J-Pub Shogun is fun!
J-Pub Shogun is a Japanese pub, filled with lots of noise
Udon noodles, vegies galore, calling all girls and boys
Lots of laughter, lots of fun
That’s what they say makes J-Pub Shogun!
Sweet, sweet tofu in your tummy
J-Pub Shogun’s food is so yummy
Had a day of especially hard work, want to do no more
The answer is, go to J-Pub Shogun and try some vegies galore
Lots of laughter, lots of fun
That is what they say makes J-Pub Shogun
Slippery, slippery udon in your tummy
J-Pub Shogun’s food is so yummy
I am full, really full, I’ve now had my meal
Would you like to go to J-Pub Shogun? Yes, then it’s a deal
Lots of laughter, lots of fun
That was they say makes J-Pub Shogun
Happiness, happiness in your tummy
Shogun’s food is so yummy!
J-Pub Shogun
Shop 3, 233 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
03 9663 3996
http://www.jpubshogun.com/
Mamasita
It was a warm night, and we were excited about trying out the new restaurant in Collins Street – Mamasita. It is a new Mexican restaurant and were we curious about the great food we’d heard about. As we entered, I saw a large staircase leading up to lots of fun noise and strangely exciting aromas. When we got to the top of the stairs, we made ourselves comfortable. It was just past 6pm and the place was almost full! I looked at the menu and this is what we ordered:
Quesadilla
Quesadilla is a unique Mexican meal, this one packed full with mushrooms and truffle. The light brown mushrooms are juicy and squelchy, and are soft and silky. The truffle adds lots of flavour and goes very well with the mushrooms.
Tosdatos
The crunchy tosdatos were topped with beans and have a real spice to them, smothered with chilli and tomato. They were really delicious an went down well! Keep in mind to have some water beside you when you have this meal.
Soft tacos
These were delicious and were stuffed with black beans and cactus! Lots of flavour and could be ordered as one taco or three. We loved these.
Bowl of frijole (free-ole!)
Beans again! This tie though, it is very spicy. Steam pours out of your ears! You have to enjoy it though because it is really tasty. It was enough for three of us and we all agree this dish is fit for a King (and Queen!).
Quinoa Salad
Quinoa Salad features fresh green spinach with yummy golden corn. I call it ’sweet and sour salad’ since spinach is sour and corn is sweet. The spinach is crispy crunchy and the corn is juicy and as sweet as honey.
Potatoes
We also had roasted potatoes with red capsicum. Perfect with the salad and frijole.
Bonus! Chef’s Special Salsa
Salsa is a very spicy chunky sauce. It comes in red and green and warms your body up. We served it next to our other dishes.
Note: this is not a usual tex-mex restaurant. No big Mexican hats!
Mamasita
Level 1, 11 Collins St
Melbourne Victoria 3000
+61 3 9650 3821
http://www.mamasita.com.au/
L’espresso in Ballarat
People bustling in and out
Waiters twirling round-about
No sadness with no pout
That’s what L’espresso is all about!
Steam swirling out of cups
The menu is perfect, it could make you a guts
All enjoying the wondrous meal
We will go to L’espresso, it’s a deal!
Pesto pasta, crusty bread
Every possible food filling my head
Here’s a platter full of treats
Sit back and relax on your seats
Olives, dip, crunchy rocket
Eye balls popping out of my eye-sockets!
Crunch, munch, crunch, munch
Spinach risotto for my lunch
Sanpelligrino, nice and fizzy
Drinking calmly while everyone else is busy
Different types of pasta
L’espresso is the master!
Lots of drinks, make my heart tink
Brownie, chocolate, berries
Chocolate brownie with cherries!
Tummy bulging and very satisfied
My hunger I shall never hide
Risotto with mint, I’ll give you a hint
But my stomach must not bide
Hope back in the car, ready for a ride
L’espresso and I, I will not lie
Are sitting side by side
I love L’espresso (and so does my tummy!)
L’espresso
417 Sturt Street
Ballarat Victoria
http://www.ballarat.com/lespresso.htm
03 5333 1789
They have great music for sale too!
Farm to Pub!
It was one hot day at the Farm (just out of Willaura in country Victoria), and the crowd was sweaty and thirsty. We were filling our water bottles and waiting for the bike and running race to start.
The sun shone down on the dusty track, 16 kilometres to the pub. We all lined up at the start, determined to win.
As we travelled through the deserted land, I noticed white and deep sand up ahead. Worst of all, we were going up a hill! Luckily we had a strong tailwind. I pushed up the last hill, then came to the lovely, gorgeous halfway point. But we didn’t stop for a drink. Oh no!
We’d travelled far over the countryside, and just when we’d had enough, we caught sight of a black, smooth road. Yay! I whizzed up without any trouble at all.
We got to the pub and we were given a free showbag and was offered a raspberry sodastream. This was the life!
I found Mum doing some photography and spotted Dad who had been running the 16 kilometres. I took one deep breath and run with him to the very end.
The Farm to Pub was originally created by two brothers in 2003, who challenged each other to who was the fastest to run to the pub. From 2003 to 2010 the Joyce family have led runners and bike riders to heaven.
Thank you to the Joyce Family – I love the Farm to Pub!
www.farmtopub.org
The proceeds of the race go to Beyond Blue.
Izakaya Den
Arriving
Izakaya Den provides a lovely couch to sit, with food, drinks and white cloths to wipe your hands on if you need to wait for your table.
If you’re thirsty, they will hand you a scroll that holds the list of drinks. They also have corn fritters and potato balls with wasabi cream for snacks. These both have the most exquisite taste, mild and soft.
Interior
The whole place is underground, so you can see pipes sticking out in the long, long corridor that leads to the eating area. The tables are lined up equally along the wall so you can see the chefs cooking, a ball of fire in the saucepan. It’s all so busy, cleaning, cooking and chopping.
Food – A Izakaya Menu (the vegetarian stuff)
Corn fritter – a crispy, crunchy treat, crumbles in your mouth
Potato balls – a squishy round little ball of happiness! Wasabi cream very mild and friendly
Mushrooms – bursting with different types of mushrooms, satisfying and energy filled
Daikon salad – juicy and delightful, gives you a sackful of pep
Greens and beancurd – green vege all sorts with bean curd – yum!
Five grain rice – perfect, with a slight crunch
Dessert
Was a green tea fondue with white chocolate. Warmed with a candle, green tea dumplings stuffs with macadamias. Green, sweet soup for dumplings.
I absolutely love your food Izakaya Den! Especially the dessert. Big thumbs up to Izakaya Den!
Love Orla
Izakaya Den
114 Russell Street (in the Basement)
Melbourne Victoria 3000
03 9654 2977
http://www.izakayaden.com.au/
Chinatown – New Years Day, Year of the Tiger!
Jingling trinkets
Bustling people
The snappy new day is here!
Lanterns swinging, covered with wishes and luck charms
Smells floating from restaurants,
and dragons of red and gold stride down the street
A parade of cymbals and drums march,
and small children gape at the sharp Chinese weapons
A gentleman dances down the street,
his clothes flopping, and his painted demon mask glints in the sunshine
The dragons are dancing quicker now,
the dancers are just a blur, swirling and twirling and dancing and prancing ….
oh my! Red, gold and black, the sound of drums, ringing through my ears then …
POP! POP! Firecrackers go off!
They smell of over salted chips!
Firecrackers, dragons, dancers, drums are all a blur, faster and faster and faster!
The suddenly everything stopped.
The dancers stopped blurring and the music faded away.
Everyone wiped their brows and moved along
I sat there for a while,
trying to figure out what had just happened
The first crackers had blown to smithereens,
and there was still some smoke,
now it was wafting away.
I put up my special Chinese umbrella and thought,
“That was a pretty full on event”
Battle of the porridge
I have two different types of porridge in front of me. Time is running out. I have to choose which one is the best! There is the orange marmalade porridge on the right, suggested by my Great Grandma Goldy. It is truly delicious. Recommended on Big V, this one is certainly a star. BUT, there is also a blackberry, maple syrup and almond meal porridge made by Mum. Blackberry vs Marmalade! Which one is best? Only one way to find out. I take a spoonful of marmalade and blackberry porridge at the same time! And the winner is …. both of them! I can’t choose. It is a draw!
I’ll be reviewing some more breakfasts soon … perfect for school days!
Totoro (toe-tor-o!) by Studio Ghibli
This animation is done by a group called Studio Ghibli who have done many other films like Ponyo, The Cat Returns and Kiki’s Delivery Service. Hand drawn, these films are actually quiet amazing. They always have morals.
A Totoro is a Japanese troll that lurks in the natural forests of Japan – the seventh wonder of Tokyo. As a forest guardian he can only been seen by children.
Some of Totoro’s friends are the dust bunnies. They breed in dark, old houses and leave soot on your hands and feet. When someone moves into the dust bunnies house, they move away quickly. Another friend is the Cat Bus who carries Totoro (and sometimes the children). The Cat Bus has a huge grin that stretches from side to side.
Ode to Totoro
Totoro! Totoro!
Big furry troll
Small little dustbunnies
That live in little dusty holes
Totoro! Totoro!
Furry furry Cat Bus
No one can see them bus us!
Totoro! Totoro!
Two small little trolls
Guardian of the forest
And of children’s souls
So if you want to find out more about Totoro, then sit down with a taste ramune (Japanese fizzy drink) and watch Totoro!
Cool Geelong #1 Seedy lushness
Do you love seedy bread? Then La Madre Bakery is the place for you! Bread covered in all types of different seeds, and it is often still warm when you buy it from the baker.
We usually have ours buttered with soup. In the mornings, at breakfast time, you might enjoy this seedy bread jammed, buttered, vegemited, marmaladed with extra plum jam. Bread to give you some pep! Another good way to have this bread is fresh with wild honey.
To buy this lovely bread, we often ride five kilometres there beside an old train track. When you arrive you can sit down on a little seat and eat your treats. It is a quiet and peaceful street so you can eat without any interruptions. Enjoy!
Big V 2010 Food Award #1 - Pfeffernusse at La Madre Bakery
Pfeffernusse is a traditional German and Dutch biscuit that has pepper in it. Don’t worry, the pepper isn’t that strong, because of the crumbly sweet dough it is made out of. It is also topped in white sweet icing sugar – this helps to dull the pepper flavour.
The biscuit is hard to bite into at first, so you have to crunch into it to get to the soft part. At La Madre you get 8 biscuits in the packet, so when we get back from our ride we save some for Dad.
Out of all the biscuits I’ve tried, this is the best! So, it wins the first Big V Food Award for 2010! Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
La Madre Bakery
18 Milton Street
Bell Park 3215
http://www.lamadre.com.au/
If you visit later in the afternoons or the weekends, often the bakers serve you!
You can also spot their bread and treats around Melbourne