Burgin'

Urban Dictionary Burgin' :

Experiencing the intense need for a huge, gnarly burger,
passionately consuming a burger, or recovering from burger overindulgence.

"Man, I'm burgin"
or
"Oh yeah, I'm burgin!"
or
"Goddamn it, help me, I'm burgin!"

That was the case as we soon as we had hit Melbourne. But not a general call burgin', there was a specific burger at the center of this crave. We had followed with amusement the posturing and cat calling on twitter over who had the right to call their burger the best in Sydney, when it reached flash point a blind tasting had been organized with Rockpool Bar and Grill coming out on top. Now we were within close proximity of the Rockpool bar and Grill located in the Melbourne Casino complex.

We arrived at the front door just as they opened and grabbed a seat at the bar rather than the restaurant side as we just wanted the burger. Having the burger cut in half was no problem, we added a side of fat cut chips as the burger came with none, a side of onion rings and one of the small plates of calamari with romesco. A couple of Aperols for the wait and we were all set.
The calamari arrived fast, with a generous portion of sweet, nutty romesco. The calamari more a spoon to convey the sauce to our mouths than the star of the plate. With the calamari quickly out of the way we waited eagerly for the burger (burgin).



Arriving cut in half and on two plates showed some consideration from the kitchen. The center showing a nicely cooked medium rare with plenty of juiciness. We took our first bites and began the analysis....nah, we ate it, we ate it good. And a mighty fine burger it was! The fat from the minced wagyu veered towards too-much but Zuni's famous courgette pickles helped to draw it back in. The cheese and bacon seemed almost superfluous, nice but not needed.



The fries were true to their word and cut fat, but they paled beside what were possibly the best onion rings I've ever had. Crispy crunchy with a mild onion center. Not so taken with the home-made ketchup not that it was bad, maybe I just like the amplified artificial umami flavor of the commercial varieties.



Was it the best burger I've ever had? Maybe. I'll have to add to the list, up there with the Mcfoie from Tapac 24, Barcalona, the Mckobe from Feugo Negro, San Sebastion, and lets not forget the hand minced wagyu burger with truffles and foie at Brown Sugar in Singapore... top ten at least.

One flaw in the night was the aggressive service with more drinks being offered while our first were still half full and the obvious distain that we were only sharing one burger. Left a slight taint to an amazing burger. (We arrived at 6pm for a little pre-dinner burger, with a booking at MOMO for 9pm).

I would like to come back and dine in the restaurant proper. When I peaked though on the way to our seat the room looked amazing, grand and plush like a old timey clubby steakhouse. A glance over the menu and a walk past the meat dry aging re enforced the desire to return.

Rockpool Bar and Grill

Open; Lunch Sunday to Friday
Dinner 7 Days

Reservations
+61 3 8648 1900

Crown Complex
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank VIC 3006
Australia

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Easy Tiger!

The power of 3. Jarrod Hudson, Suzanne Tyzack & Simon Hall make a magical team at the funky new space Easy Tiger on Smith Street. We know Jarrod & Suze way back from our years in Sydney where we were introduced to the amazing Giant Steps & Sexton line up from the Yarra as well as the WA Little Creatures Pale Ale. There were many other fun times, doughnuts & laughs along the way. We worked with Jarrod at various large scale catering events, all stinted at Hugos and then I spent time working with him at Dragonfly in Surry Hills. Anyway, back to the beer ..... So, a pint of Little Creatures seemed fitting to kick start our night.



We managed to slip out to the tiny kitchen window to say HI before sitting down for our chefs selection banquet. The kitchen team are humming away, busy before the nights service truly begins, all meticulously checking and stocking up their prep. Oysters are being shucked to order, and I am pleased that they feature on our first plate for the evening - with a little red nam jim that packs a punch and then a watermelon ma hor. Ma hor is a great way to kick the taste buds off on tonights journey, a sweet cube of watermelon topped with a sticky peanut, chicken, pork & prawn paste with fresh coriander and a single slice of red chilli julienne.



The next dish was blow-your-Mr-Sock-off amazing! Jarrod has a phenomenal palate, but also a vivid imagination. This dish showcases everything we love about Jarrod's cooking. Slices of plump kingfish sit on a tarted up white miso paste, with little clouds of crispy rice, slightly pickled cucumber rainbows & wasabi flying fish roe. WOW!



Some little crispy bean curd parcels filled with something which I don't quite remember were a delight. Whatever was inside I can asure you was delicious which was complimented by the black vinegar dipping sauce.



I added a cup of dtom kha gai, 'cause I just love my soups ... This was a fine example of the chicken, coconut & galangal version although I had just one problem with it ... there wasn't enough!



The smoked trout salad is another of my favorites, juicy flakes of smokey ocean trout are delicately resting on a roasted coconut, herb & peanut salad with a sticky palm sugar dressing and a little surprise of popping pomegranate seeds.



Yellow curry of duck is rich yet still remains vibrant with the fresh chilli, baby corn & Thai basil.



A bowl of rice with a son in law egg is just what the curry needs... Son in law eggs fried to a crispy coating with a gooey yolk busting out through to mix with the tamarind & palm sugar dressing & crispy fried shallots is heavenly.



Another little gem appears from the Yarra in the form of a pink moscato. The Innocent Bystander pink bubbles make for 2 very nice glasses of pre-dessert wine.



Dessert comes in the form of monsieur truffe chocolate & pandanus leaf dumplings with melon & salted coconut cream. These are one of my favorite Thai street snacks, but they have certainly been pimped up here at Easy Tiger. The beautiful green dumplings pop with the rich chocolate center and are disguised amongst some perfectly spherical melon balls. The salted coconut cream is elevated by the addition of little basil seeds and some baby leaf basil. We also get a slice of ice-cream slice which has a very tropical feel to it with the passion, coconut & vanilla.



Espresso to finish is served in a beautiful double-walled glass with cubes of pure cane sugar in another little double-walled glass, just so pretty.



A fantastic meal on a beautiful night in Melbourne ... It was all a bit of a blur by the end of the night considering our earlier tipple at Madam Brussels but delightful.




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Easy Tiger
96 Smith St.
Collingwood
VIC Australia 3066
+61 (0)3 9417 2373

Tuesday–Sunday 6pm-late
Sunday night is banquet night

A tipple with the Madame

After a long day of walking Melbourne's streets we both felt we needed a little break. Being conveniently close to Madame Brussels we find the fairly anonymous little lift and three floors up spill out into the surreal surroundings of the the Madams abode. A brick paved path leads you along between AstroTurf lawns highlighted by pink walls and picket fences.. its Alice in Wonderland meets Wimbledon. We follow the brick path to a table on the outside terrace, looking out over east Melbourne and in the last of the afternoon sun we titter our way through the suggestive menu.



Cocktails come standard sizes as well as jugs for two or four players - we decide on a jug o Gin Garden, with elderflower, apple cucumber and gin.. lots and lots o gin! It's refreshing relaxing and really really good.



As with as tea in the afternoon there should be snacks, and snacks there were. With the arrival of the tea plate it really drove home the feeling one should be holding a croquet mallet, I mean it had a doily and all. Little toasted triangles filled with poached chicken mayo and watercress and baby sausage rolls with accompaniments of Tabasco, tomato sauce, cornichons and a wedge of lemon it was perfect, the world outside of the terrace completely melted away.



The jug o gin went down a little to easily, topped up with a stellar Negroni and possibly the best Bloody Mary ever consumed qued the arrival of the Double smoked ham and Tilsit cheese sandwiches which sent us over the edge and once again a tad tardy for our next appointment.



It seemed quite appropriate to be running down the garden path muttering we're late we're late.

Madame Brussels

Level 3,
59-63 Bourke St,
Melbourne,
Victoria
(03) 9662 2775

OPENING HOURS: 12 noon to 1am every day of the wonderful week!

Bumping into Burch & Purchase, Chapel St Melbourne

After we were fueled with a morning stop at Lb Cafe we continued our walk up and down Chapel St. Something catches my eye - it wasn't a display window with the latest season skirt on display, it wasn't even a belt or new season accessory ... a window full of delicious looking sweet creations, that's what I'm talking about! We wander on in ...



The shelves are lined with all sorts of little packets, and jars, with the pretty pink labels. You can then walk out the back to the epic wall of spice.



... and even get a glimpse into the kitchen where all the magic happens.



Now, you will be forgiven if you haven't heard of this dynamic team before (as honestly, this was our first encounter with the brand) but since our chance bumping into them we have seen them appear on Masterchef and just generally heard fantastic things about their boundary-pushing sweet style. On any given day you will see the showcase full of delights like lego blocks, clouds & chocolate bars as well as little jars of jams, curds and caramel and of course their celebration cakes and my favorite, their sprinkles. We took a bag of the puffed quinoa and malted orange crumble for our flight later in the week to Royal Mail Hotel and it was divine!



Burch & Purchase Sweet Studio
647 Chapel Street, South Yarra
Melbourne, Australia
Open: 10am~6:30pm Tuesday through Sunday
Closed Monday

T: +61 (0)3 9827 7060


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lb (pound) Cafe, Chapel St Melbourne

Many many years ago we were those people who got a booking at Flower Drum, and flew from Sydney to Melbourne for a brief 2 night stay with the sole purpose of eating there in its prime. It was amazing. We still to this day talk about the peking duck, quail san choi bow, caramel apples, waiters in their bow ties and of course being lucky enough to tour the kitchen - all those wok burners, oh my! and the smell of the peking ovens in action, just amazing and unforgettable. That was of course many years before our blogging started, so you'll just have to take our word for it!;)

After that amazing dinner, we woke up a little late. We had plans of having breakfast at Pearl, so hitched a tram over that side of town worked out what station to get off and we were there. The place was full of staff, but not a single customer in site. Oh no, was it that awkward in-between-breakfast-and-lunch-time?! We poke our head in the door and a very nice staff member came to greet us. They were booked out for a private function, so there went out brunch plans! He must have seen our dismay, and instructed us the little staff favorite just up the road for awesome coffee and a great breakfast selection. We followed his directions, make a slight detour down Oxford lane and find ourselves at Pound, or Lb as you will see on the widow. All these years back we had a great experience, and on this trip our first morning was to be spent wandering down Chapel St. so Lb for breakfast was a given.

As we are staying at the gorgeous Cullen hotel in Prahan, Lb is closer than we think. Before we can decide whether it's Chap-pel or Sha-pel St we see the familiar glass windows.



We were so in need of our caffeine kick that it was absorbed within seconds of hitting the table. Now, just think of this place as the sort of awesome breakfasts you would like to make at home everyday, but likely won't. The produce is fresh & the combinations classic. Smashed avocado, fresh tomato & goats cheese on toast - yup, that's me!



Kim has a heartier option of chorizo panini with rocket. Oh, the little touches like adding the greens AFTER the panini is toasted - that S*+# is always appreciated!



If you are in Melbourne, or more importantly down the Chapel St end of town, Lb is a perfect morning start or midday break.


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Lb
Shop 5, 566 Chapel Street
South Yarra Melbourne 3141
T: +61 (0)3 9826 1114

Open: Monday to Saturday 7:00am~3:00pm, Sunday 8:00am~3:00 pm

Chasing up lunch at Cumulus Inc. with Degustation at Cutler & Co. - first day in Melbourne

After our flying visit to Cumulus Inc. and a quick taxi across town we found ourselves standing in front of Cutler & Co. in Fitzroy. I had booked us a table, but upon entering they can't seem to find our reservation. We are asked to take a seat at the bar, and of course oblige. A quick scan of the Aperitif menu and we have a Campari with fresh pink grapefruit juice and an Aperol with fresh blood orange juice on our table.



We are quite happy at the bar while they appear to be sorting out the little mishap with our booking. They are all super-friendly, and in just minutes we are ushered away to a lovely table in the main dining room, a staff member following with a tray and the components of our drinks. We are given menus and the wine list upon sitting ... even though we are still quite full from our very late visit to Cumulus Inc we still decide on the Degustation. Fresh baked, warm bread rolls arrive at the table along with a couple of fresh shucked oysters to kick off the dinner.



Little appetizers just keep on coming, including little toasts with smoked trout & pickled onions, soy roasted pumpkin seeds, marinated olives & a little pot of 'just-like-Mum's' French onion dip with baby radishes. The palate is certainly awakened, and we are ready to eat.



Cured Kingfish with avocado, octopus & pickled cucumber is very clean. The sprinkling of the Japanese-esque furikake seasoning really elevate the subtle flavors.



The Heirloom carrots with shanklish, pistachio & radish is a vibrant & exciting vegetable dish. The creamy shanklish curd cheese is hidden in nice little surprise pockets under the carrots. The pistachios are crushed with some other seasons, like a very mild dukkah spice. The carrots are raw shaves, braised and roasted.



We swap our soup course for the wood grilled lambs tongue, sweetbreads, smoked egg, celeriac & anchovy - and are very glad we did! Very nice combination ...



I was very excited by the sound of this dish. Poached chicken, foie gras parfait, sprouts, quinoa & prune - but was a little disappointed when it arrived. The chicken was fine, but really needed something like a rich foie gras to elevate it - we both found the parfait tasted like a chicken liver pate, and had none of that foie gras richness we were yearning .... the crisp quinoa was the star of that plate for me.



There are several words that will always excite me on a menu... and two of them happen to be Sucking & Pig. Unfortunately, after this dinner, I lost a bit of that excitement:( I don't know if it's the fact that we were one of the last tables eating and the food was a bit rushed, but we have had better suckling pig on the street side in Vietnam and even at yum cha. The meat was dry and the skin lacked any sort of crackle. Which makes me forget anything else about the dish .....



Perhaps the pastry chef wasn't in such a rush to get home, as the next few courses start to make up for it. The first little pre-dessert, crisp tuille cones with a creamy piped apple sorbet nicely washes out the dry pork remains in my mouth.



The dessert of violet ice-cream, chocolate ganache and sour cherry is sophisticated and full of surprises. The sponge cake, the crumbles, the honeycomb like crack and just a really pleasant combination of flavors. A glass of sauternes is the perfect night cap.

It's been a big first day in Melbourne, we've seen & eaten a lot starting off with a Cumulus Inc. and Cutler & Co. double up starts this trip off on a roll.




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Cutler & Co.
55-57 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy Melbourne 3065
T: +61 (0)3 9419 4888

Melbourne; into the excess.

The best part of a plan-less holiday is the ability to do things on a whim, like jump on a plane head to Melbourne and spend a week or two eating at all the places we had been watching from a far over the last seven years of absence. In keeping with the theme of the trip we decided on a little snack before our fast approaching dinner booking. A quick tram ride across town (trams people, always cool) a few blocks of superb street art and we're out the front of Cumulus inc.



We duck in the door and are surprised to see the place quite full, maybe this is the place for the meal between meals (later on in the week we found out its also the place for real meals as well). A seat is found and we dive into the menu. First sardines, seared and served with caramelized fennel and a sprinkle of orange powder resting on a crispy crispy wafer of toasted bread. I'm a sucker for sardines (for a lot of things when I think about it) and these babies will keep me being a sucker for them.



The next dish of slow cooked octopus with aioli and dehydrated olives is one of the highlights of whole trip. The octopus meltingly soft, the rich aioli just a dab to add a little vroom and the neato trick, the dehydrated olive sits in a puddle of olive oil at first giving the impression of the far more familiar balsamic/oil combo.



The terrine of jellied pork hock and head flecked with herbs and it's mustardy English cream dressing goes superbly with the house bread and is devoured in moments.



The duck, ahhh the duck, ummm yup sorry have a total blank on the duck. Anyone a little help??



We couldn't go past the smoked wagyu tongue (another sucker moment) on it's little toasts with the caper raisin vinaigrette it was every thing it should be. A hint of smoke, soft luxurious meat and a sharp little hit of caper to clean it all up.



By this time we were starting to clock watch, calculating the cross town trip time against further potential dishes. The answer turned out to be just one more. And what a doozy it was!

The rum baba, is it retro, iconic, cool again, ironic, never out of fashion? I don't know but I love a rum baba (I had one one the menu this year with persimmon, yuzu and Okinawan rum). This example arrived one large baba sitting in a pool of anglaise with a bottle of Havana on the side to add as little or as much as we desired. We desired a well soaked baba and soon there was naught but a few crumbs and a faint rummy air as we gathered our things and dashed for the door, our next meal only minutes away.



Cumulus Inc.
45 Flinders Lane
Melbourne

Mon- Fri 7am-11pm
Sat-Sun 8am-11pm

Australian Farmers Market Love

We were back in Australia this Spring for 8 weeks; the first time since we left nearly 6 years ago that we have spent that amount of time back home. There were so many things we loved about being home, but one of them would have to be the abundance of Farmers Markets. We would go to at least one a week, switching between the Jan Power markets in the City on Wednesdays and the Davies Park markets at West End. The West End markets had a little stall selling a range of cheese & even fresh churned butter. We pick up a log of goat's cheese, and just happen to have some pickled walnuts at home that we picked up on one of our continental food shop missions, and have the making of a wonderful afternoon snack ...



The goat's cheese was divine, crumbly, salty and with robust flavors ... paired perfectly with the pickled walnuts.

What are you doing this weekend? Get on down to your local farmers market and as well as supporting local producers you will be bound to find a trove of seasonal treasures!

the West End Markets
Held every Saturday
6am - 2pm
Davies Park
QLD Australia


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Montague Road West End

Cupcakes with a chaser of chocolate - Max Brenner on the Gold Coast

So, my darling sister turns 20... one thing that has not changed over the years is her love for chocolate. After a huge dinner the night before, with some delicious cupcakes what better way to follow up the next morning than with chocolate by the bald man. Max Brenner is all about chocolate - the shops walls are lined with all sorts of chocolate mixes, drinks, cups, glassware & sweets with cabinets of hand-made chocolates and then the front counter home to a whole range of chocolate goodies, a warm pot of chocolate for drizzling and a coffee machine used mainly for foaming milk for the various chocolate drinks. The drink menu is a tad daunting, you look above the back wall and the boards are filled with each & every hot or iced chocolate concoction you could imagine - dark chocolate, spiced Mexican chocolate, Danish toffee, marshmallow, coconut chocolate, mint chocolate, hot chocolate with waffle bites & peanut butter iced chockie .... just to name a few! The little sis' goes for a suckao, milk chocolate.



As you can see, one very happy camper! A jug of warm milk and fine milk chocolate buttons sit on a little wooden tray and are added to a little suckao pot, with a tea light candle flickering below. The metal straw has a little spoon on the end, for stirring and collecting all of the melting chocolate. I have the hot chocolate with waffle bites and Mum the Danish toffee chocolate, both divine!

We share a chocolate souffle cake, with chocolate drizzle and vanilla ice cream.



That's definitely our chocolate quota for the day .... now time for a stroll along the coast.

Max Brenner
Gold Coast - Main Beach
Shop 24 Ground Floor, Marina Mirage
74 Seaworld Drive Main Beach QLD 4217
T: +61 7 5591 1588


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Happy 20th Birthday Ally, now let's eat cupcakes...

While we were home recently my little baby sister turned 20... No longer a teenager! Happy Birthday Ally, so glad that we could be there to celebrate your special day.



We made a feast of a dinner, just what the birthday girl requested; Dad's corned beef with mustard sauce, potato rösti & buttered beans. Yum! We'd arranged some gorgeous cupcakes from The Cupcake Parlor in West End. Gooey chocolate fudge, toblerone topper & fairy floss varieties.



Great evening, great company & delicious cupcakes! Here's to many more happy years ahead....

Adapting to life as an Australian Housewife ..... ah, Risa!

A shout out to our friends Ross & Risa, who we met in Hokkaido and who did the most awesome trip of Japan in their Delica with a Honda Mini Cub & bed in the back .... got married, and then took off to Australia. We caught up with them while we were back in Oz a few times, but were lucky enough to be invited around for a BBQ at their place. They have a pretty sweet pad in the Valley, with a nice outdoor space that opens up into the eating area. Ross cranked up the BBQ, and Risa had knocked up some true blue Aussie rissoles & even a potato bake.



All was enjoyed in the sunshine, with bread rolls, salad, white wine & even a bit of roo steak! Ross, & Risa adapting to life as an Australian really well, we will be back again next time we're home for another BBQ feast!;)