And the "E"-mie Goes To...!

The gracious Agnes, fellow Melbourne-based food blogger of the always very readable Off the Spork has passed onto Spot4Nosh the E for Excellent Blog award. Thanks Agnes! It is most gratifying to know that there are folks out there who enjoy the blog. I certainly enjoy adding to it since that means we've had yet another memorable (good or bad, no matter) food experience!



I would like to pass the E for Excellent Blog accolade on to Lucy and her blog Nourish Me, also from Melbourne. I'll have to be honest and say that I'd only recently truly discovered her blog, but have since remained charmed. Most of the meals we enjoy and write about in Spot4Nosh wouldn't exactly be classified as healthy or particularly nourishing (if that's all we ate!) so Lucy's poetic and meditative reflections on much more wholesome foods, and her lovely photographs, are all the more appreciated. I feel purged and refreshed everytime I visit!

Pies Ain't Pies - Joe's Garage

Weeks continue to merge at a rapid rate. It appears we're still on Brunswick Street though it's another weekend, but which one already? Today is more than grey. Windy, shiveringly cold, frozen ears, heavy drizzle and fog on breath. Weather that Melbourne used to be known for, though we haven't seen it for quite awhile. But isn't this just what we Melbournians live for, and hadn't we all missed it? Glorious...(?)


We're at Joe's Garage for lunch, a large cafe bistro marked by red and blue neon signage and very Fitzroy. The large wood dominated dining space is decorated by quirky art and Gen Y band posters. We especially like the Mamboesque works featuring the cafe's namesake. First priority was coffees which were quite passable, and reasonable ($2.90), Grinders 'European Blend'. An extra 50 cents will get you an extra tall glass's worth, enough caffeine to ensure insomnia for the next few nights. We don't often order pizza unless it was the specific purpose of the eat-out but decided to try the Joe's Special with hot salami, roasted peppers, olives, artichokes, chilli and mozzarella ($12.90). We shouldn't have strayed from our regular no-pizza habit really. The toppings were okay but Joe's pizza base was pretty terrible. Droopy and lacking of fresh oven-heat like it had been left at the pass for too long before being brought to our table. Perhaps our pizza was the reason for the series of angry "Tings!" coming from the kitchen's pass bell about 10 minutes before? The Soup of the Day of Smoked Chorizo and Capsicum ($7.90) was much better, a hearty blend of smoky and garlicky chilli flavours served with a couple of slices of toasted sourdough. Very filling.

Joe's Special in fact turned out to be rather ordinary, let down by its base

The place was buzzing with a Saturday lunchtime crowd escaping from the weather but the 'Garage's' young waitstaff were just as buzzy and up to the task, rushing quite efficiently around their tables with cheery smiles on faces. Perhaps they were happily anticipating the morning's wages spent on drinking along with one of those bands posted on the walls? We don't blame the pizza on them.

Food: 3 Spots - Go more for the crowds, buzz, and perhaps breakfast.
Service: 3.5 Spots - Designer jeans, cargos, Tee's, bandanas.
Value: 3 Spots - Typical bistro, better can be found elsewhere.
R-Factor: 3.5 Spots - For breakfast? For dinner?
Spot Score: 13/20

Joe's Garage
366 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, VIC.

Fine Blue Sunday - Scarpetta Ristorante

We woke late to rather bleak daylight, a weak almost noon sun struggling to break through the grey and with no hope of warming up the apartment. "What a delightful blue Sunday", commented KB half mockingly. But she was right, delightful enough motivation for us to attempt an escape from the chill with a leisurely walk somewhere out-of-doors. We ended up doing the entire stretch of nearby eclectic Brunswick Street (check out the link for a very cool virtual stroll along both sides of Brunswick Street), once known for its bohemian mix of locals and layabouts but nowadays somewhat redefined by the weekend jostling of late model European sedans as their very plebeian, nouveau rich middle-class owners explore the many restaurants on offer. As it was then almost 2, we were rather keen on somewhere for a late lunch as well.

Attracted by the menu on its window we walked through the dark doorway of Scarpetta, a cute little Italian bar bistro. Inside we hesitated, we were the only customers! But it was too late, the Manager who was interupted at the bar with his ledgers looked up, grinned broadly and motioned for us to grab seats, "For two this afternoon?" Further in was a see-through pass to the kitchen where the chef and one other were looking out questioningly at us. No way we were backing out now, so we took the proferred menus and tried to relax. And we were glad we did. The Manager had time on his hands to be chatty and charming, and quickly made us feel at ease despite our lonesome visit during the late afternoon doldrums. KB's Orechiette with prawns, calamari, scallops, fish and spinach ($26) was brimming with fresh seafood and a fine clean olive oil version of marinara pasta, sufficiently garlicky and with plenty of just warmed-through fresh tasting diced tomato and basil. My Fish of the Day ($29) was rather surprisingly, Coral Trout, lightly flour-dusted fillets competently sauteed and served over wilted spinach, creamed mash and a very tasty ratatouille of eggplant, zucchini, red peppers and onion. A recommended glass ($8) of local Diamond Valley 'Blue Label' Pinot Noir complemented the oiled tomatoey flavours of the meal perfectly, and the long black coffee ($3.50) to finish was decent as well. We would be keen to return at a more regular and busier time to explore Scarpetta's pizza menu and test out its less 'personalised' service.

A tasty dish of simply pan fried Coral Trout fillets

Food: 3.5 spots - Simple Italian fare done competently; good list of wines by the glass.
Service: 3.5 spots - [Only the Manager was there on our visit].
Value: 3.5 spots - Quite regular bistro prices with fair sized dishes.
R-Factor: 3.5 spots - Place to consider if feeling like Mediterranean/pizza/pasta in an area not so known for Italian eateries.
Spot Score: 14/20

Scarpetta Ristorante
257 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, VIC.

A Peek at Pearl on the Peak - Hong Kong Food

I did manage some free days in Hong Kong to play tourist and fortuitously, the last happened to fall on the first bright and sunny day following two dreary windless weeks of grey smog and misty drizzle. Of course one of my first destinations on the day was to catch the funicular tram up Victoria Peak to take in the famous views of Hong Kong Island and its city skyscrapers and across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon and beyond. Not being in my conciousness at the time, I was taken by surprise when I bumped into a familiar logo whilst wandering around the dominating anvil-shaped architecture of the Peak Tower terminus at the summit (has been described as wok-shaped). Among the expected tourist trap gift shops, themed attractions, cafes, and takeaway-food fronts, were several restaurants including the very upmarket Pearl on the Peak, chef Geoff Lindsay's collaborative project in Hong Kong.

Dramatic Peak Tower that is home to iconic Pearl (on the Peak) in Hong Kong

The look and feel of the restaurant projected the same cool sophistication as Lindsay's flagship Pearl Restaurant in Richmond Melbourne. A quick browse of the menu also sparked much recognition with only minor differences reflecting alternative sources of produce and perhaps catering to regional expectations of a Western fine dining restaurant. The menu of centrepiece offerings however, screams out at a substantive accumulation of food miles. Signatures like the wok-seared pearl meat was there, as was the one-side only seared yellowfin tuna. But what stands Pearl on the Peak apart would be the breathtaking views out its floor-to-ceiling glass windows. In the absence of a low level cloud cover or a high smog alert, I can only imagine the awesome glittering spectacle that a twilight or evening booking would offer to accompany your dinner and wine. Certainly leaves the dark vista across to the apartment carpark at the corner of Chapel and Howard Streets well and truly for dead!
Pearl on the Peak, 1/F Peak Tower, 128 Peak Road, The Peak, Hong Kong.

Views you'd expect to enjoy when dining at Pearl on the Peak may be worth the price of admission alone

With some regret I had neither the time, company, nor willingness of pocket to dine at Pearl that morning. Instead with stomach growling, I ducked into one of the tourist trap cafes and resigned myself to a comparatively humble breakfast of Tonkatsu Ramen, unremarkable reconstituted instant noodles in a salty dishwater broth though with passable panko crusted pork. Meanwhile, will be hoping that there'll be an opportunity to revisit Pearl on the Peak in a proper manner in the not too distant future.

Alas no dining in style for me on this occasion - very ordinary cafe-shop ramen instead

Birds of the Orient - Hong Kong Food

Stone tablet motif of Shui Hu Ju's menu

The line-up of drafts that call for my attention here reminds me of the somewhat unsettling queue of floating planes I witnessed out my seat window only just recently, each held up in their allocated pocket of airspace as they await their turn to land at one of the busiest of airports. Which is a convenient segue onto my short stay in Hong Kong for work last month, though tight schedules and a lack of local knowledge meant that I barely touched the surface on the broad and exotic culinary opportunities on offer there. Despite this however, I did manage to grab a few interesting meals which on reflection appeared to be dominated by an avian theme. Poultry in its many forms is certainly the most popular meat consumed in the Far East, occasional outbreaks of bird flu notwithstanding.

My first meal of note was a work related function, a full dinner banquet at the Cantonese restaurant of the Royal Park Hotel located deep in the New Territories. An all expenses paid procession of courses so I certainly had no complains! Regrettably each dish was only presented to the table briefly then whisked away to be portioned out for each diner, and I had to be on my best behaviour, so there was little opportunity with the camera. But we had shark fin soup, scallops in XO sauce, salt and pepper fried prawns, whole steamed grouper, beef stir-fried with vegetables, BBQ duck, wok-tossed noodles and something I’d never tried before, claypot braised duck feet and sea-cucumber (beche-de-mer). The sea-cucumber was ho-hum, it was the not unpleasantly gelatinous webbed duck feet that was a new textural experience.
Royal Park Chinese Restaurant, The Royal Park Hotel, 8 Pak Hok Ting Street, Shatin, Hong Kong.

Here’s hoping Donald scrubbed between his toes

Another evening I caught up with some folks for pre-dinner drinks in Central district, Hong Kong’s tourist and business inner-city heart. The maze of upmarket pubs and clubs gave the area away as the premier hangout for the professional expatriate population. Allow me to confirm that any typical ‘Suit’ in a bar there can be just as pretentiously obnoxious as ones you’re likely to brush pelvises against in downtown Little Collins Street, a universal breed to be sure. Dinner post-drinks was at a rather upmarket establishment famous for its specialty Northern Chinese cuisine.

Meaty treasures found in Stewed Beef Rib Wrapped with Lotus Leaf

The restaurant Shui Hu Ju is part of the Aqua Group, a conglomerate of hip restaurants and bars located around the city. SHJ is quite a stylish replica of a traditional Chinese teahouse, discreet entrance marked by period red lanterns and upon entry, dark moody corners with period timber screens and antique furnishings and artefacts to match. We sampled signature dishes such as the Stewed Beef Rib Wrapped with Lotus Leaf, a huge green parcel opened at the table by our waitress to reveal headily spiced meat shredded off the bone to be picked at with our chopsticks at leisure and dipped into a soy vinaigrette with fresh bird’s eye chilli. Then there was a show stopping dish of Deep Fried Chicken with Sichuan Chilli, crispy fried pieces of exotic black skinned Silkie chicken poking through a sea of fiery peppers. Biting through the deliciously light crispy coating on the meat, a faint pleasant tone of Chinese medicinal herbs could be detected. For about 10 seconds...then the chilli kicks in and nostrils flare to the sharp fumes while tastebuds are cauterised by the lethal coating of powdered Szechuan pepper and chilli. The trick here was to attempt to recover quickly from the shock and ignore the burning pain. Then when our tastebuds surrendered to a dull throbbing numbness, the buried rich flavours would start registering in the brain receptors once again. Phew, and what a trip it was. We finished to the last piece in nose sniffing and lip trembling satisfaction.
Shui Hu Ju, 68 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong.

A volcanic plate of Deep Fried Chicken with Sichuan Chilli

On my last evening in Honkers, I gathered with a bunch of like-minded colleagues back at Central for a booking at Yung Kee Restaurant, world renowned for its Cantonese-style roasted goose. How famous? Just google the words “roast goose Hong Kong” and you’ll be led directly to Yung Kee, and the exultations of the multitudes that have made pilgrimage there and been touched by ‘the goose’. Our waitress knowingly confirmed that we’ll want to book a whole goose for our meal even before we were properly seated to be handed menus, such was the confidence that the signature dish was what all customers come to the restaurant for…as highlighted by this excerpt from travel writer and expatriated New York native, Daisann McLane in her Hong Kong Blog “Learning Cantonese”.

“...I remember that bird flu period. It was a sad time in Hong Kong. You’d enter Yung Kee, and before the grey-haired bespectacled waiter even handed you a menu, he’d be apologizing: "Sorry, no goose today". And then he would nod, understandingly, so that his customer would not feel any embarrassment or qualms about walking out of the restaurant on the spot. Such honor and candor is rare among restauranteurs.”

Yung Kee's roasted goose, has been listed as one of the 'must-try-before-you-die' food experiences

Anyway the roasted goose at Yung Kee was an impressive bird indeed, succulent and meaty with sweet crispy skin to savour with each mouthful. Compared to the more familiar roast duck, the goose was sweeter, less gamey and much richer. It’s definitely a meal to be shared, as its richness could easily become too much of a good thing. We also sampled Yung Kee’s equally famous preserved century duck eggs that were served as a sulphurously pungent amuse bouche eaten with loads of pickled ginger, followed by Chinese five-spice roasted pigeon, prawns with XO sauce, and several other Cantonese dishes. But the waitress was right, we were there mainly for the goose and did not leave disappointed.
Yung Kee Restaurant, 32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Succulent and meaty roasted pigeons - solution for tackling the 'rats of the skies' problem?

A New Patch on the River - Seagrass Restaurant

Regrettably this post had been languishing forgotten in draft for quite some time so hopefully our experience hadn’t become too redundant. But the restaurant is still quite new so it’s worth posting about. It is obvious that we at Spot4Nosh have a fondness for seafood. So it didn’t take much time for us to hear about a new seafood-centric fine diner that opened in the city during the latter part of 2007 and it didn’t take much longer after that to find an excuse to visit, given that decent restaurants with such a focus are rather scarce in Melbourne. That the occasion was to celebrate a new job offer with anticipated salary increase made the pleasure all the more guilt free. Seagrass Restaurant had opened for about 7 weeks when we visited a few days before Christmas, which might be just enough time for it to get over any teething problems and settle into some sort of rhythm. The new restaurant is actually a spin-off of ‘Pure South’, a pre-existing Southgate resident located immediately downstairs that spouts an admirable dedication to cuisine prepared from Bass Strait and Tasmanian sourced produce. Both restaurants apparently share the same owner-managers but are operated as independent entities with respective dedicated head chefs.

Classy interior with heavy comfortable white leather-bound chairs

Seagrass can be entered from either the ground level or the floor above (the mid-level) from within the Southgate complex at Southbank. We walked in from the river promenade at ground level and were led moth-like up the stairs by the mesmerising feature column illuminated by thematic multihued panels of aquamarine blues and yellows. The dining room itself however was in calmer relief, clean modern lines of glass, timber and concrete, dominated on the river side by large tilt-windows that provided a bright airy feel and good views out to the Yarra River below. We were led to a window-side table and with the big frame tilted open to let in the early evening breeze, it was almost as good as dining on an outside veranda. A handsome shimmering chandelier called attention to a separate function area dressed in opposing colour scheme and cordoned off by a glass wall. The overall feel however, was more corporate ‘clinching-a-deal’ diner than an intimate ‘special meal-for-two’ venue although the cosiness factor improved as daylight faded into the glittering night-time atmosphere of Southbank promenade and the city across the river.

The menu naturally concentrated on modern preparations of fish and other seafood dishes, although a couple of amusing entrée choices labelled as “refined classics” offered re-interpretations of the now out-of-fashion prawn cocktail and Oysters Kilpatrick. I suspect that as a consequence of the fresh seafood focus the menu could alter quite suddenly in response to the availability and quality of the provenance, which is not really a bad thing. On our visit even at an early sitting, we were apologetically informed that coral trout on the menu will have to be substituted for an alternative as the quality of remaining supplies no longer met chef’s expectations, and later on in the evening we overheard other tables being told that the John Dory (which I had) was also out. In those early days though, this could have been due to the kitchen still refining their supply and demand requirements. Following orders, really good sourdough baguette slices with a truly delicious crust were offered. An accompanying ramekin of good soft butter was also notable as it made a pleasant change from the ubiquitous pour of so-so vinegared olive oils that have pervaded everywhere else these days. There was also a complimentary taste-starter of a faintly smoky and very moreish salmon-based spread or rillette which called for more bread, happily supplied. I was sufficiently inspired by this to have attempted to recreate it for dinner guests at home!

Delicious slivers of 16-hour cured Petuna ocean trout

Our proper entrées consisted of the special of Slow Cured Petuna Ocean Trout served with Horseradish Cream ($16.90) which was pleasantly oily, ruby coloured slivers of premium ocean trout cured gravlax style to impart a delicious mix of rich, sweet and tart flavours highlighted by bitter points of dill. A good value and impressive starter considering the very generous serving. We also tried the Roast Quail, Boudin of Chicken, Herb Salad, Shallot and Sherry Dressing ($17.50) to detour slightly from the fish courses. Another successful call with crispy skinned quarters of roasted bird contrasting well with cute little creamy chicken sausages, roast potatoes and fresh salad dressed with a faintly sweet and tangy salsa. Of the Mains, there was Pave of Atlantic Salmon, Moreton Bay Bug Tails, Crushed Kipfler Potato, Crustacean Oil ($34.90), a perfectly pink tile of salmon saddled over a textured mix of waxy potato and diced crustacean meat. On a similar fish over spuds and crustacean theme was my Crispy Sautéed John Dory, Yabbies, Silky Potato Puree, Zucchini Flower, Saffron Jus ($37.90). For a fish with a quick tendency for tough dryness if not done with care, the couple of dory fillets had been cleverly pan-roasted to produce a nice crispy golden skin yet retaining flaky tenderness and moisture in the flesh. Accompanying the fillets were a good piping of creamy mash potato, a nicely tempura’d zucchini flower stuffed with what was possibly goat’s cheese, and shelled yabby tails that may have been briefly roasted, the lot arranged over a saffron jus which had the deep rich flavour reminiscent of a reduction over roasted crustacean shells. We also shared a refreshing herbed salad ($8.50) of sliced cucumber, baby cos, radish and extremely flavourful cherry tomatoes, testimony to the attention paid to the sourcing of quality produce.

An outstanding and hearty entrée of roasted quail

Service was unobtrusively friendly and helpful and mostly provided by the same waiter dedicated to our corner of the restaurant. The wait staff at seagrass were smartly uniformed but could look just as comfortable re-glueing soles back on your shoes as they did waiting on tables, their grey-brown striped three-quarter length aprons reminded us of a team of old-school cobblers. Our overall impression of the food at Seagrass however, was a determined attempt by the kitchen to ensure that quality seafood can be showcased if unadulterated by careless preparation. Dishes were uncomplicated with the main focus certainly being the fish on offer. No precariously balanced Jenga-like stacks of bits and bobs on plates here although that being said, at this fine-dining end of the price range perhaps a little more imagination is needed in plating than the same final fingerful of mixed salad leaves on every dish?

Perfectly crisped skins on John Dory fillets over saffron jus

Back to that evening though quite full and content, we were nonetheless persuaded to try the dessert special ($16.50), a pot of luscious dark chocolate ganache served with a refreshingly bitey pineapple granita and a lightly scorched (blowtorched?) toffee-topped banana half. Like the dishes that preceded it, this was eye-openingly delightful in its simplicity.

Food: 4 spots – Finely done seafood with good choices of fish.
Service: 4 spots – Professional and amiable.
Value: 3.5 spots – Good value entrées, Mains definitely at fine dining territory.
R-Factor: 4 spots – Worth a return visit to see how it has settled.
Spot Score: 16/20

Seagrass Restaurant
MR6 Mid-level Southgate, Southbank Melbourne, VIC.

Edit: Spot4Nosh regretfully believes that the Seagrass Restaurant at Southbank is no longer in business.

Happy Valentine's...and How to Wow Your Loved One - Singapore Chilli Crab

As Valentine's Day is but tomorrow and because I'm in a generous holiday mood, let me tell you how to thoroughly impress and fully satiate your respective loved ones. And it'll work on those whom you're trying to make an impression on for the first time as well. Intrigued?

If you live anywhere around the tropical top end of Australia, slap on your trusty Akubra (the one studded with crocodile teeth), hop into you beat up tinnie (aluminium dinghy), avoid the angry and hungry cousins of those crocs you'd extracted teeth from, and go catch yourself a good sized muddie (mud crab)...
Failing the above, simply mortgage your house so to be able to afford to get down to your similarly trusty fishmonger or seafood purveyor and secure yourself a large live mud crab of around 1.2-1.5 kg. This morning, lively and extremely vicious looking specimens were an eye-popping $36.90 per kg at the popular Charis Seafoods on the Gold Coast in Queensland. Whether slightly cheaper or dearer, a good sized individual would probably cost you around the $50 mark, but your Valentine is worth it right?

Once back in your kitchen (of course it's all about food!), either dunk the crab into a generous slurry of ice (water chilled thoroughly with loads of ice cubes) or into the freezer for 20-30 minutes to put the crab well and truly to sleep so as to avoid cruelty, and any chance of losing parts of your extremities to its crushing claws. The next steps are not for the weak or squeamish but you'll have to properly rinse the crab under running water, then remove its carapace (give this a quick rinse and retain for cooking) and discard all of the grey gill section (known colloquially as the dead man's fingers). Remove the two large claws from the rest of the body then using a sturdy knife, divide each claw into half at the joint and chop the body of the crab into four quarters. Next, crack all of the crab's heavily shelled joints and claw sections with confident sharp blows using a heavy steel kitchen mallet or hammer (but avoid over shattering the shells). Set all crab pieces aside ready for cooking and follow the simple recipe below for the rest of the ingredients needed to prepare the world renown Singapore Chilli Crab!

1.2-1.5 kg cleaned mud crab pieces
2 eggs (beaten)
1 Tbs fresh ginger (finely julienned)
2 stalks spring onion (roughly chopped)
8 Tbs oil

Sauce (mix together):
1 Tbs sugar
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
4-5 Tbs tomato ketchup (Heinz)

Rempah or chilli paste (blended or pounded together): (edited)
2 large slices ginger
2 large cloves garlic
6-8 large fresh red chillies (depending on heat and to taste, but dish should have some heat)
8-10 red shallots
6 candlenuts
2 fresh kaffir lime leaves (finely slivered)
1 lemongrass stalk (use the tender inner leaves and bulb, roughly chopped)
1 thumb-sized knob galangal (outer skin scraped away)
1 thumbnail sized piece fermented shrimp paste or belacan (dry roasted)


Heat large wok until very hot, add in 6 Tbs oil and stir-fry crab pieces for several minutes until coated in oil and shells turned just slightly orange, then remove. Add further 2 Tbs oil to wok and fry ginger and the rempah until fragrant. Return crab to wok and quickly toss, then add the sauce mixture and stir. Add 2 capfuls of Xiao Tsing wine (chinese cooking rice wine) or sherry and a dash of water to deglaze, return to the boil and cover wok to cook for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in eggs to thicken the sauce and nicely coat the crab pieces. Dish onto a large platter and serve immediately!
(Recipe modified slightly from Mrs Lee's Cookbook by Mrs Lee Chin Koon, Eurasia Press. This is an invaluable reference for authetic and unadulterated Singaporean Nonya recipes authored by the mother of Singapore's most illustrious statesman and former Prime Minister, Lee Kwan Yew).


Let me add that you simply cannot get the same enjoyment from Singapore chilli crab at a fine dining restaurant compared to tucking in at home (or at a hawker or street corner stall when in Singapore), although some such establishments do offer it (see Pearl Restaurant Richmond's ode to the full moon). If dining on mud crabs at Pearl, I dare say that you'll discover that I'm really not joking about pawning the house! But back to tackling chilli crab at home, you'll be able to forget about any table niceties, arm yourselves simply with a nutcracker and get down and dirty with your fingers! In Singapore, the dish is usually served with mantou (or chinese steamed buns) to mop up the wonderful crabby and eggy chilli sauce with once you're done with the crab but crispy grilled baguettes can be a worthy substitute.


As for Valentine's night following your mud crab meal, you'll look across the table at your partner and see a goofy and fully contented grin with chilli crab sauce thoroughly smeared over both hands and on their face, and know that there'll be enough euphoria left over that they'll be putty in your hands for the rest of the evening!