3seeds

I dined as a guest of the Truffle Festival; all opinions remain my own. Following an incredible truffle hunt (see my Instagram for the full story), we returned to Tarago Truffles for a 3-course truffle lunch by staff from 3seeds Cooking School. First up was the most delicious cauliflower, parsnip and truffle soup – I went back for seconds (and thirds – shh, don’t tell anyone!). The soup was beuatifully creamy and had a generous amount of truffle inside; enough that you could distinctly taste the truffle itself. This was paired with a slice of bread with truffle butter on top. If you haven’t tried truffle butter before, get on that bandwagon now! The folk at 3seeds really know how to make the most out of this magical ingredient. The second course was the divine portobello mushroom tart, topped with truffle salt. The pastry was so buttery and rich, and the whole portobello mushroom was really plump and tender. Finally, we indulged in a sticky fig pudding, served in a caramel sauce with truffle butter – again, the truffle just lifted all the flavours, while still being present enough to taste. We were also treated to some insider tips on how to make the most out of a truffle; the perfect way to end a truffle-themed day!

3seeds Cookng School, Fyshwick Markets, corner of Dalby & Mildura Streets, Fyshwick ACT, http://3seeds.com.au/

Baskin Robbins

I spent a lovely afternoon at the Opera House to see The Australian Ballet, and on my way back to the train I treated myself to a cup of Baskin Robbins, which seems to have disappeared from most other Australian cities. Whilst Love Potion #31 is my absolute favourite, I wanted something a bit lighter, so opted for the ‘Citrus Twist’ – “ice made with the tangy twist of lemons and limes”, according to the sign. Refreshing and dairy-free equals fine with me. I think the description on the sign was pretty accurate – there was still a fairly smooth, although certainly more icy than icecream, texture to the Citrus Twist, and the mixture was actually quite sweet compared to other lemon and lime flavours I’ve tried. Having said that, the flavours worked well together, and would suit those who don’t want a sorbet that results in cheek-puckering bitterness. The serve was reasonably sized, and it delivered on the ‘refreshing’ promise too. Like most places, you can enjoy a complimentary taste to help pick your flavour. With such great Harbour views, it’s hard to look past for an affordable sweet treat in Circular Quay.

Baskin Robbins Circular Quay, Lot 2, Quay Grand 61-63, Macquarie Street
Sydney, NSW http://www.baskinrobbins.com.au

 

Yummy Chinese BBQ

My friend and I had been meaning to go to ‘that new hot pot place in Acton’ for a while. We went on a quiet Monday night, only to discover it was actually a BBQ place. Moving right along… We were seated and told that the endless BBQ is $35 per head, so off we went (we found out later there’s an a la carte menu too). We started with a range of BBQ skewers, which each have fairly small portions of meat on them, but were delicious nonetheless. My favourite was the first I tried – the lamb, which was dusted in what might have been cumin (?). It had a fabulous flavour and I went back a couple of times for this one. The crab was battered and reasonably ok, and we both tried the chicken hearts, which were ok, but could have done with a squeeze of lemon. I was particularly taken with the sides – my favourite was simply described as “potato”, but it was more like a sliced salad, with fresh, crunchy and slightly pickled vegetables plus a hit of corriander. The handmade rice noodles with sesame sauce were fabulous too, with a great kick of heat. Overall, we decided the meal was overpriced for the quality, but it was certainly enjoyable.

Yummy Chinese BBQ, 1 Childers Street, Acton ACT,

Shimbashi

Shimbashi is a favourite of mine – they offer consistently authentic quick Japanese food, although I must admit, I do have a ‘go to’ order that I pretty much always pick. This visit was no exception – we stuck with the teriyaki salmon set, which includes quite a decent-sized bowl of teriyaki salmon on a bed of rice, plus a plate of soba or udon served either hot or cold. The teriyaki sauce on the salmon isn’t your average out-of-a-bottle sauce – it’s sophisticated, having just the right amount of sweetness without being too much. The salmon is perfectly cooked into heavenly flakes, and the Japanese rice is so tasty with the extra sauce. The soba is handmade, so has a nice springy texture, and the soba sauce is again just right – well-balanced and not too salty. I particularly like the tempura bits you are served to scatter on top, and the spring onion adds great flavour to the dish overall. There’s a reason I keep ordering this dish – it’s great value, has great flavour and takes me back to Tokyo. What more could I ask for?

Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar, 17 Liverpool Street, Melbourne VIC, http://www.shimbashisobamelbourne.net/

Lotus Restaurant

You know that feeling, when you look at the dessert menu at a restaurant, and want everything? This was my dilemma at Lotus. However, one item stood out above the others, so we made the call and went for it. The Lotus Garden ($15), with a white peony tea bavarois, poached peach, raspberries and raspberry puff sounded irresistible. When it arrived, the stunning presentation only confirmed the choice. Dotted with edible flowers and microherbs, the pale peach colour and the vibrant raspberry red was visually striking. This dessert has all the textures happening – from the crisp of the raspberry puff (think prawn crackers for texture), to the pop of the fresh raspberries, to the soft give of the poached white peach, and the smoothness of the shiny, glazed bavarois (similar to a pannacotta) – making it an exploratory adventure. All of the flavours worked so well together, and a mouthful with all of the elements was utter heaven. The sweetness of the white peach was offset by the tartness of the raspberry, and the white peony tea flavour added a delicate but not particularly sweet floral note. I’m not sure I could go past this next time, as much as I’d like to try the rest of the dessert menu. Note: between dining and publication, the Lotus Garden has changed on the menu, so this exact flavor combination is no longer on offer.

Lotus Restaurant, Level 1, The Galeries, 500 George Street Sydney NSW, http://www.lotusrestaurant.com.au/

Bowery to Williamsburg

Latkes? What are latkes? I usually try to order the unusual things on a menu, and this drew my eye for sure. I met an old friend for breakfast on a Saturday morning and we holed up along the long communal table at Bowery to Williamsburg, where you’re practically part of the kitchen. The Lox & Potato Latkes ($20) was a great side to a good catch up, with two perfectly poached, runny eggs, spears of asaparagus, a slab of cured salmon and latkes with horseradish. The mystery was solved on first bite – latkes are potato pancakes, and these were spiked with zucchini – they were filling and tasty and delicious with the kick of the horseradish. I’m generally not a huge fan of fennel, but pickled the way it was, it brought a great flavour contrast to the latkes. The cured salmon was more subtle than smoked, which was appreciated that early in the day. The asparagus was cooked nicely and had just the right amount of bite, without being stringy. This was a fun introduction to New York food for me – enough familiar elements to be comfortable and enough new things to be exciting.

Bowery to Williamsburg, 123 Hardware Street, Melbourne VIC, no website

Via Dolce

Oh, hello #icecreamthurs, aka I’m-in-denial-summer-is-over.  Canberra’s dessert scene has its own little hub in Civic – after shopping with a friend, we decided to have something sweet and ended up standing on the corner that encompasses the tough choice between Koko Black (chocolate), Oliver Brown (chocolate) and Via Dolce (icecream). Of course, we went for the icecream. The display cabinet at Via Dolce is always beautiful, and with such exotic flavours as Prickly Pear and Blood Orange, it was hard to choose. In the end I went for the Raspberry sorbet, wanting something refreshing. The portion was a good size (although it did look small in the cup) and the sorbet ticked all the boxes – good texture, just the right amount of sweetness and a lovely, authentic fruit flavour. There’s just something about a good sorbet – you get such a strong impression of the fruit you’re eating, and this cup full definitely had me in mind of a batch of juicy, fresh raspberries. I found the serving just enough to satisfy my icecream craving, but next time I’m definitely going to try one of their cakes!

Via Dolce, 108 Bunda Street, Civic ACT, viadolce.com.au