Posts tagged Sydney Inner West

Two Wolves Community Cantina, Chippendale

Review
Two Wolves Community Cantina, Chippendale,. Sydney Food Blog Review

Eton Mess at Two Wolves Community Cantina, Chippendale: Sydney Food Blog Review

So a priest, a chef and a diner walk into a restaurant… no, seriously, I had a real-life version of this when I went to the launch of Two Wolves Community Cantina, a not-for-profit restaurant run by the Jesuits. Located on the corner of Broadway and City Road, this boho chic eatery is adorned with photos of their charity work on the walls, and fits right in with the Uni crowd.

The idea behind Two Wolves is that they will run on mostly volunteers, with just five core (paid) staff: Head chef, sous chef, bar manager, assistant manager and volunteer coordinator. The profits will help charity work overseas, and Father David Braithwaite wants this cantina to run as a restaurant in its own right, and foster a sense of community.

The menu for the night promised cuisines from all over the world, and for someone who is experienced um, in the art of eating, this can only be a bad thing. Too many techniques, too many ingredients to understand, and usually nothing gets done right.

Sister Hien's Bun Thit Nuong at Two Wolves Community Cantina, Chippendale: Sydney Food Blog ReviewSister Hien’s Bun Thit Nuong

Well, my waistline hips don’t lie, but I’m actually quite sorry to be right. Some things were done quite well – Sister Hien’s Bun Thit Nuong was a fresh Vietnamese rice noodle salad tossed in a sweet and salty dressing, with pieces of pork, fried shallots, fresh herbs, peanuts, shredded carrot, beansprouts and roasted peanuts. Lots of flavours and textures, just like a good Vietnamese salad ought to be.

Vietnamese Chicken, Lemongrass and Sweet Potato Curry at Two Wolves Community Cantina, Chippendale: Sydney Food Blog ReviewVietnamese Chicken, Lemongrass and Sweet Potato Curry

The Vietnamese chicken, lemongrass and sweet potato curry however, not so much. Especially next to the vibrant salad, it missed the mark in flavour, and the vegetables in the curry – cauliflower and sweet potato – were left in large chunks and were pretty much raw on the plate. But that means that it’s retained all the vitamins, right?

Korean Fried Chicken at Two Wolves Community Cantina, Chippendale: Sydney Food Blog ReviewKorean Fried Chicken

The Korean Fried Chicken was a decent enough glazed fried chicken, though I’m not sure Korean was the best word to use. What makes Korean Fried Chicken (KFC as it’s affectionately known) different is a light-as-air coating of potato starch, followed by a punchy glaze made (usually) with soy, chilli and/or garlic. Ingredients can chop and change, but one thing is non-negotiable: it has to pack enough flavour that you need to be reaching for that beer to wash it all down. KFC is notoriously expensive in Sydney, and it has always earned its keep. It felt like tonight they were cheating with the name, which ultimately detracted from what would’ve been a perfectly acceptable dish.

Eton Mess at Two Wolves Community Cantina, Chippendale: Sydney Food Blog ReviewEton Mess

Of the desserts, the Eton Mess was lovely – smashed up chunks of meringue, with cream and berries made me very thankful to the Eton boy of legend who decided to mush up his dessert.

Black Sticky Rice with Mango and Coconut at Two Wolves Community Cantina, Chippendale: Sydney Food Blog ReviewBlack Sticky Rice with Mango and Coconut

The treatment of the Black Sticky Rice with Mango and Coconut really had me questioning whether it was just the Asian dishes that were going to cop the problems. There’s no nice way to put this: it was watery. Black glutinous rice thats usually cooked to either a sticky clump (as glutinous rice should be) or a creamy porridge, was left in a sad state inbetween, with a dark purplish puddle surrounding the rice and mango.

Ultimately, I love the idea of dining out for a good cause, but I expected more from the paid chefs. And with all the easy access to obscure cuisines nowadays, diners WILL have expectations, trust me.

I realise I’m being a hardass, but if paying the chefs is going to cut into profit, then they need to be able handle the different cuisines and provide a consistent quality across the menu.

Let me take a quick moment to highlight the efforts of the unpaid volunteers. Every single server was just fantastic; very professional and warm in their service. They set the stage for a lovely family dinner, and well, it was a family dinner, one that was perhaps prepared by that aunt for whom cooking isn’t a strong suit.

Despite the teething problems, I really want Two Wolves to do well. The volunteers seem to enjoy being there, and I’m rooting for Father David’s vision of a bustling cantina up above, and a classy cocktail bar in the space below. Very chic, very Chippendale.

Great vision, great cause, and great atmosphere. Not great food, so that needs to go.

The live jazz can stay, though, that was pretty great.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Two Wolves Community Cantina.
Two Wolves Community Cantina
202 Broadway
Ultimo, Sydney
Phone: 02 8039 3595
Website: http://www.thetwowolves.com.au

The Two Wolves: Community Cantina Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cheesecake of legends: Pasticceria Papa, Haberfield

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Pasticceria Papa, Haberfield

Sydney Food Blog Review of Pasticceria Papa, Haberfield: Nutella Baked Ricotta Cheesecake

For someone who loves cheese to the point of a gallbladder removal (true story), I’ve always been a bit touch and go on cheesecakes. Light, airy, lemony cheesecakes are good, dense, dry, baked cheesecakes, not so much.

But there has been so much hoo ha about the baked ricotta cheesecakes from Pasticceria Papa that I had to give it a go. Maybe I’d been eating it wrong this whole time.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Pasticceria Papa, Haberfield: Nutella Baked Ricotta Cheesecake

But then again maybe I just wasn’t built for cheesecakes. I mean, I may look like I’m made of cheesecakes, but I assure you that it’s not the case. The original ricotta cheese cake had the effect of drying my mouth out, and the nutella version just added a sticky rich feeling on top of everything.

Such a shame, since it’s one less delicious thing in the world to appreciate. My tastebuds mourn, and my waistline rejoices. Or at least that’s how I’m explaining the jiggling.

This meal was independently paid for.
Pasticceria Papa
145 Ramsay Street
Haberfield, Sydney, NSW
Phone: (02) 9799 9531
Website: http://ppapa.com.au

Pasticceria Papa Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Sfaglia wha? Pasticceria Tamborrino

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Pasticceria Tamborrino, Five Dock

Sydney Food Blog Review of Pasticceria Tamborrino, Five Dock: Lobster Tail with Chantilly Cream

What happens when three food bloggers get together to make Danish pastries? Lobster tail happens, that’s what. A discussion about cake boss and egg tarts became one about a super flaky concoction known as Sfagliatelle, a.k.a. the Lobster Tail, that’s been injected with a flavoured cream.

Because, you know, how else would it be filled?

Sydney Food Blog Review of Pasticceria Tamborrino, Five Dock: Chantilly Cream Lobster Tail and Nutella Mini Lobster Tail

NUTELLA, THAT’S HOW.

I’d never tried it, and I barely had time to register the shocked looks on Simon’s and Christine’s faces before I was being ushered into the car and toward Pasticceria Tamborrino, where I hear that their Lobster Tails are legit.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Pasticceria Tamborrino, Five Dock: Lobster Tail with Chantilly Cream

And I may not know about what makes a legit Lobster Tail, but I must say that these ARE THE WORK OF THE DEVIL. They were put there to condemn you to a hell of always having the lobster-tail-cravings, because once you go lobster tail, you never go back. Pastry that shatters with every bite only to give way to a velvety, vanilla scented, sweetened cream.

Life will never be the same again.

Damn you Simon and Christine. Damn you.

This meal was independently paid for.
Pasticceria Tamborrino
75 Great North Road
Five Dock, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9712 1461
Website: http://www.pasticceriatamborrino.com.au

Pasticceria Tamborrino Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Wok this way: Wok On Inn, Zetland

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Wok On Inn, Zetland

Sydney Food Blog Review of Wok On Inn, Zetland:Korean Prawn Stir Fry with Rice

I am not who you’d call an adventurer. Even living in Sydney, I’ve seen less of Australia than many tourists. Maybe even less of Sydney.

So when I got an invitation to Wok On Inn to check out their new store in Zetland, I thought it would be a great opportunity to explore another area of Sydney that I’ve never been to. And what better way than to do it with food?

Sydney Food Blog Review of Wok On Inn, Zetland: Thai Fish CakesThai Fish Cakes

Wok On Inn has a good formula working for them and they’re sticking to it: pick and customize your ingredients and sauce, and it will be stir-fried to order. Simple, fast consistent.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Wok On Inn, Zetland: Uncle's Drunken Noodles,Uncle’s Drunken Noodles

Sydney Food Blog Review of Wok On Inn, Zetland: Korean Prawn Stir Fry with RiceKorean Prawn Stir Fry

The Drunken Noodles come highly recommended, and seems to have changed slightly fro the last time I tried it. The sauce is spicier – never a bad thing – and darker than before, and I felt like it’s better mixed into the noodles. For the noodle/chilli-averse amongst you, the Korean Prawn Stir Fry provides a slightly sweet foil to white rice that grows on you the more you eat it. The food is starting to taste less distinctive between the dishes as opposed to before, but that may be to do with the fact that a lot of Asian recipes have ingridients that overlap, and if there was a recipe change then that might affect the uniqueness of the flavour combinations.

Otherwise, this eatery does a bustling lunch trade that’s kept flowing by friendly, bubbly staff, many of whom have Asian backgrounds themselves. And with the classy new apartments and snazzy new shopping centre, you do feel like you’re transported to a city within a city, just with a little less pollution.

Now if only Zetland wasn’t so darn far from the train station.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Wok On Inn.
Wok On Inn
Shop T.09 East Village Shopping Centre
2 Defries Avenue, Zetland NSW 2017
Phone: (02) 8048 6320
Website: http://www.wokoninn.com.au

Wok On Inn Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Stretch it real good: Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream, Newtown

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream, Newtown

Sydney Food Blog Review of Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream, Newtown

Some women collect shoes. Others, jewellery. Me? It’s all about the weird and wonderful things I can EAT!

Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream, Newtown, Sydney Food Blog Review

Salep is a kind of thickening agent/flour that’s made from orchids, and it’s used in middle eastern cuisine to give foods – like ice cream – a sort of stretchy texture. Turkish ice cream, in particular, is known for this, and while it doesn’t have much flavour on its own, the texture is freaky AF. At Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream in Newtown, they not only have Salep thickened ice cream, they also have them in all sorts of Middle Eastern flavours to tempt you. A bit like a belly dancer. A good one though. Not the ones at restaurants at Saturday night that you don’t want to make eye contact with.

I had the pomegranate, which was lovely and fruity, but the tahini. Oh. My. God the Tahini. Like the Asian black sesame but creamier and richer. And somehow healthy-feeling. I’m sure it’s not, but any delusion that lets me continue to eat this amazing ice cream is a good delusion.

If ice cream is not quite your thing, well there’s always Turkish Coffee on the menu to, to give you that late afternoon pick-me-up.

But really. Go the ice cream. Trust me.

This meal was independently paid for.
Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream
63-71 Enmore Road
Enmore, NSW
Phone: 02 8040 1676
Website: www.hakiki.com.au/

Click to add a blog post for Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream and Baklava on Zomato

Raising the bar on milkshakes: Milk Bar by Cafe Ish, Redfern 

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Milk Bar by Cafe Ish, Redfern

Sydney Food Blog Review of Milk Bar by Cafe Ish, Redfern

You know that scene in the sick, dystopian classic Clockwork Orange where the main characters enter this bar – decorated entirely in black statues – and dispenses milk from the statue’s uh, sensitive regions? Well that was what I always thought what a milk bar was. Like literally. A bar atmosphere, but serving milk.

Weird, right?

Well, thankfully the real thing isn’t quite as R18 as Clockwork Orange, and a bit more diner-style, with milkshakes and burgers. Yes, much more my speed.

Review of Milk Bar by Cafe is by Sydney Food Blog Insatiable Munchies: Herbed Beef Patty, $14.50Herbed Beef Patty, $14.50

Cafe Ish always had great food, and when they closed up the Surry Hills location and started a milk bar in Redfern, they ended up on my never-ending list of places to visit but never had the time to. Well, I did happen to be in Redfern a couple of weeks back, and, heeding the sirens call of Miso Caramel Milkshakes, I made my way in.

Of course, Milkshake needs company, or it’ll get lonely, so I also ordered a Herbed Beef Patty Burger ($14.50) with the self-proclaimed Freaking Awesome Wings ($4.95). Because if wings are that self confident, they should get a chance to show what they’ve got.

Review of Milk Bar by Cafe is by Sydney Food Blog Insatiable Munchies: Freaking Awesome Wings, $4.95Freaking Awesome Wings, $4.95

Okay, so good news, the Freaking Awesome Wings, were truly, freaking awesome. Lightly crisp on the outside – which I’m guessing is due to a corn flour or sweet potato flour coating to provide tempura-like lightness – and covered in a tangy sweet chilli dressing/sauce, these wings were like the Buffy of chicken wings: they kicked ass, took names, and brought a little excitement into your life.

The Miso Caramel Milkshake also lived up to its name – by shaking up my world. Geddit? It had just the right notes of umami and richness, and is just proof that you need miso caramel in all areas of your life. Because (repeat after me) miso caramel can only make you a better person.

A downside though to having two home runs in a single sitting? The burger wasn’t all that great. I’m more used to the juicy fall-apart patties that have come into vogue, that the burgers here were a little too…structurally sound for my taste. And when you put all the dishes down at the same table, it’s just not hitting quite the same notes.

But it’s okay. As long as the milkshakes and wings are on the menu, I know I’ll keep going back.

This meal was independently paid for.

Milk Bar by Cafe ish
105 Regent Street
Redfern, NSW
Phone: 02 9698 8598
Website: www.themilkbarbycafeish.com

Click to add a blog post for Milk Bar by Cafe Ish on Zomato

In Soviet Russia…Izba Russian Treats, Newtown

Review
Review of Izba Russian Treats, Newtown

Review of Izba Russian Treats, Newtown

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

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

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownBeef Blini

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

Review of Izba Russian Treats, Newtown

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

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownSmoked Salmon and Buckwheat Pie

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

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

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownHoney Cake

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownBird’s Milk Cake

Review of Izba Russian Treats, NewtownIzba Cake

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

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

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

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

And their dining tables.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Izba Russian Treats.

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

Izba Russian Treats on Urbanspoon