Gypsy Hideout

Astounding breakfast, atrocious coffee

When you spy hipster cafe white tiled walls and lacquered ply wood in the country you assume the cafe takes cues from Brunswick.  You hope the cafe takes breakfast ideas and roasted beans from those urban outposts too.

Not too sadly, Gypsy Hideout completely misses the mark with its coffee.  It is a shame as if they served up more than mildly flavoured dish water the place would be fantastic.  They redeem themselves by placing Robert Welch cutlery on every table.  They're clever enough to give each customer a steak knife to tame the delicious sourdough.

Their chef patiently assembles an array of enticing breakfasts.  Many dishes arriving to other tables were real head turners but our choice of poached eggs on sourdough, rocket and fried prosciutto, finished off with basil mayonaisse was quite extraordinary.  

The dish alone is almost reason enough to visit the beatiful historic riverside town of echuca.

 

Antonio's italian - Echuca

When you aren't that hungry and you've got a mountain of french cheese waiting for you in your hotel room what do you do?!  You get lured across the street by the heady aromas of meat cooking over charcoal.  You see the place is packed but notice two ladies leaving a prime table on the footpath.  You double check to see that they are leaving, only to havet them inform you the food is no bloody good.  So then you walk to almost every other food joint (except Roma) open on a Monday and settle for take-away pizza that you'll eat watching the sunset over the Campaspe river.

The service was happy yet hectic at Antonio's.

The pizza, well it left a little bit to be desired.  Lacking flavour in some bites, more acceptable when you got a piece of meat in the mouthful.  There wasn't napoli to the edges. The crust wasn't too thin but was a tad over done all the way around.

Feeding the occasional crust to the ducks and watching the carp get interested was good fun though.

Brisbane: LR Sushi

Where: LR Sushi, Brisbane
When: Lunch - November 3
Occasion: N.A.
Wine: None
Website: N.A.

So blogging, as it turns out is a pain, well no, it's not a pain, I just find it really hard to come up with synonyms for delicious.  I find myself continually wanting to write this was delicious, this was also delicious, this too was delicious.  That's the engineer in me, I have the wordsmithery of a mudskipper.  I have been taking lots of photos and I may well pump in a few overdue reviews but who knows, they may well contain excessive amounts of the word delicious and might be point form.

So I'm working in Brisbane during the week and one friday afternoon whilst heading to the airport I walked past a queue of people so large I thought they were waiting for Splendour in the Grass tix.  Nope, it seems LR Sushi is the flavour of the month up here and a queue four shops long is the norm.

After some googling help provided by MK I found another bloggers post of the take away and the handy information that they had a second, less busy store.

I don't queue for food and I definitely don't queue for sushi, but I stopped being a princess and went along.  There I stood, 14th in line and started the stop watch.  I was at the counter and being served in 3 minutes and 2 seconds and was out of there inside the 4 minute mark.


The selection is great but I couldn't tell you all I saw, I simply pounced on the first three that caught my eye.  With the pressure of the line behind I felt a bit like I was ordering soup from the famous nazi.  So a classic salmon and avocado, a tuna and sesame and the ever reliable crispy chicken with avocado were loaded into a plastic container, along with a generous dollop of mayo at my request.  I grabbed a handful of packaged wasabi, ginger and some soy fish and was away.

The salmon and avocado was simply fantastic, really soft creamy pink salmon flesh, in fact much more pink than the orange tints I'm used to (non farm salmon maybe?  no carrots in the farm food? A different salmon species?).  A very generous slice it was too.  Moving hungrily on to the tuna and sesame...outstanding...one of the better california rolls I've ever been treated to.  Again a generous serve of fish but the sesame flavours just worked so well to complement.

Disappointingly my excitement about the freshly delivered tray of crispy chicken and avo was misguided.  The chicken had just been fried and the whole roll was warmed slightly...this is perhaps not a bad thing but it made the crumb soggy and wasn't great.  These also are made without mayo, so make sure you ask for some if you can't go without.

I'll definitely be going back for some more of these fat and filling california rolls at good price, despite the queue.  

Lunch catch up

Where: Chatterbox, Melbourne
When: Lunch - September 22
Occasion: Birthday Lunch
Wine: None
Website: N.A

It's nice to return to an old favourite and to find the flavours, prices and hard of hearing lady at the cash register are still the same. At a former employer I was making weekly trips to Chatterbox and sampled a good portion of the menu. I even delved into the baine marie a few times for the 'specials'. I never trust a baine marie without visible steam, so it's nice to see a few whisp rising from between the cracks. As i hadn't been in a while i simply couldn't go past one of my favourite dishes, my yard stick Malaysian dish Ipoh Hor Fun. I wasn't disappointed. A delicious mix of noodles, meats and veg was put in front of me. I had to capitulate and grasp a spoon because chop sticks weren't getting enough of flavours into my mouth. My colleague, wary of the baine marie also opted for noodles, char kway teow. I hear that they too were delicious. I'd also strongly recommend the curry and roti special, the roti is fantastic but add a serve of rice for a dollar to make it a filling meal.

Scott's Birthday

Where: Prime House, Melbourne
When: Lunch - September 7
Occasion: Birthday Lunch
Wine: None
Website: www.primehouse.com.au


I spied this place beside one of my favourite melbourne eateries Earl Canteen.  I came though a revolving door with my eyes transfixed on the huge slabs of air dried meat hanging in the glass fridges.

So I took a few photos to remind me to come back and I completely forgot the name of the place.  Then I couldn't find any clues on the net, I even asked friends who I knew dined nearby regularly and still nothing turned up.  But the slabs of meat were calling me and rather than going to Earl (a favourite amongst the group I was dining with) so I took the punt and pointed us here instead.  


I'm very glad I did.  


The place is a cross between a butcher and a cafe, certainly in decor anyway, it has that old fashioned country butcher feel.  


The menu was huge with a wide range of options, yes, with a meat theme.  But I couldn't go past the slow roasted 16 hour pork with a choice of mash or potato gratin.  I also ordered a side of crackling (the waiter didn't tell me it came with crackling, but I'm fine with double crackling, better than fine).  


The roast chicken was very popular among other patrons and the mashed potato was raved about.  


The cafe not only looks a bit like a butcher shop but they also sell cuts of pre packaged meat.  The wagyu looked delicious and quite reasonably priced (for what it is, grade 6 for $9).  There's also daily specials written on the window, continuing the butcher shop feel.   


I'd happily go back, although don't expect the waiters to communicate with each other, or very well with you.  

oh and the relish on the side was lip smackingly good, but the gravy was just spectacular.  

Maha - lunch

Where: Bond Lane, Melbourne
When: Lunch - June 29
Occasion: Business Lunch
Wine: None :(
Website: mahabg.com.au

Maha is the second (of now 6) restaurants in the George Calombaris  stable, although he's not the chef, that responsibility falls to Shane Delia.  The theme is Middle Eastern and I was very happy when the 2 guests I was with all agreed to the share plates.

I've been to Maha previously and was impressed then, so I was very keen to get stuck into the food a second time.

We began with mixed olives, beetroot dip (with outstanding bread), a white bean salad with roasted nuts, arancini balls and some fried mushrooms with spinach.  The olives were wonderful and the beetroot dip was sweet yet countered by lovely acidity and was delicious.

Hahaha, I only just realised I have a pic with half the food served.  My colleague has a better one, when I get it I'll edit this post.

Despite mentioning our time was limited the main course was a little slow in coming, but that might have been partially our fault as everyone was too well mannered to finish off the last of the entrees.

The mains were well worth the wait though.  It's a little bit of a lottery and we hit the jackpot!  I've heard about the lamb at Maha and I was very happy when it arrived.  It's unbelievably tender and incredibly rich, the fat of the lamb rendered through the fibres perfectly.  You can't help but go back for more and more!  Get in while it's hot (before the fat starts to solidify).

Maha always serve a fish or seafood dish as a main and the fish we had was just outstanding.  It was Hapuka and cooked in butter, but there was a subtle complexity to the dish.  More earthy flavours, maybe a hint of tahini.

The fatoush salad was light and fresh with dukkah adding interest.  Some mint and lemon were superb with the cucumber, this salad cut through the fat of the lamb perfectly.

This was all accompanied by a pilaf which was buttery and spectacular.  It was rich but not heavy and could be enjoyed on its own.

We then got to indulge in some immaculately presented and very well crafted desserts.

The last time I was at maha I enjoyed the turkish delight filled donuts and this time they were delicious again although a little doughy in the centre.

The miniature cones were filled with a delicious goats milk ice cream but the nuts and honey accompaniment rounded out the dish perfectly.

The shotglasses were filled with a bitter chocolate mousse and layer of toasted nuts, with a creamy surface.  For me, this dish was a little savoury, not my kind of dessert.

Maha is not your everyday lunch spot but it's a wonderful treat, tucked into turkish ambience.  I would happily go back again and again.

Simon's Peiking Duck Restaurant

Where: Box Hill South, Vic, Australia
When: Tuesday 28th June, 2011, Dinner
Occasion: Dinner with Sam and Kat
Wine: Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc
http://www.simonpeikingduck.com/

On a lazy Tuesday night, Andrew and I were called up on the way home from looking a little Millie and asked if we wanted to join our friend's at the movies that night. They asked whether we had time to get a quick feed, so we jumped at the opportunity to try this local restaurant.

Andrew and I adore peiking duck so we could not go to a peiking duck restaurant without indulging in a whole duck. This restaurant prepares the duck for you in the traditional way, were the peiking duck rolls have the crispy skin in them then the duck meat is then transformed into another dish. Although the duck was beautiful, I as slightly overwhelmed by the amount of skin without any meat on it and searched out pieces of skin with some sign of meat. It was great that we saw the duck prepared before us, they then gave us a demonstration about how to make the duck pancakes then were left to wrap the 15 individually. Great!

Shortly after finishing these duck pancakes, a dish of duck meat and bean shoots appeared on the tabel. The meat was deliciously tender and I could tell that it was thoroughly enjoyed by all as we didn't speak whilst shovelling in this dish.

The next dish we shared was Timorese oven roasted boneless chicken marinated with tamarine, chilli, garlic, black pepper finished with fresh lemon, sesame seeds, spring onion and sweet soya sauce. I had to copy this description directly from the website just to help you understand the reason why we chose this dish. The flavours were intense without being too spicy. We quickly ate through the whole serve and left me wanting more!

The final dish we ordered was a deep fried flounder with spicy salt and chilli. Although this caused some challenges in understanding the best way to serve the fish, the flavours were amazing!


Overall, this local restaurant is fabulous and will be frequently visited by Andrew and I again for many years to come! We only hope we can have enough room for their dessert next time....

Rasa Malaysia Cafe

Where: Malvern East, Victoria, Australia
When: Thursday 7th July, 2011, Dinner
Occasion: Take Away
http://rasa.com.au/

Andrew and I had been dying to try this restaurant whilst we lived in the area, however, after many failed attempts to find the restaurant open, we presumed that it no longer operated as a restaurant.

One night on the way home from some friends in St Kilda, we drove passed there and Andrew noticed the place was open again so I thru a u-turn and we landed ourselves on their doorstep ordering take away.

The menu sounded promising and it had a good food guide sign in the window so we had high hopes of this restaurant. Furthermore, after our recent culinary delights tour of Malaysia that we did earlier this year, we knew what great Malaysian tastes like!

We ordered some traditional Malaysian entrees to begin with - Chicken Satays, Pandan Chicken and Curry Puffs. All of the dishes were around $8 or $9 for take away, so when we got home and realised that there were only 2 curry puffs, 3 satays etc., we were a little disheartened by the place. The best thing I can say about the entrees was the sauce that accompanied the pandan chicken. Usually this dish comes with some sort of sweet chilli sauce. Rasa Maylasia Cafe however included a sauce with a mayonaise type base and lots of herbs/spices in it. Lovely!

For main course we could not go past the Ipoh Hor Fun - Andrew's favourite dish. Although I feel like this dish in general tastes like burnt noodles with a sloppy sauce, Andrew loves it. And he thoroughly enjoyed Rasa's version too, describing it as having "subtle barbeque flavours in a rich gravy - delicious!" Ikan bilis and roti were also ordered. Both were tasty but nothing to write home about. Although it was great to finally have the opportunity to trial Rasa Malaysia Cafe, the Ipoh Hor Fun is the only dish worth returning for.

Circa, the Prince - Winter Solstice Feast

Where: St Kilda, Vic, Australia

When: Tuesday 21st June, 2011, Dinner

Occasion: A's 30th Birthday celebration

Wine: Provided

www.circa.com.au

Milestone birthdays come around with less frequency than the Winter Solstice but it's delightful when they coincide. There was simply no better way to celebrate both than at Circa, The Prince.

We were treated to a truly outstanding meal in a lovely venue with waiters more than happy to help.

As a mushroom fanatic, which you will no doubt hear more about in the future, I was very excited for the first course. Despite the small stature of the dish it, what it lacked in volume it made up for on taste. A delightful, rich and flavoursome broth.

'Entrees to share' followed the rich theme of the night, with some succulent pork and cauliflower more delicious than I've eaten before. The saffron risotto was a delicious cheesy and warming concoction.

Strips of smoky duck with winter veg was incredibly tasty, but the hazelnuts didn't do it for me.

By this time the richness of the food was starting to take its toll on my tightening belly. And the richest of dishes was to come.


All of which were exquisite and richer than the last. I moved slowly from duck, to wagyu pie, savouring the flavours of each. Then on to a breath taking cassoulette (a personal favourite dish). I lack the skill to communicate just how rich they all were, but picture Scrooge McDuck diving through a vault of dark chocolate coins and you'd go close.

Our back teeth were under by the time dessert arrived and the queen of puddings with creme englaise was a stand out, something to enjoy slowly and remember for years to come.

And so we waddled out of there, beyond sated, stomachs full to bursting after a truly spectacular feast.

Santucci's Cafe

Where: 1392 Toorak Road, Camberwell, Vic, Australia
When: Sunday 5th June, 2011, Breakfast
Occasion: Hangover Cure with friends
Wine: Enough already in system!
Website: www.santuccis.com.au

Barker's 30th stretched well into the evening of Saturday the 4th, so when we were invited for a hang over breakfast late that night, we both accepted quickly, knowing that we would definitely need it the next morning! Arriving a little late, we came into this small and well decorated cafe to the smell of fresh coffee and great food around us. Already, we knew we were going to like it! First thing first, coffee. It arrived quickly, was strong and was at a good temperature without being burnt.

A sign of a good menu, I believe, is when there are so many good possibilities on the menu, you struggle to know which one to have. When the orders were placed, we did not have to wait long until the meal arrived. Andrew chose to have the big breakfast that morning. It looked great and according to him "it was very tasty, satisfying and difficult to finish". Chris, one of the friends we were out with ordered the same thing and seemed similarly pleased with what he got. He, however also ordered a plate of bruschetta for the boys to share. Although delicious, I think the boys regretted ordering - obviously their eyes were bigger than their bellies! For myself, I indulged in corn fritters with spinach, avocado and bacon. They were amazing and I am sure I am going to have trouble convincing myself to try something other than them the next time we head to Santucci's. What a wonderful way to begin a Sunday!

Archie's Fish and Chips

Where: 7 Barlyn Road, Mount Waverley, Vic, Australia
When: Friday 24th June, 2011, Dinner
Occasion: Friday night on the couch
Wine: Hunters Hill Chardonnay

After recently moving into the area, Andrew and I have been looking for a new fish and chip spot. A first we tried a few ourselves, then decided to ask a few of the locals for where to find the best. It was the Smiths who put us onto Archie and his fabulous fish and chips. Although we often only just get there before the 8:30pm closing time on a Friday, we always leave happy. Archie has won Andrew over as he makes his own calamari and crumbs it in a herb batter. The prawns are done the same. Without asking, Archie even understands the need for chicken salt on some things and not on others! For about $25 we can go all out, having 2 pieces of fish, 2 prawns, 4 calimari, 4 potato cakes, 2 dim sims and a minimum chips with lemon and tartars sauce. Add a bottle of white wine and the footy and you have a fabulous night on the couch!

Thai Tables

Where: 737 Mountain Highway, Bayswater, Vic, Australia
When: Sunday 26th June, 2011, Dinner
Occasion: Catch up with friends
Wine: BYO - South Island Sauvignon Blanc

This restaurant has come highly recommended to us from many different people so we thought it was about time we visited. The restaurant is clean, the staff are friendly and the food is delicious! We began with a $10 entree platter each which included spring rolls, money bags, fish cakes, curry puffs and prawn wrapped in pastry. For mains we shared a Penang curry, a beef stir fry with basil and garlic, a serve of roti and some coconut rice. Although there was evidence of kafir limes in the coconut rice, it really tasted like plain rice. The roti was fresh and had a good contrast between crispiness and chewiness. The curry and stir fry was full of flavour and both were well priced. We left the for $60 for the two of us including corkage.