‘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

What is there not to like about trying a new restaurant? Unless it turns out to be terrible with bad food, rude staff and smelly toilets :S but when I first saw Tomislav from the outside I knew immediately that that would not be the case with this place. The first step inside I could feel the cozy and warm atmosphere, situated to one side was the open kitchen (so we can spy whether or not they spit in our food jkjk) while the rest of the area was dotted with matching tables and chairs.

I am a bit of a sucker for very well presented food so after I saw the review at ES&T I knew I had to come here for my b’day celebration. We were very warmly greeted by an extremely friendly waiter who joked with us and made us feel right at home. First impressions sure do make an impact! After ‘ooh’ing and ‘ahh’ing over features like the awesome butter we took a gander at the menu. They did not have a great variety on their menu but I took this as a sign that they do these dishes very well so Here Comes the Food.

Mmmm sourdoughy

The awesomebutter! I was very surprised at how soft it was when I put my knife through it. It was like cutting through a fluffy cloud

Rice Crackers – sea salt and vinegar ($6)

A very novel idea for a starter and everybody (mainly me) enjoyed the interactive vinegar spritzer. The crackers were nice and crisp and the balance of saltiness from the sea salt and the sourness of the vinegar was a winning combination.

Rangers Valley Sirloin Roll (50g) – toast – wasabi crumbs ($11)

A smaller-than-bite-sized portion of very tender and delicate sirloin. The wasabi crumb and toast added nice textures but not much flavour to the sirloin.

A happy team = happy tasty food ^^!

Basmati Rice Risotto – cured scallops – chives – lemon Zest ($18)

The scallops do look a different to what we expected but the flavour of the risotto was the real deal. Cooked to a beautiful al dente and with right amount of creamy flavour so that it was not overpowering. I didn’t get to try the scallop so I don’t know how they faired but I found that basmati rice gave the risotto a different spin on the taste.

Freshly Shucked Sydney Rock Oysters -lemon ice – soy dressing ($12/22)

Poached Yellow Fin Tuna – egg linguine – Parmesan – celery cress ($19)

The beautiful slab of yellow fin tuna was presented on the  beautiful black slate like a few of their other dishes. I also really liked the roll of pasta, everything was neat and tidy and just precise. The tuna was soft and velvety in the mouth and almost melts away. I regret not stealing some of the linguine and it even looked appetizing as it was slurped up and gobbled away.

Poached Comboyne Hen’s Egg – warm potato cream – toast – Kurobouta sausage ($18)

This was easily my favourite 1st course of the night and fortunately it was the one I chose. The soft mixture was very creamy and smooth while the egg yolk burst after some stirring and created pretty yellow strands against the white of the egg white and potato cream. The toast was wonderfully crisp and matched the eggy potato perfectly in flavour as well as acting as the perfect vessel. Then there were the surprises of the little chunks of the sausage which were bursts of saltier goodness. This was a very well done dish and I would go back just for this but if there was anything I would change about it is would be to make it a bigger portion XD!

Wild River Saltwater Barramundi – cauliflower – parsley crumbs – king browns ($31)

When the barramundi appeared it was accompanied by an array of caluflower, parsley crumbs and king brown mushrooms and it did look very good with a shiny coat of oil. However when it was cut into it was still quite raw in the middle and therefore did not flake away easily. We did let the kitchen and they accommodated very helpfully with another piece of barramundi that was cooked a bit more. However the fish was nowhere near as spectacular as the steak which the rest of us ordered.

O’Connor Scotch Fillet – grilled mango – chives – bone marrow ($30)

I was instantly drawn in by the accompanying marrow in this dish and the steak, naturally. The steak was pre-cut which is not really the way I prefer it as I enjoy cutting the meat the way I like, sometimes in big chunks and sometimes nice and thin as they had here. The meat was juicy and tender and oozing beautiful flavour with each bite. Each slice brought a big grin on my mouth and then I eagarly look at the bone on the side of the plate but unfortunately was met with this…

A small smidgen of marrow I gaze longly at the one next it mine and give off a small sigh..

/gaze longingly

However, I did not let that ruin the already wonderful dish I was enjoying. It may have been small but it packed a wonderful flavour and richness that made me feel all gooey inside. Along with the main we also ordered a few sides to go with. I was informed that the chips were really good so two of them were ordered and were definitely worth it!

Crinkle cut chips ($8)

These chips were as amazing as they come, crunchy on the outside and thick and fluffy on the inside with the perfect amount of seasoning. These chips were the perfect side for the steak and marrow.

Iceberg lettuce ($7)

The iceberg lettuce on the other hand was a bit mundane. I am not too sure what it was about it that made it seem a bit disappointing as the leaves were fresh. It just tasted a bit inelegant for a place like this.

Yay sparkler!

Dark Chocolate Mousse – toasted hazelnuts – vanilla ice-cream ($14)

The ball of dark chocolate mousse explodes a brilliant chocolate and hazelnutty on the palate. It reminds me of Ferrero Rocher but a very elegant and done-up version with the simple smoothness of chocolate and hazelnut combination. The toasted hazelnuts also packed a little surprise in the form of popping candy which pop musically in our mouths while we giggle like little schoolgirls. A very impressive dessert indeed and this was only the first of 3.

Caramel Pudding – yoghurt sorbet – caramelised walnuts ($14)

I also love anything that is yogurty, and this was no exception. The rich and smooth sorbet with a slight sourness contrasts perfectly against the crunch of the sweet walnuts chunks and delicate pudding underneath. The pudding was very silky on the tongue and carried a wonderful caramel flavour.

Vanilla Cheesecake – cream cheese – blackberry sorbet ($14)

Seems to be a trend going here that all of their desserts are winners. This cheesecake had a big surprise factor and that was, you could probably guess first, the texture of the cake. It was pretty much like a foam or meringue when I first put my spoon through it. Even with its’ light and fluffy texture, it still gave off a rich flavour. To be honest I don’t really remember the blackberry in the sorbet, so might have been subtle or I am just being a goldfish.

With very tasty food (which becomes totally understandable after finding out all the impressive places and people Tomislav Martinovic has worked with), a warm cozy atmosphere and super friendly staff this place has pretty much got all the ingredients for an enjoyable meal. I can see myself coming back here many more times if not just for those desserts!

Tomislav

2/13 Kirketon Road,

Darlinghurst 2010

Ph: (02) 9356 4535

Head Chef: Tomislav Martinovic

FFichiban

As soon as I saw the pretty Winery sign studded with bright red roses I thought to myself, “Good work! I have chosen the perfect place for my manly brother heh heh heh.” With the help of the lovely Steph, we ended up at the Surry Hills restaurant of the Gazebo restaurants to celebrate my brothers birthday.

Just gotta love the lazy afternoon feeling

It was a beautiful, warm day and the whole atmosphere of the place (although has a slight yuppie feel) was perfect fro celebrating with some good food and wine! The whole place was covered in pretty and colourful flowers and other interesting ornaments of upside down birds and deers wearing ties. I didn’t get a photo of the giant chessboard outside but I thought it really added a nice touch to the place, and giant chess = much entertainment ^^!

Wooww a Grange bottle for a flower vase hee hee

To start off, a nice glass of wine was needed to set off the celebratory mood! We browsed through the menu and I immediately recognized many of the dishes from the posts I had read so without delay Here Comes the Food

Crispy squid, mint, coriander & a chilled cucumber salad ($18)

Freshly fried curls of squid accompanied by a cool cucumber salad really hits the spot. The soft squid was of a nice texture and the crispy batter contrasted beautifully with the meat. A very fresh tasting dish with the addition of the mint and coriander.

Brandied chicken liver pate, cornichons, toasts ($18)

Probably my favourite of the share plates was this crunchy toasts with brandied chicken liver pate. Smear the toast generously with the beautiful creamy pate and crunch your way to a heavenly bite. The little cornichons also provided a nice refreshing burst of pickled goodness to break the monotonousness of just pate and toast.

Spinach & ricotta stuffed mushrooms, pinenuts, pesto, basil ($18)

These were very cute little mushrooms and burst with juices when you bit into them. Then the oozy cheesey filling warms to you. Very moreish indeed, but that is probably because I love the spinach and ricotta combination so.

Kingfish ceviche, lemon, ginger spritz & crunchy edamame ($19)

The kingfish ceviche was wonderfully fresh and with a decent zing of lemon and ginger spritz, it was also another popular dish among the table. The contrast of crunchy edamame with the soft and silky slices of fish was another big plus for this dish.

Beer battered Barra, mushy peas, fries & tartare ($24)

My cousin is a fan of all things deep-fried so he couldn’t really look past the beer battered Barramundi with fries. I really loved the presentation of this dish, in a tall cone of paper and longs sticks of flaky fish. Each bite gave a delicious crunch and the choice of different sauces/dips was awesome.

Eye fillet, creamy mash, caramelized eschallot, jus ($29)

I didn’t get to try any of this as my brother dug into it with a force to be reckoned with but from his face it seemed like it was satisfying, although maybe a little small haha.

BBQ’d lamb & fetta burger, grilled eggplant, yoghurt dressing & crinkles ($21)

My lamb burger was very juicy with the sauces and juices dripping down all over my hands and face… but I did not care for it was delicious and I just kept munching into it. The combination of flavours were brilliant and I also got a little pot of chips which were beautifully crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.

Grape, Champagne & chicken pie, buttered spinach ($23)

We just had to try the grape pie! Little blobs of grapes dotted the pie which had a beautiful flaky pastry crust and soft and tender shreds of chicken. The champagne flavour was also present although on the subtler side. The grapes popped with hot juices as we bit into them so you had to be a bit careful but they did had a very interesting dimension to the pie.

Hee hee urinal lights on the ceiling of the little boys room

Ahhhhhh soo ppuuurrrdddyyyy ^^!

Happy B’day big brooooo – not like a b’day without the sparklers!

Apple crumble in a crunchy walnut pastry cup, ice cream ($13)

A very interesting version of apple crumble and I really enjoyed the crunchy pastry cup and crumble but I am not a big fan of raisins in dishes :S I like them by themselves but when I dish I find them a bit too sweet and overpowering.

Chocolate brownie, ice cream, fairy floss, chocky sauce ($13)

We just had to get this chocolate brownie with the fairy floss (as Steph put it) mullet! Pure decadence with each bite and love the fun and airy fairy floss. The warm and gooey brownie was very good and finished off the meal very grandly.

A very tasty meal and with everyone satisfied we waddle off, saying goodbye and cya soon to the gossiping cockatoos.

*NOTE* talking about B’days and girly stuff I just passed mine (yeahh I’m olldd nooowww ) and I got FF13 whheeeee ^^! So if I disappear for the next 100 hours or so you know where I am hee hee.

I have heard good and bad things… I’m hoping that they have not screwed it up (Damn you SquareEnix! Bring back Sqauresoft!) but to be honest I am more excited about FFversus13 ^^! Whhee Noctis ^^!

The Winery by Gazebo

285A Crown St

(through the old sandstone gates, next to Thomas Dux)

Surry hills, 2010

Ph: (02) 9331 0833

FFichiban

There are just some partnerships that are undeniably perfect for each other. For me, beef and beer are just one of those partnerships (to all the wine drinkers I say beer > wine ) and so when Craig of Mumu Grill teamed up with Dan the beer snob of Beer Snobs I knew something magical was going to happen. Two people, one with a deep passion for cooking organic and sustainable meats to perfection and other with a deep passion for drinking only perfection come together to teach us average Joes how to enjoy what we put in our mouths on a different level.

The difference between a cut of wagyu sirloin and normal sirloin, not only is the marbling quite noticeably different but so are the price tags…

We started off with the cooking part of the class where Craig began with the basics of the meat. It is important to know where and how these meat came around as important as what we feed ourselves it is also vital to know what these cows were fed. Grass-fed beef is a more time consuming and less efficient way of raising the cows for beef but there are many health advantages with a higher Omega 3 content over the grain-fed and of course the natural flavours of the grass-fed beef is more intense and of greater quality.

He then educates us that the cut of meat and which part of the cow it comes from also determines its flavour. I was surprised to find out that only 20% of the cow is used for primary cuts which includes the rump, rib eye fillet, sirloin and tenderloin. Such a low percentage of the cow consists of primal cuts that these should be treated with respect and cooked to maximize their flavours otherwise the cow would have died in vain!

After obtaining the meat, the next step is to age it. This is the process of allowing the natural enzymes in the meat to act on and break down the muscle fibres to result in a softer and more tender meat. There are two processes of aging and that is the wet aging and the dry aging. Aging (especially dry aging) requires very specific conditions so that the meat does not go bad and does result in some weight-loss, therefore it is a costly and timely process and props to Craig for doing it properly. The meat is usually at its prime at 4-6 weeks of aging.

Next came the important steps of oiling up the meat (not the pan) and giving it a good coat of seasoning. Different chefs have their own special blend to apply to their steaks but basically it is oil, sea salt to bring the intrinsic flavours of the meat out and pepper to add that extra spice into the steak. You can also make a dry rub for the meat as we did for the cut of prime rib. Now comes the cooking of the meat which means Here Comes the Food.

The students of the class then took turns in helping with the cooking!

A T-bone steak and wagyu sirloin was grilled to a beautiful rare state and then allowed to cooked through to a medium-rare in the open fire oven. I am a bit disappointed I did not get any photos of the final product as I was helping out in the kitchen but the taste of the T-bone Tagliatta and the wagyu sirloin were just divine. They were both so tender and juicy and even though the marbling of the wagyu caused it to be melt-in-your-mouth goodness, the T-bone was also equally delicious with an aromatic garlic and rosemary sauce.

Once all the dishes were completed we moved to the outdoor seating to enjoy the sunshine and the beer section of the class

Of course, we had to do our thang!

The eye fillet wrapped in proscuitto and sage (check out my pro wrapping skills on one of them…) worked together to create a harmony of flavours with each bite. The saltiness of the proscuitto worked very well with the sage and the tender cut of meat.

BBQ Ribs; BBQ Szechwan and coffee crusted Prime rib with BBQ pear salad and horseradish

These BBQ ribs were probably my favourite dish of the day, followed closely by the T-bone. The meat simply fell off the bone and each bite resulted in a luscious tender chunk of meat. The BBQ sauce also matched the quality of the meat with its sweet and sticky goodness. If I could have had it my way, I would have taken both plates of ribs and cleaned them. The prime rib with the szechwan and coffee crust also worked out to be a treat. The subtle pepper matched the subtlety of the coffee to not only give the meat a beautiful flavour but aroma as well. Once again the meat was cooked to a juicy medium-rare, as it should be, matched with the salad off BBQ vegetables and pear.

Dan the Beer Snob and his brilliant shirt

Dan starts off by explaining how he wants to make the world a better place by getting boutique beers into every possible place and I totally applaud his passion for beer, for I too love the boutique beers ^^! He then educates us that a good beer should be allowed to breathe by pouring into a glass (I prefer a chilled glass) then examine the beer with the three Cs; Colour, Clarity and Carbonation. The colour of the beer would of course be determined by the type of beer it is and can vary from a dark chocolate to a light wheat yellow. The clarity of the beer can vary from a cloudy mist due to suspended yeast to a clear filtered beer. Lastly the carbonation of the beer as it give it a good swirl. Then you give the beer three big whiffs to get all the scents of all the different flavours.

The beers we tried at the class were;

Wicked Elf Witbier – My favourite beer of the day as it was incredibly smooth and reminded me a lot of Hoegarden (my favourite beer of all time heh). Wheat beer does have a more intense flavour and it really is like drinking liquid bread, which is probably why I love them so much. It gives off a tropically aroma which also adds to the slight fruitiness of the beer.

Murrays Pilsner – This beer gives a sweet aroma of honey which reminds me of Beez Neez but ends with a bitterness which is a bit of an acquired taste. It does have a crisp and clean flavour that I can see many people appreciating.

Pigs Fly Pale Ale – Another crisp and fresh beer with a golden colour also with a slight fruity tinge to it.Not as bitter as the Murrays but does have a slight lingering bitterness but overall very easy to drink.

Moo Brew Dark Ale – This beer was mind-blasting in the way that it would be considered a dessert beer. There were obvious tones and hints of chocolate and cheeries and as soon as Dan said ‘blackforest cake’ everybody was nodding their head in agreement. I also found that there was a linger of coffee in the aftertaste. Definitely an interesting beer and I would like to try some with some blackforest cake heh.

A very education and interesting class with delicious food, fascinating drinks and awesome teachers! It was great fun being in the kitchen and testing out our skills with Craig and then learning and discussing all things beer with Dan. After all this I think it is time for a beer and a steak

Here Comes the Food attended this class courtesy of Mumu Grill

Mumu Grill

70 Alexander St

Crows Nest

Ph: (02) 94606877

Head Chef: Craig MacIndoe

FFichiban

When I first heard about the Blue Angel I had casually kept it at the back of my mind because all I heard was about the lobsters that they serve. Little did I know that this restaurant would be one to source some of the finest Wagyu beef in Australia. A smiling cupid poised with his arrow welcomed us as we descended into the deep blue…

The ambiance was the first thing to strike me as the luminescent lighting from the lobster tanks contrasted with the dim warm lighting to give off the feeling of an underwater grotto. The next thing to hit me was the list of Wagyu beef selections on the menu (naturally) and the desserts! I was then not so surprised by the many tables of Japanese patrons that surrounded us.

Spider-lobster?

A little meander around the underwater ‘cave of wonders’ lead me to a even larger lobster tank, which I found out from their website holds more than 200kg, just behind the bar which was pretty impressive until I came was the fridge…

I think my heart skipped a few beats when my eyes fell upon these slabs of awesomeness

I had a quick chat with the owner, Marcello Marcobello, as he works the front of house cooking up a storm with lobsters, steaks or some desserts. I learnt that the Blackmore Wagyu Beef, which have an incredible marbling score 9+, are from South Australia and they actually get exported into Japan! Also found out that a table of 8 people or so next to us ordered 3kg of the sirloin (above picture: L side)! Sitting back into my seat in a state of awe, Here Comes the Food

Garlic Bread and hee hee don’t see chopsticks at an Italian restaurant much

I had hoped that the garlic bread would be mind-blasting but it just lacked that pizzazz that would make it that extra bit better. It was still very tasty with a good crunchy crust with a soft, fluffy interior and aromatic buttery and garlic flavour.

Blue Angel Antipasto (for 2)

We decided to give the Blue Angel antipasto platter a go and it was surprisingly big! Even I was impressed by the amount of cold cuts and goodies they had on it. There was a generous combination of proscuittos, salamis, cheeses, olives, mortadella, octopus and crispy bread to keep us happy. I was happily tucking into each different item and trying out many weird and wonderful combinations. This platter is a good idea if you have a very healthy apppetite and do not mind the slight saltiness of the meats.

Blue Angel – Marcello Marcobello’s cooking station

Blue Angel – Porcini Risotto

A rich and creamy risotto which packed a lot of flavour with every bite. The risotto to sauce ratio was very well done, not too dry and not too gluggy and with shaves of parmasen cheese melting slowly on top. Overall this dish was very tasty and had great rich flavours infused into each grain of rice but if there was one thing I had to point out, it is the rice was slightly undercooked so had a bit more bite than al dente.

Steak Diane (Blue Angel Specialty)

I decided to go with the house specialty of steak diane. A bonus with this dish is that they cook it right next to your table but since our table was a bit packed in, the trolley couldn’t reach all the way to our table. The steak arrived to our table with an amazing aroma of butter and garlic and of course the meat. The meat was very tender and soft so it practically melted in your mouth. It was a delicious cut of meat but to be honest I kind of regret not getting any of the beautiful sirloin from the fridge. The aftermath of the steak did leave a bit of a sight unwanted haha. At this point we were too full even though we were really set on getting the crepes suzette (also cooked by your table) we shall have to wait until next time.

With a history of nearly 50years, this restaurant sure does know how to provide very high quality ingredients. The staff are professional although not as attentative as I had experienced from other places and I would had preferred them to be a bit more friendly but Marcello was a very interesting and pleasant to talk to. This place is not easy on the wallet but I do want to come back and try either their lobsters or sirloin and most definitely their desserts!

Blue Angel

223 Palmer St

East Sydney, 2010

Ph: (02) 9380 5941

FFichiban