Kong-Kay1: September 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

JULIAN & TAMMY'S DINNER @ SHARK FIN INN, LT. BOURKE ST., MELBOURNE

Six months after registering, Julian and Tammy give a bash on the 11th. Sept. 2010. The dinner format in terms of food (mandatory dishes) is pretty much the same as the previous night's banquet. But this time, all the dishes are individually served to each guest. What you see below are the dishes before they are served, and still on the serving trolley.

KENZAN @ GPO, SHOP 28G 350 BOURKE ST., MELBOURNE

What would a visit to Melbourne without stepping into Kenzan - the haute cuisine of fast food sushi? The sushi rolls may look the same as others, its prices may be comparable to other sushi shops, but the devil's in the details. Just like a fast food joint, you queue up to place and pay for your order, while picking up the ready made, on display sushi, rolls and bento sushi. Other cooked rice or noodle dishes take a while to be delivered to one's table. It's the innate nature of its food and place (the dim corridor of its eating area) that gives the place a special kind of feel; the seatings may be crowded at times, and yet unobtrusive.

TONY Q's BIRTHDAY @ DRAGON BOAT PALACE, 149 LONSDALE ST., MELBOURNE

This is my mum's brother's birthday. And it's held at his favorite restaurant, 'cos my sis., who has been here about a week earlier, has been treated for lunch and dim-sum at this place 3 times prior to this occasion; it makes one wonder whether he has a stake in the place.

This is the first of 2 birthday and a wedding dinners we are to attend in Australia. But I'm giving the one in Sydney a miss. A few of us flew in from K.L., Kuching, Sibu and K.K. for this bash, and the aunt and family from Sydney drove here.

The menu for the evening is very much like the Old School issued standard fare, but with a twist at the end. It starts with Chinese cold-cuts from the restaurant's BBQ section. Followed by sharks fin soup, steamed oyster, done 2 ways (garlic & chilli), and lobster with noodle; they are all individually served one after the other.

LUNCH @ LIP CAFÉ, 226 WATERDALE RD., IVANHOE NORTH SHOPPING STRIP, MELBOURNE

Andrew called a few days earlier saying he'd ask Julian to cook something for lunch on Friday; I said, it's your call so long as there's something to eat when we're there.

Having arrived the previous night, after a 22 hours journey, starting 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. the next day, I still managed to get up at 7; still I'm luckier than Jonathan, my next seat journeyman, who had to rough the night in the airport before making his way to his girlfriend in Zealand the morning after. By the time I was having lunch, i think, he was still somewhere over the Tasman Sea.

The next morning, the Doc drove us to Julian's cafe for lunch. This little outfit is six months old. It serves breakfast and lunch with a bit of his own baked cakes cookies and cupcakes in between. Its eclectic menu offers a twist from the norm. But we weren't here for its normal fare.