By Franz Scheuer
Mehrshad Amouei runs a delightful little shop and teahouse called Timcheh on Adelaide’s Morphet Street specialising in Persian products. Sacks of grains and pulses, bags of dried herbs, tins of sauces, fruits and vegetables, jams, preserves and pickles, spices and teas and even Persian popular and folk music all compete for shelf space. Sample one of the many fabulous teas in the teahouse then buy your favourite and take it home. Try the many wonderful sweets and enjoy the friendly, passionate and knowledgeable service. Nothing seems too much trouble; here hospitality is second nature and a way of life.
For more information:
Timcheh
270 Morphet Street
Adelaide SA 5000
Tel.: 08 8212 8119
A 15 minute taxi ride from the centre of Adelaide you find Baily & Baily. At first glance just another suburban liquor store but in reality an Aladdin’s cave for the single malt enthusiast. They might have a terrific selection of wines and spirit, but don’t be side tracked. Make your way straight to the end of the store and marvel at a whole wall of single malts. Not just any old garden variety single malt though because this is whisky fanatic Graham Wright’s domain. Graham knows more about single malts than most of us mere mortals and if you’re after a Jura Superstition or a 30 yrs old Glenfarclas, maybe a 1977 Ardbeg or even a 1982 from the silent still of Port Ellen chances are he’ll have it in stock. Cask strength, anniversary bottling, special releases, collector’s items, the sheer breadth of temptation is endless. If you’re serious about your single malts, head for Glenunga and let Graham Wright lead you astray.
For more information:
Baily & Baily
Graham Wright
537 Portrush Road
Glenunga SA 5064
Tel.: 08 8379 0299
This very ‘Sydney’ styled Adelaide restaurant serving Italian fare is located opposite the Hilton and offers a modern, warm-toned oasis of calm to the weary traveller of the harassed business person. The menu is an appetising read, the service friendly and the wine list very appropriate. The food unfortunately doesn’t live up to expectations.
‘Pumpkin ravioli with burnt butter and fried sage leaves’ should be described as a raviloni, the butter isn’t burnt and the sage leaves are limp and soggy. The whole dish lacks punch and flavour. The ‘Melanzane Lasagne’ looks terrific but isn’t caramelised enough and is texturally uninteresting and bland. A dish of potato gnocchi with cèpe and cèpe jus and truffled Parmesan has good texture but lacks salt. An ‘Osso bucco Milanese’ turns out to be a venison shank with saffron risotto. The meat is slow baked and tender, but again lacks flavour and salt and the risotto is not made a-la-minute. The only outstanding part of the meal is the bread and the olive oil.
Desserts are much better. A steamed lemon pudding and a honey brûlée both convince with presentation and flavour and the honey-comb ice cream really is excellent and the house grappa superb.
Value for money is good as is the timing and the service. It’s just the food that needs a bit more attention to flavour…
Score: 5.5 / 10
For more information or bookings:
Augé
22 Grote Street
Adelaide
Tel.: 08 8410 9332