7 years with the Mrs - Meraki Merchants + Restaurant Hubert

I can't believe that it's been 7 years exactly since the Mrs and I started dating. The 25th happens to be a really special day for the Mrs and I since it's the day that we've always devoted to each other without fail. Despite our tradition of celebrating monthsaries, the annual ones do signify a lot more than the monthly ones since they represent the fact that we've made it through another year in each other's lives. Even better, this year, the 25th of February falls on a Saturday! Meaning I didn't have to leave for work and I got to spend the whole day with the Mrs.

We woke up and had a lot of potential plans in place but due to the weather, most of them went out the window. So we lazed around until we decided on the next best thing: breakfast. Thing is, neither one of us really wanted to go too far so we quickly agreed on a local cafe. Both the Mrs and I have been to Meraki Merchants previously but we both went separately and I had never had the opportunity to stay for food. We parked the car right outside (we could have walked but got too lazy) and quickly ordered since both of us knew exactly what we wanted.

I ordered the Sultan's Jaffle which the Mrs had previously had before whereas the Mrs ordered the Mackerel. It's really, really hard not to like a jaffle...crunchy, toasted edges sealing in some form of hot filling like a flat dumpling but even so, this particular jaffle was out of this world delicious. Filled with this tomato based sauce with sujuk, feta and olives, the meal makes for a perfect light lunch/breakfast option as the tart, refreshing and savoury sandwich helps awaken your tastebuds, giving you energy to tackle whatever comes next (be it actual work or just lazing around).

Despite my enjoyment of the jaffle, I do have to say that the Mrs ordered the better (and more substantial) meal with the Mackerel. Slices of toast are served with half an avocado, some labneh and a can of delicious mackerel for a make-your-own-adventure kinda meal. I reckon if we were forced to stick with our own meals, I would end up still craving more food after (I am a massive glutton) whereas if I had ordered the mackerel in the first place, I'm confident I would have been somewhat satisfied...no matter, since I still ended up eating most of the Mrs dish anyway! Also, we got to sample some complimentary sweets which was totally unexpected but very much welcome! If you're in the area, well worth checking these guys out!

So, after getting our tummies filled with delicious food, the Mrs and I went back to the apartment to take some well deserved naps before getting ready for dinner. At roughly 4:30pm, we made our way out to the city by car and were fortunate enough to quickly find some street parking pretty close to our dinner destination: Restaurant Hubert! The Mrs originally had no idea where I had planned to take her, though, she was rather close to finding out when she questioned me on why we'd never gone after seeing that a friend of ours had recently dined there. I tried desperately to brush it off and utilised a bit of misdirection to ensure she didn't find out until the day. I would have also tried to make a reservation for the night but unfortunately, Hubert doesn't take reservations for groups less than 6 so we had to go pretty early and hope that they could accommodate us.

We obviously weren't able to get a table immediately but we did put our names down and were promptly directed to the bar where we were free to grab some drinks and some food first whilst we waited for our table. This actually worked out a lot better for us since we could pace our meal a lot better. We settled down with a glass of rouge for the Mrs and a Nikka Taketsuru for me (somewhat obsessed with Japanese whisky at the moment, I must say) as well as some food to snack on: the Malakoff and the Prime Beef Tartare.

First, I'll start with the Prime Beef Tartare...two words: unbelievably good! I am a sucker for tartare (I see tartare, I order tartare) but this was on a whole new level. There's this unabashed savoury, moreishness to it since it was rich and packed with flavour in classic french fashion. No joke, the dish literally reminded me of some of Sydney's best cheeseburgers. Tender chunks of sliced and diced raw beef that is covered in a classic french-style dressing served with some very well seasoned fries...seriously, nothing better to start your meal with. I know raw meat can throw some people off but if you're game enough to push your boundaries, this is definitely the place to try it.

The Malakoff was another outstanding yet simplistic dish. Literally, when it arrives, the dish can seem a bit underwhelming since all you see is a small brown fried ball on a plate with two slices of pickles but there's actually much more to it. In it's original state, it yields barely any aroma which means you don't really know what to expect but cut it open and the melty gruyere cheese oozes out of this magnificently decadent fried ball of goodness and each bite yields the same rich taste and creamy sensation you'd expect from fondue...magnifique!

We were slowly nibbling on the dishes so as to ensure maximum enjoyment and to spend as much time as possible and near the end of the tartare, we were informed that our table was ready. I quickly shovelled the remaining tartare into my mouth and we moved over to where we would enjoy the rest of our meal.

Quite frankly, I was originally planning on ordering the Cote De Boeuf which would have been a massive 1kg steak but in discussing it with the Mrs, we opted against it since we had already had beef earlier and wanted more dishes to share between us. So between us, we ordered the baguette to start, the Le Grand Aioli, the Lobster Spaghetti and the Bavette Steak to share. Almost immediately after ordering, a basket of warm baguette slices were placed in front of us which was great because at this point, our appetites were in full gear. The baguette was intensely soft and doughy with a really nice yet mellow yeasty flavour to it.

After the baguette came the Le Grand Aoili which consisted of a plate of four mussels and some seasonal vegetables served with a massive plate of aoili. At first, the Mrs and I were somewhat confused about whether or not the vegetables were edible but after trying some, we realised that the vegetables were cooked and definitely edible so we chowed down and finished almost everything. Absolutely everything on the plate went well with the aoili...especially the pickled mussels. There was a certain spiciness to it that made the entire dish rather pleasing and appetising.

Next, came possibly...nay, hands down the BEST lobster spaghetti I've ever had (and I've had a lot). My reaction was literally like this when I had it:

The flavours presented in this dish do not yield at all as the perfectly al dente spaghetti carries lashings upon lashings of this luxurious, velvety bisque-like oil and sauce into your mouth, As the sensation of the flavours start to meld into your tongue, you first taste the butteriness of the sauce and then, you get overwhelmed by the intense savouriness of the lobster based sauce. You bite into each meaty chunk of lobster and find that it's cooked to perfection...not rubbery in the slightest but soft and tender.

To finish, the Mrs and I shared the Bavette Steak and a side of Pommes Anna. In a similar fashion to the Lobster Spaghetti before, this steak does not hold back on flavour. The outside is seared to a perfect brown crust and is seasoned ever so thoroughly. The rich, beefy flavour of the flank steak is only accentuated by the richness of the bordelaise butter and each bite is this wonderfully balanced mix of beef, fat and salt. Pair that with the crispy layered potatoes and creamy sauce of the Pommes Anna and you have, literally, heaven on a plate.

Overall, I think that today has been one of the best anniversaries the Mrs and I have had. We've come a long, long way since we first started dating...being married and living together has only made us closer and better as a couple. We share an equal sense of adventure when it comes to our food and I anticipate (or hope) that we can continue to eat like gluttons very far into the future.

To the Mrs: Thank you for staying with me all these years and thank you for all the good times and happy memories you've given me. Happy 7 years my love....may you stay by my side for many more years to come.

Manmaruya BBQ - Beverly Hills, NSW

The family and I used to go out quite frequently on Thursdays (because that used to be dad's day off) and we'd almost always make it a point to go out and eat well. Times have changed and as we get older, our schedules busier...I find that the times we get to go out are getting rarer and rarer. To my surprise, the sister had made a booking at a local yakiniku restaurant that we hadn't yet tried which made me heaps excited (and hungry). And so, we got ready and headed out to enjoy a nice night out at a local BBQ restaurant.

Located close to pancakes on the rocks, Manmaruya BBQ is the yakiniku/Japanese BBQ branch of the Manmaruya chain of ramen restaurants. Comparative to it's closest sibling, the feel and atmosphere is definitely more upscale and the prices definitely do reflect this. Still, this didn't hamper our excitement as we ordered some of our favourite meats and some sushi to share. We started our meal with a standard avocado and salmon salad. I'll be honest, there really wasn't anything particularly special about it but the tangy sesame sauce did help pique our appetites and prepare us for the glorious barbeque to come.

First to arrive was our combination platter, which consisted of ox tongue and pork neck slices. The moment you put these items on the grill, the sizzle of the meat and the smoke carries an irresistible aroma straight to your nose. As you wait (impatiently) for the meat to finish cooking, you watch as the colors slowly change and the sides get slightly charred. As a preference, we like my ox tongue a little under so just as they gained a little bit of colour, we grabbed it off the grill and I had mine with the sweet soy based tare and rice. The quality and freshness of the meat at Manmaruya BBQ is actually pretty good. The ox tongue is soft, fatty and tender all at the same time.

The pork neck took a bit longer to cook (common sense says we need to cook pork all the way through) but the end result was well worth it. Melt in your mouth from the first bite, You know to expect great things just looking at the fattiness and the smell generated when meat hits metal really ups the anticipation but it really doesn't prepare you for how good it really is. If I could realistically have just a whole plate of that, I would most definitely be happy and satisfied. 

Aside from ordering meats, we also ordered some seafood in the form of sushi and grilled mackerel. Within the  Hurstville area, the Manmaruya restaurants are probably one the restaurants who do the most decent sushi service. For the Hurstville ramen store, the sushi quality used to be a whole lot better prior to their installation of the conveyor belt. As with any establishment where speed and supply of the product is the selling point, attention to detail and quality normally drops as a direct result. Manmaruya BBQ brings back that quality by slowing things down and making the sushi ala-carte. Still, being the traditionalist that I am, I would have preferred to order simpler sushi however the salmon avocado nigiri we ordered really wasn't that bad at all.

From the moment I saw grilled mackerel on the menu, I knew I had to order it. I have a thing for Japanese grilled mackerel, being one of the only ways of preparing fish where I'd actually willingly eat it. It's the simplicity of the dish is it's defining trait as nothing more is necessary other than just this fish and some rice. I still would have preferred the skin to be crispier and I would have loved to have the standard condiments of grated daikon and ginger but the sauce it came with was still pretty refreshing and complimented the fish well. The belly portion of the mackerel is the most delightful piece to finish the dish with as the fattiness just explodes in your mouth as you eat it, leaving just the memory and taste lingering in your mouth as you sit there in satisfaction.

The final dish to come for the night was our second platter which consisted of galbi (short-rib) and harami (skirt). By this point, the three of us were starting to get slightly full but this didn't deter us from putting the meat on the barbie and watching it sizzle. I personally have a preference for the harami (the piece that's super marbled) because it's typically more tender and renders better on the grill but the short rib was also pretty nice in that it was beefier and held more flavour. I'd recommend this platter for any beef aficionado as it lets you devour the best of both worlds. Also, if at any point you're still feeling a bit peckish, Manmaruya BBQ lets you order a mini bowl of bibimbap for $5 when you've ordered any of their meat platters. That's exactly what we ordered which came at a great time because nothing goes better with grilled meat than carbs.

Overall, I'd say our time at Manmaruya BBQ was worth it. For the area, it might seem a bit upscale in terms of pricing but you definitely get good quality for what you pay for. If you're like me and seek comfort in abundance, I'd suggest visiting Koh-ya or Suminoya but for a local yakiniku establishment, Manmaruya BBQ does really well in bringing the allure and charm of Japanese barbeque to the suburbs.