sailor's thai on valentines

It's Valentines night, a Monday night and we don't have a booking. Anywhere. I thought we could just take a cab down to Longrain early after work. They don't ever take bookings, we're in the mood for some good Thai and don't particularly mind waiting in their bar for a table. I checked their site earlier that week to make sure they don't have any Valentines Day events and there's nothing listed on the site. But it dawns on me at 5pm on Monday that maybe I should call, just in case, to see if they're open.

I never got the memo and apparently the memo never got to their website but on the 14th February every year, Longrain does take bookings and they're full to capacity all evening. Lucky I called. So after a few more restaurant rejections and a mad flick through the Good Food Guide we have a 6pm- 8pm booking at Sailor's Thai in the Ivy complex and we're on our way. Nothing like a time limit on a romantic date.

What I really want, as I walk down the laneway toward Ivy, is to steal a table at Felix or Ash St Cellar from some poor, unsuspecting, star crossed lovers. The restaurants look gorgeous and inviting but very, very full. Is the restaurant world trying to tell me something? Is it really necessary to book a table on the most romantic day of the year? It appears so and apparently everyone in Sydney knew that.

We head up the elevator to Sailor's and I remember suddenly I really felt like some Thai, the smell is amazing.

The restaurant is beautiful, Merivale knows what they're doing in the interiors department. No image I took was worthy to post to show you but I assure you it really is beautiful.

After being handed a white rose, which every lady dining at Sailor's received that evening we are, very efficiently, seated.

Sailor's Thai Betel Leaves

The first order arrives, our betel leaves, which I am particularly looking forward too. These ones are filled with crab, coconut, chilli, lime, ginger, peanuts and caramel sauce. They didn't quite have the same flavour explosion as others I've tried and I found the peanuts to be quite hard.

Sailor's Thai Five Spice Calamari

This was by far the stand-out dish of the evening. The calamari was twice cooked which it made crispy on the outside and cooked perfectly on the inside plus the five spice added a great kick, we wanted another plate of these babies!

Prawn and chicken sausage wrapped in bean curd skin

Another great entree, this is kind of like a Thai style spring roll. The plum sauce is a great addition to the crispy layers of bean curd skin and the tasty prawn and chicken filling which is by no means dry.

Grilled beef and apple eggplants

I love chilli and I have a very high tolerance for spicy food, in fact i'm all about extra chilli on the side, but this packed a mean punch. More water please. It was described as 'hot and sour' and that rings true. The dish was that adrenalin to your taste buds you expect from a summery Thai dish. The apple eggplants were crunchy and absorbed the chilli jam dressing and the thin slices of rare grilled beef were smoky and delicious. It was addictive but unbearable at the same time. I heard the couple next to us order it and told them that it needs to come with a warning if you're chilli shy.

Sailor's Thai Red Duck Curry

Our second main is the red duck curry with snake beans, tomato, grapes and apricot. We generally never order a curry but this one sounds too good to pass up. I love the sweetness of the grapes and apricots as it works really well with the game-y flavour of the duck. The lovely mix of sweet, spicy and smooth are perfectly balanced, thank goodness the heat of this dish isn't overpowering!

Sailor's Thai Black Sticky Rice & Caramel Custard

The waitress compliments our choice of dessert when we order the black sticky rice and caramel custard. I feel very proud of myself for making the pick because when this comes out, it's a heavenly masterpiece! The black sticky rice is chewy and sweet and the caramel custard is unbelievably creamy but not too rich. It ends the evening well and cools the fire that was still burning from our main.

The service on the night was very good and the wait staff must be extra attentive on Valentines Day because we were asked more than three times throughout the meal if we were enjoying it. Generally I had my mouth full or was gulping down water, so I didn't appreciate this all that often, once would have been enough.

Now I don't know if I would venture back to Sailor's but there's plenty more under the Merivale umbrella I am itching to try Ms G's, Felix, Ash St Cellar, Bistrode CBD... need me to go on?

http://www.sailorsthai.com.au/ivy.html

hells kitchen - Melbourne Food Part 2

Welcome to Degraves Street, where cafe possibilities are endless. Ah, the breakfast choices available down one tiny strip of Melbourne road.

This is where we head for brekkie when we stay in Melbourne. The difficulty is choosing a cafe, they're all full, noisy and have great breakfast menu's so I guess it comes down to who has two spare seats available for two latecomers.

Degraves Street

Hells Kitchen, despite the name is not a popular TV series starring a foul mouthed British chef, it's a bohemian cafe down stairs with a bar upstairs conveniently named, "Hell's Upstairs". While I particularly don't care for the name, the barista looks like she makes a good coffee and that's all that is on my mind having just jumped off an early flight and wondering around Melbourne city for an hour suitcase in tow.

Hell's Kitchen

We sit down to eat ataround 10:30, looking forward to a hearty breakfast when we're told upon ordering they've stopped serving eggs. I'm too hungry and caffeine deprived to care so we search for the the none egg breakfast options and thank-fully there are a few.

While we're waiting for our order, our coffee arrives. Two piccolo's, perfectly made I knew I had a sixth sense when it comes to barista's.

The Storybook menu

The menu's are actually old Golden Books, thought this was very cute!

Baha & Beans and Bagel

My date orders the Baha Beans, a bowl of spicy beans in a tomato based sauce served with a crispy bagel. Not your typical breakfast dish as it's a lot like a bowl of chilli con carne but it's nice and hot on a crisp Melbourne morning.

Hell's Kitchen Salmon Bagel

I order the salmon bagel with a very generous layer of cream cheese, capers and cracked pepper. I love smoked salmon sandwiches exactly like this and the sesame seed bagel is toasty and warm.

Who knew breakfast minus the eggs could be so good? Now i'm ready for my second favourite Melbourne street, Flinders Lane for the other thing Melbourne does well, laneway Fashion.

http://www.melbourne.com.au/degraves.htm

mi Movida - Melbourne Food pt 1

I've been dreaming about Movida for months. So when I finally had the opportunity to jet down to Melbourne for two days, I was going to Movida - rain, hail or shine.

I was down for the Australian Open and matches till midnight made it impossible to go for dinner, so we went for lunch. Lucky we did because we soon found out that the restaurant is booked out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights for the next two months. Thank goodness for lunch.

Movida on Hosier Lane

Down we went to Hosier Lane, a gorgeously graffittied laneway, and after a 30 minute wait we were seated. I was like a kid in a candy store and tapas is my candy.

The service has been outstanding from the beginning, from taking down our names and seating us at our table. If only Movida service was everywhere. After a quick glance at the drinks menu, the waiter comes to take our order, I'm in a spanish restaurant so apart from the $78 bottle of Sangiovese there is only one option to me.

"Drinks?

Sangria.

A glass or a jug?

Jug."

Our Sangria Jug

As we read through the menu and listen to the specials I begin to see that this Saturday lunch is going to be a full blown tapas degustation. I can't just pick a few dishes I want them all!

Sardines and Salsa

The Sardines are a special on the day and are served warm with a pickled salsa of capsicum, tomatoes and onions since. I love anything pickled particularly with fish, so this is perfect to me especially as the sardines are warm.

Pork stuffed calamari with squid ink dressing ($7ea)

This next was one of those 'too good to refuse' sounding meals. Calamari, Tick. Stuffed with pork, Double tick. With squid ink dressing, bring that to the table now! It was definitely a highlight and the kind of dish you come to expect from Frank Camorra. The calamari was cooked perfectly and not the least bit rubbery and the squid ink wasn't overpowering.

Grilled Chicken with Pickled Garlic and Green Chillies and Croqueta ($4ea)

We've just glanced over to the couple next to us and got a glimpse of the crispy looking fried Fried silky Croquettes filled with Jamon and Egg. We don't even blink and order two almost immediately. They also bring another special we have ordered, the grilled chicken with pickled garlic and green chilli's. I wouldn't normally order a grilled chicken as far as I'm concerned I can grill boring old chicken in my sleep. But this is far from boring, the chicken is smoky and the green chillies have just enough bite.

Roast Lamb Cutlets encased in a Catalan Pork & Paprika Pate ($7.50 ea)

After the winning pork pate I ate at Porteno, I have searched for more every time I'm out. Obviously a completely different dish, we order the cutlets encased in pate, the texture is smooth and the paprika adds the spike that such a meaty tasting dish needs, the lamb is still rare in the middle and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Seared Canadian Scallops with Russian potato salad ($18.50)

Yum. I wish I had a better way to describe this but seriously, yum! I love scallops cooked well and these are, they're still moist and who doesn't love a Russian potato salad? You'd have to be crazy to pass this dish up.

Pan seared Quail breasts with red grapes and fried bread ($16.50)

I love a fruity combo and this one doesn't disappoint. The grapes taste like they've just been picked out of the Summer sun, they're warm and crunchy. I'm always a bit scared about ordering something with fried bread, it sounds simple but it can be done so badly. These like fried croutons aren't stale or oily or over crunchy - I can't fault them. Actually if you were to put them in a bag I would eat them over potato chips anyday.

Pork Belly with Beans and Fennel

Another special and sadly our last dish was the pork belly, I didn't want it to end. Another highlight to me, it's fatty and crispy and not sickeningly oily. The fennel leaves are a nice touch but I would have liked to have seen some shaved fennel pieces.

The dessert selection is small and I always rather more savoury food rather than dessert but the house made ice-cream was a perfect finisher especially on a scorching hot day.

Movida means scene, it's definitely my kinda scene. would I go back? I'm booking a flight to Melbourne as we speak.

http://www.movida.com.au/index.html