+ Ernest V

432 Glenhuntly Road Elsternwick VIC 3185
T: 03 9532 4322

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was time again for our ‘separatist’ sibling dinner – that is myself, my sister [S2] and my partner [I8there2] – and S2 had recommended this Egyptian joint in Elsternwick called Ernest V who appear to do a roaring breakfast and lunch trade and have more recently opened for dinner as well.

S2 and I decide to meet up early for a few drinks at the Elsternwick pub as I8there2 is meeting us at the restaurant for our 7.00pm booking, so we have an hour and a half or so to kill. You have ‘gotta’ love the sportsbar at the Elsternwick, it’s pretty dodgy but they have 4.0 schooners and we can put a few bets on. I explain to S2 the story about going into the ballot for XX tickets for their one-off Melbourne show at the Forum and how we were unsuccessful – anyhoo I8tthere2 texts that she will be at the restaurant earlier, so we head off. When we arrive around 6.30pm, we are the only people in the restaurant – and to add salt to the wound, they are playing the XX cd.

The joint has a really good ‘Egyptian – Turkish – Middle Eastern’ feel with patterned tiles on the walls and small metal lanterns scattered throughout. Our waitress provides us printed paper menus which are split into numerous share plates and around six mains. It is also fully licensed albeit with a very limited selection listed – we are after a red and the first ‘local’ Pinot Noir we order we are told is not available, which adds to another two on the list already appearing with NA next to their name. There is a Pennyweight from Beechworth but @ 60.0 this is a little pricey for our liking and we opt for an Italian varietal @ 38.0 which is good. I8there2 finally arrives at two minutes to 7.00pm and we decide to order a number of the share plates instead of mains.

We begin with house-made flat bread and dips – a hummus with walnuts and a spicy capsicum @ 12.0 which is all good. Then the green beans with persian fetta and grapefruit segments and roasted baby beets with preserved lemon and pinenuts both really good value @ 6.0 and with strong flavours. With the vegetable dishes come the felafel – large, plump patties topped with a tzatziki style yoghurt and mint leaf @ 5.50 per piece and the lamb cutlets with pesto @ 6.50 per piece which are a little on the small side although very tasty. We then try the sumac filled calamari @ 12.5 which comes as four rolls on a bed of rocket and zaatar, and upon the recommendation of our waiter – who after ordering the wine earlier turned from the girl with the great hair into the bearded owner – the buffalo mozzarella salad @ 18.5. This was served with rocket, fig, nectarine and supposedly bresaola, although we were unable to find any and all dressed with pomegranate molasses to form quite a standout dish – although our original thought of the seven vegetable tagine with Iranian couscous did sound tempting @ 18.5 as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although I thought we would require more food, this proved to be quite substantial – although there was still enough room to share a dessert of lemon syrup cheesecake @ 12.0 with coffee. Ernest V had been getting quite favourable reviews for their coffee and my long black was good but by no means in the league of a Proud Mary or the like, but I am not sure how strong the competition is in Elsternwick.

Strangely on this Thursday night there is only one other table of one sharing the restaurant with us for the whole evening, which is unfortunate as the food, service and atmosphere are all very impressive – perhaps it is just taking a while for word to get out that they are doing dinner as well. Unusually when I asked if I could take a photo of the menu at the end of the evening, [as they do not have this displayed in the window or via a website]  I was declined – ending the evening on a bit of a sour note after spending 150.0 with them. A little ridiculous really when I had been taking photos of the food and could have easily snapped one of the menu early on without their knowledge, should I have had my retrospective thinking cap on.

On the whole it was an enjoyable evening and I will probably be back again – albeit with dark glasses and clown wig.

+ Izakaya Chuji

165 Lonsdale Street Melbourne VIC 3000
T: 03 9663 8118

Apparently Izakaya Chuji has been in operation since 1989 and my partner and I have been going there on and off since it opened. What is great about this joint, apart from being the original izakaya restaurant in Melbourne, is that over those twenty three or so years it hasn’t changed a bit – especially décor-wise, although the food may be even better, but it has definitely remained ever-reliable.

They open for dinner at 6.00pm on the dot, and on this Friday night my partner was held up at work – so I pulled up a stool at their somewhat more modern sake bar next door and I have the Kinshachi Nagoya Red Miso Lager, which is my favourite. By the time my partner arrives it is 7.00pm and we decide to head into the restaurant – even though a number of the items are available at the bar. Although the restaurant is packed, we are lucky enough to get a table immediately and this proves to be excellent timing as there is soon a queue formed at the front of the restaurant and people also waiting outside.

We usually order a number of entrée dishes and share. We began with two pieces of salmon and two pieces of tuna nigiri – both melt-in-the-mouth slabs of fish over rice @ 7.50 and 8.0 respectively. Then their stalwart of pork gyoza x6 pieces @ 10.20 and tori karaage – deep fried chicken with excellent wasabi mayonnaise @ 13.0 – I think we could just keep reordering these two over and over and washed down with an Asahi @ 6.0 this is great beer food. Next the yakitori skewers which are good but skinnier than I remember @ 3.0 per piece [and everything ‘yakitori’ now pales in comparison to those from Kumo Izakaya which they have business cards for in the sake bar next door so thinking they must be linked in some way] – but the sauce is still fabulous. These arrive with the vegetarian tempura which is crispy and not at all oily @ 17.0 and the nasu dengaku or miso eggplant @ 9.80 which is my partner’s favourite and she demolishes most of this in a matter of seconds.

Although it is never a long meal for us at Izakaya Chuji – it is always an enjoyable one. You can even opt for a seat up at the sushi bar and watch them do their magic which is a great option if you are on your own, as is the bar next door. It will be a sad day should they decide to modernise this place as twenty plus years down the track, we are still loving it just the way it is… [and that the waiting staff still don’t seem to speak very good English].

+ Spice Temple

Crown Complex, Southbank VIC 3006
T: 03 8679 1888

Deep-fried [DF] –  After our ‘speedy’ dining experience @ the Waiting Room – Panko Crumbed [PC] + Lightlly Floured [LF] and myself decided to stick with Neil Perry and try something a little more ‘well hopefully’ substantial for dinner. This time we are @ Spice Temple, as none of us have dined here before and we have decided to go the 95.0 banquet [nb: there is also a 69.0 version available].

Upon entry we are informed by our waitress that we need to go down the stairs to the lower level, however PC has just done his knee and is awaiting full reconstruction in a few days, so we need to go outside, down the escalator and she has opened the lower level entry for us specially.
We notice there is a very impressive bar down here that is quiet and definitely worth revisiting at a later date – but our waitress walks us down the corridor to our table. The setup is all very nice with lots of dark wood and red scattered everywhere, giving it a strong modern Asian feel.

We begin with a couple of small side plates of cucumber with smashed garlic and ginger and the other of cabbage and radish pickles, both great starters to pick at. Soon follows Tingling prawns – basically small slivers of prawn with spring onion and green chilli, with Silken tofu and preserved egg salad and wood fired jalapeño chillies – a take on the classic gelatinous blackened egg and tofu combination. Then arrives stir fried Spanner crab with whole garlic, chilli and coriander together with Green lip Abalone and mushrooms – both impressive dishes.

We mentioned to our waitress at the beginning that LF was ‘anti-pork’ and they were happy to replace the Hakka style braised pork with pickled mustard greens and mushroom soy with the Steamed Snapper with salted chilli and black bean. Although intrigued by the pork option, the fish was really good and I seem to have a thing for salted black beans at the moment. The second main was stir fried Wagyu brisket with baby eggplant and fresh chilli – possibly the dish of the night with a great combination of flavours.Chinese broccoli with house made oyster sauce came with the mains and steamed rice was constantly flowing throughout. We drank Moo brew @ 9.0 and they do have Aesop soap in the loos which is always a gauge of a good restaurant

Asian dessert is never something I get excited about, although whenever I go yum cha, my partner always has to have mango pudding. We finish with their take on this classic served beneath condensed milk Chantilly and a sesame brandy snap.

I guess when it comes to chinese banquets, especially in the suburbs  – say Springvale or Glen Waverley – you expect to be bloated when you walk out. This is definitely not the case at Spice Temple and I think for around three times the price, although the food was quite exceptional, I expected a bit more bang for my buck. Of course I will probably go back, but I will not be breaking down the door in order to do so…

+ The Commoner

122 Johnston Street Fitzroy VIC 3065
T: 03 9415 6876

How good is The Commoner ? Well so good that you take it a bit for granted and forget that it is there when you are trying to think of somewhere to go for dinner. Fortunately a friend chose here for our catch-up to compare notes after recently returning from New York – and it was the first time
I have eaten upstairs.

To begin we order some of their amazing ‘House Bread’ served straight from the oven with toasted sesame and olive oil @ 7.0. We also try the Parmesan and Truffle Croquette @ 4.0 per piece – which are a little reminiscent of the jalapeno version from Huxtable and equally as tasty. Also not that I am trying to draw comparisons but we try Richards Surprise Peppers @ 8.0 – similar to those from Albert Street, although we love the surprise factor of these ones, salted and roasted and all looking quite similar but with random degrees of fire.

For mains we try the Fried Zucchini Flower, Sweetcorn Puree, Zucchini, Watercress and Pickled Onion @ 28.0, the Grilled Snapper with a Fennel, Octopus & Sorrel Salad, Parsley Sauce, Jamon @ 30.0 and the Roasted Lamb, Zucchini, Mushroom, Chickpea Cake and Harissa @ 32.0. Unfortunately our ‘incredibly’ French waiter is a little wayward and my partner gets  a second Zucchini Flower dish instead of the Snapper, but kindly she tells him not to worry. We order a couple of sides Roast Potatoes with Lemon and Thyme and the Broccolini with Tahini Dressing and Smoked Almonds both @ 9.0. After just coming back from ten days  food and wine touring Tasmania, we drink a bottle of 09 Lubiana Alfresco Riesling from Granton @ 48.0 which [as they describe] is an interpretation of Moscato d’Asti, so the wine has some residual sugar and a little spritz. It is not as sweet as Moscato d’Asti and the intensity of rieslings acidity make it a terrific and lively bottle of wine.

We finish with some cheese – the Papillon Roquefort  and the Ossau Iraty – two 30g portions @ 20.0 together with a Beignet of Lemon Sherbet and Lemon Verbena Curd @ 4.0 each.

The Commoner is definitely a place to be savoured and not taken for granted. They serve up exceptional food at reasonable prices and the whole experience is just a little ‘left of centre’.They also do breakfast and a Sunday roast in the backyard. If you haven’t been, then you need to go – if you have, then you need to go back.

+ South of Johnston

46 Oxford Street Collingwood VIC 3066
T: 03 9417 2741

Living in Oxford Street, you start to take Proud Mary a little for granted, that is when you can actually get in and don’t have to queue – someone would probably make a killing if they were to open a brunch joint to swallow up the overflow of hungry patrons. Enter ‘South of Johnston’…

Further down Oxford Street towards the city but on the same side as Proud Mary, this new venue is quiet and unassuming. There are a couple of planter boxes, a square courtyard and sunroom all at the front, but it basically just looks like a warehouse or gallery with minimal signage. Upon entry via a small hallway, South of Johnston is one large warehouse space that has been both intricately and tastefully decked out.

When I turn up for the first time, it is a Sunday morning around 8.30am and there are only three tables taken. People would probably already be vying for position at Proud Mary down the street. There are a number of breakfast and lunch options on offer here and also a specials menu up at the front counter. I choose the corn cakes with bacon @ 15.50 – three chunky slabs layered with bacon in between and drizzled with an apricot glaze. These are very good although the ones from ‘The Bell Jar’ have that amazing chipotle. Even the coffee is good [Coffee Supreme] and although not quite in the league of the aforementioned competition, I have two long blacks and am contemplating a third but refrain.

The staff are very attentive, this could be solely that there are only three tables filled and five waiting staff that I can see – but they appear reminiscent of the Brooklyn –set complete with beards and bodyart. I know I have seen front-of-house somewhere before but am unable to recall from where exactly.

South of Johnston has a really good feel, even with its minimal occupants on this occasion, but I see this venue becoming a major competitor for the powerhouse that is Proud Mary just down the street – once the word gets out that is, but I hope that takes a while as I am liking it a lot just the way it is…

+ The Waiting Room

Crown complex, Southbank, VIC 3006
T: 03 8679 1888

Deep Fried [DF] – I was not even aware this place existed – but upon the suggestion of Panko Crumbed [PC] we arranged to meet up for a High-tea dinner here with Lightly Floured [LF]. The Waiting Room is another of Neil Perry’s restaurants at the ‘Neil Perry wing’ of Crown, adding to Rockpool and Spice Temple, however the entrance is via the hotel foyer.

On first appearances the joint is slick with dark, moody lighting and a distinct ornateness. We have a 6.00pm reservation and PC has already arrived and I locate him at our table in a dark corner – good so far. He is drinking a Beechworth ale and I choose a Grand Ridge pilsner from Mirboo North both @ 9.0 – with a reasonably strong list of beers and wines on offer. LF arrives quite soon after and our waitress explains there are three High-tea options available – with tea or coffee @ 45.0 – with a glass of sparkling + tea or coffee @ 55.0 – with Hendricks gin punch + tea or coffee @ 60.0. We opt for the unadulterated version and continue to drink beer.

A three-tiered silver structure arrives at our table and our waitress talks us through it. Top – an anchovy pastry twirl with a parmesan shortbread. Middle – chocolate ganache with mint cream, custard éclair and passionfruit cheesecake slice. Base – mini-hotdog in a bun with mustard and relish, mini-hamburger in a bun with pickle, baby quiche with goats cheese, ham and cheese toastie and finally chicken and cucumber ribbon sandwich. All quite delicious in their own right, however quite small and incredibly dainty. To our horror, we discover we have wolfed all this down in around five minutes [at a stretch] and it has done little to fill the void. Finishing off with individual pots of tea though is an unexpected highlight – as I am normally a coffee person – there are around ten brews on show and they provide refills as well.

Although an enjoyable experience, High-tea @ The Waiting Room is possibly not the best dinner option if you are wanting to walk away bloated and not that we are ‘big, burly blokes’, but we could have definitely gone a few rounds here. Bring on the banquet @ Spice Temple we say…

+ Ethos Eat Drink

100 Elizabeth Street Hobart TAS
T: 03 6231 1165

My partner and I were heading to Tasmania for ten days of food and wine research – oh and of course MONA. I had started to suss a few restaurants for the Saturday night dinner in Hobart and everything appeared to be pointing towards Garagistes, however as much as I am loving sweetbreads and brains at the minute, we were a little phased by the amount of offal that was on the menu. I had heard Ethos Eat Drink was receiving good reviews and had only been open for twelve months so I took a glance at the website and was sold, and booking a week ahead was fortunate enough to get in.

Ethos has small courtyard at the front that you walk through to enter the restaurant, with a smallish front room adjoining the kitchen and a larger room off to the left. This is exactly what we were looking for and fall in love with the place immediately. The staff are incredibly attentive, although weirdly our Brooklyn-cool, bearded waiter rarely engages eye contact with me and appears entranced with my partner, which messes with my head a little bit. Although there was the conversation about how the staff had all gone out mushroom picking together that morning, which he did get a little animated about and I seemed to get a few sideway glances. If this is my only gripe, we are doing quite well…

The Ethos ‘ethos’ is local seasonal produce done incredibly well – and they live up to this. The menu is divided into various size categories from
4.0 mouthfuls + 12.0 + 16.0 + 22.0 + progressively getting larger to 40.0 mains, with 4 – 7 items under each. There is also a chalked specials board of around 7 items, but try to arrive early as these are wiped during the evening and not replaced. We begin with the smoked fish croquette and the braised bean tostadita [reminiscent of similar tastings @ mamasita] both from the 4.0 choices and a great way to start proceedings. Next the eye fillet carpaccio, sherry jelly + pecorino together with the pulled pork + tapioca pancakes, both 16.0 and definitely stand-out dishes. Once these are demolished arrives chorizo + caramelised apple + roasted potato + almonds @ 16.0 with autumn vegetables + goats curd @ 12.0 – adjoining potentially the dish of the night, which has now been wiped from the specials board – wild mushrooms + spinach in miso broth @ 16.0. These were the mushrooms our waiter had informed us the staff had gone fossicking for earlier served with silky spinach leaves and a small jug of the broth to pour over the top – amazing.

Although we are now quite full, my partner has her eyes clearly set on the rhubarb + quince + ginger crumble @ 12.0 – which our waiter informs us will take around 15 minutes anyway, by which time we are ready to get straight back on the horse and it fails to disappoint. Attempting to keep local, we drank a bottle of the 08 Viridian Pinot Noir from Granton, Tasmania @ 55.0 and finished with a glass each of the Frogmore Creek Iced Riesling
@ 12.0.

Ethos Eat Drink is definitely strong competiton for Garagistes as ‘the’ place to eat in Hobart – and would hold its own against most of Melbourne’s ‘foodie’ restaurant haunts.

+ Bill’s Bar

 104 Smith Street Collingwood VIC 3066

So on our way home from Senoritas we decided to have one more drink and thought we would drop in at the much talked about Bill’s Bar
– from Huxtable and Huxtaburger fame.It is around 9.30pm on a Wednesday night and still in our work attire we make our way through the plastic strip doorway of Huxtaburger – where a waitress greets us and says ‘You guys must be looking for the bar ? – you just enter through the silver door on the right.” “ok ? – thanks”. we reply and head through a mass of burger eating frenzy. We reach the door and enter ‘Alice in Wonderland’ style to a few confused glances from the carnivores at the adjacent bench – we are in.

As we enter we are immediately greeted by our host who looks like she has stepped straight out of  ‘Barbarella’. She asks if it is our first time, explains the drink options, bar to the left and lounge to the right and she seats us. They have banquette seating along one wall, in-built wine rack along the other and multiple ‘Huxtable’ swivel chairs. We are told top-shelf spirits are all 9.0 and there is a great list of wines – we grab a Frogmore Creek Iced Riesling @ 13.0 and a Hendrick’s gin and tonic .

Although it is very tempting to hang around for a few more – we decide to call it quits and figure we will be back here soon to try the food as well.

+ Senoritas

16 Meyers Place Melbourne VIC 3000
T: 03 9639 7437

 

I thought that perhaps the whole ‘authentic’ Mexican thing had died down a little – I mean my sister from Scoresby had even heard of Mamasita and the Taco truck – is it wrong to think that makes it a little less cool ? Hmm – nah !

So to explain ‘authentic’ does not mean Taco Bill – but moreso Mexican stalwart Los Amates and the aforementioned Mamasita – there is a new kid on the block that can definitely hold its own frijoles.

Senoritas only opened a few weeks back but is already packed out early – and is strategically placed next to San Telmo in Meyers Place and nearby Bar Lourinha and Lupino. We arrive for our 6.30pm booking [yes they take bookings] and the joint is already pretty full – although it is a smallish space and the tables are quite claustrophobically arranged. Our rather animated waitress, if not Mexican is definitely South American of some description, which helps add to the authenticity – but the gimmick is the fact that the restaurant is pretty much a shrine to Frida and Diego and all things ‘Festival of the Dead – it’s fantastic. Even the loos are skeleton tiled with a bit of liquid paper filler here and there.

We receive the drinks menu – creatively designed within old Mexican passports. As we discuss what an excellent ‘memento’ these would make
– our waitress explains they started with forty of these and they are already down to seven – hmm unfortunate and we refrain [perhaps they only ever had seven ? – but the guilt spiel works on us anyway].

We begin to peruse the impressively designed menu – and from the ‘Frida and Diego Entradas’ we choose the yPANUCHOS DE COCHINITA PIBIL [YUCATAN] – slow roasted pork in a small tortilla with refried black beans, pickled red onions and Habanero salsa.@ 7.50 – these are small but really good, served one either side of a bowl of the salsa. Next yFLAUTAS VIVA MEXICO [MEXICO D.F] – crisp-fried duck taco with guacamole,queso fresco and dried Jamaica chilli sauce @ 10.0 – crispy cigar style rolls and very tasty. Then yCHIMICHANGAS [SONORA] – flour tortilla of prawn, scallop and cheese with spicy red salsa @12.0 – just one of these but definitely shareable.

For mains or ‘PLATOS FUERTES’ – we chose yMOLE POBLANO CON POLLO[PUEBLA] Hugo`s family récipe – free range chicken breast with mole poblano, Mexican rice, refried beans and a cheese and sesame wafer @ 32.0 – I reckon this mole rivals Mamasita’s which is a big call but it is really good. We also try the yARRACHERA DIVORCIADA [MILPA ALTA D.F.] – sirloin steak with refried beans,cactus salad, mushroom and chipotle salsa @ 28.0. We drank the Jamsheed Le Blanc Plonk @ 47.0 from a reasonable list of choices.

For dessert we order the yBUÑUELOS A LA MEXICANA [TABASCO] – sweet tortilla Mexican style with cinnamon sugar, guava, cream cheese and piloncillo syrup @ 11.0 – which is a little too sweet for me but my partner demolishes the plate. Unfortunately their coffee is not up to the exceptional standard of their food and this is a disappointing way to end a fantastic night.

Senoritas is definitely worth a visit – whether you are a fan of Frida and Diego or perhaps all things ‘Festival of the Dead’ or not – there are a number of interesting items on the menu that are making me want to go back – I am left wondering if the Ceviche is as good as Mamasita’s, it definitely looked good on the table next to us.

+ Papa Goose

91 – 93 Flinders Lane Melbourne VIC 3000
T: 03 9663 2800

We had decided to give ChinChin a try – but had heard you can’t book and that you need your whole party there before they will seat you. I arrive at about 5.30pm on a Thursday and notice there are empty tables, so think the hubbub that is ChinChin may have died down a little. The other two are not meeting me until  6.00pm so I decide to try their new bar below the restaurant ‘GoGo’ – and at 5.30pm I am the only person there and told that most of their beer is not cold. Hmm not off to a great start, but I opt for a Sinha stout @ 11.0 which appears a little steep. The setup is ok – although quite ‘same same’ to a number of others you may have seen previously, and they are trying to sort out the dj for the night so there is lots of jarring sounds and deafening microphone and speaker pops and cracks – which is a little annoying. Anyway by 6.00pm the others arrive and we head up to the restaurant to notice a queue has now formed of around twelve people – we look at each other and decide to take our business elsewhere.

We walk past the old Rosati – which is now Lot 7 and looks ok but the menu doesn’t grab us enough to walk in, and instead we decide on the modern british fare of Papa Goose. Not having been here previously, we are a little phased that there is only one table of people in the restaurant, however apparently there are a number of bookings and it is only 6.30pm.

We begin with a few items to share off the ‘larder’ menu – the pork terrine @ 9.0 is quite tasty and served with a small salad but a few crispbread wafers wouldn’tt go astray. The rabbit croquettes @ 10.0 for x3 are crispy and golden and served with a pickled salad and finally the soused sardines @ 10.0 for six good sized segments are fresh although a little too oily for my liking – but the servings make everything very easy to share.

For mains I choose the scotch fillet from Gippsland – nice steak but @ 44.0  I can have one as good at The Vine for ten dollars less
– it is served with a small salad and an excellent red wine jus and I opt for some seeded mustard to go with it. PC ordered the special of rabbit rillettes with scampi and portobello mushrooms @ 39.0 and LF chose the Huon Salmon @ 38.0 which looked good and had fantastic zucchini flowers stuffed with prawn meat. We also grabbed some thick cut chips and some broccoli sides both @ 8.0. Finally we shared a crème brulee @ 15.0 that was good but small

We drank Mountaingoat hightail on tap @ 9.0 and Bress pinot and Torbreck Shiraz both @ 10.0.

Papa Goose has a pretty slick fitout with a good feel but there is nothing that really jumps out at you – although with places a few doors down that are noisy and where you have to queue – this joint was exactly what we were after. Oh and I really like the logo and the business cards…