Awesome paella at Pesci's Restaurant, Cairns

Pesci's Seafood and Mediterranean Restaurant

http://www.pescis.com.au/
Menu: http://www.pescis.com.au/food/pescismenu
Open for lunch and dinner daily.
Mains around $30 but some seafood dishes are more expensive. Paella $39. 

We sampled four dishes at our table:
The ubiquitous child's bowl of chips (unremarkable).

Paella $39.50
Seafood flavoured spanish risotto served in a "paellera" with fresh local fish, prawns, calamari, scallops, chicken and chorizo. Garnished with black mussels and Moreton Bay Bugs.

Local Leader Tiger Prawns $35.00
Sashimi style or grilled served with saffron rice and seasonal vegetables, lemon butter sauce.

Lamb Rack $36.00
Oven roasted lamb rack with rosemary and garlic. Served with roasted vegetables and chef's own jus.
We also shared a jug of Sangria (pleasant, fruity and light).

I'm told that the Leader Prawns were acceptable, but perhaps one prawn short of a good meal.

An elderly relative, normally a modest eater at best, made short work of the rack of lamb and polished off the while thing. This is probably the best compliment you can possibly have for this particular dish!

A sibling and I both had the Seafood Paella. I have eaten a lot of very ordinary paellas in the past, but this one was good. I had pronounced to the table when ordering that making a good paella is a test of a chef's skill, and this one did not disappoint.

It is cooked and served on an individual basis on a low dinner-plate sized black cast iron dish, which keeps it warm for a long time. When it came to the table it was clear that it had been cooked in the pan and all the fluid had been absorbed into the risotto, creating plump and tasty golden grains of rice. The rice at the bottom of the pan was slightly caramellised, with a more intense flavour. Interspersed amongst the rice was a generous amount of chopped chicken and fish and small and tender calamari rings together with several medium-sized prawns. All of these ingredients were nicely cooked and appropriately tender. As well on the top of the dish could be found two black mussels, two scallops and two pieces of Moreton Bay Bug. The mussels were tender and not at all chewy or stringy (to my relief, as I am generally not a great fan of mussels) and the scallops were not overcooked but perhaps a little on the thin side. The Moreton Bay Bug was a little dry. Possibly the star of the dish was the sliced spicy chorizo sausage, which appeared perhaps to have been char-grilled on the outside.

The wait staff (both French) were helpful and attentive, and our young guest was allowed to touch one of the blue crabs in the nearby tank who were somewhat grimly awaiting their fate. The largest one disappeared while we were there and later reappeared on a nearby table.

We had an outside table but there are some tables available inside the restaurant.

It was a pleasant dining experience and I would definitely recommend the Paella!

Some precious metal at Zinc, Port Douglas, Far North Queensland

Open 7 days a week from 9am.
http://www.zincportdouglas.com/index.html
Menus: http://www.zincportdouglas.com/restaurant_menus_wines.html
Children's menu around $15, entrees around $18-$20, mains on average around $30.

We sampled four dishes at our table:
(Children's Menu) Hot chips with tomato sauce $6.90 (very salty).

(Entree) Trio of Seafood Vichyssoise Style $19.90
Served with smoked oysters, gravalax ocean trout, truffle oil and salmon caviar.

Saffron Linguini $31.00
Served with local banana prawns, chilli, thyme, lemon zest, olive oil, wild rocket, confit cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and picked parsley.

Prawn and Mussel Laksa $29.90
Served with Laksa sauce, rice noodles, prawn, mussel, stir fried vegetables, egg, asian bean sprout salad, lime, coriander and fresh red chilli.

The Vichyssoise was the stand-out dish, with an inspired combination of flavours. The creaminess of the soup was beautifully complemented by the stronger savoury flavours of the seafood. The gravalax was nicely prepared with dill, and the orange-coloured caviar came across as little exploding bubbles of taste. I would definitely recommend this one.

I was told that the Saffron Linguini was nice enough but not remarkable.

I had the Seafood Laksa. When I think of a Laksa, I always think of the steaming hot traditional Malaysian Laksa, with the coconut and curry-based soup and a wide variety of ingredients, including noodles, vegetables, chicken, seafood and bean curd. This one was quite different. It had the spicy curry base and some thin pale noodles and seafood, but lots of bean sprouts and some other crunchy vegetables as well as some slightly soft egg quarters. There was an attractive little dish of accompaniments on Asian spoons - a braised half-lime, some crushed pineapple with coriander (a lovely refreshing combination) and some chopped chilli with coconut. It didn't quite work for me as both the vegetables and noodles were bland and it was a bit of an effort to chomp your way through them all and the egg seemed strangely out of place. The seafood components were nicely prepared. The accompaniments were tasty. Overall it was a bit disappointing, so I wouldn't have this one again.

There are seats available both inside and outside. The service was attentive and friendly. One interesting touch is that there is a large aquarium directly outside the toilets and it also forms one of the internal walls for each gender. There were some brightly coloured reef fish, a stingray and a large ramora suctioned onto the wall of the gents!

Hellenic Republic caters for the masses!

Hellenic Republic
434 Lygon Street
Brunswick East 3057
Tel: (03) 9381 1222
www.hellenicrepublic.com.au

It's funny how much the unspoken fear which grips us all after a tragic event such as the abduction and murder of Gillian Meagher after an evening out in nearby Brunswick surfaces when you approach the area driving alone to go to dinner. You start thinking about where you will park and how far it will be away from the safety of lighting and other people, mentally noting that you hope that you transferred your hand-held alarm and torch into your substitute bag whilst the normal one was in the wash (it transpires I forgot!). It turned out that I was not the only one conscious of such things - I accompanied one of my colleagues to her car and she then kindly drove me to mine, ensuring that I got into it safe and sound.

This was a Christmas function for one of my occasional jobs. The set menu was $58.00 per head and the waitpersons were most remiss in not informing us that tea and coffee were extra. The cappucino was $3.50 and of an acceptable quality. Plain water was free of charge but the mineral water appeared to be $2.00 per person.

Let me say up front that this large open-roomed restaurant was EXTREMELY NOISY and it was hard to hear the person next to you and you basically had to shout to be heard. It is not the sort of place for a quiet conversation or to take hard-of-hearing elderly relatives. However, one of our party did mention that it was a little quieter for Sunday lunch.

We arrived at 8pm but the food service did not finish until close to 11pm, so this was rather disappointing. There was a plate and cutlery change between the starters and the main course, and fresh generously sized paper napkins for the mains and desserts. The food was all well prepared and of good quality, but there was a bit too much salt and heaviness for my palate and I would have liked to see more greenery/vegetables to balance out the meal a bit more.

For starters there was some pita bread and taramasalata made with white cod roe, and this was followed by some small (somewhat tasteless) green peppers, crumbed flavoursome fish balls and a slab of fried haloumi cheese served with sweet small honeyed figs. Another platter came out with tender grilled pieces of fish and a crumbed scallop for each person accompanied by a tabbouleh type salad, tzatziki and a small amount of possibly basil dip. Next were some roasted chicken and lamb pieces served with whole roasted potatoes. Unfortunately the meat was a little dry. Finally dessert was delivered in the form of creamy individual rice puddings with salted caramel, pistachios and a crunchy topping.

The amount of food per person was well-balanced and you did not come away thinking that you had eaten too much but were rather comfortably full.

If you like Greek or Middle Eastern food, then you will probably appreciate these offerings as being of good quality. However, the set menu is a bit on the pricey side and the amount of noise alone would be a sufficient deterrent to prevent me from going back again.

Curry to write home about - Downunder Curry, Northcote

Downunder Curry
Nepalese and Indian Cuisine
417-419 High Street,
Northcote Victoria 3070
Tel: (03) 9486 5333

Fully licensed and BYO (wine only)
Free delivery within 3km radius (min. order $28).
Sun, Tues and Wed - 5.30-10.00pm
Thurs, Fri and Sat - 5.30-10.30pm.
Closed Mondays.
Group bookings welcome.
www.downundercurry.com.au




(Updated 28 February 2013 - additional dishes and photos added.)

Take-Away Value Pack $38.50 
Momo (chicken or lamb - selected)
Butter Chicken (selected) or Nepalese Chicken Curry
Lamb Rogan Josh (selected) or Beef Curry (Rogan Josh(
Mixed Veggie Curry or Aloo Matar
2 x Basmati Rice
2x Naan
1 x Raita
3 x Pappadams
(There is also a take-away Family Pack with more contents for $49.50). 

The Momo (five Nepalese steamed home made dumplings served with fresh tomato chutney) came with a slice of tomato, cucumber, carrot and onion together with some lettuce and a sliver of lemon. The lamb mince was coarsely ground and lightly spiced and the dumpling pastry, whilst not completely 'melt in the mouth', was still very pleasant. The stand-out performer was the tomato chutney, which had a delightful lightly spiced and smoky taste.

The chilli pappadams were crunchy and delicious.

The Mixed Veggie Curry contained peas, potato (sauteed), cauliflower, broccoli, eggplant - moerately spiced, fresh-tasting (the presence of coriander and some more musky-tasting spice noted). 

Lamb Rogan Josh - the main ingredients were lamb, capsicum and tomato. It was strongly spiced with generous chunks of lamb. Some of these were a little bit dry but still tender and not stringy. There was a good amount of flavoursome sauce with a rich meat-stock underlying taste.

The Butter Chicken consisted of a goodly amount of tender tandoori chicken pieces and was moderately spiced. There was a rich, glossy and ever so tasty tomato-based sauce (which was slightly sweet).

The Naan was lovely - fluffy, light, flavoursome and thick. The creamy Raita was made up of yoghurt, carrot, cucumber and tomato. It was a little sweet but fresh and refreshing.

The curries were seriously good and great value. Highly recommended!

After my ill-fated trip to Nepal just over twelve months ago, I was deeply sceptical about Nepalese food and definitely never wanted to see another sauteed potato in my entire life (all together too much being expected to eat these for breakfast, lunch and dinner), but I do recall that the Momo were touted as a typically Nepalese (and quite pleasant) dish. That sorry tale is perhaps a story for another time, but Downunder Curry have definitely won me over with the quality of their food and good value. They also recently hosted a very successful fundraising event for the Friends of Baucau (an East Timorese support group).

P.S. Much better value and more generous than other local Indian restaurants Everest and Himalayas.

(Updated 28 February 2013 - additional dishes and photos added.)

Aloo Matar
This was a delicious combination of potato and peas in a spicy curry sauce. The potato was cut into wedges and was nicely cooked through and succulent. Out of all the curries this was the most generous serving in terms of substantial contents versus sauce.

Beef Rogan Josh
This was a nicely spiced traditional Rogan Josh sauce with mostly large chunks of beef. A disappointing aspect was that some of the chunks were way too big and overcooked and dry or full of gristle. Generally the smaller chunks were more palatable.

The garlic naan was very nice too but very garlicky!

Kenneth Branagh's "Wallander" - Why I don't like it!

Readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of the Swedish dramatisations of the stories of Henning Mankell's fictional detective Kurt Wallander. The only one of the books I have read was the final one ("The Troubled Man" - reviewed earlier), which I found very disappointing.

Although I found the idea of making an English version of Wallander quite strange when the Swedish ones were so good, I decided to watch it and see what it was like. At first it seemed quite bizarre that the setting and props were all Swedish, but the characters were speaking with quite distinct English accents. It was also a bit unsettling that some of the characters and their relationships were quite different to the Swedish portrayals e.g., the prominent role of Wallander's father in the early episodes and the presentation of his daughter Linda, who was also a detective in the Swedish series and only became pregnant in the final book.

The stories are generally very tortured, 'noir' and depressing, athough at times the writers seem to try to infuse them with an element of hope. The crimes are often very violent and unsettling. Branagh's Wallander lacks conviction compared to the portrayal by Krister Henricksson. He is perpetually unshaven, often impetuously driving long distances alone through the bare and evocative southern Swedish countryside, and struggles to relate to colleagues, family or lovers in a meaningful way. There is something 'namby-pamby' about him - a certain timidity or blandness stemming from an apparent uncertainty about who he is other than a detective who is good at solving crimes. There is a sense that he wants to live in the world and be 'good with people' but is it that he doesn't know how or that he is simply incapable?

Wallander's colleagues seem stiff and unsure of how to deal with him, and they do not have the same range of idiosyncratic interest as their Swedish equivalents. It just all seems too anguished, and I am not drawn in and engaged - the plot just seems to go on for far too long.

Sadly SBS is running its repeats of the Swedish version in the early hours of the morning. However, several series are available on DVD at reasonable prices from places such as JB HiFi.

The spy who fell to earth - Movie review: Skyfall

I would have to say that it is many years since I have seen a James Bond film, and that the Austin Powers spoofs are far more memorable. I went to see this one with my brother, who has been following them more closely and feels that Daniel Craig is the most realistic Bond.

I suppose all these films are somewhat formulaic, but this one must represent a transitional phase and celebrates the 50th anniversary of Bond films.

The musical theme is reasonably attractive and sung in a "lazy lounge singer" mode by Adele.

The opening sequence is quite spectacular, involving Bond chasing a 'baddie' who has stolen a hard drive containing the names of undercover agents. The iconic Hagia Sophia is visible across the rooftops of Istanbul. A train-top wrestle results in Bond being shot during the tustle (on the orders of M) at the last possible opportunity prior to entering a tunnel and disappearing from view by a 'Foxy Lady' agent (who turns out to be Miss Moneypenny). Bond falls into the river below, and the villain disappears with the hard drive.

Just as an aside, there are two Swedish connections in this film. Firstly, Daniel Craig, with his impossibly blue eyes enhanced in this film, took the starring role of Mikael Blomkvist in the Hollywood remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". The second is that the opening villain (Patrice) is played by Ola Rapace, (former husband of Noomi Rapace, electrifying as Lisbeth Salander in the original Swedish version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) who played the tortured detective Stefan in the Swedish Wallander series.

Bond goes "missing in action", relying on hot women and cool drinks near a beach somewhere to get him through the day. He eventually returns to London after MI6 is bombed, presumably by the person in possession of the hard drive. After this debacle MI6 moves to Churchill's wartime bunker under London, and Bond goes through a series of tests designed to assess his fitness for service. Unbeknownst to him he fails every test, but M tells him he is fit for service. He is assigned a new quartermaster ("Q"), who is a geeky computer nerd. In a break from the tradition of lots of high-tech gadgets, Bond is simply given a gun (programmed to his hand-print) and a radio homing-beacon.

M is called to answer some hard questions about how the bungle of the loss of the hard drive could possibly have occurred. Dame Judi Dench as "M" is simply brilliant in this film. She is tough, decisive and uncompromising in her belief that there is still a job to be done and that she is not going to be forced into retirement until the job is finished. M rightly makes the point that the people they are dealing with "live in the shadows" and do not play by the normal rules.

Bond eventually catches up with the villain in Shanghai as he is carrying out an assassination and after the villain falls to his death without spilling the beans he catches the eye of a beautiful and exotic woman in the building opposite where the assassination has occurred.

Predictably Bond by coincidence meets up with this beautiful exotic woman in a casino in Macau and ends up sailing with her to an island to meet her puppet master, who is the real villain of the piece. However, he finds time to get up close and personal in the shower on the way to the island.

The villain, Raoul Silva (played by Javier Bardem) is a talkative and twisted former MI6 agent, who reminded me of the Joker in Batman, and was equally annoying. He talks at length about cornered rats eating each other. The woman is insouciantly killed by Silva, and then courtesy of the homing beacon, reinforcements arrive and Silva is captured and taken to London. Not surprisingly, after a chat with M, whom he blames for all his problems, but hardly remembers him, he escapes into the sewers of London. He is pursued by Bond, who has a couple of unpleasant close encounters with trains as a result. It turns out his real target is the Houses of Parliament, where M is appearing as a witness in front of an enquiry.

Bond manages to get there in the nick of time and spirit M away in an antique roadster (one of the earlier Bond cars). Her trusty assistant is left behind in the rush. Bond drives M to his family home, Skyfall, in the glacial landscape of the highlands of Scotland. In the dour bluestone building he encounters the Kincade, the gamekeeper, who informs him that as he was presumed dead, all the contents of the gun cupboard bar his father's ancient shotgun have recently been sold. However, with a bit of imagination and some handy dynamite they rig the property in preparation for the coming invasion. There is a priest's bolthole which leads to the outside and escape across the moors to the nearby chapel, and this proves to be useful later on.

When Silva and his cronies eventually arrive in style on foot and by helicopter, the weapons in Bond's car prove useful and all three stage a handy resistance. However M is injured, and Bond orders M and Kincade to escape to the chapel, where he will meet them. The gamekeeper is a perfect gentleman, and he is very protective of M, and for a moment I felt some hope that they would all get out of this alive and that the widowed M would find happiness with the gentlemanly gamekeeper, but this was not to be.

Bond does a pretty good job of finishing off nearly all the baddies, but alas Silva has followed the torchlight across the moors and confronts M and Kincade in the chapel. Bond arrives and makes a comment about the last two rats left standing, and the villain meets his demise. Sadly, also does M.

In the graveyard of the chapel is a tombstone for Bond's parents as he was orphaned at an early age. They both bear the name "Bond", but wasn't that a code name?

Back in London, Bond is briefed by Gareth Mallory, the new M, a former politician who was initially trying to force M (Dench) to retire, but was also a soldier who had seen service, and played a handy role in the parliamentary siege and was wounded in the process. He is capably played by Ralph Fiennes, well-known for his role in Harry Potter (Lord Voldemort). Miss Moneypenny has decided to stick to a desk job (much to the relief of Bond) but there appears to be some "UST" (unresolved sexual tension) between them, so this is sure to play a part in future storylines.

This film has been promoted as "Bond getting back to basics", and there are strong performances from Craig and Dench, and I thought M's assistant was terrific. Ralph Fiennes (Mallory/new “M”), Naomie Harris (Moneypenny) and Albert Finney (Kincade, the gamekeeper) were also good supporting characters. It is a pity that the villain was so annoyingly 'over the top' as this detracted from the potential enjoyment. Violence and death are of course common bedfellows in Bond films, and it is ironic that in our desire for Bond to succeed we overlook the fact that he is a cold-blooded hired killer! It is a clever and visually spectacular movie, and Craig is convincing as a very human Bond seeking redemption through the thing that he does best. In a way it is also closure, as his family estate is pretty well destroyed by the end of the siege, and he simply says "I never liked the place"!

If you are a Bond fan you are likely to enjoy this one, but as an action adventure movie it probably occupies the middle ground - neither bad nor exceptionally good.

Through Twitter I was alerted to a really fabulous article on the ABC website by Jeff Sparrow on “Skyfall as a parable of reactionary generationalism” – well worth a read!
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4423982.html.

CPD for Doctors (and Medical Students) - the next chapter!

Looking back over the year, it has certainly been a busy one in terms of continuing professional development in addition to my teaching duties at the University and working as an occasional BLS/ALS trainer. You certainly never stop learning as a doctor!

The Cool Topics in Neonatology conference and the Supporting Neonatal Transition workshop presented by the Royal Women's Hospital were excellent. There is so much interesting research going on, much of it here in Melbourne.

The Royal Children's Hospital deserves to be commended for its CPD program - weekly Grand Rounds, special Practical Paediatrics events for GPs and the recent Campus Research and Education Week, which was simply outstanding.

Also deserving of credit are the RVEEH (Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital) for its series of updates for GPs, and MIPS, a medical indemnity organisation which runs risk management workshops for its members.

The RACGP runs several workshops and seminars over the course of the year, as does Australian Doctor, and the ones that I attended were both interesting and worthwhile.

Over the past couple of years I have attended both of the Anaesthetics symposia run by St Vincent's Hospital and the Alfred, and these are normally of a very high standard.

The Monash University Disaster Resilience initiative continued its series of periodic symposia in 2012, and these appear set to continue in 2013.

The International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine hosted some interesting presentations, and it was a good opportunity to meet fellow practitioners from around the world. Perhaps the highlight was the visit on the last day to the Air Ambulance facility at Essendon Airport and the Trauma Centre at the Alfred Hospital. Some photos appear at the bottom of this page.

November 2012 November 2012 November 2012 Oct/November 2012 October 2012 October 2012 October 2012 September 2012 September 2012 September 2012 September 2012 September 2012 September 2012 August 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 June 2012 June 2012 May/June 2012 May 2012 May 2012 May 2012 May 2012 April 2012 April 2012 March 2012 March 2012 March 2012 March 2012 March 2012 March 2012 March 2012 March 2012 February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 January 2012

RWH – Cool Topics in Neonatology 2012 2.0* RWH – Supporting Neonatal Transition 2012 1.0* Social Media, eHealth and Telehealth (MIPS Education) 0.5* RCH Campus Research and Education Week 3.0* (Events attended: Optimising the use of modern learning environments; Qualitative Research; Clinical Update: Sleep and Allergy; Research Higher Degree Workshop (Authorship and Plagiarism); Grand Round: Paediatric Fracture Guidelines; Epidemiology of trauma at RCH; Designing education to address learners’ needs; Statistics: the basics (CEBU); Basic principles of coding qualitative data; Contemporary evaluation of injury severity scoring; MESS: amputation vs conservation; The Primary Trauma Care Course – Trauma education in less affluent countries; Non-operative management of occiputo-cervical dissociation in children; Tactical Medicine: Medical care in the modern combat environment; Selling our message to patients in the new millennium; The Big Idea; The rise of the ‘ePatient’: how it is affecting our clinical practice and research; Telemedicine; But I thought the Internet would provide the interaction; The Great Debate: “Social media is a vital tool in healthcare research and education”.) Dealing with Difficult Patients (MIPS Education) 0.5* RVEEH - Dizziness, Vertigo and Common Eyelid Disorders 0.5* Mastering Patient Expectations Workshop (Cognitive Institute) 0.5* 60th International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine, Melbourne 4.0* Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Values Symposium 1.0* Short Course in Perioperative Medicine Intensive Weekend 2.0* The Alfred Anaesthetics Symposium: Goal Directed Therapy 1.0* RCH Practical Paediatrics Program: Paediatric Orthopaedics Part 3 0.5* Australian Doctor Paediatrics Seminar 0.5* RACGP Psychodynamic Approaches to Focused Psychological Strategies 1.0* Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre – Lymphoma, Leukaemia and other Haematological Cancers, Late Effects of Cancer Treatment – What GPs Need to Know 0.5* University of Melbourne MD Student Conference 3* RVEEH - Cataract and Pterygium, Rhinitis and Polyps 0.5* Ambulance Victoria Remote Area Nurses (Victoria) Emergency Care Update Program – Workstations observer 1* Australian Resuscitation Council (Victorian Branch) 5th State Conference. Resuscitation 2012: Translating Evidence into Practice. 1* Monash Disaster Resilience Forum – Managing internally displaced people 1* RCH Grand Round – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Tired but never boring. New opportunities for a common illness. Acute Life-Threatening Emergencies, Recognition and Treatment (ALERT) 2* MIPS Seminar - Healing at the end of life 0.5* AMA - Working Overseas in Crisis Areas Seminar 0.5* Rogaining Training Day, Victorian Rogaining Association 1* Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Equity and Staff Development Forum: Working together to support work-life balance 0.5* Dealing with Difficult Patients 0.5* Australian Doctor Mental Health Seminar 1* RVEEH – Hoarse Voice & the Inflammatory Red Eye 0.5* Melbourne Med. School – Integrating Communication Skills in Clinical Rotations 0.5* Melbourne Medical School – Providing Feedback to Students 0.5* Monash Disaster Resilience Forum – Learning lessons:recent disaster reviews 1* RCH Grand Round - Does general anaesthesia damage the developing brain? SVH Department of Anaesthesia Workshop: ‘Avoiding Disasters – Minimising Risk and Maximising Safety’ 1* Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Course 1* Medical Education Unit, Melbourne University Medical School – Principles of Clinical Practice Tutor Training Workshop 0.5* Orientation Tour, new Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne 0.5* Medical Education Unit, Melbourne University Medical School – Case-Supported Learning Tutor Training Workshop 1* ACCET Choral Conductors 19th Summer School 4*

Photos from ICASM visit to the Air Ambulance base and the Alfred Hospital Trauma Centre, Helipad and Hyperbaric Chamber (20 September 2012).

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus - Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 and Duruflé Requiem

From http://www.mso.com.au/whats-on/2012/durufle-requiem/:
Saturday 17 November at 8:00pm (Event Duration: 2hrs)
The Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall

Tadaaki Otaka conductor
Garrick Ohlsson piano
Deborah Humble mezzo-soprano
José Carbó baritone
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No.1
Maurice Duruflé Requiem

The Requiem by French composer Maurice Duruflé is a work of delicate and moving beauty, and this performance features two of the most eloquent of Australia’s fine singers, to help draw you into the work’s lush, meditative world. The program begins with Brahms’ towering First Piano Concerto, in which orchestra and soloist unite to create one of the grand statements of the Romantic spirit.

The MSO provided free of charge a wonderful set of program notes covering several concerts: "MSO in Concert October-November 2012".

Rather than replicate what is written in the program notes, I have provided my own contemporaneous impressions of the performance.

Brhams: Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op.15

1. Maestoso

The notes indicate that the Brahms Piano Concerto had a difficult gestation.It begins with a dramatic "sturm und drang" opening followed by an elegaic theme and a section of intense counterpoint within the orchestra. With the introduction of the piano the excitement builds, with the piano being gently accompanied by the orchestra. A section for solo piano starts off somewhat like a set of keyboard exercises. The following music for the flutes and woodwinds has a lilting pastoral quality and the strings are lush and romantic. Later a solo horn plaintively calls in the background in a duet with the piano. The theme of the virtuosic piano exercises continues, punctuated by the orchestra. The strings are the heart and soul of the first movement, with passionate interjections from the piano and gentle solos from the flutes, woodwinds and brass. The gentleman playing the drums was kept busy! A recurring leitmotif is tossed around by the piano and orchestra, and at one point there is a bit of an "Hungarian Dances" gypsy feel. The keyboard exercises recur with variations on a theme. Overall, this movement has the feel of a chamber music piece 'writ large'.

2. Adagio

The second movement starts gently with a calm and stately orchestral introduction and then the piano enters alone. A duet (not unlike a love song) between the orchestra and piano follows. The subsequent piano solo has a bit of a "cool jazz" feel to it. It is as if the piano is wondering, wandering ... The orchestra returns more emphatically and the duet continues, led at times by different orchestral voices. The listener is kept occupied with changes in harmonic direction, voices and volume. It is a movement that seems a little unsure of itself and where it is going. Eventually the piano rises triumphantly over the texture. The writing seems workmanlike rather than inspired. In a couple of places the orchestra was playing almost painfully 'pianissimo'. The piano was played here with expression, love and regard, and the movement finishes with a very romantic cadence.

3. Rondo (Allegro non troppo)

The final movement begins with passion and drive, and its core theme is tossed back and forth. It is as if the piano (a sleeping giant) has awoken, and the orchestra is playfully dancing around it. There are powerful statements by the brass. In contrast to the Adagio, this movement is tight, exciting and well-written. It heads off in a different direction in the centre of the movement, and there is a fugal interlude in the strings. The main theme returns, followed by somewhat of an orchestral "sunrise" playfully dancing amongst the orchestral parts. There is a distant brass "call to arms" (with a bit of a 'film score moment') and the movement builds to its conclusion.

Tadaaki Otaka is a joy to watch, and Garrick Ohlsson was most impressive, playing from memory. He is a large man, with impressively large hands, but he played with sensitivity, flair and obvious technical competence. After a rapturous reception, he was kind enough to return for an encore - Chopin's Waltz No.7 in C# minor, Op.64,2. This was played beautifully, with a lilting soft touch, class and sensitivity.

Duruflé: Requiem

There appeared to be 104 singers in the MSO Chorus, and unusually they were 'mixed up' on stage, rather than being grouped together in individual parts. I am not sure that this worked from the perspective of the spectacle, as it provided a more homogenised and diffuse sound and you could not "see" (aurally) the sound move from part to part, and at times it was difficult to work out exactly which part was singing without the visual cues. The tone of the women was reasonably pure but unmistakably warm and feminine.

At the start of the piece there was a lovely lush and warm tone in the strings. The Domine Jesu Christe had an 'edgy' quality, being populated by the lower orchestral and choral parts. There was a colourful use of brass, percussion and piccolo flute. The Hostias featured a baritone solo, woodwinds and scrubbing strings. The Sanctus had a nice feel and dynamics and an exciting climax at the Hosanna.

The Pie Jesu, featuring a mezzo-soprano solo, violas and cellos was warm and rapturously embracing, and the organ made an appearance.

This led to a "Where's Wally?" moment, as I rapidly processed that there no longer seemed to be a pipe organ in the concert hall and (shock, horror!!!) they were using an electronic organ on stage. Yes, we have a world-class concert hall but no pipe organ in it. What a tragedy! Many people would have known that the previous organ was both unsuitable and inadequate for a modern concert hall, but it seems amazingly short-sighted that the renovation of Hamer Hall did not include the installation of a world-class concert organ. Shame, Melbourne, shame!

The chant-like opening of the Agnus Dei was followed by a soaring romantic motif in the strings, and the male members of the chorus sang with a warm rich tone.

The Lux aeterna seemed like dappled sunlight on the garden. There was a lot of orchestral colour provided by the flutes and woodwinds.

In the Libera me we were confronted by growling brass and there was an exciting choral and orchestral climax with the baritone soloist.

The In paradisum finished the work gently with the harp, horns, women and strings.

The Chorus acquitted itself well, with good tuning, coordination, cut-offs and diction.

Sadly the soloists (baritone in the Domine Jesu Christe and Libera me and mezzo-soprano in the Pie Jesu) were somewhat 'drowned out' by the orchestra, and at the end of the Pie Jesu it was not possible to hear Deborah Humble at all - her lips were moving but ... However, she did cut a splendid figure sartorially, resplendent in a Grecian-style midnight blue satin robe.

The Duruflé Requiem is inevitably compared with that written by his fellow Frenchman, Gabriel Fauré. I have sung both, but must admit to a preference for the Fauré. The Duruflé seems too painfully understated and shy, as if it never breaks free of its own straight-jacket. It is interesting that Chorus Master Jonathan Grieves- Smith writes about this very conundrum and tension between its beauty and its timidity in his program notes.

The performance was very well received by the audience on all counts and the effort put into preparation by all concerned paid handsome dividends.

Coffee Review - Aldi Expressi Coffee Machine

(Updated 7 January 2014 - Review of Torino Espresso added.)

I recently had the opportunity to 'road test' the very competitively priced Aldi Expressi Coffee Machine and some of the extensive range of equally cost-effective coffee capsules. The machine itself was very easy to operate, with extensive pictorial instructions. Perhaps the only drawback for the amateur barista is that if you want frothy milk, a separate device is required for this. The serving size can be adjusted from 40mL to 200mL, but if you want a mug-sized cup you will need to add water separately. The water is heated as it passes through the machine, and the coffee comes out at a slightly less than ideal serving temperature, particularly if you are adding cold milk. However, this is nothing that a handy microwave can't fix! If you are adding warm or frothed milk, the overall temperature seems to come out "just right".

(Note: All tasting notes were written before looking at the description of the coffee on the box, so any duplication of terminology is coincidental!)

Expressi Renzo Ground Roast Coffee
Strength: 8 
Description: "Sourced from the highlands of Central America, these coffees have a strong spicy and sweet taste with woody notes and a lasting rich character." 

There is a lovely crema on top and a forthright rich aroma. The taste is strong but with depth and a slightly astringent finish which would surely 'cleanse the palate'. With the strength comes a surprising lack of bitterness. There is a distinct aftertaste which lingers on the tongue, echoing the depth of the flavour. A nicely balanced cup of coffee.

Adding milk softens the flavour, as you would expect, but the underlying character still shines though with a refreshing clean finish. With those who like a little bit of sugar with coffee, the combination is simply delicious! 

Expressi Reggio Ground Roast Coffee 
Strength: 9 
Description: A smooth, dark roasted espresso from premium Ethiopian and South American Arabicas creates this rich, full bodied, intense blend - characterised with a delicate note of cocoa. 

Once again there is a good crema on top and a deep woody aroma. Tasted black this coffee is strong and smooth, with a vibrant aftertaste which leaves a definite tingle on the tongue. The flavour is complex, dark and nutty with a dash of spice.

With milk added the flavour is still strong and bold, but velvety smooth. It also goes well with sugar. Definitely a sophisticated cup of coffee!

Expressi Milano Ground Roast Coffee 
Strength: 10 
Description: The blend of Arabica and Rubusta coffees are roasted to create an intensely-flavoured, slightly sweet coffee, with light acidity and a fulfilling aroma. Highlighted floral notes, nutty tones and slight bitterness balance the experience.

This is the Everest of the Expressi coffees, with an intense aroma and a compact punchy but clean taste with staying power, lingering in the back of the throat and on the tongue. Strong and vibrant and definitely a coffee to have when you are seeking a 'pick me up' to reinvigorate your senses. Some may prefer it with a dash of sugar (your brain needs glucose after all!).

With milk added it is still sexy and strong but not quite as edgy. As well as being great as a stand-alone cup of coffee, it would be a most serviceable accompaniment to food, as the sightly astringent taste has a very cleansing effect on the palate.

Expressi Torino Espresso Ground Roast Coffee
Strength: 11
Description: A full bodied coffee of the best Arabica's from South and Central America, Asia and Africe roasted carefully to create an intense yet smooth flavour with dark chocolate and roasted notes and medium acidity.
This one has a dark woody aroma and a nice crema when brewed through the machine. When drunk black, it has an intense bitter liquer-style taste which is at the same time pure and smooth. It has a gentle aftertaste which gradually fades away.

Despite the rating it is not as punchy as some of the others and the smooth sophistication is enhanced by the addition of milk.

"Seal of Approval" - All coffees!

Coffee Review - Growers Espresso

Growers Espresso 

332 St Georges Road
North Fitzroy
Tel: 9486 1886
(Open during the week and Saturdays until 3pm.)
www.growersespresso.com.au
Specialty roasters and retailers of premium coffees and teas - fair trade, direct trade and organic.
Large cappuccino $4.50
Long black $3.50

Eureka Coffee
www.eurekacoffee.com.au
Australian grown coffee, direct from the growers - blends and single estate.

Earlier in the year Growers Espresso kindly handed out some vouchers for "buy one, get one free" coffee purchases. 

On 16 November I purchased a take-away cappuccino from the small shopfront, which is full of character, with dark wood furniture and lots of blackboards describing the coffees which are available. The barrista was very knowledgeable, and described the three blends which he had in his machines at present, and some of the coffees available for sale. There were also some stalks of coffee fruit on the benchtop, and he invited me to try one of the red fruits, which tasted a bit like an "all in one" fruit and nut mix, slightly sweet but having a fruity texture. There were two pale green coffee beans in the centre!

I did not know previously that coffee beans were grown in Australia, but the "home blend" that is used for milk-based coffee drinks is grown mainly around Byron Bay (and also partly in Queensland).

The cappuccino was very milky, perhaps a little overly so for my taste, and by the time I got it home it was definitely more like a latte. The aroma was dark and woody and the flavour also had an unusual quality about it when striking the palate that is hard to pinpoint. It was dense and 'heavy' with a slight bitterness, and also was fairly self-contained, fading away reasonably quickly rather than being refractory, leaving only a mild after-taste. Perhaps the best analogy I can make is that the taste was a little like a 'green' or 'young' wine that has not finished its maturation nor achieved its full potential. It was certainly quite acceptable as a 'quaffing' coffee, but did not grab my attention or tastebuds the way that coffees at other local cafes have done.

The next day my 'secret agent' obtained two long blacks for tasting purposes.

Mountain Top Coffee ("MTC") from South America

This coffee has a dark but strikingly fresh roasted aroma. Tasted black it is fruity and full-flavoured in the mouth with a zingy freshness and more than a hint of liquorice. There is quite a strong after-taste which pleasantly lingers leaving the kernel of the flavour behind. The flavour remains fresh and attractive with milk added. This coffee has a refreshing spicyness and would be good at the end of a meal or on a hot summer's day! Its vibrancy would appeal to those who like a coffee with a lot of personality.

Honduras Blend No.7 (Rated No.7 in a coffee tasting competition)

This has a gentler aroma than the MTC, being smooth, balanced and inviting. The flavour itself is smooth and complex, with a rich depth of character which grows in the mouth, displaying both refreshing and dark components. There is a subtle after-taste, with the dark roasted aspects lingering on the palate. With milk added the subtleties of the flavour remain and it is warm and inviting. Gently sophisticated, this coffee would be a good accompaniment to sweet food or chocolate and would suit those who don't like their coffee too strong.