Teppanyaki Inn

182 Collins St,

Melbourne, VIC 3000

(03) 9650 9431

Food: Traditional Japanese, Teppanyaki
Website: www.teppanyaki.com.au
Date visited: 19th March 2008

Last March saw the first teppanyaki experience that I appreciated from all aspects - at Teppanyaki Inn, the first teppanyaki-style restaurant in Australia. They practice an authentic, restrained style of teppanyaki with the focus on cooking food in a skillful and respectful manner without indulging in novelties like egg throwing and rice bowl catching.

We ordered the "Teppanyaki Special Dinner" Set Course, which included  an entree of Prawns and Scallops, followed by Wagyu Sirloin Beef, and accompaniments of Fresh Vegetables, Miso Soup, Japanese Pickles and Steamed Rice.

 Enjoying our juicy scallops, mushrooms and prawns while waiting for the beef :)

Friendly Chef preparing the greens!

Wagyu beef - cooked to medium rare. Yummy :-)

Guilty Pleasure

Just discovered Darrell Lea's Limited Edition Cookies And Cream Rocklea Road, $3.99c for 145g. I don't usually enjoy rocklea road, but this one is yummy :)

 "Soft fluffy marshmallow, roasted peanuts and toasted coconut, coated in premium dark chocolate cookies crumbled though creamy white chocolate"

Warm BBQ Chicken and Prosciutto Salad

Last night for dinner I rummaged through the kitchen for possible ingredients to make a healthy salad with the BBQ chicken that I bought from Coles. There are endless possibilities as to what you can incorporate into the salad - it all narrows down to personal taste and what is seasonally available. I love that  it really is just bits and pieces of anything found in the fridge at home; but still manages to taste so scrumptious and is an instant meal, partnered with some fresh bread or rice.

- Iceberg lettuce, shredded

- Celery, finely sliced on the diagonal

- Carrot, julienned

- Asian herbs from the garden (spearmint, Vietnamese perilla and fish mint), finely chopped

- Cherry tomatoes, halved

- Bocconcini, roughly chopped

- Prosciutto, roughly chopped

- BBQ Chicken, bones removed and shredded

- Homemade dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, verjuice, fresh lemon juice, seeded mustard, finely chopped basil and mint, salt and pepper

- Other ingredients that work well are: coriander, fresh lime juice, sliced button mushrooms (Saute with  the prosciutto) and toasted sesame seeds.

Combine the vegetables, herbs and cheese in a large bowl with most of the dressing. Add a dash of olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat and saute the prosciutto until it starts to become crispy. Then add the chicken, season to taste and cook for a further minute. Combine the meat mixture with the salad in the bowl, finishing off with a drizzle of the rest of the dressing.

Warm BBQ Chicken and Prosciutto Salad

Beef 101 - Cooking

Thought I'd share some interesting facts about Australian beef that I came across one evening, curious about the different cuts available, marbling and labels such as "grain-fed," "grass fed," "Black Angus" and "David Blackmore." I'll be spreading it out over a few blogs, hope you enjoy and learn something new :) Mooooooo

Since a cow's legs and neck muscles do the most work, they are the toughest. Therefore, the meat becomes more tender as distance from hoof and horn increases.

In order from toughest to most tender:

SHANK & BRISKET - Shank Cross Cut, Brisket Flat Cut, Corned Beef.
Excellent for stewing, braising and pot- roasting.

CHUCK - Chuck Pot Roast, Chuck Short Ribs, Chuck Blade Steak, Chuck Mock Tender, Ground Beef.

The meat is basically a muscle and heavily exercised. Cuts from this area benefit from slow, wet cooking methods like stewing, braising or pot-roasting.

PLATE & FLANK - Flank Steak, Skirt Steak, Steak Rolls, Ground Beef.

This meat is lean, muscular and very flavourful. Steak should be sliced thin against the grain for maximum chewability. May be broiled or used to for kabobs.

ROUND - Tip Steak, Rump Roast, Round Steak/Roast.

This cut consists of lean meat, best used for long, moist cooking methods like braising or pot-roasting.

RIB - Rib Eye Steak/Roast, Back Rib.

May be roasted, sauteed, pan-fried, broiled or grilled.

SIRLOIN - Sirloin Steak, Sirloin Tip Roast.

It is less tender than short loin but more flavoursome. May be sauteed, pan-fried, broiled, pan-broiled or grilled.

SHORT LOIN - T-bone Steak (cut from middle), Porterhouse Steak (cut from rear end), Tenderloin Steak/Roast, Top Loin Steak.

May be sauteed, pan-fried, broiled, pan-broiled or grilled.

TENDERLOIN - "filet mignon" is the smaller tail end of the tenderloin. It can be removed separately or left in for T-bone and Porterhouse Steaks and is usually grilled or pan-fried.

Other parts that are eaten include the oxtail, tongue, heart, brain, liver, kidneys, testicles, tripe (made from the first three chambers of the cow's stomach), intestines (usually as natural sausage casings) and bones to make beef stock.

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Here are some tips for cooking and preparing beef:

- The best way to defrost beef is to leave it in the fridge overnight.

- For microwave defrosting, always use the defrost settings so that the heat melts the ice crystals without cooking the meat, and try to arrange the thickest portions towords the outside of the dish.

- To speed up the marinating time by almost half, massage in the marinade for a few minutes, place the meat in a plastic bag, seal and place in coldest part of refrigerator for around 30 minutes.

- Don't salt meat before cooking, because salt draws out the juices, making the it tough.

- Don't turn meat too often or use too low a heat as meat will stew and toughen without sealing in juices.

- Test meat by pressing with blunt tongs; don't cut with a knife as juices will escape causing dryness.

- For the perfect steak, remove meat from the fridge about an hour before cooking to allow the steak to get to room temperature, ensure the grill is hot before placing down your steak to seal in its juices then turn the heat down a little for one side of the meat to cook it without burning, ALWAYS allow the steak to relax after cooking - place on a plate in a warm place (or cover with foil) for a quarter of the cooking time. The high heat tightens the protein in the steak, so resting allows the juices to return to the centre of the meat as it sits.

- Cooking time for steak varies, depending on its thickness. If you don't have a meat thermometer, to test the internal temperature, use the back of your tongs to feel the steak: Rare (45°-50°) is very soft, Medium Rare (55°-60°) is soft, Medium (60°-65°) is springy, Well Done (70° and above) is very firm. You can also look at the side of the steak to see how much it has cooked before flipping.

- For roasts, always carve AGAINST the grain to shorten the length of the meat fiber, making it more tender to eat

- For a quick and tasty marinade, mix olive oil with seasoning and some chopped herbs of your choice (basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano etc) and massage it into the steak before cooking :)

Porterhouse Steak (marinated in parsley, olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper)

For more info:

Beef Cuts
Beef Cuts Diagram

Cooking and Preparation

Rockpool Bar & Grill

Riverside at Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex

8 Whiteman Street
Southbank, VIC 3006
(03) 8648 1900
Food: Modern Australian, Steak, Seafood
Website: www.rockpool.com.au/melbourne
Date visited: 27th July 2008 

A visit to Rockpool Bar & Grill in July last year proved to be very memorable and extremely satisfying. Upon entering, we were welcomed by a fish filleting and an oyster shucking room, closely followed by large, dry-aging cuts of beef, hanging from the ceiling. Very impressive! Not to mention that our taste buds were further tantalized by the seducing aromas of sweet, salty, juicy and freshly grilled meat and seafood wafting out from the open kitchen. 

For the duration of just over 4 hours, we pleasantly grazed over entrees, mains, dessert and refreshments. My chamomile tea was served with a tumbler full of caramelised puffed corn - they were so tasty and very addictive! However, by that stage of the night, it was a struggle to even finish half of them between the two of us!

Special Cool Room for the Dry Aging Beef - The temperature is close to 0 degrees with very low humidity

Freshly Shucked Oysters with Mignonette Sauce

Grilled King Prawns, Split and Marinated - We decided to share this dish, so it came out, already divided onto two separate plates for us.

 David Blackmore Full Blood Wagyu Rib Eye 200g; Bearnaise Sauce and Horseradish Cream; Onion Rings; Sauteed Mushrooms; Shredded Cabbage and Parmesan Salad.

The Wagyu was so unbelievably tender and succulent, I savoured every bit to the very last millimetre! The fluffy and velvet-like bearnaise sauce was my favourite accompaniment to the steak, as well as the crispy onion rings... and the earthy, aromatic mushrooms... and the refreshing cabbage salad... Mmmmm..

 Apple and Rhubarb Crumble; Caramel and Candied Pine Nut And Chocolate Mousse Cake 

The crumble was my favourite of the two. Served with fresh cream, it was a delightful combination of sweet, tart and rich flavours.

Did ya know..?

- Coconut is the world's largest seed

- Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil

- A high protein diet can result in a loss of calcium

- Almonds are a member of the peach family

- Cherries are a member of the rose family
- Eating a banana at night can aid in falling asleep

- Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries
- Coca-cola was originally green

- Butterflies taste with their feet

- Apples are more efficient than coffee at keeping people awake in the morning (it's true, especially if it's been chilled. I have one every morning!)

Reminiscing

Dredging up cooking photos from what feels like a lifetime ago (even though it was only last year) reminds me of how unfamiliar I was with all that I was cooking, following recipes word for word, randomly throwing things together on a plate and unsure about how certain foods partner with others (like salmon and fennel, prosciutto and thyme) or why it's important to rinse freshly boiled vegetables in iced cold water when blanching. Here are snippets of a few of the first meals I cooked for my family. If you want to know how I made a dish or have any questions, feel free to ask, I'd love to share :)

Smoked Salmon, Rocket and Hollandaise Bruschetta

 Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

Spinach, Pinenuts and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mashed Potato

 Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice-Cream - The first batch that I baked was over-cooked and didn't have a gooey chocolate centre

Rosemary and Parsley Stuffed Chicken Drumsticks - A simple dish to make; Mix chopped herbs with lemon zest, sea salt and cracked black pepper, stuff it under the chicken's skin and pan fry/roast/grill until cooked.

Lemon and Rosemary Veal Cutlets with Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus

Shiitake Mushroom, Chestnut and Spinach Risotto - It turned out so gluggy, I'm yet to attempt my second risotto

Tokyo Teppanyaki

536 Chapel Street,

South Yarra, VIC 3141

(03) 9826 2375

Food: Modern Japanese, Teppanyaki
Website: www.tokyoteppanyaki.com.au
Date visited: 2nd October 2008

My first teppanyaki experience was at Tokyo Teppanyaki. This restaurant is about entertaining, just as much as it is about eating. The teppanyaki chef always puts on a show of exaggerated chopping, tossing and slicing food and we had to catch flying bowls filled with rice and flying egg into our mouth (not a pretty sight if you miss.. ahem..) It' is all very amusing, but after the first visit, the novelty dies down when all you want to do is eat!

We opted for the Tokyo Set, which is $75 per head and starts with miso soup, sushi, sashimi, california roll, yakitori and a spring roll. Then fresh tiger prawns, scallops, chicken, lamb cutlets, tenderloin steak, seasonal vegetables and fried rice were served - all cooked on the teppanyaki grill.

Spring Roll, Tuna Nigiri, California Roll, Salmon and Kingfish Sashimi, Yakitori

Soft Shell Crab, Agedashi Tofu - We ordered these on top of our teppenyaki set :)

Friendly and skilful Teppanyaki Chef

Teppanyaki Onion Volcano - A stack of thick onion rings were drenched with cooking oil, then ignited so that the onion erupted into huge flames! (I wasn't sure what he was doing at the time so didn't have my camera ready to capture the fire) This was solely for show and not for us to eat!

Tempura Ice Cream

Tempura Banana with Vanilla Ice-Cream

Madame Sousou; Roast Beef with Roast Potatoes, Parsnips and Carrots

Well here I am! My interest in cooking started just over a year ago, where I followed recipes to make dinner for my family. I began experimenting with different flavours and ingredients, once foreign but now familiar, and am still learning about all the various foods available - types of meats, vegetables, cheeses, seafood, nuts, fruit etc etc etc! I shall post up photos that I have taken in the past, but as there are so many, I will try to spread them out over many posts.

Madame Sousou

231 Brunswick Street,

Fitzroy, VIC 3065
(03) 9417 0400

Food: Modern European and French
Website: www.madamesousou.com.au
Date visited: 12th October 2009

Today I went to a French bistro called Madame Sousou for lunch. The food was delicious, but the wait on just two mains, a salad and some pomme frites was about 45 minutes!  It wasn't even busy - everybody else in the cafe was either drinking coffee or having sweets. However, this slight hiccup was quickly forgotten once I started on my delicious swordfish - it was so juicy and partnered very well with the sauce verte.

Eggplant Involtini with Spinach and Buffalo Mozzarella

Grilled Swordfish Nicoise with Sauce Verte

Salad of Radicchio, Goat's Cheese, Hazelnut and Blood Orange - everything tasted so well together, I'm going to try this at home one day!

Tonight for dinner I attempted my first roast beef, with the aid of a recipe from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food.

Serves 4-6:
- 1.5kg topside of beef, taken out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to going into the oven
- 2 medium onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 sticks of celery
- 1 bulb of garlic
- Small bunch of fresh thyme, rosemary, bay, or sage, or a mixture
- Olive oil
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat your oven to 240°C. Leave the skin on the vegetables, give them a wash and roughly chop them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled. Pile all the vegetables, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle the beef with olive oil and rub lots of salt and pepper all over the meat. Place the beef on top of the vegetables.

Place the roasting tray in the preheated oven and turn the heat down immediately to 200°C. Cook for approximately 75 minutes for well done, 60 minutes for medium, or 50 minutes for medium-rare. Baste the beef halfway through cooking and if the vegetables look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them burning. When the beef is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the beef to a board to rest for half of the cooking time - Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and a tea towel. When serving, remove the string and use a good, long, sharp knife to carve the meat and a fork to hold it steady.

To serve alongside the beef, I sauteed sliced mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper. I also roasted potatoes, parsnips and carrots until they were crisp on the outside and light and fluffy inside (forgot to take a photo of it after it came out of the oven):

Serves 4-6:
-1.2kg potatoes
- 6 parsnips
- 6 carrots
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 3 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- Olive oil

Peel the vegetables and halve any larger ones lengthways. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled, and bash slightly with the palm of your hand

Put the potatoes and carrots into a large pan of salted, boiling water on a high heat and bring back to the boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then add the parsnips and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and allow to steam dry. Take out the carrots and parsnips and put to one side. Fluff up the potatoes in the colander by shaking it around a little.

Put a large roasting tray over a medium heat and add a few lugs of olive oil. Add the garlic and rosemary leaves, followed by the vegetables with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir everything around to coat in the oil and flavours. Spread the vegetables out evenly into one layer and roast in a 200°C oven for 1 hour, or until golden, crisp and lovely.

Roast Beef with Mushrooms, Roast Potatoes, Parsnips and Carrots