Posts in Review

Move aside, Mrs Jones: Mr Wong, Sydney

Review May 24, 2015

Review of Merivale's Mr Wong, in Sydney's CBD

I first heard about Mr Wong when I attended a talk by Brendan Fong at the Sydney Living Museum. He said cool stuff, and there were fish tasters.

I was sold.

Roasted Angus beef shortrib “Shandong style”, soy, chilli and shallot dressing $38

I love the whole “you think it’s something but it’s not” experience, and the menu at Mr Wong is fantastic, creative representation of that.

“Char-Siu” roasted Australian toothfish $38

The Roasted Angus Beef Shortrib had an amazing sweet/sour sauce to be had on rice, but the Char Siu Roasted Toothfish was a clear favourite of the night. It was pretty much all the char siu flavours, but on amazingly soft and flaky tooth fish, which was reminiscent of cod. They even had the signature red ring around the white meat that char siu usually has!! Very well executed.

Sweetcorn, English spinach and woodear mushrooms stirfried with garlic butter, $19

And of course, veggies, because EAT YOUR VEGGIES! This simple dish of Sweetcorn, English spinach and woodear mushrooms stirfried with garlic butter was light and delicious, and was light enough touch to balance out the richness of the other dishes. It did feel a touch out of place in a mostly Asian-influenced menu, but it was still a delicious fit to the meal.

Strawberry ice, sheep’s milk yoghurt sorbet, strawberries, shiso and honeycomb $15

And what do you do on a lady date? Order two desserts, of course! The Strawberry ice, sheep’s milk yoghurt sorbet, strawberries, shiso and honeycomb reminded me of the Taiwanese milk ices, and was just so refreshing! Strange thing to say because a dessert is meant to signal the end of the meal, but for some reason the strawberry ice acted as a palette cleanser and I was just ready to eat more food.

Huh. Maybe it’s just really good strategy.

The food was absolutely excellent, and the service was pretty good too. Not in a “they clearly love food” sorta way, but a “they’re really trained so well” sorta way. AND we weren’t charged for rice, which is a nice surprise since, well, it IS Sydney, after all.

Amazing experience, and actually worth the Sydney price tag. Yum.

This meal was independently paid for.

Mr Wong
3 Bridge Lane
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9240 3000
Website: http://www.merivale.com.au/mrwong/

More chatting: Assamm, QVB

Review May 22, 2015

Restaurant Review of Assamm, Sydney CBD. Sukhothai Noodle Soup

When I was a kid, I decided that I didn’t like noodle soups. After all, they were milder in flavour than their ‘dry’ counterparts (usually tossed in a myriad of sauces and condiments), and you had to wait so darn long for the bowl to cool off. That just stood in my way of inhaling my noodles, and you never want to stand in my way when I’m hangry.

But like I always say, there’s nothing like a good offer to change someone’s mind, and when it’s a $6 lunch in the city, you know that the cheapskate in me just can’t resist.

A child of the omnipresent Chat Thai group of restaurants, Assamm offers authentic Thai food in the heart of Sydney CBD. Located in the basement of QVB, this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant plays host to snaking queues of hungry officeworkers over the peak lunch periods. But if you’re just willing to wait a little longer, they offer $6 mini-portions between 2-5pm, and let me just say? the portions are actually not so mini.

Sukhothai Noodle Soup, lunch special

Well, unless you eat like a linebaker in the middle of training season, that is. This ‘mini’ portion more than fed me when I was in a my-stomach-is-trying-to-eat-itself state, and I would actually compare it to a regular serving size in Asia.

Grilled Chicken on rice, lunch special

The food always adheres to a certain basic standard and authenticity, to me, Assamm really brings it on their broth. There waa none of the watered down cost cutting crap that you usually find in the city. No, this is legit. The Sukhothai Noodles were my favourite, with bold flavours augmented by dried shrimp, tamarind, and a good lashing of chilli. The thin rice noodles were the perfect conduit to slurp up the broth with, and I would have been happy with just the noodles and broth, sans toppings.

In fact, I enjoyed myself so much so that I went back again the next day, and decided to brave the queues during the peak lunch hours. This, unfortunately was the downfall of the whole Assamm experience for me.

My dining partner was in the bathroom, so they wouldn’t give me a table until she got back. Fair enough, it’s a busy time. Then she came by and I thought we’d be off to our tables, but we were forced to place our order at the counter first, even though my dining partner hadn’t had a chance to look at the menu. Then we sat down, and her order came first, and mine only arrived pretty much as she was finishing her lunch. I can understand a bit of staggering when its busy, but I do think that it’s bad form that two noodle soups arrive so far apart.

Needless to say, that kinda put a damper on my Assamm dining streak. Great for the off peak dining, but maybe not quite worth the peak hour lunch. Good broth though. Good broth.

This meal was independently paid for.

Assamm
Lower Ground QVB
455 George St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9261 0204
Website: http://assamm.com/

Itadakimasu! Izakaya Yebisu, Sydney CBD

Review May 15, 2015

Restaurant Review: Yebisu Izakaya, Sydney CBD

Japanese “Salaryman” culture baffles me a bit. Apparently officemen work hard all day and repress their hopes and dreams, and then go out to a bar and get completely wasted!

Not a bad life, I guess.

And this where Izakaya comes in. It’s basically a drinking house where you can get food to accompany the copious amounts of alcohol. Everything is meant to be in tapas portions, because the booze is KING! Here in Australia, the portions are a little bit more meal sized to provide sustenance, and allow friends to enjoy a nice dinner together as well!

Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe on Rice, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento.

Beef Short Rib in a sweet soy sauce, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento

Agedashi Tofu, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento

Maki Rolls, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento

Sweet yoghurt, coconut jelly and cereal, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento

Bento boxes represent a fantastic variety of the restaurant has to offer, and here at Yebisu, it delivers more than I expected. The Hokkaido Gozen Bento had creamy sea urchin and salmon roe on sushi rice, maki rolls, salmon sashimi salad, sweet soy beef, agedashi tofu, mashed potato croquettes, crumbed crispy prawns, AND sweet yoghurt with coconut jelly. And miso soup. So many things that just wouldn’t fit in one picture. At a $29.95 price tag, this bento would actually feed 2 or 3 people easy, making this the best value for money bento I’ve seen in Sydney yet!!

The beauty of Izakaya dining is also in the variety, and besides the amazingly huge bento, there are also smaller items that you can order.

Seared Wagyu Steak

Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the Seared Wagyu Steak comes in a sizzling hotplate, with a creamy mash on the side and crispy bean sprouts on the bottom. The meat was tender, and while it wasn’t quite fatty enough for my taste, it tasted robustly of, well, beef.

Negitoro Donburi

I think I’ve professed before my absolute love for fish on rice, and the Negitoro Donburi fits the bill exactly. Minced fatty tuna (toro) is mixed with spring onions (negi) to create a comforting bowl of goodness. And I just had to count my lucky stars, because they happened to have super fresh tuna that day, from the 2nd birthday celebrations that they were having the night before! WIN WIN.

Otoro Sashimi

Of course, if you have fish that fresh, you’re going to show off in your sashimi serving too, and this plate of Otoro Sashimi was shamelessly monopolised by me (sorry Sam!). Melt in your mouth tender, with the distinct meatiness that comes specifically from tuna, this had the effect of feeling oh-so-luxurious, as well as so healthy at the same time!

Though, if fish was really as good for your brain as they say it is, I should be a lot smarter than I am now.

Of course, we can’t finish without dessert! These chewy little mochi cakes are made with rice flour, and served with a brown sugar syrup and toasted soy bean flour for a nutty finish. Best part of all, is that it’s also part of a monthly special!

And we all know I’m a chick who just loves a good bargain. And loyalty cards. I love those too.

If you flash your Washoku Lovers club, you get to order the dessert of the month for just $3. The cheapskate in me is secretly rejoicing.

Can’t make it out this month? No worries, because the $3 dessert next month are their ice cream profiteroles, which combine fluffy choux pastry, creamy ice cream, and azuki red bean paste for a veritable sugar high.

Izakaya Yebisu, I hear, is holding different specials every month, which certainly adds a sense of excitement to dining there. The lunch menu is considerably shorter than the dinner menu, but if the Hokkaido Gozen Bento is of any indication, they’ve really just crammed all the variety into a value for money set.

Now to get my hands on more fish…

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Izakaya Yebisu and Washoku Lovers.

Izakaya Yebisu
Regent Place
Shop 7-10, 501 George St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9266 0301
Website: http://regentplace.com.au/directory-detail.php?directoryid=30&pid=1

What just happened? Simmer Huang, Eastwood

Review May 13, 2015

Restaurant Review of Simmer Huang, Eastwood

Ever go to a restaurant for dinner, and then walk out wondering what the hell just happened? Well, that happened to me, at a newly opened Simmer Huang in Eastwood.

Eastwood has always been home to many Asian eateries, with their own unique take on the dining experience. From barbecue, to grills, to the good ol’ deep fryer, this neighbourhood has certainly attracted its fair share of the weird and wonderful.

But sometimes, these unique experiences require, well, a little translation. And I’m not just referring to the need for English speaking staff. And before I get accused of waving the racist card let me just say that I think food should be accessible to everyone, especially in a country like Australia where you would assume that everyone can at least speak English.

Anyhoo, we walked into Simmer Huang not knowing very much about them. I deduced that it was some sort of cook-at-the-table hotpot experience, but had no idea what else to expect. We were presented with a huge tick-list type menu upon seating, which didn’t actually explain what we were going to eat, and how we were going to eat it.

And after cycling through a couple waiters and waitresses who couldn’t speak English or explain the system to me, I was told – in mandarin – that you could order one of two ways: Either a pre-decided hotpot that will feed two to three people, or pick your own ingredients and DIY your own. The food will then get cooked at your table in two stages: The first is a bit like a braise, with thick sauces and spices, and once you’ve eaten that, stock will be added to create a thick soup.

…So, you have to eat your one pot meal in two stages.

…Okay.

You know what? Maybe I’m overthinking it. Maybe I just needed to put aside my sick need to understand everything about what I’m doing and just eat. After all, it’s just food right? How hard can it be?

Cod Steak Hot Pot, $54.90

Quite hard, apparently. A large sauté pot came out onto the induction cooktop built right into our table, and it was layered with butter, spiced veggies, fish, and sauces. So far so good.

They then clamped on the lid for the food to cook, and came back after about 15 minutes, the lid was lifted, and the food was given a stir, and we were told that we could start eating.

But, what about the noodles that I had ordered to go with the stew? Surely it must have been a simple oversight.

Uh uh. You are required to basically finish the food that was in the pot before they will add the stock and your noodles. And if it’s too much food for you, they’ll remove it into a takeaway container before proceeding, essentially noodle blocking me.

What is going on?

We then ate what we could, and then got to the noodle bit, which I was a bit full by then to really enjoy.

So we left, probably more confused than when we first went in, and completely turned off by the whole experience. The food itself was pretty good tasting, but not good enough to put myself through all the brain-hurt again. The service wasn’t up to par, and I’m sure my $35/head could be better spent in other parts of Eastwood, maybe at the other hotpot noodle place two doors down.

Now I’m just left with a noodle craving. DAMMIT.

This meal was independently paid for.

Simmer Huang
Shop 4, 10 Hillview Road,
Eastwood NSW 2122
Phone: 02 9804 0358
Website: http://www.simmerhuang.com

A sandwich by any other name: Tartine, Mascot

Review May 11, 2015

Restaurant Review by Insatiable Munchies of Tartine, in Mascot.

I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a sandwich fan at the best of times. Too much bread, too little filling…and there just have always been better options available growing up in Singapore.

But when close foodie friends insist that you HAVE to try the sandwiches at a new cafe owned by a chef with a fine dining background? You go. No questions asked.

Tartine soldiers, coddled eggs

At Tartine, it’s breakfast and lunch classics, with a twist. The humble sandwich gets the French treatment – Tartine, if you wanna get fancy – and the open faced construction means you get a better filling to bread ratio and here, owner Anthony creates interesting fillings like The French Onion.

French Onion: shredded beef, crispy onion, gruyere, chives, sourdough $9.90

Beef brisket is cooked sous vide, and covered in finely grated gruyere and crispy fried shallots, mimicking the comforting french onion soup. It’s a touch on the dry side, but the flavours are all accurately on point. Very impressive.

The Chef Jaffle – Leg ham, Bacon, Three layers of cheese, Coddled eggs, Sriracha, Barbecue Sauce

And if you prefer your sandwiches with two sides of bread, the humble jaffle gets a foodie makeover too! The oh-so-mandatory slices of white bread gets filled with sriracha, barbecue sauce, leg ham, bacon, 62C egg and three whopping layers of cheese. Ooey and gooey, Anthony takes the effort to cook the egg at 62C for an extra hour, to prevent premature ooze. Tee hee.

Caramelised banana, cream, dolce de leche, crumble, $9.90

For those with a sweet tooth, they also do dessert-for-breakfast options like this Caramelised Banana Crumble with Dulce De Leche. And let’s not make pretend here – something that deliciously sweet and decadent is most definitely dessert, and I move that we should be allowed to eat dessert any damn time of
the day I want!

Just give me the dulce de leche and pass me a spoon.

Bur really. The food is incredibly affordable and more than delicious, and what’s more impressive is that there isn’t even a full kitchen on site. Anthony has a sous vide water bath, a grill, and an induction cooktop for things like the dulce de leche. That’s it! Which explains why the eggs are only done one way, but who needs eggs any other way when you can get them to a perfect 62C. Mmm onsen eggs.

The beautifully decorated interior is furnished with reclaimed furniture, refurbished by Anthony and his super handy wife, who has an amazing aesthetic. The ultimate vision is to have 5 or 6 tartines around Sydney, all with the differently themed interior!

More jaffles and amazing sandwiches, yes please! Mmm molten hot cheese lava jaffles.

This meal was independently paid for.

Tartine
635 Gardeners Rd
Mascot, NSW 2020
Phone: 02 9700 9847
Website: https://www.facebook.com/tartine2020

Kushi Kushi Koo! Osaka Bar, Potts Point

Review May 10, 2015

Restaurant review of Osaka Bar, Potts Point!

I remember when I was little, and my dad and mom brought me to Disneyland. It was late, and we had been on every ride I was allowed to go on as a 4 year old. We had met all the characters, taken all the photos, and I was hungry. My mum disappeared into the crowd and came back with a small plastic box. Inside, lay kewpie-mayo-smothered slices of California Roll.

I didn’t know it then, but that was the beginning of my love affair with Japanese food.

It’s this love affair that has brought me to Osaka Bar, in Potts Point, where Chef Kazu aims to bring Osaka soul food to Sydney. Chef Kazu descends from a long line of Japanese chefs, and began his own cooking career as an apprentice washing dishes. He then progressed to “utensil cleaner” before even being allowed to prep food. It took him 5 whole years to progress to filleting fish, and about 19 years ago, he decided that he wanted expand his horizons and see the world. And in Australia, “the people were nice and the weather was good“, so he stayed.

Osaka Bar represents a lifetime of feeding people and wanting to make them happy. Chef Kazu wants to serve food from his heart and hometown, all in a quaint eatery in Potts Point!

Okonomiyaki

Ikayaki – savoury squid pancake

Takoyaki – Japanese balls made with wheat flour, octopus and pickled ginger

Kushi Katsu

Osaka is famous for street food, and this is where Osaka Bar shines. Their Kushi-Katsu – not to be confused with Kushi Age, as I’m empathetically informed by Chef Kazu – is an amazingly addictive array of skewered items, coated lightly in a thin beer batter, and then crumbed with panko, Japanese breadcrumbs made from flaked white milk bread. The pork, tenderised only with the back of a knife, is my absolute favourite, followed closely by the melt-in-your-mouth salmon belly.

The Okonomiyaki is also delicious – a tender Japanese savoury pancake with thin crispy slices of pork, and crunchy cabbage. And lots of Japanese mayo, of course.

And if you’re too hungry for smaller bites, they have some pretty rad mains too!

Osaka Style Unagi Sushi

Lamb Cutlet with Sanjoku Sauce and Mentaiko Mash Potatoes

The Lamb Cutlets with Sanjoku sauce were served with a side of mentaiko mash, which totally stole the show. Mentaiko is a spiced and salt cured cod roe that adds this mind blowing depth of flavour to the creamy mash.

Kakuni Pork

And the rich, sweet, salty Kakuni is a tender cube of pork belly that would be so comforting with a bowl of rice. Chef Kazu even puts his unique spin on it, adding red miso to the braise to add body.

But really. It’s pork belly. We’re just improving on perfection.

Osaka Bar gives you a vibe of being welcomed into Chef Kazu’s family dinner table. This hilarious, charismatic chef is right there in the open kitchen, welcoming guests and perfecting every dish that goes out. Sure, it’s not Japanese fine dining, but that’s exactly where the beauty lies. There’s a lot of heart and passion, executed with skills that only years of experience can pull off.

Looks like we might be spending more time in Potts Point!

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Osaka Bar.

Osaka Bar
Shop 15 Llankelly Place, 24-30 Springfield Avenue
Potts Point, Sydney
Phone: 02 8970 1143
Website: http://www.osakabar.com.au/

Having A Chat: Jarern Chai Boon Cafe, Haymarket

Review May 8, 2015

Review of Boon Cafe/Jarern Chai, Haymarket

Thai food is just as vibrant as its culture: a sophisticated balance if salty, sweet, sour and spicy, Thai people
have been instilled with this ability to create explosive flavours in stir fries, soups and stews, that keep you coming back for more.

In Sydney, Chat Thai has been hailed as one of the most authentic, with matriarch Amy Chanta at the helm, leading her team of Thai born and bred chefs and food staff. The recipes come from their family tables, which adds a certain sense of history to the menu. But Thai ingredients can be hard to source, and the list can be as long as your arm.

Well, with Jarern Chai, you can get all your questions answered.

Jarern Chai/Boon Cafe share the same space on Pitt Street in Haymarket. Boon Cafe has a bit of the hipster coffee vibe, but with a menu full of comforting Thai favourites. Now what I really wanted was the Intestine dish that I saw on Instagram, but because life isn’t perfect, it wasnt available and I had to settle for Duck Noodles instead.

#FirstWorldProblems am I right?

Duck Noodle Soup – Roasted five spice duck egg noodles with goji berry, thai basil, and chilli oil

The soup, like all soup I’ve had at every incarnation of Chat Thai, is legit. Savoury and tangy, this broth was laced with goji berries and topped with chunks of duck, egg noodles, and bean sprouts. My only complaint though? At $14, it was a wee bit expensive for a bowl of noodle soup in Chinatown.

It’s friggin student central, man. I can turn a corner and find something similarly decent for cheaper.

Otherwise, the service was friendly, and the atmos was relaxing. Nice for a leisurely catchup, but not if you’re tight on the purse strings!

This meal was independantly paid for.

Boon Cafe at Jarern Chai
425 Pitt Street, Chinatown
Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9281 2114
Website: http://booncafe.com

5 Winter Beauty Favourites: Plum

Beauty Inspiration Review May 7, 2015

It’s easy to fall into a rut with makeup. Often, I find something that works, and I just keep going back to the same products over and over again, neglecting my ever-growing box of “makeup I’d like to try”. I usually go with gold and peach – all that warm Asian skin tone – and sometimes, stronger colours like Plum remind me of my goth teenage days, never to be repeated.

I burned all the photos for a reason!

I do, however, love a statement lip, and after trying out a couple of lippies in deep plum, I’m absolutely LOVING this everyday Maleficient look. Because villainesses need a little love too!
Read More

Explosion on the palette: The Powder Keg, Potts Point

Review May 6, 2015

Duck schnitzel lolipops/ Pickled kohlrabi + tarragon mayo

A good restaurant is more than good food. Good food is a given, sure, but a great restaurant transports you into another world, and presents, just for the couple of hours while you’re there, relief from your everyday life. The team works together to create a little drama, a little theatre, and if done right, just a touch of magic.

So when we are greeted by a large smoke-clouded cloche that obscures a beautiful cocktail, we know we’re in for one hell of a ride.

A photo posted by Tammi Kwok (@teafortammi) on Apr 19, 2015 at 4:58am PDT

Clockwise from top left: Gin and Tonic on tap, Nettle Gimlet, Strawberry Smack, Gunpowder Plot, Volcano Punch

With a name derived from the early origins of gin, you just know that the bar menu is well stocked with inventive cocktails that showcase just that. Grant Collins – expert mixologist and once named World’s Best Bartender – provides a unique perspective on these alcoholic beverages. Here, alcohol is not a short road to blinding drunkedness, but instead is meant to be savoured. The Gunpowder Plot is a heady mix of gunpowder tea spiked gin, syrup, dandelion and burdock bitters, and fresh citrus, with just a hint of smoke laced through the foam from the smouldering twigs. So full of flavour, and lacking that acrid burn of alcohol in the back of the throat from cheap gin. It was absolutely delicious.

Also surprisingly smooth and clean on the palette was their Gin and Tonic, ON TAP. Yes, this amazing concoction, so often maligned by cheap bars and inexperienced bartenders, is available on top. Mind blown.

Sphere of gin and apricot liquor

Gin is also clearly an influence in the menu, put together by Chef Elijah Holland. What started as an interest in gardening and horticulture as child, soon blossomed into an expertise in foraging, and a creativity when it comes to cooking with the seasons. By beginning with the foraged fruit and veg, before moving on to the proteins, Chef EJ – as he is affectionately known – has crafted an earthy array of dishes that have strong Nordic and European influences.

Oysters, Gin and Tonic Sorbet, Cucumber, Foraged Violets and Sea Lettuce

These fresh oysters, topped with cucumber, Gin and Tonic Sorbet, and foraged violets is their most popular dish, and with the fresh ingredients cutting through the briny flavours, it’s easy to see why.

Duck schnitzel lolipops/ Pickled kohlrabi + tarragon mayo

Quail Scotch egg/ Smoke potato + crispy pancetta + mushrooms

Even the deep fried bites have a certain lightness about them. The Duck Schitzel Lollipops, crumbed and fried, are balanced with pickled kohlrabi and tarragon mayo, and the Quail Scotch Egg carried the crunch of the crispy pancetta, and a mild tang of pickled shimeji mushrooms. The mushrooms, cooked lightly in a pickling liquid before being left to ‘do its thang’ for about a week, didn’t dissolve into mushiness like you would assume, and instead provided a fairly firm texture that more than held its own.

Sauteed Foraged Pine and Slippery Jack Mushrooms

Speaking of mushrooms, we were also treated to this one off dish of Sauteed Foraged Pine and Slippery Jack Mushrooms. Wild mushrooms, garlic, butter? YES.

Roast snapper/ Horseradish + lemon + buttermilk + silverbeet

Pastrami pork fillet/ Crackling + barley + apricot + black garlic

Peas/ Woodside goats curd + cucumber + mint

The mains for me weren’t quite as exciting as the bites. Maybe we were getting full at the time – we were very spoiled with LOTS of food – but the larger plates lacked some of the delicate balance that was present in everything else. The Roast Snapper had a beautiful garlic silverbeet condiment with a pickled cherry tomato, but it didn’t, for my taste, make up for the inherent dryness of snapper due to its lean meat. The Pastrami Pork Fillet was paired, rather impressively, with house-made black garlic – a testament to Chef EJ’s technical skill – but again, there was such leanness that it lacked the sense indulgence of the dishes that came before.

Negroni Ice Cream Sandwich

But this sense of opulence certainly came back with the presentation of not one, but two amazing desserts.

A photo posted by Tammi Kwok (@teafortammi) on Apr 19, 2015 at 5:05am PDT

Sponge, lilly pilly jam, mascarpone, plum and ginger sorbet, and blueberry dust made from freeze dried blueberries

The Sponge, Lilly Pilly Jam, Mascarpone, Plum and Ginger Sorbet and Blueberry Dust shows a skilful mix of technical skill and creativity, and presented a riot of fruity, refreshing flavours and contrasting textures that kept you coming back for more. I must admit that even thought we were bursting to the brim, I still scraped the bottom of the plate in a rather unladylike way because it was just so delicious.

And it turns out that this passion for food that Chef EJ has doesn’t just start and stop with The Powder Keg. He reveals that spear fishing and barbecuing ranks amongst his favourite ways to eat at home, echoing the same approach to food and nature that he has brought to The Powder Keg.

Oh, and when I asked about a dish that didn’t make it to this amazing menu? “Yabbies, smoked yabbie consommé,charred fennel, pickled apples, pine oil”, he says, and I wish I hadn’t asked because now I just know what I’m missing out on.

Definitely worth a trip back to explore the rest of the menu, including the Butchers block – our board of in house made charcuteries, pickles, ferments, preserves, bread, which seems like an underrated dish, but comes as a recommendation from the chef himself.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of The Powder Keg.

The Powder Keg
7 Kellett St
Potts Point, NSW 2011
Phone: 02 8354 0980
Website: http://thepowderkeg.com.au/

Narnie-a: Three Williams, Redfern

Drive-by Eating Review May 4, 2015

Review of Three Williams, in Surry Hills

As a kid, I’ve never been big on sandwiches. Not even really today. It’s always been too dry, too plain, too…meh. And everytime I keep trying, I always find myself pulling it apart and having just the filling on its own.

Well unless it’s a darn special sarnie. A Narnie, perhaps?

First of all, I absolutely loved the filling to bread ratio. Most times, theres always too much bread, but here, there was a flavour explosion of meat, pickles and sauce, stoically head together by the robust Naan bread, as opposed to the more frail, hole-y white varieties. The meat was a touch drier than I would’ve liked it to be, but I’m just nitpicking, because the sauce more than made up for it.

And don’t even think about trying to take it apart with a fork and knife – owner Glen Bowditch admonished me (with good humour) the moment I even thought to try the ladylike approach.

Fantastic energy and team, and great menu. Definitely worth a revisit.

This meal was independently paid for.

Mr Wong 3 Bridge Lane Sydney, NSW 2000 Phone: 02 9240 3000 Website: http://www.merivale.com.au/mrwong/

This meal was independently paid for.

Assamm Lower Ground QVB 455 George St Sydney, NSW 2000 Phone: 02 9261 0204 Website: http://assamm.com/

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Izakaya Yebisu and Washoku Lovers.

Izakaya Yebisu Regent Place Shop 7-10, 501 George St Sydney, NSW 2000 Phone: 02 9266 0301 Website: http://regentplace.com.au/directory-detail.php?directoryid=30&pid=1

This meal was independently paid for.

Simmer Huang Shop 4, 10 Hillview Road, Eastwood NSW 2122 Phone: 02 9804 0358 Website: http://www.simmerhuang.com

This meal was independently paid for.

Tartine 635 Gardeners Rd Mascot, NSW 2020 Phone: 02 9700 9847 Website: https://www.facebook.com/tartine2020

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Osaka Bar.

Osaka Bar Shop 15 Llankelly Place, 24-30 Springfield Avenue Potts Point, Sydney Phone: 02 8970 1143 Website: http://www.osakabar.com.au/

This meal was independantly paid for.

Boon Cafe at Jarern Chai 425 Pitt Street, Chinatown Sydney, NSW Phone: 02 9281 2114 Website: http://booncafe.com

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of The Powder Keg.

The Powder Keg 7 Kellett St Potts Point, NSW 2011 Phone: 02 8354 0980 Website: http://thepowderkeg.com.au/

This meal was independently paid for.

Three Williams 613a Elizabeth St Redfern, NSW 2016 Phone: 02 9698 1111 Website: http://www.threewilliams.com/

Mr Wong
3 Bridge Lane
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9240 3000
Website: http://www.merivale.com.au/mrwong/

Assamm
Lower Ground QVB
455 George St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9261 0204
Website: http://assamm.com/

Izakaya Yebisu
Regent Place
Shop 7-10, 501 George St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9266 0301
Website: http://regentplace.com.au/directory-detail.php?directoryid=30&pid=1

Simmer Huang
Shop 4, 10 Hillview Road,
Eastwood NSW 2122
Phone: 02 9804 0358
Website: http://www.simmerhuang.com

Tartine
635 Gardeners Rd
Mascot, NSW 2020
Phone: 02 9700 9847
Website: https://www.facebook.com/tartine2020

Osaka Bar
Shop 15 Llankelly Place, 24-30 Springfield Avenue
Potts Point, Sydney
Phone: 02 8970 1143
Website: http://www.osakabar.com.au/

Boon Cafe at Jarern Chai
425 Pitt Street, Chinatown
Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9281 2114
Website: http://booncafe.com

The Powder Keg
7 Kellett St
Potts Point, NSW 2011
Phone: 02 8354 0980
Website: http://thepowderkeg.com.au/

Three Williams
613a Elizabeth St
Redfern, NSW 2016
Phone: 02 9698 1111
Website: http://www.threewilliams.com/