Brodburger Canberra

Address: Bowen Park Carpark, Bowen Drive/Wentworth Av, Barton ACT 2604
Website: http://www.brodburger.com.au/

TRADING HOURS
Tuesday: Dinner: 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Wednesday: Lunch: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm -- Dinner: 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Thursday: Lunch: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm -- Dinner: 5:30 pm - 12:00 am
Friday: Lunch: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm -- Dinner: 5:30 pm - 12:00 am
Saturday: Lunch: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm -- Dinner: 5:30 pm - 12:00 am
Sunday: Lunch: 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm

So, finally entered the league of the elite, within Canberra, owing to a visit to the famed Brodburger van by the lake.

Contrary to popular belief, the wait was, whilst significant, not exceedingly too long. A short 20-25 minute wait to place our order only heightened the anticipation and allowed time to over hear ample conversation amongst those, both returning, and new to the Brodburger phenomenon.

It's a two man operation, carried out by two young 'free spirited travelling' types in dance festival pants and tight t-shirts, not unexpected if I'm honest. What was unexpected was the use of rubber gloves for food handling.

The deluxe burger will set you back $14 and includes two beef patties, two eggs, salad and a choice of brie, blue or Swiss cheese. My companion and I both, rather boyishly, excluded all other options in favour of the premium deluxe double patty beast of a burger. We were confidently informed of a 25 minute wait enabling a quick dash to Kingston Grind, returning just in time for a short wait and collection approximately 30 minutes post order placement.

Like little boys upon finding a hidden stash of cookies in the spare bedroom, we giggled with delight staring into a bag hardly able to contain the mass of culinary delight. Biting into, or indeed I should say squashing before smashing into one's mouth, neither could contain roguish laughs and banter.

Now the taste, whilst I admit I did hold some reservations owing to potential over expectation as a result of the significant hype that goes with this place, I was sincerely pleasantly surprised. This was by far the most delicious burger I have experienced. Try hard as I might, I cannot recall a burger able to compete. This burger, partly owing to the underground (for Canberra) atmosphere whereby a rebel in a van continues to serve burgers to the dismay of authorities, partly the folklore, partly to the feeling of inclusion of an exclusive Canberra club but mostly, the sheer taste, is simply exceptional.

We are talking brie cheese on a roadside burger. We are talking real beef patties packed inside an actually fresh bun. Who would have thought, real, and fresh ingredients could be so successful? Finally, there is the sauce, probably a blend of magic and tomato sauce.

To not drop by at least once in your Canberra tenure, would be nothing short of an injustice.

Below: Brodbaby (chicken) w/ Brie cheese

Right: The Deluxe burger...

Dieci e Mezzo

Address: Corner Bunda and Mort Sts, Canberra City ACT 2601 (Inside ACTEW AGL Building)
Tel: 02) 62483142
Website: http://www.dieciemezzo.com.au/

TRADING HOURS

Breakfast
Monday to Friday from 7.30am

Lunch
Monday to Friday from 11.00am

Dinner
Monday - Saturday from 6.00pm

I first heard of Dieci e Mezzo from an out-of-towner (namely my sister who I instructed to research Canberra restaurants she'd like to try so I can take her there for a birthday dinner) - obviously many big city folk with foodie in their blood have rated this restaurant as a preferred destination. As a truffle affectionado [my sister], Dieci e Mezzo seem to have a commitment to truffle as a cuisine in itself and its place in fine dining.

Below: Special of the day - a 3-mushroom/truffle risotto with freshly shaved black truffle. No joke - they brought out the whole truffle with a slice grater and did it right before our eyes (I suppose with a $20 surcharge for the freshly shaved truffle you'd want to make sure it was the real deal). Sister was impressed with this dish - the risotto had a lightly creamy flavour but the shaved truffle folded through the warm risotto gave it uniquely luxurious texture.


Above: Osso Bucco Milanese; slow braised veal shin, saffron risotto, gremolata - wow this was so fantastic. As you know Ossu Bucco is a very cheap cut of meat and requires cooking with tender-loving-care to bring out the flavour (derived from the bone marrow) and tenderness in the meat. What a perfect rendition - fall-off-the-bone meat, a fantastic jus/reduction which was light but rich in flavour and the saffron risotto - OH THE SAFFRON RISOTTO! It was creamy like a risotto was born to be, complexly cheesy and cooked just al dente. Would definitely come back for this dish!

Below: Apple & Raspberry Crumble w/ Raspberry Icecream - I think in my head I had very different expectations to what I thought this dish would look like - I was reminiscing about my berry dessert in Adelaide and thought this might be similar (the crumble being more pie-like). The apple and raspberry was way too sour - with some chunks of heated crumble sitting on top. Am disappointed the crumble wasn't broken down finer and the scoop of icecream looked suspiciously like the Peters Icecream ad I walked past in the shopping centre...


Above: This Dark Chocolate Fondant was much more unique and glamourous than my dessert. Made with Amedei Toscano dark chocolate (I think this is meant to be some fancy brand) and served with marmalade icecream it was certainly out of the blue. Having tried to cook fondant, its either hit-or-miss so this was a delightfully sized well-cooked portion with a rich dark choc flavour which was offset by the strong citrus notes in the marmalade icecream which looked like an in-house affair.

Great, hearty winter food - reasonably priced fine dining experience in Canberra with the Italian dishes done well. Especially love the emphasis on local produce and supporting their suppliers.

Adriano Zumbo Patisserie

Address: 296 Darling St, Balmain, NSW 2040 (there are also other locations in Rozelle & Manly, please see website for details).
Tel: (02) 9810 7318
Website: http://adrianozumbo.com

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 8:00am till 6:00pm; Sunday 8:00am till 4:00pm (Closed on Public Holidays).

I did not have the luxury of visiting the Zumbo fanclub Patisserie but I received these Macarons as a birthday gift from my beloved & thoughtful sister.

I'm sure all the Masterchef and cooking show fans out there are well acquainted with the scary but talented Adriano Zumbo and his sweet creations.

Flavours above include (in no particular order): Pandan (was a very subtle coconutty flavour), Chocolate, Chocoron (this was fantastic - think choc top soft serve - but over a macaroon!), Toasted white chocolate, Kaffir Lime & Ginger, Mint & Chestnut (I think the watery chestnut flavour overpowered), Salted Butter Caramel (My fave - the juxtaposition between sweetness & saltiness was dancing off my tastebuds!), Strawberries & Cream and lastly, Vanilla.

I really can't wait to go there myself and try that Milo-esque drink which was consumed on my behalf among other goodies...

Definitely a Sydney icon for those resident and travelling through!

Campbell Restaurant (formerly known as Cafe de Campbell)

Address: 1st Floor, 102-108 Hay St, Haymarket (Chinatown) NSW
Tel: (02) 9281 0743

I was delighted when I found out Cafe de Campbell reopened after a 5+ year hiatus (well to be fair their building did get knocked down) - finally I can revisit my high school days when I was cool and hung out at budget HK cafes like this! (Excuse my extremely sense of humour).

Most dishes you will find here are under or ~$10 which is a great price point if you work in the Sydney CBD or passing through wanting a satisfying & tasty meal.

A loving memory I will never forget is eating the Club Sandwich here - it has formed the benchmark of Club Sandwiches for me and when the cafe initially closed down it left a hole in my heart no other club sandwich or BLT could replace.

Below: Club Sandwich - 3 slices of toasted white bread, mayo, lettuce, soft cheese, chicken fillet, sliced ham, and egg - carefully held together with toothpicks. The crunch of the lettuce, acidity of the mayonnaise and saltiness from the ham makes it a light, subtle and most delightful meal.


Above: Your experience would not be complete without trying the French Toast with peanut butter. Forget clumsy bits of ciabatta/sourdough dipped in egg and fried in oil that tastes like BO (yes, that was my last experience of RaNdOM cafe French Toast, never again!) - this is the real deal. Flash fried in a light batter, peanut butter and fluffy white bread ready to melt into a heavenly composition.

With over 120 items on the menu including an exotic mix of hot/cold drinks, you could challenge yourself to try all the items! I recommend the coffee & tea mix drink (you can have it either hot or cold) or just a HK style milk tea (basically a white tea, but much sweeter and stronger). I also love the Baked Pork Chop rice...

Please give them lots of business so they don't go on hiatus again and French Toast with Peanut Butter can continue to be enjoyed by all!

Shenkin Cafe (Israeli Cuisine)

Address: 53 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville NSW
Tel: (02) 9550 551

I really love it when you randomly find a great coffee & breakfast place - I stumbled across Shenkin purely by accident whilst being too impatient to wait for the normal breakfast place I go to in Erskineville.

Shenkin boasts a 'unique fusion of Australian and Israeli cuisine' - so you will find great coffee (that come with smiles from the people who serve you, for a change), breakfast staples like bacon & eggs and some traditional Israeli dishes which I found utterly delectable!

Below: I actually can't remember the name of this dish, but from memory it was a puff pastry type of bread covered in fresh parsley with a creamy mushroom sauce - wow so savoury and tasty. Simple, yet unconventional.



Above: The usual 'fry-up' with bacon & eggs, sausages, grilled tomato, spinach, mushrooms and toast.

No complaints from me at all - great price points, great food and even more unexpectedly great service.

Quay

Address: Upper Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9251 5600
Website: www.quay.com.au

After 5 months of waiting for a table at this highly-coveted Sydney restaurant (voted #26 of San Pellegrino's Top 50 restaurants in the world), the day has finally come for me to sample the delicate works of genius of Chef Peter Gilmore.

I first witnessed the frustration and technique involved in his delicate creations, more famously his signature dessert "Snow egg" on Masterchef as the contestants tried to recreate a complex dish, encased in a shallow glass. That gave away my pick for dessert.

I love Gilmore's philosophy - he doesn't like to create things that diners can cook at home - and in that simple statement, he backs up with intricate and highly detailed unique dishes that appeal to more than the sense of taste.

Before I go any further and you view the appalingly-shocking photos I took in the dim lighting and then my badly retouched photos, I urge you to visit this link which contains much better photos and a inspiration video for some of the dishes reviewed below: http://www.quay.com.au/page/inspirations1.html. That being said please refrain from taking flash photography as some obnoxious diners at another table did because the restaurant walls are either glass (spectacular view of Circular Quay, Opera House & Harbour Bridge) or paved with mirrors and will blind other patrons.

Below: Mocktails - virgin Pina Colada (left) and Lychee (right) which was lychee syrup with a squeeze of lime juice in soda water. They weren't great value but they weren't bad value with considering you'd pay the equivalent at any other random CBD bar.


Below: Amuse Bouche - this is a tradition for most fine dining restaurants - the literal translation meaning "mouth amuser" in French. The aim is to 'excite' the taste buds and prepare the diner for the chef's approach to cooking. It's hard to describe what this was - it was a mixture of a breadcrumb-like texture with some translucent white jelly blobs inside. The flavour? A slightly salty, very savoury mix which remindly me strangely of the crunchy offcuts of a cheese & bacon roll. A very peasant description I know, but that was the strongest, most overwhelming flavour.

Course One

Below: Mud Crab Congee - 'Fresh palm heart, Hand shelled mud crab, Chinese inspired split rice porridge'. You could see the mud crab meat in the centre of the dish - the creamy substance in the middle is definitely a very Western twist on this traditional dish. The congee itself was quite multi-textured - towards the centre of the dish it was quite thick and in the outer circumference the consistency became more watery. The crab flavour was present but not overwhelming - I've had seafood congee before and I think a white fish could have perhaps lifted the flavour to become more intense.


Above: Signature dish - Sea Pearls: "Sashimi tuna, sea scallop, crab, smoked eel, octopus".This is the beginning of a long-obsession with circular things and all-things shaped like balls. Each of those balls encased a creamy filling - each unique and richly moorish in their own right. I was quite suprised by this dish - I am not usually a fan of raw-ish octopus and eel, but these little pearls were almost melt-in-your-mouth. Definite props to the chef hollowing out a scallop! The 2nd one from the left was encased in - what I believe - to be tiny ball bearings of egg white. How on earth they did that I would have no clue. But a splendid exhibit of skill nevertheless.

Course Two

Above: "Butter poached coturnix quail breast, pumpernickel & ethical foie gras pudding, walnuts, quinoa, truffle custard, milk skin". This was an interesting dish as it was quail, cooked medium rare. When it came out I thought it looked awfully like a raw piece of pig's kidney, and cutting through it made me more apprehensive (the sinewy consistency had me alarmed) but the combination of purees and what not made for a unique dish combination. I was especially impressed with the use of toasted quinoa (which reminded me of rice puffs) that added a lovely nutty flavour and added texture to this multi-dimensional dish.

Course Three

Below: "Berkshire pig jowl, maltose crackling, prunes, cauliflower cream, perfumed with prune kernel oil" - guess what a pig jowl is? Pig Chin! Or as I like to call it - 'Pig's double chin'. I was advised just to take a few moments to 'inhale the aroma' - think pork belly but more tender, more fatty and the meat slightly leaner & stringier. The caramelised pork crackle/fat was such an intriguing combination - really lifted the dish to become something spectacular (and different). The prune was a fresh, fruity accompaniment. Who knew such a small piece of pork could do so much damage - I got through half and the heaviness was too overwhelming. So I hijacked the lamb instead...

Below: "Confit of Suffolk lamb loin, smoked white carrot cream, fennel infused milk curd, Pantelleria capers, nasturtiums, fennel pollen". I really enjoyed this - the lamb was cooked medium rare (but perfectly!) with a slighty salty flavour. It didn't retain that horrible lamb-y smell & taste like some undercooked rendition do and it was only towards the end it had that lamb aroma which was pleasant as opposed to gamey. I think I was genuinely pleased with how well it was cooked (not under or overcooked) and seasoned.

Course Four

These were some knockout desserts - the best courses of the night!!!

Below: "Quay's Eight texture chocolate cake" - four words: BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER. My sister who was my fellow dining companion on this occasion never eats chocolate cake. In fact, she hates chocolate. But I saw her devour this devilish creation - it must have come straight from hell it was that good. It is served with a chocolate tasting sauce, that, upon impact with the created an amazing sinking hole in the cake. I didn't count all 8 layers but there was biscuit, paper thin layers of chocolate, a spongy cake, mousse. I loved the bitterness of chocolate - to me, that dessert epitomized how chocolate should taste and showcased all the chocolate sins in one neat little package.


Above: Apple Custard & Guava Snow Egg - this dish was what inspired me to try Quay - it is a meringue ball, encasing a apple custard icecream/cream, with a sliver of toffee blowtorched over the meringue ball, topped with icing sugar - resting on a bed of guava sorbet. I'm not a huge fan of meringue and the toffee kept getting stuck in my teeth but this was one of the 'lighter' desserts which cleansed the palate. The dallop of guava nectar that held the ball to the sorbet was the highlight for me. Lovely fruity flavour, but you gotta love your toffee to have the patience to tackle this...

A sensational culinary & sensory experience - the smells don't overwhelm, all the dishes are delicately packaged and the skills involved just wow.

Zouk @ Grand Chifley Adelaide

Address: Grand Chifley Hotel Adelaide, 208 South Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
Tel: (08) 8223 2800

This evening meal choice was after an 8+ hour drive from Coober Pedy back to Adelaide so I was pretty buggered and had negative energy to think of a good place to eat and the fact my car was already parked meant I still had enough energy to drag myself downstairs for an evening meal (I am very anti room service, never had good room service food).

Entree (below): Chicken & Pistachio Meatballs with Char-Grilled Barossa Chorizo, Vegetables Relish & Warmed Turkish Bread. The chicken meatballs were the standout - great texture (cooked then fried) and the nutty mixture was just fantastic. The chorizo was way too salty for my liking, and the Turkish bread looked like a French bread stick sliced and passed through the commercial toaster. A very large entree/tasting plate.


Below: Char-grilled WA Scallops in whipped Wasabi butter & fried Nori. The photo probably doesn't do the dish any favours by making it look like scallops dragged through sewerage, but the wasabi/nori butter was quite savoury and interesting. Really dislike the digestive orange bits - doesn't add any flavour or texture and almost ruins the other flavours. Really should consider a better grade scallop....

Mains (below): Linguini Oceania - SA selected seadfood finished with Rose sauce & Parmesan. Another knockout dish - I'd say the mains were the chef's core strength. This rose sauce wasn't very tomatoey - instead it almost resembled a savoury bbq flavour. The seafood was cooked to perfection and I'd say the serving size was perfect - great, great flavour!


Above: Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with duck liver & pear ravioli served with blood orange & thyme sauce. That duck breast was tea-smoked to perfection - it was exactly what I had in mind - a strong, smoky flavour (almost like I was in the same room as the fire) infused throughout the meat without drying it out. Succulent duck breast meat and the blood orange & thyme sauce was just magical. The ravioli was a let down - the pasta tasted like wonton wrappings with some pate shoved between the layers. What's with SA and pate as a filling? Too heavy! The pear didn't quite work with the pate either - the texture and flavour was just wrong - perhaps it needed to be blended through the duck liver rather than cubed and thrown in loosely.

Desserts (below): Slow-baked Lemon & Lime Tart with Jerset double thick cream & Adelaide Hills berry compote.


Above: Grand Brandy Snap Basket containing FruChoc icecream and strawberries. This was my dessert and I absolutely loved it - what a great way to end my over-indulgent, calorific meal and my holiday. All roadtrip I was just craving a great icecream and that berry compote was just so fresh and berrylicious. Fruchoc is a SA local delicacy so without knowing I could tick off another SA foodie box. The flavour was kind of like the Gaytime icecream wth chocolate ripples through it - simple and delicious! I regret not eating the brandy snap basket but I just had no more appetite left...

This was easily my favourite meal during this South Australian adventure - an excellent execution of flavours and chef skills.

John's Pizza Bar & Restaurant (Coober Pedy)

Address: Hutchinson St, Coober Pedy, SA (directly opposite the desert cave hotel)
Tel: (08) 8672 5561
Trading Hours: 9am till 10pm

Addresses in Coober Pedy don't need numbers - there is only one main street and I assume everyone knows everyone else and where they are.

I can't decide whether John's Pizza Bar is actually better than everything else in Coober Pedy, or they have bribed all the other vendors of accomodation, petrol stations in the town to advertise for them, but they seem to be the busiest place in Coober Pedy around the clock.

They won best pizza in South Australia one year - either the bigger towns have no clue on how to knead a proper dough and throw some ingredients together or they won points for best innovation.

I was forewarned that the large pizzas are in fact, very large - you can get an 18" pizza!

Below: One of the wrongest things I have ever eaten - Coat of Arms 9" Pizza with sweet cranberry, cheese, emu metwurst, smoked kangaroo, camembert cheese, spinach.


I probably wouldn't eat this again - but I was in the middle of nowhere so was not going to pass up this opportunity to eat one (or two) of Australia's icon. I'd say that they haven't done too badly with these pizza - the kangaroo was tolerable and the emu was much subtler than expected. Still very gamey meat, but this was offset by the cranberry & camembert.

Thara Thai (Adelaide)

Address: 2 Gilbert St, Goodwood SA 5034
Telephone: (08) 8272 2262

This was such a delightfully surprising meal for me - I had been eating crap all over South Australia and was just craving one really authentic Asian meal.

With 30 minutes to spare before a movie at the Capri Theatre, this was a random bet.

Below: Chicken Satay - lovely savoury classic with a lighter, more watery satay dipping sauce, accompanied with a cucumber salsa drizzled in sweet chilli sauce.


Above: Tom Yum Soup - this chicken soup was so light, tangy and sour without the spice, fragrant and those cherry tomatoes were delightful explosions of flavour. This is such a fantastic rendition of Tom Yum soup, great for those who don't enjoy the heat but love the concept. Would definitely come back here for this meal!

They also serve Thai Coffee which I am curious about but will have to wait till my next trip to Adelaide...

Maggie Beer's Farm Shop (Adelaide)

Address: Pheasant Farm Rd, Nuriootpa SA 5355
Tel: (08) 8562 4477
Website: http://www.maggiebeer.com.au/farmshop/
Trading Hours: 10.30am – 5pm, 7 days. Closed Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day

Maggie Beer's Farm Shop is a South Australian Icon, and ground zero for where it all started. This venue paints a picture of her rich history and humble beginnings as a pheasant farm, cityslicker escaping the hustle/bustle for a tree change.

The menu here is limited and called "Picnic Fare" - you take your basket and are free to roam the farm to find either a table or grassy spot to enjoy your meal.

Above: Pheasant Farm Pate Picnic Basket - "Pheasant Farm Pate served with caramelized onion, freekah salad and wood oven bread". They give you a whole tub of the pate, which is too much to eat in one sitting but SO moorish and indulgent. The pheasant farm flavour of pate is unique - pheasant is gamier than duck once again, but lighter. I also sampled the Duck, Sherry & Green Peppercorn Pate but my favourite is the Duck, Vino Cotto & Star Anise Pate.

Below: Homemade Pheasant Terrine - "Pheasant and porcini mushroom terrine wrapped in sour cream pastry with salad greens, Vino Cotto vinaigrette and Maggie's Cabernet Sauce". WOW - this pastry is to-die-for, such a gourmet delight! The pheasant meat was like light mince between chicken & pork - very flavoursome and savoury. Definitely something delightful and different, to please even the most simple of palates!


Inside the farm shop is an opportunity to taste Maggie Beer's extensive range of pates, jams, wines, cooking spices, liquids and much more.
There is also a small display of some live pheasants - they are such gorgeous feathered birds its hard to imagine they make such a great feed...

Hindmarsh Square Outdoor Markets, Adelaide

Address: Hindmarsh Square (Park), Cnr Pulteney & Grenfell St, Adelaide SA
Website: http://www.marketsquareadelaide.com.au/
Trading Hours: Sundays?

Found this market totally by accident - I was starving for breakfast and didn't want plain old cafe food - looked out my hotel window and saw them setting up for markets!

Below: Dutch Poffertjes with cream, a squeeze of lemon juice and icing sugar - I had never eaten poffertjes before but I remember a friend raving on about these little Dutch pancakes. I loved the light zest of lemon juice but didn't enjoy the under-cookedness of the dough mixture. If that was what you were into, you would probably rate this more than I do (I like crispy pancakes).


Above: Cupcakes by a lady with a really clever trading name which I can't remember - lots of fancy sugar figurines that top the icing on the cake...

Below: There was a family selling homemade fat chips and this walnut, tomato patty burger. They had some great vegetarian burger & pastry options - I wanted to try them all but was limited in my carrying and eating capacity.

The concept is great but I'd say the burger patties need a bit more work - the flavour and texture was great - they just fell apart because a suitable bonding agent wasn't used.

The Brasserie @ Hilton (Adelaide)

Address: Hilton Hotel Adelaide, 233 Victoria Square, Adelaide SA 5000
Tel: (08) 8217 2000
Website: http://www.thebrasserie.com.au/

The concept at The Brasserie is great - a showcase of South Australian icons & produce, in the heart of Adelaide CBD.

I only heard of this place while browsing the South Australia tourism website, which lists the previous chef of the previous resident restaurant (The Grange Restuarant, headed by chef Cheong Liew) which is now closed and replaced with The Brasserie. Update your website South Australia Tourism Board! Pie floaters are also a feint!!!

Entree (below): Coorong Angus - "Braised ribs, ginger and soy glaze, kim chee, pickled daikon salad". I'm usually not a fan of Angus beef - but the glaze on these ribs were just lip-smacking! I really enjoyed the strange rendition of kimchee on the side too - it contained almost no spice and was just a combination of pickled vegetables and sesame seeds - simple and tangy.

Maggie Beer - "Porcini mushroom pâté pie, green pea soup, candied tomato, grape mustard". This is a fancy version of a South Australian classic the "Pie Floater" - a meat pie in pea soup. I don't think this dish did anyone, including Maggie Beer's pate any justice. The pea soup tasted like half-blended frozen peas (lacking sweetness & flavour, the pate was way too heavy as a pie filling and the tomato & grape mustard was obviously an attempt to lighten the dish but failing on a few textural areas.

Mains (below): Paringa Park - "Lamb rack, lemon & roast garlic skordalia, AMJ raw baby veg salad, pistachio & Hardings almond paste". Gorgeous, gorgeous meal! The lamb was pink and cooked to perfection - the pistachio was such a unique flavour & textural accompaniment to the lamb which just worked. I loved the comforting herbed mash - just a great main.


Marco’s Mushroom House - "Black and white wood ear fungus, creamy mushroom sauce, asparagus, Wiech’s black pepper noodle, Barossa Valley Cheese Co. vache". I pretty much spent the rest of my dining time staring at this main because I was too overloaded with that pate pie I had zero appetite and mental energy to tackle a wild mushroom fettucine. Kudos for using an exotic mushroom like wood ear fungus (almost like a seaweed-like texture) in a traditionally Italian dish. Some great wild, exotic flavours, but the serving size was epic and too overbearing for the capacity I had left in my stomach.

If you are strapped for time and want some South Australian food inspiration here is a great place to start.

The "Whitehouse" Restaurant @ Presidential Inn, Mt Gambier

Address: (Quality Inn Presidential Motel) 154-156 Jubilee Hwy West, Mount Gambier, SA 5290
Tel: (08) 8724 9966

Another example of travller's laziness - but in this case it was about 8:30pm at night, I had driven through the darkness and everything either looked closed or was some horrible fast food bingo draw.

Entree (below): Chicken Putenesca - "Succulent chicken shanks wrapped in proscuitto sauced with a fresh tomato, olive, caper and white wine sauce". The putenesca sauce was flavoursome and well-prepared, but the proscuitto wrapped chicken shanks were slightly undercooked and lacklustre. If they could somehow manage to crisp the proscuitto (which is what I envisaged from the menu) it would give the dish more texture and created less of a divide between such a great sauce & the meat which seemed to go off on its own tangent.

Entree: Sesame Chicken - "Chicken medallions sauteed in honey and toasted sesame seeds, nested on an avocado skordalia, accompanied with grilled pancetta and snow pea shoots". A classy take on a classic - who would have thought honey & avocado made such a great combination?


Below: Baked Scallops - "Japanese scallops baked in shell with shallot , wine stock with fresh bread crumbs and parmesan". Japanese scallops are - in my opinion - the best variety of scallop you can get. The size, texture and fact it can be presented without the guts on the side makes it a pure & desirable dish. This rendition had a great fresh shallot flavour, not heavy at all. The soggy breadcrumbs did let me down, but it could have been worse with the parmesan overpowering the whole dish. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavours here - the chef has respected the quality of the scallops and played the flavour to highlight the produce.

Dessert (below): Chocolate Hotpot - this was like a chocolate lava cake with some ground nuts and ice cream - what a perfect way to end an evening. It was a clean, unique chocolate flavour with a harmony of textures.


Above: Beer Lime Sorbet - "tastebug tingling dessert, sorbet made with lime infused beer served with frozen berry crumble, candied fruits and mango coulis". Looks and sounds a lot better than it tastes - kudos to the chef for conjuring up a beer lime sorbet - that part didn't let me down but it was the candied fruits and combination of the other elements which spoiled this dessert. I was initially worried I'd taste more yeasty-beer flavour than the lime, but the lime accent shined through and the texture of the sorbet was even slightly bubbly - that itself was a simple way to cleanse the palate after a heavy meal. The candied fruits tasted like a couple of old chopped orange peels thrown in and mixed around (bitter) and the mango coulis was great but I was just wondering what it was doing in there. Frozen berry crumble is basically some frozen berries blasted in a blender - interesting idea for those wanting to try something different at home texture wise on their desserts, but added little value to the sorbet.

My confession is that I really enjoyed this meal. I was full & tired but persisted to go the whole 3 rounds with a dessert, because I was simply curious about the beer lime sorbet and the variety/combination of flavours presented to me on this menu.

I hate the hotel (which is really a mote) because their photos were deceptively bait-and-switch, but if I am back in Mt Gambier I will definitely come back to The Whitehouse (yes, the name is disastrously sickening) for an evening meal.

Harry's Restaurant @ Stamford Hotel Melbourne CBD

Address: Stamford Plaza Melbourne Hotel , 111 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 3 9659 1000
Website: http://www.stamford.com.au/spm/page.asp?e_page=569758&roomNo=456430

Trading Hours:
Buffet Breakfast: Weekdays 6.30am - 10.30am, Weekends and Public Holidays 6.30am - 11.00am.
Express Lunch: 11.30am - 2.30 pm
Dinner: Monday - Saturday 5.30pm - 10.30pm
Attire: Smart casual
Reservations: Required Friday and Saturday nights only

Ok - this is my first rant/post about hotel restaurants - most are there solely to service the lazy travellers or late checker-inerers, and in this instance I am a victim of both. After driving 7+ hours to get to Melbourne, I was tired and hungry and in need of a evening repast. Despite all my foodsnob reflexes & culinary delights that Melbourne has to offer, laziness got the better of me - so here I was, dining at the hotel's restaurant (which I am usually against).

Entree: Chef's market soup - "prepared daily" with fresh ingredients from the market. When I asked the waitress what the ingredients consisted of, she said carrot and something else. I envisaged a minestrone-esque soup but was surprised (later to my delight) that it was more like a carrot/pumpkin type of flavour and texture. The carrot notes were present, but not overpowering - it sort of set a backdrop for the showstopping cumin flavour - it was like a pappadam in liquid form, very moorish and savoury.

Below: Thai Spiced Chicken Salad - tomato, pickled cucumber, carrot, spring onion, ginger relish. A great rendition of the thai chicken salad - trangy dressing, light herbal vegetables and the cherry tomatoes (which I usually hate) with th pickled cucumber were just a perfect accompaniment. It was the dish I expected, with almost a Japanese twist.


All in all, I can't say I had a bad meal. I waited a ridiculous amount of time for it (like 45 minutes or something) but the taste and thought in the menu really did not let me down. The cons is the extremely dim lighting (hence the terrible photos) but on the plus side, I could dress like a bum and noone really noticed because it was so dark.

I also had a lovely guava juice there too. Secretly addicted to guava juice after this episode...