Seamstress - disappointing

I thought I'd be raving about this place, but unfortunately I can't.

The chef forgot to season our food.

The problem for me in sharing this with you, is that I know, my experience must have been a hiccup. With a number of supportive reviews in the traditional media, there is no way that this is indicative of a meal that you could perhaps experience there tonight.

So please don't take this post as my suggestion not to go and give it a go yourself, yet I feel I have a responsibility to share my truthful food experiences with you, even when unfortunately it was not good, in fact - embarrassingly bad.

Of the six items from the menu and specials that we ordered; one was seasoned well, delicious and well cooked, two were underseasoned and three dishes had no flavour at all, due to there being no salt in the dish - a massive faux pas especially when you are eating tofu.

For the sake of clarity, I dined there two weekends ago. We selected the above 'tofu box' on the waiters recommendation, some of the house dumplings of prawn and crab, some roast pork belly, a special dish of venison carpaccio and a braised beef cheek dish with a green beans side.

The dining room was smart, lots of cute high attention to detail pieces. Someone had really thought about the space and its look. We loved the silk draped roof - perhaps less so in the severely overcrowed bar - and smiled at the beautiful plates and equipment as they were presented to us. It all seemed right and what we had expected.

The food unfortunately was extremely disappointing. The dumplings, carpaccio and tofu were the first round of shared dishes that arrived. Upon tasting these initially we were puzzled and asked our waiter for some 'salt or soy sauce' (as I was uncertain which way the kitchen would be inclined). We were delivered some thick dark soy sauce that was fine to season the flavourless tofu and mushrooms but impossible for the carpaccio and dumplings. We powered on and made the most of a difficult scenario.
The next dishes, the belly and then braised cheek and greens were not much better, the cooking technique was indisputably good, the belly was crispy skinned and fat rendered the cheek was edible with chopsticks, yet both dishes were missing that chef touch, were tasting as you go is an absolute necessity. The beans were the final straw for me, listed as 'salt and pepper' we giggled as we spoke quietly of the peppered beans, as again I asked the waiter for some salt.

In an extreme contrast to our meal, Jason Chan one of the owners and one of Australia's best baristas noticed us in the dining room from our visits to Batch, his cafe in Balaclava. He made and served PDC what he could only describe as the perfect espresso; short, clean and heady.

I have been torn about writing this piece, I'm not a restaurant whinger. I understand that 'stuff' can happen, yet the truth is that the kitchen severely dropped the ball the night I dined.

Will I go back? Sure, but perhaps I'll let a little time pass first.

What does the 2008 Gourmet Traveller, 'Best New Talent' chef look for in a blog?

Hi Jackie

Just a quick note to say thankyou for the “dish of the month” write-up on your blog.

Its blogs like yours that give blogs a good name because of-

1. a great photo (I really like blogs but hate it when I see a crap photo of my food that makes it look awful….)

2. A clear understanding of food and what makes a great dish

3. A genuine passion for food and the industry (not a try hard fascination i.e. you live it as do I)

4. Perspective- being able to compare because you have invested your hard earned on travelling and eating out at great places

5. Support- You realise that we are all in this together i.e. Customer, Chef, Wait staff, Supplier, Restaurateur, Grower and we all have to push and try to be better if we want Melbourne to be taken as seriously as other food capitals around the world.

... [and other unrelated bits]...

Kind regards
Ben

Well I am more than a little flattered that Ben Shewry has taken time out of his busy day to be bothered reading my blog, let alone email me such a concise thank you.

I asked Ben if it would be okay to share this email, as I thought it was incredibly interesting from a bloggers perspective, what a key person in the industry thinks of blogs.

Personally, I share his thoughts, am very fussy about what I read online and read some sources for education and others just for entertainment.

Bens mention of support for the industry, is an inspiring concept that is indicative of the important links between all the players of the restaurant industry, including the diner. Of course, this also includes all styles of media that dine, and then write about their experience. Therefore we all have important input, into an industry we love.

So, I am now conscientious to keep my socks pulled up and my blog looking smart. What do you think?

You know it's fresh when...

Got to love organics, lucky I am not vegetarian!

Gorgeous Dish of the Month

I've been a bit spoilt in March with a huge amount of contenders for Dish of the Month.

For a while, I thought it would have be the addictive gamberetti from Giuseppi Arnaldo & Sons then there was the possibility of the elegant flathead fillets with peas and yabbies from Circa, the Prince, yet in a careful reflection of my dining escapades for March I can't go past this refreshingly, modern broth from Attica.

March Dish of the Month

Pork broth with baby squid, homegrown shoots, vegetable shavings, basil seeds - Attica

As part of the Tuesday evening 'Chefs table tasting menu', this dish was a beautiful reminder of my lunch at Mugaritz last year.
The dish reflected a lightness of touch that allowed the components to shine. With the broth poured at the table and the goggly-eyed basil seeds peering back at me, I sipped and reunderstood the smarts of a chef that does not need to use cloying fat to disperse lasting and intriguing flavours on my palate.


Attica is one of the hot dining rooms 'a la minut', so book ahead and see why celebrity chefs from around the world are raving about it. Stephanie Alexander and Patrizia Simone dined the night I did and Michel Roux and Gilles Choukroun, in Melbourne for the Food Festival, dined the week before. But don't worry if you can't get in just yet, the food that chef Ben Shewry is preparing is personally honed not fad-ish, I'm sure he will be wowing us for some time to come.

GA&S follow-up visit

I can't help myself.
Last night was my second visit to Giuseppe Arnaldo and Sons and it was just as inspiring as the first; the prawns just as crunchy, the room just as awe inspiring and the staff just as friendly.

A couple of new things to report back.
1. Don't be put off by the no reservation policy, just be smart and organised. The six of us dined at 7pm last night (Friday) without any difficulty. PDC and I arrived 20 minutes earlier informed them of our group arriving and sat back with a campari until we wandered through to our table.

2. The tiles create no noise issues in the dining room. I noticed that the black ceiling above the tiles is actually sound proofing panels.

3. I saw much more of the menu last night and the quality is all there with each dish, just watch out that the pasta dishes are particularly generous in comparison to some of the others dishes.

Dishes that should be on your do-try list...
Gamberetti with aioli- I'm addicted (see my last post)
Cacciatore, soft cured salami - you will never find salami that has been this well looked after
Pea insalata with shallots, mint, basil and air dried ricotta - who doesn't love fresh peas done simply
Farfalle pasta, braised game, porcini, peas - rich, sticky and moreish
Chittarra Arrabiata with crab, chili and served in a paper bag - dramatic and generous with the crab
Luigi Guffanti Stracchino di Capra - Italian goats milk washed rind, intense!
Zampone Pigs trotter - because I believe Bob Hart, but didn't have room for such a rich dish
Coteletta crumbed veal cutlet - looked perfect, especially for the boys that like their meat
Clams casino - this is really a style of dish, but I'm sure the pun is intended. Perfect to share.
Crab Panini - on the snack menu, i haven't tried it - yet, but the staff are raving
Zuppa Inglese - old fashioned English trifle to share, pretty as a picture

And lastly, for dramatic effect, drum roll please...

Richard Thomas fromage blanc - the most sweet cows milk young curd I have tasted. I could have spooned it straight to my mouth if I wasn't meant to be sharing it. Our waiter selected this for us to share with some warm mixed olives and salumi. This is a not to be missed product, served chilled, drizzled with EVOO and some picked thyme. Just delectable.

So don't be put off by any of the banter, forget you are under the same roof as the casino (enter via the promenade) and enjoy one of Melbourne's newest and smartest dining rooms, there is plenty to love.

NB. I mentioned quietly in the comments of my last post, but Maurice sent me a "Grazie mille" email during the week. I was impressed at the speed and street-smarts of a restauranteur to track down my post and say thanks. It's left me pondering this week about the restaurant industry and their gradual acceptance of the 'new media', the ponder has resulted in me realising that they are starting to find us, it's just the smart ones that are in first!

One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns

Yesterday morning we popped into Baker Chirico on Fitzroy St, St Kilda, in the hope of getting some of our favourite fresh bread. As we pulled up and I saw the crowd, it occurred to me that I was about to throw myself into the crowds of hot cross bun hunters.
Baker D. Chirico is considered one of Melbourne's best places to get quality hot cross buns, I know that Babka on Brunswick St, Fitzroy also do some beautiful ones with rind and fruit.
A few loose buns were still for sale, no doubt pre-orders were substantial at Baker, we secured the last four buns to take away.

Toasted for breakfast this morning with a big cup of strong Irish breakfast tea, we enjoyed the dense spiced buns with fresh soft sultanas, lemon rind and signature brown crosses.

Perhaps these for now and then some Easter eggs later. Umm, happy Easter!

Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons

I'm not the type to visit a new restaurant too early in the piece. I appreciate that things can be difficult in the first few weeks and even months. I know I have been there.
Yet I was compelled to visit Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons (GA&S), as soon as possible. I have been anticipating Maurice Terzinis new venture eagerly. I didn't live in Melbourne during the Cafe e Cucina days, but was in Sydney working close by when Otto took Sydney by storm. I then moved to Melbourne as Icebergs and North Bondi Italian Food tackled both ends of the famous beach. I have the cook book, I saw him speak last year, and yes I am a fan.
I dined at GA&S last Sunday and left in awe of the experience, I haven't posted until tonight as I didn't want this to be a gushy post, yet I can't help myself.
GA&S doesn't take reservations, this will make and lose them some friends. I like the casual philosophy behind the idea, a great place that I can turn up to and eat, even if I have to wait. Anticipation is a virtue.
Before I jump straight into the food, you really need to get an understanding of the space. It is inspired, extremely well thought out, sexy and moody, the lights are theatrical. I had a design-y friend on the phone this afternoon, wax lyrical about the space. She dined last night and was didn't even mention the food until I asked specifically, it was all 'positive and negative space', 'Italian fittings', lights, toilets... the list goes on. In a nutshell we both thought it was hot, I just didn't have the words she had.
But I do have the words for food and eat we did. The menu at GA&S is huge and for the uninitiated this can mean intimidating. I find the same thing at Rockpool just up the fiery promenade, too much to select from increases the risk of missing out on 'the' dish. The imaginary one that I know, once I am stuffed I'll see go pass to another table and I will have order envy.
But this didn't happen at GA&S, we just ordered heaps.
I loved the oregano dusted school prawns, they reminded me of the crispy fried seafood I had at Cal Pep, the prawns seasoned and fried whole, were well spiced and crunchy the aioli was delicious but not required they were perfect just on their own in their kitch little black and gold basket with checked red napkin.
When you go, and you should, make sure have to some of the house salumi. Made by Robert Marchetti with the Vecchiet family, we tried the culatello but I'd eat any of the sliced to order meats from the rather fancy looking glass cabinet.
We also tried the Alba style raw ox; a roughly cut tartare with swiss brown mushrooms, a serve of the angry crab pasta baked in a paper bag and one I could not go past, Clams casino; some pippies, vongole, surf clams and periwinkles sauteed with cured pigs cheek.
Then there was also..., ok yes we ate a lot, it was all fantastic.
Maurice wasn't at the restaurant the night we were there (hopefully he was resting his broken foot) but I doubt we could have been looked after better than we were. Ari Vlassopoulos a reliable friendly face of Melbourne restaurants, kept a careful watch.
I have no doubt that GA&S will become an iconic asset to the Melbourne dining scene, just looking around the night I was there, the hospitality faces are already onto it, and they know a good meal.
I'll be back shortly, I need to get through the rest of the menu and just as it was the first time, I just can't wait.

Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons
Crown complex (access via the promenade under the highway)
ph: 9694 7400

Giant couscous salad

Correctly known as moghrabieh, yet I think giant couscous sounds more fun and needs less explaining. A style of couscous originating from Lebanon, these are much larger and are commonly cooked into brothy soups. I love that they are easy to prepare, textural to eat and look remarkably modern to serve.

Giant couscous salad with pinenuts, lemon zest and pomegranate

Moghrabieh -they swell to double the size so judge accordingly to how much you want as a finished salad

chicken stock (use vegetarian if you prefer)

toasted pinenuts

a lemon; zested and then juiced

pomegranate seeds

spanish onion

red chilli

mint

parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

S+P

Add the giant couscous to enough stock to cover and gently simmer until it is just cooked, a little al dente as the Italians would say is ideal

Drain and while still warm dress with 1/3 lemon juice to 2/3 EVOO, salt and pepper and the roughly chopped herbs

Add all the other ingredients and toss together, taste for extra lemon juice and serve at room temperature

Perfect for a balmy evening like last night.

Safeway tells fibs

"The only fresh baby corn in Australia", Safeways claim on a current television commercial

No, I don't shop at Safeway (unless it is for cheap Coopers)

The new ads on tv for Safeways baby corn make me furious, I am not usually this easily mad but when a multinational takes advantage of a dumbed down eating public, then I get mad. Don't get me wrong, I am sad that people are some what dumbed down about food now, but it is the truth, my great grandmother and grandmother cooked from memory, I don't know if my grandmother even owns a cook book; apart from the Aussie house wife classic "The Common Sense Cookery Book" (and doesn't that title just sum it up...) People now generally have very high food expectations and very low skills or basic knowledge to cook from, it is sad.

I digress, Safeway do not have Australia's only baby corn, I brought some this morning at Gasworks market, and to further thumb my nose at Safeway, I bet mine are fresher and not in unnecessary packaging.

I am still tossing up how to prepare mine, if I stop eating them raw. Perhaps sauteed with anchovies and then melting on top some butter, perhaps slightly pickled and served to nibble on, maybe even... its not important. The important thing is, please don't believe what Safeway tells you about food.

Jack

Bone marrow, again

Oh I just can't help myself.
I had so much fun first time around, I've now eaten this dish again, in Melbourne and again it was attributed to Mr Fergus Henderson himself.
No tricks, it was not at the European again and no, I did not have the pleasure of seeing Fergus cook at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
So where did I eat his dish of roast bone marrow with a parsley salad and croutons, a la 'St John'?
Any ideas?

I eat, I drink, I work - I do all of that...

Anybody, that has even glanced this page before knows that I am passionate about all of these things, some times the order can get out of whack, but hey that's life!
So it's with pleasure that I let you know that I am a featured blogger on the new hospitality web site

www.ieatidrinkiwork.com.au

The site features interesting bits from other bloggers like me and what will become a hospitality jobs listing site, no more waiting for Tuesday to find out; who wants, what where - if you get my drift... if not just have a look for yourself.
Happy readings

Eclectic produce this week

Fresh nuts are one of the most beautiful things, just like the almonds a few months ago, the flavours are delicate and colours bright. I am usually also surprised at how inexpensive they are, perhaps people don't understand how much of a special delicacy they are and how little time they are around for. These are brand named kiwi berries, essentially just that, mini kiwis with no fury skin, just pop them straight in your month, oh and incredibly cute!
The erratic weather has made my watercress go crazy, it's now trying to grow out of the base of the bay tree pot and into the wild of my untamed garden. Not enough yet for a salad, but a very pretty garnish or a grazing nibble while watering the herbs.
Enjoy the weather while it lasts!

Smiling Thais

When I first visited Thailand, I loved the cute cheeky smiles that all the locals shined my way.

At Spice I am in Surry Hills, Sydney, both the owners and the diners are smiling; the owners because this is how busy it was at 6.10pm on a Sunday evening,

and at 7pm when we left,

and I hear you ask, why are the diners smiling?
Well the fabulous and truly spice balanced food. Yes, it is hot, as hot as I believe a Thai family would cook for itself, no mucking about, no fake flavour 'balances'; just fresh fast and cheap Thai food.
I am a lover of Thai food and have eaten widely across Thailand, yet always had the trouble of trying to convince the Thais that we really did want the food as they would eat it, they were mostly too accommodating, yet, though they are incredibly hospitable at Spice I am there is no 'accommodating' when it comes to the menu.
A young couple next to us, sipping BYO crouchen riesling, were warned that the jungle curry they ordered was hot, sure no problems was their response, yet when it was delivered and they were crying with chilli pain and laughing at each other, they realised that Spice I am is no usual Australian Thai restaurant. It is the real thing.
We ordered a selection of dishes; the Thai vermicelli salad with prawns, cuttlefish and pork was glossy with a dressing of hot, sour, sweet and salty flavours. The noodles were nicely textural and it was all freshened up on the palate with loads of green herbs, particularly holy and common mint, Thai basil and coriander.
These types of salads are best eaten without hesitation, no wine, no water or conversation, time is your enemy. If you stop and let the dressing ponder on the palate you will be sorry, the chilli will creep up on you and it will be difficult to start again. I made the mistake. Forgetting my 'Thai salad technique' and I needed a moment or two to recover. The only expression possible is a smile and a teary eye, I loved it, but it was not the dish of the night, or my dish of the month, that accolade goes to a special that evening.

February Dish of the month

Crispy baby snapper with green papaya salad and cashews

The flesh had been scored and slightly loosened from the bone, well seasoned and fried. The kitchen had done a great job before cooking so it was very easy to remove the meat from the bones. It was topped with the shredded salad and served with a shot of nam jim dressing to pour over the top.
The remarkable thing was that the skin and scored flesh remained crispy even under the weight of the salad, yet cooked well with softly flaky meat and a crispy tail to nibble.

I found Spice I am to be an absolute winner on most fronts, its only let down was that it is so popular that the waits can be inhibiting to people wanting to dine at usual times (not Nanna time like me that evening!) and that the tiny shop front dining room was far less glamourous than I had imaged and totally BYO so we were at the mercy of a dodgy pub bottle-o for our selection with dinner.
But to quote PDC "I can't name the last time I spent $60 bucks in a restaurant and enjoyed it so much".
Enough said. Smiles all round.
Jack

Wellington, New Zealand

I've been regularly travelling to New Zealand for ten years, as long as I have known PDC - a kiwi. Over that time I've been excited to see its culinary horizons develop from clumsy paprika dusting to a smart level of refinement, I know this sounds like a generalisation, yet I have been genuinely impressed the last few visits. The weekend before last was Wellington, and it was no different.

So Wellington in a round up:
-LOVED Moore Wilsons food store, they stocked a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables that I have never seen in a Melbourne market, packs of baby leeks and fennel, trimmed punnets of micro herbs, edible flowers to garnish like in Spain or toss in a very pretty salad. How often do you see wild venison and wild goat fillets at your local store? Or what about mountains of tomatillos?

-city destination bistro Pravda was brilliant for a smart light lunch of manuka smoked Akaroa salmon on nicoise salad, a glass of luscious Nevis Bluff pinot gris from Central Otago and the obligatory Antipodes mineral water in its designy, yet medicinal bottle

-Maria Pia's Trattoria, Wellingtons representation in the famous Italian cookbook Silver Spoon. This homely little dining room would fit right in on Melbournes Lygon St, memorabilia lined walls, simple menu and a strange private dining room that reminded me of sitting in a sauna, no, it was not hot and steamy but lined in timber and a little separate building in the the backyard. Our waiter was easily flusted and going through the motions, even some of the classic Italian dishes were off the mark, yet restaurants are not always about the food, service or even ambience, the company was more important this night so hence if you can gather a table like I did that night Marias was remarkable...

-Taste Breakfast, great friendly service and an excellent breakfast dish of a chunky cut ham and tomato panfried sandwich, topped with two soft poached eggs and the most artery clogging cheddar sauce that was to die for- potentially!

-Talking coffee, the coffee culture in NZ in has just become addictive, with fair trade and boutique roasters the norm the 'translation' issues of the past, where latte meant being served in a bowl French style, where strong meant bitter and less than 65C was too cold. The times have changed.

-Cheap boutique beers, you've got to love them, Monteiths and Macs, even fancy apple cider and alcoholic ginger ale. And the government is not making a mint in alcohol tax, like in Australia, so $12 a 6pack is the norm.

-Martin Bosleys. I'm seeing him cook this weekend at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festivals Masterclasses but I couldn't tell you what it tastes like yet as I was not organised enough to make a reservation, cockily thinking I'd be fine, but as I should have expected from the Cuisine Restaurant of the Year - full on Monday lunch.

-So I dined out a few times, but what about in?

Fried whitebait and steamed wild caught salmon one night; the raw salmon smelt like salty butter, and cooked it still looked raw it was so red. I also could not get enough of baby kumaras, roasted one night and simply boiled and served with PDC's garlic ailoi, it was so garlic 'hot' it came with a warning (and a recipe you if ask nicely) but the perfect counterbalance to the sweet starch of the purple kumara.

-New funky wine varietals were abound for the eclectic wine snob in me, chenin blanc, arneis and merlot that I would not be embarrassed to ask for, (think Sideways here!) are all now available from kiwi producers and from what I saw very smartly done as well.

After all that in 4 days I am thankful that Wellington is a VERY hilly city, the next weekend was Sydney and are just as many stories to tell, coming soon!

Jack

Pretty purple kale

Perhaps a bit early in the year, yet I couldn't resist these pretty purple kale leaves from South Melbourne markets. I love it just sauteed with some garlic and chilli, incredibly healthy -high in iron, vitamin C and calcium.
A beautiful bouquet in the corner of the kitchen is also a remarkable tribute to food and produce.
Jack

Gills Diner, Melbourne

I finally had the pleasure of a visit to Gills Diner this week. I've been wanting to check it out since it opened but just haven't made it, but Tuesday was our night.

Gills Diner is part of the Con Christopoulos group, you can tell. It screams smart Melbourne hospitality; the room is simple plank wood tables, blackboard menu, thick churchlike candles. I had a good feeling immediately, it just seemed right.

My 'palate' for dining venues has developed and changed in the last few years. I have become more food and service smart but the thing that can linger the most in my mind is the ambience. I've been pondering this far too much (to PDC's torture!) since dining fancy at Jacques Reymond late last year. I never intended to blog that experience but it surprised me; I didn’t take notes or photos but my memory is one of…blah… it just wasn’t for me. The ambience was aimed at my parents or grandparents looking for a special night out, the food was ‘worked’ as they say in the business and in my opinion too worked. The service was fine, I had no reason to love or hate them, I guess I just was looking for something to be excited about, and I found nothing apart from a quaint experience that seemed captured in time – 10 years ago.

Moving forward Gills is a dining room of the future. A level of casualness (as I also found at Mugaritz), that did not reflect through to the quality of the experience; this is hard for me to explain but it was more like how I would invite someone to my home to eat, casual yet with the utmost care.
The food was generous in size yet was refined in its quality. I only got to try three dishes, we thought we had ordered entrees to start, yet they were so substantial we did not get past them. The Gills nicoise for $26 was represented as an entrée, so I thought, yet was more generous than a main course at many places. It consisted of rosy seared, fillet of tuna, a salad of all the usual suspects, the potatoes are waxy and thinly cut, the eggs soft boiled, the anchovies white, you couldn’t go wrong.
The antipasto was again large. It was compiled from what looked like yesterdays menu; the thing is I have no problem with this, I guess it is the true nature of antipasto. Some components were obviously made especially for the plate such as pickled cauliflower, and liver parfait on long toasts, yet arancini was filled with the carrot risotto on the menu and a moreish slice of roast rabbit stuffed leg was also there. I would have been happy to eat these as their main course incarnation, so I was more than happy to nibble them on the tasting plate.
My favourite dish was a salad of Februarys Pick, figs. Combined with classical flavours of duck confit, gorgonzola, walnuts and witlof, it was a heavy salad that I could happily eat on it own as a meal and be satisfied. The type of dish I would make for myself at home, if I had all the bits on hand.

A unforgettable component of Gills that I can’t respect enough is the service. PDC and I are known to Laszlo the manager from his time at Carlisle –our ultimate local. We were given a welcome that befits the Gills Diner as a whole, it was special, and the staff generally were enthusiastic about were they worked and what they served. The wine list reflected early Carlisle Wine Bar; eclectic to the point of being bad for business, unless you had dynamic guidance through it. Pennyweight Lane fino from Beechworth was my aperitif, a Hendricks gin martini for PDC, garnished thoughtfully with cucumber. Again we were reassured, we were in good hands.

I’ll definitely be back to Gills, all the components of a successful experience were fulfilled for me. I understand what they are about and I think they ‘get’ me as a diner, as well. Dining is more and more about personalities or in some cases lack-there-of and I know that Gill’s Diner and mine are aligned.
Jack

Gills Diner
Gills Alley, Melbourne
03 9670 7214

Figs - My Pick for February

My love of whatever is 'good' at the market, has lead me to start this series of posts; 'My Pick'.
I find that when a favourite produce is newly available at the market with the change of a season I can't get enough, I can end up eating the same component over and over. The seasonal produce is always, fresh and in good condition, inexpensive and readily available.
So what I'd like to do is over the month create a few dishes from the same feature ingredient, if you have one to share, I'd welcome you to get involved as well.

So for February, My Pick is Figs

Figs are one of those flexible ingredients that when they are in season I become torn, I can think of the perfect entree, main course and dessert to incorporate them into yet, I can't have them for every course -or could I?
Figs are actually a tiny cluster of flowers inside a soft pod, techically not a fruit, they are in season late summer and early autumn in Melbourne.
The two types of figs above are the main ones I see at the markets, they go by a variety of names but roughly something like black fig or genoa for the larger purple-y ones and honey or white fig for the smaller lime green ones. I also love the little bite size 'wild figs' that you can buy semi dried, in the dry goods section. These are often imported but you can also get some fantastic quality ones from South Australia.

Baked black figs with gorgonzola dolce and Parma prosciutto
I served three of these figs with a small salad of tangelo segments, shaved baby fennel and some wild rocket as a main course.
Cut the figs into quarters and stuff with a generous wedge of gorgonzola, gently form into the fig shape again and roll in a little blanket of prosciutto. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a grind of white pepper. I find you don't need to salt these as the cheese and ham gives plenty of seasoning to the fig.
Bake in a slow to moderate oven until the prosciutto is crispy and the cheese is hot and molten.Rest the figs for a few minutes after the oven, so as to not burn your tongue as soon as you taste how good they are.
Jack

NB Don't worry, I have not forgotten about the fig stake out, its sooo still on, just nothing seems to be happening at the moment, immediately upon the first signs of ripening, you'll know.

Double up, Dish of the Month

If your savvy about food in Melbourne, it's likely that you have heard of Tempura Hajime, and are either desperate to get a reservation or a very patient happy diner.

I'm one of the very happy diners but I didn't have to be so patient.

I've dined at Hajime on four occasions now, each time the menu has changed a little - and I do mean little - yet it's the constants that win me over. I dined there the first time back in March last year when it was about 6 weeks new. I loved it so much I went back again a few weeks later just to check I hadn't drank too much shōchū and blurred my perception -and it was better.

Each time Daisuke and Noriko have made me feel even more welcomed into their little dining space.

So without a moment of hesitation, Tempura Hajime is the holder of not one but two equally deserving Dishes of the month for January

Tempura eel in Teriyaki sauce and
Sea urchin roe stuffed tempura scallop

Sorry, just couldn't pick between the two.
I'm a huge eel fan usually smoked with any number of accompaniments, so I know a good piece when I see it. The eel at Hajime wasn't smoked, just delicately flavoured and in the lacy tempura batter that we love and then a dip in Dai's pot of teriyaki sauce. The sweetness balanced the goodness of the intense fish oils of the eel and the batter the necessary textural factor.

We already know how embarrassed I get taking photos in local restaurants, so I hope you can forgive my very poor image of the stuffed scallop, yet I think it helps you get an understanding of this morsel.

A large deep sea scallop, split and filled with sea urchin roe, the flavours are not light hearted, intense fishy and with a slight grainy texture two pieces is not enough.

One gorgeous memory I take away from my last visit to Hajime, was listening (it's hard not to when there is only twelve seats!) into a Hajime virgin couple. They were loving it, so much so that when the oyster was served the man just had to have another so asked if they could have a couple more as they were happy to pay whatever the extra would be. The sweetest response was returned, along the lines of "...I'm sorry we only have twelve for our twelve seats, I don't have extras".
This sums up Tempura Hajime in my mind, it's all about the quality, they are not there to make a quick buck and were absolutely horrified when they received 500 calls in just one day after The Age review.
I'm not usually patient enough to book ahead, but for Tempura Hajime, I can make some concessions.
Jack

Australia Day, some things never change

And others can surprise you...

Things that never change
-our sense of national righteousness about having a barbeque on Australia Day - or on the public holiday at least
-my relief that it didn't end up like the last - a fire engine squiring water up onto our third floor balcony to put out the barbeque and gas bottle on fire. We laugh now but are still a little (correction, a lot) paranoid with the barbie
-that if you offer a pavlova, you will not have left overs

Shhh, the resting pav...

All dressed up and ready to go

Things that surprise me

-we also served kangaroo fillet, marinated and seared on the barbeque, it went so fast I felt like a bad host for stashing a marinated fillet for later (thinking that the consensus would be 'no thanks').
I have been eating kangaroo meat for years, and apart from loving the gamey earthy flavour, its inexpensive, really good for you - high protein vs low fat, and sustainably produced in our environment.

So we ate from the coat of arms... but if only I had invited Anna from Morels and Musings with her emu dish from earlier in the month and we would have completed the pair!

Pavlova
A fun dessert in my house, were Kiwi and Aussie rivalry is already alive and well, we don't need to make it worse reminding them that it really is an Australian dessert.
In case you care... created in Perth by a German chef called Herbert Sachse at Hotel Espanade in 1935. He named it after Anna Pavlova the ballerina. The tricky part is that Herbert is like all good chefs, he reads lots of cook books and was 'inspired' from the equivalent to the Womens Weekly and used a recipe sent in by a kiwi reader. So yes a meringue, cream, fruit thing was made in NZ first but Australia owns the Pav (the kiwis can keep the lollie cake though... don't ask if you don't know!)

The even funnier thing is that PDC the kiwi of the house made this perfect pavlova, from an Aussie recipe -Thanks Stephanie.

Stephanie Alexanders Pavlova recipe
4 egg whites at room temperature
pinch of salt
250g castor sugar
2 teaspoons of cornflour
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
a few drops of pure vanilla (we didn't have any)

Preheat oven to 180C
Line a tray with baking paper
Beat egg whites and salt until 'satiny' (not sure what this means!) peaks form
Beat in sugar a third at a time until meringue is stiff and shiny
Sprinkle over cornflower, vinegar and vanilla and fold in
Mound onto paper lined tray about 20cm round with a smooth top and sides
Place in oven and immediately reduce the heat to 150C and cook for 1 1/4 hours (ours took a little longer until golden)
Turn off oven and leave pavlova in it to cool completely.

Stephanie flips her pav but ours was served crunchy side up with whipped cream (no sugar) and heaps of very sweet passionfruit - the especially purchased mango and peaches stayed on the shelf...

Hope yours is as successful as PDC's

Jack

Mishima. The new, old 'wagyu'

Every restaurant worth their fancy salt has given wagyu beef a go in the last few years. It's so common (and bastardised) now that you even see it as wagyu burgers and pies. So what is the new step up from this, apart from having producer branded 100% wagyu cuts on your menu?

Mishima could be the answer. Mishima is the original Japanese cow, fortunately they lived isolated in the Sea of Japan on Mishima Island and were not cross breed with European cows in the late 1800's. The Japanese cross bred cows eventually became the Kobe (in Kobe -Japan) and wagyu (in Japan, Australia and the US) cows that we now are familiar with. The Mishima cows were able to stay pure bred and retain their unique marbling qualities when fed solely on grass.
These pure, native cows became so rare that sources suggest that there was less than 100 beasts left in the early 1980's. The meat is so prized and rare, even in Japan that my internet searches mainly turn up Iron Chef with $12 000 a beast competitions.

So with this level of exclusivity I could not resist a visit to Rockpool Bar and Grill when I heard that they had exclusive access to Mishima beef that David Blackmore has breed in Australia from the only ever exported beast. I don't pretend to understand the technicalities of breeding, but I'm told that these are being cross bred in Australia to eventually produce a 'stabilized breed'.
The thing I do understand though is taste.
Rockpool B&G are offering apart from steak cuts, Mishima burgers in addition to their usual wagyu burgers. To keep this experiment simple I taste compared the two burgers. A tough job but I did have experienced eaters to help...
I was told to expect the wagyu to be smokier and richer as it had a higher marble count. The wagyu had been raised on the usual partial grain diet. The Mishima by contrast has a lower marble count but can offer different flavours since it was raised on grass and can achieve very high marble count on this alone -unlike the wagyu.
So enough, commentary, what did it taste like I hear you ask?
Well... I found the Mishima burger meat to taste very rich and succulent, the typical flavours that you would have expected from the wagyu burger. The wagyu on the other hand was smoky, as we had been told and though also rich and opulent tasting, the Mishima offered another level of flavour that did not need the smoky character inherited from the wood fired grill. The best desciptor I came up with was one close to the Rockpool B&G home; the caramelised popcorn served with coffee, a sweet, yet nutty, dark nearly burnt caramel flavour.
Mishima it is, but it maybe some time before your local gets a hold of it, but that may not be such a bad thing.
Jack

Note, It's been a challenge putting this information together about the Mishima beef, if you have anything further to add or correct please let me know, so I can update this information.