On a beautiful summer's day, my colleague and I decided to get out of the city for lunch. I took one of my clients out for Christmas lunch and headed down to Cronulla. It was a very pleasant trip in the taxi and as we got nearer, the scenery became more breathtaking. We could see the deep blue sea as we approached the restaurant.
The restaurant, Summer Salt restaurant commands spectacular beach views and has a bright and airy feel to it. The menu is modern Australian and can best be described as "East meets West". The menu has a very good selection and we were having a hard time deciding what to have.
We finally settled on the Pork Belly with chermoula roast chats, Crispy skin barramundi with prawn filled zucchini flower and cauliflower skordalia and the Oven Roasted Duck. It was cooked to perfection and was very tasty.
Alas, we did not have any more room in the stomach for the desserts.
Must take a drive there again for lunch... but ... in the new year.
Crispy Barramundi
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sailors Thai Canteen
Decided to try out Sailors Thai Canteen for lunch. I haven't been here for a looonnngg time. Trudging along George Street in the slight drizzle last Friday, I headed up to the Rocks with anticipation. The setting was still the same, one long table for communal eating.
My friend and I were seated opposite each other. The menu looked interesting and we ordered a dish each to share ie. the "Green curry chicken" and the "Crisp and Salty Pork Belly, hot and sour sauce". What can I say... I was quite disappointed. The green curry was a bit watered down and not as tasty while the pork belly was doused in plum sauce... whatever happened to the hot and sour sauce?
To say the least, my friend and I were disappointed with the meal, was not value for money or authentic at all....
We had to head over to the French Patisserie cafe for cake and coffee which was more satisfying...
My friend and I were seated opposite each other. The menu looked interesting and we ordered a dish each to share ie. the "Green curry chicken" and the "Crisp and Salty Pork Belly, hot and sour sauce". What can I say... I was quite disappointed. The green curry was a bit watered down and not as tasty while the pork belly was doused in plum sauce... whatever happened to the hot and sour sauce?
To say the least, my friend and I were disappointed with the meal, was not value for money or authentic at all....
We had to head over to the French Patisserie cafe for cake and coffee which was more satisfying...
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A touch of home...
The menu consists of dishes such as Lumpia Goreng, Sup Buntut and Nasi Goreng. House specialities include Nasi Kuning Complete and Nasi Tim (Steamed Chicken Rice).
Mum and I ordered the Nasi Kuning Complete ($8) and Cap Cay (mixed Vegetables - $10). The serving was not too bad. The price of the menu ranged from $5 to $15.
While we were there, we noticed they had a lot of takeaway orders. This is a family outlet, nothing too fancy but if you have a craving for some spicy, quick, cheap and a homecooked meal and you happen to be in the neighbourhood then this place is not too bad.
Address: 302 Penshurst Street, North Willoughby
Ph: 9417 3521
C'est Magnifique!
This was the expression of my client after she has had the Chocolate Souffle last night at Guillaume at Bennelong. She had waited since March to have this souffle. I must admit the desserts were really wonderful, the souffle tasted light. It arrived in a little dish with a vanilla and cherry ripple ice cream served by the side. The waiter then showed us how it was to be eaten i.e. to push the ice cream down towards the middle of the souffle (refer picture). The result was a great taste sensation with the crispiness of the souffle on the outside blended with the melted ice-cream on the inside. I never thought of eating my souffle this way! We also ordered the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee and that tasted wonderful too with the green apple jelly and the green apple sorbet - great combination!
You must wonder why I started with the desserts... well, I thought that was the best part. For entrees, we ordered the West Australian marron - served with delicious crispy pork belly and marron consomme. We also had the Scallops gently sealed and served with cauliflower puree, Shiitake mushrooms, spinach and chicken jus. I had the Scallops and I must say I have had better. Was quite disappointed as the Scallops were a bit over cooked. My clients enjoyed the Marron though together with the consomme. Oh... they also serve a selection of breads (about 3 different types) ....
For mains, both of us ordered the Beef Tenderloin. You know how you expect the beef to just melt in your mouth? Well, this one didn't. It was seared to a crisp outer layer but the insides did not melt in the mouth and the merlot sauce was a bit overpowering. Hmm... we were told the sauce was meant to be like that...
If you are thinking of forgoing desserts, order a cup of coffee or tea instead as it is served petit fours. I must admit this was one of the best petit fours I have had in the sense that they tasted great and there were about 6 different varieties!
I think the entrees and mains in this restaurant would be rated a 6/10 (for the price and the taste and portion sizes) but I would rate the dessert an 8/10. Anyway, I guess if you are out to impress a special someone, the million dollar views would overshadow any of the shortfalls in the food!
Chocolate Souffle
Chocolate Souffle
Creme Brulee
You must wonder why I started with the desserts... well, I thought that was the best part. For entrees, we ordered the West Australian marron - served with delicious crispy pork belly and marron consomme. We also had the Scallops gently sealed and served with cauliflower puree, Shiitake mushrooms, spinach and chicken jus. I had the Scallops and I must say I have had better. Was quite disappointed as the Scallops were a bit over cooked. My clients enjoyed the Marron though together with the consomme. Oh... they also serve a selection of breads (about 3 different types) ....
For mains, both of us ordered the Beef Tenderloin. You know how you expect the beef to just melt in your mouth? Well, this one didn't. It was seared to a crisp outer layer but the insides did not melt in the mouth and the merlot sauce was a bit overpowering. Hmm... we were told the sauce was meant to be like that...
If you are thinking of forgoing desserts, order a cup of coffee or tea instead as it is served petit fours. I must admit this was one of the best petit fours I have had in the sense that they tasted great and there were about 6 different varieties!
I think the entrees and mains in this restaurant would be rated a 6/10 (for the price and the taste and portion sizes) but I would rate the dessert an 8/10. Anyway, I guess if you are out to impress a special someone, the million dollar views would overshadow any of the shortfalls in the food!
Chocolate Souffle
Chocolate Souffle
Creme BruleeSunday, November 1, 2009
Il Nido
"C'mon, you have to try this Italian restaurant and tell me what you think..." Kevin said on a wet Sunday evening. His rationale was that while it was still early to have dinner, by the time I head home to Sydney, it would be too late to have dinner on the way. So, better grab a bite before the two hour journey home.
We had just been to lunch at Aqua restaurant, to celebrate Kevin's birthday. I ate too much, as usual, but the Prawn Linguine was just "ok". Kevin had such dramas making the lunch booking. Drama in the sense that most restaurants that he picked such as Il Nido, was not open for lunch and while the other restaurant, Bombora Seafood Restaurant, refused to let Kevin make a booking. So, Kevin had to book at the Aqua but then had to convince me to try his initial choice i.e.Il Nido to see if his first choice was going to make the cut.
Il Nido (The Nest) is a small Italian restaurant located in Balgownie village. There is also another Italian restaurant with the same name in Castle Hill. Apparently this joint in Kevin's neighbourhood is frequented by a lot of Italian families. This was certainly the case when we finally made our way there. We were the only Asian customers and there were other Italian families there. The restaurant is decorated with family pictures and as you walk in, you are faced with the pizza oven.
The menu is simple with a small selection of pizzas and pastas complemented by some salads. Must admit the Spaghetti Marinara was tasty and flavourful and the ham and pineapple pizza was good too. Although we were not hungry from the outset, our plates were clean.. not a morsel was left. Definitely made the right choice to stay back.
Kevin now has a very good reason to go back as he has a mission to accomplish! Kevin, please...
Last piece of pizzaTuesday, October 27, 2009
For the meat lovers!
Fancy a protein meal? Then head to Churrasco (pronounced Shoo Has Ko) where you will be served up to 16 different types of meat. I went to one of this restaurant's branches along William Street, Sydney. There is also a branch in Coogee and they will be opening in Caringbah soon.
Upon entering, this restaurant looked quite deceiving in size. There are long tables lining one side of the glass wall. On the other side, there were more long tables - I think they can sit close to about 200 people. I was there on a Thursday night and as the night progresses, the restaurant began to get quite full with different groups occupying the long tables.
Again, didn't really know what to expect but decided to try as it was constantly full when I happen to pass by. We were seated on a smaller table and the menu looked simple with drinks menu and a few desserts. We were then told that we would be served up to 16 different types of meat! These were accompanied by rice, beans and chimichurri sauce on the table.
As we sat on our table, the first round of meat in skewers came round - the eye fillet was delicious. It was then followed by chicken, rump steaks, sausages, pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken heart... ok, I lost count. All the meat was cooked to perfection i.e.succulent and tasty having been slowly cooked (roasted) on long skewers over a pit of flaming coal.
Majority of the customers were men given the generous rounds of meat which one can savour until full to capacity and for $35.00 per person, this restaurant offers great value.
Upon entering, this restaurant looked quite deceiving in size. There are long tables lining one side of the glass wall. On the other side, there were more long tables - I think they can sit close to about 200 people. I was there on a Thursday night and as the night progresses, the restaurant began to get quite full with different groups occupying the long tables.
Again, didn't really know what to expect but decided to try as it was constantly full when I happen to pass by. We were seated on a smaller table and the menu looked simple with drinks menu and a few desserts. We were then told that we would be served up to 16 different types of meat! These were accompanied by rice, beans and chimichurri sauce on the table.
As we sat on our table, the first round of meat in skewers came round - the eye fillet was delicious. It was then followed by chicken, rump steaks, sausages, pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken heart... ok, I lost count. All the meat was cooked to perfection i.e.succulent and tasty having been slowly cooked (roasted) on long skewers over a pit of flaming coal.
What a class act!
I took some clients to the Glass Brasserie last Friday night. It was my first time at Glass and I didn't know what to expect.
To start with ... when you call to make a reservation, it's most likely that you will be put on hold. However, Luke's voice can be heard on the other side of the phone advising you on how long you have to wait and then apologising that it could be a while and you might want to leave a message. If you are in a hurry, probably best to just email them with your reservation.
On the night itself, we headed to the Zeta bar first. We were early i.e. just after 6pm but the place was already quite full and there were no empty chairs or seats. Some of the private booths were also occupied or reserved. I think we are clearly over the Global Financial Crisis. After a few drinks, it was time to take the lift down to Level 2 where the Glass Brasserie is.
I must say the service was very good from the minute one arrives. I had a bag with me and there was a staff at the reception ready to take your bag to the cloak room. The restaurant looked three quarters full and it was only about 7.30pm. We were seated in a U-shaped booth, making it really cozy. The service was really attentive without being obtrusive. The menu arrived and it was a hard choice. The waiter explained the specials for the day making it even harder to decide! Not that the menu contained a lot of interesting combinations of food but I thought the menu was appealing from the way the food was combined in a simple manner. For example, I ordered the organic egg omelette with blue swimmer crab meat, enoki mushroom and herb salad with miso mustard broth. Simple dish but tasted wonderful. The taste combinations was quite exquisite. For mains, I ordered the King George Whiting, papillote of scampi, scallops, corn puree, baby zucchini and chestnut mushrooms. One would think the ingredients is simple enough but again the combinations were wonderful! What a taste sensation!
The food was neither too little nor too much. We had two courses each and did not have room to fit in desserts. Overall bill including a bottle of wine, sparkling and still mineral water, a tea and an espresso came up to under $100 per head.
The restaurant also has it's own pattiserrie and as the night progresses, there were customers coming in just to savour the desserts.
Would definitely recommend this restaurant (I think the food is more exquisite than Rockpool). The restaurant has certainly kept up to its trademark - "Simplicity and elegance are key to food at glass".
Upcoming events include a Rusden Wine Dinner - a five course dinner complimented by the intense, luscious red wine Rusden is renown for on 10 November for $160 per person. If you are tired of Christmas cooking then spend it at Glass with a three course menu including traditional roast turkey and Christmas pudding bombe with brandy anglaise ($155 per person).
To start with ... when you call to make a reservation, it's most likely that you will be put on hold. However, Luke's voice can be heard on the other side of the phone advising you on how long you have to wait and then apologising that it could be a while and you might want to leave a message. If you are in a hurry, probably best to just email them with your reservation.
On the night itself, we headed to the Zeta bar first. We were early i.e. just after 6pm but the place was already quite full and there were no empty chairs or seats. Some of the private booths were also occupied or reserved. I think we are clearly over the Global Financial Crisis. After a few drinks, it was time to take the lift down to Level 2 where the Glass Brasserie is.
I must say the service was very good from the minute one arrives. I had a bag with me and there was a staff at the reception ready to take your bag to the cloak room. The restaurant looked three quarters full and it was only about 7.30pm. We were seated in a U-shaped booth, making it really cozy. The service was really attentive without being obtrusive. The menu arrived and it was a hard choice. The waiter explained the specials for the day making it even harder to decide! Not that the menu contained a lot of interesting combinations of food but I thought the menu was appealing from the way the food was combined in a simple manner. For example, I ordered the organic egg omelette with blue swimmer crab meat, enoki mushroom and herb salad with miso mustard broth. Simple dish but tasted wonderful. The taste combinations was quite exquisite. For mains, I ordered the King George Whiting, papillote of scampi, scallops, corn puree, baby zucchini and chestnut mushrooms. One would think the ingredients is simple enough but again the combinations were wonderful! What a taste sensation!
The food was neither too little nor too much. We had two courses each and did not have room to fit in desserts. Overall bill including a bottle of wine, sparkling and still mineral water, a tea and an espresso came up to under $100 per head.
The restaurant also has it's own pattiserrie and as the night progresses, there were customers coming in just to savour the desserts.
Would definitely recommend this restaurant (I think the food is more exquisite than Rockpool). The restaurant has certainly kept up to its trademark - "Simplicity and elegance are key to food at glass".
Upcoming events include a Rusden Wine Dinner - a five course dinner complimented by the intense, luscious red wine Rusden is renown for on 10 November for $160 per person. If you are tired of Christmas cooking then spend it at Glass with a three course menu including traditional roast turkey and Christmas pudding bombe with brandy anglaise ($155 per person).
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Let's do lunch!
Sydney International Food Festival is back with a vengeance! The program contains a lot more varieties and festivals and events around the city - awesome.
Let's do Lunch is one of the events that showcases various restaurants and is only available weekdays.
My colleagues and I decided to try out Ash St Cellars last Wednesday. Tucked away in a laneway, the furniture had a Parisian feel. This restaurant is not very big and tables are small. There were not many people when we arrived but it was soon filled with the lunchtime crowd. Note that they do not take bookings. There were two other choices offered but the three of us decided on the spiced pork cutlet with spanish onion, cherry tomatoes and wild olives. We enjoyed it tremendously, it was tasty and the pork was nice and tender. The service is a let down and we were not offered coffee with our meal.
The following day, I went with another friend to Est. I haven't been to this restaurant before and it did not disappoint. The service was impeccable and the restaurant (on the 1st level) exudes a warm feel. Both of us settled on the duck confit which was nice and tender - with the meat just dropping off the bone. We then finished it off with coffee and petit fours. Definitely a place to go again.
Check out what else is on for the rest of this month ... http://www.siff.com.au/
Let's do Lunch is one of the events that showcases various restaurants and is only available weekdays.
My colleagues and I decided to try out Ash St Cellars last Wednesday. Tucked away in a laneway, the furniture had a Parisian feel. This restaurant is not very big and tables are small. There were not many people when we arrived but it was soon filled with the lunchtime crowd. Note that they do not take bookings. There were two other choices offered but the three of us decided on the spiced pork cutlet with spanish onion, cherry tomatoes and wild olives. We enjoyed it tremendously, it was tasty and the pork was nice and tender. The service is a let down and we were not offered coffee with our meal.
The following day, I went with another friend to Est. I haven't been to this restaurant before and it did not disappoint. The service was impeccable and the restaurant (on the 1st level) exudes a warm feel. Both of us settled on the duck confit which was nice and tender - with the meat just dropping off the bone. We then finished it off with coffee and petit fours. Definitely a place to go again.
Check out what else is on for the rest of this month ... http://www.siff.com.au/
Monday, September 28, 2009
New Shanghai
I took the opportunity to check out some of Chatswood's shops while waiting to go to Charmaine's house after lunch. The food court at Westfield was all set for the lunchtime crowd. The selection did not appeal and I guess I was looking for something different.
At the back of my mind, I remembered someone (must be Charmaine) telling me about a new Shanghai restaurant (opened in April) in Lemon Grove and I decided to head there. Even though it was early (around 12 noon), there was already a queue and the restaurant was abuzz with activity. Took a number to wait my turn. There were about 10 people ahead of me.. .sigh!
Turning around.. who should I see while waiting ... Mr Kevin Yong. He had just finished his meal, having left Wollongong at 7 am and leaving 100 km/h winds behind - really adventurous. Had a chat to decide what to eat as there was also an outlet in the food court selling yum cha and the next outlet had some Beijing cuisine. I lamented to Kevin that if I have to wait a long time, I will resort to getting some yum cha dishes and eat in the food court. After about 10 mins, my turn arrived. Kevin decided to "accompany" us and "look" at us eating. Mind you, he said he had to wait about 20 mins for his main course and his dessert (fungus and papaya) came first. He enjoyed his dessert better.
Hmm... not sure what to order as it was just mum and I. Decided on a combination spicy noodle and a Xiao Long Pau. The spicy noodle was not too bad, although I thought it was quite plain. The Xiao Long Pau was ok, I thought they were a bit stingy with the filling... it did not fill up the dumplings like other places eg the Taste of Shanghai or Din Tai Fung. It was good to catch up with Kevin and glad that he stayed around to watch us eat.
I am a bit nonchalant about this restaurant. Mum sat facing the kitchen and she commented that one of the chefs was tasting the soup with the same ladle he used to dish up the soup and he did it twice...ewww... go figure!
However, I might not be a good judge of this restaurant as we did not order much. Maybe next visit, I will try the yum cha as it appears to be quite popular when we left.
For more information on some of the other specialties, check out these websites:
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/06/11/new-shanghai-chinese-restaurant-chatswood-and-how-to-eat-a-soup-dumpling/
http://www.herecomesthefood.com.au/eating-out/new-shanghai-chatswood-sydney.html
At the back of my mind, I remembered someone (must be Charmaine) telling me about a new Shanghai restaurant (opened in April) in Lemon Grove and I decided to head there. Even though it was early (around 12 noon), there was already a queue and the restaurant was abuzz with activity. Took a number to wait my turn. There were about 10 people ahead of me.. .sigh!
Turning around.. who should I see while waiting ... Mr Kevin Yong. He had just finished his meal, having left Wollongong at 7 am and leaving 100 km/h winds behind - really adventurous. Had a chat to decide what to eat as there was also an outlet in the food court selling yum cha and the next outlet had some Beijing cuisine. I lamented to Kevin that if I have to wait a long time, I will resort to getting some yum cha dishes and eat in the food court. After about 10 mins, my turn arrived. Kevin decided to "accompany" us and "look" at us eating. Mind you, he said he had to wait about 20 mins for his main course and his dessert (fungus and papaya) came first. He enjoyed his dessert better.
Hmm... not sure what to order as it was just mum and I. Decided on a combination spicy noodle and a Xiao Long Pau. The spicy noodle was not too bad, although I thought it was quite plain. The Xiao Long Pau was ok, I thought they were a bit stingy with the filling... it did not fill up the dumplings like other places eg the Taste of Shanghai or Din Tai Fung. It was good to catch up with Kevin and glad that he stayed around to watch us eat.
I am a bit nonchalant about this restaurant. Mum sat facing the kitchen and she commented that one of the chefs was tasting the soup with the same ladle he used to dish up the soup and he did it twice...ewww... go figure!
However, I might not be a good judge of this restaurant as we did not order much. Maybe next visit, I will try the yum cha as it appears to be quite popular when we left.
For more information on some of the other specialties, check out these websites:
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/06/11/new-shanghai-chinese-restaurant-chatswood-and-how-to-eat-a-soup-dumpling/
http://www.herecomesthefood.com.au/eating-out/new-shanghai-chatswood-sydney.html
Bonga
I decided to take mum to BONGA. This is a relatively new restaurant by that I mean a few months old. I pass it on a weekly basis and noticed a change of hands. The number of customers have increased gradually, so I decided to go in for a try. The restaurant is a family restaurant, newly set out tables with covered stoves. Quite high tech now as the gas lighter for the stoves is by pressing one of the buttons on the tables rather than the stoves. The gas itself sits under the tables. We were early (12 noon) and were their first customers.
The menu looks varied enough. There are meat dishes you can barbeque on the stove or you can order ala carte. The main meals are served with rice.
Mum and I ordered spicy pork and a seafood tofu hotpot. The condiments arrived shortly after the main meal arrived. They were very tasty. Mum must have enjoyed it as she ate quite a bit. Lunch costs $25. Not bad at all...next...
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Konnichiwa!
Going inside however, this restaurant is a buzz with activity. This is only a small family restaurant and although they take bookings, it fills up quickly and pays to get there early. It is also a BYO restaurant. There is a sushi bar at the side of the restaurant serving fresh sashimi.
We had a selection... a california roll which was very fresh, then had an assortment of teriyaki salmon, tempura soft shell crab (yummy!) and their spicy pork which was delicious too!
The menu is quite extensive for a small restaurant and seems to be very popular and has a regular following. If you happen to be in Eastwood early and fancy some Japanese food, head for Hukuya. Definitely worth a second visit but be mindful or parking restrictions in the surrounding streets.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Mr Chow ... again!
I took my classmate, Lydia and her family to Mr Chow for dinner tonight. Lydia is visiting from Melbourne and I haven't seen her husband for a long time and have not met her children yet. Lydia's oldest, Rachel is already 12 years old and I used to take tuition classes with Lydia's husband, David!
We walked from their hotel, Park Hyatt to Mr Chow which is about 15 mins away. We ordered a Xiao Long Pau for Aaron, Sweet and Sour Pork for Rachel and a ShanTung Chicken for Naomi who has quite a few allergies. We then added Granpa Tofu (tofu with mushrooms) and Stir Fried Snow Peas with Broccoli. For entree we shared Shallot Pancakes.
The meal was lovely and again, the restaurant was quite busy even at 6.30pm. Aaron must have liked the dumplings as he ate the most!
Having had a good look at the menu this time round, I would say that this restaurant is above average in terms of prices but the portions are not too bad.
As the dessert menu was quite lacking, we then adjourned to Gelatissimo for some Gelato...good way to end the eveninng.
We walked from their hotel, Park Hyatt to Mr Chow which is about 15 mins away. We ordered a Xiao Long Pau for Aaron, Sweet and Sour Pork for Rachel and a ShanTung Chicken for Naomi who has quite a few allergies. We then added Granpa Tofu (tofu with mushrooms) and Stir Fried Snow Peas with Broccoli. For entree we shared Shallot Pancakes.
The meal was lovely and again, the restaurant was quite busy even at 6.30pm. Aaron must have liked the dumplings as he ate the most!
Having had a good look at the menu this time round, I would say that this restaurant is above average in terms of prices but the portions are not too bad.
As the dessert menu was quite lacking, we then adjourned to Gelatissimo for some Gelato...good way to end the eveninng.
Geisha - drunk??
This restaurant is located not too far from Star City, towards the Jackson Landing side. It is also next to another established restaurant, the "Blue Eye Dragon". This area does not have a lot of parking spots (all meter parking) so, for those who are contemplating heading there, it is better to get there by public transport (Bus "11") or take the tram as the tram stop is just opposite the restaurant. This is not a very big restaurant, it can probably sit about 30 max.
Angie is Singaporean and goes back to Singapore often to master her cuisine. She does most of her cooking assisted by 2 other chefs. The kitchen is quite small which limits her menu. Through popular demand, Angie said that she had to continue with some of the old dishes from the previous owner namely "Beef and snowpeas stir fried in wasabi and black pepper sauce" and "Pan fried miso barramundi fillet with oyster mushrooms and spinach".
Angie's menu is Singaporean / Malaysian fusion. There is a light lunch menu while the dinner menu has a wider option. The light lunch menu is cheaper than the dinner menu. We ordered the Beef Rendang, Singapore hainanese chicken (served on Saturdays only) and Katong Laksa. The beef rendang tasted quite good, albeit a tad salty and the beef was not tender enough. The hainanese chicken rice was nice although I would have referred chicken on the bone rather than deboned. The Katong Laksa was not too bad - tasty but not spicy enough. Angie said that due to her customer's requests, she has had to "water" down the spicy-ness of her laksa.
There are only 5 dessert options on the menu. Huey told us that they make the sorbets themselves so, we decided to share a Strawberry Sorbet with Rose Jelly and Warm redbean pancakes served with chocolate ice cream. The Strawberry Sorbet was really refreshing and the rose jelly added a touch of difference. The pancakes were nice and soft.
What we had this afternoon was not terribly authentic. I guess I will have to try the other dishes to have a better gauge of the restaurant.
Good luck Angie with your restaurant and future plans!!
Warm Pancakes with choice of ice cream
Strawberry sorbet with Rose JellyFriday, September 18, 2009
Chow it down!
I was invited to be a guest visitor to this Food Lovers group. They meet every month and try a diferent restaurant each month and each person will take turns to organise and pick the restaurant. This month it is held at Mr Chow's Peking Restaurant at the Rocks andganised by Helen. This is my first time there but I have heard mixed reviews about it.
Anyway, Helen had already preordered the menu as there were 19 of us. The salted duck's egg soft shell crab was yummy... lovely flavour and gave the crabs a soft coating instead of being too crispy. Next came the Smoked Duck with steamed buns. The duck was done very well and complemented the hot steamed buns and the slither of spring onion and cucumber.
We then had Peking Shredded Beef (I thought it was quite dry), Chinese Mushrooms with green vegetables (nice with a white glazed sauce), Peking style Crab meat in egg white (my favourite!), Fried Crispy Chicken (cooked to perfection) and a hotpot.
The restaurant was very busy being a Friday night and I think we were the noisest table!
The service can be a bit slow at times but this was camouflaged by the banter and laughter at the table.
Unfortunately as with most Chinese restaurants, they do not have very good desserts but the restaurant provided us with red bean and custard pancakes on the house. A tad oily though!
Not a bad Peking restaurant for a quick "Chow" or group parties if you are in the neck of the woods. Parking can be a bit tricky though with time limis of 2 hours on Kent street.
Anyway, Helen had already preordered the menu as there were 19 of us. The salted duck's egg soft shell crab was yummy... lovely flavour and gave the crabs a soft coating instead of being too crispy. Next came the Smoked Duck with steamed buns. The duck was done very well and complemented the hot steamed buns and the slither of spring onion and cucumber.
We then had Peking Shredded Beef (I thought it was quite dry), Chinese Mushrooms with green vegetables (nice with a white glazed sauce), Peking style Crab meat in egg white (my favourite!), Fried Crispy Chicken (cooked to perfection) and a hotpot.
The restaurant was very busy being a Friday night and I think we were the noisest table!
The service can be a bit slow at times but this was camouflaged by the banter and laughter at the table.
Unfortunately as with most Chinese restaurants, they do not have very good desserts but the restaurant provided us with red bean and custard pancakes on the house. A tad oily though!
Not a bad Peking restaurant for a quick "Chow" or group parties if you are in the neck of the woods. Parking can be a bit tricky though with time limis of 2 hours on Kent street.
Steel your way in
Two girlfrends and I decided to catch up after work or a drink one day. I suggested going to this new bar and restaurant which opened not too long ago. This new establishment is situated behind Wynyard station on York Street and it's where the old Tasmania Tourism used to be.
I thought that it was a great use of the space. Very well designed and the balcony area was warm and inviting. We started by having cocktails at the bar / outside balcony. It is decked out with comfy chairs overlooking heritage buildings. Must say it was a good place to have cocktails.
After two cocktails, we decided to adjourn to the restaurant. The restaurant is open plan, with steel panelling. Great to see the kitchen and the 3000 bottles of wine lining the walls. There were quite a few people there for dinner on a Tuesday night.
The menu is quite varied, and one which I wuld consider more Ausralian fare. One is able to pick and choose and to share. We had scallops to start with and steaks for main. Both main courses were cooked very well and it was very tasty. Alas, we were too full to fit in dessert.
We had to dash to the bathroom and boy... so steely and dark, the doors were very heavy due to the steel panelling and there were screens above the taps which was showing Sex and the City movie... hmm... says something about having a bar and restaurant in the middle of the city.
Must say they have a good wine selection too...
All in all... would recommend this place. The restaurant had a good feel to it, nice ambience, we had a lot of fun talking and laughing that we were the last ones to leave...
"Steel" your yourself at the "Steel Bar and Grill".
I thought that it was a great use of the space. Very well designed and the balcony area was warm and inviting. We started by having cocktails at the bar / outside balcony. It is decked out with comfy chairs overlooking heritage buildings. Must say it was a good place to have cocktails.
After two cocktails, we decided to adjourn to the restaurant. The restaurant is open plan, with steel panelling. Great to see the kitchen and the 3000 bottles of wine lining the walls. There were quite a few people there for dinner on a Tuesday night.
The menu is quite varied, and one which I wuld consider more Ausralian fare. One is able to pick and choose and to share. We had scallops to start with and steaks for main. Both main courses were cooked very well and it was very tasty. Alas, we were too full to fit in dessert.
We had to dash to the bathroom and boy... so steely and dark, the doors were very heavy due to the steel panelling and there were screens above the taps which was showing Sex and the City movie... hmm... says something about having a bar and restaurant in the middle of the city.
Must say they have a good wine selection too...
All in all... would recommend this place. The restaurant had a good feel to it, nice ambience, we had a lot of fun talking and laughing that we were the last ones to leave...
"Steel" your yourself at the "Steel Bar and Grill".
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