2011 Teaser

2011 Teaser

Happy New Year! The Fatlittleboy’s officially shifting to Sydney, Australia come February so the highlights of my past 2 weeks spent there should be a good sampling of the sort of things you can hope to expect in 2011. Enjoy!

Beachside Bites

Coogee Yeeros – 204-206 Arden St., Coogee Beach, NSW

Just check out that cake stand!

On an unseasonably blustery day smack in the middle of summer, a cup of smooth, rich Hot Chocolate is all you need to feel warmed to your fingertips and in need of a good snooze.

Mars Bar Cheesecake was the waitress’ exuberant recommendation. Yes, those are actual candy bar slivers on top.

Lemon Meringue Pie, who can resist such a massive crown of meringue. It looks a million times bigger with it in front of you and a fork in hand.

Apple Crumble, served a la mode.

Triple Chocolate Mud Cake, all warm and oozy.

Chish & Fips, will definitely visit for that name alone if nothing else.

Garlo’s Pies, this chain opens till late so you can have a pie – or six – after a day at the beach or a night out partying.

Moo, the cow demands I eat it.

The lanes along Sydney beaches like Coogee and Bondi are just filled with rows upon rows of cafés and restaurants; it would probably take years to try them all.

Cafés, Pubs & Bar Bites

Lotus – 50 Glebe Road, The Junction, NSW

Brownie with Pistachio Ice Cream and most of the desserts I encountered throughout my trip came as truly huge portions, something I can definitely get used to. The wonderful dark chocolate fudge sauce had a touch of salt to make it pop while the brownie was robust, dense and moist. A teeny disappointment came only in the pistachio ice cream as its flavour was very subdued and it just seemed creamy above all else. Still, it was a more than adequate foil for the beautiful brownie.

The Pumphouse – 17 Pier Street, Darling Harbour, NSW

The Pumphouse Burger ($24) served with onion rings and aioli is a mammoth burger constructed of a solid 220g patty, gruyere, pancetta, confit onions and beetroot chutney. It would have been terrific if it were not underseasoned. Kumara fries were also sadly unavailable that day but the regular thick-cut ones were good too.

Pumphouse Thunderbolt Strong Ale ($7.50) is a must try as you can’t get it anywhere else. Sweet and fruity, it is mellow and of medium strength.

Asian Food, Aussie Style

Emerald Gardens – Wests New Lambton, 88 Hobart Road, New Lambton, NSW

Mongolian Lamb, it’s so tender and possesses ovinity rendered imperceptible by a gorgeous marinade that it tastes closer to beef.

Ginger Beef, served sizzling on a hot plate rather than simply stir fried with greens.

Special Fried Rice, as close as one can get to my favourite yang chow “flied lice” down under. Yum!

Mucho’s

Mucho’s – Shop 9/50 Glebe Road, The Junction, Eastpoint, Newcastle

I think I’ve made it pretty clear how much I adore Mexican cuisine on several occasions now, and the fact that Mexican food is so hard to find back in Singapore just makes a good Mexican meal that much more special to me. As such, I was elated to discover my sister’s new in-laws counted this eatery as their firm favourite; despite the innumerable pie shops and gorgeous seafood available in their native Newcastle. I certainly know why after having dinner there, the selection is a mind-boggling and everything is nothing short of fantastic.

We started off with a Combination Dip ($20.90) of chili con queso that was thick with a rich kidney bean mash, frijole that achieved a delicious balance of richness and tanginess as well as an incredibly smooth and rich guacamole. The avocados here are truly as plentiful as they are beautiful, making perfect guacamole possible. Each dip came in its own cup-shaped nacho which went to whoever reacted first once the nachos were polished off.

All is not lost if one cannot decide between each of the individual mains like I was. Combinations are available which merge smaller portions of different dishes for greater variety. Feeling carnivorous as usual, I opted for Combination 60 ($20.90) which let me try not only the beef tostada and beef taco but a beef and cheese enchilada as well, all on a bed of fluffy rice. The enchilada should be polished off immediately before it turns soggy and with its sheath of cheese still semi-molten, pulling apart in gooey strands to reveal a moist interior of artfully spiced shredded beef – no mince here - in a fog of beef juice steam. The crunchy beef taco was overflowing with more of that wonderfully spiced shredded beef, flamboyant yet not overpowering the intrinsic flavour of the meat it locked in a delicious dance on your palate. The tostada was the most subdued of the lot in terms of flavour, wowing instead with the variety of textures from crunchy corn-chip shell to crisp lettuce, grainy shredded cheese and yielding strands of beef.

Another to look out for is the Combination 62 ($20.50) for it includes the beef chimichanga in addition to a chili con carne and rice. Easily the star of the menu, the chimichangas have so much flavour in such a crisp little parcel; it’s like having a bomb going off in your mouth with each bite. The fried tortilla was light and crunchy, the complete opposite of the weighty, hearty beef and cheese filling.

I could not resist a Classic Margarita ($9.90) to wash all that deliciousness down. Generously tart and refreshing, it had wonderfully smooth and fine ice crystals that melted so readily in my mouth I never detected the brainfreeze till it hit me. I appreciated that it was not sweet at all for I can rarely make it through the sugar-syrup laden concoctions commonly found in pubs and bars.

The Watermelon Margarita ($9.90) was not quite as wonderful though. Lacking the citrus pizzaz, it came across as somewhat flat-tasting after the spunky lime. Much, much sweeter besides; I came to the conclusion that this subtly-flavoured fruit is still best eaten in its naturally occurring form.

Salt

Salt – 2/5 Nash Street, Rosalie Village, Paddington, Brisbane

Whenever my sister comes home from the holidays, she never fails to wax lyrical about this place. Since my parents went down to visit her, they’ve been raving about it too. Now that I’m finally in Brisbane, I had to make a point to pay Salt a visit. Breakfast is apparently the best meal to sign yourself up for – I certainly have no complaints – so rouse yourself and make your way down before noon. My table of 4 racked up a bill of $92.10.

I started off with a Skinny Hot Chocolate ($4.50) which left me wide-eyed when it arrived as a three-piece set; a shot of thick molten chocolate, creamy white chocolate buttons and a massive bowl of steamed milk that required two hands to wrap around as it had no handle. As you might guess, one mixes it according to one’s preference so I went for just a neat shot of dark chocolate in the milk, choosing to nibble on the buttons. While it might have been empirically good, the involvement it called for elevated my bowl of chocolate to a near-magical experience.

Continuing the theme of playing with preconceptions, the unassuming-sounding Iced Coffee ($4) turned out to be an affogato with generous blobs of creamy vanilla ice cream giving the rich, smooth coffee a flavourful kick.

Truffled Mushrooms with Scrambled Eggs ($17.90) were the perfect morning indulgence. Meaty sautéed shitake mushrooms crowned a crusty slice of fluffy white bread impregnated with the earthy perfume of truffle paste and rich, fruity note of olive oil. Instead of simply using their namesake, Salt craftily relied on the brininess from several rashers of beautiful bacon to make up the saline quotient. Very effective and very flavourful.

The Duo of Sausage ($21.90) comprised a pork & fennel banger paired with a spicier Moroccan lamb sausage and a side of white bean mash. The sausages were both wonderful with a delicate spice accentuating the respective porcine and ovine traits of the meat. I found the lamb sausage particularly commendable in that respect for the spices did not overpower the meat as in the case of most lamb forcemeats. The white bean mash was hearty and rustic, a wonderfully comforting foil to the rich sausages.

If I had one last visit, the Potato Galette ($16.90) would be my most likely order. The wonderful herbed galette was fluffy and light with a delicate crisp and soft mealiness reminiscent of a hash brown. Hand-made, it was smooth, creamy and sweet. If that were not enticing enough, the side of honeyed bacon is to die for with its crispy caramelized crust, the mere thought of it leaves me salivating. To finish, one mops up the yolk of poached eggs and sweet red onion jam with fingers of toasted Turkish pide that were gorgeously griddle-crisped on two sides and chewily absorbent on the inside.

My Roast Beef Omelette ($16.90) was good if a tad less sensational than the other offerings. I was told cream cheese added richness and creaminess to the extremely fluffy egg mixture and slicing through it was like opening a treasure chest. The interior was overflowing with huge thin slices of roast beef, tangy mustard, scallions and sprigs of rocket all glued together with creamy hunks of molten brie. Be sure to soak up the thick, slightly tart and richly beefy jus with more fingers of pide and finally cleanse your palette with the mound of sweet tomato chutney sitting atop it all.

A side order that I highly recommend is the Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar with Garlic ($4.50). Thick, syrupy and glossy, the balsamico was generously sweet and possessed immense depth when reduced and caramelized in this manner. It went deliciously with pretty much everything we ordered and be sure to fish out a clove of creamy roasted garlic before they’re all gone.