HOLY DESSERT!

I went to Holy Basil in Canley Heights yesterday for the boy's birthday dinner. I know Thai restaurants are a dime-a-dozen but that doesn't stop me from saying no to Thai food. 

If you live in the wild, wild West, Holy Basil has become a bit of an institution around those parts. So well known, that even on a Monday night, we still have to write our name down to get a table (sadly they don't do any bookings) and Friday nights there are hoards of people wanting to get in. They focus on Laos cuisine which has subtle differences to Thai food. It was actually occupied and ruled by the French so Laos food is known as fusion cuisine.


The usual suspects on the menu are there of course, and we ordered the Green Curry, the Pad Thai - for some noodley deliciousness. But a lot of their menu was seafood focused so we lapped up some friends of the sea. The Salt and Pepper calamari is one of the best I have tasted - and the four other people I was there with concurred. It was fresh and piping hot with a crunchy crust and came with a firey dipping sauce. Another winning dish that I will gladly order and eat myself was the Holy Basil Chili Mussels. I'm so-so with these chewey critters, however I could have easily eaten the whole bowl. It was smoky, spicy, tangy and..... well you'll have to go there to try it out yourself as words cannot describe!

They have also got some adventurous dishes like Chicken Feet Salad and Ox tongue, which is grilled and then served thinly sliced with Holy Basil's special dipping sauce. And it's something that I'll pass on, but their Ox Tongue actually got a mention in The Forkleys - which are awards to recognize superb food and dishes in the industry. So it must be pretty damn good - if you head over to Holy Basil and try it, please let me know what you think.


One thing I love about this place is they go nuts on the chili - you can actually choose how hot you want it, but if you want it spicy, you get it. I can handle my heat but the chili's they added to the food burned (in a good way).


Now if you are a Holy Basil fanatic/disciple then you'll know that people go there for one thing only - their Fried Ice Cream. Forget your spherical donut-tasting outer shell and a heavy dose of caramel sauce. This is the bees knees of Fried Ice Cream! Holy Basil have deconstructed it and use filo pastry, and serve the ice cream on a bed of roasted coconut and raisin muesli. Flaky, sweet and absolutely moorish, my sister and I were fighting over the last bit. I should have gotten one all by myself. 

I highly recommend this and the only image I managed to take was of the dessert, as I was too busy eating the mains as they were so delicious!

Two minutes and this was an empty plate

Got any restaurants that you think can trump Holy Basil? Shoot me a comment and let me know!


http://www.holybasil.com.au/index.html

 

FANCY FRESH LUNCH

There's sandwiches, and then there's sandwiches.Whenever I am in Penrith, Sydney, I get a craving for Vietnamese pork rolls from a bakery off High St. Run by a great family they, without a doubt, make the best one's ever.

 Bánh mì, as they are traditionally called actually is a term for different kinds of bread and the baguette was introduced by the French during its colonial period.

There are actually many other ingredients that can go into a  Bánh mì apart from the steamed pork belly. You can also have Vietnamese sausage, grilled pork patties, spreadable pork liver pate, pork floss, grilled chicken, chicken floss, canned sardines in tomato sauce soft pork meatballs in tomato sauce, head cheese, fried eggs, and tofu. Phew!

Forget about the humble ham, cheese and tomato, Vietnamese pork rolls are an explosion of textures and flavours one mouth full at a time. 

The tang from the vinegar-laced carrots, the crunch from the cucumber, spring onions and coriander, the sweetness of the pork and the fire from the chili just make my mouth water (actually just writing about it makes my mouth water).

I can polish on off pretty quickly now and when the man and I head down to the bakery, we've been asking for three (one each and one to halve!). They also do a version with hot barbequed pork which has me standing at the shop trying to make a decision on which one I want as a whole and what I want as a half (yes, the difficult things in life).

And it seems I'm not the only one in love with Vietnamese pork rolls. Banh mi" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary on March 24, 2011!

Do you love these torpedoes of deliciousness? Have you got a favourite place that makes Vietnamese pork rolls? Do tell as I would love to find out more venues, especially in Sydney. 

 

LIGHT AS AIR

My friend Aimee asked me to be her model for her Airbrush Foundation course over Easter weekend. Makeup and me? Live together in harmony. Song references aside, this was my idea of heaven!

Aimee and I love makeup - the more the better we say! We travelled to the Sutherland Shire to have a one-on-one tutorial with Award winning makeup artist Jenny Pulfer. Jenny was the perfect teacher, and very knowledgeable not only with airbrush foundation but also anything else we needed to know about makeup. She said with the rise of hi-def television and photos, that airbrush provided a better coverage and a longer-lasting look not only for television, but also for photo shoots and weddings as well.

Jenny has used many Airbrush machines throughout her career but has touted IWATA as the best brand for the best results and equipment.

 

Jenny emphasised that Aimee needed to get used to the feel and weight of the airbrush tool, as that was a crucial step in making sure she applied it correctly and in an even manner. As with anything, Jenny stressed that 'practice makes perfect', so she had Aimee practice on paper (with acrylic paint) first, rather than my face. She started out with going across the page and the aim was to get a fine, even mist rather than seeing an actual line. Aimee had to do that five times over to correct and refine her technique. 

 

 Jenny then had Aimee drawing circles, her name and lines to gain control over the air flow and the amount of foundation used. Jenny also taught Aimee to mix colours so they matched perfectly with the skin and also hide blemishes, pigmentation and dark under-eye circles. Hurrah!

Aimee's first and last attempt - look at the difference!

 

Then it was my turn to get blasted! All I felt was a gentle, slightly damp breeze on my face and once the foundation had settled, you couldn't even tell it was there - that is how fine the application is. Jenny, who is also an artist, said that airbrush was also used to apply tattoos (Home and Away comes to mind) - so she gave me one that looked freakishly real (and scared the hell out of my folks when I showed it to them).

BEFORE - self shot

BEFORE - in natural light

AFTER -excuse the blemishes - I was having a bad skin day :(

AFTER- In full sunlight - you can't tell it's there!

The fake ink

The look lasted the whole day and night - it did not budge. And unlike some foundations which can feel cakey, or sticky, I forgot that I had it on. It was such a beautiful finish.


If you want to learn more about airbrush foundation, I highly recommend Jenny Pulfer. Not only is she an amazing makeup artist, she is generous with her knowledge and a great teacher.

http://www.jennypulfer.com/