Posts tagged Chinese

More than just dumplings: Din Tai Fung, Chippendale

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park

Din Tai Fung. Soup dumplings. I swear there is no other association. It’s always been the place where families go to celebrate special occasions, and order steaming baskets upon steaming baskets full of juicy, soupy signature xiao long baos.

And other stuff. There’s always other stuff.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park: Silken Tofu with Pork Floss and Century EggSilken Tofu with Pork Floss and Century Egg, $8.80

Other stuff, like the Silken Tofu with Pork Floss and Century Egg, $8.80. Century egg is fermented to create that black jelly-like texture, which provides rich notes to the light tofu and sweet pork floss. I only eat century eggs in very specific circumstances, and this is one of them. There’s just something so light and refreshing about it, and yet it whets my appetite for more.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park: Spicy Shrimp and Pork Wonton with Dry NoodleSpicy Shrimp and Pork Wonton with Dry Noodle, $13.80

The Spicy Shrimp and Pork Wonton with Dry Noodle, $13.80,also hit all the right notes, with silky wonton skin, savoury chilli oil, and tender, springy noodles. There’s just something about this that reminds me of wonton noodles of my childhood, except executed with so much more finesse, and biased as I am, that chilli oil just makes it.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park: Crispy Fried Chicken with ChilliCrispy Fried Chicken with Chilli, $16.80

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park: Green Bean with Minced PorkGreen Bean with Minced Pork, $15.80

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park: Steamed Pork DumplingSteamed Pork Dumpling,$10.80

But of course, dumplings. Must have dumplings. The Steamed Pork Dumpling, $10.80, never disappoints, with its paper thin skin filled with a juicy pork filling, bursting with soup the moment you bite into it. And the most impressive thing isn’t that each dumpling portion is weighed and steamed to an exact science. No, it’s really that the experience at Din Tai Fung is the same ALL OVER THE WORLD.

And that’s so hard to do when it’s a global brand.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park: Black truffle pork dumplingBlack truffle pork dumpling, $4.80 per pc

Speaking of which, I was so glad to see that they also brought their Black Truffle Pork Dumpling, $4.80 each, to Sydney! After stalking it through Instagram for aggeeess, I finally get to try these lightly truffle perfumed mouthfuls that leave a lingering sense of both luxuriousness and poverty.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park: Signature DrinksSignature Drinks

Maybe we could wash it all down with a Yuzu Peach drink? Refreshing, citrusy, and utterly delicious.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park: Golden Taro BreadGolden Taro Bread, $6.80

Now, on to desserts!

Sydney Food Blog Review of Din Tai Fung, Central Park: Golden Lava BunGolden Lava Bun, $7 for 3pc

The Golden Lava Bun, $7 for 3 pcs, is the wet dream of all salted egg yolk fans out there. The rich custard is made from the salted yolks of duck eggs, which give it a slightly grainy texture, oozing out of a sweet fluffy bun. YAAAASSSSSS.

I’m really quite impressed by the consistency across countries, and by their professional looking earpieces. I mean, any service staff walking around looking like the secret service has to know what they’re doing right?

And added to all of that, Din Tai Fung at The Living Mall is located near massive windows, letting in beautiful afternoon light, adding to a beautiful mood while enjoying your meal. Ticks all of my boxes, for sure.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of The Living Mall.
Din Tai Fung
2nd Floor, Central Park
28 Broadway, Chippendale NSW
Phone: 02 8072 9427
Website: https://www.dintaifungaustralia.com.au

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The Michelin Effect: Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood

Review
Review of Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood

Review of Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood

The Michelin guide started as a general guide for motorists. The Michelin brothers (who owned the tire company), decided to publish a guide that included maps, instructions for changing tires…and where to eat if you were going on a road trip. Today, this humble guide started by two men who owned a tire company has become a force unto itself, elevating restaurants to 6-month-waiting-list levels, or crushing the dreams of a chef slaving away at his craft.

All within those three little stars next to the restaurant’s name.

Well Tim Ho Wan – famous for being the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant – has expanded beyond its original Hong Kong venue, to the busy streets of…Chatswood.

Hundreds of excited foodies flock to Tim Ho Wan in its opening week…and then another week, and another. The queue never seemed to end. But luckily, I’m Singaporean, so I’m not afraid of a queue!

Review of Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood - Prawn DumplingPrawn Dumplings

Review of Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood - Pork Rib with Black Bean SaucePork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce

Review of Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood - Rice Noodle Rolls with ShrimpRice Noodle Rolls with Shrimp

Review of Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood - Glutinous Rice in Lotus LeafGlutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf

Review of Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood - Fish Maw with Prawn PasteFish Maw with Prawn Paste

Simon and I went for a weekday brunch to minimise waiting time – surely other people have day jobs right? – and we were seated in 5 minutes. Win! We ordered a mixture of classic dim sum – rice noodle rolls and prawn dumplings, to name a couple – and the signature/new dishes – barbecued pork buns and fish maw with prawn paste. The classic were, well, a disappointment. The rice noodle rolls were brittle, and sorely lacking the chewy pull that I look forward to, and the prawn dumplings and pork rib with black bean sauce were mediocre.

The signature dishes, on the other hand, were much better executed, perhaps because there isn’t much competition out there. The barbecued pork buns with its buttery shell of “crumble” over the top of sweet, stuffed milk buns were truly special, and kept me going back for more. And the fish maw – fish stomach fried to a sponge like texture and then stuffed with fresh prawn paste and steamed – was quite the representation of good cantonese cooking.

For such a short menu, it’s a shame that there were more mediocre dishes than good ones. The glutinous rice – another in a long list of classic dim sum menu items – was expertly executed, but on the whole, the experience wasn’t enough to even keep us for dessert. Not worth the hype, nor the trip, unfortunately. Maybe a takeaway order of the barbecue pork buns?

This meal was independently paid for.
Tim Ho Wan
Victoria Ave & Railway St
Chatswood, NSW
Phone: (02) 9898 9888
Website: www.timhowan.com.au

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What just happened? Simmer Huang, Eastwood

Review
Restaurant Review of Simmer Huang, Eastwood

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?

Restaurant Review of Simmer Huang, EastwoodCod 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

Huang-Ji-Huang on Urbanspoon

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Two Sticks, Sydney CBD

Review 1 Comment
Tender white rice noodles sit in a rich creamy broth, mixed with some greens and bean sprouts. A chopstick gently lifts a mouthful out of the soup.

Many Chinese dishes have stories behind them. Maybe it’s cause we know that food tastes richer with a legend or two, or maybe the lack of modern entertainment gave us cause to make things up. Either way, I love these tales that accompany my meal – it turns a simple lunch from a functional action, into a dining experience.

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Taste of Shanghai, Eastwood

Review
A basket of shanghai xiao long bao from Taste of Shanghai

Xiao Long Bao, to me, is a peasant dish that is extremely delicate. Many components make up these juicy mouthfuls: a thin, translucent skin that still holds up well enough for you to pick them up with chopsticks, a pork filling that is seasoned but not overly so, to let the natural flavour of the pork shine through, and the tiny cubes of gelatinised stock and pork fat that melt when the dumplings are steamed, to create a piping hot soup that flows when that skin is pricked.

So when a restaurant not only serves xiao long bao at their restaurant, but has it as one of their featured dishes, it makes you wonder about the execution of the rest of their menu.

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Hong Kong Recipe, Eastwood

Review
Shandong Chicken from Hong Kong Recipe, Eastwood

Eastwood really seems to be buzzing these days. Eateries and shops are popping up like daisies in spring, and I – for one – am NOT complaining.

So today it’s off to Hong Kong Recipe, located underneath Aldi, for a quick dinner.

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Dainty Dumpling House, Rhodes

Review 5 Comments
7 colour dumplings

Sydney certainly has no lack of dumpling joints. From Din Tai Fung to New Shanghai to Taste of Shanghai, a craving for dumplings need never go unsatisfied.

So when a new dumpling place opens up. it certainly needs something to set itself apart.

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Pomelo Salad

Recipe 6 Comments
Light, refreshing, and perfect for summer

Happy Lunar New Year y’all!!! May you prosper, enjoy good grades, languish in good health, live a long life and just generally have a good time in the year ahead. If you’re not familiar with it already, Chinese New Year happens in the first 15 days of the lunar calendar cycle, and I see it as an excuse for Chinese (and Vietnamese and Thai) all over the world to see their family and friends, and party and feast hedonistically and guilt-free for slightly over two weeks.

Which is why I would like to share the recipe for this pomelo salad – pomelo is meant to signify abundance so it’s lucky to eat. And besides, it’s darn tasty.

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