Camden Lock Market, England by Bureaucrat

Camden Lock Market has been on my 'to do on an empty weekend day' list for a while. I knew it had a big market and food stalls, but it hadn't piqued my interest that much.


Cornbread being made...

The market turned out to be a very nice surprise, indeed! After taking a river boat cruise from Little Venice, which terminated at the market, we were greeted by the smell of delicious cooking. Before us was a big, rambling, bustling market that had a big emphasis on world cuisine. Despite already having eaten lunch, I insisted on trying a few of the dishes that were available.


Venezuelan cornbread w stewed beef...about to be devoured. This was my absolute favourite! A gluten-free bread that's cooked immediately before your eyes. Crispy crusty, not oily and moist and warm on the inside. Stuffed with juicy, tender stewed beef. I think the beef was corned beef. It was so simple but so delicious. There were other fillings that you could choose from (including avocado and chicken, black beans).


Peruvian chicken. Marinated chicken (only mildly spicy), served with lots of fresh salad, lentil mash/stew and grilled veggies. Yum!

Overall
The market has permanent and temporary food stalls. I recommend that you eat from the temporary stalls - the food looks much more fresh and good value. The permanent stalls look like they cater more to the tourists and the food doesn't look as appetising (think fried rice, dodgy looking stir fries and curries).

A big range of food to choose from - spit roast pork sandwiches, pina colada (served in a pineapple), Polish dumplings, Brazilian steaks - just to name a few!

Address
Camden Lock Market
Camden Lock

Very accessible by public transport. Closest tube stations are Camden Town and Chalk Town. Just follow the signs, smells, crowds and noise and you'll find the market! Or you can take a river boat there like we did.

The market is open every day, but not all stalls are open during the week. For the full experience, come on the weekend, but expect the crowds to come with you.

Afghan Tasty Food, Melbourne CBD by Snooze

Big Fil's been watching the progress of Afghan Tasty Food and as it's now open, put together a group and went for lunch. We were luck enough, as well, to have an Afghani colleague accompany us as well.


It's not a bad location. The dining space is open, with plenty of natural light and with a good view down Elizabeth Street towards Flinders Street Station. It also has a nifty looking bar and loads of impressive enlarged photos on the walls including maybe the most recent famous Afghani woman peering out from behind the buffet.


It almost seemed a natural conclusion that everybody opted for the buffet, and at $13 per head it seemed the obvious choice.


As I was near the end of the queue, by the time I reached the buffet the meat balls were mostly gone. These weren't wasn't my favourite of the day ... they tasted a little salty.


I loved the look of this rice dish decorated with lentils and yoghurt, but for me the texture was like an overcooked risotto.


The eggplant was the favourite of the day for me although perhaps a little oily.


The spiced cauliflower was also a favourite although the curse of the bain marie struck and it was a little overcooked. A perennial problem with cauliflower.


The last dish I tried was a pilau topped with raising and carrot. Again, this looked pretty but was bland.


Overall
Afghani food seems to fall somewhere between Indian and Middle Eastern food, blending the two artlessly. But I have to add my "but" and it's a serious downside with most buffets is that the food was overcooked, and bland besides. For $13, however, it was great value and I'd recommend it to anybody in the city wanting a quick, cheap meal.

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

Address
Level 1, 315-321 Elizabeth Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: 9670 7305

High Tech Burrito, Hawthorn by Big Fil

It's fast food Jim, but not as we know it.

In Melbourne fast food wrapped in bread or a roll normally means a gyros, a hamburger or maybe a falafel roll. Burritos aren't that common. High Tech Burrito Australia advertises itself as 'Born in Mexico, Raised in California, Now in Hawthorn', but if it continues to pump out quick, tasty, healthy meals it may have to add 'Eaten around Melbourne'.


High Tech Burrito is set up in a bright, well lit shop. It has kind of an improved Subway like feel, a bit generic but still nice enough as somewhere to eat. Everything is prepared after the order is received using fresh ingredients. Unlike some kebab shops, where anticipation about tasty pieces of lamb or chicken is balanced by concerns about overcooked meat from the outside of the spit or alternatively undercooked meat from the inside leading to food poisoning, HTB gives the impression of very high level standards of hygiene and cleanliness.


HTB offers a wide selection of burritos and a smaller selection of other options, such as the fish tacos. These are the soft shell variety with grilled fish, fresh cabbage cold slaw, chipotle dressing and pineapple salsa, served with couple of small slices of lime. Not bad, but the dressing and salsa left it a little sloppy to eat compared to the burritos. I also thought that it could have used a little more fish compared to the other ingredients.


No issues with the burritos though. Indulging my liking for spicy food I ordered the steak burrito with jalapenos, onion and hot sauce, with some guacamole on the side. They also come filled with rice and choice of black or pinto beans. The jalapenos added enough heat to make their presence known, the meat was moist and the whole burrito was packed with flavour.


A big advantage of burritos over gyros is that you don't normally get the same problem with the sauce running down your arm - not so much an issue at 2 in the morning after a big night out but definitely one if visiting after work while still dressed in the uniform. The burritos are much less sloppy than your average takeaway meal.


The grilled chicken fajita was at least as good as the steak burrito and possibly better. It came with bell peppers, onions, melted cheese, rice, lime sour cream and salsa in a flour tortilla. Neat, tasty and filling.


Overall
Healthy, quick and tasty. Service was good, particularly from the guy who I assume was the owner, who treated everyone as a guest rather than a customer (except for paying of course). For fast food the price was slightly above the going rate but not reasonable given the quality of the food. I visited at a fairly strange time of the afternoon to be eating but there were still a number of people around, so I suspect it is quite popular with the locals (always a good sign). A good option for a quick bite if you are in the area.

Verdict
Food - 7.5
Ambience - 7
Service - 8
Price 6.5

Address
838 Glenferrie Road
Hawthorn VIC 3122
Tel: (03) 9818 1482

Hazev, England by Bureaucrat

Hazev is an ambitious restaurant, bar, cafe and deli. Located alongside the many docks around Canary Wharf, Hazev is a Turkish restaurant that predominantly caters for the suits that work around the area and the local folk.



I'm quite a newbie to Middle Eastern cuisine. I've always found it a bit too cumin-y, lentil-y and/or being overwhelmed with slabs of meat. Fortunately, Hazev has taught me otherwise.


I love the way in which Hazev is decorated. Sumptuous turquoise and brown chairs and sofas. Tessellated patterns on the walls. And in the loos, gorgeous bronze sinks and tap fittings.

I've been to Hazev a few times now, and here are some of the dishes that we've had.


Feta salad. The verdict was that this was nice.


Lentil soup. Rather tasty and I didn't feel like I was eating hippy food, which was a good thing!


Tabbouleh. I find people either like tabbouleh or they don't. I don't, but my sister said that this was delish.


Grilled chicken w couscous. The verdict was this was succulent, tender cubes of chicken.


Grilled lamb w couscous. As with the chicken, this was equally delicious, and didn't have that lamby/gamey taste that lamb sometimes has (or is that 'have'?)


Chicken stew w couscous. I ordered this and it was also delicious. The stew was seasoned with lots of fresh ginger and tomatoes, and had a very deep flavour. On a cold day, this would definitely be on my list of comfort foods.


Lamb kofte w couscous. The Lawyer ordered this and he loved it. Not too much cumin and lots of fresh mint.


Rosewater and milk pudding. Despite being full, we shared a dessert. Because of the skin that was formed from the milk, this was very similar to a rice pudding without the rice. At another time, I ordered something that was similar to this but it was much more silky texture.

Overall
Usually I'm wary of places (and people!) that try to be all things to all people. However, Hazev does a great job for it's "restaurant" bit. I've yet to try the bar, cafe and deli bits - but I look forward to it!

On a separate occasion, fellow diners liked the fact that it had an extensive vegetarian and seafood options. Hazev also gets extra marks from me because sometimes they bring you extra complimentary pre-dinner nibbles (that's in addition to the Turkish bread, dips and olives that they've already given you).

Service was attentive, the food was fresh and the serving portions were big. There's still a few things I'd like to try, including the intriguing dessert dish that's made with eggplant.

Address
Hazev
Discovery Dock West
2 South Quay Square
Canary Wharf E14 9RT
Telephone: 020 7515 9467

Cliff Townhouse Restaurant (formerly Bentley's), Dublin by Bureaucrat

A bit of a conundrum here. We dined at Bentley's about two months ago, but now it has a new owner and it's now called Cliff Townhouse Restaurant. A bit of googling informs me that "The Cliff Townhouse is the new Bentleys, but the food is just as good even if Mr. Corrigan has moved on. Same staff, same chef, same buzz".


While this makes it easier to blog about, it doesn't change my view of this place. CTR is a wankified restaurant that's set in a delightful Georgian house. The restaurant is decorated in Art Deco style (think metal clam shells for lamp shades, mirrors, curved sofas, etc). It certainly provides an appropriate background if one is wanting a glamorous evening night. It also has an oyster bar.

However, the food and service were not what we were expecting for a restaurant that looked so polished on the surface.


For entree, the Lawyer ordered the seafood risotto. It was quite a large serving for an entree. The Lawyer said it tasted fine, but nothing exceptional. The presentation was a bit sloppy - the parmesan cheese was all over the place.


I had the marinated mackerel w pickled carrots. This was served cold. The mackerel was fine, but the carrots were far too sour. Another cross against CTR.


For mains, the Lawyer had the braised lamb shoulder and anchovies. The lamb was shaped into a cube. The anchovies were an odd addition to the dish. It didn't really add much to the flavour - I think this was just for visual effect. Once again, the food was fine but not exceptional. Both mains were served with some side veggies.


I had the fish pie....this turned out to be a big no-no. The seafood inside was still raw. I had to send it back to the kitchen. Tsk tsk tsk! A restaurant that holds itself to a high standard should definitely know better. The dish came back properly cooked. As we dined early, I did note that as other diners ordered the pie, their crusts were a bit more browned after I complained. The pie was full of seafood but overly rich with cream and butter. Because of this, I didn't finish the dish.


We struggled onto the dessert. The Lawyer ordered sorbet. This was probably the best dish of the night.


I ordered the Eton's Mess, which was nice. The fruit/fool was mixed quite well into the meringue/cream and it was served with green pistachios.

Overall
CTR/Bentley's may have had a bad night on the night we dined. We certainly expected a lot more from a place like this. A lot of potential but we didn't see any of that when we went.

Service was attentive, but only when your waiter was at your table. Otherwise, they just zip past you in a hurry to tend to more important things and/or diners. Therefore, unless you're a VIP, don't expect to have the Maitre'd fawning over you and making a big song and dance (including being served complimentary champers; and booming out "PROFESSOR SO-AND-SO! WELCOME TO BENTLEY'S!" ...cue eye-rolling from me) for all the diners to see.

To go, or not to go? Go if you want to take a chance that you'll have a better time than we did. But if you're risk adverse, go spend your money elsewhere - there are many nice restaurants in Dublin to try without the wank, average food and below-average service.

Address
Cliff Townhouse Restaurant (formerly Bentley's)
22 St Stephens Green
Dublin Ireland
Telephone: (+353) 1638 3939

Di Bella Coffee Roasting Warehouse, North Melbourne by Snooze

This week’s lunch was Di Bella Coffee Roasting Warehouse in North Melbourne. This coffee house is the Victorian flagship for the Queensland-based Di Bella coffee company … apparently Di Bellas made Australia’s fastest growing companies for 2006 and 2007, with more than 800 cafes across the country selling Di Bella coffee. The powers of Google research!

Since Di Bella’s focus is the coffee it caters more to the breakfast and lunch crowd, closing at 4ish every day. But its first love doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a healthy respect for food and décor. The food is respectable and the décor fun … most of it's a sort of industrial chic meets natural wood with a touch of Italy. After we finished our meal Big Fil and I explored two more rooms at the rear, each with quite different approaches. One even had indoor artificial grass (which weirded Big Fil out a bit) and right at the back are sofas … clearly something for everyone.

Because Di Bellas is about the coffee I’ll start with that. And because this is a coffee place (and Big Fil and I don’t drink coffee … imagine that!), we met up with my daughter Miss C, who loves coffee, and works a five minute walk away. Despite her tender years, Miss C is a coffee aficionado … none of that nasty instant for her. I’ll also add that she has some training as a barista, (at McCafe after school), so perhaps her credentials are in spite that. Her coffee of choice was a skinny latte and her rating … a very respectable 8/10. (PS No photo of the coffee, but Di Bellas has a very respectable selection of coffee equipment and, of course, Di Bella coffee for purchase).


By the time Miss C got her lunch it was clearly her day: a good coffee, and the best lunch of the day paid for by Mummy! Her calamari arrived hot and appetising looking, with everybody getting to share. The calamari was tender without a trace of toughness and a dash of heat—maybe chilli—and a sliver of lime for tartness. It arrived with a salad topped with a drizzle of paprika mayonnaise that Miss C felt was a little on the greasy side for her. What she did enjoy, though, was the side of mashed avocado with either lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper. I’d like the whole plate to myself if I visit again.


If one’s on the menu (burger, that is) the burgermeister will go for it … this time around, a chicken burger. Plain and simple food but neither good or bad … more a “workmanlike chicken burger” to use Big Fil’s words, although I recall on the day a reference to a coriander sauce and chargrilled capsicum raising it a little above the commonplace. It arrived accompanied by chips that were a little too crispy on the outside.


With breakfast on the cards all day I went with the scrambled eggs. I’ve been burnt a few times lately with eggs topped with overly rich béarnaise sauce and I went with what I thought would be something simpler. It was compared with recent meals … but it wasn’t at the same time. The eggs were denser and heavier than usual, probably because of the truffle oil used, and the asparagus and artichoke moved it from breakfast to something more substantial. But this didn’t detract at all in my book and I had to eat every bite of what must have been four eggs. Down sides … toast so crispy an electric knife would have been handy to cut it.





Overall
It’s easy to understand why Di Bella’s would be a favourite with many for breakfast and coffee. I liked the hum to the place with people constantly coming and going and the staff were great. I felt as though we were visiting with old friends and it’s nice seeing people enjoy their jobs so much. The cakes looked good as well although we didn’t try any on the day. The major irritant on the day: Big Fil finished his meal before Miss C and I even got ours. And I would have liked a little more guidance (like a sign) telling where to order and how to pay as it was hard working out where to line up.

Verdict
Food – 7.5
Ambience - 8
Service - 7
Price – 7.5

Address
19-21 Leveson Street
North Melbourne VIC 3051
Tel: (03) 9329 2973

Three Bags Full, Abbotsford by Big Fil

Snooze and I've mentioned before we like the industrial chic type of cafes that are springing up around inner Melbourne. I know they're not really a fresh concept anymore and can feel a bit derivative, with similar food, communal tables and menus. But the reason they are so popular is that when done with care and a bit of thought they work really well.


Some people have criticised Three Bags Full because it no longer has that novelty appeal. This might be true, and maybe it doesn't earn brownie points for originality. However, as long as the concept is good and it's done well--as it is as Three Bags Full--it seems unfair to judge a place solely on that basis. After all, should Melburnians reject laneway coffee shops just because they have been around for years? When Snooze and myself visited for the first time just after eight on a miserable Saturday morning we found the food and service very good, and the prices reasonable.


It didn't hurt either that the cafe's located in a converted hat factory designed and created by Melbourne's most noted architect: William Pitt. The building might not measure up to The Rialto and The Princess Theatre in the Melbourne CBD but I think it has a charm to it and (apparently) it's acknowledged for its architectural significance. (You've got to love Google for finding out interesting stuff!)


At the moment I'm semi-addicted to pancakes and went with the ricotta hot-cakes, served with seasonal poached fruit, and honey and orange infused ricotta. The seasonal fruit was pear and rhubarb, served with raspberries and blueberries. While I'm not always the chattiest person when eating, I think I was even quieter than normal this time reflecting on how good this was. The raspberries and blueberries were fine but the pear and rhubarb were outstanding: both firm but tender, the pear slightly sweet and the rhubarb with a hint of tartness. Most importantly, the honey didn't render the ricotta overly sweet and the orange gave it a lighter and more interesting flavour. In a word, yum.


Snooze went with the 'smashed' avocado - toasted sourdough bread with avocado, Persian feta, olive oil and pepitas, with a small slice of lemon. Again, another very good breakfast. Both Snooze and myself have had issues recently with toasted bread that sat in that uncomfortable middle ground, not toasted so far as to be burnt but still hard to cut with the knife provided. No such issues here. The avocado was still firm enough to avoid that baby food like texture it sometimes has, and the lemon gave it a tang and interesting aftertaste. I thought the hot-cakes were better (although Snooze doesn't agree), but wouldn't have been unhappy to have ordered this as a breakfast either.


To finish our breakfast off we shared a piece of the chocolate cheesecake brownie. This wasn't quite what I was expecting, with the texture being much closer to that of a cheesecake than a brownie. I thought this improved the brownie though rather than being a problem. As opposed to the overly dense slab of chocolate you can sometimes get this was creamy, with the chocolate and cheese flavours individually distinguishable rather than a chocolatey flavoured cheese. The brownie part came in the form of a biscuit-like base, adding a chewy texture without making it heavy as a breakfast treat.


Overall
I really enjoyed my visit. The food was high quality, the surroundings nice, and the staff efficient and very friendly. It's not a one-of-a-kind place which nobody else knows about and you can brag about finding it on your own but hey, success and popularity ain't no sin. It seemed to be a good place for families too, with several sitting near us (and without interfering with the enjoyment of other diners. Well done those babies). Maybe I haven't seen it at its busiest, and certainly haven't delved deeply into its menu, but it was hard to pick any faults with our visit.

Verdict
Food - 8.5
Ambience - 8.5
Service - 8
Prices - 7

Address
56 Nicholson Street
Abbotsford VIC 3067
Tel: (03) 9421 2732