Molten - New Zealand

by TP Big Brother

I've been travelling on business for the past couple of weeks, and have been meaning to post for a while now. I was in Auckland last week (currently in coastal Otago), and I have been trying to experience the city through its restaurants. But with so much selection and so little time, I was at odds as to where to start.

On the 3 and a half hour plane trip from Melbourne to Auckland, I strategically planned my time carefully to take advantage of the plane's on demand video. I watched a movie and spent the remaining time selecting New Zealand documentaries, hoping to uncover some hidden gems I could visit and experience.

One particularly good travel show was the New Zealand specific B-guided, hosted by the gorgeous Sierra Reed. Sierra visited a restaurant called Molten, and I decided to write the name down after she described the interesting taste combinations at the restaurant. It was also a recognised restaurant, with a laundry list of awards, including Cuisine magazine's Best Neighbourhood restaurant award.

I managed to get a table on the night I make the reservation. The first thing I notice as I arrive at the restaurant, is that it is a lot smaller than it was on the show.

I am led to a small and intimate side table, right next to the kitchen. I am sitting on a high kitchen table and stool, and I start to get excited. I recall the b-guided special and think that Sierra must have sat on one of these chairs. I look to my left and see the chef in action.

Chef-owner Michael Van de Elzen

I eagerly look at the menu. The waiter explains the starters called the "untouchables". Molten has been operating for around 5 years, and these starters have been so popular, they have been permanently kept on the menu. I order the untouchable Waikanae crab.

Waikanae crab. Spinach & ricotta linguine w pernod cream & crunchy shallots, $20.50

The dish had a very creamy, almost carbonara like taste that was quite subtle. While I couldn't really taste much crab, the dish was flavourful and nicely seasoned.

For the main, I order a salad and the recommended game fish dish.

Red salad. Radicchio, baby red chard, roasted beetroot & a vine tomato $7.50

Game fish with ham risotto $34

The game fish really made the dish. It was an amazingly meaty fish that had a beautiful soft texture. I liked that it was a heavy fish but it had a very delicate flavour that managed to come through, despite the strong flavour of the risotto. The risotto carried a very smoky and salty taste, which reminded me of cheap vacuum packed ham from Woolworths. But the game fish and salad combined captured my tastebuds and overall, I would say it was a successful dish.

At this stage, I was full. I felt slightly underwelmed and decided to look at the dessert menu. Then I saw it.

The famous dessert.

Immediately I forget my bulging stomach and ordered it.

Valrhona chocolate torte. Whisky ice cream, tobacco syrup and raw cocoa runouts $16.50

This was one of the signature dishes of Molten and highlighted the Molten approach to flavour combinations. The tobacco syrup was adored by the chain smoking Anthony Bourdain, who dined at the restaurant on his 2005 NZ tour for his Les Halles Cookbook. The syrup I'm told, is a caramel which is later infused with tobacco leaves. When I tasted it, the syrup was sweet with an almost alcoholic taste, followed by a very light bitter note from the tobacco. The torte was bursting with deep flavour from the dark french chocolate which expanded across a chewy biscuity and melting texture. Too often am I let down by a signature dish, but I can say with full confidence that it truely can be classified as the restaurant's signature dessert. In fact, it was one of the best desserts I've had all year. To finish off the meal with that dessert elevated my Molten dining experience to a new level.

I later had a chat with co-owner Belinda Van de Elzen. Belinda, who happens to be a trained chef, was very lovely, waxing lyrical about the restaurant and the world of food, while viligantly monitoring the front of house. She told me the tobacco syrup was inspired by a recipe she found in Ireland, and that Anthony Bourdain stunk up the restaurant's private room with cigarettes (The NZ government banned confined area smoking years before Australia). I was inspired by her plans for a cooking school, and a restaurant in the country, and after a record $12,000 Friday and 5 years of dedicating everything to the restaurant, she was starting to get tired and worn down. Her passion for good food showed when she not only welcomed me back next time, but she also recommended other good restaurants, such as Sidart.

Highly recommended if you are in Auckland.

Open for Lunch: Tuesday – Saturday from noon. Dinner: Monday – Saturday from 5.30 till late.
422 Mt Eden Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand
Ph 09 6387236
Prices are in NZ dollars

Vue de Monde

by TP Little bro

There’s nothing like the excitement and anticipation in the lead up to something special. This event came in the form of a last minute cancellation which paved the way for a special Twin Palate experience in arguably the best restaurant in Melbourne. Vue de Monde. I need not say more.

From the moment you walk through the door, everything screams out "Three Chefs Hats". The staff are warm, inviting and immaculately dressed, the decor is new age, daring and classy.

I glance around the restaurant while being seated and notice there are two types of tables. A large rectangular table with a generous amount of "arm room" and the much smaller round table for more intimate meals. I am led to the larger table. I feel like royalty.

Having been seduced by all the buzz this place has generated, I buckle in and prepare to have my mind and body wowed by the upcoming gastronomical affair.

Three chef hated restaurants need to bring more than just meals to the table. They need to take an ordinary meal, weave through their own individuality and uniqueness and transform it into a magical experience. One piece of individuality Shannon Bennett has brought to the table is the element of surprise. There are no menus at Vue de Monde. Instead, there are approximately 60 dishes which, depending on how many courses are ordered, are tailored to each table.

The hardest decision you’ll make for the night is picking a number. “Will it be five courses or nine?” the waiter asks. We ponder. The waiter continues in his French accent, “Five courses has no dessert. To experience the full Vue de Monde experience, we recommend nine courses”. TP Big brother’s eyes light up. Without a moment of hesitation, an executive decision has been made. Nine it is. The experience begins…..

The first step is to stimulate the palates. The amuse bouche served is a Confit egg with white asparagus, bread crumbs and a wood sorrel puree. The egg is creamy with a hint of zest and the bread crumbs are the surprise packet of the dish with a flavoursome crunchy texture. My bouche has been amused.

The first course arrives and is being smoked before our eyes. Ocean trout with horseradish and baby beetroot, covered, with a burning truffle to smoke the fish. The trout is rare and combined beetroot, horseradish and the burnt truffle, make for a contemporary French way of eating sashimi.

While eagerly awaiting the next course, a waiter leaves a trail of smoke as he walks past our table holding two large cigars in heavy glass ashtrays. We are immediately intrigued. We discover the fine pieces of culinary artwork are foie gras stuffed “cigars” and quietly hope the dish served to us later in the evening.

The second course arrives. No cigars but a mushroom risotto garnished with the king of all truffles – the rare and highly coveted Alba white truffle, roughly selling for around $12,000 per kg. Putting the price tag of ingredients aside, I hoped the sum of its parts would taste far greater than the market value of the truffles. The first spoonful is intense. The risotto has a wonderfully rich creamy mushroom flavour. The shaved truffles just melt in your mouth and add another level of flavour that only truffles can do. Not a five figure flavour (does such a thing exist?) but pretty darn good and one of my favourite dishes of the night.

Course number three is the dish containing foie gras and unfortunately it’s no cigar. They must have strategically chose another dish to serve us to entice another visit. We are served a terrine of ox, foie gras and Puy lentils served in the shape of cute little cubes with equally cute pillows of crunchy brioche. The three layers of the cube bring out a wide spectrum of flavours which slowly develops, while staying true to the richness and heaviness of the foie gras.

We across where we see a waitress brewing a consommé at the very table the diners are eating from, using an old 1950's coffee percolator. Interesting. Another table is being served their food on a oversized river pebble. The absence of a menu has become one of the highlights of the night.

Course number four showcased four different cooking techniques that produced four different ways of eating tuna. It was Tuna tartare, rillette and seaweed salt, blue fin tuna stock infused with kaffir lime, fennel and tarragon flowers. This plate lacked punch but won technical points for the techniques used.

Next, it was time to take a break and cleanse the palates with some liquid verjus served at - 8°C mixed with a dash of cranberry juice.

After intermission, course five had no numeric symbolism. Three cuts of Western plains pork (tenderloin, rib and my personal favourite, pork belly) with crispy panchetta and flavours of earth. The pork on the bone was so tender, it fell off the bone.

The flow of the dishes was textbook, gradually becoming heavier and richer with each course and avoiding the pitfalls of feeling too full too early. Thank God. If the food was going to be this good, feeling full would be the last thing I would want!

Next up was the Wagyu Beef with Roquefort ravioli, swede, parsley, horseradish purée and beetroot oil. The thin strip of Wagyu was juicy and well cooked. The Roquefort Blue cheese ravioli gave a flavour hit with an instant tang followed by a gradually intensifying flavour. Combining all ingredients together left a lingering flavour on my taste buds that made me want to close my eyes, take a deep breath and savour for as long as I could.

Once we had finished our main courses, we were pleasantly surprised when our waitress offered a tour of the kitchen. Grabbing the opportunity with both hands, we were introduced to Flo, a sous chef, who took us on a journey of the fish, meat, cold food and the serving stations. We were even privy to some of their nifty contraptions. One of which is a Japanese refrigeration unit which they stock with bottles of distilled water. The temperature is regulated at a constant minus 8 degrees and to prevent the bottles of water freezing, another part of the machine sends through waves of vibration. Flo then proceeded by taking a ordinary looking bottle of water from the unit, shook it up and the once very liquid water froze into particles of ice.

Returning to our original seats, we received one last palate cleanser before the desserts began to arrive. Berry Zabaglione topped with a frozen kiwi fruit lollipop lightly glazed with chilli. My palate felt refreshed and ready for dessert.

Traditionally, our next course was meant to be a serving of cheese. Wanting to please our sweet tooths (teeth) and given our delightful experience with the Roquefort Blue Cheese in the last main course, we decided to replace the cheese dish with another dessert.

And this paid very big dividends. Our first dessert was nothing short of a treat. The Poached rhubarb with cheesecake mousse and raspberry bubbles. Deconstructed desserts are so interesting as it replaces the conventional way of serving a dish with a contemporary one using all the same ingredients. The cheesecake mousse was smooth and rich. The rhubarb, frozen with liquid nitrogen, was sweet and refreshing. It was just like eating a really tasty cheese cake but so much more fun. Seeing each component of the dish, tasting them individually and all together. I was the chef and the diner all at the same time.

When our dishes were taken away, the waiter mentioned that he had replaced our cheese dish with a Cheese cake. Clever.

Up next was Lemon meringue soufflé. It was light, fluffy, and very tart (just how I like them). Topped with crushed biscuits and with crunchy granules of sugar sprinkled throughout, it was beautifully executed.

Another glance across the room and we spot yet another interesting dish. A couple is being served their dessert - 3 different types of custard served in 3 half egg shells in an egg carton! We are like little boys in a museum and cannot believe the creativity before our eyes.

Our final course for the night was the Michel Bras' classic self-saucing chocolate biscuit with chocolate sauce, milk powder and milk ice cream. Slowly working my way through the crumbling chocolate exterior, I finally break into the inner sanctum and am rewarded with warm chocolate sauce oozing out of the centre. Heavy and richly chocolately, the ice cream plays a great part in mellowing the richness and leaving me wanting more.

With all nine courses cooked, plated and served, TP Big Bro and I do a pretty good job, wiping virtually all of the dishes clean and subtly telling the kitchen to keep up the good work.

Then came the most incredible platter of petit fours I had ever tasted. All of them were amazing, tasting just as good as their pristine appearance may have indicated. From left to right: Blood orange jelly with a touch of sherbet, Vanilla macaron, Toffee & Vanilla Cream, Frozen lychee lollipop, Merange with berry tube.

As a final palate cleanser, we are given "space rocks", which despite their charcoal looking exterior, melt in your mouth and are refreshingly minty.

Five short hours later and with not another diner in sight, the night was officially over. Or was it? After saying goodbye all but one waiter, we made our way to the exit. When suddenly, our waiter who had disappeared, magically reappeared with one final surprise. A breakfast bag containing a small loaf of brioche, chive seeds, 2 eggs, 2 cookies and a small package of loose leaf tea. Our night was complete and armed with our bag of goodies, we walked away feeling like we had dined at a truly deserving 3 Chef Hatted restaurant.

Vue de Monde. 430 Little Collins Street, Melbourn., Ph: (03) 9691 3888

Revisting Ryo's

by TP Little bro

Ever since writing the last post about Ryo's noodles, I have struggled to get their speciality ramen out of my head. I wanted it everyday, so much so that after I having dinner one night, I was in the area and decided to swing by for a bowl of ramen. Unfortunately, it was 9.15pm and the closed sign was painstakingly on display as if to say "Sorry buddy, you snooze, you lose". The next time became Saturday night where we tried to get in early to avoid disappointment (and the long queues) and thankfully, it was open. After saying I would order something other than ramen in my last post, the thought of the delicious strands of noodles soaking in the pork soup was an offer I couldn't refuse. So I caved and ordered the Soy Sauce Tonkotsu ramen (again). My only saving grace was someone else at the table went off my suggestion to order Miso bolognaise and I also generously shared some of my ramen (easier said than done). This left room to try the two dishes which interested me.

Miso bolognaise ($13)



Ramen covered in a miso bolognaise, shallots and sesame seeds gets your attention because it's a dish you don't see everyday and when you think about, may actually work. And it does. It's just like eating Japan's version of spaghetti bolognaise with less tomato, less spaghetti, more miso and much more yummy noodles. Thumbs up but against the Soy Sauce Tonkotsu Ramen, falls short (it's an unbeatable dish).

Fried chicken ($6)

The flavours are amazing the first time the chicken touches your taste buds. The chicken is crispy and well seasoned on the outside, moist on the inside. But be warned, the fried chicken gets the fantastic crispy texture from deep frying. The consequence? Lots and lots of oil. As mentioned in an earlier post, it doesn't matter where you go but deep fried chicken is best shared between at least 3 people to enjoy the indulgent flavours without the heavy sick feeling of your arteries clogging aftewards.

The two dishes may have been a short detour off course but Mission Accomplished! I managed to try something different. With that out of my system, I'll be happy to order Soy Sauce Tonkotsu Ramen for all future visits. I can die in peace.

Quick Review: Ryo’s Noodles

by TP Little bro

It gives me great pleasure to reveal my ramen restaurant of choice. Having previously lived around the corner, I frequented this place often, falling in love with its authentic, fast and cheap ramen.

With a mere 5 tables (plus the bar) and a seating capacity of around 25 people, communal dining is the way to deal with the soaring demand for Ryo’s noodles. Especially on cold, wet nights, this adds a homely feel to the meal as you can be seated at a table of four with two other strangers.

Situated in the quieter end of Crows Nest, you can’t miss this place for two main reasons. There are always people lined up outside and its exterior is painted a fluro orange, leaving you wondering if the place is sponsored by ING.



This place exudes its eccentricities, an attribute of Japanese culture that is unashamedly put on show. An old TV playing in the background, a self service water flask, beautiful matching wooden table and bench sets contrasting ordinary tables and chairs. Nothing matches but everything works.



One side of the restaurant has menus plastered in Japanese contrasting the other side which has a large blackboard highlighting the five most popular dishes in English. Having being here multiple times, I can’t go past the number one choice, the Soy Sauce Tonkotsu ramen.



Good ramen will look like two minute Maggi noodles that have been straightened and reinforced with three times the density. This ramen has a strong consistency, perfectly and authentically modelling how ramen should look and taste. The thin strips of pork are well seasoned and cooked til tender.

The main element of the dish, the Tonkotsu (pork) stock is well executed and eventhough slightly on the salty side, gives me “mmmm” syndrome, forcing me to cry out “mmmm” with every delicious mouthful.

Our second choice is a spicier variation of the Soy Sauce Tonkotsu ramen called the Spicy hot Tonkotsu ramen.

I’m the type of person who enjoys trying different dishes, and eventhough I have been here more than you can count on two hands, I just can’t push myself past ordering ramen. It’s too darn good and the reason why I am forced to call this a quick review by only reviewing ramen.

So it came as a surprise to me when I recently read Not Quite Nigellas blog who courageously explored the menu past the ramen. They have miso bolognaise? Spicy chicken wings are on the menu? I love spicy deep fried chicken wings! I was completely unaware they served non ramen dishes. I am like a patriot never wanting to leave my ramen island. Maybe I should try to widen my choices next visit. But dreaming of the yellow strands of ramen swimming in the tasty pork soup, I know it’s going to be a struggle.

Ryo's Noodles. 125 Falcon St, Crows Nest. Ph: (02) 9955 0225
Open 12pm-2pm, 5pm-9pm. Closed Wednesdays.

The Cookbook Challenge is on! Week 1 wrap up

A clever little concept has formed from some fellow food bloggers to make the most of all the cookbooks in your house. Cook 1 new recipe each week from your library, to a new weekly theme pre-set over the course of the year.

http://myfoodtrail.blogspot.com/2009/11/cookbook-challenge-is-underway.html

With the great vic bike ride coming up, a couple of weeks overseas, and Christmas coming up, it looks like I won't be able to always do the weekly new recipe cookup. I am however, aiming to complete all 52 themes - I just have to knock a few off over the course of each week.

The themes until the end of the year are as follows:
Week 1 Monday 16/11/2009 Citrus
Week 2 Monday 23/11/2009 Indian
Week 3 Monday 30/11/2009 Hor d'oeuvres
Week 4 Monday 7/12/2009 Beans
Week 5 Monday 14/12/2009 Greek
Week 6 Monday 21/12/2009 Christmas
Week 7 Monday 28/12/2009 Soft

Week 1 wrap up - Citrus

Cookbook : French, by Damien Pignolet
Recipe : Serious orange cake
Serves : 8-10 (about 13 people managed to eat my cake)

1 orange (about 150g), washed well and diced, with pips removed
200g sugar
3 x 60g eggs
150g self raising flour, sifted
180g butter, melted and cooled a little
small pinch of salt

Orange syrup
60ml orange juice
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs caster sugar
1-2 tbs Cointreau

1. Preheat the oven at 170 degrees C. Grease and line a 24cm diametre springform cake tin with baking paper


2. I peeled the orange and added the zest into a food processor with the sugar, then whizzed it until it was smooth (I've seen recipes where you don't need to peel). Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions

3. Add the flour and the salt and combine for 30 seconds. With the machine running, add the butter all at once. At this point I considered adding poppy seeds, but added a handful of sultanas to half the mix instead (so half the cake wouldn't have sultanas. A bit weird, but I'm all about catering for the wider palate base)


4. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a bamboo skewer emerges clean and dry

5. In a small saucepan, start the orange syrup by combining the OJ, lemon juice and sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the Cointreau to taste and simmer for an additional minute.



6. When ready, leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes. Pierce the cake all over and slowly spoon the syrup over the cake. Leave until completely cool before turning out.


The verdict
Beautifully moist and well received by the work colleagues. Will definately make again - will try next time without peeling the oranges. Cointreau orange sauce was the star of the recipe.

Chasing El Bulli - Part I

By TP Big Brother

El Bulli needs little introduction. Out of all the great places to eat in this huge planet, it has not only gained the title of world's best restaurant, but it has held it for four years running.

Just like the two million other people who this year joustled for the eight thousand lottery tickets to experience foodie elysium, I want a piece of Ferran's 3 Michelin starred pie.

I write this post to unveil an opportunity to eat at El Bulli, and to capture my own story thus far.

So first things first - the opportunity. I have been pondering whether or not I should share this, to increase my chances (yes, I have applied), but then I thought - may the best person deserve it.

The short story is this - life has opened and closed a couple of doors for Jules, a fellow food blogger at The Stone Soup. As a result, she has a spare seat at (.....wait for it.....) El Bulli.
http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2009/10/help-jules-find-a-date-for-el-bulli/
Hopefully my entry is better than yours. Only joking. Sort of.

To give you some background information, I recently went overseas, with a glimmer of hope to eat at the promised land of El Bulli. Even on my luckiest day, I knew I had the odds against me. I tried to study Ferran's A Day at El Bulli for clues. I hounded the El Bulli cancellation list. I tried for a good 5 weeks in Europe to make my culinary eating dreams come true.

The verdict?

I returned weary and empty handed from my quest for the holy grail.

But being the optimist, I had to settle for any consolation prizes I could gather. While I was unable to beat the odds this time round, my chase for El Bulli gave me some minor flashes of inspiration to whet my appetite. Part I explains:

If I can't get the rockstar, I will settle with the drummer. The drummer in this instance was part of the Adria bloodline - Ferran's very own brother, Albert.

Albert Adria is the pastry chef for El Bulli, and along side his other interests, is his very own restaurant in Barcelona - Inopia.


Inopia
C/ Tamarit 104
08015 Barcelona, Spain
Tel: +34 934 245 231
Menu: http://www.barinopia.com/Carta_Inopia.pdf

The rumours were true. It is packed. I arrive around 9:30pm, and put my name on the door. Finally a seat at 10pm. It's beautiful. Cosy buzzing setting, full of life and colour. In a sentence - very cool with a touch of style. The waiters are decked out in Boss for crying out loud! (pat on the back to whoever sealed that sponsorship deal)

I read the menu with joy like I'd found a secret manual of food. In Spanish. Research tells me to choose certain dishes, which I order along with a list of my tapas favourites and some surrounding diner's recommendations

The Highlights
1 - Patatas bravas con salsa mixta (€3,50)
Whenever I eat Spanish food, I loosely use the patatas bravas dish as my litmus test to judge how good the food will be. I was particularly excited as this dish was listed as one of the restaurant's specialities (especialidad). The dish arrived to my huge anticipation. The presentation didn't stand out, but call me crazy, the dish almost glowed with aura. I dug in. The potatoes left off a beautiful crunch noise to reveal a soft fluffy interior. The tomato sauce made the dish with its kick and full depth of flavour, and all together with the mayonaisse harmonised into one of the top 3 patatas bravas I've ever tasted. Order this if you ever come to Barcelona.

2 - Ravas de pollo con patatas (€5,50)
The waiter recommended this dish. There are times when I regret listening to the waiters, but this was definately not one of the those times. These chicken ravas were essentially deep fried battered chicken strips. What made me smile was the concept. Shards of thinly sliced crispy potato coated the outside, and was served with a flavoured mustard. While it wasn't a spectacular dish, it was enjoyable, creative and had the clever texture of soft tender chicken contrasted with a crispy random exterior.

Beautiful texture!

Supporting cast
1 - Ensalada de tomate con cebolla tierna y ventresca de bonito (€9,50)
This dish was beautifully presented - a tomato salad with sweet onion and tuna belly. I never heard of samphire until I used it in a restaurant in London, and I saw some lined across the top of this dish. It provided a nice burst of light saltiness, but even so, I found this dish a tad bland and unexciting. Overall though, it was enjoyable.


2 - Ensaladilla rusa (€3,85)
I ensured I tried as many of the restaurant's signature dishes I could stomach. This was another especialidad. Wonderful play on textures with soft mash, cabbage, capsicum, and crunchy grissini bound together in mayonaisse. The salade russe was propped up with an interesting array of tastes - salty, slightly sweet, some sour and a hint of bitterness. This dish intrigued me but also at times when my palate was used to the taste, made me feel like it was simply just a lazy mash up. Would order again but to share.


3 - Desserts
Flan de huevo de la casa (€2,65) and Tarta de Santiago (elaborada en Inopia) (€3)
I have to admit I was quite full by this stage, and I had already eaten dinner about an hour beforehand. But it was going to take a lot more to stop me from ordering dessert at arguably one of the world's best tapas bars.
The Spanish flan was another especialidad, using house made egg custard. While it wasn't mindblowing, it was a fantasticly light and creamy.
The Santiago tart came with a shot of some sort of almond tasting liquer (which seemed to be common in the tapas bars I went to). It was a good finish to the meal because it wasn't too sweet, and the beautiful crunch then melting texture combined with the bite of the shot left me a very generous man when it came to the tip.
The down side of the experience was missing out on several highly regarded recommendations on the menu. This included the fish sandwich (flauta de sardinillas, “el mejor”) and the pineapple and lime peel dessert (Piña con piel de lima y melaza de caña).

The verdict
For each and every time I am in Barcelona, this has made it as a permanent fixture. I felt a great Spanish spirit and ambience in the bar, and in a sentance, it's just a funky little place with great food. A must visit if you haven't already!

Part I end.

Part II will take a peek at some minor encounters with El Bulli Alumni and El Bulli products. To be continued....

Mentioned in this post

El Bulli Restaurant
Cala Montjoi - 17480 Roses
Tel: +34 972 15 04 57
E-mail: bulli@elbulli.com
Web: http://http://www.elbulli.com/
2009 Season - Open from June 16th to December 20th

Hot tip: I discovered that all reservations are confirmed 10 days in advance. If the moons align with someone cancelling, and you manage to call them after 3pm that day, your chances of success are high. That being said, the days I tried, not surprisingly, there were no cancellations.

The Winner of the 2009 Melb Cup... Laksa

By TP Little Brother

Unlike the working minority which included TP Big Brother in Victoria, I was in the majority working on Melbourne Cup Day in my state. Sadly, Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday in Victoria only, and for those of us unfortunate enough to work in NSW, today was business as usual.

So what a better way to find my silver lining than in a nice tasty bowl of Laska.... not even a 32 degree day could stop me!

Situated on Hunter St and a stone throw away from my office, Malay Chinese has become a popular lunch destination for many of my colleagues. The difficulty of finding a seat during lunch time is a shining testimony of the quality of the food. Throughout my Laska hunting around the CBD, this place is a gem.

Dining at the tail end of lunch, the service is lightning quick. By the time we ordered and sat down, our Laksa’s were ready 2 minutes later.

Beef Curry Laksa

The taste is a combination of sweet and salty and very authentic. The beef is tender and combined with the noodles, bean shoots, tofu and the key ingredient, the broth, it is a very enjoyable meal.
The spiciness of the curry is mild and bearable. Some of my asian colleagues prefer to add few extra teaspoons of chilli paste but I am satisfied with the level of spice.

Skinless Chicken Curry Laksa

A healthier alternative of the Chicken Curry Laksa, the simplicity of the dish is inter-changeable between meats. Chicken, Skinless Chicken and Prawn are pretty good but Beef would have to be my personal favourite. I have been here many times and this place consistently delivers good Laskas.

Of all of the places I’ve had Laksa in Sydney, this would have to be the winner. And with its large servings starting at $8.20, Malay Chinese delivers quality Laksas at a quality price.

On a side note, as good as the Laksas are, another good reason to drop by is to get a glimpse of the centre piece of the restaurant - the resident fish tank housing a very big goldfish with a very big brain. Must be the mastermind behind the secret Laksa recipes.

Malay Chinese, 1/50-58 Hunter St, Sydney, Ph: (02) 9231 6788

Working on cup day

by TP Big Brother

I write this on cup day, a Melbourne public holiday I didn't get this year.

Searching for a silver lining, I have found some good out of today. Today I inaugurate another member to my very critical list of favourite caffeine suppliers.

A quick drive from my office is Dukes Coffee Roasters, apparently a new kid in town since July. While I'm not a coffee expert, my job drives me to drink it in excess.

My simple verdict, as an introduction to the newest member of the club:
- a bitey, strong and slightly acidic coffee. To sample more often.

Still unticked on my list is to scope out St Ali Outpost in South Yarra. A couple of weeks ago, went to a seminar by St Ali owner Sal Malatesta, and what a clever to-the-point business man.

My current favourite coffee spots around the office (St Kilda), in no particular order, are:
- Dukes Coffee Roasters - 169 Chapel St, Windsor 3181
- Grocery Bar - 135 Fitzroy St, St Kilda (organic coffee)
- Jasper's coffee in Prahran Market (also in Smith St, Fitzroy)
- Italcaffe coffee - Barista off chapel st (Carlton St)

2nd-tier favourites
- Grinders Coffee - myGoodness cafe on St Kilda road (comes with a free muffin)
- Capri Cafe on Wellington St, St Kilda (GianCarlo coffee)

Additionally, in (around) the city, my favourite places are:
- Cloud 19 (using Grinders coffee), 361 Little Lonsdale Street
- Expresso Bagels, QV building (using Mokador coffee - currently only 1 in Melbourne. TP Little Brother is spoilt with many suppliers up in Sydney)
- Seven Seeds - 114 Berkeley St, Carlton. (below - pic from Sunday)


On a side note, the Mushroom meringue lives on. I decided it was too inspirational and too much of a piece of art for me to eat. It now has a permanent place on my desk until it's hard meringue exterior decides that it can no longer face the harsh recycled building air. Replicating this clever sculpture is on the cards for me. In between trying to figure out these darn macarons! Stay tuned.