Little Penang

Where? Little Penang (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map

When? Saturday October 15, 2016

Who? Juliann

Food Style? Authentic Malaysian, Penang-style

Little Penang is by far my favourite Malaysian restaurant outside of Malaysia. The owners, whom I affectionately call Uncle Keith and Auntie Tee, started off their humble little shop on Dixon Street about five years ago, but moved to a larger premises next door after demand became high. And it's no wonder, because their food is the most authentic I've had in New Zealand. There's a tendency to cater to European tastes when in New Zealand, but as the country becomes more cosmopolitan, people become more adventurous and are willing to try those authentic Malaysian flavours - spicy sambal, rich coconut, lemongrass, coriander, mango. There's a lovely story in the window of the shop about a lady who came to eat at Little Penang, and was moved to tears at how good the food was - "it's just like how my mother used to make it". European and Malaysian alike, we can all agree that the food at LP is top notch.

I go there so often with my workmates that the owners know me by name. Another of my workmates, Juliann, and I were privileged enough to be invited to their exclusive Fifth Birthday Celebration. Such a momentous occasion! The restaurant is packed with friends and family and VIPs, and there's a long central table, very traditional, stacked with the most amazing looking display of Malaysia's finest food.


The entrance has the roti man twirling and flipping the roti on a hot plate, and really the only thing missing from Malaysia is the heat and humidity. It truly feels like home right now.




Auntie Tee's eldest sister has flown down specifically for this and has made her signature sambal prawns. I can see the vibrant red and orange colours of the sauce from where I'm sitting and I know it's going to be popular. Each dish on the table represents a part of Malaysian cuisine: there's Nyonya, Hainanese, Cantonese, Malay, Indian and Hokkien, and it's one of those things that hits it home that there's truly something special and unifying about Malaysian food.


I want one of everything but I can't fit it all on my plate. I guess I'll be going back for seconds...

Posted by Jeremy at 12:26am on Wednesday January 25, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Hardware Societe

Where? Hardware Societe (Melbourne CBD, Melbourne, Australia) Map

When? Saturday February 13, 2016

Who? Darius

Food Style? Rustic Chic-Cafe with some French Flair

As with many Melbourne eateries, the Hardware Societe is immensely popular and often has long queues of people trying to get a piece of the action. I'm here with Darius before church and we've managed to get a tiny little table for two just outside.

Lobster Benedict

Lemon and Saffron Hollandaise, Picked Zucchini, Soft Herbs, Brioche Bun, Poached Eggs
This sounded too delicious to pass up, so I ordered it. No regrets. The lobster is beautifully cooked and the flavours are respected and not overshadowed. The hollandaise isn't traditional hollandaise, but with the strong lemon flavour, it compliments the seafood perfectly. The herbs and greens are crisp and fresh, and the plate is just a well thought out, wonderfully crafted meal.

Fried Brioche

With Blueberry and Lemon Curd
The brioche is surprisingly light and fluffy, but crispy on the outside. The lemon curd isn't too sweet but the blueberries really lift this dessert with its freshness. I like the crumb on the top, it adds some more crunchiness to the brioche. After the lobster benedict, I'm struggling to stuff this all into my face, even with Darius's help, but it's so good that I just have to persevere.

Posted by Jeremy at 12:45pm on Tuesday January 24, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Chin Chin

Where? Chin Chin (Melbourne CBD, Melbourne, Australia) Map

When? Thursday February 11, 2016

Who? Me, Again

Food Style? Contemporary Hawker-Style Southeast Asian

I'm back at Chin Chin all by myself, because the current wait for any table is two hours. I actually wanted some steak from Lygon Street today, but I was feeling a bit self conscious because all those places looked too fancy and I wasn't dressed for that kind of atmosphere. And I was by myself too, sweaty from walking everywhere, and given it was Valentine's weekend, it didn't feel appropriate to ruin the night for all the cutesy couples. #foreveralone

Kafir Lime Cocktail

Syrup, Yamahai Sake, Blackberry Liqueur, Pressed Lemon
I've ordered a kafir lime cocktail to start with, because I'm a bit parched from the day's walk. It is insanely busy here, as usual, and very much reminiscent of a busy hawker stall in South East Asia. The cocktail is refreshing and has a very prominent fresh lime flavour. I'm having a very good time. The more I drink, the less self conscious I feel about eating alone. There are couples everywhere and I'm on the corner of the bar, but the important thing is that I'm going to get food and I know it will be excellent.

Crispy Skinned Roast Duck

Cucumber, Spring Onion and Orange Nam Jim Jaew
The duck arrives within a few minutes and I'm impressed with the efficiency. First bite: sensational. So much flavour and the texture is spot on - crispiness is perfect. It's more deep fried than that roasted texture you get with Peking Duck. The cucumber and orange pieces balance the intense saltiness, and I'm way too busy stuffing my face with all of this food that there's no time to write notes. I'm savagely tearing the meat off the bone and I'm having such a good time. It's salty and spicy and sour and sweet, all the the same time, and there's so much going on. The alcohol is also starting to kick in, so I'm caring less about what others think of me. Woohoo!

Crunchy School Prawns

Nam Prik Pla Gapi, Herbs and Crudites
I'm still hungry. I want prawns. I place my order and seven minutes later, it's in front of me and smelling delicious. Crunchy, full of flavour, and "designed for sharing" but please, this is me we're talking about and it is going to be so easy for me to eat this by myself. The stuff in the middle is exceptionally spicy and gives the seafood a brilliant kick. There's shallots, chilli and garlic, and all sorts of amazing spices that I can't discern. The dish is so full of life and excitement, and within mere minutes, it's all gone.

I've technically already had dessert (I was just at Brunetti's having something sweet before dinner, because I'm a responsible adult) so I'm going to stop here. Another fantastic and memorable experience at Chin Chin!

Posted by Jeremy at 12:35pm on Tuesday January 24, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Shortstop Donuts

Where? Shortstop Donuts (Melbourne CBD, Melbourne, Australia) Map Menu

When? Thursday February 11, 2016

Who? Me

Food Style? Glorious Donuts

It's not even 9am but this little donut shop is packed, which is testament to how amazing this place is. One look at the menu set me into panic mode - there are so many delicious-sounding flavours, how do I choose?! I want to try them all!


The lady at the counter was very helpful, pointing out the specials for the day and the newly released flavours. I went for the coconut cream and pineapple, and the peanut butter caramel. The coconut pineapple one is quite pleasant, very much like a pina colada. It's not sickeningly sweet like many of the American glazes are. The seagulls I'm sitting next to are squawking like there's no tomorrow because even they can tell how delicious these donuts are. I open the bag to get the peanut butter one (yes, I'm eating two donuts in one sitting and I do not care) and it's immediately clear from the aroma that they've made the peanut butter themselves. Lovely and soft with rich flavours, this is a definite crowd pleaser that gets the thumbs up from me.

Posted by Jeremy at 12:18pm on Tuesday January 24, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Floriditas

Where? Floriditas (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Saturday January 23, 2016

Who? My parents

Food Style? Contemporary New Zealand

Following dinner at Matterhorn, we relocated to Floriditas just up Cuba Street for dessert.

Dessert

Tangelo, raspberry and and raspicello trifle
I loooove trifle. There's always a lot going on in this dessert, and a good trifle will expose all the deliciousness in a single vertical slice. Again, great to see their menu taking advantage of the best produce in season - the fresh fruit and custard give that wonderful summer vibe. Even the dash of raspicello (raspberry-cello, much like limoncello) did not go unnoticed, and had even added a slight effervescence that the sponge base had soaked up. Yum!

Posted by Jeremy at 10:07am on Monday November 28, 2016 :: 0 comments ::