Jack Snacks!... N2 Extreme Gelato

Gelato made with liquid nitrogen! When Hey Hey House closed down at Number One Dixon I was hoping something good would open up in it's place.

The glass doors had been covered in printouts of chemical symbols and a definition for Nitrogen - hint hint!

Nitrogen coming...

So it finally opened last night (Friday) and there were lots of people watching with interest as their gelato was made with liquid nitrogen. I hadn't even had dinner yet but I was totally keen to have a taste so decided to try their Earl Grey Burnt Caramel but it was sold out so I went with a chocolate instead (I know, bo-ring). It was a good chocolate gelato though, on the dark side so not too sweet which is good. And the texture is thick and smooth. I like!

Is that a crowd?

Yep.. that's a crowd!

Ooh... now this looks like fun!

Liquid nitrogen gelato in chocolate flavour.. gone almost as quick as it took to make...

Check out the super frosty liquid nitrogen jug and those cool science lab gelato mix bottles... I wanna play!

There's nitro shakes which I'll have to try after I've tried some more of their flavours - this place is fun and different and oh so dangerously close to work so there's no doubt I'll be back next week for a gelato fix!


What: N2 Extreme Gelato
Where: 43/1 Dixon St Sydney
How much: Prices start with one scoop for $6

Ramen Zundo

I don't normally post with photos from my phone but I've been daydreaming about this ramen since I had it 2 days ago so I have to share this. It's tonkotsu ramen from the newly opened Ramen Zundo (who were also behind Sushi Fusion and Monkey Magic) at World Square and this is one good tonkotsu ramen! The soup and the pork are seriously to die for and there's bean sprouts, cabbage and seaweed for the vegie touch.

Oh and until the 12th August you can get 2 ramens/curries for $15 between 11am-4pm just by showing the voucher on your phone/printout - awesome value.

I'm already planning my next visit! Oishiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!

What: Ramen Zundo (Tonkotsu ramen baby, tonkotsu ramen!)
Where: World Square Shop 10.30, Level UG (near the 'Sushi Roll Bar' restaurant), 644 George St, Sydney 2000
How much: $11.80 for the original Tonkotsu ('white')

Jack Snacks!... Lava Bun at Din Tai Fung

If you've ever read my previous post on Din Tai Fung, you will know I really like the food there. Last Thursday night after having Korean for dinner, my tummy wanted dessert so it was off to Din Tai Fung. There was a poster proclaiming "Lava Bun" and so I had to try one (just one, cause one needs to save room for the tasty Golden Taro Bread with taro ice-cream).

It's daintily sized and contains a runny golden lava which I think is a salted egg custard, the saltiness coming from what tastes like salted duck egg yolk. It's definitely different and I can see myself trying this again, though I think I'd really like it if it was a bit sweeter. Luckily I had the golden taro bread and icecream to take care of that!


The oozy Lava Bun. Thank you to my hand model!

 What: Lava Bun at Din Tai Fung
Where: 644 George St, Sydney 2000
How much: Around $2/$2.20 for 1 or $6.00 for 3 (sorry, I forgot to write it down and can't remember exactly!)

Jack Snacks!... Mango Glutinous Dumplings

It's already the middle of summer and I had nearly forgotten about the tasty Mango Glutinous Dumplings from Sweeties Paradise. From memory I think last year's ones were slightly better but I still gobbled these down with much glee. Biting through the dessicated coconut and glutinous dumpling yields a fresh piece of mango - yum!

Mango is the wonderful taste of summer!

What: Mango Glutinous Dumplings
Where: Sweeties Paradise, 45 Dixon Street, Haymarket
How much: $5 for 3

Singapore Shiok!

I wasn't planning to make a post about Singapore Shiok! because just about everyone knows and loves it already. But this is for any of my friends who aren't acquainted - such as my colleague who is also Malaysian and would probably want to try this out (you know who you are and you're on holidays so no excuses for not having time to try this!)

Their most well known dish is of course their Hainan Chicken Rice. It's deboned and so juicy and tender. The rice is flavoursome without being too oily and best of all is the chilli sauce which has the ginger mixed in - spicy and fresh - this is the  flavour kick that completes the classic meal. And it only costs $8.80. It's my favourite Hainan chicken rice in Sydney.

Hainan Chicken Rice - it sure is shiok!

Their Har Mee (Prawn Noodle Soup, $10.50) has got a good strong prawny soup - I've just noticed on my copy of the menu that it comes in a dry version too which I am now very curious about.  Hor Fun (Rice Noodle with Gravy, $9.50 for chicken or beef, $10.50 for seafood or combination) is a huge serve and really tasty, the rice noodles have got good wok-hei (breath of the wok) and the gravy is eggy sauce galore. On this particular occassion my mum ordered it with just vegies and fish cakes so that's why you can't see any chicken/beef/seafood in the photo.

Hor Fun - it's huuuuge.

Har Mee - prawny, prawny soup - good for your tastebuds but maybe not cholesterol.

This year they expanded their menu, most notable is the addition of Hainanese Roast Chicken Rice which is a nice alternative to the regular kind and also deboned. They've also got more meal set options available for both kinds of chicken. There's chicken rice with the addition of oyster vegetables (as in vegetables with oyster sauce) for $10.80, half a chicken with 2 serves of rice for $18.80 (or $16.80 for just the half-chicken) and a whole chicken with 4 serves of rice for $32.80 (or just the whole chicken for $28.80). I'm yet to try the other options on the menu but I plan to... I just have to try and get past the temptation of Hainan Chicken rice first!

What: Singapore Shiok!
Where: Eating World food court at Harbour Plaza. Shop 213, Level B1, 25 Dixon st Haymarket +61450286357
How much: Hainan Chicken Rice is $8.80, Hor Fun $9.50-$10.50, Har Mee $10.50

Supper Nights - Din Tai Fung

Ok, this Supper Night didn't really end up being a late night meal. But it was a good meal nonetheless! There were no complaints from anyone about the chosen restaurant - Din Tai Fung at World Square.

Most people I know have eaten here and unanimously everyone loves their dumplings. It's pricier than other dumpling offerings but worth it in my opinion.

By far the most popular drink of choice is Lychee Mint Juice ($6.50). Whenever eating at the restaurant one is bound to see one floating through the crowd en route to a table every few minutes. It's almost a dessert in itself, icily thick, sweet with lychee but a refreshing kick of mint balances it out. I do like this, but personally I prefer Soy Bean Milk ($3.00) which to me is a perfect match for Taiwanese cuisine.

Shanghainese style Drunken Chicken (chicken drumstick deboned and marinated in a blend of Chinese rice wine, $8.80) is a cold dish which everyone likes. The flavour is lovely but the serving size is a little small and we're all joking about it being a 'shrunken drunken chicken'.

Soy bean milk, the ever-popular Lychee Mint and (shrunken) drunken chicken.

Hot & Sour Soup (regular size, $9.00) is by all accounts a good version. I say all accounts because I didn't get any - thanks JC for finishing off your additional bowl which happened to be the last! But luckily I've had this on previous visits and from memory Din Tai Fung's version of the classic soup is a nice balance of tang and heat. Shrimp fried with Medium Grain Rice ($13.80) is just a fancy name for fried rice and makes for a good filler. Silken Tofu with Pork Floss & Century Egg ($7.50) is a Taiwanese favourite which is a nice combination of flavours and textures. The silky tofu is a light base for the century egg which is an acquired taste. And pork floss? I've always loved this curious food invention, strange as it is!

Hot and Sour soup (was it good JC?), Shrimp fried with medium grain rice, Silken tofu with pork floss and century egg.

Noodles are a little more substantial, we choose Braised Beef Noodle Soup ($15.80), Pork Chop deboned noodle soup ($12.80) and Dan Dan Noodles (noodles with sesame and peanut sauce, $10.80). When their noodles are served fresh they are very nice (on occassion they seem like they've been sitting there for a short while before being brought out and are a bit stodgy). I like the flavour of the beef noodle soup and the sauce in Dan Dan noodles is flavourful without being too overpowering. The pork chop is probably the least favourite - the flavour and texture of the pork not having much to recommend it.

Braised beef noodle soup and Pork chop deboned noodle soup.

But the one thing you do come here for is of course dumplings. Xiao Long Bao (steamed pork dumplings, 8pcs for $10.80) is by far the best in Sydney if you ask me. The pork filling and soup are flavourful but light enough to match the delicately thin dumpling wrapper - yum!

Dan Dan noodles in nutty sauce, and you'd be nutty not to order the Xiao Long Bao (steamed pork dumplings).

Desserts are good too. Mango Pudding ($5.80) is nice with an ample amount of evaporated milk served on the side. My choice is Green Tea Icecream ($3.80) which is a rather boring choice but it's surprisingly good - the texture is creamy and the green tea flavour is strong, and it's a decent serving size. But the favourite amongst the table is definitely Taro Gelato & Golden Taro Bread (1 roll, $6.80) and nearly everybody wants to order this! The kitchen reports back that they've run out and can't give us as many serves as we'd like and I don't think anybody wants to give up their taro dessert so compromises are made. The gelato has the tell-tale purplish-grey taro colour and the flavour to match. The golden taro bread is actually tastier than my memory's recollection with the crunchy bread holding a tasty, sticky taro filling. It goes really well with the taro gelato and we all enjoy watching NfOrCeR show us just how to enjoy this dessert (hee hee!).

Mango pudding, Taro gelato with Golden Taro Bread, Green Tea Icecream - all winners in my opinion.

It's another enjoyable "Supper Night" with good food and even better company - can't wait for the next one!

What: Din Tai Fung
Where: 644 George St, Sydney 2000 (02) 9264 6010 (there's also their food court stall at Westfields Sydney)
How much: See website for menu and prices

Market City Foodcourt - McLucksa - Closing down soon!

McLucksa has been at Market City foodcourt for many years, and is a very popular stall there due to it's authentic Malaysian food. We hadn't been in a while and decided to have lunch there yesterday, but in addition to lunch there was some bad news - McLucksa will be closing in 8 weeks time! They will be looking for a new location but until then, you have 8 weeks to get your McLucksa fix!

My mum had the Singapore noodles ($9.00) and I had the Char Kway Teow ($9.00, I think? or $9.50), both had a good "wok hei" (breath of wok) and weren't overly oily. Char Kway Teow is one of those Malaysian dishes that I never get sick of - well I am Malaysian so I guess that helps! But who can say no to a combination that has rice noodles, chinese sausage, egg and bean sprouts to name a few? The serving sizes are quite generous too. So if you ever eat at McLucksa, be sure to visit before they close!

McLucksa - I'm loving it! But only for 8 more weeks.

What: McLucksa
Where: Market City food court, Chinatown
How much: Singapore noodle $9.00, Char Kway Teow $9.00 or $9.50

@Bangkok Thai Restaurant

I never liked Thai food. Well at least I didn't think I did. Turns out what I didn't like was Thai food catered to western palates, I realised this after eating at authentic Thai restaurants - places like Chat Thai, Spice I am, House, Home etc etc. And what's even better, is having a Thai friend to take you to these places and letting them choose the dishes, cause they know what's good.

The latest Thai-guided dinner I've had was at @Bangkok located on the street level of Capital Square. There were three of us dining tonight which meant we could order three dishes to try. The first was Kha Na Moo Grob (stir fried crispy pork belly with chinese broccoli, $13.90), a very simple dish which has a nice homely feel to it. The pork has a bit of crunch and a bit of fat which makes it tasty, but the real star is the abundance of chinese broccoli. It's young and fresh, cooked perfectly so that it's still vividly green and crunchy. My biggest complaint about dishes that are a combination of meat and vegetable is that there is never enough vegetable. Not in this case, loads of vegetables.


Kha Na Moo Grob (stir fried crispy pork belly with chinese broccoli) - plenty of vegies to go round.


Dish number two is Panang Curry (choice of beef, pork or chicken in thick red curry with kaffir lime leaves, $13.90). We've chosen beef and when it arrives it's a generous pile of slices. The beef is very lean, and nearly borders on dry as a result, but the ample sauce prevents this and I actually like how lean the beef is. The sauce itself is a little middle-of-the-road. It had a nice flavour but it could have been more complex or have more oomph.


Panang Curry (choice of beef, pork or chicken in thick red curry with kaffir lime leaves) - lean but lacking a bit of oomph.


The third dish is Yum Hed Yang (grilled seasonal fresh mushroom salad, $13.90). It tastes as fresh as it looks, and it's got the flavour kick that the Panang Curry was lacking. There's sour and chilli and then flavour from the herbs and mushrooms. It's definitely the spiciest of the three, so keep this in mind if you don't eat much chilli.

By the end of this, there really wasn't much room left for dessert. "Yo dessert stomach! I need your help now!". And so it came to the rescue like it always does. One of the things that excited me most when reading the menu at @Bangkok was seeing that they've got roti! There's some savoury ones, but I only had eyes for the sweet kind today. We got the Pandanus Roti (Crispy Roti served with sweet creamy pandanus sauce, $5.90). It was thin and crispy. It also wasn't too oily which is a real plus, I am not a lover of oily food. The pandanus sauce was a little too sweet and the pandan flavour wasn't strong enough. A little less sugar and a little more pandan would have been perfect. Having said that, even just recalling the roti makes me want to eat another one. Maybe next time I'll try the Chocolate Roti (with chocolate topping) or perhaps Milo Roti (Milo powder and condensed milk). Mmm roti.....

Yum Hed Yang (grilled seasonal fresh mushroom salad) and the star of the night - Pandanus Roti.

 
What: @Bangkok Thai Restaurant
Where: Shop G11 Atrium Street Level, Capitol Square, 730-742 George St Sydney (near Campbell St entrance) 02 9211 5232
How much: All savoury dishes we ordered were $13.90 but the prices range upwards. Sweet Roti's start from $5.90

Pho TK

Back when Market City first opened, there was a Hong Kong style eatery called Roxy which I loved eating at. So when Roxy closed and was replaced with another, there was not much appeal because the Roxy I had known and loved was gone. Fast forward many years and I find myself at one of the subsequent re-incarnations of the Roxy space - it's called Pho TK. Now I don't normally opt to eat pho in Chinatown as I prefer places out in the 'burbs but hey, it wasn't going to hurt to give this place a try.

So naturally I got the pho tai (beef noodle soup). The mandatory plate of bean sprouts, lemon and Vietnamese mint are placed on our table soon after ordering and it's a good sign as it looks fresh. Next is the bowl of noodle soup. There's a big clump of beef slices changing from pink to meaty-grey in the hot broth. It's alright, could be a little more tender and thinly sliced though. The soup is alright too - the flavour is decent though quite light but it's not too salty and doesn't leave you with msg-parched-ness (yes, I made that term up, it's called poetic license!). As for the noodles - they taste fine but as I ate them I started to get frustrated, they kept breaking up, making them difficult to eat. All in all, not a bad pho but not outstanding either, it's nice and I'd eat it again but I wouldn't go to Market City just to eat it.

If only them noodles would just stop breaking...

What: Pho TK
Where: Level 1, Market City, Haymarket Ph: 02 9211 8278
How much: Pho Tai costs $8.95

Twisted Noodle Bar

I wanted to try Twisted Noodle Bar ever since it had opened, despite not having much of an idea about what the food was like. All I knew was that it looked interesting, promising. Then I read a description about them online which made me think I really needed to try this place out. And when I finally did, I regretted not making the time to go sooner.

Twisted Noodle Bar serves Yunnan food which an smh article described as "a complex mix of the fresh lightness of Guangdong and the powerhouse heat of Sichuan, with a good dose of spice and tang". It's an accurate description (I think) and if Twisted Noodle Bar is anything to go by, then I think I like Yunnan food!

My first visit was for lunch and having read through the menu a few times we saw that there were lots of small side dishes, noodle and rice dishes on offer. We decided to try the lunchtime special which gets you any two side dishes with a bowl of rice or Yunnan noodle for only $8.50. Bargain! So we ordered two sets of the lunchtime special and were therefore able to choose four of the side dishes - settling on Marinated Beef (normally $4.20), Baby Octopus (normally $4.80), Pig Blood with Chives (normally $4.20) and Sausages (normally $4.20). I'd had a craving for sausages so just couldn't help myself! They tasted like, well, regular sausages. Which is exactly what I wanted. Call if comfort food I guess. The pigs blood with chives was nice and pretty much what you'd expect if you're a regular consumer of pigs blood jelly. Baby octopus had a teeny bit of spice and was served cold. It was also super tender, probably from marinating, which made it easy to eat. But the best side dish of all was the marinated beef which was also served cold and had loads of flavour. I can definitely see myself ordering it again, I could see myself eating this while drinking chinese wine, cup in one hand, fan in the other, composing quatrains about the moon...

...but I digress. Back to 2011 and back to Sydney. The Yunnan Rice Noodles are served plain which makes them a good match with the side dishes. They've got a good bitey texture too which is an important aspect of noodle assessment in my opinion. All washed down with a glass of Grapefruit Juice with Honey ($3.80) which is served in one of those currently fashionable drinking jars, the flavour was so light that it bordered on absent but I actually liked it as it was refreshing to drink after eating the more heavily flavoured side dishes.

Grapefruit juice with Honey, Yunnan rice noodles, side dishes.

Sausages, Marinated Beef (and possibly the worst food photo EVER taken by my phone), Baby Octopus, Pig blood with Chives.

On the second visit I resist the urge to order marinated beef again as I wanted to try more of the menu. This time I chose a side dish of Soft Pork Bone ($4.80). Oh, what can I say - tender, juicy, melt in your mouth pork with a good dose of flavour. It's a decent sized serve for a side dish and I think I could just eat this with a bowl of plain rice and be more than satisfied.

But there's more tastiness to come as we wanted to try the Yunnan Noodles to see how the spicy/sour soup measured up. Sheung Wan Noodle ($10.80 I think) is described as beef and radish with soup noodle. You can choose the level of sour and spice and we opted for normal. It had a good kick and was delicious, the radish sponges up lots of flavour and the beef is tender (but not _as_ tender as the Soft Pork Bone). One thing to note, it's a BIG serving so if you're ordering one of the noodle soups make sure you're hungry! The only other item we ordered was a glass of Mango Ice Tea ($3.50) served once again in a drinking jar (I think I'm going to need some of these cute drinking jars for my own home one day). This drink had a lot more flavour that the grapefruit one, it wasn't too sweet so again made for a good accompaniment to the food. By the end we were so full but very satisfied. So full that I won't be coming back for a short while as I'm still digesting all those dishes, but when I do I'll be sure to try some more items on the menu.

Soft Pork Bone and Mango Ice Tea in a drinking jar.

Sheung Wan noodles - check out all the flavour and check out the tasty twisted noodles!

I happened to walk through the area on Valentines Day last month, and saw quite a few couples having dinner inside. One couple looked particularly sweet and seemed to be enjoying the food almost as much as each other's company - a match made in heaven, just like Yunnan rice noodles and side dishes!

What: Twisted Noodle Bar
Where: Shop 44/1 Dixon St, Sydney ph: (02) 9267 2327, open Monday to Sunday 11am to 10pm
How much: Side dishes range from $3.80 to $4.80, noodles around the $11 mark. The $8.50 lunch special is available 11am - 3pm daily and definitely worth trying.
Need to know: They do takeaway. And more interestingly, they do gift vouchers!!!

Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet

Mother Chu's is one of those places that has been around for just about always. It's good for a meal and also a good option when you just want to have a small snack. The "Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup" has a nice peppery, chilli kick and good beef taste with bitey noodles. I decided to try the "Savoury Mince Congee" for the first time and it turned out to be a good choice - nice consistency and a light flavour, enough not to require any soya sauce (for me anyway). I can never say no to the "Omelette with Preserved Vegetable" as I love asian style omelettes and the addition of preserved vegetables makes for a great pairing. On this occassion the preserved vegetable didn't have much flavour though, maybe they're using a different kind to before. There was also a glass of cold sweet soya bean drink to complete the Taiwanese meal. I also like sitting at the little outdoor tables that run alongside the restaurant in the arcade, it makes me feel like I'm in Asia!!

Taiwan Beef Noodle Soup, Soya bean drink, Omelette with preserved vegetable.

Savoury mince congee, the noodles emerging from beef soup.

What: Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet
Where: Shop 1/ 86-88 Dixon St, Haymarket Ph: 02 9211 0288
How much: This meal cost around $25 altogether
Need to know: You pay for the meal when you order

Sweeties Paradise

Sweeties Paradise. It's a Hong Kong style dessert place featuring a myriad of sweet dessert soups and various other offerings. So many that even after 6 visits there are still so many things to try, and already a few favourites. Mango Grass Jelly ($4.99) is a nice, simple mix. The fresh mango offsets the sweetness of the grass jelly. Papaya Fungus Sweet Soup ($6.20) is a tried and true classic that can be served hot or cold. When eaten cold, it's refreshing and perfect for summer. Mango Pomelo & Sago Sweet Soup ($5.50) is fruity, the pomelo giving it a bitter kick to balance the flavours. Almond Soup and Tofu Pudding ($4.50) is for people who really like almond. The tofu pudding is a little different from the usual kind, it has more of a jelly texture than one often sees. Almond Egg White ($5.20) is another one for the almond lover, the almond soup is a nice consistency containing pieces of egg white.

The one let down so far was Snow White Soup (with sago/black pearl, $5.50). We had it with black pearl, maybe that's where we went wrong. There's some bits and pieces of fruit, I can't be sure exactly what they are. And then there's about seven million bits of black pearl, with a load of vanilla ice cream on top. After eating about two million bits of black pearl, one starts to wonder how they are going to eat the other five million.

Papaya fungus sweet soup (front) and Mango grass jelly (back), Mango pomelo & sago sweet soup (front) and Almond soup & tofu pudding (back), Snow white soup with (seven million) black pearls, Midway through Snow white - still so many black pearls... 

Almond egg white and mango glutinous dumplings - when will I see you again?

But there's another highlight to make me forget about Snow White and the seven million black pearls. It's Mango Glutinous Dumpling ($4.99 for 3). The dumpling is soft with the right amount of chewy stickiness and a light mango flavour. Then inside one finds a treasure - a piece of fresh mango. I've been day dreaming about the dumplings ever since that first taste.


Mango glutinous dumpling - the second encounter is just as breathtaking. Thumbs up all round! 

They seemed to be open quite late when I went there on a Friday night, so it's a great option for an after-dinner treat. And they have takeaway too, for those like me who can't get enough. Paradise indeed!

Papaya Fungus Sweet Soup - takeaway makes for a nice treat at home.

What: Sweeties Paradise
Where: 45 Dixon Street, Haymarket
How much: Most dessert soups around the $5 mark

MeetFresh

Back in September 2010 MeetFresh, a popular Taiwanese dessert chain, opened it's first Sydney store in Chinatown. Even now you'll usually see a long line out the front, such is it's popularity. And one can understand why, the handmade taro balls are a unique offering - chewy with a nice bite. The herbal jelly has a bit of chewiness too, and it's not overly sweet. Tofu pudding is light and silky. I've only tried a couple of the drinks and found them a little on the sweet side. I'm sticking to the taro balls instead!

Taro dessert 1 (left) and Honey bean tofu pudding (right), Taro dessert 1 (front), Herbal Jelly 2 (back).

What: MeetFresh
Where: Corner of Goulburn and Dixon Streets, Chinatown
How much: Around the $5/$6 mark

Ching Yip Coffee Lounge

You can probably guess I love food. Something else I also love is a bargain. When the ticket machine on the bus is broken, I don't think anyone is more excited than me about getting a free ride to work (cause that's a saving of $2.64!!!!). So it makes sense that a food bargain is like a match made in heaven. Ching Yip Coffee Lounge has got a great value afternoon tea and daily set menu. Afternoon tea is daily from 3pm-5pm and there are various options which cost either $5, $6 or $7 and all come with tea/coffee. The set meal is about $10 (I can't remember the exact price) and comes with an entree of soup, a main meal which is usually a plate of rice with some kind of dish heaped on and a coffee/tea. There's also the regular menu with loads of options. The best thing about coming here on this occassion was the air-conditioning, which meant some respite from the 40+ degree heat here in Sydney. I ordered the afternoon tea of "Luncheon meat and fried egg sandwich" with an iced lemon tea for the drink. It's a simple sandwich, but the kind that really satisfies with freshly cooked luncheon meat and fluffy egg. Iced lemon tea is just the right level of sweet and not too lemon-y. Apologies for the terrible photos, I had my camera on the wrong setting but I was starving and just couldn't wait to eat!

What better than a food bargain? A food bargain that tastes good.

What: Ching Yip Coffee Lounge
Where: Level 2, Dixon House, 413 Sussex Street, Haymarket
How much: Afternoon tea $5-$7, daily set meal around $10