Rice

Happy 4 10

Tempura Udon

★★☆☆☆

Kyoza

(deep fried vegetable dumplings with seasonal salad)

★★☆☆☆

Stir Fried Spicy Pork Set

(stir fried spicy pork, rice, miso soup, kyoza)

★★☆☆☆

Grilled Salmon Set

(grilled salmon with chef special teriyaki sauce dressing, rice, miso soup, kyoza)

★★★☆☆

Bibimbap Set

(mixed fresh salmon and cooked prawn, flying fish roe with special chilli sauce, rice, miso soup, kyoza)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

A good variety of Japanese and Korean fare at a place that has fast service and a playful atmosphere. A gorgeous mural and K-pop playing on a big screen can be found in the front courtyard, while many hanging baubles can be found all over the place within the inside dining area (a bit of an odd decorating choice). The food was decent and each table had a handy buzzer that could be pressed whenever you required a waiter’s attention.

Happy 4 10

82 Sheridan St, Cairns, QLD

4041 2502

B’Cos Brazil

Pao de Queijo – Brazilian cheese puffs

These were delicious and had such a unique texture: soft, airy, chewy and cheesy. These were so good in fact that I want to have a go at making them myself soon.

★★★★☆

Coxinha – Brazilian chicken and cream cheese croquette

★★★☆☆

Bcos fried chicken pieces

Tough and dry.

★★☆☆☆

Picanha – BBQ’d Brazilian beef served with Brazilian rice, beans and salad

I liked being able to choose our salad (as you can see I wanted to try a few) as well as our rice (I chose brown over white). The beef was fairly standard and on the small side.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

This was a great introduction to Brazilian cuisine for me. Service was outstanding (the staff were very welcoming and helpful) and the place itself was small and casual. Note that this place is closed during the weekend.

B’Cos Brazil

353 Little Collins St, Melbourne

(03) 9670 1956

http://www.bcosbrazil.com.au/

Moroccan Soup Bar

Hummus, yoghurt, olives, potatoes, eggplant and pickled carrots served with flatbread

Roasted eggplant, yogurt, rice, almonds

Tomato rice, yogurt, eggplant, salad, almonds

Rice and vegetables (cannot remember what this was exactly)

Chickpea bake (sumac, almonds, yoghurt, chickpeas, crunchy pita crisps)

Stewed pumpkin

Rice and salad (cannot remember what this was exactly)

Turmeric rice, lentils

7 Vegetables with couscous

Fried doughnuts, coconut date balls, pistachio baklava

Mint tea

Black coffee

Overall:

Whenever I used to think about Moroccan Soup Bar, I always thought about their chickpea bake. I had it for the first time a few years ago and I remember being blown away by how deliciously crunchy and creamy it was. I was seriously looking forward to sampling it again. The first thing I noticed about the chickpea bake this time around was was how oily it was. A lot of oil pooled on top of the yogurt and the pita crisps were also quite oily. I could only eat so much before I had to stop. Don’t get me wrong it’s still a nice dish, but I definitely did not enjoy it as much as I did previously.

A verbal menu is used here and this usually results in people choosing the easiest option which is a banquet. A $23 banquet includes dips, mains, dessert and coffee while a $28 banquet includes starters, dips, mains, dessert and coffee. We chose the $28 banquet which offered a good variety of dishes that were average to good, as well as extremely sweet desserts. The mint tea served reminded me of toothpaste while the coffee was nice and strong.

Service was average and the atmosphere was pleasant and homely. A few things to note: this place is closed on Mondays, bookings can only be made for 6 or more, and you need to bring your own containers if you order takeaway.

Moroccan Soup Bar

183 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North, VIC

(03) 9482 4240

http://www.moroccansoupbar.com.au/

Flavours of Asia Market Festival – 28 February 2015

I was recently lucky enough to be invited to a sneak preview for the Flavours of Asia Market Festival that is part of the 2015 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival and Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes Day. The Flavours of Asia Market Festival is one of the first events on the 2015 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival calendar and will feature a range of delicacies from across the continent, cooking demonstrations and live entertainment. The festival is designed to bring together an array of authentic Asian street food with dishes starting from $5. Expect to find delicious menu items from Hammer & Tong, Hoy Pinoy, Wonderbao, Overdosa, Lankan Tucker, Uncle, Gogi and Eat the Chicken.

What: Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes Day – Flavours of Asia Market Festival

When: Saturday 28 February 2015

Time: 12:00pm – 6:00pm

Where: Caulfield Racecourse, Station Street, Caulfield

Cost: Adult $20, Concession $10, Children Under 14 Free (includes admission to the racecourse and the Flavours of Asia Market Festival.)

Tickets available via: mrc.racing.com

Now onto the menu preview. So when we first arrived we had the opportunity to sample the Flavours of Asia Market Festival’s feature cocktail ‘The Market Mule With A Kick’ which was a fusion of vodka, dry ginger ale, lime and chilli. I was a little apprehensive about the chilli at first but it actually gave this refreshing cocktail a nice gentle heat. It was seriously good. So before I knew it I had polished off my cocktail and I had forgotten to take a photo of it. Whoops. Here’s a picture of a lady dancing instead.

Wonderbao’s Pork Bao

Fluffy steamed buns filled with sweet tender pork

★★★☆☆

Hoy Pinoy’s Lechon Kwali (slow braised and crispy fried pork belly with buco, chilli and yemma sauce)

Absolutely incredible! Delicious sauce, super crispy crackling and pork that simply melts in your mouth.

★★★★☆

Hammer & Tong’s Red and Black rice salad (pomegranate, broad beans, peas, mint & grapefruit mignonette)

A light rice salad with a lot of flavour and texture.

★★★☆☆

Marinated barbecued skewers cooking over a customary BBQ from Hoy Pinoy. Candied meat. Mmmmmm. Notice that the skewers are delightfully sizeable!

Inihaw na Baboy (pork belly skewers in banana ketchup glaze)

★★★☆☆

Inihaw na Manok (chicken skewers in traditional soy glaze)

★★★★☆

Wonderbao’s ‘Roast Pork Belly Gua Bao’ with cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon & hoisin sauce and ‘Fried Silky Tofu Gua Bao’ with pickled mustard, coriander and crushed peanuts.

★★★☆☆

We also had the opportunity to see the making of Hammer & Tong’s famous Soft Shell Crab Burgers .

It isn’t surprising that up to 1000 soft shell crab burgers are sold during a night at Queen Victoria’s Wednesday Night Market!

Soft Shell Crab Burger (brioche bun, sriracha mayo, sesame seed slaw, soft shell crab, spring onion and coriander)

The perfect soft shell crab burger.

★★★★★

Wonderbao’s Ice cream Gua Bao (golden fried bao dusted with sugar and filled with sesame seed ice cream, caramel and nuts)

★★★☆☆

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Melbourne Racing Club

Hammer & Tong

Rear 412 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, VIC

(03) 9041 6033

Home

Hoy Pinoy

Location varies, Melbourne, VIC

Wonderbao

4/19-37 A’Beckett St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9654 7887

Base Camp Northcote

Onion Bhaji

Crispy fried onion rings served with sweet tamarind chutney

★★☆☆☆

Butter Chicken

Tandoori roasted chicken tikka cooked in a rich tomato butter cream sauce

★★★☆☆

Cheese and Garlic Naan

We couldn’t decide whether to get the cheese naan or the garlic naan, so our waitress suggested that we get both. It was a great choice as this naan was simply soft and delicious!

★★★☆☆

Baigan Aur Mirchi Ka Salaan

Eggplant and capsicum in a slightly piquant sesame, tomato and coconut sauce

★★★☆☆

Pilau Rice

Fragrant and delectable

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The food here was certainly impressive and the portions were good, while the service was prompt and the atmosphere casual. This place is one of the better Indian restaurants that I have been to in a while, and undoubtedly worth a visit.

Base Camp Northcote

102 High St, Northcote, VIC

(03) 9482 1168

http://www.basecamprestaurant.com.au/

Big Mama

466 Swanston St, Melbourne 9347 2656

Spicy Chicken Bento Box

Korean style marinated chicken served with rice and side dishes

= ★★

Seafood Pa Jun (Korean seafood pancake)

Soft pancake with crispy edges, filled with a generous amount of seafood

= ★★★

Cream Garlic Prawn and Kimchi Fried Rice

This should have been called Cream Garlic Seafood as there was more squid and clams rather than prawns. The creamy seafood was terrific in any case, and went very well with the mildly spicy kimchi fried rice.

= ★★★

Yakisoba

Wok tossed Japanese udon noodles with beef and vegetables

= ★★

Overall:

A great place to go to for a quick, tasty, decently priced Korean/Japanese meal. No wonder Big Mama is so popular among university students.

Note that this place is closed on Sundays and is cash only.

Sushi “Cake”

How time flies! It’s been a whole year since I made a Fruit “Cake” for my mum’s birthday and I needed another cake alternative for this year. I saw a savoury sushi “cake” at a work lunch a few years ago and I remember thinking to myself: THIS IS GENIUS!

Ingredients:

3 cups sushi rice
8 tbsp sushi vinegar
425g canned tuna
4 eggs
Smoked salmon
Cucumber
Avocado

Method:

1. Rinse rice under cold running water (stirring occasionally with your hand to remove any excess starch) until water runs clear. Drain well.

2. Place rice and water in a rice cooker to cook (easy option), or in a large pot to cook. If cooking in a pot, have the pot covered and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook (covered) for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. (If rice is still not soft, add more water) Remove from heat. Set the rice aside and allow it to cool slightly.

3. Using a wooden spoon, gently fold in sushi vinegar.

4. In a loose base cake pan, place half the sushi rice on the base of the pan. Layer on the tuna and then layer on the remaining sushi rice.

5. Make an omelette from the eggs (I added a splash of soy sauce to my omelette), and place the omelette on top of the sushi rice.

6. Arrange the smoked salmon, cucumber and avocado on top of the “cake”.

7. Remove pan from around the “cake” and serve.

Nachos Mexican Cantina

175 Waverley Rd, Mount Waverley 9888 3866

Enchilada New Mexico

Two chicken enchiladas topped with a fried egg and melted cheese, served with rice, frijoles and a taco

= ★★

Texas Chilli Burrito

Ground beef simmered in a variety of chilli powders rolled in a flour tortilla with tomatoes, onions and cheese, topped with guacamole and sour cream, served with rice and frijoles

Faintly spicy burrito filling that brought to mind a tasty bolognese sauce

= ★★★

Overall:

The food is decent but pricey, so bring your Entertainment Book voucher if you have one.

Persian Flavours Takeaway & Eat In

338 Springvale Rd, Forest Hill 9878 3087

‘Dough’ yogurt drink

A traditional Persian drink comprising of yogurt, water, mint, black pepper and salt.

The predominant taste of this unfamiliar drink was yogurt and salt. In fact when it comes to quenching your thirst, this drink does the complete opposite. Nevertheless it is a good accompaniment for spicy dishes.

= ★★

Zereshk Polow

Rice with sweet barberries and smoky fried onions

= ★★

Plain naan, Maast-mose (yogurt with cucumber and garlic flavour), Mixed kebab (combination of chicken kebab, lamb tikka and lamb koobideh)

= ★★

Garlic naan, Chicken masti (chicken marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic, spices), Cheese naan

= ★★

Butter chicken curry (charcoal chicken cooked with onion, garlic, cashew nuts, cream in gravy and butter sauce),

Mixed veggies curry (mixed vegies with cashew nut cream and gravy sauce),

Beef massala (beef cooked with onion, garlic, yogurt, cream, sultana and tomato sauce)

Each curry was light and well seasoned however we found the butter chicken and the mixed veggies curry to be exceedingly sweet.

= ★★

Overall:

I really wanted to like this place but the food simply did not excite me. I couldn’t help but compare the curries we had to the rich Indian curries that I’ve had in the past, and the rice and kebabs we sampled to those that I’ve had at Afghan places. Perhaps Persian/Iranian cuisine isn’t for me. Service was quick and the decor was simple. A nice experience but not a place I see myself returning to.

Chiba Japanese

41 Hall St, Moonee Ponds 9326 0248

Asparagus and prawn tempura

= Not bad

Chiba Special for 2

Combination of sushi, sashimi and seaweed rice rolls

= Good

Overall:

Fresh and tasty sushi and sashimi, friendly service and stylish decor.