I’ve always scoffed at Singaporeans who go to other countries and seek out Singaporean or Malaysian food, because why go all the way to another place just to find what you can find at home? And then complain that it’s not good enough?
Well after living in Sydney for over half a decade, I finally succumb to the need for reliable Southeast Asian comfort food, and it seems that PappaRich might have the answer.
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I swear, all the ice cream advertising I’ve been exposed to all my life must be working, because when the days have been hot, sticky, and yucky, as they’ve been, all I want is a cool, sweet, frozen treat, to chase away the summer heat.
Oh who am I kidding. I don’t need a reason to want dessert.
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Sometimes it it’s so bizarre to me how I live in Sydney, but make friends with a Singaporean, in Melbourne of all places.
And we get along like a house on fire.
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It can be hard eating in the hot weather. You’re grumpy, sweaty, irritated, but eating only makes you warmer, so that makes the whole situation even more annoying.
Well, in this sort of sweltering heat I just want tea. Cold, sweet, iced tea.
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Two, actually, but what a productive two nights/three days that was!
If you’re the type of person who loves eating new foods that you don’t know the name of, Thailand’s definitely the place for you.
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And yes, that IS a Carpenters’ song reference, and I’m back from Singapore!!
The holidays are never long enough I swear. So here’s a mammoth recap, because om nom nom nom…
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I was first brought to Marrickville by the promise of banh beo – Vietnamese rice cakes with shrimp, much like chwee kueh, the Singaporean version that’s my absolute favourite.
But instead, I found Banh Mi, and with a queue as long as Marrickville Pork Roll had, you don’t just walk past it.
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I must admit that even though I’m from the Southeast Asian part of the world, I don’t actually know very much about Myanmar, or Burma as it was called.
My information was pretty limited to The King and I, and now hopefully, Free Burma Cafe.
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As much as foodies like to pretend that we eat fantastic food ALL the time, the truth of the matter is that sometimes we are driven to settle for the average; to see food as fuel/something to prevent us from embarking on a murderous rampage sparked by irritation borne of hunger.
And once in awhile, those food court solutions turn up something surprising, that make us feel a lot more foodie, and a lot less food victim.
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Ever heard of the phrase, “it’s too hot to eat?” I know, I know. Sacrilege. But still. Sydney’s had those days lately, and it’s been a real bitch. That’s why when Simon suggested Poong Nab Dong for their naengmyeon (Korean Cold Noodles), I leaped at the chance.
It’s like a salad, but with carbs. What’s not to love?
Mul Naengmyeon, $13
Bibim Naengmyeon, $13
There are two primary ways to have your noodles – dry, with a spicy chilli paste, or with a cold, refreshing beef soup laced with mustard and vinegar.
Bibim Naeng Myron, $13
I always opt for the chilli option because I just can’t help myself (I am Singaporean, after all), and when given an opportunity, I always go the extra spicy (see above explanation). Here, the Bibim Naengmyeon was a little bit on the sweet side and slightly one-dimensional in its flavours, even after I asked for an extra plate of chilli paste to zhuzh things up a bit.
Mul Naeng Myeon, $13
The Mul Naengmyeon fared much better, with a flavourful broth that stayed light and refreshing. It’s served with mustard and white vinegar on the side, for you to mix it up to your taste. Now that, was a noodle I can keep going back to.
The service at Poong Nan Dong was a bit…non-existent. There was much waving and signalling in an empty restaurant, and even then I could swear that they were deliberately ignoring us. Not that they went out of their way to be rude, but being invisible never sits well with hungry foodies.
Oh and we did think that it might have been a push button on the table for service, too, like Jonga Jip.
Nope. No button.
$13 per person is pretty good value in Eastwood – especially in a sit-down restaurant situation – and even more so considering that we were given about 5 plates of banchan (Korean side dishes) to go with our meal. Banchan is usually refilled for free, which means that if you’re really still hungry after the huge bowl of noodles (I was stuffed), you can keep eating till your heart’s content.
Good value when compared to other non-side-dish restaurants, but average when compared to other Korean restaurants, where banchan is the expected deal.
I’ve never seen Poong Nab Dong busy except for Friday and Saturday nights, and even at the peak of lunchtime (when we went) it still only had a smattering of people. There was a sense of eat-and-get-out about the place, and certainly nothing much there to keep you from leaving. Perhaps their Korean barbecue fares better than their a la carte times – but it’s going to be very difficult to get me leaving my usual Jonga Jip.
With both a hit and a miss in the same meal, I’m not sure that I’m going to be going back to Poong Nab Dong. Mind you, the miss wasn’t a disaster, but coupled with non-existent service and no emotional attachment, the better-than-average Mul Naengmyeon isn’t enough inspiration to get me back through the doors.
Except for when I want to order that specifically, of course.
Oh, and one more thing: please don’t wear shorts or short skirts to visit this restaurant. Pleather seats plus a hot day has now given me the association of sticking painfully to the chairs. Not something I would like to repeat, #thankyouverymuch.