Birthday lunch @ The Estelle, Melbourne

This time of the year is always busy with a few birthdays in the family, hence why it's been quiet on the blog for the past month. A few weeks ago my birthday fell on a Friday, and hubby took a couple of hours off work to treat me to a lovely lunch at The Estelle in Northcote. We have been fortunate that the Covid-19 restrictions lifted sufficiently just prior to the November birthdays in our family, and simply going out for a meal with hubby felt like such a wonderful treat after being stuck at home in lockdown for half the year! We were pleased to find an elegant restaurant serving fine dining only five minutes drive away from home! In keeping with Covid-19 regulations set by the Victorian government, only a few indoor tables were available for booking to allow for adequate social distancing, and only the classic Estelle 4-course degustation was available for indoor dining. I was more than happy to have the kitchen decide the food for me, and all I needed to do was sit back, relax and enjoy the experience. The only extras we ordered were the half dozen oysters, and the Wagyu supplement course. Everything went fantastically well, and we enjoyed the friendly service and the food that were delicious and beautifully presented.

The dark and earthy interior of Estelle contrast the bright artistic halo lights hanging overhead:

A Negroni for me, and a creamy soda for hubby who had to return to work after lunch, and hence the designated driver:

Onion and parmesan brioche, herbed sour cream:

Beef cracker with coffee and sesame; and baby crudites in olive oil with caramelised garlic dip:

Merimbula oyster with mignonette:

Jonella farm asparagus, hay smoked hollandaise, egg yolk:

Cured kingfish, bonito cream, fennel, nori:

Flinders Island spring lamb, radish, nasturtium:

Supplement course: Westholme wagyu porterhouse, native pepper sauce, sarladaise potatoes $30:

Coconut and rhubarb pavlova, lemon myrtle:

The Estelle
243-245 High St
Northcote VIC 3070
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9489 4609

Chocolate High Tea @ Mámor Chocolates & High Tea Szalón, Melbourne

Hubby celebrated his birthday a few weeks ago, and our original travel plans to commemorate the milestone event was thrown out the window due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately it coincided with the first week of restrictions being lifted in Victoria, and restaurants were able to have limited numbers of dine-in customers. Hubby's birthday date was also the first day in months that all three kids were at kinder or school! And what better way to celebrate a birthday than with a chocolate high tea at Mámor Chocolates & High Tea Szalón! Booking online was a breeze, and there is a 50% deposit required to secure the booking. The front of house manager wasn't around, but we were very well looked after by the owner and chef, Janet. We enjoyed every bite, and loved being in such rich and lush surroundings, so unlike the world outside. A lot of thought and care have gone into the details, from the crystal chandeliers right down to the fine bone china and silverware, and we enjoyed every part of the experience. The chocolate high tea at Mámor is highly recommended by us

Stepping into Mámor feels like stepping into a different time and place, with lush red and black velvet curtains and gorgeous baroque furniture:

Opulent is one word that comes to mind when describing the interior:

The window gives a glimpse of the real world outside:

We literally had the whole place to ourselves for the next two hours, and were given the best seats in the house:

The three tiers of delicious goodies, including lemonade scones with house made jam and cream:

Savouries were charcoal brioche bun with sriracha mayo chicken and Asian slaw...

... and free range pork/veal sausage roll with flakey pastry and nectarine chutney:

The sweets plate held delicious macarons and a few cookies:

The chocolate course didn't disappoint the sweet tooth in us, which included cheesecake with ruby chocolate (a naturally pink chocolate!), chocolate hazelnut choux, and raspberry yuzu chocolates:

Hubby was still a little peckish, so we enjoyed some delicious leek and mushroom tartlets:

Mámor Chocolates & High Tea Szalón
153 Johnston St
Collingwood VIC 3066
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9419 3869

Delightful High Tea @ Hopetoun Tea Rooms, Melbourne

I have a soft spot for high teas, ever since my first afternoon tea experience in London almost a decade ago. Hopetoun Tea Rooms is an institution of the Melbourne tea scene, and one of the city's most famous and oldest cake shops, so it was only a matter of time before I would enjoy high tea there. Hopetoun Tea Rooms was one of the two options for hubby and I to celebrate our anniversary, but I discovered that this place is so popular that it is booked out for months in advance, and I could not secure a reservation for our anniversary celebration. So I looked ahead to the next special occasion date three months later, and saw availability in my younger sister's and my birthday month, so I proposed to my sister that we jointly celebrate our birthdays with high tea at Hopetoun Tea Rooms. My suggestion was enthusiastically accepted, and I went ahead with booking a date, with a special note of our joint birthdays and the fact that my sister was also pregnant. Just prior to our high tea date, I came across news that the owners of the tea house were facing some issues with the owners of the Block Arcade, so I entered the venue with the knowledge that it would possibly be my only opportunity to enjoy high tea there. However when the lovely lady owner came by for a chat with us, she assured me that the tea house would not be closing down soon. I suppose time will tell if Hopetoun Tea House will reopen for business after the government lifts the current Covid-19 restrictions on cafes and restaurants.

The window display of gorgeous cakes and tarts beckon tantalisingly next to the entrance:

The high ceiling and striking Victorian-era wallpaper were fitting for the slightly subdued atmosphere inside:

There was a queue of people outside waiting for tables when we arrived, and I felt fortunate that I had secured a table for us months ago. My sister and I were warmly welcomed and shown to our seats. Approximately a third of the tables were set aside for high tea reservations (indicated by the table cloths), and the remainder were available for walk-ins. Hopetoun Tea Rooms supplied a specially prepared plate of savouries for my sister that were void of any ingredients that would be unsafe for expecting mothers to consume, and my sister appreciated the thoughtful touch. We thoroughly enjoyed every sip of our coffee and tea, and savoured every morsel of our 3-tier high tea set. Our experience at Hopetoun Tea Rooms was delightful, and I hope that I can bring hubby here next time so he can experience it as well.

Our table:

My sister enjoyed one of 25 organic teas available at Hopetoun Tea Rooms:

Cappuccino for me:

My sister also indulged in an affogato during high tea:

The 3-tiers of high tea goodies:

Savouries included quiche lorraine, roast beef sandwich (sirloin with cheddar cheese, gherkin, horseradish mayonnaise and roquette in dark rye bread), pinwheels (Champagne ham, egg, with grain mustard and mayonnaise in white bread), classic devilled eggs en croûte (hard boiled eggs whipped with English mustard and mayonnaise), and vegetarian quiche:

My sister's pregnancy-friendly plate had a ham-free sandwich:

Sweets contained an assortment of signature petit fours. This is heaven on a plate for any sweet tooth:

A plate of fresh fruit for a boost of healthy amongst all the indulgence:

My favourite part of any high tea - fresh baked scones! These were accompanied with Hanks triple berry and double cream:

Hopetoun Tea Rooms
Shops 1 and 2
Block Arcade
282 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9650 2777

Birthday lunch @ Nobu [Crown Melbourne]

It has been an incredibly busy past few weeks, with a few November birthday celebrations in the family, lengthy dance rehearsals, and the arrival of a new baby in the family just a few days ago (my sister's not mine)! I myself celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago, and hubby arranged to bring me out for a birthday lunch. He was very secretive about his plans for the day, but he had to ask my sister to help collect our youngest from kinder and to look after her, forgetting to tell my sister that it was supposed to be a surprise. One thing that remained a surprise until we arrived was the location of lunch, which was at Nobu. Japanese cuisine remains one of my favourite, so hubby did very well in his choice. The Nobu brand is probably the world's most recognised Japanese restaurant, and we had the pleasure of dining at Nobu in Hong Kong where we enjoyed the fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian ingredients. Nobu is located inside the Crown complex, a place that I quite enjoy visiting without having to set foot inside the casino. Service was friendly but professional, and our waiter was very helpful in recommending drinks and food. The contemporary timber decor and the lovely river views made for a stylishly cool setting for a celebratory meal. I finally got to try Nobu's lunch bento boxes, almost exactly two years after I first set my sights on them in the menu. The food was excellently executed with top quality ingredients, and hubby and I enjoyed every morsel of food.

Hokusetsu onigoroshi (devil killer) sake. Flavour profile: "dry and refreshing, savoury notes arise on the palate". I've yet to encounter a sake I do not enjoy:

Hubby's Mayura Gold Series Wagyu with Wasabi Salsa. That wagyu was everything a good quality wagyu should be - tender and melt-in-your-mouth texture with a beautiful flavour. This was a tasty dish, even the cauliflower had absorbed the flavourful broth and was such a pleasure to eat:

Nobu Signature Bento Box - clockwise from top left: sashimi salad with Matsuhisa dressing, Chef’s selection of assorted sushi, seafood ceviche, baby tiger prawns with creamy spicy sauce, black cod Saikyo miso, sautéed seasonal vegetables with spicy garlic sauce. Every bite was excellent:

Whisky Cappuccino with cardamon cream, toasted cinnamon crunch, espresso gelato and Suntory Whisky foam. Such a cute presentation, and so delicious:

Petit Four of matcha azuki bean donut and Earl Grey mochi ice cream, complete with a written birthday wish:

Nobu [Crown Melbourne]
Crown Riverwalk, Crown Melbourne
8 Whiteman St
Southbank VIC 3006
Tel. +61 3 9292 5777

X-treme Chinese dinner @ Bo Innovation, Hong Kong

A couple of months ago, hubby got quite spoiled with an extended period of celebrating his birthday. It's not even a big milestone birthday, like an 18th or a 21st or a 30th! He wasn't one to complain, and I don't blame him! He celebrated with his friends, with me, with the kids, and then finally with his aunt and uncle who loves to spoil us. And wow, this dinner at Bo Innovation did not disappoint! (And to top off the night, they brought us to Ophelia, which is indeed something to experience at least once in Hong Kong! It's hot and cool and awesome all at once - words just don't do it justice. These in-laws of mine are more trendy than me!) The last time we were at Bo Innovation was more than three years ago, when I was in my ninth month of pregnancy with our second child, and we loved our first experience with molecular gastronomy. Quite a lot has changed in the last three years - the restaurant is now in a completely different room (but same building), with a rather unique, modern and almost eccentric style for its interior. Service was top-notch and faultless, and staff were attentive and discerning without being intrusive. The food was elaborate and extravagantly presented, and there were many dishes. Only two menu options were available: The Red Menu (HK$2100 per person) offered 11-courses of food with one course having a choice from three options; and The Blue Menu (HK$2500 per person) offering 14 dishes. There were some overlap of courses, and the dishes in the following photos were in both menus, unless specified. If you're looking for a unique take on Hong Kong Chinese food for a special occasion, Bo Innovation is highly recommended. Here are some of the photos of the food we ate that night.

Interesting wall mural depicting a wide variety of themes related to Hong Kong:

A cool, chic and modern space:

Hubby's first drink of the night - the Black Devil cocktail (HK$150), a mix of Havana Club Anejo 7 Anos, Creme Cacao Brown, Frangelico Grand Marnier, fresh-brewed espresso and chocolate bitters:

Even the wet towels were presented in a fancy way:

As our waitstaff poured water on the towels, they grew and expanded surrounded in a mist:

The first course was titled Child's Play, consisting of bite-sized pieces of popular HK dishes served on a colourful Go Board. They were tasty little morsels!

Dim Sum Extreme - a smoked quail egg nestled in a crispy fried taro shell and topped with caviar:

The famous 'xiao long bao', a sphere of delicious pork broth that captures the essence of the Shanghainese soup dumplings, without the meat and flour wrapper. This was as good as how I remembered it:

The third dish was the Aberdeen Floaters, featuring spot prawn. This was sweet and juicy:

Part two of Aberdeen Floaters was the dried shrimp "har mi" vermicelli and pickled fuzzy melon:

The Ode to the Dragon was unique to the Blue Menu, an oyster tofu with black garlic sauce:

Hubby's second drink for the night was the Bo Fashion (HK$150), with Maker's Mark Bourbon Whiskey, homemade dried mandarin peel syrup and Angostura bitters:

Bamboo Matrix was foie gras with "chu yeh ching" miso and green apple, served with charred bamboo mantau (not pictured). This was decadent, only a small portion but more than enough for me. The slice of apple helped cut through the richness, and I wished there were more apple!:

60000 A Year was a chili crab that was included in the Blue Menu but an optional extra to the Red Menu (for an additional HK$180). Cutely presented like baby food in a jar, and eaten with child's cutlery. The chili crab was delicious:

Postnatal Fancy with "pat chun" sweetened vinegar and tomato; the ginger, cucumber and dill carbonated ice cream were added in at the table (see picture below) for added special effect:

It was delicious, and I savoured every drop of the sweet, sour and savoury vinegar sauce:

Classic Upgrade was a twist to the traditional Cantonese steamed fish - wild black cod with iberico ham, shimeji mushroom, dried mandarin peel and yuzu. The flavours were kept simple to allow the beauty of black cod to shine:

The Imperial Beggars Banquet - Brittany blue lobster and sea urchin with hawthorn berry, green peppercorn and pineapple.
The lobster was beautiful, as were the sea urchin, but the accompanying ingredients seemed dysjunctive. Still an enjoyable dish:

Qing Cocktail of "mou tai", calamansi and egg white. This was a boozy sip with a citrus flavour:

Back on the Street was unique to the Blue Menu, with A3 Saga-gyu beef, black ruffle, "cheung fun" and soy sauce. A nice take on the ubiquitous street food:

The A3 Saga-gyu beef also featured in one of the three choices for the final course of the Red Menu (with a supplement of HK$450 per 4 oz), but presented in a different way to the Back on the Street course of the Blue Menu. The A3 Saga-gyu beef was well-marbled and full of flavour, and served on top of black truffle cheung fun, soy sauce and taro:

Organic "Long Jiang" Chicken was also one of the three choices for the final course of the Red Menu. I loved the fragrant and flavourful "Bo" chicken rice, and the roulade-style chicken was stuffed with golden pin and shiitake mushrooms:

Hubby's third (but not final) drink of the night - Snowing Plum, a mix of Bacardi Silver Rum, KuwiHuaChen, fresh lime and plum powder. I think this one was my favourite of the three cocktails he ordered, because it was light and sweet and fruity:

The Chicken Bowl in the Blue Menu also featured "Bo" chicken rice, which was simply garnished with dried abalone:

Everything Lotus was also another dish unique to the Blue Menu, featuring all parts of the lotus - the seed, root, leaf,
flower and lily bub. It was refreshing and light, a great way to end the long meal and cleanse the palate for the sweets:

Red Menu dessert was simply titled Coconut, and was a colourful ensemble of coconut sugar, dessicated coconut chocolate, pina colada, cherry and pandan avocado:

Blue Menu dessert was called No Shark Fin, made with mango, coconut and grapefruit. A refreshing dessert:

Eight Treasures was the title of the petit fours presented to us right at the end, featuring walnut, dried mandarin peel,
dragon eye (longan), osmanthus, jujubue, pandan, wolfberry and rose in tiny bites of sweets, cakes, chocolates and pastries:

[The prices quoted above do not include the 10% service charge.]

Bo Innovation
Shop 8, 1st Floor
J Residence
(Private lift entrance on Ship Street)
60 Johnston Rd
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel. +852 2850 8371