New Norfolk Hotel: Pub Lunch

It was cold today. Cold and rainy, 8 degrees in fact. In tow, my gorgeous best friend from hot and sunny Queensland. 

We had been exploring the wonderful antique and homewares stores of New Norfolk when lunch time made itself aware. 

Miss Arthur Home Goods, Drill Hall Emporium

Carly suggested she felt like hot and hearty pub food and I mentioned the New Norfolk always looked packed at lunchtime and should we give it a go? She said yes.

We step inside and back in time to before pubs became gentrified. Classic. Country. Pub.

THEN

photo courtesy of newnorfolknews.com

NOW

photo courtesy of newnorfolk.org

There's no mood lighting or stainless steel here.  Keno screens on the wall next to the food menu, patterned carpet instead of polished concrete floors.  I love it.

As I had previously noticed, at 1.30pm Friday, there is a score of people jovially sat around tables with huge plates of hearty food in front of them.

We are daunted by the vast menu, but Carly opts for the lamb shank and I, after an internal battle, go for the daily special of surf and turf over the BBQ pork ribs. Both at $25. I go rare with chips and salad. While waiting for our meals,  I notice a serve of the ribs being taken to another table: they look spectacular and hope I didn't make a mistake.

courtesy of New Norfolk Hotel facebook page

After a very short time, our meals are brought to the table and both look excellent.

don't be fooled, that steak under the chips takes up half the plate

Carly indicates with gasps how falling-off-the-bone her lamb is. Also mentions the gravy is delicious.

I am impressed with the amount of prawns and the size and texture of them.

The chips are cooked and seasoned to perfection.  And the steak (rump) is tender, delicious and cooked exactly how it should be.  I order steak rare when I eat out owing to the fact that I find more often than not a medium-rare (my preference) is over-cooked to a medium or beyond. I do like a rare steak very much but medium-rare is my favourite. It is a nice piece of meat as well, advertised at 250g but I feel it may have been a bit bigger, well rested and delicious flavour. The white sauce is lovely and with the meal being the size it is, I didn't even have the room for a salad.

This is exactly the kind of pub you need on those nights that you can't be bothered cooking or like us, when you are in need of a big hearty meal.

Thank you New Norfolk Hotel, you did a cracking job.

edit 10/11/21. I went back last night with a group of 6, 5 of the meals were very warmly received,  however I had to send my med-rare t-bone back.  It was not even a cm thick and was grey as in, cooked to leather well done.  The girls at the counter looked at the steak and happily replaced it, however the replacement was not much better.  At $36 I find this unacceptable. I will be returning, however will not be ordering steak again.  

New Norfolk Hotel

79 High St, New Norfolk TAS 7140

https://www.newnorfolkhotel.net.au/

Arnica Restaurant- Maroochydore

 Oh, it is getting far too long between posts.

This makes me sad, and last night, taking my Dad to one of my new local favourites, I promised I would blog about the experience. I have missed it. I can see by the counter that I am still getting views, so welcome to my new readers and welcome back to my friends that have visited before.

One thing I do have to state, however, is that I have apparently forgotten how to take photos of food I opted for no flash and had to lighten the pics to within an inch of their life. Apologies. Obviously out of practice.I will be sure to make the explanations all the more descriptive

I had my best buddy, my Dad, come visit me this week for some dad and daughter time. We drove around, took in some views and pubs and did some fishing. To finish off our day together we were to go out to dinner.

As you can tell, for the last few years my passion for eating out has continued to grow, my father's passion for delicious dining outings is just beginning, and nothing could make me happier.

For our dinner together I recommend Arnica, off Duporth Avenue in Maroochydore.

I first visited Arnica perhaps a month ago with my best friends and fellow Supper Club members Miss C and Miss A. Miss A has an entertainment voucher book, and this is what lead us to Arnica and we enjoyed the experience very much.

Arnica sits at #2 restaurant in Maroochydore on Trip Advisor and an scores an impressive 89% on Urban Spoon.

The restaurant is nestled at the end of an alley, but  positioned with a spectacular outlook over the river mouth.


The outlook by day: This photo of Arnica is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The spectacular Italian inspired menu boasts luscious local seafood offerings, as well as modern Australian twists on classics much as eye fillet, duck and lamb, seafood platters, and the house special Caciucco alla Livornest: "Traditional Italian style fish & seafood pot, served with grilled sourdough".

Visit the entire menu here 

The meal starts with a warm roll and olive oil.

With so many incredible options available, Dad and I decide that we are happy to share both of our courses, so we can experience as much as possible, and opt for the "local scallops with Asian crust served with cucumber salsa"  and the "lightly fried tender local calamari settled over minty crisp salad". And both choose the Twin Islands Sauvignon Blanc.

 The scallops are perfectly tender, the crisp crumbs providing a beautiful contrast to the springy meat. The flavours are delicate but perfectly balanced.

 The calamari salad on the other hand commands attention with rather strong flavours; fresh and well cooked crumbed calamari sits atop a salad of carrot and red cabbage flavoured with mint.

For mains we decide on the Roasted rack of lamb: "French trimmed grain fed lamb rack roasted and served with Scandinavian assorted root vegetables and a pinot noir jus" as well as the the fish of the day: red emperor served on mashed potato with Moroccan vegetables.

I opt for the fish dish first and it was truly sensational. The red emperor- a fish I had not previously tried- was beautiful flavoured, and cooked to perfection. The mash on which is rested had a hearty potato flavour, and the Moroccan vegetable medley provided a welcome texture with lentil and chickpea, spices and tomato, the dish is finished off with a lightly tangy white sauce, and although each individual element alone is lovely, once combined, this dish nears perfection.

The lamb rack we order, Miss C had ordered on our previous visit, and I was most keen to try for myself. The lamb was as lamb should taste, like he lived a happy life and was juicy and tender, The jus decadently rich, but whereas vegetables can quite often be more garnish, the Scandinavian root vegetables served with this perfect plate stand tall and outspoken, every vegetable boasts perfect texture and each individual vegetable's own flavour is true to itself.

Earlier in the day, dad and I had stopped into the Silva Spoon and picked up cake, so we chose to forego the desserts menu, sadly.

Both this experience and my first were incredibly enjoyable.

The staff, especially the waiter I had on both occasions, are very welcoming and knowledgable, and this always helps top off a lovely meal.

I was unsure, after the eye fillet I had last time was PERECT, to order it again, or try something new. But I am really happy I did try something new, because I everything I have tried has been lovely.

I really recommend this restaurant if on the coast.

Prices can be found in the menu link, or on the website.

14-16 Duporth Ave, Maroochydore, T. 07 5479 6575 or F. 07 5479 6578 - E. arnicawaterfront@hotmail.com

http://arnicawaterfront.com.au/

The Burrow West End

After what was to be a day and night at the cricket, the abomination that was an almighty Australian defeat, left us without plans at 6:30 on a friday night.

My friends Ms C and her partner Cap'n J, who are fantastic recommendeurs of Brisbane culinary hotspots, suggested The Burrow at the West End.

We arrived between 6:30 and 7 hoping to get a table, but they were heavily booked. Fortunately for us, a 2 seater table was free, and all three of us could fit in.

The restaurant is a renovated Queenslander, with plenty of open space, breezy open windows and a casual indoor/outdoor feel.

photo courtesy of www.weekendnotes.com

The drinks menu is extraordinary, with craft beers I had never heard of, from all around the world. Check this out! I started out with a Hoppy Easter, a delicious, hoppy, fruity American style IPA from Denmark. $12.

We decided that we were going to get two pizzas to share between the three of us and an entree to share also.

Our orders were taken promptly and we drank and chatted as the restaurant filled with hungry patrons.

Our entree order was from the 'To Share' menu and was the 'Moons of Neptune', pork belly, scallops, celeriac puree and apple jelly. The words alone start me salivating.

The starter took around 30 minutes to arrive, which felt like a life-time without bread to sate our hunger. When it did arrive, it looked beautiful, actually top-tier restaurant beautiful. BUT... The scallops were tiny. Everything on the plate was luke warm, and between us we all felt like the dish lacked any actual flavour. Individually, the pork belly was lovey, and very delicately flavoured, but unfortunately- 4 very delicately flavoured ingredients do not made a full flavoured plate. Also, I'm not entirely sure the volume of this dish is adequate enough to give it place on a 'To Share' menu.

BUT we had the pizzas to come I had heard about the Big Voodoo Daddy, the pizza with pulled pork, jerk chicken, cajun sausage, red onion, bbq glaze and topped with coleslaw. Just think about that for a minute... yum. $22.

Our other pizza choice was the Barbarossa. Lamb, red onion, capsisum, mushroom, tabouleh and yoghurt. $24.

We ordered more drinks, this time I went for a 'Matsos' Mango Beer from Broome, Western Australia. It was fruity without being overly sweet, still tasted like beer. It was utterly delicious. And perfect for the balmy Brisbane evening. $8.

We waited for our pizzas, one time mentioning that we hadn't received them yet. We waited a little longer, and the mentioned it had now been almost an hour and a half since ordering out food. Our food arrived very shortly after this, and received and apology and offered a discount for our wait. So that was appreciated.

The pizzas were actually very beautiful , thin, crispy bases, wonderful colour, they looked a treat!

The Voodoo Daddy was a favourite amongst us all, meaty and cheesy, the spicy sausage would sneak up and surprise. The base was was thin and crispy and more than just a base, it added a flavour to the pizza. And the coleslaw was a revelation, a freshness at the last.

The Barbarossa was also really lovely, but a close second place we thought. The lamb was beautiful moist, tender and seasoned perfectly. The mushrooms were bursty and delicious and a great complimentary taste. And I am a big fan of yoghurt sauces on spicy pizzas. YUM.

For me, a big eater, and having only had a bite of an entree, one of these pizzas whole might be enough for me. But sharing two between three was not enough. I think one per person would usually be just about right.

Ms C and Cap'n J saw a friend of their after dinner, he mentioned that he frequented this place and said the food was amazing but the service was always sh**. This pains me. I noticed that the table beside us who only ordered hot chips, had their empty dishes sitting at their table for over an HOUR after they had finished.
Ms C said they had come when it wasn't busy and the service was to spot on. Even as the night went on, the service got better and better as it got quieter and quieter.

This leaves me uncomfortably confused, I hope the manager is aware of this and is currently amending, because it seems such a shame. A lovely atmosphere with a perfect drinks menu and wonderful pizza really needs good, even if it is casual service.

I think I would go back, at a quieter part of the day, and who knows, in time maybe again on a friday night.

DO go for the amazing beers and pizza.
DON'T go at a busy time.

Where it’s at

37 Mollison St, West End. QLD 

Open for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Tue->Thurs: 8:30am till late
Fri->Sun: 7am – late.
Mon: Closed.

Phone: (07) 3846 0030
Email: info@theburrowwestend.com.au

Forth Floor, Harvey Nichols

Ms E,Mr N,Mr C and I had booked a table to try the tasting menu at Harvey Nichols Forth Floor Restaurant. Harvey Nics is far and away my favourite store- EVER, so to be eating in their restaurant made me very excited indeed.

The food was all displayed beautifully, a nice varied menu. We did think on some plates there might have been a few too many things happening at once. But overall a lovely dining experience. Plenty of wines flowing as we decided to have the matched drink selection.

Unfortunately we were there at the start of the month, and I have left it far too late to accurately recall all of the details of all of the dishes we had. So this is just a picture blog today, with some very beautiful dishes.

Amuse Bouche: Lamb bonbon and Mackerel Tartare

A charming way to present butter, on a cold stone

Scallop with Taramasalata and Compressed Watermelon, Kelp Paper

Rabbit Three Ways

Mackerel with Watermelon, Palm hearts, White Asparagus, Turnip, Pistachios and Gooseberry

Lamb with Caramel and Olive soil, Fondant Potato

Sun creeping away over the Firth of Forth: view from the balcony

View over the St Andrew's Square to city and the Castle

Strawberry Dessert, Doughnut, ice cream and chocolate soil.

Cheese accompaniments

Cheese

Brilliant vantage point to watch the Edinburgh Tattoo fireworks

George St

Petit Fours with Ameretto and Coffee on the balcony

A really lovely evening. Alot of new and exciting flavour combinations, everything was thoroughly enjoyed. Fantastic staff always helps to make a night, and Forth Floor didn't not fall short here by any means.

A MASSIVE Thank you to Ms E and Mr N for helping me recall all the elements of this meal. Huge hugs guys!

Roadtrip Eats

I have been exploring the United Kingdom, and thus not doing much food writing, but here it is finally: what I ate while I was away.

As I was on holiday, I was a little lax with my photography and didn't capture everything- which is a big shame, but weather it be a B&B, chip shop, or a top steak, I enjoyed my eating while away.

Here is a chronological look at my Roadtrip Eats.

Bath

Tonight was a surprise treat for me, and a reservation had been made in advance by my travel companion.

Brasserie Brunei in Bath had a relaxed atmosphere, reasonable prices and a fantastic looking menu.

For starters: Chicken Liver Parfait with toast... a very tasty starter indeed, everything on the board was complimentary to every other element, the apple jelly cubes were just lovely.

Main: Lamb loin with potato Dauphinois and asparagus.
This dish was divine, the meat was as flavoursome and moist as any lamb I have ever tried, the asparagus tender and crisp, I was slightly disappointed that the potato wasn't a little more saucy, but still very tasty.

Dessert: White Chocolate Box
Crisp white chocolate enveloping white chocolate mousse encasing raspberry coulis.
The ice cream was actually supposed to be on my dining companion's plate, but he didn't mind me having it. YUMMO!

Bath seemed to have a host of fantastic looking bakeries and patisseries, every window displaying beautifully baked treasures such as these.

A pub close to our accommodation was The Weston. Friendly staff, nice decor, and delicious food.

 Utterly wonderful crispy encased gooey inside deep-fried brie.

Rump steak served with wonderfully crunchy, golden chips, salad and coleslaw (I also ordered onion rings, which were proper yummy too).

Marazion

I really got a taste for cider on this trip, trying a pint of a local brew in most towns. This Cornish Rattler was one of my favourites!

Room service at The Godolphin Inn, Marazion. 

The meals that we ate in the restaurant were only so-so, but this room service that we had on our balcony overlooking St Micheal's Mount was lovely, with the best sausages I have ever tasted.

I wish I could have brekky on a balcony with that view everyday!

Lulworth Cove

A very standard Inn turned out to be a wonderful culinary surprise!  Lunch (not pictured) of smoked haddock and spring onion fish cakes with some of the best chips I had ever had was an absolute delight, and I couldn't wait till dinner!

The Larder Board- Fish... with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, toasted bread, prawn salad, mackerel pate, jalapeno coleslaw, olives and relishes was an absolute delight and the presentation was comely and wholesome!

I decided to try the clotted cream ice cream which was stupendous, while G splurged with the mini puds... £1.99 each or 6 for 9.99

Warminster

We stopped at George Inn just outside a small town called Warminster as a base for easy access to Stonehenge and Cheddar Gorge.

Lunch at Rosie's Tea Room of Canelloni with ricotta and spinach was remarkably good and a huge serve, it was also served with a full baguette. I can proudly say I ate it all.

On a friday night, the restaurant and Steak House at George Inn filled up quickly, which is generally a great sign. Reserved signs topped most tables, and after perusing the menu, I could see why, it was grand!

Starter of tiger prawns in garlic and chili butter with delicious soft and crusty white bread. These prawns were brilliant... like Australian good! The butter was totally dunkable, and I made use of every scrap of bread!

A real treat for me was the 16oz T-Bone. Steak of course, is my favourite food, T-Bone is my favourite cut, so this made me very happy.

T-Bone is not a commonly found cut over here, so I positively jumped at the chance. I ordered it med-rare and it was cooked to perfection! Served with mushroom and grilled tomato,

I also ordered new potatoes, soured cream and garlic butter. (Yes my arteries weren't too impressed)

This is the face of pure bone-gnawing pleasure!

So much cider!

Cheese plate at Cheddar Gorge featuring Cheddar aged inside the caves at Cheddar Gorge.

Cheddar inside Cheddar Gorge

Llandudno

Once in the beautiful town of Llandudno, North Wales I had a craving for Chinese, and a taxi driver recommended 'East'

We opted for the Superior Set menu for 2 which contained

Chicken Sweetcorn Soup

xxx

House Combination Appetisers

xxx

Crispy Aromatic Duck

xxx

Fillet Steak in Black Bean Sauce (Sizzling)

Chicken with Lemon

Shrimp Fried Rice

xxx

Dessert and Coffee

We asked if we could change the soup to the hot and sour soup, and that's what we got, it was rich and delicious and full of meat and veg.

The appetisers were a show stopper with wan tons, spring rolls, prawn toast, chicken skewers, ribs and a divine crispy seaweed salad.

Crispy aromatic duck: the most succulent roast duck meat I have ever tried. 

The mains (oh boy, I was stuffed my this stage): The fillet steak was lovely and sizzled on the hot plate, it was so tender and still pink in the middle, quite a feat!

The chicken was lovely as well, flavoursome and meaty.

A big surprise was how many big bursty prawns were in the rice!

We didn't need dessert at all, but it was included so who were we to say no. G's chocolate cake, and my wonderful banana fritters with vanilla ice cream- one of my all time faves.

I'm going to make a bold statement and say this was the best Chinese I have ever had outside of China, and I am quite happy to argue that point out to anyone willing to listen. Certainly not what I was expecting in Wales!

Okay, although I didn't get pics, a big honorable mention must go to Fish Tram Chips in Llandudno.

Located just beside the tram stop, I decided to grab a quick feed here before our drive back to Edinburgh, and it totally blew me away. Best batter on the cod, perfectly cooked, fresh fish and wonderfully crisp chips. Well done guys!

So there we have it, I didn't capture every meal I had, but did enjoy most! And came back a might heavier than when I left. I do feel that I have experienced a wonderful view of the UK from a culinary perspective as well.