Kong BBQ - king of meat, Korean style

Bringing a new perspective to the barbequed meats trend that's so in right now, Kong BBQ in Melbourne introduces us to Asian barbeque and smoking techniques under a cutesy Japanese-styled panda logo.

Inside Kong BBQ, Church Street, Cremorne, Melbourne

By the same group behind the always popular Chin Chin in the Melbourne CBD, Kong BBQ in the inner Melbourne city suburb of Cremorne was impressively busy for our late lunch drop in, with plenty of couples seated around the open kitchen counter seats and groups contentedly hoeing into meat platters.

Kong house kin chi

We started on the house pickles and kim chi fermented cabbage; the latter full of crunch, squish and chilli heat. I adored the pickled carrot strips alongside interestingly soft walnuts, while daikon white radish rounded out the pickled offerings.

Wood grilled edamame with chilli and salt

Giving the usual edamame soy beans a new wood grilled look and taste, as well as keeping on the barbeque theme, the heavily salted edamame continued to ramp up the meal's spice levels.

Hot wings with gochujang and chipotle

Chicken wings were irresistible given a whole menu section dedicated to the boney cut and we opted for the saucy gochujang Korean chilli paste and chipotle variety.

Deep red and garnished with extra fresh chilli slices, the wings weren't overly spicy and featured some very juicy midwings.

Nasu miso - miso eggplant

I couldn't pass on one of my favourite vegetables, served with a twist on the traditional Japanese nasu dengaku style, in a lettuce leaf in Chinese san choi bao style.

The hunk of soft eggplant, beautifully caramelised and packed with miso flavour, was adorned with sesame seeds, fried strips of something and coriander in a clever fusion offering.

BBQ baby back pork ribs with Kong 'crazy horse' chilli

Our barbequed pork ribs selection seemed to feature the same red chilli sauce as the chicken wings, with the same chilli, spice and all things apparently "crazy horse".

The tender ribs on the bone made for an ideal lip-smacking, finger-licking main dish to share - carbs on the side would be ideal.

Bossam BBQ tray

Continuing on the sharing trend, the bo ssam BBQ tray was definitely the way to go for most groups and even some couples.

Served in the same style as American-style barbeque platters with a selection of meats on a metal tray, the platter arrived with kim chi, pickles, pork crackling and butter lettuce and perilla leaves for wrapping and eating in traditional Korean ssam style.

Bossam BBQ tray

There was smoky chicken breast, pulled pork, pork belly and my favourite, beef brisket - each with a slightly different cooking method, sauce and personality as part of the platter.

Between four of us and all the other dishes, we completely cleaned up the tray of meats.

Spicy cabbage salad with pickled veg and Kewpie mayo

We supplemented our meat-fest with a very well-executed cabbage slaw, with spice, pickle and Kewpie mayonnaise making it one of the more impressive slaw salads of recent times.

Bar and open kitchen

While it's so on-trend that it almost hurts, Kong BBQ is doing its Asian barbeque well with a sense of fun and a modern, casual approach. Meat and the charcoal grill are king at Kong BBQ, and it's so hot right now.

Get to know the Greek: The Progressive Greek wine and food tours

Posted by Kath

I have to admit that when I'm after a nice glass of wine or two as comfort in the middle of winter, Greek wines don't often jump to mind with my preference usually heading towards Australian, French or Italian wines.

However, I'm always keen to expand my palate and was excited to take part in 'The Progressive Greek' event hosted by Greek wine importer, Douglas Lamb Wines.

"Many people don't know that the Greeks have been making wine from about the third century BC and actually took the art to Italians, who then introduced it to the French," says David Lamb, a qualified sommelier and third generation wine importer.

"The Progressive Greek' guided tour by Douglas Lamb Wines starts at Alpha, Castlereagh Street, Sydney

Throughout the month of July 2014 'The Progressive Greek' promotion by Douglas Lamb Wines aims to open minds to the possibilities of matching Greek wines with food that's not necessarily Greek.

Following the three venue, guided progressive dinner we had through the Sydney CBD, I can attest to the eye-opening matches that really highlighted the versatility of the Greek wines we had: the Kir Yianni wine range from the Amyndeon region in the far north west of Greece.

Kir Yianni 'Akakies' Brut Rose at Alpha

Our guided Sydney tour began with a feast for the eyes at the beautifully designed space of modern Greek restaurant Alpha.

The first wine for the night was the Kir Yianni 'Akakies' Brut Rosé which would be a perfect thirst quencher on a hot summer's day. The rosé had a lovely strawberry pink hue and was bubbly with a crisp acidity and a nice hint of sweetness; a great wake-up call for the palate.

Melitzanosalata smoked eggplant dipat Alpha

Although we were dining on a cold winter's night the food pairing with the rosé certainly brought to mind warmer days.

Served to share, we were presented with a moreishly delicious, chunky and smoky eggplant dip with lots of warm, fluffy pita bread.

Pickled octopus, cucumber and sun-dried olivesat Alpha

We also shared beautifully soft, melt-in-the-mouth pickled octopus tentacles, served atop cucumber slices and olives in a zingy salad-like dish.

Ouzo cured ocean trout, fennel, orange, watercress and sumac onions at Alpha

And lastly at Alpha, we had a superb dish of succulent cured ocean trout with the faint taste of anise from the ouzo, sliced thin with a refreshing fennel, orange and watercress salad.

All three dishes were rich in their own right and I found that tartness of the rosé helped cut through them, allowing me to keep going back for more.

Kir Yianni 'Petra' with food at Danjee, Albion Place, Sydney

The next stop on our tour was Danjee Korean Restaurant which was a surprise as wine and Korean food aren't two things I usually associate with each other. I was pleasantly surprised and have to admit that the white wine pairing of Kir Yianni 'Petra' with Korean flavours was my favourite of the night.

The Kir Yianni 'Petra' has a light honey appearance and was dangerously easy to drink, probably due to the fact there was very little acidity and its very smooth finish that didn't leave the palate dry at all.

Banchan side dishes at Danjee

As is customary at Korean restaurants, we were supplied with a variety of sides to get things started, including cabbage kim chi and other cold vegetable side dishes, but the highlights at new-ish Danjee were definitely the mains.

Yukhoe - beef tartare at Danjee

To share across the table was a yukhoe beef tartare consisting of thin strips of frozen raw beef dressed with plenty of sesame oil and soy sauce, mixed together at the table with a raw egg yolk, cucumber and pear.

Refreshing in its coldness yet rich in mouthfeel, the yukhoe was surprisingly well matched to the white Kit Yianni 'Petra'.

Hew dup gap - salmon and kingfish sashimi, vegetables and rice at Danjee

Our second main was the delicious hew dup gap, similar to rice-based bimbimbap but with raw, diced salmon and kingfish sashimi in place of beef.

The fresh flavours and chilli hit was a fantastic pairing with the silky Petra white wine, which really complemented the varied flavours well.

Kitchen at Glass Brasserie, Hilton Sydney, George Street, Sydney

What I enjoyed most about the concept of the progressive dinner was the fact we actually got up and walked to our next meal which in turn worked up our appetites.

Kir Yianni 'Paranga' at Glass Brasserie

The third and final destination of the guided tour was Glass Brasserie in Hilton Sydney with the final wine for the evening, the Kir Yianni 'Paranga' which was a medium bodied red, quite spicy with a fairly short finish.

Braised wagyu short rib with Pedro Ximenez, carrot & cumin puree,
horseradish and piquillo peppers at Glass Brasserie

It was a good balance to the decadent wagyu beef short rib, doused in sweet sauce of pedro Ximenez sherry, sitting atop a delectable carrot and cumin puree without any hint of the promised horseradish.

Dessert wasn't on the cards but overall the 'The Progressive Greek' evening was thoroughly enjoyable, thoughtful and well planned with food and Greek wine pairings. We couldn't have had a more knowledgeable and approachable host in David Lamb to explain the origins and history of the Amyndeon region wines, all the while keeping the affair casual, light-hearted and most importantly, delicious.

Amazing food at three Sydney CBD restaurants, some really versatile Greek wines and to share the whole experience with some new friends - it's surely ignited a desire to continue progressing my palate, one Greek wine at a time.

During the month of July, wine and food lovers can book guided tours in Sydney hosted by Douglas Lamb Wines' David Lamb. If you want to take things at your own pace there is also a self-guided option, with participating restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney with meal and Greek wine pairings.

Food, Booze & Shoes attended 'The Progressive Greek' dinner as a guest, with thanks to Douglas Lamb Wines.

Ceci: A late night saviour (sort of)

It's 11pm, you're in the inner west suburbs and you've been drinking - beer, wine and sake. You're hungry and the fridge is empty. The pizza you tried to order online is in Burwood, Victoria.

This situation found us walking into Ceci in Strathfield minutes before the staff turned over the hanging sign to say 'closed'. There were a couple of other tables eating studiously - Korean students, a young family, some older Korean gentlemen - with the stone hot pots proving popular.

Banchan starter dishes at Ceci, The Boulevard, Strathfield

The menu features both barbeque and hot pot items quite extensively, but it was post drinking food and carbohydrates we were after.

The banchan starter dishes couldn't come out fast enough for us, with a quintet of mostly vegetables and a dipping sauce, presumably for one of our later orders.

Two pieces of pale potato didn't go between four people but there was nothing too interesting or seconds-inspiring among the bean sprouts, zucchini or mung bean jelly, other than the excellently chilli-spiced cabbage kimchi.

Seafood and shallot pancake

Korean seafood pancakes, or haemul jeon, are one of my absolute favourite foods so it was with some disappointment that we received a pale, soggy one.

Filled with shallots, squid and prawns, neither the soy dipping sauce or chilli bean sauce could really save the barely cooked batter.

Seafood noodles

Better were the seafood noodles, with a similar showing of seafood among the thick white rice noodles. Cooked with carrot, bean sprouts, zucchini and shallots in a plain, homely flavouring; the noodles were on the mark after a few drinks.

Fried chicken wings

Last to arrive were burning hot chicken mid-wings and drumettes. Battered and straight out of the deep fryer, the chicken wings suffered from a major lack of seasoning, salt even, and it was probably one of the few times I haven't enjoyed fried chicken of any sort.

Perhaps the restaurant's specialty is in Korean hot pots or barbeque, which are promoted on staff T-shirts. But for "where's-my-pizza"-style post-drinking eats, Ceci was a late night saviour.

Oh, barbeque time

Barbequeing at O Bal Tan, Pitt Street, Sydney

Nothing warms the wind-chilled face and fingers or an icy demeanour like this sight. Never mind the smoke seeping into freshly washed hair, woollen sweaters and cold dagger eyes, it's warm and there's food - and that's all that matters some Friday nights after a few schooners.

This particular late night, there was still a wait for O Bal Tan and next door Madang, although O Bal Tan was able to accommodate us more easily and quickly on this occasion. It's amazing how quickly decisions can be made when one is cold and starving. Must try it more often at work.

Pancake banchan

And when you're starving, what better than complimentary starters that, like the Tim Tam's of old, never run out. What a beautiful thought it is that a doorbell can bring you food almost instantaneously. These petite pancakes are mostly dough and a bit of forgettable vegetable. Not the best start, but nonetheless awesome when you're starving.

Pasta banchan

Much more interesting is the ice cream scoop of creamy orange pasta dotted with sultanas. It's subtle in its sweetness (I'm thinking sweet potato puree) with spiral pasta providing the substance. I must say I'm more accustomed to pasta banchan in a mayonnaise sauce, but this (hopefully) healthier version was demolished quick-smart, with another order shortly on the way.

Onion banchan

The onion might look devilishly like they'll give you onion breath for days, but they're quite tame, crisply pickled in a sweet and vinegary sauce that renders the onions glossy brown. They may not give you bad breath for days, but still probably not first date food.

Cabbage

Now I'm not entirely sure if the cabbage was part of the banchan, or was a side to the barbeque meats we had ordered, considering we received more than just one of these dishes. The thinly shredded nest of cabbage sat in a sweet vinegar sauce much like that of the onion and was a refreshing and crunchy mouthful everytime.

Seafood pancake

Korean pancakes are generally a must-order for me and I hate to be disappointed by them. This version is delightfully crunchy, quite thin and packed with shallots but a little light on the seafood. I recall some squid and mussels and not much else. Still, it's addictive even when I know it's filling and has carb-expanding powers within my stomach.

Some kind of HOT soup...

To be honest, I'm not sure what kind of soup this was. All I am certain of is that it was hot; burn-your-tastebuds-from-existence hot - this from the chilli and the intial temperature. There may have been crab in it; there was Chinese cabbage and zucchini; I really don't know. All I remember is red hot chilli. Ouch.

Sides for barbequeing

I find that at Korean restaurants, food tends to rush out all at once and thus, filling up a table rather quickly that you have to juggle your Hite bottles with empty banchan dishes and dipping sauces to fit the next thing on. The vibrantly fresh butter lettuce leaves and carrot sticks make it for the barbeque but the cucumber sticks go right in my mouth in an attempt to cool and calm the tongue from the soup attack.

Barbeque action starts

And then comes the DIY portion of the night, which I often no longer choose due to laziness. But we're barbequeing chicken thigh fillets and beef ribs tonight, the latter of which are so oddly satisfying. Must be the gnawing on the flat, thick bone that is such novelty; while the chicken thigh is difficult to mess up.

Both appear marinated in a sweet, garlicky sauce that cooks to a burnt, caramelised outer crust and induce some finger licking. I like to wrap the meat in the lettuce leaves and generally dunk it into whatever sauces are around: chilli bean sauce, garlic vinegar sauce, kimchi remnants - anything goes.

Post barbeque, we're thoroughly warmed - I may have even broken out in a sweat over that soup - but happy and satisfied. Barbeque times are always guaranteed good times, whether it's in the backyard with tomato sauce covered burnt sausages, or at a Korean restaurant with chilli soup and a hole in the table.

Brekkies and a bit more Hawaiian catch-up

Day two of Hawaii - boy, I have some catching up to do. Our hotel in Waikiki is conveniently located next door to an IHOP. At first this doesn't really ring a bell - is it a US convenience store chain that I've heard from the Simpsons? No, my more Americanised friend tells me, it's pancakes! I don't know what it is about Americans and pancakes, but I'm soon to find out at the International House of Pancakes, or IHOP.

IHOP on Kuhio Ave, Waikiki

Our first taste of American hospitality: we're seated and told that our server would be with us soon to take our orders. In the meantime we peruse the extensive menu and look around at fellow diners. There's a majority of Americans and a few Japanese tourists - this is pretty much indicative of the mix of people in Waikiki overall. But we're here for pancakes, and pancakes I shall have. The sweet stacked versions topped with cream and syrup look a little much for breakfast, so we both choose savoury options with pancakes on the side.

I believe mine was the 'Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity' (try saying that when you're half asleep), which came with as many options as when buying a new car. Eggs? Fried. How? Over hard, apparently. Bacon or sausage or half & half? Half & half, please. Pancakes? Blueberry. Drink? Guava juice. It's just too much decision-making for first thing in the morning.

(On the 'half & half' order, the server asked first in her American accent, naturally. My friend responded in the relatively British-sounding Aussie accent. When the server asked me in the American accent I unintentionally replied with an American-accented "half & half", to which she reiterated a British-sounding "half & half". Accent swapping - very amusing!)

Our juices arrive, the guava prettily pink but tasting nastily of tin, not that I expected fresh juice but I didn't quite need to taste the packaging either. And then the meals arrive in a flurry and it's hard not to smile.

Pancakes with blueberry and cream (left), bacon, eggs and
sausages (centre) and chocolate chip pancakes (right)

The blueberry pancake looks pretty as a picture, although I don't really like cream and the blueberries look artificial and sickly sweet (I later find out that they are). The choc chip pancakes are chocolatey brown rather than having choc chips in them. And I've two rashers of well-done but not quite crispy bacon, two thin sausages and two eggs fried 'over hard'.

I'm not quite sure if there is any order of eating the meal but I first taste the pancakes, mostly because they look so good. The blueberries sit in a thick, dark blue syrup that drenches two fluffy pancakes. It's not light eating and I manage one and a quarter pancakes, probably a quarter of the blueberry mix and none of the cream. The sausages are a bit of a surprise, very tasty and not too oily. I only wish a piece of toast to go with it all rather than the pancakes, but I concede that it is IHOP and when in Rome...

The next eating adventure happens to be again breakfast, the next day. Actually, considering the time we got out of bed and up for food, it was probably closer to lunch than brekky. Closer to lunch than brunch even. We'd passed a little eatery a few nights earlier and were intrigued by the menu, especially the last row of items in the pic below.

Outdoor menu at ME B-B-Q (Kaiulani Ave, I think)

Third from the left is indeed Spam, eggs and rice. I'm not sure what my sudden obsession with Spam is - it must be contagious from the locals. It is a breakfast item on the menu so I unfortunately do not get to sample this local fare. The rest of the menu is Korean and not necessarily breakfast-like. We're on holidays and we'll do what we want..!

Bi bim bap

My companion nominates the bi bim bap before I get to it. I thought the fresh, clean flavours would be ideal as a breakfast substitute and they are, huge serve aside. Atop the mound of steamed rice are strips of beef, chopped kimchee, cabbage, cucumber and bean sprouts, topped with a sunny side up egg with a chilli paste on the side and served with a salty, clear seaweed soup.

Shrimp jun with four vegies and rice

I resort to having a cutely named shrimp jun, basically an omelette encased with a school of butterflied shrimp with tails. It's also a big serving in a square styrofoam box and I get to choose four vegies to have with it. I'm glad because sometimes when I'm holidaying I don't get my proper fixes of fruits and vegies. I chose steamed broccoli, caramelised potatoes, bean sprouts and kimchee - much like the appetisers you'd get at a Korean resturant. It's a huge meal and plenty enough sustenance to get me through the day and to dinner.

Speaking of, dinner happens early this day at an establishment known as Senor Frog's.

Senor Frog's (Kalakaua Ave, Waikiki)

Upon entry we're seated and then our server introduces themselves and suggests that we have shots. We politely decline and instead go for the nightly special of Blue Hawaiis that taste less exciting than their vivid appearance.

Blue Hawaiis at Senor Frog's

The mood here is young and rambunctious, though it's still early and there are families about. It has a backpackers feel to it and I can imagine the mischief that patrons and staff alike would get up to. The interior is adorned with quirky signs and posters, plasmas show the NFL and the lucky ones on the balcony get views of tourists doing their designer shopping.

Again the menu is quite huge so we go the easy way out and order a mixed appetiser plate, unaware of what we're getting ourselves into.

Mixed appetiser platter at Senor Frog's

My first thought is: it's all deep fried, my goodness. We stare a while and discount the internal fat and cholesterol counters: it's okay, we're on holidays. Starting from the top clockwise we've got shoestring chips/fries, plus ketchup, and tortilla chips with a home made salsa (centre yellow dish). Then we've got fried chicken wings with a blue cheese sauce - the wings which are actually done well and still juicy and flavoursome. We've got crumbed and deep fried cheese sprinkled with coriander to make queso cilantro (it's rubbery and bland - the best part is the coriander). We've got fried shrimp with a tartare sauce. And we've got chicken flautas which are tortillas filled with shredded chicken then deep fried and served with refried beans, lettuce, tomato bits and sour cream. And there's a chilli sauce for whatever really.

This platter of fried food is daunting, surely artery-clogging and tempting in mostly the wrong ways. I'm almost embarassed to say that we ploughed through the most of it, leaving a few stray chips and a very impressed server. We avert our eyes, tip and vow never to come back for the sake of health... which then doesn't stop my travelling partner from dessert.

While I gape in shock from looking at more food and the pretty, pretty cakes at Satura Cakes, the cakes more than tempt my friend.

Mini cakes at Satura Cakes, Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki

These are literally cup cakes as they're in little paper cups and look simply adorable. The order is for red velvet, an American favourite I'm told. Back at the hotel I sneak a few bites later in the night and I'm unimpressed with the fluffy and moist cake, which tastes simply like chocolate sponge tinged red, but I lick up the icing, which is light and tastes like either cream cheese or yoghurt. Yum, but no more eating. For tonight.