KitchenSlut

Taste Paradise

2010-07-15T09:48:00.001+10:00

The program for this years Cairns Festival has been released and also coincides with the launch of the new regional food brand 'taste paradise'. This slogan even emanated from the suggestion of a KS associate dragooned along to a regional food branding workshop earlier in the year!

Wine Festival Cairns Festival celebrates the diversity of local food produce and the launch of the new regional food brand, and invites you to Taste paradise! Local foodie Nola Craig has organised a ten-day slate of events at Cairns and Palm Cove that's perfect for the adventurous palate. Taste Paradise opens with a reception at The Pier, followed by the Palm Cove Longest Lunch along the beach at Angsana Resort, and includes celebrity chef Ben O’Donoghue of ‘Surfing the Menu’ presenting a luncheon at Sea Temple and dinner at Sebel Reef House. An opening Sunday Taste of Palm Cove will offer tasting plates from restaurants along the beach of the shady tropical community. The Pier then plays host to Ben O'Donoghue and Miguel Maestre of "Miguel's Tropical Kitchen' fame with cooking demonstration at the Farmgate Market, our own local celebrity chefs, and a foodies chat session, Word of Mouth. Taste Paradise also includes Kids in the Kitchen, Wine Tastings, the Mt Uncle Cocktail Competition, Miguel Maestre will host a celebrity dinner and tapas lunch at the Pier and other events include a film, art exhibition, and a community-wide Taste Paradise Signature Dish Competition and dine around at some of Cairns best restaurants.

A Long Lazy Lunch in Palm Cove — Angsana Resort &Spa Palm Cove / Friday 20 August 2010 — One of last year’s sell-out Festival events, the longest lunch returns with a new home in Palm Cove. Our opening lunch-time event, A Long Lazy Lunch, will be served under the enchanting shade of the coconut trees and quiet beach at Angsana Resort & Spa. The menu will feature our region’s iconic ingredients prepared as a unique Taste paradise lunch experience.

Ben O’Donoghue Tropical Twist — The Pier Farmgate Market / Saturday 21 August 2010 — Celebrity Chef Ben O’Donoghue, of Surfing the Menu fame, will present a special festival cooking demonstration at The Pier Farmgate Market. Ben will offer his own recipes and new twists on local tropical foods, in this community event generously sponsored by The Pier and Commonwealth Bank.

Ben O’Donoghue Seaside Luncheon — Sea Temple Palm Cove / 21 August 2010 — The culinary adventures head North to Palm Cove, where Taste paradise guest chef Ben O’Donoghue will cook up a four-course luncheon on the beautiful Terrace at Sea Temple Palm Cove. Join us for an extraordinary meal and a foodie afternoon that is not to be missed. A Taste of Palm Cove — Locations around Palm Cove / 22 August 2010 — A Taste of Palm Cove will have the beach-side community serving up special menu items and tasting opportunities all along the quiet downtown streets. Plan to meander along the stretch of shady footpaths, restaurants, and boutiques, and sample a wide range of local produce and ingredients in this day of Tasting Paradise.

Ben O’Donoghue Celebrity Dinner — Sebel Reef House / 22 August 2010 — The Festival’s opening weekend comes to a close with a dinner to remember. Our Taste Paradise guest chef, Ben O’Donoghue, and event sponsor Commonwealth Bank, invite you to a four-course repast unlike any other you’ve ever had. Dine with a select group of other food lovers as the sun goes down at the ideal setting of Sebel Reef House.

Taste Paradise Pier Foodies Extravaganza — The Pier and Shangri-la Hotel / 28 August 2010 — The Festival’s Foodies Extravaganza takes over The Pier with cooking demonstrations by guest celebrity chef Miguel Maestre and our local celebrity chefs on the centre stage with Taste paradise emcee, Tammy Barker. Set among the Farmgate Markets, the public will be offered tastings of local fruits, vegetables and gourmet products throughout the day. The Kid’s in the Kitchen program at Cho Gao in The Pier, invites the region’s future culinary stars to join local chefs to learn simple cooking skill. Taste paradise partner, Mt Uncle Distillery will present the Festival’s Cocktail Competition, inviting local bar and cocktail aficionados to come up with something special and vie for the cocktail champion title at The Pier. And our Cook the Books component will display of fabulous array of cookery books for your recipe shelf.

Miguel Maestre Celebrity Tapas Luncheon — The Pier / 29 August – Close a great Taste Paradise Food & Wine Festival and wind down with a lazy loco tapas lunch by the flamboyant Miguel Maestre. The celebrity chef will show that he knows how to cook our local food – Spanish style, with a tapas menu to be matched with great Australian wines.

Upstairs in the Shangri-la Hotel function rooms, the Taste Paradise Word of Mouth event will offer foodies chat sessions, with topical culinary discussions with celebrity and local chefs, including a debate with year 12 local high school students. In an adjacent room, the public can enjoy a showcase and tasting of Australian Wines, including North Queensland fruit wines, spirits, liqueurs and beers. Taste Paradise will also include a film event, in partnership with End Credit Film Club,the palate to Palette art exhibition, and a signature menu item competition at participating restaurants throughout the area, hosted by Cairnsdining.com. If you haven’t explored the region’s extraordinary produce and foodways, Taste Paradise is your invitation to a culinary feast during Cairns Festival.

Donnini's Ciao Italia

2010-07-15T08:53:00.001+10:00

Donnini's has been around long enough to become a Cairns institution down at The Pier with a loyal following. Suffering the early symptoms of a swinely flu KS bravely ventured down to The Pier on a cool Wednesday night along with his Pasta-Fiend accomplice.

We were asked on arrival if we would be using our Table 52 card and then presented with a separate menu.
The Table 52 menu was mostly pizza and pasta and excluded the more highly priced a la carte mains although this appeared to be within the price range terms and conditions of the card.

KS sought some heat with an Italian sausage pasta while the Pasta-Fiend chose the Capesante Salmone e Spinache with salmon and scallops. The waiter congratulated on astute use of the card with these selections. The selctions came with an appreciated bowl of chilli oil to provide and required additional kick!

Albeit with taste sensations somewhat restricted the Italian sausage pasta was excellent with enough heat to clear the head and induce some sensitive throat sensations. Perhaps I added too much chilli oil? The Fiend was also highly impressed with her selection and rated it among the best in town although still not a match for the recent 'best pasta ever' at Salsa Bar in Port!

The meals were more than enough to exclude any contemplation of a tempting desserts menu. With the use of the card and a vino each a value for quality experience. Donnini's also feature mature experienced wait staff with attentive and knowledgeable service sometimes absent in Cairns.

the best pasta ever

2010-05-05T11:17:00.035+10:00

A weeeknd soujourn to Cape Trib saw KS and his English Rose accomplice traveling home on labour day Monday. After a late start, diversions via Cow Bay and the back roads of Mossman, deliberations on a lunch venue saw us finally roll into Port Douglas just in time for a late lunch at Salsa Bar.

Hunger ensured deliberations were short and we both presciently went for the pasta special; a swordfish and tiger prawn linguine. The flavours were an exceptional combination including lime, garlic and subtle chilli infusion. The English Rose is something of a pasta fiend and simply declared it 'the best pasta ever'. The serving was enought to satisfy a healthy appetite and The Rose was beaten but refused to give in until the plate was empty!

Salsa Bar is consistently an exceptional experience and prices are far from exhorbitant for the standards and quality.

Restaurant Index Up

2010-05-01T09:23:00.026+10:00

The Calculated Risk blog posts monthly an index of US restaurant activity. This may not seem much relevant to here but it does highlight the sensitivity of the sector to the broader economy and discretionary consumer spending. As they say it tends to be 'first in/last out' of any consumer recession. The US index has turned positive for the first time in almost two years.

ukulele preludes

2010-04-29T08:23:00.005+10:00

The Cairns Ukulele Festival is now only two months away! Apart from a previous Seaman Dan concert at the Tanks few years ago Kitchenslut hasn't had too much interactivity with the ukelele so was impressed to discover these uke covers at the fun record/preserve/share blog.

Just love those Ooks of Hazard but sadly they wont be in the Festival line-up this year. Having mastered middle-c on the piano (but not his iPod) Kitchenslut is now contemplating the ukulele for his next musical conquest ....... or at least enjoying some more ukulele at the Festival?

nose to tail

2010-04-28T11:52:00.002+10:00

The Digestive Tract recently posted on a visit to our shores by British exponent of Nose to Tail dining, Fergus Henderson. Fergus served up a 13 course banquet on the philosophy of using the entire pig literally frm nose to tail including "pork spleen, presented as a slow poached rotolo reminiscent of a good quality liverwurst in flavour and the texture of slow cooked calamari. The crispy tail was unctuous and moist, the brawn and pigs ear terrine deliciously al dente and …well…delicious." To think that among the critical feedback of the now defunct Cafe Lumiere menu was that dishes such as braised Atherton pig's trotter were too adventurous for Cairns?

I was thinking on this while reading my latest book Heat by Bill Burford, "an amateurs adventures as kitchen slave, line cook, pasta-maker, and apprentice to a Dante-quoting butcher in Tuscany". The Dante-quoting butcher is Dario Cecchini whose philosophy of butchery is more akin to a romantic art than a trade! "A butcher works in meat during the day and plays in flesh at night. A true butcher is a disciple of carnality" It almost sounds good enough to entice Kitcheslut to take up butchery?

Back in New York to apply his Tuscan skills, Burford then acquired a freshly slaughtered pig and over a week butchered in his city apartment and devoured the entire animal, with some help from friends. He estimated the pig generated 450 servings of food at less than 50c a plate! Of course this wouldn't include his labour or educational costs of his time in Italy.

Inspired by this and the somewhat les inspirational Woolies meat department, Kitchenslut has fired up the pressure cooker to contemplate the sensuality of a corned beef tongue ..........

Anzac Day

2010-04-26T11:14:00.000+10:00

Sunday, Anzac Day and a long weekend certainly brought some much needed life and vibrancy back into the city! Rusty's and the city cafe's were buzzing in the morning as KS wandered the streets for a fix of food supplies and people watching! The sound of live music wafting down the graffiti lane from the excellent little Caffiend provided an extra cosmopolitan touch to Grafton St. It just felt good to be alive and in the city after the recent dead months.

Along with some fruit & veg KS also picked up a bargain anthology of erotic 17th and 18th century French poems from a Rusty's bookstall and wandered off around the boardwalk to The Pier for lunch. The restaurants at The Pier were also doing lively trade. Sadly I also note at the Alliance Francaise website that the excellent French Cafe Lumiere on the boardwalk at Harbour Lights is soon to close. A great shame!

Always opting for the more adventurous I went for the deep fried cod fillets with a corn cream sauce and rice from the $10 specials board at Cho Gao. I have wondered since why? Not that there was anything wrong with any of the components, especially for only $10, just that corn doesn't seem to me to be a good match with fish, especially deep fried? KS recommends removing the fillets from the sauce before the batter becomes a touch soggy and doing the corn sauce with the rice?!

green shoots or burnt fingers?

2010-04-19T10:56:00.004+10:00

The Cairns Post ran a story last week on the imminent opening of the Fish D'vine fish cafe and rum bar. This will be where the Genkai (Yamagen) Japanese was previously next the Sebel (International). It's good to see something happening at this site and hope it makes a worthwhile addition to the scene. It was interesting to see their Rum Bar list includes boutique rums from the Ord River but nothing yet from FNQ?!

There is plenty happening with new openings presumably hopeful of improved seasonal trading in the months ahead. As well as the previously posted Wink II and Iraya Thai other happenings are:

Mado: Turkish restaurant soon to open on the Esplanade where 'As U Like It' was (same building as Michelangelo's). I'm looking forward to trying this in hope at last of some added diversity to the dining scene.

Mecca Bah: On the boardwalk in front of Harbour Lights this location has been vacant since construction. Mecca Bah have existing restaurants in Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra serving North African and Middle Eastern cusine.

Ristorante Rimini: On Lake St near the private hospital has changed hands with a revamped Italian menu and approach.

Fish Cafe: Shields St next to Tandoori Oven this site has seen a few configurations. I dropped in for lunch with hopes that finally he city had a great fish & chip cafe but was somewhat disappointed. I think they need to do better.

The Rattle n Hum expansion into the previous Mangostini's is also proceediing and should at least add some more life into the recently flacid Esplanade strip. Plenty of new places to try while they last ........

new food court opens with a bang

2010-04-16T09:11:00.003+10:00

The new food court in the Cairns Square development opened recently with Red Rooster as the first and so far only outlet. That's it down the end near the Abbott St entrance.

Next to that the Kebab World franchise is set to open. Mmmm sounds exciting, NOT?! Walk by and turn down Shields to Yofi if in search of a kebab fix!

No problem finding a table here and I suspect this location will struggle for some time even up against the apalling Night Markets foodcourt. At least the refurbishment of this building on the cnr of Shields and Abbott is a positive improvement for the city!

My city preference for foodcourts if I have one remains the tiny Mainstreet Arcade with a few Asian offerings including the Curry Bowl and Snoogies health bar.

good bad and ugly in palm cove

2010-04-14T16:07:00.002+10:00

I stumbled on this report, a second chance in the tropics, at the SMH travel website. The writer ended up at Peppers after walking out of another un-named Palm Cove resort and again the focus is on service and quality standards in Cairns.

We had spent a night at another "top" Palm Cove resort and while it wasn't Fawlty Towers by any means, when you have just a week, and have come this far, you don't want to be disappointed. Poor airconditioning, crappy pools, uncomfortable beds and unsittable furniture were bad enough but $94 for a basic room-service meal for two was the last straw.

Most of the report is a big wrap for Peppers although one never know just how genuine or advertorial such travel reporting is? There were also some interesting snippets in the comments on dining options in Palm Cove:

Peppers offers four dining options, plus the best morning coffee on the strip. Lime & Pepper utilises local produce in its tropical menu and claims, for some reason, to offer "eccentric" cuisine. (They probably mean eclectic but whatever they mean, breakfast there was excellent).

Chok Dee Thai restaurant was well short of the high-quality Thai in Sydney but Nu Nu's Asian fusion was very tasty. Wonderful garlicky aromas wafted from Bella Baci Italian, teasing us as we headed out to take the kids to Macca's. The room service tucker was excellent too - promptly delivered, reasonably priced and an extensive menu of child-friendly options.

Palm Cove village delights in its exclusivity and is full of up-market resorts, villas, boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Even the greasy-spoon diner and general store, Pete's, boasts a rack of quality silk sarongs, tucked away between the magazines and breakfast cereals. Pete's does a terrific old-style hamburger and is open until 7 o'clock but rather quaintly - and a little gruffly - stops cooking at 6.30pm sharp.

Interesting here is that at the recent regional food branding workshp Nick from Nu Nu was vehemently opposed to any hint of the word 'fusion' in food marketing. The word apparently has poor connotations and acceptance from previous experiences. Maybe it's ok to fuse but just don't describe yourself that way and Nu Nu describe themselves as "predominantly asian and mediterranean inspired".

Kitchenslut was also perturbed to discover his own culinary skills have a local competitor in the field of eccentric cuisine! How dare they!

Wink II and yet another Thai

2010-04-11T13:38:00.005+10:00

The Esplanade site of what was previously The Chapel has certainly been through many changes in recent years. he entry has even been remodelled twice toremove the dual upstairs entrances and then replace them.

It looks like it is now fully occupied again with the opening of the 'Contemporary Thai' Iyara upstairs. This location certainly had a great balcony ~~although I'm not sure that yet another Thai restaurant in town really excites me if it's going to be just a standard menu~~? The menu now on display here is smaller and far more expensive than standard Thai offerings. Perhaps too expensive in the current climate with barramundi fish mains at $35. I look forward to some feedback but unless i'm there on the balcony it's likely I would still prefer to wander around the corner to Lemonade Tree for my Asian fix with more Indonesian influences.

More interesting is downstairs where the Cocoa Amour cafe will now incorporate the Wink II restaurant and wine bar. This is associated with the Wink restaurant on the cnr of Spence and Grafton.

KS dropped in for an excellent morning coffee and perused the dinner menu of tapas style selections along with a small list of five mains. The food looks interesting enough to try as would be expected from the Wink people so will be back to sample the fare. I'm not sure the wine list really grabbed me enough to make it a genuine winebar of the type missing in Cairns. There is also a breakfast and luch menu which in some respects I felt competed with the Cocoa Amour all-day savoury selections so it will be interesting to see how this dual arrangement works out.

romance sarcasm math and language

2010-03-31T11:38:00.002+10:00

I couldn't help but love the comics of xkcd. Described as a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language. Funny, clever and whimsical they are worth taking some time to browse.

No, not food related except maybe for this one :)

99 out of 100?

2010-03-25T21:33:00.002+10:00

Australian Traveller magazine has released a list of the 100 greatest Australian gourmet experiences. As reported today by the ABC the only North Queenslander on the list was Flames of the Forest (near Port Douglas) at #99.

I find that a bit sad which is no reflection on Flames but rather on our low profile and quality of experiences generally. We are off the pace compared with other food regions when we should be regarded as the premier tropical food region of the world. KS recently attended a regional branding workshop as part of the current program to promote our regional food. This is belated catch-up but at least a promising start.

Palm Cove Sunday @ Vivo

2010-03-23T15:34:00.001+10:00

The sun emerged and the wind abated to make for a beautiful Sunday sojourn to Palm Cove. Oh, how I wish there was a ferry service from the city out to the Palm Cove wharf on days like this. It would make for a great day out for a long lunch and a few vino's at the beach followed by a sunset cruise home.

Palm Cove certainly now has a good diversified offering of places to eat. Nu Nu has been regarded as the choice fine dining experience in the Far North, however the current lunch offering doesn't really grab me. So I wandered down to the ever popular Vivo which also seems to pull the patrons in for lunch

The Vivo building has a lovely tropical ambience and a table on the front deck is a great place to enjoy the sea breeze and colours over a relaxed lunch or even the entire afternoon with friends. A great touch at Vivo is the art room currently showing works by Robyn Baker, Barbara Dover, and my pick of the three Anna Holan (love the high heels theme but can't find a link!)

I went for the blackboard special as usual; char grilled lemon pepper tuna w baby squash, tableland beans, snow peas, wasabi potato croquettes, & dragonfruit vinaigrette for $25.

I prefer tuna seared on the outside but still pink and moist at least in the centre. This tuna was cooked all the way through and was perhaps too 'well done'. I didn't let that otherwise spoil the chilled demeanour and ambience while washing it down with a glass of chardonnay.

KS is looking forward to further Sunday sojourns to the beaches and Port Douglas as the seasons change in coming months. Palm Cove has some good offerings but my fave is still the Salsa Bar sunday in PD?!

The Eat and Go Theatre Show

2010-03-23T13:32:00.003+10:00

Kitchenslut was at the CoCA centre last week for the Jute production of Macbeth and discovered a pamphlet for The Eat and Go Theatre Show from centrestagescripts. We posted a link previously to a Ted Talk on food education by Jamie Oliver and this program looks like an innovative approach on a similar theme:

The Eat and Go Theatre Show is an integrated studies program designed to reinforce the message of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. With the national increase in childhood obesity, diabetes and related illnesses, the need to address these issues in schools is paramount.

This program allows students to explore the issues through play acting and performance. Since a child's greatest instinct is to play, explore, imitate and create, a theatre program is an effective teaching tool. While facilitating learning, it develops a range of other skills, attitudes and behaviours.

Hanuman slips

2010-03-23T11:35:00.004+10:00

After previous rave reviews and annointing of Hanuman as number one in Cairns I would have to say I was a little disappointed with a return visit last Saturday night.

The service had slipped from the previous exceptional level. Perhaps we just had an inexperienced waitress who wasn't able to clearly tell us what was on the tasting plate. Looking around we also noted that for other diners being served the crispy whole fish that this was no longer filleted at the table by the waiters as it has been previously. This was a reason we decided not to choose the whole fish which had been a highlight for it's theatre and ease of sharing.

My dining companion and I chose a selection of four entrees to share. All the selections were well presented and high quality without inspiring the previous rave reviews. The standout were the trumpet mushrooms, topped with a fine mince of pork, prawn & spices warmed with coconut cream.

On this experience I really can no longer say that Hanuman is a standout ahead of the pack. My lovely dining companion however ensured an exceptionally enjoyable evening. Good shared company is as important to a dining experience as anything else!

What's a Shawarma?

2010-03-20T06:29:00.002+10:00

"What's a shawarma?" is a question that may be asked by many more familiar with the humble kebab, souvlaki, or gyros. YOFI is at the corner of Shields and Grafton on a site previously occupied by a somewhat down-market greasy spoon with dubious clientele. I didn't even notice it for a while being used to briskly walking by enoute to more salubrious destinations.

Walking by this week I stopped, after a recommendation from a friend, for a look at the offerings of 'food from the holy land'. Yofi was doing great business this night with all its footpath tables filled with diners, includiing byo wine. The small inside area is also warm and inviting.

Kitchenslut wandered off with a take-away lamb shawarma which was fresh, tasty and worked well for a quick evening bite on te streets. Must revisit for a more leisurely experience in the coming weeks ......

Lilypad leaps again!

2010-03-18T13:09:00.008+10:00

Yes, after a short lived previous foray the laidback Lilypad has again leapt into the night. Lilypad is now open in the evenings from Tuesday to Saturday. The simple menu is not as adventurous as previously but still does feature some interesting selections such as the Georgian-style quail.

Wednesday nights also brings live music from Paris Texas providing Lilypad with an ambience unique in Cairns .........

feast of the senses

2010-03-10T13:55:00.004+10:00

The 'feast of the senses' kicks off in Innisfail next week on Friday, 19th March. I have just stumbled on this after listening to an ABC radio interview with Clare Richards from Tropical Cuisine. Clare is to be a judge in the Ultra Tropics BBQ Recipe Competiton as part of the Festival of the Senses in Innisfail, which starts the 19th of this month.

This could be an opportunity for any aspiring foodies out there to show their style however entries close this Friday so you will have to be quick! There will be a final cook-off at the market day on Sunday, March 28.

The Kitchenslut is famous for his pyrotechnic seafood bbq, however as I have never learnt to follow a recipe, this is more a process outline than a defined recipe which would meet the competition criteria.

Kitchenslut seafood bbq process:
1)Open wine bottle.
2)Mix n match various combinations of quality seafoods, lime, garlic, ginger, mint, chilli, coriander, nahm jim, green mango or whatever else seems like a good idea at the time while consuming vino.
3)Do not commence cooking until at least half the bottle is consumed.
4)Limit extra virgin olive oil sprays during cooking to short bursts to reduce possibility of distracting explosion (note: ignore safety warning on can)
5)Don’t overcook!

The only other critical factor is a secret, well seasoned, stainless steel mesh seafood grill which is a family heirloom acquired many years ago now and passed down by my dear old dad.

Theatre deadlines @ The Edge

2010-03-05T23:54:00.007+10:00

Some of the Kitchensluts more prominent dining angsts in Cairns have revolved around theatre deadlines. These can be tricky! A 7.30 or 8pm start for a show doesn't leave much room for great night to enjoy both food and entertainment.

Consequently some memorable experiences include leaving cash on the table and just running from Naked Nut; cancelling desserts; and dashing from Khin Khao Thai down Grafton St to Civic to arrive breathless as the doors are being closed. ALL after being absolutely assured that they would feed us get us out of their restaurant in ample time for the show! Did they lie to us!

Tonight KS was scheduled in for the Little Theatre at Rondo and by rights this night should have turned into a disaster. Almost an hour late for dinner (our fault after drinks elsewhere) we even considered scuttling the show to give time to at least enjoy the food.

Had wanted to try Yama at The Edge for a while and finally getting there, timepoor, there was no disappointment with the food and especially the service! The urgent timeframe kicked in fast with advice on what they could get out of the kitchen to still get us to theatre on time.

The sushi kitchen was loaded with orders so that was out! The hot kitchen delivered with more time to spare than any of the other previously mentioned restaurant failures and rescued the night to have as the show with time to spare! Will even have to check out the menu on what we had for more detailed food comment sorry. A tasty chicken dish, some beautifully presented light seafood and vegetable tempura, and the standout was the dumplings ..... exceptional!

How good is it to be able to write about such a wonderful experience in Cairns for a change!?

A sign of the times

2010-03-05T17:22:00.004+10:00

The small French Cafe Lumiere, on the boardwalk in front of Harbour Blights, has ceased tradingfor dinner. This precinct has never taken off and remains half vacant with just Dundee's and Olano's now trading for dinner.

My only experience at Cafe Lumiere last year was excellent and included a delicious Coquille St Jaques and a tasty rabbit dish. Its menu wasn't cheap although I couldn't complain about the value for money.

The shame is that Lumiere was one of the few in town to openly promote local produce on the menu board. So, I didn't get to try their braised Atherton Pig's trotter and instead wandered along to Olano for some OK mussels with not enough crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Update: I did drop by Cafe Lumiere at the weekend and shared a vino with some delightful company. A discussion with the owner confirmed that it wasn't worth their while opening in the evening with business so slow. More disappointing was her comment that some had criticised their most recent menu as "too adventurous for Cairns" while the plethora of franchises and pizza shops continues to grow.

Eyes bigger than Belly

2010-02-24T11:41:00.002+10:00

The Cairnsblog restaurant debate drew a comment from Joy who writes the Eyes bigger than Belly food blog. Joy is based in Brisbane but as a sales rep is a visitor to the Far North and has previously posted some comments on a few local dining experiences.

Joy has posted on Sebel Cairns, Sushi Zipang, Sushi Train, Ba8, and Skybury Coffee.

Jamie Oliver on food education

2010-02-23T12:42:00.000+10:00

Lively Cairnsblog debate on Cairns Dining

2010-02-20T12:32:00.005+10:00

There has been lively comments discussion over at Cairnsblog on the local dining scene with some observations and recommendations not too far removed from the Kitchenslut perspective. The discussion follows a post of yet another tale of woeful service experience in Cairns.

Note: Dutchie has also posted a comment in that debate disagreeing with my views below on the zucchini at Istanbul Kitchen which he reckons is too bland. I missed it this week so will have to wait until next friday for a second opinion .....

Istanbul Kitchen

2010-02-04T20:29:00.004+10:00

We have previously posted on the potential of 'street food' at the Rusty's precinct and while wandering last weekend noted the new Turkish offering there. KS looked but didn't buy which sounds like it may have been a mistake from email scuttlebutt floating about such as this today ....

"I tried out the dolmades from Instanbul Kitchen last week and they were absolutely divine. So fresh and such a contrast to the sodden morsels that have languished 4 weeks in the display cabinet at the supermarket deli! Can’t wait to taste the rest of the repertoire -- there was about 4 different traditional, freshly made salads, stuffed zuchinni flowers, condiments and a couple of things I cannot remember the name of... not to mention a tempting array of sweets (which should be a great compliment to Barista Sista)! A full plate costs only $9."

I have since tried this on the following friday. Apart from the dolmades, the stuffed zucchini were a standout. Also the green bean salad for a healthy fix, and the orange and cinnamon baklava for dessert made up a cheap light sunset beach picnic at $14 for 2. Geez I hope I got that right as he was too busy to work it out with a few people waiting and all wanting a selection so I worked out the bill and rounded it up to $14!

Update: No sooner had it all started than it was all over. Istanbul Kitchen is gone already despite being popular. An absence of motivation apparently!