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Did someone say roast duck? BBQ One, Eastwood

Review March 20, 2015 1 Comment

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 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.

Roast 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

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

Drive by eating: Sabbaba, Sydney

Drive-by Eating Review February 8, 2015 2 Comments

Falafel from Sabbaba in Westfield Sydney

Falafels are tricky business, and when you add the words franchise or chain in to the mix, you’re really taking a gamble. Now add a picky middle-eastern man, and you’re really skating on thin ice.

Sam speaks constantly about this mysterious falafel man and his cart just down the street where he grew up in Iran, and how he made falafels that were crazy crispy on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth moist on the inside. Falafels we’ve had in Sydney have since not been up to scratch to him, either ending up soggy, or wayyyyyyy too dry on the inside.

But what about Sabbaba?

The Order: half a dozen mini falafels, and a baklava.

The Taste: the falafels are fried to order, so you’re ensured a hot, tasty bite. The small size gives you a good amount of surface area to ensure maximum crispiness, without compromising on moistness inside, and it just makes all-round deliciousness. The baklava, on the other hand, was just a touch stale, and a bit of a nothing, I’m afraid. I’ve definitely had much better elsewhere.

The Service: It’s a food court store, so no table service to judge here. But they are efficient and polite, and you’re not left standing there staring into the kitchen, hoping to make eye contact with a staff member.

The Convenience: Located in the upstairs food court of Westfield Sydney, they’re pretty easy to get to, especially if you’re already in the CBD. Getting out, however, is a bit of a nightmare since the centre requires you to navigate through the maze of escalators in order to exit the building, so make sure that you allow for the time if you’re on a lunch break.

On the food front, they have a nice mix of ready-made and made-to-order food, so you’re never kept waiting too long for your order. It’s not the fastest though – in order for the freshness of fried-to-order falafels, you’re trading off a little in time.

The Value for Money:They’re not the cheapest option in the CBD – and I’m including Chinatown as part of the CBD – but they are one of the more affordable options in the Westfield food court. And I must say that they’re pretty reliable as a chain, which is invaluable if you’re a time-poor person in the CBD with only 5 minutes to make your decision for lunch. That being said, I’ve never tried their main options, but the snacky type foods receive a big thumbs up from me.

Sabbaba
86-100 Market Street, Level 5
Westfield Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9223 3315
Website: http://www.sabbaba.com.au/

Drive-by Eating: Marrickville Pork Roll

Drive-by Eating Review January 9, 2015

I was first brought to Marrickville by the promise of banh beo – Vietnamese rice cakes with shrimp, much like chwee kueh, the Singaporean version that’s my absolute favourite.

But instead, I found Banh Mi, and with a queue as long as Marrickville Pork Roll had, you don’t just walk past it.
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This meal was independently paid for.

BBQ One 181 Rowe St Eastwood, NSW 2122 Phone: 02 9874 5332

Sabbaba 86-100 Market Street, Level 5 Westfield Sydney, NSW 2000 Phone: 02 9223 3315 Website: http://www.sabbaba.com.au/

BBQ One
181 Rowe St
Eastwood, NSW 2122
Phone: 02 9874 5332

Sabbaba
86-100 Market Street, Level 5
Westfield Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9223 3315
Website: http://www.sabbaba.com.au/