Bubble Tea

I really would like to talk about Bubble Tea. For those of you don't know what Bubble Tea is, basically it's a Chinese drink where you choose a base either a fruit drink or tea (red, Green & milk) followed by a flavour such as kumquat, blackcurrant, sour plum, apple, chocolate, coffee ( you get the drift right? There are plenty of flavours) and then as a final flourish, you can choose to add "extras" such as various flavoured jellies tapioca pearls.

Now the phenomenon of bubble tea is hardly new, but since an outlet has opened up near my place I must say that I am overjoyed as I just ADORE iced tea. My favourite combination of the moment is a kumquat flavoured iced green tea with tapioca pearls and mango jelly. The kumquat gives the tea a little tartness and the jelly and pearls add texture. With the warmer weather approaching, I highly recommend that you give one a go!

Wednesday Lunch with the Girls

So, I am having three of my closest gal pals and their beautiful kids over for lunch on Wednesday and have been deciding on what to serve them. At this stage, I have decided on serving a couple of dips, followed by a pumpkin cappuccino with a bacon & avocado baguette and a panna cotta of sorts for dessert. Hopefully it will not be too hot on Wednesday otherwise I'll need to can the idea of the pumpkin cap - I don't think I am game enough to serve the girls something cold like a gazpacho or vichyssoise.

For the kids, Lille and I will be making some hawaiian pizza pinwheels and some beautiful baby cupcakes. I feel I need to make one more thing.

More details on the final menu to follow...

Boeuf Bourgignon with Mashed Potato

For tonight, (subconsciously I might have been somewhat unfulfilled by Saturday night's dinner) I decided to make this dish with a recipe I found on the Internet and it was absolutely delicious. http://www.francethisway.com/boeufbourgignonrecipe.php

Today I chose to serve my casserole with pommes puree, but it can also be served with buttered rice, noodles, crusty bread or just plain boiled potatoes. For my mashed potatoes, I like to use either desiree, dutch cream of nicola potatoes, which bake in the oven at 175 degrees Celsius for about 90 minutes or until cooked. Once the potatoes are done, I like to put them through my ricer as it makes for a really smooth mash. I season, add the butter and warm milk, whisking it constantly over the stove just until the butter and milk are fully incorporated.

Adding cold milk will "shock" the potatoes and letting the potatoes cool down will result in a gluey consistency, so it's really important to finish preparing the potatoes whilst still hot.

Le Gaulois, Syndal

Having grown up in the Glen Waverley area, I can't tell you how many times I have driven past Le Gaulois on Blackburn Road. Yet, it has taken me 32 years to make a reservation and have dinner at this quaint little restaurant.

The slightly kitsch interior evokes a real 80s vibe and I suspect the dining room, with it's dim lighting, and pink walls decorated with Limoges china plates has remained unchanged since the day it first opened many years ago. I also suspect that the decor is just how the locals like it - familiar and comforting.

The menu unsurprisingly, completely reflects the restaurant's ambience. Is it cutting edge fine dining French food? No. But the aim Le Gaulois is not to re-invent the wheel - but rather to provide their customers with tasty French comfort food. Escargots des Bourgogne? Tick. Prawn Cocktail? Tick. House Pate? Tick. There really are no surprises with the menu, but let me tell you, the escargots were some of the best I have ever eaten - a dozen plump, uber garlicky snails served in their shell with plenty of crusty baguette to mop up all that wonderful buttery goodness!

The Main courses include the obligatory entrecote au poivre (that's sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce), their version of canard aux noix ( Duck a l'orange), poisson de jour served meuniere style and a couple of veal dishes among others. Mains are served with scalloped potatoes and seasonal vegetables served "en famille"in small serving dishes. I ordered the Veau aux Champignons and it was quite tasty.

Desserts here are VERY sweet. I myself do not have a sweet tooth, so for me I found my apple tart far too sweet. My sweet tooth husband found his Crepes Suzette awfully sweet as well.

The service was polite and attentive, but quite slow due to the kitchen being under pressure from the private function upstairs. I am undecided as to whether I would come back - The word "nice" keeps creeping into my head. Fortunately Le Gaulois have a strong local following which will hold them in good stead for many years to come.

http://www.legauloisrestaurant.blogspot.com

Ink Bar & Restaurant, Fitzroy North

Rising from the ashes of what was formerly Rubira's and then Ginters, Ink Bar & Restaurant continues the tradition of serving fine seafood to its customers.

The elegant dining room is dimly lit, with the three French inspired chandeliers adding a sense of warmth and occasion. A mural on the back wall features a squid with the definition of "Ink"below it. One of the things I really like about the dining room is the generous amount space between tables, which provides a more relaxed, private dining experience.

As seafood is their game, seafood platters are the main focus of their menu. At Ink, they offer three options - the Traditional at $50.00 per head, The Bomb at $70.00 and the Ink Lovers including half a cooked lobster for $120.00 per head, all of which are served with chips and salad.

Their a la carte options change according to seasonal availability and their specials are scribbled on the mirrored wall which quite frankly is hard to read from certain tables.

I ordered a dozen natural oysters, from Coffin Bay. (Note to the restaurant, Coffin Bay is in SA not NSW) They were great- enough said. For main course I ordered the pan seared salmon served on a salad of potato, crab, capers, caramelised shallots and green olives. The salmon was perfectly cooked, as one would expect from a seafood restaurant, however the there was just too much potato salad and in all honesty, you needed a magnifying glass to see the crab, much less taste it. Also I found the caramelised shallots one flavour too many - don't get me wrong I love the whole agrodolce thing, just not with my potato salad. For dessert, I opted for the mixed berry creme brulee, which was served with vanilla bean ice cream and biscotti. The creme brulee was soupy and clearly hadn't set and there was no biscotti. The house churned ice cream was lovely. On personal note, I hate fanned strawberries on desserts

In summary, the menu reads well and the food is good, but I feel the kitchen just needs to watch the execution and attention to detail, I mean messing up a classic dessert like a brulee is a big no-no. The service is efficient and when all things are said and done, Ink is definitely worth a visit.http://www.inkrestaurant.com.au

Food Porn For Seafood Lovers

Isn't this the one of the most beautiful raw bars you have ever seen?

The Fishery, Doncaster East

I LOVE seafood. It doesn't matter whether it's being served up in a fine dining context, take away sushi rolls or fish and chips, as long as the seafood is spanking fresh. Having said that, I feel really fortunate that my local fish & chippery is also a licensed cafe, owned by the Kadamani Family, of Finz Seafood Restaurant, Sandringham and formerly of Melbourne Oyster Bar (amongst other well known seafood restaurants) fame.

What is great about The Fishery is that I can indulge in a dozen freshly shucked pacific oysters (try them grilled with harissa $24.00 per dozen $1.90 each take away) and a half crayfish mornay with rice pilaf and green salad for $35.00 or just enjoy some beautifully cooked (battered or grilled) fish & chips.

Whilst a vast majority of fish and chipperies serve frozen fish, you can be confident with the quality and freshness of the seafood served at The Fishery because the their supplier also supplies Finz, so in essence you are being served restaurant quality seafood at cafe (and take away) prices.

The Fishery, 270 Blackburn Road, Doncaster East (03) 9841 8100

Rae's Restaurant, Balgownie Estate, Yarra Glen

One of the things that I love to do (and do too much) is to visit the Yarra Valley and enjoy a long, lazy lunch at one of the many, wonderful restaurants. There is a sense of romance about the area, and I guess a lot has to do with the pristine rows of grape vines that stretch as far as the eye can see, and the easy drive out to this beautiful part of the world.

In terms of ambience, Rae's restaurant at Balgownie Estate is an ideal place spend an afternoon. The floor to ceiling windows complement the contemporary dining room and the glass fire place also creates a cosiness which is often lacking in contemporary style spaces. Sitting comfortably atop a hill, Rae's provides diners with a wonderful views from every table.

The cuisine is seasonal and produce driven with salad leaves and other vegetables sourced from their very own kitchen garden. And in a nod to our indigenous culture, they employ the use of native herbs and spices.

The service is pleasant and friendly, although there is definite room for improvement - on our last visit a fellow diner (on another table) wearing a crisp white shirt left the restaurant also wearing a fluorescent green stain after a waiter dropped his plate of oysters on him. I also noticed a lack of menu knowledge with a couple of the wait staff, which does irk me, especially when I have to pay a 15% surcharge (applicable on Sundays and Public Holidays), which in dollar terms was an additional $45.25 on my last bill.

We do enjoy visiting Rae's and will continue to do so, although we may skip Sunday and Public Holiday lunches! http://www.balgownieestate.com.au