Australia Day 2012

We spent the latter part of Australia Day 2012 in the city this year, attending a concert in the Sidney Myer Bowl. The theme this year is 'What's in Your Suitcase?', a tale of multiculturalism in Australia. There were various dances and performances from Samoa, Greece, Italy, Japan, Somalia etc.

It was going to be a two hour concert so we went as best equipped as we could, with water, reading materials, and most important, food. We ate a bowl of noodles in the Bowl while waiting for the the concert to start - we got there around dinner time and the only thing around was Noodle Box so we got a takeaway serve of fried kuay teow which was packed in a plastic bowl. The event organisers would have been proud of my attempt of capture multiculturalism. So would Sidney Myer.

Then it was Maltezers during the drum performance by at least 5 different groups. This was my favourite, the drums, although Maltezers are great too. I suppose the point of the piece was that everyone was 'beating to the same drum beat' - Aussies on oil barrels, Japanese on taiko etc but all blended in very well together.

Next were fresh grapes, between the Greek dancing which started with someone playing a bagpipe made of quite literally a dead goat, and the Russia dance. Both dances were interesting, but the dance I enjoyed the best was the Samoan warrior dance accompanied by drums in the background.

Next out of our backpack was Peppero, normally a chocolate coated biscuit stick but Gaz had gotten the inside out version this time. A biscuit stick coated chocolate. It did not taste as good. We nibbled on that during the 250 person choir singing a medley of Australian ad jingles - 'We are happy vegemite kids!', aeroplane jelly etc, all ads which Gaz could sing along but me staring amusedly at him while nibbling on Peppero.

The finale of the performance - Norm in the suit in the middle is a mascot from an old ad by the govt encouraging citizens to be less couch potatoey and more active.

The puppet show had barely begun when the annual fireworks from Birrarung Marr started behind us so the whole crowd turned around and started oohing and aahing over the spectacular display. This is the ONLY time I had watched fireworks so close to the source and without a gazillion sweaty armpits crowded around my face. It was beautiful and might I add, refreshing.

Cinta Raya, Scoresby

So who says that dining out has to be expensive? Today we tried a new restaurant, Cinta Raya in Scoresby. Cinta Raya serves authentic Malaysian cuisine. On its menu are noodle and rice dishes such as char hor fun, char kuey teow, nasi lemak, mee goreng, as well as main dishes such as salt and pepper squid, fried sambal prawns and stir fried seasonal veges. These main dishes cost around $15 per plate.

Although we were tempted to try the main dishes, we decided to stick to the usual dishes on our maiden visit - char hor fun and char kuey teow. Let's just say that these two dishes act as our barometer of the chef's cooking skills. To get the kind of 'wok hei' required to make the dish a winner is not easy.

Char kuey teow $10.90 - My first bite of this dish tells me I have found a new regular haunt... It is not too greasy, nor too spicy. The chef has used some chai poh in the dish, which I don't find too often in other restaurant's CKT. I loved this, so much so that Gaz nearly didn't get any to sample!


Gaz's Char Hor Fun $10.90 - Gaz thinks that a little salt is required in this one, but I think it tastes great as it is. The table behind next to us also ordered CHF, it looks like one of the more popular dishes in the restaurant. I was impressed that the portion is also bigger than other similar restaurants in the area. I really dislike joints that play Honey I Shrink the Food Portion game with customers.

The bill tonight came to $21.80, which is pretty good for a nice dinner out, don't you think?

Rainbow Yumcha Buffet

Last week Gaz and I were in the city and decided to test our stomach capacity by going for an all you can eat yumcha session at Rainbow Restaurant. The restaurant is located in a relatively newly refurbished building on Bourke St. Rainbow is a pretty different name for a restaurant, in my opinion, but I suppose it also had to make the name work for a karaoke lounge and entertainment facility, which is located on level two of the building. The restaurant is located at the top most floor. To get there, one takes the escalator up, and it almost feels like the stairway to heaven because of the massive skylight which provides most of the light in the building.

We saw a couple of familiar faces in the restaurant, and not among the patrons but from the pool of waitstaff always patiently waiting for us to be done with our dishes so they can take the bamboo steamers back to the kitchen. They were from the restaurants we frequent in the Eastern suburbs. There is such thing as a brain drain in the profession too. These waitstaff are very experienced and efficient so are in demand in newer restaurants where they are likely to experience staffing problems.

The food was good and was not lacking in variety. We had prawn dumplings, shark fin dumpling, pork dumpling, eggplant stuffed with prawn paste, dumplings shaped like goldfish, three kinds of desserts and more dumplings! There were a very good selection of non steamed items too, like spring rolls, fried crab claws, fried paper wrapped prawn roll, taro puff, sweet and sour pork knuckle. I wasn't too sure about the last dish... The restaurant looked clean and there was a food cart pushed around to us almost every five to ten minutes, we were so spoilt for choice!

It's interesting how the waitstaff would push the carts around and to the non asians the food is described as either 'pork dumplings, prawn dumplings''. Because there is so much more to that generic description, there was one which had lotus root in it, one with coriander, one with chives and so on. I suppose they learn that to say 'crystal skin dumplings with prawn, pork, coriander and lotus root bits, deep fried then braised chicken feet with black bean sauce, beancurd skin roll with taro and chicken, lightly fried then steamed wonton skin dumplings with prawn, ginger and spring onions' over and over again for 30 tables is just a little bit too much! Besides, deacriptions don't matter when the deal is sealed with the appearance of the dish - 'eek, this dumpling look like a wrinkled old man's skin, no go for me!'

As usual, we ate a little too much and had to go for a long walk in DFO to burn off the fat.

Update: This restaurant has since closed.

Burwood Teppanyaki House, Burwood

Gaz purchased a group discount coupon for lunch at Burwood Teppanyaki House on Burwood Highway, Burwood before Christmas, lunch for two at $33 which was 50% off the original price. We had heard many bad reviews of group buying experiences. Some discount holders were denied the full experience accorded to full price paying customers, some could not even manage to book a place because of limitations of the coupon. Unfortunately these limitations were not disclosed at time of purchase.

Luckily Gaz had no problem making a reservation for us, and we soon understood when we entered the restaurant yesterday. The restaurant was empty save for us and another table in the non-teppanyaki section. We were there from 12pm to 2pm.

The waitress quickly took our drinks order and gave us the lunch menu. We were allowed to choose two each from a selection of tofu steaks, mushrooms, salmon, scallops, lamb, beef tenderloin, tiger prawns, Atlantic silver cod (from what I can remember). I chose the cod and lamb while Gaz chose scallops and beef tenderloin.

We were provided a bowl of miso soup and chilled salad with sesame dressing. The salad was very refreshing! I wanted to keep the salad to eat as I go but the teppan took some time to heat up so before I know it, I'd already finished the soup and salad.

Soon the chef wearing a tall red hat came out of the kitchen pushing a trolley laden with our food and sauces. The first to go on the teppan was the seafood.

Two pieces of cod... did you know that cod is now $39 per kilo? The chef used garlic butter which turned out to be the staple sauce for the other ingredients too.

Four pieces of sea scallops, topped with sesame seeds. Both the fish and the cod were perfectly cooked.

Three pieces of lamb cutlets, topped with fried garlic. There were a lot of garlic in our meal, so much so that each time we burped later that night our breath still smelt of garlic!! But I didn't mind at all, garlic is anti-bacterial and good for health.

One big piece of beef tenderloin, cooked medium rare. The chef left the beef on the teppan for quite a long time I was afraid it would turn out well done but when he cut into the meat it was just nice. I should have left the chef to do his job! Gaz liked it very much, he thought the beef is very tender.

We also got some teppan fried veges - carrots, beansprouts, and yellow capsicum topped with a tofu steak.

Next to come was a big bowl of fried rice for each of us. The chef got Gaz to catch the bowl of fried rice, but I was too chicken to spill my rice and my parents always told me not to play with my food! So he handed it to me and I got to eat the delicious fried rice fried till I had to be rolled out of the restaurant!

The meal was very enjoyable. The chef put on a good show of twirling the sauce bottles, and making noises with the metal utensils on the teppan which made our dining experience very lively.

The quality of the food was excellent. Initially I had my doubts of the quantity and quality of the food, sometimes the restaurants do not serve good quality and quantity of food because of the discounted price paid but it was not a problem here at all. I did not have to patronise the KFC two blocks away after the meal!

Izakaya Den, CBD

On the way back from Daylesford, we stopped by the city for some shopping. It was the season for Boxing Day sale after all, but I could not find anything I would like to buy in the sale. Perhaps it was the crowd and perhaps the discounts were not great enough for me.

It had always been the plan to dine at Izakaya Den, it just ended up the case that we got there a little earlier than planned. We arrived at their front door (after a search for the premises - the restaurant is located in a basement of a building and the building numbers don't correspond!) at exactly opening time.

We were ushered to the bar area (tables are only reserved for 3 or more diners in a group) and handed two rolled up parchment papers tied with a rubber band. One was the menu for drinks the other for food. The waiter poured us chilled water served in panda glasses, very cute!

We ordered the tuna tartare with avocado and ginger. Not a fan of tartare, I would have enjoyed sashimi more, I think.

Unagi in a tamago - steamed, then drizzled with the sweet unagi sauce. It was very nice, especially accompanied by rice. We ordered a bowl of rice to share between the two of us.

Grilled fish with miso - I didn't quite like this, still thinking of Nobu's miso with cod that melts in the mouth... yumm.... this fish is not cod, and didn't melt in the mouth.

While we were eating, a lone diner sat next to us and striked up a conversation with one of the chefs behind the counter. All the chefs lined up behind the counter where we were seated in their respective stations. For instance, one chef was responsible for the raw fish, another steaming, grilling and deep frying, and yet another for the liquor and drinks.

Anyway, this diner was telling the chef that he'd come all the way from Perth and Izakaya Den is his first stop in Melbourne because he'd heard about their food. The chef recommended their chicken karaage so we being so kiasu, also ordered one while half way through our dishes.

It was a little spicy and nicely fried. You know I can't pass on a deep fried dish!!

The food is really delicious and of good quality too. We really enjoyed dining here and will visit again!