Posts tagged Dinner

Hog’s Breath, Forster

Review November 9, 2011

Over the weekend, Sean and I went to Forster for a short break. We met up with Toni, his sister, and we decided to do Hog’s Breath for dinner.

After being bombarded by promises of “slow cooked steak” and tasty ribs by ads that run in Sydney, I was quite excited to try out this chain that I haven’t really had an opportunity to try in Sydney.

Toni’s partner, Birch, ordered the Hickory Smoked Prime Rib Steak, $30.95.

With it’s inky dark treacle-y brown Hickory Smoked BBQ Sauce, this was the dish that looked fantastic in person, but was extremely difficult to photograph. I’m told that this is Birch’s usual, and if he keeps coming back for it, I’m assuming that it must be of a certain standard. I can’t vouch for the steak since I haven’t tried it, but I can definitely vouch for the sauce…but more about that later.

Both Sean and Toni ordered the Byron Bay Chilli Prime Rib Steak, $31.95.

Sean ordered his steak medium-rare, which ended up like this:

Now I know that I like my steak on the rare side of medium-rare – and that might affect my judgement – but I’m pretty sure that that’s closer to just being medium. Sure, the steak was still juicy and pink, but it was a touch overdone for our liking.

The Byron Bay chilli sauce, though, now THAT was the discovery of the night.

It’s spicy for some, but what really struck me as a chilli lover is the complexity of the flavour! It had great depth, and gave much more flavour that presented itself in the aftertaste of the chilli hit. This is a chilli that made me want to find out about the Byron Bay Chilli Company and possibly get bottles of the different flavours that they have. And as a collector of condiments – the members of which include Sean’s dad and their neighbour – I think that is definitely a credit to the company. The chilli sauce, to me anyway, outshone the steak.

And since everyone else had the steak, I ordered the Smoked BBQ Ribs, $33.95.

The ribs definitely lived up to its tender reputation, but once again, the meat was outshone by the sauce. The Hickory Smoked BBQ Sauce was a little bit sweet, a little bit smoky, and very addictive. While Sean and I both enjoyed the ribs immensely, I think what we liked the most was dipping those curly fries into the remainder of the sauce on the plate. In fact, the BBQ sauce mixed in with the chilli, was A-MAZING. I actually think that I’d be quite happy ordering the two sauces and a serving of curly fries.

In all, it was a really good experience. The food was more than decent, it’s got a great atmosphere, and good service. It is a touch pricey, but it’s one of those “let’s bring the family out for dinner” places. Definitely worth a try.

We ate at:

Hog’s Breath
2 Little Street Forster Nsw 2428
Forster NSW
(02) 6554 5100

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Genghis Khan, Sydney

Review October 17, 2011 7 Comments

I recently got into online coupons, and I was really excited to make a booking for this deal that I got off Scoopon – $16 for an all you can eat Mongolian feast!

I have heard the restaurant name before as there is also a Genghis Khan restaurant in Singapore. It has more of a Japanese mix – because it seems that Singaporeans love Sashimi in an all you can eat. And I can vouch for that. I don’t think that the Genghis Khan that we went to in King St Wharf has any link to the one in Singapore, but it’s an eating experience nonetheless.

The process is simple.

First, you select your meat – lamb, beef, pork or chicken – and then you select your vegetables and sauce. Then, you line your bowl up to get fried up on a gargantuan flat hot plate. Apparently, this has evolved from the Mongolian warriors shaving off frozen meat and frying them with twigs on their round metal shields.

The result was really yummy and fresh, and the variety of what you can choose from keeps it from being boring. Quite simply, it’s great stir-fry.

It was a little bit hard to photograph, though…

It all kind of looks the same, but there are subtle differences in flavour with the different sauces that are available. The meat was tender and juicy, and the vegetables still crispy.

There was one small down side though.

The meat, on occasion, was slightly undercooked. Which, is not necessarily a bad thing – I really dislike overcooked meat. However, it does get a little bit awkward when that happens on a pork or chicken dish. Something to look out for, but I think the flavour of beef and lamb works better anyway, and so that didn’t really affect the meal for me.

In all, it was a fantastic meal for the coupon. Sean and I walked away with our bellies full, all the while knowing that we didn’t stuff our face full of something that we’ll regret for the rest of the week. It was a light sort of full, and it still felt great the day after.

Still, I’m not sure if I would pay full-price ($26.80 for dinner) for it. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with the place – the staff were attentive and the food tasted great – but would it really be worth the near $30/pp (I’m rounding up for drinks) price tag?

I’m not so sure.

We ate at:

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Leftover Pizza!

what i ate October 10, 2011 2 Comments

Not that the pizza was leftover…rather it was pizza made out of left overs.

One weekend I really felt like olives and roasted red peppers. I thought, “Hmm, why not make a sandwich with all those toppings? Ooh I could make them like little pizzas. But wouldn’t they be too small. I could make pizza dough and make real pizzas instead!”

So I made pizza dough. My train of thought always gets me in trouble.

It was quite a bit of effort, but on behalf of everyone who ate it – Sean and myself – it was really worth it effort. And there’s something about kneading dough that makes me happy.

I simply used this pizza dough recipe from Taste, and covered the pizza with tomato paste and with whatever leftovers I had in the fridge! I had:

Roasted red peppers – I bought red capsicum in bulk and chucked them all in a 200C fan-forced oven till they were all blackened. I then covered the tray with foil and let it cool. After it cooled, I just peeled off the skin and took out the stem with seeds. Then, I just put them into a sterilised jar and keep them in the fridge!
Thinly sliced onions
Finely chopped garlic
Chopped Bacon
Haloumi
Misc Cheese – I had some tasty cheese, a little block of parmesan and a teeny tiny bit of mozerella left over.
Olives

The recipe for the pizza dough yielded two medium cookie trays worth of pizzas, which means as much experimenting as you want!!

Just remember to oil the bottom of the trays before you stretch the dough onto them.

Yum.

House, Surry Hills

Review October 7, 2011 1 Comment

And, no, it’s not the doctor on TV. Vina and Lauren had heard about a dessert called “Better Than Sex” at House, in Surry Hills. Talk about expectations hey?

Well, there always needs to be a lead up, so first.

We had a great seafood salad – Yum Sea Food, $14. It was a little bit on the spicy side, but the seafood was nicely cooked with a great dressing. It was light, tangy, slightly salty…I thought it went really well with the glutinous rice, which came in this uber cute steaming basket!!

We also had some lovely spiced chicken – Gai Yang, $16.

It was surprisingly well cooked – there are so many places that seem to overdo the chicken for some reason – and full of bursting flavour. The chicken was juicy, and not fatty, and each bite was lovingly dipped into a sweet/spicy chilli sauce that it was served with.

And the last savoury dish that was ordered was the herbal soup – Aorn Gai, $14.

Topped with dill, this soup was really refreshing…in a broth sort of way. It’s quite hard to describe, but it whenever I started feeling a little bit full, the soup actually made me feel…cleansed, and actually whetted my appetite. Served in a little pot on a stand, it was also really cute, and had great visual effect.

And finally.

What everyone has been waiting for.

Better Than Sex is a piece of extremely soft white bread is fried and topped with a gargantuan, monolithic scoop of pandan coconut ice cream and treacle-y caramel syrup. Was it good? Extremely. Did it live up to its name? Well, depends on how you like either I suppose. But it is very good.

In essence, the food was tasty, and the service not too bad. There was a nice flow of people through for dinner, and it got neither too crowded or quiet.

Definitely somewhere that I would go to again.

We ate at:

House
(02) 9280 0364
Surry Hills
202 Elizabeth St
Surry Hills, 2010

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¡Hagamos una fiesta!

Review September 19, 2011 6 Comments

Which, I’m told by Google means “let’s party!”.

Mad Mex – whose food I’ve reviewed before – has just opened a brand spanking new location in George St in the city. It’s right near Central Station, and shines like a bright beacon of tasty food right before you descend into the yawning maws of the underground tunnel that leads you to the train station.

The opening night had a more-festive-than-usual atmosphere – balloons, colours, and of course, the food.

But before all that, Clovis Young – founder of Mad Mex – brought us through a course in tequila and salsa.

Part of the flavour of the salsa comes from charred vegetables.

Onions, peppers, and tomatoes are blackened over fire and then chopped up and placed into a blender. Sounds simple? Well, don’t go breaking out the gas stoves just yet.

Fragrant, spicy Mexican chillis are then added to the mixture, giving it a kick that I can only describe as piquant and incredibly addictive. The variety of chillies that are used here really give it a certain something extra, which sets the salsas apart from salsas from other origins that can sometimes taste rather…flat. Apparently, Mad Mex uses about 20,000kg of chillies and 12,000 kg of avocados a year!

Now, onto the juicy bit, THE FOOD!

What seemed like every imaginable condiment was laid out before us while the servers worked in a conveyor-belt-type line to keep hungry people fed.

Clockwise from left: Mad Mex menu, Crispy Tacos, Grande Melt

That night, we had a choice of anything on the menu, and boy did my tummy appreciate it.

Beef Burrito

Beef Nachos

Out of everything I had that night, my absolute favourite had to be the Nachos. While the flavour of all the ingredients – and there were some that were pretty common across the board – works together nicely, I liked having the option to just have certain elements on their own. The Burrito was good, as usual, and the Grande Melt deserves special mention – I brought half of it home and it reheated very nicely the next day.

The most obvious thing that I noticed that day was that I didn’t feel overly sick and filled with grease. No, I essentially ate till I dropped and still got away with it! It tasted fresh and light, and while filling, didn’t weigh you down at all! It’s a great change from the typical Mexican fare that can get rather oily and heavy. Especially good for a quick lunch in the city!

Clockwise from left: Clovis Young, founder of Mad Mex, Sean ordering at the counter, the high-energy staff at the George St store.

And what’s a great party without the great people?

There was a mariachi band that night, and friends and family were all invited for a feed. It had great energy that night, and I think it’s great that it was a similarly great energy when I went to the Darlinghurst store previously. No matter how much I like the food, the service is always what I come back for.

Good food, great people – what else could you ask for?

We ate at:

Mad Mex
Haymarket
815 George St
Ultimo NSW 2007

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Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

Review September 14, 2011 3 Comments

View from Flying Fish, where we had dinner.

Isn’t it beautiful? The lovely people at Wine Selectors and Keepleft PR invited a few bloggers and myself to a wedding – to be specific, the marriage of food and wine.

We were first greeted by little wedding favors – Bombonieres – of sugared almonds. Champagne was cheerfully offered, but knowing my extremely low tolerance for alcohol, I tried to politely defer till dinner. In the meantime, I ordered something else to drink in the meantime.

Behold! The only non-alcoholic drink in the room!

Regardless of my (dis)ability with alcohol, I had a very lovely pre-dinner chat with Chris Barnes – consultant wine educator to Wine Selectors and visiting lecturer in Wine Studies at the University of Melbourne – about the science of wine.

From left: 2005 Chrismont Riesling, 2010 Dandelion Vineyards Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling

We started out with two really nice Rieslings. The younger of the two smelled distinctly of fresh pears and apples, and the older had a slightly more complex scent of ripe fruit.

Clockwise from left: Toasted Brioche with Duck Rillettes and Foie Gras Mousse, Cornet of Ocrean Trout Tartare with Chive Creme Fraiche, Freshly Shucked Sydney Rock Oysters with Soy and Ginger

The younger Riesling worked really nicely with the oysters, and the older of the two cut through the richness of the Duck Rillettes and Foie Gras. While I enjoyed the lighter, juicier Riesling more, the more layered, older Riesling worked better with food. I guess what I’m trying to say rather clumsily is that I would enjoy the younger Riesling on its own, but would rather have the older Riesling with food.

We then had a choice of two different mains that we could have, and Simon and I went halfsies!

Roasted Blue Eye Trevalla with Textures of Potato, White Anchovy and Herb Vinaigrette

The fish was marvelously flaky, but the best part of this dish for me was the tasty, tingly vinaigrette! There was such beauty in the way that the flavors sparked my tastebuds and the silky-yet-flaky white fish felt in my mouth that the individual elements didn’t really make that much of an impression. It was just a glorious, light, soul-lifting whole.

Dutton Park Duck Breast & Confit Leg Pastilla with Buckwheat, Quince & Pan Juices

As much as I usually prefer seafood – and that fish was divine – this duck was everything a duck should be. Or any meat for that matter. It was chock full of flavor, juicy, and I finally can say that I understand why there is such a tizzy about duck fat. There was just a certain satiny richness that coated my tongue, mellowed out the sharp saltiness of the pan juices and gave a great depth of flavor to the buckwheat.

The mains were paired with two Pinot Noirs – 2010 Riposte by Tim Knappstein No 1 Pinot Noir and 2008 Tarrawarra Estate Reserve Pinot Noir. To be honest, to a wine novice like me, the reds were just a bit much. I could definitely appreciate the jammy berry scents in the older of the two reds, but as far as the tasting, I was just a little bit lost. I did, however, learn about the importance of oxygen to flavor.

The oxidation process apparently allows for a greater complexity of flavor. Chris likened it to the process of cooking – oxygen molecules are excited and the flavor of the food changes. Hence the idea of letting the wine “breathe”, which apparently is a misnomer as the wine doesn’t exactly go through expiration and respiration. The process of oak barrel maturation was explained to me like this – the wood allows some of the liquid to evaporate, and oxygen is then pulled into the barrel, which then interacts with the wine and brings out a more complex, deeper flavor.

At least, that’s how I understand it.

A final red – 2009 Coriole Vineyards Sangiovese Shiraz – was then poured out for us to enjoy with the cheese platter.

We had two different kinds of cheeses that night – an American Cheddar, and a Delice de Bourgogne. The shiraz had a dark, chocolatey flavor, and the tannins cut through the creaminess of the oozy Delice de Bourgogne really well. It was really enjoyable, although I still felt that there was a limit to which I could enjoy the Shiraz because I couldn’t fully understand it.
But that’s the thing.

In my chats with Chris, what I really learnt from him and this wonderful dinner with the people from Wine Selectors is that you’ve gotta start somewhere. The perception of wine seems either to be that it is intimidating – probably because of a lack of exposure – or that it is pretentious. I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t have to be either. It is a little bit like food, I guess, because you win some and you lose some. I’ve just realized that while I wouldn’t consider myself a wine lover, I do like a young Reisling. And seeing as how I started my love affair with cheese with creamy white mould cheeses and now love a good sharp blue, I’m pretty sure that before long I’ll work my way up to appreciating a nice, full red.

A big thank you to the nice people at Wine Selectors and Keep Left PR for inviting me to this lovely dinner, and the intriguing introduction to wine.

Note: Insatiable Munchies and other food bloggers mentioned in this post dined as guests of Wine Selectors and Keepleft PR.

We ate at:

Flying Fish
Lower Deck Jones Bay Wharf,
19/21 Pirrama Road
Pyrmont NSW 2009
(02)9518 6677

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Happy 120 Years TAFE!! Weird Food Dinner

Review September 6, 2011 4 Comments

As you all would know, I love LOVE odd food. Chances are, if it’s really out there and doesn’t really sound like food at all, I’ll desperately want to try it. Which is why TAFE’s Weird Food Dinner – which is part of the Ultimo Science Festival and TAFE’s 120 year celebrations – was my PERFECT idea of dinner. There’s just something about edible creativity that really sparks my interest.

When you first walk in The Apprentice – the resident TAFE restaurant where the cookery and hospitality students get to use all the skills (and probably more) that they’ve learnt in their TAFE courses – two large television screens greet you.

These screens both show footage of what’s going on in the kitchen. The whole dinner is actually prepared by students in Year 2 of the Commercial Cookery Certificate III. The hum of conversation rises as everyone speculates what dish is being prepared in the kitchen. All the footage is live, and provides great insight to the tension, the energy, and the nerves that go on behind the scenes. I actually saw a student’s hand shake as she lifted little white beans (more about that later) from a tray of clear liquid. As a self-confessed food nerd I must admit that I watched with endless fascination like a child at the aquarium.

The dinner started out with baskets of warm bread being rolled out by the Food and Beverage Certificate IV students. Smartly dressed in monochrome tones, fragrant rolls of chewy goodness were waved temptingly under our noses, singing its siren’s song of toastiness. There were a few different varieties (I kinda scoffed them all before I remembered to take a photo. FAIL) but my absolute favourite was the Beetroot Bread (right). There was the subtle sweetness of beetroot, mixed with the amazing chewy texture of the bread. Plus, the vibrant infusion of fuchsia was absolutely stunning.

Appetizer: Diego Munoz, Bilsons. XL White bean, Kurobuta pancetta, black garlic

When the appetizer came, I actually had a really strong impression that I’ve seen this dish somewhere before. Especially the XL White Bean.

Does anyone else get food deja vu?

Anyway, the XL White Bean is actually made up of white bean that has been first poached in ham stock, pureed, then had alginate added, before careful spoonfuls were dropped into a calcium chloride solution. This process is called spherification, and the idea is that a thin skin forms on the outside of the puree, giving it its form. This large “white bean” is then delicately topped with the thinnest sliver of Kurobuta pancetta. Buta is japanese for pig, and Kurobuta refers to a specific sort of (I believe) black pig that has a good amount of fat bred into the species. Sounds exotic? Well, it’s nothing compared to the other element – the Black Garlic.

Apparently, the way you would get black garlic is to ferment it for 40 days at a specific temperature. Most methods that I’ve seen online call for a heating element (but not too hot) and low humidity. The result of all the kerfuffle? Beautiful, soft garlic the colour of inky night skies with a strong umami flavor that leaves your tastebuds tingling in excitement. If ever there was a relatable definition to “big mouth feel”, this is it for me. I was specifically instructed by the cook/chef that accompanied my waiter that I was meant to eat a full bean, the garlic and then the full bean again. It was almost as if the first “bean” was to set me up for the explosion of flavor that the garlic gives, and the second “bean” was there to bring me down gently in a cloud of white bean puree. My only gripe would be that I didn’t really taste what the pancetta brings to the party. After hearing so much about this pig – bless you, Iron Chef – I was kind of disappointed that I didn’t get to experience what this little piggy was really meant to do.

Entree: Patrick Dang, Concrete Blonde. Giant red claw yabby, bisque ice cream, bacon powder, porcini broth

About 30 minutes after the appetizer was served, the dish that I was anticipating the most came through the swinging doors of the kitchen. I have a weakness for crustaceans. There. I’ve said it.

When I first looked at it, I was pretty sure that my scoop of bisque ice cream had fallen of its yabby pedestal, but I like to think that it might have been a creative decision by the person preparing my dish because it kind of looks like an abstract melting Dali crustacean from the side. I think it’s cute. And that’s what I’m sticking with.

I think this had to be my favorite tasting dish of the night. The fresh yabby had a great spring in its flesh, the porcini broth imparted a great ‘meatiness’ to the dish, and the bisque ice cream. Oh, the bisque ice cream! It was divine. I could’ve eaten a whole tub. The shellfish flavor that I’m so addicted to came through all the creaminess like a bright light shining through a paper lantern – its potential glare was kerbed by the soft, melting creaminess that hugged the tongue. The bacon powder sounded like a great idea, but didn’t actually do much for me. The rest of the dish was so yummy that – rather than provide a contrast in texture like I think it was meant to do – it actually kind of sat there like an un-needed appendage.

Still, I feel that all the omnomnomminess outweighed any and all potential negative the dish might have had. It was just yummy. And let me state for the record that it is very difficult to try and scrape your plate clean in a fancy posh setting. Just sayin’.

Main: Alfonso Ales, Jonahs. Aylesbury duck, “Apicus” Hunter Valley

The main came out of the kitchen in a waft of gorgeous aroma. The poached and spiced pears and citrus fruit were carefully arranged in a line beside the duck, adding fresh colour to the earthy palette on the plate. I was actually quite excited by the thought of this dish – I don’t know why, it might have been a fantasy fueled by the visions of Heston Blumenthal’s Duck a L’orange. Somehow the sight of duck with citrus just triggers that fantasy for me.

But anyway.

I’m sad to say that this dish wasn’t exactly my favorite of the night. While the fruit hit all the right notes, the duck was a little bit…overdone for my taste. Excuse my plebeian tastebuds, but it tasted just a little bit powdery for me. Just a little. Maybe it’s an acquired taste for the texture, like liver.

The skin and the sauce however, went really well with the fruit.

Dessert: Nathan Griffiths, Ultimo College. Bistro Burger “all the trimmings”

If the Entree was my favorite flavor profile of the night, then this has to be my favorite visual. As a fan of Heston Blumenthal, I LOVE the idea of a certain food masquerading as something else. And this hit all those targets and captured my imagination. Smooth, custard-y vanilla ‘buns’ were topped with a chocolate mousse ‘patty’, raspberry ‘tomatoes’, pistachio biscuit ‘pickles’, white chocolate ‘cheese slice’, pistachio sponge ‘lettuce’ and another wobbly dome of vanilla ‘bun. And on the side, dehydrated pineapple ‘french fries’, accompanied with raspberry coulee ‘ketchup’ and mango ‘mustard.

HOW CUTE IS THAT???!!!

You can’t really go wrong with those flavors : it’s not exactly ‘out there’ but meh, who cares when it is so CUTE! It tasted good, I don’t think I really have to say anything else.

And when you think you’re done, the dinner is topped off with a white chocolate lollipop (is it scattered with cocoa nibs? I’m not sure) and a selection of chocolates.

In all, it was a fun and informative dinner, which was well worth the $75 price tag. True, it wasn’t exactly my idea of “weird”, but then again, I watch a lot of programs that feature Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria, so maybe I’m a little biased. Hey, at least I got to enjoy the creations of these great chefs, TWO of whom worked for Ferran Adrià!! I’m now only separated by 2 degrees!!! *Squeals like a fangirl*

Anyway. The food was good and the staff were absolutely lovely. I’m not sure what the menu at The Apprentice is like usually, but I wouldn’t mind going there again to find out. And a quick flick through the Ultimo Science Festival program that was given out before dinner showed me all the really cool stuff that I had missed out on this year. =(

I definitely know what I’ll be doing next year though. Any food nerds want to join me? 😀

I ate at:

The Apprentice Restaurant
Level 7, Building E
TAFE NSW Sydney Institute, Ultimo College
Harris Street, Ultimo 2007
(02) 9217-5527
SI.TheApprentice (AT) tafensw.edu.au

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Baegopa!!

Review August 10, 2011 6 Comments

Baegopa (배고파)- I’m hungry – indeed. In fact, I’m always hungry, which is why I was so excited when I got the opportunity to attend a Korean Cooking Class at the Korean Cultural Office!

I attended two of the 8 scheduled classes for the Jul/Aug term, and I must say that I didn’t hold that high an expectation for it – most cooking classes that I’ve been to, save for Cheeky, are demonstration based, and you’re not allowed to do very much. This one, however, was FANTASTIC!

First of all, the teacher, Heather Jeong, is so lovely and helpful.

She was ready to answer any questions relating to Korean food and culture, whether they related to the dish we were meant to prepare that day or not.

Speaking of dishes to prepare, we had BBQ Galbi as the main attraction on the first class.

Apparently Australia have really good quality short ribs, and this meat, which is usually braised for maximum tenderness, is nicely marbled and imparts plenty of flavour.

The Koreans have come up with a very ingenious method of cutting the meat so that it cooks quickly and isn’t tough to eat!

The short ribs are carefully butterflied so that it folds out into one long strip of meat. This is done by very carefully using a sharp knife to cut in a spiral inwards. This is to ensure that the meat is in as thin a strip as possible, which then shortens the cooking time dramatically.

Then the meat goes off for a soak and marinade!

Apparently the meat tastes better after it’s been frozen!! Which works by me, since I am a staunch believer of weekend marinading – doing the grunt work of cooking on the weekend so that yummy meals on a weekday is easy peasy.

And what’s a Korean meal without sides!

I’ve always loved Korean sides, like the spring onion salad, but have never been able to get them quite right. This class not only gives you the chance to sample all these sides, but also allows you to ask the teacher for the recipe!

And as if that wasn’t enough of a feast, we also had short ribs on their own, and
some pork belly as well.

As with most tabletop BBQs (great for parties!), we had veggies and such that lighten up each meaty, flavourful mouthful! I really like the Korean style of wrapping meats and condiments in fresh salad leaves that allow you to feel like you’re eating a salad without actually eating a salad!

Now you don’t think we stopped there did you? All that was one lesson’s worth of food, and I chose to pay to attend another one.

This time we made KFC – Korean Fried Chicken! It is so simple, and yet marvellously delicious. You see, maybe the world’s got it all wrong. We keep trying to flavour the batter and season the flour…maybe it is as simple as putting a glaze on it!

We made a soy glaze and a chilli sauce for it, and I must say, I’m pretty happy with the results!

Every bite was tasty, crispy, and full of flavour. The coating is super easy too – just some potato starch and plain flour. You can use a mixture of rice flour and corn flour in there too, but personally I just like the starch and plain flour mixture.

Remember the feasting thing? Well, we also made Spicy Pork Tacos!

Using daeji bulgogi, which is Spicy Marinated Pork, we had some rockin’ wraps that I could eat all day long.

And the best part is? The dishes that I’ve learnt from those lessons are not the kind of dishes that I will only make once. Since those classes (it’s been about 2 weeks?) I’ve already got packs of short ribs and pork belly marinading away in the fridge. I’ve had the adoration of my friends for my awesome chicken wings, and the undying devotion of Sean for the short ribs wrapped in salad leaves. Not that I didn’t have it already, but you know, a way to a man’s heart and all that.

The lessons cost $70 each, or $50 each if you are a member. It costs $25 to become a member, but if you are going to become a member just for the cooking classes, I would suggest that you check the availability, as the classes are already booked up for the next couple of months. I think Heather, our lovely instructor, is a one-woman Korean-home-cooking invasion! If you think about it, it’s like a buffet dinner with recipes AND leftovers to take home!

Awesome isn’t it?

And if that wasn’t enough to convince you that this cooking class is well worth the time and money, let me leave you with a picture of the BEST LUNCHBOX EVER!

Tammi of Insatiable Munchies attended this Korean cooking class courtesy of the Korean Cultural Office. For more information, please contact the Korean Cultural Office at +61-2-8267-3400 or info@koreanculture.org.au.

From Spiders to Water Lilies

Recipe July 24, 2011 2 Comments

Ooh look what I got in the mail!! =)

I was very excited to get send a copy of From Spiders to Water Lilies, a collection of Cambodian recipes of food that’s featured in Romdeng, a restaurant that is a project of Friends International, and that is run by children who were picked up off the street.

First of all, let me say that I would have bought this beautifully printed book even if I wasn’t sent it because I believe in the cause. I believe that food is not just nourishment for the body, but also nourishment for the soul, and when children are placed in unfortunate circumstances, food can definitely be used as a tool to help them reach for whatever future they would like to reach for.

Secondly, I can’t believe just how yummy the food is!!!! I’ve never been to Cambodia, and I knew that because of the geographical proximity, there will be certain elements that are similar to many South East Asian food. But what I didn’t realise was that – even though in some recipes there are elements of sour, salty, sweet – the combination is just so new and absolutely delicious!

And so, I’m very happy to share with you…

Spicy Mushroom Dip:
Recipe taken from From Spiders to Water Lilies: Creative Cambodian Cooking with Friends, Pg 28.

1 tsp Fish Sauce
2 tbsp Sunflower Oil
4 Garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp *Chilli Paste
80g Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
1.5 tsp Palm Sugar
1 tbsp **Tamarind Paste
3 tbsp stock
Salt to taste
Thai basil leaves, thinly slices, for garnish

Wash the mushrooms under cold water then soak for 20 min in hot water. Discard stems then finely chop the remainder. Heat oil and stir fry garlic till fragrant. Add chilli paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, mushrooms and tamarind paste. Fry for 5 min and season with salt. Place in a bowl, top with basil leaves and serve with vegetables and bread.

*There is a recipe for chilli paste in the book, but if you don’t have the time (or are afraid that your clothes and house is going to smell like chilli for a while) then I think that sambal (the fried kind, not the fresh kind) is a good and convenient substitute.

**I used a mixture of bottled Tamarind paste and lime juice.

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I found the recipe relatively easy to do. I made my own chilli paste, but ran into a few issues – I forgot to deseed the chillies, and for some reason, my chillies simply refused to rehydrate to the level that I needed. As a result, the dip didn’t seem as fiery red as was shown in the picture in the book, but it was still delish!

I toasted some multi-grain wholemeal bread and Sean practically scoffed the whole lot. And that is coming from a person who does not like mushrooms. At all. I very happily had it for lunch the next day, and the guys at the office seemed to like it too.

In all, I adore the book. I love that it’s for a good cause – the proceeds of the book goes back into Friends-International projects – and it is beautifully photographed and printed. The recipes are nicely broken down, and most of them are relatively quick. Yes, there are quite a few ingredients that are foreign or hard to find, but the book has a great section both in the front and the back of the book that tell you about substitutions that you can use.

Definitely a book that makes me want to go to Cambodia and try the food first hand.

Tammi of Insatiable Munchies was given this book by the lovely people at Beyond the Square Communication.

Mappen, Sydney

Review July 12, 2011 10 Comments

“Heaven…I’m in Heaven…And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak…”
Berlin, I. (1935) Cheek to Cheek

I do believe that I have found noodle heaven for foodies on a budget! I know I’m a little (or a lot!) late to the scene, but Mappen is an absolute dream come true in its simplicity.

The concept is simple. Decide what main you’d like to have, order, add sides (or not!) and pay. It’s so simple it’s almost poetic in my book.

The place is always busy, and gives a feel of a cramped, bustling noodle bar, but I assure you that efficiency beats so strongly at the heart of it that you won’t be put out. They feed you with such conveyor belt-type flow that it feels like the perfect place for a eat-and-run lunch.

Signs on every table encourage you not to grab tables without food, but that almost-counter-intuitive move – for what if I should have a tray full of food and no seat? – near-guarantees you a seat when you do have your food.

Since people only sit when their order is ready, their time with the table starts immediately, eradicating the “dawdle while deciding” crowds that seem to happen otherwise. The result, you get your food, you get fed, you leave.

Genius.

And the food? Amazing. Laura and I had an early lunch there earlier this week.

I had a hot Ontama Bukkake – don’t snigger! I know you people 😉 – with Udon, and Laura had the Soba version.

It’s basically noodles in soup. It’s that simple. We had a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the top, and a creamy, dreamy soft boiled egg.

Look at all that eggy goodness. /drools

The savoury noodles had the citrusy zing of lemon threaded through the strands, and oozy yolk giving them a bright orange coating.

Yum.

And those sides?

Well I got a Prawn Tempura.

No surprises, no fireworks, just what you would expect – crispy batter, and prawn that isn’t overcooked. It’s lunch that makes you feel good after – not weighed down, not still wanting – and for me anyway, brightens my day.

Oh, and I haven’t mentioned the price have I? My Ontama Bukkake was a regular size and was $4.90! Friggin’ $4.90 lunch IN THE CITY! That’s partially what gets me so excited about the place. Are the portions overflowing? No. But they are good value – I chose the Prawn Tempura ($2.50) cause I was greedy, but I could very well do without. Sean’s favourite – Sweet Potato Tempura – is only $0.80, and while I’ve considered making it at home, I think it’s well worth the price if you are in the city and need some hot food.

Mappen is somewhere that consistently gives me a good, cheap option (I’m not a fan of fast food) smack in the middle of the city. One downside though, it’s not exactly a great source of your 5-fruit-and-veg, since the veggie options are either small or battered and fried. I just bring fruit with me to munch on during the day, and have that while walking to my next destination.

We ate at:

Mappen
11/537-551 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9283 5525

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