Author Archives: foodvixen
No more Kin Wah in 2014?
I wanted to draw your attention to a message I received last night on foodvixen about Kin Wah Chinese Takeaway on Florence Street in the city. The message was from the son of Ng Kin Wah (the chef at Kin Wah):
“Ng Kin Wah is threatening that he may not see the end of 2014. Thanks Foodvixen for your comments about one of Cairns’ older Chinese takeaways. After reaching his 70th birthday this month, dad is finally getting used to the idea that it might be his last year (est. in the early 1970’s). Thought I better tell you in case you wanted one last Lemon Chicken – he has a habit of closing doors for prolonged periods over Summer and keeping the locals guessing as to whether he will open them again. Thanks for your blog, I’ll pass your remarks onto the chef.”
One of the very first posts I did when I started foodvixen was about my favourite Chinese takeaway in Cairns – Kin Wah. It’s somewhere that my family has been ordering Chinese food from ever since I can remember. Kin Wah is a Cairns institution and whenever Mr Ng Kin Wah and his wife Francis do finally decide to shut up shop for the last time it will no doubt be the end of an era. I still maintain to this day that Kin Wah serves hands down the best Lemon Chicken I have ever tasted. Even better than the Lemon Chicken I had in China!
Although they haven’t closed their doors yet I just want to say a big thank you to Kin Wah for providing my family (and plenty of other Cairns locals) with decades of awesome Friday night takeaways filled with giant bags of Prawn Crackers, Fried Rice, Steamed Dimmies, Lemon Chicken and that sweet, Sweet and Sour Pork.
PS: Happy 70th Birthday to Mr Kin Wah himself!!!
Kin-Wah Chinese Take-away
Shop 9/24 Florence St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 2102
Linga Longa, Edge Hill
I’m out at sea (well I was when I wrote this) and bored out of my frigin brain so I figured I might as well attempt to kill a couple of hours by starting my next post. Recently a friend of MS’, and subsequently mine, invited us out for dinner to celebrate his birthday with his new wife and a few mutual friends. They tossed around a few ideas in a group message on FB as to where to go and in the end went with Linga Longa. I was happy with that decision (not that it was up to me at all) because I had heard good things about Linga Longa but I hadn’t yet been there (story of my life).
Saturday night came and MS and I arrived at Linga Longa to find we were the last ones to get there. We were seated down the back of the restaurant at our table of 8 (4 couples). After a bit of chit chat, me filling people in on how awesome Shanghai was and oohing and ahhing about a friends new Dashund puppy we ordered some drinks and had a look over the menu. The restaurant was full for a Saturday with a couple of waitstaff working overtime to keep all the tables happy.
I ordered my usual glass of Sauvignon Blanc while MS, after finding out that the only Cider that Linga Longa had on the menu was Strongbow (why haven’t restaurants caught onto the whole cider thing yet and who the hell even drinks Strongbow?!), decided he would have a Black Russian. Yeah I had no idea what it was either or maybe I’m just not with the times, who knows. So… apparently a Black Russian is Coke with Vodka and Kahlua. I didn’t think it was something that would appeal to me at all – especially considering that I haven’t touched vodka with a 10 foot pole after an entire day spent with my head in a bucket after only 5 vodka’s during a State of Origin night at the Courthouse a few years ago (okay okay they were the more than lethal Smirnoff Black’s but still!). Turns out that Black Russian’s are actually alright, well the sip that I had of it anyway. The birthday boy, SG, liked the idea of a Black Russian so much that he ordered one for himself after consuming what I can only say is a girlie drink – a mojito (yes SG if you are reading this mojito’s are for girls).
My Sauvignon Blanc
Three out of four couples at the table had some sort of voucher to use for dinner. When I say ‘some sort’ I mean 2 x Table 52 cards plus MS and I had our Entertainment Book Gold Card. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to use all three together. Apparently there was quite a bit of commotion caused when some of the guys at our table had tried to use a few Table 52 cards at Wink 2 a few months prior to this birthday dinner – to put it lightly the waiter/owner whatever he was (I wasn’t there) was quite rude and as a result none of them will ever go back there again, and that is on top of the ordinary food that they had already had. Anyway, it remained to be seen how we would go with our vouchers, but I figured we would just wait till it came time to pay the bill to find out.
We all ordered entrees and mains with MS and I ordering a Salt and Pepper Squid and sourdough with a trio of dips (Hommus, Babaganoush and Tzatziki) to share between the two of us. The Salt and Pepper Squid seemed to be the most popular entree at our table with four servings ordered in total, however it took a good 40 minutes from when we arrived to when we received our entrees – hell we didn’t order until thirty minutes after we arrived! Just that little bit too long if you ask me. I had high expectations for Linga Longa since I had heard a lot of good things about it and people are always harping on about the fantastic service they receive there, but all was not lost.
Salt and Pepper Squid lightly fried with our Chef’s special Garlic Mayo and Mixed Greens (AU$16.50)
In between waiting for our entrees and chatting we watched the torrential downpours outside from the warmth and dryness of our cosy table for eight. Our entrees arrived in a procession bought out by two of the waitstaff. The sourdough and dips were placed in front of me whilst the Salt and Pepper Squid which, let’s face it were actually meant for MS, were placed in front of him. There was a small pile of lightly seasoned squid next to a small garden salad with a lemon wedge and some tartare sauce. The squid was delicious, tender and an okay sized serving however for the AU$18 we paid I would have expected a little more. My trio of dips came with 6 slices of grilled bread, some a little burnt around the edges which didn’t get eaten.
Trio of Dips (Tzatziki, Hommus and Babaganoush) for AU$9.50 (came with sourdough)
The presentation of both the squid and the bread and dips was very homestyle and not nearly as fancy as I was expecting but then again the more I think about it I am pretty sure that homestyle cooking is part of the concept and the appeal at Linga Longa. The bread and dips weren’t anything to write home about – just bread and dip really. A couple of others at the table had chosen the Deep Fried Camembert with Tropical Fruit and Berry Coulis for AU$19.50 (didn’t get a photo) as their entrée. I was lucky enough to snavel a piece from someone else’s plate and it was very decadent – but good. Very good.
The sourdough that came with the dips
We waited another 15 or so minutes, ordering another round of drinks in the meantime (Black Russian #2) and then our mains arrived. MS had ordered the Chicken Breast Stuffed with Camembert, wrapped in Streaky Bacon, and finished with a Creamy Parmesan Sauce and Mashed Potato for AU$31.50. Although the Chicken Breast was stuffed with oozy Camembert Cheese MS found it to be very dry and chewy. The vegetables on the side of his plate were cold as though they had just been taken out of the fridge. He was pretty disappointed with his meal and didn’t finish it all, leaving about 1/3 behind. For what he got I think that $31.50 was a little steep – it’s just a chicken breast, really. In my opinion it’s really just one of those boring, ‘standard’ dishes that every restaurant has on the menu for the tame and unadventurous individuals like MS.
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Camembert, wrapped in Streaky Bacon, and finished with a Creamy Parmesan Sauce and Mashed Potato for AU$31.50
After tossing up a few different dishes on the menu I ended up going with the Roasted Pork Special (especially after finding out that it was pork belly because I have a major weakness for anything with crackling attached to it). It was Roasted Pork Belly with Sliced Apple and Sauerkraut on the side for around the AU$39 mark. I have to say that my dish was delicious. The Pork Belly was succulent and juicy with just the right amount of fat to meat ratio and shock horror the crackling was actually crispy (a mean feat for restaurants, and even myself sometimes). The sweet apple and sauerkraut were beautiful additions to my dish – I really, really enjoyed it!
Roasted Pork Belly with Apple and Sauerkraut (AU$39?)
Across the table from us the newlyweds were enjoying their own meals. After wondering if the Bugs were a little too messy for a dinner with friends, AM decided to order them anyway following a few words of encouragement from myself and SG. The Chargrilled Bugs with Lemon Butter, Peri Peri Sauce and served with Steamed Rice and Veggies for AU$38 was a more than generous dish with two and a half bugs in total nestled next to the rice and veggies. Turns out that AG didn’t make too much of a mess after all but she sure as hell enjoyed her meal and was more than happy with her choice of main.
Chargrilled Bugs with Lemon Butter, Peri Peri Sauce and served with Steamed Rice and Veggies for AU$38
Next to her SG had the Duck Al’Orange – Half Semi De-Boned Duck twice cooked with Buttered Pomme Landaise and Orange and Cointreau Sauce for AU$34.50, a dish that I had also tossed up getting because let’s face it “duck is the shit!” No, not “shit”, “the shit”. I love duck… but not as much as I love pork belly. Anyway, so again we were all surprised with the portion size. One reason that I didn’t order it was because I assumed it would be just a small duck leg and I would be left hungry but no, not this Duck Al’Orange. I think there was a little jealousy around the table when SG’s main arrived. It has to be said that SG thought it to be pretty tasty too. Sizeable and tasty = winning!
Duck Al’Orange – Half Semi De-Boned Duck twice cooked with Buttered Pomme Landaise and Orange and Cointreau Sauce for AU$34.50
To be honest I don’t remember a whole lot about the dessert part of the night. Most likely because neither MS or I decided to have any (there was no Sticky Date Pudding *sad face*). I do recall something about the rest of the table ordering Chocolate Fondant’s in proliferation around us though and by all reports they were full of gooey, chocolate-y goodness.
So to wrap things up for our Saturday night dinner at Linga Longa… It appears that good old fashioned service and home style food is the biggest draw card for diners at Linga Longa. The owner personally welcomes people as they arrive at his restaurant and from what I observed it seems that a lot of them are regulars at his restaurant. The owner and his staff have obviously taken the time to get to know many of these people whom most likely live in the immediate Edge Hill area, or close by.
The majority of the food (except for MS’ chicken and my sourdough) was exceptional albeit a little on the pricey side but I think that’s what most diners are happy to pay for good French style, home-cooked food, often generous portions (well for fine dining anyway) and service in a relaxed and cosy but still classy atmosphere. Also worth mentioning was the fact that we were able to use our Entertainment Book Gold Card and the others also used their Table 52 cards without a single word of protest uttered by the waiter who organised the bill. Another win! Linga Longa certainly lived up to it’s name because we were there for over two and a half hours but unlike the horrible Smirnoff Black’s that will never see the light of day with me again this restaurant is well worth a revisit.
Linga Longa
120 Collins Ave, Edge Hill QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4032 2136
Opening Hours: Tues – Thurs 5.30pm – 10pm, Fri 11.30am – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 10pm, Sat 5.30pm – 10pm, Sun 11.30am – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 10pm
Shanghai Adventures, Part 2
Here is the second part of my adventures in Shanghai. I know that some of my posts tend to be ridiculously long which is why I have split this one into two. Plus that way it counts as two posts and not one 😉
Anyway after a couple of days filled with highs, lows, celebrations and a few too many cakes and glasses of wine at the circuit hospitality my family and I headed back into the city for our last couple of nights in Shanghai. We went for lunch at another highly recommended and famous Taiwanese dumpling restaurant called Din Tai Fung.
We had the usual fare of dumplings, steamed pork buns and glutinous rice rolls which cost us a little more than expected. Din Tai Fung was good and all but it was nothing spectacular and certainly no better than the street food that we had been paying no more than 5 YUAN for. I’m all for eating out (you know me) but I just love the experience that comes with street food. Yeah sure some people think it’s questionable and you are potentially dicing with a bad case of the runs but as my saying goes, if it’s busy…. Give me street side dumplings any day!
That night a acquaintance of my mum and dad invited my family along to dinner compliments of the 6th richest man in China. Hoping we weren’t going to have to fork out any money for what we knew was going to be a decadent affair we found ourselves in a private room in an exy restaurant called Xi’s Garden in the French Concession.
After introductions were made the 11 of us sat down and the Chinese man whose name was Leon (I think?) took the liberty of ordering for us, as the Chinese tend to do. The waitstaff bought in Great Wall red wine (nothing to do with the shitty car brand) and Chinese beer and the procession of dishes to our large table began. And I mean this was a procession, they just kept coming. The dishes that I can reSmember included duck, deep fried crispy fish, abalone, xiao long bao, soup, water spinach, lotus root, bean curd, egg rolls, fried rice, some chicken and peanut thing, braised pork, steamed whole fish, beef tendons (look absolutely nothing like beef tendons – or I wouldn’t have eaten it), sweet and sour pork (or maybe it was chicken), eel and an array of other dishes.
Yin and Yang Soup
It was an absolute feast and definitely one of the more lavish dinners I have had the opportunity to attend. One of the dishes on the table we were informed was bullfrog. I had seen them in the markets, hopping around in a large bucket waiting to be selected and I was disgusted that people would actually eat them. Much to my dismay our host, Leon, insisted that my brother and I try the bullfrog. I have to say, although I didn’t want to eat it, I did, I can say I did, it was ok but I won’t be eating it again. It was the idea of eating bullfrog that got me. It actually tasted alright – the texture of fish but the taste of chicken. Ew.
The aftermath
Our decadent and unbelievable expensive dinner (thank god we didn’t get the bill) was concluded with a small dessert, for that I was grateful since I was as my dad would say ‘up to pussy’s bow’, with a glutinous rice ball filled with cream and mango. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. The outside was super soft and the inside was creamy and sweet. It was, as my brother said, like ‘eating a cloud’. I was sad that we only got one each but in the grand scheme of things that was all I needed.
Mango and Cream filled Glutinous Rice Cake
After dinner, with bellies full of food my family and I were more than ready to head back to the hotel and sleep off the mountain of food we had just eaten but our host was ready to kick on at an exclusive bar in the French Concession called People. In order to gain access you had to stick your hand into one of 9 holes to find a level that opened a secret door.
Good way to keep drunk people out of your club
Ah yeah, it was just a little bit more up market than the usual dingy Cairns club where your shoes stick to the floor. We stayed the obligatory hour with me having a Gin and Cucumber cocktail (surprisingly good and refreshing, although I was the only one that thought so) and we headed back to our hotel for our final day in Shanghai.
My Gin and Cucumber Cocktail
The next day we were on a mission to do some last minute ‘knock off’ shopping on Nanjiang Rd and in the French Concession. Unfortunately China is heading into winter so the clothing wasn’t exactly desirable but the fashion over there is certainly trendy to say the least. The real reason that I wanted to finish up in the French Concession was because there was a famous restaurant in that area that according to my trusty Lonely Planet guide was a massive hit with the locals and like stepping back in time tinto a 1950’s Hong Kong diner. I had to go there. Again it wasn’t hard to find because of the large line that had formed outside and after my dad stepping in dog shit and making a huge fuss trying to wipe it off his shoe on the sidewalk (typical dad) I managed to secure us a number in the queue in order to secure us a table inside Cha’s Restaurant.
We only waited about 20 minutes for our table for four which was pretty good considering the line – but like I said earlier you never wait long for food in Shanghai. I had a milk tea since it seemed like everyone was having them so I figured they had to be good.
We ordered some more Braised Pork, Bean Curd, Water Spinach, Lemon Chicken and an eggplant dish. It was the first time I had found Lemon Chicken on our 7 day stay in Shanghai and I was stoked because it’s one of my favourite dishes. Turns out, apart from the Lemon Chicken at Kin Wah on Florence Street (best Chinese in Cairns), this Lemon Chicken from Cha’s Restaurant was right up there! My milk tea was pretty good too.
Lemon Chicken
Water Spinach with Garlic and Tofu
Unfortunately we finished our dishes and headed to the hotel to pick up our luggage but not before I made a mad dash across to Fungan Rd (the food street) to get my last fix of Roasted Chestnuts. We took the Maglev (the world’s fastest magnetic train) from Pudong to the International Airport and althought it was about AU$10 more than the normal train we got to the airport in about 8 minutes and travelled at a top speed of 430km. It was pretty awesome and even though my dad whinged and complained about the price he thought it was pretty awesome too.
The Maglev
Well that’s about it for my trip to Shanghai. I had an absolutely amazing time and after travelling to quite a few places around the world I can’t recommend China enough. It’s certainly different and without a doubt the Chinese can be very rude but the way I try to look at it is – that’s just how they are. The spitting and smoking can get a bit much but again, that’s just how they are. When you do find the kind ones then it makes it that little bit more special. Shanghai is like an Asian New York – there is plenty going on and plenty to see. I am really hoping that China Eastern Airlines recommences their direct flights from Cairns to Shanghai because I am already planning a trip back but this time with the more cautious and less adventurous MS in tow. He has never been overeas though so it remains to be seen just how he reacts to the street food aspect. Shanghai is the ultimate foodie destination and you can go cheap or you can go high end, it’s all there. With nearly everyone second shop being a restaurant, cafe or a Starbucks the Shanghainese love food nearly as much as I do, and I can assure you that’s a hell of a lot.
Shanghai Adventures, Part 1
A destination that I have been wanting to travel to for quite some time is Shanghai. In 2005 I travelled to China with my family however we only spent a few days in Beijing. The trip to Beijing wasn’t a planned one. My parents were flying over to Hong Kong for business at the time and my brother and I were lucky enough to be able to tag along. A few days before we left my dad suggest that we go to China for four days since it was only a short plane ride away. I begged and pleaded with him that we stay in Hong Kong because I didn’t want to go to China and wanted to stay and go shopping but in the end we went anyway. Turns out I had a fantastic time during those four days, visiting places like the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall of China and Tianamen Square. I couldn’t wait to go back.
Anyway just recently the opportunity came up again to go to China with my family, but this time Shanghai. It wasn’t for business this time but lets say my brother had some important things to do over there. Seeing as I wasn’t going to be away at sea I decided to go along with them for the seven days. I bought myself a Lonely Planet Pocket Guide and did some research on what to do and where to go but most of all I was excited about the food.
We arrived in Shanghai late on a Tuesday night having flown all day on Cathay via Hong Kong. Some of the plane food was particularly questionable especially a prawn noodle salad that was little on the smelly side. We all erred on the side of caution and didn’t eat that delicious looking prawn noodle salad, instead opting for the Haagen Daas ice cream that was brought around. Arriving so late there wasn’t too much that was open around our hotel near the Bund so we went to bed looking forward to a Chinese breakfast in the morning. Some travellers may opt for the hotel breakfast – usually Western fare of bacon, eggs and hashbrowns but not family. Frankly I think if you are eating in the hotel in a city like Shanghai then you have rocks in your head.
The next day we headed off early for our first Shanghai adventure. We headed down the street past a Shanghai institution called Shanghai Grandmother (our dinner destination for that evening) and found a busy looking dumpling place filled with Chinese. Mum, my brother and I decided that’s where we were going and after ignoring my dad’s protests to find somewhere further along the street we went inside. Anyone that has tried to order food or anything for that matter overseas where there is no english spoken knows how difficult it can be but after pointing to a few diners slurping away on their wonton noodles and a couple of other things followed by holding up some fingers to indicate how many we wanted we managed to get our point across. Finally we handed over all of 25 YUAN(about AU$4) we waited for our food.
Our favourite Chinese breakfast restaurant in Shanghai
Up the front of the restaurant right in front of the window a man was cooking an enormous batch of the dumplings that Shanghai is famous for – Xiao Long Bao (dumplings filled with soup). These were at the absolute top of my list of things to try whilst in Shanghai. As each batch was ready diners rushed to the counter to collect their freshly cooked Xiao Long Bao and after being yelled at by the Xiao Long Bao man and looking at him like I had no frigin idea what he was saying one of the locals who spoke a little English chimed in and ask if I wanted to ‘have here or take away’. Thank god for the English speakers.
Making Xiao Long Bao
My family and I sat down with our wonton soup and Xiao Long Bao and ate our Chinese breakfast. It was delicious and honestly one of the best breakfasts I have had, not only because of the food but as cliché as it sounds, the experience.
The Xiao Long Bao which I saved till last (I always save the best till last) were the most amazing things I have ever put in my mouth – food wise anyway haha. These ones were fried, not steamed, and the bottom was slightly burnt and crispy which made them an absolute delight.
Xiao Long Bao
I am salivating at the thought of these things and our breakfast was that good that we returned for the next three days to eat breakfast at this bustling little place. Each day the male owner became a little bit more friendly, learning our order and helping out us semi clueless Westerners.
Our first breakfast on that Wednesday was followed by pretty much an entire week of eating for us. While in Shanghai we had our fair share of street food from freshly made honeycomb made by a friendly man on the side of the road, super spicy pizza type bread for no more than 20 cents from a roadside bakery, roasted chestnuts from a guy that I’m almost certainly doubled his prices for us Westerners and steamed pork buns from a man with only two teeth that laughed at my brother for wearing pink shorts,
The Roasted Chestnut Guy that doubled his prices
Later that night we ended up at Shanghai Grandmother, the Shanghai institution that I mentioned earlier, for dinner. We had Braised Pork, Bean Curd, Water Spinach with Garlic and a yummy dish that I remember eating on tour in Beijing, Fried Egg with Tomato. Doesn’t sound like much I know but it’s so damn good.
Fried Egg with Tomato
Shanghai Grandmother was flat out and the two floors were packed to the brim with diners. The best thing about dining in China – or Shanghai is that despite how busy or how big the restaurant is, you never have to wait long for your food. 15 minutes is the absolute maximum. Don’t worry about what’s going on in the kitchen – you just don’t think about that part. If the place is busy, it’s a goer.
Braised Beef
Next up my brother and my dad had a few things to do on the outskirts of Shanghai so mum and I were left to our own devices. We headed to our favourite breakfast spot, this time mum had the bean curd, which she said was superb. I stuck to my wonton soup and Xiao Long Bao. We both decided that we wanted to go to the Super Brand Mall on the other side of the river. Mum who had travelled to Shanghai previously but not done much sightseeing said that there was a tunnel under the river that you could walk through. We followed the signs to the Shanghai Bund Sightseeing Tunnel and after thinking we were walking the 2km or so to get to the other side found ourself in a weird tram type thing that took us to the other size in what the Lonely Planet described as one of the most bizarre tunnel experiences in the world. I have to agree with the LP. It was a capsule that took you through a tunnel filled with lights and sounds and other weird things.
About to start our journey along the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
Definitely worth it, well maybe not for the 15 or so dollars we spent but at least that included a return ‘trip’. I can’t really explain it, you will just have to try it for yourself.
More of the bizarre Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
Anyway after all that the Super Brand Mall turned out to be the Super Shit Mall so we got some Starbucks (Green Tea Latte yeah!!!) and headed back to the other side.
Tai chi looking out towards the bund
After a larger than expected lunch in China Town that was rudely interrupted by a Chinese man with a cigarette that wanted our table we did a bit more sightseeing and then returned to China Town to scope out this apparently famous dumpling restaurant and takeaway joint for some more dumplings. With the amount of dumplings I was eating my dad reckoned I was going to turn into a dumpling. Meh, you can never have enough dumplings in your life in my opinion. The Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant wasn’t hard to spot, simply because of the ridiculous line of people queuing for dumplings. Apparently there is a surcharge for dining in the restaurant so most people just get takeaway.
The line-up for takeaway at the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant
There is a large window where you can watch the workers inside making the thousands, if not millions of dumplings this place must go through a day.
Busy workers inside the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant
We took our spot in the line and after about 20 minutes got a serve of our own dumplings for only 5 YUAN (less than AU$1). Some of the people in the line were getting these super big dumplings (Steamed Bun with Crap Roe and Soup) that had a straw sticking out of the middle, assumedly to drink the soup in the middle. Mum and I thought that was a little strange so we ordered the smaller dumplings. They were also filled with soup – again it’s what Shanghai is famous for.
What’s on the menu at the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant
There is definitely a technique to eating Xiao Long Bao because the soup inside is steaming hot. I burned myself multiple times on the multiple occasions that I ate these delightful things or I just spilt the soup all over myself. They were good but in my eyes nothing beat the fried ones from the awesome breakfast place that we had been frequenting.
Take away steamed Xiao Long Bao from the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant
The next evening after a day of shopping my whole family was famished and we headed off on another adventure to get some dinner (it’s always an adventure with my family). This time we were staying in a hotel about an hour out of Shanghai. Lets just say that my brother needed to be close to a circuit that was nearby for the next couple of days (sorry I’m not trying to be elusive, okay yeah maybe I am). So we headed off down the road and found ourselves in a little town. It wasn’t hard to find where the food was – it’s where all the people are. We walked past and looked at a place that my mum absolutely refused to go to because of all the large bones on peoples plate. What’s wrong with eating large bones of questionable origin? We looked in the window of a butcher at all of the weird, wonderful and downright bizarre things that were inside to take home and cook. Then we found ourselves outside what looked like a busy noodle shop.
Again dad tried to move us on to ‘see what was a little further down’ but the rest of us took a stand and walked in. I wouldn’t say it was a restaurant. More a hole in the wall with a big wok out the front and a couple of tables inside with a little old man clearing out finished bowls and making space for new diners. A refrigerated cabinet inside had a large selection of different types of noodles and meats and vegetables on skewers.
The deal was that you took a colander, selected however many noodles, meat, vegetables, tofu and other random skewered items you wanted, paid your money and then the woman on the wok next to a big pot of broth cooked it up for you. Some of the things I had to take a guess what they were – what I thought was tofu turned out to be a fish ball after biting into it but that’s all part of the adventure. I am a little less adventurous than my brother who selected a couple of ‘mystery meats’ that he literally had no idea what they were. It’s all in good fun and like I said, as long as the place is busy then it’s a goer.
My colander of questionable food items
In the end our four noodles bowls cost us 49 YUAN which is only AU$8.40, an absolute bargain if you ask me because it was one of the best meals I have had. My brother erred on the side of caution and decided that he would leave his mystery meat to the side since after the cooking process it still didn’t resemble anything we recognised. He needed to be on top of his game for a very important event the next day so I urged him to be a little bit smarter with his decisions.
My delicious bowl of noodles
Stayed tuned for the second part of my adventures in Shanghai…
The Clever Canteen @ The Clever Duck, Forest Gardens *CLOSED DOWN*
There have been a few places I have been wanting to go and eat in the last few months but being so restricted food wise all I could do was dream about them and lay in waiting for the time when I could eat real food again. That time has finally come, well about a month ago anyway. Two of those such places were The Clever Duck and Mama Coco who coincidently are run by the same people. I have previously written posts on both of The Clever Duck and Mama Coco however Davey, Bill and co are doing exciting new things at both establishments and I thought that called for a brand new post. Besides if I was going to eat there then I was definitely going to post about it! I’ll have to save the Mama Coco one for another day because this post is reserved for The Clever Duck.
Having only been open since April this year The Clever Duck has already developed a huge following of locals and fellow foodies because of it’s delicious food and breezy, serene location in Forest Gardens. Only recently they have come up with The Clever Canteen on Saturday’s and Sunday’s from midday to 4pm. This particular time we went was for the Labour Day Long Weekend on the 6th of October (yes I realise that was nearly a month ago but I have been overseas, no not working but on holiday). More on that very soon.
I got a group of friends together and we headed out to Forest Gardens for an afternoon of eating and drinking. When we arrived the TCD was only about a third full but our group of 9 filled the place up a little bit more. Bill, the host, politely showed us to our table and explained the menu to us. The menu at The Clever Canteen is designed for grazing with a choice of four different types of meats for $9 per portion and salads, grains and veggies $5 per portion. There is also the option of three tasty sauces for $1, grazing plates with sour dough and antipasto for $25 plus things for the ducklings (kiddies) at around the $5 mark.
Since The Clever Canteen is currently BYO with no corkage MS and I took full advantage and planned to get absolutely wasted so we pulled out our bottle of tequila and some shot glasses. Haha, just kidding. A couple of Rekorderlig Ciders on a Sunday afternoon at TCD was just what the doctor ordered (I think Rekorderlig is amazing or as my good friend TW would say are ‘like angels peeing on my tongue’).
After having a look over the menu which true-to-form I had already looked over many times on TCD‘s Facebook page we ordered a few plates each and went from there. First up I went for the Dry Rubbed Smoked Pork Shoulder with Southern Style Whiskey and Sweet Onion Sauce and a side of Saffron Basmati Rice, Dried Cranberries, Pistachios and Mixed Herbs all for $15. Shit yeah! Pretty good if you ask me. MS ordered the same except instead of the Basmati Rice he chose the Pink Eye Potato Salad, Radish, Dill, Sour Cream and Horseradish as his side. Across from me my favourite sweet toothed blogger Baking Myself Happy ordered the Prosciutto Wrapped Rosemary and Chicken Thigh with Thyme Roasted Pumpkin, Mushroom, Tomato and Shallot. With the delicious aromas of the BBQ sizzling away outside with Davy at the helm our first round of food didn’t take long to arrive. Initially I thought the portion size was a little small but then I looked at the size of the cut of Pork Shoulder that was in front of me and remembered that it had cost a mere $15 and soon realised what awesome value The Clever Canteen was.
Dry Rubbed Smoked Pork Shoulder with Southern Style Whiskey and Sweet Onion Sauce and a side of Saffron Basmati Rice, Dried Cranberries, Pistachios and Mixed Herbs (AU$15)
The Dry Rubbed Smoked Pork Shoulder was probably some of the best, if not the best pork I have ever had. All too many times I have had dry, chewy pork but this… this was something else. It was juicy and succulent and the Southern Style Whiskey and Sweet Onion Sauce was that good that I pretty much licked the ramekin clean to finish it off after my pork was gone. The Saffron Basmati Rice was also a hit at our table with just the right amount of sweetness from the cranberries, crunch from the pistachios and herbs to flavour the dish. MS and I also ordered some Wood Fired Sour Dough with Wattle Seed Dukkah and EVOO for AU$5 because lets face it, who can resist dukkah and sour dough! Everyone declared how excellent their respective meals were and after we finished our first plate half the table was already looking at the menu for what they were going to have for their next plate – not because we were still hungry (well I was but I am an eating machine to put it lightly) but because we wanted to try more of the amazing dishes that were on offer.
Wood Fired Sour Dough with Wattle Seed Dukkah and EVOO (AU$5)
Next up I chose the Herb Crusted Roast Tableland Sirloin this time with Smokey Chimichurri for the sauce and the Pink Eye Potato Salad and MS got Sirloin also except he chose the Roasted Pumpkin and Mushroom Salad. As we finished off our first cider and moved onto our 2nd (I had 2, MS was driving so he only had one) our second plates of food arrived at the table. My big cut of sirloin, like the pork, was cooked to perfection and had that lovely grilled/BBQ taste. The chimichurri sauce was the perfect accompaniment and the potato salad was definitely my favourite side dish of the day. I have a massive weak spot for potato salad. And macaroni cheese. I loved the sirloin but I just couldn’t go past the pork. That was an absolute standout for me whilst MS thought the sirloin was better. Different strokes, different folks but they were both awesome.
Herb Crusted Roast Tableland Sirloin with Thyme Roasted Pumpkin, Mushroom, Tomato and Shallot
Across from me KK who was still relishing in her first meal of Dry Rubbed Pork had ordered a Grazing Plate of Soft, Hard and Blue Cheese with Chutney Fruit and Sourdough for $25. The Grazing Plate served on a large wooden bread board was presented beautifully and neatly and I secretly wished that I had ordered one. Lucky for the rest of us at the table KK ate as much as she could (hardly any) and then moved the board into the middle of the table for the rest of us to devour. I went straight for the blue cheese because lets face it, a cheese platter isn’t a cheese platter without that mouldy goodness. The soaked dried fruits were delicious and I am now kicking myself for not finding out what they were soaked in.
Grazing Plate of Soft, Hard and Blue Cheese with Chutney, Fruit and Sourdough for AU$25
Although I wanted to keep eating savoury dishes and get through all four of the main BBQ portions – fish and chicken still to go – I knew that it was time to check out the dessert dishes inside the cabinet near the counter. MS and I went over and had a look and after at least 10 minutes of umming and ahhing what each of us should get and then what the other could get so one could taste it and then consulting the waitress as to which one was better than the other. We finally chose a small slice of the Chocolate and Sultana Brownie with Ice Cream, the Almond, Pear and Frangipane Tart and a slice of Banana Bread, warmed up with butter. It was a hard choice and if I could have had my way I would have eaten one of everything in the cabinet but alas I have to exert a little bit of self control. Yes MS and I are fatties (on the inside) but we workout *insert chorus for the song I’m sexy and I know it*. A lot. All three of the desserts were fantastic with the exception of the Almond and Frangipane Tart which was exceptional. There is something about the texture of the tart that just did it for me. MS was content eating his boring slice of Banana Bread (good but boring) and left me to my own devices with the entire tart and the brownie.
Slice of Chocolate Sultana Brownie with Ice Cream for AU$1.50
Almond, Pear and Frangipane Tart
Warm Banana Bread with Butter
About halfway through our lunch more people started to arrive until the place was chock a block. Not too many people but enough to fill the place up both outside on the deck and inside where we were sitting. The amazingly talented and beautiful singer Amy Chase and her guitarist set up outside on the deck and played some lazy tunes whilst families set up picnic blankets in the afternoon sun out on the lawn in front of the deck. It was the perfect afternoon to end finish off a perfect Sunday with fantastic food, great service and great friends in a relaxed atmosphere by the pond. I really like the concept of The Clever Canteen – being able to mix and match your food. There are exciting times ahead as the team at The Clever Duck and Mama Coco are doing some great things for the local food scene with pop up restaurants and weekend BBQ’s like The Clever Canteen. I only hope that other cafe’s and restaurants take a leaf out of their book to help create a more diverse Melbournesque food culture for our vibrant city. Bring it on!
PS: If you haven’t got your tickets for the Melbourne Cup Soiree at TCD then you better get in soon. With canapés, a bountiful banquet and a dessert pony (whatever that is) it’s the winning trifecta for a kick ass day.
PPS: After all the ranting and raving I have done about these guys I just want to say that I have no ties or links to Mama Coco or TCD. I do however believe that if a café or restaurant in Cairns is up to scratch then I will shout it from the rooftops, or at least from the safety of my couch and my Toshiba Ultrabook. As many of my readers should know it’s hard to find good food, good service and good atmosphere in Cairns so when you find all three you know you’re onto a winner.
The Clever Duck
Lakeside, Forest Gardens Blvd, Forest Gardens QLD 4868
Ph: (07) 4036 3936
Opening Hours: The Clever Canteen – Sat and Sun 12pm – 4pm, normal hours Wed – Fri 7.30am – 2.30pm, Sat and Sun 7.30am – 4pm
Website: www.thecleverduck.com.au
Ribs and Rumps, Townsville
Recently I was down in Townsville and with the trusty Entertainment Book in my clutches I was looking for somewhere for a good feed – and a big feed. Consulting my brother and his GF, who attends uni down in Townsville I was directed to Ribs and Rumps on Palmer Street. It just so happened that I was craving big piles of meat on the bone and… my sister and I were staying right on Palmer St. It seemed like it was meant to be. I called up Ribs and Rumps and made a booking for 10+ on a Sunday night. When I called up I asked if we could split the bill and the lady on the phone told me that splitting the bill was not an option as it was too time consuming so we would have to bring cash and pool it towards the total bill at the end or someone could always put it on their credit card. Yeah no. I asked her if she would reconsider and I was again told no. In the end I just hoped for the best and if all else failed I would just play dumb… “I’m so sorry but no one told me that we couldn’t split the bill. What ever will we do Mr Waiter?”
Anyway, on the drive down to Townsville the day before I received a call confirming my booking for the following night and was asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside. I consulted the other two people that were with me that were also attending the dinner and confirmed that we would like to sit inside. Sunday arrived and after a long day of various activities that included stuffing my face with lollies and Subway cookies after a long period of strict dieting I was hanging for Ribs and Rumps. We arrived at the restaurant only to find our table set up outside on the footpath right next to a young female busker, who may or may not have been affiliated with the restaurant itself. I’m not quite sure what happened to the INSIDE table that I booked but taking one look inside it looked like there was certainly no room inside as the restaurant was packed full of diners. And let me just add that the booking I made was over two weeks before. Enough about the booking let’s move on.
Although I had never heard of it prior to my brother and his GF mentioning it, Ribs and Rumps appears to be a chain restaurant with locations all over Australia as well as in Dubai – a steakhouse famous for it’s legendary ribs, aged-to-perfection steaks and mammoth sized portions. Legendary ribs? Yeah we shall see about that. Being the avid googler that I am I had already stalked the Ribs and Rumps menu online and to save time and to give me something to look forward to in my lengthy time of strict dieting I knew exactly what I was getting. The menu is pretty much as you would expect it… Burgers, the token Caesar Salad, Ribs, Steaks and combos of Ribs and Steaks. For an entree I chose the Cheesy Garlic Baguette for AU$6.95 because I hadn’t had cheese or bread for quite some time and the two combined, well, I needed them in my life. Next up was the main and after weighing up if the excessive price was really worth it knowing full well that I wouldn’t be able to eat much of it I ordered the Ribs, Ribs and Ribs – a mouth-watering combo of tender pork, meaty beef and juicy lamb ribs for AU$49.95. In the end I couldn’t choose between which type of ribs I wanted so if I had to pay the exorbitant amount of nearly 50 bucks for all three then I figured I might as well.
While we waited for our dishes to arrive I stopped the waitress and ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc to wash it all down. My glass of wine never turned up so I just stuck to jugs of water. Meanwhile, our entire table, and probably every single diner seated outside, cringed as the young busker nearby broke into the chorus of Nicki Minaj’s song Superbass. A song that was never ever, ever meant to be sung along to with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a microphone on a sidewalk in Townsville. I even considering paying the girl $5 to shut the hell up so we could eat our dinner in peace. I’m sorry, I know that sounds terrible but so did this busker.
Soon up out came my Cheesy Garlic Baguette. This Cheesy Garlic Baguette could have very well been the best thing I have ever eaten, or again it could have been the fact that I hadn’t had cheese or bread for quite some time. But seriously, it was pretty good. There was lashings of garlic butter and the cheese was stringy and melted and wow. Just wow. In hindsight I would have been content with eating about three cheesy garlic breads for the night and then called it quits but not long after that my Ribs, Ribs and Ribs main meal came out. It was placed down in front of me and I have to admit that I was disappointed with the size. After paying AU$50 for this meal I was expecting something significantly bigger. It just looked to me like a big ass white plate with a handful of chips on it and a couple of racks of ribs. I mean at Waterbar the ribs are expensive but there is at least twice as much on the plate. I figured that if the ribs were good then I would let the price and the portion size slide so I dug in.
Cheesy Garlic Baguette – AU$6.95
As some of my readers may remember I judge all ribs by the most amazing ribs that I have ever eaten – in a small bar in Nashville, Tennessee called Rippy’s. These ribs were the ribs of all ribs and I bought the t-shirt to always remember the place. Sadly, no ribs that I have eaten since then have ever come close to the ribs that I had on that fateful day and the ribs at Ribs and Rumps were no different. After so much hype and build up from people telling me how good the ribs at Ribs and Rumps were I was severely disappointed. Someone said they were fall off the bone tender and the sauce that they are basted with was the best part. What sauce? All I could taste was the grill. I’m no stranger to BBQ’d grilled meats but the sauce is where it’s at and I couldn’t taste any. You want that sh*t running down your face, onto your fingers and onto your awaiting bib. Not at Ribs and Rumps. The ribs certainly didn’t fall off the bone especially the beef ribs which were tough as an old boot. As stated in the menu the lamb ribs were really fatty but again weren’t very tasty. I ended up filling up on the handful of chips on my plate and gave the majority of the ribs away to the hungry men at my table.
Ribs, Ribs and Ribs – A mouth-watering combo of tender pork, meaty beef and juicy lamb ribs for AU$49.95
Myself, my sister and the majority of the others at the table found the meal disappointing. I thought the food was ordinary but I was disappointed mostly because I had let myself get caught up in the hype of what other people had said and let’s face it who isn’t going to think that a restaurant called ‘Ribs and Rumps’ isn’t going to be anything short of amazing? I really do think that the rib part of the menu was overpriced. The majority of people that dine at Ribs and Rumps are going there to order the ribs. You don’t go somewhere with that kind of name and order a Garden Salad which for arguments sake is a lot more reasonably priced. At Ribs and Rumps they are definitely capitalising on the ribs and by the look of it it’s working because as I said before the restaurant was absolutely packed out with well over 150 diners on a Sunday night. The owner must be making a killing! However, Cairns-ites rest assured, you’re not missing out on anything. Waterbar is waaaaaay better than Ribs and Rumps and they never forget your glass of wine or stuff up your booking. Sorry Townsville you haven’t won me over with your promise of delicious meaty ribs, instead all your rocks and dryness just make me feel miserable. I still think the only thing that you have going for you is the drive out of your town and yeah ok, you have Betty Blue and the Lemon Tart. I’ll give you that.
Ribs and Rumps
2 Dibbs St (entrance to Palmer St), Townsville QLD 4810
Ph: (07) 4721 6088
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm, Sat & Sun 12pm – 10pm
Website: www.ribsandrumps,com
Breakfast @ Betty Blue + The Lemon Tart
A friend of mine recommended Betty Blue and The Lemon Tart for breakfast while in Townsville over the weekend and I have to say ‘holy crap what an awesome place!’ The table surfaces were blackboards and each table had a selection of coloured chalk to keep you amused while you waited for your breakfast.
The menu was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! I really wanted to order the Waffles with Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce and Lollies but I restrained myself and had the Corn, Cheddar and Spring Onion Fritters with Soy Soaked Bacon, Avocado, Capsicum Jam and Sour Cream for AU$21. The prices are a little steep (maybe that’s normal for Townsville) but it was totally worth it. I wish we had somewhere like this in Cairns – now I just have to justify the 350 odd km drive back to Townsville for those bloody waffles!
Betty Blue and The Lemon Tart
Unit 8 No.95 Denham St, Townsville Qld 4810
Ph: (07) 4724 2554
Sorry :/
Sorry guys, again I have been a bit slack with my posts lately but I have good reasoning. I am pretty busy with a few other things at the moment and haven’t been dining out at all so I literally have nothing to post about. Having said that I do have a post in the works I just have to pull my finger out of my a** and finish it. I am planning a big comeback very soon so bear with me and stay tuned! Follow my blog on the right hand side of this page so you are the first to know when I put my next post up.
foodvixen x
La Fettucina, Cairns
It’s taken me quite a few years but I finally got to one of Cairns’ longest serving restaurants… La Fettuccina. About six months ago I got an email from a man in Sydney (DB) asking for Cairns restaurant recommendations for a tour group of about 20 or so retirees including himself. After months of correspondence via email DB and I came up with three entirely different restaurants for him and his tour group to dine at showcasing some of the best produce that Cairns has to offer. So what are the three restaurants you ask? Mwahahaha wouldn’t you like to know? Anyway so the tour group arrived here on Tuesday and I am hoping to hear back from DB soon in regards to just how the three restaurants stacked up (maybe I’ll tell you when I hear back). But, as a way of saying thank you to me for helping with the recommendations DB took MS and myself out for dinner last Monday night. I don’t often receive many ‘kickbacks’ (okay I never do) for doing this – I do it for the love of food and boy do I live and breath it – but I was actually pretty stoked at the opportunity to help out and it was really nice to for DB to show his gratitude by shouting my partner and I out to dinner. DB asked me if I wanted to choose the restaurant for the evening. He thought maybe we could dine somewhere that I hadn’t been and wanted to write about so the pressure was on for me to choose somewhere that I deemed to be up to scratch, somewhere that I hadn’t been before and also somewhere that was reasonably priced (since DB was paying and I wasn’t about to choose something too expensive because that’s just not the right thing to do when someone offers to take you to dinner).
After much deliberation I chose La Fettuccina on Shields Street. Although I hadn’t been there before I had heard recommendations from friends, studied online reviews and found that they were open on a Monday night. Plus they have been open for over 25 years so they had to be doing something right at La Fettuccina. I made a booking for three people for 7.15pm and after picking up DB from his hotel on the Esplanade we managed to grab a park right out the front of the pub next door. I joked to DB that I was taking him into the back area of the pub for a Crumbed Sausage and Veggies for AU$6.50 but I am not sure he appreciated my sense of humour unfortunately. When we arrived at La Fettuccina at 7.10pm the place was absolutely packed and considering I’d thought twice about making a booking on a Monday night (it’s a Monday night in Cairns – there will be plenty of tables, yeah right!) I thanked my lucky stars that I had actually picked up the phone and called La Fettuccina.
Diners appeared to be a mix of locals and tourists but mostly tourists and both DB and I were extremely surprised at just how many people were there on a Monday particularly somewhere that is a few blocks back from the main restaurant drag along the Esplanade. Anyway so like I said we arrived about 5 minutes early and waited at the door behind a small group of people. The waitress asked if we had a booking to which I replied that we did and told her the details. She said that they were just getting the table organised and we could either wait at the door or take a seat at the bar and have a drink. We figured we would just wait at the door as the bar appeared to be a little cramped and not exactly conducive to having a three way conversation. It took a good 20 minutes from that point till we were seated at our table inside and although the waitress kept us in the loop it was a little annoying that I had booked for 7.15pm and we weren’t seated till after 7.30pm.
When we finally took our seats just one table in from the front door the waitress handed us a menu each and took our drink orders. Much to DB’s dismay neither MS or I wanted to drink – we really don’t drink much. I ordered a soda water and then DB asked MS ‘Surely you will drink with me’? Ha! Fat chance of that happening – MS is even more of a p*ssy than I am when it comes to alcohol – but after wording him up on things a little earlier in the evening (we couldn’t both have soda water but my hands are tied at the moment) he chose a bottle of Monteith’s Apple Cider while DB chose a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from the Wine Menu. We discussed various things from wine lists, to menu items that were selected for the tour group, to previous tours that he has done, to mine and MS’ professional background’s to DB’s three sons, to the absurdity of an ice cream shop topping the list of ‘best restaurants in Cairns’ in between having a look over the menu.
MS had selected the Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca with Capers, Anchovies and Tomatoes for AU$22 but of course had to put his own spin on it taking out the anchovies and asking to add chicken. Sigh. Although he had originally chosen the Puttanesca also DB decided that he would choose something different so I would be able to review a couple of dishes rather than the same one. In the end after being distracted by another pasta and seafood dish on the specials board DB chose a small serve of Spaghetti Alla Pescatora – “Fisherman Style” with Prawns, Fish, Garlic and Chilli lightly panfried in Olive Oil for AU$19.50. Considering pasta isn’t exactly on the menu for me at the moment (something that makes me sad particularly when dining at an Italian Restaurant) I had to be a little more selective with my choice and chose something off the specials board – the Grilled Chicken Breast filled with Seafood and served with a Creamy White Wine Sauce and Salad for AU$29.50. The two men also chose a plate of Bruschetta Bread for AU$12 to share amongst themselves for an entree.
The Bruschetta Bread arrived about 10 minutes after we ordered with four reasonably sized pieces of toasted Italian Bread topped with fresh tomato, red onion, garlic and olive oil. I do believe that some of the best bruschetta bread that I have eaten anywhere is at Ciao Italia (it will always be Donnini’s to me) at the Pier but after having a small taste I decided this one was pretty good too. Getting the right mix of garlic and basil can be a tricky task for some restaurants but La Fettuccina have definitely got the ratio down pat. MS gobbled down his two pieces of bruschetta while DB took a little longer, savouring his pieces while we continued to chat.
Bruschetta – Toasted Italian bread topped with fresh tomato, basil, red onion, garlic and olive oil (AU$12)
Next up our mains arrived all at once with quite a large plate of pasta set down in front of MS and a slightly smaller one in front of DB. The small serve of Spaghetti Alla Pescatora that DB had ordered was actually much larger than I was expecting and I believe that it may have even been enough for little old 5ft nothing me whom has been know to devour larger bowls of pasta than my over 6ft tall partner. What good is a pasta dish if you are not rolling around on the ground in pain from eating too much afterwards huh? No but on a more serious note it was quite a decent serve. I am forever the skeptic with small sized pasta dishes after dining at Lygon Street with my family a few years ago. My poor dad ordered the special which was ‘Handmade Eggplant Gnocchi’ or something like that and when it arrived at the table it was literally about 3 mouthfuls while the rest of us had rather large dishes ordered from the normal dinner menu. In the end it turns out that they had run out of the Eggplant Gnocchi, with only a few spoons left when dad placed his ordered but they figured they would serve it anyway. WTF? When it was time to pay the bill I was about to complain when I noticed someone had forgotten to put a $45 bottle of wine onto the bill so in the end I said nothing. Pretty poor way to run a restaurant if you ask me but I can’t for the life of me remember the name of that damn restaurant to name and shame. Anyway so that is the story as to why I am a pasta skeptic which has absolutely nothing to do with La Fettuccina or this post for that matter. Moving on…
DB’s Spaghetti Alla Pescatora was filled pieces of prawn and fish cooked ever so lightly in garlic and olive oil. It looked delicious but DB did have one small hangup about the dish. He found the strands of fresh-made pasta to be a little bit too long and he would have preferred to have them cut up a little so he wasn’t constantly twirls ridiculously long strands around his fork and trying to suck them up and out of his bowl. I get what he was trying to say but maybe this is how fresh-made pasta is supposed to be? I have no idea since I really know nothing about pasta, having never made it before. All I know is that it tastes good and I like to eat it. So other than that he said it was an absolutely superb dish.
Spaghetti Alla Pescatora – “Fisherman Style” with Prawns, Fish, Garlic and Chilli lightly panfried in Olive Oil for AU$19.50
MS declared that his pasta was undercooked and after knowing exactly how he cooks his pasta at home (he cooks the sh*t out of it) I had a taste and realised it was actually ‘al dente’ the way pasta should be. The sauce was packed full of capers, tomato and extra chicken (of course). MS was grateful that he had listened to me when wondering what shirt to wear because rich sauce would have been a b*tch to get out in the wash (what does he care, we all know that he wouldn’t be the one doing the washing anyway). It was a large serving that MS managed to polish off quite nicely, more than content with his choice of Puttanesca by the end of it. I managed to steal a little forkful of spaghetti action from MS’ plate and by all accounts the Puttanesca was a winner.
Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca with Capers, Anchovies and Tomatoes for AU$22
My Grilled Chicken Breast filled with Seafood and served with a Creamy White Wine Sauce and Salad was also a lovely dish but really, lets be honest, no one goes to an Italian restaurant and gets a chicken breast except for me of course. For the time being anyway, but again we won’t go into that. The Creamy White Wine Sauce which I ordered to have on the side was delicious but more buttery than creamy and really just tasted like a jug of butter more than anything else but it may have separated in the jug while waiting to make it my table. The side salad was your basic side salad with a couple of olives, some tomato and cucumber. Just decoration really. The seafood filling inside the chicken was chock a block with garlic and seafood. It kept me burping up garlic long after our dinner was over much to MS’ displeasure later on (especially in the car on the way home after dropping DB back at his hotel). Don’t get me wrong the chicken was yummy but it wasn’t a big bowl of saucy pasta, nor was it delicious, crunchy, bruschetta bread *sigh*.
Grilled Chicken Breast filled with Seafood and served with a Creamy White Wine Sauce and Salad for AU$29.50
Well this post seems to be going on for ever and ever… Maybe because I have sat down to try and finish it no less than 4 times. So without further adieu here is the spill. The service didn’t miss a beat except for our 20 minute wait for our already booked table at the beginning. That did sour things slightly for me but it was soon a distant memory considering how lovely our dinner was – until I sat down to write this post anyway. The restaurant is small enough that pretty much all of the wait staff ‘help out’ a bit at each of the tables regularly walking back and fourth towards the kitchen eying our glasses of water/cider/wine for top ups or to fetch another one from the bar. The way I have explained it sounds totally overbearing but it’s not at all. Empty plates were clearly quickly and without fuss and at no time was anything too much trouble, even when MS asked to have the anchovies taken out of his Puttanesca and instead put into DB’s Pescatora. DB, MS and myself all enjoyed our meal at La Fettuccina but I also felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders when everything including the food, the drinks, the service and the conversation well… it just worked.
La Fettuccina Restaurant and Bar
41 Shields St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4031 5959
Opening Hours: 7 days 5pm – 10pm
Website: http://www.lafettuccina.com
Sushi Train @ Cairns Central
Has anyone else noticed that the plates at Sushi Train are getting smaller and smaller as the prices are getting bigger and bigger? I mean this isn’t really something new but come on it’s getting beyond a joke now. It hardly seems worth going there anymore… Except for the fact that their sushi is so damn delicious (Salmon Ikura Ship come at me!). No, but seriously Sushi Train, could you please go back to making sushi that’s actually more than half a mouthful? Yours Sincerely, foodvixen x
Salmon Ikura Ship
foodvixen 