Longrain, Melbourne CBD by Kit Kat

We visited Longrain with its beautiful mix of trendy yet traditional Thai dishes; which was only fitting given it was the last day of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. On entering the restaurant we were greeted by a wall of green tile fish scales (possibly indicative of a food staple dominating the restaurant’s menu?); another similar themed wall was located towards (in front of) the kitchen.

Our choice for lunch was from the set menu with a choice between two entrees, two mains and two deseerts. The deal: a choice of either 2 courses & a glass of wine for $35, or 3 courses and a glass of wine for $45. We went for 2 courses and the glass of wine and we weren't disappointed.

We were promptly attended by staff from the time we were shown our seats to the time we left the restaurant. The restaurant was busy for a Tuesday though we put this down to the last day of the food and wine festival. It would seem on first appearance that Longrain attracts mainly the corporate clientele, though, taking into account the delightful decor of hardwood tables, medium to low lighting depending on where you are seated, there are a few corners that would seem suited to a romantic dinner date.


The wait for our food wasn’t long, the entrees arriving about 20 minutes after we ordered. We were impressed that a different waiter to the one that took our order knew who ordered which dish. The entree was probably a little big for an entree and having chicken at all as an entree dish was a bit out of the ordinary. But wonderful combinations of BBQ flavour with chilli, mint and coriander.

Then came the mains and eventually, the steamed rice. The only downside was waiting for the rice; when it didn't arrive around 5 or so minutes after the main, we thought that it had been forgotten and reminded a passing waiter.


Green fish curry


Yellow lamb curry

Both the mains were curries; one, a green curry (fish) and the other a yellow curry (lamb) and both bursting with flavour. I was a little disappointed to discover though that the yellow curry was smaller than the entree. On the flip side, the lamb was very tender.


Last of all came our dessert. An appropriate serving size and not too rich or heavy so that you weren’t left feeling overly full. I experienced my very first tapioca, which I am now quite fond of and will be on the lookout for next time I’m at a Thai restaurant. It was served with a scoop of very refreshing pine lime sorbet.



Overall
I am familiar with the old adage of “quality over quantity”; I think in the case of Longrain this is partially true. Considering the price, I would have liked to have seen a slightly more generous serving of the yellow curry; however, the size of the dishes may have had something to do with the Restaurant Express offer. I suspect that this will not be my last visit to Longrain; an enjoyable culinary experience.

Verdict
Food - 8
Ambience - 8
Service - 7
Price - 7

Address
44 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne Vic 3000
Ph: 03 9671 3151

Parwana, South Australia by Big Fil

Given the long links between Afghanistan and Australia its surprising there aren't more good Afghan restaurants around. Most experiences around town (in this case Adelaide) of food passed off as Afghan comes from a fairly typical kebab shop. On the other hand Parwana - which translates as 'Butterfly' - is a family run café/restaurant providing unfamiliar and unexpected combinations of flavours and textures that should be both a neighbourhood favourite and somewhere to take visitors in search of something different.


Ashak are leek dumplings with lamb and yoghurt-mint sauces. Quite strongly flavoured, the leek flavour easily came through the lamb sauce, in comparison with most dumplings where the emphasis would be on the meat rather than the vegetable component.


Basmati Rice with chicken pieces, topped with caramelised carrot, sultanas, slivered almond and pistachio. Again, unusual with its emphasis definitely on the rice and toppings rather than the chicken pieces embedded within it.


While alright, both my brother and I thought this wasn't as good as the other dishes. This could have been because it was more familiar so we were a bit tougher in assessing it. Slightly chewy and a little dry, it didn't have the same interesting combination of textures or flavours. A couple of extra pieces of naan would also have been appreciated.


Rose flavoured ice cream combined with pistachio slivers. Very good. While the other dishes provided strong flavours, this ice cream was much more delicate with the slivers of nuts breaking up its creamy texture and making it a more interesting dish. Undoubtedly my favourite of the night.


Ice cream with saffron jelly, rose syrup and basil seeds. My brother thought this was the best dish of the night and better than the sheeryakh. In fact, I missed out on this one because he scoffed the lot while I was still trying my dessert!

Overall
Ambience - 7.5
Service - 7
Food - 7.5
Price - 7

Verdict
Almost all Asian restaurants in Australia are either East Asian or Indian. With its friendly service, simple and not overly crowded eating space and unusual flavour combinations, Parwana provides a reminder of the enormity and variety of Asia and its cuisines.

Address
124b Henley Beach Road
Torrensville SA 5031
Ph: (08) 8443 9001

A1 Lebanese Bakery, Brunswick by Big Fil

Part bakery, part café and part grocery shop, A1 on Sydney Road is a great spot for Lebanese style pies and pizzas. While there are a number of Lebanese bakeries in the area, A1 is easily the largest and busiest.


Cheese Pie/Pide ($3.50) and Lamb Pizza ($3.00)

While the food at A1 isn't necessarily the most photogenic (and I think we were having a bad photo day), it is cheap and tasty. The Cheese pie is my favourite item from the bakery, using a cheese not that often used in western cooking (Haloumi I think) which is simultaneously sweet and salty, and with a texture similar to an omelette. The lamb pizza is full of lamb flavour and topped with pine nuts.


Sausage Pizza ($6)

This pizza uses the same cheese as the Cheese Pie and not the usual Mozzarella. The sausage looks a little strange, but the use and balance of fresh ingredients distinguishes it from the cheese on toast with stuff thrown on top which often tries to pass for pizza.


Spinach and Cheese triangle ($3)

This seems to be the favourite of most people I go to A1 with but not mine. Nothing wrong with the Triangle, but I am not a huge fan of spinach or fetta, which is the cheese used.


Falafel Plate ($6)

Really, really good falafel. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and full of flavour. Unfortunately while the salad which comes with the falafel looks really interesting it isn't as good and so much is provided it tends to overload the plate. Less salad and more falafel please.

Overall
This bakery is popular with locals and visitors for the two best reasons - price and taste.

Verdict
Ambience - 6
Service - 7.5
Food - 8
Price - 9

Address
643-645 Sydney Road
Brunswick 3056
Ph: (03)9386 0440

Happy Cook Peking Chinese, Nunawading by Snooze

I'm not a duck eater ... I've always considered it too fatty but the duck is something else at Happy Cook Peking Chinese.

But first off, to whet our appetites, were Mermaid's Tresses. Not duck but a blend of deep fried shredded seaweed and shredded chicken. Deliciously salty, but really interesting and I would have made an entire meal if there weren't so many of us and I was promised lots more ... duck.


At this stage I was still waiting ... and wondering what was with all the fuss about duck? In the lead up to coming I'd been bemused by questions like many people are coming, how many pancakes and buns should we order, how much duck will be left over and what should we do with the left over duck?

So when the first duck arrived, complete with pancakes, spring onion and cucumber .... I was hooked. It was delicate, it was light ... in short it was delightful.


I enjoyed it so much I wasn't interested in the buns which I left to the others. All I got of the buns was this quick shot as Big Fil polished off one of the last remaining.


And there was duck left over ... and what to do with it. The group decided on two dishes. My favourite was the delicate duck with bean shoots and coriander.


And after a good meal we rounded off with xiao long bao. I'm not sure why we did it when we went to a restaurant that specialised in duck and did it so well. Xiao long bao are an art form, something best left to the experts and I was sadly disappointed ... they looked grey and unappetizing and were far too chewy.


OverallBookings are essential for duck, and a large group essential to ensure you get its best use.

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

Address
165 Springvale Rd
Nunawading 3131 VIC
Phone: (03) 9894 1663

GoldAn Fork, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil (CLOSED)

Bismi's GoldAn Fork is one of those places you could walk past 100 times without ever really realising it's there. The entrance is non-descript and the interior dark and in shades of brown more associated with 1975 than 2010. However, it does give it a retro sort of charm which is very Melbourne and puts the emphasis on the food.



Popular without being so popular that its hard to get a seat, GoldAn Fork is a personal favourite about 30 seconds walk from the office. Tasty and good value for money, it’s a good place to try something other than the northern Indian curries mainly available in suburban Melbourne.


Lamb Dosai ($8)

Bismi offers several sorts of Dosai but I've only tried the lamb. Made of rice and black lentils, this is made into a thin, crispy fried crepe containing the chosen filling. The dosai is then served with 3 or 4 dips and sauces. For the uninitiated the fillings can be a little spicy and the dips can be used to tone it down a bit.


Lamb Combination ($10)

Not available at lunchtime, there are a number of different rice/roti combinations regularly available for dinner. The only ones I've tried are the lamb and chicken combinations, and I preferred the lamb. The combinations come with Briyani rice, roti, a boiled egg and dipping sauce. Tasty and filling.


Non-veg Thali with Roti ($12)

There are a number of Thali available for Thursday and Friday lunches (Monday to Wednesday a lunchtime banquet is offered instead). This is served on a large round dish, with either rice or roti, and a number of small serves of meat and vegetable curries plus a piece of fruit for dessert. While the size of the Thali makes it value for money, it can also make it a little bit large for some as a lunch meal.


Coconut Uttappam ($5)

The uttappam is like a thicker, heavier dosai. If not yet full or craving something sweet, the coconut uttappam with caramel serve makes a yummy, sticky finish to the meal. The serve is quite large and big enough to share between 2 or 3 to finish off the meal.


Roti Tissue

Roti tissue is a paper thin, crunchy roti which is coated in something sweet. Often this is done with sugar, or in this case with condensed milk. Makes for a much lighter finish to a meal than the coconut uttapam or some of the other sweet rotis.


Tea Tarik ($2.50)

A necessity to go with any Malaysian/Indian style meal. One of the best in Melbourne.

Goldan Fork also very occasionally does a Chicken 65 as a dinner special is the best that I have had. Colourful, spicy and moist, this is absolutely delicious with briyani rice and a serve of roti. I don't know why it isn't offered more often.

Overall
Good quality, tasty and cheap meals different to most Indian available in Melbourne. The service is friendly and fairly efficient, and while the interior is starting to look a bit thread worn its not without its charm. A personal cheap eating favourite. PS - Please make the Chicken 65 a regular menu item.

Verdict
Ambience - 6
Service - 7
Food - 8
Price - 8.5

Address
380 Elizabeth Street
Melbourne 3000