Ever get that feeling that you want some cake, but you don’t need a whole piece of it? That you only need a tiny taste and you’d be satisfied, but your hands are tied by portion sizes?
What if, you could buy cakes just by weight, in how small or large a piece you want it?
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I have something I need to admit. I, Tammi, am a breakfast skipper. Now DON’T JUDGE ME. I just never seem to wake up hungry, and I like to do all my eating in the later part of the day. And after it became acceptable to eat bacon at any time of the day, the morning meal just didn’t seem so special anymore.
But when someone offers you ribs at breakfast? Why, don’t mind if I do.
Italiano, $19
I’ve always associated Criniti’s with nighttime food: long ass pizzas, huge platters of pasta and antipasto, tipsy people hoeing right in…so when I got the invite to have breakfast by the water, I was absolutely intrigued.
Was the stigma of having pizza for breakfast finally going to be lifted?
Well, not quite.
They did do some massive breakfast platters, and The Italiano, $19, provided an absolute bounty salty meats in the form of bacon, prosciutto, porchetta, sausages…with some grilled tomato and crumbed eggplant, because veggies. It was quite enjoyable with chilli on the side, and if you weren’t an absolute glutton like I am, it would have been plenty for two.
Rustico (3 egg Omelette), $14
The Rustico, $14, was a 3 egg omelette that is slightly less impressive. The eggs came out just a touch on the dry side, and when had next to the punchy, salty flavours of the other dishes, it fell on the flat side of bland.
Uncle Cosimo, $19
But I’ve promised ribs, and ribs I will deliver. The Uncle Cosimo, $19, (which is a pretty gangsta name, I think), has fried eggs with braised pork ribs, and a tomato based sauce/stew in a cast iron pan. The pork ribs and tomato sauce were quite sweet, which totally makes me happy because I like me some sweet/savoury combos. I would have been totally happier if the eggs were baked into the tomato sauce, but hey, why nitpick?
The thing is, Criniti’s has never made themselves out to be the very height of haute cuisine. They just want to provide a decent dining experience with food that doesn’t take itself too seriously, a lovely ambience, and friendly service. And they’ve definitely achieved that.
And bonus points that the breakfasts aren’t too busy, which just makes a lazy brunch bu the water all that much better.
We all know we should drink more water. It is after all one of our most basic needs for survival. Taken from the cute toddler mopping your floor all day to the professional athlete breaking laws of physics with each stride, we all need to keep hydrated in order our bodies to function in tiptop conditions. It seems like a fairly straight forward process, but it’s surprising how difficult it can be to follow the one simple rule. DRINK. MORE. WATER! Follow these simple tips to drink more water and boost your water intake.
Some women collect shoes. Others, jewellery. Me? It’s all about the weird and wonderful things I can EAT!
Salep is a kind of thickening agent/flour that’s made from orchids, and it’s used in middle eastern cuisine to give foods – like ice cream – a sort of stretchy texture. Turkish ice cream, in particular, is known for this, and while it doesn’t have much flavour on its own, the texture is freaky AF. At Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream in Newtown, they not only have Salep thickened ice cream, they also have them in all sorts of Middle Eastern flavours to tempt you. A bit like a belly dancer. A good one though. Not the ones at restaurants at Saturday night that you don’t want to make eye contact with.
I had the pomegranate, which was lovely and fruity, but the tahini. Oh. My. God the Tahini. Like the Asian black sesame but creamier and richer. And somehow healthy-feeling. I’m sure it’s not, but any delusion that lets me continue to eat this amazing ice cream is a good delusion.
If ice cream is not quite your thing, well there’s always Turkish Coffee on the menu to, to give you that late afternoon pick-me-up.
But really. Go the ice cream. Trust me.
You know the stereotype about Asian menus having 10 billion different items so you don’t know what you want to order? Well, let me tell you that the Struggle. Is. Real.
And I was totally struck by a case of analysis paralysis when I rocked up for my invite to New Shanghai and their steaming baskets of dumplings.
So what do you do when you don’t know what to order? Well, “order everything” seems like an answer we can go with!
Shredded jellyfish & radish tossed with sea salt & light soy dressing, $7.80
Sweet & sour pork rib in dark vinegar sauce, $5.80
Crab meat Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings), $11.50
New shanghai pan fried pork bun, $6
Deep fried calamari coated with salted egg yolk, $20.80
Stir fried Chinese rice cake with X.O. sauce & shredded pork, $14.40
Steamed pumpkin & sticky rice cake filled with pumpkin paste, $5.50
See? I wasn’t kidding.
I’ve long popped my New Shanghai cherry, and the biggest gripe I’ve always had is about the consistency between the outlets. I usually go to Chatswood, for example, and it’s usually pretty good, but a scheduling decision put me at the Bondi branch this time, which showed some cracks in its armour. The all important Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) have always been steaming hot full of liquid in Chatswood, but this time, they were not quite as soupy as they should be. Even accounting for the time it took for me to take photos. The skin was not quite thin or translucent enough, although the filling itself was quite tasty.
The Pan Fried Pork Buns, on the other hand, did what the soup dumplings should have done, and burst forth with super hot juices encased in a sweet fluffy shell made out of Chinese milk dough. That, I could have kept eating forever. That, and the Fried Rice Cakes in X.O sauce? YYAAAAASSSSSSS. There’s just something about the firm, chewy slices of rice cakes that just gives you a warm hug from the inside and tells you that everything is going to be okay.
Cold dishes also fared well – the Shredded Jellyfish with Sea Salt and Soy was quite refreshing, and the Sweet and Sour Pork Rib, while containing more cartilage than I was expecting – was also very moreish. Light, and balanced, because shredded jellyfish is a salad right? And it’s good for you?
Other hot dishes, on the other hand, didn’t do quite so well. The Salted Egg Yolk Calamari tasted like it had no egg yolk at all – which either means that there was a distinct lack of egg yolk, or that the order was taken down wrong, even though it was repeated back to me – and it did taste like more batter than calamari at many points. The Shandong chicken had clearly been off the mountain for too long, because while it’s meant to be served at room temperature, both the chicken skin (which was meant to be crispy) and the sauce were a pale shade of tepid.
The sweet dish to finish – Steamed pumpkin & sticky rice cake filled with pumpkin paste reminded me of Japanese mochi, which is not such a bad thing, except that I was really looking forward to a pumpkin tasting filling, rather than something that looked and tasted like red bean.
But like any relationship, it has its ups and downs, and while this might’ve been a blight in my otherwise great experience at New Shanghai, it’s not enough to deter me from going back…to the Chatswood branch.
You know that scene in the sick, dystopian classic Clockwork Orange where the main characters enter this bar – decorated entirely in black statues – and dispenses milk from the statue’s uh, sensitive regions? Well that was what I always thought what a milk bar was. Like literally. A bar atmosphere, but serving milk.
Weird, right?
Well, thankfully the real thing isn’t quite as R18 as Clockwork Orange, and a bit more diner-style, with milkshakes and burgers. Yes, much more my speed.
Herbed Beef Patty, $14.50
Cafe Ish always had great food, and when they closed up the Surry Hills location and started a milk bar in Redfern, they ended up on my never-ending list of places to visit but never had the time to. Well, I did happen to be in Redfern a couple of weeks back, and, heeding the sirens call of Miso Caramel Milkshakes, I made my way in.
Of course, Milkshake needs company, or it’ll get lonely, so I also ordered a Herbed Beef Patty Burger ($14.50) with the self-proclaimed Freaking Awesome Wings ($4.95). Because if wings are that self confident, they should get a chance to show what they’ve got.
Freaking Awesome Wings, $4.95
Okay, so good news, the Freaking Awesome Wings, were truly, freaking awesome. Lightly crisp on the outside – which I’m guessing is due to a corn flour or sweet potato flour coating to provide tempura-like lightness – and covered in a tangy sweet chilli dressing/sauce, these wings were like the Buffy of chicken wings: they kicked ass, took names, and brought a little excitement into your life.
The Miso Caramel Milkshake also lived up to its name – by shaking up my world. Geddit? It had just the right notes of umami and richness, and is just proof that you need miso caramel in all areas of your life. Because (repeat after me) miso caramel can only make you a better person.
A downside though to having two home runs in a single sitting? The burger wasn’t all that great. I’m more used to the juicy fall-apart patties that have come into vogue, that the burgers here were a little too…structurally sound for my taste. And when you put all the dishes down at the same table, it’s just not hitting quite the same notes.
But it’s okay. As long as the milkshakes and wings are on the menu, I know I’ll keep going back.
Milk Bar by Cafe ish
105 Regent Street
Redfern, NSW
Phone: 02 9698 8598
Website: www.themilkbarbycafeish.com
You know how some brands have a luxury line and a everyday line, but basically sell the same thing? Like Lexus and Toyota, for example, are owned by the same parent company, and on a smaller scale…
Menya and Tenkomori.
In fact, Menya, Mappen, Oiden, Tenkomori, Chanoma and Dera Uma are owned by the same people, and they specialise in bringing you quick, tasty food in a no frills sorta way.
In other words, self service is pretty much the name of the game.
But before you start thinking you’ll have to slum it like a budget airline, the Menya group of restaurants have been pretty good at serving up tasty, value-for-money food. Especially in the CBD. I’ve long been a fan of Mappen and their $5 udon bowls, so it was good to have a look at what Tenkomori had to offer.
I’d previously been quite unimpressed with Tenkomori – the ni-tamago didn’t hold the sexy ooze that it was meant to, and the sides were all rather uninspiring. Mind you, I went on opening day, which carried with it all the teething prolems, but is a runny yolk really too much to ask for?
I can’t comment on the yolk this time because I chose to get something else, but I’m happy to report that the new menu items – like the Cold Chilli Pork Noodle with Sesame sauce (pictured above) were moreish and delicious. Al dente noodles and tangy sauce, savoury pork mince with my favourite onsen egg? Yes please!
The ramen, not so much. Especially when Menya is just round the corner.
Oh and before I forget, Washoku Lovers Members get a free side dish! So if you’re a loyalty card holder like me, you’re in luck.
Now if only I can get a one stop shop for all my Udon, Donburi and Ramen needs..
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, like Suminoya and Oiden! To find out more about the programme and sign up, visit www.washokulovers.com.
Lady dates are the best, especially when it involves a road trip to wine country with a fellow person who..doesn’t drink.
Isn’t life ironic?
But when I got invited as a guest of Lovedale Long Lunch, we absolutely jumped on the chance to explore Hunter Valley!
First stop: Tatler Wines and Cafe. Steak and sausages, with a fresh salad on the side. Sausages were great, but I don’t really understand why you would serve steak at a festival: it’s so hard to keep warm and yet not overcook it, and have you ever tried to cut steak with a plastic knife? Not so cute when it tips all over you while you struggle with fragile plastic cutlery – like my self-esteem, haha!
Then it was on to the Deck Cafe for some brie like a huge wodge of creamy cheese. Served a bit too cold for my liking, and not quite rich enough, but it was still a nice piece of cheese, with a beautiful still pond serving as your view.
Very pretty.
Braised Wagyu Beef with Truffle Mash, Apple, and Beetroot Relish
Saltire Estate catering really really was a bust. Overcooked meat, and truffle mash with no truffle aroma – this meal was like the Tinder version of food: it looked promising, but no cigar.
Y U SO OVERCOOKED??
Hunter Calley favourites Muse Restaurant and Catering served up both savoury AND sweet dishes. Savoury had something something PORK BELLY (does the rest matter?), and a Nitro Rocky Road with Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry, Marshmallow, Coconut Meringue and Macadamia Brittle Biscuit.
Nitro Rocky Road: Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry, Marshmallow, Coconut Meringue and Macadamia Brittle Biscuit
So basically a lot of smoke, very dramatic, and a chocolatey dessert Unfortunately I couldn’t pick apart the individual flavours, but it did look very pretty, and it was pleasant, but not like, amazeballs, you know?
Still, the Hunter Valley is just such a beautiful place to visit. Amazing vineyards, great food producers, and burrata for $4. Yes. $4.
No, don’t bother going to try buying them. IT’S ALL MINE! ALL MINE I TELL YOU!!
I’ve long watched reality TV shows about Americans and their obsession with barbecue. Where bigger is better, and people fueled by smoke and meats.
Come to think of it, its a pretty ideal existence!
So when an old Uni friend suggested Surly’s for dinner, I was SO THERE.
Barbecued Beef Ribs, $25 with two sides
I can’t go past beef ribs on a menu without ordering it, and this time, it’s accompanied by fried chicken, fries, mac and cheese, green beans, and slaw. Because you can’t have a barbecue without slaw.
3 pc Fried Chicken, $14 with one side
Surly’s Spicy Fries, $10
Their Spicy Fries were, unfortunately, like a date from Tinder – not as advertised. They distinctly lacked spiciness, and about half the basket was left sad and alone at the end of out meal.. just like Tinder too.
The Fried Chicken was juicy and crispy all at once – a good sign that the chicken has been brined – but the flavour was just a touch underwhelming. Maybe it’s my Korean Fried Chicken spoiled tastebuds, but I was expecting a much punchier taste.
The Beef Ribs was again, good but underwhelming. I didnt taste much smokiness from the meat, as juicy and texturally satisfying as it was. And it ain’t barbecue without the smoke.
So sadly, I don’t think I will be returning to Surly’s any time soon. Not that they did anything wrong, but more so that they didn’t do more right than the other barbecue joints around Sydney. And there are A LOT.
I think a visit to my butcher is in order…
Memories are a funny thing. Every time I feel like Thai food, I have a strong compulsion to hike it down to Newtown, back to the days of long uni lunch breaks in between classes.
So naturally, when I happen to find myself in Newtown, I head for Thai food! The math works out.
Newtown Thai II is a favourite amongst students and hipsters alike with their fast service and turnaround, and super duper cheap lunch deals. Their Pad Thai is something that fills me with nostaligia..and also fills me with MASSIVE portions.
Not the best around necessarily, but ticks all the right boxes of cheap, quick, convenient and easy. It’s the sequel, for a reason! If you’re in Newtown, and decide to walk down memory lane, I would totes recommend stopping by, just for that povo Uni student experience. I know I will be.
Shandong Chicken (Deep fried crispy skin chicken with special garlic & chilli sauce on rice), $13.50″