Yebisu Bar & Grill Haymarket

Over the past couple of years I have dined at Yebisu Izakaya in Regent Place (which you can read here and here) and have had great pleasure in eating there. 

Recently I was invited to dine at the newly opened Yebisu Bar & Grill on Dixon St in Haymarket. I was definitely keen to taste more of those yakitori from the open grill. On arrival you can take the stairs or the lift up to the first floor.  The walls have a very modern street vibe which reflects Japanese heritage, cultural and colour!

I love the wall art!

We have prime seating (aka the counter that runs along the front of the kitchen) giving us optimum kitchen views. Being able to watch the chefs grilling over the hot smoke grill, a sushi chef slicing super fresh fish and making up delectable looking plates of sashimi and sushi, the hustle and bustle of a working kitchen.

There is the sake cart which rolls around the restaurant with the traditional bells when you order.

Tonight we try the Aged Jozen mizuno gooshi – it is a mild sweet sake, easy drinking and lovely.

Ordering is simple via the ipad but that doesn’t actually make it any easier to order from a mouth watering selection. What to order!!???? 

I can’t resist the aroma of smoke and meat 

With beer there must be snackage so we order a bowl of the Lotus Root chips

These are seriously awesome drinking snacks. I still cannot figure out what spice is dusted on these lovelies. Does anyone know?

Chicken Skin (salt)

The chicken skin is half crispy and full of fatty flavour. The salt sprinkles on it make a good pop through the oiliness.

Pork & Kimuchi (salt)

This was a favourite. The pork is so tasty with a sprinkle of salt rolled around a mound of kimuchi, which is similar to the Korean kimchi but is milder in flavour. 

Takoyaki

These freshly made balls were good. Good piece of octopus inside a ball topped with sauces, mayo and flakes of bonito flakes. First for the boy who appeared to like them.

and the dishes keep coming...... next up spicy karaage chicken

Pieces of spicy, juicy chicken fried to a delicious crunch is a winner!

Sapporo

Chicken skin with ponzu

This dish was crispier than the chicken skin skewer but after a few minutes swimming in the ponzu sauce became quite soggy. Definitely a dish to eat straight up!

Even though our bellies are full we muster up enough room for dessert.

Tempura Fried Icecream

I love a good deep fried ice cream so I was tempted by this dessert. This dessert was okay. The vanilla ice cream was creamy and the choc sauce was good, just that the tempura coating was not crispy or flavourful enough for my liking. Remember taste is subjective! 

I really enjoyed my dining experience.  I love nothing but watching a working kitchen (yeah Im a food geek) and the lovely dishes that came out of the kitchen.  

Thank you to Yebisu and Washoku Lovers for the kind invitation to dine at your new establishment. I would definitely recommend here for a night out in Chinatown. 

*Roofood dined as guests of Yebisu and Washoku Lovers

Banksia Bistro @ Banksia

When news hit that the Banksia Hotel was welcoming a new bistro, my interest perked up. 

Colin Fassnidge has teamed up with Leigh McDivitt of 3 Weeds to bring us Banksia Bistro.  A gastro-style pub that us locals in the South have needed for some time and we are excited!
 

The Bistro is simple, green, leafy and bright!  The feels are about community, comfort, enjoyment and laid back dining.  There is a small play area for the little ones too.

The hotel also has also an area of high top tables in front of the bar area where you can dine and watch your sports as well.

  

The Bistro has been opened a week when we decide to check it out.  We head down early and within 20 minutes the bistro was packed. We were lucky to be seated in a booth that offered the perfect view of the kitchen and the dining area. 

 

 

Although the menu may seem limited at first glance it actually offers some interesting dishes for a pub.  With the likes of chicken liver parfait, crab on toast, ham hock and pigs ear schnitzels for entrees amongst the more regular pub grub comforts including chicken schnitzel, Irish stew, corned beef, and a burger you are in for a great meal.  The chefs' philosophy of nose-to-tail dining is definitely showing through on this menu!

 

 But tonight we focus on the mains. We cannot pass on the beer battered market fish with chips and the house made buttermilk chicken schnitzel with chips.

Although the kitchen is getting very busy as more people are arriving we were surprised how fast our meals arrive. 

We decided to share our dishes (you know for maximum tasting purposes).

The beer battered fish is crispy, light and the fish was juicy and meaty.  The house made tartare was awesome.

The chips are perfect to. They are chunky, hot, crispy, crunchy with fluffy middles.

Slicing through the huge buttermilk chicken schnitzel was as easy as slicing through butter. Super juicy and tender with a herby crunchy panko bread coating was delightful.  The coleslaw is crunchy, chunky and not swimming in dressing which is great!

My only negative was with the price of the beverages at the hotel (this is not the Bistro). There seems to be a big difference between beer and wine. Standard tap beer is normal bar prices but glasses of wine started at $9 (note that they do serve Artisan/boutique beer that cost more), which I thought was a little on the expensive side for the area. Just saying.....

 

That will not stop me returning for a meal.  I am looking forward to spending more time at the Banksia Bistro.   Next time the pigs ear schnitzel and crab on toast will be a must!

They have done a stellar job at updating an refurbishing a weary looking hotel and us locals are very happy to have Colin and Leigh in the area!!!

 

 

 

 

Papi Chulo @ Manly

 

 What was supposed to be our first date a year ago, a ferry ride to Manly, a lovely lunch and a few drinks ended up being cancelled due to horrendous whether and we went to the movies instead!. So we took the opportunity of our first anniversary celebrations to do it instead! Perfect date day though! A sunny day, with a little crisp wind and of course, awesome company!

 

Merivale's Papi Chulo is nestled right on Manly Wharf, literally a few steps from the ferry. Where an American smoke house/Latin inspired menu meets beach art deco décor which makes for a beautiful light and airy atmosphere with gorgeous views of the Harbour.

 

 

 

We start with drinks and I am drawn to the Bloody Ceaser Romero with Bacon-washed Olmeca Altos Tequila, papi's spice mix, olive and clamato juice (it’s a pimped up bloody mary, only better!)

 

 

We start with a bowl of Pea Guacamole with tortilla chips. Sprinkled with peas, pea shoot tendrils and sunflower seeds this guac is good. The warm crisp tortilla chips have the smallest hint of salt to the them.

 

 

The Tropical Taro Salad (which came with hidden slices of smoked Kingfish) was a surprise. Refreshingly light and tangy the crispy strips of taro added a perfect crunch to this salad.

 

The highlight dish of the day turned out to the be the Roasted Cauliflower with romesco, parmesan and burnt butter crumbs. We both LOVED this dish. The cauli was soft and tender but still held firm and the cheesy romesco sauce and crunch butter crumbs were just superb.

 

 

 

The Smoked Hot Wings with comeback sauce were another pleasure. The wings are fried to perfect crunchy crispness and tender and juicy meat. However I wasn’t really taken with the comeback sauce, but that is my personal taste).

Service is fantastic and dishes are served quickly. Staff are super friendly and there is no one person waiting on tables it’s a variety of servers.

Next up is the Jumbo King Prawns in lemongrass and coconut dressing. Two huge prawns adore a small plate and take a good 2-3 big bites to eat. They are really delicious.

 

 

 

 

I’m hitting my limit by now and lucky to have a few minutes break before the Lebanese Chicken Platter arrives with sides of curly fries and Vietnamese Coleslaw. BBQ chicken with peri peri spice is served on a platter with tabbouli, pickled veg, lettuce and pita bread.

The curly fries are super curly and cooked perfectly. The Vietnamese coleslaw adds a tangy freshness to the meal. We are so full now and end up taking a doggy bag home with us.

We do manage to share a dessert of the Chocolate chip cookie, marshmallow, butterscotch and vanilla ice cream.  Warm gooey choc chip cookie with a disc of fluffy marshmallow topped with ice cream and butterscotch is a perfect date dessert.

  

Although this was a year in the making, we finally got to visit and I know I will be recommending this to friends and definitely would like to come back and sample more of this delicious the menu.  

 

 

 

The Butler @ Potts Point

We found ourselves amongst a handful of other diners having a long leisurely lunch at The Butler in Potts Point a few weeks back and was pleasantly surprised on the relaxing atmosphere and laid back feel this place is.

 

Heading on down the stairs to the main restaurant I have a flashback to the 70's with wicker furniture and green foliage painted on the walls.  It is actually very welcoming!

 

 

 

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With an airy, bright balcony out the back overlooking the city you cannot go wrong if you are looking for a great mid week lunch spot.  

 

 

 

With a glass of Piper Heidsieck in hand, our group decides on The Butlers Banquet (makes it easy with a group of 8 or more). 

 

Pita crisps, avocado & white bean dips

 

 

The avocado is creamy and the white bean dip is really good, it's just a pity that the pita chips were a little over cooked.

 

 

 

Fried chick pea & caraway bites with aioli

 

when this dish arrived I actually thought they were deep tried tofu but once you bit into the square it was anything but.  Fluffy nutty pillows dipped in the rich creamy aoili were lovely.  I am not a big fan of caraway seeds but this worked.

 

Everyone was looking forward to the next dish.

 

 

Tabasco prawns with mango salsa, coconut and quinoa

 

Plump prawns swimming in a mango and coconut sauce.  Very tropical, summery dish.  This was were delicious. 

 

Spiced beef slider with creole mayo

 

The sliders were pretty good but I wasn't a fan of alfalfa sprouts on my burger.  In my personal opinion they don't belong on a burger....just saying.  Other than that it was pretty tasty.

 

Whole blackened chicken, black beans, corn, tomatillo salsa

 

The chicken was so juicy and tender it was falling off the bone and I loved the tomatillo salsa with a decent kick of heat.  This was a winner dish for me.

 

I unfortunately didn't take photos of the remaining two dishes (big foodie fail!).  It was the Caribbean spiced pork short ribs and green papaya salad and the green beans, lentil and fetta.  They were good dishes.  The pork was fork tender and again falling off the bone.  They had a great smokiness to them and the green papaya salad was zesty and fresh and cut through the richness of the pork. I know I didn't try the beans as I was so full.

 

Honestly, I was surprised that the Butler wasn't more busy but then it is mid week and perhaps not being in the city made a different.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed being here and enjoying the view and the food and a long leisurely lunch.

 

 

 

 



Toast to the Coast - Day 2 - More of the Bellarine Peninsula wineries

Sunday is bright and sunny and we are feeling surprisingly chipper and spritely, all things considered.  So why not back it up with another day at Toast to the Coast.  You can read all about Day 1 over here.

 

Getting a jump start ahead of the shuttle buses (the only down side to the shuttles is that they don't arrive at the wineries until much later than cellar door opening) we get a lift from friend (remember the bottle of wine bought as wooing/bribery/thank you gift yesterday?!!!) and head to our first winery of the day Bellarine Estate.

 

First up at the Barn out front there is a local produce 'market'.  Lots of jams, sauces, coffee and Portarlington Bakery goods.

 

 

 

Guess who are the first visitors of the day?

 

We head into the restaurant for tastings so that we can look over this view.

 

 

The winery also has a Vintage Car display too, with some fun rally cars.  Unfortunately due to the rainy weather they don't have all the vintage cars on display.

 

Starting with bubbles and moving through the whites and the reds, I find that I really like their Shiraz.

 

 

 

 

Screaming Seeds are also here tasting their products.  I really like the unique blends of herbs and spices that Screaming Seeds offer and I stock up on Rainforest Mix (a mix of lemon myrtle & Dorrigo Pepper), Virgin Island Mix (a blend of celery seeds, garlic & herbs), Moonlight Dreaming (a blend of coriander, garlic, fenugreek, Murray River salt, onion, lemon tea tree, ajowan Seed, fennel, mountain pepper, peppermint gum, black peppercorns) and a traditional gravlax cure for salmon.

 

 

 

The restaurant offers sweeping views over the vines and I can't help but stop by to explore this old pick up out front!

The first shuttle bus drops off for the day so we jump on and head to Terindah Estate.  Lovely views over the vines with Port Phillip Bay in the distance, it's a lovely sweeping view.

It's here that I discover the best Chardonnay.  You may recall that I went off Chardonnay years ago and although Chardonnay is making a comeback I just can't palate it.  Well, Terindah Estate Chardonnay was gorgeous.  Even Miss N, who is normally a red drinker, really liked it to.

 

So we purchased a glass to enjoy sitting on a hay bale outside soaking up the sun.

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

Manzanillo Grove is also tasting their olive oil range at Terindah Estate.  The estate produces 7 types of olives.  Cold Pressed extra virgin olive oil is produced on site along with a range of flavour packed oils and of course olives.  Their orange olive oil is particularly refreshing! 

 

 

 

 

Cheers to a lovely day and a crisp cold Chardy.

 

 

Scotchmans Hill turned out to be a favourite for the day.  We had a lot of fun tasting the wines and bantering with the staff.

 

The two ranges of wines being tasted today are Swan Bay and Scotchmans Hill.  I find that the Swan Bay range is more acidic and tangy.

 

 

 

 

I am very partial to the Scotchmans Hill range.   Again I am surprised that my palate is enjoying the sweeter wines and I come away with a bottle of the new release 2015 Scotchmans Hill Late Harvest Riesling.  Definitely looking forward to enjoying their wines and to coming back here next year.

 

Mobile Pizzaria is on site serving up some very tasty pizzas.  We ordered the BBQ chicken pizza.  It had a crispy base and a good covering of ingredients and the BBQ sauce is tangy and perfect on top of the pizza

 

Obligatory amongst the vines photo

 

Onwards to Flying Brick Cider House with guest winery Yes said the Seal.

 

Starting with wines, the bubbles and creaminess of the Reserve Blanc de Blanc is delicious.  The savingnon blanc is lovely too.

 

 

Moving onto the ciders.  We have the 3 main ciders, Original, Draught or Pear.    The original is crisp and fresh and an easy drink.  The Draught is a little more depth and complex but both have a great strong apple taste.

 

 

 

 

Enjoying a glass al fresco while waiting for the next shuttle (we may have missed one).

 

But we didn't mind.  The cider house is a lovely spot to soak up some atmosphere, take a break and sit back and relax.

 

 

Do you have to ask where our last stop was?  Yes we ended back at Leura Park Estate.  Of course this is the shuttle hub for the North and South routes of the Bellarine Peninsula, so it goes without saying that we would ultimately end up here...it's just that the party at the end of the day is so much fun!

 

 

Tasting our favourite Ms Flamingo & Associates 2014.

 

 

Guest wineries Finesse Wines and Jack Rabbit Vineyard.  So I did some tastings at Jack Rabbit Vineyard.

 

The moscato was lovely a cool and fresh and the pinot grigio was a lovely drop.

 

It was time to have some more food.  I am amazed on how hungry you can get when you are hopping from winery to winery!

 

The salt n' pepper calamari looked very tasty and I was not disappointed.  A cone full of crispy, hot tender calamari tendrils.

 

 

It was party time.  Test Pilot Molly were playing again as they jammed out songs from the 70's, 80'sand 90's

 Here's to an amazing weekend in the Bellarine.  Spending time with my bestie is always fun and exploring the wineries during Toast to the Coast has offered an insight into the area and all it has to offer.  We didnt' touch on the food aspect of it that much (surprisingly) but hopefully in months to come I will be heading back to do some more exploring.

Cheers to friendships, love of wine, lovely produce and great times!

Bellarine Estate
2270 Portarlington Rd, Bellarine
www.bellarineestate.com.au

Terindah Estate
90 McAdams Lane, Bellarine
www.terindahestate.com

Scotchmans Hill
190 Scotchmans Road, Drysdale
www.scotchmans.com.au

Flying Brick Cider House
Cnr Swan Bay Road & Bellarine Highway, Wallington
www.flyingbrickciderco.com.au

Leara Park Estate
1400 Portarlington Road, Curlewis
www.leuraparkestate.com.au