Spice Temple (Sydney) - I'll Leave You Numb, Part One

The dishes mentioned in this article are also available at Spice Temple Melbourne at the Crown Casino. Part two of this article will be the review of the Melbourne property and I will attempt describe the subtle differences (mainly in ambiance) between the Sydney and Melbourne locations but generally speaking the menus are nearly identical.

I have been meaning to return to the Spice Temple at Crown Casino for many moons just to experience the Yum Cha menu, which is constrained to the Melbourne location for lunch (at least at the time of this writing) but also reflect on the restaurant as a whole. After visiting a favourite haunt of mine, Spice Temple in Sydney last week, I though the forthcoming second part of this post would be best to reflect on the subtle differences between the two restaurants and try to ascertain why the Sydney location has been awarded two hats by the SMH and its Melbourne sister was awarded only one coveted hat by The Age. It is important stuff in the world of this epicurean, especially since I love spice, fire and generally speaking everything that Neil Perry and the Rockpool empire are creating these days.

When I lived in Sydney, I used to visit Spice Temple all of the time and used to use it as an effective vehicle for the long and relaxed boozy lunch. This is one of the very few restaurants in Sydney that is hard to find. Much like the Gin Palace and the near hidden door that you must find on Russell Place to gain entry, Spice Temple has an unmarked door at 10 Bligh Street that leads you down a sinister staircase under the old insurance building that interestingly enough cost Neil Perry $35M to transform it into Rockpool Bar and Grill - in my opinion, the most beautiful restaurant in Sydney. This is something that both restaurants have in common with its Melbourne siblings, they are right next to one another, or in the case of Sydney, on top of one another.

Upon alighting into the depths of Spice Temple you will find a modest bar and friendly humans that will greet you and if your party has arrived, you will be shown to your table in the dining room. If you are waiting for people or even require "one for the road" later, there are full bar facilities available. This experience for me was a bit sombre as I was celebrating, or more appropriately having a farewell lunch with a mate who decided that Sydney is no longer for him and his family and is relocating his brood to Hong Kong. It seemed a fitting to return to Spice Temple as when we were last here together he quite enjoyed it and also the flavours inherent in the dishes on offer.

The holy combination of wine and water was ordered and we quickly decided to resurrect an old favourite from the menu - Kung Pao chicken with Sichuan pepper corns, heaven facing chillies and cashews ($38) which always gives me a red face. You simply would go mad if you ate all of the chillies that accompany this dish and the chicken in turn tastes like the traditional Chinese dish. Hoping to let the burn subside in my mouth was ameliorated as I found respite in the seemingly continuous flow of 2009 Domaine Bois de Boursan GSM, Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Rhone Valley, France) a slow flame flickered ultimately but for a spice lover like for me and my mate, the burn was so worth it.

Hot and numbing crispy duck ($42) followed. The "numbing" theme is available in the wagyu beef and pork dishes however if you want prawns, they will only tingle if you trust the menu. Besides the requisite spice, this dish, and the others mentioned, will actually numb your tongue and your lips as Sichuan pepper has been added. The pepper is what is responsible for the numbing sensation which is caused by its 3% hydroxy alpha sanshool that sets the foundations for the spice. It is a strange feeling and it worth trying as it does make the dining experience unique. Did I forget to mention the duck? It was cooked to perfection and you certainly are able to taste it fully and pair it with the wine before the Sichuan pepper takes over for a short amount of time.

The sommelier was finding us amusing as I requested a bottle of 2003 E. Knoll ‘Loibner Smaragd’ Riesling (Wachau, Austria) to follow and thought that we would be intrigued if not challenged by the fire within the Sichuan style Wagyu beef hotpot with wild bamboo pit and tofu ($45) as the final main course so we took him up on the challenge. Although the beef was soft and a delight when combined with the other components of the hotpot, this dish did not have the intensity of the previous two. Perhaps our senses were bastardised by the abuse of spice and the wine, but I did not consider it spicy at all. Others may disagree with me.

The dark subterranean room is illuminated by strategically placed lights so that you feel that you are in a dark place but you really are not. Matched with the service which was flexible and always attentive to our inherent needs for water and wine along with the fact that we were not in a rush made not only the 3.5 hour lunch but this farewell experience for my mate a success.

Spice Temple

Link to review

10 Bligh Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 8078 1888

http://www.rockpool.com/sydney/spice-temple/

My Rating: 16/20

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Quality: 4/5

Value For Money: 4/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 84% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Spice Temple.

Stokehouse Cafe - Nouveau Riche Defined

There was a certain amount of buzz when Leonardo DiCaprio was in Sydney enjoying the company of the local lovely ladies and of course filming The Great Gatsby which is supposed to be a triumph (sic) of Hollywood film-making. Much like Leo's visit was highly anticipated in Sydney and like some are looking forward to this movie, I was anticipating the opening of the newly renovated Stokehouse Cafe on Jacka Boulevard, downstairs from the original Stokehouse, for many long months whilst I watched the construction evolve.

Putting both the "upstairs" and "downstairs" of the Stokehouse in perspective is like pondering the overarching themes in The Great Gatsby. The "Upstairs" formal restaurant at the Stokehouse, like in East Egg in the Gatsby world is the fashionable, high-status, conservative, old money crowd where characters like Tom and Daisy from the book would be prone to dine. The "downstairs" cafe, like in the West Egg of the Gatsby world, is less fashionable and less moneyed - "nouveau riche" by definition.

The Stokehouse Cafe is a great place to "people-watch" both outside on the St Kilda esplanade if you are one of the fortunate ones to get one of the few tables that are seemingly occupied by the same people for hours at a time drinking their same glass of water, but also inside as it is a virtual rogues gallery of locals, holiday-makers and desperate housewives to say the least.

When I presented myself to the kiosk with one other and requested a table, we decided to sit at the bar as it gave us some views of Port Phillip Bay which are not commanding when sitting on the floor considering inevitably one person would have their back to the view. It also gave me an opportunity to observe the kitchen which in retrospect was more fascinating compared to the bay and the people roaming around on the esplanade from afar. The kitchen really has their act together and manage a huge amount of orders in short period of time. The food rarely backed up and I observed an attention to detail that is not usually afforded to the customer in a cafe, however since this one carries the Stokehouse name, I expected nothing less really.

Two cuttlefish skewers with lemon, chilli and parsley ($12) were ordered to share as a starter. Given that the kitchen at any given time had around 25 active tickets, I was surprised to see this starter come out in a reasonable time. In fact I was impressed. The cuttlefish was good however I would have liked to have seen more chilli, but that is just a personal preference. Given the high volume of food that this place produces and the heavy seasonal and transient crowd, I am not surprised that the spice factor is kept very low.

For the mains, for the lack of a better word, but I would refer to them as a continuation, a chilli dog - made of spicy pork sausage, manchego, and jalapeno mayonnaise ($8) was ordered along with the "special" Rangers valley rump steak "from the pit" with chermoula ($28) along with a side of a reasonably priced ($8) Sicilian potato salad. I simply tasted the jalapeno mayonnaise and found it both creamy with once again not much heat, but I was told that it complimented the sausage well. I was surprised to see a chermoula complimenting a rump steak from their "pit" as the flavour of the Moroccan paste overwhelmed the flavours that the fire pit would have given the steak. As a bonus, you do receive a fair amount of steak, in my case, three pieces however my preference would for the cafe to increase the quality of the steak and decrease the portion size.

A chocolate, peanut butter and jelly ice cream sandwich ($10) along with a baked cherry cheesecake ($9) finished us off. Good summer desserts. The staff were very attentive and were always happy to provide drink refills without being asked. Given the high volume of people, there is well proportioned amount of staff, all of them very busy and professional.

The Stokehouse Cafe is not meant to be a fine dining location. It is supposed to be a casual place to dine, relax, meet friends and have simple yet decent food. Besides the steak, I did not find the portion sizes huge but what you do not get in quantity, you are compensated with quality. This is beach-front dining on the St Kilda esplanade and not Qualia on Hamilton Island so you are going to see tourists with prams, people wandering in with their shirt off and in different states of undress and all sorts of nonsense that you would never see upstairs, but does that matter? If you keep your perspective, a good time will be had and your will enjoy yourself like I did.

Stokehouse Cafe

Link to review

30 Jacka Blvd., St Kilda VIC 3182
(03) 9421 4599

http://www.stokehousecafe.com.au

My Rating: 13/20

Service: 3/5

Ambiance: 3.25/5

Quality: 3.25/5

Value For Money: 3.5/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 57% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Stokehouse Cafe however with 38 votes at the time of this writing, it is a small sample.

Don Don Swanson Street - Cheap Monday

After paying my credit card bill for the previous month of debauchery, I thought it would be appropriate if not necessary to visit a few smaller and cheaper places and find a few winners around Melbourne before the weekend comes (or I lose interest in this phase) and I continue my epicurean journey through The Age Good Food Guide winners and of course drink at some new bars just for fun since I haven't done a rambling review of a drinking hole in a while.

It was with only a few pink notes and coins on my person I went out yesterday looking for "cheap eats" which are not really fun to write about as not much has to be involved in the decision making process to buy something cheap and cheerful and go on your merry way. If you find it disgusting or delightful, you really don't take the time to tell your friends because what did you lose in the end? A $10 note? Surely nobody wants to read about such a tale on here. I suppose I will find out.

So I meandered to Don Don on the corner of Swanston Street and Little Lonsdale Street. It is known seemingly as a popular Japanese teppanyaki takeaway and on this occasion, the queue for service was spilled out on to the street. Still being in a relaxed holiday mode, I had nowhere else to be so I happily joined the queue to see what all the fuss was about.

This is a small venue and doesn't accommodate many seats for the ravenous diners. By the time I got to the counter and placed an order for a Teriyaki Chicken ($7) sweat was dripping down my back and through other crevasses throughout my body. It was hot in this place and with two queues; one for service and one to pick up food, I can't say it would have been very comfortable for the handful of people that choose to eat in the amazon rainforest-like conditions.

After ordering, I joined the other queue to pick up my order, I was amazed at how efficient the staff were in getting punters out of there and filling orders. As there are a few tables outside and of course the green grass outside of the State Library across the street, there are other relaxed facilities to eat what incidentally I found find to be tasty takeaway. Cheap and cheerful indeed which beats the flavour of anything that you would get at Melbourne Central. I found very little cartilage attached to the chicken, which was freshly grilled. It is really good value for money in the area and you don't mind having a good sweat it is worth a visit.

Top it off with a $1 large frozen coke from Hungry Jack's and a $7 ticket to see "Quartet" at the Palace Kino cinema and I was able to occupy myself and be satisfied for $15 all up for the afternoon. Now that is a cheap Monday worth writing and talking about.

Don Don

Link to review

321 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9662 3377

no web site

My Rating:N/A

Service: n/a

Ambiance: n/a

Quality: n/a

Value For Money: n/a

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 92% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Don Don Swanston Street.

Baby Cafe & Pizzeria - Chin Chin's Sibling

My second visit to Baby Cafe & Pizzeria in Richmond turned out better than my first. After attempting to take on the hipsters and hungry mob in general on a Saturday night after drinking frenzies at Ponyfish Island, Der Raum and Bar Americano, not to mention a hedonistic lunch at Movida, a one hour wait during my previous visit finally yielded a table however after waiting fifteen minutes for a menu or some sort of service after being seated - any service - we abandoned hope and left.

So it was with great anticipation of better things that I dined at Baby yesterday, commencing the New Year with hearty food, a few tasty alcoholic beverages and words shared by exordium to commence a new era of reviews on this blog. As Baby was one of the few places in Melbourne actually open and serving a full menu on New Years Day, I was not only excited to get some sustenance but finally be able to experience what the sibling to Chin Chin had to offer.

Feeling a bit energetic even though I had not fully shaken off the effects afforded to my body from a wild and rampant New Years Eve, I had the great idea to start 2013 off on a healthy foot (sic) and walk to Richmond via the beautiful banks of the Yarra River with the epicurean emo in tow. It was a beautiful day and by the time we presented ourselves at Baby after a 45 minute walk, I was very thirsty.

Cans of Red Peroni were delivered. Cans? I suppose Chris Lucas never professed that this is a genuine Italian clone, but seemingly more of an interpretation of what is fun and can work. The cans would become a fixture on our table after ordering the Banchetto. Like how Chin Chin offers the "Feed Me!" banquet, Baby does the same for $66 per person and I was happy to permit the restaurant to make the hard choices for us.

Offerings for the banquet are extracted from nearly all parts of the menu. Salumi misti (mixed daily selection of cured meats) are served on a board with optional bread along with marinated vegetables before the carpaccio di kingfish (kingfish carpaccio with lemon zest and mint) arrived. The vegetables and meat were a nice way to start and cleansed my palate which in turn  prepared it for the delicate carpaccio.

The San Daniele prosciutto pizza followed. Heavy on the rocket and proschiutto but highlighted by the fried crust which I thought was tasty but also leaves the Baby signature on your experience. This is a new and very interesting way to prepare pizza. I liked it because the crust was thin. As a contrast, the bloke at the table next to us was complaining that his suckling pig pizza tasted too "cheesy" which I thought was an odd thing to say.

A hearty Pappardelle con ricotta di bufala pasta followed. The mix of copious amounts of ricotta, basil and pinenuts made this my favourite dish however when it was finished, I was left holding my engorged stomach not even thinking that I could drink any more beer. Service was kind enough to give us some time before the next dishes came out thankfully. Speaking of which, service remained interested and thoughtfully refilled our water and was always there to restore our cans of Peroni when required.

Pesce al forno (blue eyed cod, clams, tomatoes with salsa verde) along with a piselli prosciutto e mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella, san daniele prosciutto, shaved pecorino, peas and mint) finished the Insalate course. The latter being the most visually appealing dish of the night called out to me to finish my fair share. On occasion I would look passionately at the long padded bench that I was sitting on against the wall and ponder how nice it would be to have a deep and long sleep. I certainly was not going to walk back to Southbank.

The restaurant was not finished with us yet. Two desserts from the Dolci menu arrived to finish off the banquet - gelati e sorbetti (red, white and green sorbet and gelato) along with sfinci al cioccolato (hot cinnamon doughnuts and chocolate sauce) and despite struggling hard, I was able to finish my fair share and win this Test match.

Toward the end of the banquet, the restaurant was filled nearly to capacity and it was 2:30 PM. It reminded me that the place does get loud when busy but given the nature of the menu is to share, the restaurant is casual in nature, with a good area outside to languish around drinking whilst waiting for a table, or even whilst waiting for your takeaway, the noise can be excused as you do not go to Baby to fine dine. More so to be with friends, have a wild time and not have your palate challenged.

It took quite some time for me to roll up to the Swan to have a few more pints and recover from the onslaught of food at Baby. It doesn't leave such an intense impression on you after you leave that its sibling Chin Chin does however for a casual eatery, it will give you what you want and some sense of satisfaction despite the time of day that you visit. There was a steady flow of people ordering coffee and pizza and I know that I will certainly be back with to pick-up a suckling pig pizza to takeaway as if that other bloke would go out of his way to complain that something is too "cheesy" really makes me want it more.

Baby Cafe & Pizzeria

Link to review

631-633 Church St  Richmond VIC 3121
(03) 9421 4599

http://www.babypizza.com.au

My Rating: 13.5/20

Service: 3.25/5

Ambiance: 3/5

Quality: 3.25/5

Value For Money: 4/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 61% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Baby Cafe & Pizzeria.

The Best of 2012 - Live While We're Young

The links on this page take you to my respective review.

It has been six months since I started this writing this blog. What started as a novel and interesting experiment has turned into a ritual for me and has made the time that I have spent in Melbourne since relocating here from Sydney earlier in the year much more fulfilling. Thanks for taking the time to read my rambling posts and for the support.

In the spirit of adding to the hundreds of "best of" lists that are on offer, I thought I would summarise what received the highest scores on my weighted rankings page and extrapolate a few of the scores into words.

My best overall dining and drinking experience that I had in 2012 was at Jacques Reymond. It not only received my highest score for "ambiance" and also for "service" but the complete experience was the most memorable and enjoyable.

Flinders Island Wallaby starred in two of my favourite degustation menus for the year. First of course it was featured in my sublime experience at Jacques Reymond but I first enjoyed it at Attica and after musing about them both for hours and talking to people (and probably boring them) for just as long, I prefer the way Ben Shewry of Attica has devised the way to serve the beast. There are two distinct contrasting styles too so the diner wins in the end ultimately. Best regards to Flinders Island Meats for providing this meat to these extremely talented chefs so plebeians like me can enjoy it. 

With Attica in mind, it received the highest score with "quality" in mind. Running the gamut of the high quality produce grown on site, the much maligned potato prepared in its own dirt which I thought was brilliant, the King George Whiting in paperbark, the marron, the aptly named Plight of the Bees, the multiple playful amuse-bouche, and of course the simple but truly divine Flinders Island wallaby, Attica was a stand-out for excellence not only in the quality of food but also the matching beverages. I was blown away.

Although I could not fault the "service" that I got at Jacques Reymond, another and more important consistent example is the professionalism afforded to you at Flower Drum. After visiting Flower Drum for the better part of a decade I can not recall a time when service was not "perfect" and when you get to the chance to watch the team prepare and serve Peking Duck, you know that you are in the midst of professionals who go out of their way to make the diner comfortable.

Value for money can be interpreted in many different ways. I think of it as having both variation and quality, yet an amusing and professional experience which is memorable for positive reasons at a reasonable price. This theme has taken on a few different incarnations since I started writing the blog. One of the most surprising finds for me was Naked For Satan in Fitzroy on a weekday afternoon. Besides the infused vodkas and craft beer on offer, they provide a wide variety of pinxtos (Basque for snacks or tapas) for $1 per serve at the bar. You simply save your toothpicks and pay when you are finished and are on the "honour system" throughout your drinking and grazing experience. I have always found the pinxtos to be tasty, colourful, fresh and exciting and they certainly enable you to polish off a fair share of their extensive list of infused vodkas. Besides having an interesting ambiance and back-story, I think this one of the hidden gems of Melbourne. After priming yourself at Naked For Satan, it is easy to wander across the street and play the latest video games and drink some strong cocktails at Mana Bar, or even enjoy the hospitality of my favourite find with respect to bars this year, Black Pearl.

With Black Pearl and bars in mind, the appreciation of bars is always subjective and directly relates to your company, ambiance, service and is indeed more experience based than many other things in life. For that reason time after time this year, I have found myself sitting on a stool at Der Raum in Richmond and consider it about as perfect you can get, at least using my personal criteria. Der Raum is currently being renovated and will re-open in February 2013 and I am really excited to see what Matthew Bax and the team will come up for its next iteration. I had the pleasure of attending Bar Americano many times over the year which is the little (and I mean little) sister to Der Raum, in the CBD and along with Black Pearl, those bars are my favourite finds for the year. My most pleasant surprise though took place at The Den (under) The Atlantic restaurant at Crown Casino. I was never expecting to find such a cool yet comfortable bar at Crown that features live music. It is now one of my locals.

Not to digress from the "value for money" theme, I can't help think what Virginia Plain and chef Andy Harmer and sommelier Raúl Moreno Yagüe have on offer. The first time I was there, I experienced the $89 seven course "chefs choice" degustation and was able to leave not only full but very satisfied not only with the quality of food and ultimately paired beverages (for a surcharge) but with the experience in general. I have since returned a few times, not only for a quiet beer at the bar but also for a hedonistic custom degustation and wine pairing extravaganza. Virginia Plain in my opinion most effectively uses Twitter (@virginiaplainau) to best disseminate propaganda that is both fun and engaging and and along with South Wharf Promenade (@swpromenade) I always feel confident that when I scroll through my timeline at any given part of the day I will find some useful information from one of those sources.

Moving over to the South Wharf Promenade, my jaw dropped when I visited Akachochin. This place just surprised me and exceeded all of my expectations. Besides being a great Japanese Izakaya, they have a wonderful sushi bar with some of the best and freshest fish that I have had the pleasure of experiencing in Melbourne. Along with the service and ambiance, this was the surprise find of the year for me. Being a big fan of Maedaya in Richmond, which is one of the best value for money izakayas around, I thought Akachochin took the whole experience to the next level though.

Breakfast is always a meal that I never took very seriously but in recent times I have found myself at various places that specialise in it around Melbourne. With the aim mainly to prepare myself before watching the cricket (read, have a full stomach to absorb beer) these venues were not only fun but relaxed and strangely, served great food and coffee. My last review of the year was all about St Ali in South Melbourne and it certainly left the most profound impression on me. Three Bags Full in Abbotsford and Chez Dre in South Melbourne are also stand-outs and experiences that I really enjoyed.

Looking to the future, when the next The Age Good Food Guide comes out in 2013, I not only predict but expect Neil Perry's Rosetta to be awarded two hats and Sake Restaurant to end up with one respectively. Rosetta was my most anticipated opening of 2012 and it did not disappoint. This is the best Italian food in Melbourne and when combined with the almost opulent yet classy fit-out, professional service and location, it made it a true contender for my experience of the year.

Mexican-themed restaurants were the big rage, if not a trend in Melbourne in 2012. I love Mexican inspired food and I rushed to try every place a few times. Time after time, Senoritas in the CBD delivered. It is as close to "authentic" as I have found and when mixed with the dark ambiance, great bar and most importantly the menu it is a true winner. The team certainly knows how to make a good fish taco and along with tacos al carbon and a balmain bug dashed with habanero chilli, they kept me coming back repeatedly.

Finally I thought about where I would eat every day in a perfect world. My hedonistic personality demands a quality yet malleable menu, great wine list and a flexible environment. Another contender for one of my best experiences of the year, Movida ticks all of the boxes. I never tire of the tapas on offer, the wine list, the affable and professional staff and the convenience of it being centrally located in a quirky laneway in the CBD. I have found myself stumbling into this place unannounced on multiple occasions over the last six months and have always left happy and giddy. The hedonist in me demands that I frequent this place more often in 2013 because you really do not have to enjoy everything on the tapas menu to be satisfied and can instead have a couple of dishes at the active bar, a bottle of wine and toddle off to other venues highlighted above and truly be content. I even bought one of Frank Camorra's cookbooks... that is how in to Movida I am.

Best wishes for a great and safe 2013 and here is hoping that your wine bottle never goes dry.

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

St Ali - Big Morning Out

Following on from good breakfasts and equally good times in the last few months with the highlights being Hardware Sociéte, Three Bags Full and Chez Dré I was told that I would not be considered one of those "cool kids" if I did not attend St Ali in South Melbourne before the years end and of course before I compose my much anticipated "Best of 2012 list" which is forthcoming.

St Ali, like the aforementioned fine morning establishements was packed when I presented myself with one other hungry and thirsty soul. The wait time I was advised would be a mere fifteen minutes which passed quickly. The eatery is housed in what appears to be a converted warehouse on a side-street in South Melbourne that shows some of the typical Melbourne "character" that the locals have come to appreciate and almost expect. Metal roller doors act as windows and the loading dock when opened exposes part of the dining room. The place is easy to find if you keep an eye out for a crowd hanging outside a random building on Yarra Place.

When our name was called and we were shown to our place at a communal table, the hostess immediately asked if we would be keen to order coffee. I thought that was very efficient as normally you are seated and wait a while for the pleasure.

The place had a good vibe with background music that did not intrude, but yet complimented the environment. The staff actually smiled when you dealt with them and everyone in general that worked there looked like they were enjoying themselves which was remarkable if not refreshing in the morning. Posters for the Big Day Out 2013 are affixed to the wall and the menu even has a Big Day Out theme which made me fondly recall concerts from yesteryear, which I thought was fun and convenient enough for those who haven't thought about the forthcoming festival which is touring in January 2013. You have the opportunity to purchase a ticket direct from St Ali along with a premium beef burger for the package price of $165. One stop shopping indeed.

The clever menu highlights a breakfast called My Mexican Cousin, which inspired the name of the restaurant at the Melbourne Theatre Company. Despite being intrigued as what could be so delectable that would cause the naming of a restaurant when I also like, I chose the Full Spanglish ($21.50) breakfast which included two eggs cooked at 63c for 63 minutes, house beans, blood sausage, Istra bacon, portobello mushrooms and house-dried tomato on sourdough. Freshly squeezed juices complement the one-source coffee, which lives up to expectations and the plaudits as so many of the "cool kids" that have recommended this place told me to go for the coffee (and to stop walking to St Kilda for my poor alternatives) and I wholeheartedly now agree with them. I may have to start wandering by for takeaway coffee in the new year. Dining in, you are provided a small flask of hot water so you can make, in my case, your long black, as strong (or weak) as you want which I thought was a nice touch.

The food was served in a reasonable amount of time and when I requested another long black, it was delivered with a smile. The eggs on the sourdough were great and the blood sausage and gourmet quality bacon complimented them well. Such care was taken with the eggs (or at least it appeared so) that I thought I was holidaying on Hamilton Island at Qualia as that was the last time that eggs have made an impact on me not withstanding fights I had with them as a randy teenager on Halloween.

Paypass facilities made payment a quick one when we decided to go and I left feeling not only satisfied but a bit happier compared to when I arrived. For that alone, it was worth the money.

I am not sure that the "cool kids" will consider me one of their clique now that I have been to St Ali but I reckon I am a better person for having the experience. If you fancy driving to this place, be aware that on Sunday you can park on the street without having to worry about being fined as there are no parking restrictions on Sunday.

St Ali

Link to review

12 Yarra Place  South Melbourne VIC 3205
(03) 9686 2990

http://www.stali.com.au

My Rating: 13/20

Service: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 3.25/5

Quality: 3.25/5

Value For Money: 3/5

Comment: Unrestricted street parking on Sunday

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 79% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like St Ali.

Hofbräuhaus - Das Oompah

I thought it was intriguing to find a German bier hall on Market Lane, intermixed with the likes of Flower Drum and Hutong Dumpling Bar on the fringe of Chinatown. After enjoying many meals at Bavarian Bier Cafe, if you can classify a meal as multiple steins of beer and some sort of heavy meat, sauerkraut, potatoes and some very attractive seemingly Aryan staff and also the fun, lively and seemingly ethnic feeling that Löwenbräu Keller in Sydney has on tap, I thought that Hofbräuhaus would be a happy medium between the two.

Walking into the restaurant, we were greeted by the kids taking part in Play School however Noni and Simon were not to be seen. Children were running around with reckless abandon. A lovely lady ultimately came down the stairs from the Bier Hall and greeted us. We said we were very hungry and thirsty and when pressed, expressed a desire to sit upstairs since Play School was in session on the ground floor. We were taken upstairs and seated with the other sane patrons who were enjoying business lunches and a sense of serenity, for a while that is.

Hofbräuhaus has many menus. Many specials are advertised and are attributed to the various parts of the day and nights. Lunch specials, dinner specials, parma nights, student nights and various times that the oompah band (translate: a four piece Bavarian-style band that plays German tunes, that is deemed to be fun party entertainment) would be performing in the bier hall upstairs. The instruments were already set-up, ready and waiting to be played. Having seen the oompah band many times at Löwenbräu Keller, it is good fun provided you go with a large group and people are in the mood for such an experience.

I simply had the German Bratwurst as I as more interested in refreshing myself with steins (litres) of Spatan (from Munich) and having a bit of a chat. The children from Play School found the staircase and started running up and down it after taking intermissions in the bier hall at this time.

The service was fine and the food was what I was expected. I would later find the server quite embarrassed as multiple people had mentioned the wild children and I found out that the large group of them downstairs actually belong to the "boss" which I found fascinating. I never really considered a German restaurant with a bier hall an ideal place to host a party for children especially if you are the manager, but who am I to judge. With all of the commotion, when my stein was vacated, I happily paid the tab and left a tip for the lovely server and got the hell out of there. If you think the oompah band can be loud, the band had nothing on this group of children.

Check this place out if you have a large group, want some decent heavy food and are prepared for a noisy time at communal tables. It is good fun for the random times in your life that you want a german-themed big night (or lunch without the band) but with the other choices in the area, you will not go through withdrawals if your visits to Hofbräuhaus are limited to those few big beery occasions in your life or the requisite visit during Oktoberfest.

Hofbräuhaus

Link to review

24 Market Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone:(03) 9663 3361

http://www.hofbrauhaus.com.au/

My Rating: N/A

Service: N/A

Ambiance: N/A

Quality: N/A

Value For Money: N/A

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 83% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Hofbräuhaus.

Mamak - A Malaysian Surprise

I choose to eat at Mamak on Lonsdale Street frankly because the other places that I turned up to recently without a booking were not able to accommodate us on a whim. I had heard rumblings that Mamak, which flogs Malaysian food was decent but the queues were pretty intense every time that I wandered by previously. I really did not know what to expect so we fronted up at around 2:00 PM hoping to avoid some of the perceived madness, which we did fortunately.

The wait at 2:00 PM was not bad at all. In fact it took about three minutes to get a seat which was not at a communal table and I was grateful. Although the menus were thrust into our faces quickly, it still took about 15 minutes to get service to take our order. During this time I was able to admire the relatively modern fit-out, something that you usually do not expect in a Malaysian restaurant. There is an open and clean kitchen near the entrance for you to view whilst you either wait for a table or even relax whilst your takeaway is being prepared. Takeaway is available very late at night on Friday and Saturday and would make a somewhat healthy alternative to pizza and kebabs in the area especially if you have been pubbing it.

Multiple dishes were ordered including the Kari ayam ($16) which is classic chicken curry supposedly cooked with freshly ground spices and chunky potatoes. This was probably the only dish that I thought was average mainly because of the amount of cartilage which was probably enough to choke a small hound but we persevered. A lamb Murtabak ($11.50) also was served with two curry dips and was was purported to be a spicy sambal sauce but in fact it was quite mild. This dish along with the chicken skewers, was the highlight of my experience. It was a good blend of meat, cabbage and onion in a pastry. You are advised that you need to wait 15 minutes for the Murtabak to be made, which is fine especially when you are left to sip the Teh 'O' als limau ($3.50) which is iced tea and lime - damned good iced tea in fact.

I tasted a sweet roti, but as it has never been my thing, I really shouldn't comment either way however all of the desserts that I saw others ordering were large, colourful and looked rather good.

What I liked about this place is the modern fit-out and when you actually got your order in, the service was very efficient. Sometimes too efficient though as they attempted to deliver far too many plates to the small table at the same time which caused a problem, but in the end, you are not really paying much for decent food and atmosphere, so why bother getting annoyed about the little things - when essentially that is all they are.

Mamak

Link to review

366 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone:(03) 9670 3137

http://www.mamak.com.au/

My Rating: N/A

Service: N/A

Ambiance: N/A

Quality: N/A

Value For Money: N/A

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 68% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Mamak Restaurant.

Sake Restaurant - Hitting The Nail On The Head

Sake Restaurant which opened a few months ago at the newly redeveloped Hamer Hall at the Arts Centre Melbourne in Southbank is a concept that has been tried and refined through years of the brand successfully trading in Sydney and most recently Brisbane so I was looking forward to a polished and professional experience.

Situated at the St Kilda Road-end of the Southbank Promenade, the restaurant and bar have incorporated the design success and choices for that matter from their Brisbane property utilising the river to its advantage so when the weather is actually pleasing in our fine city of Melbourne that it doesn't matter if you are looking for a coffee, snack, alcoholic beverage or running the full gamut of seafood offerings, you will feel comfortable.

On this dining occasion, I had just seen Skyfall, and as I had deprived myself of food and beverage all day, when the epicurean emo and I presented ourselves very late one afternoon recently and announced that we wanted to eat and drink the restaurant into destitution, they were happy to oblige. Although there were spaces outside available which afforded views of the beautiful (sic) Yarra River which makes a good location for people watching, we instead opted for seats at the sushi bar since I am always keen to observe the chefs in action. The sushi bar actually mimics a proper bar and unlike at the Sydney property (and most sushi bars for that matter) the bar is not made of clear glass so there would be no show let alone fish on display.

The service manager, Scott, quickly came over to introduce himself and organised some Asahi beer for us to start proceedings. Scott is an interesting character who obviously took pride in his job and actually enjoyed it. I suppose working in Southbank does have its advantages and with the steady flow of professionals, locals and tourists all congregating in the same place, I am sure that I would find a great amount of amusement if not challenge in an environment myself.

A tuna tasting plate for two ($33) and sashimi tacos ($17) where our first foray into this locations epicurean goodness. The tuna and avacado sushi rolls were fresh, the white dressing enhanced the tuna takai salad and the tuna tacos, which are really just that, tuna sashimi in very small and delicate taco shells were easily consumed and washed down the gob with a shot of Kozaemon Junmai sake shot which is included in the price of the tasting plate. It only takes one taste of sake before I am in the zone so I immediately finished off my Asahi beer and then switched my allegiance to the sake list, which is quite extensive and I chose the first, which would not be the last, large carafe of Ymanadanishi.

Sake Restaurant is known for a few signature dishes. I decided to reacquaint myself with a few starting with the kingfish jalapeno ($22) which is Hiramasa kingfish with yuku soy topped with slices of jalapeno and coriander. Four of my favourite tastes merged into one certainly was not going to lead to a complaint but just a greater enthusiasm and a thirst for more of the fine sake but I could not help to see the similarities to the dish of the same name that you can get at Nobu. The patron ends up with more quantity of of fish though at Sake Restaurant whilst the quality remains consistently high.

Moving on to the Sushi Maki (cut rolls) part of the menu next, we ordered a couple rounds of dynamite rolls ($16) which include spicy tuna, shredded onion and cucumber with spicy tobiko. I could eat dynamite rolls like tortilla chips when they are prepared correctly and Sake Restaurant did not disappoint. Again, there was a fair quantity of fish, and rolls for that matter on offer, where the quality again remained high. Being in a cut roll mood, we then moved to the aptly named kingfish double crunch ($16) which incorporated the flavours of the signature dish, kingfish and jalapeno mayo with coriander, cucumber, tempura crunch (both inside and out) accompanied with a sweet soy and spicy tobiko. Again, a highly addictive roll and offering that made me lick my lips and down the sake like a madman in appreciation. Finally we ordered the nixon ($22) which consisted of a grilled eel enhanced with cream cheese, cucumber and tempura crunch mixed with jalapeno mayo once again but rolled inside out with avacado. A good reuse of the core ingredients and they complimented not only the sake but the eel and the cream cheese.

Throughout my visit, which lasted about three hours, the service remained engaging and professional. Once they realised that we both had dined at a Sake Restaurant incarnation before they were happy to leave us to our own devices to interpret and take pleasure from the menu at our own pace which was appreciated. I was not in a rush and the restaurant was happy to continually provide a consistent level of good service in a very clean and sleek setting. When thinking about Nobu and Koko and my recently experiences there, I would not only chose Sake Restaurant but recommend it with no hesitation.

Sake Restaurant in both Sydney and Brisbane are consistently awarded chef hats in the respective Good Food Guides and I believe that the Melbourne location has replicated the same winning formula so I am sure we can all look forward to another hatted entry in The Age Good Food Guide next year.  

Sake Restaurant and Bar

Link to review

Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne

100 St Kilda Road, Southbank VIC 3004

Phone:(03) 8687 0775

http://www.sakerestaurant.com.au/melbourne

My Rating: 14.75/20

Service: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 3.75/5

Quality: 4/5

Value For Money: 3.5/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 70% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Sake Restaurant.