- House – Surry Hills
By Ms. Taste
During my travel writing days, I was invited on an amazing junket to Isaan in Thailand’s north east. While region is the country’s poorest, there was a simplistic beauty about Isaan that has stayed with me since. The two week trip took us through desolate towns, vivid temples and lively markets on the shore of the Mekong river.
As the region borders Laos and Cambodia, the food is quite different from the Thai that we are used to. First of all, there are a lot of salads and soups, and most dishes are eaten with sticky rice (kao niao). The flavours are explosive and not only because it is spicy.
All the memories from my journey to Isaan came flooding back when I dined at House, the latest offering from the Spice I Am family. House looks like a cross between a bistro and a beer garden. While the setting works perfectly for the food, it is a little irritating to have to venture next door for drinks (there’s also no BYO, unlike the original).
The grilled dishes at House are outstanding and easily the staple here. The pork neck skewers (Moo Ping) are perfectly marinated and cooking by chargrill adds a smokey caramel flavour to the meat. The ox tongue (Ping Lin) is tender and fleshy pink in the middle, accompanied with a tangy dipping sauce. The grilled chicken (Gai Yang) isn’t as juicy and plump as pictured on the menu, however, the flavours are aromatic and nicely balanced.
Moo Ping $10
Ping Lin $10
Gai Yang $16
The salads are vibrant and fresh, although the flavours slightly one-note as they all share the same chilli and lime dressing. The Som Tum Thai is as tongue numbing as the original Spice I Am. Eating this at the start coats your tongue in throbbing chilli, a sensation that stays with you long after the meal is over.
The Yum Woon Zen, which combines vermicelli with pork mince, calamari, prawns and celery, is milder and features a nice sprinkling of ingredients. Meanwhile, the Yum Naam with steamed fermented pork sausage is an interesting take on what’s usually eaten plain with sticky rice.
Som Tum $7
Yum Naam - $12
Yum Woon Zen - $14
The soup selection also lack variety – the base in each dish is essentially the same (tom yum) so ordering two soups almost seems redundant. The flavour in the tom yum is more pungent and amplified than the Thai version. The Tom Yum Powng Kai with embryo eggs came highly recommended, but I found them very rubbery with no real texture or flavour at all. The Tom Nua Toun, a slow cooked beef spicy soup, is an easy favourite with its meltingly soft beef pieces.
Tom Yum Powng Kai $16
Tom Nua Toun $14
We finished off our meal with a slew of desserts, including the now famous BTS or ‘Better Than Sex’. This dessert features one thick sliced brioche deep fried and topped with a scoop of pandan ice cream and palm syrup. It is a really interesting combination and is strangely addictive. However, at $15, it’s not a cheap dessert.
The other two desserts on the menu – a shaved ice number with taro and ruby chestnuts and a simple ice cream sandwich combo – lack the drama and cheekiness of the BTS. They are nice desserts but no real wow factor to be seen.
BTS $15
Kati num kang dai $5
Bread and ice cream $5
I don’t immediately see Spice I Am fans taking a liking to House. Like Spice I Am’s restaurant in Darlinghurst, the menu is completely different to the original. House has a very limited offering when it comes to main dishes, however, dishes are under $18 which is an attractive price point for budget conscious diners.
Having been three times now, I’ve noticed that the serving sizes have gotten smaller as House gets busier (thanks to the string of positive publicity in all the key food review sections). On our last and most recent visit, our portion of Som Tum was only two thirds the size of our first visit and our BTS was pricier. We couldn’t help but feel a little ripped off, especially given our relatively positive experience during the first two visits. Let’s hope they introduce some consistency to their sizing and pricing, or they may struggle to find loyal customers.
House
House
202 Elizabeth St
Surry Hills
NSW 2010
# 02 9280 0364Open daily from 12pm to 2am.
- Max Brenner’s 10th Anniversary Choctail Party
By Ms. Taste
I’ve often wondered what it must’ve been like for Charlie when he first step foot inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
Until now, it was something of an enigma.
We were recently invited to attend Max Brenner’s 10th Anniversary Choctail Party which took place at their headquarters in Beaconsfield.
As the clocked ticked 7:30pm, we hopped out of the car and rushed to the door. Our names were checked off and we ascended the stairs trying to hold back our excited giggles. As we reached the top, all we could see, smell and hear was chocolate.
Chocolate, chocolate, everywhere, in all its wondrous forms.
We were first greeted with shots of liquid chocolate, which churned on in background in two giant drums. Nearby were plates of fruit, banana bread and marshmallows free for the taking.
As we made our way inside, we were invited to write a birthday message in liquefied chocolate on a giant wall-sized canvas.
Towards the back of the room, there was a station to create your own chocolate truffles, although it was clear to us that Max Brenner’s in-house range was hard to beat, each sporting smooth tops and luscious praline centres.
Nearby, guests were squaring off in a game of checkers using nothing but Max Brenner pralines for board pieces. What could be more motivating to ‘check’ your opponent!
I also spotted a couple of open fire light fixtures around the room. Each had a round opening in the glass, which looked like they’d be perfect for roasting sticks of marshmallows. Sadly, I had too many eyes on my back to try.
The real standout for us were the cocktails. We ordered the Chocolate Revolution, which was Frangelico shaken with milk chocolate and chambord. This drink was ice chocolate gold – the hint of black raspberry from the chambord really brings the chocolate alive. Other flavours included Enjoy the Max (Baileys with a hint of coffee, milk chocolate and espresso) and The Paddington 2000 (Bacardi with muddled lime, fresh mint and raw sugar).
Could a Max Brenner cocktail bar be on the cards?
Then there was the treatment room, where hand massages were being dolled out to anxious and willing guests. I was treated to relaxing hand massage using Max Brenner’s BODY range, which smelled divine. The girl tells me my hands were tense and overworked… no surprise there!
All through the night, Max Brenner staff were passing around plates of rice paper rolls and dumplings by Miss Chu as well as pastries created by Max Brenner’s resident patisserie chef Jean-Marc Masset.
The cafe was also pumping out cups of hot chocolate and coffee, just in case you weren’t already buzzing from all the sugar.
While we didn’t stay long enough for the birthday cake, we hear it was a four tiered beauty standing at 1.4 metres high. It was made up of three decadent chocolate cherry mousse cakes topped with an amazing croquembouche cone.
Our time at the Max Brenner party restored our faith in the brand. We’ve been led astray by dissapointing service at times but seeing Max Brenner at its best is really comforting. Now we know that what Max Brenner can do with chocolate, they do so tremendously well.
For more info about Max Brenner, log onto www.maxbrenner.com.au.
- Lindt Chocolate Masterclass
By Ms. Taste
I’ve always thought that the only way to appreciate chocolate is to eat it.
Not true, according to Lindt, the other senses also play a part.
Lindt runs regular chocolate appreciation classes hosted by Swiss-born Master Chocolatier, Thomas Schnetzler and we went along to a recent session at the Good Food and Wine Show. They’re not only an excuse to sample Lindt’s most popular creations, but also gives participants the opportunity to learn the processes and history behind chocolate.
It goes without saying that chocolate is universally loved around the world. It’s reported that the average Australian consumes around 5.5 kilos of chocolate every year. Although the preference is milk, dark chocolate is slowly but surely gaining a following locally.
Lindt happens to be the fastest growing chocolate brand in Australia – and there is no surprise why. It is their chocolate’s signature ‘melt in mouth’ sensation which makes it so irresistable.
Thomas tells us that this is due to the way Lindt refines their chocolate, a method called ‘conching’ invented by Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The friction created by conching grinds down chocolate particles into a smooth paste, which not only develops flavours but also takes away any bitterness.
Lindt cultivates the chocolate making process from the bean all the way through to the final creation. The cocoa beans are roasted at controlled temperatures to bring out the rich cocoa flavour. Once beans are roasted, they are cracked and refined to form a cocoa liquor. From there, the liquid is conched and finally tempered.
Lindt produces their Excellence chocolate blocks from South America cocoa beans – they are higher quality and more expensive than the variety from Africa (around 85% of the world’s cocoa originates from Africa). Lindt also offers single original varieties to highlight the attributes of that region. I tried the Madagascar, which had a very buttery taste, no real sharpness, which could be good for those who are curious about trying dark chocolate but not 100% sold on the taste.
I was really excited about trying the new ‘Touch of Sea Salt’ flavour for the first time and it certainly lived up to the hype (a girl sitting two seats away from me squealed when Thomas unveiled the block). The salt used in the chocolate is fleur de sel, which is a high quality sea salt seven times more expensive than the average household kind. The salt rounds out the flavour in the chocolate and also adds a slight sweetness too.
We also got to taste the new Swiss Gold range, which was developed with the Australian palate in mind. There are four varieties, including Milk Fruit & Nut, Milk Hazelnut, Milk and White with Almonds. The chocolate is just as you would expect, velvety smooth and satisfyingly rich – there are also whole nuts and fruit. I think this range will do really well in our market and also win over the chocoholics who are used to buying big family size blocks of chocolate.
And finally, I leave you with a tasting plate we spotted at the beginning of the class. Look at the size of that delice!
For more information about Lindt and their chocolate appreciation classes, please visit www.lindt.com/au/.
Thank you to Sarah at Entwistle PR for organising our visit.
- Win tickets to Taste of Melbourne!
By Ms. Taste
Taste of Melbourne will return this winter and we couldn’t be more excited.
Not only am I flying down with an entourage of girlfriends, we are celebrating one very special occasion: the last weeks of my singledom!
Running from 26-29 August, Taste of Melbourne will transform the Royal Exhibition Buildings into a culinary haven featuring signature dishes from Melbourne’s top restaurants.
Participating restaurants include:
* Stokehouse+ Bar
* Longrain + Bar
* Sarti
* Maze
* Fifteen
* The Palace by Luke Mangan
* Melbourne Wine Room
* Mr. Wolf
* Esposito
* Libertine
* Mezzo
This year’s festival will also feature pop up restaurants which change with each day of the show – these include Embrasse, Koots Salle a Manger and Entre Tapas y Vinos.
As with the Sydney show earlier this year, leading local producers will exhibit their delicious wares for tasting and buying. Anthea Loucas, editor of Gourmet Traveller magazine will also host cooking demonstrations by Melbourne’s leading chefs.
Win tickets to Taste of Melbourne!
Thanks to the organisers, Brand Events, we are giving away 5 double passes to Taste of Melbourne, which can be used at any session during the show. Unfortunately, flights are not included for interstate readers but there are great deals on offer from Tiger and Virgin.
To be in the running, simply leave a comment below and tell us which Melbourne restaurant you’d most like to see at the show – whether they are part of this year’s show or not!
For me, it will have to be maze, although I’m a little disappointed that Nobu and Movida aren’t participating this year.
Competition closes at 6pm Sunday 22 August. For more information, please visit www.tastefestivals.com.au.
- 2010 Good Food & Wine Show Sydney
By Ms. Taste
It seems that the Good Food & Wine Show gets bigger, livelier and more crowded by the year.
Now in its ninth year, the show is one weekend foodies have firmly marked on their calendar. It’s not only a chance to try new products, savor local wines and watch celebrity chefs out in force, but also the opportunity to forget about your waist lines and indulge in whatever crosses your path.
This year’s show, though down one Gordon Ramsay, had the same spectacle as the previous years. It took us good 3 hours to walk around all the stalls, and even then, we felt like we’d only skimmed past the ones we liked and missed some others.
Here were my top 10 highlights from this year’s show:
1. Cookie Couture by Nadine Ingram
The Cookie Couture stand is one I look forward to visiting every year. Nadine always puts up a centrepiece which does a great job of drawing in the crowds. Last year was a pastel coloured carousel cake, this year, it’s a macaron covered flourless chocolate cake, which had me gushing and squealing like a maniac.
Though known for her gingerbread cookies, Nadine tells me that this year, it was the macarons that sold out on the first day.
“It’s Masterchef,” she says, with a knowing look.
2. Cupcake classes at the Sunbeam Academy
The Sunbeam Academy had plenty of onlookers watching the cupcake classes. This open plan kitchen, decked out in all the latest gear from Sunbeam, was hard to resist – especially with all the sprinkles, icing and assorted sweets lying around.
3. Celebrity chefs at Good Food magazine
The Good Food magazine cooking theatre offered a nice selection of cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs, which included Margaret Fulton, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan. We hung around for George’s session, which was a roasted barramundi with calamari coleslow and bougatsa. He’s more likeable in real life than on TV – I wonder if it’s that pesky Channel 10 editing?
4. Batlow Apples
Perhaps the most striking stand at the show this year. It brought a piece of the Easter Show to Darling Harbour!
5. Jelly Joy
Jelly Joy is one of my favourite sweet treats. For those who haven’t tried it before, it’s basically a bag of sugar syrup with jelly bits.
A few weeks ago, I stupidly talked myself into a bet to see if I could 100 in one sitting. Thankfully my friends let me off the hook. Seeing all that Jelly Joy stacked up at the show made me glad I didn’t attempt the challenge.
6. Playboy Energy Drinks
Is there a better way to grab people’s attention better than two leggy blondes dressed up as Playboy bunnies?
7. Coffee galore
We are impressed by the free tastings by Gloria Jeans and Toby’s Estate. Especially with the crowds, you need a strong hit to get you through the day.
8. Smeg fridges
We loved the pops of colour the Smeg fridges brought to the show!
9. Cupcakes galore!
There was no shortage of cupcakes at this year’s show. We were disappointed we missed out visiting Sharon Wee’s stand, but we did eye off the ones at Cake Connoisseur.
10. Lindt Masterclass
If you love your chocolate, this was one class you didn’t want to miss. Led by Swiss-born Master Chocolatier, Thomas Schnetzler, the chocolate appreciation session was an hour long choc-fest.
More details on the Lindt Masterclass coming up shortly!
