Breizoz French Creperie, Fitzroy MELB

I have a tendency to favour French desserts such as creme brulee, macarons and to a lesser degree, crepes. The best crepe I had was at Mont St.Michel amidst the swarm of tourists hovering around us as we wolf down our snack. Standing outside the busy restaurant, we sank our teeth into a flavourful piece of warm crepe that is light and fragrant on the palate. No extra toppings required except for a small drizzle of syrup over it, lending a touch of sweetness.

Fast forward, I have since then discovered a few cafes serving this yummy French dessert and recently became acquainted to another place that would probably be one of my places to go to when I am in the area.

We had their homemade praline ice cream which was packed full of the mild praline aroma and was not overly sweet nor bland. Highly recommend trying this out:)

Beurre caramel with mango ice cream - simplicity at it's best. The French sure do know how to utilize butter and this was a perfect example of that. Again, not overly sweet and had a lovely buttery aroma to it.

Praline and cointreau - flambee is the name of the game for a selected few types of crepes. Pick a favourite and behold, a mini flame party dancing on your crepe, which would eventually disappear, of course. Pretty yummy too although my favourite would still be the beurre caramel :p

Cumulus Inc, CBD MELB

Rejoice, for I finally get to dine here after hearing so much rave about it from friends. Minus having to wait for about an hour for a table and the fact that the bar area is fully occupied so no drinks or nibbles booo....

Cumulus Inc encourages the sharing plates concept whereby an assortment of small to medium sized dishes are ordered and placed in the middle of the table for sharing. Certainly an excellent way of trying out more dishes without having to compensate on tummy space.

I have always been a fan of eating bread with butter and found these two ingredients to be extremely addictive here. Butter was very creamy and one could easily get carried away with the amount lashed onto each piece of bread. The bunch of us had at least two rounds before we put the brakes on, in anticipation of our entrees and mains.

Tuna tartare with crushed green pea salad - a delicious plate of freshly sliced tuna tartare, albeit small in terms of size.

Burrata, fermented cabbage, bottarga and chilli - creamy and fresh, blending perfectly well with the accompanying ingredients. This was served with thinly sliced toasted bread.

Couldn't recall the name of this dish but fondly remembered it as akin to honey smoked ham. Love how the ham's sweetness goes well with the contrasting acidic flavours from the pickles.

Ricotta dumplings, pumpkin and pine nuts - one of my favourite dishes of the night. The mild ricotta flavour compliments the tiny shreds of pumpkin and pine nuts. Am always a big fan of dishes that showcases a produce's sweetness naturally and this was one of them. The flavour combination from the currants, pumpkin, pine nuts and ricotta was indeed a memorable one and something that I can see myself going back again time after time.

Whole slow roasted lamb shoulder - the sister and were game enough to order this for sharing between the two of us. The lamb had been slow roasted for a good 45 minutes which saw each strand of meat sliding off the bone quite easily. A bit of resistance in some areas that did not have as much fat content but still a pleasant meal nonetheless. Walked away with a small takeaway container of it and that was enough both our lunches!

Poached ocean trout, avocado, sorrel, broad bean and crabs - a simple dish done right. For the healthy diners out there.

This plate of pickles was served with the lamb although we didn't really use it at all. Yes, the lamb that good, if you are willing to wait for it ;)

 

Roule Galette, Carnegie MELB

After having some drool-worthy crepes whilst in France, I no longer crave for it upon returning to Melbourne. Crepes are one of those food items that most people can easily reproduce but whether it stands out from being a plain thin piece of pancake is another story.

We stumbled upon this place by chance and was lured in by the promising scent of warm butter travelling onto the pedestrian walk. The restaurant can comfortably sit around 20 to 30 diners and yes, there are savoury food options available if sweet crepes don't click your senses.

Crepe suzette - to me, crepes are best enjoyed uninterrupted and uncomplicated. The first bite allows one to appreciate the subtle, buttery flavour of the warmed crepe and the second bite enables one to fully engage your senses with the marriage between the crepe and other ingredients. I have always been a fan of citrus and loved how the grand marnier brought on a fragrant aftertaste once the buttery aroma has subsided.

The tiger - salted caramel, chocolate and almonds. Salted caramel is religiously churned out from the kitchen every morning and probably one of the best ones I have tasted so far. Am not a far of uber rich and sickeningly sweet types and found this light enough to my liking. Almonds had a lovely roasted aroma and the addition of chocolate tied the caramel and almonds together well.

Bon appetit!

Europe: St.Emilion & Cognac FRANCE

An early morning departure from Bordeaux towards St.Emilion saw us catching glimpses of vineyards scattered around the valley with the sunlight as its backdrop. The cool weather enabled us to wander around the town as we attempt to peek over the valley for a couple of scenic shots.

Did not linger around for a long time and as it was still early, there were only a handful of shops opened, mostly cafes and the occasional wine shop. One of my tour mates had been rudely brushed off by a wine shopkeeper for no apparent reason but was given the royal treatment at another shop - to which, he took the opportunity to flash his purchases at the first shop and loudly exclaimed it in fluent French. Well done.

After St.Emilion, we headed to Cognac, clearly known for its cognac, spirit matured in oak barrels and double distilled to perfection. But first, lunch. The sister and I were craving for something fancy but not over the top and settled for a cozy restaurant located at the intersection of the main street.

Staff at Le Coq D'Or Brasserie were polite and attentive. Food arrived in good timing and at this stage of our trip, the sister and I begun to appreciate a mellow moment whilst we dine. Duck confit was topnotch and highly recommended in my opinion. Juicy and crisp at the same time, drenched in a generous serve of sauce. Also equally obsessed about that potato dauphinoise - creamy goodness at its finest.

Creme brulee - what's a visit to France without indulging in this rich, vanilla infused custard? Creamy, smooth textured with the right amount of sweetness.

And so, we begun our lessons in cognac at Baron Otard. Strategically selected location by its founder, Baron Otard, for its brilliant properties for ageing cognac, for hosting functions and once served as a place for soldiers to recuperate during the war.

Tasted quite a few varieties which were all different and unique to the particular blend that it originated from. As cognac has a higher alcohol content as compared to the milder types of alcohol that I am accustomed to, I was getting a wee bit tipsy at this stage. Still functioning mentally, not so much physically although manageable.

Fabrique des Veritables Macarons - ask me for the English translation of this shop's name last year and I would be able to tell you. My French had gone down the drain from lack of practice. When in St.Emilion, do give these macaroons a try.

They are much more rustic in presentation as compared to the Parisian macarons but still delicious nonetheless, especially when its sandwiching a thick spread of chocolate. Not as sugary sweet and probably a mix between a macaron and biscuit. Wouldn't mind getting another one, especially when this one was made in the morning:)

My entire French expedition is filled with colourful macarons. What more can I ask for:)

If you have read my previous entry about Bordeaux, you may note that I was disappointed at not being able to try a canele there and then. Grabbed one at St.Emilion instead but still not sure what  does the real deal taste like. A "to be continued" saga.

Europe: Around Bordeaux, FRANCE

One of my travelling regrets would be to not spend enough time exploring a place before I move on to other areas. I would love to retell amazing stories filled of myself being joyfully intoxicated by one of Bordeaux's wine. However, we only arrived late in the evening which meant that just about every place was getting ready to shut their doors:(

So no wine tasting for us. I was hopeful that we would be able to just make it in time to pop into Baillardran , a franchise known for caneles aka petite pastries that have a custard/sponge texture, encrusted by a caramelized exterior. Ah perhaps we shall meet again, Bordeaux.

Boeuf - we headed to Bistro Regent and decided on a pretty basic set meal which had your choice of protein, a serve of salad and a bowl of french fries. No caneles for me but I did tick off another curious item which was beef tartare. This is raw beef, freshly prepared prior to serving and comes with limited seasoning aside from a few added capers. Not bad at all!

Europe: Beaune diary FRANCE

Wine capital of Burgundy, Beaune is an ancient medieval town that is not overly buzzing like other cities such as Paris or Bordeaux. We strolled around the town for a good hour, inhaling as much as possible.

Quiche - a savoury shortcrust pastry filled with bacon.

Paris Brest - choux pastry enveloping a layer of cream and given a good dusting of icing sugar to sweeten up the deal.

Kouign amann - croissant like pastry with a lovely sugary caramelization around it.

Europe: La Grange, Lyon FRANCE

Updates on my trip to Europe has been delayed by a year due to numerous unforeseen circumstances and trust me when I say that I am trying to pick up the pace again. So bear with me while I traverse from jotting down Asian travel notes to gushing about my European espionage.

Lyon was on our day 3 plan to which, we arrived late afternoon and after checking into our hotel rooms, we made our way around Lyon's old town in search for traboules - a very interesting experience and one which I will have more detail on the blog soon.

Aside from Paris, Lyon was second on my foodie map because of its famed reputation as a gastronomical town. Truth be told, how many of us have heard of Lyonnaise cuisine? I, for one, am not aware of this until I started planning my trip.

After fumbling around the old town for an hour, we decided to grab a bite before it gets too late. There are a couple of streets near the river which are fully operated by restaurants and cafes (addressed as bouchons in France) should you require a break.

I love bread as much as the French and get excited with the constant top up of bread whenever we are down to the last piece. What better way to reward ourselves than a refreshing, chilled rose?

Salade Lyonnaise ~ for 20euros, the sister decided on a 3 course meal which includes your choice of appetizer, main and a dessert. This is a classic salad that has bits of bacon, croutons, crisp lettuce leaves and topped with a poached egg.

Quenelles lyonnaises ~ Lyon's favourite fish dumpling, served with a cheesy sauce and a small serve of rice. This was a piping hot main and one that you should not rush to finish..just like everything else in France;)

I would like to describe this dish as a piggy garden - cured meat in the form of salami and ham, served with a bowl of cheesy goodness that is, yes, filled with bits of chopped bacon. Oh my goodness me, this was a very hearty meal!

Tart au citron aka lemon tart ~ crust was a tad broken but aside from that, it did fulfill my sweet tooth craving:9