Posts in Beauty

Say Cheese!!

Review 10 Comments

I went to a cheese course!!!! I can’t stop telling everyone. As a foodie who loves loves cheese, this is somewhat a dream come true for me. I chanced upon a little sign for a one day cheese making course and I absolutely had to go!!! So excited.

Upon arrival, there were samples of the cheeses that we were going to make all laid out for us to try!!  In order, the pictures are of mascarpone (and yes those black specks you see are from a vanilla pod!), feta, and my absolute favourite, camembert.

Mmmm…goey, creamy, camembert…

We also learnt how to make quarg (cream cheese), and yoghurt, but I was too busy eating that I kinda forgot to take photos of those. *sheepish*

Morning tea was also provided, and the lovely Susan baked little yummy cheesecakes…

…that we promptly smothered in strawberries and mascarpone. hehe.

Lunch consisted of spinach and ricotta cannelloni, with ricotta that we’d MADE THAT MORNING!!!!!!!! How awesome is that?? This is what I call instant gratification!

There was also a grilled chicken and haloumi salad that was so good, when I went back for seconds all the haloumi was gone!!!! (Well, there were a couple of pieces, but there was no way that I could get at them without being very unslightly and rather uncivilised.)

And a Greek Salad with feta that we were learning how to make. =)

It was so exciting learning the cheese making process! Cheese making does take a good part of your day, so it takes a while in that sense, but IT’S SO EASY!!

And so pretty. Look at the pretty camembert settling in their hoops.

Isn’t it just poetry in motion?

And the cheese cloth straining with the weight of creamy mascarpone just gets me so excited that I want to run around the room like a child on a sugar high. Cheese high. Food high. Heheheheheheheheheehhehe.

Isn’t it just absolutely GORGEOUS????? Oh what a thing of beauty!!

I swear I’m never buying cheese again. Unless it’s blue. Or crumbly. Cause I can’t make those. Ok, I’m never buying soft cheeses again!!

Oh, and we got to bring home a wheel of camembert, a container of feta, containers of mascarpone and yoghurt! Swag!

Contact:
The Cheesemaking Workshop
Ph: (02) 9958 0909 or 0412 145 017
Email: susanmeagher@optusnet.com.au
www.thecheesemakingworkshop.com.au

Food Fight!!

Review 1 Comment

Sean’s family came down to Sydney for the weekend and we all decided to go for Teppanyaki – where the chef cooks all the food on a hot plate right in front of you, and well, sometimes they throw it at you too.

The chef starts off with a massive fire. 

Isn’t that a magnificent thing of beauty? *sighs* A great showstopper, and very hypnotic.

And like I said before, really good food’s getting cooked right in front of you!

Fish smothered in garlic butter. Mmmmm. *Salivates*

To fry the beef, he sets the succulent piece of meat on fire.

It’s the most juicy, tasty example of beef ever!! I could eat meat like that everyday. *daydreams about juicy beef*. 

The chef also made the largest omelet I’ve ever seen!

And a picture of our cheeky chef.

And Sean’s dad getting covered with paper towel, and a bowl placed on his head to catch raw eggs!

I would’ve taken more photos, but man that chef worked fast. I was also really preoccupied with all the tasty food! There’s a whole selection of seafood and vegies that I didn’t remember to photograph just because they were so yummy!

End of show! *Applauds*

We ate at:

Ichi-ban Teppanyaki
9 Wentworth Street Parramatta 2150
96333357

Smoke gets in your eyes…

Review 1 Comment

You gotta love a barbecue buffet!! There’s this new place down the road from us that opened a couple of months ago, and it’s a Chinese barbecue buffet. Myriads of skewers are laid out in metal trays, and you pick your fill of them, before cooking them right at your table!

There’s a charcoal rotisserie type thing right at every table.

You insert the skewers into the groves and they turn turn away!

Sean and I tried one (or two) of everything!

At the beginning, it takes a while for the food to cook, and we have a strong belief that staring intently at your food will help it cook faster!

They also have a selection of sides, but it really isn’t anything to scream about. Although…I really got hooked on the pickled radish…

For those who aren’t skewer fans, there are also grill thingies provided, which allow you to barbecue pieces of steak on the hot coals.

They also give you a little holder for the skewers! I think that between Sean and myself, it was a good effort.

Sean’s quite happy with his food.

Overall, it was a good experience. It’s about $30 per person, but it’s about the average price for an all-you-can-eat. I would’ve liked more variation in the marinade, but it was still really good! Personally though, I’m more a fan of the Korean table-top BBQ.

Definitely worth a try though, if you haven’t been before.

Meidi BBQ House
100 Church St Parramatta
NSW 2150
(02)9635 9098

Meidi BBQ House on Urbanspoon

This little piggy went to market…

Review 2 Comments

Last weekend I went to the Nabiac Markets to have a look around. It wasn’t as big as I was used to, but there were really interesting things available!

There were many potted plants up for grabs. Everything that you could want in an edible garden was sold there.

I even found strawberry plants with a tiny strawberry shyly peeking out through the lush green leaves!

Inside, there were some food stalls showcasing their wares. 

I didn’t get anything from the inside bit of the market though. I did, however, get these three little beauties on the way out.

The hot chilli chutney was good, but really tasted like apple sauce with chilli in it. Don’t take the “hot chilli” label at face value though, it’s really not that much of a kick, more like a subtle warmth. It really grew on me though, I kinda like the idea that I’m eating adult apple sauce lol.

Now, as a rule, I’m not the biggest fan of capsicum. In this case however, it’s not bad at all! Yes, it does taste quite distinctively of capsicum, but the jam-iness smooths it over and makes it really pleasant. I still wouldn’t use it in large amounts (just cause of personal “dispreference”) but it’s still really good.

I think out of the three I like this the best. The sweetness of the tomato brings out the natural sweetness in the chillis, and I think the heat that runs through this balances it very well. It’s like slightly mushy salsa, without the tang. Subtle, but not. Me likey.

Looks like it’s cold meats for a while then. 😉

Happy munching.

Nuffnang Blogger Meetup

Review 6 Comments

I went to the Nuffnang food blogger’s meetup on Saturday!! It was so exciting that I finally get to meet other food bloggers. Never have I had such a thoroughly enjoyable time listening to and taking in the atmosphere of food conversations all around me, punctuated by the sound of clinking cutlery and the roll of the lazy susan, the humid steam rising off steel trolleys permeating the air.

It was so interesting to see two full tables of people taking endless photos of the food as it arrived. I think the lazy susan went round a couple of times before the food was even touched. It was so cool!! Everyone had their turn to get their shot, and no one got impatient. I’m still bowled over by the understanding.

First came the dessert tray (remember, dessert spelled backwards is “stressed”), and we got some custard buns off it.

The custard was sweet, but not egg-y, and I really liked the crumbly topping that they put on the buns. It reminds me of this coffee bun that you can get in Singapore and Malaysia, that has a similar crumbly, buttery topping that absolutely melts in your mouth.

And speaking of melt in your mouth, the Cheong Fun is my must-order at any Yum Cha restaurant.

As loathe as I am to admit it, the glutton in me sometimes lies awake at night dreaming of those smooth, silky sheets of steamed rice noodles encasing plump sweet prawns, all basking in a pool of dark sweet-salty sauce. MUST. HAVE. MORE.

I didn’t have the Char Siew Buns, but they looked so pretty with their sweet glaze that I had to snap a photo of them.

And then the steam baskets arrive.

I love LOVE chicken feet. (Ok, that sounded a bit odd, but in my defense, in Mandarin it’s 凤爪, which means “Phoenix’s claw”.) The wrinkly skin slide off and taste of the rich, spiced broth that it’s been cooked in. Heavenly.

What I truly love about a good Har Gow (prawn dumpling, if literally translated) is the skin. The translucent encasement lovingly clings for a brief moment as you bite into it, before tearing off into a succulent mouthful with a good amount of bite. The filling has to be good too, of course, but to me, the art is in the skin. It can’t be mushy, but it can’t be too resistant to a hungry mouth either.

The mango pancake was creamy, with a good amount of juicy mango. I’m sorry I can’t say too much about them though, I haven’t yet had a mango pancake that completely blows my mind.

Now the 豆花 (Douhua) is truly lovely. Warm silky layers of toufu drizzled with a ginger laced sugar syrup. It looks so deceptively simple too!

On a side note, I just realised that I was so pre-occupied in taking photos of the food that I completely forgot to take some photos of the people. -.-

In all it was a really nice time meeting people of like mind. It’s lovely to see other foodies like Cate, Suze, Simon and many others!

Thanks to Nuffnang for organizing the meetup!!

We ate at:

The Regal Restaurant
Tel: 92618988
Levels 4 & 5,
683-689 George Street, Sydney

Marigold Citymark on Urbanspoon

Oh my Manu!

Review

Sean brought me to L’etoile for my birthday. So excited!! We spent the whole day trying to figure out what we were going to order, and upon arrival, we had no clue. We wanted to try everything!

Before the Entrées arrived, there was a bread basket. Now I’m not much of a fan of bread (but I do like a good sourdough on occasion) but this baguette was good.

…and that was it really. It was just really good, chewy, crusty bread, and I thought it was worth a mention.

So yes, on with the Entrées.

I had the terrine of rabbit rillettes and fois gras, with prune jam and toasted brioche. The terrine was incredibly creamy and light, and went well with the soft brioche. The prune jam was a dark seduction that added some bittersweet notes through each bite. At the risk of sounding incredibly plebeian though, the texture was incredibly reminiscent of tuna spread. I had no idea why, but I was reminded of it. Still good though, but not as good as the quail.

Sean had the pithiviers of quail on a bed of savoy cabbage and speck, drizzled with madiera and roasted chestnut jus. This was the god of everything you can call pies. The crust was a flaky dream, and the filling…oh the filling! Juicy pieces of quail, mingling with the sweet/salty jus…and cabbage had never tasted so good. This one is a must-try.

For his main, Sean had the butcher’s steak with a black peppercorn and cognac sauce, and a gratin dauphinois. The steak and a good amount of marbling and fat, and the creamy pepper sauce was divine. The gratin was well, a gratin. No biggie. But the steak…mmm. I love a good, fat piece of meat, and this was exactly that. Not for the dieter. 😉

I had the bouillabaisse, and it was served with croutons and rouille.

The bouillabaisse was hearty, with chunks of white, flaky fish and fragrant crayfish. Now I love me some crustacean, and you can really taste the base in this bouillabaisse. The scent made my insides tingle, in a good way! The only way crustaceans can get any better (IMO) is if they could also get up and sing and dance the way Sebastian from the Little Mermaid can. =)

The rouille seemed like a garlic and capsicum flavoured emulsion, and went really well with the aftertaste of the stew lingering in my mouth. Not crazy about the croutons though – I would’ve been much happier with more baguette.

Just after the main, we were served a watermelon granita with champagne as a little before dessert sweetener. It was alright, although I think someone ODed on the sugar syrup.

And finally, for dessert we had a rum raisin baba with a scoop of prune and armagnac ice cream. I really liked the prune and armagnac ice cream, and the whole thing just reminded me of a christmas pudding. The baba was alright, but the ice cream was the memorable bit of the dish. It was neither overpowering nor cloyingly sweet, and was light and delicate. The sugared blueberries on the side didn’t make much sense to me though, it didn’t seem to contribute very much to the dish.

Overall it was a nice experience, with the soft candlelight creating a cozy atmosphere. The staff were cordial and pleasant, and didn’t make us feel out of place at all. The food was good, but nothing I walked away really craving. Although I could do with more of that quail…

We ate at:

Manu at L’etoile
211 Glenmore Road, Paddington
+61 2 93321577

L'Etoile on Urbanspoon

Basket Case

Review 1 Comment

Went to Din Tai Fung with mel and a couple of friends yesterday, and Din Tai Fung is famous for it’s steamed delights. As you enter the restaurant, the sight of towering steaming baskets greets you. It’s almost like you’re watching a food sauna from behind a glass window. They cleverly let you see what’s going on in the kitchen, and personally, I could stand there for days just watching them make everything.

For their famous Xiao Long Bao (trans: little dragon bun) they weight out every aspect of it – from the dough to the meat, ensuring a perfect result everytime.

Another group of chefs carefully wrap it, producing a minimum of 18 folds on each dainty dumpling.

After peeling it carefully off the steaming cloth, each delicate mound is dipped lightly in vinegar and popped into one’s mouth. Upon biting into it, savoury soup bursts forth from the paper thin skin and reveals a luscious heart of meat filling. Every bite is just perfect.

We also had Xian Rou Bao (trans: fresh meat bun) and it was alright. Nothing as ethereal or divine as the Xiao Long Bao, but still tasty nonetheless.

I also ordered the Dan Dan Mian (erm, Dan Dan noodles?) which had hand made noodles and a thick peanut-y sauce. The crunchy crushed peanuts and the smooth creamy sauce provided a mix of textures that I was really happy with.

Om nom nom indeed.

Chomp Chomp

Review

Chomp Chomp Hawker Centre is one of the places that I absolutely have to visit when I come back to Singapore. This bustling eatery is just bursting with all sorts of sinful pleasures. The moment I hit the pavement just outside the centre, it hooks it’s fragrant fingers around me and just draw me in like a moth to a flame.

The barbequed stingray (see above) is my favourite, with hot sambal and tangy chinchalok to accompany soft white flesh. If I had to give up all else, this is one thing that I would not be able (or willing to) let go.

At $1 each, these chicken wings are an absolute steal. They are first marinated, then slowly cooked over smoking charcoal. A squeeze of lime gives it a tangy exterior and the chilli packs such a punch that it hits you like a two tonne truck. Heaven.

The fried prawn noodles is another local favourite. A mixture of noodles is fried with a variety of seafood, and served with lime and chilli (not to be confused with the chilli that goes with other dishes). Soft noodles are so full of flavour, and everything just works together to give you an explosion in your mouth.

And satay. As it should be. The meat is marinated in a mixture of spices, including tumeric, and it is served with a peanut sauce on the side. And how to tell that it’s a good sauce? Pineapple pulp sitting smack in the centre, waiting to be stirred in with the peanut sauce. Skewers of chicken, pork or mutton sit merrily on the same plate, waiting to be devoured. Pork’s a personal favourite of mine, but if you’re lard conscious you might want to try the chicken instead.

I so need to get there again soon.

Oh Sushi, my Sushi!

Review

I love me some Japanese food. I’ve always had a fascination with seafood since I was a kid, and am of the firm belief that everything from the sea should be eaten raw. Not that there’s anything wrong with cooked seafood, but there’s nothing that can really compare, IMO, with the sweetness of fresh seafood.

Mel and I went to Itacho over the weekend, and they’re still the best sushi place I’ve ever been to. My wonderful experience there was only tempered by the fact that the staff can be quite…blur, and the hefty price tag. But no biggie, good food like that is worth the price and bumbling staff.

My favourite – Salmon and Salmon Roe roll. Super fresh slices of salmon wrapped delicately around a pinch of rice (that is really just there for the structure) and topped with salmon roe (my little bubbles of absolute joy!). The thick, silky salmon leaves absolutely no aftertaste, and the salty roe is just the perfect match for it. The best things truly come from nature.

The sister dish of the above-mentioned roll, this Salmon mini bowl is basically the same thing, deconstructed. This one gives the eater the opportunity to just have mouthfuls of just the salmon roe, which sometimes is the needed thing.

This Tuna and Crispy beancurd is unfortunately more theatrical in its look than it’s flavour. The crispy texture was a welcome surprise, but the overall flavour was rather bland. It’s really did not do the beancurd anymore justice than other Chinese crispy beancurd dishes out there.

Another mildly disappointing piece is the Foie Gras sushi, as the foie gras did not have the creamy, buttery texture that I’ve come to expect from a piece of fatty goose liver treated right. It was slightly overdone, but not an absolute disaster.

This Crab Miso Gunkan was worth the try. It wasn’t a phenomenally pleasant surprise, but it was a nice surprise nontheless. The crab was soft and light, while the miso packed quite a flavour punch. Not bad.

This Baked Crab was absolutely delightful. Crab shell was filled with a rice and mushroom mixture, and then baked with cheese over the top. Steam immediately escaped upon breaking through the helmet of cheese, and the aromatic mushrooms made their presence felt. Fluffy chunks of crab were carefully woven throughout the dish, and every mouthful was heaven. A must-try.

And who can overlook those delectable slices of raw fish? The fatty salmon was melt-in-your-mouth, but it does happen to leave an oily after-feeling. The dorsal sushi had the same effect, except for a slightly more complex texture. It seemed to have a slight resistance to it before it yielded to the determined eater.

The Hotate was worth every bite, but sadly not the same can be said of the Green Tea Salt. It had a really odd flavour to it, and if anything, undermined the freshness of the scallop and made it seem old and…well, not fresh. Just have the scallop, it’s good enough as it is.

And who can forget the sashimi. As mentioned above, the standard of raw salmon at this joint is beyond reproach. It’s truly the best salmon sashimi I’ve had in my life. The swordfish lived up to the same standard, and melt-in-your mouth texture is the stuff of dreams. And the prawns. Oh my the prawns. The Fairy Prawns have a deep fried head and brings out all the flavour of prawn, and the sweet, succulent body is so delicate, so clean, so pure, that it almost makes me feel like I’m partaking in an act of debauchery by putting it in my mouth.

If you have cash to spare and a reason to celebrate, this is definitely a place that you should visit. Reservations can be made, but there’s a SG$50 per head minimum. Otherwise, there will be a queue for dinner.

Itacho Sushi
Ion Orchard
#B2-18
Singapore
(+65) 6509 8911

Operating Hours:
Sun-Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri-Sat: 11am – 11pm

Happy munching!

Just Keep Swimming

Review

I love seafood.

It has been somewhat of an obsessive pilgrimage. The endless search for the fresh, the sweet, the succulent. The chase of the briny flavour of the sea, coupled with bright, seductive colours.

I can never resist the promised flavour explosion that the sweet coral of a crustacean brings. And as someone once said to me, “You can never get fat on seafood”. Whether or not that is true, it is but a consolatory statement as I gorge on all the sea has to offer.

Just looking at these Alaskan crabs through the glass, my mouth begins watering. Their perfect, coral legs splayed in the air just inspires a ravenous hunger for the sweet/salty flesh within.

It was a very good day. A very good day indeed.