Mezza Train @ Mascot

 

 

Mezza Train at Mascot has caught my eye. When you first think 'train' you think sushi which is not a new concept, however serve little plates of other cuisine and it opens up a whole new world! Mezza is perfect for this!

 

 

 

At Mezza Train there are two options to order.  Straight off the train that chugs past you or for something hot and fresh off the grill you can choose from the menu which is cooked to order.

 

 

Perched on our comfy stools my eyes are darting along the train to see what was dished up. The first thing I notice is the sizable individual servings of pita, both fresh and crispy, for dipping.

 

 

 

 

We start with a fresh dish of shanklish with diced tomato.  Shanklish is an Arabic cow or sheep cheese that is aged and dried cheese.  typically rolled in zaatar or thyme and depending on age can vary to a soft mild flavour to a more robust, pungent flavour.  This one is crumbly and flavourful.

 

 

Baba Ghannouj.  Smoky and creamy.  Perfect with crispy pita to scoop it up with.

 

  

 
 
 

 

Something a little different to try.  Arnabeet.  This is fried cauliflower with tartour.

 

Off the menu we order fresh falafel.  The pickles are good too!

 

 

Sambousek.  Fresh out of the oil, these pastries are filled with minced beef with onions

 

 

 

Love a good kebbeh and these do not disappoint.

 

So many dishes to taste!  The restaurant also has a lovely bar so a glass of nice wine is a treat to have with your mezza.

 

 

Onto more dishes.  The labne with olives is tangy and creamy

The haloumi stack with watermelon, basil and mint was a surprise.  The salty haloumi paired with the sweet watermelon and a hint of herbs made this dish stand out.
 

There are a few options for shish kebabs, which are grilled to order .

We have the shish tawouk - a marinated cubed chicken breast
 

 

and finally finish with a kebab of Laham Mishwee.  Marinated lamb.

 

There is always room for dessert.  Wanting to finish with something not sweet is a little hard to come by so the Znoud El Sit is perfect.  It is crispy layers of  phillo pastry with creamy ashta filling.  This is an cream that is similar to clotted (or as close as you can get).

 

 

We dined mid week on a very rainy evening and it was very busy.  I can only imagine what it would be like on a weekend!  Great recommendation and one I will return to dine again.

 

 

Cuckoo Callay @ Newtown

 

After months and months of Cuckoo Callay at Newtown high on my list I finally brunch there this past weekend.  I also got to meet (finally) the delightful Mel (ex food blogger from The Adventures of Miss Piggy).

 

 

 

Our table is in the corner down the back of the cafe, it's cosy and snug sitting next to other diners.  If you are wanting privacy or space, this is not the place for you.

 

Mel starts with a pot of tea.  I love the tea pot

 

The Aeropress is a process that allows the barista to 'dictate the terms of the extraction'.  Here, at Cuckoo Callay they brew for one minute before pressing it, yielding rich flavour with lower acidity and no bitterness. (Their words).

 

 

 

this was fruity and less acidic, however I think I need milk in my caffeine, but if you like experimenting and/ or changing your caffeine hit up. This is good.

 

I always have food envy.  I look around at what other people are eating, decide on a dish, look at the menu and inevitably change my mind and then wish I had gone with my first option.  Here I did look around and changed my mind a few times but didn't have food envy....I was delighted with my dish.

 

#Hashtag, Boom, Bam!* (yes it's that on the menu!), Jerusalem artichoke, chat potato and spanish onion has served with roast beet puree, parsnip cream 63 degree poached egg and either bacon or haloumi.  I went with haloumi.

 

This was GOOD. The saltiness (and squeekiness) of the halmoui was perfect with the gentle flavour of the Jerusalem artichoke (and I think this is the first time that I have tasted it). The beet puree is earthy and slightly sweet.  Can never go wrong with a runny yolk soft egg. Crackin' dish.

Mel decided on the Porked* which crispy pork, chargrilled broccolini, manchego and mustard sauce and a 63° egg on sourdough

 

Okay maybe a small amount of food envy, but she was kind enough for me to have a taste (and vice versa). 

 

This was a lovely brunch and I am keen to come back for more.  It does get busy and expect to have to wait for a table...but it's worth it.

 

I always have an excuse to eat cake! Words to live by....

 

 

Cheekiness - wise words from Buddha.

 



Brewtown Newtown

Brewtown Newtown - the new hip cafe on the Newtown scene causing a stir (for good reason).  Found in an old brick warehouse down a narrow laneway off King Street this cafe is buzzing on a Sunday morning (as it is most days).

We arrive at around 10am but are lucky enough to get there just at the right time to score a seat at the communal bench at the front.  A few minutes later would have left us queueing up outside.

 

I like the complimentary glasses of sparkling water to start with while perusing the menu.  The whole menu is available all day including lunch for breakfast/brunch.  Perched at the communal table, although full, doesn't make me feel crowded or intruded upon.  It's a nice homely feel.  Papers strewn across the middle, everyone just chatting amongst themselves, having a leisurely breakfast.  Even though it's busy I didnt' feel like I was being rushed out. 

 

I'm taken by the display of cronuts on the counter but decide that I'm better off eating a  off the menu first. 

cronuts

 A skim cappuccino for me and it's good. 

 

Offering a seasonal paddock to plate style menu my friend M is drawn to the corned beef hash with garden peas, poached egg and parmesan crumbs (this girls is obsessed with peas!) she also goes with a side of Canadian bacon (being a girl from Quebec living in Dubai vising Oz she needs a slice of home (along with getting a pork fix wherever she can on this trip LOL)

 

I end up going with the Elvis burger, which is on the lunch menu.  I did consider tasting something that hasn't been widely reviewed, but alas a savoury cronut, bacon and cheese just grabs me.  I can't help myself.

 

This is delicious, however the savoury cronut is too oily and bit much for me.  The beef patty is juicy and full of flavour.  The chunky chips are crispy, hot and delicous and dipped in the awesome relish (I want more of that!).

 

After a bite head upstairs to Stanley St Merchants for a spot of shopping.

 

I'm eyeing off those cronuts on the counter as we leave....but they will need to wait for my next visit.

 

 

Campsie Food Festival 2014

Last weekend I headed over to Campsie to join in the festivities for the Campsie Food Festival hosted by Canterbury Council. Campsie is a melting pot of cultural backgrounds that include amongst others Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Indian.  I was there quiet early and watched alot of the stalls setting up and it was a good chance to see some of the food stalls on offer without the crowds around them.  Here we have a selected few.

 

 

 

 

 

 

lots of food stalls

 

 

The stalls this year include Chinese dumplings, Dutch pancakes, German hut dogs, Himalayan dim sim, Indonesian cakes, Korean chips on a stick, Malaysian crabayaki balls, Nepalese momo soup, Portuguese chicken, Russian crepes, Spanish paella, Taiwanese soft shell prawns, Thai noodles, Turkish gozleme.  My mouth is watering.

 

 

At the entrance of ANZAC Mall Telstra had a fruit and vegetable carving display.  It was pretty impressive.

fruit and vegetable carving

 

I stopped by to chat to the boys at The Really Stuffed Olive Co.  I'm a sucker for balsamic vinegars and I was intrigued by their Wasabi balsamic.  It's a white balsamic with flecks of wasabi through it.  The wasabi flavour is punchy but refreshing and didn't clear the nostrils like wasabi can do!  I immediately purchase a bottle.

 

 

The also do a range of wine salts and dukkah

What is a festival without the gozleme ladies.  They are out in full force today chopping the spinach and kneading the dough.  It's going to be a busy day for them.

gozleme ladies hard at work

 

I'm starting to get peckish and I really wanted takoyaki balls from Colotako but they weren't anywhere near ready.  So I choose a plate of BBQ dumplings from Yan's Asian Stall.  Hot and crispy yes they were, but the dough is thick and 'doughy' and I'm disappointed (saying that I always seem to be disappointed with BBQ dumplings anywhere - I think I sway towards steamed and soup dumplings more)

BBQ dumplings

 

Okay I had to try the 'I Ate a Bug' stall.  I'm not adverse to a bug or two.  In fact I have eaten my fair share of crickets in South East Asia.  I actually love the crispy, crunchy texture and when fried with garlic, chilli and a bit of salty goodness they are a great beer snack.  So I was up for a sample. 

 

I went with the cricket sample pack, which contained 5 plain roasted crickets.

Ate a bug

 

They are tiny and yes they are crunchy, but they had no flavour and I was sort of 'meh'.

 

crickets

I stopped by for a selection of 'wheel cakes'.  I get one of each - chocolate, custard and green tea.  These were hot off the griddle pan, however they were still floury in the middle and not cooked all the way through.  The fillings were tasty and I really liked the green tea one. 

Finally, Colotako is open and I join the line for my octopus balls.  On offer today are octopus, prawn and crab legs.  The production line is pumping with about 14 grills operating.  They know how to make their balls!  The waiting line gets a bit out of control.  It's going to be busy for them today and I'm seventh in line and there are at least another 20 or so people waiting already and another 10 or so people deep waiting just to order.

making the balls

Piping hot, gooey innards and a piece of rubbery octopus inside each ball.  There is plenty of mayo and bonito flakes and it's exactly as I was expecting.  Takoyaki balls, hot and fresh.

takoyako balls

As I had arrived so early to the festival I was also lucky number one to sign up for the Taste Food tours being offered today.  For $5 they take you on a mini food tour of Campsie - fitting in 6 stops in an hour.  If anybody is unfamiliar with Taste Food Tours they are run through the Benevolent Society and a portion of the proceeds goes to charity.  The guides are knowledgeable and very passionate about food and the cultures of the areas you are visiting.  I have previously done a South American Food Tour with them and can highly recommend it.  For $5 today was a perfect example of what to expect on a full taste tour.  Luckily today, Tina is my guide, who I had last time.

First stop is at Simo's a Lebanese bakery that does fresh Manoosh.  I dive into the Zaatar manoosh which is my favourite topping for manoosh. 

manoosh

We visit a Korean grocery store, which I have never noticed before.  It's tucked away in a back street and doesn't get any foot traffic.

Fridge full of kimchi love. 

We sample khakdugi which is similar to kimchi (preserved/pickled cabbage) but the main ingredient is daikon (or white radish).  It's pugent flavour is surprisingly fresh and punchy and the chucks of radish are crisp and it has a good kick of chilli.

khakdugi

We also sample a tray of tteok - which is a glutinous rice dumpling filled with a red bean paste.  I get the last one on the tray (hence the lonely single tteok photo).  There are literally hundreds of varieties of tteok that Koreans munch on and can range from simple everyday ones like this or more elaborate filled ones with nuts and fruits to celebrate weddings and birthdays.

We stop by a Korean butcher to watch them cut the beef into Korean cuts.  There is wagyu slices and  kalbi cuts - ready to be BBQ.  There is pre-marinted beef for kalbi and other goodies like duck and a few pork products.

Another grocery store stop for some pandan cake and sour plum tasting and a quick browse.  I always get 'lost' in an Asian grocery store.  I want to purchase everything and learn how to use the product.  I could literally spend an hour in here wandering the aisles.

pandan and chocolate cake

sour plums

Our last food tasting spot is at a BBQ restaurant.  The window is full of BBQ duck, steamed and soy braised chicken, duck tongues and tripe.  I'm drooling and in awe of the amount of product.

Inside the restaurant smells heavenly of that sweet sticky BBQ sauce.  We taste some of the steamed chicken which is served with my favourite ginger and shallot oil sauce.  The chicken is juicy and tender and delicious.  However its the BBQ pork (or Char siu) that blows me away.  It's tender and smokey and just the right amount of rendered fat that makes me going back for another slice (even though I am now full at this point). 

 

Our last stop on the tour is at a kitchenware store selling pots and pans and crockery and Asian gadgets needs to make your Asian delights.  Again this is another store that I could spend time in...alas my purse is empty and will need to wait for another day.

There are cooking demonstrations in ANZAC Mall throughout the day and the stalls are pumping by lunchtime with festival revellers.

The festival was fun and what I saw was only a little insight as to what Campsie has to offer.  I think I'll be back here for lunch very soon.