Cafe de Hong Kong

Do you ever wonder why a shopping village on one side of the street does better than the other?  Or so it seems?

Anyway, for me, I've always headed out to Carlingford Court to do my shopping and eating.  I've neglected going to Carlingford Village for a couple of years.  I am not sure why but I think it's because I don't get a really good feeling about the outlets that are there or the overall look and feel of the shopping village itself which continues to evolve.

After a hiatus, something a friend said triggered the urge to check it out.  I went there on a Sunday afternoon for lunch.  I was quite surprised that this place was bustling.  They have also installed a car park turnstile and are limiting your shopping times.  The car park seemed to be really busy on this Sunday afternoon.

Heading up to the ground floor it is easy to see why.  There were people queuing up for Yum Cha or trying to get a seat at some of the other cheaper Asian cafes.  Again, it is obvious, the cafes on one side (i.e. towards the food court) was doing well while a newer one which must have opened recently was having some difficulties filling their seats.

The food court itself is quite interesting with delicacies from Beijing and Shanghai.  As I was not familiar with what was on offer and whether they were good, I opted for the safer option of having lunch at Cafe de Hong Kong.  This cafe has been around for a couple of years.  Small and quite snug.

Families were coming in, seated and it is interesting to note that each member has their own "activity" to occupy themselves be it their newspaper or their play station... hmmm...

Anyway, once a table is available you are seated down quickly.  But again, do not expect much service as it is very hard to catch the waiter / waitress' eye... even though they could be walking around but no one is able to see your raised hands to take your order.

For a small cafe, the menu is extensive, typical of a cafe you would find in Hong Kong.  Food is served quickly and it is reasonably priced.

This is a cafe which also offers congee (nice!) for those who do not want the hassle of jostling for a car spot in Eastwood on a weekend.

Sampan Congee

Combination Rice Noodle

Ripples at Sydney Wharf

It was a beautiful spring day when we decided to head out to the recently opened "The Star" (the old casino) to watch Hairspray the Musical.  Since we were early, we decided to walk around the food hall.  The food hall looked very inviting, classy and Flying Fish has just started.  Once all the outlets open, there would be quite a few interesting food options for Sydneysiders.  However, I am not sure if there are ample seating capacity to cater for the anticipated crowd... oh well... I must say "The Star" is a great addition to the Sydney scene and hope that it remains this way.

Prior to the musical, my friend had made a lunch booking at Ripples, Sydney Wharf.  The restaurant is one of many chains around Sydney and is situated at the wharf and one could watch the ferries / private boats come through.  As it was lunch time, there were a lot of people getting fit around the promenade.

I like the feel of this restaurant.  The colourful chairs blended this restaurant with the scenery - bright and not stale.  The service was great as well, attentive but not obtrusive and were aware that had some time constraints.

We had their lunch special as we did not have much time.  The lunch special was their signature beer battered fish and chips with a glass of wine.  I must say the fish was cooked to perfection with a nice crunchy batter as is the chips.  This is the epitome of the perfect fish and chips when you can't spot a blob of oil on the batter ... great setting to go back to, to sit and enjoy the expansive views.

Taste of Shanghai

Taste of Shanghai has been in existence in Eastwood for more than 2 years now.  Personally, I haven't eaten there for a while until lately I decided to check it out.

I was pleasantly surprised - they had renovated the interior and it looked a lot better than when it first started.  I guess they realised that they were not utilising the space efficiently when they had private rooms along one side, which often meant that those customers in the private rooms were suffering from a lack of service. They have also moved their dumpling open kitchen to the side.  What emerged now is definitely a more pleasant environment and looks cleaner with the walls decked out with paintings resembling Shanghai.

The menu has not changed but has expanded to include some set options for lunch / dinner before 5.30pm.

The quality of dumplings is the same.  This time round we ordered the XO fried rice with chicken and the wontons in chilli oil.  I must say the XO fried rice was very very tasty.  The wontons were not too bad either but just like the description - wontons sprinkled with chilli oil.

Will definitely be back to try some other specialties ....and then hop across the road for my grass jelly dessert at Meet Fresh!

Meet Fresh meet ZenQ

Hmm... more competition - great for the consumer, more choices.  I have heard about ZenQ which opened their first outlet in Chatswood but have not tried it.  Just last Tuesday, I read that ZenQ has opened another outlet at Macquarie Center next to Boost Juice - yippee!

Decided to try it after lunch today to see which is better... Meet Fresh or ZenQ?  Both are successful Taiwanese dessert houses but herein lies some slight differences.

Meet Fresh provides you with pre-customised mixes for their herbal jelly or taro balls i.e No 1 is... No 2 is ... etc etc... ZenQ on the other hand provides you with the option of selecting your base eg grass jelly, red bean, glutinous black rice and to that you can add your toppings for extras.  This is a plus as sometimes you might not like a certain thing and would be good to have a substitute.

The other specialty on the ZenQ menu is their "toast"... I saw the other tables ordering a Strawberry Toast ($16.80). It looked scary, huge (not sure what is inside) but not for the small eater or sugar hater.

Now for the taste test.  Personally I prefer the desserts at Meet Fresh.  More so as I like the idea of the shaved ice under all my toppings as opposed to just a scoop of shaved ice at ZenQ.  What this meant was that even though you ordered a cold dessert, as it was only a scoop of shaved ice at ZenQ, your dessert is not cold enough... Furthermore, I thought the shaved ice had a funny taste and smell (albeit subtle).  I also think the servings at Meet Fresh is more generous and slightly cheaper than ZenQ.

Oh well, so much for this... am glad that there is a Meet Fresh franchise opening soon in my neck of the woods which means I do not have to trek to the city for my grass jelly fix.

ps... 25/10  Here is the write up for ZenQ Chatswood...
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/the-sweet-spot-20111020-1m8n0.html

Takeru, Chatswood

I should not be surprised to find a branch of Takeru in Chatswood.  Having been to their outlet in the city (Sussex Street), I was quite happy to try this outlet which is tucked away towards the end of Victoria Plaza, Chatswood.  I think the menu is quite similar, although might be a tad smaller than their city outlet.

What's different is that you place your order through the touch screens and your order is picked up directly by the kitchen staff.  This is also a very child-friendly restaurant and has a play area for the kids.

Their lunch bento boxes is very good value @ $12.90 and includes rice, miso soup, croquet, tempura prawn agedashi tofu and your choice of main course.

Lunch Bento box - good value

For those with a small appetite, there is also a half size option for around $5.90.

Good and ample menu and quick service.

Espresso Organica

It is not often one finds some proper "organic coffee" cafes in the suburbs.  Walking along the Majors Bay Road in Concord, we saw quite a few "nice" cafes.  "Nice" in the sense of lay out / appeal to the eye and also the food / cakes that are on offer.  So, it was very hard for us to decide where to stop for a good cuppa.

What drawn us to Espresso Organica was the fact that the cafe looked like it was "serious" about their coffees.  There were so many blends along their walls and their cakes selection was great... it was hard to make a choice.

Furthermore, they also had a good menu for breakfast (all day menu) and drinks.  Ahh.. this is what I call a great cafe!

We finally settled on our coffees and an orange and almond cake and an almond biscotti.  Hmmm... the coffee tasted like "real" coffee while the orange and almond cake was really moist.  It was definitely not a good idea for us to share this piece of cake.... !

Naughty Chef

I have been going to Naughty Chef for many years now and have seen it evolve from a small takeaway spot to them taking over a "tunnel" to cater for the growing number of customers wanting to have a seat down meal, albeit quick.  This place gets so busy during lunchtimes and it can get quite stuffy that one is not encouraged to sit down and chat.

Anyway, in my opinion, I think Naughty Chef is a good spot to satisfy one's cravings for Vietnamese food.  It is located in an underground walkway linking Wynyard station to Pitt Street.  

There is a hot food bar for those with a craving for rice and a bit of fried noodles.  If you want your pho, then you'll need to order.  They have added their selection over time and for those hot days, one can opt for the Vietnamese noodle salad with lemongrass chicken or the chargrilled pork or even with springrolls (as examples).

 
All very tasty...and the food has been very consistent - a testament to the fact that they have been at the same spot for so many years.

Chilli and Spicy Restaurant

It seems that each time I go out with this girlfriend we end up heading for Sichuan food in the city... more so because we just love the way they do their fish dishes be it swimming in hot dried chillies or with a chilli and black bean sauce.  The sauce is just so tasty when eaten with plain boiled rice!  Yum!

With most of this restaurants, the fish is frozen but you could pay a bit more for a live fish, fresh out of the tank.

Furthermore, they also do a good chicken dish (like this one in the basket).  Not sure what it is called as we just order by looking at the photos.  The chicken is cut into pieces and cooked with onions and chilli.  But, this dish is not very hot.

Sichuan food can be oily, so a tip, is that we usually get them to cook it with less oil... not as nice but definitely good for the heart.  Furthermore, you can also specify the level of intensity of the chillies!

Anyway, this Chilli and Spicy Restaurant is tucked away in Chinatown and located in the mezzanine level of the Breakfree hotel along George Street.

It is not a big restaurant but seems to be busy each time we are there.  If you are there for lunch, they also offer a good lunch menu.  But given our preferences for their fish dishes, we always opt for the dishes instead.

Definitely one of our more favourite Sichuan restaurants in the city.  After a hot meal, a visit to Meet Fresh for desserts is a must.
 

Cafe Sopra - after Andy Bunn...

I haven't eaten at Cafe Sopra for a couple of months now and thought it'll be good to revisit since Andy Bunn (previous chef) parted ways.

My friend and I arrived at the restaurant close to 1pm and the place was full and there was a queue.  The staff taking our names was friendly and asked if we wanted to share a table.  After about a 20 min wait, our table was ready.

The handwritten board had a good selection but we settled on a Duck Ragu pappardelle and a Meatballs Bolognese bucatini.  Loved the pasta which was cooked al -dente.  We found the duck ragu to be too "shredded" (ala tuna like) but was quite tasty.

I am not sure of the meatballs though...  I imagined a hearty and rich meatball but the meatballs tasted as though  someone loved cumin very much and the smell permeated through... so, the cumin spoilt it for me and the mince was too "soft" and mushy for my liking.

We were too full to have desserts but the other tables ordered Eton Mess (looked good with raspberry coulis through)... apparently their Banoffee tart is good...

I'm not sure if I'll specifically make the trek across town to visit Cafe Sopra soon ...might wait a few more months...

ps... the Fratelli fresh downstairs is stocked well with jars of jams and fresh produce... but... at a premium...compared to Harris Farms and the like...

Korean Charcoal BBQ restaurant

Hmm... is this an authentic Korean restaurant?  On the door there was a poster which advertised a lunch buffet for $12 per person.  Not a bad price but... what do we get?  We went round to take a look at the food on offer and thought... it was not a bad value and decided it was worth a try.

This Korean Charcoal BBQ is located at the Mandarin Center, Chatswood where the food court is.  The buffet bar is quite small but has a good selection on both sides.  There are two different types of soups when we went, a Corn soup and a miso soup.  Next to the soup pots, was the rice cooker which to make one's own Bibimbap with the red bean sauce and the rest of the condiments next to it... The bibimbap bar also extends to a salad bar as well as their other side dishes with freshly cut oranges.  After the side dishes, then came the hot food selection which includes the pancakes, fried chicken and the chapchae, amongst others.

The hot food was replenished quite promptly.  I liked the fact that they have kept the buffet bar clean.  There is also a self serve coffee / tea at the oher end of the restaurant and on the day we went, they also served some egg rolls.

For the kids (and adults alike), the buffet also included ice cream.

I think this is a good for value restaurant, although some of the reviews on eatability were not so favourable.  I guess, there are other Korean restaurants which serves tastier Korean food, but if you are after a quick meal with variety, then one could not fault this restaurant.

ps... this is the first time I saw dental floss in the ladies toilet and starch tooth picks instead of the normal wooden tooth picks... says something about the restaurant owner...

Spiedo

A few girlfriends decided to surprise me for my birthday and took me out to Spiedo, Westfield.  Spiedo is the new restaurant by Alessandro Pavoni who had previously opened Ormeggio at the Spit.

Braving the rain, we headed down to the city for our 8pm booking.  The restaurant has two sittings, one for the pre-theatre goers (with a 2 course special for $45) and the other for people who are not in a hurry.  Spiedo is situated on Level 6, the new level in Westfield shopping which now houses Xanthi, Chat Thai, Max Brenner and Chinta Ria in addition to Sky Phoenix which has been there for a couple of months now.

Level 6 has ambient lighting and the glassed windows gave it a nice atmosphere on a rainy night.  Spiedo is located round towards the left, past Xanthi.  One can also sit "outside" by the Stuzzi Bar for a drink and antipasto.

We were shown to our table promptly upon arrival.  The restaurant was modern and had clean lines with an open kitchen.  The service was impeccable and attentive.

After ordering a bottle of Chianti, we ordered a Salumi selection to share.  The antipasto plate was great, with a good selection of ham, prosciutto, salami, served with olives and crackers.

 For mains, we ordered a wild boar risotto, a Yabbi bigoli, a Crispy Skin King Salmon and the house specialty, Spiedo Bresciano con Polenta, a Brescian slow spit Roast with Pork ribs, pork scotch fillet, quail, duck served with Polenta.

Bigoli Yabbies

Wild Boar Risotto

Crispy Skin King Salmon

Brescian Slow Spit Roast

I must say the food is nice and "clean" and was tasty.

We were too full for desserts, which was just as well as they served us Petit Fours (chocolate truffle and panaforte) with our coffees.

Definitely a good addition to the foodie scene at Westfield, Sydney.        

Fishmonger's, Byron Bay

We visited this fish cafe on our first night in Byron Bay.  Having read some reviews, this place seemed to be very popular.  We were there quite early.  Not a big place but has tables and chairs to sit and enjoy one's meal.  It's also BYO and there is a bottle shop across the road.

This cafe has two other outlets in Australia, one in Manly and the other in Bondi Beach.  Fish Mongers, Byron Bay was busy, people were queuing up to order either to sit down or for a takeaway.  There is the standard menu which is supplemented by their specials which included Salmon, Snapper, Barramundi and Prawns.  The seafood then came with various combinations ie. either fragrant rice and corn or salad or tempura vegies... therefore not the usual fish and chips.  Price was reasonable, on average around $20.00 and it was a decent serve.

We ordered a serving of the fish but with salad together with a serve of their salt and pepper calamari.  The fish was yummy - not oily at all.  Everyone talked about the kumara chips - they were definitely a good supplement.

I loved the salt and pepper calamari too - cooked to perfection.

Loved this place so much, I went back there again prior to heading home.  Must check out their outlets in Sydney to satisfy my search for a GREAT fish and chips!

  

Thai Lucy

After the disappointing food at Asia Joe's the previous night, I decided to take the other guests' recommendations to check out Thai Lucy instead.

I didn't get a chance to have a proper sit down meal but decided to get a takeaway instead.  Boy, the green curry was nice and tasty and it was so good that I went back the following night and bought the red curry!

Must be Ground Hog Day for one of the staff... as he commented "... the food must be THAT good, huh?"

Asia Joe's - not authentic

After reading the reviews about this restaurant from TripAdvisor, I was quite excited to check this place out, taking precedence over its neighbour, Thai Lucy.  This restaurant is situated in Bay Lane which also has a number of restaurants next to each other.  

The restaurant is not big, probably only sits about 40 people but it was a buzz given it was the long weekend.  We didn't have to wait long to get a table as the tables turned over pretty quickly.  It's BYO so, one could hop across the street to get a bottle to go with the meal.

We ordered a Chicken Pad Thai and a Tom Yum Soup.  While the serving was quite substantial, we were totally disappointed with the taste.  The Chicken Pad Thai did not taste like the Pad Thai I was expecting while the Tom Yum Soup was bland and tasted just like water...

Would not recommend this place at all unless ... this is your first foray into Asian food.