This is a really really popular lunching outlet with the office crowd nearby, so remember to go there early in order to secure yourself a table. Also, the service is not the most patient, but when it’s bustling like the day we went, I’m not expecting much in terms of service, because the food is so good!!!
We ate at:
Victor’s Kitchen
Sunshine Plaza
91 Bencoolen St
Singapore 189652
+65 9838 2851
My mom brought me to Tetsuya’s WAKU GHIN!!!!! From what I’ve read, Waku Ghin is Tetsuya’s first restaurant foray outside of Sydney, and eating there really fueled my desire to try Tetsuya’s in Sydney.
I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to eat at Waku Ghin since before they opened, and my mom decided to bring me there for dinner as a graduation present. (Remember this bit, it comes in later.)
The food was absolutely GORGEOUS, and the attentive staff really rounded out the experience.
It was a 10 course degustation menu starting with the Flan of Oyster with Bacon and Spinach.
The oyster was briny and plump, and a great companion to the soft, silky chawanmushi it lay on. The spinach – for me – added body, and gave it a great base note that grounded the dish.
Just as we were finishing up the last silky morsels on the plate, a chef came out and presented us with this:
And he explained to us that we were going to eat what was on that box, before disappearing (alas with said box) as mysteriously as he appeared. So exciting!!!
Then came the Marinated Botan Ebi with Sea Urchin and Oscietre Caviar.
This was the pièce de résistance for me. I conveniently have a new addiction to Uni (Sea Urchin), and this absolutely fueled it further. It was sweet, without aftertaste, and boosted the sweetness of the Botan Shrimp. There was a thick, creamy, egg yolk sauce on the bottom, and added to the richness and left a great feeling in the mouth. The caviar contributed a light saltiness and great texture.
I’m not entirely an asparagus fan, but I quite enjoyed the Soup of White Asparagus with White Miso Cream and Caviar. The bitter aftertaste of the asparagus was tempered by the creaminess of the soup and the cream, and well, I think we’ve established that I really really like caviar. And for all of you who say that caviar is too salty and fishy, you have not been eating the right stuff. It was so subtle, and added dimension to the creaminess of the soup. The only thing that distracted me a little was that, even though I enjoyed the flavour of the asparagus thoroughly, I could taste the potato in the soup. And after the previous dish, it was just a teeny weeny bit of a let down.
The Slow Cooked Tasmanian Petuna Ocean Trout with Witlof and Yuzu, I’m told, is an updated version of the Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout at Tetsuya’s – apparently the most photographed dish in the world.A sliver of melt-in-your-mouth fatty (in the best way) trout was gingerly laid upon a bitter leaf of witlof. I think I enjoyed the dish a whole lot more with less witlof in the mouthful, but I’m not as big a fan of bitter flavours as some may be. The bitter-sour-sweetness of the Yuzu really added a complexity that was slightly addictive. The trout, on the other hand, was a work of art in itself. It was so tender that it was ready to fall apart just with a look.
After this course, another chef came out from beyond the doorway and presented us with a plate with abalone on it.
He explained that these were Tasmanian Abalone, seasoned it, and promptly put it on the oiled teppan grill with a satisfying sizzle.
The chef was so incredibly polite, and patiently answered any questions that we had. He told us exactly what was going on the plate, so that there wouldn’t be any mystery ingredients in there for us.
And so on an innocuous pile of rocket went the Tasmanian Abalone with Fregola and Tomato.
The abalone had a wonderfully salty crust on crunchy (for a lack of a better word) fresh flesh. I’ve never had abalone so tender and with such lovely bite! Abalone has always been a soup thing in my household, and according to the chef, the smaller size is the key to cooking tender abalone this way, as boiling it in a soup for long periods adds to the toughness of the abalone.
The fregola gave me the impression of being the fat cousin of Cous Cous. It was wonderfully light, and carried the acidity in the tomato sauce really well.
The chef took this out, and I nearly drooled in excitement.
He first lightly seared the lobster before adding a broth and braising it. Next went in a variety of ingredients – of which I missed before I was just so anxiously waiting for the dish.
Now I’ve always seen lobster as the prawn’s less flavourful cousin, but only because I’ve only ever seen them pre-boiled and cold. But this, this is lovely. The meat still had great texture, and a depth of flavour that was greatly accentuated by the broth. At the end of it, I was even scraping the bottom of the bowl to try and slurp up any that was left.
As mentioned before, I’m a big fan of fat (ha. ha. No fat jokes please!), and the feel that it leaves in the mouth. And the next dish really hit the spot for me.
The Wagyu Beef with Wasabi, Citrus Soy Sauce (Ponzu) and Grated Radish was a delight every step of the way. The Australian Wagyu beef was cooked to a delicate medium rare, with the thoughtful chef giving us the option to make it more done should we prefer it so. Besides the ponzu, the beef was served with fried garlic chips and finely sliced spring onions, which added texture to the otherwise divine melt-in-your-mouth-ness of the beef.
And the wasabi.
The wasabi was freshly grated on a wooden board covered with sharkskin. Sharkskin!! Excuse me for sounding unsophisticated, but the only time I’ve seen this is on Iron Chef! The reason why Sharkskin is used is because using any other sort of grater alters delicate taste of the wasabi. The fresh wasabi also lacks the strong nasal hit that has come to be associated with what is served at sushi bars.
The chef then presented us with this:
Pearly sushi rice with a piece of seasoned fish daintily sitting atop. He then explained that chicken soup was going into the bowl as well.
The Consommé with Rice and Hirame – I later found out – was a fine dining version of Ochazuke. Ochazuke is a Japanese dish that involves green tea being poured over rice and various toppings. Personally, this tasted quite reminiscent of Teochew rice porridge, which is nice in its own way, but I really would rather have tried the green tea version.
And to end the main part of the dinner before we started dessert, the chef brought out a little tea set.
It is important with green tea to make sure that the water is not too hot, as hot, boiling water will scald the leaves and kill the delicate flavour of the tea. There is an elaborate, somewhat necessary ritual to ensure this, which involves pouring the water through different vessels before finally allowing the tea leaves to steep.
What’s special about this Gyokuro tea, however, is that it doesn’t just involve water that is cooler than boiling, but still warm. No, it requires room temperature water! Apparently water any warmer than that will bruise the leaves and a strong bitter taste will eradicate the fragile flavour of the tea.
We first noticed that the tea had a savoury flavour to it, which – to our surprise – the chef informed us that it was umami!! Umami is one of the 5 basic tastes (yes 5 – throw away those outdated textbooks children!) together with salty, sweet, bitter and sour. It’s a savoury taste (it reminds me of Nori, the seaweed that you wrap your sushi with), and – as I have learnt off my TV education (Heston’s Mission Impossible) – Umami is a flavour that is almost unaffected by the pressurized cabin and low humidity of an aircraft.
I really wish I could have had another cup.
And finally, the desserts.
The Granita of Grapefruit with Chartreuse Jelly was the first dessert to be served. Granita, to my understanding, is made of shaven ice, with a sugar syrup and flavouring. It was light, and delicate, but kind of reminded me too much of a high-end, refined version of an Ice Kachang. Excuse my plebian tastebuds, but it wasn’t a knock-me-down dish for me.
And here comes the lovely surprise. Remember I told you earlier that this meal was a graduation gift?
Well…
How cool is this?? The staff had asked my mom beforehand whether this was a celebration and she told them that it was because I had graduated. Even when they asked our names before, I hadn’t suspected a thing! It was such a lovely surprise and really ended my night on a high note.
And don’t let the excellent service detract from the cheesecake, which definitely held its own.
The Ghin Cheesecake has little bits of silver leaf on the top, and Ghin means silver, like in the restaurant’s name. It was light, fluffy, and there was a burst of flavour from the little pocket of equally light lemon curd in the middle. It was so light that eating it was almost like trying to catch a dream. You just wanted more and more until, oh no, it’s all gone. /sad face.
The service didn’t end there though. As a memento, we were presented with the menu of what we had, and, surprise surprise, mine had my name on it! How thoughtful was that?
There was also a box of petits fours for us to take home.
Definitely an experience that I’d love to repeat, and I would encourage anyone with the opportunity, to go. The food is to die for, and the service supports it every step of the way. Divine.
We ate at:
Waku Ghin
10 Bayfront Avenue,
#L2-02, Casino Level 2
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
+65 6688 8507
I met up with Fiona for dinner today, and she brought me down this little alleyway, where we were faced with a bustling little eatery, packed to the brim with anxious, hungry people.
Being anxiously hungry people ourselves, we decided to order a variety of smaller dishes.
The Olive Fried Rice was lightly savoury, and the Pandan Chicken – marinated chicken thighs wrapped ingeniously in a pandan leaf and then deep fried – was an addictive surprise. The chicken flesh was firm, fragrant and an absolute delight in the mouth. The Seafood Tom Yum Soup was tart with a heat that built up slowly from the throat, and the seafood within was not overcooked, which – considering some seafood soups I’ve had – I consider a feat in itself. The Claypot Glass Noodles with Prawn had a chewy bite to the noodles that I’ve sorely missed, and a deep crustacean flavour and permeated the mouth. And finally, the Cereal Soft Shell Crab. Usually done with prawns, this dish utilises the crispiness of fried oats, the sweetness of malt and dairy creamer, and the savoury spice of chilli and curry leaves, all mixed in with the lovely crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside texture of the soft shell crab. Bad for the heart, but good for the soul.
If you’re in the country, this place is definitely worth a shot. Just remember to come early-ish, because the tables get real crowded real fast, and I don’t think that reservation is really an option on the busy nights.
We ate at:
First Thai Food
23 Purvis St
Singapore 188600
Ph: +65 6339 3123
For days on end, Sean tells me of this place that he passes everyday on his way to work. Mouthwatering aromas float gently out of every crevice – as if the place was oozing with the promise of good food, its sirens’ song beckoning…beckoning. (Yes that was a Sweeney Todd reference, for those who know.)
So after some persuasion, Sean agreed to bring me there.
First, the food.
As a starter, we ordered the Carpaccio De Carne ($16.90). Fresh, translucent, tender slivers of pure beefy goodness were lovingly coated in a tart dressing. I especially loved the salty hit of parmesean with the tongue-tingling dressing following it. It was quite unassumingly addictive, and Sean – who isn’t a raw meat type of person – absolutely enjoyed every mouthful.
As a main, I had the Gorgonzola Gnocchi, $15. Each home-made (restaurant-made? I think the idea is that it did not come out of a factory) morsel had a pleasant texture to it – it was tender, but there was enough of a spring to the bite to allow the flavours in the sauce to almost expand into your mouth and really hit you with its full-bodied creaminess…almost to the extent that I got the impression that the gnocchi was really just a carrier for the sauce.
A word of warning though – I absolute love Gorgonzola. Or in fact, any strong (or indeed, just any) cheese. I would not recommend this dish for people who are a little bit squeamish about blue cheese – just like most other dishes we ate, flavours are unapologetic and bodacious.
Sean, ever the classic-lover, chose to have the Fettucine Polpette, $14 + $1.50 for homemade(?) fettucine. The pasta again had lovely bite to it, and the sauce was rich and complex. The fettucine more than held its own here, no small feat considering the size of the GIANT MEATBALLS.
Ok, maybe not GIANT per se, but still pretty large. Sean, who will happily wolf down as many as he can stuff into his mouth at a time, had to break them up to eat them. But what a joy it was. Each bite was tender, and had its own flavour that did a lovely tango with the flavour of the sauce. Definitely something that we would order again when we go back.
For dessert, we ordered the Tiramisu, $7 (I think). It was served with two chocolate cigars playfully planted in the creamy mascarpone. The thing is, after the delightful starter and mains, this was rather…normal. It was perfectly good Tiramisu, just that the rich mouthfuls didn’t send me to heaven and back.
In all, I would recommend Spigolo. The food is reasonable, and the staff are lovely. They are prompt and attentive, without being overbearing and breathing down your neck while you eat. We had someone check on us (once) during the meal to make sure everything was going alright, and then were left to eat in peace.
I just have one thing left to say.
GIANT MEATBALLS!!! (Could you imagine meatball Godzilla?)
We ate at:
Spigolo
60 Riley Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9356 3288
Whenever Sean and I are in the mood for sweets, there is one place that we turn to. We chanced upon it one day after taking an after-dinner stroll, and we are absolutely addicted to it.
Besides the lovely staff who greet you as you come in the door, the inside of the restaurant is impeccably clean (never take that for granted!) and a welcome sight sits at every table – orange blossom and rose syrup. Now I know that desserts with the addition of syrup can end up saccharine-ly sweet, but there’s something about the smell and the sweet coating on my tongue that makes me feel all tingly inside.
Something that we always order is the Knefe, served in a seasame seed bun.
Oozing cheese with a layer of semolina stretch and melts with every bite, tempered by the fragrant, crusty bread. If we’ve had dinner before, Sean and I tend to order this to share – it can get quite rich and if you’ve eaten just before, you might end up feeling jalak.
The mix plate of Beklawa was lovely in its variety. Each mouthful was an absolute delight, and it’s great that the servings are so small – I don’t think that I could have handled large amounts of layers of sweet pastry, nuts and syrup.
And for those who like the more western cakes and pastries, there was the Choux a la Creme Chocolat.
It was a chocolate cream puff really. Good, but nothing really special.
And finally, my new favourite thing to order.
The Halawet El Jebn Kashta was just divine. Layers of soft, fluffy, but slightly chewy cheese were covered in syrup and another sort of creamy cheese, and then layered liberally with crushed pistachio. Again, very rich, but refreshing in an odd sort of way. It’s served cold, quite unlike the Knefe, and very good for a warm, balmy night.
We ate at:
Sea Sweet
Shop 4, 354 Church St
Parramatta 2150
1300 90 80 70
Ah, I love food festivals. And Taste Sydney is an excellent example of that. Not only can you get a huge variety of people showcasing their food-wares, you can also get to sample food from all the top restaurants in the one spot!
After having so much fun last year, I absolutely had to go again this year.
But first, we all know that I love free food, and I certainly got a lot of that this weekend!
Free Food!
Johnny Walker had a tent that held tasting sessions (to full tents) every 20 minutes. I would love to tell you more, but I am, quite unfortunately, allergic to alcohol. But it did look interesting though!
One of the sponsors was Regal Salmon, and there were little cups of awesome given out at various points of the festival.
What else can I say? I love salmon, and when you put fresh, raw, salmon, and salmon roe together, I believe that nothing much can go wrong. Seriously yummy.
Tabasco had a booth again this year, and I had to go again. (I am an absolute Tabasco fiend – I carry a small bottle in my handbag always – you never know when you need that burst of flavour on something!) They had dips made with all the different flavours of Tabasco, and Sean and I had a lot of balancing piles of dips on itty bitty crackers.
The omnipresent Pukara estate (I see them at practically every food festival/fair that I go to) had flavoured oils, vinegars and mayos up for tasting.
Little bits of bread on the end of toothpicks were dipped into every flavour and savoured. Most of the flavours were good, but not particularly outstanding, but the blackcurrant vinegar was definitely a winner. I could definitely see ripe, red, succulent strawberries macerating in it. The caramelized balsamic added a syrupy coating to the little cubes of bread, and it’s something that I can eat all day.
Speaking of little cubes of bread, there was a fantastic selection of yeasty goodness from The Grumpy Baker.
Soft, fluffy sourdough were amongst other offerings, and my absolute favourite was the roasted garlic and olive sourdough. Chunks of smoky roasted garlic and bits of salty olives were threaded through each chewy bite. An om nom nom moment.
Another thing that I love about Taste is the ability to mingle with the chefs!!
Chefs
The crew at Aperitif were a hoot and a half. Miguel Maestre was his charming self as always, and early on in the evening there was quite a bit of friendly banter between Miguel and Manu, who own Aperitif together.
But the thing that makes Taste stand out for me is definitely the Chefs Table. It’s one thing to ask a quick question as you see a chef walk past you, but chances are, they would be busy, and it wouldn’t be nice to disrupt them in the middle of work.
And that’s where the Chefs Table comes in. The chefs take some time out of their busy schedules, and about 20 people get to sit around the table with them and have a chat. You can ask them anything you want, anything, and the answers are fairly candid, but some of the sessions are filled with hilarity.
The very extremely expressive Matt Kemp, who spoke about his start in cooking, working in Balzac…all with wild gestures and a very quick wit.
And this year, the man whom I think is the sexiest chef EVER had been scheduled to speak. He talked about his son, Ready Steady Cook, Aperitif, the best places to eat in London…amongst a myriad of other things.
How sexy is that? And the best part of all is that he has such a wicked sense of humour – every sentence was followed by guffaws of laughter and giddy giggles.
I even managed to get a photo with him!
Other chefs who spoke included Alessandro Pavoni of Ormeggio at the spit and Alex Herbert of Bird Cow Fish.
They both shared insight into the culinary world, and they discussed their experiences in cooking. It was extremely enlightening to hear words of advice from the mouth of experienced chefs. It gave me some ideas and inspiration, which definitely helps with my obsession with food.
The Main Event
The Churros Con Chocolate from Aperitif were fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, and it was all coated with silky smooth chocolate.
The Regal King Salmon carpaccio with orange segments, citrus and chardonnay vinegar dressing, shaved fennel, salmon roe, baby herbs and crispy salmon skin might have been a mouthful to order, but it was a delicious mouthful nonetheless. it was all wonderfully balanced – my only gripe about it was that I felt the salmon skin wasn’t quite as crispy as I had hoped it would be, but in the grand scheme of things it was good.
The Regal King Salmon curado with chilli and star anise tasted good, but personally I couldn’t really taste the chilli nor the star anise. All I could taste was the dill with the firm flesh of the salmon, which, I’m really not complaining about.
To follow my salmon obsession, Balzac’s Seared Regal Salmon with a salad of pomogranate, mint and feta was light and refreshing, with the just amount of tang and sweetness. Very good for a hot and sticky day.
And how can I visit a food fair and not sample one of Manu’s creations. The Slow cooked shoulder of lamb, smoked potato puree and jus had the deep mature flavours that I absolutely love about lamb. Every bite just falls apart in your mouth, and the puree leaves a lingering sense of luxurious creaminess.
Dank Street Depot & Cotton Duck’s Stone fruit roasted with home cured pancetta, verjuice and chilli was glorious in all its succulent, salty, garlicky goodness. Every mouthful was an absolute joy, and Dank Street Depot never disappoints. I’m still dreaming about last year’s Watermelon Smoked Ribs.
Now if you’re in the market for a heart attack, then Balzac’s Saddle of suckling pig with baby garden peas is for you. According to Matthew Kemp, the suckling pig is smothered in duck fat, slow cooked in a vacuum pack, deep fried, then covered in a buttery sauce. Oh, and the peas apparently have bacon bits too. If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then the road to coronary failure must be paved with mouthfuls of this delectable, melt-in-your-mouth dish. Definitely something I couldn’t get enough of.
On the lighter side of pork, Four in Hand’s offering of Confit of pork belly with Squid, Chorizo and Chickpea was a hearty dish indeed. It invoked memories of rich winter stews and the aroma of ripe, fresh tomatoes. Not quite as impressive for me as the saddle of suckling pork, but not bad at all!
And there were a couple of desserts that we absolutely had to try.
The Ricotta Fritters with berries and honey were soft sweet balls of lovely. For some reason, they reminded me of very sophisticated jam doughnuts!
On a side note, Sean and I were just having a discussion about how many cultures seemed to have somehow have created a dish involving fried dough sometime through history. There are doughnuts, 油条 you tiao, roti prata, churros…Every culture seems to have come up with a dish that includes flour, moisture and hot oil.
But anyway, back to the food.
The final dish that we had for the day was Otto Ristorante’s Amadei milk chocolate mousse with salted caramel and fresh berries. The mouse was light and lovely, and an excellent foil to the rich, dense salted caramel that it hid within. This was a dessert to share for sure. It was one of those ones where we really felt like we wanted much more, but knew that we absolutely couldn’t have any more of the rich stuff.
As Sean and I waddled slowly out of Taste, patting our satisfied tummies, we made the decision that we absolutely have to go back next year. We had an absolute blast, and can’t wait for the next one!
And to leave you, I will end with this hilarious picture of the sexy Manu.
LOL.
There were festivities a-plenty during the Chinese New Year period, and there was also one down the street from my place!
So Sean and I met up with Miss Piggy and her other half to try some tasty food!!
First up was Char Siew (Bbq Pork) Siew Yok from Sun Ming BBQ Restaurant. For $5 we got a takeaway container mixed with Barbecued Pork and Roast Pork.
It was incredibly cheap for a box of meat, but it was good meat. I’m generally happy when I go there to eat usually, and it’s great to see that the mixed meats were so popular that they were constantly replenishing with a freshly chopped supply.
The BBQ pork was sweet and firm and not too dry, but what I really enjoyed was the roast pork. The crackling. The mean might have been a little on the fatty side, but the crackling was absolutely divine.
It was definitely well worth the $5 a box.
They also sold really nice peking duck pancakes. They were nice, not as good as the Iron Chef ones, but still above average, especially for a festival like that.
And who can give up the sight of egg tarts!!
Personally I still prefer the Portuguese version, but these were still decent enough to satisfy my love/craving for them. The flaky pastry and the silky custard filling are a sure win for me anytime.
It wasn’t a large festival, but considering that it was down a short stretch of Church St South in Parramatta, it was still enjoyable enough, even with the offerings of gelato, spaghetti bolognese, and music that sounds like it came off a Zumba workout soundtrack.
——
And so concludes the final part of my CNY bumper posts! I hope that you’ll have a good year ahead, filled with good food, good company, and good cheer.
So what did you get up to this Chinese New Year?
Happy Chap Gor Meh!!!! It’s the fifteenth (and last) day of Chinese New Year today, and I thought that I’d do bumper posts highlighting some CNY activities this year!
Usually, I’d be in Singapore for CNY, but with the new job and other stuff, I didn’t manage to make it home this year. No matter though, since Sydney had plenty of stuff going on – much more than I could go to!
An impromptu trip to Cabramatta was rewarded with a Chinese New Year festival!!
There were people playing chess, playing music and there were beautiful decorations everywhere!!
And of course, the food.
After hearing so much about it, I finally get to try Iron Chef‘s Peking Duck Pancakes!
A succulent strip of duck is paired with spring onion and cucumber. The whole lot is encased in a soft floury pancake and drizzled with hoi sin Sauce.
It was so yummy, I really wanted more. The duck was really the shining star, and personally, I prefer my peking duck with plum sauce. I really really really felt like buying a duck home though – it was juicy and not too greasy. Next time…next time.
Sean and I then went to Dong Son, which had menus written in Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese! How’s that for a multilingual restaurant?
I just had to have the Pho. The broth was just so tasty, and the soft rice noodles soaked up all that flavour. The brisket was soft and melt-in-your-mouth, the tripe was springy…and did I mention the broth. That heavenly soup was just bursting with flavour and fragrance. For me, the litmus test for Pho is always the broth. If the first sip of the broth does not seranade you with flavour, then that is not good Pho.
The dish, of course, was served with a plate of raw beansprouts and lemon for you to add as you wish.
Sean, having a Salt and Pepper Calamari addiction, ordered just that.
The dish itself was quite unremarkable – the calamari was relatively fresh, but didn’t taste of the sea – but the sauce that it came with…wow. It had a salty, lemony, tastiness to it that just popped in our mouths.
And so ends Part 1 of my Chinese New Year bumper post. I hope the last 15 days have been good to you, and here’s wishing that the year ahead will bring you good health, and – quite importantly – all sorts of good eats. =)
We ate at:
Dong Son
44 Park Road
Cabramatta 2166
(02) 9724 4551
The boys at work have introduced me to the weight-loss devil – a lovely little French patisserie across the street that bakes fresh, mouth-watering, buttery bites of heaven that are so addictive, one bite and it’s all down hill from there.
The first thing that greets you is the whiff of sin baking in the oven. When you walk in, golden-brown morsels of every shape and size greet you through a clear glass case.
The sensory overload is enough for me to abandon all sanity like Cassanova casting off an old lover and begin my descent into pure, decadent, food sin.
On recommendation, I’ve decided to try the Sour Cherry Danish and the Almond Croissant.
The Sour Cherry Danish is just tart enough to keep you from sinking into the flaky pastry. I do, on one hand, prefer my pastries with a little more bite, but I definitely can’t fault this danish otherwise.
And the pièce de résistance (for me anyway) has to be the Almond Croissant. The soft, doughy, flaky pastry is topped by a sweet crust on the top, with almond flakes proudly displayed on the top like the crown of the statue of liberty. Each bite is sweet, gooey…all the comforting textures exploding in my mouth all at once.
I’ll definitely definitely be back for more – I’m trying the Ratatouille quiche today. =)
I ate at:
La Banette
18 Glebe Point Road
Glebe, 2037
Chinese New Year is coming!! For me, this time of year hails good food, visits with family, and general festivities. Going home for Chinese New Year this year isn’t really an option for me, so Sean and I decided to check out what Sydney had to offer.
There were Chinese New Year markets at the park at Eddy Avenue, and man, was it bustling with people.
Besides the main stage, there were food stalls, souvenir stores, and even various people dressed up to usher in the Year of the Rabbit!
There was even a very eco-friendly sculpture – a giant rabbit made out of plastic PET bottles!
There was also a store by Hubei artists, and they were giving away free artwork.
But on to the most important bit – the food!!! Sean and I ordered a little something each, Kway Teow Goreng for me, and Beef Rendang for him.
The Kway Teow Goreng (Fried flat noodles – $8 for small, $10 for large) was decent, but nothing to scream about. But what it did lack in flavour, the sambal made up for it!
This spicy mouthful of flavours made me miss home. I’d already piled it on, but by the end of the meal, I wished that I’d taken more.
It’s so hard to find good chilli nowadays.
Sean’s beef rendang also had good flavour. It was milder than I’m used to, but I’m pretty sure that authenticity wasn’t the goal here. It’s still better than I expected, and it was still a very good night.
If you’re keen, there’s still one more day to catch it! The park’s on the Eddy Avenue side of Central Station, and the last day of the Chinese New Year Markets is today (31st Jan ’11) from 11am to 10pm.
Let me know what you think!