Tyler St. Garage

Over the weekend North Island, or should I say lower and mid North Island was hit by what the weathermen called a "weather bomb". High winds tore through Taranaki and my old hometown; Whanganui. Roofs were torn off, trees felled, power supply disrupted. Up here in Auckland we caught just the fringe of the system and escaped with relatively minor stuff.

Tyler St. Lager

Just as quickly as it turned horrible, the weather became absolutely perfect. If Saturday was a precipitous low pressure sweeping across Taranaki and Manawatu, Sunday brought a fabulous high.. clear blues skies not a cloud in sight. Winds were still moderate, sail boats out in force in Auckland harbour.


And so we found ourselves strolling down to the waterfront after church, looking for a spot of lunch. Wanderings brought us to the Britomart precinct. Happy people soaking in the sunshine, dogs sniffing about. Poked our noses into 3 Eateries: Mexico - closed on Sunday, Brew on Quay - menu did not appeal, and walking round to Quay Street, Tyler St Garage. I had read reviews of this place and was keen to try it out.

View looking out to Quay Street

One happy lunch party sitting out in the brilliant (hot) sunshine and bracing breeze. Inside, a cavernous space, cool, dim and inviting. Industrial look, black painted steel beams (I would'nt mind a house like this), exposed bricks, high tables (on wheels) with bar stools, strategically positioned so that we could perch and shoot the breeze and watch the traffic go by outside. Picked up a menu and a friendly wait staff engaged us and we decided to eat here. Not a big menu, small plates for sharing, tempting gourmet hot dogs and pizza. Drinks not exorbitant either. We settled for 2 glasses of Tyler St lager - it seemed the right drink for a bright sunny day.. and foodie friend ordered Wild Boar Hot Dog and I ordered hot smoked salmon, broad bean hummus with grilled flat bread. (I had some misgivings about ordering a "small plate" as they are often not quite enough).

Wild Boar Hot Dog

Their eponymous lager was refreshing, well chilled but not outstanding. Went down well though. The Wild Boar sausage came quickly, smelt mouthwatering-ly savoury, on a soft roll. Topped with a serving of "sweet & sour apple sauerkraut with chilli", french fries and 2 small ramekins of ketchup and home-made mayo. Sausage was smoky, juicy and more-ish. My small plate took quite a while longer and to their credit, staff came to apologise and assure us that it would be out soon. And it was well worth the wait.

Grilled Flatbread

It was nothing like what I had expected. It was way better. The flat bread had been quartered, brushed with olive oil and grilled lightly - light crust with warm chewy interior. The smoked salmon and broad beans were presented as giant quenelles - one light tan and the other brilliant jade green. Their flavours complemented each other too - the hot smoked salmon had been mixed with dill, finely minced shallots and topped with Ikura (salmon roe) - smoky, salty, slightly piquant. The broad bean hummus was light, fresh tasting, with a hint of mint. Each component was delicious on its own but together made a very yummy mouthful. Very satisfying.

Hot Smoked Salmon, Broad bean hummus

Yum. We'd love to come back again perhaps in the evening to experience live music and sample more of their food offerings.

Kopi Tiam, Panmure... sedap!

Hungry after a morning of vigorous climbing at Extreme Edge, Panmure, we drove to Queen's Road. It's a road in a slightly rough neighbourhood.. but gosh! the food to be had here is really really good. If you can look past the strip mall, discount stores and un-glamorous surrounds, you're in for a treat.

We knew that there were 3 Malaysian restaurants / cafes here and had already tried the famous Sri Puteri so we walked along in the blustery autumnal winds and found the other 2 side by side. Kopi Tiam (literally translated from Malay: coffee shop) with clear shop windows and a menu stuck on the door and Blossom Court - looking slightly more upmarket with tinted windows and no menu. Both looked like there were people inside.. hmm. How does one make a choice?

Kopi Tiam

After a moment's hesitation, Kopi Tiam won, as we quickly perused its menu and decided all the food offered sounded yum.

Once inside, you could be excused if you thought you were back in a typical little coffee shop in some backwater town in Malaysia. Small cafe, with 7 tables, all neatly covered with PVC over lacy tablecloth. On the walls, pictures Kuala Lumpur and a whiteboard with "today's specials". In the background, the radio chattering away in Cantonese (some talk show, as far as I could decipher). It was 1pm and there was a table tucking into curry chicken, fried kway teow (flat rice noodles) and other delicious smelling things I could not see without being impolite!

As we looked over the menu, a steady stream of regulars came in, ordered take-aways, exchanged banter and left. Service was quick, polite and efficient. Steaming pot of chinese tea arrived on the table with our menu. We ordered Assam Laksa and Marmite chicken with fried egg on steamed rice.

Marmite. Don't wrinkle up your nose! I know people either love it or hate it (especially if you have not grown up eating it). A sticky, savoury brown, nearly black paste made from yeast extract. I love it on buttery toast or with cheese... but we digress. Alone, the taste can be overpowering for some, but as an ingredient, it adds an extra dimension or "umami". Umami is a term derived from Japanese, which describes an added savoury taste, mouth-feel attributed to glutamate. My chicken came stirfried with onions, capsicums, (still nice and crunchy), all coated in a delicious black sweet, savoury sauce. Just the thing to eat with plain steamed jasmine rice. To top it off, a perfectly fried egg, whites slightly crunchy, but yolk still runny... ooooo.

Marmite chicken

The Assam Laksa (rice noodles in a sour, spicy fish soup) was a generous portion. The soup made from fish stock was very tasty, had plenty of flaked fish and enough assam (assam is also know as tamarind and the flesh of the fruit is often used in SE Asian cooking to impart a tangy sour dimension to dishes) to make it mouth-wateringly piquant. Just enough chilli to add heat, but not too much, and garnished with raw onion slices, julienned cucumber and fresh pineapple - it hit the spot. If only there was a spoonful of "hay ko" (fermented prawn paste) it would have been perfect!

We started with our respective dishes and swopped halfway in true greedy fashion - so that we had a chance to taste both. To add to our enjoyment, we asked for a little side plate of sambal belachan. Very well done it was, and this one had heat! Phew! Pedas! (hot).

Assam Laksa

Bill came to just over $22. Good food, unpretentious surroundings, friendly service. We'll definitely be back.

Kopi Tiam, 139 Queens Road, Panmure, Auckland.

Sal Rose - the real deal

Just before Christmas, we wanted to have dinner out, on a Saturday. Give the cook a break kind of dinner, tasty, but not expensive. Roamed the 'Net, wondering what category of food might fit the bill. Chinese? nah.. French?.. too complicated, too expensive.. Vietnamese? nice, but just had that last week. Difficult decisions. Finally fell back on old favourite - Italian food. Good neighbourhood restaurant sort of Italian food?.. decided to try Sal Rose, which is " Owner operated, Sal Rose is dedicated to bringing home-style Central and Southern Italian cuisine to the Auckland area. Sal Rose comes with a history of real Italian heritage and Grandma's recipes" Phoned them to make a reservation - just managed to squeeze ourselves in for 6.30pm table. (They are popular.)

Spaghetti con Polpette

Easy to get to, it's located in a residential neighbourhood, in a tiny strip mall next to a "4 Square" grocers store and a real estate agent. Plenty of free parking directly in front of the restaurant and in the adjacent car park.


By the time we arrived, plenty of tables were happily tucking into their food, mostly families.. mom, dad, grandparents, kids. Casual but not sloppy. Cosy diner style bench seats and tables to the right, halfwood panelling with white walls making it look less severe. Ceiling fans whirred lazily overhead, cooling the sultry evening air. On the left, and dividing the main dining area from an extension / covered patio, a well stocked bar running almost the entire length of the restaurant. The extension to which we were ushered by a very pleasant young man, had a more rustic feel - red brick wall on one side and quarry tiles underfoot. Might be a bit cold in winter, but I did note space heaters on one of the walls. Service was prompt, knowledgeable and friendly.


Once seated we looked eagerly over the menu (I confess we had already looked at it online before heading out) and decided on a pasta and a pizza. To assuage our growling stomachs, we ordered a portion of their home made bread which was fragrant, slightly dense and chewy...  proper bread. Not the airy sliced stuff. Served with roasted garlic and olive oil, it went well with a bottle of Italian red - which I can't remember the name of, we enjoyed it so much we didn't stop to take photos or notes!

Gorgonzola and Pear Pizza

In spite of a rather full house, food came quickly enough, my Spaghetti con Polpette lived up to the reputation of being "our famous meatballs and spaghetti in Rose's tomato sauce". The meatballs were juicy, exquisitely delicious (did they have a mix of pork and beef?), the tomato sauce was as red and luscious as you wanted it to be without being overly rich. Often the big test (IMHO) of a good Italian restaurant is how well they "do" staples. If they had had a Pomodoro e Basilico - and if I had 2 stomachs - I would have ordered that too. The pasta which was made on site (according to the website) was slightly softer than "al dente", but to me, that was perfect, as I have dental braces and tender teeth! My mouth is watering just thinking of this pasta.


Dining partner had a pizza, also very well made - a somewhat exotic Gorgonzola and Pear. Decadent was the best word to describe it. Tangy, salty blue cheese, sliced pear and toasted pine nuts on a pesto base. So very delicious. We ate. We ate for New Zealand. But the bread at the beginning did us in and we had to "take away" half the pizza. Unable to even think of dessert, we enjoyed the last drops of our vino rosso and pushing our stomachs ahead of us, waddled back to car and home.

Cornwall Park - a haven in the city

View from Acacia Cottage

I absolutely love Cornwall Park. I live next door to it and it is such a green haven in the midst of Auckland city.

Acacia Cottage

It sure feels like a little pocket of countryside, with nearly 200 hectares of rolling hills and pastures, with sheep and cattle grazing. These livestock are from a real working farm at Cornwall Park which occupies about half the combined area of Cornwall Park and the adjacent One Tree Hill Domain. In Spring especially, during lambing season, it's wonderful to see frisky lambs just enjoying themselves.. tails (yet to be docked) a wagging, rooting for a feed at mother's side.

Sheep grazing on rolling hills

When the pressures of city living threaten to overwhelm, walking through the Kauri Grove, listening to the wind in the trees, the sun-dappled ground covered with leaves, breathing in the fresh air... an uplifting experience. I feel such a sense of well-being every time I walk through the park (which is as often as I can). From the wild(er) pastures to the more formal gardens and tree shaded avenues, with BBQ areas for families and a lovely little cafe with splendid views, everyone should visit this place... thank you Sir John Logan Campbell for your foresight in gifting this to the New Zealand people more than a hundred years ago.

Clare Inn, Auckland... what a find!

We went to the Clare Inn one Sunday evening, hungry for good Irish Pub food. Some pubs in NZ are very friendly and welcoming and others look real sleazy or are really a "guy's only" kind of watering hole. However, we had heard a lot of good things about the food here, so off we went.

Not quite sure of what it'd be like, we pushed open the doors and entered into a cool dark hallway Took a while for eyes to adjust after leaving the bright afternoon sun outside on Dominion road, we saw that the walls had dark wood panelling, lots of framed awards for food etc. Straight ahead as you entered was the bar (they had their priorities right) and to the right was a small room where happy people were having a few pints and on the left was what looked like the front room of an old country inn. We had not made any reservations, thinking that arriving at 6pm should find us quite a few empty tables. Wrong. Nearly full. Lots of regulars, having a drink or two and some tables well into their food. It looked as if we had wandered into the home of an extended Irish family.

We had a very friendly and warm welcome, and were seated at a little table for 2 by the fireplace (not lit, since it was summer). Service was quick, efficient, we got our menus and looked through the small but very enticing menu whilst enjoying our drinks from the bar (a Guinness and a lager). I think it's better for a restaurant to have a small menu and do it well, than to have zillions of items and all of them mediocre.

Beef and Guinness Spring Roll, Salad Greens

For starters we shared a beef and guinness spring roll. Very tender and tasty beef in a crispy skin, served with salad greens, followed by Slow Cooked Duck, Courgette fritter, pickled beetroot and Blood Orange marmalata. This has to be their star dish. The skin was crisp and light, meat tender and falling off the bone, full of flavour. Richness nicely balanced by the blood orange marmalade which was sweet but had a good amount of acidity.

Slow cooked Duck, Blood Orange Marmalata

Friend had Beef and Stout Wellington (which turned out to be a larger version of the Spring Roll). The green pea and smoked pork puree that came with it was to die for - just smooth enough, smoky, porky.. if you like mushy peas and smoky bacon, this one's for you!

Beef and Stout Wellington, Pea & Smoked Pork Puree, Whole grain Mustard

After such a feast, we could not manage dessert after that.

As we enjoyed our food, the place more and more crowded and it REALLY felt like some kind of family reunion that we had stumbled into. People seem to know each other, pulled up chairs and chatted. They did not mind us "strangers" and we did'nt feel out of place, and no one rushed us to finish our food and vacate our table.

What a find... we'll be back

The Clare Inn, 274-8 Dominion Road, Auckland, New Zealand. Tel: (09) 623-8233

Sambal Prawn Spaghetti

Sambal Prawn Spaghetti

 I have an enduring love affair with Italian food. It has many elements that resonate with Chinese food. Lots of garlic, quick stir frying of ingredients into a tasty sauce, tossing noodles into the said sauce.
We had a guest over for dinner this long weekend. Being mindful it was still within the Chinese New Year (CNY) fortnight, we wanted to serve something Chinese or Asian or Singaporean. But. Hot summer weather does'nt encourage slaving over a hot stove for hours on end.
...what to eat, what to cook.. can't be too spicy.. something "simple"
Looking back at our CNY Reunion dinner menu, sambal prawns was a winner, so decided to serve it as a one dish meal. (Plus salad).
Note:
1. I marinaded the prawns with cornstarch - a tip handed down from my grandma - keeps the prawns nice and "crunchy", prevents them from hardening up when cooked.
2. Cook sauce and pasta at the same time, if possible. Remove pasta from water whilst very "al dente" as it should finish cooking in the sauce.

Sambal

Ingredients: (serves 4 mains size, 6 entree)

• 36 medium prawns, tail on
• 1 500g pack San Remo No 220 Organic Spaghetti (bronzato style)
• 500ml tomato passata
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon Sambal  Chilli with dried shrimp
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into 3-4mm wide strips
• 6 gloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 -2 spring onions, very finely sliced
• 1/4 cup Chinese Shao Hsing Cooking wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt for boiling pasta
• peanut oil for frying prawns - 1/2 cup
• salt, pepper to taste
• thinly sliced red chillies (optional)

Ingredients: (Clockwise from Top Left) Spring onions, tomato mixture, prawns, white part of spring onion, ginger/garlic. Centre - roasted red pepper

Method

• Marinade the prawns with a quarter of the minced garlic, ginger and cornstarch for 20-30min
• Mix the sambal, tomato paste, tomato passata, Worcestershire sauce, sugar in a bowl, set aside
• Bring 4L of salted water to a boil in a large deep pot, cook pasta according to instructions.
• Meanwhile, heat the peanut oil till smoking, in a deep skillet or wok
• Drain the prawns, add to wok and stir fry till half cooked, about 2min. Set aside
• Add remaining ginger and garlic to oil (add more oil if mixture catches) stir fry briefly, do not allow garlic to burn. Deglaze with Shao Hsing wine.
• Add tomato mixture, bring to boil.
• By this time the pasta should be as cooked as you want it to be - just before the ideal "al dente" texture.
• Scoop pasta into sauce, stir well to mix and finish the pasta cooking in the sauce. (about 2minutes). Add salty pasta water as required. This contains starch and helps to thicken the sauce.
• Add the prawns, spring onions, red pepper and cook for another minute, season to taste with additional salt if necessary.
• Serve immediately

A Tale of Two Chippies (apologies to Charles Dickens)

"IT WAS the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.... " Indeed. A hot summer evening.. a Sunday that had seen some weather change from grey and blustery to warm sunshine. What better than a walk down to the Waterfront for a bite and a drink or two? The Viaduct was teeming with people, locals, tourists, all wanting a bit of sun and sea-breeze. The more popular watering holes were already crowded with revellers who looked like they had been there enjoying themselves for a while. Flushed faces (or was it sun?), laughter, music. Lively guitar music emanated from O Hagen's Irish Pub which was bursting at its seams with a very happy crowd. As it looked like we could not get in, we decided on a neighbouring drink spot from which we could hear the music. Sky Sport Bar and Grill had been advertised on local TV as having an amazing range of beers on tap and the sister F&B Outlet of the famous Foodstore restaurant just round the corner. Menu looked decent, usual suspects for a Sports Bar and decent prices too.  Can't be too bad, might even be good.

SkySport Bar and Grill Beer Menu Part 1

Sat ourselves down, took a while to look over the extensive list of beers on tap and I ordered an Epic Armageddon IPA, and Foodie Friend (FF) had a Renaissance Perfection Pale Ale. Beers came quickly, nice and crisp and cold. The way they should be. The Epic IPA was wonderfully hoppy, flowery and bursting with zingy flavour in the mouth. Refreshing, thirst quenching. Made a mental note to look for it in local supermarket. Foodie friend's Perfection Pale Ale was good too. but paled (sorry) in comparison to mine. Was supposed to have toffee notes.. it was sort of caramel-ly, but mine was a better summer drink.

Thirst quenched, we decided on food. That was when trouble started. Sorry, we have run out of beef, lamb and pork. (This was 6pm) Hmm.. that's bad planning on the part of the management. It wasn't even dinner time yet. Never mind, I chose fish and chips ($19.00) and friend chose 3 sliders from the limited chicken or fish selection. Food took about 30min to arrive - which was rather long as there weren't many people eating. Most were still making the most of Happy Hour, amassing un-drunk pints on the table before 7pm. My fish and chips arrived in a newspaper cone, kitsch but acceptable presentation. The portion size was amazing. Amazingly small. I could count the number of chips, which turned out to be just barely cooked, dense and neither crunchy on the outside nor fluffy on the inside. The beer battered fish (what fish ?) tasted fishy and the batter was soggy. And it was smaller than an iPhone. The Worst.

SkySports Fish & Chips

Underwhelmed. FF's sliders - why are they called sliders? Some reference to baseball I'm sure. Sliders are like mini burgers with meat / veg / whatever in between and meant to be a tasty little morsel.

SkySports Sliders

Well, the sliders that we had, the buns - were stale, we could have played baseball with them. The chicken was ordinary as was the piece of beer battered fish. Hmm.. wait a minute, did they serve the portion of fish meant for the slider on my plate of fish and chips? Sad. Quickly ate up, paid and went out into the fresh air to enjoy the lively music from O Hagen's.

Still hungry as we drove home, we decided to stop by The Chip Shop at the Royal Oak Roundabout. This multi-award winning chip shop is consistently good and has been a favourite for many years.
Always busy, and when we arrived the wait was 20min, but that was fine. We strolled to Pak and Save to get us a pint or 2. 1 scoop of award winning chips, a breaded Tarakihi and (horrors!) a fried Mars Bar. All for $10. Cheerful efficient service. Walking back to the car with warm pack of fish and chips - and later enjoying it at home - affirmed our conviction that good food, cheerful service in unpretentious environs beats fancy stuff hands down. The portion of chips was generous, crunchy on the outside and fluffy within, they did not become soggy even after an hour of slow eating. The fish was fresh, with a delicious breadcrumb coating. The Best.

The Chip Shop's Fish & Chips

Fried Mars bar (we wont repeat that again soon) deliciously sinful.

So, as I said, it was the best (of fish & chips) and the worst (fish & chips).

Genetically modified (GMO) food - are we consuming it without knowing it?

I love food - I love to cook it and eat it. It is obvious from this blog. One of the issues related to food that often intrigues me is genetically modified (GMO) food and how people are opposed to eating it. I am not a botanist nor a plant geneticist, just someone who is curious. I have some questions, I searched for some answers and I have compiled them here to share with you. I'm not pro GMO nor am I vehemently against it. I just think we need a sensible approach to see what is good and what is bad about "modifying" food producing plants, plants and animals.

Seedless Fruits - GMO or not?
From what I know and understand, this is the natural way of getting a fruit:
Plant a seed and wait for it to grow into a plant. Pray and hope for the plant to have lots of flowers. Once flowers start to bloom, pray and hope again that they get fertilized. Flowers that get fertilized mature into fruits that contain seeds and the whole cycle starts again. Therefore, naturally, a grape should contain seeds.

So, how do we get seedless grapes?
I hate seeds in grapes - get into the way of my enjoyment of the fruit. I remember studying about parthenocarpy during secondary school. That was a long, long time ago - don't ask me why I still remember it till today. Maybe the thought of eating seedless grapes when I was a child intrigued me. Anyway, I remember my biology teacher telling us that seedless grapes are produced via parthenocarpy. Actually, she was inaccurate - seedless grapes are seedless because of stenospermocarpy - the abortion of the embryo - not parthenocarpy. But I won't hold it against her.

In parthenocarpy, fruit is developed without fertilization or use of seeds. Parthenocarpy happens in nature - some sort of mutation happens and the fruit becomes seedless. Sometimes, parthenocarpy is man made - use of hormones to induce parthenocarpic fruit. This means use of hormones to cause a mutation that will leave a fruit seedless. So, that means a GMO fruit, yes? When was the last time you ate an orange that was seedless?

How about high yield rice?
I have always believed that high yield rice has been genetically modified because I learnt from my Geography teacher that rice used to be low yield - producing crop annually. According to Wikipedia, "Rice, like corn and wheat, was genetically manipulated to increase its yield." I wonder if the popular Thai Hom Mali rice has been GMO? How many of us eat rice, and wheat based products that come from high yield cereals? and how many people complain?

Will grafting a plant modify genetics?
I can't access Stegmann and Bock's (2009) article. So this was taken from the abstract available from Pubmed:

"We grafted tobacco plants from two transgenic lines carrying different marker and reporter genes in different cellular compartments, the nucleus and the plastid. Analysis of the graft sites revealed the frequent occurrence of cells harboring both antibiotic resistances and both fluorescent reporters. Our data demonstrate that plant grafting can result in the exchange of genetic information via either large DNA pieces or entire plastid genomes. This observation of novel combinations of genetic material has implications for grafting techniques and also provides a possible path for horizontal gene transfer."

Aren't many new breeds of fruits and flowers obtain via grafting? Logically thinking, grafting bud A to plant B producing plant C requires some change to happen genetically, doesn't it? Of course there will be people who will say "oh, GMO has to do with cloning, protein engineering or use of molecular genetic techniques, not grafting that produces a new hybrid." Oh, come on...

Reference:

1. Rotino et al (2005) Open field trial of genetically modified parthenocarpic tomato: seedlessness and fruit quality. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6750/5/32
2. Parthenocarpy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocarpy
3. Polyploidy & Hybridization In San Diego County. http://waynesword.palomar.edu/hybrids1.htm#parthenocarpy
4. Genetic engineering. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineering
5. Stenospermocarpy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenospermocarpy
6. Acciarri et al (2002). Genetically modified parthenocarpic eggplants: improved fruit productivity under both greenhouse and open field cultivation.
7. Wikipedia - Rice.
8. Stegemann S, Bock R. Exchange of genetic material between cells in plant tissue grafts.