Papa Goose

Papa goose is a new edition in the 2013 entertainment book (which is currently out for sale) so we decided to try the place out. Having heard positive reviews from friends, I definitely had some expectations in my mind.

The restaurant is located on Flinders lane, in the CBD close to bars and other popular culinary hotspot like Chin Chin. Our booking was made at 7pm but upon our arrival, we were told that our booking had apparently by been cancelled. This caused a slight confusion as we had definitely not called to cancel our reservations.

from Papa Goose

Never the less, the confusion was sorted was we were seated on the lower ground, which is the more casual dining area. There are also a few private dining rooms towards the back of the restaurant as well as a bar and group dining spaces upstairs. I would advised to dine earlier as we found by 8pm, the ground floor was full and this made it increasingly difficult hear our conversations.

Lower ground seating

The menu is simple with 4 to 5 selections from each of the courses including starters (entree), mains, sides and desserts. There are also the option of share plates, which is similar to entrees but designed more for sharing. We opted for a share plate, entree and 2 main dishes. 

Complimentary bread with olive oil

Entree of the twice cooked quail with game terrine, watercress, pistachios and baby gherkins. I thought the quail was a little under cooked as there were still colours of pink in the meat. The flavors did not 'wow' me, but the pistachio purée was sweet and delightful. The baby gherkins was an odd element of the dish, the taste was over powering and didn't compliments the dish well.

Entree- twice cooked quail

For the share plate, we ordered the the rabbit croquette which was surprisingly nice. Haven't tasted rabbit very often, I must say the flavor reminded me of tuna, although without the fishiness. The tang of the mustard tartare sauce really brought out the flavours of the croquette.

Rabbit croquette

 Time for the mains, S ordered the roasted lamb with pumpkin, peas, dates and mint. This dish was actually upon my recommendation as I had read some reviews before dinner and the lamb was one dish that was consistently mentioned- where the tender meat was to fall off the bone. The lamb that S got was certainly not lamb off the bones. He found it rather tough and the blandness of the pea mint sauce did not impress him. I felt terrible for recommendation the dish- there must have been a recent change in menu.

S main- Roast lamb

My main of the pan roasted barramundi  braised with pine mushroom, caramelised onions with portobello puree was better compared to S dish. The fillet was well cooked with perfectly crisp skin, just the way I like it. Being a big lover of mushrooms, I was impressed with both the smooth puree and the juicy pine mushrooms.

My main- Roasted barramundi

S and I were both quite disappointed in the serving sizes of the dishes. We thought it could have definitely been more generous given the prices paid. Entrees are between $17-20, mains $35-$38, and desserts $15-$22.

On a positive note, I forgot to mention above that we were served complimentary seafood veloute before our entrees. It was served in the cutest little cup and the soup was creamy and delicious- I could have a whole bowl!

Complimentary seafood velute

Would I go back to Papa Goose? Probably not any time soon, but I would completely rule it out in the future.

 Papa Goose
91- 93 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000

Yum: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Value: 6.5/10



Till next time :)

Miss Scribble

The Perfect Winter Coat

Hi everyone,

Winter is just approaching the corner and it's time to get those warm winter coats out and ready.  I don't know about you but I love the idea of treating myself to a new coat each winter, but buying the perfect coat is not a quick decision to make.

There are many things to consider in the search for your winter's coat, here are some of the basics:

1. Style

You should select a style that suits you, whether it be sticking to a more conservative classic style which can become your "go to" winter essential item  ie. double breasted, pea coat, military, duffle or choosing a more stylish and "funkier" style such as a faux fur or a cape coat.

2. Fabric

It is also important to understand the differences in fabric when choosing your coat. Natural fibers including wool, cashmere are ideal to keep you warm for longer, but keep in mind that this will come with the higher price tags.

Man-made fibers includes polyester and viscose which are usually more affordable but may its disadvantages such as it may not be well heat insulators or may cause shrinkage when machine washed. Remember to always check the fabric description inside the coat before purchasing.


3. Colour

Coats may come in a range of different colours including the classic and more versatile colours which will go well with almost everything like grey, black and camel.

For those who want to add a splash of colour in winter, maybe opt for the more vibrant and bright shades such as red, mustard yellow or pinks.

4. Price

You should decide on the budget you want to spend and find a suitable coat to suit this.

Here are a few coats which I quite like from this winter's collection, suitable for all budgets. 

Forever New- Harriet belted military coat $149.99 AUD

(In grey)

Forever New- Lili double breasted coat $99.99 AUD (In red, cream, mustard, black and blue)

Forever New- Eva pea coat $99.99 AUD (In mustard, cream and blue)

Forecast- Gigi double breasted coat $109.95 AUD (In black, camel and red)

Country Road- Felted duffle coat $349 AUD (In black)

Portmans- Emma aline coat $229.95 AUD (In latte and blue)

Marcs- Mary Jane clean 60's coat $399 AUD (In pink)

Which is your favourite?

Stay warm!
Miss Scribble

Easter Adventures- Otways

Hi everyone!

Happy belated Easter! Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable long weekend.

It is not often that we are lucky enough to be able to have a long weekend, I spent mine catching up on lost sleep, eating almost every 2 hours of the day and enjoying the company of good friends. One of my favourite things to do is road triping, I just love getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoying the serenity of mother nature.

On Easter Sunday, some friends and I decided to drive down the Great Ocean Road for an adventure day out at the Otway National Park. The Otway is about 162km south west of Melbourne and the drive takes approximately 2.5 -3 hours. Thankflully for us, one of our friend was extremely organised (can you believe, he is a guy too?!) and devised an itinerary for the day.

Our first stop was a small town of Birregurra where we dropped by the local Sunday market, which is held on the first Sunday of every month. Although it was not large in size, it was filled with warm community spirit. Small stalls were set up in the local park selling a variety of things from local produce, handcrafted ornaments, decorations to books and games (however, the bf did comment that the games were little out dated). We even found the cutest ponies which can be rode for only $4 (for only a short distance of course). I couldn't pass up the opportunity and gave it a go- my pony was so cute and it even had bunny ears on for the Easter spirit.

Cute pony

The girls

Cute little bear we adopted

From Birregurra, we made our way pass Colac for a quick lunch and made the most of the beautiful sunshine by taking some happy "Korean Drama" snaps at the local botanical garden. The boys just couldn't wait to put on their cheeky boy band poses! There are definitely more photos of them on my camera than the girls lol. It was heaps of fun and a great laugh!

Check out the poses (Lol)

After that, we were on our way to the destination- Otway National Park. The Otways is largely a rain forest with a number of beautiful waterfalls as its main attraction. We chose to go to the Triplets fall, as it is one of the iconic and most visited waterfalls in the park.

Walk to the falls

Triplets fall

We also did a few treks around the nature walks at the park as well as enjoyed a DIY picnic meal. There's just something about being surrounded by nature and beautiful views which transformed a simple experience into something perfect.

Before leaving for the night, we made one last visit to the Melba Gully in hopes of witnessing the glow worm night display. We waited patiently for after dark before venturing into a pitch black forest (it's probably a good idea to stick together in a group, so you don't feel like you're in the Blair Witch Project). It wasn't long till we spotted on the banks of the walking track, twinkles of little lights illuminated from the tiny little creatures. I would advise to bring a torch but avoid shining it directly at the glow worms as this disturb them and cause them to 'turn off their lights'

The "Big Tree" (which has actually fallen)

There are many other things to do and explore in the Otway, depending on your preference and adventure styles. Some suggestions include:

1. Camping - there are many suitable camping grounds around the park, whether it is at a caravan park or setting up your own tents underneath the stars.

2. Walks and treks- there are a number of different walks and trails which can explored, suited for all fitness levels ranging from easy short walks to longer and more challenging hikes.

3. Otway fly tree top adventures- this is probably the most popular attraction in the Otways, with the options of a tree top walk or a zip line tour (which is basically like a giant flying fox through the forests). We did not have enough time to try either of these but did check out the information centre. The Tree top walk is approx $25 and zip line tour is $125 (I think most people just stick to the safer walk option).

The tree top walk

Overall, we had a lot of fun on this trip! It was a shame that we couldn't find any last minute over stay accommodation and had to endure a long and exhausting drive home.

I would definitely recommend the Otways for those who are looking for some adventure or just wanting to get away from the city.

DIY Group shot :D

With the "Big Tree"

Scribble you later

Miss Scribble

Estivo

Not having used our Entertainment book for awhile, we wanted to make the most of it before its soon expiry. I decided to choose a restaurant which was outside our usual vicinity of the CBD. Estivo, located on High Street Kew is named one of The Age's good food guide one hatted restaurant.

Upon our arrival, we were seated at the small bar while waiting for our table to be ready. The restaurant is small and intimidate, there is both an up and downstairs seating area with less than 10 tables on each floor. If a romantic date is what you are after, perhaps request a seat in the upstairs dining area.

The overall lighting was low but each table had a small tea candle, creating that perfectly romantic ambiance. The food at Estivo can be classified as modern Australian/ Italian. First serve was 2 pieces of complimentary sourdough with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip. It was a good start to dinner and kept our hungry stomachs from grumbling while waiting for the mains.

The menu

For entree, we ordered softshell crab with spicy guacamole and creme fraiche. I was surprised at the size of the dish when it came out- it was a lot more generous than expected and was good size for sharing between two. The flavours of the dish was delightful and well balanced. The texture of the crab was crunchy and not at all oily, the meat was also tenderly cooked. The smoothness of the guacamole surprising complimented the crab well.

Softshell crab with guacamole entree

For the mains, S ordered the baby snapper with steam clams in Harissa infused broth. He really enjoyed the dish, especially the broth- the hint of spiciness from the Harissa balanced out the lightness of the baby snapper. The skin of the snapper was also perfectly crisp.

S satisfied with his choice of main

Baby snapper with steam clams in Harissa broth

Apparently, Estivo's signature main is the roast marget of duck, onion and duck leg tart with spiced carrot puree- I decided to order this for my main. The dish did not disappoint at all, it is by far one of the better duck dishes I've tried. Even though the duck was cooked medium rare, it was tender and not chewy in texture. The sweetness of the caramelised onion and duck leg tart was also a highlight of the dish.

Signature roast duck with caramelised onion tart

Although we were pretty full after our mains, we were easily convinced by the dessert menu.

For dessert, S was predictable and ordered the chocolate fondant. Ever since he tried the chocolate fondant at The Maze, it has been the only dessert he orders these days.

The fondant was rich and oozes with dark chocolate, although, it would have been better if it was served with a scope of ice cream instead of cream. My dessert was tiramisu trifle with waffle and fig. The flavours of the tiramisu was nice and the liquor not too intense, I devoured it down pretty quickly. I did find that both the waffle pastry and fig was a bit bland, perhaps it had been overpowered by the flavours of the tiramisu.

Chocolate fondant

Tiramisu with waffle and fig

Service was good and attentive, the waiter checked on us during each course to see if we were enjoying our meals.

The overall bill for the night was just under $150 (for 1 entree, 2 mains, 2 desserts and a glass of wine). Having the Entertainment book card helped as the card offers a complimentary main. Entrees are around $15-20, mains $35-$38 and dessert $13-$18

It was a lovely night out, Estivo by far exceeded both our expectations. Would definitely recommend this restaurant and we look forward to coming back!

Estivo
330 High Street
Kew VIC 3101

Yum: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Price: 6/10



Scribble you later
Miss Scribble