Potatoes – ohdenny

Third Wave Cafe Prahran by Night

July 4, 2014 Posted in American, Australian, Food Reviews, Prahran, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

I’ve previously dined at Third Wave Cafe in Prahran (just off Commercial Road x Chapel St) and tried their breakfast/lunch menu which you can check out here and I was thoroughly impressed by their dishes. Third Wave Cafe have generously invited my friend and I to try their dinner menu where their specialty is slow cooked, smoked meats and fish American BBQ style. Although their BBQ meats may be the attraction for some, they also have a Paleo menu and even dishes such as burgers and quesadillas to try. So for those that have tried Third Wave’s breakfast and lunch menu, it provides a small window into BBQ dishes but only when dining here in the evening will you find their expanded Slow Smoked BBQ menu.

We ordered the Pork Ribs (450g/Half Rack), which were absolutely delicious. The pork is tender, easy to slice off the bone and cooked to perfection with just the right amount of BBQ flavour. Served with the Pork Ribs, are two different BBQ sauces, the Spicy BBQ sauce and Apple Bourbon sauce, both having their subtle flavours that match the barbecued ribs. I love the spicy BBQ sauce in particular, as it’s smokey yet not overpowering and the spiciness gives the ribs a little kick but even then you could go without any of the sauces as the ribs are seasoned beautifully with the tastes of southern American cuisine.

Third Wave’s Chicken (Medium Plate) was also fantastic and it really isn’t a surprise anymore that the food here is a step above. From their menu’s explanation, it details that the chicken is marinated overnight and smoked using Maple wood for many hours. The chicken is moist, and the aroma of the smoked chicken is salivating. Often Chicken that is barbecued is tough and dry, and I find it very difficult to cook well but here they have done the chicken justice. The chicken here, like the pork ribs above is served with two different BBQ sauces which I believe one was the spicy BBQ sauce.

For sides we ordered the Confit Kipfler Potatoes (Medium Plate) which are Kipfler potatoes confit in duck fat and seasoned with salt and rosemary. The potatoes were crispy and the subtle seasoning of rosemary is all you ever need, but the one downside was the liberal use of salt.

Having a crispy theme going on with the sides, we ordered the Crispy Coleslaw that is a mix of apples, carrots, cabbage and with Third Wave’s own coleslaw dressing. There are hints of richness from the mayonnaise that is cut through by the slight bitterness to the cabbage and a hint of tang. It isn’t something I would order often but it does at least provide some lightness to your overall meal.

Impressions

Third Wave Cafe’s serves delicious dishes throughout the entire day, so it’s no wonder people come back for more and I definitely will keep coming back. One of the highlights in both their dinner and lunch menus is their smoked meats and BBQ dishes. Their Texan Fry Up and the Pork Ribs here are my personal favourites but with an interesting variety on their menu, there is room for some competition. I sincerely do recommend trying their menu at least once, tasty BBQ dishes breakfast, lunch and dinner and with friendly service, I don’t think there is much else you could ask for.

Third Wave Cafe – Prahran (Menu)
30 Cato St
Prahran 3181

Opening Hours (correct as at 4 July 2014)
Monday to Tuesday – 8am to 4pm
Wednesday to Sunday – 8am to 10pm

T: 03 9510 2991
M: 04 1255 0854

Red Hill Brewery

May 18, 2012 Posted in Australian, Food Reviews, Red Hill, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

One of the main tourist attractions in the Mornington Peninsula is the Red Hill Estate for all wine lovers. For beer lovers, there is the Red Hill Brewery. Their brewery and dining area has this nice rustic wooden aesthetic to it but it feels very Australian and modern. While the Brewery’s beer gets people through the doors, their sharing plates are wonderful in its own right.

We ordered one of those beer sampling tray, as seen below. From the far back I believe Wheat Beer, Scotch Ale, Belgian Blonde and Golden Ale. Being a fan of the lighter beers, I much preferred the golden coloured beers as it didn’t feel as heavy and strong. I don’t drink beer all that often so I really can’t comment on the complexities of flavours of each beer, but I’d definitely go back for the Belgian Blonde. Reminds me of Stella Artois, which is a good thing!

We also ordered three sharing platters which range from $10-12 dollars as this was basically our morning ~~tea~~ beer, and to accompany our lovely beers.

The first dish we ordered is the Beetroot & Orange Cured Salmon. My golly was it something else. The citrus flavour of the orange works really well with the slight saltiness of the salmon and the sweetness of the beetroot makes this whole combination oddly beautiful. The Main Ridge dairy goats curd mousse and pea shoot salad, really add to the complexity of the dish. I’m actually a fan, even though I was quite apprehensive at first.

The other two dishes we ordered is the Stoemp Cakes. These crispy fried pieces contain mashed potato served with vegies. I’m a big fan of anything potato so these cakes were superb. The batter is very light and thin so it doesn’t feel overly rich and fattening. The homemade mayonnaise adds a nice creaminess to the overall dish. So I was pretty happy with this dish, but I’d be happy with potato regardless so maybe it’s not the best advice to go off.

On the right of the picture, in the red bowl, is the Lamb Koftas. Again, Red Hill Brewery have served up another winner. These lamb balls aremarinated with some very pleasant spices, and for those that are put off by the Lamb taste, it still has retains some of this but the roast tomato sauce along with the spices mostly mask this flavour. Even though I loved the Stoemp Cakes, these Lamb Koftas were my absolute favourite. Perfectly cooked, and just a pleasure to eat.

Red Hill Brewery is definitely a must visit for Beer lovers, but also wins my heart for its delicious food. I couldn’t afford to come here as often as I would like, but that’s okay. When travelling to (or even through the) Mornington Peninsula, you can’t go wrong with stopping here.

Red Hill Brewery (Menu)
88 Shoreham Rd
Red Hill South
Victoria 3937

Ph 03 59892959
Fax 03 59892270

Winter Opening Hours
Thursday – Sunday 11am – 6pm (7pm during daylight savings)
plus all Public holidays and Mondays during school holidays

NB: Bookings are required for lunch

Spudbar

May 14, 2011 Posted in Australian, Doncaster, Food, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews1 Comment

My love of potatoes knows no bounds. I’ll eat it mashed, grilled, fried, boiled, cut up into wedges or fries and then deep fried or oven baked. I don’t think I’ve stopped loving potatoes and their versatility. So when a baked potato store opened, my sister (Also a potato head) found it and got me to try it. It was just simply perfection.

The name of the store is Spudbar, and it’s been a firm favourite ever since I went there a couple of years ago.

They have a number of stores around Victoria, and when I went to get my Macbook replaced in Doncaster Shopping Centre, I just had to go back there.

On this occasion, I tried their Tuna Melt Spud, there are plentiful dishes you can order and you can also make your own spud selection but just for convenience sake I chose the Tuna one. They used to have one called ‘Hot Stuff’ which included, kidney beans, a nice spicy sauce and vegetables but over the years I guess people weren’t interested in it.

The Tuna Melt Spud, is quite tasty. I doubt anyone can ruin potatoes for me, anyway. The only downside was that the dressing and tuna are cold, and well it makes the warm spud just a bit too cold for my liking. Nonetheless, it was still delicious. I added some chilli flakes, and tabasco sauce just for some added kick and it was great.

The mixture of the cheese, peas, carrots, corn, dressing, tuna and of course the potato all worked really well together and it’s really filling so you know you got a good meal out of it.

If you love all things potatoes, this is the dining experience you’ll not want to miss.

Spudbar

Westfield Doncaster Shopping Center
619 Doncaster Rd,
Doncaster VIC
Phone: 03 9840 2007
Fax: 03 9840 2007
Email : doncaster@spudbar.com.au
Open 9am – 5pm Sat – Wed
Open 9am – 9pm Thurs – Fri