Gigibaba!!

Hey all! Thought I would share this little treat with you, Gigibaba! Gives me great memories as this is the second time I've been here. Both times have been equally enjoyable!! From experience the first time round, I was afraid we couldn't get a seat but we did! YAY! Gigibaba is a very tiny restaurant which has few tables and a long bar. There is one big communal table towards the back for a larger group. The dishes are designed to share with a few dishes tapas style and the menu are subject to change.

We sat down and experienced all the following below!

We started off with..

Hommus

To get our tastes buds going, dip and bread hit the spot! I was starving and the amount of food we ordered was...wow!!

Fasulye: Slow braised runner beans, Antep chili walnuts and yoghurt

I loved this dish the first time, and the second time didn't disappoint! Yummy soft silky texture of the beans and the flavoursome walnuts....I didn't want to share.. hehe

Calamari salad

As a complimentary dish given to us (maybe cause of my good looks), =D..hahaha this dish was so refreshing and simple and phenomenal!!! I LOVED IT!!!! Again, I didn't want to share..but sharing is caring haha

Sea salt & wild oregano BBQ lamb cutlets

These lamb cutlets were very thin and yummy with a balance of flavours and were well cooked.

BBQ lamb ribs

I love eating with my fingers and this definitely was a food to eat using my hands!! I don't care if other diners eat with their cutlery, hehe just don't judge me if I make a mess and eat with my hands hehe

Twice marinated BBQ Quail

Another for the fingers!! hahaha but I was civilised enough to use my fork for the pomegranate creamy something (sorry I forgot what it was). But the whole thing was delicious!! I'm salivating myself looking at these photos. I am almost licking my laptop at this stage!!

Seftali - Cypriot style lamb sausages

They had 2 types of sausages on the menu. Truthfully I don't remember the description, so I chose one and hopefully the name matches the dish. I remember the sausages to be mixed with spices and herbs and it came with some braised greens and chickpeas. YUM YUM YUM!! 

Adana Kebab, soused onion and tomato salad

By this stage, I'm thinking...man..we did order a lot of proteins and I was getting full. But I had to order the kebab because a friend was telling me about this Adana kebab..and low and behold it was on the menu the next day..so I just had to sample it out for myself. It was delicious!!! I was very full..we did end up cleaning the plate. I had to stand up for a couple minutes as I was just too full. But never too full for.. DESSERT!!!

Pistachio pannacotta, fresh cherries

I wanted something creamy and this was a nice way to end the meal. It was SIMPLE!!! I love it!! And cherries!!! Who doesn't like cherries!! 

Baklava

We also had to have the Baklava! It was a must! Delicious, small and sweet! But just a little too sweet for my liking. Overall, I love Gigibaba!! I love Smith St near Gertrude St end with the growth of restaurants for awesome eating!

Gigibaba is located on 102 Smith St Collingwood. They are open from 6pm from Tuesday to Sundays I think, and you can only make reservations for groups between 8 to 12 people. 

I hope you have a great experience with food and service as much as I did!! (TIP: Get there early or you will be on a long waiting list)

Xx

Ten minutes by tractor and D.O.C. Mornington

Hey all, my friend and I had a day where we could spend a relaxing day together eating good food and relaxing at the Peninsula Hot springs!

We started our day by going for a nice drive down towards morning and went to Ten Minutes by Tractor for lunch!!

We started off with a refreshing cool beverage which was a jug of ice tea.

The view of the estate was beautiful. It was highlighted by the awesome weather and everything about the dining room was just elegant. 

I got a bit excited because this is the first blog in which I have used my awesome new camera (Canon 550D) and the photos are such a different quality to my trusty HTC phone. hahaha so..in this case, you get a shot of the oil, salt and butter on our table =)

Sweet Corn

Corn veloute, beetroot pasta, garden peas, Main ridge cashmere, spinach. This was one of our entrées we shared and to me, I think it was the best dish of all. It was so simple and so tasty!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the dish, and am craving so much to have it again!!

Pork Belly

Pork belly caramelised with roast yabby tail, soft polenta, mock's apple, quail egg. This dish was our other entrée and it was just delicious! The flavours of the whole dish went well together. The textures included the crispy skin, the tender meat and the soft smooth polenta. YUM YUM YUM!!

Wagyu Skirt Steak

This dish was a special on the day and it came with fresh mushrooms and a herb mash. The steak was slightly over cooked for my liking, but the vegetables (on all dishes) were just so fresh and delightful!! There was a variety and it was beautiful with differnt colours and textures. The freshness was AMAZING!!

Lamb

Lack roasted rack, navarin, 1333 spring vegetables, mint and rosemary jube, green olive jus. This dish again had so many great flavours and variety in vegetables. It was very enjoyable. The rack was cooked very well and it was tender with a lot of seasoning. The jube were little tiny squares of flavour hitting the palate only to compliment the rest of the dish.

Aparagus, Tomato and Caprinella Salad

We had to top up on more veggies because it was just so fresh and tasty. It was a simple one, but man was it good!!!

Mango

Pina colada, passionfruit espuma, coconut and marinated mango. With the warm weather and the delicious meal, we could only share a dessert and it was refreshing through and through. The fresh flavour of the whole dish was just amazing. We devoured it in no time because it was light and so so so so so so tasty!!! 

Petit Fours

When we finished, they also tempted us with little bite size caramels and chocolate. It was delicious. We were very spoilt and had to hobble our way out the door. We needed to take a mini walk to settle before we got into the car, so we took a few pictures of the scenery.

The entrance with a variety of herb pot plants

Close up of the herb pots

Lavender bush growing in the garden

Massive 'bunch' of parsley 

Artichoke

Herbs

Strawberry plant

And then off we went to relax and soak ourselves in the hot spring tubs.

Before the drive home, we did stop by Mornington to have some dinner at D.O.C. Mornington. D.O.C. Mornington is the sister restaurant to D.O.C. Carlton and Carlton Espresso. They are restaurants that serve simple Italian food, and it is delicious!!

Antipasto D.O.C.

We ordered 2 dishes to share and the first was an antipasto plate. It consists of marinated artichoke, olives, proscuitto, chorizo, eggplant, buffalo mozzarella, asiago cheese and a cheese roulade. Slow grazing food is ideal to relax and enjoy after a nice time lazing in the hot springs.

Degustazione di 3 Mozzarelle

A tasting platter of 3 mozzarellas and that included Australian Fior di Latte, D.O.P. Italian buffalo Mozzarella and Australian Scamorza which is a lightly smoked Fior di Latte with the olive and chill in the centre. The cheese has great smooth texture and it is just delicious!! Grissinis and bread dipped in olive oil. A touch of flake salt sprinkled on top gives the cheese that little something extra. Yum Yum Yum!!!

Apart from the mozzarella bar, D.O.C. also provides a selection of Pizza, Pastas, and salads. I've yet to go again to try their Panini and Piadinas for lunch. But there are always plenty of time to do that!! maybe today even =)

Also, did I mention that D.O.C. Mornington also have a Deli and produce store although they are a pizzeria? haha Amazing isn't it? Which means, if you ever have the chance to stay down in Mornington, you have access to good ingredients to buy and create dishes for your friends and family at home.

Thank you Ellen Lim for sharing such a great relaxing day with me!

Xx

December Desserts at CODA!!

Hello to all!!! I thought I would share with you the CODA dessert menu for the rest of this year and hopefully tempt you guys to pay me a visit at CODA before the end of 2011! Time does fly by doesn't it!!

To start off with the silly season, I present to you the..

CODA Bombe

This year's CODA bombe is made of vanilla semifreddo mixed with glace cherries, candied citrus peel and crystallised pinenuts. It is coated with a layer of swiss meringue and served with gingerbread crumbs (for the christmas feeling) and apricot sorbet (to balance the semifreddo with some tangy flavours). Plus, the waiter gets to set the bombe on fire right before your eyes!!! EXCITING!!! hahaha

Raspberry souffle with yoghurt sorbet and a coconut mousse chocolate cigar

The raspberry flavour married with the fresh, tangy yoghurt and that little chocolate taste holding the creamy textured coconut mousse. I think it's awesome and it's a massive seller as well!! =)

Banana fritter with palm sugar tapioca syrup and pandan ice cream

With the continuous demand for banana fritters from CODA regulars, I have finally placed them on the menu for a limited time. The fritters are coated in tapioca batter and then rolled in rice flakes. It is served with pandan infused ice cream and palm sugar tapioca syrup for a sweeter flavour. Asian desserts have this sweet/salty flavour combination incorporated in their desserts, so pistachio and sesame seed crumbs are slightly salted to add more texture and a balance to the dish. Marries well, and I'm craving for it right now!!!

Matcha (green tea) ganache in Michel Cluizel white chocolate

CODA Bar III

For the rest of the year, the BLACK FOREST flavoured chocolate bar is on the menu. It consists of the Michel Cluizel chocolate filled with chocolate soil, chocolate creme, cherry compote, white chocolate mousse, cherry sorbet and cocoa nib praline. I love cherries!!! So juicy and delicious!! I LOVE SUMMER!!!

I hope I have made you salivate and hope to see your happy smiling faces come into CODA!!! 

Merry Xmas everyone and stay safe!!

Xx

Golden Fields

Golden fields has been on the top of my list to go to and check out for a long time and it didn't disappoint!!!

My girlfriend and I decided to go for a late dinner after our make up class in the city. She was craving for soft shell crab and I suggested Golden Fields. On arrival, we sat at the bar getting a full view of the kitchen and the bar. 

We got to see the chefs prepare and then serve our food. It was exciting! haha The atmosphere was light with many conversations and little clinkers of cutlery on the crockery. It was nice.

Pink lemonade and fresh lemonade

To start off we had refreshing drinks!! Tangy and so what we needed. I loved the fresh crushed raspberry taste laced in my pink lemonade. It was just so refreshing. 

Pickles

Pickles are a great way to start the meal and during hahaha if there was any left. The crunchy textures of the different vegetables and the sweet, vinegary taste just kicks the taste buds awake for the next dishes to come.

Moonlight flat Rusty Wire & Clair de Lune oysters

The oysters were so fresh!!! They were shucked to order and we witnessed it from where we were sitting. Creamy and succulent, I was wanting more! But resisted ordering more, because...

Grass fed Angus beef, kimchi puree, egg yolk, crudite

... the steak tartare came out and I was excited!! I love a good steak tartare, and love it more when I see  different intakes of it. The steak is hand chopped by the chefs and the bits of crispy shallots and the kimchi puree flavour on the fresh wombok stem and cucumber makes a great 'deconstructed' salad. The dish is so fresh!!! We enjoyed the tartare a lot more mixing the rest of the kimchi puree on the side with a generous pinch of salt mixed into it. But wow!! I loved the crudites instead for the normal croutons as a big change.

New England lobster roll, hot buttered bun, cold poached crayfish, watercress and Kewpie

I have heard so many good things about this bun and it was a must to order!!! IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!!! I wish I could eat this in a bigger size!!! hahaha It was so tasty and the warm bun against the cold crayfish surprised my mouth!! It was very exciting to eat and we were in silent bliss savouring the bun!!

Crispy soft shell mud crab, fried egg aioli, scuds and holy basil

OMG!! This dish was so tasty!! I'm drooling remembering the taste!! The crunchy lightly spiced batter crab...YUM YUM YUM!@!!! The aioli..TASTY!! Together, it was a whole creamy, crunchy explosion in the mouth!

Twice cooked duck, steamed bread,  vinegar and plum sauce

This dish blended into the background a little after the stars made an appearance (the lobster roll and the crab). However, crispy duck was delicious. I didn't enjoy the sauces to go with the duck much, but that was my opinion. It just didn't blend in with the bun and duck. I was hoping for a soy and chilli oil sauce.

Peanut butter parfait, salted caramel and soft chocolate

YUM!!! Can't go wrong with this flavour combination!! The textures were perfect and yum!!!!

So, I need to go back and enjoy the whole menu and eat the ones I had again!! You guys should too!! I think Golden Fields only takes bookings for more than 6 people. But I may be wrong..so for more detail, go to their website www.goldenfields.com.au

Andrew McConnell is such a master chef!! Golden Fields is definitely a winner!!!

Xx