EATING MELBOURNE – CHIN CHIN REVIEW

You have to love a restaurant when you not only get a great meal, but also a wonderful experience. That’s exactly what you can expect at Melbourne’s Chin Chin.

It was Anna-Maria’s birthday and we planned to visit an Italian restaurant we had dinned at for her last birthday. Sadly it was closed and I just happened to spot Chin Chin on my google map (only good restaurants show up on google maps). Chin Chin has been recommended to us by friends many times, but it’s walk-ins only policy, made us hesitant on trying it out given its popularity.

We walked in to a packed Chin Chin on Sunday night expecting a long wait for a table. Two guys occupied two large apple computer screens which they use to manage bookings. 45 minutes was the wait for a table, which was no problem for us, as they directed us downstairs to Go Go Bar for a pre-dinner drink. We were both starving and luckily the bar menu had a few tasty treats on it, notably the pulled pork sliders, which were washed down with a cocktail big enough for two. The sliders were phenomenal, probably the best thing we ate all night which is a big call as the food upstairs was sensational. Just after we finished the sliders, I received a text message from staff upstairs stating our table was ready. We proceeded excitingly upstairs to our table-for-two with with our cocktails in hand.

Pulled pork sliders from Go Go Bar – Photo courtesy of Chin Chin

The atmosphere of the restaurant was another highlight as friends sat around tables having a feast, while some randomly sang along to the catchy tunes being pumped through the sound system. Expect to hear songs that have you saying ‘I haven’t heard this in a while’. The chefs headed by executive chef, Benjamin Cooper, work their magic in the open kitchen as people watch from the bar seating. You can smell the flavours of the South-East Asian cuisine wafting through the restaurant as you struggle to decide what your going to eat. The wall of moving art in the nearby lane way, visible from our table, adds another element to the dining experience. Make the effort to go to the toilet so you can practice speaking Thai while you do your business – another unique Chin Chin experience.

“At Chin Chin it’s all about enjoying and sharing the experience, while having fun tasting lots of different dishes from the exotic and varied flavours in their menu”. The menu is massive, making their “feed me” option is a great idea! You can just say “feed me” and they will serve you up a heap of their favourite dishes for $66 (min. 2 people) until you say enough!

We started with wok fried salt and pepper squid with nuoc cham and Vietnamese mint, DIY fresh spring rolls with raw vegetables and peanut relish and Chin Chin’s roti bread. The spring roll idea was fantastic, raw vegetables cut up for you to make your own spring rolls with battered and fried tofu dipped in a tasty peanut sauce. The squid was well-flavored and combined nicely with the dipping sauce. For something more substantial we ordered butter chicken with yogurt and green chilli and a pad thai  noodles with king prawn, peanuts, dried shrimp and cucmuber. The pad thai was full of flavour and very filling. The king prawns were beautiful and in abundance. The butter chicken was different to any other I’ve tried before. It reminded me a little of a satay style sauce as it was much milder than expected, with big chunks of juicy chicken throughout the sauce

Palm sugar ice cream sundae with salted honeycomb and a lime syrup – Photo courtesy of Chin Chin

The salt and pepper squid was so good we ordered another serve, this time a large one. We were both feeling very full by this stage but dessert was very tempting. Friends had suggested leaving room for two desserts, the palm sugar sundae and the coconut sago. We asked our waiter and, surprise-surprise, he recommended the sundae and the sago. He went on to say “the sundae is the most popular, but the sago is definitely the staff’s favourite”. Anna-Maria  was sure she wanted the sundae and I certainly wanted the sago. At an establishment like this you can always trust what the staff think is their best dessert! The sago blew my mind, it’s hard to describe it without enhancing it with a swear word, “It’s..ummm……amazing”. Anna-Maria was loving her Sundae, until she tried the sago. She started to appear sad, as if she’d made the wrong choice. Because it was her birthday, and only for this reason, I let her swap desserts with me.

Coconut sago with sweet corn ice cream, praline, and puffed wild rice

We rolled out of Chin Chin at midnight in a complete food coma. $200 vanished from my bank account but our meals, drinks and experience was worth every cent.

On a funny note, the “Chin Chin” found on Urbanspoon is much different to the “Chin Chin” found in Urban dictionary!

IS THIS MELBOURNE’S BEST CAFE

Melbourne has a strong cafe culture and there are many exceptional cafes, especially in the suburbs surrounding the CBD. While it’s not possible to visit them all, one thing is for sure, it’d be hard to trump Proud Mary in Collingwood. We travelled 6.5km by taxi from the Crown Metropol to Proud Mary, although it can easily be reached by tram from the CBD, just get off at Smith Street and it’s a minute walk away.

The atmosphere here is a highlight with the smell of fresh coffee, served in the bright blue coffee cups, the sound-system delivers good vibes and the friendly approach of the staff makes you feel more than welcome. Big wooden tables provide room for groups or many pairs, but if you can, get a seat on a stool at the red brick-laid bar with granite bench top, where you have front row seats as the baristas handcraft your perfect cup of coffee.

Ricotta Hotcakes – gooey mandarin caramel, honeycomb and ice cream

Proud Mary combine the best coffee (can’t beat the Guatemalan single origin) with amazing food! They do an all day breakfast menu combined with a lunch menu with a few more options. Try the Proud’s Porridge with pear, yogurt and walnut brittle or the Ricotta Hotcakes with gooey mandarin caramel, honeycomb and ice cream for a sweet and very filling breakfast option. Perfect to fuel you for a day of sightseeing or shopping in Melbourne!

Anna-Maria ordered the “Porky Pie” special which left her saying ‘wow’ before and after she ate it. Think a big ball of buttery puff pastry, that you could just fit in the palm of your hand, folded over at the top with a thick pastry lid sitting crisply on top. Taking the lid of the pie, you will see that it’s full to the top of tasty pulled pork! The Porky Pie sat on a green tomato and fennel salad with a traditional Italian dressing.

Single Origin Latte

This place can get super busy, especially on the weekends. The staff are used to it and handle it with no problems. As soon as you walk in the door, expect to be greeted and taken to a table if available or given a wait time until your likely to get one. We were lucky enough to get a table straight up at 9am on a Saturday, but it was busier as we left at 10am.

The staff are generally superb and very friendly. They were able to recommend which single origin coffee would be best for us, and they repeat your order exactly when delivering your coffee to the table. A confirmation that they took, and delivered exactly what you asked for. Expect to be asked how your meals are going as they care about your experience. Even the girl knew where we had been sitting when we went to pay at the counter, even though the place was full and she hadn’t served to our table.

For those who like filter coffee, it’s available in Syphon, V60 Pour Over, French Press, or Chemex. I tried the Costa Rica ‘Sonora’ as a pour over and to my surprise, the coffee was extremely smooth, and you could taste the flavour notes from the bean quite clearly.

The bar seats give the best view of the barista at work

We visited Proud Mary three times during our six days in Melbourne and the service was excellent on all three occasions. The coffee was consistently amazing and if they did happen to make a bad coffee, be assured it won’t make it to your table. The baristas maintain a very high standard. This is certainly not a cafe to be missed if you are in search for Melbourne’s best coffee and breakfast.

What is your favourite Melbourne cafe and why?

SAD THE FEAST IS OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR

After salivating over all the enticing Winter Feast menus in the Dark Mofo guide, it was time to head on down after purchasing our $10 tickets online. A lot of thought had been put into the event, from the red-lit winter forrest, to the bare trees hanging upside down from the Princess Wharf shed roof. Outside the shed, the barrel fires kept everyone warm and the Ferris Wheel of Death captured everyones camera lens as they entered the festival.

The Ferris Wheel of Death

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived at about 7.30pm on Thursday night and the place was packed. We could hardly move around to get a peek at all the stalls. The line to Smolt was unreal and the same can be said for Lady Hester, who struggled to keep up with the demand for her sourdough doughnuts. We found our way to Fat Pig Farm to keep our hunger at bay as we wandered around in search for something more substantial. I ordered a Fat Pig Bun which was delicious although was rather small. I could have quite easily at another 9 of them. Anna-Maria had the Fat Cow Bun which she enjoyed, describing it as a quality meat pie in a roll.

Fat Pig Farm’s Menu

Fat Pork Bun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally the Smolt queue didn’t look so bad so we jumped in line in anticipation. Slow-cooked lamb shoulder and churros were at the top of my wish list. The lamb was served with braised red cabbage and yogurt which were perfect accompaniments to the lamb. The mixed leaf salad served on the plate had a beautiful crispy garlic dressing. The churros were to die for! It was served hot with a warm salted caramel dipping sauce which was phenomenal. It left me wanting more. I didn’t ponder too long before ordering another serve. The lamb was $12 and excellent value given the quality and generous serving size.

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with braised red cabbage, natural yogurt and mixed leaf winter salad with crispy garlic dressing

Churros from Smolt were amazing. The caramel dipping sauce was a winner too. I just had to have more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly Lady Hester had sold out of doughnuts by the time I’d made it there. So we decided we’d try and make it there the following night. I still felt a little hungry so decided to get a pork taco from Taco Tacos. Unfortunately it was a little underwhelming as there was too much slaw, taking away from any of the pork flavour. Anna-Maria had gnocchi with three meat ragu sauce from Sirocco South which was nice, but not the best gnocchi she’s ever had.

The night finished with a pleasant hot drink from Villino and macarons by Ruby. My coffee was perfect and kept me going for the rest of the night, however my macaron was served a little cold, as if it’d only just come out of the fridge, meaning the outside was crumbly and the centre was chewy rather than soft and creamy.

We attempted to buy our tickets at the door on friday, but were turned away and unable to join the ticket line because the place was absolutely packed. We quickly jumped online to book tickets for Saturday night as we knew we wouldn’t be the only ones doing so. When we showed up at 7.30pm on Saturday night it looked like the organisers had rectified the situation they faced on Friday, by deciding not to take door sales. Only ticket holders were able to enter, meaning a much more pleasant experience getting around the venue. On Thursday, it was nearly impossible to get a table in the shed and there was no one around tidying up tables that had been vacated. Thankfully this was different come Saturday night, cleaners were on hand to clear any rubbish from tables to ensure patrons could enjoy their food without having to clean up after others.

I had my eye on a char-grilled octopus baguette from Cable Station but sadly they had sold out! I had little choice but go back to the tried-and-tested lamb shoulder and churros combo from Smolt. Anna-Maria wanted to try a wrap from Shoebox Cafe. She bought a sesame seed wrap filled with slow cooked bulgogi beef. The wrap was like a pancake, the beef was well flavoured which Anna-Maria didn’t enjoy as much as I did. She had her heart set on the Peking duck wrap which had sold out. I happily finished off her beef wrap which quickly filled me up. We washed our food down with a Pagan cider from the tap. I can highly recommend the cherry apple or apple pear combinations.

We made our way back to Lady Hester to see what doughnuts we’d be able to try. They had to cook their doughnuts offsite and get them delivered to the stall where they were getting filled. We were nearly at the front of the line when the person in front of us bought the last rhubarb and rosewater doughnut. The girl serving, who had hardly a voice left, recommended the honey cream and pine nut (her favourite). We weren’t disappointed after devouring one each. Whilst the doughnuts were served cool, they were unbelievably soft and fresh with creative fillings. After going back when the rhubarb and rosewater doughnuts had arrived from offsite, we both agreed the honey cream and pine nut were our better.

Another taste of the Macarons by Ruby had me wanting more on this occasion. I tried vanilla, lemon and salted caramel and Anna-Maria stuck to musk as it was amazing. They also served up salted caramel cheesecake in a small jar which is absolutely delicious and a great take home option.

Macarons by Ruby

Macarons by Ruby menu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I regretfully missed out on trying the crepes and cannoli but left very satisfied on both occasions. We can’t wait to go again next year and see what else there is to try.

What did you think of the Winter Feast and what was your favourite dish?

RISTR8TO, A FUNKY NAME WITH A CLAIM TO FAME!

Menu Chalk Board @ Ristr8to

I was hopeful to find the perfect cup of coffee in Chiang Mai after finding out that coffee was grown in Northern Thailand. After looking here and there and asking desperately for suggestions from every driver and every receptionist at our hotel, I finally stumbled across this beauty on the internet.

Ristr8to, a funky name with a claim to fame. Arnon, owner and barista at Ristr8to, finished 6th in the 2011 World Latte Art Championships. A huge feat for someone that only 5 years prior to this, didn’t enjoy drinking coffee due to its bitterness. Arnon moved to Australia to learn English and landed himself a job in a coffee shop where he was fortunate enough to work alongside the World No. 3 Barista and World Latte Art Champion. Arnon developed a passion for coffee and combined it with his love of art before opening up Ristr8to in Chiang Mai.

The sunlight beams in off the Nimmanhemin

At Ristr8to they only use “doppio ristretto” in their hot coffees, which is the first 15-20ml extraction of coffee that has got superb body, elegant aroma, delivering delicate acidity and caramel rich on the palate – unlike Espresso that has too much bitterness and water from the last 10ml of extraction which can ruin the whole taste of coffee shot.

A coffee menu unlike anything I’ve seen in Australia

Not only does the coffee taste great, the concept of Ristr8to is exceptional! From the enticing signage out the front to the type of tables, wooden serving blocks with your coffee’s profile, fancy and informative coffee menus, blackboards that have you gazing with intrigue while you wait for your next coffee, and most importantly, the combination of taste and appearance which is guaranteed when your coffee is only pieced together by experienced, award winning baristas.

As well as the Ristr8to blend, single origin coffee beans from around the world are sourced for your enjoyment. Why not hand pick the pattern you’d like on your latte? Nothing is too much for Arnon and his team. Watch Arnon effortlessly make an 8 rosetta latte in this video.

A beautiful Ristr8to blend latte

Make sure you don’t miss this gem when in Chiang Mai. They also offer an all day breakfast, while I didn’t have time to eat there, the food coming out to the tables looked very appetising. For more information, check out their website.

RAISING THE STANDARD OF BURGERS IN HOBART

Anna-Maria and I were feeling rather peckish, strolling through the streets of Hobart. We started to feel a little lost as we heard a buzz coming from down a small graffitied lane way, something Hobartians expect to find when they are wandering the streets of Melbourne.

Peeking down Hudson’s Lane, groups of people hustled past us to get a taste of the action. As we made our way down the lane-way, we started to sense we were no longer in Hobart, or Melbourne for that matter, thanks to the classic rap beats we heard coming from the stereo of “The Standard”, Hobart’s newest burger joint.

The Standard had just opened for business the previous day and its inspiration comes from The States. All the way from Cali-forn-i-ayyy, to be exact. This may explain the rap beats and I’m sure it’s no coincidence that one of the owner/chef is Californian. The staff play their part with snap back caps and loose fitted casual white shirts.

A look at the setup of The Standard

The menu consists of 5 burgers. They are the standard, hamburger, chicken, veg, and not to forget, the double standard. We both had the Standard to start. It’s like the house burger if you will. We waited patiently on the make shift benches, made with a few creates and a piece of pine stuck on top. Within 10 minutes, a staff member politely called our names, greeted us with a brown paper bag, neatly folded and handled with care. The bags are perfect for taking away or doubling as a rubbish bag if eating in. The burgers generally come with pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and a garlic aioli. Although they’re more than happy to modify your order. Anna-Maria freaks out about tomato so she was pleased to know she could order a tomato-less burger without any raised eyebrows.

The Standard burger at The Standard

The sesame seed bun was soft and fresh and the patty was thin but full of flavour. The cheese melted perfectly between the patty and the bun – if you would  lift the bun to peak inside your burger, you would probably rip it in half given the melted cheese clinging to the fresh bun – I know from trying. The volume of salad in the burger was enough to taste without dominating over the meat, while the garlic aioli wasn’t overpowering, even though it was applied generously. It was somewhat a perfect mix of fresh ingredients. I didn’t even think twice what was in it.

Having tried the Standard burger I thought, as obvious as it sounds, the Double Standard would be twice as good. Without thinking twice, I ordered myself one for desert. I won’t delve into too much detail but needless to say it was pretty darn good! Anna-Maria had a bite and regretted that she had only ordered the standard burger. The difference between the standard and the double is small but significant. Double beef patty and double cheese, it certainly makes it melt in your mouth. Anna-Maria ordered some fries. They were just like she would have them if she made them herself. Golden brown and crunchy style, short string as opposed to long, making them very addictive, being so small and tasty.

The Double Standard burger at The Standard

We simply couldn’t have gone through burgers and fries without a drink – that’s a sin anyway, right? Whilst they were offering some hard to find American sodas such as root beer, Dr pepper and cherry cola, I found myself asking what shakes they had. Oreo or Butterfingers were on offer…again your typical American candies. I went for Butterfingers and Anna-Maria had Oreo. We were both happy with our choices for once and didn’t feel the need to swap – which happens somewhat regularly. The shakes are certainly not for the health conscious and if you are health conscious, BYO Kale and spinach to put in your bun-less burger because you won’t find that here! These shakes are a one size fits all, LARGE. And they are THICK. No wonder they cost as much as a standard burger ($8.00). I think I had a whole tub of ice cream in mine. Not to my surprise, a staff member proudly informed us that they are 90% ice cream. So thick that you may think you are burning a few extra calories in your efforts to suck it through the straw! All said and done it was delicious and definitely worth the money.

Now we can’t wait to get back and try the chicken burger and the other flavoured shakes that they will offer. There was mention of an apple pie shake.. I’m not sure how I’d go getting that through a straw but I’m willing to try.

One of the best things about The Standard is the opening hours. They open at 11am and close at 10pm, daily. It’s a casual setting so no need to show up in your best attire, come as you are and enjoy the simplicity of what burgers should be like – you don’t need a knife and fork to eat them.

Many hungry people gathering at the Standard