I could be wrong, I could be right

A throw away comment at the end of the Eurovision party saw a small group of us recovening on a Friday evening at Public.  It's been on the list for a while, not the least because my husband and many of my friends work in the same building.  I wish I had a bar below my work that I could slip down to on a tough Thursday afternoon (or Tuesday morning for that matter).

Public's a funny place.  It's on the second floor of an office block with plenty of glass looking out onto the street and onto the internal atrium of the building.  Entry is via an escalator from the street.  A large bar bisects the restaurant with drinks on one side and dinner on the other.  It's a typical modern fit out with funky furniture in the bar area, including a couple of those wicker chairs like the one Solitaire sits in, in Live & Let Die.  And yet.....  From the media buzz, I thought the bar would be heaving on a Fridy night, but far from it.  There were certainly people enjoying a drink and I'm sure the pricing would keep some away from the 5 o'clock swill but it was still surprisingly sedate.  It seems that Public is just a little too far away from the action to sustain a lively Friday night on the tiles.

After a few drinks at the bar, we were hunted down by the waiter aand seated for dinner.  Again, the dining space is odd with plain furnishings that are probably supposed to exude an urban chic vibe but appear plonked down and little lacklustre.  Past some booths that are positioned near the kitchen, we are tucked at the back on banquette seating in the fatherest corner that really doesn't have much of a view of anything, not even the main part of the restaurant.  It's a good looking menu with an array of tasting plates of different sizes as well as some larger mains and sides.  Some of the tasting plates are right at the upper level of pricing so I was glad that there were enough of us to sample several of the much talked about dishes and spread the cost.  First up was the legendary KFD.

Like it's KFC namesake, the tender duck is coated in a mix of secret herbs, spices and flour then deep fried.  It came with a little dish of something I wasn't quite sure of but turned out to be a take on KFC's well known mash & gravy combo.  The duck was delicious and to be recommended however, the mash and gravy were luke warm and not palatable.  Disappointing at $26 for 3 pieces.

The warm salad of Pumpkin, Coriander and Chilli and the Truffle Mac 'n Cheese were better.  The pumpkin was caramelised and sweet, with strips of what looked like salmon but were in fact wafer thin slices of carrot.  A dollop of creme fraiche and a rustic scattering of coriander finished the dish.  There may have been some chilli but I didn't detect any.  Enjoyable.  Truffle Mac was very popular.  I'm no fan of The Mac so only had a small taste and certainly, the truffle flavour carried throughout.  Others at the table enjoyed it immensley with it's cheesy, bubbling top and creamy filling.  Beware though, the iron pot this is served in is extremely hot and two of our party suffered small burns.  Yes, it was the boys....

Truffly, Cheesy, Bubbly Goodness

The Free Range Pork Belly w Asian Slaw & Nahm Jim was suggested on the menu as a main for two.  At $70 they'd have to really love their pork and between four of us, there was plenty to go around. The pork was tender and juicy with the desired crunchy crackling top.  The table was divided on the Nahm Jim as a suitable accompaniment and whilst I enjoyed it, the fish sauce component was very salty.  The Asian Slaw with crispy shallots on top was crunchy and refreshing and I went back for seconds.  Along the way we had ordered some smoked potato skins which were indeed smoky but with a blob of sour cream straight out of the tub (you could still see the edge of the container imprinted), they were more Sizzler than fashionable bistro.

Free Range Pork Belly w Nahm Jim

I really want to like Public.  The food is for the most part well prepared and presented.  It's just not hugely inventive or exciting.  They have an excellent bar and wine list, which attests their link to Canvas at Wolloongabba.  And yet the atmosphere in the bar is so laid back, it's almost non existent.  You'd go for a drink, but would you stay for another?   I'm not saying the food was bad or that the evening was a disaster.  It just wasn't the exciting eating experience I was after and the atmosphere didn't live up to expectations.  Maybe, on a different night, things would be different.  I haven't written them off quite yet.

I think Public are going to find it difficult to capture and hold an audience in the location they have chosen.  They may want to consider their pricing and certainly have more of an eye for detail in plating and service.  I could be wrong, I could be right.  You decide for yourself.

 

Public
400 George St (level 2)
Brisbane   Qld   4000
@publicbrisbane
http://www.lovepublic.com.au/

Visited: Friday 15th June 2012 - Dinner Service

Just the Tonic

Regular readers will recall my Furious 5 series where I did five blog post in five days about the coffee shops within walking distance of my job in 'Lower' Fortitude Valley / Newstead 'Heights' / 'Outer' Bowen Hills.  That is, in the middle of nowhere.  One bonus of where I work (if you can it that) is that I'm within handy walking distance of my Dentist and have walked a well worn path there and back over the past few months.  On one of my return visits, I spied a sign that showed promise.

Tonic Espresso Bar is one of a growing cohort of coffee shops that are popping up in back streets all over Brisbane.  In this instance the shop is in amongst engineering firms, some arty marketing and PR agencies and a bit of light industrial. As if to underline this, when I was looking for Tonic's website, I discovered that it is run by architects Tonic Design who say on their website:  'TONIC Espresso is a social and creative venture owned and operated by TONIC Design. Our vision was to create a space that activated the laneway to the rear of our Design Studio.'  Activated the laneway....  They are also a heartbeat away from 99 Bikes Ride to Work storage facilities - cyclists being the traditional prey of espresso vendors.

The fit out is simple - a counter and chiller cabinet at the front and one massive shared table that runs the whole length at the back of the shop.  Shelves run along one wall with coffee (250g beans - $10.00, 1kg - $36.00) and Keep Cups for sale.  All coffee is served in stenciled takeaway cups, whether you are drinking in or not.  Very minimalist and no fuss.  There are also some fun little Ikea stools out the front that have been spray painted in a variety of retro designs.  I know they're from Ikea as I have one too.

Ikea stools - groovy painted designs, killers for posture

The first time I visited was after the morning rush and the place was fairly quiet.  The second visit was earlier and it was busier, though I didn't wait long.  My second visit coincided with a State of Origin game so there were cute little home made cupcakes for sale on the counter.  I bet they flew out the door at morning tea time though sadly, some one would have had to make do with the Blues.

But, your not there for the ambiance, you're there for the coffee. And how good is that coffee?  Very good indeed!  I have taken to walking past my usual place and going the extra distance to grab Tonic's house blend. I find it slightly sweet, full flavoured, no bitterness and best of all, it's not served at the ridiculous luke warm temperature that has come to haunt me at many coffee shops.  Coffee should be lingered over, not gulped down before it goes cold.  The description says 'Tonic's No. 1 blend is the perfect all rounder coffee. Balanced with strong chocolate and dark caramel notes that are highlighted in milk based drinks. While subtle and acidic flavours give enough variety to also be enjoyed as a black coffee.'  Yeah, yeah, whatever.  All I know is that it tastes great and finally, finally, I've found a coffee that suits me and is worth the walk.

Tonic Espresso Bar
7 Hynes St
Fortitude Valley   Qld   4006
@TONICarchitect
http://www.tonicespresso.com.au/

Solstice Pear & Prune Pies - SABH

I hate making pastry!  Baking is made up of two schools.  Those who are born into a dynasty of bakers who have been turning out buttery flans, light as a feather sponges and scones worthy of since CWA approval since Eve was a girl.  As wee things, they stood on a stool at the kitchen bench stirring the bowl and watching a family member push shortbread into a tin and roll out perfect ginger snaps.  Over time, they became adept at complicated multi layered gateau and perfect chocolate chip biscuits.  Two dozen tart cases for the baby shower?  No troubles - I'll whip them up before breakfast.  Then, there are the rest of us.  A bunch of misfits who peruse recipe books and quickly flick the page when we see pastry is involved.  Dry cakes, crumbly biscuits.  We just don't seem to have the deft touch and instinct when it comes to flour, butter and sugar.  We were too busy pretending to be guests on The Love Boat or doing Wonder Woman bullets and bracelets to be schooled in the dark arts of baking and pastry making.  So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to see that the theme for this month's Sweet Adventures Blog Hop was 'Sweet as Pie'.

Yeah, right.... Still, I had to give it a go.  I wandered over to The Capers of the Kitchen Crusader who is hosting SABH this month to see what she had to say.  I was inclined to make a tart but thought that this was cheating as KC had mentioned a pastry covering if possible.  Bugger!  I went through all of my cook books and spent quite a while trawling through the internet.  If you're making a tart, there are fillings, toppings and twists galore.  If you're making a traditional 'pie' (that is: pastry on the top and bottom with filling enclosed), fruit fillings reign supreme.  Is a Lemon Meringue Pie a pie?  In name only I think. Banoffee Pie?  Same deal.  In the end, I decided that there was actually less risk involved in making smaller pies, rather than one big failure so I opted for a recipe from my old friend Donna Hay.  I have adapted her Pear & Rhubarb Pie recipe from Modern Classics 2.  These are Solstice Pie because I'm publishing this post on the Winter Solstice and the filling reflects seasonal produce.

I realise that you won't have a jar of Pulpe de Pruneaux (prune paste) just knocking about in your fridge but I did so I thought I'd be show offy and use it.  I bought this paste in the Sunday market in Issegiac in the Dordogne.  After tasting the range on offer, I opted for this one and remember having a discussion with the producer who was surprised that I would choose the unsweetened one as this was usually too 'plain' for les Anglais.  He was most impressed with my palate and even more impressed when I told him I was Australian.  Guess he doesn't see too many prune paste buying Aussies on a Sunday morning in the South of France.

Sweet Adventures Blog Hop

Solstice Pear & Prune Pies

Ingredients

Pastry
2 x cups plain flour
3 tbspn caster sugar
150g cold butter, chopped
2 - 3 tbsp iced water

Filling
4 x firm (not hard) Packham or Beurre Bosc pears
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 x clove
3 x coriander seeds
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla pod
large piece of lemon peel
2 tspns lemon juice

1 1/2 tbspns cornflour

6 x pitted prunes

prune paste or plum jam

Prunes soaked in Tawny

Topping

1 x egg, beaten

raw sugar for sprinkling

Method

Pastry

• Process flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until the butter is completely mixed into flour and mix resembles bread crumbs
• With motor running, slowly add iced water, 1 tablespoon at a time until pastry starts to just combine and forms a ball.
• If pastry does not come together, tip into a bowl and gently press together.
• Lightly knead pastry, shape into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes

Filling

• Peel, core and quarter pears.  Chop each quarter into 3 or four pieces.  This will depend on how big and how ripe the pears are.  The aim is that they still have some shape to them after cooking.
• Place pears, sugar, clove, coriander, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon peel in a saucepan over a medium heat.
• Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Do not overcook - it is better that the pears are still firm rather than being soft and mushy.
• Mix cornflour with lemon juice and stir into pears.
• Cook on low heat for 2 minutes then allow to completely cool.  Remove spices and lemon peel and discard.

Assemble

• Preheat oven to 200c (no fan)
• Remove pastry from fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3mm.
• Cut out 6 x 11cm rounds and 6 x 8cm rounds.

• Grease a 6 x 1/2 cup muffin tin and line each cup with an 11cm round.
• Place spoonfuls of pear mixture into each cup, dotting pieces of prune throughout (1 prune per pie).
• Spread a thin covering of prune paste or plum jam on each of the 8cm rounds.
• Place an 8cm round on top of each pie, jam side down.

• Press edges of pastry cup and pastry top together, using a fork to crimp.
• Cut a vent in each pie to allow steam to escape.
• Brush beaten egg onto pastry tops and sprinkle with raw sugar
• Place pies in pre-heated oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until pies are golden
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in tin before lifting out onto baking paper lined wire rack.  Serve warm or cold.

Notes
Where to start?  For some readers, they will look at this recipe and think 'simple'.  For me, this was a real challenge.  The pastry didn't come together in the food processor, how thin is 3mm when you are actually rolling the pastry?, what do you do if you don't have a circular template? blah, blah, blah

• You may need a little extra water to bring the pastry together as it very much depends on the flour, weather etc.  Use only a small dribble at a time, lest the pastry become to wet as you knead it.
• Your cooked pear mixture may be too liquid or runny.  Strain the mixture.  Better to lose a little sauce than to have the mixture too sloppy in the pie.
• Use a cup or bowl that measures to the approximate sizes of the pastry bottoms and tops.  Place on the pastry and trace around with a knife.
• I used prunes that had been soaking in Tawny for the past 12 months but any good eating prunes will suffice.  What is Tawny?  Tawny is the Australian name for fortified wine made in Australia that was once known as Port.  The word Port can only be applied to fortified wines from the Duoro area in Portugal.
• If the pastry casings do not come all the way to the top of the muffin cup, pinch the sides up a little with your fingers so the pastry tops will have something to crimp onto.
• Extracting these pies from their tins can be a pain. The lids want to lift off and the pastry bottoms will still be soft from the heat.  A large, flattish spoon can help to gently lift them out.

What a palaver!  That's my pastry quota for another year.

Dispatches from Sydney - Bodega Tapas Bar

An extra post this week as there are quite a few queued at mission control at present.
Bodega.  Wasn't that the name of a sparkling wine in the 70's*?  This Bodega is more akin to it's Spanish origins, being a wine cellar or bar.  I found myself on a raining evening in Sydney at a loose end.  My walk across the Bridge was a blow out but it seemed a waste not to try to get out and do something.  Armed with my Solo Dining Theory, I headed up to Surry Hills for a night of Argentinian snout to tail eating at Bodega Tapas.  The bull on the side of the building told me I had arrived.

I would have been able to grab a seat straight away but because of the rain, those who would have sat outside had to move inside.  No matter, I was ushered into the adjoining bar area and offered a drink while I waited for a spot.  Though I'm partial to a dry Fino Sherry as an aperitif, this time I opted for a Paloma, a classic cocktail of tequila and pink grapefruit soda and a squeeze of lime served in a lowball glass.  Deliciously salty and tangy.  Two sips in, my seat was ready and I entered the noisy and as my very average photos attest, dark, world of Bodega proper.

I was certainly sitting at the hub with a place neatly laid at the bar, overlooking the chefs and right beside the pass.  My waiter offered watter and told me about the specials.  It was suggested that main may be enough for one person and probably should have been but I told my waiter that looks could be deceiving and he was underestimating how much I could eat.  I made my choices, ordered a glass of wine settled back to watch the meals being prepared and finish my Paloma.  The kitchen is certainly a busy little place.  Barely bigger than my own galley kitchen, there were four chefs turning out dishes solidly as well as one lucky assistant who got to wash dishes and turn out batches of squid, at the same time.  The pace was fast but never frantic and there was time enough for a laugh and a joke, making it a very enjoyable kitchen to spy on.
First to arrive was my Steamed milk bun w BBQ tongue & crab ($7.50).  The warm, soft roll enclosed thick slices of seared tongue (!) and sweet crab, dressed in a creamy sauce.  My only complaint is the same one leveled at Golden Fields Lobster Roll - too small and over too soon.  More of these next time and perhaps a Jamon & Mahon Cheese Croquette ($4) as part of my never ending search for the perfect croquetta.

Next to arrive was an absolutely enormous batch of Fried spiced calamari with aioli ($18).  This is definitely a 'to share' dish as there's nothing stingy in the portion or the seasoning.  All that spicy saltiness! Crispiness! Tender calamari encased in crunchy savouriness in every forkful!  It was too much but I ate it anyway.   Whilst I munched my way through this substantial dish, I watched the strangely phallic Bodega chorizo w sofrito paste ($14) flying off the pass.  They looked very odd indeed, sizzling plumply on the grill throughout the evening and then being thickly sliced onto the serving plates but they are obviously popular so perhaps you should try one when you visit (looking at the portion size, this is also a 'to share'). 

By now, the noise had cranked up to 11 and there was a small crowd hovering inside the door waiting on tables.  They would have to wait because dish number three had arrived, Smoked lamb ribs, creamed corn & coca cola chilli glaze ($26).  Originally I was going to have the Tamale but as I saw this going over the pass, I made a snap decision to try the ribs  They were smoky and tender and not too sticky.  The creamed corn accompaniment was sweet and complimented the smokiness well.  Truth be told, the waiter was right and I couldn't fit them all in.  Well, I could have but that was just being silly wasn't it?

Despite the entreaties of staff to enjoy another glass of wine or a dessert, I had well and truly had my fill and decided that enough was enough.  It was a great unexpected evening out.  A chance to sample some flavours that I'll be encountering in a short while in South America and so much better than sitting in the hotel room.  And, who says you can't have tequila on a school night?

*Bodega Sparkling Wine was indeed made in the 1970's by McWilliams.  Though they have tried hard to erase all record of it on the internet, you can still pick up a cheeky drop on e-bay if you are so inclined.

Bodega Tapas Restaurant
216 Commonwealth St
Surry Hills   NSW   2010
@BodegaSydney
http://www.bodegatapas.com/

Visited: Thursday 24th May - Dinner Service

No Habla Español*

I was trying to find a particular photo amongst our massive holdings of European holiday photos and is so often the case, I went down the rabbit hole.  One minute I was focused on finding the snapshot in question and suddenly it was 40 minutes later and I was tripping down memory lane.  One particular set of photos brought back very fond memories.  So, for something a bit different, this week I'll tell you about how a bunch of Spanish Baby-Boomers and Septuagenarians took us hostage and treated us to a night of Navarrese hospitality.

Olite - home of the Museo del Vino Navarra

We were doing a house swap in small hill top town in the Kingdom of Navarre, 'Land of Diversity' in the Basque country of Spain.  Guillermo was Pedro's brother and he had obviously been told by Pilar & Pedro to look after their Australian guests whilst we were staying in their home in Lerin.  After a day at the wine museum in Olite, we returned around 5pm to find Guillermo waiting for us.  He led us around the back of the apartment block to a old building attached to the apartments.  The family home had once stood on the land but had been knocked down to make a set of modern apartments for each of the brothers and sisters to live in.  After all, who wants to live in an old house which may be full of character but is cold in winter and constantly needs upkeep?  The old building was the size of a garage, with a small wooden door, concrete floor and one brick wall.  The other wall had been carved directly into the stone and there was a large fireplace with a roaring fire, at one end.  Guillermo spoke no English, we spoke no Spanish but between sign language and gesticulations we deduced that we were to return in an hour, for a meal.

We arrived at the appointed time to find a hive of activity.  Tables had been pulled together and places laid, with everyone hard at work preparing a meal.  It turned out that we were the guests of honour.  Over a glass of wine, we were introduced to our hosts, who at this stage, were all men.  A huge gas ring was burning with an enormous pan of stew bubbling away on top.  As the floor was uneven, in classic 'Food Safari' style a running repair had been made with a small piece of wood to even up the legs and stop the stew escaping. The gas ring was cooking furiously and they all took turns to stir, with lots of suggestions and comments about the best way to care for the meal, from the rest of the crowd at the table.

As the food was ready, the wives suddenly appeared and introduced themselves to us.  First course was a vegetable soup with crusty bread.  The conversation was stilted to say the least, except for one host who chatted to us ten to the dozen in Spanish the whole time.  We smiled and say 'si, si' continuously so perhaps he thought we understood more than we did.  He carried on his one sided conversation the entire evening but seemed happy enough with our smiles and nods.

Next up was the home style stew.  Again, it was the men who took control, dishing up the meal of unidentifiable meat and potatoes in a thick gravy.  As is often the case, Anthony was the target of second and third helpings.  They must have thought I was starving him so they wanted to make sure he had at least one square meal during the week.  More wine and charades followed and then it was on to dessert, an apple tart.  Or as the Spanish are so fond of saying, 'flan'.

At the end of the meal the wives disappeared down one end to wash up in a very rudimentary sink with cold water and hot water from a boiled kettle.  We took up tea towels but were shooed back to the table.  It seems the division of labour was: men - wine and main; women - dessert and washing up; guests - eating and drinking.  As the mismatched crockery and cutlery was washed and put away for the next group meal, the kitchen dresser was opened up and the homemade spirits appeared.  Fire water of every kind.  One very potent brew was the Pacharran (or Patxaran in Basque), a combination of aniseed spirit, coffee beans and sloe berries (used in sloe gin).

The piece de resistance were the roasted chestnuts. A home made chestnut roaster made from an old tin, was filled with chestnuts.  They had been scored at one end to allow the steam to escape and prevent small explosions.  A sentinel watched over the 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire', shaking and rolling the barrel so they cooked evenly.  Several minutes later, they were ready and turned out onto a towel to absorb some of the heat and cool.  We then tucked in.

Time passed and eventually we ran out of of things to mime or draw so it was time to call it a night.  We appreciated what a big effort had been made by the group.  They usually ate big lunches at 2 or 3pm and ate lightly in the late evening, if at all.  Sitting down to a three course meal at 6pm was as foreign to them as eating at 10pm was to us. What a fantastic group of people - welcoming a couple of travellers they had never met and didn't have a lot in common with, into their inner sanctum. That's how memories are made.

Fiona & Guillermo

* I am now taking Spanish lessons to improve my chances of communicting with the locals. Mi nombre es TIFFIN

Worth the Buyer's Premium

The crowd, the crowd!

The 'Premium' being that dreaded wait for a table.  We'd walked to Auctions Rooms from the CBD and on approach, we could see a crowd outside.  On this Melbourne adventure, I had a partner in crime and my solo dining theory (no waiting, tables always available for one) had to be parked on this occasion as we sat in the queue for a table.  We'd chosen Auction Rooms for late brunch/early lunch based on the local buzz and were glad we did.

Admittedly, the wait was short and happily, they had a concierge (cool guy with a clipboard) who kept things orderly and made sure people were seated promptly.   Auction Rooms has won a slew of awards for its coffee and while we waited, we watched some serious caffeine being turned out including the impressive siphon coffees.

The decor and atmosphere is great.  As the name would imply, the cafe is located in old auction rooms, giving it a warehouse feel with lots of edgy urban grunge styling.  A real surprise was the sunny courtyard out the back with a conservatory style ceiling.  This place can really pack them in, which is why the wait was short.

The breakfast menu covered off the usual toast and egg options but there were lots of little treats and different takes as well.  Porridge came with Earl Grey soaked prunes; Poached eggs w kale, beetroot relish, smoked onion & horseradish; Moroccan style stew w tomato, chorizo, feta, dukkah & flatbread and the one I nearly ordered, the heart attack inducing Crispy pork rillette sandwich w red pickled cabbage & watercress mayonnaise.  I say nearly ordered because I saw the Roasted pork belly on corn crepe w coffee BBQ sauce, black cabbage slaw & fried slow poached eggs going past and the decision was made.

Whilst we waited, we tried one of the siphon brews and a regular espresso.  The siphon coffee was 'different'.  Not different in a bad way, just different from what we have grown accustomed to.  It came in a beaker and looked more like tea than coffee, obviously as a result of the brewing process.  The liquid was clear and the taste, smooth and clean with a slightly bitter aftertaste.  We tried it straight and also with a small amount of milk.  It's probably an acquired taste but I would certainly be happy to have it again.

All set for a siphon coffee

My Roasted pork belly was a triumph!  Sliding out of breakfast/brunch and into lunch, this was perfect.  The thin crepe was folded around a succulent piece of pork belly that after hours of slow cooking, had been browned and crisped in the pan.  The eggs were as described - slow poached eggs that had had their own turn in the pan to give them a slight bronzing and crispness.  The slaw provided the crunchiness and my only regret was having to share a small part of the dish with my partner in crime.  I wanted it all to myself.  I would have like a second crepe to make up another crunchy, porky parcel but perhaps I'm being greedy.   This dish suggests that all those other brunch dishes on the menu would be as equally delicious.

Divine!

At my urging, my dining partner ordered the breakfast special, Scrambled eggs w smoked trout on sourdough.  This flavour combo is one of his faves and as tasty as it was, we both thought it a little pedestrian compared to some of the standard fare.  Chorizo & manchego sandwich next time maybe?

Considering both the number of tables and the turnover, service is very efficient.  We waited less than 10 minutes for our meals and perhaps only 5 for the coffees.  There seems to be a heavy bias towards Pork products and I can't say that much of it is slimming but as we only visit Melbourne once a year,  I would suggest that Auction Rooms is on the revisit list for us. 

Auction Rooms
103-107 Errol St
North Melbourne   Vic    3051
t: @auction_rooms
http://www.auctionroomscafe.com.au/

Visited:  Saturday 20th April 2012 - Brunch