Chiba, Moonee Ponds

Awesome Sashimi Boat!!!

Seriously fantastic soft shell crab roll -- best in town!

Don't you love this full height - 2 storey - glazed entrance? I know I do.

Modern yet sophisticated interior

Agedashi Tofu - $8.50

Fried bean curd served in light soya and ginger sauce topped with bonito flakes

Gyu Niki Maki - $11.00

Beef rolls stuffed with vegetables in a wine & soya sauce

This is amazing -- one of my favourite dishes there! All in the charred goodness and fragrant sauce

Nasu Dengaku - $9.00

Fried eggplant with sweet miso paste

One of the better ones for sure

Chiba Special for 2 - $50.00

Combination of sushi, sashimi and seaweed rice rolls

Portion for 2? More like 4 or 5! This amazing array of sushi was incredible in sight as it was in taste and freshness. Very generous portions and value for money. 

This sashimi boat is always a highlight of our meals here and you can't come here without ordering this! Seriously.

Soft Shel Crab Rolls - $15.00

Soft shell crab in light batter, sushi rice, avocado, soy bean sheet, chilli mayonnaise

Another specialty of Chiba that everyone MUST order when they come! This soft shell crab roll is honestly the best in town. The combination of the ultra crisp crab with the creaminess of the avocado against the spicy mayo is just an absolute winner. 

We loved this so much we ordered 2 because I knew it wasn't going to be enough for 5 of us.

Seafood Bento - $23.50

Japanese meal box served with sashimi, tempura, grilled eel, crumbed oysters, rice and salad

Unadon - $17.00

Grilled eel on rice with sweet soya sauce

Mixed Seasonal Tempura - $25.00

Asparagus, prawns, silver whiting fillets in light batter

Thanks to the kind recommendation of my friend Ivy, I too have now come to know and LOVE Chiba in Moonee Ponds! It's one of those places that's really not that popular amongst the blogosphere or Urbanspoon ranking but if you know me, I tend to go to places via word of mouth from my friends and family than look for places to try on what's trending on Urbanspoon. 

In fact, I've always been so behind on any of the "food trends" in Melbourne. Still haven't been to ANY of the Bao (Bao Now, Wonderbao), Dessert (LuxBite, Burch & Purchese), Hotdog (Snag Stand, Phats Brats), American (Rockwell & Sons, Bowery to Williamsburg) etc etc etc places around town... Not to mention any of the food trucks in Melbourne. I'm sure they're all good, but I really just can't be bothered... Doesn't interest me.

Chiba wasn't what I was expecting at all, especially since I've never heard of it until then. The place was full house both nights that I went and I can see why. Places like these with clean, modern and comfortable interior that serves great authentic Asian foods are always thriving and a huge hit amongst the locals. Which is why they don't need Urbanspoon or blogs to push their business as they're busy as it is already. One of those places that you can tell are filled with returning customers, including myself. 

Overall, the food is really good. Great execution, fresh ingredients and fair pricing. Though the menu is more straightforward compared to other Japanese restaurants that I like (such as Pabu and Komeyui), it's nice to go to a place that serves all the usual favourites as well. They maintain a good standard of quality that it doesn't matter what you order because the food is going to be enjoyable anyway. 

So next time you're thinking of where else to go for your next Japanese meal, think of Chiba. A good group of friends, round of sake, table of food. What more do you need? And make sure you order that sashimi boat and soft shell crab roll too -- it's a must!

Hope you're all having a good start to the weekend!

If you're keen, you can also check out Agnes' post on Chiba: here

Kaki Fry (Deep Fried Panko Oysters) and Chawanmushi Recipe

These babies were too hard to resist!

Besides making the Tempura Soft Shell Crabs for the Japanese potluck I had at my place a few weeks back, I also made these delicious Kaki Fry (Deep Fried Panko Oysters) and Chawanmushi (Japanese Steamed Egg Custard) too. 

Kaki Fry is one of my favourite things to order at Japanese restaurants. When it's good, it's REALLY good. I must say that I've been scorned by many horrendous ones in the past with thick/cakey batter and stinky oysters. Although, my love (and stubbornness) for them has always gotten the better of me and I end up ordering them time and time again. As is the case for Tempura Soft Shell Crabs. Hence, the reason for finally making them at home. 

These Kaki Fry in particular were great and turned out better than expected. Huge hit at the party. Making the Japanese Tartare sauce is extra work but worth the effort. If you're pushed for time, serving them with Kewpie Jap Mayo is great as well.

Potluck spread. Well done, all!

As for the Chawanmushi, they turned out really good too. Everyone has their preferences, but I think a good Chawanmushi is smooth in texture, so thin that it almost melts in your mouth with a good dashi stock base and lots of ingredients inside. 

Happy to say that this was all of that and much easier to make at home than expected! I go even further to say that they're better than the ones you get in many Japanese restaurants.

Dashi, a generic term used for "stock" in Japanese cooking is typically made with dried kelp and bonito flakes. Sometimes, with dried anchovies too. The dashi powder I used was delicious and I recommend it for your cooking.

Besides that, I also recommend having a small bottle of the S&B Assorted Chilli Pepper Powder in your pantry for Japanese cooking. Such a great ingredient to have handy, love it.

BIG thanks to Cooking With a Dog for sharing their recipes on Youtube. Definitely my go to source for great, authentic Japanese homecooking. Fail proof recipes every time!

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Kaki Fry (Deep Fried Panko Oysters) Recipe

(adapted from this video recipe by Cooking With a Dog)

Ingredients:

For the oysters:

1 dozen fresh oysters

1 cup water + 1 tsp salt

1 egg

4 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp water

1/2 cup plain flour

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Oil for frying

For the Japanese tartare sauce:

1 hard boiled egg

2 tbsp onions (finely minced)

2 tbsp parsley (finely minced)

1 small pickled cucumbers (or 2 small cornichons, finely diced)

2 tbsp mayonaise 

2 tbsp lemon juice

pinch of salt

To garnish:

Chopped spring onions 

S&B Chilli Pepper Powder (optional)

Method:

1. Rinse each oyster thoroughly in the salted water. Pat them dry with a paper towel and set aside. Rinse and pat dry the oyster shells too for serving later.

2. Mix all the ingredients for the Japanese tartare sauce in a bowl and set aside. 

3. For the batter, mix the egg, 4 tbsp plain flour and water in a bowl until well combined. 

4. Coat each oyster lightly in remaining flour. Cover the oysters in batter and coat thoroughly with panko breadcrumbs. Place all the breaded oysters in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

5. Heat up oil in a pot. Once very hot, remove the oysters from the fridge and fry them on both sides in oil until golden brown. Remove and allow to cook on wire rack.

6. To serve, place each of the fried oysters in a shell. Top with small dollop of Japanese tartare sauce (or Kewpie Mayo). Garnish with spring onions and a dash of S&B Assorted Chilli Pepper. 

Chawanmushi (Japanese Steamed Egg Custard) Recipe

(adapted from this video recipe by Cooking With a Dog)

Ingredients:

For the fillings:

1 skinless chicken thigh fillet 

6 shrimps (shelled and deveined)

4 frozen crab sticks (sliced)

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms (halved)

Cooking sake and soy sauce for seasoning

For egg custard:

3 large eggs 

2 1/2 cups water

1 sachet (5g) dashi stock powder

1 1/2 tsp cooking Sake

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

pinch of salt

To garnish:

Fresh spring onions or coriander

Method:

1. For the filling, dice the chicken thigh to 1cm pieces. Mix in a bowl with a dash of sake and soy sauce. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.

2. Heat up a non stick pan and sear the chicken pieces. Dish and set aside. 

3. Halve the shrimps. Mix shrimps and crab sticks in a bowl with a dash of sake and soy sauce, set aside.

4. For the custard, beat the eggs (but not too hard to prevent too much bubbles). Place the water and dashi stock in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.

5. Mix the beaten eggs, dashi stock and remaining custard ingredients gently with a fork until well combined. 

6. Distribute the chicken, shrimp, crab stick and mushroom fillings evenly between 6 small bowls. Pour custard mixture into each bowl. 

7. Steam on lowest fire for approx. 12 minutes. Test by sticking chopsticks in the mixture. If soup comes out clear, it is done. Garnish with spring onions or coriander. 

Super smooth and delicious

Finally, my friend also brought this AMAZING sashimi platter from Suzuran. It was so fresh, delicious and even fatty too. Amazing quality and price. Need to have this again!

Tempura Soft Shell Crab Recipe

I've wanted to make Tempura Soft Shell Crabs for the longest time, no kidding. It honestly is one of my favourite things to eat. I mean, who doesn't like soft shell crabs...???

Ever since I realised that almost every fish monger at Victoria Market sells them (you'll see it at the freezers behind them) and at such a reasonable price too, I knew I had to make them. Typically, they are sold at about $20/kg and each box works out to be approx. 1kg (or a dozen crabs).

I was hosting a Japanese themed potluck at my place over the weekend and I knew it would be the perfect occasion to try.

Even though it was my first time cleaning a crab and making tempura for that matter, these babies turned out AMAZING! They were perfectly crispy, with a moist, delicate flesh and even had bits of crab roe inside which gave extra flavour. Just like the restaurants, if not better (cause they're fresh), seriously...

Plus, you really cannot help but get so excited at the sight of a whole TRAY of soft shell crabs in front of you. Each person gets their own crab, what a treat. Not to mention the CRUNCH you hear from everyone at the table taking their first bite into the crab.... Heaven

My only advice for people cooking this for the first time is to be extra gentle when preparing the crabs. After they're thawed, they become extremely delicate and the legs may break off easily. Besides that, it actually is quite a simple process, which I learned all on Youtube (lol).

Also, I'll share with you how you can make this much earlier in the day (so that you have more time to do other stuff before guests arrive) and reheat them well so they are still super crisp, as if they were fresh out of the fryer.

Anyway, I hope you give this recipe a go. It gets people excited when you say that you're cooking soft shell crabs for them. Tastes bloody delicious too. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

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Tempura Soft Shell Crab Recipe

(serves 10 - 12, adapted from this recipe by SBS Food)

Ingredients:

12 soft shell crabs *

1 1/2 cup tempura flour

300ml chilled soda water

1 lime (juiced)

1 egg

1 cup ice cubes

3/4 cup plain flour

Oil for frying

*Note: Can get them frozen from Victoria Market. Otherwise, ask your local fish monger.

Method:

1. If using frozen, thaw the crabs by removing from the fridge several hours before cooking. 

2. To prepare the crabs, use a pair of kitchen scissor to cut the face off behind the eyes. Then, peel off the flap or "apron" of the crab. Lift the sides of the crab shell and remove the gills. Handle the crabs delicately. 

3. Pat the crabs dry with a paper towel and set aside until ready for use. To prepare the batter, whisk the tempura flour with the soda water, lime juice and egg until well combined. Stir in the cup of ice. 

4. Heat up enough oil in a pot or pan until it is deep enough for frying.

5. Coat the crab thoroughly with plain flour and dip them in the batter. Once oil is hot enough, fry the crabs in batches until crab turns red and batter is golden in colour (slightly under 2 min per side).

Tip: Drizzle more tempura batter on top of the crab with a fork before you flip them over to add extra CRUNCH

6. Remove to cool on a wire rack. Serve hot.

Tip: If cooking few hours ahead, leave the crab on a wire rack on a benchtop to cool. An hour before eating, place the rack of crabs in an oven at 60°C to keep warm. Just before serving, increase the heat to 180°C for 10 minutes before taking it out of the oven. This will make sure your crabs still remain crunchy and fresh. 

A gorgeous sight

Unbelievably tasty and crunchy

GIVEAWAY: Meld Magazine's Little Orange Book of BIG Discounts

If you've followed me on my Instagram (@winceeee), you might've seen me post some photos with the hashtag: #littleorangebook the past few weeks. It's basically to show how I've taken/used Meld Magazine's Little Orange Book of BIG Discounts around Melbourne.

It's essentially a book of Discount vouchers with over $1,000 of offers at various establishments around Melbourne. This voucher is put together by a Non-for-Profit online magazine called Meld Magazine, which you can buy from their website for only $25: here

#littleorangebook at Cacao Green 

(Instagram: @winceeee)

I was given one copy of this book to use and another copy to giveaway by Karen, the founder of Meld Magazine. What I not only like, but respect, about Meld Magazine's work is that they are centred around helping international students settle into life in Australia by presenting various topics from lifestyle, to politics and just general advice articles to help them find their way. Having been an international student myself for 5 out of my 5 1/2 years in Melbourne, this is a cause that I can really identify with and am happy to support. Besides that, they are also a great platform for media and journalism students to obtain practical work experience through their magazine.

Best thing about this is seeing all these businesses supporting the international student community as well by being generous enough to sponsor and participate in the Little Orange Book of BIG Discounts.

Read more about Meld Magazine from their website: here

#littleorangebook at Cacao Green 

(Instagram: @winceeee)

Flipping through the book I found that there were a lot of vouchers in there that really caught my attention. I definitely will be use it to have a meal at Pepper Lunch, maybe followed by a froyo snack at Cacao Green and if I'm feeling cheeky, a bag of awesome fries from Snag Stand. Otherwise, I could always date my friends out for dinner at Izakaya Chuji before an intense Karaoke sesh at K-Box. Too good.

#littleorangebook at Hometown Asian Grocery 

(Instagram: @winceeee)

• Ajisen Ramen • Chatime • Pepper Lunch • Central Grocery • Mad Mex •• Nando’s • Krispy Kreme • Dangerfield • KBox • IKEA •• Bao Now • Coconut House • Izakaya Chuji • Momo Sushi • Mercadante •• Hometown Asian Supermarket • Plantation Specialty Coffee • Snag Stand •• porgie + Mr Jones • Cacao Green • Ganache Chocolate •• Extragreen Holidays • Picket •

& many more!

SO, winning a copy of this discount book is very easy. All you have to do is answer the question below: 

"Where is your favourite place to take friends or family visiting Melbourne for the first time?"

Simply leave a comment with your response below and the most interesting answer will win a copy of Meld Magazine's Little Orange Book of BIG Discounts! Competition ends at 10pm on 31st August 2013 and valid to Australian residents only.

Good luck!

American BBQ Ribs and Marinated Coleslaw Recipe

Made these for ma homies Adrian and Ash at our last #TTVN!!!

American diner eating is a cuisine that has unmistakably taken over the Melbourne food scene. So, I thought it was time I made some American BBQ ribs at home too with this recipe that was recommended by my Sister. Although, my dream really is to experience a full on "Suthern" BBQ in the heart of Texas one day.

I enjoyed these ribs because of all the herbs used in the dry rub paired with the dark, oaky flavour from the ale. Not to mention the hit of chipotle to bring it more to life. It's a recipe that I've cooked 3 times in the past 6 months for different friends. Ribs is just one of those things that people don't cook enough of, which makes it even more fun to share with people.

The original recipe suggests that we make our own BBQ sauce from scratch, which I've tried. Even though I followed the recipe to the tee, I wasn't a fan of the final product. It was way too much ingredients to buy, effort to make and no matter how much I tried to reduce it, I still found it to be too watery (hard to glaze the meat properly). There's so many great BBQ sauces (and better than the one I made from scratch) you can buy off the shelf these days too, so why bother IMHO.

There's 2 places that I've bought my Chipotle from in the past: 

1) Toscano's in Victoria Gardens (these had the whole peppers inside)

2) South Melbourne Market (in one of the deli sections near the Northern end of the market)

Was also hooked from the very first time my Sister made this Marinated Coleslaw for me. Goes so well when you're eating it with very meaty dishes like these BBQ ribs. Or, like the photo below when I made roast pork and crackling for friends on a separate occasion. YUM!

Anyway, hope you enjoy this recipe and the rest of your week. Ciao!

Photo taken from my Instagram (@winceeee)

American BBQ Ribs Recipe

(adapted from this recipe by SBS Food)

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

3/4 cup of good quality BBQ sauce *

1/4 cup chipotle sauce (or to taste)

3 tbsp honey or molasses

* I like the Masterfood Smokey BBQ Sauce

For the ribs:

2 tbsp smoky paprika

2 tbsp table salt

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp dried mixed herbs

2 to 3 racks of American style pork ribs (or baby back ribs)

1 to 2 bottles of dark ale beer

Method:

1. Mix the BBQ and Chipotle Sauce in a bowl. Taste and set aside.

2. Mix the paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and mixed herbs in a bowl. 

3. Rub about 3 tbsp of the dry spice mixture into each ribs until coated thoroughly on both sides. Store the remaining in a jar/ziplock bag for next time. 

4. Place the ribs on a large tray and pour the beer over it until it just covers the ribs. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

5. Preheat oven to 160°C. Drain the beer from the tray. Place each rib on a large piece of aluminium foil. Place another piece of foil over it and crimp the edges so it's air tight. Do this for all the ribs.

6. Bake in oven for 2 hours. Remove ribs from foil and place them on the baking tray. Baste the top of the ribs generously with the BBQ sauce mixture. 

7. Crank the heat to 230 deg C (or use the grill setting on oven) and bake for 8 minutes. Turn over, baste again, bake for another 8 minutes on other side. Finally, turn one last time, baste, bake for another 5 to 7 minutes or until it start to char slightly. 

Alternatively, you can do the same steps on a BBQ Grill instead of an oven. Even tastier!

2 full racks for 4 ppl... FUN!!

Marinated Coleslaw Recipe

(adapted from this recipe by SBS Food)

Ingredients:

1/4 head of white cabbage (cored and thinly sliced)

1/4 head of red/purple cabbage (cored and thinly sliced)

1 large onion (thinly sliced)

1 can corn kernels (drained)

1 cup white wine vinegar

3/4 olive oil

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp mustard powder

1/2 cup chicken stock

Method:

1. Place the sliced cabbage, onion and corn kernels in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients and bring to boil.

3. Pour the hot liquid into the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and marinate for 8 hours or overnight. Try and stir the mixture every 2 hours if possible.

4. Toss before serving. Coleslaw can be made few days in advance until ready for use and stored in fridge for up to a week. 

Love the bright colours. Such a great accompaniment to meat dishes too!