Huxtable Restaurant

There are quite a few places in Melbourne that I have been meaning to visit for some time and one of the places on this list is Huxtable Restaurant. One of the reasons for this is that their menu is based on the way I like to eat, divided into Bites (small individual portions) and "To Share" (larger, more substantial dishes designed for sharing). I like shared plates because they mean that you can try several different items as a group and everyone gets to try them all (if they want). So when a Saturday came up and there was not much else going on, we got a group of 4 together and headed down to Fitzroy. My good friends A & R and L (I promised I'd use their initials).

All being (relatively) adventurous eaters, we were eager to try a good mix of dishes from the menu and to start with we liked the idea of the Jalapeno and Cheddar Croquette.

 

Deep fried cheesy spicy goodness is the best way to describe these, although I would have liked more of a kick from the jalapeno, it was crispy on the outside and gooey and soft on the inside. All in all, a good mix of textures and flavours.

Next I chose the Rice Flour Crusted Oyster Po'Boy, Iceberg, Sriracha Mayo. This I really enjoyed, the oysters were deep fried and crispy and the lettuce was a nice and fresh and helped balance some of the richness of the fried oysters and mayo. Speaking of the mayo, that was definitely the star of this dish for me, smooth and spicy with some of the kick I missed from the jalapeno (sriracha is a Thai hot chilli sauce). I'd definitely go back for another one, but be warned - if you don't like oysters, so wont like these (as my friend A found out) as even with all the flavour from the mayo, the oysters still stand up for themselves.

So far you might be mistaken into thinking that Huxtable serves only American flavours, but you'd be wrong as they do cover a wide variety of cuisines and show a lot of influence from all around the world. The next dish showed a bit of Japanese influence - the Tempura Eggplant Prawn Fritter, Shiso. I really like deep fried eggplant, it turns almost into a delicious, savoury fairy floss and the combination of this with prawns was something I wouldn't have put together, but worked really well. The tempura batter was light and crisp.

 

Next up was the most controversial dish of the day, with R, L and myself all wanting to try it, but A was dead set against it. We didn't mind, that just meant more for us! Here it is, Veal Tartare, Soft Boiled Egg, Soldiers. I've had a few different tartares and this was definitely one of the better ones, a bit on the acidic side, which I quite like and plenty of onion and herbs too.

 I'm not sure if R chose the next dish because she wanted to bring something healthy to the meal or not after all the fried food, but I'm sure glad she did. Quinoa w Zucchini Flowers, Pomegranate, Goats Cheese was a great combination, every element was distinct and stood out on its own, but together they were really good. The fresh spring taste of zucchini flowers balanced by the creamy tartness of the goat's cheese and the occasional burst of brightness as the pomegranate seeds popped in the mouth was a great foil to the rest of our rich menu choices.

Next in line is the Roasted Duck Breast, Soy Braised Daikon, Sour Plum. Before this dish, we were discussing how we all liked the food and what might be our least favourite dish. I was struggling to come up with one dish that was any less than the others, all the dishes had been very good and well prepared. Then this dish came out and I finally had one. It looked awesome and while the duck was cooked well, the fat crisp and rendered, it was slightly overcooked for my taste. The whole dish had good elements, but overall the impression I got from it was bland. I expected more as I'm a big fan of duck, but I wouldn't order this again in a hurry.

 The last dish I want to talk about was the Korean BBQ Pork Ribs, Spicy Slaw, Chilli Gherkin. The skin on the ribs was crisp and the meat was sweet and delicious. The "Spicy" slaw was not so spicy and the "Chilli" gherkin had a distinct lack of heat. Even without the implied heat, this was a very good dish and who doesn't love pork?

Overall, Huxtable does things very well and the food is great and varied.  I don't know if the chef is holding back on the heat deliberately, but with so much influence from around the world I would expect a bolder hand with the seasonings. Especially when dish components are described as spicy or chilli, we know what to expect when we order it, in fact in most cases it's why we order it. Why not deliver?

The waitstaff were friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and were happy to make recommendations. When it comes to the decor, even though the floor is stone or concrete, the furnishings are well designed to keep the noise level down. The layout feels good and there are several different seating options available - stools at the bar, or high tables and stools near the window which are great for people watching, or normal tables at the back. I would definitely go back again, as there are still a good number of dishes I would like to try.

Sergi Arola Gastro

First of all, sorry about the delay in getting this post done, I had to gather all my notes and photos from 2 computers and get it all together.

Some of you may remember the name Sergi Arola from a previous post on this blog, he was once the chef of La Broche and left to start his own venture - Gastro - which went from 0 to 2 stars in one review, one of the first restaurants in Europe to achieve this.

The menu at Gastro changes almost completely each month and with several different tasting menus, this represents a huge amount of work, but something that Sergi and his wife Sara are very passionate about. With Sergi running the kitchen and Sara running the front of house, they make a great team and my meal there was a pleasure from start to finish. The staff all spoke very good English and were friendly, informative and knowledgeable about the menu. Another thing worth noting is that Gastro does not have an A La Carte menu, only tasting menus.


The interior is modern and sleek, but at the same time warm and inviting.


After being seated, I was presented with a selection of snacks.

From left to right are: Kalamata Olives, Eggplant pate with small toasts, Cherries marinated in salt and vinegar, mini croquettes, a light aioli and Potato crisps. The potato crisps were completely flat and so thin they were almost transparent and their shattering crunch when I bit them was a great auditory accompaniment to the taste and texture of the perfect potato chip. Dipping them in the smooth and gentle garlic aioli added a new dimension of flavour and my taste buds were starting to wake up and look forward to what was to come. The croquettes were still warm and delicious little nuggets of goodness with a crisp batter and a dense, smooth filling. The cherries were a revelation, soaked in vinegar and salt they were sour, salty and tender, a totally unexpected combination of tastes hat I really enjoyed. The eggplant pate was smooth and well balanced and the kalamata olives were some of the best I have ever had. This was a great way to start the meal and I hadn't even ordered yet.

I decided to go for the full "gastro" menu since who knew when I would ever get another chance to eat here again.

To begin with, I was given an amuse bouche of Mushroom Yogurt.

The white powder on the top was like a freeze-dried yogurt, which disappeared almost as soon as it touched my tongue, leaving nothing in my mouth except the flavour of yogurt, a bizarre and surprising effect which put a smile on my face. The mushroom yogurt underneath was full of mushroom flavour and was smooth and creamy.

The first official dish on the menu was the Cornet: "Gazpacho" with tomato water ice-cream.


A single bite of crisp pastry and frozen gazpacho shaped like a little ice-cream cone, the taste of the tomato developed as it melted and warmed in my mouth.

Next was Cod: Smoked sausage, fennel, horseradish and apple.

Crunchy, crisp, smooth, sweet, smoky with a bite of heat from the horseradish. I wanted more than two bites of this to try to break down all the flavours, but together it was a great combination.

After this came Potatoes: "Bravas" Arola-style.

Arola's take on the common tapas dish is a line of spicy potato cylinders with a creamy garlic mayo.

The dish that followed was one that seemed to combine many of the flavours of Andalusia, Sardines: In olive oil with almond ice-cream, "ecologic" caviar and tomato soup.

Cold almond soup and cold tomato soup (Gazpacho) are traditional dishes from the Andalusian region of Spain and this combination of the two, sandwiching two fillets of fresh sardine with the salty bite of caviar was a great interpretation of these established dishes.

Beetroot: Like a tartar, with mango yolk and goat cheese yogurt.
Made to resemble the french bistro classic of steak tartar, the beetroot was cut into tiny cubes and topped with spherified mango puree. When the "yolk" was broken the puree coated the beetroot like a sauce. A union of the tender root vegetable with the smooth fruity sauce.

After this was another familiar ingredient in Spain, Razor Clams: Sauteed with a veloute and sliced of Iberian ham.
This was my last chance to eat these shellfish and it didn't disappoint. The plate was like a work of art, with the ham sliced extremely thin and shaped almost like a flower, the warm colours added to the inviting appearance of this dish which was enhanced by the aroma of the sauce. The veloute was smooth and buttery, a backdrop for the salty ham and tender shellfish.

Lorito Rao: Semi-pickled, tender garlic terrine, radish and seaweed cream was the next dish.

Parrot fish (sauced after this photo was taken) with vegetables, this was well cooked and while not the most memorable dish of the meal, was still quite good.

The second fish course was one of the absolute highlights of this meal. Black Grouper: With sauteed potatoes and tender onions, coconut soup and vindaloo curry.

A perfectly cooked square of black grouper fillet, sitting on a stack of potatoes and circled by a ring of thick vindaloo curry sauce and the coconut soup poured around it. This was something I could have eaten over and over again, the flaky fish with crispy skin, the sweet coconut soup and the hot sweetness of the curry were sensational and I cleaned the plate dry.

One of the dishes that is a specialty of Arola's is Duck Liver: In our classic "Coca" with roasted vegetables in olive oil.

Alternating cubes of duck liver and roast vegetable stacks sit on a crisp cracker with a topping of chives, the liver was rich and velvety and the vegetables were tender and sweet.

The first dessert course was Apricot: In pastry "kadaif" cake with a soup of green tea.


A lot of thought goes into this palette cleanser/dessert, crisp shredded pastry with delicious ripe apricots sitting in a soup of green tea which clears the mouth in preparation for the rest of the sweets to come.

Watermelon: Pickled with tomato ice-cream and chamomile and hibiscus tea.

Another cold dessert, refreshing and simple, the tea was the star here, floral and aromatic and sweet from the watermelon. I'd love to put this in a mug and drink it on a hot summer day at home.

The last dish on the menu was the Souffle: Of passion fruit with mint ice-cream and "Ocumare" cocoa cream.


Served by the chef himself, this soft, fluffy cloud of passion fruit souffle was placed in front of me and a small scoop of mint ice cream was placed on top and as it started to melt, the cocoa cream was poured over the top. Every element of this dish was strong and each flavour spoke loud and clear, the sweet/sour passion fruit, the herby, bright mint and the warm, base chocolate flavours of the sauce. I didn't have a souffle in Paris, but with this perfect example, I certainly didn't miss out on it.

The petit fours were a delight for the senses.

The madeleines on the left - usually sweet - were olive flavoured, the olives in the middle are actually chocolates, the rocks and pebbles on the right hand side are hard crunchy candies and the green stuff in the jar is an apple jelly. These all had me smiling and almost laughing as I realised that each element was not what it appeared to be, surprising to the last.

All in all, this was certainly one of the best meals of my life, an I would even say it was THE best. Constant surprises and unexpected combinations had me guessing right to the end of the meal and each part of every dish was perfectly executed and thoughtfully prepared. At the conclusion of the meal, I got an opportunity to speak with Sergi Arola himself and he and his wife were extremely courteous hosts and I would really like to take this opportunity to express my thanks for an amazing meal and a fitting conclusion to my European holiday.

A Day At The Museum

One thing you may not know about me is that I'm not a big fan of museums and art galleries. They're fine in their own way, but I wont go out of my way to visit them and it is with some measure of satisfaction I am able to say that in my travels through Italy, France and Spain I have not spent a single Euro on entry fees/tours to any museum or art gallery. Sure, I did visit a few churches, but not any that had an up front charge.

Having said that, there is one museum which I not only visited, but to which I made repeat visits and happily handed over the ever diminishing notes from my wallet to be a part of what was going on inside.


Followers of this blog have probably very astutely translated the above sign to Museum of Ham, and if you haven't already guessed, I'm a big fan of pork products (I know, some of you may be shocked). So this was certainly not a place to just walk past and ignore. So I'm thinking maybe this is a museum which shows the history of Jamon and the production process that goes along with it. Not a bad idea, but taking a look through the front window reveals a more practical and exciting interpretation of the term "Museum".

Glimpses of hams of all types entice me to take a closer look, the aromas practically wafting me in like a cartoon mouse at the smell of a particularly delicious cheese. In this case, however, there was no large cartoon cat standing just behind the cheese ready to pounce.

Just hundreds and hundreds of legs of jamon. Everywhere I look, more porky goodness and I'm not the only one drawn to this hall of ham on the over 30C degree summer day, far from it. Space is at a premium, with a deli counter on the left selling all kinds of porcine produce and a bar on the left selling cold beer and food, it's easy to see why this place is always packed with people.


Fighting for my place at the bar, I order a cerveca (a glass of beer that costs 1 Euro). When you order a cerveca at Museo Del Jamon, if you don't order any food, you are given a plate with a snack from the selection sitting around the bar. This may include a couple of small empanadas (pasties), olives, small cuts of various hams, etc. I'm not sure if it was deliberate, but without my asking, the server gave me a different snack every time I ordered a beer.

It may not look like the most appetising plate of food in the world, but a few offcuts of ham and other meat products is a great accompaniment to a cold beer. So for lunch, I asked for more of the same.

Served with a generous hunk of bread, or the house tomato bread if you want to order it at an extra charge, this is a satisfying and delicious lunch filled with the smoky goodness of pork.

Other great value meals on offer are Bocadillo del Jamon (a bread roll with jamon as pictured above), paella or many other options you can see on the sign above the bar. There are several of these places scattered around Madrid and I would love to see them scattered around Melbourne some time soon.

Once again, my thanks to all of my readers who have stuck with this blog and for the fantastic feedback you have been giving, there are one or two posts left from this amazing journey (including what was possibly the best meal of my life) and after that, who knows what is next for VoraciousGrazer, stay tuned.

Mercado de San Miguel and Restaurant Botin

I'm sure I have said it before, but one of my favourite things to do is visit markets. Not only does it give you a great idea of what is fresh, local and in season, but seeing what locals are buying and cooking is a great way to understand the cuisine of a new place. So that's what I decided to do next in Madrid.

I had heard about an old market that had been closed down and renovated to be almost like a food court, but with a great selection of fresh produce to choose from. The Mercado de San Miguel is based on an idea I haven't seen before.


No row upon row of the same thing over and over again, but a spacious area designed for eating and selecting food from one of the specialty providers that surround it.

Mostly there is one of each type of stall, there is a seafood bar selling fresh and cooked seafood.


Another stand sells oysters, priced by size and shucked to order.


Not far away is a deli that sells small rolls with various jamons and other meats for 1 Euro each.


A cheese stall not far away sells samples on bread for 1 Euro each and there are a couple of wine shops selling wine by the glass. This is a great way to put together a lunch full of variety and try several different things.



You then take your plate and find a seat at a table or bench (or wherever you can) and enjoy your food.


For dessert you have a couple of options, there is a cake shop selling some great looking slices of cake and a selection which makes it very hard to make up your mind.


Also, for all my chocolate loving readers, there is a whole shop full of it.


This market is reasonably expensive as far as markets go, but this is more like a combination of a market and a food court which sells incredibly fresh and high quality food.

The next restaurant on my list is, according to Guinness World Records, the oldest operating restaurant in the world. Casa Botin in Madrid has been operating continuously since 1725, almost 300 years. Their specialty is cochinillo asado -Roast Suckling Pig, something I was very much looking forward to.


Walking into the restaurant is almost like walking back in time, they obviously focus very much on keeping the feel of history and tradition alive.


As delicious as that jamon looks, I wasn't here for that. Walking down the stairs into one of the various dining rooms, I had to watch my head on the low ceilings. Looking at the menu, the house menu of Gazpacho, Suckling Pig and Ice cream seemed like the way to go.

The bread and Sangria arrived first.


The gazpacho came out as a bowl of plain, cold soup and the waiter brought around a tray of garnishes to add to it, including cucumber, peppers, tomato and bread.


Bursting with bright, fresh, summer flavours, this was a great cold soup and a delicious was to start a summer dinner in Madrid.

Next came the star of the show, the suckling pig.


Tender, juicy and full of porky goodness, simply prepared in a way that has stood the test of time. No fancy embellishments or showy techniques, just a fantastic, fresh ingredient allowed to speak for itself....and yes, I did eat the tail.

There was also a live band which found their way down the narrow staircase to play and sing during the meal.


For dessert, the menu says dessert is simply "ice cream" and I wasn't expecting much, but whatever was in the chocolate topping they used on it, it was surprisingly good. Unfortunately the photo came out blurry, so I'm not posting it here. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed this meal and if I had more time in Madrid, I wouldn't mind a return visit to try the Roast Baby Lamb or the Baby Squids In Their Own Ink. Another dish on the menu which is worth a mention is the Baby Eels, a traditional Spanish dish of baby eels quickly fried in a small pot of olive oil with garlic and a small dried chili is one of the most expensive side dishes you will see at around 130 Euros per serve. This is apparently due to the rarity of these eels.

Another great day in Madrid and it's not over yet, look out for more updates coming soon.