Tag Archives: modern australian

Recipe: Pork chops with raisin and cranberry sauce

Posted in Food, Modern Australian, Recipes by

pork chops with raisin and cranberry sauce

Ingredients

8 pieces pork chops

1/8 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 orange, juiced

2 cups chicken stock

dash of red wine

oil for pan frying

 

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and pan fry the pork chops until almost well done.

2. In the same pan, add in the raisins and cranberries and sauté for about 1 minute. Then add in the orange juice, chicken stock and red wine. Cook the fruits for about 5 minutes on low heat.

3. Transfer the fruit mixture to a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth. Or you can use a blender or a hand-held blender if you don’t have a food processor. Pour the mixture back into the pan on low heat. Then add in the pork chops and simmer until well done. If the sauce is drying up or is too thick, add in more chicken stock or water.

4. Serve and enjoy.

 

 

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Recipe: Fish fillet with white sauce

Posted in Modern Australian, Recipes by

From my kitchen: Fish fillet with white sauce

This is an alternative way of cooking basa fillets that we usually cook Asian-style (with soy sauce and ginger or teriyaki sauce). I used milk instead of cream for the sauce so it’s not a heavy kind of white sauce. My auntie has specifically requested for this recipe so I’m inclined to think that this was a hit at the dinner table.

Ingredients

6 – 8 fish fillets (I used freshwater basa fillets for the photo above)

salt and pepper

dill

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon flour

5 pieces button mushrooms, sliced

5 tablespoons white wine

1/4 cup milk

chicken stock or water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper

Method

1. Season the fish fillets with a little salt, pepper and dill. Steam cook them or panfry then set aside.

2. In a pan, melt the butter and add in the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute. Add in mushrooms and cook for a another minute. Then add in the flour and stir until the mixture forms a paste.

3. Add in white wine and stir until the paste becomes a thick liquid. Then add milk and chicken stock or water and stir to your desired sauce consistency. Just keep adding chicken stock or water to thin out the sauce – the sauce will thicken as it boils.

4. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

5. Place the fish fillets into the pan with the sauce to reheat the fish, about 3 minutes.

6. Serve and enjoy.

1907 @ CBD

Posted in Modern Australian, Perth by

1907, situated along Queen Street, is an almost perfect fine dining experience. The restaurant is located in a somewhat dodgy aisle making it hardly recognisable from the outside with no visible restaurant door. The entrance door looked like a door to a house with a “push” (or was it a “pull”?) sign. We walked in greeted by a french waitress who showed us to our table. I did not even notice that HUGE wooden horse at the door food review sites have been talking about because I was anxious to sit down and order my food as I haven’t eaten for more than 6 hours.

The restaurant was unusually hot and stuffy when we went in. I was about to complain to the waitress to turn the damn aircon on but, thankfully, the place started to become cooler. After we placed our orders we were given a complimentary bread basket. It was a very generous size with 3 bread rolls and 4 slices of bread from a loaf. Dips consisting of olive oil, dukka, salt and a slab of butter were also provided.

1907: complimentary bread basket

1907: for the bread

Finishing almost the whole basket of bread was a terrible idea. It obviously fills you up really quickly so my friend and I decided against eating another piece of bread even though they were very tasty, not the kind you get from, say, Bakers Delight. By this time, the complimentary amuse bouche was served. Today’s dish was “Roast Pumpkin Soup” served in what looked like a flat-bottomed test tube or a long shot glass. Being the FOB that we are, my friend and I looked at each other thinking how we are supposed to eat it. There was no spoon and the fork was too big to fit into the ‘test tube’. So we just drank from it. It was very very delicious with a nutty flavour. Why can’t my homemade roast pumpkin soup taste like this? I wanted more of this – a big bowl of this. My friend made it into a dip for the bread too which was surprisingly good!

1907: complimentary amuse bouche - roast pumpkin

And so we chatted away. It did not take long for the entrees to be served. Mine was a “Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Cucumber and Fresh Coconut Salad and  Watermelon”. I have not tried a half cooked half raw tuna before and this was a very good first experience. It was very fresh and the salad, with a spicy and tangy taste to it, complemented the fish really well. Now I know why that watermelon was there. It was to cool down my palette after eating that spicy salad. My friend had the “Ginger Glazed Berkshire Pork Belly with Prawn Salad”. The dish was presented very beautifully! Great for photos indeed. And the taste did not disappoint either. Pork was tender and the salad fresh and tasty. The only complaint was that the pork skin was very tough. It was hard to cut it with a knife let alone chew and swallow it. If the skin were crispier it would have made this dish even better.

1907: seared yellowfin tuna

1907: ginger glazed Berkshire pork belly

For the mains, we both ordered the “Coq au vin, sous-vide Spatchcock with Mushrooms, Mashed Potatoes and Brioche”. We were craving for mashed potatoes so this was the obvious choice. To start off, the mash was very very smooth and creamy. The brioche was buttery and great for polishing off the sauce from the plate. And the spatchcock? It was delicious. Perfectly cooked and the mushroom sauce went really well with it. If there is any thing wrong with it it would be that it was a tad too salty. But otherwise this was a perfect dish.

1907: 'coq au vin' sous-vide spatchcock

I was already becoming very sleepy from being really full that I left half of my brioche untouched. But I just simply could not pass up dessert. The dessert menu had a “65% Dark Chocolate Marquise with lemon cheesecake ice cream” and anything that has ‘dark chocolate’ in it I have got to try. It’s something like chocolate mousse and the lemon cheesecake tasted like a yogurt-y ice cream. The sourness of the ice cream offsets the sweetness of my marquise. I still found the marquise a little too sweet for a dark chocolate concoction but otherwise good. My friend opted for a “healthier” treat, “Caramelised Orange with saffron ice cream and rose fairy floss”. The saffron ice cream was very exotic. Something different but something that I don’t think I would eat on a normal day.

1907: dark chocolate marquise

1907: caramelised orange with saffron ice cream and rose fairy floss

We paid our bill and walked out the door and that was when I saw that giant wooden horse. Why there is a horse in this restaurant is something I do not comprehend. Perhaps it’s something to fill in the void in the reception area? The place looked like a remodelled living room which made it cozy. Well at the least the table we were at felt cozy. The service was very friendly, too, from the minute we walked in to the minute we walked out. The waitress asked if we enjoyed our meals and wished us a good night when we left. She even offered to take a photo for us without us having to ask ask her – that is someone who is alert, I would say.  Some of the bad reviews I have read freaked me out at first because I really do not want to pay big money just to be disappointed. But I’m glad my friend and I took the chance and now this is one of my favourite fine dining restaurants. I would most definitely come back.

My rating: 9/10

www.1907.com.au

1907 on Urbanspoon

Fraser’s @ King’s Park

Posted in Modern Australian, Perth by

Known as one of Perth’s poshest place to dine in, Fraser’s offers a variety of interesting dishes and a stunning view of the city. Sadly there were construction going underway when we dined here so the views of the city were blocked by railings and barricades.

You can clearly see why this restaurant is posh as soon as you walk in. The interior is modernly designed and dimly lit giving it a cozy feel. We were led to our table and given the menu. It was really difficult to chose what to order given that most dishes seemed interesting enough for me to want to try everything.

Our table ordered a “Soft shell crab with cumin salt” to share. The serving size of this came as a surprise! We were expecting to be served about 3-4 pieces of crab but it came in a big plateful. Even after sharing this amongst 3 people I already started to feel full. The crab in itself was very good. Nicely deep fried although the cumin salt tended to settle unevenly. I would get bites of really salty crab and other bites of non seasoned crab. It was strange that out of the 3 of us I ate most of the crab pieces where the cumin salt settled. This was served with a side of japanese seaweed and a soy ginger sauce, which was really unnecessary given the crab has full flavour just by itself.

Fraser: soft shell crab

Feeling really hungry, I also ordered an entree of “Wok Fried Fremantle Octopus with chilli dressing” for myself which ended up being shared anyway. This dish had a Thai flavour to it. Octopus was cooked just right and the coriander in the dressing gave it a nice kick.

Fraser: fremantle octopus

And then we waited for our mains. And waited. And waited. Even as chatting/gossiping/catching up with friend made time fly by really quickly, the mains took forever to be served. The restaurant was not overly busy given it was a Thursday night so I don’t know why the food took so long to come out.

Finally the food came. The presentation was not as good as I expected it to be. But of course I had very high expectations from Fraser’s because it is Fraser’s at King’s Park. One of my friends and I had the “Roast Duck Breast and Confit Sausage with Beetroot Puree”. The waitress told us beforehand that this was cooked medium rare but I had mine well done because I cannot fathom eating bloody poultry. The duck breast was tender but it needs more flavour. The skin was not crisp enough making it a little chewy. And the beetroot puree? Well I wouldn’t say that the 2 flavours were complementary to each other. I like beets by itself and I like duck by itself but I am not so sure if combining them together was a great idea. I did like this dish although it could have been better. My other friend had the “Mt Barker Chicken with Baby Turnips” and she did say it was good. I wasn’t able to try it for myself but it did look good.

Fraser: roast duck breast with beetroot puree

Fraser: Mt Barker chicken with baby turnips

The waiter cleared our table after the mains but did not even ask if we wanted to have a look at the dessert menu. So we tried flagging down any waiter/waitress but perhaps they were understaffed? It took a good 10 minutes for someone to finally respond to us.

For dessert my friends and I each ordered a different sweet so we can all share. I had the “Steamed Fig and Ginger Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce and Pouring Cream”. This was very very good! The pudding is a little bit dry but just because I think it could be more moist. So I simply drenched every bite in the butterscotch sauce and the cream, which was really fragrant. Also served with vanilla ice cream and slices of banana that tricked me into thinking it was a tad healthy (because of the fruit). My friend had the “Frangipani Plum Tart”. It had a baked cheesecake texture with sour plums in the middle. My friend said it was too sour but I enjoyed the sweet-sour taste to it. My other friend had the “Pistachio Creme Brulee with fairy floss and vanilla ice cream”. There was nothing special about the creme brulee , to be honest. I can hardly taste the pistachio flavour.

Fraser: Steamed fig and ginger pudding

Fraser: Plum Tart

Fraser: Pistachio creme brulee

Overall, I think Fraser’s is overrated. The menu looks interesting but don’t have high expectations because it does not live up to the hype it has created. Everything could have been better – taste, presentation, and service. Service here is not the friendliest. The staff all seemed too uptight. They dont smile a lot, nor do they pretend, at least pretend,to be happy to serve you. There was only 1 friendlier waiter that night and even then he was a bit clumsy. He spilled red wine on the table next to us! Red wine! Spilling red wine in a fine dining restaurant is an epic fail moment in my opinion. Then when we went to the till to pay the bill it included a bottle of beer that we did not even order. Good thing the clumsy waiter picked this up before I had a chance to tell him off. The only good thing I can say about their service is that they did accommodate my requests for a glass of warm water (because I had a cold and I needed something to relieve my symptoms).

Would I come back? Maybe. But I’d rather go somewhere else that is cheaper but serves much better food and gives better service (for example, “1907” in CBD).

My rating: 7/10

www.frasersrestaurant.com.au

Fraser's on Urbanspoon

Coco’s @ South Perth

Posted in Coffee & Desserts, Modern Australian, Perth by

After much raving by my friend I decided to give Coco’s a try. We usually end up in Palais 85, which is next door, for desserts and I have always been intrigued by Coco’s. It is always a full house and you can see people happily chattering away. Being located on the Esplanade in South Perth this place has got some amazing views of the river and the city.

It was a warm night when we came here. Thankfully we were seated outside where there is a little bit of fresh air. As I sat down the first thought that came to my mind was that my seat is not comfortable at all. It is too wide and sinking a little bit which made it hard for me to sit comfortably while reaching for my dishes. Bad seats are a turn off for me. After deliberating on what to order, I settled for “Coco’s famous creamy dhufish chowder” and “Linguine sauteed with Carnarvon king prawns, chilli, garlic and lemon juice” while my friend ordered the “Steamed Carnarvon king prawns, rocket, avocado and red onion with chilli and spiced mango chutney” with a side of mashed potatoes.

I believe this place is highly overrated. Everything I have tried was only mediocre considering this is a fine dining place. To start off, I ordered the dhufish chowder and the waitress told me they had no dhufish and that they’ll be using snapper instead. I said OK, hesitantly, given I was already craving for that chowder. It was as bland as can be. Where is the creaminess in that chowder? I can hardly taste anything special in that chowder. Next up is my pasta. This, too, was very bland. It tasted exactly as what was written in the menu – lemon juice. Not salty enough and I cracked a lot of pepper on it to no avail. Halfway through my meal I just noticed that our waitress did not even tell us of the specials like what the other waitresses have told other patrons. That was disappointing as well. Moving on, I tasted my f riend’s prawn salad and it was a little better because the mangoes were sweet and she had dressing. The only tasty dish for the night was the mashed potatoes. It was very smooth and cheesy and it comes with fried sweet potato chips.

Cocos: snapper chowder

Cocos: king prawn linguine

Cocos: king prawn salad with mango chutney

Cocos: mashed potatoes with sweet potato chips

Even though I was already disappointed and very full I decided to give their desserts a shot. I had the “Crepe Suzette” with a glass of iced mocha and my friend had the “Hot Chocolate Fondant” with a cup coffee. The crepes were pretty good. 3 pieces of crepes cooked in cointreau and brandy served with vanilla ice cream. The crepes were in themselves good. Definitely not of pancake consistency and they reminded me of the crepes my French friend used to make for me. The iced mocha I had was a bit too strong on the chocolate and it came with the glass too full. My drink was dripping everywhere! The fondant was OK. Too sweet for my liking but otherwise very gooey.

Cocos: Crepe Suzette

Cocos: hot chocolate fondant

Hmm, I think I may consider giving it another shot. Or at most just come here for desserts – at least they looked promising.

My rating: 5.5/10

www.westvalley.com.au/index.html

Coco's Riverside Bar on Urbanspoon