confessions of a little piggy

20 August, 2013

The Merrywell

Having serious cravings for cow, there was no questioning it. Merrywell Upstairs was the place to be. What reminded me of a much fancier version of the good old American TGIF, Merrywell Upstairs diner was slightly dim, swanky feeling which gave it a sleek and trendy vibe.

First thing was first. With forewarning that the-reason-why-we-were-here Caveman 1200g Aged Rib-Eye for 35 Day Steak would incur a 40 minute wait, we eagerly ordered this together with our drinks.

Merrywell Chips

Served piping hot in a cute little deep fryer basket were incredibly crispy ripped potatoes. These potatoes worked wonderfully with the smokey, creamy and oh so sinful bacon aioli. These were all gone in a flash.

Mini Wagyu Beef Burgers

Of course we had to have some sort of a burger at Merrywell, and since we were upstairs, we were quite limited in choice. But that wasn't an issue as the Mini Wagyu Beef Burgers were exactly what we were after. In triplets came out three divine looking little things. Between two plump buns was all things good - white cheddar which melted beautifully over a juicy wagyu beef patty, topped with sweet caramelised onions and tangy pickles.

Spicy Fish Tacos

Spicy Fish Tacos followed the Mini Wagyu Beef Burgers, and boy was I glad to see some fresh greens. Spicy Fish Tacos here at Merrywell incorporated grilled fish, salsa, creamy avocado, spicy jalapeños and a drizzle of sour cream. An average taco I would say- not bad, not great.

Backyard BBQ Ribs

Ribs are always fun to share and this one was no different. And so, these smokey BBQ Ribs doused in Merrywell's special BBQ Sauce went down like a treat. The meat was tender and melty and went great with it's sides. I found the watermelon to be an odd side dish, but was relieved by the sweetness and juiciness that went surprisingly well with the richness and smokiness of the whole dish. Creamy coleslaw and Mexican corn on a cob were equally winners.

Mama's Meatball Parma

Straight out of the oven came Mama's Meatball Parma served with warm toasted bread. Presented maginificenly were these wagyu ricotta meatballs that topped seashell shaped pasta all submerged in a rich napoli sauce.

Caveman 1200g Aged Rib-Eye 35 Day, Wet-Aged (for 2)

Last but certainly not least, was the dish we had all been waiting for. Our Aged Rib-Eye was presented to us first for viewing (for photo taking), before the waitress bought it back to the kitchen to be carved up. The Rib-Eye was rich and with every bite dissipated smoothly in my mouth. The tenderness of the flesh had just the right amount of chew and bought out the carnivorous caveman hidden within me. Not only did it taste amazing, it smelt fantastic too. The onion rings were nice and light, reminiscent of the Japanese's tempura-batter style, which really allowed the natural sweetness of the onion to shine through.

By the end of the night, we were all full to the brim and there were smiles all round. Double Rainbow happiness. This is definielty the place to come if you're after some good cow. Merrywell was more than verywell, it was extremely-well.

The Merrywell

Cnr Clarendon St & Crown Riverside

Southbank

17 August, 2013

Unknown $$ Moderately Priced , Asian , Fusion , Japanese , South Yarra

Gaijin Japanese Fusion

Many times was Gaijin highly recommended to me by a friend, and so I thought it was about time I popped in for a visit. But why did this Japanese word sound so familiar to me? Oh that's right -Tokyo Drift ! As DK explained, Gaijin "means, turn around, keep walking". But no not really, what Gaijin really refers to is someone who is a non-Japanese - an outsider or a foreigner. What a perfect name for a Japanese Fusion restaurant.

Ahi Tuna Tartare

Fresh raw tuna cubes marinated, with mango salsa on crispy nori tempura chips was the first dish out. The first bite intrigued me, with the play on different textures and flavours. However, throughout the night, my thoughts on this dish had changed. In the end, my friend only had one while I ended up picking around the tuna and ate the nori chips by itself. Considered one of their most popular dishes, I was expecting a little more. Though certainly quite unique, it just didn't tickle our fancy.

Spider vs Dragon Roll

In this dish, the Spider was represented by soft shell crab, battling it out with the Dragon played by unagi. Wrapped inside out was tempura crunch, soft shell crab, mayo, cream cheese which was topped with grilled tender unagi slices. And the result we see above tasted absolutely amazing. Soft shell crab sushi rolls are always the best. The cream cheese was smooth and creamy (duh) which coupled nicely with the crunch of tempura and soft shell crab. Hands down the favourite of the night.

Crunchy Spicy Salmon Special

Just like in the Spider vs Dragon Roll, the sushi rice here at Gaijin was plump, sightly sticky and slightly chewy which supported the other components of the dish well. Again, we see the use of tempura crunch, but hey who's complaining? I could definitely get used to this tempura crunch business. Together with the tempura crunch was raw spicy salmon, topped with more salmon slices and served with Gaijin sauce (spicy mayo).

Seared Scallops

Next out were our hot dishes of the night, and first came seared hokkaido scallops served with tempura sauce, dried bonito fish flakes and finished off with spring onion garnishing. As these scallops came out, my mind wondered off to scallop wonderland - that sweet freshness and succulent texture that make scallops just so delectable. But, my tastebuds were not in sync. Instead, my tastebuds had sampled mushy, over cooked scallops which lacked flavour. Unfortunately, this dish was our least favourite of the night and just left bad taste in my mouth.

Agedashi Tofu

Six hot silken cubed tofus floated in a fragrant sweet and salty broth. The soft tofu was lightly deep fried which formed a crispy golden brown skin. Sprinkled on top was sliced spring onion and dried bonito fish flakes that twisted and moved with the heat - the bonito dance as I would like to call it.

With creaky floors that felt like they were about to collapse any minute shadowed with a gloomy ambience, Gaijin did feel a little uncomfortable. Perhaps the not-so-great weather that night did not help either. However, food and service was prompt and speedy and the company of A always ends in a good night. If you do plan to make your way to Gaijin, the inventive Japanese fusion rolls and Agedashi tofus here should not be missed.

Gaijin Japanese Fusion

135 Commercial Road
South Yarra

13 August, 2013

Unknown $$$ Higher Priced , Chinese , Sichuan , South Yarra

Dainty Sichuan

Whenever I get the cravings for dangerously deep fried, hot and spicy food, Dainty Sichuan is my one stop destination. Their Chongqing Chicken alone pulls me in every time and always delivers. Currently happily suffering a food coma, I'm just going to let the photos do all the talking.