Melbies & Foodies

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant, Melbourne, Victoria

2011-04-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

For SiewPoh's birthday this year, we shared a meal at a flash new Chinese eatery with Versace looking plates. The whole establishment had matching Versace looking furniture too...

To start off dinner, shredded duck soup - there wasn't much duck in there

hot and sour soup - SiewPoh and Gary both enjoyed this

prawn, eggplant, chinese donut in claypot - tasted like it was stir fried in sweet chilli sauce but spicier

duck with glutinous rice - i though of Je when i had this since she likes glutinous rice

beef with black pepper sauce - cooked to a bloody medium and served with four asparagus stalks

as per chinese tradition, birthday noodles need to be had and it came with pippies and dried crab egg roe - the pippies were real tough, we had to leave most of 'em uneaten and the crab egg roe gave SiewPoh who was allergic to it an itchy mouth as it wasn't identified until after consumption

mixed vegetables and vermicelli in claypot - some greens for our fibre requirements

free ice cream - this was plonked down on our table without introduction nor explanation, so we just dug in and gave the dessert menu a miss. i think they did this to hurry us along as we were the last ones in the restaurant by then. -mi!

Sunday Home Cooked Brekky

2011-02-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

i stocked up on these ingredients at woolies the night before, including the milk for scrambled eggs

Kransky sausage, scrambled eggs, hash brown, toasted turkish bread, cherry tomatoes and spinach

would be nicer if i could've cooked up these without having to deal with the dirty pans and dishes after. -mi!

Shake Shack, New York

2010-12-30T23:37:00.000-08:00

Busy lunch time crowd but we managed to snag a seat. effortless compared to the two hour queue at the first madison park joint we stood in before this brand new one on 86th street opened in the upper east side.

Shackburger - Lightly toasted sweet soft chewy potato bun, nicely done black angus beef pattie, melted american cheese, tomato and lettuce. Great burger and oh sooo goood cheese fries. Wash down with fresh squeezed lemonade. i luv it. -mi!

Norma's, New York

2010-12-25T23:55:00.000-08:00

My second time in Norma's at Le Parker Meridien - as we had to wait two hours for a table, this meal was preceded by a quick bite at the famed burger joint next door.

Hot Chestnut Pancakes Topped with Candied Chestnuts and Brown Sugar Sauce

Mango-Papaya Brown Butter Cinnamon Crêpes

Waz-Za Waffle – Fruit Inside Fruit Outside, Crackly Brûlée Top. oooooooh sweet beginnings to the day.

this was the calm before the blizzarding snow storm that came down on nyc 24 hours later. -mi!

Burger Joint, New York

2010-12-25T23:39:00.000-08:00

Spot the neon light in the posh hotel lobby of Le Parker Meridien in midtown manhattan

Menu above compact kitchen tells you "if you don't see it, we don't have it"

Cheeseburger with the lot and brown paper bag of french fries. Soft fluffy bun, chargrilled cooked-to-order-medium beef pattie, fries were hot, fresh and big enough to go round. All for around $12. -mi!

Per Se, New York

2010-12-19T02:59:00.000-08:00

i've been longing/trying/hankering/aching to dine at Thomas Keller's since 2009. Thank you to Je and Amex Concierge for securing a table for us! On today's menu;

warm light airy foie gras puffs

Florida Cobia Pastrami - Marinated potatoes, pickled red onion, garden dill and mustard seed vierge
Tartare of Australian Hiramasa - Smoked tofu, watermelon radishes, ponzu gelee and cilantro

Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras Sherbet - Compressed Gros Michel banana, walnut marmalade, red ribbon sorrel and black winter truffle puree

freshly baked warm bread selection
Sauteed fillet of Chatham Bay Cod - Ragout of flageolet beans, purple top turnips, romaine lettuce, sweet carrots and horseradish gastrique
Santa Barbara Sea Urchin - per se soppressata, globe artichokes, pickled garlic, roquette leaves and spanish saffron
Medallion of Marcho Farms' Veal En Persillade - "Ris de Veau," Glazed Salsify, Broccoli Florettes, Watercress and toasted almond jus

view of Columbus Circle and central park from our seat

"M&M's" - Pretzel Chips, Candied peanuts, Madagascar vanilla mousse, Mast Brothers' chocolate ice cream

"Mignardises" - they truly spoiled us with the range of tiny bite-sized sweets that kept coming and coming
we got to pick from a tray of milk and dark chocolate pieces which includes cardamon spiced, rum, hazelnut

macarons, truffles, white chocolate ice cream balls, caramels, lollies, fluffy chewy donuts, cappuccino mousse

take home dark chocolate cookies to extend the meal a little further. -mi!

two bodies

2010-09-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

i'd just like to share one of my favourite pictures with you. two together even in death, it looks like they were holding on to each other as they perished, wishing for eternity together. nope, not morbid at all if you look past the dusty bones and recognise their amazing love. or was it just fear that made them cling on to each other? -mi!

Jessie's Pasta

2009-06-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Cream based pasta is one of the main contributors to my 18kg weight gain in my first few years in Melbourne. How i loved -and still love all the cheap and nasty carbonaras and cream based marinaras from Lygon St...

This is my first attempt at home made cream based pasta and must admit that it was one of the Best pastas i have ever had! yes, i'm not shy and would like to share with you my very affordable (costs ard A$7 per serve) and savoury recipe.

Salmon Spaghetti in an Avocado and Cream Sauce.
1) Boil Spaghetti (ard 300 grams serves 2 very hungry adults) and pull outta heat 1 minute before al dente texture is achieved
2) rinse spaghetti with cold water and set aside
3) fry one clove of minced garlic with a dash of olive oil in a large hot frying pan
4) when garlic is slightly browned, pour in thickened cream (ard 200ml)
5) put in diced avocado (1 whole avocado is way more than sufficient), and sprinkle some dried dill flakes, simmer on low heat
6) toss in spaghetti when cream is simmering, mix and coat spaghetti well with cream, simmer for another minute... you may wish to add some salt now but skimp on it as the smoked salmon will contribute a high percentage of sodium to this dish
7) fold in smoked salmon slices (300 grams or as much as you like) and turn off heat.
8) grind freshly cracked pepper and serve immediately.

A glass of chardonnay with this wouldn't hurt. -mi!

Jean Georges, New York

2009-05-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

i've been following Vongerichten's blog before i even knew i would going to New York city one day. Of course i had to make the pilgrimage here.

EGG CAVIAR ~ Egg Lovers Fi and Le, you should try this

SEA SCALLOPS, Caramelised Cauliflower, Caper-Raisin Emulsion

YOUNG GARLIC SOUP with Thyme, Sauteed Frog Legs ~ I enjoyed this course more than je did even with her favourite frog legs

TURBOT with Chateau Chalon sauce ~ my first time trying turbot fish, really liked the firm texture

LOBSTER Tartine, Lemongrass and Fenugreek Broth, Pea Shoots ~ Yum

Broiled SQUAB, Onion Compote, Corn Pancake with Foie Gras ~ Squab not really my choice of meat but it was part of the tasting menu that night

APPLE - a selection of apple inspired desserts didn't quite inspire us

CHOCOLATE ~ we didnt quite 'get' the idea behind the lukewarm watery chocolate shot that was part of this set and the chocolate cake was only okay

Marshmallow and Petit Fours ~ i was particularly looking forward to their marshmallows as the whole glass jar of pretty colourful marshmallows have been pushed around the restaurant all night. these were apparently 'home made'.

for a 3 Michelin starred restaurant, we were a leeetle bit let down by the desserts finale. - mi!

home sweet rice

2009-05-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

being a regular restaurant patron in an overflowing scene of convenient and tasty options, home cooked meals are so overrated. except for the ones prepared for mi at My home that is.

- rice and maize - note Not corn

- fried tofu with fried egg is my favourite combi

- all my favourite greens in one plate

- fish steamed with ginger

double boiled birds nest with ginseng. thanks dad and mum - mi!

Anada, Fitzroy, Victoria

2009-02-10T05:44:00.000-08:00

This Spanish restaurant wins points over the other favourite in the city for having an outdoor dining area, oh and also no three months wait to get a table. No waiting doesn't mean it is less of a destination, the food here is pretty good. I would rate this as my second favourite Spanish eatery in Melbourne.

This night, we had the kingfish escabeche on crouton, salt cod and tomato croqueta, fried zucchini flower stuffed with pancetta and cheese,

chilled almond soup with grapes, tortilla de patatas,

seared tuna with herbs and cherry sorbet, scallop with squid ink migas - fancy word for crumbs,

almond and bulgur-type of cereal made from wheat- crumbed lamb cutlet, seafood and chicken paella,

rounded off with jugs of sangria and finished with churros and chocolate of course. -mi!

Peking Duck

2008-12-17T21:05:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, I crave for Peking Duck. Most peking duck fans head straight for the roasted to a crisp skin of the duck. Unlike every other Peking Duck lover I know, my preference is for the thin flour pancake pastry , duck flesh sans skin and slivers of cucumber; opting to give up the skin of the duck to my other more appreciative skin dining companions.

Craving for peking duck, as i sometimes do; we went into DA HU Peking Duck chinese restaurant in Chinatown. They offer a standard duck banquet where you get four courses out of one duck.

Duck san choi bao

Duck chef showing off his slicing expertise at your table

Duck sliced ready to be wrapped as you please with the pancake, hoisin sauce, spring onion shavings. they did not offer any cucumber strips like they used to - or maybe they forgot and i had to ask for some. Anyhow, this duck was all 'tough, wobbly and soggy' - if i may describe duck this way. there was no visible attempt on roasting the duck skin to a crisp and fatty white bits wobbled in between the soggy skin and stiff yet overall wobbly duck flesh.

Duck Fried Rice - i personally like fried rice and will generally eat them when placed in front of mi regardless of quality. this one here was pretty sub standard but scoffed it down as it came with baby corn pieces and bean sprouts - i like the addition of bean sprouts in fried rice. (as opposed to bean sprouts in fried noodles - don't you think the texture and shape contrast with the soft pillows of rice?)

Duck carcass soup - duck leftover from the duck carved at your table supposedly goes into the boiling of this soup. they threw in some tofu and lettuce also.

This restaurant has sure gone downhill since my last visit a year or two ago. it is not somewhere i go for a gastronomic experience but rather an affordable place for a quick peking duck fix but i dare say i wouldn't be coming here again in the next 5 years regardless of how affordable it is.
There is a sign outside Da Hu Peking Duck restaurant claiming to have the best duck in town but please do not believe everything you see.

QUANJUDE - another peking duck restaurant in melbourne
As this place boasts of a history dating back to 1864 (Qing Dynasty), you receive a certificate citing the nutritional protein value of duck upon order of a whole roasted duck here. on this visit, it was the 115210692 numbered duck to be sacrificed for my dining pleasure.
The skin of the top most part of the duck was shaved off and offered to us as the "best part of the duck". I swallowed the oil/juice/grease oozing out as i crunched down on a piece.

waitress dressed in scary costume demonstrated how to wrap a peking duck pancake once the rest of the duck was sliced up by the slicer/chef next to our table.

i believe the duck in Quanjude is much better than Da Hu's but my Dad rated this place a 5 out of 10 and he advised for mi not to eat here again.

Hmmm... Flower Drum is still my favourite place for Peking Duck. mmmmm... gotta go dine there again soon... - mi!

Rockpool Bar & Grill, Southbank, Victoria

2008-12-15T02:40:00.000-08:00

i know my Dad appreciates a good piece of steak and i was finally able to introduce him to Rockpool on one of his rare visits here. This night, we had the dry aged 36 month old grass fed fillet {Dry aged beef is beef that has been hung to dry for several weeks. After the animal is slaughtered and cleaned, cuts are then placed in a cooler, stored at near freezing temperatures. The beef's enzymes break down and tenderize the meat, giving it a distinctive, memorable taste with a buttery, tender texture.} , dry aged grass fed yearling t bone steak, an appropriate selection of sauces and mustards to complement the steaks, seared crisp snapper with herb salad, onion rings, macaroni and cheese, sauteed zucchini with mint and garlic and a bottle of Reschke Bos Coonawarra Cab Sav. I couldn't say no to desserts and thus finished off with a strawberry salad.
p/s: Rockpool is a must try for any steak lovers in Melbourne. - mi!

Bottega, Melbourne, Victoria

2008-12-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

If i had to pick, this would be one of my favourite Italian restaurants in the Melbourne city - way better than society and 'more italian' than the european. I brought cw here for his birthday and this is what we had:

Crispy spiced Yarra Valley quail, roasted beetroot & goat's fetta - cw almost always orders the quail when offered on menus

Seared scallops with fennel, cucumber and apple salad - tender scallops complimented by crisp juliennes of apple & cucumber

Risotto with prawn and zucchini - the picture looks like chucked up dinner from last night gone wrong but this risotto is almost as good as tutto bene's, maybe better!

Parmesan crumbed veal on slow roasted eggplant caviar - i have decided that fried breadcrumbed veal is the tastiest way to go for this politically incorrect meat

Char-grilled aged grass fed scotch fillet with marrow, pecorino, horseradish & parsley salad - the simple garnish contrasted with the rich meaty taste of beef

Tiramisu

Soft centred chocolate pudding, morello cherries, house made pistachio ice cream

chocolate...yummmy... - mi!

Aux Batifolles, North Fitzroy, Victoria

2008-12-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

another venture out of the safe confines of my beloved city in the name of food. an 18 mins ride on tram 96 from bourke street mall will bring you here.

VENISON TERRINE SERVED WITH ONION JAM AND FIG BREAD - quite forgettable. i have forgotten how it tastes like.

ESCARGOTS GRILLED WITH GARLIC, PARSLEY and LEMON BUTTER - perhaps they used unsalted butter as the snails were almost tasteless except for the hint of parsley in oil.

SEAFOOD GRATIN - this was less than ordinary and tasted like frozen marinara mix cooked in cheese.

CONFIT & CRISPY LEG PAN SEALED DUCK BREAST WITH FIG SAUCE - i enjoyed my main course although it was nowhere near crispy.

CHOCOLATE PROFITEROLES VANILLA ICE CREAM AND WARM SAUCE - tasted like a chunk of frozen pastry and ice cream, i couldn't tell where the puff pastry begins and where the vanilla ice block ends.

TRADITIONAL VANILLA CREME BRULEE - i have a weakness for creme brulees but the firm curdy texture here failed to delight.

i don't think it is worth my travelling time out of the city for this brasserie but glad i finally gave it a try - mi!

home alone

2008-11-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

what does a girl eat when she has to dine home alone on a friday night?

A variety of oven baked frozen food consisting of chicken nuggets, potato gems, chicken strips, chicken and vegetable croquette, and smoked trout in puff pastry for entree. followed by a mccain's (aussie brand) frozen dinner of steak diane with peas, carrots and scalloped potatoes.

wash these all down with a bottle of south australian shiraz to make up for the lack of dessert - mi!

Attica, Ripponlea, Victoria

2008-11-26T05:15:00.000-08:00

Restaurants like these (located in the burbs) sometimes make mi think twice about living in the city. i've been wanting to eat here since 2006 but just never got around to this part of melbourne. well, it's actually Not that far away and is also accessible by train (20mins from city) but we opted to drive instead. No problems at all with getting parking!

instead of just bread and butter for the table, they provided a goats cheese dip/curd/spread and almonds

sea tastes, prawns, clams, sea flora, sea urchin - smells like the ocean, not for seafood haters.

beef in ash, abalone, tamarind, egg yolk - doesn't the beef look cool in black?

textured hand picked mud crab - did not really taste like crab when you put a spoonful of this mix in your mouth, it was tossed with some sort of white fluff but i forgot what that was. interesting though.

john dory in brown butter, white asparagus, baby squid - a pretty safe choice for the non adventurous diner who can opt not to eat the flower petals.

baby cucumber, sherry, pecorino - tastes so good and looks so simple; i want to make this myself at home!

pressed spice crusted lamb shoulder, buttered parsnip, silver beets with currants, pinenuts and shanklish - the lamb was done to the perfect degree of fully cooked tenderness, not at all tough yet no tinge of red left on the meat. shanklish is a type of crumbly goats cheese and it went pretty well with this lamb.

cheese foam and puff - complimentaries of the kitchen. the bubbly bit was fun to eat. i couldn't resist ordering a glass of moscato with this.

chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, ice cream, granita and flower - i'm sure there is a fancier name for this dessert dish but i do not remember.

overall, a great dining option away from the city. - mi!

Cumulus Inc, Melbourne, Victoria

2008-11-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

i stood in the corner of this establishment for 55 minutes waiting (no reservations accepted) for a chance to have dinner here. waiting so long for a spot to dine sure sucks.

anyway, i had my heart (stomach) set on eating here tonight and no where else will do. so i waited patiently, cocktail in hand.

Wide selection of oysters here - i had the claire de lune bouton, moonlight flat angassi and coffin bay oysters.

Scallop wrapped in speck with crushed broad beans. - $5 for each firm melt in ur mouth scallop, for those of you wondering what speck is; it IS pork and tastes like ham.

Foie gras parfait, sweet salty raisins & toast. - This was one smooth foie gras. YUMMY!

Wagyu bresaola with remoulade & fresh horseradish. - Really good air dried salty beef with a hint of 'wasabi' thanks to the horseradish sprinkles, the pile of remoulade is under the beef slices.

Kingfish confit, fennel and spanner crab salad. - medium rare kingfish slices, springy pieces of diced crab and More broad beans.

Spiced cauliflower with goats curd - very inventive, did not even taste like vegetables.

Baked gnocchi with taleggio & truffle vinaigrette - soft and chewy gnocchi pillows full of carbohydrate goodness.

Grilled grass fed rib eye, remoulade and lemon - 500g of meat and more remoulade. There is certainly a trend of ingredients being fully utilised in this restaurant.

Chocolate mousse crunch brownie Delight - i washed this down with a glass of the most expensive port i have ever had. chocolate and port sure do get along. -mi!

Red Spice Road, Melbourne, Victoria

2008-11-04T05:59:00.000-08:00

i liked the space and feel of the restaurant and the long communal dining benches but was also glad that no one else was seated next to mi. our very enthusiastic waiter for the night was quite informative and had a lot to share. their cocktail list was longer than the menu - definitely no complaints there although almost half contained egg white.

betel leaf with smoked chicken, chilli and lemongrass - the smoked chicken in this entree tasted like the smoked chicken from cole's deli section tossed in chilli sauce and the betel leaf not as 'crunchy' as expected.

chilli salt cuttlefish with mint, avocado salad - our calamari pieces were overly battered with no hint of chilli in the salt but the avocado salad with onion and coriander was a nice accompaniment.

beef cheeks with spiced star anise sauce, mushrooms, mint and bean sprout salad - this cow must've had a huge face as all the blocks of beef in the broth were bigger than my own cheeks. i liked this dish, smelled really 'chinese' due to the star anise.

lamb peanut curry with lychee and eggplant - good chunky curry with the slightest "blink and you'll miss it" hint of lychee. the lamb chunks were tasty but don't bother looking too hard for the eggplant, i was lucky to even get a sliver.

prawns with tomato chilli black pepper and coriander - these prawns came in a plate of thin tomato tasting broth (with the coriander and fresh chilli slices that seem to be the garnish of the day on all dishes) and lacked any excitement that chilli, black pepper and coriander normally brings to a dish. i do not recommend anyone ordering this.

lemongrass pannacotta, watermelon granita and peanut praline - it looked very pretty but was the final letdown of my meal, the texture of this pannacotta was all wrong (almost watery and 'grainy') and i had difficulty reconciling the peanut flavoured praline sprinkling with the watermelon icee crush.

Overall, thumbs up for the decor but red spice road felt like a less accomplished cousin of longrain.
Would i come eat here again? maybe. but will give it some time to improve first. -mi!

Singapore Day 2008

2008-10-06T04:42:00.000-07:00

Singapore Day was held in Melbourne, Australia this year and of course all we patriotic (hungry) melbies were in attendance.
i was really surprised to see so many - maybe 10,000 singaporeans in melbourne - or maybe they weren't all fellow countrymen... afterall, all asians look alike ; ) only joking!!

can you spot the little hainanese chickens hanging in the makeshift hawker stall?

there was also hokkien mee, char kuay teow, satay, bbq chicken wing, chilli crab, mee siam, nasi biryani, bak kut teh, mee soto, nasi lemak, minced pork noodle, claypot rice, spaghetti bolognese(not too sure why this is also considered 'singaporean cuisine'), kaya toast, ice kachang and chendol.

we queued for 50 minutes under the sun for a tasting sized plate of hokkien mee and chicken rice and a massive sun burn. we basically spent most of our day in the food queues for more more more more and more chicken rice... yummmy...

sp went with the singapore day theme in red and white; shown here eating the sample size laksa.

i stocked up on cash only to find out that nothing was for sale ... so i loaded up on the freebies instead. we received a t shirt, childrens' story books, erasers, overseas calling cards, heaps of singaporean propaganda/brochures, bottled 'pub' (public utilities board branded) water - pure singapore tap water captured in a plastic bottle, yeo's herb tea, picnic mat, toy binoculars, lollies and even a jar of kaya. -mi!

Dae Jang Geum, Melbourne, Victoria

2008-08-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

i'd built up a fortnight of anticipation leading up to dinner at this new restaurant in chinatown. most of you who have heard of the korean series 'Da Chang Jing' will know that it is a story of this chick who worked in the imperial palace as a chef cooking for the korean emperor and that each and every dish shown on the series is just so delectable and as they say 'fit for an emperor'. now i'm not sure about the korean restaurants elsewhere in the world, but the ones i have been to here in melb all serve up the standard fare of bulgogi, kim chi, mini side dishes, bbq and hotpot with a few variations - nothing like what i saw on Da Chang Jing. so imagine my excitement when i stumbled upon this restaurant named 'Da Chang Jing'; finally a place where i can order a serve of everything Dae Jang Geum created for the emperor!

anyway, my much anticipated wait culminated into disappointment not long after i sat down at our table. as i flipped through the menu offerings from the first page to the last, i realised that this was Just Another Korean Restaurant. with their main focus being hotpot and bbq meats; y'know the kinda place where you'd order plates of raw beef/chicken/pork/whatever and cook it yourself on your table. and this is where my excitement came to an end - have you seen at any point in the show where the emperor had to cook his own food?!!? (not to mention having smoky stinky hair and clothes after a meal)

we ordered the egg soup, beef rib soup, kim chi pancake, egg roll (which is really just a fried egg omelette which they served up with tomato ketchup), raw scotch fillet, raw beef bugolgi, raw pork belly, raw king prawns, all of which we mere subjects had the 'privilege' of cooking ourselves.
overall, it was okay for a first try if only because of the restaurant's misleading name but i'll take my korean dining dollar elsewhere next time. -mi!

Singapore in February

2008-03-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

.....is probably the same as any other month in Singapore. it sure was a poorly planned dining expedition for us; je and i had all these exciting food trips neatly planned out in our heads but they just never materialised. we never got to try that famous crab bee hoon nor those famous chicken rice and everything else i read about and had planned to feast on for the past 6 months but something is always better than nothing..
3 of us went out to newton circus this one night, i think this was the only night during our s'pore trip we went crazy with the food ordering. i believe we had 3 bowls of fishballs with soup, 15 satay stix, fried oysters, 20 chicken wings, fried kway teow, fried hokkien prawn mee, bbq stingray, fried carrot cake, fried clams in some sort of chilli sauce, lots of sugarcane juice and coconut juice, and i'm quite sure i've left some other items out... it was all good, but lets just say it was like the attack of the gluttons -mi!

Meatballs for Doggies

2008-01-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

I was preparing dinner for Brulee one night and Mi was visiting with Spooky. Together Mi and I came up with something we thought we should share with the rest of you (given most of us have beloved pups of our own)! Personally, I think this is easier than Mi's pasta.

Follow the few simple steps below for delicious doggies meatballs...

Step 1: Only basic ingredients required..fresh lettuce, minced meat (minced beef shown) and chopped carrots (Brulee loves his carrots!)

Step 2: Separate minced meat into small, equal portions and hand-roll into meat-balls . Add chopped carrots into minced meat before rollin! Approx preparation time required: 30mins

Step 3:
Heat saucepan with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil. Add meatballs followed by lettuce. Approx cooking time required: 15mins

Step 4: Ready to serve. Meatballs can be mixed with pup's dry food.
Warning: Meatballs are extremely hot ! Leave to cool before serving to your beloved pup.

Step 5: Bon appetit. Brulee and Spooky shown enjoying beef meatballs! Oh yes, dont forget the fresh water!

Try it! Pretty sure your pup will like it. -je

Longrain, Melbourne, Victoria

2008-01-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

i finally got into longrain on a walk-in that other night with no reservations. lucky mi! been wanting to try this thai/chinese inspired restaurant by a german chef since they opened. i found the offerings mainly like that of many other asian restaurants except for the prices(A$36 for the green curry chicken).

freshly shucked oysters with red chilli lime juice and fried shallots (does not really qualifiy for an authentic thai appetiser but fresh and tasty nevertheless)
betel leaf topped with smoked trout chilli garlic galangal and trout roe or on the right topped with prawn peanuts roasted coconut and ginger (i am a betel leaf virgin! this light and crunchy appetiser was 8/10)
green curry of chicken baby corn snake beans (unfortunately not as green as the other green curries i've had and the chicken pieces used were sorta 'spare parts' not wholly chicken breast/thigh)
grilled kingfish salad with watermelon mint (i believe there were strips of green mango in it too, was light and refreshing with coriander and slices of watermelon although i can't really bring myself to eat watermelon together with the fish)
coconut and durian pancake with passionfruit ice cream (the pancake Really smells like durian and coconut. though it was a 'heavier' dessert, it really rounded up the meal for mi as the other courses were pretty light)

the closet bartender in mi loved the long cocktail list and will definitely go back again for a cocktail. ( i have a pretty picture of some cocktails but due to technical difficulties am not able to load up on this blog. have tried for many times now. aarrrgghhhhhh) - mi!

housewarming

2007-12-23T07:27:00.000-08:00

December 22nd was an auspicious day according to Siewpoo who scheduled her housewarming for this lucky day. This day was so favourable that we ended up doing Jessie's long overdue housewarming as well.

As you can see, we had a steamboat/teppanyaki style dinner. jessie prepared the stock base by boiling chicken/fish bones and carrots. there were balls aplenty, egg tofu, teriyaki chicken, soy wine fish, sliced beef, enoki/oyster mushrooms, fake crabsticks, noodle, and all the usual accompaniment to steamboat. the soup stock at the very end of the session was real tasty.

Jessie received some arty farty kosta boda glasses as a housewarming gift.

we moved on to siewpoo's new place before the turn of midnight to 'boil lotsa water and switch on all the lights'. it was "yuan xiao" ("tang yuan jie" to mi), so lena made some glutinous rice balls with peanut and sesame filling for everyone. we also had some mini cupcakes with exorbitant prices from let them eat cake.

they looked So pretty in the shop; too bad they didn't taste as good as they looked. -mi!

More Japanese Yummies

2007-12-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

So glad to see the blog being active. A contribution from me to wish all across the globe Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I was in Osaka and Kyoto in Oct and here are some yummy pix to share with all.
This isn't my food.. I saw these Alaskan Crabs in the Kaiyukan Aquarium and memories of those chinese restuarants in Chinatown came flooding back. Hahhaha.. just had to take this pix in the "food" mode. Actually they look rather yucky... the uglier the food is, the yummier it is too?

Kyoto Station... A humongous place with most interesting array of shops and eateries. Had to have my very first bowl of ramen there. And needless to say, an additional egg order was absolutely neccesary. See the yellow yolk... yummy... Oh yes, this is as Gary mentioned... a 'vending machine' place as well.

Headed to Kobe after a nice public hot bath experience (it was enlightening and embarrassing at the same time... :P). At Kobe, I must of course have kobe beef... it was the 'bestest' beef I have ever eaten.

On the last night in Kyoto - Had to have sashimi and sushi of course. Check out my Chirashisushi... everytime I look at it, my salivary glands involuntarily get activated. I wish I could have some now.

That's all, folks! Do take many pix for the Melbourne Christmas Lunch 07 and post it up, alright? - Fi

Jessie's Birthday

2007-12-16T04:58:00.000-08:00

the melbies gathered at Lynch's in South Yarra for Jessie's b'day this year. Lena's birthday was celebrated here a couple of years ago but this would probably be the final time any of us would dine there (the restaurant is closing down).

some pictures to mark the night:

1) Prawns Lynch with curry mango sauce, chilli, pernod and melted cheese

2) Risotto with Tiger Prawns, fresh peas, lime juice and smoked trout

3) John Dory with Bay Bugs raviolo, puy lentils and a champagne butter sauce

4) Lamb Rack with a shallot tarte tartin, asparagus with a tarragon anchovy jus

5) Nougat Bombe Alaska with berries and praline

6) Passionfruit Souffle

7) Jessie wanted a gadget as her b'day pressie...

8) hahah.. this is where the budget went. really.

p/s: This posting of pictures is giving mi SO MUCH GRIEF!!! takes forever! and when they finally post, they're all crooked and not where they're meant to sit. pics 6 - 8 is now above pic 1 : ( crap Crap CRAP! so the photos are not in order; you work it out -mi!

Healthy Cooking

2007-12-15T22:53:00.000-08:00

my recipe for 2 meat pasta

1) boil macaroni to al dente, set aside

2) fry chopped carrots with sliced skinless chicken breast and diced lamb fillets with minced garlic and parsley

3) add asparagus bits

4) toss in pasta, mix well and simmer for another minute or so

5) serve with dry food

-mi!

Tokyo and Hong Kong

2007-12-14T23:55:00.000-08:00

Dearest beloved Melbies,

Time really flies... Xmas is just round the corner and then we have to start using 2008 for dates... oh well, hope that we all have had a wonderful 2007 and also let mae 2008 a better one...

Been to Tokyo and Hong Kong few weeks back... here's my food update...
Tokyo... the food that I had are your standard and typical Jap lah... shabu shabu (steamboat), terriyaki, katsudon, unagi etc... nothing fancy, but somehow, it taste better than what u can get in Mel or even Sg... But what makes it different is the way the system works...

We were at Shinjuku and we decided to have Ramen... so outside this Ramen store is a vending machine... what u need to do is to select the choice of dish u want, and then actually purchase a coupon from this vending machine before going into the store...

After that, u go in, get a sit and hand the coupon to the waitress... and your food is served... nowadays, most of the menu has English... but not all are translated properly... so i ordered this bowl of Ramen... thinking that I paid extra for more meat... in the end, it turns out to be the bigger bowl... man, i managed to finished all the meat, but cannot finish the ramen... too much even for me... u can actually fit your whole face into the big bowl with room to spare... that is how damn bloody big it was....

Then I was off to Hong Kong... I guess many of u have been to Hong Kong before, so I do not think I need to explain the food and all lah... I have chosen the pics that I personally enjoyed during this trip... enjoy the pictures!!!

Let me start with dessert... The best mango pudding from 许留山... u can find branches almost everywhere... I believe SG already has it...

Then come your think french toast with honey and also your egg and milk custard from 儀顺牛奶公司... yummy... I had mine at Causeway bay...

escalators... this place is called 蘭芳园 and believe me, their 絲袜奶茶 isThen come your breakfast... we were told to goto this 老字号 in Central (上环) which is the CBD area and very near to Lan Kuai Fong (LFK) Soho and the mid-level the best tea I have ever tried... it is that bloody good... I also had the pork chop bun with special seasoning... man, i tell u... it is the best... loved it... other of their signature dish are their toast...

Then there are your wonton noodles lah... your pork chop with egg and toast with "yuan yang" (coffee mixed with tea) lah...

and also the famous roast goose place "yong ji" for your goose thigh and the century egg... man the century egg is really the best I have ever tried.... I saw the chef carry a suckling pig and I cannot resist... ordered a plate of roast goose thigh + suckling pig... YUMMY!!!! when the bill come, it cost me HKD178... man... quite steep, but it was worth it.... very worth it....

so ladies and gents... this is my report from Tokyo and Hong Kong... actually have more than the above to report, but too busy enjoying my food and all.... until next time, have a happy xmas and merry new year!!!!
cheongster... -GC

Vue De Monde, Melbourne, Victoria

2007-12-01T05:16:00.000-08:00

is absolutely my favourite restaurant in melbourne. how i wish i can afford to dine there ...mmmm... say...once every three months...? unfortunately my lack of $$$ and zero rich boyfriends mean i can only go there once a year.

my inadequate words will only do the food injustice, so here are some pictures from my last visit:

stretch your neck and you might just catch Shannon Bennett performing his magic in the open kitchen (see long haired guy in photo above). It's almost like theatre. there is even a "AAA reserve" table inside the kitchen if you are lucky enough.

The full degustation menu will set you back $250.00 or $370.00+++ if you prefer matching wines with each course. if you are swinging by melbourne, this restaurant is definitely worth a try. don't forget my invite. -mi!

Mooncake Lust

2007-09-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

Belated Mid-Autum greetings to all across the Asia-Pac region! To mi! - Yue Bing / Teng Long Jie Kwai Le!!

Come the time of the year when Chang'er supposedly flies to the moon (or it is out of the moon?? heck!), my family has that ability to consume copious boxes of disc-shaped (traditionally... now they come in varying shapes) snack. The count: 7 boxes.... Rarely would people understand our desire and lust for mooncakes. My mum would specially make a trip on the very first day of the mooncake festival carnival at Taka Square to grab boxes of Kee Wah mooncakes and loveletters. Now... let Fi share with you why I love my mooncakes....

These recent years see a paradigm shift in the flavours, shapes, etc to the traditonal mooncakes. So my focus is of course on the non-traditional ones.

My favourite... the mouthwatering Durian mooncake... as I type... I could feel my salivary gland being activated. Check out THE durian puree inside... yuuummmm.....

My sis brought back a gift set... with 9 different flavours... Durian, Wolfberry, Jackfruit, Sour Plum, Pandan, Pineapple, 'I cant remember the last one' and guess wat??! Peanut Butter and Oreo!

Peanut Butter!! My fav! Felt exactly similar to the sinful act where you dunk ur table sppon into the peanut butter, twirl one round... then pull it out and put it into your mouth... Muahahhaha!!

Oreo.... My sis loved this

Sour Plum... acquired taste..

And... Pineapple... Like Pineapple Tarts!

And one interesting one that my mum bought... in which the egg yolk was replaced w huge macademia nut... brings memories of Aust when i munched on it.. Nice...

Can you now understand why i lust after those mooncakes? - Fi

do not feed the birds

2007-09-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

i saw a man feeding wild pigeons deep fried greasy potato nuggets and i felt a little bit angry; the pigeons dont know what they are eating! all that saturated fats accumulating in the poor unknowing birds' inner systems... no one's bringing them to a vet if they fall sick from all that oil!! they're hungry wild birds so they will willingly take whatever we have to offer. so peeps, next time you wanna feed the birds, do spare a thought for their general wellbeing and not just as a way of disposing your leftovers : ) -mi!

All about melbies

2007-09-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

Wow! Kudos to Milyn and Gary for taking the lead! To Mi's question, I suppose this can def be more than a food blog. Just that we (melbies in S'pore) thot the motivation to write constantly could be higher if there are some daily 'neccessities' involved (such as food and drinks). Feel free to post any other experience - work trips, ski trips, doggies, etc. We are only limited by our creativity. :)

Anyways, I read something this morning which I thot was quite cool:
"From birth to age 18, a girl needs good parents, from 18 to 35 she needs good looks, from 35 to 55 she needs a good personality, and from 55 on she needs good cash." - Sophie Tucker

Hehehehehe..... Got one for the boys?
"From birth to age 15, a boy needs good games, from 15 to 35 he needs good discipline, from age 35 to 55 he needs a good bank account, and from 55 on he needs a good resilient woman."

:P Dont whack me up, pls. - Fi

Krispy Kreme - Doughnuts and Coffee

2007-08-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

krispy kreme is not just about donuts; as per their signboard, they are also "doughnuts and coffee". i decided to give the other part of their business (the coffee) a try. the barista (-a very loosely used term these days) overheated the soy milk for my latte, used only one watery shot of espresso for a large long black and also managed to spill the contents all over the takeaway cup. his worst sin was using the milk chux (the cloth used to clean the steamer that froths your milk) to mop up the spills. this cloth should only be used to clean the steam wand since eventually the wand comes into contact with your drink.

i love krispy kreme, but please don't bother with the coffee there - mi!

我爱台妹, 台妹爱我... I mean 台北...

2007-08-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

To my fellow blockers,
mi has beat me to the first post... anyway, have been to taipei for 10 days in August and I LOVED it!!! just to name a few places that I've been to for food... Foodcourt in Taipei 101... Nothing fancy lah, just wanna use the name Taipei101... had all the 路边摊 food including the famous 臭豆腐 (yum yum) at 士林夜市...

also had the famous 鼎泰靊 in 台北东区... relly the best xiao long bao man... no kidding, much better than what you get in SG... My next stop besides SG will be Tokyo and Hong Kong... So will keep u guys posted... meanwhile enjoy the photos...

Veron, ah xin says "Hi"... -GC

is this a food blog?

2007-08-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

fioneh, i'm not too sure what this blog is for, but i'm quite sure it's not to be used as a message wall. am i right...?
anyways, as my mum is here, i had fish rice porridge for lunch. she cooked it with ginger, garlic, coriander and oats-how weird is that? i was eating rice with oatmeal. it was quite okay, but not too satisfying for mi the big eater. i'm going for a krispy kreme doughnut and soy hot chocolate before i return to work. oops. lunchtime is over. -mi!