Eating Out: Coconut House [449 Elizabeth St Melbourne, 3000]

After attending a 3 hour lecture I was starving. I've been wanting to come here since I heard about it. Of course who better to go with than a Malay(or Aussie Malay). Wasn't too hard to find, diagonally opposite Drummond Golf.

BBQ Roast Chicken and Hainanese Chicken Rice $8.60

I had to get this since it says it's specialty on the shop window. Just getting either BBQ Roast Chicken Rice or just Hainanese Chicken Rice is $7.60. Very good value. I can't say it's the best I've had but it's up there. The rice is quite fragrant and garlicky, a lot of the time the rice lacks the chicken flavour but this one was pretty decent. 

The portion of chicken is quite large although the pieces are small which in my eyes is a good thing as you can actually fit the entire piece in your mouth with rice. The roast chicken was a little dryer than the poached but expected, it is a roast chicken. The skin was crispy. No complaints. 

The soup was different to the usual msg chicken stock like soup. It was actually soup!! Like soup Mum makes except I don't think she's ever made this one. Maybe it's a Malay soup but I have no clue. It's a turnip and peanut soup. 

I really like this picture =]

Traditional Curry Laksa $8 something

Heard good things about their laksa. I guess my expectations were a little too high. But nonetheless it was a good laksa. It has everything it should. Wasn't as chilli as I thought it would be. Only complaint would be serving size. You can get a snack one for about a dollar less and I seriously wonder how big that serve is since this serve was on the small-average side. I guess coconut milk makes you full. 

The Malay/Aussie kid thought it wasn't hot enough in regards to the laksa and the weather(it was raining) for it to feel like Malaysia. 

Food: 8.5/10 Good food. I guess it does live up to it's reputation. No complaints.

Service:  7/10 Only fault was the waitress wiped down the tables next to us but didn't wipe ours. No biggie. 

Environment: 7/10 Little cramped. 

Verdict? Gladly come back again. Great value, great food. What more can you ask for?

Oh, found out dad actually read blog post.....Hi again Dad =]

Cooking: Lasagna

Easy to say, hard to spell. Made this on Friday night. And yes I cheated and used dried lasagna sheets instead of making my own but I was pushed for time and in year 12, you seriously cannot be bothered. Wanted to make this after watching Hestons In Search for Perfection-Ragu Tagliatelle.

Best picture I took.

Presentation was the last thing on my mind. Should have made a super tall lasagna instead.

Ingredients: 

Bolognese:1 carrot, 2 sticks celery, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 300g pork mince, 300g beef mince, 600ml tomato passata or 2 cans of tinned tomatoes. (for about 3-4 people)

Bechamel: My one failed. Some butter, 2 tablespoons ish flour, 300ml milk. (I think double this for enough sauce)

Dried lasagna sheets

CHEEESSSEEEE

Method:

Saute carrots, celery, onion and garlic until soft. Add in minces and keep breaking it up and browning until it's all separated. Add the tomato passata/tinnned tomatoes. Salt and pepper. Simmer for 45 mins ish. Stir occasionally as the bottom can get stuck and burn. At 35 mins start making the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in a separate saucepan. Add in flour and stir continuously for a few minutes. Then slowly add a little milk and whisk crazily (without splashing it everywhere) until flour and milk is combined, then add more milk and repeat until all the milk is in the saucepan. Simmer on a low heat until thickened like making custard. 

Then just spread meat sauce then bechamel sauce then pasta sheets and keep repeating. Spread the final layer with just bechamel and then sprinkle with a tonne of cheese. Bake for 45 mins or according to lasagna sheet packet. 

Hopefully yours will look better than mine. Vary the meat sauce by adding whatever you find in the fridge. 

Dining is an experience

I'm hoping to turn my food blog into something better, something more than just food.
I want to explore it deeper (damn that sounds like English class) but food isn't just food.
To be honest not many people think that deep and far about food, that's fair enough.
But for the food obsessed, there is so much to food.
I've heard people rant about how fine dining is so expensive but think about it, it's because those chefs have spent years perfecting techniques and understanding food. They deserve something for it. Also fine dining is an experience. It's about who you are enjoying it with, whether it's a celebration or just because you feel like being fancy.
But as a student, fine dining is a dream. As a matter of fact, I believe that some of the best food in the world isn't at fine dining restaurants, it's the stuff you're mum cooks, the stuff you find in unknown restaurants or the hawker stalls in Asia(cos some of the chefs there have been cooking the same dish for decades). 
But one thing can make food better than it really is.
And its the experience and company.
It really struck me yesterday.
Tossing between one of the many many restaurants in Box Hill or KFC with K仔.
Yeah I know you're probably thinking who the hell would choose KFC so here's my excuse. I hadn't had KFC original chicken in Aus for about a year (KFC in HK doesn't count) and I missed it.
So KFC it was. (K仔 I promise it's you're choice next time.)
There's nothing glamorous about KFC. Nor is there much point in reviewing it.
But it does bring back memories of when you were a kid and you begged your mother to go to KFC (or any other fast food chain)
Realised KFC chicken seems so small nowadays. (and also the fact that there was no drumstick in the 5 pieces they gave us, which didn't matter cos neither of us like it)
So why is it so small? Is it because they're being cheap or because they can't use hormones anymore or they just seemed big when we were kids because we were so small? Or all of the above?
But you don't care what the answer is because you're enjoying spending time with someone special, even KFC can taste awesomely salty.

Something completely off topic. Have you ever heard of a connection between Mountain Dew and sperm count? I hope Dad doesn't read this, if you do Dad...hi =] takoyaki?

Cooking: Takoyaki Pt 2

Finally got round to making takoyaki again. Took me about an hour from start to finish to make. Including chopping ingredients, making the batter, cooking and presenting. Once again it wasn't really takoyaki since I didn't use octopus and used a can of smoked oysters instead. Smoked oysters are seriously underrated. I admit I used to hate them, I'm not sure why because I've loved oysters all my life but something about smoked ones were just weird. But now I love them, the texture is so different and the smokiness adds another dimension.

They actually look like takoyaki now. Yes I admit I cheat. I mixed in a little self raising flour so they would puff up and fill in the mould and I also kept adding the batter in after turning them to make them round. But no one knows. Also realised you have to turn the machine on and off throughout the process to allow enough time to put ingredients in and turn them before they fully cook through.

End result. Still missing the takoyaki sauce, haven't been bothered to make some or buy some yet. Recipe will be posted soon.

Presents =]

I finally had my party over the weekend although my birthday was a month ago. Had a honkie bbq and it was pretty good, except it doesn't really work that well with over 20 people at once...Just want to thank everyone who came and made it an awesome night. Been loving the pressies. My first every actual cookbook =]

I have no idea how my friends manage to get it but I am very grateful and over the moon. I seriously can't put it down although I have exams coming up soon. I love how it shows that non conformity works. And that David Chang is human and what he does is achievable through a LOT of hard work and determination. I love his concepts though I don't believe eating a diet of confit stuff is a good idea (esp since if it's pork fat).

 

Friends also go me this!!!!! AWESOME. Best thing about it is you don't have to buy special gas cans for it, you just fill it up with normal butane gas cannisters. Might make some creme brulee soon just to try it out. I kinda tested it on chicken wings trying to crisp up the skin but it kinda just makes the skin black instead...It's so fun to play with xD

Yet to try this out but I want to use it as a reward for doing lots of study. Which hasn't happened yet unfortunately. Best scenario would be to by sipping this reading the Momofuku cookbook.
Got some other food related gifts that I haven't taken pics of. A box of recipes =] Some monkey tea!!! THANKS STRETCHY =D, a bottle of midori and some green tea scented perfume.

Cooking: Takoyaki

Last week I got a dutch pancake/takoyaki machine for my birthday. I've made about 4 or 5 batches of takoyaki since and it's a lot harder than it may seem. I still haven't found a perfect recipe and timing is so crucial. I keep overcooking them so they end up as half spheres instead of little balls. Unfortunately my family doesn't feel like eating any more takoyaki. However since it's holidays, I can make takoyaki for lunch and just eat them all and no one will complain.

First batch of takoyaki I've ever made.

  (used smoked salmon instead of octopus)

Used the machine for it's dutch pancake purposes, but filled it up too much they kept rising and burnt.

Will post a recipe after I've perfected them. 

Need to find a sauce recipe. Anyone know of one?

Eating Out: Harajuku Crepes (Knox Pl Melbourne VIC 3000)-Melbourne Central

After being kinda ushered out of Pancake Dessert House for dinner, we decided to get some dessert. And where else to go but Harajuku Crepes even though Pancake Dessert House is supposed to be known for their crepes.

Mango Ice Cream Crepe 

Don't remember the exact price but it was around $6. Which is quite a bit considering it's cost price isn't actually that much. The crepe was really thin and crisp on the edges. The inside was filled with mango pieces, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Really yummy. Not too sweet. And you can eat it on the go.

Eating Out: Pancake Dessert House Eatery (Mid-City Arcade 18/200 Bourke St Melbourne, 3000)

After attending the filming of iron chef friends and I went out for dinner. After some epic discussion we chose to eat at Pancake Dessert House Eatery. Whilst we waited for our table we were given a menu and expected to order. 

Baked Chicken with spaghetti (Portuguese sauce?) $10.30

I chose this because I miss eating this. Typical Honkie style meal if you eat out at the 茶餐厅. Had the choice of rice or spaghetti. It's good with either. Chose the Portugese sauce because I hardly get to eat it here and it tastes awesome. It's nothing like peri peri although that is also portuguese. It's like a coconut sauce with a hint of curry. Just really really yummy. It's popular in HK cos of Macau and their portuguese population. Overall I really enjoyed this dish except it could have done with a few more vegies than just frozen peas for that price. Decent serving just like in HK. 

Spicy chicken on rice $8.80

Very crispy chicken. Salty and hardly spicy. Not bad if you like your fried chicken asian style.

Steak in special sauce with noodle soup? $9.30

I actually don't know the name of this dish. It says steak noodle soup on the docket and I know it is the "special sauce" I didn't taste this but just looking at it the combination is certainly weird. The person who ate this complained about it's combination of flavours. 

Food: 7/10 Nothing spectacular but it certainly tastes like HK, damn I miss HK. 

Service: 7/10 You are ushered in and out as quickly as they can. I don't blame them it was Friday night. But not the friendliest service ever. 

Environment: 6/10 They have literally arranged this place like tetris. Even the waiters can't get through. You share a table with however many people they can fit onto the table. Seriously this is a fast food restaurant.

Verdict? It I was in a rush and wanted honkie food I would definitely come here. Good value for money. Next time I will definitely try the pork chop on rice which is their signature dish and probably the quickest one too. Looked super super super yummy.