Spotted Mallard

Ellya Sam:

My two amazing cousins were the first to introduce me to this amazing place. After having their first meal here, they immediately knew I would love this place. AND THEY WERE RIGHT. 

This place looks very interesting. Very different from a lot of bars and eat places here in Melbourne. As you come in from their double wide doors (which look like olden day cinema doors), you need to walk up a wide staircase to a very dim- lit lounge. I wanna say the place very much reminded me of a... classic secret club meeting place? 18th Century Gentlemen's bar? English pub? Old ballroom? I don't know. I can't decide. But I do love it! Very hipster, indeed. Bringing back the old, ayyyy. The place looks very worn. I'm hoping intentional. HAHA. In one corner, a big, long bar with awesome looking baristas await you for your order from their selection of drinks. Opposite the bar, there is a stage. OMG, to my excitement when I found out there was going to be live music. And not just any live music.. JAZZ LIVE MUSIC. 

This place hosts gigs for unknown jazz and indie bands. Just my kind of place.

Live music. Jazzy, raggy, double- bass-y. YUMMMMM. They were so good!

And there is also a mini dance floor for people to get up and boogie. :D So many people were dancing around, I felt like I was in a modern day "flapper party". Probably worst description ever, but you get what I mean. ;)

The only downside to this place was that they were WAY understaffed. It took us a while to figure out how to get seated. (Do we wait, do we just grab a seat?) We waited for a while and nobody hosted us. So, we roamed a bit to find a table, WHICH WAS SO DIFFICULT. The place was so big so we ended up walking a while, dodging people and tables. In the end we found a communal table with a lovely couple who were more than happy to have us in their proximity. They enjoyed our company, I'm sure.. I hope. 

It took us another 15 mins to wait for a waiter to come by, so we went to the bar to give our food and drink orders. 

The food came close to 40 minutes after. I'm probably over- exaggerating, but when you're hungry, 20 minutes can seem like 40. Well whatever the case, the place was busy, but still.. 40 mins? On the bright side, at least that gave us time to give the band the full attention they deserved. 

Alas, the food!

Beef Cheek Rueben

Sweet slow cooked beef cheek on toasted panini with horseradish, mayo, pickles, red cabbage sauerkraut and masala jus. Served with fatties and house slaw.

$19$19

I'm guessing the dude who made this is called Rueben? LOL. Whatever it is, Rueben you genius! You king! This dish was so good! The beef cheeks were so tender and soft. It literally melted in my mouth as I devoured this bad baby. The panini was well- soaked by the jus and the excess yumminess of the beef. The horseradish, mayo, sauerkraut and pickles were amazing compliments of the beef and panini. It tasted so good with and on it's own, but didnt overpower the taste of the beef at all! I found myself using the remaining bread to squeaky clean my plate. The slaw was also to-die-for. It was creamy and well- pickled. And the chips.. OH the chips. Fat, crispy with a creamy center. Need I say more? So worth the wait. I was hungry and then wholly satisfied within that same hour.

8.5/10 

for excellent food, ambience and freaking awesome live music! Minus points for their hospitality.

Thanks Zho and Uwen for introducing this place to me and bringing me here! Definitely will come back.

Spotted Mallard

314 Sydney Rd  Brunswick VIC 3056 (03) 9380 8818

Domestic Goddess: Eggs Benedict

Ellya Sam:

I decided to go a bit fancy today and step it up with an awesome start to my day. Eggs Benny Brunch. I got Chongster to come over early in the morning, not to help me cook, but to join me on my pre-jog. I planned to jog off all the fat we were going to consume later with my sinful Ebenny. We jogged about 1km to and from IGA to get some groceries and boy, was I glad Melbourne was on our side. The weather was BEAUTIFUL! So sunny. Perfect for a morning jog.

Check it

After coming home, I immediately started.

This recipe makes two serves.

You will need:

Poached eggs, smoked salmon and crumpets

• 4 eggs
• 100g smoked salmon
• 4 crumpets (toasted)

Hollandaise Sauce

• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper to taste
• 200ml melted butter

Directions:

Poaching the eggs. I found an easy method for poaching eggs! :D 

1. In a microwavable cup, add 2/3 water and then one egg
2. Microwave on high for 50 seconds
3. Once done, strain the water, and add again 2/3 water back into the cup and half cooked egg
4. Pop it back in the microwave for 20 seconds

You'll thank me for awesome, EASY, poached eggs. ;) Say goodbye to the simmer, vinegar, stir, egg in cup, pour, stir, sieve method. You know what I'm talking about, chefs. 

Perfecto! DONE.

Hollandaise sauce. This I found so tricky. My sauce separated, possibly because of overbeating or overcooking? The taste was not compromised but just the look. It looked... weird... as opposed to looking like runny mayonaise. :( Fail on my part! I'll try making hollandaise again and see how it goes, but for now, here's my recipe on excellent tasting (not so excellent looking) hollandaise.

1. Prepare your double boiler. This is a pot of simmering water on your stove, and a metal bowl on top. Make sure the water DOES NOT touch the metal bowl
2. On top of the simmering pot, add your egg yolks to the metal bowl and whisk it till it reaches a pale yellow colour
3. Remove from the simmering pot and slowly add melted butter, while whisking. You want to emulsify the two fats. So keep going back and from the simmering pot to slowly cook the yolks and emulsify the butter with the yolks
4. Keep doing this bit by bit. In between each addition of the melted butter, add your vinegar
5. Stop whisking when your hollandaise has reached runny mayo consistency. DONT OVER BEAT. This is why mine separated and failed to look somewhat presentable. If this happens, it's ok. The taste is all that matters, really. HAHA
6. Add your cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

Now, always remember, you are the boss of your sauce. Test to taste is a must! Your hollandaise should taste citrusy, soury, but not to the point of eye squinching. It should have the consistency of runny mayo. If you lift your whisk up, the hollandaise should be smoothly dripping.

URGH. Fail. :P

The next step is to toast your crumpets!

Then, assembling your eggs benedict!

1. Toasted crumpet
2. Smoked Salmon Slices
3. Poached Egg
4. Drizzle of Hollandaise Sauce
5. Cayenne Pepper sprinkle
6. Devour

AND... devoured! 

If you do happen to try this recipe, let ProofThatDancersEat know how you went with a comment down below! Alternatively, you can instagram us a photo and tag @ellyasam and @mealors! :)

Also, click onto Domestic Goddess on our labels section on the right hand bar for more recipes. Feel free to suggest recipes as well!

LE MIEL Et La Lune 2.0

Ellya Sam:

Guess where I am again? Not 3 days later, Im back here again, this time with George for brunch and a bit of a catch up sesh! Again, I left this place super full and super satisfied! I already knew what to expect of their coffees and Georgieboy LOVES his coffee so this place was perfect to just sit, chill and have a bit of a chat! 

This time, I wanted to go for something a bit lighter and sweeter, so I went with their Fruit Muesli $10.

Top: Fruit Muesli

Poached seasonal fruit, berry compote, orange yoghurt and muesli mix $10

Yuzu Chicken Salad

Marinated chicken on a bed of bean sprouts, cucumber, onions, capsicums and greens $19.50

My muesli was divine. Lovely poached pears that were not soft and mushy, but had a bit of texture. The sweetness was perfect. It wasn't too overpowering. The sourness of the orange yoghurt also cut the saltiness of the muesli. :) Yummy and so healthy!

George's chicken salad smelt so good! I didn't taste it, but it smelt wonderful! The flavours of sesame, miso and soy really was brought out from his dish. I'm guessing it was yummy! George finished it up! ;)

All in all, a good place for our meet up. Lovely environment, excellent food, great coffee. 

8.5/10 

Check out my FIRST Le Miel post! :  LE MIEL Et La Lune

LE MIEL Et La Lune

330 Cardigan St  Carlton VIC 3053 (03) 9043 9767

Domestic Goddess: Berry Pavlova

Ellya Sam:

After making eggs benedict for brunch, I had an excessive amount of egg whites waiting to be used up.  The only option I had in my head was to use the remaining egg whites to make macaroons or.. pavlova.  That's right. My head systematically went.. 'hmm macaroons will take a lot of work, so why not just a simple pavvy.' It's seriously so simple!

You will need:

Oh, and a tablespoon of all purpose flour :)

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 150C fan- forced
2. In a mixer, whisk the egg whites until they have become foamy
3. At this point, slowly add the caster sugar bit by bit until the meringue has stiff peaks
4. Add the flour and vinegar and continue mixing till the mixture looks glossy
5. Turn your oven down to 120C
6. Transfer your meringue to a baking tray lined with baking paper
7. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes 
8. Leave the pavlova in the oven to completely cool
9. Add berries on the top!

Slowly adding sugar

Stiff peaks!

Adding Vinegar

Adding Flour 

Done!

Transferring onto 

Leaving inside to cool

Crispy on the outside: sort of like a candy floss texture when eaten as the crispiness dissolves 

Soft and airy on the inside: like marsmellows but lighter?

The acidity of the berries gives balance to the meringue

Devoured! 

Enjoy!

If you do happen to try this recipe, let ProofThatDancersEat know how you went with a comment down below! Alternatively, you can instagram us a photo and tag @ellyasam and @mealors! :) 

Also, click onto Domestic Goddess on our labels section on the right hand bar for more recipes. Feel free to suggest recipes as well!

Domestic Goddess: Eggplant Chips

Ellya Sam:

I can dare say. Fry anything and you will definitely see me eating it. Frying however, is super unhealthy and I subject to oven- baking as a healthier option. Tastes just the same, but better for you.

A few days ago, Chong and I decided to celebrate the end of a stressful Semester by making a hearty lunch! He prepared Angus Parmesan Meatballs which turned out sooooo good! I don't have the recipe with me, but if you're interested, pop in the comments that you want it and I'll get that arranged for you ;)

Anyway, I made eggplant chips. Super easy and quick to do. All you need really, is an eggplant, some olive oil, some herbs you have hanging around the kitchen and bread crumbs! If you are vegan, substitue the breadcrumbs for sesame seeds, crushed cornflakes or any kind of chopped up nuts, really! 

Let's get into it!

You will need:

• 1 eggplant (cut transversely)
• 2 cups store bought breadcrumbs/ sesame seeds, cornflakes or chopped almonds
• 1 cup olive oil
• herbs to taste: I used cayanne pepper, chili flakes, oregano and rosemary
• 1 tbsp salt (to sprinkle after)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200C fan- forced
2. Line your baking trays with non- stick baking paper
3. In a bowl, combine your dry ingredients (breadcrumbs and herbs) and in another bowl, prepare your olive oil
4. Take one eggplant disc and soak into your olive oil until both sides are completely covered. Dunk it into your dry ingredient mixture until it is covered with your breadcrumb mixture on both sides.
5. Place your eggplant disc on your baking tray and sprinkle with a punch of salt
6. Repeat to remaining eggplant chips
7. Bake for 13 minutes or until crispy. Depending on how thin you cut your discs, be careful and be aware that the thinner your slices, the faster they will cook.

Our little Movie Marathon

Enjoy!

If you do happen to try this recipe, let ProofThatDancersEat know how you went with a comment down below! Alternatively, you can instagram us a photo and tag @ellyasam and @mealors! :) 

Also, click onto Domestic Goddess on our labels section on the right hand bar for more recipes. Feel free to suggest recipes as well!

Veggie Bar 2.0

Ellya Sam:

Can I get a hollah for vegetarian desserts please!! I can never get enough of Veggie Bar, really. Not only does it make me feel good, it's actually.. really.. good. I decided to skip dinner and just go full head on to desserts this time round. Came here with my beautiful cousin after a night out and we were so impressed! I've always wanted to try the desserts at VBar, but never found the space in my tummy after a meal here. Excellent plan to just jump right to dessert for this occasion! The desserts did not only look scrumptious, it tasted scrumptious too! AND it was vegetarian! Flourless Chocolate Cake with a side of Soy Ice Cream $7 This was so yum! Rich and decadent with generous amounts of cocoa in the cake. It was topped with a shinny chocolate glaze which had a bitter taste and it worked so well with the sweetness of the moist cake. The soy ice cream was also a steal! Very yummy! And gluten free! Berry Cheesecake with Greek Yoghurt $7 This baby was plated up so beautifully! Look at that! The berries were nicely plump and fresh. The base of the cake was buttery and tart. It complimented the cheesecake filling which was so smooth. It had hints of berry in it  which gave a sour pinch. This cake definitely stole the show! Impressed Ellya is impressed 8.5/10 Check out my FIRST Veggie Bar post! : Veggie Bar Veggie Bar 380 Brunswick St  Fitzroy VIC 3065 (03) 9417 6935

Le Petit Gateau

Ellya Sam:

I've been on quite a French Food frenzy lately. I stopped by this place with JoshPui and Chong for a bit of a pick me up after such a stressful week in between my Dancescape Season and I was so happy I did!

This place has been all the rave with a lot of my friends and I caved in to a have a bit of a nom sesh. 

Solely a dessert/ cake place, this place definitely know how to serve up a cake! Unfortunately, the space is very small, so if you are unlucky, you might need to takeaway their cakes (which is what a lot of people do, anyway).

Brownie and Passionfruit Chocolate Gateau

Brownie base, praline, passionfruit custard and chocolate mousse

$8

This cake had my name the second I laid eyes on it. I knew it was mine to devour. It had beautifully well proportioned layers of yummy goodness and when eaten together, it made my tastebuds jump with excitement! I took my first cut of the cake with my fork and I could immediately feel the texture of the cake. It was divine. I felt so excited just at the prospect of this cake entering my mouth. Ahhh. Enough to make me salivate right now, just thinking about it!

The brownie base was tart and it had a buttery saltiness to it. The praline was bitter which accompanied the citrus-y passionfruit custard layer. And the chocolate mousse was so airy and decadent! 

A must try!

My thoughts: 

8/10

Le Petit Gateau 458 Little Collins St  Melbourne VIC 3000 (03) 9944 8893