Tag Archives: CTS Feasts

CTS Feast No.6: La Morenita

2 Comments

ctsfeast6

Consider The Sauce Feast No.6: La Morenita

67 Berkshire Rd, Sunshine North. Phone: 9311 2911

From 7pm on Wednesday, May 21.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT. CTS AND LA MORENITA ARE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A REPEAT!

****

Who doesn’t like hands-on food?

Not we here at CTS HQ, that’s for sure!

Whether it be an injera-based spread or a fabulous Pinoy family feast, we just love getting our hands on the stuff.

And that’s just what we’ll all be doing at CTS Feast No.6.

We know this because La Morenita’s Maria has assured us there’s simply no cutlery to be found in the place.

Maria and her hubby, Marco, are old friends of CTS.

We use their empanadas for out-of-the-freezer light meals and snacks.

We love dropping in for coffee and cake.

We love that this friendly Latin American cafe is right there on Berkshire Road as a warm, tasty contrast to the wall-to-wall panelbeaters and the like.

Most of all, we love their amazing range of sooper-dooper, genuine Latin American sandwiches/burgers, one of which – the fabled churrasco – will be the centrepiece of CTS Feast No.6.

As with the previous Feast, a charge of $20 will apply, with the proceeds being split between CTS and La Morenita.

In this case, though, because of space restrictions, there are only 25 tickets available.

After a feast history that has so far embraced three Indian eateries as well as one each of Vietnamese and Chinese, it’s really cool to be offering CTS readers something different.

Let’s let Maria have the last word: “My aim with this night is to make sure everyone goes home full!”

MENU

Cheese, spicy chicken and beef empanadas

Choripan (chorizo in a roll)

Cocktail hallullas (Chilean bread), pebre (spicy chilli sauce)

Traditional ham and cheese sandwiches de miga

Churrasco (burger with beef, tomato, avocado and mayonnaise)

Custard berlin (doughnut)

Milhoja (“1000 layers”) cake (which Marco will slice on the night)

A Jarrito (Mexican soft drink)

Consider The Sauce Feast No.5: Indian Palette

3 Comments

ctsf51

Indian Palette, 140 Victoria Street, Seddon. Phone: 9689 8776

NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT!

It’s on – the fifth Consider The Sauce Feast will held at Seddon gem Indian Palette on Friday, March 21, from 7pm.

But there are changes to the previous Feasts format of a table of 10 eating complementary food provided at no charge by a CTS-endorsed restaurant.

Regular readers will know that for some time I have been trying to find a way of continuing these fabulous events while at the same time deriving some modest income for my efforts.

Oddly, the resistance to having paid, ticketed Feasts has not come from you, our readers and followers.

As one friend put it to me a few weeks ago: “It’s not about free food – it’s about great food!”

We agree!

And now, with the lovely Francis and Sue from Indian Palette, I have found the right people and the right place to really up the CTS Feast tempo.

They immediately saw the advantages for them in joining with CTS in this event.

The income will be split 50/50 between CTS and Indian Palette, allowing Francis and Sue to cover at least some of their costs and affording CTS a reward for organisational and promotional efforts.

As well, without the natural limits set by providing free food, we three have been able to think bigger.

As we planned this Feast, we thought: “If not just 10 people, then how many – 15, 20, 25? Let’s make it 30!”

Yes, CTS will be taking over Indian Palette for the evening.

So with this Feast, the days of first-in first-served emails and a limit of two seats per applicant have come to an end, as has the need to monitor how many Feasts particular CTS friends are attending.

Nor need I fret about those who have been missing out despite repeatedly trying to get in!

All four Feasts so far have been filled up within an hour, so often it has been a matter of timing – good or bad – for the applicants.

Buy as many tickets as you want – whoever you may be!

But never fear, for this will still be a grand, most enjoyable and delicious event.

As we were discussing the menu, Francis told me how their restaurant started out offering authentic Indian food but had started catering for Western tastes.

I enthusiastically and adamantly assured him that any such compromises would be greeted with horror by the CTS clan and that the more authentic and hardcore the food he cooks for us, the happier everyone will be.

His eyes twinkled when I told him that.

And as you can see from the menu below, this CTS Feast will be a sooper dooper bargain even at an asking price of $20.

CTS Feast No.5: Indian Palette,

140 Victoria Street, Seddon. Phone: 9689 8776

Friday, March 21, from 7pm.

MENU

Entrees

Cut mirchi (fresh green chillies cut and dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried)

Lamp pepper fry (boneless lamb pieces cooked with pepper and Indian spices)

Mains

Gutti vanakaya kura (mini eggplant seasoned with ground nut, tamarind pulp, finished with South Indian spices)

Andhra kodikura (a favourite homestyle Southern Indian spicy chicken dish with garam masala, caramom, green chilli, cloves and cinnamon)

Dal fry (yellow split lentils cooked and fried with onions, ghee and coriander)

Other

Vegetable raitha

Butter naan

Saffron rice

Kachumbar salad (finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumbers mixed and tossed with lemon dressing)

Dessert

Badam kheer (ground almonds cooked in milk and sugar, flavoured with cardamom)

NOTE: Soft drinks, beer and wine are exclusive of the CTS Feast payment.

BOOK YOUR TICKET FOR CTS FEAST NO.5 HERE – $20 per ticket!

See earlier story here.

CTS Feast No.4: Slurp!

3 Comments

feast413

Pho House, 318 Racecourse Road, Flemington. Phone: 9372 1426

It’s a thrill to contemplate that with the successful completion of the fourth Consider The Sauce Feast, a tradition has been established.

Long may it continue!

The fourth gathering took place at what has already become a favourite of ours.

Pho House adds just the right Vietnamese touch to Racecourse Road in Flemington, rounding out one of Melbourne’s best foodie strips.

So much quality and fun is such a small package!

feast46

CTS Feat No.4 had some familiar faces from earlier escapades – namely Alistair and Michelle and their gorgeous daughter; and Charles, who brought along his daughter, Celina.

I was very excited to meet Pauline, a regular commenter on CTS with whom I enjoyed discussing Yarraville shopping and how to get kids to eat interesting, Pauline was accompanied by her pal, Sarah.

Also seated at our bubbly table was Jill from Spice Bazaar and her friend Angela.

feast47

We were joined by a former colleague of mine, Corrina, and her partner Dave. So cool to have such a good mate from my previous life make an appearance!

Last but not least, we also enjoyed the company of my favourite food blogger in the whole world (other than myself) and Westies co-conspirator, Lauren of Footscray Food Blog.

feast414

We started with samples of real nice and freshly made spring rolls and rice paper rolls before moving on to the soup dishes.

For the mains, everyone went the bowl route, with no one choosing the rice plate options.

Save for two customers, we all went for pho of various kinds involving a wide variety of beef.

feast410

My own plain rare beef small was just fine.

There was much happy slurping done.

Pauline and Sarah went for the seafood curry laksa, which has a rather lovely story behind it.

When I had earlier asked Talina why she had laksa on the menu, she told me it was actually a carry-over from the previous inhabitants of the premises, the much-loved Vy Vy.

So another tradition continues!

feast415

The girls enjoyed their laksa very much, and having dug it myself several times in recent weeks I can vouch for its excellence.

It’s mildly spiced and very creamy, but it’s the seafood that is the biz.

Apart from a plethora of surimi such as fish balls and fish cake, Talina’s laksa has fresh fish, a not very common laksa occurrence, and fat, bursty prawns that are very high on prawn flavour – also not a very common laksa occurrence.

Thanks to our Consider The Sauce friends for the company and thanks to Talina and her staff for taking care of us on what was an already busy night, even without us taking up so much space!

PS: Alistair, I can insert a close-up photo of the top of your noggin if you so desire.

See previous review here; the Pho House Facebook page is here.

feast49

Consider The Sauce Feast No.4: Pho House,

318 Racecourse Road, Flemington. Phone: 9372 1426

Wednesday, Janurary 29, from 7pm.

Menu:

Assorted Pho House entrees and snacks.

Choice of pho, laksa or rice dish.

Soft drinks.

 

feast412

CTS Feast No.4: Pho House

1 Comment

feast42

NOTE: THIS FEAST IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED! NO MORE APPLICATIONS, THANKS!

Meet Talina!

She’s the boss lady at Pho House, the lovely joint that is adding even more diversity to Racecourse Road in Flemington.

You’ll be unsurprised to learn, given the name of her restuarant, that she is proud of her pho.

Very proud.

And she wants CTS readers to try it!

So in conjunction with Consider The Sauce, Talina and her Pho House crew will host the fourth Consider The Sauce Feast.

Talina really, really does want you to try her pho.

But, OK, if you insist, the lucky punters who gain feast seats can opt for a laksa or rice dish.

As well, there will assorted Pho House entrees and soft drinks.

If you fancy a beer or wine, you will be expected to pay for them yourself.

Pretty much the same ground rules as applied for previous CTS Feasts …

  • No restrictions this time around on those who have attended previous CTS dinners.  
  • First in, first served.
  • There are 10 places only available.
  • Fellow food bloggers welcome to apply but they will not be given preference.
  • No more than two places to be claimed by any applicant, though “singles” will also be accepted.
  • There will be no charge for food or soft drinks, but guests will be expected to pay for their own alcohol.
  • Applications only to the email address posted elsewhere on this site. Attempts to gain a seat by commenting on this post will be ignored.

Consider The Sauce Feast No.4: Pho House,

318 Racecourse Road, Flemington. Phone: 9372 1426

Wednesday, Janurary 29, from 7pm.

Menu:

Assorted Pho House entrees and snacks.

Choice of pho, laksa or rice dish.

Soft drinks.

****

See earlier story here and the Pho House Facebook page here.

phohouse1

feast41

feast43

CTS Feast No.3: Dragon Express – so fine!

4 Comments

feast32

Dragon Express, 28 City Place, Sunshine. Phone: 9312 6968

Wow, this really was a feast – course after course of splendidness issuing forth from the kitchen and a swell table of friends and followers with whom to share them.

So thanks very muchly to (from left to right) Cath, Daniel, Sian, Michael, some young whippersnapper, Klaire, Lucas, Danielle, Keri, Johnno and Sue.

Westies, each and every one of ’em.

And thanks to our charming host, Lim, and his brother Chay, who was taking care of business in the kitchen.

We had the stir-fried green vegetables and spicy chicken ribs of our previous visits – and they were terrific.

But I liked everything, some of it a lot.

Even the sesame prawn toast – something I don’t usually enjoy overly much – tasted delicious.

Menu: Chicken sweet corn soup, mixed entree, seafood combination bird’s nest, sizzling steak, stirfried green vegetables with garlic, salt and pepper squid, spicy chicken ribs, pork ribs with Peking sauce, special fried rice.

The venue and date of CTS Feast No.4 have yet to be ascertained – stay tuned!

feast33

feast34

feast35

feast37

feast38

feast39

feast310

feast36

Consider The Sauce Feast No.3: Dragon Express

1 Comment

feast31

PLEASE NOT: THIS DINNER IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED!

It may seem that having a mid-week lunch at Dragon Express in Sunshine that exactly duplicates our first meal there – stir-fried green vegetables and spicy chicken ribs – is a bit on the predictable side.

It’s all Bennie’s idea, but it’s one I’m happy to go along with for the simple, perfect reason they’re very good.

It’s also Bennie’s idea that Dragon Express be approached to co-host the third Consider The Sauce Feast – and that’s another one to which I’m happy to assent.

We like the joint’s food a bunch and I’m confident a smart operator like proprietor Lim will see the PR and goodwill advantages in having a big tableful of western suburbs food hounds chowing down at a blog-hosted dinner, even if it does cost him in the form of providing food at no cost to the guests.

And so he does – and so the third Consider The Sauce Feast will be at Dragon Express on Tuesday, October 15, from 7.30pm.

There’s no surprise, either, in the fact the two aforementioned dishes will be on the menu, along with several more.

And I’m happy the focus will be on Cantonese food, rather than the restaurant’s offerings derived from other parts of Asia.

Sometimes Cantonese cooking isn’t all you need – it’s exactly what you need.

In this regard, Dragon Express strikes what seems to us a fine balance … Cantonese food every bit as good as or even better than more high-falutin’ places at prices similar to those of the most humble Chinese takeaway joints.

There are some guidelines I choose to lay down, but even on this Lim and I understand each other well – so much so that he finishes my sentence for me …

Says I: “Now look here, Lim, we don’t want to be having none of your sweet and sour pork or lemon chicken …”

Lim continues: ” … or black bean sauce!”

Here are the rules:

  • No restrictions this time around on those who have attended previous CTS dinners.  
  • First in, first served.
  • There are 10 places only available.
  • Fellow food bloggers welcome to apply but they will not be given preference.
  • No more than two places to be claimed by any applicant, though “singles” will also be accepted.
  • There will be no charge for our food but guests will be expected to pay for their own drinks.

To grab your place, send me an email telling me whether you want one or to places. The address is elsewhere on this site. Applying by commenting on this post will not work.

Consider The Sauce Feast No.3:

Dragon Express, 28 City Place, Sunshine. Phone: 9312 6968

Tuesday, October 15, from 7.30pm.

Chicken sweet corn soup

Mixed entree

Seafood combination bird’s nest

Sizzling steak

Stirfried green vegetables with garlic

Salt and pepper squid

Spicy chicken ribs

Pork ribs with Peking sauce

Special fried rice

Yummo – CTS Feast No.2 at Vanakkam

5 Comments

feast26

Vanakkam, 359 Barkly St, Footscray. Phone: 9687 7224

Our second Consider The Sauce Feast was every bit as enjoyable as the first.

Bennie and I made some new friends, all of whom had never eaten at Vanakkam before, so we were thrilled to be able to share one of our favourite restaurants with them.

So our thanks firstly to Jagadish and his staff for turning it on for us in such splendid fashion.

Thanks, too, to Amy, Giselle, Daniel, Rochelle, Paul, Jacqui of Urban Ma (read her post here), Wes, Charles, Bronwyn, Danielle and long-time CTS supporter Keri – we loved hanging with you and talking food and more, and cherish your ongoing support for Consider The Sauce.

feast21

Our mixed appetisers were three.

Unsurprisingly, gobi 65 and chicken 65 were somewhat similar in terms of seasoning and batter, but still different.

The cauilflower gently crunchy, the chicken plump and meaty, they were both nevertheless excellent in every way.

feast22

The Vanakkam onion bhaji Bennie and I were already familiar with – with their crisp chick pea batter, we reckon these are Melbourne’s best onion rings.

Then came the chicken biryani – lots of it.

The heavenly spiced rice and all its accoutrements – raw and fried onion rings, hardboiled egg, vibrant red and spicy gravy, raita – all seemed just as fine as ever to us.

feast24

feast210

feast23

feast28

feast29

Consider The Sauce Indian Feast No.2

5 Comments

vana21

PLEASE NOTE – THIS DINNER IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED!!!

Hyderabad Inn – venue for the recent curry celebration involving Consider The Sauce readers – is one of our favourite places to eat Indian in Footscray.

Our other favourite place is Vanakkam, also on Barkly St but on the other side of the Geelong Rd.

It has been known for us to order dishes other than biryani there – but I have difficulty recalling the last time we did so.

Yep, we sure do love the Vanakkam biryanis – mounds of spice-perfumed rice hiding chicken pieces or goat on the bone, hardboiled egg, topped with raw onion slices, and fried onion, too; biryani-specific spicy gravy; raita.

MMMmmmmm!

So that’s what Jagadish will be cooking for us on Tuesday, September 24 – along with a range of mixed appetisers for starters.

Here are the rules:

  • No applications accepted from any of those who attended the Hyderabad Inn bash.  
  • First in, first served.
  • There are 10 places only available.
  • Fellow food bloggers welcome to apply but they will not be given preference.
  • No more than two places to be claimed by any applicant, though “singles” will also be accepted.
  • Please state preference for chicken, goat or vegetable biryani. Stating such preference will in no way restrict guests from eating any or all of the biryanis on offer.
  • There will be no charge for our food but guests will be expected to pay for their own drinks.

To grab your place, send me an email telling me whether you want one or to places.

The address is elsewhere on this site.

Applying by commenting on this post will not work.

Consider The Sauce Indian Feast No.2: Vanakkam, 359 Barkly St, Footscray. Phone: 9687 7224 Tuesday, September 24, from 7.30pm.

Mixed appetisers

Biryanis – chicken, goat, vegetable.

And a yummy time was had by all …

8 Comments

feast14

feast8

Hyderabad Inn, 551 Barkly St, West Footscray. Phone: 9689 0998

What a nice time we all had at the Indian Feast co-sponsored by Hyderabad Inn and Consider The Sauce.

So first thanks go to chef Nagesh and his staff for so generously providing us with such a fine meal.

My own favourites were a spicy, creamy tomato soup with a garlic and ginger kick, and – somewhat surprisingly – the homely delights of a fabulous peas pulao and simple dal.

Mind you, we all loved the gulab jamun with insanely good pistachio ice cream as well!

Thanks, too, to CTS readers Russell, Loren and Brenton, Kat and Natasha, Ms Baklover of Footscray Food Blog fame and Bianca, Alastair and Michelle, and Kelly and Alison for attending.

So much fun to converse with so many westies with so many mutual and overlapping interests, pertaining to foodiness and much else besides.

feast13

Bennie surprised and delighted all – including his dad – by firing off really good pen-and-paper caricatures of everyone present.

I knew my boy had some drawing skill, but this was something else.

Wow!

Where did that come from?

feast1

The evening’s consisted of the following:

Soup

Cream of tomato soup

Appetizers

Spinach Pakora

Chilly prawns

Chicken tikka spring roll dosa

Chicken Manchurian

Mains

Paripu (South Indian & Srilankian style dal)

Vegetable Taka Tak

Chicken Do Payaaza

Lamb Kohlapuri

Rice

Basmati rice

Peas Pulao

Breads

Amritsari Kulcha (most famous in Punjab & nobody serve in Melbourne)

Mixed breads

Desserts

Gulab Jamun with Ice cream

See earlier Consider The Sauce stories on this restaurant here and here.

This gathering was a joint initiative of Hyderabad Inn and Consider The Sauce, the former of which devised the evening’s menu. Our guests did not pay for their meals.

feast9

feast5

feast4

feast6

feast7

feast10

feast11

feast12

feast2

Indian feast for lucky CTS readers

4 Comments

hydin1

Hyderabad Inn, 551 Barkly St, West Footscray. Phone: 9689 0998

PLEASE NOTE: ALL PLACES FOR THIS EVENT HAVE BEEN CLAIMED!!!

Consider The Sauce really likes Hyderabad Inn.

In fact, we’ve written about it three times – once early in its life, once as part of my ongoing search for crash-hot biryanis, and most recently to check out the dining room’s revamp.

We’ve never had anything less than a swell meal there.

Somehow, though, the lovely Nagesh and his crew seem to remain something of a “best kept secret”.

So we are very happy to embrace his offer of a one-off feast for Consider The Sauce readers and followers.

Numbers are extremely limited.

There will be no charge for the food but attendees will be expected to pay for their own drinks beyond water.

The dinner will be on Wednesday, August 28, from 7.30pm.

And while there’s no onus on our guests to do anything but enjoy, I’m sure Nagesh would be rapt if some punters felt sufficiently inspired to pen some nice words at Urbanspoon or comment on the subsequent CTS story!

Here are the rules:

  • First in, first served.
  • There are 10 places only available. If you miss out – and most, I’m sure, will … stay tuned
  • Fellow food bloggers welcome to apply but they will not be given preference.
  • No more than two places to be claimed by any applicant, though “singles” will also be accepted.

To grab your place, send me an email telling me whether you want one or to places. The address is elsewhere on this site. Applying by commenting on this post will not work.

Before he nutted out the menu, I made three strong recommendations to Nagesh – no butter chicken, no lamb rogan josh and no tandoori chook!

Here is the menu he has devised for us:

Soup

Cream of tomato soup

Appetizers

Spinach Pakora

Chilly prawns

Chicken tikka spring roll dosa

Chicken Manchurian

Mains

Paripu (South Indian & Srilankian style dal)

Vegetable Taka Tak

Chicken Do Payaaza

Lamb Kohlapuri

Rice

Basmati rice

Peas Pulao

Breads

Amritsari Kulcha (most famous in Punjab & nobody serve in Melbourne)

Mixed breads

Desserts

Gulab Jamun with Ice cream

* No fee is being paid to Consider The Sauce for helping facilitate this event.