New Shanghai

In contrast to the China Shanghai Night restaurant, I was at the New Shanghai restaurant in Chatswood Chase last Sunday night.  This restaurant has a nice decor and has recently opened the Chatswood Chase outlet in addition to their Lemon Grove and Ashfield outlets.

There were quite a few of us which means that we could order and try a few dishes.  We ordered a few dumplings, noodles, prawns, vegetables, spare ribs.

The dishes tasted good especially the snake beans which was very tasty.

The service is quick at this restaurant.  One needs to share tables which could make it a bit squishy but the decor and ambience makes it comfortable and the food is good.

If you would prefer a less crowded place, walk a bit further up to their other outlet at the Lemon Grove mall.
This restaurant also has another chain in Ashfield and when we were there at China Shanghai Night, the New Shanghai's outlet in Ashfield had a queue in front of the restaurant.

 Their outlet in Ashfield on Liverpool Road.

Is there a difference in Shanghai restaurants?

YES!  Is my answer!!

Although the Shanghainese restaurants serve quite the same menu, the quality is different.  I would say the test is in the Xiao Long Bao.

I am comparing two restaurants, one in Ashfield and the second in Chatswood.

This restaurant in Ashfield, China Shanghai Night, which claimed to be the first Shanghainese restaurant in Ashfield.

This restaurant was busy during one of the long weekends.  My friends and I had to share a table.  As we entered, on one corner there were a few family members feverishly making dumplings.  This brought in a few flies...

We ordered a couple of dumplings and noodles.  It was a disappointment.  The noodles did not have much ingredients in it.  Although the dumplings looked good, the Xiao Long Bao did not have the usual soup in it and the meat was not very tasty at all.

My friends were disappointed... maybe we picked a bad day...

More Malaysian!

I started the week having dinner at The Malaya and towards the end of last week, went to Cafe Kasturi.  This cafe has come a long way since it's first opened and has since changed hands.  The chef, Samsudin, had previously worked at the Royal Garden Hotel, in Pitt Street.  He had taken over and as it was a big group, the organiser, who has been to Cafe Kasturi frequently had pre-ordered the dishes.

Cafe Kasturi had expanded their menu significantly since I was last there which was more than 5 years ago.  This is probably one of the few halal restaurants in the city.

For starters, we had a combination of chicken and beef satay.  This must have been the best satays I've tasted outside Malaysia and it was full of nicely charcoaled marinated meat which was juicy.  The peanut sauce was creamy and it was accompanied by red onions, cucumber and ketupat (pressed rice cakes).

The next dish was really yummy too - Chilli Crabs.  The mud crabs were firm and meaty.  The egg-y sauce was very delicious albeit a bit salty but the toast took away the salty taste.  They were very generous and gave us bowls of additional gravy.

By this time we were already full but the next dish was curry fish head served with roti chanai.  The curry fish head was very fresh but the curry sauce was still a bit salty.  The roti chanai was crispy and soft on the inside.  I could eat a lot more if not for lack of tummy space.  Sigh!

We could not get them to stop the other dishes - next came butter prawns.  The prawns were big and juicy and tasted sensational but am not sure why it was served on a bed of vegetable noodles.  It was a dry dish and the noodles did not have much taste.  Having said that, some people liked it.

The Sambal kangkong came next but as it was not the season, the kangkong were a bit "tough".

For desserts, we ordered the Pisang Goreng served with vanilla ice cream and the durian sticky rice to share.  The consensus was that the durian sticky rice although it didn't look very nice was actually nice and the Pisang Goreng was lovely too.

The service was good - they were very attentive and oh... don't forget to order either a Teh Tarik or a Kopi Tarik.  Delicious and thick!

All in all...the satays are definitely worth going for and the chilli crab was yummy and do try the roti chanai.

The Malaya

It has been a while since I'd dined at The Malaya so when a friend suggested we go there last Monday night, I thought it would be good to check it out again.

Set along King Street Wharf and with views overlooking Darling Harbour, The Malaya was quite busy on this Monday night.  The menu has not changed.

We opted for the Popiah as an entree.  It was nice and full of chicken prawn filling.  The sweet chilli sauce added flavour to the rolls.

For mains, we shared a Prawn Malay curry, reminiscent of my dinner at their old restaurant on George Street.  The curry sauce was quite thick, although I think they'd put in too much curry powder.  It was still tasty though.

Our next dish was the Szechuan Eggplant.  The eggplant was stirfried dry style creating a crisp crust.  It was delicious and went well with the curry.

Definitely not your authentic Malaysian restaurant but the quality of the food (especially the entrees) make this old establishment a worthwhile visit.  Best to go with a group to be able to share the dishes.

Make the Marque!

 I was reading the Qantas magazine this afternoon and came across a write up about Marque Restaurant.  Mark Best, the chef, was quoted as "the black sheep of the Sydney chef flock, a wilful contrarian as interested in challenge and provocation on the place and in the glass as anyone in the industry."

A wilful contrarian alright as I discovered.  When asked what the degustation consisted of, the waiter said that it is a surprise. To which we asked what happens if it is something which we might not like eg lamb or rabbit ...  the waiter said we can advise them and they will prepare something else.

Hmm... taking a risk here... anyway, ended up telling the waiter what we didn't like and left the rest to them... hope we will not be disappointed.

We were offered two types of bread to start with, either the rye or the sour dough.  Both were very nice and they came round with the bread until you tell them to stop.

The Amuse Bouche was served... we were not sure what it was as it looked like an egg.  We were then told that it was egg yolk and something else and to dip the sticks in the creamy yolk concoction..  I was a bit hesitant at first... raw egg yolk... ewww... must say though, it tasted wonderful and did not have the raw egg feel to it.

The first course for the degustation was Almond Jelly with Blue Swimmer Crab, Almond Gazpacho, Sweet Corn and Herring Roe.  Totally exquisite.  The almond gazpacho was very light and fluffy.  This dish was very tasty and light.

Feeling more confident, we looked forward to the next course - it was a sliced abalone with chestnut and wafers.  As you can see, the whole dish looked very simple and not very appetising but the combination of the various tastes, salty and crunchy was great.

We asked for Marron and this was the next dish - Marron with eastern european spice.  This was a twist and the spice made it feel like an indian dish.  Nevertheless the marron was cooked very well and remained juicy.

Course 4 was another simple dish - potato ribbons cooked al dente in ham stock and sprinkled with pea powder.  Different in the sense that the ham stock had infused into the potato giving it that salty ham taste while the pea powder added some colour to the dish.

For main course, we had the roasted muscovy duck and eggplant and dried scallop.  The duck was tender and I wished I could get another slice!

The other main course to be served was the wagyu sirloin with burnt cucumber, blackberry and earl grey tea!  What a combo and was sensational!

Despite the servings being delicate and light, we were ready for our dessert and feeling quite full at this stage.  The first dessert came in a shallow saucer of creme caramel flavoured with Sauternes.  Exceptional!  This dessert was really light and the Sauternes was wonderful.

After this dessert, their version of Tiramisu was a bit of a let down to me. I felt that there was too much mascarpone although it was light...

Ahhh... great French cuisine.

By the way, they also do a set lunch menu which is booked out a month in advance.

What's all this fuss?

After 5 weeks in the making, my friend, Kevin and I are finally here in Balmain on a lovely Saturday morning for our catchup.  "Someone" was more than flustered as he could not find this cafe and we probably miscommunicated as to where we would meet.  This cafe was quite tucked away in a private arcade and there was no clear signage (apart from a board on the walkway - which could easily be missed) or shopfront.  I happen to stumble upon this cafe as I was coming from the other end of the street and thought I'd grab a table first.  Thanks to technology, we managed to find each other and the cafe.

Clearly not very happy, Kevin eventually settled down and we had a chance to look at the menu.  This cafe was not big (with only a few small tables on the courtyard) and hidden away in this arcade past The Cupcake Factory.  Well, now that we are here at the Adriano Zumbo's Cafe Chocolat, we know how to come here next time... it is located on Shop 5, 308 Darling Street, 6 doors up from the Pattiserie.

There was a great selection of chocolates, actually my kind of chocolates as there were a good selection with nuts in them.  The breakfast menu is not extensive and there was a selection of pastries and brownies and a dessert board.  Kevin has not had breakfast and opted for the banana and walnut bread with passionfruit butter. I decided to go for the plated dessert - "Paris - La Vie En Rose" as it sounded really great.

 

I was initially going to share my dessert with Kevin but after seeing it when it arrived, I said.. sorry... all for me...not sharing...

 My dessert was exquisite, great combination of raspberry sorbet, with petit Rose Macaroons on Rose creme brulee, Fresh lychees and served with a Coconut Strawberry Tapioca Shake.  The dessert blended very well and was not heavy.  The raspberry sorbet was a clear thirst quencher on this warm morning. It takes a real artist to "create" this dessert with this combination.

Meanwhile, Kev was enjoying his banana and walnut bread, although he thought the banana bread was a bit "heavy / stodgy" but really enjoyed the passionfruit butter.

I managed to convince him to order another serving of my dessert, since I was not going to share with him and he also enjoyed it.

I forgot to ask him whether he liked his coffee as the coffee is from The Little Marionette Cafe.  My tea was by Elmstock Importers was only "ok" after my dessert.

We decided to walk down the road to check out the Pattiserie as we could not buy any cakes from the cafe.  I could see what the fuss was about... there were colours and rows of delectable cakes before our very eyes.  Green, orange and all shapes and sizes.  What also caught my eyes were the names given for the cakes... with names like Dr Apple, Charlotte, Sunny Cloud and Tanzanie...and various flavours of Macarons (eg Coffee and Pandan)... a non sweet toothed person would be converted.  Will have to come by again to buy their cakes - who could resist?

Yes, there has been a lot of fuss surrounding Adriano Zumbo and we see why... unique exquisite creations and works of art... too good to eat!  Adriano Zumbo, only 28 years old, is not only very talented and but is also one of the contenders for the 2010 Cleo Bachelor of the year!  Yummmm!  

Quay Bar

If you are in the Circular Quay area, apart from the Opera Bar, the Quay Bar is a another place to quench your thirst and watch the world go by.

Quay Bar is located on prime real estate i.e. on the ground floor of the historic Customs House.  It's perfect for the warmer months and features both communal and individual high tables for dining and drinking experience.  There is also a Parisian style bistro and bar located inside Customs House.

On this beautiful sunny day, we had lunch in outdoors in one of the heightened tables.  The menu was extensive and we ordered the Chorizo sausage, Lamb Ragout on Ravioli and Smoked Chicken, Pancetta and truffle pie.  The food was not a disappointment although the Smoked Chicken pie was clearly our favourite. 

Great vibe - this is an excellent spot for some beer and good food especially on a summer's day!

Shh... it's a secret!

Where can you go for a drink, with a nice setting and the harbour bridge as your backdrop?  Head to the Opera Bar.  This bar is known as having the "World's Best Beer Garden" and has beeen around for some time.  The Bar was not as busy mid-week, but on a Wednesday night, it still attracted quite a crowd.  There are tables around the promenade and a live band playing from 8.30pm.

There is a good selection of cocktails and drinks and some food for those who have not had dinner.

For our out of towners, this is a place to bring the visitors!  Check the website to see who will be playing and when...

Ezard

On a recent trip to Melbourne, my girlfriend and I decided to try this 2 hatted restaurant (2009 The Age Good Food Guide), Ezard.  This restaurant is tucked away in the Adelphi Hotel, you need to go down the stairs which leads to the restaurant.  Not sure if it was normal or if it was in support of Earth Hour but the restaurant was quite dimly lit.

As my other girlfriend was already waiting for us, we were ushered to our table quickly.  The service was impeccable, we were asked if we wanted drinks and then given the menus.

We opted for the ala carte rather than the degustation menu.  Once we ordered, the bread was served on our plate with an explaination of what the dips were.  Don't ask me what the dips were - it was a bit hard to understand our waiting staff... anyway, they were very nice.  The staff was very attentive and were not stingy with their breads.  They were refilled quickly... as was the dips. 

We were each served an amuse bouche prior to our entrees being served.  Our entrees arrived promptly... the pictures might not turn out very good as we were not allowed to use the flash.  Anyway, we ordered, the "Steamed queensland tiger prawns roll", the "Bangalow pork belly" and the "Kingfish sashimi".  The servings were not large but it was very tasty.

For mains, we ordered the "Roasted Barramundi", "Roast Duck with green chilli and shallot sauce" and the "Seven score Wagyu beef".  They were tasty although I thought the sauce for my roast duck was quite salty.  Nevertheless, we finished everything on our plate...

It was time for dessert... 2 of us opted out - we didn't have anymore room while the others ordered a cheese platter and a great serving of crackers and the "Five spiced honeycomb ice cream".

This restaurant is well worth a try - the service is great and the food very tasty and plated well.