G’Day Mate!

Australia: An Overview
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Melbourne’s Yarra River and Night Scene

I am back from my 3-week sojourn to Australia. I am several thousand dollars poorer and five pounds heavier, but a thousand pictures richer with tons of memories and friendships to last a lifetime. There is so much to write about but I will try to keep it succinct while being as accurate as I can be. If you haven’t been to Australia, hope these reflections will help you relive the last few weeks with me, giving you a virtual tour of OzLand. And if you have been, then perhaps these words will rekindle your own fond memories Down Under. Restaurant reviews will be posted separately. Without further ado, allow me to begin.

Weather
I am California born and bred, having been spoiled with beautiful weather my entire life. Now, throw us (my friends & I) into a rather harsh land like Australia and we wilt. I ended up quite well, though I can’t say the same for my friends. There were colds, coughs and fevers throughout the trip as we fought to acclimate ourselves to frigid Melbourne (as low as 0*C) and tropical Cairns (as high as 25*C). It is common fact for the locals that one of Melbourne’s most unique traits is that it can experience all 4 seasons in the period of a day. And it is soo true. One minute there is sunshine and blue skies, the next minute the strong winds are blowing in storm clouds and the ripping branches off vulnerable trees. I honestly did not know how to dress for Melbourne and so opted for layering – contributing to a rather frumpy Anh, a huge contrast to the very chic and classy Melbourne-ians on Collins Street and the like.

An overcast sky makes the backdrop for Melbourne’s Federation Square

Sydney, on the other hand, is significantly warmer, though temperatures can vary as much as 30*C in one day. The ocean breezes help moderate the climates a bit more than the drastic Melbourne climate. Sydney beaches are world renowned, but they are coold during the winter and the high winds left my face wind-chapped. I had to consistently lotion myself everyday because the strong dry winds ate at my face. It did rain a good deal on our last day in Sydney, quite refreshing, albeit I did suffer a minor cold after that…
Cairns is a tropical region, so you get glorious sunshine pretty much year round, though the nights can be breezy, so a sweater (or personal heater) is recommended.

A beautiful Sunday morning in Port Douglas.

Atmosphere
Melbourne is very much like SF sans the homeless, the slums, the Tenderloin. The city has its share of large boats, tall buildings, excellent shopping and world renowned cuisine. It is ethnically and ideologically diverse, very cultured, refined and classy. For the most part, I would say Melbourne (and all of Australia for the matter) is much more ‘chill’ and relaxed than the Bay Area. Life takes on a slower pace, even in a hustling and bustling business city like Melbourne. The people are very friendly and genuine. We even got free food from a pie shop, and no one ever hesitated to help us with directions or tell us the time. Very gracious.
Personally, I did not get to experience the real Sydney as the only time I spent in Sydney was during World Youth Day – and that was a crazy and hectic experience, so I cannot fairly judge Sydney’s attitude or atmosphere. Cairns, on the other hand, was a clearly tourist town – full of lounges and bars filled with backpackers like myself. It had the feeling of a definitely college party destination, despite the high-end restaurants and hotels along the Esplanade.

Views from Bondi to Coogee Beach Walk

Food Overview: I did not know this before, but apparently (and hard to believe) Australia has taken over America’s place as the fattest country in the world. I was informed of this by a Lasallian Adelaide school boy, who was neither proud nor ashamed of the fact. Fact is FACT after all. And only after 3 weeks in Australia do I know why. Australia is big on meat and pies. They love their Shepherd’s pie, pot pies, anything meat pie. And there is A LOT of meat. LOTS of sausages. LOTS of kebabs. At the supermarket, meat is cheaper than many fruits per kilo. Ridiculous if you ask me. ALSO, Australian desserts are cloyingly sweet and delicious! Lambingtons and TimTams and WagonWheels, dunked in chocolate, filled with extra cream or marshmallows or jam. Dear God, what an artery clogger, but soo good for my sweet tooth. This is, by the way, how I managed to gain 5 pounds on a trip where I walked at least 2-3 km everyday.

Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne

And what exactly is there to do and see in Melbourne? Well for tourists, the best thing to do is take a trip down St. Kilda as you hit all the hot spots from there. You hit Federation Square, all shopping streets, cross the Bridge and get great views of the Yarra River. Better yet, follow the river and that takes to you through tons of excellent food places (link: Bear Brass) and little shops. When Annie and I travel, we like to ask the locals (on the streets and trains, at the bars, the waiters/servers, etc) for recommendations. Brunswick Street is like SF’s Haight & Ashbury, full of lively bars and pubs. Just make sure you are in by 2am, as the new law prohibits loitering around after then. I am a big shopper, so of course we had to head down to the Queen Victoria Market (corner of Elizabeth and Victoria Streets), which sells copious amounts of souvenirs, clothes items, as well as plenty of food to make any picky foodie drool. It is a must on a to-do list. Melbourne also has a well-known aquarium, which I did not get the chance to see. But being from California, the Monterey Bay Aquarium spoils me and I won’t see anything less. If you head down to the far end of St. Kilda, you hit the beach and all the beachside activities imaginable. Granted, it is mid-winter now, so the only major attraction is the huge strip of pubs and bars. Oh, did I mention that the legal drinking age in Australia is 18? Yes indeed!

Sydney Opera House shadowed by the Sydney Harbour Bridge

A visit to Sydney is not complete without a thorough visit of the Sydney Harbour via ferry so that you can see the Opera House, the Bridge, Circular Quay (ferry and train station), Botanical Gardens, the Rocks and all the other things on the waterfront. Ferry transportation can get a bit pricey, but well worth all the sights. Also, a ferry is also a necessity to visit Taronga Zoo and Manly, the former being famous for its Australian animals and beautiful views of the Sydney harbour, and the latter for its famous beaches that boast excellent waves for surfers. In the city itself, Darling Harbour and Walk is a must for couples, especially at night, as the path is lined with water fountains and beautiful pools. The walk terminates on one end at Cockle Bay, a great place to shop and dine; the other end of the path is Chinatown. For great shopping, let me suggest Market City located just outside the main Chinatown Street. These city center sights are best accessed by train, a complex but very effective system that virtually allow you to explore all of Sydney and the neighboring suburbs with efficiency. But wait, there is more! The best part of my experience in Sydney had to be the hike from famous Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach. There is a path carved along the coast, curling along the cliffside, that lasts kilometers long. We managed to only go part of the way, but the scenes are breathtaking.

Views from Taronga Zoo

After freezing in Melbourne and Sydney, our group made way to Cairns to defrost and thaw. Cairns itself can be conquered in 2 days – its small Esplanade, the Lagoon Pool, the Night Market, Wharf and other shops can all be checked off your list fairly quickly. However, Cairns makes a good hub to access any of the Northern Australian beaches just north or south of it. It helps to have a car (we rented a 1991 Daihatsu!!!) as Kuranda Rainforest and Port Douglas and Palm Cove are at least a half hour drive north of Cairns.

A scenic point en-route to Port Douglas via Captain Hook Highway.

That concludes my brief overview. There will be more in-depth pieces on the trip and expect to see reviews for the following restaurants in the upcoming days:

*Quan An Bau Truong, Cabramatta, New South Wales
*BearBrass, Southbank, Melbourne
*Max Brenner, Manly
*Pancakes on the Rocks, The Rocks, Sydney
*Far East, Bankstown, New South Wales
*Gloria Jean’s Coffee
*and many, many more

Please check back often for updates on my Aussie trip. Right now as I sort through 1500+ pictures and go through 3 weeks worth of journal notes, I am reminded by someoneiknow that in the end, it wasn’t just all the places we visited or all the food we ate or how much money we spent that ‘made’ the trip. Rather, it is the people we met, visited and got to know on the trip that really made the trip worth every headache, heartache, backache, footache we experienced. Until soon!

The Friends theme song is playing in my head…

Review: Soul N Pepper

Soul N Pepper
5 Dixie Street, Port Douglas
Queensland, Australia

Port Douglas is a short and beautiful car ride north of Cairns. It is surrounded on either side by sapphire blue water and the tropical weather makes Port Douglas picture perfect. On our last day in the Cairns area, we drove to Port Douglas to beach-hop and satisfy our craving for seafood. After a walk along the Esplanade and then Murphy Street, we stumbled upon the weekly Port Douglas Sunday Market, displaying goods typical of any farmers or flea market. At this point we are famished and too tired to scope out menus. So, we settle for a beautiful little hut right off the market, nestled just on the edge of the Port Douglas lagoon.

Soul N Pepper is an airy outdoors restaurant shaded by giant palm fronds and old remnants of canvas sails. Light breezes scented with ocean spray, and a glorious sunshine of a winter day complete the panorama. The views are spectacular and the relaxed atmosphere set it apart from other Port Douglas food places.

The menu features the typical fish n chips which Aussies seem so fond of, but also an array of other higher cuisine dishes, such as Annie’s Seafood Linguine, Nhi’s Calamari Salad and Lemon Dressing or my Grilled Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette. Can I say delicious? All three dishes were perfect for a late Sunday lunch, especially after having spent copious hours on the road and at the beach. Speaking personally, the Grilled Shrimp & Avocado Salad was a winner both in taste and appearance. Large succulent shrimp were marinated in a refreshing mixture of lime juice and spices, then grilled to perfection and placed on top a bed of young, crisp greens lightly doused with a sweet and tangy raspberry vinaigrette. Throw in a side of rich, creamy green avocado and you are in heaven. Oh yeah baby.

Like I’ve mentioned before, Australia’s beach towns are big on fish n chips or pretty much anything deep fried served on a side of chips. But, Soul N Pepper (thank goodness) broke that trend and made deep fried a bit more diet and palate friendly. The calamari batter was just the perfect amount of savory, with large freshly ground pepper bits visible in the crispy golden brown crust. It was a good contrast to the lemon-lime dressing and sweet sun-dried tomatoes that helped bring out the freshness of the squid and lightened up a dish that is typically hackneyed and overplayed.

Of the three dishes we ordered that day, the Seafood Linguine was slightly lackluster, if only because the other two dishes, by comparison, were beyond incredible. The linguine pasta was cooked just to tenderness then tossed in an aromatic white-wine and tomato sauce, leaving a slight bitterness from the alcohol. Fresh mussels and a medley of other seafoods are cooked in the sauce and top the pasta dish. On side, a slice of lightly toasted bread to help sop up the sauce. Yuum.

Perhaps my only point of complaint is the cocktails. Annie and I spent $25 (Australian, which comes out to be about $25 USD anyway) on two mediocre glasses of ‘Strawgasm’ and some minty chocolate thing. Annie’s Chocolate Mint thing was a bad mixture of kahlua and Bailey’s and what tasted like toothpaste. Throw in chunks of ice, which made the cocktail pretty much undrinkable. Not to mention the $12.50 which was very difficult to swallow. I am also biased as I hate anything mint chocolate (yes, even Ici’s fabulous mint-choco creation). But even so, the drink was all in all bad. My ‘Strawgasm’ wasn’t much better as it was under flavored and didn’t reflect any of the strawberry, banana, cream or rum. Throw in frozen bits of chunky banana and strawberry – a disaster of flavors as nothing was mixed well and the drink itself was inconsistent. Even so, the drinks were aesthetically pleasing and lovely to sip given the lagoon-side backdrop.

But all in all, Soul N Pepper is definitely worth the visit if you happen to be in the Cairns/Port Douglas/Palm Cove region of North Queensland, Australia. I know I had a good time.

I’m leaving on a jet plane…

Yes I am. In a scant 6 hours I will be heading toward SFO for Australia. Nearly a year of preparation and it’s finally here. My bags are packed, the check-in boxes are sealed, my visas are a-go, and yet I can’t help but feel a bit anxious, nervous, as though something is still left undone – perhaps I am forgetting something? A foreboding sense of unease. An omen, a premonition? A bit of foreshadowing? I’m not too sure. These last few days have been a bit off, not unpleasantly but just enough to contribute to this strange unease I feel. The only certain part of this week was Family Dinner, a constant in my life, an outlet for my sanity.

There were like 13 or so people who needed to be fed, and with Vivian’s tiny toy kitchen, we had to work magic. I settled for a Cheesecake Factory copycat recipe, Pasta da Vinci, while the others each brought some other dish. Andrea took care of a walnut/cranberry salad; JimmyJames made fresh pasta and a strong arugula/basil pesto; Vicky baked a wonderful loaf of cheesey garlic bread; and my dear Jessica made an amazing dessert – Panna Cotta! J^2 never cease to amaze me. Homemade pasta AND a fabulous dessert. But yes, before I left the continent, I thought it would be good to leave with a bang. And a BANG it was. Another delicious Family Dinner with some of the people I love most in Berkeley. A fête accomplished, or in Viet, ‘dai cong cao thanh!’

Pasta da Vinci
This was actually a recipe I received from Mrs. Roit. We had dinner not too long ago at the Burrow and this is the delicious dish I was blessed enough to steal. The sauce is rich and sweet and very simple to prep. The Madeira (which Vivian was lucky enough to buy) is very sweet and most people found our $4 bottle too strong to drink alone. I personally enjoyed it. I digress. This entire pasta recipe takes under 30 minutes to make and I made both a vegetarian and meat rendition. This goes well with a white meat like chicken, and in my vegetarian substitution, I used eggplants and plenty of portobello and button mushrooms. The recipe that follows is the meat version. If you plan to make vegetarian, then keep the sauce as is, but sauté the mushrooms and eggplants until they wilt down.

Ingredients
1 lb box penne pasta (anything with ridges works, farfelle or fusilli are great)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 large red onion, finely chopped
5-7 button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup Madeira wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and sugar to taste
optional: a few portobellow mushrooms & eggplant, sliced
Directions
Cook pasta according to package. Do not over-salt the water.
Heat oil in a skillet. Once hot, dump in garlic and onions. Allow to sweat and caramelize. Throw in the chicken and sauté until just cooked. Throw in the mushrooms and allow to wilt down. Remove and put in different bowl, but keep the little bits of flavor left in the pan. Add madeira, sour cream and heavy cream to the pan and allow to simmer. I find that this isn’t enough flavor so I add generous amounts of sugar and salt to taste, getting everyone to sample with each addition. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken up. I cheat a bit and added a tiny spoon of starch to thicken up the sauce as well. Shh, don’t tell anyone! I was trying to feed 13 people on very little, so I had to make do. Return the chicken/mushrooms to the sauce and remove from heat. Spoon the sauce over plates of pasta and serve hot. Delicioso!! (The real deal not that Ingrid Hoffmann business.)

Jessica’s Easy Panna Cotta

This was delicious, perfect for a summer dinner on the patio. Rich and served cold, with lots of strawberry syrup. Sooo good and you aren’t going to believe how easy it is to make. There are very few ingredients and you don’t need much to feed a crowd as it is too rich to eat a lot of anyway (well, unless you are me and have an insatiable sweet tooth.) I made a strawberry syrup which I like to use over icecream, but it pairs perfectly with the panna cotta. Just slice and dice a basket or so (more if you need) of fresh, clean strawberries. Sprinkle 2-3 generous tablespoons of sugar. Plastic-wrap and let sit in fridge for a few hours. When you take it out, it should be thick and sweet and yuum. Spoon over whatever it is. Yuum. Just know that the syrup is sweet, so you might want to use a bit less sugar in the panna cotta.

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (8-ounce container) sour cream
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
2 cups pitted fresh cherries, strawberries, or sliced peaches or pears
Or, 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons artisan-made balsamic vinegar
Or, 2 to 3 tablespoons saba syrup or Vin Cotto

Directions
Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water and let stand for 5 minutes. In a 3-quart saucepan, warm the cream with the sugar, salt, and vanilla over medium-high heat.
Do not let it boil. Stir in the gelatin until thoroughly dissolved. Take the cream off the heat and cool about 5 minutes.

Put the sour cream in a medium bowl. Gently whisk in the warm cream a little at a time until smooth. Taste for sweetness. It may need another teaspoon of sugar. Rinse 8 (2/3-cup) ramekins, custard cups, or coffee cups with cold water. Fill each one 3/4 full with the cream. Chill 24 hours.
To serve, either unmold by packing the molds in hot towels and then turning each out onto a dessert plate, or serve in their containers. Serve alone or with any of the toppings.

 

That concludes my Family Dinner entries. I will be on a 3-week hiatus, but hopefully I will get the chance to update from Australia. Land of kangaroos, koalas and Donna Hay! It is going to be coold in Melbourne and Sydney, a refreshing change of weather from the warm California suns. My last week in Cairns should help defrost my chilled bones and will be a welcome change as well. But farewell and happy undertakings in the kitchen. Good luck to my Ici dinner crew. Piggy, be safe in China. Kari, good luck with linear. Viv, have fun at the gallery and can’t wait to work on my kitchen mural. Jess, have a great time in Taiwan. Nicole, don’t work too hard. Amanda, thank you for everything. Stephanie, have a great summer even if you are stuckin SJ. I’ll keeo you posted and love you all.

—Anh—