Claypots

213 Barkly St St Kilda,
VIC 3182
ph. (03) 9534 1282

The logo looks like it belongs to something on Southbank, the interior looks like it belongs to Smith Street (pre Anada and Gigibaba). So what is a diner to expect when they walk into the St Kilda Claypots?

Firstly, it is highly likely that the restaurant will already be full, unless you’re dining on a Monday or Tuesday. They will suggest you have a drink in the side bar which again will already be full. The side bar is an intimate space with panels along the side of the wall which they call seating. We were on a forty minute waiting list for a table and the appeal of sitting in what really is a thoroughfare was not particularly pleasing however others seemed quite happy there. The bar man noticed us walk out and commented “if you have to wait for a table you’re spos’t to drink here to kill the time” – the truth is so refreshing sometimes!

Forty minutes later I get a call from the restaurant to say a table is ready for us. We get ushered to the front of the restaurant. The place is divided into two dining areas, one at the front that looks out to Barkly Street, and one at the back that looks out to not much. There is a chiller display in the centre that showcases the catches of the day – behind this is the kitchen. The seating is a mix of square tables, circular tables and booths. If possible I would suggest you request a seat at the front as it has a bit more atmosphere and better lighting.

Noticing the wine we bought in ($10 BYO) we were promptly provided with glasses, complimentary breads and taken through the menu which is on two chalk boards. One with a variety of dishes predominantly fish/seafood focused, the other with the claypots. The waitress happily talked us through the menu although was a bit brief on explaining how much would really be needed for a party of three. On the contrary, my friend went in the following night and said their waiter was very helpful.

We did pick up from the waitress that dishes are made to be shared. Our first course was the king prawns, one prawn per person. They were huge and exceptionally meaty so I did feel like I was getting my money’s worth. The prawns were cooked in a hot Asian oil dressing and presented sitting in the pan with bread wedges sitting half in the oil. This acted as a perfect sponge to mop up the gorgeous flavours. The freshness of their seafood was evident.

Two claypots were ordered, Malay Tagine and Moroccan Tagine. This was the perfect amount for three people – if you were with big eaters though I would suggest one each (that is, if you were going light on entree). The Malay Tagine was set on sticky rice and then topped with bok choy, chunks of fish and mussels. It was well drowned in a stunning sauce that had a great kick to it and can best be compared to a green curry. There was enough fish and mussels in the dish to not have to secretly scoop an extra few out when no one was looking. The Moroccan Tagine was a blueprint of the Malay Tagine except rice was replaced with medium sized couscous and egg plant was the main vegetable. It sat in a tomato based sauce again, with fish and mussel. What I liked about these two pots was that they arrived in the claypot itself which stayed warm as you slowly picked your way through the contents. The serving was generous but not ridiculous and there were plenty of juices and flavours right to the bottom of the pot.

All claypots are priced at $20 and the fish dishes range from $18 to $45 from memory. One prawn followed with claypot goodness, washed down with a couple of glasses of wine and I was well satisfied, totalling a recession friendly $23 each.

Summary;
- I will go back to Claypots
- I will recommend Claypots
- I would not put it on my must-eat-at list

Choux Pastry - the how to guide

1989 we are in the car; I have a glass plate on my lap with chocolate éclairs on it. The once glossy icing has now muted and cracks are starting show, this is ok though, because unlike our modern day oh-so fancy ganache, this won’t stick to the cling wrap.

Fast forward to 2009 and I am looking through Karen Martini’s book ‘Cooking at Home’ and bam! It’s an éclair! While I had long since buried éclairs into the ‘that’s so old fashion mum’ pile, Karen has done an outstanding job at bringing this 80’s icon into the modern day.

Often one to interpret the ‘now to make the pastry’ as ‘now to pull the pastry out of the freezer’ I was surprised to see that I was subconsciously doing a stock take on my pantry to see if I could indeed make this. I did, and I suggest you do to.

Below is the recipe, straight from Karen (via me) to you. A couple of things to note that you old pastry hags may scoff at but I wish someone had told me;

Only EVER put one tray in the oven at once – don’t stack them unless you have a tried and tested fan oven that will distribute the heat PERFECTLY...

1. Cook them a little longer than you think, they develop a lovely golden tan and if undercooked, they really do taste like uncooked pastry
   
2. If you have a kitchen wiz use it, the result is just as good as hand mixing and twice as easy
   
3. Get jiggy with the fillings, try stewed apple with a caramel sauce and crushed pecans OR custard and nutmeg...
   
4. And when you brag to your guest that you indeed made the pastry yourself be sure to correct the uneducated that it is shoe...not chux
   

Choux Puffs with ice cream and hot honey sauce

As mentioned above, roam free with the fillings although this is a good one to start with. Left over puffs should be stored in the freezer as they will mould quickly otherwise.

Serves 6-8 (one per serve)

100ml water
100ml milk
80gm unsalted butter
1 teaspoon castor sugar
1 teaspoon salt
120g plain flour
3 free range eggs, lightly beaten
6-8 large scoops of vanilla bean ice cream (or flavour of your choice)

Honey chocolate sauce

200g dark chocolate
100ml pouring cream
3 tablespoons honey
25g cocoa powder
4 tablespoons water
25g unsalted butter, chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla essence

To make the honey-choc sauce, place the chocolate, cream and honey in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir until smooth. Place the cocoa powder and water in a bowl and stir until smooth. Add the cocoa to the chocolate mixture and stir constantly until almost boiling. Remove from the heat, add the butter and vanilla essence and stir until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 230dg. Line two or three baking trays with baking paper.

To make the choux puffs, combine the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until boiling. Add the flour and stir quickly with a wooden spoon over low heat for about 5-8minutes or until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Transfer to an electric mixer and using the paddle attachment, slowly add the beaten egg, mixing well. Alternatively, slowly add the beaten egg and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and elastic. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Place tablespoons of the mixture on the baking trays and bake for 6-8min or until puffed, then reduce the temperature to 185dg and bake for a further 15minutes or until cooked inside.

To serve, cut the choux puffs in half and place a scoop of vanilla ice-cream in the centre. Replace the tops and pour hot honey chocolate sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Cheap As 2

Il Fornaio was a welcome surprise to my Sunday. Walking past the industrial interior and well populated tables, my $5 bill sensed something great...Or was it the smell of freshly risen bread that snuck up my nose and made me lose all consciousness until I found myself standing in front of the counter...

Sent into a dreamy wonderland staring at the brioche, cakes, pastries, tarts, pies, brownies –not to mention the take home meals, ice cream and artesian bread, I was starting to think I might have to get Mr Five Dollars to whistle his friends over. Determined to follow through my challenge I had to make a decision – this $5 was only going to get me one outcome.

A little bit lost in this food fantasy the waitress guided me to a table and told me to wipe the saliva off my chin (joke...). Sitting down with brunch / lunch menu in front (all above $5) I pondered my options, read The Age and relaxed. With my back to the cabinet a rush of panic took over when she asked for my order, ‘ah, um, can I have that muffin thing with blueberries on it?’ and coffee? I knew this was going to break my budget ‘ah, um, ah um, Yes, skinny latte’. My choice took me by surprise as Melbourne has for the last 3 years provided me with one disappointing muffin after another.

First arrived my muffin, it looked like a cupcake mixture, lemony cream colour with a sprinkling of berries on top – typical, no guts in the middle –sigh. Coffee arrives. Splitting my muffin in half I am stunned to see a clump of butter in the middle, hah! I laugh out loud, this place is your typical mutton dressed as lamb affair – thank god I am not spending my fortunes. Muffin now in mouth, something of a religious experience happens, the texture so soft it melts like candyfloss and beyond my wildest dreams, the butter is lemon curd which ignites my tastebuds into a frenzy of orgasmic proportions. Shuddering in my seat with excitement I take back my prior thoughts. Giving my body a few seconds to re-group I close my eyes and enjoy a fantastic coffee.

I will be honest, this clocked in at $7 and I don’t regret it one bit.

For those with more self-control than me I offer 3 ways with $5
Coffee -$3
Muffin -$4
Coffee and share muffin - $5

All under $5 and utterly blissful.

5/5

Il Fornaio
2 Acland Street
St Kilda, 3182
Ph. 03 9534 2922

Cheap As 1

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and I took to the streets of St Kida last Saturday. After my first week back at work I needed some relief that the holidays still go on and summer isn’t just a fantasy outside my office window.

I wasn’t sure of anywhere specific to go, the St Kilda beach front was an obvious start. Around the Sea Baths (Jacka Boulevard) are cafés and bars that exploit the beachfront views. My eyes quickly locked onto an available table in the upstairs outdoors area of Soulmama. Elevated - you get all the benefits of a beach side experience without sand flicked into your eyes or that meat-market vibe that is inevitable when half naked people are the norm.

Soulmama specialises in using fresh seasonal food that allow for a forever changing menu. With special attention paid to Vegetarian and Vegan food to those stretching beyond the $5 mark, it’s a great opportunity to cleanse the system after the excesses of Christmas. However…for us flaunting our five dollar bill I say no more. Coming in at the $5 mark was an Affogato – sometimes referred to as a ‘cold shower’. The perfect way to celebrate the beach, kick your senses into gear with a shot of espresso and a good scoop of vanilla bean ice cream makes the occasion that little bit different and after all, you are using utensils to get at the ice cream. Does that qualify as a dessert, for under $5?!

4.5 /5
Best to go out of peak eating hours to secure a table upstairs

Soulmama
10 Jacka Boulevard
St Kilda, VIC 3182
Ph. 03 9525 3338
Open daily

Cheap as bro

Doing it cheap has unwelcomely turned up in my life; I thought it got washed away with text books and all nighters when I graduated into full-time employment but alas...it has returned. Hold back your donations; it’s not that bad I still have a job.

After frolicking in the joys of passive income I made a commitment to start saving for things beyond a Kings of Leon concert and quite frankly the passive income is taking a beating. I am sure anyone who has saved for something; overseas holiday, deposit on a house, higher education knows what it is like to wake up in the morning and feel Povo, bro ( for those who have never walked in this land, its short for Poverty).

Like you though – I don’t want to give up my lifestyle or pleasures so...over the next few weeks I will be out and about on the eating and drinking scene flashing my $5 bill like I just-don’t-care to report back to you, how much fun you really can have on five dollars.

Cumulus Inc.

45 Flinders Lane
Monday – Friday 7am – 11pm
Saturday 9am – 11pm

Cumulonimbus Inc may have been a more appropriate name for Cumulus Inc. As Melbourne was experiencing the most atrocious weather conditions, I was on a mission to get to this most highly publicised edition to the Melbourne eating scene. As the wind funnelled down Flinders Lane, recycling bins rebelled off the curb into the streets, rain lashed at me like a tormented child; I was a renegade battling against the elements. Unsurprisingly the love for good food proved enough motivation to see me through the storm.

Side stepping into the crevasse (doorway), I contract my now fan-tangled umbrella and step inside this much talked about eating house. Greeted by the man at the coffee machine he tells me that the tables are all full and offers me a seat at the bar. Often I feel short changed when stuck at the bar, however being elevated you really do get exceptional staring opportunities. I take a seat and gaze around. Jackets hanging off winkle pickers, chiefs intimately immersed into the layout, light fittings that are taking on a life of their own. The edginess of this place is uncomfortably cool; though kudos must go to the staff for off-setting this too-cool vibe through their warmth and loveliness.

The bar I am seated at is the drinks station; hot and cold. The coffee is hands-down the best I have had in Melbourne and judging on the care that went into squeezing my juice I would place a bet that this place does a pretty good job on its alcoholic beverages. Breakfast is basics done with a twist. Bircher Muesli with granny smiths and almonds ($8), Sardines with Parsley, tomato and lemon on sourdough ($11), blood sausage, fried eggs and fruit salad also slip in there. Edging closer to savoury o’clock I ordered the recommended Tom Cooper’s smoked salmon, 65/65 egg, sorrel, apple and dill ($16). My plate arrived after a 20minute (or so) wait. If you imagine grilled sourdough topped with sliced avocado, dressed baby spinach and smoked salmon then my 65/65 egg and grated apple, this is about what it looked like. Times this by 500 and that was the taste. The salmon almost evaporated into my mouth it was that succulent, the bread held its own against the egg yolk and the acid in the apple added the needed bite to a mouthful of avocado. I was full, but feeling good – not guilty. The Cumulus Inc. Breakfast was also a hit; an alliance of all your breakfast favourites in one.

For those who can’t do commitment but want to see what this place is all about I suggest a coffee and sugar hit from the morsels in the cabinet – or on the flip side a vino at the bar. Rain or shine, morning or night Cumulus has it covered.

Cafe Sweethearts

263 Coventry Street, South Melbourne
ph. 03 9690 6752

Love... love me do, you know I love you....for many people in Melbourne, not enough praise can be sung for South Melbourne’s Cafe Sweethearts. Basking in the sun with large glass windows set for a view of a lake lined with weeping willows, this cafe looks like it belongs in Daylesford – quite the contrast from other Melbourne haunts that pride themselves on their dark alluring hidden locations, emo-pop wait staff in order to manifest that much publicised Melbourne cafe culture.

Walking into Sweethearts you are greeted by wait-staff who acknowledge you with a smile then hastily run back to the counter, mutter amongst themselves and then in a cool calm collected manner graciously seat you at your table which can take the form of bar seats over looking Coventry Street or wooden tables against cushion seated walls – so country. Cosily placed on my cushion seat with my coffee order already in the system it was time to relax.

The gentle vibe of Sweethearts suits itself to brunch out with grandma and mum, visiting parents or a place to meet people who you don’t know so well –it won’t offend anyone and you can be assured the food will win hearts over.

Spanning over 4 pages the brunch menu exhausts all egg combinations known to man...and chicken. Everything from Benedict with ham, with salmon, with avocado to scrambled eggs on rye with this that and the next thing. They even managed to put a fried egg on the Lumberjack Pancakes with Bacon and Maple Syrup.

A table favourite was the Eggs Benedict with Avocado. Essentially an English muffin split, toasted, topped with a couple of slices of avo followed by two very oozy bright poached eggs –Taa-da! Not rocket science but simple and fresh. The one thing I did however struggle with and have done many times before is; when they make the eggs that god-dam runny do they really think that a measly English muffin is going to soak it all up? Am I really expected to just say sayonara to all that delicious egg yolk on my plate? Maybe cafes should start a movement where they leave left over crusts in a basket on your table for you to mop up residual yolk. Genius.

The sweet pancakes are made with oat providing a great nutty taste – clearly egg whites have been well whipped before going into the batter to make a very light cake. The serving size is generous as is the side jug of thick maple syrup. If you are only looking for a little indulgence I would suggest opting for daily baked muffins on the counter. It would be ignorant to dismiss Sweethearts as an egg and pancake shop only; spinach and herb polenta, roesti and fruit toast and muesli/porridge variations also adorn the menu.

If I was to sum Cafe Sweethearts up in one word I would say consistent; consistently good coffee, consistently fresh ingredients, consistent service – consistent stream of customers. It is not the cheapest in town, nor the funkiest – we are talking a beige decor here. However like your first love, no one forgets Cafe Sweethearts and everyone likes to visit their ol’ sweetheart once and a while.