The Scribble Corner

Friday, 2 March 2012

Asian dessert delight

Having a big sweet tooth, I love just about any type of dessert. Asian desserts is one of my favs!

One of my must go places when visiting Sydney is Meet Fresh in Chinatown, for its taro desserts. I would always say to S at the end of each visit: "Wish they would open one up in Melbourne."

Hello Dessert Story

So you can imagine my excitement when I found out a dessert place dedicated just to Taiwanese and Hong Kong desserts recently opened up in Melbourne's Chinatown. I was so excited to be reunited with my taro desserts again! :D

Signature desserts

Going on a Friday night, we probably picked the wrong time, as there was a long queue of people waiting out front. Inside, it was bustling with people- more so teenagers looking for a night hang out place. We were told to take a number and wait for a table. We patiently waited for 20 minutes or so, giving us some time to study the menu.

Bustling inside

The menu is extensive with a range of options, each page dedicated to a different type of dessert. I suggest you decide on the type of dessert first (ie. taro, pudding, shaved ice etc), or you may be staring on the menu for quite some time.

Tofu puddings

Sago desserts

Taro desserts

Shaved ice

The house specialty is their taro desserts- it comes with taro balls as the main ingredient and then you can choose the different combination of sides like taro mash, jelly, pearls and beans. Other main options include the herbal tea series ( for the health conscious), mango series, shaved ice series and tofu pudding series (a popular dessert typically found in Hong Kong).

Without hesitation, I ordered the taro dessert. We also decided to order a couple of others to share. Orders are placed at the counter and it is shortly delivered to your table. They also cater for take away for those who don't have the patience to wait for a table.

First up- taro balls with pearls, grass jelly and honey beans. I loved the chewiness of the taro balls and pearls, although it lacked some flavor compared to the one at Meet Fresh. The grass jelly was silky and smooth. Serving sizes are quite generous and I struggled to finish whole dish. This may partly be because of the sugary soup, which after awhile felt like drinking sugar syrup .

Taro balls + herbal jelly ice + pearls+ cream

Taro balls + honey bean + pearls+ herbal jelly

The mango snow ice with popping pearls was next. A must try for mango lovers! Although a little more pricier ($10) than the other desserts- average price for others was $6, it was definitely a good choice! The texture of the shaved ice was smooth almost like ice cream and there were also a good portion of fresh mango. I had never heard of popping pearls before till I had this dish, the texture was so interesting- it was like having a mini explosion in your mouth. This was one of our favorite dessert and was gone within no time.

Mango snow ice with crystal jelly with popping pearl

Mango pomelo sago with green tea icecream was a dish which was given a "thumbs up" on the menu so was another must try. This was ordered by another friend so I didn't get a chance to try it, but took a photo of it anyway.

Mango pomelo sago with green tea ice cream

I'm so glad there's now an authentic Asian dessert place in Melbourne! We will never be stuck for dessert options again.. Definitely going back soon!

Dessert Story
195 Little Bourke St (Chinatown)
Melbourne

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

Scribble you later

Miss Scribble

Sunday, 26 February 2012

Hidden Italian Gem

A few friends have been madly raving to me about an Italian restaurant hidden in the heart of Melbourne CBD.

I have always struggled to find good authentic Italian cuisine in Melbourne's CBD without paying a visit to little Italy on Lgyon St.

Manchester Lane

Maccaroni Trattoria Italiana is secretly tucked away in Manchester Lane (located just off Colins and Swanston Street. Without word of mouth, I assure that you would not be able to spot this place.
The feeling of homely goodness immediately fills us as we step into the restaurant. The Interior is small and can be a bit of a squeeze, it literally only fit around 15 or so people (so not recommended for larger groups). The tables are set up along one wall, all adorned with cute red checked table cloths- adding to the authentic Italian feel.

Cosy interior

We have made 2 visits to Maccaroni now- we immediately fell in love with it after being introduced the first time, and just had to come back for more. On each of our visits, we happened to be seated in front of the open kitchen- witnessing the homemade food preparation in action.

Made right before your eyes

The menu is simple yet has plenty of options to tickle your fancy, with a number of starters, home made pastas and mains. One of the recommended dishes was the penne pasta with black olives, tomatoes and fresh chili. Mr S order that and I ordered the gnocchi sorrentino. We also decided to order the hot Sicilian 'Panelle' which is fried chickpea fritters as a starter

Adorable checked table cloths

The service is excellent, waiters are friendly and judging by their accents, all are authentically Italians. The portions of the panelle was generous and can easily be for 4 people. The batter was light and not overly oily, however I did find it a little over seasoned. We struggled to finish the dish as it is probably not one which you could have too much of.

Starter- Sicilian Panelle

Mr S was impressed with the penne- the pasta was fresh and cooked al dente, flavors simple yet delicious. The blend of both the chili and olives brought just the right punch of flavours to the pasta. In my opinions, the only thing missing from the dish was the lack of meat. In saying that, it's not often that Mr S says "let's come back here", so this place definitely won him over.

Spicy penne

The napolitana sauce on my gnocchi was rich but not over powering. I loved the stringiness of the melted mozzarella (mmm, love melted cheese!). The size of the gnocchi are a little bit smaller than your average, similar to the size of pearls in bubble tea. However, the taste is chewy, fluffy and flavoursome. Again, the only criticism I had of the dish was its lack of meat.

Gnocchi Sorrentino

The second time we visited, we had to try one of the popular main dishes- the Osso Bucco with risotto. I loved this dish, the meat was cooked to perfection and literally fell off the bone. The risotto was also perfectly cooked and has a creamy consistency. Definitely recommend this one!

Osso Bucco- delicious!

Although the food may not be helping your waistline but it definitely would not hurt your wallet. Pastas range from $11-1$4 and mains are reasonably priced between $15-$20.

I have also heard their tiramisu dessert is to die for, we will be saving our stomachs next time..

Dessert on display

Not often do I come a cross a gem this good and want to share it :)

Maccaroni Trattoria Italiana

Yum: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Service: 8/10

Ciao!
Miss Scribble

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

The Crazy Wings Challenge

It has become a routine that every Tuesday after work, some friends and I would get together for a casual run/jog around the "Tan" (Botantical Gardens). Weirdly enough, we've called ourselves "The Crazy Wings" group- why the funny name you may question? This all originated from a restaurant called Crazy Wings- famous for their incredibly (I say this with much emphasis!) spicy chicken wings.

Don't underestimate these chicken wings! They may appear to be slightly darker in colour compared to normal wings- but boy are they deadly, they are called "crazy" wings for a reason. These chicken wings are actually inspired from the roadsides of Beijing China.

Crazy wings

Whenever there is a new comer who decide to join us for a run (not realizing what they are really getting in to), we would put them through the crazy wings challenge- that is to devour one whole wing. It's always amusing to watch how differently each person reacts- the usual reaction after one nibble would be "is this it?", but it's only after a couple more bites- the eyes will start tearing up, feelings of numbness in the mouth start setting in and hands start fanning wildly. We've also seen an occasional tear or too.. Not to mention the next day after effects, which I'll leave to your imagination ;)

Close up shot

One cure we found which helps (to some extent only) alleviate the spiciness is ...soy bean milk! It really does the trick and conveniently enough, is readily available from the Asian grocery store next door. Soy bean milk sale must have spiked up a lot since crazy wings opened.

The cure

Just a thought- maybe crazy wings should be renamed "torture wings"? Despite it all, I have actually yet to have the full whole crazy wings experience (only been daring enough to take a nibble). I intend to stay a crazy wings virgin! :)

Here are some entertaining photos of Mr. S second attempt at crazy wings (worst than his first time)

One drink just isn't enough

Sweating much?

The fanning starts

By the way, this is a legitimate restaurant and they do serve other dishes besides crazy spicy chicken wings such as noodle and rice dishes.

So, do you dare take the challenge?

Crazy wings
177 Russell st
Melbourne

Scribble you later,
Miss Scribble

Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Gingerboy- Valentines day edition

Hi everyone,

I've been quite busy lately so haven't had a chance to update my blog. This is a bit of a belated valentine's day post.

Happy valentines day

This year, the boyfriend decided to book a surprise dinner (I'm surprised that he was so organised. He was very tight lipped about the location and only hinted for me to save my stomach for a 6 course dinner.

Barely able to contain my hunger on our way to the surprise destination- I soon found myself standing beneath Gingerboy. I was delighted as this was one restaurant which has yet to be ticked off my culinary list.

Entrance to Gingerboy

We were greeted and led into the dining area which was lit with bright lights scattered on the walls- which I thought was quite romantic. Something which had caught me by surprise was the simplicity of the furnishings, the seats were plastic and table bare of any ornaments- not exactly to my expectation of a hatted restaurant.

Romantic lit interior

Nevertheless, we took a quick browse of the set menu for the night and couldn't wait to be enticed.

Our feast for the night

The starter was a tasting plate with 3 appetisers- steam prawn dumpling, son in law eggs (one of the famous signature dishes) and grilled lamb in la lot leaf. Each of the dishes were accompanied by an unique matching sauce, which complimented the dish perfectly.

Starter plate

Just a tip to share for the son in law egg (quite a funny name don't you think?)- make sure when you eat this- the egg is thoroughly covered with the chilli jam as this is definitely the highlight of the dish. The egg itself was wrapped in a soft chewy tofu layer and as you take one bite, the yolk just oozeeeeee out! I love my oozy eggs :)

The famous Son in law eggs

Next course was two small salads- crispy duck with banana flower salad, and coconut chicken with green bean and mango. Boyfriend and I both unanimously voted the duck was the better of the two dishes. The skin was crisp, meat succulent and warm salad gave it a good balance. The coconut chicken on the other hand was slightly bland and there were very little mangoes.

Coconut chicken salad

Crispy duck salad

Main courses were up next, first was the lemongrass and chilli barramundi in chilli rock sugar sauce. Once again, the sweetness of the sauce was the winner for me. The barramundi was beautifully tender and infused with hints of lemongrass.

Lemongrass and chilli barramundi

Second main was sesame crusted wagyu beef loin with edamame puree and chilli jam- loin was tender and melts in your mouth without even being chewed. The sauce was a little bit of a let down, the chilli jam did not come across strongly and I thought it tasted a bit like black bean sauce.

Wagyu beef loins

Best was of course saved for last- dessert platter was 3 tasting dishes- brûlée with tapioca balls, chocolate ice cream with fruits and cream custard with chocolate soil.
My favourite was the brûlée, there was 3 different contrasting flavour layers - the crunch of the brûlée, chewiness of tapioca balls and a hidden surprise of chocolate at the end.

Dessert tasting plate

Dessert 1- Brulee with chocolate and tapioca balls

Dessert 2- chocolate icecream with fruit

Dessert 3- cream custard coated with chocolate soil

We ended the night with some tea to help calm our stomachs, which were presented in cute little glass tea pots. We both felt as if we were 3 months pregnant but walked out of the restaurant with beaming smiles.

tea to end the night

However, there was one downside- the price tag! I would definitely not recommend going to Gingerboy on public holidays or "special" occasion like valentines day, as the prices charged are premium and at least double normal menu prices.

Besides that, we had a wonderful night out! Hope your valentines was also filled with much love! <3

Gingerboy

27-29 Crossley Street
Melbourne

Yum: 8/10
Price: 5/10
Service: 6/10