Posts tagged Chinatown

West meets…East Ocean, Haymarket

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Sydney Food Blog Review of East Ocean, Haymarket

Sydney Food Blog Review of East Ocean, Haymarket: Rice Noodle Rolls with Chinese Dough Sticks

What happens when you give a glutton two hundred dollars to spend at a restaurant? So much food that you’d have to roll me home, that’s what. And it didn’t even involve crab, the most magnificent of food creatures.

That’s just a regret that I’m gonna have to live with for the rest of my life. :'(

Sydney Food Blog Review of East Ocean, Haymarket: Beef Tripe

It all started with a surprise gift of an East Ocean voucher from Zomato coinciding with my birthday. It was like the Universe was telling me that I was long overdue for some dumplings, and what’s good eating without some good people to eat it with?

Sydney Food Blog Review of East Ocean, Haymarket: Seasoned Jellyfish Salad

5 people can smash $200, right? Surely, with prices of food what they are in Sydney’s CBD. Well, no. We only hit $176, and you could hear my cries of asian-stingy-anguish from the next street over, as I waived away my right to finish off that voucher. URRRRGGGHHHH. How did we not hit target??

Although I guess, it speaks to the value for money. I personally ate till I couldn’t eat anymore, and we didn’t hold back in the ordering either: suckling pig, jellyfish, soup dumplings, scallop dumplings, chicken feet, rice noodle rolls and more, all made multiple appearances around the table. In front of me. Mostly.

As for the quality of the food, it was actually pretty decent. There were a few items that weren’t as up-to-scratch: the rice noodle rolls needed a thinner sauce in larger quantities, the soup dumplings were dryer than an Australian dessert…but you know what, I really enjoyed the sheer variety that they had, and all printed in a pictorial menu, no less.

And the service? Well, it isn’t a good Chinese restaurant unless the service is…questionable. Some good, some bad, so that evens it out I guess. Although there were times I just wanted to hold them by the collar and yell, “JUST FEED ME!!! FEED ME GODDAMMIT”

I’m not me when I’m hangry.

Oh and one last thing: the good stuff – like the aforementioned suckling pig – only comes in at 11am. Don’t bother rocking up before then if that’s what you’re after. Trust me.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Zomato.
East Ocean
421-429 Sussex Street
Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 8318 2200
Website: http://www.eastocean.com.au

East Ocean Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Fill my bowl: Oiden, Sydney CBD

Review
Review of Oiden, Sydney CBD

Review of Oiden, Sydney CBD

You know that stereotype about Asians never being full on rice? Well, I’ve eaten upwards of 15 plates of sushi without signs of being full, and well, whenever I’m not feeling 100%, rice is always the answer.

…or noodles. You know, carbs.

And you know what’s better than carbs? Cheap carbs! Yes. I give you permission to lick the screen. LICK IT.

Review of Oiden, Sydney: BBQ Beef DonburiOntama BBQ Beef Don

Oiden in the CBD is basically the rice version of udon bar Mappen, conveniently located, well, right next door. It has the same system: pick a rice bowl (donburi) off the menu, then choose from a variety of sides – mostly deep fried – and they tally it all up at the counter!

Review of Oiden, Sydney CBDSelection of Fried Sides

And if you have analysis paralysis (like me!) with too many choices, well, you can also choose the $9.90 combination of three mini rice bowls, because we have a need. A need for speed variety.

Review of Oiden, Sydney CBDCurry Don

Review of Oiden, Sydney CBDHash Beef Don

The thing about Oiden is that it’s the very epitome of cheap and cheerful, and fast, too. It’s such a basic idea, and is a favourite with the students in the area for its value for money! I really especially like the set meals – like the mini donburi sets – that give you lots of variety, and it’s actually really decent food.

If you’re going to spend $10 at a fast food joint, you really might as well spend it here, IMO. I highly recommend the hash beef bowls if you like your sweet/savoury type flavours, or the Japanese curry for something more hearty! If you also happen to have your Washoku Lover’s Card, you also get a free refreshing honey lemon drink – and you know how I love freebies!! =)

Don’t say I’m not saving you money!

Washoku Lovers is a free membership programme that gives you perks to many Japanese restaurants in Sydney! We also have visited other restaurants participating in the Washoku Lovers programme, Suminoya like and Izakaya Yebisu! To find out more about the programme and sign up, visit www.washokulovers.com.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Washoku Lovers and Suminoya.
Oiden
Shop 12, SkyView Shopping Plaza
537-551 George Street, CBD, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9267 1368
Website: http://oiden.com.au

Click to add a blog post for Oiden on Zomato

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

Ramen O-San, Haymarket

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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

Of Mice and Menya *

Review 1 Comment
Dragon Jya Jya Men from Menya Noodle Bar

Dragon Jya Jya Men from Menya Noodle Bar

*No mice were hurt in the making of this post.

So it hasn’t quite been the weather for ramen, but sometimes it’s nice to pretend, and sometimes the craving for noodles just take over!

Menya is part of one of the largest group of restaurants I know: the same people own Tenkomori, Chanoma, Mappen and Oiden.

Menya RamenMenya Shoyu Ramen

They offer up two basic broths as bases: tonkotsu (pork bone broth) and torigara (chicken bone broth).

In this broth goes springy yellow noodles, and a variety of toppings like chashu (sliced rolled pork), ni-tamago (soy marinated egg), bamboo shoots, and so forth.

Tontoro ramenTontoro Miso Ramen

Besides the hot steaming bowls of ramen – some of which come in a mini, regular or large size – they’ve also got the usual suspects, uh, I mean sides.

GyozaGyoza

Or if you wanna try everything, the value sets offer a bit across the board – ramen, rice, and gyoza.

Mini value ramen setMini Ramen Value Set

The thing about Menya Noodle Bar that keeps me coming back is really the consistency. While nothing on the menu is particularly innovative or mind-blowing, you always know what to expect when you go in. And, with a comfy restaurant to sit in, it is a nice place to bring family, and a change from the underground food court ramen stalls. The only thing that’s a tiny bit of a let-down is the ni-tamago – the eggs are a bit over-boiled, leading to a distinct lack of a liquid oozing yolk.

If you’re not feeling so much like hot, soupy ramen, I would recommend the cold tsukemen option – cold noodles dipped in a rice miso broth – or the Dragon Jya Jya Men (pictured in the header) – drained ramen noodles tossed with blanched bean sprouts and spicy miso pork.

What is your usual order at a noodle bar?

Menya Noodle Bar
Shop Tg8 8 Quay St
Haymarket, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9212 1020
Website: http://www.menya.com.au/chinatown/index.html

Menya Noodle Bar on Urbanspoon