Curry Puffs at Homi - Klang Valley, Malaysia

Curry puffs, as made in Malaysia and Singapore, are nothing like the samosas and other close pastries found in the rest of Asia.  The pastry is of Western influence, the fillings are Indian inspired and the cooking is rich in oil and from a hot wok. Golden brown in colour, buttery in pastry taste, always made with diced potatoes and with a spicy kick inside (normally dried chicken curry, my preference, but they can be in beef curry or sardine mix as well) Whether they are in the Restaurant Hock Seng Two in SS2 or at Mid-Valley, the first thing that captures your attention is the aroma and the swirls of texture on each piece.  I was first introduced to HOMI puffs by cousin Lai Han many years ago.

Above pictures were taken on the basement food court in the Mid-Valley Shopping Centre. The curry puffs from HOMI do not have the hard boiled egg as found in Singapore and in Sydney's Albees Kitchen, but they are tasty to the bite as well and serve as quick snacks from around one to two Ringgit per piece.  It is great to eat them with beer on a sweltering humid afternoon in Malaysia.  Such puffs are also popular for office or home parties and they have been around for at least a hundred years or more, originating from the period of British administration in Malaya.  To ensure the crispy texture, dough is carefully kneaded by hand with margarine and water and then sufficiently rested before being deep fried in hot oil.  My sister-in-law Sian Kin had demonstrated to me her own recipe.  Finely chopped red onions, chili powder and tumeric powder go to marinate the finely chopped chicken breast meat - and garnished with sugar, black pepper and salt.  Potatoes must be boiled and then diced.

Air Travel Trivia

Malaysian airports still have the persistent habit of placing a rather very sticky narrow piece of security tape over the zipper of your check in luggage, after the bags are first scanned by security officers, before the passenger even goes to the airline counter to collect the boarding pass.   This sticky tape is often irritating to remove from the teeth of bag zippers. This practice is , thankfully, not a feature of Australian airports, which scan check in luggage behind the scenes after the passenger submits the baggage to the airline.  Both Singapore and Australia strictly require the filling up of hand written arrival and disembarkation cards, whilst Malaysia has done away with such requirements. Mobile phones cannot be switched on in Australian airports, until after the passenger has cleared both immigration and quarantine checks (tell that to the typical passenger in Asia, who instinctively switch on their mobiles once the plane comes to a halt on arrival and the passengers have not even disembarked out of the craft).  Such is the variety of air travel practice that faces a passenger travelling across various time zones and countries.

Chicken, fruits and fish seem to be the safe options in food menu choices for the diversity of air travel passengers, being neither in the zone of culturally or religiously forbidden.  They also can keep well and are amiable to soaking in the flavours of spices and stock flavours. Travelling with different airlines also mean the opportunity to partake in the best food represented for each region, whether they are baked pastries,  savoury dishes or uplifting and unique side dishes.  Increasingly , better run airlines pamper to the needs of the gluten free, the lactose indigestible and the organic focused. The choice of meals do offer differentiation to airlines that care, but Air New Zealand does offer a refreshing variety of the safety video.

Most important is the creating of the experience, not just for business or first class passengers, as often articulated in the quality of passenger interaction by cabin crew.  It is also echoed in how various categories of air passengers are organised to check in at the disembarkation gate or treated at the boarding pass collection counter, and whether outsourced or internal staff are utilised for such critical first impression points.   It is also reflected in what languages an airline offers to passengers and how they are handled when connecting flight passengers arrive late through no fault of their own. And then there are so many budget airlines.

The effectiveness of scanning equipment at airports comes to more significance play these days, as security and other controls meet head on with the increasing volume of passengers and baggage handled. I have experienced certain scanners used that are not effective  in providing plausible views of luggage contents for security purposes - and those that possibly intrude the privacy of the physical features of air passengers.

There are nations that are more conscious of welcoming visitors and those which are more obsessed with not doing so.  There are airports that have no proper queuing arrangements, where different managers, of the various phases passengers are subject to, do not  communicate sufficiently with each other and where revenues are unduly prioritised over a country's image or friendly prospects.  There are nations that have a cultural heritage of engaging with customers (or are well trained to do so) and those with a more of less stiff upper lip tradition and with airline crews who obviously have a disdain for all or certain passengers.

Lolli Redini - Orange, NSW

On a cold night, with single digit temperatures, venison does warm the palate. Siting next to me, Chris chose, as mains, the loin of Mandagery Creek venison, garnished by a horseradish cream, generously swamped by slow cooked and spiced red cabbage and richly accompanied by Waru organic beets and a dollop of celeriac gratin. (picture above).  Welcome to the inner sanctum of the Lolli Redini.

A refreshing choice of side serve is having a choice of green coloured vegetables (broccoli and beans in picture above) doused with Le Barre olive oil and a twist of lemon.  My first taste of Lolli was in the ocean trout carpaccio (image below), as topped up by garlic toasts, horseradish remoulade, celeriac, green apple slices and mint leaves.  Remoulade is a French inspired sauce based on mayonnaise or aioli and may contain paprika, capers and anchovies, always popular to accompany seafood dishes.  Celeriac, also referred to as a knob celery, is turnip-rooted. A carpaccio is an Italian appetiser served with a mayonnaise based dressing, first formulated at Harry's Bar in Venecia in the 1950s.

Right in front of me, as served to Cindy, was the twice cooked Wagyu brisket, graced by rosemary flavoured crumbs, broccolini, Jerusalem artichoke puree and glazed Heirloom carrots and swedes (or Rutubaga, the Swedish turnip), gently surrounded by a brisket sauce, great with barbecued meats.

 

The Orange art fraternity do seem to utilise Lolli as a gathering place, and this is evident from the hung art pieces on the walls as you bite into your anticipated morsel of carefully prepared meals.
Contemporary French and Italian inspirations in the dishes, the restaurant recreates an Euro elegance with fine Australian produce from the central west of New South Wales. My impressions, of my night visit to Lolli Redini at Sale Street (nearest cross road is Byng)  in downtown Orange, are:
Atmosphere: Euro yet Aussie - reminders of Tuscany.
Location: In the centre of excellent local produce.
Taste: My pictures do not do it sufficient justice!
People Engagement: The staff member with a French accent was smiling and made useful suggestions of dishes whenever he spoke to guests.  Tall, slim and elegant, I reckon the lady diners would have considered him a big plus to an already good ambiance.
Service:  Attentive.  A possible blip when some of us had mains while the rest had entrees - what is the protocol in this for clearing the plates?
Best Time to Visit:  Dinner (only time opened)
Fav Dish Experienced: Slow roasted Belubula Pork belly, served with a sweet potato puree, wom bok cabbage and caramelised Granny Smith apples.  Belubula is a local river.
Would I Return?:  Whisk me away and deliver me to Simonn and Leah's gem of a restaurant!
Give me the pressed terrine of veal, rabbit and pork, served with a quince paste and a serving of Waru rocket salad and toasted truffle and buttered walnut sourdough.

Charmaine declared the risotto of asparagus, sweet peas, zucchini and parsley, as topped by king prawns from the Spencer Gulf in picture above, as outstanding.

Below, I had my main dish of Belubula pork belly, slow roasted instead of double cooked, providing me a hint of southern Chinese influences and yet with the reminder of Australian flavours in pumpkin and green taste of Granny Smiths.

The comprehensive wine, champagne and aperitifs list includes Pimms, and items from Reims in France and the Tamar Valley in Tassie.  Local Orange produce are illustrated by Ross Hill, Canobolas-Smith and Philip Shaw.

 

Canobolas-Smith Vineyard - Orange, NSW

There are easily more than a few dozen vineyards in the Orange District of New South Wales. Apart from its other reputation as the food basket of the state, its viticulture traditions and output are spread out along Pinnacle Road ( mountain topography, as with Ross Hill estate); Cargo Road in Lidster; the Escort Way (also known as the Borenore Trail, with names like Philip Shaw and Barton Creek); the Canowindra Trail; and the Eastern Heritage Trail. It was along Cargo Road that I enjoyed discovering the Canobolas-Smith Cellar Door, Winery and vineyards. This is a mature establishment since 1986 and significantly dry-grown area, which specialises in the Alchemy Cabernet blend. William Rikard-Bell and Murray Smith run the operations here.

We met Murray, an easy going and down to earth fella, patient at letting us explore our palate, starting with the sublime and moving us on the path  towards the Alchemy. Alchemy is a combination of the very best in Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Shiraz.

French oak is utilised in the casking and Murray emphasises the artisan approach in the wine making here, preferring the practice of small batches to allow as much as possible the outcome of the house's unique and natural flavours.  Interesting enough, all fruits are hand pruned and picked.  The six hectares planted lie on the northern slopes of Mount Canobolas. 

 

The Canobolas-Smith bottle label stands out bright blue, centring on a representation of the cheery sun with the crescent moon, and was designed by Orange artist Tim Winters.  The ladies in my group enjoyed their adventures with the Chardonnay produced here, whilst I reserved my tastings to the heavier reds which caught my eye, though I skipped the Shiraz on its own.  Commencing with the Semillon/ Sauvignon Blanc, I was heightened in interest with the Pinot Noir and was sold in conviction with my tasting of the Cabernet Sauvignon. I highly recommend the Alchemy.

The neighbouring Gordon Hills Estate in comparison is relatively new, established in 1999 and run initially as Burke and Hills until 2008.  The distinctive feature of the Gordon Hills is the elevation of the grown vines at around 900 metres above sea level and thus it benefits from such a cool climate in its output.

Santa Fe Portuguese - Wollongong, NSW

Tender cuts of pork, accompanied by appetising potato bites, olives, mussels on the shell and a squeeze of lemon, were served on a plate with traditional Portuguese markings.  (picture above). This was my dinner at a Portuguese-themed restaurant/cafe in downtown Wollongong.  The setting is casual yet traditional.  They open early in the morning, and seem to focus on a breakfast and branch clientele, but also offer wholesome meals in the evenings that can be the basis of an informal family outing or just with a group of mates. Are the meals from Brazil or from the Iberian coast? There are no table cloths, just clean white tables with a drinks fridge but coffee is made fresh at the bar. Not too many tables at this one-shop place with Crust Pizza across the road and Lower Crown East a few doors to the west.  the feel is also Mediterranean, with unique looking crystal or metal lamps and mirror borders.  The decor is modern and yet a touch of ethnic.

My fellow diners at the table all had skewer swords served, each holding juicy and delicate pieces of various meat and prawn combinations. The marinade applied to each meaty morsel must be the secret to Portuguese cuisine. I last had an encounter with such dining swords in Petersham, which has a hub of a Portuguese background, like Warrawong south of Wollongong CBD. Generous amounts of chips (above) or wedges (below), according to your preference, accompanied carrot and green leaf salads, to balance each square plate with the meat choices - lamb, beef, chicken and more.

That weekday evening, the crowd was mainly with an Iberian background, and most seemed to begin the meal with red wines and a relish.  There is a fair range of Australian and Portuguese wines above the counter. We had side serves of neatly cut polenta bread, but not the lupini beans and olives.  Traditional Portuguese tarts were seen available at the front counter display, maybe more suited for breakfasts.
To finish up the meal, I tried the coffee which more than a few people raved about. My first sensation, on sipping the rather hot concoction, was that this was an aromatic blend.  Then skimming the surface, I also found creamy layers.  Finally the heavy dosage of bean thickness struck through, as a cappuccino should. The experience was slightly different from the Italian versions common in Australia these days.

My impressions of the Santa Fe Portuguese Restaurant at 64 Crown Street, Wollongong CBD (near junction with Corrimal Street) are:

Atmosphere:  Informal and easy.

Taste: Better than my expectations.

People Engagement:  Friendly parents in a family run atmosphere.

Service:  Casual

Best Time to Visit:  Dinner

Fav Dish Experienced: Pork Grills

Would I Return?:  Yes.