Gluttony

Country Of Origin: USA
Scovillle Rating 550000 - 600000
Web Site: http://www.deathsauce.com.au/

I recently have been looking at growing some hot chillies in my soon to be planted vegie patch. While searching for some information on what chillies are going to offer some heat and flavour, I can across an article about a hot sauce so hot, that you can’t even have a tablespoon of the stuff without nearly passing out. Being the fool that I am, I went out and found a bottle of the stuff. Blair’s Megadeath Sauce claims to be 500 times hotter then jalapeños! Upon getting my bottle, the first thing I noticed was the colour. It looked deadly! The next thing to hit me was the smell. It is just unbelievable. Next came the moment of truth, tasting. Now, I consider myself to have quite a high tolerance to spice, but the colour and aroma were enough to worry me. One tiny particle on a piece of garlic bread was enough of a warning to tell me just how hot this extract is. With a bit of encouragement, I doused a 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inch piece of lasagne. I can only describe the taste and heat as absolutely unreal. I have never tasted something so hot. Hiccups followed and my mouth was so sensitive that I could not eat anything else for a good 25 minutes. This extract would be fantastic in a good red sauce or in some tacos. Heat aside; it is a very tasty sauce.

Flavour: 9 / 10

Heat: 10++++++++

Rating: 9.5 / 10

Evil…

Restaurant Name: Big Mama’s
Cuisine: Japanese / Korean
Location: Cnr Swanston St and Victoria St Carlton, Vic.
Tel.: N/A
Web: N/A
Big Mama’s is a fusion style Japanese / Korean. This type of restaurant is a fast growing style of eatery within inner Melbourne of late, but it is hard to find a restaurant like this for the diner on a budget.

Food: Big Mama’s menu consists a selection of Korean & Japanese entree, main, dessert style dishes; from soups to spicy meat dishes. Every dish is topped off with well presented side dishes, varying from rice, spring rolls and calamar. Each time you dine you get a surprise what what is presented to you.
Each meal is very filling and I suggest arriving on en empty stomach, as you will be leaving with a very full one.

Score: 8.5 / 10

Environment: The cuteness of the food is matched by the friendly all female staff who serve and cook the food. When Big Mama’s is not full the meals are served very quickly. The restaurant itself is not large but it is very clean, tidy and has a great ambiance. It really feels like a modern restaurant located in modern Japan.

Score: 7.5 / 10

Price: Value for money is what you will receive from Big Mama’s, for $15 you will get a meal and a drink that will keep you happy and not wanting another meal for the rest of the day. Although a bit pricey for the average lunch you wont be forgetting the taste and experience any time soon.

Score: 9.0 / 10

Overall: Big Mama’s is one of the best value for money restaurants I have been to in a while. Like me it will become a weekly ritual that you will look forward to each and every day you don’t eat there.

8.3 / 10

Wheezy…

Beer Of The Month: Yebisu
Country Of Origin: Japan
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Web Site: http://www.sapporobeer.jp/english/

Yebisu is a 100% malt beer the will accompany almost any type of cuisine. The flavour is pronounced but with a very subtle aftertaste which dissipates quite quickly. First produced in 1890 the beer continues to one of the most popular in Japan often touted as a ’boutique’ beer. It featured some product placement in Neon Genesis Evengelion which further increased this beer’s popularity in Japan. A point to note on this beer is the very low availability in Australia. As far as I know, there are only 3 places that normally stock it (2 in Victoria and 1 in Western Australia). Also be prepared to pay $100 a slab. But it’s worth every cent.

Please remember to consume alcohol responsibly.

Rating: 9.5 / 10

Evil…

After a long hiatus, we here at Gluttony are working on some new reviews for everyone. Please sit tight they will be online shortly

Evil…

Restaurant Name: Ace’s Place
Cuisine: Italian
Location: Caroline Springs Shopping Centre, Shop 1, 13-17 Lake Street, Caroline Springs VIC 3023
Tel.: +61 3 8390 1800 OR +61 3 8390 1822
Web: N/A

There are a lot of Italian restaurants opening up in the western suburbs of Melbourne as of late, so I thought I’d review one to give you the reader, some sort of idea about the type of food served and if the cuisine is worth eating.

Food: The selection of food is what I would classify as standard for this type of restaurant. You can choose from a wide selection of Pizza, pasta, sea food, meat dishes and chicken dishes. The food is quite good in terms of taste and presentation. Having said that, there is nothing really original about the food. The size of dishes is considerable so you may want to think twice before ordering an entree or snack before your main.

Score: 6.5 / 10

Environment: Ace’s Place is very well setup, with a modern feel. Plasma displays line the walls and there are booths in addition to standard tables. There is also outside dinning which is great in summer. Staff are not quick to offer assistance but once food is ordered, they are quite prompt in getting it to the table.

Score: 6.5 / 10

Price: For a restaurant of this type prices vary from average to a little high. Expect to pay about $12 for a medium pizza, which is quite high. You need to remember that this is not an Italian cafe on Lygon Street, it is a sub-urban eatery.

Score: 6.0 / 10

Overall: Ace’s place is a great place to have a lunch or dinner with a large group of friends due to its seating capacity. As for the food well don’t expect the best Italian food you have ever tasted. Whilst not bad I would not consider it mind blowing.

6.3 / 10

Evil…

Restaurant Name: Teppansan - Japanese Cafe
Cuisine: Japanese
Location: 179 Russell Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Tel.: +61 3 9663 1938
Web: N/A

Quality food does not need to cost you an arm and a leg. Teppansan is a prime example of fine dining at fantastic prices. Whether you wish to go out for a romantic dinner or go to lunch with friends, Teppansan has a fine selection of cuisine that should cater to your needs.

Food: Meals at Teppansan are quite large and as a consequence, you can over order. Having said that, the food is so good you can be forgiven for ordering too much. Okonomiyaki and benodon boxes are a speciality.

Score: 8.5 / 10

Environment: Nice, simple surroundings are what help to make your eating expericence one you will remember for a while to come. A simple Japanese pre - revolution inspired mural and items such as fans adourn the walls. Additionally, posters advertising Japanese products and brands are placed to further give you the feeling as though you might be in a eatery in Japan.

Score: 8.0 / 10

Price: Considering the quality and presentation of the food, the pricing is insane. Everyday there are 2 lunch specials the first at $5.80 and the other at $10.00. Brilliant.

Score: 9.5 / 10

Overall: Teppansan is a bit of class, a lot of great food, brilliant environment and superb pricing all wrapped into one.

8.7 / 10

Evil…

Beer Of The Month: Kirin Ichiban
Country Of Origin: Japan
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Web Site: http://www.kirin.co.jp/

Kirin Ichiban or affectionately known as Kirin is a very light bodied, sweet beer. Very light in both colour and flavour, Kirin is the type of beer that you can drink with any meal on any occasion. Which in Japan is a good thing as a lot of what is eaten is seasonally based. One area where this particular brew excels is in its aftertaste. There isn’t one! There isn’t a strong beer aroma either making this one of the best beers available. Expect to pay about $7 per bottle from bars and restaurant and about $40 a slab from liquor stores.

Please remember to consume alcohol responsibly.

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Evil…

Restaurant Name: Singapore Chom Chom
Cuisine: Singaporean
Location: 188 Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Tel.: +61 3 9663 3778
Web: N/A

When someone mentions fast food, one normally assumes you are talking about Maccas or KFC. But if you have ever been to Singapore Chom Chom, you are given a new definition of fast food.

With a menu boasting over 150 items, you will almost never run out of new and interesting meals. The cuisine at this restaurant is Singaporean style with some hawker touches. While you can choose from entrees, mains and desserts, one main can fill even the biggest glutton (i.e. me).

Food: Having been to Singapore on a few occasions, I can honestly say that the food is quite true to it origins. The Larksa is supreme and I can’t resist the sweet BBQ pork on egg noodles. While I can’t say that the menu will appeal to all western pallets I can say that there is something for everyone on the menu. Presentation is a little lacking but the dishes are very, very tasty. Another plus is all the tea you can drink! Finally, the speed that you receive your food is amazing. It is rare to wait more then 10 minutes for a freshly cooked meal!

Score: 8.0 / 10

Environment: Very basic surroundings but plenty of seats ensures that you can walk in and get a table. Staff are polite and you are served almost immediately.

Score: 7.0 / 10

Price: This is when Singapore Chom Chom comes into its own. The average price for a main is only $7.80! Considering the quality of the food, the price is simply amazing.

Score: 10 / 10

Overall: I can’t recommend Singapore Chom Chom enough. The food and the price are something out of the ordinary. If you want a quick bite or a nice evening out, this place has you covered.

8.3 / 10

A special thanks needs to go to Sylvia and Gino for showing me Singapore Chom Chom.

Evil…

Restaurant Name: Matsumoto
Cuisine: Japanese
Location: 48 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, VIC 3057
Tel.: +61 3 9380 9288
Web: www.matsumoto.com.au

On an incredibly rainy Friday evening, your 3 reviewers braved the weather to dine at a Japanese restaurant named Matsumoto. This particular place was recommended by Nelson. Matsumoto is fully licensed and has BYO wine. Take away is also available.

Upon arrival we were showed to our seats and given our menus. The menu was quite comprehensive, with lots of modern Japanese and traditional Japanese dishes. We dined from 3 sections of the menu: entree, sushi and mains. Dishes included: gyoza, spicy tempura squid, tonkatsu, and sashimi. Beer of the evening was Kirin Ichiban.

Food: I have consumed a lot of Japanese food and I must say that the dishes from Matsumoto were some of the finest I have eaten. Every single morsel of food tasted amazing. The dishes were presented with care and attention to detail.

Score: 8.5 / 10

Environment: Again top notch. Staff were very polite and courteous. They even gave us lessons on pronunciation for some of the not so familiar dishes. The restaurant was also very well decorated. Additionally, the chef was kind enough to let us have our photo taken with him!

Score: 8.5 / 10

Price: One word - Excellent. We consumed 5 entrees, 2 sushi dishes, 2 mains and each drank 2 beers. For all of this, the meal came to $40AUD a head.

Score: 9 / 10

Overall: I highly recommend Matsumoto as a place to consider on your next evening out. Everything was just right.

8.5 / 10

Evil…

Welcome to Gluttony! A blog dedicated to fine international cuisine from restaurants around Australia and the globe. The 3 core reviewers for this site are all from Melbourne, Australia. We thought that this blog would be a good place to write down some thoughts about food that we have enjoyed. Guest writers will also drop by to give us their thoughts also.

Reviews will have the following marking criteria:

1. Food - What did the food taste like? What sort of textures and flavours were encountered?
2. Environment - What was the actual restaurant like? How were the staff dressed? Were they courteous?
3. Price - Was the food worth it?
4. Overall - Taking all of the above into account, was the eating experience something that we would recommend for you, the reader?

Please enjoy what this blog has to offer. We hope that we can provide you with a great guide to eating out.

Evil…

Reviewers:

- Dave Pisani
- Eder Ramos
- Nelson Estrada

Oh yeah and a very special thanks to Gino for setting this site up!