So delicious BABY

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Amy Wyatt

Couldn’t think of a perfect way to spend a hot humid Melbourne night than dinner and great conversation with a girlfriend. Headed off to the newest restaurant by the people responsible for the wildly successful Chin Chin- a little Italian gem called Baby.

Baby has found its home in the space once occupied by Pearl on Church St Richmond. The alfresco area is filled with trees in lovely planter boxes and red metal chairs and tables with the signature Vespa parked out the front. Would be a lovely place to sit on a mild summer night, but tonight we head inside to the cool air-conditioning, past that famous neon sign.

You cannot book and I thought we might have to wait for a table, but luckily we were seated promptly, admittedly this was early at 6pm. By 7:30pm the restaurant was pretty full. From our corner table, we could observe the busy open kitchen and watch the pizzas, salads and small snacks receive final flourishes before leaving the pass.

The drinks menu is quite diverse, offering a good selection of reasonably priced cocktails at $15 each or two varieties offered in a large carafe for $30. We settled on the Capri carafe, which was a lovely refreshing blend of Campari, pomegranate, Prosecco, strawberries and mint. Delicious! The wine list showcases Italian labels with some offerings from local producers and for beer Peroni is a popular choice.

The restaurant itself is quite light and bright, with wooden tables and pale blue wooden cafe style chairs. The noise level from other tables is low and music kept at an ambient level, so we are able to have a conversation without shouting at each other. Menus double as placemats, with the back page dedicated solely to their pizzas. The pizzas feature artisan toppings and the base is made with Caputo Molino 00 flour from Naples. The front page features cured meats and cheeses, small sharing plates, larger pastas, salads and dessert. The emphasis is on sharing and something my dining companion and I embrace. Service is efficient and friendly, though I must say our waitress perhaps lacked some knowledge when quizzed on a few curly ingredients. No biggie I guess.

We decided to start with the calamari, which was warmed through a pesto sauce and served on a bed of rocket. Good quality calamari which was quite tasty. We followed this with fried mozzarella, olives and a vegetable ratatouille of sorts. Delicious, warm, cheesy goodness! Our final small taste for the evening was a mixture of arancini and polenta croquettes. We were off to a good start.

There are so many pizzas to choose from that it did take a little while to narrow down the options. We settled on two choices and asked our waitress what she recommended. Apparently the chef always orders the Funghi, so with that we ordered ourselves a mushroom pizza to share. The pizza arrived and the base was thin with a tasty crust. The mushrooms and cheese were a match made in heaven. This was a very tasty pizza! One of the best mushroom pizzas I have had in a while with plenty of flavour. To offset the rich cheese we decided on a refreshing caprese salad of cherry tomatoes, olives, buffalo mozzarella and little tendrils of watercress.

Almost at capacity, we had just enough room to fit in dessert. Being a sweet tooth, they had a lot on offer that appealed. My friend chose the apple pie, which arrived slightly warm with a pleasant short crust pastry base and an abundance of chunky apples and sultanas spiced evenly with cinnamon. This was served with vanilla ice cream. I settled on the creme caramello which was the best I have eaten in a long time, if not ever! Big call I know…but it was so good. The creamiest custard speckled with vanilla bean seeds and drizzled with caramel sauce. Heaven! It was very rich though and I struggled to finish it all.

Overall my first visit to Baby was a pleasant experience and I will definitely be back, there are still at least another twenty pizzas to try! The prices are reasonable too, our bill for ample food and cocktails came to just $70 each. Baby also offers a take away menu.

You can find Baby at:

631-633 CHURCH STREET RICHMOND

(03) 9421 4599

Baby website

A Popular Little Italian

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Amy Wyatt

If this restaurant was not only in Sydney, if it wasn’t headed by the culinary genius Jamie Oliver and if it was not one of my favourite cuisines I would not have waited a painful 2.5 hours to eat dinner! I find restaurants that don’t take bookings increasingly frustrating! I long for the old days when you simply made a reservation and turned up at the designated time. Instead, we now turn up and put our names on a long list, grab a buzzer or leave our mobiles and find some way to pass the time, until a table finally becomes free. Gripes aside…Jamie’s Italian is warm and welcoming. There is a long bar on the ground floor and a small area for people to wait with a drink, while checking out Jamie’s latest cookbooks and merchandise. The warehouse style restaurant wouldn’t be out of place in New York with lots of iron beams, exposed brick, red banquette seating and tables crowded into the mezzanine level. The staff dart around with speed and purpose.

Finally, 9pm ticked over and we took our seats in front of another open kitchen (definitely in vogue at the moment) on the mezzanine level. Almost past hunger, my tastebuds revived as I perused the menu. Jamie’s Italian features all the rustic classics so often featured in his TV shows and cookbooks. The emphasis is on herbs, spices and lots of fresh flavours. The service was efficient and attentive.

To begin I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try one of his signature wooden planks filled with antipasti goodies. The plank arrives resplendent with slices of San Daniele prosciutto, Wagyu bresaola, finocchio & capocollo; fresh Buffalo mozzarella & pecorino with an amazing sweet chilli jam; pickles, olives & caper berries and shaved root vegetables garnished with chilli, lemon & mint. We also settled on some crispy fried polenta with rosemary & parmesan, which was quite simply delicious!

For mains, the fresh pasta won us over. The delicate ravioli parcels stuffed with creamy ricotta, lemon, mint and parmesan was heavenly. The lemon and mint providing just the right amount of freshness to cut through the creamy ricotta. The creamy pumpkin ravioli with crushed almonds, fresh tomato and a hint of chilli was also excellent. Perfectly al dente.

The wine list features a variety of Italian and Australian labels and we settled on a beautiful bottle of Montepulciano from Abruzzo, which was rich with the flavours of berries and chocolate.

Almost stuffed full, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try the warm chocolate and raspberry brownie with vanilla ice cream. The melted chocolate was the perfect match for the tart raspberries. The creamy panna cotta with seasonal berry compote was also delicious. A wonderful end to a highly anticipated meal!

You can find Jamie’s Italian at:

107 Pitt Street
Sydney
NSW 2000

02 8240 9000

http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/australia/sydney

All Aboard The Sweet Express

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Amy Wyatt

Confession…I am completely and utterly obsessed with macarons. These tiny morsels of egg white and sugar sandwiched with ganache are my kryptonite. Many failed attempts to make my own, usually ending with sad collapsed shells and a kitchen covered in almond meal, have led me to leave it to the experts.

Adriano Zumbo is pretty much the guru of macarons in Australia. So famous his macarons are affectionately called Zumbarons. This is why on a recent trip to Sydney I made sure the gourmet tour included a stop at his store in the Star Casino. This is not just any store! Zumbo at the Star features one of the most fabulous inventions I have ever seen…think of a sushi train and replace the sushi with plates of dessert! Yes….never ending plates of dessert! Augustus Gloop would be in heaven!

You cannot book the dessert train and there are only 18 seats, so prepare to wait when it is busy. Luckily most people can only consume so much sugar so the line does move quite quickly. The dessert train is open Wednesday-Sunday and offers diners the option of taking plates from the conveyer belt or ordering from the a la carte menu. White plates are $5, pink are $6 and black are $10. Zumbarons come 4 a piece on the black plates. They also offer a wide range of hot and cold drinks, including a delicious hot chocolate if your sweet tooth knows no limits. The open kitchen adds to the excitement as you watch the pastry chefs churn out exquisite desserts.

During our sitting we tried the chocolate on chocolate dessert, a deconstructed lemon tart, the violet crumble and a plate of zumbarons including strawberry bubblegum, pistachio and raspberry beetroot. The flavours are unique and even though the combinations may sound odd, they are quite simply delicious. From vegemite to chocolate peanut butter jelly to pineapple and ginger these Zumbarons truly are a party for your tastebuds. Overall the Zumbo Dessert Train was a novel experience and a must visit if you are ever in Sydney. I think his macarons are the best reason to visit. I would still choose dessert from Burch & Purchese any day.

I must be glutton for punishment, but I couldn’t help myself and have recently purchased a box of the Zumbo salted caramel macarons from his new home baking range. Fingers crossed I can avoid disaster this time! Check the range out at http://zumbobaking.com.au

Zumbo at The Star

Shop 1, Cafe Court
The Star
80 Pyrmont st
Pyrmont, NSW 2009

Entry Via Edward St

http://adrianozumbo.com/the-star-pyrmont/

One Tasty Apple

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Amy Wyatt

After reading a stack of good press, I finally gathered the troops and ventured out of my neighbourhood to bustling Hawthorn to try one of the newest kids on the block, Crabapple Kitchen.

This delightful cafe is the newest venture for Greg Feck (of Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder fame) and is an oasis along the busy thoroughfare of Glenferrie Road. The vibrant striped awning and white picket fence catch the eye and beckon hungry stomachs inside. The feeling is one of warmth and the service is personable and friendly; like eating in a small country kitchen. The decor is a mix of country-style shabby chic, with travel photos adorning the exposed brick walls and wooden tables with whitewashed timber chairs. Crabapple Kitchen is long and narrow, with tables stretching the length of the restaurant and the kitchen tucked neatly at the back. Glass cabinets at the front of the cafe are filled with an assortment of freshly baked goods to tempt any sweet tooth.

The philosophy of Crabapple Kitchen is to unite Greg’s two great loves…food and travel! A philosophy akin to my own. The focus is on the freshest seasonal produce available with a number of signature dishes inspired by travels around the world. An opportunity to sample exotic flavours, no passport required.

Breakfast is served all day- fantastic for late risers with an inspired lunch menu served from 11:30am. Perusing the menu we all choose something different. There is the avocado on olive toast with Meredith Dairy feta, lemon, chilli, mint and avocado oil with an added poached egg.

Poached eggs, swiss brown button mushrooms and toast. Menu alterations are no problem for the kitchen and another plate of poached eggs, toast and mushrooms arrives with avocado and a side of Vegemite. The ‘Jum & Bender Sarnie’ comprising of a fried egg, bacon, H.P sauce, aioli & rocket in a soft brioche & sesame bun is quickly polished off. While I settle for a breakfast inspired by travels to Jalandhar City in India. My eggs arrive baked in an aromatic Northern Indian style curry with lentils & caraway seeds, heirloom carrots, spiced yoghurt and grilled wholemeal flat bread. The curry is flavoursome, rich with tomatoes and spices. The heirloom carrot is slightly al dente and the flat bread is the perfect vehicle to mop up the rich juices. Very impressive and a welcome change from the usual breakfast staples.

My first visit to Crabapple Kitchen certainly won’t be my last…I am itching to try the lunch menu and also have earmarked their Friday Night Flights, where you can sample a selection of dishes inspired by a new country each week. On the menu over the next few months is food from Provence, the Ligurian Coast, Northern India and the Greek Islands.

Best news of all they take bookings! Hurrah!

Crabapple Kitchen
659 Glenferrie Road Hawthorn VIC 3122

Ph: 03 9078 5492

www.crabapplekitchen.com.au

An Old Favourite Reborn

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Amy Wyatt

One of the things I love most about Melbourne is there is always something new to discover…having grown up around Melbourne and its surrounding suburbs since childhood I never cease to be amazed at the treasures waiting to be found in hidden laneways and streets across the city.

Case in point…last night I found myself wandering down the quiet and hidden Cecil Place in Prahran for the first time to try the delights of David’s, a restaurant that has been established since 1999 but has recently emerged from a fresh coat of paint to take on a new lease of life.

My first thought as I walked through the glass door was how lovely and bright the new look David’s is. Hecker Guthrie are responsible for the new fit out and have reflected David’s country Shanghai history through mismatched timber chairs, whitewashed walls and Chinoiserie-style lamps. Greenery spills from brown bottles and assorted stoneware lining the window sills and shelving. The all white colour scheme and cantilevered windows take advantage of the light and create a homely atmosphere.

David’s is all about quality, fresh ingredients. The meals are never fussy and the emphasis is on sharing. Plates come out haphazardly as soon as they leave the kitchen. The menu encompasses a wide range of tastes and flavours from the sea, to the paddock, to the pen and everything in between. There is an extensive wine and beverage list, and an amazing range of herbal teas which offer the promise of curing any ailment. David’s is also BYO every day except Saturday and corkage is only $10.

Hint…Wednesday is locals night where you can enjoy 2 courses from a changing weekly menu and a glass of house red or white wine for a very affordable $30 per person. Even better, there are a number of options available, so each person can choose something different and share a range of tastes. From this week’s menu we decided to try the mixed basket of pork, chicken, beef and veggie dumplings and the crispy vegetable rolls with lettuce cups and sweet chilli sauce. For mains we settled on the sticky pork belly with chat potatoes, aptly named “country comfort” and Auntie’s fried rice with Chinese sausage and egg.

I’ll admit Chinese food is not my favourite cuisine, as generally I find the suburban Chinese restaurant’s fare too fatty, heavy and oily. So imagine my surprise when I tasted the wares from David’s. I have not yet been to China, but I imagine this is what it would taste like if you were able to eat where the locals do! The dumplings arrive piping hot with plenty of filling and the veggie rolls are indeed crispy with an ample amount of finely chopped vegetables. I am not usually a fan of fried rice, but the Auntie’s fried rice was fluffy with a flavour packed punch and not too greasy. Simple, comforting food. The pork belly was juicy and sticky-sweet, while the accompanying baby chat potatoes were cooked to perfection.

As you may know I usually find dessert in Asian restaurants to be ho-hum and uninspiring and generally take a wide berth; but I couldn’t resist trying the soft centred, white chocolate dumplings, with peanut and coconut praline and vanilla ice cream. Three very simple, tasty glutinous chewy rice balls filled with white chocolate and topped with toasted peanuts and coconut. It wasn’t an earth shattering moment, but this was a pleasant change from the usual suspects of fried ice cream and banana fritters. Herbal tea comes in nifty glass teapots that double as a teacup, once you remove the inner vessel that steeps the tea.

All in all David’s was a very pleasant experience and I will definitely be back for more now that I have stumbled on this hidden gem. They do a great value yum cha every Saturday and Sunday in two sittings from 11:30-1pm and 1:30-3pm which I can’t wait to try!

This emperor may have new clothes, but it has lost none of its old school charm.

David’s

4 Cecil Place Prahran, VIC, 3181

(03) 9529 5199

davidsrestaurant.com.au

French flavours for the Francophile within

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Amy Wyatt

I am a self-confessed Francophile…from movies, to food, to a language and city that literally makes me go weak at the knees I love all things French.

As I walked through the doors to PM24 last Saturday, the excitement was palpable. I have admired the work of Philippe Mouchel over the last few seasons of Masterchef and couldn’t wait to check out his modern French Brasserie and succumb to all its delicious, rich, buttery goodness.

The dining room is immediately impressive; a modern warehouse with lofty ceilings and an entertaining open kitchen running the length of the room. Taking our seat directly across from the dessert preparation area (perfect for my sweet tooth!) we begin perusing the menu. First task was to choose something to imbibe and something from France seemed the obvious choice. The wine list is comprehensive and after much deliberation we settled on a mid price Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley.

Our delightful waiter hailed from Paris and I honestly could have listened to the dulcet tones of his French accent all night! Walking us through the PM24 menu he detailed the evening specials and explained we could choose the degustation menu, a choice of 5 signature dishes, or order a la carte. We decided to order a la carte and set about constructing the perfect three course meal.

For entrée we decided to try the evening special; a Parmesan custard with an onion and mushroom veloute and soft-boiled egg and the confit duck salad with poached egg. The first mouthful of the creamy veloute resulted in some fairly major food envy on my part…that was until I tasted my perfectly cooked duck.

The veloute was rich and creamy with a robust flavour courtesy of the bitey Parmesan, mushroom and onion . Breaking the softly poached egg into the veloute was a special sight. A pitch perfect dish.

The richness of my confit duck was perfectly balanced alongside the frisee salad, sweet melon squares, king oyster mushrooms, parmesan shavings and micro herbs. I immediately broke the softly poached egg and watched as the bright yellow yolk cascaded through the salad leaves. Two amazing dishes down…we were off to a great start!

Having heard so much about the signature rotisserie chicken I could not pass up the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. Named dish of the year by Larissa Dubecki in The Age’s Epicure; this famous little bird is so popular they even offer it as an extravagant take away Monday to Friday.

The chook is an organic Milawa variety and comes with roasted garlic and crunchy rosemary potatoes that have been slowly roasting underneath the bird in the rich suet. Classic French cooking at its best. To accompany this dish we settled on the comfort of cheesy cauliflower gratin. If we were going to blow our calorie count, may as well do it with style! Upon tasting the perfectly tender chicken I could see how it has won so much praise. You must try this!

During the meal I watched the excitement of the open kitchen unfolding in front of me. As is to be expected in a restaurant of this calibre the kitchen ran like a well oiled machine. I was also suitably awestruck to see Philippe Mouchel himself presiding over the pass and making sure all the dishes that went out were first class.

With the plat principal over and some time to digest our meals, we began to consider the final course. Although our waiter tried hard to persuade us to try traditional French cheeses with an impressive cheese board, I could not pass up the opportunity to satisfy my sweet tooth with a classic French dessert. A seasonal blood orange souffle with a quenelle of condensed milk ice cream and candied orange. From our table I enjoyed watching the sous dessert chef create the lightest souffle I have eaten. What a way to finish a spectacular meal!

To round out a beautiful evening our waiter presented us with the petit fours; two delicious squares of springy, pink marshmallow.

I highly recommend getting yourself along to PM24, one of the classiest French brasseries in Melbourne. You will not be disappointed.

PM24

24 Russell St. Melbourne VIC 3000

03 9207 7424

www.pm24.com.au

The Perfect Tonic

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Amy Wyatt

A sense of anticipation filled the air as I walked through the door, past the neon tiger and took my seat at the newest restaurant from the gastronomic genius Davis Yu and his creative and design partners Maison Davis and Hecker Guthrie. Davis has brought to Melbourne other well known gems The Millswyn and Touche Hombre.

Claremont Tonic feels like a trendy home filled with assorted bric a brac collected during many travels around the world. Among the treasures are assorted jars filled with plants, a world globe, a strange duck with wings stretched and a model dinosaur skeleton. The soundtrack is moderately loud rock music, but not too loud that it is impossible to have a conversation. The staff are suitably cool in their Claremont Tonic branded denim shirts, black jeans and bandanas.

The menu is an interesting mix of the best bits of Asia with a cheeky Claremont Tonic twist. The menu is set out to take diners on a journey starting with small dishes, moving on dishes from the land and sea, larger format dishes and even a small section celebrating the humble vegetable (mum’s everywhere would be impressed). The finale comes in the form of some very clever “Happy Ending” desserts.

Claremont Tonic also focuses on cocktails with some amazing creations on offer and a rather handy chart broken up into sweet, sour, spicy and dry which enables one to quickly choose their preferred elixir based on how they take their drink. The names are all very tongue in cheek with such classics as “Chroming with Keith Richards”, “Sex in the Jungle”, “Lost in Translation” and the famous “C Bomb”, which is a whole cleaved watermelon filled with organic vodka, rhubarb juice and mint leaves. Complete with enough straws so the whole table can join in the fun. They also have a reasonable wine selection with options by the glass, beer, sake and whisky and some delicious juices and herbal teas for the non-drinker.

With so much to choose from and take in, we were very appreciative of the assistance of our waiter who walked us through the menu and his favourites. To start the night we choose the “Sex in the Jungle” cocktail, which was a refreshing and tangy mix of lemon vodka, cointreau, pomegranate, cranberry and lime juice. Yum!

From the small dishes we decided on the “Pork Bun Animal Style”, which was pulled pork belly, pineapple and a quail egg encased in sweet soft brioche. Very similar to the New England Lobster Roll from Golden Fields and just as tasty if not more so.

Next up was a dish I had read a lot about “The King of the Chimichangas”, which is such a clever dish. Basically a Japanese take on the Mexican taco. The dish comes with two lightly battered and tempura fried nori shells, which become the crunchy vessel for a delicious wooden box of flavours, including raw salmon, avocado, sea salt, wasabi, mayonnaise and rice. The idea is to start from one end of the box and scoop all the delicious flavours into your nori shell. This was my favourite dish of the night.

For main we settled on the “Red Rooster” which was a roasted 1/2 Milawa chicken, slaw, lemon, mayo and lip smacking chicken gravy. Very very tasty! I love my vegetables so I couldn’t pass up a plate of “Wok and Roll” which was a classic plate of stir fried Asian greens including silverbeet, gai lan and bok choy with black beans and garlic.

I am usually not a fan of Asian desserts, generally it is always the same ho hum banana or pineapple fritter or even classic fried ice cream. Claremont Tonic has some of the most interesting desserts I have seen in a while and I couldn’t resist opening the reserves to try some.

We choose “Gingerbreads” which was a spiced carrot cake, salted caramel, sesame ice cream & pistachio. Seriously yummy! If I could complain about anything the “happy ending” was over too soon! A larger serving would have been most welcome. The freshly made custard tarts were also delicious and I highly recommend waiting 15 minutes to taste these babies!

Do yourself a favour and get to Claremont Tonic before all the cool kids do! Best news is they take bookings, no ridiculous queues to battle!

Claremont Tonic

15A Claremont St South Yarra VIC 3141

(03) 9827 0399

www.claremont-tonic.com.au

An Italian Merchant in Melbourne

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Amy Wyatt

A few weeks ago I revisited a restaurant I first dined at around two years ago…the Guy Grossi outpost at the Rialto- The Merchant of Venice. After returning to his mother’s homeland Guy was inspired to bring a casual Osteria to Melbourne…a place that encouraged people to enjoy great food, wine and the company of others. The result was The Merchant.

The restaurant is unmissable- just look for the gondola sitting in the middle of the Rialto forecourt. It is warm and inviting with an open kitchen adding theatrics. Shortly after taking our seats, our waiter returns, resplendent is his white coat and offers us a freshly mixed signature Bellini. It doesn’t take much to twist our arm and very soon I am sipping the perfect combination of peach puree and “Grossi” brand prosecco. What a great start to the evening.

The menu is designed to encourage sharing amongst diners and we decided to opt for the San Marco feast which placed us in the hands of the Chef who served up six signature dishes and 2 sides as well as dessert. Amazing value for $70 a head. The wine list is comprehensive and favours Italian imports. We settled on a mid range Merlot from Trentino which was smooth enough to cut through the hearty flavours of Venetian cuisine.

First up was a wooden board with fresh cured meats and salami and four fresh oysters with lemon vinaigrette. The prosciutto had the right balance of saltiness and the cured meats were mildly peppery. The lemon vinaigrette was the perfect accompaniment to the salty “fresh from the sea” oysters. The feast had begun!

Next up was a duck ragu with fresh spaghetti, which came in the signature blue and yellow Merchant of Venice dinnerware. The ragu was chunky and saucy and the pasta was perfectly al dente with bite. Accompanying this were four large pieces of hand made lamb tortellini with a pesto sauce. Each piece of tortellini had a generous amount of lamb filling.

From here we moved on to what would be mains in any other restaurant. Two perfectly cooked char grilled minute steaks with a surprising parsley puree, and a hearty lamb ragu with creamy polenta. These dishes were accompanied with buttered snake beans and a rustic salad of borlotti beans, celery, tomatoes and lettuce.

Stomachs straining we moved on to the final dish of the evening a light and fluffy ricotta mousse with berries and puffed deep fried pastry pieces, which were perfect to dip into the mousse and provided a welcome textural element. I loved the plating of this dessert. A large martini glass, big enough for two people all served on a wooden board This was the perfect dessert to finish off the meal, light and sweet enough without being overly rich or heavy.

Overall my second foray at the Merchant was a lovely experience. The service was pleasant without being overly fussy and the meal was a hearty taste of classic Venetian flavours. Simple classic flavours without being too stuffy or rigid in presentation .

I highly recommend trying one of Grossi’s Melbourne outposts for classic Italian cuisine.

The Merchant of Venice

merchantov.com

Rialto 495 Collins Street Melbourne 3000

Phone: 03 9614 7688

Open Mon-Fri 7am-11pm Sat 5-11pm

A bird in the hand

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Amy Wyatt

Confession…I love brunch! And when the new kid on the block “Two Birds One Stone” opened in July in Claremont Street I was eager to try the newest venture from the same group behind successful cafes Three Bags Full, Apte and Liar Liar. This place has been so popular my only chance to try it has been on a rare day off during the week!

The cafe is lovely and light and very homely with lots of beautiful oak timber throughout and quirky lighting. Two Birds has 80 seats and a mix of high timber island benches with stools, lower benches lining the windows which are perfect for people watching and cosy booths perfect for larger groups.

The coffee on offer is from Six Senses and it is very good. They have syphon and drip coffee on offer for those who take their coffee seriously, but the friendly staff are just as happy serving up a latte with cute latte art. The menu is full of earthy tasty options including eggs benedict with ham hock and bernaise sauce (another birdie tells me this is excellent), marmalade french toast with orange and vanilla mousse and salt cod & potato fritters with spinach, poached eggs and a caper berry dressing.

After much deliberation I decided to try the large field mushrooms, Meredith dairy feta cheese, watercress and house made toasted brioche with the addition of a perfectly poached egg. This was seriously tasty! Probably one of my favourite brunches so far this year. I am eager to get back and try more of the Two Birds menu…just have to brave the crowds to snare a seat at this increasingly popular cafe.

I also recommend checking out the home baked goodies in the glass cabinets before you leave. The cheesecake brownie and the raspberry & chocolate brownie are both delicious.

Check out this cafe…I promise you will not be disappointed.

Two Birds One Stone

12 Claremont St South Yarra VIC 3141

(03) 9827 1228

Mon-Fri 7am-4pm Sat-Sun 8am-5pm

www.twobirdsonestonecafe.com.au

High Tea with a sweet twist

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Amy Wyatt

Those that know me well know my penchant for all things sweet…if I had to classify myself as any kind of cook it would definitely be a dessert queen. You name it I’ve cooked it…tarts, pavlova, chocolate brownies, pannacotta, chocolate fondant…the list goes on!

My latest obsession came when I stumbled on a perfect little store of sweetness on Chapel St called Burch & Purchese. This store is my idea of heaven…a glorious window of delicious cakes, chocolate pops and little edible chocolate penguins. From the frilly pink aprons worn by the staff, to the wall of delicious jams, chocolate and addictive jars of salted caramel spread this place is all kinds of Willy Wonka fun. Not to mention the interactive flavour wall with over 300 ingredients to create an amazing cake that dreams are made of. I can personally vouch for the amazing cakes…thanks to the amazing explosive milk chocolate and raspberry cake my mum arranged for my 30th.

So given my love for all things B&P, you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered that the wonderful Darren Purchese was doing a limited series of High Tea afternoons with a twist at The Langham in Melbourne. I quickly booked myself and my bestie a place for the 17th August to kick off my 30th birthday celebrations in style.

I love High Tea and have made it my mission to try as many as I possibly can… Upon arrival we opened our beautiful menu to discover the gastronomical delights awaiting us. But first….some etiquette about the correct way to High Tea.

With etiquette covered…more importantly what did we eat?

This special high tea experience involved all the usual suspects of finger sandwiches in a variety of tasty flavours including smoked salmon, chicken, cucumber & cress, egg & mayonnaise and cream cheese & chive; along with fluffy scones served with raspberry jam, butter and clotted cream.

With the classics devoured we moved on to a selection of six of the most famous B&P delights. First up was the explosive raspberry eclair which comprised of chocolate choux pastry, exaggerated raspberry cream, freeze dried raspberries, a perfectly tempered dark chocolate top and the added surprise of milk chocolate coated popping candy!

Next up were my two favourites of the afternoon…a delicious tube of “Coconut, Ginger, Passionfruit and Mint”. This was the most amazing flavour combination of coconut mousse, tangy passionfruit curd, coconut caviar, passionfruit jelly, salted oak & ginger crumble, white chocolate mint wafer, ginger macaroon topped with brilliant white chocolate spray. The spicy ginger, tangy passionfruit curd and creamy pearls of coconut caviar literally popped in my mouth.

Next up was a “Chocolate, Mandarin and Salted Caramel” cake. An exquisite work of art that tasted even better than it looked. This one comprised of chocolate aerated shortbread, burnt mandarin cream, smooth Murray river salted caramel, ‘tobago’ 64% dark chocolate mousse finished with a glossy chocolate mirror glaze. This one was for the sweetest of sweet tooth’s and was a bit too rich for my bestie, but heaven for me. The perfect combination of salted caramel and dark chocolate mousse.

The last three tastes were gorgeous chewy “Meringue Clouds” flavoured with tangy freeze dried passionfruit; addictive “Popcorn and Honeycomb Rubble” which comprised of homemade honeycomb and popcorn wrapped in Spanish Milk Chocolate. I could eat so much of this! With bellies bursting we finished our Willy Wonka extravaganza with the classic B&P “Gold Bullion Bar”, which was a gorgeous little treat of flowing salted caramel (I could eat jars of this stuff!) encased in Spanish dark chocolate with a beautiful gold sheen to mimic a real gold bullion bar.

This was one of the most fun and delicious High Tea experiences I have had and I highly recommend trying the B&P Langham High Tea if you get the chance. Only $69 per person including unlimited loose leaf tea, specialty coffee or hot chocolate. There is only one more scheduled for the year- tomorrow 12 October, but I am sure there might be a few more scheduled soon. Otherwise they have also run dessert degustation evenings at the Sweet Studio. This is next on my list when they do another one…

A lovely afternoon with my bestie and her beautiful new daughter Willow

Check out the website and call into the Sweet Studio too

burchandpurchese.com

647 Chapel St South Yarra Vic 3141

Open Tues-Sun 10-6:30pm

(03) 9827 7060

journeysaroundtheglobe

travel tips, photos and culinary adventures around the globe…