Author: Ardi

Three Blue Ducks Rosebery

Three Blue Ducks Rosebery Review:

When I first visited Three Blue Ducks in Rosebery for brunch, I saw someone in the counter that I felt was quite familiar. After a quick browse, apparently Andy from Masterchef Australia has joined Three Blue Ducks as a partner for the Rosebery venue. Being a Three Blue Ducks restaurant and ex-Kitchen by Mike venue, I placed quite a massive expectation for it. Regrettably, that first visit was forgettable.

In my second visit, I was there with my colleagues for an office lunch. Three Blue Ducks Rosebery has a different set of menu for lunch.

We ordered almost all of their starters. The two dippings were pretty good. The sourdough was the best value for money. However $20 for roasted veggie bowl seemed to be a bit too expensive. Considering that they also served vegetarian main dish for only $18.

Iggy’s sourdough with butter – $5

Sweet potato hummus, charred onions, black sesame & focaccia – $13

Babaganoush, toasted almonds, sumac, chives and focaccia – $13

Roasted veggie bowl with grains & fermented veggies & dukkah – $20

Amongst our group, we also ordered almost all of their main dishes. I wouldn’t be talking about most of them, but I’ll just show you their pictures. Personally, I ordered their special of the day. It was a rather big squid with pearl couscous, vegetables and a very yummy sauce.

According to my colleagues, the piri piri chicken was the best one. They actually got half a chicken! Charred occy, kingfish and sirloin steak were pretty good. Poke bowl was probably the one to forget. I also agreed with the justification for the poke bowl.

Poke bowl – raw fish, cucumber, avocado, radish, kimchi, brown rice, seaweed & softboiled egg – $27

Piri piri chicken, spiced yoghurt, chickpeas, parsley, tomatoes and preserved lemon – $32

Charred occy, corn, grapefruit, pickled chilli, mixed leaves & fermented radish – $28

Wood roasted kingfish on the bone, sweet potato puree, charred broccoli and corn, soy mirin – $34

400gr charcoal grilled pasture fed sirloin steak, burnt herb salsa, pickled onion & mustard – $34

The final verdict for Three Blue Ducks Rosebery

Three Blue Ducks is probably one of the better restaurants in Rosebery. However, given how good our dining experience in the Bronte one was, this one was subpar.

Did you know?

Looking at their website, there are actually three blue ducks restaurants in Australia (the other one being in Byron Bay).

Rating for Three Blue Ducks Rosebery:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: $18 – $34 main dish

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

1 / 85 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery 2018

+61 2 9389 0010

http://www.threeblueducks.com/rosebery/home-rosebery

Mar 7, 2017
Medan Baru

Medan Baru Review:

The restaurant I am reviewing this week (I believe) is a restaurant that has achieved the legendary status in the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta. When you ask someone from Jakarta about Rumah Makan Medan Baru, they would most likely have heard about the place. We went to the original place in Pasar Baru, Jakarta.

You can feel the old-fashioned air as soon as you entered the restaurant. There was no menu being handed out in Medan Baru. Instead you are given plates of pre-selected dishes. The number of plates were not as massive as other similar restaurants in Indonesia.

Please be mindful that you do not need to finish them all. You are only charged for the number of plates you take the food out from.

Medan Baru is famous mainly for their following three dishes. You have to order it separately as they don’t come in that pre-set menu laid out above.

The first on the list is Sambal Ganja. Unfortunately (or fortunately and strangely, I might add), they ran out of it when we were there. Sambal ganja is a chili sauce that was native to Medan area. Ganja is actually an Indonesian word for cannabis leaf. Whether or not they actually put ganja in the ingredient, you would never know.

I was happy that I did not have to try chili sauce. It did leave a sour note to the whole experience.

Burung Punai

Burung punai is the local name for pink-necked green pigeons. So (yeah!), you are basically eating a whole pigeon. To make things more interesting, they actually left the frame intact. You got everything minus the head and feet.

There was not that much else to talk about.

Gulai Kepala Ikan

This is the bit that made me consider to revisit Medan Baru. Basically, it was fish head curry… A really big fish head. They have quite thick curry sauce and very fragrance dish.

The final verdict for Medan Baru

Personally, I was not too impressed with the quality of food at Rumah Makan Medan Baru. I believe my brother has oversold it a tad too much.

Did you know?

Rumah Makan Medan Baru has two more branches in Jakarta: Sunter and Puri Indah.

Rating for Medan Baru:

6.5 / 10

Taste: 6.5 / 10

Price: Rp 20k onwards per plate

Place: 6.5 / 10

Details:

Jl Krekot Bunder Raya No 65, Pasar Baru, Jakarta

+62 21 384 4273

Medan Baru on Zomato

Mar 2, 2017
Vine Bar Double Bay

Vine Bar Double Bay Experience:

We went to Vine in Double Bay by invitation from the restaurant and I.AM.STRATEGIST. Vine has undergone a renovation for their Short Street restaurant in Double Bay. They had their grand reopening party one day before our visit.

Vine Bar have quite a simple menu. I like a simple menu because I don’t need to think hard on what I want.

Baguette | Salted butter – $3

Our kid really loved warm baguette with salted butter. I also couldn’t stop eating them.

½ roast chicken | sauce Provencal | eggplant – $26

This meal is still for the little one. However, being half a chicken, we managed to have a few bites. The semi-boneless chicken was wonderful. It was also the most complete main dish of the night (i.e. you can pretty much have this for dinner without anything else).

Oyster | Mignonette – $4.5 each

You need to order a minimum of three oysters. It’s always nice to start the night with a couple of oysters.

Terrine du jour | brioche | pear chutney | cornichons – $14

The terrine of the day was venison. We could not get enough of it!

Curiously, in this plate we received two slices of toast and not brioche.

Salmon carpaccio | yuzu & trout roe vinaigrette | marjoram | toast – $18

The idea of having salmon carpaccio with yuzu and trout roe vinaigrette was exciting to me. However, I still prefer the terrine over this.

Beef Tri-tip | caramelised fennel | pomegranate – $29

Beef tri-tip is the only red meat dish at Vine Bar that night. Personally, the portion was quite small(It must be noted that being a meat eater, I’m used to gigantic portion of meat). I love the caramelised fennel.

Goat cheese soufflé | peas | nuts | seeds (v) – $25

My wife ordered the goat cheese souffle and seemed to be enjoying it a lot. It reminded me of an Indonesian dish called macaroni schotel.

Crème Brulee | pistachio | Amarena cherry – $12

Pistachio and crème brulee… they are a match made in heaven!

Vine Bar Double Bay

We enjoyed our dinner at Vine Bar Double Bay. Most notably, it was reasonably priced – Nothing is over $30 (except for the shared desserts).

Did you know?

They have a big shared plate for dessert, called Assiette Mignardise. It looked quite tempting when searching in google. However, I had no one to share it with.

Details:

2 Short St, Double Bay NSW 2028

+61 2 9363 0010

http://vinebar.com.au/

Feb 23, 2017
Mottomoo – House of Hamburg

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Mottomoo has advised that they have changed their concept and menu. We will be updating the content of this blog post accordingly.

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Mottomoo Review:

I actually wasn’t planning on reviewing this restaurant. I was at Mottomoo because I tried to have a quick lunch for the little one before meeting a friend. Unexpectedly, I was quite impressed with their quality. Hence here we are talking about it!

The restaurant is located in one of the high end malls in Jakarta, called Pacific Place. The little one was craving for a Japanese restaurant. More specifically, the craving was for Japanese salmon teriyaki. It’s really hard to find even a decent salmon teriyaki in Indonesia.

Salmon Teriyaki Don – 63k – Japanese rice bowl with Norwegian Salmon fillet brushed in special house made teriyaki sauce

It was probably one of the more elaborate teriyaki don I have ever seen. In addition to the usual suspects, they also added mushroom, corn and seaweed.

Nicely done salmon teriyaki = happy kid.

Cheese Tater Tots – 45k

I thought I could use some snack before the main dish. I chose deep fried cheese sticks with some sort bolognaise dipping sauce.

Mushroom pepper Hamburg with Truffle – 89k.

This is what I love the most about Mottomoo. Japanese Hamburg is a fusion of Japanese and Western-style cooking. I love how Mottomoo grilled its Hamburg. It was still juicy and mixed really well with the mushroom pepper and truffle. Have that with a bowl of rice, and you have one nice meal!

The final verdict for Mottomoo – House of Hamburg

I did not expect their food could be good. But, I was wrong. I enjoyed the meal we had at Mottomoo.

Did you know?

Pacific Place has a real-sized sail boat (floating on a miniature lake) inside the mall!

Rating for Mottomoo:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: Rp 50k – Rp 80k for main

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

Pacific Place Mall, 5^th floor

Jl Jenderal Sudirman, SCBD, Jakarta

+62 21 5797 3026

Mottomoo on Facebook

Feb 17, 2017
La Bufala Pizzeria

La Bufala Review:

We are trying out a new pizzeria in Mascot’s new shopping precinct, La Bufala. How do they compare with the more established wood-fired pizzerias in Sydney?

Considering that they were pretty new, I was surprised that the menu already looked so old and quite unappealing. However, we soldiered on and ordered what we usually loves best from a pizzeria.

Polenta Fritta – $15 – Polenta chips with blue cheese dipping sauce

I love polenta chips. The all-powerful blue cheese dip was the perfect company for the chips.

Bufala – $23 – San Marzano tomato, fresh buffalo mozzarella & cherry tomatoes

Bufala pizza is part of the pizze rosse (red pizza) menu. I can’t really taste the texture of their Buffalo mozzarella. Also, it looked like they were added in along with the cherry tomatoes after the pizza was cooked.

Tartufo – $24 – Fior di latte cheese, porcini mushroom, prosciutto & truffle

Tartufo pizza is part of their pizze bianche (white pizza) menu. We had to take out the prosciutto because some of the guests did not eat ham. Even without prosciutto, I still enjoyed this pizza more than the other one.

Gnocchi La Bufala – $24 – Gnocchi, napoletana sauce and buffalo mozzarella

The menu was supposed to be Gnocchi La Bufala, but we asked them to switch the gnocchi with Tagliatelle. The kids usually prefer the long pasta than the dumpling-shaped ones.

Nutella crepes – $16 – with mascarpone & fresh strawberries.

I am not a big fan of the crepe. There was only a hint of mascarpone and not enough Nutella. Also instead of Pistachio, I think it would be MUCH better if they give a scoop of ice cream instead.

The final verdict for La Bufala

La Bufala is quite a decent pizzeria if you are around Mascot area. However, they still have quite a big catching up to do if they want to compete with the rest.

Did you know?

If you are having a meeting around this area, I would suggest you to take the train to Mascot station. The traffic can be unforgiving.

Rating for La Bufala:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $17 – $25 for pizza

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

Shop 17, Mascot Central

19 – 33 Kent Road, Mascot NSW 2020

+61 2 8319 4090

http://www.labufala.com.au/

Feb 14, 2017
Solo Culinary Tourism | What to eat in Solo?

On this occasion, our family went to Solo to attend a big family reunion from my father’s side. This week’s review is probably a little different because instead of roaming through the city of Solo, our host already prepared the best food Solo had to offer in their place (or more like a palace ^^).

For those of you who have never been to the city, this article can probably help you to answer “What to eat in Solo?”

Solo Culinary Tourism

Tengkleng

Tengkleng is one of the few dishes originated from Solo. This dish resembles Indonesian goat curry with additional internal organs thrown in the mix.

Tengkleng that we enjoyed came from Warung Tengkleng Mbak Diah – Tanjung Anom, Sukoharjo – 0271 644069.

Bebek Remuk H Slamet

Bebek remuk is loosely translated into smashed duck. It wasn’t that pleasing to see.. considering that it looked crushed up with bones everywhere. You actually need to scoop up the meat that falls off the bone.

Bebek Remuk H Slamet has quite a few branches spread around the city of Solo.

Soto Gading

Soto in the city of Solo has a similar appearance to a clear soup. Personally, the main attraction in Rumah Makan Gading II for me is the little bites that are served on the table (no you don’t need to finish them all!).

Also, don’t forget to remember what you are eating, because they do not keep track of it.. thus your honesty is appreciated here!

Shi Jack

Shi Jack was one of the more interesting phenomena in Solo. Quite a lot of people in Solo likes to hangout in a street stall and drink milk at night! There are quite a few Shi Jack branches in Solo. We happened to visit their branch in front of Lapangan Kota Barat in Solo. In addition to their milk products, they also serve snacks such as quail egg satay.

What to Eat in Solo? What else is available on this Solo Culinary Tourism?

Pasar Gede + Dawet Selasih

I enjoyed my time roaming through the traditional market of Solo, Pasar Gede. There are quite a lot of things that you would not be able to find in a supermarket, including traditional herbs and medicines. While we were at the market, we managed to try Dawet Selasih Bu Watik. This rice-flour-based dessert, also known as Cendol, was pretty refreshing in a hot weather of Solo. A lot of people also goes to Pasar Gede to find some food to be given out as souvenirs (it’s normal to give souvenirs in the form of food in Indonesia).

Srabi Notosuman

Srabi Notosuman is one of my favourite snacks. It is now available in other parts of Indonesia, but Solo is where it all started!

Nasi Liwet

Nasi liwet is available everywhere in Solo. On this occasion, we had the one served at the party in Solo Paragon Hotel.

Others

There are quite a few dishes that I tried whilst in Solo, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to take individual pictures. In no particular order they are: Gudeg mbak Yati, Ayam Sukoharjo mbak Yuli, sate ayam pak Tukri Ponorogo, Selat Solo and Gempol Pleret.

What is Culinary Tourism?

Indonesians love to eat (including me). Their overabundance love of food enables them to create a whole new phrase dedicated to the journey of finding good food. Hence, the term ‘Wisata Kuliner‘ was born. It was hard to find the English phrase for it. However, after brainstorming session with my friends, we decided to use the term ‘Culinary Tourism’ to describe this phenomena because someone has written a thesis about it.

The City of Solo

Solo, or officially called Surakarta, is located in Central Java, East of Jogjakarta. One of their main attractions, besides the food obviously, are the palace of Kasunanan and the traditional Batik Solo.

Solo is also the birthplace and residence of Indonesia’s first Formula 1 driver, Rio Haryanto.

Feb 10, 2017