10 August 2013

I can't believe I spent almost six hours in the library working on an assignment today.

Brekkie:

Warm peach "crisp" w/cinnamon, almond milk & oats, macadamia & honey cluster cereal
(This peach "crisp" is definitely more of a baked peach oatmeal.)

Second mini-helping.

Dessert at Chokolait, Melbourne, Australia:

Chocolate pavlova
(One of Australia/New Zealand's signature desserts and apparently Chokolait's pavlova is one of Melbourne's best so naturally, I had to try it. Usually it's not infused with Belgian chocolate, but I rather enjoyed this version! I've never had pavlova before, but from what I understand, the "cake" part should have a hard outer shell and very soft centre. The centre of this pavlova was so incredibly moist, soft and light; it felt like I was eating air! Sort of like an adult version of marshmellow-flavoured cotton candy because each bite melted away instantly. The shell was not hard like I expected, but it was mildly crispy - I felt a slight give every time I dug through it, but compared to the centre, everything gave a slight "give". While I usually hate whipped cream, the double cream was quite light and provided a nice contrast to the "cake". Since I had this pavlova with hot chocolate, I have to admit that the strawberries became my saviours. This pavlova was meant to be shared, especially when consumed with the hot chocolate. As much as I love chocolate and sweets, the portion and flavours soon became a bit overwhelming. Overall, it was a very interesting dessert and I'm glad I tried it. The first half of my experience with it was amazing, then it became a struggle to finish.)

Hot dark chili chocolate (with 8/10 spicy level)
(This hot chocolate was amazing, but only if you like chocolate. One sip would be quite enough for anyone who only mildly enjoys chocolate; it's that strong. I wouldn't quite describe it as drinking liquid chocolate, but it was close. The glass was still rimmed with the melted dark chocolate and I had to scrape the chocolate as I sipped it. But gosh, the potency and aroma of the chocolate was fabulous. Decadent, thick, rich and just plain ol' chocolate nirvana. It's like giving your organs a chocolate bath. As for the chili flavour, it was subtle - the heat lingered and only became detectable after the chocolate flavour waned. Perhaps I'm too used to spicy foods, but I do wish it had been stronger. And as strong and rich as this Belgian chocolate was, chili dark chocolate isn't the same when the chocolate isn't from Central/South America. I guess it's the richness level or something, so I'm not going to compare the two hot chocolates. This drink does get overwhelming toward the end, but as long as you're not in a rush, each sip is still chocolate bliss.)

 Snack from Breadtop, Melbourne, Australia: 

Mini burger
(I FOUND A PLACE THAT WILL SATISFY MY BURGER CRAVINGS! I tend to crave burgers, only to be satisfied after several bites. This mini burger is literally three bites big, or seven if you're nibbling like me. I do wish it had been warmer, but other than that, it was great. The meat also wasn't the freshest, but it definitely tasted real and did not resemble the typical fast food joint's, so that's a plus. I quite enjoyed the little assemble, with the piece of lettuce, cheese and ketchup. The best part was the brioche bun though, perfectly soft and light with a hint of sweetness. Contrasted beautifully with the saltier meat patty.  Fabulous after my insane sugar inhalation earlier.)

 Late dinner at Don Don, Melbourne CBD, Melbourne, Australia:

Niku udon: beef udon noodle soup
(Wasn't hungry at all, but felt like I should eat more than a cup of cereal, some cake, hot chocolate and a mini burger. So after walking around for quite a bit, I decided to stop by a place Audrey's boyfriend recommended. Service was incredibly prompt and the soup was quite good! It was salty, even for "regular" consumers I think. I've come to realise that I think most restaurant dishes are salty, but this was quite salty. However, the broth was quite umami in taste and the beef wasn't bad either. It was a bit on the fatty side, but very tender. The tofu triangle tasted fresh and was a pleasant "bland" refresher from the savoury soup. The most pleasant surprise was the addition of seaweed. As I leaned forward to eat some, I smelled it but thought it was just in the broth; boy was I wrong. Hidden underneath the salad was a small pile of seaweed. I don't know how to describe the flavour of seaweed, but it was an amazing complementary contrast to this soup. I think the addition of the seaweed totally made this bowl actually. This soup ended my food night quite well.)