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62 Piper St, Kyneton
Phone 03 5422 7400
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A couple of months ago Dan and I decided to rent a car for the day and head down to Kyneton for a looksee, and lo and behold we happened on the annual Daffodil and Arts Festival! There was a parade, the local CWA baking up scones, jumping castle, face painting and even a demonstration by the local Chinese Lion Dancing Club. But as you would probably guess, what we were most interested in was finding a place to lunch. Considering our last minute day trip decision, we missed out on the popular Annie Smithers. But we were more than pleased to have happened upon Pizza Verde.
It’s a corker of a restaurant, and we felt more than relaxed as we kicked backed on one of their tables, the yeasty aroma of cooking pizza dough around us.
We started with the bianco potato pizza $17, a bubbly crunchy base topped with caramelised onions, smashed potato, pancetta, sage, asiago and garlic. It went a treat with the local pinot grigio I was quaffing (the house wine, so didn’t catch the name). This pizza has been called by some the best in the state, and I can see why.
As it was Sunday, we decided to partake of their regular Sunday Roast, which is $28 for two courses. After eating the pizza, the waiter suggested we probably only needed the one serving between us, which was spot on. Above is the red wine vinegar and oregano shoulder of lamb, served with a cheesy polenta and green beans with walnuts. I especially tucked into the polenta and beans, which I would have been happy eating on their own!
Second course was a warm chocolate brownie, served with Jock’s vanilla ice cream and a chocolate port sauce. This was when I regretted the decision of only one serving, as I would have liked one of these all to myself!
A shame this place is so far away, although I guess it’s only an hour by car or train *sigh*.
389 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Phone 03 9602 4444
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I was a little confused about the name of this new restaurant/bar on Hardware Lane, Aspro Ble. I couldn’t help feeling I needed to take an aspro cause I was feeling blergh. A somewhat unfair thought, considering the name simply translates as “white blue”, the colours associated with the national flag of Greece.
Open only a short week, Aspro Ble sits on the corner of Lonsdale and Hardware Lane – well enough away from the touts, but close enough to feel the vibe of the somewhat touristy spot and enjoy the jazz trio which croons tunes on a nightly basis. We started with a Mythos Lager, a very appetising Greek beer, subtly malted with barley aromas. A nice drop.
At present the menu consists of a range of interesting Greek inspired meze (small plates of sharing food), and interesting to note that you won’t find a saganaki in sight. There is a good range of vegetarian dishes too, so don’t think all there will be on offer is meat.
We started with the chargrilled calamari with chilli and fennel ($9), a perfect plate of smoky tender strips. The highlight for me was the whole fennel seeds, which provided lovely bursts of aniseed flavour and crunch with each bite. The salt and chilli were perfectly balanced too. Goes real well with that beer.
We then jumped into the requisite dips ($8), a taramasalata, tzatziki and eggplant. Served with chargrilled bread and warmed pita, it was satisfying, although perhaps not entirely awe inspiring. The tzatziki was probably the highlight – very creamy with nicely grated cucumber.
I can never go past a good plate of roasted spuds ($8), and this version didn’t disappoint. Cooked in olive oil with oregano and lemon, I loved that you can even see the quarters of lemon from the roasting pan!
This salmon cured in ouzo ($10) was another real highlight, sliced generously and piled high on the plate, the clean flavours just shone through. Served with a fennelly, herby cream, it was the perfect compliment. I want this again! Apparently they had cured the whole salmon sides the day before. Yes…this was as fresh as you could get.
Dan tucked heartily into a plate of slow roasted lamb with a garlic yoghurt dressing ($14), which he oohed and ahhed over. It had been slow cooked to the point of stickiness, and was unctuous, smoky and rich. A squirt of lemon really helped to cut through the fattiness.
I felt a bit more virtuous choosing the pan seared scallops with an almond crust and pomegranate glaze ($12), which was light and refreshing. I loved that the almonds had been roasted/cooked to total nuttiness, and the sharp soury sweetness of the glaze just gave the whole dish a nice zing. Loved it.
To finish, we shared a slice of the Turkish Coffee Cake with macerated figs, walnuts and a metaxa reduction, a Greek blend of brandy and wine. It came with a nice little anglaise too, with good hits of vanilla. The cake was interesting, in that it was kind of spongy and pudding-like – not crumbly like a cake at all. Alas, the perfect accompaniment was a good strong Greek coffee.
It was nice to dine alfresco at Aspro Ble. Now that the weather has started to warm up a bit, I look forward to sinking a few more of those Mythos, of course with a couple of plates of meze. Stin Iyiamas!
Pinctada Cable Beach Resort
10 Murray Road, Cable Beach
Phone (08) 9193 8388
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Ah, Pearl Meat. The delicacy that is harvested from the pearl oyster after it has finished its pearl producing life (what a way to go!). Found in the warmer waters of northern Australia, the small annual harvests means that this prized treat fetches at least $100 a kilogram, and even more in Asia. Ever since arriving at Broome, I have wanted to try it. Would it live up to the hype? Is it just a snob food with a high price tag? Well, we got our wish to try some Pearl Meat when we dined at Selene Brasserie on the night of our one-year wedding anniversary.
Selene Brasserie is part of the stunning 5-star Pinctada Cable Beach Resort. Like most restaurants in Broome, the beautiful dining space is open to the outdoors, taking advantage of the cool night breezes whilst offering glorious and, dare I say romantic, views of the sunset. Check out the view from our table in the first pic.
Greg Malouf, of MoMo fame, consulted on Selene’s menu and it shows: from the delicious breads that were offered with dukkah and olive oil, to the spices and Middle Eastern touches on the entrees and mains. The dishes lived up to the restaurant’s name, being more Brasserie-style than fine dining, though quality and presentation were right up there with the best. Prices were decidedly non-Brasserie but were on a par with other Broome resort eateries.
For entrees, we obviously ordered the Spiced Pearl Meat ($33), accompanied by Ceduna Oysters ($27.50/4). Sorry for the dark pics; the lighting wasn’t the best. The oysters were nice, baked in the shell with cheese and spinach. They were tasty without being outstanding. But my God, the pearl meat! Thinly sliced and marinated in a delicious spice mix, it was then simply seared in a hot pan for a few seconds, imparting a glorious char. I find it hard to describe the flavour, which is very unique. Visually, it resembled scallops. Texturally, it was delicate, like flash fried calamari. Flavour-wise, it bore some resemblance to abalone, but cleaner and without the gaminess. It was truly delicious, and simply one of the best things I’ve ever had in my life. It had such depth of flavour that the taste just kept on keeping on in my mouth. I wanted to order another serve!
Alas, we had to move on to mains. Simplicity is again the key to the choices; local fish could be had grilled, baked or as fish and chips. We both chose grilled fish – Mellie went the gold band snapper ($42) and I opted for the barramundi ($41). Again, the Malouf touches were evident, with light spices augmenting the fresh flavours of the fish. With produce this good, you don’t need to muck around too much with it.
Accompanying our mains were a fresh Butter Lettuce Salad ($15) and beautiful fried potatoes with haloumi and thyme ($9.50).
For dessert, Mellie chose the Meyer Lemon Cake ($18.50), which she really enjoyed. The little mushroom meringue was a little on the dry side though.
Being a stickler for soft desserts, I couldn’t resist the date panacotta ($18.50), which was perfect in consistency and texture, and delicate in flavour. It was accompanied by a tasty little cake (forgot the flavour) and the Persian fairy floss was a nice touch.
Service throughout was friendly and professional. All up, it was a memorable meal and a fantastic way to celebrate one year of marital bliss and, for that, I highly recommend Selene Brasserie. I will also remember that pearl meat for a long while yet, and now cannot wait until I get the chance to sample it again (Flower Drum has it – anyone keen?).
For our Meat Free Monday this week, I decided to try a receipe that first appeared on Cindy and Michael’s blog back in 2008: Soy Bombs! These delicious and tasty treats are a perfect and healthy substitute for meatballs.
Soy bombs (for two VERY hungry people)
500g extra firm tofu
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce (less if using salted peanut butter)
3 tablespoons crunchy or smooth peanut butter (crunchy adds some extra texture)
1/2 cup Panko (or normal breadcrumbs)
1 Egg (or leave out the egg to make it vegan)
fresh basil, roughly chopped/ripped (or the herb of your choice)
About 1/2 cup plain flour
About 1/3 cup light olive or vegetable oil (for frying)
In a bowl, crumble in the tofu and combine with the onion, soy sauce, peanut butter, Panko, egg and basil. Combine well, using a fork and wooden spoon (or food processor if you wish). When combined, form the mixture into 3 cm balls; the egg should help the mixture bind properly. Coat the balls in the plain flour.
In a shallow frying pan, heat the oil on 3 quarter heat (not too hot). Test the oil by flicking some water into the pan; the sizzle will tell you that it’s ready. Carefully place the balls into pan in batches. When crispy on all sides, remove and cover with paper towel to get rid of the excess oil whilst you start on the next batch.
Serve immediately, with sweet chilli or plum sauce, on their own, with pasta napoli or whack them into some rolls for a wicked “meatball” sub, as we did. As Cindy pointed out, the texture of the balls was eerily like meat, and the combination of the peanut butter, soy and basil combine magnificently. It also goes a treat with my fave beer at the moment, White Rabbit’s White Ale:
I really enjoyed making these, and Mellie loved them so I’ll be making them again. A big thanks and shout out to where’s the Beef? 
First Floor, 315 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
03 9670 7305
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When one thinks of Afghanistan, the war, Taliban and refugees invariably spring to mind. Which is a little unfortunate, as I’m sure that a country as steeped in history and culture as Afghanistan has so much more to offer, despite her continuing troubles. I must admit that I’m ignorant when it comes to this land-locked country in South-Central Asia. I attended high school with two Afghani classmates but aside from that, ask me to come up with ten facts about Afghanistan and I’d be struggling. However, I am a big believer that a country’s cuisine is one of the best ways to get to know the culture and people of a country. So I was very delighted to learn that a new Afghani restaurant was opening right on our block.
There were a few things that might put potential diners off Afghan Tasty Food. One, it is located above a not so salubrious pokies venue and the signage is poor. Two, it offers an all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffet for $13, four words that would normally send foodies screaming from the venue with nightmarish flashbacks of Smorgies and sneeze guards. However, if you can look past these two things, you will be rewarded with a very (Afghan) tasty and interesting dining experience.
After ascending the stairs, you emerge into a bright and large space that looked as if it used to be a function centre. If you’re expecting rugs, hookah pipes and other such exotica, you’d be disappointed, as the space is rather minimalist, with the exception of a magnificant glittering lamp sculpture near the entrance. Pictures of the homeland are dotted around the walls, depicting tribesmen, mountain scenery, and one picture of a bullet-riddled building that is a solemn reminder of the reality facing Afghanistan today.
We were quickly presented with menu’s by the friendly owner, who was more than happy to provide explanations and suggestions. What is Afghan food then? Well, from my quick and limited perception, I would describe it as Middle Eastern mixed with touches of Indian/Pakistani and other Central Asian influences. The menu offered a number of kebabs, cooked dishes, soups, rice and bread. Although there are quite a few meat dishes, I must say that vegetarians are very well catered for. The restaurant is fully licensed too.
We started with some Afghani bread. Delightfully soft and garlicky, the bread was some of the tastiest that I’ve had. We were told they were baked daily in their bakery in Dandenong. I couldn’t get enough of it!
For mains, I had the combination tikka (lamb backstrap) and chicken kebabs, served with bread, salad and some homemade chutney. Grilled on iron skewers, the kebabs were smoky and delicious, expecially the chicken which was very tender and tasty. I must comment about the “chutney” that came with the bread: it is awesome! Made with over 20 ingredients, including garlic, chilli and apple, it had such piquancy and depth of flavour which really belied its rather watery consistency. It was spicy, yet sweet, garlicky yet fruity. I could drink a whole bowl of it. Apparently you can buy it by the jar in their shop in Dandenong, which I might be visiting soon!
Mel had the vego options, which included Ashak, “pastry” filled with leek and coriander, and Burni Bonjon, an eggplant dish (no picture) that the owner insisted we try by providing us with a small sample. The translucscent pastry of the Ashak turned out to be a weird combination of ravioli and Chinese dumpling. Topped with chickpeas, yoghurt and a tangy tomato sauce, with a fresh and zingy filling, they were quite frankly sensational, rivalling some of the better yum cha vegetarian dumplings that I’ve had. The eggplant dish was smoky and delicious, though a tad oily.
We also shared an Orange Palow, which is flavoured basmati rice cooked with orange, pistachio and almonds. Identical to pilaf, Palow is pretty much Afghanistan’s national dish. The version here was devastating, to say the least. They used the best quality basmati rice, as evidenced by the really long grains, and the flavours of oily rice matched to the fruitiness of the orange and crunch of the nuts was a match made in heaven! Seriously, I would come back just for this rice.
So what of the (shudder) all-you-can-eat buffet? Well, we did come back for that, and I’m very pleased to report that the quality did not diminish just because it was a buffet. Choices were ample, including more of that rice, a tangy and tender lamb curry, and many vegetable dishes. Just look at this vegetarian plate that Mellie assembled, which included minced spinach, smokey eggplant, a strange yet tasty concoction of mash potato and rice (the risotto looking thing in the picture) and the most delicious mashed lentils.
Afghan Tasty is highly recommended. The food is fresh and flavoursome, and the service friendly. Did I learn more about the culture and people after our two meals? Well, maybe a little. I’ve learnt that the food is generous in quantity and flavours and is designed for sharing, a communal style of eating that probably reflects the culture. And, like the people, the cuisine is a mix of many influences. At least I can now name a few Afghani dishes, including the national dish. I’ll certainly be back, and I look forward to increasing my knowledge further, both of the food and culture, with each visit.
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