Chin Chin

125 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, 3000

(03) 8663 2000

Daily 11am-late
No bookings


 

'Have you been to Chin Chin?' , 'Have you been to Chin Chin?', 'Have you been to Chin Chin?' I almost felt like I was back in South East Asia, 'Plait your hair?', 'Madame, plait your hair?' I actually had to get my hair plaited just so I could avoid the question. This is how I started to feel about Chin Chin. So there was no choice on where we would eat Monday night/date night. That's the kind of buzz that this restaurant is generating.
Situated up the top end of Flinders Lane amongst the other to-be-seen-in restaurants such as Coda and Culmulus Inc, Chin Chin promises to bring to you a modern take on street style Asian food, in a fun and stylish laid back setting. There is an emphasis on communal eating as the dishes on the menu are designed to be shared(although in my eyes ALL dishes are designed to be shared-with me). And it's a great menu, although at first I was a bit skeptical as there is so much on offer, so many different cuisines from Thai, Viet, Indian and more, and I'm generally of the belief of 'Jack of all trades- Master of nothing'. But this menu was really well thought out offering up some tasty, fun and authentic dishes.

 Kingfish Sashimi w/ lime, chilli, coconut and thai basil  $14

Steamed dumplings of chicken, sweetcorn and shitake w/ spring onion & ginger dressing  $11

Crispy barramundi & green apple salad w/ caramalised pork, chilli & lemongrass   $24

Crispy skinned mandarin duck, master stock braised w/ yellow bean   $33

"Morning Glory" wok tossed siamese water cress w/ yellow bean & chilli    $14

Three colour pudding, layers of sweet beans w/ pandan infused tapioca, caramel & coconut crushed ice    $9
Layered jellies of coconut milk, passion fruit w/ slow poached pineapple & toasted coconut  $9

The food was lovely, the kingfish sashimi was amazing. If I'd been at home I would have drunk up all the left over liquid. I love morning glory, not only because of the hilarious name but also because it really is a wonderful tasting vegetable and this dish really took me back to Thailand. The duck was sweet and the szechuan pepper that came on the side was a great addition. The dumplings were fragrant and the barramundi was fantastic with the apple salad-yum! Now to the deserts....oh dear me, they truly reminded me of being back in Singapore. My brother and I would go off to the movies as much as possible and then sneak downstairs to the desert stand. Every week we would try something new. It was always sweet, it was always sticky and it was always brilliant. I'm so happy that now I will be able to have my weirdo corn and bean deserts done the proper way.
The menu also offers you the 'feed me' option. Chef's choice of 7 courses for $66 per person. Absolute  bargain!

Roaming around the floor is 'The Wine Guy' and his job is to help you match your drinks to your food, we had already ordered our 1st carafe of white wine from our fantastic waiter Byron, so didn't get to chat to 'vino man'. Hopefully next time we will take the time and use his expertise. The wine list is really reasonably priced. It is an all Australian wine menu and I loved the fact that the wine makers are listed by name as well. They have a great selection of local and Asian beers that you can even get in long necks-just like the ones I would get at 7/11 on Koh San rd(I'm so classy). You can also get cocktails, pretty decent ones too, from what I heard and saw on the table next to us.

The venue itself was spacious with a large bar along one wall where you can have a drink and wait to be seated, or alternatively even pull up a stool and have your meal. There is also plenty of table seating  and at the back is the kitchen in full view. I love to watch chefs work and next time I go I may try and get a seat closer to the action so I can enjoy the show. The decor is modern/industrial/Asian/pop kind of fusion, it all sounds very distorted and weird but it works.  Chris Lucas is the brains behind this new venture, along with executive chef Andrew Gimber (ex Jimmy Liks from Sydney) and Ben Cooper (St Ali, Nobu, Ezard). Well done boys, you have put together a vibrant menu in wonderful surrounds. Also a nod to the unnamed chefs working up a sweat to feed the hoards of hungry Melburnian food lovers.
This place has only been opened for a month, so even though I would like to say it was up and coming, it was so jam packed that it is quite obvious that they have already arrived. 

Ratings out of 10
Food 7/10
Service 7/10

Atmosphere 7/10

Value 8/10

Chin Chin  7.3/10

Would I return? Yes, great night out!

Peri peri pheasant

Because we are a bit posh out here in the west, we just so happened to have a beautiful pheasant in the fridge. We have one from Glenoth Game who have the most amazing produce. Their property is located east of Wycheproof in the Victorian Mallee as was established in the early 90s . They use no growth hormones, antibiotics or chemical additives in rearing the birds, and all Glenloth Game birds are processed on site, in order to maintain the highest quality standards and eliminate stress on the birds. Their range also  includes squab, Muscovy duck, pheasant and guinea fowl. They may be a little hard to find, but really worth the money and effort.

...but back to my roast. I was feeling a bit zingy and sassy and I thought, spicy! I realised that it had been a while since I had had peri peri anything, so the decision was easy. 

Everyone has their own version of popular sauces, this is mine. In no way am I going to claim that it is remotely authentic, just tasty.

My version of peri peri sauce

Ingredients:

1 fresh long red chilli

2 fresh small chillis (add more if you like it really hot)

2 tsp of paprika (I like to alternate with 1 smoked paprika and 1 mild)

1 tbs of olive oil

1/3 cup of lemon juice

4 crushed garlic cloves

2 tbs of fresh oregano-finely chopped

Combine all ingredients and that's the sauce done-yum! However we will be using this as a marinade for the bird.

Preheat oven at 180C
Rinse and pat dry your bird
Pour over the sauce. I also like to put some in the cavity in hopes that the taste infuses even more.

Pop into the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 20 minutes
Baste the pheasant frequently
Check that the bird is done by inserted a sharp knife, if the juices run clear then you are good to go.

Allow the pheasant to rest outside of the oven for about 10-20 minutes before serving.

Now that's a good dinner! Bon appetit!

Dairy free banana cake

Yesterday we celebrated Lolo's 1st birthday. It was a wonderful celebration for a wonderful and cheeky little girl. We had about 20 people over at the house to wish her a great day and to let her know how loved she is. Being the paranoid mum that I am, I decided to undertake the cake preparation is order to make sure it was 100% dairy free. My initial plan was to make a chocolate cake, but at the last minute I changed my mind and went with a banana cake instead. It had to be tasty for the kids, suitable for grown up taste and most importantly I had to disguise the dairy free factor!

Cake ingredients

2 large  bananas, mashed, ripe 

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cups plain flour

1 cup corn flour

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup nuttelex, softened

2 1/2 cups caster sugar 

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups oat milk 

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees

2. Grease cake tin (I also add baking paper)

3. Mash bananas and lemon juice in a small bowl, set aside

4. In a separate bowl mix flour, corn flour, salt and baking powder then set aside

5. In a large bowl cream nuttelex and 2 1/2 cups of caster sugar until light and fluffy(I use a food processor)

6. Add in the eggs 1 at a time and then stir in the vanilla, transfer to a large mixing bowl and slowly add oat milk till well combined

7. Mix together with the flour mixture

8. Stir in the mashed banana

9. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, you can test this by inserting a toothpick into the centre, if it comes out clean then it's done. My oven has a serious hot spot problem at the back so I have to rotate the cake every 20 minutes, you probably have a better oven than mine and won't need to do this at all

10.Once cake is done, remove from oven and place on a cooling tray for an hour

The Melbourne Supper Club

1st floor, 161 Spring St

Melbourne 3000

03 9654 6300

Sun-Mon 7pm-4am

Tue-Thu 5:00pm 4:00am 

Fri 5:00pm 6:00am 

Sat 8:00pm 6:00am  

'No flash photography' the waitress tells me sternly after I'd taken a happy snap.Oh the embarrassment. In front of everyone she spoke to me like I was tourist, or even worse-like I was poor! That's the thing with The Melbourne Supper Club, the place seems so fancy and exclusive, every time you go in for a drink you feel like you've rightly been thrust into the next tax bracket. But as you walk through the non-descript door and up the narrow stairs into the plush sitting area, you are not greeted by a burly Valentino-suited henchman requesting the secret handshake, but friendly, knowledgeable and there-to-please staff. 

I understand the no flash photography policy, as The Melbourne Supper Club is all about quiet times to contemplate life and the vintage vino you are drinking. It feels so lush and secretive with its Chesterfields, armchairs and wooden steps that lead up to a beautiful giant window that overlooks parliament house. It's the kind of place you can imagine upper management bring their Mistresses to.

Now, a good worker never blames their tools for shotty work, so I can't really blame the camera I had with me on the night for the bad photos and the so-so review that follows. I can however blame the 6 or so drinks I had had prior to even arriving at The Melbourne Supper Club, a couple of them just upstairs in the outdoor area at the fantastic Siglo(affiliated with TMSC) with their Cuban cigars and single malt whiskys. But I digress...
The wine menu at The Melbourne Supper Club is legendary-huge, with several pages divided and dedicated to grape variety or regional blends. If it seems too much to take in just ask the bar staff, they know what they are talking about. The beers available here are also impressive, from Australia to the Czech Republic and beyond. so if you are a beer aficionado you will still feel quite at home here. 
The food, oh the glorious nibbles. I will give you a run down as to what we ate and how spectacular it was, but there will be no prices, and why? Because it was date night and we were too busy being in love to take note of the prices, and also because we truly were 3 sheets to the wind.

Meatballs in tomato sauce. Lovely, with a rich and generous amount of tomato sauce with lots bread for soaking.

Spanakopita. I've had alot of these little guys in my lifetime and I love them. These parcels were crispy and flavoursome, as good as any Greek mammas.

Foie gras.  Oh lordie! Decadent and creamy with brioche and some sort of sweet paste. Fantastic stuff, if you've not had this delicious and politically incorrect delicacy, then give yourself a treat, even if it is just the once. So good in fact that we had 5 serves-yes 5! It was date night after all.

In total the bill came to about $240, which is a happy amount of dosh, but we wanted to treat ourselves, after all my husband is a chef and works about 70 hours a week, I'm just coming out of maternity leave and so am at home most of the week with 1 year old-and there aren't enough hours in the week for the amount of work I do. 

The Melbourne Supper Club is a fabulous wine bar and one of the many reasons I love this city. 

So do yourselves a favour and drop in for a glass of wine, a bit of food and more importantly a little bit of 'you' time.

Ratings out of 10
Food 8/10
Service 8/10

Atmosphere 9/10

Value 7/10

Melbourne Supper Club  8/10

Would I return? Yes, always seem to end up here before heading home.

Cookie

1/252 Swanston Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

03 9663 7660

open noon to 11pm, 7 days a week

Odds of finding a decent restaurant open on a Monday night is slim, add to that the fact that it was a public holiday and all of a sudden slim becomes practically impossible. Thank goodness for the good folk at Cookie who are happy to make a buck and open when no one else will. 

The last time I visited Cookie it was my faux hens night (I had eloped months prior) and so my memory of the food and night for that matter, is a bit hazy. So I was more than happy to give them another go. 

Cookie can be found on the 1st floor of the ever chic Curtain House on Swanston st, which is also home to Roof top Bar and The Toff in Town. It is by nature a bar, however depending on what time of the day you visit it can also be a disco and restaurant. Now the last time I said the words "I'm going to the disco" I was about 20 and wearing a midriff top, so the restaurant time was just fine with me.

The menu here is huge and it caters for all tastes, as long as all the tastes are Southeast Asian! If you have not been to Thailand and have not tasted the real deal, then you are in for a treat. However if like me and my dinner companions, you have spent a large amount of time and money eating your was through Thailand, then Cookie is a bit of a let down. 

We opted for a shared dining experience and the waitress was gracious enough to let us mix and match from the restaurant and bar menus. Thank you waitress with the Scottish dad-you know who you are.

grilled thai sausage with cucumber & ginger 13.50 

betel bliss bombs-DIY- betel leaves, peanuts, lime, coconut, ginger, onion & dried shrimp with sticky shrimp & coconut sauce 15.50

 deep fried shrimp cocktail with chilli & garlic mayo 17.50

chilli squid with rocket & sweet chilli - large 19.50

drunken prawns with garlic, coriander & Mekong whiskey 19.00

cabbage rolls filled with shitake mushroom & bean curd 14.50
steamed tapioca dumplings filled with pickled turnip, pork & peanuts 13.50

Everything looked fresh and colourful, but unfortunately it was a bit of a hit and miss. The DIY betel leaf is fun and a bit of a novelty factor, the drunken prawns and the shitake mushroom wraps were bland, the calamari was chewy and dull, but the deep fried shrimp and sausage were full of flavour, although the surprising stand out were the little tapioca balls-yum!

Apart from the food, those who are after a tipple will be very pleased here. There are 10 beers on tap to choose from, along with a huge range of local and international beers, and lets not forget the massive amounts of vinos available for you to try. The drinks menu really is impressive and even though I was there with 2 Scots and a Swan Hillean we didn't even make a dent in the selection, and Lord knows we tried.

The venue itself really is beautifully designed, with incredibly high ceilings and huge bar that runs along the wall. So even when it seems beyond packed, you still get the feeling that more people could fit. They even have little balconies for the smokers to sit, unwind and waste money on cigarettes. It almost made me want to take up the habit so I could sit out there with the cool crowd.

Ratings out of 10
Food 4/10
Service 7/10

Atmosphere 7/10

Value 6/10

Cookie 6/10

Would I return? Not for the food, but possibly for a drink.

Naked for Satan

285 Brunswick St
Fitzroy 3065

03 9416 2238

I have always been a fan of any small bite sized foods, canapes, petit fours, any finger food really. So I was excited when I heard about this funky place in Fitzroy called Naked for Satan that specialises in pintxos and vodka.

For those who do not know, a pintxos is the basque name for a thorn or spike and it is also the name given to a snack food typically eaten in bars, traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country. They are related to tapas with the main difference being that pinchos (as it is spelt in the rest of Spain) are usually larger and stabbed through with a toothpick to keep the goodness on the bread. I have never had the privilege of going to the north of Spain so considering that I am (apparently) of Basque decent  4 or 5 generations back, I thought it would be wise that I check out what it is that my people eat.
 As far as the food is concerned this place runs on the honour system so this is the way it works, you go up and you pick your pintxos, you go back to your table, and when you have finished the deliciousness you go back up to the bar and present your toothpicks and your bill is tallied. Very trusting aren't they?
Each Pintxo is $2 a pop except(now it gets confusing) on Sunday-Wednesday nights and Monday-Friday days when they are only 80c. Cheap cheap cheap if you can get in during these hours.

 The day that we went there, there was close to 20 choices. Beautifully presented  sliced baguettes with tortilla, morcilla, roasted capsicum, smoked salmon, scallops, mussels and much more. I don't know if they change from day to day but I am keen to find out.

As I was driving on the day that I visited I didn't get to indulge in the demon drink but they do have a nice range of in-house infused vodkas, along with beers and wines by the glass and cocktails. I look forward to sampling the selection when I am not 'designated driver-the life saving nerd!'

If you are looking for a place to have after work drinks and nibbles or pre-dancing drinks and nibbles, then this is definitely a great place to try. Nice staff, decent prices and the fantastic ambiance. Apparently the venue is named after a Russian mobster called Satanovich who used to distill vodka in this very building, and even though it is warm and welcoming it still hold a slight industrial feel. So if you want to wind down or get in the mood to party this place will put you in the right frame of mind. Ahh..Naked for Satan what a fun place, what a great name for a bar. What a great name for anything! Naked for Satan the Musical-I'd watch that.

Ratings out of 10
Food 7/10
Service 6/10

Atmosphere 8/10

Value 8/10

Naked For Satan  7.3/10

Would I return? Yes, a great place to fuel up while shopping on Brunswick st.

Café Vue

430 Little Collins Street, 
Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9691 3888

For quite some time now I have wanted to dine at Melbourne's legendary Vue de Monde, but first there was pregnancy, then there was maternity leave and then there was learning how to cope a feisty baby I've had to chase around the house. Now that things have started to settle down a little I felt that it was the perfect time to venture into the world of 'Vue'. As a warm up, Dani and I decided to check out breakfast at Café Vue, the little unpretentious sister of the ever so fancy pants Vue de Monde. Café Vue is tucked right into the corner of Little Collins Street and New Chancery Lane. It is small but airy and offers some outside seating. Luckily they have pretty decent heating out there so even during these Arctic Melbourne days you have some where warm to sit. I happily order my skinny cafe latte as I look at the menu, only to be told they only full serve full fat milk. Oh dandy, a chubby cafe latte it is then. Back to the menu, the very limited menu.

Apart from the continental breakfast there is only 10 other things on the menu and 3 of those are just fancy toasted sandwiches, but then again it is better to have a small perfected menu than a large one filled with rubbish. French toast and Croque-monsieur (fancy toasted sandwich) it is.

Our coffees arrived and they were lovely, a perfect caffeine hit. There website states that they use a brand called 5 senses, I will definitely be tracking them down again in the future. 

30 minutes and coffee number 2 and still no food. Even though this is the tight arse version of the 'vue' vision it's still disappointing considering that this small cafe was only half full at the time. Finally after a few minutes and a couple of eager glances over to the bar staff our meals arrived, only to be taken back in because they had forgotten the sauces.

 

photo by  www.dannirodriguez.com

French toast with maple syrup &  créme anglaise  $9

                                                       photo by  www.dannirodriguez.com
Croque-monsieur with Kurobuta ham hock  $8.50

The food was OK. The french toast was moist on the inside with a nice amount of crunch on the outside, but when they remembered the créme anglaise they were a bit stingy with it. The ham hock in the croque was really nice but as you can see by the photo in made have been left in the sandwich maker a bit too long. The service was a bit ordinary and I did feel a bit forgotten, there was no 'how are your meals? or 'can I get you anything else?' The place is incredibly affordable however, so I will probably stop in again for a coffee fix.
I don't know if I was expecting too much from Café Vue because it is part of the Shannon Bennett empire, but It was a bit of a let down. It almost felt like when you buy a lipstick at Chanel just so you can have the carry bag, when what you really wanted was the Iridescent Calfskin Classic handbag with the leather and chain shoulder strap and CC clasp! The ladies know what I'm talking about.

Ratings out of 10
Food 5/10
Service 4/10

Atmosphere 6/10

Value 8/10

Cafe Vue 5.8/10

Would I return? Not for the food, but I will stop by for a take away coffee.

Good Food & Wine Show part 2

As soon as I got off at southern cross station i knew that I was out of my depths. There ahead of me going down on the escalator were 2 ladies wheeling shopping trolleys behind them. They weren't just any trolleys either, proudly they displayed the logo for the Good Food & Wine Show. I had felt quite cocky up till that point, with my large tote bag and comfy walking shoes but obviously I had nothing on these women. Then as I hit Spencer st I was presented with a sea of even more middle aged women and their wheelie accessories, all of them well dressed and all of them heading in the same direction. At this point I realised that I had to get my jog on.

I made it to the convention centre entrance about 25 minutes early, and even though I had managed to out run most of other food pilgrims I still found myself at the back of a line that already had 400+ people waiting to get in. These things really have become popular!
 

 

photo by  www.dannirodriguez.com

Dani and I were booked in to do the 'bubbles darling' class at the Riedel Decanter Bar for 1115, so I had about an hour to run around and get something in my belly before my mid morning buzz.
Bubbles Darling was a celebration of sparkling wine from across the globe, and it really was a fun event. The class was conducted by the people who bring us The Wine Guide (www.thewineguide.com.au), Ex sommeliers who now run a wine consultancy service to the hospitality industry and hold educational events such as this one. I'm sure they do a lot more and I'm not doing them justice because they were informative, generous with their serves, really funny and well worth money. So if you get the chance to join in this event next year then please do so.

 

photo by  www.dannirodriguez.com

As for the rest of the show, well I can't really tell you much. I sadly had a baby at home that wasn't feeling great so it was an in and out event for me, however I was able to enjoy alot of little tasty treat from a huge range of exhibitors. Beautiful spices from Screaming Seeds Spice Co.,yummy chocolates from the ever popular Pink Lady Chocolates, fantastic little burgers from The Ingham Turkey Burger Bar and a nice little pick me coffee from the Tonino Lamborghini Caffe. If I'd had the time I would have stayed all day and sampled from each stall, but I am happy that I was able to try something totally new to me. The Wasabi Salad is a fantastic concept from Tripod Farmers (www.tripodfarmers.com.au) who are just down the road in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Wasabi Salad is brilliant as it gives you the exciting burst of wasabi flavour in soft leafy greens. I loved it!
So all in all it was a fun event. I got to try lots of lovely things and even though I was only there for a short amount time it was still very decadent. Most importantly I learnt a few things for next year 1. start Lolo on multi vitamins and keep here away from creche a month before the event so she doesn't get a cold. 2. Get myself a funky wheelie trolley so I can look the part, and 3. Be there by 8am-the day before(time permitting).


photo by  www.dannirodriguez.com

Good Food & Wine Show

It is time to bring out my stretchy maternity jeans! No there is currently no bun in this oven. I am off to help celebrate Melbourne's obsession with food at The Good Food & Wine Show this weekend. If you haven't been to one of these in the past, then this popular festival is a great way to start. Apart from the good food and top wines there will be chocolates, cheeses, and of course, great coffee(how very Melbourne)! Best of all there promises to be quite a decent taste pavillion where you will be able to indulge in hundreds of tasty food samplings and wine tasting, hence the stretchy pants.
I will be attending with fellow foodie and glutton, my eternally thin cousin Dani, a woman who can truely hold her own at any buffet table. Together we will sample everything and I hope to bring you my findings soon. Bring on the weekend! 
I'll start at the gym on Monday.

http://www.goodfoodshow.com.au/melbourne.asp

3 - 5 June  

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
 

FRI: 10am - 8pm                                       

SAT: 10am - 6pm

SUN: 10am - 5pm

Adult	$29.50
Child (6-16yrs)	$22.50
Concession/Groups	$24.50
Wine Lovers Ticket	$75.00       Wine Lovers Ticket includes show entry.

Apart from entry to the show you may be interested in the following:
(prices vary)

Fisher & Paykel Celebrity Theatre    

Riedel Decanter Bar                                                                                                                      

Riedel Wine Theatre                                                                                                                     

Oxford Landing Estates Restaurant                                                                                        

Coopers Beer Garden                                                                                                      

CheeseMatters Discovery Class                                                                                                 

Sunbeam Academy                                                                                                              

BeanScene Coffee Experience                                                                                                   

Barilla Pasta Classes                                                                                                                       

Chef Book Signings                                                                                                                        

Taste Pavilion                                                                                                                                   

Macro Pantry from Woolworths

Winter

Winter has well and truly started here in Australia, and how do we know this? Last night it was 3 degrees, also there was a sheet of ice on my windscreen this morning and most importantly, because my husband-a born and bred Glaswegian said 'it was really cold today'! However if you require more concrete evidence then you should know that officially in Australia winter starts on the 1st of June and runs through to the last day of August.
It's great time of the year for fruits and veggies, the fruit is full of vitamin c and the vegetables are great for luscious soul warming soups.

In Season

 

Fruit
Apple                    Blood orange                    Cumquat                       Custard apple  

Grapefruit             Kiwifruit                              Lemon                 Lime                            

Mandarin               Nashi                                 Navel orange                Pear     

                       

Persimmon           Pineapple                          Quince                          Rhubarb          

    

Tangelo                  Paw paw                           Pomelo


Vegetables
Asian greens              Avocado                                  Beetroot                     Broccoli  
        
Brussels sprouts        Cabbage                                 Carrot                         Cauliflower  

Celeriac                      Celery                                    Fennel                     Horseradish  

Jerusalem artichoke     Kale                                      Kohlrabi                     Leek 

Lettuce                        Okra                                         Olives                         Onion  

Parsnip                         Peas                                       Potato                        Pumpkin 

Shallot                         Silver beet                                Spinach                     Swede  

Sweet potato                Turnip                                      Witlof

Nuts
Chestnut                      Hazelnut                                  Walnut                       Pecan           

Macadamia

Herbs
Bay leaves                 Chives                                        Coriander                    Dill 

Parsley                       Rosemary                                   Sage                         Tarragon 

Thyme