Serendipitously Delicious

Happy New Year 2010!

Jan 13th, 2010 by kclarke

Dear Reader

Happy New Year!

I have been absent for some time.. it’s been a bit of a whirlwind of activity with the usual end of year nonsense, a couple of trips to Adelaide for FCN’s family Christmas and some moving action. I am way behind on my blogging but resolve to put this to rights starting now..

Here are some of the things I will be blogging about in the coming year …

Reviews

Anada – fabulous feast with the book club crew

Bistro Flor – my steak fetish

Apte – another breakfast of champions

Chez Olivier L’Epicerie - mmm french bistro

Books

Songs of Sapa – Luke Nguyen

The Songs of Sapa

Movida Rustica – Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish

Buon Ricordo - Armando Percuoco & David Dale

Buon Ricordo

If you cant wait to read about them you can buy them here…

Recipes

Berry brioche french toast

Goats cheese with warm walnut and lentil salad

Other Random Stuff

Our trip to Singapore

Robbie’s Iron Chef birthday dinner

My top secret exciting new venture

Watch this space for this and much more as I resolve to write copiously in 2010

Lastly, Happy New Year and I hope you have an exciting one and achieve all that you want to

Katy

Tags: Anada, Apte, Bistro Flor, brioche, Chez Olivier, french toast, goats cheese, lentil salad, recipe, restaurant, review

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I heart Gigibaba

Dec 4th, 2009 by kclarke

There has been a lot of hoop-la about Gigibaba since it first opened late last year. Being on Smith Street, and therefore in my ‘hood I’d been itching to try it out for some time. This is a no bookings establishment so that was proving difficult as Gigibaba is incredibly popular and therefore completely full at usual dining times. So we took the bull by the horns and strode up the road at 6.30 on a Friday night to ensure our table. It wasnt until the second visit that I really took in the decor which kind of reminded me of my late grandmother’s house - she had a plates on the wall fetish! Although the oversize lightbulbs and Florence Broadhurst prints werent really her thing. It all works though – funky but relaxed.

Gigibaba

At Gigibaba the menu changes with the seasons and produce availability. What is on offer is exceptionally good Turkish food. I would recommend asking the staff to feed you until you drop so you discover the hidden delights of the menu. Mmmm lamb cutlets, iskender (huge tasty prawns wrapped in eggplant), pan fried scallops, marinated octopus and of course the delicious hellim cheese topped with an oozey date.

Highlights for me:

- the babaganoush – so smokey and creamy and delicious. It is the Queen of Babaganoush – I could happily eat it all day.

Best ever Babaganoush

- beef cheeks with more eggplant – melt in your mouth, fall off the bone goodness

Beef Cheeks and Eggplant

- the yummiest dessert ever: prunes stuffed with walnuts with cassis cream

The wine list is flexible too – you are able to buy by the bottle or 500ml carafe. We keep going back for a smooth portuguese douro.

Gigibaba is my favourite restaurant of the year and we’ve been back several times. The food is brilliant and consistently so. The atmosphere is unpretentious, and staff friendly and accomodating. Also, any establishment that sends its team off on a fact finding mission to Turkey gets the thumbs up from me. So much so that I dont mind eating like a nana at 6.30 on a Friday night to guarantee I get my fix.

Love it, love it, love it – believe the hype.