$15 Lunch at Hanuman, Cairns *CLOSED DOWN*
Yum! Can’t go wrong with lunch at Hanuman at the Hilton! The food was delicious, the service was excellent and the view of the Hilton’s manicured gardens and Trinity Inlet is second to none (unless of course you are dining downstairs at Mondo where the view is the only thing worth going for).
Hanuman
34 The Esplanade, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4052 6786
Opening Hours: Lunch Mon – Fri 12pm – 2.30pm, Dinner 7 nights 6pm till late
Website: www.hanuman.com.au
The Asia Bar and Restaurant, Cairns *CLOSED DOWN*
A couple of weeks ago my new-to-Cairns friend Baking Myself Happy and I went for dinner at a place that I spotted when I popped into First Choice Liquor for a bottle of wine. After seeing what looked like a new Asian restaurant I sauntered over to check it out, peering inside to find a busy little Korean restaurant that I have never seen nor heard of before called The Asia Bar and Restaurant. Situated right underneath Bohemian Central Backpackers I was eager to check it out so I enlisted BMH to come to dinner with me so we could catch up and I could hear about her recent trip to Thailand. As it turns out BMH had never had Korean food before but said she would love to try it. We arrived together and parked in the First Choice Liquor carpark right near a lovely man that upon closer inspection was peeing on the wall. He didn’t seem to notice us as we walked past but I sure as hell noticed him – filthy man. Do not let my observations of this drunken individual deter you from visiting this delightful little restaurant since unfortunately this appears to be a regular sight in Cairns.
So we headed on into The Asia and found there wasn’t a vacant seat in the entire place which probably seats around 30 people. We also noticed that besides one other person we were the only non-Korean people in there. We both figured that any place that is full of traditional diners has to be good so we waited about 5 minutes for a table to be free and sat down. I have to admit it was a very awkward 5 minutes because we were not acknowledged nor spoken to by any of the wait staff. This didn’t deter us and after the waitress wiped down the table she handed us a couple of menus to have a look over before fetching us a bottle of water and a couple silver cups that made the ice cold water go down nicely.
We both ummed and ahhed over the menu and although everything on the menu sounded good there just wasn’t anything that particularly grabbed me. All except the Ttukbaegi Jjamppong Bap or as I like to call it Chinese-Style Earthen Pot with Vegetables and Seafood and Cellophane Noodles with Rice. Unfortunately for me this dish was only available on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Alas, I was a day late. In the end we both settled with the Bulgogi Deopbap or the Rice Topped with Beef for a mere AU$11. Can’t argue with that! I also ordered some Japanese Pickle to go with my dish – a steal for only AU$1!
Kimchi and Japanese Pickle (AU$1)
While we waited BMH recounted wondrous stories of private plunge pools and endless amounts of Som Tum in Thailand. There were also not so wondrous stories of her nearly getting eaten alive by monkey’s on Monkey Beach near Phi Phi. When I went to Monkey Beach I didn’t get off the damn boat. I never liked monkey’s you can’t trust them and they also scare the sh*t out of me. While waiting for our main meals the waitress brought over the Japanese Pickle that I ordered along with a small dish of Kimchi (a traditional fermented Korean dish that tastes much nicer than it sounds). We only waited about 10 to 15 minutes for our meals to arrive and when they did they really weren’t too much to look at. To me all it looked like was some Beef and Veggies on top of some rice with a bit of salad on the side. Well maybe that is why it’s called Rice topped with Beef? D’uh.
Anyway turns out we were actually both pleasantly surprised with our meals despite their appearance. Okay the meals didn’t look bad just super boring I guess. The beef was really tender with a slightly sweet flavour to it. It was quite delicious! I added a bit of Kimchi to mine to give it a little bit more spice although there is a tray on each table with spices and sauces for you to add your own if you like. The serving size was quite large, almost too large for me to finish even though I picked all the onion out of it (I’m a sook, I know). The addition of the wedge of orange on the side was a nice touch to cleanse the palate at the end of the meal (at least that’s what I think it was for).
Rice topped with Beef (AU$11)
So it turns out that BMH really enjoyed her introduction to Korean food and I enjoyed introducing her. I would really love to go back on a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday and try the ‘Chinese Earthen Pot’ or maybe even the Spicy Sausage Stew with Rice which is AU$25 for two people. The food was really yummy and cheap too costing only AU$25 for the two of us. The Asia is a little bit loud with the conversations of other diner’s being a little bit deafening at times. BMH and I did have trouble hearing parts of each others conversation so that we had to resort to the old smile and nod every now and then. Unless you are planning on an intimate dinner don’t let that deter you. The atmosphere at The Asia is a lot nicer than another popular Korean restaurant in Cairns, Corea Corea at Orchid Plaza and a hell of a lot cleaner too. The Asia Bar and Restaurant is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat before a catching movie in the city. That’s if you can get a table.
The Asia Bar and Restaurant
100 Sheridan St, Cairns QLD 4870 (underneath the Bohemian Central Backpackers)
Ph: 0407 974 338
Opening Hours: Mon, Wed & Thurs 5pm – 10pm, Fri & Sat 5pm – 12pm, Sun 5pm – 10pm
Mother India, Cairns
Ok I can’t put it off any longer. My last post was well over two weeks ago, slack I know but I have been caught up in birthday celebrations for both MS and myself as well as a bit of Christmas cheer and a nasty middle ear infection that is yet to subside. Next cab off the rank with my Table 52 cards was Mother India on Sheridan Street a couple of weeks ago for a farewell dinner with my good friend EG. Seems my Table 52 cards are running rather low and I only really have ones from the Northern Beaches and Port Douglas left. Might be time to invest in the 2013 Edition to even out the playing field. I will use the Northern Beaches and Port Douglas, I just haven’t got around to it yet and I have to admit I don’t go up to Port very much. So back to Mother India. EG had already been to Mother India many times and even considers herself a regular. The owner remembered her from a few days earlier when she had dined there with her mother. I have dined at Mother India once many years ago for lunch but I can’t really remember what it was like. I have avoided it in more recent times after I called up one day to find out about their lunch specials to put on my Lunch page and had the person on the other end of the phone (I’m assuming the owner) give me an earful about how his chef had quit and he couldn’t open because he didn’t have anyone to cook. Needless to say I didn’t end up hearing the lunch specials and I decided I didn’t particularly want to know them but hey we all have our bad days.
I’ll admit I am the kind to hold grudges and my phone conversation did leave a pretty bad taste in my mouth but after reassurances from EG that it was ‘really good’ I thought I would stick my head in for a look and some curry. We got there around 8pm on a Friday night and there was about three other tables occupied at the time. A man who introduced himself as the owner showed us to a table and bought us some menus and water while we had a look over the menu. The owner was really friendly and chatted with myself and EG about her earlier dining experience and whether or not I had been to Mother India before (I didn’t mention the phone conversation). He was very gracious and happy to have us dining at Mother India, I think because out of all the Indian restaurants in Cairns Mother India is the one that gets most overlooked. Most likely because of its location on Sheridan Street, just that little bit out-of-the-way of the main thoroughfare. Although that doesn’t seem to be a problem for Happy 4 10 which appears to be doing a roaring trade.
After insisting upon a serving of papadums and chutney to start with and a glass of Giesen each, EG and I decided that we would both order a meal and share it. That was fine with me I had already picked out the Butter Chicken (isn’t that what everyone orders at an Indian restaurant?) but much to my dismay and something I did not know about my friend was that she didn’t eat chicken. She then went on to tell me a hilarious childhood story about her pet chicken that she got for her birthday that she did everything with (he waited in her room for her to come home from school and slept in her bed) until one day she came home from school to find a pile of feathers in the backyard and her favourite chicken missing. She then went on to say that this story wasn’t actually the reason that she didn’t eat chicken more that she just didn’t like it. It was a funny story none the less.
EG’s story reminded me of a story about my Nana (my mum’s mum who is now passed away) who had a favourite chicken when she was a child living in Sri Lanka. One day her favourite chicken stopped laying eggs so her father told her that they would have to kill it since it wasn’t doing its chicken-ly duties anymore. So after much reluctance and tears (from my Nana not the chicken) my Nana’s favourite chicken got the axe and when they chopped it open they found an egg inside. My Nana was so upset at the loss of her beloved chicken that she never ate chicken again. Up until she passed away my dad used to take great delight in feeding her pate and biscuits when she came over (something she absolutely loved), little did she know what she was actually eating. My dad thinks he’s so funny. So after all the chicken stories were exchanged I still longed for Butter Chicken but knew I had to decide on something else so I chose the Lamb Korma – Mildly spiced diced lamb curried in a creamy cashew and almond gravy for AU$16.95, while EG went with a vegetarian dish to add to the mix. She chose the Palak Paneer – Fresh ground spinach cooked with cottage cheese in fresh ginger, garlic and onions for AU$15.95. We ordered some Garlic Naan (AU$3.95), Steamed Rice (AU$2.50) and some Cucumber Raita (AU$4.25) to go with our dishes. I may dine at an Indian restaurant and go without Butter Chicken but I’ll be damned if I dine at an Indian restaurant and go without Garlic Naan, no matter how many times I need to do the Red Arrow the next day.
Papadum – 4 pieces served with mint chutney $4
After the owner took our order he asked us how spicy we wanted it. Both being spice lovers we decided that we would have them both ‘Hot’. To which the owner replied ‘Indian Hot’ or just ‘Normal Hot’. Hmmm I was unsure about this one as was EG so we asked for a bit more of an explanation. Apparently ‘Indian Hot’ is only upon request and usually only for Indian diners but he figured he would ask after finding out my heritage and knowing that EG doesn’t mind a bit of spice. In the end we decided we would stick with ‘Normal Hot’ just to be on the safe side.
The decor at Mother India was a little dated but also very homely and cosy so it was kind of nice. There was a beautiful big tapestry on the wall behind us that looked very expensive and also looks good in a photo. I was just happy that we were sitting inside in the air conditioning as opposed to outside at some other restaurant. When you are eating hot food you don’t want to be sweating from both the food and the ambient temperature. I pointed out to EG the newly wed Indian couple seated behind us (noticeably newly wed because of the traces of henna on her hand and the large amounts of bangles she displayed on her forearms). They couldn’t have been more disinterested in each others company. Shame since they had probably only been married a couple of days. There was also a young child that from another table that kept harassing me because he apparently thought I was his mother due to me having a similar haircut as her (she wasn’t at the restaurant). *Insert my super awkwardness with children*. I’ll be honest I do want kids one day but I’m sure I am not alone when I say that I don’t like other people’s kids, hopefully I will like my own. Moving on, we waited probably about 15 minutes for our meals to arrive and when they did I realised just how much food the two of us had ordered especially considering we had already had papadums earlier.
We served ourselves a bit of each curry with some rice and a piece of naan bread and dug in. I have always wanted to order a variant of the Cottage Cheese type vegetarian dishes I see on Indian menus but never had the balls to do it for one reason or another. I was delighted when EG chose the Palak Paneer although I was a little hesitant about the onion part. I eat onion I just don’t like it when its chunky and crunchy. The onion was not like this at all in the Palak Paneer. It was soft and delicate. The Palak Paneer was a beautiful dish but sh*t was it spicy! Nothing I couldn’t handle but it was still bloody hot. I really loved the small lumps of Cottage Cheese in the dish which isn’t like your usual supermarket variety. The Indian Paneer (or Cottage Cheese) has much more of a milky flavour to it and a completely different texture to that I am used to.
Palak Paneer – Fresh ground spinach cooked with cottage cheese in fresh ginger, garlic and onions for $15.95
The Lamb Korma was also lovely with tender pieces of lamb hidden within the thick nutty gravy. I actually think that the best part of eating Indian food is mopping up all the sauces with the rice and naan bread. Although we did order the Lamb Korma to be ‘Normal Hot’, the same as the Palak Paneer, it didn’t seem to be quite as hot as the other dish which was actually a good thing in the end because that and the Raita provided a bit of heat relief for us both.
Lamb Korma – Mildly spiced diced lamb curried in a creamy cashew and almond gravy (AU$16.95)
The four pieces of Garlic Naan weren’t the best I have tasted and not as soft, moist and garlic-y as Garlic Naan should be. I don’t think that it was cooked fresh because it was a little bit dry and hard. It was also served rather un-elegantly in a bread basket wrapped in alfoil but maybe they were trying to save on washing up. It was a bit of shame but this was the only thing that let the meal down.
Garlic Naan (AU$3.95)
During our dinner the owner came over to check on us a couple of times to ensure that we were enjoying our meal and ask if there was anything else that we wanted or needed. He also made sure that the ‘Normal Hot’ wasn’t too hot for us and joked that maybe next time we could try the ‘Indian Hot’. The service was excellent and as I already said that owner was very accommodating and super happy that we had chosen his restaurant for our Friday night dinner. He made us promise that we would tell all our friends about it. The food at Mother India was delicious and there was plenty left by the time we were finished. One thing I must say is that both mains that we ordered had plenty of Cottage Cheese and Lamb in them. They weren’t just all sauce with only a couple of pieces of meat or cheese in them. A nice change from what I have experienced at some other Indian restaurants in town. I kicked myself that I hadn’t given Mother India a chance and used my Table 52 card sooner. I would most certainly dine there again without a Table 52 card, the same can’t be said for a few other Table 52 card restaurants I have been to. Upon presenting it at the counter to pay at the end the owner’s wife was most obliging (unlike the nasty woman at Taste of China) and even asked if we would like to split the bill between us, something the two of us were most happy about after neither of us had brought cash. How delightful! If you are not a lover of hot food then don’t worry about it Mother India ensure their curries are made to your liking. Like I said I’m not too sure about the ‘Indian Hot’ but I have to admit I am a little intrigued. Never say never right?
Mother India
2/80 Sheridan St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4041 1000
Opening Hours: Lunch 11.30am – 2pm Tues – Fri, Dinner 5.30pm – 10pm Tues – Sun
Website: http://www.motherindiacairns.com.au
Ozmosis, Edge Hill
A few weeks ago after a couple of laps of the good old Red Arrow with two of my girlfriends we stopped in for coffee at relatively new Edge Hill Cafe, Ozmosis. Ozmosis is halfway down Collins Avenue between overrated and overpriced cafe The Edge and the Botanical Gardens. Ozmosis offers Modern European food at very reasonable prices in a laid-back friendly but urbane atmosphere. At the moment they are only open for breakfast and lunch but they have plans to open for dinner in the near future hence their inclusion in the 2013 Edition of the Table 52 cards. The cafe itself is fresh and vibrant with a slightly bare interior (I actually prefer the non-cluttered look). The large wooden windows open out onto the pathway where the dining is allowing for a very open aired dining experience and certainly helps if you need to get one of the waitstaff’s attention. Anyway so we stopped in for a coffee, well I did, my two friends got a juice each instead. While we were sitting and having a chat I had a look over the menu and although we had all decided that we weren’t sitting down for breakfast at the time I did spot a couple of items on the menu for both breakfast and lunch that I simply had to come back and try. As luck would have it some other friends of mine, MB and AA, wanted to go somewhere for lunch to catch up that weekend so I suggested Ozmosis. We met up at Ozmosis on a Sunday afternoon while the love of my life (MS) was off galavanting with the other woman in his life (his motorbike).
When we arrived at about 12.30pm the restaurant was about half full with people sipping their cappucinos and reading the Sunday Mail. The waitress brought us out some glasses of water and a jug with a couple of menus for us to peruse. I already knew what I was having thanks to my coffee break earlier in the week and a bit of snooping on Ozmosis’ Facebook page. After about half an hour of catch up chatter and numerous polite requests from waitstaff to take our order (AA can really talk!) AA and MB chose a dish and we ordered our lunch. AA ordered the Ozmosis Beef Burger with Provolone, Tomato Relish, Green Pickle and Handcut Chips for AU$17 while MB decided on the Panko and Paprika Crumbed Schnitzel with Spicy Slaw and Seeded Mustard for AU$16. AA and MB also ordered Toasted Flatbreads with Smoked Aubergine, Beetroot, Horseradish and Olives for AU$9 from the Starter Menu for the three of us to share. I was almost swayed by the Marinated Beets, Toasted Walnuts, Quark and Watercress Salad for AU$13 but in the end after my massive rant about the lack of decent Mexican food in Cairns I went for the Soft Shell Taco with Prawn, Black Bean and Herbed Sour Cream for AU$16. I asked for rocket on my taco since if you read this blog regularly then you know that I am not a fan of iceberg lettuce. I have no idea if iceberg lettuce was even to be included on the taco in the first place but having learnt my lesson far too many times I got in first.
After about 10 minutes the Toasted Flatbreads arrived which I managed to get a photo of but only after MB had jumped in for a taste. Lucky for her we managed to re-position everything and get a quick photo before we tucked in. The bread itself didn’t resemble any type of flatbread that I have had before, bit more like a non-flat bread. The Flatbread (or was it?) was lightly toasted and out of the three dips the Beetroot was the one that we all thought was the nicest. It was a very decent serving size and we didn’t get to finish it all before out lunch order arrived.
Toasted Flatbreads with Smoked Aubergine, Beetroot, Horseradish and Olives (AU$9)
All the meals were beautifully presented as they were set down in front of us by the slightly clumsy waitress. It turns out that although a bread board might be an innovative and trendy way to present a burger it isn’t exactly practical because the items on top just want to slide right off. Something that I am sure the waitstaff have become most familiar with. As AA tucked into his meal I eyed off the green pickles laid out on top of his burger bun. I love the fact that pickles have made a come back! No more are they doomed to being thrown on McDonald’s windows from people picking them off their cheeseburgers, but instead they are now being re-introduced to menu’s in all their tasty glory – and so they should be! AA enjoyed his burger and also commented on the fact that he loved inclusion of the pickles. AA said that the only drawback of his Ozmosis Beef Burger was that the beef pattie was very under-seasoned and just tasted like a big lump of meat. Also I am little suspicious of their handcut chips, which didn’t look at all handcut to me.
Ozmosis Beef Burger with Provolone, Tomato Relish, Green Pickle and Handcut Chips (AU$17 )
Next up was MB’s Panko and Paprika Crumbed Schnitzel which arrived with the inclusion of fries although the menu didn’t state that fries were included. MB said that the golden Panko and Paprika crumbing was light and crunchy. Come to think of it I actually have no idea what type of meat was in the Schnitzel, I am assuming it was pork but it wasn’t written on the menu at all. The powers that be at Ozmosis might need to consider including that information for the uneducated people like me. I did notice that MB ate the Schnitzel and the fries however she all barely touched the Spicy Slaw. Probably because there was no dressing on it whatsoever. It was basically just chopped up cabbage and carrot. It wasn’t spicy like written on the menu. I’m also not quite sure what happened to the Seeded Mustard (also stated on the menu) but MB got a small serve of Tomato Relish on the side (not stated on the menu). MB said that she liked her dish although she didn’t think it was anything to write home about and it looked pretty darn boring to me.
Panko and Paprika Crumbed Schnitzel with Spicy Slaw and Seeded Mustard (AU$16)
Lastly was my Soft Shell Taco with Prawns. I had been looking forward to this dish since I had spied it on the menu a few days before. Again, although not stated on the menu this dish also came with fries. Something that I was a little annoyed about seeing as I chose the taco over a couple of other items because I wanted a relatively healthy lunch. It’s nice to have a bit of extra stuff included in your meal that you are not expecting I guess (depending on what it is) but I just didn’t want chips with my ‘healthy’ lunch. What’s that you say? I didn’t have to eat them? Pfft, as if. Each taco had three prawns delicately placed on it with Rocket and the Black Beans. I smeared a bit of Herbed Sour Cream on the Tacos, picked one up in my hands and took a bite. The taco was tasteless. The Herbed Sour Cream gave the taco absolutely no depth and the semi crushed Black Beans underneath the rocket didn’t help the situation. The whole thing just tasted very bland and I think maybe they were relying on the subtle flavour of the prawns to shine through but to be honest the prawns were so damn bland that I actually think they were farmed prawns. I have to say that I was really, really disappointed with my Soft Shell Taco. Traditionally, tacos have salsa on them to give them a bit more of a zesty flavour or maybe just any flavour. I think this dish would be a lot better if salsa was included or even some diced tomato but right now I’m giving my Soft Shell Taco with Prawn’s a thumbs down.
Soft Shell Taco with Prawn, Black Bean and Herbed Sour Cream for AU$16
We finished up our meals, paid our bill and left and although that the service we received was both friendly and attentive, the food just wasn’t up to scratch. Maybe my expectations were too high. I vowed that I would return for breakfast in the coming weeks and give that a go…
A couple of weeks later MS and I returned to Ozmosis for breakfast. He was wanting to go out for breakfast and actually suggested to me that we go there since he had to listen to me ramble on about my disappointing Prawn Taco. We arrived to an almost full cafe with all the tables on the deck full as well as the ones on the footpath. All except the one right in front of the window to the coffee machine so we sat down and the waitress brought us some menus. While we had a look over the menu I spied the clumsy but very sweet waitress that had served AA, MB and I only a couple of weeks before. Seems the two weeks waiting on tables had done her a world of good because she was a lot more skilled and confident at waitressing. Good for her! I for one would make a terrible waitress (far too clumsy).
MS chose the Buttermilk Pancake Stack with Ricotta, Caramelised Apple and Canadian Maple for AU$13 with a side of Streaky Bacon for AU$4. I was tossing up between the Crushed Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Quark and Preserved Lemon on Sourdough for AU$9 or the Smoked Salmon, Horseradish Yogurt, Poached Egg, Grilled Rye and Burnt Butter Hollandaise for AU$14. In the end I went with the Smoked Salmon dish since I was hungry and I figured it would probably be a bit bigger than the Avocado one. While seated at our table both MS and I noticed quite a lot of flies flying in and out of the cafe. Since Ozmosis is an open air cafe with big wooden sliding windows there really is nothing to keep them out. They were everywhere on the counter behind the coffee machine where they were making the smoothies and I shudder to think what the kitchen was like. No doubt everything would be covered up (I hope) but it’s still a food prep area! I went in to order and pay at the counter and while I was in there I had a chat to one of the waitresses (potentially the owner) of Ozmosis about the flies and what they could do about them. I suggested a natural fly catcher out on the footpath to lure the flies outside and away from the food. Something had to be done but she seemed very blase about it all which I thought was pretty ignorant because I am sure I wasn’t the only one that noticed.
My Flat White
Anyway, we waited about 10 to 15 minutes for our meals to arrive with Flat White’s arriving in the meantime passed out the window by the bubbly barrister. There really was no point in bringing them all the way out when he was literally less that a metre behind me inside the open window. I did watch in interest the way that he carried coffee’s to other people’s tables, precisely balanced on three fingers. A mean feat in my book! The man certainly knows his way around a coffee machine because the coffee’s were delicious. MS’ Buttermilk Pancake Stack was as you would expect, a stack of three pancakes with some ricotta on top and a jug of Canadian Maple to drizzle over the top. We were shocked to find that the ‘Caramelised Apple’ was in fact five pieces of browning apple spaced evenly around MS’ pancakes. It hadn’t been ‘caramelised’ but merely cut up into bite sized pieces of apple.
Buttermilk Pancake Stack with Ricotta, Caramelised Apple and Canadian Maple (AU$13)
His side of Streaky Bacon was a bit on the small side and barely took up the small dish that it was brought out on. MS said that the pancakes were nice but in the end he didn’t finish them all, which says a lot about his meal. He regretted his Buttermilk Pancake decision but overall MS was a disappointed with the lack of bacon he got with his meal.
Side of Streaky Bacon (AU$4)
My Smoked Salmon dish was yummy with perfectly poached eggs needing only a small poke from my fork to ooze their yolky goodness all over the Grilled Rye underneath. I did think that the serving of Smoked Salmon was also a tad on the small side, another slice would have been nice. The Horseradish Yogurt however was horrible. It tasted more like Vanilla Yogurt than Horseradish and was far too sweet to eat with my eggs and Smoked Salmon. Maybe they should stick with the Burnt Butter Hollandaise and omit the Horseradish Yogurt altogether because it certainly didn’t taste like Horseradish. I couldn’t eat it and left it on the side of my plate.
Smoked Salmon, Horseradish Yogurt, Poached Egg, Grilled Rye and Burnt Butter Hollandaise (AU$14)
I know it’s early days but after two and a half rounds at Ozmosis I am a little disappointed with the food. The service is outstanding with a few minor hiccups at the beginning (to be expected) but these had been ironed out by the time MS and I went there for breakfast. The plethora of staff are super friendly, greeting you as you arrive and waving you off as you leave. They continue to top up your water throughout your meal and even come out to ask if there is anything more that you need. The food however, sounds a lot better on paper. When I first looked at the menu there was not a dish on it that I didn’t think sounded absolutely scrumptious and wanted to try. Unfortunately the food wasn’t as delicious as I had been hoping for. Nearly every meal that I had or my company had either had something missing or something extra that wasn’t included on the menu. I don’t know about you but I like to know what is coming out and I expect just that, nothing more, nothing less. The items on the menu at Ozmosis are very reasonably priced to a point where I was actually surprised that a cafe in that position (I mean Edge Hill) would charge so little for what to me sounded like trendy, fresh and innovative food (for Cairns anyway). Ozmosis has everything going for it and already serves as a popular breakfast and lunch spot in the heart of Edge Hill. If their dinner menu sounds as delicious as their breakfast and lunch menu then I’ll be there in a heartbeat. A few tweaks to the food that is currently being served and I think they definitely have a recipe for success.
Ozmosis
1/116 Collins Ave, Edge Hill QLD 4870
Ph: 0409 624 355
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 7am till 4pm
Poemphun Thai, Cairns North
After recently discovering a penchant for Thai food and more specifically Pad Thai MS has been wanting to eat it more and more. I have no problem with that since Thai food is definitely one of my favourite cuisines (that and Japanese are probably tied for first). The other day while driving down Sheridan Street, deciding that we both wanted Thai food and wondering just where the hell we could get it at 3pm in the afternoon (seems eating a late lunch is becoming the norm for us). All the other places were closing up for the lunch trade and wouldn’t open up until dinner. That is, coincidently, when we both noticed Poemphun Thai on the other side of the road. Neither of us had ever seen it before but we took it as a sign and after a bit of a ‘u-ey’ we headed back to this newly discovered Thai place.
Poemphun Thai is located in the building where Little Italy used to be and then after that a Brazilian place that must not have lasted long because I didn’t actually notice it was there until it was closed down. We went in to have a look at the menu and it turns out that Poemphun Thai had only just opened up the day before. What luck for us! True to form and not the straying type MS ordered the Pad Thai Gai for AU$12.90 while I ordered the Som Tum (Paw Paw Salad) for AU$10.90 (medium heat). Although they do takeaway here we decided we would eat in since we weren’t in a rush to get home.
The kitchen is pretty much right in front of you at the counter and you can see the two Thai cooks in front of the flaming woks throwing the ingredients in as they go so you know that it’s fresh. The restaurant itself is a little dated but neat as a pin with cute little wooden booths to sit in and serviettes all folded up like a lotus flower and colourful plastic tablecloths. When we sat down to eat there was two other tables occupied in the little restaurant and while we waited for our food to arrive the waitress brought us out a jug of water and I had a look over the menu. The menu is very reasonably priced in fact I would go as far to say that it is some of the cheapest Thai food that I have seen in Cairns if not the cheapest (AU$12.90 for a Massaman Curry!). There are some delicious sounding dishes on the menu and I vowed that if the food was good we would return for Round 2 to try some other dishes.
We waited no longer than 10 minutes for our meals to arrive at our little wooden booth. MS’ Pad Thai came with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the top, a small pile of sugar (no doubt to sprinkle over the top to make it sweeter), a small pile of ground peanuts (in case you wanted more) and a small pile of chilli flakes. MS squeezed the lemon over the top, sprinkled on a bit of peanuts and sugar and just plain avoided the Chilli Flakes since he doesn’t like hot stuff (although he has come a long way since he met me and I opened his eyes to the wonders of food). He claims that this Pad Thai is the best one he has had to date. Better than the one at Orchid Plaza (Chilli Thai), better than the one at Lemon Tree (Main Street Arcade) and better than the one on Minnie St (J & L Takeaway and Minimart). That not to say much since it’s only 3 out of sh*tloads of Thai places in Cairns but this Pad Thai had everything going for it plus I tasted it and gave it the thumbs up as well.
Pad Thai Gai – Popular special Thai noodles with slices of Chicken, Bean Curd, Rice Stick Noodles, Bean Sprouts and Shallots topped with Ground Peanuts, Chilli Flake, Sugar and garnished with Lemon wedges (AU$12.90)
My Som Tum was so damn good! It had all the right things tht Som Tum is supposed to have in it – Green Beans, Tomatoes and the perfect mix of Palm Sugar, Chilli and Fish Sauce. Mind you it was bloody hot but not too hot for my liking. I’m going to have to go against everything I have said in my previous post about Som Tum in Cairns and give this one the gong for Best Som Tum. Sorry Lemon Tree you guys are great but… This Som Tum just tasted so fresh and not pre-prepared at all. I ate up every last tasty morsel of that Paw Paw Salad right down to using a spoon to finish off the dressing.
Som Tum (Paw Paw Salad) – Julienne Paw Paw, Chilli, Garlic, Fish Sauce, Green Bean, Peanut, Tomato and Lemon Juice (AU$10.90)
We finished up our meals and made our way out to the car only to be followed out by the little Thai lady that owns the shop to thank us for eating at Poemphun Thai by clasping her hands together and bowing with a huge smile on her face. It was really lovely and made me even more happy that we had stopped in to have a look and in turn found some truly delicious Thai food.
About a week later MS and I found ourselves looking for a quick and early dinner and ended up back at Poemphun Thai for Round 2. MS ordered the Pad Thai (AU$12.90) again with the BBQ Pork for an entree for AU$6.50. I ordered a Thai Curry that I had already drooled when I read it on the menu on our first visit… the Pad Phed Moo (Dry Pork Curry) with Lean Pork, Stir-fried Red Chilli Paste, Coconut Milk, Green Peppercorns, Galangal and Fresh Basil for AU$12.90 or you can get Prawns for $14.90. A bargain if you ask me! Again we sat down at a little wooden booth and waited for our meals to arrive. This time there was a lot more people – some dining in and some coming in to pick up their takeaway. Seems that Poemphun Thai is already getting a little following of Thai-hards (I made a funny).
First up out came the BBQ Pork that MS ordered. Well he ordered it but he certainly wasn’t going to eat the whole thing by himself. There were four skewers of BBQ Pork in total and we both really enjoyed them. The Pork was super tender and flame grilled which gave it that yummy slightly charred taste. MS only problem was that he wanted more and didn’t think that it was a very big dish. I actually thought that it was very reasonably sized for an entree and pretty stock standard for a Thai restaurant, though some skewers were certainly bigger than others.
BBQ Pork – Garlic, Black Pepper, Coriander Roots, Soy Sauce, Sugar and Oyster Sauce (AU$6.50)
Again MS gobbled up his Pad Thai, making sure to avoid the Chilli Flakes. Same goes as what I already said about it his previous Pad Thai experience at Poemphun Thai, I’m not repeating it. He loved it and can’t wait to go back and get another one. My Pad Phed Moo or Dry Curry Pork, whatever you want to call it was superb. It wasn’t as dry as I was expecting from the name but then again it wasn’t swimming in sauce like a Massaman. Sort of in between I guess. The sauce was so yummy that I wished that I had ordered a bowl of Steamed Rice to mop it all up but alas this wasn’t part of my meal allowance. MS tasted it and although he liked it claimed that it was a little too spicy for him. I actually didn’t find it spicy at all so the only thing I can conclude from that is that he is just a big sissy. The Dry Curry Pork’s only downfall was that there was quite a lot of peppercorns in it still attached to the vine. I was a little unsure as to whether I was supposed to eat them or not. I erred on a side of caution and after nibbling on one and finding it far too peppery for my liking I didn’t continue with the peppercorns, other than that I loved it!
Pad Phed Moo (Dry Curry Pork) – A dry curry consisting of Lean Pork, Stir fried Red Chilli Paste, Coconut Milk, Green Peppercorns, Galangal and Fresh Basil (AU$12.90 or $14.90 with Prawns)
So like I said the food at Poemphun Thai is absolutely delicious. The woman that runs it is super friendly as are her staff (and pretty much all Thai’s). The food is fresh, fantastic and cheap as chips. If you are looking for somewhere for your Friday night takeaway or somewhere to dine without all the fuss of dressing up to go out then Poemphun Thai is it- plus it’s BYO. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Poemphun Thai
343 Sheridan St, Cairns North QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4041 6367
Opening Hours: 7 days 10.30am – 9.30pm
Hungry Monkey, Cairns *CLOSED DOWN*
After a tip-off from a friend of ours SBD, MS and I headed to a little cafe on Mulgrave Road called Hungry Monkey. I had seen it many times before whilst driving past but never managed to get in there until it came highly recommended. My sister’s boyfriend also claims that Hungry Monkey makes the best Brekkie Wraps in town for around the $9 mark. I can neither confirm nor deny that since I am not in the habit of ordering Brekkie Wrap’s nor do I get out of bed early enough to warrant one lately (I’m on holidays at the moment – till January). We went in to check it out one afternoon and see what they had on offer for lunch. They have a huge variety of wraps, burgers, salads, smoothies, milkshakes, meal boxes and a few other things to tantalize your taste buds. After way too much umming and ahhing and a stern “hurry the f*ck up” look from me MS decided on the Pizza Works Wrap with Leg Ham, Salami, Onion, Cheese, Tomato Relish, Pineapple (which he took off), Red Pepper and Olives for AU$8.90. According to SBD the Mackerel Wrap was the business but I simply couldn’t go past the Firebomb Wrap with Crumbed Chicken, Chilli Sauce, Lettuce, Cheese, Tomato, Red Onion and Jalapeno’s (AU$8.90). It was the Jalapeno’s that sold me. I only discovered them about a year ago after finding out that they did in fact taste absolutely nothing like capsicum and haven’t been able to live without them since.
Get in my belly
Hungry Monkey seems to do a pretty steady lunch trade from workers in the vicinity with a few venturing from across the road to get their hands on some lunch fare and the ones driving in, like us. We waited about 10 to 15 minutes for our wraps since we had arrived around peak lunch trade time but we weren’t disappointed when they arrived. MS decided that he was getting a side of fries with his which I managed to steal a few of. He hoed into his Pizza Wrap which was toasted on the outside and I could see the melted cheese within. It looked pretty damn good from where I was sitting (right next to him). He loved his Pizza Wrap. I think I recall “Man this is so good!” escaping his mouth as he took another bite. He also reckons that the fries were the best he has had in a long time. They had just the right amount of salt and crispness about them. I had a few and they were pretty good even without BBQ sauce. That’s a big call since I am usually a sauce fiend and don’t go near a chip without it.
Pizza Works Wrap – Leg Ham, Salami, Onion, Cheese, Tomato Relish, Pineapple, Red Pepper and Olives (AU$8.90)
I was actually surprised at just how heavy my wrap was even before I unwrapped it. They certainly weren’t stingy on the ingredients at Hungry Monkey and just for a change (like with a lot of other cafe’s) the wrap wasn’t full of lettuce because I ordered mine without. Something about Iceberg Lettuce that just doesn’t sit right with me. It tastes like leaves (ew). And when it gets all warm from being toasted it tastes super nasty (again, ew). The Crumbed Chicken was freshly cooked and wasn’t pre-cooked earlier and reheated like at Subway. It was real chicken and it was crunchy and succulent. The Jalapeno’s were awesome of course but the best thing about it was the decent size of the wrap.
Firebomb Wrap – Crumbed Chicken, Cheese, Lettuce, Red Onion, Tomato, Jalapeno’s, Chilli Sauce (AU$8.90)
The service and staff at Hungry Monkey are friendly and efficient and the food is very reasonably priced but so damn tasty and with so much to choose from! You do have to wait a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes for your food since the place does get quite busy around lunch time but in the grand scheme of things that’s stuff all to worry about when you are getting yummy food made fresh to order. Mine and MS’s wraps were so damn good the first time that we have been back twice since then and although each time I go with the intention of trying something different off the wrap menu (I really want to try the Salt and Pepper Squid Wrap) I just can’t seem to tear myself away from the Firebomb one with the Jalapeno’s. I know that I am onto a good thing here so why change it? Forget the kebab shop you’ll go bananas for Hungry Monkey!
Hungry Monkey
Shop 4/252 Mulgrave Rd, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4031 1600
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 7am – 3pm
Clouds and Mexican Food
JUST A LITTLE RANT: I have been following the food trends down south via the Qantas Magazine, Delicious Magazine, Gourmet Traveller Magazine and a witty Melbourne food blog I discovered about six months ago called The Very Very Hungry Caterpillar. By all accounts from these four sources it seems that there are quite a few food trends that Cairns is missing out on. Well, lets see there is the hotdog one, the Mexican one (no I don’t mean Montezuma’s and Cactus Jack’s) and now the Dim Sum one? I don’t now what food trend Cairns is stuck on but I am pretty sure we are still stuck back at the Macaron or the Cupcake somewhere. I recently read about a place in Melbourne called Wonderbao that has people queued out the door for these things called ‘Baos’, which I am pretty sure are the same thing as a Steamed Pork Bun. Since reading about Wonderbao and it’s wonderous ‘Baos’ I have made it my life’s mission to go to Melbourne and eat a Roasted Pork Belly Bao. I don’t just want one, I need it. Apparently this Bao trend is not only a Melbourne thing as I recently found during a work trip to Brisbane.
Upon researching just where and what to eat in the city of Brisbane I stumbled across a review of a place not too far from where I was staying in the city called Steamed. After reading up on it a little more I was overjoyed to see that Steamed not only had Bao’s but it also had dumplings on the menu. A combination? Well roll me in dim sims and call me Mrs Chang! So the next day after knocking off early (who am I kidding we knock off early every day) I hurried my little feet down to Turbot Street and found myself at Steamed. It was a sparse but busy little place with office workers strolling in and out carrying armfuls of dumplings and Bao’s no doubt to take back to the office. There was even a woman sitting off to the side making fresh dumplings with a large ‘vat’ of mixture and a stereo, not just any old woman, she worked there.
The Dumpling Lady
On the menu they had three different flavours of dumplings to choose from and Pork Cloud, aka Bao, aka Steamed Pork Bun. Whatever it was, I wanted it! I had been for a run that morning and I deserved it (at least that is what my friend TW would say as she shovels a cupcake into her mouth). I chose a sample of the three types of dumplings and a Pork Cloud for around the $10 mark and took my seat at the bench to devour my freshly steamed delights. A man sat down across from me and started talking to me about my dumplings and my Cloud. I shot him a ‘You are ruining my oriental experience here goddammit’ look and politely told him that I wasn’t from Brisbane. I think he got the picture. Since when were Brisbane-ites so damn friendly anyway. I figured none of them since not one person had said good morning to me on my run (damn rude city people) and I nearly got hit by a bike rider – I swear that guy came out of nowhere! Sheesh.
Serving the Clouds
Anyway back to my dumplings and Cloud. The dumplings flavours were: the Harbin Pork with Chives, ground Pork and diced Ginger; the Lovabull with Red Onion, Ginger, ground Beef and spices; and the Zen with Shitake Mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage and seasoned Tofu. I have to say that I didn’t particularly like the Lovabull flavour. The Red Onion just tasted nasty and I think that I make better dumplings at home. I did however really like the vegetarian one with the Tofu in it. It was super yummy and I kinda wished that I had more of those ones instead of the other two flavours. I wasn’t too impressed.
My selection of dumplings (AU$10)
My Cloud however was fluffy and delicious. It didn’t have Roasted Pork Belly in it like I had been dreaming about but a rather tasty mixture of Pork, Ginger and Shallots. It was good but still didn’t satisfying my yearning for Wonderbao. At least I had come just that little bit closer. Yeah I know, I know we have Golden Boat where they have those Yum Cha trolley’s they drag around and you get to choose what want off of it. They have Steamed Pork Buns there I know but it’s the novelty of having a whole shop dedicated to steamed goodies with meat in them! Oh god!
My Cloud with Pork, Ginger and Shallots (AU$3)
In my Foot Falcon searches of Brisbane City and the Valley for the perfect cute dress I spied many a bustling Mexican eatery, two in particular Mad Mex and Guzman Y Gomez. I was already well aware of the Mexican food fad that had swept through Melbourne. (MS if you are reading this, please take me to Mamasita one day… I’ll be your best friend?) Apparently it’s sweeping through Brisbane now and while getting my hair done at Toni and Guy the entire salon gushed about how amazing Mexican chain eatery Guzman Y Gomez was and how they ate there nearly every day. I thought to myself ‘Holy sh*t I need to get to this damn Mexican place and fast!’ But alas, I already had a stomach full of dumplings and Cloud, no matter how far I had run that morning I did not deserve to eat Mexican as well as a Cloud. The girls claimed that the place is queued out the door most days and it has taken the city by storm. I was most upset that I wasn’t going to get to try one of these amazing burritos before I flew back to Cairns the next day since I already had dinner plans and I wasn’t eating a burrito for breakfast. And again, I know, I know we already have Mexican eateries in town, the likes of which I mentioned earlier but um ‘Hello’? Do you see anyone queuing out the door to go to these places? Never. I am really surprised that Montezuma’s is even still open because there is never anyone there. So if I am hearing about people regularly queuing out the doors to get their hands on a Quesadilla and hairdressers gushing about this so called gourmet Mexican food at Guzman Y Gomez then it must be good right? To tell you truth I think I was more upset that I didn’t get to see just what all the fuss was about rather than not getting to try a burrito. Now I have also made eating at one of these Mexican eateries my other mission in life. Yep, I’m certainly driven to succeed.
I have to admit it I love a good food trend and I guess I probably enjoy the novelty of it more than anything else but what upsets me is the fact that all these food trends happen everywhere but Cairns? Any why does it take us so damn long to catch up? I mean I know Townsville is still back in the stone age, they only just got a Myer for Pete’s sake so at least that makes me feel a little better but if they get a Mad Mex or a Guzman Y Gomez before we do then I am gonna lose my sh*t. For real yo. Do I really have to fly all the way down to Melbourne or wait for my next work trip to a capital city just to enjoy some decent Mexican food or visit an eatery made up entirely of dumplings and clouds? I am waiting with baited breath hoping that one day, just one day they might make their way up to little old Cairns and I can have my Bao and eat it too.
Steamed
95 Turbot St, Brisbane QLD
Ph: 0432 933 423
Website: http://www.steamedcatering.com
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 10.30am – 3pm
Spicy Bite, Cairns
Last Friday night my good friend SH and I ventured out in search of some dinner. Due to some communication problems (aka my iPhone shat itself) we didn’t actually get into town till almost 9.30 at night so of course being Cairns a lot of places were shut. Ganbaranba, the place we had originally planned on going to, shut it’s door just before 9.30pm (pretty sure they used to be open till 10 but hey). So we wandered over to Corea Corea upstairs at Orchid Plaza. They too shut up shop at 9.30pm that night. SH suggested The Courthouse for dinner but I wasn’t in the mood for fried food so we headed towards the Esplanade to see what we could find. We walked past Spicy Bite just a little down from Dolce and Caffe and right next door to Coast Roast. SH reckoned that she had eaten there many times and they had amazing Butter Goat that I simply had to try. It was nearing 10pm now and although they looked like they were closing up because the waitress was removing cutlery and serviettes from some of the tables it appears that they were in fact open. We were both delighted to find a restaurant open in Cairns at this time of night so we promptly sat down and perused the menu. In all the years they have been open I have never actually dined at Spicy Bite, probably due to the location (just another tourist trap) and also the fact that I figured that I already knew where to get good Indian food (more on that later).
We both ordered a glass of wine when the waitress brought over the menus. SH had already decided on what she was having, the critically acclaimed Butter Goat. It wasn’t exactly listed on the menu but SH claimed that she had ordered it before and the waitress approved. I had a look over the menu and decided on the Lamb Buriyani with Raita. Having travelled to Sri Lanka (yes I realise that Sri Lanka isn’t India) I ate some truly amazing Buriyani’s along the way (the best in a road side ‘cafe’ in the busy city of Colombo for a mere 180 rupees) and was hoping that this one may come a little close to my previous experience. We also ordered a serve of Garlic Naan figuring we could share each of our meals. Not long after ordering the waitress returned and informed us that they had in fact run out of Butter Goat so SH and I decided that Butter Chicken would have to suffice. It was disappointing since SH had talked up the Butter Goat so much but oh well.
While we were waiting and sipping our glasses of Sauvignon Blanc (me) and Rose (SH) a few more people arrived to take up tables at Spicy Bite. Seems Spicy Bite is open till quite late on a Friday, no doubt taking advantage of hungry diners looking for somewhere to eat out when most places have closed up for the night and not wanting to stoop so low as to venture to the Golden Arches across the road. We waited about 15 minutes for our dishes to arrive. First up came the Garlic Naan, then the Lamb Buriyani and Raita, followed closely by the Butter Chicken. By this stage I was absolutely starving since I had only eaten a Som Tum at about midday and nothing since.
I reached over and grabbed a piece of Garlic Naan out of the basket. There were four triangular pieces in total and they were all as dry and hard as a piece of cardboard. No soft, warm, doughy Garlic Naan here. I was pretty disappointed because Naan is what you go to Indian Restaurants for isn’t it? Next up I put a couple of spoonfulls of Lamb Buriyani on my plate, digging out a couple of super large lamb chunks from amongst the rice. I drizzled a little bit of raita over the top and took a bite. The raita was so damn watery and flavourless I don’t know why they bothered even serving the buriyani with raita. I literally couldn’t taste it, even when I dipped the end of my Garlic Naan directly into the bowl. The lamb in the buriyani was dry and chewy. Not soft and moist like the lamb I was longing for. This dish tasted like the Lamb Buriyani that I used to make out of the CSIRO cookbook except mine was far superior. The rice that was accompanying the lamb was gluggy and horrible. I am pretty sure that it was just reheated from earlier that evening.
Lastly I fished out one of three pieces of Butter Chicken that was absolutely swimming in sauce. It was the smallest damn Butter Chicken I had ever seen! I was hoping that a bite of the chicken would save this dish but alas the chicken was overcooked and dry. Not moist and succulent like chicken pieces in Butter Chicken are supposed to be. The most disappointing thing about this dish was the sauce. Butter Chicken sauce is another food that I could literally shower in. I would be happy with a large bowl of the sauce and just some rice (or decent Naan bread) but I do exert self control and don’t allow myself to do things like that. The sauce tasted like the chef had just dumped a can of Heinz Big Red Tomato Soup in and mixed it around with the chicken. It did not taste like the creamy, tomatoey, sweet Butter Chicken sauce that we all know and love at all. How disappointing.
Well, I have to say that poor old SH definitely gave us a bum steer with Spicy Bite, that said I didn’t get to try the famous Butter Goat that she was going on about. The service that we received from the waitress at Spicy Bite was friendly and efficient and I really cannot say a bad thing about it. However, the same cannot be said about the food. It was tasteless, dry and disappointing with a distinctly Heinz flavour about it. I know where I will be going if I want good Indian food and it certainly isn’t Spicy Bite or Haveli. After the good wrap that I gave Haveli earlier this year seems their standards and food portions have gone down while their prices have gone up. Looks like it’s back to tried and true Cairns favourite Marinades on Spence St where you simply can’t go past the Lunch Thali’s for around the $13 mark. MS and I had a fantastic meal there recently and the host even served us with a friendly smile this time around.
Note: I didn’t get to take any pictures of the food because if you were paying attention my iPhone shat itself earlier that evening. A quick visit to the guys under the stairs at Cairns Central fixed that and I am up and running again.
Spicy Bite
Shop 6/52 The Esplanade, Cairns
Ph: (07) 4041 3700
The Best Som Tum in Cairns
I have been doing the rounds in Cairns trying to find exactly where the best Som Tum is. For those who don’t know what Som Tum is not only are you missing out on one of the best Thai dishes around but a healthy one too (minus the palm sugar). Som Tum is basically shredded upripe Pawpaw (or Papaya) with Chilli, Palm Sugar, Garlic, Lime, Fish Sauce, Beans, Shrimp and Tomatoes. The Thai people do tend to make it really damn hot, as my mum and I found out in Bangkok a few years ago ordering a Som Tum that neither of us could finish and no amount of Mango Smoothie could soothe. We are not amateur chilli eaters either. Too many times I have been disappointed when I have ordered this delicious Thai Salad but finally I have found just where to get the best one in Cairns. But firstly I must tell you where not to go.
Thai Coins – This little Thai takeaway on Mulgrave Road is where my Cairns Som Tum experience first began a few years ago. Every Friday night (or any night I felt like it for that matter) I would go and order a Som Tum from the lovely owner. My orders became so frequent that he even began to recognise my voice on the phone when I rang up to place the order and knew what I wanted before I even said it. Unfortunately, over time I noticed that my Som Tum started to get smaller and smaller until after a couple of months my Som Tum got so damn small that I decided that I wasn’t going back for another one and I would continue on in my search for the ultimate Som Tum.
Khin Khao Thai Restaurant – A couple of months ago SH and I were both looking to satisfy our craving for Som Tum so we decided that we would head to Khin Khao on Aplin Street for dinner. The serving size was good but the sauce was so damn sweet I wondered if I was actually eating dessert. There really must be a nice balance between sweet, sour and spicy for the dish to even work and after trying the Som Tum at Khin Khao they just don’t have that balance. That said the three whole prawns that were included in the dish were imported and the male owner of the restaurant was so damn rude that neither of us will ever return. Next!
Larnxarng Lao and Thai Cafe Restaurant – About a month ago while MS was away for work I travelled from my humble abode near the city in search of more Som Tum. Unfortunately unlike Darwin it is actually hard to find and not many Thai restaurants or takeaways have it on their menu. I had heard good things about a little Thai place on Spence St who also run a stall at Rusty’s Markets. I ordered my $10 take away Som Tum and took it home to eat on the couch while watching 60 Minutes (better than X Factor surely). I opened up the container to find not only was my Som Tum significantly smaller that I would have liked but it was also full of cabbage. Additional to that there was a whole lime thrown cut in half inside to make the dish look a little bigger than it actually was. Not only this but the Som Tum was very disappointing. It was pretty much just fish sauce drizzled over some cabbage and shredded pawpaw. Sounds appertizing huh? It has to be one of the worst Som Tum’s I have ever had. Since when does Som Tum have cabbage in it? Seriously?! I really wish I had taken a photo of this dish but for some reason I felt no need until I decided to do this post a few weeks later…
J & L Takeaway and Minimart – After my disappointing experience at the Thai Takeaway on Spence St I decided to move a little closer to home and tried a takeaway that I had driven past a few times on Minnie St. I called up to order a takeaway Som Tum one night during the week. The lady answered in a thick Thai accent and I ordered my Som Tum with sticky rice on the side. Again MS was away for work and what MS (my food keeper) didn’t know about my carb consumption wouldn’t hurt him. I ordered and the lady promptly hung up without telling me how long or taking my name. In fact she hung up so quickly that I wasn’t even sure if she had hung up and there was that uncomfortable silence on my behalf… “Hello?” But she was gone. No doubt busily shredding oodles of green pawpaw as a result of my phone call. So I gave her the obligatory 15 minutes before I headed over to pick up my Som Tum. I returned home not long after and removed the lid to find large amounts of decorative lettuce in the take away container, no doubt another ‘fluffer’ to take up the space where the Som Tum should have been. Another disappointing and small Som Tum. It was tasty but what the hell am I actually paying for here?
Sticky Rice and Som Tum from J & L Takeaway and Minimart
Ridiculously large amount of ‘fluffing lettuce’ hidden underneath
Thai Kitchen (food van at Rusty’s Markets) – I went here a couple of weeks ago and ordered the Som Tum to ‘eat in’ which really just means to sit at ones of the the rickety old tables amongst the flies in front of the food van. Don’t get me wrong I love eating out of food vans but when the lady behind the counter took the ‘already prepared’ Som Tum out of a small fridge and plonked it onto a plate with a sprinkling of peanuts I knew I was in for a treat. Nevertheless I sat down and ate my Som Tum. It was exactly as I had expected. Soggy and nasty. The tomatoes in it were almost certainly on the turn and the fact that I had no idea just how fresh it was was extremely disconcerting. In fact I do remember messaging MS not long after saying that I may in fact sh*t myself after eating that lunch. Lucky for me there were no unexpected (or expected) trips to the toilet but I won’t be back for another round.
Chilli Thai Takeaway – This week MS has recently discovered the wonders of Phad Thai. I know, I know. The boy is sheltered and he is yet to go overseas on the obligatory Thailand pilgrimage that myself and many other Aussies have had the opportunity of doing. Anyway so now that he loves Phad Thai I figure that I can use this to my advantage. He gets the Phad Thai while I get the Som Tum. Works well for me, plus I always get to taste his Phad Thai. Yesterday we headed into the city and found a place in good old Orchid Plaza.
I ordered the Som Tum from the large picture menu at the front of the shop. Strange though because the picture of the Som Tum, although nice, had Cashew Nuts on top of it and everyone knows that Som Tum has Peanuts in it. When my Som Tum arrived at the table there were no nuts in sight, not even a measly out of place cashew. The only thing that was in the Som Tum was the shredded pawpaw, some of ‘what I think’ was limes, a little bit of tomato and strangely enough little pieces of crab claw. From what I could see there was no crab in the dish nor would I expect there to be so f**ks me how the crab got in there. The Som Tum was ok but nothing I would write home about nor be back for. Still baffled as to where the crab claw came from. Additional note: upon a little researching of Som Tum I have found that black crabs can actually be added to Som Tum and some Thai’s do eat them shell and all. Having said that the minute crab claw was literally as big as my finger nail and if it was supposed to be in there might I suggest they add a little more next time.
Som Tum from Chilli Thai
Tiny bits of crab claw hidden in my Som Tum
Lemon Tree – I found this little gem in the Main St Arcade (between Lake and Grafton St) a couple of weeks ago again with my fellow Som Tum enthusiast SH and have been back since with MS and also made another attempt yesterday but alas it was closed. The Thai family that run it are really lovely and when I asked if I could have a little more Som Tum on my plate in exchange for the rice that I so dearly wanted (but wasn’t going to have) they happily obliged. The lady asked me how hot I would like it and I said ‘medium please’. Not too ridiculously hot but I still wanted a bit of fire. I had a bit of a cold that day with MS and this Som Tum was hot enough that it scared that damn cold right away.
The sauce had just the right balance of sweet vs sour vs spicy, there were those little dried prawns in it, there was beans in it, peanuts and tomato. Everything that was supposed to be in it was in it and nothing that wasn’t supposed to be. Kinda nice when you get what you actually pay for. I am going to go so far as to say that the Som Tum at the Lemon Tree is the Best in Cairns. I only wish it was open for dinner because I would certainly be more of a Som Tum regular at this awesome little place.
Som Tum from Lemon Tree
NuNu, Palm Cove
Firstly I must apologise for taking a little too long to put up another post on foodvixen. My two month old Toshiba Ultrabook has recently decided that it doesn’t like the Hard Drive that Toshiba gave it and figures it needs a new one. What’s that you say? Should have gotten a Mac. If I wanted to relearn everything that I have learnt about computers since I was 11 years old then yeah maybe but I don’t do Mac. PC for life! Anyway moving on. So after years and years of wanting to go to NuNu and dreaming about it I finally got to go there for mine and MS’ anniversary dinner last month. Yes I know that was last month but did you not read the beginning of this paragraph? So, like I said I have wanted to go to NuNu for a ridiculously long time, since they won the Gourmet Traveller Regional Restaurant of the Year Award in 2008 and I was finally able to fulfill my wish and baby it did not let me down. Before I get down to business I must again apologise for the quality of the photos in this post. I use the iPhone app Hipstamatic for all of my pictures which does not work well when the lighting is dim and the flash photography just doesn’t do the photos justice. I’m not one to pull out an SLR while eating plus it keeps my WordPress costs low by uploading photos that are only a couple of KB’s in size. Righto, you get the gist.
I rang up about 5 days prior and made a booking for two for 8pm on a Saturday. Since we were staying out that way for the night at Sea Temple (don’t waste your time, stay somewhere else) we sauntered on down about 45 minutes early hoping to grab a cocktail from somewhere along the way. So much for that idea since everywhere was absolutely packed and we ended up arriving at NuNu a little earlier than expected. This was no problem as our table was ready for us anyway. As we were walking in a guy stopped in front of the restaurant and told us not to bother because NuNu and the one next door (Bella Baci) were both full. Sucks to be him, lucky we had a booking. The lighting was romantically dim and despite the modern furnishings and pompous Palm Cove atmosphere the place had a cosy relaxed feel to it. The waitress seated us at a table in between two couples at the front of the restaurant. Unfortunately we were seated so damn close to their tables that MS felt like he should introduce himself to the people on either side. This close proximity not only made us privy to their conversations but them to ours. The waitress bought us a Dinner Menu each and a Wine Menu along with some glasses which she filled with water from a silver jug. She gave us a couple of minutes and came back to take our drinks order. We both chose a glass of Clyde Park Sauvignon Blanc (AU$9.50) purely because it was the only Sav Blanc on the menu. Prior to taking our drink order the waitress whose name was Karen told us the specials of the day at NuNu (without us asking) along with a rundown of the seafood on the menu (the fish was Red Throat Emperor caught locally and the Oysters were Pacific Oysters from SA). My dreams had come true. Finally a restaurant with staff that knew the in’s and out’s of the seafood they were selling. It was truly a miracle!
Having sighted the 5 course tasting menu (AU$95 or AU$155 with matched wines) we asked Karen exactly what it consisted of since MS being the big sissy that he is doesn’t like seafood all that much. Karen told us in the nicest possible way that it was supposed to be a surprise and the chefs didn’t like to tell what was on it so we would have to wait and see. That was good enough for me and MS decided that as long as brain wasn’t part of the 5 course menu he would eat it too (there is in fact brain on the menu). I actually kind of liked the idea that we had no idea what was to come out. I felt it really added to the excitement of the meal and anyone that knows me well knows that nothing excites me more than food.
First off, our meal began with some bread. It was fresh out of the oven and as she placed it on the table Karen warned us to be careful of the steam that would escape when we cut it open. We were both surprised at just how large the bread was, taking up almost the entire plate but our surprise turned to relief as we cut it open to find the bread was in fact hollow. The sprinkling of salt and lemon over the top of the crust gave it just that little extra flavour that it needed and we soon devoured the crusty outside both looking forward to the next dish.
Our Bread (don’t ask me what it was because I have no idea)
Next up two of our dishes arrived at the table. Karen gave us a nice run down of each dish and left us to sample our two entree’s… The Taste Paradise which was Shaved Local Heart of Palm, Melon, Lime, Baby Herbs and Chilli and the Hot Smoked Red Emperor Miang with Chilli, Pink Pomelo, Green Papaya Relish and Salmon Pearls. Both dishes looked amazing and the Taste Paradise even had those cute little edible flowers on the top which I had never eaten before. It was a beautiful dish and the melon mixed so well with the delicately sweet dressing, a slight hint of Fish Sauce just detectable. I really loved the soft and crunchy texture of the Palm Heart and the Melon. MS didn’t think this dish was so amazing (probably because of the Fish Sauce flavour) but I thought it was fantastic.
Taste Paradise: Shaved Local Heart of Palm, Melon, Lime, Baby Herbs and Chilli
The two portions of Hot Smoked Red Emperor Miang et al was wrapped up ever so nicely in Betel Leaf. Having had something very similar at Iyara Thai Restaurant on the Esplanade I already kind of knew what to expect. We both ate it at the same time and although MS was a little skeptical because of the seafood content and the Chilli he thought it was a taste sensation and he was right. The mixture of the all the different flavours (sweet, sour, spicy) and textures in this one small bite (ok maybe two bites) was to die for. The Hot Smoked Red Emperor Miang has to be one of my favourite dishes of the 5 course menu.
Hot Smoked Red Emperor Miang with Chilli, Pink Pomelo, Green Papaya Relish and Salmon Pearls
About ten to fifteen minutes passed before our next meal was bought out – our 3rd entrée of Crisped Pacific Oysters with hand rolled Green Tea Noodle, Jellyfish, Sesame and Ginger Caramel. I almost knocked my glass of wine over in excitement. I had spied this dish on the Entrée Menu and my mouth literally salivated at the thought of it. I had no idea that I was actually going to get the chance to eat it though! This dish was OMG so good. The Crisped Pacific Oysters had a slight batter around them that was deliciously crispy and light and the oysters literally melted in my mouth. Even MS who again doesn’t appreciate the sheer delight that comes with eating seafood (yet) thought the oysters were delicious. The green tea noodles and the sesame and ginger caramel were the perfect accompaniment to this dish. It was another absolutely stunning course in NuNu‘s 5 course menu.
Crisped Pacific Oysters with Hand Rolled Green Tea Noodles, Jellyfish, Sesame and Ginger Caramel
Right about now was when we moved onto the mains of the evening. Next up, our 4th course (or was it?) was the Local Line Caught Reef Fish with Ricotta Dumplings, Tomato Essence, Fennel, Crispy Sage and Lemon. The Red Throat Emperor was cooked perfectly as you would expect from such a notoriously good restaurant as NuNu. The portion size of the fish was not too little and not too big. Again, the fish melted in my mouth along with the small balls of cheesy Ricotta-y goodness. MS ate the lot so that says something for what he though of it. This dish was the perfect way to showcase the freshness of the Red Throat Emperor without marring the flavour. The accompaniments were not overpowering and allowed the subtle flavour of the fish to shine through.
Local Line Caught Reef Fish with Ricotta Dumplings, Tomato Essence, Fennel, Crispy Sage and Lemon
By both our calculations the 5th course was next but for some reason I didn’t think that was it for our 5 course menu. Karen arrived with the Mushroom Poached Cape Grim Tenderloin, Jerusalem Artichoke, Assorted Fungi, Whipped Feta and Bacon Broth. MS nearly fell off his chair when she returned with a jug containing Bacon Broth to pour over the top of our Tenderloin offering over his water glass for Karen to fill up. Karen laughed at his joke but I think he was only half kidding. The Tenderloin was medium rare in the middle and so damn tender, in fact I think it was the most tender steak I have ever eaten in my life. The Bacon Broth was rich and hearty and we both slurped it up with the soup spoon that was provided, no doubt for that very reason. MS was in Carnivore Heaven with this dish and I think it’s safe to say that this was his favourite of the 5 course menu.
Mushroom Poached Cape Grim Tenderloin, Jerusalem Artichoke, Assorted Fungi, Whipped Fetta and Bacon Broth
Much to our delight after clearing away our plates and finding amusement in MS’ new found love for Bacon Broth Karen bought us out a palate cleanser in the form of a small scoop of Rose Petal Sorbet. It was sweet and tangy and although the Rose Petal Sorbet was something unlike any Sorbet I have ever tasted before it was superb. If NuNu started selling this stuff at Coles tomorrow I would buy it by the tub. It was exquisite and just what we needed to cleanse our palate after our rich and hearty main.
Rose Petal Sorbet
Last but not least, our dessert emerged (that’s 6 courses, 8 dishes in total). It was Roast Banana Souffle with Coconut Caramel Sugar, Banana Twinkie and Coconut Sorbet. Wow. I was surprised by just how big the dessert was and the fact that we got one each! I love Banana Bread, Banana Cake, Banana Smoothies, etc, so this was always going to be a winner for me. The Roast Banana Souffle was light and eggy and the added touch of Coconut Caramel Sugar at the bottom of the Souffle made it all the more delicious. My absolute favourite had to be the Banana Twinkie, something we both agreed on. According to Karen this Banana themed dessert is the most popular dessert item on the menu at NuNu and with good reason. It was so damn good but because of the sheer amount of food that we had consumed both MS and I struggled to finish it.
Roast Banana Souffle with Coconut Sugar Caramel, Banana Twinkie and Coconut Sorbet
The 5 course menu at NuNu is most certainly in my Top 10 most memorable dining experiences along with Hot Ramen at a Kiosk in Osaka, Freshly Shucked Oysters in the Gulf of Mexico (before the oil spill) and Peking Duck with all the theatrics in Beijing. By the end of our 5 course menu we were one of only two occupied tables in the restaurant since everyone else had finished up. We had been eating for just over two hours, arriving a little before 8pm and finishing up after 10pm. It honestly didn’t feel like we had been there for anywhere near that long! The service that we received from our waitress Karen was outstanding from the moment we walked into NuNu to the moment we left. Our water glasses were never empty, for each dish she gave us a run down of what it was as it was placed in front of us, she always had a friendly smile on her face and she even managed to get MS’ quirky sense of humour (a struggle for some). Her service was attentive without being intrusive on our intimate evening together. Dining at such a classy restaurant I was expecting very small portion sizes with an emphasis on presentation rather than content and even partly expected to be hungry at the end of the night. Man was I wrong. The portion sizes were perfect for each of the 5 (or 6) courses, not too little and not too big and like I said previously we were both stuffed by the end of it all. The 5 course menu for AU$95 represents amazing value for money since adding up each of the items equates to just over AU$300 if you order them individually from the Dinner Menu, plus this way you get to sample a bit of everything. Our evening at NuNu was a truly memorable one that I will never forget, not only for the food and the service but also for the company. Happy Anniversary baby x
NuNu
123 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove QLD 4879
Ph: (07) 4059 1880
Opening Hours: Mon – 11.30am till late, Tues – Closed, Wed – Fri 11.30am till late, Sat & Sun 8am till late
Website: www.nunu.com.au
foodvixen 