Melbourne

Café Gaia, South Yarra

~ culinaldi ~ Leave a comment

Having lived in South Yarra for two years, I thought I knew of and had visited every café in the immediate area. Yet when I went looking for a place to have breakfast along Toorak Road, by happenstance I discovered nestled barely twenty metres back from the busy street corner, a lush green canopy of trees which had been protecting one of the suburb’s best kept culinary secrets from my line of sight.

Cafe Gaia, South Yarra
Cafe Gaia, South Yarra
Cafe Gaia, South Yarra
Cafe Gaia, South Yarra

The café has a unique charm and ambience that reminded me of a small wooden cabin or cubby house with a covered verandah, large open windows and quiet cosy nooks to hide yourself away from the busyness of the world close by.

Cafe Gaia, South Yarra
Cafe Gaia, South Yarra
Cafe Gaia, South Yarra

The morning was unseasonably warm allowing me to retreat outside on the deck and enjoy the serenity. Although the café is extremely popular (it appears that I must be the only person in the area who wasn’t aware of its existence), the service is readily attentive and quick to ensure that your coffee order is taken and on its way. The all-day brunch menu is not overly exhaustive with only several signature dishes to focus your attention. The dish that immediately caught my eye, and to be fair probably because it was the only sweet option on the menu, was the exotic sounding Dr Marty’s Crumpets with citrus curd, aerated rhubarb mascarpone, toasted macadamia and sesame.

Dr Marty's Crumpets with citrus curd, aerated rhubarb mascarpone, toasted macadamia and sesame - Cafe Gaia, South Yarra
Dr Marty’s Crumpets with citrus curd, aerated rhubarb mascarpone, toasted macadamia and sesame – Cafe Gaia, South Yarra

If I could describe autumn on a plate, this dish would be it. The spectacular arrangement of colours, flavours and textures on the matt black plate was beautiful to behold and resembled my favourite season. My eyes were immediately drawn to the dollops of lemon curd perfectly curated on the plate and the pillows of whipped mascarpone placed beneath the crumpets.

The crumpets were deliciously moist and dense – enough to absorb all the elements on the plate. Whilst the poached rhubarb was sharp on the palate, the strawberries in comparison were sweet to taste and balanced the tart flavour of the lemon curd. The hero of the dish was the rhubarb mascarpone with the consistency of a dessert mousse and therefore a rare treat for breakfast.

Working my way through breakfast, there were morsels of macadamia and pistachio nuts and a smattering of sesame seeds interspersed beneath the crumpets to provide another textural element to the mix.

I love finding hidden treasures, especially ones with outstanding food and service and thankfully Café Gaia is no longer obscured from my view.

Cafe Gaia on Urbanspoon

Pastuso, Melbourne

~ culinaldi ~ 3 Comments

Over the last few months, I’ve had the privilege to get to know a fellow colleague from the United States, who has been working in Melbourne on a short-term secondment. Throughout the course of a recent long lunch at San Telmo, I learned that Naseer hadn’t had the opportunity to discover some of Melbourne’s new and exciting restaurants. With only a few days left before he was heading off home to Houston I thought we could both try something new and experience San Telmo’s sister restaurant, Pastuso.

Located in AC/DC Lane, Naseer and I arrived promptly at 7pm and were seated at a table for two near the open kitchen. The restaurant has an eclectic feel with one wall covered in vibrant neon colours and the remainder of the dining space finished with gold edging, marble topped tables, dark wooden furniture and panelling, industrial lights, concrete pylons and geometric tiles. With such an open space, the ambient noise level escalated considerably as more diners arrived.

Pastuso, Melbourne
Pastuso, Melbourne
Pastuso, Melbourne

After a very quick look at the menu, we decided to be adventurous and try the “Feed Me” chefs selection option for $59 per person. Naseer doesn’t drink alcohol but I thought I would complement the South American cuisine with the only Malbec available by the glass of from the famed Mendoza region. Being from the US, Naseer was looking for something familiar in the form of French fries, so we ordered some Yucas or Cassava Chips as an additional side dish.

Naseer K at Pastuso, Melbourne
Pastuso, Melbourne

Literally as soon as our order was taken, three starter dishes and the chips arrived simultaneously and engulfed our small table for two. The dishes were beautifully presented and looked delicious, but I couldn’t be certain whether it was the noise factor or one of our server’s extremely fast explanation of the dishes, however I had no idea of what had been deposited in front of us without looking back over the menu after the meal.

Ceviche Peruano – New Zealand Snapper with Caramelised Sweet Potato, Cancha, Leche De Tigre – Pastuso, Melbourne
El Choro Chalaco – Port Phillip Black Mussel, Chalaca Salsa served on a Seaweed Crisp – Pastuso, Melbourne
Beef Skewers – Pastuso, Melbourne
Yucas – Cassava Chips – Pastuso, Melbourne

The El Choro Chalaco (Port Phillip Black Mussel, Chalaca Salsa served on a Seaweed Crisp) was delicious with a mix of textures and flavours, particularly with the fresh salsa being a standout on the palate. The next dish was the Ceviche Peruano (New Zealand Snapper with Caramelised Sweet Potato, Cancha, Leche De Tigre) was exceptional and tasted divine although Naseer wasn’t excited by cured fish which left a little bit more for me to enjoy. The beef skewers which was served in haste and a mumbled explanation, were relatively tasty but not all that memorable. Ironically the Cassava Chips which we ordered in addition to the Feed Me menu, was a standout in terms of flavor, texture and quantity and I couldn’t stop myself from devouring them. Mmmm … the ultimate comfort food!

Naseer and I made short work of the entrée dishes expecting a flurry of new plates to arrive momentarily, however after thirty minutes had lapsed without seeing our waitress, we were then left wondering whether was that all there was. As if by magic, she then miraculously appeared and cleared our plates for the next course.

Pierna De Cordero – Slow Cooked Lamb Leg with Seco Sauce and Peruvian Rice – Pastuso, Melbourne
Pierna De Cordero – Slow Cooked Lamb Leg with Seco Sauce – Pastuso, Melbourne

The main course for the evening was the Pierna De Cordero (Slow Cooked Lamb Leg with Seco Sauce and Peruvian Rice) which I was secretly quite pleased about as it was the one dish on the menu that had caught my attention, and because I hoping to persuade Naseer on the virtues of beautiful, slow-cooked Australian lamb.

Served with the rusticity that accompanies Peruvian cuisine, the lamb had been cooked in a Cilindro Peruano (Peruvian Smoking Chamber) so it had a distinct but not obtrusive smoked flavor. The accompanying Seco sauce is made from coriander and beer, and was quite thick in texture and rather plentiful. I rather enjoyed this dish but I suspect that Naseer probably tolerated it on my behalf.

Tres Leches – Traditional Latin American Sponge Cake soaked in three kinds of milk, served with Roasted Pineapple Ice Cream – Pastuso, Melbourne
Un Clasico De Mazamorra Y Arroz Con Leche – Peruvian Style Rice Pudding, Purple Corn Gel, Poached Pineapple and Apples – Pastuso, Melbourne

Our evening seemed to gather a bit of momentum and the third and final course arrived not long thereafter. We were treated to two desserts to share – Tres Leches (Traditional Latin American Sponge Cake soaked in three kinds of milk, served with Roasted Pineapple Ice Cream) and Un Clasico De Mazamorra Y Arroz Con Leche (Peruvian Style Rice Pudding, Purple Corn Gel, Poached Pineapple and Apples).

I gravitated to the sponge cake first and then immediately wished that I hadn’t. The outsides of the cake had been grilled in an effort to caramelise the exterior layer which unfortunately hadn’t worked as it ultimately left me with a sharp burnt or charred mouthfeel, something akin to a campfire. The parts of the cake that hadn’t touched the grill were moist and mild in taste but the saving grace was the roasted pineapple ice cream to soften the blow.

The rice pudding was delicious and silky smooth in texture and taste. It was served with a large piece of meringue that needed to be crushed up and served on top of the pudding but I enjoyed each element separately.

Our allotted two hours seemed to fly by after an intermittent start and the Feed Me menu certainly left me completely full and saved me from making hard decisions about what to order. I was excited that I got to experience somewhere new to eat with a friend who also enjoyed a memorable food adventure in Melbourne, however it was a little unfortunate that Pastuso didn’t quite live up to the hype.

Pastuso on Urbanspoon

Lolo and Wren, Brunswick West

~ culinaldi ~ 1 Comment

After last week’s impromptu adventure on the No. 55 tram, I decided that the Brunswick area was now my new go-to destination for breakfast. Surfing my Urbanspoon app for places to eat, I couldn’t contain my excitement when I saw that Lolo and Wren was located near one of the tram stops on the same route. I can’t quite remember when I first read about this café but it has definitely been on the “must visit” list for a very long time.

Lolo and Wren, Brunswick West
Lolo and Wren, Brunswick West
Lolo and Wren, Brunswick West

Walking down Albion Street, I almost stumbled upon my intended destination when I saw a group of people eating outside a residential apartment building and then I noticed the blackboard sign outside. The café was extremely busy when I walked inside, but thankfully a table had been vacated just as I arrived. Despite the unusual location, the café does seem to be a popular destination, and in no time there were a few more people waiting for a place to become available.

The menu is intriguing to say the least and it’s always refreshing to see different offerings or interpretations of breakfast items on order, which included two full pages of original and mouth-watering dishes. You know that you are in the right place when “Patatas Bravas” is readily available as a side dish for breakfast! Despite the delectable sounding sliders and burgers on offer, I kept to the classic dishes and found myself ordering the Brioche French Toast “St Clements”.

Lolo and Wren, Brunswick West
Lolo and Wren, Brunswick West
Lolo and Wren, Brunswick West

“Five Senses” coffee blends are quickly becoming my favourites, and the quality of the roasted beans in the house blend was evident on the first sip of my skinny latte. The creamy texture, rich aroma and slightly sweet finish was delicious and well worth traversing across Melbourne for.

Brioche French Toast "St Clements" with lemon curd, fresh orange, ricotta, candied zest, raspberry compote, baby basil and burnt orange syrup - Lolo and Wren, Brunswick West
Brioche French Toast “St Clements” with lemon curd, fresh orange, ricotta, candied zest, raspberry compote, baby basil and burnt orange syrup – Lolo and Wren, Brunswick West

Trying to make sense of what “St Clements” meant in the description of the dish I had ordered, all I could think of was the line in the age-old nursery rhyme, “Oranges and lemons, Say the bells of St. Clement’s”. Certainly the description on the menu seemed to support that assertion. With lemon curd, fresh orange, ricotta, candied zest, raspberry compote, baby basil and burnt orange syrup adorning the French toast, there was a strong citrus theme.

My French toast looked spectacular when it arrived, with so many delicious elements on the plate it was difficult to know where to start. The thick-textured dollop of lemon curd looked inviting so I started there. With almost a custard-like consistency, the curd had a tart, zesty flavour and to my mind, was the highlight of the dish. The fruit and the fresh ricotta were also scrumptious when paired with the soft brioche, providing lots of flavour but the burnt orange syrup took the dish to another level with its caramelised intensity and added moisture. Thankfully the slices of brioche toast were on the smaller side of the equation, which meant that overall the dish wasn’t too substantial and much more enjoyable.

Despite the unpretentious surroundings and unique location, the coffee and food are well deserving of all the accolades I keep reading about. Now that I know how easy it is to get there, a second visit to sample those patatas bravas is definitely on the cards.

Lolo and Wren on Urbanspoon