ADELAIDE: +82 POCHA 2nd trip

Check out my first post about this restaurant here

2nd time checking out this place. Remember how I said that I would love to check out their hotpot stew?
So I decided to make another trip here with Amanda for the hotpot as well as to drown all my work stress.

You see, so stressed out until I had this strong urge to destroy something, So I went and cut my hair short. 

hurhurhur, my hospital ward festive cheer lol. 

Budae Jiggae $35

My favourite Kimchi pancake of all time $16.50

KOREAN BEER, YESSSS! $8 each

I'm usually a Japanese beer kinda person, this is my first time trying korean beer and boy I think I'm absolutely hooked! Both were very easy to drink but I prefer cass over kloud. Can't wait to try hite the next time !

+82 pocha

shop 3 

25 Grenfell street 

Close on Monday 

NAGOYA: Shabu Shabu Onyasai しゃぶしゃぶ温野菜

I was in Nagoya over Winter where the temperature everyday was below 15degrees.

Growing up in a tropical country, and despite living in Adelaide for more than 5 years, the cold still scares me.

There's so little things to like about winter. But what I like best is

ITS THE PERFECT TIME TO HAVE SHABU SHABU!

and STEAMBOAT/HOTPOT

and SUKIYAKI.

There are many different restaurants to have shabu shabu ( Shabu-shabu is a Japanese variant of hot pot. The dish is prepared by submerging a very thin slice of meat or a piece of vegetable in a pot of boiling water.)

 in Nagoya.

But I'm very greedy, so I love going to all you can eat shabu shabu places.

Did my research online and found that there's this particular chain restaurant with pretty good ratings for Shabu Shabu. And the best is THERE IS ENGLISH MENU! ( Click to view)

If you've been reading, you'll probably know by now. I always go for the most expensive and the best.

So I chose the 5480yen Shimofuri Kuroge wagyu option.

SUCH A SATISFYING MEAL

Totally warmed my body up!

I ate until I was so full I almost exploded.

P.S: This would be a perfect meal to warm your body up after you take a side trip to Nabana no Sato: Winter illumination ( click to view)

It's so pretty !!!! Really worth all the travel time. I highly recommend you to bring your partner on this lovely outing.

Shabu Shabu Onyasai しゃぶしゃぶ温野菜
They have many outlet shops all over Japan
http://www.onyasai.com/shp/index.html

ADELAIDE: La Provence

Just a few streets from my house, is this French restaurant. I've always seen just a couple of people in there whenever I walk past. But I always wanted to try this place because where its situated has a soft spot in my heart - It used to be one of my favourite chinese restaurant (From Orient) before it disappeared into thin air without a trace :/

There's the ala carte option as well as the $69 3 course menu (entree, main, dessert). 

We opted for the 3 course because thats just financially wise. 

For Entree, I had the burgundy snails with braised oxtail ($24)

The snails tasted just like any other french snails, but what stood out was the braised oxtail. PERFECT. 

Nick had the " taste of duck" which comprises of rillettes, sausage, foie gras, in house cured duck ham, duck crackling. ($24)
This wasn't anything special in my opinion

I think everybody who dines at this restaurant HAS to order the bouillabaisse ($43) - with the 3 set meal you have to top up another $6
This was so divine! However, I do think it's subjective. One of our friends Hans tried it and said it tasted and smelled way too fishy.
However, if you like prawns, you'll definitely like this dish. I think the bulk of the fishy taste/smell came from the prawn head which was cooked in the bouillabaisse. If you're from malaysia or singapore, it tastes like prawn mee soup!

Nick had the beef 3 ways. ($48) if you had the 3 course, you'l have to top up $8.

I would also highly recommend the duck confit ($30)

no picture for the duck because I didn't want to interrupt Nick's mom with her meal hahaha.

For dessert,

GET THE RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE SOUFFLE ! ($21)

IT'S SO GOOD!

Nick had the passionfruit souffle which was amazing too. ($16)

Daphne had the vanilla soaked savarin with rhubarb compote, lemon curd and organic yoghurt sorbet. She said it wasn't bad ($18)

Alfred had the chocolate and chestnut parfait with tea soaked prunes, bitter orange caramel and chocolate jelly ($19)

I dare say this restaurant is the best french restaurant in Adelaide. I'm actually really craving the bouillabaisse, I think I might just return for more next week! 

La Provence
125 Pirie street
Mon - Fri 12-3
Mon - Sat 6-late
reservations: https://laprovence.net.au/reservations/

NAGOYA: Yabaton

Before I got to Nagoya, Nick was telling me, YOU NEED TO GO TO THIS RESTAURANT. You'll definitely like it ! hmmm, why leh? And then he said because there's a huge picture of a pig just outside the shop.

Nick knows I share a very special connection with pigs. 

As I previously mentioned in other posts, I was bullied in school last time. The (mean) girls, they called me pigface, pig nose etc. And after I wasn't bullied anymore, my good friends then used to call me vehpig ( tribute to my bullied days hey haha) 

If you like tonkatsu, you should definitely pay this restaurant a visit.

This tonkatsu is not like any ordinary katsu. I'm starting to feel like miso is a specialty of Nagoya lol. What's special about this tonkatsu is that it's Misokatsu (pork cutlet with miso sauce)

Introducing the chain's recommend: Teppan Tonkatsu (1836yen)

This is the other time where I just ordered regular katsu (1728yen)

I'm not really a fan of pork cutlets so.... it was alright for me. It was good, but it wasn't amazing. But again, I emphasize it's because I'm not really a tonkatsu person. But Nick lovessssss it. He says its the best! so, there you go!

Yabaton ( click to view menu and various locations) 

MILLICENT: MAYURA STATION WAGYU

When I was still a medical student, I did an attachement at this GP clinic. And how medical student consultations works is that, the medical students see the patient, then calls the supervising GP in and present the case. Most of the time, the supervising GP is also seeing another patient concurrently and will be unable to come immediately at your back and call. As a result.....

there's a long waiting time.

And if there's no conversation going... its just super awkward. 

One day I met this high flyer dude, who eats at the kind of restaurants I frequent. And he told me about how over the weekend he drove down to Millicent ( where the hell is Millicent???!!????? ), which was 5 hours away from Adelaide ( wtf. this is madness), and he told me that this place sells the best beef. It's the only full blood wagyu farm in South Australia. 

And he said, if I was a purveyor of fine food. I would have to eat at this place. 

SOLD. 

Nick and I and some of our friends managed to squeeze some time few weeks later... and that was our FIRST trip down to Mayura Station for their beef tasting course. 

Over time.. I think I've been here a total of 4 times. We usually stay the night at Mount Gambier The Barn. 

Every single time..... I have always been served not the best cut. I think I'm just unlucky like that. 

The cuts they serve changes ever few nights. So if you're lucky... you may get a premium scotch?

This skewer beef ( in asia we call them Satay) is the worst course. It's the worst thing to can do to such a fine beef.

This beef amongst the mushrooms and vege is the best combination

BEST PANNA COTTA.

I think everybody who resides in South Australia should pay this restaurant a visit at least once.
I've been rounding up colleagues for my next trip there already !

Mayura Station
3 course - $80
4 course - $105 (please just go for the 4 course.. you've driven so far already... whats another $25?)
Bookings: 0887334333 (business hours 8.30-5pm)
open for bookings by appointment of 2 or more thurs, fri and sat evenings from 7pm

NAGOYA: Yamamotoya Honten

Another of Nagoya's food specialities is misonikomi udon, which is basically udon simmered in red miso soup. I love Udon !!!!

I would only only recommend you try this dish IF you're a huge fan of miso. Because, the taste/smell of miso is really overpowering haha

So if that hasn't turned you off already, the best and only place to try misonikomi would be the founder of misonikomi itself -- YAMAMOTOYA !

There's a variety of choices re: what type of meat you would like to have in your misonikomi. There's beef, cochin chicken (nagoya specialty chicken) there's vegetarian etc. I chose to go for the prawn tempura (1417yen)

LOOK PERFECT EGGS!

Don't worry if you're unable to read the japanese menu. There's english menu available

Yamamotoya

http://yamamotoya.co.jp/shoplist/ (Click to view their multiple shop branches) 

NAGOYA: Atsuta Horaiken あつた蓬莱軒 本店

I think I might have mentioned briefly in previous posts, but I was living in Nagoya last year for a month attached to Nagoya University Hospital.

It was the second time being in Nagoya for me. The first.. I hardly did anything, it was just a flight in because all the tickets for direct flight to tokyo was sold out. I remember just having the kaiseiki dinner at Marriot Hotel ( which was amazing) and going to Nagoya castle.

So because I was living there for a month, I had plenty of opportunities to check out good places.

One of Nagoya's famous dishes is hitsumabushi, a dish in which cut eel is dipped and broiled in soy sauce and put on top of rice. 

My favourite place to have this dish is definitely at Atsuta Horaiken ( main shop). They do have a branch at Matsuzakaya department store, which is really convenient for travellers if you're downtown ( Just in front of Yabacho subway station). I've been to both the main shop as well as the branch ( seeee this is how much I love hitsumabushi), they both taste good. However, I would recommend to go down to the main branch if you have time, just for the ambience :D 

The main branch is located at Atsuta Jingu Shrine, it was founded in 1873. It's usually very crowded so my advice is to try and avoid weekends. I went in the middle of the week at 6.30pm and I surprisingly got in without a reservation/without waiting at all !

I always say go for the most expensive one, but this time, I went just for the regular 3600yen hitsumabushi.

I can't stomach so much rice and eel hence I couldn't do the 5100yen.

As per the instruction above, divide the hitsumabushi into 4 parts. This first one is to eat without any seasoning

The next part is to eat with all the condiments

This third part is to eat with the soup

This is my favourite way of eating. I think it's because I love soupy stuff. 

My friend and I Kendra enjoying this meal.

This restaurant is really not difficult to find ( hahah, I'm a hypocrite in saying that because I got lost trying to find this restaurant, again. lol. That's because I'm just hopeless at directions) But if you use your google map properly, and follow the smell of the smoked eel. You'll reach this main shop in no time (: 

Atsuta Horaiken ( main shop)

503 Godocho, Atsuta Ward, Nagoya

Closed every wednesdays

lunch: 11am-2.30pm

Dinner: 6.30-8.30pm

Atsuta Horaiken (matsuzakaya branch)

3 Chome-30-8 Sakae

Open everyday

lunch: 11am-2.30pm

Dinner: 6.30-8.30pm

Sat & Sun open from 11am-8.30pm with no break time in between

MELBOURNE: Ten Minutes by Tractor

I lied. This restaurant is actually not in Melbourne itself. But close. It's actually in Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne, about 1 hour drive.
I don't exactly know what's there to do in mornington peninsula. We only had 2 objective - Lunch at this restaurant and have a soak at the peninsula hotsprings.
Perhaps you can leave me some suggestions? :D

Ten minutes by tractor's menus are seasonal, with an emphasis on fresh produce, sourced locally. They have their own gardens of heirloom vegetables, herbs and edible flowers and the chef has his own secret foraging spots where he harvests more plants!

Here's me in the herb garden

Ten minutes by tractor is not only a restaurant, it is also a vineyard ! oh I LOVE dining at vineyards, I feel that they always serve really good quality food. 

And because they're also a vineyard, you're just surrounded by beautiful grapevines and what not. 

This restaurant serve both ala carte as well as degustation menu.
We always go for the degustation menu ( 8 course - $155, 5 course - $125)

ALWAYS GO FOR THE 8 COURSE !

I love window seats :D

We were served by this very nice service staff + sommelier Poitre ( who is now my friend on instagram )

 Very good restaurant, highly recommend if you're in the area !
But please prepare 3 hours for the 8 course menu.

Ten minutes by tractor
1333 Mornington Flinders Road
Main Ridge, Victoria
Reservations