Posts tagged Korean

The battle of the Korean Fried…Incredible Chicken, Eastwood

Review December 20, 2015 1 Comment

Remember how I said that pretty much all my conversations begin with food? Well, one day, Christine, Simon and I were talking about Korean Fried Chicken, and wondering about how we could have it for breakfast.

Because fried chicken should be an ‘anytime’ food.

And given that I live in the land of Korean Fried Chicken (read: Eastwood), I simply don’t understand why no one will sell me a plate of glorious crispy poultry before 11am. Don’t they recognise a clear gap in the market?

Original Fried Chicken, Half Order

Anyhoo. The self-proclaimed Incredible Chicken (seriously, it’s on the sign), has opened in Eastwood, and is a sister restaurant to the famous Red Pepper in Strathfield, and Sparrows Mill in the CBD; home to the Snow Cheese Chicken, that make fried chicken aficionados squeal in delight.

The Original Fried Chicken is consistent with the performance of Strathfield and CBD, hitting home runs with a crispy coating and tender meat. Not quite as juicy as the brined chicken of the Deep South, but hey, you can’t be perfect at everything.

Spicy Braised Beef Short Ribs

And if fried chicken is not quite your thing (shame! SHAME!), I really liked the Spicy Braised Beef Short Ribs too. There was something utterly addictive of the cloyingly sweet soy-based sauce that clung to every strand of chewy potato noodle. Packed full of beefy goodness, the ribs were tender and fall off the bone, making me a very happy diner indeed.

The one thing that isn’t consistent, though? The service. At Eastwood, it was warm and friendly (thankfully), and at Strathfield, polite and professional. CBD wishes you hadn’t stepped in, and is grumpy when you want actual service from them. It really makes you prioritise what you want from a restaurant, but if it’s all the same to you, I’ll be sticking to the Eastwood branch, thankyouverymuch.

Now, if I could only convince them to open for breakfast…

This meal was independently paid for.

Incredible Chicken
120 Rowe St
Eastwood, NSW 2122
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Incredible-Chicken/405561556253267

Are you a tofu? BCD Tofu House, Epping

Review October 12, 2015

Sydney Food Blog Review of BCD Tofu House, Epping

Do you know what it means to call someone a tofu in the Asian culture? It means that the someone is soft, and prone to crying. All defenceless and weak, like a block of silken tofu.

Well, that’s the idea anyway.

But for all its tenderness, it’s very hard to cook with silken tofu, and cook it well. When done right, it soaks up all the surrounding flavours, but retains its velvet silkiness. Ang you would hope restaurant that calls itself a tofu house, is going to do right by it.

Seafood Pancake

The decision to go to BCD Tofu House was indeed one based on tofu. Tofu stew, that is. Also known as Soondubu Jigae, this winter comfort involves soft tofu, a chilli soup, and ribbons of egg. But one cannot survive on tofu alone, so of course, we order other things.

Japchae

The Seafood Pancake was quite nice in a not-fancy-pants sorta way. Seafood that isn’t overcooked, and a pancake that’s cooked all the way through with no remnant of floury batter. I don’t think that’s asking for too much. The Japchae was a hit with me and Christine, but deemed by resident Korean food expert Simon as having that “reheated, oily taste”, which tells you how little I actually know about Korean cuisine.

But hey, I didn’t grow up eating Japchae, so I’d go with what Simon says.

Stewed Beef Ribs

Bossam

Also on the table were Stewed Beef Ribs, and Bossam. Beef ribs in any form, I like, and this spicy soupy thing with tender radish chunks? Yes please! And bits of chewy noodles down the bottom of the pot. Because not everything needs rice.

I’m kidding. Of course everything needs rice. What kind of an Asian do you think I am?

The Bossam was also on point. Well, the pork anyway. Neatly sliced pieces of braised pork with the right ratio of fat to meat. I could’ve eaten it all day long. The lettuce, not so much. Usually served with a softer, more refreshing salad leaf, this one was served with rigid Chinese cabbage, that just made it very hard to eat.

Oh well, I just have to eat pork and sauce then. Hard life.

Tofu Hotpot

As for the Soondubu Jigae? Well, according to our resident Korean food expert, it’s actually quite decent, although not quite as good as you can make at home. Although, most things get that way when you know how to make it properly. All I know was that it was a cold night, and the hot spicy stew served over rice was just the ticket.

Tofu errday.

This meal was independently paid for.

BCD Tofu House
74-76 Rawson Street
Epping, Sydney, NSW
Phone: (02) 9868 4300
Website: http://bcdtofu.com

A quick pash: Passion Tree, Chatswood

Review October 2, 2015

Sydney Food Blog Review of Passion Tree, Chatswood

Foodie friends are the best. They feed you, they eat with you…and they don’t judge you when you decided to eat a crap ton of sugar and call it dinner.

In fact, they’ll do it with you.

Selection of Macarons

That’s pretty much what happened when Simon, Christine and myself went to the opening night of Passion Tree at the new The District Dining in Chatswood. We pretty much had a “give me one of everything” moment, and it’s no child’ s play, let me tell you that much.

And it didn’t help that I was prepping some food at home before the event and only had roast chicken skin to eat. Yes. The whole chicken.

ARE YOU PROUD OF ME NOW MA?? ARE YOU PROUD OF ME???!!!

Green Tea Bingsu

Anyhoo, you know how sugar always seems like a good idea as a kid because you pretty much don’t remember the crash afterward? Like how women who go through childbirth supposedly have some sort of amnesia that makes that forget the worst of the ordeal?

Yeah. No such luck here. We knew we were heading straight for a sugar crash, and we were going down in a blaze of glory.

Original Honey Toast

We started off with macarons, which were surprisingly good in texture, but lacking in the flavour department. And in the age of Adriano Zumbo, there’s no reason to have bland macarons. The Chocolate didn’t much taste like chocolate, and the Blueberry left us scratching our heads wondering what we just ate.

The Jasmine was the best of the lot, bringing out lovely floral notes that made a macaron refreshing. Salted caramel and Strawberry came a close second, with actual oozing strawberry sauce coming out of the bright pink macaron.

We then had the Green Tea Bingsu, which is a Korean dessert made of finely shaved ice and topped with all sorts of ingredients, from fruit, to cereal, to ice cream. yes, it IS customary to have ice cream on top of your shaved ice, and don’t let anybody tell you different.

Unfortunately though, this was no Kanzi cafe and its towering pile of melon and snowflakes. In this case the actual shaved ice was not quite finely shaved enough, and somehow managed to be a touch watery. The green tea ice cream was quite nice but not especially so, and the cereal and azuki toppings made it all like a Japanese parfait. So points for that.

The Original Honey Toast gallantly rode in and saved the day – crispy-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside toast (or should I say, loaf) was drizzled with sauce and covered with ice cream and whipped cream. And a blueberry sauce on the side, just for funsies. I really enjoyed how the really absorbed all of the melted ice cream and sauce while retaining its crunch, and it gave me the same warm, fuzzy feeling like when you dip garlic bread in soup. But sweet.

Think about it. Yeah, you know that feeling.

Frozen Blended Drinks (Turkish Delight, Chocolate and Green Tea)

And this point we were about to keel over in a sugar crash so large it would reduce any rational adult into a floor-lying-air-kicking tantrum, so we decided to wash it all down…with sugary ice blended drinks.

DO. NOT. JUDGE. ME. JUST DON’T.

The Turkish Delight was my favourite of the lot, with actual Turkish delight pieces in the rose and chocolate flavoured drink. Colour me impressed. And pink. Like the colour of Turkish delight. It did get a touch cloyingly sweet about halfway through, but that may just be influenced by the fact that we were already hitting that wall of sugar rush. Just maybe.

Smores Waffle

And you know what the treatment is when you hit a wall where you think you can’t go on any more? You push past the pain. It’s exactly like running. Or an all you can eat.

Same same, really.

So we head right back down the rabbit hole with waffles.

Caramel Popcorn Waffle

We were pushing past that wall so hard, we ordered two waffles. TWO. Take that, sugar crash. The S’mores waffle was a diabetes-inducing Nutella-marshmallow-strawberries-and-cream, while the Caramel Popcorn was a more straightforward caramel sauce/popcorn/cream sorta deal.

The S’mores coulda really don’t with some actual blowtorching of the marshmallow – rather than just the pillowy white gooey state it was in – Aqua S style. And no Nutella. Please no Nutella. It just pushed it over the top, and gave me that sticky peanut-butter-on-the-roof-of-your-mouth sticky feeling. Caramel Popcorn was heaps better, but really should be enjoyed without cream.

Repeat after me. Whipped cream does not make everything better.

I like that Passion Tree joins the ranks of other late night dessert cafes like Max Brenner and Oliver Brown without completely cornering you into the chocolate corner. It may be sacrilegious to say, but I don’t always want chocolate in my dessert, thank you very much. Sure, it’s not crazy amazing in terms of the food, but with a tiny kitchen just for assembly, it’s really more about giving you a bright space to have a seat with your friends and while the night away over some sugar. And I think they’ve done that nicely.

Not everyone can be a Cafe Creasion, you know.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Passion Tree.

Passion Tree
The District Dining
Chatswood Interchange
436 Victoria Avenue
Chatswood NSW
Website: http://www.passiontree.com.au/chatswood-interchange.html

A Zomato Meetup: Cho Cho San, Potts Point

Review June 18, 2015

What’s even better than eating out with a bunch of fellw foodies? Eating out with a bunch of fellow foodies at an event organized by a mammoth food company like Zomato.

Although, to call them a food company is provably a bit misleading. Just a bit.

Zomato basically deals with restaurant listings, and they’ve recently taken over Urbanspoon. In a friendly way. Friendly. Uh huh.

No but seriously. Zomato is live in 22 countries, and in an effort to foster the community of foodies, they organized the very first #zomatomeetup at the restaurant on everyone’s to-eat list: Cho Cho San.

The bossam menu (for groups of four or more) is simple: tender beef shortrib and steamed prawns, to be had with a battery of condiments, pickles, lettuce leaves, and white fluffy baos. Then a miso corn soup to round up the savouries, and their famous matcha soft serve to finish.

Tender Beef Short Ribs

The beef ribs, like a prized bull at a fair, was the first thing to go. Juicy, tender and gelatinous where it should have been, it held more than its own against the riot of flavours provided by the fresh herbs, sauces and pickles. And I couldn’t help but mop up all the rich jus left at the bottom of the platter with a milky white bao. Embarassing? Maybe. But it was SO worth it.

Steamed Prawns

The prawns were steamed to succulent perfection, but for the first time in my life, I have to admit that the shellfish was completely outshone by the beef. And I have a devoted love affair with shellfish, so you know how much it took for me to say that.

And with the soft white buns – I like big buns and I cannot lie – that beef made for an amazing gua bao. It nearly rivals Belly Bao for me, save for the quality of the actual buns itself. But we are veering away from Bossam territory here, in the way that a street racer goes for a joyride: at a dangerous speed but just loving that journey.

And then, all too soon, it was time for dessert.

Matcha Soft Serve

Mind you, I may not have wanted to move on because I just wanted more beef in my belly, but this matcha soft serve was solid. Heavy on the matcha flavour (like it should be) and they fill it all the way into the bottom of the cone! such a simple thing, but it made all the difference. Smooth, silky, and well, good soft serve.

But dat beef, tho’.

Fantastic variety from the team, and very well executed, even if the more gluttonous of us walked away searching for more food. Or should I say waddled? Otherwise a fantastic lunch, and of course, awesome company. Would really like to see what their regular menu is like, although I don’t know how I’d walk in and want anything else but that beef.

Dat beef.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Zomato

Cho Cho San
73 Macleay Street
Potts Point, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9331 6601
Website: http://chochosan.com.au

Step Up to the… Mira Korean Street Food, Eastwood

Review April 27, 2015

One thing that I’ve missed thoroughly since moving from Singapore, is street food. Nothing quite beats the rising smoke around food on sticks, bustling crowds and surly hawkers. Not only is the food crazy delicious and cheap, but it’s also the ultimate in convenience, allowing you to eat and roam the street at the same time.

Street food in Sydney is not quite the same, but it doesnt stop anyone from trying to serve it up in different forms! Enter Mira Korean Street Food, who are attempting to serve up classic Korean street treats, but in a sit down cafe in Eastwood!

Soondae (Korean blood sausage), $10

Soondae is a Korean blood and noodle sausage that is served with a spiced salt on the side, as well as a few slices of tripe or liver. It’s almost like a gateway blood sausage to me – not nearly as strong in flavour as black pudding, and has a familiar chewy texture that accompanies starch noodles. Not a fan of the liver, but I never like thoroughly cooked liver anyway.

Fried Seaweed and Sweet Potato Noodle, $2 for 2pcs

That same noodle used to stuff the Soondae is used again here in this Fried Seaweed and Sweet Potato Noodle snack, that is battered, fried and served with a soy dressing. Great for the novelty factor, and again, addictive chewy texture, but not entirely special otherwise.

Odeng involves a skewered fish cake served in a bowl of anchovy broth. These skewers sit in a hot water bath, in preparation for their time in the bowl…before it hits my tummy.

Odeng (skewered fish cake soup), $3

It’s supersoft, a bit like tofu, and for all the fish involved in this soup/skewer, it’s incredibly
milk, and reminds me of restorative broths my mum used to make when I wasn’t feeling well.

In all, not quite the street food experience that I was looking for, but its really worth a shot if you’ve got the late night munchies!

Mira Korean Street Food
16 Railway Parade
Eastwood, NSW 2122
Phone: 02 8542 9233

A whole new…Yummy World Korean Restaurant, Eastwood

Review April 24, 2015

Hand cut noodles being lifted out of a metal bowl of soup with chopsticks

A Yummy World should have been what Aladdin and Jasmine were singing about on that carpet ride. Because who cares about fireworks unless you have epic snacks to go with it, amiright?

Naturally, after singing A Whole New World obsessively as a child – the same way girls around the world sing Let It Go – I’d wander into a little Korean family style restaurant called Yummy World, and drag Simon from The Heart of Food along with me.

Given that this was essentially a second lunch, we *only* ordered a Hand Cut Noodle Soup (top picture) and a Chilli Glazed Korean Fried Chicken to share. The soup was intensely flavoured with shellfish and various seafood and the noodles were tender, with just a hint of bite. Very healthy tasting, and perfect for a cold, wet, windy winter. The Chilli Glazed Korean Fried Chicken was all sorts of sticky and finger licking sweet, laced with a very slight bitterness from orange rinds that were peppered through the dish. Like a jaffa chicken, almost. It threw me off at first, because I’m not a big marmalade fan, but by the end, I was scraping up every last sticky drop on those crispy wings.

And of course, the banchan. These Korean side dishes that add a fantastic variety to any meal, and instantly flood the table the moment you place your order. Simon says that these are very home-styled and quite rare to see in restaurants – I wouldn’t know, but I’d trust him – and I always enjoy the variety. And free flow? YES. Always.

The lady taking our order was quite efficient, even if English didn’t quite seem to be the language of choice. But the menu had pictures and the ol’ point and order procedure worked, so not too much of an issue there. I loved that it was packed with Korean families when we went – makes me feel much more confident in choosing Yummy World for lunch. With the crazy large number of Korean restaurants in Eastwood, I’m not so sure that they would be the top of my list for a meal, but great to have on hand as an alternate option!

This meal was independently paid for.

Yummy World Korean Restaurant
25 Railway Pde
Eastwood, NSW
Phone: 02 9874 8732

SSSSSSSSmokkim Modern Kitchen, Top Ryde

Review April 13, 2015

Deep fried stuffed jalapeño from smokkim

I remember when I first visited Korea with my parents – we had a tour guide explaining the nuances of the culture, and telling us little anecdotes and stories, to illustrate what makes Koreans, well, Korean. Fast forward 17 years (eep!) and I’m still utterly fascinated with the culture, and not only because the boys in Big Bang are so stylish and pretty!

I’ve always been a firm believer that food is a gateway into a culture and history of a country, and for that reason, the food needs to sometimes be varied in order to make it slightly more accessible, because you can’t always expect people to go straight for the fermented funky fish. Smokkim Modern Kitchen seems to be trying to achieve that, with a Korean style influenced menu set amongst casual dining surroundings. Located next to Oliver Brown in Top Ryde City, this cosy restaurant has lovely ambient lighting, and a large balcony area if you prefer al fresco dining.

Marinated Beef Bun – Soy marinated sirloin , ssamjang, kimchi

Crispy Soft Shell Crab Bun – cos lettuce, coriander, tobikko mayo

First order of the day – buns. Soft, sweet, milky white buns that are the cornerstone Asian pastries. There was a trio of them on the menu – Marinated Beef, Pork Belly, and Soft Shell Crab. The Marinated Beef – my favourite of the three – was generously filled to the brim with sweet soy cooked wafer thin slices of beef, and just the right amount of kimchi and greens to balance the kick of salt and sugar. Yum. The Pork Belly came a close second, but it really was much better in the Bossam (below), and for that I’d go for more beef buns if I had to order again. Not quite the standard of Pu’er or Belly Bao, but tasty enough to support the menu.

Deep Fried Stuffed Jalapeño – Premium pork neck mince, silky tofu, mixed vegies

The Deep Fried Stuffed Jalapeño is great as a bar option, and because, #fryday. Stuffed with pork mince and crumbed in panko, these give off a satisfying crunch followed by requisite juiciness upon the first bite. A very grown up Jalapeño popper, these bites bring a touch of sophistication to the urge to pair fried food with alcohol. Quite lovely, but needs more mayo.

Everything can always do with more mayo.

Bibimbap of the day – Rice dish reinterpreted by Smokkim, with spanner crab, dried seaweed, kohlrabi, egg custard

I was first introduced to bibimbap in its searing hot stone bowl by my dad at age 12, and the mix of rice, vegetable, egg, sauce and the delicious crust down the bottom of the bowl has been an expectation of bibimbap ever since. This however, was a cold version, with crab, seaweed, radish, and what looked like scrambled eggs. Like a chirashi almost. And while I can appreciate the concept of the interpretation, I can’t really say that I enjoyed this one. The sauce that came with it wasn’t quite enough to moisten the bowl, and the spanner crab was a little light on flavour. And it made me a little sad, because then I just wanted a chirashi bowl, but it wasn’t socially acceptable for me to have two lunches in a row. /sadface.

Bossam – Traditional Korean dish, slow cooked pork belly, radish and beetroot pickle, soy caramel sauce

But for what the Bibimbap gave in disappointment, the Bossam made up for it. Thick slices of braised, tender pork belly are laid on a plate with kale leaves, pickles and ssamjang – a fermented bean sauce that typically goes with the dish – and you’re meant to make little wraps that are mouthfuls of bliss. I especially enjoyed the structure that the kale gave to this, even though it isn’t a traditional choice of green, and the sticky sweet soy that coated the pork belly just had me licking my fingers. Favourite of the day, and so light on the belly too!

Wagyu Beef Burger

And of course, a burger, because Sam must order a burger when he sees it on the menu. It was a really nice burger, but again, not quite in the league of the burger giants in Sydney. The zucchini chips also provided a lovely crunch to me (Sam wasn’t a fan), but somehow it was sorely lacking a type of dipping sauce that usually goes with a side of chips. For me, anyway.

I think Smokkim is a fantastic first date option – you know that you’re getting decent food and attentive service (we were the only people sitting on the balcony and we still didn’t get neglected), with just enough culture to make it interesting, but not enough to potentially leave you smelling like smoke and hotpot while walking out of the restaurant. No, that, you leave for date 3 or 4. I much preferred the small bites to the large, although I can very well see me treating myself to a Bossam plate for a leisurely lunch.

Mmmm. Pork Belly.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Smokkim Modern Kitchen.

Smokkim Modern Kitchen
Shop 4003 Corner Devlin St And Blaxland Rd
Ryde, NSW 2112
Phone: 02 9809 5703
Website: http://www.smokkim.com.au/
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs, 10am-11:30pm, Fri-Sat, 11am-1am, Sun, 10am-11:30pm

Soul O-rising? Seoul Orizin Korean Food, Haymarket

Review April 10, 2015

You’d think that living in an area inundated with Korean restaurants means that I wouldn’t be as excited about yet another Korean Fried Chicken joint.

BUT YOU’D BE WRONG.

When Simon from The Heart of Food suggested Seoul Orizin for our lunch catchup, my brain and body instantly went on fried chicken mode: hungry.

Spicy Cold Buckwheat Noodles, $10

Spicy Prawn and Chicken Gangjung, $18

Grilled Beef Ribs, $16

Egg Hot Pot

We ordered a variety of things, including my favourite go to noodle dish: the bibim naeng myeon, a chewy stretchy spicy korean noodle that is served with crunchy pickles. My mouth is watering as I write this. Their noodles aren’t quite as good as The Mandoo for my taste – not as spicy and without that oomph that I love about this dish – but it’s a fantastic option for a CBD lunch.

The Spicy Prawn and Chicken Gangjung was literally, fried chicken and prawn coated in the spicy sticky sweet sauce that sticks to the back of your molar, and was quite nice, but nothingg groundbreaking.

It was one of those “not bad” experiences – nothing to complain about, but nothing that makes me scream from the rooftops unfortunately. Not sure whether if I stand outside those doors I’d go in for lunch, or take a step to the right and walk into Hana Hana instead!

This meal was independently paid for.

Seoul Orizin
203-209 Thomas St
Haymarket, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 8541 7531

Full Mooning: Lunar Markets 2015, Pyrmont Park

Festivals Review February 18, 2015

Korean Tacos from Poklol at the Lunar Markets

The moon is said to do strange things to people: it brings out the monsters, it brings out the crazy…and it brings out the HUNGRY.

Oh wait, that’s just a normal state for me.

But markets usually involve me getting up early in the morning, and honey child, I ain’t no morning person. Which is why night markets have always been a favourite of mine – from the annual Night Noodle Markets of Good Food Month, to the weekly Chinatown markets – and I’m so excited that NSW Food and Wine Festival has just started the inaugural Lunar Markets, to celebrate Chinese New Year!

They’ve selected a cool mix of seasoned market stall holders and food truck operators, newbies on the Sydney food scene, and even some favourites from interstate.

I haven’t eaten from Poklol before, but their selection of fusion foods certainly inspire an appetite. The tacos that we were given to sample were generously filled with marinated beef and pork, and had that distinct Korean mix of sweet and salty.

Poklol
Food Truck Location Varies Check Facebook
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 0421 111 691
Website: http://www.poklol.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZOMGPOKLOL

Crispy Dumplings, Fat Noodle

Fat Noodle also joined the Lunar Market fray, offering up a mixture of crispy bites and stir-fried dishes. We were given Crispy Dumplings and Spring Rolls to sample, all hot and steaming from the fryer. It may not be knock your socks off amazing in terms of dumplings, but we already know that Fat Noodle produces consistent, reliable, quality food. So there’s that.

No Salt and Pepper Tofu on the market menu though. /sad face. That, you have to cross the road to The Star to get.

Fat Noodle
80 Pyrmont St Level 1
Sydney, NSW 2009
Phone: 1800 700 700
Website: http://www.star.com.au/sydney-restaurants/casual-dining/Pages/fat-noodle.aspx

Gyozas from Zagyoza

All the way from their initial debut at the markets in Brisbane, and then interstate in Melbourne, Zagyoza has brought a variety of 9 gyozas for your sampling pleasure. As a base standard pork dumplings were pretty nice, their seafood dumplings – made with prawn and squid meat – were better, and their vegan black bean dumplings interesting. I personally am a bit so so about the texture myself, but it’s so much better than a LOT of other vegan food that I’ve tried.

Zagyoza
Shop 1/60 Vulture St West End
Brisbane, QLD
Phone: 07 3844 6696
Website: http://www.zagyoza.com/

Giant Pork Skewer from Daniel San

Manly residents Daniel San has also put on a strong market face, serving up a short menu, allowing them to focus on quality. The giant pork skewers we sampled were nicely flavoured, and comes with the added bonus of allowing you to use the sticks for a bit of jousting afterwards! The pork that they used was quite lean though, putting them at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to this particular market, because…

Daniel San
55 N Steyne
Manly, NSW 2095
Phone: 02 9977 6963
Website: http://danielsan.com.au/

Pork and Chicken Skewers from Hoy Pinoy

HOY frickin’ PINOY is back in the building!!! Since I first tried them at the Winter Night Markets in Melbourne, I’ve been stalking them like a woman possessed, sniffing the air for that smoky smell of charcoal like a wolf.

See? I told you that the moon does strange things to people.

They are the reason I would seriously consider moving to Melbourne, and that is no exaggeration. Their menu is short, but it packs a punch. Their chicken skewers are coated in a sweet soy glaze, and their pork skewers in a banana ketchup glaze. Never in my life have I been such a fan of chicken.

And their showing at both the SMH Night Noodle Markets and The Age Night Noodle Markets shows amazing consistency – here’s hoping that they’re soon going to make a permanent expansion up to Sydney.

Hoy Pinoy
Mobile Food Truck
Location Varies- See Facebook
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Website: https://www.facebook.com/hoypinoybbq

Hoy Pinoy makes me happy.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of the NSW Food and Wine Festival.

Stark Raving…Mad Fo’ Chicks, Eastwood

Review February 1, 2015

I’m glad I live in a world where Korean Fried Chicken joints pop up like daisies in the summer. It means variety, choice, and a horizon filled with battered and fried juicy morsels.

And it saddens me when I see what I thought was a busy restaurant all boarded up and closed.
Read More

This meal was independently paid for.

Incredible Chicken 120 Rowe St Eastwood, NSW 2122 Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Incredible-Chicken/405561556253267

This meal was independently paid for.

BCD Tofu House 74-76 Rawson Street Epping, Sydney, NSW Phone: (02) 9868 4300 Website: http://bcdtofu.com

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Passion Tree.

Passion Tree The District Dining Chatswood Interchange 436 Victoria Avenue Chatswood NSW Website: http://www.passiontree.com.au/chatswood-interchange.html

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Zomato

Cho Cho San 73 Macleay Street Potts Point, Sydney, NSW Phone: 02 9331 6601 Website: http://chochosan.com.au

Mira Korean Street Food 16 Railway Parade Eastwood, NSW 2122 Phone: 02 8542 9233

This meal was independently paid for.

Yummy World Korean Restaurant 25 Railway Pde Eastwood, NSW Phone: 02 9874 8732

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Smokkim Modern Kitchen.

Smokkim Modern Kitchen Shop 4003 Corner Devlin St And Blaxland Rd Ryde, NSW 2112 Phone: 02 9809 5703 Website: http://www.smokkim.com.au/ Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs, 10am-11:30pm, Fri-Sat, 11am-1am, Sun, 10am-11:30pm

This meal was independently paid for.

Seoul Orizin 203-209 Thomas St Haymarket, NSW 2000 Phone: 02 8541 7531

Poklol Food Truck Location Varies Check Facebook Sydney, NSW 2000 Phone: 0421 111 691 Website: http://www.poklol.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZOMGPOKLOL

Fat Noodle 80 Pyrmont St Level 1 Sydney, NSW 2009 Phone: 1800 700 700 Website: http://www.star.com.au/sydney-restaurants/casual-dining/Pages/fat-noodle.aspx

Zagyoza Shop 1/60 Vulture St West End Brisbane, QLD Phone: 07 3844 6696 Website: http://www.zagyoza.com/

Daniel San 55 N Steyne Manly, NSW 2095 Phone: 02 9977 6963 Website: http://danielsan.com.au/

Hoy Pinoy Mobile Food Truck Location Varies- See Facebook Melbourne, VIC 3000 Website: https://www.facebook.com/hoypinoybbq

Incredible Chicken
120 Rowe St
Eastwood, NSW 2122
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Incredible-Chicken/405561556253267

BCD Tofu House
74-76 Rawson Street
Epping, Sydney, NSW
Phone: (02) 9868 4300
Website: http://bcdtofu.com

Passion Tree
The District Dining
Chatswood Interchange
436 Victoria Avenue
Chatswood NSW
Website: http://www.passiontree.com.au/chatswood-interchange.html

Cho Cho San
73 Macleay Street
Potts Point, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9331 6601
Website: http://chochosan.com.au

Mira Korean Street Food
16 Railway Parade
Eastwood, NSW 2122
Phone: 02 8542 9233

Yummy World Korean Restaurant
25 Railway Pde
Eastwood, NSW
Phone: 02 9874 8732

Smokkim Modern Kitchen
Shop 4003 Corner Devlin St And Blaxland Rd
Ryde, NSW 2112
Phone: 02 9809 5703
Website: http://www.smokkim.com.au/
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs, 10am-11:30pm, Fri-Sat, 11am-1am, Sun, 10am-11:30pm

Seoul Orizin
203-209 Thomas St
Haymarket, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 8541 7531

Poklol
Food Truck Location Varies Check Facebook
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 0421 111 691
Website: http://www.poklol.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZOMGPOKLOL

Fat Noodle
80 Pyrmont St Level 1
Sydney, NSW 2009
Phone: 1800 700 700
Website: http://www.star.com.au/sydney-restaurants/casual-dining/Pages/fat-noodle.aspx

Zagyoza
Shop 1/60 Vulture St West End
Brisbane, QLD
Phone: 07 3844 6696
Website: http://www.zagyoza.com/

Daniel San
55 N Steyne
Manly, NSW 2095
Phone: 02 9977 6963
Website: http://danielsan.com.au/

Hoy Pinoy
Mobile Food Truck
Location Varies- See Facebook
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Website: https://www.facebook.com/hoypinoybbq