Category: Melbourne

Turning 27 (Part 1) : Brunch at Code Black Coffee

28 Comments

Turning 27

“Everyday is a birthday; every moment of it is new to us; we are born again, renewed for fresh work and endeavor”
~Issac watts

Good evening dear readers! (: I hope you’ve had a good weekend and your Monday is going smoothly! Cause I had an absolutely beautiful weekend celebrating my hatchday! hehe (: And it couldn’t have been any better! It started with a birthday brunch with my favourite girls (Daisy, Julie, Peachie & Melissa) at Code Black Coffee in Brunswick!

Code Black Coffee

Code Black Coffee

Add : 15-17 Weston Street, Brunswick Vic 3056

Website : http://www.codeblackcoffee.com.au

Code Black Coffee is located just behind Barkly Square in Brunswick and it’s a nicely converted warehouse. The interior design is beautiful and gives a really warm feeling! Unfortunately, they didn’t have a table big enough for the 5 of us at the time we arrived, so we had to sit outside. Thank goodness the weather was bright and and sunny that morning and there were no bees around! hehe (:

our drinks

We started our day with hot cuppas! I was craving for some coffee so decided to go for a cappuccino instead of my usual chai. The coffee was nice and strong, and definitely perked me up! hehe Melissa had her usual hot chocolate, Peachie ordered her new love – chai latte, Daisy had her skinny mocha and dearest Julie (fellow April baby) had a soy mocha! I love how no two cups are the same! hehe Barristers honestly have my upmost respect with the amazing skills they have!

My cappuccino

Had to post another picture of my cappuccino. Love the contrast between my coffee, the cup and the table! (:

Smoked ham hock coquettes with cauliflower puree, baby spinach and a poached egg

When browsing the menu, there were so many things I wanted to try! But one thing that called out to me was the smoked ham hock coquettes! My hats off to the chef, as all our food were so beautifully plated and you just didn’t wanna destroy it! It was a work of art! hehe My coquettes were laid on the creamiest and smoothest cauliflower puree with sautéed baby spinach and pine nuts. In the middle was the perfectly poached egg that burst with the slightest touch of the knife!

Runny yolk

The coquettes were crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the middle! And the cauliflower puree, omgness. It was the best bit ever! I could eat it all day! So creamy but light at the same time! Seriously amazing! Needless to say, my plate was close to being licked clean! haha (: I am totally addicted to cauliflower puree. Who isn’t? heh

Open bacon steak sandwich

Melissa had the open bacon steak sandwich and it came with like a whipped avocado. It was delicious and so so smooth! With the tangy-ness of lemon, just cut through the saltiness and richness of the bacon steak! hehe Melissa loved the dish and couldn’t get enough of the bacon steak! hehe She mentioned that it’s even better than ham steaks which we usually have at home on Sundays! hehe Guess I have to hunt for some bacon steaks soon! hehe

Baked Eggs

Miss Peach knew instantly what she wanted – baked eggs. It had a smooth leek puree (I have to say they do amazing purees here!), baby spinach and goats cheese! A pity that the baked eggs were a little over done but she said the flavours were lovely! The best thing on the plate for her is definitely the polenta fingers! hehe Nice and crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. She loved it! hehe Of course, she couldn’t resist ordering a side of mushrooms! hehe

Huon smoked salmon

Julie ordered the Huon smoked salmon served with a smooth and rich potato aioli with fried capers. The dish looked so so pretty with the heirloom tomatoes placed so artistically! heh But sadly, the smoked salmon was a tad bit too salty! But I would definitely be able to finish a huge bowl of the potato aioli! (:

Australia's best toasted sandwich 2012

Miss Daisy surprising didn’t order anything sweet, but that’s because she (the awesome baker that she is) baked us April babies a beautiful birthday cake! hehe So she was reserving her sugar for later. (: She decided to order the Australia’s best toasted sandwich 2012 because she got drawn in by the polenta cake! I can’t blame her, it was one of the dishes I was close to ordering too! The dish was yum but Miss D said that it could be better if the polenta was a little more seasoned. Once again, her dish looked so so pretty! hehe Love it!

Birthday cake baked by Miss Daisy

The sweet queen baked us a beautiful Jamie Oliver’s pear and pistachio cake with a lemon & honey drizzle!  The cafe was really kind to allow us to cut and enjoy the cake in their premises! We were so thankful, cause there was no where else we could possibly cut the cake at! hehe Everyone that walked pass just kept staring at the cake, cause it looked like we bought the whole cake! haha Neither did they know it was homebaked by our dearest Daisy! hehe (: How beautiful does that look? Definitely worthy to be sold anywhere! hehe But please note this is not from the cafe itself.

Birthday cake by Daisy

The cake was slightly dense (and I love dense cakes haha) but was still crumbly! Love love love pistachios, so I was enjoying every single mouthful of it! hehe The lemon and honey drizzle added an extra tang to the cake which was so good! Thank you so much for your effort and time spent on baking us a delicious cake dearie! (: You’re the best! hehe I was greedy and took half of the cake home! haha Oops *hides*

Presents from the girls!

Not only did Peach and Daisy buy us birthday girls brunch, I was also lucky enough to receive presents from them! I was definitely pampered that day! hehe Ms Peach even baked us sugar cookies which were so yum! hehe Thank you all so much! Loved everything! Can’t wait to cook from the Nigella Lawson cookbook too! hehe

I really loved dining at Code Black Coffee and will definitely be back with the mr soon! (: Stay-tuned for the continuation of my birthday celebration! hehe Have a great week ahead everyone!

Remember to always cook and bake with love! (:

Code Black Coffee on Urbanspoon

My Mr The Chef : Polenta Chips

27 Comments

Polenta chips

Good afternoon dear readers! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter break and had lots of and hot cross buns! Cause I sure did! hehe (: Not too long back, the sis-in-law and I requested the mr to cook steak for us and he came up with his version of steak & chips! I’ve always considered myself blessed as I married a man who sure knows how to cook and the way to my heart is definitely through my tummy hehe

The mr's version of steak & chips

He was inspired by the MKR episode we watched as well as a recipe he came across in the Delicious (April 2013 issue) magazine to make polenta chips and they were SO ADDICTIVE! Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. We couldn’t stop eating it the moment it was out of the frying pan! hehe

So do give these a go! (: It’s shallowed fried so it’s not too sinful! You will absolutely love them as much as we did. hehe

Polenta Chips (by the Mr adapted from Delicious Magazine April 2013)

200g polenta

50g unsalted butter

100g finely grated parmesan

4 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt & pepper, to taste and garnish

Steps :

1) Line a baking tray with grease-proof baking paper allowing 2cm to overhang. Boil 800ml of water in a small pot, then reduce the heat to low. Do note that the amount of water is different for different brands of polenta, so please do check how much water is needed for the amount of polenta.

2) Stir in the polenta in a slow, steady stream, then cook and stir continuously for 5 minutes or until it has thickened. Take it off the heat and stir in the butter, parmesan and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and spoon it into the tray and smooth the surface. Press it down and make sure the polenta is really compact. Allow it to chill for at least an hour.

3)  Tip the polenta onto a board and cut it half lengthways, then cut it into 1 1/2 cm thick chips.

The mr cutting the polenta up

4) Heat some vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. In batches, fry the polenta chips, turning, until golden and crisp.

Frying the polenta chips

5) Drain on the paper towel and keep warm in an oven or serve it immediately with a sprinkle of salt.

Polenta chips

ENJOY! (:

Perfectly cooked steak

On a separate note, how good does this look? The mr sure knows how to cook the perfect steak! AMAZING! hehe

Have a lovely day and a short week everyone! (: Remember to always cook and bake with love! 

Thai Feast : Middle Fish

17 Comments

Thai feast at Middle Fish

I absolutely love thai food! I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I just love how thai food always packs a punch with their flavours! Somehow, they get to squeeze in the salty, sweet, sour and spicy all in a dish and equally in a mouthful, and leave you wanting more! It is definitely one of the cuisines I enjoy the most and would never turn down a thai meal. hehe

Middle Fish

I was introduced to Middle Fish by my dearest Miss D, and when I saw the pictures she was posting on Instagram of the food she was having, I knew we needed to head there, ASAP! Last weekend, the mr ended early at work so I headed down to Carlton to meet him and Melissa for some deliciousness! The sky had the most beautiful shade of blue and excited couldn’t really describe how I was feeling when I got there!

Middle Fish - Entrance

I love love love the entrance to the warehouse converted restaurant, so welcoming! (: The colours of the signage and furniture just pops out and everyone there were so friendly. The moment I stepped in, I was greeted by the owner, Pla, who has the most infectious smile and oh-so bubbly. You just feel so comfortable and just an amazing atmosphere!

Middle Fish - Inside

One side of the restaurant had booth seats and the other was a mix-match of tables and chairs which made the place so vibrant. I was so ready to order and feed our hungry tummies the moment I sat down! Truth is, I was salivating just looking through what the had to offer!

Our drinks

While deciding on what to order, we ordered our drinks first. I have always been a huge fan of thai ice milk tea and I remember Daisy highly recommending it, so I had to try it! Boy was it good! Plus, how cute is the metal bowl that it’s served in? I kept going “WAH WAH WAH!” when it arrived at our table! hehe The Mr and Melissa ordered their usual drinks of latte and hot chocolate respectively, and they were good too! (:

thai ice milk tea

Had to snap another shot of my thai ice milk tea, just cause I love the metal bowl so much! And it was quite a big bowl as well, I almost couldn’t finish it after scoffing down all the food we ordered. hehe But I did, every single drop of it!

Crying Tiger

We covered almost all the different kinds of protein that afternoon. First of : Crying Tiger. The name just cracks me up! But when you had a bite of it, you would understand why they had the “crying” part. The chilli in this salad dish added a good kick and there was a really good balance of flavours. The angus rump slices were so flavourful and tender, and the herbs added a freshness as well. DELISH! I could have this for lunch any day. hehe

Kao gapi

 Our next dish had pork : Kao Gapi. It was presented almost like a bibimbap! hehe So we called this a thai version of bibimbap. The shrimp paste rice was pungent and flavoursome, although the caramelised pork neck could have been a little more tender. Mixing in the green apple, red onion, bean shoots and carrot gave a crunch to the dish. Like I’ve said many times before, I love dishes with different textures so that was definitely a plus! The omelette tasted like it was made using salted eggs, and I just love having egg with rice. Somehow it’s a perfect combination to me. hehe

Crispy chicken ribs

We ordered a street food dish as well : Gai Tod which is crispy chicken ribs with a sweet and spicy sauce which was SO GOOD! We just wanted more of those ribs. So crispy and so juicy on the inside. Couldn’t get enough! hehe But this was meant to be a snack, so the portion was smaller than the others, but perfect for the 3 of us. (:

Middle Fish famous crunchy mussels omelette

This, my lovely readers, was our favourite dish of the day : Middle Fish’s famous Crunchy Mussels Omelette. Before Pla placed this dish on the table, she did a short dance and almost sang the name of the dish and told us it’s their best dish at the restaurant in her opinion, but we TOTALLY agreed! The outside layer is so crispy and there is a “crunch” with every bite/chew! The middle had the texture of fried carrot cake and there was a generous number of juicy mussels! With a similar sauce to the crispy chicken ribs, it was a match-made in heaven and we couldn’t stop singing praises about it!

It was a pity that we were too full to try the desserts they had to offer. But I’m sure we will be back again and the next time, we will! (: If you love thai food as much as I do, do visit Middle Fish and let me know what you think! Do note that they are only open 8-5pm (Monday-Friday) and 10-4pm (Saturday & Sunday), and they have breakfast too!

Happy mid week everyone, and remember to always cook and bake with love! (:

Middle Fish on Urbanspoon

Top Paddock

21 Comments

Top Paddock

TGIF dear readers! I hope that you had a good week and if you are like me, I’m sure you can’t wait till the weekend! It’s not far away from now! hehe In fact, it has already started for me. Time really flies and it’s already been close to 2 months since I got back from my summer vacation. One thing I truly miss is the number of brunch spots available here in Melbourne. Although the brunch scene is increasing in Singapore, it is nothing close to what there is to offer here! So when my favourite girls asked me out for Saturday brunch, I couldn’t say yes any quicker! hehe

We decided to try somewhere new : Top Poddock. It’s opened by the same fabulous people who opened Three Bags Full (but now sold) and more recently, Two Birds One Stone. So I knew we were in for a treat! We were lucky enough to get an outdoor table straight away without any wait, and lucky thing the weather was perfect that afternoon! But do let me apologise, as I think some of my pictures are over exposed due to the super strong sunlight!

Top Paddock

Add : 658 Church Street, Richmond

Opening Hours : Mon – Thurs: 7am-5pm. Friday: 7am-9pm. Sat – Sun: 8am-4pm 

I started the day with some much needed caffeine : cappuccino. I have to say, I’ve cut down on the amount of coffee I’m drinking, but this was one delicious cup of coffee! Strong and bold, it’s no surprise as they use Five Senses coffee beans. Boy was it good! Slurps!

Pulled pork on Rye

Miss D (Sweet Queen) ordered the pulled pork dish. The flavours were yummy, but she said that the pork could be a little more tender. Didn’t quite fall apart like she hoped for. But it was still yummy and a really generous portion of pork if you ask me! hehe

Crispy soft shell crab in brioche

Our dear Julie was attracted to one thing on the menu : Crispy soft-shell crab roll. The crabs were delicious and so so crispy but unfortunately, due to the outdoor setting, there were some bees buzzing around the table and landed on a portion of her crab! Poor dearie. She couldn’t enjoy it as much as she wanted to!

Gin & lime cured trout

The same was for Peachie! She had a bee land on one of her poached egg! But doesn’t her dish look just like an art piece? Vibrant colours and delicious flavours! Just beautiful!

eggs benedict

Melissa (my sis-in-law) ordered the eggs benedict and it was no ordinary eggs ben. It was one with a flare! hehe They served it with hamhock and instead of hollandaise sauce, they used béarnaise instead! A perfect combination and a variation that I would prefer anytime! Noms!

White anchovies on toast

My choice was easy when I saw that they had white anchovies on the menu. The first time I had it was during my Daylesford trip with the mr at Point Drop Cafe. I have been wanting to have more ever since, so you could just imagine my grin when I spotted it on the menu! hehe It was so so good! The saltiness of the white anchovies and the jamon serrano went so well with the richness of the yolk and freshness of the micro herbs! I just didn’t want it to end! Definitely heading back just to have it again hehe

Top view

It was definitely great catching up with my girls after so long and what could be better than catching up over good food and drinks? Nothing! (: Will definitely be back and will bring the Mr next! hehe Have a good weekend everyone!

Remember to always cook and bake with love! (:

Top Paddock on Urbanspoon

Shrooms Delish

34 Comments

Shrooms Delish

Happy Mid Week dearest readers! (: I hope your week has been going well and we’re not too far from the weekend (and a long one for those in Melbourne & Tassy! Woohoo!) I’ve got some exciting news to share with all of you! I was recently contacted by Keep Left and was asked to be part of this fun recipe campaign with Bakers Delight! Without much hesitation, I agreed to it! Fortunately the time line wasn’t too rush, so I had the weekend to try out what I wanted to create.

Ingredients

We were allowed to create a recipe for lunch with our choice of any Bakers Delight bread and I decided to head to their website to see what they had to offer and the choices were endless! There were SO MANY different kinds of bread and I haven’t really said this before, but my weakness is definitely freshly baked bread! Mmmmm (:

Pipe loaf (wholemeal)

After much consideration, I decided to go with the pipe loaf! It totally got my attention cause it was my first time seeing a loaf in a shape of a cylinder! How cute is that??? I tried to think of what I could do with it, but couldn’t really visualise until the bread loaves were delivered! The moment I saw it, I knew exactly what I wanted to make!

top view : shrooms delish

Many of you would know that brunch is no doubt my favourite meal of all time so of course, I decided to make something that could be enjoyed for both brunch or lunch. I walked along the aisles of the supermarket (and thankfully I was given a $20 Coles voucher to get ingredients! hehe) and I decided on something a little different from my usual choices, I decided to go meatless! Don’t get me wrong, I still love my smoked salmon and crispy bacon, but I decided to try something a little different, plus I was craving for some mushrooms!

top - fried egg and crispy enoki

Instead of just the usual white button mushrooms, I decided to buy a whole variety of them! I didn’t stop at just shiitake mushrooms, I wanted to have some asian influence in the dish as well. It’s amazing how many varieties there are in the mushroom area at all the supermarkets now, and even the asian ones! I couldn’t be happier! (:

middle - mushroom ragout and avocado salsa

To add a little freshness to the dish, I decided to top with some avocado salsa as well!

bottom - wholemeal pipe loaf

To top it all off, I added a fried egg (with a runny yolk) and some crispy enoki mushrooms for some crunch! I am one who loves dishes with different textures, so the crunchy enokis were a must! hehe And of course, all these sat on a nice thick slice of the wholemeal pipe loaf which was so soft in the middle, and had a good crust after being toasted for 5 minutes in the oven! Of course, you could easily do this on any other thick toast, but I thought the round dimensions made the presentation a little prettier. hehe and yes, the plate from Made In Japan helps too! I’m really lucky that the Mr bought me some during the recent sale.

So here’s my recipe for my creation : Shrooms Delish ! Hope you all will enjoy it as much as the family did! (:

Shrooms Delish (a Food Made With Love original creation, serves 4)

For the mushroom ragout :

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

150g pearl mushrooms

8 white button mushrooms, quartered

1/2 leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

50g butter

2 tbs water

5 sprigs of fresh chives, finely chopped

2 tbs creme fraiche

salt & pepper, for seasoning

For the crispy enoki mushrooms :

100g enoki mushrooms

vegetable oil, for deep frying

For the avocado salsa :

1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped or mash

1/4 red onion

4 pieces of sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tbs olive oil

4 eggs, fried sunny side up

Pipe loaf, sliced into 1-inch slices

1 clove of garlic, peeled and left whole

Truffle oil, for garnish (optional)

Steps :

1) For the mushroom ragout : In a heavy-based pan, melt half of the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and leeks, and allow them to sweat and soften, stirring continuously. Do be careful not to burn it, as it will turn bitter. Add the mushrooms and fry till they get soft and tender. Add the rest of the butter and water, allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes and until the flavours have developed, and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, then turn the heat off. Add in the chives and creme friache and stir it till well combined. Set it a side while preparing the other components.

2) For the crispy enoki : In small pot, add the vegetable oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the enoki mushrooms (in batches) and fry till they are golden and crispy. Remove from the oil, and place them on some paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

3) For the avocado salsa : In a large bowl, add the avocado, chopped red onions and sundried tomatoes with the olive oil and give it a good stir. Season with salt and pepper and set a side.

4) For the toast : In a preheated oven, toast the bread for 5 minutes, or until the bread is nice and crispy on the outside with a little golden brown on top. When you take it out of the oven, rub the clove of garlic on the bread, so that you have an instant garlic bread base!

5) To plate : Place the thick toast on a plate, then add the mushroom ragout, followed by the avocado salsa. Slowly place the fried egg on top of the stack, and top it off with some crispy fried enoki mushrooms. I garnished with a sprig of chive and season with salt & pepper. Just to be a little more indulgent, I drizzled a bit of truffle oil on top, but it’s totally optional.

Shrooms Delight

Hope you enjoy my creation! (: Have a great week and weekend ahead!

Remember to always cook and bake with love! 

PS : I want to thank Bakers Delight & Keep Left PR for this amazing opportunity! 

Duchess of Spotswood

16 Comments

Duchess of Spotswood

Brunch is no doubt my favourite meal of the day. But due to work, it’s only something we can do during the weekends. Which is one of the reasons why I always look forward to the weekends! (: But as the Mr works half days on Saturdays now, our brunch date is moved to Sundays now! So two Saturdays back, I met my dearest Peach Water for brunch at Duchess of Spotswood.

I have to admit, it wasn’t my first time dining at Duchess, but it’s been quite a while since (when I use to live in Kensington). In fact, it’s been more than a year! So I was definitely looking forward to having brunch and more so with a good friend! (:

Our drinks

As it’s been quite a while since I’ve met my dearest Peachie, we couldn’t stop chatting from the moment we both sat down! haha Thankfully, the staff at Duchess were really patient and gave us ample time to make our choices. We started off our brunch with a mini tea party and each ordered one we love. I had chai latte and she ordered English Breakfast tea. When the teapots and cups arrived at our table, there were “oo’s and ahh’s” for a good couple of minutes! The colours were just so eye-catching! Love love love the seafoam green and of course, which girl doesn’t like a little bit of tiffany blue? hehe (:

And how thoughtful is the barista? We had little pots of honey (for the chai) and milk (for the english breakfast) sitting in the cups when it was served! Absolutely perfect! (:

Duchess of Pork

One look at the menu and I instantly knew what I wanted : the Duchess of Pork! The flavours just explode in your mouth and the pork jawl is so crispy on the outside and just falls apart on the inside! I could easily polish off plates of this any day! Everything just went so well with the richness of the egg yolk and the truffle sauce. Mmmm.. just talking about it is making me salivate and wanting more! hehe Of course nothing was wasted and I used my sourdough toast to soak up every last drop on the plate.

King's Woodcock

Peach Water decided to go for the King’s Woodcock. I kinda knew she would pick that as when we spoke the days prior to our meet up, she told me she was craving for some sausages! hehe I tried a little of each component and thought it was not too bad. I could taste the fennel in the sausages but there wasn’t much of a kick from the chilli. But that might just be because we both love our spicy food! hehe Having said that, the presentation of this dish was really eye catching though! Love the purple micro herbs against the deep yellow eggs. Too pretty!

I definitely enjoyed every single part of my dish and having chai after 2 months of the lack of it was definitely a plus! (: Of course, it was yet another lovely catch up with my dearest Peach Water and definitely looking forward to our next brunch date! Do head over to her blog to see her post as well as her other reviews! Her photos are amazing! heh Have a good week everyone!

Remember to always cook and bake with love (:

Duchess of Spotswood on Urbanspoon

A Season of Giving

22 Comments

Sour cream, pear & raspberry cake

Time really flies! It’s December already and this month only means one thing – Christmas is near! Christmas is no doubt my favourite festive season (and Chinese New Year of course) and I’m already counting down to the 25th! As school has ended for me a couple of days back, I decided to make something for some of my colleagues as a thank you + christmas gift. Nothing is more meaningful than a homemade present yes? hehe

As I was searching through what I wanted to make, I thought of making the ricotta pound cake I made a couple of weeks ago, and just add mixed berries into the batter to make it look a bit more festive. But I’ve ben hearing lots about the Bourke Street Bakery sour cream pear cake from the food blogger community who were lucky enough to try some that was made by Mich, The Bakeanista, at the blogger’s picnic recently. Miss D also made it recently and said that I should definitely give it a go cause it was really delicious! With so many raving reviews, I couldn’t not give it a try (: So glad I did though, cause it was so good! Super moist and Mich suggested adding fresh raspberries, which I did, and it made the cake look really pretty! So thank you! (:

Cut rounds out of the cake

And instead of slicing it up into the normal wedge, I decided to use a scone cutter to cut them into rounds instead before placing them into the plastic wrappers. Although I made a mess, it was all worth it, and might I add, fun! haha

Sour cream pound cake in a jar

And what did I do with the left over pieces and crumbs? What I love to do : put them into jars and layer them with freshly whipped vanilla bean cream and added more fresh raspberries! A combination I could easily (and happily) have every night if my waistline permits me to. 😛 Oh well! hehe Thank you again Mich for sharing the recipe! All my colleagues enjoyed the cake very much! YAY!

BSB Sour Cream Pear & Raspberry Cake (Adapted from The Bakeanista)

250g unsalted butter

250g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

4 eggs, room temperature

200g sour cream

300g self-raising flour, sifted

1 3/4 pears (about 400g, tinned), sliced into quarters

18-20 fresh raspberries

Steps :

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Line baking paper at the base of a 28cm baking tin, and spray the sides with olive oil evenly.

2) In a mixer, cream the butter and caster sugar till light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix till well combined.

3) Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure they are well incorporated before each addition.

4) Alternate the flour and sour cream and mix it on low speed till well combined. Use a spatula to scoop the batter into the tin, and spread it out until the top is smooth. Arrange the pear quarters evenly around the tin, and place the raspberries in the spaces between them.

5) Bake for 40 mins, then cover the baking tin with foil and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.

All baked and being cooled on the rack

6) Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the baking tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. If you intend to cut rounds out of the cake, do make sure the cake is completely cooled before doing so, or it would crumble! Sprinkle icing sugar on top before serving! Enjoy!

All wrapped up!

Remember to always cook and bake with love ! (:

Wantons in Chilli Oil & Vinegar (红油抄手)

32 Comments

Wantons in Chilli Oil & Vinegar

Wantons. Don’t you just love them? I can’t get enough of them! I love them in soups, with noodles and even on it’s own. Steamed, boiled and fried, gimme gimme! I love it when it is really stuffed to the max, and all you need is a few to fill your tummies. Recently, I went back to Food Republik with my dearest Peach Water, and decided to try their wantons in chilli oil and vinegar.

Wantons in Chilli oil and vinegar from Taiwan - Shilin Night Market

Wantons in chilli oil and vinegar in Taiwan - Shilin Night Market

(Photo from my Taiwan trip in 2009, please excuse the blurry picture of the food, I think I was too excited and hungry haha)

The first time I had these were at the Shilin Night Market in Taiwan itself. Let me tell you, it’s a small bowl of yummy-ness! Silky smooth wantons, with flavoursome stuffing, chopped lettuce and a sauce that I still can’t replicate. It had chilli oil, sesame oil, vinegar and a nutty paste (might either be sesame paste or peanut). Just so so good! And because it’s so small, I could easily slurp down 2 bowls! haha

Wantons in chilli oil & vinegar from Food Republik

These from Food Republik were quite yummy too! Although they didn’t have the same sauce, but a really good balance of chilli oil and vinegar! They also garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. All I needed was a bowl of these wantons and the popcorn chicken. My belly was very happy! (:

Rows of handmade wantons

So a few days after having them. I was somehow craving for more. So instead of going down all the way to Boxhill, I decided to make my own version of it. I have to say, mine wasn’t anywhere close to the ones from Taiwan, but it was pretty similar to the one from Food Republik. Hooray! (:

I think the next time I will try to add a bit of sesame paste just to get the nutty flavour through the sauce. Lucky thing I made heaps of wantons, and because I only eat 4 each time (cos they are ginormous haha) so I could slowly try different versions! But if you’re a fan of the combination of spicy with a sour kick, do give these a try! I’m pretty sure you’ll be hooked! Even though the wantons take a while to make, but it’s actually a pretty fun process and you’ll realise there are many ways to fold your wantons! Mine is just one of which (:

Cross section of the wanton

Wantons in Chilli Oil & Vinegar (An Original Recipe of FoodMadeWithLove)

Wantons 

250g mince pork

100g fish paste

8 prawns, finely chopped

4 shitake mushrooms, soaked and diced finely

20g dried shrimp, soaked and finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs oyster sauce

1 tsp ground white pepper

1 heap tsp corn starch

1 stalk of spring onion, finely chopped

Wanton wrappers

Sauce (for 4 wantons)

1 tbs chilli oil* (I used 老干妈)

1 tbs black vinegar*

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp oyster sauce

toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts & fried shallots (for garnish)

Steps :

1) For the wantons : In a frying pan, fry the dried shrimp and garlic till fragrant. Set aside. In a large metal bowl, add all the ingredients as well as the fried dried shrimp and garlic and mix till well combined.

2) Place a portion on a wonton wrapper, wet the two sides with water and fold it into half. Press all the air out and stick the two ends together.

Steps to making wantons

3) In a pot of boiling water, drop the wantons in and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the wantons start floating at the top. Drain and set a side.

4) In a small bowl, combine the sauces together until well combined. Place the wantons on top of the sauce and garnish with toasted sesame seeds, peanuts and fried shallots.

Wantons in chilli oil & vinegar

5) Give it a good mix to make sure the wantons are coated with the sauce and soaking in all the good stuff! ENJOY!

* Note : I do love spicy food and I love my black vinegar too, so do give it a taste after mixing the sauces and adjust accordingly to what you fancy!

Remember to always cook and bake with love ! (:

Bendigo St Milk Bar

13 Comments

Bendigo St Milkbar

I’ve been very lucky this year and have come to know a few really good friends who are sure to be keepers. It’s really amazing how friendships can form through the love of food! Absolutely love it! (: My dearest Peach Water was so lovely to invite me to accompany her for brunch last weekend. She was invited by 360 Immerse Agency to visit the Bendigo St Milk Bar and she decided to bring me along! Whoopeedoo! hehe I’m one lucky duck! heh

Bendigo St Milk Bar

Address : 37 Bendigo Street, Burnley Vic 

Tel : 03 94284196

I’ve never really visited any milk bars that have been converted into a cafe before. So I was really excited about this visit! When we entered the cafe, it didn’t look anything like a milk bar. Instead, it was really spacious and had two dining areas. One was just right opposite the beautiful glass cabinet of sandwiches and yummy display of cakes! The other is a small cosy room filled with smaller tables. Love the decors in the place, had colourful paintings and spruced with small pots of plants everywhere! Initially, we wanted to sit in the small enclosed area, but because the weather was bright and sunny that afternoon, we decided to head to their backyard instead!

chai soy latter

When we sat down, we were immediately asked what we wanted to drink before browsing the menu.

I was really glad they served chai soy latte, so that’s what I ordered! Sadly, there wasn’t much of a chai taste to my latte, it almost just tasted like a cup of hot soy milk with a hint of chai. I have to say though, that thankfully, they didn’t use the syrup to make their chai! But would be good if they allowed the chai leaves to be brewed a little longer.

Hot chocolate

Peach Water’s hot chocolate was also quite a let down. When it first arrived, she had a taste and found that is was overly sweet. So she asked for them to add a little more milk into it. They were nice enough to make another cup freshly for her, but this time, it turned out too milky and wasn’t chocolatey at all. It was a pity, as both drinks looked really good when they were served to us!

Mushrooms

Thankfully, the food was amazing! Just scheming through the menu, we both knew what we were going to order. But just before we did, we were chatting to the staff and asking her what she would recommend. As Peach Water loves her mushrooms, the staff told her she would not regret ordering it! And so she did! The field mushrooms were marinated in lemon, garlic and herbs and topped with rocket dressed with creamy goats cheese, poached eggs and served on top of toasted cibatta. Those mushrooms were SO GOOD. They looked so simple, but they were packed full of flavour! The ciabatta was really yummy and light! I would go back just to have it! Delish!

Corn fritters

If you know me, I am addicted to corn fritters. So when I saw it on the menu, I just had to order it! The staff said that it was a hot item on the menu, score! (: The corn fritters were swerved with avocado salsa, rocket and poached eggs. Every bite I took, there were corn kernels popping in my mouth! My rocket was dressed differently from Peach Water’s. It was lightly dressed with a vinaigrette and had a little tang to it. Everything just went perfectly and boy do chefs at Bendigo St Milk Bar know how to poach their eggs. All our eggs were perfectly poached with a molten middle!

Poached eggs perfectly cooked

Of course, both of us had fun taking shots of the runny yolk! A pity I didn’t snap Peach Water‘s plate after she cut into hers. Do head over to her post to see! Hers looked like two pac men! haha Love it!

egg porn shot

One more shot from the top! (: I couldn’t help it, sorry! hehe Love how orangey the yolk is. AMAZEBALLS! hehe The yolk was perfect as a sauce for my fritters! I usually can’t finish my meals, but I ate it all up, not a single drop of egg yolk was left on the plate hehe

Interior

Sweets

We then moved inside to get some cool air, as it was getting really hot. Bendigo St Milk Bar also had a range of sweets to choose from after the savoury and that’s exactly what we did! But we were both really stuffed from our mains, so we decided to share a slice of lemon drizzle cake. Mmm, love citrus in my cakes!

Lemon drizzle cake

The cake was really moist in the middle and became crumbly as we made our way through to the edge. It was a little too sweet for our palette but I love how it had a really strong lemon flavour to it. It would be perfect! The edge was a little darker, but I actually quite like the caramelised bits! hehe If I had more space in my tummy, I would order a cup of hot tea to have with this.

It was definitely a good experience at Bendigo St Milk Bar besides the drinks at the start. But we definitely enjoyed the food that we had and I would definitely head back for more mushrooms! Noms! Thank you Peach Water for bringing me as your guest! (: Wonderful experience! Do head over to Peach Water to see her wonderful pictures and review!

Disclaimer : I went as a guest of Peach Water who was invited by 360 Immerse Agency to visit Bendigo St Milk Bar. Thank you very much for this opportunity! (:

Bendigo Street Milk Bar on Urbanspoon

Of Dumplings & Popcorn Chicken

19 Comments

Dumplings. I absolutely love them! I’m sure I am not alone about this. What’s not to love? Pan-fried, steamed, boiled and I could have them on their own, or with noodles or soup. You name it, I will love it. hehe That’s how much I love dumplings. So you can imagine how happy I was when I realise the newly opened Food Republik in Boxhill has dumplings of all kinds made on the spot and served piping hot.

Food Republik has a concept of a food court just that it has table service. If you’re from Singapore or Malaysia, I’m sure Food Republik (or Republic) rings a bell. For those who ain’t familiar, Food Republik in Singapore and Malaysia is a huge food court that offers a whole range of food so everyone could get something they enjoy. So even if you go with a whole group of friends, everyone could order their own meal and still have the company of their friends.

Food Republik in Boxhill is a slightly different concept : It’s a food court with a whole range of different Taiwanese food and dessert. To reduce the queue lines, instead of the usual food court concept, it has table service which is pretty handy! There’s 2 menus : one savoury and one sweet. I met up with a few of my foodie girls (Miss D, Miss J, Miss L) and beauty blogger (Miss L) after seeing numerous pictures of the xiao long baos that people have been having. I couldn’t wait to dive into those dumplings!

These delicious small steam dumplings are filled with delicious mince pork and flavoursome soup. You have to eat it with caution as if you put the whole thing in your mouth, you would burn yourself bad! I love to place the dumpling on the spoon, and slowly nip a portion of the thin skin, and suck the soup before adding some vinegar and then, only then, popping the whole thing in my mouth. MMMM. (: My ultimate favourite is from Ding Tai Fung, but unfortunately they don’t have it here in Melbourne. This is 90% similar to those! The closest I’ve ever had. SO HAPPY! I would easily gobble up 4 (which is the small portion).

We also ordered a plate of pan-fried pork dumplings and they were delicious! Look how crispy they are! It’s amazing! And the skin was thin, and the filling was juicy. We definitely were in dumpling heaven! haha

Miss D suggested we order the meatball soup and it was really good. Almost like a hot and sour soup, without the spiciness! It had dried  shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and topped with coriander. So many different textures, just the kind of dish I really enjoy. Perfect for a cold night!

Another dish we were all craving for was the popcorn chicken! These were absolutely mouthwatering! Every piece was crispy and well seasoned, I ended up popping them into my mouth non-stop! hehe It reminded me alot of the XXXL chicken chop I had when I went to Taiwan, just that it’s bite sized. We did wanna order the chicken chop, but Miss J said the last time she ordered it, it wasn’t cut! So would be difficult to share. This was so much easier! Loved it! NOMS! A must order when you’re there! (:

The last savoury dish we ordered was ja jiang mien (noodles with mince meat sauce). The noodles were bouncy and chewy and were all coated with the mince meat sauce. Nothing really special, but it was quite yum! I only needed a small bowl to make me stuffed!

So it was time for something sweet, and the dessert stall there was Dessert Story which I’ve only tried at Glen Waverly. We were all pretty full after all the dumplings and popcorn chicken so we decided to order one to share.

Miss D really wanted to try the taro shaved ice with red bean so that’s what we had! It was really huge! haha A tower of shaved ice, covered with red bean, condensed milk and pieces of taro. The taro were a little hard for my liking. Would prefer if it was a little softer and sweeter as well, though when eaten with the rest of the dessert, the sweetness was just nice! I was just happy cause there was condense milk. haha I’m such a kid sometimes! I remember how I love having condense milk on those old school Kong Guan biscuits and would secretly make them when my mum wasn’t looking! hehe They were so good (though sinful) though! Would love one now! hehe

So Food Republik is definitely a place I would return (quite soon actually haha) and really wanna bring the Mr there as I know he would love some xiao long baos and popcorn chicken! hehe Be there early though, cause there would be a line from 630pm onwards (on weekdays).

(photo credits to beauty blogger Miss L)

It was such a great meet up with the girls and I can’t wait to do it again! We were all still dreaming of the dumplings the day after! hehe How cute is Miss L above? In case you don’t know what we bloggers do, our cameras and phones have the first taste of our food, always! hehe Do head over to Miss J’s review of Food Republik as well! She has more photos of how it looks like from the inside! (:

Have a great night everyone and it’s Friday tomorrow so you can start doing your Friday happy dance! xx

Remember to always cook and bake with love!

Food Republik on Urbanspoon