maitre karl

If you pass by Maitre Karl pre-sunset, you will most likely see an assorted gaggle of young and old, hip and not-so, human and canine. If you are lucky, the canine will be tethered to the coat hooks that are firmly lodged in the wall, just outside the door, and under the blackboard. "Garage á chiens" the sign reads. "Parking for dogs". And if the canines are lucky, they will be snacking on a canine-friendly treat, served up in a round metal bowl. I have been and seen on previous occasions, supped on the kitchen speciality of flammenkuche (complete with sharp knife and the heavy wooden board of a plate it comes on), and flashed a toothy grin at Chef Lex who works in the kitchen.

Yes, that Chef Lex. He of the how-to-do-your-steak. He who is quitting his long-held post at Maitre Karl to wander around America. He who has invited me to Maitre Karl for a final Lex-like meal, along with the two Bs.

For clarity's sake, the deal. "Order and pay for your mains & drinks - I'll take care of the rest. Shez, bring your camera along. You're in for a treat!" And with that, I was booked in for dinner with the Bs on a windy, rainy Wednesday night.

table water, salt & pepper

I arrive early with intentions of taking a couple of exterior shots, but as I cross the road the cars fly by, splashing water here, there and everywhere. And as I set up for a shot, I am blocked by a bus and then a truck. And oh! How warm and cosy the inside of the restaurant looks. And oh! How I wish I was in there and not out here and so in I go to see B1 nestled contentedly on a mahogany leather banquette.

entree: tasting plate

B2 arrives minutes later, as we are perusing the menu. "Harris Farm is closed yeah?" he asks, as we nod our respective heads. "Good. Cos I parked in their carpark." And as we sit, perusing (and secretly hoping that Chef Lex's version of "taking care of us" involves flammenkuchen) the man himself pops out from the kitchen, clogs and all.

"I've put together a tasting plate for you. Not on the menu, but using the ingredients we have." he says. We nod. And with that, he disappears and is replaced by three long oblong plates. Three tastes lie on each.

Frontmost is a tempura'd disc of pumpkin with a beetroot and mandarin gelee. Many of you will by now know of my aversion to orange vegetables. I know. They're sweet. And delicious. And I still don't like them, try as I may. But this! Oh, I ate it up, and didn't pull a face at all. It may have been the pairing with the beetroot gelee. A mandarin segment and slices of baby beet floated mid way through, and the sweet red-ness of it all was comfortingly slurpable. At the rear, a smoked oyster with saffron "sushi" and pea puree. Lovely and light in flavour, each flavour complementing the other.

kangaroo proscuitto & goats cheese on rye

But my favourite (and, indeed, the table's favourite) is the kangaroo proscuitto with goats cheese on rye. Never had kangaroo proscuitto before? Well, neither had I til then. I'll tell you this, it packs a punch. A salty, gamey punch that, when paired with the creamy tang of goats cheese and the earthy nuttiness of rye, makes you think of a robust glass of shiraz and men sitting by a log fire after a hunt.

palate cleanser: frozen kiwi fruit with vanilla sugar & strawberry coulis

When it is done, we are served a palate cleanser. "It is" says Chef Lex "an experiment. I saw it done at some other place and was wondering if it worked. It's not a normal menu item, but, yeah..." He trails off a little, before darting back into the kitchen. I am wide-eyed, confronted by the dish's likeness to little red tadpoles swimming endlessly towards big green eggs, when B1 picks up a stick to pop in his mouth. I follow suit and it is sweet at first, and cold, before the acidity of the kiwi fruit kicks in. As it thaws, ever so slightly, I crunch down. And like that, my palate is ready for the mains (and on my notepad is written "To do: freeze kiwifruit").

steak cafe de paris: rib eye with herb butter and red wine jus,
pomme frites and leaf salad $30.50

There was a slight scrimmage between the Bs & I at mains time. "What" I asked "are you thinking of ordering? It would be good to have three different meals" and before I had even finished B1 said "Steak!" and so my steaky dreams were left unrealised. B1's steaky dreams, however, were oh-so-sweet. A 350g rib eye on the bone steak, cooked medium-rare as ordered, and served with crispy shoestring fries, a lightly dressed salad and a disc of melty, rich and creamy cafe de paris butter. Oh. My.

A mouthful was traded, as is customary amongst all good dining companions. It was just lovely. Fatty without being overpowering or gristly. Tender without lacking texture. Flavoursome without being excessively salty. Beautiful. And at a touch over $30, it is a steak well worth the money paid for it.

poisson du jour: oven baked barramundi
with lemon aioli $30.50

While I contemplated steak-alternatives, B2 was rationalising his dinner. "If I go for a run tonight, and don't do dessert, I should be ok" said he. "But mains! Maybe Lex will make me a chicken salad..." he pondered. We stopped in our tracks. "A chicken salad? For dinner?" said we. "The fish is baked in paper" chimed in Chef Lex "hardly any fat at all if you don't eat the aioli" "Done".

The barramundi came wrapped in sliced zucchini and a smattering of tomato, and then wrapped again in a paper bag. It was fresh and it was firm. Don't be fooled though, it may look like a small serving, but it appears generosity is the key at Maitre Karl. Not one, but two fillets were contained in that paper parcel, and B1 was full and happy. And the lemon aioli? Stuff the diet and eat it by the spoonful. Truly, it is that delicious. (Or, you could do what B1 & I did and eat it with the pomme frites from the steak. Also delicious, and far more digestible).

canard röti: oven roasted duck, braised red cabbage,
spaetzle, cranberries and port wine jus $29.50

Re-reading the above paragraphs, I realise it may seem that I had myself a decent case of diner's envy. Be not fooled dear friends, for while B1 was moaning at his steak, and while B2 was delighting at the sheer loveliness of being able to eat a meal without worrying about his waistline, I was scoffing, nay, inhaling the duck. I tried to pace myself, really I did. But the crisp skin and tender, succulent, fork-able flesh were calling out to me. And oh! The bliss. And underneath, a tangle of still slightly chewy spaetzle and vinegary red cabbage, doused with a port wine jus and shocked by the occasional burst of cranberry sweetness.

I will say it but once. Get out and eat this duck. It is, without any qualification whatsoever, the best duck I have had this year, and very possibly the best duck I've had in some years prior. And, try as I might, I cannot quite finish it. It is, after all, two duck marylands on a bed of german noodle-esque squiggles. So bring your stomach with you.

creme brulee: espresso creme brulee
with frangelico ice cream ($12)

We mull over dessert. I am fingers crossed and hoping for crepe suzette (I've had it here before and oh-lordy-me it's a good thing). B1 is hoping for anything except ice cream and B2 is adamant that he will not partake in it. It is here that Chef Lex brings out dessert. It is the creme brulee, but not as I have ever seen it before. It is usually served in a wide dish, but tonight, Chef Lex has put it in a dainty espresso cup, topped it with a suitably boozy foam and oh-my-goodness, the espresso creme brulee looks like a mini cappucino!

But now, let's move past the kitsch and talk about flavour. I'll admit, I was sceptical about this dessert. I haven't had a coffee in the last 5 or so years and I wasn't sure I'd like this. But I did. Just like that circle of tempura'd pumpkin. It was creamy, it was oh-so-much like coffee. But without the bitterness, and without being cloyingly sweet. And the frangelico icecream? Di-vine. Truly. And just to prove how much I liked the dessert, here's my serve after I was done.

all done!

If you do happen to pop by at Maitre Karl and order the creme brulee off the menu, it will come in a larger serving size than what we had here. And if you aren't an alcohol-friendly person, the vanilla ice cream is really vanilla bean ice cream and comes complete with lovely little specks of bean and a heady post-consumption all natural aftertaste.

the bill

And with that, we paid our meagre bill and disappeared into the night. I back home for beauty sleep and a chocolate truffle in my bag for the Bean. B1 back home to pack for Egypt, and then America, and then who knows where. And B2 back home to walk the dog and the rest of his meal off.

Maitre Karl
197 High Street
Willoughby NSW 2068
(across the road from Harris Farm)
ph: 02 9958 1110

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mumu grill & mr riggs wines

Sustainability is all the buzz in food these days, and with excellent reason. Traditional farming often sees minerals leached out of soil faster than they can be put back in and produce being bred for rapid growth. And with the impact that mass production is having on the environment, it is a breath of fresh air (literally) to meet people who not only care about what they do, but also the way their livelihood affects the world we live in. Sounding a bit preachy for a Wednesday morning? Well another pro of this sustainable produce business is that the food tends to taste better. Ahhhh... now we're talking!

I was going to start this sentence with "It has been a long time since I saw a fully grown man getting cosy with a lamb" until I realised that I hadn't actually seen it happen prior til, well, now. Introducing Chef Mumu (Craig to his friends) a food world veteran and a person who isn't shy about getting up close and personal with his produce.

Chef Mumu getting cosy with an Arcadia Saltbush lamb

Don't you worry, he was hugging the lamb for a reason. All of the meat that arrives at MuMu Grill is aged for 2-3 months in crytovac before being hung in the cool room for a week. And this lamb? It was time to get hanging.

The hanging process results in a tender and more consistent texture to the meat as the proteins soften from enzyme action and excess moisture is released from the meat. "But what about the germs?!" I hear you ask, whipping your heads around at the thought of raw meat sitting unadorned in a walk in fridge. Fear not! For a big ol' super cleanup and bacteria check are conducted weekly, and no stomach issues have been had thus far.

roasted tomatoes

We (and by we I mean Anna, Howard, Jen, Lisa, Trina, Steph & I) had been invited by Lorraine to attend the "Take it Slow" Dinner at MuMu Grill courtesy of Chef MuMu. Each dish was to be accompanied by a Mr Riggs wine and once names, greetings and business cards had been exchanged, we were chomping at the metaphorical bit to sink our teeth into something spectacular.

carefully preparing the starter

A kitchen tour proved no aid to this enthusiasm, and, as we entered the kitchen, the first thought that came to mind was "Oh! It's so hot in here!". The thought was quickly replaced by the realisation that the lovely man in the corner was plating jamon. And 18 month old jamon at that. A finger of catalan bread, a light smothering of a roasted tomato puree and then a curl of lovely, red, fragrant meat. Dear heart, be still.

18 month jamon & catalan bread

It was served at the bar, accompanied by bowls of olives and a choice of two wines. I am, by no means, a wine expert but enjoyed the way in which the sometimes too-oily viognier complemented the lovely fat in the jamon whilst the tempranillo's rich spice and mellow acidity drew out the meaty flavours in the pig. The jamon itself? Just lovely. Delicately fatty. And complemented nicely with the faint flavour of the tomato and the oiliness of the Catalan bread.

mr riggs wines

But now we are seated and glasses of Mr Riggs 2007 "The Gaffer" Shiraz are being poured out in front of us. It's a mellow wine and not quite as hard hitting as a shiraz can be (which is much apreciated by this particular drinker). It has dark berry flavours and spices that aren't overpowered by an overly alcoholic kick.

chef mumu explaining the hanging process

And while we are drinking, Graham Strong, producer of Arcadia Saltbush Lamb (the lamb that is about to hit our tables) has a chat about their farming techniques. The lambs are fed on about 80% Old Man Saltbush, which has a high nutrient content. Bonus of that being that the nutrients that are sucked up by the saltbush's deep roots are then absorbed by the happy lamb. Graham has worked hard on creating what he calls "a dialogue with the animals", letting them choose what they want to eat and when, rather than force feeding them whatever is cheapest and most abundant.

whole arcadia saltbush lamb roasted for 13 hours served with
minted eggplant and white bean paste, green beans, beetroot jus

The lamb itself is firstly deboned before its hind and forequarters are braised and then slowcooked for 13 hours. The midsection (where everyone's favourite, the cutlets, come from) is cooked separately (and briefly) in a hot pan. Cooking the lamb in this way is said to preserve the nutrients present in the lamb.

cross-section: lamb cutlet

The lamb cutlet is perfectly cooked. Pink on the inside and properly rested so the juices have had the time to settle back into the meat. Certains on our table were so enamoured that they picked up the bone for a quick chew before plates were removed. (You know who you are). The eggplant and white bean puree gave the meal a lovely comforting flavour, and the beetroot jus (which I, incorrectly, assumed was the meat bleeding out) added a sweetness to the dish. I found that the shoulder / leg pieces had a much stronger aroma and flavour than the cutlet, and was tickled when told that the fat in it was "all very good for you, so eat up!" Oh ok. Will do then!

whole confit duck

Course Two, the duck, started off by being confited whole. The bones are roasted in a woodfire oven and then braised for a further 2 or so hours to make a wholly organic stock. This stock is then used to braise the duck pieces, before they are put in what I fondly dubbed "the magic drawer".

multiple ducks in the magic drawer

Cooking the duck for this long inevitably means that more fat is rendered out. And not just the fat that you'll normally find under the skin, but also the fat that is spread throughout the meat itself. As a result, the meat is somewhat drier than normal. We are assured, however, that the flavour "more than makes up for the loss in moisture".

2½ hour double roasted duck with bok choy and poached pear

The portions have been generous and I am struggling to finish my duck. Two marylands sit perched atop a tumble of cooked-but-still-crispy bok choy and a gorgeous little pear squats on the side. I'm a fan of the pear and duck combination, the sweetness of the pear bringing out the dark, musty flavours in the poultry.

I am equally intrigued by the wine, a 2008 Shiraz Viognier. It has been dubbed the new rockstar of reds, and doesn't disappoint. By co-fermenting the red and white grapes together, Mr Riggs (Ben to his friends) has ended up with a wine that has a lovely floral nose (like a white) and a meaty rich flavour. As a representative from Siansbury's said, it is a wine that "smells like a woman's handbag and tastes like a man's wallet". Oh!

brown sugar pavlova with seasonal fruit

Desserts are often done badly at a place which focuses on its meat, and so expectations were not high for this, our last, course. I was so, so incorrect in making that assumption. So incorrect. A crunchy exterior, a mellow brown sugary sticky interior. A dollop of whipped-just-right cream. A smattering of cubed fruit, bursting with flavour. A whirl of passionfruit and the sometimes hedgehog-like spikes of pineapple sitting on the top. It was, in a word, bliss.

the perfect mouthful? maybe.

And the Sticky End 2008 Viognier that accompanied it? I'm currently looking for people to split a case with me (any takers?) Air drying the grapes pre-fermentation has resulted in a light as air, sweet wine without any of the musty flavours and smells that botrytis normally adds to a sticky. I was (and still am) enamoured by it.

1x happy poster

There was a competition for a magnum of red and then, sadly, it was time to go. But on my way out, I spied a poster advertising jamon and cocktails at MuMu on Sunday afternoons. "Hmm." I thought to myself, a little smile spreading across my face "How interesting..."

MuMu Grill
Shop 1-6 / 70-76 Alexander Street
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Ph (02) 9460 6877

[ps: many thanks for the dinner Chef MuMu - it was greatly enjoyed!]

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toraya

By now, most twitter-followers would have gathered that I am a fairly fish-friendly person. This was not always the case. Back in high school, I used to not-so-obviously call home to see what was for dinner and then make frantic plans if anything fishy was involved. And then I met the salmon. And the kingfish. And the sardine. And the mackerel. And suddenly, unexpectedly, I turned into a cat. Chowing down on tins of tuna, sneaking the last bit of flathead from the serving dish before anyone else noticed.

So when my parents mentioned that they'd been to this place, this wonderful Japanese place in Chatswood, where one could order grilled mackerel, I was there. Pronto.

Toraya sits on the top floor of the Mandarin Center in Chatswood. Way back when, it used to be a vietnamese pho place (and one of the better ones too). That was a while back, before the new train station, when the library was a time zone and the kids I tutored would sneak off "to the bathroom" and come back having gone mental on a DDR machine. Or something like that.

I digress.

lunch special! only $17.80

We arrived early for lunch, it being a non-pancake Saturday, and snagged a table next to the window. Menus were perused, water brought to the table and 1x special was ordered (with much anticipation).

And how the anticipation was met!

mackerel set (comes with rice and soup)

Half a mackerel, sliced lengthways down its middle. Grilled to smoky, charred perfection. Oily and fishy and firm and salty. Everything a fishy fish should be! The reaction on my face must have given the game away because my parents (kind, thoughtful, gracious) immediately pushed the plate in my direction and told me to go for it.

So I ate. And I ate. And I ate some more. I ate mackerel with rice. I dipped mackerel in my miso soup. I ate mackerel rolled up in a piece of lettuce and I ate mackerel in between mouthfuls of the beef (below). I ate mackerel until I was, and I thought this could not occur though it did, fished out.

down to the bones!

And when the fishing-out occurred, I saw that there was still fish left. And so we picked at the bones. And we picked at the bones some more. And when we stopped picking at the bones, this is what was left.

all gone!

I was so happy.

I should probably show you what else we ate, seeing as I have gotten the fish out of the way.

beef set (of indeterminable pricing)

I think, though I realise I should know, but don't, that this was a beef set. Well, I know it was a beef set, but the name of the beef set and the price escape me. It was tasty, that's for sure, though strangely tough and chewy. I found it hard to tear the pieces of beef apart with my teeth and ended up swallowing most of them partially chewed and mostly in large chunks. Hmm.

demolished

It was, in any case, demolished. Part because it was so tasty (despite its chewiness) and part because there was just so much fish that we had to eat something else to distract our palates. Even if momentarily.

We also (after the fish, and because my dad has a mild obsession with xiao long bao - think me + making pancakes, but squared) stopped by to pick up a post-lunch snack at Shanghai Gourmet.

xiao long bao

Well, hmmm. They weren't bad if they were just steamed dumpings. As xiao long bao? Well, I'd order elsewhere. And otherwise. So possibly not ordering those again.

(I will, however be back for the fish. Did I mention the fish? Fish fish fish.)

Plus I thought their side plates were really cute.

Toraya Japanese Restaurant
Mandarin Centre
Level 2, Shop 212, 61 Albert Ave
Chatswood NSW 2067
Ph (02) 9884 9620

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kam fook (yum cha)

"I haven't been to yum-cha in a-a-ages!" "Well then, let's go Saturday." "Oh. Ok." This is how lunch plans get made around my place. One moment you have nothing planned for the weekend, and then it's 11am on a Saturday and everyone's running around and "Are you ready?" "The queues will get long! Hurry up!" and "I forgot my phone!" before we bundle ourselves into the car and brave the Chatswood traffic. Two will leap out early to get a ticket and the others will circle the ever-full parking lot before joining the first two with a "What number are we?" "What number are they up to?" and an "Oh... so many people!"


We finally make it inside, "Number forty-four! Sei-sup-Sei!" a tea menu is surveyed, "Better than drinking colour water, you know." and the dishes begin to roll.

salt & pepper hairy crab

For some, largely unknown, reason, our yum-chas have recently tended to either start with, end with, or otherwise include whatever crab is being spruiked around the place. I don't know how this tradition started, perhaps a conscious effort to eat that-which-is-not-normally-eaten, perhaps my mum & I on a trip, just the two of us, and a penchant for indulgence, but it stuck.

vegetarian dumplings

"Can you heat it up for us?" and while the trolley lady left her happy trolley alone, I snuck a picture of the vegetarian dumplings that we weren't going to eat, and of the egg tarts (top image) I was hoping to get around to later.

The crab, when it came back, was, by the way, delicious. If somewhat frustrating to eat, being a non-mud crab and all. I digress.

sweet taro buns

While we were mid-crab (read: shell all over the table, our hands, our hair), we were offered some buns. "New dish!" said the trolley lady, in Cantonese, "Very good! You want?" "New dish!" said mum, all excited. "Yes please!" said we. And we did. It was sweet, not savory. And for a moment, we were confused. But then the crunchy butter and sugar top and the gooey purple yam paste took over and "Mmmmmm" was all that could be said of them.

shark's fin & lettuce dumplings

But there was more to be had. Shark's fin and lettuce dumplings (of which I got two!) with the taste of the lettuce really coming to the fore.

shark fin & seafood whole bowl dumpling

...and with vinegar!

A big bowl of dumpling (that's right, a bowl of dumpling!) appeared. And when you break the skin, a veritable sea of prawn and shark's fin (I know, more of it!) and scallop and sweet, sweet soup.

lo mai fan

Then the chickeney rice steamed in a lotus leaf. Which is usually good, but was this time a little dry, a little lacking, and we passed it around - not wanting to fill ourselves up, but not wanting to waste it either.

siu mai

At this stage, all were almost full. Except for the sister, who had passed on most of what came previously. "Fried or steamed?" we asked. "Steamed" said she. Trays came and went. Too many veges, too much meat. Too weird, not weird enough. And then. Siu mai. Which were nice, if a little plain and porky, after what had been previously.

xiao long bao

The xiao long bao came in tin foil cups. We looked at them. Pricked, prodded, success! "Oh no! A drip! You're leaking!" But the tin foil cup caught the soup and all was saved.

egg tarts

The crispy flaky egg-tarts that I'd snapped at the beginning of this (now hour long) meal had long vanished. I made do with smaller, less flaky versions. I was a little sad about this, but it's hard to remain sad through a mouthful of warm custard, so I was not sad for long.

to-fu fa

Just when we thought we could eat no more, someone mentioned to-fu fa.

I'll be honest. The to-fu fa at Kam Fook is a force to be reckoned with. It's a big, BIG bowl. Split between four, we had enough to be content and wanting just that little bit more, but not so much that we were to-fu'd out (as has happened when split between two). Warm and gingery syrup, smooth, silky tofu. A perfect end to yum-cha-cha-ing with the family.

the bill: $88.90

Kam Fook
Shop 600, Level 6
Westfield Shoppingtown
28 Victor Street
Chatswood NSW
Tel (02) 9413 9388

also at:
Shop 6010, Level 6,
Westfield Shopping Centre
100 Oxford Street
Bondi Junction NSW
Tel (02) 9386 9889

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