Food is our Religion

Chilli Jam Thai Restaurant, Concord

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:41:00 +0000

So when I talk about Thai food to others, people often ask me 'have you been to Holy Basil?' Thank goodness I can finally say yes or the other question would be 'have you been to Chilli Jam'. I always hear good things about it so I have been quite curious to check it out myself plus how can I ever say no Thai food?!

Pineapple Fried Rice - $19.90

When you are as ~~greedy and or~~ hungry as me, one would love to go with a big group of people because it means we can try as many different things on the menu as possible and not look like a fat pigs for over ordering *rubs tummy*

Tom Yum Seafood Soup - $9.90

Chicken Pad Thai - $15.90

Duck salad - $18.90

Stir fried vegetables

Chicken and papaya salad - $18.90

Tom Yum soup is a must - I get it religiously as some of you may already know! It was a decent batch but I personally didn't find it chilli enough (but then again when will I ever?). Personally, the one at Holy Basil was better. The pad thai and the pineapple fried rice were crazy though. It was sooo goood. The pad thai tasted fresh and the fried rice was sweet from the large chunks of pineapple. To be honest, I don't know if it tasted better because of the fact it was served in a pineapple. I always fall for those types of presentations so I never really know! The pad thai was so good we ended up ordering a second plate, everyone wanted more. Everyone wanted more!!

Chilli Jam Thai Restaurant

- 104 Majors Bay Road, Concord NSW 2137

Gotta go eat!!

Vivaz, The Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:48:00 +0000

A Brazilian BBQ restaurant that turns into a Salsa club is a first that I have heard. The restaurant had a very old school feel to it, even the decor and seating was old school - twas quite interesting. The first thing I notice as soon as I stepped in was this mountain of alcohol all stacked up, maximising the table space and waiting for someone to come and drink it all..

Hello there

Brazilian BBQ buffet at Vivaz, The Rocks - $39 per person

Brazilian BBQ meet including pork, chorizo and chicken wings

My taste buds were still alive by the end of the night because the meat wasn't drowned in salt unlike some other Brazilian BBQ places I have been too. The pork crackling was soo crunch crunch crunchyyy - I wanted moreee but my body said no which was a shame. The chorizo were good too but personally, they still weren't as good as La Parrillada, they still stand as my fav thus far.

I don't think I have ever been to a brazilian bbq buffet and seen them offer as many salad/vegetables as Vivaz so I think I can be confident to say that I got my daily servings of greens that night.

Salads, potatoes and pumpkin

More salads and pasta

Roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, pasta salad and bean salad

When people say to me the two carnivorous words 'Brazilian BBQ', I would be expecting a large selection of different cuts, flavours and types of meat. There was a lot of variety of vegetables however as tasty as the meats were and taking into account that one is paying $39, there could have been a bigger selection of meats to choose from. A part of me had also died when I realised they didn't have cinnamon pineapples because it is my favourite item of all at Brazilian bbqs!

The restaurant is set up as a proper buffer so there weren't people walking around carrying larger skewers, though I guess that may be because the place does turn into a salsa club after. Personally I wouldn't recommend this place to people if they were mainly there for the food as it is more suited towards salsa lovers out there. For salsa fans however it is a different story. After 10 pm, there is also an entry fee of $10 but if you are already there for dinner, the price of the food already covers that fee.

Gotta go eat!!

MaMa Ka'Z Banana Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:26:00 +0000

A thank you to Abbie Thompson from Polkadot PR for delivering me this gigantic hamper filled with lots of baked goodies by MaMa Ka'Z. I am someone who isn't the biggest fan of bananas; I will eat it if I have to and when I visit a juice bar, I will always ask them to take out the bananas. Banana bread however is a completely different story.

Hamper of banana bread and muffins by MaMa Ka'Z

All of MaMa Ka'Z's products based on a secret family recipe are '100% natural with 100% real fruit, no preservatives and are made in Australia'. MaMa Ka'Z are 'constantly driving for delicious and nutritious ways to improve'.

Different types of bread by MaMa Ka'Z

MaMa Ka'Z's Banana Bread
One loaf - $25.95 (cuts 12 generous slices)

MaMa Ka'Z's banana bread are so light and fluffy, especially when they were heated up. You could taste the banana flavour throughout the bread but it wasn't too strong either. The only thing missing was a nice warm cup of coffee.

The individual packaged slices are a smart idea because you can have it on the go or if you don't have time to buy a whole loaf. Although you may think one slice of bread may not fill you up, never estimate the ability of banana bread. One slice of those and you will definitely be guaranteed to be full all morning. I had one at 8.30 am at work and was full to at least 12 noon and as some of you guys know, I am a person with a big appetite.

The best thing about these breads is that they are generally considered to be a healthy snack so you pretty much get the best of both worlds: tasty and healthy. The only downsides are that I found the packaging of the loaf a bit oily when I picked it up and that the crust could have been a bit more hard so that you get more crunch to it.

MaMa Ka'Z's muffin:
From the left: Orange poppy seed, Double choc, Tropical passion fruit and Apple cinnamon

Their muffins were a surprise as it has been a while since I have tasted such good muffins. Even though when products are made with real fruit, you don't always get a punch full of flavour but that was until I tried MaMa Ka'Z's muffins. Their muffins were packed full of flavour (literally) and it was also fluffy on the inside. Even though MaMa Ka'Z's are famous for their banana bread, I think that their muffins were the highlight for me.

You can order their banana bread and their varieties online by clicking HERE and your order will be delivered the next day. Alternatively, they are also available in cafes and convenient stores.

Gotta go eat!!

Oreo Truffles - Valentines Day Special

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:10:00 +0000

So Valentines Day is coming up and as some of you may know, I am not that big of a fan of the day itself (#FactNumberOne) BUT I decided to still whip up something special for you girls (or boys) that want to make something special for your man, partner, lover or whoever it may be.

Oreo Truffles - Valentines Day Special

Let us also be honest here, I possess a bare minimum number of cooking skills (#FactNumberTwo) so if I say this recipe is insanely easy, I seriously mean it. If I can do it, anyone can. Oreo truffles are ridiculously easy to make, it is messy but it is a lot of fun. I know that not all of us like to eat chocolate but playing with chocolate is a completely different story all together; it is so much fun. If you don't want to get your hands dirty, you can also try wearing a pair of latex gloves!

A thank you shout must also be made out to HK Fashion Geek for allowing me to share her recipe with you guys. If you want a copy of the full recipe including the exact ingredient measurements, you can find it by clicking HERE.

To get a feel of what you need to get or to do ... *start scrolling*

Ingredients for the Oero Truffles
Exact measurements can be found HERE

Steps 1 and 2
Full recipe can be found HERE

Step 3 - the fun and messy bit!

Wala - the final product!

If you are like me and you aren't into Valentines Day and you feel like playing with chocolate, why not just randomly make it for yourself or your friends! You don't need a man when you have chocolate.

Gotta go eat!!

Holy Basil, Canley Vale

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:15:00 +0000

I have finally step foot onto the famous restaurant in Canley Vale, Holy Basil. I was finally here to try their famous fried ice cream. Everyone always raves on about it, people line for over 30 minutes for a table and half the times, their fried ice creams even run out. Is it really all that good and worth the wait?


Fried Ice cream - $13.90

We had waited for approximately over 30 minutes for a table of four so it wasn't too long of a wait but a 30 minute wait in Canley Vale is considered to be long. To make up for the wait, the food did come pouring out shortly after the orders were placed.

Seafood Tom Yum Soup - $16.90

Thai Papaya Salad - $10.90

Chicken Pad Thai - $12.90

Laos Chicken BBQ - $13.90

Tom yum soup is a dish I constantly crave for. I'm not complaining because it was a good soup but I would have liked it if it was a tad more spicy, just so it hit the taste buds a bit more yeah?

Pad thai is also another favourite of mine but I always feel so guilty after eating it and even after several cups of tea, my body still feels like it is at square one. Surprisingly though, the pad thai wasn't actually that oily but I was disappointed with their grilled chicken. There seemed to be lack of flavour, personally I think House Thai does it better.

By this stage, I was seriously so full but it didn't matter how stuffed I was because I had to fit in that fried ice cream. If you are worried about the fried ice cream running out while you are having the mains, you can pre-order the dessert and request for it to be served at the end.

The final moment came and mannnnnnnnn, it was definitely worth the wait. The pastry is thin and crisp along with the ice cream and coconut flakes went so well together. It reminded me of eating a piece of succulent duck where the pastry was a replica of the pastry and the ice cream was like the succulent meat LOL! Yes, it is a weird analogy - but to me it works! It is either that or I must be craving more peking duck at the moment. The only problem is that you have to eat it fast because it melts so quickly and a piece of advice to all - never share your fried ice cream. Never!! Be fat for that one night but I will guarantee you will not regret it.

Holy Basil

- 233A Canley Vale Road Canley Heights NSW

- Shark Hotel, 127 Liverpool Street, Sydney NSW

Gotta go eat!!

Flavours of Peking, Castlecrag

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:33:00 +0000

Ok so I am a bit late in posting about CNY and all the food and festivities associated with it but I guess it is better late than never. Technically speaking, I am not that late because CNY is still on for another week or so. CNY to my friends and I translates to an excuse for us to pig out on a succulent peking duck aka a duck fest. Unfortunately the phone at Grape Garden Peking Restaurant didn't pick up their phone for numerous days (serious question - anyone know why?) but nevertheless, so long there would be duck, I can't complain.

Peking Duck

Course 1 - Peking duck pancake
$58 for two courses

There were only four of us and usually a duck can feed from 4 to 6 or possible even 8 people. So it was such a shame that there were only 4 of us at the table that night. Why? More duck for us and like I always say, there can never be too much duck for anyone. The duck was juicy but there wasn't too much fat and the skin was crispy so when you ate it all in the pancake with the addictive sauce and the freshness of the cucumber, it would just all.melt.in.your.mouth.

Oh, my, gosh, I don't know how long I can keep writing this post for because the more I type, the more hungry I get, the more I want of that amazing duck! So please excuse me if I can't stop typing my crazy thoughts out loud.

Course 2 - Stir fry noodles with more duck

Left: shallot pancake - $7.80
Right: chinese cabbage with dried shrimps - $14.80

The second course was average but then again, it is a bit hard to get stir fry duck noodles wrong.. right? The only downside was that the noodles and the chinese cabbage was bit more oily than I had expected. Would have been nice if they had cooked it with less oil as it would have been just as nice in my opinion.

All I can say is that it definitely satisfied my peking duck craving that night but the question was for how long? After typing up this post, I think my cravings for it came right back again. Oh dear..

Flavours of Peking

- 100 Edinburgh rd, Castlecrag NSW

Gotta go eat!!

Tea 101 and Cone Pizza, Parramatta

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:31:00 +0000

So thanks to Chocolate Suze, I discovered the concept of having a pizza in a cone available at Tea 101 in Parra. It didn't matter if it tasted good or bad, I had to go myself to try it out myself for the novelty itself! They looked so cute and best of all, a cone was only $4.50, so you pretty much get a snack, a cone and the novelty all for under 5 bucks #WIN.

Spicy Mexican Sausage Pizza with a lychee green tea bubble drink with pearls
2 cones with 1 drink - $12.00 value package

Smoked Chicken and Spicy Mexican Sausage pizzas in cones

So novelty aside, taste wise is was pretty good. The cheese was soooo stringy; the string of cheese wouldn't stop stretching from the tip of your mouth to the cone itself. The more you pulled, the longer the piece of cheese became.

For me a good pizza is created with a very simple equation: Stringy cheese + loads of sauce + lots of flavour = awesome pizza. One of the best bits was also the end of the cone just like eating the end of a cornetto. Note for next time: Rip the bottom part off and dip it into some sauce.

As good as the spicy mexican was, the smoked chicken only had one piece of chicken in it which was a bit of a shame. The other downside is that their menu wasn't that extensive as there were only about 5 or so flavours to choose from so I am hoping they may release more new flavours as they grow.

Tea 101 and Cone Pizza, Parramatta

- 186-190 Church St, Parramatta

Gotta go eat!!

Suminoya, Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:37:00 +0000

All you can eat Yakiniku from $41 - $49

Dining at Suminoya was pretty much a 'meat fest'. For $41 to 49 for all-you-can-eat Yakiniku, how can it not be. The menu was quite extensive ranging from your typical beef and pork ribs, pork belly, beef loin, beef rib finger and so forth which is why the main thing I did all day was preparing my stomach for the ultimate feast.

Unlimited Ox Tongue

There are two options which you can opt for; either buffet A ($41) or buffet B ($49). Difference: more side dishes including unlimited sashimi, more desserts and of course unlimited ox tongue. If you were to opt for buffet A, then you are only given 1 plate of ox tongue per person for the whole 2 hour session. To me when I see the 4 golden words, 'all-you-can-eat', that to me translates to unlimited ox tongue goodness. It reminded me of my night at TK Something BBQ Restaurant all over again.

All you can eat meat and seafood on the grill

From top left: pickles and mushrooms, seaweed, picked cucumber, sashimi

From top left: Edamame beans, raddish and chilli cod salad, pickles, seaweed soup

Coffee Jelly and lemon sorbet
NB: Do not share the coffee jelly, it is too good to be shared.

There was so much food and surprisingly, the sashimi tasted fresh too. Though the downside was that I found half of their meat to be quite oily, more so than most other BBQ restaurants.

At one stage, the I had to use serviettes to dab the meat because it was that oily. The restaurant is also known as the 'smokey restaurant' and I had always wondered why? It didn't take long for me to realise why though because once you step foot into the restaurant, you can barely see through the place because it was that smokey. My eyes and my pores were screaming out for more ventilation and downstairs was even worse even though they had all their windows and doors opened.

By the end of the 2 hours, I was so bloated thanks to all that good food. My initial aim was to crawl my way out of the restaurant. Result: Oh I definitely crawled my way out. Thank gosh there was an exit at the bottom level because my body would not have been able to climb up a set of stairs.

Suminoya

- 3 Hosking Place, Sydney NSW 2000

Gotta go eat!!

Sydney Food Bloggers Picnic 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:07:00 +0000

Ok wow.. so where do I even start with this. Thank you to Chococlate Suze and Grab Your Fork for organising the Sydney Food Bloggers Picnic and thank you mother nature for holding up the rain. A picnic with food bloggers translates to one.massive.food.fest for all our stomachs.

Food fest for the Sydney Food Bloggers Picnic

My cooking skills are not that great (yes, let's be honest here lol) so I resorted to one of my party favourites, asian mango jelly. Simple and fun so I definitely couldn't get it wrong haha. That aside though, ohhmeegoshh there was so much food. On one hand, there was only so much you could eat because of one's stomach space. On the other hand however, with all that food you couldn't help getting greedy. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

One of the best moments of the day was when Chocolate Suze said let's eat, it naturally translated to let us 'say' grace. I.e. 15 to 20 minutes of 'ooohh' 'ahhh' and the sound of camera's going off. There was no 'wait, wait, WAIT! Just one more'..

And now let the intense spamming begin:

Paella, quiches, bacon wrapped stuff, Sugar puffi's fairy bread

Vxdollface's roasted baguettes, Ramen Raff's paella, the gook's canapes

Obese Baby's zesty lemons, Spoon, fork and Chopstick's peanut butter cake

Browned Butter apple pound cake by Beyond Bourke Street

Belly Rumble's insects - so creative!

Maple creamed buns, Food Booze and Shoe's popcorn, Muppy Sylvester's tarts, cupcakes & pandan creamed cupcakes

More desserts including Simon Food Favourite's cocktails

More dessertsssss

I didn't lie, there was that much food, it was crazy. Everything tasted so nice! Unfortunately, I couldn't remember who made what and sadly, I couldn't try everything as much as I wanted to (yes! I am greedy and there is nothing you can do about it)

So food aside, this was my first Sydney Food Bloggers Picnic so it was time to put faces to name after all, esp after all that tweeting. So..

Again, let the spamming continue

From the left: Spoon, Fork and Chopsticks, Chococlate Suze, Belly Rumbles, Starloz, The heart of food, & the empty fridge

From the left: Citrus and Candy, Here comes the food, pokadots and chopsticks, one more bite, and crunchy tiger

From the left: Oh Ayana, Sugar Puffi, Vxdollface and missklicious

The heart of food and Ramen Raff

From left: Bite me show me and Simon Food Favourites

Of course no photo is a photo without a photo bomb...

doo doo dooo hmm?

Gotta go eat!!

Pappa Roti, Strathfield

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:30:00 +0000

Pappa who? Pappa roti. During my visit to the 2011 Sydney Noodle Markets, I discovered my new addiction for pappa roti's. It is basically a Malaysian crispy and fluffy buttery bun with a coffee coating on top. Approximately a bit over half a year ago, they opened up a new store in Strathfield which had made my weekends so much harder because I can never decide if I should give in or not.

And the challenge doesn't stop there; which flavour to choose?? There are so many to choose from.

Pappa Roti's with ferrero rocher and sesame ice cream

Inside the pappa roti

Ice cream choices to choose from

It is so tempting to say yes because it is as cheap as peanuts. If I recall correctly, the buns are $2 and a scoop of ice cream costs $1 to $2 extra. See why I can't say no? especially on a Friday night after a hard long week of work.

The only downside is that for people who aren't a fan of buttery buns then this may not be for you. Sometimes the butter isn't cooked through properly and you may find chunks of butter at the bottom of the bun which can be not that appetising when you don't realise it and bite into it. Nevertheless, the variety of ice cream choices and the pricing makes up for it.

P.s. Please forgive me if my photos aren't that great, it was taken with my phone because it was so last minute!

Pappa roti

- 144 Railway Parade, Kogarah 2217

- Shop 49, Strathfield Plaza 11, The Boulevarde, Strathfield, NSW 2135

Gotta go eat!!

The Pantry, Manly

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:22:00 +0000

This was my first official meal of the new year so I was really hoping the food at The Pantry would live up to my expectations. I am not going to lie, it took so much effort to get there; running on only a few hours of sleep after celebrating NYE, the only thing I wanted to do at that point in time was to sleep in. However there was only 2 days of holidays left and the thought of that droolicious roasted spatchcock I saw on my friend's facebook album was enough to force my body to get up that morning.

Roasted spatchcock - $29

The Pantry claims to be the restaurant with the best view and when I walked into the restaurant I did not dare argue because how could you when the restaurant is positioned right next to Manly beach, literally. The view was good but the best thing was that everything is windowed off so you won't need to worry about your food being blown away or getting sand in your food. UNFORTUNATELY, I accidentally deleted the photos of the views from the restaurant so I don't have any to share with you guys =(. I hope the photos of the food will make up for it!

Baked scallops - $16

Rock Oysters (half dozen) - $18

Baked salt crusted rainbow trout - $29
When they said baked salted crusted, they literally meant baked.salted.crusted lol

View of the restaurant - interior and exterior

Anyone that comes here and isn't allergic to scallops, must do themselves a favour and order the baked scallops. It was definitely pricier if you considered the cost because it works out to be $4 each but it was seriously.. the bomb. Another problem with this dish is sharing. I wanted the whole thing to myself. Next time I go back, I am definitely going to order one place to my entire self. Call me greedy but it was that good.

The spatchcock is actually on the dinner menu but you can still order it for lunch. I call alllllll the way from the West to Manly to try this and was it worth it? omgosh yes! I wanted to steal their recipe so that I could have it again, again and again. It was seasoned to perfection and so damn tasty.

The only problem with the restaurant is that you can only dine in certain sessions. For lunch it was from 12 - 2 and 2-4. So if you end up running late like me, you would best to either learn from my mistake and get there on time or some how try and scoff down your food with the remaining time you have left which shouldn't be an issue because those scallops were gone in seconds.

The Pantry

- Ocean Promenade, North Steyne, Manly NSW 2095

Gotta go eat!!

Happy new year as we enter into 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:38:00 +0000

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Wow what a year 2011 had been.. I must admit 2011 did seem to drag on longer than previous years but man, December seemed to seriously fly by with a blink of an eye. I finally stepped out of my caveman world and into the true world of technology by getting myself a iphone 4S and FINALLY got convinced to set up a twitter account and a Facebook page. Feel free to follow me on my crazy eats by clicking HERE and HERE.

I know the equation won't make sense but somehow when you add the word iphone + twitter, I somehow found myself becoming a new addict on Instagram which has some what become my new daily SMH.
A few my of my favourite moments during the year was when my girls and my stomach went on a road trip down to Leura and Katoomba and eat till our hearts content.. we squeezed in brunch, lunch, snacks, dessert and so forth that day. I don't know how we did it now that I think back but the deed was done lol.

Leura Garage - Leura

I also invested in a DSLR so hopefully you will notice some improvements in the photos I upload. I still barely know how to use it, so please give me some time lol.

Xmas Feast

Christmas was my favourite get together of the year and the feast had trained my stomach to expand to a whole.new.level. but I guess as the saying goes, no pain, no gain.

NYE Feasting

NYE had followed Christmas and again, there was another feasting with home made korean bbq, some seriously evil crepes were made and there was also some serious Monopoly City happening on the night of the eve.

Thank you to everyone who has dropped by and followed me on my nom-ing adventures. How was your NYE? while you at it, feel free to let me know what you want to see or read more of!! I wish everyone a happy new year, I hope 2012 will be better and of course, more nom-ilicious than last year.

XOXO

Gotta go eat!!

MOO Gourmet Burgers, Newtown

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:34:00 +0000

As I say hello to this gigantic burger that has been served right in front to me, I think to myself how exactly am I doing to demolish this. It looked good, it smelt good and even I was in pain taking a photo of it because all I wanted to do was plunge my whole mouth into it, nom nom nom


Big Moo - $16.50

Basket of onion rings - $8.00, Aoili sauce - $1.50 and Mango and pineapple Frappes - $6.50 each

Right: classic beef burger - $10.50
Left: Red kidney bean burger - $12.50

I highly recommend the Big Moo to all those burger loving fans out there, it was seriously.. the bomb, especially with a glass of frappe! Yes it was more pricier than other burgers on that menu and yes it was absolutely impossible to eat; I had to eat everything separately which felt like a typical brunch menu on a plate but my gosh it was so worth it.

I did surprisingly find that I didn't feel all gross and yucky as I would normally have felt with most burgers. As good as the onion rings were, they were dripping with oil from the within though I may think that is how all onioin rings all like? (dont hold me on that one though).

MOO Gourmet Burgers

- 70A Campbell Pde, Bondi Beach NSW 2026
- 242 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee Beach NSW 2034

- 232 King Street, Newtown NSW 2042

Gotta go eat!!

A Christmas feast to remember

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 03:53:00 +0000

It's Christmas eve and the month of December is always my favourite month because everyone is so cheery and you can just feel the festivities in the air. It is also the month where I can feast like a pig and not feel a single drop of guilt for not exercising it off.. until January comes around. There is there is of course the present giving and receiving where you would hope to be on Santa's good list.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

The feast for the night: Roasted turkey, salmon and avocado vol en vents, herb bread, mango and bean salad

Preparation of the turkey: stuff, roasting, basting

The feasting table :)

The Taste recipe used for the Turkey had a pancetta, sage and opinion stuffing. We actually forgot to put salt and pepper in the stuffing but thankfully I am glad we forgot because it tasted sooo perfect. The hardest thing to do was when I was full but I had to have just one more slice - do I choose the stuffing or the turkey? and how much of it?? I don't think remember the last time I tried to force as much as I did into my stomach but just like my other girls, I had to power on because so much effort was invested into that one.single.turkey.

End result: A carrier of a thousand food babies. Solution: 1094819023812093810298301280 hours of exercise after December.

Table centre piece and chocolate dipped strawberries and mandarins

Starting from left: Fruit punch, fruit salad with Nuttella rice crackers, smoked salmon and avocado vol en vents

Mango Cheese cake with my favourite girls: (From left: A. Chu, N. Chow and Wendy and Co)

This is probably one of my favourite blog posts and it is also one my best Christmas I have had in a while. I hope everyone is having just a great Christmas as I did and managed to get on Santa's good list. If you weren't, then better luck next year hehehe

Gotta go eat!!

Opera Point Marque, Circular Quay

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

It was the last day of the working year and may I say the function made it onto the 4 worded list: Bests Christmas Functions. It was probably one of the better views we have had, mother nature had shone away the rain as soon as we were seated and of course, it was just so close to Christmas.

View of the Harbour Bridge right outside Opera Point's Marque

I clearly still don't really know how to my new Cannon 600D because some of my photos turned out slightly orange so please pardon my strange coloured photos this summer (I partially blame it on the colour of the tent inside). I can reassure though, disregarding the discolouring of the photos, the food tasted like decent fine dining, unlike some of the other function centres that the Christmas Party has been. Some of their dishes were presented like some 3D artwork and you just didn't want to eat or touch.

Entree Option 1: Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Dalkon, Avocado and Soy Beans

Entree Option 2: Crispy Pork Belly with pear and Black pudding

Main Option 1: Roasted lamb rack with minted peas, gnocchi and grain mustard

Dessert Option 1: Eton mess with strawberries and strawberry consomme
Photo with the courtesy of D. Huang as mine was way too orange LOL

Dessert option 2: Chocolate delice with green tea and orange

Petit fours

I swear that there must have been something in the avocado served with the Tuna because it tasted better than the seared tuna itself. At the same time I only had a small spoonful of it each time so that I could ration the supply lol. The eton mess was so pretty with the cylindrical stand that I secretly wanted to tell the waitor to leave the stand with me and just admire it for the next few minutes. I do regret not doing that..

The downfall with their food was that I found things on my lamb that shouldn't had been there and with the chocolate delice, there was an indented finger mark so a replacement was asked. The marque also had limited stock of alcohol and by 5 pm they had already ran out of Bourbon Whisley.I had no idea how this was possible because the function ends at 9 pm so I was curious to wonder if they had a back up plan for the night.

Tapas served throughout the night as dinner.
Their rissotto rice balls were to die for = BEST

Snap shots of the HC crowd also including Through Beauty Eyes

More hellos from the HC crowd

Opera Point Marque

- Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay

Gotta go eat!!

O Bal Tan Restaurant - Korean BBQ, Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:40:00 +0000

As much as I love some of my favourite restaurants, I'll be honest because sometimes I seriously just can't be bothered waiting in line. After 6 pm on a Friday and Saturday night, you will be guaranteed to be lining up outside for a table if you want to have dinner at Madang. Solution? Walk 5 meters to the right of Madang and you will find yourself a 3 level Korean BBQ restaurant, Obaltan where you will be seated and served within minutes.

Left: Beef ribs without bones ($17.00)Top right: Marinated chicken with chilli sauce ($17.00)
Bottom right: Marinated pork ribs ($17.00)

O Bal Tan beats Madang on two aspects: 1. There is no queue and 2. They have much better ventilation. It still gets smoky inside but at least all the centre smoke gets sucked into those ventilation pipes. Taste wise, I would probably say that are some what similar but you can decide on that one.

Left: Ox tongue ($17.00), Right: Meat on the barbeque

Left: Complementary side dishes, Top right: Complementary pancake (best),
Bottom right: Stir-fried vegetable with potato noodles ($12.00)

Confession time: this is slightly embarrassing but for me, the highlight of the night was to find out that they serve kimchi pancake as a side dish, I was seriously amazed. Korean pancakes are one of my favourite dishes and for it to be free plus unlimited is a double win right there. I was trying to culture some friends of mine that night and the only problem was that none of us could stop asking the waitor to refill those pancakes.

Pan-fried dumplings - $12.00

Spicy octopus, beef & vegetables with soup - $42.00

When the hotpot came, for a moment I felt that they must have thought I carnivorous because there was so much beef in that stew. I think there was more meat than there were noodles but in saying that, I am definitely not complaining.

O Bal Tan Restaurant - Korean BBQ

- 363A Pitt Street, Haymarket

Gotta go eat!!

IVY, Anti-hangover Shot

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:03:00 +0000

Have you ever wished that there was a cure for those nasty hang overs and the closest cure you have is a packet of panadol? or have you ever wished that your face wouldn't go as red as tomato after 1 drink, aka the 'Asian flush'?

IVY, Australia's first Anti-hangover Shot
Photo courtesy of Polkadot PR

'Scientifically formulated, the apple and raspberry flavour is fast acting, with effects felt within 30-45 minutes of consuming! Conviniently sized shot bottles and slip one of these into your bag or pocket and enjoy it straight up'

With thanks to Megan Staal from Polkadot PR for inviting me to the launch of Australia's first Anti-hangover shot, IVY. I think any party animals and especially those light weight drinkers like me would appreciate a product like this. The shot was scientifically formulated, trailing 100 participants and 80% of the results proved to be quite effective. The shot is also aimed to rid all those embarrassing Asian flush photos that most Asians would have of themselves. So if you are an Asian that is reading this and really wants to find a solution but don't want to pop those anti-flush pills, try taking this Ivy shot instead.

Founders of IVY

Australia's first Anti-hangover shot, IVY

IVY is made of apple and raspberry flavours and is packed with Vitamin B, C, Ginseng and Argine for liver protection. The best thing about IVY is that it tastes like a sweet fruit juice! To me, it tasted like pomegranate juice which was surprisingly quite tasty.

At the moment, you can purchase IVY online by clicking HERE or at premium liquor stores, bars and clubs nationally. Prices are from $10 for a 2 pack, $30 for a 6 pack or $54 for a 12 pack. So if you do the maths, it is about $5 per shot.

Lychee cocktail and Vodka and ginger beer cocktail
Photo courtesy of Polkadot PR

Tasty Lychee cocktails

The crowd - including DJ Emily Scott and online TV presenters, Logan Courtman from UNSEEN TV

Canapes: Peking duck pancake, vegetarian canapes and spring rolls

Canapes: Sausage rolls, sushi and quiches

Please excuse my photography skills as I only got my hands on a DSLR about a week or so ago so I am still learning. A thank you to Simon Food Favourites for giving me an emergency lesson on how to choose the right settings, otherwise who knows what types of photos would have came out!

IVY, Australia's first Anti-hangover shot

Site: http://www.thefeelgoodfactory.com/

Gotta go eat!!

Let's go eat - Guest Post from Delivery Hero

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:22:00 +0000

Let’s go eat! : Out and about, my favourite places to enjoy food in Sydney

I’m a big believer that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to enjoy really fantastic food in Sydney. There is incredible fine dining in this city if it’s your thing but my preference has always leaned towards less expensive but authentic culinary delights and a rustic style of cooking rather than a menu full of foams and sorbets.

Enjoying food with friends is hands down my favourite way to spend my spare time. With super delicious food firmly in first place, the location comes a close second in what makes the experience a memorable one. I guess it appeals to my slightly romantic sensibility and a general sense of nostalgia – there are just certain foods I always need to eat in particular places. Somehow it heightens the taste of the food, makes me remember good times and feel I’m creating new ones. With this in mind, I put together a list of my favourite places to enjoy food in Sydney.

If I go to Manly I have to have fish and chips. Not usually my go-to Sydney takeaway food, it is the perfect choice after a ferry to the island and a day spent on the beach. There are tons of places to get some battered fish and fries but I head for Fish Mongers where this Aussie favourite is done using quality ingredients and with care. Eat on the beach for the best view in town and beware the circling seagulls! Another summertime must is gelato from Pure Bronte Pistachio. Nothing makes it feel more like holidays on are their way than sitting on the green grass of Bronte, overlooking the ocean, with a cool ice-cream in hand.

When I have the gang over for back to back videos at my place only a pizza delivery will do. Sure there are lots of fabulous Sydney food delivery options but pizza and videos are a classic combination for a reason. Slice in hand, with a glass of coke and a bad movie is my idea of homebody bliss.

Markets are a marvellous place to have food in Sydney because there is always a great, vibrant atmosphere. I like to hit Glebe Markets on the weekend and grab brunch with friends at one of the many buzzy cafes nearby. My old time favourite is Clipper Café (18 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe) where I like to indulge in their excellent coffee and drool worthy pancakes served with ricotta, strawberries and maple syrup before hitting the market stalls hunting for a bargain.

For a group get together on a cooler day, I find the hustle and bustle of Yum Cha in Chinatown always puts me in a good mood. Marigolds is my stalwart standby for Yum Cha and my friends and I have spent many a Sunday there ordering too many dumplings and whatever else gets sent our way. Or when I feel like a more leisurely paced group meal, then Sunday Roast at The Tilbury in Woolloomooloo is where I need to be. The sheer variety of food in Sydney means options are endless but with big tables, a beer garden for sunny days, gastro pubs like The Tilbury are where I want to be for a long lunch that turns into dinner, a decadent dessert and nightcap before heading home.

Guest post by Kate Bloomsbury

Images: Gelato by missmeng; YumCha by eugeneflores; Manly by dicktay2000

La Parrillada, Petersham

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:48:00 +0000

Inspired by a friend who had stumbled upon this place on Grab your fork and after having seen the pictures, let alone reading the post, I decided to prepare my stomach for this amazing feast. Did you know that to maximise your stomach space for dinner, you should you have a decent meal at lunch and stop eating approximately 3 to 4 hours before the big meal. That way your stomach won't be either too hungry or full at that point in time.

After seeing what was on that platter, you can understand why I had to prepare my stomach that afternoon.

Peruvian BBQ on a platter at La Parrillada, Petersham
All you can eat from Monday to Thursday, $23

The exterior of La Parrillada, Petersham

Don't be fooled by the outlook of the restaurant; when I had arrived, the whole restaurant was completely empty (given though, it was a Wednesday weeknight) though by the time I had left, almost the whole restaurant was completely packed out. There was a good reason for it to be too because on Monday to Thursday, it is all you can eat for $23. How could you honestly say no?

Purple Corn Juice - $4.00

Chorizos

Pork and Beef Ribs

Chicken

Salad

Fries

The purple corn juice was the strangest drink I saw on the menu so it was a 'must try' for me. Verdict? It basically tasted like a thicker and sweeter version of cranberry juice so if you like cranberry then you will like purple corn juice.

The meat in general tasted like the meat you would find at Brazilian barbecues though, it was half as salty as Brazilian barbecues. Personally I thought it was a good thing because I was still able to taste and distinguish different flavours because my taste buds weren't snowed under in salt.Their chorizos and their chilli sauce were real winners of the night, probably one of the best chorizos I have ever had. Both of them was so good that we may have consumed half their stock of chorizos and the whole bottle of their chilli sauce. I was almost worried there wouldn't be any more chilli sauce left for the others after we left.

La Parrillada

- 470 Parramatta Road, Petersham 2049

Gotta go eat!!

Grub and Tucker, Newtown

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:16:00 +0000

I heart Newtown for its quirkiness, diversity and cheap eats. The menu at Grub and Tucker in Newtown pretty much fulfills the definition of 'cheap eats' so it fits in perfectly well when your bank balance is running slightly low but your stomach is growling with hunger. The designs and the cosiness of this small cafe especially out in the courtyard makes you think that your still in the comfort of your own home.

The funky designs within Grub and Tucker

The Lucifer Big Breakfast - $16.90

Freshly made orange juice and cappuccino - part of big breakfast

Poached egg smearing over the crunchy toast

Lucifer Big Breakfast Omelette - $16.90

Simply by looking at the size of their servings will indicate when they say 'big breakfast', they clearly were not lying, especially that Lucifer Omlette. It was huge! All the big breakfasts come with an orange juice and a coffee or tea. If you were to get the drinks separately at most other cafes, it would have cost at least $5.50, let alone being served such a gigantic breakfast on top all for $16.90.

These breakfasts always reminds me of Sunday brunches cooked at home where no matter what you cook or eat, everything tastes so homey and makes your morning feel just right.

Grub and Tucker

- 191 King Street, Newtown NSW 2042

Gotta go eat!!

Moochi Natural Frozen Yoghurt, Strathfield

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 06:40:00 +0000

It's hot and it's the summer but I don't exactly want to gauge out on ice cream for the next three months because I may end up turning like an asian oompa loompa next year. Natural frozen yoghurt has been the healthy alternative lately and this whole craze has seem to be be spreading fast. It's so popular that everytime you log onto facebook, some friend of yours would ave bound to have checked in at one of these places.

Moochi Natural Frozen Yogurt, Strathfield

Regular green tea frozen yoghurt with mango and mochi toppings - $4.60

Mini green tea frozen yoghurt with lychee and mochi - $3.90

Moochi has 4 different flavours: original, mango, pomegranate and green tea. Personally I prefer the green tea because it helps balance out the sweetness from the toppings. I do admit that pricing wise, it is more expensive than your typical dessert such as a scoop of ice cream or sorbet and some may say that you get a larger quantity of ice cream for the same price. Though, for it's price, you have to consider that the quality of food you are receiving is a healthier alternative to say, fatty and creamy ice cream.

Points Pal at Moochi

For all those smart phone owners out there, come and check out Points Pal which is something I discovered today and thought it was pretty cool. I always hate it when I forget to bring my loyalty card because it means I am losing out on those awesome points to get myself a free cup of yoghurt. I can finally saw goodbye to those worries because you can now collect points with Point Pal simply by installing the app on your phone. Welcome to the world of technology I'd say.

Moochi Natural Frozen Yoghurt, Strathfield

- 7-9 Churchill Ave, Strathfield NSW 2135

Gotta go eat!!

Jamie's Italian, Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:13:00 +0000

Lately the current trend is Jamie Oliver's first and new restaurant in Sydney, Jamie's Italian. I see it on all these blogs, twitter feeds, facebook and so forth so I had to go to check out what all the hype is about. Like everyone else, I felt so nomadic as I waited and processed in the line, then moved inside the bar to wait some more and then finally moved again to our tables. Was it worth the wait? I'll let you be the judge on that one.

Line outside Jamie's Italian

Fish Stew - main size - $27.00

The atmosphere was so lively and by being in the line at 10 mins to 6 pm, the wait for a table of 4 was already 45 minutes! It was crazy. It was like Mamak all over again. The good thing about the wait was that you would definitely would know what to order by the time you were served to your table to say the least. Service was almost quite flawless. The waiters and waitresses were friendly and tried to make you as satisfied as possible.

Jamie's Italian

Guaranteed fresh pasta in the making

Prawn Linguine, Entree Size - $15.50

Spanner crab Bruschetta - $15.00

Crispy Polenta Chips with Parmesan and rosemary - $8.00

A restaurant recommendation was the prawn linguine and it was indeed a good choice. It was so fresh and the tomatoes and the rocket helped make the dish so light. The polenta chips were one of my favourites, it was so good because it reminded me of the crispy hand cut chips when I was at Rockpool Bar and Grill and the chips wasn't as oily as I had expected.

Crispy fried four-cheese ravioli with "angry" arrabiatta sauce - $7.00

Smoky Scamorza Arancini - $9.50

Milanese Risotto, Entree' Size - $14.00

Lamb Spiedini - $25.00

The fish stew was the one of the highlights of the night, the stew was screaming out Jamie Oliver because it was so packed full of flavours and the soup in stew was to die for. I would definitely come back just to have this stew again. The nachos were also cleverly designed because instead of chips it was replaced by crispy raviolis!! Now that's smart cooking!

The ultimate brownie - $8.50

Brioche Gelato - $9.50

Another one of the restaurant's recommendations was the ultimate brownie. I am personally not a brownie fan but even then my own tastes bud had fell in love with it, especially because it was so warm on the inside and it was topped with a sweet vanilla ice cream. Wendy and Co who had a food coma from all those dishes couldn't resist and after having a taste of the ultimate brownie, she didn't want to eat anything else. Why? Not because she was full but because she didn't want that taste to leave her mouth..

Jamie's Italian

- Sofitel Wentworth Hotel, 61-101 Phillip St, Sydney CBD

Gotta go eat!!

Pho Hoang Gia, Flemington

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:45:00 +0000

Flemington is one of the home towns for decent Vietnamese food. The restaurants are definitely not fancy though the food is tasty and cheap. The restaurant is hidden away in the corner of a drive way/alley way of the carpark in Flemington but it is all this secrecy that makes its even better.

Beef noodle soup with beef meat balls

Pho Hoang Gia

Vietnamese Prawn Spring Rolls

Chicken Pho

Vietnamese spring rolls are also a favourite of mine because the lettuce which you wrap it around with gives the spring roll an extra crunch. Together with the fish sauce, the spring roll suddenly tastes a lot better than your average spring roll that you would find everywhere else.

The broth of the beef noodle soup is made just right as it is packed full of flavour while the beef is thinly sliced and slightly pink once you dunk it into your bowl of soup. The servings are also fairly generous and you it comes with a large serving of meat and noodles so you don't need to upgrade it to a extra large.

Pho Hoang Gia

2/98 The Crescent, Flemington

Gotta go eat!!

Harry's Singapore Chilli Crab, Surry Hills

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 23:31:00 +0000

Authentic Singaporean Chilli Crab is almost unheard of until I visited Harry's Singapore Chilli Crab in Central. The restaurant isn't that noticeable because Harry's restaurant is upstairs above Triple Ace Bar on the corner of Elizabeth and Campbell. The first thing you will notice about Harry's is that they definitely serve fresh crab. Why? because there are boxes of live crabs sitting right outside the door steps of the restaurant.

2 Small Crabs, weighing approx 1.2 to 1.5 KG, at MP (approx $85 per KG)
Recommended for a group of 6

Live crab

Salt and Pepper Calamari - $20.90

Roti to dip into the crab sauce

Sambal Bean Curb - $17.00

The Singaporean Chilli Crab was fairly decent. Before I came, I didn't want to have high expectations but secretly had some level of expectations and those expectations were met. in terms of good taste and authenticity. The crab was fresh and the meat was very soft and tender, you barely had to chew it. The chilliness of the sauce wasn't extremely chilli but we did order a chilli rating of 7/10. In saying that though, the chilliness does build up.

Seafood in general is pricey and their crab was definitely wasn't cheap but you have to consider that they are charging at market price and you are guaranteed fresh crab. I would definitely recommend this place for seafood and chilli lovers, though I would also say that just focus on the crab because some of their dishes weren't as great as their crabs.

Harry's Singaporean Chilli Crab

- 198 Elizabeth Street, cnr Campbell Street, Surry Hills

Gotta go eat!!

Colo Tako Takoyaki Stall, Chinatown Markets, Haymarket

noreply@blogger.com (Food is our religion) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:16:00 +0000

Colo Tako Takoyaki Stall is one the things that defines Friday Night Chinatown Markets. You can smell all the takoyaki from a mile away and as you go through the stalls, you will see a line of people queuing up for these fresh and tasty authentic takoyaki.

Colo Tako Takoyaki in the making process

From the left: Original, Prawn, Octopus and Crab Takoyaki

Two prawns and two Octopus Takoyaki - $4

The takoyaki have a slight thin crust on the outside and a smooth filling on the inside with chunks of seafood meat on the inside. The sauce was on the prawn takoyaki was also a highlight because it was so rich in flavour and it accompanied the takoyaki so well, especially when you eat it on the spot because it is still warm on the inside.

Everytime I visit Chinatown for either the markets or for dinner, I will definitely make some room for some extra takoyaki balls. For those who have not tried, I would without doubt recommend it to anyone because it is seriously so good. Even talking about it now makes me crave for some.

Colo Takoyaki Stall

Friday Night Chinatown Markets, Haymarket

Gotta go eat!!