Here Comes The Food

We've moved!

2009-02-10T10:25:00.003+11:00

To our valued readers,

Just to let you guys and gals know that we've moved to a different host.

All posts prior to this announcement are still be available to be viewed at the new website so please head on over and change those links that you've put on your own blogs at your convenience :)

The new site is:

www.herecomesthefood.com.au

xoxo

HCTF crew.

Ribs and Rumps - Gordon, Sydney

2009-02-05T16:19:00.002+11:00

To continue with my carnivorous feastings, a post about Ribs and Rumps is definitely mandatory. This humble little grill & seafood started off with one branch in Manly has now multiplied into 5 branches spread around Sydney and others in South Africa and Middle East.

They are very popular places still even after being around so long probably because of their "man-sized portions" of steaks and ribs. There were empty seats when I took the photo but the place was fully packed only a few moments later. Also, whenever I have eaten at Ribs and Rumps in Gordon, there has been a dimming of lights and a table would burst out in song as a Birthday cake was carried towards that table but on my latest visit there was none which was a bit of a surprise.

Big knives for the big task of cutting up big portions!
Last year sometime I think they re-vamped their menu and made increased the prices a bit as well as reduce some of the portions a little bit as well which makes me a sad panda but the quality of the food is still good.

The warm, family atmosphere with walls full of African art and designs matches the sound of chatter and laughter, along with the waft of sizzling steaks and ribs perfectly. The ambience and food are both excellent but I have heard about some below-average service, mainly because they get very busy and the manager of the Gordon branch can be a bit meh sometimes.

The RnR Wall of Fame
To be able to get onto the Wall of Fame you have to eat 3 large servings of meat (probably around a total of 2.5 kgs of meat) in one sitting. The problem is that most of it is rump steak which is dry and tough so I will pass on this challenge hahaha -___-"

Medium rare please!
3 hungry men were ready for the manly meal ahead so Here Comes the Food

Beef Ribs (Full $38.95)
Mmmm big and meaty ribs that fall off the bone all sweet and sticky with house basting. With a side of crispy, crunchy chips and a sprig of corinader the only thing green on the meat board we were in meat heaven haha. These ribs and very good and comparable to the ones at Pancakes on the Rocks.

Mixed Grill ($47.95) - Variety is the spice of life! A full combination of ribs, steak, cutlets and a tangy beef sausage, topped with a fried egg. A must try for the meat lover or the extremely hungry!
I am normally someone who would want to try different dishes on the menu when I go back to the same restaurant but whenever I come here, the description and the photo of the Mixed Grill wins me over! Here's a better photo:

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
For the price we pay it is quite reasonable but I do miss the days when it was only around $40 and there was a few more ribs and a slightly longer Boerewors (African sausage). All in all though this is probably the best place for a meat fix like this ^^! The lamb cutlets are so beautiful and succulent, the pork and lamb ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and soft, the rump is mediocre (don't really like rump) but still quite juicy and tender for rump while the egg is golden and runny and the sausage is tasty and flavoursome. Just typing this up is making me hungry haha.

There are also some other great dishes like the Lazy aged sirlion is beautifully tender and they also have some Kobe beef which is melty and fantastic.

Other Meat Havens:
Mad Cow - Sydney CBD, Sydney
I'm Angus - Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney

Ribs and Rumps Grill & Seafood
Gordon Centre, 808 Pacific Highway
Gordon 2072
Ph: (02) 9498 4411
Other Restaurant Locations here

FFichiban

Plan B - Sydney CBD, Sydney

2009-02-04T14:24:00.003+11:00

Ever since I read about the mouth-watering, irresistible and totally seductive homemade Wagyu beef burgers that NQN posted up I had been craving them. Actually looking back at her post now, I am still craving them even after getting a fix haha! Since I do not possess the skills of being able to re-create them I relied on the easier plan of Plan B.

Plan B by Becasse is a tiny little cafe right next to its papa Becasse
This tiny little space is where the Barista is stuck most of the day but being surronded by the fragrant smell of coffee beans and the even more aromatic smell of Wagyu beef burgers can't be all bad :P

The famous $7 Sausage roll, croissants, muffins, quiches, rolls and some other pastries

Pretty cool light.. ignore the ones missing

Fridge full of goodies
There are some sandwiches, rolls and salads also for sale here which are also a popular choice for lunch on the go but if you have time I highly recommend the Wagyu beef burger.

Its only 10 dora! Huzzuh!
Fortunately Pupu had some business in the city so I was able to convince her to come Plan B for a late lunch ^^! Of course we had to have the Wagyu beef burger but this time there were also the $7 sausage rolls which I missed out on my first visit cos it was sold out!

After going Yay for beef burger and sausage roll and ordering, Here Comes the Food.

Home made Sausage Roll ($7) - Lamb and smoked paprika sausage roll

Home made Sausage Roll ($7) - Lamb and smoked paprika sausage roll
Being the most expensive sausage roll in Sydney that I know of (maybe even Australia?) I had very high expectations from this morsel. It turned out not as mind blasting as I hoped but I was still very happy that I had tried it because it was a very very delicious sausage roll. Maybe my expectations were too high and I wanted something totally epic?

The crispy golden pastry wrapped around lamb mince nice and snugly and added a beautiful flaky texture to the whole experience. The lamb mince did not smell or taste strongly of lamb at all and it was soft and tender. The accompanying tomato chutney was pure brilliance and made the perfect chunky sauce for this sausage roll.

My cute little Wagyu beef burger. Would be cuter if it was 2 times or 3 times bigger hee hee

The famous Becasse Wagyu beef burger ($10) - 600-day grass fed wagyu beef burger with beetroot and caramelized onions
The burger was as orgasmic as the first one I had tried ages ago. The beef was tender and melty with a sweet creamy sauce and perfectly melted cheese on top. I also love beetroot in burgers so yay ^^! The brioche bun was toasted with nice crispy edges but soft and buttery in the thicker portions. I think they could have done with a bit more caramelized onions this time but overall still a heavenly experience mmmmmmmmmm.

I don't know how this would compare to NQN's as I would have to try hers first before I compare *nudge nudge wink wink* ;) Judging on appearance, they would both be an ultimate snack or meal, perfect for anytime of day!

Our Burger run so far:
BenBry - Manly, Sydney
Burgerlicious - Sydney CBD, Sydney

Plan B
204 Clarence St
Sydney 2000
Ph: (02) 9283 3450
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday from 8am-4pm

FFichiban

Home Cooking - Wagyu Steak

2009-02-03T20:25:00.004+11:00

Thanks to Chocolatesuze, I am finally part of the twitter scene. This useful application helps me stalk... I mean keep in contact with what the other foodies are doing ;) but the thing is they are all foodies! Soooo they update mostly about the delicious and scrumptious meals that they are preparing, eating or their current cravings and yearnings. And they like to describe it all in great detail which leaves me drooling even when I am not reading their blogs!

About 9 hours ago Chocolatesuze and Fooderati declared their urge for a fat, juicy steak with a side of truffled mash made of royal blue potatoes and double cream... *drooolll* I noticed these updates about a half hour before dinner time so obviously I had to go steak for dinner!

Thank goodness we have some good fatty Wagyu Grade 7 or 8 stored in the freezer for such emergencies ^^!

Mmmm look at the fat dribbling out

The shiny coating of butter reflecting the light! Greasy goodness!
I did not have any potatoes so I whipped up a side of pan fried eggs, some veges and some turkish bread with extra virgin olive oil.

This one turned out slightly towards to rare side as they were thinner cuts I did not want to burn them. Also sorry for the lack of photos of the cooked steak cos I just ended up diving right in. Craving for steak gone... until tomorrow at least hee hee :)

Steak is the King of meat ^^!

FFichiban

Bonta Vita - Sydney CBD, Sydney

2009-02-01T12:11:00.004+11:00

The buzz of a newly opened restaurant, always creates a sense of excitement and adventure through our foodie bodies. Especially when a restaurant creates something bold and totally unique. Bonta Vita has introduced to us Sydneysiders a wonderful marriage between Italian and Malaysian cuisines! This fusion came about because of a marriage between an Italian and a Malaysian (read more here).

Kthxbye and Tomatosalsa had brought this charming place to our attention and we are very grateful that they did.

From the sublime decor to the enticing menu I must say this place is a winner. The only setback is the pricing of the dishes but that is understandable for a place that is pretty much in the heart of the city.

A great balance of orange and black colours and the transcendent balls of light create a extraordinary dining experience. Matched with friendly and helpful staff and an open Rizza (explained shortly) Kitchen for some entertainment, this place has really some fresh pizzazz to it.

Open Rizza Kitchen

I love these lights and how they reflect off the glass
Now onto their menu which has a wonderful concept and game in it!

Their menu has a very chic design with tabs on the side as a easy search function but there is a flaw to this, which is that they hid some tabs underneath other tabs. It doesn't make much sense and hopefully they will amend this minor detail.

Rizza is a genius fusion!
This is pure brilliance, the roti wrapped up the ingredients ever so perfectly to create a inspiring burst of Italian and Malaysian fusion.

Rice Dice
Basically it is a game which is best to play when dining here in larger groups. You get a white die and a red die and each of the numbers correspond to a dish, so if you cannot decide what to eat then this is very helpful. The white die corresponds to a rice dish and the red die corresponds to a "side" dish. The side dish is actually a main dish but is a 'side' to the rice dish. The portions here are pretty generous so this can be shared between 2 people, this way each person gets to roll a die.

There is also a Reward in this game, which is if someone rolls a double then the whole table gets free gelato! If a 2nd double is rolled on the same table then everybody gets a $5 voucher for the next visit.

But if you enter this game then you must oblige to the fate the dice have given you otherwise you are to buy a drink or dessert for one of your fellow diners to re-throw a die.

This is a fun game and definitely worth trying out in a big group XD

The white die in action

Kthxbye and Tomatasalsa got matching 3s so that meant free gelato for the table ^^!
So much awesommmeee! Thx guyysss!

Here Comes the Food

Mexican Sausage ($24.95) - Mexican sausages served with seven heaven mix, beetroot, ricotta, boiled eggs, mixed lettuce leaves, char grilled capsicum, grilled onion and topped with wasabi mayo dressing
The waft of the aroma from these sausages had induced uncontrollable salivation from everybody at the table. Amazing spicy sausages with a refreshing salad both complimenting one another perfectly. The wasabi was very subtle but added a wonderful creaminess to it and the chunks of beetroot were completed the salad. May not have been Italian or Malaysian but this dish was definitely worth trying.

Pilau Rice ($13.95) - Indian spiced pilau style rice with onion rings, basmati rice, turmeric, cloves, peppercorns, cardamon pods, cinnamon stick, chicken stock and cooked peas
An exquisite combination of ingredients, to create a harmony between the flavours. None of the flavours were overpowering so overall a well-balanced rice dish, with the onions being the highlights in my opinion.

Bistecca ($31.90) - 300gm of grain fed scotch fillet grilled to your liking, served in a bed of roti, spinach, grilled onionsin red wine sauce and topped with hollandaise sauce
This dish sounded, looked and smelt absolutely delicious! I actually wanted to order this at first after reading it on the menu but one of my fellow diners also had their eyes on this one so I opted for something else. Santa describes it as a tantalizing contrast between the texture of the roti and the steak, with a creamy sauce that integrates into the dish perfectly. The steak was also true to its' description in that it was cooked to his liking of a medium rare. A must try for me next time.

Verdure ($16.90) - Mixed fresh vegetables oven baked and cooked with pure Italian Napolitano sauce and Malaysian herbs in an innovated Italian way
A perfect dish for the vegetarians with the fusion between the 2 different cuisines.

Mexican Rice ($13.95) - Mexican style rice with onions, bacon rashers, chicken stock, tomato juice, kidney beans, cayenne pepper, Tabasco and corn corbs
Another winning rice dish and I bet you are thinking 'those corn cobs are burnt!' but let me assure you that they are not. They were sweet and juicy with a nice addition of chargrilled flavour on them.

Rizza 5 ($13.90) - BV sauce, marinated mince beef, mozzarella, roast garlic, cherry tomato, mushroom
Rizzas come in a generous rectangle, packed full of flavour and definitely a must try to all that comes here. BV sauce is a mild Malaysian curry which gives the rizza an amazing extra dimension of flavour.

Rizza 6 ($15.90) - BV sauce, Italian salami, cabanossi, pepperoni, mozzarella, marinated grated zucchini, mushroom
Packed and overflowing jsut the way I like it! This one was slightly spicy and full of meaty goodness!

Rizza 3 ($13.90) - BV sauce, chicken chorizo sausage, mozzarella, mushroom, capsicum, chilli, onion
These Rizzas were absolutely genius and we could not get enough of them! They all have their unique combination of flavours so the best is to try them all!

Rizza 9 ($16.90) - BV sauce, ricotta, bocconchini, parmesans, pesto, mozzarella, mint, carrot, sun dried tomato, mixed olives, pineapple
This was obviously my choice as there are 4 types of cheese! FOUR ^^! MMMmmmmm. Glorious little chunks of sweet pineapple were also a great treat in some of the bites.

Complimentary gelato! From top going clockwise: banana, raspberry, Baci, hazelnut, vanilla, caramelized fig, chocolate, green tea and strawberry in the middle
Whhheeeee yumyumyum

Sooo good!

The gelatos were all delicious and not only because they were free. The favourites among the table were probably the caramelized fig, banana and the Baci. The green tea was also very good but it is not as strong as the others so it is better to eat that one first. The raspberry was very sour but had a good refreshing factor to it. The vanilla also had a nice twist that we could not put a grasp on but it was very nice mmmm.

My banana-raspberry-Baci-hazelnut-vanilla-caramelized fig-chocolate-green tea-strawberry flavoured spoon/shovel of gelato mmmm ^^!

The amazing Rizza chefs! Recognise the one on the left :)?

He is the ex-Mamak roti man!

1st win! Our table got the first ever double in the Rice Dice game since this place has opened ^^! Thanks again to Kthxbye and Tomatosalsa!

This restaurant is also next to the beautiful Lumiere

Pretty water feature that changes colour!
Also for those who are not bursting from all the food they can venture down to Prize Paradise for some Asian arcade fun! Try to win some prizes or have a go at the basketball game ^^!

Bonta Vita is a rising star in my opinion. There may not have been many customers when we were there but let the word spread! Try it out ^^! I shall definitely be back to try the rest of the pretty extensive menu ^^!

Bonta Vita
Shop 10-02 Regent Place (Entry also on Bathurst St as well next to Lumiere)
501 George St
Sydney 2000
Ph: (02) 9267 2212
Opening Hours:
Monday - Wednesday 8am - 10pm
Thursday - Friday 8am - 12am
Saturday 10am - 12am
Sunday 10am - 10pm
Owner/Chef: Marcello Ferrero

FFichiban

Chinese New Years Eve: Masuya - Sydney CDB, Sydney

2009-01-31T13:46:00.007+11:00

In my typical fashion, I am late (I like to call fashionably on-time) in posting the important dates and eatings. Happy Chinese New Year everybody! Hope everybody has had a great start to the year of the Ox and everybody is spending their red pockets wisely to help boost the economy ;)

Even though it was Chinese New Year, we ended up at the Japanese restaurant Masuya to celebrate the transition. I have not been here for a while but really wanted to try the new re-vamped menu and check out the decor after hearing high praise about their new takeaway lunchboxes.

The descent into another world...

I like the little chopstick shell hee hee
I think the tables and chairs are bit more suited and matching for this place and the sort of dining experience it provides. I think the major change is the new menu which looks much more professional in my opinion.

The sushi bar!

We sure will ^^!
Checking out the new menu, there were a few additions but we end up mostly ordering the dishes were like and trust. Here Comes the Food.

Green Tea Smoothie
This is like drinking melted green tea ice cream ^^! but maybe a bit diluted then ice cream haha. Very cool and refreshing with a nice creamy texture with a green tea kick at the end of each sip.

Masuya's Sashimi Boat ($78)

Row, row, row your sashimi boat...
The sashimi boat is more of a novelty dish because of the awesome presentation that we get and a moveable rudder to play with :P With a great combination of 5 different local fish, tuna, salmon, oysters and scampi they were all very fresh and all go down like silk. Each type of fish were able to shine and show off their own character and flavours but we had to fight for oysters and scampis as there were only 4 and 2, respectively.

Masuya's Salmon Salad ($12.80)
A simple salad of greens, slices of fresh salmon and creamy blue cheese. I personally found that blue cheese does not really match seafood very well as it is very overpowering and therefore the salmon flavour was clouded. This was refreshing and tasty nonetheless.

Unagi Shirayaki ($10.80)
One of the specials, the eel was light in flavour but with the most gorgeous soft and sightly flakey textures.

Salmon Aburi
These are part of the nigiri a la carte menu so they do not appear in the main menu. These are as delciously oily as I remember them. I love the contrast between the grilled side and the raw side of the salmon mmmm.

Agedashi Tofu (L $8.80)
Soft and pillowy cube of deep fried tofu with dashi soup can never go wrong. I did not manage to get the original shot as they were separated into the individual bowls too quickly (people were too hungry hee hee)

The Spider Roll ($17.80)
Fried soft shell crab combined with a premium crabstick, avocado, cucumber, chilli mayo and then wrapped up in a bed of rice. A beautiful swirl of flavours in the mouth and a great crunch with each bite. The chilli mayo is mild but adds a nice dimension to the flavours.

Kingfish Wing Kara-age ($15.80)
The wing of the fish is a very oily part so it is a very enjoyable part when eaten deep fried. When it first came out it smelt and looked like fried chicken mmmm.

Wagyu Beef Miso 230g ($32.80)
This photo does not do the wagyu any justice at all :( The beautifully cooked slices of wagyu was coated in a smooth miso sauce. Each bite of the meat was more enjoyable than the previous one but I thought the miso could have been a bit stronger though. If my memory serves me correctly, the presentation was better before as it have a crispy bits on top instead of a side salad but still good.

Masuya is always a enjoyable place to dine and I shall keep coming back ^^!

Other Masuya Group visitations:
Makoto - Chatswood, Sydney
Miso - Sydney CBD, Sydney
Musashi - Sydney CBD, Sydney.

Masuya Seafood Restaurant
Basement Level, 12-14 O'Connell Street
Sydney, 2000
Phone: (02) 9235-2717, (02)9231-0038
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday (Lunch ) : 12:00 - 14:30 (Last Order)
Monday to Sunday (Dinner) : 18:00 - 22:00 (Last Order)\
Sunday (Dinner) : 18:00 - 21:30 (Last Order)

Due to our increased volume of staff training and for even better relationship between our organic suppliers, we will close on Sundays from March 09.
We will take this opportunity to ensure keeping our level of food and service to its best.
Thank you.

FFichiban

Sydney Fish Markets - Pyrmont, Sydney

2009-01-29T17:09:00.000+11:00

The Sydney Fish Markets is a great place to enjoy a leisurely weekend morn, enjoy the fresh seafoody air ,chill out in the sun and dine on the gorgeously juicy and plump seafood being sold at the very competitive stores.

Always packed full of people :S

I actually haven't been here for quite some time but not much has changed since my last visit. The usually shops displaying their wares along with the token sushi place, bread shop, deli shop and the fruit and vege shop. I don't normally go to the sushi place but they have some pretty fresh sashimi (naturally) but I prefer to go to Japanese restaurants to dine on Japanese cuisine. The bread shop has some reasonble selections but whenever I used to come, we only got the cheese stick.

Doyles
All the seafood browsing works up an appetite and none better is to try Doyles at the Fish markets. They are pricier than the others but usually quite reliable in the fresh and tasty department, but alas this visit has left me very diappointed in their quality and will go back to the others stores next time.

One good/bad thing about fish markets is that nearly everything is deep fried...

But damn.. deep fried things are tasty ^^!

Oh poor, poorr, delicious, cheese covered Pinchy

Here Comes the Food

Grilled Barramundi
Soft flakes of this fish makes this one of the highlights of this lunch. Barramundi does not have a strong flavour so a little bit more seasoning was required. The accompanying salad was also fresh and green so as to match this fish perfectly.

BBQ Baby Octopus
I expected higher quailty from Doyles but the baby octopus were just a bit below average. They were slightly cold which made the sauce a bit greasy and unpleasant and some of the octopi were a bit too tough.

Lobster, Scallop Mornay and soft shelled crab
I love mornay ^^! haha mainly cos of the melted chhheeesssy goodness on top. The lobster and scallop mornay here were good but the lobster did not have enough meat and could have done with more cheese. The soft shell crab was also not bad but not the best either.

Pinchy's other half...
After we ate our fill it was time to buy some for home.

Claudio's
We get out seafood from this shop outside of the hussle and bussle of the main fish market complex but still very busy with people fighting for service.

Fishy fish fillets

Snapper

Big chunk of Swordfish
I love swordfish but it has to be done right... too easy to overcook.

Prawns

Dedicated descalers and filleters

more fishies

Beach bugs and lobster party

That evening the night turned purdy shades of red, orange and yellow at sunset.

Clouds are so fluffy

Hello plane!
The fish markets are a great experience and a fun time to spend with friends or family. It is a good place to enjoy the scenery/atmosphere and what the shops have to offer while sharing a huge platter of healthy*, deep fried goodies.

Other fishy experiences:
Cafe Mix - The Rocks, Sydney
New Years Eve 2008: Flying Fish - Pyrmont, Sydney

Sydney Fish Markets
Pyrmont Bridge Road
Pyrmont 2009

FFichiban

*deep fried seafood may not actually be healthy for you

Wagaya - Haymarket, Sydney (2)

2009-01-28T16:12:00.004+11:00

After praising the quality and expressing my satisfaction felt towards Wagaya early last year and subsequent visits over the past few months; it appears this eatery has become just-another-place that cuts costs and marginalises all the ‘extras’ once they have a steady flow of curious customers arguably predominantly lured by the touch-screen menu that stirs a contagious giddiness across all demographics.

Perhaps it’s just a one trick pony? Have our readers also noticed the differentials between now and their last visit? Don’t hesitate the express your thoughts through welcomed comments :)

Here Comes The Food

Salmon Sushi Roulette ($8.50): One of the major highlights for Wagaya’s patron-entertainment where brave souls are asked to mentally prepare themselves for the unexpected-nostril-flaring-wasabi-burn. The once-apparent approaching fear that if perchance you are unlucky enough to have chosen the wasabi-packed salmon sushi has become lacklustre - this dish (noticeably) has diminished in size, quality and alas even the sole reason for the ordering this dish: the wasabi-filled sushi is less potent and almost tame. The salmon compared from my previously blogged experience is less fatty, lost the texture of fresh salmon and makes you feel like you’ve just guiltily purchased a $10 salmon-variety pack from the faux paux Korean-pretending-to-be-Japanese sushi takeaway counters that litter the Sydney CBD disguised in the form of arguably Wagaya’s signature dish.

Wagaya Salad ($7.50): It tastes rubbery and comparable in taste to the freshly packed pre-made salads you can purchase from the supermarket. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not having a go at how these salads taste (I buy them when I’m lazyyyyyyyy). But when you go to the restaurant and see something being charged at a premium with no additional efforts besides a few kernels of corn (probably canned), a miniscule sliced egg, deep-fried lotus that is soggy and a pathetic blob of mayonnaise, you don’t help but the wonder what the heck is going on.

Lightly grilled salmon and scallop box sushi ($11.90): Wow, they weren’t kidding when they called it “box” sushi; it literally looks like a box is sitting on my sad clump of rice. The salmon is grilled perfectly ….. perfectly bad … it’s dry, charred (to the point of a burnt aftertaste) and the scallop … is just as perfectly bad. Presentation wise it’s o-kayyyyyyy but taste wise … it failed miserably.

Japanese Pizza (unfortunately I forgot to write down the price ><): It’s deliciously cheesy but that’s about as far as complements go. The dough is soggy (I prefer a more crispier texture), which was odd as the pizza came on a hot plate. The chicken pieces are tough and made my jaw sore from chewing.

Takoyaki (once again I forgot to take down the price arghhhh): when served at our table the cheese had already solidified, I didn’t have a piece of octopus in my ball (rage) and the balls just didn’t taste good (…..o_O).

Sukiyaki (Small: $9.90): Unfortunately this came last because it was a last minute order as we were still hungry. This dish was my plan B; the contingency plan; my Valkyrie (yes a deliberate reference to the movie). Did it disappoint? Not-one-bit. It’s got both quality and quantity going for it – the ingredients are perfectly matched with each other and are typical to what you would expect in a sukiyaki. The soup base is delicious in the proportion of soy that has been mixed in: sweet but not too overpowering. The value is fantastic; if you recall from my other Wagaya post I ordered the large size and when comparing it to the small size I suggested to our readers to opt for the smaller one (even if it means getting two). This is now one dish (and probably the only) I would order if I were asked what my choice of dish is the next time (if there is one) I dine at Wagaya.

What do you do when you’re distraught and confused as to how you should react after experiencing a not-so-grand dining experience? Drown your emotions with good ‘ol icecreammm.

From the top left in a clockwise direction: sticky rice, durian, green tea, taro and black sesame from passionflower ($14): sooooo good.

Wagaya
Level 1, 78-86 Harbour Street
Haymarket NSW 2000
Ph for bookings: 9212 6068 (call after 5pm as no one answers before this time)

D

Home Cooking: Serimuka

2009-01-24T23:35:00.010+11:00

my mother's industrious glad wrapping before I could take a photo XD

Thought I would do some dessert for Chinese New Year Reunion dinner tomorrow night and I would contribute a dessert ^^ Plus granny loves the sweet stuff - so I dedicate this to her. This is an old favourite of my family - Serimuka. It is a layer of glutinous rice with a layer of coconut custard... essentially a less thick version of kaya. PS thanks to my fathers plant growing skills I had plenty of pandan leaves to choose from :)

(PS if you are interested in buying a pandan plant please email me or drop me a msg on the blog!)

Recipe: (I 1 1/2 times everything as I used a 23 cm tin rather than a 20cm tin)

Rice layer

300g uncooked glutinous rice washed and soaked overnight
200ml thin coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1 pandanus leaf tied into a knot (ok I threw in 5 leaves cos I love the extra flavour)

1. Wash the glutinous rice in several changes of water. Then cover with fresh water and soak for at least 3 hours (or overnight) and drain the rice
2. Place the rice in a shallow, round or square pan 20cm across. Mix the coconut milk and salt together and add this to the rice
3. Bury the pandanus leaf in the rice and steam until the rice is cooked - 20-30 min (when cooked the rice looks translucent; mine took about 35 min)
4. Remove the leaf and fluff the rice with a fork
5. Then using a cup or something with a flat bottom, cover it with aluminium foil and press the rice down to form an even, compact layer
6. Steam for a further 15 minutes (I did it for 18 min)

trying to bury the pandan leaves

time to fluff up the rice!

smooshed rice

Pandanus Juice (for the custard layer)

6-8 Pandan leaves
150 ml water

1. Cut leaves into 2cm strips and blend with water
2. Strain

Pandan leaves in a jar and my mums barmix

smells of lawn

Custard Layer

3 medium eggs
200ml coconut milk
180g castor sugar
100 ml pandanus juice
4 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp + 1 tsp plain flour

1. Combine eggs, coconut milk and sugar in a mixing bowl, stirring with a whisk or wooden spoon
2. Add pandanus juice, cornflour, plain flour. Stir well until smooth and free of lumps. (I added a couple drops of colouring and a little bit of pandan essence)
3. Strain the mixture into a heatproof bowl an dset this bowl over a pan of gently simmering water
4. Stir continuously until the custard just begins to thicken - do not overcook!
5. Pour this over the rice very gently and pop any large bubbles that appear
6. Steam on a gentle heat (otherwise the custard will have a bubbled surface) until set - 25 min (mine was about 35 and don't open the steamer to keep looking hehehe I was very tempted!)
7. Allow cake to cool

hehehehe so green!!

steaming

YUMMMM!!

Enjoy! ^^

Cupcake

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney (4)

2009-01-21T23:50:00.003+11:00

I would like to start off by apologizing with the lack of posting these past few weeks due to a mixture of tiredness, being short on time and downright laziness haha. Hopefully these coming days/weeks I can inject some inspiration and motivation into my blogging self and of D and cupcake! (D - you got your photos back so post mangs!) Since it is pretty late and I have an early start morrow just a brief overview of yet another wonderful culinary trip to Adriano Zumbo's Cafe Chocolat.

But of course a trip to the patisserie is in order!

Sorry dude but I forgot your name X( but when you get a gateaux named after you, I'll definitely remember
This cake dude was also cool, friendly and helpful just like all the other employees at Adriano Zumbos.

Was lucky enough to snatch up the last Charles

Which one to choose :S?

Mmmm I want to Wheely Wildy Wendy again but I must try the others as well for research purposes haha

I had not seen the Dr. Apple yet. It is so bright and green, must try it next time!

Tomatosalsa's macaroons. She was one happy camper even thought they got a little bit squashed in her bag

Pie pie pie ^^!

Meat pie innards
The previously thought curry pie was actually the meat pie. The delicious mince was scattered with chunky veges and a hint of curry flavour, and is still considered the best pie ever by Pupu.

Charles du jour
Beautifully vanillary in every bite, we could see why this one is so popular and hard to get! This gateaux goes down very smoothly.

Where's the cheese?
The blue cheese was subtle but present and gave it a nice creamy feel to it. Another favourite of mine ^^!

Framboise millefeuille
Another one that is not intended for sharing as it the caramelzied puff pastry was hard to cut but also because it was too tasty to share with others hee hee. Refreshing raspberry flavour seeps out of each bite and the creamy marscapone brings it all together.

Dark and Milk Iced Chocolates

Butterscotch Milkshake
Nowhere as sweet or strong as the first one so not as good haha but still reasonble. Hopefully much stronger next time :D

Miss Marple Deconstructed ($13.50)
Still amazing and perfect, this dessert may have bumped its' way onto number one on my list mmmmmm.

The Younger Years ($13.50)

The Younger Years ($13.50)

The Younger Years ($13.50)
This chocolate and PB fondant still has a place in my heart but the past 2 times I had this were never as good as the first time I tried it. The outer souffle was slightly too dry but the inside was still nicely moist and oozy. The injecting is still fun for the whole table so most definitely worth ordering!

PARIS: La Vie En Rose ($13.50)
This dessert was super refreshing especially in this summer heat. Fresh lychee and strawberry combination provided a juicy treat had a well balance of sweet and sour, while the drink had little balls of sago that were a great change in texture.

My fellow partners in dessertimes

Previous Zumboness:
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney (3)
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney (2)
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat
308 Darling St
Balmain, Sydney
Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm
Saturday and Sunday 8am - 5pm

Adriano Zumbo Patisserie
296 Darling St
Balmain, Sydney

FFichiban

Rengaya - North Sydney, Sydney (2)

2009-01-19T20:19:00.006+11:00

Once again we venture back to the wonderful world of beautifully marbled meats sizzling away on wire meshes, producing an aromatic haven of pure meaty pleasure and sounds that can compete against the soothing effects of Pachelbel's canon (well for me at least :P). Yes, we are back to the yakinikku heaven of Rengaya.

This time we dined in one of the private rooms, which have tatami mats and other traditional Japanese features like a tokonoma and fusuma. I absolutely adore tatami mats as they are so comfy that I could just sleep on them ^^!

Makes me want to go back to Japan!

Pretty cool lights
After embracing the traditional atmosphere we were ready to feast on the delicious and succulent morsels of meat but firstly some salads are in order to restore the balance in the meal ahead ;) Here Comes the Food.

Mix Seaweed Salad ($9.90)
Slimy slivers of seaweed matched with the dried bonito flakes make this salad a real delight to eat. The fresh and crisp vegetables along drizzled in the creamy sesame sauce makes this a promising start for the meal ahead.

Salmon & Avocado Salad ($12.90)
Cool and refreshing chunks of salmon and creamy ice cream scoops of avocado is already perfect by itself but with some fresh greens and semi-dried tomatoes, it all works much better. A squiggle of mayonnaise and dash of cavier gives it the final touches. Though on this occasion it seemed that they cheaped us on the salmon a little bit :(

Beef Tataki Salad ($15.90)
Beautifully seared beef sashimi served with a slice of roasted garlic and ponzu vinegar. For those who have not tried beef sashimi, you must and this would be the perfect dish to convert those non-eaters. The meat is light in flavour but melt in you mouth with a chewier texture than cooked meat.

Premium Ox Tongue ($28.80)
To start of the bbqness we usually go for the fatty beef tongue to get the fires started. The thick juicy cuts of beef tongue are extremely tender and drips oils pretty much as soon as it hits the flames. Must be very carefully with beef tongue, though, as it is easy to overcook.

Thick, juicy tongue
XS I can't remember where I read it (one of the other blogs I am quite sure) but there was this funny quote from someone who doesn't eat tongue," Why would you want to taste something that can taste you back?" Hee hee.

Wagyu Spencer Roll (Premium $39.80)
This artistic cut of meat is from the upper back, near the shoulder region of the moo moo. It is especially soft and juicy when cooked to a medium rare to rare state for maximum taste. There is a choice between salt & pepper and BBQ sauce for most of the meats and I definitely recommend the BBQ sauce as it is the proper pre-bbq ritual for meat imo hee hee. The salt & pepper does not accentuate the flavour of the beef as much.

The Spencer Roll in all its' glory

Wagyu Short Rib (Premium $39.80) - Salt & Pepper

Wagyu Short Rib (Premium $39.80) - BBQ sauce
Ribs are a very tasty part and the short rib is the prime cut of the rib. There is a very high amount of marbling which makes these pieces so soft and fatty that it is almost pure fat haha but without the overwhelming fat taste.

I think the most of the pieces were gone before my camera power was even switched on...

Wagyu Flap Meat ($27.80) - Salt & Pepper

Wagyu Flap Meat ($27.80) - BBQ sauce
This cut is also from the ribs of but it's of a lower marbling (apparantly but from my eye it still seems very highly marbled haha). This cut is still very tasty and is also healthier for you hee hee.

Action flame shots

Wagyu Rib Finger ($27.80) - BBQ sauce
Undeniably my favourite choice at this place beacuse these cubes of tender meat is perfectly balanced in chewiness and texture to flavours. Always end up ordering more of this to go with my Bimbimba!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Stone Pot Mentaiko Bimbimba ($13.90)
Not my personal choice as I am not a big fan of the roe taste but this is definitely worth it for the roe lovers.

Stone Pot Negi-Yukke Bimbimba ($13.90)
The stone pot is a genius invention as it cooks the rice and meat to a crispiness like no other. The fresh negi also acts as a buffer to prevent the meat from overcooking.

I must get one of these one day and a coal burner to bring it to the right temp. Pity it is too big and hot to hide under my shirt :( hee hee jkjk.

My cousin's handiwork hee hee ^^! The poor poor sweet potato....

Rengaya may be pricey but the meat is worth it! Just once in a while spurlge on this wonderful meal as too much will result in cardiovascular disease.

Other ZOMGBBQ posts:
Kohya - Neutral Bay, Sydney.
Sydney Madang - Sydney CBD, Sydney.
Father's Day Part 2 (Rengaya - North Sydney, Sydney)
Suminoya - City, Sydney

Rengaya
73 Miller St
North Sydney
Ph: (02) 9929 6169

Lunch:
12:00pm - 3:00pm / Tue-Fri

Dinner:
6:00pm - 10:30pm / 7 Days
except the second and fourth Monday of every month.

FFichiban

Raavi's Cumin - Crows Nest, Sydney

2009-01-15T21:51:00.004+11:00

I must admit I am a HUGE fan of curry in all forms, flavours, consistencies and colours. So I am very surprised that I have not done a post on an Indian restaurant as of yet. I don't really know that many good Indian curry restaurants in Sydney but Raavi's Cumin is one of my favourite spots to fill up on some creamy curry goodness.

Articles about Raavi's Cumin
I especially found the Japanese clipping to be amusing :)

Raavi's Cumin serves Punjabi cuisine, which is from the Punjab region of Northern India and Eastern Pakistan. As soon as you walk in the modern styled setting with Indian decor is very striking, full of deep rich reds, and makes you feel right at home. The aroma of cumin (naturally), saffron and other masalas hit you as soon as you enter the restaurant and activates the salivary glands. The lighting the perfect dining mood as it is not too bright to pierce the eyes but bright enough to see what you are eating.

Rug
Here Comes the Food

Pappadums
Crispy deep-fried flaky pappadums are the perfect start to the meal. Each bite results in a satisfying crunch and served with mint yogurt, each bite is also cool and refreshing.

Mango Lassi
I love mango lassi! Cool, refreshing and sweet makes the perfect compliment to any food. The one here is particularly thick and creamy. I think that is why they give the double straw, because with only one straw our faces would going red from trying to suck up the delicious but thick nectar.

Lahoree Champ ($15.50) - Ineffably aromatic and succulent Lamb Cutlets studded with fresh ground peppercorns and chargrilled to perfection - Another mouth watering creation by our Chef/Owner, inspired by the Lahore region in the Old Punjab
These lamb cutlets were succulent indeed with a beautiful chargrill flavour and tenderly soft meat. The taste of these cutlets are amazing and the only problem I found were that the portions were too small.

Murg Makhani ($17.90) - Otherwise known as Butter Chicken! No menu is complete without this all time Aussie favourite!! Smoked marinated Chicken cooked in a rich creamy tomato sauce, subtly flavoured with Fenugreek leaves
I know this is nowhere near what traditional curries are, but I just adore the richness and creaminess of Butter Chicken. The sweet and tender chunks of chicken just explode with the flavour of the curry and I have to restrain myself to not lick the bowl clean afterwards.

Beef Korma ($17.90) - Beef pieces cooked in a cashew and almond gravy, laced with mild spices and yogurt
The curry for this dish was perfect as the thick gravy produced a wonderful combination of flavours that dance across the tongue. The beef was the disappointing part, as it was a bit tough and dry. I recommend the Korma curry but with Lamb instead as the lamb is a much more tender and succulent meat.

Palak Paneer ($15.50) - A traditional blend of cottage cheese cubes tossed in Spinach and finished with a tempering of chopped garlic and cumin - This is one of the most popular contemporary dishes with the Vegetarians that never goes out of style
Another one of my favourite curries is this blended spinach and cubes of soft squishy cheese ^^! It may have the texture of mush but that is also part of why I like it because it all just works together, the flavours, textures and colours. There is another dish (Palak Makai) which uses corn kernels instead cottage cheese which I want to try next time.

Jeera Pulav ($5) - Fragrant basmati rice laced with a tempering of royal cumin - A great alternative to plain rice
Basmati rice is great as it is low in GI and tastes fantastic, especially when smothered in beautifully creamy curries like I what I had haha. The lacing of cumin also added another dimension of flavour to the rice and made it just a tad more compatible with curries.

Plain Naan ($2.50)
Nothing beats fresh Naan out of the tandoor. There were wonderful crispy bits and beautiful fluffy bits which soak up the curry and gives everything a delicious floury hit. This is the best Naan for eating with curries and you can get the full richness of the curry without anything to distract you from it.

Garlic Naan ($3)
Another tasty Naan with a sprinkling of garlic on top. Simply delicious.

Cheese Naan ($3.50)
Cheese + Naan = Heaven ^^! The hot stringy cheese inside the soft fluffy Naan is pure gold and I could eat this as a meal in itself. Although if using to clean up curry, the cheese may divert your tastebuds from the full flavour of the curry.

Pudina Paratha ($3.50)
Layered wholemeal bread with a touch of mint is deliciously crispy and crunchy. Different to soft and fluffy Naan but still very good and worth ordering!

Gulab Jamun ($6)
This dessert was a great note to end off the meal with. The dough was slightly fried and then allowed to swim in a pool of sweet maple syrup. The interior is hot and soft and each bite is like biting into a pillow of deliciousness ^^!

Raavi's Cumin is close to home and serves good hearty curries which is why I will keep coming for more until I drown in curry or overload on cheese Naan XD You may have noticed why I have only ordered mild curries this time and that is because I was dining with my cousin who is a complete chilli wuss haha. Next time I will hopefully add some heat to the post ;)

I love curry and I am definitely Addicted to Curry ^^! For any other people out there that are nerdy enough to read manga like me, Addicted to Curry is the perfect manga! A mixture of comedy and food is the best!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addicted_to_Curry

Other Curriful times:
Cafe Mix - The Rocks, Sydney
Samy's Kitchen - the photos I promised!

Raavi's Cumin
2 Burlington St
Crows Nest, 2065
Ph: (02) 9436 3669

FFichiban

Ajisen Ramen - Haymarket, Sydney

2009-01-12T16:46:00.005+11:00

Like most other foodies out there, we are always in search for the perfect Japanese ramen in the city of Sydney. Ajisen Ramen is one of the many participants in this creamy, brothy competition of the perfect balance between brewing times, temperatures and all the other factors which make the ultimate meal for any time of day.

Ajisen Ramen's secrets revealed!
A good quality tonkotsu soup requires lots of patience, fresh ingredients and skills that only a Japanese ramen otaku has. Therefore, the level of the tonkotsu soup can be used to compare with other ramen joints and to ramen heaven - Japanland.

Pretty good value considering that this place is not cheap

Fried Garlic
A condiment that I found to be worth its' weight in gold! Fragrant but not particularly overpowering unless you add a lot.

Takoyaki
Octopus balls with a crispy outer shell and molten batter inside, dancing bonito flakes on top and a drizzle of sweet mayo and takoyaki sauce could not get much better. These ones were not bad but the Colotako ones were still better imo.

Tonkatsu Ramen
I try not to order any combination of deep friedness with ramen because it all goes soggy and makes me a sad panda.

Ajisen Ramen
The most basic of ramens with thing slices of pork which were quite tasty but too small in size. The broth was a bit too plain and not as collagenated as I had hoped. The egg was a disappointment with it being quite hard boiled :( The noodles were mediocre and were obviously packaged ramen.

Tontoro Ramen
This was the one that had me captivated my first visit to Ajisen. The broth was creamier than the normal one and the meat was much tastier as well, with a nice charr level and flavour. This is the one I recommend to all first-timers.

Teriyaki Beef Ramen
My most recent visit had me stuck between trying something new or getting the Tontoro. This one is definitely for the sweettooth and since I am one, I was very happy with this one. The sweet teriyaki sauce was oozing from the meat so that even the soup tasted like it. The meat was tender and had a good amount of fat to give it good flavour.

Beef Curry Ramen
Can't go wrong with curry ramen ^^! Didn't try this one but looked and smelt quite the good.

Tonkatsu Set
The set looks nice with a good varietyof different nibblies but I did not try so maybe next time.

Ajisen Ramen does have reasonably good ramen but considering the price, it should be even better. The broth is not as good as Ryo's and the eggs were disappointing but there are some good qualities about some of their dishes.

The Paiku Ramen or the Tenderous Ribs side have very very tender meat which melt in the mouth and ooze deliciousness into the mouth. Their Tan Tan Ramen packs a serious punch with it so it really means business. Ajisen Ramen is quite popular as it does have branches all around the world so it is worth a try. They also provide good entertainment with J-pop MTV or other asian MTVs including Jay Chou (lol).

Other Rameny posts:
Ryotei Ramen - Crows Nest, Sydney.
Menya - Haymarket, Sydney.
The F Word (and I don't mean food this time)
Ryotei Ramen - Crows Nest, Sydney (3)
Dan Dan Ramen - Neutral Bay, Sydney

Ajisen Ramen
94 Hay St
Haymarket, 2000
Ph: (02) 9211 8380

There is also a new branch that opened at World Square I think.

FFichiban

Bake Day with Cousins

2009-01-12T13:23:00.016+11:00

So during the holidays I usually organise something with my little cousins - that I adore to death - and this time I wanted to teach them to bake a couple simple things to satisfy their sweet tooth (or is it tooths or teeth?? :P) PS my internet skills are horrible - so click the full post if you want the cupcake recipe to! - don't know how to fix it ><

Baking Task 1: Green Tea Cupcakes with Green Tea Icing
Here are some photos from our little bit of fun ^^

Recipe (makes about 2 dozen)
3 tbsp Macha Powder
2 3/4 C plain flour
2 tsps baking powder
200g softened unsalted butter
1 3/4 C castor sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 C milk

1. Preheat the oven to 120 and line your muffin trays wit cupcake paper
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder
3. In a separate bowl cream the butter until almost whitish
4. Add the castor sugar sugar a third at a time beating for about 2 mins after ea addition. After the last addition beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolbe
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 min after each or until mixture is light and fluffy
6. Add the vanilla extract and macha powder - beat until combined
7. Add a third of the flour to the mixture and beat, then 1/2 the milk then beat, other 1/3 of the flour then beat, then 1/2 the milk and then the last 1/3 of the flour.
8.Beat until throughly combined
9. Spoon mixture into cupcake papers filling to 3/4 full
10. Bake fot about 20 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean

My kitchenaid baby with the batter ^^

Cupcake cups!!!

Icing:
2 C (or more!) Icing sugar
2 Tbsp milk
200gm Butter
2 Tbsp Macha powder

Combine the above ingredients in mixer until stiff. If the mixture is not stiff enough add more icing sugar

Iced and prettied by my artistic cousins!

Baking Task 2: Fish Bowl Trifle (only cos the bowl looked like a fish bowl hehehe)

This is just fairly ad hoc and just fun for the kids to get their hands a bit dirty throwing in the berries and playing with the hand beater to make whipped cream ^^

12 Jam rolls
2 packs of 40gm jelly - raspberry or strawberry or one of each
Thick Vanilla Custard (500 ml)
Sherry
Thickened Cream
Frozen berries - we used 400 gm blueberries and 400gm raspberries

1. Prepare your jelly - follow the instructions on the box and wait until set
2. Cut the jam rolls into 1-2cm slices and line the bottom part of the bowl you are using
3. Soak with sherry either spooning or pouring over the cake
4. Take half your jelly and layer it on top of the jam rolls
5. Pour on half the custard
6. Sprinkle 1/3 of the berries on top
7. Repeat
8. Whip the cream until thick with electric beater
9. Layer the cream on top and sprinkle the rest of the berries
10. Refrigerate for a few hours

Yummmm berries

So that was an afternoon + dessert ^^

Cafe Mix - The Rocks, Sydney

2009-01-07T16:22:00.002+11:00

Cafe Mix of the Shangri-La Hotel used to be one of my favourite buffet haunts but since the hotel changed from ANA Hotel to Shangri-La Hotel, the quality of the food had gone downhill. It has been too long a time since my last visit so it was a very reminiscing experience to once again dine here. Using the a bunch of We Love Sydney cards a group of us were able to eat at half price! What a bargain! Another reason why it was worth it to come eat here, because normally it would not be really worth it in my opinion.

Hotels are very good at displaying the better cars outside to "show off" and I was lucky enough to spot a few good ones hee hee

Cafe Mix may be on the 1st floor but Altitude and Blu Horizon Bar have an astounding and breath-taking of the view of the city, espically at nighttime, on level 36

Pretty drop-shaped lights in the lobby (would be better if I waited til dark to take it)

These balls were also very pretty and they still had a tree up wheeee. They also had a duo on the piano and guitar playing sweet and soft loungy/chill music which is perfect when you are just sitting and having a drink in cushy seats.

Chandeliar leading down to the foyer

I really like this piece so swirly and curvy (haha yes I am pro at using arty words... -___-)

The wall leading to the entrance, very nicely done :)

Cafe Mix is called thus, due to the variety of cuisine stations which provides a mixture of flavours around the world.

Since we are here for the buffet we dig right in... Here Comes the Food!

The first island you see is the exquisite dessert island but I shall talk more about that later ;)

DIY salad bar
I tend to start buffets with a plate of fresh greens like baby spinach and rocket so I don't feel so bad about all the nutrient-free foods I'll be eating later hee hee.

Oysters
There were oysters ready to be shucked out of their shells and into our mouths nom nom. They seemed reasonably fresh and tasty with only a squirt of lemon juice required. Next to these oysters were the antipastos of olives, tomatoes and other goodies.

Prawns
This is where I hope to eat my money's worth! Accompanied by thousand island dressing I should have kept hitting this bar instead of the others haha.

Us being typical asian hee hee

Me being... me ^^!

Moving onto the hot food, this is where Cafe Mix fails to impress me :(

Western Mix

Roast Potatoes with Sage and Pasta with Bolinas Sauce
The potatoes were mediocre, nothing special, and the pasta was actually not as bad as I thought it would be but since it was pasta (and carbs are filling) I decided not to have too much of it.

Steamed Snapper with Coriander Sauce and Roast Pork with Apple Jus
I did not try the snapper because I am not too fond of the head and I forgot to get it later on haha and the pork was too tough so disappointing. The apple jus was pleasant though, with a tinge of sweetness.

Japan Mix
Fresh selection of nigiri, though I would prefer sashimi as you won't fill up on rice but I think almost everyone just ate the fish and left the rice anyway :S There were also miso soup and a mushroom soup next to this station which were not bad.

China Mix
A selection of dumplings and typical chinese dishes were on hand. I try not to eat too much chinese at a buffet because I have lots of chinese food elsewhere haha.

India Mix
Curries and naan were what I was aiming for. There was a lamb curry which was pretty tasty but not strong enough in the spice depatment. The naan was light and fluffy and ended up eating more than I should have.

Random plate
Now onto dessert island whheeee!

Milk and dark chocolate fountains on either end and a wide selection of cakes, jellies, pastries, tarts and brulee in between ^^! There is also ice cream on one end so you could make your own combination of desserts yum!

So much yum!

Random dessert shot
I must say, the creme brulee is probably the best dessert there so it is worth it to fight or ask for it haha. The chocolate fountains are also very fun and I admit... I dropped a marshmallow into the dark one haha.

To summarize once again, if you love prawns and oysters and desserts then this is the sort of place for you! Remember to prepare youself for a good stuffing of food and wear some baggy pants hee hee.

Other Hotel buffets:
Corn Exchange Restaurant at Four Points Sheraton - Sydney CBD, Sydney

Cafe Mix
Level 1, Shangri-La Hotel
176 Cumberland Street
The Rocks, 2000

FFichiban

Ubud - Kingsford, Sydney.

2009-01-06T17:24:00.002+11:00

Ubud can be described as one of the most well presented Indonesian restaurants in Sydney in terms of atmosphere and setting. The wall is decorated by lanterns, stone-carved pictures and the incense that infuses the room with an addictively welcoming and invigorating scent that can only be described as the dreamy smell that makes you reminisce sipping young coconut juice on the beach bar of Bali. Anybody know what the scent they burn is? I need it desperately.

Though I highly commend the ambience of Ubud, it appears their dishes can simply described as hit-or-miss. After sampling a variety of dishes which are the most basic ones you could order from an Indonesian place; it felt like Ubud’s selling point was their setting rather than the food (though there was a gem found – read further!)

Here Comes The Food

Udang Goreng Mentega: Deep fried King prawn and Stir Fried with Sweet Soya Sauce and Onion. A very sweet composition of ingredients which would normally be successful however it sadly failed as there was a lack of authenticity. The soy was thickened to gooey consistency and overpowered the sweet chunk of prawn which was generous and not overcooked. The onions were also a bit undercooked and had the jarring taste that comes with it as a result. Overall, a dish that should have been easy to execute but simply did not hit the mark – smelled great but lacked taste.

Soto Ayam: A traditional indonesia chicken soup that simply missed as it did not taste anything like chicken. There was no sense of a expected hearty flavour that has infused the broth which would be achieved through a slow simmer. Rather, the soup was watery and the only flavour that could be tasted was the fried onion and fresh green shallots that had been sprinkled on top.

Kangkung Cah: Stir Fried Morning Glory with Shrimp Paste: Another dish that didn’t hit the mark; it did not have the intense smell of shrimp paste that you should waft furiously craving for attention as the dish is served. It simply tasted like basic wok-fried greens with garlic. This dish is so simple yet there was a lack of any shrimp paste at all.

Beef Rendang: Traditional beef curry which falls easily to apart into pieces when jabbed at with your fork; this dish when compared to its predecessors was definitely tastier and had a refined sense of authenticity about it. The mild curry did not overpower the tenderness of the beef which was flavoursome and resulted in a second order.

Ayam Bumbu Ubud: Grilled Chicken with Special Ubud Sauce was a combination of sambal, a gritty peanut sauce and the smokey-taste from the grilling process. Not a bad dish, but for me the sauce wasn’t as “special” as I hoped.

Ayam Goreng Ubud: Nothing stood out about this dish either; yes it is ayam goreng and there’s nothing more you can do to make it better than it is, but when compared to places that also serve this dish such as Ayam Goreng 99; a question arises of why you would pay $12.90 for half a chicken – when you could go elsewhere and pay for the same dish at a lower price but be given something that makes you foodgasm.

Lodeh: A vegetable curry which was the aforementioned ‘gem’ in the introduction to this entry. The curry was not watery but had the liquid-consistency to be poured and soaked with rice. What made this curry delicious was the coconut milk that had been generously infused into the ingredients causing a sweet yet still subtle flavour to accentuate the muted flavour of the vegetables. By far, my favorite dish of the meal.

Ubud - Indonesian Restaurant

582 Anzac Parade
Kingsford NSW 2032
Sydney, Australia

Telephone
02 9344 4961

Trading Hours
Dinner: 6 nights (Tuesday - Sunday)
Tuesday - Thursday, Sunday: 6pm - 9pm
Friday - Saturday: 6pm - 10pm
Monday: Closed

D

My Favourite Hunter Valley Wineries

2009-01-05T18:16:00.012+11:00

So after a long hiatus of not posting anything I thought I might put up some choice parts of our family Hunter Valley trip :) I wanted to share my favourite wineries because of their excellent service and choice of wines ^^ Though there are so many in the Hunter these are 2 I would recommend any one to go to - Tempus Two and

Tempus Two

This place looks amazing from the outside! Modern, sleek and pumps out the grooviest music ie Ministry of sound. Not only has it got a cellar, but a wine room, cafe, japanese/thai restaurant and also a deli called the Smelly Cheese shop - talk about your diversifying :P Anyways the thing that really caught me about this place is that they were the first to ask us what kind of wines we liked. Notoriously my sister, mum and I love sweet wines and really the lady that looked after us showed us a host of wines that hit it right on the head. She started with a sort of rose called Aja blush, moved then to a muscato white wine, then 2 dessert wines - their labelled tempus two semillion and a honey port which ws very much sweeter.

Stash number 1!

Busy Day

Pretty lights ^^

Drayton Wines

It is just so nice when the actual owners of the winery service the customers and takes a very active interest in how their wines are tasted and bottled. Robyn Drayton who is the 5th generation Drayton heiress and her staff were absolutely beautiful! They showed us a few of their reds and whites just because they recommended them before we got to try their infamous ports. Their wines were a bit to dry for me but their white port and limited edition tawny port were absolutely amazing :D They squeezed a lime with their white port which puts an interesting twist on their wine and some orange juice with their tawny port. Definitely scooped a bottle of both - she even poured us a brand new bottle on the spot. Their devonshire tea was suppose to be excellent so I do recommend going there in the afternoon for it - but we unfortunately didn't have the time ><

The tasting bar - spit buckets included

Port port port - signed by Robyn Drayton!

hehehehe

Robertson Pie Shop - Robertson, south of Sydney

2009-01-04T19:49:00.008+11:00

For those who are traveling south for a holiday or a relaxing drive should consider stopping by at this landmark - Robertson Pie Shop. Yet another pie craving has set in but this time we were coming back to Sydney from a beach trip down to Jervis Bay and so this seemed like a good detour to take for a bite to eat and resting up.

Welcome to the Famous (Robertson Pie Shop)
En.elle was the only one who has been to here before so he was the experienced one that we turned to for suggestions.

So much choice!
Typical of a pie shop there were glass cabinets displaying the tasty pastries varying in flavours, sizes and designs.

Sweet pastries

Family sized pies

The many awards they have won and articles they have featured in

More and more pies
Here Comes the Food

Curry Beef ($4)
This curry beef pie had soft and tender chunks of beef and had a good soft and flaky pastry to accompany it. The curry flavour was not very strong but it was noticeable.

Chilli ($4)
With flakes of chilli, this pie provides a mild burn for those who are in search of some heat.

Steak and Mushroom ($4)
Chunks of beef and mushroom provide a wonderful combination of flavours from this choice.

Beef, Bacon and Cheese ($4)
This was my favourite of the choices mainly because it had cheese haha. This was also the flavour that was recommended by the staff when we asked. There was not that much bacon but some bites contained the little firmer pieces of salty goodness.

Lemon Tart ($3.90)
All I know is that you cannot go wrong with a cute face on food :)

Apple Turnover ($3.20)

I found that even though the Beef, Bacon and Cheese pie was really good, Pie in the Sky does pies better so the next pie crave shall be satisfied up north.

Other Pie Posts:
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney (3)
Pie Face - Sydney
Pie in the Sky (PIT Stop) - Cowan, Sydney

Robertson Pie Shop
Cnr Jamberoo Rd & Illawarra Hwy
Robertson, 2577
Ph: (02) 4885 1330

FFichiban

New Years Eve 2008: Flying Fish - Pyrmont, Sydney

2009-01-02T16:38:00.014+11:00

Happy New Year everyone from team HCTF ^^! This year has gone by so quickly, too much to eat and with only 3 meals a day we have to squeeze in as much eating we can hee hee. Hope everyone had a good year and enjoyed the wonderful fireworks around the world :) I have seen some very impressive fireworks photos on other blogs which shows much dedication and patience since good spots fill up really really early! This year for me, instead of battling it out at Blues Point (Pupu's favourite spot), we enjoyed the family 9pm fireworks from Jones Bay Wharf at Pyrmont and the midnight fireworks a bit further away at Glebe.

Flying Fish at Jones Bay Wharf has a brilliant location and a stunning view being just a few steps from the water. The dining room is also a thing of beauty with an outdoor bar, an open kitchen and beautiful wooden features mixed with glittering lights and an impressive wine selection.

BUT one big problem that really bugged me (no pun intended :P) was that there were hordes of insects flying around the dining room. Which was definitely a dining experience killer, especially when one of them falls into my drink haha but they promptly replaced it. The service here is quite good except our main waiter was a bit rough with his service.

Outdoor bar with some cushy seats as well. Good place to chill with a sunset view and some cocktails!

Open kitchen downstairs with a second kitchen upstairs.

Complimentary champange wheee bubbly!
The New Years Eve menu was 3 courses with 3 choices per course so there was quite a variety of dishes.

MooBrew
Tasmanian beer which was had a striking resemblance to BeezNeez but not as sweet. I was hoping deep down that there might be a slight taste of beef since it had Moo in its name but then again, a beef-flavoured beer would be weird :S This reminds me of Pizza Beer... anyone tasted? It seems interesting.

Here Comes the Food.

Complimentary bread
A choice between soy & linseed and white. The white roll I had was cold so that was slightly disappointing but the soy & linseed was soft and warm.

Roast quail breast with puy lentils, braised leg and confit parsnips
I was not able to example this entree but it did look very good and tender.

Prawn tortellini with prawn consomme, scampi and vongie
There tortellini were actually quite similar to asian dumplings but with a big western twist. The pipis were not cleaned properly as there were sand crystals in them.

Seared yellow fin tuna with ruby red grapefruit and sweet pork crackling
The beautiful peppery sweet sauce enhanced by the sourness of the grapefruit really brings out the natural sweetness of the tuna. The slices were fresh and seared with great skill. The pork was tender and the crackling could not be improved upon, unless they increased the amount of it.

Sweetpea veloute with truffle cream
A creamy sauce and the truffle cream tasted beautifully buttery but with the mildest hint of truffle that I did not pick it up at first.

Sushi bar like area but since it was a set menu it was mostly empty

Fresh salad
Crispy salad leaves mixed with a sweet vinaigrette dressing makes for a tasty side dish.

Homemade chips
Hot with a crunchy outside layer, these chips are some of the best chips I have had in a long time. Very addictive, I could eat these all day long.

Pan roasted kingfish with cuttlefish risotto, sweet corn puree and chicken jus
Coming to a resturant called Flying Fish you have to try their seafood right? Their kingfish was good but nothing special mainly because it was cooked to a medium rather than the medium rare they said it would be done. The meat was still soft and flaky but the crackling kingfish skin was just perfect. The cuttlefish risotto was also very tasty of little chunks of soft but firm cuttlefish. The sweet corn puree accompany the fish very well as it had a delicious creamy texture.

Roasted duck breast with potato gratin, caramelized pearl onions and soubise puree
I did not try this either but it also looked very tantalizing with beautifully pink duck meat.

Glittering lights

Flying Fish lights

Ultra low angle extreme close up shot!

Wine wall

Wine wall 2

White chocolate parfait with raspberry sorbet and caramelized puff
Great contrast between sweet and sour, with the fresh raspberries and the white chocolate. There was not much of a puff but more of a pastry base but very tasty indeed.

Almond and pistachio torte with sesame and burnt honey ice cream
Deconstructed so you can try each part individually or combining the flavours to create an awesome blur of flavours in the mouth. I found the sesame crunch to be quite addictive haha.

Brulee tart with mango sorbet and lime jus
The crack of the caramelized sugar on the brulee is always exciting ^^! Creamy and smooth with specks of vanilla, this brulee gets a thumbs up from me. The mango sorbet was also cool and refreshing with a strip of lime jelly.

Petit Fours

Curse my shaky hand or else I would have had much better photos of the 9pm fireworks.

Overall Flying Fish was a very pleasant dining experience if there weren't any bugs flying around but the food was fantastic and definitely worth trying especially when there is not a set menu.

Happy Eating in 2009 everyone ^^!

Flying Fish
Jones Bay Wharf - Lower deck
19-21 Pirrama Rd
Pyrmont, 2009 (hee hee it is year 2009 too! Simple things entertain simple minds XP)
Ph: (02) 9518 6677
Head Chef Jodie Wallace and Peter Kuruvita

FFichiban

Cupcake's Xmas Feast

2008-12-30T16:35:00.009+11:00

After a long posting hiatus I think a Christmas post is a good one to revitalize this blog ^^!

Merry Christmas everyone!!
Christmas time is definitely celebration time and what is the best means of celebrating? Through food, food and more food of course! A big thanks to Cupcake for inviting us to a Bring-a-dish feast! It was great fun and great food from all who came, and we ate till we were stuffed... then ate some more! Especially with all the tasty desserts mmmmmm. One problem with a feast like this is that I tend to eat too much and ignore my duties as cameraman haha so I have left out a few dishes like en.elle's Mi goreng :P (which was actually an Italian pasta dish) , D and C's Greek/Mediterranian salad and a few others I think :S

but enough talk because Here Comes the Food.

You really do lean something everyday. I found out that the Asian turning table thingy was actually called a Lazy Susan. Thank you Susan for being infamously lazy and coming up with this turning-table thingy :)

Rumballs
These delicious little bites were one of Cupcakes many tantalizing desserts! Yuummmmmmm ^^! Best part was we got to take some home as well :D

Tomato salad
D and C realised that they had too many tomatoes so made a tomato salad along with their Greek/Mediterranian one. They also added some balsamic vinegar to this which made it well-balanced between sweetness and sourness.

Meatcake!
For those who are uneducated in the ways of the Meatcake please read up SuperSized Meals. Just search for meatcakes and many many mmmaaanny entries would pop up hee hee. This was Cupcake's second meatcake that I know of (First one was actually my B'day Present ^^!) and it was just as delicious with a harmony of mince, peas and carrots smothered in mash potatoes and finally topped off with cheese before reheating. Yummmmeatcakkkee!

Bake bake bake

Oven Bake Corn Flake Crumb Chicken
Pupu and I got this recipe from SGCC so big thanks to her for this tasty crunchy and juicy drumstick recipe. As you can see my crumbing skills were lacking either that or I missed a crucial step in how to make the crumb stick to the chicken :( I used creamy evaporated milk so maybe that caused for the poor crumbing :( But the recipe was really really delicious and a must try!

That is not my oven mitt.... unfortunately haha

Curry puffs/triangles
This was tomatosalsa's tasty contribution - curry puffs/triangles! Mild in spiciness so it was enjoyed by all but still with a rich curry flavour oozing from the centre with each bite. She used filo pastry so it doesn't really puff up.

Ham, avocado, tomato and lettuce puff

Smoked salmon, lettuce and corn cracker

Pesto Penne Pasta
Dannythemanny and V brought us some very appetizing starters and a wonderful pasta dish that was tasty either cold or hot. The crispy texture of the puff matched well with the creamy avocado and squirt of tomato flavour while the penne sprinkled with semi-dried tomatoes and spinach leaves was refreshing and left the pesto flavour swirling around our mouths.

Decadent brownies and luscious mixed berry cheescake

Brownie with 'snow sugar'
Beautifully moist and rich, Cupcake's brownies are definitely some of the best I have ever tasted. She is one of the reasons for my experimenting in the kitchen after all haha. Oh thank you great Sensei!

Mixed Berry Cheesecake
C's cheesecake was so good that she actually made 2 the night before but kept one for herself!!! The crumbly dark base balanced well with the thick and rich creamy cake. The fruits were a big bonus and added a pleasant berry injection.

Sticky Date Pudding

My first piece... out of 3 or so?

Cupcake's Sticky date Pudding was absolute bliss! Soft, sticky and sweet, I was floating to heaven with each bite of the warm pudding and cool ice cream. I could have eaten the whole dish by myself if there wasn't this concept of sharing... :P

Cupcake also just got back from Vietnam where she got the special poopy coffee beans for quite a reasonable price there. These beans have been ingested by weasels, where they undergo some special reaction to enhance the flavour of them. Once they pass through their systems, they are cleaned (hopefully many times and properly) and then sold in precious bags.

Weasel poop coffee beans

I am not a coffee expert since I don't drink coffee anymore but the other fellow feasters were quite impressed with this type.

Thanks again to everyone and especially Cupcake for this great Xmas feast XD! Hope everyone out there had delicious meals and Happy New Year!

FFichiban

Little Gordon & Coco Krispies

2008-12-22T22:11:00.005+11:00

Pupu brought to my attention this awesome little guy - Little Gordon. He may not be as experienced or as hunk-o'-man as the real thing but he a pretty good little actor and got the attitude down f'ing spot on. So watch watch ^^!

Now onto a little recipe that I read from a book a while ago but forgot which one...

I don't have the exact recipe but this is my version of what I recorded down

Coco Krispies (makes 24)
20 x fun size Mars bars
4.5 cups of Coco pops
100g butter (room temp.)

Line 24 muffin pans with paper cases (or baking paper like me).

Chop all but 4 Mars bars coarsely and slice the last 4 Mars bars into slices of 6 to top off the krispies.

Melt the coarsely chopped Mars bars and butter in a pot, stir over low heat and add in the Coco Pops. Stir to evenly coat all the Coco Pops evenly with the gooey, yummy goodness.

Spoon into cases as fast as you can as it will harden when it cools, top off with the slices of Mars and then refrigerate for at least 30 mins.

*The recipe actually called for melted milk chocolate to spread on top before topping with the Mars bar slices but as usual I ran out of time so I left that out :( Next time I shall definitely add some melted chocolate though!

Finished and refrigerated

Packaged and ready to go on Beach trip whheeee!
We just came back from Beach trip so we have plenty of catching up/commenting to do yay!
Also D is back from Japanland so I am awaiting his 10 page Special Japanese Toilet Edition post!

FFichiban

Mino - Mosman, Sydney

2008-12-17T22:19:00.007+11:00

When I first arrived outside Mino, I immediately thought 'How could I have not known about this place until recently!?!?' I had read about the authentic and traditional kaiseki style menu that this place offers but I was then pleasantly surprised by how many good food guide mentions it had recieved.

So much awesome I had to take a photo!

As soon as we entered we were greeted warmly and provided with the utmost service throughout the whole night. Mino carries a great atmosphere, the lighting is just right or couple dining or group outing, and I loved the wooden decor around especially the hanging grid.

Since we were here , we had to try the kaiseki menus and there is a choice between Mino and Goshu. For $55 and $59, respectively, the banquet menus are quite good for value considering the great dishes you get ^^! Kaiseki menus are traditionally served at tea ceremonies as they are supposed to enhance the flavour and taste of tea. I may not have had any tea with this banquet but the food was sure on the money so Here Comes the Food.

Appetizer - Steamed Japanese Kuruma-prawns with plum dressing
Light and fresh, the perfect way to start off this banquet. Beautifully crispy and crunchy wisps on top contrast the soft texture of prawn. I am not sure why this is called a 'car' prawn so if already knows please enlighten me thx :)

Appetizer - Sea Eel and crab meat tempura rolled in yuba with ponzu dressing
I did not get to try this but the smells and visuals of this dish were very appealing and a content face informed me this was another great starter.

Sashimi - Chef's Selection of today's Sashimi (two kinds of fish) with special blend soy sauce (Goshu menu also received a fresh oyster)
The sashimi was fresh and cool but was not as good as the sashimi I had a Sushi Studio. There were residue droplets of water on the plate which might indicate that this dish was prepared earlier and just fridged.

Assorted Grilled Entree - Kingfish and Shimeji mushroom with Ponzu-mayonnaise, Seafood and Vegetable Japanes style potage soup, Tempura of asparagus wrapped in thinly sliced duck and Tataki (seared) scallop salad topped with salmon roe and dill served with Japanese vinaigrette

Kingfish and Shimeji mushroom with Ponzu-mayonnaise
All of these small dishes were great hits. They had pretty well balanced and beautiful combination of flavours and textures. The potage soup was slightly thick and creamy with a fresh and distinct taste of vegetables. The tempura was good but the duck was very very thin indeed, maybe a bit too thin in my opinion hee hee. Lotus on top was crunchy and yum :) The scallop tataki was bites of sweetness but the salmon roe kind of lowered its' rating for me. The grilled kingfish was probably the best of them all even though it was very difficult to tell. The meat was soft and deliciously tender and the ponzu-mayonnaise matched it very well.

Assorted Grilled Entree - Grilled silver cod fillet marinated in saikyo miso paste, Seafood and Vegetable Japanes style potage soup, Fried ground prawn and vegetable spring rools (rolls), Tataki (seared) wa-gyu beef salad with ginger dressing and Deep fried soft shell crab with green tea salt
I only tried the silver cod which was magically soft and flakey and the spring rolls which was nothing special but still quite tasty, crunchy outside and yummy prawny inside.

For the main we had a choice between about 9 items on a list:

Mains - Japanese style beef steak, Rice, Miso soup, Japanese pickles
This picture does not give the steak justice at all. The meat was tender and beautifully marbled, not sure what grade it was, but the quality was definitely good and cooked to a medium rare so the flavour really stood out. The sauce was a sweet sesame and miso sauce which did not overpower the beef unless you really gave it a good drowning.

Mains - Fried sword fish with light teriyaki sauce and vegetables
The sword fish was also another highlight with its juicy meat. The sauce was indeed light and was only a subtle innuendo to the natural fish flavour.

Mains - Eel Kabayaki served on rice with teriyaki sauce, Miso soup and Japanese pickles

Dessert - Green tea ice cream, Chocolate with Kinako powder and Black sesame ice cream

Dessert - Green tea ice cream and Chocolate with Kinako powder
The ice cream had very well distribution of green tea powder throughout it and had a delicious creaminess. The dark chocolate was also brilliant and had me craving for more.

The wait in-between dishes were not very long but a way to entertain ourselves hee hee whheee make them fly

Chef Takaaki Nakoji walked us to the dinner after our meal, how very nice ^^!

Other delectable degustations:
Waqu - Crows Nest, Sydney
Rise - Darlinghurst, Sydney

Mino
521 Military Rd
Mosman 2088
Ph: (02) 9960 3351
Chef: Takaaki Nakoji

FFichiban

Kohya - Neutral Bay, Sydney.

2008-12-16T18:44:00.002+11:00

There’s nothing quite like the warm fuzzy sensation you get when it’s torrentially pouring outside; whilst the smoky scent of tables barbequing meat seeps into your skin. Koh-ya is one of the affiliates of the I’S Holdings group with a menu akin to Suminoya; differing in having a more relaxed atmosphere of dining, situated in the North Shore and a fractionally cheaper price range (which is not large enough to notice). However, with the price difference this has lead to a variation in meat offered in the buffet including the absence of certain salads and the favoured meat by FFichiban and myself: beef rib finger.

Old school bikes are displayed around the walls of the inside-dining area (there’s also an outside dining area but it was pouring and thus had leaks here and there).

Here Comes The Food

Beef tongue is unlimited; which is a huge plus as most places don’t offer this (limiting one plate per person) as well as the fact that after sampling most of the meat dishes; it’s actually the better one in my opinion. Springy and cut at the right thickness such that it doesn’t take long to be snatched off the grill and into the mouth.

An assortment of chicken and beef harami which weren’t entirely that great in terms of quality. The meat tasted and also looked like the kind you would pick off the shelf of woolies or coles that is discounted and expiring in a day or two.

Sunny Lettuce with Miso Dip: when the taste of cooked meat repetitively consumed is just a little too overwhelming; simply wrap it up in the lettuce and dunk it in the miso dip; it’s like a yakiniku sandwich.

To turn the sandwich into a sammich top it off with some heat up some corn in butter and garlic in butter, throw in some rice too and it you’ll find yourself making one after the other addictively.

happily simmering away - don't overcook it though.

Yukke: when did a raw egg and raw beef ever taste so good? The sticky yolk when mixed with the meat fuses the flavours together such that it sweetens marinated beef even further.

Cold Soba: it’s a bit too stringy and the strands of noodles are cut short leading me to think they’ve either re-used noodles or simply cut costs and gave shorter noodles ><

What to do with the excess garlic – create your own beef tongue wraps.

When I asked for 12 scoops of green tea ice cream to be shared amongst our group; the manager returned asking me was I sure, which I replied with certainty that I was (the usual order at Suminoya). However, when the ice cream was brought we only received 8, with the waitress saying we had to finish those first before we go any more.

A hidden challenge! We took it up with no difficulty and were awarded our prize…4 more cups of delicious green tea ice cream full of creamy goodness.

Kohya
Shop 1, 9-17 Young Street
Neutral Bay
Ph: 9904 5036
Lunch:
12:00pm - 3:00pm
(Last Order 2:30 pm) / Sat&Sun
Dinner:
6:00pm - 10:30pm (Last Order 9:30pm) / Mon & Wed - Sun

D

Flying Fajita Sistas - Glebe, Sydney (2)

2008-12-14T19:29:00.009+11:00

FFS!! Nope, I am not raging at the world, I am just exclaiming my delight at visiting Flying Fajita Sistas again for some of Mexican goodness. We had some pleasant past experiences dining at this place so it sort of required another visit.

This time I rocked up without a reservation so the only seats available were in the open courtyard out the back. It was a very serene atmosphere, sitting there as the sun lowered and set. It was a bit more quiet compared to the hustle and bustle happening inside so perfect for chilling and relaxing. They also provided a roll-on mosquito repellent which I thought was rather considerate.

The only other spare table that was quickly filled up

Here Comes the Food

Tecate
There were some interesting Mexican beers which I have not heard or tried before so time to do some research ^^! I am sure people are faimilar with the popular Mexican beers like Corona and Sol and this one was pretty similar to the other two in that they are light and easy to drink.

Red Pig Mexican Ale
This one is an ale but it was surprisingly sweet. A bit too sweet for my taste but it was not bad and it has a cool name/logo hee hee.

Negra Modelo
This one was a bit more darker but had a subtle sweetness to it and matches Mexican food well in my opinion.

Nachos
Once again we started off the nachos to share, but this time with a combination of the Achiote pulled pork and the ropa vieja (shredded beef). The nachos were nice and crunchy and the meat were sweet and tender. This dish may not be the best one to share as you end up fighting for the last few precious nachos hee hee.

Enchiladas with Ropa Vieja
The enchiladas were beautifully grilled in the oven so that the cheese covered tortillas were melted perfectly and once again the shredded beef was sweet and tender. The black beans are a classic Mexican side but I think I prefer the beans at Montezuma's. The salad was fresh and tasty with a aromatic drizzle of olive oil.

Burritos with sweet chipotle chicken
The tortilla wrapped burrito was fresh and tasty.

Chimichanga with Achiote pulled pork
The crunchy quick fried tortilla was a combination fo magical flavours and textures. Crispy on the outside but the inside is the sweet meat. I can tell why this is Muy popular!

Backup chilli stock for when the Wall of Pain runs out?
Sooo muuch deathhhh... but so good!

Previous FFS moment:
Flying Fajita Sistas - Glebe, Sydney

Flying Fajita Sistas
65 Glebe Point Rd
Glebe, 2037
Ph: (02)9552 6522
Open 6pm til Late, Tuesday to Sunday ($3 taco tuesdays!)

FFichiban

Rosso Pomodoro - Balmain, Sydney

2008-12-13T18:48:00.006+11:00

Since I just missed bumping into Miss Honey, of The Delectable Delight, at Rosso Pomodoro I thought I should bump this up the list. Rosso Pomodoro is a nice cozy, quiet place in a residential complex area in Balmain. It means 'Red Tomato' in Italian so they have a cute little tomato replacing the last 'o'. From all the way at the T-intersection at the end of the road we could detect the red theme as the restaurant had a warm red glow to it and as soon as you enter it envelops you and takes you to a whole new atmosphere.

Red tomatos and a chilli painted on the floor

The specials board and other Italian artefacts which are very interesting to take a look at when you enter

Red, red and more red!
The staff here were polite and friendly, and the waiter who read out the specials to us had a Italian accent which was as rich as the red interior. I can see why Miss Honey was so taken with the staff hee hee. The atmosphere was warm and there were some interesting paintings hung up around well.

The female body is a thing of beauty ;)
Tomatosalsa and Kthxbye got into a discussion about which one were the best hee hee.

Fridge full of chhhheeessse and cured meats mmmm just wanna grab one and go munch!
After rechecking some of the toppings on the specials since the first waiter's accent was a slightly hard to understand at times as it was just a bit too seductively thick, we ordered. The service was prompt and we did not wait long before the food arrived.

Here Comes the Food

RossoPomodoro insalate ($15.50) - Italian Mozzarella, Roma tomatoes, baby spinach, olives and sundried tomatos
I think this was pretty steep for a salad but the flavours all mix wonderfully to create a fresh starter to this meal. The chunks of mozzarella were flavoursome and the rich tomatoes added a sweetness to the salad.

Jamon Iberico de Bellota
Once again I come across this beautiful cured meat but this time, the experience was quite the contrary of last time. All the rich tastes from the Jamon Iberico have been either cooked out or overpowered by the rest of the flavours in the pizza, which is mainly just Italian mozzarella. This ended up pretty tasteless and mediocre.

Valtellina Tartufata
The other specials pizza was the winner and highlight of the meal though. The slices of meat were actually thin slices of beef which was a bit surprising but there was a deep, rich truffle flavour from the truffle oil drizzled over the pizza.

Della Casa ($22) - Italian mozzarella, sausages, hot salame, baby spinach and shaved parmesan
The sausages were cut up into nice little chunks of tasty meat and the salame did pack quite a punch behind it. The baby spinach provided a nice crisp with each bite and being a cheese enthusiast, I loved the how the 2 types of cheese provided contrasting flavours.

Since we had dinner after dessert at Adriano Zumbo we didn't try any of the desserts here but they have some very tempting selections like a homemade tiramisu and a few others.

Just outside was this awesome lights display hee hee

Rosso Pomodoro Pizzeria
Shop 90-91, 24 Buchanan St
Balmain (White Bay)
Ph: (02) 9555 5924

FFichiban

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney (3)

2008-12-11T16:58:00.013+11:00

After being the only one to have been lucky enough to venture out to Balmain and into Zumbo territory, I just had to share the love others from my group. I had only been twice before with you other wonderful food bloggers ;) so I couldn't wait to show Pupu, Tomatosalsa and Kthxbye how beautiful and deliciously seductive his gateaux and desserts are.

First off is a stop at the patisserie, naturally!

Much good praise and clippings about Zumbo :)

This time I was lucky enough to meet Kai (of Have a Chat Kai!) as well as see good old Charles (of Charles du jour) again. They are both very friendly and helpful and always up for a good laugh. The Charles du jour was once again sold out already and apparantly there was no shameless self-promotion on Charles part too!

There were also some new gateaux that I have not seen or heard about before along with the classic ones of this summer range.

The new ones that look mighty temptin'! A must try next visit :)

Another one that I didn't see last visit with fellow food bloggers but read about in the brochure
We were like kids in a candy store... well technically we were kids in a pastry store but we were all excited by all the choice and prettily(?) decorated cakes ^^! After staring hard at each of the gateaux to determine which one is larger and tastier than the others we decided on these three :D

Tomatosalsa's choice

Kthxbye's choice

My choice (some say this suits me the best ;) )

A list of the macaroon flavours
After boxing up our choices and saying goodbye to our dear friends (the other gateaux that we didn't choose) we strolled up to the cafe where the second group of tough choices arose.

New truffles!

The only one I found out was the Mango & passionfruit one at the front. Should have got some but was too full afterwards haha
We asked the lovely staff to plate out choices from the patisserie, and ordered more desserts and drinks ^^!

Trident and butter knife ready to attack my dessert yummm ^^!

Here Comes the Food

Pupu's curry pie ( from patisserie)
We actually ordered a meat pie but we were given this curry pie instead. Even though this was not what we ordered we were still very very happy that we got this pie. The pastry was nicely puff and flakey while the filling had chunks of subtle curry vegetables and meat. According to Pupu, "One of the best pies I have ever had... maybe the best!"

Have a Chat Kai! ($7.80)
Beautifully fresh strawberries and lychee on top with a crunchy coconut layer and lychee jelly all wrapped up in a soft coconut cake. Absolutely delicious!

Sunny Cloud ($7)
It was a beautiful day and this was the perfect matching dessert with fluffy italian meringue and a lime zing to it. This will brighten up anyones day no matter what kind of weather it is outside :)

Zumbo the Kid ($7.50)
To be honest when I first saw this, I thought it would be a hard but it turned out to be surprisingly soft, gooey and totally divine. I love all parts of it from the PB creme legere, raspberry jelly, chocolate peanut glacage, peanut feullitine, flourless chocolate biscuit and vegemite bavaroise... even though I did not understand it at all! The vegemite was very subtle that I did not notice it straight away but there was the distinct yeasty taste to it. Pure genius ^^!

Butterscotch milkshake (left $6.50) and mint iced chocolate (right $7)
The butterscotch milkshake was veerrryyyy rich which meant that it was vveerrrryyy good! The sweetness just enhances and matches the desserts so very well. The mint iced chocolate consisted of dark chocolate so it was not very sweet but had a very refreshing mint taste unlike other mint drinks where the mint flavour is only a teeny bit.

Miss Marple Deconstructed ($13.50)
Wooowww the marscapone-filled caramelzied crepes were breathtaking. I only had a tiny bite of it at my first visit and I knew that I needed one of my own. Now that I had one I need to reiterate the fact that you do need to have this on your own because you won't want to share it! The fresh strawberry and orange jellies matched perfectly with the sweeter crepes and adding different textures and flavours.

Miss Marple Deconstructed Round 2 (the first one is the plate at the back)
Pupu was going to get The Younger Years but after a bite of mine she changed her mind to this one!

It's NOT a Hamburger ($13.50)
Kthxbye and Tomatosalsa we attracted to the fact of a giant macaroon and got It's NOT a Hamburger to share. Once again this is another brilliant combination of dulce de leche gelato sandwiched between giant chocolate macaroom pieces with banana caramel rice pudding and chocolate salt. There was also this wonderful blob of beautiful dark chocolate to accompany this dessert.

Unfortunately this is not a Round 2 photo :P

Guess who it is ^^!
No Zumbo experience is complete without running into other foodies there and it was pleasant coincidence that ChocolateSuze and Noods were there as well Yayy^^! *waves* I did this paparazzi shot because I didn't want to impose on them haha but it was great to see them again and have a small chat ^^! Now I wonder who we shall run into at the next visit!

We left the chocolat cafe all full and very content. I think Zumbo's magical pastries has recruited more fans now hee hee ;) This was espeically clear in Kthxbye as he was doing a Zumbo Dance on the way out :P

Other Zumboland visits:
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney (2)
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat
308 Darling St
Balmain, Sydney

Adriano Zumbo Patisserie
296 Darling St
Balmain, Sydney

FFichiban

BenBry - Manly, Sydney

2008-12-09T21:52:00.006+11:00

There are some very inspirational quotes by very famous people like Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever by Ghandi and Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am) by Descartes. Then there are the inspirational quotes about the ever-so mystical and immaterial soul of people like You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body by C.S. Lewis and The soul is born old and grows young. That is the comedy of life by Oscar Wilde.

But the most recent quote that I have found inspirational was neither world famous or by some philosopher, it was written up on a small blackboard in rough chalk writing but it brought light into my life... Look after your stomach & the soul will take care of itself by Some Hungry Dude.

It was an impromptu decision to visit BenBry Burgers but we were browsing places in the North Shore area for something to munch on for a late dinner and we spotted NQN's post about this burger joint.

There was a smorgasbord of different burgers to choose from and I was very tempted to get 2 of them but I remember from NQN's post that there were pretty decent in size so I ended up only getting one and a side to share.

Here Comes the Food

Taj Delight ($9) - grilled chicken thighs marinated in a chilli, ginger & corinader yogurt with lettece, tomato, red onion, cucumber, BB aioli & mango chutney
We were all shocked at the dismal size of kthxbye's chicken burger, so it did not bode well for our other burgers but after biting into the burger we were reassured that the flavours worked very well and almost made up for the poor excuse of chicken thighs. We hope that this was just bad luck as it was a bit late.

BenBry Burger w/ Cheese ($7.50) - prime Australian beef, lettuce, tomato, red onion, BB aioli & sauce tomate (with a choice of cheese: edam, cheddar, blue, swiss or brie)
From the content chewing facial expressions I saw en.elle was totally satisfied with this burger and his choice of cheddar cheese. To put it in his words, "its GOOOOD... I want more."

Fries ($3.50) with additional 50c for sauce
The chips were cold to warm when they arrived which was disappointing but the delicious wasabi mayo compensated for that mishap. The fries were still decent as some were still crunchy and better than some other places.

Crumbed Squid (1/2 Dozen $4/1 Dozen $7.50)
The crumbed squid came fresh and hot with a beautiful crispy outer layer with soft and chewy squid on the inside. I approve of the wasabi mayo greatly with only a slight subtle wasabi flavour and a deep creamy taste.

Tropical Feast ($8.50) - prime Australian beef, streaky bacon, cheese, pineapple, lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, BB aioli & sauce tomate
Pupu was also very pleased with her burger as she munched away happily as some bites contained a beautiful burst of juicy pineapple. One thing they can improve on is that they should add more pineapple so that each bite has a burst of sweet pineapple accompanying it.

The Business ($13.50) - a doppelganger serving of prime Australian beef (300g) & streaky bacon, loads of edam cheese, 2 eggs, beetroot, lettuce, tomato, red onion, sauce tomate & a generous serve of BB aioli

Half eaten shot (hmm half eaten food shots are not very pretty, probably won't use them from now on haha)
This burger did mean business, very tasty business ^^! All the different ingredients blended nicely to form an ulitmate burger. I especially love beetroot in burgers yummm and their aioli adds a nice creaminess to all of their burgers :) The size of this burger was pretty big but easily devoured and hungry for more! This was a very good choice and quite good for value burger.

I just happened to be working at Manly the next day so I popped around for lunch :)

No Bull ($8.50) - organic tofu with a spicy satay, coconut and coriander sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, alfalfa & BB aioli
My tofu burger obsession is due to Tofu Combustion at Burger Fuel but this burger just did not work as well for me. The tofu by itself was nice and soft and the sauce was sweet with a slight spiciness but together it did not gel well enough for my liking. Maybe if the tofu was not fried and marinated in the sauce for a while, it would be better?

All in all another brilliant place to have researched for our burger run and will definitely be back to try the Lambnificant!

Other burgery posts:
Burgerlicious - Sydney CBD, Sydney

BenBry Burgers
5 Sydney Rd
Manly 2095
Ph: (02) 9977 6055

FFichiban

Burgerlicious - Sydney CBD, Sydney

2008-12-08T18:21:00.007+11:00

A few months ago D and I had a dream, that dream was to make a burger run across the city of Sydney. We planned on going to all the burger joints we knew of, buy a burger or 2 from each place and compare them with each while gorging ourselves to near-death with saucy, meaty and cheesy goodness.

This plan has been delayed due to many reasons mostly just laziness so I've decided to do a little bit of research beforehand ;) You knoowww just to make sure the places are reasonable and worth going to hee hee :P

So I started off with one of my usual lunchtime craves during my Uni years, Burgerlicious. This may be a different franchise to the Newtown one that I am used to visiting but I was hoping for the same quality tasty burger.

Entertaining wall especially the chef baby flipping the burgers

The menu was overhauled a year or so back but mostly they just changed the names and adjusted some minor things. After reminiscing about my Uni years I opted for the Ceezar burger meal and soon afterwards Here Comes the Food.

Ceezar meal ($12.50) - grilled chicken breast fillet, tasty cheese, bacon, grilled egg, lettuce, semi-dried tomato and ceasar sauce
The meal comes with the choice between steak-cut chips, salad or half & half. The chips gave a very pleasant crunch and were super hot so you can tell they were freshly fried :)

The burger was actually a bit disappointing compared to my past experiences at the Newtown franchise. It just didn't have the same flavour explosion like the ones I had before or to put it in my Burgerlicious buddy's words, "an orgasm in the mouth".

The burger was still good with a beautifully grilled egg and tender chicken fillet but was not as special as the other ones. This could have been because it was near closing time but next time I want my Burgerlicious fix I am making sure it is from Newtown. There are many other yummy burger selections to make so I will need to do more scouting :) The Nachos are also a great choice though the large portion can be quite large but that is a very good thing ;)

On a miscellaneous note:
I have actually gone food crazy haha I am not just drooling at it, reading about it, dreaming about it but also playing it haha. The games I have on my NDS have literally been taken over by food as you can see from the list...
- Cooking Mama 2 - Dinner with Friends
- Cooking Guide - Can't Decide What to Eat
- Gourmet Chef - Cook Your Way to Fame
- Hell's Kitchen (Gordon Ramsay)
- What's Cooking with Jaime Oliver
- Iron Chef America - Supreme Cuisine

Burgerlicious - famour burgers & wraps
130 Liverpool St
Sydney, 2000
Ph: (02) 9264 4446

Other locations here

FFichiban

Essen - Broadway, Sydney

2008-12-07T11:30:00.008+11:00

Before we made our merry way to GFM Sugar Hit: Radisson, we celebrated my friends B'day by having dinner at Una's on broadway only to find out that they have changed their name to Essen. I had only been to Una's twice before but I have fond memories of tasty schnitzels, and the best potato rosti I had ever tasted.

Greeted by a cow bell
Since there was a blackboard outside stating that the menu was the same I waited eagarly for the potato rosti that I liked so much.

Wall of different liquors

Again another Specials board which I neglected until after I finished my meal even though it was right above our heads and I most likely took this photo before our meal
There was a cozy atmosphere with lots of cheeful chatter going on around the whole restaurant. There are little decorations all around the place to keep us entertained, along with a tree in the middle of the back room which was interesting. The staff were friendly and even though out orders ended up a little mixed up they were quite accommodating and helpful.

Here Comes the Food

Crumbed Mushrooms with herbed mayonnaise ($7.50)
The approving nods from my fellow diners assured me this was a decent choice but a bit steep for mushrooms.

Cabbage Salad (comes with all schnitzels)
A pleasant little side, with pepper and spices on top but is a little bit greasy.

Wiener Schnitzel ($18) with Jaeger sauce - a creamy demi glace style sauce with mushroom
The sizing was done very badly as the fork was closer to the camera :( what a n00b!
The schnitzels were still excellent with the creamy Jaeger sauce it was nowhere near dry or crusty. The crisp exterior always gives a pleasant crunch with each bite and there is a hearty portion of schnitzel on each plate. The potato rosti, on the other hand, was a bit disappointing. It did not give the same pleasant taste or texture as we last had it but it still made a nice side to the meaty slab.

Chicken Schnitzel ($18) with Jaeger sauce - a creamy demi glace style sauce with mushroom
Pretty much the same as the veal just a different meat.

Swiss bratwurst ($19) - white sausage with veal and pork, served with sauerkraut and rosti
Cannot go wrong with sausages yumm big, plump and juicy.

Wurst topf ($21) - Csabai, Bratwurst and Weisswurst served with bread dumpling, sauerkraut and gravy
I did not get to try this dish but the bread dumpling looked very interesting and the different sausages reminds me of the sausage platter from Lowenbrau.

Farm Fresh Duck ($25.50) - Oven roasted and glazed served with bread dumpling, braised red cabbage and jus
There doesn't appear to be much glaze or duck jus but the meat fell of the bone nicely and was tender though a little bit dry. I also love red cabbage and it was done very nicely here.

Grain fed Sirloin Steak ($24.50) - 300g of prime beef served with potato rosti, caramelized onion and beetroot
Stteaakkkkk! I really need to visit another steak house soon haha haven't been to one for a while. Anyone been to Chophouse?

Cordon Bleu ($21) - Pork fillet filled with smoked ham and aged cheddar cheese
I could not really taste the ham but there was a slight cheesiness to this schnitzel.

Vegetable Strudel ($20) -
For the vegetarian of our group this strudel was very filling and tasty. Big chunks of fresh vegetables rolled allow with cheese in pastry and a tomato sauce is a brilliant combination.

Although the name of this place has changed not much else has, the same warm atmosphere, good food and friendly staff but the main problem was the rosti was disappointing rarr :( Hopefully that was a one off so next time I expect good rosti :)

Other German goodies:
Stuyvesant's House - Crows Nest, Sydney

Essen Restaurant & Beer Cafe
133-135 broadway
Ultimo 2007
Ph: (02) 9211 3805

FFichiban

Home Cooking - Simple Brekkie Hash

2008-12-05T18:11:00.004+11:00

This is the simple, easy and quick breakfast for a lazzzzyyyy Sunday, and I mean a really really lazy Sunday. I ended up eating this as brunch cos I woke up 1130 or so. This recipe is actually bits and pieces of recipes from Nigella Feasts that I have fused together as they were awesome ideas (and because they were the only parts I remembered -__-)

Start off with some fresh tomatoes and chop them up into 8 chunks each.

I had bought some B B prosciutto from David Jones Food Hall yum ^^! Slice or snip these bad boys up into manageable mouth-sized pieces. (On another note DJ food hall also sell these decadent slices of beef tongue that can be eaten right there and then. Pure bliissss as we ended up getting a whole stack full of them mmmm)

Combine in another bowl a couple of eggs and a generous amount of cheese. I used slices of Bega Tasty as I did not have a block of Chedder :( but still good.

Fire up the panto medium high heat and lightly oil it. Put the prosciutto onto the heat and panfry until just brown and crisp on both sides, which should not take very long as they are quite thin. Take them off and put them on a spare plate, then put the tomatoes onto the heat. Sizzle these tomatoes for a few minutes, add the prosciutto back onto the pan and then add the egg/cheesey mixture. Turn off the heat at this point and just let the pan soft cook the eggs.

Not really a pretty dish but it is easy, simple and delicious. The prosciutto already adds quite a lot of saltiness to the dish so do not really need to season more, just a grind of black pepper should do the trick. Also a few slices of soft, thick bread is also recommended for wiping up the juices.

Other mods to this can be:
- sauces (worcestershire, bbq, tomato etc)
- add bacon or chopped sausages
- add potatoes or mushrooms
- more cheese for a cheese-induced coma

So as a breakfast or a late night post-outing munch this really does the trick :)

FFichiban

Max Brenner - St Ives, Sydney

2008-12-04T16:09:00.009+11:00

Mmmm even the poster is tasty.. well tomatosalsa thinks so!
EAT MORE CHOCOLATE... says a giant poster, and me being very obliging and easily persuaded I give in to the welcoming warmth of Max Brenner Chocolate Bar. We have some pretty crazy chocoholics on our group and Max Brenner is one of our favourite spots to meet up, chill and of course eat dessert!

The St Ives Max Brenner has brilliant atmosphere with warm lighting and if you get the cushy seats along one of the walls then you are very lucky or very patient as this place is usually packed at the prime desserting times. There is a huge range of drinks and desserts to choose from as well as gift shop area to buy chocolates and other chocolate-related goodies. Another bonus is that this place closes relatively late so when the tummy calls for something sweet it can be answered :)

Lots of goodies to include including pralines (If you have a Max Brenner card buy 10 hot drinks and get a free box of 4 pralines or a Suckao drink. I recommend the pralines because they are really yummy!)

Many different yummy flavours
There are also many other decorative quotes and objects scattered around the chocolate bar.

Giant chocolate wells swirling melted milk and white chocolate
The pipes lead around via the roof to behind the counter but they are only decorative. If they were really used for transporting chocolate that would be pretty awesome. The metal arms constantly swirl to keep the chocolate looking irresistibly silky smooth.

Hee hee

The person who said this is WEAK! Weak I say! hee hee
But soon we were no longer focused on the entertianing walls because Here Comes the Food.

Chocolate Lick ($2.20) you personal pot of pure melted chocolate
I may miss the days when only a shiny gold coin found in a random back pocket or at the bottom of your backpack is needed to purchase this pot of pure pleasure but it is still worth it. For this item the name says it all, lick the pot as clean as possible! Though I would not since it is bad etiquette and the thought of other people have licked this pot is quite unpleasant haha.

Tutti-Frutti Waffle (one $12/ two $16) warm belgian waffles drizzled with pure melted chocolate, served with ice cream, strawberries and bananas.
Belgian waffles are always good but they are even better when they are accompanied by fresh fruit, ice cream and a chocolate drizzle! Crunchy and warm they are a sure winner but personally I think maybe the Lindt Cafe waffles are a teeny tiny bit better. I think I shall need to get them and eat them all in one sitting to come to a final decision though :S

Hot drinks are served in these awesome HugMugs which are perfect in winter.

These are soo cute but a bit small for me haha I still want some though :D

Chocolate with Crunchy Waffle Balls ($5.50) choice of white/milk/dark
This is quite a popular choice among the group as the little waffle balls do provide a pleasant chocolatey crunch with each sip.

They are quite generous with the numbers of waffle balls you get so there is plenty to spoon out and eat. The hot chocolate is also of good quality even though the dark can be pretty dark so it is quite void of any sweetness.

Mint Chocolate ($5.50)
Minty freshness and chocolate is and will always be a classic combination. You can still see the mint powder in this one tsk tsk not mixed in properly! But that was probably because it was a busy night.

Choctails are served in this brilliant and cute Alice cup.

Now who can deny that... It is asking us to drink it!

This cute theme is from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Cookieshake ($7) - white chocolate, cookies and caramelized pecans
Sounds like a dream and sure tastes like one too! Beautiful combination of flavours all blended together to form a tall, cool summer drink.

Peanut Butter Iced Chockie ($7)
You guys should all know that I am a sucker for the PB and choc combo. Anything with these 2 flavours together (or apart and I can physically combine them) will cause me to melt and succumb to its will. Sometimes there is a huge chunk of tasty PB in the drink but other times they blended it too well but everytime this drink puts me on a peanuty chocolate high ^^!

Max the bald man makes everyone happy ^^!

Making sure each drop of precious ice cream is used hee hee

Pupu's excellent cleaning skills (without licking :P)

NOTE: D is on a special eating holiday of Japanland whheeee (damn him I want to go too haha) so expect some awesome o/s reviews and a special 10-page, in-depth post on Japanese toilets ;)

Other chocolatey fixes:
San Churro Chocolateria - Glebe, Sydney
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney
Guylian Cafe - The Rocks
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney (2)

Max Brenner
Shop 1, 235 Mona Vale Rd
St Ives, Sydney 2075
Ph: (02) 9988 0700
Opening Hours:
Mon - Thurs 0900 - 2230

Fri - Sat 0900 - midnight
Sun 1000 - 2230

Other Max Brenner locations here.

FFichiban

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney (2)

2008-12-02T17:47:00.010+11:00

There is nothing quite like the sight of a foodbloggers meet, especially one of this magnitude! There are Stars in all forms, shapes and sizes and numerous paparazzi cameras everywhere, taking shot after shot after shot! I mean Hollywood move aside, we got juicier and tastier action happening right here in this small, cushy alcove of a cafe chocolat in Balmain. BUT that is because it is not just any ordinary cafe chocolat... this chocolate haven belonged to the suave and sexy Adriano Zumbo (The Bond of Pastries?).

Ok I must admit that the Stars actually came in gateaux, dessert or drink form but they all shone so brightly and vividly that each one demanded more attention then the next. The paparazzi, naturally, came in foodblogger form :D

To be more precise, this notorious Foodie Mob consisted of Reem from I Am Obsessed with Food (big thanks for organising), Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella, Suze from ChocolateSuze, Helen from Grab Your Fork, Belle from Ooh Look..., Yien from The Delectable Delight, Karen from Citrus and Candy, Amanda from The Cake + The Knife, Howard, Therese and Linda from Eat Show & Tell, Simon from Simon Food Favourites and Chris from The Way it Crumbles.

Thanks to all of you guys for making it such a fun gathering and sharing all the goodies. Great to put some faces to very entertaining blogs and to add more blogs to my collection :D

First stop the patisserie!
Most of decided to raid the patisserie first to scout out and ooh and ahh over the new summer collection of gateaux. This was actually my first time inside the patisserie so I was more excited than the others (if that is possible haha).

So many goodies to choose from on this side...

But there is more on this side too!
Charles, aka Charles du Jour, is extremely helpful and has a really cool Lupin shirt ^^! Haha I am quite the nerd :P He helps us make sure that we try at least one of each of the new collection by suggesting which ones have not been bought yet. I think he could tell who was in the Foodie Mob by our huge grins and us being armed with a camera and paychecks from the past few weeks.

Magic 'roons Box
I didn't end up getting any macaroons but some of my fellow foodbloggers have quite in depth and detailed descriptions of each of the flavours :) I must try some next time mmmm!

All the new and sexy gateaux!

Yayyyy ^^!
After procuring all our coveted goods we made our way down a few metres to the cafe chocolat proudly displaying the precious parcels or boxes.

Hello again old friend :)

We were fortunately reserved the long communal table in the alcove as it quickly filled up and was overflowing with delicious desserts.

So many goodies!
I didn't get to try enough of the desserts so that means I just need to go there more now haha. ChocolateSuze was very quick at snatching up her rice pudding eclair and greedily hiding it at the other end of the table haha jkjk ;) Simon's Have a Chat Kai! had beautifully fresh strawberries and lychees.

The Tarte aux fruits de la passion (passionfruit and cream) also looked very good but I didn't get to try. The Chocolate fondant is a flourless chocolate cake which gives off an umami flavour.

Sugar Lips
A brioche doughnut filled with lemon creme was very sugary indeed.

CT (Camel Toe)
I have heard so many wonderful stories about these rich, oozey wine filled truffles especially from Lorraine.

Other delightful truffles! (Sorry this photo is kinda washed out and don't have Light Room.. yet)

The Miss Marple Cheesecake is another one of the Miss Marple series. Although this cheesecake was very good I still perfer the Miss Marple Deconstructed sold at the cafe. Berry custard brioche, strawberry and peach danish and something else? lingering in the background.

Choose your weapon!
I went for the 2-prong :)

Thick Dark Hot Chocolate ($7)
This was the blackest, thickest looking dark hot chocolate according to Amanda but for me it was sweet nectar from the Gods! It was dark so maybe not so sweet but the balance of bitterness and the sweetness was brilliant. The thickness... can always be thicker until I need a spoon to eat it instead of just stirring it ;)

The communal table in the alcove was overflowing so the other desserts had to be brought here to 'The Studio'. I had planned on eating them all after taking the photos but then the others came over too hee hee jk ^^!

It's a Macaroon and NOT a Hamburger and Woohoo

It's a Macaroon and NOT a Hamburger ($13.50)
It was a very difficult choice between this and the Paris since Belle was describing all the intricate and delicate details of the Paris to me while I was deciding what to order. I finally gave in to this one beacuse I only had a smidget of a taste last time and I really craved it.

The giant macaroon sandwich with dulce le leche gelato, banana caramel rice pudding and chocolate sand did not disappoint. The mixture of flavours were genius and the textures all complimented each other.

Although this was a totally brilliant dessert, I must admit that I liked the Younger Years better most likely because I love the PB and chocolate combination a bit too much haha.

Paris - La Vie En Rose
Next time we shall meet and I shall hear you sweet and beautiful melodies resonate through my mouth and ears XD

Zumbo the Kid
I also really wanna try this one as it has PB and vegemite in it haha

Sunny Cloud and Past Jobs

Dr Apple, Craigie Bam! and On the Lounge with Zumbo

Framboise Millefeuille, UZC and Charles du jour
All the desserts are brilliant in design but I did not try them so I can't really tell you more :(

Wheely Wildy Wendy
I did, however, try this one as I ended up going back to the patisserie after I had to run off to buy this for my father (It was his B'day haha). This was to sort of make up for not spending the whole day with him :P

Wonderfully sweet chunks of peach in a tonka bean creme legere(?) sandwiched by almond dacquoise discs and rolled in almond crumble. This combination is indescribable and I can see why it is Lorraines' favourite.

The brilliant man himself cometh!
I had to run at about this point so I missed out on seeing Chris again but we shall meet again ^^! All such good fun to see/meet everyone and enjoy all the cakes yum! I obviously have a lot of more research to do hee hee.

One final shot of the cafe overflowing with foodbloggers!

On other Zumbo news:
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat - Balmain, Sydney

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat
308 Darling St
Balmain, Sydney

Adriano Zumbo Patisserie
296 Darling St
Balmain, Sydney

FFichiban

Rise - Darlinghurst, Sydney.

2008-12-01T17:27:00.003+11:00

Seems like it has been a month of degustation on my part; with an earlier visit to Waqu, this time we decided to venture to the outskirts of the Sydney CBD to Rise. With two set-sitting times for their 7 course omakase which is discounted to $45 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sundays and full priced at $60 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; we took advantage of the former.

Rise stands out amongst the terrorist-residential surroundings with its almost eerie-blue colour and cavern-type look so it’s not hard to miss. As we enter and are seated, the first thing which strikes me is that menu is different to the one posted on the website; however when writing this review now (just after a week of visiting Rise) the menu online has been changed to the one we were served; so perhaps we were lucky enough to try the new season on it’s first night? :D

Nothing like chiselled love hearts in a candle feature to set the mood for the special occasion or dates with your other half.

Plum Wine: Refreshing and with enough sourness to get the palette ready for some fine dining.

Appetizer: Salad of ocean trout tataki with mango coconut salsa; strips of ripe mango are scattered with an almost stingy proportion. I’m highly unhappy as I just want more pieces of the flagrantly sweet mango flesh. The coconut is subtle and has the effect of leaving a nice aftertaste. Unfortunately, aside from the mango, the salad is a to-say-the-least plain.

Soup: Potato cream soup with oyster tempura and tofu; one plump oyster sits triumphantly upon a silken tofu that is an island amongst the thick and creamy flavoursome potato soup. The soup itself is full of starchy goodness and has a welcoming wholesome warmth. The membrane of the tofu is sticky and forms an outer-shell for the soft texture of the tofu encapsulated by it.

Sashimi of assorted today’s fresh market fish: Oyster, Kingfish and Salmon.

The oyster can only be described as having a harsher than normal briny-taste that without an accompanying lemon slice in sight, made it very hard to eat.

Give me unagi, tomago or salmon anyday as I’m not usually a fan of kingfish, however the freshness and kick of the mustard sauce that accompanies with kingfish breakdowns my pretences as its simply divine. Props to the chef!

Following my usual motto: saving the best till last; if I knew the kingfish would be that good I would have definitely eaten the salmon before it. It’s plain, lacks any fattiness and is dwarfed by the size of the kingfish portion.

Seasonal plate: steamed chicken and ‘daibo’ salad, tuna tartare on gari sushi roll and duck and bamboo shoot with hoisin sauce in wonton cup. There was nothing entirely special about this part of the course: the steamed chicken had a distinct tom yum flagrance and lemon grass flavour amongst it, the downfall of the tuna tartare on the gari sushi roll was the pre-prepared sushi roll which had become dry when it was served to us and the rice hard; also the single lotus slice that rested between the tuna and sushi rice had lost texture and crispiness as it was no doubt pre-prepared. The wonton cup was oily to the point that a visit to the bathroom was required to clean your hands if you happened to pick it up as I did.

Pasta Dish: Steamed Scallop, noodles and ginger shallot sauce. Nothing special about this dish either: something strikingly chinese about this and perhaps should be renamed as simply “steamed scallop”. There’s also an absurb amount of chilli topped off onto the average-sized scallop.

Main: Ocean perch tempura, stuffed zucchini flower and “wakame” tomato salsa; In short, the flaky white morsels of the ocean perch head together by the lovely batter of the tempura was the most enjoyable dish of this omakase for C and I.

The flesh was soft, tender and flagrantly addictive. However, the salsa on its own had an overpowering vinaigrette-base that was close to searing your throat. The vinegar was pungent and one of the downfalls of this dish with the ocean perch aside.

Dessert: Passionfruit custard with coconut milk granita; refreshing with the shaved ice topping that had trickles of condensed milk and grated coconut essence. The custard had perhaps been taken out of the fridge too early as it had already begun to liquidise. Chunky pieces of passionfruit were sunken on the bottom.

Japanese Toilets!!

Rise Restaurant

ADDRESS：	23 Craigend St. Darlinghurst NSW 2010
TEL：	02-9357-1755
FAX：	02-9357-1766

Good Food Affare - Castle Hill, Sydney (Part 1)

2008-11-30T18:43:00.015+11:00

This post is about a week or so late but like every other food blogger, so many posts and too little time. Clearly my mouth is much bigger and faster than my posting abilities :P

But onto the Good Food Affare, as you may have read on other sites this Saturday was unfortunately windier than normal but it did not deter the mobs of foodies squishing into the tents and browsing all the goods. Since it was so windy and dust was everywhere D, C and I just ran into the closet possible for shelter and that was when I just started going trigger happy with camera so please excuse the disorganization of my photo order.

So much foodie dedication :)
This explains the hectic traffic in Caste Hill. After searching through the tents it is always good to see a familiar face :D

Noods and Suze
The wonderful Suze and Noods were tending their Biscuit Tree stall and we were lucky we got there when we did because they nearly sold out of stock! I am addicted to her Cranberry and Pistachio thick biscotti mmmmm. As you can see on Citrus and Candy, the before shot of our visit. Here is the after shot haha ^^!

What a lonely bag of biscotti... I should have given it a home too!
After a nice chat we continued on our exploration.

Fudge Lady

Mmmmm chocolate!

Kimberley Chocolates

Byron Bay Truffles

Chilli (left) and Strawberry (right)
Yummy truffles even though the chilli could have had a stronger kick to it.

This was a disappointing sight as we were all quite hungry from lack of breakfast and it was just clocking past noon.

But what a beautiful set up they had.

Chilli jams from Ayo's Fiery Food Works
More for seasoning and very tasty but not really hot.

Chhheeeeeeeeeesseeee

Certified Australian Angus Beef
Too bad we didn't get any samples :( cos it looked really tasty.

Now that is my kinda fridge :)

Mirrool Creek Lamb

Hot Xocolat with chilli and cinnamon.
The ancient Mayan recipe causes a nice warm feeling to well up inside you with each sip. It is on the strong side but that was how chocolate started ^^!

Beautiful crafts and homeware in the Real Living tent
After wondering hungrily around some more we were finally informed by ChocolateSuze about the cafe.

The Hidden part past the carpark

Amour Coffee House
More interesting and stylish furniture but looking at the menu we were up for something much more solid and filling.

These lights were awesome and fluffy
The Good Food Affare was interesting and worth the look around at all the different goods on sale. We were disappointed that there weren't more of food food stalls like at markets and other festivals but still good fun to peruse.

Part 2 by D coming soon

Good Food Affare 21-23/11/2008
Castle Hill Showground, Castle Hill

FFichiban

Macchiato - Sydney CBD, Sydney

2008-11-28T18:23:00.009+11:00

Now for an intermission from the Japanese restaurants. Macchiato Pasta and Wood Fire Pizza is a sight that cannot be missed by any passer-byers due to the great big windows and brightly lit atmosphere. Positioned at a busy intersection in the city, it seemed pretty popular so we had to try it out.

Specials board that I took a photo of but forgot about until after our meal
First impressions are a very important thing and I must say, this place gave me one of the worst. We had a party of 7 but Pupu and I got there a little bit earlier than the others. It might have been because it was reasonably busy but their service aloof and quite unorganized. We were asked 3 times by 3 different people if we had a reservation and for how many people. The last time was after Pupu and I have sat down in our tiny corner table. That probably annoyed me the most.

Named after a style of coffee but instead of a shot of espresso with a touch of milk, the food here is modern Australian with a touch of classic Italian cuisine
After sitting and calming down, this place seemed alright. The atmosphere was bright and warm (would have been better with a better table) and the menu seemed fairish for city prices .

Harooo everyone!
We were a bit skeptical about the food after the service being so meh but when the food came out we were met with a pleasant surprise. Their portion sizes were reasonable but the taste of proper wood fire pizza is unbeatable.

Here Comes the Food

Iced Chocolate
These were a bit disappointing as they were lukewarm for some reason :S and only with a mediocre flavour.

Garlic & Cheese Pizza ($13)
Shared amongst the table, this was a great start to the meal. There could have been more cheese haha (I think I say that about everything) but the crispy crust and garlic infusion had me craving for more than one slice.

Penne Boscaiola ($17.90)
A creamy sauce with well-cooked pasta. A great combination of flavours which does not get too much/rich even after the whole plate.

Angelo 'Agnelo' ($24.90)
Tender slivers of lamb fillets with caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. The lamb was really good and they were generously topped on top. The other ingredients all added up to create a well balanced and tasty pizza.

Texas ($20.90)
My personal favourite of all the savoury pizzas and not because I ordered it :P Most likely because I am a carnivore and this one had the most meaty goodness on it. A combination of chicken, cabanossi, chorizo, ham, mozzarella and bbq sauce created a sweet and meaty sensation. Stringy cheese perfectly melted on top and a few sprinkled basil leaves for extra herby flavour :)

Margherita ($16.90)
For the vegetarian of the group, there was a selection between 2 pizzas and he went with this one. Fragrant Roma tomatoes and mozzarella always make for a simple yet delicious meal. I thought it could have donw with a few more basil leaves but we still have the beautiful flavour in some of the bites.

BBQ Chicken ($18.90)
Chicken tenderloin, grilled onions, tomatoes, mozzarella and a drizzle of bbq sauce can't go wrong unless the chef is really really incompetent. The chicken pieces were soft and tender and the sweetness of the ingedients were enhanced by the bbq sauce.

Bombay ($19.90)
Tandoori chicken, onions, mint yogurt chutney and more mozzarella goodness. The sweet red onions work well with the tandoori chicken. The yogurt was refreshing and overall another great choice.

My ultimate pizza (missing a slice)
Nom nom nom but now for some dessert!

Apple and Custard Pizza Pie ($11.90)
Another highlight in the meal was this pizza pie. The soft french dough was fluffy, thick and created the perfect base for this dessert. The apple and cinnamon fusion is one of my favourite ones and mixed with ice cream and custard it was irresistible. I did find that the custard left a dry sensation in my mouth afterward.

Quality pizza oven wood haha

I found the art on the roof really interesting and added some pizazz to this place.

Wood fire oven
Hmmm deciding whether to come here again was the tricky part because the service is a major part of the dining experience. Service = bad but food = good :S I think it is worth it to try again as that could have been a one off.

After being full and content we took a stroll around and came across this amusing little place and I must have a little bit of Japanese in this post :P

With a cool advertising poster:

Hee hee do you guys think that this sounds more legit and hence more likely to try it out?

Macchiato Pasta and Wood Fire Pizza
338 Pitt St
Sydney

FFichiban