Chopped up some garlic and fried it in olive oil (not EVO), before adding the clams and some South Australian Chardonnay. I also had some lovely huge frozen Hokkaido scallops which I threw in as well.
Result: A very satisfying lunch : )
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday Lunch at Home
I felt like having vongole pasta, so I went to the nearby market and bought 1.5kg worth of clams (albeit of the la-la variety) for $3 a kilo. Scrubbed them one by one with a scouring pad to get rid of the dirt on the shells (there was plenty!) and soaked them in salt water to get them to open up and get rid of the sand.
Chopped up some garlic and fried it in olive oil (not EVO), before adding the clams and some South Australian Chardonnay. I also had some lovely huge frozen Hokkaido scallops which I threw in as well.
Result: A very satisfying lunch : )
Chopped up some garlic and fried it in olive oil (not EVO), before adding the clams and some South Australian Chardonnay. I also had some lovely huge frozen Hokkaido scallops which I threw in as well.
Result: A very satisfying lunch : )
Friday, April 23, 2010
McLaren Vale, South Australia
When I was planning my Adelaide trip, one of the things I was seriously considering was renting a car and visiting McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley. I couldn't fit them into my itinerary before leaving Singapore, but I was most pleased that I managed to visit to McLaren Vale courtesy of my cousin, who was staying at the nearby beach for the weekend.
We first made a stop in town for breakfast at this lovely cafe called Market 190 along the main street. It was very crowded with families with toddlers, and the kids soon had a great time making friends at the playground (that was before the fighting started).
A promising start to the morning re: the quality of the coffees
Looking down the main street of McLaren Vale
Some of the local produce sold in the shop. They had bread, jams, olive oils and herbs for sale.
My cafe latte arrived steaming hot and strong. No questions as to why the barista would have been a state champion!
The cousin's Vintage Breakfast which had free range scrambled eggs, bacon, a slow-roasted tomato, chipolata sausage and a Kangaroo Island hash brown on ciabatta toast, with mushrooms for an additional $2.
Photos from 2 angles otherwise you can't see all the food from just 1. The mushrooms were just fried without any additional herbs, but they were absolutely delicious and juicy - nothing that I have tasted before in Singapore, which means they must have been just harvested. The hash brown was pretty good too.
My Eggs Florentine - 2 poached free range eggs on an english muffin topped with wilted spinach, smoked salmon, and hollandaise sauce. It was heavenly. The hollandaise sauce was tasty without being too heavy, complementing the smoked salmon perfectly.
After breakfast, I was most pleased to discover that we were heading to d'Arenberg winery, which was a place that I wanted to visit anyway. It's one of the most well known vineyards at McLaren Vale, and one of the few that has a restaurant on the premises as well.
We first made a stop in town for breakfast at this lovely cafe called Market 190 along the main street. It was very crowded with families with toddlers, and the kids soon had a great time making friends at the playground (that was before the fighting started).
A promising start to the morning re: the quality of the coffees
Looking down the main street of McLaren Vale
Some of the local produce sold in the shop. They had bread, jams, olive oils and herbs for sale.
My cafe latte arrived steaming hot and strong. No questions as to why the barista would have been a state champion!
The cousin's Vintage Breakfast which had free range scrambled eggs, bacon, a slow-roasted tomato, chipolata sausage and a Kangaroo Island hash brown on ciabatta toast, with mushrooms for an additional $2.
Photos from 2 angles otherwise you can't see all the food from just 1. The mushrooms were just fried without any additional herbs, but they were absolutely delicious and juicy - nothing that I have tasted before in Singapore, which means they must have been just harvested. The hash brown was pretty good too.
My Eggs Florentine - 2 poached free range eggs on an english muffin topped with wilted spinach, smoked salmon, and hollandaise sauce. It was heavenly. The hollandaise sauce was tasty without being too heavy, complementing the smoked salmon perfectly.
After breakfast, I was most pleased to discover that we were heading to d'Arenberg winery, which was a place that I wanted to visit anyway. It's one of the most well known vineyards at McLaren Vale, and one of the few that has a restaurant on the premises as well.
Inside the cellar door - it was fairly busy with lots of people wanting to do some tastings.
I tried a couple....
..but didn't buy any of them. Not quite as exciting as I hoped.
The view from the cellar door...imagine working there and having this view from your workplace everyday!
I tried a couple....
..but didn't buy any of them. Not quite as exciting as I hoped.
The view from the cellar door...imagine working there and having this view from your workplace everyday!
We headed opposite to Lloyd Brothers, which sold olive oils, olives and wines as well.
The stuff for sale...how to bring back everything with a 20kg weight allowance?
The olives with chilli were most amazing!
The stuff for sale...how to bring back everything with a 20kg weight allowance?
The olives with chilli were most amazing!Olives on the tree
After the touring it was time for a sugar break. Off to Bracegirdles, which was a cafe-cum-dessert shop within the Oxenberry compound.
The ice cream was absolutely delicious....it came with hot chocolate sauce for pouring
Top quality hot chocolate
It was off to the cousin's beach house at a nearby beach for some rest, and an afternoon nap after all that food.
I am amazed that I never knew how wonderful Adelaide was as a holiday destination - with good food, wine, beautiful weather, amazing landscapes, and best of all, a laid-back stress free setting where you get to enjoy every moment of the day. It's possible that the South Australia tourism department hasn't done as much internationally as New South Wales or Victoria has, but that's not an entirely bad thing if you're in the know. One good website to refer to is http://www.fleurieufood.com.au/, which lists all the yummy destinations within an hour's drive south of Adelaide.
After the touring it was time for a sugar break. Off to Bracegirdles, which was a cafe-cum-dessert shop within the Oxenberry compound.
The view we had while waiting for our hot chocolates and ice cream to arrive
The ice cream was absolutely delicious....it came with hot chocolate sauce for pouring
Top quality hot chocolate
It was off to the cousin's beach house at a nearby beach for some rest, and an afternoon nap after all that food.
I am amazed that I never knew how wonderful Adelaide was as a holiday destination - with good food, wine, beautiful weather, amazing landscapes, and best of all, a laid-back stress free setting where you get to enjoy every moment of the day. It's possible that the South Australia tourism department hasn't done as much internationally as New South Wales or Victoria has, but that's not an entirely bad thing if you're in the know. One good website to refer to is http://www.fleurieufood.com.au/, which lists all the yummy destinations within an hour's drive south of Adelaide.
Market 190
190 Main Road McLaren Vale
Open 7 days 8am-5pm
Bracegirdles
Oxenberry Farm Cellar Door/Bracegirdles
26 Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale
Open 7 days 10am-5pm
Website: http://www.bracegirdles.com.au/
d'Arenberg
Osborn Road, McLaren Vale
Cellar door open 7 days 10am-5pm
Website: http://www.darenberg.com.au/
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Sparrow, North Adelaide
After the wedding, I went out for dinner with a couple of friends from Melbourne who had also flown in for the weekend. We walked up and down O'Connell St looking for a good place to eat. According to my friend's trusty IPhone, there were 3 places rated One Hat along the street, so we went to the one that looked most promising.
The restaurant was absolutely packed, with lots of people waiting at the bar for a table. I later found out that the place is apparently well known for its tapas, which explained the cuts of cured pork hanging in the showcase.
For starters, we shared some tapas, together with a 2007 Schwarz "Nitschke Block" Single Vineyard Shiraz from Barossa Valley, and a 2007 Babo "Rosso L'Isolano" Nero D'Avola from Sicily.
Harvey Bay Scallops, Potato Foam and Hazelnuts ($5.90)
Duck Terrine, Dark Grape Gel, Tarragon, Whitlof ($11.90)
Char-grilled Octopus, Garlic, Chilli Lemon ($10.90) which was served on a bed of mashed potatoes. This was my personal favourite.
For mains, one of my friends had the 500g Rib-Eye ($37.90)
The other 2 of us shared 2 pastas: Pappadelle with braised rabbit, sage and cream ($26.90 for a main serve). This was fabulous. The pasta was home-made and had a great texture, and the sage cream sauce had just the right touch of richness without being overbearing.
The restaurant was absolutely packed, with lots of people waiting at the bar for a table. I later found out that the place is apparently well known for its tapas, which explained the cuts of cured pork hanging in the showcase.
For starters, we shared some tapas, together with a 2007 Schwarz "Nitschke Block" Single Vineyard Shiraz from Barossa Valley, and a 2007 Babo "Rosso L'Isolano" Nero D'Avola from Sicily.Harvey Bay Scallops, Potato Foam and Hazelnuts ($5.90)
Duck Terrine, Dark Grape Gel, Tarragon, Whitlof ($11.90)
Char-grilled Octopus, Garlic, Chilli Lemon ($10.90) which was served on a bed of mashed potatoes. This was my personal favourite.
For mains, one of my friends had the 500g Rib-Eye ($37.90)
The other 2 of us shared 2 pastas: Pappadelle with braised rabbit, sage and cream ($26.90 for a main serve). This was fabulous. The pasta was home-made and had a great texture, and the sage cream sauce had just the right touch of richness without being overbearing.
The linguine with blue swimmer crab, tomato, chilli and basil ($27.90) was something that was not quite as exciting, since it was something I thought I could find in Singapore. Decent but not as mind-blowing as the pappadelle. 
Sparrow Kitchen and Bar Restaurant
Sparrow Kitchen and Bar Restaurant
10 O'Connell St, North Adelaide
Tel: 61-8-8627 4444
Open 7 days from 12pm until late
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Feeding on Qantas
I had an aisle seat on my outbound flight to Adelaide. This puzzled me when the flight attendant said he would go back into the galley to get me a serve of the beef meal, but never reappeared after that. Only after some more diligent attendant started serving tea and coffee, and realised that I hadn't been served, did I get my meal, and even then, they were already out of the other option.
The Thai-style papaya salad was insipid and salty, and the beef was tough, stringy and chewy. I gave up after 2 bites, and felt upset and disappointed that I even had to ask for the meal. I take back what I said previously said about Qantas in-flight food, because honestly, it was just as bad as whatever Singapore Airlines dishes up. The only saving grace was the bottle of wine.
The Thai-style papaya salad was insipid and salty, and the beef was tough, stringy and chewy. I gave up after 2 bites, and felt upset and disappointed that I even had to ask for the meal. I take back what I said previously said about Qantas in-flight food, because honestly, it was just as bad as whatever Singapore Airlines dishes up. The only saving grace was the bottle of wine.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Adelaide - Wine Tastings and Weddings
I was in Adelaide recently to attend the wedding of a dear old friend to the man of her dreams (and her father's too!). The solemnisation was held at the Penfolds Estate in Magill, while the reception was held at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens Restaurant.
I was staying with a friend who lived about 10 mins walk from the Magill Estate out in Rosslyn Park, and decided to check out the cellar day the day before the wedding. It was a lovely day!
The vines are lined with lavender bushes, which were all in bloom. They smelt heavenly!
The road leading up to the cellar door and restaurant. The restaurant, which was pretty empty (considering they only open for lunch on Fridays) was horribly overpriced, with entrees and desserts at $20plus and mains at $40plus. Wines were on average almost $20 a glass, which meant that a full meal there would cost around $100 per person. Give me Yering Station or De Bortoli's anytime.
Inside the cellar door, it was almost a dream come true. My one big question was whether to buy anything, and if so, what to buy, bearing in mind that neither my palate nor wallet was of Grange standard.
This Koonunga Hill shiraz cabernet was a cellar door release only. Tasting notes available at http://www.penfolds.com/library/tasting/KoonungaHill_ShirazCabernet_2007.pdf Picked up a bottle for my father's older brother.
The wedding the following day was absolutely beautiful! The wines and canapes served after the ceremony were pretty good too : )
After that, we went to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens Restaurant for lunch. There were 3 other weddings going on in the gardens the same time.
Most Australian weddings I've attended serve 3 course meals, and they usually offer 2 choices served alternately. Which means that the chaps on your left and right will eat the same thing, and you'll get something different. It's great if you have a partner whom you can share food with, but as Asians this is a really difficult concept to accept, since we're so used to having a taste of practically everything on the table. This wedding was no different, but everything on the menu sounded so good that we all had problems deciding what to wish for.
The starter of Pork Belly, Onion Puree, Caramelised Baby Red Delicious (apples) with Soy Dressing was one of these dishes that made everyone on the table very edgy. Every good Asian wanted the pork, in comparison with the relatively sterile-sounding Talegio Souffle (more on that later). I managed to get my kind neighbour to take my cheese souffle away and to give me his pork. It was HEAVENLY. The skin was crisp. The fat was warm and practically melted in my mouth, with a rich but non-oily texture. The meat was tender and juicy. And everyone knows how good Australian apples are! I licked up every single last drop on the plate.
I also had a taste of the Double-baked Talegio Souffle, Green Pear, Rocket and Almond Dressing. It was surprisingly pretty good. The cheese was nicely melted and was very flavourful without being too sharp or salty. But the pork belly was really something else.
The mains were decent too, although not quite as mind-blowing as the pork- this was the Crispy Skin Salmon, Seeded Mustard Roast Potatoes, Finger Lime, Beurre Blanc.
The Pan-Seared Chicken Breast, Sweet Potato Puree, Pesto, Spinach and Pancetta. It was a massive serve and I couldn't finish it.
Managed to get my (Asian) friend to split the desserts with me. This was the Lemon Curd Tart, Double Cream, Passionfruit and Orange Salad. Nice, but the curd was a tad too sour.
The Flourless Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Anglaise, Chocolate Toffee Chard was really good, but unfortunately we were just so stuffed from the earlier courses that we couldn't really eat very much dessert.
I was staying with a friend who lived about 10 mins walk from the Magill Estate out in Rosslyn Park, and decided to check out the cellar day the day before the wedding. It was a lovely day!
The vines are lined with lavender bushes, which were all in bloom. They smelt heavenly!
The road leading up to the cellar door and restaurant. The restaurant, which was pretty empty (considering they only open for lunch on Fridays) was horribly overpriced, with entrees and desserts at $20plus and mains at $40plus. Wines were on average almost $20 a glass, which meant that a full meal there would cost around $100 per person. Give me Yering Station or De Bortoli's anytime.
Inside the cellar door, it was almost a dream come true. My one big question was whether to buy anything, and if so, what to buy, bearing in mind that neither my palate nor wallet was of Grange standard.
This Koonunga Hill shiraz cabernet was a cellar door release only. Tasting notes available at http://www.penfolds.com/library/tasting/KoonungaHill_ShirazCabernet_2007.pdf Picked up a bottle for my father's older brother.
The wedding the following day was absolutely beautiful! The wines and canapes served after the ceremony were pretty good too : )
After that, we went to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens Restaurant for lunch. There were 3 other weddings going on in the gardens the same time.
Most Australian weddings I've attended serve 3 course meals, and they usually offer 2 choices served alternately. Which means that the chaps on your left and right will eat the same thing, and you'll get something different. It's great if you have a partner whom you can share food with, but as Asians this is a really difficult concept to accept, since we're so used to having a taste of practically everything on the table. This wedding was no different, but everything on the menu sounded so good that we all had problems deciding what to wish for.
The starter of Pork Belly, Onion Puree, Caramelised Baby Red Delicious (apples) with Soy Dressing was one of these dishes that made everyone on the table very edgy. Every good Asian wanted the pork, in comparison with the relatively sterile-sounding Talegio Souffle (more on that later). I managed to get my kind neighbour to take my cheese souffle away and to give me his pork. It was HEAVENLY. The skin was crisp. The fat was warm and practically melted in my mouth, with a rich but non-oily texture. The meat was tender and juicy. And everyone knows how good Australian apples are! I licked up every single last drop on the plate.
I also had a taste of the Double-baked Talegio Souffle, Green Pear, Rocket and Almond Dressing. It was surprisingly pretty good. The cheese was nicely melted and was very flavourful without being too sharp or salty. But the pork belly was really something else.
The mains were decent too, although not quite as mind-blowing as the pork- this was the Crispy Skin Salmon, Seeded Mustard Roast Potatoes, Finger Lime, Beurre Blanc.
The Pan-Seared Chicken Breast, Sweet Potato Puree, Pesto, Spinach and Pancetta. It was a massive serve and I couldn't finish it.
Managed to get my (Asian) friend to split the desserts with me. This was the Lemon Curd Tart, Double Cream, Passionfruit and Orange Salad. Nice, but the curd was a tad too sour.
The Flourless Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Anglaise, Chocolate Toffee Chard was really good, but unfortunately we were just so stuffed from the earlier courses that we couldn't really eat very much dessert.
You can find the restaurant menu online (2 courses $49, 3 courses $65) and the pork is still on it.
The "Old" Kiosk on the pond
Adelaide Botanic Gardens
Lemon Lime Bitters
One of my favourite drinks from uni days in Melbourne!
It's made with lemonade, lime juice or cordial, and bitters. The recipe, according to wikipedia, is that you need to rim the inside of the glass with 4 to 5 dashes of bitters then pour lemonade and lime juice (15-30 mL) into the glass. Drunk recently at a bar in Adelaide : )
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)