Simon Food Favourites

Taste of Sydney 2012: Food Festival Restaurant Dishes and Stands, Centennial Park (10 Mar 2012)

2012-03-13T00:01:00.004+11:00

Brazilian Fields, Centennial Park, Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.tasteofsydney.com.au

A celebration of food & drink

Thanks to Ashley Gatte from Stellar* Concepts for inviting me to the VIP Gala Night launch for Taste of Sydney 2012 which unfortunately was cancelled due to torrential wet weather on Thursday but I managed to visit on the sunny Saturday to check out the restaurant dishes and meet the chefs. Firstly I wanted to check out the New Zealand stand which had impressed me the previous two years with their free samples. Sadly no sign of Kohu Road Ice Cream this year but NZ Regal King Salmon had decided to put together a Smoked Salmon Tasting Plate ($5) with 4 kinds of salmon — the pastrami version remains my favourite. I was impressed with the Blue River well-flavoured Vintage Feta and Omega Seafood were again promoting their precooked mussels and clams. The Wine Barrel Smoked Mushrooms from Aromatics was worth trying. Full of flavour which would work so well with some pasta I think. I wish I had more time to try the Giesen wines as I’m a fan of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir but more food was calling me.

Next stop was City Tattersalls Club which again generously provided lots of complimentary food and drinks with enthusiastic and friendly service to all that visited their stand — you guys seriously rock! Their Crisp Sumac Spiced Prawns with Tomato & Capsicum Relish was a favourite which I'd happily eat a whole tray of. I managed to visit all 15 restaurant stands but sadly run out of time to visit the new sustainable pop-up restaurant stand that was represented on different days by Fish & Co, Three Blue Ducks, The Veggie Patch and Agapé Organic Restaurant & Bar. I thought the overall quality of dishes served looked pretty good and my favourite savoury dishes I was offered to try by restaurants were Flying Fish Prawns served with okra sambal ($10), Efendy Kadayif wrapped king prawns, walnut capsicum muhammara ($10), Quarter Twenty One Fried Hawkesbury School Prawns, Prosciutto and Rouille ($10). My favourite desserts sampled were The Montpellier Public House Pepe Saya Buttermilk and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Poached Fruits ($10) and Otto Ristorante Meringue filled with Passionfruit Curd, Honeydrew, Rock and Watermelon ($10).

Apart from the main restaurant stands there was plenty of exhibitor stands providing free tastings. Preshafruit and Nudie are two juices I tend to buy regularly for their great tasting 100% Australian made fruit juice. I loved the cheeky packaging of the Foxy's Frozen Yoghurt and for tasty caramel coated nuts I'm glad I discovered Morish which is proudly Australian grown, owned and made with no preservatives, artificial flavours or colouring. I had the opportunity of sampling a Pure Pops given out in the air conditioned HSBC VIP Lounge which is 100% natural — the ginger beer one was really nice. As always there's lots of chef talks and demonstrations going on but again I simply didn't have enough time to visit any which I would have loved to do. I seriously think with the amount of things on offer and the few hours you get per session it's simply not enough time to do it all. I'd love at least a full day to fully appreciate and get around to everything I wanted to see and do.

Other visits to Taste of Sydney:
March 2012 / March 2011 / March 2010

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: A taste of some of Sydney's hatted restaurants, Meet the chefs in person, Free taste samplings to be found especially at City Tattersalls Club stand, Free parking

CONS: Weather dependent, Time limit per session, Can sometimes get crowded so might to line up for food, Parking fills up quickly nearby, Can get expensive depending how much you want to eat

MUST TRY: Visiting the restaurants that impressed me the most with their dishes

—

(S) = Sampled and tasted

The Montpellier Public House

The Montpellier Public House Chef Matt Kemp and team

(S) Braised Shoulder of Lamb with Polenta and Green Sauce ($12)

(S) Crisp Brisket of Pasture Fred Beef with Creamed Wild Mushrooms ($10)

(S) Pepe Saya Buttermilk and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Poached Fruits ($10)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

The Montpellier Public House Eton Mess ($12)

Flying Fish

Flying Fish Chef Peter Kuruvita (right)

(S) Seared Petuna ocean trout with ginger, chilli, shallot sauce, served with carrot sambal & basmati rice ($12)

(S) Prawns served with okra sambal ($10)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

(S) Laveria: Fresh coconut & palm treacle pancake with cardamom ice cream ($8)

Four In Hand

Four In Hand Chef Colin Fassnidge (top middle) and team

(S) Smoked Salmon, Chorizo and Mozzarella Croquette ($10)

(S) Roast Suckling Pig, Coleslaw, Onion Rings and Hot Sauce ($12) - tender flavoursome meat, hot sauce works well with it

(S) Licorice Braised Beef Brisket with Carrot and Cherry Purée ($10)

There's nothing quite like a pig on a spit

Saké Restaurant & Bar

Saké Restaurant & Bar Chef Shaun Presland (middle)

Hiramasa Kingfish Double Crunch Sushi Roll ($10)

Hiramasa Kingfish Ceviche ($8)

Pan Seared Ocean Barramundi ($12)

The Cut Bar & Grill

The Cut Bar & Grill Chef James Privett (left)

Charcuterie Tasting Plate with Cornichons and Mustard Fruits ($10)

Sher F1 Wagyu Meatball, Gremolata and a Salad of local and Italian Cabbage ($10)

Vanilla and Blueberry Cheesecake with Chestnut Crumble ($8)

A Tavola

Salt cod, potato and truffle fritters with tarragon mayonnaise ($10)

Traditional house made casareccia pasta with slow cooked veal, pork and chicken ragu ($12)

(S) Amedei gianduia chocolate crema, salty caramel gelato, Italian meringue ($8)

Efendy

Efendy Chef Somer Sivrioglu - winner of best dish at Taste of Sydney

(S) Traditional charcoal BBQ lamb and veal kebap, smoked eggplant and Chobani Greek yoghurt ($12)

WORTH TRYING :-)

(S) Kadayif wrapped king prawns, walnut capsicum muhammara ($10)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Pan-fried Lamb Testicles with Almond Tarator ($8) — for those who dare and are quick enough to get as they've been very popular to try

Pistachio dessert trio of traditional Baklava, Dolma and Kadayif

Ormeggio at the Spit & Spiedo

Ormeggio at the Spit & Spiedo Chef Alessandro Pavoni (right)

(S) Smoked veal rump, vegetable ash and radish ($12)

Salmon crudo, lemon dressing, manadrin, squid ink mayo ($8)

(S) House made Frusili (Strozzapreti?), zucchini, prawns, saffron ($10)

(S) Deep fried fontina cheese in buckwheat batter ($8)

WORTH TRYING :-)

L'etoile

L'etoile Chef Manu Fiedel and team

(S) Chilled Cauliflower Soup with Blue Cheese Crème ($8)

Murray Valley Pork Belly with Prunes and Char-grilled Silver Beet ($12)

(S) Apple and Cinnamon Donuts ($10)

Longrain Bar & Restaurant

Longrain team, customers and DJ

Ginger Rogers ($12), Stickmata ($12)

Ping Pong ($12), Acapulco Gold ($12)

Crisp pork belly, pickled daikon & chilli jam in a sweet roll ($12)

Yellow curry of lamb with cucumber relish ($12)

(S) Watermelon, young coconut & tapioca ($8)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Otto Ristorante

A Tavola Chef Eugenio Maiale (right)

(S) Ravioli of Sliced Pickled Beetroot with Goats Curd, Pistachio & Horseradish ($10)

(S) Pasta with Lightly Smoked Lilydale Chicken, Carrot Puree and Parmesan ($10)

(S) Meringue filled with Passionfruit Curd, Honeydrew, Rock and Watermelon ($10)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Otto Bar

(S) Aperol Splice ($10), Mandarino Sundowner ($10), Vivo ($10)

Charlie & Co. Burgers

Charlie & Co. Diner

The Burger: Charlie wagyu beef & cheese slider ($10)

The Dog: Miniature artisan frankfurter chilli dog ($8)

The Quesadilla: Spicy bean, cheese and jalapeno quesadilla ($10) + Grilled chicken ($12)

Vanilla icecream soda float ($6)

Quarter Twenty One

Becasse Chef Justin North and Quarter Twenty One team

(S) Fried Hawkesbury School Prawns, Prosciutto and Rouille ($10)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

(S) Slow Cooked and Caramelised Short Rib with Bone Marrow Persillade ($12)

(S) One Hokey Pokey Ice Cream Sandwich ($8)

(S) Quarter Twenty One stockist: Maya Sunny Honey

City Tattersalls Club

(S) Applegarita and Cuban Iced Tea

(S) Coconut Panna Cotta with Mango & Lime Compote

(S) Crisp Sumac Spiced Prawns with Tomato & Capsicum Relish

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

(S) Mini Moroccan Lamb & Eggplant Burger with Cucumber & Mint Raita

(S) Loukomades Greek Honey Puffs with Vanilla Sheep's Yoghurt

WORTH TRYING :-)

New Zealand stand

(S) Blue River cheese — Vintage Feta was my favourite

New Zealand products

(S) New Zealand Regal Smoked Salmon Tasting Plate ($5)

Giesen wines

(S) Omega Seafood — mussels and clams

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Goodie Bag

HSBC VIP Lounge

HSBC VIP Lounge — Nice place to be when it's hot

(S) The Victoria Room Tea Salon scone tastings

Exhibitors stands

Patisse Chef Vincent Gadan and desserts — (S) Pear dessert

(S) Foxy's Frozen Yoghurt

(S) Preshafruit

Bavarian Bier Cafe

(S) Nudie

(S) Gingerbread Folk

(S) Sunshack Cider

(S) Morish nuts — macadamias are their most popular

(S) Nespresso

(S) Chang Beer

Sweetness The Patisserie

Two Italian Boys

Ketel One Vodka cocktails by Eau-De-Vie

(S) Pure Pops

Kopparberg

(S) Original Juice Co Black Label Chilled Juice

(S) McGuigan wines, Kemenys and ELK join forces

Beach Bar

Infinity Sourdough Bakery

Wine Selectors

Chobani Greek Yogurt

Arrogant Frog

Rekorderlig

HSBC — A friendly smile from the sponsors

Taste Kitchen

Sensology: The art of cocktail making

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Malaysian Dish: Hainanese Chicken Rice

2012-03-08T23:58:00.006+11:00

Searching for Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice is a simple plated dish and if done well can be a very comforting meal to enjoy. Even though it looks simple many factors can make it a bad one. The most common problem is the chicken being too dry. The rice might not be well-flavoured, the ginger and chilli dips might be tasteless and the soup might be too watery and bland. If served on the bone you can get bits of bone shards in the meat depending on how they've cut it. You usually can choose the thigh or breast. The thigh tends to be more moist but also usually comes on the bone while the breast is served boneless. My dad is from Seremban in Malaysia and in April 2007 we visited his favourite chicken rice restaurant called Restoran Chai Hong (see below). He said it's been there for years since growing up as a kid and the lady chef was so particular about the cutting and presentation of the chicken that she never let her husband to do. This is the chicken rice dish I probably compare to all others I try. It was served boneless which I prefer and the meat was silky moist and juicy.

Other Malaysian Dishes:

• Searching for Hainanese Chicken Rice

• Searching for Char Kway Teow

Petaling Street

Haymarket, Sydney (23 Feb 2012)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/petaling-street-malaysian-hawker-food.html

SIMON FAVOURTE :-)

May’s Laksa House

North Sydney (28 Apr 2011)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/mays-laksa-house-malaysian-north-sydney.html

Jackie M Malaysian Cuisine

Concord (24 Mar 2011)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/jackie-m-malaysian-cuisine-malaysian.html

Singapore Shiok!*

Haymarket, Sydney (29 Sept 2010)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/singapore-shiok-chicken-rice-haymarket.html

SIMON FAVOURTE :-)

Malacca Straits

Broadway (23 Jan 2010)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/malacca-straits-hidden-malaysian.html

SIMON FAVOURTE :-)

Yummy Cuisine

Martin Place, Sydney (20 Jan 2010)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/yummy-chinese-no-28-is-back-martin.html

Laksa House

CBD Sydney (24 Sept 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/laksa-house-har-mee-and-chicken-rice.html

Laksa King

CBD Sydney (16 Sept 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/laksa-king-har-mee-and-chicken-rice.html

Malaysian Food House

CBD Sydney (18 August 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/09/malaysian-food-house-chicken-rice.html

Malay-Chinese Takeaway

CBD Sydney (6 August 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/08/malay-chinese-takeaway-hainan-chicken.html

Mc Lucksa

Haymarket, Sydney (5 August 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/08/mc-lucksa-hainan-chicken-rice-haymarket.html

Jaya Malaysian

Sydney (29 July 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/07/jaya-malaysian-chicken-rice-sydney-29.html

Sayong Malaysian Cuisine

CBD Sydney (22 July 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/07/sayong-curry-laksa-malaysian-cuisine.html

SIMON FAVOURTE :-)

Little Singapore Restaurant

Sunnybank, QLD (17 Nov 2008)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2008/11/little-singapore-restaurant-17-nov-2008.html

KL Kopitiam Malaysian Cuisine

Haymarket, Sydney (19 Oct 2008)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2008/10/kl-kopitiam-malaysian-cuisine-19-oct.html

Restoran Chai Hong

Seremban, Malaysian (13 April 2007)

No.50, Jalan Kapitan Tam Yeong, 70000, Seremban

SIMON FAVOURTE :-)

Grant's 12 Year Old Whisky Launch: IVY Penthouse, CBD Sydney (6 Mar 2012)

2012-03-08T00:32:00.002+11:00

Level 6, 330 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
http://merivale.com.au/corporate/venues/penthouse
https://www.grantswhisky.com

Hints of vanilla, honey & spice

Thanks to Emma Barnitt from Weber Shandwick for inviting me to the launch of Grant's 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky at the IVY Penthouse which reminds me of The Party movie with Peter Sellers. I'm still on the journey of acquiring the appreciation for Scotch whisky compared to most seasoned whisky drinkers who don't think it's like drinking rocket fuel by itself but having it used in a cocktail certainly makes it more palatable for my novice taste buds. Guest were treated to three cocktails during the night. At first I preferred the lighter tasting Grant's Smash of Grant's 12 Year Old, Peychauds Bitters, Gomme and Nectarine Puree but ended up having more of the Grant's Morning Fizz of Grant's 12 Year Old, Absinthe, Lemon Juice, Honey Water, Gomme and Egg White although I wasn't too sure what the brown frothy bits on top were which didn't look the most appealing. After 9 pm the third cocktail of Grant's and Sand was made which was quite strong but I found it quite easy to drink by then too.

I'd be lying if I said I could easily taste the finer points of vanilla, honey and spice in Grant's whisky without first knowing what I'm supposed to be tasting but it's like that for me with wine as well or any other spirit unless it's very noticeable. I guess I'm a late starter in drinking scotch but I believe my palate is slowly learning. I do tend to prefer mixed drinks over drinking a spirit straight up so I think a bit of water or ice in my straight sampler would have helped for me to appreciate the taste characteristics better. I thought the canapes on offer were very good and filling enough to line the stomach for the numerous cocktails on offer. The Chicken Skewers were surprisingly tender with a tasty spiced coating. It's the first time I've seen a Stuffed zucchini flower taco which was good although two hands were required to eat which can cut into valuable drinking time for some. The Crumbed lamb cutlets were another favourite of mine cooked to perfection with a flavoursome coating.

Other events at the IVY Penthouse:
6 Mar 2012 - Grant's 12 Year Old Whisky Launch

22 Oct 2009 - Skalli-Paris Australian Launch Event

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Discovering there's more to Scotch whisky than just drinking straight or with Coca-Cola, Very nice venue, Nice canapés

CONS: Would cost a lot to have your own event here, Needing two hands to eat means you can't drink at the same time, Not much room to move in front of bar area when crowded

MUST TRY: Finding am easy to make cocktail using Scotch Whisky

—

Grant's 12 Year Old — I probably needed some water or ice to appreciate better by taking the edge off the alcohol

Care for a cocktail — one of each please!

Grant's Smash (left), Morning Fizz (right)

Grant's and Sand: Grant's 12 Year Old, Cherry Liqueur, Sweet Vermouth, Blood Orange

Fresh ingredients of mint and nectarine for the cocktails

Cocktail menu

Chicken skewer - tender and nice flavours

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Stuffed zucchini flower taco - very interesting, flavours were good but needed two hands to eat so had to put my drink down

Arancini - always a crowd pleaser

Vegetarian spring rolls - crispy pastry and decently sized with plenty of filling

Crumbed lamb cutlets - tender and tasty

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Beef cheek and cauliflower puree - two handed job to eat but nice flavours and very tender meat

Prawn and pasta - probably a good one to fill the stomach after all these cocktails

Chocolate truffle - rich smooth flavours which I could have sworn had alcohol in it but apparently didn't

Pool view

Seating

Balcony seating

Bar area

Speech time

Nathan Fisher Marketing Manager (left), Blended Whiskies, William Grant & Sons Australia and Ludo Ducrocq (right) Grant's Global Ambassador

Photographic exhibition showcasing 12 bars from Sydney and Melbourne. Check out the pretty cool video (password: grants)

There used to be a bed here last time I was here

A bit of fun in the shower room for two — thanks ladies!

Guests enjoying the cocktails

Goodie box of Grant's appreciation

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Encasa Deli: Spanish, CBD Sydney (24 Jan 2012)

2012-03-06T12:32:00.001+11:00

135 Bathurst Street, Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.encasadeli.com.au

A slice of Madrid in the CBD

“Encasa Deli is the latest undertaking by the owners of Encasa Restaurant on Pitt Street, moving into Spanish groceries, deli smallgoods and sandwich lunches for office workers on the run.”

As a special treat for my birthday I was taken out for lunch by Madam Wu of Music Munchies Review — one of my favourite presents is being taken out to eat. I’ve been to the Encasa Restaurant many years ago which I remember as having reasonably priced set menus for large groups where no one left hungry. Encasa Deli seems to be a cosy lunch time spot where you can pick up a tasty bocadillo or some Spanish groceries for that matter. I remember surviving on my fair share of these sandwiches when travelling through Spain back in 2006. The Canario ($10) of roast pork leg, queso fresco, roast capsicum mojo and tomato has tender fatty meat that melts in your mouth. It’s quite tasty and filling enough to share. The Boquerones ($9) is my preferred sandwich of white anchovies, confit piquillo peppers and roast garlic aioli. It’s not too salty and its flavours work well together. The size of the sandwiches are quite filling due to the amount of bread used. If dining in I’d be happy with smaller pieces of bread just topped with ingredients like the pintxos from San Sebastián. The Marinated olives (around $5) were good and decently sized and the large serving of Papaya juice ($5) was refreshing but could be considered slightly watery. Hopefully they’ll have wine available by the glass in the future which would go so well with a platter of charcuterie. Seating is limited and next time I’d sit on the high stools as I found the hessian bags too low and uncomfortable — must be my old age setting in.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Tasty sandwiches which are reasonably priced, Lots of Spanish products available

CONS: Limited seating and low set hessian bags are quite uncomfortable, Wine not yet available

MUST TRY: Boquerones of white anchovies, confit piquillo peppers, roast garlic aioli; Revisiting to try other sandwiches

—

Marinated olives (Around $5) with goats feta and haloumi, paprika and walnuts I think

Canario: Roast pork leg, queso fresco, roast capsicum mojo, tomato ($10) — tasted better than it looks

Boquerones: White anchovies, confit piquillo peppers, roast garlic aioli ($9)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Fairly decent in size to fill you up

Papaya juice ($5) — if you thought it was big check out that body product

Bocadillos menu

Spanish dictionary

Drinks menu — would be good if prices were listed though

Seating at the back on hessian bags isn't particularly comfortable

Limited seating options

Counter display of lots of tempting choices

Lots of Spanish products

Fresh fruit pulp by Fruta available

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Malaysian Dish: Char Kway Teow

2012-03-05T23:01:00.007+11:00

Searching for Char Kway Teow

There are many key dishes I must try in a Malaysian restaurant and one of them is Char Kway Teow. It certainly needs a good amount of wok hei to give it that signature smokey flavour to have any chance of a return visit. They tend to use cockles in Malaysia but it's hard to find a place that uses them in Sydney. So far I've only found clams used at Petaling and More More Cha. Just as hard to find is fried pork fat. Most versions have prawns, fishcake, egg, bean sprouts, Chinese chives and flat rice noodles and preferably some Chinese sausage. It's probably not the healthiest dish but it can be very satisfying if cooked well. Like a good barista for coffee a good char kway teow is only as good as its cook. Here's a listing of all the Char Kway Teow dishes I've tried so far with links to their original review.

Other Malaysian Dishes:

• Searching for Hainanese Chicken Rice

• Searching for Char Kway Teow

Yummy Cuisine

Martin Place Shopping Circle, Sydney (1 Mar 2012)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/yummy-chinese-no-28-is-back-martin.html

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Petaling Street

Haymarket, Sydney (8 Feb 2012)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/petaling-street-malaysian-hawker-food.html

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

More More Cha

Darling Harbour (25 Jan 2012)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/more-more-cha-malaysian-darling-harbour.html

Jackie M Malaysian Cuisine

Concord (24 Mar 2011)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/jackie-m-malaysian-cuisine-malaysian.html

Wong Kee Fast Food

CBD Sydney (2 June 2010)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/wong-kee-fast-food-char-kway-teow-cbd.html

Sayong Malaysian Cuisine

CBD Sydney (19 Oct 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/sayong-curry-laksa-malaysian-cuisine.html

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Chili Hub

CBD Sydney (2 Sept 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/09/chili-hub-malaysian-and-chinese-cuisine.html

Albee's Kitchen

Campsie (16 Aug 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/09/albees-kitchen-malaysian-and-chinese.html

Jaya Malaysian

CBD Sydney (13 Aug 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/08/jaya-malaysian-char-kway-teow-sydney-13.html

Malay-Chinese Takeaway

CBD Sydney (29 Apr 2009)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/malay-chinese-takeaway-sydney-29-april.html

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Little Singapore Restaurant

Sunnybank QLD (17 Nov 2008)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2008/11/little-singapore-restaurant-17-nov-2008.html

KL Kopitiam Malaysian Cuisine

Haymarket (19 Oct 2008)

http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/2008/10/kl-kopitiam-malaysian-cuisine-19-oct.html

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia (12 Apr 2007)

Making a kids Garden Octopus and Isabelle's first Easter Bunny (3 Mar 2012)

2012-03-04T23:08:00.003+11:00

Creative food fun for the kids

A casual lunch catchup with friends who have three young kids gets the creative juices flowing in trying to come up with a fun yet healthy dish for them. A quick search online comes across the Garden Octopus by Disney Family Fun. Very easy to make with capsicum, some dip and sliced black olives — make sure it has eight legs of course. We also some mushrooms so I came up with a Garden Centipede made with half cut button mushrooms, some dip, capsicum for the legs and sliced black olives for the eyes. The kids loved it and enjoyed eating them as well. Baby Isabelle was on board and is now 12 weeks and 3 days. She received her first ever Cadbury Chocolate Easter Bunny. Check out how their smiles match! It looks like Mommy and Daddy will have to look after this one for her until she's older — if it lasts that long.

Garden Octopus

Garden Centipede — would work well on a long platter

Isabelle meets the Cadbury Chocolate Easter Bunny — matching smiles

Sydney Mardi Gras 2012 celebrates with Kylie Minogue (3 March 2012)

2012-03-04T01:29:00.001+11:00

Oxford Street, Taylor Square and Flinders Street

http://www.mardigras.org.au

http://www.mardigrastv.org.au

Free, Gay & Happy times

I hope all those that attended the Sydney Mardi Gras 2012 parade had a wonderful and gay time and managed to catch a glimpse of the beautiful Kylie Minogue celebrating her 25 years in the music industry. It looks like there were lots of very interesting costumes on show and the rain didn't seem to dampen the spirits. I noticed earlier in the week Oxford Street had some colourful rainbow inspired window displays. I'm sure all the gay-friendly bars will be packed tonight with queues running down the street to probably the next bar. I didn't have a chance to check out the parade this year but I look forward to seeing the highlights on Mardi Gras TV.

I remember the last time I visited The Oxford aka 'Totally Gay' back on 19 May 2010 the Socceroos were playing in the World Cup against Germany. The whole bar cheered when Australia scored a goal — that was quite a surreal moment. Across the road is the ever famous Stonewall complete with drag shows. I wonder if the Tarzan theme is still alive and well on the ground floor? And I'm sure Palms will be as ever popular along with Midnight Shift and Slide.

Here's my 10 tips to survive a Mardi Gras parade:

1. Wear comfortable and closed shoes unless you're dressing in drag

2. Take a bottle of water

3. Eat before or take some snacks

4. Take a camera with an extra battery

5. Bring wet weather gear but travel light

6. Work out where the available toilets are

7. Arrive early and find a spot to view the parade

8. Take someone with you to mind your spot

9. Find a milk crate, then find another milk crate and stack it

10. Be prepared to walk part way home as taxis and public transport will probably be full — see tip 1 again

2012 window displays

The Oxford, May 2010

Stonewall, June 2010

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Xanthi Restaurant & Bar: Greek, Westfield Sydney CBD (25 Oct 2011)

2012-03-03T19:55:00.003+11:00

Level 6 Dining Precinct, Westfield Sydney
Cnr Pitt St Mall and Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9232 8535
http://xanthi.com.au

Sharing the spirit of ouzo

It was probably a brave move by Chef Owner David Tsirekas to close his successful and much-loved Perama restaurant in Petersham to start Xanthi in the dining precinct in Westfield Sydney but it seems Petersham’s loss is a successful gain to the CBD. There’s lots of tempting choices on the Ouzomezedakia menu (small sharing plates) which were reasonably price. If you order a 200ml bottle of ouza you’ll get 3 ouzomezedakia chosen by the chef to match making it quite a bargain. I first ordered the cheapest ouza of Barbayianni Green ($34, 200ml) to see what the kitchen would include and then ordered more dishes after. BBQ Haloumi, BBQ smoked lamb cutlets and Sheftalies were provided to match the ouza. Nicely cooked haloumi was tender flavoursome lamb cutlets were a treat I’d happily order again.

Our friendly and informative waiter Spyros recommended the Herbed skordalia croquettes ($7.50) which we thought were quite light on flavour but we preferred the Fried School prawns ($9) which were crispy and flavoursome and tossed in a honey making them slightly sweet. I still prefer the ones at District Dining, maybe because they’re kept more savoury than sweet. We found the Zucchini fritters ($8) a little disappointing. Not as fresh tasting and crispy as hoped and perhaps a bit cluggy inside but the Vine Dolmades ($9) were flavoursome and moist. We then had a particularly long wait of over 25 minutes for the Fried Calamari ($9) due to a busy kitchen we were told after asking about our order. It had nice flavours with a light batter I prefer but not as tender as hoped. I’d probably order it again though in the hope it would be more tender next time.

Due to the lateness of the calamari dish our waiter kindly offered us a glass of Samos Nectar dessert wine to try which was very nice and not overly sweet which went well with the Caramel Baklava ice cream ($13.50). Overall it was a nice meal which only came to $99 for four people which we thought was good value for the quality of dishes received and included a bottle of ouzo easy enough to share. I’d probably opt for a table in the middle next time as I found the booth seating a bit too squashed for leg room, especially when sharing with three other guys. Hopefully the kitchen can turnaround the dishes quickly under busy times so the restaurant can be a suitable lunch option for those with only limited time.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Flavoursome dishes, Quality ingredients, 3 complimentary dishes come with 200ml ouzo, Reasonably priced if you can share with a small group

CONS: Booth seating was a little hard to sit on and slightly cramped, Toilets are located outside the restaurant

MUST TRY: BBQ Haloumi, BBQ smoked lamb cutlets

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Ouzo Barbayianni Green ($34, 200ml) includes 3 ouzomezedakia to match selected by the chef

Ouzo goes milky when you add ice — apparently if you want to dilute ouzo you should just add water according to About.com

Ouzo trolley and menu

BBQ Haloumi: Locally produced Cypriot style haloumi cheese ($10, included as dish 1 with Ouzo)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Sheftalies: BBQ Cypriot style spiced pork meatballs wrapped in caul fat ($11, included as dish 2 with Ouzo)

BBQ smoked lamb cutlets - BBQ smoked and cured spiced cutlets ($12, included as dish 3 with Ouzo)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Herbed skordalia croquettes: Creamy mint, dill and celery leaf skordalia crumbed in polenta and breadcrumbs ($7.50)

Loukanika: BBQ sliced Northern Greece village style loukanika ($9)

Fried School Prawns: Tossed in a honey, fish sauce, sesame seed and flaked almond dressing ($9)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Zucchini fritters: A mixture of shredded zucchini and haloumi with dill, mint and parsley ($8)

Vine Dolmades ($9)

Fried Calamari ($9)

Caramel Baklava ice cream: Sliced layers of vanilla bean ice cream, caramel sauce and baklava ($13.50)

Samos Nectar complimentary glasses due to lateness of dishes

WORTH TRYING :-)

Dessert wine menu

Menus

Seating

Booth seating actually quite awkward and a bit uncomfortable for four people. Seating was quite stiff and felt squashed in.

Athena inscribed on the knife

Tiny forks

Lamb in the kitchen

Outside seating

Bill $99 for four people - good value for quality of dishes

Outside entrance with window into kitchen

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Taste of Sydney 2012 progressive degustation: 5 restaurants in 5 hours, Sydney (28 Feb 2012)

2012-02-29T13:52:00.005+11:00

http://www.tasteofsydney.com.au

Preview of tastes to come

Thanks to Ashley Gatte from Stellar Concepts Australia for inviting me along to a progressive dining tour of some of the new restaurants that have come on board to Taste of Sydney 2012. The very intimate group of six bloggers were first welcomed by Meghan O'Hanlon (Taste Festivals Event Director) at Saké Restaurant & Bar and I enjoyed the refreshing and well-balanced Tasty Budo cocktail ($17) of fresh grapes, Kozaemon 3yo junmai sake & citrus. I’m not usually a fan of sake but perhaps I just haven’t tried good sake before. The tasting of Kozaemon Organic Junmai Ginjo Miyamanishiki sake was quite palatable for me so I think I have much to learn about appreciating fine quality sake. Out of the three mini dish samples Saké provided I really enjoyed the flavours of the Kingfish Ceviche the most. It’ll be interesting to see how they plate their final dishes and how much they’ll provide on the plate at the festival. Actually having all three on a plate would work for me like a canapé taster.

The group was then split into two groups to venture off to three different restaurants. First stop for Jennifer Lam (Jenius), Vicki Lu (Once Upon A Foodie) and myself was next door to The Cut Bar & Grill. Arriving just before 6 pm was a good time to appreciate the intimate atmosphere and décor of the restaurant. Our Tasting Plate with Cornichons and Mustard Fruits had melt-in-your-mouth cuts of cured meat shaved by the very expensive Berkel slicer that I’ve also seen at Victor Churchill. A great dish for sharing although I’m suspecting the festival dish won’t be as generous perhaps. I reckon adding a few pieces of cheese and some olives would go well with a glass of wine. Next stop was Spiedo in Westfield Sydney. Their Strozzapreti, zucchini, prawns and saffron dish had decent sized prawns in a slightly gravy-like sauce. Nice flavours although quite filling so I can see why it’s nicknamed the Priest Choker. Finding our way out of Westfield Sydney at around 8 pm wasn’t the easiest task. Blocked areas and no clear after hours exit directions soon turned into a 10 minute escape hunt. Apparently going out through the alarmed exit doors was the go in the end.

Our trusty driver then got us to A Tavola which I’ve previously dined at before with unfortunate circumstances but have it on my list to revisit one day. This time around the heatwave of the day didn’t do the cosy dining room any favours which retained some of the heat but I noticed the service was able to remain positive and professional for all. Their dessert of Cremino al Cioccolato was a showstopper for Vicki with moans of ‘OMG’ uttered at least fives times — it was very much a When Harry Met Sally moment. The smooth yet rich flavours will certainly be satisfying for the sugar fiends and we thought if served in a clear cup would visually add to the enjoyment of seeing the different layers. Our final stop was Longrain Bar where we met up with the other group and could finally rest our stomachs to the stick cocktails that I’m sure will be a crowd pleasers at Taste of Sydney. My likeable Ping Pong cocktail of lychees & passionfruit pulp with a lethal kick of Eristoff vodka will be a good choice for those who like it fruity although the generous fruit pulp can become a sipping challenge so drinking without them was the answer for me.

Video highlights

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Visiting 5 restaurants in a very short amount of time, Meeting the chefs to discuss their dish proposals for Taste of Sydney

CONS: Sample dishes served won't exactly match what will be available at Taste of Sydney, Finding our way out of Westfield Sydney at night was no easy task, Tuesday event on a school night with cocktails is no easy task

MUST TRY: Returning to Saké and The Cut to try their dishes plus A Tavola for their signature dish of Pappardelle con ragu di manzo

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Saké Restaurant & Bar

12 Argyle Street, The Rocks NSW 2000

http://www.sakerestaurant.com.au

Executive Chef Shaun Presland

Saké cocktail Tasty Budo - Fresh grapes, Kozaemon 3yo junmai sake & citrus

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Saké Hiramasa Kingfish Double Crunch Sushi Roll sampler

Saké Hiramasa Kingfish Ceviche sampler

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Saké Pan Seared Ocean Barramundi sampler

Jennifer Lam (Jenius) and Vicki Lu (Once Upon A Foodie) tweeting up at Saké

Seating

Decor

The Cut Bar & Grill
16 Argyle Street, Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.cutbarandgrill.com

Executive Chef James Privett

The Cut Bar & Grill Charcuterie Tasting Plate with Cornichons and Mustard Fruits sampler

Château Riotor, Côtes de Provence Rosé, France

Seating

Decor and Sher Wagyu Beef signature dish

Driver for the night

Bluetooth keyboard and tablet = genius!

Jennifer Lam (Jenius) and Vicki Lu (Once Upon A Foodie) tweeting up in the car

Spiedo Restaurant & Bar
Level 6, Westfield Sydney, Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.spiedo.com.au

Head Chef Fulvio Lancione

Spiedo Strozzapreti, zucchini, prawns, saffron matched with Marchisio Arneis, Piemonte

Side of focaccia bread

Vicki Lu (Once Upon A Foodie), Jennifer Lam (Jenius) and Ashley Gatte (Stellar) tweeting up at Spiedo

Kitchen

Bar seating

A Tavola
348 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

http://www.atavola.com.au

Chef owner Eugenio Maiale (middle) and kitchen team

Cremino al Cioccolato: Amedei giandula chocolate creama, salty caramel gelato, Italian meringue

Dessert matched with Normanno Zibibbo, Sicily

Main dining room

Back dining area

Bumped into Adam Dunn ordering the Pappardelle con ragu di manzo and Gnocchi con cavolfiore e tarttufo

Signature dish: Pappardelle con ragu di manzo ($34) — will try this next time (Not available at Taste of Sydney but hopefully next year)

Gnocchi con cavolfiore e tarttufo ($33) — will try this next time (Not available at Taste of Sydney)

Aesop in the toilet — it's Darlinghurst of course

Longrain Bar
85 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

http://longrain.com

Efficient and professional bartender

Ping Pong cocktail: Lychees & passionfruit pulp are added to Eristoff vodka, lychees and fresh lime juice

WORTH TRYING :-)

Cocktails: Stickmata, Ping Pong, Acapulco Gold, Ginger Rogers

Bartenders cocktail ingredients

Bloggers getting their shots

Meghan O'Hanlon Taste Festivals Event Director going in for the cocktail shot

Bar area

Gin shelf including The West Winds Gin and Hendrick's Gin

Love is in the air

Kitchen by Mike: Fresh produce menu changes daily, Rosebery (26 Feb 2012)

2012-02-27T01:02:00.006+11:00

85 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery NSW 2018
http://www.kitchenbymike.com.au

http://www.facebook.com/kitchenbymike

Fresh is best but at a price

“Kitchen by Mike’s food section changes daily, with the menu being dictated by what produce is the freshest and most flavoursome at the market each morning – whatever has been the particular catch of the day. No point in keeping something on a menu if it isn’t going to shine.”

Fresh is best as they say and it’s quite obvious that Kitchen by Mike enjoys living by that food philosophy when you see the dishes being made in the busy kitchen during service. It does seem to come at a price though and it’s hard not to think you’re getting taken for a ride when they charge by the scoop rather than weight. As you watch the scoop of salad being formed you start to hope you get a bit of everything with that serving but I think they’re conscious of this fact. The Roast chicken with carrot and onion ($19?, or was it around $12) had good flavours with fairly tender meat but seemed very expensive for the portion size and perhaps would have been better value if it included a scoop of salad of choice. You’ll need to decide on a thigh, breast or leg piece and hope you get a decent amount of meat on it too.

The Grilled sardines ($2.50 each, 2 pieces ordered) were flavoursome but again seemed expensive when they’re just served on their own although it did come with bit of cous cous salad in the dish. Perhaps the key is being a bit selective and pointing out the better (larger) piece you’d prefer if they allow — they should, it’s your money. The Blue cheese and onion tart ($10) had good flavour and nice pasty but just served on its own. I wish it included a side salad to make it more of a dish for the price. There was a few enticing salads on display and I chose the freshly made Cos lettuce salad along with the red cabbage salad and interesting and vibrant coloured tomato with watermelon salad ($13.50 for 3 salads, 2 x $4 and $5.50). The ingredients were noticeably fresh and the dressing was good. It tasted healthy and I wish I knew more about the ingredients used like if it was organic and if the tomatoes were heirloom or not, I’m suspecting not though. Watch out for the hot slices of green chilli in the cos lettuce — they took me by surprise. Some shavings of quality parmesan would have been very welcomed by me in the salad. I noticed a large group of about 12 getting served full platters of salads and dishes — I wondered how much per person it would have cost them to dine.

To quench the thirst I tried the Watermelon, ginger and mint fruit juice ($4.50) with its subtle ginger hint and Freshly squeezed orange juice ($4) which was sweet as hoped. The bottles were chilled and ready to serve but were quite small. I would have maybe preferred them served in perhaps a larger glass and made to order but I guess it's a time management issue. Making room for a few sweet treats I chose the Carrot cake, Filled puff pastry and Brownie ($15.50 for all 3). I really liked the flavours of the Carrot & cardamom cake ($6.50?) which perhaps would have gone well with a good dollop of double cream or ice cream to give it a bit more moisture. I’ve never seen actual carrot slices on a cake before which were nicely caramelized for sweetness. The Brownie ($6?) had a nice chocolate flavour although crumbly to the touch — perhaps it was flourless or dairy-free, perhaps not? The Filled puffed pastry ($3) was smallish but a good side treat with a coffee if you just want to be half naughty. The Skim cappuccino ($3.50) needed a bit more work on the latte art but was pretty good as well as the Hot chocolate ($3.50). If you don’t have to eat and run spend a bit of time next door at Koskela. The homewares are quite interesting and creative although be prepared that quality and style doesn't come cheap.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Food made fresh each day, Quality ingredients, Decent amount of seating both inside and outside, Nice open space, Service seemed accommodating and friendly enough, Lots of free street parking

CONS: Menu changes every day so hard to recommend a dish that might not be available again, Can take a while to order when busy, Can get expensive

MUST TRY: Anything that tickles your fancy as long as you don’t worry about the price you’ll be paying, I’ve been recommended to try the pancakes but they were sold out by the time I arrived

BABY ON BOARD: Plenty of room to move, Baby change table needed in disabled toilet

THE DAMAGE: $78.50 for two

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Service counter to order your dishes, open kitchen behind

I'm wondering if this was Mike? He seemed to be in charge and was quite particular about the selection and portioning of the dishes.

Roast chicken with carrot and onion ($19?) — With the 2 pieces of sardines it came to $24 and I think the sardines were $2.50 each.

Sardines ($2.50 each, 2 pieces ordered)

Blue cheese and onion tart ($10)

Cos lettuce salad; red cabbage salad and tomato with watermelon salad ($13.50 for 3 salads, 2 x $4 and $5.50)

Watermelon, ginger and mint fruit juice ($4.50), Freshly squeezed orange juice ($4)

Carrot cake, Filled puff pastry, Brownie ($15.50 for all 3)

Carrot & cardamom cake ($6.50?)

Brownie ($6?)

Filled puffed pastry ($3)

Skim cappuccino ($3.50)

Hot chocolate ($3.50)

Bill $78.50 for two — seemed quite pricey for the amount of food ordered

Drinks menu. Food menu changes daily so there isn't really one.

Table order number for the coffees

Jams for $10 made on site

Main dining area inside

Outside courtyard seating

Covered outside verandah seating — a few potted plants or herbs might be nice around the tables to give some life. A bit short on cutlery buckets out here compared to inside.

Window to the kitchen

You can ring my bell

Biodegradable hand liquid soap smelt like eucalyptus which was quite nice. Tap height is set unfortunately quite low to sink so it's a little awkward to actually put your hands under them to wash.

I'm getting a sustainable, repurpose and environmentally conscious feel from this toilet

Waterblock material for toilet walls left unrendered and raw — I assume to save costs and keep it as environmental as possible by not using excess materials

Old school taps — I'm assuming these are cheap to buy or do you think they paid a lot to get this look? Similar style to Bloodwood

Outside street entrance

Koskela

Table with pot plants

Nice coloured pencils

Kids tippee although would you pay $770 for it?

Retro tricycle

Cute idea for a balloon powered bath boat for the kids although at $40 I might stick to a rubber ducky for now

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Home Cooking: Fish Fingers San Choy Bow (25 Feb 2012)

2012-02-25T22:00:00.000+11:00

Spontaneously creating a meal

I used to love watching the show Surprise Chef where Chef Aristos Papandroulakis went into peoples kitchens and challenged himself to cook a meal only using ingredients from their pantry, fridge or groceries they'd just bought. Quite often I find myself trying to do the same thing at home when I haven't had a chance to go shopping and need to feed myself with something besides toast, a banana or a can of tuna if I'm lucky enough to have one in the pantry. With dinner approaching fast with a growling stomach it was time to put my Aristos thinking cap on. I had left over Fish Fingers from the week so that was a great start. I found some iceberg lettuce, eggs and left over frozen peas. With a bit of mayo and some Maldon Smoked Sea Salt and Pimentón seasoning it was looking like Fish Fingers San Choy Bow was a possibility. In the end it tasted pretty decent. Perhaps a little bit too eggy so I should have maybe thrown a bit of chopped chives from the balcony garden in to smooth it over a little. I wonder if anyone else has created this dish before or is it a world first?

Recipe:

5 fish fingers

3 iceberg lettuce leaves

2 eggs hard boiled

1 cup of frozen peas

2 tablespoon of mayonnaise

Salt and paprika to taste

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Simple, cheap, tastes OK

CONS: Possibly not the most nutritious meal on the planet but it does contain greens and protein

MUST TRY: Thinking of another simple dish using the rest of the peas and lettuce

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Birds Eye fish fingers — I loved these as a kid

Hard boil the eggs

Wash a few lettuce leaves and break into smaller pieces

McCain frozen baby peas — be sure not to over cook them

Praise mayonnaise

Dulce Pimenton and Maldon Smoked Sea Salt

Mix the peas, egg and mayonnaise together. I should have crushed up the egg first and then combined so the peas don't get squashed too much.

Spoon egg and peas on lettuce and place a few cut up pieces of fish fingers on top.

Petaling Street Malaysian Hawker Food: Malaysian, Sydney (8, 23 Feb 2012)

2012-02-25T11:58:00.004+11:00

760 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: (02) 9280 1006
http://www.petalingst.com.au

Malaysian classics to be had

In my search for the best Char Kway Teow in Sydney complete with the elusive clams I came across promising reports of Petaling Street Malaysian Hawker Food located in Haymarket. If you blink you’ll probably walk pass the narrow fronted shop front but there’s lots of seating to be had inside, especially if you’re directed to sit downstairs — and you can book ahead. On my first visit the Iced Grass Jelly Drink ($3.80) and Teh O Ice Limau ($3.50) hit the spot as a refreshing start which didn’t break the bank. The Singapore Fried Noodle ($10.50) was quite good including 2 fair sized prawns but more would have been welcomed. The Fried Koay Teow ($9.50) included about 2-3 decent clams although a few more would have made it better. There was even some fried pork fat to please the taste buds but a bit more wok hei could have been good. I thought definitely better than More More Cha which had small and slightly rubbery clams. The Ice Kacang ($5) was reasonably priced and looked impressive but soon became apparent how hard it was to mix in the small bowl. For me it needed more condensed milk, rose water and palm sugar syrup to make it more flavoursome so it didn’t have those pockets of just shaved ice taste.

On my second visit the Hainannese Chicken Rice ($10.50) was a winner. Tender and juicy meat as hoped with bones removed from the thigh — I’d certainly have again. The Petaling Street Style Short Rice Noodle in Claypot ($11.50) was a hearty dish of minced pork, chinese mushroom & rice drop noodle. I liked it but its rich flavours made it more of a dish to share for me. It wouldn’t be ‘authentic’ but I would have loved to put some in an iceberg lettuce leaf and eat it like a san choy bow to help cut through its heaviness — perhaps it’s something they could consider trying? The Combination Hor Fun ($10.50) looked like a very popular choice amongst the tables for lunch. It had potential with all the right ingredients and decent size but I felt needed more smokey wok hei and flavouring throughout. I still prefer the ipoh fried koay teow at Sayong or hor fun at Singapore Shiok. I was most interested to try the Asam Laksa ($10.80) because I’ve found it so hard to find a good one in Sydney. Malay Chinese still probably do the best one for me but this comes a close second — and it’s available all the time as opposed to only every 5 weeks as a special at Malay Chineses. It had good depth of flavour although perhaps needed a bit more balance of sour to sweet and some extra shredded fish meat would have been good throughout. Also I would have liked some more fresh mint on top.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Lots of menu choices, Extra seating downstairs, Bookings available, Service was pretty efficient and friendly enough, Portion size fairly decent for the price

CONS: Toilet smelt wet and damp, No paper towels on first visit but were on the second

MUST TRY: Char Kway Teow, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Asam Laksa

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1st visit - 8 Feb 2012

Iced Grass Jelly Drink ($3.80), Teh O Ice Limau ($3.50)

Singapore Fried Noodle ($10.50)

Fried Koay Teow ($9.50)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Clams in the Char Kway Teow — yeah!

Ice Kacang ($5)

2nd visit - 23 Feb 2012

Teh Tarik ($3.50)

Hainannese Chicken Rice ($10.50)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Petaling Street Style Short Rice Noodle in Claypot: Minced pork, chinese mushroom & rice drop noodle served in clay pot ($11.50)

Combination Hor Fun: Malaysia hawker type rice noodles with seafood, chicken & vegetable ($10.50)

Pickled green chilli goes well with the Hor Fun

Asam Laksa: Thick vermicelli, cucumber, red onion, pineapple served hot and sour fish soup ($10.80)

WORTH TRYING :-)

– – –

Table setting with Dora tissues

Chilli available for some extra heat

Dessert menu

Other locations

Please wait to be seated

Tempting chickens in the kitchen

Ground floor seating

Downstairs seating

Head downstairs for more seating — sort of feel like you're heading to the toilet though. Some posters might be nice.

Toilet missing paper toweling or hand dryer on first visit. Paper towels appeared on second visit. Toilet still smelt damp and wet due to no ventilation.

Looking for a job — staff needed.

Opening hours

Outside street entrance

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Caritas Australia: Peter Doyle @ The Quay serving at Fish Friday, Martin Place (24 Feb 2012)

2012-02-24T18:28:00.002+11:00

http://www.caritas.org.au

Something fishy for charity

I came across this charity event in Martin Place and thought it was a great concept for raising money. Most people like me who buy their lunch each day would spend about $8-$10 a day so if that money went towards a good cause it works out to be a win win situation I think. I didn't get to try the fish dish being offered as I had already bought my salad from Pasta Pantry for lunch in MLC food court. It would be great if more restaurants were involved to promote charities in this way. Besides Peter Doyle @ The Quay I'm not sure if any other restaurants have done a similar thing? Arriving at 1.45 pm before it finished up around 2 pm I noticed it was getting a bit quiet for lunchers. I think if they had some sort of cooking demonstration happening for the entire time it would attract the interest from passer-bys and perhaps be more enticed to donate for a dish. The amount of staging and space allocated to the kitchen was quite generous but I think it also lost some intimacy and thought perhaps a more enclosed and welcoming setting with chairs and tables would have made it more attractive for lunchers to stop and take note. I believe the event was catering for about 1000 meals and the restaurant was donating the staff and food to support the charity.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: You get your lunch and help charity at the same time, Friendly and helpful staff on hand

CONS: Peter Doyle wasn't in the kitchen the whole time, No tables or chairs provided, Cooked fish probably best if cooked to order or at least kept in some sort of bain-marie if pre cooked, Wondering if you still get a receipt for the donation as a tax deduction?

MUST TRY: Checking out the event next year if it happens

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Grilled barramundi dish ($10 donation suggested)

Friendly volunteers serving up a fishy treat

Pepter Doyle @ The Quay serving at Fish Friday

Donation stand

Spruiking for lunchers

Martin Place

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