Tag Archives: Scallops

Thai to die for | The best Canberra restaurant experience in some time | Morks of Florey

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On Wednesday evening Bron and I ate dinner at Morks in Florey. When Bron mentioned Morks and said it was Thai I wondered why it was named Morks. It didn’t sound Thai but what would I know. Bron had found Morks on-line (TripAdvisor.com) when searching for a good place to eat locally. She’d also heard recommendations from work friends.

Florey is in the northern suburbs of Canberra in the town of Belconnen. I didn’t realise until speaking with a friend at work that the rent at the Florey shops is pretty high and the move of Morks to the Kingston Foreshore in August this year will be economically wise.

Morks
Dinner last night was here

It will be interesting to see the new shop front presentation in Kingston. As you walk out of the restaurant you are confronted by a Dominos pizza sign which immediately makes you feel happy you’ve had a fantastic meal in Morks :-)

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Tasting menu
The tasting menu from last night at Morks. Best restaurant I've been to in a long time. Follow them at @morksrestaurant

Sorry about this poorly focused shot, it gives you an idea of the tasting menu. As soon as I saw this I wanted it. Then I looked at the rest of the menu and wanted that as well. Bron and I have agreed we will return to eat through the menu.  Tasting menus are fantastic to get an idea of the style and tastes of a restaurant. This tasting menu had us wanting to try everything. We’ve had degustation meals before which we’ve always enjoyed but this one just looked so balanced.

Mork’s menu PDF

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Scallop and pig
Scallop and pig's ear terrine. #yummy #dinner

Okay, so it doesn’t sound that great unless you’re an offal lover like me and @DrOffal
http://droffal.wordpress.com/
 The scallop and the pig’s ear were beautifully cooked. The chilli relish and grilled spring onion gave the flesh amazing heat and taste. The taste is amazing. I loved everything about this dish. The scallops were soft with a beautifully caramelised surface.

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Eggplant
Eggplant #yummy #dinner

I love the way the tasting menu alternates between a meat-based dish and a vegetarian offering. This eggplant was delightful. I loved the fried shallot. It had a wonderful smoky flavour and the coriander sauce was a great accompaniment.

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John Dory
John Dory #yummy #dinner

For both Bron and I this was the surprise dish of the night. I’ve been a long time fan of John Dory. I don’t think Bron has tried it before. It was cooked with a crispy crusty coating and the flesh was delicate and tender. The Kaffir lime curry was superb. Words cannot describe the sauce and the lovely wombok surprise hidden in the fish. I wanted a spoon and had to make do by applying the back of my fork to the sauce and quickly licking the sauce from it and repeating the process. I seriously was wanting to lick the plate and mentioned this to Bron. I asked her to distract the other customers somehow while I applied my tongue to the plate. She declined :-( When Benn took our plates we mentioned how much we loved the sauce and he jokingly offered to get us more.

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Lychee sorbet
Lychee sorbet. #yummy #dinner

This sorbet did exactly as it was meant to. It refreshed our palates. On putting a spoonful in my mouth I was transported to my childhood in Brisbane. My grandparents and my grandfather’s brothers all lived together and raised me when I was very young. There was a farm just outside of Brisbane and the owners grew lychees with small seeds. I remember going there once a year and getting large wooden boxes of lychees and spending days eating lychees. We also grew a tree in our back yard and it was right up to when my parents sold the house a few years ago that we were still enjoying lychees from that tree. Thank you Morks for reviving olfactory memories.

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Cauliflower
Amazing cauliflower. #yummy #dinner

Bron mentioned she needs to do more with cauliflower after tasting this dish. The cauliflower was coated in a crumb and cooked just right. All too often we over or undercook cauliflower. I want to know how these fritters were cooked. I could eat this all day. It’s a vegetable right? It must be good for me and more must be better for me.

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Prawn
Prawn #yummy #dinner

I’ve been watching MasterChef Australia the Professionals and admiring Marco Pierre White. His common refrain when served one of something is why wasn’t there two. This prawn and pea open wonton dish (it says prawns [plural] on the menu Mork) was delightful and I wanted a second prawn :-)
http://www.marcopierrewhite.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Pierre_White

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Pork rib
Pork ribs. #yummy #dinner

I assumed when we sat down and decided on the tasting Menu that this would be the dish of the night. It almost made it. The John Dory pipped it for me. That said, this was a great dish. The flesh fell from the bones and melted in my mouth. We got some rice to soak up the sauce which was so nice. The sauce was a perfect consistency, not too thick not too thin. It was soy salty and soy sweet.

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Coconut
Coconut and Passionfruit #yummy #dinner

This dainty dessert was just right. Coconut and passionfruit together. A party time of happiness in my mouth. The ice cream was complemented nicely with the warm sticky sweet rice it was served on.

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We got home to my place and I still had macarons that Bron had given me.

#dessert Look what Bron came and gave me today. Homemade macarons #superyummy

Rose water and vanilla macarons

Bron's rose water and vanilla macarons. #amazing #yummy

These were lovely with a cup of peppermint tea.

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The Tasting Menu cost $130 for both of us. The restaurant is BYO and doesn’t sell alcohol. This suited us well. I cannot say in words just how much we both enjoyed this dining experience. We’ve both eaten well in Canberra and have had many dining experiences, but this rates amongst the top of any resturant we’ve eaten in in Canberra. The service was perfectly paced. We were never ignored and plates weren’t removed in haste. The team were friendly and they all looked like they worked well together. There was a familiarity amongst them that was clear to the entire restaurant. It was nice to see Adul out and about from the kitchen. Benn was friendly and helpful when he could see I was posting images to Instagram he told us the Instagram handle for the restaurant and the blog address.

Morks is so worthwhile, I’d say if you live in Canberra and if you like food, you should eat here. I know we will be going back again (and again and again).

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Morks on Urbanspoon

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Morks http://morks.com.au/
Google map http://goo.gl/maps/AO0WX


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Morks Dining Menu http://morks.com.au/index.php/menus/main

http://morks.com.au/templates/wa_theme/images/mork_menu.pdf

Meet the team at
http://morks.com.au/index.php/team
 I am assuming Benn maintains the social accounts.
You can follow Morks on instagram at morksrestaurant facebook and Tumblr

The Wild Duck is the duck’s guts

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The term the “ducks guts” is a piece of Australian slang.
From the Urban Dictionary an Australian expression—if you think something is awesome, brilliant etc. then it is said to be the duck’s guts.
Synonyms (see below) include the bee’s knees, the cat’s pyjamas, or, strangely enough, the cat’s arse.
My new cricket bat is the duck’s guts.
Look at that pony-tailed wanker in his BMW. He thinks he’s the ducks guts.
I remember first hearing the expression when watching one of my all time favourite movies, viz., Mad Max. I think in the US it was retitled The Road Warrior.
Here is the scene when Goose uses the phrase. Clearly this is one of the best scenes in the movie and the reason I love Mad Max and Mad Max II.

IMDB also has some great quotes.

On Thursday night I went to dinner with Bron and another couple of dear friends. We ate at the Wild Duck. The Wild Duck is a relatively new restaurant in Canberra and found on the Kingston foreshore. [Map
http://goo.gl/maps/6j4zV
] If you want to hear a funny story about my arrival you’ll have to tweet Bron.


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The décor is very modern and inviting.

We ate at a booth table for four which was pretty comfortable. Our waiter for the evening was very friendly and very helpful with the menu and provided us with some insights into the restaurant.

The menu is pretty easy to follow. Not too much to select from and not too little that you feel manoeuvred into choosing just what the chef wants you to eat. That said, our waiter recommended a banquet and after some perusal and discussion we agreed on the “Chef’s signature” banquet. This banquet is reasonably expensive at $68 per person and didn’t include dessert. That said the choices where the Chef’s signature dishes and while not exactly degustation, there was an element of that with the starters.

I apologise for the poor photography. The restaurant is quite well lit however, the light casts a very yellow hue in photographs. I need to learn how to balance the colours in my iPhone.

The wonton soup was okay. No one’s wonton soup will ever be as good as my mother’s. No one should even try.

For higher resolution versions please click on the images

Shanghai Wonton Soup

The scallops in XO sauce were delicate and nicely balanced with the asparagus spear which was cooked perfectly.

Scallops with XO Conpoy Chilli

Next came the Lotus Root and Pork Parcels and Xinjang Lamb Skewers. The lotus root and pork was sublime. Crunchy, full of flavour and a nice firmness in terms of texture. Our waiter suggested the lamb may be a little spicy although for me while tasty, it wasn’t spicy. It was definitely not bland though. It was delicious.

Lotus Root and Pork Parcels and Xinjang Lamb Skewers

The next dish to arrive on its own was the restaurant’s special, its signature dish, the Lamb Shank in Golden Sands. I’ve copied the description from the menu: “Served in lettuce cups, slow roasted Lamb shank meat flaked off the bone and crispy fried, finished in a dune of baked golden coconut, garlic and whole black beans”. This was just amazing. I could eat an entire meal of this one dish. It is a must have.

Lamb Shank in Golden Sands

The three main dishes came out together with a bowl of steamed rice. We received the snapper that was delicately cut so when cooked it resembled a piece of coral; next came the Wild Mushroom Duck Breast which was just lovely; and the final dish was the Yu Xiang Pork. This was definitely a spicier dish although the flavour didn’t linger too long.

Coral Cut Snapper

Coral Cut Snapper on steamed rice

Wild Mushroom Duck Breast

Wild Mushroom Duck Breast [close up]

Yu Xiang Pork

For dessert our friends shared a Coconut Jelly and Papaya which was made up of Coconut jelly and sliced fresh pawpaw with warm black sticky rice and palm sugar syrup. Bron and I each had the Dark and White Angel Mousse. This was a martini of dark and white chocolate mousse, dressed with a layered strawberry and raspberry coulis shot. The waiter poured the coulis shot and with the sediment asked for a number between 1 and 9 and proceeded to write the number. Mine was a 9.

Coconut Jelly and Pawpaw

Dark and White Angel Mousse

Dark and White Angel Mousse [and the number 9]

I’d say the Wild Duck is worthwhile visiting. The website is pretty good and the menus are available as separate pdf documents.

Entrée, Mains, Desserts and Banquets

A wonderful weekend of gardens and food

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This past week has been a bit emotional for me. On Friday we remembered the events of ten years ago in Bali. I needed a break and Bron had very kindly organised a weekend away with her sons and me. The destination was to be Cowra with nothing specific planned except dinner at Tommy’s Bistro in the Imperial Hotel. We knew that Cowra was known for the Japanese Garden and the prisoner of war camp. The POW camp is the site of the Cowra Break out.

We stayed at the Vineyard Motel on Chardonnay Street in Cowra. This is a small but well presented motel. The best thing is the heated floor of the bathroom and main living area. This is so good on cold nights and mornings. I would recommend this motel as accommodation a little out of the town centre and in amongst grape vines.

For higher resolution views, click on the images and they’ll open up into bigger clearer images.

Vineyard Motel

In amongst the grapevines

Grapevines

Bird bath

In the Afternoon we went and headed into town to find a pie for lunch and then ate it in a local park.

Tomato and onion pie with coke

After lunch we ventured to the Japanese Garden. This is truly a delightful place to visit. It is so serene and tranquil. I would highly recommend visiting.

Bonsai

Water feature

After the garden we went to the Cowra POW Camp site.

The replica guard tower

The grounds where the site was

On Saturday evening we went and had dinner at Tommy’s Bistro in the Imperial Hotel.

Both Bron and I enjoyed the crispy crackling pork belly and scallops for an entrée and then a rare Scotch fillet steak on Paris mach for our main meal. For dessert I had a sticky date pudding with Queensland nuts and ice cream. The service was fast and friendly. The decor very warm and inviting. I would highly recommend Tommy’s Bistro for a dinner.

Garlic bread

Crispy crackling pork belly with scallops

Scotch fillet and prawns with Paris mashed potato

Sticky date and Queensland nut pudding

After a good sleep we enjoyed a motel breakfast. I had peanut paste and orange marmalade on whole grain toast.

Our intention for the morning was to go for a walk in a national park and then visit a winery for lunch.

The Wallaby Walking Trail in the Conimbla National Park is an easy walk of a couple of kilometres. The brochure from the Cowra Visitors’ Centre suggested the walk would take 30 minutes. The sign at the trail suggests 1 hour. In the end it took us about 40 minutes after a couple of water stops. You can see our route on my RunKeeper site.

In the end we didn’t get to a winery but we did find Taste Canowindra. A delightful venue for wine, art and music plus great food.

I had a chicken terrine made with crushed strawberries. It was really very good. I would recommend this place to anyone who wanted a good lunch on the way home to Canberra.

When I got to my place I made myself a chicken red curry with lychees and pineapple.

Cowra


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Tommy’s Bistro

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Japanese Garden

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Vineyard Motel

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Edgell Park

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taste Canowindra


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Seasalt Dining in Bruce

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Last night we ventured out with friends to a newish restaurant in Canberra. Seasalt Dining in Bruce is in The Hub apartment complex in Bruce new The Canberra Stadium and the Australian Institute of Sport.

Last night the Brumbies were playing the Sharks at Canberra Stadium so we were a little nervous about parking. In the end it turned out well (the Brumbies were defeated too). They have dedicated parking and from the kitchen the chefs and wait staff can monitor the car park.

The service was really very good. The wait staff were cheerful and helpful. Nothing was too difficult for them and they enjoyed a little playful bantered when we “complained” our desserts weren’t big enough. The menu is pretty good and the place opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I elected not to have an entrée while my dinner companions enjoyed Thai fish cakes and seared scallops. I waited instead for the seafood platter, which according to the menu looked like a collection of entrée dishes plus a piece of fish (salmon last night). That’s what it turned out to be. It was very nice, although, compared with our recent Maestral experience, this was not a seafood platter for two. I ate this easily by myself without any discomfort. The fish cakes were a little rubbery compared with the excellent fish cakes from Lemon Grass. That said, the seared scallops were divine.

The restaurant has a nice cake cabinet and I chose white chocolate cheese cake with cream and ice cream.

I would recommend Seasalt Dining in Bruce to anyone living in Canberra. It will soon have its own dedicated website and all going well my fat face will appear after a photograph was taken of me last night with my seafood platter :-)

I kept a parking spot for our friends.

Fish cakes

Seared scallops

Platter plate 1

Plate plate 2. Oysters natural and Kilpatrick.

It came with really nice potato chips (Fries for friends in the USA).

All together. I also got a plate of Thai fish cakes.

White chocolate cheesecake with ice cream and whipped cream.

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Chalk and cheese | Onred and Central Cafe | Canberra and Queanbeyan

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Regular readers will know that I have a liking for all sorts of food. Fine dining and bulked up comfort and truck stop food. One day I will write about my grand parents and their Chinese restaurant at one of the biggest truck stops in Australia.

On Wednesday night Bron and I went to Onred Restaurant. This is regarded as one of the finest eating places in Canberra. Today we had lunch at Central Cafe in Queanbeyan. This is regarded more broadly as the place with the amazing mixed grill challenge. I don’t think it’s in the league of Man v Food but it’s pretty sizable and it certainly takes a good attitude to eating to finish the plate, or at least in my case, complete the meat eating.

The philosophy at Onred is many small serves to enjoy the flavours. At Onred they recommend choosing three or four entrée sized dishes from their menu and then enjoying a dessert each. The way the meals are served, sharing between diners is encouraged.

Onred Restaurant on Red Hill

I think many readers will be surprised that I did not capture any images of food. The ambience of the restaurant was not conducive to me pulling out my iPhone with each course. Given we had seven dishes and then two desserts I would have spent the whole night with my iPhone out. I can describe what we ate.

Polenta fried calamari w cauliflower and almond puree and eggplant chips [8/10]
Pan fried sweetbreads w bread sauce, celery, parsley, hazelnut and sultanas [9/10, I really enjoyed the sweetbreads]
Baked parmesan scallops and scallop ceviche [10/10]
Chicken, sage and bacon crepinette w parsley puree, roast cherry tomato and fried capers [7.5/10, it was okay but a little bland compared with everything else]
Salted pork belly w bacon dusted grapes and radish salad [8/10, pork belly is now ubiquitous and it's not as special as it once was]
Char grilled sirloin w black pudding, smoked onion puree and pickled onion rings [8.5/10, the sirloin was a little tough, the black pudding was spectacular with the onion]
Szechuan glazed duck breast w confit duck, confit orange and lemon and coriander buckwheat [9/10, the duck was superb, I'm not a fan of the buckwheat]

Caramelised pineapple w ginger cream, sable crumbs and lemon myrtle ice cream [9/10, the flavours were fresh and tropically sweet. I loved it]
Crushed flourless chocolate cake w liquid chocolate, orange and mandarin puree, honeycomb and orange ice cream [Bron had this. It was a generous dessert and it look luxurious and comforting. It looked like a loving hug on a plate]

The restaurant is on the second story in a building on top of Red Hill. The views of Canberra are very good and the room itself was relatively quiet given the harshness of the glass surfaces. The service was good. It was attentive but unobtrusive. It was a very nice evening. I would definitely return for another meal. My favourite dish was the scallops. They were near perfect and the one dish I’d want to come back for for a larger serving to enjoy myself.

Today we had lunch at Central Cafe in Queanbeyan. This is an institution in Queanbeyan and well known in Canberra. When I first started working in Canberra a work colleague mentioned the place to me and the mixed grill challenge. He was a power lifter and said it was one of the few substantial meals for a reasonable price anywhere in the Canberra/Queanbeyan district. So after four years of thinking about it I finally tried it.

It’s situated on the main drag in Queanbeyan and pretty obvious as you drive down the street.

Central Cafe from the street

Okay, so no surprise I went with the mixed grill. If you read the menu you will see Mixed Grill – A serious Challenge for $29.50. Famous around Australia for its size, weight and quality, our Mixed Grill is NOT FOR THE FEINT HEARTED! Have you got what it takes?

The famous Central Cafe Mixed grill. Pork chop, steaks, snags, ham, bacon, lambs fry (liver), crumbed veal, roast potato, chips, cauliflower and broccoli cheese and carrots

The plate is a full dinner plate and it is covered in food. I was disappointed there wasn’t a lamb chop or cutlet. There were two steaks, two sausages, two pieces of ham, a bacon rasher, four pieces of liver, and a piece of crumbed veal. I started well and felt confident I’d finish the meat in terms of a high protein low carbohydrate challenge. I ate a few chips and all the cauliflower and broccoli.

Me eating the Cantral Cafe mixed grill. The pepper sauce was pretty good too.

It wasn’t until the end, towards the piece of veal which I was keeping for last that I started feeling full and my brain was giving me signals to think about slowing down.

Only about a third of the way through

I didn’t eat all the chips and carrots. I was feeling a little full. Rather than make myself feel full or force myself to eat I felt comfortable stopping after eating all the meat.

All the meat is gone.

This was a good meal. It was worth going to Central Cafe and enjoying lunch. It’s another milestone in my Canberra bucket list.

Well I wouldn’t think of Onred and Central Cafe as chalk and cheese. That suggests one is bad while the other better. Both of these places is good. Both of these places serves a purpose. I’d return to both places. If you’re new to Canberra and want to take someone out to a nice dinner in a pleasant environment with a good view, Onred is a good start. If you’re new and you like big hearty meals, try Central Cafe, you won’t be disappointed.

Central Cafe menu