I took Keith out to dinner at Parker's Steakhouse in Geelong on his birthday but the meal was a real let down. We ordered a steak each but it wasn't tasty at all and the sauce was just so 70's. I ended up nauseated with a stomach ache so had to rush him through his meal as I wanted to go home. So much for listening to people's recommendation. Not going to step back there ever again.
We celebrated Australia Day on Saturday, 26th Jan, by going to the Maritime club and getting on to a ship that was docked in Williamstown. The ship's gearbox had broken so they had to wait for parts to arrive from Italy before making the trip back to Sydney. Here's a shot of me on the ship.
Later in the evening, we went to Melbourne CBD as I wanted to watch the fireworks. Had dinner at the Brasserie in Crown, a French restaurant with French waitresses and cute French accents. Anyway, we had steak again but it was overdone this time so we had to send the food back to the kitchen. While waiting, they served us a deep fried prawn entree which was pretty delicious. The steak came out proper the 2nd time around. It tasted great but the sauce was a bit too rich. After dinner, we sat along the Yarra river waiting for the fireworks. It came on but boy was I pissed :P The fireworks were litted from a different angle to where I was sitting and I could barely see it due to the skyscrapers. Grrrr... what a waste of time. It was far too short, lasting just 5 minutes and only got glimpses of the fireworks atop one of the buildings. I've been warned anyway that Melbourne fireworks on Australia Day is nothing compared to Perth's.
On Sunday, I took Keith to Rockpool for his birthday dinner again since Parker's was such a letdown. Here is Keith's review on Rockpool which I stole from one of the forums he posted on as I'm being lazy here ;) Wish I had brought the camera along to snap food piccies. Here goes. Oh yes, we had steak AGAIN :P haha.
Entree: Grilled white asparagus with mushrooms, soft boiled egg and escargotsSimply amazing. The escargots and mushrooms were grilled to perfection such that the edges of the escargots were just so slightly caramelized, which contributed to an incredible depth of flavour. This was balanced by the sauce which had a hint of acidity to lighten up the dish. The asparagus spears were probably cooked a little beyond al dente for my liking but there was nothing wrong with the dish otherwise.
Entree: Steak tartare on lettuce with chipsBefore I ordered this I wanted to be sure that it would be light. Previous dining experiences at Rockpool has taught me that the entrees are substantial enough to be called mini mains in their own right. After getting an assurance from the waiter I ordered it. I was surprised when they plopped down a very generous serve of tartare! The waiter said that she was surprised when she saw how large it was.
So once again I tried to analyze the tartare to see what was in it (so I can replicate it at home). Egg yolk, finely chopped beef, chives, a touch of dill, red onions, and some peppercorns. But obviously there was more - I could taste but could not see. The tartare was slightly less delicate than tartares I have had elsewhere, but when eaten with the lettuce and radicchio the flavour became much more balanced.
Main: 36 month old ribeye, aged 45 days, chargrilled to medium rare (750gm - shared for two)An old mainstay of ours. These guys are so good at making steak that every time we have visited, it is done exactly the same way - outside charred with a delicious smoky aroma, about 2mm of steak which is well done, and the rest a delicious pink-red with all the juices still in the meat. They are so certain that the focus should be the steak that they serve it simply - white plate, steak in the middle. They have resisted the temptation to overload the dish with garnish. There is nothing else on the plate.
How the steak is done is a mystery to me - if I attempted to cook it that pink at home, the steak would still be tough and stringy. Not here, it is melt-in-the-mouth. Cut the steak, and the juices don't come out. The juices are only released when you bite into it. I know to rest my steak but it still does not come out like this.
Side: Zucchini with garlic, mint, and burnt butterThe zucchini was cooked to perfection with only the slightest hint of mint on the nose. It was very nice, but even the best chefs cannot make me love zucchini and I wish I had ordered the mushrooms, or the carrots, or the potato-cabbage gratin which I have previously had (and were very nice).
Dessert: Raspberry BombeThe first of our killer desserts. You really go to Rockpool to try their innovative appetizers and desserts, and this dessert was out of this world. A core of raspberry ice cream with a hint of bitterness (citrus zest, maybe?), with a lemon meringue and egg white coating, flambeed with Cointreau. This had many flavours which really should not go together, but was somehow assembled with such skill that everything was perfectly balanced. You can imagine that if they added a touch too much bitterness, or a touch too much lemon, the dish would be ruined. After I finished the dessert I marvelled at how they managed to achieve this balance. Truly impressive - the highlight of the night.
Dessert: Cherry TrifleServed in a glass with brandied cherries at the bottom, a jelly and biscuit (?) layer, with a brandied cream on top. Ground pralines (I think?) were added for some contrast in texture. Once again, a masterpiece. The flavours were not as contrary or as unexpected as the Raspberry Bombe, so this dessert is not as daring or exciting on the palate. Once again, this was culinary perfection.
The wine was a 2005 Chateau Simon Bize Burgundy - a real Burgundy which means Pinot Noir. Smooth and elegant but without much nose or length. Cheap for a Burgundy Pinot served in a top class restaurant at $95.
Guess what? I'm babysitting my friend's puppy Willow for the weekend! Isn't she gorgeous? :) She's a lovely 6 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Very cuddly, gentle, affectionate, curious, entertaining, playful and smart. She loves sitting on my lap, licking my face and jumping into bed. She's got such lovely eyes and likes staring at me with her big round eyes. She knows how to signal to us that she needs to go out into the garden for a poo or wee. As much as I sound like a doting mum, she adores Keith. She follows him everywhere! Guess she knows who cooks and feeds her :P We went to the pet shop and bought her some toys and snacks.
She doesn't like drinking water and her water bowl goes untouched. Is this normal? She'll take a few licks when I cup what little water there is into my palm. That's the only way she'll drink. Can't get her owner for advise as she's in a remote part of Australia with no phone reception.
