Restaurant Review: Red Spice Road

Location: 27 McKillop Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9603 1601
Link: http://www.redspiceroad.com/
Cuisine: South East Asian influenced, Fusion
Overall Impression: 7/10

Having heard and read good reviews about Red Spice Road (in particular with regards to their banquet option), I was thrilled to finally have the opportunity to dine here. As you can see, it's not a place you would go to for an 'intimate' dining experience. Sharing is highly encouraged so I would suggest going with a group of people. I would recommend choosing a bunch of small eaters to go along with you, so you can eat more than your share!Entree: Betel Leaf with Chicken, Spanner Crab, LemonGrass, Chilli and Kaffir Lime

It was a solid start to the meal. This Thai style entree is an appetiser in every sense of the word. Mocktail: Green Asian
This was deliciously refreshing. The coconut and kiwi fruit really worked a treat.Barramundi, Watermelon, Cucumber, Mint and Coriander SaladLarb Woon Sen- Minced Chicken, Glass Noodle, Roasted Rice & Herb Salad Left: Crispy Five Spice Pork Belly with Chilli Caramel, Apple Slaw and Black Vinegar Right: Lamb Meatball & Potato Red Curry

We also had the Slow Cooked Beef, Water Spinach & Mushrooms with Lemongrass, Chilli Broth. Each dish was delicious. Of particular note was the Pork belly. It was packed full of flavour, the traditional five spices (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and ground fennel seeds) were prominent in the dish. It was also perfectly seasoned. The pork itself was beautifully tender.  Another dish definitely worth trying is the barramundi dish. Succulent and perfectly cooked in a tasty batter, the dish was balanced with just enough acidity from the watermelon cubes. The dining experience as a whole was extremely enjoyable. The banquet option at Red Spice Road is a great way to try various South East Asian influenced flavours.

Restaurant Review: The Ginger Room

Location: Old Parliament House, King George Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600 Australia
Phone: (02) 6270 8262
Link: http://www.gingercatering.com.au/
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 8/10

Was looking through my phone and discovered these photos. Notably the quality of the pictures leave much to be desired so I debated with myself about whether or not I should post these on Gastrology. Well, long story short, here are the pictures!
Pan seared scallops, crispy shredded pork belly and blood plum jelly Beef fillet, Saint Agur dauphinoise potatoes and glazed shallots Crispy skinned duck breast, soy fired potatoes and tamarind sauce Soft shell crab Louisiana style, sweet corn capsicum salsa and Creole dressing Poached blood plum green tea sorbet coconut cone Lime and lemongrass parfait with palm sugar wafers and raspberry chilli jam
Had the opportunity to dine at this lovely restaurant last month. What a great reason to visit Canberra!

Delicious, well executed Modern Australian food, delightful staff. These mobile phone pictures do not do this place justice but the ones on this post certainly do : http://snowdropm-berries.blogspot.com/2010/04/ginger-room.html.

Restaurant Review: Kam Fook

Location: Level 2, Westfield Shoppingtown, Doncaster
Link: http://www.kamfook.com.au/
Phone: (03) 90051888
Cuisine: Chinese

Kam Fook? A bit forward... but it was a proposition I could not refuse. Conveniently located within Westfield Doncaster where we knew parking is rarely a problem, my family and I decided to try out this year old Cantonese eatery. How we wish we had not. Seafood claypot Beef with xo sauce Steamed Fish Fillet Traditional Chinese Style Chicken claypot Pork ribs Banana fritter with ice cream Deep fried ice cream
The food was fine. Nothing spectacular. Just average.
Would I Kam Fook again? No.
The service was appalling. The moment we arrived we were greeted with a very annoyed maitre'd who asked us, "Someone booked for window seats. It's sunny today but that's what you asked for." Right. I'm not sure what that was suppose to achieve but thank you for the warning. We told one of the waitstaff we were ready to order and after waiting a while and asking another waitress, for about half an hour later, our orders were finally taken.
The restaurant was certainly not at capacity and there appeared to be many waitstaff lazing around the restaurant but for some odd reason, it was difficult to get an appropriate level of service. It was such a hassle getting attention for simple requests such as having our teapots re-filled or ordering more rice. The waitstaff made it very clear that it was a burden to serve us.
So, no thank you. I will not be back.
Overall Impression: 4/10

Restaurant Review & Store Review: Suzuran

Location: 31 Chambers St, South Yarra
Phone: (03)9804 7396
Link: http://www.suzuran.com.au/
Cuisine: Japanese
Overall Impression: 8/10

Our hearts go out to the Japanese at this difficult time. J and I love Japan. We have very fond memories of the time we spent there. The people, the culture and the food are captivating. There is such an emphasis on perfection that we admire. And as such we have been having Japanese themed days every once in a while to reminisce.Suzuran's sushi bar impresses us everytime when we visit during one of our 'Japanese' days. It consistently delivers good quality, fresh and authentic Japanese sashimi and sushi. A must have is their surf clam sushi. It is amazing. Seaweed salad, Sake and Sake cups also from Suzuran
On this Japanese themed dinner, we also bought some delicious cloudy sake. I love cloudy sake in particular, it really packs a punch when it comes to depth of flavour. But on the other hand, clear sake has a clean crispness that I also enjoy.
I guess I just love all sake.
Even the lower grade sakes tickle my fancy. I'm not a big drinker in general but when it comes to sake… bring it on! Yes. I am a sake-aholic. The only problem with buying sake in Melbourne is a) it is not readily available and b) when it is, it is often over-priced compared to what we were able to get during our time in Japan. We accept that this cannot be helped and as such, Suzuran remains our favourite Melbourne outlet for sake shopping. Suzuran at the very least, stocks sake of varying grades and has a decent variety.
All in all, a great Sushi bar, and a good Japanese grocer with a wide range of Japanese ingredients, snacks and sake.
 

Restaurant Review: Tutto Bene

Location: Midlevel Southgate, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9696 3334
Link: http://www.tuttobene.com.au/
Cuisine: Italian
Overall Impression: 8/10 Tutto Bene has long been J's favourite risotto and gelato place in Melbourne. Although Tutto Bene has built up quite a fan base for its consistantly perfectly cooked and delicious risotto dishes, its lovely gelatos haven't had the same appeal. On this occasion, we decided to have the Walnut gelato as well as the Licorice gelato. It was surprisingly a lot more subtle in flavour then the other flavours we had tried before, which was disappointing but nontheless still pleasant. The consistency, as usual was perfectly creamy and smooth. It was such a treat, sitting back and taking in the view of Southgate and the Yarra River. And we cannot wait to go back!

Restaurant Review: Kinya

Location: River Front, 70 Lorimer St, Docklands - 64A River Esplanade, Yarra’s Edge
Phone: (03) 9646 2400
Link: http://www.kinya.com.au/
Cuisine: Japanese
Overall Impression: 6/10 Wagyu beef tataki Lightly grilled thinly marble texture sliced beef with special kinya's soy sauce Perfectly refreshing. The wagyu was tender and beautiful with the quail egg and soy sauce. Golden Fish Grilled marrinated snow fish with chef's special miso It was described as a signature dish and 'a must try'. I found it very similar to the miso cod fish served at Nobu, at a much reasonable price. The intensity of flavours were not as strong as what J and I had experienced at Nobu but Kinya's version was executed equally as well. The fish was cooked to perfection, the snow fish has such a silky texture and the charred bits of caramelised miso on the bottom of the fish were delectable. Sashimi Moriawase Variety of sliced raw fish One of the distinguishing factors of a good Japanese restaurant is the chefs' sushi and sashimi preparation skills. The sashimi was cut well but it lacked the refinery of other Japanese restaurants/eateries we had sampled such as Nobu and Suzuran. The sashimi was however, very fresh. Green tea, red bean and black sesame ice cream The ice creams were beautiful. Intense in flavour and brought us back to the Japanese ice creams we had the chance to indulge in at Ikebukuro's Ice Cream City in Tokyo.

As far as Japanese food goes, I would recommend Kinya. It is a quality establishment that serves up good Japanese food at a reasonable price.

Restaurant Review: The Palace by Luke Mangan

Location: 505 City Rd, South Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9699 6410
Link: http://palacehotelmelbourne.com.au/
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression:6/10 Gastropubs have been popping up like mushrooms in the Melbourne cullinary scene. It is no wonder, celebrity chef, Luke Mangan has decided to extend his empire to include this niche offering. J and I decided to have a lazy lunch at The Palace because we love the idea of simple pub fare executed with perfection. A quick glance through the menu would automatically suggest an offering of dishes that are in every sense a portmanteau of gastronomy and pub, with complex gourmet meals served alongside traditional comfort foods at a single table.

As soon as you enter The Palace, there is no mistaking Luke Mangan's hand in the establishment. Products bearing his name surround the dining area. It screamed of narcissism which slightly detracted from the dining experience.

It was nice to be able to see the hustle and bustle of the kitchen through the glass window.Our meal started with warm crusty bread, fresh from the oven, extra virgin olive oil and dukkah. The bread was nice and toasty and the olive oil was very good.

Roasted Skate Wing, cherry tomatoes , caper berries, preserved lemon, baby spinach, burnt butter sauce.

The Skate Wing was perfectly cooked. The cherry tomatoes, caper berries and preserved lemon brought a nice acidity to the dish and the baby spinach was wilted, buttery and soft. The burnt butter sauce really brought the whole dish together. Perfectly salty with a hint of caramelisation. Great flavour combinations.

Braised chicken leg, ragout of chickpeas, pancetta, Parisian potatoes, mushrooms, peas and taragon. The chicken leg was tender and juicy. The tarragon (such a beauriful herb with, a flavour similar to anise), really gave this dish a very wholesome feel. Everything tasted so rich and comforting on the plate.

Strawberry Eaton mess with baby mint

Eton mess or Eaton mess, traditionally an English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream. At The Palace, it was no differrent…apart from the baby mint which freshened up this classic dessert. The level of sweetness was on the money. Very enjoyable.

Bitter chocolate tart, mascarpone cream and orange compote

This tart was beautiful. The crust was so buttery and crumbly, it literally melted in my mouth. The chocolate was rich and dark. The mascarpone cream was just the right consistency and went perfectly with the bitterness of the chocolate. The orange compote gave this rich dessert a pleasant twang. A highly recommended dessert.

Overall, a very pleasant lunch that met all our expectations.