Mings Wednesday 15 August 2012

(Photos to come...)

Present

Kim, Karen, Jim, Ron, and John

Wines

McWilliams Hanwood Sauvignon  Blanc 2011 - a light table wine.

Star Lane Beechworth Shiraz 2008 - which is very difficult to obtain, and which is brought out for special occasions.

 Main Discussion points

1. Reminisced about the fantastic weekend in Beechworth - especially the dining out and the visits to the wineries.

2. Discussed the logistics necessary for Jim and Karen to drive the kids around to their various activities in the leadup to the dinner.

So, while the Wednesday evening water polo practice continues into the future, it was decided to commence our Wednesday night dinners at 7.30 pm.  

3. Talked about Lara and Daniel, including Daniels's trip to the USA.

4. Kim shared some of her cooking experiences, and some stories about Lisa's activities.

5. There was a review of Megan's birthday party celebrations.

6. There was a discussion of Megan's absence (we all missed her), and the difficulty of coordinating Megan's busy life with our dining visits to Mings.

Food

1. San Choy Bau (entree):Interesting texture with lots of onion, celery, and carrots wich gave great character. For some it was a little bit salty.We could have done with some more lettuce leaves.

2. Fried Two kinds of Tofu in Sambal Sauce: Described by some as not mashy enough, it was nonetheless a favourite. Comments ranged from delicious to spectacular.

3. Fillet Steak with Samboy(?) Sauce. This well presented claypot dish proved somewhat controversial. While the flavours were very nice, the meat was a bit chewy, and could have benefitted form being cooked for longer. Inspite of this, it did rate as a favourite for one of the diners.

4. Shantung Chicken: Comments on this dish stretched from somewhat dry to delicious.

5. Yu Shiang Eggplant: While this claypot dish met expectations, it did not generate very much discussion.

6. Red Curry Seafood: This very watery dish proved to be the least liked of all the dishes consumed. The curry could have benefitted from a richer blend of flavours 

Other Comments

1. We made a great selection of dishes from the menu.

2. The service was really good.

3. There was a great variety of vegetables.

4. All servings were of generous proportions.

5. As all five main courses arrived within a short periods of time, it was difficult to capture everyone's comments.