Posts tagged fresh

Muummy dearest: Muum Maam, Surry Hills

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Muum Maam, Surry Hills

Sydney Food Blog Review of Muum Maam, Surry Hills

The horrible thing about having a new full time day job is being so out of the loop! Not that I’m complaining about the consistent income and getting to cook all day, but it does create situations where I’m at a loss about where to go for lunch.

Like when I met up with Simon, from The Heart of Food, and we just had no idea where we wanted to eat..

And the clock was ticking.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Muum Maam, Surry Hills: Five crab and prawn rice net spring rolls with plum sauce, $6Crab and prawn rice net spring rolls with plum sauce, $6

Oh, didn’t I mention that my day job was actually a night job? Yeah. #ThisRestaurantLife.

Anyhoo, we ended up at Muum Maam, which seemed to tick all the boxes: close to the station, interesting food, and a seemingly quick turnaround time.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Muum Maam, Surry Hills: wok-fried calamari, snake bean, snow peas & kafir lime leaves with red chili paste, $15Wok-fried calamari, snake bean, snow peas & kafir lime leaves with red chili paste, $15

And I mean quick. All the food came out within the first 5-10 minutes, even with a slight queue happening because it was bang on lunchtime. And there didnt seem to be a drop in freshness or flavour at all! The Crab and prawn rice net spring rolls with plum sauce, $6, were an instant hit, with a flaky shell that ensured the requirement of a lint roller afterward. The hot, steaming filling was fairly generous, and the plum dipping sauce rounded out all the sweet/savoury flavours that the Thais do incredibly well.

The Wok-fried calamari, snake bean, snow peas & kafir lime leaves with red chili paste, $15 (one of the specials of the day) was mildly spicy, with tender rings of calamari on a bed of crisp vegetables and sweet steamed white rice. Comforting and fresh, this is one of those dishes that leave you so light, you feel like a responsible adult who’s eating healthily.

The pad kee mao (rice noodles stir fried with sweet soy) was good but not quite on the level of the others, which made me wish we spent the $14 on something else more interesting like a papaya salad instead.

The prices were just a touch elevated for Thai food in the vacinity, but it was reflected in the care that was taken in preparing the food. Nothing was just dumped unceremoniously on the plate (which has totes happened to me before), and the staff were polite, efficient, and happy to be there. All good points in my book.

Makes me wonder what the dinner menu is like. Have you been? What did you order?

This meal was independently paid for.
Muum Maam
Shop 1, 50 Holt Street
Surry Hills, NSW
Phone: 02 8317 4931
Website: http://www.muummaam.com.au

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Lobster with your eggs? Rustic Pearl, Surry Hills

Review
Bosphorus Benedict, from Rustic Pearl in Surry Hills, Sydney

rose-infused watermelon salad with watercress, mozzarella and capers.

I think it’s fair to say that Sydney has a cafe on every corner, and then some. Whether it’s a coffee obsession or a casual-dining obsession, we seem to express it in a myriad of coffee and food options.

But I haven’t yet had lobster to go with my eggs. Until now.

Turkish Apple and Rose Iced TeaTurkish Apple and Rose Iced Tea, with Lemon and Mint

We started off first with a couple of refreshing drinks.

Avocado Smoothie with honey and pistachioAvocado Smoothie, with honey and pistachio

The Turkish Apple Iced Tea with Rose Lemon and Mint was lovely and what you’d expect an iced tea to be, but the Avocado Smoothie was the one that really caught my attention. Notes of honey and pistachio were laced through the creamy smoothie, and it was a really nice departure from the crazy sweet Avocado smoothies I’m used to having from Vietnamese restaurants.

bosphorus benedict from rustic pearl in surry hillsBosphorus Benedict

And the main event. The Bosphorus Benedict involves two toasted buns topped with smashed avocado, poached eggs, housemade hollandaise and bay lobster, finished with coriander and chilli.

Oozing egg yolk from the bosphorus benedict

I can’t even begin to explain how ridiculously luxurious this breakfast is. Besides the fact that there was a perfectly cooked lobster sitting on your breakfast plate – and trust me, because I detest overcooked shellfish with the fire of a thousand suns – there is the texture of a creamy buttery hollandaise, mixed in with the oozing yolk, mixed in with that smashed ripe avocado. Besides the fact that the bread was toasted so well it was just slightly hard to cut and eat, this plate was utter perfection for me.

rose-infused watermelon salad with watercress, mozzarella and capers.Rose infused Watermelon Salad with Watercress, Mozarella and Capers

And they’re not a one-hit wonder either. We also ordered the Rose infused Watermelon Salad with Watercress, Mozarella and Capers to freshen things up. It comes with an option of grilled scallops on the side, but it doesn’t need it. The cubes of watermelon was lightly scented with rose like a fruity Turkish delight that Mother Nature ought to have made, and the mozzarella and capers brought a great contrast in flavour and textures to keep things interesting. The watercress, I could’ve done without, but it really needed something else crisp and fresh on the plate, so fair enough.

Besides the food, the service was also commendable. We were put on the waitlist when we first arrived, and were still seated relatively quickly. They were attentive without hovering, and managed the crowded, packed restaurant with apparent grace and calm.

Well done Rustic Pearl, well done. /slow clap.

This meal was independently paid for.

Rustic Pearl
415 Crown St
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Phone: 0406 930 083
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rustic-pearl/299165660201187

Rustic Pearl on Urbanspoon

Shira Nui, Glen Waverley

Melbourne Review Travel
Chirashi Zushi

Food guides used to be released every year, telling people where’s the best place to eat at, drink at, or generally be seen at. But there’s one that’s becoming more powerful than the rest, and gives you to-the-minute updates.

And that guide, is called Instagram.
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Shyun, Carnegie

Melbourne Review Travel

Sometimes it it’s so bizarre to me how I live in Sydney, but make friends with a Singaporean, in Melbourne of all places.

And we get along like a house on fire.
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Do you Sumo?

Recipe 3 Comments
7 plump sumo mandarins are laid upon a bed of wood shavings, adorned with branches from the tree they were harvested off

Mandarins are one of my favourite fruits to snack on – they’re so sweet and delicate, and much easier to peel than traditional oranges. But they did have a small issue – they’re just so small that it takes so many of them to fill me up!

Well, enter the Sumo Mandarins.
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