--MODERN, INTERNATIONAL

This appears here as a heading for an improvement in the indexing of the blog. Over the next few weeks I will try to add a set of categories such as culinary and ethnic styles and geographic location. The way the blog program works the headings will appear as recent reviews, although, of course, they are not reviews at all.

--JAPANESE

This appears here as a heading for an improvement in the indexing of the blog. Over the next few weeks I will try to add a set of categories such as culinary and ethnic styles and geographic location. The way the blog program works the headings will appear as recent reviews, although, of course, they are not reviews at all.

--ITALIAN

This appears here as a heading for an improvement in the indexing of the blog. Over the next few weeks I will try to add a set of categories such as culinary and ethnic styles and geographic location. The way the blog program works the headings will appear as recent reviews, although, of course, they are not reviews at all.

--LOCATION AREA

This appears here as a heading for an improvement in the indexing of the blog. Over the next few weeks I will try to add a set of categories such as culinary and ethnic styles and geographic location. The way the blog program works the headings will appear as recent reviews, although, of course, they are not reviews at all.

--CHINESE

This appears here as a heading for an improvement in the indexing of the blog. Over the next few weeks I will try to add a set of categories such as culinary and ethnic styles and geographic location. The way the blog program works the headings will appear as recent reviews, although, of course, they are not reviews at all.

--FRENCH

This appears here as a heading for an improvement in the indexing of the blog. Over the next few weeks I will try to add a set of categories such as culinary and ethnic styles and geographic location. The way the blog program works the headings will appear as recent reviews, although, of course, they are not reviews at all.

CUISINE:

This appears here as a heading for an improvement in the indexing of the blog. Over the next few weeks I will try to add a set of categories such as culinary and ethnic styles and geographic location. The way the blog program works the headings will appear as recent reviews, although, of course, they are not reviews at all.

GASTRO-PUBS

This appears here as a heading for an improvement in the indexing of the blog. Over the next few weeks I will try to add a set of categories such as culinary and ethnic styles and geographic location. The way the blog program works the headings will appear as recent reviews, although, of course, they are not reviews at all.

CHATTER 29 myTaste

Anonymity in expressions of opinion do not appeal to me. If I know the author of an opinion, even by reputation, I have a better idea of how to value it. Just as I know that if I pick up a book by Robert Ludlum I will not take it seriously whereas I will respect the views expressed by authors such as Stephen Jay Gould. Where blogs and the I'net are concerned it is always problematic as to the reliability to expect from unrefereed sites. Even Wikipedia has its problems as a reliable source in some areas.
That brings me to My Taste, a site that occasionally, and rather indiscriminately, uses posts from my own site. On one occasion they published a post about a restaurant that had been closed for months! I don't often look at it but today I did. They offer a section 'Top' restaurants for Australian Capital cities. I idly clicked on the Melbourne one and this list appeared

Bluefire in Docklands

Black Ruby in Carlton North
Urban Soul Wood Fire Pizza in Williamstown
Steakhouse in Docklands

Livebait Restaurant in Docklands
Yum Cha Dragon in Docklands
Maple Leaf Chinese & Malaysian Restaurant in Noble Park
Butchers Grill in Melbourne
Gopal's Vegetarian Restaurant in Melbourne
Hot Chocolate Coffee & Chocolate Bar in Docklands

Most of them have star ratings based on two or three reviews that can be followed back to the contributors and these vary in quality and enthusiasm BUT how peculiar that five of the top ten are in Docklands and how odd that not one of the generally highly regarded restaurants that feature in Gourmet Traveller or the Age Good Food Guide get mentioned. Even Attica, which achieved world wide recognition after one group of reviewers rated it 74th best restaurant in the world, missed out on myTaste's top 10!
It is not evident on what evidence this list of 'Top' restaurants is compiled, nor who is responsible for it.
Surely myTaste could call their list something more appropriate than what it surely is not.
This sort of nonsense gives blogs a bad name.

Cafe Qua (St.Kilda) 2010

There are at least a dozen establishments similar to Café Qua within a kilometer or two along this increasingly vital Balaclava shopping strip. Many have come and gone over the last 10 years but, for good reason, Café Qua is thriving. It’s inconspicuous, at 289 Carlyle Street, marking the far end of the strip, with a few aging tables under umbrellas on the footpath. Inside it is rather dark with a dozen or so small 5 ply topped bare tables. Daily newspapers are available for customers. A small hand written sign informs that it is a “cash only” business. One wonders why.
It’s a family business. Grandparents and grandchildren are often there, chatting and gossiping. They are inclusive and friendly. A pleasant atmosphere is also induced by attractive young serving staff who smile a lot and seemed pleased to be looking after us. The breakfast menu, available from 8.00 to 4.00, from Tuesday to Sunday,priced from $7.5 to $15 is extensive including a variety of poached and scrambled eggs, muesli and vegetarian dishes. Lunch, similarly priced, includes chicken, fish, pasta dishes and a variety of salads. Products are sourced from local shops. Serves are large. We’ve tried many of their dishes and not been disappointed. Salads are fresh and crisp, carbonara and cream sauces for pastas are very good. For breakfast I recommend Eggs Qua,
two perfectly poached eggs with firm whites and just cooked slightly runny yolks on muffins, baby spinach and shaved ham, topped with smoked salmon and Hollandaise sauce. Definitely good for an inexpensive, tasty, hearty meal in a happy atmosphere.
Score 13/20

Maze (Melbourne) 07/2010

Seeing Gordon Ramsay on TV and in the newspapers, not always because of his cooking, it's hard to avoid having an opinion about him. Many people detest him. I'm not one of them. I think it rare that a person rises to celebrity status without some special or unusual talent. Masterchef illustrates how hard it is to be a really excellent chef and to be successful, as Ramsay is, also requires managerial skills and judgment. For this reason I am delighted that he has opened a restaurant in Melbourne. The menu is created by his executive chef, Josh Emett, in Ramsay's style and in consultation with him. Emmett,
a charming and very smart chef, has been working with Ramsay for quite a few years and knows the sort of things he likes.
The restaurant is on the 1st floor of the new Metropole Hotel across the the road from the Crown Entertainment complex. It has the air of an extremely classy venue from the moment you walk through the door. The hotel decor is restrained in earthy tones. The restaurant is rather noisy despite the carpet, because of music piped through out the place. It is fairly dark although there are plenty of overhead lights in frames that looks a bit like lobster pots. Our watress offered a torch to help read the menu!
The walls are decorated with a sculpture that looks like tree branches, no trunks, with an irregular scattering of birds. Very gentle and pleasing to the eye. They have bare, good size, wood tables, white linen napkins and good quality cutlery. It is much larger than it looks seating over 100 not counting the Grill Bar. Service is prompt and attentive though questions about the bread, Steca di Bianca had to be referred to higher authority for answers.
So what about the food.
They provide an a la carte menu, about $17 upwards for each dish or a seven course 'Chefs Dinner Menu'. ($95) with matched wines for either $80, $100 0r $120. The first two are chosen from the wines available by the glass, which are about $12 to $18 and the more expensive options a better quality selection not generally available by the glass.
The tasting menu is from the main menu but presumably the serves are smaller. We started with marinated beetroot with goats curd, Cabernet Sauvignon vinaigrette, toasted pie nuts.
No amuse bouche here. This was a couple of beautifully presented, colourful, bite sized delicacies the variety in textures and tastes pleased all my senses. Of course it helps if you are partial to goats cheeses.
This was followed by a choice. Applewood smoked Kingfish, fennel, pickled celery, globe artichoke, Californian caviar, which I had, seduced by the ingredients, specially the caviar. The alternative seared yellow fin tuna, white radish, yuzu, enoki mushrooms, black garlic which Sandra selected and I tasted, and ultimately much preferred.
It was very delicate and meltingly tender with subtle flavour.
I barely noticed the caviar but it hardly mattered.
The Kngfish was barely cooked the balance of the tastes maintained by the proportions of the ingredients. Pan seared scallops, caramelized kelp, sugar snap peas, mussels, champagne, it was champagne foam!, again highlighted the soft touch of the chef. Strangely the scallops were a little over seared but remained succulent,
almost sweet, I cold happily have had a dozen. Another choice followed. I had the pan roasted barramundi, butternut squash, compressed cucumber, pumpkin seeds.
Crisp skin moist flesh, one needs to be a poet to describe the feelings these dishes produce. Equally mouth watering was the other choice, roasted quail with sage, slow cooked quince and glazed turnips. Quail is often hard to eat. This was boned and presented, like a miniature confit of duck.
Another exceptional dish, beautifully seasoned it only deficiency the small size of the serve. The last main was lamb cannon and shoulder, cauliflower puree, anchovy, stinging nettles which we did not taste because we wanted the "ox tongue and cheek" caper and raisin carrots, horseradish pomme puree.
The cheek absolutely melted in the mouth, it sat atop the slice of tongue which had been overcooked and as a result was hard though Sandra's was better. The jus looked heavily reduced but did not overwhelm the cheek. The small pot of pomme puree was excellent with a mild horse radish taste infused through it.

There were two desserts. The first an exotic fruit vacherin, passion fruit and bannana sorbet was disapointing after the fabulous preceding courses. The merangue was very hard and the 'exotic troical fruit' very acidic.
They failed to impress as anything special. The final course was a deconstructed lamington with rosella jam which appealed to me as the best way you could possibly have a lamington.
The chocolate and coconut are on the bottom, cream in the middle and the sponge of the lamington on the right in this photo. The rosella jam was behind the other ingredients.
The bread, it's in that silver bucket next to the candle, which we both loved, was served with a seaweed infused butter and a small dish of Maldon salt. It came early and often which was just as well as the volume of food for each course was tiny. I do think it would have been much better to have had 50% larger serves because without the bread many patrons would leave hungry.
Wines are expensive whilst cocktails are at ordinary prices about $18
The meal was exquisite in most regards and the service impeccable.
It is expensive by the time you add in the drinks and tip but it is a culinary experience that we thoroughly enjoyed.
I should add that each course came with half a glass of wine. The wines were:
NV Tattinger Prelude
2009 Delakle 'Unique' Sav Blanc Loire Valley
2008 Clonakilla Voignier Canberra
2008 Ata Rangi 'Crimson' Pinot Noir Martinborough N.Z.
2006 Barone Ricadoli Chianti Classico Riserva Tuscanny
2007 Dr Loosen 'Urziger Weirzgarten' Auslese Reisling Mosel Germany
2006 Inniskillin Cab Franc 'Icewine' Niagra Canada
The only one I was familiar with was Dr Loosens Reisling. They all matched the food and were pleasant enough but I did not have an urge to rush out and stock up on any of them except, perhaps, the Tattinger,
Any comments?
Score: 17.5/20

CHATTER 28 Masterchef

Ten green bottles hanging on the wall. If one green bottle should accidentally fall there'll be nine green bottles hanging on the wall.
There is a sad inevitability that every contestant but one will ultimately be eliminated in this wonderfully inventive show. We get to like these contestants, we feel for them. The challenges they face, day after day are quite extraordinary. Like gladiators they go into battle against each other constantly displaying remarkable good will towards their fellow contestants whilst daily endeavouring to better them in the Masterchef kitchen.
Last night, facing a 'monstrous' challenge, Alvin struck out. It might have easily been Callum or Courtney, A marginal win to Jimmy gives him a substantial advantage in the next round. All the contestants have gaps in basic cooking skills which are revealed under pressure. I think Callum has been the luckiest to survive so far but doubt that he will get much further.
There is a lot of luck in the decisions both for the best and the worst dishes and worthy contestants get eliminated unreasonably at times. This is evident from the fact that both Courtney and Jimmy, who won their way back into the competition after earlier elimination a couple of weeks ago, have not yet been eliminated again. This is emphasized by Jimmy winning best eight layer vanilla cake whilst Courtney barely survived.
Sandra and I agree that Claire and Adam are the two most able performers. Adam is the most inventive and Claire perhaps technically superior. We think the winner will come from one of these two.