Date Archives June 2015

Fill my bowl: Oiden, Sydney CBD

Review
Review of Oiden, Sydney CBD

Review of Oiden, Sydney CBD

You know that stereotype about Asians never being full on rice? Well, I’ve eaten upwards of 15 plates of sushi without signs of being full, and well, whenever I’m not feeling 100%, rice is always the answer.

…or noodles. You know, carbs.

And you know what’s better than carbs? Cheap carbs! Yes. I give you permission to lick the screen. LICK IT.

Review of Oiden, Sydney: BBQ Beef DonburiOntama BBQ Beef Don

Oiden in the CBD is basically the rice version of udon bar Mappen, conveniently located, well, right next door. It has the same system: pick a rice bowl (donburi) off the menu, then choose from a variety of sides – mostly deep fried – and they tally it all up at the counter!

Review of Oiden, Sydney CBDSelection of Fried Sides

And if you have analysis paralysis (like me!) with too many choices, well, you can also choose the $9.90 combination of three mini rice bowls, because we have a need. A need for speed variety.

Review of Oiden, Sydney CBDCurry Don

Review of Oiden, Sydney CBDHash Beef Don

The thing about Oiden is that it’s the very epitome of cheap and cheerful, and fast, too. It’s such a basic idea, and is a favourite with the students in the area for its value for money! I really especially like the set meals – like the mini donburi sets – that give you lots of variety, and it’s actually really decent food.

If you’re going to spend $10 at a fast food joint, you really might as well spend it here, IMO. I highly recommend the hash beef bowls if you like your sweet/savoury type flavours, or the Japanese curry for something more hearty! If you also happen to have your Washoku Lover’s Card, you also get a free refreshing honey lemon drink – and you know how I love freebies!! =)

Don’t say I’m not saving you money!

Washoku Lovers is a free membership programme that gives you perks to many Japanese restaurants in Sydney! We also have visited other restaurants participating in the Washoku Lovers programme, Suminoya like and Izakaya Yebisu! To find out more about the programme and sign up, visit www.washokulovers.com.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Washoku Lovers and Suminoya.
Oiden
Shop 12, SkyView Shopping Plaza
537-551 George Street, CBD, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9267 1368
Website: http://oiden.com.au

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Guide to Photography: The Rule of Thirds

Photography Tech 3 Comments
Guide to Photography: The Rule of Thirds

Wayyyyy back in the day, when my parents gave me a disposable camera so that I could take pictures on a primary school zoo trip, I took some really badly composed pictures. I took my mother’s advice to “put people in the middle” too far, and it turns out that it really didn’t quite work when composing a photograph.

So fast forward 10 years, and I get my first lesson in photography: The Rule of Thirds. The golden rule of composition that is taught to all beginners, and still works for me, even to this day!

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Varying degrees of…Celsius Dessert Bar, Chatswood

Review
Review of Celsius Dessert Bar, Chatswood

Review of Celsius Dessert Bar, Chatswood

Nitrogen frozen treats seem to be all the rage right now, doesn’t it? And with good reason: the low freezing point of liquid nitrogen makes the ice cream super smooth, and the clouds of vapour provides a dramatic way to watch your ice cream getting made!

Located near the new Chatswood transport interchange, Celsius Dessert Bar has a small range of nitrogen-frozen gelato to choose from, coupled with thoughtful toppings to create a full-fledged dessert.

Because ice cream can always use some topping. 😉

Review of Celsius Dessert Bar - Watermelon SplashWatermelon Splash

Review of Celsius Dessert Bar - Monkey MagicMonkey Magic

Simon and I shared a Watermelon Splash and Monkey Magic, and we were about to go for a third, but…well, we really shouldn’t. Haha. The Monkey Magic really reminded me of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, except a little lighter. The chocolate cookies and the bruleed bananas were a very nice touch, and made for a fantastic dessert.

The Watermelon Splash on the other hand, would have been much better off without the topping – the honeycomb had a very slight burnt flavour to it, and made the whole thing taste…savoury. The gelato itself was really refreshing, and light, and tasted of fresh watermelons, which is, well, a good thing.

I really wanted to go back and try the other flavours, but I don’t know if I can go past the Monkey Magic!

Banana flavoured anything is my kryptonite. Go figure.

This was independently paid for
Celsius Dessert Bar
Kiosk 4 Chatswood Bus Interchange
436 Victoria Ave
Chatswood, NSW
Phone: (02) 8068 6895
Website: http://www.celsiusdessertbar.com.au

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As the crow flies: The Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest

Review
Review of The Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest

Review of The Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest

I must say that I’ve been very lucky: growing up in Singapore, I’ve been able to consider Thailand as a “weekend holiday” destination, and enjoy all the culinary delights that come with it! Since moving to Sydney, I’ve clearly had less easy access to Thailand, but I must say, Thai food in Sydney is actually quite good.

And with that knowledge, I was super excited to be invited to Tall Lemongrass, in Crow’s Nest!

Review of the Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest: Mieng KumMieng Khumm, $12

Owner Wendy greeted us at the door, and then proceeded to completely spoil us with her extensive menu – this was a whole book and a few laminated sheets worth of menu – of Thai classics with a modern slant.

We start with 2 entrees, because…well, do we actually need a reason?

Review of the Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest: Duck BitesDuck Salad Mouthfuls, $14

The Mieng Khum, $12, and the Duck Salad Mouthfuls, $14 show a strong emphasis on presentation, and sets the mood for a bit of theatre. Mieng Khum is a traditional Thai snack of ginger, chilli, onion, peanuts, and various other toppings, wrapped in a betel leaf. In Australia, with our abundance of beautiful produce, poached prawn is often added, making a delicious mouthful. Here at Tall Lemongrass, it’s served with an additional egg net and a delicious sweet/savoury dressing, in stunning glasses.

Told you that there was an emphasis on presentation!

Review of the Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest: Caramelised Pork BellyCrispy Pork with Caramel Dressing , $20

Of the mains, we chose the Crispy Pork Belly with Caramel Dressing, $20, the Som Tum with Deep Fried Barramundi Fillet, $25, the Pad Thai with Squid, $16, and Green Tea Rice, $3.50, just to mop up all the deliciousness!

Review of the Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest: Green Tea RiceGreen Tea Rice, $3.50

Review of the Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest: Som Tum with Fried BarramundiSom Tum with Deep Fried Barramundi Fillet, $25

Review of the Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest: Pad Thai with SquidPad Thai with Squid, $16

The Crispy Pork Belly came out with an absolute flourish, as all crispy pork belly is wont to do, and the caramel sauce coated the tender-on-the-inside-crispy-on-the-outside pork belly chunks with an addictive sweet glaze. The Green Tea Rice was another delicious surprise – they fry the rice off with matcha powder, giving a very subtle and light green tea flavour that actually works very well with the traditional Thai mix of flavours of sweet, salty, spicy and salty.

Heck, I’d even eat the rice on its own. But we all know that I’d do that anyway.

Review of the Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest: Deep Fried Ice Cream in Filo PastryDeep fried ice cream with filo sheets, $12.50

But the piece de resistance – DEEP FRIED ICE CREAM!!! Cold ice cream, hot crispy filo pastry, a delight for the senses. And check this: It’s better than Holy Basil. BOOM. There, I said it. And even though we were full AF, it was still the best part of the evening. Look, the other dishes were decent, but this dessert was absolutely excellent.

I really like how The Tall Lemongrass is trying to do something new, with very old culinary traditions. They’re trying to do something different with something so familiar to us, and I commend them for that. Unfortunately, not everything works – the Pad Thai, for example, while very cute in their little egg net parcels, was not actually what I’d classify as a main. And I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be if I thought I was ordering a stock standard full plate of pad thai, and 2 small parcels came out to the table.

BUT, I’m an avid supporter of creativity, and as with any restaurant menu – especially one so extensive – is bound to have some executional problems. And realistically, Crows Nest is an expensive neighbourhood, so I guess…well I’m not entirely surprised about the price tags of the dishes.

Great space for a group setting, and the waitresses are extremely friendly and helpful. If nothing else, go for that fried ice cream. It’s freaking amazeballs.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of The Tall Lemongrass.
The Tall Lemongrass
136 Willoughby Road
Crows Nest, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9966 0350
Website: www.thetalllemongrass.com.au/

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Makeup Crush! Mad Max meets Frozen

Beauty Inspiration

Makeup Crush: Mad Max meets FrozenSource: zanita.com.au

Okay, so I haven’t actually seen Mad Max, even though I’ve seen so many cosplay ideas that really, I might as well have. And I heard there’s not much of a plot anyway, so it’s okay for me to just love the makeup and costumes right?

And my excuse is that I need to start working on Halloween early!
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Like a Pizza, But Not: Just Man’oushe, Sydney CBD

Review
Review of Just Man'oushe by Sydney Food Blog Insatiable Munchies

Review of Just Man'oushe by Sydney Food Blog Insatiable Munchies

I have something to admit: I’m not much of a pizza person. I mean, I like it as much as the next person, but I don’t live for it, like some people do. Heresy, I know.

The thing is, I enjoy a good flatbread more than the pizza as a whole, and it needs to have the right amount of chewiness, the right amount of pull, and the right amount of crisp. And this is where Just Man’oushe comes in.

IMG_9290Raw beef and cheese man’oushe

Man’oushe really refers to the flatbread, and is usually served with some melted cheese with a smattering of dried herbs like oregano and thyme. But like all delicious things, there are always variations, and it has evolved to pizza-like proportions, with a huge variety of options to choose from!

I know, #firstworldproblems right?

03Beef sujuk and cheese man’oushe

The biggest difference to me between man’oushe and pizza, is that there isn’t a sauce requirement to go over the base. But really, with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of chilli flakes, it does not need it! We tried the Minced Beef and Cheese, which involves seasoned raw beef mince warmed on flatbread, and it was super addictive. The mince was laid on thinly, and wasn’t as chunky as the beef mince that you’d get from the store, making it more saucy than mincy, if you’ll excuse my uh, scientific terminology here.

If you’re not as adventurous, the sujuk and cheese – a spicy beef sausage and a light covering of cheese – also works as a delicious variation on the classic pepperoni pizza. But really, try the beef mince. It’s amazing.

The service has also been delightful, all owing to the young pizza chef. He clearly loves his food, and is always at the ready with helpful suggestions and explanations to create the best experience! We went there after a rainy afternoon one day, and he was the only one to notice that the seats were wet, and came out of the kitchen to get us dry chairs. Very thoughtful.

I’m looking forward to working my way through the menu at Just Man’oushe, and if what I’ve had so far is any indication, it’s going to be awesome.

This meal was independently paid for.
Just Man’oushe
4-6 York Street
Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 7901 2403
Website: http://www.justmanoushe.com.au

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Black Garlic Aioli Recipe

Food Recipe 4 Comments
Black Garlic Aioli Recipe

So I think I’ve established just how much I love garlic – from my miso caramelised garlic bread, to making my own black garlic at home, I will endlessly try to find more excuses to have more garlic in my life.

I also really love mayo. The answer? Black garlic aioli.
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Guide to Photography: Aperture

Photography Tech
Guide to Photography: Aperture

Part of what I love about fancy schmancy cameras and lenses, is the ability to shoot at wide apertures. It adds an extra dimension to my photos, and it allows me to do so much more than I could have with just a point and shoot.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

But aperture, like any other tool, can be heavily misused, and trust me, I’ve made those mistakes along the way. So after writing about how to start shooting in manual, I thought it might be a good idea to share a little bit more about what I learnt about Aperture, so that maybe it could help you in your photography journey too!

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The perfect pair? Chur Burger and Mudhouse Wines

Review
Review of Chur Burger and Mudhouse Wines

Review of Chur Burger and Mudhouse Wines

Burgers to me have always naturally been classed as “beer food”. You know, sport on tv, greasy burger, hot chips, cold beer? But the burgers ain’t greasy at Chur Burger, and well, the beer ain’t beer either.

No, the alcohol in this case comes courtesy of Mudhouse Wines, and Chef Warren has created four new burgers at Chur Burger to pair with the wines, in a limited edition menu, only available for the next month.

Review of Chur Burger and Mudhouse Wines: Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder Burger, with sweet potato, pickled beetroot, and minted slawSlow Roasted Lamb Shoulder Burger, with sweet potato, pickled beetroot, and minted slaw

I was very lucky to try all four burgers in a slider size with all of the available wines – goat’s curd burger with a pinot gris, saffron prawn burger with a sauvignon blanc, and a slow roasted lamb burger, and a crispy pork belly burger, both paired with a pinot noir.

I know, hard life, right? 😉

Review of Chur Burger and Mudhouse Wines: Crispy Pork Belly Burger, with cherry gastrique, baby gem and fennel mayoCrispy Pork Belly Burger, with cherry gastrique, baby gem and fennel mayo

My experience with wines has been pretty limited, but the pinot gris with the goat’s curd burger was nice. And this is where you imagine me holding up the “ok” symbol and having a very impressed look on my face. Very nice. The 2014 Pinot Gris had a very clean finish, and cleansed the palette between bites very nicely. It held up very well to the burger, and we all know that Warren does good burgers.

The pork and lamb burger was similarly delicious, though not quite as delicious as the goat’s curd, but the prawn, for me, didn’t quite work as a burger. Each component was delicious, but the filling to bun ratio didn’t quite work with each bite.

Still. Super delicious stuff from two kiwis who really know what they’re doing. And only $20 in Sydney CBD!! A steal any way you choose to look at it. Two thumbs up.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Chur Burger and Mudhouse Wines.
Chur Burger
48 Albion Street
Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9212 3602
Website: http://churburger.com.au/sydney.html

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The Malaysian Equation: Mamak, Haymarket

Review
Mamak, Haymarket, Sydney Food Blog Review by Tammi Kwok

Mamak, Haymarket, Sydney Food Blog Review by Tammi Kwok

Growing up, I was just 15 minutes from a famous late night eating district in Singapore – Jalan Kayu. It was basically a whole restaurant strip worth of roti pratas – flat breads that are chewy, crispy and flaky all at once, in the most delicious way. The Malaysians call it roti canai, and Mamak has a long standing repuation of making some of the fluffiest ones in Sydney!

Review of Mamak, Haymarket: Sambal SotongSambal Sotong

Part of the deliciousness to roti is the variety things to have it with. This time we ordered Sambal Sotong, because seafood and chilli are probably the two biggest loves in my life.

Well, non-human loves.

Review of Mamak, Haymarket: Roti ChanaiRoti Canai

The Roti Canai was fluffy and crispy, and the Sambal Sotong satisfied my craving…even if the serving was quite a bit on the small side. In fact, the considering cost to food standard ratio, the lack of value for money is only made up for with the fact that there wasn’t a queue on the night we went.

I normally wouldn’t drop by Mamak because there are other delicious options in Chinatown, but when you have a craving, well, what else can you do?

This meal was independently paid for
Mamak
15 Goulburn Street
Haymarket, Sydney NSW
Phone: 02 9211 1668
Website: http://www.mamak.com.au

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