Drexels

On the morning we were to leave Christchurch (after the 'Robin Williams weekend'), S and I discovered Drexels. We were meandering around the Riccarton mall and were almost going to settle for dumplings when I suggested that we check the directory for other options. Nothing really jumped out at us and Drexels sounded like just another cafe/brunch place but we decided to stroll over to have a look anyway. The place was packed and there were at least 10 people waiting for a table. We took one look at the menu and the charming American-diner-like ambience and we were sold. Besides, a crowd is usually a pretty good indicator that the food is good (don't get me started on the times when this rule has failed me). We had to put our names down on the waiting list and were told to come back in about half an hour (maybe an hour), but hell, it was worth it.

When we came back, it was about 11am and the breakfast crowd had left - the place was still full, but there was a little more breathing room. We were seated in a large booth (for just the two of us, i.e. they didn't keep us waiting just because there were no small tables available) with little fresh pots of jam and butter and a little jug of milk already on the table. Everything was spotless, even the jug of maple syrup (which as anyone knows, is next to impossible to use without leaving some syrup on the spout) - I was very impressed. S pointed out that they clear everything off the table after each customer leaves and set it up again with fresh, clean jugs of maple syrup, sugar pots, butter, jam, etc. On top of all that, after you order, they bring you free toast that you can enjoy with the lovely fresh butter and jam. Being city folk, that thing on the table that looked like a scoop of vanilla ice-cream (pictured above) threw us for a while. I thought it was (whipped?) cream or something and thought it strange that I never heard of Americans spreading cream on their toast. You see? - Honest reporting, even at my expense. A few seconds later, S said that it was butter - of course! I was so busy enjoying the toast that I didn't even bother thinking about it. Stop guffawing for a while and try to understand - we'd never seen butter that looked like that. Hitherto, the only butter we've had experience with came in the form of bright yellow, hard, blocks, usually wrapped in gold foil. This butter was almost white and beautifully fluffy. Divine!

S had the Three Egg Omelette, Italian style (stuffed with ham, salami, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese), which was perfectly cooked and delicious. It wasn't greasy (as omelettes can often be) and the tomatoes provided a burst of freshness and slight acidity to each mouthful. My fear of using fresh tomatoes in a dish like this is that they weep and turn the whole dish soggy - luckily this omelette was well executed and did not suffer that fate. S was also very impressed with the hashbrown, but I can't remember exactly why - something about "this is what hashbrowns are supposed to taste like". I was kind of focussed on my own plate.

My breakfast was the Full Waffle with banana and bacon (as advised on the menu) and it was sublime! Without a doubt, the best waffle dish that I have ever had. The servings were very generous - I got lashings of fresh bananas of the perfect ripeness (not too mushy or green) and perfectly grilled, lovely savoury bacon and the waffle was nice and thick, as proper waffles should be. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and had that exact waffly texture and flavour. Beautiful! Any waffle lover will tell you that there's nothing quite like the sight of a real, authentic, thick waffle with lovely, large deep pockets to collect all that deliciously sinful melted butter and maple syrup. MMMM! The combination of the sweet waffle, maple syrup and bananas and the savoury bacon and butter was just heavenly.

As soon as we left, we were contemplating our next trip back to Christchurch just to dine at Drexels again. Nothing like a good, incredibly satisfying Sunday brunch to kick off your week, I say.

Drexels - Breakfast Restaurant

Westfield Mall 

Rotherham St 

Riccarton

Christchurch

Liquidity

Black Tiger Prawns with Coconut Sambal

When S and I were trying to think of a nice place to dine at in Christchurch, I suddenly recalled being told by the proprietors of a Dunedin cafe that Liquidity was very good. They especially mentioned the pork belly and tiramisu, and we just wanted a nice meal at a good restaurant, so we decided to go with what we had heard. Unfortunately, we found that the food and service at Liquidity left much to be desired. 

Japanese Spiced Squid

First of all, the wait-staff were inattentive. We walked into the restaurant and stood around waiting and looking around for at least a few minutes before anyone attended to us, even though there were several staff standing and walking around doing absolutely nothing. I was already unimpressed, but they could have still changed my mind if the food was good. No such luck.

Japanese Spiced Squid - see the oil at the bottom of the glass?

To start, S had the black tiger prawns with coconut sambal and I, the Japanese spiced squid. The 'coconut sambal' was far too salty and the dish as a whole was a little too heavy for a starter. My squid wasn't scored so most of the seasoning slipped off the pale, rubbery, overcooked, not very tasty, greasy pieces of squid. If you look carefully at the second picture of the squid, you will see the amount of oil and seasoning that had collected at the bottom of the glass. It was not very appealing. Worst of all, S found a piece of hair in the rice and when she pointed it out to the waitress who came to clear our plates, all the waitress could manage was, "Oh, that's not very nice is it? I will tell the kitchen staff". Where was the apology?! It doesn't matter if you're not the one who made the mistake, you are representing your establishment and you need to apologise if there has been such a embarrassing, serious oversight. I was appalled, to say the least. 

Five Spiced Monkfish with Seared Scallops

Of course, then I was wary, albeit still (inexplicably) hopeful, about our mains. Alas, S's five spiced monkfish with seared scallops was 'blah' at best and my braised pork belly was served with a completely burnt black top layer. I was somewhat stunned. Still I ate it, thinking that maybe there was the tiniest possibility that that's how it is supposed to be served. Of course, I should have trusted my first instincts. The black top layer was tough, sticky and of course, tasted burnt and the rest of the pork belly was overdone, dryish and quite firm. I should have sent it back...I need to learn to start doing that especially when I'm served substandard food at high-end establishments. I do tell them what I think of the food, if they ask, but sometimes that just isn't enough. Needless to say, we did not order desserts, even though we  had been looking forward to trying the tiramisu.

Braised Pork Belly

Viva Madrid

Five days after I got back from KL, S and I drove to Christchurch for the Robin Williams show. There, we had two absolutely abominable meals (at Ancestral and Liquidity), some good grub from Viva Madrid at the Arts Centre Weekend Market and Dream Garden, and an excellent breakfast at Drexels. I will elaborate on the rest some other day - today the focus is on Viva Madrid.

I first had churros about two years ago in Melbourne, in some churro speciality cafe. Churros were all the rage there at the time, so I had to see what the fuss was all about. The churros at that cafe were rock hard, dry sticks served with thick, lumpy, 'overcooked' melted chocolate. That put me off churros completely, until three weeks ago.

S and I were at the market prowling for a tasty breakfast treat when we spotted the very chic looking Viva Madrid caravan. There must have been something seemingly authentic and likeable about Viva Madrid and its proprietor (must have been my weakness for paella, which was also on the menu) because we 'threw caution in the wind' and ordered some churros. Hah. I must admit that I bit into the first churro with some apprehension, despite being convinced that they had to be far better than the ones I had in Melbourne. Luckily, they were. Curved into elegant loops, unlike the roughly cut sticks I had in Melbourne, these churros were light, crunchy and crisp, but still slightly soft and chewy on the inside. We opted to go without the chocolate dip, so we were really able to taste the sugar coated churros as they were - and they were good. My only comment would be that I thought they were very slightly overcooked, which is easy to do because they are quite thin and they have grooves. Maybe that's how they're supposed to be, but I think they would taste even better if they were either a bit thicker, or spent less time in the frier.

I tried to order the paella at the same time, but it wasn't going to be ready till about lunch time, which was a bit inconvenient. We were pleased enough with the churros, however, that we decided to meander around town until lunchtime just so we could go back to Viva Madrid to get some paella. And I'm glad we did. It was very tasty and had a quite intense, complex seafood flavour. The lemon juice provided the nice acidity and brightness on top of the bold flavoured, pleasantly oily, yummy, hearty paella. A far cry from that paella recipe that we tried from that beer cookbook. Still, the best paella that I ever had was at Moussandra, in KL, but I'll have to get some pictures before I write about that. 

Lockies Fish & Chips*

Just 30* minutes north of Dunedin (by car, headed towards Christchurch), in a little town called Hampden, is a modest little shop that makes the best fish and chips that I've ever had. It's actually a residential house that has been partially converted - the rest of the house still looks like a home and I suspect that the family that owns the business live there, which makes it all the more endearing and authentic. Lockie's fish and chips are so good, that we actually went to the trouble of bringing our own tomato sauce (because we prefer it to the kind being sold there), to ensure optimal fish and chip chomping satisfaction. 

Initially, I found the bright (approaching neon), yellow colour of the battered fish a little unusual, but I quickly got over it as soon as I took my first bite. Delicious, large, plump, juicy pieces of perfectly cooked fish, encased in beautifully fried, light and crunchy batter. Simple food, done brilliantly well. What more can you ask for? There's nothing more satisfying than having a big bite of solid, good food. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy refined, elegant, 'sit at the table with three forks and knives' dining when the mood strikes, and the food is usually excellent, but nothing quite compares to hands on, basic, comfort food. MMMMM! The beer battered chips were also excellent - thick, chunky and soft on the inside, with a tasty, crunchy coating. Enjoying all that sitting outside at a picnic table, on a beautiful, sunny, New Zealand day with one of your best friends = quiet bliss. The only thing that was missing was a cold, refreshing drink of homemade iced lemon tea. Ah, life's little pleasures.

Just remember, when you are placing an order, that one order of fish equals two* actual pieces of fish and one order of chips, is a lot of chips (we couldn't finish it all). You can't really tell from the pictures but the serving box is about the length and width of a sheet of A4* paper, i.e. the portions are agreeably large! And I love dipping my fish in both tomato and tartar sauce (even though the fish is great just on its own), so you may want to add a tub of tartar sauce to your order.

It's a gorgeous day out there today, so all of you hop into your cars and putter along to Lockie's for a good feed. It's right on the main street, so you can't miss it.

[*Edit 5:55pm: So after I wrote about this, of course I felt like having it. So, D and I went to Hampden, and thus, discovered several inaccuracies in my reporting. They are as follows:

1. From Dunedin city (proper), the drive to Hampden actually takes almost an hour, not 30 minutes. It is slightly under 30 minutes if you start timing from the Dunedin city border, but why would you do that?
2. They do sometimes give you two pieces of fish for every order of fish, but that only happens when the two parts of a blue cod fillet separate. Today we ordered 'three blue cod' and got three pieces of blue cod (shaped sort of like Vs, because that's how they are filleted).
3. OK my memory of the size of the serving box may have been a little distorted. It's not quite the size of an A4 piece of paper, maybe like one or two inches shorter in length, but it still makes for a large meal. We were just a little too full after today's tuck in.
4. The name of the shop is officially 'Lockies (sic) Takeaways' (as printed on the receipt). No apostrophe and no mention of fish and chips.

My apologies.]

Lockies Takeaways
30 London Street
Hampden

Ayam Bing (sans the 'ayam')

Barbecue Pork (foreground) and Roast Pork (background)

'Chicken Rice' (Kai/Gai Fan in Cantonese; Kai/Gai = chicken; Fan = rice) is one of my absolute favourite and most craved 'dishes'. In many Chinese establishments, irrespective of the country, the chicken is only one of several main meats offered at 'Chicken Rice' stalls or restaurants. Sure, there are some that specialise in chicken only, but most also serve a medley of roast or barbecue meats. The Poached (Pak Caam Kai) or Roast Chicken (Siu Kai) is most commonly accompanied with Barbecue Pork (Char Siu) and Roast Pork (Siu Yok). Roast Duck (Siu Ngap) is a little harder to come by and Roast Goose (Siu Ngor) is a rare find, in Malaysia.

In my opinion, the success of this dish depends almost as much on the rice, as it does on the meats. If you've ever had really good, fragrant, beautifully flavoured, thinly oiled 'Chicken Rice' rice, you know that you'd be almost as happy eating just the rice with the cucumbers and the tasty sauce that is drizzled over the roast meats. It's just absolutely delicious and a critical component to the dish. 

Roast Pork (foreground) and Barbecue Pork (background)

As with most things in life, however, you can't get it all from one place. I love the rice and roast chicken from the Nasi Ayam Hainan stall in Medan Selera, Taman Melawati, but when I'm craving roast pork, I go to Ayam Bing (ayam = chicken, in Malay) at Sri Rampai. Bing's roast pork is so good that you shouldn't even bother going at lunch time because it's usually sold out by then. I like to get there by 11:00 am, but I am told that they open really early - maybe even before 10:00 am. 

The skin is always deliciously crispy and savoury and the ratio of lean meat to fat and crackling is always perfect. Occasionally, if you're unlucky, you might end up with some pieces that are mostly fat, but that has only happened to me once, and I've been patronising Ayam Bing for over a decade now. The lean portion of the meat is just firm enough - neither too soft, nor too hard/overdone. I only point this out because I had some disappointing roast pork at Crystal Jade Restaurant, Pavilion, a few weeks after that. I am not sure if it was because they picked meat that was too marbled, or they over tenderised it, but the supposed lean portion of the roast pork was far too soft, smooth and texturally similar to the fat portion and the skin was a little sturdier than it should have been. I was not impressed, particularly because if I'm going to pay about RM 30 for a few pieces of roast pork, then it should be nothing short of stellar.

The barbecue pork at Ayam Bing is also pretty tasty, but not outstanding. It is properly caramelised and has the correct smokey, sweet flavour, but is a little too lean and sliced a bit too thinly, and thus fails to deliver the big flavour hit that it could. Nevertheless, Ayam Bing ranks at the top two on my list for best roast pork (the other being Imbi Palace), but if you factor in price, then Ayam Bing wins hands down. I'd take excellent, simple, cheap stuff at a roadside stall over pretentious, polished versions of the same street food at posh restaurants any day.

Restoran Ayam Bing

2B Jalan 46/26

Taman Sri Rampai

Kuala Lumpur 53300

Malaysia

Hokkien Mee and Singapore Fried Bee Hoon

Sorry I was MIA last week. Had major issues with my internet connection, which were resolved only yesterday.

Hokkien Mee

My craving for Hokkien Mee began about a month or so before my trip back to KL. It got to the point where I was desperate enough to think that there was a possibility that I could get something that remotely resembled the real thing at HS South East Asian restaurant in Dunedin. It was awful, flat and watery (as was D's Beef Rendang). I barely touched it. I've been told that some of the other dishes there are decent, but I am not sure that I would brave another visit. 

Pictured above is what real Hokkien Mee (from Sin Kee Restaurant in Sri Gombak) looks like. I wanted to go straight to Sin Kee from the airport when I landed but Mom thought it was a little late. Still, it was one of the first things I ate since I've been home, I've had it twice already and I still want more! The luscious, fat, slippery noodles coated in tasty, thick dark sauce, littered with wilted choy sum, lean pork slices and lovely, crispy fried pork fat is just absolutely delicious and it is, without a doubt, my favourite stir-fried noodle dish!

Singapore Fried Bee Hoon

Sin Kee is usually the 'go to' restaurant for me whenever I want to enjoy some good Chinese food with family and friends. The Singapore Fried Bee Hoon (bee hoon is also know as rice vermicelli) is, I think, one of Mom's favourite noodle dishes. It is tasty and well-fried, i.e. the noodles are not too dry or too soggy. The startling saltiness of the dried shrimp, the sweetness of the chopped barbecue pork pieces, the fresh burst of juice from the mung beans, and the bite from the sliced chili give the dish a nice variety of textures and flavours.

You may expect a few more posts about food from Sin Kee in the coming weeks, among other things. The next time I visit, I will try to remember to get the address of the restaurant. 

Kitchen Toys

Here are my recent acquirements for the kitchen.

A couple of weeks ago, S and I were on one of our usual visits at Total Food Equipment when I spotted the cutest set of measuring spoons. Usually, we exercise some self-restraint and simply walk around and lust over the shiny, pretty gadgets, and then leave empty handed. This wasn't one of those times. I'd been looking around for a nice set of measuring spoons, but couldn't find any that I was partial to, until then. These spoons are made of thick, good quality plastic and have a nice weight to them that make them feel like they're made of metal. Each spoon has a ring at the base so that it will stay upright on a flat surface, like a bowl, and a little spout, making them look like the cute little offspring of a mixing bowl and a measuring jug (except for the handle bit). Of course, I couldn't resist. 

I also gave in and purchased this pretty, square, sturdy, self-standing Joseph Joseph colander which I had been eyeing for months. This is my first Joseph Joseph acquisition, but their products have always caught my eye and I love most of their designs.

Then, several days later, S surprised me with an early Christmas present! A box set with a Microplane box grater and a zester/grater. I've only used the zester/grater so far and it grates beautifully. Not only are you less likely to grate your fingers because it is well designed and sharp, it also reliably produces gratings that are fine and consistent in size. I can't wait to try all the different panels on the box grater!

Otago Farmers Market

Critic Issue 28 – Food Column 

Every week, the masses crawl out of their warm cosy beds on a Saturday morning to head to the Otago Farmers Market (Dunedin Railway Station north car park, Anzac Avenue). I know that a lot of people get their supply of fresh meat and vegetables from the market, but I am one of those silly city-slickers who were brought up on supermarkets and haven’t changed my habits, yet. So, when I go to the market, I tend to spend all my money on the wide variety of scrumptious, ready-to-eat food. 

The first thing on my mind is usually, “I want a bacon buttie!” Even when I don’t, as soon as I get a whiff of the intoxicating aroma of bacon cooking, I want one. The proprietor of Touch of Dutch has long been dubbed ‘Bacon Buttie Man’ by his customers and the business has become so well known by that name that they now have a Bacon Buttie Man logo emblazoned on the side of the truck and on their wrappers. They also offer yummy Eurodogs, but there’s a reason it’s ‘Bacon Buttie Man’ not ‘Eurodog Man’. Sandwiched between two soft pieces of white bread, are layers and layers of delicious, perfectly grilled shaved bacon mixed with lovely caramelised onions and a perfectly complementary sauce mixture of ketchup, mustard and corn relish. I challenge you to bite into one of these and not make the “MMMMHH-this-is-so-$%^&*@-good” sound! 

The other thing that emits the most wonderful, irresistible, drool-inducing scent are the tasty, tender, beautifully marinated barbecued lamb kebabs from Koau Flowers. Nine times out of ten, I find myself automatically following my nose to their stall to get some. For something sweet, I go to The Tart Tin. I particularly like the pear tart and the brownie. I particularly like the luscious, velvety pear tart and the very chocolatey brownie, but Matt Cross (aka Cupcake Guy to me and my friends) also offers a variety of other tarts, cupcakes, lemon bars, and micro-cakes and a big, friendly grin every single time you approach his table. There are of course, numerous other extremely popular vendors like La Crepe, where you can get good, sweet and savory crepes, and Pie Time (aka Who Ate All The Pies?), which specialises in gourmet pies, but by the time I have my favorite buttie and kebab, and sometimes a waffle too, I am usually too stuffed to eat anything else - which is why there are quite a few things from other vendors that I haven't had the chance sample yet. 

Even though I don't often buy fresh vegetables or meat from the market, I do go there specifically for the fruit. Before coming to NZ, I had quite an aversion to apples. Then I had my first Pacific Queen. It was so fresh, crunchy and sweet, and the skin was so taut that when I bit into it, that it made an audible 'snap/crack!'. It is a little late now, but when in season, NZ apples are amazingly delicious (almost unbelievably so, if you grew up in a place where only imported, sub-par apples were available). I usually get the pacific queen and the pacific beauty variety from Ettrick Gardens.

For those of you who will be spending the summer here, look out of the Big Fat Cherry Company in January. 

Paasha and Yilmaz

 Critic Issue 27 – Food Column

Shaslik

  

Hummus

When I am in the mood for a little treat, Paasha Turkish Cafe (31 St Andrew Street) is one of my preferred places to go to for a nice meal. The service is always friendly and attentive and the overall ambience is pleasant and comfortable for relaxing and catching up with friends. The primary draw, of course, is the good food. Being a creature of habit, I tried a few things on the menu, struck gold one after one or two visits and have been ordering the same thing ever since – the hummus starter and the Shaslik main. The hummus (chickpea and tahini paste, infused with lemon juice, garlic and oil) deserves a special mention because it is really tasty, goes with everything on the menu and is the best hummus that I’ve had thus far. There is something incredibly satisfying about stuffing yourself with big mouthfuls of the excellent hummus and hot pita bread. My favourite main, the Shaslik, consists of two skewers of beautifully char-grilled, marinated lamb cubes, bell peppers and onions, accompanied with cous cous, pasta salad, salad, hummus, hot pita bread and sauces of your choice (I always ask for the Paasha’s Special, Garlic and Halep sauces). The cubes of lambs are tasty and the fresh, tangy sauces complement them particularly well. My only gripe is that the meat is a little tougher than I would prefer, but the overall experience is such an enjoyable one that it’s one of those things you can just ignore.

Chicken on Rice

Beef Roll

I know that this next place is actually already pretty well known for their pizzas and kebabs but I only visited it for the first time this week. I was pleased that they lived up to their reputation, even though I did not get to try their pizzas. Yilmaz (906 George Street) is a quaint little place with a lot of character and heart. Customers are greeted with big, warm smiles, the portions are large, the prices reasonable and best of all, they keep student hours, i.e. 11am – 10:30pm, seven days a week! What better way to warm up on the way home from the library than tucking into a good ol’ beef kebab (a.k.a roll)? I tried the Chicken on Rice, which is marinated chicken served with rice, fresh mixed salad, hummus and your choice of sauces. Unfortunately, on my plate, the hummus was MIA, so I couldn’t, as originally intended, compare it to Paasha’s. The chicken was a little fibrous because they used lean chicken breast, but it and all its accompaniments still made very a good meal. About halfway through it, I didn’t even mind the leanness anymore. I have no complaints, however about the Beef Roll. The roll was large, well filled with salad, hummus, tender, deliciously flavoured meat, and sauces and well toasted. Absolutely scrumptious, and at $9.50, a really good bang for your buck. I’ve also heard good things about the garlic bread and already have a plan of attack for their pizzas.

Bakeries

Critic Issue 26 – Food Column 

Madeleines, Almond Croissant and Pain Au Chocolat

Nestled in Roslyn Village is a bakery that has built quite a reputation just from word of mouth, particularly through the locals. The regulars know that you have to get in early because the popular items can sell out before 8am, and then you would have to wait another week to satiate your cravings – it is open for business only once a week. By 7:30am, there is usually a small crowd at Highgate Bridge (300 Highgate, Roslyn Village), which is better known as The Friday Shop/Bakery, waiting to get their hands on the fruit tarts, croissants, pain au chocolates, meat pies, quiches, etc that line the shelves and tables of this otherwise sparse, no-frills shop. 

I was after the pain au chocolates, madeleines and of course, the croissants. I had heard from more than one source that The Friday Shop’s croissants are the unquestionably the best in town. They did not disappoint – the pastries were light and flaky, and smelt heavenly, as freshly baked, butter-laden pastries often do. The almond croissant was filled from end to end with rich, melt-in-your-mouth, sweet, almond butter and encrusted with almond slices, so from the very first bite, you experience the intermingling of the different textures and flavours from the sliced almonds, the pastry and the filling. In comparison, the pain au chocolate is not much to look at, but the winning contrast between the faintly salty, flaky pastry and the sweet, smooth strips of chocolate within, makes it my favourite item. At first glance, it looks as though there isn’t enough chocolate filling, but I think that, unlike the more common chocolate drenched pastries found elsewhere, they have intentionally restrained themselves with the chocolate in order to maintain the fine complementary balance between the two, where neither the pastry nor the chocolate is the dominant flavour. The distinctly, but not overwhelmingly, orange flavoured, springy madeleines are also very good. There were so many other things to scrutinise and contemplate trying but with the pressure of the crowd of people waiting in line behind me, I got what I was familiar with and got out quickly. There’s always next Friday… 

Mince Pie

The Bakers Dozen (43 Mailer Street, Mornington) is another, more accessible, bakery that I go to for pies and chocolate lamingtons. That’s not all they have, of course, but I believe they’re known for their pies. Like The Friday Shop, you will probably miss out if you get there late, but here, ‘late’ is more like 2-3pm in the afternoon, not 8am. I always get the chicken curry and the mince pies. Their delicious pies are always hot and fresh, with nice, light-ish, flaky pastries and, tasty fillings with real, lean meat. You won’t be going back to supermarket pies once you’ve had one of these. [Edit: Also previously posted about the chicken curry pie here.]

Tiramisu & Brownie

Critic Issue 25 – Food Column

These are a couple of my favourite, effortless, sure-to-impress recipes to satiate those sweet cravings. This blend of a Gordon Ramsay recipe and a random recipe, makes one of the best Tiramisus that I’ve ever had - sweet, luscious and creamy, with just the right chocolate and coffee overtones. Plus, it sounds fancy but is actually easily thrown together – which means that you will impress, without doing much at all. 

Tiramisu

Ingredients:

250g mascarpone

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp Marsala, brandy or Tia Maria

150ml strong coffee or espresso, cooled to room temperature

150ml single cream

4 tbsp icing sugar

Sponge fingers (savoiardi)

Chocolate shavings

Hot Chocolate powder

Method:

1. Whisk the mascarpone with the vanilla, Marsala and 50ml coffee, until everything is thoroughly mixed together. Whisk the cream with the icing sugar until smooth, then fold in the mascarpone mix. Pour remaining coffee into a wide, flattish bowl.

2. Take one sponge finger at a time and dip it in to the coffee for one second, remove and arrange at the bottom of a 2-3 inch deep, glass container. Repeat until you have a layer of coffee soaked sponge fingers.

3. Spoon a layer of the mascarpone mix onto the first layer of sponge fingers, then top with a layer of hot chocolate powder and chocolate shavings. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make another layer.

4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer to allow it to set and flavours to infuse. Cut into squares with a soft, plastic spatula, serve and bask in the adulations.

Also, everyone needs a good, fuss-free brownie recipe for chocolate emergencies. Of all the brownie recipes that my friends and I have experimented with, this one (that C found) is by far the simplest and yields brownies that are just as heavenly, moist, chocolatey, decadent and guilt-inducing as the complicated recipes. Commit it to memory.

Brownie (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped walnuts/peacans

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 cups flour

3 whole eggs

1 cup melted butter (227 g)

1 tsp vanilla essence

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 175°C.

2. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix until combined completely.

3. Pour and spread the batter into a greased/floured or lined 9X13 baking pan.

4. Bake 25-40 minutes or until a skewer test comes out clean.

5. Scoff while it’s fresh out of the oven and still delightfully warm, with some vanilla ice cream. Also keeps well….apparently.

Chopsticks 101

Critic Issue 24 - Food Column

Pork Spareribs with Orange Sauce and Vegetables

Judging by the lunch and dinner time crowds, many have already discovered the good, reasonably priced food and great service at Chopsticks 101. The current proprietors have kept the menu they inherited from the previous owner, which comprised of generally Malaysian-Chinese food, but I would attribute their newfound popularity to their new menu, which features a long list of (what I assume are) favourite Taiwanese dishes.

Roast Chicken Leg with Vegetabless

The first thing that I tried from the new menu was the ‘CrispyRoast Chicken Leg with Veges’ which is a bit of a misnomer since the chicken isn’t actually crispy, but delicious nonetheless [Edit: After I wrote this, I discovered that they had crossed out 'Crispy' on the menu and scribbled the more accurate "Roast" in its place]. The chicken is saturated in a nice, savoury, mild but distinct herbal flavour, drizzled with the same tasty sauce (every last drop of which I try to mop up with the rice) and accompanied well with blanched vegetables. It is now my favourite Chopsticks 101 dish, despite some other strong contenders. I also really enjoyed the ‘Pork Spare Ribs with Orange Sauce and Vegetables’, which tasted great, even though it was a little difficult and messy trying to get the meat off the bones. When I did, however, the meat was beautifully, savoury and coated with a yummy, sweet, orangey sauce, which gave it a pleasant combination of savoury and sweet flavours.

Crispy Roasted Pork Belly with Tofu in Earthen Pot

The ‘Crispy Roasted Pork Belly with Tofu in Earthen Pot’ is second on my ‘favourite Chopstick 101 dishes’ list with tasty, savoury pork pieces, tofu, mushrooms and vegetables soaked in delicious gravy, all in one scrumptious, hearty, satisfying, ‘one-pot’ meal. Again, the pork isn’t actually crispy, but it’s still good. Perhaps the nicest surprise of all was discovering that Chopsticks 101 serves decent ‘Sweet & Sour Pork’, which, since coming to Dunedin, has been a bit of a mission to source, even though it is the one of the most common, stereotypical Chinese dishes. Now, I can just go to Chopsticks 101 for a quick and easy sweet and sour pork fix, instead of contemplating cooking it or going for a pricey, proper, three or four course Chinese dinner.

Sweet and Sour Pork

I also love the 'Deep Fried Tofu' which they served topped with sweet chilli sauce and crushed peanuts (I think). Thin, slightly crispy skin, encasing nice, soft, mushy tofu! Mmm...

Deep Fried Tofu

There are several other items on the menu that I have been eyeing, like the stewed and roast duck dishes that I haven’t had a chance to try yet, because most of the time I just can’t resist ordering my usual favourites. Chopsticks 101 makes a great food haunt because, as mentioned at the start, not only is the food good and relatively cheap, the staff are welcoming and friendly, which, altogether, makes it a rather pleasant place to patronise.

Chopsticks 101

380 George Street

Dunedin

Croque Monsieur

Critic Issue 23 - Food Column

As a continuation of last week’s French theme and Meryl-Streep-movie mania, I went hunting for this recipe after watching ‘It’s Complicated’. The Croque Monsieur, which loosely translates as ‘crispy’ or ‘crunchy’ mister, is basically a fancy toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Not being cheese-crazy, I wasn’t sure that I would like it, but it turned out to be unexpectedly tasty (at least on our first attempt). The first time we made it, the Croque Monsieur was delicious, albeit somewhat rustic looking because we couldn’t cut the ciabatta into nice, even slices. It was nice and crunchy around the edges, but soft and cheesy in the middle, giving it an interesting, somewhat unusual texture. Just looking at the recipe initially, I was concerned that combination of the white sauce and cheese would be overwhelming. But, the mustard gave the sandwich the critical piquancy required to cut the richness of the white sauce and cheese, and so the flavours were actually very well balanced. On our second attempt, we tried to use normal, thick cut pre-sliced bread, and it turned out too dense and soggy because the bread wasn’t dry enough. If that wasn't bad enough, we must have played around with the amounts a little because the flavours were milder, so it wasn't as tasty. Of course, the second attempt was when we decided to make double the amount we had the first time. Ugh, not pleasant. Moral of the story, get the good stuff and remember to taste as you cook!

Croque Monsieur

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups milk

A pinch each of salt, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, or more to taste

6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups grated)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (packed)

8 slices of French or Italian loaf bread

12 ounces ham, sliced

Dijon mustard

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Make the béchamel (white) sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium/low heat until it just starts to bubble. Add the flour and cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously, cooking until thick. Remove from heat. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the Parmesan and 1/4 cup of the grated Gruyère. Set aside.
3. Lay out the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven, a few minutes each side, until lightly toasted. For extra flavour you can spread some butter on the bread slices before you toast them if you want. (Alternatively, you can assemble the sandwiches as follows in step four and grill them on a skillet, finishing them in the broiler with the béchamel sauce.)
4. Lightly brush half of the toasted slices with mustard. Add the ham slices and about 1 cup of the remaining Gruyère cheese. Top with the other toasted bread slices.
5. Spoon on the béchamel sauce to the tops of the sandwiches. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère cheese. Place on a broiling pan. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese topping is bubbly and lightly browned.

Jizo - Addicted!

I have previously raved about the Original Teriyaki Chicken sushi at Jizo (twice, because once just wasn't obsessive enough) and most of my friends here know that I am addicted to the food at Jizo. I have since discovered several other divine, mouth-watering dishes that quickly became 'must-orders' every time we patronised Jizo (which is pretty much weekly and sometimes even twice a week!). The following is my dutiful report on my favourite Jizo items:

Karaage Chicken - Juicy, crispy, crunchy, deliciously tasty, succulent fried chicken pieces, which I think is even tastier when dipped in the Jizo mayonnaise salad dressing, even though it comes with plain mayonnaise. The problem is, I prefer the garlic dressing for the salad. Nevertheless, my desire for Karaage dipped in Jizo mayonnaise always supersedes my preference for the garlic dressing because having the Karaage without the Jizo mayonnaise dressing is a diminished experience, in my opinion.

Salmon, Avocado & Mango roll - This is one of the most refreshing, delicious, bright, clean tasting sushi that I have ever had. I don't even like raw salmon, normally, but this is an exception. I think it's the mild sweetness of the mango slices, coupled with the perfectly flavoured (and cooked), sourish sushi rice, that gives it its delightful fresh and bright quality. And, the light, creamy sauce dabbed on each piece rounds it all off with just a little richness. The combination of ingredients also make it beautifully colourful and pretty and I get a little happier just looking at it. Like bites of rainbow. Stellar.

Kushiage Tofu - Grilled (I think) tofu pieces with a tasty, sticky, caramelised coating of teriyaki or miso sauce. Smells heavenly and is mouth-watering-ly tasty. Yum yum!

Teriyaki Chicken with Curry - Bite-size, tender, teriyaki chicken pieces, accompanied with rich, thick, tasty Japanese curry. Hearty and so satisfying, especially if you're hungry.

Agedeshi Tofu - Tofu with light, crunchy coating, in nice, light, clean tasting soy and ginger sauce, topped with spring onions. The spring onions and the ginger in the sauce gives the dish a nice freshness and, combined with the sauce and the crunchy tofu, results in a delicious dish with a wonderful combination of textures and flavours.

Chicken Katsu with Curry - J's favourite. Can't go wrong with the curry and they know their way around the fryer at Jizo, so you don't get thin, hard pieces of overcooked chicken. You get, as you can see, a nice, juicy, thick piece of crumbed chicken breast.

Jizo's Original Teriyaki Chicken Sushi - I just had to put up another picture this because they're just so beautiful I could weep. I can't get enough of the Teriyaki Salmon sushi either. This is just about as close as you can get to perfection on earth. Glorious, exquisite, euphoric, and unrivalled....for  now.

Jizo Japanese Cafe & Bar

56 Princes Street

Dunedin

Sole Meunière

This post is for J.I., a very kind reader who, upon reading about my obsession with some of the food in the movie Julie and Julia in Critic (pg 33, or here), sent me his copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Thanks J.I.! Even though we still haven't tried anything from the definitive, preeminent cookbook (Boeuf Bourguignon is first on the list!), Sole Meunière should suffice as a tribute, temporarily. This was apparently the 'life changing' dish that Julia Child had in Paris that ignited her love for French food and cooking. And I can see why.

The Sole Meunière was wonderfully zesty and acidic and had a lovely, smooth, very subtle buttery flavour. It was not in the least bit sickeningly rich or greasy, as one might reasonably expect in dish with this amount of butter. The edges of the sole were nice and crispy and each bite of delicate, tangy sauce coated sole flesh melted in my mouth with an immediate rush of clean, slightly tart but still rich, full, flavours. Bliss! It's one of those dishes that does not immediately 'knock your socks off', but tastes better and better with each mouthful. Towards the end, in butter induced euphoria, I almost believed that it was the best fish that I had ever tasted. I can't wait to make this again. 

We, naughtily, did not use Julia Child's Brown Butter recipe because we couldn't be bothered clarifying the butter, so we used this recipe instead. Below is my simplified version, of an already very simple recipe:

Sole Meunière

Ingredients:

4 sole filets (6 - 8 ounces)

4 tablespoons butter (apprx 56g)

1/4 cup of dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)

juice from half of one lemon

flour to dust fish (1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon fresh minced parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat a large saute pan on a high setting, while the pan is heating season the flour with salt and pepper. 
2. Dust the sole with the seasoned flour. 
3. Add two tablespoons (28g) of butter to the saute pan and melt until slightly bubbly.
4. Add the sole filets to the saute pan making sure you do not over crowd the pan, or they won't brown. 
5. Fry each side until golden, then remove from pan.
6. Add the remaining butter and continue to cook until the butter begins to turn brown slightly. 
7. Once the butter begins to turn brown quickly add the white wine, lemon juice and parsley (you may premix the white wine, lemon juice and parsley so that it is ready when the butter browns).
8. Pour the butter sauce over the sole and serve.

The Palms $10 Lunch Menu

Critic Issue 21 - Food Column

Pumpkin Risotto

I have mixed feelings about The Palms Restaurant. Over the years, I’ve had several really good dishes but also several ‘so-so’ meals there. Still, The Palms has stayed on my ‘good’ list. So, when I heard about their $10 lunch menu, the prospect of having posh, cheap lunches was very appealing. My friends and I have lunched there twice and I have….mixed reviews.

Creme Brulee

Fish Cakes

At our first lunch, S had a delicious, elegant, beautifully balanced pumpkin risotto (it has a more elaborate description, but unfortunately, I neglected to record it) which she very generously shared with me because I was very disappointed with my order…and it was my birthday. You know you have a good friend if she’ll offer to swap half of her ‘something delicious’ for half of your ‘something bleh’. I, unluckily, ordered the ‘Fish and potato cakes infused with fennel, maryrose sauce and dressed greens’, which was altogether rather bland. We also indulged in an apricot (I think) crème brûlée with pistachio biscotti and a coconut and pineapple thing (the name escapes me, sorry!). The coconut and pineapple thing wasn’t bad but it was the crème brûlée that we had high hopes for because we once had a fantastic, luxuriously rich and smooth coffee crème brûlée here (for dinner). It (apricot crème brûlée) was pretty good, but not as luscious as that fabulous, coffee flavoured one.

Chicken Tortilla

Coconut and Pineapple Thing

Yesterday, on our second visit, I, thinking I couldn’t go wrong this time, ordered the ‘Rich tomato risotto, spicy chorizo and parmesan puff pastry twist’. I was wrong. I’ve had some amazing risotto in my time and this one was a little one dimensional in comparison. It was okay and wasn’t bland or anything like that but it didn’t have the depth of flavour that a risotto can have. S, two times lucky, had the ‘Chipotle braised chicken tortilla, cheese, capsicum, bean sprout salad and Greek yoghurt’, which was very, very good. The nicely sauced, succulent chicken pieces wrapped up in tortilla were not only incredibly tasty, but also beautifully presented. This time, I was not offered half of the ‘something delicious’!

Tomato Risotto

To be fair, I’m pretty sure I had higher expectations because it was The Palms, as opposed to any other normal restaurant in town with a $10 lunch menu. The portions were mid-sized, which is an understandable trade-off for the quality food and low price, and perfectly fine as an occasional treat. So you may be left wanting more if you only order a main, but that simply means you have room for some dessert after.

The Palms Restaurant

18 Queens Gardens

Dunedin