Posts tagged Sydney Local

Deep Fried Chicken Skin is the new Crack

Review April 11, 2016

Guys, we need to talk about chicken skin.

Ever since moving to Australia, it seems that chicken skin has been relegated to the “unhealthy” territory, so much so that to get chicken meat with the skin on requires you to buy the whole chicken or make special requests!

Well there’s one place(s) in Sydney that’s rebelling in the most delicious way: serving up a whole plate of crispy, piping hot, deep fried chicken skin for your eating pleasure. PappaRich.

A photo posted by Tammi Kwok (@teafortammi) on Mar 19, 2016 at 12:48am PDT

This is something that brings back memories of my humid, SouthEast Asian childhood, where comfort eating gets elevated to an art form. An art form that has most doctors in a tizzy, sure, but a scrumptious, luxurious beautiful thing nonetheless.

Of course, that’s not the only thing that you can order (the Assam Laksa, Roti and Satay is pretty legit)

And of course, the Hainan chicken with rice noodles is also worth getting.

But really, with chicken skin on the menu, why would you look at anything else?

BRB, got chicken skin to eat!

Wondering where else you can get your chicken skin fix? Well, you can read more about our other PappaRich adventures at Parramatta, Macquarie and in Melbourne!

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of PappaRich Bankstown.

PappaRich Bankstown
Little Saigon Plaza, G13-G14/462 Chapel Rd
Bankstown NSW 2200, Australia
Phone: +61 2 9709 4147
Website: http://www.papparich.net.au/location/papparich-bankstown/

Be still my beating heart: Gelato Messina, Darlinghurst

Review September 9, 2015

Sydney Food Blog Review of Gelato Messina, Darlinghurst

No, like cardiac-arrest-literally.

Gelato Messina’s Dessert Bar in Darlinghurst has always been OTT in their creations, but when you have a collaborator like ex-Hartyard Andy Bowdy, you know that you’re in for a real treat. Or a sugar spike so high it can hold its own against the statue of liberty.

Now I am not a sweets person, not by a long shot, but when I do, I like to go all out. And the Rocher Ferrero certainly fits that description: hazelnut and chocolate come together in a soft serve swirl covered with so many shards of wafer and chocolate that you don’t know where the crispy ends and the rich gelato begins.

We honestly couldn’t finish the cone between us two, which seems like such a waste of good food, but truly, I don’t think we were robust enough to finish this cone.

On a serious note, it was well executed, and the whole thing actuslly tasted like a Ferrero Rocher on steroids, which is no easy feat. The staff were polite and efficient, and I really like how they tried to make use of a tiny space to at least give you a place to stop and enjoy the dessert masterpiece you’ve just purchased.

This was independently paid for.

Gelato Messina
Shop 1, 241 Victoria Street
Darlinghurst, NSW
Phone: 02 9331 1588
Website: http://www.gelatomessina.com/au/

I saw the angel in the marble: Rengaya, North Sydney

Review August 19, 2015

Sydney Food Blog Review of Rengaya, North Sydney

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo

I think I finally understand what Michelangelo meant. I mean, I was never really good at Art History, but when faced with such beauty, I think there’s no way I can miss what he meant.

Because surely, he was talking about the marble in a 9+ piece of wagyu beef right?

Premium Wagyu Beef Sashimi, $18.90

Wagyu literally translates to “Japanese cow”, and refers to a breed of cow that naturally produces meat with an amazing amount of marbling. And you know what this fat does? It gives you a super tender, deliciously melt-in-your-mouth piece of meat.

And I am TOTALLY addicted.

Rengaya, in North Sydney, has a wide selection of wagyu beef available for their Japanese tabletop BBQ, and we were totally spoilt when we got invited there for dinner!

Salmon Belly Sashimi, $17.90

Duck with BBQ Sauce, $24.90

Of course, wagyu wasn’t the only thing on the menu: Japanese restaurant staples like salmon sashimi and salads were also options for us to choose. The BBQ menu also had items like duck and – the all important litmus test for how they treat and store meat – offal.

Assorted Ambles, $19.90

Curiously labelled Assorted Ambles, the the offal in this case was a selection of intestine, tongue, liver and kidney. Marinading provided two functions – to flavour the meat and to help it last longer in storage. The result, is a series of mouthfuls that are deliciously savoury, and a perfect match to fluffy Japanese rice.

Premium Wagyu Amusement, $49.90

But the main event is always the wagyu, and there is a platter with an assortment of cuts to suit our needs. Because I don’t discriminate when it comes to meat. =)

Bright red wagyu so fresh you can eat it thinly sliced as sashimi – seriously, you should try it sometime. It’s so delicate! – These mouthfuls of meat pair especially well with the smoke off the hot coals.

Speaking of mouthfuls, it’s a very good idea to order the salad leaves with accompanying sauces, so that you can wrap up the meat, Korean BBQ style. Because…salad. And also because it’s freaking delicious. Don’t say I don’t tell you about the good stuff!

BBQ Squid, $13.90

Foil Yaki Garlic, $8.90

And if you’re afraid of getting attacked by vampires on the way home – or, you know, you just really like garlic – the Foil Yaki Garlic is an insanely good excuse for anti-vampire breath. Peeled garlic is basically cooked over the barbecue in melted butter, and the rich smokey flavour puts a satisfying end to any True Blood fantasies you might have ever had. Or will ever have.

Yukke Bibimba, $19.90

Not keen on barbecue? (What’s WRONG WITH YOU) Then there are also a la carte selections like the Yukke Bibimba, which, like the Korean Yukke, features amazingly fresh raw beef on a hot stone bowl of rice and vegetables. The Oxtail porridge was also rice and full of flavour, if not a touch heavy on the chilli oil.

Wa Dessert Platter

And just when we thought that we couldn’t eat anymore, dessert. Because…do I really need to justify why I’m such a fatty anymore? You read the blog right? In the haze of my resulting food coma, I remembered being pleasantly surprised by the creamy matcha creme brûlée – breaking open that caramel top always makes my day – and not much else.

This is definitely one of those places that you’d want to go with a group – otherwise be prepared to be so stuffed cause you’ll just want to order EVERYTHING – and if you’ve got your Washoku Lovers card on you, you can also get a portion of Premium Beef Rib (2pc) & Premium Beef Loin (2pc) for $20 ($35 RRP). Win-win, right?

Also, great way to test potential dates. If they are still interested after the Foil Yaki Garlic, they’re a keeper. =)

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 Suminoya and Oiden! To find out more about the programme and sign up, visit www.washokulovers.com.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Rengaya and Washoku Lovers.

Rengaya
73 Miller Street
North Sydney NSW
Phone: (02) 9929 6169
Website: www.yakiniku.com.au/rengaya/

Ramly Burger in Sydney! Yang’s Malaysian Food Truck

Food Truck Review April 20, 2015

Aerial shot of our order from Yang's Malaysian Food Truck!

In Singapore, night markets (pasar malam) are big business. They take on a nomadic, gypsy quality, moving from suburb to suburb, with makeshift tents sprouting up overnight like daisies after a spring shower. Loud music begins blaring, hawkers begin hawking, and pans and grill go on the heat and curls of smoke start beckoning, crooking its wispy fingers and luring you into the bright light.

And with food like that, you’d think that you have died and gone to heaven.

The Ramly Burger debuted in Singapore in a pasar malam to great fanfare, causing queues round the block as we are wont to do. Originating in Malaysia, this burger was created by a man named, well, Ramly, and consists of a beef or chicken patty, covered in egg, lettuce, sauce on sauce on sauce, and is the sloppiest burger you’d ever eat. Even now, with all the knockoffs, most of the Ramly burgers in Malaysia are made with patties sourced from the original Ramly makers.

So when I heard that Yang’s Malaysian Food Truck was serving up Ramly burgers on the menu, I was like a kid with an early Christmas, chomping at the bit to get my hands on it. But of course, a food blogger never just orders one thing off the menu. No, we order the whole damned lot.

Roti with Curried Chicken

Soft Shell Chilli Crab with Mantou

Ramly Slider

Chicken Rice balls

Curry Puffs

The Soft Shell Chilli Crab with Mantou is a fantastic take on the Singapore Chilli Crab, with more fresh chillies used and not quite as sweet as I was expecting. And you know, deep fried milk buns are always a winner with me. The Chicken Rice Balls were quite surprising, since I’ve never had them that way before, but the little morsels grew on me…maybe because I’m a lazy eater and these were convenient mouthfuls. The chicken was a tiny bit on the dry side, but on the whole still a thoroughly enjoyable dish. The Ramly Sliders were great as a slider, but at the risk of sounding like a perv in a red light district, it needs to be dirtier, and greasier. It was almost too clean and sophisticated to really communicate the Ramly experience. The curry puffs had the super flaky pastry spot on – I could feel my arteries clogging, which is always a good sign when you’re eating pastry – but the filling was just a touch…wet. Again, no relation to the red light district.

As a food truck, Yang’s Malaysian Food Truck is off to a great start, serving up quality Asian-inspired food in convenient to-go portions. There’s some maturing that needs to happen, as with any new food business, but I do think that they are a truck to watch. *thumbs up*

This meal was independently paid for.

Yang’s Malaysian Food Truck
79 Edinburgh Rd
Castlecrag, NSW 2068
Phone: 0408 221 213
Website: http://yangsfoodtruck.com

How To Cook When You Don’t Know What To Eat

Food April 17, 2015 4 Comments

Aerial shot of my cook books on a white background.

As an obsessed eater, my cooking choices are almost always driven by what I feel like eating. Whether it’s a new favourite from the latest restaurant, or comforting dishes from my childhood, my stomach and tastebuds has never led me down the wrong path when it comes to cooking.

But sometimes I get bored, and my stomach remains rebelliously silent. And when my dinners start looking the same week after week, I get into a food schlump, and all the joy starts getting sapped from my meals.

It’s at these times when it’s so important to have an arsenal of backup food inspiration, to shake off the doldrums of stale repetitive food. This is how I cook, when I don’t know what to eat.
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Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of PappaRich Bankstown.

PappaRich Bankstown Little Saigon Plaza, G13-G14/462 Chapel Rd Bankstown NSW 2200, Australia Phone: +61 2 9709 4147 Website: http://www.papparich.net.au/location/papparich-bankstown/