The Sultan's Table (Turkish Restaurant)

Address: 179 Enmore Rd (Cnr Enmore Rd & London St) Enmore NSW
Tel: (02) 9557 0229
Trading hours: Open 7 days - 10am till late

Just looking at the menu for this place induces me to fantasize about the wordly flavours at The Sultan's Table. This restaurant is both eat-in and takeaway. Like most other reviews it has been given, I am going to add to the compliments everyone else has given it - and agree with the fact that it does live up to every expectation.

If you choose to eat-in, you will notice the interior and furnishings are thoughtfully decorated with what appears to be traditional Turkish or Persian-esque Art.



I ordered the Mixed Grill (to share between 2 people, pictured above) with the addition of a serving of hommous dip. The mixed grill consists of a combination of Adana (hand chopped lamb meat seasoned with red peppers, herbs & spices grilled over charcoal on a flat skewer), Shish lamb (marinated cubes of suckling lamb, skewered and grilled over charcoal) and shish chicken (marinated cubes of chicken fillet, grilled over charcoal) with turkish bread pieces (I am told they bake it fresh on premises), tomato, red onion and salad. I have never been a fan of lamb, but the herbs they use complement the meat perfectly to mask that sometimes overwhelming taste of lamb.

Below: Top to bottom - marinated chicken, beef cubes, marinated lamb skewered meat


I started regretting having ordered the hommous (they spell it humus) dip - as it is usually a very plain flavour - why couldn't I have ordered something more interesting on my trip here?!?!?! They had Babaganush, Parsley, Chilli, Carrot, Beetroot, Spinach, Jajik, Green Bean & Eggplant dips... but I chose humus!


BUT - this was no ordinary humus (pictured above)! There was what seemed to be a hint of lemon juice which gave it that extra tang, and possibly something else - but it had me hooked!!! This is arguably the best humus dip ever! Every spread was a new facet - sometimes it would be more tangy, sometimes more garlicy, sometimes just plain chickpea flavoured - but it was a taste of a thousand sensations! I was close to licking the plate clean!

There are also a wide range of pides available, all huge and very fresh. There are also a number of small entree dishes - I tried the zucchini fritter (zucchini, carrot, parsley, onion, cheese, herbs & spices) which were a tad on the floury side for my tastes, but nevertheless tasty (eat it before a meal, not after because it loses its appeal). Also tried the Stuffed Capsicum - a capsicum hollowed out and stuffed with spiced & herbed steam-cooked rice - really yummy, reminiscent of the Peri-Peri rice they sell at Nandos (but not as spicy) and really absorbs the flavour of the capsicum shell.

My co-eater liked this place so much, he went back the day after for round 2! I know I may be hyping this place up a bit too much, but the good thing about it is that they have such a large menu, it would take a long time for you to get bored - and furthermore, it is a great place to take someone (or yourself) for an introduction to mediterreanean cuisine (its clean, authentic but suited to Western tastes).

Hog’s Breath Cafe

Address: Lot 1, 8-18 The Kingsway, Cronulla NSW 2230
Ph: (02) 9544 0644
Fax: (02) 9527 4033

Website: http://www.hogsbreath.com.au (please visit for more locations around Australia)

I am a picky steak eater - I still claim the best I've had was down the road at the pub and it cost me $6 including a salad and thick-cut fries.

Although I can also reliably depend on Hog's Breath Cafe to make a steak that is largely acceptable and where I can eat more than 50% of it (including the fat which is remarkably tender).

Hogs Breath is best known for their Prime Rib steaks - slow cooked for 18 hours and then sealed in the final stages of cooking. The rumoured secret is that they oven bake their steaks so that the meat (and sinew/fat) is tender - and melts in your mouth (almost!).

I used to frequent the one located in Bondi Beach which has since closed down, so this marks my latest adventure down to Cronulla:

I think Hogs Breath has had a makeover in recent years - staff uniforms and a new menu. Pictured below are the Hoggies loaded potato skins - this one was 'The Sicilian' – Marinated Tomato & Basil salsa topped with cheddar, grilled to golden brown. Add spicy salsa to turn up the heat. It is not a very thin potato skin, there is still some potato (about 0.5cm) that forms the base for these bruschetta-like appetisers.


Below: Salt & Pepper Calamari - these are evenly battered and fried and quite delightful. In between mass production and gourmet, so a decent compromise.


Below: My main which was supposed to be Prime Rib Steak (but they ran out of it, so gave us some other steak, which was not too dissimilar) - Byron Bay Chilli Prime Rib Traditional Cut with extra order of avocado. This was a new flavour and since I am such a chilli addict and this Byron Bay chilli sauce won awards, you knew I had to go there. Very nice - sauce was a tangy compliment to this decently texture steak. You can also choose between salad/steamed vegies and curly french fries/mashed potato.

You may ask why the hell there is half a sliced avocado sitting there. Everything tastes better with avocado! And believe it or not, it tastes great with steak too. Hogs breath is like a build-your-own steak - you can add extras such as sauces, avocado and a variety of other condiments/ingredients (its in the instore-menu). There are also 3 sizes of steak - lite (smaller size), traditional and a lmega cut which is 33% bigger.


I would have had a photo and post on the famed 'Missisipi Mud Cake' which is meant to be heaven on earth but our waiter lost the dessert order so we were left hanging out for 20 minutes for nothing, so decided to wrap-up the bill and go. Maybe next time!

Tosolinis (Canberra)

Address: Bailey's Arc London Cct (cnr East Row), Canberra ACT
Tel: (02) 6247 4317

Website: http://www.tosolinis.com.au/ (website also currently being 'updated')

Yes don't ask me why I was there - this was my 5pm lunch/dinner. I was hungry from being stuck in a car all day and being disappointed from other things, and being Canberra on a Sunday afternoon not much is open after 3pm so I took my chances on this one.

Cafe looked classy and staff were attentive and knew what the dishes comprised of (which is suprising because you get a lot of clueless wait staff).

Below: Risotto di pollo - Marinated chicken, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, seeded mustard and fresh herbs (entree size). This was suprisingly good risotto! For such a random assortment of ingredients it actually worked quite well, and the entree size was very adequate (actually looked no different to my fellow eating buddies who ordered main size). The rice was not soft, and not undercooked and there just just enough liquid so that the sauce set the rice without being soggy or parched. Food did take a little while to come out, but it was worth it.


Also recommend the fruity mocktail/gourmet drinks or whatever they call it. I had something with passionfruit, strawberry & blood orange - only they ran out of blood orange so they substituted it with possibly what was pink grapefruit juice. The result: a fizzy concoction of fruity flavours and a revelation that fresh passionfruit makes for a great fruit cocktail.

Passionflower Dessert Cafe

Address: Capitol Square (opposite Capitol Theatre complex), Atrium Street Level, George St, Sydney NSW 2000

Tel: (02) 9281 8322

Website: http://www.passionflower.com.au/ (right now there's nothing on the website except an email address if you want to become a franchisee)

Note: There are other franchise locations around, but I do not and cannot find an exhaustive list)

This has been a popular hangout for young & old since the early 2000's and has recently seemed to have been expanded and refurbished.

Passionflower is mostly known for his exotic ice cream flavours such as jackfruit, sticky rice, wasabi, green tea, red bean, black sesame as well as other fruit gelato and conventional ice cream flavours.

It is not cheap (expect desserts to be priced between $10-$20), but is certainly an ideal location for if dinner did not satisfy or you wish to prolong a dinner date.

On this particular occasion (I had not been back here in abou 5 years) I decided to try this new flavour called rosewater and lychee. This particular dessert was 3 scoops of rosewater & lychee icecream, strawberry coulis and something coconutty at the bottom. It is usually also served with lychee jelly, coconut jelly and cream, but I am not a fan of either so to save myself from picking it all off in a less-than-classy fashion, I just ordered this without. Verdict - lovin' the rosewater & lychee flavour! Authentic with lychee bits of fruit, the refreshing light hint of rosewater and refreshing flavour of lychee. It is an ice cream rather than gelato, but this flavour doesn't emphasise the heaviness that more typical icecream flavours do. Thumbs up! (Picture below).


Below: Some chocolate brownie dessert - comprising of chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. 3 scoops of chocolate icecream, chocolate sauce, a flake chocolate and dollop of cream. Very rich. Will not disappoint those with a massive sweet tooth.



Above: Lovestoned (yeh that's the name of this dessert!) 3 scoops of strawberry icecream, strawberry syrup and fresh strawberries. Not that out-of-this-world but not as bad as it could be (I have seen some pretty nasty icecreams in my time!)

You will find this is not a bad hangout place, the staff were quite friendly & efficient on this evening and there were not many people on Christmas Eve at 8pm eating icecream so that may have something to do with it. They do also serve cakes and other desserts so if you are in the city/Chinatown and are seeking an exotic asian-themed icecream parlour then check this out!

Prasits Thai Northside Takeaway

Address: 395 Crown St SURRY HILLS, NSW 2010 (moved to a couple of stores down the same street)
Phone: (02) 9332 1792

One of my favourite Thai restaurants - always packed out, modest pricing and a casual dining atmosphere which suits any weekend/weeknight.


Below: Curry Puff - this is a melt-in-your-mouth sensation, puff pastry and filling is just bliss...


Below: Tom yum goong (Chilli broth with lemongrass, chilli oil & flakes, mushroom and prawns). Almost a meal in itself (I was greedy and ordered it as an entree, evidently paid the price for it later when I had to be rolled out of the restaurant after eating the main as well) - generous servings of mushrooms and about 3-4 prawns.




Above: Chicken Green Curry - a sweeter rendition of the traditional Thai green curry, not too thick, but not soup-like either - sticks magically to the rice giving it a full-bodied flavour. Chicken is complimented with crunchy blanched green beans and thinly sliced bamboo shoots.

Below: Heaven Beef - eating this is really like being in heaven - a tangy dressing drizzled over a charred piece of beef, slightly rare in the middle and semi-thinly sliced for your delectable pleasure.


Other Recommendations:

Jungle Curry - a coconut milk-less curry, extremely hot and sure to cause runny nose and watery eyes in no time...

Fish Choo Chee Curry - a thicker yellow curry with semi-sweet flavour, and fried fish pieces. Texture of fried fish pieces with the curry over it complimented with rice - a hearty meal.

Jimbaran (Indonesian Restaurant)

Address: 129 Avoca Street Randwick NSW 2031
Telephone: 9398 8555

Trading Hours:
Lunch: Sun 11am-3pm
Dinner: Tue-Sun 6pm-9pm
Closed Monday

Website: http://jimbaran.com.au/2006/index.php


Indonesian food, is reminiscent of Malaysian and most other South-East Asian cuisine. Jimbaran adds a touch of class and is a great introduction to this exotic cuisine full of pungent herbs & spices.

Being part of a larger group I got to sample some 10-or so dishes (sorry about the photos, taken with phone camera as I didn't want to look like a tourist and scare people with an SLR - lighting also was not the greatest):


53. Gado Gado - steamed vegetables (mostly soya bean sprouts) with peanut sauce. Certainly a nice lighter salad-esque option for the warmer seasons where heavy meat dishes aren't appropriate (although the peanut sauce is quite rich).



36. Beef Redang Curry - "Traditional beef curry slowly cooked in coconut milk and chilli until a thick mild curry is formed". Sensational flavour (could go on eating this curry sauce and rice forever), beef is stewed like beef brisket - not too soft, and not overcooked - perfect for even the pickiest steak eater.



37. Jimbaran Seafood Curry - "Light seafood curry without coconut milk cooked with Indonesian herbs". Another fragrant curry, with that hint of lemongrass to give it that unique touch. There's calamari, prawns and fish fillets in there...



25. Sate (satay, kebab stick) - Indonesian style on a hot charcoal grill - this one is the lamb skewers - complimented with a soy/chilli dipping sauce.


67. Sambal Goreng Udang - Stir-fried prawn with satar in chilli sauce. Although I don't know what the name means, or what satar is, this is a blissful stirfy full of flavours - the way stirfries should be! The herbs & marinate stuck beautifully to the prawns...



25. Sate (satay, kebab stick) - This is the chicken version, complimented with peanut sauce. I have to say, the dipping sauce plate is poorly designed - you get sauce on the first piece of meat closest to the end if you get lazy like me and just shove the stick in the sauce... but in saying this, the meat is tastefully grilled in a sweet marinate, giving it a distinctly smoky flavour. A favourite among all... i.e. make sure you order enough so everyone can have one each, and maybe seconds!




69. Kangkung Cah Trasi / Taoco - Morning glory (a type of Asian green) stir fried with belacan or preserved soya bean. We chose the belacan (whatever that is) - a truly unique dish which makes you actually want to eat your vegetables.

17. Nasi Goreng (seafood) - Indonesian Fried Rice. One of my friends fantasizes about this dish and starts frothing at the mouth. Maybe he talked it up and I was unable to make the correlation BUT I always love South-East Asian renditions of fried rice because they are not afraid to lop on the chilli, herbs, spices and shrimp paste which gives it a nice pungent tang!



17. Nasi Goreng (chicken) - Indonesian Fried Rice. I preferred the chicken version over the seafood, white & red meat seem to give the Nasi Goreng a stronger flavour than the seafood.


We catered for a seafood vegetarian, and a sell-out non-deep-fried food eater such as myself - and everybody enjoyed it so it was a win-win.

I am definitely a fan of this restaurant - the head waiter came around to ask us how the meal went and made us feel welcome to revisit (even though we were probably the youngest and loudest crowd there causing a racket).

The servings are quite small, so don't feel shy of ordering more mains to share - they are all modest quantities to ensure no wastage.

Thumbs up!!!

Din Tai Fung (Taiwanese Dumpling Restaurant)

Address: Shop 11, 04 Level 1
World Square Shopping Centre
644 George St Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 9264 6010
Fax: 9264 6013
Website: www.dintaifung.com.tw

When I asked one of my well-travelled friends where the best dumplings were, he replied with "Din Tai Fung". It's a chain, with restuarants all around the world (Taiwan, Japan, China, Indonesia, Singapore, USA, Korea, Malaysia) and now Australia.

I've never really had Siu Loong Bau before - the first time I was acquainted with the term was while watching old-school Shaw Brothers Kung Fu movies... the ones where the protagonist (usually a mysterious Kung Fu master or warrior) is new to town, and enters the local teahouse to enjoy light dimsims and enquire about the latest word-about-town... they're always eating dumplings!

Anyway, Siu Loong Bau (aka Pork Dumplings, listed as 1. on the menu for the noobs out there) is a dumpling - the unique feature being that it has its own soup inside the pastry. See how in the photo below, the dumplings look denser at the bottom? You can see the soup! Word of warning: don't try to eat the whole thing in your mouth at once, especially shortly after it is delivered - you can burn yourself with the soup!

Also tried this Silken tofu with century egg and pork floss - this is a cold dish, nothing spectacular. Actually I probably wouldn't recommend it.

This was a Braised beef soup with spinach - a mildly spicy soup. Beef was very, very tender...

Dan Dan noodle - this is a WOW dish. Traditional Taiwanese noodle, with a sesame-cream type sauce. VERY unique flavour. Has sprinkles of white sesame throughout the noodle. I could go on eating this forever!

This was a cold, spicy (the sauce is actually spicy, so if you don't take chilli watch out) dumpling dish, filled with finely chopped spinach/shallot type pork mince mixture.


Below: A vegetable appetiser dish consisting of thinly sliced tofu, seaweed, soya bean sprouts in a sesame-oil dressing. Light and refreshing.


Below: Cucumber drizzled with sesame oil, sprinkled with garlic. This is just a light appetiser to tease the stomach before the dumplings and mains come out. Nothing flash, just simple.

Below: Drunken Chicken - the pros of this dish is that it is all sliced and ready to eat. The cons of this dish is that is slighty on the the medicinal/bitter-tasting end so unless that's what you're into, its not worth the $13-or so. Don't be fooled by the picture, the dish is actually about 15cm long and 10cm wide (approx).


The servings were not overly big or small, and these 5 dishes were just right for 2 people. The standout dishes were definitely the steamed pork dumplings (first photo) and the Dan Dan noodle. The dumplings are everything they are hyped up to be!

The surroundings were neat, clean, innovative with a mix of Asian influence but Western-style seated dining. Service was professional, all the staff acknowledged you, and all our food come out within 15 minutes of being seated and after ordering. The restuarant opened at 5:30pm for dinner, and even by 6pm when we got there - it was packed full and had to wait for a table. So if you're planning a nice dinner out, book ahead to avoid embarrassment!

OH I forgot about dessert! Tried the green tea icecream - which was served with pieces of red bean and a leaf of mint. The bitterness of the red wine that I drank killed my tastebuds by that stage, but what I wouldn't give to go back there to try the other desserts (and dishes!)

Thumbs up for this one, and remember - everything goes better with vinegar! (Pour the vinegar in the small dish with shreds of ginger in it for those that look at chopsticks and freak out).

***Updated***

Below: Steamed crab roe/meat & pork dumpling. A highly coveted "limited edition" dumpling (i.e. they sell out). Must be eaten hot, otherwise filling will harden - I felt that the filling was still a bit frozen and had much of the life & flavour sucked out of it, so I prefer the original pork version.



Din Tai Fung also do gourmet drinks:

Above: Watermelon juice beautifully displayed with this ball you shouldn't attempt to eat.


Above: Italian soda with Strawberry - a magical fairytale of soda water with a strawberry syrup at the base - stir, sip and feel like a kid again.

Below: Lychee & Mint drink - I think I've found a substitute for love in this drink. PERFECT fusion of lychee & mint - cool and refreshing as that is the fruit of lychee, with the slightly bitter (but nice) hit of spearmint leaves blended with ice. Bliss.

Tropicana Juice/Food Bar (Melbourne)

Address: 213 Elizabeth St, Melbourne (opposite GPO)
Ph: (03) 9670 3568

You really can't miss this place - directly opposite GPO shopping centre (and an Australia Post), just look for the shop with the brightest, most colourful signage (not to mention orange bags taped to the front of the store) and you've got Tropicana juice bar.

I was a real skeptic - had I not been dragged there I wouldn't have gone in - looks like a seedy fruit shop. But it was much to my advantage, for I ordered one of the best mixed fresh fruit juices!

You can get great, reasonably priced breakfast deals for about $15 including juice, breakfast and a coffee.

I ordered a vegetarian breakfast with baked beans, avocado, tomato, fried egg and mushrooms on toast with a Tutti Fruitti large juice. This is a great juice - oranges, watermelon, apple and other refreshing fruits - gave me a brain freeze but really made my morning!

Below: Vegetable juice with beetroot, carrot, ginger and other conventionally gross stuff. The taste - strangely addictive. The ginger gives this concoction a powerful punch which most people would despise, but I love the spice. Something different.

Soulmama (global vegetarian cafe)

Address: St Kilda Seabaths (upstairs, on roof level!), Jacka Boulevarde, St Kilda Beach VIC
Tel: (03) 9525 3338
Trading hours: Open for lunch & dinner, 7 days

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

This is a global vegetarian restaurant, with great indoor views or soak up the sun and overlook the beach out on the deck.

I'm not a drinker but even on this occasion I decided to 'live it up' and try the Blushing Geisha cocktail - an infusion of frangelico, green tea liqueur, strawberries and probably some other crap. I think they just make cocktails better in Melbourne... (in Sydney they're like a mouthful of methlylated spirits or paint stripper).

The ordering system is a little unique at Soulmama - you pay for a ticket where you can choose 3 or more dishes and arrange them in the below fashion (or heaped in a bowl). I chose rice with a choice of 4 mains.

Below: clockwise from left - eggplant & rocket penne pasta salad, brown rice, vegetable bake, teriyaki udon noodles, morrocan lentil pastry roll served with corn & capsicum relish (middle).


Below: clockwise from left - beetroot salad, green salad, tofu/vege stirfy, brown rice, and a vegetable curry of sorts.


Really good, wholesome food. You feel great eating vegetarian because you know its cleaning out & detoxing your insides! For about $17 and a huge plate of food like this - its a great place to chill out (friendly staff btw) and stuff yourself silly with a huge range dishes to choose from.

The Office Cafe (Melbourne)

Address: 669 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056
Tel: (03) 9386 9669

I stopped by this beautiful, homely-feel cafe on my way out for a coffee and quick bite. Actually it doesn't look that beautiful, but the food has given me faith!

Coffee is not bad, but these homemade pies were what stopped me in my tracks:

Above: Spicy beef pie - a beautifully ornate puff pastry (even the base!) pie, with flicks of dried chilli & shredded beef in a gravy sauce.

It was spectatcular. I usually eat these things on the go without giving it much thought, but I actually made myself sit down and enjoy this properly - I was in nirvana!

Also comes in Chicken & Rosemary - if I ever go back to Melbourne this is a definite tram stop and I will be buying 2 pies, all for myself.

Dumplings Plus (Melbourne)

Address: 269 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9663 8181
Trading Hours: Mon-Sun, 10am to 11pm

Beautifully decorated interior - a huge selling point for this newly established dumpling joint in the heart of the city of Melbourne (Swanston St is like the George St of Sydney, Australia).

To the back of the store, there is a glass window revealing a group of Asian ladies carefully folding these dumplings into form, and preparing them to be cooked as you see them below.

Above: A5 Hand Made Pork Dumplings (15pc) $8.00

The plate is actually bigger than it looks in that picture, so don't make the mistake of ordering 2 plates of dumplings to serve 2 people. In the picture above, those dumplings were just boiled in water - but the filling contains a tasty pork mince. Dumplings were not terribly overcooked so that they fell apart upon picking them up (it is already a battle using chopsticks). Great with vinegar...

Below: A6 Pan-friend Pork Dumplings (10pc) $8.50

I always prefer pan-fried dumplings because it always gives the dumpling a suprisingly chewy, sometimes crunchy texture. Quite different from the boiled version - this is great with a more soy-based sauce.

Below: B6 Northern Style Noodles with Minced Pork and Bean Sauce

I love richly-flavoured, potent noodles, so a bean sauce (mainly black bean) handmade noodle was definitely a trial item for me. Shredded cucumber gave the dish a coolness and added crunch to this dish, to offset the overpowering bean sauce noodle. Please ensure to mix ingredients well...

... voila! (see below)


I do complain that they never get these Taiwanese/regional Chinese dishes right, they are always lukewarm and I love a steaming hot noodle. Maybe they hold off because of the cucumber (cooked cucumber is pretty nasty, despite now much I love the stuff).

I recommend this place for Westerners who would like to be introduced to Taiwanese or regional Chinese cuisine. It is not bad, but I've had better - thats asking a lot for a restaurant located in such a prominent location. Very budget eatery, suitable for 2 or more people to share & trial a few dishes...

Drinks: Ice Lemon Tea $2.60 - generous glass! A little watery, but a bitter iced tea...

Riva Cafe (Melbourne)

Address: The Walk Arcade, Shop 9-11, 323 Bourke Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9654 0404

Sorry for the painfully tryhard photo - but one not a regular in the city streets of Melbourne would never have found this place. It is in an alley near the Myer city Store, so if the place you're in kind of looks like the alley as pictured above - you may have found it!

I was promised the best eggs benedict - I got greedy and wanted ham & spinach so I ordered what they would call a modified "Queen Breakfast" (it usually has smoked salmon instead of the ham) - blanched spinach, poached eggs, virginian ham with herbed (forgot what the secret herb was) hollandaise sauce, served on a toasted english muffin.

Can't say it was the best in the whole-wide-world, simply because I haven't been to the whole-wide-world, but the herbed hollandaise sauce gave it definitive character and a reason to go back. Coffee was not bad either...

When in Rome...