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It's been years and Tetsuya's in Sydney is still topping the restaurant scene as the ultimate restaurant to go to...
(Image Source: www.tetsuyas.com)
Tetsuya is well known for his cuisine. His style is Japanese and French fusion with a very high emphasis on high class. And the prices show it too. A ten course degustation menu at $195 per person on normal days. Expect to pay double or triple on days like Valentine's Day.
Sure. His cuisine may be great. I hear that the ocean trout is fresh and tender while his desserts sweet but not over powering. I ponder on this: even so, is the price tag really necessary?
(Image Source: www.tetsuyas.com)
I have yet been to Tetsuya's, so you can say I am either ignorant of his talents or simply just jealous of those who can afford such cuisines, but I just can't seem to justify the urge to pay $195 just to fill my stomach with food.
The restaurant is in the centre of a beautifully decorated Japanese style garden. Even though I haven't eaten there, I have walked past the location numerous times. Yes, there is the class and yes, there is the luxury feel of the whole ambiance. Reservations I hear, are taken six months in advance. I am surprised how many people are still waiting to taste this sensation at the same time surprised at how many people can afford such meals, despite what we have been hearing about inflation and the cost of living and the struggling families in the news.
Sorry - this is meant to be a food blog.
So. Back to Tetsuya's. Has anyone been with a story to tell? I am intrigued to find out.
Tetsuya's Restaurant
529 Kent Street,
SYDNEY NSW 2000
www.tetsuyas.com
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the advertisement inside my mum's daily chinese newspaper. I can't read the newspaper, but when I see the logo of my favourite restaurant we visited when we were in Taiwan last year, I recognised it instantly.
Din Tai Fung, originally from Taiwan with a small scale cafe style dumpling restaurant in the back streets of Taipei, have since expanded into an international sensation since its first opening in 1958.
The New York Times delivered a praising review in 1993: Top-Notch Tables; Taipei, Taiwan
What is it about Din Tai Fung that makes it so unique? I mean - everywhere you go you get dumplings right?
What Din Tai Fung is delivering, are dumplings that are crafted individually. I mean, crafted. Visiting the main store in Taipei was an eye opener. Each dumpling is made with such dedication and extreme discipline. Each sheet of pastry is the same size and thickness; each roll of filling are weighed and controlled; and the quality carefully controlled.
You can even have a peek into the kitchen to see these dumpling artists at work.
This means when we get our dishes on the table, they are made to perfection.
Beautifully crafted dumplings are trade mark of Din Tai Fung
When I was in Taipei, I waited for an hour and a bit to have a taste of these dumplings. This shows how popular the dumplings really are. (And how much I am willing to wait for good food) Thankfully, the Sydney branch, as it has only recently opened, is not so busy yet so it's the perfect time for you to visit to get a taste of great dumplings.
Highly recommended are dumplings with seafood flavours. I personally think these are even better than the original ones they serve in Taipei - naturally, we have better seafood in Australia.
Besides dumplings, there are also other delicious dishes such as fried noodles and pancakes and brilliant desserts on offer.
Din Tai Fung is ready to stir up a dumpling storm in Sydney.
Din Tai Fung Sydney
Shop 11. 04 Level 1
World Square Shopping Centre
644 George St, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9264 6010
I was first introduced to Red Oak by the recruitment group at work. Isn't it nice how they hire you and teach you how to party by inviting you to all these "induction" days held in a microbrewery? I personally reckon they are just looking for an excuse for themselves to drink on the expense of the company 
(image source: RedOak.com.au)
Anyway. We were treated to a beer tasting experience where we were served five smaller serving beers each with matching finger food to taste. Apparently each food item has the flavour and ingredients that means to enhance the flavour of the beer.
And yes - they do have beer of all sorts. I distinctively remember the Oatmeal Stout which almost had a coffee taste to it, although it did remind me of Guinness a little and I don't really like thick and heavy beers. There are also beers with fruit flavours (it seems to be trendy to have fruity beers these days!) such as cheery, raspberry and blackberry. My heart still steers towards the Hefeweisen of course, the German style 'yeast-wheat' beer that I so love. In fact, I think my first time in Red Oak was the first time I ever found a Hefeweissen in Australia that wasn't imported, and I was impressed.
At the door, the various awards Red Oak has won for their beers show how much the owner is proud of his achievements.
On my second visit recently, I decided to have a meal as well, as the attached restaurant was always full and serving some fine food that seem to make people smile. Usually I am a budget eater, but the menu looked too delicious to ignore so I decided to go all out and have a 2 course meal.
Entree was Seared Queensland Half Shell Scallops. Hmmmm I like scallops, this one was tender and juicy but slightly on the small servings side at $18, and I would have to admit is not the BEST ever scallops I've ever tasted. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to complain.
For mains, I ordered Lamb and Oatmeal Stout Sausages. I have a thing for snags and this one looked interesting. I was also considering the Pan seared Kangaroo Striploin however out of the five times I had kangaroo (style ranging from fillets to shreds of the meat on a pizza) I only ever had one good experience with this tough game meat, so I decided to play it safe. The sausages were great, although it did come with the stout, which I didn't extremely fancy but it did compliment the taste of the sausages quite well. (Probably why it is served complimentary with the dish)
By the end of my meal I was too full for dessert, but never hurt to look - Espresso Creme Brulee, Ale Chocolate Pudding all sounds too good. I'll make sure the next time I visit I have the main / dessert combination of the 2 course instead.
Even if you don't fancy having a bite, a drink at the bar is always a welcoming experience. The bar tenders are really friendly and knows all about what to tell you should you want to know about their beers.
Redoak Boutique Beer Cafe
201 Clarence Street
Sydney NSW
(02) 9262 3303
www.redoak.com.au
I have been pestered by my colleagues to try out Alice's. It's been a whole six months and today, we finally made some time to pop over.
After hearing a lot about this place, I wasn't too sure what to expect. You know when sometimes you overestimate something when you hear it too much and it turns out not what you wanted?
Alice's is a small little restaurant on an insignificant side street in the suburb of Thornleigh. The place is small, and often guests are packed in as much as they can to accommodate the demand of those still waiting their turn for a table. On the window, the owners proudly displays excerpt from the Good Food Guide 2008 where the introduction of the restaurant is splashed across two whole pages, as well as a clipping from the Sydney Morning Herald when the restaurant was reviewed in 2007 (Click here to read the review).
I vividly remember my experience of Malaysia cuisine while travelling in Penang and loved its aromatic spices and herbs that they add to each of their dishes. My favourite Hainanese Chicken Rice is featured on the menu here are Alice's and it didn't take me long to decide. However looking at surrounding tables, from those who ordered Lasi Lemak, Laksa noodles, Char Kwe Teow and Haar Mee, each and every dish looked just like the ones I tried in Penant and each looked just as authentic and delicious.
Alas, my rice came, and I was in love at first 'bite'. The tender steamed chicken was flavoured enough and at just the right saltiness. The rice, spiced with herbs was the perfect accompaniment to the juicy meat.
After my meal (which was satisfying and exactly enough for lunch in size) I ordered a Chendol, a Malaysian jelly in coconut cream, syrup and red bean drink. A little bit too much on the sweet side however a somewhat good finish after a meal, especially you've ordered a chili based dish that has left your mouth and throat tingle with sensation.
makan @ Alice's
262-264 Pennant Hills Road
(Entry via Bellevue St)
Thornleigh NSW
(02) 9484 8288
www.aliceskuih.com.au
Sheraton on the Park has been known for their excellent seafood buffets as well as the wide range of desserts and pastries. Now, following the trend of high tea they have rolled out their range of 'Afternoon Tea' to cater for this popular demand.
The Gallery cafe at Sheraton on the Park, Sydney
They give you a choice. There is the buffet which is all you can eat high tea, or a traditional stand or a contemporary stand. The buffet has all sorts of sandwiches, cakes, wraps and pastries. The traditional and the contemporary differ in the design of the actual stand, as well as the items available. Contemporary items seem to experiment with taste, with ingredients ranging from lemon grass jelly to watermelon soup to smoked salmon tarts. We ordered the contemporary, intrigued by some of the names of the items available. There was a list of things we can choose from and each stand, which caters for two people, can have 12 items including unlimited tea and coffee.
Our selections finally came and it looked impressive. The steel iron stand looked a bit ugly but considering it's suppose to be 'contemporary' it seems to fit the theme (the traditional stand was just a normal golden rounded tiered shelving).
The Contemporary stand (all sweets selection)
The lemon grass jelly was interesting, and I admit it took more than two mouthfuls to get used to the taste. The mini milkshake was more to look at than to have and the soup was a disaster. I don't even remember what it was called on the menu, I only know even that I am not a chef, I know watermelon, ginger and lobster are not meant to be. The so called 'soup' felt like the left over dish wash where the watermelon juice was washed off from the blender mixed with left over ginger shreds and lobster pieces from the garbage bin. It was a disaster.
Perhaps we should have kept it 'traditional'. After a taste of the soup, the ham and cheese sandwich, even when it's the mini version, seemed to be a lot more appetising.
The high tea buffet is at $45 per head. The traditional stands are at $65 per stand (2 people) while the contemporary at $79 per stand.
it's not the best of the high teas but service and atmosphere are both good.
The Gallery Afternoon Teas are served at The Gallery cafe
Sheraton on the Park
Lobby level, 161 Elizabeth St
Sydney NSW
(02)9286 6650
Northern Chinese cuisine focus on noodles and other dishes involving noodles. This is what Sea Bay Hand-Made Noodle restaurant had in mind. The owner, an immigrant from the Xinjiang province in China, wanted to show that Chinese food is not just yum cha and rice (in fact, is a lot more than these commonly associated food genres) and have put together a noodle based menu to prove it.
The small Sea Bay restaurant attracts noodles lovers from all over Sydney
There is, another difference between noodles, and hand-made noodles. I sat in this small and crowded restaurant facing the kitchen, and watched as the chef picked up a large boulder of dough and started pulling. Strings of 'noodles' miraculously formed between his fingers and as he pulled and folded and pulled again, they became thinner and thinner without breaking. The hand-made noodles has the characteristic of being unevenly in length and thickness, and are chewy without it being under-cooked. I ordered a plate of chicken stir-fried noodles and out came a serving enough for two of me.
We also ordered some noodle soups with the intention to compare. While the stir-fried noodles were rich in flavour, the soup version seem to be a little bland, heavily peppered covering all other tastes that may be present. Yes, we all agree the stir-fried version was much better.
Noodle Dishes
Other dishes are available for the adventurous eaters including pigs ears, tripe and jelly fish. Oh - you must try the Xinjiang lamb grill. Similar to a Kebab grill it's one of the featured dishes here.
The shop front is extremely small, so expect to be crammed in, however worth a try.
Sea Bay Hand-Made Noodle Restaurant
181D Burwood Road
Burwood NSW
(02) 9745 2238
Closed on Thursdays
This chain of bar/restaurant has recently boomed in Sydney, with two branches in the city, one at the Entertainment Quartre, one on Manly Wharf and a new one being opened soon in Parramatta.
Bavarian Bier Cafe
And there has been as much hype as there are publicity about this place too, so I went for a look myself at the York St branch to see what this so called 'Bavarian' place is all about.
The slick and trendy decor of the Bavarian Bier Cafe at first impression was exciting. Everything is bright and new and just as any upmarket inner city bar would look like. Beer steins hung from the railings above the bar and good looking waiters and waitresses snake in and out of the diners, taking orders and bringing more steins for beer with great big smiles.
Unfortunately that's all about it. Besides 'Bier' and and odd words here and there being spelt in the German language, there is nothing else especially Bavarian (or even just generally German) about this place.
The beer menu is extensive and I was impressed that they did only sell Bavarian beers. My favourite was on tap which I was mostly happy about but there was something that was really 'un-German' about this list - at the bottom, listed 'Ladies Biers' are fruit flavoured beers especially for the ladies who usually don't like beer.
The slick decor of the Bavarian Bier Cafe
Sorry, but there is just no such thing as 'Ladies Beer'. You either drink a beer properly, or you don't. Order wine instead. That was the first warning sign that this place was no more than just another posh inner city bar.
Then, I flipped over for the menu. Among the expected sausage and schnitzel dishes you would find in any German restaurant (and none of the real German hearty meals) - there was the steak and fish and chips.
Fish and chips?! It does justify itself to be beer battered with German beer, but it's hardly a Bavarian dish. They do advertise themselves as "Contemporary Bavarian fare borrows flavours from neighbouring Italy, Austria, and Hungary" but the menu selection is extremely disappointing.
I ordered Nuremberger Sausages and out came six breakfast-chipolata sized sausages on a bed of mash and sauerkraut. My companions ordered the Bavarian Platter, and out came the meats promised on the menu - degustation style. At $25 a dish, you'd expect more.
(Front to back) Nuremberger Sausages, Bavarian "Platter", Sausage Plate
For the biers, I'd say go. Instead of calling it Bavarian, think of it 'Continental European' to avoid disappointment.
Warning: not for serious German food lovers. For those looking for a taste that resembles more towards authentic German, you are better off trying Rhinedorf.
Bavarian Bier Cafe
24 York St
Sydney NSW
(02) 8297 4111
Other locations: O'Connell St, Entertainment Quarter Moore Park, Manly Wharf and upcoming in Parramatta
www.bavarianbiercafe.com.au
When I travelled to Prague in 2003, I loved the food. For AU$7 I got a whole plateful of Goulash that I wouldn't even finish and the beers were just as good as the local German beer I was having in Saarbruecken.
So when I got back, I was determined to source out all sorts of European cuisines in Sydney, and I found Prague Czech Beer Restaurant in Potts Point.
The interior of the restaurant (image source: Prague Czech Beer Restaurant)
It's fancy. Well firstly, Potts Point is already a fancy suburb. Although closely linked to its seedier Kings Cross neighbour, there is a sense of class in Potts Point. The restaurant itself is also fancy. Beautiful decor and table settings tells the price on the menu won't match the local Prague prices at all, however it's fancy but welcoming. It's not snobby. The warm colours and the wooden tables and chairs used has a comfortable feel to the atmosphere, which adds to the dining experience.
They know they are good - Each table was occupied with happy diners and the numerous awards from the restaurant and catering associations are proudly mounted on the walls, making me convinced this is worth it.
On the menu are some of the Czech favourites: Beef Goulash; roast Pork Knuckle; Smoked Pork Ribs and roasted Doung duck, each listed with their Czech language equivalent, making your mouth water as you read.
I ordered the Goulash, figured that this simply peasant dish was a good start to test if the restaurant really is any good. The goulash came with white bread dumplings that I loved in Czech Republic and the aromatic smell of the spices in the goulash made my stomach grumble instantly.
I wasn't sure if my having experienced the cuisine in Czech Republic had made me more critical of the taste however as much as it looked and was presented well, the goulash seemed to be lacking a certain flavour I thought I remember. It's not extremely bad, in fact, the flavours were very good. It wasn't too heavy, it wasn't too light, yet there is something I was looking for that wasn't there.
The beers were however still as refreshing and crisp, and is a perfect combination for the goulash dish. And the friendly service made it all the better.
Vegetarian options are available and a special menu especially recommended for beer lovers has great selection of food for the peckish. Those who do like their beer will love the restaurant's extensive offering. My personal recommendation would be the Krušovice Lager on tap.
Prague Czech Beer Restaurant
42 Kellett Street,
Potts Point 2011 NSW
Online bookings available on:
www.prague-restaurant.com.au
This little hideaway on the Anzac Parade looks nothing glamorous, nor does 'ambiance' mean anything when you walk into this casual setting, however when it comes to budget eating, it means everything.
I wasn't aware of this place until a colleague of mine decided to take me along for a cheap dinner, although it's popularity is evident from the five people already in line waiting for seats. As I glanced through the menu, I thought perhaps they had forgotten to update it. It's old and greasy, and its prices are at least five years old.
"Are there hidden costs with these prices?" I jokingly said, although still skeptical of the digits beside the dish names.
I'll tell you what I am looking at:
The main dishes such as Sweet and Sour Pork, Szechuan Chilli Chicken, Deep Fried Calamari with pepper and salt, Pork Spare Ribs with black bean sauce and Steamed Chicken with shallot and ginger - all at $8.80 each - with some specialties at $11 max. The fried noodles, otherwise known as Chow-Meins average at $7 per dish. My beloved noodle soups, the likes of Wonton Soup ($5.50), Combination Soup Noodle ($7.50), Seafood Soup Noodle ($8.50) and Chicken Laksa ($6.60) are all less than reasonably priced and similar prices apply for the variety of fried rice available at the back of the piece of paper.
I'd have to admit, I have not seen such prices since my first two years at uni, and most 'cheaper' Chinese restaurants elsewhere price their dishes at least $2 above the listed prices here.
So I ordered my Beef Brisket with Rice and waiting for its arrival. Expecting for a dish size complementary to the prices, my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when a plateful of stewed beef on steam rice with a quantity enough to feed two, was served on the table.
Now I know why this place is popular. Ok so the food is not the best of the best but its' flavoursome and more than edible. Located just down the road from University of NSW and the many student accommodation compounds, its got to be the best deal in down!
(I did take photos with my phone, but I can't seem to download them onto my computer - so apologies, no photos with this one this time.)
Kingsford Chinese Restaurant
426 Anzac Parade
Kingsford NSW
(02) 9663 1728
Golden Jade Seafood Restaurant in the suburb of Eastwood is always packed, which is, an indication that it is really good.
Yep. I know that for myself. The fact that I am willing to wait 20 mins outside the door shows how much I wanted it.
Golden Jade is good for yum cha. Unlike the numerous yum cha places in Chinatown, Golden Jade is clean and the quality of their food is great. If my mum likes it, it has to be good.
I especially like their dumplings. The prawn and vegetable dumplings are neither oily or too dry, which is what I found some restaurants may over cook them or leave them out for too long resulting in unsatisfactory dumplings. These guys know what they are doing. The dumplings come freshly steamed from the kitchen and are usually quickly snatched up by those sitting closest to the kitchen exit.
Diners enjoying a great course of yum cha at the Golden Jade Seafood Restaurant
I always make sure I make a special order with the waiters to ensure I get my share!
The steamed rice noodles are great too, and I can't get over their sweetened soy sauce. Why can't my mum cook like this??
The prices are not too bad either, compared to the restaurants in the city near Chinatown. After pigging out between four people we managed to keep it at $15 a head, and by this time, we weren't even considering dessert anymore. Too full.
The restaurant also does take away Chinese roasts, such as ducks, chickens and char siew pork. Buy them at the counter outside the restaurant.
Try it out if you are around the area. Highly recommended.
Golden Jade Seafood Restaurant
140 Rowe St
Eastwood NSW 2122
(02) 9874 6618
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