Newton Circus

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of MATRADE's Malaysian Kitchen Program.

Newton Circus in Box Hill North draws on owner Alex’s Malaysian background and Chef John’s Singaporean background to serve up authentic Singaporean and Malaysian food. The cuisine at Newton Circus reflects the diversity of it's South East Asian roots, drawing influences from Malay, Chinese, Peranakan and Indian cuisine.

The service was friendly and prompt with staff that are clearly proud of the food being served up.

Seafood ngoh hiang

The ngoh hiang is a mixture of ground up fish and vegetables wrapped in a beancurd skin which has been steamed and then pan fried until crisp. The crispy beancurd exterior, juicy fish cake interior and dark salty-sweet sauce makes for an excellent appetiser.

Chai Tow Kway

A much loved "anytime" snack of many Singaporeans and Malaysians, Chai Tow Kway is dish of fried radish cake and egg. Absolutely authentic, Newton Circus’ version was scrumptious and made with generous amounts of radish – crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, every bite was moreish.

Singapore hokkien prawn noodle

An authentically delicious rendition, combining rice vermicelli and Hokkien noodles with bean sprouts, prawn, squid, egg and pork crackling.

Seafood nyonya laksa

This seafood nyonya laksa was an absolute highlight. Derived from the Nyonya heritage in Malacca, the spicy coconut gravy base was complex and aromatic and was served with generous amounts of noodles, bean sprouts, tofu puffs, prawns, squid, fish, fish cakes and hard-boiled eggs. Definitely a dish worth returning for!

Hokkien noodle with oyster sauce

Prepared with dark and sweet soy and combining generous amounts of vegetables, prawns, squid, fish & sesame oil, the noodles were certainly not short on flavour.

Hainanese chicken

Succulent pieces of chicken were served with fluffy chicken rice and a beautiful chilli condiment. This dish was expertly prepared and authentic.

Beef rendang

Chilli prawns

The chilli prawns were absolutely stunning.  This dish promised a lot and delivered on those promises. We loved the beautifully fresh prawns which were lathered in sticky garlicky tomato chilli sauce which was aromatic and had the perfect level of spice. We just wish we had some mantau (steamed buns) to mop up the remaining sauce!

Newton Circus delights with a delectable array of hawker foods you will love. We can't wait to return for another delicious bowl of the seafood nyonya laksa.

Location: 179 Middleborough Rd  Box Hill South

Phone: 03 9890 9221

Link: http://www.newtoncircus.com.au/

Cuisine: Asian, Malaysian, Singaporean

The Piano Restaurant & Bar

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of The Piano Restaurant & Bar.

The Piano Restaurant & Bar on Bridge Road in Richmond celebrates assertive Thai flavours with youthful vigour.

With head chef and owner, Tom’s impressive background the restaurant menu boasts modern Thai cuisine that makes a statement.

Betel leaf, smoked river trout, green papaya, mint 

The betel leaf was a multitude of intense flavours and was highlighted on by the luxuriously savoury smoked river trout and the gentle tartness of the green papaya.  The ocean trout was masterfully cooked to showcase the delicate texture of the trout.  

Spicy chicken wings

The chicken wings were nicely caramelised and were flavoured well by the sweet chilli-tamarind sauce.  It was a delicious starter.

Crispy Pork and Prawn Egg Net 

The egg net was enjoyable and highlighted by the superbly cooked prawns and wonderfully crispy and addictive morsel of pork belly. The gentle tartness of the cucumber relish brought the dish together in perfect harmony.

Piano Crispy Duck with spicy soy dressing topped with crispy Thai basil

The signature dish, the Piano Crispy duck was a standout. The generous morsels of duck were encased in the most perfect crispy skin and imbibed with spicy soy dressing. Each bite truly gratified the palate in both texture and taste. The dish was unfaultable. 

King fish salad, pomelo, mint, green papaya

The kingfish salad was a positive highlight. The beautifully cooked kingfish was served with pomelo, mint, green papaya and peanuts. The dish was notable for the quality of the kingfish and the interplay between the tartness of the pomelo and the richness of the creamy curry dressing. It was a simple but well executed dish.

Chu Chi (Red Creamy) Curry of Salmon with snake beans, tomato and lime leaves

The perfectly seasoned curry broth possessed the customary punchy flavours exhibited by South East Asian curries and was a great match for the oily texture of the salmon. We loved the inclusion of juicy cherry tomatoes and textural snake beans. 

Bangkok Winter

Banana Fritters with Ice Cream

The Piano’s take on the traditional banana fritter was delicious. The banana had an ethereally light and crispy batter and was soft and sweet inside. Served with a creamy vanilla ice cream, this was a pleasant end to our meal.  

With beautiful and punchy food, decor to match and a team that clearly loves the food with a passion, The Piano Restaurant and Bar hits all the right notes.

Location: 18 Bridge Rd  Richmond

Phone: 03 9428 9385

Link: http://www.facebook.com/18thepiano

Cuisine: Thai, Asian, Bar

Recipe: Twice Cooked Pressed Belly of Murray Valley Pork with parsnip puree

Gastrology bloggers tried the pork belly courtesy of Murray Valley Pork.

Nothing is more festive than a juicy piece of pork belly with the perfect crackling. To ring in the new year and celebrate what has passed and all that is to come, we decided to have a go at Gordon Ramsay's Pressed Pork Belly recipe.

Ingredients

1 kilo of Murray Valley Pork pork belly,

2 bulbs of garlic, sliced in half horizontally

a few sprigs of thyme

White wine (enough so that it covers the roasting pan during the cooking process plus a little more to deglaze the pan when done)

500 ml chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160c (fan forced, add 20c if the oven is not fan forced)


2. Score the pork belly.


3. Season the pork belly generously with salt, pepper and olive oil.


4. Place the garlic in a roasting pan and the thyme on top of the garlic. Place the pork belly on top of the thyme.


5. Cook the pork belly for 2 hours. 


6. When done, remove and set aside to rest.


7. Place the roasting pan over the stove top (be careful as the pan will still be hot. 


8. Deglaze the roasting pan with a generous splash of white wine and allow to reduce by for around 2 to 3 minutes. 


9. Add the chicken stock and allow to reduce the liquid by half. Sieve the sauce into a pan, making sure to press the garlic through the sieve as much as you can so the sauce is infused with the garlic. Set aside


10. Place the pork on a tray and place another tray on top of the pork belly. 


11. Press down on the top tray and place some weights (i.e. some cans from your pantry) on top of the tray to weigh it down. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.


12. When the pork is ready, pre-heat the oven to 240c (fan forced). 


13. Slice the belly of pork into 4 to 6 portions of smaller squares and cook for around 15 minutes until the skin crisps. 


14. While the pork is cooking, heat the gravy. To serve, place the pork on a bed of mash (we used parsnip puree instead to make it a little interesting) and pour the gravy around the pork.

The pork came out of the oven looking absolutely perfect. Fragrant, sweet and succulent, this roast pork was winter comfort food at its best. Golden brown, blistered and crunchy, the pork crackling had us fighting for the last piece.

Get your hands on some Murray Valley Pork -> Find your nearest stockist here!



Or if you would like to find other porky recipe ideas, check out our posts about Murray Valley Pork's Topside mole here and Murray Valley Pork's Half Netted Shoulder Roast here.

Spins and Spritz @ Royal Saxon

Spins and Spritz is back at Royal Saxon with DJ's from 4pm and drink specials throughout the day.

A sequel to Spins & Spits at Royal Saxon, lazy Sundays are now even more alluring with $10 Aperol Spritz every Sunday as well as succulent suckling pig panini from the courtyard spit (also $10)

The dining area is relaxed and wraps around a large central bar that dominates the interior. Striped napkins sit atop the bare wooden tables with views to Church Street... 

...or the Royal Saxon courtyard - where you might catch a glimpse of the delicious spit roast. 

Buzzing for lunch on a Sunday, the Royal Saxon is a great place to finish the weekend off, especially given the Sunday specials.

Prosciutto di Parma,fior di latte, grilled eggplant, tomato and fresh oregano

Grilled zucchini, cherry tomato, Ligurian olives, potatoes, smoked scamorza & basil

Margherita - San Marzano tomato, basil and buffalo mozarella

Royal Saxon serves some of the best pizzas in Melbourne. The delicately thin crusts have the perfect balance between crispiness and chewiness and the expertly judged toppings are always impeccable. We love their classic margherita - think layers of mozzarella teamed with delightfully fresh basil and juicy ripe tomatoes. Encircled with a puffy crisp crust, this pizza is consistently superb.

Black gnocchi with Crystal bay prawns, calamari, heirloom tomato and basil

Pappardelle with duck ragu, smoked pancetta, moscato and pecorino toscano

As expected of any great Italian eatery, Royal Saxon is particularly good at producing quality pasta dishes. The parpadelle that we had was no exception. The parpadelle was expertly cooked and retained a slight residual bite. The other ingredients combined to create a wonderful complexity of flavour – the duck ragu was deliciously flavoursome and tender.

Ancient grain and bean salad with roasted sweet potatoes, baby cos, pickled shallots and caprino

Beetroot carpaccio with sliced apple, candied walnuts,endive, ricotta and raspberry dressing 

For the health conscious, the Saxon serves delicious salads. The ancient grain salad and the beetroot salad are our current favourites. The ancient grain salad is a crowd pleaser. An enlivening salad of chickpea, beans and ancient grains with roasted sweet potatoes, baby cos, pickled shallots and caprino and brought together with a beautiful extra virgin olive oil dressing. The beetroot salad on th other hand is medley of exciting textures and features tried and true flavour combination and will appeal to even the most carnivorous individuals.

Grilled Tarwin Lower lamb leg served with eggplant caponata, roasted broccolini and aged balsamic

A memorable dish which combines flawless texture with equally superlative flavours, the lamb leg was excellent. Lightly charred on the surface and pink in the middle, the tender pieces of lamb were delicious with the melt in your mouth eggplant caponata.

Pan roasted chicken maryland with potatoes & leek 's formatino', pancetta, chard and marsala 

The chicken was tender and superbly cooked. Coated in an addictively sweet marsala jus which was nicely offset by the decadently savoury potatoes. 

And nothing caps off a lazy Sunday lunch like decadent desserts and a cup of coffee.

Royal Saxon's hearty modern Italian menu and sharp, friendly service makes it a perfect Sunday lunch destination. And now with Spins and Spritz for the months ahead, there is even more reason to head down to the Royal Saxon and enjoy the warm weather with some crispy spit roasted pork and a drink or two.

Location: 545 Church Street, Richmond,

Phone: 03 9429 5277

Link: http://www.royalsaxon.com/

Cuisine: Italian, Pub/Bar Food, Coffee

MKP Appreciation Dinner @ Marriott Melbourne

Gastrology bloggers attended the dinner as part of MATRADE's Malaysian Kitchen Program.

Gastrology was recently invited by the Consulate General of Malaysia, Trade Section (MATRADE Melbourne), to attend an Appreciation Dinner, in conjunction with the Malaysian Kitchen Program 2014 at the Marriott Hotel.

The event was one of the initiatives of the Malaysia Kitchen Programme organised by MATRADE to promote Malaysian cuisine and food products such as paste and sauces to institutional buyers, importers and distributors in Victoria.

Crispy school prawns with fried shallots, chillies, coriander leaves, cucumber and soy

At the event, guests who were mainly institutional buyers, major importers and distributors of Malaysian products, restaurateurs, and members of the media were treated to an array of Malaysian favourites and Malaysian-inspired fusion cuisine.

Chicken and lamb satay

This included Mamak mee goreng and Roti Canai, which was prepared using Malaysian paste and ingredients available in retail stores in Melbourne and Victoria. 

A total of 12 Malaysian dishes and desserts as well as teh tarik (or "pulled tea" which is tea and milk poured through the air between two cups until it reaches a rich, frothy texture) were served to guests.

Roti Canai

We loved the roti canai, a form of fluffy and crispy flat bread, which is also known as Paratha. This bread is ‘tossed’ and cooked on a flat iron griddle ad often eaten together with curry or lentils.

Grilled fish with chilli sambal

Mee Goreng Mamak

The mee goreng was a flavourful and mildly-spicy fried noodle dish. It is normally cooked with garlic, shallots, prawns or chicken, vegetables and eggs in a hot wok. Normally served as a quick meal from an all-day menu.

Satay

Malaysia’s most famous contribution to the culinary world - the legendary satay. This dish consists of small pieces of marinated meat skewered on sticks and grilled over a charcoal fire. The meat is then brushed with oil mixed with honey and spices and served with a spicy peanut dip.

Roast turkey breast rendang

Sago gula melaka

Nata de Coco (coconut jelly)

Fruit rojak 

Desserts featured refreshing Nata de coco (a Malaysian chewy coconut jelly) lovely creamy sago and a modern version of fruit rojak.

Teh Tark

With its melting pot of flavours, Malaysian cuisine is also known as '3 cultures in 1 spoonful'.

Consul General, Dato' Dr. Mohamad Rameez Yahaya shared some promising statistics with us at the dinner. For the past five years, Malaysia's exports of food products to Australia has doubled from USD139.9 million in 2009 to USD291.4 million in 2013. Currently, there are more than 200 products lines of Malaysian food products available in Australian supermarkets such as Coles and Woolworths and independent stores such as IGA, La Manna and oriental stores.

It was an amazing privilege to be a part of the Appreciation dinner.