Restaurant reviews

Restaurant reviews blog posts

Fantastic feasting

Posted by Gary

Introduction

I hope you’ve had a good week. I’m currently in Adelaide with Kathleen.

Restaurant review  

I don’t have a recipe this weekend because I’m in Adelaide with Kathleen, and we’re enjoying some of the fantastic feasting here.

Georges on Waymouth

Kathleen has been thinking about dining at Georges for a long time. I think the period can be measured in years. It was an honour and a pleasure to join with Kathleen in dining at Georges for the first time for both of us.

Georges is well known in Adelaide for consistently good Mediterranean-styled cuisine. The menu draws on local produce with European experience and excellence.

We decided to share two starters and went with the Hiramasa Port Lincoln Kingfish crudo, apple and shallot dressing, radish, labneh, and dill oil, along with the Vitello Tonnato, tuna aioli, pickled white anchovies, capers, pickled shallots.

The former dish was a revelation in freshness and flavour. The fish was light and delicate.

The thinly sliced veal with tuna aioli, in comparison, was a more substantial mouthful per fork. It also had the capers’ crisp texture and the aioli’s smoothness.

We enjoyed both but tipped the kingfish as the winner.

For our main course dishes, Kathleen chose the crowd-pleasing lamb press, pancetta, chickpea hummus, Mt. Zero chickpea salad, za’atar, and watercress, which is known as the Georges signature dish. I chose the 300-gram “Southern Grain” Black Angus scotch fillet (MBS 4+), café de Paris butter. I asked for it to be cooked medium rare.

Before I describe these two dishes, the standout main course special for the evening was a 1-kilogram T-bone steak with a marbling score of 4+. It is a shared dish.

When informed of this special, my eyes lit up, and Kathleen grinned in reaction to my facial expression. We discussed the arguments for and against choosing the T-bone steak and decided against it. We would swap our plates during the meal so we’d both experience a good steak tonight anyway. Going with the T-bone would be all we ate, which seemed limiting for our first time at Georges.

I think it was the correct decision. For me, a scotch fillet (or ribeye for North American readers) perfectly blends meat and fat. It is also flavourful and tender. That’s not to say a T-bone isn’t full of flavour, but I wasn’t sure if the chef would leave all the fat on the meat the way I like it. At least with a scotch fillet, there are likely to be islands of lovely fat between the large muscle bundles. This decision also meant we could both enjoy the steak and the pressed lamb wrapped in prosciutto. Our whole meal was a meat-eating dream.

We can understand why the lamb press is the restaurant’s signature dish. It was well executed in presentation; the lamb was perfectly cooked and tender and suited the chickpea accompaniment.

The scotch fillet was magnificent, especially smothered in the herb-enriched butter. I laid the sliced meat flat and then smeared the butter over the cut surfaces for greater penetration and flavour.

We decided against dessert or cheese and ended the evening watching a submarine movie, viz., Hunter Killer, on TV. It was a wonderful evening with Kathleen.

It’s been a while since I’ve written a restroom review for a restaurant. I didn’t require restroom use; however, Kathleen rates the restroom highly.

Georges on Waymouth
Georges Hiramasa Port Lincoln Kingfish crudo, apple and shallot dressing, radish, labneh, dill oil
Georges Vitello Tonnato, tuna aioli, pickled white anchovies, capers, pickled shallots
Georges signature lamb press, pancetta, chickpea hummus, Mt. Zero chickpea salad, za’atar, and watercress
Georges 300 gram “Southern Grain” Black Angus scotch fillet (MBS 4+), café de Paris butter
Georges 300 gram “Southern Grain” Black Angus scotch fillet (MBS 4+), café de Paris butter

UR Caffe (pronounced your Caffe)

Kathleen took me to breakfast this morning at UR Caffe. This is a well-patronised establishment in North Adelaide.

Walking in, it had a good vibe, and like those well-put-together places where the delicious fragrance of coffee wafts through the air, you can feel this is also a good place for breakfast.

The coffee was good, and the food was great.

Kathleen went with the fried halloumi, Swiss brown mushrooms, broccolini, crispy kale, scrambled eggs, and teriyaki sauce on sourdough bread.

I went with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, rocket, smoked salmon, asparagus spears, bacon, and avocado. The meal came with two pieces of sourdough bread, which I elected to leave untouched.

Both meals went down well and were immensely satisfying. I can see myself wanting to regularly enjoy breakfast at UR Caffe.

UR Caffe fried halloumi, Swiss brown mushrooms, broccolini, crispy kale, scrambled eggs, and teriyaki sauce on sourdough bread
UR caffe Poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, rocket, smoked salmon, asparagus spears, bacon, and avocado

Other thoughts

Tonight, we’re dining out again. I may write about this experience next weekend.

I’m loving my time in Adelaide with Kathleen. I also love that Kathleen understands my desire to improve my health by choosing certain foods over other types of food. The places we’ve chosen have given us the freedom to enjoy and not feel restricted in choice.  

See you next week.

Hospital food

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader, 

I am writing an unusual post today. I’m not sharing a recipe for a typical “Yummy Lummy” meal. 

Likely, I won’t be posting for some weeks or months. 

I fell last Sunday and fractured my left patella. I had an open reduction with an internal fixation on Monday. The procedure was complicated, as were the anaesthetic and recovery. If any readers have an orthopædic background, you’ll understand that a distal third bisection requires a different approach when compared with routine patella fracture repairs. 

A couple of post-operative medical incidents complicated my inpatient stay. 

I’m now home and discovering the challenges of living alone with a knee, which is now fixed straight for a minimum of six weeks. I’m looking at three months in a brace with no or limited movement. 

I’ve been told not to expect to drive my car again because the damage was to my clutch leg. I may end up with a limp. 

So what has any of this got to do with “Yummy Lummy”? 

While the blog started as a place of outward expression through food photography and writing, it’s been a hotchpotch of recipes, restaurant reviews, and travel. The focus has changed in later years because I’ve become less inclined to socialise with others. I have been focussing on cooking meals for myself and not making any effort to dine out and write stories. To that end, I started a Facebook Group for people living alone and cooking for themselves. I’m also active in another similar group whose members are past middle age and living alone. We share photographs of what we’ve cooked, and there is some recipe sharing. I usually share the text I’ve written here in those groups. 

A few of the older members of these groups have mentioned that they’ve experienced traumatic injuries that have affected their ability to function independently. I’m now more aware of the challenges, especially in the immediate post-operative period. 

I must limit my standing time for the next few months. I have to make meals simple and relatively fast. I won’t be able to lift and carry various cooking equipment to my workbench. 

I don’t see much point in sharing anything about that, so I don’t know if I’ll post anything unless I temporarily transition to a lifestyle blog for people with an immobilising injury. 

I’m grateful to regular readers who take the time to comment on my posts. I hope for you, I’ll resume something like the old “Yummy Lummy” when I can. 

While I will continue to work full-time, I will also continue to listen to books and explore the things that interest me. If I find anything interesting, it may end up in a post. 

Disability aids 

I’ve spent most nights laying awake, wondering how to do things. While in the hospital, my immediate concern was socks, underwear, and track pants. I can’t reach my left foot with the leg straight. The patient next to me told me to buy some disability aids. As soon as I got home, I checked the internet on my smartphone and discovered a shop nearby which delivers. I purchased a 75 cm gripper on a stick, a shoehorn with a hook, and a sock applicator.

I can now change my underwear, track pants/pyjamas, and socks. 

Hospital food

Here are some photos of the hospital food. I thought it was okay. The public hospital system is under tremendous strain; everyone does their best. I had the best of care from everyone. 

While it doesn’t reflect the food’s quality, I vomited most of these meals within 30 minutes. This week was my first experience with ondansetron. I’m impressed.

Concluding remarks 

Finally, thanks to the special people in my life.

Praise God!

Alexandria, Virginia

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

I’ve been travelling this week for work. During my stay, I enjoyed some meals; however, I did not shoot many photographs or collect stories to tell.

I hope you had an enjoyable week. I’m not interested in travel these days; it’s the work I enjoy. That said, being in an aeroplane for many hours makes focusing easier. I spent my time reading and listening to podcasts and books.

When not working, I enjoyed seeing some excellent American automobiles as I walked along and across the streets. I came across a Dodge SRT that was big black, and beautiful. I had American muscle car envy.

Large pickup trucks were ubiquitous. It was great seeing Ford Bronco and Dodge Ram trucks. Seeing so many V8-powered cars is unlike Canberra, apart from January and Summernats.

The one similarity is the prevalence of Subaru Outlander SUVs in Canberra and Alexandria.

I didn’t see many electric vehicles, which contrasts with Canberra. The occasional Tesla existed, but fossil fuel-powered cars dominated the scene. Canberra is replete with EVs and other compact cars.

I ventured out to restaurants and a local diner while not eating in the hotel’s restaurant. There is a plentiful supply of eating establishments in and around Old Town, Alexandria.

I decided not to track my food in the CSIRO TWD app and enjoy the time away because I had stabilised my weight before leaving Australia.

To that end, breakfasts were a mixture of eggs and pancakes, bacon, steak, and hash brown potatoes.

Bob and Edith’s Diner Two eggs over easy, toasted rye, and hash brown potatoes

I grew fond of toasted rye bread and strong black coffee. The coffee mugs were so thick they constituted a dangerous weapon. I’m going to look for one to use at home.

Pastrami Reuben June Coffee

Working lunches consisted of salads, apart from Friday, which happened to be doughnut day where I was, and they were free.

The hotel restaurant served Indo-Chinese cuisine, so I enjoyed pork belly pieces and spicy prawns one night.

Pork belly and spicy prawns

I went to Laporta’s the following evening with a few colleagues. I ate a hanger steak with barbecue bourbon sauce and macaroni cheese. I chose it because when in America, eat like an American. The hanger steak cut represents the crura of the diaphragm from a bovid. It is tender and retains a beefy flavour. You will not find hanger steak commonly sold in Australia.

The steak was tender, and the sauce imparted a delicious flavour. It went well with the rich and creamy macaroni cheese.

Hanger steak Bourbon barbecue sauce Macaroni and cheese

The following night, the contingent of people I worked with dined at Whiskey and Oysters.

I ate Oysters Rockefeller, and battered cod and chips. I’d never eaten Oysters Rockefeller before. The meal was delicious.

On the final evening, I stuck with the other Australians I travelled with, and we went to a Mexican joint named Tequila and Taco.

I ate a bowl of ceviche and a platter of pork belly nachos. Given how large the main meals looked, I thought two appetisers would be better than a main meal. It was a mistake. The ceviche and nachos meals were huge. They were huge and delicious.

Tequila and Taco Ceviche Pork belly nachos

I only wrote one Google Maps review. It was for Bob and Edith’s Diner on King Street, Alexandria, VA.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/fgwRq3fiaMcvgNc99

Bob and Edith’s Diner since 1969
Thick walled coffee mug
Bob and Edith’s Diner country fried steak, brown gravy, hash brown potatoes, and eggs

Final thoughts

  • Have you spent time in Alexandria, Virginia?
  • I flew to Dulles via San Francisco. The flight I took was recently reviewed by Lorraine on her blog.
  • Have you enjoyed a meal from an American diner? What’s your favourite diner food?
  • I mentioned last week that the first of this year’s Origin games was being played in Adelaide. I missed seeing it because I was otherwise occupied, but Queensland defeated NSW, so I had a smile all day.
  • I hope you have a magnificent week.

Weekend in Brisbane

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader, 

I am writing this from Brisbane. I’m here this weekend to share some time with my family. May is a month of many birthdays in my immediate and extended family, not to mention Mother’s Day. In years past, I’ve tried to make sure I get to Brisbane so we can do something special together. This year, for many reasons, it was more special than usual. We enjoyed a few different events to spend time together the way families do. 

One event I’m happy to share is that my daughters bought me tickets and took me to a football game (unfortunately, one of them was unwell and couldn’t come along). We went to Lang Park and watched the Dolphins play against the Melbourne Storm. 

The highlight came in the first half when Jamayne Isaako scored his first of two tries. We were seated a couple of rows back from the grass at the south end to the left of the goalposts. Seeing Jamayne Isaako in full flight and scoring right before us was amazing.

I was so happy to see the stands full, and there were so many fans of both teams, mostly in family groups. I was taken by a couple of young boys behind me. They were both less than ten, and I got all warm and fuzzy when I heard the older boy explain the rules to the younger boy, who was asking why the referee had made certain decisions. My daughters and I, plus one of my daughter’s partner, had the best time.

Football entrance tick Dolphins

Lang Park holds strong memories of me growing up. I spent my earliest years just up the road living with my maternal grandparents. While I do not imbibe alcohol, the other strong memory of that area is seeing the XXXX brewery neon sign at night from my window with Mr XXXX winking. For non-Australian readers, XXXX is a beer brand iconic for people from Queensland.

This weekend has been the indigenous round in the NRL, and being in Brisbane meant we could see the traditional Welcome to Country from local Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Island people. I particularly love how Torres Strait Island people perform their Welcome to Country.

Food reviews

I ate well, and while I don’t have many photographs, I did write two reviews for Google Maps. Both were my breakfast experiences.

Saturday Breakfast

“The Gunshop Cafe”, Chermside

Here is my Google Maps review.

Sunday Breakfast

“The Farm House”, Kedron

Here is my Google Maps review.

You may find this interesting.

In other news, the World Health Organization released guidance this week on non-sugar sweeteners. 

The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare also released some reports on obesity in Australia. 

Final thoughts

I hope you have a wonderful week.

Pork and cabbage

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

Hello and greetings from Melbourne. I’m here for the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Pathology Update 2023. The theme for 2023 is Laneways to Discovery. In the clinical (medical) microbiology stream, we’re receiving tremendous information on new advances and innovations in parasitology. Some of the cases presented have been fantastic examples of parasitic infestations related to poor food choices and handling. I love being a specialist microbiologist.

Sorry Melbourne 🤣 It seems “The Lume Melbourne” is a thing.

Most people never have a problem when it comes to food. That is usually because the balance of the pathogen and host relationship works in the host’s favour. Often, it’s a combination of good genetics and good health. However, many people do not have robust immunological systems (cellular, mucosal, and humoral); in some situations, the pathogen can be abnormally more virulent. Parasite infestation is why we have basic food safety standards. I come across people who boast of good health and say they are at no risk of infection; that’s great for them. As healthful hosts, they are likely to survive colonisation and infection without the disease. I am concerned for susceptible people who may experience infection after colonisation and end up with the disease.

It has been good catching up with colleagues. Many of them have been former trainees, and seeing how they have made a dent in the universe is always marvellous.

I’m of an age where I look at people and ponder marks on faces, colour and volume of hair, and shape of bodies. I make comparisons with memories from decades ago. It is reassuring that they all look so fit and healthy, albeit obviously, we’ve all got more marks and wrinkles. Some have greying hair, and some, like me, have no hair.

I haven’t cooked anything this weekend because I’m away; however, I have eaten out and thought I’d share my thoughts on the meals.

I arrived Thursday evening because I presented a talk first thing Friday morning. I didn’t eat dinner because I had some Bega cheese and crackers on the flight from Canberra.

Friday

Lunch

The conference catering was the usual fare. There was a mixture of cold salad and some hot dishes.

This plate has cold broccoli, peas, beans, cucumber, hot cauliflower, and meat. I added a spoonful of Queensland nuts too.

Pathology Update 2023 Lunch

Dinner

I took dinner at a Munich Brauhaus on South Wharf. The purpose of such establishments seems to be the consumption of large quantities of beer, mostly in 2 L steins. I was there for a different purpose. I was there for pork and cabbage. I ate a piece of pork belly with red cabbage, and for dessert, I ate some apple strudel and ice cream.

The main meal consisted of a rectangular prism of pork belly with some rind on top. It sat atop “creamy” potato mash with red cabbage, some apple compote, and bier jus.

The cabbage was pleasant. It was sweet but not sickly. Likewise, the apples were firm and not overly sweet. It would have been better if the apples were tart. I’m not sure if cinnamon is part of Germanic cuisine, I would have added more flavour from cloves and cinnamon. The bier jus was a bland thin gravy. If I were cooking this, I would have tried for something with a little more body.

The pork belly itself was well cooked. I’m guessing it was sous vide pre-cooked. It wasn’t excessively fatty, and the texture was soft and tender. I was happy with the flavour. The disappointment was the skin. I was hoping for crackling, but this wasn’t crackling. It was edible, and it wasn’t so tough I was fearful for my teeth.

All in all, it was a meal I was happy to eat. I’d probably eat it again. Is it the best pork belly and cabbage I’ve eaten? No, but it wasn’t unpleasant. I’d give it four stars out of 5.

The remarkable thing about the meal was the apparent lack of excess salt. Restaurant meals are often too salty, and at night I feel thirsty. That didn’t happen at all. Probably a good thing for my blood pressure. Perhaps this is the benefit of not having crackling which often requires generous salting of the skin before cooking.

Pork belly Red cabbage Apple compote Potato mash Bier jus
Pork belly Red cabbage Apple compote Potato mash Bier jus
Apple strudel Ice cream
Apple strudel Ice cream

The strudel was disappointing. It didn’t really excite my tongue and it lacked mouthfeel. I think I’d prefer some stewed apple with baklava and ice cream.

Saturday

Melbourne view Novotel South Wharf

Lunch

Today’s lunch was enjoyable. This plate had some cauliflower and radish, plus lentils and pumpkin. There was also a rice noodle roll and a bit of salmon.

A bowl of beef curry and polenta accompanied the plate.

The salmon was dry but perfectly understandable, given the presentation on parasites in salmon from an international expert who was one of our plenary speakers for the conference. The beef was also dry, and I suspect it was cooked separately from the sauce and added later. The meat lacked flavour.

Pathology Update 2023 Lunch
Pathology Update 2023 Lunch
Pathology Update 2023 Lunch
Pathology Update 2023 Lunch

Dinner

I wanted to compare the pork belly with another pork and cabbage meal tonight. I was interested in a pork knuckle and sauerkraut.

I went to Munich Brauhaus again and got a seat next to where I sat last night.

The pork knuckle was good. The crackling was crunchy, and the underlying fat was enough and not too much. The meat was tender but a little dry.

I’m now in two minds about red cabbage and sauerkraut. I like both. Given a choice, though, I like the red cabbage more. It could be because of the colour.

Pork knuckle Sauerkraut Apple Potato mash Bier jus

I also had a black forest gateau for dessert. It wasn’t that good. It was straight from the refrigerator, and the cream-to-cake ratio was too much.

Black Forest Gateau

Final thoughts

I preferred the pork belly over the pork knuckle. The pork belly would have been perfect if the skin was crackling.

My perfect meal would be the pork belly with red cabbage and probably no dessert. I’d walk to a gelato shop and enjoy a gelato while walking around the boardwalk.

My aim tomorrow is to settle back to the small meal portions and hopefully when I weigh myself on Monday I won’t cry. 😆