Dex2Rose Nitrogen Gelato

Dex2Rose Nitrogen Gelato, as its name suggest, is the new kid on the block, specialising in gelato made fresh to order using liquid nitrogen.

Dex2Rose, pronounced as dex-trose, a form of glucose (ie. sugar) with the alphabet 't' replaced with the number '2' (representing liquid nitrogen abbreviation LN₂) is located in the heart of Melbourne CBD, within Racing Club Lane, a small alleyway off Little Bourke Street.

Owner and head chef Jesse who hails from Singapore, developed a liking to gelato upon his first taste of freshly made liquid nitrogen gelato a few years ago.

Jesse loved his fresh gelato so much that he went on to train under Nick Palumbo of Gelato Messina and months later founded Dex2Rose.

Dex2rose is the sort of place where you are warmly welcomed whenever you choose to drop in, be it for a quick sugar fix or even to sit down and hang out for a couple of hours with your friends.

A lovely, laid back and cosy ambience welcomes you as soon as you enter. They have a few small tables to cater for smaller groups and a big communal table to seat a group of up to 12 comfortably.

The menu changes every fortnight, and Jesse shared on how he spends days and nights with very little sleep, to experiment new flavours.

It was interesting to learn that the chef has to keep a clean palette to ensure that the flavours are right when tastings are done.

I have a pretty clean palette, considering I don't smoke, drink or eat a lot of spicy food, so hey Jesse, I'm up for tastings! :P

There are currently 8 flavours available, and Jesse hopes to expand the number of flavours over time. Out of the 8 that week, we were lucky enough to sample 5 different flavours.

My absolute favourite that night was the "Lazy Dinner" - a combination of entree, main and dessert rolled into one.

The subtle hint of sage, combined with burnt butter and finished off with caramel, oh, the result of this combo was just amazing. Drizzled with sticky caramel sauce to boot, what's not to like?

The "Honey Stash" stood out as my second favourite. Made with top quality Italian ingredients, this pistachio and honey gelato surprises you with crunchy, honeyed nut clusters.

Creamy and velvety smooth gelato with a contrasting crunch, yum! I'm not too sure about the crowned raspberry cream though.

I personally thought it'd be better without the cream, but that's because I personally don't like cream.

Next up was "It's a MATCH Ah!" which I really really enjoyed. But let me put it this way, you'll love this if you love your matcha strong. Jesse pointed out that some might find the matcha flavour a little too strong for their liking, but to me, it was perfect.

I could not get enough of the crunchy sugared peanut powder which added on a contrasting texture to the smooth gelato. I hope they bring it back! *big puppy eyes*

As for those who appreciates an alcoholic treat, the "Pink Flamingo" would be a good flavour for you to try. This Peach and Rose moscato sorbet, topped with rosewater coconut cream will not leave you pink in the face but it sure was very refreshing, and went down a treat.

For those who aren't big fans of creamy ice cream or gelato (how could you though?), the sorbets would be your go-to-option. ;)

Last but not least, the "Rockkaido" which really screamed "TRY ME!" when I first perused the menu, however it did not quite taste like how I expected it to.

Whilst the texture was consistently smooth, the flavour was not quite my cup of tea as I found the Hokkaido milk powder to be a tad overpowering.

All in all, I found the five flavours we sampled to be consistent in texture; the gelati creamy and smooth, and the sorbets smooth, not too icy, and certainly light and refreshing.

I also really appreciate that none of the flavours were too rich, nor too sweet. You'd be able to finish a whole cup of gelato by yourself without feeling jelak, or unpleasantly satiated.

For those with dietary requirements, fret not! You'd be able to enjoy a treat too as Jesse ensures that he has a few options which are either vegan, gluten-free (GF) or/and dairy-free (DF) to cater to your needs.

For those just wanting a drink, how about some beer nitrobrew coffee? Yeap,  you read that right. This is the nitrogen-charged-coffee, being dispensed right out of a beer tap yo!

The result? Smooth, full-bodied coffee, infused with apple (granny smith and royal gala), strawberry and Tahitian vanilla bean, complete with a layer of creamy, foamy head. It's also naturally sweetened, so there's no need for sugar.

Oh, it was surprisingly refreshing! I'd have a nitrobrew coffee over beer, anytime. ;)

I'll be honest and say we were not entirely sure of what to expect upon receiving the invitation for a tasting, but at the end of the evening, we were blown away by Jesse's passion for gelato and his take on the innovative and creative flavours that Dex2Rose has to offer.

Pictured sourced from Dex2Rose's Facebook page

They've got a great team there; Jesse and his team are really friendly and always served with a smile. I love that Jesse is very open to suggestions and feedback, which to me, is the best way forward.

Dex2Rose is open everyday, from 12pm daily until late. If you're not sure of where to go after dinner on a Friday night, or if you need a chill out place during the weekend, and craving a little treat, pop in to Dex2rose to have some nitrobrew coffee and gelato.

Just like we did, several weeks after the tasting, when I learnt that Dex2Rose introduced a new menu. A couple of the flavours intrigued me so The Boyfriend and I returned again, this time on our own dollar.

This is the modified version of Peanut Butter Capp as I opted to have mine without freshly whipped cream. It's a cappuccino gelato, with smashed Reese mini peanut butter cups, drizzled with chocolate sauce.

I had hoped for the espresso flavour to stand out a little more, but the peanut butteryness was quite overpowering. Still delicious though!

The Original Mr. Grey sits in the background; Earl Grey tea and Italian hazelnut gelato, with bits and pieces of hazelnut churned through. The Boyfriend really enjoyed it, and I bet you would too, if you like earl grey and hazelnut, as they make a great pair.

Again, we loved how smooth and creamy the gelati were! You will definitely find us at Dex2Rose again, and again. ;)

Disclaimer: The Boyfriend and I were invited for a tasting, but returned again last week on our own dollar.

Fat Friday #3 - Yebisu & Yochi

TGIF! I'm back again with yet another Fat Friday post for you. ;)

Today I am sharing with you one of my absolute new go-to-place for when I've got no leftovers to pack to work for lunch.

*jeng jeng jeng*

I hereby introduce to you, Yebisu, a small Jap eatery on Carlisle Street with only 6 seats cramped together.

I could not wait to share this little Balaclava gem that I found, but I made sure I visited a couple of times to try more items off the menu before I did. Actually that's just an excuse. :P

I just simply love this place. In fact, I was quite ecstatic when Shell and I first discovered Yebisu.

They have a simple menu, but everything that we've tried thus far has been pretty amazing! Having just returned from Japan a few months ago, I am glad to report that Yebisu offers good authentic Jap food.

This was one of the most authentic chicken katsu don I've had in Melbourne in my 8 years I've been here. This donburi was not only hearty and filling, it was also very tasty.

Such a comforting dish with every mouthful a delight. That's how Japanese food is meant to be - leave you walking away satisfied.

Shell has never had katsu don before, so I offered her a bite of mine. I think it blew her mind away, because the next time we returned, she ordered this and finished it all up with a big smile.

I also loved the crumbed prawn sushi - it was so good. The sushi is made fresh to order on the spot, and served with the prawn still warm. Absolutely DIVINE. Shell actually ordered this two times in a row, over two weeks. That's how good it was. ;)

I found myself back again at Yebisu on another occasion, and tried the Kitsune Udon. It was so comforting and was what I really needed that arvo as I wasn't feeling too well. I loved the great umami taste of the broth and the smooth udon noodles which I happily slurped away.

As for the days when I am super duper hungry, I opt for the Bento Box with my usual choice of beef teriyaki.

The beef was tender, and reminds me very much of the amazing beef yakiniku bowl that I had at Yoshinoya in Japan.

The Bento Box also comes served with a handful of edamame, salad, tofu, gyoza, croquette, tamago, a piece of karaage chicken and crumbed fried prawn. Everything was delish and filled me up so well.

What can I say about Yebisu? Reasonably priced tasty and fresh food, paired with friendly service, I cannot recommend Yebisu enough.

Definitely give Yebisu a go if you're around the area and you'll find yourself returning again and again. At least Shell and I will. ;)

And with Yochi just sitting right across to Yebisu, it is really hard to just go by without popping in for a treat! So more often than not, I find myself at Yochi pumping away at those machines.

My favourite combo? A mix of salted peanut butter and salted butterscotch froyo, topped with crumble and caramelised banana. So satisfyingly good! Perfect way to wrap up Friday lunch! ;)

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I hope you're all having a fantastic Friday afternoon. Have a good weekend ahead and I hope you guys have got something fun planned!

As for me, I'm off to see award-winning Once the musical courtesy of Nuffnang - my first time to a musical wheeeee! :D

Green Tea Frozen Yogurt - slurps!

The Melbourne heatwave is killing me. I am not that fortunate to have an air-cond installed in my apartment, so I either have to make do with a fan or the portable unit that sometimes leaks water. :/

I have been trying to watch what I put into my mouth, but with this mad weather, I can't help but crave for something cold, refreshing and most importantly YUMMY!

I have managed to convert the Boyfriend (who once upon a time hated yogurt) into a frozen yogurt or as I call it, froyo addict! :P A green tea froyo addict, to be precise. Hehe.

We have made several visits to Cacao Green to find that the green tea froyo is not available. That's 4 different branches over the weekend! :(

Undefeated *cracks knuckles* we decided to put my amazing Christmas gift to good use. ;) 

Did I tell you how lucky I was? The Boyfriend got me this new Breville Scraper Mixer Pro for Christmas last year because he reckons I should get over my cheap Aldi mixer that keeps breaking down.

I have been using cheap $15-20 mixers over the past 6 years, and have never thought of buying a good proper one. Deep inside, I tell myself, "That's me saving moolah for my pink KitchenAid!"

But with my new Breville planetary mixer, I don't think I'll ever turn back again. It mixes the ingredients SO well, my cake batter has been turning out much smoother too! Plus, there's no need to stop and scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Saves me heaps of time! :)

And we were very lucky to have bought the mixer when Breville was running a promotion where we received $50 cash back and a FREE Breville Freeze & Mix set thrown in for us too!

So yes, we decided to make green tea frozen yogurt to satisfy our cravings, and oh boy, it was a great success, if I may say so myself! ;)

Both the Boyfriend and Brudder gave me the thumbs up! YAY! YAY! YAY! :D Just look at that. It was perfect to alleviate oneself from the crazy weather.

And here's what you've been waiting for, the Green Tea Frozen Yogurt recipe - good luck! It's so easy you'll be amazed. :)

Ingredients

• 1kg (entire tub) of Greek natural yogurt
• 2 tablespon of matcha green tea powder
• 1 cup of sugar

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for approximately 2 hours until thoroughly chilled.
2. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions - using my Breville Freeze & Mix set for example, I set the mixer to Folding/Kneading setting, then slowly pour the chilled yogurt mixture into the bowl.
3. Churn the mixture for approximately 15-20 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. I stopped mine at 18 minutes and freezed the mixture for another hour.

And if you like, get some honey roasted macadamia nuts from Coles/Woolies to save time. As I was too lazy to walk out in the scorching sun, I roasted some natural macadamia nuts that I have in my pantry using the recipe below.

Honey Roasted Macadamia

• 200g raw macadamia nuts
• 30g butter
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup raw sugar or castor sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. 
2. Melt butter in saucepan on low heat then add macadamia nuts and stir until they're all coated thoroughly.
3. Drizzle the honey and mix well. 
4. Stir in the vanilla extract then remove saucepan off stove.
5. Now, pour the peanuts out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them into an even layer.
6. Bake the peanuts for a total of 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent burning. Make sure you keep an eye on them, or they'll burn - remove from oven once the nuts have turned golden brown.
7. After 2-3 minutes, sprinkle the sugar and give it a good stir. As they cool at room temperature, stir occasionally, to break up any big clumps.
8. Once the peanuts have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container or plastic bag and store them at room temperature.

If you're on a diet, let me warn you not to attempt the above recipe. Trust me, it is sooooooooooooooooooooooo good, you can barely help yourself! Well, I know I couldn't! ;)