Smack DAB, South Kelowna (Canada) by Bureaucrat

Feeling like I'd stepped onto the set of Dawsons Creek meets The O.C. (don't call it that), Smack DAB is a real experience in North American, smart casual, upper-middle class dining.

The set out is light, bright and breezy.  The staff are all good looking - like they're from a Tommy Hilfiger catalogue - although some are more chummy than others (some others definitely have a snooty "I'm too good(-looking) for you" air about them).


With prime views of Lake Okanagan, the greatest drawcard for S.DAB is the view.  Blue skies, dazzling sunshine, calm waters, boats and jetties, private beaches and luxury lakeside holiday homes surround the area.


My Smack DAB salad (CAD$13) was pretty good value and hit the spot well.  It was very fresh, filling but light - filled with mixed greens, roasted yam, cherry toms, pickled red onion, carrot ribbons, pumpkin seeds and citrus and shallot dressing.  For an extra CAD$6 I got some prawns on top, however, I would have thought I'd get more than the four middling sized prawns.


While I thought the Lawyer's Pad Thai (CAD$21) was a weird experimentation in fusion, the Lawyer liked the dish.  As you can see, this looks nothing like a typical pad Thai.  This was pan-seared chicken and black tiger prawns, Asian veg in a red Penang curry sauce, rice noodles and honey roasted almonds.


The gorgeous view of Lake Okanagan at sunset.



Verdict: we liked it.

Overall
The food is fresh and the view is great.  The best seats are outside on the patio.  You can easily relax here and have breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and after dinner drinks here.  I'd stick to the non-fusion dishes.  We also had breakfast here and it was pretty good too.

Ps. Join the crowd and bring your best pair of sunglasses to look chic while soaking up the atmosphere.

Akita Japanese, North Melbourne by Obelix

"When you have expectations you are setting yourself up for disappointment."  Ryan Reynolds.

Yep, Mr Ryan Reynolds is not only easy on the eye, he is wise as well.  No quote describes my experience at Akita Japanese Restaurant as aptly.

I was very excited at the prospect of dining at Akita for my friend's 40th birthday.  It has a high rating on Urbanspoon and the staff and fellow diners were reassuringly Japanese (read authentic).  The table next to us was a raucous bunch of Japanese speaking patrons chuckling merrily over sukiyaki and sashimi.  I was preparing myself for an enjoyable dining experience.

When the waitress suggested we have a set menu specifically devised for us, we did not hesitate to place ourselves into her capable appearing hands even though we were flying blind.

To give you context, our dinner set us back $45 per person.  The photographs of what you are about to see often has a few morsels of something-something on a serving dish.  Once shared among us, it amounted to one morsel of something-something per person, sometimes two pieces per person but nonetheless not enough to touch the sides of my empty stomach.  We had to verbally ration it out between us, ie count the actual pieces and call out how many per person one can have.  When the waitress announced that the last dish was coming out, I had thought she meant the last entree to be served not the last dish period.  It was not a balanced set menu for it was more like a series of bite sized nibbles with no mains or rice served at all.

The sashimi was so so.  It was not very fresh and the serving size mingy.  Once rationed out, it amounted to three pieces of fish per person.

The vinaigrette was delicious on the oyster.  Yes that is the singular oyster, not the plural for we were allocated one small oyster each.  The camera angle gave the illusion of largesse but in real life, they were mingy.

The sushi was food court grade.  Two morsels apiece.

This was the patagonia toothfish.  I'm not a fan of the thick rubbery fish skin.  This piece was divided between four.

Chicken wantons.  One apiece.  I think they forgot to season the filling.  It was a bit bland.

Gyoza.  These were quite nice.  One apiece.

These were spring onions wrapped in John Dory fillets and fried in tempura batter.  I didn't really like this for it was like biting into a bunch of tightly wound semi raw spring onions with a fishy aftertaste.  Two apiece.

This was my favourite dish of the night.  It was a shitake mushroom stuffed with prawn mince.  We were allocated half a mushroom each.  Sad.

Green tea to fill the void.

Verdict: we wouldn't return.

Overall
I am flummoxed as to why Akita ranks so high on Urbanspoon.  Admittedly the food on the Japanese diners' tables were much more exciting and generous seeming - pots of steaming sukiyaki and platters of tempura.  Perhaps we were perceived as bunch of gentiles who didn't know any better so were given a couple of bite sized nibblies in a guise of a set menu.  As it was a set menu devised for us ad hoc, we did not know what (or how little) we were getting and placed our trust in the establishment in providing us with a menu that was balanced and commensurate to the price we paid.  I think our faith was misplaced.

Melbourne Street Organics Cafe, Malvern by Obelix

I have a new found hobby - kombucha brewing!...which led me to Melbourne Street Organics as they sell kombucha starter kits...which led me to be pleasantly surprised by the array of moreish treats that can be made whilst keeping it fructose-lite and FODMAP friendly...which led me to consume these two things of beauty:

This was a peppermint cheesecake.  I understand it had spinach in it to give it that vibrant green colour and the base was made with cacao and nuts with cacao nibs on top.  It was so intense but I could not help but finish it all...

Kiddo chose the raw vegan caramel slice.  It's been decades since I have allowed myself a caramel slice but since this was a healthier option, I allowed myself a bite or two, or three...  The base is once again with nuts and cacao and I think I detected something coconutty?

Just as well the kombucha starter kit came with a few kombucha shots.  I sure needed those to aid my digestion after scoffing down the sweet treats.

Verdict: we loved it!

Overall
Melbourne Street Organics also does the usual savoury cafe fare with a healthy twist.  I would love to go back for lunch. It is also a grocer.  I have since ordered a couple of health food supplements from them - the service has been very friendly and helpful.

Maloa House Gourmet Delights, Woodend by Bureaucrat

Feeling a surge of wanderlust, we piled into the car and headed out to Hanging Rock to scrabble across the dolmenic-like volcanic rocks - just like them school girls from Appleyard College.

On our way back, we stopped off at Woodend to check out the foodie scene there.  I was enticed by the name of Maloa House Gourmet Delights, because, well, it's gourmet - it says so in its name.  However, what we had there was hardly gourmet and not that delightful.

Crisp, Melbourne CBD by Obelix

Once upon a time a Virtuous Young Lass (yours truly) and her Young Friend were debating on what to eat for lunch.  Young Friend was trying to lure Virtuous Young Lass to Killiney Kopitiam for a greasy plate of noodles washed down with iced tea.  Whereas Virtuous Young Lass argued that no, let's be healthy and have salad, our bodies will thank us for the nourishment [insert saintly halo].  Virtuous Young Lass won and the two girls traipsed to Crisp for lunch.

Crisp is a relatively new establishment in Southern Cross Lane.  It's basically serves salad.  There are eight different types of salad selections which are constructed for you at the time of order or you can build your own.  The salads vary between $11 - $12.  The service is super friendly and many salad tossers stand at the ready to toss your order.  

I ordered the Superfood Detox which consisted of marinated tofu, coriander, quinoa, beetroot, edamame, sesame seeds and mixed leaves and a zesty Asian dressing.  Ok, I shall cut to the major plot line of this story - Virtuous Young Lass was very disappointed with her pile of leaves in a plastic tub.  As evident from this lack lustre photo, the Superfood Detox salad contained mixed leaves and little much else.  There was a stray quinoa grain or two, a sesame seed was spotted in amongst the greenage.  I could not recall tasting coriander... and there may have been a sliver or two of tofu but not enough to be satisfying.  

Young Friend did not fare much better with her Chicken Chipotle salad.  The feedback was that it didn't taste like chipotle and was a bit bland.  It was also lacking in the chicken department.  

The finale of this sad sorry tale was that Virtuous Young Lass and Young Friend was left less than satiated.  So in order to secure a happy ending of sorts, Virtuous Young Lass and Young Friend scoffed down a sausage roll and half a tube of BBQ Pringles  - replete at last.  

Verdict: we wouldn't return.  

Overall

Don't bother unless you like to pay $12 for a bunch of mesclun leaves and little much else,  in which case, knock yourself out.  There are plenty of places in the vicinity serving hearty salads for commensurate prices which will leave you full and satisfied eg Famish'd or Treasury Deli and Cafe.

 

D Dutchman Dairy, Sicamous (Canada) by Bureaucrat

Following our lunch at the Hillcrest Dining Room, our driver suggested that we do an unscheduled stop at an ice cream shop and fruit stall.  It was a place our driver knew well, since she hot-footed across to the ice cream shop the minute we pulled up.

Located off an exit from the Trans Canadian highway, it was clear that the D Dutchman Dairy was very popular among the locals, day-trippers and tourists.  Its big red barn with baskets of hanging flowers adorning the front proved too irresistible not to get some ice cream.


With a wide range of flavours available, we got chocolate and pecan and butterscotch.  Both were delicious and the flavours tasted very real (I think these were genuine flavours and not made with artificial stuff).  Smooth and creamy and the crunchy waffle was pretty good.


Join the crowd, kick your feet up and enjoy some ice cream.


Once we had our ice creams, we wandered to fruit stall opposite DDD.  I squealed with delight as I felt like I was Kramer and the fabled Mackinaw peaches.  These peaches were HUGE and covered with fuzz and you can smell the ripe aroma wafting from them.


The best, Jerry, the best!

I’ve never eaten peaches so sweet and juicy and soft.  And an absolute steal (CAD$2 per kilo).  As we were going to be in and out of planes over the next few days, I only limited myself to buying four peaches and two nectarines.  Seriously these were the best (the best, Jerry!) stone fruits I’ve ever eaten… they’re like a meal unto themselves.  This was probably the only time in my life that I would consider being a fructarian.




The Great Pumpkin... are you there?

I also wanted buy all the different types of berries there but figured it’s probably best since I probably couldn’t have eaten them all the delicate babies in time.

Verdict – we liked it a lot.

Overall
If you’re in the area, join the crowds and take a break and get some ice cream!  Then waddle over to the fruit stall to get some fruit to atone for the calorie intake.

Ease Garden Chinese Restaurant, Dandenong by Obelix

The Olds have been talking about this restaurant for a while now in glowing terms.  As my mum is one tough critic, I figured Ease Garden has to be of pretty good calibre.  So for family lunch, my parents kindly invited us down to try it out for ourselves.

We ordered the following dishes which came with complementary soup and tong shui.

The complementary soup which was a combo of veggies and bone broth.  Very flavourful and not too salty (which is a good thing)

Sweet and Sour Pork.  I didn't try this but Kiddo had about four pieces so I'm surmising it tasted good and the meat was tender as Kiddo hates putting in any effort to chew anything,

This scallop dish was quite awesome.  Plenty of scallops and the bok choy was fresh and crisp.

This was the XO prawns.  Again plenty of veggies which I like to keep things healthy.  Not too spicy for a XO sauce which is good so it's more palatable for young and old.

Chinese vegetables with Beef.  Once again, the veggies were plentiful and crisp.  The beef was tender.

This was my favourite - the stir fried spinach in soup stock.  The goji berries were a nice addition.

This was the deep fried fish with a sweet corn gravy.  An old Chinese restaurant staple.

Lastly, we had the tong shui which was a white fungus with goji berries.  I don't normally drink tong shui as I find them too sickly sweet and claggy.  This one was very refreshing with the white fungus.

Verdict: we loved it!

Overall
As I did not pay for this meal, I don't know the break down of the costs.  However I was told it was $120 including tips for the seven of us.  This was a great satisfying meal and I will definitely come back.

Becasse, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat

Although I had my eye on the Tea Palace at the Emporium (which, if you haven't seen it yet, is like an homage to oestrogen - think, pink walls, gilt framed windows, textured wallpaper, cushioned chairs all in the style of a rather successful lady French bourgeoisie taking tea in one of her many sitting rooms in her McChateau), we decided to have lunch at Becasse.

Becasse is right opposite the Tea Palace.  Instead of the sugary, girly pink and pastel and gold colours that festoon the Tea Palace, Becasse is a strident example of sleek modernity and sharp, clean lines of silver, black and crisp white. 

We found out from the staff that the food at Becasse is really the food from Jones the Grocer (which is another cafe/providore in the Emporium).  We found that out because I asked the staff what the soup of the day was, and they said they had to ring downstairs to find out.  In this case, the soup of the day was roasted tomato and basil.  A nicely rich tomato flavour, with added oomph from the onions, garlic and basil.  It was served with a chewy slice of sourdough.  Perfect size for a light lunch.

Ms H went for a wedge of mushroom quiche.  While she liked the flavour and texture (smooth and rich filling with a thin, flaky pastry) she did feel that it was a tad lukewarm and could have done with a few more minutes under the grill to heat it up properly.  It was served with a nice crisp salad.

Although I was quite tempted, I didn't try any of the gorgeous cakes on offer.  Definitely for next time.

Verdict: we liked it.

Overall

A nice cafe for a light meal.  The quality is above average but I still feel it's a tad pricey.  But given that it's inside the Emporium, it's pitching at the right sort of clientele.  I feel it's more about having a smart-looking place to have a meal in between an epic shopping session.  Service is friendly and prompt.

Laurent Boulangerie Patisserie, Camberwell by Obelix

Laurent is an institute at the crossroads of trams known fondly by locals as "The Junction".  It's well situated on Burke Rd, Camberwell surrounded by a plethora of shops with parking at the rear which makes it quite a handy little spot to have a quick lunch or to pop in and be tempted by the delectable looking pastries.




Laurent Bakery certainly does knock up a good crusty baguette and some amazing looking cakes.

On this occasion, I ordered the pulled pork and coleslaw roll with relish and a cup of tea to wash it down with.  The bread roll was to the standard one expects from a French bakery, crusty yet slightly dense in the middle without being too stodgy.


The pulled pork was flavoursome with plenty of slaw to cut through the richness.


A nice cuppa to go with my roll.

Verdict: we liked it.

Overall
My only bone of contention with this place is that it charges a surcharge (of a couple of dollars extra) to dine in. My pulled pork roll and English Breakfast tea set me back $16.50.  The service was relatively quick given I was there during the lunchtime peak.  It was quite lovely sitting in the al fresco area which in fact is part of an arcade and watch the world go by.