A Thai surprise - Thonglor Garden Restaurant

Thonglor Garden Thai Restaurant
108 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford 3067
Tel: (03) 9419 1268
Dine in and take-away
Visited for dinner (Friday 20 April 2012)
Verdict: Recommended



Spreets vouchers (http://spreets.com.au) recently offered a deal for Thonglor Garden Thai Restaurant. The reviews we had read on Urbanspoon were mixed, so we approached the restaurant with an open mind. We travelled by train to Collingwood Station, and the restaurant was only a couple of minutes walk away, just to the south side of Gipps Street in Hoddle Street.

This is a very intimate venue in an unlikely location on a major thoroughfare. The restaurant is small and has a nice ambiance, somewhat like a comfy home dining room, with subdued lighting and a black feature wall at the back with feature mirrors and a red couch in front of it. "Cool jazz" was playing (at just the right level) in the background. This soft easy listening music was a good accompaniment to the meal. There is a polished wooden floor and wooden chairs and tables. The chairs have comfortable cushion pads on them (perhaps in response to earlier comments on Urbanspoon).

The meal voucher included a glass of house wine as well as a three-course meal. There was a choice of red or white wine. The house red was light but very drinkable. The restaurant is also BYO and fully licensed. Glasses of water were also provided.

Seating inside the main room consists of six tables (2 x 6 seats and 4 x 2 seats) and there are additional tables out the front of the restaurant and in a small courtyard.

There was only one waitress, but she was extremely polite and helpful, and each course arrived in a timely fashion. The menu is presented in a charming small menu book with a traditional Thai cover and handmade paper.

There was a wide choice of entrees and main courses. The mixed entree ($11.90) consisted of two fish cakes, two spring rolls and two curry puffs (the latter two were vegetarian) and was served with a tasty sweet chilli sauce. The spring rolls had a lovely subtle flavour and finely julienned vegetables. The curry puffs had a light fluffy pastry filled with melt-in-the-mouth potato (and carrot) and a complementary combination of coriander and peas. The fish cakes were a bit chewy but had a zesty flavour with a spicy 'afterburn'.



The main courses sampled were Green Curry with Chicken ($14.90) and the house special, Karee Talay ($22.90), a yellow curry paste with egg, vegetables and seafood. The two curries complimented each other well.

The green curry had a thick, creamy, sweet, spicy and tangy sauce with moist and thinly sliced pieces of chicken and squeaky fresh sliced carrot, beans, zucchini, green capsicum and broccoli. It was a nice balance of flavours. It came with a large bowl of freshly steamed rice.





The Karee Talay came on a square plate, with garnishes of finely chopped chilli on one corner and fresh salad on the other. It was more subtle and gently spiced but with complex flavours and the chilli added a kick. In addition to the egg, the colourful vegetables included red and green capsicum, carrot, onion, zucchini, shallots and broccoli. There were two prawns, two calamari rings and four mussels. The mussels and prawns were nicely cooked and the calamari was "just right". (The only criticism would perhaps be that the seafood was a little on the light side quantity-wise.) This was definitely an enjoyable dish, and did not really require rice to accompany it (which was just as well as we had run out after eating the green curry!).



The dessert was a choice of vanilla sundae or banana fritter. Both came with vanilla ice-cream and strawberry sauce, but it did actually taste of strawberries. Not the finest part of the meal but it was a refreshing way to finish.





Just as a general comment, none of the voucher deals seem to offer tea or coffee at the end of the meal. This would be a nice way to round off the meal. However, peppermint tea at home was just as enjoyable as usual!

On the coffee trail ... Part 2

Foxy Brown Espresso
31 South Crescent, Northcote
Tel: 9481 4454
http://www.foxybrown.com.au/
Visited Sunday 15 April 2012 at around 11.00am.
Take-Away Cappuccino $3.70
Rating: 8.5/10

Close to Westgarth station opposite the Hurstbridge rail line, this converted Federation-style house has tables inside and out (on three sides of the building) and a verandah out the front. It appears busy and popular, and had a variety of breakfast/brunch/lunch options (including burgers and sandwiches), cakes and muffins. There was unpleasantly loud music playing when I came in, but this stopped abruptly.

Once again the froth had collapsed by the time I had walked home, but the coffee left behind was a milky rich inviting hue. Taste-wise it was smooth, soft and creamy with a hint of sweetness (perhaps both a benefit of unhomogenised milk) and a nutty almost tangy aftertaste. Sipping it created a warm and homely sensation, as if you were sitting around the kitchen table (or an open fire) savouring your coffee. Very drinkable but flavoursome and satisfying - no need to gulp!

(From "The Age Coffee Army Handbook 2012" http://coffeearmy.tumblr.com/)
Boy, are these guys into coffee: they have a custom espresso machine and source their own beans widely (PNG, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and beyond) and have them roasted by an independent specialist in North Melbourne. Ask for a "cortado" - a half-strength half-latte from a single-origin bean.



Penny Farthing Espresso
206 High Street, Northcote
Tel: 9482 2246
http://pennyfarthingespresso.com/
Visited Sunday 15 April 2012 at around 4.30pm.
Take-Away Cappuccino $3.50
Rating: 8.5/10

This tiny shop has seating inside and out, and has the air of a well-loved old fashioned kitchen with wooden furniture. It is open from breakfast until late most days (ideal if visiting the Westgarth Cinema). The service was very friendly and the barista seemed genuinely pleased that I asked about the coffee they were using.

This coffee had a gorgeous complex sharp and inviting aroma and the flavour was correspondingly multi-dimensional but very distinctive. Closing my eyes and tasting the nutty bitterness conjured up thoughts of hot steamy climes and rich brown colours. Very smooth on the palate with a gentle aftertaste. Another one to savour and enjoy.

Update: Monday 5 November 2012 at around 3pm.
Based on my previous positive experience, I met a friend here for afternoon coffee. Our coffees were served in a cup and saucer and beautifully decorated (see photo). Unfortunately they were only lukewarm on this occasion. However, my cappucino was beautifully flavoured, with a strong, dark and smooth taste which made me think of tropical rainforests, and there was some natural sweetness added by the milk. There was a subtle aftertaste which reinforced the flavour.

My friend ordered one of the home-made sultana and fig muffins, which was generously sized and a rich golden colour in appearance. It was pleasant enough taste-wise, but unfortunately a but overcooked on the outside and very crumbly.

Table service is provided if you are 'dining in' and was friendly and attentive. A carafe of water was provided on the table. More substantial food is also available for the hungry diner. There were several people in the cafe sitting alone using computers, so this is obviously tolerated if you buy something.

(From "The Age Coffee Army Handbook 2012" http://coffeearmy.tumblr.com/)
Brothers Trevor and Steve Simmons roast, brew and retail coffee from this quaint Northcote shopfront, including a single-origin decaf and their Vintage Espresso blend featuring Sumatran, Colombian, PNG, Guatemalan and Brazilian beans.

On the coffee trail ...

With the success of the Melbourne Age newspaper's "Coffee Army" campaign, a two-week half-price offer for some of the coffee houses rated as finalists was too good an opportunity to miss!

Therefore this undercover agent offers some humble opinions on the coffee sampled (both take-away and in-house), and a bean review for some new coffee beans that I have just bought..

The Espresso Room
410 High Street, Northcote
Tel: 9489 4000
Visited Saturday 7 April 2012 at around 2.30pm.
Take-Away Cappuccino $3.50
Rating: 9/10

Although the froth had collapsed by the time I was able to get the coffee home and drink it, it had a beautiful aroma, lovely smoky and nutty taste and a smooth flavour with a delicious slightly bitter aftertaste that lingers on the tongue. You can only conclude that you have had a quality coffee. I didn't feel the need (as with a lesser product) just to gulp it down in order to quench your thirst, but rather it was something to savour and enjoy. Very satisfying - one for the connoisseurs!

The service was great and the cafe itself has a very pleasant ambience, with tables inside and out and jazz playing in the background. It was quite possible to have a normal conversation over the top of the music. The menu offers a wide selection of freshly- made food at reasonable prices (breakfast/brunch/lunch). I would definitely come back to eat here. It is obviously popular with what I am told is "MAMILs" (middle aged men in lycra) enjoying a well-earned treat whilst out cycling.



Three Bags Full
Cnr Nicholson and Mollison Streets, Abbotsford
Tel: 9421 2732
http://www.threebagsfullcafe.com.au/
Visited Sunday 8 April 2012 at around 1.30pm.
Take-Away Cappuccino $3.70
Rating: 6/10

I'm sorry to say that this was a disappointment. Obviously this converted warehouse is a hugely popular establishment, with a packed dining area and a queue of people waiting to get in and eat, and there was also quite a long wait for the take-away coffees. Loud repetitive rock music was playing in the background, and conversation was not possible without ramping your voice up several notches. The food on the tables from the breakfast/lunch menus appeared fresh and appetising and the diners seemed to be enjoying it.

The coffee itself had a dark bitter flavour but was bland compared to the silky complexity offered by The Expresso Room and lacked the same degree of aftertaste. I wouldn't go back, either for the coffee or the ambience.



IKEA Richmond
Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre,
Cnr Victoria and Burnley Streets, Richmond
Tel: 8416 5000
http://www.ikea.com/au/en/store/richmond
Visited Sunday 8 April 2012 around 3.30pm
Mug of Cappuccino $2.50 or free for IKEA Family members (bottomless in either case)
Rating: 6/10

Although this is not a recognised coffee house, it is a pleasant enough refuge for those after a quick caffeine fix in the midst of more stressful activities such as shopping!

IKEA uses UTZ Certified fair trade coffee and commercial coffee machines offering a limited selection e.g.: Cappuccino, Latte, Long Black. On the plus side, the coffee has a pleasant strong bitter flavour and a good aftertaste. However, there is probably a bit too much froth on top, and it tends to go cold quite quickly. Still an enjoyable cup of coffee and despite the barn-like ambiance it is quite possible to find a quiet corner and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi or alternatively the reasonably priced food offerings. The enormously popular breakfast special (bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, tomatoes and hash browns - side serving of baked beans $0.60 extra) remains amazing value ($2.95), particularly on Wednesdays when it is cheaper still ($1.95).

Bean Review Harris Reserve Colombian High Altitude Grown 100% Arabica Coffee Beans
Sustainable coffee - UTZ certified
Strong - 4 bean rating
Verdict: Recommended

When you first pick up the bag and smell the aroma, it has a certain 'wow' factor, so I couldn't wait to try it. The beans were finely ground in a 35 year old Moulinex coffee grinder and made up with freshly boiled filtered water in a Pyrex coffee plunger. I first tried it black, and was struck by a gorgeous aroma and the complex dark nutty flavour that also has a hint of smokiness about it and also lingers almost as a tingle on the tongue long after you have swallowed. It is strong and unapologetic but oh so good! The caffeine levels didn't take long to start helping my headache to reduce in intensity so it is also therapeutic!

Darkness and Light - The Great Easter Triduum at St Francis' Church, Melbourne

St Francis' Choir, Melbourne, Australia

Eastertide is one of the great joys of life for the chorally inclined, and so it is for St Francis' Choir, Melbourne.

St Francis' Church is the oldest church still on its original site in Melbourne, with a history stretching back 170 years, and is under the pastoral care of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. The choir has been part of its history for much of that time, and the modern mixed choir is one of Melbourne's finest liturgical choirs, with a repertoire stretching from the Middle Ages to the present day. The choir normally performs at the 11:00 mass on Sundays as well as at all the additional major celebrations during the year, and on these latter occasions is often joined by soloists and orchestra or brass.

The Easter season begins with Palm Sunday and progresses through Holy Thursday, Good Friday (Commemoration of the Passion in the afternoon and Tenebrae in the evening), Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday (with brass) and lastly the morning of Easter Sunday (with orchestra and soloists). This year the Choir undertook a selection of music that was beautiful, inspiring and challenging but rewarding. It is always somewhat ironic that whilst the majority of the population is enjoying a lengthy secular break, for those who celebrate the underlying meaning of Easter, it is the hardest-working period of the year.

St Francis' Choir, Melbourne: http://www.stfrancischoir.org.au/

St Francis' Church, Melbourne: http://www.stfrancismelbourne.org.au/

Holy Week & Easter
April 1 Passion/ Palm Sunday	C. Willcock G. Malcolm J. S. Bach	Trocaire Ingrediente Domino Crucifixus
April 5 Holy Thursday (6.00pm)	R. Heagney J. Kuhnau O. Gjeilo T. L. da Victoria	Missa Castanea Tristis est anima mea Ubi caritas Tantum ergo
April 6 Good Friday (3.00pm)	J. S. Bach P. Casals C. Mawby A. Lotti	Crucifixus O vos omnes The Reproaches Adoramus te, Christe (No. 1)
The office of Tenebrae will be celebrated at 8.00pm
April 7 Easter Vigil (8.00pm)	H. L. Hassler H. L. Hassler A. Scarlatti	Missa octo voci Laudate Dominum Exultate Deo
	(with Canzona Brass)
April 8 Easter Sunday	W. A. Mozart W. A. Mozart G. F. Handel	Missa brevis in D, K. 194 Laudate Dominum Hallelujah!
	(with the Chamber Strings of Melbourne)

Disaster Evaluation - Terror strikes at the heart of Norway

As someone who has lived in Norway for a time and still feels close to this wonderful country (having returned twice since), my heart went out to the Norwegian people when the whole world was rocked by the July 2011 twin terrorist attacks which shattered so many lives in this peaceful land.

In December 2011 as the final assignment for the Disaster Evaluation subject which formed part of the Monash University Master of Emergency Health program, I applied a disaster evaluation framework to this tragedy. The topic and Introduction appear below by way of background, but if interested the entire paper can be downloaded from: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/30234302/Disaster_Evaluation_Norway_Dec11.pdf.

Topic: Select a ‘crisis event’ and prepare a framework for an evaluation proposal using a framework or frameworks drawn from the Unit resources. Discuss your choice of framework/s and evaluation method.

Introduction

The selected ‘crisis event’ is the terrorist attacks in and adjacent to Oslo, Norway on 22 July 2011. A précis of the event and its aftermath is presented and its characterisation in terms of disaster terminology is considered.

A variety of evaluation modalities and timings are presented in the literature, and the suitability of these for evaluating this event is discussed, as is the importance of understanding the context and, in these particular circumstances, undertaking longitudinal evaluation.

A framework for an evaluation proposal has been synthesised from a combination of the ANLAP Guide[i], the reporting frameworks developed by Kulling et al[ii] and Bradt[iii] and the 2003 EU Workshop Report on ‘Lessons Learned’[iv] (“the Stockholm Report”). The applicability of this proposed framework to the Norwegian event is examined, together with some key contextual evaluation issues, likely key stakeholders and sources of information.

The event and its consequences have wide-ranging implications for the Norwegian authorities, those affected and Norwegian society in general, including in the areas of security, health and multiculturalism, and will play an important role in shaping Norway’s future disaster management strategies.

[i] Cosgrave J, Ramalingam B, Beck T. Real-time evaluations of humanitarian action. An ANLAP Guide. Pilot Version. Overseas Development Institute; 2009. (Hard copy distributed to students in MEH5060.)
[ii] Kulling P, Birnbaum M, Murray V, Rockenschaub G. Guidelines for Reports on Health Crises and Critical Health Events. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 2010; 25(4): 377-383.
[iii] Bradt DA, Aitken P. Disaster medicine reporting: The need for new guidelines and the CONFIDE statement. Emergency Medicine Australasia 2010; 22: 483-487.
[iv] European Union. Report: Disaster Medicine Lessons Learned. EU Workshop Stockholm; 18-21 September, 2003. (Electronic copy distributed to students in MEH5060.) Available from: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/civil_protection/civil/prote/pdfdocs/sv_report_en.pdf. Accessed 29 November 2011

UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne

I have been fortunate recently to undertake a couple of shifts as part of the on-site medical response team at the training sessions for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at HiSense Arena in Melbourne. Apparently the world class wooden velodrome is permanently in-situ, and seats are dropped down over the track for entertainment events. The steepness of the track makes much more impact in real-life than on television, and in Melbourne is banked to 42 degrees at both ends. It was very interesting to watch elite athletes from around the world going through the different aspects of their training, including riding training bikes on a set of rollers before and after going out on the track, and both the teams and individual sprinters going through their paces. We were stationed right next to the Australian team, which had a large support team of coaches and mechanics for their amazingly sleek track bikes (with no brakes!). The only team member I recognized was World Champion Anna Meares, but it was certainly a privilege to have an insight into their world. In that setting you do not actually want anyone to get injured or require treatment, so we had a good day both times in that no one came to grief and we had a lot of convivial conversation between ourselves, the team of paramedics from Ambulance Victoria and the official UCI doctor from Holland. The competition will be shown on SBS2 over coming days from Wednesday 4 April and promises to be very exciting!

http://www.2012trackworlds.com.au/

A massage at last - Inversion Body in Fitzroy

www.inversionbody.com.au
Goodlife Health Club, 41 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne. 1300 474 155.

My first visit was originally through another ‘deal voucher’ (www.ourdeal.com.au) in mid-2011, but capable and friendly masseurs Carolyn and Pete offer a discount voucher for a return visit, so this seemed very worthwhile, although it has taken a while to arrange! On both occasions Carolyn has provided a very thorough and relaxing ‘toe to head’ remedial massage using essential oils and carried out in a very pleasant ambience with dimmed lights and background music. The experience itself can be highly recommended!

I would add a note of caution about parking in the Health Club car park next door. There is a lot of graffiti on the walls and pillars and my car bonnet was ‘tagged’ with graffiti during the visit. Fortunately the perpetrator used water-based paint so after some time and effort it was erased. It is difficult to understand the mindset of individuals who so readily deface the property of others who have done absolutely nothing to offend them, and it was a pretty brazen act during daylight hours. I also noticed later that one of my hubcaps had 'gone missing' in the absence of any recent jostling with the kerb, so it is more than likely that it happened at the same time!

There is some street parking available, but it is restricted at most times. However, the Health Club is close to the corner of Johnston and Nicholson Streets so is on a bus route and close to a tram route if public transport is a preferred alternative.