A Very Foodie Christmas

Wishing all my readers a very merry Christmas. Eat, drink and be buoyant in the ocean of wrapping paper!

As you can see from the photo my friends and family know me too well and quite a number of gifts revolved around food. I'm absolutely enamoured by all my gifts but the thing that really caught my attention was the box of Patrice Newell Garlic. So when you are next thinking about gifting something like an avocado slicer, maybe you could consider a gorgeous box of purple Australian garlic instead.

European Gingerbread Amusement

Engrish is often associated native speakers of East Asian languages and provides me with hours of entertainment. But I've finally found this glorious example of European Engrish on the back of a colleague's gingerbread assortment and I thought I would share. Enjoy!

• Delicious gingerbread cookies with a tinge of fig paste, orange skin and spices will send your taste buds into a blissful spin!
  


• Exclusive chocolate cubes combining the flavour of fruit jelly, gingerbread and persipan. Their aroma will bring back into your mind the atmosphere of family reunion.


• The mystery of fruity filling trapped in a soft and delicate gingerbread will tantalise everyone's pallet!


• Traditional gingerbread combing sweet flavour of honey, cloves, ginger and cinnamon.


• Exceptionally soft gingerbread with crispy sugar glazing dipped in delicate chocolate. Will just melt in your mouth!


• Exceptionally soft gingerbreads with crispy sugar glazing, dipped in delicate milk chocolate. Will just melt in your mouth.


• Cheerful, colourful and chocolateful - they taste just great!


• Spicy gingerbread men cast in a chocolaty spell.


• Honey-flavoured gingerbreads, great for afternoon tea!

My Beautiful Girl

Spring is a glorious time of year in Brisbane. Shannon Plummer of Wet Nose Fotos has recently taken a number of photos of my beautiful baby girl, so click here for the sneak peak.

La Camera

It was pouring rain when Sarah and I were heading off to the Malthouse Theatre to view Ganesh versus the Third Reich so we stopped in at La Camera, Southbank to escape. I must admit I was more than little sceptical about the quality of food especially when I spotted a poster in the establishment advertising yum cha but we decided to place an order. Sarah ordered the Gnocchi alla Posillipo, comprising of cream, napoli saurce, parmesan and topped with grilled mozzarella (pictured above).

After our big phat panini lunch I was seeking something more soothing and selected the Tortellini con Funghi Porcini. These are large tortellini filled with porcini mushrooms and ricotta, immersed in a creamy field mushroom ragu and finished with shredded grana padano. Admitted I felt the tortellini was under cooked but if you are a mushroom lover this was the dish was you. The ragu was just filled with generous chunks of mushrooms.

Though the offering was satisfactory, the wait staff were attentive and the interior clean, it was underwhelming compared to everything else we had experienced during our Melbourne sojourn. Though it's passable, La Camera was a little plain vanilla for my taste.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
Address: 2 Southgate, Southbank, VIC 3006.
Open: 7.30am - 11am (weekdays). 8.30am - 12pm (weekends).
Phone: (03) 9699 3600.
Price: Breakfast: $5.50 - $14.50. Entree: $5.90 - $24.90. Mains: $21.50 - $47.50.

Naked for Satan

After Sarah and I had lunch at Mandalay Bay we dropped into the studio of the mad millinery genius Richard Nylon, viewed the Tutankhamum Exhibition (which I might add was beautifully curated as there were a number of signage points and you could travel the entire circumference of each display. However I was a tad disappointed that there wasn't the opportunity to view the death mask, sarcophagus or board a fun park ride. Seriously, hear me out. As the initial entry started with a short film and a verbal introduction in a fully enclosed room, I was expecting to be startled by a faux crisis and shuffled into a little red cart ... but alas I was wrong.) and made the decision to board a tram back to the hotel and freshen up. But we made a minor miscalculation, so we spent the next hour cruising the inner city streets of Melbourne on a City Circle Tram, until we were back at Brunswick Street and entering the coppery light of Naked for Satan.

As your eyes adjust, one of the first thing you will spot is the main bar's steam punk inspired copper drums. These drums are infusing a number of flavoured vodka's onsite and fit into the bar's back story of a Russian immigrant bootlegging in the nude. Though Naked for Satan appears to be quite small, continue walk up the stairs to an expanse of tables, hidden nooks and wait staff serving you drinks and gorgeous pintxos. Pintxos cost no more than $2 each and it's the perfect concept or a bar as the bread fills you up and as you pay per tooth pick, it means no squabbling over the bill! I'm not sure how much Naked for Satan loses on dishonesty but each guest gets their own little shot glass to place their tooth picks and all you have to do is take them to the counter when you are done.

Though there are a number of vegetarian options, the Naked for Satan pintxos bar concept really suits those who like meat, cheese and carbs. As I like all of these things, drinkies and a touch of naughty, I'd be more than happy to return there. Hope you get naked soon!

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Address: 285 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065,
Open: Sunday - Tuesday: 12pm - 12am. Wednesday - Saturday: 12pm - 1am.
Phone: (03) 9416 2238
Price: Pintxos: $2 each.

Mandalay Bay

The funny about Australian capital cities is no matter which one you are in, there are always similar elements. For example the style of Brisbane Arcade is remarkably similar to the Strand (Sydney), Adelaide Arcade and Royal Arcade (Melbourne) and Brunswick Street in Melbourne has striking similar to Brisbane with its eclectic mixture of boutique fashion, bars and dining options. As Sarah and I ambled the full stretch of Brunswick Street, we decided it would be prudent to stop for lunch at Mandalay Bay.

The restaurant was basic but clean and we both quickly settled on bowls of steaming Pho. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup which comprises of rice noodles, flavoursome clear stock, topped with a choice of beef or chicken and dish of mint, bean sprouts, chili etc. The photograph featured above is my bowl of Beef Pho and it came out piping hot and perfectly seasoned. The tender beef was sliced thinly and I enjoyed every mouthful of this ample dish, sprinkled liberally with bean sprouts. They were just gorgeous as they quickly absorbed the flavoursome soup.

This is Sarah's Chicken Pho and the meal are worth above and beyond the $10 a bowl, price point. I really enjoyed the experience and wished this little restaurant was located back in Brisbane's Brunswick Street.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Address: 183 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065,
Open: Monday - Sunday. 11:30am - 3pm. 5pm - 11pm.
Phone: (03) 9486 0880
Price: Entree: $4 - $9. Main: $9 - 19.

Cumulus Inc

Miss Sarah and I recently completed a jam packed tour of Melbourne which included seeing Ganesh Versus the Third Reich, NGV Winter Masters: Vienna Art & Design, Tutankhamun, dropping into the studio of the mad but brilliant Milliner: Richard Nylon, exploring the Victoria Markets and of course visiting Cumulus Inc. Located on Flinders Lane, Cumulus Inc is a gorgeous, hive of activity offering patron's Andrew McConnell stylish cuisine.

We were lucky enough to be escorted to a seat over looking the kitchen and though I was thrilled with my bird's eye view. I was a little concerned that this might be a dead zone for service. But how wrong I was, as I was soon offered this gorgeous creamy mocha, all my menu questions were explained and when I was starting to look thirsty again, a waitress appeared and an order for green tea was placed.

This is a photograph of Miss Sarah's Cumulus Inc Breakfast which features a boiled egg, toast, a selection of preserves just bursting with fruit, yoghurt, organic orange juice and includes a tea or coffee. It was just brilliant stuff.

However I decided that I needed to order this gorgeous Smoked Salmon, Asparagus dish topped with a luxurious 65/65 egg. What's a 65/65 egg you ask? Well I had the same question and the waitress politely informed me that this was an egg slow poached in its shell. It was just an amazing result, much like the warm Madeleine's filled with Lemon Curd. Much to my delight Cumulus Inc will be releasing a cookbook on October 31 and you can order a signed one from the restaurant. So if you are in Melbourne, visit the gorgeous place, collect a biscuit and pick up a copy of the cook book so you too can relive all the magic! Oh come back Melbourne! You're so arty, your people are well dressed and CBD is full of attractive men in suits!

Rating: 4.5 out 5.
Address: 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, VIC 3000.
Open: Monday - Friday: 7am - 11pm. Saturday - Sunday 8am - 11pm.
Phone: (03) 9650 1445.
Price: Breakfast: $7 - $18. Entree: $6 - $26. Mains: $26 - $36. Dessert: $2.50 - $17.