Restaurant Reviews - Good Life Pizza and Chocolatree

 

Last night we had a bit of a treat... we went to Good Life (Modern Organic) Pizza's, in North Adelaide's O'Connell Street (which also has a cafe in Hutt Street in the city and in Glenelg. Actually, we've been meaning to come here for quite some time, and just hadn't got of our backsides until now. And whilst we didn't have our good camera with us, or our wits, we enjoyed the evening... which we'll share with you now.

If it had escaped you, the whole thing about this place can be broken into two main components: Pizza + organic ingredients. A simple recipe... and one that should be extra divine. Have I mentioned that T-chan, L-kun and I are Pizza freaks. Well, strictly speaking, L-kun is a garlic bread freak. So we ordered a two garlic breads and an olive bread.

I have to admit, our first impression was a little bit of disappointment. The garlic bread was decidedly un-garlicy, and the olive bread was even more disappointing (at $4.5 per slice it should have been divine). The olive bread consisted of a thick slice of Turkish bread with an organic olive tapenade. Now T-chan doesn't like olives, but I love them - and my mouth was watering expecting a luscious flavour. I was disappointed. The flavour was muted to the point that even T-chan could eat. So things got off to a rocky start. And don't get me started on the waitress... at every opportunity she would ask us if we wanted a drink - despite the fact that we told her that we wanted to read the menu first. Please listen!

So we then ordered our pizzas: organic free-range chicken with baby potatoes, garlic, rosemary and paremesan. Sounds simple... but I can honestly say it was the best chicken pizza that we've ever tasted. Not only that it was some of the best chicken that we've tasted. We could have eaten more and more of it. Big thumbs up! Oh by the way - we forgot to take the camera out until we'd almost finished, hence the sort of unsophisticated 'half eaten' look. It may not look like much, but it was extremely delicious.

The other pizza we had was the Smoked Salmon, with a combination of preserved lemon, caper mayonnaise and mizuna (or Japanese greens). This was also quite yummy - though not as amazing as the chicken - and the caper mayonnaise really set it off. Both of these were very simple in construction, but it just goes to show the value of good ingredients.

I should also give a shout out to the Mountain Goat Steam Ale which I had... once again a beautifully organic brew that was +1's all around from me. Our overall experience was good, but the downside of the garlic/olive bread, plus that there was a very large (noisy) booking that evening detracted a bit. The pizzas were about $15-25 per 9" pizza... so not cheap, but I think worth it for the quality ingredients.

Good Life's details are:

5/11 O'Connell Street, North Adelaide

Phone: 8267 3431 (note - they didn't reply to the phone messages until after 4:30 pm, so book evening before).

Any way - we had decided to go elsewhere for desserts and drink... as we don't often go out these days, we wanted to try a new-ish place in North Adelaide called the Chocolatree - Fine Chocolate and Dessert Cafe. This was a bit of a surprise for us, as it perhaps didn't quite attract enough attention from the foot-path... but once in, we realised that there was quite a bit of room, especially in terms of outdoor seating at the back.

As it was a chocolate cafe - there was plenty of delicious looking boutique chocolates to be had... 

Though there was plenty of variety beyond the simple delights of quality chocolate. 

Given that it as a chocolate cafe however, we decided to share a Chocolate Mousse... and it was a good thing that we had ordered to share, because believe me this little baby (which is served with an extra helping of rich Belgian melted chocolate) is divinely rich. Superbly - but too-much-to-be-good-for-you rich. We loved it however. 

I rather foolishly... I admit... ordered the Chocolate Indulgence to drink. It was incredibly chocolatey... and I just about melted into it's rich brown depths. However... when combined with the Mousse, I almost - and I really mean almost - reached my limit. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if I had crossed that line. Best not to think about it. 

T-chan ordered the Chai Latte...  which was delicious as well, and thankfully not laden with chocolate. 

We gave L-kun the choice of any delectable... he went with the bling of 100's and 1000's and ordered the Chocolate Freckle Round. He's a boy of simple tastes and drives.

As T-chan sat blissfully unaware (in a cocoa induced stupor) this cheeky shot some how summed up our experience. Caution: Mind your step! There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and we had only just escaped the evening with our dignity intact. But - if given the chance again, we most probably would have indulged just as much next time again. I have to say that I'd also try some of their signature dishes like the truffles and the chocolate fondue.... yummy.

Chocolatrees Details:

25 O'Connell Street, North Adelaide

8367 0443

In closing - it was a great night out, and we all had a good feed and lots of good memories. I would recommend it to anyone... though don't expect the _perfect_ experience and you'll have a great time.

Restaurant Review - Spats Cafe and Coffee Lounge

Well, I've already posted on our meal at Mapo Restaurant, but after watching our movie (The Last Ronin which is also known as The Last Chisingura), as part of the 15th Japanese Film Festival, we found that it was raining quite heavily. L-kun was safely sleeping over at a friends house - so the night was still early. What to do? We headed to an old haunt of ours, known as the Spats Cafe on King William Road. Now along with the Elephant Walk on Melbourne Street, this is one of the nice places to go for a coffee and a chat in Adelaide; although you can also grab a bite to eat there as well.

The cafe is a renovated house on King William Road, just south of the CBD. It doesn't look that interesting from the outside.... nor that big. Don't be deceived however. It's quite big extending both up, back and across, and the real joy occurs once you step through the front door.

Stepping across the threshold, it's as if you've been translated both to another time, and another country. I've read it described as Edwardian in style... and whilst it may be slightly more cliche than chic, it embraces the theme with wild abandon. Don't be surprised however that you'll find yourself having a long time to enjoy the ambiance. We arrived around 9:45 pm on Saturday night - only to find a line up inside of about 15 people. It took us about 20min to get a seat. Popularity has it's price. But it does give you ample time to soak up the vibe (but if you're seated in the front room, you might find it a little like being in a fish bowl).

The enjoyable part of the cafe, or lounge as they are alternatively described, is the private booths on the side rooms and upstairs. There you can relax, away from the milling mob of table-desirers. And this is one of the distinctions of Spats. You are encouraged to ensconce yourself in this dimly lit fantasy world of wicker and wonder. Take your time, and don't be surprised that it will be a while (especially on a Saturday night) before you're order is taken. Be patient.

Actually the decor upstairs is quite different from the front rooms. I can't help but imagine it as some seedy opium den or Bordello of the early twentieth century... The reddish glow, the quiet whisper of couples, and friends alike sharing their lives over a plate or cup makes for a welcoming feeling. The lounges are quite comfortable, and it doesn't take long before you'll find yourself feeling more at home than you might feel even at home.

Now you can buy dinner here, and they have a reasonably selection of cafe-style meals (though lending more from an Italian cafe rather than something in tune with the theme). However, T-chan and I tend to come here for only coffee and desserts. The meals themselves are reasonable, but not what Spats is about. 

I enjoyed a fresh pot of New Guinea Gold, a nice brew served in china. Good for the eye, but for a die-hard coffee drinker, just a little too dainty for me. Still, when in Rome...

T-chan instead went for the the Chai Latte Crunch... an iced version of the tea that in my mind really typifies the Imperial, or should that be colonial, era when tea and coffee houses became the place for meeting of the artistic and the exotic.

Now we also sampled some of the delicious desserts for some late night indulgence. T-chan went with the Chocolate Cream Gateau. Quite rich and luxurious, decorated in Spats style with a splash of red, blue and white... much like the lighting. 

I would normally have gone with the banana crepe, but instead went with the Mixed Berry Sundae. Not too bad, but definitely preferred the Gateau.

So there you have it... if you're looking for somewhere to have a bit of a break one evening, and you have a car (and prepared to travel out of the city), then I'd definitely recommend heading south to Goodwood and trying out Spats Cafe and Coffee Lounge. You don't go for the food, though the desserts are worth it -but instead, you go for the broader range of coffee selection, the touch of the mystery and fantasy, and of course, the opportunity to take a pause from a busy week and enjoy spending time just chilling. Just try for a booth seat rather than the front room... And despite the long wait (even when we left, there was a long queue), you never feel pressured to finish up. The drinks and desserts set us back about $30, so whilst it's not cheap, it's a relaxing way to spend the evening. Take your time and enjoy the moment.

Spats Cafe (Cofee Lounge):

108 King William Road, Goodwood

(08) 8272 6170

Open from 6:30pm to 12am, or 2 am Friday/Saturday night.

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Restaurant Review - Mapo

Saturday night we had a bit of a break, with L-kun being looked after by some friends of ours (thanks a squillion!). We decided to go out and catch a dinner and a movie. The movie I'll talk about later, the dinner was at Mapo, a Korean Restaurant on Adelaide's premier eating street, Gouger Street. Now Mapo has been around for a long time though has undergone a bit of a revamp from the original Korean BBQ that we knew it as years ago. It's now a modern fusion masterpiece.

Things start of interesting as your entry is announced with a deep resonant gong. The atmosphere inside is simple, and whilst there's a traditional floor seating area, the majority is western table dining. As we had a movie at 7, we had an incredibly early booking for 5:30 to try and give us barely enough time to eat and get to the cinema. As a result, we were the only ones in the restaurant. That's a good and bad thing. The good side - no noise and you get the undivided attention. The bad side - it sort of shows up any deficiencies in the service and makes you realise how much of eating is atmosphere.

Now the a la carte menu was fairly small, and we were a little underwhelmed by the choice available. And I have to say, as T-chan and I don't go out that much, we were surprised a little at the cost. Having said that, when we go out, we don't mind indulging a little.

Mapo Money Bags - "Filled with local tiger prawns, fresh fish & squid served on a peanut puree". These were delicate little delights, with a fairly light seafood flavour. They're perhaps a modern take on the Japanese dish of takoyaki. The puree was nice, though understated. Great texture and a good way to start the night (they normally are served with 3, but they nicely upped it to 4 to make it easier to share). Cost $14.90 (for 3).

Ginger Pork - "Lightly battered pork balls served with a lime chilli sauce". These were quite nice, and my first though was that they'd be hot. But hot they were not (says Dr Seuss). The pork balls themselves were fresh, nicely cooked. The garnish of pumpkin was a particularly nice touch. The chilli sauce on top was perhaps a little too similar to sweet chilli sauce you'd have at home, and the sauce below (I assumed for aesthetics) was largely light and a good splash of red that added to the expectation of heat. Cost $13.90.

Tender Duck Fillet (210g – 250g) - "Marinated duck breast, oven baked then char grilled served on a nest of tempura vegetables. Topped with Chung Jae’s creamy basil sauce". We often order duck, though I've never had a Korean duck dish... and I suspect that I've yet to. This was a slightly different take on a European-style duck and (light) orange sauce. The Basil sauce was nice, but a little hidden away. One of the surprises was a massive grilled garlic, sliced in half. Quite nice, but I feel sorry for the people we shared a movie with later in the evening. Cost $28.90.

Crying Tiger Wagyu Beef (marbling score 7-9%) - "Chargrilled SA Mayura wagyu skewers with tamarind, coriander and chilli sauce accompanied by tempura veg and a tomato and cucumber salsa". This for me was the winner of the night. For the price, I was surprised to see it served on skewers. It was however, delicious. Tender and flavourful. The sauce really did set the meal off so well, and once again the chilli sauce was incredibly restrained. The tempura mushrooms were an interesting selection for accompaniment. The nest made of noodles was brilliant and gave the dish as sense of curiosity. Now T-chan would say to anyone that asked, Ben-chan loves his beef. I do, it's true. So I was pleasantly surprised by the enjoyment from these skewered beauties (even if a little on the pricey side). Cost $34.90.

Now we had unfortunately run out of time (due to our movie date) - but even with a fairly quick dinner, we enjoyed ourselves. We had been wanting to visit Mapo for a long time, especially since it changed it's image. Whilst we enjoyed the experience, a quick meal set us back $130+  when you threw in several of drinks. While I'm not necessarily a buy-by-bulk kinda guy, I felt that this was a little over valued (or am I just being a bit tight arsed?). The only other thing that I felt was that for a asian fusion restaurant, there was a little too much fusion going on, but too little asian (especially Korean). We didn't get a strong sense of the underlying Korean flavours, and these dishes wouldn't have been too exotic in any modern restaurants. Perhaps a different choice of dishes would have changed this view.

Mapo does come with a fine record, and a number of awards including the South Australian Award for Restaurant and Catering 2011 (Award for Best Asian Restaurant in South Australia), and Finalist in the Award for Best Chef in South Australia.... actually the list is too long to do justice. So there's obviously a lot of poeple that have been very impressed. In our opinion, it was a good quality restaurant, with good food and friendly staff that were very accommodating. A good night out!

Mapo:

113 Gouger Street

Ph:  8211 6042

Fax: 8357 2810

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