It’s unbearably hot, isn’t it? I can’t believe that I’ve just come back from sub-zero temperatures, to THIS: humid 30+C sun, glancing off asphalt and concrete to bring you waves of pure heat torture. I had meant to make this delicious sounding Duck with Baby Beets and Rhubarb Chutney recipe, but really, who can be stuffed turning the oven on in this weather?
The answer? We make it a weeknight duck salad instead!
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It’s been disgustingly hot, hasn’t it? And you know it’s bad, when the lovely manager of Busshari, Yuko, apologises profusely for the heat and assures you that the air-conditioning is indeed running, as you walk in the door. I can see what she means though – no sooner had I positioned myself at the counter, I was covered in a sheen of sweat.
DAMN YOU AND YOUR CRAZY WEATHER SYDNEY!
Needless to say, it was a really good time to be eating cold food – Yuko suggested the Seafood Sashimi and Seasonal Vegetable Salad, Soba and Somen, and we were definitely not going to turn that down.
Ocean trout belly nigiri, $8 for 2pcs
Toro nigiri sushi, $12 for 2pc
Seafood sashimi and seasonal vegetable salad, $27
Deep fried flounder, $28
Grilled Scampi with sea salt, green tea oil, $26
Soba & Somen, $20
Chilled green tea soba and Somen with shiitake mushroom, prawn and radish wasabi
Matcha Ice Cream
If you truly do eat with your eyes, then the food at Busshari is an exquisite feast. Everything came out looking stunning – piles of food artfully arranged on stone plates that conveyed a modern Japanese aesthetic.
Ocean trout belly nigiri, $8 for 2pcs
Toro nigiri sushi, $12 for 2pcs
We started with pieces of Ocean Trout Belly Nigiri and Toro Nigiri Sushi. Tender melt-in-your-mouth slices of fish are wrapped around 2cm-wide batons of rice, forming the perfect mouthful. Unctuous, luscious, and luxurious, these easy bites were a great start to our evening.
Seafood sashimi and seasonal vegetable salad, $27
Then we got a bit more stuck in with the Seafood Sashimi and Seasonal Vegetable Salad. Whoever said that salads were measly rabbit food clearly had not seen this salad before. A veritable mountain of salad leaves were thoroughly covered in a sweet/savoury dressing, and adorned with a variety of fresh, sliced fish, assorted seafood, and finished with a nest of white radish and a Renkon (lotus root) chip. It was refreshing, simple, and oh so filling. Order to share, or as a main on a hot day. Either way, win-win.
Deep fried flounder, $28
The salad was immediately followed by another ‘wow’ dish: the Deep Fried Flounder. Pieces of fish are lightly battered and fried, and set on the crispy bones of the flounder bent into a graceful arch. I didn’t eat the bones this time – didn’t want to seem unladylike – but Yuko tells me that 1 in 3 customers down the whole thing, bones and all!
Grilled Scampi with sea salt, green tea oil, $26
And then, we indulge my obsession with shellfish: the Grilled Scampi with Sea Salt and Green Tea Oil was soft and buttery, although I was missing any noticeable flavour of green tea. But really, we all know that I’d eat shellfish done any which way, so really, no loss there!
Soba & Somen, $20
And then the last savoury dish – Soba and Somen. Chilled green tea buckwheat, and wheat noodles are arranged in a waterfall, with little pots of sauce that you dip the noodles in and slurp up. The shiitake mushrooms – served on the side – were the best bit of this, though. Slices of rehydrated mushrooms are marinated in a sweet soy mixture, and the result is a meaty, moreish bite. So good.
Matcha Ice Cream
And just when we thought that we couldn’t eat any more – who am I kidding? We were that full by the time we finished the salad – scoops of creamy matcha ice cream come out, anointed with sweetened red bean paste. Not quite the best of all the matcha ice cream I’ve had – ahh Meiji you maker of addictive frozen desserts – but it was pretty good, especially when you can get it for free!
Food: 1/1
I know that it’s hard to comment on the service because I was dining as a guest, but from my vantage point at the counter, it did genuinely look like everyone was having a great time. Waters were consistently getting topped up, and orders were flying off the pass at lightning speed…did I mention that this was also one of the calmest kitchens that I’ve had the pleasure of watching? We felt like we were in very good hands, and it was an absolute joy.
Service: 1/1
Busshari is not where you go for a night out that’s light on your wallet, much like the rest of Potts Point. Not that it’s particularly taxing either, but $27 for a main-sized salad – even though it’s got lovely slices of fresh seafood – still would have me hard pressed to slap the “bang for your buck” label on it.
Seafood sashimi and seasonal vegetable salad, $27
Still a nice restaurant for a classy dinner out, though. A worthy choice, especially if you’re in the area.
Value for money: 0.5/1
I guess “casual” would be the best way to describe both the cuisine style and the crowd. There certainly wasn’t the hushed quietness of some Japanese restaurants I’ve been to, but Busshari also weren’t going out of their way to emulate the hipster crowd of the inner city. Go for a relaxed evening…because sushi and chill, right?
Vibe: 0.5/1
I do absolutely feel like we were thoroughly spoilt by Chef Nobu – who has been at Busshari for the whole 10 years they’ve been open! – and the Busshari team. Chef steadily worked through the many orders that were coming through on the printer, expertly handling the many varieties of fish that they kept on hand.
If you’re into your sake, they also have a Yuzu sake in stock that is so deliciously light, it’s like drinking juice. Highly recommended, if you’re of the Sake persuasion. Trust me, you’ll want to be.
And don’t forget to flash your Washoku Lovers membership when you go to get a free scoop of matcha ice cream! Don’t say I don’t hook you up! ?
Bonus Points: 0.5/1
Washoku Lovers is a free membership programme that gives you perks to many Japanese restaurants in Sydney! We also have visited other restaurants participating in the Washoku Lovers programme, like Tamagetaya and Manpuku Ramen! To find out more about the programme and sign up, visit www.washokulovers.com.
Time just flies, doesn’t it? Australia Day is almost upon us, and we know that you’re not truly ‘strayan until you fire up that barbecue! Well, while most people will turn to a really beautiful cut of meat, it can get really expensive budgeting a steak per person for 20 people. (I don’t know about you, but I can eat a kilo of steak in a sitting easy! I usually try and bring my own meat to a barbecue, obvs.)
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When you say “brunch” and “Alexandria” in the same sentence, you’d probably start thinking about The Grounds of Alexandria and their farmyard pets. But with that, you’d probably also start seeing the bustling crowds and lack of parking, and long queues waiting for a table. Well, COOH has opened up just across the street, and with an expansive dining area and an open kitchen, it looks incredibly promising as a new brunch hotspot.
Bruschetta, $16
Heirloom cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, pesto and balsamic on toasted sourdough
Raw ocean trout cured with Beetroot and orange, $22
Golden and mixed baby beets, gets mousse, skin crackling, and crunchy seed bark.
Hand cut sweet potato chips with aioli, $8 (large)
Originating in North Curl, COOH has a menu that would fit right in with the organic/vegan/dairy free/gluten free people of the Eastern suburbs. Their menu is certainly very inclusive of special needs, and they certainly don’t pretend to reinvent the wheel.
Raw ocean trout cured with Beetroot and orange, $22
The Raw ocean trout cured with Beetroot and orange, $22, was quite lovely, with lightly cured salmon dyed a bright fuschia from the Beetroot. The mix of baby beets and leaves kept everything very fresh and light, and the goats cheese mousse brought everything together nicely. The “crunchy seed bark” was neither crunchy nor bark-y for me, holding more the texture of tempeh – slightly firm and tender; not bad, but certainly not the texture I was expecting.
Bruschetta, $16: COOH, Alexandria
The Bruschetta, $16, was exactly as advertised : bread, tomatoes, mozzarella, balsamic, olive oil, pesto…oh wait, did I mention that it’s a dairy-free pesto? At least, that’s what seems to be the case – the pesto was quite a uniform green and lacked body, and elsewhere on the menu we saw dairy-free pesto advertised.
2+2=5, I guess
Hand cut sweet potato chips with aioli, $8
Ahh the best bit of the meal, though, the Hand cut sweet potato chips with aioli, $8. The aioli was creamy and garlicky, perfect to dip the strips of sweet potato chips. The only thing preventing it from scoring a 10/10 is a slight lack of crispness – I know that sweet potato never quite gets quite that crisp, but if Harry’s can do it, then my dream lives on.
When we went, there seemed to be a rather large number of bookings at COOH, but the waitress was nice enough to accomodate our request to be close to the window as best she could.
After we were seated, our orders were taken very quickly and service was readily available whenever we needed it. Very smooth sailing.
I would actually say that COOH sits in the middle with this one. It’s not the cheapest, but the portions were decent and it IS Alexandria, after all. $22 for cured trout? Sounds about right to me.
With hanging lights suspended from high ceilings, a warm wood decor and cushy benches, COOH exudes a Surry Hills-esque vibe, minus the hipster coolness. It’s definitely the sort of place that you’d bring people who aren’t too particular about the food, but would like to enjoy a leisurely, comfortable brunch.
With all the brunch options available in Sydney, I wouldn’t necessarily call this a destination brunch spot. It IS, however, very inclusive of dietary needs, which makes things much easier if you’ve got someone in your brunch group with special requirements.
Or, you know, if the Grounds is particularly busy and you do t want to wait. Either way it works. đŸ™‚
Sense of humour is a very subjective thing. Some people like intellectual jokes, some people like low brow toilet humour…and some people, like Mama’s Buoi, are like me:
I love a good pun.
With two restaurants located in Surry Hills and Crows Nest, Mama’s Buoi is serving up classic Vietnamese family favourites, with the owner’s mother providing inspiration and recipes. The menu isn’t the shortest, but gives you ample options if you, like me, have a bit of the ol’ food ADD.
Banh Cuon, $13
Chicken ribs, $10
Seasoned with 5 spice and a chilli lime glaze
Banh Cuon, $13
Rice noodle stuffed with pork, mushroom and fried shallots
Mama’s Boy’s Buoi
Crispy soft shell crab, served on a papaya and pomelo salad (House special, seasonal), $20
Rau Muong
Morning glory with garlic and chilli, $16
Bo Kho, $16
Bo Kho
Stew of beef spare ribs, $16
Che Chuoi
Banana and sago in a warm coconut cream, $9
I think that I can confidently say that everything that I ordered that afternoon, I’d order again in a heartbeat.
Mama’s Boy’s Buoi, $20
Some things were more memorable than others: the Mama’s Boy Buoi (the pun is strong with this one) was a refreshing papaya and pomelo salad, accented with crispy soft shell crab. If you’re more familiar with the Thai Som Dtum, this would the a milder, sweeter, fresher Vietnamese counterpart. Very moreish, and very summery.
Chicken ribs, $10
The Chicken Ribs and Banh Cuon are also excellent light options. Chicken ribs are like the new wings to me – crispy little morsels that you eat off teeny bones with your hands are glazed with a sweet and spicy glaze that will have you licking your fingers at the end. Here, they aren’t quite as good as the amazing ones I had at Thai Culinary in Melbourne, but they’re pretty darned close.
The Banh Cuon is Vietnamese version of my childhood favourite rice noodle rolls – filled with pork and mushroom and dressed in a sweet tangy nuoc Cham dressing, these bring a certain lightness to what could be an otherwise stodgy comfort food.
Rau Muong, $16
If you prefer your veggies cooked, try the Rau Muong. Morning glory leaves are wilted, much like spinach, and stir fried with a chilli paste. Homely, and a perfect accompaniment to rice. And authentic, too. I distinctly remember similar dishes to this growing up in the region, just with various different greens, like sweet potato leaves and water spinach. A very scrumptious way to get your 5-a-day. ?
The Bo Kho is a rich stew of tender beef ribs that, while comforting and delicious, doesn’t hit as many high notes as the lighter options on the menu, probably because of the warm weather. Perhaps I’ll revisit this in winter, but until then, I’m sticking to the fresher dishes.
Che Chuoi, $9
On the sweet side, the Che Chuoi also toes the line between being heavy and stodgy, and being incredibly comforting. It was sweet, thick, creamy, and rich with stewed bananas. Eats like an angel, weighs like a bag of coins in your stomach.
You have been warned.
I’m not sure I can comment much about the service because we were invited guests, but from what I could observe from the other tables, they were incredibly accommodating and knowledgeable: having first hand experience with all the dishes on the menu.
Definitely a team that I would trust to ask, “what would you recommend?”
This restaurant definitely falls into ‘Asian Restaurant pricing’ for me, where the menu is meant to be enjoyed in groups. If you went by yourself, you’d probably be looking at about $30 a visit, assuming that you order a meat, a veg and rice to create a balanced meal. Sure, you’d have some leftover to take home, but it’s still a commitment that you’d have to make.
But, if you were to, say, share that with just one other person, the commitment drops to just $15 a visit. The spend per head drops significantly with a larger group, and of course, value for money goes up.
Need more convincing to go in a group? Then you get to try a little bit of everything across the board!
That’s always a winner ?
I don’t know about the one in Surry Hills, but the Crows Nest restaurant has a really nice, relaxed vibe, with plenty of covered outdoor seating for you to enjoy the long summer days. The tables and chairs are organically – but artfully! – worn, adding to the homely feeling, without losing the professional edge.
I especially like how this carries on to the decoration of the menu – old family photos accent a few pages, like a mother showing off her brag book to a few guests. Coupled with the occasional pun, and classily plated food, Mama’s Buoi certainly has a deliberate vibe that they’re aiming for, and I really like the level of commitment!
Points for sticking to the schtick. ??
If you were looking for something nice to have in a group in Crows Nest, then Mama’s Buoi is for you. I’m not sure that I would necessarily make a dedicated trip there for just myself, but with the variety and relaxed environment, it’s a great group option, especially since the value for money goes up the more people you dine with.
Just make sure that you get people who also love sharing food. No Joey Tribbianis allowed! ?
Remember how I talked about how every conversation with my friends revolve around food? Yep, it’s struck again! This time it was Christine’s birthday, so Simon and I went present shopping.
But first, lunch.
For me, hot days = Thai salads, and Simon recommended the ones at Home Thai on Sussex Street.
Mixed Papaya Salad $11.90
Just like many authentic Thai restaurants, a papaya salad comes in many variations: fermented crab, shrimp, anchovies, sausages, rice noodles…if anyone ever tells you again that a salad is just a bowl of rabbit food, sock ’em in the head with some fermented crab.
That’ll teach them.
We got the Mixed Papaya Salad ($11.90), with vermicelli, pork roll (which is a bit like a Thai ham), Thai anchovies and pork crackling (!!). Because pork crackling makes everything better. This version is a little more sweet, which tempers the fermented flavours of the anchovies and shrimp paste. The soft pork roll and pork crackling added a great contrast of textures, that made this more a satisfying meal than a side dish.
Eastern Thai Sausage ($11.90)
Speaking of side dishes, we also got the Eastern Thai Sausage ($11.90). The texture was more like fresh mince than what you’d necessarily expect from a sausage, and there was a slight sourness that’s typical of this variety. Why it’s sour, I have no idea. But I’m quite happy to eat it all the same.
And because we’re asian, WE MUST HAVE RICE!!
Pork Hock with Rice ($9.90)
Rarrr. Rice monster.
The Pork Hock with Rice ($9.90) was very simply a stewed bit of pork hock, with lots of gravy and rice. There’s just something about the whole hock getting stewed that turns the rind and fat into a lovely soft gelatinous mass, with chunks of fall-apart meat underneath. Unctuous, flavourful, and an absolute favourite at the table.
SAH GOOD.
As for the present, well we didn’t quite find what we were looking for, but we got there in the end. Now who’s birthday’s next…
What’s going on with the North Sydney area? It wasn’t until I started looking through my calendar did I realise how many trips I was making into the St. Leonard’s/Crows Nest to eat. Thai Food, Mexican, Burgers…and now, Modern Cantonese.
The Rice Den in St. Leonards takes traditional Cantonese cuisine and gives it a new spin with fresh Australian ingredients. When we first step in, the dark wood furnishings convey a sense of old world charm, while the efficient wait staff bring it all back into the modern day. They knew the menu like the back of their hand, and could make personal recommendations based on solid food knowledge.
So far, so good.
Handmade Cheong Fun, Peanut sesame, hoisin sauce $8
We started with the Handmade Cheong Fun with Peanut Sesame and Hoisin Sauce, $8. Because nostalgia. When I was a kid, Cheong Fun was a daily breakfast. My mum would take me to this hawker stall, downstairs from the kindergarten I went to. A large, rotund man in a thin white wife beater stood, amongst steaming pots, selling rice cakes with radish condiments and rice noodle rolls with hoisin sauce to long queues of dreary-eyed office workers in the building.
The noodles here were soft, tender, but not quite as silky as I wanted them to be. As for the sauce, I could do without the peanut element, but it really did bring childhood memories flooding back for me.
Mixed wild mushroom pancake, $10
But because you can’t live on rice noodles alone – well, you can, but I don’t think you’re meant to – we also got the Mixed Wild Mushroom Pancake ($10) and Rice Wine Cured Ocean Trout with pickled fennel, ginger and soy sauce ($16).
Rice Wine Cured Ocean Trout, Pickled Fennel, Ginger and Soy Sauce $16
The Rice Wine Cured Ocean Trout was seriously kickass, but we all know that I’ve got a bit of a thing for cured fish. Or fresh fish. Or any fish. Doesn’t have to be fish, as long as it comes from the sea. In this case, the rice wine flavour wasn’t particularly obvious, but it really worked as a dish, for me.
Tea smoked chicken salad, rice sheets, peanut sesame and soy dressing, chinkiang vinegar, $16
Crispy soft shell crab, with spicy spanner crab mung bean noodle ($24)
Of the larger bites, we ordered the Tea smoked chicken salad, rice sheets, peanut sesame and soy dressing, chinking vinegar ($16), and the Crispy soft shell crab, with spicy spanner crab mung bean noodle ($24).
Maybe it was the crazy heat, but I was really really feeling the chicken salad, and I’m not even a chicken fan! The smoke really came through without being too overpowering, and the black vinegar dressing kept it refreshing and moreish. A big fat yes.
The Crispy soft shell crab, with spicy spanner crab mung bean noodle ($24) reminded me a little of the Thai claypot crab with glass noodles, mixed a little with chilli crab. There was something really comforting about it, and it was very well made, but somehow wasn’t quite as punchy as the tart chicken salad on a steaming hot day.
French Toast, Dulce de Leche, Peanut Crumble, Mascarpone with matcha green tea, $14
And to finish, French Toast, Dulce de Leche, Peanut Crumble, Mascarpone with matcha green tea ($14). It was crazy rich, with only the green tea mascarpone to cut it. It didn’t quite have the pudding quality that I like in a french toast – My french toasts border on bread pudding – but it was fantastically crispy, and oozing with Dulce de Leche.
I really like what The Rice Den does with bringing old school favourites into the modern day. There’s a whole lot of respect for the cuisine, without taking itself too seriously, which is really what casual dining (to me) is all about. Because not everyone has to spend 10,000hrs perfecting Cantonese techniques.
No, I think we’ll leave that to the old masters.
It was a grey, GREY day. Even the rain didn’t know whether it was coming or going, falling in drips and drabs as I made my way to Rocks Brewing Co. in Alexandria, where I was invited to have lunch. And if there was anything that could make a dreary day worthwhile, it was the promise of hot food.
After 15 minutes of navigation over puddles like I was a tightrope walker with no safety net, I finally located the brewery inside an industrial looking collection of office buildings. My heart started to fall into the pit of my empty stomach as I wondered if this was going to be just another grey office lunch to match the weather.
Wild Mushroom, Quinoa & Rocket Salad, $21
We left it up to the kitchen to feed us, and what came out was surprisingly vibrant. Traditionally, food made to match beers are heavy and stodgy – probably to match Mother England’s weather – but the Wild Mushroom, Quinoa and Rocket Salad was surprisingly light and tasted like it was nutritionally well-rounded. Not a very sexy description, I know, but between the scattered grains of quinoa, meaty mushrooms, fresh rocket and tart dressing, I really felt like I was eating my quota of vegetables in a very delightful way.
Mac and Cheese, $13
Both the Mac and Cheese and Louisiana Hot Wings also packed a punch – the mac and cheese with a satisfyingly creamy sauce laced with the sharp kick of blue cheese, and the hot wings covered in a finger licking hot and sour sauce. This is one of the first hot wings that didn’t actually need the dipping sauce – I’d actually recommend eating them without it since the combination seems to cancel out any flavour that the components have by themselves.
Louisiana Hot Wings, $13.50/$22
At this point, we knew that more was to come, but we kept picking at the food like fidgeting children. I mean, the last two mouthfuls of mac and cheese were just staring forlornly at me, looking like it had been abandoned. And just as I was about to put it out of its misery, along came the piece de resistance.
Drunken Chicken, $49
The Drunken Chicken involved a whole chicken, roasted upright, with a bed of vegetables and bread to soak up all the errant juices. Nothing was to go to waste here. The chicken, covered in skin that was such a gleaming golden brown that it looked like it just came back from a relaxing holiday in the tropics, was so piping hot that steam escaped from every cut I made. By itself, the meat was a touch dry, but that’s where the pan juices came in.
The use of beer gave it body like a Victoria’s Secret Model – sexy without being too in-your-face – and if I could I would just drink it all up in a glass. But their method was good too, with pieces of crusty bread soaking up the juices and turning into the most addictive type of savoury bread pudding, accented by creamy chunks of roasted pumpkin.
*insert Homer Simpson’s drool face here*
Of course, we can’t forget the beer at a brewery, and if you prefer to drink your beer rather than eat it, then they also have a selection of specialty beers for your drinking pleasure. The House Alerkolsch was an instant hit, with a sweet, clean finish that reminded me of a dry white wine. Very refreshing, and a perfect accompaniment to the roast chicken.
Beer Tasting Platter
To finish, we had the Baked Oreo Cheesecake which, while executed nicely, didn’t make as big a splash as the lineup that came before it. The salted peanuts on the caramel sauce was my favourite bit of the whole thing, but the cheesecake itself was a touch common, considering all the creativity that I’ve come to expect in my short time here.
Baked Oreo Cheesecake, $15
The rest of the menu is a great mix of creativity and old favourites – crunchy waffle fries sit right next to a pulled pork burger, and nothing looks to be terribly out of place. I’m looking forward to working my way through the menu on my subsequent visits – I think there’s a Cape Byron Tomahawk that’s calling my name.
So here’s the goss: Danno’s used to be THE place to go to for burgers. Hulking, juicy, thick, saucy burgers. These burgers were made by Burger Josh – yes, a man so devoted to his craft that burgers have just become his identity – and they were truly a work of art to behold.
Then one day, Burger Josh and Danno’s decided that they didn’t love each other anymore and part ways. And the diners, like me, were left inbetween feeling like the product of a broken home. After all, who’s side do you pick when mommy and daddy break up?
Better still, what do you do when mommy finds another man to replace daddy. WHAT THEN?! ?????
Organic Breakfast Trifle, Coconut Milk, Chia Seed, Mango, Yoghurt, Mixed Berries, $16
Thinly veiled analogies aside, Danno’s is back with a new menu and a new chef, ready to reclaim (or retain?) the love of the dining public. The new menu is created by Chef Ashraf Saleh, who brings with him middle eastern influences and years of restaurant experience.
Egyptian Poached Eggs, Bastourma, Za’atar, Kale, Sweet Potato Croquet, $17
So how does the food stack up? Well, it’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges, really. One gives pretty, upscale, cafe-type food, and the other, gritty, sexy, voluptuous burgers.
No, you’re saying it wrong. Gotta add a growl to your voice and say it again:
BUUURRRGGGGEEERRRSSSS.
Heirloom Tomato and Beetroot Salad
Anyhoo, Danno’s new menu is indeed pretty. Very photogenic in a Covergirl ad sorta way. Not exactly edgy in terms of favour profile or culinary creativity, but that might not have been what Chef Ashraf might have been aiming for.
The Organic Breakfast Trifle, $16, was a chia pudding with a riot of fresh fruit and compote over the top. It was silky and comforting, with light, fresh notes of the summer fruits keeping it from being stodgy.
On the savoury front, Egyptian Poached Eggs, Bastourma, Za’atar, Kale, Sweet Potato Croquet, $17 was well, interesting. The individual elements on the plate – and there were many – were okay, but didn’t come together into anything remarkable. Massive amounts of beetroot and radish made it all visually stunning, but pretty only gets you so far.
But of course, you are really waiting for me to compare apples with apples. Danno’s indeed has a burger on the menu, and yes, we ate it.
EAT ALL THE FOOD.
The Titanic
The Titanic was aptly named, because well, look at it. Here, I even have a shot of Chef Ashraf holding it, for comparison.
As he set down the plate, Chef Ashraf made very sure to tell us that he felt that his burger was full of flavour, and there was no need for it to be dripping with sauce. No need to be OTT, you know, gotta keep it simple.
Well, um, I dont’t really know how to put this, but it needs more sauce. *hides face behind hands* The fried chicken was flavourful enough, but not juicy enough to combat the natural dryness that is bread. And what sauce it had, mind you, had a lovely thousand-island-type tang, but I needed more. Way more.
The fries thst it came with though? A+. Hints of sumac and spice brought the humble fry to life, and I just kept picking at it, even though I should’ve stopped eating 10 minutes ago.
I think that the new menu reslly shows a lot of promise, though I kind of question putting a burger on so soon after the divorce. Salt in the wound man, salt in the wound. It might take s bit of time for the new chef and evolving menu to find their footing, but from what I’ve seen, it shouldn’t take too long for the taste of the food to match the expectation that the presentation gives.
Wasn’t there something about judging a book by its cover?
Salads aren’t always green. And you know what, some of the most delicious salads I’ve had, have been far from green.
The banana flower, for example, is an amazingly fresh ingredient that has astringent notes, making it a great base for toppings like shrimp, garlic and fried eschallots. At Spice I Am, it was a lovely pile of sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy, and all the goodness inbetween. A little pricey, though, at close to $30, but an incredibly satisfying solo lunch.
Definitely inspires me to maybe create some of my own…with less detriment to my wallet perhaps? I might sound cheap, but I still am trying to justify dropping a cool $30 for lunch when Haymarket is right around the corner. Maybe a trip to Campbell street is in order?
Maybe when I feel less poor. Haha
m
