Malmaison

I was invited by Malmaison for a complimentary meal at their restaurant in order to try their new 'Daring to Keep it Local' autumn menu.

The restaurant is downstairs in the hotel and with the candlelight and the low vaulted ceiling, it has a lovely cosy, romantic atmosphere.

We were told that the menu had been revamped the the past week for the season. The back of the menu details the suppliers for the restaurant, many of which are local. The menu is brasserie style Anglo-French.

The wine list was extensive, fortunately the restaurant manager had a good knowledge of the menu and was able to recommend something suitable.

I decided on the cauliflower starter with a Yorkshire cheese veloute. This was cauliflower cheese with a difference. The dish was presented with a ball of firm cauliflower balanced on a disc of toast. The veloute was then poured into the dish at the table meaning that the toast remained firm. The cheese sauce was particularly delicious and the simplicity of the dish was what made it so good.My dining partner had the venison carpaccio. Although it was delicious, its presentation was bordering on OTT- the foam was a flavourless and unnecessary gimmick stealing the limelight from the the venison which should have been by rights the star of the dish. It looked like the chef had panicked slightly when writing the menu. If only he had held his nerve and served the meat with a simpler garnish this dish would have been sublime. For my main course I had duck. Locally reared, the meat was of obvious quality and was served with a selection of vegetables and a boudin blanc sausage. This provided an interesting element to an otherwise solid but un-inventive dish. The lamb T bone was equally as pedestrian.We were treated to an 'assiette' of desserts. This isn't on the menu but the chef thought it would be the best way of us trying all of the puddings. Presentation was superb and all of the dishes were pleasing. The bread and butter pudding was my particular favourite. Nothing too innovative here but all of a good standard and tasty.The highlight of the meal for me was the cheeseboard. Brought over to the table on a trolley, an explanation was given about each of the cheeses and then I was allowed to make a selection of 5. I was really impressed by the variety and quality of the cheeses which were served with crackers, a raisin and apple chutney and quince jelly.Coffees were served with home made gingerbread men which was a nice touch, even if it was just a bit too much after a huge meal.

Overall we enjoyed the meal which was in parts outstanding, for example the cheese board and my starter. The idea of fantastic simplicity ended up getting a bit lost on the main courses with the result of being sadly a bit 'bog standard'. I was also puzzled by the peppering of fancy French terms on the menu- surely a fantastic gravy should stand on its own without the need to be sold as 'jus', but that is just my personal opinion.

The service of course was second to none, but that is what I would expect from staff who knew I was there to do a review.

Price wise, the Malmaison is towards the higher end of the market. Starters are around £6.50 and the mains are in the £15-£20 bracket. The quality of the ingredients is obvious and for that I don't mind paying. Pick the right dishes and the meal would be good value, however choose wrong and you may leave feeling slightly disappointed.

Malmaison
*Brasserie food with locally sourced ingredients
*Menu that ranges from the sublime to the absurd
*Lovely atmosphere

1 Swinegate
Leeds,
LS1 4AG
Tel: 0113 398 100

Website

Grub Excursion #22 Airlie Beach, Australia

Airlie Beach is a small place, with only one main street where you will find all of the cafes and bars. Its all there to service the tourists going out on the Whitsunday sailing tours so don't expect anything too gourmet!

Harry's Cafe did some pretty decent sandwiches for a reasonable price. The coffee and cake was pretty good too. Find it on the corner of the turning to the Lagoon. (There is a good 2nd hand book shop just behind it too).
Beagles Pizza is on the corner by the turn off to the Esplanade. For $20 you can get a 15" pizza, garlic bread and a 1.5l bottle of coke. Perfectly cheap tea for 2.Beaches backpackers bar not only does house spirit and mixer for $3 before 10pm but the meals are pretty decent too. Chicken parma and chips was about $13. I also had pies! Lots of pies. The pie shop is open till late and sells a huge variety of hot pies for $4.50. Great to have on the way home from the bar. And if pies are really your thing, they even sell them at the airport cafe! (fancy branded ones at that!).

Grub Excursion #21 Cairns

I stopped in Cairns for a few days during my Australia trip. Its not really a resort in itself, more of a stop over point from which to visit the Barrier Reef and the rainforest. As a result there are loads of great looking restaurants to choose from. Unfortunately due to the strong exchange rate and my backpackers budget I didn't try that many places. Here is a round up of the meals I did have.

The Dolci and Gelati bar 9 Shields St, does delicious Italian style ice cream in loads of flavours and huge portions.
Calypso cafe is only small but does great burgers and other main courses for around $10. Find it on the corner of Shields St on Lake St.
If you are in the town on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, be sure to visit Rusty's market. Its a huge market under the Gilligan's hostel. Entrances are on Grafton and Sheridan St. As well as the most amazing array of fresh fruit and veg, there are deli and coffee stalls, hot take away food, jewellery, craft and bric a brac. Go on Sunday for knock down prices.

The night markets on the Esplanade are open from 5pm every night. At the back you will find a large number of souvenir stalls. Towards the front there is a food hall. Most of the outlets are buffets. Decide on a size of plate or box from around $8-$15 and then fill it up with your choice of food. Not the best quality, but cheap and cheerful for tea. Smarter sit down restaurants are mainly along the Esplanade.

Grub Excursion #20 Sydney- Daily Noodle Fastfood

Towards the end of my Oz trip I was running out of cash and wanted somewhere cheap to eat out.

A bit of an internet search came up Daily Noodle Fastfood. It's in China Town, but not in the bustling touristy bit with the pretty lights, its round the corner behind Paddy's market.

From the outside it looks a bit cramped and grimy. On the inside it's cramped and grimy. The menu is a dog eared sheaf of printed sheets shoved into a plastic document wallet. The are boxes stacked behind the door and on the counter, boxes of veg are piled up on the floor and pots were stacked up in the sink.

I was the only non-Chinese person in there. I was greeted warmly by the proprietor/cook/waiter, show to a seat and talked through the menu. He suggested the noodle soup with braised beef so I ordered a small dish at $6.50. I also ordered a Peking Pie at $3.50. I was told that this would be too much food but I ordered it anyway as I wanted to try more than one thing.

The food came out after around 10 mins. In that time I watched the Chinese cartoon showing on the tv set and saw how regular customers came and went, taking their dishes into the kitchen to be washed up and to pay. 2 taxi drivers came in, called their order into the kitchen before taking drinks and cold starters directly from the fridge and sitting down- it really felt like somewhere that was part of the community unlike the more commercial, tourist targeted places on Dixon St.

My noodles came in a large bowl. It was a basic dish, just noodles in a rich meaty broth, Chinese leaves and a few big chunks of seriously tender beef. The Peking pie was a delicious mince meat filled pancake that had been fried. I didn't finish it, but I took it away and had it for a snack the next day.For $10, you can fault the meal, it was delicious and wholesome- the noodles were even home made!

Sitting in greasy little cafes might not be your idea of something you would like to do on holiday but I loved it for its unpretentious, haphazard charm. Plus if your backpacking, its an authentic, filling meal for a bargain price.

Daily Noodle Fastfood
*Seriously tasty food
*Very cheap
*Cramped and grimy cafe

8 Quay st
Sydney
Australia

Grub Excursion #20 Sydney- Harry's Cafe de Wheels

Aussies love their pies, it's a bit of a national dish and considered appropriate not only for an after pub snack, but for breakfast too.

One of the most famous places to buy pies in Sydney is Harry's Cafe de Wheels. There are a few outlets in the city but the original is down on Cowper Wharf Rd next to the Woolloomooloo bay where it has been since 1945.

Like the dutiful tourist that I am I headed down to find it. Don't go expecting anything grand- it's basically a glorified catering van, there are no seats. I was pleased to see that the prices had not been artificially hiked up for the benefit of the tourist, so for $4.60 I got pie, peas and sauce, which I ate with a plastic fork, sat on a railway sleeper with the seagulls on the quayside.Like all the pies I had in Oz, the filling consisted of proper chunks of meat, with a firm pastry crust which stands up without the assistance of a foil tray like we get in the UK.

A perfect little snack, and a must to put on the 'to do' list if you are visiting Sydney. They are open from 8.30am till late (4am on a weekend- useful for when you have had a few beers).

Harry's Cafe de Wheels

*Must try Aussie snack
*Simple and delicious
*Reasonable value

Corner Cowper Wharf Roadway
& Brougham Road
Woolloomooloo,
NSW 2011
Phone(02) 9357 3074

Website

Grub Excursion #20 Sydney- Australian Cheese

I was under the impression that you couldn't get good cheese in Australia after hearing the stories of friends who used to live there and this fascinating Radio 4 programme on the subject.

In the supermarkets there I found usual shelf of mass produced bries and mozzarellas etc in plastic wrap like we get in the UK, but the main stay that takes up whole chiller cabinets is really plasticy stuff, most of it ironically labelled 'tasty'. One of the biggest brands is even quite controversial.

These cheap plastic cheeses are what I found was served in most of the catered sandwiches and in cafes etc. The production and import of most raw milk cheese- like we would buy from fancy delis or farmers markets at home is banned in Australia.

Whilst I was in Sydney I saw that there was an Australian cheese showcase being held at The Rocks market.
I went along out of interest, not really expecting much to be honest, and was pleasantly surprised. The Yarra Valley dairy had some superb fresh cheeses, some of them marinaded in flavoured oils which was an interesting twist. My favourites were their goats cheeses, in particular the 'Black Savourine'.

There was more excellent cheese to be tried from the Small Cow Farm

The 'Wicked Blue' was exactly that, especially after it had been in my back pack for a day in the 30 degree heat. So I wasn't the most popular person in the hostel dorm that day, but I had the best lunch!

It's really good to see these few producers paving the way in artisan cheese production in Australia. They still have a long way to go before the idea really catches on but the cheeses I tried were really interesting and different.

The producers obviously had a lot of passion about their products which was really good to see, and I think the lack of any ingrained tradition, and restrictions on the production methods and cultures they are allowed to use will lead to a lot of interesting new innovations, which can only ever be a good thing.

Grub Excursion #20 Sydney- Yum Cha at Marigold

Sydney has a huge oriental population and as a result has a thriving China Town. I was recommended to go for 'Yum Cha' one lunchtime and I was told the Marigold restaurant was one of the best places for it in Sydney.

In the UK we generally refer to 'Yum Cha' as 'Dim Sum'. Dim Sum is actually the name for the food served and Yum Cha means 'drink tea' and is the proper name for this type of meal.

Served from late morning to mid afternoon, Yum Cha is a brunch/lunch/afternoon tea type meal.

I was provided with a pot of tea on arrival and then the Dim Sum is brought to the table by ladies in tabards, pushing hot trolleys, each trolley containing a different type of dish. When you take a dish from the trolley, the lady marks your card and the marks are counted at the end to determine the bill.Marigold is a huge restaurant and decorated quite lavishly with chandeliers and jade statuettes, there are white table cloths and the head waiters are dressed in formal suits and dickie bows.

Its all rather grand and its really good fun. I really struggled as the clientèle were mostly Chinese and some of the staff's English wasn't great. The waiter had told the serving ladies I was new to 'Yum Cha' and so they kindly made a great effort to explain what was in their trolleys, in rapid, impenetrable Chinese accents. I ended up just smiling and nodding when I heard words like 'prawn' and 'spring roll'!

I didn't have many dishes as I was on my own and the dishes were quite large. This kind of meal would be better shared with friends and then more varieties of dim sum could be chosen.The total bill came to just under $20, which I thought was excellent value as I had loads to eat and all of the dim sum was really nice. With friends I could imagine Yum Cha being a really social event and a lovely way to spend the afternoon and get immersed in Chinese culture.

Marigold Restaurant
*Large Yum Cha restaurant
*Good service
*Good value food

Levels 4 & 5 Citymark Building
683-689 George Street,
Sydney
Australia

Telephone:(02) 9217 6090
Website

Grub Excursion #20 Sydney- The Australian Hotel

Hello! I am back. Regular readers may have noticed a lack of posts recently- that is because I have been to Australia on holiday. Normal service will be resumed soon, but for those are interested the next few posts will document what I ate whilst 'down under'.

The Australian is a 'heritage hotel' this means it is 'old'. The hotel has been in business for almost 200 years and has been at is present site since 1913. Inside it looks like a nice normal pub to me but I suppose over there it's a bit of a novelty to have something that old.

The pub was recommended by a tour guide who told me that they served native animals on pizza- I had to go find out what he was talking about.

The pub itself is just a really nice traditional pub and would be quite a good remedy if you were feeling a bit homesick.

They serve real ales too (which is a bit of a novelty in Oz ) including beers from the James Squire micro brewery, which I found made some pretty decent brews.

I decided to have a Kangaroo pizza at $15.50 for the small size. The pizza wasn't very big considering the cost (which I know is compounded at present by the really unhelpful exchange rate) but the toppings were really good quality- if a little unusual, as there were 'native berries' on the pizza too. I really enjoyed the pizza, I just wished it was a little bit larger as I was still hungry afterwards.If you want to sample other native animals, there is a crocodile and emu variety pizza too, as well as normal pub lunch type meals.

The Australian Hotel
*Traditional heritage pub
*Unusual pizzas
*Slightly expensive but good quality food

100 Cumberland Street
The Rocks,
Sydney 2000
Australia

Tel : +61 2 9247 2229

Website

Another nice traditional pub I visited whilst in The Rocks was 'The Hero of Waterloo'. They also have a really good ale selection.

81 Lower Fort Street,
Millers Point (The Rocks)
Phone: (02) 9252 4553

Website

Spice Quarter

Spice Quarter on Millennium square promotes itself as '4 cuisines 1 destination'. Its an all you can eat buffet restaurant with a difference, offering an interesting combo of Thai, Chinese, Indian and Italian style foods.

The restaurant interior has a smart modern feel, tables surround a central show kitchen. Cold starters, salads and puddings are located along the back wall and the hot curry and pasta dishes are along a counter in front of the kitchen.

The restaurant has an exciting buzz about it. The chefs in the central kitchen keep busy replenishing dishes and in the evening they man a stir fry station, pizza oven and tandoori oven, cooking items to order.

I tried a large selection of items, there was nothing I disliked- all of the items were of a decent quality, and the choice was almost overwhelming (apparently there is always 100 different things on offer at any one time). I had a mini pizza made and cooked to order and some curry dishes as well as all sorts of starters and accompaniments like pakoras and prawn crackers. The absolute highlight for me was the pudding table. As well as some traditional Asian style rice pudding dishes, there was cake and jelly and a huge chocolate fountain with fruit and marshmallows to dip in to it!Spice quarter serves good food but don't expect fine dining or totally authentic cuisine. However it is really good fun and a very social experience. With people getting up from their seats and milling around, it gives the restaurant a lively yet casual vibe.

It is good for large group meals as there is something for everyone. I could imagine younger diners would enjoy trying all sorts of new things and find the make your own pizza and chocolate fountain elements a real novelty.

There are more dishes available during the evenings than at lunchtime and the prices reflect this with lunch buffet starting at £6.95 and the going up to £14.95 for the weekend evening buffet.


Spice Quarter
*All you can eat buffet
*Huge selection of dishes
*Good fun for families and groups

Electric Press Building,
Great George Street,
Leeds
LS2 3ADS

0113 246 9241

Website

Indie Ices

Indie Ices is the brainchild of Mike Tattersall. Mike hand makes authentic Kulfi from home in Roundhay and sells it at the Headingley and Oakwood farmers markets and various other events. I caught up with him at the World Curry Festival on Millennium square today.

The kulfi is of excellent quality and has won awards to prove it- I tried the Mango and the Almond and Pistachio. I particularly enjoyed the Almond and Pistachio.

The kulfi base is rich and creamy and contains generous nut pieces. It is no surprise that it won 2 stars from the Guild of Fine Foods 'Great Taste Awards'.Look out for Mike and his mobile freezer at the farmers markets and other festivals and events.

Website
tattersallmike@yahoo.co.uk

Gerry's Wines and Spirits

Gerry's is a wine and spirit retailer that has now been open for a couple of months in Leeds city centre. There is only one other branch in Soho, London that has been open for 25 years and has a fantastic reputation for stocking rare and unusual spirits.

My house mate and I only popped in for a bottle of rum for a house party yesterday and were told that there was a free cocktail tasting session going on in the shop.

We were led upstairs through the stock room to a small bar area where a rep from funkin who make high end cocktail mixers was demonstrating the use of the products.

We were made to feel very welcome and got to try several drinks, including beer mixed with the funkin lychee puree which was really interesting and surprisingly good! As well as the cocktail demonstration there were also testers of Pisco Sours available to try in the shop.
According to the staff, these types of tasters are a regular occurrence. Sign up to the facebook page for details of the tasting sessions.

Gerry's wines and spirits

*Huge range of spirits and wines
*Friendly, knowledgeable staff
*Regular free tasting sessions

22 New Briggate
Leeds
LS1 6NU

01132 446 200

Website