anything it was a little sedentary and gritty.  The milk also felt too thin and not creamy at all. Hmmm…?

Pan Roasted Gnocchi

Fortunately, the dry spell ended with the drinks.  This gnocchi dish was simply perfect.  Fluffy, light, delicate pillows of pasta were cooked sensationally.  The crust on from the pan frying worked wonders and the gnocchi was just so tasty on its own.  The cauliflower, cheese and almonds were such a treat.  I’m surprised that this whole dish was vegetarian really!  

Braised lamb Pappardelle

My order of braised lamb Pappardelle was the right dish for this gloomy-with-a-chance-of-rain kind of weather.  After all, that is what a heart braise is for no?  The lamb here was super tender and required 0 effort to bite into. Mushrooms were super plum after having soak up all the juices of the braise.  While I really enjoyed the whole dish, both my friend and I felt like they could have rolled the Pappardelle another layer thinner.  Despite saying that, perhaps the chef just liked his pasta sheets to carry an extra bite!

The hidden crowd pleaser:

Hand cut, kitchen chippies right from the kitchen.  I love them so much.  One can immediately tell the difference between chips right out of the bag and one that is made in-house.  You get so much more potato flavours from the ones made in-house at Mason & Bird.  The down side for some though is that the chips when made at home are rarely crispy across the tuber.  But its the joy of having crispy edges that makes the moment worth while.  Enjoyable!

We had many more dishes hit the table that day but I did not get to try everything.  I believe most of us were pretty damn satisfied with the food at Mason & Bird.  The main stars were none other than their pastas! (Their home-cooked chips get a special mention too!)  Do note that the pasta sizes are a little small or just right.  So if you are a big eater, definitely get the side of chips.  Lastly, the bit which I felt most let down by were the Matcha Latte and Apple Pie Shake.  It was really cool sounding on paper but in the mouth just OK.

WenY

Bali 2016: Seafood Dinner @ Menega Cafe, Jimbaran

Days go and nights come, but in between is a beautiful evening sun set.  After strolling through the town of Kuta we settled for a sunset dinner at seafood heaven Jimbaran.  Known for its local-tourist discriminating prices and its posh set menus featuring matchbox size crab and lobsters, most brand Jimbaran with the “do not go tag”.  But when you’re with a local, Jimbaran becomes a pretty damn good seafood spot.  Two years ago I came to Menega Cafe and left dreaming of the amazing butter sauce they used on their clams.  This time, I am re-visiting Menega Cafe.  Will I still be impressed?

The scenery earlier, as the sun starts to set is lovely!

Menega Set Menu:

The set menu which gives us a few of the basics.  Fish, squid, and lobster were “OK”, but hardly necessary.  These comes as part of a set so I just have it.  The best thing in the set are the 6 clams it comes with.  We  had to ordered more of it for sure!

Grilled prawns.

Grilled clams with Menega Cafe's special sauce.

The verdict from before still stands true.  Set meals at this seafood heaven is still less than impressive but is every bit quintessential in getting the evening started.  You get bit and pieces of seafood, vegetables, some drinks, rice and condiments.  The basics.   But what really made the evening great were the grilled prawns and clams.  Menega Cafe’s grilled prawns were super good. Briny, sweet and the smokey chargrilled flavours from the coconut husk is just sensational.  Then come the tender clams topped with a  rich garlic butter sauce.  God these were superb.  Menega Cafe still impresses after two years.  The cooking style is simple, but tastes spot on.  

Note: Do not shower before dinner because the smokiness of the grill is sure to stay with you for awhile!

WenY
   

Bali 2016: The best Babi Guling? @ Warung Bakas Sari Dewata, Denpasar.

With the disappointing meal of Babi Guling at Warung Ibu Oka now behind me (said no one ever), I headed to my last Babi Guling meal of my trip.  South of Seminyak in the city Denpasar is Warung Bakas Sari Dewata.  The crowd this morning is hardly convincing that this was the place to be, perhaps 9am was too early for Babi Guling!  But the only thing that mattered was the pork on the fork.

For myself I had the Babi Guling Campur whilst the other two had the Babi Guling Special.  My Babi Guling Campur from Warung Bakas Sari Dewata looked amazing.

1,2,3,4,5,6 and …7.. SEVEN dishes on the plate.  Now that’s a party.  But what amazed me even more were some of the dishes I got.  One of the really tasty ones was the bits of smokey crispy bacon that was spiced sensationally.  Then you also get this stringy pulled pork that was super dry almost like a pan-fried pork floss.  As you chew it all the flavour just oozes out.  God it was magic in the mouth.  Also not to forget, were the  tender skewered pork and the spit roast.  The spit roast was slightly drier than the one at Pak Malen but it was not hard to eat.  The string beans were sauteed with some sambal so that was pleasing too.  Oh and the crackling here?  Absolutely cracking!

My two other friends ordered the Babi Guling Special.

Ok let me tell you something.  As ironic as it sounds, I hate to break it to you that it was nothing special.  If anything, it was indeed less special. My friends were going crazy by getting the most pork on their fork but because it was only spit roast on the plate, the party on the plate got a bit monotonous after the first few bites.  Also, remember how I said the Babi Guling at Warung Bakas Sari Dewata is drier than Pak Malen?  Now imagine having to eat all of it =.=!!  Folks, less is more sometimes.  This is one of those times haha.

Regardless of your choice, it will come with a complimentary bowl of soup cooked with bone broth, and heart of banana tree.

So yay or nay?  Definitely a yay from my side but definitely a nay for my other friends who ordered the Babi Guling Special.  Warung Bakas Sari Dewata has definitely put some good pork on the fork with the Babi Guling Campur.  The variety of dishes  on the plate for the Babi Guling Campur makes it a strong contender for best Babi Guling in town.  That salty-sweet smokey bacon was to die for and I enjoyed every bit of it.  But it has to be the right proportion to not be sickening.  While proportioning on a plate is a very fine line, I have to say that Warung Bakas does it well!  Note that Warung Bakas Sari Dewata’s location is fairly inconvenient when compered to Pak Malen and Pak Dobiel, both of which are located near to the touristy hotels.  But with convenient service like Gojek and Uber, it is easy to get your food brought to you or have you brought the the food.

WenY