It is a very rare for me to eat at the same restaurant twice in the same week. However, my last visit to Satay-Mu left me wanting to investigate further and their current 20% introductory discount combined to get me to break this long standing habit.

I walked in and was recognised as a returning customer, I got seated in what was now much busier restaurant than earlier in the week and ordered Nasi Lemak with Chicken Curry.

It took only a couple of minutes for my meal to arrive, which was a surprise as it was not a simple meal, consisting of rice cooked in coconut milk with the distinctive aroma of pandan leaves, chicken curry, acar, ikan billis, peanuts, a hard boiled egg and sambal. And it looked as tasted as good as it taste. I will admit the chicken curry was not the best I had every tasted, but it was decent. The malaysian acar pickle was exceptional, spicy with out being overpowering, the ikan billis and peanuts, other than being much to my surprise separate and cold, I am so use to them being served together, straight from the wok, still crunchy, tasty and a real change in texture. The sambal lacked any chilli bite, but was very tasty, the egg almost perfectly cooked and the rice. Well that what makes a Nasi Lemak, fragrant and sweet. A very good meal that I thoroughly enjoyed, and it looks like Satay-Mu will be a regular lunch spot for me.

Walking down James street returning from a team lunch last week, I noticed a menu in a window stating Malaysian Food, not knowing there was even a restaurant there, I noted nothing other than the location vowing to return later as I really enjoy good malaysian food.

On return I found a little nondescript cafe in front of a combination pool hall/karaoke space. Not deterred, I checked the menu in the window out, it was rather long and had all the usual malaysian/singaporean food I adore, so I entered and ordered a personal favourite Kway Teow.

The service was good and fast, my meal was with me was me in a few minutes, while you could not see the kitchen from the cafe, you could hear the cooking as the ingredients meeting a very hot wok. The serving was generous, looked great and tasted good. I have eaten Kway Teow many times and while it did not match my personal favourites from Tak Chee & the now defunct Singapore Indian Malaysian Cuisine it came close, beating everyone else.

The ingredients where fresh, not overcooked, with all the right spices and with the slightly greasy peppery after taste I expected. Not enough chilli for my taste, however, cut chilli was provided. I will be definitely be going back to explore more from the menu. A likely candidate for a regular lunch spot, good food, fast service and cheap at $9.60 (with current 20% off introductory offer).

I purchased my bottle some six months ago, based purely on stunning reviews. I was not disappointed, I have been enjoying it over the past few month as a change of pace from my regular peated island whiskies. A Speyside whiskey, matured in a mix of ex sherry and ex bourbon casks. No peat, no smoke, no iodine, just a sweet almost almost rum like nose, it has a intense sherry tainted and smooth flavour beyond your typical 15 year old whiskey, with a long lasting orange after taste.

My compatriot was also enjoying his drinking experience, he got a better deal, his bottle came with 50ml miniatures of the Glenfarclas 21 year old and 25 year old whisky for $99 from Dan Murphys it is also available from
Nicks Vintage Direct at the same price.

So will I buy another bottle of Glenfarclas 15 Year Old soon, I don’t know. It is a very good whisky and a very good deal at the moment. However, I do mainly drink peated island whisky, I do enjoy the a good unpeated whisky for a change, as I do a good dark rum. This bottle will last me a couple more months and by that time, I will probably look for a change. On the other hand it is a very very good whisky.

In my continuing quest to sample at least a variety of products from all Islay distilleries, I have sampling a number of young cask strength whiskies.

Port Charlotte PC7, is a cask strength big peat monster, not as brutal as an Ardbeg Uigeadail, but has far smoother body and spicy aftertaste. I throughly enjoyed it and will pick myself up a bottle of this very soon (I know where a couple of bottles are), so I can do a side by side comparison with my Ardbeg Uigeadail to pick my favourite peated whisky.

Kilchoman Summer 2010, a very young whisky, also cask strength, Smoke, peat but once the alcohol burn left my mouth I was left thinking is that all, a rather one dimensional whisky, but that could be expected given its’ age, less that 4 years old and maturation in Bourbon casks. Not a whisky I am likely to be drinking in the future, but a distillery I will keep my eye on, maybe in a couple of years.

Bowmore Tempest the the oldest cask strength whisky recently tasted at 10 years, definitely more rounded than the Kilchoman, with a fuller body and aftertaste with hint of vanilla. Unfortunately, it just lacks the punch of an Ardbeg Uigeadail or a Laphoraig Quarter Cask and the depth of a Port Charlotte PC7. Of the five cask strength young whiskies tasted recently, it ranks 4th, not because it is a bad whisky, two months ago I would of been very happy drinking this. but the competition are exceptional whiskies

10 year old Glen Morangie, courtesy of a friend who has found the cheapest way to drink whisky at Helvetica is buy a bottle and keep it behind the bar. Very different from the other whiskies I have been drinking lately, a regular strength whisky from Speyside, lacking the strong peat or smokey flavour of the island whiskies I have been drinking lately. Unfortunately I like my senses to be brutally assaulted by a young strong peaty whisky or teased and treated with a refined whisky. The Glen Morangie did not overpower my senses and is not what I consider refined. As a relatively young whisky, I found it rough it around the edges with its’ sharp flavours and citrus tang. Again it is not a bad whisky, but it can not compare to the smoother and more refined 15 and 18 year old whiskies I have been drinking between peating sessions.

Helvetica has always been a favourite small bar of mine, with big whiskey range, great atmosphere and exceptional service from knowledgeable and friendly staff. Is now even better with some good food for free, as long as you buy a drink, and with all those whiskies it is so difficult to make the choice of the next to try. I will continue to frequent Helvetica on a regular basis.

If XO defence, they where busy preparing for a Young Lawyers event, which had staff running everywhere. From the location, decor and drink range XO was highly suited to hold a Young Lawyers event. Just off the terrace, the decor had a lot of glass, chrome and black leather upholstered booths.

As it was only a quick visit under unusual circumstances, we had 30 minutes for a drink and wait for late comers, before we changed bars as that was when the private event was starting, I can’t comment on the food or atmosphere. The service, while I liked the bar staff honesty, I expected him to call over a more experience staff member to assist me with selection of a suitable cognac. As there was over 15 cognacs on display. The rum choice was limited to Angostura, but you did have the choice of their 3 best rums 1824, 1919 and 7 year old butterfly rum. The tequila range was a couple of bottles of the upmarket name brands.

The single malt collection was a little more impressive, I had more time to enjoy it, the 21 year Highland Park would of been my choice, instead I went for the 12 year old Highland Park, which has a deserved reputation. A great island malt, with a find balance of peat, a touch of smoke and little salt, with a smooth honeyed flavour. Can definitely see me drinking a lot more of this.

Overall, I was disappointed with my experience at XO, not enough to stop me going back, but I much rather go to a bar that I have had a good experience with and with staff who know their products.

A couple of months ago, on the hunt for a bottle of 7 year Angostura butterfly rum, I visited my local 1st Choice liquor store, only 20km from my house. I picked up my 7 year Angosturag butterfly rum (well worth it’s own blog post) and in the cabinet next door was a small range of interesting single malts.

I am slowly working my way through the distilleries of Islay, so the two bottle of Bruichladdich interested me. I took the safe bet and went from the light straw 12 year old for the sum of $60, over the more expensive rose coloured 20 year old Second Edition.

I did not know what to expect from the whisky, I knew that Bruichladdich are not as heavily peated as the usual Islay whiskies Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin I normally drink. This was obvious from the nose, almost floral with far less peat and iodine, but that did not prepare me for the taste. Green is one word I choose to describe it, almost like the sap of a young tree. It is not a bad whisky, far from it. It has also the characteristics of a find Islay whisky peat, iodine, seaweed just not as strong as other Islay whiskey and balanced against a fresh green zest.

It took a glass (ok I did top it up a couple of times ;-) for it to become my favourite sipping whisky. The bad news is that Bruichladdich have finished production of the Second Edition whiskies, which meant I went back and purchased the infamous pink 20 year Second Edition quickly. THe good news is my favourite online whiskey merchant Nicks has in the last few weeks has just got in a few bottles of 12 year old Second Edition (at a premimum I am willing to pay) and a couple of other discontinued Bruichladdich whiskies. I can see a order just of Bruichladdich as I had been converted.

With such narrow space, the seating limited groups to a maximum of 4 people, so you had an atmosphere that was relaxed and intimate. This was reflected in the clientele, most of the people where in pairs, with the odd small groups of three or four, enjoying a drink and/or a bite to eat. And it is a good place to eat, the tapas were excellent, the four of us went for the mixed plate and we where not disappointed. It would of been a challenge for two people, but for four, it was a nice snack, particularly the marinated fetta. As we had great conversation and a couple of drinks.

The range of rum and single malts on offer was small but decent quaility, I went for a Quarter Cask Laphroaig, I had heard some many good things about this no age statement young whisky that is matured in much smaller barrels. It did not disappoint, it packs more punch than your 10 year old Laphroaig or Ardbeg. More heavily peated, wooded and smokier than the ten year old rivals, with less medicinal iodine. A true whisky of Islay, but I still rank it below my current monster of Islay favourite Arbeg Uigeadail.

If I wanted to meet a friend after work in the CBD for a quiet drink or a bit to eat, the Venn would be the place, the atmosphere just suits great conversation over a drink with or without some good food.

We usually have a team lunch on Friday. Dim Sum is one of our favourites and Dragon Seafood Restaurant is the preferred place. We turned up at Dragon Seafood Restaurant at 12:30 and the queue was out the door. So we needed an alternative, one team member who lives nearby suggested Old Shanghai Food Court, we only found out later because it was nearby and not because of eating there before. This was quickly seconded by ex team member who use to eat from the Japanese food stall when he worked for us some time ago.

I had eaten at the food court a few times over the last few years, but none of the stalls ever stood out. The Malaysian stall could not come close to Tak Chee, The BBQ place is no match for Hong Kong BBQ or Golden King BBQ, the noodle stall does not compare to Phong Vinh or Saigon Cafe and when I do eat Japanese I prefer Taka’s. That only left the new Indian food stall.

I should of followed my instinct and what looked like a crowd of regulars ordering from the Malaysian stall, but instead I went for the Indian along with a couple of colleagues which was offering eggplant masala, and I am a sucker for eggplant, along with a madras chicken curry, dhal and rice for $11.

It was a big serving of over cooked rice, a curry that was more sweet curry sauce than chicken, the dhal was pretty ordinary and the eggplant masala was the pick of the meal and that was nothing special.

I was not the only one disappointed, the colleague who first suggested the food court, selected Indian and left most of it on the plate muttering about it being inedible. Also the ex colleague returning for one of his favourite Japanese meals was bitterly disappointed as the stall had changed hands and served him what he considered an inedible meal.

The big advantage of Old Shanghai Food Court is that it has a bar, the two of us who ate the whole meal did so by washing it down with a beer.

Lesson learnt, next week we will be at Dragon Seafood Restaurant by 12 and if the queue is out the door, we will have a plan b with a trusted eating establishment as an alternative.

I ordered as I was getting seated and two minutes later, a regular Chilli Chicken and rice was on my table. Chilli Chicken consisted of chicken, capsicum, baby sweetcorn, onion, hokkien noodles and dried chilli, stir fried in what I consider a generic stir fry sauce.

The service was fast, the food was well presented and fresh, there was a beautiful crunch to the capsicum. The hokkien noodles was used as a filler, but given the cost $8 and the size of the serving, it could be forgiven. But what I love about most South East Asian food I regularly consume is the strong flavours, there were none here today.

I am likely to return to Hoka Restaurant, because the food is fresh, good value and fast. Just not on days my taste buds need exercising.

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