Literary fun times and new cafe crushes

KidLitVic illustrators' cards

KidLitVic 2017

Pictured above: a few favourite cards picked up at KidLitVic, a fabulous writers’ conference now in its second year. My card stash features the work of illustrators (from top left, clockwise): Allison Langton, Caitlin Murray, Nicky Johnston, Luisa Gioffre-Suzuki, Irene Tan and Tania McCartney. Aren’t they all amazing?! One of my favourite parts of the conference was checking out the illustration portfolios on display (so much talent, sigh!).

The publisher panels offered the inside word on kids’ books, the atmosphere was fantastic, and the organisers (author Alison Reynolds and team) once more did an amazing job pulling everything together. Industry insights aside, meeting up with other writers and talking all things books and publishing was undoubtedly a highlight. Especially when debriefing afterwards over delicious Malaysian food! I stayed at my friend and fellow conference attendee Cat’s place, and we managed to squeeze in some Melbourne must-dos (like Readings Kids!) into our whirlwind of a weekend.

Readings Kids

Melbourne wanderings

With Cat and her kids as tour guides, we hit Lygon Street in Carlton for a cannoli fix at the treat-laden Brunetti’s, before a book-ish droolfest at Readings Kids. I so wish there was a carbon-copy in Sydney! Packed with everything from picture books to the latest #LoveOzYA reads, you can easily spend hours here (and lots of $!). I came away with a small stack of new reads, including some titles from my kids’ current favourite series, Truly Tan and Isadora Moon, about a half-vampire, half-fairy (super cute!).

You're Five series launch

Book launch: The You’re Five series by Shelly Unwin

Along with some other writer friends, I attended fellow critique group member Shelly’s book launch at The Children’s Bookshop in Beecroft. It was the first of several events launching her You’re Five series, with a book celebrating each age from 1 to 5. A great concept, and a beautiful package complete with Katherine Battersby’s charming illustrations. After introductions from bookshop owner Paul MacDonald and guest author Jacqueline Harvey of Alice Miranda fame, Shelly ran a fun storytime session followed by the perfect accompaniment – birthday cakes!

Natasha Lester author talk

In other bookish news, I went to a fascinating talk at Five Dock Library by Perth-based author Natasha Lester, with a focus on her latest historical fiction novel, Her Mother’s Secret. She filled us in on her publishing story, her writing routine and the in-depth research she conducts for her books. Her latest release is set in 1920s and 30s Paris, and centres around the birth of the make-up industry. I love the way Natasha’s books weave historical events with issues concerning women’s fight for equality (highly recommend her previous book too, A Kiss for Mr Fitzgerald, set in 1920s New York). Natasha is such a warm and open presenter, and it was so nice to meet a writer whose work (and advice-filled blog) I hugely admire.

Sydney Writers' Festival

Sydney Writers’ Festival

More books, more authors, more literary fun times! This year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival featured an amazing program, and their family day was no exception. We took our kids to see UK Children’s Laureate and Charlie and Lola creator Lauren Child, who talked about her influences and creative processes. Even Quentin Tarantino movies form the inspiration behind her beloved children’s books. We also saw the always hilarious Andy Griffiths, with glimpses of his upcoming 91-Storey Treehouse book, followed by a session with picture book creators Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys. They shared the stories behind their stunning picture book, Under the Love Umbrella, from initial idea and napkin scribbles on a Brooklyn-bound train, to the intensive illustration process. In other SWF news, I did a children’s writing masterclass with R.A. Spratt (Friday Barnes/Nanny Piggins). As well as being highly entertaining, she offered some great tips from plotting to using IRL observations of conflict as story fuel (recommended: a Saturday trip to Ikea!).

Goodbye Horses

Goodbye Horses

Cafe Crushes

And to accompany everything bookish – coffee, of course! So many cafes … so many crushes. A few on my radar lately:

~ Concrete Jungle in Chippendale, for their super health-packed bowls.

~ The perfectly tiny Glider (in the same laneway), with the cutest coffee coasters, like mini-wooden pallets.

~ And new Summer Hill cafe, Goodbye Horses – great coffee, music and staff (and plants!), and a backroom that feels just like a dining room in a terrace house.

Snapshots 20.08.15

Luna Park

Daytripping – Luna Park fun

 

August so far has seen hot weather hopefulness with trips to the beach, lots of good reads, much picture book love and some delicious Sydney food finds for good measure.

Kids’ books

We are fully aboard the Andy Griffiths train in this house, with the obligatory purchase of the latest Treehouse book (made all the more exciting after meeting Andy at the Sydney’s Writer’s Festival this year!). Here are a couple of great articles post 65-Storey Treehouse release: the importance of humour in kids’ books, and why Andy Griffiths thinks many children’s stories are boring.

Other favourite kids’ reads right now: Lulu by Georgie Donaghey, Lisa absolutely loves art by Sophie Norsa, The Cleo Stories by Libby Gleeson, The Colour Thief by Gabriel Alborozo and Why I love Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft (you can read my review for Buzz Words here).

 

Kids books we love - August

 

Lulu author Georgie (who signed her book for my kids at the recent CYA Conference) sent us a lovely package of Lulu-themed craft and fun things (like chocolate) – the kids were super impressed to receive something in the mail from a real-life author!

 

All things Lulu

 

Other reads

I recently devoured Bejing Tai Tai by Tania McCartney, an expat memoir of the now kids’ author (and brains behind Kids Book Review, one my favourite go-to kids’ book sites) on her expat years in Beijing. I felt swept up in her story as it was so relatable, There were many things that mirrored my own time living in Asia in the late 2000s – everything from maid dramas and navigating expat friendships, to cultural differences and bringing up kids ‘elsewhere’. It’s humourous, warm, insightful – a bit like reading someone’s diary. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of expat or travel non-fiction.

Current reads

I’ve also just read Motherhood and Creativity by Rachel Power, a collection of stories by Australian women who grapple with juggling motherhood with a creative career, whether it be acting, art or writing. It was so interesting to read insights into these women’s lives, especially admired writers like Sally Rippin and Nikki Gemmell. Such a great read for anyone balancing all things kids with a passion pursuit.

Now, I’m reading Emily Bitto’s The Strays (loving so far), with a side detour into YA for uni (Risk by Fleur Ferris and Just_a_Girl by Kristen Krauth – both engaging yet chilling in their own ways).

 

Weekend wanderings // Sydney

Smalltown

 

Daytrips, food loves and fun things of late have included:

+ an exploration of the far northern beaches (winter denial), including a pitstop at a great Avalon cafe, Smalltown (like a slice of the inner-west, transported to beachland)

+ Luna Park on a blue sky day, with a side serve of Americana at Batch burgers in Kirribilli

+ a sushi train restaurant with iPads for ordering (new favourite city sushi)

+ oysters at The Gretz and dinner at Hartsyard (balancing all the ‘heartiness’ – ahem, fried chicken – with their amazing broccoli dish)

 

Wanderlust wishlist

+ this cafe

+ this hotel

+ this restaurant

 

Snapshots 27.2.15

All the birds singing

READING

All the birds singing by Evie Wyld

My book club just read this novel which was haunting, heartbreaking and fascinating all at once. The female protagonist Jack is a fiercely strong shearer, yet is fleeing from something untoward in her past. There’s something mysteriously killing her sheep, and it seems there could be a link to her troubled past. As the story progresses with one strand propelling forward, the other backpedalling, it all becomes clearer. I loved the split narrative and the way everything unravelled, though the story’s structure divided our book club’s opinions. I was clearly in the love camp with this one, for the story but also the simple yet powerfully evocative language and vivid sense of place Wyld conjured.

EATING

All the things at Paesanella, Marrickville

Cheese and charcuterie lovers should head straight to Paesanella’s Marrickville emporium and up the cafe lift to cheese heaven. Along with aisles of packaged Italian delights, a deli counter and fridges stocked with cheese (including Paesanella’s famous homemade ricotta and buffalo mozzerella), there’s also a glass-encased cheese room for ogling, smelling and sampling. New weekend haunt sorted.

DOING

Stand up paddleboarding

After a quick lesson post-paddle board hire at Rose Bay surf club on a recent pale grey early morning, I was soon skimming over the surface of crystal clear water, with rays visible on the ocean floor, schools of fish darting around and gardens of seaweed underneath. This was the perfect place and time to learn, with calm water and not too many people or boats around at 7am. Paddle boarding feels like a full body workout, yet is also quite calming, and is something I’ll definitely seek out on future beach breaks.

Destination Mudgee

Botobolar

Botobolar – Australia’s oldest organic vineyards

Botobolar

Botobolar

Logan Wines

Stunning views from Logan Wines

Logan Wines

Tasting at Logan Wines

Over the Christmas break we headed to Mudgee for a few days, figuring the coast in either direction from Sydney would be too crowded. Heading west of the city over the Blue Mountains and beyond, we reached Mudgee and discovered few other tourists around – I’m sure most were at the beach! It meant the wineries were blissfully uncrowded (some empty), the hotel deals abundant, and the vibe very relaxed. The downsides were that a few eateries were closed, and the weather was super hot. Regardless, it was a great three day stay, filled with much eating and drinking, beautiful views and animal spotting for the kids. After experiencing much of what Mudgee has to offer, here’s an edit of the must-dos:

The Wineries

Wineries are Mudgee’s main drawcard, and there are so, so many to visit. Some are clustered together on the main road past the racecourse, but many are sprawled out on the outskirts of town in every direction, with several worth seeking out. Our favourites were:

+ Logan Wines for stunning views from a glass box perched high above the vineyards.

+ Robert Stein for the beautiful setting, the best Shiraz and the most amazing restaurant of our trip, the few months old Pipeclay Pumphouse.

+ Short Sheep Micro-winery for the personal touch provided by the owner couple proud to show us around and explain their wine-making process, as well as the cute breed of short sheep you can feed (especially fun if you have kids in tow).

+ Botobolar for beautiful wine (including some that are preservative-free) at Mudgee’s oldest organic vineyard. We particularly liked this winery’s reds, after first discovering them at Newtown’s Bloodwood.

+ Lowe Wines for the family-friendly feel, with beautifully organised grounds ripe for exploration, complete with farm animals and fruit plantations (the wine was great too!).

Pipeclay Pumphouse

Salmon carpaccio at Pipeclay Pumphouse

 fig mille feuille

Caramelised fig mille feuille with honey marshmallow at Pipeclay Pumphouse

Food + Drink

Like anywhere, there were hits and misses. In a few days we managed to sample quite a lot of Mudgee’s eateries, from cafes to pubs to winery restaurants. We were there just after New Year so a few places that looked and sounded great were closed, like Roth’s Wine Bar, though there were still plenty of places open to choose from. Here’s our pick of the bunch:

Favourite café:

Market Street Café was our favourite breakfast/brunch venue, with nearly everything on the menu sourced in and around Mudgee, from the preserves to the locally raised meat. The ingredients here are of the highest quality and they serve great coffee by Bill’s Beans from nearby Orange.

Pipeclay Pumphouse

Pipeclay Pumphouse at Robert Stein

Entering Pipeclay Pumphouse

Entering Pipeclay Pumphouse

Favourite restaurant:

The afore-mentioned Pipeclay Pumphouse at Robert Stein is the new Mudgee hotspot and by far our favourite experience of the trip. If you venture to Mudgee you MUST eat here! The setting is amazing (another glass box-like structure making the most of the stunning views) perched over a dam, backed by vineyards, backed by rolling green hills. The food is beautifully executed fine dining, with a 3 course menu at $60 and a seven course degustation at $85. It has it all, from genuine, professional service, beautiful Stein’s wines, a stunning setting and decadent, delicious food.

Favourite beer:

There are so, so many pubs in Mudgee, what seems a disproportionate amount for a small town(!), but the best place for beer has to be the Mudgee Brewing Company. The barn-like microbrewery and restaurant is in the middle of town and features a simple menu of typical Oz bar food and live music, along with an extensive array of beers brewed on site. The IPA was a standout, and the Razz Ale my overall pick, a raspberry-infused brew which is not at all sweet or sickly, just oddly refreshing.

The family factor

We travelled to Mudgee with our kids and they managed to find much to enjoy, though the hotel pool was right up there with their favourite things about the trip. Several of the wineries double as farms, so kids can see alpacas, pat sheep or goats or even explore a chicken coop (visit Lowe Wines for that!). Most have extensive grounds so there’s lots of room to run around outside. Many of the wineries also have some kind of ‘kids’ corner’ with colouring books and chalkboards to keep kids entertained. In town, one of the most kid-friendly cafes is Outside the Square, where there are highchairs, kid-sized tables and even colourful crafts for sale similar to what you’d find in an Oxfam or other NGO-run shop. It felt like Mudgee was really welcoming of kids, despite it’s food and wine-focussed adult appeal.

Where to stay

We stayed at Parklands Resort & Conference Centre, which I highly recommend. We got a great last minute deal so stayed for less than half the usual rate – so do that if you can! It’s located across from the racecourse on sprawling grounds on the edge of town, and is just at the start of the main road to the wineries. It has an oversized indoor pool (which was a godsend on one 42 degree day!) along with a Jacuzzi and sauna, and the rooms are really spacious. Ours had a double bed, a single bed and a foldout couch that could sleep two, so it was great for our family of four but could have really comfortably slept five! For a boutique hotel option if sans-kids, De Russie Suites looks gorgeous.

{Cafe crush} Anonymous Cafe, Blackheath

Anonymous Cafe

Anon cafe_interior

Anon Cafe Ploughmans

The Blue Mountains offers many a cafe option for travellers heading west of Sydney and back, but Anonymous Cafe in Blackheath is a standout. Not only does it brew a mean cup of Campos and offer a range of unique herbal teas (like Green Mango) from T Totaller, but features an enticing menu using much locally-sourced produce.

The Ploughman’s Lunch is no ordinary version – it comes laden with ‘real’ ham as well as prosciutto, a hard, soft and blue cheese, delicious homemade herb bread, figs, relish and salad, all vibrant and artisanal and all-round awesome. I would never normally order this dish (placing it firmly in the yawn category), but am now a convert. Also delicious – the baguette with roast pork, crackling and Vietnamese herbs and salad. Anonymous bypasses touristville and serves up food on par (or better) than many urban offerings. So happy to have a new go-to place for future Blue Mountains sojourns!

Anonymous Cafe, 237-238 Great Western Highway, Blackheath, NSW

Anonymous Cafe on Urbanspoon

{Delhi eats} Veda Restaurant

Veda – a taste of decadent Delhi

Veda – a taste of decadent Delhi

One of the most amazing meals on our recent India trip was at the gorgeous Veda Restaurant in downtown New Delhi. Located on busy Connaught Place, it features a North Indian menu with lots of familiar dishes and some with interesting twists. It inhabits an opulent looking space (think ornate mirrors and chandeliers, a shimmery, glittery ceiling and lots of red), like Moulin Rouge meets fine Indian diner.

Veda Restaurant, New Delhi

Veda Restaurant, New Delhi

We went with a local friend who ordered an amazing spread of curries but insisted we try one thing – a whole leg of lamb on the bone, cooked in the tandoor. If you find yourself Delhi-bound, you must must must eat at Veda and order this dish! After a waiter dramatically set it alight as it was served, we tucked into succulent, slow cooked, charcoal-imbued spicy meat. The best lamb of my life.

Tandoori lamb leg at Veda

Tandoori lamb leg at Veda

The other standout must-order and a Veda signature dish is their crispy okra. We ate alot of okra in India but it was usually stewed or sauteed, however in this dish it was finely sliced, tossed with spices and a liberal amount of salt, and deep fried into crispy more-ish discs.

Veda is the perfect place to experience decadent, date night Delhi, or a world far removed from sightseeing in the heat. For more Delhi restaurant ideas (and there’s many – I needed more nights for Dum Pukht and Gunpowder!) see these round-ups by The Culture Trip and Travel + Leisure.

Veda Restaurant, 27 Outer Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi, +91 11 4151 3535, (website currently down).

{Sydney} Weekend wanderings 10.11.13

Armchair Collective

Image credit: Armchair Collective

Sydney weekends mean wandering to me – from exploring new places in our ‘hood to venturing far and wide, often in search of good eats. Here’s a little round-up of some food, finds and fun from recent weeks, which will hopefully inspire you to set out and explore your city.

The last few weekends have been a blur of kids parties (sooo many kids parties), beach walks and cafe hits and misses. We recently ventured to the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month’s night noodle markets in the city (twice) and now have a full blown Mamak crush (best roti this side of KL). We’ve dragged our kids out for Mexican, Vietnamese, and too many places for babycinos.

Armchair Collective

Image credit: Armchair Collective

One of my favourite cafe jaunts has been to Armchair Collective in Mona Vale. We were in the area anyway for a birthday so took a beach detour afterwards. The cafe looks kind of 70s from the outside, but inside is like a colourful beach shack. It’s a combined cafe and homewares store, and I fell a little bit in love with the ikat cushions, Moroccan ceramics and hippy luxe by the beach vibe of it all. The menu offers a great mix of typical cafe fare, not particularly experimental but hearty, wholesome and with high quality ingredients. The salad of beetroot, pumpkin, spinach and quinoa with goats cheese was light on the quinoa, but vegetable heavy and featured a tangy dressing – virtuous and delicious. There’s also a great BRT (with rocket substituting lettuce). If you’re stopping by for a post-beach takeaway Single Origin, you can also pick up a bunch of hydrangeas to go from the onsite florist, which adds to Armchair’s already colourful and inspiring aesthetics. And yes, the beach is a short walk away at the end of the street, so it’s an excursion-worthy combo.

On last weekend’s agenda: a school fete where I scored big time at the book stall (a wine box worth of books for the grand total of $15, including four cookbooks, some kids books, travel anthologies and novels, including one by my favourite travel writer, Pico Iyer. Score!), and a girls’ night to Icebergs Dining Room and Bar in Bondi with two of my food loving friends. Sipping cocktails on the glass-panelled balcony perched over the iconic Icebergs pool and a sprawl of surfer-studded ocean was not a bad way to kick off a Saturday evening. Dinner was a fishy affair, with shared oysters, school prawns and crab, with cod and delicious sides including my favourite, the lemon drenched kale. Icebergs had a kind of special occasion, date night vibe, but was nevertheless a beautiful setting for a catchup.

As for this weekend – we made a round two visit to Chi and Co. and it was just as good, if not better, as we had an extra person this time hence more dishes! If you go, the XO pork belly is a decadent, spicy, rich must-have. We also gorged on cannolis, jam doughnuts and lemon tarts at the Italian sweet-fest Pasticceria Tamborrino in Five Dock (they have everything from arancini to gelato, and all the cakes, biscuits and Italian desserty things you can think of – heaven).

How do you like to spend your weekends? And how was yours?

Eating out with kids in Vietnam

Hoi An - great for families

I was recently interviewed by Rachael from All Abroad Baby on my best tips for eating out in Vietnam with kids. If you’ve been reading since A Girl in Asia days, you may know we lived in Vietnam for a couple of years, moving there from Cambodia with one baby then having a second towards the end of our time in Vietnam. We definitely did our fair share (and then some) of eating out in Vietnam with babies and toddler in tow, and enjoyed taking them back this time last year for a holiday (especially great as they were (just) over that stage of having to explore every restaurant instead of stay at the table!). Overall, I highly recommend family travel in Vietnam – there are so many wins, from fresh, wholesome food to kind, tolerant people.

Read on for my tips and thoughts on food issues in Vietnam, from hygiene fears to ordering options to attitudes to kids in cafes:

What options are there for eating out with kids?

So many! From street-food stalls to high-end restaurants and five-star hotels, and everything in between. There are a lot of family-run restaurants, but if you’re new to the region and a little unsure, a good start is a Vietnamese chain, like Pho 24 or Wrap & Roll, which have a fantastic selection of spring rolls and other local snacks served up in a clean environment.

Of course, there are restaurants running the gamut of most popular international cuisines, but if you’re in Vietnam for a short time you should probably forego pizza for phở (noodle soup) or steak for bò lá lốt (beef wrapped in pepper leaf).

Is it safe for kids to eat out in Vietnam?

In our time living in Vietnam with a baby, and eventually, a toddler and a newborn (and when we returned on a family holiday late last year), we were lucky to not have any food or drink-related illnesses (though this has occurred elsewhere in South East Asia and it’s not pretty!).

Generally, food is prepared hygienically, ice in drinks is manufactured from bottled water and ingredients are extremely fresh, with most people shopping daily for meat and fresh produce. Even my much-frequented ‘pineapple lady’ at a local market used to sit carving sweet, juicy pineapples wearing disposable gloves, preparing the fruit on a meticulously clean table (despite the dogs, flies and muddy surrounds!).

In fact, contrary to some travel advice, the street food in Vietnam is some of the freshest, healthiest options as the dishes are mostly cooked to order, prepared in front of you and using just-bought produce. Once, when our first baby was about eight months old, a Vietnamese friend bought some quail eggs and noodles from a street vendor and started feeding her without me realising! And guess what? She was totally fine!

What kind of kid-friendly foods are available?

It depends how fussy your kids are, but spring rolls – either fried or fresh – are often winners, as are the many Vietnamese noodle dishes available. Bánh xèo is a crispy pancake filled with prawns, pork and bean sprouts. It’s delicious and not spicy at all (before condiments are added). Our kids have enjoyed this at local restaurants.

Grilled meats can also be a hit. And of course, there’s rice! Lots of western-style cafes have things like dips with vegetable sticks and healthy sandwiches, or the old kid-friendly standby – fries. Most kids will love the array of fresh juices on offer too, which are so much healthier than the preservative and sugar-laden manufactured kind. For hydration on a typical humid day in Vietnam, a coconut sipped with a straw is novel and delicious for most visiting children.

What are people’s attitudes to kids in cafes and restaurants like?

Overall, Vietnamese diners are extremely warm and welcoming of children, often noticeably more than at home. In terms of facilities, some high-end or westernised restaurants may have highchairs available, but many don’t, so if you have older babies or toddlers, you may like to bring a fabric tie-on seat to use. On a holiday when our youngest was just over one, it was the most useful thing – no squirming toddler on our laps while eating, and she felt secure and comfortable (while the attention span at the table lasted anyway!).

Generally, young children are doted on in public places in Vietnam, and if you have a baby, people may want to touch or hold them, which can turn out to be a useful thing! Your kids may also be given free things to eat as ‘treats’ by well-meaning strangers, and these will usually be something sweet, or packets of chips!

What if I need to change my baby’s nappy or breastfeed?

Nappy changing facilities are few and far between, so you’ll have to improvise with a portable change mat (another recommended must-bring). Unlike in Australia – or even places like Singapore – it’s rare (or even impossible) to find a dedicated breastfeeding space, so again, improvisation is necessary.

I never felt entirely comfortable breastfeeding in public in Vietnam, unless I had a big sarong or scarf covering my baby (which was awkward and hot). I think it was because I never saw local women breastfeeding in public, like it wasn’t the done thing (Vietnamese women have a long period of rest at home after having a baby, and many switch to formula quite early, believing it to be better for the baby, from what I’ve heard from Vietnamese friends anyway).

Any cafes in particular that you recommend for families?

Generally, most places (aside from trendy wine and cocktail bars with restaurants or very high-end establishments) are kid-friendly, though even some of these are fine if you go in the late afternoon! Some standout venues include Snap Cafe in Saigon, complete with outdoor playground, yard and kids menu, and Dingo Deli in Hoi An, which as you can probably guess has an Australian influence (it’s run by an Australian/Canadian family). It features a fantastic wooden playground structure, a sandpit, swings, and even a flying fox.

Parks with playgrounds are few and far between in Vietnam, so cafes with playgrounds are a godsend for small kids to let off some steam. At beach destinations in Vietnam, there are often places to eat right on the sand, which kids (and adults) love. Generally, most cafes cater to kids in some way, though you may need to explain what a babycino is (and you’ll often receive a cup of hot frothless milk if you do!). Overall, Vietnam is exceedingly family-friendly, and you may even find eating out is less of a hassle than it is at home!

This post was originally published on All Abroad Baby.

Matale Chocolate: from bean to bar

Matale Chocolate bars

A chocolate addiction, refined

I have this thing where I must eat chocolate every. single. day. Some might call this ‘thing’ an addiction. I’d like to think of it as more of a….passion?! I definitely do love chocolate, and while sometimes anything under the wide banner of ‘chocolate’ will do (I’m looking at you, purple packaging of sugar-filled evil) I’ve come to appreciate better quality, dark chocolate these days, particularly the artisanal bean-to-bar variety. The taste has a whole different level of complexity, it’s healthier, and the idea of supporting small-scale cocoa bean farmers is another reason to seek out quality, independent chocolate labels.

My first brush with ‘real’ chocolate was on my honeymoon in Barcelona, where my tastebuds sang with the discovery of a world of chocolate far removed from the mainstream. I sat in a small square in the Gothic Quarter clutching a fist-sized truffle of rich, dark chocolate, and my life was never quite the same again! In New York, I traipsed around Williamsburg in Brooklyn on a mission to visit Mast Brothers, a true bean-to-bar chocolate business run by two bushy-bearded brothers (and was excited not only for the chocolate, but that the brothers themselves were actually in the shop – food geekery much?!). In Australia, there are several players in the bean-to-bar chocolate scene, with one of the newest taking form after a revelatory visit to some long forgotten cocoa plantations in Matale, Sri Lanka. Enter, Melbourne artisanal chocolate makers, Matale Chocolate.

The taste test

I recently tried two of Matale’s single origin chocolates. The first was a 68% variety using cocoa beans sourced from the Somia Plantation in Madagascar. The chocolate comes as a thin, snappable sheet rather than divided into squares (not that anyone needs their chocolate portion controlled, right?!) and imprinted with a textured diamond pattern. It is dark, glossy and seductively scented. This variety has a unique flavour with more than a hint of fruit. Supposedly citrusy, to me it seems to have more of a pineapple flavour. It’s complex, strong and different to any chocolate I’ve tasted before. The richness of the chocolate prevents you from eating it all in one go, which is quite unusual for this self-declared chocolate addict.

The next bar sampled was the 72% cocoa from the Malekula Plantation in Vanuatu. Compared to the 68%, this is more of a traditional, dark chocolate, with a more familiar taste than the quirky Madagascan variety. It has a rich, deep, earthy flavour with hints of smoke and spice. Of the two, the 72% is my pick.

The lowdown

Matale Chocolate makes dairy, nut and gluten-free bean-to-bar chocolate. It is hand made, and uses organically grown, ethically sourced cocoa beans from small farms and co-ops. If you ever need to justify your chocolate addiction (raises hand) Matale ticks all the boxes for a feel-good, guilt-free antioxidant boost. Check here for stockists, follow Matale on Twitter or like their FB page. (I’m super jealous these guys source, make and TASTE chocolate for a living – dream job!).

Disclaimer: This post was made possible with the generous support of Matale Chocolate, who supplied the products reviewed. As always, my views are my own.

Image: Matale Chocolate