To-fu Part two : the kiwi perspective

Kaiso Salada:
One of my all time favourite starters. Simple, Healthy and to the point.
Slimey, beautifully green seaweed that gives you a texture in your mouth that is rather hard to describe. Chewy, slippery and tasty with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. And for only $8.50. I say YES PLEASE.
On a side note, i can't make up my mind about the subtle bitter aftertaste. delicious but different.

The Tofu Don. $18

Served with a side of miso, and i ordered extra pickles(a long time favourite accompaniment to my dons).

Deep fried tofu chunks with tasty cheese and teriyaki sauce. Sounds too good to be true. The combination of all things listed under glorious in my personal dictionary was sitting here infront of my in this delightfully deceptively small bowl. Struggling with my snap-away chopsticks to consume every last grain of rice, this dish defeated me fair and square. But it was a defeat i enjoyed til the last mouthful.

A must have for anyone vegetarian, or non-veg to be perfectly honest.

Dessert.

I could easily call myself a regular at Ichi Ni Kazaya, and when it comes to dessert, i do not have to glance at the menu because the chocolate spring rolls(harumaki) are my penchant. HOWEVER, this time, i was brave and chose the deep fried icecream. Churro-like on the outside i cracked open my parcel of icecream to find a melted mango sorbet? Utterly disappointed. This was a churro filled with mango sorbet, not deep fried ice cream filled with vanilla icecream(the norm) and covered with cinnamon and sugar. I'm not saying conform to the norm ichi ni, i still love you. 

But Chocolate Harumaki is hands down still my favourite.

Tofu Temptation @ Ichi Ni

Special DOUBLE feature blog. My partner in crimes of gluttony Komal Nand will be posting her own review shortly. Here's mine of Ichi Ni Izakaya at 12 the Esplanade St Kilda.

Walk in to find yourself met with simple yet elegant black and wooden decor, and be seated by very conscientious and attentive staff. Sit outside if there's room, even on a cold day as the heaters are divine. Be served water while you decide on your starters. Now I am not often a fan of "starters" but here, they are a must.

Kaiso Salada - marinated seaweed with a delightful sesame dressing. If you don't appreciate the crunchy, nutty flavours and textures in this dish then that's one thing we disagree on. Devoured this between the two of us in no time. Luckily the other starter arrived shortly afterwards.

Ebi Mayo - Babykiwi knows more about this entree than I, but all I can say is: wow.



Then onto mains: by this point I was eagerly bouncing in my seat. I wasn't kept waiting long, thank goodness.

Yasai Kushi Don: a combination of 1 tofu skewer (tasted so much better than any chicken I've eaten! and no I'm not a vegetarian) 1 grilled shitake mushroom skewer, 1 zucchini and 1 eggplants skewer (the latter of which had a cheese topping). All of this on a bed of steamed rice with teriyaki sauce, japanese pickles and a complementary miso soup. If only there I could relive this dish.

To finish our meal, we ordered the fried icecream balls. Now, I have had fried icecream in many a place so I consider myself quite the expert. When these first arrived I was excited, the outside was cinnamon coated and puffed to perfection. However, while tasty and not a total dissapointment, the insides were a fruity, too sweet flavour rather than classic vanilla. I have to say, a scoop of ice cream that is battered and deep fried with a cinnamon sugar coating is not in need of anything extra. May have to try their famous chocolate spring rolls instead next time. However I went home with a happy stomach and a business card, as I am sure I will return.

Borsh, Vodka and Tears(of Happiness)

Located at 173 Chapel Street, the thrifty, more 'arty' side of the street in my opinion, lies the Polish Vodka Bar and Restaurant that makes culinary dreams come true. Cunningly deceptive from the outside, once you step inside, you're instantly transported a local cafe in Eastern Europe. I may be biased because they were playing Angus&Julia. But hey, the food was divine.


Let's cut to the chase.


Perogies. Three types are on offer at this establishment. $17 i'm never going to regret. Filled with Porchini mushrooms & Sauerkraut, these european dumplings were breadcrumbed and panfried to perfection. Topped with Rocket leaves and chopped bread and butter pickles. 

I washed these delicious polish morsels with a "Bison & Apple' Mixed Cocktail made up of żubrówka vodka with apple juice & fresh lime. A refreshing combination of flavours that made drinking at 12pm seem a little  bit more acceptable.

Definately shall make a return to this fine establishment to sample their 49 other types of Vodka at some point.

I ate Skippy, and I liked it.

On my last visit to Lygon Street I decided to try something new, which I had always intended to try but for moral reasons had resisted. However, for any of you that haven't eaten kangaroo I highly recommend it. This particular dish was barbequed and served with pumpkin mash and a rosemary glaze. Perfection. And of course finished off with a gelato from Il Dolce Freddo down the road. I love you Melbourne.