Review | Las Chicas

Las Chicas has been on my foodie list for ages now, and what a better day to pay this lovely cafe a visit than on a sunny Melbourne sunday morning. E and I arrived at the bustling Balaclava location expecting to wait for a table.

After putting our name down and waiting for a good 20 minutes, the waiter came out to check the name we had put down, and we found that my name had already been crossed out! It seemed like some other patron had perhaps mistakenly (or purposely) taken our table! :( However, about one minute later we were hurriedly shown to a table in the warm courtyard area, and we noticed that the Las Chicas staff had relocated another table to make room to sit us down - which was very accommodating of them (and also showed that they had recognised their mini mistake).

Walking through the Cafe there was so much to take in! From the colourful and streety graffiti and music posters on the walls, to the textural bricks and wood panels, my eyes were going nuts! When we arrived at the rear courtyard we were greeted with friendly smiles and lovely fresh greenery. There is a really cool vibe about Las Chicas - I think it is a combination of the sweet tunes playing in the background, the great interior and exterior decoration, great staff, and because of all this, a great bunch of fellow customers.

We were quickly served some water and presented with menus, and I must note that throughout our meal, the service by the Las Chicas staff was great!

The Las Chicas mission is to serve up fresh, local and sustainable produce, with speedy and friendly service. This is outlined on the first page of the menu, which I think is great - Las Chicas should be commended on their support to local businesses to source their ingredients, and also for the fact that so many of the kitchen's staples such as bread, muffins and chutneys are made freshly in house.

Early morning drinks.. of water!

For drinks, E ordered a latte and I ordered my regular Hot Chocolate. These came out not too much later on and looked delicious. The latte had a cute love heart designed into the froth which made us smile. My Hot Chocolate was perfect! It came with a marshmallow, and in the space of about 2 minutes, I had cleaned out that glass. E was really impressed with his latte as well, he said it was really nicely flavoured, and not bitter at all, so he didn't add any sugar.

Latte and Hot Chocolate - $3.50

For brunch I ordered the Baked Beans Breakky which was served with a poached egg, spinach, chipotle flavoured baked beans, with housemade slices of sunflower seed and polenta loaf. I added an extra serve of Rosemary and Honey sausage, since it sounded so good I just had to try it. When the meals were brought to our table, I was so impressed, they looked so colourful and fresh! The spinach was so so green, and tasted pure and fresh. The baked beans had the great chipotle flavour, along with the addition of onions and tomatoey goodness, which for me, tasted very 'homey'. The sausage was so tasty! I could really taste the sweetness of the honey coming through with each bite, which was well complemented by the familiar flavours from the rosemary. Lastly, but not at all least, was my poached egg which was cooked so perfectly. I gained great pleasure from slicing it open and letting the golden yolk cascade down my delicious housemade loaf.. Mmm!

Baked Bean Breakky with Sausage - $21.50

Mmmm perfectly poached Egg!

E's breakky was just as impressive. Served upon a perfectly crisp, warm bagel, the salmon was the base for two delightful poached eggs and a healthy serving of creamy hollandaise. E's sides of avocado, roasted tomato and sausage all looked amazing. The avocado was so green, and tasted so fresh. The tomatoes were really well cooked, with a bit of crispness on the flat sides to bring out extra flavour, and E loved the taste of the sausage.

Egg Benedict with Salmon, Avocado, Tomato and Sausage - $29.00

Overall, I was super impressed by the serving sizes at Chicas - everything was so generous. This also goes for the breakfast extras, which is usually where items are priced highly but the portions are quite small - The sausages were GIANT, and I was surprised that E received two tomatoes and such a heaped ramekin of avocado.

Throughout our busy munching, the main topic of conversation was what we would be ordering next time we visited Las Chicas, and who we would bring with us! Still undecided on whether to sample the lunch menu, or try some other favourites on the breakfast menu, I am hoping that it will not be too far in the future!

Recipe | Empanadas

An empanada is a stuffed pastry which can be baked or fried and are very popular in Argentina. The name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread!

Since his travels to and around Argentina, my dad has wanted to recreate this sensation in our own kitchen at home, so he decided to compare many recipes across the internet, and also from other sources, to compile his own recipe, taking what he thought would be the best elements from each. Such a feat could prove not such a great idea when baking a completely new food, however, the empanadas being a simple food, were quite forgiving.

Ingredients for the Filling 2 tbs olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 500g beef mince ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp Moroccan seasoning Pinch of Salt 1 tbs white vinegar ½ cup sultanas Pinch of ground nutmeg Pinch of ground cloves 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled, coarsely chopped 1 egg, lightly whisked (to brush and seal Pastry) Pitted black olives (at least 20 olives)

Ingredients for the Pastry 3 cups plain flour 100g chilled butter, chopped ½ salt 2 egg yolks, lightly whisked Cold water

Method
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or pot over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until brown. Add the mince and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until cooked. Add the cumin, cinnamon, paprika, Moroccan seasoning, nutmeg, cloves, salt and stir. After 1 or 2 minutes, add the vinegar, stirring, for another minute. Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and cover. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool.

Meanwhile, to make the pastry, place the flour, butter and salt in a large bowl and knead until it is well combined.  (This step can also be made in a food processor if desired). Place the mixture onto a lightly floured surface. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and water. I added the water in small dashes, probably about 3 tablespoons at a time. Keep adding the moist ingredients in intervals, while kneading the dough together until it reaches a smooth, elastic texture, that does not crack. Roll the pastry dough into a nice ball, and place back in the bowl, cover, and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to cool.

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper or foil. Clear out your working space so that you have enough room to roll out the pastry into discs.Roll out the pastry dough on your lightly floured work surface until it is about 3mm thick. Use a round, 12cm diameter pastry cutter to cut discs out of the pastry. I made about 19 empanadas with my homemade pastry cutter.

Stir the chopped hard boiled egg into the mince mixture and season with salt and pepper if desired. Place about 1 tablespoon of the mince mixture in the centre of a pastry disc. Top with 1 olive and a few sultanas. Brush the edges of the pastry with some egg and fold the pastry disc in half to enclose the filling. Be sure to firmly press the edges together, and then crimp and fold over to create a wavy edge. Place crimped side up on the oven tray and repeat with the remaining mince mixture, pastry discs, olives and sultanas.

Brush the empanadas with the remaining egg, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden. 

This recipe serves 4 hungry adults.

Review | Strawberry & Cream Tea (The Oriental Teahouse)

I was recently asked to review the Strawberry & Cream tea, from Oriental Teahouse. Being quite a fan of any kind of tea, this was definitely not a chore for me! I could smell the sweet aroma of the tea while it was still all packaged up - and this got my tastebuds going straight away.

My first task was brewing a nice hot pot of tea, but I couldn't help myself from tasting the tiny little elements that made up the tea while the kettle was warming up. I picked out what I think was some crystallised pineapple, and also some dried out apple. When I poured the now boiling water over the tea in my teapot every little piece swelled up and floated about excitedly.

After about 3 to 5 minutes I poured out a cup for E and I to taste, and the colour was so intense! It had become this gorgeous dark pinky colour. After letting it cool for a few minutes, we both went in for our first taste. The flavour is sweet, yet still with the lovely tartness that strawberries have. I could also taste the creaminess that you would expect from strawberries and cream - and I really would love to know how they achieve that without milk or cream! After some thought, I could also taste some rose flavours, which gave a nice depth to the tea. This tea has a delicious fruity taste, and is also relaxing and not too sweet. For a few seconds of silence, we both just sat and enjoyed the tea.

I also decided to sample the tea as iced tea, so I brewed another pot and poured it out in glass and left it to cool in the fridge. This would be so perfect with pieces of chopped up fruit in it - as an iced tea it was so refreshing and cooling. I would love to make some sort of iced tea punch when the weather is nice and sunny.

The Strawberry & Cream tea is caffeine free, so you can enjoy a cup late at night and not have to worry about not getting to sleep.

Oriental Teahouse recommend this tea to be served with two of their dishes (which I will definitely have to try)- the Chilli Wagyu Beef Dumplings, and also everyone's favourite - Mango Pudding! I will definitely have to pop down to my closest Oriental Teahouse and try those recommendations out.

This tea retails at $12.50 for a 100g packet, which is cheaper than the T2 equivalent. It is also available in a 50g and 250g size. You can purchase Oriental Teahouse teas in one of their stores or online here.

Let me know if you have tried this or any other teas that you recommend as I would love to try them!


This has been a Product Talk by Nuffnang.

Review | Tidlom Thai Antique

The owner of a new Thai restaurant recently emailed me, asking me to come down to taste authentic Thai food. Top, the owner and chef of Tidlom Thai Antique Restaurant describes what they serve up as follows.

I am a strong believer that the food served to customers should be just like what I eat at home; this includes the ingredients, the flavours and the way it is cooked. This belief leads to the food being very authentic and "homey".

…If it is Thai food you want, it is Thai food you are going to get, no gimmicks!, no fancy plates!

Since I have not spent much time in Thailand, I cannot really comment on the authenticity of the food at Tidlom, but I will instead comment on what I saw and tasted.

Tidlom is located on Healey’s lane, which is a great little location – it’s got a nice vibe to it. When E & I first walked into Tidlom, our gazes were captured by the retro decorations all around the place. There were old Thai movie posters, and dimly lit hanging light bulbs throughout the room creating a nice atmosphere.

We were quickly shown to our table, and given menus. I do have to credit the only waitress who was clearly very busy and still managed to give us water to sip as we looked over the menus. We decided to order dishes that we had tried before elsewhere, so we could compare! As an entrée we chose the Prawn Cakes, and then for mains we chose the Massaman beef curry with steamed rice, and the Pad Thai noodles.

When we ordered with the waitress I was both amazed and delighted to see her using a special iPad app for the orders – how cool! It even had images of the meals, and options such as each kind of available meat popped up for the necessary dishes.

For drinks, we decided to try the Lychee cocktail, which was an option for the Thai Style Cocktails on the menu. When the waitress brought over our jug, it looked so pretty! There were little floating ‘bits’ of colour throughout the drink – which after some inspection, we found to be red and green jelly. This little addition to the cocktail made it look so much more interesting. The cocktail was also very  refreshing and I would be keen to try some of the other flavours next time.

Lychee Thai Style Cocktail - $22.50 per jug

Throughout the evening I was impressed at how busy Top must be, cooking up a storm in that kitchen. Since we had place our orders just after a few larger tables, our meals took a little longer than usual, and in hindsight, this is not a big issue when considering the delicious taste we were about to experience!

The Prawn Cakes were so light and fresh tasting! And true to Top’s goal, they reminded E of something similar he has at home from time to time. The dipping sauce with these was unbelievable. The menu says that it was a sweet Plum sauce. Upon close inspection, I thought it was some kind of honey with a sweet fruity kick. It was so pretty too – it was clear, and there were little yellow swirls. The combination of the Prawn Cake with the dipping sauce was great – when we got down to our last Prawn Cake we both smothered as much sauce as we could onto the piece of prawny goodness. We would definitely order this again. For sure!

Prawn Cakes - $10.90

Soon after we had finished the Prawn Cakes we were presented with an impressive looking Pad Thai. This was our favourite dish of the night – E could not stop going on about how much he enjoyed it (even after we left Tidlom!), and I was so quiet because I was too busy eating it all up! The Pad Thai noodles were served in a gorgeous thin omelette, with some lemon wedges, chopped peanuts, sugar, and dried chilli on the side of the plate for us to add at our own discretion. After dissecting the omelette in half, we each took a bite of the noodles and were hit with amazing flavour. I could taste zesty citrus, and a lovely freshness right away. Eating these noodles, they were light, and the flavour had been really well distributed around the noodles – there was never a time when I was eating just noodles. Other Pad Thai dishes I have had were served with the wide rice noodles which I really enjoy, but tasting Tidlom’s Pad Thai, I had no wishes to change it at all.

I had fun topping up my plate with peanuts, sugar and some chilli as I progressed through the dish. I was a little apprehensive with the sugar at first, but with the combination of the Pad Thai flavours, it really was delicious. The omelette was also so golden in colour, and when I added it to a spoonful of noodles, made the taste feel complete. There is not much more I can say, other than this dish was so impressive, so tasty and is highly recommended.

Pad Thai Tidlom Style - $14.90

Pad Thai Tidlom Style - $14.90

Next up was the Massaman Curry. First of all, I would like to note that the size of each serve of rice was perfect. So many times at other restaurants we have ordered a serve of rice each and it was such a small measly serve, and when you have to pay for each serve, you don’t really want to order another round! Tidlom served up a bit too much rice for me, and the perfect amount for E – so we were pretty happy about that.

Traditional Massaman Beef Curry - $14.90 with Steamed Rice - $2.50 

On the menu, the Massaman is listed as having ‘Melt-in-the-mouth Beef’ – that was so right. The beef was so so tender, when I picked it up with my fork it broke apart into mouth-watering pieces. The flavour of the curry was so delicate – I could taste ginger flavours, added to the fresh peanuts and onion that was in the dish. My favourite part about curries is pouring lots of sauce over my rice and letting it soak up all the flavour. This was particularly enjoyable as the flavour of the dish was so wholesome and natural, if you know what I mean.

By this stage we were both so full (of goodness)! Top came out to say a friendly hello, and ask how our meals were, and he was so relieved when we told him how much we enjoyed it! He has obviously invested so much in Tidlom Thai, and we wish him all the success in the world!

I hope to be back at Tidlom soon so we can try some more of Top’s delicious take on Thai food.

Review | The Black Toro

The new kid on the Glen Waverley block! Ever since spotting the 'Coming Soon' sign on The Black Toro, I have been almost stalking their Facebook page, twitter and website to find out more information on what they were all about, and most importantly, when they would be opening. Since making my reservation, I have to admit I was checking their website and Facebook page every day to monitor for any changes. What can I say.. I get excited!

E and I were meeting up with a couple of my old friends for dinner, and all of us being Glen Waverley buffs (self-confessed), we were all pretty happy to go to The Black Toro. Both friends were happy to hear that E and I had been avidly going through Urbanspoon recommendations for some advice on what to order.

After some further deliberation, we decided on ordering a few of the smaller dishes to start us off. We ordered the Potato & Chorizo croquettes, the Pulled Pork Tacos, and the Wagyu Beef Sliders. 

The croquettes came out first. Oh. My. God! The potato was so velvety in texture! It was unbelievable smooth. There was a good amount of Chorizo in each croquette too, which was good to see - I hate it when places skimp on the Chorizo! The outside of the croquette was also perfectly crisp, and it was a pleasure to bite into. The croquettes were served with a Manchego Foam. Manchego is a type of sheep's milk cheese from Spain. This foam was very light, and a great addition to the croquettes. I would definitely recommend these, and as I am typing, I am secretly wishing I had some more to snack on!

Potato & Chorizo Croquettes w Manchego Foam

Next up were the tacos. As the waiter placed the plate on the table, he kindly explained that these were quite spicy, and to use the fresh limes to cut a bit of that heat. We all nodded and obediently squeezed some lime juice over our tacos. These tasted so fresh! The combination of the pork, onion, sour cream and cabbage, together with the lovely taste of coriander was winning! Although the spiciness was not too overwhelming for me, I did think that it was perhaps too much of a spice to have had no mention of it on the menu. This is a must try item!

Pulled Pork Tacos

I have to mention the perfect timing that all of the dishes came out in - it seemed right as the previous plate  had been cleared from the table, the next dish was being served to us - a definite tick in the service box there! It was time for the Beef Sliders now. I had never had a slider before, yet I was so amused at how cute they looked! These were delicious. The beef was cooked quite rare, which I definitely don't mind - and the flavour in these was amazing. It was so delicate in taste. I felt like the little buns may have also been some kind of brioche style bread - which added a lovely subtle sweetness, and springy, 'bready' texture to the sliders.

Wagyu Beef Sliders

Feeling like a little more savoury goodness before moving onto dessert, we ordered a serve of the Vegetarian Empanadas and the Potatoes Cooked Three Ways. The empanadas were served with a bright green spinach paste and a tomato sauce which had a little bit of a kick to it. The empanada pastry was so light, and the filling was so full of flavour, I almost forgot that it was a vegetarian dish. I was very pleased with dish and would also order it again if I return to The Black Toro. The combination of all three elements (Empanada + spinach paste + tomato sauce) was really flavoursome and enjoyable. This dish was from the 'Grande Plates' side of the menu, and I felt like perhaps there was not enough to it for it to classify as a main dish, but since we were sharing everything, it was just fine. However if this dish was under the smaller dishes side of the menu, I don't think anyone would have thought that it was too big.

Vegetarian Empanadas

The potatoes were 'yumyum'! The best thing about cooking the potatoes three ways is that they can stay deliciously soft and tender in the centre, and really crisp on the outside! The only thing I found about this dish is that it could be served with more of the aioli. It looked lovely since it was squirted over the potatoes, but the ones at the bottom of the bowl would not have declined a bit more love from the aioli! I would still recommend these!

Potatoes cooked Three Ways

We were now ready to move on to dessert, and we all decided that the sharing part of the evening was finished. Each to their own for dessert! We ordered two brownies and two cheesecakes, and I also ordered a Hot Chocolate.

When our hot drinks were served, we all noticed that my Hot Chocolate looked a little sad as it wasn't filled up to the top like everyone else's coffees. I ended up finishing my drink well before the desserts were served since it wasn't really hot enough, but seeing as though all the desserts were unbelievably chocolatey, I had soon forgotten about my sad little hot chocolate!

Hot Chocolate

The Chocolate brownie was served with vanilla icecream and salted popcorn. Mmmmm.... this dish was so rich and luxurious! The warm brownie was a perfect match for the refreshing vanilla icecream - I think had they served it with any other flavour, it would have been too much. This brownie is definitely a must-taste! The inside of it was so gooey it was heavenly! The salted caramel popcorn was a nice touch to the dish, and made the dish unique - I haven't seen popcorn on any other restaurant menu!

Chocolate Brownie w Salted Popcorn and Vanilla Icecream

Last but definitely not least, the deconstructed Peanut Butter Cheesecake. This was served so cleverly. There were some shards of housemade honeycomb, ultra rich chocolate sorbet, a generous scoop of cheesecake filling, and also some chocolate biscuit soil to represent the base. I dug straight into the cheesecake filling - and was so amazed at just how rich and flavoursome it was. I am a peanut butter nut, so this dessert was perfect for me! The sorbet was inexplicably chocolatey - I'm talking the most intense chocolate flavour I have ever tasted! I had to tackle the sorbet and cheesecake in small ladylike mouthfuls since both had such powerful flavours. The honeycomb was just how I wanted it to be - I used the back of my spoon to break it into smaller pieces. The sound of it cracking was almost as delightful as it tasted!! Almost! The chocolate biscuit soil was so dark in colour, and I recognised the flavour from my very first taste - chocolate ripple biscuits (I'm 98% sure). Mmmmm!

Deconstructed Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Altogether this dessert had so many different elements to keep me keenly trying each different combination to taste different flavours. My plate was so clean by the time the waiter came to clear our table that it probably only needed a rinse! I would definitely recommend this dessert, as well as the brownie.

I hope I get to go back to The Black Toro to try the other exciting menu options.. The mandarin sorbet sounds so intriguing! While the prices at The Black Toro were a bit more expensive than the other restaurant options in the area, the quality of food, and the high level of service they provide are much better. I believe our waitress that night was one of the managing staff - and she was delightfully efficient and always prompt and friendly. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a special occasion, or simply for a nice night out.

Review | Monga Dessert Lounge

Monga Dessert Lounge prides itself on creating an atmosphere reminiscent of Hong Kong in the 1970s, and serving up delicious sweet soups to remind its customers of Hong Kong, or to teach newbies how things are done in HK. Being a dessert lounge, you would expect their range of desserts to be tasty and delicious -which is exactly what I have found on a few different visits to Monga.


On our most recent visit, E and I had scored a scoopon which allowed us to have a drink,  savoury dish, and one of Monga's famous desserts each. Having never tried any savoury dishes at Monga, I was a bit apprehensive of what we would get. I have never been to HK, so I can't really comment on how traditional or authentic this place was in that respect, so I will keep my comments related to what I noticed whilst dining at Monga :)


Looking over the drinks menu, I recalled my excitement on a previous visit at seeing Ribena on it. How cool is that? I love Ribena! Surprisingly, I didn't order it. I instead ordered one of the Jelly drinks - E too. Mine was Mango with Coconut Jelly, and E ordered Watermelon & Mango with Coconut Jelly. Being a regular 'Bubble Cup' drinker, I was not expecting to be surprised by my drink.. but the jelly was in long thick strands - and it reminded me of a real jelly fish! You know the ones you find on the sand at the beach? I was a teeny bit put off by that fact, but my drink was still very nice. E's drink looked quite pretty, and he seemed to enjoy it too, and wasn't put off by the jelly at all.

Mango with Coconut Jelly and Watermelon & Mango with Coconut Jelly drinks

After some deliberation on the savoury menu, I had decided to brave a dish from the 'Baked Fried Rice' section - with Pork Chop and Tomato sauce, and E decided to get Egg and Sausage with Rice. When we ordered with the waitress, it turned out that we also had the choice of a complimentary soup - 'Borsch' or Creamy Corn soup - and we chose one of each. When I asked what was the Borsch, she explained that it was similar to a Minestrone. It turns out that this soup is a staple in many Eastern and Central European countries, but is usually beetroot based. Mine tasted almost identical to a minestrone, but it did have a sweetness that I couldn't put my finger on - so who knows - maybe it was beetroot! The creamy corn soup was pretty tasty. It was very creamy and had real pieces of corn in it, which I have to admit, surprised me. As I am typing this, I am wondering if there is any connection with Borsch soup and HK - so if you have the answer.. let me know in the comments section!

Borsch Soup and Creamy Corn soup

E's main meal came out pretty quickly - and it looked pretty simple, yet tasty. It was basically two fried eggs, a sausage and some steamed rice. This dish was also served with some soy sauce on the side. He gobbled it up quite quickly and seemed to enjoy it all. He was very happy to see that the eggs were (coincidentally) cooked just how he likes his eggs cooked!
It was at this point that we realised that the kitchen at Monga was mostly pumping out simple dishes. Everything had little to no preparation time - and that was their deal.

Egg with Sausage and Rice

My dish was next. Keeping the simple food/no preparation in mind - my dish was definitely in line with that theory. Appearance-wise.. it didn't really look appealing at all. It was nothing gourmet - the tomato sauce tasted like the concentrated sauce you would find in a can of baked beans or spaghetti. The rice was not fried at all - it was just steamed rice - which was still tasty, but on the menu it said fried rice :(. This meal tasted like what I would have made myself to eat as a teenager when my parents were not at home.. Fry off some meat, and serve with rice and a can of sauce. Top with cheese. However, I am not actually complaining - we have to keep in mind that Monga is a dessert lounge - and so I wouldn't really ever go there for savoury foods, especially since there are so many delicious options in Box Hill.

'Baked Fried Rice' with Pork Chop and Tomato Sauce

Moving on to the sweet dishes - they were the main reason for us ever dining at Monga. These sweet soups are unbelievably refreshing and light. E chose the Sago with Icecream, Pomelo and Coconut milk and I chose the Sago with Strawberry and Coconut milk. Although I don't think it is related, the texture of sago reminds me of Israeli couscous. It looks like little bubbles and although the flavour is quite subtle, it is delicious - especially when served with the fresh tasting, refreshing coconut milk like they do at Monga.

Sago with Strawberry and Coconut Milk

For those who are new to sweet soups - I would definitely recommend the Strawberry dessert (or a Mango one). Pomelo is a type of citrus from south east Asia. The taste is quite sour and sweet - kind of in between a grapefruit and an orange. The texture was quite strange - it is got quite a bite to it - maybe like a pear?

Sago with Pomelo and Coconut Milk

Both of these desserts were delicious, and if you are a fan of icecream you can ask to add a scoop to a sweet soup which doesn't usually come with it too.


All in all, I don't think we will go back to Monga for its savoury menu, but I can say quite surely that we will be returning to try some other dessert options.