Manchester Lane

Decided to write about something more recent. Too many places we've been to (but to be honest, haven't been as deligently taking photos as before) and happened to click on the Manchester Lane folder first, so this shall be it!



Named after the lane it is situated on, this bar-restaurant is known for its live music. Different bands play all the time (check their website for details) so check ahead to make sure you go on a day when the music suits you :) Damien Leith (Australian Idol 2006) had a gig lined-up there and I do quite like him, but the tickets cost more than 100 bucks :( Usually, there is no entry fee if you dine there...otherwise, it will cost $5-$10 (depending on who's playing) if you are just there for drinks and the music.

Anyway, we were there celebrating CC and Mad's new jobs (thanks girls for the wonderful night :D) It is really quite dim in there so pardon the poor quality of the photos.

Digressing...I remember I was once sitting on the upper tier and it was even dimmer with one flickering candle on the table. I was so annoyed by it and blew it out eventually. Is it just me? I really hate flickering candles...and really, I prefer to be able to see what I am eating. (It was ok though, this time round, because we were sitting very near to the stage...therefore, sometimes the music was a touch too loud)

I do apologise for the ant-like fonts on the photos...they looked so big on PS!! As you gather, I don't use PS much...takes too much time...but hey, it is the holidays! I'll take note when I use PS again in the future.

Let's work our way through starting from the entrees :)


pot of bread $6.50


bread out of the pot

This is easily the most memorable course for me that night. We were all hungry because it was a late dinner, hence CC & Mad placed 2 orders for 'pot of bread'...san & I were saying that the restaurant should serve us bread anyway (as most restaurants do) and how dare they charge $6.50 for each order of bread. However, when it came, the presentation alone won me over (I am easily impressed like that...haha) And oh-so yummy! Crispy crust and so so soft on the inside. I will gladly pay the $6.50 for it :)

Oh...I just found their dinner menu online so I will label the food as accurately as possible! As you can tell, I was totally clueless when I was labelling them with PS...:P

More entrees...


flame-grilled japanese scallops $16.00
with creamed leek & saffron butter crème, with porcini mushroom dust


lemon & aniseed myrtle dusted calamari $15.00
with rocket leaves & sumac lemon aiol

The mains...


roast free range chicken $29.50
roasted field mushroom scented with rosemary & kipfler potato puree finished with café de paris butter & deglazing Jus


crispy skin atlantic salmon fillet $32.00
roasted pumpkin & carrot puree with steamed beans (whoops! they looked like asparagus to me!) wrapped in parma ham (and that looked like bacon :P) finished with sauce jacqueline


eye fillet of beef $34.00
served on roasted vegetables & slow-braised garlic, with semi-cured vine-ripened tomato & beef jus


roasted high country loin of pork $33.00
with fondant potato, sautéed spinach & caramelised apple

...included the mouth-watering descriptions to make up for the not-so-perfect photos :)...

I had the chicken...the meat was too tough...I reckon that is always the problem with chicken. Sis (aka mouse) thought that the fish was a bit over-cooked. In summary, the mains were quite average, and frankly (in my opinion) a bit pricey for the restaurant...but I guess you would be paying for the entertainment as well. *shrugs*

Drinks...

Some of us had wine, but didn't take a good picture, and I didn't have it so I don't know much about it :P

I had



Funny I used to hate beer. I like pure blonde because it is so light! Another favourite is hoegaarden (on tap). Anyway...other drinks...





Finally...


cheese...no prizes for guessing who ordered this... ~$12.00

The cheese, for me, is 2nd best (after the bread)...because I love the biscuit/bread thing (or, 'sesame and poppy seed lavosh')


the chocolate pyramid $15.00
layers of crunchy chocolate, caramel, chocolate mousse & marshmallow encased in a rich chocolate shell served with berry champagne sauce

Besides the food, there is of course, the music. We managed to squeeze in a bit of dancing as well :)



I have a soft spot for guys who play the piano ;)

-MM-

Manchester Lane
music-restaurant-bar
36 Manchester Lane
Melbourne, Victoria, 3000
03 9663 0630

Hui Lau Shan :)

I am sure any one who has been to HK would know Hui Lau Shan (from now on known as HLS)...and if you love mangoes, it will be your favourite place :) I went almost every day! For me, the combination of mango and coconut is simply ingenious!! And speaking of, there is such a combination at Boost juice (tropical storm?) but nothing beats HLS! (Actually I just had it this morning and it is no where near :P)

Anyway...let's go through some of the things you can find HLS ya? :) A collection of pictures from my month long stay in HK, and frequenting (is there such a word even?) the place with my friends!


'guai leng gou', mango juice (thick, from fresh mangoes!), coconut milk, topped with mango cubes...yum! My favourite 'on-the-go' HLS :)

Speaking of, they have an extensive take-away menu, inlcuding other yummy non-mango drinks...spoilt for choice really. Oh...I have to share this story here! One day, we were waiting for a table in HLS (at Tsim Sha Tsui I think!) and finally a bunch of people left so we started making our way in. A caucasian man was on his way out and as he walked past the counter, he said to one of the ladies (who was working there) 'Thank you very much' I think she didn't know what to say or how to react because I swear, no one in HK would do anything of that sort. So while she looked really puzzled, he continued 'Thank you, that was the BEST dessert I've had in my life' I swear that was exactly what he said, including the 'in my life' bit. I think HLS is great, but I wouldn't go that far ;)

But wait, that was not it :) He then walked past a container with a bunch of straws...those thick ones for drinking pearls/jelly/whatever else (illustrated in the photo above)...held one up and commented 'what is this?!?!' My friend who was walking past said 'that's a straw' He looked at her and said 'thank you', with a smile.

It was just quite funny, to me at least :)



fresh mango & crystal jelly in mango juice, topped with mango ice cream - 2 different views :)
This...is a favourite of many of my friends, including a scottish guy who would frown at many of the different HK food we tried to get him to sample - chicken legs & smelly tofu were a couple that left him horrified. But HLS, he loves. His parents were going to visit him in HK after I left so I asked him where would he be bringing his parents to...and he immediately answered 'mango dessert'...hehe...he's cute!


black glutinuous rice & coconut milk with mango pieces & pomelo sacs - this is one of MY favourites because I love everything in it, maybe except for the pomelo


a variety :) the one at the corner of the left-hand side has mango pudding in it, which is also a favourite of many


'yong ji gam lou' - which combines mango and pomelo


fresh fruits in mango juice


fresh fruits with mango ice-cream


fresh fruits + glutinuous balls in your choice of fruit juice (mango and watermelon is my favourite combo :D)


fresh fruits + mango ice-cream in bird's nest dessert



if you can't make up your mind :)

And, if mango is not really your thing...


papaya and almond dessert


bird's nest in coconut


erm...taro maybe? with spicy radish cake (which is yummy!!)

...plus plenty of other things!!



HLS is all over the place in HK (except Central!! That was a horrible night because we couldn't find dessert...even KFC ran out of portugese egg tarts...which by the way, according to people, are the one of best around!) You will love it :)

Japanese food at Causeway Bay

Just before I retire for the night, I'll quickly share a few more photos...from a Japanese restaurant in Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣). I must say that it has been a long long time since then and I do not remember where this place was (i.e. name of restaurant/address) :( The place was pretty, the food was pretty (especially the ones on display) and hence I like! The taste...I would say average but they did have some interesting things...and I love the ambience!

We were at a lost when it came to deciding where to go for dinner...given that it was our first/second night there. We strolled along the streets of Causeway Bay and wandered into this plaza (a Wellcome supermarket was nearby I remember) with quite a few restaurants...and the pretty window display of this japanese restaurant caught our attention...girls...:)




THIS is incredibly cute...almost wanted to order it...:P


our booth...


We went for the set dinner at HK$99, which includes entree, main, a drink & dessert...pretty decent, though expensive compared to food at the good old HK cafes.


for entree : tofu salad with black sesame sauce...

What I find interesting about this place (and I haven't come across anywhere else) is their seven colour (or more?) curries. Basically, they have curries of all colours including red, yellow, green, purple, black, orange, brown (etc?).


orange (pumpkin) curry with eel


purple (yam) curry!! (doesn't look that great but interesting taste!)



hmm...looks like I had brown curry?? Why am I so unadventurous?? Isn't the glass pretty?


more pretty glasses


ice cream for dessert


Pretty food makes me happy :D

If any one knows where this place is, feel free to remind me :)

Hui Lau San up next!

yum cha in HK...

Hi all! This is MM guest blogging :) The owners of this blog have been really busy and do feel bad for neglecting their ironeaters...so seeing it is now officially school holidays, I said that I would put up some new posts...mainly pictures of food...coz that's what I like...haha...

Anyway, why Hong Kong? I was there a while ago for a month long elective course and had the good fortune of having great food around me all the time!! I sure miss the cafeteria at Queen Mary Hospital...where, I quote my friend 'serves the best char siu (BBQ pork) in HK!!' :)


my last meal there - some kind of steam rice...not the best choice...but looks good ya? cheap too! I miss HK :(


some one else's meal...roast duck with noodles...the drink was from 7-11 and by the way is really good (my friend's favourite find in HK)


a picture of the char siu, though I am sorry there's not much of in view...not the best for me personally coz I like mine leaner...but my friend's absolute favourite :)

In case you happen to be in HK and would like to taste this fabulous char siu...I must let you know that you DON'T have to go all the way to QM Hospital in Pok Fu Lam...hehe...the cafeteria there is actually '大家樂/Tai Ka Lok' / Cafe de Coral, which is a HK fast food chain and their stores can be found at almost every other block (I would be exaggerating)...you can't miss the bright yellow signs with the red words on them!

Ok...I digressed. YUMCHA!!

I was there for a month and only went twice...I know...stupid. However, given my limited experience, I have to say that the yumcha in Melbourne is just as good if not better! AND we get the little wheely carts here (apparently only a handful of places in HK still keep the tradition, and one of them is Maxim's Restaurant at some highrise building (maybe hotel?? sorry, forgot where exactly) and that place is expensive) I shall talk about Federal Restaurant where we took more photos of the food (西九龍海庭道18號奧海城二期一樓126-127號舖 : that roughly translates into 'Hoi Ting Road, 18 Olympian City 2, 1F shop 126-127)

Anyway...food pictures? :)


ahh...but first, photo of the restaurant...


decor wins sharks fin house (that's my favourite place in Melb) hands down though


extensive menu...in chinese!! such impressive names...but not much help with visualing the food...that's the carts are better! :)


the must-have - egg tarts! (not my favourite food in the world, unfortunately)


peanut sweet soup with glutinous rice balls


red bean pancake


eaten glutinous rice - one of my favourite items :)


'siu mai', another yum cha usual for most (but again, not my favourite...man, I'm picky)


deep fried oysters with eggs?? (something like that) too oily!!


'kun tong gao' - some fancy dumpling...I can't translate this...the owners of this blog may translate in the future :)


'sin chuk kuin' - some kind of meat (pork?) wrapped in beancurd skin (haha...I am having so much trouble thinking what exactly are the ingredients...coz I only eat them...I am not made to write a food blog!)


'siu long bao' = 'little dragon buns'...haha...too literal eh? yummy! I love :) the best 'siu long baos' are still the ones my dad brought home from shanghai...I'll never forget them...if anyone happen to go there, don't miss out! apparently the restaurant is very famous and you have to pre-order...so ask around! (I haven't a clue where it is coz I haven't been there)


some buns...probably custard? looks good anyway (though I don't like buns...you must be thinking I don't like most things...)

But...I do love dumplings!! so here are some...I shan't caption each photo because I don't remember what they were exactly...but they were good (not exceptional)






other things...


'zha leong' - definitely better at sharks fin house!!


'lo pak gou' - fried radish cake...yum!


erm...dessert...


mango pudding! ok I guess...but speaking of mangoes...I will write a 'HUI LAU SAN' post soon!! My FAVOURITE place in HK!! We went almost every night...some rich person should start a franchise here...I would go every day...provided the price is not ridiculously expensive...but probably it will be because this is Melb and mangoes are expensive :(


I still have a couple more photos but blogger won't let me upload them so I guess this brings me to the end of my post!



I think we overdid it ;)

P.S. I must credit my friend for taking all the photos...I was concentrating on eating :)