Finding things

Last Friday I finally found him. The guy who I heard about, and subsequently looked for but could not find. I found him last Friday.

Mr Mushroom. One of the best mushroom retailers in Victoria. I felt like a kid in a candy store, and I don't even like mushrooms that much! It was a small little shop, but I was caught up in the magical land of mushrooms, fascinated at the different kinds. I ended up with 3 giant horse mushrooms, which I cooked up by saute-ing with oil, finishing off with butter, then adding to the oven with a splash of soy and parmesan shavings. I was in mushroom heaven. And again, I don't even like mushrooms that much! I was inspired by one of the best mushrooms I've ever tasted, when I ate at the Argo a couple of months ago. My brother is coming down next month, so I will be sure to add this to the menu!

On Saturday I explored the South Melbourne Market and was quietly impressed. Not quite as big as Queen Vic, but plently of produce and niche products that make me buzz with excitement.
Finally tasted the famous South Melbourne Dim Sims, which have been in existence since 1949, and is regarded as some of the world's best. Apparently Dim Sims were first made in Melbourne (not to be mistaken for the similar Dim Sum).

I bought 1 steamed and 1 fried. The fried one started fantastically, with a crunchy top that I still vividly remember right now as I type. The steamed Dimmy finished very well with a hint of pepper. For a Dim Sim, they were very good, with quality "stuffing" (whatever mystery ingredients are in there). They definately don't have that cheap taste which budget mass produced Dim Sims have. On a side note: Chef's Hat across the road is a kitchenware playground, and I'll be spending a lot more time there in future I'm sure!

All done - Hello again

Project has been closed out! Goodbye long hours, hello life. Its been the toughest 6 months of my career, and I'm glad its over. Looking forward to a holiday next month, and time to just relax after the gruelling battle I've had to fight.

My 60+ hour weeks has given me an appreciation of coffee. I've had up to 4 coffees (plus additional energy drinks) a day, and my list of favourite coffees around the office, in no particular order are:
- Grinders Coffee - myGoodness cafe on St Kilda road (comes with a free muffin)
- Capri Cafe on Wellington St, St Kilda
- Jasper's coffee in Prahran Market (also in Smith St, Fitzroy)
- Italcaffe coffee - Barista off chapel st (Carlton St)

Additionally, in the city, my 2 favourite places are:
- Cloud 19 (using Grinders coffee)
- Expresso Bagels (using Mokador coffee - currently only 1 in Melbourne)