Mikimoto was here.

Swinging Bowl Satay (Stephens Place, Adelaide)

2012-02-01T00:56:00.000+10:30

It's that Thursday lunch time again. I was fully intending to go back to Penang Hawker Corner in Renaissance Arcade, but... As I was walking towards the Penang joint, I went past this place. I knew of this Swinging Bowl Satay joint. My friends frequent it, but I had never eaten here. I'm a sucker for curry, and the smell coming out of this place just attracted me, and I tend to follow my nose. I walked in and got myself a plate of:

Curry chicken, a sambal egg, rice and stir fried vegies.

All this for about 13 bucks including the drink (so this plate of food was actually less than 10 bucks). The curry tasted wonderful; aromatic and as it should. Spicy enough to make me sweat around my nose but not exceedingly hot to burn. Very generous serving of rice; they pack a largish bowl first then open that up on a plate before pouring curry over. The sambal egg had that punchy smell/taste to it. The only concern I had was that I hoped they were making enough money to keep the place running because it's wonderful in both quality and quantity.

Zucca Greek Mezze (Promenade, Glenelg, Adelaide)

2012-02-01T00:52:00.001+10:30

On a very sunny Sunday, we went to the Rocks Restaurant but we were told that it was not open for lunch. So we looked for an alternative, and found the Zucca Greek Mezze Restaurant on the Promenade. It didn't start too well. As we were sat down, I asked for a table inside; facing the ocean, as I could see that there were some empty tables. Instead we were told there was no table available that side. Sure. We sat at a table facing the marina. No problem, as we thought that side was hired out or something. Then we noticed that other parties are shown to the other side. What the...? We wondered if they had booking; we didn't. But it was obvious that people without booking were also led there. Hmmm? Is it because we are a party of 3, instead of 2 or 4 or 5? No, we saw a party of 3 being shown inside who obviously did not have a booking. We really wondered if it's because we were not Caucasians and they were. I really hope that's not the case. But the collective thought already soured the atmosphere for us. When it came to ordering, things got worse; we requested if they could make a seafood platter for 2 into a platter for 3, as there were 3 of us, and as well as the fact that my parents have been here before and managed to get a platter of seafood and meat for 2 made from different platters. Alas, there was no such luck this time. We could see that the waitress serving us was arguing for this but no. So we ended up ordering the following dishes:

A mezze serving of moussaska.

A mezze serving of grilled octopus.

A seafood platter for two.

The food was passable; at least there was enough for us. But I've had better seafood platters elsewhere before. And everything else really spoiled the fun. Frankly, all I was thinking during the meal was "let's get this done and over with, and get the F outta here." It's not like we were being stingy; we spent nearly 170 bucks for a lunch for three. In appreciation of all this, I gave them the exact money down to the cents. I don't think we'll come back here anytime soon.

Penang Hawker Corner (Renaissance Arcade, Adelaide)

2012-02-01T00:35:00.003+10:30

It was at the beginning of the year when shops were not open, yet I had to work; couldn't make lunch to bring to work. What can I do but... Go out for a lunch? I have known that this Penang Hawker Corner existed as far back as I can remember; like all those years ago when I was an undergrad at Adelaide Uni. Yet I had never eaten here. Until now. I am a sucker for these two items:

Curry laksa and coconut juice.

Close look at that bowl of laksa.

It was very good. The noodle was not exactly my favourite; the thick Hokkien kind. But that's just my personal preference, and the rest really made it up. I especially liked the soup/broth. I was also happy with the amount served as well (ie. plenty). Coconut juice didn't hurt either; sweet and refreshing. So this was another case of "why didn't I come here before?"

Malacca Corner (Central Market, Adelaide)

2011-12-28T13:45:00.000+10:30

Since I did not have lunch material at home to make one, I had to go out and find one on my own. I hit the road in search of one, and the bus took me to the Central Market area. I wandered over to the joint I have known existed for as long as I can remember yet never tried it until this day. It's Malacca Corner on the eastern end of the Central Market. I looked at the menu with pictures on the wall and settled for this item, as I've never had one.

Head Hunter's (Sarawak) Laksa

The first thing I noticed was this subtle hint of cinnamon which was not a bad thing; just a little surprised. I knew it was a bit different from your regular laksa but. The noodle is of rice vermicelli; no thick hokkien noodles like the one from Nanyang Cafe. I actually prefer this noodle to the other one. Not too bad at all, and I wished I had come here sooner.

Sussex Hotel (Walkerville, Adelaide)

2011-12-23T14:21:00.000+10:30

It's the last working day of the year, and some of us decided to go out for a lunch. We headed to Sussex Hotel in Walkerville; about 10 minutes drive away. It's your typical suburban pub. I decided to have a burger.

Sussex burger.

The burger was very good; beetroot spread added a good accent while bacon tasted smokey. Patty was not dry but not too fatty either. Chips were on the salty side though; full of chicken salt. Beer selection was of your typical suburban pub; major brands only. I really wished they had Vale Ale but no. So had to settle for a glass of coke instead.

Ajisen Ramen (Regent Arcade, Rundle Mall, Adelaide)

2011-12-22T14:03:00.000+10:30

It's the usual Thursday going out for lunch day. Because of an unexpected meeting with the boss, I was short for time. I needed something quick, and usually that calls for noodles. I saw that Ajisen Ramen opened a second location in Regent Arcade before and decided to give it a go. Being a chain, I didn't expect much from this place. Learned from a past mistake, I avoided anything too spicy. And I ended up getting...

A "Paiku" ramen upsized for an extra dollar.

I avoided the Aso Volcano ramen as I had it before; my stomach is no longer lined with asbestos and I thought better not test it out at this time point. "Paiku" is pork belly cooked in soy based sauce (somewhat similar to teriyaki sauce) long enough to make it melting soft. There were four large pieces of this in a bowl. These were surprisingly good, and filling. The noodle is of straight type; every time I eat ramen at an Ajisen joint, I always think that curly noodles would be better suited as the soup would stick to noodles better (like the one from Tokyo Ramen in Central Market).

Gyoza.

I like gyoza, and these were alright. Not the best ones I have ever encountered but wasn't too bad either. I thought these were better than the dumplings from Dumpling King on King William St.

As I was after a quick lunch, I was happy enough to finish the whole thing (starting from entering the premise to leaving the premise after paying) in about 30 minutes. I guess I was a bit shocked to see an AUD19 bill for a lunch consisting of a bowl of noodles and a serving of dumplings though. One another thing that bothered me was mismatched heights of the chairs and tables. Chairs were way too low for me to sit comfortably and eat. Maybe they are designed for taller people...

Lobethal Bierhaus (Lobethal, SA)

2011-12-12T06:25:00.000+10:30

Our lab went out for a field trip to Lobethal Bierhaus; it's been planned for some time. We hit Barristers Block winery first then went to the Bierhaus. The back of the Bierhaus was more cellar door; for 3 boutique wineries (Scott Winemaking, Tillbrook Estate and Robert Johnson Vineyard). I ended up spending quite a bit on wines on this day; 14 bottles altogether. After making our purchases, we hit the front end of the microbrewery.

Tasting platter of the brew is available

14 bucks for trying out all the brew available at the Bierhaus. A rather good idea (at least for me as I don't process alcohol too well).

(from L to R) Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, Red Truck Porter, Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and Bohemian Philsner

I am not much of a beer drinker, but even then I liked the Stout, IPA and Hefeweizen (probably IPA the best). And meanwhile, we were getting rather hungry, and an empty stomach and alcohol don't agree too well (at least to me). And so we went on to have our lunch.

Chips. Plain and cajun spice varieties are available. AUD10.90 ea.


Pork belly. AUD27.90.

These went very well with beer. I think the pork belly did help in slowing down the effects of alcohol for me. Note that there two pieces of pork belly on the plate. It was very filling.

After the meal, one of the co-owner of the brewery showed us the brewing rigs around. Very interesting stuff indeed. The Bierhaus also offers bottled beer to take home however I ended up not buying any as I did have 14 bottles of wine to take home. They are also available from select local bottle shops and so I thought I could buy them there instead of lugging more bottles home. Though I must say I was rather tempted to buy that 2 litre carboy of IPA if only for the novelty of the bottle. I very much enjoyed the day. Kudos to the organizer.

The Crepe's Story (Rundle Mall, Adelaide)

2011-12-11T17:36:00.001+10:30

I was told of this crepe joint by a fellow scientist at work. I was told that it's more or less in Japanese style, and I was intrigued and immediately wanted to give a go. And so I dropped by one day after the regular Thursday lunch to see what all the fuss was about.

I love crepes. I love mangoes. I love ice cream. So what would happen when all three are mixed? Usually my motto is "too much of a good thing is wonderful".

Mango and ice cream crepe. With a spoon.

Sadly on this occasion, I was wrong. Mild temperature mango and cold ice cream wrapped in a hot crepe made everything lukewarm; resulted in melted ice cream, warm mango and cold crepe. Furthermore, eating this beast became a real problem as it started to drip all over the place. A lesson learned here was "do not mix hot and cold components in a crepe".

I went back there on another occasion seeking a re-match. And so my second go was a mango and Nutella crepe. No more cold components, learned from the previous encounter.

Mango and nutella crepe.

And this was great! Obviously it was yummy; did I mention elsewhere that I also love Nutella? And the whole thing stayed hot, and there was no mess. I did find it a bit pricey (for what it was) but I guess it's still within the "reasonable" range for a shop on Rundle Mall.

Mamak Corner (Bank St., Adelaide)

2011-12-08T12:34:00.003+10:30

It's Thursday and it's going out for a lunch day. I heard good things about this joint Mamak Corner on Bank Street in the city. The last couple of times I thought of trying the place out, it was packed out. I'm not patient enough to wait in line when I am hungry and must eat; and so I moved on. Learned from the experience, I rocked up a little earlier; like before noon. And there were plenty of tables. I walked in and looked at the menu and was a bit surprised to see a pretty thin one. Pretty much rice dish only; not much of noodles. And I ended up having this;

Lamb curry and a glass of fresh lime drink

This was very good. It came out within 3-5 minutes after I sat down. The opening special set me back 12 bucks but for me it was well spent. Curry tasted as it should, and was spicy enough for me to work up some sweat but not exceedingly hot so you cannot taste anything else. The drink was soothing the heat of the curry. It was a good lunch, and I'll try out Nasi lemak next time I come by this place.

The Currant Shed (McLaren Vale, Adelaide)

2011-11-24T23:24:00.005+10:30

It's that time of the year again. The Christmas season. Our research group usually goes out for a lunch for the occasion. And for this year... We went down to McLaren Vale. We hit a couple of wineries before lunch then went to the Currant Shed based on reviews on the 'net as well as word of mouths.

After we got there, we had a serving of nibbles to start with; pate, olives, dips and whatnot with two different kinds of hot bread. This happened outside under the shade. It was actually pretty good. We then moved to the tables for the lunch proper. We had some choices in the course but I chose as follows.

Slow cooked pork belly with a ceviche of scallop,
pickled strawberries and a Grenache reduction.

This was very yummy. Pork belly was done nicely with crunchy skin. Didn't know what ceviche was but found out it's citrus cured seafood with chilli accent. It's a bit different to how I usually have scallop (either raw or grilled). Pickled strawberry was also interesting.

We then went onto the mains.

Wagyu beef with roasted King Oyster mushrooms,
grilled radiccio,creamed potato and a shiraz jus.

The beef was done just right; very tender. This went quite well with the Shottesbrooke McLaren Vale 'Eliza' Reserve Shiraz. Shiraz jus was very good too. Maybe I would've preferred a little more rare but others on the table preferred it more cooked. Can't realistically expect to cater for everyone's taste in a situation like this (a party of 20+). Maybe we should've asked for sides as some of us felt it was lacking some green colours; we didn't think of it as it was not listed on our lunch menu (but available in the regular menu).

And finally we went onto the dessert.

Lavender creme brulee with pistachio shortbread.

Now, to be honest, I was a little disappointed. It tasted very good. It did have a hint of lavender note. The crusty caramelized sugar on top was okay. But for some reason I found quite a bit of oil separated out and settled between the custard and the caramel. I don't know why/how this happened but it felt oily. At least my creme brulee actually set to some solidness. Others on the table found theirs quite a bit runny. Again, we didn't know how that happened as mine was more on the solid side. It did go well with a cup of coffee though.

All in all, I really enjoyed the lunch. The restaurant was spacious, very green and had a very relaxing atmosphere.

Tasca Viva (Jetty Rd., Glenelg, Adelaide)

2011-11-20T18:41:00.003+10:30

Out of the blue we decided to go out for a lunch on Saturday. I saw this review on 'Tiser about this Tapas bar in Glenelg and we decided to try there. We didn't make a booking for a table but we thought there had to be some free tables as we aimed to get there just before 12; as this joint offers breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturdays, we thought that time of the day is way too late for a brekkie yet too early for a lunch. Anyway. The place was pretty much empty; when we got there, a couple of people were leaving and we were the only customers after that. We decided to sit inside but sat at a table next to Jetty Rd. We liked the decor and the food; we went for chef's selection of Tapas #2 at $45 per person. Maybe a bit pricey for a lunch but hey. They immediately started to bring the food out and it started with...

House flavoured olives.

Salsa and bread.

Plate of cold cuts.

There were also stewed chickpea, a couple of meat dishes and a few more plates of food. At the beginning, since we started so lightly, we were considering the possibility of leaving the restaurant somewhat hungry. In the end, just about every dish they brought out, we were wondering if that was going to be the last; as we were getting very full. We managed to hog down the whole lot somehow (and not wasted any) and left the place with a very full stomach. As a whole I didn't think the food was as good as Mesa Lunga. However the location, atmosphere and the service made up for it. If we come back here, we'll probably go for the cheaper #1 tapas combo and leave a bigger space for a cone of Royal Copenhagen ice cream across the street from this place.

Takoyaki (Nanba, Osaka, Japan)

2011-10-29T12:33:00.000+10:30

Got these little octopus balls from the street vendor next to Nanba Grand Kagetsu revue venue. 20 odd years ago, they would never put mayo on these things. These days it's put on almost as a default. I had to specifically ask not to have any mayo on it. My gourmet friend thinks that mayo can mask the mediocrity to bring the food to "edible" level as mayo coats taste buds with emulsified egg, essentially numbing them out. Anyway. These were pretty alright; maybe because this was my breakfast...

Terminal 3 at Changi Airport

2011-10-29T12:32:00.000+10:30

On the way back from Japan, I went through Changi Airport yet again. I was looking forward to the good rest at the airport hotel at Terminal 2 but unfortunately it was booked out. The guys at the reception of T2 hotel called Terminal 3 and they found me a room. I should have taken the skytrain to T1 then to T3 as suggested by staff rather than from T2 to T3; ended up walking a rather long distance to the hotel. Anyway. T3 hotel was still quite okay.

T3 Transit Hotel room. SGD80 for 6 hours.

After checking in and a quick shower, I went out to grab something to eat before hitting the sack. I went about in the T3 mall in search of that particular food, and this time, unlike on the way to Japan, found it.

Hainanese chicken rice with sweet tea. SGD8.

I was a happy chappy. I just went back to my room and had a fairly decent rest before headed out to board the plane to go inward bound.

Andre's Cucina & Polenta Bar (Frome St., Adelaide)

2011-10-29T12:23:00.003+10:30

Heard good things about this place. Supposedly the owner/operator was a contestant on Masterchef. Not that I cared such things; as long as the food is good and the price is reasonable. So bunch of us headed into the city for the polenta experience.

Gnocci as an entree. Nicely done.
Had the right consistency according to the Italian sitting next to me..

Another entree plate to be shared by all of us.

Beef steak. Could've used a bit more of this. Very nicely done.

Polenta with spinach and gorgonzola cheese. Was tasty.

Special polenta with mushroom, pine nuts etc. Was tasty.

Banana donuts for dessert. To be honest, it was a bit boring, though it tasted good.

It came to about 45 bucks per person for 7 people. I had never had polenta before this night. Italian sitting next to me though kept insisting that polenta is for peasants... It felt like a very thick and well cooked rice porridge; ie. glue. Still. I did enjoy dining here.

Dumpling King (King William St., Adelaide)

2011-10-29T12:22:00.000+10:30

Just as usual, I went out for the customary Thursday lunch. The wind today took me to the Dumpling King on King William Street in the City. I've wanted to come here for some time and I did; but just about every time I went, the place was packed out and I didn't have the patience to wait in line. This time though I got lucky (or maybe because I rocked up at 11:30 for a lunch) and got myself a table. And I went for a...

Shallot pancake.

This was pretty good. I think it's better than the one at Ding Hao and on par with the one from Noodle Kingdom on Gouger Street. Then...

Fried pork dumpling.

There are 16 dumplings in a serving, and it's best if you make up the dipping sauce in the bowl provided; by mixing soy sauce, vinegar and the plum condiment thingy in the container on your table. It started promising; the dumplings were alright. Then I had a little problem; I actually got bored eating them. After wolfing down maybe the first 8 to 10 dumplings, my jaw started to hurt a little and eating the rest of dumplings became a chore. Unlike gyoza, the dumpling skin was pretty hard and chewy. It didn't help to have the same taste for the whole dish either. So probably it's best if you can gather a few more friends when you are eating here; so you can order different dumplings and enjoy different taste. Despite of this, I actually liked this joint for a cheap and quick bite (if you don't have to wait for the table).

Christmas Lunch at Maximilians Restaurant (Verdun, Adelaide)

2011-10-27T10:19:00.000+10:30

We booked for the Christmas lunch at this place straight after we came home after having a lunch here one day. We loved it that much. And it did not disappoint this time round either.

Grilled prawns for entree. Wonderful stuff.

Sorbet to cleans the palate before going onto...

We saw this dish being served to the table next to us the last time we came here. I've wanted to try this since then. It's Chateaubrianed steak, and it was beautiful. Almost too much, really.

And the dessert was good too.

It was a very satisfying dining experience yet again from Maximilians Restaurant. The only downside (at least to me) is that it's not easy for us to get here and at least one person cannot enjoy their wine as he/she will have to be the designated driver.

4Square + Twitter + Facebook

2011-10-27T10:13:00.001+10:30

I've set up my accounts with the above services so that whenever I check-in with 4Square, my comments get published on Twitter and in turn it gets posted on Facebook. It made me so... Slack regarding updating this blog...

The Stag Hotel (Rundle St., Adelaide)

2011-10-27T09:43:00.000+10:30

Went here for a colleague's birthday lunch. Saw it won the prize for "best steak in Adelaide" so I had to give a go. We saw that this slow cooked steak was on the special so I decided to get one with melted butter on the side.

And this one was pretty good. Very tender but perhaps I should've gone with some mustard instead of melted butter.

Toshikoshi Soba 2010

2011-01-04T21:50:00.000+10:30

Yes, it was the end of the year, and yes, it's time to cook up some soba noodles for Toshikoshi. Last year (2009) I cooked up zaru soba the first time as I found Adelaide weather rather warm for regular kake style soba. The weather forecast said it was going to be warm and so I decided on zaru soba yet again. But this year I had something else in my mind...

Yes. Tempura. 天ざる. Though it was only eggplant and pumpkin, it turned out pretty good. The dipping sauce and whatnot turned out alright too.

New set of wheels!

2011-01-04T21:35:00.002+10:30

I read somewhere that changing the wheel set on a bike is the most noticeable upgrade. And when I saw the Dura-Ace clincher wheels on sale, I decided to give it a go.

Before: Mavic Aksium Race

After: Shimano Dura-Ace 7850 Carbon Laminate Clincher

Well. I think it's nice and it was worth my money. Overall, I'm happy with the purchase. The bike's a lot easier for me to ride; smoother ride that just takes less effort on my part while riding.

Moon Lantern Festival (Elder Park, Adelaide)

2010-12-30T09:00:00.002+10:30

I missed it last year so I wanted to go see it to see if it's any different from the one in Auckland.

Well. What can I say. Queue for the food was way too long and it was pretty cold. Lanterns were sadly not as good as the ones from Auckland. There were plenty of advertisement/sponsor logos on the lanterns; pretty off putting, really. Yay capitalism for making this event happen. Pep talks by the Premier and SA Governor were necessary I suppose. Nothing much to see, and so I left quickly. Thank goodness there was a dinner waiting for me at home.

Red Ochre Grill (War Memorial Dr., North Adelaide)

2010-12-29T09:00:00.001+10:30

Our family went out for the "Taste of Adelaide" promotion thing yet again; this time the target was the Red Ochre Grill on War Memorial Drive. It was pissing down out there on the day, very bad day for going out. Turned out it was real bad in the restaurant too...

Yes, the food was wonderful. However... We were sat on the table next to the glass door on the terrace. On a good weather day it would have been magnificent especially for lunch, looking out to the view of Lake Torrens. However... There must have been a some sort of leak from the heavy rain. The waiting staff kept looking at the ceiling. I was wondering why they were doing that. Then... I saw my cutlery was wet. Huh? Then I noticed there was a puddle of water on my bread plate (when a roll was served on it). The waitress did not notice it so I had to ask for another plate and a roll. Not a good start. Apparently it turned out my sister had the same problem, plus her seat was wet. And so was the table. We should have either left the place, or at least asked to be seated on a different table... Too late now.

The Archer Hotel (O'Connell St., North Adelaide)

2010-12-28T09:00:00.002+10:30

Heard it's got the best schnitzel around the area; but it wasn't on the lunch menu. Instead had a burger. It was a bit too salty for my taste though. Still. Can't beat the price; 10 bucks.

Saltram Winery (Barossa)

2010-12-27T09:00:00.000+10:30

The department I'm working for treated us for a Christmas lunch Barossa winery tour extravaganza. We went out to Hentley Farm for tasting first (I thought "The Beast" was the best tasting and ended up buying one) then head over to Saltram for tasting followed by lunch. We were a bit hurried for tasting as we were running late... Anyway.

I had fresh prawn rolls as an entree. They tasted alright, but were not wrapped tight,
and fell apart as soon as I bit into one. Not impressed.

Fresh salad to be shared. Mustard seed dressing was good.

I had a sirloin steak as the main. This was actually good; tender and nicely cooked.

Then the disaster. One of my skewer was dropped and a replacement was brought out.
But frankly, this was nothing to write home about. I hear the other dessert was a dog's breakfast.
I would've paid extra to have the three cakes on display instead as my dessert.

After the lunch we all headed back to Adelaide. I fell asleep as soon as I got on board thanks to all the wine I had during the day. It was a very enjoyable outing, and all congrats should go to the organizers of the event.

The Wine Underground (Pirie St., Adelaide)

2010-12-06T09:00:00.000+10:30

The family went out to this joint The Wine Underground on Pirie Street. I had a glass of shiraz to go with this lot.

Tasting size pate. Pretty good start.

I had an entree of three oysters with three different seasonings. Interesting...

Coorong Angus fillet, potato gallette, braised ox-tail, cep veloute

Finished all off with a souffle.

We got discount from Entertainment Book. We enjoyed the meal so much we would've paid the full price though.