Eden Expresso - a pleasant way to start the day

While I wouldn't call it my new fave - Eden Expresso was definitely a pleasant way to start a laid back Sunday.

To the horror of my friends, I am not usually a brunch person.  But after plans to walk Albert Park Lake were rained out, my girlfriend and I decided to head out for brunch to Eden Expresso. 

Eden Expresso is a bustling little spot on Glenferie Road. Melbournites seem to have a love of lining up, and after being told that we would have to wait 20 minutes for a table, I knew that this venue was going to be a good choice.

While the décor  itself was nothing inspiring and the toilets out the back were rather horrifying (filthy, smelly and reminiscent of a toilet you would find in a public park), the  staff were friendly and the food was tasty.

To eat I had the poached eggs, avocado, smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce on chia toast with a side of Eden's basil and parmesan hash.  The parmesan and basil hash was exceptional (light and fluffy on the inside, with a textual crunch on the outside) and the poached eggs were cooked perfectly.  While the chia toast was unpleasantly chewy, the deliciousness of the hash and eggs, matched with the avocado and smoked salmon, managed to pull the dish through.  

 

All in all, a pleasant spot for brunch that I will definitely go to again if I'm in the area.

Verdict: Like



Saint Crispin - a cause for celebration

It was a big happy birthday to the gorgeous Kathleen as we headed to Saint Crispin to celebrate.

We arrived at the venue for the grandma sitting  (St Crispin has two sittings - a 6:00pm sitting and an 8:30 pm sitting which, while understandable from a commercial standing, seems either ghastly early or incredibly late on a school night to be eating a 3 to 5 course extravaganza!). Nonetheless, we were led to our table by incredibly friendly staff in a surprisingly small (intimate?) venue which oozed French provincial hipster sheek (that’s a style right?).
 

After being recommended a sensational white wine from Portugal (2011 Quinta de Mondego ‘Munda’ – Encruzado DOC at $70) we ordered the three course option at the set price (and incredible value) of $65.

To start with I had the crispy buttermilk chicken, 63 degree pullet egg, cos and popcorn. While the flavours were excellent and the techniques impressive (there is no way I could pull of a 63 degree pullet egg!), for me it lacked a certain dimension and needed a touch of sourness or zest – a squeeze of lime juice perhaps.

For main I had Brad’s courgette flower, parmesan gnocchi, celery and ricotta.  This was hands down the meal of the day.  Sensational flavours, perfectly balanced and a meal that tasted as good as it looked.  As my friend Hamish from my old work Sportsbet used to say...LIFE...CHANGING.

Then came desert, which was strawberry, lychee, sumac, goats curd and caramelised white chocolate.  For someone who claims to not be a fan of deserts I seem to be having a good run lately as this desert was delicious – not too sweet and a refreshing (but elegantly creamy) way to finish off a three course meal.

Incredible techniques, fantastic value and friendly staff made Saint Crispin a restaurant I look forward to going back to.

Food: 3.75/5
Decore: 3.5/5
Service: 4.5/5

Aja –A Journey to Asia

Aja – the local surprise.  What my friend and I had initially dismissed as a “greasy beef and black bean destination” (which wasn’t helped by the fact that she had received a $25 meal voucher in her letterbox - rarely a good sign of a business going well), turned out to be an exceptional local restaurant. 

It was a Friday night sleepover at Kathleen and Adam’s place after being forced to leave my own home due to a flooded bedroom.  Initially hesitating to going to Aja for dinner, after a few wines at Albert Park Hotel we decided why not, let’s give this place a go – thank goodness we did!

As soon as we walked into the door the service was impeccable.  Our wine and water glasses were never left empty, our plates were cleared and table cleaned at the end of the each dish, the staff were incredibly warm, helpful and friendly, and we consistently had a waiter within only a metre or so away to be at our every beck and call.  Even the toilet experience was something to rave about (who would have thought??): candles on each step of the stairs that led to the toilets, a sweet outdoor tea garden at the top and fluffy white towels to dry your hands on.

The food, while not mind-blowing, was still very good Asian cuisine.  We shared steamed duck and spinach dim sum ($12), fried squid in spice salt ($15), Aja’s no-nonsense stirred fried noodle ($20.80), the wok tossed fish of the day which was barramundi ($29.80) and the Korean Beef ($29.50).  The fried squid in spice salt was a bit tough and the dim sums were nothing inspirational - but the rest of the dishes were rather tasty.  The barramundi was the dish of the day for Kath and me – although the Korean Beef scored a vote from Adam who was kind enough to take the photos below after my phone had died. 

A restaurant of exceptional value (even more so in our case with a $25 meal voucher and a bottle of BYO wine) and impeccable service, this local gem is a must to visit if you’re in the mood for Asian cuisine.  

Verdict: Love

 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Nieuw Amsterdam –  it would be culinary blasphemy to place such a trendy / mid-range priced venue in the same arena as Ezard (a two hat classic spectacular).  But it is fair to say that ,for the price range it is in, Nieuw Amsterdam is definitely one of my new faves.

The occasion was a friend’s engagement and the crew was the Dinner Club (we really must work on our name!) – a group of 5 people (which is now actually 6 after recruiting a wino on the night – vital in any Dinner Club situation) who try to get together once a month to try somewhere new.

The restaurant was Nieuw Amsterdam – a two story venue (a bar downstairs and a restaurant upstairs) which felt like a mix of somwhere you find in New Orleans and a home set from The Secret Life of Us.

After being led to our table by staff who were about as trendy as the restaurant, we started with a range of dishes: pimento cheese fritters ($14.50); chicken waffles ($15); pork trotter and ham hock nuggets ($15) and black kingfish ceviche ($18).  To the unfortunate luck of the ceviche, I had been to Pastuso's the week before (by far has the best ceviche I've had in Melbourne) and in comparison, Nieuw Amsterdam's was slightly disappointing. Otherwise, the pimento cheese fritters were the dish of the day - a flavour sensation with each bite, the cheesiness being nicely balanced with the accompanying ravigote dressing.

 

For the main we had an assortment of meat: bbq lamb ribs ($20); smoky beef brisket ($25) and southern style pork belly chops ($24), as well as a range of sides: southern slaw (8$); dutch potato fries ($9); green beans with seaweed butter ($9.50) on the side.  Each plate of meat was as tender as the last and, stacking our plates with all sorts (like we were at a Nonna's dinner), the flavours of all the dishes worked incredibly well together and gave the meal the sense of a family feast.

 

For desert we shared the chocolate delice ($13); pumpkin pie ($12.50) and berry split ($13). While I can't comment on the chocolate delice as I am allergic to cocoa (shocking but true) - the berry split with its layers of mouse and frozen sorbet was a textual surprise that I wasn't expecting. In terms of the pumpkin pie, with my family being from Texas, it really had no hope and didn’t quite compare to the many pumpkin pies I've had sitting on the sticky benches of American diners.

 

 

Overall - a sensational dining experience I would highly recommend.  As if leaving a friend’s dinner party, we left the venue feeling warm, satisfied and content – slightly a-buzzed by the joyous occasion (or from the copious amounts of wine, who can really say?), but nonetheless a wonderful night.


Verdict: The New Fave

Ezard - a taste sensation

It seems fitting that my first blog post should be on my new fave - Ezard.  While Teage Ezard’s restaurant is by no means new to the Melbourne eating scene (serving modern Australian cuisine for 15 years), this two hat restaurant was definitely worth the wait as we (being myself and two girlfriends) finally made our way through this renowned chef’s restaurant doors.

The occassion was a Sunday lunch, and commenced with us ladies being led to what can only be described as a hotel lobby setting to wait for our table.  Luckily for us, the cold (and eerily impersonal) décor of the waiting area (which seemed to creep into the rest of the restaurant) was the only negative aspect of our otherwise spectacular lunch.  

After being led to our table by friendly and personable staff, there was ham and pea soup to start – creamy, rich and perfectly offset with the texture of puffed grains (which although looked like rather like maggots, added a spectacular element to the dish).  

Next course, prawn salad - aka the dish of the day!  The tanginess of the mayonnaise was perfectly balanced with the juiciness of the prawns and the crunch of the salad.   

The deconstructed kangaroo burger was the least inspiring dish of the day.  While the kangaroo was cooked to perfection, the dish needed a sauce / jam / relish or something of the like to excite an otherwise rather dry dish.

Main was a modern take on a ‘Sunday Lamb Roast’.  Clever, simple and equisite.

For someone who is not usually a desert person (shock! horror! And possibly blasphemous from someone deciding to write a food  blog!) the desert was quite to my liking – meringue, berries and sorbet.  Light on the palate, and not at all too sweet - this berry delight was an absolute, well, delight.

All in all a sensational meal  - one of those meals which leaves you utterly satisfied, but was so good you are still left craving for more  While I am looking forward to returning to Ezard, Ezard's sister restaurant 'Black' in Sydney may just have to be next on the list.


Verdict: The New Fave