Tales along the road
THE woman he loved told him to go to Australia, start a restaurant business there and wait for her.
Renan Goksin opened his first restaurant in Victoria, Australia 21 years ago. He went on to open four more, including one in Singapore. Unfortunately, the woman he loved has yet to come to him.
He is still single. Journalists from Malaysia and India met Goksin for lunch at one of his restaurants, Claypots Evening Star, in Melbourne. The seafood there was delicious and fresh. We had stingray, kingfish, octopus pintxo, mussels, flounder and more.
Goksin told us that the woman had moved to Milan, Italy, and now has a family of her own. He, too, has moved on and found a new love – photography.
He was among the many interesting people we met while on a seven-day tour of Melbourne, Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria.
Another person was Ipohborn architect Mun Soon, who has a restaurant called Krimper Cafe in Melbourne. I told him he looked like the late singer John Denver and he said he has been told the same by others!
Mun Soon, 61, looks younger than his age. He is physically fit; I saw him take off so fast on his bicycle after our lunch at Krimper. His niece Mei Soon helps him run the cafe.
We also met Chef Steve Earl at his restaurant La Bimba, which offers a wide-ranging menu featuring seafood, meat, organic vegetables and summer berries. Earl says more Asians are dining at his restaurant these days; I said hello to two Malaysians at the outlet.
The Zigfrids Dining Hall and Bar at Geelong was also on our culinary tour of sorts in Victoria. The menu features Middle Eastern-inspired dishes and we shared 11 dishes among ourselves.
Piknik, located along Queenscliff Road, is a cafe and store in a converted roadhouse in the heart of the Bellarine Peninsula. I had the Piknik Brekkie – scrambled eggs, with roast mushrooms grilled tomatoes, smashed avocados and bacon.
Forage on the Foreshore is a beachfront cafe in Port Campbell that serves food sourced locally and speciality coffee.
Three Italian restaurants were also on our list: Gradi at Crown, Ombra and Caruggi.
Last but not least was a seaside cafe and bar – Lorne Beach Pavilion, which served diverse dishes from locally-sourced produce. – J. Sebastian