Personally, I am not a fan of Don Dons. Sure, it's cheap and close to home, but I am not that into luke warm food, to tell you the truth.
Thankfully, if you're game enough to walk another couple of blocks, you'll reach Kimurakan; which is a humble little place with lots of love in China Town. Their menu is broken up into something like 6 sections: sushi/sashimi, snacks, mains, rice dishes, udon, ramen and bentoh boxes. Way too many decisions to make.
If you're there for lunch, you'll be offered the lunch menu, which is a shortened version of their larger menu that is a few dollars cheaper because it's...well...lunch and their servings are designed to make you not fall asleep at your desk from fullness. The prices of their food vary from $3 for miso soup to $32 for a main of sushi and sashimi combination, which I have never been game enough to try due to their overly generous portions to begin with.
I have been to Kimurakan many times before, but because of the weather, I went for their Kaisen udon (combination seafood udon soup) $10.50, while my dining companion went for the Chicken Curry Bentoh, $11 and we shared a serve of Oyster Katsu $6.
The oyster katsu is oyster which has been crumbed in panko, deep fried and served with kewpie mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce. Needless to say, it was rich.
The broth of my dish was not overloaded with MSG, which is usually the problem with these places, and very generous with their seafood. There were about 5 prawns, cuttlefish and salmon floating amongst the wakame, shitake mushrooms and the baby spinach; none of which were overcooked. The only downfall is there was so much food I couldn't finish it.
The bentoh came with the chicken curry, rice, gyoza, ankake tofu, salad, jelly and a choice between miso, green tea or iced tea. My companion opted for the miso and happily ate everything in front of her. I personally didn't try any of her meal, so I cannot comment.
They serve the usual suspects of beer, but I really only ever concentrate on their stubbies of Kirin and Asahi which they sell for $5.50. They also have a very short wine list and serve sake. Unfortunately, I don't pay attention to this because they are BYO and there is a Vintage Cellars across the street. If you chose to partake in their BYO, there is a $3 surcharge.
Another up for Kimurakan is that they have both attentative and polite service, and as you will notice, their staff are all Japanese. I am not being racist here, but when Japanese food is cooked by Japanese people, you can actually tell the difference.
A great place to kick back and have a few casual beers with friends, great food and a laugh. It is completely unpretentious, but not scummy enough to make you feel like you have to move on right after you finish your meal.
Other notable dishes;
-Ika hot soup, $3.50
A hot and spicy soup with calamari. I was hooked on this for about 6 months, but it is quite a thick broth.
-Unagi Don, $10.50
Eel with teriyaki sauce on rice with salad. Very hearty and well cooked, fresh and well presented with a good balance of rich and clean.
-Salmon Don, $11.50
As above, but with salmon. The huge chunk of salmon is pan fried, but still rare in the middle, a surprising treat.
-Salmon Bentoh, $12.50
Bentoh with salmon with teriyaki sauce, gyoza, ankake tofu, salad, jelly and choice of drink. Great if you're starving.
-Nabe Udon, $14
Udon noodle soup in a hot pot with seafood and chicken and a raw egg cracked over the top which cooks as you eat it. Very rich and filling, great textures and flavours.
Kimurakan Cafe
238 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne 3000
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Undertaker and Cabinet Bar
So, in my first attempt at reviewing for very cheap eats I forgot my camera and, having lost my phone-with-camera last weekend in a moment of drunken idiocy, I therefore have no pictures. I also didn't make any notes and, while I remember what I ate, remembering other menu options seems to be failing me today. Not really the greatest start to my reviewing career. However, I shall blunder onwards because I liked these 2 places and think they'd be much more convivial if they were busier...
Firstly, The Undertaker, 329 Burwood Road, Hawthorn (Tel: 03 9818
3944)
I walk past here every day and have always been fascinated; partly because they seem to always be open, from breakfast through coffee and lunch to dinner and drinks at least Mon-Fri; I was also fascinated because it had such a high gloss, dark wood, very expensive look with fantastic floral displays that caught my eye. Then last week the downstairs windows were covered in newspaper. Underneath the newspaper a beautiful caterpillar to equally beautiful butterfly moment was occurring. When they re-opened the main dining room was a bit more comfortable and loungey rather than formal, still with cream leather booths, but also some galvanised steel chairs, and they had these fantastic light fixings consisting of aged-wire boxes, containing many lightbulbs, with one of those lightbulbs lighting up the rest. They really are very striking and look great.
A friend and I dropped in for drinks Thursday night. Sadly, the bar/dining area was rather quiet and did not get that much busier before we left at 8pm-ish, however they had just re-opened and are still in the process of re-organising other areas. Their wine list seemed rather expensive (one red at $7/glass but the remainder at $9+). However, the bar/waiting staff were bright, enthusiastic and helpful as we moved from bar service for drinks to table service ordering food. However, there was one table they didn't clear the whole time we were there. The big surprise was their new menu, where there were not only bar snacks for $5-$10, but meal options for $13-$28, with around 4 for $15 or less. Side dishes were $6 and the dessert list was $12-$18. My friend and I ordered linguine with prawns and kipfler potatoes with chorizo and a poached egg from the $14 end of the menu. Our food came quickly and looked lovely too, all stacked together on a large white plate. My kipfler potatoes were lovely: cooked just right and nicely balanced by the spicyness of the chorizo and the smoothness of the egg. I would have really liked a little aioli on the side as the dish was a little dry, however the flavours were great. Given the size of the serving (enough that I still had plenty of space for dessert) I'm wondering now whether the cheaper options are actually meant as entrees.
It fails on ordering "pretty much anything on the menu to get 2 courses for $20", but the fact that you can get 2 courses for $20 here surprised me. And the toilets did have some fantastic wallpaper.
A nicely-decorated lounge in which to get some good food whilst having a few drinks in Hawthorn.
Secondly, Cabinet Bar, 11 Rainbow Alley, Melbourne (Tel: 03 9654 0915)
This is much closer to the category of 2 courses for $20. However, it's still very much a bar that you can enjoy food at. If you can find it, that is. I had one of those Melbourne moments of walking straight past it and not finding it until I walked back in the other direction from which it was slightly more obvious. Up some stairs and into a long, rather dark room, with great wallpaper and ornate chairs and sofas. However it was bit dark so we sat at a table by the window, from which we were lit by the lights of Swanston Street. We ordered at the bar for drinks and then table service for food. The menu is on the blackboard and segues naturally from bar snacks for $3-$8, antipasto $19 for $2, arancini for $12.50 and a variety of flatbreads layered with flavours for $15.50. My friend and I ordered flatbreads, which arrived quickly. I had roasted duck on plum sauce with rocket, blue cheese and mushrooms. I love duck and don't see it enough on menus and it works so well with plum sauce, then in a new flavour lesson for me, the mushrooms and blue cheese worked well too. My friend had the salami and bocconcini flatbread that looked very much like pizza with some great juicy olives. The service here was very attentive and friendly and it would be a pleasure to go regularly: this place could become very comfortable, very quickly. We also had a few drinks, little creatures pale for my friend and red wine by the glass for me, but precisely how much they cost is lost in the mists of time...
I wish they'd turn the lights up, just a touch, but it was such a nice environment that I'll definitely be going back.
And regarding the reviewing experience: next time I'm taking notes (digging this up from memory has been too painful) and photos. Oh, and being cheekier about eating my companions' food, normally nothing stops me but I got all polite in doing this! Apologies for now but hopefully more to come.
Firstly, The Undertaker, 329 Burwood Road, Hawthorn (Tel: 03 9818
3944)
I walk past here every day and have always been fascinated; partly because they seem to always be open, from breakfast through coffee and lunch to dinner and drinks at least Mon-Fri; I was also fascinated because it had such a high gloss, dark wood, very expensive look with fantastic floral displays that caught my eye. Then last week the downstairs windows were covered in newspaper. Underneath the newspaper a beautiful caterpillar to equally beautiful butterfly moment was occurring. When they re-opened the main dining room was a bit more comfortable and loungey rather than formal, still with cream leather booths, but also some galvanised steel chairs, and they had these fantastic light fixings consisting of aged-wire boxes, containing many lightbulbs, with one of those lightbulbs lighting up the rest. They really are very striking and look great.
A friend and I dropped in for drinks Thursday night. Sadly, the bar/dining area was rather quiet and did not get that much busier before we left at 8pm-ish, however they had just re-opened and are still in the process of re-organising other areas. Their wine list seemed rather expensive (one red at $7/glass but the remainder at $9+). However, the bar/waiting staff were bright, enthusiastic and helpful as we moved from bar service for drinks to table service ordering food. However, there was one table they didn't clear the whole time we were there. The big surprise was their new menu, where there were not only bar snacks for $5-$10, but meal options for $13-$28, with around 4 for $15 or less. Side dishes were $6 and the dessert list was $12-$18. My friend and I ordered linguine with prawns and kipfler potatoes with chorizo and a poached egg from the $14 end of the menu. Our food came quickly and looked lovely too, all stacked together on a large white plate. My kipfler potatoes were lovely: cooked just right and nicely balanced by the spicyness of the chorizo and the smoothness of the egg. I would have really liked a little aioli on the side as the dish was a little dry, however the flavours were great. Given the size of the serving (enough that I still had plenty of space for dessert) I'm wondering now whether the cheaper options are actually meant as entrees.
It fails on ordering "pretty much anything on the menu to get 2 courses for $20", but the fact that you can get 2 courses for $20 here surprised me. And the toilets did have some fantastic wallpaper.
A nicely-decorated lounge in which to get some good food whilst having a few drinks in Hawthorn.
Secondly, Cabinet Bar, 11 Rainbow Alley, Melbourne (Tel: 03 9654 0915)
This is much closer to the category of 2 courses for $20. However, it's still very much a bar that you can enjoy food at. If you can find it, that is. I had one of those Melbourne moments of walking straight past it and not finding it until I walked back in the other direction from which it was slightly more obvious. Up some stairs and into a long, rather dark room, with great wallpaper and ornate chairs and sofas. However it was bit dark so we sat at a table by the window, from which we were lit by the lights of Swanston Street. We ordered at the bar for drinks and then table service for food. The menu is on the blackboard and segues naturally from bar snacks for $3-$8, antipasto $19 for $2, arancini for $12.50 and a variety of flatbreads layered with flavours for $15.50. My friend and I ordered flatbreads, which arrived quickly. I had roasted duck on plum sauce with rocket, blue cheese and mushrooms. I love duck and don't see it enough on menus and it works so well with plum sauce, then in a new flavour lesson for me, the mushrooms and blue cheese worked well too. My friend had the salami and bocconcini flatbread that looked very much like pizza with some great juicy olives. The service here was very attentive and friendly and it would be a pleasure to go regularly: this place could become very comfortable, very quickly. We also had a few drinks, little creatures pale for my friend and red wine by the glass for me, but precisely how much they cost is lost in the mists of time...
I wish they'd turn the lights up, just a touch, but it was such a nice environment that I'll definitely be going back.
And regarding the reviewing experience: next time I'm taking notes (digging this up from memory has been too painful) and photos. Oh, and being cheekier about eating my companions' food, normally nothing stops me but I got all polite in doing this! Apologies for now but hopefully more to come.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Reviewing guidelines (and some rules)
This is, as Joe Strummer said, a public service announcement and it may "Rock the Casbah" a bit.
The idea of Very Cheap Eats (Email me as gastrotomATgmailDOTcom if you'd like to become a reviewer) is to provide a guide to the best cheap food in Australian in the sort of places you'd actually choose to go out and spend an hour or so eating in. It is about meals of at least two courses costing less than $20 (or roundabouts) excluding beverages.
It is not about takeaways and food courts. I'm happy to keep existing posts up but i just wanted to clarify this as it is important to stay true to the Very Cheap Eats vision.
The idea was bourn out of frustration of the existing guidebooks by AOF over at Confessions of Food Nazi. The Cheap Eats Guide some years ago lost the plot with even its price guide of $30 being fairly meaningless.
The Friday before the latest edition was published I ate at Cheap Eats Restaurant of the Year Rumi up at the far end of Lygon St. Aside from a couple of greasy stuffed fingers of pastry the food was pretty good. The service was excellent and they even went to the trouble of making a special iced tea for me (I was participating in the alcohol free charity event) that was off menu.
I enjoyed the meal immensely despite having ordered too much. The fit out of the restaurant is delightful and the ambiance alluring (apart from one very loud woman nearby).
But it cost about $80 for two. It was an incredibly good value meal. But it was not a Cheap Eat.
Both Cheap Eats and The Good Food Guide give a very comprehensive coverage of Melbourne. But they have incrementally added so many features and seem to want to add more restaurants to their pages to bust the magic number of 500. This is the publishers chasing the dollar rather than serving the reader. They should each focus on what really are the best cheapest and simply the best eats of all.
When AOF posted this I quickly registered a blogger account and a domain because this blog Very Cheap Eats is such a good idea. As far as I am concerned it is a community project and anybody can join (we have space for 100 contributors).
But AOF and I feel there should be some strict guidelines to ensure we don't go down the Cheap Eats route and lose the plot.
I've also given some guidelines to what should be covered to give a comprehensive review. I know this means a bit more work and observation but it also makes Very Cheap Eats a much better resource if you try and cover the items below.
THE RULES AND REVIEWING GUIDELINES
1.The venue
It should be a sit down venue where you can enjoy two courses and a beverage of under $20 from ordering pretty much anything on the menu. If it's a few dollars over that's not too much of a problem. It could be a particular day of the week where the food is cheap. For instance, I must post about the Sunday Lunch at Madras Banyan Tree where the only option is a vegetarian banquet for about $20 plus drinks. Any other time and it would cost more to eat there but i think Sunday is within the spirit of Very Cheap Eats.
The location doesn't matter. It can be anywhere in the world. Please include the name (linked to website if there is one), address and telephone number at the top of the post.
2. Double posting.
Yes, you can double posts and link back to your blog, as I have with this over at Tomato. It would also be nice to point to Cheap Eats to help build readership.
3. The food and ingredients
Is the food fresh and presented well? Does it taste good or inferior. Are the portions large or small? Don't be scared to give your opinion.
4. Drinks
What did you drink? Does it serve coffee, tea, wine beer or anything else? How much do they cost?
5. Service
Is it self service or table service? Are the waiters attentive or lazy? Was service slow or quick or did they keep bringing you the wrong thing?
6. Money
How much did each thing you ate cost and do you think it was worth the money? Remember, broadly speaking you should be able to buy a meal of two courses for around $20 excluding drinks.
What would be really useful for readers is to give the minimum and maximum prices for starters, mains and desserts and the price of coffee.
7. Ambience
This is important as we want to review proper cafes and restaurants that you would want to go out and eat in at night. We don't want takeaway stores. Is it a place you'd want to spend time in or is it a horrible strip lit tiled room? The reader needs to know.
8. The best and worst of the venues
try and identify what you think is the best and the worst of the venue. Perhaps it is the horrible loos or the rude service. the reader wants to know. be ballsy and show some opinions because that's what readers want. Don't be frightened of opinion.
The idea of Very Cheap Eats (Email me as gastrotomATgmailDOTcom if you'd like to become a reviewer) is to provide a guide to the best cheap food in Australian in the sort of places you'd actually choose to go out and spend an hour or so eating in. It is about meals of at least two courses costing less than $20 (or roundabouts) excluding beverages.
It is not about takeaways and food courts. I'm happy to keep existing posts up but i just wanted to clarify this as it is important to stay true to the Very Cheap Eats vision.
The idea was bourn out of frustration of the existing guidebooks by AOF over at Confessions of Food Nazi. The Cheap Eats Guide some years ago lost the plot with even its price guide of $30 being fairly meaningless.
The Friday before the latest edition was published I ate at Cheap Eats Restaurant of the Year Rumi up at the far end of Lygon St. Aside from a couple of greasy stuffed fingers of pastry the food was pretty good. The service was excellent and they even went to the trouble of making a special iced tea for me (I was participating in the alcohol free charity event) that was off menu.
I enjoyed the meal immensely despite having ordered too much. The fit out of the restaurant is delightful and the ambiance alluring (apart from one very loud woman nearby).
But it cost about $80 for two. It was an incredibly good value meal. But it was not a Cheap Eat.
Both Cheap Eats and The Good Food Guide give a very comprehensive coverage of Melbourne. But they have incrementally added so many features and seem to want to add more restaurants to their pages to bust the magic number of 500. This is the publishers chasing the dollar rather than serving the reader. They should each focus on what really are the best cheapest and simply the best eats of all.
When AOF posted this I quickly registered a blogger account and a domain because this blog Very Cheap Eats is such a good idea. As far as I am concerned it is a community project and anybody can join (we have space for 100 contributors).
But AOF and I feel there should be some strict guidelines to ensure we don't go down the Cheap Eats route and lose the plot.
I've also given some guidelines to what should be covered to give a comprehensive review. I know this means a bit more work and observation but it also makes Very Cheap Eats a much better resource if you try and cover the items below.
THE RULES AND REVIEWING GUIDELINES
1.The venue
It should be a sit down venue where you can enjoy two courses and a beverage of under $20 from ordering pretty much anything on the menu. If it's a few dollars over that's not too much of a problem. It could be a particular day of the week where the food is cheap. For instance, I must post about the Sunday Lunch at Madras Banyan Tree where the only option is a vegetarian banquet for about $20 plus drinks. Any other time and it would cost more to eat there but i think Sunday is within the spirit of Very Cheap Eats.
The location doesn't matter. It can be anywhere in the world. Please include the name (linked to website if there is one), address and telephone number at the top of the post.
2. Double posting.
Yes, you can double posts and link back to your blog, as I have with this over at Tomato. It would also be nice to point to Cheap Eats to help build readership.
3. The food and ingredients
Is the food fresh and presented well? Does it taste good or inferior. Are the portions large or small? Don't be scared to give your opinion.
4. Drinks
What did you drink? Does it serve coffee, tea, wine beer or anything else? How much do they cost?
5. Service
Is it self service or table service? Are the waiters attentive or lazy? Was service slow or quick or did they keep bringing you the wrong thing?
6. Money
How much did each thing you ate cost and do you think it was worth the money? Remember, broadly speaking you should be able to buy a meal of two courses for around $20 excluding drinks.
What would be really useful for readers is to give the minimum and maximum prices for starters, mains and desserts and the price of coffee.
7. Ambience
This is important as we want to review proper cafes and restaurants that you would want to go out and eat in at night. We don't want takeaway stores. Is it a place you'd want to spend time in or is it a horrible strip lit tiled room? The reader needs to know.
8. The best and worst of the venues
try and identify what you think is the best and the worst of the venue. Perhaps it is the horrible loos or the rude service. the reader wants to know. be ballsy and show some opinions because that's what readers want. Don't be frightened of opinion.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Coyote Cafe
There are plenty of cuisines that generally represent good value in Australia - Thai, Indian, Cantonese. Mexican isn't one of them. Coyote Cafe (414 Nicholson St, North Fitzroy) is a happy exception to the rule, at least as far as take away is concerned. Like most Mexican restaurants here, the food is actually more Tex-Mex, but it's good.
The burritos and enchilada dinners are both excellent, and cost only $9.60 and $7.50 respectively. In the case of burritos, the beef & japapeno is the best bet, with nicely shredded meat and delicious flavours. The honey chipotle chicken burrito is less successful. A couple of vegetable-based burrito options are also available.
As alluded to above, it's really take away that represents the best value. Prices when you eat in are considerably higher.
This review has been crossposted to Hookturns
The burritos and enchilada dinners are both excellent, and cost only $9.60 and $7.50 respectively. In the case of burritos, the beef & japapeno is the best bet, with nicely shredded meat and delicious flavours. The honey chipotle chicken burrito is less successful. A couple of vegetable-based burrito options are also available.
As alluded to above, it's really take away that represents the best value. Prices when you eat in are considerably higher.
This review has been crossposted to Hookturns
Monday, April 14, 2008
Hotel Lincoln.
So, the Lincoln, as I affetionately call it, have started their $12 Monday bar meals again, from the hours of 6-8, although their meals are generally less than $20 when you order from the bar anyways. This just means when you get a pint with your meal, you're getting more than a dollar's worth of change.
If you haven't been to the Lincoln before, you're going to be surprised with the quality and range of foods. Unlike most pub meals, you won't find the chicken parma on the board, but instead a constant rotation of what is in season. Generally there are a few vegetarian dishes, and an abundance of choice scrawled down a 2.5 metre length blackboard plastered to the wall.
Today, I opted for the WA sardine salad with radicchio, pear and pine nuts (originally $16), while my companion leaned towards the Atlantic Salmon fishcakes with chips and aoli (originally $15). Naturally we both had pints of Coopers Pale Ale to wash it down with and it only took us to $18.
The service was no less than attentive and a basket of sourdough and soy and linseed bread arrived at our table with butter and cruets. Despite their quality of food, they seem to enjoy providing you with that powdered imitation pepper. The meals are generously sized, and what I have noticed is that their descriptions of food are generally a step further from what you would expect the food to be served at...but you're never left disappointed. For example, they advertised a dish as being "spinach and ricotta pancakes", and I was surprised (pleasantly) that they were crepes filled with spinach and ricotta.
This happened again tonight, as my dish arrived with three butterflied and grilled sardine fillets served along side the radicchio, shaved pear and pine nut salad with a good lashing of olive oil and a wedge of lemon. Despite the oil, it didn't leave a pool at the bottom of the dish. Everything was well proportioned, as my companion noted and even though we were sitting in the cold outside, I didn't feel as if I should have gotten anything heavier.
The Atlantic Salmon fishcakes were a potato based fishcake crumbed and deepfried. Not at all dry and incredibely generous in size, especially after a few slices of bread and a pint. The chips have been freshly fried and don't have that stale taste like they have been floating in skanky oil for the past week. The aoli is just a bonus, and again, well seasoned.
The thing is with the Lincoln is that when you usually say "I'll get that next time," that it is bound to happen because of their use of fresh produce, unless it is a constant item. You can also order form their restaurant menu, though, that obviously doesn't fall under their "bar menu" range.
I feel fat, happy and glad that I didn't have to cook on Monday. Go, do it. Do it now.
Hotel Lincoln, 91 Cardigan st, Carlton 3053.
If you haven't been to the Lincoln before, you're going to be surprised with the quality and range of foods. Unlike most pub meals, you won't find the chicken parma on the board, but instead a constant rotation of what is in season. Generally there are a few vegetarian dishes, and an abundance of choice scrawled down a 2.5 metre length blackboard plastered to the wall.
Today, I opted for the WA sardine salad with radicchio, pear and pine nuts (originally $16), while my companion leaned towards the Atlantic Salmon fishcakes with chips and aoli (originally $15). Naturally we both had pints of Coopers Pale Ale to wash it down with and it only took us to $18.
The service was no less than attentive and a basket of sourdough and soy and linseed bread arrived at our table with butter and cruets. Despite their quality of food, they seem to enjoy providing you with that powdered imitation pepper. The meals are generously sized, and what I have noticed is that their descriptions of food are generally a step further from what you would expect the food to be served at...but you're never left disappointed. For example, they advertised a dish as being "spinach and ricotta pancakes", and I was surprised (pleasantly) that they were crepes filled with spinach and ricotta.
This happened again tonight, as my dish arrived with three butterflied and grilled sardine fillets served along side the radicchio, shaved pear and pine nut salad with a good lashing of olive oil and a wedge of lemon. Despite the oil, it didn't leave a pool at the bottom of the dish. Everything was well proportioned, as my companion noted and even though we were sitting in the cold outside, I didn't feel as if I should have gotten anything heavier.
The Atlantic Salmon fishcakes were a potato based fishcake crumbed and deepfried. Not at all dry and incredibely generous in size, especially after a few slices of bread and a pint. The chips have been freshly fried and don't have that stale taste like they have been floating in skanky oil for the past week. The aoli is just a bonus, and again, well seasoned.
The thing is with the Lincoln is that when you usually say "I'll get that next time," that it is bound to happen because of their use of fresh produce, unless it is a constant item. You can also order form their restaurant menu, though, that obviously doesn't fall under their "bar menu" range.
I feel fat, happy and glad that I didn't have to cook on Monday. Go, do it. Do it now.
Hotel Lincoln, 91 Cardigan st, Carlton 3053.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Thaila Thai
I'm not sure how Thaila Thai (82 Lygon St, Brunswick East) does it - serve up generous portions of delicious and fresh Thai dishes for such low prices. Yes, there are other Thai restaurants that are just as cheap, however the quality isn't the same.
There's the standard range of curries, stir fries and salads to choose from, all at around $10 for vegetable or chicken/beef, with seafood a few dollars more.
Curries here are drier and less soupy than those at most Thai restaurants, but they're still rich with coconut flavour. The meat is good quality - in the case of the chicken, it actually seems to be breast meat. Another difference is that the vegetables are a lot crisper, as the curries are cooked quickly in very hot woks, which also impart a nice 'bbq-ey' flavour to the meat.
It's a similar story with the stir fries, which are available with a number of 'flavourings' such as as chilli & basil and satay. The serving sizes of the stir fries are particularly generous, and come with a lot of vegetables.
The satays are recommended, although they're deep fried, and the salads are a great palate cleanser. As with a lot of Asian cuisine, it's best suited to sharing multiple dishes.
Unless you've got a very large appetite you shouldn't require more than 1 dish per person, meaning, with rice, you shouldn't need to spend more than $13 - $14 each. The fact that it's BYO makes it even more affordable. Take away is also available, although the serving are smaller.
This review has been crossposted to Hookturns
There's the standard range of curries, stir fries and salads to choose from, all at around $10 for vegetable or chicken/beef, with seafood a few dollars more.
Curries here are drier and less soupy than those at most Thai restaurants, but they're still rich with coconut flavour. The meat is good quality - in the case of the chicken, it actually seems to be breast meat. Another difference is that the vegetables are a lot crisper, as the curries are cooked quickly in very hot woks, which also impart a nice 'bbq-ey' flavour to the meat.
It's a similar story with the stir fries, which are available with a number of 'flavourings' such as as chilli & basil and satay. The serving sizes of the stir fries are particularly generous, and come with a lot of vegetables.
The satays are recommended, although they're deep fried, and the salads are a great palate cleanser. As with a lot of Asian cuisine, it's best suited to sharing multiple dishes.
Unless you've got a very large appetite you shouldn't require more than 1 dish per person, meaning, with rice, you shouldn't need to spend more than $13 - $14 each. The fact that it's BYO makes it even more affordable. Take away is also available, although the serving are smaller.
This review has been crossposted to Hookturns
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Vego & Love'n It, Adelaide
An Adelaide institution, Vego & Love'n It is known for its tasty burgers and chilled out vibe. Situated above a record store, the tiny cafe is charmingly furnished with mismatched chairs, mosaics and kitsch decorations.Burgers are the main feature of the menu, and there are loads to choose from – tempeh, chickpea, tofu, Mexican, Mediterranean, Thai and more. The burgers all feature loads of salad items on top of no-meat patties.
The Vamburger is a take on the classic Aussie burger and features a thin croquette-style patty of potato. Also squeezed in between the toasted brown bread is tomato, beetroot, lettuce, alfalfa and just the right amount of tahini and tomato sauce. The combination of all the ingredients makes for an incredibly tasty burger that feels decadent without being too heavy.
Vego & Love’n It burgers are famous, and not just for their vegetarian and vegan credentials – they are very large. So, although a burger might set you back $9, it’s filling enough to eat as a main meal.If your appetite isn’t up to it then soups, wraps and café-style treats like muffins are also available.
Vego & Love’n It, 240 Rundle St, Adelaide
Cross-posted at unwakeable
Inkr7: worth a detour in St Kilda
The intersection of Inkerman, Barkly and Grey streets is where the whole of St Kilda comes together. The Barkly Hotel is a backpackers by any other name. The Bitch is Back is a local retro furniture icon. And of course, you can buy any type of drug or sexual deviancy under the sun on Grey.
I prefer to hang out during the day at Inkr7 (7 Inkerman St, St Kilda VIC 3182 (03) 9534 6011). It's hidden away in a backwater away from the tourist traps. Opposite a cashmere shop and prostitute's collective (and next door to Mr Wolf where you can buy very good pizzas for nearly $20 or more ), the cafe does a healthy trade throughout the day servicing locals and businesses in the vicinity. If you are in St Kilda it is worth the diversion for a bit and a fairly decent and consistent coffee.
The daily special of soup cost $9, today all that left was French onion and the weather was windy enough without my own contributions. So I chose a HCT - ham cheese and tomato pide for $7.50 which comes with a baby rocket salad.
The picture above is of the $12 steak sandwich which I can't avoid when in the mood for flesh.
Inkr7 also serves a decent range of wines by the glass and beers. You can easily eat for under $20. And remember that is the rule here.
Also posted at Tomato. Wanted: more Very Cheap Eaters. Email me: gastrotomATgmailDOTcom
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