Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts
Marukame Udon (& a yarn about motherhood)
Sugar Hit 2012: Azuma
Today
being the first day of October means that another year’s Crave Sydney International Food Festival
is upon us. A whole month of food-related events are ahead and personally it
equates to that time of year when I
indulge in way too many Sugar
Hits.
Azuma
has always been mysterious in its Sugar Hit offerings, only ever describing
theirs as an “East meets West Dessert Tasting Plate”. This year is no different
and, while their signature bento box presentation remains, its contents are for
you to discover. But, here is a preview...
Served
with a choice of either Brown Brothers’
Cienna Rosso or a special in-house blend of Japanese green tea, the former
has the appearance of sparkling Ribena and, as noted by Tina, smells of
strawberries. It’s very easy to drink, in a girly alcopop kind of way.
Hong Kong Series: Hokkaido Dairy Farm Milk Restaurant (北海道牧場餐廳)
The husband had several bad
coffee experiences in Hong Kong. We’re not talking about bad local-style
coffee, which is made stove top with evaporated milk added, but espresso coffee
– and by “bad” I don’t mean that it was burnt, but rather that it was thin,
watery and weak. Apparently milk sourced locally is lacking in creaminess and is
often the reason for lacklustre coffee. So in the vein of “cha
chaan teng” (Hong Kong-style cafés), Hokkaido Dairy Farm Milk Restuarant is
one which uses eggs and 3.6% fat milk sourced only from Hokkaido. Both are known for
their rich flavours plus the milk for its creaminess.
There are several branches of
Hokkaido Dairy Farm and whilst we plan to visit the original in Causeway Bay, I
spot the one in neighbouring Wan Chai from the tram. Out we hop, and lucky we
did as we’re told the kitchen is closing in 5 minutes but we’re welcome to stay
until the restaurant closes at 10pm. We order quickly and receive our “Supreme
macaroni in soup” minutes later. It’s a meat-lover’s fest of luncheon meat,
ham, char siu and a sausage then topped by a sunny-side-up Hokkaido egg. Elbow
macaroni sits in a cloudy broth underneath which is surprisingly light and clean. With the
yolk popped and mixed into the soup, the husband drinks most of this.
The “3 inch scrambled eggs with
Hokkaido milk sandwich” has my name all over it. Scrambled eggs on untoasted
white bread was the comfort food of my childhood and, for some reason, I
remember Mum making it typically on rainy days. It has nostalgia stamped across
it and one bite of the crust-less spongy sandwich transports me back to when my
feet used to dangle from our dining chairs. The eggs are rich and creamy
without being overly rich.
We’ve also ordered an iced coffee (unpictured) which we fail to finish by closing time, but this is kindly transferred to a
takeaway cup for us. The velvety smooth drink is strong in coffee flavour but
lighter than its usual evaporated milk cousin
At four locations, all on Hong
Kong island:
Shops
D2-D3, UG/F, Far East Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Rd, Admiralty
Shop B,
G/F, Capital Building, 6-10 Sun Wui Rd, Causeway Bay
8/F, The
Loop, 33 Wellington St, Central
Shops
A& B, G/F, 211 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai
happy
eating!
Makanai Chatswood
Finally, after the ever-mounting
number of Japanese eateries I’ve eaten at on Sydney’s lower North Shore,
Chatswood finally has its own ramen joint! Makanai occupies the Westfield shop
space vacated by Korean bakery chain Hello Happy (and Starbucks before them)
and has brought with them not only ramen, but also a front display window
impressively stocked with about ten varieties of onigiri on a daily basis.
Ichimaru
Sydney’s lower north shore is abundant in Japanese eats, which is quite serendipitous for Monsieur Poisson as it means he has easy access to his beloved cuisine on a whim’s notice. Ichimaru opened more than a few months ago now, and was stumbled across accidentally whilst on travels to seek out something else.
The gyoza are nothing to write home about, being of the deep-fried variety which I wish would be advertised explicitly on menus so that I could avoid ordering them as I’m a pan-fried purist. However the soft-shell crab salad proves to be excellent value – for $14 you are rewarded with two crabs which are a little on the heavily-battered side, but thankfully aren’t greasy. A mound of mixed greens and tomato wedges underneath help to make the dish a meal in its own right but the carrot threads, also seen later, are a little unnecessary.
Sugar Hit 2011: Azuma Kushiyaki
This
is Azuma Kushiyaki’s third year participating in Crave Sydney International
Food Festival’s Sugar
Hits with its offering named ‘East meets West Dessert Tasting Plate’ as in years
past. With no description other than that, it is one of several locations
taking the mysterious angle with the dessert they are serving up. However if
you’ve tried their Sugar Hits previously, then you will recognise the signature
stacked bento presentation.
Miso
We
take a numbered ticket and join the throng of people milling around outside
Miso on a Friday evening. Miso is known for its tonkatsu and everyone seems to
have tried it except for Monsieur Poisson. So before a night of outdoor
ice-skating fun with friends, we stop in at Miso for dinner.
happy eating!
There
is a special set on offer of ‘Sukiyaki Wagyu’ and, drawn in by the array of
side dishes as well as the promise of succulent beef, we order one of these to
share as well as the ‘Tonkatsu pork loin set’. Bentos are the best fun with all
their little compartments and cute portions of food. You feel like you’re
eating so much more than you really are due to the variety and Miso’s sides are
quality ones to boot – salmon sashimi, deep-fried soft-shell crab, potato
salad, fruit and more!
But
nothing can take away from the star of our dinner – the tonkatsu pork loin! The
fillet of pork is served ceremoniously elevated on a wire rack to ensure its
golden-crumbed exterior remains crisp. The meat itself is gloriously juicy with
an ideal fat to meat ratio. Condiments of mustard and tonkatsu sauce help to
alleviate any heaviness from the fat, but take it easy with the mustard unless
you’re looking for a sinus-clearing experience!
Miso
World Square, Shop 20, 680 George St, Sydney NSW
Tel: (02) 9283 9686
Opening
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:45am-2:30pm (lunch)
5:30pm-9:30pm (dinner)
Sat 5:30pm-9:30pm (dinner only)
Sun CLOSED
happy eating!
Umami cocktails and canapés at Saké Restaurant & Bar
It’s
always exciting to be invited to dine somewhere which you haven’t, but also
slightly intriguing when you read “Umami Cocktail/Canapé” as being offered on
the evening. A cocktail is a cocktail, right? And though I know little about
specific cocktails, I do know what flavours I tend to like in mine. However,
paired with my limited knowledge of foods high in umami, my imaginings for what we
would be treated to went a little something like this:
happy eating!
I
would’ve actually found it quite funny had we been presented with a mushroom-flavoured
martini, but thankfully a lot more creative thought and work had gone into
these new menu items created by Saké’s Head Sushi Chef Shimpei Hatanake and Bar
Manager Wayne Shennen. Much like food and wine pairings, the Umami Cocktail
& Canapé menu offerings ($25 each) are designed so that the drink and food
flavours balance and complement each other but whilst maximising umami-ness.
‘The
Nightingale Song’ made with umeshu,
pear vodka, white wine, bianco vermouth and lemon juice gets my vote for the
evening with its sweet, fruity flavours and slightly dry finish. Savoury
flavours aren’t really encountered in the cocktail until you get to the settled
umeboshi bits at the bottom,
whose flavours remind me of dried Chinese plums “wah mui/hua mei” (話梅). This cocktail is
flanked by a delicate ‘Scallop Ume Spoon’ with scallop sashimi dressed with
grape seed oil, white soy, lime, pickled plum paste and finely cut shiso leaf,
sitting on a paper-thin cucumber slice providing crunch. ‘Yuzu Snapper’ is the
other accompaniment where snow pea sprouts have been rolled into a slice of
snapper sashimi dressed with olive oil, yuzu, shio-kombu (salted kelp) and tobiko.
‘The
Honey Dragon’ is what I can only describe as a manly cocktail with its
combination of honey, single malt Scottish whiskey, cinnamon, lemon zest and hint of chilli. Whiskey and I have yet to get to know each other beyond
acquaintance level, but I am more than happy to devour the pieces of salmon
belly served with yuzu soy alongside.
We
are served a selection of food from Executive Chef Shaun Presland for the rest
of the evening which is great for picking at alongside some drinks. Little
portions of ‘Char-grilled Octopus Sunomono’ are tender and dressed with a kiwi
sauce which surprisingly doesn’t taste of kiwi, and ‘Steamed Prawn Dumplings’ are a light “har-gow”/”siu-mai” hybrid but with a shaggy, shredded-skin
outer.
The
‘Teriyaki Burger Balls’ are tender, meaty fun on sticks with an ever so more-ish
sweet teriyaki glaze. And who can ever say no to crispy, deep-fried chicken?
Served with jalapeño oil, spicy mayo and tomato salsa, it is the perfect
partner to a Hitachino
Nest Beer White Ale. I’m not a beer-drinker but this is light and smooth
enough for me not to be turned off by what I usually perceive as a yeastiness about beer,
plus the bottle sports a cute owl logo (heh!).
A
DIY hand roll sushi session ensues with an array of ingredients at our disposal
and leaves us wondering whether we can nab the idea for use at future dinner
parties. We are shown the basic technique for making a hand roll and are told
that the result should be tight enough to not fall apart but loose enough to (theoretically)
let smoke through! This is, of course, much easier when watching it being done
by a professional and more of a challenge when it’s our turn, and in maximising
our fillings end up with exploding sushi.
Mini
portions of ‘Buttermilk pannacotta with raspberry coulis’ topped with toasty
coconut round off the evening of umami cocktails, with more innovative pairings
to come soon. A concept bloody Mary and a miso/yakult combination were
mentioned – both quirky and exciting to look forward to!
Mademoiselle
Délicieuse dined as a guest of Saké Restaurant & Bar and Lindy Thompson.
12 Argyle St (near
cnr Harrington St), The Rocks NSW
Tel: (02) 9259 5656
Opening
Hours: Mon-Thurs 12pm-3pm (lunch)
6pm-10:30pm (dinner)
Fri 12pm-3pm (lunch)
6pm-12 midnight (dinner)
Sat 12pm-3pm (lunch)
5:30pm-11:30pm (dinner)
Sun 12pm-3pm (lunch)
5pm-10pm (dinner)
happy eating!
Sushi Bar Rashai
A
dinner date with Toyboy leads us to Sushi Bar Rashai which came recommended to
us by Mistress who has frequented it over the years. Situated on a non-descript
section of Parramatta Road more known for its nearby bridal wear stores, Sushi
Bar Rashai looks like it’s been around for some years judging from the décor.
Although
there’s nothing standout about their sushi, with the rice being a little dry
and compacted when we visit, nor their beef tataki, and an order of ‘Kingfish Carpaccio’
from their specials menu is a little light on punch with its dressing, their
chicken karaage is juicy and not at all oily. I was tempted to order the ‘Ninja
balls’ (hello Ninja!), which is a
deep-fried dish of some sort, purely for the novel name factor but we appeared
to be over-ordering as it was.
The
hot rice dishes are much more to our liking, with the ‘Katsu curry don’ being
simultaneously crunchy and comforting with its crispy, panko crumb-coated
chicken fillets swathed in a thick curry sauce on rice. The ‘Beef teriyaki don’
is redolent with sweet soy flavours and both rice dishes are generous in their
serving size. A pleasant surprise is found in munching on the Japanese pickles
on the side – being neither too tart nor too sweet and offer palate-cleansing
relief.
Dessert
time sees Monsieur Poisson ordering the ‘Tempura Banana’, partly because
bananas are one of his favourite fruits and partly because bananas are currently
still pricey that ordering something with it feels that tiny bit indulgent.
The
bananas arrive encased in a smooth batter with nothing distinctly tempura about
it. Toyboy and I, however, have gone with the distinct option of wasabi
ice-cream – and two scoops of it each! In hindsight it would probably have been
a better idea to order a scoop of wasabi ice-cream flanked by another flavour,
but we were going the whole hog here. The ice-cream looks innocent enough when it
arrives, with the scoops only having the palest pastel green about them, and
the flavour is quite mild...to begin with until you hit what taste like little
pockets of packet wasabi! It’s sweet and hot at the same time, but not like the
combination of chocolate and chilli where the chilli offers an after note of
warmth.
Neither
of us finished each of our two scoops. We were well and truly defeated.
Challenge?
241-243 Parramatta Rd
(near cnr Macquarie St), Annandale NSW
Tel: (02) 9560 3007
Opening
Hours: Mon CLOSED
Tues-Sun 5:30pm-10:30pm (dinner only)
happy
eating!
Kenji & Guylian Café
Sitting at the counter of Kenji, your back faces one of the world’s iconic landmarks – the Sydney Harbour Bridge – but the dozen or so counter seats at this open air eatery make it feel like you’re sitting at a kitchen island bench as there is nothing to separate you from the action of your food being prepared. (Well, albeit the kitchen of a very expensive place which has views of Sydney Harbour.) There is no barrier, no glass partition, no sushi conveyer, nor chilled display cabinet. It’s quite comical when our order is taken by a waitress standing behind us and moments later we hear the whir of the docket being printed from a machine sitting just in front of Monsieur Poisson, whilst I sit directly facing a sink.
We are familiar with Kenji-san’s skilful sushi and sashimi from having eaten at Koi previously. Kenji is Kenji-san’s latest venture and we notice a few familiar items such as the ‘Seared scallop carpaccio’ on the menu. We start our dinner, however, with the ‘Small chef's selection sashimi’ which is all about the fresh produce and nothing else. Monsieur Poisson is a little disappointed as he was hoping to order uni (sea urchin) as well but, alas, is it not uni season.
It is the proximity of the seating and the casual setting which affords us an opportunity to speak with Kenji-san. We discover the high standards he sets for his food and his passion for quality ingredients. He insists on using Japanese nori sheets which cost $10 per pack and rice from Japan which he finds less gluggy than local variants. When we tell him we really enjoyed his version of the ‘California Roll’, something which is inherently not Japanese, he offers a simple reason and justification for its $15 price tag – the filling is a combination of scallop and crab meat. As in, it is real seafood and not the usual seafood stick/extender stuff.
The ‘Soft Shell Crab salad’ is a jumble of mixed leaves and crispy crab legs with a light, tangy dressing topped with matchsticks of crunchy radish. It is the perfect contrast to the steaming bowl of ‘Tempura Udon’ where the crunchy tempura prawns are cooked before your eyes and served separately on the side (yay!) negating any soup-induced sogginess.
A short stroll later and we find ourselves at Guylian Café wanting something sweet. We share a larger than expected milk iced chocolate (because Monsieur Poisson is not a big fan of dark chocolate, unlike me) which comes with a little square of Guylian chocolate for nibbling on.
And then comes our plate of petits fours which Monsieur Poisson has devised. As soon as you step in the store there is a display cabinet of these dainty creations for takeaway purchase, but because they had so captured our attention we wanted to try them in house. Monsieur Poisson chooses several and we are surprised when they are presented with the extra effort of chocolate and fruit gel decoration on the plate – thoughtful!
A choc fudge slice sprinkled with the finest trail of salt flakes. A passionfruit cake-let with a mini-syringe of raspberry sauce for injecting into the centre. A tiny tiramisu in a miniature chocolate teacup! And a bite-sized lemon meringue tart. Everything was so adorable and had Monsieur Poisson talking about Sugar Hits again – not long to go now!
Opera Kitchen, Lower Concourse, Sydney Opera House NSW
Tel: 9247 0480
Shop 10, Opera Quays, 3 Macquarie St (entrance on harbour foreshore next to Dendy Cinemas), Sydney NSW
Tel: 8274 7900
happy eating!
Kashiwa Yakiniku, Japanese BBQ Restaurant
Food-blogging, or indeed photographing your food, can be a funny thing. The practicalities of finding a safe place for your camera to sit whilst enjoying your food is one matter, and looking back at your food memories fondly to relive the meal are another.
happy eating!
Except in this case, where we went to a Japanese-style barbeque joint. And (vegetarians, beware!) the photos are pretty much all of raw meat! In this instance you are not visiting a place for their cooking skills, although there are of course cooked items on the menu to be enjoyed, but rather the quality of the produce, the marinades and sauces used, and the service.
The pork neck (pictured above, top left) has an excellent ratio of meat to fat with the fat crisping up to a bouncy sort of crunchiness when cooked, but without any greasiness. The scallops (top right) require some seasoning but I do like how they come with the roe attached. Mushrooms (bottom left, foreground) are expensive at $3.80 for only 4 of the little guys, but the ox tongue are thinly-sliced and grill up to be crispy. The ‘Wagyu short rib’ (bottom right, foreground) is tasty from the soy marinade and tastes like beef jerky once cooked, whereas the ‘LA short rib’ is meatier in flavour being attached to small pieces of bone and mildly sweet from the use of honey. ‘Miso Chicken’ (unpictured) is sadly a little lacking in miso flavour.
Butter corn (unpictured) is well seasoned and provides some crunchy relief in amongst all our meat. As does the tofu seaweed salad which awakens the senses with a rather tart dressing! Mistress and Monsieur Poisson share the yukke which they report as being creamy and rich (and not frozen, heh), whilst I sit to one side and watch their consumption of raw meat.
Things which will impress you about this place are the fact that coals are used for the cooking process, resulting in a most smoky flavour, but there is no need to dread that clinging post-barbeque burnt stench because their downward-adjustable exhaust fans are most effective.
For me, it also proved to be a relaxed à la carte experience versus the somewhat rushed feeling of all-you-can-eat versions with time limits. And with getting older and not being able to consume as vast amounts of food (Damn you, slowly metabolism!), this is much kinder to the stomach. Make sure you make a reservation though, as it is cosy and seating is limited.
7A Falcon St, Crows Nest NSW
Tel: (02) 9906 7393
Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm (lunch)
5pm-10:00pm (dinner)
Mon CLOSED
happy eating!
Exceeding expectations at Sakana-Ya
Crows Nest is littered with eateries, especially Japanese ones, and you’ll find Sakana-Ya just down the road from Ju-Rin. With its unassuming and slightly dated entrance, it is hard to gauge what style of Japanese food Sakana-Ya serves within and what type of market they’re catering for. But venture through the blue curtains and the sliding glass door, and I can guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
happy eating!
The décor within matches the doorway and is somewhat non-descript with wood panelling halfway up the walls and dark brown café-style furniture. Apart from the paper lantern light fixtures and the odd fishing rod and paper fan affixed to the walls, it could just as easily be an eatery which serves neither Japanese nor seafood but rather a different cuisine altogether. However the aromas upon stepping in are unmistakably Japanese – being those of pickled ginger and sweet sukiyaki sauce.
We are seated and served small complimentary dishes of edamame, each containing several pods. Whilst perusing the menu, we notice how “fishy” the place is – the aforementioned fishing rods on the wall, the fish painted on our sauce dishes and the two little guys printed on the paper placemats hiding underneath the serviette and chopstick setting. There is a serious amount of seafood offer and Monsieur Poisson politely complies by ordering, first up, one of his favourite things: sea urchin.
The uni sashimi is presented attractively in an open abalone shell surrounded by sides of colour, and is the largest we’ve ever seen. Monsieur Poisson attests to their sweet freshness, whilst a particular food blogger may or may not have been seen dangling a piece between her lips to resemble a tongue. (All photographic evidence of which has been destroyed. Ahem.)
This is followed by ‘Tuna Tar-tar’ which we feel required more lubrication. Whilst the ingredients and especially the tuna are fresh, the raw egg yolk when mixed through doesn’t provide quite the amount of creaminess of which we had hoped. Perhaps mayonnaise might have been a welcome addition?
Their tempura and sashimi platter doesn’t disappoint with its fresh, cold and bouncy fish slices and light, crunchy tempura. I do wish we’d been afforded the other half of that soft-shell crab though!
The ox tongue is thinly sliced and well seasoned, and we order a bowl of green tea soba in hot soup simply because there aren’t enough places which serve flavoured soba. The noodles are slippery with a slight bite but don’t top those made in-house at Ju Ge Mu & Shimbashi.
And because we greedily wanted to try too many things, we are already quite full by the time our bara-sushi is brought out to us. Lifting the lid off the lacquerware box reveals masses of shredded egg omelette shielding the seafood and rice underneath, apart from the cooked prawns and strategically placed salmon roe on top. Digging in, we discover a delightfully high topping to rice ratio but can only make our way through half of it and take the remainder home. The rolled egg omelette branded with Sakana-Ya’s name in Japanese is a cute touch, as are the serving plates again emblazoned with fish – one of which is of a fugu.
But there is somehow always room for dessert! The ‘An-mitsu and green tea float set’ proves much better value than ordering the two separately, and we are rewarded with a bowl of green tea and vanilla ice-cream sitting on a base of chewy discs of mochi and springy cubes of agar jelly alongside a generous scoop of azuki paste. All this is washed down with a slightly unattractive, aloe vera-tinged green tea drink which becomes enjoyably creamy when the large scoop of ice-cream bobbing about is allowed to meld into it.
Admittedly Sakana-Ya is on the pricey side, but in exchange you do receive quality, freshness and simplicity which respects the true flavours of the food. The service is polite and it has been around for years, which serves someway of attesting to its enduring standards.
Sakana-Ya
336 Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest NSW
Tel: (02) 9438 1468
*Bookings are highly recommended, especially on weekends.*
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 12pm-2:30pm (lunch)
6pm-10:30pm (dinner)
Sun & Sat 6pm-10:30pm (dinner only)
happy eating!
Epicure Recipe Card #15: Nori-crusted Tuna
New Year’s Eve 2010 was a quiet affair at home for Monsieur Poisson and I as he had work duties to fulfil from the comfort of our study. Not that we’re terribly exciting people who go out partying to celebrate the event in any case but, as always, calendar occasions call for a celebration with food. And so I set about making a little too much food when there was only the two of us to feed, which resulted in abandoning some of the plans at the last minute.
The evening started off with salmon tartare which was a tad short of what I’d envisaged. I was thinking sexy poached eggs with golden yolk spilling out to enrobe the salmon morsels in a thick creaminess but, uh, although I’d employed the plastic wrap method let’s just say my egg-poaching skills leave a lot to be desired still. Taste-wise it didn’t disappoint, but perhaps learning how to poach an egg properly is something to make a resolution about.
Some pan-fried gyoza followed as well as something from another recipe card which I’d had in mind for entertaining purposes as it seemed extremely simple to make ahead as well as being a little special. The hardest part was finding sashimi-grade tuna at the local fishmongers, and nor is it cheap. Once that was done, there was virtually no preparation involved and just some flash searing in a hot pan before cooling and slicing. Easy! And I decided to do away with encrusting the tuna with nori, instead just snipping a few strips over the end product instead.
Although the recipe card describes it being served with lemon soy, the instructions suggest it can be served with wasabi mayonnaise or the former. Either way it really is one of the most low effort, stress-free things I’ve ever made and will be sure to impress guests with its geometric simplicity and pretty colouring.
Tuna Tataki (serves 2 as a starter)
(adapted from The Age – Epicure 50 Best Recipe Cards, recipe by Jill Dupleix)
Ingredients:
· about 100g sashimi-grade tuna in log form – I’d bought a rectangular piece and just sliced down the middle to get 2 small logs
· sesame oil, for brushing
· ½ tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
· 1 tsp black sesame seeds
· 1 tbs light soy sauce
· ½ tbs lemon juice – I used lime
· ½ a nori sheet (optional)
Method:
- Brush sides of each tuna log with sesame oil and sprinkle over pepper and sesame seeds to lightly coat.
- Heat a dry, non-stick frypan and sear each side of the tuna for 1 minute. Set aside and allow to cool, then slice thinly.
- Mix lemon juice with soy, adjusting to taste if necessary. Serve with tuna on a bed of shredded cabbage or lettuce, if desired. Snip strips of nori over the top if using.
happy cooking!
Food to nurse hangovers
It’s hot and stuffy. The sun is blazing outside and rudely creeping in through the blinds. Oh, my eyes! Why is it so bright? You move to roll over. Whoa…the bed, or wherever you parked yourself last night/this morning, feels like a tiny dinghy bobbing about on rough seas. *Bob, bob, bob, bob…* It’s too hot to keep sleeping and you really need something to settle down the party which has been continuing in your stomach and bloodstream despite you stopping hours ago.
Good morning (or afternoon), and a happy new year to you, your stomach, your pounding headache and…so nice of you to join us, Hangover!
Although there are no foods which can miraculously cure hangovers, there are certain foods that somehow make you feel better through nothing other than comfort or placebo effect. If you’re wanting something fast-food yet can’t bear the usual international chains, then Ocean Foods has many deep-fried and more virtuous non-deep fried options. The grilled barramundi with chips (below) is just one of them – it is unbattered and cooked on the spot like all their hot foods. Paired with some sweet, crunchy and not-at-all greasy crab claws as well as a small tub of salad (coleslaw in this instance, pictured below) and you can soothe that hangover whilst having a balanced meal. For something in a more central location, there’s that famous soft-shell crab omelette (unpictured) from Café Ish which the husband keeps raving to everyone about.
Or perhaps you want something a little more pure and soothing. Pho An has any combination of beef, fatty beef, beef meatballs, beef tendon, tripe, chicken, etc in a fragrant Vietnamese beef or chicken broth with slippery flat rice noodles where chewing isn’t even required. Topped with fresh herbs to awaken the senses, stir in chopped chillies for warmth and slurp to restore some much-needed hydration. Noodle bowls are available in small (regular) and large sizes, and your food will appear almost instantly by magic. Peruse the menu at the doorway or ask for a printed menu when seated, as the wall menus are in Vietnamese and Chinese only.
To combine the best of both worlds Ton Ton Regent has ramen, karaage chicken, gyoza and tempura amongst other things, whilst Menya Mappen has udon, soba, lots of fresh crunchy tempura and kakiage, poached egg and small rice bowls all for very affordable prices. And runny eggs always make things better.
Gumshara will give you a thick, sticky, flavoursome and soul-restoring soup where each bowl is taste-tested by the master himself before being served. The noodles are springy and the pork is plentiful. Add a soft-boiled egg and you’re absolutely set for the day. If you want an alternate to noodles the ‘Special Rice’ bowl is serious value at around $8 with a foundation of rice mixed with sesame seeds, soft-boiled egg and vegetables topped with roast pork, and then the whole thing repeated on top of it again – it will satisfy the most ravenous of hangover hungers.
For a variety of eats including deep-fried things, rice, noodles, soups and Hong Kong fusion-style pastas then you simply cannot go past a “cha chaan teng” (茶餐廳). Iced lemon tea rates highly on my long-time loves even though it’s only black tea, sugar syrup and fresh lemon slices. You’ll find sweet drinks incorporating azuki (red) beans and grass jelly as well as Hong Kong-style French toast “sai dor see” (西多士) – typically two slices of white bread sandwiched with peanut butter, deep-fried in eggy batter before being served with butter and golden syrup. Trolley/cart noodles used to be street food sold, well, from a mobile cooking trolley, allowing for personalisation of soup noodles (flat rice noodles, rice vermicelli, Hokkien noodles, flat egg noodles, thin egg noodles, etc) and toppings (dried squid, fish balls, fried fish skin, luncheon meat, ham, pig’s blood jelly, beef meatballs, pork meatballs, chicken wings, mushrooms, etc and an array of vegetables). Not available at many Hong Kong fusion-style cafés in Sydney, Victoria Noodle Restaurant offers a great selection of noodles and toppings as well as other menu items. Try their salt and chilli chicken wings with rice – hangover or no hangover – if you get a chance.
For something healthy and sweet, wowcow serves 98% fat-free yoghurt with active cultures that is smooth and slides easily down the throat. One of Sydney’s earlier frozen yoghurt chains, mix in whatever toppings take your fancy from their display window and pair with cinnamon-sugared wow-sticks (baked churros) for dipping. I spotted Joh Bailey bringing a group of friends here late one night, and don’t forget to crane your head back (provided it doesn't induce too much dizziness) to marvel at the cow feature adorning the ceiling!
Corner of Lyons Rd & Gipps St, Drummoyne NSW
Tel: (02) 9181 4336
Opening Hours: 7 days 9am-9pm
82 Campbell St (cnr Foster St), Surry Hills NSW
Tel: (02) 9281 1688
Opening Hours: Mon-Tues 7am-4pm
Wed-Fri 7am-10pm
Sat 9am-10pm
Sun 9am-2:30pm
Pho An
27 Greenfield Pde (near cnr Stewart Ln), Bankstown NSW
Tel: (02) 9796 7826
Opening Hours: 7 days 7am-9pm
Shop 10.16, Ground floor of Regent Place, 501 George St (cnr Bathurst St), Sydney NSW
Tel: (02) 9267 1313
Opening Hours: 7 days 11:30am-10pm
Shop 11, Ground Floor of Meriton Tower – Skyview Shopping Plaza, 537-551 George St (near cnr Liverpool St), Sydney NSW
Tel: (02) 9283 5525
Opening Hours: Sun-Wed 11:30am-10pm
Thurs-Sat 11:30am-10:30pm
Gumshara
Shop 209, Lower Ground Level, Harbour Plaza, 25-29 Dixon St (Chinatown), Haymarket NSW
Tel: 0410 253 180
Opening Hours: Mon CLOSED
Tues-Sun 10am-10pm
Shop A8, Lower level of Victoria Plaza, 369 Victoria Ave, Chatswood NSW
Tel: (02) 9410 1822
Opening Hours: 7 days…11am-10pm
Shop 2, 304-308 Victoria St, Darlinghurst NSW
Tel: (02) 9326 0400
Opening Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am-11pm
Fri 11:30am-12 midnight
Sat 11am-12 midnight
Sun 11am-11pm
happy eating!
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