Boat Noodles - Perfect for a Wet Wintry Melbourne Night - CBAs at Soi 38

Ok ... how's these wet Wintry nights hey Melbournians?! Cosy and romantic or just downright cold and inconvenient? I'm managing to keep myself distracted and warming the cockles any chance I get. So it was a no brainer when word of Soi 38's Popup tour of Thai noodles started spreading round food blogger circles.

First up, we've been wanting Andy to give his noodles some kind of permanent fixed address, ever since we sampled his wares at the North Melbourne Spring Fling last year. Sadly this is still a pipe dream, but Andy plans to have more events and we certainly plan to be there each time if we can.

Its a 6 Friday night residency at the Sketch and Tulip in North Melbourne, featuring a different noodle dish each week. Last Friday featured Andy's Boat Noodles, a slightly darker version to the one we had at Spring Fling, but still a wonderfully balanced dish full of rich spice and fresh herb flavours. $5 gets you a reasonably sized bowl of thin pad thai noodles in a rich unctuos dark broth, heavy with 5 spice and redolent of the sweet-salty-sour tennets that form the basis of traditional Thai food. I can't testify to authenticity as I'm no expert, but we loved it so much we went back for seconds.

Another $5 will get you some Thai style Popiah - decent pop piah skins filled with seafood, omelette, lap cheong and bean shoots ... perhaps not as complex as the Nonya version, but delicious nonetheless.

And a final $5 will get you sweets in the form of banana leaf wrapped coconut pudding squares centred by a piece of chestnut ... coconuty, gooey, sweet - perfect!

So if you missed out last Friday, you have another 5 chances - we are looking forward to sampling each one. Oh and bring cash. And cut Andy some slack, you may have to give him a friendly "nudge" if he happens to forget an order.

Goodbye My Little Sascha Push ... no more pitbull fights for you

Ok ... I am so fucking mad at life! Barely 2 weeks, 2 fucking weeks of trying to piece my life together and it dumps all over me again. We lost Finney earlier this year and just before our holiday, it was almost touch and go with Sascha, but he pulled through the little trooper. So why did it have to end like this. I want to unsee the X-ray with that impossibly ugly crack, unopen the door to let him limp on forward across hardwood floors, unhold his frail body as I took him out into the cold wet night, uncall him as he struggled to crawl back towards my voice and into the warmth of the house, unfeed him all those years when he started sniffing out company in our backyard, unhand him as I punched walls out of frustration at finding yet another puddle of pee in the corner of the bathroom ... forgive me Sascha ... even then I knew I would have to come to live with the regret.

This is the life
Everyone has to be somewhere
I am here
Testing a dream
The pressure of dreams is the killer
Of dreams
And it only gets harder

This is the life
This is the life
This is my life

Time is the monster
All of us fight the same monster
To win
I scream when I breathe
Fearing that worry will trigger
All my fears

And it only gets harder

(How did I get so serious?)

This is the life
This is the life
This is the life
This is my life

Everyone has to do something
I am here
Doing what I do best

But this is the life
This is the life
This is the life

(This is the Life - Wendy & Lisa)

Mother the car is here ... somebody leave the light on

Ok ... there is only so much sorrow and loss one can take, and I am thrice spurned and yet I have survived.
I guess I should take some comfort in that.
But its a hollow victory, devoid of any solace or celebration.
What has been lost remains lost, with nothing more to be gained.
Death does not benefit your life with experience. It simply is and then passes on with time.

Oh but those sharp burrs of memory that jump up from the corners of your mind, like the worst of all migraines ... I stop breathing, and reach out to clench invisible hands that are no longer there, or stroke warm bodies that once curled in the nooks and crannies of my sleeping form, now lying cold in the earth in our backyard.

So dear readers please forgive me my silence, please let me grieve, I will get better, I will once again engage, its already happening so we will have much to catch up on soon.

Mummy I can't believe you're gone. But I'm glad that you no longer suffer. I just wish I had seen you alive just once more. 3 hours isn't such a long time, but 3 hours late is torture. This one is for you.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

                                        Mary Frye

Grateful for small victories at Small Victories

Ok ... I was all excited about moving from my antiquated 3G iphone to iphone 4 (yes minus the sibilance) with its touch-to-focus screen. But the flash photos are so bright and queasy looking, and have this yellowish tinge which somehow reminds me of the detritus of liposuction.

And what a greeaaat way to start a blog post about food!!

We recently caught up with our good friends for a mid-week impromptu dinner (some amongst our party are lucky enough to enjoy a surfeit of holidays) at Small Victories.

Not quite a year old, this unassuming eatery on Rathdowne Street (which is fast becoming a mecca for foodies and not-so-hip hipsters), is already garnering praise from the uber cool sub-set of Melbourne foodie culture - the Melbourne brunchers!

I can't really comment on Small Victories' brunch offerings as we were there for dinner - its the same sharing plate palaver - but the prices aren't going to give you a wedgie.

We began with a plate of the Ewes Milkc Cheese Croquettes served with Honey ($9). I've written about my inability to computate savoury and sweet together in an equation before, so this tasted like one of those indian milk sweets, usually served in thick sugar syrup, to me. Or like something you would eat to break your fast (for those of you who are in the habit of fasting for religious purposes). Very jarring for me! But I believe that for those without this mental handicap, the combination of the milk cheese was nicely complimented by the smoky sweet flavour of the honey.

Another starter was the Poon Boon Lamb Ribs served with Sesame Salt, Black Tahini and Quince Aioli ($16). The Lamb rib was cooked to perfection, but I'm not sure that the added flavours in the tahini and Aioli really gelled that well. I didn't quite like the lamb with the Aioli, and the Black Tahini on its own lacked a little bit of character. So I'm a little unsure of this dish.

The crowning glory of the "smalls" was the Korean Fried Chicken ($16). This was great and very well balanced. The accompanying sweet syrupy sauce was not overpowering, and you got the perfect umami hit from the batter and crunch of the chicken skin. Will certainly come back for this.

Moving onto the mains, we shared the Char Grilled Quail Breast served with Cherry Escabache, Buckwheat Brioche and Pistachio Crisp ($26). Quail was ignored once, then was briefly on-trend, and now it seems to be receeding quietly in favour. But I think it should become as much a staple on menus as duck was. It is so versatile a meat, and this dish, despite its colourful menu description, is a simple dish with simple flavours. The brioche which had more a texture of stale bread crouton pieces before they are fried was a great touch. And helped to mop up all the yummy juices on the plate.

We also had the Fish of the day (sorry I can't remember what it was) served with celery, scallion (hhmm!!!) and raisin ($26). The Fish itself was cooked to perfection, and celery always lends a heady aromatic counterpoint to white meat, but those raisins were, to put it mildly, off! Unless you are partial to a handful of fishy flavoured raisins, in which case, go for your life. But don't be put off by the raisins, as they do not overpower the dish. You can simply put them to the side and enjoy the rest of it.

For sides, we ordered the Heirloom Tomatoes served with Quark, Basil and Rye Crisp ($14) and the Duck Fat Potatoes served with garlic and herbs ($10). KH commented that for the price and the timbre of the establishment, she found the heirloom tomatoes surprisingly lacking in flavour. I agree in part. If I was putting this dish together I probably would have stuck to one kind of tomato as opposed to using a smattering of different types. Individually their flavours shone through, together ... not so much.

Fat Potatoes in duck fact? Need I say more?

I can't in all honesty say I would be rushing back for dinner. I'd probably treat this more of a casual place to drop by perhaps for a light lunch, a bit of brunch, or as the day comes to a close, a few sharing plates to help with the alcohol. But if you haven't been, then its worth checking out. Don't forget the Korean Fried Chicken!!

Masak Masak - are we playing yet?

Ok ... panic stations!! Less than 2 weeks to go before we step on that Emirates flight to Barcelona, and I still haven't quite worked out our itinerary. I think we are going to have to wing it at some stage! Anyhoo, we still had time to check up on a couple of new eateries, the first one being Small Victories, which I will blog about shortly. The second is the 6 week old Masak Masak on 230 Smith Street, Fitzroy, which I will post about now.

News about a new Malaysian restuarant opening in reasonably close proximity is always met with equal parts excitement and trepidation. Excitement because it is easily ranked as our favourite cuisine, and general consensus is you have to travel farther afield to get the genuine deal. Trepidation because by and large the end result is always slightly dissappointing, or at best, the quality is uneven.

So Masak Masak is unfortunately not likely to buck the trend.

The term Masak Masak, apart from being a rather fey children's game, also refers to the general art of cooking. But do not attempt to corelate the 2 as Malaysian cooking is far from child's play, especially when you want to get it right.

The staff at this establishment all seem frightfully young, which in itself, is not a bad thing. But I get the feeling that in terms of traditional cooking they are further away from the ancestral practices of cooking from scratch, and have grown up with store bought flavours and 21st century fusion. (oh and lard free hawker centre food - I mean really!! What's the point!)

We were extremely excited at the prospect of having Satay from a customised brazier. And Masak Masak's offering comes with cubes of ketupat, raw onion and cucumber (pieces not slices). So 2 big ticks let down by a limpid and unexiciting satay sauce. And let's face it, its the satay sauce that makes the dish.

Their homestyle Otak Otak was closer to its origins, but needed a bit more of a Kafir lime leaf boost. But they came in cute banana leaf wrapped parcels, showing a little bit of skill.

As far as I know, not many other places serve Roti John. A curious dish melding the orient with her colonial past, its essentially a baguette (of the sweet shiny kind) grilled with egg and minced meat (usually lamb), and eaten with tomato sauce. Greasy, eggy, meaty, yummy! The perfect snack.

Masak Masak's offering bucks the religious trend and serves their's with a thick slab of Bak Kuah and crispy lettuce. I'm all for fusion and I'm all for Bak Kuah, but I'd wish they would tweak the menu listing and advise customers that this is their version of a much loved hawker dish. Thats my only gripe, as this dish is moreish and something I would come back for. (Incidentally, in Singapore, you usually find Roti John at Malay run stores, and Bak Kuah is made out of pork ... in-te-rest-ing!)

For mains, we shared the Kon Loh Mee and some Fried Kai Lan (sorry I seem to have lost my photos for these). You have 2 options with the wontons, either fried or served in a soup. Ours came in a soup which was a little tasteless, but some people may prefer their broth that way.

The Noodles themselves had the requisite flavour of Kon Loh mee, but the dish was missing slices of Char Siu, and I would have preferred the noodles a little less lighter in colour and washed in the sauce, rather than cooked or mixed too well in it. Not sure if I'm being clear but there is a difference, at least in my head.

The Fried Kai Lan was served with crispy fried garlic chips, which was a nice touch. And stemmage was suitably crispy.

Masak masak, in summary, is worth checking out. There are some dishes that are not usually found in other Malaysian establishments, and its always worth trying something new.

AA and the Red Light Bunk

Ok ... there was a time when life was all make-believe and teenage daydreams even though we were on the very cusp of adulthood and some of us had experienced things best left for a little later in life. In the meantime in that corner room with the branches of an old tropical hardwood shading the inside from prying eyes, we re-enacted magazine story scenarios accompanied by the latest whatever-tunes we were into, and wondered what it would be like if the other occupants of our floor crashed our little drag soirees.

My drag name was Annie Anus (crass I know)! I won't reveal the extended byline of my gay-de-plume, but one of my favourite numbers was this ... (and I only mimed the chorus really).

Sometimes its the simple things in life ... a lunchtime snack

Ok ... sometimes when you're a little peckish but its too late for brunch, a "light" and savoury snack can be the most perfect thing in the world ... Gozleme served with hummus, chilli and garlic sauces at Fitzroy kebabs ...

Rational Suicide - About Life, Death and Happiness

Ok ... so having to face the possible early termination of a family pet has made me an even more stalwart advocate of Voluntary Euthanasia. Whichever way you cut it, its not an easy decision to make. It was heartening to read the article on Beverley Broadbent in the Age recently. A vibrant still vital 83 year old who decided to take her own life "rationally" in February this year. I trully hope that I will have the luxury of that choice when my time comes. Although I'm inferring that Beverley did come from a slightly elevated social strata (most certainly higher than I'll ever reach) and therefore exposed to a wider range of opportunities. But I'm sure there will be some kind of hotline for me, well at least I hope to get to it before I am totally incapacitated and imprisoned in some godawful facility where I'm once again treated like a child and deemed a social outcast due to my sexuality.

Still, our cat has seemingly turned a corner and is playing the cute card to the max! Although, he isn't quite able to clean himself as well as he once did. And so navigates his way through rooms covered in towels in a fug of stale piss and shit. But still, totes adorbs as they say. We are grateful for every second of his life that remains. Lets just hope and pray that any deterioration that may occur, happens when we're back from our holiday. The same thing applies, unfortunately, to my mother.

And then there's that! 3 weeks in Europe in Spring. I'm hoping that the trip, amongst other things, will rejuvenate the old creative writing cells, well at least the paltry few that I possess. It will at least give me something to write about. And new experiences! God! In an effort to economise in lieu of said impending holiday, we have pretty much hermetically sealed our daily routine from home to work to home to shops to occasional dinner out again local or at mates'. 

 Ciacci Palace - our apartment in Rome

But not long to go peops! And then I will be one of those godawful bores shoving endless photos (and possible videos) and travel soundbites down your already overstuffed broadband pipe. But suck it up. I haven't been on a proper holiday for ages, so you will allow me this little indulgence.


Besides which, I've been watching all these "youtuber" videos of mainly youthful gay americans who spruik up their daily lives and have hundreds of subscribers eagerly lapping up every mundane detail (yours truly included). So if they (admittedly they seem to lead amazingly busy lives) can do it, so can fucking I!

So stay tuned all those who haven't quite jumped ship yet. I will make it as painless as possible. Meanwhile here's something to be excited about.

So new its not even on Urbanspoon yet - Dinner at Malaysian Mamak Kitchen Strathmore

Ok ... first up a confession. I've been cheating on M's diet by devouring sugared braided pastries from Breadtop on a regular basis! Right, now that that is out of the way, let me tell you about Malaysian Mamak Kitchen, so new it hasn't even made a digital imprint yet!

This newly opened Cafe in the northern suburb of Strathmore (8 Lloyd Street) just across the way from the local IGA has a reasonably interesting menu, alot of which sadly were not available to order when we were there - and this was their very first day! So it could either be a massive Fail! Or if we're kinder, we could say something like "oh they're just finding their feet ... give them time".

Service is, shall we say, attentive enough but also a little fraught, but again "finding their feet" is the axiom that springs to mind. Unable to try our benchmark dishes (including their version of Hainanse Chicken Rice), we decided on an entree of Fried Chicken (the one we actually wanted was not available so we had to choose this alternative):

The chicken pieces were on the bone and cut into manageable sizes - big tick. The usual curry powder style marinade had a lovely home-made feel to it. I say entree, it actually came out after the mains - but that is more akin to Malaysian style eating so I shouldn't really grumble.

M had the Char Hor Fun for his main. After our slight misreading of this menu item at another establishment, we decided to clarify whether this was soup or dry. Blank stares and cross cultural mayhem ensued, but we did manage to work out that we were talking about the dry version, although you would be hard pressed to agree from the photo below - but yes it was erring more on the dry side than a soup.

The cook did the right thing by char frying the noodles first before dumping the sauce in the wok - so it had that smoky seafoody hor fun flavour - perhaps a smidge on the salty side, but yummy. I do miss the hot pickled green chilli option, but they did have a chilli oil type sauce of the Vietnamese variety with crispy ikan billis (anchovies) in the mix.

I had the Beef brisket egg noodle - which was pretty good but perhaps a little heavy. When I chose it from the menu, I was hoping that it would be the Hong Kong Noodle House style of dish, and it pretty much was. The Brisket was a little tough but there was a nice balance with the 5 spice and soy flavours. I would have preferred less sauce and a bit more noodle - the blanched cauliflower was an "interesting" touch ... but I would have liked some choy sum instead.

In summation, unless you're local, I probably wouldn't be travelling too far to check this place out. Although I personally would still like to try the benchmarks here (Hainanese chicken rice, beef rendang) before fully committing to a review. Oh and they should really do Teh Tarek!

PS: From now until 13th March, you get 20%!

Edit - 3rd April - it now has an entry on Urbanspoon!!

Its Like being back in the land of the living ...!!

Ok ... now that I am back in the gloss and glam state of iPhone ownership, I've given up one addiction:

Brickbreaker for Blackberry Phones

For another!

Oh the Tile-clacking faceted stone wonder that is Bejewelled!