Little Hunter

Holy toledo, how long ago did I visit this place?! Anyway, I'm blogging about it now.

Well there sure has been some hype about this place even before it opened. Some hype indeed. Maybe it's because the guy heading up this place used to work at the Fat Duck, or because the other owner is on MKR, who knows. I sure didn't see any activated almonds on the menu. I totally would've ordered them. You know I would.

Anyway, located beneath the St Georges building on Little Collins, the entrance is as discreet as it gets, no significant signage, down some stairs into a bunker space. We followed other people and hoped they knew where they were going. They did.

Truth be told, I really only wanted to try Little Hunter because of its name. It's a cool name don't you think? Or not.....

This place is not for vegetarians. So beware blog buddies. If you're a vegetarian, this place may not be for you, as almost everything has meat even the bread. It started off with a baked pull apart mini loaf, herby and delicious (and was unashamedly white white white - let's face it, no one likes to admit it, but white bread didn't survive this long because it tasted bad). Oh, don't forget the chicken skin butter. CHICKEN SKIN BUTTER.

This place is also not for the dieter. So beware blog buddies. If you're watching your calories, this place may not be for you.

We started with the "crackling" and watermelon salad. The crackling was interesting, it was "puffed" rather than the classic rendition of crackling. So it was almost like eating crisps...but well, not quite crisps.  It was fine, but after a few servings, you do get sick of it.The watermelon salad was excellent, the creamy goat cheese and refreshing watermelon. I loved this dish.

For mains, I had spatchcock and my friend had the lamb...I think. The chicken was good, but it wasn't incredible, it was solidly cooked and not sandpaper dry. Perhaps it was a long day for me when I dined there, as I ultimately found it difficult to stomach all that meat. We also ordered a side of fries and yams. The fries were really more like 7 fries or something (realistically, it was 1 potato), tasty, but really you didn't get into double digits with the number of fries served. This was a bit of a disappointment, when you order fries, there should be a sense of abundance.  The yams were sweet potatoes...and was quite nice...but why not call them sweet potatoes?!

We finished with the licorice ice cream and the frangipane with passionfruit curd. The licorice ice cream was delicious with the only "minor complaint" was that it was quite sweet. I make ice cream with my ice cream machine regularly (ok, I made like 10 batches in 2 weeks and then nothing afterwards since), so I'd like to think I know what I'm on about...and I really think it could've done with less sugar or something that isn't as sweet as sucrose. But then again, a minor issue...you eat ice cream well because it's meant to be sweet, so I'm just complaining for the sake of complaining aren't I?

The passionfruit curd component of the frangipane dessert was excellent and incredibly smooth, I love passionfruit curd - did you know that? Well now you do. I love love love passionfruit curd. Even though there was really only a small amount of it on the dish. I'd order it just for the curd.

Overall, the main disappointment of the night were our seats, we were seated at the bar despite arriving for a 6pm session, and well, it wasn't very comfortable. It was fine for a few drinks, but after a couple of hours, we were ready to leave.Honestly, fix your bar stools.

Notwithstanding that minor issue, the food is generally good, service good, and if you were to eat here you would generally be satisfied. It won't change your life, but then again, it's a fairly new restaurant so perhaps it'll find its groove later down the track.

Where?
Little Hunter
"Down the stairs", 195 Little Collins St
Melbourne, CBD

Huxtaburger

I can't lie. I really love burgers. If you had asked me a while ago (before BBK) if I loved burgers, I would've told you, NO. I do not love burgers. But now, I love burgers, so much so that I'd eat one before going for a swim. That's how much I love them - I am willing to risk drowning.

So it's a wonder why I've been so slow off the mark to try Huxtaburger, I mean, how many times have people asked me "what you think of huxtaburger?" when they find out how much I love burgers.

So finally bit the bullet and tried it. Try it twice in fact, over the last week or so (just to be sure). Finally. So now, I can say I've tried the Huxtaburger, I can tell you, blog buddies, what I think of huxtaburger.

Not bad. 

There has been so so so much hype around huxtaburger, expectations of it were high, and in all fairness, I did enjoy it. Totally. The bun was however, quite sweet for a burger, brioche if I'm not mistaken, but I'd say it is in balance with the tomato sauce (or "ketchup"), pickles, mustard, pattie and cheese. The burger certainly has a "fast food" element to it, you know...the sugar, the salt, the fat (pretty much in every single component).  At $8.50, it's cheaper than the Beatbox Kitchen, but also smaller. It's probably the right size, anymore and you could be over it.

So , Beatbox Kitchen vs Huxtaburger? I mean, that's what you're all thinking right? If I were to crave a burger, like so much that I'd get into a street fight to get to one? I'd say the Beatbox. But I'd happily devour a huxtaburger still. Despite all the reviews indicating ridiculous waits, both times have been  less than 10 mins. Just go on a weekday.

Where?
106 Smith Street, Collingwood

Señoritas

Holy shit. Have I neglected this blog or what? And no one even bothered to send out a search party. Disappointing people. Disappointing.

But in any case, I'm alive.

So a few weeks back, a friend was over from Perth so the decision to catch up resulted in a two part dinner, firstly at Senoritas and then a some extra bites at MoVida, the original. Let's face it, who doesn't like a bit of a mexican fiesta?!

Given it was quite a number of weeks ago,  I cant' remember exactly what we had, but I do remember they had some pretty awesome margaritas. If that counts...

They look like tacos. Yes, you'd expect tacos at a house of Mexico....and they were good tacos. Not the dodgy shit that taste like dry beans with a corn tortilla.

Bugs and spatchcock. The spatchcock was particularly good, but yeh, it was a child chicken that copped it.

Overall, it was good. Foodwise, better than mamasitas imho. And guess what? They take bookings, so you don't have to wait 3 hours to get a seat.

Adios amigos.

Where?
Senoritas,
16 Meyers Place,CBD

My urban garden...where's SPRING?!

Well, I'm actually still alive everyone. So calm down.

Yes, the world has not brought me down just yet, almost, but not YET!

It has been such a busy time in recent months, and the amount of work that I used to put into my garden seems almost an impossible thing to repeat. I remember around this time last year, I had my summer crops in, and all I had to do was deal with my aphid (and DAMN white fly) problem.

I will admit, I have cheated this year. Last year, I ordered lacewings, used pest oil and garlic sprays to deal with the aphids. It seemed to have worked, as the beneficial insects took care of the aphids in the rose beds. I however, lost the whitefly battle through high summer as the population exploded amongst my beans and tomatoes. The impact on some of the beans was horrific.

I am not going through such effort this year to be beaten by those damn white flies again. As we've had a what seems to be a very cool October in Melbourne, the infestation has not been so severe (yet), so I decided I'd try out pyrethrum sprays, a botanical poison for insects and aquatic animals (and cats apparently). Luckily, I don't have aquatic animals or cats. The active ingredient is non selective and will kill all insects, good and bad. Not ideal, but let's call this an integrated approach to gardening...without using the systemic and synthetic poisons.

I've decided I will need to get the pest population under control early on so that it is not too late before they become uncontrollable. The plan is to spray for a few weeks and then introduce beneficials as the weather warms up to sustain them, to maintain balance in the garden.

So, yes blog buddies, I've cheated this year.

But other than that...this is what has been happening in my urban garden..N/NE of Melbourne.

 Purple podded peas - Angela's blue from memory. A beautifully deep purple pod with lime, almost fluorescent green. I swore I'd never grow peas again...but this may have changed my mind.

Staggered harvests of some rainbow carrots - from purple dragon, solar yellow and lunar white carrots. Funnily, I don't actually have orange carrots.

As far as the eye can see - my strawberry plants from seed (and some more mature white alpines fruiting away). Alexandria, Reine de valles, Mignonette, Yellow Wonder, Pineapple crush and Musk Berries (soon to be transplanted!).

Of course, what would Summer be without these? My tomato seedlings, smaller than hoped but they'll be fine. Tommy toe, Yellow pear, Red fig, Aunty Ruby's Green, Maldovan Green, Hillbilly, Stupice, Rouge de Marmande and my two hopes of this season - Red Brandywine and Pink Brandywine. The Brandywine are meant to be the best of all tomatoes.

Some horseradish with lettuce and beetroots. My beetroots did not get very large...and I don't know why.

I aim trying to be as productive as possible with the land that I do have, so in went a Jiro Persimmon, and a White Shahtoot Mulberry.

And I have to end with this - a random potato plant in the back of the garden in some abandoned soil through deep winter produced that crop of potatoes. Not bad for absolute neglect. 

Where?
My urban garden

My urban garden...Spring.

  Spring.

My coriander bounty.

Chiogga beetroot

Field of garlic.

 

Mizuna in bloom.

 

 Purple broccoli

 

Wasabi japonica

 

 4 varieties of wild alpine strawberries.

 Last year's propagated alpine strawberries, ruegan cultivar.

My urban garden...within Spring's grasp.

The days are getting longer and the glacial mornings less frequent. Deep winter has not been as pleasant as I thought. It is always nicer by imagination, by a wood fire, waking up mid morning, with a cup of chai and flicking through my cookery, pastry and garden books. To head to the market, find some interesting things to cook and spend a leisurely day contemplating Nietzsche (I'm kidding people...about the Nietzsche part the rest is FACT). But in all seriousness, to me, winter has almost always been a time for relaxation, to go on short trip, to recharge. 

But no, this winter has been filled with 5.30am alarms, long drives and long(ish) days. So it is so so nice to glimpse the Spring ahead, to see some sunshine, and to see the azure blue sky once more. To only have it so swiftly snatched with a series of wet, cold, miserable days. A glimmer is nevertheless a glimmer.

Despite the damp, cold and miserable weekends, I've tried to get into the garden as often as possible over the last few weeks, because what I do now will hopefully pay off in coming months. You know the old adage, you reap what you sow? I've been taking it in the literal sense. Next level interpretation.

As I was clearing the garden beds, I couldn't help but harvest some of my rhubarb. I know I probably shouldn't have done so whilst they are still in hibernation....but I really couldn't help myself. It's worse because they're only 1yo's. I'll just apologise with a bag full of compost or something (they were certainly delicious).

The tomato and pepper season is also starting but I may have transplanted my tomatoes in haste, so some did not survive. I will need to revisit my seeds and start them from scratch and give them some more time before I transplant them again. Or maybe just do a better job at transplanting them. One or the other

Remember the wild alpine strawberries that I had started 12 months ago? I've managed to get around 50 plants from the seeds that I had propagated. Probably more if I had taken more care of them during the year. I put a few, haphazardly, in a shady garden bed as an after thought last year as I had a few extras and lo, they did unbelievably well. Their resilience over our cold winter is remarkable as I certainly did not expect them to fruit in July or August. I can't wait to see what they offer up during the Spring flush.

You may wonder what my obsession with these tiny tiny strawberries are, let me say one thing. I am no fan of strawberries in general. But wild alpine strawberries, are nothing, I repeat, nothing, like what you buy in the shops. Nothing just to be sure. Their intensity in flavour is infinitely superior to any other strawberry you'll buy or grow. It is just bizarre they're not grown more, because they are relatively easy to maintain once established. Starting them from seed however can be a challenge. I nevertheless got 4 additional varieties (Yellow Wonder, Reines de valles, Mignonette, and Alexandria) in seed, so I'm certainly excited to see what this year brings.

Anyway, with that, I leave you with the first blooms of the garden, another hint that Spring is only moments away.

Where?
My urban garden.

Gumbo Kitchen

Yes, another food truck.

Yes, I eat from food trucks more than I eat sit down dinners, but I have no shame people!

I was on my way home from work and I spotted the Gumbo Truck on High St in Northcote outside Kitty Somerset so I thought I'd do a u-turn and get myself one of these prawn things.

Overall impressions? I like it. But best eaten when you're hungry hungry hungry!!

 Crunchy, spicy, tangy.

I should probably try a gumbo...from a gumbo kitchen..I suppose. Maybe next time.

Where?
Don't know. Somewhere in Northcote and surrounds?

It has been so long.

Well, you can stay calm and have a coffee. I am not dead.

It has however, been so long. I don't know why I haven't written anything for this space. I often think that I should. To put my thoughts and opinions down. To temper them. To put them into perspective. First world problems my friends, first world problems. I sometimes do have to remind myself of that. To just pull myself from my own pity party and just have a bit of reality check. Yes, this year was meant to be the year where I find a steady state. To let things "be". But it turned out to be a year that I've needed to be reboot. And reboot. And reboot. I mean, FFS. Have you had one of those weeks, months or years?

As I write this I am conscious of the fact that I need to probably get up at 5.30am tomorrow - to make it to work. Conscious that I spent the whole of the last 12 months thinking that this would be when I would be on my holiday. Maybe a bucket list item. Or maybe just to say hello to the Southern ocean once more. Well, that's not how things have turned out.

Stability is still a distant destination.

But for now, I just want to refocus on the things that have served me well, to eat and live well. Whatever that means.

 A few months ago, I started a new garlic bed. In went 250 garlic cloves, some wombok, cabbages and bokchoy. All are seemingly doing fairly well. I also have coriander to see me through the winter, mizuna, peas and hopefully beets will see me through to spring.

I have started to germinate my tomatoes, ready for a Summer that seems so far away. I finally got some Brandywine tomato seeds as I was unable to source any plants last year. I bought some horseradish from the farmer's market last week and I don't know if they'll do well, but I am starting to find comfort in my urban garden once more.I plan on increasing the depth of one of my garden beds so I can grow more root vegetables.

Yes, it is nice to focus on things that seem to work at a different speed to society.

Here is a photo which I took of one of my vietnamese mint bushes in the garden a while ago. To this day, it is still in bloom. I've eaten this herb all my life...and I've never seen it flower.

I will add more pictures in coming days of my urban garden.

Where?
My urban garden.

Chez Dre

After all the hype about this place, I had to visit. Given I have been visiting South Melbourne a bit over the last few months, you know to do stuff. Like drink coffee. So it was only reasonable that I also visit Chez Dre.

At the rear of some building on Coventry St it is well hidden yet well signed (does that even make sense?). So you can't miss it...not really. It has "patisserie" and "boulangerie" on its sign. Isn't boulangerie a sexy word? Seriously...say it with me...boulangerie.

Anyway, I digress. It is a fairly open space, with an open kitchen. Although the kitchen seems more of a cafe kitchen than a pastry kitchen...or a bakery for that matter. Anyway, walk through, and you will see a cabinet with some petit gateauxs, choux pastries, tarts and the like. Indeed, they do look very glamorous. 

So what did I try?

1. Lemon Meringue Pie.
2. Passionfruit Tart.
3. Vanilla eclair.

Summary in a word? OK.

The lemon meringue pie was a little disappointing. There was something about the lemon curd that I couldn't quite put my finger on...it just wasn't as zingy as I'd expect a lemon curd to be. Trust me, I make a lot of curd and this was a bit odd. Possibly the use of lemon puree which isn't a good idea for curds and custards really...but I could be totally totally wrong.

The passionfruit tart however, was delicious. Ultra smooth curd with a great cocoa tart base. What more can I say? A classic passionfruit tart.

The eclair was also ok. The creme patissiere filling was smooth, as was the whipped vanilla cream. But lets face it boys and girls, it's an eclair...for $8.50. A bit rich, but ok I get it...it was an eclair with like a sable or "croustilliant" covering which is more work...but $8.50 for an eclair. I'm not stingy, but I just can't get over that it's just an eclair people.

So visit if you're nearby as in all fairness, I haven't tried their coffees or their food. Just their pastries.

Where?
rear 285-287 Coventry St, South Melbourne