nom it like it's hot

We have moved!

2011-08-15T20:24:00.001+10:00

We have relocated to a new space on the WWW. Find us now on: http://www.nomitlikeitshot.com!

Happy 11th Birthday Blogger!

2010-08-31T22:03:00.000+10:00

Over the past year, I've been going to many birthday parties for the significant two-oh but never did I imagine myself at a 11th birthday party. In fact, I never thought I'd be at the birthday party of an intangible product. Coming home from work today, my father's first response was, "You mean the birthday of an engineer who created the product right?" "No, Dad...I mean the birthday party for a product...the Google product - Blogger."

So yes, today is the 11th birthday of the blogging platform that we've been using here at nomitlikeitshot. The gathering was casual with a mix of Googlers (the name for Google employees) and members of the public who used the Blogger platform. I walked in mid-way after a quick game of table tennis with a colleague and managed to get in on the 'Five interesting facts about Blogger' the most interesting of which was..."The creator of Blogger is also the inventor of Twitter". This was then followed by a couple of questions fielded from the audience before I heard someone from behind me say, "The cake, the cake!" He was merely voicing my thoughts for me out loud!

There was a bit of everything - sushi, quiche, champagne (yes, a tad random) but the item that this post is dedicated to, and I sincerely apologise for the poor quality of this iPhone photo, was the birthday cake(s)!

It was a massive cake and I loved the little cupcakes around it. Definitely passed the aesthetics test! I had to quickly dash home for dinner so only managed to try a little bit of the cake but it was moist and chocolate-ty - always a great way to celebrate a birthday, no matter how old you are! Or in this case...it is.

Review: Japaz, Neutral Bay

2010-08-29T09:00:00.002+10:00

Chorizo with Veal Cutlets and Pesto Mayonnaise

So, where do I start?

For as long as I can remember, SK and I have spent many a days in the office and at uni simply compiling a list of all the places we would like to visit around Sydney. I believe the last time I checked, the list rather resembled an ad hoc extended version of the Good Food Guide than a "list". I believe we may be onto something...

Either way, Japaz has been one of those places which we had been dying to visit, but simply never got around to - and when the occasion finally arrived, I think we were so excited that Coca Cola could've bottled our excitement and used it as fizz in their soft drinks.

Mixed Plate: Coriander Crab Puff, Barcelona Salami, Chicken Yakitori

Japaz has an intriguing menu. The name of the place is pretty self explanatory - Japanese Tapas. Did I ever mention that there's nothing more I love than hanging out with friends over tapas? And beer? And more tapas?

Since AY was joining us for the evening, it meant that SK and I could happily order away at our favourite dishes without having to worry about wastage. (And AY says, "what wastage?") First up was a beautiful Mixed Plate. I absolutely fell in love with the deliciously crunchy crab cakes. Seriously, I have no idea what the bedding of the crab cakes were, but they were absolutely divine. I think they may be been egg baskets that were lightly fried. We also ordered the roasted eggplants which were soooooooooo melt-in-your mouth. I could've licked 2 plates clean happily.

Left: Pork Belly with Sauteed Rocket, Sweet & Sour Piquillo Capsicum; Right: Oven-roasted Snapper in Mustard Jus with Braised Fennel

The pork belly was also another melt-in-your mouth addition which was just so flavourful. Fat rendering is seriously man's second most awesome invention after sliced bread. I don't know what I would do in a world without flavournoids.

Fun fact: most flavour-molecules are hydrophobic and hence dissolve in fat. That's why fatty things tend to taste good. Yum!

The oven-roasted snapper with mustard jus was also a fingerlickin' delight to tuck into. The fish was a tad on the dry side, but it wasn't anything that a good slashing of the delicious jus couldn't fix.

Left: Wagyu Steak on a bed of Sauteed Chinese Cabbage and Red Wine Jus; Right: Wagyu Meatballs & Seasonal Vegetables in Tomato Salsa

And now as I am trawling through the photos and attempting to find the names of each individual dish on the menu, I've come to the epic realisation that we may have ordered every meat dish on offer minus the lamb (since JL doesn't like lamb). I blame SK for the lack of dietary fibre. I'll get on to that in a little more detail in the future.

Wagyu meatballs and wagyu steak. Seriously. I love meatballs. I scoff down Ikea meatballs at a pace that makes JL hand me a stack Jenny Craig brochures. I also drooled onto my table as I watched Tiffany make her smackalicious ballpark meatballs in this week's Top Chef.

I nearly faceplanted into the meatballs at Japaz.

Did I mention that I love meatballs?

Left: Wagyu Steak on a bed of Sauteed Chinese Cabbage and Red Wine Jus (served); Right: Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks & White Almond Puree

Another special mention goes out to the braised wagyu beef cheeks. I think AY may have mentioned on the night that this was a recommended dish from all the other foodblogs out there. I must say I'm jumping on that bandwagon and furthering the recommendation because seriously, this is something I would come back to Japaz for. The meat was soooo beautifully tender and moist, and the sauce was rich and flavourful.

Left: Torrijus (Spanish Style French Toast) with Poached Apple & Brandy Ice Cream Pedro Ximinez Honey; Right: Raspberry Tart, Nut Semifreddo & Raspberry Coulis

Last but not least, dinner with SK just wouldn't be dinner with SK unless we desserted the night away. I wouldn't say that these were Japaz's strong points - especially after the incredible braised wagyu - but they were refreshing and satisfying as a way to tie up all the loose ends in the evening. Needless to say, the Raspberry Tart looks smashing as it arrived at the table, and the Torrijus was definitely something different to tuck into and explore. Lightly sweet with a lingering aroma...

"Please sir, may I have some more??"

Japaz

165 Wycombe Street

Neutral Bay, NSW 2089

Tel: (02) 9904 0688

Website: http://www.japaz.com.au

Review: Cafe XXII, Pyrmont

2010-08-27T22:41:00.002+10:00

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day so you shouldn't skip it. It helps the kids learn better at school, it sets the right tone for your day at work and overall just keeps people happy so it should never be missed. But these days, everyone is rushing around with little to no time on their hands, preferring to sleep in that extra bit than to grab a bite to eat in the morning. Fortunately for me, where I work now, I can eat as much free breakfast as I want to keep my healthy self going through the day so that's not much of an issue for me. But when it comes down to it, if given a choice, no matter what time of the day it is, I'd usually opt for breakfast. It's the most important meal right? They just never said when you had to eat it!

So begins the tale of my first visit to Cafe XXII with SK on a Sunday morning. A short stroll from my temporary apartment and my work, the relatively large cafe is always filled with people - business people on weekdays, relaxed locals on the weekends. We were offered both breakfast and lunch menus but the two of us naturally gravitated towards the former option.

Being the greedy one, I chose the XXII Big Breakfast which I did not regret in the slightest (with the exception adding to the many trips I owed to the gym since I started my new job). It was a brilliant start to a Sunday with creamy scrambled eggs, succulent tomatos, crispy bacon and hash browns, golden brown toast, mushrooms, spinach, feta and sausages. If you've skipped this paragraph and started looking at the photo, the answer is "Yes, it really is as good as it looks - if not better!"

XXII Big Breakfast $16.50

SK decided to be a bit more experimental and tried something neither of us had heard of. The waitress herself said in response to our query, "Well, I've never tried it before but all the customers I've seen eating it seem to love it!" Not sure how convinced we were but it was definitely worth a try! The Egg Al Forno was an interesting baking dish of spinach, eggs, chorizo sausages served with a beautifully golden slice of sourdough on the side. When I was younger, my father used to bake eggs in an Asian way but it was a sweet treat; nothing like this. The flavour combination was really quite delicious, warming and just oozing with goodness.

Eggs Al Forno $16.50

Finally, to wash it all down we both go organic juices (which looked almost exactly the same). I played the safe card and went for the Orange while SK went for the Peach & Mango. Just my luck that the latter tasted yummier - the orange was just a tad sour.

Organic Orange, Organic Peach & Mango Juices $4.50 ea

I'd be lying if I told you this place wasn't worth visiting. Especially since I came back with my team from work within the week to try their Spanish Eggs which was smaller in size but so exquisite! I'm definitely coming back a couple more times to this joint!

Cafe XXII
22 Union Street, Pyrmont
Sydney NSW
Ph: (02) 9552 3092

Review: Aperitif, Kings Cross

2010-08-24T09:00:00.000+10:00

Well, because we're both foodies, long story short, earlier this year both JL and I decided that we would celebrate our anniversary twice - once at an old favourite, and once at what could potentially be a new favourite. Not quite restaurant Battle Royale in any sense, but we were just so torn over whether we should start visiting the "Good ol' favourite" every year, or cherishing our youth and explore around some more.

But because we're Gen Y and proud to be, we happily decided to have our cake and eat it too!

So we arrived at the beautifully romantic Aperitif, situated in a quieter part of Kings Cross. I've read some great reviews of this place over the years - especially the extensive exotic wines on offer. As someone who really knows close to nothing about wines except the fact I love drinking it, this was really something different on offer at Aperitif which attracted my attention.

Seared Wild Sea Scallops with Carrot Puree - $18

I love the idea of sharing food. There's nothing I love more than a place where I can have some Tapas and a glass of wine/cocktail with a few friends in a cozy environment. Aperitif is exactly that. The Mediterranean - French mix on the menu provides some inspiring offers and robust flavours. The Seared Wild Sea Scallops were an absolute delight to start the night with. The smooth creamy texture of the lightly curried carrot pu

ree was simply divine! I would happily eat a dozen of this if I had the choice.

Salted Cod Croquettes - $18

Next up we tucked into the Salted Cod Croquettes which were incredibly moist and soft. I love croquettes - one of my staple afternoon "buy-before-you-hop-on-the-train" type foods that I simply cannot live without. The Salted Cod simply provides a touch of elegance, and let's be honest here for a minute - who doesn't love the beautifully soft texture of a well cooked piece of cod anyway?

Confit of Duck with Puy Lentils - $22

The annoying thing about eating with just 2 people is that as a foodie, it's almost impossible to finalise what you actually want to order. Our incredibly helpful waitress gave us a rough guidance of perhaps ordering 2 small plates and 1 large, but when faced with so many options on offer, well, a foodie's gotta do what a foodie's gotta do!

"Are we done selecting?"

"Erm...hold on..."

"You're eyeing the duck aren't you?"
"No, I'm just looking around and see what else we could order..."
"You're eyeing the duck. I can see you eyeing the duck."

"Oh fine. Canwepleaseordertheduckpleasepleaseplease???"

So that's the tale of how the Confit of Duck ended up on our table. Which I must add was cooked beautifully. JL wasn't such a big fan of the lentils, so I happily ate all the lentils which were soooo incredibly tasty. I think it was some point here that I informed JL of how confits are actually done. I also think that it was some point here that he wanted to hand me a carton of Lean Cuisine and the number to Jenny Craig.

But it doesn't stop there...

Roast Pork Belly for 2

The big mama of all dishes was still yet to come. The Roast Pork Belly came in a ginormous serving size which really took us by surprise. There were generous serves of carrot and fennel (which I absolutely adore - Asians simply don't use fennel enough), along with lavish chunks of pork belly. Fat was beautifully rendered and sweet and I daresay almost gelatinous - for all those who are interested in maintaining a youthful complexion.

But it doesn't stop there...

Creme Brulee (2 x French Vanilla, 2 x Strawberry)

Lastly, as we were finishing up our last bites, another waiter walked up and informed us of the desserts available on offer for the evening.

"Creme Brulee!" said he, "And in Vanilla and Strawberry flavours!"

I think I nearly shed a few tears of joy at the sound of this.

I loved the way that the creme brulee was served - it definitely had the "art of sharing" firmly ingrained in its design. But what I loved more was the Amelie-style *crack* which each of the 4 tubs produced as we tucked in.

Here's a little demonstration:

First you crack it, then you scoop it, and then you scoff it!

But my mother told me chocolate wasn-....

Ha, just kidding!

All in all I think this is one of those places where one would walk in and straight away find something that they love. Whether it be a glass of wine with a few friends and dessert, or a glass of wine over a romantic dinner with a loved one, or even just as a place to grab something to eat and relax after a long week, Aperitif is just one of those places that has a warm and inviting feel and will turn even the cloudiest days around.

Aperitif

7 Kellett Street

Kings Cross, NSW 2011

Tel: (02) 9357 4729

Review: Rise, Darlinghurst

2010-08-22T09:00:00.004+10:00

So, like. This post is totally like...3 months overdue. Gosh.

For those of you who may remember, JL and I visited Rise for a very special dinner last year for our anniversary. So smooth and memorable the night had been, that when the same question of "where should we go?" was asked again this year, the only natural response was, "well, let's go to Rise again".

Steamed chicken, tofu & tomato salad with sesame miso sauce (1)

So off we went to visit one of what would perhaps be one of Sydney's most underrated restaurants to enjoy once again its beautiful omakase.

Grilled polenta, prawn tempura, Chinese sausage & chunyan chilli sauce (5)

There were slight changes in the menu - for one, our beloved potato soup was no longer there, instead replaced with an equally satisfying tempura of prawn on a soft cube of polenta. Alas, I miss their potato soup!

Assorted sashimi (3)

The thing I love about Rise is not only the fact that there is plenty to smell and taste, but this time we sat at the counter, meaning that we could watch the chef methodically plate up the sashimi dishes ready for the next sitting. It was really incredible watching the sheer precision and thought-out system of setting everything up.

Behold. The German Sushi Army!

Seasonal Plate - Rice paper roll with cured tuna & avocado, soy milk flan with Shitake sauce, Cured ocean trout with "yuzukosho" tartare (not pictured) (4)

The taste profile here at Rise remains nevertheless on the side of umami (at least for the first few courses), intricately balancing the delicate taste of fresh produce with the occasional burst of bold flavour coming from a tiny something on the plate. It almost always catches one offguard.

Some things don't change so much. I.e the fresh spring rolls and the Chawanmushi.

Tom Yum with Scallop Tortellini and Mussel (2)

An interesting addition this time round was the Tom Yum soup. Taste-wise it was incredibly refreshing. Perfect #2 plate to get the tongue salivating. I see how it works on the menu, but I must admit a question mark did go off in my head when I first noticed it on the menu.

Roast duck breast, grilled witlof , mushroom, french beans, mash with Hoisin sauce. (6)

Mmm...duck. My favourite protein in the world! Here at Rise they sure give serve you some finger-lickin', fork'n'knife-lickin', plate-lickin' duck. The breast was cook beautifully (as you can probably tell from the picture), and the fat rendered just enough to give it a touch of sweetness. The bed of potato mash beneath it is also to die for. Brilliant supporting act - smooth, creamy and so full of flavour. I was almost sad to see it slowly disappear from my plate.

Amaretto granita, pink grapefruit jelly, panna cotta. (7)

Lastly, as a brilliant palate cleansing way to finish off the evening, came the refreshing pink grapefruit jelly, panna cotta with amaretto granita. Amaretto? Yes. Amaretto. For someone who generally dislikes the taste of amaretto, I was really surprised to see myself wanting this by the bucketload.

'Nuff said. I'll most definitely be coming back sometime soon.

Rise Restaurant

23 Craigend Street

Darlinghurst, NSW 2010

Tel: (02) 9357 1755

Website: http://www.riserestaurant.com.au

Because Everyone Loves a Discount!

2010-08-21T15:41:00.004+10:00

Hello all you gorgeous readers out there!

The lovely people over at Menulog have offered all the readers here at Nom! a $10 voucher for all takeaway orders put through their website! This is on top of any existing discount offers which the restaurant may have on the website, so effects are stack-able!

Menulog is home of over 20,000 restaurants in Australia, and you can get your take-out delivered straight to your home from over 1000 different places!

All you have to do is head over to their website, make a takeaway order of over $20 with one of the participating restaurants (it'll display an "accepts voucher" sign) and have it delivered to straight your door.

Interested? Here is the code m'lovelies!

Voucher Code: 889D88

Valid until 31/12/10

Have fun nomming away!

Cheers,

Review: Assiette, Surry Hills

2010-08-01T20:49:00.015+10:00

Well well well, hasn't it been a while?

Having survived an incredible, career-defining period of epic-stress (where everyone here at Team Nom practically realised a whole new level to their stress-o-meter), the time has finally come to pick things up where we last dropped off...

Last night was the first time in a VERY long time that JL and I had even thought of going out for a random impromptu "date night". The special place we picked, Assiette, has been a place long raved about by AL (for those who don't know, AL is a fellow foodie and a long-time friend with whom I travelled around Vietnam with earlier this year). All the raves had made me worry that I had set my expectations too high for the occasion.

Left: Seasonal oyster with Vietnamese dressing and baby coriander (1); Top-right: Granny smith apple jelly with Vanilla syrup and apple granita (9)

First impression inside was excellent - an elegant, intimate dining space where the lighting still allowed one to see the face of the person sitting opposite you at the table. The floor staff seemed polite enough, though somewhat robotic as they rather monotonously listed what was sitting on the plate before you without so much as a smile as they tacked on "Enjoy." at the end of the briefing. Nevertheless, the food is what we were after, and the food is what we really cared for.

Left: Pan-fried dory with seared scallop, onion bhaji, cauliflower puree and mango chutney (6); Right: Cured Malborough salmon with prawn beignet, pink grapefruit, mandarin and fennel (2)

To say that the food was anything less than amazing would be the understatement of the century. The balance of texture, taste and artistry was beautifully choreographed on almost every plate that was presented on the night. I say almost because there was a pretty bad boo-boo in one of the courses- more on that later.

Being the seafood-addict that he is, JL loved the Indian-inspired pan-fried dory with the onion bhaji. I personally fell in love with the smooth and almost velvety texture of the cauliflower, pureed with the slightest hint of curry to delight the senses. Tasting the air-dried mandarin (it was like dehydrated awesomeness in a mouthful) was a first time experience for both of us - it provided a lovely crunch against the backdrop of silky salmon.

Terrine of Macleay Valley rabbit with celeriac, raisins and Waldorf Salad (4).

JL was a little bit apprehensive about being served bunny again. That only meant good news for me because I've long given up trying to convince him to give things a go and simply learnt to resolve the situation by gobbling down his share as well. This bunny and celeriac concoction did not disappoint.

Seared tuna with smoked eel, beetroot jelly, wasabi cream and baby basil (3)

The standout of the night for both JL and I went to (might I add, surprisingly), the Seared tuna with smoked eel and beetroot jelly. Even as I sit here today typing this, the smoky taste of the smoked eel mousse inside the beetroot cannelloni still lingers in my mouth. The pairing of the sweet tang of the beetroot to cut through the smokiness really just had one's senses wrapped around its little finger.

Ballontine (sic) of quail with prosciutto, chestnuts, white asparagus and crispy quail egg (5)

When the ballotine of quail arrived before me my heart sank a little:
"...Dangit I think it's raw."
"Are you sure?"
*Cuts into the piece - or rather, struggles to cut through the piece*
"Yep. Definitely raw..."

So I sat there for a while pondering my options:

Send the dish back Matt Preston style (Pros: Get a cooked dish, Cons: We had to be out before the next sitting started - so probably end up with no dessert)
Eat around the uncooked parts (Pros: Eat, Cons: Miss out on the ballontine and possibly still die from salmonella poisoning anyway)
Eat the whole thing (Pros: Research for what it feels like to eat raw poultry, Cons: possibly die from salmonella poisoning)

I'll just say now that I did not take option one. I'll leave it to you to decide which of the other two options I picked, but judging from the fact that I'm still here today to type this epic blog post for you all, I did not died from salmonella poisoning - though do NOT take this as advice to start eating raw poultry. It was possibly just a stroke of luck.

Either way the rest of the dish was excellent. You probably can't tell from the picture, but there were the most BEAUTIFULLY fluffy sauteed gnocchi sitting beneath the ballotine. There were also little cradles of sweet baby brussel sprouts next to the gnocchi which were to die for. Literally.

Left: Banana Mousse with white chocolate ice cream and peanut brittle (10); Right: Selected cheese with pear puree and toasted fruit bread (8)

Lastly came the round of desserts which included a composition of apple jelly and granita (with perfectly sized brunoised apples mixed in with the granita), a cleverly-deconstructed effort of "cheese-cake" and an absolutely lickable delight of banana and peanut. My heart was won by the train of thought behind the "cheese-cake" - a quinelle of some sort of blue cheese (guesswork) with pear puree and a crumble base - rather like a typical cheese cake. This was served with a small muscatel and mango chutney with fruit bread - a combination that is seriously more-ish. I could nom on this all night with a glass of wine and a book.

JL absolutely adored the banana feature. The banana mousse was so soft and fluffy, wrapped tightly in a cylinder caramellish cone (?). The peanut brittle gave a lovely crunch with the cone against the smooth and silkiness of the mousse and ice cream. The combination of flavours really was the perfect way to finish off a lovely evening.

We'll definitely be back again.

Assiette
48 Albion Street
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9212 7979

Review: Spice I Am, Darlinghurst

2010-06-05T00:00:00.005+10:00

About a week ago AL, VH and I decided to hit up Spice I Am in Darlinghurst, located beside the lovely Tastevin which we had been the secret hideout of our previous girly gossip session. Despite each of us going on separate ways post-high school, each and every one of these meetings remind us of just how little we have grown up...

Booking a table in the lounge section in front of the bar meant that we simply could not control our alcoholic tendencies. Besides, what's a gossip session without the cocktails?

Luckily for us, Spice I Am does a range of scumpdiddlyumptious fruity cocktails.

Canadian Summer (left): Fresh corindi raspberries, Canadian Club Whisky, Absolut Raspberry vodka, French rockmelon liqueur, and ruby red grapefruit juice

Tiger Paw (right): Crushed pineapple, panama passionfruit, Wybowora apple vodka, French mango liqueur, and a touch of tiger secret

I rest my case.

Bour Tod (Phuket style fritter of green school prawns on crispy betel leaf with chilli sauce, crushed cashew nuts and coriander) - $14

I'd like to point out right about here that the waitress in charge of my area was perhaps one of the most lovely and attentive waitress I've encountered in my various roamings around Sydney's eateries. This Betel Leaf dish was one of her many recommendations for our table, and it was most certainly a winner.

If you ever visit Spice I Am, do yourself a favour and try it. Who knew a piece of leaf could taste so good?

Roast Duck salad served with whole cashews, chilli and lemongrass (seasonal special)

The roast duck salad was most definitely a winner with all of us at the table as the plate disappeared before you could even take a deep breath to soak up the aromas. Every mouthful was bursting with fragrance, flavour and fire.

Yeah fire. Did I mention that the dish was damn-freakin' hot?

As I quickly guzzled down water to put out the fire in my mouth, AL and her Malay innards pointed and laughed at me the way Ralph does in Simpsons. Despite practically losing my oral sensations, I still happily licked the plate clean. It was that good.

Pla Yum Ma Muang - Deep fried whole baby snapper with green mango salad, palm sugar, garlic and red chilli dressing - $38

Hello SK! This snapper is for you!

Anyway, I may have forgotten to mention that when our table ordered the snapper as one of our main, our ever-helpful waitress took a quick look at us before warning that the dish could feed us 4 times over. But then who can say no to deep fried snapper? I mean, you're talking about the person who could eat a chairleg deep fried. The snapper had to stay, and to that end we quickly struck off a few other dishes and stayed with this one.

Was I glad? You can bet your FIFA World Cup that I was.

The snapper was so moist and juicy on the inside, and the mango salad dressed on top was a real tangy hit to rid of any hint of greasiness from the deep frying. (What greasiness? Pfft...) I think I may have demolished 3/4 of the dish as AL and VH watched in horror.

Yum Hua Plee - Shredded banana flower with king prawns, roasted coconuts, shallots, chilli, coriander and nam pik pao dressing - $35

Back when we were in Hoi An, Vietnam, AL, VH and I all attended a private cooking class where we learnt how to make banana flower salad. From that day on not only did we fall in love with the incredible flavours of the dish - spicy, tangy, refreshing, fragrant, savoury, sweet, you name it - but everything about this dish brings back memories of our epic trip and sunfilled days biking around Vietnam.

This one was no different, except when it arrived all we could really talk about was how the banana flower market in Sydney may as well be a black market. I never see any around my area, but AL claimed to see them selling at $6 each in Cabramatta. I think I nearly choked when I heard that. Imagine what the prices would've been like during the banana crisis we had a few year back.

Hello QLD? Sharing is caring.

Khao Naew Ma Muang - Sticky rice served with fresh nam dok mai mango and coconut sauce - $20

The great thing about Spice I Am is that this is most definitely a place you could hit up later in the night for a good cocktail and grab some dessert. This Khao Naew Ma Muang was to die for, combining a delicate balance between a light savouriness in the sticky rice, the tangy bite of the mango and a light, smooth and creamy sweetness from the coconut sauce. Needless to say I was too full to fully devour this, but this is something that I would definitely reorder on my next visit back.

Saa Ku - Tapioca pearl with coconut and dark palm sugar sauce - $15

Oh heaven save me from my ever-increasingly bulgy stomach. Not only was this a great dessert to finish the night off with, but the mango iced topping worked surprisingly well as a refreshing palate cleanser with light coconut milk syrup being beautifully indulgent without the richness. Unfortunately our three spoons simply did not fit well in the glass all at the same time so the table descended into anarchic hell as we turned our spoons into swords and battled down to the very last morsel of this dessert.

Classy as always. Interpret how you will.

Spice I Am

296-300 Victoria Street

Darlinghurst, NSW 2010

Tel: (02) 9332 2445

http://www.spiceiam.com/the-restaurant/index.html

Review: Restaurant Balzac, Randwick

2010-05-28T12:38:00.001+10:00

'Congratulations...you have won...' were the keywords that jumped out at me when my mother came into my room, waving a postcard in my face, preparing to interrogate me on the whereabouts of the stated restaurant. The other which followed were '$100 worth of matching French wines' at 'Restaurant Balzac'. I've honestly never won anything in my life - not the toy watches with the Coco Pops cereal boxes or the iPhones from career fairs. Although I may have preferred winning food as opposed to wine, as I have not quite developed myself as a connoisseur in that area, I was extremely happy! Taking time out of our continued tasting selection that day at Taste of Sydney to fill in these little competition cards was worth it after all!

I had limited time to make use of the voucher and it had to be between Tuesday and Thursday. Seeing as exams were coming up, the restaurant was a short walk from uni and we had a meeting on a that evening, SK and I booked a table for a quiet Tuesday night at 7:30PM. It was only a short walk from our UNSW Kensington campus and by the time we arrived we were about 20 minutes early but was greeted by a warm and friendly waiter at the front who told us it was fine to be seated early and that 'The early bird catches the worm...but obviously you won't be served worms!' It might just be me, the inexperienced fine diner, but I appreciate a bit of humour and warmth even when I go to fine dining restaurants...really helps me relax and enjoy the experience!

There was a little initial confusion, possibly my own fault for not presenting my voucher upon arrival, but we were presented with menus and a wine list before being left alone to decide the fate of our stomachs. It wasn't long before another waiter came by and realised we were here for the degustation menu with matching wines, politely apologised and congratulated me on my prize. I've never had degustation before but was glad that for once there was no need to pore over menus and spend ages deciding what we wanted. I was however quite amused when the table was set with additional cutlery...I have never seen so many forks and knives placed together for a meal! (I probably sound naive and uncultured to all you foodies at this point!)

So to kickstart our meal that evening, we were served four slices of Sonoma Sourdough and a small pot of butter with a small amount of salt. For those of you who know me, I'm conscious of my health (Mostly! Although when it comes to chocolate and dessert I rarely resist), and avoid too many condiments and rarely ever eat butter or even margarine. When you see SK and I slathering on the butter (or maybe it was just me), then you know it is excellent butter. Not too heavy and with the sprinkle of salt, it spread easily on the sourdough and together just dissolved inside my mouth. I tried my best to not eat all of my share because I didn't want to spoil my appetite for the remaining 8 courses but that attempt failed...in fact, I ended up finishing half of SK's slice because she had better self control than me! I loved that salted butter mmmm...

Sonoma Sourdough

By the time our first dish arrived, I was still busily savouring the sourdough but quickly swallowed to begin my descent on our dainty dish. It was a Venison Bresaola with Brussel Sprout Remoulade arranged neatly on a square plate. I'm personally not very fond of brussel sprouts and found that the aroma actually spoilt the bresaola for me but in combination with the piece of rocket used to garnish the dish and the drizzle of olive oil actually allowed the flavours to meld really well with the saltiness of the bresaola.

Venison Bresaola with Brussel Sprout Remoulade

The next time our table was invaded, I was quite unprepared to receive a small teacup as our next dish. Fine dining has taken me a fair while to accustom myself to. Let me explain and enlighten you. Coming from a Chinese background, we have several large dishes to share amongst our family members and eat a lot with our bowls of rice. I have grown up eating large mouthfuls of food. Fine dining requires the appreciation of small dishes and a lot of restraint and training has been required of me not to finish everything in one bite. This time however, I was challenged to not drink the entire cup of White Onion Veloute with Thyme Chantilly in one gulp. While SK took her continuous small sips, I tried my best to ration it. Do you have any idea how hard that is?! Even now, I want to just run into the kitchen and drink from the huge pot that this must've been cooked in!

White Onion Veloute with Thyme Chantilly

Before our next dish arrived, we were graced with the presence of a 2008 Domaine Bondeville Grenache Blanc, the first candidate from my prize originating from France. It delivered a crisp taste, not too acidic; just enough to be refreshing.

2008 Domaine Bondeville Grenache Blanc – Languedoc, France

What came next was absolutely beautiful...to look at! The Seared Yellow Fin Tuna was sliced thinly; a bright translucent red with a cooked rim garnished with with some herbs and red onions and finally topped with a single beignet (which I still don't know how to pronounce!). It wasn't misleading in any way whatsoever - as delicious as it was aesthetically pleasing, the tuna melted in my mouth

Seared Yellow Fin Tuna with White Anchovy Beignets and Salsa Verde

As the next set of matching wines arrived, a 2007 Bourgogne, Chanson Viré-Clessé, we were also greeted by an equally hard to pronounce dish (I may only be speaking for myself) of Panfried Mahi Mahi, ‘Petit Pois à la Française’ with Salt and Pepper Cuttlefish. This white wine was a long drier than our first and neither SK nor I appreciated it quite as much. The waiter explained to us the fact that there were peas made in three different ways (French peas or petit pois, a pea foam and a pea puree). I'm pretty sure that at this point, SK was squirming at the overwhelming platter of greens. She's not too fond of green items unless they are dessert related. Being a bit skeptical at first, I was personally hooked by the pea foam - it wasn't too strong but offered a sweet flavour to the dish especially in combination with the cuttlefish.

Panfried Mahi Mahi, ‘Petit Pois à la Française’ with Salt and Pepper Cuttlefish

The first word that came to mind when I tasted the Braised Should of Venison, which was paired with a 2007 Bourgogne, Lucien Muzrd Et Fils, was 'Chinese'. The venison in combination with the flavours from the chestnuts and the sauce itself reminded me of a warm and homely dish that I eat a lot as a child. I had no complaints though, in fact I adored the tenderness of braised venison!

Braised Shoulder of Venison ‘Bourguignonne’ with Chestnut Spätzle

2007 Bourgogne, Lucien Muzard Et Fils – Burgundy, France

As a foodie-in-wheels, wheels which may never be removed, I feel that I can voice my uneducated foodie blunders without being embarassed. The waiter approached the table with our Daube of Beef and proceeded to introduce them as our 'mains'. Now you're all going to think I'm stupid but it never occurred to me that we would have received so many entree dishes prior to our main! Okay, enough focus on my inexperience - back to the main!

We were given the choice of a Shoulder of Lamb with Moroccan Spices, Aubergine and Sheep’s Milk Yoghurt but upon DD's recommendation, we both decided to choose the beef instead. The sauce was a thicker and stronger in flavour than I expected and probably would have overpowered the flavour of the beef had there not been a delicate balance struck by the beautifully smooth 'teardrops' of mash potato! The mash was unlike anything I've tried before - it was more a smooth cream since it had been placed through a sieve. The creamy texture and lighter flavour balanced out the sauce perfectly.

Daube of Beef with Artichokes and Wild Pine Mushrooms

2008 Mas Des Bressades Rouge – Languedoc, France

Having finally managed to get through our entrees and mains, the best part of the dinner (of any dinner) arrived. The dessert. SK and I are both dessert lovers but if I recall correctly, at this point, she was already extremely full. That clearly didn't stop her. The Cinnamon Spiced Rice Pudding was what was called a 'pre-dessert'. Not entirely sure why but I wasn't complaining. Essentially my tastebuds and stomach were saying, 'Why not? We have two desserts then!' Perhaps it was named as such because it was a lighter dessert which would prepare us (and quite well done I'd say!) for the sweeter ones to come!

We were first presented with the French dessert wine which I never managed to catch the name of (menus are a saviour!) and even if I did, would definitely not have been able to replicate in pronunciation anyway. This was perhaps the only wine SK actively disclosed her liking for while I was a bit more reserved simply because it was a dessert wine and too sweet for my liking. I was ready to pounce on the fondant instead!

2007 Les Clos De Paulilles Banyuls – Roussillon, France

I'm eternally grateful for the invention of what I have affectionately termed 'dessert stomach'. It let me consume the warm and velvety chocolate fondant which always tastes so great with the cooling feeling of ice cream in your mouth topped with a sprinle of crunchy peanut brittle. Who cares if you're full? You can always fit in dessert. Always. That's a philosophy I hope all readers will share with me! Having said that, afterwards, I could relax with some English Breakfast tea but only managed to finish one of the petit fours and took a small nibble from the other honeycomb chocolate.

Warm Chocolate Fondant with Porter Ice Cream and Peanut Brittle

English Breakfast Tea

Petit Fours

This was definitely the most prolonged dinner experience I've ever had and I enjoyed every moment of it. Contrary to some reviews I had read before, the service at Restaurant Balzac was impeccable - all the staff were friendly and the door was even held open for us as we left. I'm glad that I won that voucher from Taste of Sydney - otherwise it may have taken me a while to get through the rest of my list before finally arriving at this place!

Restaurant Balzac

141 Belmore Road

Randwick, NSW 2031

Tel: 9399 9660

Review: The Falconer, Darlinghurst

2010-05-24T18:41:00.011+10:00

Rocket, radicchio, pear and parmesan salad with aged balsamic - $12 (large)

Oh my god. It's been a while...I can almost smell the mouldiness of the place already...

Apart from being completely bamboozled by what can only be described as an utter black plague of assessments this semester, I've also had my time quickly devoured by a few extra commitments I've taken on. Never mind that, I figure that instead of trying to divulge all the reasons why I haven't had the time to post, I may as well get a move on with the dusting of cobwebs around here.

Crispy shoe-string fries with the Falconer aioli - $8

Thanks to the wonderful Billy, the team here has finally had a few lessons on how to make our photos even more droolworthy. After-all, we are the hub of saliva-generation are we not? I'm still not too good with Lightroom, but practice makes perfect, and I'm happy to say that I've finally gotten over the noobish fascination with mindless clicking of the auto-white balance feature in Lr.

It's awesome isn't it?!

Okay, let's get back to work.

A few weeks ago AY, AW, JL and I decided to hit town for a night of relaxation in the midst of a World War against our textbooks. As we ran from the incessant fire of APV and DCF models, we luckily found a quiet refuge at The Falconer, located on Oxford Street, after a friendly recommendation by FW.

"So what's so good about this place?" I asked.

"Well, apparently they serve rabbit."

Braised organic rabbit ragu pappardelle with tomato, port & mustard seeds - $19

I must admit the thought of hacking up a fluffy bunny and cooking it did not at all seem appetising, but it was a thought which I pushed aside into my cranial Pandora's Box as I gave in to my unfettered weakness for pappardelle. On this particular occasion, luckily, the pappardelle did not disappoint with its bite and flavour. The ragu was beautifully cooked and the bunny meat so amazingly tender that I would have happily devoured two plates of this despite my initial apprehension.
Risoni with sauteed mushrooms, lemon, thyme and white truffle oil - $14

Bunny hackings aside, AW and JL both chose a serve of Risoni with sauteed mushrooms with lemon, thyme and white truffle oil. The flavours surrounding this plate was most definitely earthy and robust, but sadly the risoni was just a tad too al dente for my liking.

Slow-baked Bangalow pork belly with saffron pears and chestnut puree - $24

AY being the awesome solo demolition team at any dinner table, ordered a nice hunk of pork belly just to rub satisfaction in the face of the health-conscious. The amazing thing is, it doesn't seem to show on his body. Feel free to sign here for life-long membership to his hate-club. Jokes.

In all seriousness though, the meat was moist and tender, and so full of flavour that sadly there just simply wasn't enough to satisfy the hungry sonuva-. But in retrospect that was a good thing, especially for those of you reading this...

Because...

Vanilla bean crème brûlée with mango & cashew nut crisp - $11

Ooooright. Giggidy giggidy.

For dessert we had a lovely, smooth Crème brûlée (albeit a little runny still). The mango and cashew nut crisp which came with the dish was so wonderfully crispy and light - a wonderful accompaniment.

Can you tell that my word of the day is "wonderful"?

Not sure if it was because I had a little too much wine and cocktails to drink beforehand, I quickly became unsatisfied with eating the crème brûlée like a normal, healthy-minded human being. Acting in the name of research, I began to enjoy my crème brûlée with the french fries pictured above and oh gollie was it sensational! It was like the childish fascination with dipping you fries into your sundaes at Maccas, except so much awesome-er. Definitely recommended if you're not too fussed about being classy. Perfect for those suffering from a mild-case of Peter Pan Syndrome.

Overall, my the experience here was a big thumbs up. I gave it bonus points for its ability to make me feel like I should be wearing more vintage style clothing that came straight out of Frankie Magazine. If you like that old-fashion diners atmosphere that feels warm and inviting - look no further, this is the place for you.

The Falconer
31 Oxford Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9267 8434

Review: Jah Bar, Manly

2010-05-10T13:02:00.001+10:00

I live up in the Northern Beaches area and the rest of my friends either live on the North Shore or somewhere down south or out west. What does that mean? Well it means that we rarely ever dine out near my area which subsequently leads to me driving far far away for outings. This particular night however, JTC and WF were going to be in the area and so we decided to choose a place in Manly to satisfy the growling of our stomachs.

We had no preference for cuisine, so the criteria were merely anything which tasted delicious and was bearable for our wallets. Jah Bar was what we ended up with. Situated in a small laneway right opposite a large carpark which has free parking at nights, it was bustling with people by the time we arrived. The restaurant itself was separated into three sections with a couple of tables out the front, the bulk of tables out the back and a bar in between. The diners here ranged from couples on romantic dates to large group bookings all eating and drinking under an area lit dimly by a string of Christmas lights.

Being a table of boys, we were pretty much starving by the time we sat down and made swift decisions to order. Not long after, we were graced with the complimentary presence of sourdough bread and olive oil. Nothing particular special but always a nice way to start a meal - and to keep us munching and distracted while we waited for our main course.

The first dish that arrived was the Pizza Margarita with Tomato, Basil & Buffalo Mozarella, sliced neatly for us to share. I'm a big fan of the crispy crust which seemed to be achieved with oil at a bare minimum. The tomato was deliciously juicy and surprisingly did not affect how crunchy the base was. I felt quite happy with my slice of pizza and not at all unhealthy. Sometimes it's a nice change to eat something so delicious and still feel unburdened by oil and fat!

Pizza Margarita $16

I think I failed to mention that when we made the orders, both JTC and WF looked straight at me and had little input except with the serving of prawns. Naturally, I picked dishes that I loved and the Seared Scallops & Morcilla with White Bean Puree fell right into that category. I have many friends who aren't big fans of seafood and don't like the slightly chewy texture of scallops but I beg to differ. That texture is beautiful, flavorsome and when seared ever so lightly and dipped in that beautiful puree - it was brillant...that's what my tastebuds told me anyway, so don't take my word for it!

Seared Scallops $14

Chorizo is a dish which has brought upon both pleasure and pain since I was first acquainted with it. In Hong Kong, I've experienced the spiciest, most inedible chorizos I have ever tried but in a general sense, has actually brought great joy to me. This particular variation accomplished the latter but with most chorizos, my only complaint was I had to share with the other guys on the table. Yeah, yeah...I know that sharing is caring...but sometimes taking such a small bite doesn't quite satisfy my eager taste buds.

Chorizo $8

This was quickly followed by an assortment of mushrooms which had been sauteed with garlic and a squiz of vingagre de jerez. Mushrooms in home and at places that I have dined at, are usually complementary to many dishes, mixed in to add that tangent of flavour. As a feature dish, the different types of mushrooms with a side of bread was delicious - absolutely loved the juicy crunch in my mouth. Meanwhile, the waiter had delivered our King Prawns & Sobrasada cooked in Spanish apple cider and just judging by the small dish, the prawns had definitely soaked up all the flavour. I'm not generally a big fan of prawns, especially the 'take-my-shell-off-with-your-hands' variety. I'm a bit lazy to do it usually and I find that all the flavour is lost once you remove the shell. It was, however, quite yummy so don't let my personal laziness put you off from ordering this one!

Assorted Mushrooms $11

King Prawns & Sobrasada $13.50

Of course, you'll rarely ever catch me finishing up a dinner out without dessert so these Spanish doughnut sticks were a given. Ask me to dip anything into a pot of melted chocolate and you'll be greeted with a smile - a perfect way to end a splendid dinner out at Manly!

Churros $8

Jah Bar

Shop 7, 15 Central Avenue

Manly, NSW 2095

Tel: (02) 9977 4449

Taste of Sydney 2010, Centennial Park

2010-04-16T14:48:00.001+10:00

Coming back from overseas and jumping straight into full time work and part time uni doesn’t leave me much time to be browsing newspapers and flicking through magazines to actually know what events are coming up. What I rely on are friends and family or the occasional blog to keep me ‘in the know’ and this time, thanks to Betty from Betty Bites I stumbled upon something I should’ve known about ages ago – Taste of Sydney.

Armed with a set of tickets and a minimal amount of crowns (currency for this event), WX and I set foot (albeit a bit late) into the grounds of what I like to call Premium Foodie Heaven. Just to be specific, by minimal, I meant that we had $30 worth of crowns to share…to put things into perspective, we ended up spending about an additional $70 each on crowns during our 3.5 hour stay!

As with any event remotely associated to the word ‘food’, there is bound to be some sort of free promotional item including a Gourmet Traveller magazine and Ferrero Rondnoirs within our first five minutes there.

Our first stop, even though our stomachs were grumbling quite loudly, was the first session of the Australian Gourmet Traveller Taste Kitchen featuring Giovanni Pilu from Pilu at Freshwater who showed us the way he made Risotto with Crystal Bay Prawns and Zucchini.

I’m not much of a cook myself (that’s WX’s department) but just watching the digital screen showing us the detailed process was enough to make me salivate. Did I mention it was already 1pm and we’d opted to watch this session before satisfying our stomachs? For someone who only needs to cook to survive and has never really tried to make anything elaborate by himself, it was interesting to hear from Giovanni that soup stock should always be made rather than purchased. Apparently the different types of soup stocks that you can purchase are, in fact, taste and smell exactly the same! Or maybe I’m just a noob =)

After that half hour session (where we weren’t able to try the dish!) we finally made our way through to the food stalls. It was the beginning of a journey…one which would leave my jeans constricting my waist…

First up, was the Miso glazed Marlborough King Salmon with Japanese radish salad from Assiette. It was the first dish we tried and probably the most satisfying of the lot. No, we weren't paid to write this review but seriously, by the end of it, both WX and I were envious at Assiette's mastery of cooking the salmon just enough to leave the flesh tender and flavoursome. I can tell you now that this taste test has definitely placed Assiette on the cards for a visit soon!

Miso Glazed Marlborough King Salmon with Japanese Radish Salad

Saddle of Suckling Pig with Garden Peas and Smoked Bacon Jus from Restaurant Balzac was next. I'm a big fan of suckling pig normally, with a particular emphasis on the skin. I'm a fairly health conscious person and avoid food items which may place me in my coffin any earlier than necessary but this is a dish which I would never pass up. Unfortunately, what I looked forward to the most was quite disappointing. Perhaps it was the preparation method and the logistics behind producing the dish quickly for this sort of event, but the skin was a big letdown - tough and soggy. We saw that subsequent dishes actually had the skin removed so I'd say it was a logistics issue.

Saddle of Suckling Pig with Garden Peas and Smoked Bacon Jus

Slow Roasted Moran Lamb Spit Roast from ARIA

12 Hour Slow cooked Lamb Shoulder; Minted Crushed Peas and Feta Dressing from Four in Hand

The words 'slow', 'roasted' and 'lamb' had me salivating. Being followed by 'slow', 'cooked' and 'lamb' only made matters worse! Let me just say that I was lucky that WX is a girl and she only has limited stomach capacity!

Paella a la Maestre from El Toro Loco

We never ended up trying this but for the sake of satisfying our readers' visual hunger, we decided to take a photo of this Paella from El Toro Loco. It was truly an amazing sight but when you come to something like the Taste Festival, you really need to pick and choose what you want to eat. Instead, we picked the Vanilla Stone Fruit and Sangria alternative to quench our thirst and provide a bit of sweet relief. It was only after I skulled the remaining Sangria did I remember I still had to drive and I wasn't on my full licence! The stone fruit was juicy and not too sweet and made me feel like I was making a good attempt at being healthy!

Grilled Vanilla Stone Fruit with Sangria from El Toro Loco

Attempts at being healthy certainly didn't last long. Just imagining the chocolate oozing out of a fondant was enough to make me fall in love with the next dessert we chose. Overall the Warm Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream from Restaurant Balzac wasn't too sweet and having a spoonful of the cold ice-cream with a spoonful of warm chocolate fondant placed me in the highest levels of tastebud heaven! I didn't appreciate the Zippulas nearly as much unfortunately. I would liken it to the 'Sar Yung' Chinese Sugared donuts that you can order at Yum Cha. Delicious but I'm not a big fan of citrus flavours.

Warm Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream from Restaurant Balzac

Zippulas - Sardinian Donuts with Citrus Sugar from Pilu at Freshwater

After our small splurge on desserts we managed to get back on track and finally tried the risotto from Pilu at Freshwater. It was was as good as it looked - the consistency of the risotto wasn't too runny or thick and the flavours of the prawns and zucchini ran right through each mouthful. Shame that it was just a tasting plate - I wouldn't mind having it for lunch every once in a while.

Risotto with Crystak Bay Prawns and Zucchini from Pilu at Freshwater

Yellow Fin Tuna with Sweet Pork Crackling and Ruby Grape Fruit from Flying Fish

First words: beautiful presentation. Second words: delicious. I've always imagined tuna to be quite a hard dish to cook but this was done really well. The tuna was fresh and just melted in my mouth with the sweetness of the ruby grape fruit. WX decided not to try the pork crackling so I got to devour the whole thing - oh yummmmy!

Slow Cooked Lamb Rump, Confit Capsicum, Eggplant Caviar and Black Olive Oil from Marque

Lamb - again? Well you can never have enough of lamb though I did feel it was a bit overcooked. I did however, like the flavour combination of confit capsicum and eggplant caviar.

Tiramisu Roulade - chocolate sponge rolled around a Paesanella Mascarpone and Marsala Sabayon from Bird Cow Fish

Ultimately, my biggest soft spot is for desserts, especially the chocolate-y kind, so to finish off our eating endeavours for the day before Taste Kitchen presentation, we tried the tiramisu. The alcohol in this tiramisu wasn't as overpowering as many that I've tried before giving a good balance of lovely chocolate aroma. It was the perfect way to end my eating escapades that day!

Finally, we made it back to the seating area to await the start of the final Taste Kitchen demonstration for the day by Peter Kuruvita of Flying Fish.

He was an extremely charismatic chef and definitely kept me entertained for the entire session. I was also grateful that he was willing to bend the rules to serve us the golden brown potato chips he cooked up right in front of us!

Everything that he made looked absolutely amazing and the day I decide to get off my lazy ass and learn how to cook properly, I aim to make a crab dish the way Peter does - it's like a work of art! The aroma of it was extremely tempting too - shame he wasn't willing to share that with us!

Taste of Sydney was definitely a great day for my stomach and my tastebuds. My wallet would probably disagree wholeheartedly but overall, it was a really good opportunity to taste the food from such a large array of fine restaurants. What do we do from here? We save lots and lots of money so we can satisfy our stomachs some more - this time, it's not going to be tasting portion size!

Review: Tastevin Bistro and Wine Bar, Darlinghurst

2010-03-28T20:52:00.000+11:00

So the order set out from AL was "I don't care, I just want French. Maybe we could hit up that place that gave us the awesome mash?"

The "awesome mash" place she had been referring to was Sel et Poivre in Darlinghurst, and despite constantly craving the mashed potatoes and the beef cheeks served there, I simply didn't feel like it was due for another visit until Winter strikes again.

Meanwhile I directed her attention to Tastevin, a French slash Modern Australian restaurant hidden in a pool of chaos that is Kings Cross.

In true Parisienne fashion, the place here is sleek and stylish. You most definitely won't be finding any nonsense in decor or furniture here. Likewise, its selection on offer is similarity straight-forward and no-nonsense, with just a few selections on offer, more than enough choice for the petite group of three we had that evening.

Beautifully soft and freshly baked bread was made immediately available after everyone arrived, and served with a soft round of butter and a dish of the balsamic & oil duo.

Gnocchi à la Parisienne, sauteed mushrooms & white truffle mornay - $16/27

We selected an entree to share, which was the Gnocchi à la Parisenne, with sauteed mushrooms and white truffle mornay. The mornay was delightfully rich and creamy in texture, and the fact we had shared it among three left us all wanting more. The gnocchi were the gentlest pillow-buds encased with slices of mushroom in every spoonful. The dish was simply divine.

King Fish tartare with sorrel cream, flying fish roe & finger lime dressing - $17

VH ordered a King Fish Tartare in an entree size for her main. The sorrel cream was indeed delicate in flavour - much like the king fish, but was simply too rich to finish. The flying fish roe drizzled around the edge of the plate made the entire dish seemed rather like a piece of artwork, and the thought crossed my mind as to whether it was polite to run a spoon around and lick it off.

Luckily for VH, AL and I were practically family.

Duck two way with spaetzle, sugar plums & sage beurre noisette - $29

AL selected duck two way with sugar plums and spaetzle (missing?). Thinly sliced duck piled up on top of a bed of what seemed like a duck pattie. While the slices were moist and juicy, the pattie below seemed rather uninspired and uninteresting. AL prodded it a few times and thought it was really dry, and left it mostly untouched.

Crisped skin pork belly on celeriac remoulade & pickled grapes - $17/28

I chose the Crisped Skin Pork Belly as my main. The layers of pork belly meat were lusciously tender and moist, and wonderfully balanced by the tartness of the pickled grapes. The celeriac remoulade was beautiful also, and I happily scraped up every last morsel along with the meat. Sadly I was disappointed by the chewiness of what was meant to be crispy skin, and after tackling one slice, I could not bring myself to put in all the effort to tackle the second.

Tastevin Bistro & Wine Bar
Level 1, 292-294 Victoria St
Darlinghurst, NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9356 3429
Website: http://www.tastevin.com.au/

Review: Aki's Fine Indian Restaurant, Woolloomooloo

2010-03-26T19:00:00.002+11:00

If there is one cuisine that I consider to be the most often overlooked, it has got to be Indian. Most people I know have only ventured so far that their idea of Indian consists mainly of butter, and chicken. If they're a bit more adventurous, then maybe some sort of enterproteinhere korma.

However, tucked away near the corner of the entrance to the long sunfilled walk of Woolloomooloo wharf, sits Aki's Indian - a place where Terry Durack once referred to as the high point of Indian cuisine in Sydney.

Pappadums - aren't they just adorable?

The choice here was simple - a $55 per head banquet menu with an extra dish on the side (which I claimed to have ordered for research purposes). I will warn you now, this banquet isn't for the faint-hearted - it kept me filled for both lunch & dinner. A great bargain if you ask me!

Relishes - Cucumber & Yoghurt "raita", Tomato & Onion 'kachumber", Sweet Mango Chutney

The banquet menu comes with a basket of pappadums and a selection of relishes on the side, too!

Lycheeliscious

Mango Pash

Appletini - most definitely lesser on the 'apple' and big on the '-tini'

Clifford Bay '08 Sauvignon Blanc

Since JL, SK, AY and I were planning to go all out for the day - why not have a few luxurious cocktails with our meals? Make that a few cocktails and a bottle of wine, just for kicks.

Crab with Iddiapam - $23

First up was the Crab with Iddiapam. This was an extra which we ordered on the side of our banquet. Why? Because it is Aki's signature dish, and a dish which I frequently have terrible cravings for. The crab was so tenderly cooked, JL and I were so gobsmacked by the layers upon layers of flavour which was embedded that we straight away agreed that we would be happy eating this for the rest of our lives.

What's that brown bedding you ask? Tamil Brown Rice string hoppers. I liken it to the Indian form of rice vermicelli.

Palak Patta Chaat - $13

Did I mention that Aki's Indian has a brother restaurant? Oh my bad - blame it on my memory. Situated in North Strathfield is Aki's understated brother restaurant- Abhi's Indian (review coming up soon). This Palak Patta Chaat, a dish which is a revved up rendition of the humble spinach, is the signature dish of Abhi's. It consists of deep fried spinach leaves in a light, crispy lentil batter, doused with layers of yoghurt, tamarind and date and chilli and mint sauces.

Talk about flavour explosion much? It even had the non-vegie-eater (SK) hooked.

Namkeen Squid - $16

While we're on the topic of revving up humble dishes - here we have exhibit B. Aki's rendition of the ubiquitous salt & pepper squid. Immediately after I made my first cut into the squid, I noticed just how easy it was to pierce through the flesh. There were none of the usual criss-cross scoring - and yet...still so tender?I couldn't have been anymore pleasantly surprised. No doubt whatever the secret spices were in the "spiced tapioca flour", it worked like magic. The tamarind and ginger dipping sauce was also a huge hit with me, being a rather exotic and delicious alternative to the typical sauces you get presented with.

This one most definitely goes in the list of most memorable salt & pepper squid - along with Cantina, Darlinghurst.

Achari Tikka - $14

The Achari Tikka bore a resemblance to the usual Chicken Tikka - except with a slightly more natural colouring than the flaming red that we usually see. The chicken was most pleasantly moist, but a touch on the salty side for my liking. JL nommed it up good, though.

Post-writing-thought: Wouldn't it be funny if "Achari" meant "Chicken"? That would make the opening of this paragraph rather redundant wouldn't it?

Gola Kofta - $15

This is a must have dish for all you lamb-lovers out there. The lamb mince used in these balls are hand-minced, and you can most definitely taste the strong lamb-smell with every bite. I was sad to have only eaten one - despite how hot they were and how much they made me cry, they were simply divine with lashings of the cool cucumber yoghurt served with the pappadums.

Next, we move on to the mains.

Yeah, those were just the entrees. There's still another 2 courses to come.

Beef Vindaloo - $27

This is Aki's version of the "not-your-average-vindaloo" Beef Vindaloo. The beef was meltingly tender and fully imbued with the flavours of tomato and cumin sauce. Oh and did I mention that this one made your tongue catch on fire? Well, it did, but AY and I ate most of it anyway because it was just that dang-freakin' good!

Pilau Rice

The mains came with a serve of perfectly cooked Pilau Rice and a stack of plain Naan breads. Perfect for soaking up all the sauces!

Subzi Kofta Curry - $18

The Subzi Kofta Curry was probably my favourite main out of the 4 which were served. The list of ingredient generates eyebrow-raising first impressions, but the dish does not take long to convince even the biggest skeptics and that flavours DO indeed work hand in hand and that they couldn't be more wrong to have doubted it. So what's in there?

Carrot, raw banana, beans and fresh English spinach. Amongst other "ridiculously appetising ingredients" (says JL).

The kofta balls were incredibly moist, and almost makes one wonder how they retain their shape yet still manage to have a fall apart and dissipate effect in one's mouth. I couldn't begin to describe the myriad of flavours present.

Chicken Makhini - $25

Butter. And Chicken. I know I love it, and I know most people out there love it too. Aki's version definitely strikes the uncanny balance between tanginess of tomato with sensual creaminess and a hint of smokiness from the chicken cooked in a tandoor.

Once you taste this, butter chicken from the local food court just won't cut it. You have been forewarned.

Goan Prawn Curry - $29

The last of the mains was a dish of curried prawns. Black tiger prawns cooked in a sauce of coriander, cumin and freshly ground coconut - a must have for the seafood lovers. We all agreed that this was good, except that we were all so bloated by this point that we couldn't really bring ourselves to fully relish in its flavours.

Having said that, JL still mopped it up good.

Indian "kufti" Ice Cream - $13

Lastly, after requesting a LOOOOOOOONG, drawn-out break to allow us to digest (the peeps at Aki's are most definitely flexible with their service), we were finally presented with a light slab of Cardamom and Pistachio ice creams to cool our mouths downs. These were definitely flavours up my alley, but may be a hit and miss with others.

To me, the experience at Aki's was not only memorable, but rather the quality of dishes it produced was rather humbling for the palate, and reminded you of just how much of an art there is to match flavours with produce. The dishes which were served up not only fascinated and intrigued me, but it kept me wanting more and challenged my curiosity. You can bet your ____ that I'll be heading back there sometime soon.

Aki's Fine Indian Restaurant
1/6 Cowper Wharf Road
Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011
Tel: (02) 9332 4600
Website: http://www.akisindian.com.au/index.html

Singapore Day One: No Signboard, Geylang

2010-03-18T11:51:00.001+11:00

Geylang is known as the red light district of Singapore. When I mentioned that I'd been told about the delicious crab and seafood dinners here, my local friend seemed a bit reluctant to take me there. As we walked out of the closest MRT station and onto a small side street, I noticed that all the small eateries were popluated by loud Singaporean men drinking towering beers - no wonder SWT said she was uncomfortable!

Luckily, the walk was short and after jay-walking across the busiest multi-lane road I've seen in a while, we reached No Signboard - lit by neon lights and decorated with red lanterns in celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year. I was surprised that we were given a seat so swiftly though admittedly, we had three people and it was relatively early. Our seats were also on the side away from the main area where I could see large round tables reserved. We would later realize that being set apart, we avoided the smoke and the loud cheers of the larger groups - being able to hear each other talk but still feeling the atmosphere of the night.

Having only three people on our table, with two of them being only girls, I was bracing myself for the disappointment of not being able to try a variety of dishes. Luckily, the waitress was extremely helpful - perhaps seeing the look of sadness on my face - suggesting that we could get all our dishes in the smallest sizes possible especially the two crabs we were ordering.

Chilli Crab 40SGD/kg

Complimentary Mantou

The first to arrive was the Chilli Crab which was served on an extremely large plate filled almost to the brim with the aromatic chilli sauce. With it, arrived the fried buns or mantou which could be dipped into the sauce in place of the rice. The flesh of the crab was really tender and juicy - for me the process was a bite of crab meat, dunk the bun in the sauce and pure heaven as a result!

Black Peppered Crab 40SGD/kg

The Black Peppered Crab was an entirely different story. The black pepper sauce was much stronger and the flesh tougher. By the end of it, my mouth was literally burning! It's the type of food that makes you so happy because it's dishing out the most amazing flavours for your taste buds but simultaenously putting you through the fiery spices. Putting up with a flaming mouth in the name of great taste? I was up for it!

Bullfrog with Dried Red Chilli 16SGD for two

When the plate of Bullfrog with Dried Red Chilli was delivered to our table, all I could see was a mound of black garnished with loads of dried chilli. When you finally scrummage around and pick out the frog itself, the texture is almost like a tougher version of a fish - slighty chewy and beautifully flavoured. Definitely not the first time I've tried it, but definitely the first time I kept picking it out from the dish it was so yummy!

Deep Fried Baby Squid 10SGD

The Deep Fried Baby Squid came on long rather large plate and didn't look particulary appetizing. But since stepping foot onto Singapore soil, I've realized that some of the most delicious dishes have the ghastly appearances. This was certainly no exception. I'm really a fan of anything deep fried but this particular dish had a sweetness to it on top of the crunchy texture and wired perfectly to offset the spiciness in my mouth from the crab.

Fried Egg with Oyster 10SGD

This was a last minute find on the menu when I recalled that SK had recommended I try it. Relative to the rest of the meal, this was slightly less exciting but I do love my oysters and eggs so in combination, this little pancake-like treat of Fried Egg with Oyster was a great way to finish off the meal. It sure helped cool down my flaming mouth!

War on Crabs - The Finale

It was cheap - the cheapest seafood dinner I've ever had actually - and it was amazing. Fragrant, flavoursome seafood. Probably my most expensive meal I had all trip in Singapore but still so cheap it was amazing. This is definitely somethign everyone has to try when heading to Singapore. If you've read this whole review and you're curious as to why it's called No Signboard and why the photo about says The name u named, then just check out this link here. The history of the place is quite interesting. You'll notice that in the first photo it says Matter Road because that's where the first shop opened, in a hawker centre on that road. The branch we visited is actually on Geylang Road.

I'm back in Australia but I'm still salivating about this meal - go check it out!

No Signboard
414 Geylang Road
Geylang, Singapore 389392
PH: +65 6842 3415

Review: The Bathers' Pavilion, Balmoral Beach

2010-03-15T19:28:00.005+11:00

So, what do a bunch of 20-something year olds do when they're bored in the evening with next to nothing to do? We're over the drinking, over all the clubbing, and generally over the fact that most of us will be graduating soon and free time simply won't feel the same again?

Well, they hit up a nice place for dessert of course! Especially the ones which require a little driving just to get away from parents screaming from behind at how ridiculous it was that we were heading out so late in the evening.

And that was when we discovered The Bathers' Pavilion Cafe at Balmoral Beach.

Crème caramel, poached caramel pears, cinnamon filo crisp - $15.50

"You're going to the beach NOW?" cried my father. Yep, anything for the food. Besides, it's not like Mum makes Crème Caramels for me for dessert.
"Do you even know your way?"
"Nope, but if I get lost, we ALL get lost"

Perhaps I should suggest to him that if he could make such a creamy and luscious Crème Caramel for me at home then I would consider staying home a tee-wee bit longer. Oh and the filo pastry was to die for. I could eat this stuff all day! (Hey, there's a thought! That way I wouldn't even bother heading out.)

Lemon delicious, confit lemon, lemon sherbet - $15.50

Either way SK, LT, JL, JC, SL and I all managed to find our way there that night - albeit a little late. By a little I really mean half an hour. I'm sure AY admired the evening view while he waited in the breeze.

Or perhaps he should have ducked inside before us and smacked his face in his Lemon Delicious. I know I often say "What's in a name?", but seriously, if this had been called anything more complicated I probably would have pondered over whether it was delicious or not - but Lemon Delicious? Lemon. Delicious. Simple. Straight-forward. When the dish lives up to its name, you know you just have to get another spoonful. Just the way life should be sometimes.

Pineapple tart tartin, pineapple compote, coconut ice-cream - $15.50

So was the whole getting lost, arriving late and dishevelled, being flamed by the always-5-minutes-early AY really worth the effort? Well short answer is yes; long answer is when you are warmly greeted and seated after arriving at close to 9:45pm on a quiet evening in a beautiful location, the experience is simply a rare thing in itself. To be honoured the visit with such delectable morsels of food such as a Pineapple Tart Tartin was just the right icing on top.

It almost felt like the only thing missing was a glass of Pina Colada and some dancing.

Vanilla & strawberry cheesecake, strawberry salad, strawberry sorbet - $15.50

And then there was the factor that there really was something in it for everyone. For the fruity dessert lovers (or those chocolate goddesses in search of a change in scenery, aka, SK), the Strawberry Cheesecake will do no wrong. With a scoop of refreshing strawberry sorbet on the side mixed with a tangy sweet strawberry salad, I prithee, this is something you'll not want to walk away from.
Anna's chocolate and banana gateau, chocolate fudge sauce - $15.50

And then if you really cannot peel yourself away from your chocolate addiction, well, I wish you all the best! At least here at Bather's Pavilion you'll get a slice of the lightest chocolate cake bending over for you, waiting for the perfect scoop to take it to your mouth.

Never knew food could be so trippy, eh?

The Bathers' Pavilion Cafe
4 The Esplanade
Balmoral Beach, NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 9969 5050
Website: http://www.batherspavilion.com.au/

Singapore Day One: Goodwood Park Hotel

2010-03-10T09:00:00.000+11:00

Durian. What are you thinking about with that word in mind?

A lot of people probably don't know what it is. For those of you who do (and if you're reading this then you probably do) there is quite a clear divide between those who love it and those who hate it. I know that WX is a lover of durian whereas I'm a bit less obsessed with it. However, I would still jump at the chance of trying any sort of durian dessert. Before I left, I had been directed to Goodwood Park Hotel by a good friend of mine, SL, who claims that this place offers the best durian puffs in Singapore. I've never tried them before and was extremely excited at the prospect of trying it even after my huge meal at Maxwell.

We were a bit confused initially about where exactly durian puffs would be sold at a hotel like this one which, from the main entrance, was modern and upper class - nicely air conditioned with a couple of high-range restaurants. After asking reception however, we were told that a little cake shop near the hotel's tailor would be the source of our stomach's happiness for that afternoon!

Now, I don't want to be mean...but when we asked about the puffs we were told that they had none - durians weren't in season yet and the hotel waited until they were perfect before selling the puffs in March! So unfortunately for us (and possible for your hungry eyes), we didn't try any durian dessert that afternoon.

Instead, we satisfied ourselves with two cakes - a Royal Chocolate Crunchy Hazelnut Cake and a Blueberry Cheesecake from the cake shop.

Although I missed out on the puffs, I daresay that on a completely different level of satisfaction, this chocolate selection really hit the spot for me! The crunch hazelnut texture was beautiful and the chocolate base just melted in my mouth.

The cheesecake for me, was nothing particularly special. Delicious nonetheless but if we had ordered this cake alone, it wouldn't have been able to fill the void that was the durian puff! Even though we did miss out, it was also a nice excuse just to sit and relax inside a completely different environment from the hawker centre. This happened to be the only occasion I allowed myself to not dine at authentic stores on the streets so I really did make the most of the cool airconditioning that afternoon!

Goodwood Park Hotel

22 Scots Road

Singapore Day One: Maxwell Hawker Centre

2010-03-09T09:01:00.000+11:00

Hello! WX, JL and I have all returned from our respective holiday destinations in Asia with copious amounts of photos - mostly of our edible conquests. Bare with us as we're all returning to the reality of work and tertiary education so it may take us a while to get you guys (or your stomachs) up to date on our travels. I'll kickstart with my first stay in the hot and humid Singapore...

Before I left, I'd been watching a few episodes of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and this particular hawker store in Maxwell Hawker Centre was meant to have the best Hainanese Chicken Rice. Sure enough, when we arrived, we saw that Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice was the shop with the longest queue in the centre leading all the way around the corner! I've been told that this is just a general rule of thumb at hawker centres - to take your stomach where the queue is the longest! It took us a while, but we finally managed to get to the front of the queue and make our order of a plate of the classic Hainanese Chicken Rice (and spot Mr Bourdain's mark)!

His short message was indeed quite an accurate description of what lay before my eyes. The rice was beautifully flavoured - so much so that I felt like I could really eat a couple of bowls by itself! The question is...why mistreat yourself and take away the other aspect of the dish? Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Hainanese Chicken but this was fresh, tender and nestled neatly on top of the rice - how could I resist? Eating a mouthful of rice and a bite of chicken - savouring every single bit of it was fair compensation for the extreme humidity that left me sweating at our table.

Drawn to Maxwell Hawker Centre in search of Bourdain's recommendation, I really didn't look into other places around the area but I did want to try something that SK had suggested I try: carrot cake. With no particular shop in mind, I stopped at the nearest one which specialised in carrot cake called Auntie.

Carrot cake comes in two varieties - black and white - and is made up largely of Chinese radish which is literally translated as 'carrot'. This dish probably isn't for the health conscious and not a meal to be eaten regularly either. Watching 'Auntie' cook right in front of me with a huge porcelain bowl of oil which she proceeded to drench her mixture inmade me reconsider my previous plan of placing a double order to share with my friends.

Personally, the black carrot cake was my favourite of the two. It was full of flavour (perhaps a little bit too much) having been stir fried not only in oil, but also quite a generous dash of dark soy sauce.

The white carrot cake on the other hand, was a bit too bland and oozing with oil. I could taste the prominent flavour of the vegetable oil.

Balancing out the two two extremes, I found myself eating the white carrot cake and using the black carrot cake as a chaser with a bit of Hainanese Chicken Rice!

With meals ranging from $1 to $4 there was no excuse for us not to get drinks and what better choice but Soybean Milk and Coconut Juice! Icy cold and just as cheap as everything else - the perfect way to quench your first in the Singaporean heat!

On a totally irrelevant note, walking away from Maxwell Hawker Centre, I noticed a street called Sago Street! I was extremely disappointed to find that there was absolutely no trace of the delicious sago to be found on the street and was told that the reason for the naming stemmed from the historical existence of sago factories! Shame!

Maxwell Hawker Centre
Cnr South Bridge Road and Maxwell Road

Review: Wagaya, Haymarket

2010-03-06T19:01:00.006+11:00

'Tis been a long hiatus.

Sorry all, I've only just re-settled into the whole Uni+work thing so the blog has been neglected for a couple of weeks. Either way, as AY is still stuck trying to get his life in order, I'm going to resume the usual blog routine - first stop, WAGAYA!

"Oooooh, touch screen!"

A trip to Wagaya almost always involves the token "ooh"s and "ahh"s at the touch screen menu selection. This trip was by no means an exception.

Soft Shell Crab Salad - $10.40

WW was eager and jumped right into ordering before we had settled into our booth. First course - Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab Salad. While being a tad on the difficult side in terms of sharing (let's not even talk about the price), we happily divided the crab with our chopsticks and nommed away at the salad. The crab was fried in a light batter, and the crunch was evident as we sank our first bite into it with all the fresh vegetables.

Scallop Sashimi - $7.30

As Tetsuya would put it, always start with the cold and raw before moving onto the cooked. So next up was a selection of sashimi. Scallops for TZ and I, while a deluxe assorted sashimi was selected for everyone to feast on.

Assorted Sashimi (Large) - $42.50

I found the scallops on the night to not be as fresh as I would've liked them to be. There was no doubt a slight fishy smell and lack of sweetness to them that made me a little reluctant to go for seconds. Other selections, on the other hand, had little to be complained about, and the only piece that was left behind in the end was a sad little piece of raw prawn that nobody dared to try.

Eel Tempura - $10.40

Not long before the sashimi arrived, my absolute LOVE (and possibly the dish that brings me back to Wagaya time and time again), arrived at the table. Eel Tempura. You seriously don't need a very vivid and wild imagination when it comes to imagining the taste sensation when you bite into a piece of this stuff. It's light and crunchy on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth on in the inside. All the while you have the creamy tang of Japanese mayo in the backdrop as you happily nom away.

Uni Chawanmushi - $9.90

TZ requested a serve of Chawanmushi (Egg flan), and I jumped onto this opportunity to request that it be a sea urchin roe (uni) chawanmushi so that I may have a try of the pieces of sea urchin on top.

Being my first time, I was a little hesitant at first and closed my eyes and hoped for the best as I took my first bite. Luckily it wasn't as fishy as I thought it would be - someone once told me that it resembled lobster brain. TZ claimed that the chawanmushi tasted "like the sea - I feel as if I've just been dunked by a wave." The egg was lightly salty and a little fishy from the sea urchin, but beautifully delicated and creamy.

Rainbow Roll - $10.30

We also had a serve of the Rainbow Roll. The dish very much lived up to its name and was briliantly coloured by slices of avocado, salmon and kingfish. It was difficult to decide which piece to take, but regardless, the sushi was fresh and full of flavour.

Dragon Rolls - $10.50

I must say, Wagaya does a pretty good job on its Dragon Rolls as well. The cream cheese in the centre was an absolute heaven to delve into - soft and creamy and very light in flavour. It provided the perfect contrast to the sweet and saltiness of the eel. Decadence at its best.

Agedashi Soft Shell Crab - $7.90

Not having been satisfied with just a small piece of soft shell crab, we delved into a second serve- this time in the form of Agedashi Soft Shell Crab. Personally I preferred this one over the salad as the agedashi had a good bonito flavour to extend the flavours of the crab. The pillows of tofu which the crab rested on were meltingly soft and totally more-ish.

Wafu Pizza - $8.30

Lastly, just as I had been introduced to the Wafu pizza on my first visit to Wagaya, I passed my knowledge onto the group of friends I was with. The Wafu pizza is a cheesy delight for anyone who likes their chicken and seafood. Sadly, more often than not, there's just not enough to go around and what you end up with is a chopstick fight if you're as immature as I am.

So there you have it folks! Team Nom is back in action after a wonderful holiday!
(P.S. I still don't have my photos from Vietnam, but I'll try getting them soon)

Wagaya
Level 1, 78-86 Harbour Street
Haymarket NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9212 6068

Grow Your Own!

2010-02-21T00:01:00.000+11:00

Hello all!

I am finally back in action after a glorious trip around Vietnam and Hong Kong - photos will follow as soon as I get my hands on them. (Long story short, my camera died on me early on in the trip so we had to take all food photos on a friend's camera).

While we wait for those posts, I would like to turn everyone's attention to my backyard. What once used to be a lovely flowering garden was re-designed during our renovation into an all-you-can-eat buffet of fruits and vegetables.

Longan

A lot of these plants require patience and TLC all year around. We've refused to use any pesticides on our plants to keep them organic, but it wasn't long before we realised just how much work goes into making sure the babies don't get eaten by insects and animals - after all, birds and insects love fruits too.

The longan tree pictured above has taken the longest to grow. It was given to us at a very heavy discount from the nursery due to its poor form (no joke, it actually looked like a dead plant when we first saw it). Mum claimed that she would be able to nurse it back to good health after some time - turns out she was right. It's taken a few years nevertheless, but it felt so good once we saw the fruits starting to grow on the top of the little tree.

Star fruits

Fruit trees often make a great present too. This star fruit tree was a gift to me from my parents years ago and has since bore several ginormous and delicious babies.

Wintermelons

This plant started sprouting out of nowhere one day and I had no choice but to ask my mother what on earth it was. The conversation went something like this:

"Mum, what melons are we sprouting here?"
"What melon do you want it to be?"
"Wintermelon"
"Okay well it will sprout wintermelons"
"..."

I took these photos about 2 months ago. Turns out my mother was right, yet again. We've now got giant wintermelons for soup, stir-fried wintermelon and wintermelon tea for dinner. Darn that woman.

Mangoes

For some reason everyone in this neighbourhood seems to be popping mangoes out of nowhere. My neighbour has mangoes, my neighbours' neighbour has mangoes, and I have mangoes dropping on my head everytime I walk to the station (no not really, but there's a couple of giant mango trees on the way). Either way I'm not complaining, because come summer time, we grow enough giant mangoes in our very own backyard to make us all happy...unless I decide to make mango desserts, which, is another story altogether.

Fuyu Fruits (Persimmons)

I luuuuuurve fuyu fruits. Although I generally prefer squishy version of persimmons (astringent), throughout high school fuyu fruit became my apple substitute when it came to my almost non-existent lunch box. Let me take this opportunity to explain that I dislike eating apples, especially big ones. Braces may have had something to do with it, I'm not entirely sure. I love apple juice, apple pies and even apple baby food, but I just hate sinking my teeth into the darn fruit.

But I digress. This was the first batch of fuyu fruits from our plant, and unfortunately they ripened while I was still in Vietnam so I missed out on the tasting. I believe there are still a few left on the tree though. Seconds anyone?

Orange

The orange tree is a sad little figure in my garden due to its poor positioning. Note to all, when plant fruit trees, the least you can do is to find them a spot that is suitable for plantation, and not just stuff them anywhere you see fit. My orange tree simply doesn't get enough sunlight to grow sufficiently and I doubt even has enough space to grow. Either way we still give it plenty of TLC in hope that one day it will fruit beautifully.

Herb Garden

Always out of herbs when you need them the most? Do you have a typically Asian fridge where herbs are practically non-existent? Why don't you grow you own and have all the freshest and organic herbs right in your garden ready for picking anytime, 24/7.

This was part of my 21st birthday present from JL. He probably got sick of me complaining about how I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO have fresh parsley for my pasta.

Luffa

And lastly (for now), the Luffa, which is possibly one of the slightly more unique species popping out in our garden. In the Western world, the luffa is more commonly seen in its dried form, or to be more specifically, as a loofah (you know, the stuff you exfoliate your skin with?). However, when chopped up and cooked with soup or stir-fried, they are mildly sweet and juicy and super healthy. They're considered to have a "cooling" effect in the Chinese medicinal world and perfect for hot summers. Oh and another plus is that they're very easy to grow in our climate, and in a short span of a few weeks, we've had about 20 gourds growing out, which meant that there was plenty to go around.

So if you have a bit of space in your backyard, why not grow your own food? Trade seeds and saplings with friends, or in our case, we give away luffas and wintermelons since they're not as abundant in the markets. They don't have to be a lot of work and you can easily start off with a few easy-to-grow vegetables and fruits if you feel like you lack a green thumb, and trial and error doesn't hurt either. It's a learning curve after all.

P.S. Please let me know if you grown taro that has a large, flat, water-unretaining leaf. Either that or you know that the stem from your taro is edible. Oh and that you're happy to share seedlings with. Thanks!

Review: Mamak, Sydney

2010-02-09T09:00:00.000+11:00

I've been to Mamak several times already but every time I turn up with a different group of people. On this particular occasion, it was with a close group of collegues from my previous work place and we had agreed to meet there at 6:30pm. The wait was brief which was greatly appreciated by my growling stomach.

We were quick to decide on our choices, picking at least on dish from each section. We started off with drinks for myself and SL who asked for Teh Ais without the Ais because she didn't like it diluting her drink. My personal preference though, is actually for the ice to melt before I drink it because I find the milk tea a tad too sweet.

Teh Ais $3.50

Not long after the drinks came, the food came too - much to our stomachs' delight! Service has always been swift at Mamak and this time was clearly no exception. First up was the Sambal Udang which is a midly spicy tiger prawn dish. The prawns were cooked just right - we loved it! So much so in fact, that even after we had finished devouring the prawns, SD wasn't about to let the sauce go to waste - letting it soak into her mound of rice.

Sambal Udang $18

Our two orders of Roti Bawang and Murtbak Chicken arrived soon after. On previous occasions, I've always ordered the plain and classic rotis, having fallen in love with the fluffy crisy texture without the interruption of any fillings. This time however, I found that I've been missing out - that the addition of red onion is just...amazing. The sweetness of the onion doesn't detract from the roti at all, but adds to the beautiful flavour with a dash of you choice of curry dips or the sambal sauce. Sambal was once again, my favourite!

Roti Bawang $6

When it came down to the Murtabak, I was a bit confused. To me, it looked pretty much the same s any other roti but I'm told that traditionally, it is made with minced mutton. Our particular dish, which came with a choice of lamb or chicken, was filled with an array of ingredients mildly spicy chicken, cabbage, onion and egg. I'm big on all things egg - so what better way to enjoy it but with a combination of roti and an egg omelette inside?

Murtabak Chicken $10.50

I was a bit disappointed by our Nasi Lemak with a side of Fish Curry. Amongst the four of us, only three of us got a small tasting and I totally missed out! That small hitch aside, I am still a dedicated fan of this dish! I love the array of flavours that you can just add to the rice yourself - not too much effort but it's like customising your own dish! Next time I'll make sure that I take a piece of the side curry before I try anything else!

Nasi Lemak with Fish Curry $10.50

Finally, we were graced with the presence of our tender lamb curry. It gave our meal the full variety of meats and the way it was slow-cooked, left the lamb so tender and flavoursome. I normally avoid lemongrass at all cost, so the curry itself didn't hit the right spot for me, but the fact that we ordered more rice lies testament to its taste.

Kari Kambing $15

The Ais Kachang was in short, delicious! Every other time I've visited here, I've been awed by the Roti Tisu which is served high in a crispy cone form. This time, dining with a separate group of friends, our dessert range was different. I feel like I've missed out! The Ice Kachang was incredibly tasty. My only criticism, shared by SD, was with the red beans and the syrup down the bottom. I personally felt it could have done with less of the red beans and a tone down with the sweetness of the rose-syrup. That said, that minor addition didn't stop me from wanting more!

Ais Kachang $5

Our other order of dessert, the Roti Pisang was equally scrumptious. A thin rectangular piece of roti containing freshly sliced banana and served with ice-cream - I think that even as EA kept complaining about how full she was and how difficult it was for her to stomach the final mouthful, I could tell she was in dessert heaven.

Roti Pisang $7.50

Sitting not far from us was a large group booking who we later found out were celebrating a birthday here at Mamak. By this stage, we were already up to our dessert and as they sang their 'Happy Birthday' song, it got me thinking, what would it be like to have a birthday cake made entirely from roti? It would be delicious I bet!

Now that I'm actually in Singapore, I'm finaly going to have a point of comparison of how good Mamak actually is. Personally, I think it really is one of the best places on this side of the Indian Ocean. Rest assured more post will be made about this place!

Review: Kashiwa Yakiniku, Crows Nest

2010-02-07T09:00:00.000+11:00

Falcon Street. It's a place filled with memories of my high school years and the place to be for us to eat and chat with friends. Ryo-tei and Bravos Trattoria were our biggest haunts back in the day and I'm glad they're still doing very well. More recently, I noticed a bright orange new development when I drove past and when I read Yas' post on it, I was even more tempted to try it out. Having dined in the city so frequently, it was also just a nice change to be on this side of the bridge closer to home.

The restaurant isn't particularly well furnished but it was bustling with energy and really gave off an authentic Japanese vibe. Of course, the fact that almost all the customers were Japanese probably contributed to this. The seating was a bit cramped with the three of us squashed on one half of the table huddled around out own grill and having the occasional waft of smoke coming from our neighbours cooking. This was however, easily remedied by the adjustable fan which was positioned directly above the grill and really made a difference - we didn't come out smelling like BBQ!

We were all starving by the time we sat down and with SK not wanting to have anything to do with Ox Tongue and the like, we stuck with the traditional but delicious selections of Special Wagyu Beef Rib, Wagyu Beef Skirt, Pork Rib and Chicken Thigh Fillet to be slowly seared. On top of that we also ordered the Koebi Karaage and later, because I was still hungry - the Torikara.

Special Wagyu Beef Rib $9.80

Wagyu Beef Skirt $11.80

Delicious, tender and juicy. Although I can't say I really knew how to differentiate the two types, they were both marinated heaven in my mouth and I didn't really feel the need for any additional sauce. I think SK might've agreed with me on that one. These two were by far my favourites for the night - not just because they tasted good, but on a totally different point...it cooked fast! My stomach is quite hard to satisfy...it always requires a fast production line at yakiniku and I think this wagyu satisfied both taste and speed aspects.

Pork Rib $8.80

The pork rib wasn't quite as appetising as the beef and slightly too oily for my liking. It seemed a bit like bacon with lots of fatty rind! However, dipped in the sauce and having it served all sizzling hot was admittedly quite yummy. I may have been a bit too health conscious on that one!

Chicken Thigh Fillet $8.80

I loved the chicken thigh - when it was cooked well. It took a bit of trial and error to cook it for long enough without being worried that it would give us food poisioning but when we did manage that the fillet was nicely marinated and tender. If I hadn't already eaten so much of everything else, I would have loved to have ordered at least one more serving of this.

Koebi Karaage $5.80

When this dish arrived, DD was pretty confused. For most people, I think when you say Karaage, they will naturally assume that you mean chicken. Koebi Karaage however, was actually small shrimps deep fried. SK was a bit put off by the beady little eyes of the shrimps staring back at her and it took a bit of convincing and putting my hands over her eyes before she conquered that fear. I love anything that goes crunch in my mouth (almost anyway) so this was a nice little snack plate for me.

Torikara $7.80

DD's prays were answered when we decided to get one more dish and got the chicken variety of karaage. I can't say it was the very best I've tried - and believe me, I've tried a lot - but it was a nice way of finishing off a meal. It was just a small entree size but hit the spot for the end of what I would consider quite a filling and delicious yakiniku meal!

Kashiwa Yakiniku
7A Falcon Street
Crows Nest, NSW 2065
PH: (02) 9906 7393

Dear Readers: Farewell...for now!

2010-02-05T14:17:00.000+11:00

The time has come for me to also take leave from this blog but rest assured readers, there will be a couple of scheduled posts of my escapades in Sydney to keep you occupied for the duration. Before long, you'll also see what I hope will be a flood of posts by WX about her food loving adventures in Vietnam.

Upon my return in two weeks, Singapore eateries will also be on the cards. So hopefully, for WX, JL and I, this travelling experience will only serve to widen our scope and help us love food even more!

For now, I must bid everyone farewell and return to organising my empty suitcase! Take care and see you all soon!

- AY

Review: Sakura-Tei, Sydney

2010-01-26T09:00:00.002+11:00

The age old question for us - "So where should we eat tonight?"

It can be answered in a split second or could take the whole day to decide. Sometimes we can't even decide at all and just walk into the first restaurant that we can find. Fortunately, on this particular night, WX told me to check out Kabuki Shoroku on my iPhone. Our criteria for the night was something relatively cheap as most of our dinner companions were to be travelling very soon and needed to save up as much as possible. When we arrived and looked at the menu however, we decided that we could add this to our list but probably dine elsewhere for the night.

Right across from here, we spotted Sakura-Tei which at a brief glance looked like a small, hidden restaurant that no one knew about inside the arcade. When we walked in and surveryed the place, however, we realised most of the diners were Japanese people and the atmosphere was of a traditional izakaya (居酒屋) which is a Japanese bar where businessman usually go for cheap after-work drinks and snacks. When I was in Japan on exchanged, I saw first-hand how popular this places were and how delicious yet cheap the food was.

From the menu, we observed that kushiage and yakitori were the specialties of this little bar and boy, was I excited! Since coming back from Japan, everytime I've eaten Japanese cuisine, it's been the usualy sushi and sashimi. I never realised that kushiage even existed in Sydney! Kushiage is basically a variety of skewers which come deep fried while yakitori as you can see in the photo below, are grilled chicken (mainly) skewers which are especially delicious in the streets and arcades of Tokyo!

Since WX was craving sashimi, we ordered a small Sashimi Assortment to share which consisted of salmon, tuna and kingfish served fresh on a bowl of ice. Great way to start our battle plan against slightly hotter, oilier and more fried food assortments!

Sashimi Moriawase $16.00 (Sml)

This was followed by a dish of Cuttlefish Natto (納豆) which are fermented soybeans with a side of cuttlefish which is a healthy and frequently eaten dish among the Japanese. For those of you who haven't tried it before however, be warned, those of us who like it will like it a lot but it will also leave you with an extremely bad impression if it doesn't rest well in your mouth. The texture is sticky and slimy with an almost web-like substance around the beans and many people won't be used to the powerful smell and flavour. I really liked eating it when I was on exchange and had no problems mixing it with a bit of soy sauce and wasabi on rice but most of my dining companions were quite put off - you have been warned!

Cuttlefish Natto $12

At this point, it was every man for himself (or woman for herself in the case of WX and FYL). We went absolutely crazy with the Yakitori and the Kushiage. I make no guarantees that we took photos of everything, or that you'll be able to differentiate between the variety of Kushiage! From the Yakitori list we ordered Chicken Thigh & Shallots, Ox Tongue and Chicken Cartilage. Unfortunately, they didn't have any Chicken Skin left which was a shame! This was all served with pinches of salt and a squiz of lemon juice.

Ox Tongue $2.40

Chicken Cartilage $2.20

Chicken Thigh & Shallots $2.50

From the Kushiage list, we ordered King Prawn Wrapped in Shiso, Quail Eggs and Scallops & Shiitake Mushroom. My personal favourites from our orders would have to be the Ox Tongue and the Scallops & Shiitake Mushrooms - so succulent and flavoured. Having said that, I loved all of them - I don't think I missed them this much until I saw the platters of them appear in front of me! Needless to say, we made another order after that and continued to consume skewer after skewer.

Assortment of Kushiage

There's even a special little place to keep those used skewers that the waitress told me was called a kushi-ire which was shaped as a fish.

And finally, our selection of alcohol. They had a selection of beers from which we picked two popular Japanese ones - Sapporo and Kirin. Just to be different I ordered something of a lower alcohol content Chu-Hai which is like a lightly flavoured mixed drink. I chose the Green Apple flavour - it's almost like soft drink!

It was definitely a authentic experience and one which I truly missed (or my tastebuds did anyway) about Japan and their small hidden bars. Word of warning however, if you're hungry you should really keep track of how many skewers you order. We made the mistake of ordering without that in mind and racked up about $60 per head. In Japan, we paid about $30 AUD for kushiage tabehoudai which is basically a buffet of kushiage that you can choose yourself and cook for yourself - well worth the money. Having said that, finding this little gem in Sydney was a surprise I was quite happy about!

Sakura-Tei

Ground Floor, St Martins Tower

202 Clarence St Sydney 2000

PH: (02) 9267 4552

Review: Shanghai Nights, Ashfield

2010-01-22T12:41:00.001+11:00

Since before Christmas, SK had been organising for a group of us to head over to Parramatta to try the famous Temasek, but unfortunately, when I tried to make the booking the night before, we found out that it wouldn't be opening until the 14th of January! So with less than a day left to decide where we could eat, JC suggested we head out to Ashfield for Shanghai Nights, which is 'cheap and delicious' - that's reason enough to make the 45 minute drive for me!

We got there fairly early, at around 6:30pm and stood outside to wait for the rest of our group but the lady inside, who I assume was one of the owners, asked us how many people we were waiting on and kindly offered to set-up a table for us while we waited. Brownie points for that warm service and I wasn't even in the door yet!

Our ordering process was short and simple. We knew what we wanted and we wanted it fast - most of us were starving!

Deep Fried Shallot Pancake with Sesame $4.50

I'm a big fan of deep fried foods, though in the recent years, being a bit more health conscious, I've tried to reduce my intake of such delicious dishes. This night was an exception and I was definitely not missing out. I know you're all going to be bored of me saying this by the end of the post, but it wasn't oily which made me feel a bit better about giving into my fried food urges. It was made fresh and came out extremely hot (watch out!) but crispy and light - perfect little appetiser to get us started for the food battle that would later unfold on the very same tables!

Fried New Year Cake with XO Sauce $10.80

Although it wasn't quite Chinese New Year, we thought that we'd pretend that it was close enough since it was actually a New Year and a new beginning...with traditional Shanghainese Fried New Year Cake with XO Sauce. I'm a big fan of this sauce - you can really just add a touch of it to most dishes and it adds a nice bit of subtle spicy flavour to the chewy texture of the rice cake.

Pork & Vegies Wonton Soup $4.50

Truthfully, I didn't find this particularly attractive at first. I've never been a huge fan of wontons, and to be honest it doesn't get presented that nicely. But when you take your first nibble of it (yes, I have a large mouth) you can feel the soft, smooth pastry wrapped around a generous amount of pork filling - divine! Past experience with wontons is that the filling is either close to non-existant, or the pastry is to bundled up and dried out. This tasting featured neither of those so I was quite happy with it settling in my stomach for the night!

Shanghai Shao-Mai (Sticky Rice & Pork Steamed Dumpling) $6.50

This was the first time I've seen this version of Shao-Mai let alone tasted it. I can't say it resembles your typical shao-mai from yum cha very much, but it was definitely delicious. The sticky rice was slightly moist and overall, not too oily and as with everything I tried that night, extremely filling. I did manage to fit another one down to satisfy my tastebuds though!

Pan Fried Pork Buns $8.50

This was probably the most filling out of everything we ordered that night and although I'm not particularly fond of the thickness of the bread outer layer of this dish, I have to say my food loving brain took the better of me. Taking one bite out of these little buns is like taking on the flavour army! Inside my mouth I could feel the little imaginary characters dancing on my tastebuds as it filled my mouth with the flavours of the pork. Hopefully that wasn't too graphic as to put anyone off - you'll be missing out!

Pan Fried Dumplings $8.50

Now, moving on to my favourite Pan Fried Dumplings! Since it's a dumpling, the pastry wasn't too thick and dry and being pan-fried it played well in my mouth of the crispy texture. Add a little big of vinegar to it and this made my experience here all the more worthwhile! If I'm not going back to this place for anything else, I'll be going back for this. Simple, cheap and delicious!

Sesame Fried Sticky Rice Cakes $4.50

We finished off our meal with a bit of a spontaneous guest to the table! While we were looking through the menu, our multilingual abilities as a group must have confused the waitress - we actually never ordered the Sesame Fried Sticky Rice Cakes but were curious as to what it was. I guess she just assumed we would want it? In the end, we shared it but was a bit disappointed that it wasn't that different to what we could get from yum cha - it was a big bigger and stickier inside. I think I prefer the typical yum cha styled version!

We were lucky to have gotten in early because by the time we had finished, there was a huge crowd outside. The owner of the store came over and apologised and asked politely if we could start finishing up. We were perfectly happy to do so. What I love about this place isn't just the food and how kind it was on both our tastebuds and our wallets for the night but the fact that they had the warmest customer service, especially in light of the bustle of their store. I think that there are lots of restaurants out there who could learn a thing or two from the owners of Shanghai Nights - all customers understand the fact that a restaurant is busy and would be happy to stick to time limits and seat restrictions - if you're nice and polite about it, then the night concludes happily with satisfied customers. A huge thumbs up from me for satisfying all these criteria! =) Definitely worth a repeat visit!

Shanghai Nights

275 Liverpool Rd

Ashfield NSW 2131
PH: (02) 9798 8437

Dear Readers: Broadening Horizons

2010-01-19T23:28:00.003+11:00

This is a note to all my faithful readers and fellow bloggers out there to say that I will be jetting off tomorrow on a visit to Vietnam and Hong Kong during which I will not be able to access the blog to make any updates. That is not to say that there will be no one here to keep you company - AY will be here for a little longer before he meets up with JL and I in HK in a few weeks.

Hopefully the experience in Vietnam will broaden my perspective and understanding of food in general - there is much to be gained from learning about the culinary cultures from all around the world. Perhaps it would give me newfound appreciation of food; perhaps it will challenge what I already know. All I can say now is that I'm so wonderfully excited and nervous at the same time browsing through all the potential street food that I'm going to encounter (you couldn't begin to guess just how much time I've spent trawling through EatingAsia) and the variety of cooking courses on offer while I'm over there.

I will be taking PLENTY of photos during the visit - don't you all worry about that. Except I'll only be bringing my compact point-and-shoot in order to travel lightly. So wish me luck and I'll see you all on the other side of what will undoubtedly be an enlightening experience!

Ciao bella!
Love, WX
xoxo

Review: Dante Ristorante, Leichhardt

2010-01-16T11:45:00.004+11:00

There are a few things in life I often get cravings for: KFC Mashies, Coffee, and most importantly, Italian food.

When such cravings arise, contrary to popular belief, they often do the world a whole lot of good - especially for those who are as indecisive as I am when it comes to picking a place to eat. So when JL called up the other night asking what I wanted for dinner, the choice was simple.

"Dude, dude, I'm CRAAAVING for Italian. I feel like smacking my face in a bowl of spag bol."

Next thing I knew he had made a booking at Dante's (Italian Forum) and I was jumping into the car ready to nom.

Bruschetta - $12.90

First up was a lightly flavoured Bruschetta to start the night off. Call me slow on the uptake, but I only recently discovered that the word is not pronounced as "Brushetta" but "Brusketta". Seriously? Seriously. I know eh? Eyeopening isn't it? And here I am calling myself a foodie. Gosh, guess you really do learn something new everyday.

Chef's Homemade Gnocchi with Veal Ragout - $18.90

As I delved into the Pasta menu, my eyes lit up as my world of favourites begin to collide. Gnocchi? Veal Ragout? All on the one plate? I think I nearly fainted. The dish was absolutely delightful and full of robust flavour. The veal was delectably tender and the soft pillows of gnocchi were simply superb. My only beef was that there wasn't more of it.

Linguini Scampi - $25.90

With a little pressure, JL chose Linguine with Scampi as his main for the evening (the alternative being spaghetti bolognaise - which little did he know he was going to have the following night at Borruso's).

While not being entirely a fan of scampi sashimi, these ones were cooked to perfection and absolutely to die for. Serve was a tad on the scrimpy side, but what was there was delicious. The scampi oil which coated the linguine was also highly aromatic and full of flavour.

Dante Ristorante
Piazza, Shop 39
23 Norton Street
Leichhardt, NSW 2040
Tel: (02) 9550 0062

Awards: Our Lovely Blog & Over The Top

2010-01-08T09:00:00.003+11:00

Awards awards awards! A heartfelt thanks to all of our dedicated and supportive readers and especially to Jacq & Betty for presenting us with these two respective awards!

I'm feeling extremely guilty because I've left this so late - apologies to Jacq from Penguin Says Feed Me! Be sure to check out her blog! Thanks so much for awarding us with the Our Lovely Blog Award which dates back to November.

According to the rules of this award, I must accept the award, post it on my blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and their blog link. Pass the award to 8 other blogs that you’ve recently discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

And the award goes to...

This award was given to us, from our new-found foodie friend, Betty, at Betty's Bites earlier this week! Thanks so much to Betty for choosing us to receive the Over The Top Blog

As part of the award, I had to answer 35 questions with single-worded answers and pass the award to 6 other bloggers!

Where is your cell phone? Desk
Your hair? Black
Your mother? Multi-tasker
Your father? Knowledgeable
Your favorite food? Sushi
Your dream last night? Life
Your favorite drink? Water
Your dream/goal? Traveller
What room are you in? Landor
Your hobby? Photography
Your fear? Loneliness
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Everywhere
Where were you last night? Hoyts
Something that you aren’t? Disorganised
Muffins? Dry
Wish list item? Lens
Where did you grow up? sydney
Last thing you did? Comment
What are you wearing? Jeans
Your TV? LCD
Your pets? Zilch
Friends? Awesome
Your life? Hectic
Your mood? Questioning
Missing someone? Friends
Vehicle? Yaris
Something you’re not wearing? Jewellery
Your favorite store? Incu
Your favorite color? Blue
When was the last time you laughed? AW
Last time you cried? Forgot
Your best friend? WF
One place that I go to over and over? Home
One person who emails me regularly? AW
Favorite place to eat? New

And the award goes to...

ladyironchef ~ Macro photography to be envied
chocolatesuze ~ Veteran food blogger
grabyourfork ~ Veteran and inspiration for food blogging
hungry.digital.elf ~ My Japanese cuisine go-to guy
delicious:days ~ Beautiful site design, beautiful photography
penguin says feed me ~ The little penguin ambassador making me hungry!
here comes the food ~ Unlikely acquaintance with yummy photography and reviews!

I'm sure many of those I've selected have already received a similar if not the same award - sorry about that, but it just means I really like your blog! =)

Food: Another Perspective

2010-01-06T09:00:00.001+11:00

There are plenty of restaurants out there which provide us with visually appetising presentations of their dishes - but what if hypothetically they presented it like this?

For those Mario fans!

What about the Linux enthusiasts?

There are plenty more images where this came from so check out Oddee! Thanks to Urban Detective for satisfying the foodie in me and showing me this website! =) Enjoy!

Review: The Malaya, King Street Wharf

2010-01-05T21:43:00.001+11:00

One can never have enough excuses to go out to eat. If you're anything like me, then the "my birthday" excuse can never be used too many times.

For me, after waking from the Etch-induced food coma, I headed towards The Malaya at King Street Wharf to feast myself in an evening of luscious Malaysian cuisine.

The scene was perfect, albeit a little cloudy - but the gentle lapping of the waves outside were more than enough to produce a wonderful calm and beautiful evening out of the grey.

Service here was highly attentive and professional. I must confess that I did feel a little rushed by the waiter, but to be fair we knew we only had a 1.5hr booking (December babies have to always duke it out with Xmas parties at restaurants), and at the pace we were going, we wouldn't have even managed to start ordering before the time was up.

San Choy Bao - $18 (per serve of 4)

Not long after we ordered, our entree arrived steaming hot and bursting with flavour. Despite being a "Westernised" dish, I could seriously not care less when we ordered this because I just absolutely adore devouring a well plated San Choy Bao. The lettuce was crisp and fresh, cut neatly to form a near-perfect circle to wrap the spicy wok-fried mince filling.

Once the table was cleared for the mains, our mini banquet proceeded to take shape fairly quickly. Dish after dish were brought up to our table and we happily lined them down the long table for sharing. We were kindly informed by the staff that rice was charged per head, which meant the boys could eat to their hearts content and refill until their stomachs burst. It most certainly brought a smile to everyone's face.

Mee Goreng - $22

I'm usually no fan of the REAL meegoreng, preferring the fake, MSG-coma-inducing packet stuff. This one here was an exception, and definitely worthwhile for the meegoreng lovers out there.

Chicken Rendang (Dry Coconut Base) - $25

Beef Rendang (Tomato Base) - $25

Beef Rendang (Dry Coconut Base) - $25

So you may be wondering how on earth we ended up with three different Rendang dishes? Truth be told I have no idea, except that we each ordered one dish and this is how it turned out. The dull side of things is that we did end up with three Rendang dishes, but the bright is that I LOVE rendang, which was why I chose the Beef Rendang in Dry Coconut Base pictured above. There's an added bonus in that this also provided the perfect opportunity to conduct some surveying of taste palates and comparative studies.

My findings?

There was a consensus that the Dry Coconut Base outstriped the Tomato base by two lengths of a horse. However we were evenly split between chicken lovers and beef lovers. I'm an avid beef rendang lover, and no amounts of moist chicken could trump that. So I'm a little biased going in to make the judgement that: Beef Rendang in Dry Coconut Base wins!

Nasi Goreng - $19

Emperor Nasi Goreng - remember the Telstra ad? - Undoubtedly another usual favourite making an appearance. I love the freshly wok-fried taste that the rice somehow captures during the cooking process. It's one of those things that you have no choice but to eat out for because unless you have a commercial sized wok burner at home, there is no simple way of replicating that somewhat smokey flavour in home cooking.

King Prawn Laksa - $24

DW distributing the laksa

Laksa - a regular DW favourite - and possibly the reason why I eat Laksa at work 95% of the times when I work with DW.

As you can see in the pictures, the prawns were bursty and large, no doubt soaked in a lot of bicarb. But you know what? It tasted great, and I was too sad that there wasn't enough broth to share around all the individual bowls.

Chicken Kapitan - $25

Prawn Kapitan - $29

Much like the Rendang, we also ended up ordering 2 different Kapitan dishes. Prawn wins hands down, and the consensus was that it was the best dish on the night. The lightly battered prawns were soft and fully soaked up the sweet and spicy flavours of the coconut curry sauce. The prawns were much like the ones in the laksa - large, sweet and bursty with every bite.

This is on my list of recommended dishes - something which you MUST try if you ever visit.

Overall, The Malaya may be a bit pricey for Malaysian food - but you really do get what you pay for. Excellent and attentive service, delicious food, and a great view for an extra pizzazz. It may not be Temasek, but heck I wouldn't mind coming back here again.

The Malaya
39 Lime Street
King Street Wharf
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9279 1170

Review: Ju-Rin, Crows Nest

2010-01-04T09:00:00.000+11:00

The birthday celebrations never seem to end. You have a big party and invite all your friends but sometimes you miss that intimacy so you organise another smaller dinner with your close friends. But what of the family? This evening, we my night out with my parents, to a restaurant I had only discovered earlier this year and happens to be a single hatted Japanese restaurant in Crows Nest.

When we drove past, trying to find street parking, there was evidently a steady flow of people coming in and out of the restaurant. Eventually, we settled for a council carpark round the back and made the short walk to Ju-Rin. At the point that I was making my way to our table, I got a phone call from an unknown number, and when I picked up, I realised I was actually talking to the waiter on the phone from Ju-Rin who was making sure I was still coming even though I was only 5 minutes late. Some people may take this as a sign of rushing the customer but I thought that this was definitely a sign that they have a really good turnover of business. Even as we were sitting there for the duration of our dinner, there must have been at least four groups of people who came in asking for table availability. If you're lucky, you might get ushered to the sushi counter but otherwise, I would advise that you make a booking in advance! All the tables that you can see which are empty are actually all reserved and only minutes before, had people sitting in them!

The first thing I do when I sit down, isn't to look at the menu they've put in front of me, but I make my way to the back near the sushi counter, where they have a huge glass display with all the specials. I found it a bit inconvenient having to go to the back and stand amongst all the other diners to actually see the display. Having said that, I think the selection of specials on the board more than compensate for that inconvenience. From that board, we ended up ordering the Wagyu Karubi Salad and the Grilled Premium Duck Breast. Upon my mother's request, we also got the Special Jumbo Roll.

The Wagyu Karubi Salad was quite tender and I really liked the flavour of the wagyu matched with the light dressing of the salad. I was a bit disappointed that they weren't a bit more generous with the salad itself so I wasn't quite satisfied with the amount of greens I ate.

Wagyu Karubi Salad $15.80

Duck. Mmmmm...Just thinking about it makes me salivate. The Grilled Premium Duck Breast arrived in a dainty little box, nicely presented with a variety of salt which was extremely salty! I'll make sure I ask what that is next time. The duck was extremely tender and I could tell it really was premium. I think I could have eaten another few boxes of that!

Grilled Premium Duck Breast $15.80

The Special Jumbo Roll on the other hand was generosity in all sense of the word! Due to the sheer size of the roll, it was extremely filling and I likened it to the Korean variety. I was a bit unsure of the value though, it was the most expensive out of all the dishes we ordered and I didn't think it quite lived up to the 'special' title.

Special Jumbo Roll $25.00

From the menu itself, we also ordered a Soft Shell Crab Roll and a Tempura Moriawase (Assorted Tempura) both of which are favourites of mine when I go out for Japanese cuisine. The Soft Shell Crab Roll was beautifully cooked but once again, I would have liked a bit more of the crab in the roll - they seemed a bit stingy on that front but admittedly, the price was cheap. Amongst all the dishes we ordered, I'd have to say the Tempura Moriawase was my favourite. It was fresh and not too oily either, and I loved the way they arranged it - presentation of a dish always gets bonus points from me!

Soft Shell Crab Roll $11.80

Tempura Moriawase $18.90

Finally, since it was my birthday dinner, I decided to try some sake. I have next to no knowledge about sake, even when I was in Japan, my Japanese friends chose for me so I picked randomly. Having said that however, I would like to learn more about it, so keep watching this space and one day, we'll have a feature entry on sake! I chose a 180ml Nanbu Bijin Junmai Ginjyo Hiya-Oroshi which is a brand called Southern Beauty which uses Ginginga, a type of rice from the Iwate Prefecture. Origin aside, I was told that this was best served cold. My verdict? I think I like hot sake more but it'd take me a while to try a larger variety. For me, any sake is better than beer and wine!

Nanbu Bijin Junmai Ginjyo Hiya-Oroshi (180mL) $13

Since it was my birthday, I think I was being a lot more critical of what I was feeding myself but overall I'd have to say, I really loved the experience. Everyone who served us were friendly and helpful, and the food was really delicious. I will definitely be going back multiple times to try the rest of the specials up on their board!

Ju-Rin
316 Pacific Highway
Crows Nest NSW 2065
PH: (02) 9966 5811

21st Birthday Celebrations 2009

2010-01-02T10:21:00.002+11:00

December is the month of celebrations - celebrations for Christmas and for New Year's Eve. For WX and I though, it is also the month of our birthdays. So amidst preparations for all the other family celebrations that we were to participate in for those two weeks, we were also busily organising our party which had a 60 person guest list. Personally, I've never hosted a house party with more than 30 people, let alone cater for all the food instead of just ordering pizzas but with our resident cook, WX, in the house, I was put in charge of organising and aiding the other logistics of the event.

Guestbooks? Check! Balloons? Check! Speeches? Check! Seating area? Check!

What remained was, of course, the food the feed 60 hungry people! WX came up with a list of ingredients for a variety of cold and hot food so all that was left to do was make the purchase and cook! Unfortunately for us, the timing of our party landed smack bang after the Christmas period on the 27th. And so since this year, for some reason all the shops were closed on Boxing Day, what we hadn't purchased prior to Christmas, had to be purchased on the morning of the 27th. Luckily, I had the help of AW at 8am in the morning and since we wanted to make the most out of our purchases, AW asked the girl at the cash register to let us know everytime we reached the $30 mark so we could get ourselves a fuel voucher. I don't think I've swiped and signed so many times in the space of 10 minutes nor have I ever been contacted by bank security to verify my long string of consistent $30 purchases!

Thank you to our own personal troopers of the morning who helped us prepare and cook all the food for the day - WF, JL, AW, my dearest mother and of course my own thank you to WX who's cooking expertise we couldn't have done without! The morning was like our own little production line, especially when we were piling on the ingredients for the finger foods!

Mini BLT

Sun-dried Tomato Aioli & Prawn Canape

Chicken & Walnut Sammich

Salmon Tartare

Goats Cheese & Roasted Capsicum Melts (Before we put it in the oven!)

Pizza (all stacked, ready to be chucked in the oven!)

Since I did a work placement at a bread company in the past six months, I got a lot of free bread products including Turkish Pide and pizza bases! All we needed to do was prepare the toppings and load them into the oven when people started arriving - quite convenient! WX had a list of different pizza flavours we could make which included Cheese Lovers, Margherita, Roast Beef & Rocket and Pepperoni!

Fruit Salad Platter

Fruit Punch

Smokin' Pepperoni Pizza in the Oven

Thanks to FL & JZ for providing these donuts!

Finally, what birthday celebration is complete with a cake, or in our case, 65 cupcakes? Thank you so much to AL and VH for all the painstaking effort they put into the cakes themselves, the sheer quantity, amazing taste and creative layout.

When they first arrived...

Creative!

Although it was the first time we had catered for so many people and hosted such a large party, it was an amazing experience. By the end of it, we were incredibly tired but very happy at the turn out of people, the comments about the food and decor of the night and generally just ecstatic that our 21st had been so awesome! Thank you to all those who attended and provided a helping hand, both WX and I are extremely grateful to have friends like you!

Review: Etch, Sydney

2009-12-30T18:20:00.001+11:00

Christmas has rolled around once again, and I'm always sad once I reach the other side of the festive season. No more presents, no more decorations, and no more Christmas parties.

Above all else, there is a particular thing I look forward to during the lead up to Christmas, and it's the multitude of work parties and lunches that occur during the period. Sadly, I heard that many work parties were downsized this year as a result of the GFC, but luckily for me, I nevertheless had the chance to pick the restaurant to book for our midday feast this year.

There was one criterium and one only. That is, the place had to be located somewhere close to where SK is currently doing her vacation work so that she may be able to join us during her lunch break.

Because of the late notice, finding a place proved to be a little difficult. However, with a little luck, I rediscovered Etch - the brainchild of Becasse's Justin North. The restaurant was situated in the perfect place, and thus it did not take me long to pick up a phone and lock ourselves in.

As one walks into the restaurant, the immediate surrounding will undoubtedly strike you as a form of subdued elegance and pretty. There's a hint of playfulness in the quirkiness of design - it's almost like a place taken straight out of a page of Frankie Magazine.

The service here is attentive and professional. As we settled ourselves into the comfortable chairs, we sneakily eavesdropped another table to listen to a very well informed waiter carefully divulging the intricacies of each dish.

We first nibbled on a little ciabatta to satisfy the peckish. (Like me). The Ciabatta was soft and full of flavour. Definitely more interesting than your standard Foccacia.

6 hour braised beef cheek, baby vegetables, Madeira consomme - $34

We skipped entrees and dived straight into the mains. I have to say, however, that it was incredibly hard to resist the temptation to go for a 3 course lunch and stuff myself to the absolute brim.

The decision for the Boss was straight forward. It took her less than 2 seconds to decide on the Braised Beef Cheek - something which she has been dying to dig into since our visit to Mad Cow during the Winter Feast. She had tried to order this dish on a second visit, but sadly it was no longer on offer.

The cheeks were absolutely divine and melted away the minute it touched your tongue. The madeira consomme provided a really robust and flavoursome backdrop against the sweetness of the meat - I think I almost cried a little when I tasted it.

Provencal potatoes, aged prosciutto, smoked garlic mayonnaise - $9 (Please do yourself a favour and try this.)

Local sea bream, crumbed scampi, fennel puree, citrus a la grecque - $31

DW and JH both ordered the local sea bream, which was a beautiful piece of fish cooked to absolute perfection. Both were really taken away by the fennel puree (something which has given me motivation to slave away in the kitchen to perfect), and were overall just in gleeful happiness as they slid each morsel into their mouths.

Spaghetti, sauteed prawns, peas, prawn bisque - $30

While I was tempted to try the Lobster Thermidore, I eventually decided to leave that dish for another day while I examined the particulars of prawn bisque. I know it was just a single element to the dish at large, but since the early days of foodie adventures, I've grown particularly fond of assessing individual elements of each dish in hope that I may be able to replicate them in my own kitchen one day.

Yes, some people have suggested that it would just be easier going to a culinary school...but I often prefer the scenic route.

Either way, I absolutely LOVED the prAWniness (hehe) of this dish. The bisque was an absolute explosion of flavour in my mouth. Then there was the Spring-freshness of the peas, then the satisfying bite of the spaghetti, and then the pure indulgence of a well cooked and flavoured prawn - all of which was then signed and sealed by an almost palate-cleansing taste of the cress.

Pear and Lillet blanc trifle - $15

While dessert had not been part of the original plan, as soon as we were handed the dessert menu, deep down we all knew that it was going to happen, whether we wanted it or not (but seriously, who wouldn't?)

Upon seeing the option of a trifle, JH cheerfully reminisced the times when her mother made her version of trifle back in Kiwiland. The next thing we knew, everyone was sharing the own visions and memories of a trifle made and enjoyed. It was interesting to see how a simple dessert, with its myriad of transformations, could spark a strange unity in a table of people from very different backgrounds. Spiced nougatine parfait, figs - $15

Lastly we happily shared a plate of Parfait - which was really one of the best dessert dishes I've ever had. The parfait was lusciously smooth and creamy - and only just mildly sweet. JH and SJ both commented on how this dessert simply wasn't sweet enough to their liking, while I happily nommed away on what I thought to be a dessert with the perfect level of sweetness. I had often discussed with JH (who is an absolute sweettooth) the Western vs. Asian dessert issue, and why if you enjoyed one it was always easy to be disappointed by another. It may just be the two of us and we are by no means a good sample for the entire population, but there are obvious differences between the two.

To be fair I would often point out my general apathy towards chocolate, and my utter dislike of dense and immensely sweet flavours. The confusing thing is, JH says the exact same thing about Asian desserts? So my gut feeling tells me that the problem probably lies in textural differences too, but I'm not too sure.

So I hand the problem over to you. What does it take to turn a "good" dessert into a "great" dessert?

Etch Restaurant
62 Bridge Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9247 4777
Opens: Monday to Friday 12pm - late, Saturday 5pm - late

Review: Plan B, Sydney

2009-12-29T16:33:00.001+11:00

Hungry. That’s what we were. No…we couldn’t have that bothering us, especially if we had an afternoon of Christmas shopping ahead of us. We really needed to energise ourselves in preparation before we went to war. As always, especially preceding a likely spending spree, we were coating our wallets with as much armour as it could handle which landed us at a hidden gem that I’m ashamed to have not known about earlier. Thanks to WX’s knowledge, we made a short trip down to Castlereagh Street towards the two-hatted restaurant, Becasse, but stopped short by a couple of metres at a tiny hole-in-the-wall café called Plan B.

There was a small seating area with about five tables outside and we were lucky to get the last table just as we arrived. Having been here before, WX recommended that I try the 600-day Grass Fed Wagyu Beef Burger, and for a price of only $10, how could I refuse? When our identical orders came, my already groaning stomach only groaned louder at the sight.

Just looking at the burger, I was salivating. I love Wagyu - I thank the Japanese for having invented this national treasure of theirs. While WX attempted to be a bit more civilised by initially using her utensils, she quickly gave up when she saw that I hadn't even tried to go down that avenue but had instead taken a huge bite out of my burger using just my hands. The tenderness of the Wagyu was immediately evident - with the mix of beetroot the Wagyu just melted in my mouth - and at that moment I was in foodie heaven. When I was in Japan and cooked for myself on a daily basis, I sometimes rewarded myself with the expensive Wagyu packs from the supermarket and it was delicious. But at the quantities that I cooked with, the Wagyu was slightly overpowering with its dispersion of fattiness. With this little $10 gem of a lunch though, the burger had just the right amount of Wagyu to satisfy my craving but wasn't too much either. I can say that I'm definitely putting this on the list of lunch destinations when I start working in the city!

Plan B
204 Clarence Street
Sydney 2000
PH: 92833450

Review: Radio Cairo, Cremorne

2009-12-22T18:19:00.000+11:00

When you're overseas, usually the one thing people ask you about the place you're from goes something like this:

"So what's your favourite thing about Sydney?"

Responses usually go something along the lines of "Weather's great, yeah and obviously Sydney harbour is beautiful..." etc etc....whatever.

But then if they happen to run into a foodie then chances are the response will be somewhat different. In fact, it would probably go something like this:

"Weather's great - y'know the sun and all - but OMFG you can eat ALL the cuisines of the world on FOOT! It's like the world on a platter!"

And what better place to show off the culinary diversity in Sydney than the understated Radio Cairo in Cremorne.

Negumbo Harlmassa (Deep fried whitebait with Sweet Chilli Sauce and Garlic Mayonnaise) - $15.95

I can't remember where I first heard about the place, but wherever it was, it certainly made a deep impression on my mind. But I must admit I have a strange fascination towards African food - there's just something about the use of strong spices and fragrance that makes the food wonderfully enticing.

Afro Fries - $5.95

Here at Radio Cairo, the authenticity of the African fare is questionable, but nonetheless bursting with flavour with every bite. Mixed in with the casual and eclectic decor dressing the walls and the various dining areas, the ambience may be described as a tonne of fun and rusticity, with plenty of smiles all around the room.

JL and I ordered two entrees to share. From the photos it is easy to tell that the portion sizes are rather friendly and suitable for sharing. I found the Afro fries salted and spiced a little too heavy handedly, preferring the delicate sweetness of freshly fried whitebait. The garlic mayonnaise provided a light tang, with just enough acid to cut through the greasy feel of fried goodies.

Tunisian Slow-Roasted Lamb Shanks - $22.95

Despite being a hot summer day, I found the option of a slow roasted lamb shank impossible to go by. The serve here was enough to feed two people, or one big eater - because I certainly wasn't even close to being able to finish this plate. Unfortunately JL is no fan of lamb, so failed miserably in the department of BF plate-cleaning duties.

Cous Cous - $4.75 (small)

I honestly thought the lamb was beautifully cooked and the meat was falling off the bone in all directions with the gentlest touch of the fork. The sauce was absolutely divine to mix in with the cous cous. The lamb itself was quite chilli, so I ended up having to down quite a fair bit of water to plough through the meat - possibly why I was bloated so quickly. Nevertheless, this is definitely a winter-warmer, and perfect for chilly nights. (Get it? Get it?)

Cajun 'Blackened' Snapper Fillets - $22.95

JL opted for a seafood option and chose the Cajun 'Blackened' Snapper Fillet. Upon first sight one would quickly notice that it was indeed 'blackened' all over, but the fascination soon subsides upon the realisation that unfortunately 'blackened' is synonymous with 'dry' and 'overdone' in this case. The fish was wonderfully tasty, especially with the Louisana Hot Sauce, but as much as I appreciate the taste and difference in texture that this cooking method produces, I would probably pass on the dish next time round.

Pink Grapefruit and Vodka Sorbet

Last but not least, we could hardly give up the chance to try some delicious Pink Grapefruit and Vodka (not-so-African) Sorbet. After all that spiciness during the entree and the main, it was absolutely delightful to dig into some palate cleansing dessert to finish the meal. The thing I love most about this sorbet was the light bitter-sweetness from the Grapefruit. Some places sadly prefer to mask the bitter flavour of grapefruits by drowning in with sugar or some other fruit juice, but truthfully speaking, I'd often much prefer a gently bitter tasting grapefruit flavour than a sour lemon sorbet.

Some people may throw shoes at me, but I'm just going to call it creative differences?

Radio Cairo
83 Spofforth Street
Cremorne, NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 9908 2649

Review: Palate, Sydney

2009-12-18T14:24:00.000+11:00

“Japanese…again?!”

When you have no time, no booking, no money, no sleep and have been eating fast and unhealthy meals during the week, the first cuisine you think of is Japanese. It’s quick, cheap and relatively healthy but for some (not me, I will never get sick of this cuisine), it becomes incredibly boring. So that was FYL’s complaint when I once again suggested Japanese. After this exclamation, we found ourselves standing under the staircase at World Square, peering into what appeared to be a fairly busy café.

“No. Not a café for dinner.”

Making our way around the corner, we reached a dimly lit restaurant, which seemed to be closed until a waiter signalled for us to come in the other entrance. Turns out, it was the restaurant version of the café we saw but perfect for us – quieter and exclusive called Palate.

FYL was very happy with her selection, especially the privacy it brought us, until the waiter opened the main entrance and several other groups came in. The atmosphere and décor immediately made me feel comfortable and slightly high-class too but the prices didn’t turn out to be that expensive either!

Photo compliments of FYL

Photo compliments of FYL

We’d been told that canapés would be served at the party we were all heading to later on, so amongst the four of us, we decided to order three dishes.

Pumpkin & Beetroot Salad $11.00

Spending a whole week having quick lunches and dinners meant I had little veges to satisfy my nutritional quota for the week and the Pumpkin & Beetroot Salad was welcomed with open arms. The beetroot was sweet and juicy, juicy enough to warrant my careful gobbling to avoid staining my shirt. The roast pumpkin on the other hand may have been a tad overcooked so slightly on the dry side, but overall the salad was nicely refreshing.

Mushroom Risotto $14.00

When we reached the Mushroom Risotto however, I’ll have to say, the presentation wasn’t the best attribute of this dish. In our little photo here, the Parmesan cheese has shielded you from most of the risotto but when we made our way past those top layers, the consistency was too gooey and brown – the resemblance was really too uncanny. I’d have to say it was also a bit too flavoured for my liking but partnered with our other two dishes, it made it through.

Salt & Pepper Squid $10

Finally, the Salt & Pepper Squid. What can I say? I love deep fried nibbles. Although it didn’t satisfy my health conscious self, it certainly satisfied my tastebuds, stomach and everyone else around the table – a good sharing tapas dish. This one had all my approval with its hint of garlic and chilli flavours.

Palate wasn’t our idea of a homely Italian restaurant bustling with energy but really suited that particular occasion where we just wanted to dine in peace before another late night out. The prices were quite reasonable and although a slight fluctuation on the taste, we will probably put this on the hit list for another relaxed dining experience, especially since it’s so conveniently situated inside World Square.

Palate

World Square

Level Upper Ground, Shop 17-18, 123 Liverpool Street

Sydney NSW 2000

PH: (02) 9264 3661

Review: Azuma Kushiyaki, Sydney

2009-12-15T21:48:00.000+11:00

Gomenasai, this post is SO belated that it's almost ridiculous to be doing it now. But it seemed like such a waste if I didn't post about it, because out of all the Sugar Hit experiences that were on offer, this one simply blew away the rest of the competition.

Of course, I'm talking about the much raved Azuma Kushiyaki.

Since I'm so backlogged in posts, I'm going to stop my usual non-important ramblings and cut straight to the real deal here. Clearly you're not here to listen to my ramblings, so here it is:

For those who were unaware, Azuma's Sugar Hit menu was so popular that they were completely booked out for the whole of October (during which the Sugar Hit event was happening). Instead of sticking to the rules and forcing eager beavers like us to miss out completely, Azuma decided to extend their offer into November, which was when we managed to get our booking.

Just take a squiz above and its not hard to see what it was such a hit. Especially when you compare it to this one.

Mochi with Kinako, Vanilla Ice Cream and Japanese Brown Sugar Syrup

My favourite bit for the night was this Mochi with Kinako (which is a soybean flour) and Vanilla Ice Cream. The round balls of mochi were soft and chewy and I absolutely fell in love with the Japanese brown sugar syrup.

Japanese Brown Sugar Syrup, Nori Seaweed Langue de chat Biscuits, Green Tea rolled cake with Chestnuts

The Nori Seaweed biscuits was also a surprise hit with me. The seaweed had a toasted flavour and the biscuits were brilliantly crisp and fresh. I was so sad that I finished mine so quickly.

Brown Brothers Orange Muscat

Hennessy V.B

I love a bit of muscat, but the boys decided to go the Hennessy way. I felt like telling them that it just wasn't going to make them grow any bigger if they drank this stuff with their dessert.

Belgian Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla Cheesecake

Vanilla Cheesecake

My favourite part of a cheesecake is the biscuit base. In other words, I'm no fan of cheesecakes in general and this was no exception. But I have to admit that for cheesecake lovers, this probably would've hit the spot head on. On the other hand, I absolutely fell in love with the Belgian Chocolate Mousse. It was so beautifully light yet rich in flavour without being sickening and there were nice layers of either chocolate sauce or chocolate sheets in between which gave it an interesting contrast in texture at times.

I loved the experience here and would definitely recommend the menu to anyone. Sadly I'm not sure if it still on offer. However, given the showcase presented for the Sugar Hit event, I would think that whatever is on offer right now is sure to impress, and I would definitely return for a second stint sometime in the near future.

Azuma Kushiyaki
Ground Floor Regent Place Shopping
501 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9267 7775

Xmas Special: Sydney Foodies' Xmas Party 2009

2009-12-14T18:33:00.008+11:00

This post is being done a little differently. All three writers are contributing their own little version of events on one day...

WX: Yesterday JL, AY and I had the fortunate chance to attend the Sydney Food Bloggers' Xmas Picnic, hosted by the lovely Suze and Helen. The gorgeous afternoon weather was perfect for the occasion - not too hot and showering us with plenty of sunlight.

Suze's Tower of Goodies

Not surprising there was plenty of food for all. Everyone brought their own plate of food (made or bought) and as a result we ended up having enough food to feed the whole of Africa.

Apple Cinnamon Tartlets (Ninja-ing as Fruit Mince Tarts)

It was a lovely afternoon meeting everyone. It was Team Nom's first time meeting the gang and needless to say we all struggled a little with all the names. Luckily, Suze and Helen were super-organised and provided name tags for all, just to minimise confusion and embarrassment.

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon scrolls (from a fellow Pioneer Woman Fan)

Being possibly one of the youngest groups in the circle, I must admit it was pretty inspiring to listen to all the stories people had to share and their own foodie escapades. It was also interesting to see what people actually did as their dayjob - sometimes you forget that people have lives outside of food behind the computer screen.

Kris Kringle Presents for all!

All in all it was a fun-filled day, with lots of surprises, especially with a steal-or-gamble style Kris Kringle. Funnily enough, JL's pick of a present exchanged hands many, many times - until finally Suze stole it back. I lost track of working out who the face plate was with.

AY: One word. Awesome! The weather was perfect for a large gathering of food-lovers in Hyde Park. Since this was the first invitation we’ve received to any sort of foodie event, I think I speak for both WX and JL when I say we were a tad nervous. But seriously? There was absolutely nothing to worry about. Everyone I spoke to was so friendly and willing to include a newbie like myself into the conversation – a conversation about food, photography and travels was almost like a mini journey for myself!

Billy cutting up his champagne jelly

I must’ve repeated myself constantly throughout the day but I felt like I was entering an entirely new industry – the industry known as food blogging – a job, a passion, a life where you live and breathe food and capture the true essence behind all those aromas and flavours. Talking to our fellow bloggers, whether they were new on the scene or veterans to the trade, I just became more driven to develop myself as a writer and consumer of foods. I think at some point, I became a bit self-conscious that I loved food but knew very little about it. This gathering really spurred me to learn more and write more!

Helen's awesome Elvis Cupcakes

I think when you look at the photos from the day capturing the wide expanse of food on that patch of grass at Hyde park, you honestly do begin to salivate. From cupcakes to jellies and fairy bread to chicken wings – I’ve never seen such a wide array of both home-cooked and purchased platters of food. I was pretty lucky that I didn’t give in to my hunger at lunch and just grabbed a small lunch! It was a shame that there was so much food and only one small stomach – so much I didn’t get to try!

The Kris Kringle activity which followed was an awesome pre-Christmas treat of hidden goodies. The catch? If you managed to pick out one of the smaller numbers and got to pick your present first, you were subject to group-wide scrutiny! Anyone who grabbed a larger number was able to either pick from the pile or steal a present from those already picked! I was a bit unlucky on that side of things and managed to lose my bobble headed Darth Vader figurine so instead, I ended up with a cool set of paper cups which have a range of different noses on them to make drinking from them quite a novelty!

Potato Pancake with Chorizo

Thanks to Helen and Suze, the party was a huge success and an extremely good networking and mingling experience for those of us who are fairly new to this amazing ‘industry’. Thanks so much! And of course, thanks to all the friendly and equally passionate food bloggers for making our Sunday an awesome one! We’ll be sure to expand our reading list :)

Review: Newtown Thai, Newtown

2009-12-10T22:39:00.002+11:00

You know the feeling you get when you've walked up and down a street with a friend and compiled a long list of restaurants that you both want to try but you just can't choose? Well this was one of those days where WX and I had a lot of time on our hands, weren't particularly starving and just generally being indecisive. When you're faced with a street of eateries ranging from African and Italian to Japanese and Mexican, it really is hard to decide. But then again, when you're at the age that WX and I are at and you've been heading out to at least two 21st birthday parties every weekend, then the deciding factor is usually price. So after thirty minutes we finally settled on Newtown Thai.

Now, if you know me, you'll know that I have a ridiculously fast metabolism or digestive system. So when I mentioned that I wasn't particularly hungry, I wasn't lying - but by the time we sat down my stomach told me it was at the other end of the spectrum already and really needed feeding. For entree, we picked the Heavenly Crab and the Satay Chicken which I think was quite a nice balance between boring (but delicious) and different (but equally delicious) starters. If my parents had come along, I can just hear them saying, "It's not worth getting those fried foods, they're only there to attract Western customers - it's not worth the money blah blah blah!" I think both WX and I agreed that once in a while we actually wanted to disobey that rule and just eat fried foods to our hearts content, no matter how much it wasn't worth it. Aside from a bit of excessive batter taking away from the actual crab flesh, it sure did satisfy my craving!

Heavenly Crab (4pc) $6.60

When the Satay Chicken arrived, I was a bit taken aback by the large amount of sauce that overflowed from the dish. With that amount of sauce, I couldn't really taste much of the chicken but rather a huge flavour hit. I can't say I was particularly fond of this one in comparison to others I've tried but the satay sauce really spurred me on to finish the large bowl of rice that we ordered.

Satay Chicken (4 Sticks) $6.60

What followed the entree were two large dishes of what I'd like to call 'stomach impulse' or you could just call us greedy. WX ordered the Duck Curry while I went for a Chicken Pad See Eiw which, upon arrival, alerted us to the fact that plastic takeaway boxes were also in order. At this point, I was faced with a bit of a dilemma. My recent food fetish for duck meant that I was constantly attacking the former dish but trying hard to avoid the curry! Yes, I'm not a big fan of Thai curry but it seriously didn't stop me from loving the tender flesh of the duck. Next time however, if not for WX's determination to get curry, I will just get the stir fried form. Admittedly, for those who do like Thai curry, the duck really did absorb a lot of the curry flavour and aroma making it all the more succulent!

Duck Curry $12.90

The chicken was a lot nicer on my tastebuds and normally I would be complaining about the rough texture of the chicken breast but the way they cooked it made me keep my mouth shut for the duration of consumption especially with a nice balance of veges and flat noodles. By the time WX finished eating, these two dishes looked like they were virtually untouched and even though I tried to stomach as much as I could, we left the restaurant with two nice boxes of Thai to fuel our adventures of a new day.

Chicken Pad See Eiew $8.90

Newtown Thai might not be the best Thai around, but it's definitely value for money and generally a lot better than any of the Thai places in the heart of the CBD. Oh...and I forgot to mention, if you're ever in the area on the way home, this place does extremely efficient takeaway and although I haven't got any for myself, just sitting there for the duration of our dinner, we could tell that they're quite reputable in the area for takeaway - definitely worth a try! :)

Newtown Thai
177 King Street
Newtown, 2046
PH: (02) 9557 2425

Review: Jugemu & Shimbashi, Neutral Bay

2009-11-30T21:02:00.002+11:00

Handmade cold soba noodles?
Tick.

IMHO the best okonomiyaki in Sydney?
Tick

Hot day and beer?
Tick.

A while ago I came across Simon Thomsen's review of Jugemu & Shimbashi while I was trawling through the web at work. What made its lasting impression in my mind was the mention of soba noodles made on premises by Chef Masahiko Tojo, and let's be frank here, who doesn't love the bite of freshly handmade noodles?

Before I create any confusion here, let me just take a moment to explain the unique structure of the restaurant. Essentially it is one restaurant split into two distinctive sections, each with its own style of decor and character. Jugemu is in the style of a Teppanyaki bar, while the side which JL and I were seated was Shimbashi, decorated in a traditional noodle bar fashion. It's still the same restaurant though, and dishes may be ordered from both sides.

In the front of the restaurant is a small room dedicated to soba-making. Flour is milled fresh on premise only hours before it is cooked to order. This gives the soba noodles a distinctively resilient bite and quite a rustic texture on every strand.

Mixed Sushi Platter - $28

We started off the evening with a plate of Mixed Sushi Platter. While the photo may not show it, but these were perfect bite size pieces of Tuna, Salmon, Kingfish, Scallop and Prawn Nigiri. In one corner were six salmon mini-rolls -- also bite size pieces.

Kamo & Kimoko Soba Noodles -$23

Being an avid duck lover, my pick was obvious - Kamo & Kimoko Soba noodles (Duck and Mushrooms).

The broth was beautifully tasty, and surprisingly light and non-oily given that it's duck. The duck meat was tender, though I wouldn't say melt-in-your mouth, but it was nicely seasoned with natural sweetness of duck and not overly rich either.

The noodles come out separately in a fan shaped dish lined with a bamboo mat. The way to eat it is you pick up a few strands of noodles with your chopstick and gently dip it into the salty broth, before slirping the goodness up. Once the noodles are finished, you are served a small pot of soba water (the water they cooked the soba in), and you pour it into the salty broth to dilute it to a level where you may drink the broth to finish off your meal.

It's an art I tell you...

Tempura Soba - $19

JL couldn't get past the Tempura Soba (and with good reason too). The tempura were all lightly fried and fresh. We're usually so used to seeing Tempura Udon, but I must say that to have it with Soba is definitely a lighter option.

Jugemu Special - Prawns, Scallops, Calamari - $20

Lastly, we had...

Ok I'm not exaggerating when I say this...but it really was the MOST DELICIOUS OKONOMIYAKI I've had in Sydney.

I'm not even a fan of the stuff usually, but this one here definitely blew my mind away. I was a tad sad that I didn't save enough stomach for it (soba is surprisingly filling...and beer too). The cabbage was sliced ever-so-finely and there was a perfect sauce-to-okonomiyaki ratio. The shrimp were bursty and the scallops were just cooked and still sweet and delicate. The okonomiyaki is actually quite thick compared to what we're used to seeing around the place and diehard purists would mourn the death of authenticity, but I think the thickness brings out the natural flavours of the ingredients and retains a good texture so much more than thin ones. I'm usually disappointed when I get to a point where I feel as if I'm eating more sauce than the okonomiyaki itself, but not this one.

We were sad to not be able to finish the plate, but we doggy bagged it so it wouldn't go to waste.

Would I revisit? Definitely. Especially since I've yet to discover the other half of the restaurant.

Jugemu & Shimbashi
246 Military Road
Neutral Bay NSW 2089
Tel: (02) 9904 3011

Dear Readers: We want your say!

2009-11-25T20:34:00.004+11:00

We've been getting a lot of emails and comments from you all about what you think is good and bad about our food blog. Some have made comments about the layout, some about the content, others about the commenting system or the information we have on the sidebar. As we mentioned earlier, we are planning to revamp the site and move to a more user/reader-friendly blogging platform amongst other things but I just thought, as we're going through that process, I'd love to hear more from what you guys want. We made this blog and write our entries for every one of our readers so please, if you have anything you'd like to see an improvement in or a particular foodie subject you'd like to read about, feel free to leave a comment!

:) I'll keep you up to date with our upcoming revamped website!

Send emails to nomitlikeitshot@gmail.com

Review: Gumshara Ramen, Haymarket

2009-11-22T21:47:00.001+11:00

So, after hearing all about the EPIC ramen at Gumshara in the Eating World Food Courts here, here and here, there was little I could do to control my urges and take a visit myself....and drag a few friends along while I'm at it.

I may just be reiterating what everyone already knows, but for those who don't - the pork stock used here is made from 120kg of pork bones and water bubbled for seven days! The store prides itself in its MSG-free stock, and the end result is a stock that comes out rich and thick with collagen.

Trust me when I say that your skin will say thank you afterwards.

On the down side, it may have just been the night we went to visit, but Dixon Street Food Court was emanating with a strange odour which made the eating experience somewhat less pleasant than what it should be. It was also quite busy on the night, and tables were simply not being cleared fast enough for the number of people there.

Nevertheless, we were there for the ramen, and ramen we got.

Hakata Style Ramen - $8.50

Luckily I had run into a fellow Japanese high school friend JP who gave me a little guidance as to what I should try at Gumshara. Apparently Hakata is a region in Fukuoka which has developed its own version of Ramen which features the milky and rich pork broth (tonkotsu broth) with thin noodles.

JP had warned beforehand that the ramen here at Gumshara would taste distinctively less salty than what most Sydneysiders are used to thanks to the likes of Ichiban and Ryo's. If I were to put the three on a spectrum from least salty to most, it would go something along the lines of Gumshara - Ryo's - Ichiban (a place which I have to eat ramen with an extra bottle of water on the side).

*jiggle jiggle*

The stock was thick, but not as sticky as I expected it to be. I have a strange feeling that it was a bad luck of the draw on the night, as I gave it the leave-it-still-for-5 minutes-and-see-if-a-skin-forms test, but to no avail.

On the bright side the pork was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth. They were sweet and ridiculously tender in an I-can't-believe-it's-not-butter fashion. The soft boiled eggs ($1.50) which I added to my bowl was also spot on, and my only beef with it is that I didn't get enough of it.

Tonkotsu Ramen - $8.50

The ramen here is very soft and slippery - and lots of slurping gets involved in the process. AY tried his luck at ordering the Pork Spare Ribs Noodles ($13, only 10 bowls per day) and unfortunately missed out. Considering the fact that we were there way past 7:30pm, I must say I was actually rather relieved that there was none left - if you get my drift.

It's also another excuse to come and revisit.

Gumshara Ramen
Shop 209, 25-29 Dixon Street
Haymarket, NSW
Tel: (02) Does anyone know?

Review: Carpaccio, Leichhardt

2009-11-21T08:49:00.001+11:00

"Italian food - where should we go?"
"Let's go to Leichhardt!"
"Okay! But where?"

Being the aspiring food blogger, I was entrusted with the task of answering that question. Once I found the place- it was all settled. Let me give you guys a bit of a background - briefly. I'm Asian. I have an Asian family. They don't like to (normally) try new stuff. They don't like driving to places far away. In my world, going to Leichardt and that we were trying something so unfamiliar, was a foodie miracle!

So after reading countless reviews and blogs, I was down to two - Castel Mola and Carpaccio. The final decision was Carpaccio, made by my cousin KL who reasoned that it would be a better, quieter atmosphere for a family dinner.

We arrived relatively early at 6pm for a 6:30pm booking so we managed to take a sneak peek at the nearby 'Italian Forum' - an area which mimics the traditional Italian architecture and houses a residential area, retails shops and various eateries - which in foodie terms, was extremely appealing to me. I've already got my eyes set on a couple of places to dine and consume dessert at!

Italian Forum

When it was about time, we made our way around the corner back onto Norton Street towards our nominated restaurant of the night. My cousin was spot on with his 'atmosphere' prediction. We were seated outside, right next to the fountain and the slow running water was quite a soothing background for the family to converse in and scrutinise the menu.

To start, we ordered from the Sputini (sharing plates) menu and chose a garlic wood fired pizza crust with bresaola, rocket, parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil. When it arrived, I actually thought that the bresaola was proscuitto! similar taste and a delicious combination with the crust!

Garlic Woodfired Pizza Crust $18

This was followed by the mains. We decided that we'd have two pizzas and three mains to share amongst the seven of us so that we could fit down dessert later. The pizza selection was quite extensive so we chose one vegetarian, Giardino and one meats pizza, Bologna.

Giardino $22

The Giardino was topped with eggplant, red capsicum, red onion, ricotta and house-made basil pesto. The vegetables weren't too dry and sat nicely on the thin and crispy base. As with all vegetarian pizzas that I've tried, it was a light alternative and delicious too!

Bologna $22

The Bologna on the other hand, with its selection of sliced beef fillet, grille chicken breast, pepperoni, pork sausage and sprinkled parsley, was a lot more aromatic and filling. Having had a meaty pizza earlier in the day, I was relieved to find my carnivorous needs being satisfied without having copious amounts of oil deposited in my stomach!

What followed came from the Primi Piatti lis, from which we chose a delicious ravioloni filled with roast duck (nomnomnom!) and porcini mushroom mousse served with pomegranate which we upgraded to a main size.

Raviolini $23 + $5 upsize

I'll have to admit that having never tasted pomegranate seeds in dish before, it added a lovely flavour and gave a nice touch of colour to the raviolini. My recent love affair with roast duck might have helped too! =)

Moving on, we ordered two more items from the Second Piatti - the veal escallops pan friend in white wine & tarragon cream topped with char-grilled king prawn.

Veal Escallops $32

and the balentino of chicken filled with sultana and pistachio served with King Edward potato veloutte.

Balentino of Chicken $28

I actually wanted to order the rabbit dish too (as cruel as that may sound) but I don't think that really appealed to my family.

Both dishes were very well presented and I don't know about you guys, but the description was genuinely mouth-watering in itself and the dishes were no exception. The veal escallop was absolutely delicious, exceeded my expectations (being the amateur that I was, I stupidly thought we had ordered scallops!) and matched beautifully with the white wine sauce and king prawn. The balentino of chicken was tender and had been cooked long enough to soak up the flavours while not turning it to mush. So in a word - yum!

Having finished our little feast, we decided that five dishes was not quite enough and went for one last dish from the Primi Piatti - the spaghettini with blue swimmer crab meat, in cherry tomato, chilli, garlic and white wine sauce.

Spaghettini with Blue Swimmer Crab Meat $23 + $5 Upsize

My first impression, when I saw this dish, was that it was just normal spaghetti and wouldn't be particularly delicious. When I tasted it however, I really loved it! Unlike normal spaghetti, this was closer to angel hair with the thinner strands which was a lighter alternative and in combination with a nice tomato sauce and the chunks of crab meat, it was definitely a tick from me.

After all this food, we decided not to have dessert at the restaurant after all and went to just grab some take-out tiramisu to eat at home. Although I've never been to Italy, I think that tonight's meal was one of the closer encounters I've had to authentic Italian - but I might be wrong when I ever make that trip halfway across the world to try the culinary delights over there. It was a worthwhile trek and I can't wait to return to the area to dine at the other yummy Italian places!

Carpaccio
Shop 8, 39-45 Norton St
Leichhardt, NSW 2040
Ph: (02) 9550 9365