This is a totally dodgy post. But I have a massive confession to make, and that is, their beef burger (either on its own, or with the lot) is the best I've ever had.
It is the optimum combination of beef and greasiness that mixes perfectly with the various other fillings that can include up to pineapple, bacon and a fried egg if you order the lot.
I obviously don't come here often, but there's really not much else happening in Goulburn which isnt at least another 15 minutes drive away from the track, so if you happen to get dragged along there you should definitely check it out.
There are 2 cafes on the Wakefield Park track, one of which I've never seen open. The one I'm talking about sells hot food, drinks, icecream and some very narrow assortment of potato chips.
This is by no means a gourmet feed, but something different and random I picked up in my food travels.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar
Address: 544 Marrickville Rd Dulwich Hill, NSW 2203Phone: (02) 9560 9900
Fax : (02) 9560 0055
Website: http://www.crust.com.au
Note: There are several other locations & franchises. See website for full details.
For a pizza chain that can afford to shut down for a day or more a week, I would say that they are doing quite well - and that is reflected in the price of their pizzas. They are by no means cheap ($19-$22 for a large pizza) but the fresh ingedients, variety and taste is definitely worth it!
I love the texture and thinness of the pizza base (not too thick, not too thin) and their willingness to push beyond traditional pizza flavour boundaries! They make meat, chicken, vegetarian, seafood healthier choice pizzas and calzones (like a sealed pizza).
Highly recommended:
Sweet Chilli Prawn - Marinated tiger prawns, fresh capsicum, shallots, bocconcini, sweet chilli sauce base topped with fresh basil leaves and snow pea sprouts (foodgasm!)
Peri-Peri Chicken - Portugese style chicken breast fillet, shallots, roasted capsicum, caramelised onions, bocconcini cheese, zigzagged with peri-peri sauce
Crust Supreme with chilli - Smoked ham, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, fresh capsicum, Spanish onions, pineapple, Kalamata olives - and you have to ask for the chilli!
Others:
Meatball pizza (pictured below) - Homemade Italian meatballs, roasted capsicum, Spanish Onions, sundried tomato, bacon, bocconcini topped with basil and Napoli sauce (tomato based)
After eating Crust pizza, I find it very difficult to eat from the likes of other fast-food pizza chains full of snap-frozen, bland tasting toppings. Get a real pizza - go to Crust!!!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Grill'd (Grilled Healthy Burgers)
Address: 124 Oxford St Bulimba QLDTelephone: (07) 3399 5522
Website: http://www.grilld.com.au
I first tried this chain while in Melbourne - my friend took me to the Chapel St restaurant and it was fantastic, healthy food and great value.
While in Brisbane I stumbled across an advertisement for this particular new opening, so rushed off there for lunch because it had been awhile! The location and this trendy new burger place is just a part of the cosmopolitan setting that Brisbane is slowly getting in tune with. This scene actually reminds me a lot of Melbourne!
Pictured above: I ordered the Big Queenslander (aka Mighty Melbourne depending where you are) - grilled 100% lean beef, tasty cheese, trim bacon, free range egg, slices of beetroot, salad, relish & herbed mayo. The perfect amalgamation of flavours...
They also make chicken, lamb and veggie burgers.
Must try: Grill'd Hot Chips - thick cut chips with sprinkled with a herb mix
Sadly, they only have stores open in most of QLD and VIC at the moment, and only one in NSW in Newcastle.
Sydney Cove Oyster Bar
Address: No.1 East Circular Quay, Sydney
Telephone: (02) 9247 2937
Trading hours: 8am til late, 7 days
Website: http://www.sydneycoveoysterbar.com/
Situated in one of Sydney's prime locations and tourist attractions, this is a venue best enjoyed in summer. I have heard a lot of things about Oyster Bar, and since I walked past it I thought might as well give it a whirl.
For Entree:
Kilpatrick Oysters grilled with julienne bacon & worcestershire sauce (pictured above): The restaurant is advertised as an "oyster bar" so it seemed reasonable to order their featured dish. I've never been a fan of oysters myself, until I tried Kilpatrick oysters. These were substantially sized, yet I feel that I was still tasting that metallic zing, and shell more than the bacon & worcestershire sauce. Might have something to do with the larger size of the oyster and having more metals, and needing to be supplemented with extra flavour to mask the unpleasantness usually associated with oysters. I managed to convince a non-oyster eater to eat this - who seemed to enjoy it more than me, so that was a feat in itself.
Below: Wagyu Beef seared in wasabi & sake with soba noodles, green papaya, asian herbs & ponzu dressing. This sounded way exotic and tantalising on the tastebud so naturally I had to try it. The wasabi and sake was hardly recognisable in this dish, the Wagyu very thinly sliced and hidden through the soba noodles but otherwise an interesting dish.
For Mains:
Above: Kecap Manis Duck breast with sautéed Chinese cabbage, water chestnuts & shitake mushrooms. This was my main, and the duck breast was fantastic. They left the skin on, but it was a breast fillet (quite substantially sized) sliced on its width. Meat was juicy and tender and the sauce was very tasty - pity it went cold so quickly because of the weather and harbour wind!
Noodles were a great compliment, absorbed all the sauce which gave it extra flavour.
Below: New York Cut Certified Angus Sirloin with roasted French eschallot (onion), stuffed tomato on garlic & thyme mash. This steak was fairly well cooked. It was ordered medium and came out medium so I was quite impressed! It was quite nice, but I was too busy focussing on my duck I didn't give this dish much attention at all.
Unfortunately I had the pleasure of dining in the middle of winter in this open, alfresco dining restaurant situated in the middle of the harbour so despite being kept warm by the outdoor gas heaters, our food went cold very rapidly. I would suggest that it would be more popular in the summertime to enjoy a nice glass of wine, and sample some of Sydney's best oysters.
Telephone: (02) 9247 2937
Trading hours: 8am til late, 7 days
Website: http://www.sydneycoveoysterbar.com/
Situated in one of Sydney's prime locations and tourist attractions, this is a venue best enjoyed in summer. I have heard a lot of things about Oyster Bar, and since I walked past it I thought might as well give it a whirl.
For Entree:
Kilpatrick Oysters grilled with julienne bacon & worcestershire sauce (pictured above): The restaurant is advertised as an "oyster bar" so it seemed reasonable to order their featured dish. I've never been a fan of oysters myself, until I tried Kilpatrick oysters. These were substantially sized, yet I feel that I was still tasting that metallic zing, and shell more than the bacon & worcestershire sauce. Might have something to do with the larger size of the oyster and having more metals, and needing to be supplemented with extra flavour to mask the unpleasantness usually associated with oysters. I managed to convince a non-oyster eater to eat this - who seemed to enjoy it more than me, so that was a feat in itself.
Below: Wagyu Beef seared in wasabi & sake with soba noodles, green papaya, asian herbs & ponzu dressing. This sounded way exotic and tantalising on the tastebud so naturally I had to try it. The wasabi and sake was hardly recognisable in this dish, the Wagyu very thinly sliced and hidden through the soba noodles but otherwise an interesting dish.
For Mains:
Above: Kecap Manis Duck breast with sautéed Chinese cabbage, water chestnuts & shitake mushrooms. This was my main, and the duck breast was fantastic. They left the skin on, but it was a breast fillet (quite substantially sized) sliced on its width. Meat was juicy and tender and the sauce was very tasty - pity it went cold so quickly because of the weather and harbour wind!
Noodles were a great compliment, absorbed all the sauce which gave it extra flavour.
Below: New York Cut Certified Angus Sirloin with roasted French eschallot (onion), stuffed tomato on garlic & thyme mash. This steak was fairly well cooked. It was ordered medium and came out medium so I was quite impressed! It was quite nice, but I was too busy focussing on my duck I didn't give this dish much attention at all.
Unfortunately I had the pleasure of dining in the middle of winter in this open, alfresco dining restaurant situated in the middle of the harbour so despite being kept warm by the outdoor gas heaters, our food went cold very rapidly. I would suggest that it would be more popular in the summertime to enjoy a nice glass of wine, and sample some of Sydney's best oysters.
Stra Pocha (Korean BBQ)
Address: Level Ground, 19-21 Everton Rd, Strathfield NSW 2135
Phone: (02) 9745 5959
Korean people don't tend to speak a whole lot of English, especially when you venture into Korean-centric neighbourhoods such as Strathfield, Campsie and Eastwood.
The staff here are always friendly though, so just point at what you want and smile. It is also always open at stupid hours in the day (I think till 2am) so if you are feeling peckish this is not such a bad place. It is a Korean BBQ venue so you can order cook-your-own servings of meat.
In my food travels seeking the spiciest chilli, I was suggested to try here. A Korean girl made this place known to me - and when a native tells you it is chilli, I took her word for it. It is similar to TwoTwo Chicken (on the other side of Strathfield Station) but that was mildly spicy compared to Stra Pocha!
Typical Korean cuisine begins with servings of tapas/entree/side dishes or whatever you like to call them. Pictured below is the 2 of 3, left being kim chi (they make GOOD kim chi by the way, actually tastes fresh) and on the right corn kernels with peas in a mayo/cream dressing.
Phone: (02) 9745 5959
Korean people don't tend to speak a whole lot of English, especially when you venture into Korean-centric neighbourhoods such as Strathfield, Campsie and Eastwood.
The staff here are always friendly though, so just point at what you want and smile. It is also always open at stupid hours in the day (I think till 2am) so if you are feeling peckish this is not such a bad place. It is a Korean BBQ venue so you can order cook-your-own servings of meat.
In my food travels seeking the spiciest chilli, I was suggested to try here. A Korean girl made this place known to me - and when a native tells you it is chilli, I took her word for it. It is similar to TwoTwo Chicken (on the other side of Strathfield Station) but that was mildly spicy compared to Stra Pocha!
Typical Korean cuisine begins with servings of tapas/entree/side dishes or whatever you like to call them. Pictured below is the 2 of 3, left being kim chi (they make GOOD kim chi by the way, actually tastes fresh) and on the right corn kernels with peas in a mayo/cream dressing.
This is the Stra Pocha speciality - the spicy chicken with special Stra Pocha hot sauce. It will absolutely annihilate your sense of taste, smell and maybe even sight if you are crying that much. I am an avid chilli-lover but I had to admit this was hot! It is also served with some rice cakes stewed inside which are cooked to the right "al dente" texture, chewy and bounces off the teeth while absorbing just the right amount of sauce.
Part of the reason this dish is so spicy is because the chicken pieces have been stewed in it for so long. Definitely go in equipped with a dairy drink of sorts to neutralise the chilli (or have one shortly after).An alternative suggestion is to order the fried chicken wings, which have 3 choices of sauce, and you can get the special hot sauce on the side, so you can control the amount of chilli sauce on the meat which makes the whole ordeal much more manageable. See below picture:
Serves 2-3 people.
Jaz Bar (Restaurant & Wine Bar)
Address: Data #3 Centre, 80 Jephson St, Toowong (Brisbane) QLD
Phone: 07 3870 1111
www.jazbar.com.au
When I saw this in an advertisement in Brisbane - I jumped at the chance to go and try it - it sure saved me the flight to Vancouver!
Everything is well-priced as well - these huge main was around $30-$40, served with salad and chips.
I ordered the Surf & Turf (pictured below) - comes with steak, calamari (which looked semi-cooked) and prawns. There was also the mushroom sauce but that was a tad on the watery side so give that a miss.
The waitress advised that we cut the meat up into smaller pieces, and turn once cooked on one side and moving it off the stone once fully cooked to preference. It's a good idea and leaves you in total control of your meat! I suggest that you keep a good watch because I let mine sit for a little longer than I would have liked - the amazing thing about these volcanic stones is while it sizzles slowly, it never burns!
I always find that the best tasting dishes, especially meat, is when the meat is left in its natural state, with all its juices and flavour. Jaz has clearly made choice cuts for this particular purpose, because for the first time, I could actually taste beef, and not oil or other substitutory marinates.
Below: Swordfish fillet - this was quite nice as well, cooked in its own natural juices and the fish cooked very quickly. The sauce it was served with didn't bring out the best in the fish, I recommend a tartare sauce if they will accomodate such a request.
The mocktails there are MEAN! (in a good way)
Featured below is the berry mocktail (don't be deceived, the glass is layered, the drink itself is one colour), a combination of berries and cranberry juice - amazing!!!
This particular mocktail was a lychee & watermelon combinatin which was also sort of sour (grapefruit)? I thoroughly enjoyed this one because of my eccentric tastes for the tangy & sour (pictured below).
For the grande finale and ULTIMATE FOODGASM:
Chocolate Gateaux - a "decadent chocolate & almong gateaux topped with chocolate ganache & served with chantilly cream". The texture is melt-in-your mouth, and an added bonus is that (I think) it is gluten free. The slices don't actually come out that big, so to avoid fighting order one each! As you can see below, it is served with a berry coulis topping and icing sugar. Pure bliss...
YOU CAN'T LEAVE WITHOUT EATING THIS CAKE!
:)
Update: I really enjoyed this restaurant the first time I came, and hyped it up much more in my mind than it was worth. Maybe they changed the menu, or maybe it was cheapo Tuesdays and I was expecting way too much.
The service here is always courteous and friendly, try to avoid the jazz nights and being seated 2 seats from the band if you are trying to have a nice date.
On $25 Tuesdays, you get an entrée & main from the Tuesday menu, which is really not bad value.
I had the thai fish cakes which were a partially uncooked-dough version with some fish flavoured bits inside it I’m sure. Do not attempt to eat without sweet chilli sauce or you will suffer the wrath of a sickening blandness.
My co-eater ordered some sort of antipasto platter which looked fairly ordinary – I could have done a similar job at Woolworths with $5.
I was greedy and ordered the bush spiced chicken with a steak of eye fillet (served with chips & salad) . My bush chicken “tender” cooked, but the steak was too thick so I had to divide it up and cook it in stages.
Jaz Bar really have trouble complimenting their sauces. They put a dill sauce with chicken (dill sauce should be banned except in prisoner cuisine where they are there to ingest suffering) and mustard with steak. It didn’t make any gastronomical sense at all. Although it does make you appreciate the meat for all it’s fresh/unfresh and bloody goodness.
The previously decadent chocolate cake lacked lustre, perhaps it was not warmed up enough but just tasted very average – just like any old mudcake.
We also ordered these mocktails which were more like a concoction of fruit slushies from the servo, only with more rough ice chunks which required time to melt before it was enjoyable.
Phone: 07 3870 1111
www.jazbar.com.au
- Healthy Stonegrill cooking where meals are served on superheated volcanic stones
- Live jazz music every Wed, Fri & Sat nights
When I saw this in an advertisement in Brisbane - I jumped at the chance to go and try it - it sure saved me the flight to Vancouver!
Everything is well-priced as well - these huge main was around $30-$40, served with salad and chips.
I ordered the Surf & Turf (pictured below) - comes with steak, calamari (which looked semi-cooked) and prawns. There was also the mushroom sauce but that was a tad on the watery side so give that a miss.
The waitress advised that we cut the meat up into smaller pieces, and turn once cooked on one side and moving it off the stone once fully cooked to preference. It's a good idea and leaves you in total control of your meat! I suggest that you keep a good watch because I let mine sit for a little longer than I would have liked - the amazing thing about these volcanic stones is while it sizzles slowly, it never burns!
I always find that the best tasting dishes, especially meat, is when the meat is left in its natural state, with all its juices and flavour. Jaz has clearly made choice cuts for this particular purpose, because for the first time, I could actually taste beef, and not oil or other substitutory marinates.
Below: Swordfish fillet - this was quite nice as well, cooked in its own natural juices and the fish cooked very quickly. The sauce it was served with didn't bring out the best in the fish, I recommend a tartare sauce if they will accomodate such a request.
The mocktails there are MEAN! (in a good way)
Featured below is the berry mocktail (don't be deceived, the glass is layered, the drink itself is one colour), a combination of berries and cranberry juice - amazing!!!
This particular mocktail was a lychee & watermelon combinatin which was also sort of sour (grapefruit)? I thoroughly enjoyed this one because of my eccentric tastes for the tangy & sour (pictured below).
For the grande finale and ULTIMATE FOODGASM:
Chocolate Gateaux - a "decadent chocolate & almong gateaux topped with chocolate ganache & served with chantilly cream". The texture is melt-in-your mouth, and an added bonus is that (I think) it is gluten free. The slices don't actually come out that big, so to avoid fighting order one each! As you can see below, it is served with a berry coulis topping and icing sugar. Pure bliss...
YOU CAN'T LEAVE WITHOUT EATING THIS CAKE!
:)
Update: I really enjoyed this restaurant the first time I came, and hyped it up much more in my mind than it was worth. Maybe they changed the menu, or maybe it was cheapo Tuesdays and I was expecting way too much.
My co-eater ordered some sort of antipasto platter which looked fairly ordinary – I could have done a similar job at Woolworths with $5.
The Meat & Wine Co.
Left: Wine storage facility in centre of restaurant - stairs spiral upwards
Address: 31 Wheat Rd IMAX Theatre Complex, Darling Harbour NSW 2000 (Sydney)
Tel: 02 9211 9888
Fax: 02 9211 8189
Email: sydney@themeatandwineco.com
Other locations: Paramatta (Sydney) and Melbourne
www.themeatandwineco.com
Being an avid steak cynic, I was convinced to try The Meat & Wine Co, where steak is their specialisation and they do it quite well.
Don't let the sea of business suits in the front fool you - inside there is an intricate weaving of tables in a haphazard (but very cool) layout, with persons of all demographics (young and old, dressed up and down).
The staff are attentive and look after the well-being of their particular table. The other good thing was that our waiter (can't say the same for all so don't quote me) was able to differentiate between the different meat, and cooking methods - which is a bonus because I have come across some completely useless staff.
Moving on to the food:
I am a self-confessed fatty, so I got a bit greedy ordering for a table for 2.
Pictured below, the mixed bread platter (half serve because the waiter acknowledged the full serve had about 10 bits of bread on it). In the centre is the 2nd best-tasting bruschetta I have ever eaten.
I was having a foodgasm going through the smoothness of the cheese, roma tomatoes, pesto spread, possibly had garlic and buttered crusty bread. The base of the plate was dressed with a sticky balsamic vinegar which completed the "tang". Heavenly...
The other bits of bread are garlic, and herb.
Below: I was curious to see what the Chef's salad was all about - because it sounded great on the menu. A mix of gourmet lettuce leaves, avocado, roma tomatoes, spanish onion, cucumber, preserved lemon and a a red wine and seeded mustard vinaigrette. It also features a very unique tasting thinly sliced cured beef called "biltong" which is actually a chewier derivation of beef jerky.
Now for the mains...
Pictured above: As advised by a previous diner, and the waitress, the meat skewers look and taste great. I wouldn't go as far as saying this is a snack, because it is quite a hefty amount of meat on a hook. I ordered the Prawn and Beef Skewer - "Tender cuts of Australian Angus beef skewered with Queensland King Prawns, grilled and served with chips". I was feeling greedy, not in the mood for a proper steak, and figured this would be a good alternative -and it was! The prawns aren't peeled, so a finger bowl is provided. I ordered the beef cooked medium on this skewer and it was great! Not too tough, I would say the meat was aged properly to gain the optimum texture.Pictured below: My dining buddy ordered a 350g rib-eye steak, described as "Selected Angus 120 day grain-fed cuts, matured to perfection. The quality of our beef is carefully managed from the Pasture to the Plate - our commitment that an exceptional product is served every time.
Grilled to order with our unique in-house basting and served with super crunchy chips".
I tasted this and it was great - just the way medium rare should be! This restaurant does not disappoint when it comes to the meat, so I would definitely recommend, even coming from a steak skeptic like me!
To complete the experience, a courtesy call was made to me the following day, enquiring toward my meal and service. I could only think of positive thoughts to recount on, and thanked them kindly for their call.
Cupcakes on Pitt
Address: Shop 2, 323-327 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000
Telephone: (02) 9264 4644
Trading hours:
With bragging rights such as "Award winning cupcakes" this is a must-see! They are quite affordable at $2.00 each, but also form a great gift if you're in the city and stuck for ideas.
I would probably agree that they look better than they taste, but I'll let you be the judge.
Pictured: Assorted box of 12 = $24.00
Left column (top to bottom): chocolate sundae, blackforest, cookies & cream
Strawberries & cream, vanilla, passionfruit?
Strawberry, honeycomb, tiramisu
Right column: Lemon meringue, chocolate brownie, cherry ripe?
Telephone: (02) 9264 4644
Trading hours:
Monday to Friday (except public holidays) 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Note: Store also open in Bondi Beach. See website for details.
Website: http://www.cupcakesonline.com.au/With bragging rights such as "Award winning cupcakes" this is a must-see! They are quite affordable at $2.00 each, but also form a great gift if you're in the city and stuck for ideas.
I would probably agree that they look better than they taste, but I'll let you be the judge.
Pictured: Assorted box of 12 = $24.00
Left column (top to bottom): chocolate sundae, blackforest, cookies & cream
Strawberries & cream, vanilla, passionfruit?
Strawberry, honeycomb, tiramisu
Right column: Lemon meringue, chocolate brownie, cherry ripe?
Emad's Restaurant (Lebanese Cuisine)
Address: 298 Cleveland St, Surry Hills
We escaped to Surry Hills for a work colleague farewell - and for about $30 per head, this wasn't such a bad feast.
The lighting in quite dim, and seating is mainly cushions and throwovers with traditional textiles. It is not flashy looking or buzzing with people - probably a regular eat-out for locals moreso than passer-byers.
To make life simple, we ordered the set menu - a sampler of all the Lebanese greats!
First up we were greeted with baskets of Lebanese bread, plates of hommous dip and bowls of tabouli. I spread the hommus on the bread and top with tabouli and the eat to get optimum flavour.
Pictured below: an assortment of pastries and falafel. There was a spinach pie, lady fingers (pastry containing minced meat), falafel (chick pea patty, fried to form crunchy dark brown coat), a minced lamb-falafel (the oval shaped looking falafel - forgot the official name). The chickpea falafel was particularly good!
Below: Vineleaves and cabbage rolls - a little on the exotic side. The vineleaves were definitely really sour - beware as the taste is a very strong hit! Cabbage rolls are the light coloured ones - and both rolls were filled with a rice.
Below: Chicken and lamb shish kebabs - aromatic char-grill flavour, but the meat was slightly on the dry side. It was quite unusual for them to use chicken breast meat - usually shish is made with more tender fillets such as thigh.
We escaped to Surry Hills for a work colleague farewell - and for about $30 per head, this wasn't such a bad feast.
The lighting in quite dim, and seating is mainly cushions and throwovers with traditional textiles. It is not flashy looking or buzzing with people - probably a regular eat-out for locals moreso than passer-byers.
To make life simple, we ordered the set menu - a sampler of all the Lebanese greats!
First up we were greeted with baskets of Lebanese bread, plates of hommous dip and bowls of tabouli. I spread the hommus on the bread and top with tabouli and the eat to get optimum flavour.
Pictured below: an assortment of pastries and falafel. There was a spinach pie, lady fingers (pastry containing minced meat), falafel (chick pea patty, fried to form crunchy dark brown coat), a minced lamb-falafel (the oval shaped looking falafel - forgot the official name). The chickpea falafel was particularly good!
Below: Vineleaves and cabbage rolls - a little on the exotic side. The vineleaves were definitely really sour - beware as the taste is a very strong hit! Cabbage rolls are the light coloured ones - and both rolls were filled with a rice.
Below: Chicken and lamb shish kebabs - aromatic char-grill flavour, but the meat was slightly on the dry side. It was quite unusual for them to use chicken breast meat - usually shish is made with more tender fillets such as thigh.
Umi Kaiten-Zushi (Sushi Bar)
Address: Shop 1, Lower Ground Floor, Sydney Central, 477 Pitt St (Cnr Hay & Parker St) Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 9281 2006
Fax: 9281 2007
Email: enquiry@umikaitenzushi.com.au
www.umikaitenzushi.com.au
I wouldn't rank this as one of my top-5 sushi bars or anything, but the prime location, friendly service and shop fitting doesn't make it such a bad destination.
The restaurant is a sushi-train setup, with a giant freshwater fish tank wall as the centrepiece. I'm not sure how impressed the fish inside the tank are with the fact that on the other side of the tank, their relatives are being cut-up and made into a presentable delicacy but the fish tank is an awesome distraction and great conversation starter (and you will find, unexpectedly, most people know a little bit about keeping fish).
The sushi itself is quite generic, but they do seem to specialise in inside-out sushi (my favourite), with an assortment of condiments sprinkled on the outside.
Below: Bread-crumbed prawn & cucumber sushi with what looks (and tastes like) corn bits on the outsite.
Below: Egg, avocado, cucumber and chicken with seaweed sprinkled on the outside.
NOTEABLE: Roasted duck, avocado and egg sushi (pictured above & below). This is something I've never had except for here and I think its great!!! Served with mayo and sweet chilli sauce.
Below: Another chicken/tuna, avocado, cucumber, egg inside-out sushi topped with green fish eggs derivation.
Tel: 9281 2006
Fax: 9281 2007
Email: enquiry@umikaitenzushi.com.au
www.umikaitenzushi.com.au
I wouldn't rank this as one of my top-5 sushi bars or anything, but the prime location, friendly service and shop fitting doesn't make it such a bad destination.
The restaurant is a sushi-train setup, with a giant freshwater fish tank wall as the centrepiece. I'm not sure how impressed the fish inside the tank are with the fact that on the other side of the tank, their relatives are being cut-up and made into a presentable delicacy but the fish tank is an awesome distraction and great conversation starter (and you will find, unexpectedly, most people know a little bit about keeping fish).
The sushi itself is quite generic, but they do seem to specialise in inside-out sushi (my favourite), with an assortment of condiments sprinkled on the outside.
Below: Bread-crumbed prawn & cucumber sushi with what looks (and tastes like) corn bits on the outsite.
Below: Egg, avocado, cucumber and chicken with seaweed sprinkled on the outside.
NOTEABLE: Roasted duck, avocado and egg sushi (pictured above & below). This is something I've never had except for here and I think its great!!! Served with mayo and sweet chilli sauce.
Below: Another chicken/tuna, avocado, cucumber, egg inside-out sushi topped with green fish eggs derivation.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Mamak (Malaysian Roti and Satay)
Address: 15 Goulburn St, Sydney
Tel: 9211 1668
Fax: 9211 1669
www.mamak.com.au
Malaysia is a country of many colours, races and cultures - with a sizeable Chinese and Indian communities. Mamak is a fantastic restaurant, exhibiting at its best, the fusion between Indian and Asian cuisine.
It's not a terribly flash restaurant - tables and chairs, and in some cases a communal table. The proximity of the person next to you has its pros & cons - the pros being that you can eyeball the Malaysian delicacies being served on a table not too far away (and make mental note to either order it, or try next time).
I haven't had an awful lot of Malaysian food before but it is much like its other neighbouring counterparts Indonesia & Singapore - spicy, pungent, and shrimp paste in almost everything.
Do be warned though - I don't think they take reservations, and sometimes the queue does get quite long. If you hit a good time or flow, then you won't need to wait long - but because its in a 'sit & eat' setting the turnover is quite fast anyway. The wait is worth it!
For drinks, I strongly recommend the Teh tarik ($3.50). It comes out actually much more frothy on top than what you see in the picture below (I was too keen to try it that I drank part of it before photographing what you see below). Described as "classic Malaysian sweetened tea, 'stretched' for a frothy topping - the texture is fluffy, but not overly creamy. It's kind of like their own version of a milk tea, served hot and differing slightly in colour. I was intrigued by this drink because you can see them make it in the front window while you queue up - and I will vouch for the fact that it IS actually "stretched" by wide, flowing movements of pouring from one container to another to mix the ingredients and create a frothy topping. The taste itself - warm, and tea-ish. Yum.
Another drink they served called Kopi tarik (pictured below). Malaysian white coffee. Not dissimilar to Vietnamese-style (white) coffee. Very strong liquid coffee flavour.
The first time I went here I felt like a curry and featured in the photo below is the Kari ikan - 'a tangy fish curry cooked with fresh tomatoes, okra & eggplant'. I am a fan of all the above except okra because I have no idea what that is, and the flavour on this was quite nice. I did expect the fish to be either fried or filleted - but from my experience they have just cut a slab of meat from what seems like a big fish with a lot of little fishbones embedded in the meat. It's a dangerous game trying not to choke on, or stab your oesophegus with fishbones, so take care!!! The thing I wasn't too impressed about this dish was that it was the first thing to come out, but was only served lukewarm - bordering cold. I was tempted to send it back and tell them to microwave it or something, so if you decide to order it take note, or do them the favour and send it back (unless they have a good reason for it being cold).
Another popular main is Mee Goreng (pictured below) - 'wok-tossed hokkien noodles with eggs, prawns, fishcake slices and fresh bean sprouts'. Highly recommended - if you are new to South East Asian food, MUST EAT! It is quite spicy though, so if you can't take any chilli at all, either ask if they can make it less spicy or order something else. If Asian food had its version of 'al dente' - I would describe these as the best-tasting hokkein noodles I've had! Very potent flavour - love it! Truly brings those 2-minute "mi goreng" noodles to shame...
My personal favourite - and foodgasm territory - ROTI!
Most of the food covered earlier is quite typical across oriental Asia - rice, noodles, curries, etc.
As you can see below, roti look instantly belonging more to the Indian influences that exist in Malaysia. Much of it looks like finger-food, and you can watch the pastry being made in the shopfront window - it is a combination of kneading, stretching, folding and "popping".
Above: Roti canai ($5) is 'the original roti' - crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Savoury Roti is served with 2 curry dips and a spicy sambal sauce (the small spoonful in the inside). One of the curry sauces is thinner and more spicy, the other reminiscent of a chickpea soup or something.
Below: Roti telur bawang ($6.50). Same pastry, with egg and red onion folded in triangles.
Below: Murtabak (chicken) $9.50 is roti pastry surrounding a spicy mince filling.
As you can see below in the expanded Murtabak, the filling is a mince with pieces of onion. Quite a nice filling - reminds me of Middle Eastern Cuisine actually.
So if you're ever in Chinatown - must visit! It is rare that restaurants combine a whole experience - right from the making of its signature dish, a unique drinks list and a menu with a myriad of flavours to satisfy the most curious tastebuds.
Tel: 9211 1668
Fax: 9211 1669
www.mamak.com.au
Malaysia is a country of many colours, races and cultures - with a sizeable Chinese and Indian communities. Mamak is a fantastic restaurant, exhibiting at its best, the fusion between Indian and Asian cuisine.
It's not a terribly flash restaurant - tables and chairs, and in some cases a communal table. The proximity of the person next to you has its pros & cons - the pros being that you can eyeball the Malaysian delicacies being served on a table not too far away (and make mental note to either order it, or try next time).
I haven't had an awful lot of Malaysian food before but it is much like its other neighbouring counterparts Indonesia & Singapore - spicy, pungent, and shrimp paste in almost everything.
Do be warned though - I don't think they take reservations, and sometimes the queue does get quite long. If you hit a good time or flow, then you won't need to wait long - but because its in a 'sit & eat' setting the turnover is quite fast anyway. The wait is worth it!
For drinks, I strongly recommend the Teh tarik ($3.50). It comes out actually much more frothy on top than what you see in the picture below (I was too keen to try it that I drank part of it before photographing what you see below). Described as "classic Malaysian sweetened tea, 'stretched' for a frothy topping - the texture is fluffy, but not overly creamy. It's kind of like their own version of a milk tea, served hot and differing slightly in colour. I was intrigued by this drink because you can see them make it in the front window while you queue up - and I will vouch for the fact that it IS actually "stretched" by wide, flowing movements of pouring from one container to another to mix the ingredients and create a frothy topping. The taste itself - warm, and tea-ish. Yum.
Another drink they served called Kopi tarik (pictured below). Malaysian white coffee. Not dissimilar to Vietnamese-style (white) coffee. Very strong liquid coffee flavour.
The first time I went here I felt like a curry and featured in the photo below is the Kari ikan - 'a tangy fish curry cooked with fresh tomatoes, okra & eggplant'. I am a fan of all the above except okra because I have no idea what that is, and the flavour on this was quite nice. I did expect the fish to be either fried or filleted - but from my experience they have just cut a slab of meat from what seems like a big fish with a lot of little fishbones embedded in the meat. It's a dangerous game trying not to choke on, or stab your oesophegus with fishbones, so take care!!! The thing I wasn't too impressed about this dish was that it was the first thing to come out, but was only served lukewarm - bordering cold. I was tempted to send it back and tell them to microwave it or something, so if you decide to order it take note, or do them the favour and send it back (unless they have a good reason for it being cold).
Another popular main is Mee Goreng (pictured below) - 'wok-tossed hokkien noodles with eggs, prawns, fishcake slices and fresh bean sprouts'. Highly recommended - if you are new to South East Asian food, MUST EAT! It is quite spicy though, so if you can't take any chilli at all, either ask if they can make it less spicy or order something else. If Asian food had its version of 'al dente' - I would describe these as the best-tasting hokkein noodles I've had! Very potent flavour - love it! Truly brings those 2-minute "mi goreng" noodles to shame...
My personal favourite - and foodgasm territory - ROTI!Most of the food covered earlier is quite typical across oriental Asia - rice, noodles, curries, etc.
As you can see below, roti look instantly belonging more to the Indian influences that exist in Malaysia. Much of it looks like finger-food, and you can watch the pastry being made in the shopfront window - it is a combination of kneading, stretching, folding and "popping".
Above: Roti canai ($5) is 'the original roti' - crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Savoury Roti is served with 2 curry dips and a spicy sambal sauce (the small spoonful in the inside). One of the curry sauces is thinner and more spicy, the other reminiscent of a chickpea soup or something.Below: Roti telur bawang ($6.50). Same pastry, with egg and red onion folded in triangles.
Below: Murtabak (chicken) $9.50 is roti pastry surrounding a spicy mince filling.
As you can see below in the expanded Murtabak, the filling is a mince with pieces of onion. Quite a nice filling - reminds me of Middle Eastern Cuisine actually.
So if you're ever in Chinatown - must visit! It is rare that restaurants combine a whole experience - right from the making of its signature dish, a unique drinks list and a menu with a myriad of flavours to satisfy the most curious tastebuds.
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