Red Spice Road - The Holden Plant of McKillop Street

After I cleansing Alpha Ale at the Boatbuilders Yard at South Wharf, I went to The Pub at Crown to watch the Collingwood/Hawthorn game. We all know that the Magpies are not so mighty after their performance and really that is all that needs to be said. I was looking forward to watching the delayed broadcast of the Manly/Bulldogs NRL fixture on Channel Nine at around midnight though. I got home just in time, hopped in bed, put it on and was pleased to see the Manly Sea Eagles get a try and then ultimately lead at half time. They were on fire. My phone chirped. A new text message. It was after midnight so I thought it must be a drunkard. It was a mate in Sydney making a comment about someone that we know but he ended the next saying "At least the Bulldogs won so it was a good night" and I was gutted. What a waste of time. I put the game on mute and decided to put the phone to good use and watch Janoskians videos where they cause an uproar in various fast food outlets and in Federation Square. After the disappointing night all around with the sport, I needed a good laugh as I wasn't getting a root, but anyway...

It has been a varied week with respect to dining. I have travelled around the world in a way, first discovering some awesome yet delicate Japanese flavours at Izakaya Den followed by a great chicken parma at The Exchange Hotel and later delicious jamon croquettes and prawn pizza at Henry and the Fox. What I really wanted was some SE Asian flavours and a full frontal attack of spice so I took the advice of a mate and went to Red Spice Road on McKillop Street for lunch.

The first thing I noticed after being greeted by the attractive and friendly hostess is that this place is not really set up for tables of two or four and that there are a number of very long tables. Not so much a hippy communal set-up like you would find at Wagamama or even the one that I experienced when dining at Hardware Societe but they appeared to be set up for large group dining. I don't know about you, but when I am invited, or when I am forced to attend corporate lunches and need to sit at a long table with sixteen or so other colleagues, I always end up being sat next to a dickhead or someone that wants to talk about rubbish for the entire time. I dread those types of functions. As I looked around the restaurant, many groups were dining today so I wondered what the menu would be like to make it convenient for both the large groups and the kitchen.

The courtyard area seemed to be the only place to accommodate tables of two or four so I ended up out there away from the hustle and bustle of the main restaurant and the mindless chatter of the lemmings. I am told that you can also get the full menu at the bar, so that is always an option should you wish to dine alone or want prompt service.

I immediately ordered a bottle of Vietnamese beer, Bia Ha Noi which arrived about ten minutes later along with some tap water. The beer and the glass were placed in front of me. I suppose I looked like an expert when it comes to pouring beer so I served myself. About a minute later, my first course of betel leaf with chicken, crab, coconut, chilli and kaffir lime was placed in front of me. A few smelt eggs were added for colour. I picked up the leaves like tacos and ingested them one at a time. A good way to start. The coconut was pronounced and I liked the match with the crab and chicken. I did not taste any chilli though.

The food menu was rather limited. This shocked me a bit as I expected more options. It also led me to believe that the few items that they had on offer were being mass produced for the larger groups as they promote a banquet of sorts. I ordered the pork belly and sadly when it arrived, my fear was realised.

I can not say that I did not like the pork belly, but it certainly appeared that not much care was taken in preparing it. It is served with apple slaw, chilli caramel and a black vinegar which you are responsible for pouring on the pork belly yourself. I found the pork belly to be cooked inconsistently and in order to eat it you only have a fork and a spoon available to tear it apart awkwardly, I found the dish disappointing and frustrating. Again, there was no taste of chilli. Some of the belly had a good texture but soft skin. Other parts had a dry and weird texture and crispy skin. It smelled nice though.

Service was a bit lazy. Even after the beer and water was consumed, there was never an offer for any sort of replacement. When the dishes were cleared, there were some food scraps and other waste on the table as a result from the diner being sloppy but it was never cleaned up as you sat around looking at the walls with no food, drink at a messy table until you ask for the bill.

My biggest question is what happened to the chilli.

After some very good dining experiences earlier in the week where I paid a fair amount less for more pleasing food and more alcohol in the end, I was a bit disappointed when the bill needed to be settled. The only thing on my mind was that I should have just remained in my comfort zone and returned to Izakaya Den or Henry and the Fox.

Red Spice Road
Link to review
27 McKillop Street  Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9603 1601
www.redspiceroad.com
My Rating: 10.5/20
Service: 2.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 2.5/5
Value For Money: 2/5
Comment: Good for large groups


Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I posted this review, 87% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon liked this place. Perhaps people are interested in the large portions however if the large portions are simply average, I do not consider it good value for money or anything worth blowing your horn over. This is certainly the Holden Plant of McKillop Street, a mass producer of food set to a formula.

Henry and the Fox - Happiness

Last night I drank my supply of XXXX Bitter at home since I was determined to have a relaxing night after a particularly big one with my learned friend the previous night at The Local Taphouse in St Kilda. I did manage to escape the warmth of the pub and catch the last train back to the CBD amazingly this time around as before when I closed the pub, it was rather difficult getting a cab in the area and the brisk weather sadly sobered me up a bit. Even my credit card felt at home behind the bar at this place and it is very easy to whittle away five hours sitting in a large chair in front of the fire coming up with ways to solve the problems of the world.

My scheduled lunch yesterday kept being pushed back by silly people ringing me, wanting things and general banter. At around 4:00 PM, I toddled down to Little Collins Street and took a high chair at a communal table at Henry and the Fox. They did not have a time limit on their menu, so I was looking forward to ordering food at this awkward time as I was absolutely famished.

Walking past the comfortable outside dining and smoking area, I thought it would be a great place to hang out when it warms up (again) and looking around the dining room, it reminded me a bit of Bistro Guillaume with the combination of lime green, white and natural wood finishes being used. There were office workers camped out at various tables with their IT, eating and drinking and looking happy. Before the server approached me, which was extremely quick I might add, I was able to inspect the facial expressions of every customer at this place and the staff and everyone just looked remarkably happy. It immediately put me in a better mood.

As my lunch excursion was delayed so long, I ended up turning up just as happy hour started at 4:00 PM, which lasts until 6:00 PM in their aptly called "Bar Aperitivo" so I was able to enjoy a few complementary canapés, along with bread, whilst I waited for my first order of jamon and manchego croquettes and a bottle of Asahi. The croquettes were freshly made and I needed to let them cool down for a few minutes before putting the tasty morsels down my throat. A great way to start my very late lunch.

Service was very friendly and attentive. My water glass was re-filled as quickly as I was drinking the beer and after my Asahi was completely depleted, I decided to order Samuel Adams Boston Lager, which I hadn't drank since I was at the Shady Pines in Sydney last.

In my previous blog post today, I went outside of my comfort zone a bit and ordered a Chicken Parmigiana at the Exchange Hotel and really enjoyed it. Following in the tradition of ordering things I normally don't bother with, I requested a Prawn, Sweetcorn, Red Onion and Coriander Pizza. The restaurant seems to be well known for their pizzas so I was very intrigued and still very hungry. I haven't ordered a pizza from anywhere for over a year.

What was presented to me was a work of art. I did not want eat it as it just looked beautiful and also smelled wonderful. The coriander had a good strong fresh smell, the tomatoes were still very juicy, the prawns were cooked perfectly and the pizza base itself was fantastic. The kitchen certainly knows what they are doing. As chef Michael Fox was the 2011 The Age Young Chef of the year, I expected magic and it was delivered. If you subsribe to my Twitter feed, you would have seen a photo of the pizza, but if not and you are interested, check it out here.

I spent two hours at this place relaxing, eating, drinking, observing and reading the news. There are many other things on the menu that I want to try so I look forward to returning. Sadly they are not open on weekends which is probably the only negative about this place but I suppose since I do not work on the weekends usually, I can't expect everyone else to.

Henry and the Fox
Link to review
525 Little Collins Street  Melbourne VIC 3000
(03)9614 3277
www.henryandthefox.com.au
My Rating: 15/20
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 4/5
Value For Money: 3.5/5
Comment: Prawn pizza was amazing



Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I posted this review, 85% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon agreed with me and like this place.

The Exchange Hotel - Best Parma on the Southside

There was a fair amount of speculation the other day regarding where to find the best Parma on the Southside of Melbourne. I normally do not enjoy the mighty filthy piece of chicken in pubs, but not having enjoyed a decent one for a while, the banter made me curious so I walked to The Exchange Hotel on Bay Street in Port Melbourne to check out what was reported as being "the best" place south of the Yarra to purchase a Chicken Parmigiana.

I had never been in the Exchange Hotel before although I had walked past it multiple times. What I thought was a case of great timing was that the vendor that they use for chicken was double parked outside making a delivery.

Luckily, the Chicken Parma was on special as it was Wednesday so for $32, I was able to purchase it, two sides and a pint of beer. I took a seat at the high tables next to the fireplace, ATM machine, cigarette machine and near the televisions so I could be educated on the comings and goings of sport. I learned that we are indeed ranked #7 of 9 teams in international 20/20 cricket. Bangladesh is ahead of us in the rankings however we do have bragging rights that we are still ahead of the Irish.

The Parma was delivered about fifteen minutes after placing the order. It was huge. Dressed in ham, napoli sauce and cheese, it certainly complimented the Kosciuszko Pale Ale that I was drinking. The chicken was remarkably moist and cooked perfectly and matched with the coleslaw that I ordered as one of my two sides nicely. I opted for the "spicy" option and really did not taste any spice, but no matter because I really enjoyed this counter meal. Once again this blog and Twitter have encouraged me to go outside of my comfort zone and live life on the edge just a bit. If you subscribe to my Twitter feed, you would have seen a photo of the parma, but if you are interested in a picture, it can be found here.

Despite wanting to nap after gorging myself, I walked back to Southbank and braved the wind. Walking off lunch I thought was a good idea however that just led to dehydration and I ended up in the warm grasp of Merrywell for a pint of Carlton Draught.

The Exchange Hotel
Link to review
39 Bay Street  Port Melbourne VIC 3207
(03) 9810 0058
www.theexchangehotel.net.au
My Rating: 12/20
Service: 1/5 (Bar service)
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 3.5/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Comment: Good value specials daily it seems



Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I posted this review, 68% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon agreed with me and like this place. I am surprised that the figure is so low.

Izakaya Den - Seeker Lover Keeper

Yesterday was the best day for weather since I moved to Melbourne in April. At lunchtime I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the city without a jacket, taking in the sight of happy people enjoying takeaway food in the various green spaces, Federation Square and dining in laneways. Ladies were queued up for free things in the tent for Fashion Week on Swanson Street whilst the coppers patrolled the fence line making sure the unions did not disrupt happy activities at the Myer Grocon site. With the great weather, it seems a bit of an anti-climax that I ended up dining underground at Izakaya Den on Russell Street.

The journey to most of the places in Melbourne I find fun. Even the journey of the damned to the Matilda Bay Brewing Company in Port Melbourne left me with an amusing story and made the experience memorable. As I wasn't ever let in on the big secret as how to get to Izakaya Den, I depended on Google Maps to advise me that it is near the corner of Little Collins Street and Russell Street, in an area that I know well. Or at least I thought I did however once I found the secret staircase that appears to go down to a trendy clothing shop and turned left, I was in the bunker that is now known as the restaurant.

Entrance to Izakaya Den, Russell Street

I was immediately greeted and shown to a high seat at the long service bar. The first thing I noticed was just how organised and clean things were. One would expect a restaurant to be "clean" as per the meaning of the word, but I found the place sterile. Given that I was going to consume raw fish at some point, I thought it was a great first impression.

A scroll was presented to me and when I rolled it out, a drink list appeared. Impressively detailing the various sake on offer, plum wines along with Japanese beer, I was spoiled for choice and the house notes. Knowing that if I start with sake that I will turn drink a bottle of it, I opted for Ichiban Sakura Orion since they were out of the 500ml cans of Kirin.

The two set menu options were being beamed onto the wall behind me. I was intrigued by the futuristic font that they chose just as much as I was excited to try the spicy tuna or the quail as the headline dish that is served with the set lunch for $28. I rarely say no to spicy tuna, so I made it so knowing that I can get quail elsewhere but still it provides an impetus to return.

Fresh tofu is presented to you as a starter in a bowl. I am allergic to soy however my body tolerates small does. The last time I visted a vegan restaurant with a militant vegan mate during my impressionable Uni years, I was talked into trying the fake chicken, not knowing that it was made out of tofu. That was not the wisest decision of my life and I have not made the mistake since.

However the notion of "fresh" tofu and the presentation I found hard to resist. I was feeling 100%, so I didn't think that the small amount of what looked like Spongebob Squarepants would kill me. As I rarely say "no" I began to eat it. Slowly I consumed this soft and light morsel and enjoyed every taste. The servers and staff probably thought I was crazy as I was staring down the dish like Barnaby Joyce would a Green in the Senate as I ate it. I was ready to face the consequences also from the Speaker.

A delicate green salad, pickles and yellow fin tuna sashimi was then served. Eating items slowly as I was really enjoying the various tastes, even in the salad, I relaxed by tuning into the background music which was fitting and was a good supporting act to the ambiance. I powered through the Ichiban Sakura and ordered another. My justification is that I did not want any lingering bits of tofu in my mouth or throat. At least that is the story I tell.

Before I had even had a taste of the yellow fin tuna, the spicy tuna was placed in front of me along with a cup of miso and a bowl of rice. Like Barnaby seeing another target, I eyed the miso in the very attractive cup. I watched the steam escape and knew that I was just going to have to have it. Normally I do drink my miso and enjoy a good miso, but having an exacta of both tofu and miso during this experience I assumed was going to play havoc with me, so I stopped reading my twitter feed and decided to get on with lunch.

The spicy tuna, served as eight morsels of tuna on a small cloud of wasabi mayo was certainly impressive. The rice, pickles and miso complemented every bite. I even used the small pepper that was included with the pickles to transport the remaining mayo into my mouth as it was just so good.

By this time my nose started running a bit but that was the worst symptom that I experienced so I was pleased that I took the risk with the tofu. I would certainly have it again.

I really want to return and try this place for dinner and the idea has been bumped up on my list of things to do. I suspect that it would be a bit more noisy during dinner service but you would have the benefit of more options including delicacies from the grill however I truly enjoyed this lunch time experience. I was so relaxed and happy that when I was asked to part with $50 for the pleasure, I was not stunned or disappointed at all. It was worth every dollar. 

Izakaya Den
Link to review
114 Russell Street  Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9654 2977
www.izakayaden.com.au
My Rating: 14.5/20
Service: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 4/5
Value For Money: 3/5
Comment: No bookings taken



Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I posted this review, 88% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon agreed with me and like this place.

Nuevo37 - A Questionable Formula

After watching Clint Eastwood speak at the Republican National Convention, I was driven to drink, well at least that is what I am claiming. Afternoon beer in the sun at World Bar got a bit out of control. Seven... maybe eight pints later of Kosciuszko Pale Ale, a rather poor "Wagyu" hamburger led me to entertain at my unit, drink a fair amount of Graeme Miller's Dixons Creek Estate 2007 Quatrain and make a noble attempt at cooking. The levity distracted me from finishing this post, which I am sure that everyone is just sitting on the edge of their seat for.

Last night the hatted restaurants and individual winners were announced for the forthcoming Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2013 at The Establishment in Sydney. The complete list of winners can be found here. If you are looking for the complete list of 2013 winners for The Age Good Food Guide 2013, it can be found here.

There are two restaurants at the Hilton South Wharf next to the Convention Centre. The "Modern Australian" themed eatery is called Nuevo37. Things have changed a bit since their Spanish executive chef Ramon Freixa left and was replaced by Philippe Perrey, but that was a few years ago, and I really can not reference any remarkable difference. I stayed at the Hilton South Wharf on and off since it was built before moving to Melbourne so I can safely say that I have had decent experiences in their facilities consistently.

I have always enjoyed the fit out of this restaurant, that and the neighbouring tapas restaurant, Sotano. They are joined by a long hotel bar and relaxing lounge where you can enjoy friendly and efficient table service from the Hilton floor staff. Strangely I found myself in this bar for ten hours on Anzac day not only watching the mighty Magpies win in a thriller but also enjoying the hospitality, pints of beer and ultimately I was scared sober by the large bill. It is pretty amazing how much beer one can drink when it is brought to you over ten hours how much of a bill you can rack up between two people.

My recent trip to Nuevo37 nearly went to plan. I eluded in other blog posts that my ordering style is a bit erratic and unconventional because when I arrive at restaurants, it is usually to meet mates or do some business, so I tend to talk a fair amount after I sit down. This means that I do not review the menu in a timely manner and frequently only know that I want to start with sparking water. As this restaurant is attached to the hotel, there is a formula for service; not one that I intentionally attempt to disrupt, but unintentionally allow to demonstrate the strengths of the restaurant.

The water came out. The wine then came out. The server then asked if we were ready to order. I said "no" as I hadn't even looked at the menu as I was feeling quite loquacious that day. About fifteen minutes later the server returned after I made eye contact and took my order - pork belly to start. She then asked what we wanted for our mains. As I said the main should be matched with a different wine and frankly I hadn't reviewed the short list of mains either, I asked her to return later.

The pork belly was cooked a bit more than it should have been. It was matched with a mango salad. It tasted fine, but I didn't think they complemented one another well.

I made eye contact with the server again and she came to take our order for the mains and of course more wine. She then asked if we would like dessert. Given we were ordering the mains, I was a bit shocked but like a robot pre-programmed, I spewed out the obvious fact that we will have to consider the dessert option later and in reality, I hadn't reviewed the short list. The server was sticking to the robotic formula for service.

My main came out in a timely manner. It was the chicken and chorizo paella. It seemed like the best option since I did not want to choose anything from the grill and knowing there was some sort of infused sort of service going on between neighbouring Sotano and Nuevo37, I thought it was a safe option. I wasn't disappointed because my standard was not set high but I found it to be tasty. A bit salty but still tasty.

The same server returned to ask us if we wanted dessert again, but we declined as conversation was proving to be our dessert. Another member of staff then quizzed us if we wanted dessert but we declined. Our water glasses were noticeably empty and our bottle of water had also been vanquished but we were never asked if we wanted another expensive bottle of rehydrating liquid. After my salt intake for the day, I was thirsty and would have happily have paid the equivalent of a new kidney for another bottle of water but instead we finished off the wine and made our exit. I always find it interesting when the bottle of water is ignored especially since they are such money-makers for the restaurant.

Hospitality at hotel restaurants seems to always operate to a sort of formula. The concept of "relaxing lunch" or being able to take verbal cues do not always compute. It is a relaxing restaurant though to visit. I like the fact that you are not crammed into a corner with all of the other guests and you do not hear what others are talking about. Previously I mentioned the fit out and that is the draw card, along with the wine on display, views of South Wharf, high ceilings and of course the formula for service if you want to adhere to it.

Nuevo37
Link to review
2 Convention Centre Place  South Wharf VIC 3006
(03) 9027 2000
www.nuevo37.com.au
My Rating: 12.5/20
Service: 2.5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Quality: 3/5
Value For Money: 3/5
Comment: Great fit out


Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, only 58% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon like Nuevo37. Perhaps they are expecting too much.

The SMH Good Food Guide Award Winners 2013 from The Establishment, Sydney

This is the complete list of hatted restaurants and individual winners from the 2013 SMH Good Food Guide announced at The Establishment in Sydney on 03/09/12

Restaurant of the Year: Quay

Sydney Three Hat Winners

est., Rockpool on George, Quay, Sepia, Marque, Momfuku Seiobo

NSW Regional Three Hat Winners

None

Sydney Two Hat Winners

Spice Temple, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Aria, Ormeggio at The Spit, The Bridge Room, Four in Hand Dining Room, Gastro Park, Porteno, Guillaume at Bennelong, Longrain, Pilu at Freshwater, Claude's, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Tetsuya's, Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Universal, Buon Ricordo

NSW Regional Two Hat Winners

Aubergine (Griffith) No. 2 Oak Street (Bellingen) Biota Dining (Bowral)

Sydney One Hat Winners

Jonah's Restaurant, A tavola, China Doll, The Devonshire, Aki's, The Apollo, Clareville Kiosk, Arras, Sean's Panorama, Flying Fish, Balla, Foveaux, Bar H, The Ortolan on Bayswater, The Bather's Pavilion, Billy Kwong, Lucio's, Bistro Moncur, 4Fourteen, Bistrode CBD, Xanthi, The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, Black by Ezard, Fish Face, buxo trattoria, Cafe Sopra, Three Blue Ducks, Chiswick, Glass Brasserie, Ms G's, Oscillate Wildly, Uccello, Pendolino, Sake Restaurant & Bar, Otto Ristorante, sixpenny, Assiette, Tomislav, Catalina, Ume

NSW Regional One Hat Winners

Restaurant Mason, Bistro Molines, Muse, Courgette, Zest Restaurant, Darley's, Bacchus, Eschalot, Lolli Redini, Fins, Zanzibar Cafe, Italian and Sons, Lanterne Rooms, Manfredi at Bells, Neila, Flooded Gums, Muse Kitchen, Ottoman Cuisine, Racine, Caveau, Restaurant Como, Vulcans, Restaurant Deux, Subo, Town

Duke, Felix, Koi, Sails on Lavendar Bay, Vini and The Cooks Garden are the restaurants that have lost a hat.


Citibank Chef(s) of the Year Award 2013: Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz from Porteno 


Plumm Wine Glassware Best New Restaurant: Momfuku Seiobo

Samsung Diners Choice Award: Tetsuya's

Regional Restaurant of the Year Award: Aubergine (Griffith)

Brown Brothers Wine List of the Year: Ash St Cellar

Louis Roderer Sommelier of the Year: Rodney Setter from Sepia

Best Regional Wine List:  Aubergine (Griffith)

Silver Service Award: Piers Ursell from Guillaume at Bennelong

The Citibank Best Short Wine List: Spice Temple

Dan Murphy's BYO Restaurant of the Year: Il Baretto (Surry Hills)

The Good Living Sustainability Award: Biota Dining (Bowral)

Sydney Morning Herald Award for Innovation: City of Sydney for the Sydney Food Trucks

Professional Excellence Award: Justin Hemmes

Josephine Pignolet Best Young Chef Award: Nick Gardner, Tetsuya's

The Best Bar with Food Award: 121BC (Surry Hills)

Vittoria Legend Award: Leo Schofield

Yar - Yawn

To commemorate two months of blogging, this site went through a bit of a redesign. I can honestly say that it looks easier to read even after a few bottles of Hunter Valley red wine were consumed and still looks good the next day. That is a better result than most when they evaluate their score the morning after.

Yar, next to the Meat & Wine Co - Freshwater Place

Not to be confused with the Drobustky Yar, which is a ravine 10km southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine where the Nazi's disposed of bodies, Yar Restaurant in Freshwater Place is a Japanese-Korean infusion of sorts that to this day leaves me in a vexed state.

Nestled next to the Meat & Wine Co, the place intrigued me for a while as in the evening there would be nobody in the place whereas in the Meat & Wine Co every chair had a punter sitting and chewing cud. When I had a mate down from Sydney we ended up at Yar for both of his visits as he is enamoured by the sight of Korean women. Sometimes we are all guilty of using service, food, ambiance and price as selection criteria but this bloke just enjoys looking at Korean women, so thus the visit to Yar on both occasions.

Despite choosing the "buffet" on each visit which includes all-you-can-eat sashimi, which in essence is just a poor and bland salmon, I was never inspired to jump up and down or tell the world about this place. It was nice being able to walk into a restaurant on a Saturday night at 7:30 PM without a reservation and get a table, which isn't hard as there was nobody in the place to begin with, but I suspect the reason for this is because the food is just so ordinary. The entire time I was there I was regretting not going to Costco, purchasing some frozen goyza, a case of Asahi and sitting on my lounge watching whatever AFL game was on instead. It would have been a more inspired dining experience.

For those that like to gorge themselves, the all you can eat "buffet" option at $50/head is good value but then again, you are eating for the sake of eating. Besides being able to get a table on demand, I really see nothing too inspiring about this place and what annoys me is that my mate from Sydney defines the Melbourne food and beverage scene by this place alone mainly because he likes the beauty of Koreans.

Unless my mate returns from Sydney and insists on frequenting this place, I will not be back. This is the first post in two months that I have posted something so indifferent, I realise, but with the wealth of places that you can go to in Melbourne, don't waste your time. It is evident that nobody else does considering all of the tables are empty on a Saturday night.

Yar Restaurant
Link to review
2 Queensbridge Street  Southbank VIC 3006
(03)9699 3556
www.yarrestaurant.com.au
My Rating: 11/20
Service: 2/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Quality: 2/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Comment: The $50 buffet is great value for money


Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

It would seem that the majority of reviewers on Urbanspoon disagree with my sentiments though. 82% of the reviewers at the time of this post, like Yar.

Naked for Satan - Worth Stripping Down For

It is a shame that Carlton will not make the finals series. I was looking forward to the mighty Magpies taking revenge on the hapless team before the Blues punted Brett Ratten. At least Brett has plenty of free time to attend a new release tasting.

The aforementioned wine tasting for Spinifex and Laughing Jack wines will be at The Prince Wine Shop in Port Melbourne this Saturday, 01 September 2012 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM. Further details can be found here.

One of the benefits of trying to blog around Victoria is that you get so many suggestions of places to try and things to do. I heeded one of the suggestions the other day and took the 112 tram to Brunswick Street in Fitzroy to get Naked for Satan.

Naked for Satan, Fitzroy

I really do not know what to expect with half of the random places that I turn up at. I do my best not to read reviews so that I am surprised and will remain objective which I think leads to a better experience and makes for potential musings on this blog more colourful.

When I walked in I thought the place was a bit "different" to say the least. A couple of counters at the bar were adorned with pintxos, which is Basque tapas, where you are left on the "honour system" to eat and pay later. I didn't know there was much honour in Fitzroy, but you learn something every day. I swaggered to the bar keeping an eye on the vodka still and ordered their single microbrew, the aptly named, Naked for Satan Ale. I enjoyed this belgian white ale in the corner whilst considering whether I had enough honour left in me to begin a journey through the pintxos on offer. There were twelve different varieties of pintxos at the bar and the kitchen was quickly replacing them as all of them seemed very popular with the punters. On occasion a member of staff would come around with a hot variety of pintxos and offer it to you cheerfully. It is always hard to say "no" where I just assumed that my gluttony could be addressed in the gym the next day. My favourite of the pinxtos was the Blueberry Cannoli.

I was also intrigued about their infused Absolute vodkas. With a second Blueberry Cannoli, I tried the "Naked B*tch Chilli and Cherry" straight up and it went down well and cleared my throat of nasty bacteria in the process. I couldn't stop with just one so I ordered a "Cherry Ripe" and vowed never again to waste my money buying the various infused vodkas off the shelf when I could simply go to this place. My dentist will be proud that I am substituting my midday brush with vodka no doubt.

As it was early afternoon, I stopped my drinking before I truly entered the clutches of Satan and retreated only to learn that they are renovating the rooftop area and will transform it into a rooftop bar and restaurant by the end of the year. Now that is something I am excited for, the aptly named Naked in the Sky.

Three elevated levels, a darker gritty feel and relaxing background music plays as you eat, drink, converse, or in my case check e-mails, read the news and watch what was happening on Twitter. I will certainly return and next time take some friends, go later in the afternoon and then really make an attempt to try all of the infused vodkas. I am sure a different sort of sordid tale will be able to be told after that especially since I am always keen to get naked for Satan, or anyone for that matter.

Naked For Satan
Link to review
285 Brunswick Street  Fitzroy VIC 3065
(03) 9416 2238
www.nakedforsatan.com.au
My Rating: 13/20
Service: 1/5 (self service, counter service)
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 3.5/5
Value For Money: 5/5
Comment: Try the infused vodkas and $1 pinxtos


Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 90% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Naked for Satan.

Neil Perry's Waiting Room - Changing of the Menu

Last night was interesting. The 2013 Age Good Food Guide Winners were announced. The winners and hatted restaurants are listed here. Not many surprises however I was intrigued to see that Cutler & Co has only two hats yet Australian Gourmet Traveller ranks it as #4 in Australia, and #1 in Victoria.

Congratulations to Vue de monde for winning Restaurant of the Year.

Whilst the restaurant awards were being announced, Germaine Greer was bagging out Julia Gillard's appearance again on Q&A. Love her or hate her, she is still the Prime Minister of Australia and deserves to have the debate not include her jackets and arse. Too bad the Grocon protests on Lonsdale Street were not taking place yesterday morning as it would have been given cause for some more intelligent discussion however with Bill Shorten on the program next week, perhaps it is indeed timely.

I visited my "local" The Waiting Room last week. This is Neil Perry's lounge bar that is located in the lobby of the Crown Hotel at the Queensbridge Street entrance. I go in there rather often and I was a bit shocked to see all but one of the staff have turned over. I have always been under the assumption that The Waiting Room should be called "The Training Room" as the staff seem to make an exodus to the other Neil Perry restaurants (Spice Temple, Rockpool Bar & Grill and soon to be Rosetta) next door after putting in their time at this place.

The service is still very flash and professional. I crave the chicken adobo taco and pulled beef shoulder taco that is on the menu and frequently turn up to have them, along with conversation and either one of the unique imported beers in a bottle or the Lord Nelson Three Sheets (a tradition and my personal favourite from my days living in Sydney) on tap.

The new barman informed me that I should get my fill of the favourites that I dream about because the menu is changing soon. I was horrified. Although he could not tell me anything more as I do not think he had any more information to share, I believe it will be modified to begin to showcase some of the offerings at Rosetta, which is the Italian restaurant that is currently under construction next door. I suppose I should not fret since they are not taking the Lord Nelson off tap and I can always make my own chicken adobo tacos or go to Senoritas but it is still disappointing to hear.

Service will catch your wandering eye quickly and attend to your professional requests promptly and thoughtfully. I always do keep an eye out for the mysterious 10% surcharge that is supposedly added to the bill when you pay, which I am told is optional, which other people have complained about but to this day and probably fifteen visits later, I have never had this surcharge applied. Perhaps it is a "tourist" or "drunken idiot" surcharge since the bar is attached to the Crown after all and does attract a transient mob of guests at times. Just be wary.

My original review of The Waiting Room and the chicken adobo taco recipe can be found here.

The Waiting Room
Link to review
Crown Entertainment Complex
(03) 8379 1800
www.crownmelbourne.com.au/The-Waiting-Room
My Rating: 14.5/20
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 4/5
Value For Money: 3/5
Comment: Lord Nelson Three Sheets on tap



Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of post, 88% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like The Waiting Room.

The Age Good Food Guide Award Winners 2013 from the NGV

This is the complete list of hatted restaurants and individual winners from the 2013 Age Good Food Guide.

Links on this page will take you to my review of the restaurant.


Restaurant of the Year: Vue de monde

Melbourne Three Hat Winners

Vue de monde, Attica, Jacques Reymond

Victoria Regional Three Hat Winner

Royal Mail Hotel

Melbourne Two Hat Winners

Flower Drum, Cutler & Co, Stokehouse, Matteos, Cafe Di Stasio, Ezard, Movida, The Press Club, Rockpool Bar & Grill

• Cutler & Co is rated #4 in Australia according to Gourmet Traveler
• The Press Club is currently closed and will re-open as Gazi on 17 May 2013.

Victoria Regional Two Hat Winners

Loam, Ten Minutes By Tractor, Tea Rooms of Yarck, Stefano's, Lake House, Provenance

• Ten Minutes By Tractor gained an additional hat this year
• Loam will close permanently at the end of June 2013.

Melbourne One Hat Winners

Coda, Embrasse, The Point Albert Park, Gills Diner, Donovans, European, The Italian, PM24, The Grand, Kenzan, Sarti, Il Bacaro, Longrain, Circa, Bacash, Paladarr, Movida Aqui, Spice Temple, Yu-u, Town Hall Hotel, Albert Street Food and Wine, Cecconi's Cantina, Bistro Guillaume, Shoya, Koots Salle e Manger, Golden Fields, Bistro Vue, Grossi Florentino, Pei Modern, Moon Under Water, Estelle Bar and Kitchen, Church St Enoteca, Maha, Tempura Hajime, Cumulus Inc, Dandelion, Steer Bar and Grill, Mercer's and Becco.

• Newly hatted: Albert Street Food and Wine, Easy Tiger, Pei Modern, Moon Under Water
• Embrasse closed in October 2012

Victoria Regional One Hat Winners

A la Grecque, Chris’s Restaurant, La Petanque, Scorched, Neilsons, Eleonore’s, Villa Gusto, The Long Table, Teller, Annie Smithers’ Bistrot, Montalto, Bella Vedere, The River Grill, Gladioli, Sunnybrae and Terminus at Flinders Hotel.

• Newly hatted: Terminus at Flinders Hotel

Plumm Wine Glasses Best New Restaurant: Pei Modern

Samsung Diners Choice Award: Ezard

Best New Regional Restaurant Award: Gladioli

Brown Brothers Wine List of the Year: Coda

Louis Roderer Sommelier of the Year: Travis Howe of Coda

Best Regional Wine List: Ten Minutes by Tractor

Citibank Chef of the Year Award 2013: Micheal Ryan of The Provenance

Young Chef of the Year: Mark Briggs of The Sharing House (closed)

The Citibank Best Short Wine List: Casa Ciuccio

The BYO Restaurant of the Year: Ladro Greville

The Epicure Sustainability Award: Colin McLaren from Villa Gusto

Thermomix Award for Innovation: Joost Bakker

Service Excellence Award: Ainslie Lubbock from Pei Modern

The Hardware Sociéte - Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover

What a bizarre weekend. I do not think that I drank enough wine or if you follow my Twitter feed (@epicurean3006) that I nearly drank enough XXXX Bitter. Tonight Q&A is being broadcast live from Federation Square and I am looking forward to attending. It will be like living in Sydney again and since it is politician free this evening, it should be very interesting with the likes of Germaine Greer in attendance.

I originally set out to dine at Manchester Press but found The Hardware Sociéte instead. I do not blame it on the fact that I did not know where I was going since I was armed not only with my trusty Samsung Galaxy S2 and Google Maps, but because I am a man and I never get lost. Perhaps I should ask Germaine Greer's opinion on that statement.

What I originally thought was going to turn out to be on the scale of The European, but just closer to Southbank, turned out to be quite an interesting café on Hardware Street. I was looking forward to something rich, French and bold, like Brigitte Bardot. However what I found was a laneway café with a queue and a highly visible sign that says that they only accept cash. Knowing that there was a wait, I played Marco Polo until I found an ATM. I never carry cash as I just spend it so this relationship was already starting on a sour note.

The entrance to The Hardware Sociéte

I returned to The Hardware Sociéte and the hostess was shouting my name down the laneway. It was perfect timing as I was coming back with a fistful of sweaty bank notes and I was quite hungry. The table was ready.

We were seated at a communal table. I felt like poor little possessed Regan in The Exorcist when Father Karras first visited her. I really do not like waiting, not being able to pay with a credit card or communal tables for that matter. Trying to keep an open mind, I found the atmosphere to be very energetic as we were seated at a rather round classic French white table where there was enough room so you are not left to intrude into the lives of others, so it was not a big deal in the end.

There was no wine list per se, but a drinks list. I really, and I mean REALLY, wanted some wine, however settled for a Kronenbourg mainly because it was so inexpensive. The peppy server informed us of the two specials, being seared tuna on a bed of potato salad, beans and poached eggs and also a brioche. Having not eaten anything substantial for about a day, I decided to order both.

I was very impressed with the tuna special. The complimentary tastes, the slightly seared tuna, the colours and the presentation just really floored me as I was not expecting something so good. I really do not order many "desserts" since I am trying to keep my boyish figure from the bygone era of Hanson, but when I first saw and then tasted the brioche with strawberry jam and fresh cherries, my reaction was pure and utter blasphemy, just like how little Regan reacted to Father Karras. Unbelievably good and I was vocal about it. Stuff gluttony! I just wanted more and I don't mean just another cheap Kronenbourg.

The service was very attentive and articulate. The "vibe" was pretty good and it seems like a fair amount of locals dine here. Given that the food is excellent, I thought it was great value for money and I will certainly be returning with another sweaty hand full of cash. Despite the fact that they do not take credit cards and you will most likely have to queue, the rewards are worth the inconvenience.

The Hardware Societe
Link to review
120 Hardware Street  Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9078 5992
www.twitter.com/hardwaresociete
My Rating: 13.5/20
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 4/5
Value For Money: 3/5
Comment: They don't accept credit cards

Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: http://www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I posted this, 90% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also liked The Hardware Sociéte. I will never wonder why.