5.339 Roasted Squid

Cycle 5 – Item 339

10 (Wed) December 2014

Roasted Squid

4.0

at Miss Fitzy’s

-St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia-

solo

Mission to Australia (Day 5)

- Day 1 (5.335 Chicken Tausi)
- Day 2 (5.336 Aussie Pizza)
- Day 3 (5.337 Kangaroo)
- Day 4 (5.338 Wild Harrisa Spiced Wallaby Loin)
- Day 5 (5.339 Roasted Squid)
- Day 6 (5.340 Fried Cauliflower, Chilli, Coriander)
- Day 7 (5.341 Cecina)
- Day 8 (5.342 Crocodile Meat with XO Chili Sauce)

In Melbourne. Here to participate in a “Training of Trainers” workshop organized by The McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer to develop capacity-building programs for government officials towards strengthening their national legal frameworks on NCD risk factors.

St Kilda is a municipality of Melbourne. Located on the southeastern coast, includes a harbour, marina, beach. The neighborhood is also a hotspot for hipster bars and restaurants, particularly along Fitzroy Street, from St Kilda Station down towards the beach.

TERSK (Try Every Restaurant in St Kilda)

Going back and forth between a strip of bar/restaurants lined up along the corner where The Esplanade turns into Fitzroy Street, perusing menus, unable to choose among so many enticing options, I decided to make things easy on myself and try them all, actually making it harder on myself, but in the best way. One item from each establishment, one after the other, six total: a multi-course, multi-venue meal. Plus noteworthy/proprietary beverages, if any.

TERSK 1

Barcelona

Stuffed Portobello (3.0): filling comprised a mash of carrot and squash, topped with parmesan and bread crumbs, baked, served in a sauce of parsley and olive oil; an auspicious beginning.

TERSK 2

Miss Fitzy’s

The highlight of TERSK was Miss Fitzy’s. On the confident recommendation of the manager, I ordered the roasted squid, which came with caviar, chorizo, parsley, onion. The squid was cooked to perfection. Flavors well-balanced, from the brininess of the caviar and smokiness of the chorizo, plus a slight kick from spices. If not for TERSK, I would’ve stayed to try more dishes.

Miss Manhattan: Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey + Punt e Mes (sweet vermouth) + bitters.

Madame Martini: Ketel One Vodka + Noilly Pratt (dry vermouth).

TERSK 3

Elbow Room

As I was lining up the shot, a dude walking from one end of the street (left of frame) and a chick walking from the other end (right of frame), totally unrelated as far as I could tell, converged on the spot at the exact same moment. Without any hesitation, as if rehearsed, they simultaneously struck a pose, thumbs up, and smiled for the camera – CLICK – then, again without any hesitation, they high-fived each other and resumed walking down the street in opposite directions. The entire episode lasting about 4 seconds, it was the weirdest, funniest, funnest, most random thing that has ever happened to me.

Classic Mojito: mint leaves + lime juice + rum.

Chilli, Lime & Coriander Prawns (2.5): conceptually uninspiring and a tad too salty, but prawns and lime can’t really go wrong.

TERSK 4

Bar Santo

Mussels in Tomato Sauce (1.0): clearly, the mussels had been frozen; the sauce was probably from a jar; the worst, and only truly terrible, dish of the project; getting full by this point, I was somewhat grateful that Rule 2.0 required me to stop after the initial nibble; in the background, Jim Beam on the rocks, nothing else worth drinking; also notice the pizza box, as explained below.

TERSK 5

Saporo

Signature Apertivo: Aperol + blood orange + Prosecco + dash of soda.

200g Chargrilled Pasture-Fed Eye Fillet with a Truffle & Potato Galette, Caramelised Onion, and Smoked Bone Marrow Sauce (3.5)

The term “eye fillet” in Australia refers to what Americans would call “tenderloin.”

From its ubiquitous presence on menus, it would appear to be an extremely popular cut for beef steak.

The Sapore Sling (Fruttato Jim): Absolut Vodka + Chambord liquer + muddled strawberries + citrus + sugar + apple juice.

TERSK 6

Lady Grange

As Lady Grange was closing up early for the evening, I ordered a pizza for takeout and took it back to my hotel room, where I had a slice to complete the project.