Gelateria Giapo, Haute Ice Cream & Gelato - Auckland

The lively engaging and customer focused  staff member  of Giapo we were so fortunate to meet at the Gelateria - and she is from Sicily.  Photo credit - Ms S K Teoh.

Welcoming, wonderful and wow in flavours and presentation!  As someone remarked, "When you have a Giapo ice cream, you just won't know where to start!".

The cones can be bigger than what you normally get at ice cream parlours, but this rather unique place comes alive with a great selection of ice creams and gelato.  Each flavour and combination in Giapo comes with eye catching names.  I had the Christchurch Hazelnut, my fellow gelato cult members chose two with Avocado and another one with an Italian twist.  And that was the more simple name...CH.

All very New Zealand.  And Italian. Giapo also has flavours inspired from the South Pacific neighbours and of course, the iconic Hokey Pokey.  You can have your gelato and ice cream in cups as well but the waffle cones are quality and yummy eaten by themselves.  I can still recall flavours like Yogurt with Goji Berry and the Organic Winter Sangria Sorbet - and they can change every day.

Check out the Aotearoa Garden, hey are they leaves freshly plucked from a  garden on the top?  I just adored my solid chocolate cone placed solidly on my serving - and they even give you a helpful little spoon with your cone.

Giapo delights are not overly rich but full of flavour, with interesting combinations that tease the senses.  Chef and patron of Giapo, Mr. Giapo Grazioli, has a gem of a gelateria.  Giapo is a strong believer and supporter of local produce.  Massey university has a research paper on Gaipo.s business success.

Colour, shape, how it all looks count here as well as the inherent taste. And then wait for the toppings!  These are generous encrusted top-of-the-cake literally over the top bonuses.  These counter against the higher prices charged but I reckon you get value in return.

Service is fast and I was amazed by the efforts the staff go to decorate the tops of the already delicious offerings.  With a smile, the lovely two female staff (one from Sicily)  take us through their extensive menu.  Children and the elderly would be captivated - anyone is!  They even offer drinking water when customers sit down, watching the goings on along Queen Street.  The bus stops right infant of Giapo, go for this!  I would take ice cream in the Kiwi winter at Giapo's - don't even think of summer.  

Visiting Giapo's is more than an experience, it can be the whole package in engagement, palate satisfaction and enjoyment.  Gelateria are often small but it is  pleasure to reward yourself especially on a cold day outside. Flavours can change daily as well.

Giapo Haute Ice  Cream & Gelato is located at 279 Queen Street, Auckland CBD near the Civic Theatre.  Located in front of a bus stop, teeming numbers of students and tourists.

Opening Hours: Every day after noon, weeknights close 1030pm and weekends 1130pm.

Telephone: 65 9 5503677

 

Wollongong Botanical Gardens - Revisited

Zimzala, Cronulla Beach - Sydney NSW

South Cronulla Beach south of Sydney CBD - and this was taken in July's southern winter.

Zimzala sits right on the beach.  Enough said. The beach is iconic in the greater Sydney area.  A bonus.  In front of the restaurant are paved walkways, the captivating bay and a hum of activity on most days.  Diners have a choice of so called outdoor seating where you get the sea breeze or you may want eating inside a proper room.  The menu utilises the best of local produce, is mindful of beach culture but also both elegance and style to its creations.  You may have to sit up close to other guests but you don't really care.  A place for wedding catering, that special twosome or just a group of your best mates. 

The wine list is compact but focused, mainly with an eye for the primary seafood and meat items dished up.   There is spread across Australia from the Hunter Valley to Margaret River, including Victorian and SA vine yards, but there is also the ever appreciated brews from Marlborough across the Tasman.  Interesting is the sole dessert wine, Mclaren Vale's Dowie Doole Canecut Viognier.

Grilled eye fillet of beef.

A beaut day for winter, with sky blue ocean and welcoming  temperatures.  The place was packed up but we were shown a strategically placed table where we could view the goings on in food and crowd.  We decided on a lunch combo, with choices from the menu, how generous!  For starters, the gnocchi and pork belly crackle stood out in nuance, favour and presentation.

Regarding the mains we selected, I found my duck confit with baby endives and lardons of spec a bit dry but the grilled eye fillet of beef for my mate was good. The integrity of the duck based dish was saved in part by the silky carrot puree and the orange and cranberry marmalade.  The beef was graced by pommes lyonnaise, green beans and peppered jus and sauce Bearnaise.

Friendly staff, fast service and a good refuge at the seaside.  We thought they offered a bargain combo lunch deal!  Also look out for mid-week specials if you can make it there accordingly.

What caught my eye initially was the risotto mains served with lobster and Balmain bugs, a great test of flavours from the ocean and the intimacy of the rice.  This dish was accompanied by the usual garnishing of Parmesan cheese and garden peas.   The other dish that also jumped out of the menu for me to please try was the seafood pie with chips,  perhaps very blokey or rather very seaside!  Next time, baby!

Gnocchi with dolce gorgonzola, pancetta, radicchio, pangratatto and spinach.

Staff we met were quick on their feet and responsive even during a busy hour.  The freshness of ingredients is complimented by the high level of care paid to its preparation, in most cases.  Sauces play a big part in the outcome of the served dish.  Colour, refinement and texture stand out positively, especially with the arrival of Executive Chef Tod Laurence.  And the other consistent X factor - imaginative presentation and care when your order is served in front of you.

The gnocchi my mate had was served with radicchio, pancetta, spinach, pangratatto bread crumbs and mild dolce gorgonzola.  Radicchio is the pretty looking Italian chicory, with the white veins in the otherwise purple coloured leaves making them even more captivating.  The dolce gorgonzola is made form unskimmed cow's milk and is not overly rich though when mild and sprinkled sparingly.

Caramelised apple, walnuts, cress and parsnip puree further lift up a tasty pork belly crackle.

The pork belly served was not over oily and the crackle firm and crispy.  The accompanying parsnip puree lifted the dish further, together with the delicate walnuts and cress with the caramelised apple.  This is an entree that gave detailed sensations to the palate!

I would love to return to Zimzala for breakfast, high tea or dinner.   The restaurant likes to party and hosts special events like Christmas in July, French in August and also one off event evenings.  The high tea package provides petite wagyu and cheese burgers, macaroons plus creme fraiche and salmon roe sandwiches amongst its several gems on offer.  If I recall right, creme fraiche is less sour than American served fresh cream but it has more butterfat.

Seafood platters are complemented with tropical fruit and chips, but the centerpiece revolves around Balmain bugs, blue swimmer crabs, smoked salmon, fresh oysters, scallops and prawns (fresh lobsters are an option to add).  For breakky, I have earmarked two items, the Thai styled scrambled eggs with a toasted Vienna, and the zucchini fritters with poached egg, basil pesto, haloumi cheese and a roasted tomato,

On this visit, alas, there was no room for dessert!

Duck confit with marmalade of cranberry and orange, supported by a bed of silky carrot puree.

Zimzala is located at:

No 7, The Esplanade, South Cronulla Beach
behind the Cronulla RSL
Telephone 612 9527 2011
Opening hours:
Every day for breakfast and lunch.
Wednesdays to Sundays for dinner
Corkage $5 per person charged for BYO wine.
10 percent surcharge applies on weekends and public holidays.
Catering packages are also available.
Zimzala's catch cry - "A person whop finds solace with sand between their toes and the big blue lapping at their feet."

Tim Ho Wan Chatswood - City Lunch Australia 28 June 2015

A collage by Ms Zoe Yu.

We missed Angie in Castlehill and Michael in Nagambie.  We did continue our series of City Lunch Australia commercial outlet gatherings outside the Sydney CBD this year after gathering at Kin by US and the Kopi Shop.  The aim was to utilise the private dining room facility (PDR) at the first Tim Ho Wan outlet in Australia.  There were rules, every one had to be present at the same time before we were seated by THW, there was the usual minimum spend and we only had two hours utilisation of the room, which did not have a door.  However it was lovely not to have to queue for a change as we were shown into our booked room not long after we all arrived.

Sari, Jacob, Edwin and the one with full concentration facilitating order - Chip.

THW has an optimally sized menu, printed with colour and also used as a serving mat in Asian style.  Like Papa Rich, you tick against the menu dish codes and that forms the basis of a  no-fuss invoice.  In yum cha and Japanese fashion, there are miniature photos of each dish, ranging in price from AUD 5.80 to 8.80.  It was unanimous that we left out the steamed egg cake slices (Kai Tan Ko in Cantonese), which is one of the so-called "four Heavenly Kings" of THW offerings.  We almost ordered a sample of each of the THW menu items, without also selecting the poached  seasonal vegetables,  the three rice variations, spring rolls with egg whites, two vermicelli roll creations and the two dessert choices.

The queue lines on Sunday afternoon.

The winning preference for the group was of course the baked marinated pork buns, with the tender to the bite full flavoured Char Siew fillings inside.  Over all, we ordered eight serves of this, with three buns in one serve.   Maybe the congee with bits of century preserved egg,  lean pork slices, julienned ginger and salted egg was the last preferred by this group.

Siew Mai pretty!

Focus group.

Dee found the vermicelli rolls with sesame seed sauce (Chee Ma Cheong Fun)outstanding - this can be a difficult dish to prepare as the overall effect on the palate depends on the quality of the rolls and sauce - and nothing else!  Sally pointed out the Worcestershire sauce sitting in the sauce tray waiting to be used with the shrimp filled beancurd skin wrapped deep fried rolls.  Chip then reminded us about the Hainan cuisine available on Penang Island.  Raymond liked the Siew Mai and Har Gou for their quality.  I say the pork ribs in black bean sauce were pretty standard this afternoon.

The large Lazy Susan, with call button attached.

We were not totally obsessed on food, as there was a lively and informative conversation on the latest Apple watch, which Edwin was wearing and kindly showed us.  There was the banter about Bob's hair style, of which Bob was sporting about.  Chip's relocation to Adelaide in the coming weeks touched upon the choice of removalists.  We reconfirmed about gathering at Sari and Jacob's newly built house by this coming weekend.   Zoe and Raymond has celebrated 25 years of wedded bliss two days before.  Above the table were three mirror reflective lamp shades, which gave a bit of festivity to this end of financial year party.  City Lunch Australia commenced as informal gatherings for lunch on working days.

The women of City Lunch Australia.

Chatswood can be  a vehicle parking nightmare.  Five of us took public transport and the rest used private vehicles, with two fortunately finding a good spot on nearby Railway Street.  Some of  us took a walk around the evolving development of District Dining, lamenting the still to be opened Ipuudo restaurant there.  John and I were fascinated with the nearby Pishon Korean style cafe, offering unusual drinks like sweet potato latte.

Settling into the table.

Wasabi laced salad shrimp dumplings.

The THW food, once it first came out, rolled on consistently, amidst the various cluttered chop sticks (some used as serving utensils),  emptying plates and stacked bamboo baskets.  Surprisingly, we hardly dipped into any sauces, for the THW items were mostly delicately made and had fresh ingredients upper most in their preparation.  John mentioned that it was better to get to savour the original taste of the dishes sans the sauces.   The PDR table was not overly large and it did facilitate group conversation.

Beef balls wrapped with bean curd skin -   山竹牛肉球 water chestnuts, coriander, dried mandarin peel and Shaoxing wine bring up the taste.

Servings can be  relatively small - some expressed the opinion that except for a few outstanding dishes, the rest seemed pretty ordinary, with Sally indicating preference for the yum cha outlet in the Rhodes Shopping Centre.   Kevin reaffirmed his liking for the vermicelli rolled with pig's liver, the  steamed spinach and shrimp packed dumplings and the fish maw braised in a prawn stock paste.  Chip summed it up by observing the elegance and delicacy of most of the THW food in front of us.

Bob, Sally and Raymond  (left to right)

The tea provided at AUD2.50 per person was pretty ordinary although refillings were offered.    The THW staff pretty much responded only when you require and call them, without anyone checking on how the food so far served was going, as is practised in most Western styled restaurants.  We had to request the staff to provide a food scissors to help cut up some items for sharing.

They did pack up take away orders in neat containers and placed them in practical paper bags.  Billing was relatively efficient and painless with no administrative errors.  The staff did take the effort to say good bye.

Baked Char Siew buns, the signature dish of THW.

I found the pan fried turnip cake uplifting, light and not bogged down in an oily setting.  We had three servings of such variations like the goji berry anointed Siew Mai, wasabi topped salad prawn dumplings  and pork ribs with black bean sauce.   It was a good strategy to go slow with doubtful items, order surely tasty items early and leave out obvious no-nos.

Raymond, John, Dee and Zoe (left to right)

Each of us had a fun exercise in rating our individual impressions of the THW lunch, giving scores out of ten, ten being the best.  Service by the staff was generally more engaged with us as PDR guests when compared to sitting outside in the general dining area, with guest tables packed so close to each other.  Scores between 6.5 to eight were voiced.

Those who gave higher scores pointed out the efforts made by THW on presentation of the food, the attention on fresh ingredients used and the  choice of a  few outstanding items.  Lower scores were provided on account of the lack of variety of items, several items not tasting that much better than in other Dim Sum places around Australia and the small servings made.

Chicken feet, or lovingly known as golden phoenix claws, braised in abalone sauce.  Under the subdued lighting, the marinade seemed under whelming and it actually was in taste.

Dee did notice there was a difference in taste and texture  for an item or two between the Hong Kong and Chatswood outlets of THW.

Chip very usefully mentioned to me it is how THW continued to manage customer expectations, especially with the all the hype in the beginning.  Where to from here, Tim?

Outside the private dining room.

Tim Ho Wan Chatswood is located on an upper floor of District Dining, near the rail station on north shore Sydney.
Opening hours are daily from 10am to 9pm.  All day yum cha!
Photo credits in this blog post to Ms Zoe Yu, Mr Edwin Chee, Mr Bob Tang and Mr Kevin Yong.

Peranakan Place - Straits Chinese in Auburn Sydney

Durian custard puff served with Choux pastry.

The outside of the restaurant may look unassuming and the location is more of light industry rather than a food hub.  Parramatta Road in near western Sydney can be confronting with passing traffic at times and yet can be a quiet neighbourhood otherwise.

We were looking for the traditional dishes of Straits Chinese cuisine - and there they were.  Peranakan is an Indonesian-Malay term for "descendant" and have two main streams, Indian and Chinese.  The cuisine here primarily refers to the Straits Chinese tradition, which is a major fusion development in south-east Asia for already a few hundred years.

I have not tried the Chicken Buah Keluak, a rather challenging dish to prepare.  Just like the Japanese art of getting ready the Fugu fish for sashimi.

First you have to source the fresh nuts, like what this restaurant does by importing them, from trees known as the Pangium Edule, native to Sumatra.  Treatment of the Buah Keluak is critical to obtain the edible washed kernels, which are ground up to become the rawon, used for gravies in beef, Sambal, chicken and rice recipes in the Spice Isles.  The fresh nuts are high in poisonous Hydrogen Cyanide, which is patiently removed by boiling in water and burying them in ash.   So a potentially dangerous ingredient is transformed to a safe to eat savoury must, rich in iron and Vitamin C for the body's nutrition, in this Straits Chinese offering.

Prawn and pineapple yellow curry.

I did dive into the Babi Pongteh, belly pork or trotters marinated in soy sauce and other ingredients ala Baba and Nyonya.  ( Baba refering to the gentlemen and Nyonya, the lady)  This appetising braised gravy dish goes well with steamed rice and Sambal - I was more than happy with the Pernanakan Place rendition of this unique item.    The chestnuts had been cooked properly and the Shitake mushrooms not over done.  The critical ingredient for Babi Pongteh I reckon is  the quality and right amount of the fermented soy bean paste ( Tau Cheong in Cantonese).  Potatoes are cut into bite sized chunks to soak in the gravy flavours whilst cooking.  Palm sugar (or the Gula Melaka), dark soy sauce and ground white pepper are added for taste.  I had been unclear what the difference between Hong Bak and Babi Pongteh is and now I know.  The Hong Bak utilises dark soy sauce, Cekur roots, coriander powder and lesser portions of the fermented soy bean paste.

Babi Pongteh is  a desired item for wedding festivities and in the past, an essential serving for the Tok Panjang, the long table laden with various food items of good omen and significance for wedded bliss.  Many a Straits Chinese maiden had to master to exacting standards the quality and presentation of several key dishes, as they count high in the evaluation scores by matchmakers, prospective in-laws and measures of general society expectations. 

To be fair, this meant many long and regular hours of practice and skills build up staying at home.  The world of the Peranakan meant the man ideally went out to earn fabulously and the woman focused on crafts, cuisine and family relationships.  One can now observe that this arrangement no longer applies in such distinct shades.

Mortar and pestle ready to unravel the Buah Keluak.

The menu offerings are not restricted to Straits Chinese in this restaurant.  The owner hails from Singapore.  Advance orders are required for specialties like the iconic Singapore chili or pepper crabs and two specific Teochew classics, the Chwee Kway steamed rice cakes and the traditional Teochew styled duck (the Lor Ark in Hokkien dialect).

Which Aussie cannot recall the pleasure of digging into fresh Singapore crabs on a sweaty afternoon on the East Coast and then having the pleasure of downing Tiger beer? 

Now we may be more familiar with Beijing duck, but this version found at the Peranakan is another that hails from Chaozhou province in southern China.  The latter has the outside of the duck marinated in a mixture of five spice powder (or the Ng Heong Fun in Cantonese).  The inside of the duck is rubbed with the ever popular fermented soy bean paste and placed with Galangal and garlic cloves for flavour.  Hmm, did they really use Galangal back in Chaozhou province? Spices in the Ng Heong Fun used include black peppercorn, star anise and cinnamon sticks.

The Chwee Kway ( literally meaning "water dish" so they are light on the palate) is popular amongst true blue Singaporean Chinese and it is consumed like a ready on the run snack, being easily available from food courts and hawker entertain the island republic.  Initially I did find these a bit plain but I cannot underestimate the delicacy about this creation, with preserved radish placed on top of a plain base when served.  This water dish started from less positive economic times in southern China, when rice holdings had to be sparingly and carefully used in consumption.  The migrants who then landed in Singapore carried the recipe for this snack to contemporary times.  Corn flour and shallot oil are used to enhance the rice dough and these snacks are best eaten fresh.

Classic motifs on Straits Chinese porcelain on display at the Peranakan Place.

Penang inspired Char Koay Teow.

There are two versions of Char Koay Teow in the menu, the Singapore and Penang variations, both of which I have yet to try.  What is the difference, can anyone please tell me.

The owner operator, Sam, is a gently sociable and experienced personality with lots to chat about, adds to the ambiance of this restaurant.  Sam is passionate about this cuisine and tells me he is doing this mainly to promote his heritage and culinary styles.  This does open the eye of the Sydney diners to another yummy branch of cuisine and culture from south-east Asia.  Even back in south-east Asia, such restaurants are few and far in between, with Singapore and Penang promoting much of this niche heritage.  A few diners find that orders come out not as fast when there is a crowd but the place does run on minimal staff.  The wife at times cooks in the kitchen, her husband engages with the customers and there are framed prints to check out on the walls.  A display shelf cupboard is devoted to Straits Chinese craft and cultural items.

Ngor Heang.

For those who loved their deep fried pork stuffed inside bean curd rolls from Penang or Malacca, there is this Straits Chinese twist  called the Ngor Heang.   Serving was small here but the taste passed the required test. Best of all, I fell in love with the durian custard puff tucked in Choux pastry buns for dessert.  The chicken satay was well marinated sufficiently and the accompanying gravy stood up to the palate, thick and peanut spicy.

To add to the confusion, Ngor Heang literally means 'five spices" in Hokkien dialect.  Concurrently it refers to this deep fried roll that is a cousin of the Penang Lobak. No surprises that the Ngor Heang requires use of Chinese five spice powder, but it also utilises finely cut up water chestnuts, potato starch, deveined chopped up prawns and diced carrots. Perhaps the common elements between Penang Lobak and Straits Chinese Ngor Heang are the the use of shoulder pork and the bean curd skin wraps.

A trove of Straits Chinese cultural icons for the display cupboard.  Tiffin carriers in red, woven baskets and beaded slippers are just some of the significant craft used especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries in colonial Malaya and Singapore.

Let-downs one evening on another visit were the Kueh Pie Tee and the prawn Nyonya curry cooked with pineapple.  The former did not remind me of those served at house parties back in Penang and Singapore, perhaps the slicing was not fine enough or there was just something missing.  

Kueh Pietee (or also known as "Top Hats") have daintily crafted crispy to the bite miniature casings,  holding tapas-like fillings of chopped and deveined/shelled prawn bites, julienned carrots, finely cut shallots and julienned Jicama.  To make the casings, you need a specialised mold.  The casings have to be just right freshly made on the bite,  having been shaped from lightly beaten egg contents, plain rice flour, a pinch of salt and water to form a mixture that is then deep fried.  They are best served for high tea or as starters to dinner courses. Each "top hat" is small and can be held by the fingers.

The lack of freshness that evening in the prawns used threatened to spoil the latter dish and I wanted the gravy to be stronger.

I did notice a few dishes from the Straits Chinese cuisine that were not served here.  The classic curry Kapitan, concocted by local cooks on board a ship run by a colonial master.   The deep fried chicken as in Inche Kabin, perfect as pub food, with a unique marinade as only traders, chefs and a certain Mr Cabin could conjure and make into reality.  I also did not find the Katong inspired Nyonya Laksa or the chicken Kerabu (cold entree mixture).

Perhaps I should just be content that in this restaurant, I can still have my Thai Otak Otak, Indian Muslim Nasi Briyani,  Malay-Indonesian chicken Rendang and Hainan styled pork or chicken chops.  It says a lot that the Straits Chinese mostly lived in harmony with the other ethnic groups in years past - and that dishes from other races and cultures are still offered in the Peranakan Place Restaurant in Australia.

Babi Pongteh - marinated pork belly from a traditional recipe.

The Peranakan Place is located at 139 Parramatta Road in Auburn, not far from the major intersection with St Hillier's Road and Costco.
Telephone: 02 9737 8989
Opening Hours: Wednesdays to Sundays only, lunch from 1130am to 230pm and dinner from 530pm to 10pm.
Vehicle parking is best along the nearest cross street, Station Road.