Jalan Alor Melbourne

Unfortunately my Melbourne food trail has come to an end with this being the last post until I visit again. One of my good friends recommended we try this place and I must say I was quite impressed. Jalan Alor was the name of this place situated at 7/206 Bourke St, Melbourne CBD. Jalan Alor is also the name of a famous hawker food street in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Of course Jalan Alor Melbourne is cleaner. It was actually quite nicely decorated with wooden tables and benches and a colourful interior. 

First up, drinks! I decided to go for barley with kumquat (left). I very soon needed a second glass. Carl had special iced coffee which I swear went in 5 minutes.

The KL Hokkien Mee was actually pretty good but still lacking something. Must be the fried lard.

My friends' Fish fillet and fish head vermicelli noodle soup. The portions were huge and the bowl was quite comical. Let me explain this dish. Fish head bee hoon (rice vermicelli)  is not as disgusting as it sounds. The soup base is usually made from freshwater fish and has a pleasant, clean smell and taste. It does not actually smell or taste fishy. The fish head pieces or fish fillets are coated in flour and deep fried to serve. When you order it, rice vermicelli noodles are blanched in hot water and evaporated milk is added to the soup base. Put it all in a bowl with some vegetables and the fried fish fillets and you have yourself a very tasty dish.

Nasi ayam bakar  or BBQ Chicken rice was another highlight. The chicken was tender, juicy and well marinated. 

Carl just has to order roti canai

What would a Malaysian meal be without curry laksa. Of course you wouldn't get this at Jalan Alor in Malaysia because ultimately, those are hawker stalls. This place however charges AUD and needs to serve up to Australian standards. The portion was generous with two fresh mussels and two big prawns. They don't look very big here but the head and tail are hidden. The curry laksa was very enjoyable.

Last but not least, the famous Penang Prawn Mee. Two big prawns and a very nice prawn soup. 

I would definitely come back to this place again next time I'm in town. Adios Melbourne! Till next time.

Carl's mega focaccia pizza

Quick post on Carl's Mega Focaccia Pizza. We picked up some really nice fresh bread from a bakery and saw this mega sized focaccia. Anyway, when I got home from work that night Carl decided to use the whole focaccia to make a mega pizza! It was massive. This monster easily feeds four.

It was a very, very interesting but tasty pizza with a BBQ sauce base. The toppings include, spanish stuffed olives, eggplant, ham, mushroom, chicken, zucchini, mozzarella, tasty and vintage cheese. 

Bacon and onion damper

This was a while ago while the craze of My Kitchen Rules was still on. Greatly inspired by Bill and Alex I decided to attempt the great Aussie damper. Never made it, never tried it but now is the time after being here for so long. Plus it would be handy if I ever get stuck in the outback with flour and coal. 

We had the webber going for a BBQ so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to do it outdoor style. On the coal. Also inspired by Bill & Alex, I decided to whip up a spicy tomato sauce to go with it. So here is our Bacon and onion damper  with spicy tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

1 cup diced bacon

1 onion finely chopped

2 cups self raising flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to pan and cook finely chopped onion and diced bacon till fragrant. Turn off heat.
2. Mix flour, salt and olive oil together. Add milk slowly and mix to form a dough.
3. Knead the dough till soft and smooth.
4. Incorporate the onion and bacon bits into dough evenly.
5. Shape the into a nice round loaf and wrap with two layers of tin foil.
6. Place in coal (cover with coal as well) and let it bake for 20 to 30 minutes. 

As this was my first time making damper I was checking every 10 minutes to ensure the heat is even and no particular part is burning quicker than the other. Plus I was cooking it in a Webber so heat wasn't exactly even but nonetheless I just had to turn it upside down and around. 

For the spicy tomato sauce, I just opened a tin of diced tomatoes, finely chopped two chillies and cooked it in a pan with 1 tsp sugar, salt to taste and chopped parsley. Bring it to high heat and simmer until you get a thick sauce.

Rockpool Bar & Grill - Crown Towers Melbourne

The Rockpool Bar and Grill of Crown Towers Melbourne owned by Neil Perry. Yes, we are here. It was one of the special meals we have decided to treat ourselves to. I apologize in advance for the lower quality of photos as it was very dark in there and I didn't really want frequent flashes of light as it just would not be appropriate. 

Chefs hard at work

Walking into the restaurant was like walking down a hall of fame with a wall full of the restaurant's awards on one side and their raw produce on display on the other side. We were shown to our seat by a very friendly and attentive waiter which we had for the night. Looking through the menu I get the impression that this place is all about the quality of the produce. They certainly advocate  that in order to produce top quality food, you need the finest ingredients.

For entree I had Wood Fire Grilled Quail with Smoked Tomatoes and Black Olives. I love quail and this was a perfect entree for me. The meat was tender, juicy, still a little pink inside and very flavoursome. The smoked tomatoes, herbs and bits of black olives added great flavour.

Carl went for the Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare with Moroccan Eggplant and Cumin Mayonnaise. My oh my it was divine! The tuna could not be fresher and the flavours went so well together. It was an amazing dish to eat. I could eat that as a main!

When it came to the mains, we went for the obvious. Steak! That's what Rockpool is famous for. We both went for rib-eye steaks, medium rare. Carl had the Rangers Valley Dry Aged 300 Day Grain Fed Rib-eye on the bone (440g). I had a Cape Grim Dry Aged 36 Month Old Grass Fed Rib-eye on the bone (350g). My steak was beautiful. Tender, juicy, meaty, flavoursome. Carl's steak however, which was aged longer didn't give us the same effect. It was more marbled but the juiciness and flavour of the meat wasn't there. I think Carl was a little disappointed as he was really looking forward to this meal and his was also more expensive. 

We ordered a couple of sides to go with it. Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Speck and Chestnuts and Baby King Edward Potatoes Sauteed with Wagyu Fat and Rosemary. They were beautiful. Especially the potatoes, crispy on the outside and fluffy as you bite through it. And the sprouts, who knew sprouts could taste so good!

It was time for dessert and we couldn't wait to taste it! We had Butterscotch Pecan Tart with Iced Coffee. You can never go wrong with butterscotch. The pecan tart was served with a shot of strong iced coffee and was meant to be eaten together. A bite of the tart and a swig of the coffee. It was a brilliant combination. A yummy and crunchy start, washed through with some strong coffee sweetened by the tart.

I went for The Ciampini - Chestnut Meringue and Ice Cream Sandwich. There was a lot of depth. Put it in your mouth and the flavours shine one by one. Very beautiful.

To end the pleasant meal we had some herbal tea to wash it all down. He brought us some caramel popcorn as well. They were very moreish!

My lemongrass tea. Love the teapot

Malaysian Curry Beef

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I posted a recipe as I was happy high from my trip in Melbourne and so excited to tell you guys all about my food trail. Here's my Malaysian Curry Beef.

Ingredients:
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
2 star anise
1 tsp minced ginger
1 onion finely chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves
4 tbsp oil
150mL coconut cream
500g chuck steak cut into cubes
4 tbsp Baba's Meat Curry Powder
water
2 potatoes (optional)


Method:

1. Heat oil in wok or pot and fry cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and diced onion till fragrant. Then add minced ginger and curry leaves and mix well.
2. Next add the beef cubes to the wok/pot and brown the meat. 
3. With the curry powder, add a bit of water at a time until you get a nice paste. Add the paste to the wok/pot and mix until beef cubes are coated well.
4. Add 1/2 cup water and 150mL coconut cream, stir well. Put a lid on the wok/pot and bring to boil then reduce heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally. If it is drying up add a bit of water at a time.
5. This step is optional. If you would like some potatoes, cut into chunks and add to the wok/pot and mix well. Cook for a further 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. If you do not have potatoes just simmer the beef for a further 20 minutes or until desired tenderness.
6. Serve with steamed rice or coconut rice 

I highly recommend Baba's brand of meat curry powder which can be bought at Asian groceries as the curry powder you get in the supermarket is just not the same. I like my beef really tender and sometimes don't have enough time to cook it for that long. In such cases I mix in a little bit of bicarb soda to tenderize the meat. Not much is required. For 500g I would probably only use half a teaspoon.

Hope you enjoy it!

 

Old Town Kopitiam Mamak - QVB Melbourne

Hello my friends! I found a 'Mamak stall'! I have been meaning to try this place out despite the average reviews I have read about it. I must say that my experience at Old Town Kopitiam Mamak at QVB was an overall positive one. There weren't many people there when we visited on a Monday lunch time so service was prompt and friendly. Instead of the mamak stall look with plastic tables and chairs and multicolour umbrellas if you're lucky, this is decorated more as a coffee house with an influence from olden days. It's definitely cleaner! I quite liked it. Reminded me of the OldTown White Coffee franchise back home in Malaysia. What we call 'Posh Mamak'.

Some drinks to start. Carl went for Milo Ice which is what he misses the most. It was nice but still not quite there, nearly but not there. Probably lacking the extra scoop of Milo and bit of condensed milk. I went for Teh C Ice. Teh C is basically tea made with evaporated milk. Carnation is the brand of evaporated milk used and possibly how the letter C made it to the name of the drink. I actually liked it very much.

On to the food, we decided to try a few things. Carl really wanted a curry puff even though I was skeptical about it but here it is. It was a disappointment unfortunately. The filling was not flavourful enough and the pastry was soggy. Interestingly Ikea in PJ, Malaysia makes good curry puff which is what Carl always compares it to. Anyway, Ikea 1 - 0 Old Town Kopitiam.

I decided to order Nasi Kandar with Nasi Briyani, Ayam Masak Merah and Ayam Goreng. Nasi Kandar originated from Penang, Malaysia and is basically rice served with a variety of curries and side dishes of your choice. The origin of the word is quite interesting. Nasi means rice and Kandar means a balancing pole as in the olden days vendors used to sell things balanced on the pole over his shoulder. You will probably still see it in smaller towns. 


The Briyani rice was very nice with the curry chicken sauce that I chose. We particularly liked the seasoned fried chicken (Ayam Goreng) which was tasty, well seasoned and well cooked through. No bloody bits and no overcooked bits. The Ayam Masak Merah (chicken cooked in red sauce) was delicious but I had two very bony pieces of chicken. The chicken there does come on the bone with is fine for me but I expected a more meaty piece for the price. 

Next up, Carl's favourite obsession - Roti Canai! It was pretty good and pretty close. I have heard bad reviews on it but the one we had was pretty good. Maybe it could have been more flaky but overall it was good. I loved the sambal even though it was sweet!

We also ordered Roti Jala (Net bread). It's like our version of a crepe. It's very lacy and made from a cup with a few holes at the bottom to create that effect. It's very thin and doesn't have much flavour but a great accompaniment for curries, usually served with curry chicken. I must admit I expected more curry chicken considering the higher price and usual serving size in Australia. The Roti Jala was a little too thick for my liking but the worst thing about it was not having enough curry to eat with it. They should probably serve a bowl of curry chicken instead.

All in all a good experience and it did satisfy my homesick-ness. I would definitely go back again to try other things and have my Teh C! 

Lindt Cafe Melbourne CBD

Guess what? I made it to Lindt Cafe in Melbourne CBD! Met up with some lovely high school friends for afternoon tea at Lindt Cafe and it was brilliant catching up with those happy faces. We had just had a big lunch so I didn't get to try much at Lindt Cafe. We ordered a Hazelnut hot chocolate and Trio of Delice (Macaron). For the hot chocolate drink, they served up a shot of melted hazelnut chocolate and a jug of frothy milk so we could make it as rich or light as we liked. It was nice but not overly great.

For the Trio of Delice we decided to go for Strawberry, Champagne and Pistachio Macarons. Every bite was an absolute delight! Soft with a chewy centre, the flavoured chocolate cream filling felt like heavenly clouds on my tongue.

It was a nice experience and above all, really good to catch up with some friends! I would go back for the macarons. 

Meiji Japanese Cafe - Melbourne

Good evening! Continuing with my food trek in Melbourne, we visited Meiji Japanese Cafe. Situated on Little Bourke Street in the heart of the city centre, this Japanese cafe offers affordable meals. They can get quite busy despite having two levels so service may not always be attentive and quick. Carl has been raving on about this place and a particular dish he had three times on his visit to Melbourne a few years ago. Oh, and his Avocado Calpis drink which was indeed quite nice.

Mr. Stylo excited to have one of his favourite dishes

So it was time to order. Carl went straight for his Avocado Calpis and Tori with rice while I scanned through the menu twice. Variety is definitely there as they serve a small variety of Korean meals, sushi/sashimi, a selection of ramen, sizzling/tepanyaki plates, donburi and bento boxes. They had some interesting drinks to offer too. 


When the dishes arrived, I thought the presentation was quite good. The metal rice bowls came in a wooden stand so you wouldn't burn yourself trying to hold the bowl still when you're stirring your rice. Turns out Carl's favourite dish was fried chicken on rice with a teriyaki style sauce. This particular one had a quail egg and I swear that's what sold it to him. That ONE quail egg! The sauce was interesting. It was as if they have mixed teriyaki and kim chi sauce together. I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

I decided to order Pork belly, egg and vegetables on rice. The pork belly was delicious but rather Chinese style. I loved the egg as I'm a sucker for hard boiled eggs cooked in soy or tea! There was also shredded egg and Asian vegetables with bamboo shoots. Overall it was a nice dish to eat although I'm not sure how Japanese it is. 

It is an affordable joint and they open for lunch and dinner so I would most likely visit again, maybe to try their Ramen next time! Now, what's next? The food trail continues.

Little Creatures Dining Hall - Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Just a quick post to share an interesting place I found in my travels to Melbourne. This place was situated on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. We were there for breakfast and a bit of shopping when I came across this place. I loved the look of it! I didn't actually dine there but just thought I'd share it anyway.

I absolutely love what they've done with it. Very unique and love all the little touches including the beer bottle lights! Hope to be able to try their food one day.

Monga Sweet Cafe - Melbourne

After Aka Tombo we decided to head to a dessert place for the rest of the evening. They brought me to a place called Monga Sweet Café, a Hong Kong style dessert café. We had to go up the stairs as it was on the second level. The place was packed but we were lucky enough to secure the sofa section right next to the windows so we could look onto the city lights. There are two "sofa sections" next to each other and we grabbed them both! It's a rather comfortable place to hang out and chat. They open till very late and you could sit there for hours and they wouldn't kick you out. We were there for a good 3 hours plus I think.

Conquered the sofas!! There were another two where I was taking the picture from

They serve a combination of sweet and savoury Hong Kong style snacks along with some unique non-alcoholic drinks. There's also plain old tea and coffee for those who prefer. We tried a variety of desserts but the only ones I feel are worth mentioning are the waffles. Their soup desserts such as Black glutinous rice and sago soup, beancurd sheet with gingko and quail egg broiled soup etc. lacked flavour and tasted like a watered down version.

We ordered all variety of waffles, Waffle with Black Sesame Ice Cream and Sauce, Waffle with Red Bean Paste and Green Tea Ice Cream, Hong Kong Style Original Waffle (with peanut butter and condensed milk).  The waffles were delicious and just right. Both the black sesame and green tea ice cream were good and the Original Waffle with peanut butter and condensed milk was an awesome old time favourite! 

Aka Tombo - Melbourne

First night in Melbourne was very exciting as I was meeting up with all my Uni classmates for dinner at Aka Tombo Tapas and Sake Bar. It was a small eatery located in Liverpool Street. First peek inside, there wasn't a lot of room. There are smaller booths that seat 4 on the left and on the right there was a long table that fits 10. That's where we sat and it was nice to have our own side of the restaurant. 

Because it was a Japanese tapas place and there were 8 of us, we were able to try a huge variety of dishes. I do apologize in advance for some pictures of half eating dishes because it's not that easy to stop 7 other people from eating before I take a picture PLUS we were all so excited to see each other and busily chatting away that I didn't always remember either.

First up Agedashi Tofu and Mushroom with Oyster Sauce. It was delicious. The deep fried tofu was so fresh, crisp and smooth with a clean flavour. It was a delight to eat it on it's own but topped with the mushrooms and oyster sauce, it was divine. Fantastic start to the night! 

Agedashi Tofu and Mushroom

Nasu Dengaku was on the specials menu and I tried it for the first time. Where have you been all my life? It was interesting and tasty. Nasu Dengaku is grilled eggplant with a sweet Miso sauce on top. I wanted to know how they made it because the eggplant flesh was all soft and yummy which would've taken a bit of time to achieve but there were no grill or burn marks and the eggplant retained it's shape superbly. 

Nasu dengaku

A popular favourite, Karaage. Japanese deep fried chicken. Yummy and not too greasy. A nice, hot, crunchy dish for winter!

Karaage

I was craving sashimi so we decided to order the Sushi and Sashimi Platter along with a serve of California Roll and Tuna sushi. The sashimi was very fresh and light on the palate. Their sushi was also delicious but not the best I've had. I wasn't sure about the California Roll being California Roll, more like vegetarian roll. We also ordered Gyoza (Japanese pork dumplings) but I didn't get a chance to take a picture. They went too quick. It was yummy but I've had better at Matsuri in Adelaide and my friend had better at Izakaya Den in Melbourne.

Sushi and sashimi platter

California roll

Once again, apologies for the seagull crowd. I managed to quickly snap a photo. Teriyaki salmon was super delicious. The salmon was cooked just right and the teriyaki sauce was amazing. Even Carl, who would never touch a cooked salmon, loved it after I forced it on his plate. 

Teriyaki Salmon

Last but not least, we also had the popular favourite - Tempura! The Tempura was served with dipping sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and wasabi mayonnaise. The prawns and fish were fresh. Once again a clean and crisp taste. These guys are good at deep frying!!

Tempura

It was a very enjoyable night with great food, great company and lots of laughs. Thanks to my friend for taking us there.