Eating: Red Shallot

19/01/2015

One lazy night, when we felt like naughty food but our wallets were too slim, we dipped into the Entertainment book and decided on Red Shallot.

The interior is a little threadbare, with an attempt at a modern style. I noticed straight away a great example of design compromising functionality in the bowls they had set up with chopsticks threaded through, (please see above for example). I like things functional yet pretty so seeing this caused an eye twitch.

Since it had been a particularly long week at work, we both felt like being greedy, and decided on fried Basa fillet with coconut sauce to share, with one Pad Thai each.

The fish looked amazing, but was not as great as we had hoped. The Basa fillet had an excellent crunch but the flavour of the fish was spoiled by the overwhelming oil flavour from the batter on the outside. The quality of the fish was questionable as it felt mushy and undercooked right in the centre. It's like the consistency you would get if you didn't completely thaw out your fish before deep frying it. The coconut sauce was made of a generous amount of desiccated coconut, coconut milk and a few bits of chilli. The flavour was not one that improved with time, as the more you ate the more fatty it felt, without anything to help cut through the oil from the outside crumb.

Recently I've been preferring my vegetarian versions of my favourite noodles. Unfortunately this is one of the poorer versions of vegetarian Pad Thai I've experienced. The firm style tofu looked like it was meant to have a crunchy exterior but was gooey, and potentially undercooked. The Pad Thai sauce was tasty but was much too wet, making the noodles soggy.

My better half chose the seafood pad Thai, but half way through stopped eating the prawns. He described them as tasteless, and once again questionably undercooked. Do you notice the same pattern I noticed? Just to be clear we didn't experience any gastroenteritis after this dining experience, but I'm not one to place myself in a situation where there is the potential for illness.

In conclusion:

My one dinner experience at this restaurant was not one I would remember fondly. Other people seemed to have better experiences here, but based on my one night I wouldn't recommend this place to my friends or loved ones. The tastes here are average in the Basa fillet with coconut dish, and the two Pad Thai dishes. The quality of the food is questionable, as the texture is not one I would equate to food cooked to an acceptable eating standard.

Perhaps you might have a better experience here than I had, but it's not an experience I would personally repeat.

Red Shallots
680 Glen Huntly Rd 

Caulfield South, VIC 3162
Ph: 03 9528 4026

Eating: Beletti, Dandenong

24/10/14 
We decided on a whim to dine here once upon an early Saturday dinner. The restaurant is spacious and modern, but unfortunately due to our lack of a booking we were seated next to the entrance. Waiting staff were pleasant but service was a little slow, most likely due to our awkward seating location.

We started with the seafood skewers, served with cherry tomatoes and bocconcini cheese. The fish portions were well cooked, if that's the way you like your fish. I personally prefer it just done, not well done. The flavour was underwhelming, if there was more seasoning or a generous smattering of herbs it would have made it nicer. The prawns were the highlight for me, well seasoned with a good firm texture. The bocconcini did not belong on the dish, a different cheese would have given this dish more life. Overall, it gave the impression of a fresh light entree, which is perfectly fine in itself.

I wasn't too impressed with the Linguini di Mare. Maybe we ate on a night they just weren't performing well. The seafood was overcooked. Morton bay bug had the powdery texture, scallops rubbery. The pasta was overcooked and not the al dente I expect of most restaurants that offer anything pasta. The highlights of this dish was it's generous portion size, and the sauce. The sauce had strong hints of garlic, chilli, and parsley, but there just wasn't enough. The last few bites of linguini drenched in that sauce was delicious though.

We were similarly disappointed in the Beef Wellington. Once again the meat was under seasoned, and there was not enough sauce for the amount of pastry and meat. The pastry itself was thick, and got soggy very quickly. This offering was more like a beef parcel.

In conclusion:
Average Saturday night dinner. If you're in the area and looking for a place to eat food at and if you happen to also have the Entertainment book discount, then it's ok. There are other places who do this type of food in a better manner. Would not go out of my way to eat here. The best dish of the evening was the seafood skewer entree. 

Beletti
161 Lonsdale Street
Dandenong 3175
(03)9793 1600

Eating: Little Tommy Tucker

15/10/2014

Little Tommy Tucker, is a small busy cafe off the main street in Bentleigh. It’s clean simple interior of wood, ceramic tiles, dotted with green plants, creates an inviting haven from which you can recuperate after a tough week. There is a wait but a few stools makes it tolerable.

Let’s just start straight out with a confession. I adore the institution that is brunch, but I own a quirk that I never been able to get rid of. I am distrustful of other people cooking my eggs for me. I’ve just had my egg-motions hurt time and time again by: hard yolks, over baked eggs, water clogged poached forms, to name a few. I would rather cook my own and to endure my own mistakes and messes, I don’t need to pay someone else for the privilege to suffer their ineptitude. But enough of this pontificating! Now you know why I tend to shy away from dishes containing eggs.

I chose the burger. This well constructed delicious handful ticks all the boxes for me. Brioche bun well crafted, and holds together under the onslaught of the juices and contents. The tomato relish is well balanced, not too acidic and a sweet balance to all the beef flavours exuding from the patty.

The beef patty is juicy and generously endowed. The patty is the main star of this dish, which I think should hold true for all burgers. Flavoured with onions, rosemary and thyme. All other elements help to support it, from the cheese, pickles, cos lettuce. Wedges are baked.

I was told the zucchini slice was creamy, going well with the salmon and crispy snow peas. The eggs here at this point in time were cooked perfectly with the yolk having the required slight oozy consistency.

In conclusion:

Excellent brunch place with pleasing decor and prompt service. The food will definitely please with good coffee and chai. Be aware of the wait, considering how good it is, the wait is worth it. If you’re wanting to try a new place, it’s a place I would think about going out of my way to try.

Little Tommy Tucker

432 Centre Road

Bentleigh

(03) 9576 5174