Category Archives: Places we like to eat at

Sudanese for Sunshine, French bakery for Footscray

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We’ve been a little puzzled in the past year or so that Footscray should be so richly endowed with African eateries yet Sunshine and st Albans with so few.

Well happily that situation will improve, in Sunshine at least, when Home Town at 231 Hampshire Road opens.

Even better, from a diversity point of view, the food will be Sudanese rather than Ethiopian.

Well, nominally Sudanese that is.

As proprietor Shafie tells me as we examine the walled menu, there is food from “all over” in a typically North African smorgasbord.

There’s African staples galore, such as foul and malokhai, but there’s also an Italian vibe through pasta such as lasagna, along with falafel, mixed grill, kofta and spiced prawns.

Going by the posted pricing and the warmth and friendliness with which Shafie greets my inquiries, I’m eagerly awaiting the opening.

And who does the cooking – Shafie or his missus?

“My wife – she’s very good!” Shafie tells me with a smile.

Opening day is a few weeks away.

(See menu pics below …)

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Meanwhile, a reader tip on the Facebook page of Footscray Food Blog has me scoping out the corner property opposite Footscray post office.

Wow – how about that?

I have a strong hunch the French part of this equation will be of the “France via Vietnam” variety.

I wonder what they’ll be doing – banh mi on steroids, coffee, bubble tea and other Asian drinks?

Peering through one of the papered-over windows, what I see of the fit-out looks big and classy.

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Laying hands on a great feed at … Westifield Airport West Shopping Centre

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Back at work again. There’s precious little of it and Lord knows how long it will last – but it’s a fine thing nonetheless.

Perhaps best of all, it’s at Airport West.

As I discovered in my first week, the office location is a sweet 15-minutes, courtesy of the ring road, from Bennie’s school.

That’s a far cry from the white-knuckle madness of Geelong commuting or even the train/car combo of the CBD and South Melbourne.

Quarter of an hour?

I almost wept with the sheer relief of it the first time I did it.

If I’m careless enough to forget to make/take my own lunch, getting fed at my new place of employ is tricky.

The office is just a few minutes’ walk from Westifield Airport West Shopping Centre.

Oh dear …

It’s full of your nice, everyday ordinary people, but the centre itself is dreary and uninspiring.

It’s basically one long zigzagging snake that looks pretty much exactly the same no matter where you are in it.

Worse, there are only a series of dull lookalike cafes and a single lacklustre food court

No Grill’d or Guzman y Gomez here.

And, generally speaking, our growing appreciation of the spaciousness and style of the new food hall and retail segments at Highpoint is only going to be enhanced by spending time at this Airport West mall.

Kebab, chicken curry, plastic enshrined sushi/sashimi … all tried, all edible, if you get my drift.

What to do?

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Looking closer at the offering of the Chub kebab stand, I find the answer – stuffed vine leaves and Turkish pide.

The pies are made on the premises, come in all the usual flavours, are hefty, flavoursome and a supremely cheap $4.50.

This particular lunch’s salami and cheese number is rich and hearty.

As one of the blokes is throwing together my serve of stuffed vine leaves (three for $4), I ask if they’re made by his mum.

They sure look like they have been.

“By my aunty, actually!” he says.

Good enough!

They’re mighty – fat and full of lemony and tomatoey rice. They’re filling, though, so I could’ve lived without the fourth I’ve been provided on account of the interest I have shown.

What do you reckon?

Is it is possible that there’s something really worth eating at every shopping centre in Australia, no matter how grim the prospects may initially seem?

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No.1 and No.135

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Westar, 82C Ashley St, West Footscray. Phone: 9689 8182

There’s at least a couple of Chinese places that do home delivery that are closer to our Yarraville pad than Westar.

But they’re significantly more expensive.

There’s other sorts of food can be likewise had, but it’s either equally pricey or pizza – and we reckon pizza travels no better than fish and chips.

Accordingly, the popularity of home-delivered pizza remains a mystery to us.

Westar, by comparison, has a minimum order of $12 and a delivery fee of $2.

Bargain!

And it means it’s viable exercise for a meal-for-one when the mood strikes.

The CTS ethos essentially dictates food should be eaten where it is cooked, and that takeaway or home delivery should be avoided.

So this is rare indulgence.

Of course, we don’t dig the plastic containers – but these will be washed and used for soup ‘n’ stews bound for the freezer.

Westar food is nothing special, but it is reliable and the delivery guys are always smiling and have the right change.

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My spring rolls ($2 for two) are hot enough, but even after taking the travel time into account, they’re disappointingly chewy, though quite tasty.

Next time I’ll stick to No.3 – fried won tons.

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Home-delivered or takeaway noodle dishes tend to mold themselves into the shape of their plastic receptacles – and that’s certainly the case with my beef “hot fun” ($8.50).

But once I’ve stirred and loosened things up with my chopsticks, this is fine and just right for the night.

Inevitably, the vegetables have lost that wokky crispness during their journey from West Footscray to Yarraville – but there’s heaps of them: onion, carrot, zucchini, broccoli, bok choy.

But there seems to be even more beef than all the vegies combined – it’s tender if a bit tasteless.

MSG?

Oodles of it.

We’ve only stepped inside Wessar once – on one hot afternoon in order to pick a new menu.

The staff seemed as surprised to see us as we were by the single-table gloom of the place.

I’m guessing 99.99 per cent of their business is takeaway or home delivery.

 

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We love a new Indian joint

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Saga, 34-36 Irving St, Footscray. Phone: 9689 6089

Can we embrace a new Indian restaurant in the neighbourhood?

Heck yes, especially when it’s in Footscray central, where Indian establishments are vastly outnumbered by those of other genres.

Saga replaces the short-lived Dosa N Biryani, at which I had but a single and barely OK thali meal.

The new place looks like it’s in for a much more serious effort at longevity, sporting as it does a completely new fit-out.

The canteen ambiance of the shiny new furniture and white tiles is ameliorated by bamboo matting on the walls and a village hut-style servery for the bain marie.

We’re told the entire menu – see below – will be available in a few days. So we’ll be back for sure to take the chole bhature, dosas and the like for a test run.

In the meantime, we heartily enjoy our choices from what is available.

This early in the place’s life, there are only a couple of other tables occupied, one of them by a couple of council workers with whom I discuss the undesirability of being served biryani without an accompanying pot of gravy.

The staff member serving us takes our comments to heart, making sure we are taken care of – in my case, with a tub of very nice gravy from the chicken curry in the bain marie.

I’d prefer the gravy/sauce made specially for biryanis we get here, but this works fine.

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It helps that my goat biryani ($10.95) is otherwise lovely.

There are only three pieces of goat meat, but they are bigger and more meaty and tender than is often the case.

The rice is terrific, though the spice levels are quite mild by West Footscray standards.

The raita is cool, with no bitterness from the white onion pices floating in the yogurt.

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Bennie’s non vegetarian thali ($10.95), with his choices from the bain marie all a rather uniform brown, tastes a whole lot better than it looks.

Smooth, quite salty dal made with aduki beans, an oily eggplant brew with fabbo eggplant flavour, chicken curry on-the-bone – it all tastes good to me, as do the segments of the fresh wholmeal roti that comes with this meal deal that I manage to nick.

So … welcome to the new kid on the block.

I reckon it’ll do good.

 

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The Consider The Sauce Paella Party

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Consider The Sauce is throwing a beaut Paella Party – and you’re invited!

After nibbles there’ll be paella with seafood, chorizo and chicken, and a vegetarian version as well – both gluten free.

Soft drinks will be provided, while beer and wine will be available for purchase.

There’ll be raffles and fun galore.

The numbers are limited to 100 and the cost is $20 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under.

Best of all, and thanks to some generous friends, every cent raised is going to a great cause – the POWer Plants Community Nursery in Braybrook.

We’re real excited about the prospect of having so many of our followers and pals in the one place at the same time – and we hope you will be, too!

Payment by cash only on the night.

Register your attendance and reserve your seat here.

And for updates, RSVP on the event Facebook page.

One of the night’s prizes will be donated by Sproutwell Greenhouses.

Event: Consider The Sauce Paella Party.

Venue: 138 Cowper St, Footscray.

Date: Wednesday, July 10.

Time: 6.30 pm for 7pm until about 10pm.

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Unwrapping parcels, so exciting!

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Spicy Hut, Shop 6/35 Aspen Street, Moonee Ponds. Phone: 9375 2191

Many times on our various visits to Puckle St, we’ve wandered down the cul de sac that is Aspen St, adjacent a huge, unsealed parking lot, to scope out Spicy Hut only to walk away unfed and disappointed.

Each time there seemed little by way of any activity, so we didn’t even venture inside.

This obviously speaks to a lack of boldness on our part, because Consider The Sauce pal Nat continued to maintain he had been enjoying swell, cheap and delicious Sri Lankan food there quite a while.

So I am delighted to join him there for lunch, knowing for certainty his assertions will be well founded and we will eat very well.

They are and we do.

The tiny cafe space is rather spartan but offset by the charming welcome of the couple who run the joint.

The menu includes various options of the snack/street food variety such as rotis, samosas, hoppers and dosas.

As well, on three days of the week there are specials, with today’s being lamprais – so that’s what we have.

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According to the Wikipedia entry on Sri Lankan food, this dish is of Dutch derivation.

In Spicy Hut’s case, they are described as: “Rice cooked in chicken stock & served with eggplant, pickle, fish cutlet, boiled egg, choice of chicken or beef curry (all wrapped in banana leaf).”

With Nat going for the beef and me the chicken, our meals ($11) are delivered wrapped in foil and with papadams sitting atop.

Unwrapping the foil reveals mounds of steaming rice cocooned by banana leaves. The rice is moist but fluffy and quite nicely spicy.

My single chicken drumstick is tender and tasty, but really it’s the combination of all the bits and pieces that make this a splendidly enjoyable meal.

The fish cutlets (balls), made with mackerel, onion, potato, ginger and garlic, are delicate yet robustly fishy.

I enjoy my hard-boiled egg just as much as I do when they are served with biryani.

The “seeni sambal” sitting on top of my chicken adds a bitter element through the use of curry and pandan leaves, lemongrass and garlic.

And the dry jumble of eggplant, capsicum and onion on the other side of the rice has brilliant eggplant flavour.

Thanks, Nat, for revealing this lovely place to Consider The Sauce – I’m keen to return.

Spicy Hut is closed on Tuesdays.

 

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Ayam Penyet RIA

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Ayam Penyet RIA, 248 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne. Phone: 9077 2947

Ayam Penyet RIA is part of an Indonesian restaurant chain , one that – going by its website – is based in Singapore.

The South Melbourne branch has been open about a month – and the word is well and truly out among students and other Indonesians in Melbourne.

Even on a chilly Monday night, the limited seating is at a premium, with there being more potential customers than the place is able to accommodate.

The concise menu runs to four mostly meaty soups, three meat plates and a few more of egg and eggplant, along with gado gado.

I find the service cheerful and quick.

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But my “smashed chicken” platter with rice ($10.50) doesn’t quite reflect the various photos around the place in terms of generosity.

The greenery is limited to a single slice of cucumber, and there is a single chunk apiece of tempeh and tofu.

The good-sized piece of fried chicken is real fine, though, especially in conjunction with what the website calls “blacan-chilli relish” – a wonderfully potent concoction!

All this combined with the rice makes for a good meal.

But I suspect there may be better to be had here – the beef ribs and gado gado I see being whizzed past me look interesting and more substantial.

Worth another look, for sure.

 

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Feeling the love in Hoppers Crossing

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Glory We Cafe, 3/76 Old Geelong Rd, Hoppers Crossing. Phone: 9394 8845

While we enjoyed our first visit to Glory We Cafe, the chances of return visits seemed slim at best, especially given the options we have in the greater western suburbs for the sort of food it serves.

But since that visit, a few things have happened – with the upshot being the Glory We crew have earned our return custom through their goodwill, sincerity and dedication in engaging with their customers.

For one thing, they have made the switch from plastic, disposable implements and receptacles to those of a more re-usuable variety.

We don’t know or care if Consider The Sauce had anything to do with them making that change – we are simply happy that they have.

For another, we couldn’t help but notice the regular updates on their Facebook page in which they have been introducing new, alluring and seemingly authentic dishes of a Singaporean and Malaysian nature.

So off we go for Sunday lunch!

That Glory We remains a rather charmless, utilitarian space is well and truly compensated for by depth of the warm and caring service that is bestowed upon us on our return visit, service way above that we commonly expect from such places.

Combined with reliably good and sometimes very good food and the lack of alternatives in this general neighbourhood, we reckon Glory We fully deserves whatever good reputation it is earning as a westie hotspot.

The same photos that have appeared on the joint’s Facebook page grace the walls of the restaurant, so we take only a few minutes to make our selections.

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Mee goreng ($9.50) looks nothing special – like what might get served in any old shopping centre food court, in fact.

But this wet version tastes a whole lot better than that.

A wonderfully gooey fried egg sits atop lovely al dente egg noodles, with calamari, prawns, egg and tofu complemented by crunchy onion slivers and some greenery.

It’s simple, homely and fine.

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Our second dish is the subject of today’s Glory We Facebook post: “XO Sauce Fried Carrot Cake – Introducing our NEW weekend delicacy which is a common dish in Singapore which Singaporeans eat throughout the day whether at breakfast, lunch, dinner or even supper. This dish consist of stir-fried cubes of raddish cake. You can order it fried with or without sweet black sauce. To order one fried with sweet black sauce, you have to tell our friendly staff you want it ‘black’.”

This is a new one on us, so we had sought advice from Ms Baklover, who spent a week or so eating her away around the island state a while back and so whom we consider an oracle of all things Singaporean.

She told us it’s a delicious dish “when made right”, but to be cautious when it comes to the “black” version as she finds it a bit on the cloying side herself.

So we order and don’t ask for dark – and end up with the dark variety ($9.50) anyway.

It’s OK and Bennie likes it but, truthfully, I do find it too rich and oily.

Our bemusement over what we’ve been provided sparks some charming back-and-forth dialogue with the staff, with the chef explaining that the dark version is a Singaporean preference and light a Malaysian one.

“That’s OK – we’re Malaysian,” I proclaim.

(Cue much laughter all ’round …)

So we’re served a plate of the lighter variety of the Glory We Cafe XO Sauce Fried Carrot Cake at no charge.

(It’s important to acknowledge that this generosity and level of customer care would have been afforded us no matter who we were or that the staff members eventually twigged that we were food bloggers or some other sort of busybodies.)

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Ahhh, this is more like it – and much more to both our liking.

There’s a lighter touch going on here and much more textural variety, with the raddish cake pieces having nicely tanned and crisped exteriors.

At this stage of our meal, though, it’s more than we can consume so what’s left goes home with us.

If this dish, no matter how good, is unlikely to become a firm CTS favourite, we’ve had such a fine time at Glory We that this place already is.

Check out the Glory We Cafe Facebook page here.

 

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Momo a-go-go in WeFo

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Magic Momo Kafe, 588 Barkly St, West Footscray. Phone: 9972 2616

“Looks like a work in progress.”

Bennie may be on the unfair side there, but Magic Momo Kafe does have an undeniable vibe of being newly minted and very recently opened.

The double doors are wide open to the world on a cold day and the three staff members in attendance are pumped with nervous energy and eager to pleaseness.

Writing about such a place at such a time in its life almost seems on the cruel side.

But what the hey – we’re only after an after-school snack.

As we’d been promised when we called in while the place was still under construction, there is a lovely looking range of luridly colured Indian sweets, along with some cakes and slices of the brought-in variety.

We know the momos are produced in-house, however, on account of the big tub of ace-looking seasoned pork mince that is being used to fill pastry casings.

OK, so a post-school serve of fried chicken momo (10 for $7.95) it is for us.

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The fried is pan rather deep, with the bottoms nicely tanned and the tops chewy in just the right way.

The innards are peppery, maybe there’s some ginger in there somewhere as well, and have crunch from onion and colouring from coriander.

They go great with the medium-spicy chilli concoction served on the side.

We’re both halfway through our first momo when we immediately acknowledge the pressing need to also order a 10-piece serve of the vegetable dumplings.

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If anything these are even better. Bennie certainly thinks so.

They’re the same price and appear a little bigger, even though I’m sure the same dough cutter has been used for both varieties. As well, the dough used in this batch is a bit darker.

I’ve been expecting a filling packed with crunch and slither from cabbage, mushrooms and the like.

Instead, we get a filling that seems to be potato and carrot-based and that, as my unusually-astute-on-this-day offsider instantly observes, makes these dumplings seem a bit like soft samosas.

Mind you, there is some crunch and texture from onion and cabbage, while – like their chooky colleagues – these are also peppery and scrumptious.

Explorations of the burger, kebab, BLT, French toast, lemon pepper calamari and tomato soup variety at this intriguingly multi-focussed eatery will have to wait for another day and a more suitable occasion.

In the meantime, and based on our two fine serves of momo, we can attest that there is indeed magic in the air here.

 

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Getting serious at the Plough

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Plough Hotel, 333 Barkly St, Footscray. Phone: 9687 2878

We attended the opening night party, and we’ve read reviews and comments – including those at Footscray Food Blog.

Now it’s time for us try a meal proper at the new-look Plough Hotel for ourselves.

It’s an early Sunday evening dinner for us, so it’s something of a departure from our usual routine of settling in for the end of weekend night.

At the time we arrive, the landmark pub seems to be about a quarter full, yet it’s already quite noisy. The chatter and hubbub are such that they render the music little more than more background rumbling.

I can imagine that when this place is really packed and jumping, that it may be a matter of shouting instead of conversing.

Still, it’s a cheerful scene and we’re looking forward to some ace food.

There’s never been any doubt that on this particular adventure that I’d lose out to Bennie in the “I’m having the hamburger” stakes.

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His “150g veal pattie served w. caramelised onions in seeded mustard, fresh tomato, lettuce, bacon, cheddar cheese & roasted garlic aioli, served w. beer battered chips” ($21) is pretty good.

For all the fancy words, it is just a burger – and he’s more than happy with that. He rates it an 8 1/2 or 9 out of 10.

I try a few hearty mouthfuls of the meat, finding it has great texture and bite but lacks somewhat in the robust flavour department.

The chips are, truth to tell, a little disappointing … in that they’re merely good rather than being the outstanding we feel entitled to expect from this sort of place selling this sort of food.

And in my case, I have to rescue my chips from underneath the chicken parmagiana ($25) that is squatting atop them.

I’m not the first person to raise this issue, and I’ll not be the last.

One question: Why?

Another question: Would a restaurant serve a steak on top of the accompanying chips?

One solution: Ask the customer their preference.

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My parma itself is very good and very big.

The chicken is beaut – flavoursome, well cooked and juicy.

The cheese layer on top, too, is wonderful, and there’s quite a bit of basil doing good things amid a sauce made with real tomatoes. The gypsy ham doesn’t seem to add any extra flavour.

The salad of capsicum strands, radish and various greens is OK, but Bennie eats most of it.

But here’s an interesting thing about my otherwise lovely parma – it’s crunchy.

Yes, crunchy!

I lift up the cheese topping to discover from whence does the crunch come – only to discover that the cause is raw onion.

Quite a lot of raw onion, actually.

Red onion, mind you, so the flavour does not overpower enjoyment of my meal, especially once I scrape most of it to the side of my plate.

But still, it seems quite odd.

An inquiry made to a staff member elicits the information that the kitchen is aiming for a twist on the typical parma tomato sauce by concocting more of a salsa vibe.

OK, I quite like the sound of that.

But the actual fact of the matter is that there’s nothing salsa-like about my sauce.

What it seems like is fairly typical Napolitana parma sauce studded with quite big chunks of raw onion.

What it seems like is a mistake.

While our meal hasn’t really rocked our world, we like the new Plough heaps and will be back.

 

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‘Facilitating’ a blogger soiree …

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Looking back on the first Consider The Sauce post and those that soon followed evokes a feeling of simplicity and perhaps even innocence.

It all seemed so simple – got out, have a feed somewhere or do some shopping, take photographs, go home, write about it.

Bingo!

Instant food blog!

We still do a lot of that, of course. Indeed, it remains the very core activity of this site.

But as we approach the end of our third year in operation, much has changed.

It’s been a gloriously enjoyable learning curve, with mis-steps and challenges, and many friends made in the process.

Central to that learning curve is that realising while the website itself remains the key element of what Consider The Sauce is about, there is a lot more to being a (hopefully) successful food blogger and running a successful food blog.

Along the way, I have sometimes attempted to tap into the wealth of experience and wisdom of blogging pioneers.

But as previously noted, more often than not I find doing so a particularly tiresome exercise, no matter how much I would like some or a lot of that good stuff to rub off on me.

The problem seems to be that no matter where a famed blogger starts his or her journey – be it as a specialist in stamp collecting or vintage horse shoes or whatever – once they become successful, what drives them on is the process itself. And that can be mighty boring, no matter how righteous the advice is.

So I am very grateful to Cheryl Lin of the blog BusinessChic for an excellent tip – the book microDOMINATION by PR warrior Trevor Young.

I’m only halfway through it. And, yes, it does have its fair share of self-help-style feelgood stories.

But it’s reverberating with me in many ways.

It’s been a pleasant surprise to discover that several of the initiatives taken – or at least attempted – by Consider The Sauce are very much part of Young’s broader aim of how to become what he calls a “micro maven” and using a blog to create a personal “brand”.

For example:

  • Not passively accepting that friends and fellow bloggers who leave comments on CTS must remain mere electronic cyber buddies, and seeking instead to meet face to face and see what happens from there.
  • Running, in conjunction with Ms Baklover and her Footscray Food Blog, a picnic late last year. The repeat event, coming this spring, will likewise be part and parcel of the broader picture of running a food blog. As will a special event, yet to be announced, that will be part of the picnic.
  • I have also learned that doing an occasional post about topics such as moving house or a bingle with a neighbour’s car is not only perfectly fine but helps give context to the ongoing CTS narrative.
  • A soon-to-be-announced CTS benefit/fundraiser being organised with wonderful and generous support from a local business and the funds raised from which will go to a very fine local organisation.

Another such event in the life of CTS occurred this week with a gathering of bloggers and a non-blogging likely lad at a Port Melbourne restaurant.

With CTS having already written about Third Wave Cafe twice, Greg from that establishment had contacted me.

His problem and challenge was that his business was in the process of transforming and extending itself from a place highly regarded for its lunchtime fare, including Russian specialties and fine coffee, to one offering American-style BBQ at night.

He and his team had invested considerable time and money into the project, and were eager to get the word out and help broaden and correct pre-conceptions in the wider community about what Third Wave Cafe has to offer.

Could I help?

And so, on the basis that Bennie and I enjoyed the food being offered – and boy oh boy, did we ever – Greg and I shook hands on a project that would see me organise a list of food bloggers and then invite them to try out the Third Wave BBQ goodies for themselves on the simple understanding they would write a story about their experiences.

Greg fully understood that neither he nor I would have any say whatsoever in what the invitees subsequently wrote.

And, yes, I would be paid what both Greg and I agreed, easily and quickly, was a fair amount for my efforts.

The list I configured was a mixture of firm and very good friends, bloggers with whom I had had at least some personal contact and others for whom I had high regard.

In all cases, the people involved were of what I considered to be of the highest integrity – no “floggers” or egomaniacs allowed or wanted!

In the end, about half of the invitees responded in a positive fashion, and the table of five – including myself – turned out to be just the right size for a superbly enjoyable evening.

Those who attended were: Nat Stockley, a non-blogger (so far …) widely known for his entertaining and excellent reviews on Urbanspoon; Eve from Conversation With Jenny; Catty from Fresh Bread; and Bryan from Let’s Get Fat Together.

This gang had a quite varied amount of previous experience with this style of food, but everyone seemed to enjoy their meals, which like that of Bennie and myself were a broad sampling of the Third Wave Cafe BBQ line-up.

As the meal wound down, Greg emerged from the kitchen to see how we’d gone and tell us about how his Russian-menu cafe had taken such a bold and surprising leap into new territory.

Rather delightfully, for two of the participants this was a debut occasion to be sharing a table with full-on likeminded souls and in a situation in which EVERYONE involved was using a camera.

There was much telling of tales and swapping of notes; much laughter, too.

On that basis alone, I am happy to judge the night a success.

Of course, I suspect that will mean very little to Greg and his team, for whom this was a straight-out business proposition.

But then again, who knows where such connections may lead? That, too, is part of blogging.

I gave some serious thought to the ethical ramifications of accepting paid work of this type from a restaurant.

And I’m sure there are those for whom taking this step will forever have tainted me in some way.

But I’m entirely comfortable with the whole process.

Greg had a need that I met with honest endeavour. The dinner invitees didn’t seem to think it off or otherwise noteworthy that I was getting paid for pulling it all together.

Or not so they told me, anyway. Indeed and instead, they seemed more than happy to be involved.

However, this event was the result of a confluence of several particular circumstances – so I’d be surprised if similar projects eventuated in the future.

Another topic covered in Trevor Young’s book microDOMINATION is the importance for bloggers of complete transparency at all times – which, of course, is one of the reasons for writing this post!

You can read Catty’s review here and Eve’s review here.

 

Providorable – all sorts of nice things in Willy

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Providorable, 46 Ferguson St, Williamstown. Phone: 9399 9355

Consider The Sauce had been aware of Providorable, but it took Miss Biscuit, Julia, to actually get us to check out the Williamstown shop.

Before getting around to an actual visit, I found myself becoming more and more impressed with the regular updates Providorable proprietor Kelly posts on her shop’s Facebook page – they’re full of passion for the goodies she stocks.

A visit to the Ferguson St emporium confirms the sincerity of those updates, with Kelly pointing out some of the high-quality products and their suppliers for which she is most enthusiastic and which you may struggle to source elsewhere in Melbourne (or our side of it anyway).

Products such as …

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… McGrath dressings from Albury and …

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… Arthurs Creek oils and condiments and …

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… she-tea from Daylesford (the tea is imported but the packaging and gorgeous artwork are done in Victoria) and …

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… lovely fruit-studded nougat from The Sweet Boutique in Brighton.

Mind you, Kelly is also has some delightful imported goodies as well, such as …

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… Harney & Sons tea from New York and …

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… fabulous Mazet chocolate in various flavours from France.

Providorable maybe isn’t the kind of place you’ll go to “stock up”, but for just that particular product or luxury item you seek or deserve, it’s a treat.

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New Zealand Marmite versus UK Marmite versus Australian Vegemite: The Great Taste Test

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CTS buddy Caron puts up what is – AKIK – her first food post! 🙂

Caron Eastgate Dann's avatarThe Crayon Files

© Caron Eastgate Dann, 2013

Never before have these three existed side by side in my house, though I’ve tried them all at one time or another.

I favour NZ Marmite, but the factory in Christchurch was closed in November 2011 as a result of damage done by the earthquake in February that year, and when stocks ran out, I had to make do with Vegemite. Recently, the factory started production again, but supplies have not yet reached our supermarket shelves in Australia. A kind friend from Hawke’s Bay on NZ’s North Island took pity on me and sent me two jars of Marmite. Another friend, from Sydney, decided I hadn’t really lived until I’d tasted again the superiority of British Marmite, and he sent me a special jar of limited-edition UK Marmite Gold, “blended with gold coloured flakes”. Thanks, dear friends—you know who you are.

People are deeply divided over these three. In my…

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Aangan’s lunch menu

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Aangan Indian Restaurant, 559 Barkly St, West Footscray. Phone: 9689 4175

Aangan’s food has come our way several times – all of them well before Consider The Sauce was launched.

In its earliest days, Aangan was a very makeshift affair with a small but ridiculously cheap range of food.

Just our kind of place in other words!

We visited again a few times when it went more formal and ritzy.

Since then, it has lost out in our affections to the plethora of places doing hit-and-run thalis, dosas, biryanis and other super cheapo Indian tucker in this part of West Footscray and elsewhere not too far away in the inner west.

I recall being told by a pal that Aangan was introducing a lunch menu more of the street food, cheap eats orientation in order to meet the challenge posed by its neighbouring competitors.

That information lay dormant until I happened to be passing and saw a mid-week table occupied.

OK, let’s give it a go!

The lunch menu advice I had received is correct – I am delighted to find quite a long list of goodies at very affordable prices.

They include gol guppe, cholley bhuturey, Punjabi parantha, some Indo-Chinese dishes and the expected idlis, vadas and dosas.

(I have used their spellings as on the Aangan lunch menu – see below.)

But what’s with the thalis, be they meat or vegetarian?

They are listed as including one chaat dish, entree, three curries, raita, salad, rice, roti and dessert.

Blimey – I am seriously intrigued.

But at $20, they’ll keep for a more special occasion.

Besides, they sound like they may be a sharing proposition.

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So a modest masala dosa ($9.50) it is for me.

It’s very good.

Though the pancake itself is among the smallest I have ever encountered.

But the filling of turmeric-tinged potatoes, mustard seeds, curry leaves and onions providing textural diversity is very fine indeed.

I am served two coconut-based chutneys, though struggle to perceive any difference between them.

The third, red and usually more spicy accompaniment is rather mild but good.

The nice-and-salty sambar is also mild, but I gleefully slurp up the whole lot.

It’s great to know there’s another very affordable Indian lunch option available in this neighbourhood.

 

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New Kingsville coffee spot, WeFo momo update …

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What was once Petitou at 206 Somerville Rd is now Project 206.

The place looks a treat, the coffee is good and they have a buy-five-get-one-free loyalty card and wifi.

Food runs, at present, to breakfast regulars, such as eggs and pancakes, and light lunch fare, such as a soup special, frittata and lasagna.

The kids/toy space at the back has given way to more regular seating and a liquor licence is in the works.

Owner Natalie tells me there are plans afoot to see the abandoned servo across the road become a four-level apartment block.

Whatever our collective ambivalence about rampant apartment development, that will surely be an improvement on the current eyesore!

Project 206 is open 10am-3pm Mondays, 9.30am-4.30pm Tuesdays to Fridays and 9am-430pm at weekends. Phone: 90044563.

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Meanwhile, over in Barkly St, Magic Momo Kafe proprietor Ravi tells me his baby is still at least a week away from opening its doors for the first time.

He’s taken a realistic approach to competing with the varied Indian options in the area, so is excited about a menu that covers a number of bases.

He promises a lively cafe vibe with great coffee and a spectacular range of Indian sweeties.

High points at Highpoint

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Fish Pier, Highpoint Shopping Centre. Phone: 9318 8277

Cupcake Central. Highpoint Shopping Centre. Phone: 9077 4542

Despite the fact we found the array of outlets and services available in Highpoint’s new food court a bit of a mixed bag, we have been enjoying our visits there.

The more recently opened fashion precinct adds a touch of undeniable class, even if the many shops therein are unlikely to ever see any of our money.

In the food section itself, we’ve bought meat and boreks from the rather classy butcher.

And if other chores and purposes take us to Highpoint, we’re more than happy to do our dinner shopping – and even a stock-up shop – at the very well stocked fresh produce store.

My one serious reservation about the new food area has been the lack of interesting places to eat.

There’s now an Italian-style panini/focaccia/sandwich place that looks like it may be worth checking out, although the salads on display look rather shopping-centre dreary.

In this setting, Fish Pier is also well stocked with fresh seafood.

It’s a pity, perhaps, that the place’s eat-in assortment is tucked around on the side, as on the basis of my lunch it’s well worth considering.

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At $10 or thereabouts, my fish and chips would be a perfectly OK lunch; at the special promotional price of $5 it’s an outright bargain.

The chips are fresh and hot but only average.

The flathead fillet is much better – a winner!

The panko-crumbed calamari rings ($1 each) are not freshly fried for me and are thus a bit tired on it, a bit soggy and chewy.

I could do without the salad bits and pieces.

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Like Fish Pier, Cupcake Central is part of a chain.

But forget about that; forget, too, the shopping centre location.

This is a stylish cafe space I’d be happy to spend time in just about anywhere.

Especially as my $3.30 cafe latte is outstanding.

My salted caramel cupcake ($4) is about 30 seconds of sticky decadence, although I do end up scraping off about half of the creamy, cloying topping.

All sorts of other sweeties, especially of the Italian variety, are always going to have bigger place in my heart than cupcakes, but this is a top spot.

See earlier stories about Highpoint here and here.

 

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Killer BBQ in Port Melbourne

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Third Wave Cafe, 189 Rouse St, Port Melbourne. Phone: 9676 2399

There are least a couple of reasons Consider The Sauce is not making merry with the growth of American-style BBQ availability in Melbourne.

One is geography.

While we’re not averse to crossing the Maribyrnong for a good feed, planning to do so contradicts our general ethos.

That’s an ethos that routinely, weekly sees us heading out to eat, getting to the end of the street and then deciding whether to turn left or right.

More often than not, at the time we leave home we have no idea where we’ll be eating.

Another factor is cost, although it does seem many of Melbourne’s BBQ offerings try to beat the cost pain by pitching themselves as bar or snack food.

But that leads to another, related factor.

For me, BBQ is about great slabs of meat, flavours going ballistic, lusty sides and generally pigging out.

“Pulled pork sliders” – shredded pork on bread rolls – just don’t impress me that much.

So I was intrigued to get an email from Greg from Port Melbourne’s Third Wave Café.

His establishment has featured twice at Consider The Sauce – see stories here and here.

The café has won friends for its dedication to great coffee and a menu that includes many solid dishes of the Russian persuasion.

But those were not what Greg wished to discuss with me – his focus was very much on Third Wave’s new baby, its comprehensive BBQ menu.

So far only available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, the new menu sees Third Wave transforming from daytime lunch and coffee spot to night-time restaurant.

That’s quite a change of direction.

And it’s a significant investment of time and money by Greg and his team, one on which the clock is ticking – Greg needs a word of mouth buzz and customers coming through those night-time doors, and quickly.

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When I meet Greg, a marketing man before his move into the hospitality industry, he tells me that in some way he wishes the internet – and food bloggers – had never been invented.

He reckons it would make life easier – or at least simpler.

But he also reckons that in a situation that finds Third Wave moving in a whole new direction, one that involves a sense of urgency in which the place’s Facebook page and established customers are unlikely to be adequate for the promotional cause, bloggers are his best bet.

He knows it’s a gamble, and that even should he get bloggers through the door, there’s no guarantee they’ll like the new food, let alone feel inspired to wax lyrical about it.

But he has profound faith in his product.

On that basis, would Bennie and I like to try the Third Wave BBQ goodies on a complementary basis?

And if that goes well, would I entertain the idea of helping organise a gathering of like-minded bloggers to do likewise?

 Sure, we’re up for that!

(Full disclosure below.)

As Bennie and I head for Port Melbourne, I’m hopeful but try to keep expectations in check.

Even before Melbourne’s current BBQ phase, my experience of ribs and the like in Melbourne has been one of abject mediocrity.

But, on the other hand, this will be Bennie’s first taste of this food genre – and I’m confident that if it’s any good at all, he’ll love it to pieces.

At the heart of the Third Wave BBQ menu are five meat offerings, one of fish and seven sides.

With the exception of the pork ribs, the small and large servings of which go for $28 and $53 respectively, the meats clock in at about $16-$19 and $29-$36. The sides range from $7 to $15.

Keep in mind, when looking at the pictures that accompany this story, that Bennie and I were served sample dishes of all the meat/fish offerings and four of the sides in order to have us experience a broad taste of the new menu.

But based on the half-dozen other occupied tables around us, the small serves are very substantial indeed. A half-serve and a side per person should be plenty and cost about $40.

That’s not exactly cheap eats territory, but it seems fine if it entails eating lusty BBQ in a glorious over-the-top fashion that I have never before found in Melbourne.

And as we’re about to discover, it does just that superbly.

Our first look and taste of the new menu comes with Greg introducing the three house-made sauces.

One with apple, one with bourbon, they’re of differing piquancy and spiciness and all delicious.

We proceed to enjoy all of them throughout the course of our meal.

Once the dust settles, the sauces would seem to offer ideal prospects for another future Third Wave commercial enterprise. If I was Greg, I’d already be having the labels designed.

But as he told me at our initial meeting, for him sauces should be the mere capping off of great meats smoked and cooked most excellently.

The place’s BBQ has those in abundance.

Let’s put it simply – the Third Wave BBQ dishes are without doubt the very best I have experienced in Melbourne and right up there with the greatest BBQ offerings I have previously eaten in the US.

Yes, really, that good.

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We start with the salmon and chicken.

(For full details of the smoking and cooking of each dish, please refer to the menu below.)

Bennie loves the salmon, but I find it hard to get excited about it. Maybe that’s down to a Kiwi upbringing that involved almost weekly eating of smoke fish.

The chicken impresses me a whole lot more with its great flavour and tenderness.

Next up are pork and beef ribs (top picture).

Oh my – these are incredible!

The pork ribs are fall-apart tender and produce great, delicious mouthfuls of pure delight.

The beef ribs are quite different but just as good. The staff have nicknamed them “dinosaur ribs”, such are the size of rib bones involved.

At a nearby table, a diminutive elderly gent is doing battle with a half-serve of these beef ribs. In an arm wrestle between punter and meat, we’d hesitate to nominate a winner.

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By comparison with both sets of ribs, the beef brisket looks rather demure.

Yet it, too, is amazing – so tender, juicy and delicately smoked. So much so, in fact, that I enjoy it without the addition of any of the sauces.

As with the beef ribs, the brisket is served with a creamy horseradish sauce. It’s fine, but we do prefer the tangy BBQ brews!

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By this time, Bennie and I are entering the realms of meat fatigue.

Perhaps that’s why the lamb shoulder doesn’t charm us quite as much as the more full-on meats that precede it.

And maybe, too, that’s down to the same Kiwi upbringing that saw lamb as at least a weekly affair.

It’s nice, but I can’t help but wonder whether lamb and smoking belong together. The house-made mint sauce is an oily number but supremely flavoursome.

But Greg tells us that some Australians simply can’t go past lamb.

For sides we have confit kippfler potatoes, glazed mushrooms, crispy coleslaw and pancetta peas.

They’re all fine, but apart from the juicy, rough-cut slaw, they are not your usual accompaniments to American-style BBQ.

We’re cool with that – we’re not about to start playing the purist game here.

In terms of sides, Third Wave is playing to its European/Russian strengths.

Besides, much as regular BBQ sides can very enjoyable, all too often they’re not that well done.

As we’d driven over the bridge to Port Melbourne, Bennie had asked what would become of the planned blogger do if we reckoned the food was no good.

The answer is, not a lot.

But on the basis of a terrific meal, I’m excited and happy to proceed.

Until June 6, Third Wave Cafe is offering a Thursday night special – buy any food item an get another free.

The Third Wave Cafe website is here.

Our meal at Third Wave Cafe was provided without charge by the owners in return for a story on Consider The Sauce. The food we were served was chosen by the staff in order to have us experience most of their new BBQ menu. Third Wave Cafe has not been given any editorial control of this post. Kenny has been engaged by Third Wave Cafe to help organise a blogger tasting gathering.

 

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Eureka! The day I received two emails from the same HR “job gatekeeper” in the space of a few hours …

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After submitting hundreds of formal job applications in the past couple of years with no reply or acknowledgement whatsoever, I was surprised by today’s events … here’s the relevant correspondence.

(The job is in the media, but I have omitted the company’s name and that of its HR officer.)

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Kenny,

Thank you for your application.

It appears you have not fully read the ad we placed in SEEK.

Please submit a small piece on what you consider to be a matter of importance as per the ad to be considered for this position.

Regards, XXXX XXXX

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Hi XXXX. I am required to apply for 10 jobs per fortnight to keep Centrelink happy. I have told them that with each application, three things will happen – I will not receive a reply, I will not got an interview and I will not get the job. So to actually have someone reply is a pleasant surprise!

It’s been years and years since I have received any sort of acknowledgment of a job application.

Cheers, Kenny

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I think it is common courtesy to reply to emails Kenny and I endeavour to do so.

Will I be expecting an article from you as per our requirements for this particular position?

Regards, XXXX XXXX

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Hi XXXX!

Wow – that’s an amazing approach. Unheard of in my many years of job-seeking. Good for you!

Now don’t get me wrong – I HATE being on the dole. HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. But at the moment it’s a necessary evil.

I am working hard to find work. I am mainly doing that through the networks and contacts I am generating via my food blog. My long CV (and, by extension, the unmissable fact I am a “mature age” worker) tends to mitigate against any success whatsoever in the regular job market of job adverts, seek etc etc.

Likewise, many years of doing selection criteria and the like have got me precisely nowhere.

I am interested in being considered for the role you are advertising.

My CV speaks for itself; the very excellent referees named therein will be happy to say even more.

So, no, I won’t be doing any homework for you. If that makes me ineligible for the role, that is your company’s loss, not mine.

I’m done with such sincerely undertaken, time-consuming and futile exercises. The fact I’ve received two emails from you in the space of a couple of hours indicates to me a more cavalier approach is well worth pursuing!

Cheers, Kenny

Don’t judge a book by its noodle box cover …

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Footscray Noodles In A Box Cafe, 83 Nicholson St, Footscray. Phone: 9687 8882

What?

I reckon that would’ve been a common reaction when many citizens realised Footscray mall was to become home to a noodle box establishment.

In a neighbourhood teeming with outstanding noodle options, it did seem like a food faux pas indicating unimagination running wild.

So now that it’s been up and running for a while, what’s the story?

Is it more than the signage might suggest?

The answer is an unequivocal, “Yes!”

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Sure, there are noodle box stalwarts such as wonton noodle soup and “chew kawi teow”.

And doubtless, it’s possible to order them in a box.

(I hate them, by the way – food killers!)

But this Sunday lunch time, when the cafe is one of the very few mall businesses actually open, the place is busy with customers, several of them hungry types of the Asian persuasion tucking in to big bowls of soup ‘n’ noodles.

As well, there’s other stuff going on here – affogato, chips, breakfast. And I bet they do a killer coffee.

I’m partially hankering for laksa, but spying the hand-written specials list at the serving counter, I have no hesitation in ordering pho.

What better way to see if these folks can rise above the baggage that goes with noodle box associations of mediocrity?

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My one-size-fits-all, $10.50 beef pho is fabulous.

Joining the lean sliced beef are slices of a fattier cut, beef ball discs and even some brisket.

The broth is a deepish brown with heaps of flavour.

Black pepper from the beef balls combines with red chilli slices to really give this soup bowl a hefty spice kick. I subsequently discover the chillis used are a shorter, hotter variety than is normally the case.

Given the quantity of meat, it’s a serve far larger than I can complete – if they sold small, medium and large, I’d order small.

Still, it’s been a killer lunch, with smiling, friendly service a bonus.

 

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Pre-match brekky a lark at the park …

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TOFWD* the organic food and wine deli, Orrong Park Tennis Centre, Sydney St, Prahran. Phone: 9510 6481

For a couple of reasons, Bennie has missed both footy practices this week.

Still, we’re up for the Saturday game, prepared to front up, make our apologies and get into it.

Feeling a bit out of the loop, we rely on the bare bones information on the official draw – which tells us it’s the first away game of the season.

Easy – over the bridge, along Kinsgway and eventually turn left on to Orrong Rd.

It’s only on awakening that I recall this fixture the previous year started a full hour earlier than usual, supposedly to preserve the afternoon tranquility of the sensitive residents.

So just to make sure, we hit the road at 7.30, only to arrive and find … no one, save for an adult exercise group and a heaps of dogs chasing balls.

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How to pass the time? That decision is a breeze on account of the presence of a rather lovely cafe.

Breakfast was bananas so we’re for sure up some actual on-a-plate food and suitable beverages to accompany.

In junior football settings, I find the usual canteen fodder of snags in white sliced bread sublimely appropriate, but given we have the time, we certainly plan on making good use of what is at hand.

TOFWD, a sister establishment to the one in Degreaves St in the CBD, has some inside seating, but a whole lot more outside in the sun.

It’s a lovely setting, which we are delighted to find is matched by the food, service and coffee/hot chocolate.

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Bennie’s “egg & bacon butty w spinach and bbq sauce on toasted ciabatta” ($10.50) looks a little light on for the price.

But it looks and smells divine, and does a fine job for the boy.

My repeated requests for a taste are deftly waved aside by my smirking offsider.

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My “avo & fetta smash” ($10.50) is likewise satisfactory.

It’s fresh as can be and on good bread.

So if you’re not here to play tennis, play fetch with a four-legged buddy, otherwise exercise or await your junior rugby teammates, is there any reason to visit TOFWD?

Well, yes.

The lunch menu (below) features such items as salads, pasta and a pie.

It’s quite the gem and this has been a fantastic Melbourne accident.

Open 7.30am-3pm Monday-Friday , Saturday 8am-3pm and Sunday 8am-2pm. Through the tennis term, are open until 5.30pm Monday to Wednesday.

 

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