Browsing Tag

Dumplings

    Review

    Wax on, wax off: Lotus, Sydney CBD

    Lotus, Sydney CBD. Sydney Food Blog Review

    Crispy tofu with salt and wildfire dukkah, $17: Lotus, Sydney. Sydney Food Blog Review

    Sometimes you don’t know what you’re missing, until you’re missing it. And I never knew just how hard it was to get vegan options until I actually went to lunch with a vegan.

    And I mean real options. Not like “yeah you can order the side salad” options.

    So when the menu at Lotus offered up plenty of delicious sounding tofu and mushroom dishes, I thought, “Maybe there’s hope after all!”

    The Order:

    Steamed shiitake mushroom dumplings, $12

    Crispy tofu with salt and wildfire dukkah, $17

    Steamed seasonal vegetable with sesame oil and soy, $16

    The Food:

    The food was quite lovely, with a Mr Wong-esque slant to it.

    Steamed shiitake mushroom dumplings, $12: Lotus, Sydney. Sydney Food Blog ReviewSteamed shiitake mushroom dumplings, $12

    We started off with the Steamed Shiitake Mushroom Dumplings, $12, filled with a mushroom and chopped greens mixture (asparagus, I think?) and encased in a translucent potato starch skin that’s notoriously hard to handle. It was a light bite, and the flavour of the mushrooms really came through, almost for a lack of flavour from anything else. The chilli that came with it really helped, though – there was a tomatoey sweetness that prevented it from being too spicy (not that it’s ever really a problem for me) and overpower the dumplings.

    Crispy tofu with salt and wildfire dukkah, $17: Lotus, Sydney. Sydney Food Blog ReviewCrispy tofu with salt and wildfire dukkah, $17: Lotus, Sydney. Sydney Food Blog Review

    My favourite, though? The Crispy tofu with salt and wildfire dukkah, $17. Soft, fluffy tofu is dusted with a tangy, peppery mixture, and served alongside a thick, sesame and black vinegar pouring dipping sauce. The tofu actually carried a light crunch on the outside, that soaked up all the sauce without turning into mush, and then crumbled satisfyingly into my rice.

    The Steamed Seasonal Vegetable with sesame oil and soy, $16, was, well, Bak Choy with soy. Not groundbreaking, but we didn’t order it expecting the wheel to be reinvented. So…*shrugs* eh.

    The Service:

    The service at Lotus was a bit of a mixed bag for me. They were efficient and polite enough most of the time, but they didnt go out of their way to make me feel like I was in safe hands. For example, beyond what was written in the menu, I didn’t get much more information about the dishes set down in front of me. There was no forthcoming explanation, for example, about the sauce that went with the tofu, and I had to ask them twice before I got an answer.

    Also, towards the end (you know when they set down a dessert menu purposefully in front of you?), I had the distinct feeling of being rushed off. I mean, I totally understand that restaurants have to turn tables over in order to make money, but it’s usually a little bit more subtle. We had taken a pause to Instagram (talk about #FirstWorldProblems, huh), and the waitress came back to enquire about our choices for dessert, even though it hadn’t been enough time for me to finish typing my Instagram caption.

    Not a good look.

    Value for money:

    I know I have to take into account the CBD location, and the fancy interior and all that, but the only thing that justified the price was the dumplings. Everything felt just that little bit overpriced, and there is no parallel universe where $16 for steamed Bok Choy tossed in soy sauce and sesame oil is justifiable. Well, maybe if there was gold leaf.

    BUT STILL. My Asian ancestors would disown me if they found out I paid that much.

    The Vibe:

    It was classy, in a “non-Asians were drinking wine with their Asian lunch” sorta say. (Where is the damned tea, people?!) The decor screamed pan-Asian chic, and it was fairly busy for a weekday lunch. Otherwise it felt pretty sterile, which is good or bad depending on how you look at it: I completely understand if dilapidated Asian restaurant with a single old man in the kitchen is not always your thing.

    And finally,

    As far as the vegan options go, Lotus performed pretty well. They gave us more options than your average eatery in the CBD, even if that came at a price. If you’re not with a vegan crowd, however, Lotus might not be your first choice: there are just that many more authentic and delicious options in the city that are easier on the wallet to drop by for lunch.

    Unless, you know, you really want that wine with your meal. In that case, go for it, you lush. I won’t judge. 😉

    This meal was independently paid for.
  • How to make dumplings!
    Food Recipe

    How to make dumplings!

    Okay, I know I’m late to the party but CAN YOU BELIEVE LUCIANO AND MARTINO WENT HOME ON MKR????? *heartbroken*. Damn these reality TV shows and their sudden death rounds! They were hilariously loveable,…

  • Sydney Food Blog Review of 257 Home Kitchen, Eastwood
    Review

    257 Home Kitchen, Eastwood

    Coming from a country like Singapore, I’ve been taught from a very early age to trust a queue. That is, if there’s a queue outside a restaurant, they MUST be good. Cause all these…

  • Hawker Lane, Chatswood: Sydney Food Blog Review
    Review

    Hawker Lane, Chatswood 

    I don’t know if you spend much time in Chatswood, but it feels like Westfield has been in construction for the longest time. Well, it’s finally ready, and what used to be a set…

  • Sydney Food Blog Review of Taste of Shanghai, World Square
    Review

    Taste of Shanghai, World Square

    Ever eat so much that the meal was just a whirlwind and the evening was a blur because you’ve blacked out from a food coma? I had that, when we were invited to celebrate…

  • Billy Kwong, Potts Point Restaurant Review. Sydney Food Blog Review
    Review

    Billy Kwong, Potts Point

    Billy Kwong is not a Chinese restaurant. Well, I mean I assume he is also a man, but I’m talking about Billy Kwong in Potts Point. It may be decked out like a Chinese…

  • Sydney Food Blog Review: Taste of Shanghai, World Square
    Review

    Shanghai’d! Taste of Shanghai, World Square

    Dumpling frenzy is alive and well in Sydney, with every man and his dog attempting the iconic soup dumpling (xiao long bao) – little pastry wrapped parcels of engineering genius that explode with scalding…

  • Review of Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood
    Review

    The Michelin Effect: 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…