Madame Hanoi

Part One is here. Next was the rare beef with white anchovies served on toast with anchovy paste. I love anchovies and found the strong fish and salt flavour delightful, although the beef was left as nothing but texture with the strength of the anchovy taste. Tier two was our unanimous favourite – the soft shell crab buns, packed with deep-fried crab and dressed with coriander a very spicy mayonnaise that was one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten. Seriously, go and eat this now. Amazing. The final tier was dessert, with more French influence – pistachio, salted caramel and vanilla macarons, all with perfect feet and true flavours. We all liked the pistachio best, although the salted caramel was a close second. We saved the best until last, although again the experience wasn’t top notch as there was no cutlery provided to eat the hazelnut cake covered in gooey chocolate glaze – we had to steal the cutlery bucket from a vacant table to be able to eat it (after having to ask for a water refill, we felt a bit neglected). But oh my, it was fabulous, with a rich dark chocolate mousse and a crispy hazelnut base – super rich, but utterly divine. Food perfection, but the experience didn’t have the same degree of class as other high tea venues.

Madame Hanoi, Adelaide Casino, North Terrace, Adelaide SA, http://www.adelaidecasino.com.au/restaurants/madame-hanoi/

Madame Hanoi

Adelaide has a couple of exotic high tea offerings, and Madame Hanoi’s is to a Vietnamese food theme – how could I resist? We were shown to our table and I was quite gobsmacked by the decor – even the coffee machine has cherry blossoms painted on it! Very stylish. The high tea included a pot of Hendrick’s gin-spiked tea, which I loved but Mum didn’t really enjoy. The tea has a strong cucumber flavour, and paired with honey it was certainly an unusual brew, true to Hendrick’s brand claim. It took a while to persuade the staff to substitute coffee for the tea for Dad, something that you would expect to be standard at any high tea offering. On to the food. Savoury tier one started with the most delicious croque monsieur I’ve ever had – seriously, there was so much cheesy, hammy, buttery goodness in that wedge that I was in foodie heaven. Yum. In comparison, the cold roll was a bit plain – I felt it could have used some dipping sauce, but with advanced notice the staff happily substituted beef for duck due to an allergy in our party. Part Two to follow.

Madame Hanoi, Adelaide Casino, North Terrace, Adelaide SA, http://www.adelaidecasino.com.au/restaurants/madame-hanoi/

Ryo’s Noodles

My first stop after picking my bags from the luggage carousel in Adelaide was Ryo’s Noodles. Yep, not even kidding. Last time, Mum gave me massive order envy with her miso ramen, so that’s what we both picked this time. Ryo’s is unusual for a ramen restaurant in that you can request your serve to be salt reduced, which we both did. The star of this ramen is the broth – the miso flavour just adds a lovely richness to the already complex broth, which only tastes better the more you eat. I found myself wishing for a second stomach in order to have more! The pork is beautifully tender and not overly fatty, although I would have liked another slice. The spring onion and bamboo shoots are great textural elements, and the ramen noodles themselves have a great amount of bite, making them a real delight to eat. The bowl actually has a very generous serve of noodles, and I was very full by the end of my meal. We had cups of green tea with the food, which come with free refills – the tea was simple and a nice complement to the ramen. See you on my next visit, Ryo’s!

Ryo’s Noodles, 80 Gouger Street, Adelaide SA

Gondola Gondola

Gondola Gondola is my new happy place. I started with the Weaboo cocktail ($18) – rum, yuzu liqueur, nashi pear shrub, lime, mint and soda. This drink was basically refreshment in a glass, well-balanced and perfect for a hot day. Up first  was the salt and pepper bean curd ($12), fried so lightly that it formed the thinnest, most perfect skin over the soft curd inside. It’s super salty (in a good way), and the salad it’s served on packs some heat and epic ginger action! There were a generous 6 pieces to enjoy. Next up was the banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake, $22) with pork mince, prawn and sprouts, served with lettuce, purple leaves, mint, coriander, carrot and pickled cabbage. Whilst it looked big, this was a fairly light dish – a bit like san choi bao in that you wrap the ingredients in the lettuce and add sauce. Messy, but a great mix of textures and flavours – the coriander in particular brings it all to life. Finally, we had the bun cha ($22), which was our pick of the night – the pork was utter perfection, with a super crispy skin and tender meat, plus the noodles were fabulous! Everything here is packed full of flavour and perfect – take me back!

Gondola Gondola, 1 Peel Street, Adelaide SA, http://www.gondolagondola.com.au

Burganomix

Adelaide is definitely going through a burger phase, and personally, I hope it’s here to stay. The latest addition to the burger scene is Burganomix, offering classic, fresh burgers the way I remember them from my childhood. I ordered the Nomix ($16), basically the burger with the lot – patty, mayo, beetroot, fried egg, tomato, lettuce, pineapple, pancetta, onion, pickles (seriously, as if the beetroot and pineapple wasn’t enough of my favourite things on burgers) and chutney. Phew. Served on a cradboard tray with a small handful of fries, the burger was huge – both hands required! This is what burgers used to be like, packed full of fresh ingredients to the point where it’s hard to eat without making a mess. The patty was thin, but nicely herbed, and somehow all the fillings went together. Ok, she’s not the most sophisticated dame at the ball, but damn that burger was delicious. And the fries were perfect – soft inside, crispy outside. Don’t forget to say hi to Jack, the friendly proprietor, who takes the time to chat to all his customers. Yep, everything here is good and old-fashioned, just the way I like it.

Burganomix, 2/1 Colley Terrace, Glenelg SA, http://www.burganomix.com.au/

Ruby Red Flamingo

Ruby Red Flamingo (RRF) is a lovely hideaway in North Adelaide and was packed out when we went on a Friday night. The staff here are really friendly and welcoming! I started with a mocktail, the Cicciolina, with pineapple, orange, lemon and soda, packed with fresh orange, lemon and lime wedges for extra freshness. Dish one was the beetroot cured salmon carpaccio; elegant and fresh, although I would have liked a stronger salmon flavour. The fresh fennel on top went well. Things only got better with dish two – the BEST ARANCINI I’VE EVER HAD. Seriously. The perfect balance between crisp, moist, tasty, cheesy and with a really moreish flavour combination. Please go and eat many, many of these for me. Next up was the utterly heavenly eggplant pasta – thick, flat tubular pasta doused in a rich tomato-based sauce with perfectly-cooked pillows of eggplant throughout, and plenty of parmesan for bite. The only thing that could have made this better was some kalamata olives, for a salty boost. Last up was the whole chicken, splayed and served with amazing roast veggies. The chicken was tender and succulent, whilst the veggies (especially the potatoes) were super tasty. I know I over-ate, but when the food’s this good, I dare you to try and stop!

Ruby Red Flamingo, 142 Tynte Street, North Adelaide SA, rubyredflamingo.com

My Kingdom for a Horse

In the creative naming department, this all-day breakfast place definitely takes the cake – the title is from a line from Shakespeare’s Richard the Third. Luckily getting a good feed doesn’t require such sacrifice. We went on a buzzing weekday afternoon and I started with a fresh orange juice. It was a generous size and very fresh – perfect! To eat, I chose the toast with avocado, roasted heirloom tomatoes, lime and sea salt, and I added a poached egg ($18.50). We did have to wait a while for our food, so I wouldn’t recommend stopping by if you’re in a hurry, but all our food was brought out at the same time, making it worth the wait. The plate was beautifully presented and I couldn’t help but be wowed by the sheer quantity of avocado on the sourdough – there was a lot! Sadly, there weren’t a lot of tomatoes, but they were perfectly roasted and sweet, with just the right amount of seasoning. The egg was perfectly poached and the bread was such good quality (although a bit hard to cut). The dish was simple but tasty – combined with the great atmosphere, the whole experience was fun for a lazy afternoon meal.

My Kingdom for a Horse, 191-195 Wright Street, Adelaide SA, http://www.mykingdomforahorse.com.au