Food Adventures Archives - Grab Your Spork

Timboon Railway Shed Distillery

April 24, 2015 By Grab Your Spork

The Timboon Railway Shed Distillery is a producer of single malt Australian whisky and liqueurs in the small Victorian town of Timboon. Located approximately 200kms south-east of Melbourne, the distillery takes its name from its location in the goods shed at the terminus of the former railway line.

As we came to discover the town of Timboon has a local history of distilling, with an illegal still operator named Tom Delaney said to have been producing 100 gallons of “Mountain Dew” whisky a week during the 1890s, before being arrested.

The distillery staff were passionate and knowledgeable about the art of distilling. They explained to us that the whisky is produced from malted barley, which is brewed off-site by the Otway Estate microbrewery, before being distilled at the Railway Shed in a 600-liter copper still. After which it is matured in small port casks. The batch we sampled had been aged for 4 years.

The venue itself is full of character. Its part working distillery, part gourmet store showcasing products from around the region and also features a restaurant. After spending the morning taking in the sights of the Great Ocean road Brooke and I decided to stop and enjoy some lunch. Brooke opted for the daily soup which thick and full of flavour, whilst I chose the beef shin tacos which were beautifully presented and tasted amazing. We would thoroughly recommend a visit to the Timboon Railway Shed Distillery for anyone who loves great food and/or a tipple of whisky.

Filed Under: Food Adventures Tagged With: Victoria, whisky

Cerberus Beach House

February 22, 2015 By Grab Your Spork

Fish and chips are a traditional English meal, which Australians have wholeheartedly embraced and made their own. With our sun kissed coasts and beach culture, the paper parcel of salty fried goodness has become a way of life for most Australians.

Moving to Melbourne there have been many subtle differences in everyday life. One such difference is the name for a purveyor of fish and chips being called a “Fish & Chippery” or “Fish & Chipper”. And while the old-school chipper can still be found in every suburb, Melbourne’s best are usually serving fish that’s fresh and local.

Finding ourselves craving some fish and chips one sunny Sunday, we were quickly en-route to Cerberus Beach House. It’s Melbourne’s most iconic spot to sit and feast on fish and chips and for a very good reason. Though Cerberus is a bit of a hike out of Melbourne, it’s entirely worth it for the picturesque bayside view.

While the beach has nothing on a West Australian beach, the food offering from the Cerberus kiosk is top notch — Brooke and I opted for grilled Dory fillet which was wonderfully flaky and sweet. The chips are fine, and you’re charged for sauces, but it’s a small price to pay for a sensational summer experience.

If you feel like some making some seafood then check out our recipe for Salt and Pepper Squid.

Cerberus Beach House:
Boat Shed 212, Half Moon Bay, Black Rock
Phone: 03 9598 4230
Open: Tues.-Fri. 10.30am-sunset; Sat-Sun 9am-sunset
cerberusbeachhouse.com.au

Filed Under: Food Adventures Tagged With: Victoria

The American Doughnut Kitchen

January 26, 2015 By Grab Your Spork

2015 is here and we’re back with the first post for the year. After taking a few months off blogging while we relocated to Melbourne, we’ve decided to change things up a bit by writing about our culinary adventures as well as our favourite recipes. This leads us to write up on The American Doughnut Kitchen.

Moving to Melbourne, one of the things we are most excited about is being able to shop at the Queen Victoria Market also known affectionately as ‘Vic Market’ or ‘Queen Vic’. Established in 1878, the Queen Victoria Market has been the heart and soul of Melbourne for more than a century.

This Melbourne institution is spread over two city blocks. It’s a vibrant and bustling inner-city Market where you can shop for everything from Australian fruit and vegetables, local and imported gourmet foods, cosmetics, clothing and souvenirs… but most importantly it’s the home of the American Doughnut Kitchen – which we will get to in a minute.

The market is open five days a week, with Sunday taking on a carnival atmosphere as entertainers delight the crowds. Guided tours highlight the market’s food, heritage and culture, shopping and history. However exploring the market on your own is just as fun.

The American Doughnut Kitchen van is almost as big of a Melbourne icon as the market itself. Operating from the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne since 1950, the American Doughnut Kitchen serves hot jam doughnuts to thousands of customers every week from their 1950′s style bus.

The dough is made fresh the day before trade and transported to the market ready for production right before your eyes. Watch through the bus windows as the staff, roll out, cut out and cook these sugary beauties ready for your consumption.

As most of you would know I love jam doughnuts, Brooke and I have even made our own jam doughnuts. The American Doughnut Kitchen sells their jam filled parcels of doughy goodness along Queen St. My recommendation is to always eat them while they are hot as you wander through the Market shopping for goods. Although it doesn’t hurt to buy a second batch for the drive home either!

Looking for other Victorian food adventures then check out are posts on Cerberus Beach House and Timboon Railway Distillery.

Filed Under: Food Adventures Tagged With: Victoria

Hoi An Cooking Class

July 21, 2014 By Grab Your Spork

After spending an amazing couple of weeks traveling around Vietnam, Brooke and I thought we would do a slightly different post this week and recap our experience in Hoi An attending the Morning Glory Hoi An Cooking Class.

The Morning Glory cooking school has garnered a well-deserved reputation over the years and was the first cooking school established in Hoi An. Owner and founder Ms Trinh Diem Vy is a third generation chef and native of Hoi An and whose cooking classes have featured in various publications around the world. The cooking school is now located a short stroll away from the Morning Glory restaurant at The Market Restaurant.

The day commenced in the best possible way with an all you can eat buffet breakfast at The Market Restaurant. Next we were taken by boat to the markets for a guided tour, our guide spoke very good English and was able to give great insight. We were then given a tour of The Market Restaurant, before heading upstairs to the classroom to commence the cooking class. It was a large group (approx 30 people) but we had lots of helpers who walked around to offer guidance. Whilst you don’t cook absolutely every component yourself, some is prepared by the teacher the course is still fantastic.

Our class was lead by the extremely talented Ms. Lu, Head Chef of The Market Restaurant. Ms. Lu has worked with Ms. Vy since she was 14 years of age working her way up to Head Chef. During the cooking masterclass menu, we prepared a variety of dishes, which consisted of fresh shrimp and cabbage soup, green mango salad, skewered BBQ chicken and the classic Vietnamese crispy pancake (banh xeo).

This really was a highlight of the trip and we would certainly recommend The Morning Glory Cooking Class!

If you like Vietnamese food as much as we do then check out our recipes for Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls, Prawn Rice Paper Rolls, or Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls.