Posts tagged Reviews

Happy 120 Years TAFE!! Weird Food Dinner

Review September 6, 2011 4 Comments

As you all would know, I love LOVE odd food. Chances are, if it’s really out there and doesn’t really sound like food at all, I’ll desperately want to try it. Which is why TAFE’s Weird Food Dinner – which is part of the Ultimo Science Festival and TAFE’s 120 year celebrations – was my PERFECT idea of dinner. There’s just something about edible creativity that really sparks my interest.

When you first walk in The Apprentice – the resident TAFE restaurant where the cookery and hospitality students get to use all the skills (and probably more) that they’ve learnt in their TAFE courses – two large television screens greet you.

These screens both show footage of what’s going on in the kitchen. The whole dinner is actually prepared by students in Year 2 of the Commercial Cookery Certificate III. The hum of conversation rises as everyone speculates what dish is being prepared in the kitchen. All the footage is live, and provides great insight to the tension, the energy, and the nerves that go on behind the scenes. I actually saw a student’s hand shake as she lifted little white beans (more about that later) from a tray of clear liquid. As a self-confessed food nerd I must admit that I watched with endless fascination like a child at the aquarium.

The dinner started out with baskets of warm bread being rolled out by the Food and Beverage Certificate IV students. Smartly dressed in monochrome tones, fragrant rolls of chewy goodness were waved temptingly under our noses, singing its siren’s song of toastiness. There were a few different varieties (I kinda scoffed them all before I remembered to take a photo. FAIL) but my absolute favourite was the Beetroot Bread (right). There was the subtle sweetness of beetroot, mixed with the amazing chewy texture of the bread. Plus, the vibrant infusion of fuchsia was absolutely stunning.

Appetizer: Diego Munoz, Bilsons. XL White bean, Kurobuta pancetta, black garlic

When the appetizer came, I actually had a really strong impression that I’ve seen this dish somewhere before. Especially the XL White Bean.

Does anyone else get food deja vu?

Anyway, the XL White Bean is actually made up of white bean that has been first poached in ham stock, pureed, then had alginate added, before careful spoonfuls were dropped into a calcium chloride solution. This process is called spherification, and the idea is that a thin skin forms on the outside of the puree, giving it its form. This large “white bean” is then delicately topped with the thinnest sliver of Kurobuta pancetta. Buta is japanese for pig, and Kurobuta refers to a specific sort of (I believe) black pig that has a good amount of fat bred into the species. Sounds exotic? Well, it’s nothing compared to the other element – the Black Garlic.

Apparently, the way you would get black garlic is to ferment it for 40 days at a specific temperature. Most methods that I’ve seen online call for a heating element (but not too hot) and low humidity. The result of all the kerfuffle? Beautiful, soft garlic the colour of inky night skies with a strong umami flavor that leaves your tastebuds tingling in excitement. If ever there was a relatable definition to “big mouth feel”, this is it for me. I was specifically instructed by the cook/chef that accompanied my waiter that I was meant to eat a full bean, the garlic and then the full bean again. It was almost as if the first “bean” was to set me up for the explosion of flavor that the garlic gives, and the second “bean” was there to bring me down gently in a cloud of white bean puree. My only gripe would be that I didn’t really taste what the pancetta brings to the party. After hearing so much about this pig – bless you, Iron Chef – I was kind of disappointed that I didn’t get to experience what this little piggy was really meant to do.

Entree: Patrick Dang, Concrete Blonde. Giant red claw yabby, bisque ice cream, bacon powder, porcini broth

About 30 minutes after the appetizer was served, the dish that I was anticipating the most came through the swinging doors of the kitchen. I have a weakness for crustaceans. There. I’ve said it.

When I first looked at it, I was pretty sure that my scoop of bisque ice cream had fallen of its yabby pedestal, but I like to think that it might have been a creative decision by the person preparing my dish because it kind of looks like an abstract melting Dali crustacean from the side. I think it’s cute. And that’s what I’m sticking with.

I think this had to be my favorite tasting dish of the night. The fresh yabby had a great spring in its flesh, the porcini broth imparted a great ‘meatiness’ to the dish, and the bisque ice cream. Oh, the bisque ice cream! It was divine. I could’ve eaten a whole tub. The shellfish flavor that I’m so addicted to came through all the creaminess like a bright light shining through a paper lantern – its potential glare was kerbed by the soft, melting creaminess that hugged the tongue. The bacon powder sounded like a great idea, but didn’t actually do much for me. The rest of the dish was so yummy that – rather than provide a contrast in texture like I think it was meant to do – it actually kind of sat there like an un-needed appendage.

Still, I feel that all the omnomnomminess outweighed any and all potential negative the dish might have had. It was just yummy. And let me state for the record that it is very difficult to try and scrape your plate clean in a fancy posh setting. Just sayin’.

Main: Alfonso Ales, Jonahs. Aylesbury duck, “Apicus” Hunter Valley

The main came out of the kitchen in a waft of gorgeous aroma. The poached and spiced pears and citrus fruit were carefully arranged in a line beside the duck, adding fresh colour to the earthy palette on the plate. I was actually quite excited by the thought of this dish – I don’t know why, it might have been a fantasy fueled by the visions of Heston Blumenthal’s Duck a L’orange. Somehow the sight of duck with citrus just triggers that fantasy for me.

But anyway.

I’m sad to say that this dish wasn’t exactly my favorite of the night. While the fruit hit all the right notes, the duck was a little bit…overdone for my taste. Excuse my plebeian tastebuds, but it tasted just a little bit powdery for me. Just a little. Maybe it’s an acquired taste for the texture, like liver.

The skin and the sauce however, went really well with the fruit.

Dessert: Nathan Griffiths, Ultimo College. Bistro Burger “all the trimmings”

If the Entree was my favorite flavor profile of the night, then this has to be my favorite visual. As a fan of Heston Blumenthal, I LOVE the idea of a certain food masquerading as something else. And this hit all those targets and captured my imagination. Smooth, custard-y vanilla ‘buns’ were topped with a chocolate mousse ‘patty’, raspberry ‘tomatoes’, pistachio biscuit ‘pickles’, white chocolate ‘cheese slice’, pistachio sponge ‘lettuce’ and another wobbly dome of vanilla ‘bun. And on the side, dehydrated pineapple ‘french fries’, accompanied with raspberry coulee ‘ketchup’ and mango ‘mustard.

HOW CUTE IS THAT???!!!

You can’t really go wrong with those flavors : it’s not exactly ‘out there’ but meh, who cares when it is so CUTE! It tasted good, I don’t think I really have to say anything else.

And when you think you’re done, the dinner is topped off with a white chocolate lollipop (is it scattered with cocoa nibs? I’m not sure) and a selection of chocolates.

In all, it was a fun and informative dinner, which was well worth the $75 price tag. True, it wasn’t exactly my idea of “weird”, but then again, I watch a lot of programs that feature Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria, so maybe I’m a little biased. Hey, at least I got to enjoy the creations of these great chefs, TWO of whom worked for Ferran Adrià!! I’m now only separated by 2 degrees!!! *Squeals like a fangirl*

Anyway. The food was good and the staff were absolutely lovely. I’m not sure what the menu at The Apprentice is like usually, but I wouldn’t mind going there again to find out. And a quick flick through the Ultimo Science Festival program that was given out before dinner showed me all the really cool stuff that I had missed out on this year. =(

I definitely know what I’ll be doing next year though. Any food nerds want to join me? 😀

I ate at:

The Apprentice Restaurant
Level 7, Building E
TAFE NSW Sydney Institute, Ultimo College
Harris Street, Ultimo 2007
(02) 9217-5527
SI.TheApprentice (AT) tafensw.edu.au

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Cocobella

Review August 29, 2011 3 Comments

Guess what I got sent in the mail!!!! Product talk by Nuffnang is where brands get in touch with Nuffnang and Nuffnang in turn, sends product out to bloggers (like me!) to review!

Cocobella is a new Australian company that bottles pure coconut – and some flavoured – water in convenient tetrapack!

Coconut water contains lots of nutrients and anti-oxidants. Water from young coconuts have very mild flavoured water, and the flavour gets stronger as the coconut matures. Coming from a tropical country, I love the refreshing taste of fresh coconut, and this surprisingly tastes remarkably close to what I remember! I’ve been looking for suitable and convenient ways to get my coconut fix, and there are some products out there that just taste plain weird.

And simply because I love fresh coconut, Straight Up is my favourite flavour of the lot. It’s very light, and it’s only 54 calories! I think it’s great for a sweet drink fix that’s not bad for you.

The Pink Guava is Sean’s favourite of the lot, partially cause you can’t actually really taste the flavour of the coconut. It’s got a nice fruity flavour, but it’s more like guava juice rather than coconut juice that’s mixed in with some guava.

The Mango is quite similar to the Pink Guava in that you can’t really taste the coconut flavour, but the mango is still light and refreshing, and not ‘heavy’ and saccharine-ly sweet like some other mango juices can be.

And finally, the Pineapple. This one tasted a little odd to me. The pineapple flavour seem to bring out a slightly metallic aftertaste in the coconut water. Not sure though, it could be just me.

Likes: Great refreshing taste, and amazing low in calories! Great for that quick fix in the middle of a dreary afternoon.

Dislikes: I didn’t like that the flavoured coconut waters had added sugar – to me most of the fruit that it’s paired with has natural sweetness. But, then again, there are quite a few juices out there that have sugar added, so….I’d stick to the Straight Up, which is my favourite anyway!

Cocobella Pure Coconut Water is available at leading supermarkets. Visit Cocobella for more information.

Baegopa!!

Review August 10, 2011 6 Comments

Baegopa (배고파)- I’m hungry – indeed. In fact, I’m always hungry, which is why I was so excited when I got the opportunity to attend a Korean Cooking Class at the Korean Cultural Office!

I attended two of the 8 scheduled classes for the Jul/Aug term, and I must say that I didn’t hold that high an expectation for it – most cooking classes that I’ve been to, save for Cheeky, are demonstration based, and you’re not allowed to do very much. This one, however, was FANTASTIC!

First of all, the teacher, Heather Jeong, is so lovely and helpful.

She was ready to answer any questions relating to Korean food and culture, whether they related to the dish we were meant to prepare that day or not.

Speaking of dishes to prepare, we had BBQ Galbi as the main attraction on the first class.

Apparently Australia have really good quality short ribs, and this meat, which is usually braised for maximum tenderness, is nicely marbled and imparts plenty of flavour.

The Koreans have come up with a very ingenious method of cutting the meat so that it cooks quickly and isn’t tough to eat!

The short ribs are carefully butterflied so that it folds out into one long strip of meat. This is done by very carefully using a sharp knife to cut in a spiral inwards. This is to ensure that the meat is in as thin a strip as possible, which then shortens the cooking time dramatically.

Then the meat goes off for a soak and marinade!

Apparently the meat tastes better after it’s been frozen!! Which works by me, since I am a staunch believer of weekend marinading – doing the grunt work of cooking on the weekend so that yummy meals on a weekday is easy peasy.

And what’s a Korean meal without sides!

I’ve always loved Korean sides, like the spring onion salad, but have never been able to get them quite right. This class not only gives you the chance to sample all these sides, but also allows you to ask the teacher for the recipe!

And as if that wasn’t enough of a feast, we also had short ribs on their own, and
some pork belly as well.

As with most tabletop BBQs (great for parties!), we had veggies and such that lighten up each meaty, flavourful mouthful! I really like the Korean style of wrapping meats and condiments in fresh salad leaves that allow you to feel like you’re eating a salad without actually eating a salad!

Now you don’t think we stopped there did you? All that was one lesson’s worth of food, and I chose to pay to attend another one.

This time we made KFC – Korean Fried Chicken! It is so simple, and yet marvellously delicious. You see, maybe the world’s got it all wrong. We keep trying to flavour the batter and season the flour…maybe it is as simple as putting a glaze on it!

We made a soy glaze and a chilli sauce for it, and I must say, I’m pretty happy with the results!

Every bite was tasty, crispy, and full of flavour. The coating is super easy too – just some potato starch and plain flour. You can use a mixture of rice flour and corn flour in there too, but personally I just like the starch and plain flour mixture.

Remember the feasting thing? Well, we also made Spicy Pork Tacos!

Using daeji bulgogi, which is Spicy Marinated Pork, we had some rockin’ wraps that I could eat all day long.

And the best part is? The dishes that I’ve learnt from those lessons are not the kind of dishes that I will only make once. Since those classes (it’s been about 2 weeks?) I’ve already got packs of short ribs and pork belly marinading away in the fridge. I’ve had the adoration of my friends for my awesome chicken wings, and the undying devotion of Sean for the short ribs wrapped in salad leaves. Not that I didn’t have it already, but you know, a way to a man’s heart and all that.

The lessons cost $70 each, or $50 each if you are a member. It costs $25 to become a member, but if you are going to become a member just for the cooking classes, I would suggest that you check the availability, as the classes are already booked up for the next couple of months. I think Heather, our lovely instructor, is a one-woman Korean-home-cooking invasion! If you think about it, it’s like a buffet dinner with recipes AND leftovers to take home!

Awesome isn’t it?

And if that wasn’t enough to convince you that this cooking class is well worth the time and money, let me leave you with a picture of the BEST LUNCHBOX EVER!

Tammi of Insatiable Munchies attended this Korean cooking class courtesy of the Korean Cultural Office. For more information, please contact the Korean Cultural Office at +61-2-8267-3400 or info@koreanculture.org.au.

From Spiders to Water Lilies

Recipe July 24, 2011 2 Comments

Ooh look what I got in the mail!! =)

I was very excited to get send a copy of From Spiders to Water Lilies, a collection of Cambodian recipes of food that’s featured in Romdeng, a restaurant that is a project of Friends International, and that is run by children who were picked up off the street.

First of all, let me say that I would have bought this beautifully printed book even if I wasn’t sent it because I believe in the cause. I believe that food is not just nourishment for the body, but also nourishment for the soul, and when children are placed in unfortunate circumstances, food can definitely be used as a tool to help them reach for whatever future they would like to reach for.

Secondly, I can’t believe just how yummy the food is!!!! I’ve never been to Cambodia, and I knew that because of the geographical proximity, there will be certain elements that are similar to many South East Asian food. But what I didn’t realise was that – even though in some recipes there are elements of sour, salty, sweet – the combination is just so new and absolutely delicious!

And so, I’m very happy to share with you…

Spicy Mushroom Dip:
Recipe taken from From Spiders to Water Lilies: Creative Cambodian Cooking with Friends, Pg 28.

1 tsp Fish Sauce
2 tbsp Sunflower Oil
4 Garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp *Chilli Paste
80g Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
1.5 tsp Palm Sugar
1 tbsp **Tamarind Paste
3 tbsp stock
Salt to taste
Thai basil leaves, thinly slices, for garnish

Wash the mushrooms under cold water then soak for 20 min in hot water. Discard stems then finely chop the remainder. Heat oil and stir fry garlic till fragrant. Add chilli paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, mushrooms and tamarind paste. Fry for 5 min and season with salt. Place in a bowl, top with basil leaves and serve with vegetables and bread.

*There is a recipe for chilli paste in the book, but if you don’t have the time (or are afraid that your clothes and house is going to smell like chilli for a while) then I think that sambal (the fried kind, not the fresh kind) is a good and convenient substitute.

**I used a mixture of bottled Tamarind paste and lime juice.

———————————

I found the recipe relatively easy to do. I made my own chilli paste, but ran into a few issues – I forgot to deseed the chillies, and for some reason, my chillies simply refused to rehydrate to the level that I needed. As a result, the dip didn’t seem as fiery red as was shown in the picture in the book, but it was still delish!

I toasted some multi-grain wholemeal bread and Sean practically scoffed the whole lot. And that is coming from a person who does not like mushrooms. At all. I very happily had it for lunch the next day, and the guys at the office seemed to like it too.

In all, I adore the book. I love that it’s for a good cause – the proceeds of the book goes back into Friends-International projects – and it is beautifully photographed and printed. The recipes are nicely broken down, and most of them are relatively quick. Yes, there are quite a few ingredients that are foreign or hard to find, but the book has a great section both in the front and the back of the book that tell you about substitutions that you can use.

Definitely a book that makes me want to go to Cambodia and try the food first hand.

Tammi of Insatiable Munchies was given this book by the lovely people at Beyond the Square Communication.

Mappen, Sydney

Review July 12, 2011 10 Comments

“Heaven…I’m in Heaven…And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak…”
Berlin, I. (1935) Cheek to Cheek

I do believe that I have found noodle heaven for foodies on a budget! I know I’m a little (or a lot!) late to the scene, but Mappen is an absolute dream come true in its simplicity.

The concept is simple. Decide what main you’d like to have, order, add sides (or not!) and pay. It’s so simple it’s almost poetic in my book.

The place is always busy, and gives a feel of a cramped, bustling noodle bar, but I assure you that efficiency beats so strongly at the heart of it that you won’t be put out. They feed you with such conveyor belt-type flow that it feels like the perfect place for a eat-and-run lunch.

Signs on every table encourage you not to grab tables without food, but that almost-counter-intuitive move – for what if I should have a tray full of food and no seat? – near-guarantees you a seat when you do have your food.

Since people only sit when their order is ready, their time with the table starts immediately, eradicating the “dawdle while deciding” crowds that seem to happen otherwise. The result, you get your food, you get fed, you leave.

Genius.

And the food? Amazing. Laura and I had an early lunch there earlier this week.

I had a hot Ontama Bukkake – don’t snigger! I know you people 😉 – with Udon, and Laura had the Soba version.

It’s basically noodles in soup. It’s that simple. We had a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the top, and a creamy, dreamy soft boiled egg.

Look at all that eggy goodness. /drools

The savoury noodles had the citrusy zing of lemon threaded through the strands, and oozy yolk giving them a bright orange coating.

Yum.

And those sides?

Well I got a Prawn Tempura.

No surprises, no fireworks, just what you would expect – crispy batter, and prawn that isn’t overcooked. It’s lunch that makes you feel good after – not weighed down, not still wanting – and for me anyway, brightens my day.

Oh, and I haven’t mentioned the price have I? My Ontama Bukkake was a regular size and was $4.90! Friggin’ $4.90 lunch IN THE CITY! That’s partially what gets me so excited about the place. Are the portions overflowing? No. But they are good value – I chose the Prawn Tempura ($2.50) cause I was greedy, but I could very well do without. Sean’s favourite – Sweet Potato Tempura – is only $0.80, and while I’ve considered making it at home, I think it’s well worth the price if you are in the city and need some hot food.

Mappen is somewhere that consistently gives me a good, cheap option (I’m not a fan of fast food) smack in the middle of the city. One downside though, it’s not exactly a great source of your 5-fruit-and-veg, since the veggie options are either small or battered and fried. I just bring fruit with me to munch on during the day, and have that while walking to my next destination.

We ate at:

Mappen
11/537-551 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9283 5525

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Tale of Two Piggies…

Review July 7, 2011 8 Comments

…Four, actually, but somehow that didn’t sound as nice.

After the incident the last time we went for Laura’s birthday, Chef’s Gallery very kindly invited us back for dinner. There was much discussion about whether to accept the invitation back and whether to write about it, but in the end I thought that it was really great that they read blogs and that they were nice enough to try and work it out when something went wrong.

And for that, I commend them.

We tried some other food this time – we love variety – and there were some favourites that we had to order again.

The hot drinks came highly recommended, and given that it was a cold, wet, winter night, we tried some. Laura and Mel had the Chrysanthemum, Rose Bulbs and Goji Berry Tea, and I had the Coca-cola with Preserved Mandarin Peel. The Chrysanthemum tea was well-received, with absolutely no complaints. The Cola – and I know that many of you are thinking, “WARM COLA?! You’ve lost your mind!” – was actually not bad at all. Just imagine Orange flavoured cola (like vanilla cola or cherry cola, just citrus-y), but warm. It’s a little difficult to visualize in its entirety, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. I quite liked it, but then again I’ve to warn you that I’m a fan of flat soft drinks, so be warned that I’m biased that way.

Clockwise from top left: Wok Fried Water Spinach with Chilli Prawn Paste, Fluffy Chinese Roti with Pork Floss, Barrel Squids with Glass Noodles, Wok fried Spinach Noodles with Seafood and Prawn Roe .

We had ordered heaps of food, so the Wok Fried Water Spinach with Chilli Prawn Paste was kinda the token veggie “healthy” dish. For me, anyway. It was not bad as far as veggie goes – it’s a version of the Sambal Kang Kong that we have in Singapore (a must try if you visit), except with less chilli.

The Fluffy Chinese Roti with Pork Floss was very much Prata, and I found the addition of Pork Floss quite interesting. For those of you haven’t tried Pork Floss, you need to. It looks like cotton wool, but I assure you that it’s much more tasty. It’s pork that has been seasoned and dried, and the sweet threads melt in the mouth. The closest way I can describe it is dehydrated pulled pork. Not the best description, but there you go. The Roti was nice but not the best I’ve had, but the Pork Floss was the “ooh, that sounds nice” twist to it.

We thought that since the poor noodle chefs were standing in the giant fish tank, their every move scruntinized by the hungry public, we should order a noodle dish. And so we had the Wok fried Spinach Noodles with Seafood and Prawn Roe. Unfortunately this dish didn’t do very much for us, the seafood was nicely cooked, but somehow it felt like there was something missing in the noodles. For me, the individual elements were quite nice, but when had together, felt like they didn’t quite gel. Perhaps we should have tried a different noodle dish?

The Barrel Squids with Glass Noodles fared much better, with the soft squid and savoury noodles with just enough bite. It was simple and tasty, and wasn’t devilishly naughty like some of the others that we had ordered.

From left: Fried Eggplant with Olive Vegetables, Fried Eggplant with Tangy Minced Pork Sauce

Like this! Both Fried Eggplant with Olive Vegetables and the Fried Eggplant with Tangy Minced Pork Sauce were divine. The eggplants were firm and not mushy (and not that greasy, for that matter), and were easily the favourites of the night. The dish with the olive vegetables was the lighter of the two (and a good vegetarian option), but I felt the one with the minced pork sauce was the tastier. There was a really addictive quality about it, and something I’d label a must-try if you went.

The Wok Fried Green Beans with Minced Pork was ordered again, but this time with pancakes! The green beans are much the same, but I preferred it with the pancakes, which came in a little steamer basket. I felt that by contrast, the soft pancakes brought out a lot more texture in the green beans, and carried the minced pork better.

And who can forget dessert?

From left: Green tea ice cream with Red Bean Paste and Lightly Fried Sweet Potato Balls, Mango Ice Cream served with Mango Puree and Lightly Fried Sweet Potato Balls

Although it was winter, we ordered two ice creams – Green tea ice cream with Red Bean Paste and Lightly Fried Sweet Potato Balls and Mango Ice Cream served with Mango Puree and Lightly Fried Sweet Potato Balls – and they were a nice end to the meal. The green tea ice cream was creamy and smooth, and the mango ice cream with light and refreshing. The Sweet Potato Balls were, well, interesting. I’m not quite sure why they were there, but I liked them on their own. I liked sweet potato in general, so it was nice.

Oh, and those piggies?

Absolutely exploded from all the food that was consumed! There were some witnesses, but all were too traumatized to come forward. We’ve got someone one the case though:

😉

Note: Insatiable Munchies and other food bloggers mentioned in this post dined as guests of Chef’s Gallery.

We ate at:
Chef’s Gallery
12/501 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9267 8877

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Mad Mex, Darlinghurst

Review June 30, 2011 7 Comments

After hearing so much about the Mad Mex (and that Mad Mex challenge!), Sean and I decided to go see what all the fuss was about.

The first thing that greets you as you enter the outlet is a chandelier made up of Corona Bottles!! Being quite into crafts, I was absolutely excited by this light piece. I know, it’s simple and not hard to make, but still!! So pretty…

I love how they’ve got that salad bar look to it, and you get to see them assembling your order! I feel like it takes away the mystery, but the best thing about it is that the food still tastes awesome!

Sean ordered the Regular Burrito, $10.90, which is the signature dish and the subject of the Mad Mex Challenge. The Regular Burrito is apparently 500g, and the Burrito in the challenge is a whopping 1KG! Would it be hard to do? Probably not, but just be careful not to have had a first lunch before it, like I had that day. /guilty.

But anyway, on to the Burrito that Sean had.

Believe it or not, it came with instuctions!

I thought that it was very cute that they had instructions on how to properly enjoy/unwrap your burrito!

And so.

Although it was Sean’s, what kind of food blogger (and self confessed glutton) would I be if I didn’t at least have a bite? Ok, maybe more than one bite. But it was just SO GOOD! I love how the soft floury tortilla just seems to tear ever so slightly with every time that your teeth sink into the gorgeous meat, bean and rice mixture within.

YUM.

That’s not to say that my Quesadilla, $9.90, was anything to laugh at either.

Creamy sour cream, melty cheese and tangy hot sauce was absolutely addictive! It’s like mouthfuls of amazingly addictive wedges just bursting with flavour in your mouth. It was just very slightly salty, tangy, fresh and rich all at the same time! LOVE IT.

The food, coupled with the friendly and extremely helpful staff, makes for a big, “I HAVE TO GO BACK!!” Good stuff, and highly recommended.

We ate at:
Mad Mex
(02) 9331 7788
2/241 Crown Street
Darlinghurst, NSW

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Bistro 80, Pyrmont

Review June 22, 2011 7 Comments

On a recent food blogger gathering at Fat Noodle (post about that later), it was decided that while we were at Star City, Bistro 80 would be a good place to go for dessert.

But before I could even contemplate any of the sweet goodness, I absolutely had to try the Flavours of Jamon, $40.

I have this thing about cured meats, and believe me when I say that the pure excitement of ordering this jamon just made my eyes light up. What is jamon? Well, very simply, jamon (pronounced hah-mon) is Spanish ham. Pigs are fed acorns and the resulting cuts of meat are then brined and cured. Similar to Italian Prosciutto, some say that jamon is cured for longer…although I can’t say for sure until I get to cure my own! =)

So. The platter. The jamon was expertly presented by our wonderful waiter, Peter, much in the way cheese is presented. The first was from a white pig, which was ( I’m told) fed a rather restricted diet and kept really high above sea level. The next was a black pig that was fed a mixed diet of acorns and grass, and the last was fed an extremely restricted diet of just acorn. (I tried my best as to remember this all correctly, but excuse my pockets of lost information!)

The white pig had a lovely flavour that reminded me of macademias. Lightly oily and nutty, this particular jamon had a great silky feel in the mouth and tore away much more easily than the other two.

The second had a slightly chewier texture that was similar to that of prosciutto. It also had darker, meatier flavours, and the saltier edge was more apparent to me. The cornichons (think French gherkin) really helped in this case, since the crunchy, sour/sweet of the cornichons provided a great foil to the chewy salty/smokiness of the jamon.

The third (I apologise in advance for my unrefined palate!) tasted quite similar to the second to me. Salty and chewy, the first bite held a glimmer of difference to me, but upon trying to more clearly discern the difference in taste in the consequent bites, I just lost all difference completely. It was almost as if my taste buds swooned in the utter delight and there was nothing else I could do in the meantime to revive them. Maybe this is a little like Impressionism – you get that fleeting moment, but when you try to concentrate on it you lose the beauty of it all.

I shall try again, next time. I promise!

And now, on to the dessert!

The Milk Chocolate Mousse was suggested by the ever-helpful Peter-the-waiter as the first thing to try. Velvety mousse sat below a viscous river of salted caramel and a layer of heavily aerated vanilla milk foam. I desperately tried to catch a shot of that beautiful cloud that was rapidly, and rather tragically, deflating fast. Maybe it’s that impressionistic thing again – get it quick or lose it forever. Either way, the mousse was one of my absolute favourite things for the night. In the mouth, the foam left the comforting aroma of milk while the silky mousse rushed in with it’s chocolatey richness. Finally, that dense, molten lava of salted caramel coated my tongue in it’s heavy and heady blanket of complex sugary goodness.

From left: Honey Creme Brulee, Exotic fruit and Rum Savarin

While the Creme Brulee hit all the right spots for me – glass-like melted and scorched sugar delicately perching atop soft, smooth, slightly-set (excuse the alliteration) custard – the ‘honey’ bit of it went largely unnoticed. It had a great complexity in its sweetness that ranked it above the run-of-the-mill Creme Brulees that you get at some pseudo-gourmet eateries, but I personally didn’t notice enough to place a tag on it that says, “Honey”. This also being my first ‘proper’ exposure to rhubarb (which really reminded me of celery) I think I might have been a bit more intrigued by the compote served with the dessert.

The Exotic Fruit and Rum Savarin – Savarin being a yeast cake that has sort of bread-y texture with a cake-y denseness and soaked in a (usually alcoholic) syrup – was light and enjoyable, but nothing that I would run around and do cartwheels about. It’s a good end if you’re having a heavy dinner though. The fruit was just slightly on the tart side, and was nice with the texture of the juicy cake. The sorbet was nice and light, but not quite essential to the dish. To me, anyway.

From top: Dark Chocolate Tart, Poached Raspberry Meringue

If you like your desserts thick, rich, and decadent, then the Dark Chocolate Tart is the dessert for you. A fudgy filling is topped with a silky smooth ganache on the top. Served with a mandarin sorbet, this fudge needed that citrus hit to prevent me and my tastebuds from descending straight into chocolate-induced insanity. The grapefruit on the side, I thought, was inspired, and the slight bitterness of the grapefruit actually enhanced the sweetness in the dark chocolate filling. Yum.

The best part of the Poached Raspberry Meringue was definitely the raspberry sorbet. The thing is though, the sorbet was almost exclusively all that I can remember about it. One quinelle was delicately perched atop a beautiful piece of architecture, it’s tangy sweetness dissolving into the mouth like a fresh, minty breath. Maybe because of the awesomeness of the sorbet did I not remember much about the rest of the dish…

Either way, so many gorgeoulicious desserts were sampled that night that we were promptly nicknamed the “Dessert Mafia” by the hilarious Peter-the-waiter. Besides the good food, the experience was certainly enhanced by his beyond excellent service, which deserves a standing ovation. He actually turned on the lights for us when the only other table in the room left, which really aided getting nice photos!

*Cue applause*

Which is why we left him this:

There was a little card thing that came with the bill, so we wrote a little something for him!! :D:D

We ate at:

Bistro 80
Star City
80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009
1800 700 700

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The Dip, Sydney

Review June 12, 2011 6 Comments

I’ve had the pleasure to attend yet another successful food bloggers’ meetup organized by the lovely Miss Piggy!

The Dip is a little eatery that’s hidden inside a bar/club called Good God, and there were many frantic instructions and SOS’s on finding it.

But we did all get there in the end!

It was decided that we’d have some things to share, and have a main each.

Clockwise from left: Pulled Pork Nachos $15, Salsa Fries $6, Grilled Corn $8

After much iPhone-lit photo taking, we all tucked in to the food. The pulled pork Nachos had great texture and the Lime Mayo really added a richness to the grilled corn. But my absolute favourite was the salty/tangy/crispiness of the Salsa Fries. Given that I’m a salt fan, it might be a bit on the salty side for some, but the tanginess of the Salsa really helped to balance that and add a certain juiciness to it.

Full disclaimer though, I am a soggy fries kind of person. There! I’ve admitted it.

Left to right: Snow Peas $8, Slaw $6

These two sides-to-share were…alright. The Snow Peas were “grilled, with coriander and vinaigrette”, but honestly, I couldn’t really taste either. All I got was, well, Snow Peas. And I’m not quite sure that I’d fork out $8 for a handful of grilled Snow Peas.

The Slaw was better, with it’s creamy, apple-y goodness. For some reason, that sweet crunch of shredded apple really made this dish addictive for me. Worth getting as a side.

Now on to the mains!

I had the Damn Skippy, $12. Kangaroo mince shaped into a burger patty, sandwiched between two fluffy buns, juicy beetroot and refreshing salad. After hearing all those horror stories about Kangaroo meat being horribly cooked, I was a bit worried about ordering this burger, but it was surprisingly juicy! It wasn’t as game-y as I thought either. The only thing was, when asked about whether I could taste the Macademias, my answer was that I didn’t even know that there were meant to be Macademias. Great burger, though if the nuts were what got you ordering this burger, then maybe you’d like to try something else. =)

Lev’s Dawg, $12, was also reeeeaaaallly good. I loved how once again, the juicy salsa really lifted the hotdog, that also had lightly spiced chipotle mayo, mustard, grilled yellow peppers, smokey sausage and fluffy bun. A definite must-order.

I also had a taste of the Southern Smoke, $12. The pulled pork had a light smokey flavour, but it seemed the general opinion that maybe it could have been just a wee bit more smoked.

After all of that, some of us (me included!) were absolutely craving something sweet.

They were out of Toffee Apples, so we had easy choices! The Cookies and Cream, $10 was all gone as soon as they arrived!! I didn’t get to try them, but I heard that that salted caramel ice cream was just the ticket.

I shared an Ice Cold Guac, $10 with Petra, and I was so fascinated with the idea of the avocado ice cream with the deep red strawberry salsa. The verdict? Well it was a resounding…”Hmmm.” Both the elements were really nice on their own – the avocado ice cream had a lovely creaminess to it, and the acidity of the strawberry salsa did a little dance in my mouth with every bite – but I’m still not entirely convinced that both these elements should really be thrown together.

In all, it was a great evening! Sure, the place isn’t exactly built for dinner conversation, but it was a nice experience nontheless. =)

We ate at:

The Dip
(02) 9267 3787
Good God
55 Liverpool St
Sydney, 2000

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El Jannah, Granville

Review June 8, 2011 6 Comments

When we were told that we were going to have the best charcoal chicken in the world, I must admit that I was just a little bit skeptical. So was Sean, but as we were hungry, out of ideas, and this was very near home, we decided that it was worth a shot.

And we were not dissappointed at all!

The meat plate that we ordered was really nicely spiced and well cooked, but what really impressed me was the pickles!!

MM the pickles. It’s saltier and more sour than I’m used to, but it is gorgeously so. I kind of feel like one of those kids who taste lemon for the first time, but you keep wanting to eat them!! It really cut through all the meatiness and added an awesome crunch to every mouthful.

And who can forget the chicken at a charcoal chicken restaurant!

It may not look like much, but I love the blend of spices and the juicy smokiness. I’m a thigh meat kind of girl, and this did not disappoint! Sean and I were fighting over the crispy skin. YUM.

Every eat-in meal comes with Lebanese bread, individually packed.

AND this HEAVENLY garlic sauce. If nothing else, I’d buy heaps of this garlic sauce. I heard that it freezes well too! Great for a party, this creamy mayo-based garlicky goodness is absolutely addictive! I would bet that the mayo is homemade – there just that extra something about that amazing mouth feel.

There are takeaway options also available, but you have to order the pickles, sauce and bread extra. Whatever you might decide, I would certainly recommend giving this smoky joint a shot – your tummy will thank you. =)

We ate at:
El Jannah
4 – 8 South Street
Granville NSW 2142
(02) 9637 0977

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