Address:  37 Montpelier Retreat, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Telephone number: (03) 6223 2511

Website: www.montys.com.au

Date of visit: 29 January 2011

Price guide: A$50 plus for 2 courses.

Comments on wine and beer: Very expensive list. Be prepared to pay $100 minimum for a bottle.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Summary:

This is another restaurant that is in several food guides.

The restaurant is housed in a bungalow on Montpelier Retreat – off Salamanca Place. They have bare wooden tables, strange paintings and dark ceiling with soft lights.

The menu is pseudo French using local ingredients.

Starters are all priced at $22 except the mussels at $28 and the mains around $35 plus.

I had the mussels to start with. It was 1kg of huge mussels – much bigger than the green lip mussels from New Zealand. It was cooked very nicely with dill, lemon, parsley and chardonnay wine. The bread that came with it was hot  ciabatta rolls.

I then had the narvin of lamb ($35) which was ok but in my view a con. It was lamb cooked 3 ways with a baby carrot, one new potato and one broccoli floret. The shoulder tasted of  slow cooked meat, the chop medium and the rolled loin also medium. The sauce a bit weak.

Narvin is supposed to be a stew cooked with spring vegetable.

I had a bottle of Parker 2004 Cabinet Sauvignon ($100) which was very good. However, it came as a screw top and had no sediment.

The cheese list was amazing but all the cheeses were kept in a cool cabinet which put me off – in my view, cheeses should be kept just below room temperature. There were over 30 types of cheeses, mainly local but they also had stilton, brie etc. It was $11 a portion and $30 if paired with wine.

This is the most expensive restaurant that I have eaten in – in Tasmania. The mussels were as good as I have ever eaten anywhere. The main course (for the price they charge ) was poor – only saved by the top ingredients that the chef used. By the way, service was excellent.

E

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Address:  Constitution Dock, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Telephone number: (03) 6231 2121

Website: www.mures.com.au

Date of visit: 23 and 24 January 2011

Price guide: A$9.90 for a cooked breakfast at the Lower Deck. A$30 plus for a main course on the Upper Deck.

Comments on wine and beer: Normal Aussie list at normal mark-up (200-300%). Beers around A$7.

Cuisine: Lower Deck, all sorts incl sandwiches, cooked breakfast and various fish dishes. Upper Deck mainly fish (fried, grilled and deep fried), also couple of meat dishes.

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Summary:

Mures Lower Deck is open from 7.30 am for breakfast. At around $10, you get bacon, eggs and toasts. Tomatoes, bake beans and hash browns are available as side orders from around $3.

On the day I went, the eggs and toasts were great but I found the bacon a big fatty and they have not been cooked long enough for the fat to render but then the portions were big and the prices very reasonable. The location is also great as it is right on the water front.

Outside breakfast hours, they do sandwiches and various fish based dishes including sushi. Think supermarket sushi – however, the fish is very fresh.

Dinner at the Upper Deck was another story. The menu is nearly identical to that at the Drunken Admiral. The difference is the location and the views (Drunken Admiral has an internal view whilst this place offers an external view over the docks).

I had prawns and scallops in panko (a Japanese bread crumb) deep fried with chips ($35.9). The prawns were huge Australian Tiger Prawns and you get 6 on the plate. The scallops were smaller – about the size of a 10 pence coin (5 times as thick). However, they had roes with them. I asked the waitress why lobsters are not on the menu and the answer was that it was out of season and only frozen ones were available – they try not to use frozen fish. They also offer a huge fish platter for one ($110) which include a bit of everything off the deep fried menu.

Well, my conclusion was that this place was just like the Drunken Admiral. The menu is similar – I even had the same wine a bottle of NV 42 degrees sparkling ($38) – fast becoming my favourite Tasmanian sparkling. They are good at what they do but it is just an up market fish fryer!

E

PS They have their own fishing fleet. Most of the fish they sell are from their own catch. They also have a fish retail area at the back.

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Address:  17-19 Hunter Street, Hobart Town, Tasmania, Australia

Telephone number: (03) 6234 1903

Website: www.drunkenadmiral.com.au

Date of visit: 20 January 2011

Price guide: Main courses from around A$30 onwards to over A$110 for the seafood platter for 2

Comments on wine and beer: extensive list of wine and beer at normal mark up

Cuisine: Seafood.

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Special note: Dinner only.

Summary:

The Drunken Admiral is positioned at the beginning of Hunter Street near the harbour.

There is a huge cast iron pot outside; big enough to cook seafood stew for a hundred. Inside, the place is decorated with all sorts of bric-a-brac from a human skeleton to the underside of a carriage. There are wooden mannequins around, all dressed up as seafarers. In fact, the place is so full of bits and pieces; you would think that you are in a maritime museum.

There are two dining rooms linked by a short corridor and all sorts of things were pinned up on a notice board – encased behind glass – near to the toilets, including a bill from Paul Boucuse’s Restaurant in Leon.

The best way to describe food here is that it is nearly all seafood –pan fried, grilled or deep fried served with French fries. The portions are huge and you get a free visit to the salad bar – beans, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, pepper etc with every meal.

I had the fisherman’s platter at $29.90. This turned out to be scallops, squid, mussels – in its shell – fish goujons, all bread crumbed and deep fried served in an abalone shell with enough chips for 2. The mayo that came with it was homemade. I also had a bottle of 42 degrees south – a local sparkling wine – at $38.5

Every table in the restaurant was taken and most had 2 sittings whilst I was there. There were plenty of  “English Cricket Supporters”. You can tell because they all wore the supporter’s shirt, had a bit of a gut, Rolex watches, and half of them had shaven heads and talked loudly throughout their meal on their mobile. I was one of them minus the shirt, gut and the hair cut.

Two people near me had the grilled octopuses which were marinated chunks of octopus done kebab style. Others had the seafood platter for 2 which had everything on the menu and chip for $113. By the way, they don’t do lobsters here but they have “bugs” which are similar in taste and texture.

If you like chips, deep fried food and large portions, this is definitely the place!

E

E

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Address:  24 Mary Street, Cygnet, Tasmania, Australia

Telephone number: (03) 6295 0466

website: www.theredvelvetlounge.com.au

Date of visit: 22 January 2011

Price guide: Main courses from around A$12 – A$25.9 for a main course during lunch time

Comments on wine and beer: extensive list of wine and beer – all Tasmanian. Wines from $37 -$90. Bottled beers from $6-8

Cuisine: Cafe meals, cakes and posh sandwiches etc

Special note: all ingredients natural and sourced locally (Huon Valley) where possible

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Summary:

The Red Velvet Lounge is in every guide book on Tasmania. Some even hail it as the best “restaurant” in Tasmania.

Cygnet is a small town – one high street on the main B68 road – about 30km from Hobart Town. There is a car park about 20 meters from The Red Velvet Lounge.

The best way to describe this place is that it is a cafe housed in a large brick building with the kitchen and toilets at the back. The walls are bare bricks painted in various colours. On one side is a cake display cabinet, coffee counter and several crated of bread (sourdoughs only). There are red curtains (not velvet) near the back of the cafe with a couple of book shelves with all sorts of old kitchen equipment. At the front are several arm chairs covered in red velvet – it is almost like a “hippy” cafe in Amsterdam.

The menu was a one pager which had things like smoke salmon salad, pickled tongue, salmon fish finger, homemade chorizo sausage etc. I had the pulled pork  ($17) in a sour dough bun with white cabbage slaw. My plate came with a bun with plenty of slow cooked pork and a big portion of cabbage in mayo. The bun was small and did not have the heavy texture of normal sourdough – it was soft although it did taste of sourdough. There was no plate decoration or fancy display. Looking around, everyone else was having cakes.

All I can say is that the place was weird (decor) and the food was OK but nothing special. The chef owner (Steve Cumper) was there in the kitchen so this is what they would normally produce under his supervision. All I can conclude is that the evening menu must be something special?

E

PS I read in the Qantas in-flight magazine that The Red Velvet Lounge only puts on a special meal for Friday and Saturday evenings! Rest of the time, it is ordinary. (3 Feb 11)

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Address:  500 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Australia

Website: www.movida.com.au

Telephone number: (03) 9663 3038

Date of visit: 18 January 2011

Price guide: From about A$20 per head

Comments on wine and beer: extensive list of wine and beer.

Cuisine: Spanish with a twist

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Summary:

There are 3 branches of Movida. 2 situated in Hosier Lane – a back street full of graffiti – and the original – Movida Aqui – on Bourke Street (entry via little Bourke Street).

From Little Bourke Street you have to climb outside steps to get to the first floor where the restaurant is housed. There is a huge outdoor dining area and a strange indoor area.

The indoor area is divided into two parts – one side is with normal tables and chairs, the other side has high tables and stools. The bar which is “traditional” looking is sited between the two areas. Two sides of the restaurant is surrounded by glass windows – end to end.

I first came across Movida some three years ago when I bought their cook book in the UK. I have since found that this place is listed in all food guides.

Lets start with the wine list, there is a mix of Spanish, Australian and various international wines. The best value ones are the sparkling wines – cava and Aussie sparkling. In the Spanish section, they have Pingus and Le Fleur Pingus but no Vega Sicilia or Valbouna. The 2 Pingus wines are both 2007 and priced at $1200 plus for the main wine and just under $300 for the Le Fleur. Not only are these crazy prices but the wines probably needed to be cellared for another 5 years before it matures.

The food here is described as Spanish but  other than the jamon, everything else has an Aussie twist applied to it.

Three Jamones (50g portions) are on offer: Serrano  $15, Paletilla Iberico $28.50 and Iberico $50. Three Arroces are also on offer: Paella de Marisco $50, Arroz Negro $58, and Arroz Caldoso $40. The portions are described as Grande – enough for 2-4 people.

There are also several a la plancha dishes all at just over $21.

I went for the Tapas Clasicas. I had Achoa ($4.5), Bomba ($6.5), Bocadillo De Calamares ($6.5) and Sardina ($4.5). The Achoa was a slice of marinated anchovy on crouton with a smoked tomato sorbet on top. This was quite nice. The salty anchovy and the tomato worked well together. The downside was that the sorbet was ice cold. The Bomba was a slice of chorizo sausage, surrounded by mash potato, bread crumbed and deep fried – they claim that it is a Catalan dish but I have never come across anything like it in Barcelona. In Italy it tends to be mozzarella cheese surrounded by risotto rice. The Bomba was ok but the chorizo was a small piece so you only get a smear of sausage when you open up the Bomba. The Bocadillo was a round crusted bun stuffed with deep fried calamari, mayonnaise   and a thin slice of pepper. The sardine was served as a piece of warm fillet over a slice of tomato and a piece of toast.  All this was washed down with a bottle of  Australian Sparkling wine ($48).

The overall experience was “interesting” but not a great meal. However, it is good value for money. The service was good and bad. The wines were “centralised” off the table – probably because the tables are small. The waitress I had was excellent but she was managing 6 tables and I had to ask for my glass to be refilled. Another point, they are very heavy on the salt here – from the bread to the food.

E

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Address:  17 Market Lane, Melbourne, Australia

Telephone number: (0p3) 9662 3655

Website: www.flower-drum.com

Date of visit: 14 January 2010

Price guide: Expect to pay above A$60 a head

Comments on wine and beer: Very extensive list with wines mainly from Australia, New Zealand, France and Italy. A few bottles are available under $100

Cuisine: Cantonese

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Summary:

I was reading the Quantus in-flight magazine and came across an article from Neil Perry (Rockpool) about the 10 best dishes – around the world – he ate in 2010. Neil recommended the drunken (and roast)  squab at the Flower Drum in Melbourne. So, when I got here, I booked a table.

The restaurant (started in 1975) used to be based in Little Bourke St and has now moved round the corner onto Market Lane. As I got to the restaurant, I noticed that the Chinese name for Flower Drum is Ten Thousand Birthdays Palace.

Entry is via a red door in Market Lane, you then take the lift to the first floor with a room decorated in red and black with tables well spaced apart – approx 2 meters plus between tables. I have never ever encountered such generous used of space in a restaurant.

Around the space where lift is housed, the wall is plastered with hundreds of awards and accolades.

The menu is in English and there are two set meals  – $175 for 6 courses and $99 for 4 courses. The a la carte dishes range from around $18 onwards.

The restaurant manager claimed that Peking Duck is their speciality ($18 for 2 portions). That is a bit strange as the restaurant also claimed  to specialise in Cantonese Cuisine. Any way, I went for it. It came as two very meaty pieces of roast duck breasts – each piece must be around ¼ of a breast. It was rolled up in a pancake with scallions and cucumber with a smear of hoisin sauce in front of you.  Now Peking duck (crispy duck is a british invention – based on aromatic fried duck. The real aromatic crispy duck  does not come with pancakes and hoisin sauce) is normally sliced thin and you eat it for its crispy skin rather than the flesh. In fact the skin of my piece of duck was not particularly crispy and I suspect that they are using de-boned Cantonese roast duck.

I then had the roast squab ($46)- served with a pepper and salt dip as well as a bowl of lemon juice. This was pretty good and it turned out to be a heavily marinated whole bird. It was meaty and moist and very tasty. I also had the chicken with ginger ($26). This was also ok from a taste point of view but I found the chicken pieces too large – I preferred it julienne size.

The mixed fried rice ($18) was very good. They used Japanese sticky rice which makes it chewy. The prawns in the rice were again big pieces – size of a piece of chocolate. Do they have a thing about big pieces of meat in Melbourne?

I also managed to find a 2004 Knights Cabernet Sauvignon at $59 which turned out to be very drinkable.

My overall impression was good but this is not “kosher” Chinese Food. There is a wave of these restaurants around the world that has adjusted Chinese food to a more western approach (not quite fusion), improving the level of service  as well as hiking the price up to a Michelin Star standard. By the way, service was exceptional here!

E

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Address: 35 South Steyne, Manly, Australia

Telephone number: (02) 9977 0322

Website: www.whitewaterrestaurant.com.au

Date of visit: 10 January 2010

Price guide: $20 plus for a main course

Comments on wine and beer: extensive list, wines from $30 to $ 100s

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Summary:

I am not sure how to describe this place other than that it is in a convient location over looking Manly Beach. Although it is one big room, it is actually divided into 2 halves with white furniture on the outer half (no table clothes) and tables with table clothes on the inner half which is raised.

I had the light meal of “flathead in a tempura batter and chips”  ($24). Well the batter was no tempura batter – tempura batter will not completely cling to the fish where as normal batter will. I have noticed this in Australia where the menu borrows a lot of terms from Japanese cuisine but it’s not “kosher”. For example sashimi is usually seared on a hot plate and they always come come with a dressing of mirin, soy and sesame oil – perfected by Nobu. Well, the batter was more beer batter than tempura. The chips were again big. The portion enough for 2. In fact, I noticed that nearly everyone was either eating the burger of the fish and chips over lunch. The place was pretty busy and half full.

It was all right but nothing special and not cheap. In 2003 (Rugby World Cup), I came here and thought exactly the same – why the hell did I eat here again? With Bottles and Cooks, I should in future be able to remember to avoid these mediocre restaurants again. In fact, the restaurants in Manly and Bondi (along the beach) are nothing special.The better ones are near the ferry terminal.

E

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Address:  21 Bond Street, Melbourne, Australia

Telephone number: (03) 9629 5900

Website: www.mahabg.com.au

Date of visit: 13 January 2011

Price guide:  from $75 for 4 courses – each one with multiple dishes. Wine paring starts at £55

Comments on wine and beer: Extensive list with Ch Musar  1981 at $750.

Cuisine: Middle Fusion

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Summary:

I wanted to go to Alba – a well known Lebanese Restaurant in Carlton which has been operating for nearly 40 years. However it was shut and the concierge at the Westin recommended Maha.

Maha is part of the Press Club Group operated by George Calombaris. He operates restaurants which are completely different in the style of the cuisine – Greek, Australian, Middle East etc.

The restaurant is housed in a basement with black furniture and soft lights – no table clothes!

The menu was really strange and I have to admit that it is the first  time in my life that I have no idea what the menu meant even though it is in English. He waitress was very good and tried to explain it but all I hear was multiple strange ingredients. I went for the 4 course Soufra – you can have up to eight!

I was offered a cold hisbiscus teas as a freebie – all I can taste was sugar – to start with.

Next came 5 cold starters – a kofta meat ball in a shot glass covered in yoghurt and deep fried onions, a small plate of gigantes beans, a red pepper paste, hummus and some aubergine paste.

Next came the second course of a stuffed c hicken wing (de-boned) and a dumpling. Both were filled with minced lamb and the flavouring was similar to the filling inside a keema nan.

For main course, I had lamb shoulder slow cooked with green olives, pilaf rice, a very thick yogurt paste with olive oil and a piece of salmon.

Next came the dessert. This consisted of a piece of chocolate cake with pomegranate seeds, a glass of spicy “truffle” and a deep fried donut with a piece of Turkish Delight within.

All this was washed down witha bottle of 2006 Rusden Driftsand (Shizar blend)

The service was good and bad. They have this awful habit of keeping your wine off the table but then they didn’t have enough staff so you have to catch someone’s attention and ask for the glass to be refilled. I got so fed up that I demanded that they leave the bottle after waiting 10 minutes to get my glass refilled.

I am not sure whether I like or dislike the food.  It was like eating sweet and sour pork, beef in black bean sauce with noodles and rice at the same time – some people obviously like it as judged by the fa ct that the place was full and many seem to be regular customers.

By the way, I held a verticle Musar tasting in Oct last year. The 1981 was light and very much on its last leg. On the other hand, the 1983 was absolutely fantastic and still has bags of life.

E

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Address: 6^th floor, Westfield, 188 Pitt St, Sydney, Australia

Telephone number: (02) 9223 8822

Website: www.pheonixrestaurants.com.au

Date of visit: 7 January 2011

Price guide:  Dim Sum from $5.50

Comments on wine and beer:  Tsing Tao $7.50 a bottle. Reasonable Oz wine list.

Cuisine: Chinese (Cantonese)

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Summary:

Sited on the 6^th floor in Westfield, this is a large and modern Chinese Restaurant. During lunch time, they served dim sum on trolleys.

The dim sum carts would come by and you would point at whatever you wanted. It gets a bit difficult with steamed food as they are served in brown bamboo containers. The ladies that push the trolleys around will announce what they have and tout for business, so the chance of you going without is zero.

The trolleys offered more than dim sum, there were plates of roast meat of various types, stirred fried vegetables as well as noodles. Desserts were also available. On this day, they were offering mango pudding, mango pancakes and jellies. There are no menus, prices are based on what they termed “large”, “medium” and “small” dishes. There is a card on the table which the servers will stamp in the appropriate price area. When you cash up, the waiter/waitress just adds up the bill based on the stamps on the card. You can eat a full blown meal and be out within 15 minutes.

I had prawn toasts, spring rolls and yam croquettes. They were all warm – a downside of trolley meals – not hot. The spring rolls had loads of vegetables in it – I am not sure if they were vegetarian ones. The prawn toast was a small square toast, spread with the usual minced prawn/pork mixture. Where it scored wass that unlike the UK, there was a proper prawn sitting on top of the meat paste – a mixture of minced pork, minced prawns and chives.

Including a bottle of beer, the total bill came to just over $20. I was in and out in 15 minutes – beat that for fast food.

E

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