Posts tagged Asian

I like Coffee, I love Tea.. Pu’er, Waterloo

Review
Wagyu Beef Tacos from Pu'er in Waterloo, $16

Wagyu Beef Tacos from Puer in Waterloo, $16

…I love the wagyu beef tacos and it loves me.

Really, though. I’m an absolute tea addict. And yes, I’m one of those people who will go to fancy tea places and spend all of my money on tea and tea paraphernalia (there are a lot!). But nothing quite beats the experience of a tea service, and unless your cupboards are filled with warmers and teapots of every kind, this is an experience that’s best left to the experts.

Premium Jasmine, $9Premium Jasmine, $9

At Pu’er, they serve you premium teas with a full explanation of how best to enjoy them. We tried a Premium Jasmine and Osmanthus Phoenix tea. Each one comes in each own tea set. It was explained to us that a 1-2 minute steeping time is optimum, and with these teas, the third or fourth steep is the best. I loved the detail and care that went into the tea service – not once was I left wondering what to do when I reached the bottom of my cup.

The Osmanthus Phoenix presented a surprise to me – I’m not usually a fan of Osmanthus teas in general, but this finished on the palate with such tropical fruity notes that it brightened up my day like a bouquet of flowers brightens up a room. Very nice.

And if tea is not quite your thing, they also do killer cocktails.

Cocktails: Berry, and Coconut DreamCocktails from left: Berry, and Coconut Dream

The Coconut Dream was an absolute standout for me. Young coconut juice is mixed with Absolut’s Wild Tea Vodka and dried apple pieces, creating a cocktail so beautiful I couldn’t even taste the acrid burn of alcohol on the palate after. And that’s pretty impressive considering that I don’t drink for that very reason.

Shanghai, $7Shanghai, $7

And now that I’m appropriately boozed up, on to the food! We begin with a selection of small bites: The Shanghai, $7, and Mushroom Pot Stickers, $7.

Mushroom Pot Stickers, $7Mushroom Pot Stickers, $7

The Mushroom Pot Stickers were filled with a fragrant, savoury filling, and I absolutely loved how the chewy mochi-like exterior gave way to the piping hot insides. The Shanghai was not as fragile or soupy quite as I was expecting, but it’s got fantastic flavour in each bite.

Wagyu Tacos, $16Wagyu Tacos, $16

And then came the first touchdown: the Wagyu Tacos came out on a pretty dish looking like gua baos, but really, I stopped caring what they looked like the moment I realised how delicious these things were. The beef was rich and unbelievably tender, and the salty glaze just the right foil for the sweet, fluffy buns. This is the bit that made me regret that there were four of us, because I really could’ve gone for more than one.

Hong Kong Mini Burger, $15Hong Kong Mini Burger, $15

The Hong Kong Mini Burgers were no slouch either. Sweet milk buns are decadently deep fried to create that golden exterior, giving way to a savoury hoisin sauce and panko crusted pork, the macdaddy of breading. It was all crunch and lusciousness, and it made me feel all tingly inside. It’s something that you can’t really create in a larger form: the ratios were so delicately balanced, and it’s hard  to get the same kind of juiciness if you were to go for a substantially larger piece of pork. No, this was quite amazing the way it is, and every bite was thoroughly delicious. 

Stir Fried Green Beans, $18Stir Fried Green Beans, $18

Three Cup Drunken Duck, $26Three Cup Drunken Duck, $26

For the mains, we were recommended – and rightly so – the Stir Fried Green Beans and the Three Cup Drunken Duck. The green beans were crisp and al dente, and covered in a chilli spiced pork mince “sauce” (topping?) that left us fighting for the last spoonful on the plate. The duck was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and fell apart on the bone the moment our forks pierced the flesh. The savoury umami notes from the mushrooms made the sauce rich, and made for a very satisfying mouthful when mixed in with rice. The only critique? NEEDS MORE SAUCE.

Tea Smoked Watermelon with Kafir Panna CottaTea Smoked Watermelon with Kafir Panna Cotta

And of course, the sweet stuff. Pu’er is all about their teas, and it shows with the impressively dished Tea Smoked Watermelon with Kafir Panna Cotta. The cubes of watermelon sat under a cloche, surrounded by swirling smoke, while the panna cotta jiggled seductively on the side. Smooth and creamy mixed in with crisp and juicy mixed in with sweet and smoky…All watermelon should be smoked from now on.

Coconut and Lime Sorbet with Black Glutinous Rice and Coconut WaterCoconut and Lime Sorbet with Black Glutinous Rice and Coconut Water

The Coconut and Lime Sorbet with Black Glutinous Rice struck a chord with me, with its Southeast Asian influence. It reminded me strongly of pulut hitam – a warm dessert made with salted black glutinous rice and served with thick coconut cream. This version has been augmented with a coconut and lime sorbet, which created bright citrus notes that cut through the comfortingly stodgy texture of the black glutinous rice.

The food was consistently exquisite throughout the lunch, but what impressed me the most, was that the owner, Siev, is actually at the helm, cooking in his own restaurant. Born to Cambodian parents, Siev sees his mother as his inspiration, and what started out as a dream for a teahouse has become a full fledged restaurant with thoroughly deliberate food that is matched only by its detailed and knowledgeable service. And despite the comprehensive background of information that influences his food, Siev is no snob either. When asked about what he chooses to eat, he admits – with some embarrassment – that there have been harrowed moments that consuming fast food has had to be an option, but it only makes me respect him more as a person. The pressures that he faces running a restaurant and keeping a business afloat in these tough times are very real and very human, and I think that he is executing his vision deliciously.

It kinda makes me ashamed that I had not ventured down to this side of Danks St sooner. From their tiny teacups to their beautifully blue and white porcelain-topped tables, Pu’er is a gem of an experience just waiting to be discovered.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Pu’er.

Pu’er
20a Danks St
Waterloo, NSW 2017
Phone:02 8399 1331
Website: http://www.puer.com.au/

Pu'er on Urbanspoon

Having a Cow: Gyuzou Japanese Barbecue, Sydney

Review
Aerial shot of the barbecue filled with wagyu beef pieces and vegetables

Aerial shot of the barbecue filled with wagyu beef pieces and vegetables

If I had to be reborn as an animal for food, I’d definitely choose to be a Wagyu cow. A morbid thought? Maybe. But these cows have got it gooood.

This is would be a life where being fat is a good thing, and you spend your living days eating, drinking booze and getting massaged! What’s not to love about that?

Well, there’s that bit about being eaten. But wagyu beef gets treated with such reverence that I’m sure it’ll make it worthwhile.

So it makes sense that Japanese yakiniku – aka Japanese barbecue – features little to no marinade or seasoning, to showcase the raw flavour of the beef. And at Gyuzou in Sydney, the cow is built right into the name, so I was over the moo-n to be invited to sample their menu!

100%Assorted Wagyu Platter, $25.50

It seemed to make sense to start with the Wagyu Platter, $25.50. You get a variety of cuts, including my favourite part of the beef, the short rib. Yes yes you get more fat in the prime cuts of meat, but really, the short rib is where you can taste all the amazing beefy flavour, and with just a bit more cooking, a deliciously firm but tender texture.

Large Intestine, $6.50Large Intestine, $6.50

And I ordered the Large Intestine, $6.50, because I’m Asian. And also because you can really tell how a restaurant treats their meat in their treatment of their offal. Offal needs NEEDS to be fresh, and cleaned properly or it will smell to high heaven the moment it hits the heat.

This, thankfully, was one delicious plate. Lightly fatty – so decadent! – and with just the the tiniest amount of bite, these pieces didn’t even need to be marinated, in my opinion.

Pro tip: Cook it low and slow on the edges of the barbecue, and give it time to render out some of the fat, causing the all-important flare ups that will give you that classic barbecue smoky flavour.

Salmon and Kingfish Sashimi, $9.00Salmon and Kingfish Sashimi, $9.00

Of course, you can’t do Japanese food without the other thing that stinks to high heaven if it isn’t fresh – sashimi! At Gyuzou, it definitely is, though I question the decision to serve it over ice. On one hand, it keeps the fish cold because it can get pretty warm while that barbecue is sizzling, but on the other hand, things get a bit watery as the ice melts. And well, you get the wet fish reference right?

Okonomiyaki, $5.50Okonomiyaki, $5.50

Okonomiyaki, $5.50, is basically a Japanese cabbage and beef/seafood pancake covered in mayo (that magically delicious word again!) and a brown Japanese barbecue sauce. Personally I like okonomiyaki a little firmer, but it was still the flavours you’d expect, so it was okay.

Wagyu Tataki, $8.90Wagyu Tataki, $8.90

So back to the beef we go. The Wagyu Tataki, $8.90, very simply features thin slices of seared rare beef laid over thin slices of red onion, with a light soy based sauce on the side. Good, but not great, especially next to the stellar barbecue.

Green Tea Parfait, $7.90Green Tea Parfait, $7.90

And just to round things out on a sweet note, the Green Tea Parfait, $7.90. It may look simple, but it’s got a circus of sponge cake, green tea jelly, whipped cream, matcha ice cream, and chocolate wafer cigars. A good way to finish, though part of me wonders if I should have ordered more beef and intestine.

It was a very pretty setting, and a great experience for date nights. If you are a bit worried about the lack of marinade, let me assure you that the trio of sauces more than make up for it. The yakiniku, shiotare, and tabera rayu, provided enough salt, tang, and umami flavours to change it up with every bite. I particularly enjoyed the tabera rayu, which was like a chilli and garlic mixture that just brought out the Singaporean in me.

Mooooooo.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Gyuzou Japanese BBQ.

Gyuzou
Corner Of Day St X Liverpool St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9268 0410
Website: http://www.yesfood.com.au/gyuzo.html

Japanese BBQ Yakiniku GYUZO on Urbanspoon

Feeling Crabby? Singapore Chilli Crab Fried Rice Recipe

Pantry Quick Recipe 6 Comments
Chilli Crab Fried Rice Recipe

Chilli Crab Fried Rice Recipe

I may be a very hardworking *ahem* eater, but I’m actually quite a lazy cook at home. And let me say this:

There ain’t no shame in using modern conveniences!

I do love making a lot of things from scratch, but there are just some sauces that take so much time and effort that it’s really worthwhile getting a good packet sauce mix, for the convenience. Sambal belachan, for example, is one of those that’s full of pungent fermented-shrimpness and takes ages, so JUST BUY THE DAMN BOTTLE.

And Chilli Crab, for me, is one of the other. Sure, make your own when you have the time, but there’s nothing to say that you can’t enjoy a weekend meal on a weekday. You just need a little helping hand. So this Singapore Chilli Crab Fried Rice uses packet Chilli Crab sauce, bottled sambal belachan, frozen vegetables, and a tub of picked crab meat.

And it’s frickin’ delicious, in 40 minutes or less.

Chilli Crab Fried Rice Recipe

 

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Thai Glass Noodle Salad

Recipe 4 Comments
Thai Glass Noodle Salad on a white plate, with yellow chopsticks and a glass of Thai Iced Tea on the side

Thai Glass Noodle Salad on a white plate, with yellow chopsticks and a glass of Thai Iced Tea on the side

For quite a few years when I was a kid, one of my aunts – the cool one, in case you’re wondering – moved abroad and lived in England and Vietnam, and came back with all sorts of amazing dishes, like a kickass potato salad, shrimp fried chicken, as well as this glass noodle salad, full of amazing Thai flavours.

This salad became a fridge favourite when my aunt dropped off a batch – I would sneak a bowl between meals when my parents weren’t looking, and at one point I just ended up eating straight out of the tub during those midnight trips into the kitchen.

What? Sleep eating is a thing right?

Over the years, the recipe has evolved a touch. I’ve added loads of fresh veggies – because my mind lays on the guilt like an Asian mother – and taken out the chicken, just for preference. It’s not quite the same as what my aunt makes, but it’s become my own version of the fridge favourite of my childhood, ready on hand for lunch boxes…

…and of course, midnight trips to the fridge.

It just so happens that the theme for this month’s #LetsLunch is noodles, so I’m sharing my recipe for this Glass Noodle Salad, for the last weeks of summer!

Thai Glass Noodle Salad on a white plate, with yellow chopsticks and a glass of Thai Iced Tea on the side

 

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This post is also part of the Let’s Lunch linkup! If you’d like to read some of the other noodle themed Let’s Lunch posts, check out these blogs below:

Ramen O-San, Haymarket

Review 2 Comments
Tonkotsu Ramen from Ramen O-San

Tonkotsu Ramen from Ramen O-San

Sydney is truly in the grips of pork fever – and I mean the good kind. From crackling, to rolls, to bacon, we are truly all about that pig, bout that pig, no treble.

And right smack in the middle of all the swine craze is the tonkotsu ramen. Believed to have started in the Hakata/Fukuoka region in Japan, this ramen begins with a thick, rich soup made with pork bones simmered for hours, and creamy with emulsified pork fat and gelatin. The thickness and richness of the soup may vary from store to store, but there’s no doubt that the tonkotsu is a signature of the Fukuoka prefecture.

Which is why the first recommendation off the menu at Ramen O-San – the 7th store internationally by Chef Kazuteru Oh after gaining much recognition in Japan – is the Tonkotsu, followed closely by the Sumo Ramen, which is a pork and chicken mixed broth base.

Sumo Ramen from Ramen O-SanSumo Ramen, $12.80

Now this bowl of Sumo Ramen was HUGE. Like this bowl could double up as a sailboat for fictional children’s shows characters. I guess that’s why they call it..sumo.

Never mind, I’m a bit slow on the uptake.

Sumo Ramen Noodles from Ramen O-San

A mixture of pork and chicken broth (vegetarian and Jewish friends, look away) is ladled over thick straight noodles and topped with a heaping mound of bean sprouts and cabbage, and 2 rectangular pieces of kakuni pork – pork belly stewed in a soy based sauce till lip smackingly savoury and fall apart tender.

Like Asian bacon almost, except not fried.

The kakuni pork was a delight for me – salt is my kryptonite, or so says my doctor – and the soup was very manageable, since the chicken broth thinned out the pork broth considerably. I wasn’t, however, as big a fan of the amount of cabbage and bean sprouts in the bowl. I know I know, 5-a-day and all, but it got to the point where there was a bitterness from the veg that overwhelmed the whole bowl like a crew in the midst of mutiny.

Tonkotsu Ramen from Ramen O-SanTonkotsu Ramen, $9.80

I guess I’m a bit more of a simple girl who likes a simple bowl, and the Tonkotsu Ramen in all its porky glory really brought me to a happy place.

Not to mention the slightly more practical size.

Tammi holding a bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen

See? Much more manageable.

Tonkotsu Ramen Noodles from Ramen O-San

The ramen for the Tonkotsu was also much thinner. All the better to slurp up that soup with my dear. says the wolf. The noodles here are slightly softer than I’m used to – it could be the photo taking but I take photos everywhere – but the broth came swinging with the flavours. It was a pure, unadulterated pork flavour, complete with the luxurious finish of pork fat. Texturally not as thick as say, Gumshara, but as I’m informed by more than one Japanese friend, NO ONE makes it as thick as Gumshara. And the thin slices of pork belly on top had just the right amount of tenderness to fat, making this my favourite for the day.

And what does Sam think?

Sam slurping up ramen soup

He says while finishing the rest of the soup in the bowl.

Well, there’s a reason why he’s not a food blogger.

I’d be very interested in trying the other menu items on my next visit – I think I can hear a tsukemen – dry noodles dipped in a thick seafood sauce – calling my name.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Ramen O-San.

Ramen O-San
Shop B01, Dixon House Food Court
Cnr Dixon & Little Hay St
Haymarket, NSW 2000
Website: http://www.facebook.com/osanramensydney

O-San Ramen on Urbanspoon

Drive-by Eating: Bing Boy, Chadstone

Drive-by Eating Melbourne Review Travel
Bing Boy Crepe being made

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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Bao Dao Taiwanese Kitchen, Eastwood

Review
A classic bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup, served up at Bao Dao Taiwanese kitchen in Eastwood

I remember taking a week-long tour trip around Taiwan with my parents as a teenager. To be honest, all I wanted to do was watch entertainment programmes on TV – you ain’t seen manufactured boybands till you’ve seen Asian boy bands in all their metrosexual glory.

But that single-minded tunnel vision that only teenagers have made me miss out on Taiwanese food, and I’ve been chasing it ever since.
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