Dinner at Michael’s on Matthew Flinders

Just at the spur of the moment we decided to go out for dinner, probably because the fridge was empty, well not empty but nothing that excited us. So Michael’s on Matthew Flinders Drive was our choice. At 6.40pm I called for a table, Ryan accepted booking for 7.30.

We arrived dead on time which is unusual for us generally we are fashionably late. We were shown to our table by the window, not to much to see with the doors closed and the big tree lit up over the beach, yes Michael’s is directly on the beach, it couldn’t get any closer unless you were on a boat. The view however during the day is awesome, the sandy beach, blue water, the view to the Keppel Islands, what more could you ask for. Well maybe great food and drink.

Firstly lets describe the restaurant. It was only our second time at Michael’s and I spotted a few changes. The lovely wine glasses with the engraved ‘M’, the complimentary bread with balsamic and olive oil. The tables are clothed and set perfectly with a basic napkin fold and the menu in place, which I do like. Also no table numbers, a sign of a classy place. Slick lines and colors that give the feel of a certain elegance. Unfortunately it was a quiet night but that only made it better for those dinning.

The service from Ryan was tops. Great up-selling ability, very smooth but not pushy, that’s an art in-itself. We studied the menu which has grown from our first experience, great to see. A well balanced menu I must add covering most palates. Before we got to make our choice, we were presented with an ‘amusegueule’, what’s that you ask, well check out my report for amuse-gueule. This complimentary petite dish was cucumber sorbet with fine tomato and onion with salmon caviar. This is a first for Yeppoon and hats off to chef Michael, the impact was just great, the combination cold & smooth with the slightly salty caviar popping in the mouth, refreshing yet intriguing, (maybe loose the onion). Let me help educate those out there about ameusgeule eticate, this is a ‘gift’ from the chef, his way of saying welcome, so don’t go asking for choices, take it or leave it.

Onto our order, which by then I was inspired for more. The sorbet and caviar were on two of the entrees so they fell out of my choice but still there was plenty to chose from. Eventually we ordered. Not long after, our entrees arrived. Moni had the buffalo mozzarella with proscuitto ham and apple balsamic $15- which was absolutely fantastic 10/10 now that’s saying something. Two products that don’t need much doing to, but if inferior quality then it doesn’t work, with the addition of salt, cracked pepper and the balsamic it was a marriage in heaven.

I had the scallops with rare tuna $17- Four scallops in the shell with roe on, topped with perfect squares of rare tuna and salmon caviar with tomato and chervil. Very nice, but I am not a fan of the scallop roe, the flavors were good. These were cleared and our mains were quickly with us.

I had lamb on mint and pea salad $ 33- This was excellent. The lamb cooked to perfection, I couldn’t do it better myself, the pea and mint had great flavor and with the jus being top quality it was a great meal, highly recommended. I also had a side of smashed baby potato, very good flavor and at $5.50 plenty. My meal didn’t need them, but I had to see for myself. Moni had the veal ravioli with tomato fondue sage butter $15- from the entree selection as her main meal. Two entrees suit her better than often a main meal. The fondue with sage was very flavorsome. The ravioli was cooked well and was good filled, (often lots of dough no filling) the filling though was a little plain and rather pastey in texture. Presentation was once again great. With our meals we drank a 2004 Andrew Garret merlot $ 37.50 Question, I wonder how it is in full summer with the red wines if they tend to get a little too warm? That will be something to monitor.

By this time Chef Michael had spied us and we then had a chat and sampled some new sorbets that he is working on. We had ordered the creme brulee which came with a perfect sugar crust and great flavor, a huge serve I will add, probably ideal to share if full and want to sample a dessert. With a bottle of Riesling from Neilson NZ which was a bit weak as dessert wines go, but still it was great to even taste it with these ‘custard apple’ treats. Michael having his own icecream maker it is definitely a passion of his to churn away every day to produce the best ice on the coast. So $147- later, and a great night behind us, it’s time to publish my review.

John Mundell will definitely return.

Pineapple festival Awards in Yeppoon

The festival of the pineapple has recently passed and as usual it was bigger and better than the previous year. Not that I get too involved with the whole festival thing. I am generally too busy to even contemplate a visit to the event. But once again Beaches Restaurant picked up an award. Brian Dorey gave me the call to inform us of the presentation.

This award even though it goes to the establishment was one by young apprentice Matthew Gavel, now at Megalomania. It was his creation and cooking that achieved the award. So well done to him. Maybe the award should go to the chef and not the establishment. So that now makes it five years running that one of my chefs, myself included have picked up an award. Congratulations to Megalomania & Zilzie Bay on taking out the main prize, shame they just can’t help but share it. The Judges said that the entries were up 50%, maybe due to the new restaurants opening!

On the theme of the Pineapple check this one out. Monica is holding a 5.2KG pineapple a few months back, I saved the photo especially for this post. Surprisingly it tasted great, and it made plenty of fruit salad for the wedding buffet.

Technorati Tags: pineapple , Yeppoon , festival , awards , blog , chefs , megalomania

Technorati Tags: fruit, vegetable, Yeppoon

Easy Come Easy Go

Well what a week!! Just the one wedding and only a la carte to deal with, things were not too bad. Time to attend to those 2008 function and conference menus. Also time to do those extra little cleaning jobs that often get missed.

With our search for staff at a premium and little response to most advertising, it was a great bonus to have walk through the door an Aussie born chef with plenty of experience in many good places, like Berardo’s and Bistro C in Noosa and with a recent 10 month stint with Gordon Ramsay in London, it was a serious shock to the system. Without hesitation he was given a start, just our luck that we were quick off the mark as we are not the only restaurant in the area looking for Chefs and he having handed out his CV to many. Friday came and my new chef started. He settled quickly and found no problem in orienteering himself in the kitchen. Not all what you read on a resume is always clear and you need to read between the lines. I hadn’t expected anything else to tell the truth. The evening went well and after a cold beer at the end of service we parted. On a high I went home to enjoy a good nights sleep with the great plans to up the anti in the Beaches Kitchen.

Only to be brought back to ground with a hammer. A call from the Boss to inform me that the new chef is currently on his way to Sydney to work at Aria for Matt Moran. Great, excellent, well done, fantastic, were not my selection of words, but we will not repeat that. So after just one night work he’s gone, easy come easy go.

I guess you can’t pass up a chance to work at Aria with Matt Moran, I wouldn’t, well maybe at Beaches with John Mundell……………….Anyway the week ended on a good note with possibly a new chef to start next week. Also my review from Michael’s Dinner coming soon.

Technorati Tags: chefs , Blog , Beaches , Aria , Gordon Ramsay , Berardo’s , Bistro C , Noosa , kitchen , Matt Moran

How Hard is it to get Fresh Fish?

Fresh fish these days just seems harder and harder to get. I think that maybe I have been a little spoilt in my career to have had the opportunity to work with some great produce which believe me I am truly grateful. Strange that now I am working so close to the sea I seem to be experiencing the other end ‘the lack of’.

Maybe due to the mass production of imported frozen fish we suffer in the search for fresh produce. Could it be that the demand by us chefs is too high or are we just happy to get frozen processed? However, the big gourmet restaurants in the cities don’t seem to have such a problem. I guess that is because the fish markets there source the produce from all over which then gives them greater availability of fish to the chefs.

I also understand that closures need to be inplace to allow the growth of the species and not to be fished out. It also varies from state to state with closures. Maybe also the weather has an effect on supply. Maybe it is the cost involved. I would gladly pay the asking price for fresh produce and receive it on a daily basis in the perfect world. I just find it hard to get my head around the fact that I can see the sea from the kitchen at Beaches (how lucky I am) and yet with such perfect weather some days there is little fresh fish.

Are the fisherman lazy? Imagine if we could have our own fisherman that would go out once a week and catch some fish, bring it back direct to the restaurant e voila. We need fishermen to go out and catch fish. The fisherman need to earn a living, we need to pay the asking price, and we need the fish to be graded and processed to comply with health and safety. Then we need regular delivery. So where lies the problem?

Technorati Tags: Fresh, horseradish.

Windows Live Writer

Many thanks to the writers manifesto blog for introducing me to this awesome blog writing aid. Window Live Writer enables you to write your entry and incorporate pictures, links, maps, tags, videos and more without having to store them on your computer. Also it formats the entry into your blog style. You can download Windows Live Writer here. It is very easy to install and you will be up and writing in no time.

Yet another busy week at the restaurant, two weddings this weekend as well as plenty of a la carte diners. There is lots of interest for Christmas parties with the big day coming soon and companies wanting to entertain. This is my first try with live writer, lets see how it looks.

Young Chefs Blog, Aidan Brooks on his way to the top

I have just come across this young chefs blog. He is 19 years old and has just graduated from Westminster Kingsway College in London. Armed with his Professional Chef Diploma he has just started a 3-month training stage at one of the most creative restaurants in Barcelona. Read more

Summer is Nearly Here

Summer is nearly here, and this is bringing the public out more. It is a very busy time for most restaurants as the majority of people tend to warm up to dining out in summer, especially the locals, and with the influx of tourists, this summer will be no different from the past, only bigger and better. With that in mind what a busy Saturday, sometimes I don’t know where the people are hiding, the phone ringing for bookings all afternoon and early evening, but when full thats it. So please get in early so as not to be disappointed, or try another night. Now with the evenings just right for outside dining we will be setting tables ‘poolside‘. So whenever we see you next, enjoy your summer at Beaches.

Reservations; 07 49 336333

Technorati Tags: restaurants, dining out, summer, bookings, outside dining, poolside, Beaches, Culinary terms, Bordelaise

Is the Catering Industry in Crisis?

After many years now in the catering industry as a chef I have seen plenty of changes. Like all changes some are good and some bad. Different styles of cooking; Nouvelle Cuisine, Cuisine Natural, Molecular cooking, the change from meat and three veg to more picturesque plates, the a la carte dinning and so on. The availability of products throughout the world has never been better.

Where as the quality of staff is on the decline, and has been now for sometime. The days are gone when as a chef you would gladly [work]work[/tag] until all was done no questions asked, when the chef would give you more work to do and you thought that you should be going home!!! Home was a place of rest for a few hours, these days the workers just want to get home asap, mind you the majority of people are paid by the hour, you would think that they would try to do as many hours as they could. I must be thinking wrong.

We used to work as long as was needed for a basic wage, no bonus or extra or overtime, what was overtime, that was just normal. Today I do think that the catering staff are so much better off, but they just do not appreciate it or even understand how lucky they are. Apprentices receive tool allowance’s, how will they ever respect there tools if they are given them!!! I agree that the pay is poor for what the staff do, and that we get the short end of the stick all the time, which is definitely not fair. Our job is very stressful and being a service industry you often get looked upon as a nobody. But we only have ourselves to blame ( and the government, but those idiots we can’t change ) the public always want to pay less, hence the prices can’t be to high so we (the staff) can’t earn more.

Everybody can cook (well so they think) and with that in there mind think they know better, and wonder why they should pay for the service. Prices for commodities are constantly on the increase, and not just a few cents either. When you go shopping I bet you say that’s gone up and that, and so on. Isn’t it true. Now spare a thought for those out there working in restaurants and other hospitality outlets trying hard to please the customer every single day with a good product and service, all for what???? Take a good look at the state the industry is in, and then think hard about it, why?

Now how can we change it? Well we must first pay the price for good food, pay the price for good service, pay the price for good staff. To get good staff is hard, believe me I know, I have worked alongside some of the best chefs in the world and thats no bull, I have also seen some crap out there that make believe there way through the industry. What’s this incentive of cash to entice people into the industry. I honestly think that the whole training systemis wrong and in desperate need of a revamp. We can not expect to employ good staff if we send them to poor quality motels and pubs or fast food outlets to gain their knowledge. Wakey - wakey people.

Restaurants should also not be a teaching ground. How would you like to be served by, cooked for, by an apprentice or somebody learning, at your cost, then pay full price, top dollar for it. Question, would you give your brand new $70′000 car into the garage for an apprentice to look after it? I don’t think so. But you wouldn’t mind if it was an old car that was less worth. Just think about that, the apprentice gets to work on an engine that is the same as the other just older, and can learn and make mistakes and then when ready he can move on to bigger and better vehicles.

Like our industry the young chefs should start out in a large hotel or a place with plenty of good quality staff, so they can be taught properly without jeopardizing the establishment. You might be in a place without a large hotel or great restaurant with chef hats and Michelin stars, easy answer, move to one if you want to learn, don’t expect it to come to you. Apprentices should not be looked upon as cheap labor either, it is our responsibility to train these people ready for the future, but obviously in the correct environment. As for the TAFE, well I am surprised if they learn anything with the attitude of the teaching staff. The students should be made to feel the importance of an apprenticeship not just turn up if you want to!!!! how can we qualify them if they don’t go through the hard yards. They need to understand and earn respect from the other’s in the industry, because as an apprentice you have seen and learned very little.

I know , I was once an apprentice. So now that I have woken up the brain cells within you, have a good think about what you have just read and next time you dine out, next time you turn up for work, next time you go to TAFE, next time you get asked to do that little bit extra, next time you pay the bill, next time you service the car, so next time remember………..

Technorati Tags: chef, staff, overtime, cook, Prices, restaurants, hospitality, industry, training system, motels, apprentice, hotel, chef hats, Michelin stars, TAFE

Culinary Explanations for the New Menu (Glossary)

GLOSSARY of Culinary terms;

Bordelaise sauce; red wine sauce with garlic, shallots & bone marrow.

Bresaola; is air-dried salted beefeye that has been aged about 2-3 months until it becomes hard and a dark red, almost purple colour. It is lean, has a sweet, musty smell and is tender. It originated in Valtellina, a valley in the Alps of northern Italy.

Capers; are the salted and pickled immature flower bud. The grown mature fruit of the caper shrub is also used, and prepared similarly to the buds to be used as caper berries

Celeriac; is a member of the celery family, a tuberous brown-skinned root with white flesh that has a very earthy, more pungent celery.

Ciabatta; Italian bread that is formed into an oval or rounded rectangular shape loaf. Baked with a hard crust, and contains a soft-textured, open to dense crumb. It makes excellent sandwiches and it also is great for dipping in a high quality extra virgin olive oil and Balsamic vinegar.

Creme Fraiche;  is cream made from pasteurised cows’ milk to which lactic acid has been added, giving it a flavour that’s slightly sharp and tangy but not sour.

Gorgonzola; is a blue veined Italian cheese, made from unskimmed cow’s milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a ‘bite’ from its blue veining.

Granita; is a semi-frozen dessert of sugar, water, and flavorings often scraped like shavings of ice.

Haloumi; is a soft or semi-hard cheese originally from Cyprus. It has a salty flavour, made from either sheep or goats’ milk.

Harissa; is a Tunisian hot red paste made from chilli peppers. It can be used as a condiment or, most commonly, as an ingredient. It’s also found in other North African cuisines like Morocco and Algeria.

Hummus; is a dip or spread made of ground chickpeas, sesame tahini, lemon juice, and garlic.

Manzanilla; is a small to medium size oval shaped green/brown olive, produced in Spain, California and Australia. When mature the colour is deep bluish-black. It is brine-cured and has firm textured meat with a slight almond flavour and may be a little bitter or smoky tasting. Also known as a Manzanillo or the Spanish olive.

Pancetta; is the Italian word for bacon. It is pork belly that has been salt cured, salted and spiced and dried for about three months.

Panko; are Japanese white bread crumbs that are airier and coarser than Western bread crumbs.

Pecorino; a hard Italian sheep’s milk cheese, salty in flavour.

Prosciutto; is the Italian word for ham. In English the word refers only to dry-cured ham. It is salted with sea salt for two months then washed and hung to dry for upto 3 years.

Rainbow chard; is like silver beet or Swiss chard it has the most amazing coloured stems with green leaves.

Remoulade; is a mayonnaise based sauce, flavoured with ingredients.

Salmon Pearls; are the roe from salmon, roe being eggs.

Sashimi; is thinly sliced, raw seafood, served with soy.

Silken tofu; is coagulated fresh soy milk pressed in a mold. Silken being one of the softest types of tofu, there being many.

Sweetbreads; are the thymus gland of young lambs or veal. Highly prized by chefs and connoisseurs for their mild flavor and velvety texture. They are the most versatile of offal meats and can be prepared using virtually any cooking method.

Tortino; Italian name for a flan or tart, mine is made with filo pastry to produce a delicate dish baked like an ultra thin pizza.

Vitello Tonnato; A classic summer dish from Italy, sliced cold cooked veal with a tuna fish sauce similar to mayonnaise.

Technorati Tags: Culinary terms, Bordelaise, Bresaola, Capers, Celeriac, Ciabatta, Creme Fraiche, Gorgonzola, Granita, Haloumi, Harissa, Hummus, Manzanilla, Pancetta, Panko, Pecorino, Prosciutto, Rainbow chard, Remoulade, Salmon Pearls, Sashimi, Silken tofu, Sweetbreads, Tortino, Vitello Tonnato

Wagyu Beef on the Menu in Yeppoon

What is all this about wagyu beef? Well lets clear up a few things straight away. Wagyu beef is not just a fancy name used to beef up the sales of beef in the market place. Wagyu beef is not massaged either. And no it’s not cheap. Wagyu directly translates as Japanese or Japanese style Wagyu and Kobe, the term “Kobe beef” is an appellation given to Wagyu beef that is raised or finished in Kobe in Japan and can only be used for beef finished in this way.

Everything else is simply termed Wagyu. Originaly only available from Japan untill they sold 4 bulls to the USA in 1976 then 200 cows and 15 bulls in 1992, at great cost to the farmer (expelled from the wagyu association). there are now about 300 breeders of wagyu cattle in Australia. So wagyu beef firstly originates from the breed of beef being Wagyu, like Angus or Shorthorn. The right genetics alone do not ensure the final eating quality of the beef; feeding and living conditions play important roles. Correct feeding is critical to ensure that the animal achieves its maximum marbling. Marbling being the amount of fat throughout the meat (white flecks) this is what is also graded and gives the wagyu grade 0-9+ 0 being the least fat and 9+ being the most (best). The more health conscious amongst us will be happy to know that around 50% of the total fat profile consists of unsaturated fats (ie the good fat). Some researchers have indicated that fatty acids found in Wagyu beef play a role in cancer prevention. Red and Black Wagyu are available, black wagyu being the better quality and unique in their genetic ability to deposit extraordinarily high mono-unsaturated fatty acids (the ratio of mono-unsaturated fat to saturated fat is about 2:1). A totally trimmed rib eye muscle from Wagyu may contain twice as much extractable fat than that in a USDA Prime and it is this marbling propensity that sets the Wagyu apart from any other breed of cattle. The secret to great marbling is a slow and steadily weight gain of a maximum 1kg per day, this is controlled by a high grain, regular diet without stress caused by irregular feeding and weather extremes. Imagine a peacefull home with perfect weather your favorite meal at anytime you want with everything done for your benefit, thats the life of the Wagyu cattle. The best wagyu beef in Australia can be found at Blackmores farm in Alexandra Victoria. David Blackmore is currently producing the most highly sought after beef in the world. Branded as Blackmore Wagyu Beef, this premium product is being sold to high-end restaurants both domestically and internationally. Australian restaurants include Aria, Becasse, Quay, Rockpool, Tetsuya’s, Asiana, Hanabishi, Jamon,Shoya Japanese, Taxi Dining Room, Vue De Monde to name just a few. I have now wagyu beef on the menu at Beaches, (close your mouth now) yes wagyu in Yeppoon. I have Elders wagyu beef from my local butcher Paul Jaques @ Coastal meats. So next time your in you will have then opportunity to sample some of the best beef in Yeppoon. The grade is 5-7 which believe me is very good.

For more info on Wagyu Beef visit http://wagyu.une.edu.au or http://www.securityfoods.com/ or http://www.blackgoldfarms.com.au

Technorati Tags: Wagyu, beef, Kobe, , marbling., fat, mono-unsaturated, wagyu beef, Blackmore, Beaches, , Yeppoon., Culinary terms, Bordelaise

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