Posts tagged Deep Fried

Attack of the giant squid: Cheers Cut, Chatswood

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Cheers Cut, Chatswood

Sydney Food Blog Review of Cheers Cut, Chatswood: Giant Fried Squid

So too much sugar is bad for you. We know this. I mean, we can definitely feel the sugar crash coming on when we haven’t had enough sugar, right? The high before the fall? And that’s when you need something to cut it, to make yourself feel better. Something like…

Fried chicken.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Cheers Cut, Chatswood: Giant Fried Chicken

After Simon, Christine and myself all but staggered out of Passion Tree with a self-induced sugar coma, we wandered into the deserted District Dining area (you know, where Tim Ho Wan is?) and saw, lit like the gods themselves were pushing us to eat it, Cheers Cut chicken.

Hot Star-sized chicken is crumbed and fried, Taiwanese style, and you get to choose a sauce or a dusting of flavour. We did chilli, as it would have left the chicken more crispy than if it was drowned in sauce. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

And because we didn’t want the chicken to get lonely, we also got a Fried Giant Squid. Which wasn’t too large to the other squids, I guess, but a bit large to the chicken.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Cheers Cut, Chatswood: Giant Fried Squid

The chicken wasn’t quite as moreish as I was hoping it would be, but I did love the plum seasoning on the squid, whinch had the tender on the inside and crispy on the outside thing going for it.

And you know what, it DID end up cutting the sugar, which was all we wanted from it.

Mission accomplished.

This meal was independently paid for.
Cheers Cut
Shop P3, The District
Podium Level
Chatswood Interchange
436 Victoria Avenue
Chatswood, NSW
Website: http://www.cheerscut.com.au

Cheers Cut Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Singapore Family favourite: Prawn Paste Chicken Recipe

Food Recipe 13 Comments
Prawn Paste Chicken (Har Jeong Gai) Recipe

It’s funny how smells and memories work. There are so many stinky things in the world that I associate with deliciousness – durian, fish sauce, sauerkraut, blue cheese…all these smells make my mouth water and my tummy rumble, even though there are some who would turn their nose up in disgust. I guess it comes from growing up in Singapore. Once you start associating stinky with delicious at a very young age, you start getting very excited to try the weird and wonderful. And hey, if nothing else, it’s a great ice breaker at a party.

Fermented shrimp paste is one such favourite that really baffles my friends. This stuff hits your nostrils the moment the seal on the jar is open, and has a somewhat sour/salty aroma that is quite similar to fish sauce. But add that to chicken and the deep fryer? And you’ve got prawn paste chicken (had jeong gai), a local favourite that graces almost every special occasion, family gathering, and children’s birthday party.

Trust me, this stuff is freaking delicious.
Read More

Pull My Noodle: Ichiban Boshi, Sydney

Review
Very Hot Ramen, from Ichiban Boshi Sydney

Very Hot Ramen, from Ichiban Boshi Sydney

Having grown up in Singapore, Ichiban Boshi to me was always associated with sushi, bentos, donburi, and other family-friendly Japanese fare, but not exactly ramen. Fast forward 10 years, and a meeting with University friends reveal that Ichiban Boshi in Sydney, to my initial confusion, is all about the Ramen.

Ramen is a food nerd’s wet dream. There are so many elements to it – broth, egg, meat, noodle, toppings – that it can go gloriously right, or disastrously wrong. And with ramen joints popping up in what seems like once every other week in Sydney, any restaurant offering up this unique mix of springy egg noodles, viscous broth, fatty meat and all the comfort of a mother’s embrace on a cold winter’s morning had better be on top of their noodle soup game, or risk getting edged out in the competition.

So I was particularly intrigued when I was invited to sample the menu at Ichiban Boshi at The Galleries Victoria – do the crazy peak hour queues signal another hardhitter in the Sydney ramen scene, overlooked because it is situated in the bright white lights of a popular shopping centre?

OkonomiyakiOkonomiyaki, $8

But first, the entrées. Okonomiyaki, $8, is one of my favourite Japanese street snacks – I guess I identify with the Japanese students for whom this savoury cabbage-and-seafood pancake is an exam time staple. Sometimes served with on a sizzling hotplate, this small compact pancake is almost always smothered with a sweet, tangy Japanese barbecue sauce, lashings of Japanese Mayo and handfuls of dried bonito flakes, pickled ginger, and green scallions. 

The okonomiyaki here is certainly small and sauce-smothered, and also topped with an extra thin egg omelette. It’s firm and thick, though it’s hard to judge flavour or textures otherwise because my tastebuds were so entertained by rivers of sauce. It could be a clever ploy to hide an otherwise average pancake, or maybe they’re just really generous with the sauce. 

And I do like sauce.

Tempura Salmon RollTempura Salmon Roll, $9.50 

And then there’s the much more interesting Tempura Salmon Roll, $9.50.

A thick salmon and cucumber roll is covered in tempura batter and deep fried, before being doused in chilli Mayo and topped with scallions.

inside of deep fried sushi

I was quite curious if the rice would insulate the salmon enough to create the elusive hot/cold mix and leave the salmon raw, but it was, if lightly, cooked through. The tempura provided a pleasant crunch, and the chilli mayo, provided richness and kick. Not bad for an experience. 

I must say that I wish I could be hooked up to that Mayo via an IV. Or any Mayo. MAYOOOO.

Very Hot RamenVery Hot Ramen, $11.90

On the ramen front, we got the very imaginatively titled Very Hot Ramen, $11.90, and the Tan Tan Tsukemen, $13

Tan Tan TsukemenTan Tan Tskukemen, $13

The Very Hot Ramen was hot in the way a vacant, plastic-surgeried swimsuit model sort of way. There’s a lot of flash in the crimson red colour of the soup, but no actual heat or substance lying within. The noodles were too thick for the soup (or the soup too thin for the noodles?) and every mouthful for me was tepid and on the bland side.

The Tan Tan Tsukemen was heaps better, with a savoury pork mince gravy in a small bowl for you to dip your noodles into. The boiled, marinated egg was nice and tender, and although it was a touch overcooked for my taste (I like molten flowing egg yolks) it still was worth the extra order. I have a thing for cold noodles in summer, and this was a great choice for the sweltering heat outside.

Unfortunately, I can’t count Ichiban Boshi amongst the heavyweight ramen hitters in Sydney, but they do provide a little something for everyone, and varied menu options in the middle of the city. Makes me wonder what it would have been like if their menu hadn’t been changed.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Ichiban Boshi.
Ichi-ban Boshi
The Galleries
Level 2 500 George St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9262 7677
Website: http://www.ichibanboshi.com.au/

Ichi-ban Boshi on Urbanspoon

Click to add a blog post for Ichiban Boshi on Zomato

Drive by eating: Sabbaba, Sydney

Drive-by Eating Review 2 Comments
Falafel from Sabbaba in Westfield Sydney

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?

Baklava

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/

Sabbaba on Urbanspoon