Five Days in Penang, Part 1

Five days in Penang are barely enough to even scratch the surface of this amazing island's incredible food scene. Famous for having some of the world's best street food, it's definitely a must visit destination if you’re a food lover! But between the shopping and markets, beaches, museums, guided tours, temples, street art (more on this later) and incredibly beautiful scenery, there's plenty to keep you busy in between meals too. 

Penang has a rich and multi cultural history and the food and architecture speak volumes. Hindu and Buddhist temples are just down the road from Mosques and Anglican churches. I was most looking forward to trying regional specialties Char Kway Teow, Assam Laksa and Cendol, but was also happy to find some of my other favourite Malaysian dishes done extremely well too, sometimes hugely differently to those tried in Australia or KL.

But before the onslaught of photos, here’s a little video I made, just with a bit of footage I’d caught on my iphone!

Joo Hooi Cafe

Located on Penang Road, the "cafe" is just a set up of tables and chairs, with a group of hawkers cooking from their own carts just outside. We had come here specifically to try the Char Kway Teow but one of the ladies laughed out loud when I tried to order it. Of course it must be common local knowledge that they don't serve it on Wednesdays!



But nevermind, we order a bowl of Assam Laksa instead. Also known as Penang Laksa, this is one dish you can't leave the island without trying. An intense tamarind infused fish broth is ladled over thick noodles and garnished with onion, pineapple, mint, chillies and thick shrimp paste, for 3 ringgits, which is about $1. I have to say that this dish is an acquired taste and while I can definitely appreciate the melding of sour, sweet and spicy flavours, I found the soup quite overpoweringly... fishy! Hope that doesn't offend any fans or purists, I know my girls Karen and Steph would have totally loved this.




The Teochew Cendol from the cart outside goes down a treat on this already very warm morning, no fancy plating up here - just whack the shaved ice, red beans, pandan jelly worms and coconut milk into a metal bowl and eat as it all melts into a soupy puddle! Very refreshing.

Joo Hooi Cafe, 475 Jalan Penang, Georgetown, Penang Island 10000, Malaysia

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New World Park

When one friend learned I was in Malaysia, she warned me not to eat street food or crushed ice desserts - er, that was my diet for the entire week! As it's so competitive, Penang seems to have incredibly high standards as far as hawker food goes, but if you prefer to play it safe and eat something prepared in an actual kitchen, New World Park might be for you. We discovered this food court on our second day, and returned a few times since it was only a few steps down the road from our hotel.

The Popiah was the best I've ever had. Like a fresh spring roll with a thin crepe containing turnip, bean sprouts, lettuce, crab and a few other things I'm sure! On top was a scattering of fried shallots for some extra crunch. This dish is all about texture, as the flavours are a little more subtle.



We tried a bunch of dishes from different stalls - the Koay Teow Soup made a great breakfast one day. This dish originated in China, with migrants bringing the flat rice noodle 'koay teow' with them to Malaysia. The soup is a delicious nourishing clear broth with fish balls, pork mince patties, chicken slices, lettuce, shallots and chillies.

We also tried two of my favourites - Roti Canai and Ais Kacang. The Roti was freshly made while we watched and so crisp and fluffy, served with a flavoursome curry sauce. The Ais Kacang was served with pieces of durian and papaya as well as the usual corn, grass jelly and red beans.



There is truly an art to Char Kway Teow, which is prepared in a hot wok with rice noodles, bean sprouts, prawns, Chinese sausage, chives and sometimes with cockles. The seasonings can vary between different hawkers but usually include light and dark soy sauce, fish sauce and chilli paste. It's served piping hot on a banana leaf. This was a great example and one of my favourite dishes of the whole trip.

New World Park, Lorong Swatow Georgetown, 10050 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
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The Green Mansion

This was originally not on our agenda at all. We had wanted to visit the 'Blue House' (the grand  Cheong Fatt Tze mansion) but there was a mixup of the times on the website and we were unable to go on the guided tour. We were then told about the 'Green House' (Pinang Peranakan mansion) which was meant to be even more opulent.



The mansion was built in 1890 and belonged to Chinese Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee. He was a 19th century Hakka tin-miner and secret society leader. After decades of neglect and decay, it has been beautifully restored.



For just 10 ringgits each (just over $3) we got to wander around three beautiful buildings filled with antiques that depicted how wealthy Babas and Nyonyas lived about a century ago. I just loved the mixture of Chinese and English influences within the architecture and furnishings. Next time I would love to see the Blue House to compare!

Pinang Peranakan Mansion, 29 Lebuh Gereja George Town, Penang, Malaysia
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The Joss Stick Maker

Master Lee is 83 years old, and is one of the last people to make joss sticks by hand in all of Malaysia. He learned the craft at a very young age and has devoted his life to perfecting it, even though demand for his handmade products have dwindled in recent years, with cheaper factory made incense sticks sold just around the corner.

He was excited to learn that we were from Australia - saying that he uses Australian sandalwood in his joss sticks for fragrance. It was an honour to meet him and take his photograph. If you'd like to see more about him, I found a little doco on Youtube here.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

Pimm's Trifle + 13 Ways with Pimms

Hello hello! I was a little bit busy/slack with scheduling posts before I left for an amazing week in Malaysia, but I really wanted to share this recipe with you. If you've been reading for a while, you'll already know how I feel about Pimm's. It's the perfect summery drink for sharing with the girls, but I also love experimenting with it in desserts too, which inspired this boozy little roundup. If you haven't had Pimm's before, I hope these ideas can persuade you to try it soon!

Drink it...

Picture Credits: Spicy Icecream & Ichigo Shortcake

1. If you haven't tried Pimm's before, the first step is to make a Pimm's Cup cocktail with all the traditional accompaniments - strawberries, lemon, cucumber and mint leaves, mixed with lemonade or ginger ale. It's one of my favourite cocktails, especially on a warm summer day. Take a sip and pretend you're at a garden party.

2. I also love Ichigo Shortcake's Christmassy adaptation of the traditional Pimm's, to become a Gingery Pimm's Cup. Yum! I think it would go down a treat at a summery Aussie Christmas, especially with the addition of seasonal strawberries and blueberries!



Picture Credits: Modcloth & BBC Good Food

3. I love the sound of this Pimm's & Orange Soda Float from the Modcloth blog. It looks like such a fun drink for movie night with friends. If you click through to the post they've also made a very cool gif!

4. Another recipe that combines a few of my favourite things, this Pimm's Iced Tea from BBC Good Food sounds right up my alley! I think it would work really well using a black tea with a hint of orange or bergamot. It's definitely going on my list of things to make!

Bake it...

Picture Credits: Raspberri Cupcakes & Dr Gateau

5. This recipe is very special to me because my gorgeous friend Steph from Raspberri Cupcakes (who shares my love of Pimm's) made me this Pimm's Cake for my birthday last year. It was so thoughtful and perfect, not to mention totally delicious! I especially loved the hint of cucumber in the buttercream.

6. This recipe for Pimm's and Orange Cupcakes with Bitter Orange Cucumber Gel Sticks from Dr Gateau reads more like a science experiment than a normal cupcake recipe, but it's an interesting read nonetheless about why some people are more sensitive to bitter tastes. Check it out!


Picture Credits: Seven Spoons & Spicyicecream

7. How beautiful do these Grilled Strawberries with Pimm's and Ice Cream from Seven Spoons look? With a little vanilla, mint leaves and stem ginger, I think this sounds perfect. PS, I love this blog. Beautiful writing and photography, if you haven't already visited, go and check it out!

8. This Cherry & Pimm's Pie comes from my own archives, when a funny little lightbulb moment (and some imported cherries) inspired me to make it. While the taste of Pimm's turned out a little bit subtle after baking, it was still a delicious pie, served with a big scoop of ice cream on top.

Chill it...

Picture Credits: Bron Marshall & Woman and Home

9. This Pimm's Granita from Bron Marshall looks so beautiful and refreshing! I had my fair share of crushed ice desserts in Malaysia and they will always be a favourite on a stinking hot day! And of course, being me, I love the idea of boozing it up a little with a splash of Pimm's!

10. This beautiful Orange Cheesecake with Strawberry Pimm's Jelly is courtesy of Woman and Home. I can just imagine how good this would taste, especially with the little strawberry and mint salad that accompanies it! This would make an elegant dinner party dessert, or served individually for a ladies high tea.


Picture Credits: The Design Files & Spicyicecream

11. A Cucumber, Apple, Mint & Lime Popsicle may not be everyone's cup of tea, but imagine how good it would taste dunked into a fruity glass of Pimms as it slowly melts. The smart cookies from Liana Raine came up with this stunning combination for one of my favourite blogs, The Design Files. A delicious grownup treat, yes please!

12. One of my earliest forays into cooking with Pimm's was these Pimm's Jellies, adapted from Jamie Oliver, and which I've also used as a component in the trifles below. This recipe actually became one of my most popular posts, and for good reason too, it was delicious.



13. And finally, my latest creation - the Pimm's Trifle! From the bottom up - Pimm's jelly, sponge cake soaked in a lemon, lime & Pimm's syrup, topped with fresh strawberries and a ginger and vanilla custard. Get all the elements together in the one spoonful and it's delicious!

I would have loved to make a ginger sponge cake from scratch, but I ran out of time and used a leftover store bought sponge, which worked well anyway. Baking sponge cakes makes me nervous, and you only need a small amount for these trifles, so the store bought cake worked well for me. The recipe below might seem like a lot of work, but as with most trifles, most of the elements can be made in advance, and refrigerated until ready to serve.

After a stinking hot (but totally amazing) week in Malaysia, I was so happy to come home to a warm sunny and not humid day! I think these trifles are the perfect goodbye to what has been a fabulous summer! I've been editing photos all day, so stay tuned for a recap of what we got up to in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang coming soon!

Simple Dinners 02 / Roasted Grape & Prosciutto Toastie

Apologies for the complete radio silence lately! While baking inspiration has been at a high, time unfortunately has not. But I'm back today with another quick and easy lunch or dinner recipe that I think you'll like! Where comfort food is concerned, the toastie is hard to beat. They seriously couldn't be easier to make, but this one takes the flavours up a notch, because we all deserve a little treat after a long day at work!

Red grapes are roasted with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme, salt and black pepper for just a few minutes until they start to burst out of their skins. It's a beautiful sight. At this point, you can use these roasted grapes in a number of ways - as an accompaniment to a cheese or charcuterie board, with fresh ricotta and grilled bread, with grilled haloumi, or even served with a lamb roast. They can even be cooked in advance. It's a super versatile little recipe.



I decided to combine the grapes with prosciutto, gruyere cheese and more black pepper on a toastie, and it was absolutely delicious. It has been added to my rotation of easy mid-week dinners, and I know I'll make it again soon.

Just when I thought autumn had settled in for good, we were given a stunning weekend of warm weather and sunshine!! Not that I'm complaining at all, but this recipe just screams out for a chilly day, a nice glass of red and a good movie.





One more little piece of news today, I'm very excited to share that Spicyicecream is one of just 25 food and lifestyle blogs nominated in the Top 100 for the Voices of 2013! I'm in fabulous company with my girls Steph and Karen, and some other great blogs that I love! Check out the other nominees here!

Chocolate Passionfruit Banoffee Pie

Change is in the air. Last week was our first taste of autumn with my favourite kind of crisp mornings, sunny warm days and slightly cooler evenings. I've always thought that Sydney does the change of seasons really well. In the past I've always had great bursts of inspiration around spring, but I must have been too busy to notice last year because it's all happening right now. Better delayed than never! I get the feeling that 25 is going to be an interesting year.

But let's talk about this pie for a second. There's a chocolate pastry crust, a salted toffee caramel with just a hint of passionfruit, slices of banana that have been cooked in brown sugar, and on top some whipped cream and a mountain of chocolate shavings. It's Banoffee with a twist, and looks like the sort of decadent concoction that Miss Candy herself would think up. And boy, is it good!

Of course Easter is this coming weekend and this is a perfect choice for dessert. The pie crust and caramel can be made in advance, so putting it together on the day is a breeze. When making your caramel, watch the colour closely as it uses passionfruit juice rather than water and it's a little harder to tell when it's ready.

I hope you all have a lovely long weekend! If you're looking for any other Easter inspired recipes both savoury or sweet, head right over here.

Easter Recipe Roundup

Just a quick post from me today. Can you believe that Easter is just around the corner now? And that 2013 is almost one quarter over already?? The hot cross buns and Cadbury creme eggs have been in the shops since January 2nd it seems, but I'm yet to have any so far this year. But that will all change in the next week I'm sure.

Today I thought I would share some of my favourite Easter and Autumn recipes, whether you are planning a decadent brunch, a family lunch, a beautiful dessert, or a few tipples to wash it all down with, there are heaps of ideas from the archives to inspire you below. I can tell you, this Salted Caramel Cheesecake was a massive hit at last year's Easter lunch and may even get a repeat performance this year.

Do you have a favourite Easter themed recipe? Let me know in the comments below!

I'll be back next week with another delicious chocolate dessert.



Easter Breakfast

• Apple and Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns (step by step tutorial)
• Banana Bread with Chocolate and Ginger
• Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze
• Coconut Bread
• Coconut Pancakes with Banana and Caramel
• Date and Fig Pancakes
• Ginger Beer Scones with Strawberry Ginger Jam
• Rhubarb and Strawberry Cheats Danish

Drinks

• White Wine Sangria
• Pomegranate Sangria
• Rhubarb and Ginger Cordial
• Pimms Cocktail
• Peach & Prosciutto Salad

Mains

• Chicken & Leek Pie
• Crispy Chicken with Ratatouille & Lyonnaise Potatoes
• Slow Cooked Veal Shank Pasta with Pesto
• Roast Pears with Goats Cheese & Prosciutto
• Osso Bucco
• Pork, Apple & Cider Pie
• Ricotta Gnocchi
• Roast Pumpkin & Maple Soup

Desserts

• Aria's Chocolate Tart
• Blackberry & Almond Clafoutis
• Bourke Street Bakery's Carrot Cake
• Hazelnut Frangipane Tart with Semillon Vanilla Peaches
• Honeyed Ricotta, Fig & Lavender Galette
• Fig & Salted Caramel Meringue Smash
• Nutty Frangelico Chocolate Brownies
• Chocolate Baklava Fingers
• Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Cake
• Chocolate Mudcake with Mandarins in Syrup
• Chocolate Whisky Cake
• Chocolate Dobos Torte
• Passionfruit Cheesecake Brownies
• Pear & Ginger Upside Down Cake
• Churros with Orange Spiked Hot Chocolate
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Chocolate Mousse with Bourbon Caramel Popcorn
• Chocolate Pear Tart with Cardamom Creme Anglaise
• Hot Cross Doughnuts
• Lemon Delicious with French Earl Grey Ice Cream
• Lemon Tart
• Salted Caramel Cheesecake
• Salted Caramel Marshmallows
• Sticky Date Cheesecake with Bourbon Caramel Sauce'
• Shaker Lemon Pie

Simple Dinners 01 / Peach & Prosciutto Salad

First up, apologies to those who came here today looking for a sugar rush and got a salad, but I’d like to welcome you to a brand new monthly column called Simple Dinners! As much as I love cooking, often the last thing I want to do when I get home from work is cook something elaborate and time consuming - I know you're with me there! We all need to eat dinner as well as dessert after all, so in this column I will be experimenting with quick, easy and seasonal lunch and dinner recipes.

This season’s peaches have been fabulous, and this is a great way to show them off! I first made this salad a couple of months ago, and have made it several times since because I loved it so much. All of the elements complement each other - the sweet peach, salty prosciutto, peppery rocket and creamy bocconcini come together beautifully. Add a good glug of quality balsamic vinegar and some cracked black pepper to finish.

This salad makes a beautiful summery light meal or side dish, perfect for a hot day as it doesn't involve any cooking, just some assembling. It's gluten and grain free, low carb, and can easily become a more substantial meal by adding in some more protein such as cooked chicken, pork or fish.

And to keep it interesting, here are a few ways to mix it up!

• Replace the peaches with nectarines, fresh figs or ripe pears
• Grill the peaches on a BBQ or char-grill pan for a few minutes on each side
• Replace the prosciutto with pancetta or bacon
• Swap out the Bocconcini for other cheeses such as crumbled feta or goats cheese
• If you don't like rocket, try baby spinach or other mixed lettuce leaves
• Top with some shaved parmesan
• Turn into a main meal by adding some cooked chicken, pork or fish

Pandan Tres Leches Cake + 13 Ways with Pandan

13 Ways with... Pandan

I have Steph and Karen to thank for introducing me to Pandan. A somewhat uncommon ingredient to us everyday Aussies, but these green leaves are used extensively in South East Asian cuisine. Lending a delicate, almost floral taste that is perfect in baked goods, drinks and even ice cream, in a similar way to how we would use vanilla. I wanted to shine the spotlight on this great ingredient with 13 interesting and unique ways to it!

Drink it...

Picture Credits: Cooking Tackle & Singapore Shiok

1. It was a little surprising not to find more drinks made using pandan, but this Ginger Honey Pandan Drink from Cooking Tackle combines some of my very favourite ingredients in one drink. It looks so soothing, like something that would make you feel a lot better when you are sick.

2. How refreshing does this Lime Drink with Pandan look? The recipe comes from from Singapore Shiok, and I can imagine it would really hit the spot on a hot day, especially in the humid Malaysian climate! I am hoping that I can track down some fresh pandan leaves soon so I can try this.

Freeze it...

Picture Credits: The Food Dept & Dessert First

3. It is great to see Pandan being featured on incredible and popular blogs like The Food Dept. which is one of my new favourites, as the recipe ideas and photography are both amazing. Their Pandan ice cream with toffee pecans looks so good! I have made pandan ice cream before but the toffee pecans would take it to a whole other level of yum.

4. I remember seeing this post on Dessert First a few years ago (when I was still a Daring Baker!) before I had tried pandan for myself. These Pandan Cheesecake Pops are so cute and I can imagine how good they would taste. This post is really interesting for a side by side comparison of using pandan leaves vs pandan extract, and aside from the green colour which comes from the extract, the taste was remarkably similar!

Bake it...

Picture Credits: Spicyicecream & Alanabread

5. This Caramelised Pandan Cake with Coconut Sorbet from my archives was my first foray into baking with pandan, inspired by the dessert at Ms G's in Sydney. I gave it a calorific French-toast-like twist by soaking the chiffon cake in a sweet egg mixture and cooking it in caramel, with a big scoop of coconut sorbet to serve. This is actually one of my favourite desserts that I've made on this blog!

6. Another delicious looking recipe is this Jasmine Pandan Macarons from Alanabread. I can only imagine how nicely the pandan flavour goes with the floral jasmine! And as always I love the neon-green colour of the filling.


Picture Credits: Raspberri Cupcakes

7. As I mentioned, my friend Steph introduced me to Pandan, and her blog Raspberri Cupcakes is an amazing source for recipes using the ingredient. I love how she combined an Aussie dessert with the Asian ingredient to create these Pandan Lamingtons. And we all know how well pandan goes with coconut!

8. Okay, one recipe wasn't enough, so here is a beautiful Pandan Cotton Soft Cheesecake with Kaya also from Raspberri Cupcakes. Kaya is a coconut jam cooked with eggs and pandan leaves until caramelised, so you can imagine how delicious it would be slathered generously inside this cheesecake! I'm still looking for a way to use the kaya I brought back from Malaysia and I think this might be it!


Picture Credits: Masam Manis & Pickyin

9. I have never tried combining pandan and chocolate together, but the green and chocolate swirls in this Pandan Marble Cake from Masam Manis look so beautiful! This would be a delicious cake for a birthday party.

10. Another beautiful dessert is this Pandan Gula Melaka Cake from Pickyin. I absolutely love the icing roses and detailed tutorial for making layer cakes, but I am most intrigued by the flavour combination. I think the Palm Sugar frosting would be a perfect match for a cake flavoured with pandan!


Picture Credits: Ribbon and Circus & We Dare Food

11. It was actually through a waffle that I first experienced pandan, at a little shop in Cabramatta with the girls, and now I always get one whenever I go back! More recently I saw them on the menu at my favourite local Thai place Green Peppercorn. So then I had to include these Pandan Waffles from Ribbon and Circus in this roundup, as I can only imagine how good homemade would be.

12. And after the waffles, try these Pandan Pancakes from We Dare Food! Give your breakfast a green twist by adding pandan to your pancakes and serve them with a delicious coconut syrup. Or some kaya. Yum!



13. Yes, this cake is very very green. And also delicious. While looking for an interesting turn on the classic South American Tres Leches (three milks) cake, I wondered if an Asian twist would work. When pandan leaves are unavailable, a good quality extract or paste is my weapon of choice, which also gave this cake the most incredible colour. For the three milk soak, I used a combination of milk, sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk. And the Pandan Tres Leches Cake was born.

I'm so happy with how it turned out, the cake is incredibly moist without turning soggy, and actually tastes even better a day or two after making it. The coconut milk was definitely a good move here, as it goes so nicely with pandan. I topped the cake simply with some barely sweetened whipped cream and fresh raspberries for a colour and tart flavour contrast. But I think a palm sugar caramel drizzled over the top would be quite amazing as well!

I hope this roundup inspires you to experiment with some less common ingredients soon, and if you have any other great pandan recipes please share them with me in the comments below!

Blueberry Cobbler with Lemon Curd Ice Cream

Consider this recipe a farewell to this summer's berry season, a final hurrah if you will. I can't believe February (and summer) are almost over already, this year is already flying by! Berries are making way for stone fruit, figs and grapes, and soon we'll be seeing new season autumn fruit like pears and apples. While I can't play favourites with summer fruit (I love it all), blueberries are right up there, and a cobbler is a delicious way to serve them.

Unfussy, perfect for a crowd, with just a few simple accompaniments and a baked top that is half way between an American style biscuit and a cake. I really meant it when I said I'd be happy to only bake these kinds of fruit/pastry desserts for the rest of time!! But of course, this recipe can be adapted to almost any fruit. Nectarines or peaches would be quite lovely here too I think.



This recipe comes courtesy of The Bucket List on Sydney's famous Bondi beach via February's issue of Gourmet Traveller. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it! The clam bake story was beautifully photographed and actually made me wish I liked clams... Anyone who knows me, knows about my aversion to oysters, mussels and clams. And as someone who used to dislike all seafood I've come a long way in the last 5 years, but I can't imagine ever enjoying eating an oyster!!

I scaled the recipe back as I only had two punnets of blueberries in the fridge, but kept roughly the same quantity of booze and vanilla. I was intrigued when I saw dark rum in the mixture as I'd never thought to pair it with blueberries, but it was really delicious.



Something else that goes wonderfully with blueberries is lemon, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out the lemon curd ice cream recipe that had been floating around in my head. I truly love that my favourite no churn ice cream can be adapted soooo many different ways, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to go back to making proper custard based ice cream!


I hope you have all enjoyed the summer as much as I have, and can make the most of the late season fruits in a recipe like this one soon!

Fig & Salted Caramel Meringue Smash

The last time I made one of these lists a few months back, I was having an absolutely terrible week and the act of thinking about and writing down the good stuff in life totally helped my mood. This time around I am realising how important it is notice the little things and to be thankful. It's so easy to take this stuff for granted, but the little details are what make life special. It's one of my goals this year to appreciate them more! So here are a few things that I'm loving lately...

• weeknight adventures • yacht club dj's mixtapes • maxi skirts • editing videos • timber chopping boards made by my dad • handwritten lists • playing with the vine app • my new favourite cauliflower salad • polka dot shoes • polka dots in general • vietnamese pho • red lipstick • tea-infused hot chocolate • going for walks • epic salads from room 10 • cardigans • writing in my 365 journal • surprising Stevie with phone calls • the best figs I've ever had!



Eton Mess seems to be the dessert of the summer, popping up on restaurant menus all over Sydney, and I'm definitely not complaining! My favourite is the one at Sweethearts with fresh summer berries, but I think this tasty dessert should not just be reserved for summer fruit! I decided to make a more autumnal version with figs stewed with brown sugar, vanilla and dark rum until jam-like, complete with lashings of salted caramel sauce, mascarpone whipped cream and crumbled meringues. Yes, I promise that it tastes as good as it sounds!

I've used store bought mini meringues to save on time, but if you really wanted (or if figs aren't in season where you are) you could use a good quality fig jam instead of stewing fresh figs. I will say that they were the best part though! The caramelly sweetness from the brown sugar was delicious, and you already knew that rum goes perfectly with figs!



This dessert can be as dressed up or casual as you like. With words like 'mess' and 'smash' being thrown around, it's not meant to look perfect!! Pile everything onto a large platter if serving this dessert at a casual weekend BBQ, or if you're feeling fancy, layer it up in sundae glasses or jars like I have. Preferably one with clear glass so you can see all of those awesome swirled layers!

Chin Chin, Melbourne CBD

The first time I tried to visit Chin Chin in Melbourne's CBD, we arrived before 6pm and were told there would be a 4 hour wait for a table of two! So we went round the corner and had a truly fantastic meal at Movida Next Door instead! Luckily on my next Melbourne trip we tried for a late Friday lunch and were seated straight away.

There is a lot of hype surrounding this restaurant. It is one of the most reviewed on Urbanspoon, and now I can see why. The offering seems simple - modern Asian dishes to share by exec chef Ben Cooper - but the food and drinks are excellent, the decor appealed to the designer in me, and the place exudes a very cool, very Melbourne vibe.



Arriving back from Malaysia just the day before, my mind was still on Asian flavours and it was rather difficult to choose a drink because the whole cocktai list sounded great. This Lemongrass cocktail with 10 cane rum, fresh lime, ginger syrup and palm sugar hit the spot perfectly. Refreshing, delicious with a nice kick from the ginger syrup, I really loved this drink!



I couldn't go past the Chin Chin Pork Roll Ups with red braised suckling pig (mmmm), pancakes, sour herbs and slaw. Get interactive with your entree and build your own pork pancake! This dish made a perfectly relaxed and delicious start to the meal. I can hardly remember a time where sharing menus weren't the norm! I think the concept is here to stay, and it works particularly well with this style of Modern Asian cuisine.

We also shared the Caramelised Sticky Pork with sour herbs and chilli vinegar. The pork fell apart under your fork into a tangle of crispy, sweet pork. While it was seriously delicious, I almost wish we had picked something a little more different to our entree as the two dishes were quite similar and there are so many amazing sounding dishes on the menu. A return visit is definitely required!

The Palm Sugar Ice Cream sundae with salted honeycomb and lime syrup was our first pick off the dessert menu, and our favourite of the day. While the flavours weren't overly complex, they worked quite well together. Steve and I had a spoon fight for the last pieces of honeycomb.



As I mentioned, we had just flown in from Malaysia the day before, with our first stop being Melbourne's new Mamak outpost, we definitley had roti on the brain! I knew we had to try the Grilled Banana Roti Bread, even though we were struggling for stomach space by this point! My eyes lit up when I saw the pool of condensed milk that it was served in. We enjoyed this dish but the roti was quite thick in places and not flaky like the similar dish at Mamak. I liked the addition of cinnamon, and I suppose I should have expected it, but this dish was super sweet, even for me!



Restaurants like Chin Chin and Ms G's almost need a restaurant genre all of their own - modern fusion Asian casual fine dining, perhaps? But I can now definitey understand why it's so popular. Take my advice though, and head over there early as there are no bookings taken for smaller groups, or have a drink in the very cool Go Go Bar.

Chin Chin, 125 Flinders Lane Melbourne (03) 8663 2000