Posts tagged Asian

Having A Chat: Jarern Chai Boon Cafe, Haymarket

Review
Review of Boon Cafe/Jarern Chai, Haymarket

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 oilDuck 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

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Jarern Chai Boon Cafe on Urbanspoon

WIP me into shape! Work in Progress, Sydney

Review
WIP, Sydney, Restaurant Review

WIP, Sydney, Restaurant Review

We know that Merivale does good things, and as a dining powerhouse, their food will always hit a minimum, consistent standard. Combine that with experienced, star chefs, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for trendy restaurants that makes food-lover’s mouth water, and eyes glaze over.

The latest project is Patrick Freisen’s Work In Progress (WIP), and they have been drawing extended crowds in with a menu of Fried chicken, and Lo Mein.

Curry Wagyu Brisket Lo MeinCurried beef brisket noodle soup, $16

I’ve never been a huge fan of noodles in watery soup, but there’s a very thin line between soup and gravy, and this curry sauce with its tender beef brisket pieces and yellow strands of noodles is my very definition of comfort food. This serving of Curry Beef Brisket Lo Mein looks a bit on the small side, but the bowl contained a good amount of food, and I wasn’t actually left wanting.

And then, fried chicken! Because who can resist fried chicken?

Half and Half ComboHalf & half ginger fried chicken & chilli fried chicken, $18

Pnom Penh Chicken WingsPnomh penh wings, lime white pepper, $16

The Ginger Fried Chicken tasted like plain fried chicken to me – not a bad thing! – and the Chilli Fried Chicken brought a really nice punch. My favourite part is licking off the sticky glaze from my fingers, and the juxtaposition of the crunchy, sticky and juicy in the one delicious bite.

The Pnom Penh Wings also made a fantastic impact on me, mostly because the lime and white pepper dipping sauce provided a refreshing palate cleanser of sorts that kept me going back for more chicken!

It’s a great non-committal way to try out new dishes, and providing new lunch options to those working in the CBD. Sure, the meals aren’t exactly what I would call “value for money”, but it is good food executed at high standards, so…you get what you pay for.

Give it a try next time you’re in town – we don’t know when this pop up will ship out.

This meal was independently paid for.
Work in Progress
50 King St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9240 3000
Website: http://merivale.com.au/wipbar

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Step Up to the… Mira Korean Street Food, Eastwood

Review
Mira Korean Street Food Review

Ttokboki with Cheese $10

One thing that I’ve missed thoroughly since moving from Singapore, is street food. Nothing quite beats the rising smoke around food on sticks, bustling crowds and surly hawkers. Not only is the food crazy delicious and cheap, but it’s also the ultimate in convenience, allowing you to eat and roam the street at the same time.

Street food in Sydney is not quite the same, but it doesnt stop anyone from trying to serve it up in different forms! Enter Mira Korean Street Food, who are attempting to serve up classic Korean street treats, but in a sit down cafe in Eastwood!

Soondae (Korean blood sausage), $10Soondae (Korean blood sausage), $10

Soondae is a Korean blood and noodle sausage that is served with a spiced salt on the side, as well as a few slices of tripe or liver. It’s almost like a gateway blood sausage to me – not nearly as strong in flavour as black pudding, and has a familiar chewy texture that accompanies starch noodles. Not a fan of the liver, but I never like thoroughly cooked liver anyway.

Fried Seaweed and Sweet Potato Noodle, $2 for 2pcsFried Seaweed and Sweet Potato Noodle, $2 for 2pcs

That same noodle used to stuff the Soondae is used again here in this Fried Seaweed and Sweet Potato Noodle snack, that is battered, fried and served with a soy dressing. Great for the novelty factor, and again, addictive chewy texture, but not entirely special otherwise.

Odeng sitting in a hot water bath

Odeng involves a skewered fish cake served in a bowl of anchovy broth. These skewers sit in a hot water bath, in preparation for their time in the bowl…before it hits my tummy.

Odeng (skewered fish cake soup), $3Odeng (skewered fish cake soup), $3

It’s supersoft, a bit like tofu, and for all the fish involved in this soup/skewer, it’s incredibly
milk, and reminds me of restorative broths my mum used to make when I wasn’t feeling well.

In all, not quite the street food experience that I was looking for, but its really worth a shot if you’ve got the late night munchies!

Mira Korean Street Food
16 Railway Parade
Eastwood, NSW 2122
Phone: 02 8542 9233

Mira's Korean Street Food on Urbanspoon

Shiitake Mushroom Ramen Recipe

Food Recipe 4 Comments
An aerial shot of the vegetarian shiitake mushroom ramen, with pickles and gyozas on the side.

I am an absolute ramen fiend – nothing beats a hot bowl of noodles and soup in the middle of a freezing winter. But most ramen broths are based in bone and meat for that intense flavour, and it does mean that my vegetarian friends often miss out on this awesome meal. But bone does add a depth of flavour that is hard to replace, so I thought to use Lapsang Suchong – a smoky black tea – and konbu – a dried seaweed – to add body to the soup.

The result is this Shiitake Mushroom Ramen that I can share with ALL my friends, and if I swapped out the egg and egg noodles, my vegan friends too!

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Ramly Burger in Sydney! Yang’s Malaysian Food Truck

Food Truck Review
Aerial shot of our order from Yang's Malaysian Food Truck!

Aerial shot of our order from Yang's Malaysian Food Truck!

In Singapore, night markets (pasar malam) are big business. They take on a nomadic, gypsy quality, moving from suburb to suburb, with makeshift tents sprouting up overnight like daisies after a spring shower. Loud music begins blaring, hawkers begin hawking, and pans and grill go on the heat and curls of smoke start beckoning, crooking its wispy fingers and luring you into the bright light.

And with food like that, you’d think that you have died and gone to heaven.

The Ramly Burger debuted in Singapore in a pasar malam to great fanfare, causing queues round the block as we are wont to do. Originating in Malaysia, this burger was created by a man named, well, Ramly, and consists of a beef or chicken patty, covered in egg, lettuce, sauce on sauce on sauce, and is the sloppiest burger you’d ever eat. Even now, with all the knockoffs, most of the Ramly burgers in Malaysia are made with patties sourced from the original Ramly makers.

So when I heard that Yang’s Malaysian Food Truck was serving up Ramly burgers on the menu, I was like a kid with an early Christmas, chomping at the bit to get my hands on it. But of course, a food blogger never just orders one thing off the menu. No, we order the whole damned lot.

Roti with ChickenRoti with Curried Chicken

Soft Shell Chill Crab with MantouSoft Shell Chilli Crab with Mantou

Ramli SliderRamly Slider

Chicken Rice BallsChicken Rice balls

Curry PuffsCurry Puffs

The Soft Shell Chilli Crab with Mantou is a fantastic take on the Singapore Chilli Crab, with more fresh chillies used and not quite as sweet as I was expecting. And you know, deep fried milk buns are always a winner with me. The Chicken Rice Balls were quite surprising, since I’ve never had them that way before, but the little morsels grew on me…maybe because I’m a lazy eater and these were convenient mouthfuls. The chicken was a tiny bit on the dry side, but on the whole still a thoroughly enjoyable dish. The Ramly Sliders were great as a slider, but at the risk of sounding like a perv in a red light district, it needs to be dirtier, and greasier. It was almost too clean and sophisticated to really communicate the Ramly experience. The curry puffs had the super flaky pastry spot on – I could feel my arteries clogging, which is always a good sign when you’re eating pastry – but the filling was just a touch…wet. Again, no relation to the red light district.

Inside of a Curry Puff

As a food truck, Yang’s Malaysian Food Truck is off to a great start, serving up quality Asian-inspired food in convenient to-go portions. There’s some maturing that needs to happen, as with any new food business, but I do think that they are a truck to watch. *thumbs up*

This meal was independently paid for.
Yang’s Malaysian Food Truck
79 Edinburgh Rd
Castlecrag, NSW 2068
Phone: 0408 221 213
Website: http://yangsfoodtruck.com

Yang's Malaysian Food Truck on Urbanspoon

Buns of Steel: Belly Bao, Sydney CBD

Review
BBC (fried chicken) from Belly Bao in Good God, Sydney

BBC (fried chicken) from Belly Bao in Good God, Sydney

I never did entirely understand the almost-fanatic appeal of the Gua Bao – soft, sweet milk buns filled with (traditionally) braised pork belly, mustard greens and sauce – to some. Sure it’s tasty and all, and its possibilities in terms of building the perfect bite in this hand-held snack-to-go are certainly promising, but surely it doesn’t require the fad-level attention that its been getting right?

Clearly, I haven’t tried the baos from Belly Bao.

Located in GoodGod Small Club, where The Dip used to reside, Belly Bao has grown from its humble beginnings as a market stall, into a busy eatery with legions of adoring fans. It was the brainchild of Sylvia, who, while on holidays in New York, came across these delicious morsels. Upon returning to Sydney, she realised that there was a clear gap in the market (and her own access to delicious baos), and decided to risk it all and make her own. With her parents to guide her with their years of restaurant experience, Sylvia started her market stall and hasn’t looked back since.

Tofu Bao, Soft Shell Crab Bao and Short Rib Bao at Belly BaoFrom top: Tofu Bao, Soft Shell Crab Bao and Short Rib Bao

Roast Pork Belly Bao, Fried Chicken Bao, and Braised Pork Belly Bao from Belly BaoFrom top: Roast Pork Belly Bao, Fried Chicken Bao, and Braised Pork Belly Bao

Sweet Potato Fries from Belly BaoSweet Potato Fries

BBC (Belly Bao Chicken) from Belly BaoBBC (Belly Bao Chicken)

The result? The best milk buns I’ve ever had in Sydney. It’s ridiculous just how fresh, soft, and fluffy they are, and it’s not surprising to hear from Sylvia that they make their own buns, rather than getting it supplied from someone else. And the fillings don’t disappoint either – the classic Braised Pork Belly Bao is my favourite with its thick dark sauce clinging to the tender slice of pork belly. The Short Rib Bao comes a close second, with its Korean inspired flavours of sweet soy and kim chi.

But don’t fill up on buns, because the Sweet Potato Fries, which are liberally salted and covered in a house made aioli and chilli sauce, are SO satisfying. Hot off the fryer, these fries are delicious in their sogginess – sweet potato fries don’t ever seem to crisp up in the same way that regular fries do – and the sauce over the top has to have some sort of hard drug in it, because I’m so SO addicted to the stuff.

The BBC also came highly recommended, and it did not disappoint. Juicy meat, crunchy exterior that shatters into your cleavage, and all that jazz. And anyone who goes through the effort of brining their poultry, is alright in my books.

I’m so relieved when Sylvia divulges that the plan is to make Belly Bao readily available 7 days a week, because I don’t think I can live with such good food being unavailable for half of the week. Now excuse me, while I get my fries on.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Belly Bao.
Belly Bao
GOODGOD Small Club
53-55 Liverpool St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Website: http://bellybao.com/

Belly Bao on Urbanspoon

Did someone say roast duck? BBQ One, Eastwood

Review 1 Comment
Roasted Duck on Rice, BBQ One, Eastwood

Roasted Duck on Rice, BBQ One, Eastwood

Before there was all the ramen, food festivals and fine dining, there was meat on rice. From charsiu to siu yok to braised duck, this simple combination represents a staple-turned-addiction that has contributed to my ever-burgeoning muffin top.

Complimentary Pork Soup, BBQ One, EastwodComplimentary Pork and Peanut Soup

BBQ One in Eastwood is the closest I’ve had in Sydney to the favourites I grew up with, displaying their selection of meats on steel hooks in front of a glass window, beckoning to passers-by like hookers in the red light district of Amsterdam.

Roasted Duck on Rice, BBQ One, EastwoodRoast Duck on Rice

The Roast Duck Rice consisted of a generous serving of rice and duck maryland with skin the shade of orange that you might mistake it for an oompa loompa. No need to adjust your television sets though, it’s perfectly normal. You can’t really go wrong with roast duck in my books, but what I really enjoyed was the lightly oiled rice drizzled with a soy based dressing, which I’m pretty sure contains some of the master stock used to braise some of the meat items on the menu.

It’s like an absolute meat fest in there, and it’s amazing.

Braised Offal on Rice, Barbecue One EastwoodBraised Offal on Rice

For the more adventurous, I strongly recommend my usual order: a selection of braised offal on that same oiled rice. Pork stomach, tongue, ears and intestine are roughly chopped and laid over rice, drizzled with that same master stock dressing that comes with all the dishes. It may not sound pretty but if I could find the budget or the diet that allows me to have this every meal for every day of the week, I would. Pro tip: order a side of ginger and shallot sauce for an extra $0.50 – the amazing aromatics of the sauce augments all the savoury meaty flavours on the plate.

The service is efficient and civil, and the portions are large enough to feed two moderately hungry people with one plate. It’s not a five-star date night place, but it’s a favourite with the locals for the super simple, quick, in-and-out sort of dining.

Okay, so maybe it could be a date night place.

This meal was independently paid for.
BBQ One
181 Rowe St
Eastwood, NSW 2122
Phone: 02 9874 5332

BBQ One on Urbanspoon

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My Favourite Kind of Balls: Tamayaki, Haymarket

Review
Tamayaki, Dixon Street, Haymarket

Tamayaki, Dixon Street, Haymarket

I remember the first time I’d ever eaten a Takoyaki. My friend and I walked through a Pasar Malam in Singapore – makeshift night markets that are held nomadically in the heartlands of the country – and she disappeared for a moment, coming back with a box of them: mayonnaise-covered balls made from a creamy batter, and filled with bacon and cheese. But I didn’t know that this was a crazy delicious Japanese street snack then.

All I heard were the words “Bacon and Cheese”.

Traditionally filled with octopus pieces – then called Takopachi instead – these balls are basically made with a base of wheat flour batter in semi-spherical cast iron pans, looking like the savoury edgy ancestors of the cake pop. Today, they are filled with such a variety of ingredients and are so omnipresent that they even have them dispensed from vending machines in Japan!

Satay Chicken Takoyaki, $6Satay Chicken Takoyaki, $6

Commonly filled with seafood like prawn and crab, Tamayaki in Dixon St (Haymarket) have spiced up the menu with super cool flavours like Satay Chicken, and Eel (Unagi).

But first, wanna know how they’re made?

Takoyaki getting filled

First the pan gets filled with batter, and then the chosen fillings.

Takoyaki being flipped

Then it gets expertly flipped. Most places use two thin metal skewers to flip and roll these balls into spherical perfection, but no, Tamayaki chooses to use only one, with a Luke Skywalker-wielding-a-light-saber-post-Vader type efficiency.

Mayo being generously applied

These balls are then carefully cooked to be crispy on the outside while still creamy on the inside, and popped into little trays, before being generously doused in mayo-based sauces. The Unagi gets mayo and barbecue, and the Satay Chicken gets a specially formulated spicy satay sauce. Very nice.

Satay Chicken Takoyaki, $6

Watch out for that first bite! Cause, you know, steaming hot insides and all. The Unagi is as delicious as expected, filled with tender eel flesh and smothered in savoury sauce and dried bonito flakes that curl and wave with the heat off the balls. But the Satay Chicken was a surprise favourite. Chicken thigh pieces stand up to being cooked twice very well, and the spicy tangy satay sauce tastes of all the spices that come with authentic satay flavours, and not just a peanut-heavy mess that I see so often. Also available in beef, Tamayaki is really providing a new twist to old favourites.

Mango Juice Ball

And if you’re getting thirsty from all the creamy mayo, Tamayaki also has an extensive drink menu. I tried the very summery Mango Juice Ball – filled with little liquid-filled spheres of mango syrup that burst into your mouth luxuriously the way salmon roe does.

The takoyaki has really come a long way since I first sampled it as a teenager in that bustling, humid, market, and Tamayaki seeks to push the boundaries, and continue on in the Japanese mixture of innovation and traditional techniques. The balls are made fresh to order, resulting in a little bit of a wait for the order to be ready – especially if you’re in a rush. But really, I’ve never been at a tamayaki joint where there wasn’t a wait, so…

Japanese comfort street food for the win!

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Tamayaki.
Tamayaki
Shop 36 1 Dixon St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 0450 290 190
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tamayaki-Australia-弹丸滋地/309957315780420

Tamayaki on Urbanspoon