Something groovy for WeFo

5 Comments

ovest3

 

Consider The Sauce may have views on the varying food, service and even the social media hubris of West Footscray’s Indian restaurants, but right from the start we’ve considered them a community asset.

So we were surprised to discover – via a comment on our story about new Indian kid on the block Amrutha – that such a welcoming outlook is by no means universal among West Footscray locals.

Still, as much as we love our Indian tucker, we also dig the heck out of diversity – so we’re delighted to see something very exciting happening in one of the neighbourhood’s landmark buildings.

 

ovest1

 

The double-storey building at 572 Barkly Street has been vacant and unused, so far as we are aware, for several years.

Its history includes time spent as an ANZ bank branch and as home for a Serbian Social Services And Support group.

That latter was still active when we were living just around the corner, many years before CTS.

My very strong visual recall is that “social service and support” meant, in this instance, a very blokey spot for coffee and gossip!

That’s the (potted) history.

The future is … Ovest.

The new eatery, at this point scheduled to be unveiled to the eating and coffee-slurping public in February, is the baby of Ben Sisley, his wife Stephanie and Alex and Kate from Seddon’s Sourdough Kitchen.

Ben has a long history in Melbourne’s hospitality industry, including more recently stints food styling in the corporate world and, before that, time with Mr Wolf in St Kilda and, before that, with Madame Joe Joe, also in St Kilda.

 

ovest2

 

Ben tells me Ovest (it means “west” in Italian) will offer food that will be based around the joint’s pizza oven – think pizzas and the likes of seafood and steak dishes using the same cooking apparatus.

Ben talks enticingly, for instance, of whole snapper lightly crusted/dusted with flour, seasoned, pan-fried and then quickly grilled in the pizza oven.

“We  will be tightly focused in terms of opening hours and menu at the start, and then we’ll see where the public takes,” he says.

“This is a great location and we think the area is ready for something like this.

“We see us catering to everyone from people grabbing an after-work drink right through to young families.”

What that means is … no pasta, no breakfast, dinner and maybe lunch on selected days.

Nor will there be entertainment offered – the open kitchen will play that role.

“The food is the entertainment,” Ben says.

And, thanks to a liberal licence being secured, there is the possibility of 1am finishes on Saturdays and Sundays.

“But we won’t be sitting around chewing up money on wages if there’s no customers around,” Ben quips.

Significant renovations are underway on the ground floor of the old bank building.

But in some ways it appears to be almost purpose-built for the likes of Ovest.

The classic ’60s/’70s style bar is cool as!

The area around the entrance will be for more casual, drop-in customers, with the rear area offering dining of a more formal variety.

Read Hilary McNevin’s story in The Age here.

Newport Thai hit

7 Comments
siam2

 

Siam Kitchen, 334 Melbourne Road, Newport. Phone: 9391 5179

Consider The Sauce has received a good deal of medical advice in the past six months or so.

Some of it was about food.

“We really like Siam Kitchen in Newport,” the doctor said. “The wok dishes and salads – not so much the curries.”

That’s the kind of advice – medical or otherwise – we’re happy to follow!

Truth is, Siam Kitchen has been on our radar for a long time.

 

siam1

 

The restaurant occupies the same strip as the recently covered Odd Spot Cafe.

We are expecting a modest, typical suburban Thai eatery.

So we’re surprised and delighted to discover within a really love room dominated by dark wood and tastefully decorated.

We’re happy to report that by and large the service and food reflect those good first impressions.

This place is a handy and classy notch or two better than the phrase “suburban Thai eatery” implies.

It’s early in the week but the place is busy, with a good half of the tables occupied and a constant stream of takeaway customers coming and going.

There’s only one front-of-house staff member at hand and she’s working very hard indeed, though some kitchen folk help out by bringing full dishes out and taking empty ones back in.

It’s Bennie and I only tonight so we keep it simple by choosing two entrees and two mains plus rice.

The entrees satisfy rather than thrill us.

 

siam5

 

We whip through two roti breads served with satay sauce ($5) in quick time though it’s all rather nondescript and the sauce lacks punch and is too sweet for us.

 

siam6

 

Crispy golden bags (tang tong) of marinated pork mince with garlic, spicy onion and herbs served with sweet chilli sauce ($6.90) are way better and much more interesting than your average won tons.

The chilli sauce, too, is a flavour hit, boasting more zip and depth of flavour than your typical commercial version.

I cannot tell if this one of those commercial brands tarted up in the kitchen or one made from scratch – either way, very nice!

 

siam4

 

Seafood pad cha of – “traditional” stir fry with peppercorn, ginger, eggplant and mixed vegetables ($14.90) – is my selection based on the eggplant component.

As it turns out, the eggplant is pretty much the least of it.

There’s plenty of seafood that tastes very fresh – I slurp up the mussels as Bennie is uninterested, and the scallops have terrific flavour.

Best of all, there’s nothing tame about the seasoning levels here – it’s a spicy blast.

 

siam3

 

Crispy chicken salad with herbs and chilli topped with peanuts ($13.90) is Bennie’s choice and the outright highlight of our meal.

The chicken bits really are crisp, and delicious to boot. And we love the crunch of the peanuts.

There’s a significant chilli hit here, too, and real tang thanks to coriander, mint and lemon juice.

Unlike some people we could mention, we’re by no means Thai food experts – but for what it’s worth, the Siam Kitchen menu appears to have no really unusual dishes or surprises.

That said, this is the best Thai food we’ve had in the west.

Check out the Siam kitchen website, including menu, here.

Altona Meadows bakery cool

3 Comments
babylon3

 

Babylon Bakery, 40 Rosebery Street, Altona Meadows. Phone: 9369 2992

So here’s Consider The Sauce thinking it had a pretty good handle on the places across the west that purvey Lebanese pies and pizzas … when reader Carolyn comes up with a new one for us to try in Altona Meadows.

Babylon Bakery, just around the corner from a small neighbourhood shopping centre, has been in business for about four years.

Three of us rock up for Saturday lunch and have a fabulous time.

 

babylon5

 

After we occupy one of the outside tables, boss man Diya moves the big umbrella so it covers us, the table and our food in pleasant shade.

Sarah cuts all our oven-baked choices into three for sharing ease and brings the plates to our table.

We feel like kings of the world sitting on an Altona Meadows nature strip.

 

babylon1

 

As we’re sharing, we have the za’atar with vegatables done in open pizza style rather than as a wrap. It costs $5.

It’s very good.

As are our lemon-spinach-onion,  chicken and spinach-cheese pies, all of which cost a simply fabulous $3.50.

Our nutella pie (top picture, $5.50) is brought to our table looking like a work of art

Studded with plump, hot, oven-roasted sultanas, it’s a wonderful thing, thinner and less doughy than many we’ve had.

My cafe latte is scalding hot but excellent.

 

babylon4

babylon2

Yarraville eats goss: Jamaican eatery

1 Comment

jamaica3

 

Inspired by this mind-blowingly interesting job advert, Consider The Sauce has tried phone, email and Facebook message in a bid to nail the details – so far to no avail.

Here’s what we know thus far …

A Jamaican restaurant will soon be opening in Yarraville.

It will be housed in the Gamon Street premises that for many, many years hosted Gravy Train and which are currently undergoing renovations.

The people behind the restaurant are those who run Boss Man Food – see website here and Facebook page here.

With that sort of pedigree, I reckon we’re all fully entitled to hope for something amazing.

How about that for something to look forward to?

 

jamaica4

 

Another Gamon Street gem, the good ship Advieh, is staying right where it is.

But in about a month those fine folks will be bringing their wonderful Middle East-inspired food to Yarraville village.

Little Advieh will operate out of a prime spot on Ballarat Street and not too far from the now-permanent park.

Wonderful news, we reckon!

 

jamaica1

 

Meanwhile, plans to fill the ground floor space of the old St George’s Theatre with a hospitality industry business appear to be taking time to come to fruition.

Finally trying the local F&C

2 Comments

under3

 

Under The Sea Fish & Chips, 49 Anderson Street, Yarraville. Phone: 9687 6912

Consider The Sauce has long held a preference for fish and chip joints that offer more than paper-wrapped bundles.

We like our F&C and accoutrements fresh-as and eaten at restaurant-provided seating – even if it is of the most rudimentary kind.

We like it, too, when proper cutlery and crockery are part of the deal.

So we’ve never gotten around to trying our very popular local fish and chippery.

But with Bennie being a happy fish eater these days, he’s several times recent in months declared his preparedness to troop around the corner and bring our dinner home.

So off he goes … and back he comes with a meal I find OK in some regards but disappointing in others.

Low expectations met?

Yes.

 

under1

 

The chips are hot but on the dull side for me.

Ordering instructions had been for a small so naturally the medium Bennie gets is excess to our requirements.

The calamari rings are of the reconstituted surimi variety, so are automatically graded “OK”.

Fish of the day is blue grenadier and it’s real good.

What’s more, we receive three generously sized pieces instead of two, so we eat really well.

But the batter of one of them is stuck to the paper and is only messily removed.

It’s been good fare, especially as the whole lot cost something under $20.

But I won’t be in a hurry to return.

 

under2

 

And with dinner?

Bickford’s, of course.

We go through at least a bottle of this stuff a week – lemon or lemon barley now that the bitter lemon variety seems permanently unavailable.

But tonight at the IGA we spied a new flavour – apple and cinnamon.

I detect only the faintest of spice undertones but Bennie reckons it’s the best of the lot.

Do dogs dig dumplings?

6 Comments
love3

 

I Love Dumplings, 311 Racecourse Road, Flemington. Phone: 9372 5218

The restaurant also known as Chinese Spicy and Barbie Kitchen appears to have bowed to the obvious and inevitable by embracing I Love Dumplings as its major name.

It’s also moved a few doors up the road – into what was once a bank building.

 

love1

 

On the outside, it’s drab, box-like appearance still reeks of financial sector.

 

love2

 

Inside, and after a no-doubt expensive and extensive makeover, it looks like, well, a Chinese restaurant.

With a happy, big mid–week lunch crowd in attendance and a vinegary tang in the air, it sounds and smells like one, too.

Team CTS is today two robust appetites and one not so much.

We order smartly and stick solely to dumplings – or almost – in celebration of the management’s embracing of the dumpling love mantra.

The lunch menu (see below), mind you, has a lot of very well priced and interesting non-dumpling dishes about the $10 mark that will make this a lunch hot spot for sure.

We spend about $10 per head and eat like kings.

 

love8

 

Pan-fried chicken corn dumplings ($9.80 for 15) are extreme in terms of plainness but taste beaut, the lovely chicken meat having enough corn kernels to provide flavour and texture lifts.

 

love7

 

Steamed pork and spring onion buns ($11.80 for six) are, we are assured, quite different from the regular BBQ pork buns.

We don’t find that to be the case, but they’re a hit anyway – quite delicate, and with enough moistness in the filling to offset the doughy exteriors.

 

love9

 

Steamed vegetarian dumplings in Sichuan chili sauce ($9.80 for 15) are our best dish.

The soy-based, thin sauce has enough of a spice kick to make the already fab dumplings really sing.

The parcels are packed with all sorts of goodies that make the absence of any sort of animal protein an irrelevance.

Do dogs dig dumplings?

The guide dog trainers of two lovely labs that have been in the house for lunch-time assure us they would if they could!

 

love4

love5

love6

 

Willy noodle shop

2 Comments
wok4

 

Wok Rite Inn Noodle & Snack Bar, 5 Ferguson Street, Williamstown. Phone: 9397 4077

Wok Rite Inn has been recommended to us more than once by a regular reader whose opinions we respect very much.

The vibe, we have been told, is one of a neighbourhood noodle shop with a bit more going on than in your average such establishment.

Over two visits, we discover that’s a fair assessment.

The staff seem to be many and are obliging.

There’s basic seating both inside and out.

The menu ranges widely through Chinese, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese dishes – something that’s not always a good sign, of course.

The food we are served is adequate in an average sort of way.

If we were any of the locals we see coming and going, we’d be regulars who know exactly which of the many menu boxes get our ticks.

 

wok5

 

Beef rendang with rice ($14.50) is rather good.

It’s on the sweet side and (unsurprisingly) mildly spiced, but there’s a heap of good, well-cooked beef.

And the generous flourish of snow peas and broccoli is appreciated.

 

wok2

 

The basic curry laksa ($13.5) appears to be not made from scratch – but I’m OK with that.

I’ve had worse at supposedly specialist Malaysian places in the west.

I like the tofu and vegetable components.

But the main protein hit comes from far too much roast pork of a thick and rather rubbery variety.

 

wok1

 

There’s plenty of that pork in the kwai teow ($13.50), too, though not so much as to deliver imbalance.

Bennie likes it even if he fails to finish it off – the serves here, it must be said, are of a very generous nature.

 

wok6

 

I’m told the beef curry puffs are made in-house but that my vegetable rendition is not.

I’m fine with that, too.

I suspect that’s the case with the likes of curry puff and samosas at more places across the west than most of us might suspect – especially at the lower end of the price spectrum.

What I am not fine with is the fact my fried parcel is stone cold in the middle.

A perfectly cooked replacement, brought with an apologetic smile, tastes just right.

Check out the Wok Rite Inn website here.

 

wok3

Yup! Another new Yarraville joint

1 Comment
beat9
b Eatery 21 Anderson St, Yarraville. Phone: 362 080

So Yarraville’s long-time burger place has gone.

No surprise, really.

Perhaps it was nudged out of the picture by the arrival of a Grill’d outlet just up the street.

Or perhaps it had simply done its dash.

Whatever the case, a new business is in residence – one we believe has proprietorial links with the previous establishment.

The place has been done out a treat – the ambience speaks of laid-back cool without trying too hard.

The upstairs area remains, but we hunker down in a nice back room.

 

beat2

 

We suspect, appraising the menu and generally taking in the operation, that while the success of this business is no doubt the paramount aim, such success may lead to other eateries of the same ilk opening up elsewhere.

The staff, we find, do a fine, on-the-ball job for us.

The two-sided menu (see below) covers the breakfast-and-more territory, including some very unusual items.

Sesame-seared ahi tuna nachos, prawn and crab “bang bang” cakes or Italian soda fountain drinks, anyone?

In the interests of blog diversity, Bennie has been banned from ordering the burger.

So he does the next best thing by nominating the steak sandwich (pictured at top).

It does good for him, with the nice slab of meat, good rocket and garlic-lemon aioli dressing all disappearing very quickly.

The chips are unlisted but we’re glad to observe their presence, as it makes the $15.50 steak sanger price tag a good one.

The chips are good though could be hotter.

 

beat8

 

We share one of the smaller items – a duck rice paper roll ($5).

It’s OK but the quack quotient is on the tardy side, meaning the roll’s filling is mostly vermicelli.

Presentation has trumped eating practicality – the hoisin sauce is prettily drizzled on the roll, the eating of which is thus a very messy business indeed.

 

beat7

 

For the second time in a week, I go the healthy route with my chicken salad ($16).

It’s a nice thing, beautifully presented and super fresh, especially the finely grated apple, which mixes well with grapes of both kinds, celery and chicken.

It’s like a waldorf salad with bells on – but without the waldorfs.

Ha!

The chook is a bit tasteless and I generally think of my lunch as being on the bland side.

I resist the temptation of requesting salt and/or pepper dispensing implements, but wonder if the rest of the menu evinces such rampant moderation in the seasoning department.

Given the spread of the menu, b Eatery we feel is likely to be a hit with families.

It appears to have been set up with some ingenuity, finding a niche in jam-packed Yarraville by doing what many others are without mirroring the competition in any precise way.

 

beat4

beat5

beat6

beat3

beat1

 

Meatmaiden without restraint

Leave a comment
meat21

 

Meatmaiden, Basement, 195 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. Phone: 9078 77

Nat and I visited Meatmaiden in November for a Saturday lunch.

We had a Very Nice Time, though in truth we didn’t get too carried away.

But I know that this kind of utterly delicious BBQ food requires, on occasion, a lack of restraint.

So I’m delighted to be back for dinner as part of a CTS team numbering four.

And this time, there will be no holding back.

The reasons are several …

It’s the end of my long, wonderful, meandering, post-surgery down time.

The regular work routine will kick in in just a few days.

And – perhaps most importantly – it is birthday time for one of our group!

 

meat23

 

We even do cocktails all round – non-alcoholic for Bennie!

With no hesitation, we all four opt for the “chef’s choice” Maiden’s Mood deal of two small/share dishes, three from the smoker/grill/not-meat, and two sides for $49 per person.

We only do so after ascertaining that we will not, by choice, be served anything from the “not meat” line-up.

We’re here for the meat.

We’re most certainly not here for eggplant, even if it is BBQ eggplant.

And we’re most certainly not here for pumpkin, even if it is smoked pumpkin.

What we are served sates every desire for BBQ we possess.

It’s fantastic.

And there’s a lot of it.

 

meat22

 

Up until this point, I would’ve rated Meatmaiden – with its clubbish, sophisticated atmosphere – as a little less our go than the raffish roll-up-your-sleeves vibe of Fancy Hank’s.

As of tonight’s feast, I am more than happy to give them equal billing.

The Maiden’s Choice?

Very highly recommended by us all, and good value to boot.

Here’s what we devour …

 

meat210

 

Devilled eggs – delicate and mildly but beautifully seasoned flavour bombs.

 

meat24

 

Two serves of pickled heirloom veg, chilli and goat curd – a wonderfully tangy mix of all sorts including baby carrots and beetroots.

 

meat211

 

Southern fried chicken ribs with tequila mayo – crunchy and fab.

 

meat29

 

That divine brisket – the serve is way bigger than it appears in this photo.

 

meat28

 

Lamb ribs with lemon crumb – black-as, fatty but very enjoyable.

 

meat26

 

Two serves of wonderful pulled pork – we struggle to eat it all.

And fail.

 

meat25

 

Two serves of fries – they’re fine but seem somehow superfluous to our present carnivorous requirements.

 

meat27

 

A big bowl of coleslaw.

It’s good, but I reckon it could do with a good dollop of some form of acid.

As we wind up our very extremely meaty evening, Bennie wonders aloud if ordering all of the above separately would cost more or less than what we’ve paid.

We doubt it. But we’re not about to spoil our post-meal glow by doing the maths.

Why bother?

Just go for it!

Check out the regular prices at the Meatmaiden website here.

Newport cafe cool

8 Comments
odd1
Odd Spot Cafe, 302 Melbourne Road, Newport. Phone: 9399 2241

Following a knowledgeable recommendation, we give Odd Spot Cafe a whirl after stocking up nearby on goodies for the general all-round comfort of our new family member.

Odd Spot Cafe is situated amid a strip of shops on Melbourne Road to which we usually pay little interest as we’re usually too intent on going elsewhere when we whiz past, though we’ve also heard that the Thai joint Siam Kitchen is worth checking out.

Odd Spot has a nice fit-out dominated by black and white that speaks of coolness on a hot day.

It presents as an oasis.

We really enjoy our lunch choices and find the service to be grand.

 

odd7

 

Odd  Spot features a number of dishes and a philosophy and approach that embrace “health food” – the sort of thing that can send the senior member of Team CTS fleeing.

So Bennie’s burger ($16) amply illustrates the “don’t judge a book by its cover” axiom.

It’s all-round fantastic.

He would’ve preferred onions to be cooked and some bacon but he really digs the pronounced pickled cucumber tang.

Is there anything more important – apart from the patty itself – to creating a successful burger?

The crinkle-cut chips are fine.

 

odd6

 

Kenny, what are you thinking?

Sesame-crusted carrot fritters with “wilted spinach, pesto, hummus and micro herbs” ($16.50)?

Yes, I surprise myself by going all healthy.

Perhaps it’s a the festive season and all that oh-so-rich food we’ve been eating, but it does me fine.

Sure, the carrot pulp of the fritters is coated with sesame seeds rather than crusted or even, it seems, really cooked.

Perhaps I would’ve liked a bready base of some sort.

And the seasoning levels are way below what we’re used to in our mostly multicultural journey.

But right now, here today, this hits the spot.

 

odd3

 

The Odd Spot cake display cabinet is chockers with great-looking things.

Bennie and I split a “chocolate fondant of goodness” ($4).

It’s a paragon of choc intensity and we love it.

Our cafe latte and hot chocolate are winners.

 

odd4

odd5

odd2

Country pub lunch and Boris

10 Comments
boris10
Cosmopolitan Hotel, corner High Street and Cosmo Road, Trentham. Phone: 5424 1516

Our Monday trip to Trentham and Woodend, postponed from the heat-struck weekend, has as its main purpose choosing a new family member for Bennie and I.

But of course we have multi-faceted aims that include eating.

As company we love having along two pals who are as intensely passionate about all sorts of critters as they are about a good meal.

After a nice, safe drive on a lovely summer’s day we depart our car, stretch and take in the fetching surrounds of Trentham.

Original plan had been to dine at the town’s famous bakery but we make an impromptu last-minute decision to try one of the two pubs on main street instead.

We do good.

The food we try is typical pub fare, enjoyable and fairly priced by the standards of our westie pub haunts.

 

boris14

 

The cool, gloomy bar and dining room are almost deserted, but we love the garden out back – it’s big and charming thanks to its slight scruffiness and plentiful shade.

As we commence our lunch, we are among the first customers. By the time we depart, the place is doing good trade for a Monday.

 

boris7

 

A shared plate of Cosmo fried chicken with chipotle mayonnaise ($14) is beaut.

The crumbed chook is hot, superficially grease-free, tender and tasty; the smoky condiment is marvellous.

 

boris9

 

Two of us go the chicken parma ($19).

It’s a winner, the thickish chicken slab tender in the middle, hot throughout, topped by the usual and with a nice sage tang permeating.

The chips are excellent.

What is it with parmas and salads?

Is there some sort of dictate-from-on-high that means parma salads must always look like a clone of the above pictured mix of mismatched ingredients?

 

boris8

 

Thankfully, the salad accompanying Bennie’s salt and pepper calamari ($28) is much better, with its orange, radish and fennel components in harmony with the rest.

This is our most expensive selection, but there’s no doubting its quality, the soft-textured batter allowing the calamari’s flavour to sing.

 

boris6

 

Spinach and ricotta dumplings with basil, napoli sauce and parmesan ($26) are a lighter treat with appropriately milder flavours.

 

boris3

 

On the way back to Woodend, we pause for a breather at Trentham Falls – yes, that’s Bennie right in the middle there.

 

boris2

 

Then we’re at Pet’s Haven for the culmination of a long-considered decision – yes, a feline for us.

I don’t let us get too involved in hand-wringing because, yes, they’re all gorgeous.

I withstand Bennie’s forceful arguments in favour of one particular kitten, but only after ascertaining from the staff that the fact it has only one eye and stitches where the other used to be will in no way harm its chances of finding a new home.

We settle on a feisty 11-month-old black devil named Boris.

 

boris1

 

So now Team CTS is three.

In our first 48 hours with Boris, I wonder if I’ve made a mistake – if perhaps we should have chosen an older, more sedate and settled companion.

Boris is a small holy terror, a ball of hyper-energy.

But then again this is probably the first time he’s been able to run and cavort relatively freely for who knows how many weeks or months!

Check out the Cosmopolitan website here and Facebook page here.

CTS Feast No.11: Pizza d’Asporto

3 Comments

feast112

THIS EVENT IS NOW BOOKED OUT.

Consider The Sauce Feast No.11:
Pizza d’Asporto,
Rifle Range Shopping Centre, 71 Kororoit Creek Road. Phone: 9397 2033
Date: Sunday, February 15.
Time: Noon-2pm.
Food: Buffet-style offering of pizzas, pasta, salads and starters as chosen by Pizza d’Asporto.
Guests to pay for soft drinks separately.
12 places available

Pizza d’Asporto in Williamstown has become a firm CTS favourite in a very short time.

We love the food and the relaxed, happy vibe – and the people who create both.

So we’re thrilled and delighted that Claudio, Antoinetta and their crew will be co-hosting the first CTS Feast of 2015.

As is likely to be the case with most of this year’s Feasts, there are only a small numbers of places available.

In this case, the ticket monies will be split 50/50 between CTS and Pizza d’Asporto.

Since our initial story on Pizza d’Asporto, here’s what we’ve enjoyed on subsequent visits.

feast115

Penne with quail and porcini ragu ($17).

What a brilliant contrast to the usual grilled or roasted quail!

Stunningly delicious this was.

feast114

Pizza patate with mozzarella, potato, taleggio, caramelised leek and rosemary ($14).

So nice to have cubed spud chunks instead of slices.

feast113

Parmigiana di melanzane with layers of eggplant, mozzarella, potato and Napoli sauce ($12).

Typically done as a bigger dish in a lasagne style, Caludio makes this much wetter – almost like a stew.

feast111

Calzone Nutella with strawberries ($10).

Bennie’s choice, of course.

Wise guys do dumplings

5 Comments
wise7
Dumplings Wise, Watergardens (Coles end). Phone: 9449 9332

There are some damn fine places to get dumplings in the western suburbs, but they’re not exactly thick on the ground in general or in any particular neighbourhood in particular.

So the opening of such a venue in a shopping centre is most certainly noteworthy and blog-worthy, even if it is a pretty fair haul from Yarraville to Taylors Lakes!

We wonder if this joint has anything in common with a certain Highpoint business beyond a similar name and, going by online evidence, appearance.

The answer is: No.

We’re told Dumplings Wise is a completely separate operation.

Moreover, while the menu (see below) is much as expected, it has no such items as mee goreng or laksa.

We reckon the fact this place is happy being Chinese and not trying to be Malaysian as well is probably a good sign.

 

wise8

 

The place is done out in a mix of Asian and standard fast-food restaurant styles.

We like the abacus!

It’s a matter of make your choices, go to the front counter, then pay and order.

We find the staff to be very professional, cheerful and good.

We’re a hungry group and order widely.

Our conclusion?

Dumplings Wise is a hot spot given the location, price, service and scarcity of dumplings in the far-flung outer west.

We nail far more hits than misses.

We advise homing in on the dumplings, as those we eat are excellent and those we see being consumed around us appear to be equally fine.

 

wise11

 

Sichuan noodles with minced pork and peanut sauce is the familiar with a twist.

We do expect the mild spiciness (we know well by now that a two-chilli rating in a shopping centre food is hardly cause for alarm bells), tangy sauce, good noodles, minced pork, mushrooms and tiny tofu cubes.

But the peanutty factor gives this dish a flavour whack quite different from the many other different versions we’ve had of this dish.

We wish we’d gone for the more modestly sized $6.90 version as the $9.80 rendition is huge.

 

wise3

 

We order the steamed BBQ pork buns (two for $2.50) for Bennie, who a. skipped breakfast; and b. is subsequently very hungry.

He likes them plenty. They taste light and fresh to me, but they’re “not really my thing”.

 

wise4

 

Steamed vegetables dumplings (four for $6) present as rather grey and drab.

But the innards do the biz, being a tasty mix of tofu, mushrooms, carrot and (maybe) water chestnut and bamboo shoot, all elements finely diced.

 

wise1

 

Pork dumplings in hot chilli sauce ($10 for 15) is both the best value and best tasting of our lunch selections.

This is a 10/10 dish for me – to my mind it’s as good as anything you’ll get at any of the more fabled dumpling joints in Melbourne.

The saucy soup in which the dumplings swim is more soy than chilli, but it turns out to be just the right kind tangy dressing the dumplings require.

The pork parcels themselves are top notch – fresh, slippery, hot and with tender but meaty piggy fillings.

 

wise2

 

Steamed baby broccoli with oyster sauce ($8.80) is something of a disappointment.

We appreciate having some greenery to go with the more weighty and meat-laden parts of our meal, and the heads are fine.

But the dish is barely warm and the stalks are tough and bitter.

 

wise10

wise9

wise6

2014 in review

5 Comments

It’s always interesting – for me anyway! – to receive the cool annual report from WordPress.com

As always, I am bemused – but not surprised – to find that despite 211 new posts, the most popular remain two “oldies” about prawn crackers and seafood extender.

Here are some figures not in the report that track the growth of CTS:

Page views per year

2011: 3,410
(5 months)

2011: 48,950

2012: 151,207

2013: 205,575

2014: 270,000 approx

Average page views per day:

2010: 26
(5 months)

2011: 134

2012: 413

2013: 563

2014: 736

 

Many thanks for all the comments and tips!

 

 

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 270,000 times in 2014. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 12 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Gooey in the centre

2 Comments
toasta3
Toasta. Phone: 0407 331 889

When Bennie and I take one of our regular drives around the inner western “coast” – along the Strand and right through to Altona, or the other way around – we have a tradition that when we sight the bay from anywhere near Williamstown Beach we count out loud the number of ships we see “parked” out there.

We’ve developed the same routine when cruising past the food trucks at Yarraville Gardens, counting off and naming the truck as we pass.

But we don’t stop to eat so often these days – the food trucks are just one of the many options open to us all.

But I am keen to check out the Toasta crew and their sangers.

 

toasta2

 

I admire their ingenuity in finding a niche in a tight truck marketplace.

I wonder if they create great toasted sandwiches within the demanding truck framework.

The answer is: Yes!

They key is really good ingredients.

They use Zeally Bay sourdough, which has just the right structural integrity without being too gnarly.

It toasts splendidly.

 

toasta6

 

I go for the Barry, with cheddar, brisket, dill pickle and smokey BBQ sauce for $12.

While my sandwich appears of only modest proportions, I know after one bite it’ll be eating bigger than it appears.

After four bites, I realise it’s a bargain and wonder if I’ll be able to finish it.

I do, but there’s no room for anything else, so I dig the purity of the Toasta menu that excludes fries and other sides.

The dominant flavour is of very good cheddar with brisket undertones, with quite a lot of dill pickle providing zingy punctuation.

Wonderful!

I like, too, how Toasta dispenses with the usual soft drinks, be they the commercial riff raff or fizz of the more boutique variety.

My lemonade house-mixed soda ($4) is real nice.

Just don’t go thinking a Toasta sandwich is in any way more healthy than the burgers, fries, grills or stuff-on-sticks being served up by their food truck compatriots!

Check out the Toasta website here. And, of course, “like” their FB page to know where they’re at.

 

toasta4

Once was Yarraville’s main drag

21 Comments

stephen12

 

It seems like one of those cases of not missing something until it’s gone.

For the most of the decade-plus we’ve lived in the west, the large block on the corner of Somerville Road and Stephen Street was vacant.

I can’t recall us ever using it for frisbee or even walking across it, but it was kinda nice having that empty space there in times of crammed-in housing development.

Then, a few years back, a row of quite nice, larger house were built on Castlemaine Street.

Now almost the rest of it is being consumed by masses of rather tacky-looking townhouses.

Long-time local Chris tells me that the land was once occupied by a big factory that produced Ebeling street sweepers, and that apparently its long non-use had quite a lot to do with soil contamination.

As with many of the online searches I did for this story, I didn’t turn up much more than real estate matters.

But I did find some beaut pictures of Ebeling street sweepers at the State Library – here.

 

stephen1

 

Sticking to one side of Stephen and moving towards Francis Street, I stop to admire the handsome residence know as Glenara.

 

stephen2

 

The plaque on the adjoining garage gives depth to the Ebeling connection to the adjacent, long-empty but now fully developed block.

 

stephen11

 

The building that houses the Village Animal Hospital appears to have three other Stephen Street addresses – two appear to be residential, and the third is displaying signs of refurbishment.

 

stephen8

 

How about these two charming if rather ramshackle looking buildings?

One houses a neat-and-tidy old-school corner store.

The windows of the other are comprehensively crammed with books. Unfortunately, the spines are facing inwards so the occupants’ reading interests remain a mystery.

 

stephen10

 

Yarraville is home to a number of once-were-halls that have been transformed into homes.

I wonder what purpose this one, on the corner of Stephen and Sussex streets, originally served?

Scouts, church, service club, other?

 

wov4

 

Moving back along the other side of Stephen, the name of lovely new cafe Woven tells something of the mill history of the brick building.

As far as I can tell, all the other occupants are of a commercial nature.

 

stephen7

 

The Yarraville Club building is obviously of a more contemporary nature than the others featured in this story.

But according to the club’s website, its history dates back to 1905.

The club’s orignal premises were opened at the same address in 1910.

These days, the club hosts some cracking music and comedy gigs, but somehow we’ve never attended any.

And we find the food prices a bit scary.

 

stephen6

 

I seem to recall that this now disused takeaway shop was in action until quite recently – i.e. some time in the past half-dozen years or so!

I like the shark signage in the window – it ties in with sharks seen elsewhere on F&C emporiums in the greater neighbourhood (Charles and Roberts streets to name just two).

 

stephen5

 

Finally, and almost returning to the start of my walk, we find what are perhaps Stephen Street’s two most notable and intriguing buildings.

On the corner of Stephen and Lennox, and with the date 1875 on its frontage, is a double-storey building that once housed “Big Smiths” wine and tea store.

 

stephen4

 

According to the plaque, W.P. Smith ran a licensed grocery and produce store here from 1874 to 1906.

 

stephen3

 

Right next door is a swell-looking brick building emblazoned with a front sign that says The Yarra Coffee Palace, while on the side are signs advertising Capstan ciggies and Temple Bar tobacco.

I was thrilled to find this amazing essay – published just a few months back and written by Lucia Nardo for the Melbourne Circle website.

She details her memories of her family taking up residence there in the early 1960s.

And from her story, we learn that the advertising signs were refurbished by the subsequent owners.

(After reading this story, Lucia sent me an email I have printed below in the comments section with her approval.)

Still, how I’d love to know more detail of the Yarra Coffee Palace’s glory days.

When WERE those glory days?

What sort of coffee was served?

Was it a well-to-do establishment or one of a more blue-collar bent?

And, most entrancingly, was food served and, if so, what kind?

You can check out Lucia’s blog here.

CTS in 2014 – what we dug

1 Comment

best141

 

The following is by no means a full accounting of Consider The Sauce’s memorable moments for 2014 – and any absence is not meant as a slight.

Onwards, and in no particular order …

 

f1013

 

THE CTS FEASTS

How amazing that the Feasts have become an institution!

Happy events were held in 2014 at Pho House, Indian Palette, La Morenita (twice! See here and here), Vicolo, Xiang Yang Cheng and Phat Milk.

Thanks to everyone involved!

 

best147

 

KILLER OLIVES

These superb, crunchy green olives marinated using lemon rind are from Altona Fresh in Altona.

Even Bennie likes them!

 

eri9

 

THE CTS FUNDRAISERS

Two events were held – at Kokeb to raise money for Eritrean Australian Humanitarian Aid and at the Plough to raise money for Welcome West Wagon.

This is a new area for us – one we hope to pursue further in 2015.

Truth is, I’m still getting my head around the particular requirements involved.

If anyone runs a community-minded restaurant – or knows someone who does – who might interested in hosting such a fundraiser, please let me know!

 

hub17

 

ROAD TRIP TO TRENTHAM, MIND BLOWN

The Trentham Food Hub’s Growers, Cookers & Eaters bash was a wonderful event featuring superb produce excellently cooked that was enjoyed by a lovely crowd.

CTS is looking forward to attending the 2015 event with a passel of friends!

 

r68

 

RICKSHAW RUN

It was incredible and thrilling.

Bennie and I did our volunteer thing with many others, including many friends, saddling up for the almost the entire weekend.

We are hoping to have the opportunity to do it all again.

 

ed35

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EDUARDO!

Many thanks to the Urban Ma and her extended family for allowing me the honour and joy of participating in a very special Pinoy celebration.

 

ebix1

 

EBI DEGUSTATION

Just for a night, our favourite F&C-cum-Japanese joint went swisho and very special.

I am very glad I was there.

 

best144

 

MING’S BEETROOT RELISH

I would’ve been quite happy to publish here the recipe for this amazing beetroot relish made by our friend Ming.

But she tells us she hasn’t quite nailed down the final, perfect recipe yet.

Whatever – the batch she kindly gave us was delicious, sweet and fragrantly spicy.

 

best145

 

LEBANESE HEAVEN

After twice visiting and writing about A1 Bakery in Essendon – see here and here – CTS returned with a handful of likeminded pals just for the sheer pleasure of it.

We agreed on a fee and basically let A1 proprietor Gaby decide what we would eat.

It was amazing! It was a momentous meal!

We earnestly suggest you forget about the association of the A1 brand with Lebanese pies and pizzas and explore instead the superb range of home-style Lebanese cooking on hand.

As this was a non-blogging gathering, it went unrecorded in a photographic sense – except for the coffee!

 

best143

 

COMA COOKIES

Ginger-coated sugar cookies baked by CTS pal Christine.

So plain, so very sweet, so dreamily amazing.

 

hank3

 

ACE BBQ

By now, CTS has tried quite a few of the places around Melbourne that are serving BBQ.

Fancy Hank’s remains the best we’ve had.

Quite apart from the superb quality of the meats ‘n’ sides, we love the no-frills roll-up-your-sleeves vibe of the place.

 

best146

 

FRIDAY CURRY RUN

Yet another big tick for the beaut Sri Lankan tucker enjoyed by Star Weekly fans and provided by Sevandi and the crew at Spicy Corner?

Why not?!

 

best141

 

ORPHAN’S CHRISTMAS

Thanks to Josh, Eliza, Nat, Nicole, Poppy and Ollie for sharing their day with us!

 

best142

 

DODGING A BULLET

The troubled times that led me to have a check-up proved to have no physical downside – but my doc spotted something else amiss, so sent me off to a urologist.

In quick time, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and the amazing team at Royal Melbourne whipped that sucker out.

Had events not unfolded as they did, in all likelihood – in every probability, in fact – I may have gone undiagnosed until it was too late.

Whew!

Happily, despite the major nature of the surgery, I spent only two nights in hospital – meaning I was able to avoid almost entirely having any truck with the hospital food!

 

salute1

 

2015?

More CTS Feasts.

Hopefully, more CTS fundraising events.

Bennie and I are in the preliminary stages of brainstorming questions for a Super Dooper CTS Quiz – and hopefully there’ll be a bunch of really good prizes to be had!

And, no doubt, there will be a whole lot more in 2015!

Mall rice goes nice … well actually, it’s just OK

4 Comments
rice2
Rice Workshop, Highpoint. Phone: 9318 8368

Highpoint, two days before Christmas?

Clearly, I am out of my mind.

But I don’t feel like driving to Carlton or getting the train to the CBD.

I want to get a couple a couple of Stephen King books for Bennie, and a few bits and pieces for other folks and other reasons.

Where else am I to go?

Bookshops, western suburbs – not the strongest of relationships.

I am delighted and surprised to find the crowds light-on and chilled-out – hey, this is way better than your average Saturday in here!

After securing my books – including a prime piece of holiday season escapist trash for myself – I start hankering for lunch, and wondering if there is anything around acceptable in the same way this place and this place are.

Putting the word “workshop” in a franchise outfit’s name is a wheeze, of course, designed to suggest there’s something going on beyond shopping centre food.

That’s not the case … but you can eat well here, based on the yumminess of my chicken katsu curry bowl.

 

rice3

 

I’m very glad I’ve ordered the regular size for $7.90 rather than the large for $9.40, as it’s a big serve that I fail to fully consume.

There’s a generous number of well-cooked, crunchy chicken pieces.

The smooth Japanese-style curry gravy is mildly spiced and has a few chunks of carrot in it.

The whole deal is topped by some crunchy pickled ginger.

Not bad!

As well as the made-to-order range of rice, noodle and salad dishes, the display cabinet at front hosts a number of fried and grilled items.

On the basis of …

 

rice4

 

… a dismal tempura prawn and …

 

rice5

 

… a bitter-tasting seaweed salad, CTS recommends sticking with the bowled line-up.

That way you’ll avoid the typical shopping centre plastic overkill as well!

Check out the Rice Workshop website – including menu – here.

 

rice1

How CTS finds food

3 Comments

how2

 

Musing on how Woven’s Facebook page had a direct bearing on my choice of Sunday lunch spot has got me thinking about the various and varied methods Consider The Sauce utilises to find cool places to chow down at and write about.

Those methods have become more numerous and, dare I say it, more sophisticated since CTS set sail.

When pondering such things, it’s instinctive for me to immediately wonder how and why our friends and readers do likewise.

The truth is – an amazing truth it still often seems to me – is that for many that means reading CTS!

 

how3

 

JUST DRIVING AROUND

This is our default, bedrock method for finding new eats places – and is simply a lot of fun!

Food-spotting adventures can range from driving to or from school or work (in Hoppers Crossing and Keilor West respectively) through to places noted on the way to or from a specific restaurant or food precinct, or just simply aimless tooling around.

Like all locals, including very much our readers, we keep a keen eye out for developments on all the main thoroughfares – Anderson, Ballarat, Gamon, Charles, Victoria, Barkly, Hopkins, Hampshire, Alfrieda, Pier, Racecourse and so on.

But beyond doing that, Bennie has gone from resigned acceptance to enthusiasm about his father’s keenness for avoiding retracing our steps, taking a left turn or right turn when straightahead is the obvious way home, and for checking out even the smallest and most humble neighbourhood retail precincts.

We find new places to try doing all of the above, and also these days find material for the ongoing series of “eats goss” posts that have become a CTS feature this year.

For sure, there will be a heap more of them in 2015.

 

how4

 

MAINSTREAM MEDIA

Early on in the CTS piece, I commented upon being “scooped” by The Age.

Since then?

I can’t recall a single instance of the likes of The Age or the Herald Sun or any other organ of the MSM enlightening us in any way in terms of western suburbs food.

Both Melbourne major newspapers do include western suburbs food in their coverage, but that coverage is hardly consistent and often seems tokenistic.

That’s OK – they have their own readership imperatives to address in what is a very tough game.

If anything, it seems more likely these days that western suburbs businesses will get the sort of exposure offered by The Age or the Herald Sun after CTS or one of the several other blogs who cover the western suburbs have already started the ball rolling.

These days, the western suburbs are serviced by only two suburban community newspaper groups – Leader and Star Weekly.

We generally don’t get Leader delivered and I work for Star Weekly.

In either case, the food content – be it editorial, advertorial or even advertising – is minimal.

Where Star Weekly – and, thanks to my sub-editorial role there, I am across the content of not just the Maribyrnong-Hobsons Bay edition but of the entire group – really helps CTS is through stories and “community calendar” inclusions concerning wonderful community events such as this bread jamboree in Lalor.

This is a very fabulous thing!

 

how5

 

NICHE MEDIA

As both food blogger and media junkie, I keep an eye on outfits such as Urbanlist and Broadsheet.

Truth is, though, they seem even more constrained by dedication to inner-city trendiness than the major newspapers.

So … no.

 

how6

 

TIPS BY READERS, FRIENDS AND FELLOW TRAVELLERS

These are right up there with “just driving around” when it comes determining CTS content!

They can take the form of comments on blog posts.

They can be in the form of suggestions on the CTS Facebook page, private FB or Twitter messages or emails – or even the result of face-to-face encounters.

In all cases, we love them to pieces.

I’ve long been in the habit of chasing down such tips and rumours with alacrity – not because I feel obligated but because I really, really enjoy doing so.

In this way, CTS often seems – wonderfully – to be not simply a matter of a blog and its readers but more like a collective adventure!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

how7

 

OTHER BLOGGERS

Yes.

I habitually follow a dozen or so Melbourne blogs and bloggers I admire most and do get post ideas from them.

 

how8

 

URBANSPOON

It’s no secret this international food/restaurant site has its faults and many detractors, but for CTS it is an invaluable resource.

We use it not just by scanning the recent blogger and “diner” reviews but by checking out – several times a week – the “recently added” listings for the “western suburbs” and “inner west”.

Often there’s little to catch our eye – but sometimes there most definitely is.

 

how9

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook can seem creepy and has its faults, but it’s a core aspect of the CTS operation.

For starters, as covered here, many readers digest posts on the blog itself but choose to interact with us via the CTS FB page – and that’s fine!

More to the point of this story, CTS “likes” and keeps on “liking” an ever-broadening collection of western suburbs food businesses, community groups and individuals – invaluable and enlightening!

As well, Facebook ads come in handy.

Really!

For instance, it was through my FB activity that FB chose to display an ad for a beaut Avondale Heights bakery that resulted in this post.

And through “liking” that business, I found out about this fantastic Williamstown pizza place!

I remain largely indifferent to Twitter, but continue to post story links there for those readers who rely on that for keeping up to date with CTS.

As for the rest – Yelp, Reddit, Instagram, Stumbleupon, Pinterest and the like – it all remains a mystery!

 

TELEVISION

Hahahaha.

Po’ boy in Yarraville

1 Comment
wov23
Woven Cafe, 175b Stephen Street, Yarraville. Phone: 9973 5926

Since our first foray to Woven, I have returned for a sandwich and coffee.

Today, though, my visit has a more singular focus – I am responding the lure set by the joint’s Facebook page.

Some eateries really work their Facebook pages hard and well; others not so much.

Woven is definitely among the former, posting what seems like several times a day – muffins du jour, specials and often things a lot more whimsical.

 

wov24

 

So the shrimp po’ boy it is for me.

It makes me happy.

 

wov21

 

There’s a heap of delightfully well-cooked, tender and tasty prawns that work oh-so-well with the slaw and its dressing and the all-important pickle slices.

Liberally doused with the red of the two hot sauces brought to my table, it all tastes great.

Even in these days of hot-shot $10+ sandwiches, $19 is a steep asking price.

But given the quality of the ingredients and their preparation, and the hand-cut chips on the side, it’s also value for my money, I reckon.

My only quibble is with the bread.

Po’ boys are perennially described as being prepared using baguettes.

But in New Orleans terms what that means is a broad, pliable loaf that makes for an easily wielded two-handed sanger.

This excellent CBD place, for instance, sources bread of just the right kind from a Vietnamese baker.

Woven, by contrast, has used a genuine French-style baguette that is too dense and too narrow.

I don’t mind at all, as the bread is still good and I happily treat my meal as an open sandwich and use cutlery.

I doubt that this particular item will be a regular feature for Woven so a specific bread supplier is hardly warranted.

My cafe latte is excellent.

 

wov22

 

As I’d approached Woven for my lunch, it struck me what a boon it must be for the “local” locals, situated as it is away from hyper activity around the Anderson and Ballarat street intersection.

So I was surprised to find that on this Sunday lunchtime it was sparingly occupied, though several of the outside tables were taken.

If we lived on this side of the tracks, I’d be here near daily as I dig the place lots!

You can “like” the Woven Facebook page here.