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Gluten free potato cake with smoked salmon

Posted by  | Categories: Modern Australian, Recipes, Seafood

These  gluten free potato cakes with smoked salmon make the perfect alternative to the traditional blinis. They take only minutes to prepare yet still taste fabulous.

Gluten free potato cake with smoked salmon
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 3 Yukon gold potatoes (about 450 grams), peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg white
  • 120 grams smoked salmon
  • ¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • Olive-oil, cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Combine potatoes, chopped dill, salt, pepper, and egg white in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.
  2. Coat two baking sheets with olive-oil cooking spray. Form pancakes by dropping about 1 tablespoon mixture on tray for each and flattening into disks. Bake until golden brown on bottom, about 10 minutes, rotating trays once during cooking. Remove from oven, and turn pancakes over. Return to oven, and bake until brown on both sides, about 7 minutes more.
  3. Serve pancakes topped with salmon and a dab of reduced-fat sour cream. Garnish with dill sprigs.

Recipe adapted from www.marthastewart.com/food

Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Fillet with Pesto

Posted by  | Categories: Featured, Recipes, Steakhouse

Have you ever cooked a whole beef eye fillet? If you have you will understand what little effort it takes to produce a sumptuous meal. For those who haven’t this prosciutto wrapped beef fillet with pesto will convert you. Just make sure you buy ethically sourced meat!

"Proscuitto" "smallgoods" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

It was hard not to eat some of this before wrapping the fillet!

Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Fillet with Pesto
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 14 slices of prosciutto (about 120 gm)
  • 1 jar of pesto (I used a complementary jar of Roza’s Dairy Free Pesto)
  • ½ cup raw cashews, chopped finely
  • 1.5 kg piece of beef eye fillet
  • Fresh basil to serve
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place 7 prosciutto slices in a row, side-by-side and slightly overlapping, to create a rectangle. Repeat with the remaining prosciutto slices, slightly overlapping, at the long side of the first rectangle.
  2. Mix the cashews and pesto together in a small bowl. Spread the pesto mix over the beef. Place the beef, dip-side down, on the prosciutto. Roll up to enclose the beef. Place the beef, seam-side down, in a roasting pan. Roast for 45 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest. Top with basil.

Note: the original recipe can be found on www.taste.com.au and used Wattle Valley Baby Spinach with Cashew and Parmesan Chunky Dip

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Prosciutto wrapped pesto beef fillet (in my rush to serve I forgot the basil garnish!)

The Pesto used in this recipe was given free of charge by Roza’s Gourmet Sauces.

 

Roza’s Dairy Free Pesto)

Wasabi Devilled Eggs

Posted by  | Categories: Breakfast/Brunch, Recipes
Wasabi Devilled Eggs
Author: 
Recipe type: Finger Food
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 8 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • 1½ teaspoons gluten free wasabi paste
  • 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice-wine vinegar
  • 2 large scallions (3 tablespoons), minced (I OMITTED THIS INGREDIENT TO MAKE IT FRUCTOSE FRIENDLY)
  • Coarse salt
  • Pea shoots or sprouts, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Prepare an ice-water bath. Place eggs in a medium saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover eggs by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Cover, and remove from heat. Let stand 13 minutes.
  2. Drain, and transfer eggs to ice-water bath until cold. Peel eggs, and halve lengthwise.
  3. Transfer yolks to a medium bowl, and mash with a fork until smooth. Stir in mayonnaise, wasabi, vinegar, and scallions. Season with salt. Pipe or spoon filling into whites.
  4. Garnish with pea shoots or sprouts.

Recipe with much thanks from www.marthastewart.com/food

 

 

Some Snippets from my Gluten Free Christmas Indulgences!

Posted by  | Categories: Degustation/Fine dining, Desserts, Featured, Melbourne, Recipes

Christmas is the time of year when the distance that separates me from my family feels the longest. December is our busiest month at work so I can only return back home for the silly season once every few years. This year I had booked our flights well in advance to avoid the last-minute price blow outs; flights across the continent triple in price around this time of year as people arrange to visit their family and friends.

Because we would not be in Perth to join the Boy’s family for Christmas Day, we agreed to celebrate our family lunch the weekend before our departure in a casual pool party affair at our house. However, in the lead up to flying out my work pressures were at boiling point so in order to avoid having a mental breakdown I opted for simple fresh dishes that were bound to please the Boy’s very hungry family!

"Prawns" "Kailis Bros Fish Market" "shrimp" "Leederville" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

Fresh North-west Prawns from Kailis Bros Fish Market, Leederville

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Wasabi devilled eggs

These wasabi devilled eggs were so quick to prepare and were snuffled up in minutes. Even by those who don’t really like wasabi!

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There was no room on the table for Christmas crackers!

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Smoked salmon on potato “blinis”

To replace the classic blinis that smoked salmon is traditionally served on, I baked these little potato “blinis”. They turned out a bit more like a rosti but still managed to complement the flavour of the fish without overpowering it. Being baked and not fried they were light and not oily at all.

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Mixed tomato salad with fresh basil and balsamic vinaigrette

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Roasted beetroot and pumpkin salad with hazelnuts and feta

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Prosciutto wrapped pesto beef fillet

For mains I cooked a prosciutto wrapped beef eye fillet using some of my Dairy Free Pesto Sauce sent to me complementary to try by Roza’s Gourmet Sauces.  The original recipe used a Wattle Valley Chunky dip so I adapted and added chopped cashews. I was secretly hoping that after all our starters the Boy and I would end up with a fridge full of left overs but everything obviously tasted too good because alas there was slim pickings in the fridge the next day.

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Nothing beats a real live Christmas tree. The wonderful smell filled the loft apartment.

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The essential Christmas Day nibbles: succulent cherries, fruit mince pies, pannetone

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The adorable Lily. She has stolen my father’s heart…he is besotted with her.

The following weekend we jetsetted over to Melbourne where we were to celebrate with my family. My Mum had also flown in from Adelaide so we could all be together. The schedule was a busy one: wedding dress fitting on day one, followed by some last-minute Christmas shopping, an indulgent night out on Christmas Eve at Rockpool with my Mum and then a day of festivities with eleven people and seven dogs at my Dad and step mum’s house on Christmas Day.  Here are some more snap shots of our memorable day!

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The most exquisite fresh flower Christmas table setting

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Cracking out the favourites for family!

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Puts my salmon to shame! Beetroot marinated salmon gravlax.

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Christmas Nativity

I apologise for the lack of photos of our mains; but for those interested we feasted on honey roasted ham, cranberry and macadamia stuffed turkey and roast pork with crackling. In my eagerness to get stuck in and eat I totally forgot to take photos! The best I can offer you is a shot of the duck fat potatoes.

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Duck fat potatoes…oh yeah!

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Christmas pudding goodness. Just not for me. Not to worry! I have my own!

My Step mum’s sister owns a cake shop and so it was logical that she was delegated to make the Christmas pudding for everyone. I have grown accustomed to missing out on this fabulous end to a traditional Christmas feast but this year I was so lucky  as the lovely folks from Just In Time Gourmet had kindly delivered to my front door a sample of Newcastle’s Pudding Lady gluten free pudding for me to taste test.

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My gluten free Christmas pudding

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No crumbling or stodginess. A gluten free success.

Moist, rich and overtly fruity I accepted that while a fructose overdose was inevitable (and tolerable) I was to relish in the knowledge that no serious gluten aftermath would follow. With freshly made brandy cream drizzled on top this was a delightfully decadent way to end a feast. For those gluten intolerants out there…grab one while you still have the chance or risk having to wait another whole year!

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Topped with home made brandy cream. In heaven.

"Chocolate nut Christmas tree" "chocolate" "nuts" "dessert" "sweets" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

Chocolate nut Christmas tree

Hoping all my lovely readers had a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a fabulous New Year!

 

 

A last minute bestie binge at Harvest Espresso Victoria Park

Posted by  | Categories: Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee, Featured, Perth, Restaurants

I am quite an unconventional bride.  At the time we got engaged; the Boy and I had already been together for over ten years and bought both a house and a business. It’s not that either of us is against marriage, it just wasn’t a priority for us at the time.  After getting engaged I have found the whole process of planning for a wedding very gradual as I am not one of those girls that have all the details of their big day planned out in their heads before their respective other has even popped the question.

It was the day my Bestie was to fly out to Vietnam for three weeks to finish her yoga teacher training course and we were both feeling the guilt of neglecting our friendship.  Not because either of us meant to avoid each other by any means, we just had so much going on individually in our own lives that time got the better of us and before we knew it; her departure day had arrived.

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Creamy deliciousness. I didn’t like the wooden spoons though.

Luck was on our side as I had the morning off work and she didn’t fly out until the afternoon. I arrived at her house bright and early with the aim to take her out for breakfast as a farewell present, a Christmas present and a belated birthday present all rolled into one.  To minimize our travel time and thus maximize our time together I headed to the new café Harvest Espresso opened up on Albany Highway only a short walk from our house.

"Bakery" "cakes" "desserts" "muffins" "tarts" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

The morning’s freshly baked treats

The small café has a very welcoming feel to it and you almost feel like you are entering someone’s rustic country kitchen with lots of natural light flooding in.  We could feel the energy and excitement from the staff that often accompanies a new business venture.

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My mac was gone a in few seconds flat!

The coffee served is Five Senses and the barista knows how to brew.  Both our short macchiato and soy latte were served at the perfect temperature and if I hadn’t already had a double shot of my Nespresso at home I could have easily had another.  My Bestie on the other hand didn’t hold back on seconds.

"Poached eggs" "mushrooms" "wilted spinach" "gluten free bread" "zehnder bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

Poached eggs, mushrooms and wilted spinach

I ordered the poached eggs on gluten free toast paired with some wilted spinach and mushrooms.  A little unimaginative I guess but I was really in the mood for some poached egg molten goo action. I truly tend to find myself defining a good breakfast by the chef’s ability to poach an egg having failed at this miserably a number of times at home myself.

"Poached eggs" "mushrooms" "wilted spinach" "gluten free bread" "zehnder bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

The proof is in the goo. Tell me when you get sick of these shots!

My eggs did not disappoint.  As I gently sliced into the soft egg white, out ruptured the yolk like a burst of golden sunshine. In a flurry I grabbed for Gordon, my SLR camera to capture that lovely moment that never fails to excite me.   I cannot help but fall in love with the obligatory goo shot (sorry for those that tire of my poached egg obsession).

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Harvest Spanish Baked egg

After seeing some mouth-watering photos of the Harvest Spanish baked egg on their Facebook page; I persuaded the Bestie to give them a try. Served in a ceramic baking dish with chorizo, cabbage, tomatoes, cannellini beans and a sprinkling of paprika we were told this was their most popular dish.  We order an extra egg to be cracked in there for good measure.  After initially casting envious eye on the state of my eggs to her delight she was met with a similar experience of her own.  She happily mopped up all the flavoursome sauce mixed with runny egg with a big grin of satisfaction on her face.

We were determined to “push the boat out” and make this breakfast last for a long as we possibly could so ordering a second course was a must.  Although we have spent months apart before, the idea of spending three weeks separated from each other this close to my wedding wasn’t exactly best case scenario but unfortunately unavoidable.

"Pistachio friand" "desserts" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

Pistachio friand

There was a lovely collection of home baked single serve tarts and muffins beautifully displayed near the counter.  My only option for a gluten free choice was the cutest and nearly pointlessly small sized pistachio friand.  If I wasn’t so stuffed with everything I had eaten so far I may have been a little disappointed. Or maybe I would have just had two.  But for this occasion the single mouthful was just right. Perhaps in the future they plan to have some more adult sized gluten free desserts?

"Lemon curd tart" "desserts" "tart" "lemon curd" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

Lemon curd tart

Not entirely bound by the restrictions of gluten free diet the Bestie was easily coerced into ordering a lemon curd tart. She initially planned on just scooping out the curd and leaving the pastry base but after a couple of zesty mouthfuls she realised that the pasty was an essential part.  She agonised over the right words to describe her dish and ended on the conclusion that it was a hit regardless of how you described it.

Adequately fuelled for her long trip, we drove to the International Airport singing and laughing the whole way.  She has some exciting times ahead and I am so happy for her.

A bientôt ma chérie! Good luck! xxxxx

Harvest Espresso
629 Albany Highway, Victoria Park 6100 | 0416 397 088 | Facebook
 
Price:                     $$ ($9-20/meal, Cash only)
Food:                    4.5/5 (eggs are amazing, need more GF sweet treats!)
Service:                4.5/5 (super friendly positive vibe, proud of their café and the food)
Ambience:           4/5 (light, airy and homely)
Drinks:                  5/5 (5 Senses coffee. What can I say!?)
Total:                     18/20
 

Harvest Espresso on Urbanspoon

Fairmont Hotel, Singapore

Posted by  | Categories: Accommodation, Breakfast/Brunch, Hotels, Singapore, Travel

Our last visit to Singapore was during a stopover ten years ago en route to London where we lived for a number of years.  We had spent our last few weeks in Perth burning all the candles at every end bidding our friends farewell and by the time we arrived in Singapore we were left feeling like a clump of melted wax.  We were young and comparatively naïve and got easily caught up in the flurry of hotel booked tours and commercialised tourist traps.

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The view from our room

Fast forward to the present and we are now both savvy travellers; we know what we enjoy and more importantly how to find it.  Consequently I was super excited to be returning to Singapore to attend a close friend’s wedding armed with a multitude of eating recommendations from all my fellow blogging friends.

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The view from our room

The wedding banquet was to be held at Fairmont Hotel so to simplify things we took opportunity of the discounted group rates and stayed there. The location is very central being walking distance to the harbour, CBD and Marina Bay Sands; and has a subway train station in the shopping complex attached to the hotel.  Public transport in Singapore is quick, efficient and easy to use.  We actually discovered it to be a quicker way to get around the central city than a taxi. 

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Fairmont Room

We stayed in the Fairmont Room which is their most basic room; however it was relatively spacious with a lounge chair, extremely comfortable king sized bed, fully equipped working desk and a private balcony overlooking the city. 

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Lovely Le Labo products

There was a selection of bathroom amenities using Le Labo products scented with their signature Rose 31 fragrance. The thought of rose fragrance conjures up in my mind subtle, underwhelming, floral scents so when I took a waft of the luscious hand cream I wasn’t expecting the complexity of spice and woodiness.  Other components of this fragrance include cedar wood, cumin and olbanum giving a sexy, nearly masculine scent.  We only stayed for two nights but I ensured to clear away the products each service to ensure getting refreshed with another batch!

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The mini-bar was small but had the essential ;)

Another highlight of our room was the addition of a Nespresso machine.  Since my Mum gifted to us a Nespresso machine for our engagement last year, I have realised my coffee addiction has been lifted to new heights and I cannot start my day without a decent coffee.

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Oh no!

My initial excitement at seeing a Nespresso machine was short-lived when I realised the only pods on offer were in fact the only pods I didn’t like! Thankfully a Nespresso Boutique was not far from our hotel and before long I was back in 7th coffee heaven.

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Breakfast buffet

Breakfast is served buffet style downstairs at their Italian restaurant Prego.  I always find Asian hotels offer a much great variety of foods for breakfast buffet than our Australian counterparts and this buffet was no exception. Gluten free bread was available on request however unfortunately none of the buffet food was sign posted whether it was gluten free so I was a little nervous in knowing in what I could and couldn’t eat.  The non-allergic Boy on the other hand went nuts and piled his plate high of an assortment of curries, pastries and meats topped with a pile of crispy bacon.

"poached eggs" "salmon" "bacon" "cold meats" "breakfast" "buffet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Breakfast buffet – the bacon was so crispy

"donuts" "breakfast" "buffet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

The donut tower

On our second day in Singapore we returned fairly late back to our room after a full day walking around the city. The wedding banquet was to be held that evening so we planned to quickly beautify ourselves ready for a few pre-dinner drinks to set the mood for the occasion.  To our dismay, on entering our room we were confronted by the same mess we had left hours earlier that morning. Housekeeping had forgotten to clean our room! I cannot deny this is a major oversight for a premium hotel establishment and I couldn’t help but be annoyed that I had to wait for fresh towels before I could start getting ready for the evening celebrations.  Consequently we missed out on the pre-drinks and had to rush straight to the wedding reception.

"orchids" "lobby" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Despite this frustrating hiccup the Fairmont Hotel in Singapore proved to be a great accommodation option for us during our recent stay.  The central location, reasonable room rates and well-appointed room made our whirlwind 2 day stay an enjoyable and comfortable one.  Our only complaint (other than our un-made room) was we didn’t have enough time! As a result we have decided to stop over again on our way home from our wedding to finish off our hit list of must-eats!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Fairmont Singapore

80 Bras Basah Road, Marina Bay, 189560 Singapore | www.fairmont.com/singapore

Tripadvisor reviews 
 
Food:                                    3.5/5 (based on buffet breakfast at Prego only)
Service:                                2.5/5 (check out process was slow, housekeeping forgot our room)
Rooms:                                 4/5 (clean, well-appointed and spacious, BTW the bed is the BOMB)
Location:                              4.5/5
 
Total:                                     14.5/20
 

 

Grill'd Brookfield Place, Perth

Posted by  | Categories: Burgers & Snags, Fast Food, Perth, Restaurants, Vegetarian

Since opening earlier this year, Brookfield Place has quickly become something of a food haven in the centre of the CBD.  With a plethora of bars, restaurants and cafes all in one complex it’s a wonder those who work in the city ever want to leave! From fine dining at Print Hall and The Trustee, more casual bistro style eating at The Heritage, Asian fusion at The Apple Daily and sweet treats at Theobroma Chocolate Lounge there is sure to be something for everyone.

Grill’d burgers have been around since 2004 and have grown from humble beginnings of a single Hawthorn store in Victoria to now being found across Australia in 50 stores. To coincide with their opening in Brookfield Place, they kindly invited a number of Perth bloggers to come and try the burgers for themselves.

"potted herbs" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

Pot ‘o fresh ‘erbs

Grill’d burgers are made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and all burgers are made to order. It was easy negotiating what on their menu I could eat and their chips totally gluten free too.  No missing out this time round!

"local community" "convicts for a cause" "fund raising" "Fremantle prison" "Cystic fibrosis" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

Local Matters: Supporting Local Community Groups

I was impressed to see that this national company still maintained its roots of servicing the local community as a small amount from every burger sold goes toward a local charity of your choice. I chose to donate to “Convicts for a Cause.” This is a fundraising event jointly organised by the Rotary Clubs of Perth and Mt Lawley, Cystic Fibrosis WA and Liver Foundation of WA. Participants in the event opt to be “locked up” in Fremantle Prison and each raises a minimum $500 bail to support people impacted by cystic fibrosis, polio and liver disease.

"local community" "convicts for a cause" "fund raising" "Fremantle prison" "Cystic fibrosis" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

My good deed for the day

Seeing as one of my dearest friends is affected by CF, it was obvious to me that this would be my choice.  I plopped both of our bottle caps in the jar and waited for our burgers to arrive.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

We had spent the earlier part of the evening at the Yelp Elite event at the Terrace Hotel and I was feeling a little on the intoxicated side. I really wasn’t in the mood for any meat and was excited to see that there were several veggie burgers on offer.  It was no surprise to many that my choice of burger was the Field of Dreams: a mushroom burger. Mushrooms are amongst my favourite foods and form a daily staple for me in at least one meal a day.

"Field of Dreams” "grilled mushroom" "grilled capsicum" "vegie burger" "vegetarian" "cheese" "mayo" "basil pesto" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

Field of Dreams vegie burger

The gluten free buns appeared to be very similar to those found at Snags & Sons and V Burger Bar. Nestled inside the bun sat a succulent grilled field mushroom coated with herbed mayo and topped with tasty cheese.  Underneath the ‘shroom were soft roasted peppers and bringing it all together was a massive dollop of basil pesto on the bottom bun. Curiously despite all this juiciness, the bun held together perfectly with no signs of collapsing despite my distinct lack of coordination in eating it.

“Summer sunset” "grass fed beef" "pineapple" "cheese" "avocado" "beef burger" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

“Summer sunset” beef burger

Boys need real burgers and my beloved Boy was no exception.  He ordered the Summer Sunset despite my suggestions that after all the lovely food he ate at The Terrace Hotel; it may push him into the realms of seriously full.  I underestimated his appetite this time! His burger contained a thick grilled lean beef pattie that had just the perfect hint of pink in the centre. Grill’d use grass-fed beef which is generally lower in fat meaning if not cooked correctly can taste a little dry and chewy.  Thankfully the guys behind the Grill’d grill knew what they were doing and the Boys’ beef was bursting with just as much moist flavour as my mushroom was. His burger also contained avocado, pineapple, crispy bacon and herbed mayo.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

Not bad for fast food I tell ya!

Everyone knows a burger isn’t exactly a healthy meal but looking at way Grill’d prepare their burgers and the ingredients they use, you can come pretty close to being somewhat healthy without sacrificing taste.  Many burger joints have thankfully jumped on the gluten free bandwagon yet not all of them have gone the whole hog and many do not serve gluten free chips. I was thankful I could enjoy a proper burger meal this time and left vowing to eat bride food for the rest of the week.

Grill’d Brookfield Place
125 St Georges Terrace, Perth 6000 | (08) 9226 4888 | www.grilld.com.au
 
Price:                     $             
Food:                    8/10 (up there with the best burgers IMHO)
Service:                4/5 (energetic, chatty staff who know their menu)
Ambience:           4/5 (music was cranking, dimmed lights, perfect for an after drinks bite)
Total:                     16/20
 
Chompchomp was partly compensated  with vouchers by Grill’d to write this review of Grill’d Brookfield Place. This in no way affected my option, all opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for further information.

 Grill'd Brookfield Place on Urbanspoon

Eat Drink Blog Conference 2012 Part 3: The Conference and a pop-up lunch

Posted by  | Categories: Adelaide, Breakfast/Brunch, Events, Travel

Eat Drink Blog 2012: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

It was an early start the following morning after the Eat Drink Blog conference dinner at the Hilton Adelaide with many of us nursing hangovers from all the excesses of food and drink.  The organising committee had planned things well with baristers on the ready handing out freshly brewed coffee to bleary eyed delegates. A massive breakfast spread was provided by Red Door Bakery and The Yoghurt Shop and included a moist gluten free frittata for me to enjoy.Red Door Bakery - Croydon on Urbanspoon

"The Yoghurt Shop" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Breakfast from The Yoghurt Shop

"bakery" "Pastries" "Red Door Bakery" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Pastries from the Red Door Bakery

The lecture content over the day provided me with many useful take home tips ranging from food photography, food styling, ethics, working with PRs, SEO and some legal advice. As many of my fellow bloggers have already posted extensive wrap ups of the lecture content, in order to prevent saturating the web with repeat content I suggest you head over to the Eat Drink Blog website for the links.

"Photography workshop" "Souvlaki for the Soul" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

“Home shoot” photography workshop with Peter from Souvlaki for the Soul

"Food styling workshop" "Fiona Roberts" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Food styling workshop by Fiona Roberts

No food blogging conference is complete without copious amounts of food.  Although we may have been fed and watered very well the previous night at the conference dinner and then again that morning; nothing prepared us for the vibrant pop up lunch downstairs in the Adelaide Central Markets.

"Spanish" "Paella" "rice" "seafood" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Paella (by Nicholas Finn)

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide" "pop up lunch"

The markets are closed on Sunday giving us free rein to use the space

All produce on offer was proudly South Australian and included the most enormous pan of aromatic paella, gluten free cured meats, freshly cooked ham, local cheeses and artisan breads.

"Cured meats" "bresaola" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Cured meats

"Woodside Cheese" "cheese" "goat cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Woodside Cheese – they remembered gluten free crackers too!

"Gluten free Laucke loaf" "gluten free bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Gluten free Laucke loaf

There was even a freshly baked loaf of gluten free Laucke bread accompanied by its own, non-contaminated cutting board and knife. It was a spongy fluffy loaf with the consistency of real bread!

"Cake pops" "The Cupcake Table" "Dessert" "minicake" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Cake pops!

"The Cupcake Table" "Dessert" "minicake" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Afternoon delights

The onslaught of delectable food continued well into the afternoon. Natasha from Playing House had kindly stayed up all hours the night before busily baking our afternoon tea spread.  Cake pops, chocolate mousse and some adorable little mini cakes which surprisingly vanished quickly even though I’m sure most of us were at maximal stomach capacity!

"The Cupcake Table" "Flourless Orange cake" "Dessert" "minicake" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Flourless Orange cake

"The Cupcake Table" "Flourless Orange cake" "Dessert" "minicake" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Flourless Orange cake by The Cupcake Table

The flourless orange cake was moist and zesty and although my expanded belly was starting to give the impression I was with child, I actually had to stop myself from going back for seconds.

Sadly all good things must always come to an end and coming down off my sugar rush my emotions ran high. In an out of character moment I swear I felt a tear prick in my eye as it dawned on me that this fantasy weekend was truly over.  Many of the delegates had planes to catch, families to return to and lots of fresh new motivation to blog. After a flurry of farewells, hugs and promises to eat together once again we all departed to return back to our real lives.

"I'm so Hungree" "cupcake" "dessert" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Melbourne blogger “I’m so Hungree”

Thanks once again to the Eat Drink Blog 2012 committee:

Amanda, Christina, Alex, Celeste, Erin, Kirsty and Natasha; all your hard work paid off in the end!

Thanks also to all the generous sponsors. Without your help this free conference would never have happened.

 

"South Australia" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Our loot! All proudly South Australian products!

Back to Cantina 663, Mount Lawley

Posted by  | Categories: European, Featured, Italian, Perth, Portuguese, Restaurants

Many of you may know I grew up in Adelaide, the City of Churches.  At the young and impressionable age of seventeen I left my family and friends behind in order to head west to study veterinary science.  Although initially moving to the opposite side of our great continent was not easy, Perth has given me amazing opportunities, plenty of sunshine and most importantly has found me the love of my life.

In my earlier years in Perth I remained in close contact with very few of my school companions. In fact in all honesty, until the creation of Facebook I only stayed in touch with just one school friend; Lenni.  Despite our homes being geographically separated by thousands of kilometres, over the years we have always managed to see each other at least once every twelve months or so.

When we were living in London she detoured to see me from Greece where she had attended a family wedding.  We lived in a poky little bed-sit in South-east London which was  situated upstairs from the 24 hour veterinary hospital in which I worked at.  We only had enough room to fit a single blow up mattress on the floor and by the end of every night it would ensure to deflate itself. Dear Lenni never uttered a complaint. No room for luxury during these times!

Another time she flew over for a whirlwind trip down to Margaret River and Pemberton.  Eager to show off my newly adopted home, I tried to squeeze everything into a tight 3 day schedule. For those who know these areas you will understand what a crazy schedule this was.  We covered a LOT of ground!

Whenever I was visiting Mum in Adelaide, Lenni would always manage to fit me into her hectic on-call schedule for some late night drinks and a bite to eat.  No matter how long between impromptu visits we would always manage to spend the whole time laughing and chattering late into the night. I would often wake up the next day with sore stomach muscles from too much giggling.

"pork belly" "cotechino" "potato hash" "crackling" "pork" "pickled onions" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Crisp pork belly, cotechino, potato hash, pickled onions

Fate has a way for bringing good friends together and in recent years Lenni’s career has also brought her to this state of opportunity. Being well overdue to see each other we met up one weeknight at Cantina 663 in Mount Lawley to enjoy some good food, wine and conversation.

I love eating out with someone who really enjoys their food.  It is so much more pleasurable to take the time to savour all the flavours of a meal as opposed to quickly wolfing everything down. Better still, it allows you to analyse and really appreciate what you are devouring. Lenni is a gracefully slow eater and meals with her are always at an extended relaxed pace.  Cantina 663 is perfect for this style of eating as much of their dishes are designed to share.

There was initially much confusion from our waiter upon ordering our food.  At first, he gave me the impression that he was quite familiar with fructose malabsorption and advised me that there was only a couple of small nibbles I could have and nothing on the main menu.  He told me as a replacement the chef was happy to specially make me a risotto for my main instead.  As he walked away from our table I was left feeling a little bewildered as I have previously been able to eat a number of their menu items as much of it is gluten free.  What made things worse was I didn’t feel like a risotto at all yet didn’t want to seem like a complaining ungrateful customer!

"Salumi platter" "Chorizo" "Prosciutto" "Bresaola" "kofta" "salami" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Salumi platter:Chorizo, Prosciutto, Bresaola, kofta and salami

On further questioning I discovered that my waiter had presumed that fructose malabsorption meant I had a fruit allergy and couldn’t eat anything with any fruit at all. As many of the dishes contained citrus or lemon juice he thought that they would all be unsuitable.  After giving him a brief run down on fructose malabsorption, he returned to the kitchen armed with a wealth of information on this frustrating condition and found out that there was indeed a lot more on the menu that I could eat.  What a relief.  I was starting to get a bit worried for a moment there!

"Smoked salmon rillettes" "preserved fennel" "seafood" "fish" "salmon" "rillettes" "charred bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Smoked salmon rillettes, preserved fennel, charred bread

The buttery smooth smoked salmon rillettes had the consistency of creamy pâté and smeared elegantly over the crusty charred bread.  There was no gluten free bread available but when I booked the table a few days prior the waitress kindly advised me in advance and welcomed me to bring my own…which of course I forgot! Paired with crunchy liquoricy preserved fennel and a bottle of Grenache this was perfect dish to kick start our night.

"Port roasted mushrooms" "buffalo mozzarella" "vegetarian" "basil" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Port roasted mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella, basil

The sauce for the roasted mushrooms contained onions so the chef served this on the side.  Despite omitting this potentially key ingredient, the earthy mushrooms were still bursting with rich port flavoured juices. Shreds of buffalo mozzarella cut through the acidity of the dish leaving a lingering creaminess on the palate.  A simple dish done well.

"pork belly" "cotechino" "potato hash" "crackling" "pork" "pickled onions" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Crisp pork belly, cotechino, potato hash, pickled onions

Lenni had the crisp pork belly with cotechino, potato hash and pickled onions.  Nestled in amongst all these ingredients were finger like slivers of sweet Pink Lady apple.  The crackling was as hard as toffee and snapped satisfyingly in the mouth with an audible crack.  The meat lacked any unpleasant porky after-taste and the fat had emulsified to a custard-like texture. I was lucky enough to try a small sample denuded of any sauce and could see why she finished every morsel on her plate despite being very full!

"Pan fried barramundi" "almond" "green salad" "fish" "seafood" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Pan fried barramundi, almond with green salad on side

I enjoyed the pan-fried barramundi served with an almond butter sauce laced with baby capers. The fish was normally accompanied with artichokes and asparagus which presumably wasn’t onion free so the chef made me a large garden salad instead. The fish had thin crispy skin yet the flesh remained flaky and delicate requiring minimal effort to reduce into bite size morsels.  The nearly sweet almond sauce made this ordinarily light meal much more satisfying and I was contentedly full by the end.

Fructose malabsorption is by no means an easy intolerance to understand, and to an untrained ear the requirements are complicated and difficult. I was impressed that although our waiter’s initial presumptions regarding my diet were incorrect he put in the effort to understand the facts and find me something I would enjoy. We will most definitely be back again.

More on Cantina 663: Birthday Dinner at Cantina 663, Mount Lawley (March, 2012)

Cantina 663
Astor Arcade, 663 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley, 6050 | (08) 9370 4883 | www.cantina663.com
 
Price:                     $$$$ ($7-16 share plates/entrees, $25-35 mains)
Food:                    4.5/5 (they really need to consider stocking gluten free bread)
Service:                3.5/5 (bubbly, efficient, but a little confused with my food intolerances)
Ambience:          4/5 (warm and cosy inside on a cold rainy night)
Drinks:                  4/5 (Interesting Portuguese, Spanish & Italian wines. Perfectly matched to the food)
Total:                     16/20
 

 Cantina 663 on Urbanspoon