Macedon Railway Hotel

After a 12 month hiatus the Macedon Railway Hotel is back.  Open for business with a modern refurb, kids play area and terrific menu - it's ticking all the right boxes.

I arrive as a part of a group of about 30 people, which can upset some venues, but it didn’t impact at all on the service or food quality at the Macedon Railway Hotel.  The menu has plenty of pleasing entree and main options including the usual pub fare and a great specials board.  Kids and vegetarians are also well catered for.   To my delight I found a few of my favourite whites, reds and bubbles on the well thought out wine list.

I have narrowed this review down to two of the mains.  The ‘Chicken Parma’ ($20) and the ‘Chicken Breast topped with garlic prawns in a creamy white wine sauce’ ($24). The old favourite chicken parma didn’t disappoint.  It was well cooked and the flavors in the napoli sauce were rich but balanced and not too overpowering with the smattering of mozzarella sauce.

Chicken Parma

The chicken breast and prawn dish was fantastic.  The chicken was perfectly grilled – flavoursome, juicy and succulent.  Prawns were divine and the white wine sauce topped it off beautifully.  It was a faultless combination of flavor and texture.  The chips and salad on both dishes were also excellent.  It might sound silly but it does surprise me how many venues can ruin chips.  These tasty chips were cooked in fresh oil and cooked for the right amount of time and evenly salted.  The salad was fresh, fresh, fresh.

Chicken Breast w Prawn

After some toing and froing about dessert – should I or shouldn’t I? I decided I should - it was however a chilly Sunday afternoon.  What better way to warm me up than a ‘Hot Choccy Pudding’? (from the specials board).  This was potentially the best decision I had made that day.  It was to die for!  The rich chocolate sauce with the pudding swimming in the middle of it with a dollop of double thick cream and macerated strawberries certainly warmed me right up and I needed to refrain from licking the plate clean.  YUM!

Hot Choccy Pudding

The people of Macedon must be so pleased that the Macedon Railway Pub has reopened.  The new owners have thought about what is important to people when going to a country pub. They cater really well for families as well as a simple but tasteful front bar creating a great place for a beer and a game of pool or chat with the local barman.  It is certainly worth the detour off the Calder Highway to drive up the mountain and be amongst the picturesque surrounds of Macedon for a great pub meal.

Macedon Railway Hotel

33 Smith Street, Macedon
Phone – (03) 5426 3233

http://macedonrailwayhotel.com.au/

Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday – Sunday

Food – 8/10
Service – 7/10
Ambiance – 7/10

The Sweetest Thing - Part 4

Rachael’s Apple Crumble

This winter weather has me craving for yummy warm desserts.  Apple Crumble has to be a favourite of almost everybody.  I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like it.  Here is Rachael’s "sweetest thing" favourite for the series. I was quite surprised by Rachael’s choice as she has become very well known in baking circles for her Lemon Slice – it’s almost world famous!  Maybe she will let me share that with you one day.

But for now this Apple Crumble is a family recipe handed down from her mum, who can't quite recall the exact origins of how it came about.  My guess is it is one of those authentic traditional recipes that has been around forever and a day passed on from generation to generation.  Delightful, delicious and you definitely need to make it this weekend.

What you need;

4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup processed oat bran or multi bran cereal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
60 grams butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoon sunflower seeds

What you do;

Stew* apples until soft.  Place into ovenproof dish.

Combine sugar and mixed spice and mix into apples. 

In a food processor, combine oats, bran, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Process until mixed to a crumble.  Add almonds and sunflower seeds and mix well.

Sprinkle crumble topping over apples, pressing mixture lightly together.

Bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes.

To complete this "sweetest thing" I would serve warm with a massive scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of thickened cream – preferable double thick!  So naughty.

Thanks Rach.  Enjoy Friends. Xx

*To stew apples - peel and chop apples, put them in a pot add a little water and leave them on a medium/low heat, keep an eye on them so the pan does not boil dry.  If you would like some extra sweetness mix both cooking and eating apples.

The Sweetest Thing – Part 4 of 9

Copyright foodforyoureviews 2012

Longrain

What an impressive performance at Longrain Restaurant and Bar, Melbourne.

It’s already dark at 5.50pm on a rainy Friday. Entering via the over sized but classy foyer entrance, we are in for an early dinner before a theatre show.

Upon arrival we are warmly greeted and asked to have a seat at the bar as the dining area opens at 6pm.  Enjoying a pre-dinner drink we watch more customers stream in seeking an experience that only Longrain is known for.

Just as we are finishing our drink the maître de - who in ten minutes has had as many requests for a table and surprisingly had not taken our name on arrival – takes us to our seats. I make the point of telling you all of this as Longrain doesn’t take reservations for groups under six people - there are only two of us.

We are seated at one of the large, wide, glossy wooden communal tables. The beauty of these big wide tables for communal dining is that you hardly notice the other diners at the same table and all that divides you are simple, elegant glass tea light candles.   By 6.20pm we are happily seated, water glasses filled, bottle of wine is served, food has been ordered and already started to arrive from the kitchen and the entire bar and dining space is full to capacity.  It feels a bit like ‘if you blink, you’ll miss it’ moment but at no stage do we feel rushed or the staff seem stressed.  The Longrain team is organised, professional, polite and knowledgeable.

The menu is of Asian influence.  We share the ‘Eggnet with pork, prawn, peanut and caramelised coconut with a cucumber relish’ ($29.50), the ‘Massaman Curry of Cape Grim Beef with kifler potatoes’ ($40), ‘Snow pea, tomato and sesame seed salad (from the specials list) and ‘Thai jasmine rice’ ($3 per person).  As divine as all the dishes were they were generous and it was honestly too much food for the two of us.

The eggnet was a cold dish.  For some reason I was expecting it to be warm, however it was fantastic.  There was a moment of – how do we tackle this? As the eggnet is so spectacular looking that you don’t want to ruin it.  I don’t think there is any other way but to simply just break through the net of egg!  The flavors of the prawn and pork with the fresh crisp bean shoots, sweetness of the caramelised coconut and the slight hint of chili were brilliant.  The cucumber relish was a clean and refreshing partner.

Eggnet

The massaman curry was my favourite dish of the night.  The beef literally melted in my mouth.  The pungent flavor was an even and subtle curry that left me wanting more.  The snow pea and tomato salad was sweet, earthy, crunchy and fresh.  A slick side dish to the curry.

Massaman Curry

Snow pea Salad

Throughout the entire meal the service was flawless, our glasses always full, staff were attentive and at no point did we ever feel anything but welcome and comfortable.  By 7pm it was politely suggested we finish our bottle of wine in the lounge area.  We observed the seats being constantly turned over as people continued to flow through the door.  Longrain is humming along at a perfect degree. 

We left Longrain for the theatre show and we returned afterwards for a night cap.  To our delight the staff remembered us.  This is outstanding considering the many faces they have served that evening. 

I am completely impressed by Longrain.  It’s a performance that deserves a standing ovation and well worth every single cent.  Bravo!  Bravo!

Food – 9/10

Service – 10/10
Ambiance – 10/10

Longrain Restaurant & Bar

44 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne.
(03) 9671 3151

www.longrain.com

Open – Dinner every night and lunch Friday only

The Sweetest Thing - Part 3

Fiona’s Hazelnut Slice

Fiona is quite a whizz in the kitchen and always has something yummy cooking.  I don't know where she gets the time being a busy mum of six gorgeous children.  Somehow she has absolutely mastered the sponge cake which is no easy feat.  This slice is one of her favourites and it’s one I have tried several times.  My only problem with it is that I can’t stop eating it and I don’t really like to share it with anyone else.  So I send you this recipe with love!

This is a quick and easy slice to whip up to share with friends or to take along to an event. The kids love it and you could adapt it for those with nut allergies (i.e. use plain chocolate and leave flaked almonds out). Fiona often doubles the recipe.

What you need;

1 packet Marie biscuits
½ tin condensed milk
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 small packet flaked almonds
125 grams butter
2 x family blocks Cadbury hazelnut chocolate

What you do;

Crush the biscuits and add the almonds (I suggest in a food processor if you have one).  Heat butter, condensed milk and syrup together in a saucepan over low heat.  Then mix all the above ingredients together.  Press into slice tin and set in the refrigerator until firm. 

Meanwhile melt blocks of chocolate in the microwave at a low power. Pour over slice and return to the fridge.  Allow to set and then cut into small squares

Handy tip - Fiona always stocks up on Cadbury chocolate blocks when on special so they’re on hand in the cupboard.

Thank you Fiona. 

Enjoy, my friends. xx


The Sweetest Thing series - part 3 of 9.

copyright foodforyoureviews 2012.