Pork Neck

Since we made our reservations earlier, we did not have a problem getting a table. In fact, we were way too early for our reservation (45 minutes!) and I was worried that they might not be able to accommodate us before our time. Thankfully, there was a vacant table and we were comfortably seated by the window in no time.

Candlelit dinner

Our first dish was the Medley of Appetisers, which consist of a chicken satay skewer, a fried chicken wing, a spring roll and a curry puff. This was clearly  meant to be a single-serve portion, because everything was just singular. The chicken satay was well-marinated with a delightful peanut sauce, and the chicken wing was nicely flavoured too. The curry puff had nice pastry but could do with more fillings within.

Medley of Appetisers (AUD$9.90)

Dining in a Thai restaurant wouldn’t be complete without the customary Tom Yum Soup. The version here (and in most other Thai restaurants in Sydney) was served with button mushrooms, which I thought was quite strange. But I like mushrooms, so I didn’t mind them. But I did mind that the soup was not as spicy as I had wanted it to be. I guess they must have toned it down for the local palate, for I seldom find food here to be as spicy as we could get back in Malaysia. Perhaps I should start learning to make my own version of spicy tom yam soup!

Tom Yum (AUD$9.90)

My favourite dish of the night was the Pork Neck with Chilli Lemongrass Sauce. It was stir-fried with broccoli, chilli and onion and had a nice sweet and savoury flavour to it. The pork was also tender and juicy, I certainly wished there were more of them! Saucer was so sweet to let me have most of this dish because he knew I didn’t quite like the other one.

Chilli Lemongrass Sauce $14.90

The other dish that wasn’t really my cup of tea was the Beef Fillet Jungle Curry. This was a hot and spicy beef curry with lemongrass, baby corn, eggplant, basil and bamboo shoots. I believe this is a dish you either love or hate, because of the strong bamboo shoot flavours imparted in the curry. I, for one, am not such a big fan of bamboo shoots, so that was probably why I didn’t find myself liking it. Saucer, on the other hand, didn’t mind the flavours, so he had most of this. The curry was clear and light, much like a broth, so it was quite a new experience for me. And after that experience, I think I’m more of a curry with coconut milk type of girl.

Jungle Curry Beef Fillet (AUD$14.90)

For dessert, we shared the Vanilla Ice-Cream with Coconut and Black Sticky Rice with Thai Custard. The ice-cream was nothing out of the ordinary, except that it was served with toasted dessicated coconut. The portion was quite huge, with 2 giant scoops enough for the 2 of us. But we unanimously agreed that the black sticky rice was a much better dessert. It reminded me of the pulut gula Melaka that we have in Malaysia, except that this was mixed with black glutinous rice within. The texture was really similar and the Thai custard provided a nice contrast to the dessert in terms of the texture and taste.

Vanilla Ice-cream with Coconut $8.90

Black Sticky Rice with Thai Custard (AUD$8.90)

With my new hair

On another note, I just had my hair cut last week. It had been a while since I had hair this short, so I had to take a picture to commemorate the occasion. Overall, Spice Gourmet Thai was quite an average experience for me. We did enjoy that odd dish or two that night, but we were not entirely satiated, as how you would feel after you have a great meal that hits the right spot. That just means that we would continue searching for that perfect Thai restaurant!

Thai decorative piece at Spice Gourmet Thai

Spice Gourmet Thai
71 George St, Parramatta
NSW 2150 Australia
Tel No.: (+612) 9635 9666
Opening Hours: Lunch (11:30 am–3:00 pm), Dinner (5:00 pm–10:00 pm)
Website: www.spicegourmetthai.com.au

The following recipe is something that I ate all the time when I was younger. Coming from a family with a Chinese heritage, steamed foods were very common. My favorite was a soy sauce steamed fish. The finished product looks like it would take quite a bit of effort to make, but in reality it’s one of the simplest dishes ever! There are only 7 ingredients and the whole process takes just 10 steps. Hope you enjoy it!

Chinese Style Steamed Fish

Ingredients:
-  2 Stalks of Green Onions / spring onions
-  2 inch Piece of Ginger Root
- ¼ Teaspoon Chopped Thai Chilies (Optional)
- 2 Tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1/8 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
- 4 Ounce Halibut Fillet

Ingredients

Instructions:

1. Julienne the green onions and ginger into 2 inch strips.

2. In a heat safe plate (one that will fit on top of a steamer plate/basket), place some of the julienned green onions on the plate. You want enough to separate the halibut from the plate itself, but also save some to top on the fillet after it is done steaming.

3. Cover the top of the fillet with the ginger.

4. Fill your pot or pan with about an inch of water and turn the heat on high. When the water is boiling place your fish in there, on top of the steamer plate/basket, and steam for 5 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakey.

5. While the fish is steaming, grab another small pot or pan and bring the tablespoon of canola oil to a boil.

6. In a separate bowl mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce with equal parts water and 1/8 teaspoon of sesame oil (½ of a ¼ teaspoon or about 2 drops).

7. When the fish is done, you will want to carefully pour out all the water that has collected around the fish from the steam. An alternative is to transfer the entire fillet to a new plate. Whichever is easier. Keep the green onions that are on the bottom of the fillet, but discard the ginger on top.

8. Put the rest of the green onions on top of the filet, as well as the Thai chilies. If you prefer something without a kick, then the chilies can be omitted.

9. Carefully pour the hot oil over the green onions and chilies that are on top of the fillet.

10. Without putting the oil pot/pan back on a heat source, pour the soy sauce mixture into the pot/pan to heat up the mixture a little bit from the residual heat. Then proceed to pour over the fish. Here you can pour as much or as little sauce as you want, depending on how saucy you like your dishes.

About the guest writer:

My name is Tom and I grew up in sunny Southern California. I came over to the United States from China when I was about 8 months old. Although I have been living in the United States since then, I have always eaten very traditional Chinese foods growing up. I never even had a hamburger until I was in middle school. I owe this to my Grandma and Mother who cooked such wonderful tasting food, for such a long time. As I ventured off to college I saw family less and less. However, my cravings for the food they made kept increasing. That’s when I started looking into making food for myself. Having no culinary experience, I was pretty intimidated. However, after doing some research, it turns out that there are many recipes that are very simple. Once I realized that cooking could be simple, I started cooking more and more. This is how I began to create recipes that are easy to make, affordable, and healthy.

Tom Lee is a business development associate for the Santa Barbara Fish Market where you can support local fishermen and buy fresh seafood online or buy fresh fish online.

Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Tom Lee

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Serves: 1-2

Ingredients

• 2 Stalks of Green Onions / spring onions
• - 2 inch Piece of Ginger Root
• - ¼ Teaspoon Chopped Thai Chilies (Optional)
• - 2 Tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• - ⅛ Teaspoon Sesame Oil
• - 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• - 4 Ounce Halibut Fillet

Instructions

1. Julienne the green onions and ginger into 2 inch strips.
2. In a heat safe plate (one that will fit on top of a steamer plate/basket), place some of the julienned green onions on the plate. You want enough to separate the halibut from the plate itself, but also save some to top on the fillet after it is done steaming.
3. Cover the top of the fillet with the ginger.
4. Fill your pot or pan with about an inch of water and turn the heat on high. When the water is boiling place your fish in there, on top of the steamer plate/basket, and steam for 5 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakey.
5. While the fish is steaming, grab another small pot or pan and bring the tablespoon of canola oil to a boil.
6. In a separate bowl mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce with equal parts water and ⅛ teaspoon of sesame oil (½ of a ¼ teaspoon or about 2 drops).
7. When the fish is done, you will want to carefully pour out all the water that has collected around the fish from the steam. An alternative is to transfer the entire fillet to a new plate. Whichever is easier. Keep the green onions that are on the bottom of the fillet, but discard the ginger on top.
8. Put the rest of the green onions on top of the filet, as well as the Thai chilies. If you prefer something without a kick, then the chilies can be omitted.
9. Carefully pour the hot oil over the green onions and chilies that are on top of the fillet.
10. Without putting the oil pot/pan back on a heat source, pour the soy sauce mixture into the pot/pan to heat up the mixture a little bit from the residual heat. Then proceed to pour over the fish. Here you can pour as much or as little sauce as you want, depending on how saucy you like your dishes.

3.2.1230

Roti Canai

As with most newly opened restaurants, there was a long queue in front, mostly Malaysians. It almost felt like we were back home, with all the familiar chatter and familiar faces around us. We were there for lunch, and had to wait about half an hour before we got a table. Service was prompt and friendly, pretty impressive given that it was only opened for barely a week then.

Full house at Pappa Rich

The familiar Pappa Rich logo

While waiting for our table, we were given a thick menu and an order chit to place our orders. So by the time we got our table, we just had to pass the order chit to the waitress and wait. Quite efficient in minimizing the turnaround time, I think. Our first order to arrive was the Roti Canai, served with 3 types of sauce – dhal, curry and sambal. I thought the dhal and sambal were good, especially the sambal because it was hot and spicy with a kick! The roti though, lacked the fluffiness that we love. Its texture was more like crispy pastry instead of fluffy bread, so perhaps we might not order this again. We definitely prefer the roti from Mamak, another Malaysian restaurant in Sydney.

Roti Canai (AUD$5.90)

A dish that several Malaysians recommended was the Penang Char Kuey Teow, which was incidentally my favourite too. I would have ordered this regardless, and was pleased to know that it did not disappoint. One of the main weakness that I found with some of the wanna-be char kuey teow here was the lack of ‘wok hei’ or the slightly charred/burnt taste. The version from Pappa Rich had the wok hei we were looking forward to, but it did lack in terms of spiciness. Perhaps they had toned it down to suit local taste buds? It would have been perfect had it been more spicy, I think.

Char Kuey Teow (AUD$12.50)

Last but not least, Saucer ordered the Nasi Briyani with Red Chicken and Sambal Eggplant, something resembling what you would get from nasi kandar places in Malaysia. The briyani rice was just as fragrant as what we remembered back in Malaysia, and fluffy too. We were very pleased with it. The red chicken or ayam masak merah was fried and mixed with a sweet and spicy gravy that was perfect with the rice. Finally, the egg plant was first deep fried and then mixed with a spicy sambal. Who wouldn’t love that? The crunch of crispy skin mixed with the kick of sambal – yum! Every element in this dish was done right, including the piece of pappadom which was crispy and in a perfect round shape. Both of us couldn’t find any fault with this dish.

Nasi Briyani with Red Chicken and Eggplant (AUD$12.90)

Perhaps the closest Nasi Briyani you can find in Sydney

Needless to say, we left the place happy and satiated. Sure the prices are a bit steep compared to Malaysian prices but if we’re going to pay that much anyway for any other meal in Sydney, we might as well spend it on something we love. I’m elated that there’s finally a place that I can go to, to cure my home-sickness for Malaysian food, and one that has plenty of choices! We’ll definitely be back!

PappaRich Malaysian Delights in Chatswood

PappaRich
1/63A Archer St
Chatswood
NSW 2067 Australia.
Tel No.: (02) 9411 3207
Opening Hours: 11.00am to 10.00pm Monday to Sunday

Weekend special

We placed an order for Penang Lor Bak, which we both missed, and we probably shouldn’t have set high expectations for it. The lor bak was served with some fried tofu on top, which were quite good, but unfortunately, the lor bak itself left much to be desired. The skin was crispy and golden but the fillings within were no where near the lor bak filling we had back in Penang. This was mushy, wet and somewhat soggy. And they left out one very important element of lor bak, which was the chilli sauce! It’s no secret that I love all things spicy, so imagine my disappointment when I saw no chilli sauce served with the lor bak. Sad to say, this dish was not up to par.

Penang Lor Bak (AUD$6)

Saucer had wanted to eat Wat Tan Hor for the longest time, and even though I tried making it once for him, it didn’t turn out to be very good. So imagine how happy he was to see it on the menu! The Wat Tan Hor (fried flat rice noodles with smooth egg gravy) was served piping hot with the gorgeous, unmistakable aroma, which was a good sign. There were also plenty of vegetables and fresh prawns used. But that was where the plus points ended. Other than the familiar aroma, the noodles were not fried with enough heat (hence lacking the charred flavour/wok hei), and the gravy lacked flavour. It was such a shame to have had our expectations up high to be brought down after the first bite.

Wat Tan Hor (AUD$13.80)

Finally, we also had the Mee Rebus because it was a weekend-only special that day. The dish looked beautiful, with all the elements there – cucur udang, fried tofu, potatoes, lime and egg. We found the gravy to be lacking of that umami and kick. Perhaps more curry powder or chilli would be better? I found it interesting that they also had squid rings in the mixture, although I didn’t mind them. Among the three items ordered, this was the best even though it wasn’t great.

Mee Rebus (AUD$12.80)

Overall, it was unfortunate that we found the food at Penang Cuisine wasn’t quite as Penang as we wanted it to be. Perhaps the flavours were localized to suit the local taste buds? Or perhaps we just had too high expectations? Having stayed in Penang for a good 4 years before, it’s hard not to compare. If anyone of you have visited this place before, we’re more than happy to listen to what you think!

Penang Cuisine at Epping

Penang Cuisine
32/74 Rawson St,
Epping NSW 2121,
Australia.
Tel No.: (02) 8095 0788
Opening Hours: Daily (11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 5:30-9:30 pm)
*Note: No desserts served during weekends

Lasagne fresh from the oven

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion sliced
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped
• 100g button mushrooms sliced
• 500g beef mince
• 4 slices pork bacon chopped
• 575g bottle of tomato pasta sauce
• 6-8 pasta sheets
• 2 cups thick cream
• 2 cups grated / 6 slices cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper

Steps:

1. Heat the olive oil on a large frying pan.

2. Add in garlic and onion and fry until fragrant and onions are soft.

3. Add in bacon slices and fry for 2 minutes.

4. Add in beef mince and stir fry until brown.

5. Add in mushrooms and pepper.

6. Pour in pasta sauce and season with pinch of salt and pepper.

7. Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer for about 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

8. While waiting for the sauce to be ready, preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan-forced.

9. Spoon 1/4 of the pasta mixture onto a baking dish.

10. Drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of cream on the mixture.

11. Drizzle 1/2 cup or 2 slices of cheddar cheese on it then cover with pasta sheets.

12. Repeat steps 9 to 11 for 2 more times.

13. Pour the remaining pasta sauce on the top layer of pasta sheet and drizzle the rest of cheddar and parmesan cheese.

14. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven.

15. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is golden. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Glorious piece of cheesy lasagne

Easy Lasagne Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Quick and easy lasagne for a cold winter day.

Author: iamthewitch

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion sliced
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped
• 100g button mushrooms sliced
• 500g beef mince
• 4 slices pork bacon chopped
• 575g bottle of tomato pasta sauce
• 6-8 pasta sheets
• 2 cups thick cream
• 2 cups grated / 6 slices cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil on a large frying pan.
2. Add in garlic and onion and fry until fragrant and onions are soft.
3. Add in bacon slices and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add in beef mince and stir fry until brown.
5. Add in mushrooms and pepper.
6. Pour in pasta sauce and season with pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer for about 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
8. While waiting for the sauce to be ready, preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan-forced.
9. Spoon ¼ of the pasta mixture onto a baking dish.
10. Drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of cream on the mixture.
11. Drizzle ½ cup or 2 slices of cheddar cheese on it then cover with pasta sheets.
12. Repeat steps 9 to 11 for 2 more times.
13. Pour the remaining pasta sauce on the top layer of pasta sheet and drizzle the rest of cheddar and parmesan cheese.
14. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven.
15. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is golden. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

3.2.1230

]]> http://iamthewitch.com/2013/04/19/easy-lasagne-recipe/feed/ 14 http://iamthewitch.com/2013/04/12/visiting-a-beer-brewery/ http://iamthewitch.com/2013/04/12/visiting-a-beer-brewery/#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2013 03:51:29 +0000 iamthewitch http://iamthewitch.com/?p=7664
Read Full Story]]> It has been ages since my last update, I know. I have been so busy with work recently with a new task assignment on top of my current workload that I found it difficult to allocate time for blogging! Anyway, I looked through my album and discovered a place that I had been wanting to share for the longest time. It was a visit to a beer brewery in Hunter Valley! Now, when we mention Hunter Valley, most of us would just think about wines, vineyards and cellar doors. But during our visit, we passed by the Potters Hotel Brewery Resort which houses the Hunter Beer Co. brewery right next to a hotel.

Potters Brewery

Entrance to the pub

It was around 3pm in the afternoon when we arrived, which coincidentally meant the pub was rather empty. I guess the scene would change come night time. Walking into the pub, the first thing that came to mind was the strong smell of hops! Yes, it was unmistakable and it was pungent. I couldn’t decide if I liked or hated it. We walked over to the bar and asked about the brewery tour and beer tasting as shown on the entrance. It turned out that the brewery tour was only held during specific hours so we missed the chance, but we could still opt for the beer tasting at $10 for a selection of 4 beers.

The pub

Brewery area

Brewery Chart

The Hunter Beer Co. is a microbrewery that brews several award winning flavourful beers – from its award-winning Kolsch and to the easy drinking German Ale. Even though we didn’t go for the brewery tour, there were plenty of information around the pub that described the brewery process and the different ingredients used.

Information about beer and taste

Beer ingredients

The bartender told us there were 10 different types of beer to choose from, and we had to pick 4. It was not easy since we didn’t know which were good and which were not. We were given some recommendations though, and decided that we must try the award-winning Hunter Kolsch. We also picked a Pale Ale and a Hunter Witbier in the mix.

Ten types of beer to choose from

The different beer logos

Our choice of 4 beers

Hunter Beer Co. coaster

Of the 4 beers we had, I remember that both of us unanimously agreed that the Hunter Kolsch was the best of all. It was not too light or hoppy, and had a refreshing aftertaste which was perfect to drink in the afternoon. We didn’t quite enjoy the pale ale, which turned out to be rather bitter for us. The Witbier was somewhere in the middle, but we still preferred the Kolsch above all. We wished that we had ordered more of that!

Kolsch – A refreshing easy drinking ale with flavour, perfect for summer drinking. Pale golden colour with light honey-biscuit malt character, subtle passion fruit and pineapple flavour is delicately balanced with a restrained bitterness and drying finish.

Saucer enjoying his beer

Award-winning Hunter Kolsch

Beer barrels outside the brewery

After drinking our beers, we took some time to walk around the Potters Brewery surroundings – partly to let the alcohol subside, and partly to take in the gorgeous decor. The surrounding grounds were massive and had plenty of greenery for us to lie down and enjoy the blue sky and nice weather. Coincidentally, Potters is also a hotel so if you’re looking to visit Hunter Valley, you could choose to stay here right next to the brewery and have freshly brewed beer any time you want!

Potters Brewery

Potters Brewery, Hunter Valley

Hunter Beer Co. @ Potters Hotel Brewery Resort 
Wine Country Drive,
Nulkaba NSW 2325
Australia
Tel No: +(612) 4991 7922
Opening hours: Open 7 days 10am – 5pm
Email: info@pottershbr.com.au
Website: www.hunterbeer.com.au

Appetizer

Our deal came with only food, with drinks separately charged. Saucer ordered a cold beer since it was quite warm that afternoon.

 Cascade beer (AUD$5)

Our all-you-can-eat deal is served in 3 courses – Starters, Entree and Mains. There were several items within each course, and right after they’re done serving, we were free to re-order the items should we wish to. The first starter to be served was the Lebanese bread with various dips including the Baba Ganough – Char grilled eggplant, pureed with fresh garlic, lemon juice and tahina and Hummus Bi Tahina – Puree of chickpeas, sesame seeds, garlic, lemon juice & olive oil. I absolutely adored the hummus served, it was smooth, creamy and full of flavour. I could go on and on eating that with the Lebanese bread, but that wouldn’t be a wise choice.

Dips: Baba Ganough, Hummus Bi Tahina

Pickles & Olives

Lebanese Bread

 Hummus with bread

We were also served 2 types of salads:  Tabouli – salad of parsley, tomato, mint, onion, burghul (cracked wheat), lemon juice & olive and Fattoush – salad with sumac, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, sweet peppers, red onions, mint, toasted pita, lemon juice & olive oil. Tabouli was something that I had had before in Malaysia, so there were no surprises with this dish. It was very green, crunchy and went well with the dips and bread too. The Fattoush salad, however, was something new to me but something impressive. It was filled with a variety of vegetables and well-seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil, giving it a very fresh twist without being boring.

Fattoush

Tabouli

For Entree/Hot Mezza, we had a huge platter of Jweneih – Chicken wings marinated in lemon, garlic, olive oil and char grilled, Arnabeet Mekli – fried cauliflower florets served with tahina, Batata b-kizibra – diced potatoes sautéed with garlic, coriander, chilli & lemon juice, Falafel – fried croquettes made of burghul, chickpeas, broad beans & herbs with a side of Garlic Sauce & Tahina. Of the 4 items presented, it was surprisingly the sauteed potatoes that got me hooked! They were fluffy on the inside, will-seasoned and very very fragrant. I know it’s not a good practice to fill up with carbs on an all-you-can-eat quest, but I just couldn’t help it. They were just so good and addictive! I swear I had never eaten that much potatoes in one sitting! The chicken wings were well-marinated and delicious too. And we were glad that they didn’t overfeed us with meat because we had another plate of meat coming up for our mains.

Hot Mezza platter

Chicken wings, sauteed potatoes, falafel and cauliflower

At this point, we were already full with all the bread and hot entree served. In fact, we had not even finished the items on our platter, but our mains were served. They consisted of Shish Lahmeh – marinated lamb cubes & onions skewered and barbequed, Shish Kafta – char grilled skewers of minced lamb with parsley, onion & spices, Shish Tawouk – char grilled chicken breast skewers marinated in special herbs and potato chips. They might not look like a lot on the plate, but these skewers were solid with meat and packed a punch. Each piece was well-marinated and grilled to perfection, with the insides of the meat still tender and juicy. We were honestly impressed that good quality meals were served even when we were using group-purchase deals. We also had pretty good service from the only waitress that was on duty that afternoon (there were only 3 tables occupied), asking us occasionally whether we wanted any of the dishes refilled. They had obviously tailored the set such that there would be enough to stuff any adult without having to request for a refill, for we were beyond full by the time we stomached the last bit of meat on our plate.

Mains

Marinated lamb and chicken skewers

Overall, we were pretty impressed with the quality of food served in this Lebanese restaurant, considering we paid a discounted price of $19/person (normally $39) for the all-you-can-eat package. The food was authentic and delicious, and we definitely had a great time enjoying the peaceful afternoon on a Saturday away from the city. Did I mention the gorgeous potatoes? Someone has got to teach me how to make that!

Dining by the river

River Canyon Restaurant
96 Phillip Street
Parramatta 2150
NSW, Australia.
Tel No: +612-9689 2288
Website: www.rivercanyon.com.au

Burger and chips from Grill’d

Ordering at Grill’d means going to the cashier and pointing out what you want, then paying before you’re given a table stand with a number on it. When the food is ready, it would be served to you by a wait staff. While waiting, one could help oneself with a bottle of drinking water placed at the back of the restaurant.

Self-service drinking water

Before long, our orders arrived. Saucer had the Moroccan Lamb burger that came with a grilled 100% grass fed lean lamb, roasted peppers, tzatziki, salad and relish. We were also allowed to choose the type of buns to go with the burger, either the traditional wholemeal sesame bun, gluten-free bun or panini. Saucer had his burger with the traditional wholemeal bun, which was nicely toasted and still warm when served.

Moroccan Lamb (AUD$12.90)

Saucer gave two thumbs-up for this burger! He loved that they paid attention to detail. The bun, for example, tasted like it was freshly baked. The crust was crispy and inside it was warm and fluffy. The lamb was lean, tender and juicy without overpowering gaminess. What I loved the most was the combination of roasted peppers in the burger, that seemed to have brought the flavours to the next level. I thought that made a whole lot of difference, as my burger didn’t have it, and ended up sort of paling in comparison.

Nicely grilled lamb

As for me, I had the first item on the menu, which I suppose was also the most popular one - Simply Grill’d. It was made from grilled grass fed lean beef, salad, relish and herbed mayo. I opted for the panini bun, which was tasted really good. I loved the crusty exterior and warm, fluffiness within, making this burger stand out from the rest. The lean beef was pleasantly tender and juicy, while the herbed mayo gave it a nice flavour and fragrance. Best of all, it also came in a good size – nothing too huge that gets you feeling sick after too much of it, or too small that leaves you still feeling hungry. It was the right size, both of us agreed. However, if you still feel that the burger is too big to handle, there are knives provided on every table for the convenience of customers.

Simply Grill’d (AUD$9.50)

The Hot Chips were available as a side order, and seeing that it’s quite popular among other tables, we decided to have one too. And we didn’t regret it. The chips were thickly cut (as how good chips should be), fried to a crispy finish and generously drizzled with herbs.

Regular Hot Chips (AUD$3.50)

Knife wrapper

Cutting across the Simply Grill’d burger

True to their promise, Grill’d has indeed delivered gorgeous burgers with good quality ingredients without putting our health at risk. We definitely enjoyed our experience here, and wouldn’t think twice about returning for the many other burgers listed on the menu.

Dining at Grill’d

Grill’d (at Macquarie Centre)
Level 4 (next to Max Brenner Chocolate),
Entrance via Herring St
North Ryde,
2113 NSW, Australia.
Tel No: 9888 7700
Opening Hours: Daily (11am – 10pm)
Website: www.grilld.com.au

My ideal breakfast

Serving breakfast until 11am, North and South Gourmet had a continuous stream of customers heading in and out of the restaurant in the morning. Once we were seated, we were handed a menu filled with a mixture of English and Chinese characters, detailing the different set menus available for breakfast. We almost couldn’t believe it when we saw that the set meals were priced at $6.50 each, including a drink! That’s probably the cheapest meal we found so far in a cafe or restaurant. Without further ado, we ordered a set meal each, which came with a bowl of congee, a choice of noodles or you tiao or cheong fun and a hot drink.

Pork and Century Egg Congee

Both of us ordered the Pork and Century Egg Congee, which came in a few minutes. The congee was piping hot and smooth, just how we liked it. There was also a decent amount of lean pork and century egg bits inside which gave the congee much flavour. Our little gripe would be that the lean pork was a tad too salty, but I suppose it was deliberate to sort of flavour the congee at the same time.

Decent amount of century egg and pork slices

The You Tiao or Chinese crullers that came with one of our sets were hot, freshly fried, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. A plate of you tiao on its own would have cost about $3-4 elsewhere, so we were overjoyed that these were included in the set. I mean, a meal of congee would not be complete without you tiao, don’t you agree?

You Tiao / Chinese crullers

For our second set, we opted to order the Fried Soy Sauce Noodles. These looked exactly like the noodles we used to have in Hong Kong. In fact, this complete meal really reminded me of our breakfast at Hong Kong, where noodles and congee always went together. Ah, memories! The noodles were plain and simple but that’s how they’re supposed to be – nothing fancy and nothing special. But that’s how I like them to be!

Fried Soy Sauce noodles

Set 1 – Congee + noodles + drink (AUD$6.50)

Set 2: Congee + you tiao + drink (AUD$6.50)

Finally for drinks, Saucer had the hot Milk Tea, which turned out to be quite strong and fragrant, while I had the Soya Bean, which was not too bad. In fact, we initially thought we would be charged extra for drinks since these were listed as Chinese characters in the menu (which we couldn’t read) next to a $1 sign, but apparently they’re part of the set. There’s a only a surcharge of $1 if we had opted for cold drinks.

Milk tea

Soya bean

Overall, we thought the breakfast sets here were definitely good value for money, all things considered. The environment was not overly crowded that you would feel rushed to finish your meal, which was perfect for a relaxing family outing during the weekends. Needless to say, we’d definitely be back whenever we’re craving for something hot and comfy in the morning, or whenever we felt like eating congee!

Dining environment

North & South Gourmet at Carlingford Village

North and South Gourmet Carlingford Village
Shop G2, 372 Pennant Hills Rd
Carlingford, NSW 2118
Australia
Contact No.: +612 9871 2819

View from Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard

Driving to Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard

The drive to Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard was about 10 minutes from Tempus Two Winery grounds, where a number of restaurants, including The Smelly Cheese Shop, are located at. There is a stretch of about 500m of gravel road on the way there, so don’t be puzzled if you think you’re on the wrong track. Pretty soon, you’d come across a huge signboard telling you that you’ve reached the vineyard.

The huge signboard

We’re there!

What I love about Audrey Wilkinson’s vineyard is how close you can actually get to the grape trees! They’re surrounding us at all angles, and at such close proximity too. Sure, you’re not allowed to go in and pick the grapes, if that’s what you’re wondering, but you could go close enough to take a picture with it. And if you go during spring or summer season, you might even spot some ripe and juicy grapes hanging from the trees!

Grape plants during end of winter

Gorgeous view of the vineyard

Another view of Audrey Wilkinson’s vineyard

When we were there, the weather was simply perfect! Bright blue skies with some clouds, warm sun and cool breeze made us just want to lie down on the green grass and savour the moment. When we’re done admiring the scenery, we made our way to the wine cellar sitting majestically on top of the mountain.

Audrey Wilkinson wine cellar

Entrance to the wine cellar

Since we went during a public holiday, the wine cellar was pretty busy but not overly crowded. We took a short tour around the wine cellar and saw a group of people attending what looked like a wine appreciation class at one corner, having fun. There was another corner dedicated to the process of wine-making, with plenty of information and wine-making tools on display. It was good that we could go and stuff ourselves with educational information while waiting for the wine-tasting counters to be available.

Wine-tasting counter

Multi-award winning wines

One of the prized wines on display

Wine appreciation class in order?

Wine-making information area

Place to sit down and have a glass

Wine barrels and table tops

Pretty soon, we saw an empty spot at the wine-tasting counter and made our way to it. As usual, we were presented with a list of wines and were asked to pick the ones we wanted to try. We started with a couple of white wines, to a red wine and ended with a sweet dessert wine. I remember loving the taste of the Muscat, but only because I have a soft spot for anything that is sweet!

Wine-tasting list

Love this pretty bottle

Both Saucer and I agreed that this vineyard offers the best view of all in Hunter Valley, and we’ve been to around ten of them! So if you have to choose a selected few vineyards to visit, make sure Audrey Wilkinson is one of them! Even if you don’t drink, this is a good place for photographs.

Final view of Audrey Wilkinson’s vineyard

Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard
DeBeyers Road,
Pokolbin (Hunter Valley),
NSW 2320 Australia
Phone: (+612) 4993 3600
Email: wines@audreywilkinson.com.au
Cellar Door direct phone number: 02 4998 1866.
Business Hours: Daily except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Weekdays (10 am ~ 5pm) Weekends (10 am ~ 5pm)
Website: www.audreywilkinson.com.au