Thursday, December 30, 2004

Home at last

South Eastern

Every night is not a restaurant review but I like to write a few of these dinners up just so you don't get the wrong idea. South Eastern is a hospital There are 3 choices for dinner on Wednesday A salad, Corn beef or go hungry.
Specially for me they make a large bowl of chips. Unfortunately the system conspires against the chef (cook perhaps would be a better description). By the time they get to the table the chips have been covered for some time and are never crisp. The corned beef is served with totally tasteless steamed veg and a couple of potato wedges.
So why am I not losing weight? 10/20

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Mum-in Law's

Three 17/20
No I'm not sucking up to anyone - no one probably reads this stuff anyway. Furthermore tasteless photo's (Joke) won't relly help but I'll just run thru the meal.
A glass of 1997 M.Chapoutiere Syrah before dinner set a pleasant tone.
First course the tradititional chicken soup with egg noodles and the finest knodel imaginable. I'll get the recipe next week.
Mains a veal stroganof accompanied by young peas asparagus and red caggage. What can I say - to die for.
Dessert a slightly over sweet commercial apple crumble with strawberry, vanilla or chocolate Conniseur ice cream with top quality fresh cherries strawberries and watermelon was a bit ordinary.
If this was a restaurant I would say the menu was restricted the table attractive, good quality crockery and cutlery and friendly and efficient service 3 stars for the chef- good on yer mum.
Tomorrow, unfortunately, I'll be eating at work but I'll write it up anyway!!

Monday, December 27, 2004

Supper Inn

Two
Another day another dinner
Congee is a specialty at SI with Duck, meat balls, pork giblets, abalone if you like. Served with a Chinese donut, a very light pastry, we had the pork giblets and the meat balls. Surprising delicate flavour a good start to the meal.
We then shared a roast suckling pig which simply could not be bettered, prawn stuffed eggplant, and a coral trout and bean curd hot pot with cousins Chaim and Sue. The delicacy of the fish was lost in the hot pot but the taste of the whole dish was an indescribable pleasure. The Eggplant was more a textural than a taste experience and even for one not particularly fond of eggplant I confess I was not sorry to have it
Deep fried icecream in a super sweet caramel sauce hit me over the head after the balanced tastes of the main courses
The usual bottle of bubbly and a Penfolds Koonunga Hill red helped smooth the evening.
For the first time I can remember the place was not filled to bursting
Excellent value at $25 per head 15/20
Tomorrow we eat with mum in law. The table will be groaning!

Imperial Kingdom


This is number one and the fun has just begun.
It's fitting that this is the first restaurant that I am discussing as it's probably the one at which I most often eat. For a suburban restaurant it is absolutely tops. It is always crowded for that reason.
Last night we (my wife and I) went with my mum in law and her partner. which somewhat restricts choice because we like to share and Max really likes only one dish - steamed king prawn with vegetables tho there are a few others he doesn't mind. We can work around that.
Shredded crab and corn soup for the oldies and pork conjee, normally a breakfast meal in China apparently started the evening on a pleasing note with a bottle of BYO bubbly. Their normally universally high standards were a bit diminished by the conjee which I would not recommend.
The soup was about what one would expect very acceptable.
the steamed prawns were large firm and very fresh and the vegetables crisp but lacking great flavour.
Things improved from here on. Prawns in batter in a sweet sour sauce were excellent. The accompanying just cooked onion, pineapple and green peppers melded well and the sauce which was neither too thin nor too thick or gluggy.
With steamed rice this is a must unless you are averse to sweet and sour
We cancelled the Chicken and noodles in a birds nest because of the size of the serves (and the oldies small appetites) and had a steamed Barramundi with shallots in a ginger sauce. My mouth is watering as I recall it. Delicate and delicious. this was outstanding.
We finished the meal with a plate of watermelon and my wife Sandra, who recently fell in love with sago, had a sago and fruit salad dessert.
All this for $30 per person!
I'll talk about other things there in future postings.
Tonight we will go to Supper Inn an institution in China Town
Is that my stomach rumbling?

One of my tests of quality for Cantonese restaurants is their Sweet and Sour sauce. Lately a lot of them have been falling below the standards I expect. Unfortunately now 1 year later (Nov 2005) IK has joined the ranks of the ordinary in this dish. Otherwise it remains a very good suburban restaurant
Score: 16/20 for Yum Cha 14/20 for a la carte meals

Sunday, December 26, 2004

Introduction

This site is going to be an expression of my feelings about the many places at which I indulge myself in food and wine.
My readers are welcome to offer their comments, introduce their friends to the site, and offer their own brief reviews of restaurants to visit or to avoid