‘Steak’ is a one of the many magical words that brings happiness to me (and I’m sure many others); other examples of such words include ‘butter’ and ‘crackling’. So when I was researching on places to eat in Gold Coast, I was instantly drawn to Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill because of one item in particular on its generous menu entitled “A Carnivores Dining Delight”: the signature dish of a 1 kilogram wagyu rump roast. Needless to say, I booked the restaurant as soon as I saw “1 kg”.

“Moo Moo puts the sexy back into the steak”, I couldn’t agree more. The restaurant is casual with a lively atmosphere and the interior décor cascades intermittently with different shades of red. Whilst this is a food photographer’s nightmare when all the photos turn out mainly red, this aside, it is engaging and I can appreciate how well everything seems to work: waiters are attentive but not too intrusive, everybody just seems happy to be working here and the happy vibe is contagious.

Here Comes The Food

Amuse-bouche: Honestly I can’t remember what this was except that the main component was kingfish. A clear description of the taste eludes me, but it was a bit plain save for the meaty texture of the fish. It was a nice and light way to start the meal.

An hour later (the signature has an hour waiting time, so I would recommend ordering it before you come, or just order it in person and spend an hour in meat anxiety), the first vestige of the long awaited 1kg wagyu rump appeared on our table. A trio of sauces: Moo Moo Jus, a reduction of wagyu beef broth with red wine, pepper corn sauce and wild mushroom. Moo Moo Jus won hands down with an additional serving requested after the initial serving disappeared swiftly.

Then, the star of the night arrived. A 1 kg wagyu rump cap ($95 for 2) rubbed with the Chef’s secret spice rub, sealed until smokey on the grill and oven roasted to carnivory perfection. I don’t know what was in the chef’s secret spice, but I wouldn’t have minded the chef rubbing it over everything we ordered this night – it was amazing.

The carving began and tantilising wafts of cooked meat caused my mind to implode in a confused meat spell. It was part torture and part rapture: the meat so close, yet so far from consumption.

During the sacrilegious carving of the steak, both of the sides arrived included in the $95 for two 1kg wagyu rump. A wild rocket, parmesan and pear salad arrived. Let me digress a moment from the steak and say that this is my probably my favourite salad to make/order right now, it’s so simple and refreshingly good: the sweetness of the pear coupled with the distinctive flavour of the rocket. I would however substitute parmesan with blue cheese as it adds a bit more oomph.

A bowl of chunky roasted kipfler potatoes with rosemary and garlic. At this point I thought to myself: damn this is a pretty good feast for the price we were paying and the quality of food we were getting. The potatoes had a wonderful crunch of the skin when broken into and went expectedly well with the combination of garlic and rosemary.

Then – the meat arrived. I wasn’t game enough to challenge myself to a whole 1kg serving (I don’t think there is an option to do the 1kg yourself on the menu?), I went with the next sensible option – halves. The best steak I’ve probably ever eaten. I couldn’t fault it; except for the fact about 100 grams close to finishing I got the dreaded meat-headache and it became a goal to finish the plate, rather than savouring each and every bite.

Of course there was some other dishes around the table as the girls couldn’t see themselves sharing a 1kg steak each….and also a case of my steak partner and I couldn’t see ourselves proportioning any more than half out. Rosemary + garlic roasted field mushrooms were ordered.

David Blackmore Wagyu was also on the menu, something I buy from Vics every now and then.

A cauliflower gratin made an appearance – simply reminiscent in taste of a hybrid mac n cheese.

I’ve forgotten what this was. But I’m certain it was steak.

The end word? One of the best steak places I’ve ever eaten at and would recommend to anybody in Gold Coast or planning to visit. Note: There is a Moo Moo in Brisbane and Fiji too.

Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill

Broadbeach on the Park

2685 Gold Coast Highway

BROADBEACH QLD 4218

Phone: +61 7 5539 9952

Fax: +61 7 5539 9953

Website: www.moomoorestaurant.com

Fully Licensed / Bookings recommended / Group Bookings.

Disabled Facilities

Hours of Business: Lunch 7 days a week from 12noon

Dinner 7 days a week from 6pm

‘D’erek

I was nodding as I read this post as I am, also an addict. Hi, my name is Richard and I am a ginger-beeraholic. The passion that Lisa has, I feel it too regarding ginger beer and scones so when I saw that post I had already decided that I would try to recreate those soft and fluffy scones. I had no idea what they would taste like and how the carbonation would add to the scones but I was definitely looking forward to trying them out for myself. Here Comes the Food

I think my scone craving is here to stay. Just thinking about biting into those soft, pillowy buns of pure joy brings a smile (and maybe some drool) to my mouth. These scones easily hit the spot, although same as Lisa, I found they were not as strong or flavoursome as I had hoped. There was the hint of ginger and subtle underlying sweet tones but I think mine needed a bit more of a ginger hit. I am thinking maybe some candied ginger would work perfectly in this recipe.

My jam unfortunately was not the strawberry and ginger style as it was late at night and no fresh strawberries would had been found. Using mixed berries did the trick nicely though but once again I should had added more ginger hee hee. Hand whip up some cream and the final product is a thing of pure beauty /tear.

Ginger beer scones

(recipe stolen shamelessly from Lisa at Spicy Icecream)

Makes about 12 scones

Scones
Adapted from Delicious
• 300g self raising flour
• 55g caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 125ml thick cream
• 125ml Bundaberg ginger beer (room temperature)
• 40ml milk

To make the scones, preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Line a baking tray with non stick baking paper. Sift the flour, sugar, ground ginger and salt into a large bowl. Add the cream and ginger beer and mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured workbench and knead lightly until just combined. Press the dough with your hands to a thickness of about 2cm.

Use a 6cm round cutter to cut out scones, place on a baking tray and brush the tops with milk, Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with jam. I improvised some jam but heating the mixed berries with sugar and grated ginger on low-medium heat until it reaches the texture and viscosity of your desire.

Most importantly, enjoy fresh and hot straight out of the oven!

FFichiban

Heaven, I’m in heaven
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
When we’re out together eating pork cheek to pork cheek…

This was the song that played throughout my head the whole time from the first piece of suckling pig to the final shard of crackling. There were also some imagery of dancing rolling through my mind but they were more of dancing pigs with tuxedos, top hats and a monocle. However, before I lose myself to reminiscing about dancing pigs and awesome suckling pig we should start from the beginning.

A litter of piggies were invited by Chophouse to endulge in a Pig & Pinot night. I was joined by this little piggy who failed his ninja exam (use of flash), this little piggy that could eat her own body weight in crackling, this little piggy who couldn’t actually grab a fork for she had trotters, this little piggy who had to be lured out with the promise of suckling pig, this little piggy who is starting into the prOn business, this little piggy who has food favourites, this little piggy who loves wearing shoes (weird? no), this little piggy who is tasted by two and this little piggy who needs food.

Our charming host Adam Heathcote (Operations Manager of Pacific Restaurant Group) keep us entertained with delicious stories of food, travels and more food and ensured we were all well prepared and hungry for the feast ahead. Here Comes the Food

Jamon & Italian Buffalo Mozzarella – roasted fennel, spring onion & almonds

A beautiful start to the meal. Soft and fluffy shreds of buffalo mozzarella were smooth and lush and partnered with the slices of salty jamon, it was a match made in heaven. The natural sweetness of the fennel and spring onions were enhanced by their caramelization and the balsamic dressing combined all aspects of this dish beautifully. Mmmmm love mozzarella.

Ceviche of Hervey Bay sea scallops – Mt Lowe truffle, avruga & apple

Succulent slivers of sea scallop were topped with gems of slices of truffles. They do say fresh is best and boy were these truffles fresh being only picked out of the ground approximately 24 hours prior to being served. Truffles are definitely a delicacy with low yield at only 100gm per week, these were very generous portions. The truffles may not be as intense as I thought but they do add a nice aroma and dimension of flavour to the dish.

David Clarke (aka Pig God)

Even before he proudly arrived at the table with the main event of a 11.4kg suckling pig we could all breathe in the beautiful aroma of crackling. There was definitely a buzz coming from our table but also the tables surrounding our own.

Slow Roasted Organic Suckling Pig

Is there anything more beautiful than this /tear. In honouring this pig we had planned to completely eat it clean from very edible snout to the curly tail. It was very obvious David knew his way around this pig. Carefully preparing and tenderly cooking and loving it for at least 2 hours. This was a feast for eyes, nose, ear and mouth!

David works fast and furious

I had actually shotgunned the back half of the pig for myself but disappointingly, there is no shotgun rule for suckling pigs /sadface. Watching David’s skilled carving of this suckling pig was pure entertainment. From the removal of the beautiful crackling to the cutting off of the delicate pieces like the ear, cheeks and snout. And as if the piggy was not enough, there were sides to go with!

Cauliflower Gratin

Creamy and crunchy, this side was something I ordered at every previous visit here. It is worth every creamy bite.

Wedge Salad

Gooey egg yolk… enough said.

Green Beans

And some yellow ones! Recently I have become quite addicted to green beans, because of the juicy crunch you get with each bite and the tasty and healthy flavour.

Words seriously can not explain this plate of awesomeness. Juicy, succulent and tender chunks of meat which melted in the mouth and oozed flavour. Accompanying shards of pure heavenly pork crackling. I discussed with Yas and we both agreed that we could totally finish a whole piggy between us two. There were also some sauces that we could add – apple sauce, red wine jus and harissa. The piggy was accompanied with a 2006 Ostler Caroline’s Pinot Noir which matched the meat in perfect harmony.

Plate No. 2 was demolished almost as quickly as plate no. 1

Heh heh heneedssnout

We ate until we were all in a state of pure bliss while Adam continued with stories of roast lamb and half a cow on spits. Much merriment for all. This style of meal really suits the atmosphere and decor. Rustic, hearty and pure deliciousness.

Caramelised banana cheesecake

Finishing off the night with a sweet note (naturally) was this smooth and silky banana cheesecake. Not only does Chophouse does meat well but they do desserts beautifully! Win!

Berta Grappa Nebbiolo Tre Soli Tre

Winding down the night with something a bit stronger was this Grappa, which was very interesting and I think I would had enjoyed it more if it was on the rocks. It does have sweet notes which makes it match desserts very nicely.

I do not think it is possible to dine at Chophouse and not try their awesome house made chocolate bar with caramelized hazelnuts. With David’s own special blend of milk and dark chocolate it was rich and creamy without being overly sweet or bitter.

Suze and I took one for the team and finished off the remaining chocolate bars hee hee hee

Chophouse is adding a Carvery upstairs where they will carve up a different meat each night for all to enjoy. I await it’s opening where I might find piggy heaven once more…

Here Comes the Food dined at Chophouse as a guest of Adam and David, big thanks to them both

Chophouse

25 Bligh St

Sydney CBD

Ph: 1300 246 748 (1300 CHOP IT)

FFichiban

There are many ways Koreans had fascinated me and captured me from their style of bboying, to the nerdy style of SC/SC2 and even cruising along to K-pop. Food is no exception. However when I usually have Korean food it is bbq bbq and more bbq (preferably all you can eat style). When Soban first opened up I had expected it to be another bbq place but when I finally managed round to trying it, it turned out to different to what I had expected in a surprising way. Here Comes the Food

Bulgogi Chap-Chae ($18.90)

When I first saw the menu, I was a bit wide eyed by their pricing. They were a bit more than I had thought they would cost but when the dishes arrived it made slightly more sense. Their portions were pretty generous and could easily be shared among a few people. One thing I have to get when we eat Korean is bulgolgi, mmmm marinated beef grilled to a succulent and tender perfection. These slices of meaty goodness were definitely very impressive and with potato noodles they were a real treat. Marinated to a sweetness that enhances the tenderness of the meat, they really know their way round bulgolgi.

Chilli Gal-bi Jjim ($26.90)

My mother was raving on and on about the gal-bi I just had to try it for myself to see what all the fuss was about. Wow, the flavour this dish packed is a bit much without rice as it was quite thick and (intensely) intense by itself. The braised chunks of beef ribs were ever-so-soft and juicy and with that sweet sweet sauce it was perfect for me. It was very obvious why this was one of their more popular dishes with these kind of ribs. Some scattered greens and veges also help cut through the sauce although a bowl of rice works best for that. (But the meat *droooooolll*) However, I was disappointed by the lack of chilli kick in this dish and could barely taste any chilli but it was still very pleasant.

I did come back to Soban to try some of their other dishes and found that they do tend to make everything sweet but I have to say the Gal-bi is still a highly recommended. Probably not the healthiest of choices considering and probably not eh easiest on the wallet but it is worth checking out at least once if not just for the bulgolgi and gal-bi. I still have yet to try their bibimbap which I am eager to see if they use a real stone pot and not just a dodgy pot.

Soban Korean Cuisine

Shop 602, Level 6

Westfield Shopping Centre

Chatswood, 2067

Ph: (02) 9415 2028

FFichiban

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang

I remember when I first started getting trigger happy with my point and shoot camera. It was just before I decided to start this humble little blog. Back then I was still too embarrassed and shy to take photos of food at restaurants and stuck to sneaking in shots when nobody was watching. I have many good memories with my point and shoot so when I was asked to try out the Panasonic Lumix TZ10, I thought it would be a great way to get back in touch with my roots; where the saying, “It is not the size that counts but how you use it” rings very true.

The latest addition to the TZ family has added quite a few features since the previous models. A very lightweight model which makes it very useful as a travelling camera but also sits comfortably in the hands. Panasonic show that they know quality through their use of Leica lenses. A 25mm wide-angle f/3.3-4.9 LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with 12x optical zoom to be exact. This allows twice the shooting area of the standard 35mm lens. An impressive 3 inch LCD screen is used to for live view and playback of the photos and videos and 12.1 Megapixels of point and shoot goodness with a $650 RRP.

Technology has always been about making life easier and with the in built-in GPS feature on the Panasonic Lumix TZ10, organizing photos by locality is even easier. I would not have imagined that a GPS feature on a camera would come in handy but thinking back to my holiday and travel photos; I could had saved a lot of time sorting them out.

Mortar Combat

Night time combat usually results in a dazed and blurry state but the Panasonic Lumix TZ10 has double hand-shake correction which allows for slow shutter speeds at night without blurring. This matched with the intelligent auto (iA) setting, it will do all the hard work for you by activating seven detection and correction functions.

Lord Bagel vs Donut King

The Panasonic Lumix TZ10 also has video recording with no loss of image quality. If I was quick enough I could had recorded the epic battle between the sugary donut and equally-sugary bagel but it somehow ended in gore and jam-shed.

Now you guys can join in the fun and have a shot at winning a Panasonic Lumix TZ10. Simply leave a comment on this post answering the question, “Where in the World would you take the Panasonic Lumix TZ10 and what photo would you take?” Please read the Terms & Conditions below. Entries close 3rd September 2010 and open to all Australian residents aged 14 and over.

FFichiban

Terms and Conditions of Entry for the Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Giveaway

1. Information on how to enter and prize details form part of these conditions. Entry into this Promotion is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions of entry.

2. The Promoter is Nuffnang Australia Pty Ltd ACN 133 905 647 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              133 905 647      end_of_the_skype_highlighting of 28 St Edmonds Road, Prahran VIC 3181 (“Promoter”).

3. The Promotion will be open from 12:01 am Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time (“AEDST”) on 27 July 2010 and will continue until 11:59 pm AEDST on 3 September 2010 (“Promotion Period”).

4. Entry is open to all Australian residents, aged 14 years and over, other than management, employees or contractors of the Promoter and other agencies, firms or companies associated with the Promotion (including suppliers of prize), and their immediate families (“Eligible Entrants”).

5. In order to enter the competition:

*Participants need to leave a comment on the Panasonic competition post published in one of the nine participating blogs (The comment must include their preferred contact method in case they win [blog URL, Twitter or E-mail Address]):

a) chocolatesuze.com

b) herecomesthefood.com.au

c) ironchefshellie.blogspot.com

d) jeroxie.com/addiction

e) ladymelbourne.com.au

f) melhotornot.com

g) myfoodtrail.blogspot.com

h) sarah-cooks.blogspot.com

i) violetlebeaux.com

6. The winner will be the entry the judges most creative and practical by the judges.

7. The judges’ decision (including any decisions as to prize distribution) is final and the Promoter will not enter into correspondence regarding the result.

8. The winner will be notified via their preferred contact method, and will be asked to provide their email and contact phone number at that time. If they do not respond to the notification within 48 hours, Nuffnang reserves the right to select another winner.

9. To claim the prize, the winner must reply to the winner notification and accept the prize within 48 hours of the blog notification, as well as indicate their preferred address for the camera to be sent. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, they will forfeit the prize, and another winner will be selected using the same judging process.

10. The results will be published on the Nuffnang Australia website, the Nuffnang Australia Facebook page and Twitter account. Nuffnang Australia and Panasonic also reserve the right to publish the results, including a photo of the winner, in the media.

11. Nuffnang Australia’s business directors, management and employees, their immediate families, their retailers, suppliers, associated comapnies and agencies are ineligible. Panasonic’s business directors, management and employees, their immediate families, their retailers, suppliers, associated companies and agencies are ineligible.

12. Nuffnang Australia reserves the right to change these terms and conditions. If any changes are made Nuffnang Australia will notify the public via its website.

Disclaimer: Here Comes the Food Boozeday Toozeday posts are intended for responsible adults of the legal drinking age. If you are under the legal drinking age please cover your eyes and scroll down until all the ‘bad stuff’ has gone from your screen. We DO NOT smile upon underage drinking, drinking and driving and alcohol abuse unlike our mascot (but he smiles at anything -__-). Please drink in moderation and with caution and most importantly, enjoy ^^!

Coffee and beer? Stimulant and depressant? It is one of those pair of opposites that work so well together. A collaboration between Matilda Bay and Toby’s Estate has given birth to coffee infused dark ale Longshot. I am very grateful that this collaboration happened as the coffee/beer lovechild is a wonderful marriage of flavours. Here Comes the Booze

Scott Vincent

Head brewer of Matilda Bay and beer guru, Scott Vincent, lead us through past range of Matilda Bay beers and expertly talked us through the thought processes and inspirations for each of the beers. After comparing stories regarding roasting malts with Toby Smith, they decided to give coffee and beer combination a go. “Our seasonal releases give us an opportunity to really explore some new flavours and up the ante when it comes to challenging our devout Matilda Bay drinkers. It’s also a chance to experiment and stretch the boundaries on what can make a great beer.”

Toby Smith

Coffee drinkers are bound to know gourmet coffee roaster Toby Smith or at least know of coffee roasting business Toby’s Estate. Smith and Vincent worked tested out with some of the best coffee beans to figure out which one worked best in a beer. Finally settling on highly aromatic Ethiopian blend, Yirgacheffe, as it cooled well and acted like a ‘hop’ in some senses. The whole coffee infused beer is based on the ice coffee concept. “I’d always heard that coffee and beer made a great combination but I never imagined that one day I’d actually get the chance to team up with one of Australia’s best boutique breweries to create a beer using my own coffe beans. I always thought it was too much of a Longshot…”

Although the night was mainly dedicated to Longshot, we were also lucky enough to try some of their previous ranges along with matching foods. I was a bit surprised that Beez Neez did not make an appearance but it an educational experience none-the-less.

Big Helga matched with crisp fried kataifi prawns, aioli and finger limes

Crunchy on the outside and soft sweet prawn meat inside, along with the creamy aioli this matched the smoothness of Big Helga.

Bohemian Pilsner matched with dukkah spiced lamb skewer with minted yogurt

Tender chunks of lamb topped with refreshing yogurt complimented the smooth and crisp flavour of the Bohemian Pilsner.

Fat Yak matched with proscuitto and fiore di latte with Sicilian caper salsa

Fat Yak is the no. 1 craft beer in the country and so the beer shines by itself. However the sweetness of the beer contrasts nicely witht he saltiness of proscuitto and capers. I also love the textural crunch of the crispbread.

Alpha Pale Ale matched with spiced meatballs with homemade salsa

The big brother of Fat Yak so another fruity beer but with a sharper bitterness that lasts very briefly. It matches beautifully with spicy foods and in this case of spicy meatballs it worked a charm and a half.

Longshot poured a beautifully creamy mocha head

Longshot matched with baked dark chocolate fondant

This was a match made in heaven. The smooth and creamy coffee infused beer just complimented the chocolate in more ways than I can describe. The initial sweetness from the malts (4 different types) are then overtaken by the bitterness of the coffee aspect. She breathes a beautiful coffee aroma and seriously works as a dessert beer. Her dark sensuous body entices the taste buds with each sip, always with the sweetness then the slight bitterness.

It may had also been because the chocolate fondant was soooo very good.

Matilda Bay has a very impressive line-up and I really hope they keep coming up with these impressive beers. Craft beers are definitely the way to go and considering that they only make up 1% of the Australian market they are really going to take off.

Here Comes the Food attended this event thanks to Charmaine, Matilda Bay and Toby’s Estate

FFichiban

There are over 100 places to dine in the Crows Nest area and thinking back at the list I have been to, I have a long way to go to try them all. When I travel down Pacific Highway, I usually catch a glimpse of a sign on a side street which sends off a sense of warming homely foods. Also because I remember reading about this place on GYF heh so I had been wanting to try it for a long while now. I was greeted by the friendly wait staff but opted for outdoor seating even though it was quite chilly. Here Comes the Food

Mixed Bread Selection (for 2) to include garlic bread, pesto bread and bruschetta ($9.50)

Firstly I want to say that I majorly underestimated the portions of their food. But still managed to polish most of it off although it did result in me hobbling away (haha even more so than I am now) clutching my stomach. We started off with a bread platter of wonderfully toasted bread to give it a nice crispness that broke the winter cold with a satisfying crunch. The garlic was very buttery and tasty, the pesto could had been a bit stronger but was still good while the bruchetta had a nice tinge of acidity along with the sweetness of tomato.

Lamb Shank w/ creamy mashed potato, chef’s greens & a jus ($20.90)

The lamb shank was sitting on a huge bed of soft and creamy mash with a side of crunchy green beans. The meat was tender and fell of the bone quite easily. The jus was rich and flavoursome although very sweet and would had been too sweet if not for the mash.

Pasta of the day – prawns, bacon, sugar snaps in a creamy garlic sauce (E$16.50/M$19.50)

The pasta came piled and heaped up very generously. It was very very creamy, so it would had been very hard to finish off by one person unless they can man up to cream. It was a big portion but was nothing special and the mother even questioned the origins of the pasta and sauce.

Warm chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce & ice cream

Since it was a lunching, we wouldn’t normally order desserts but Not Bread Alone has a promotion of a free dessert with every main ordered. The desserts are all 11 dora each so it is a pretty good deal. If you think this chocolate brownie looks rich, then double that and that is about how it tasted. Richness in a puddle of richness. I ended up eating the brownie with the ice cream and leaving the chocolate sauce alone. Warm, soft and gooey it was perfect for the cool climate.

Fresh raspberry creme brulee with tuille & strawberries

A fruitier option was good to balance the chocolatey goodness. This creme brulee did not have the earth-shattering break in the caramelized sugar but it was still pretty decent. Accompanied by the strawberries and tuille it finished off a huge lunch wonderfully.

Although this place did not stir up any wow emotions it was still a nice cozy place to dine in. It is good value with the voucher and their huge portions that could feed the hungriest of people.

Not Bread Alone

2/376 Pacific Hwy

Crows Nest 2065

Ph: (02) 9966 9788

FFichiban

Oh yes, it is indeed that ramen shop owned and run by Ivan, also known as gaijin, ramenjunkie and that-white-guy who made headlines in the Wall Street Journal as the first and only ramen shop at the time established by a non-Japanese person. But hey, the fame goes beyond the fact of who owns the place, the ramen here is not too shabby either, rather it has got even locals lining up for it – that’s gotta be some indication of success in the local neighborhood of Minami Kurasuyama.

I got lost looking for the place (whilst using the map on the ramen shop’s website), if you reach a main road looking street, you’ve gone too far. The ramen shop is on a more quiet road before it when you’re coming out of Rokakouen Station. Basically the road you should be turning left from, after walking away from the station, is the one where you are next to a 7-eleven.

My group and I arrived around midday and it appears we are earlier than most as there isn’t a queue yet. I spot the man himself walking around outside talking to the few people in the line (2 of them from recollection) and procure him for a fanboi shot.

Once inside, the first thing that strikes me is that this is one pretty damn cosy ramen shop. There are about 12 seats at the counter, which surrounds the kitchen, thus eluding a very closed atmosphere where both patrons and chefs interact carefreely. Ivan is supervising here and there in the kitchen, it seems like he is the man in charge of the egg station, making sure every order of egg is a perfect molten goo.

Here Comes The Food

Shio Everything Ramen (1100yen): 3 unbelievably thick slabs of chashu submerge in an interesting tasting broth that I have never experienced before. It has a certain sharpness to the flavour that is oily at the same time as it is flat. Quite indescribable but it is own unique way has captured local followers for this dish coined ‘Ivan’s specialty.

My favourite part of the dish was the egg. I mean look at it – have you seen anything more heart-meltingly beautiful in the world of food? Even before you eat it, you know it is going to be amazing from the colour and the wobble of the yolk.

Shoyu Everything Ramen (1100yen): Uh, so there appears to be an additional 3 slices of pork in the photo. The reason for this is because I stole them from my other half’s bowl..har har har..I also ordered an extra egg because of my soft resolve to artery clogging. This was my favourite type of soup base out of the two I tried. Perhaps I’m more accustomed to a shoyu base, but either way, it just tasted better in terms of flavour.

As we slide open the door and make our way back to the busier suburbs of Tokyo, we spot the queue snaking around the corner. I take a moment and entertain myself with the concept of opening a ramen shop in Sydney, wondering whether it will have such success as Ivan has.

Ivan Ramen

3-24-7 Minamikarasuyama Setagaya-ku Tokyo 157-0067 Japan

http://www.ivanramen.com/

Google Map

Posted by ‘D’

]]> http://www.herecomesthefood.com.au/overseas/ivan-ramen-tokyo-japan.html/feed 3 http://www.herecomesthefood.com.au/eating-out/a-feast-for-the-senses-bloggers-dinner.html http://www.herecomesthefood.com.au/eating-out/a-feast-for-the-senses-bloggers-dinner.html#comments Fri, 06 Aug 2010 03:31:19 +0000 FFichiban http://www.herecomesthefood.com.au/?p=2563

A Feast for the Senses… a befitting name for the bloggers’ dinner at Bistro CBD. Four brave foodblogging warriors Billy, Fouad, Karen and Linda took up their arms and stepped up to the fires and battlefield that is the commercial kitchen. For some it is just a walk through the park but for these brave souls it was a first to serve up to 70 paying guests (At $60 per person this was definitely worth it!) But they did not do it alone, along with chef Simun Dragicevich and a cheer squad: led by head cheerleader Chocolatesuze, a ninja, a penguin, a hungryelf, a fuPhouc’n, a forkgrabber, a foodhearter, a sporksticks, a cannottakeonebitemorewithnoAIR, a piggy, a cupcake, a frenchdude, a hungrygirl, a spicymeatballicecream and a nommynomnom. Here Comes the Food

Some quick words before their chaos breaks out

Each of their dishes had been carefully planned, tested and revised for about 2 months so we knew we were all in for a great treat. While the cheer squad enjoyed a glass of sparkling, chatted happily and general relaxing the four on the other side of the readied with their weapons of choice. There are five main senses and I have to say each of the fish dishes achieved in mastering and manipulating them all to provide a memorable experience.

Simun Dragicevich – Sashimi of kingfish, avocado, wasabi, lime and soft herbs

SIGHT – Aesthetics is at the frontier of the senses. First impressions are usually cast by how one appears and,in this case, the food were all presented beautifully, almost artlike. A good range of contrasting colours and shapes always adds to the appeal of a dish. For our first course silky delicate slivers of kingfish melded with the dabs of avocado and wasabi. I really like the mild atmosphere the wasabi added to the dish although I did find the balance of oil and citrus a bit off.

Fouad – ‘Shish Barak’

HEARING – Not many people would associate hearing with food but it actually plays a big part. People like Heston always coming up ways of incorporating all the senses to create the ultimate dining experience. It may not be a major player but it can completely change how one perceives the experience. As for our second dish of the night, Fouad went back to his childhood memories and presented us Middle-Eastern style dumplings of lamb mince with yogurt sauce and pine nuts. The melodic sounds of ‘crunch’ as we bit through the nicely fried dumplings gave the dish a whole new dimension. The pine nuts were an excellent addition which contrasted nice against the soft and juicy lamb mince. The only thing I would had preferred was the yogurt sauce to be thicker so that it would not make the dumplings soggy and lose that beautiful crispy crunch.

Billy – ‘Pork You’

TASTE – Sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. Everybody has a personal preference but it is a combination of these different tastes which enhance one or the other of these. Billy has chosen wisely with his weapon of choice in the form of pork. I know he is deadly with any form of pig and this twice cooked pork belly lived up to my expectations. A brilliant ratio of fat to meat gave the pork belly a melt-in-your-mouth attribute but the skin gave it a bit more bite. The skin was not as crispy as I had hoped but considering that he was manning four pans/four slabs of pork belly he did an excellent job. Also loving the presentation of the beetroot smear, beetroot cubes and apple foam. The black pudding crumbs were also a wonderful addition although I hoped that it would arrive in the form of soil rather than just crumbs hee hee.

Karen – Braised beef in PX sherry

SMELL - The other main sense when it comes to food, it combines with taste to form flavour. Oh flavours how I love thee. Closing the eyes to enhance the sense of smell and breathing in deep to get every molecule of deliciousness. It also builds up anticipation for the taste adventure ahead. Karen surprised us all with a savoury dish as she is quite notorious for her sweets. Very pleasantly surprised indeed with this slow braised beef cheek in red wine and PX sherry on a beautiful cauliflower puree. The smooth puree was so good I could eat it by the bowlfuls but the beef cheek were easily the star. Soft, tender and falls apart at the slightest poke. This chunk of cheek was done perfectly although I would had preferred a bit more contrast in textures to break the monotony of soft and soft.

Linda – ‘This and That’

TOUCH – Sensual… From the lightest tease to full on pound, (nothing suss) touch and textures also play a big part in food experience. Although it all gets chewed down to a bolus that initial crunch or silky smooth or meltyness etc sends our senses to overdrive. Linda finished the night with a bang in the form of triple chocolate brulee cake – chocolate brownie, chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache; lemon olive oil ice cream, rhubarb jam, almond crumble and a brandy tuile. A wonderful combination of flavours that had us tasting and guessing and retasting just decipher the different components. A sprinkle of sea salt flakes enhances the chocolate that much extra while the ice cream and tuile contrast beautifully together.

Mark’s Gogogorilla-pod

Billy plating up

Linda hiding while paparazzi hits (didn’t manage to capture the other two especially with my condition I could not go recon)

Battle done and won, a huge congratulations and thanks to the four foodbloggers that made this meal exceptional and left us all wowed and impressed. This has truly got me excited and hoping for more blogger dinners! Also thanks to Yas for whipping out his sanitary iPad for mood lighting!

FFichiban

Din Tai Fung. Just hearing the name makes me think of the utmost delicate skin wrapping around a juicy morsel of steamed meat which bursts flavours and can burn the tongue of unwary eaters. I am sure most of the Sydneysiders have visited or at least heard of the marvel of which is the Din Tai Fung dumplings at World Square but even those ones are not comparable to the original ones in good old Taiwan. Here Comes the Food

In the basement of the SOGO department store, taking up a lot of the floor is this big restaurant with polished wooden finishing and a huge glass window; where behind masked and hatted people carefully make, stretch and weigh out each individual dumpling by hand. The staff and service at Din Tai Fung is probably the best I have had from an Asian restaurant in Sydney and the Taiwanese branches are not much different with friendly and welcoming staff. However, the wait in line can get uite out of hand for I have heard of people waiting up to 3 hours just to get a table and this is not even the main branch (which could be even longer!).

Pork XiaoLongBao

We could not come here and not order the pork XLB! Each of these little dumplings packed a hefty amount of tasty juices and meaty filling and with matched with vinegar and ginger it was very refreshing. Maybe it is the atmosphere and environment but these ones did manage to taste better than the XLB from the Sydney branch.

Stir-Fry Taiwanese Lettuce (NT$170)

I am not sure but I do not think this is available at the Sydney branch. The crisp and fresh taste of the Taiwanese lettuce with an appropriate amount of oil so it doesn’t leave a greasy feeling in the mouth.

Spicy Shrimp and Pork Wonton (NT$160)

Although the chilli does not pack as much of a punch as I had hoped it was still very nicely done with tender and juicy filling wrapped by that delicate casing. The chilli adds a nice dimension to this dish and I much prefer this over the non-chilli version.

Steamed Vegetable Dumpling

A vegetarian version of their famous steamed dumplings. There fine attention to the details of each dumpling still amazes me, just look at that handiwork!

Chicken XiaoLongBao (NT$120)

A chicken variation which I enjoyed immensly as well. Probably can’t compare and say which one was better when compared to the pork but both are delicious in their own ways.

Noodle with Sesame and Peanut Sauce (NT$100)

I looovveee noodles and I looovee peanut sauce so this dish pretty much sums me up. Slurping up the soft and luscious strands which ‘pop’ with each bite along with the smooth and thick sauce is just pure bliss.

ShaoShing Wine Marinated Chicken (NT$280)

Another famous dish is the wine marinated chicken which serves up slivers of juicy and tender chicken thigh. A nice soft and fatty skin along with the tender meat which has soaked up all that wine to give it that nice subtle flavour hit.

House Steamed Beef Soup (NT$190)

Fried Pork Chop (NT$100)

Fried without a thick and gluggy batter to keep it nice and light, DTF sure know how to deep fry their pig. The chunks of pork still have a bit of crunch followed by tender and sweet pork. These chops are moreish and match perfectly to a cool refreshing beer.

My cousin Serena posing with a giatn dumpling

I do not think I could personally wait 3 hours for a decent meal but I sure can understand why some people would be doing it for a place like DTF. I am glad that Sydney has opened up a branch but I still find it hard not to visit it when I go back to Taiwan.

Din Tai Fung – Fuxing Branch

B2F. SOGO Department Store, No. 300, Sec. 3, Zhongxiao E. Rd.

Da-an district

Taipei City 10652

Ph: 886-2-8772-0528

FFichiban