Celebrate LOVE at Saint Crispin! ♥

Time really flies. It really has - I cannot believe that we're about to usher in the Year 2014 in less than a month! And I also can't believe that it has been two years. Two years.

It felt only like last week when he first held my hands. To be honest, sometimes it still feels really surreal. Like... you mean this kind-hearted, handsome man is MY boyfriend? ♥♥♥

To celebrate our 2 years anniversary, The Boyfriend's initial idea was to take me to Vue de Monde, but unfortunately they were already fully booked despite us ringing in one month in advance.

In the end, we decided on Scott Pickett's new restaurant, Saint Crispin. Following our great experience at Scott's other restaurant, The Estelle, I no doubt had high expectations and I'm glad to say that Saint Crispin definitely did not disappoint.

The good note about Saint Crispin is we don't have to travel all the way to Northcote as it is conveniently located in Collingwood. As we were walking along Smith Street, The Boyfriend commented, "All the good food is here."

It's true, Smith Street is fast becoming one of Melbourne's top food precinct and Saint Crispin is definitely a great addition.

What I loved about Saint Crispin was not just the food, but the overall experience which was absolutely fantastic. The wait staff were so professional and friendly - I'd say top class service!

Anyhoos! Back to our meal... Saint Crispin offers two dinner options - either the two courses for $50 or three courses for $60.

You could also add on some snacks, or as they label as "little bites" to start with and even some sides to go with your mains. Given the quality and portion size, we thought it was really good value for money!

I love kicking start my meal with warm bread. They were served with the most amazing house made caramelised onion butter - so so good I wished I wasn't so embarrassed to ask for another slice of bread!

But it explains why it was so yum, Saint Crispin gets their bread from the amazing Babka bakery just up the road.

After reading about them eel croquettes from Ms I-Hua's blog, I could not help but to also order. I-Hua described them perfectly well, to quote her, they were "little bursts of pleasure". Even The Boyfriend who doesn't usually like eel went, "Hmmm hmmm".

For my entree, I opted for the Atlantic salmon served with shaved calamari, oyster, squid ink and saffron.

It was so good - it wasn't fishy at all, instead I'd say it was very fresh. And don't you love all that bright colours in constrast to the black plate?

The Boyfriend on the other hand, went for the Wagyu bresaola, served with shallot rings, purple cauliflower and hay ash which he also really enjoyed. I stole a tiny bite, and wow! The flavours were exceptional.

But nothing beats the main that I had. Being the fish lover that I am, I inevitably chose the hapuka (a deep sea, white fleshed fish) which was served atop Maloolabah prawn, nicola, spring onion and kohlrabi.

It was so so so so amazingly divine, I devoured it all so quickly. This dish alone warrants yet another visit back!

And just how pretty does this look? I couldn't help going oooh and ahhh at The Boyfriend's Greenvale pork served with heirloom carrot, curried raisin and saffron.

Not only was the dish extremely well presented, it was also very yummy! An interesting mix of Indian inspired flavours.

Memory has failed me (because this post is super delayed) but I am pretty sure The Boyfriend did say something along the lines of how good this dish was!

I was getting quite full so we both decided to share a dessert but I was having a hard time choosing just one, I wanted everything!

The Boyfriend then suggested to go with the Mango, Coconut, Ginger and White Chocolate mousse. The flavours went really well together and I liked how it was light yet creamy.

It was such a memorable meal, I can't wait to be back again. And especially without the hefty price tag. Fantastic ambiance, friendly staff and most important, a hearty meal - what more can you ask for?

Sometimes less really is more. I told The Boyfriend that I really really enjoyed dinner and glad that we're paying only half the price of what we would have paid at Vue de Monde.

But of course, we'll want to get to Vue de Monde eventually and we shall make sure we book well in advance then. I cheekily said to The Boyfriend, "Maybe we can go for my birthday in Jan, babe?"

He gave me a wink in response, which I would take as a yes! Not long to go now... :P

Cafe Sydney with my love!

As mentioned in my previous post, my very lovely (and generous!) Boyfriend took me on a short escapade to Sydney for my birthday.

Yeap, an all expense paid trip, and I got to choose a list of restaurants where I'd like to dine at throughout our 3d2n stay. Felt like the luckiest girl! *beams gleefully*

I chose Cafe Sydney for my birthday dinner date with the Boy, because like I've mentioned in my older post, the perfect atmosphere at Cafe Sydney itself sets you in a fantastic mood, that even before I was served with my food, I already felt happy.

And I did also say that hopefully the next time I visit, it'll be with my future (non-existent then) boyfriend, because I like how the ambience is quite romantic and it's a place I'd love to bring my him to, so I did!

Because he is nice like that, he suggested that instead of walking it, we take the ferry from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay because although I've been to Sydney about 9-10 times now, I've never rode on the ferry before.

Boy, was I glad that he did! Enjoyed the lovely breeze from cruising on the top deck, and enjoyed the lovely view of the harbour. :)

We finally arrived at Circular Quay after a 20 minutes ride, which on a side note, costed us $6 each! Why are public transport in Sydney so freaking expensive? It's madness really! Now I understand why my Sydney friends often say that they gotta walk a lot.

Anyhoos! We were greeted by friendly staff members who escorted us to our table by the window (yay!), overlooking the beautiful view of the Harbour Bridge where we watch the sun slowly set into the horizon.

A tip if you're keen to dine at Cafe Sydney, remember to always make a booking. Try asking for an outdoor table if you're up for it. Even in winter I think you'd be pretty comfortable as there will be heaters and they will even offer you with blankets. ;)

We started off with some mocktails (yes, I'm a weirdo who does not like cocktails) and spiced caramelised onion naan which tasted fantastic.

We didn't want to fill our tummies up with any more entree as the Boyfriend knew how much I was eyeing the dessert platter. So, we jumped straight into mains.

The brother swore by the Wagyu beef tenderloin. He has always dubbed this to be the best steak he has ever had, in his life. Mind you, he's one helluva fussy eater so for him to say that it's the best, it must have tasted pretty awesome.

So, of course the Boyfriend who does appreciate his steak couldn't have gone past not ordering this Wagyu dish. It was needless to say flavourful, tender and juicy!

But! It's not the best I've had, and also especially with a hefty price tag of $66, The Barn does better.

My brother has definitely missed out on the best. :P He needs to follow us up to The Barn. Maybe when we make another trip up to Mount Gambier again. One day.

I, on the other hand, had this super yummy South Australian pink snapper served with spanner crab cannelloni, atop a bunch of asparagus, green pea and crustacean bisque.

Can I just say that this was the best asparagus I've ever had in my life and the bisque was so good that I almost licked every drop that my spoon wasn't able to scoop up? So so yum!!

And to the best part of our night!!! I was quite full but I still couldn't go past the dessert platter which consist of three different desserts!!! Ahhh.... how amazing does that look, hey? *rubs belly*

My ultimate favourite was the warm raspberry tart served with raspberries, honey cream and raspberry ice cream. It was so refreshing and needless to add, DIVINE!!!

I also really enjoyed the peanut butter parfait, served with fried banana, salted caramel peanuts and chocolate ice cream. I don't know about you, but I love the PB + choc combo - so indulgent!

The final dessert was the double chocolate slice which was served with candied orange, orange sorbet, and cream fraiche.

It was quite yum, but at this point, I was feeling so stuffed, I couldn't stomach any more food.

Plus, it was too rich for my liking and the boyfriend, although a big fan of rich chocolate, was too full, so we didn't finish this last piece. :/

I know right, I am not usually one who would waste desserts but I was that full I could roll back!

T'was a very satisfying dinner and I had a really good time, but I'm not sure if I'll be returning again any time soon now that I've been there twice already. There are so many places in Sydney that I'd love to try! 

For those who have never been, it is a must go. Especially if you're on a date! Your partner would definitely be impressed. ;)

 Thank you my love, for the wonderful night! :)

And here's one last shot of the pretty Harbour Bridge view before we took a short walk back to our hotel.

Bistro Guillaume @ Crown

The Boyfriend and I recently celebrated our first anniversary together, and being the more romantic one, I decided to organise a date and take him for some good food.

I planned a lunch date the weekend before our anniversary, which was a bit of a boo-boo to fall on Tuesday. 

I decided on the three course lunch at Bistro Guillaume because I've heard so much about them and I've been DYING to try it out so I figured this was a good opportunity.

For my entree, I wanted something light so I went for the king prawn with avocado cream, tomato, croutons and cos lettuce salad.

It certainly was light, refreshing and super delicious, I polished the plate clean in no time. The flavours were brilliant and all the ingredients went really well together. 

The addition of croutons and chopped red onion also added a nice texture. It is so yummy, I want to try to replicate this at home!

The Boyfriend, on the other hand, opted for the soup special of the day. Being the typical Malaysian that I am, my reaction was, "Har?!! You come here to drink soup ah? Choose something else lah."

He was adamant about his soup though. Boy, am I glad that he was because let me tell you, this Jerusalem artichoke vebate with garlic beurve nasette has earned itself the 'BEST soup I've ever had in my life' title.

I'm sorry I can barely remember what was the ingredients of this soup, but if it's ever on special again when you head over to Bistro Guillaume, be sure to order this. 

Next, I had the chargrilled King Salmon with roasted Jerusalem artichoke and shallot confit as my main.

I initially ordered the pork belly but decided 5 minutes later that I didn't want something too rich and had my order changed. And boy, am I glad that I did so! :D

The salmon was very well cooked and complimented the roasted Jerusalem artichoke and shallot confit which was truly delicious. 

For The Boyfriend's main, he opted for the rack of lamb on a bed of ratatouille, tapenade and zucchini flower which was also good.

I did find that it was a little too rare for my liking, and there were A LOT of fats which I didn't appreciate.

You see, I'm quite a weirdo in the sense where I love my beef/steak medium-rare, but when it comes to other meat, I'd very much prefer them medium.

But either way, I don't really like the fatty bits on all meat. Except maybe fried chicken skin! *shifty eyes* 

 

The skinny and the fatty. Can some genius please invent the FAT-TRANSFER MACHINE please? Look at my char-siew-bao face!

Everytime the Boyfriend calls me a char-siew-bao, I'm pretty sure this is what he sees! >:(

It's really sad, my Mum and the Boyfriend have both agreed that they're taking turns to say "Mi/baby, you shooooo fat!" everytime they see me or speak to me. :'(

OKAY FTS! This is it, I'm putting it down in writing. I'm going to endeavour to lose 5kg before my 23rd birthday. That gives me slightly more than 2 months.

I CAN DO IT!!! I'm going to show those two cheeky buggers that I'm not fat!!! *determined face*

If I fail to do so, I will be banned from desserts for 2 months. :( All of you can be my witness!!

Anyhoos, enough of me. Back to our anniversary date, we were both really full by the time we finished our main, and the Boyfriend said that he wasn't keen on getting a dessert.

I insisted though! Because I've got a tiny weeny surprise for him which I got the wait staff to note down when I made the table reservation.

I wanted something light (I know right, AGAIN!) so I chose the dessert special of the day - strawberry & frangipane tart with creme patisserie which we both really enjoyed!

When it arrived, the Boyfriend being the Boyfriend, he did not see the chocolate writing on the plate! It took him a good while to realise after me giving him the "nice or not, nice or not look". :P

The Boyfriend ain't no big fan of strawberries, but because the tart was so yummeh, he ate it anyways! iHappy! Maybe I can slowly convert him into loving strawberries! ;)

And to wash it all down, we also had some English Breakfast tea to finish off! Each cup of tea came with a macaron, but I devoured it so quickly before realising OH NO, I forgot to take a picture. :P

All in all I really enjoyed our lunch date! Everything - from our entree and mains through to dessert - was super yummeh and the staff were also really friendly and attentive.

I also loved the ambience with the lime green and white decor, and I would highly recommend Bistro Guillaume. Would I return? YES! I am already looking forward to our next visit! 

Next up, would be a post on the Boyfriend's treat at Shira Nui. :)

*********

I know this sounds very mushy and all, but I just want to say a big THANK YOU to this man who came into my life and turned my once dull and grey life, into a very bright and colourful one.

After my previous relationship, I didn't think that I was able to one day, find love again, but he proved me wrong. Very wrong, indeed. :)

I fell head over heels with Leon and the feelings that I have for him only keeps growing stronger. Thank you babe for loving me, taking care of me and simply for being my greatest source of joy and happiness.

I look forward to celebrating more anniversaries and creating new memories with you along the way. ily ♥ ♥ ♥

Bluestone Restaurant

I personally think the gesture of buying your other half dinner is really sweet and although I love to be pampered, I am a strong believer that we shouldn't let the guy foot the bill every single time.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to do the "guy's thing", and so I bought the Boyfriend dinner instead. ;)

I took the Boyfriend to Bluestone Restaurant on Flinders Lane and were welcomed with two glasses of bubbly to start with.

Fresh warm sour dough was served with olive oil and the wait staff kept coming back to offer more throughout dinner. That was enough to keep me smiling. 

The Boyfriend often say to me, "Don't fill yourself up with too much bread!" But I almost can't help it. As long as I am served with warm bread, I'm happy. :D

Thankfully, the entree did not take too long to arrive at our table otherwise I would have fed myself with too much bread.

The Boyfriend had the purple risotto served with mushroom, black garlic and chartreuse reduction.

It was the first time we've ever had purple risotto, and hey, it was good! All the elements complimented this dish very well. Yay!

I can't say the same for the smoked ocean trout, served with salmon roe sitting atop deviled quail eggs though. I felt like the smokey-ness of this dish was overpowering, it kind of ruined the entire thing. Nay.

As you would have guessed (if you knew me well enough, that is), I was eyeing the Boyfriend's risotto and my fork constantly found its way over to his plate. :P

For mains, the Boyfriend had the char-grilled scotch fillet which he wanted served medium rare. To our surprise, the steak was beautiful - juicy and tasty. Yay!

I had the butterfish, served alongside salad and finished off with buerre blanc. The buerre blanc was quite tasty, but I thought that this dish was way too salty for my liking. Nay.

And to finish off, we shared the dessert platter for two. From top to bottom: lemon cheesecake, white chocolate bavarois, pavlova with coffee filling, and lastly chilli + coriander sorbet.

I did not enjoy the desserts at all. The cheesecake was too rich and cheesy, even the Boyfriend being a big fan of cheesecake, didn't like it. And the white chocolate bavarois was just bland and tasteless. Meh.

And yeah, although the pavlova didn't look that appetising, but I have to say it was the one that stood out most amongst all four. The coffee filling did the trick, me thinks.

As for the chilli and coriander sorbet, don't get me started. After the first mouthful, the Boyfriend said it was "quite refreshing" but he did not go back for seconds. Hmmm?

2 yay's VS 3 nay's - I'm not sure if I'll be returning anytime soon, or at all. I think it is important to note though that service was awesome and ambience was perfect for a date.

Perhaps if you're after above average meal, you could give Bluestone a go. Bonus if you have the Entertainment Book, as you'd be entitled to 25% discount off the total bill. 

The Long Table at Red Hill

Following our meal at Max's Restaurant, we checked out of the Woodman Estate the very next day and took a slow drive to Red Hill where we had lunch booked in at The Long Table. 

The menu was easy and straight forward, you either go for the 6 courses tasting menu or the 2-3 courses ala carte menu. The Boyfriend wasn't too keen on a heavy meal so we settled with just 2 courses.

For entree, the boyfriend had the blue swimmer crab roll, fennel, sweetcorn mayonnaise and chicken skins.

I shamelessly took a generous piece of the crab roll to taste - man, it was divine and well-paired with the sweetcorn mayo.

The chicken skin I could hear, has a nice crispy texture, as it went *crunch, crunch* as the Boyfriend bit into them. He gave me a look as though to say, "Hmmm, yum!"

I, on the other hand, opted for the marinated yellowfin tuna served with smoked shallots, shimeji mushrooms atop dashi broth. 

This dish is very Japanese inspired, as you can already tell from the mix of ingredients. Put simply, it was like having tuna with miso soup, well sort of.

Not complaining though, it was good nevertheless and quite a light start to the meal. The watermelon gave a nice refreshing touch to the dish too.

For mains, we had the grass fed aged sirloin, served alongside king browns, radish pods, shallots and BBQ sauce.

The meat was cooked medium rare; but it wasn't as tender and flavoursome as we expected it to be. It was as though something was missing from the dish, but we couldn't quite pinpoint what.

It was rather odd that the steak was served with BBQ sauce. We didn't think both elements went quite too well together, not to our liking at least.

We also had the Otway pork belly and neck served with toffee apple sauce alongside black pudding and baby leeks.

I loved the pork neck, the meat was so tender and juicy. One word - divine! I wished if only we were served with a bigger piece.

I'm not too big a fan of pork belly as it was a little too fat for my liking, but the Boyfriend, on the other hand, liked it.

The pork went really well with the apple sauce I'd say, but we barely touched the black pudding. I took a small bite, and I didn't enjoy it at all. The thought of it being dried blood... yikes!

All in all, I think the food and atmosphere here is brilliant! I'd highly recommend you give the $65 tasting menu a go. Only an additional $15 for 6 courses. That's good value for money, me thinks! ;)

Service was also great and friendly, but the only downside was that whilst the waitstaff tried to be as attentive as they could, I think they are understaffed, especially with a busy full house.

There were only 2-3 wait staff and you could tell they were running about frantically, trying to attend to everyone's needs. Seated at the corner, we had to wait for quite a bit just to catch the attention of the staff. But otherwise, excellent!