Posts tagged Restaurant

Vessel Italian & Bar, Sydney

Review
Vessel Italian and Bar, Sydney. Sydney Food Blog Review

Seared scallops, Jerusalem artichoke puree, pork crackling, green apple salsa ($24). Vessel Italian and Bar, Sydney: Sydney Food Blog Review

You know that saying, “never go to bed angry”? Well you should also never go to bed hungry. It’s a thing. And it was exactly what we were, um, trying to prevent when we rocked up at Vessel Italian & Bar, and ordered two pizzas, a pasta, an entree and a salad.

Because salads are healthy, right?

Also, we had a $100 voucher from Zomato to spend, and I have an appetite like an Asian. Win-win!

Nomad's hot chorizo, red pepper and rosemary ($19.50), and the Garlic Pizza ($8.50). Vessel Italian and Bar, Sydney: Sydney Food Blog ReviewFrom left: Nomad’s hot chorizo, red pepper and rosemary ($19.50), and the Garlic Pizza ($8.50)

For the pizzas, we ordered the Nomad’s hot chorizo, red pepper and rosemary ($19.50), and the Garlic Pizza ($8.50). Because we really like garlic bread.

So classy, I know. ?

Anyway, maybe because I’ve been so spoilt lately by thick, chewy, bready crusts, I’m finding that the thin crispy ones aren’t really doing it for me anymore. Nothing wrong with them, but just not satisfying.

The topping on the Nomad’s hot chorizo, though, was pretty good – the chorizo was cooked to a satisfying crispness on the top, while retaining tender chunks of flesh in the middle. Could’ve done with a stronger tomato flavour in the base, but it was just because there was so much cheese, and I could never complain about too much cheese.

NEVER, Y’HEAR??

Seared scallops, Jerusalem artichoke puree, pork crackling, green apple salsa ($24). Vessel Italian and Bar, Sydney: Sydney Food Blog ReviewSeared scallops, Jerusalem artichoke puree, pork crackling, green apple salsa ($24).

The Seared scallops, Jerusalem artichoke puree, pork crackling, green apple salsa ($24), brought up a bit of a “ooooh, fancy!” reaction in me, probably because I do love a good slate plate.

Isn’t it just so pretty?

A photo posted by Tammi Kwok (@teafortammi) on

The scallops were nicely seared without being overdone, the Jerusalem artichoke purée was silky and luscious, and the green apple salsa brought a lovely touch of freshness. The pork crackling though? Um. It wasn’t the best. *hides*

Never have I thought that I’d ever complain about pork crackling, but there it is. It was broken up to fairly small pieces, and gave me that feeling of…of…

You know when you eat shellfish and you can bits of shell stuck in the back of your mouth? Yeah. Like that.

Spaghetti aglio olio, with baby squid and pangritatta ($22). Vessel Italian and Bar, Sydney: Sydney Food Blog ReviewSpaghetti aglio olio, with baby squid and pangritatta ($22)

The Spaghetti aglio olio, with baby squid and pangritatta ($22) didn’t fare too well, either. I love, LOVE aglio e olio – which usually is a light pasta dish of garlic, olive oil, and sometimes red chilli – but it’s the simplest dishes that are sometimes the hardest to get right. This particular one was a bit lacking in flavour for me – salt, garlic…oil. And considering the name of the dish translates to “garlic” and “oil”, it’s not a great sign.

The squid was cooked very nicely though – tender and juicy and not rubbery – so points for that.

Caprese, with heirloom tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and olive oil ($14). Vessel Italian and Bar, Sydney: Sydney Food Blog ReviewCaprese, with heirloom tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and olive oil ($14)

Much better was the Caprese, with heirloom tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and olive oil ($14). It’s really REALLY hard to mess up a caprese, assuming tomatoes are in season (which they are), and this provided a lovely freshness that balanced out the whole meal.

Kinda distracted me from the fact that I was eating a whole ton of cheese.

Mmm cheese.

The service also had its ups and downs – the lady who seated us was very friendly, but after that, it was pretty hard to get anyone’s attention, even though the restaurant was not even half filled when we went. When we did get a hold of someone though, they were pretty accommodating in our requests for salt and chilli, and our bottle of water got topped up without asking.

I’m not sure if there’s anything I would particularly make the trip back for – it was a bit on the average side for me – but I don’t think I would kick up a fuss if I had friends who wanted to come here for a group outing.

Not great, but could be worse.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Zomato.
Vessel Italian and Bar
1 Shelley St
Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Phone: +61 2 92955070
Website: http://vesselsydney.com.au

Vessel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Hedgehogs in the Inner West: Luyu and Yum Yum, Newtown

Review
Manga Hedgehog Dumplings from Luyu and Yum Yum, Newtown. Sydney Food Blog Insatiable Munchies Review

Mr Luyu Snow White Dumpling, $11.80, from Luyu and Yum Yum: Sydney Food Blog Review

It was raining, and I was late. Public transport improves no one’s mood at the best of times, and this was no exception. It was stiflingly humid, and even the vibrancy of a neighbourhood like Newtown couldn’t fight off the absolutely depressing and un-sexy shade of grey that had descended upon Sydney.

Located on King Street with a bright neon sign is Luyu and Yum Yum: the effort of tea master Luyu to pair his tea with food, and the result is a classy east-meets-west restaurant, with a heavy emphasis on dumplings.

Manga Dumpling Manga Dumpling “Hedgehog”, $12.80

I had a job to do (hard life) and as the entrees started rolling out I felt like I was getting a good Asian feed, without the stereotypical Asian service. The Manga Hedgehogs were so gosh darned cute that I almost couldn’t bear to eat them. Almost.

Manga Dumpling Manga Dumpling “Hedgehog”, $12.80

Encased in sweet fluffy dough was a rich mushroom filling that transported me back to Hong Kong in the 90s. Everything melded together whilst keeping its own flavour identity, and I felt like I was watching an award-winning acapella performance.

Caviar Dumpling, $13.80, from Luyu and Yum Yum: Sydney Food Blog ReviewCaviar Dumpling, $13.80

The Caviar Dumpling was also a winner, and not just because I’m a slave to anything caviar. A solid mouthful of prawn dumpling was just lightly annointed with salty caviar, giving me texture and flavour all at once.

7 flavoured tofu, $7.80, from Luyu and Yum Yum: Sydney Food Blog Review7 flavoured tofu, $7.80

Want something fun? Then eat the 7-flavour tofu with the chilli oil. By itself, the cubes of tofu weren’t particularly exciting, but the chilli oil transformed it into BBQ duck. Seriously. If you’re vegan and always wondered why we love BBQ duck so much, this is your chance to find out. There’s some sort of magic voodoo going on here, and all I need to know is that it just works, like Apple products did in the 00’s.

Duck Pancake, $16.80, from Luyu and Yum Yum: Sydney Food Blog ReviewDuck Pancake, $16.80

Speaking of which, the Duck pancakes bring me right back to old Chinese restaurants of the 90s with my family, with generous lashings of sauce to accompany the chunks of duck meat. Nothing new, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Fantastically executed, and kept me eating till the last bite, even if I personally prefer the sweeter plum sauce to the more commonly used hoisin.

Truffle Dumpling Skewer, $12.80, from Luyu and Yum Yum: Sydney Food Blog ReviewTruffle Dumpling Skewer, $12.80

The east-meets-west fusion, of course, doesn’t always produce stunners. Even the most beautiful people in the world have average babies sometimes. Don’t let Angelina and Brad fool you. The Truffle Dumpling Skewers was one example, which confused the excitement right out of me. Let me try to explain it with this Venn diagram.

Dumpling venn diagram. Sydney Food Blog Review of Luyu and Yum Yum, Newtown

It’s really like if you added truffle on a Siu Mai. Prawn dumplings? We know that’s delicious. Truffle prawns? Yes please! Truffled dumplings? Din Tai Fung will show you the way. But Truffled Prawn Dumplings? Eh, not so much. Maybe my palate isn’t pushing the boundaries of dining, but I wasn’t a fan of the combination even though I enjoyed the individual components. And the sweet Jasmine honey sauce didn’t help either. It was cute that it tasted strongly like soda – and I’m all for repurposing flavours in unexpected ways – but it just didn’t go.

If in doubt, just follow the Fonz.

Mama's Chilli Chicken, $12.80, from Luyu and Yum Yum: Sydney Food Blog ReviewMama’s Chilli Chicken, $12.80

And the mains didn’t exactly come out swinging in the same way entrees did.

The Chilli Chicken and Beetroot echoed Kung Pao Chicken, an old school popular Chinese restaurant favourite that involves cashews, dried chillies, and a dark soy sauce that’s so sticky it really should be called a glaze. In this case, fresh serrano chillies replace the dried, and candied walnuts replace the cashews. The glaze wasn’t quite as saucy or dark, and the fresh pieces of beetroot added a fresh crunch. The candied walnuts were the best bit of the dish, with a glassy sugar coating that shattered with every bite. I really wished that there was more of the glaze/sauce – how would you mix it into your rice otherwise? – and while I was initially ambivalent about the beetroot, it really grew on me as I kept picking at it. The part that got me confused was the sprinkle of dried basil over the top. It jarred me out of the Asian illusion of the dish, and felt like that awkward kid at the party who tries to insert themselves into the group and then doesnt know what they want to say. Not a bad dish, but after the dumplings, it had big shoes plates to fill.

Eggplant, $12.80, from Luyu and Yum Yum: Sydney Food Blog ReviewEggplant, $12.80

The Eggplant was another dish that grew on me, but not to desired rash status. Battered eggplant fritters are served in a pyramid of sorts, and drizzled with a caramel sauce. I really
mourn that the eggplant wasn’t more obvious – you could’ve replaced it with zucchini and I’m not sure many would notice – but it was pretty enjoyable in a fritter sorta way. Crunchy-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside coating, and sauce. Good, but not ‘amazing’, as the waiter recommended it to us.

If the dumplings were the pinnacle of what Luyu and Yum Yum had to offer, then I’m really sorry to say that Osmanthus Oasis, for me, was base camp at the foot of the mountain.

Osmanthus Oasis, $13.80, from Luyu and Yum Yum: Sydney Food Blog ReviewOsmanthus Oasis, $13.80

My personal doubts about the flavour aside, the Osamanthus Oasis was just plain hard to eat. Served on a long, thin plate, the jelly kept slipping and sliding off and was fairly difficult to pick up. What made matters worse was the chocolate syrup, that added a faint chemical taste to the dessert. Why they would add something like that to what could’ve been an otherwise an interesting dessert, I will never understand. Especially not when the waiter strongly seconded our decision to order it.

I think Luyu and Yum Yum is perfect for a group outing: the serving sizes of dumplings allow you to sample and try a little bit of everything without getting too full, and it’s a nice change to the ubiquitous tapas houses in Sydney. If I could do it all over again, and I wouldn’t mind going back with more friends, I’d just stick to the dumpling and entree menu. It’s got more than enough variety to keep anyone’s attention, and most of it is really well executed.

Just don’t order the dessert. Trust me.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Luyu and Yum Yum.
Luyu and Yum Yum
Level 1, 196 King Street
Newtown, Sydney
Phone: 02 8317 6337
Website: http://luyu.com.au

Luyu and Yum Yum Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

De…Luxe Woollahra

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Luxe, Wollahra

Sydney Food Blog Review of Luxe, Wollahra

From cafe, to bakery, to restaurant, Sydney’s Luxe seems intent on TAKING OVER THE WORLD. Okay, maybe I’ve been watching one too many action movies, but you get the idea.

Luxe started from a little cafe in Westfield’s Bondi, and then proceeded to open a bakery in Newtown to control the quality of the baked goods they serve. And now, they’ve moved on to restaurants, opening the first one in Singapore earlier this year, and now a beautiful location in Woollahra accented in white and gold.

Very…lux!

Sydney Food Blog Review of Luxe, Wollahra: Grilled Octopus with Chui's XO SauceGrilled Octopus with Chui’s XO Sauce

And with Chef Chui Lee Luk on board – whom I had previously met at Asia Town – I jumped at the invite to sample their new winter menu.

We started off with Grilled Octopus with Chui’s XO Sauce. Tender pieces of octopus are balanced with cooked capsicum, and Chui’s take on the omnipresent XO sauce that is used everywhere in Asian cooking. Traditionally, XO sauce is made with dried shrimp, scallops, chinese dried ham, chilli, garlic and ginger (amongst the bazillion other ingredients that could be in there). Here, Chui uses bacon instead of chinese ham to echo the other parts of the Luxe menu that already uses bacon.

And really, there’s always a reason to use bacon.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Luxe, Wollahra: Roasted Barramundi, Plum Pickled Eggplant, Ginger Butter Sauce. Roasted Barramundi, Plum Pickled Eggplant, Ginger Butter Sauce

For mains, we were served up the Roasted Barramundi, Plum Pickled Eggplant and Ginger Butter Sauce, and Balsamic Glazed Duck to share.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Luxe, Wollahra: Balsamic Glazed DuckBalsamic Glazed Duck

And of course, veggies, because…something something balanced diet.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Luxe, Wollahra: Broccoli and HazelnutsBroccoli and Hazelnuts

Sydney Food Blog Review of Luxe, Wollahra: Luxe SlawLuxe Slaw

Chui has extensive experience as a chef and an intimate understanding of Asian ingredients, and it definitely shows in the conception and execution of this menu. The umeboshi (Japanese plum) pickled eggplant delivered pops of tartness which made the Roasted Barramundi incredibly more-ish, and the slaw and broccoli lightened up the rich, dark balsamic glazed duck.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Luxe, Wollahra: Pear and Apple Tart Pear and Apple Tart

And even though we ate SO MUCH – I can’t help myself – I actually walked away still feeling light and food coma-free! Even with a Pear and Apple Tart for dessert, it was a nice kind of full. I would have liked to see more Asian elements from Chui given that I know how well she can manipulate the ingredients, but it’s really decent food in very posh surroundings. I really liked how they married the “luxe” decor with a relaxed cafe style service, and a menu that sits somewhere in-between.

If this is the winter menu, I really need to go back and have a look at their lunch!

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Luxe Woollahra.
Luxe Woollahra
118 Queen St
Woollahra, NSW
Website: http://luxesydney.com.au

Click to add a blog post for Luxe Woollahra on Zomato

Fine dining in the country: Emerson’s, Lovedale

Review
Review of Emerson's Cafe and Restaurant, Lovedale

Review of Emerson's Cafe and Restaurant, Lovedale

I’ve popped my girls’-weekend cherry. No, get your head of
the gutter. Not that kind of girls’ weekend. The kind that is glamourised by the Britney Spears’ classic, Crossroads – where women go on road trips together to find adventure, and themselves.

Well we may or may not have found ourselves (I’m pretty hard to miss), but you know what we found? A restaurant so good that after we went for dinner the first night, we went straight back for breakfast the next day.

Uh huh, it was that good.

The Dinner

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantPork Croquette, Sauerkraut, apple gel

As foodies with eyes larger than our stomachs, the goal was simple: try as many things as we can stomach, and try not to walk away too broke to get home. So two entrees, one main and one dessert it was.

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantMiso cured atlantic salmon, pickled cucumber, soy jelly, seaweed dusted puffed rice, fresh horseradish cream

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantVenison Carpaccio with Apple and Sourdough Crisps

Of the entrees, the Miso cured atlantic salmon was my favourite. It was a very light plate, and even though the combination of miso and soy could have ended in an oversalted disaster, I felt like it was very nicely balanced. The Venison Carpaccio was a richer dish, and also very expertly executed, but not particularly outstanding to me.

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantDuck Supreme with Duck Hash, Carrot Crisps, Carrot Puree, Peas, Orange Sauce

The Duck Supreme was a throwback to the days of yore where serving a piece of poultry supreme – a breast with the drumlet bone still attached – was in vogue. So retro, like the term “in vogue”. Geddit?

But the old school concept was brought to the present with new school techniques, and the smallest details proved to be the most impressive. And I really mean the smallest details. The light-as-air carrot crisps involve dehydrating a sheet carrot puree, and then deep frying it for that otherworldly texture. The duck itself was tender and moist, and the whole plate came together very nicely with a balance of richness from the duck and sauce, and a lightness from the pea shoots and carrot components.

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantBanana Fritter, House made nulkaba farm honey ice cream, dulce de leche

And the final crescendo in the symphony that guarantees an exit with a bang, the dessert. We chose the Banana Fritter because well, dulce de leche makes us happy. Real happy. And this dessert hit all the rich, sweet notes that it was meant to hit. The honey ice cream was the most spectacular, with a very distinctive hum of honey through an otherwise vanilla base. And so smooth it puts a baby’s bottom to shame. Creamy and silky, and presented in a perfect quenelle.

And naturally, after having our fill of dinner, we went straight to making plans for breakfast.

The Breakfast

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantLamb’s Fry with Potato Rosti, Fried Egg, Caramelised Onion, Butter Fried Toast. Wilted Spinach, Extra Bacon

I’ve always preferred savoury over sweet, and I love seeing how uncommon breakfast ingredients like Lamb’s Fry is used at the breakfast table. Lamb’s fry was not quite a thing in Singapore whilst I was growing up – a feat considering how much offal I ate – but since moving to Australia I’ve come to understand it as Lamb’s brains, that is usually crumbed and deep fried. Like a parallel universe’s version of chicken nuggets. I quite like the creamy texture of lamb’s brains, so imagine my shock and horror when liver came out instead. Grainy, tough, unforgiving liver. Turns out, Lamb’s Fry can refer to all the offal of lamb, and brain just seems to be the one that I’ve been eating. And I just don’t like liver. I keep trying, and I’ll eat it, but I don’t have nice things to say about a slab of cooked liver. #sorrynotsorry

Pate, on the other hand…

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantFluffy Pancakes, Honeycomb Butter, Bananas, Extra Bacon

Thankfully Christine’s order of Fluffy Pancakes were exactly as we expected: fluffy AF, and fried in butter, with bits of caramel honeycomb dissolved throughout. Caramelised bananas and thick slabs of bacon completed the sweet/salty combo, and we walked away happy campers.

There was only one hiccup in all of this – the bread. Such a small thing, right? For dinner, we were asked if we wanted some house-made baguette, and I thought it was a nice question since a LOT of bread can get wasted if the diner didn’t actually want to eat it. So we said yes, and turns out, it wasn’t a question of food waste, it was an order. We were presented a $7 charge for an honestly fairly dense baguette, and quite a but of confusion in between. Thankfully they very readily took it off the bill when we explained the confusion, and we were still left with an amazing enough experience to come back again the next day.

Emerson’s was a very pleasant surprise considering that I wasn’t expecting too much out of country Australia, and definitely stiff competition for the Sydney dining scene. Worth the making a special trip.

Emerson’s
Adina Vineyard
492 Lovedale Rd
Lovedale, NSW 2325
Phone: 02 4930 7029
Website: http://emersonsrestaurant.com.au

Emerson's on Urbanspoon

Fifth Element: Element 6, West Ryde

Review
Review of Element 6, West Ryde

Review of Element 6, West Ryde

I’m not a morning person. Not by a long shot. But when you get woken up by, “hey let’s go see the sunrise together“, it’s a little hard to say no.

Well that, and the promise of breakfast.

And that’s what happened the morning that I found myself climbing steep hills in complete darkness. Not my finest hour, with sweat pants, a hoodie, and layers of clothing underneath. But sunrises are meant to be worth it, and here we were.

Funny thing was, we found ourselves in a spot we thought would have a nice view of the sun rising over the water, but instead had brown buildings in the way. Sexy. I was cold, tired and hungry, and the she-hulk was about to emerge.

Breakfast had better be worth it.

Review of Element 6 in West Ryde - poached eggs, chorizo, kale and spiced lentilsPoached eggs, chorizo, kale and spiced lentils

Located right across West Ryde Station, Element 6 sits amongst an Armenian grocer, Indian spice shop, Halal Butcher, and a Lebanese bakery. Kinda like the food version of It’s a Small World After All.

And food versions of things are the best versions.

Review of Element 6 in West Ryde - french toast with honeycomb, maple syrup and added baconFrench toast with honeycomb, maple syrup and added bacon

We ordered the Chorizo with spiced lentils and kale, and French toast, added bacon of course. And even though I felt like I earned a French Toast with the long walk, the Chorizo was way WAY more satisfying. Crispy salty chorizo, hearty kale, oozing eggs and sweet/salty spiced lentils made for a filling breakfast that also made you feel good about eating it.

Not that the french toast was bad, mind you, it just wasn’t as good. Especially since they seem to have used a crusty slice of sourdough as the base, which just doesnt help you get the eggy pudding consistency that youre looking for. So much promise, too much bread.

It had a great buzzing-cafe sort of atmosphere, and had polite, efficient service. Not quite as exciting as brunch in the city, but definitely great as a local weekend hangout!

This meal was independently paid for.
Element 6
65 Ryedale Road
West Ryde NSW
Phone: 02 8021 2838
Website: http://www.element6.com.au

Click to add a blog post for Element 6 on Zomato

In Soviet Russia…Izba Russian Treats, Newtown

Review
Review of Izba Russian Treats, Newtown

Review of Izba Russian Treats, Newtown

When I think about Russia, I always think snow, potatoes, and well, the mob. Men with scarred faces, the very image of toughness. The whole Eastern European thing. Which, you know, can be very intimidating, when you know nothing about the culture and want to find out more.

So imagine my surprise and delight when I was invited by Olga to sample the delights at her cafe, Izba Russian Treats, in Newtown!

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownBeef Blini

The Beef Blini is very much like a savoury crepe, made from a traditional yeast leavened batter to create a soft spongy wrap that surrounds seasoned beef mince.

Review of Izba Russian Treats, Newtown

Made with caramelised onion, the beef mince was very lightly sweet, and together with the blini and rich sour cream, made for a very addictive dish. Light but satisfying, this is actually a great option for a quick lunch, and isn’t as stodgy as I would have assumed Russian food to be.

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownSmoked Salmon and Buckwheat Pie

If you’d like something a bit richer, the Salmon and Buckwheat Pie consists of puff pastry, filled with tender buckwheat, smoked salmon, and eggs baked right into it. The smoked salmon lends quite a heavy hit of salt to the pie, which balances out the “blandness” of the buckwheat. Be sure to get a bit of everything in each bite!

And then, what we really came here for: the cakes. Olga has learnt how to bake at the knee of her grandmother – who’s recently turned 90! – and her mother, and has inherited recipes passed down from generation to generation.

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownHoney Cake

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownBird’s Milk Cake

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownIzba Cake

Although the savoury dishes were surprisingly light, the desserts ticked ALL the boxes for luxury and richness. The signature Izba – so named for the wooden hut that it’s shaped after – is made of sponge cake, cream, kirsch-soaked cherries and rich chocolate over the top. So good, so rich. Even as large a glutton as I am, I needed to eat share this cake with friends, especially after the first heady hit, as the delicious DELICIOUS sugar, cream and cherries continue their welcomed assault on my senses.

On the “opposite” end of the spectrum was the Bird’s Milk, which is meant to be as light as bird’s milk. Having never tasted bird’s milk I can’t comment on the name, but this was a considerably lighter cake of cream, sponge and a light layer of chocolate ganache. There was something so simple and straightforward about it that created an aura of charm around it, but the Izba, with all its old world pomp and circumstance, still remained my favourite.

Olga really opened my eyes to the world of Russian hospitality. Could she have been extra nice to me because I was a guest? Maybe. But the interactions with her other customers that I eavesdropped on carried a warmth of an owner who is passionate about the product, and down in the trenches working long shifts alongside her staff.

Oh, and that stereotype about Russians not smiling? Well, Olga says that it just takes a while for them to open up, but once they do, it’s a genuine invitation to their hearts and their homes.

And their dining tables.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Izba Russian Treats.

Izba Russian Treats
579 King St
Newtown, NSW 2042
Phone: 02 9557 9437
Website: http://www.izba.com.au/

Izba Russian Treats on Urbanspoon

What to do in the Hunter Valley if you don’t drink!

Entertainment Review Travel 3 Comments
What to do in the Hunter Valley if you don't drink!

It’s hard being a non-drinker. You get constant shocked looks every time you tell someone that you don’t drink, and entire destinations like the Hunter Valley – which plays host to beautiful vineyards and wineries – always seem just out of reach. Cause what are you going to do if you don’t drink wine, amirite?

Well, not exactly.

Christine and I – both “fuddy duddy” non drinkers – went on a girls’ weekend out to the Hunter, and had a TON of non-alcoholic fun along the way.

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Soul O-rising? Seoul Orizin Korean Food, Haymarket

Review
Prawn and Chicken Gangjung, $18

Prawn and Chicken Gangjung, $18

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, $10Spicy Cold Buckwheat Noodles, $10

Spicy Prawn and Chicken Gangjung, $18Spicy Prawn and Chicken Gangjung, $18

Grilled Beef Ribs, $16Grilled Beef Ribs, $16

Egg Hot PotEgg 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

Seoul Orizin - the Chicks on Urbanspoon

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