Rice Queen

Not Me - the new restaurant on Smith Street silly!

Where Level 2, 231Smith Street, Fitzroy. 94196624.
Prices entrees $3.80-$7.80; mains $10-$15.
Cash only
Fully licensed
Open Thu-Sun 5.30pm-10pm. Bar licensed until later.
Photo: The Age Epicure online
You know I'd been looking forward to trying Rice Queen out for quite a while, it opened up on the first floor under Panama Lounge. The guys who set up Rice Queen also set up Panama Lounge and St Jude's cellar on Brunswick Street. Panama is a bit pricey for me and apparently St. Jude's isn't really vegie friendly. But I was desperate (especially after reading reviews) to try RQ out for myself. My sisters Peta and Ellen joined me along with Peta's boyfriend Paul.

Ell and I started with the mushroom spring rolls and decided on the vegie, tofu and kafka lime rice noodle stir fry.
Peta ordered a chicken and potato curry and Paul (thankfully) wanted to try the asian spag bol! I was super excited about that one!

Peta and Paul (especially Paul) enjoyed their dishes a whole bunch, but as for Ellen and I - I have to admit we were pretty disappointed. It wasn't that the vegies were fresh and cooked well because they were, but the rice noodles were dried and the whole dish was a little oily and didn't have much flavour.

I'm sure it was just this particular dish and hope to go back to try a seafood dish, but as for being vegie friendly - they are friendly just not over the moon with us!

Has anyone else been? What did you think?

Yummy mustard waffles

Use this recipe to make yummy mustard waffles with sliced tomato, cheese and baby spinach! Just add 1 tablespoon seeded mustard into mixture right before adding to waffle iron. So yummy! You could also add cheese, sour cream, chocolate.... not in the same mix though!

Photo Credit. From bottom Wright Eats - Food at home, top: my waffle iron!

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1 cup self raising flour, sifted
1 egg, separated
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup water
45g butter, melted
1 tablespoon caster sugar

Method:

1.Pre heat waffle maker.
2.Place flour, egg yolk, milk, water and butter in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix until smooth.
3.Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until it has dissolved.
4.Gently fold egg white into batter until well combined.
5.Spoon a little mixture into each waffle mould (this will vary depending on size of waffle iron), ensuring mixture fills all grooves; close lid.
6.Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden. Use a plastic spatula to transfer waffles to serving plates. Serve warm.

tommie, chickpea and crab bisque

I must admit I'm pretty chuffed about how this recipe turned out.

As my work buddies know, as 4pm clicks over I start to ponder the options for that nights dinner. I knew I didn't want anything too heavy and that I had a can of chickpeas on my pantry shelf.

After a little deliberation and LOTS of actual work I googled tomato, chickpea and crab bisque - I wouldn't thought of doing that 'cept for the fact that I'd enjoyed a number of tomato bisques in The States and thought they were yummy!

The recipes I found all looked pretty complicated. Creamy at best or ingredients I had no chance of finding with such short notice! - Clam juice anyone?

So I decided to make it up with a few tips from the recipes I had found.

Shopping trolley:
1 small onion
5 garlic cloves
1 can diced tomato
1 jar tomato puree
1/2 litre liquid vegetable stock
bunch fresh basil
light sour cream
1 cup fresh crab meat (canned crab meat will be fine)
1 can chickpeas

Prepare.

Finely dice the onion and mince garlic.
Roughly chop basil

Cook! (Total time including preparation 40 min)
1. Saute' diced onion and garlic over a low heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook, stirring until clear and cooked through (5-10 minutes).
2. Add 1/4 cup vege stock and stir through.
3. Add chopped tomato and 1 cup tomato puree.
4. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, making sure that the soup doesn't burn, clear the sides of the saucepan.
5. Add vege stock and tomato puree until desired consistency occurs (around 1/2 cup of stock and 1/2 cup puree). Simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Add basil, chickpeas and drained crab meat. Stir through. Add a little more stock/puree if needed for taste or consistency. Bring to high simmer.
7. Off the heat, add 2-3 tablespoons sour cream (depending on how creamy you want it).

Serve and enjoy!
I had it without bread but a nice turkish bread or salad would be yummy!

food update

It has been a good 6 weeks since I have last had the time to update!

As I mentioned, I have just wrapped up a month long trip around The States testing all sorts of yummy things!

From American-style sushi in LA to Deep-dish pizza in Chicago, we've done it all! Well as much as we could manage with just three meals a day!

I would have to say that we toured the states eating pizza, mexican, sushi and sandwiches - lots of tuna sandwiches for me!

So I'll try to post some photos and a new post each day with a different cuisine - photos, addresses and the like. Oh and I'm sure I'll find the time to add some restaurant reviews and new recipes- although i haven't been particularly experimental in the cooking department aside from a waffle enriched final breakfast for Ant!

xo xo