Wince's Faves: Kaprica, Carlton

Is that not one of the most beautiful sights you've ever seen at an Italian restaurant?

It was during our exams, my friends and I were studying at uni but decided to head over to what has now become my FAVOURITE pizza place in Melbourne for lunch, just a skip and a hop away from Melbourne Uni.

We chose to sat down in front of the pizza making station, so we could catch all the action.

And before I knew it, I was confronted by a question that never fails to turn me sheepish to me very core...

"Are you a Food Blogger?"

... asks the man behind the pizza counter.

"Uhhh, yeah I kinda am... But a friendly one...?!"

A lot of people may not know this, but for some reason, I still find it very hard to settle into this "identity" of being a "Food Blogger" even after all this time. First, I found people to have lots of preconceived notions about food bloggers.

Another main reason I feel uneasy for having a "title" like that is it makes it sound so official, formal and professional. Almost like a job. Whereas, I see myself more as someone who simply enjoys food and loves to share my experience with others. Sure there are other stuff like site traffic, page rank, invites, freebies, sponsorship, etc etc... But those things really don't concern me much at this point... Maybe I'm just lazy. Meh

Plus, I just DON'T want people to feel different around me because I am a "Food Blogger", whether it's the chef/waiters at the restaurant, or even friends in real life. I'm just........ Winston, your everyday guy.

We continued talking with the owner throughout our meal, who was actually the man making the pizzas at the counter. All day, everyday. Nicest and most humble person I've ever met at a restaurant. Being only 6 weeks old at the time, Pietro shared about the inspirations he drew from the street foods of Italy; and how he wants this place to be the simple and homey space for people to enjoy really good pizza. 

Pietro was later even more interested in our background when we told him we were from Malaysia because he says he's always wanted to take his wife and 2 young kids to Pulau Langkawi for a holiday. And maybe, just maybe, he might be so lucky as to open his own little Italian restaurant in Malaysia one day. I told him that when he does, he's got nothing but my FULL support. And told him to let me know if there's any way I could help.

A true gentleman, he is... And one can't deny his real passion for sharing true, authentic and delicious Italian pizzas with the everyday person. Love it.

This is what it looks like from the outside...

Pretty easy to walk past, am I right....?! Who would've thunk it...?!

Being non-existent on the interwebz prior to this (since it's so so new), I only found out about this from word of mouth from my friends that walked past this one day!

Walking in you are greeted by the sight of people, happily enjoying their lunch in a room with high ceilings, abundance of natural light and rustic interior. 

Nice buzz and chatter filled the room but wasn't loud due to the good acoustics and high ceilings

They even had books for kids to draw too...

Liked that.

 Salami Calypso -- $13

Tomato, mozz, pesto, hot salami

(taken with iPhone)

This was from my first visit to Kaprica and I loved it so much I thought I'd share it too. The hot salami, set against the gooey cheese and tomato with little hints of pesto was utterly DELICIOUS. Great combo, I would order this again.

Puttanesca - $13

Tomato, mozz, olives, anchovies, capers, chilli, cherry tomatoes

The anchovies were my favourite part about this. It was fresh and not salty and just moorish to eat. But, I also liked how my other friends liked this pizza for the other ingredients more, such as the chilli, cherry tomatoes, etc. 

Prosciutto - $13

Tomato, prosciutto, rocket, parmesan

Oh man these were great too. The prosciutto had a slightly chewier bite after being baked. Contrasted against the sharpness of the rocket and parmesan, was so delicious. What's not to like?

Salmone - $13

Tomato, mascaporne, onion, smoked salmon, fish roe

All the pizzas were really good... But this Salmone pizza has got to be my fave!!!

I mean, wouldja just look at that?

What I LOVE about this is how every single ingredient found its place, if that makes any sense. The salmon and fish roe were a natural fit. The mascaporne with its soft creaminess were a better substitue for cheese to go with the salmon. And the slices of red onions and parsley, again, just complemented the salmon so damn well.

I don't know if this may work for other people, but I seriously loved every bite!! This combo is an absolute WINNER to me.

Lemon Tart - $5

The curd was great. It was so light that it disappears in your mouth almost in an instant, leaving only its fresh, tangy flavour. Different from most jam or custard like curds...

Chocolate Tart - $5

Most people know that I'm not really a fan of chocolate (*GASP*!!) but I really enjoyed this. It was dark chocolate but not bitter and leaves you wanting more. Less rich from being well balanced with the right amount of cream. Good.


Final Thoughts:

What I like most about the pizzas here is that the tomato base is fantastic and the pizzas are really crisp. Not just crisp around the crust, but also the BASE (which is very rare for most woodfire pizzas these days, IMO!). I mean, you can tell from the photos of me holding up the pizza that the base had a crunch and held the ingredients really well. This was a huge plus for me. Only exception was prolly the Puttanesca, slightly soggier compared to the other 3 but I'm guessing it was from the weight of the ingredients. And of course, the ingredients and flavours of the pizza toppings. Like+++. Favourite is prolly the Salmone and Hot Salami.

Pizzas at Kaprica have easily become my FAVOURITE in Melbourne now for a number of reasons:
- crisp pizza base
- great flavour combos
- PRICE (only $13 compared to DOC's $25+ pizzas)
- location (right next to Swanston St and near Melb Uni)
- ambience
- downright good, honest pizzas

I hate to say this, but this place really made me rethink why I've paid so much more for pizzas that were not as good at places like DOC or the other pizzerias around Melbourne. I just love how affordable this place is, especially for students, without compromising on flavour. 

For future reference, Kaprica is open everyday, 8am-10pm; except for Mondays when it's 8am-4pm. 

Been here twice already and definitely look forward to coming back to bring new people to try. And also for the Strawberry and Ricotta Tart that Pietro keeps talking about. GOTS TA TRY DAAAAAT!

Eat Drink Blog 2012 Conference -- Day 2

Here goes Part 2 of my uber belated coverage of the Eat Drink Blog conference! It's only a snapshot but I hope you enjoy =)

Started off with a huge array of yummy baked treats from Red Door Bakery

There really was sooo much food to choose from. I heart food choices! 

Oh and guess what, the peeps from Breville also had barristas there all day at the conference. This coffee was a lifesaver that early in the morning and tasted great too. Lucky us! =)

Then, we got to hear the world famous food writing coach, Dianne Jacob, share about Food Blogging/Writing, how much it's progressed over the years and some really great tips for all of us. 

Having her fly all the way from the States was a huge honour for us

Next, Peter (of Souvlaki for the Soul) gave a workshop on conducting Food Photography at home. An area that I've been meaning to work on a lot more for a while

This was followed by a Food Styling exercise, another skill (or patience) that I feel I lack so it was really good to watch the process come together!

The final outcome. Loved how they turned a plain, simple lemon tart look as elegant as this. BEAUTIFUL!

Next, we had lunch at the Central Food Market prepared by the vendors

Oh man this paella was a feast for the eyes and mouth. Such an abundance of fresh, local seafood. Flavours were perfect. We're so lucky =)

So much great food to choose from at lunch, but these ham by O'Connell's Meats were hands down the biggest highlight for me!! Super pink, moist and soft it was seriously delicious. 

I'm missing this so much already, darn it! Some really fine ham right there

As you can see, I looked like someone who's piling up their plate with food like there's no tomorrow. I apologise, I might've gotten a tad overexcited. There's just so much awesome choices there that day I wanted them all ;p

Liquid nitrogen and chocolate fountain... "Oooooh.... Aaaaahhh...."

After that awesome lunch, Geoff Kwitko gave a funny, engaging but really useful presentation on SEO, Google Ranking/Metrics. We all loved his presentation! What a joker. Really appreciated all the tips he gave

And before we knew it, it was time for afternoon tea already. Check out the treats! 

After that, we had an interesting session with Tammi Jonas and Simon Bryant on Ethical eating, a topic that I must be frank barely even crossed my mind until that day. They opened up a really fascinating conversation and it was great to hear everyone's views on it and how it's also taught me a lot about being aware of the subject

Finally, the day ended with a panel discussion with Sandra, Helen and Peter on Opportunities from Blogging

Let's just say I've got great respect for each of them and must thank them for paving the way for all of us in the community

Here I am with the rest of the Melbourne food bloggers (Ash, Daisy, Bryan, me, Amy)

Was really great to be with you guys at the conference. You guys rock! =))

And special mention to the seriously awesomeee Nic (of Dining with a Stud) and Theresa (of The Gook)!!!

Oh man, had the BEST time with these two at the conference and made the whole event so much more fun. Memories!

(P.s. Holla to my fellow badasses at the table at the back LOL!)

Another person I was especially happy to finally get to meet was Shez (of One Bite More). Such a beautiful person, both inside and out. 

The crew at the Barossa Valley tour the day before. Fun time was had. Though, I think my teeth was stained purple from all the wine! LOL

Photo creds to Natasha (of Playing House)

Daisy, Bryan, Ashley and I at dinner at the Hilton the night before

LOVE THIS PHOTO!!! And of course, the people in it too ;)

Photo creds to Simon (of Simon Food Favourites)

And before we knew it the whole conference had finally ended, all too quickly. It was a fantastic 2 days in Adelaide and there were so many highlights for me. The FOOD, the PLACES, the LEARNING and ohhh, the PEOPLE. What an unforgettable weekend it was. Much, much fun was had and you can bet your ass that I'm signing up for the next Eat Drink Blog Conference! =D

Eat Drink Blog 2012 Conference -- Day 1 (in pictures)

The beautiful-ness, stunning-ness, pretty-ness and awesome-ness of South Australia... 

Just got back from the Eat Drink Blog 2012 Conference a few days ago and it was AWESOME!!! I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had from beginning till end. The food we ate showcased the best of what South Australia has to offer (from market vendors, to local bakeries, family businesses, regional restaurants and also hotel dining). And trust me, there was a LOT of good food involved... Not to mention the wine *hic*

Besides that, I learned SO much about many subjects related to Food Blogging (which I'll share in Part 2 of my EDB post) and also made so many new friends in the Food Blogging community. Hollaaaa to all you amazing peeps that I got a chance to hang out with over the weekend! You guys are way too fun for my own good ;p On top of that, the hospitality that each of us received from everyone at South Australia was nothing short of fantastic, seriously... Thank you

While talking to many of the delegates at the conference, we all thought that this conference was honestly very, very well organised. BIG thank you to the co-chairs: Christina, Amanda and their team of volunteers: Celeste, Erin, Alex, Kirsty and Natasha. Am sure it wasn't easy but we hope you know how much we appreciate everything you've done for us and the conference. You guys are the real stars! 

Of course, we must not forget to thank all the amazing people who sponsored the event. For a full list of the sponsors, click: here

Alrightey, here's a snapshot of all the fun from Day 1 of the conference... I didn't get to capture everything in as much as detail as I'd liked, but was just way too busy eating and talking... Whoops... Anyhoo, enjoy! =)

Day started with a tour of the Adelaide Central Market. Great to hear from some really passionate vendors at the market and sample some of their products.

I was telling people that I liked how most of them described their produce like they were talking about their own baby (lol)... You could tell how much they love what they do

DEELICIOUS homemade pasta sauce with polenta from Lucia's

Love that they have a mushroom shop in the market! Why don't we have something like that in Victoria Market? =O

Owner also let us try these black garlics! Very interesting... Sweet and chewy, tasted more like candy actually...

After that, some of us went on a trip to Barossa Valley and first thing we saw was this man and his pug. Not everyone dresses like that in Barossa, though I wish they did...

First stop was at Bibu Barossa, where we got to try so a nice variety of amazing cured meats by Barossa Fine Foods, which I LOVED. Favourite was definitely the tiny, round ones which they call "King Louis the XIV". Everything else on the plate tasted delightful too

And I think it was Mary who had her own special plate, that's different from everyone else's =D

We also had a sampled 12 different wines from Soul Growers and Diggers Bluff. Really amazing stuff!

Round 1...

Round 2, 3 and 4... 

I could drink glass after glass of that Grenache by Soul Growers, but I shan't... Divine! Isn't that right, Amanda?

 

Next, it was off to Hentley Farm for more food and wine.

Btw, how gorgeous was the weather in Adelaide? Right, right....?

That Chef Lachlan Colwill is a real legend. 

He served some really unforgettable food that day (including these mushroom floss things) and I really, really hope I get to come back to Hentley Farm and dine a full degustation at the restaurant one day... 

Was really quite blown away by the food he prepared and it was great hearing from him what he enjoys to cook/eat and his methods/inspirations behind his dishes...

Before we knew it, it was time to have the highly anticipated dinner at the Hilton Adelaide... 

Someone posted a sneak peek of this spit-roasted lamb on Twitter and you could imagine how excited people got on the bus on our way back haha

Also, shoutout to Ashley for being the most elegant hand model ever (lol)! Look at the way she held the glass. Classy, no...?

Pre-dinner entrees of lamb sliders (from the spit) with brioche buns... 

Foahhh... Want x 1000, please

For dinner, the Head Chef Dennis Leslie decided to go put together a scrumptious South American feast, which I LOVED. Food was SO amazing!! Especially the chicken, lamb and beef ribs. 

Huge fan of the grilled corn and Cuban ricetoo. Unfortunately, I was too damn busy eating and enjoying my meal to take photos of all of that... Bah!!

This "family style" of eating is definitely a good way to go. Very homey, passing big platters of food around the table.

Perfect weather to enjoy a rooftop dinner too...

Speech by SA's Minister of Tourism, Gail Gago...

The delicious grilled corn! 

Chef Dennis also graciously shared his recipe for these Grilled Corn with Roasted Garlic Aioli and Parmesan: here

The Chilli Con Carne... Only other food that I took a picture of that night (tskkk, Winston)... Flavours packed a punch and was really spicy too, which was great. Went so well with the Cuban Rice

Finally, do check out this really amazing video of the conference that Simon so selflessly put together

Again, Day 1 of the conference was seriously way too fun. The food was great, and so were the people. Also, SA was seriously the perfect place to host the conference. Do stay tuned for Day 2, which I'll be blogging about in a bit... Cheers!