Posts tagged Lunch

The Rice Den, St Leonard’s

Review November 27, 2015

What’s going on with the North Sydney area? It wasn’t until I started looking through my calendar did I realise how many trips I was making into the St. Leonard’s/Crows Nest to eat. Thai Food, Mexican, Burgers…and now, Modern Cantonese.

The Rice Den in St. Leonards takes traditional Cantonese cuisine and gives it a new spin with fresh Australian ingredients. When we first step in, the dark wood furnishings convey a sense of old world charm, while the efficient wait staff bring it all back into the modern day. They knew the menu like the back of their hand, and could make personal recommendations based on solid food knowledge.

So far, so good.

Handmade Cheong Fun, Peanut sesame, hoisin sauce $8

We started with the Handmade Cheong Fun with Peanut Sesame and Hoisin Sauce, $8. Because nostalgia. When I was a kid, Cheong Fun was a daily breakfast. My mum would take me to this hawker stall, downstairs from the kindergarten I went to. A large, rotund man in a thin white wife beater stood, amongst steaming pots, selling rice cakes with radish condiments and rice noodle rolls with hoisin sauce to long queues of dreary-eyed office workers in the building.

The noodles here were soft, tender, but not quite as silky as I wanted them to be. As for the sauce, I could do without the peanut element, but it really did bring childhood memories flooding back for me.

Mixed wild mushroom pancake, $10

But because you can’t live on rice noodles alone – well, you can, but I don’t think you’re meant to – we also got the Mixed Wild Mushroom Pancake ($10) and Rice Wine Cured Ocean Trout with pickled fennel, ginger and soy sauce ($16).

Rice Wine Cured Ocean Trout, Pickled Fennel, Ginger and Soy Sauce $16

The Rice Wine Cured Ocean Trout was seriously kickass, but we all know that I’ve got a bit of a thing for cured fish. Or fresh fish. Or any fish. Doesn’t have to be fish, as long as it comes from the sea. In this case, the rice wine flavour wasn’t particularly obvious, but it really worked as a dish, for me.

Tea smoked chicken salad, rice sheets, peanut sesame and soy dressing, chinkiang vinegar, $16

Crispy soft shell crab, with spicy spanner crab mung bean noodle ($24)

Of the larger bites, we ordered the Tea smoked chicken salad, rice sheets, peanut sesame and soy dressing, chinking vinegar ($16), and the Crispy soft shell crab, with spicy spanner crab mung bean noodle ($24).

Maybe it was the crazy heat, but I was really really feeling the chicken salad, and I’m not even a chicken fan! The smoke really came through without being too overpowering, and the black vinegar dressing kept it refreshing and moreish. A big fat yes.

The Crispy soft shell crab, with spicy spanner crab mung bean noodle ($24) reminded me a little of the Thai claypot crab with glass noodles, mixed a little with chilli crab. There was something really comforting about it, and it was very well made, but somehow wasn’t quite as punchy as the tart chicken salad on a steaming hot day.

French Toast, Dulce de Leche, Peanut Crumble, Mascarpone with matcha green tea, $14

And to finish, French Toast, Dulce de Leche, Peanut Crumble, Mascarpone with matcha green tea ($14). It was crazy rich, with only the green tea mascarpone to cut it. It didn’t quite have the pudding quality that I like in a french toast – My french toasts border on bread pudding – but it was fantastically crispy, and oozing with Dulce de Leche.

I really like what The Rice Den does with bringing old school favourites into the modern day. There’s a whole lot of respect for the cuisine, without taking itself too seriously, which is really what casual dining (to me) is all about. Because not everyone has to spend 10,000hrs perfecting Cantonese techniques.

No, I think we’ll leave that to the old masters.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of The Rice Den.

The Rice Den
30-32 Chandos Street
St Leonards, Sydney
Phone: 02 9438 3612
Website: http://thericeden.com.au

Coffee Box Espresso, Darling Harbour

Review November 25, 2015 1 Comment

With the onset of 38C days, I think it’s safe to say that summer is officially upon us. It sucks, but it’s true. And with all the sweat, tears, and general grumpiness that accompanies it, also comes the headaches, and you know what solves that?

Iced Coffee.

Many ‘serious’ coffee places seem too snooty to do an iced coffee – there’s a stigma that iced coffee is somehow not worth their time because it’s more coffee flavoured milk than a serious caffeine hit. Fair enough, but that leaves people like me in the middle of nowhere, because I’m an unabashed fan of iced coffee that’s forced to either settle for the bottled stuff or make it at home myself.

Well Coffee Box Espresso in Darling Harbour comes to the rescue! Made with a shot of real coffee and scoops of ice cream, they actually make one of the best iced coffees I’ve had in Sydney. Assuming you like iced coffees, of course. Blended and frosty, it was creamy, sweet, and, I can’t stress this enough, made with actual coffee. Caffeine and sugar hit, all at once!

It’s a twofer.

And if iced coffee is a little bit beneath you (no judgement here! *backs away with hands raised*), then a cold drip might be your thing instead. This week, the cold drip coffee came in the form of an Ethiopian Koke Yirgacheffe, with was sweeter and less acidic than most cold drips I’ve had. Very easy to drink, especially for a coffee beginner like me.

Food-wise, I think Coffee Box Espresso do pretty well for a tiny little kitchen that’s pretty much the size of a kiosk. Sandwiches are made daily on-site, and the pastries are baked by “mother dearest”.

I kid you not. The owner’s mother supplies the baked goods, which instantly raises my respect for the place.

Strawberry and Passionfruit Muffin

We tried the Strawberry Passionfruit Muffin, which was covered with a very generous dusting of icing sugar.

Like the kind that will go up in puffs if you breathe too hard on it.

The muffin itself was tender and moist, and fell apart in the best way. Like a heroine in an old school romance movie. A little bit of tart, a little bit of sweet, and a whole lotta soft cakey crumble.

Well done, Mama.

And at the risk of eating dessert before the main – the sky is going to fall down on us! – we also tried the Prosciutto and Egg sandwich.

Prosciuto and Egg Sandwich

Hard boiled eggs – but not too hard boiled! NO GREY RING OF DEATH!- are well, sandwiched between a crusty roll, together with strips of prosciutto, rocket and tomato relish. Very delicious mix of flavours, even though the bread was a bit, um, chewy for my taste. Which wasn’t too hard to fix – just take off the bottom and have it as a tartine!

My mama always said I was a problem solver.

The Coffee Box Espresso may only be a scant eight weeks old, but they seem to have their act together. The owner makes the coffee personally – for every customer, not just for me – and there was a sense of consistency and heart in the work. I’m glad to see a kiosk that tries for standard, rather than just ordering things in for profit and ease, and with the arrival of a new oven soon (so I’m told) it looks like it should go on that way.

Definitely stop by for a quick iced coffee if you’re in the area on a hot day – they aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but they sure do provide a smooth ride.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Coffee Box.

Coffee Box Espresso
Level 2, Harbourside Shopping Centre
2-10 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour, NSW
Phone: N.A.

Kansas City Shuffle, The Rocks

Review November 23, 2015

What is breakfast food? Personally, I’m of the camp that any food can be breakfast food if you’re happy eating it first thing in the morning (fried chicken fans, rejoice!), but Sam has very specific categories that he likes to put his food into. For example, to him, rice is not a breakfast food, even though me and most of the Asian population of the world would disagree.

So what about, say, beef brisket?

eef Brisket with Waffles, Smoked Chilli Butter

Well, at Kansas City Shuffle, breakfast does indeed include beef brisket with (gasp! Horror!) smoked chilli butter, on a crispy waffle. The secret to making it breakfast? Slapping an egg on it.

Beef Brisket with Waffles, Smoked Chilli Butter

True story.

My favourite dish that morning, the beef brisket was oh-so-unctuous, and the waffle just soaked up all that butter. Because clearly ~~my waistline~~ I need more butter in my life. The poached egg I could take it or leave it, but if that’s the one thing allowing me to have this dish first thing in the morning, then I’ll take it.

Fried Chicken Burger

We also ordered the Fried Chicken Burger, which was meant to come inbetween donuts, but we had brioche today because they were having issues with their donut recipe.

Because brioche is such a downgrade, amirite?

The burger itself was nice enough, but strangely enough I didn't actually get anything from the fried chicken. It could’ve been any other patty in there for all the texture and flavour it was giving me. The slaw and the pickle was pulling all the weight, and perhaps it was the lack of donut, but it just made this dish fall short of my expectations a little.

So really, I’ve just been stood up by a doughnut and starfished by fried chicken.

FML.

Pancake with Lemon Curd

And because we’re greedy, pancakes with lemon curd, fresh berries and smoked almond to finish off. As far as the pancake itself, it was a bit doughy for me – you know when it keeps rolling around in your mouth too long? Yeah, like that – but I really liked the sharp tang of the lemon curd. Made me feel like I could’ve eaten more, and that’s always welcome.

Kansas City Shuffle has a great Surry-Hills-vibe to it, with none of the manic frenzy. The chefs seem genuinely happy to be there, and there’s a warmth in all the interactions – I should know, I was right next to the door watching everyone come in. The coffee was excellent, which makes sense since the owner has completed in multiple national coffee competitions, and placed in the top 5!

Sure, the food could have used a little finessing (not the beef though, that was hectic), But they did mention that they were still working out some kinks in the recipes.

So maybe I’d wait a couple weeks for them to find their feet before trying more of the menu. But in the meantime, I think we can agree that anything can be breakfast, as long as there’s an egg on it.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Kansas City Shuffle.

Kansas City Shuffle
195 Gloucester St
The Rocks NSW 2000
Phone:+61 415 362 038
Website: https://www.facebook.com/kansascityshufflesyd/

Gyros? Yeeros? The Yeeros Shop, Marrickville

Review November 15, 2015

Lamb Gyros, The Yeeros Shop: Sydney Food Blog Review

“So the other day, Simon and I went for lunch…”

“Do all your stories start out with food?”

Sam got a smack in the arm for that, but you know what? He’s not wrong. All my stories DO start out with food and I’ve got the waistline to show for it. I wear it like a badge of honour, on my…belly.

ANYWAY.

Simon and I DID go out for lunch one rainy afternoon, making a special trip to Marrickville to visit Blackforest Smokehouse for their cured goods, on the same morning we found out that cured meat was bad for you. Like really really bad for you.

Talk about timing, huh?

So packets of bacon and chorizo later, we found ourselves standing outside The Yeeros shop in Marrickville, because it seemed just a little too on-the-nose to just rip into our newly-bought cancer meats like the starving food bloggers that we were.

What’s the difference between Gyros and Yeeros, anyway?

Whatever it is, all I know is that it means for me spiced meat with fresh veggies, rolled in a soft wheat wrap. A thin sheet of baking paper tries its darndest to hold together a straining roll of lamb and sauce, but it really serves little structural purpose, like a woman’s negligee. This meal was designed for you to get messy with it, and messy with it we shall get.

Chunks of browned lamb and shreds of lettuce spill out between my fingers with every bite, and I had the pleasure to lick it off with garlic-vinegar-dipped chunky chips that smelled intensely of potatoes. No no, this wasn’t just the “deep fried chip” aroma that follows you lovingly like a besotted suitor, no. This was some serious potato black magic, and the chips just tasted intensely of the actual vegetable, with every steaming bite that we took.

And it was many many bites, too, because the serving was so large that neither Simon nor I could actually finish it in its entirety. And that’s on top of us sharing one small order of chips. Great to share, although I’m not sure how it would go down with the ‘authentic’ service – I really don’t know what is it about good, hearty food like this that requires brusque service and people who talk to you like you don’t know anything ~~Jon Snow~~, but I’m happy to sign up to the experience.

I am Asian, after all.

Definitely drop by for a shared lunch if you’re in the area, or make the trip out with friends and go on a food crawl! I heard that there’s a really good pickle shop in the area…

This meal was independently paid for.

The Yeeros Shop
431 Illawarra Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204
Phone: +61 2 9559 1167
Website: theyeerosshop.com.au/

Momo Brasserie, Sydney CBD

Review November 13, 2015 1 Comment

Momo Brasserie Review. Sydney Food Blog Review

Momo’s Wagyu Brioche

I’m not the kind of girl that needs her coffee in the morning to operate. In fact, I’m not the kind of girl to operate in the morning at all.

But that’s besides the point.

Cappuccino

Unlike so many sleep-deprived 20-somethings out there, the caffeine in coffee doesn’t actually have an effect on me, so I’m extra picky about how my coffee tastes. Di Bella Coffee blends and roasts their own coffee out of Queensland. From what I’ve tried at Momo Brasserie, it’s actually a pretty good cuppa. It was aromatic without being burnt and bitter, and unlike many of the coffee places I’ve been to, this didn’t require the cloak of milk and sugar to mask badly handled beans. Very slightly acidic and fruity, with lots of body without a burned aftertaste.

The food was a bit hit and miss for me. The Wagyu Brioche (pictured above), $20, was dry and somewhat uninspiring – not the two words you’d wanna hear in the same sentence as “wagyu” and “brioche”. It was saved entirely by the chips on the plate, though, with just the right amount of crispy to fluffy ratio, and a salty bite that keeps you going back for more.

The New York Pastrami, $19.50, makes all the WHO cancer warnings worthwhile. I love me some cancer meat. A heaping mountain of house-made pastrami lay atop toasted rye with pickles and mustard, and a refreshing slaw and cut through the brininess of the meat. A serving large enough for two, but only eaten by one.

Momo’s New York Pastrami, $19.50

It’s mine, ALL MINE Y’HEAR?!

So good coffee, and okay food. But what about the service? Well, the service was incredibly attentive – I pre-ordered because Sam was on a ticking lunch break, and they paid attention to when he arrived and made the coffee and food accordingly. Very meticulous, and very seamless. Definitely somewhere to go on a lunch break time pump, if only for the coffee and the service, just maybe avoid the burger and get anything with that house made pastrami in it.

Mmmmm. Delicious cancer meat.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Di Bella Coffee.

Momo Brasserie
65 Elizabeth St
Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Phone: +61 2 9233 8838
Website: www.momobrasserie.com.au/

Cafe Culture: Hardware Societe, Melbourne CBD

Melbourne Review Travel October 25, 2015 2 Comments

Sydney Food Blog Review of Hardware Society, Melbourne

I’ve never been into the whole “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” thing. Heresy, I know. It’s just never worked for me, and forcing myself to eat when I’m not ready is never a cute look.

But for certain breakfasts, I’m more than happy to make an exception. And if Hardware Societe is going to put the words ‘lobster’ and ‘benedict’ in the same sentence, well, now they’re just twisting my arm.

Lobster Benedict, $25

And what a glorious breakfast the Lobster Benedict was. Chunks of perfectly cooked lobster sit on buttery brioche, and form a luxurious bed for oozy poached eggs and a cozy blanket of hollandaise. It’s like every luxurious ‘treat’ ingredient came together and decided to have a beautiful magic baby. I had to stop myself from finishing ALL of the brioche, because I ordered a second breakfast.

Steak Tartare, $25

Yes, you heard me right. For someone who doesn’t do breakfasts, I ordered TWO. I never do things by halves. The Steak Tartare was indeed lovely – with finely chopped beef flavoured with a capsicum based romesco sauce rather than the usual mustard/caper/shallot mix. Good, but not as good as the benedict, and so faded into oblivion, a.k.a the recesses of my memory.

Matcha Latte, $4.50

Besides the photogenic food, the drinks are also beautiful to behold. The barista even has a super cool instagram account dedicated to latte art! How the f**k did that swan get in there?? HOW IS THIS BLACK MAGIC POSSIBLE?!

And just as a kicker, I also took a photo of the food on the table beside me. I’ve no idea what this is or how
it tastes, but it sure looked pretty!

I just absolutely fell in love with the relaxed atmosphere at Hardware Societe. I didn’t feel judged at ALL for ordering two breakfasts, in fact other than a small moment of embarassment on my part when the server said, “are BOTH of these for you?”, I felt right at home with the hilarious, warm staff and people who let me photograph their food.

A must-go when I next go back to Melbourne. Breakfast has never been so cool.

This meal was independently paid for.

The Hardware Societe
118-120 Hardware Street
CBD Melbourne, VIC
Phone: 03 9078 5992

Danno’s, Dee Why

Review October 16, 2015

So here’s the goss: Danno’s used to be THE place to go to for burgers. Hulking, juicy, thick, saucy burgers. These burgers were made by Burger Josh – yes, a man so devoted to his craft that burgers have just become his identity – and they were truly a work of art to behold.

Then one day, Burger Josh and Danno’s decided that they didn’t love each other anymore and part ways. And the diners, like me, were left inbetween feeling like the product of a broken home. After all, who’s side do you pick when mommy and daddy break up?

Better still, what do you do when mommy finds another man to replace daddy. WHAT THEN?! ?????

Organic Breakfast Trifle, Coconut Milk, Chia Seed, Mango, Yoghurt, Mixed Berries, $16

Thinly veiled analogies aside, Danno’s is back with a new menu and a new chef, ready to reclaim (or retain?) the love of the dining public. The new menu is created by Chef Ashraf Saleh, who brings with him middle eastern influences and years of restaurant experience.

Egyptian Poached Eggs, Bastourma, Za’atar, Kale, Sweet Potato Croquet, $17

So how does the food stack up? Well, it’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges, really. One gives pretty, upscale, cafe-type food, and the other, gritty, sexy, voluptuous burgers.

No, you’re saying it wrong. Gotta add a growl to your voice and say it again:

BUUURRRGGGGEEERRRSSSS.

Heirloom Tomato and Beetroot Salad

Anyhoo, Danno’s new menu is indeed pretty. Very photogenic in a Covergirl ad sorta way. Not exactly edgy in terms of favour profile or culinary creativity, but that might not have been what Chef Ashraf might have been aiming for.

The Organic Breakfast Trifle, $16, was a chia pudding with a riot of fresh fruit and compote over the top. It was silky and comforting, with light, fresh notes of the summer fruits keeping it from being stodgy.

On the savoury front, Egyptian Poached Eggs, Bastourma, Za’atar, Kale, Sweet Potato Croquet, $17 was well, interesting. The individual elements on the plate – and there were many – were okay, but didn’t come together into anything remarkable. Massive amounts of beetroot and radish made it all visually stunning, but pretty only gets you so far.

But of course, you are really waiting for me to compare apples with apples. Danno’s indeed has a burger on the menu, and yes, we ate it.

EAT ALL THE FOOD.

The Titanic

The Titanic was aptly named, because well, look at it. Here, I even have a shot of Chef Ashraf holding it, for comparison.

As he set down the plate, Chef Ashraf made very sure to tell us that he felt that his burger was full of flavour, and there was no need for it to be dripping with sauce. No need to be OTT, you know, gotta keep it simple.

Well, um, I dont’t really know how to put this, but it needs more sauce. *hides face behind hands* The fried chicken was flavourful enough, but not juicy enough to combat the natural dryness that is bread. And what sauce it had, mind you, had a lovely thousand-island-type tang, but I needed more. Way more.

The fries thst it came with though? A+. Hints of sumac and spice brought the humble fry to life, and I just kept picking at it, even though I should’ve stopped eating 10 minutes ago.

I think that the new menu reslly shows a lot of promise, though I kind of question putting a burger on so soon after the divorce. Salt in the wound man, salt in the wound. It might take s bit of time for the new chef and evolving menu to find their footing, but from what I’ve seen, it shouldn’t take too long for the taste of the food to match the expectation that the presentation gives.

Wasn’t there something about judging a book by its cover?

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Danno’s.

Danno’s
23 Howard Avenue
Dee Why, NSW
Phone: 02 8094 9677
Website: http://dannoscafe.com

It’s not easy being green: One Tea Lounge and Grill, Sydney CBD

Review September 30, 2015

Sydney Food Blog Review of One Tea Lounge, Sydney CBD

Green Tea is touted to have many health benefits, like antioxidants, and…yeah whatever. To be honest, all I care about is that it’s so DAMNED DELICIOUS.

I know you feel me when I say matcha errthang.

Gyokuro Green Tea

Well, David – owner of One Tea Lounge and Grill – seems to feel the same way, using green tea as a component in 80% of the menu. Of course, it helps that his mum is an expert in the stuff, what with having her own store and all.

From drinks to food, just about everything is tinted a beautiful shade of Jade.

Matcha Yuzu Frozen Tubes

We were spoilt with David getting behind the bar to personally create our cocktails. Using matcha to create a green tea syrup, he then mixes it with tangy yuzu juice and other fruits to create a refreshing mix that’s served up in test tubes, with billowing dry ice for effect.

Gyokuro smoked octopus with avocado

Takocini, $9

Matcha Fries ($4 for half serve)

Popcorn curry chicken ($5 half serve)

Food-wise, the small bites ranged from the more obvious Matcha Fries, which were topped with a green tea and nori mixture, to the more subtle Gyokuro smoked octopus with avocado. The octopus was creamy and rich, cut by a light smokiness, and the Popcorn Curry Chicken was a perfect snacking accompaniment to our cocktails.

The Takocini was a particular standout: part arancini (Italian rice balls coated and deep fried) and part takoyaki (Japanese Octopus balls made from a wheat flour batter and fried in a cast iron pan), these little morsels on a bed of green tea mayo was just all moreish. Also high on the so-addictive-it’s-like-crack scale, the Matcha Fries. Served with a curry sauce, it reminded me of my childhood in Singapore where Maccas had curry sauce available to be eaten with a seaweed flavoured bag of fries.

Because you ain’t done fast food till you’ve done Asian fast food.

Ramen Burger with Beef, $13.80

Matcha Baoger with Tofu, $13.80

Black Pepper Unagi Matcha Bento, $20.80

On the mains front, they’ve got all the Japanese classics like Bentos, Sizzle Hotplates, and Wagyu Beef, all with a modern twist, of course.

Spicy Cheese Pork Sizzle Hotplate, $13.80

Volcano Wagyu Beef

The Ramen Burger has come a long way since I first tried it at the Night Noodle Markets. The noodle ‘buns’ are satisfyingly crunchy on the outside, and held together really well, even though the beef patty made it a touch too thick to eat as a burger.

For the rice lovers, the Black Pepper Unagi Bento features a soft green tea rice, that adds a very mild and complementary note of bitterness to the whole dish. Or if you prefer a one-dish rice thang, then the sizzling hotplate is something worth ordering. Owner David honestly states Pepper Lunch as his inspiration, and I think you can never have enough of a good thing. He’s changed it up by adding an egg pour, so that you get flecks of hotplate-fried egg through your sizzling rice! Add to that chilli pork and cheese, and you’ve got yourself a cold-weather winner.

And if you’re trying to impress someone – or potentially maim them, haha! – you have to go the Volcano Wagyu Beef. Beautifully marbled pieces of wagyu are seared on a hotplate, and served with a billowing volcano of FIRRRRREEEEEE…and red wine jus. But really, I’m a sucker for theatrics, and the pyrotechnics got me.

Matcha Lava Bomb, $20

The desserts, too, have gotten the matcha treatment. The Matcha Lava Bomb is basically a lava cake that’s had a lovechild with a crepe suzette: the cake gets doused in orange liqueur and set on fire. Cause everything is better when it’s been set on fire.

To be brutally honest, the food, while good, isn’t super amazing. But the whole experience though, is a barrel of fun. David really understands what it means to be a diner, and he makes sure that everything from the service to the ambience is deliberate and thought out. It really speaks to the story behind One Tea Lounge – it’s dedicated to Daisy, David’s fiancee who passed away from cancer last year. It was always her dream to open a restaurant, and really provide the ‘hospitable’ in ‘hospitality’. And I respect that David is trying to carry out her dream.

I would recommend heading down to One Tea Lounge and Grill in a group – it’s much more fun that way. Otherwise, why not say hi to David at their Night Noodle Market stall? It’s not 100% confirmed, but if the previous years are any indication, they’ll be there. =)

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of One Tea Lounge and Grill.

One Tea Lounge and Grill
Upper Ground Floor
73 York Street, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 8318 2246
Website: https://www.facebook.com/ONEtealounge

A little street in…Little Hutong, Little Bay

Review September 25, 2015

Sydney Food Blog Review of Little Hutong, Little Bay

You know the story of Gulliver’s Travels? Where he stumbles upon (literally) a little town full of little people – not a euphemism. They were about the size of his little finger – that saw him as a dangerous giant to be restrained? Well that’s how I felt most of the time as I was growing up, which then led me to be very afraid of the word “Little”.

So Little Hutong in Little Bay? Well, the irrational part of me half expected to arrive and find myself in a Gulliver-type situation. We were going to be very close to the water, after all.

Penang Cheh Hoo, $14

Thankfully no such thing happened. In fact, Little Hutong was a fairly roomy restaurant, situated in a large, sprawling suburb. An airy dining room looked straight into an open kitchen, and a long bench ran along the length, dotted with tables along the way.

Quite pretty, and charming.

Beef Rendang Roti, $14

The food had an equally pretty and charming quality about it. Hawker-style dishes were plated in a restaurant-style fashion, which worked for some items more than others.

The Penang Cheh Hoo, $14, for example – a turnip/fritter/tofu/peanut salad topped with a sweet potato gravy/sauce – and was plated in a wide rimmed slate black plate. Quite a step up from the slap-it-on-a-plate style that most hawkers employ.

Roti Cina with Slow Roast Crispy Pork Belly, $15.50

The Roti Cina with Slow Roast Crispy Pork Belly, $15.50, was a bao by any other name, Pretty good mix of flavours, but after I’ve had the wonderfully fluffy, light-as-air bao of Belly Bao, nothing else can compare.

#sorrynotsorry

Hainanese Chicken Rice, $14

Of course, when there’s Hainanese Chicken Rice on the menu, I’ve just gotta order it. I know that it’s never going to be as good as the $5-a-meal chicken rice I can get from Singapore, but really, it’s like a challenge that I must accept. I just HAVE TO. #FirstWorldProblems

The verdict? I’m actually quite impressed by the peripheral condiments that are often overlooked. Sure, the chicken wasn’t quite as silky and the rice wasn’t as punchy, but the chilli and ginger sauce was fresh, and the CHICKEN HAD DRESSING!! Woo!!

You don’t know how important that seemingly invisible soy/stock/chicken fat dressing is. It adds an extra layer of unctuousness to a juicy chicken, and soaks through the rice for maximum enjoyment. And Little Hutong is the first place in Sydney that I’ve seen that didn’t leave the chicken naked, and me wanting. Teehee.

Sakura in the air, $21

But the piece de resistance of the whole lunch? This. Sakura in the air, $21, is a very posh plate of silky salmon, poached egg yolk, eel arancini, pickle salad, and Japanese mayo. Very sophisticated, but somewhat out of place on the humble menu.

Very expertly executed and balanced though, and should be the first thing that you order at Little Hutong. Kinda like a better version of a certain Breakfast at the Sakuma’s. But shhhh, don’t tell anyone that I said such a sacrilegious thing.

Little Hutong is a lovely local in a lovely neighbourhood, with really decent options on the menu. Sure, it’s not quite the truly gritty feel that I would want to accompany my true hawker experience, but not everyone wants to be sweating and crying into their food all at once. I’m just sad like that.

Shame that it’s all the way out in Little Bay, though. I would very much like to make another trip for the dinner menu.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Little Hutong.

Little Hutong
Shop 4, 2-8 Pine Avenue
Little Bay, Sydney NSW
Phone: 02 8020 0779
Website: https://www.facebook.com/thelittlehutong

Hair of the dog: Bloody Mary’s, Darlinghurst

Review September 14, 2015

Sydney Food Blog Review of Bloody Mary's, Darlinghurst

I’m obsessed with Bloody Mary’s. Well, virgin mary’s cause I don’t do so well with alcohol (asian genes and all), but you get the idea. Bloody Caesar, Bloody Maria, Bacon fat vodka…whatever the combination, I’m absolutely there.

So when I saw this Buzzfeed article about a cafe called Bloody Mary’s, right here in Sydney, I knew I had to go.

Bloody Hell, $25

Classic Bloody Mary, $14

So, there were many bloody mary’s, as expected, but also a short food menu to soak up the potential hangovers.

Bloody Mary’s Beef Burger, $19

Yankee Doodle Classic Hotdog, $13

The verdict? Bloody marys with massive-ass toppers are good fun and beats crazy milkshakes anyday. Because cheeseburger > doughnut. The actual food on the menu did seem like an afterthought to the bloody mary’s, which I guess is a fair call, except when the Bloody Mary’s Beef Burger turned up fairly dry, both in topper form and full-sized form.

The buffalo wing topper was actually pretty good, and I wished we ordered that instead, but life is full of shoulda woulda couldas and this will be one of them.

I also got the Yankee Doodle Classic Hotdog, which was pretty punchy in flavour with chorizo and mushrooms covered in a creamy sauce. And cheese. Because cheese is delicious. A bit too much bread in each mouthful for my liking, but it was okay when you wash it down with your bloody mary.

Great theme, so-so execution. Go for the experience, but I’m not sure that it’s enough to hook me into coming back hangover after hangover. The drinks are pretty good, but incredibly..delicate for my unsubtle Asian palate. (Read: needs more tabasco. Always more tabasco.)

Go on and give it a go, though. I’d love to know what you think. And if you aren’t quite into it, as I was, well there’s always Gelato Messina’s Dessert Bar down the street.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of The Rice Den.

The Rice Den 30-32 Chandos Street St Leonards, Sydney Phone: 02 9438 3612 Website: http://thericeden.com.au

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Coffee Box.

Coffee Box Espresso Level 2, Harbourside Shopping Centre 2-10 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour, NSW Phone: N.A.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Kansas City Shuffle.

Kansas City Shuffle 195 Gloucester St The Rocks NSW 2000 Phone:+61 415 362 038 Website: https://www.facebook.com/kansascityshufflesyd/

This meal was independently paid for.

The Yeeros Shop 431 Illawarra Rd Marrickville NSW 2204 Phone: +61 2 9559 1167 Website: theyeerosshop.com.au/

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Di Bella Coffee.

Momo Brasserie 65 Elizabeth St Sydney NSW 2000, Australia Phone: +61 2 9233 8838 Website: www.momobrasserie.com.au/

This meal was independently paid for.

The Hardware Societe 118-120 Hardware Street CBD Melbourne, VIC Phone: 03 9078 5992

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Danno’s.

Danno’s 23 Howard Avenue Dee Why, NSW Phone: 02 8094 9677 Website: http://dannoscafe.com

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of One Tea Lounge and Grill.

One Tea Lounge and Grill Upper Ground Floor 73 York Street, Sydney, NSW Phone: 02 8318 2246 Website: https://www.facebook.com/ONEtealounge

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Little Hutong.

Little Hutong Shop 4, 2-8 Pine Avenue Little Bay, Sydney NSW Phone: 02 8020 0779 Website: https://www.facebook.com/thelittlehutong

This meal was independently paid for.

Bloody Mary’s 332 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst Phone: 02 9360 5568 Website: http://www.bloodymaryssydney.com.au

The Rice Den
30-32 Chandos Street
St Leonards, Sydney
Phone: 02 9438 3612
Website: http://thericeden.com.au

Coffee Box Espresso
Level 2, Harbourside Shopping Centre
2-10 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour, NSW
Phone: N.A.

Kansas City Shuffle
195 Gloucester St
The Rocks NSW 2000
Phone:+61 415 362 038
Website: https://www.facebook.com/kansascityshufflesyd/

The Yeeros Shop
431 Illawarra Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204
Phone: +61 2 9559 1167
Website: theyeerosshop.com.au/

Momo Brasserie
65 Elizabeth St
Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Phone: +61 2 9233 8838
Website: www.momobrasserie.com.au/

The Hardware Societe
118-120 Hardware Street
CBD Melbourne, VIC
Phone: 03 9078 5992

Danno’s
23 Howard Avenue
Dee Why, NSW
Phone: 02 8094 9677
Website: http://dannoscafe.com

One Tea Lounge and Grill
Upper Ground Floor
73 York Street, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 8318 2246
Website: https://www.facebook.com/ONEtealounge

Little Hutong
Shop 4, 2-8 Pine Avenue
Little Bay, Sydney NSW
Phone: 02 8020 0779
Website: https://www.facebook.com/thelittlehutong

Bloody Mary’s
332 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst
Phone: 02 9360 5568
Website: http://www.bloodymaryssydney.com.au