Grab pork chops (preferably organic or free range), olive oil, touch of butter, yellow or orange capsicum, 1 flattened clove of garlic for every two pork chops. Thinly slice capsicum, season pork chops. Get heavy-based pan, heat up olive oil and touch of butter to coat pan, brown pork chops until golden brown, drop capsicum slices around pork chops. Cover with lid, place on low-medium heat for 15 minutes, drop garlic into oil half way through, shake pan every so often. Serve pork chops with capsicum on top. The sticky sweetness of the capsicum sauce will complement the tender pork chops. Accompany with roast vegetables and sauerkraut.
Given that I eat in dim places and I actually went to a mix of old & new venues over the last few days, it probably is best for me to provide a summary ratings sheet. No, sorry, no photos. It is difficult trying to get photos without attracting attention in candle-lit places:
Yarraville - a girls' night out at the movies was in the offering, but instead we lounged in the comfortable seats of Acqua e Vino. Dark wooden floorings, diverse sets of couches, old films being projected on a white wall, serving staff in vests. The 'beverage list' was more like a directory, befitting a bar that has been a finalist in the Bar of the Year awards since it opened. The food was just splendid for a wine bar. I had black and white sesame seed trevally skewers with aioli and a light salad. Oh the joy of perfectly cooked and cumin-seasoned fish when matched with the right accompaniments. I had a glass of Trentworth 2004 Victorian nebbiolo with this dish while my friends shared a bottle of Montgomery Hill 2004 Cabernet Franc.
It is dangerous to have, at so many single girls' disposal, copious amount of wines and food. Soon the others had polished off two bottles of sauvignon blanc and another bottle of the Cabernet Franc, calamari and two rounds of dips. Moving to the stickies was always dangerous for me amidst such a group, but I had to since no dessert appealed to me. A sweet riesling and a light muscat, both from Victoria. I must admit that stickies have become more appealing to me since I moved to the cold windy climates of Victoria which necessitated drinks in warm dens with dark chocolate truffles, good books and long pondering.
Then I sunk into my old, red armchair as I pretended to appreciate the grumblings and complaints of the ladies about the (lack of) decent men to date above the too-loud background music (the one jutting shortcoming of the place I would say)...
Rating: Food is 4&1/2 stars, drinks are 4 stars, service + ambience for the night was 3 stars.
Docklands: It gets problematic when you recommend a place you think people will like for a late group lunch. They may have seen the menu in advance, they may have been quite happy with the prices and the setting of the place. Then they finish lunch. The complaining starts coming thick and fast: oh where was our free bread? Oh this food is so pricey, even if it is good. Oh the drinks are so expensive, they must be skinning heaps of money off people who work around here.
Small wonder I had to order a Tuscan Sunset (Prosecco, Aperol, Campari) so I would not say anything I could regret. Needless to say, I wondered whether I had actually over-exerted my expectations in bringing this group to Va Bene. Tough, fussy or demanding? I wondered. They cleared out quickly enough, leaving a small group of us to meander over the 'expensive' drinks and make small talk. Fortunately the place was accommodating for us until we went to Alumbra at the end of the pier for Happy Hour drinks.
Rating: Food 31/2 stars, drinks 31/2 stars, service and atmosphere 4 stars.
City: when friends from interstate come to visit, you want to bring them to nice places. You bring them to cosy places for drinks, you bring them to friendly places for breakfast and coffees, you bring them to hidden gems for dinner and more drinks. You want to show them the best of the city, the uniqueness of the city you have chosen to live in. At the same time, celebrations over their being in town must be held.
Thus commenced a dizzy tour over the weekend of -
- Council House 2 for a bottle of shiraz the first night and coffees + desserts the second night (love the service, still in love with the Dutch Mess -Oranges Five Ways);
- Brother Baba Budan for a coffee with the early Saturday morning crowd. As DL marvelled at the effort people displayed in getting to their daily doses of caffeine, I chose the Panama Saint Teresa, a sweet coffee with touch of nutmeg;
- Queen Victoria Market so that DL could get his fix of bratwurst, Polish sausage and olives with anchovies. Feli also treated us to Coffin Bay oysters;
- Caffe Solarino for lunch via a seasonal menu. It was a good day for a zuppa of potata pancetta and leek, though I probably would have ordered the whole-crab spaghetti in a heartbeat if it was on the menu again. On the other hand, Feli had some doubts about whether she had been served a prawn spaghetti instead of a blue swimmer crab meat spaghetti, and professed her preference for the thickness of bologneses & ragus over the lightness of olive oils & garlic when it comes to pasta sauces;
- Chocolat Fraus (North Melbourne) for a pre-dinner hot chocolate with SY. We also shared a Funky Monkey i.e. a banana and nutella crepe with baileys. Yuuuuuuuum :P;
- Gills Diner to celebrate AF's graduation and JQ's birthday. Love this place not just because it is hidden in a laneway off Little Collins Street in atypical Melburnian fashion and I can dress up (JQ's gf almost immediately spotted it as a Life With Bird creation, sharp eye that girl has). The menu changes constantly so you never know what you will get but you know it will be excellent. My scampi risotto was so intensely flavoured I thought a seafood consomme as opposed to a seafood stock had been used. The spinach & ricotta fritter was marvellous, as were the smoked eel fritter and the farmhouse terrine. All this I matched with an '05 riesling from Geelong. In the meantime, the rest chowed down on zuppa of zucchini, King Island rib eye fillet, herbed veal cutlet with green beans, chestnut tagliatelle with a mushroom ragu, spaghetti marinara, pine mushroom pate and baked snapper fillet. Two bottles of wine, along with the generous portions, convinced the crowd that dessert was unnecessary though enticing (peach tea creme brulee...);
- Caffe Segarino for Sunday brunch. I tend to avoid cafes on Block Lane due to the tourist crowds it draws, but in this case I had to admit that I enjoyed my mocha and poached eggs on fried polenta with mushrooms and basil pesto;
- Chom Chom for 'cheng teng' (cooling ice drink common in Singapore and Malaysia), steamed glutinous rice cakes with pickled radish (otherwise known as Zhui Kueh) and minced pork mee-pok (otherwise known as Ba Cho Mee). I keep forgetting I do not like fishballs and meatballs that they tend to add in the minced pork mee-pok. DL devoured the wet ho fun while I just enjoyed the memories of home in the place;
- Brunetti for high tea with AF and her family after a tea shopping trip at Lupicia (my favourite tea shop in Melbourne). I ordered a mocha affogato and two mini 'scorpion tails' for AF's photo taking. If nothing else, I have utmost respect for Brunetti's ability to churn out the practicalities of 'la vita dolce'. Small wonder the place is one of the most famous dessert venues in Melbourne.
Rating: all stars round for making LS a fat but happy little piggy. I think I will stick to eating at home for the next few days :)
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