L'assiette Cafe & Bistro, Auckland CBD

I am amazed that the pastries are flown in frozen from the French Republic to this delightful gathering place ( a bistro, cafe and bakery all in one) located in Brittomart beside Auckland Harbour.  Ah, the wonders and marvels of air travel - and regular flight connections.  "Bonjour" - my niece and I were greeted when we sat down for a quick pick me up at the L'assiette before 8am.  The dining room is not big but reminds me of an Euro rustic setting with a modern Pacific twist.  Perhaps it is the design of the chairs.  This is not Tahiti nor Paris but the closest Kiwiland gets to such settings.

Once I bit into the crust of my pastry, I felt the crunchiness, light buttery and aroma on my palate. There is an extra feeling of specialness. Coupled with the nippy air outside, it is a moment to relish.  It is not just the ingredients, it must be the baking and the ambiance too.  French speaking staff walk around.  Our coffee orders come so fast, good for the morning rush hour and they set a high level of blended bean quality. And then there is a Hersheys kiss anointing each cup.  All very good when it is cold but fresh outside on an early Auckland winter's morning!

Highly talked about are the Gallettes Bretton available at this lovely hideaway and yet accessible to business world professionals, families, couples and tourists alike.   I understand these are its signature offerings  - the round shaped buckwheat savoury crepes are served here with options like sausage, bacon, salmon Gravlax, mushroom or ham.  And of course they are garnished with egg, Gruyere, Creme Fraiche, mustard or Tartiflette.  Tartiflette, interesting enough, originated from ski stations in France and is a gratin made with lardons, Reblochon cheese, onions and of course, potatoes.

I saw the delicate  and colourful macaroons waiting in their display - oh yes, it is too early for such more sugary delights. Always something for high tea rather than breakfast.  There is a rush of customers enjoying the offerings of the place when we sat down, but later in mid-morning, when I happened to walk past the place, they did have a quiet moment, after office business has settled in for the day in the nearby buildings.

Adelyn and I had chose the apple crumble and croissant pastries, one with gratifying chocolate filling.  They are not over the top rich and provided more taste than sweet.  Our coffee orders came a bientot - despite the crowd.  L'assiette  - plate, the course of a meal, roughly translated.  In this L'assiette in Auckland, the experience means more - a warm serving, a place like home, the course of an enjoyable experience.  I understand that breakfast is more Kiwi and lunch or dinner is more classic French.

Baguettes accompany two loved iconic dishes at lunch or dinner time - the Pot-au-Feu and the Beef Bourguignon, both beef based creations.   If you are having dinner there, check out the Asian pork belly served with potato puree.

My current breakfast weakness, Eggs Benedict, is made here with either Akaroa Salmon or bacon or for the vegetarians, mushrooms.  The lovely outpost of Akaroa, just outside Christchurch, is a time capsule with roads referred to as Rue and the hint of maritime adventure round the next corner as you walk its rustic seaside lanes.  True to its French inspiration, there is no problem in having the Croque Madame or the Croque Monsieur!  This Croque - grilled ham and cheese sandwiches - come with an option for Béchamel sauce and are labelled Madame once you add a poached egg or omelette on top.

What I hope to try though the next time there is the Le Grand breakfast, with Provencal tomato, sausage, bacon, Pommes Dauphines, mushroom, eggs and sourdough.

L'assiette Cafe & Bistro is located at the Atrium on Takutal at No. 9 Britomart Place, Auckland Harbour with the nearest cross road being Scene Lane.
Telephone: 659 3090961
Opening hours: 7am till late every day.

Green Peppercorn Civic Hotel - Sydney CBD

The captivating Miang Kum bouquet as entree.

Caution  - the chilies are hotter here than in most other restaurants in Australia, but let us proceed.

The Miang Kum or betel nut leaf wraps, with finely prepared fresh ingredients, so easy and light on the appetite, came out like miniature flower bouquets.  Oh yes, there was much generosity in providing so much to wrap the dark green leaves in.  We could detect peanuts, crab meat, fried shrimps, crunchy rice, small tomato cubes, chilli, ginger and lime as we bit into the wraps.   Healthy, exotic and stimulating!

Petite, colourful and healthy, this dish was like eating from garden produce.   However, we were in down town Sydney, with the World Square sign clamouring for attention through our early 20th century bay window, looking down at a busy Goulburn Street leading to Chinatown and Darling Harbour.  We were fortunate to have been allocated a side round dining table, to me it was both at the same time grand and cosy.  After climbing two flights of stairs to the first level, from a side entrance to the Civic Hotel along Pitt Street, we entered another world, Indo-Chinese, with a Buddhist presence, where fresh aromatics and the art of marinating meats reign supreme.  Spicy food with alcohol on a Friday evening to de-stress and recover from the corporate world?  This is the place.

Pork knuckle braised in Asian flavours for around AUD30.

Pork knuckles to me have always brought fond memories of Oom Pah Pahs and German boutique beers.  The pig is a significant economic animal on the plains of northern Thailand and Laos, so in a way I am not surprised there was this attractive looking roast pork knuckle soaked in the most pleasant of gravy on our table.   Both John and I love our crackle and pork knuckle - and the meat underneath was moist tender, yet with the roast effect.  It was like Christmas lunches all come together in July! The knuckle was firm on the bone.  This variation of the Khao Kaa Moo was an eye opener to me, no more shall I associate knuckle with just Chinese and German recipes.  This Thai/Laotian knuckle has to be cooked smokey, five spice powder is rubbed in, coriander roots and palm sugar are important for taste and the skin has to be cleaned of any pig hairs - not necessarily in that order.


Duck red curry ( Kaeng Pad Pett Yang) laden with lychees and pineapple, bathed in a coconut milk, is now standard fare in many Thai restaurants across Australia, in small towns and large.  Some are over laden with creamy coconut milk; here the flavour is more subtle and the roast duck not oily at all, with firm lean portions.  This is a curry best eaten with steamed Jasmine rice - we had three enamel coated containers of the carbohydrate, truly reminiscent of what you have in south-east Asia.  The curry had aromas and flavours of fresh kaffir lime leaves, basil and fish sauce.  What caught my eye is the practice of placing long whole red chilies in the dish - and the presence of two variations of the eggplant - apple and pea.

Chip doing the honours for us, carving up the pork knuckle.  Edwin, Bob and John watch on, with Jacob stretching his white shirted arm.

Even if working in Sydney CBD, I had never stepped into the Green Peppercorn restaurant on level one of the Civic Hotel.  So we seized the occasion to have a lunch with Chip before he relocates to Adelaide, sister city to my hometown of George Town on Penang Island.  Farewells are never easy, breaking the stupor and pace of things we somehow can take for granted - it also brings to the fore, change management, the importance of enjoying the present and appreciating what each of us have, especially in non-monetary things like good amiable friendship and interaction.

I was cheeky enough to ask Chip what he missed about Sydney and what are his fond memories, at this juncture, of living in this Big Aussie Smoke.   Chip gave fair comment, he observed that Sydney can be a cold city and like all big metropolitan areas around the world, it can be every man for himself and his interests.  Chip did add that everyone he has got to know in the City Lunch Australia group has definitely made Sydney a much warmer and hospitable place for him in his experience.   That includes those who could not make it to the Green Peppercorn that day - Dee and Zoe were overseas,  Michael lives interstate (he phoned in during the meal), Sari was not feeling well, with Sally, Angie  and Raymond working outside Sydney CBD.

Chip related how he had to ship over to his Adelaide family what was then a rather hot item from Sydney in some of the years he was based here - Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  We can all relate to that - the hype, the rush, the excitement and the tastiness that was the American stuff.

Chip summarised by observing that it has been a fantastic ten years Sydney side.  So in turn, Chip,  each of us wishes you well in an Irish way - "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back.   May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields.  And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his Hand."

Tony did drop by with his daughter to say hello, and that was when I first caught up with Tony after so many years!  The Green Peppercorn meet up was at once both to say a temporary farewell to one and reunite with another, a bitter sweet experience.  The Buddha is often quoted as saying "The only constant thing in life is change".

Marinated and charcoal grilled ox tongue offered with "Mum's special home made sauce" - memories of a different culture.

Ox tongue! Now my Latino mates would love this, although in Argentina and Mexico, these are served in large pieces. What we got from the Green Peppercorn were sliced in bite size, but the taste was unique, together with the serving sauce, the Jaew Som.  Hey, believe it or not, shredded papaya is utilised here to flavour and tenderise the ox tongue when preparing this dish.  The marinade for the ox tongue also has both black and white pepper, the must have south-east Asian fish sauce, Chinese inspired soy and oyster sauces, minced garlic cloves, diced onions and a sprinkling of sugar and salt for taste.   The Jaew Som is based primarily (again) on fish sauce, garlic cloves and lime juice, but includes the aromas from finely chopped bunch of coriander (roots and all), red bird eye chilies and shallots.  The Green Peppercorn version is rewarding, wholesome and addictive.

Som Tam, the papaya salad that travellers get to love on a Thai beach or fancy hotel, is a treat for the palate. Out of the five sensations, this iconic dish assures you spicy, sort and salty!  We opted for the Laotian version at the Green Peppercorn as you do not find this easily in Australia.  The cherry tomatoes, chili bits, sour lime and fish sauce were all there to accompany the thinly julienned papaya, so what was different?  Maybe the mortar pounded crab paste, more likely good mortar and pestle techniques to get the juices, texture and flavours of all the various ingredients going. I am told that if you do not have papaya, use cucumber instead and never mangoes for this particular salad, as the texture of cucumbers and papaya are more alike.  Never utilise the blender for such preparation as the outcome can be so different and too liquid.  Salads are to nurture the appetite for meats and seafood.  My Thai friends say the Laotian version of Som Tam does not taste sweet like in the Thai version.  I did find the Laotian version of papaya salad not so sharp.

Papaya salad ala Laos.

Would I return?  Admittedly yes.  I am eyeing Som Moo (cured pork),  the charcoal grilled satay skewers, chicken feet salad and the Yum Womsen, the heady mix of vermicelli salad with bits of meat or seafood and aromatic herbs.
What is the mood there? Casual, busy and adventurous.
How is the ambiance?  Office gatherings, families, Gen Y energy and pub hotel.
Seating:  Retro.

Business model:  Practical pricing, cocktails with food, city buzz.

Dress code:  Aussie informal.
Compulsory for males:  The pork knuckle cooked in northern Thai style.
Compulsory for females: Cocktails and the Som Tam salad.
Rush hour: Fridays, weekends.
What is the X factor here?   Back packing and family cooking memories.



The Green Peppercorn at the Civic Hotel is located upstairs at 388 Pitt Street, Sydney CBD, near the
corner with Goulburn Street, just behind World Square.
Telephone: 612 8080 7043.
Opening hours are from noon to 3pm for lunch every day and for dinner, from 530pm every evening, they have a fixed time for last dish orders.


Green Peppercorn is also at the Fairfield Hotel at No.1 Hamilton Road, Fairfield, south-west of
Sydney CBD.

Kindly Yours visited this Fairfield restaurant in November 2014.
http://kindlyyours.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/green-peppercorn-fairfield-hotel-sydney.html?view=timeslide

Bakery Boys Wollongong

My Bakery Boys Breakfast Roll - a twist on the Banh Mi.

There are plenty of Banh Mi outlets around Australian capital cities these days - the quick but wholesome yummy buns have proved to be a good on the run snack, especially at lunch time, with a healthy dose of sweet Aussie produce and Vietnamese flavoured grilled or steamed pork or chicken or in pate forms.  Banh Mi in the Antipodes started life after the arrival of Vietnamese in the early 1980s seeking a safer refuge from the aftermath of the American war in their country of birth.  It is already fusion food when concocted in Vietnam, with French baguettes, Asian sauces, mayo, coriander, chili bits, onion cuts, delightful fresh cucumber and vinegar infused carrot slices all in one bite.

Mural on the wall of the city centre cafe.

In the Wollongong area, there is a variation with southern Chinese styled roast pork slices (instead of the cold meats) at Sam's Crusty Bread along the Princes Highway in Corrimal, a suburb just north of the city centre.  So it was with delight that another Banh Mi outlet is found in the Bakery Boys, sited along lower Crown Street (towards the junction with Corrimal Street).  The Bakery Boys may have roots in Vietnamese food but they have created a variation of the hipster and updated version of the Aussie cafe.  Yes, there is the barista coffee machine, breakky food and brunch choices. So instead of just bacon and ham, sourdough and Western styled meals, the Bakery Boys have a short but simply effective menu that offers a slight changed alternative from most of the cafes in the Illawarra.

I tried the Bakery Boys breakfast roll, with an omelette sitting inside a baguette roll with marinated pork sausage slices.   There are eye catching baguette rolls placed on the counter.  A customer has an intense piccolo ordered.  It does feel like a budding gathering hole, they only opened two months ago. I make a mess of the baguette crumbs on the table.  Oh yes, they also have hot pies.  Schnitzel is one of the selections for Banh Mi here.

The lunch time crowd in mid-winter.

The Vietnamese brewed ice coffee is made with condensed milk but allows the drinker to appreciate the different sensations of coffee blends from Vietnam.  Many lunch time customers walked in from their business offices or tradie assignments  - there is a screen that is dedicated to live sports (Manchester United was playing the San Jose Quakes when we were there).  There is ample seating but also a good turn around of take aways.    One wall has an etching of a street scene and the people behind the counter are enthusiastic and active.  Across the road, one can see the driveway to the Downtown Motel.   The Bakery Boys are not far from Lee and Me, Lower Crown East and the Sugar Cube, long established players in this part of the city.

Iced coffee ala Vietnam - and the Illawarra Mercury!

I found the Bakery Boys an interesting business model on the coffee retail scene - having practical pricing, encouraging a good turnover of their produce and emanating the look and feel to attract the market in the Wollongong area (students, workers, beach visitors, couples and families).   Yes, they have further elevated the popularity of the Banh Mi in the process - you no longer have to travel to a so-called Asian suburb in greater Sydney to get your hands on this interesting French-Asian roll, which can also form part of your catering orders.


The Bakery Boys is located at 69 Crown Street, Wollongong CBD.
Telephone: 61458 700 791
Opening hours are from 7am to 230pm daily.


 

Wellington Winter

Greater Sydney - Holiday Suggestions for first time visitors

Day 1:   Lots of walking, good shoes required.

Head to the Circular Quay area, northern end of main strip George Street in Sydney CBD.  Soak in the Sydney Opera House and consider to have a guided walk up the arch along Sydney Harbour Bridge (bookings required).  On weekends, you can also explore the Rocks Craft markets and the Rocks hub where the British first settled.  Fridays host the Rocks Foodie Markets.

Jump on to the ferry from Circular Quay to visit the Toranga Zoo at Mosman in the morning and spend an afternoon after catching the jet boat or ferry to Manly Beach, shopping mall, aquarium and restaurants.

Take a cab to the Surry Hills area for pubs, dining and chilling out.

Day 2: More walking -  exploring multiculturalism

Take the free green Sydney Shuttle bus to Chinatown, at the other end of George Street.  Jump on to the light rail to the Sydney Fish Markets and then the Star complex for the food street, upmarket shopping and the casino.

Have yum cha at Eight, on the third floor of Market City which also houses Paddys Matket from Thursdays to Sundays.

Relax at Darling Harbour in the evening and enjoy the chocolate at Guy Lian Belgian Chocolate Cafe.

For late night supper, try Chat Thai at Campbell Street opposite the Capitol Theatre or Bangkok Restaurant in the nearby Capitol Arcade.

There are many food places close late in the hubs known as Koreatown, Thainatown and Chinatown.


Day 3:  Saturday -  Adventure with drive and delight.

Go to the NSW South Coast!  Explore the vantage look out point at Bald Hill at Stanwell Park, this gives you a panoramic view of the Wollongong coast.  Have fish and chips, gelato, barista coffee and modern Aussie salads in trendy cafes Wollongong's coast first past the northern villages and then into North Wollongong Beach.

 Walk along beaches, put your toes in the sand and see Wollongong Harbour's iconic lighthouses.  Drop by the main campus of the University of Wollongong. Visit the largest Buddhist temple complex south of the Equator - Nan Tien, which has its own university as well.  Enjoy an Italian styled dinner in Wollongong CBD or Fairy Meadow before heading back to Sydney CBD.


Day 4:   Sydney suburban transport travel.

Using an Opal transport smart card (On Sundays all public transport is free),  explore nearby suburbs within the Sydney metropolitan area.

Take an early train from Martin Place to Bondi Junction, with a Westfield shopping centre and enjoy breakfast there.  Jump on to the bus to nearby Bondi beach and soak in the iconic sights.  Return to Sydney CBD.

Come back refreshed to your accommodation. From Town Hall station, take the half hour train trip to Chatswood on the upper north shore.  The train crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Chatswood is a good shopping hub with various department stores, a pedestrain mall and several good restaurants.   There are three major shopping areas along the main strip Victoria Avenue - Chatswood Chase in the east, Westfield in the middle and lemon Grove/ District Dining to the west.  Have dinner at Tim Ho Wan (all day yum cha), Korean stuff at the Pashon Shop or German at the Bavarian Beer Cafe in the District Dining area, next to the rail station.  Take the train back to Town Hall station and walk back to your CBD hotel.


Day 5:  Monday - commercial tours

Book a commercial trip to the Hunter Valley (wines), Newcastle (regional city)  and Central Coast (scenery).  Long day trip.

If you prefer, book a trip to the Blue Mountains - Three Sisters, rustic views.  Long day trip.



Day 6: Other options.

Capitol Theatre Campbell Street Sydney Chinatown and Lyric Theatre Star Complex Darling Harbour - book ahead for live musical performances.

Free walking tours in Sydney CBD meet in front of Town Hall every day from 1030am commencing at Sydney Town Hall, George Street or from 6pm at the waterfront at Cadman's Cottage, the Rocks Sydney.

http://www.imfree.com.au

Whale watching from Circular Quay Sydney Harbour during the southern winter season.

Take a train from the CBD to nearby Newtown, Erskineville and Enmore -  foodies, hipsters, shoppers and alt lifestyle practitioners will love this hub.



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Cuba Street Wellington

Wellington Harbour Front - June 2015

Auckland Winter - In the City

I strongly recall such construction workers even on my first visit in 1988.

New Zealand is after all part of the South Pacific - and can be tropical.

Lest we forget - an over proportionate number of New Zealand diggers sacrificed their lives  in 20th century battles
supporting the Mother Country Britain, when compared to the nation's small population.

Artist rendition of an interesting contraption used in a commercial kitchen.

The walk to the Brittomart Rail and Bus Hub, 8am on a Thursday morning in June 2015.

The Amorphophallus Titanium flowering at the Auckland Wintergarden, June 2015.

The stained ceiling at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Frontage of a shopping outlet near Auckland Harbour.

A green house.

Greek styled bas relief.

The call for war around a hundred years ago.

Auckland's business district.

Perhaps a rare place in the world displaying volcano rocks in a city plaza, with table tennis facilities provided for free by the Council.

In an Auckland garden.

Old Town Hong Kong Cuisine - Sydney Chinatown

Hong Kong is not just Chinese, this great city echoes traditions and influences from far and near due its entrepôt location, dynamic vibes, its residents being so passionate about business and making money.  It is also subtropical, a hub that is a powerful magnet for immigrants and was a British colony. The Fragrant Harbour has effective transport and international links, is short on land and space, thrives on modern trends and is a foodie heaven.

Old Town in the heart of Sydney's Chinatown provides a plethora of menu dishes that are not merely Cantonese, but also reflect the fusion and intermingling of cooking styles from Hong Kong.  Below is only but a small selection of recommended snacks, before and after you partake the main meals.

Deep fried ice cream, classic with a modern twist, served with slices of kiwifruit and strawberries.

Deep fried egg white topped with a  sprinkling of pink coloured  sugar undefiled with small dashes of custard.

Roast pork, not over fatty, yummy plans and definitely a good crackle.



Smooth on the palate - roast duck slices for your Beijing duck wrap, accompanied by shallot garnishing and  Hoi Sin sauce.

Five of us were ushered upstairs to a lovely table at a strategic corner.  Seated below a reproduction of a dragon head motif, I noticed it was a perfect time for a quiet dinner hour though late, between the family dining earlier and the suppers of youngsters later.  There is a rustic feel inside the Old Town. especially with the unwashed faded bricks.   I loved the roast pork slices and find the deep fried ice cream a cut above the rest.  The staff are efficient, friendly and a pleasure to deal with.

This time we did not get to eat the Tau Fu Fa, steamed soya bean curd for dessert.  There are Yum Cha or Dim Sim offerings from both southern and central China - I particularly like the steamed custard buns and the Shanghai dumplings.  Other starters you can consider are wine poached chicken or pig trotters; jelly fish salad cold dish; and the Tom Yum prawn soup (not really China!).

For mains, I recommend the roasted suckling pig if you have a larger number of people in your party.
On rainy wet days as we experienced recently, the ever reliable congee is worth considering, my group had two versions - the Old Town signature congee and the century egg flavoured version.   If you have steamed rice on the table, try the diced beef stir fried with black pepper sauce; the deep fried flounder in spicy salt; the braised eggplant access;pained with minced pork; and the king prawns served in shell with rice vermicelli; or the mud crab in shell  together with XO sauce and rice vermicelli.

Old Town Hong Kong Cuisine is located along the northern end of Dixon Street, away from the mall and towards Darling Harbour's Cantonese Gardens.
10A Dixon Street, Chinatown Sydney.
Walk from Central or Town Hall City Rail stations.
Opens daily from 11am to 2am, with dinner menu kicking in from 4pm.
Telephone 612 9264 3888