The Seafood Restaurant, England by Bureaucrat

The main reason to visit Padstow was to dine at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant. So before we booked our train tickets and accommodation, we made sure that we had a booking at the restaurant. Rick Stein owns quite a few eateries and shops in Padstow. So much so that Padstow is also known as Padstein. The Seafood Restaurant is the fine dining option in Rick Stein's portfolio of eateries.


That's what I'm talking about!

When you enter, a friendly staff member welcomes you in. The SR is decorated in a modern, unpretentious way. In the middle of the restaurant is an oyster bar. Notably, most of the diners are well-to-do baby boomers. Given that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime meal, the Lawyer and I had to be strategic with our menu choices.


But before we get to the mains, we were offered complimentary marinated olives. Juicy and plump.


Also on offer was a basket of flavoursome walnut bread and sourdough.


We were served a complimentary appetizer - smoked mackerel and olive. Very morish, rich and oily (but not unpleasantly so) mackerel was paired well with the sharpness of the olive tapanade.

Having made the difficult decision of deciding what we should have for our mains, we opted for the fruits de mer and the Malaccan crab, both to share. Our waiter suggested that they serve the fruits de mer first, which turned out to be very wise advice.

The fruits de mer was HUGE (see first pic). I could not believe that this is usually ordered as a main dish for one person! Packed and piled high with meaty, succulent and incredibly fresh:

- half lobster with a massive claw
- 1 big mud crab claw (which took me 20 minutes to eat it)
- 2 small crabs
- 1 big swimmer crab
- 1 razor clam,
- 1 massive scallop
- 2 big oysters
- an array of different shellfish
- 2 medium langoustins.

The seafood was just cooked plainly in its own juices, which highlighted how gloriously sweet and extremely fresh it was - I can't emphasise this enough. Some of the seafood was raw, such as the massive scallop, but it was so fresh I didn't care.

It took the Lawyer and I two hours to finish this. We were definitely struggling towards the end to finish the platter - it would have been sacrilegious not to! Because we were so full, we had to, quite reluctantly, cancel our order for the Malaccan crab (which looked really delicious from what I could see from other diners' tables).

We were quite full, but the Lawyer and I both agreed that we had to try some desserts.


I got the pear souffle with cider ice cream. The ice cream was creamy, with a strong appley-pear flavour. The souffle was easily the best I've ever had. Light as air but full of pear flavour (presumably pureed). It was warm and rose to a pleasing, even height.


The Lawyer opted for the tarte tartin. Handmade pastry that was a proper puff pastry - buttery, crispy layers. The apples were perfectly cooked. The Lawyer enjoyed this very much.





Overall
For most of the night, our waiter was very friendly and efficient. However, towards the end, it took a while for him to bring out the dessert menu, take our orders, etc. To be fair, our waiter seemed genuinely busy (we went on a Friday night). But another waiter noticed the delay and pitched in - a good sign that the SR staff are trained well.

A bonus for us was that there was an error on the bill in our favour - they only charged us for one of the desserts. Also, the SR doesn't have the odious 'optional service fee' added to the bill. I consider that the SR offers great value for this quality of food and dining experience - you would probably add another 40 pounds to the bill if you wanted the same experience in London.

For us, dining at the SR was well worth the 30 minute tube ride, 4.5 hour train ride and the 1 hour bus ride to get to Padstow. The SR is a class act - it serves excellent, fresh produce and is proud of it. A memorable gastronomic experience!

Address
The Seafood Restaurant
Riverside, Padstow
Cornwall
Telephone: 01841 532 700

Shanghai Noodle House, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil

It sounds like the words of a song, I shouldn't like Shanghai Noodle House, but I do. There isn't anything special about the food, it's one of the daggiest, most obscure places in Chinatown and the service and price are pretty much par for the course. But I always enjoy myself here, largely because it's one of the least pretentious places to eat around.

It's been a while since my last visit, twelve months or more, but it did seem somewhat cleaner than I remembered. There were still the same plastic tables and chairs and tea urn near the door but without the slight film of grease over everything. It still has the same long menu and specials stuck to the wall though, including things rarely seen outside of the more authentic Chinese restaurants in Melbourne (spicy sliced pig stomach anyone?).



With only three of us on the day our choices were limited. My favourite dish was undoubtedly the Xinjiang lamb. Tender, juicy, moderately spicy, it even looked pretty with the addition of a little greenery. While it no longer seems to be available as a claypot dish, it's the one dish we tried that I could happily eat again and again.


The major problem with our other two dishes was that I thought they were both a little oily. The pork dumplings weren't what I expected, with a comparatively delicate skin and appearing to have been pan fried rather than deep fried. At $7.50 for 15 these are not the best dumplings in Chinatown but they are pretty good value for money. The small puddle of oil left on the plate after finishing was a little disconcerting though.


I wasn't a huge fan of the Szechuan pork with vegetables. For starters I'm not really a fan of pork thin sliced then stir fried, I think it loses too much of its 'meaty' texture. Both texture and taste wise this dish didn't really do it for me, with the vegetables seeming to be cabbage and something which looked a bit like lemongrass but with a woody texture which we couldn't identify. Again a bit oily and given there are so many other choices available I wouldn't order it again.


Overall
One of those places that I get an occasional urge to visit. It's no longer quite as cheap as it used to be or the serves as large but to compensate it doesn't feel like you need to wipe the table down before ordering. Not as popular as Shanghai Dumpling a few metres away but still popular enough that on a Friday lunchtime all the tables filled up before 1pm. It's worth giving it a go and whether you enjoy it or not will probably depend on what you are looking for in a Chinese restaurant - it's cheap and cheerful but a little dodgy. And I shouldn't like it, but I do.

Verdict
Food - 6.5
Ambience - 5.5
Service - 6
Price - 7

Address
242 Little Bourke Street (Down Tattersalls Lane)
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9662 9380

Walkers Fish Restaurant, England by Bureaucrat

Visiting Padstow meant that I achieved a 'must do' item on my 'to do' list - in particular, dining at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant (but more about later). I'm so glad I did it because the food, the people, the scenery is as special to me as Mt Dandenong.


Padstow is so pretty and it's (thankfully) nothing like London. Such a pity it isn't more accessible by public transport. But I know that the remoteness of Padstow is part of what makes it special.


In the two and half days that we were here, we managed to fit in a lot of eating! So without further ado, we start with fish and chips.

Arriving in Padstow at 2.30pm, the Lawyer and I were absolutely famished (due to a series of unfortunate events the last time we ate anything was at 6am that morning).


Walking into the main part of the village, we both went with fish and chips at Walkers Fish Restaurant. Opting for the take away option, we took our cod and chips to the nearby benches that are dotted around the estuary.


Fresh fish, reasonable serving size. While the batter wasn't too thick, it was thicker than it's competitors (more about that in later posts). I especially liked the chips - chunky, crispy on the outside and mealy in the inside. Not too oily.

Overall
We were happy with the fish and chips. Couldn't fault it. It was certainly popular, as many people also were tucking to fish and chips from WFR. Despite the rather big seagulls (which presumable survive on a reliable source of fish and chips themselves), they're quite tame.

Address
Walkers Fish Restaurant
West Quay
Padstow PL28 8AQ
Telephone: 01841 532915

Huff Bagelry, Carnegie by Big Fil

I can't say why I had never made it to Huff before. It's nearby, its reputation is good, it does brekkie (almost a necessity given the times I like to eat out). But for some reason I'd never made it, preferring to hit Glicks or Aviv to get my bagel fix. However, after a recommendation from a work colleague recently visiting from London it was time to fill in this hole in my local eatery experiences.

On a dull winter's morning Huff stands out like a bit of a lighthouse. It's brightly lit, with a large front window and a warm, brown wooden frontage.


Step inside and it's equally as pleasant. Warm colours, interesting light fittings, well spaced and uncluttered. With a series of small tables along one wall, a larger communal table up the back near the kitchen, it's a spacious and family friendly environment. One small issue though - the actual tables are quite high and make it slightly uncomfortable trying to read and eat breakfast.


As you'd expect in a place called Huff Bagelry, here its mainly about the bagels. You can pick your preferred style and bagel and filling, or alternatively just go for a toasted bagel and spread. My favourite was the plain toasted bagel with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. Good bagel, nice fluffy scrambled eggs and quality salmon. Nicely presented and delicious, but at $14 not cheap.


Fine but nothing earth-shattering wewas re the autumn brekkie - a bagel with ham, egg, cheese and beetroot relish - and the toasted choc chip bagel. While the autumn brekkie looked nice and was filling there was nothing special about it that would drive me to order it again.


I did however quite like my toasted choc chip bagel. It seemed a little lighter than a Glicks or Aviv bagel and when smothered with butter it was rich warm chocolately goodness on a plate.


Overall
Nice enough as a local neighbourhood bakery, I still think I prefer Glicks and Aviv. Huff is located a lot closer to home though and still does a fine bagel, as well as being a nice place to eat. It also does a mean creamy hot chocolate, probably the best I've had in the area. So I can see a few return visits in the future.

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

Address
112 Koornang Road
Carnegie VIC 3163
Tel: (03) 9568 3866

The Sunny Cafe, Springvale by Big Fil

My ears pricked up when Mmmm mentioned the possibility of trying a Taiwanese café in Springvale. After all, you could list the things I know about Taiwanese food on one hand with room to spare - bubble tea, stinky tofu, beef noodle soup and Din Tai Fung. After visiting The Sunny Café I can't say that I have a detailed understating of Taiwanese food, but I do have another café to add to the list of interesting places to take visitors.


First thing to point out is The Sunny Café is small, really small. From memory four inside tables in a smaller space than the average bathroom, any more than eight to ten diners and it starts to feel uncomfortably full. There are also a couple of tables out on the footpath but next to a pretty busy road which wouldn't be the most comfortable of places to eat.


The menu comes with the names of the dishes in Chinese and English, with English descriptions and photos making it easier to order the unfamiliar dishes. The range isn't that extensive - you could probably try it all in two or three group visits, but the fact that the majority of the dishes aren't familiar still makes it interesting.

One of the more unusual things is the way that the soya milk drink is served. Normally you'd expect a glass but The Sunny Café serves its soya milk in a bowl, with a spoon to drink from. With a choice of warm or cold, it's quite a good soya milk too.

Consensus favourites for brunch were the egg wraps (I missed the proper names). With a fried dough stick (made fresh in the kitchen) surrounded by egg, held together by the wrap and served with a small amount of soya sauce, it provides a great mix of flavours and textures. On a return visit I also tried the beef and plum sauce version, which was equally as good.




Something else which was very good was the beef noodle soup. With tender beef pieces, a touch of sourness from the preserved vegetables and the saltiness of the broth, the version here is one of the best I've had.


Other dishes tried include the Baso rice, which comes with a fairly heavy jolt of star anise flavour, and a whole plate of the fried dough sticks. But the other dish which rates a special mention is the dragon ball dumplings. While quite small and not the best shao long bao in Melbourne they are perfectly acceptable in quality and possibly the cheapest around at $5 for a serve of six.


Overall
The thing which really differentiates this cafe is the obvious pride in and care taken with food and service. Service is friendly and efficient, everything looks great and given the prices the food is very good. There are even a variety of cakes you can order to take away for later, including pillow cake (normal or orange flavour), yam, pandan, durian and pineapple. A little obscure but a great find which will hopefully never become too popular to get a seat!

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

Address
6 Balmoral Ave
Springvale VIC 3171
Tel: (03) 9540 3804

Bali Bagus, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil

Tucked away on Franklin Street and aimed more at the student than fine dining end of the market, Bali Bagus offers a reasonable range of simple but tasty Indonesian dishes. Inside is uncluttered, with bare floors and plain tables. A few decorations and a water feature break up the industrial atmosphere a little, but it still feels like you're eating in a converted warehouse. On the plus side though it's well lit, relatively quiet and you aren't sitting in your neighbours lap when trying to eat.


The food was a mixed bag. The only dish I'd describe as disappointing though was the satay ayam (chicken satays). We'd ordered these as an entrée, as we were hungry and didn't want to wait until the other dishes were ready. However, while the satays gave the impression of being ready before the other dishes everything came out at the same time. Result - satays not as hot as they should have been.


Better were the three mains. The fried chilli prawns (Sambal Goreng Udang) were good, soft and juicy and reasonable in number. To be picky the sambal could have used more of a spicy kick to it, but then you're paying student café prices not restaurant.


The Ayam Penyet was juicy and tender. While nicely grilled chicken, again it was lacking a little something, in this case hints of smokiness from the grill.


My favourite though was the grilled fish - ikan bakar. The skin was dark and crispy on the outside, with white and tender flesh in the middle. Again not perfect, slightly overcooked so that the flesh could have been moister, but a perfectly acceptable version of a dish I like.





Overall
My overall impression is that there is a lot to like but maybe not a lot to love about Bali Bagus. The food is quite simple in style but it's also cheap, fast, tasty and non-pretentious. Add to this reasonably friendly service and most of the time that's probably all that most of us are looking for.

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

Address
85 Franklin Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9662 1474

Highway 31, Brunswick by Big Fil

Highway 31 sits fairly weirdly in a mainly middle-eastern eatery section of Sydney Road. With its American bar/diner theme and decorated with assorted motorcycles and car number plates, it's a touch of Baton Rouge in little Ankara.


When we visited on a Sunday night the music and lighting levels were both restrained, a bit of an issue for my poor little camera. A little ominously customer levels were also low - while we booked ahead there were only two other groups in a medium sized dining area. As everyone in our group was quite hungry we decided to order a couple of entrees to share. First up was the jambalaya. This is a rice dish including various meats and quite spicy, at least that's how it has been the two or three times I've had it before. I'd never previously seen it listed as a soup and it was certainly the moistest version I've come across. More like a thick rice broth than a soup, I can't comment on its authenticity but I did find it a bit restrained on the chicken, shrimps and bacon it was supposed to contain and the flavours quite bland.


Our second entrée was the Cajun poppers, fried prawn balls and squid rings served with an accompanying salad. Again I thought these were a little ordinary, not overdone as these things can be but lacking some of the spicy kick I rightly or wrongly associate with Cajun cooking.


But if the entrees were on the indifferent side they were redeemed by surprisingly good mains. My choice was the chilli con carne. While I think it came with a single chilli only, the serve was generous, the beef very tender and overall the dish rich, filling and very easy to eat. Real comfort style food and perfectly suited to the current cold snap.


Ironman went for the fish of the day, which turned out to be John Dory. Blacked with spice and lightly fried, it was firm, flavoursome and moist. Ironman also commented favourably on the salad served with the fish, which made it comparatively light compared to the army of chips he was expecting.


Ms Counting her Calories went for the chicken Creole. While fair I thought it was the weakest of the mains. When offered a taste I was expecting a fairly spicy dish. Instead I found it tasty but sweet, reminding me a little of chicken cacciatore.


Highway 31 also offers a small number of children's meals, such as Ms L's chicken nuggets and chips.


By this stage we were ready for dessert but too full for more than two between the four us. Pick of these was definitely the mud cake, rich, as dark as sin but surprisingly light in texture.


In contrast the deep dish pecan pie was similar in standard to the entrees, no disaster but a little lacking in texture which could have been given by the addition of more pieces of pecan.


Overall
We all enjoyed our visit to Highway 31. The food and prices were reasonable if not outstanding, service friendly without being pushy and the décor a little clichéd but not over the top. In particular I'd have liked a bit of a heavier hand with the seasoning on some of the dishes. But the sum of these elements was a night that was casual and fun. Its not somewhere for a special occasion or that I'd take a visitor to sample the best of what Melbourne has to offer, but for a local regular or to satisfy a hunger for diner style food it's a more than acceptable option.

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

Address
743-745 Sydney Road
Brunswick VIC 3056
Tel: (03) 9386 3392

Tokyo Diner, England by Bureaucrat

I know I lament about (most) of the places that I go to. However, when we stumbled across Tokyo Diner, I just couldn't stop raving about it.


Usually I'm quite skeptical and wary of any restuarant in located in Chinatown (in any Chinatowns in the world, for that matter) but TD is not like the scrum you'd normally find.


Inside, a warm glow welcomes you in. The staff are efficient and friendly.


For starters, we shared the aubergine age bitashi. Served at room temperature, the eggplant were absolutely luscious. Full of flavour from the sweet dashi marinade/sauce, and very silky texture. The lotus root was perfectly al dente-esque and not at all stringy. The spring onions added a fresh note to the dish.


For mains, we both went with unagi. I went for the unagi don set meal. This comprised of a medium size serving of unagi don, seaweed salad and a medium size serving of soba noodles with some veggies. The unagi were meaty and just perfect. A very generous tray of food!


The Lawyer got a big bowl of unagi served with softly scrambled egg. It came with a bowl of miso soup. Generous amounts of unagi, which went well with the egg that enhanced the flavour and text - the Lawyer loved it.

Overall
Sustainability and generousity are the key words for TD. The food is sourced from sustainable sources, and rather than requiring diners to leave a tip, TD prefers that if you liked their food, that you come back again with a friend. What a wonderful and novel (at least for London!) approach.

We've been to TD a few times now, and will continue to do so. We especially love the sustainability ethos, the generous and tasty food (if you order any noodle or rice dish, TD will upgrade your dish with extra noodle or rice without charge - the only stipulation is that you're able to finish it so the food won't go to waste), and the great service. Five stars!

Address
Tokyo Diner
2 Newport Pl
Leicester Square WC2H 7
Telephone: (020) 7287 8777