Industry Beans

(Outdoor dining area)

(Interior)

(Interior)

(Outdoor dining area)

(Outdoor dining area)

(Almond Crusted French Toast)

(Coriander Hoe Cakes)

(Fried Creole Chicken)

'Sunday morning rain is fallinggggggggg'

Literally.

The moody weather took its swing at Melbourne again, surprise surprise.

In between the sun and the rain we stumbled to Industry Beans. Having heard of it before, it never peaked our interest, as we unconsciously labelled it as just another brunch spot in Melbourne. However, looking at the recent 2013-2014 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards in the UK and International section, Industry Bean's has won against other Melbourne cafe's such as the much hyped Top Paddock. How can we not pay a visit after the announcement? (albeit the reason is a tiiiiny biiiiiiiiit shallow)

The cafe is situated just a street away from two different tram stops, making it fairly easy to reach. The wait was around 15 minutes for a table on a late Sunday morning which wasn't bad at all. There might even be a shorter wait if some outdoor tables weren't soaked due to the morning rain.

The black pallets were the main focus of the cafe's interior and like the name suggested, it is used to create an industrial look along with the help of the concrete walls. The open space outdoors and the polycarbonate roofing allows maximum natural light to reach in without exposing customers directly to the sun. If the weather is mellow and you're looking to avoid the busy buzzing of the cafe, sit outside where it is much more peaceful in comparison and some greenery as company.

The food and drinks were all very thoughtful and the presentation was top-notch. Their specialty coffees were presented in a separate menu, offering a wide variety from espresso coffee's to cold-drip coffee's. The menu choices catered to the generic can't-go-wrong-with-this meals to the more adventurous I'll-try-something-different-today meals. 

The Almond Crusted French Toast with coffee custard, roasted apples, rhubarb, lemon curd and coffee caviar was probably one of the safest choice on the menu. The toast was actually crunchy but did not taste oily, it was also not soggy as it sometimes happens with over indulging the bread with the egg mixture. The sour taste of rhubarb cut through the sweetness of the curd and the apple compote. As it was a fruity combination that cannot fail, it was not drenched in mounts of syrup like most french toast would. It helps that there was no feelings of guilt after gobbling down the whole dish that was normally filled with sugary evilness.

The Coriander Hoe Cake with pickled carrot salad, a poached egg, chilli caramel sauce and wasabi aioli probably taste just as it sounds. Probably not on your everyday brunch menu either. The taste of the dish is heavier and not catered to everyone's liking. My friend chose the eggplant to go with the dish and although it went well with all the other elements, as a Chinese, I can say it reminds me the taste of our food culture.

The Fried Creole Chicken tastes special, obviously not your everyday KFC or Korean fried chicken. It was very crunchy, a bit dry but it could be because they have used chicken breast instead of chicken thighs. It also has a spiced and herbal taste to it, overall very flavoursome. There was nothing new about the salad, as they all say, you can't really go wrong with a bit of raisins in a salad. The meal was generally worth a try but won't make a particular lasting impression.

Nieuw Amsterdam

the kitchen pass through

Complimentary Bread

Chicken Waffles w/ pate, terrine, crispy chicken skin, orange caramel

BBQ Scallops w/ mango gazpacho, avocado, chilli

Black Kingfish Ceviche w/ Daikon, dashi dressing, crunchy quinoa and finger limes

New York Clam Chowder w/ leeks, bacon, potatoes, clam veloute

Southern Style Pork Belly Chops w/ Sauerkraut, apple sauce, crackle

Berry Split - berry jelly, white chocolate mousse & cream cheese sorbet

Whenever you're hungry, inspiration (or cravings) hits and whenever you're not, dilemma hits. The question 'Where should we eat?????????' arises all the time when you're in the dilemma phase aka. semi-satisfied to satisfied state of tummies. The recent hype of Nieuw Amsterdam caught our attention and on such a pleasant Sunday night, why not?  Deciding to wait a little longer until the dinner rush hour past a little, we arrived to Nieuw Amsterdam at around 8:30-9:00pm.

The entrance to the restaurant was humble, to a point Kindon actually missed it (hah.). With no prior booking, the three of us were seated on the bar area (of the dining room), right across the kitchen pass through. We had fun staring at the food coming out of the kitchen and had a little chat with the bartender. The atmosphere of the restaurant was chilled and laid-back with a separate bar at the basement level. Staffs of Nieuw Amsterdam dressed casually and were friendly and attentive. They even gathered around a table and sang the birthday song for one of their customers. It was actually quite a cute gesture.

After ordering three appetisers, two mains and one dessert to share, we settled down into the stools and took in our surroundings. The lighting was faint and the room was not crowded. There were a few decorations and books about New York on the shelves I was seated next to. According to Kindon, Nieuw Amsterdam was what the Manhattan Island used to be called during the Dutch colonisation before being renamed to New York. I can't vouch for any similarity and differences the restaurant has with New York but the food was goooooood. 

Appetisers really won us over that night. The Chicken Waffle (w/ pate, terrine, crispy chicken skin, orange caramel) could've been a bit heavy for an appetiser but the tangy taste of the orange caramel brought it to life. The waffle was soft while the chicken skin was every bit of crispy paired with the smooth, velvety pate, creating a contrasting texture. The BBQ scallops (w/ mango gazpacho, avocado, chilli) was our favourite. Scallops were seared perfectly and the tropical taste of the creamy mango and avocado was refreshing, finishing with a little chilli ting and crunchy fried onion. The Black Kingfish ceviche (w/ Daikon, dashi dressing, crunchy quinoa and finger limes) was raw natural goodness. The cubed fish and roe burst with freshness with acidic taste of lime just mingling in the mouth. 

The Southern Style Pork Belly (w/ Sauerkraut, apple sauce, crackle) had a balanced layer of juicy meat and fat, topped off with the star of most pork belly dishes: the crackle. Crunch Crunch Crunch. The succulent meat melts in your mouth with the sweetness of the apple sauce, served generously with the Sauerkraut. Growing up with Campbell canned soups have made us believe clam chowders were soupy. The New York Clam Chowder (w/ leeks, bacon, potatoes, clam veloute) was obviously not soupy, served with a portion of bread and was a lot more than we expect in a clam chowder. The dish was flavoursome with tender clams, no-one-should-hate bacon and potatoes which soaked up the tastiness of the aforementioned ingredients. The sauce was a tad salty but accompanied by the bread it was just right.

Upon seeing the Berry Split (berry jelly, white chocolate mousse & cream cheese sorbet) being served out of the kitchen we couldn't resists the urge to order it as well. My personal favourite of the night. It was creamy and sweet and tart at the same time.

Nieuw Amsterdam impressed us even during our satisfied state of tummies. We will return. (Please bring back the Berry Split)

Shop Ramen

Vegetarian Ramen (left)  Shoyu Ramen (right)

Kimchi Ramen

Caramel Shake

Ramen, Bun & Pie? Milkshake too?! Wut.

Shop Ramen is possibly a fusion of everything. Positioned in the heart of Smith Street, the hipster interior did not come as a surprise. We arrived somewhere between 7:30pm-8pm and waited 10 minutes for 4 people, which was pretty good considering the size of the shop wasn't meant to cater too many people at once. Next to the cashier, a ramen machine (might actually be a pasta machine. Fusion.) sit proudly at the counter-top where customers can see the noodles take form.

Interior: Simple interior with hints of rustic touches, where there is a big bench table with a few smaller tables next to it and soft lighting. The shop opted for a large eye-catching neon light as their sign where all neon light addicts (ie. Kindon) could not miss.

Food: We ordered a bowl of Ramen each and three of us shared 2 milkshakes while Kindon had his own share of Ramen and Milkshare (Note: he has a slight saliva-phobia = no sharing). The three of us were so full after the meal, walking became an intense physical activity. For Kindon.. well lets just say he craved ice-cream not long after. 
The ramens we ordered was the Shoyu ($14), Korean Miso Ramen ($14) and the Vegetarian Ramen ($13.5). The broth of the Shoyu was a dark, clear soup that wasn't over-the-top salty and paired well with the garnish of spring onions, corriander, seaweed, slices of pork belly and half a perfect medium soft boiled egg. For the Korean Miso Ramen, the broth was both rich and thick, topped with grilled beef brisket. The beef brisket was light in taste harmonising the full flavoured broth. However, what made Shop Ramen unforgettable was the noodles. It was perfectly cooked, soft and chewy at the same time. You could taste the freshness of it and definitely the spotlight of the dish.

Shop Ramen represented Melbourne's food culture where creativity is very much emphasised. Milkshake meets Ramen, East meets West. Sold.

Circa | The Prince

Circa | The Prince

duck parfait w. brioche and pepper gel

QLD spanner crab w. crayfish emulsion + sorrel

Coal roasted squid w. eggplant & black garlic aioli

Flinder's Island lamb with fennel, green tomato + salt bush

Wagyu from Robbins Island w. mustard, marrow & onion juice

pyengana aged cheddar with carrot & brioche

chocolate mousse with strawberry & toasted meringue

Circa is a restaurant with great ambiance and perfect for those who not only eats the food but also the interior. Upon arriving you would see a lounge before walking into the clean cut dining area. At 8:30pm on an Easter Sunday, the restaurant was less than packed, no loud music, perfect for an overdue catch up between friends. The dining area was humbly sized, close spacing between tables but it didn't feel suffocating. Rather, the atmosphere was fairly cozy with the use of wood and white furnishing, small table candles and dim lighting.

We had a party of five and all famished by the time we reached there, so naturally ('naaaaaaatuuraaally') we each ordered the Chef's Selection with two bottles of wine shared between us. It was a long weekend, why not splurge?              Right?

The sommelier was attentive and friendly, we're not exactly 'experts' in the category of wine. However, the wines she suggested matched perfectly well with our taste buds and the flavours of our course. Fruity white wine to match the first three course of the selection and a dry, light red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon) to go with the red meat as the course progress.

Our meal started with a roll of smoky bread each served with butter (sprinkled with black truffle) and a plate of duck parfait with brioche and pepper gel. The duck parfait was rich in texture and taste, goes well with the bread too! QLD spanner crab with crayfish emulsion and sorrel, the second dish, was very attractive to the eyes and lens, my phone camera loved it. The colour of the dish was very vibrant, the greeness of the olive oil floated around the saltiness of the crab, the red of the sweet strawberries and scatter of baby purple flowers. If there could be genders to dishes, it would definitely be female. Though easy on the eyes, it was a very salty dish, very salty. The sweetness of the strawberries did help combat it it though. Our third course was the coal roasted squid with eggplant & black garlic aioli. It wasn't the most memorable dish of the course but the taste was well accepted among our group and the spark of chilli woken up our taste buds for the next course.

On to the meat of the meal! We started off with Flinder's Island lamb with fennel, green tomato and salt bush. The lamb was cooked perfectly and there were no traces of gaminess. We all enjoyed the taste of the lamb oh so very much, now if only they served this dish in a more practical plate. It was served in a very pretty yet simple and organic, light pale turquoise bowl. Unfortunately none of us were blessed with a long torso so cutting a piece of it was rather tiring with our elbows awkwardly sticking up and out while sawing the meat. We tried completing this task with as much grace as we could muster, wasn't too bad an attempt at all if I may say so myself. Our last main consist of the Wagyu from Robbins Island with mustard, marrow & onion juice. The wagyu was tender and juicy paired well with the caramalised onion. Ultimate last savoury dish of the course. 

The last chapter of the course comprise of the Pyengana aged cheddar with carrot & brioche and the Chocolate mousse with strawberry & toasted meringue. Don't be fooled by how savoury the cheese looks, looks can be deceiving. The cheddar was strong alone but mixed deliciously well with the sweet carrot relish (concealed by the cheddar in the photo). It wasn't exactly made fit to everyone's taste. Two of our friends actually couldn't stand the strong taste of the cheese and cringed at how it looked savoury but tasted sweet. So the other three of us happily finished it off for them (oink oink). The chocolate mousse wasn't bad but there wasn't exactly anything outstanding about it. It was however, the perfect end to the course. There's no way you can go wrong with ending a meal with chocolate after all.

Circa definitely impress in terms of the simple yet sophisticated interior and friendly staffs. It's an atmospheric restaurant good for catch up between groups of friends or family, as I've noticed most of their tables were ready for medium to big groups of people. Having said that, don't expect a quick lunch or dinner here. Although the food was supposed to be inspired by Asian flavours, it was a rather subtle. The course left us with very satisfied bellies (+ empty wallets $$$) and in a happy disposition. Definitely worth a visit.


____________________________________________________________________________________________
Address:  2 Acland St
                St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia
Tel:          (03) 9536-1122
Email:      dining@circa.com.au 
Opening:  Mon-Sun
                12pm-Late
Web:        http://www.circa.com.au