New Articles Coming Soon.

Hi everyone,  due to lots of personal issues like recovering from surgery etc. we haven't been doing much Foodtreking.  My apologies for our absence on this blog.  I'm hoping to be well enough to get on with it in a couple of weeks, so please continue to enjoy past articles and check in with us to see whats new.

The big news is that Kelly and I are booked for a 5 star cruise around the south pacific in early December with Holland America Line from Sydney.  That will give us a lot to write about.  In the mean time, thank you for your interest and loyalty to our blog.
Bon Appetite,
Karl

Joie de Vivre – the joy of life

41 King Street, Warwick, Queensland

07-46671907

0409054939

It was like digging for coal and finding gold completely by chance.  It’s not quite a restaurant or a café, or a club, nor an art gallery; it’s more like a dinner club or a jazz club, or all of these things rolled into one.  And as far as I know, Joie de Vivre doesn't advertise, it’s all word of mouth, and that’s how I first heard about it, from one of my Warwick contacts who told me that the hottest local buzz was that this is somewhere really special.  Somewhere different.  Somewhere I had to experience.

  

I didn’t waste any time, I high tailed it over to King Street to the century old building with the charming façade and found the shop I was looking for and it was closed.  I was standing out the front writing down the contact number when the door opened and the most excited person I have met in a long time practically dragged me inside to have a look around.  The large room was tastefully decorated in a bohemian artsy style with paintings, sketches and Moulin Rouge play bills adorning the walls.  The mismatched tables and chairs only added to the charm and feel of the place. 

 

                            "Jazz Aperitif"

                                                                 Deeny and Kelly

The lady was no other than the proprietor Deeny Kohler-Caporale.  She speaks with a mysterious accent I couldn’t quite place (is it French? Is it Brazilian? Who cares?), and an enthusiasm for music, art, food and people that is so infectious I couldn’t wait to book a table.  She was so sorry that I had missed her Edith Piaf night that was a rousing success but not to worry as there is a jazz and tapas night coming up and I wouldn’t want to miss that. 

Deeny held my attention so easily with her flamboyant way of expressing herself.  Of course we will come to the jazz and tapas night.  Just try to stop me.  It turns out that joie de vivre is only open one night a week to the public and caters to private functions a couple of nights a week.  It’s rather exclusive but that’s how Deeny wants it.  Every night has to be special to her patrons.  She focuses all of her passion into her weekly soirees

 

And that’s what we found when we arrived for the jazz night.  The atmosphere was amazing.  Every seat was taken and we were seated with other couples who were equally impressed with the swinging jazz atmosphere. 

“Jazz Aperitif” is a three piece Darling Downs jazz band that were grooving away in the front of the restaurant and they are a tight unit to be sure.  It was great entertainment just to watch the drummer paradidling around the rim of his bass drum and skimming the edge of his cymbals and the double bass player worked his way around the huge fret board.   The piano player created the wonderful jazz melodies that had toes tapping and bodies rocking in their chairs.

Deeny took the microphone to welcome everyone and say a few words about the upcoming tapas dishes that would be soon making their way to our tables, but we were gobsmacked when she called out a time to the band and broke into song.   We were treated to a brilliant rendition of Ella Fitzgerald’s At Last followed by a Nat King Cole and then a Ray Charles classic.  My goodness the room was in awe of the extraordinary talent of Deeny Kohler-Caporale.

The night had well and truly begun under the dim lights of the chandeliers with the wine flowing and the jazz pumping.  Plates of wonderful food magically appeared on each table and continued to be passed around among the laughter and frivolity.  Pastries and patties, gourmet meats and exotic dips with toasted flat bread.  There was more music, more food and wine, more laughter and more applause.  The hours flew by and the guests were wanting more, more, more.  What a great night.

It’s easy to look back and see that Joie de Vivre is a massive success and cherished nightspot in Warwick.  The jazz nights are mixed with foreign movie dinning nights, Philosophy nights, Book readings and art appreciation nights amongst other creative events.  All highlighted with Tapas, French, South American and other beautiful cuisines and of course the ever effervescent personality of Deeny Kohler-Caporale as your host.

Deeny’s “Joie de Vivre” is all about art, food, and music.  It’s all about love and people.  

It’s all about “The Joy of Life”.

Don’t forget that Joie de Vivre café is open during the week so you can come and have some lunch, a cuppa and a delicious home made desert with Deeny anytime.  Deeny has a couple of fantastic jazz nights planned during the Warwick “Jumpers and Jazz in July” festival, so book early.  You won’t be disappointed. Oh, and look her up on Facebook.

Bon Appetite

Karl

Pleasure Cruise Food.

P & O Pacific Dawn

7 Day Island Hopper Cruise

If you’re researching the many different cruise lines that operate around the world for your big ocean adventure, you’ll see that food seems to be, among many other things, the biggest draw card and indeed the greatest attraction to passengers.  For a quick example the Radiance of the Sea of Royal Caribbean Cruises boasts twelve restaurants.  That’s what we have our eyes on at the moment for our next cruise.  And although the high end fine dining venues all require a nominal fee which is well worth the money, they also have amazing food that is included in your fare.  That means that if you want to, you can eat every meal of your cruise, and in between meals, for no extra cost.      

On the Pacific Dawn, included with your fare, you will enjoy the most fabulous selection of dishes for breakfast lunch and dinner at the Plantation Restaurant from 6 in the morning until 9 at night, with a small break after lunch from 3 to 4pm (good time for a nap).  The Plantation is two huge buffet lines that takes you through a culinary journey every meal. 

 

 

They offer a fabulous hot breakfast that includes all the old favourites and many brilliant dishes that make the start of your day special.  For example Texas beans and Swedish meat balls complimented my fluffy scrambled eggs and waffles perfectly.  An array of healthy cereals, hot oats and fresh cut tropical fruits were in abundance.  Of course there are cold fruit juices and hot coffee and tea on offer as well.  Everything you can think of for a good breakfast is there every morning.

The lunch and dinner at the Plantation is almost overwhelming with the variety of dishes.  I would often arrive at my table with a portion of six different dishes on my plate, and go back for more.  A selection of beautiful deserts is always available.  Roast meats and seafood dishes, curries, house baked baguettes and cold meats and salads galore.  We were on board for seven days and I believe I wouldn’t get bored with the food if we ate there for a month.  The quality and freshness is first rate and the execution of each dish is equally brilliant.

Also included in our fare was the a la carte Waterfront Restaurant.  The dining room is huge with high ceilings and art deco décor.  It’s really a beautiful place to have a meal with a big table of friends.  The menu is made up of two parts.  They have a fixed menu that doesn’t change for the whole cruise and a menu that changes every day.  We ate there twice because I wasn’t really impressed with the food the first time and wanted to give the place another chance to shine.  The Waterfront is available for breakfast and lunch most days without a booking but you have to book a table for dinner as it is very popular at night.

For me, the plan was to try the dinner menu only, as we had plenty of other places we had to try during the voyage.  The presentation of the food is fabulous.  I couldn’t fault it.  But everything I ate including the deserts was way over cooked.  The fish was dry and unappealing, the meat was overdone and the chocolate cake was almost stale.  The sticky toffee cake was hard as a brick and I couldn’t eat more than a mouthful.  I am so disappointed.  Although, looking around the other tables and asking friends what they thought, I had the impression that most of the food was precooked and reheated before serving.  Every dish looked exactly the same and probably tasted just as bad. 

Many tables were families eating together and most people were having a great time.  I saw children ordering from a menu, perhaps for the first time, and being delighted with their experience of the Waterfront restaurant.  I did see quite a few unfinished plates going back to the kitchens but no one was complaining.  Is it a case of seeing everything through rose coloured glasses just because they are on the holiday of a life time?  Well not me, I didn’t want to make a fuss and even if I did it wouldn’t have changed a thing.  So I decided that I would stay away from the Waterfront assembly line and enjoy the other fantastic eating venues on board the Pacific Dawn.

The culinary highlight on the Pacific Dawn is the Salt Grill restaurant which is one of celebrity chef Luke Mangan’s creations.  We made a booking as soon as we got on board and its reputation precedes it.  We were really looking forward to fine dining at sea for a small fee and leaving the memory of the Waterfront restaurant behind us.  We also had reservations for the La Luna restaurants Thai banquet and the Chinese banquet.  I’ll tell you all about those experiences in upcoming articles.  Thanks for reading.  See you next time. 

Bon Appetite.

Karl

McNevin's Gunyah Restaurant Update

Warwick Queensland.

Hello dear readers, I just needed to update you on our latest visit to the Gunyah, because many of you have dined there on my recommendation and enjoyed yourselves.  Well it looks like one of our favourite local places to eat is going through a transition, to put it lightly.

To begin with, the young rising star of the kitchen Chef Grant Calvert has left the building, and rumour has it that Grant has bought his own cafe / restaurant.  We'll try to catch up with Grant soon.  Just the other night Kelly and I decided to go to the Gunyah to celebrate Kelly's birthday and we were totally shocked at how poorly the food was cooked and how quiet and depressing the place was.

We're not sure why but the in house musician has left for greener pastures as well and reservations are at an all time low.  As far as our meal was concerned, it was a negative statement in three courses.  There was no passion or care in the execution and the quality was truly pathetic.

Because it was Kelly's birthday I couldn't make a fuss.  I paid the $109 reluctantly and couldn't bring myself to leave a tip.  When we got home I wrote an honest email to the General Manager of the McNevin company in Sydney and I was relieved to receive a great reply from Narelle McNevin the next working day.

The good people at McNevin's are aware of the problem and are working hard to come up with a solution soon.  My suggestion was to close the place until things can be worked out but that's not going to happen.  I believe a new menu will be launched soon and I hope I can convince Kelly to give it another try.  Maybe we will get an invitation for your benefit.  Who knows?

So, to all those local Food Trekkers who will miss the good honest food and cosy atmosphere of the Gunyah, keep an eye on our blog for further updates.  The Gunyah showed so much promise and we hoped it would become one of the special venues on the Darling Downs.  It's not too late for McNevin's to turn it around and reinvent the Gunyah and get back our confidence but in the meantime, if you do go to the Gunyah demand perfection and don't pay for overcooked, burned or mediocre dishes that are over priced.  It's the only way they'll learn.

We really want to champion our local food industry and not be too critical, but we know how hard you work for your money and you should be warned if a restaurant is not up to scratch.  So I feel bad about the Gunyah but I have high hopes for their recovery.

In the next couple of weeks, Kelly and I are going to dine at a bohemian French inspired restaurant in Warwick that only advertises by word of mouth and opens to the public only once a week to a full house.  It's called "joie de vivre - the joy of life" and we cant wait to tell you all about it.

We also continue our series on our Pacific Cruise Food Trek, so stay tuned to our blog and as usual, Bon Appetite.
Karl

P & O Pacific Dawn Cruise Ship

Pacific Dawn
7 days Pacific Island Hopper Cruise

Port Vila

If you've been on an ocean liner before you’ll understand the excitement we experienced going on one for the first time.  And if you've never been on a cruise before I strongly suggest that you give it a try at least once in your life.  I think you’ll be hooked.

We were looking for an amazing Food Trek Adventure, and we sure found more than we bargained for when we decided to try ocean cruising.  Kelly and I have never been on a cruise before and so lots of research was needed to be prepared.  The P&O website is fantastic and each cruise has its own Facebook page, which was great for asking experienced cruisers’ questions and getting to know other passengers’ before we even got going.  Planning your cruise is a huge part of the fun and we were planning this one for twelve months.

Outside Brisbane terminal

Up until actually departing I had never even been up close to a cruise ship, and the Pacific Dawn is massive.  When you’re standing on the dock looking up it’s hard to believe something so big can move at all.  I have to admit it was love at first sight.  The Dawn is a mechanical marvel and a thing of beauty.  The ship is 242 metres long and weighs in at over 70,000 tons, 14 decks with 795 cabins and suites.  There are pubs, a night club and comedy club and bars all over the place, a casino, a huge theatre for brilliant nightly shows and daily activities, restaurants, a pizza and burger bar, an ice cream parlour, beauty spa, a gymnasium, cafes, an internet café, a library, swimming pools and Jacuzzis and a giant flat screen for outside movies day and night, and a jogging track.  It’s a floating holiday resort that takes care of everything and doesn't miss a beat.

One of the two pools on the Lido Deck

                                                                    The Atrium.  Three stories of shops and shows.

 

                            This is the life for us.

We were lucky enough to be upgraded from a deck five windowless cabin to a deck eight cabin with a window.  We had a beautiful view of a life boat.  Of course we had the least expensive cabin but it was lovely, as good as any hotel room with its own bathroom we have stayed in.  For the whole cruise we had a wonderful cabin steward who looked after our every need.  Twice a day our room was made immaculate and we always found a chocolate on our pillow and a cleverly folded animal made from a bath towel.

Besides all of the different activities on board, the food is of utmost importance to just about everyone.  Some people we met go on cruises just for the food.  If you wanted to, you could eat just about nonstop.

The view from our cabin

  

                       Towel folding demonstration

Fruit and veg carving demonstration

Your fare includes all meals at the Plantation restaurant buffet and the Waterfront a la carte restaurant.  That’s right; you don’t have to spend a cent on food the whole time.  The food is of a very high quality and I will focus on the menus and service in upcoming articles.  For a fine dining experience there is celebrity Chef Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill restaurant.  For a nominal fee of $40 per head, you will be treated to three courses of superb dishes.  With a panoramic view out the rear of the ship is La Luna restaurant which offers Asian fusion delights of eight courses for only $25 per head. 

We smiled like this the whole time

                  Kelly and Michael go formal

Of course Kelly and I had to try everything so we could tell you about it, but I have to say that even though the food at the fee charging restaurants was amazing, it would be a pleasure to take every meal at the buffet.   The Plantation buffet is two buffet lines that cover every taste and dietary need.  There are so many different dishes on offer that it’s hard not to over eat.  Most of the time my lunch plate had six different dishes on it and I was still tempted to go back for more.

Our daily routine always started with exercise.  Kelly did the morning boot camp with a personal trainer and I hit the treadmill and weights in the gym.  Lots of people told us we would put on a stack of weight while cruising and we were determined not to.  After a shower I would relax at Charlie’s café with a cappuccino while I planned my day with the daily newsletter that listed all the different activities from martini making classes to dance lessons.  Then, on most days I would meet up with Kelly for breakfast at the Plantation buffet and then off to a dance lesson or bingo or a sauna and steam, or to just walk the deck and relax.

In the evenings we would dress up for dinner and then catch an eye popping show in the Marque theatre.  After the show we could chose to have a drink in the piano bar, play trivia for prizes, watch a live band or sing karaoke.  Later on there is a sit down comedy club followed by the nightly party in the night club.  There is also a new release movie on the Lido deck where you can lay back on a deck lounge and sip a cocktail while enjoying a movie with friends.

Coconut Park Noumea

                Roadside markets Port Vila

                                                                 Coconut juice on Lifou Island

Days thee, four and five saw us coming into Noumea New Caledonia, Lifou Island, and Port Vila Vanuatu.  French Polynesia and Vanuatu are tropical wonders with shore tours to please every taste, from gentle sightseeing to more adventurous adrenaline junkie tours.  Our son Michael explored coral reefs teeming with beautiful sea life with a snorkeling tour while Kelly and I sought out French and local restaurants and native markets. 

                          Vila fruit market

P&O Pacific Dawn

On Noumea we found genuine French chocolatier and in Port Vila we ate a local coconut crab.  We saw how other cultures live and met some really friendly beautiful people.  Our seven day cruise was an amazing adventure that made it possible for us to relax, have a ton of fun and discover an abundance of fabulous dishes.  Future article will take a closer look at each dining experience while on the cruise.  We are already planning our next cruise some time in 2014, and I think it will have to be longer than seven days, don’t you?

Karl

Cook Book of the Month

Donna Hay

Fresh and Light

It’s always a delight to come home from work and find that Kelly has been ploughing through her cook books looking for something new and delicious.  The other night she had plates laid out on the servery with spicy chicken mince, pickled cucumber and washed lettuce leaves.  The smell was fabulous and I couldn't wait to taste it.  Kelly had decided to make Spicy Chicken Larb with Pickled Cucumber from her new Donna Hay cook book.

Larb originated in Laos and is made with just about any meat or fish, and in Thailand it’s sometimes eaten raw.  I don’t recommend eating raw Larb as several deaths have been recorded and besides, raw pork sounds yuck.

The Donna Hay version is spiced with ginger, garlic, chilli, coriander (cilantro), and lime.  It’s served like a San Choy Bau, where the meat is served in a lettuce leaf cup and the pickled cucumber and fresh chilli are placed on top. 

It’s a fairly simple dish that is quick to prepare and fun to eat.  It’s very messy so have plenty of napkins handy.  The flavours are punchy and the crunch of the lettuce and sourness of the pickle add a fresh dimension to the whole experience.  It’s sweet and sour, salty and spicy, it’s hot and cold and soft and crunchy.  It was so good I think I ate enough for three people, but that’s OK because this is not a heavy dish and I didn't feel guilty about stuffing myself completely.

The book itself has some beautiful photography which is a hallmark of Donna Hay cook books.  All the recipes are quick and fresh and quite easy to prepare.  Donna has designed 180 new recipes for this tome and she covers every meal of the day including desserts, snacks, sides and fast meals. 

I don’t know which of these dishes I want to eat next, so I’ll let Kelly be inspired and decide for herself.  I’m sure that I will love anything that comes out of this book.

If you would like to try this recipe or any of the others in Fresh and Light, I highly recommend you pick up a copy at a good book shop or order one on line.  If you’re sick of stodgy heavy food and want something light and delicious, then this is the book for you.

Of course all the recipes are by Donna Hay.  The photos, which are works of art, are by William Meppem.  Art design by Chi Lam.  The copy editor is Melanie Hansche.  I bet there were a lot of other people involved in producing this book and I believe they all deserve a big pat on the back.  Published by HarperCollins.

Bon Appetite,

Karl   

Hi, I'm Back. Did you miss me?

Hi everyone, to be perfectly honest, I haven't been anywhere.  I'm really sorry I haven't posted in so long but sometimes life pushes us around and demands our attention.  For starters we got flooded again.  Not so bad this time around and Kelly was home to freak out with me not overseas like last time (January 2011).  That time it was just me and the dogs as the water came through the house and we were trapped for a couple of days.  Lucky for the dogs that the roads opened because they were starting to look delicious (only joking).

Anyway we got through it and the carpets are dry and everything is back to normal. (the dogs are fine)  A few months ago we booked a seven day cruise around the Pacific islands on the P&O Pacific Dawn.  So instead of eating out (which is our passion), we have been madly saving up for the cruise which leaves in a couple of weeks.

  

I'm looking forward to having some great articles for our blog because the ship has about six different restaurants and we are definitely going to try out what the Pacific French colonies has to offer.  So keep an eye on our blog for some exciting food stories, and find out how we handle our first ever ocean cruise.

Lets face it, as working class stiffs, it's nearly impossible to afford a nice restaurant every week.  Even every month is a stretch.  I really love writing about restaurants for this blog but I've often felt something was missing.  I think it's because we have so many meals we don't tell you about.  The recipes we experiment with from celebrity cook books and the fantastic home cooking we eat just about every day.  We also watch all the best cooking shows and cooking contests on TV and we have lots of opinions on all of it.  Probably just like you.

So for now on, we're going to try to share a lot more of our culinary life on our blog, not just eating out.  And it would be fabulous to hear what you like and don't like about food and cooking.  We now have a Food Trek Facebook page so you can interact with us more easily.  Have a look and please click LIKE.

Email me.  karl.hoppe@skymesh.com.au Why don't you send me your stories and photos?  I'd love to see them and comment right back about them.  We can post your Food Adventures right here and everyone can share in the fun.  This is getting exciting!!!  Let me know if you mind me posting your stories by the way.  We want to stay friends after all.

So, I'm going to get to work on my next article right now.  Hopefully I'll hear from you soon and you will enjoy our Pacific Food Trek in a few weeks.  Until then, Bon Appetit
Karl & Kelly

Charis Seafood

371 Marine Parade, Labrador QLD 4215

(07) 5527 1100

The Queensland Gold Coast has many great seafood restaurants but there is nothing like Charis Seafood when it comes to freshness.  Charis is the biggest suppler of seafood straight off the trawlers on the coast and can cook to order anything your heart desires on the spot

.

It's busy, it's huge and it smells like the ocean.  Fish mongers are busily working away while cooks do their thing in the large kitchen for all to see. On display is an amazing array of fresh fish, prawns, crabs, marron, octopus, lobster, squid, oysters, scallops, muscles, you name it, it's all here on ice waiting to be sold.

The atmosphere is dynamic like the seafood markets in our capital cities.  The cooked and fresh seafood is oh so delicious and perfectly cooked to order.  This is casual dining at its best.  Come as you are, eat with your fingers, love every minute feasting like a King.  The Broadwater outside is the ideal place to sit and enjoy your meal, with the fresh sea air, sunshine and sand. This is how a Gold Coast picnic should be. The quiet waters offer a beautiful spot for a family swim and the adventure playground is a big hit with the kids.

Every afternoon the Charis fishmongers take the huge amount of fish off cuts down to the water’s edge and feed the dozens of pelicans who know a good thing when they see it.  The commotion made by all of the gulls and pelicans is spectacular and the tourists love it.

Charis is only a couple of kilometers from Harbour Town factory outlets for some great shopping and only 10 minutes from Surfers Paradise.  So, if you are on a holiday to the Gold Coast and you’re looking for the best, freshest seafood at competitive prices with a million dollar view, you just have to visit Charis Seafood. 

Karl

Shalimar Indian & Mughlai Restaurant

2/40 Albion Street, Warwick, Queensland.
07-4661 8000

Just about every town in Australia with over three or four thousand people has a Chinese restaurant, but it's only the lucky ones that get their very own Indian restaurant and take out.  Warwick on the Darling Downs in southern Queensland, with a population of over ten thousand, has had one for a couple of years.  It was just barely OK and frankly over priced and the food was a bit stodgy.

About a year ago, thankfully, it changed hands, and now it's something special everyone in Warwick can rave about. There is a full menu of curries from different regions of India featuring delicious tandoori baked dishes and bread, meat, seafood and vegetarian.  The portions are very generous and the prices are really really good.  I mean three courses with a side for under $30 (on average).  Wow!!

The flavours are amazing, be it a Masala, Vindaloo, Malabari, Madras, Saagwala or Biryani to name but a few.  The staff take the time to fuss over you and if you ask they will explain the wonderful spices that create the magic that is great Indian cuisine.

We loved it and we'll definitely be back (once I burn off a few hundred calories on the old treadmill).  And here is something the people of Warwick need to know about.  The freaking lunchtime specials are only ten bucks.  I'm not kidding, any curry with rice and a cold drink for only ten bucks.  Double WOW!!

I love curries so much, just writing about them is making me really hungry.  So, if you live in or near Warwick, don't cook dinner tonight, treat yourself at Shalimar Indian Restaurant and support a fantastic local business.  And if you live anywhere else in the world, it's time to explore your local Indian cuisine and discover the richness and variety of flavours that are out there waiting for a food trekker like you to come along and enjoy them.
Karl