Spice crusted scallops, grape and ginger dressing You can’t beat a good curry. The question is in Australia, where can you find a good curry? Some 15 years ago there were hardly any curry houses and even though now they are spotted around everywhere, few offer a really great dining experience. Usually what we are served is anonymous cuts of meat in generic curry sauces heated up to order. It’s miles away from the wonderful dining experiences of other ethic […]
Eat streets
Where to eat on Melbourne’s and Australia’s famous eat streets.
Heirloom – one foam too far
Heirloom looks great but the food needs to be simpler. The best French chefs are Japanese nowadays, they say. But they aren’t French they are Japanese. They are just cooking French-style with the addition of Japanese ingredients. Meanwhile, the best French chefs are now open in Japan. They rock. Or at least Michel Bras does, the man who is one of the inspirations for local, sustainable super-natural cuisine several decades before Noma had even been dreamt of. And now this […]
Josie Bones: we ate everything
We all know Chris Badenoch right? The bad boy beer guy who was runner-up on Masterchef series one. He’s the one that was chewed-up by the tabloids and spat out a love rat. Now he’s a place of his own to, so to speak, chew-up rare breed animals and swallow, together with several hundred beers. Josie Bones, his love child with Masterchef runner-up Julia Jenkins, has only a token page of wines to a telephone book of beers but surprisingly […]
Canelés: the next big thing?
Canelés: the new thing? Once it was donuts for me. Then a rainbow cornucopia of macarons. Now it’s Canelés, this particular one from Dench Bakers in North Fitzroy. To me they have the look of a barnacle or some such other marine creature that you have to chisel off a rock. But they are in fact gorgeous soft brioche-like confections soaked in custard and caramelized on the outside. They are a small snack but big enough for your partner to […]
Menu for Hope extended until 31st December
Thought you missed out on your chance of winning the Menu of Hope. You still have a chance to buy into the Menu for Hope draw as Pim has extended the deadline for buying tickets until 31st December (US time). Here I’ve listed the Asia Pacific prizes with the odds of winning from the best chance of winning (top) to the least chance bottom). Check out my previous post for more details on each prize. And go to the automated […]
Burger dynamics 101 and the Angry Anus
Hungry Jack’s Angry Angus that arrived with “ANUS” written on it. The gourmet burger is now mainstream. Even Hungry Jacks has its own salt and fat packed version dragging down the reputation of Angus beef. It’s the latest trend in food, knowing the provenance of your ingredients – with Maccas being the first mainstream brand to name Angus beef as a selling point back in August. The recently launched Hungry Jacks version, the Angry Angus, is masked with controversy particularly […]
Proud Mary. Great coffee and tea
I‘m starting to judge cafes by their espresso machines. The more serious the machine, the better the coffee. So when you walk into a cafe and you see a six group Synesso longer than a coffin worth some $40,000 and you know something special is going on. It sorta trumps even St Ali’s $30,000 Slayer which is pretty awesome but only has three groups. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8bkRs77uX4] A Synesso in action. And I can tell you it’s official: Today coffee – and […]
101 – sorry 127 – things not to eat and drink before you die
I recently had a non-brush with death while eating what turned out not to be my last meal. It made me think of all the meals I’d wasted. A bad meal is a wasted eating opportunity. Here, with a little help from my blogging and Twitter friends, are some tips on the food and drink best avoided. I’ll be updating as more come in. And please add to the list in comments. Or, why not publish your own list and […]
Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations visit to Melbourne
You don’t have to know much about Anthony Bourdain to know he loves Melbourne. He was back earlier this year guided around town – and down to the Royal Mail Hotel – by Matt Preston, Tony Tan and Paul Wilson. Here are the Youtube clips from what was show recently in the US. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa6gTkgIbgc] Part one: Paul Wilson while he was at the Half Moon in Brighton. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo6ic9iIUzE] Part two: Playing Trugo with Matt Preston and kebabs on Sydney Rd […]