Kagu Ra Zaka

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Multicultural Cuisine of... Japan

Kagu Ra Zaka
266 Toorak Rd,
South Yarra
(03) 9827 2608
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I've recently taken quite a liking to Japanese food. I'm not talking about the commercial, stock-standard, mass-produced shopping centre sushi. I mean real Japanese food. Sous-Jeff had a not-so-great Japanese experience at a Teppanyaki restaurant with a group of his work colleagues - being the big, manly man that he is, he was bitterly disappointed to get tiny portions through out the night, leaving him still hungry and arriving home with a McChicken burger. So, naturally he was a little hesitant when I suggested going out for a Japanese lunch. I reminded him that he actually really enjoyed our lunch at Wabi Sabi (which I've also taken my mum and sisters to), and that if he ordered the right things he would get a substantial feed. "OK then," he replies, "but I'm trusting you to order for me!" No pressure.

To my great delight, we arrive on a blisteringly cold Melbourne winter's day, to find an authentic, little, warm, Japanese sanctuary. With proper, authentic Japanese "booths" to eat in! Win! Nothing better than getting to kick of your shoes and relax over lunch!

Being the little nerd I am, I've already sussed out the website before our lunch date, and find out that the restaurant's head chef, Mr Jack Itou, has shown off his culinary skills on the Japanese TV network, with IronChef Ken Kenichi! Very cool!

We take off our shoes and crawl up into our seats. Our table is set with beautiful blue and white patterned plates and our chopsticks (which I'm still slowly learning to operate in a more graceful manner than simply stabbing my food).

Sous-Jeff takes a look at the menu, written partly in Japanese, flicks through a few pages (not entirely sure what he's looking at), and asks, "so, what are we having?!" Another win for me - I get to choose our lunch menu! "Let's get some edamame beans to start," I say, having fallen in love with them a few years ago at another Teppanyaki restaurant. He nods along... "what???" That was my question too, when I first ate them - they're green soy beans, salt boiled in their pods and squeezed out to eat.

Edamame, $6.00

To me, they have a sweetish flavour, and taste absolutely amazing when combined with the vinegar-spiked soy sauce.

After a bit of practice, I even got the hang of using my chopsticks to eat them!

Next on my list were the gyoza (pork mince and vegetable dumplings), and they were spectacular!

Gyoza (5 pieces), $7.00

Soft shelled, without being mushy, and a beautiful flavour - strong, but not overpowering. Absolutely loved them!

And my final appetiser choice were the spring rolls. Being the personal trainer/sport teacher, healthy duo that we are, Sous-Jeff and I cannot go past anything deep fried.

HaruMaki (2 pieces), $4.50

Not much to say about these - they lasted all of 4 seconds and were perfect. They made the most incredible sound when we bit into them, and tasted great with the left over vinegar and soy sauce mix we got with the edamame.

Time for a main - we decide to share, as we have a dinner that night as well, so we don't want to go in pre-filled! We decide on something we'll both love - the chicken teriyaki, served with veggies and a homemade teriyaki sauce.

Teriyaki (chicken), $17.00

Well, I'll be the first to admit, the veggies weren't amazing... they were just a standard salad/cabbage/cucumber/tomato mix. But the chicken...

Dotted with sesame seeds and drenched in the sticky, sweet teriyaki sauce, the chicken was tender and soft and cooked to perfection. We were suddenly regretting our agreement to share. Luckily we had some steamed white rice to soak up all the sauce - there was a fight for that too.

Steamed rice, $2.00 per serve

Bellies full and tummies content, we prepare to tackle our next challenge - getting out of our little both with our dignity intact. 5 minutes and a few giggles from our lovely waitress later, we were out, shoes on, and ready to leave. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, the food was really great (I'd rate it on a par with Wabi Sabi, which I continue going back to!), and I can't wait to go again!

Over to you - any favourite restaurants that have encouraged you to go and try that same cuisine elsewhere?! 

Would rate it 8 out of 10.

 

P.S. It's just occurred to me that I really haven't given any bad restaurant reviews since starting my blog... how is this possible that I haven't stumbled onto anything terrible yet?! It isn't intentional, I swear I'll tell you when I hate something! And I didn't think I was that easily pleased.... might have to be more critical from now on!

 

Maroush

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Multicultural Cuisine of... Lebanon

Maroush

1092 Main Rd,

Eltham

(03) 9439 5665

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With the plethora of delicious and diverse cuisines available it the Melbourne CBD and surrounds, it's so easy to forget about your own backyard. Which is exactly what Sous-Jeff and I have done. There's this restaurant that we drive past a dozen times a week, which we've been invited to for dinner before but didn't make it, that we're um-ed and ahh-ed over for years - you know that restaurant? We all have one. Maroush was ours. Until Saturday night - we decided to finally give it a shot. We decided to book a table, just in case, even though we didn't think it'd be all that busy, because it was just a local little restaurant. Wrong. It was darn lucky we did book, because it was packed! The car park was full when we arrived at 7pm, with the 50m either side of the restaurant lined with parked cars too. Awesome, we think, it must be good it it's this busy!

We ascend the tiled steps and make our way through the big, wrought iron gates, and past a big, terracotta coin fountain. We make our way through the front door and almost walk into the front counter/kitchen area. The restaurant is divided into two seemingly identical sections, one to the right of the kitchen, the other to the left. We are led around to the right hand side, and seated on a table below some beautiful, huge, golden engraved discs.

Directly opposite us is a large mirror, framed with Lebanese knick knacks and a painted mural on the wall behind my seat.

But enough of the view, time for the food! Neither Sous-Jeff or I had eaten Lebanese before, and were a little scared of what the food might be like... we really, honestly had no idea what to expect! So, what better way to try it than to go with the banquet?! The lovely waitress we had was fantastic - she knew the menu like the back of her hand and explained every dish (all 14 of them!) succinctly and simply. 

First out for our entrees was a trio of dips with warm pita bread and also fried pita bread. 

We had Hommos, which was nutty, meaty, grainy and earthy - it tasted like real chickpeas, and was absolutely perfect!

Hommos

Baba Ghannouj, which was perfectly silky smooth, and had the most beautiful smokey flavour which was perfectly married with the eggplant.

Baba Ghannouj

Lastly in our trio was the tabouli - lemony and zesty, perfect to refresh our mouths in between what was to come!

Tabouli

Next out were the falafels, a spicy mix of beans, vegetables and herbs, made in meatball form (which were just a little too spicy for me!) with a beautifully smooth tahini sauce which had a great lemon flavour. Unfortunately, there was one grumpy waiter in the whole place, and he happened to be the one who brought out this dish to us, plonked silently and unceremoniously on the table, and off he stomped to the next customers. Sous-Jeff loved the falafels, being the spice fiend he is, and was surprised that a vegetarian, gluten free dish was so delicious!

Falafel with tahini sauce

Next out were the meat cigars; spiced, lean lamb and pine nuts, wrapped in filo pastry, with a sweet, syrupy, unknown sauce on top. Thankfully, the lovely waiter who brought these out to us was more than happy to explain what everything was when we questioned what the previously mentioned falafels were. He said it was fantastic that we wanted to know more about our dishes, as it showed that we were excited about the food - very true. He happily explained what the meat cigars and the falafels were, and to the credit of the staff, the waiter and waitress we had for the remainder of the evening enthusiastically explained each following dish to us with a great big smile on their faces. I loved these little cigars, and was was relieved to find they actually weren't spicy at all! I think "spiced" means "herbed" or "flavoured with spices," not actually hot and spicy! I'm not sure what the sauce was, but it didn't seem to really go with the cigars... it was tasty, but it just wasn't quite right.

Meat Cigars

Along with the meat cigars came with Sambousik - fetta cheese with onion and mixed herbs, wrapped in filo pastry again. This was one of my favourites, I loved the creaminess of the fetta, which wasn't overly salty, contrasted with the perfectly crisp pastry.

Sambousik

Then, out comes the Makanek, which are grilled lamb sausages with lemon juice and sumac, which were very tender and tasty.

Makanek

And they were followed by the Ors Kafta - grilled lamb patties with onion and fresh parsley. They were perfectly cooked and tasted beautiful with fresh lemon squeezed over them. 

Ors Kafta

With our entrees done (yes, all of that was just the entrees!), the waitress clears out table and tells us she'll give us a few minutes to digest before bringing out our mains. We nod appreciatively. 10 minutes or so later, out come the mains. It's a smaller version of the standard sized main (thankfully!), and we get a beautiful platter of Shish Tawook and Shish Kabab on different rices, and a little side of salad with a garlic and lemon dressing.

Right: Chicken Shish Tawook on almond rice. Left: Lamb Shish Kabab on saffron rice

Side salad

We tried the Shish Kabab first, which was the marinated lamb on skewers, served on a saffron rice. I must admit, I'm not really a lamb eater (hence why we went for the lamb first) and was quite apprehensive at the sight of the menu with all of the lamb... but it was all cooked magnificently and I probably would eat lamb more often if it was always done so well! It was very soft and tender, and the saffron rice was beautifully flavoured - they went together so well that I left my last few bites of rice and lamb to eat after the chicken (I like to finish on a high note!).

Shish Kabab on saffron rice

We tried the chicken next, the Shish Tawook (marinated in garlic and lemon juice), and it was also very soft and tender, but, and I can't believe I'm typing this, but I actually enjoyed the lamb more! I wasn't a fan of the almond rice as it was laced with cinnamon (and I'm just not a fan of cinnamon), but Sous-Jeff quite enjoyed it.

Shish Tawook on almond rice

With our mains finished and bellies full, our plates were once again cleared and we were given another 10 minute reprieve, before dessert was served. We were given a small platter of Turkish Delight, Baklava and Mahalabia. Neither Sous-Jeff nor I are particularly fond of Turkish Delight, but in the name of trying anything once, we give it a crack. It's ok, but not really our cup of tea, so hard to say how good it was, sorry!

Turkish Delight

The Mahalabia was a traditional Lebanese custard, topped with honey syrup, pistachios and blossom water. The first flavour to hit my taste buds was the lavendar flavour of the blossom water, which was incredibly sweet. The custard itself was beautiful, and reminded me a little of panna cotta. Sous-Jeff absolutely loved this, and actually ate half of mine. I traded him for his bit of baklava.

Mahalabia

I've saved the best (in my opinion, anyway!) until last. I've never had Lebanese Baklava before, and was a little worried that they may have snuck some cinnamon in it, which would have rendered it uneatable for me... but alas, my dessert prayers were answered, and it was absolutely perfection. Layers of crispy, golden filo pastry with assorted crushed nuts and the most beautifully sweet honey syrup. The flavours were perfectly balanced and it was absolutely magnificent. I begged Sous-Jeff to let me buy a $5.00 take away/take home pack, but to no avail. Will definitely be going back for some more soon though!

Baklava

With dessert eaten, we shuffled out of our seats, barely able to move we were so full. That enormous banquet came to a total cost of $42.00 each, which we felt was absolutely fantastic value for money. The food was all beautifully prepared and very delicious. We were very pleasantly surprised after initially going in quite hesitant, and we certainly plan on dining there again. Unfortunately, we were met with the grumpy waiter on our way out, but other than that, the staff were friendly and well organised and efficient, considering how busy they were. 




Would rate it 8 out of 10.




How many of you have gone into a dining experience full of hesitation, only to be very pleasantly surprised?

Mi Corazon Tequila Bar

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Multicultural Cuisine of... Mexico

Mi Corazon

462 Lygon St,

Brunswick

(03) 9384 6153

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The bar

Around 3 years ago, my best friend and I decided we should go out for dinner with our boyfriends. We're both Italian, and as such, usually go out for a pizza. But this weekend, we felt like something a little different, and she asked me if I knew any good Mexican places. Real Mexican though, no Mexican-by-numbers stuff. I didn't.


So, I jumped on Google and searched for one. What I found was a little bar on the Brunswick end of Lygon St, which had opened relatively recently, boasting an absurd number of Tequilas (over 100 varieties) and real Mexican food. I sent Poo a text with the address, and we decided to give it a go - after all, if we didn't like it, we were already on Lygon St and could go for a pizza later. 

We walked into the dark, quiet little place called Mi Corazon (my heart, or my sweetheart in Spanish), wedged  between a supermarket, travel agent, gift shop, and Fijian grocers. There weren't a heap of people in there (it was only 6:30pm), so we settled ourselves in a couch-booth at the front of the bar and ordered a drink. We eventually made our way to our table and ordered, then scoffed our dinner. Verdict? We've been regular customers there ever since, and we take any and every opportunity to get back!


It'd been a while since our last visit, so we decided one of our infamous "Tequila Bar nights" was in order for the Queen's Birthday long weekend. In honour of her majesty the queen, we would eat Mexican food, drink Tequila, and be merry. And possibly a little hungover. So, Sous-Jeff and I gathered a few of our good friends, Ms Em, EJ and Gazelle, as well as my little sister Stinky, and her boyfriend decided they'd come along for dinner before the beverages began. 

We arrive at Mi Corazon to be greeted with a smile and a wave from Ash, our favouritest bar tender in the world. After reading some reviews for Mi Corazon on Urban Spoon, I was absolutely shocked to read that one reviewer was unimpressed by the "rude service" and "snooty staff." From our very first visit, when no one knew us there, we've been treated like family. In fact, on our first visit, the bar's owner, Chrissie made time to come over and say hello to us and wished us a great evening. On our next few visits, she made time to talk to us over a drink at the bar to tell us how her bar came to be and all about the different Tequilas. A few visits later, we met Ash, and he's been amazingly kind to us too and always makes time to tell us about his latest travels, ask us how we've been and why we haven't visited sooner. We're "regulars" at Mi Corazon now, and we keep going back because of the great customer service and friendly faces, as well as the great food!

Loooooove this picture :)

This time, we're seated right near my favourite art work in the place, which I take as an omen that it's going to be a great night. We're each passed a menu by Ash, and introduced to our waitress, Alex, Ash's housemate. We have a token flick through the menu; I say token, because we all already know what we're ordering. Between the lot of us, we've tried most things on there, but we all have our favourites now - it just happens to be that we all have the same favourite!

Nachos with cheese, jalapenos (removed), guacamole, sour cream and home made salsa, $15.50

Stinky and the BF order the nachos (they're running a little late for dinner and just want a bit of a snack). For $15.50, they might sound a little pricey, but they're definitely enough to feed two. Delicious, and a must to start dinner with (or to nibble on later in the evening over a few cocktails).

Elote - corn on a cob seasoned with chilli, lime, mayo and cheese, $6.00

Ms Em, EJ and I all have one thing on our mind to get started - the corn. We had it last time, and we'll have it again next time. It is absolutely amazing, tastes like nothing else I've ever had before. The combination of the creaminess of the mayo and cheese, and the bite of the lime and chilli is just perfect, and before long, we're all licking mayo off our faces, picking corn out of our teeth, and grinning like little kids.


Out come our matching main dishes, and Gazelle is the only one who's ordered something different to the rest of us.

Pollo con Salsa Mole, $22.50

The Gazelle fell in love with this dish a year or so ago - he couldn't believe his luck -  Mexican food with chocolate sauce. Wow. Although this dish has changed a little since the last time we were here and he ordered it (it was more a burrito style arrangement, drenched in the mole), he was still incredibly excited to have it placed down in front of him. The dish consists of strips of chicken breast covered in mole (a salsa made from chocolate, chile, nuts and spices), and served with black beans and a side salad. The Gazelle mentioned that the chicken was a little dry, but the mole was as magnificent as ever, and he will certainly be ordering this again - well worth the trip down from Hepburn Springs!


The rest of us get ready to tuck into our meals...

Tacos Campechanos, $25.00

These are the most magnificent, spectacular, mouth-wateringly good Mexican food I have EVER eaten. Ever. And I've eaten quite a bit of Mexican food. For the mere sum of $25, you get three pieces of heaven - soft corn tortillas filled with grilled chorizo and beef strips, topped with onion and coriander, with a side of guacamole (which I'd happily eat from a bucket with a spoon, coz it is THAT good!) and home made hot sauce (which Sous-Jeff plucks off my plate upon arrival).

What's so good about the Campechanos that inexplicably has (almost) the entire table order it, and out waitress to say "I don't blame you, it's the best thing on the menu"? The tortillas are soft, the meat is tender, the onion and coriander compliment the meats perfectly, and the guacamole is heaven. Put them all together, and it's a party in your mouth. 


About now, the live music kicks in, our meals have been wolved down, and the rest of our party arrives. With our dinner bill settled, we return to "our" booth, cocktail menus in hand, and get comfortable for a long night of Mexican beer, Tequila cocktails, and quality time talking with some of our best friends and family. Don't get the wrong impression - we don't come here to get blind drunk and run a muck - we come here because there are no drunk idiots being loud and annoying, there's no super loud music that you can't hear yourself think over, there's not so many people packed in that you're shoulder to shoulder with the sweaty stranger behind you, and there are no rude bar staff. After a few hours of laughing, talking, and cocktail consumption, we get up and head towards the door. Ash calls me over before we leave; "It was so good to see you all again! And don't you forget to email me tomorrow!" With a promise of a return visit very soon, I walk out with a smile on my face, knowing that I'll be back soon to this little bar that really does feel like home. And it'll feel like home to you too, even if you're not yet a regular - just give it a chance :)


Would rate it 10 out of 10.




How about you, readers? Any favourite eating holes that just feel like home to you?