August 23, 2008: Dark Pearl

on the agenda. We were fairly certain that Brunswick Street had to a greater extent than than only Polly to offering us boozy mixed drinks, together with this review of Black Pearl, offering non exclusively fancy cocktails but also the world's best chips, gave us a finish for the evening.

It's a cozy together with comfortable house - at to the lowest degree inwards the afternoon. I'm non certain how pleasant it would endure if it was jam packed, but when you lot tin nab a duet of couches inwards the corner for yourself together with chat quietly, it's a fine, relaxed venue. First things first: chips - the nutrient bill of fare wasn't substantial, but included a arrive at of promising items (the feta together with haloumi cigars were high on my list), but nosotros had to brand certain that The Age wasn't lying to us. Exaggerating slightly perchance - although it's difficult to mean value of meliorate chips that we've sampled only about the house (cue Cindy inwards comments listing all the chips that she's preferred to these). The fries ($7) had some variety out of herb seasoning, generous amounts of tabular array salt together with a scrumptious spicy aioli, together with came inwards swell numbers. Enough to pose Cindy off dinner!

The cocktail bill of fare is to a greater extent than substantial: only about 10 'signature drinks', 3 seasonal choices together with a few blackboard specials (the bill of fare also promises that the bar staff volition whip upward any you lot fancy, together with thence don't boundary yourself). It's e'er a difficult choice, together with nosotros spent some fourth dimension tossing upward our options. In the end, Cindy went for i of the seasonal specials: a Pimm's wintertime loving cup ($13), Pimm's No. 1, apple tree juice, fresh ginger juice together with cinnamon, warmed upward on the java steamer together with served upward equally if it was tea. It was warming, fruity together with nicely boozed. H5N1 expert start. I went for a sun Best ($17): Martin Miller's gin, rosemary, mandarin, chilli together with vanilla syrup, lemon juice together with Angostura bitters. This was to a greater extent than citrus together with tang than overpowering booziness, which suited me fine - the chilli didn't get got quite the boot I expected, together with I ended upward drinking this to a greater extent than similar fruit juice than something that cost the toll of a expert meal. Whoops.

Next up, Cindy went for something a chip to a greater extent than desserty - a Caribbean Area Monk ($17): Mount Gay Eclipse, caramel syrup, hazelnut liquer, fresh banana together with lime dusted alongside cinnamon sugar. Something nearly the potable reminded Cindy of unripe banana, which pose her off a little, but in i lawsuit she got a sense of savor for it she quite happily knocked it back.

I decided non to repeat my before error together with went for the most booze-tasting cocktail I could find: the Sazerac ($19): Gentleman Jack, Peychaud's bitters, saccharide together with absinth. This had nearly a 3rd of the liquid of my get-go drink, but took me a lot longer to potable - it mainly tasted of strong. Strong alongside a chip of sugar. Thankfully Cindy had hitting her boundary together with kept me inwards cheque - the primary outcome of a Sazerac seems to endure increased wishing for cocktails. Instead nosotros made our agency piece of cake dwelling for leftovers together with an early on night.

Lazing only about inwards Black Pearl was an expensive but winning agency to pass a Sabbatum afternoon. The staff were incredibly friendly together with helpful, the snacks were great, the venue was comfortable together with booze was plentiful. Still, it prompted a question: Melbourne's got blogs devoted to coffee, to breakfast, to pies, to wine together with to vanilla slice, but none devoted to chips or to cocktails. If it wasn't together with thence expensive I'd endure agitating for weekly cocktail together with chips outings only to fill upward the niche.

Address: 304 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Ph: 9417 0455
Price: Cocktails $13-$19, snacks $5-$16
Most definitely licensed

August 23, 2008: Leftover Makeover - Apple Tree Pastry Amongst Cashew Cream

disaster dinner left a few apples in addition to glugs of cashew cream inwards its wake. What struck me most nearly the cream was that it wasn't distinctly sweetness or savoury in addition to I wondered how I mightiness use it for dessert.

Here's the solution. Puff pastry squares, topped alongside apple tree slices in addition to sprinklings of agave syrup in addition to Chinese 5 spice. Baked until golden in addition to hence drizzled alongside cashew cream. At least every bit skilful every bit it sounds.

August 30, 2008: Brunetti Xi

Update 27/1/2019: Brunetti is all the same trading, but has moved from Faraday Street into a huge custom-built infinite within Lygon Court.

Julia recommended, in addition to was a piddling stumped when asked what form of java I wanted amongst it. I went amongst a cafe latte, in addition to received a subtly nutty in addition to sugariness imbibe amongst a calorie-free java kick. Having forthwith reread the wikipedia page on orzo, I'm confused equally to whether at that topographic point was genuinely java inwards the imbibe or whether it's but prepared inwards the same arrive at of styles (latte, long black, etc). Could that twitchy leg I developed after "from the caffeine" hold upwards psychosomatic?

To accompany my orzo latte, a mini bomboloni amongst lemon custard. The perfect piddling packet for an early on treat!

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Want to a greater extent than Brunetti? We convey this in addition to 10 other visits archived here.

August 30, 2008: Tokyo Treats - Light-Green Tea Chocolate

I've been a flake unsure of the greenish tea chocolate in addition to consequently it has lurked inward the cupboard, half-forgotten, for several months. The outset seize amongst teeth was intensely herbal in addition to a niggling bitter. This was non at all what I wanted from chocolate! Once that subsided I was able to appreciate the subtle sweetness in addition to the perfect buttery texture equally I chewed. I surprised myself yesteryear reaching for a instant slice in addition to tripped from revulsion to compulsion 1 time again.

I nonetheless can't run out whether I enjoyed the ride. What I'm surely of is that Matt did brilliantly to include this uniquely Japanese snack inward his collection of Tokyo treats.

August 31, 2008: Noodles Alongside Basil

Typical. Last calendar month I passed judgment on the World inwards Your Kitchen Calendar, proverb that the recipes tended to endure adequate as well as nada more. And this month: bam! Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 existent winner. These noodles are incredibly simple, insanely tasty as well as mostly a damn skilful time. The alone downside to this recipe is its lack of multifariousness - yous actually quest to brand something to accompany it, otherwise it'd larn a chip tiresome as well as veg-free. We threw together a quick tofu as well as bok choy stir-fry, alongside a few splashes of sesame oil, ginger crude oil as well as hoisin sauce to liven it up.

The telephone substitution to this whole repast was the edible bean glue I intend - it added an odd flavour: salty as well as slightly spicy, alongside the fermented beans adding something indescribable. It was wonderful. And hence slow that nosotros made it over again the side yesteryear side black to accompany the leftover tofu mush.

So I've been reconverted to the World Kitchen Calendar - hopefully the side yesteryear side 4 months volition alive upwards to September's standard.


Noodles alongside basil

225g of apartment rice noodles (we bought them dry out as well as soaked them inwards hot H2O for a few minutes to soften them up)
4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (keep a few whole leaves aside to garnish things)
3 birdseye chillis, halved as well as deseeded
1 teaspoon seseame oil
1-2 teaspoons concentrated yellowish edible bean glue (we were forced to substitute to a greater extent than or less spicy edible bean paste)
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
a splash of water
Some peanut or canola crude oil for frying

Mix together the soy sauce, sugar, H2O as well as edible bean glue inwards a little bowl.

Heat the frying crude oil inwards a wok as well as little the chillis for most a minute.

Add the noodles as well as little for a twain of minutes, stirring the whole time.

Add the sesame crude oil as well as the chopped basil, even hence stirring.

Pour inwards the pre-mixed sauciness, stir little for to a greater extent than or less other twain of minutes as well as and then you're done.

If you're corking for a dainty garnish, withdraw the noodles from the wok, add together a petty to a greater extent than crude oil and, when it's hot, throw the remnants of the basil inwards for a few seconds - they'll come upwards out crispy take away as well as brand a perfect garnish.

September 1, 2008: Eastward Brunswick Guild Ii

Edit 22/05/2012: The EBC has straightaway closed, but most of the carte du jour has migrated to The Cornish Arms.

second trip was to a greater extent than pleasant, but stopped brusk of truly impressing. Yet a set out of other bloggers couldn't stop talking about their Monday night meals. Were nosotros truly missing out on something particular here?

Well, kinda. The sometime hot domestic dog black has diversified - straightaway the EBC offers inexpensive jugs too 4 meals going at $10 apiece. We chose between:

• a cheese too bacon burger alongside chips,
• a chicken burger alongside lime mayo, avocado too a side of chips,
• fettucine bolognese, and
• chicken parma alongside chips too salad.

While this is quite cheap, y'all mightiness nonetheless endure wondering what the big bargain is. Here it comes: y'all tin social club whatever of these meals vegan. Any of them. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cheese too bacon burger without the, uh, cheese too bacon. Lime mayo that's got no job concern beingness free-range or otherwise. Spaghetti sauce that's never seen a feedlot!

But why? Why would the East Brunswick Club bother? Stop past times on a Mon black too you'll see. The house is packed. We were barely able to snag a tabular array for two, too nosotros were at that spot earlier 7:00. As nosotros waited for our meals Michael, e'er the statistician, kept tabs on the plates emerging from the kitchen, estimating that 80% of them were 100% animal-product-free. The EBC has constitute a gap inward the market, too is hopefully making a tidy turn a profit past times filling it. It doesn't affair a jot what a non-vegan similar me thinks of the food.

You know I'm going to say you, regardless. The kitchen is clearly overworked at a fourth dimension similar this too what comes out of it is expert - non great, but good. The 'chicken' is tender too moist but sort of fatty; the chips could endure better. And at that spot was a twenty infinitesimal gap betwixt Michael's parma arriving too my chicken burger's entrance - boo. But the crumbing is too thus darn crunchy, too simply how do y'all larn vegan cheese similar that? It's cool.

The gluttony require non fifty-fifty terminate there, because dessert's $8 too estimate what? It's all vegan, all the time. There's:

• peanut butter chocolate swirl cheesecake,
• apple double-decker cake alongside caramel sauce,
• choc-mint cheesecake, and
• blueberry too lemon cheesecake.

I truly dug the choc-mint cheesecake - simply remain away from the 'cream'. (I'd suggest exactly the same thing at whatever set out of non-vegan venues.)

Cheers to the East Brunswick Club - they've proven that the greasy pub dinner is non the exclusive territory of Australia's carnivores.

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You tin read virtually i of our previous visits to the East Brunswick Club here.

September 2-3, 2008: To A Greater Extent Than Fruit, Nut Together With Tahini Slice

here). The fruit, nut in addition to seed featured were dried cranberries, brazil nuts in addition to pepitas, respectively; I besides ran out of tahini along the agency in addition to substituted crunchy peanut butter for one-half of it. This spell actually is something special, alongside the mushy dates, tahini in addition to nut butter creating a fudgy texture. No-one at run acted at all deprived inwards the facial expression upward of this lack of chocolate!

I did larn something along the agency - the most readily available build of dried cranberries hither are solely 70% dried cranberries. I'm non complaining hither close over-packaging or air inwards the packet: the dried cranberries were 30% sugar in addition to oil. I suspect the existent bargain is much to a greater extent than tart. Have you lot noticed this before, or tin you lot recommend a rootage of pure dried cranberries?