Delicious Korean stews @ Masizzim, Melbourne

Recently I received an email invitation for me and a guest to try some of the food and drinks at a new Korean restaurant called Masizzim that opened up at The Glen Shopping Centre. This shopping centre is quite a drive from home, and the week day timing was a little awkward for my schedule, so I must admit that I did not immediately jump at the opportunity. However after having a chat with hubby about this invitation, he was keen to try, as we realised that we hadn't eaten Korean since we left Hong Kong in early 2018. I managed to arrange a suitable time to visit Masizzim, and boy, are we glad that we took this invitation! Here I must state that although we did not pay for this meal, I maintain the integrity of my blog to give honest reviews. So here is our experience as if we were full-paying customers. Our older two kids were in school, so our youngest got to come along and enjoy the experience. We were greeted warmly and welcomed by one of the restaurant's staff, who took excellent care of us for the hour that we were in the restaurant. We had previously informed the restaurant that we could only stay for an hour, and our waitress ensured that the food were served at a good pace. She also gave great recommendations on what to order.

Masizzim's interior is bright and spacious with a contemporary and distinctly Korean fit-out. Wood, slate, steel and stone feature prominently:

At our waitress' suggestion, we sampled some of the popular Korean drinks. The 3-year-old enjoyed the sweet Haitai Bon Bon grape drink with whole skinless grapes, hubby ordered the peach soju which he really enjoyed, and I got the aloe vera drink:

One of the things I look forward to in a Korean restaurant is the banchan, the complimentary and usually refillable side dishes to accompany the meal. We were served kimchi, seasoned eggplant, onion and fish cake:

Masizzim at The Glen is the first Australian branch of a Korean chain that has restaurants in Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok. Masizzim translates to 'delicious stew', referring to the restaurant's specialty of galbi jjim meat stews featuring slow-cooked beef or pork short ribs. These braised meat dishes are traditionally served during festive holidays and at high end restaurants, but Masizzim makes galbi jjim easily accessible to anyone for an any day meal. The restaurant's Korean founder uses his mother's original recipes, and imports the secret recipe pastes from Masizzim's Korean kitchen. The meat - pork, beef or chicken - are marinated in the secret recipe pastes, then cooked and served in an iron pot with the choice of udon or chewy glass noodles. There are 4 levels of spiciness to choose from, and we ordered level 2 spicy beef stew with glass noodles, which was pretty spicy even for us but still enjoyable. The beef was very tender and flavoursome, and we were pleased to see pieces of chewy tteok bokki in the spicy stew.

I ordered Tuna Rice Balls for the 3yo, which were fun to make, but she was more interested in the Squid and Leek Jeon (pancake). She enjoyed the savoury pancakes so much, she must have demolished at least half of it. She's actually quite a picky eater, and I was amazed to see that she did not pick out the green bits like she usually does. The tuna rice balls were delicious and it would be a great dish to order for my middle one who loves to get her hands messy (gloves are provided).

Squid and Leek Jeon:

The ingredients in a bowl for tuna rice ball (with glove and kim chi on the side, not pictured):

Hubby also ordered Stir-fried Spicy Pork Hot Stone Bibimbap, and the flavour was on point but lacked the burnt rice bits at the bottom which we have become accustomed to looking for in hot stone bibimbap. It was nonetheless still a delicious bowl of bibimbap:

For dessert, there are three types of bingsu on offer at Masizzim. I've never had bingsu like this before! We chose the Mango and Cheese Bingsu, which comprised of milky shaved ice topped with sweet juicy mangoes, cheesecake pieces and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. What a perfect way to finish a spicy meal! Hubby really appreciated the cheesecake chunks.

Masizzim is worth a visit if you're in the area. I just wish we lived closer so we could make this a regular jaunt.

Masizzim
Shop 1-002/235
The Glen Shopping Centre
235 Springvale Rd
Glen Waverley, VIC 3150
Tel. +6 1 3 4418 2805

Seafood @ River Quay Fish, South Bank (Brisbane)

When I visited Brisbane on a solo trip, I met up with my in-laws for lunch at South Bank. I adore the South Bank - I think it is a beautifully planned out space with fantastic facilities for the public along the Brisbane River close to the CBD. There are plenty of dining options in South Bank, and we strolled through the restaurants along the river before deciding on lunching at River Quay Fish. The service we received was great, and the restaurant was very accommodating to my step-MIL's dietary requirements. It is a fine choice for seafood and lovely views of the river, and we quite enjoyed the food we ordered.

A dozen natural oysters, all of them fresh, plump and delicious:

My King Fish with potato mash and greens was excellently prepared:

The Seafood Paella with bomba rice and seafood stock resembled more like a risotto, but it was full of delicious seafood flavours:

River Quay Fish
South Bank, Sidon St
South Brisbane QLD 4101
Tel. +61 7 3844 3993

Exquisite afternoon tea @ The Hotel Windsor, Melbourne

Last week, hubby and I celebrated a milestone anniversary. I won't say how long we've been married, only that we got married 10 months before I started writing in this blog! How far we have come since - the adventures we've had around the world, living in three different countries, and raising three beautiful children. It hasn't been all sunshine and roses, but the challenges we've encountered and overcame together, I hope that these have helped forged our bond stronger. To celebrate our anniversary, I booked us to have high tea at The Hotel Windsor, which claims to be Melbourne's most famous afternoon tea. Regardless of the fame, the experience we had was nothing short of fabulous. We were informed that the hotel has been serving afternoon tea everyday except Christmas since 1883! The interior was grand and elegant, the service we received was impeccable, and the food was exceptional. The maître d' who greeted us at the door gave us a warm welcome, and acknowledging the occasion we were celebrating, he sat us at a window table, which was a pleasant surprise as it was something I did not request nor expect. We enjoyed our glasses of bubbly aperitif, and we did not have to wait long after being seated before the 3-tier high tea set was served. We didn't feel rushed nor hurried as we savoured every bite of the afternoon tea. I liked the bottomless coffee and tea, and we enjoyed a cup of cappuccino each as well as two different types of tea (we tasted each other's teas, so we actually tried four different types of tea). We had a really good experience, and I highly recommend the afternoon tea experience at the Hotel Windsor.

Classic and timeless decor:

Our glasses of French sparkling wine:

Savoury pastries, exquisite patisserie and ribbon sandwiches on a three-tiered stand:

Cappuccino:

Warm savoury canapes: Roasted jerusalem artichoke tart, ricotta, thyme, fine herbs; and Parmesan crusted gougère with Gruyère fondue:

The gougère had a delicious cheesy filling:

Sweet patisserie: pistachio macaron (macaron biscuit, roasted pistachio, Sicilian pistachio ganache); vanilla and yuzu religieuse (vanilla bean mousse, yuzu sauce & crémeux, mirliton (almond) sponge); and longchamp (Milk chocolate mousse, hazelnut praline):

Ribbon sandwiches: free range egg with saffron aioli & mustard; Waldorf smoked chicken salad with Victorian walnuts; and cucumber with peperonata & Yarra Valley fetta:

Our teas were served in elegant silver teapots:

My cup of sencha. I haven't enjoyed a good green tea for years, and drinking this brought back nostalgic memories of our years in Japan:

Freshly baked traditional and sultana scones, served with housemade strawberry jam and thick double cream:

I actually forgot about the scones, and I was already full from the pastries and sandwiches, but I love scones and none went to waste:

At the conclusion of our high tea, we were served this plate of cake:

The Hotel Windsor
111 Spring St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9633 6002
Bookings can also be made online