China Bar, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat

Every now and then I crave Hainanese chicken.  That silky, flavoursome and ghostly white chicken served de-boned and with fragrant rice, a bowl of chicken broth and condiments.  

Conceptually, while it’s a relatively simple recipe – whole chicken slowly poached (and not steamed as some places try to get away with!) at a sub-boiling temperature in a big pot of water, seasoned with ginger, garlic, spring onions – I find that it’s the simple recipes that are the hardest to perfect.  Not convinced?  Think bruschetta (it’s just bread, tomatoes and basil), tortilla de patatas (potatoes, eggs and onion), congee (rice) or even a great steak.... so many places do them but not many make me do a happy dance in excitement over the quality of the produce and the expertise of the cook/chef who prepared them.

As it had been a while since my last craving, I asked the self-proclaimed Hainanese connoisseur at work as to where I should go.  Mr A suggested China Bar on Russell Street as his go-to place for Hainanese chicken – according to him, it’s cheap and tasty.  I was sceptical because, well, China Bar is a chain restaurant and I wasn’t expecting to find great Hainanese chicken from such places.  

But in the interest of research, I wandered into China Bar for lunch one day.  This particular CB has seen better days – a little squishy inside and it has a slightly worn/aged look to the place.  Without needing to look at the menu, I placed my order for Hainanese chicken rice.

Soon after, said dish appeared ($10.80).  First impression was that this was promising.  A nice plate with a reasonable amount of chicken, sitting in a pool of golden-brown soy sauce with freshly made ginger/spring onion condiment (I’m not a chilli fan, so I can’t provide a view on that)....

...and a big mound of rice with a bowl of chicken broth.

Judgement time!  First taste of the chicken....it pasts muster!  Silky, tender and oh-so-yummy.  The soy sauce is subtle and not in-your-face (as some lesser quality soy sauces can be).  Nice depth of flavour and no MSG (big tick!).  The skin is also slippery and silky and not rubbery.  I like to eat my rice with the broth spooned over it.  The broth was aromatic from the chicken and marinade.  Propz for it not being oily (as some can be) and the crisp cucumber slices.  I was so pleased with the dish that I've come back a few times just to eat it again.

Verdict

Food – 8

Ambience – 6.5

Service – 7

Price – 7.5

Overall

Okay, so I'm basing my review on just one dish.  In the subsequent times that I've had it, each time it's been consistently good - the reliability of the quality is a big plus for me.  I don't think I'll ever order anything else from here because I like the chicken so much.  

However, as much as I like it, I am interested to hear your thoughts on the best Hainanese chicken around town.  Big Fil has suggested EC Pot in QV.  Share your suggestions in the comments below :)

Address

China Bar

235 Russell St
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 9639 1633

Sahara, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat

For a lunch with the team, we wanted a cuisine that we don't have very often - Afghani, Iranian or something like that.  We ended up on Sahara, a Moroccan place, upstairs on Swanston Street.  

Ascending the stairs, I liked to think we were a group of nomadic adventurers in search for authentic Moroccan cuisine.  In reality, we were a bunch of office workers looking for a reasonably priced nosh and hoping to be done within our lunch hour.

After our trek, we found ourselves transported into another world.  Colourful lamps, brightly coloured seats and rainbow cushions, sunlight streaming through the intricate windows, ornate plates on display on the walls.

It was a mid-week lunch, so we weren't expecting many people here, but it was empty.  Just our table for the whole hour.

We all went for the corporate lunch menu - a selection of mains for about $16 each.  A few of us went for the lamb tagine.  Tender braised diced lamb with prunes, apricots, nuts and olives, served with pilaf.  The serving size is pretty generous - lots of lamb.... and I mean a lot.  Flavourwise, we were all expecting it to be punchier - we reckon that they may have toned down the spices to make it more appealing to more people.  There was also a lot of fruit in my dish - squidgy chunks of stone fruit - although Mr C had very little fruit in his dish.  

A couple of the guys went for the Moroccan shish - grilled lamb w hummus, lettuce and tzatziki and flat bread.  While the guys liked the dish, I think they would have liked an extra skewer of lamb.

Last but not least was the beef tagine, which was cooked with honey, prunes, apricots, served with bread and rice.  Similar to the lamb tagine, there were lots of tender chunks of beef and lots of fruit in it.  While I didn't get to taste this, I suspect it was fairly similar in taste to the lamb tagine, except maybe it was sweeter with the addition of honey.  I did think this was a rather carb-y, what with the rice and the bread.

Verdict
Food – 6.5
Ambience – 8
Service – 6.5
Price – 7

Overall

We all liked the place - it's quite atmospheric inside and I can imagine it'd be quite nice on a balmy day for drinks here.  While the food was generous, none of us felt the meal was memorable.  It was okay but nothing about it made any of us think 'we should come back again'.  Also, while the service was friendly, it was a bit slow - rather disconcerting since we were the only table on the day... makes you wonder how they'd cope when it gets busy.  

I'd go back for drinks and to hang out there but I probably wouldn't eat there. 

Address
Sahara
Level 1, 301 Swanston St
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 9663 8477

Top Paddock, Richmond by Big Fil

Hmm, what is it that really makes me want to recommend a cafe to friends and family? While being well priced, a nice place to eat and good service are obviously important, the two things which I most look for are high quality food and something a bit different from your usual baked eggs/smashed avocado menu.



Top Paddock certainly ticks the food related boxes, having one of the most interesting looking menus I’ve seen at a Melbourne cafe. It’s also bright and open and comfortable, service was efficient and if prices for some items were a bit higher than the typical brunch options around town, sometimes if you want more you have to be willing to pay a little more for quality.

Arriving on a Sunday around 8.30 meant that we were able to choose a seat at the communal table (largely because of the better light for taking photos). While the queue for tables was under way when we left around 9.30, adequate spacing meant that we never felt that we were jammed in or the cafe was overcrowded.



Style wise the cafe is a departure from the familiar Fitzroy chic or warehouse look adopted by so many Melbourne cafes, unfussy with white tiles, clean lines and lots of natural sunlight. In some ways it felt more like a new mid-level restaurant than your typical cafe, creating a mood consistent with the ambitious menu.



Ordering took a few minutes because both Snooze and myself were interested in trying a number of items on the menu – a fairly rare occurrence. My eventual choice was the soft shell crab roll, Queensland mud crab with fennel, dill and lime mayonnaise in a brioche bun. I find that using a brioche bun with hamburgers, something very common in Melbourne at the moment, can lead to an sweeter dish than I like. However, in this case it perfectly complimented the generously fleshed crab. The quantity of crab was also generous, although at the price ($20 plus for a roll) the addition of shoestring fries or similar would have been nice.



Snooze’s choice was the white anchovies and jamon Serrano with fried eggs, peppers and manchego cheese on toast.



The assorted sweets near the counter looked like respectable breakfast dessert options. Planning to visit the nearby Burch and Purchase though meant that limited stomach capacity had to be preserved. Still, there’s always next time...

Overall
Pleasant location, polite and professional service and great food, Top Paddock is the latest addition to the ever growing list of great cafes to show visitors exactly what Melbourne cafe brunches are about. Make sure you get there early though or be prepared to wait, as it’s certainly popular with the locals.

Verdict
Food – 9
Ambience – 8
Service – 8
Price – 7

Address
658 Church Street
Richmond VIC 3121
Tel: (03) 9429 4332

Kenji, Camberwell by Bureaucrat

For taking on a personal sacrifice for her, Beaker recompensed the Lawyer and I with dinner at Kenji. 

Located in a small shopping mall, Kenji looks like your typical suburban eatery.  The entrance is a bit cramped and higgledy piggledy with tables, chairs and stuff stacked along the walls.  


The main seating area is bigger but it’s squished with lots of tables, which means you have to tip toe and squeeze your way around to get to your table.  Although we got there before 6.30pm, by 7pm the place was packed with families and lots of people getting their sushi fix.

Looking at the menu, the dishes looked reasonably priced.  As we all ended up ordering bento boxes, we all got a serve of miso soup. 

Bubba Chuck also got a small strawberry milk shake, and the Lawyer, who was channelling his inner child, got a large green tea shake.  It was cheap (by memory it was about $2.50 for the large) and looked, and tasted, like them soft serve ice cream that you get from fast food chains.  As always, Bubba Chuck never trusts me enough to take a photo of her food without her letting go of said food.

The Lawyer and I both went for the special bento box.  An absolute steal at $11.50.  Everything about it was just perfect.  Fresh salad, squeakily plump edamame and lots of rice (a plus for those with big appetites).  I loved how all the fried stuff had a lovely golden brown colour, not greasy and had a thin batter.  The karaage chicken was a nice chunk of seasoned chicken thigh meat, the gyoza was delicate (and I would have easily eaten a whole plate of ‘em).  Both the crumbed prawn and calamari were fresh, fairly big in size and not overcooked.  It’s quite a big bento, I struggled to finish all the good bits and had to (reluctantly) share some of my bento with the Lawyer.

Beaker and Bubba Chuck both got the sushi bento box ($16.50).  It has all the same stuff as the special bento but instead of rice, you get a range of sushi.  As they had ordered this before, they knew it was good.  Both Beaker and Bubba Chuck made good effort in eating most of their bentos.

As Kenji is renowned for its sushi, we made sure to order some.  I quite liked the Californian deluxe sushi ($6.80).  It’s filled with prawn, mayo, Kewpie avo, topped with flying fish roe and served with pickled ginger.  It’s delicate with a pleasing rice-to-filling ratio.

We also got the gourmet sushi set as a main ($24).  This was a bit more pricey but you get more seafood.  While I can throw back oysters au naturel with abandon and I lurve a nice Wagyu carpaccio served with raw/poached egg yolk, I am wimp when it comes to other forms of raw stuff.  Although I had one or two of these, I’m not really the best person to comment on how nice they were. 

Verdict

Food – 7.5

Service – 7

Ambience – 7

Price – 8

Overall

The vibe inside is family style dining.  It’s cosy, there’s lots of kiddies and lots of good home cooking.  It’s wise to book ahead if you can.  Otherwise, there’s always getting the food as takeaway.  I'd rate it as an above average suburban eatery.

Kenji is obviously popular with members of the Hawthorn football club - the entrance has a wall that’s dedicated to photos of the footballers having their meals at Kenji. 

Address

Kenji

Shop 10, 1405 Toorak Road
Camberwell 3124
Telephone: 9889 1084

Yarra Valley Grape Grazing 2014, by invitation by Bureaucrat

Earlier this week, I had the privilege to attend the media briefing for the return of Yarra Valley’s Grape Grazing in 2014.  After the devastating bush fires of Black Saturday, Grape Grazing has been on hiatus... until now.  

As with most city folk and suburbanites, I find it a bit difficult to know whether or not it’s appropriate to go visiting the areas that have been affected by the bush fires – acknowledging that those affected need time to work through what has happened to their families and communities and to re-build, but also wanting to visit and help out the local communities by contributing to the local economy.  With the reinstatement of Grape Grazing, this is a perfect opportunity to return to the area.

I was invited by the Grape Grazing 2014 Committee to sample some of the wine and food that will be on offer during 14-15 February 2014.  The sampling was at De Bortoli Winery and Restaurant - a gorgeous property surrounded by leafy, verdant grapevines and rolling green hills.

Stepping into the restaurant, you could definitely feel the sumptuousness of the place - crisp white table cloths contrasting against the striking black curtains that frame the lovely vistas.  I also couldn't help but note the large wooden table with the baskets of freshly baked bread...so inviting!

We were welcomed by members of the Grape Grazing committee with a glass of De Bortoli sparkling wine before finding out more about what they have planned for 2014.

Members of the Grape Grazing Committee, from left to right: Richard Howden, Ben Payten and Leanne De Bortoli

The three-day festival is returning in a re-invigorated format to showcase the best of what Yarra Valley has to offer.  Unlike past festivals, where the focus was solely on wine, the 2014 festival will also incorporate food producers, restaurants, cider, beer and ale producers, as well as offering live music (Jimmy Barnes, the Baby Animals, Daryl Braithwaite and Jon Stevens to name a few), outdoor cinema, opera, masterclasses and family friendly events.

Steve Webber and Leanne De Bortolli were keen to let us try some of their more quirkier wines to go with the tasting plates.  First up was pan fried prawns and sardine served w tuna aioli, Sicilian caponata and lemon oil.  Two lovely plump prawns with a nice pan fried crispness, the sardine was so delicate that initially I thought they were white anchovies.  The caponata had a nice zing that lifted the flavours of the seafood.

To go with this, we tried some very different cider from Napoleone and Co - a small cider company in the region.  The first was the Veil Aged Cider.  This was nice, it was different and it was unusual - if you want to try something different, then this is it!  It was unlike any cider that I have ever tried before.  It has a strong aroma that hits you in the face (in the nicest way!) and it's so dry and has a bitter aftertaste.  Ben Payten, the cider master, told us that this could quite possibly be a world's first apple cider Manzanilla.  Ben said that because his cider is so unusual that, for now, you can only purchase this at the cellar door or online.  The Methode Traditionelle was more like your typical champagne in terms of how it's made and its flavour. 

Our second tasting plate was potato gnocchi w pork shoulder ragu, fennel, chilli and pecorino.  This is such a winner that they're not allowed to take it off the menu here.  Light, fluffy pillows of potato, and a deep porky ragu.  I love a good slow-roasted lamb, and a slow-cooked pork shoulder is just as flavoursome and tender.  The sharp, salty cheesiness of the pecorino contrasted against the mellow spiciness of the chilli.  Each mouthful was light, fluffy, meaty, cheesy and spicy - yum!

To go with this dish, we had De Bortoli Riorret and De Bortoli Vinoque Pinot Blanc.

The third tasting dish was the Milawa duck breast, braised and pressed leg, nettle, roast and pickled beetroot.  Tender duck breast with a nice meat-to-fat ratio.  As nice as the duck breast was, I loved the leg meat, which was shaped into a disc and a rectangle.  The braised meat was so moist and flavoursome - it was like an essence of duck.  I also loved the glistening dark purple beets.

 
To go with the duck, we got to sample De Bortoli La Boheme Syrah Gamay Act Four and Two Blind Mice Shiraz.  I liked how the label for the Two Blind Mice had braille on it - very cute.

Following tea and coffee, we had a look-see in the cellar to stock up on supplies before we departed...

...and also in the cheese shop.

Verdict (for the food only)
Food - 9
Ambiance - 10
Service - 8*
Price – 7.5*

* Scores are notional as I was a guest of De Bortoli and the Grape Grazing Committee.

Overall
With more than 50 events planned for Grape Grazing (picnic hampers, gourmet breakfast, comedy acts, blues music, degustation dining, to name a few more) in beautiful surroundings it's a great way to come re-discover (or discover for the first time) the Yarra Valley.  It's clear that the providers and the region are eager to share with you their produce and everything else they have on offer.  For more information on the events and how you can purchase tickets can be found in the links below.

Booking details
Grape Grazing
Yarra Valley, various locations
14-16 February 2014

Address

De Bortoli Winery and Restaurant

Pinnacle Lane

Yarra Valley 3775

Telephone: 03 5965 2271

Mr Brightside, Glenhuntly by Big Fil

Mr Brightside is a newish addition to the pantheon of great Melbourne cafes.




Located next to a park on the quiet boundary between Glen Huntly and Caulfield, only locals are likely to find it by accident but it’s well worth the trip to check it out.


First of all, it’s very light with large glass windows and a cute modern fit out. Popularity with the locals means that it does feel a little cramped but if you don’t like the noise and bustle there are always the seats outside across the road from the park.


Staff are friendly and obviously trying very hard although a couple did appear to be a bit inexperienced so that service did not go as smoothly as it might of.


What held it all together though was a guy who I assume was the manager, someone who obviously knew exactly what they were doing and managed to keep the ship afloat even when several tables were looking to place their orders at the same time.

The menu itself is interesting, with a couple of items from the regular menu we would have tried except for the intriguing list of daily specials. After taking our time I eventually settled on the stuffed pig, with purple potato bake, crème fraiche and poached egg. This looked very pretty on the plate, the potato was firm but tender (although a little lacking in flavour). The stuffed pigs (ear?) looked nothing like what we were expecting but was rich and full of flavour. And as goes without saying at a good Melbourne cafe my egg was perfectly poached so as when pierced revealed its liquid golden goodness.



Snooze also ordered from the specials menu, the baked beans and cheese jaffle, served with brisket, yoghurt, stuffed zucchini flowers and guacamole. Again a very pretty dish on the plate, the jaffle is much more delicate than you’d expect, the bread almost paper thin, and the zucchini flowers were nicely crispy fried. However given just how rich the dish was, and in particular the zucchini flowers, this is a good thing with Snooze struggling to finish it as it was.



By this stage we just had enough room for breakfast desserts. The range at the front counter is good if not necessarily the best around town and I eventually settled on a good looking strawberry tart. Good flavours and custard but could have used just a little more strawberry pieces and little less jelly.



Overall
Just a great local cafe trying to do something a little adventurous with its menu and generally succeeding. The lunch menu looked every bit as interesting as the breakfast menu, and the salads at the front counter looked deliciously fresh. Can’t believe this place is less than 10 minutes walk from me and it’s taken this long to try it out!

Verdict
Food – 8.5
Service – 7.5
Ambience – 7.5
Price – 7

Address
189A Booran Rd
Caulfield South 3126
Telephone: 9576 9588