Author: Ardi

Alchemy Polish Cafe Restaurant

Alchemy Polish Cafe Restaurant Review:

Our review this week came from a Polish restaurant in Surry Hills, Sydney, called Alchemy Polish Cafe Restaurant.I’m not quite sure why they decide to combine the word cafe and restaurant. This is only our second review of Polish cuisine. The cafe/restaurant is located in a busy food precinct. When you went into the restaurant you would feel like entering a traditional European home… but a very busy one!

You might want to familiarise yourself with the menu as there are probably a few menu items you have never heard before.

Dumpling (Pierogi) – $22.5 – 9 dumplings

This is the dish that you must order when dining at a Polish restaurant! Pierogi is the traditional Polish dumpling with predominantly potato and cheese filling. In Alchemy Polish Cafe, you can choose to have 9 or 6 dumplings with the following fillings: duck with apricot, beef, potato with cheese, sauerkraut with mushroom, buckwheat, and spinach. There is also a sweet pierogi with sweet cheese and blackberries for dessert. You can also choose between a boiled or fried pierogi. If you only want 6 dumplings, it will cost you $17.5

On this occasion, we had fried Pierogi with duck, beef, and cheese. Pierogi is probably eaten more as a main dish in Poland, but we ordered this as our entree with each of us having three dumplings.

Fried potato pancake with smoked salmon and sour cream – $17.5

The interesting thing about this dish was that the potato pancake was considered as the hero of the dish. Also, if you see the image below they give you two whole chili peppers as garnish. It’s an option if you want to spice it up a bit.

Rabbit with creamy sauce and mashed potatoes – $28.5

This is the dish that I ordered. Rabbit is one of the hardest game meats to cook, but one I enjoy the most. Any missteps will render the meat inedible. It was quite a big piece of rabbit but with one caveat: there were quite a lot of bones!

Once you got past the sea of bones, the rabbit itself was perfect!

Stuffed Duck (roulade) served with gnocchi – $29.5

You won’t need to put too much effort for the stuffed duck and gnocchi. It was soft. It was creamy. Last but not least, the duck was yummy and quite fattening!

Goose with pearls couscous – $39.5

The goose was the most expensive dish in the restaurant. On top of that, they only gave you a quarter of the goose. The meat was very tender and juicy. However, I’d probably pick the duck over this one because you pay $10 less with no bones involved.

Atlantic Salmon in foil – fillet of salmon with mango salsa, roasted potatoes and steamed veggies – $29.5

We almost did not manage to order this because they said we had to wait for 30 minutes for them to cook it. However, the chef then told us that by the time we were finished with our entree, it would already be more than 30 minutes anyway. It is quite a big dish for the little one but he enjoyed it a lot.

Cakes

We ordered way too many cakes but enjoyed every piece of it. I guess with cakes, you can just have a look at the pictures and decide yourself which one(s) you want.

Strawberry Cake

Hazelnut Cake

Mixed Cake

The final verdict for Alchemy Polish Cafe Restaurant

I must say we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the dishes at Alchemy Polish Cafe Restaurant. The food was great and the people there was warm and friendly.

Did you know?
They have quite a big list of exotic drinks, with Beer being constantly offered. However, in a rather chilly autumn night, our choice went to Polish Vodka Tea. You should seriously try it!

Rating for Alchemy Polish Cafe Restaurant:

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $50 – $60 per person

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

572 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

+61 2 9699 2455

http://www.alchemy-restaurant.com/

May 25, 2017
Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant

Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant Review:

I had a friend coming over from New Zealand and he was looking for a great dining experience in Sydney. My option went to Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant, which was considered by many as (one of, if not) the best Japanese in Sydney.

They have an option of Kaiseki, aka degustation, dinner. But on this occasion, I opted to pick and choose dishes we would like to try… just because there were just way too many I’d like to try!

Tofu and Avocado Salad – $10.80 – silken tofu, avocado & seasoned seaweed with shiso basil dressing

My usual comment for salad is ‘just another green’. For this one, the green comes from seaweed, and avocado as well… a less green-y salad!

Masuya’s Salmon Salad – $13.80 – lightly spiced marinated salmon with creamy blue cheese, onion and salad with rice vinaigrette dressing

I love this salad… with capital L O V E! It has that burst of blue cheese while we’re eating that makes it pretty exciting.

Beef Tataki – $14.80 – seared wagyu beef, sliced sashimi style, crisp mizuna with ponzu soy citrus and a touch of balsamic

The depth of flavour for this beef tataki is very nice.

Karaage Soft Shell Crab – M $19.80 – crispy soft shell crab with sweet chilli and wasabi mayonnaise sauce

This dish was gone quite fast, courtesy of its mouth-watering presentation. The wasabi mayonnaise was very smooth. There was also a portion of crushed potato (it wasn’t exactly mashed as the texture was grainy) that was quickly becoming our favourite!

Tonkatsu Pork Loin (Kurobuta) – $20.80 – deep-fried crispy kurobuta pork loin served with home blended tonkatsu sauce

They told me that the tonkatsu was pretty good as well.

Sea Eel (Anago) – $22.80 – bbq sea eel grilled with our flavoured original sauce on a bed of steamed rice

This white sea eel wasn’t exactly presented for sharing. Masuya’s sauce was sweeter than most Japanese grill sauce.

Hokkaido Scallops – $24.80 – deep-fried scallops, imported from Hokkaido, Japan, served with homemade tartar sauce & tonkatsu sauce

To be honest, I am still not sure what’s so special about scallops from Hokkaido. It tasted like scallops from Sydney, which I think is already one of the freshest and best in the world.

Sushi Deluxe platter – $68.00 – Gorgeous and most valued sushi selection – total of 32 pieces assorted sushi

There were quite a lot of sushi in the plate. It was presented beautifully and tasted amazing!

If you really want that uni (sea urchin) sushi, you’d better be quick!

Ocean Jewel Boat – $88.00 – a dozen pacific oyster served with three different types of sauce, scampi, hokki, scallop and fresh salmon sashimi

Ocean Jewel Boat is the most mouth-wateringly elegant sashimi boat I have ever seen. The content is like A-list celebrities of the seafood world, minus lobster. It was served super fresh. We, obviously, devoured them in a heartbeat!

Nasu Miso – $9.80 – deep-fried eggplant with Masuya’s original miso paste

We actually ordered this quite later in the service after we found out one of our guests couldn’t eat too much raw fish. What’s not to love about nasu miso? The eggplant was so soft!

Misoyaki Chicken – $20.80 – oven grilled miso marinated thigh fillet of chicken served with green vegetables

Another one that we ordered quite late. The serving was quite small but it really packed a punch.

Wagyu Sukiyaki Hot Pot – $48.00 – finely sliced marble score no. 6 sirloin beef with seasonal vegetables, cooked at your table, served in a traditional Japanese style with beaten egg dipping sauce – minimum order for two

I did not order this for our main group. A decision that I quickly regretted (and was frowned upon by some people in the group). You really must order this when you are dining at Masuya… especially in winter!

The final verdict for Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant

Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant lived up to its name. We had wonderful dining experience there

Did you know?

The restaurant group has a few different levels of restaurant, including an izakaya that we have reviewed in the past.

Rating for Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant:

9.0 / 10

Taste: 9.0 / 10

Price: $75 per person

Place: 8.5 / 10

Details:

12 – 14 O’Connell Street, Sydney 2000

+61 2 9235 2717

http://www.masuyainternational.com.au/en/masuya/

May 15, 2017
Don Don

Don Don Review:

We were walking around in Melbourne CBD one day. I opened up the usual food advisor app and surely enough it showed me all of the high ranking ones around the area. When we were walking down the street towards one of our options, we spotted this neon sign in an alley way, Don Don. Somehow we decided to ditch our previous option and walked towards the sign… sounds like a mosquito approaching that purple neon light, eh?

When we arrived, there were quite a few people outside. Apparently they were waiting for their takeaway orders. In the restaurant, you are required to pay at the counter first and they will deliver the food to your table. You have to do everything else yourself. There was only one person at the counter and I believe only one chef.

What’s so amazing about this place is the price. Nothing is over $10… I repeat: NOTHING! Their bento box is only $9.4!

Sukiyaki Don – $6.9 – Thinly sliced beef on rice

Who is not happy to have a big bowl of sukiyaki don for only $6.9? To give you a context how big it is, my wife managed to have a portion of the bowl for takeaway. Additionally, the taste was very acceptable.

Takoyaki – cheap – Japanese Squid Balls

A whole bunch of takoyaki for (what seems to be) next to nothing. Despite the price, they were still made next to perfection.

Sashi Don – $9.8 – raw salmon / ocean trout slices on rice

Sashi don is their most expensive dish. In addition to the raw salmon slices, you still get salad, pickles, and tamago (Japanese omelette) slices. Although it’s probably not the freshest raw salmon, it’s still better than quite a lot of restaurants that charges more for raw salmon.

Okonomiyaki – $4.8 – Japanese Pancake

For less than $5, their okonomiyaki is humongous! The perfect addition if you are still hungry. Although, I seriously doubt you are still hungry after eating their main dish.

The final verdict for Don Don

Don Don Japanese restaurant has a great value for money and good quality dishes.

Did you know?

There were quite a few Don Don restaurants in Melbourne. Obviously with the cheap price and lightning speed, they have to compromise on other aspects, such as maintenance. However, It really doesn’t matter that much if you have the food for take away.

Rating for Don Don:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: It’s so cheap… seriously!

Place: 6.0 / 10

Details:

26 Francis Street, CBD, Melbourne

Don Don in Zomato

May 8, 2017
Kabuki Shoroku

Kabuki Shoroku Review:

We had a special occasion this week and decided to have a nice dinner at Kabuki Shoroku Japanese restaurant in Sydney CBD. Their restaurant had an old feel to it (according to them, they have been around for 25 years!).

They have a degustation menu called Kaiseki – autumn. It was priced at $88 per person. It is predominantly seafood dishes, highlighted by lobsters cooked in two ways.

Chef’s seasonal selection of appetisers
There were four different appetisers: slow cooked tuna, bamboo shoots, cheese and squid with fish paste. They were quite small but full of flavour.

Assortment of various fresh sashimi
Three of the most common kinds of Sashimi for each of us: salmon, tuna, kingfish. The cut was rather thick but it was so fresh.

Lobster tail grilled in two ways – mornay & soy
I usually was not a fan of lobsters. They carried a premium price but less tasty than a tiger prawn. Kabuki Shoroku served their lobsters beautifully. I wouldn’t mind a second serving.

Slow cooked duck and seasonal mushrooms served in clear starchy sauce topped with spinach and yuzu
The duck was probably our favourite for the night, just by a small margin from the lobster. I would also definitely go back to the restaurant for this dish!

Pacific saury seasoned with sweet soy and lightly fried, sansho pepper, lime
Saury is a kind of fish (yes, I had to google it when seeing the menu). It was quite an oily one, especially after being fried. Despite its small look, it was actually pretty heavy.

Sushi chef’s best selection of today’s nigiri sushi
We had three very fresh sushi. I couldn’t quite remember what they were.

Miso soup
Instead of the usual cloudy soup, the colour was actually quite dark. The flavour was pretty intense. It is interesting how they served the soup at the very last.

Chef’s special dessert selection
The dessert of the day was green tea mousse with strawberry and cream. It was quite a thick dessert to end the night.

Additional dishes
The following dishes are not part of the kaiseki menu, but came in as extras for the little one (or mine).

Saute Salmon with soy butter – $28
The soy butter for the salmon was pretty salty. It needs to be enjoyed with a bowl of rice.

Sushi – Scampi and steamed oyster
Scampi is my personal favourite in a Japanese restaurant. I usually order it when they are available. I actually also ordered sea urchin, but they were not available that day.

Tofu Rare Cheesecake with Ice cream – $12
Tofu cheesecake was so interesting that we just had to order it.

The final verdict for Kabuki Shoroku

You know you had a very nice dinner when you left the restaurant feeling nourished and happy. That’s how we felt upon leaving Kabuki Shoroku. Their service was impeccable.

Did you know?

Kabuki Shoroku has a sister restaurant for a more informal dining called Sakuratei. It is located right in front of the restaurant.

Rating for Kabuki Shoroku:

8.5 / 10

Taste: 8.5 / 10

Price: $88 per person

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

Ground Floor 31 Market Street Sydney 2000

(202 Clarence St)

+61 2 9267 4552

http://www.kabukishoroku.com.au/

May 2, 2017
Delhi Streets

Delhi Streets Review:

Our review this week is an Indian street food restaurant in Melbourne called Delhi Streets. We went there with my friend (he was the one recommending the restaurant) who used to live in Sydney. The restaurant was pretty full that day but my friend somehow managed to secure a booking. Apparently, quite a lot of them ordered the food for takeaway.
heal

Pani Puri – $9 – ‘Hands-on’ street food! – Crispy cracker balls stuffed with potatoes, chickpease, tamarind/mint/yoghurt chutneys and served with spiced water. MUST TRY!

You must pardon me but this was my first ever pani puri dish. I was very impressed with the dish.

When you combined the spiced water with the crispy cracker ball, the result was this explosion of flavours in your mouth. It was quite a mouthful tho!

Chicken Biryani – $13 – Indian Paella – Rice cooked with chicken, saffron, aromatic herbs & spices. Served with fresh Raita yoghurt

Chicken biryani is one of the staples we always had in an Indian restaurant. The rice was so flavoursome!

Mixed Grill – $12 – A succulent selection of tandoori chicken, chicken tikka & seekh kebab all char-grilled in the tandoor.

They served quite a lot of pieces for the mixed grill. I think the mixed grill and chicken biryani can be shared by three people for lunch. My friend and I could barely finish them.

Butter Chicken Thali – $14 – Butter Chicken heaven – large serve butter chicken served with rice, naan, pappadum and pickles

Butter chicken is my son’s favourite Indian dish. The serving plate for the butter chicken was actually bigger than our dishes. I would have enjoyed if it were the only dish that I had for lunch.

The final verdict for Delhi Streets

Delhi Streets is quite possibly one of the most exciting Indian casual dining restaurant I have ever been to. They served good quality food, fast and cheap!

Did you know?

Just like anything good in Melbourne, Delhi Streets is located in quite a small alley way, barely visible from the main street.

Rating for Delhi Streets:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: $10 – $16 per main dish

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

22 Katherine Place, Melbourne 3000

+61 3 9629 2620

http://www.delhistreets.com.au/

Apr 25, 2017
Shanghai Stories 1938

Shanghai Stories 1938 Review:

Shanghai Stories 1938 is located in The Concourse, Chatswood. The building is right next to Westfield Chatswood. Their menu is more on the expensive end of the scale. There are the usual expensive Chinese dishes, such as lobster or abalone.

Xiao Long Bao – $ 11.80 – 8 pieces

Xiao Long Bao is one of the most ordered dishes in the restaurant. Since there were quite a few of us, we managed to order two sets of them.

Steamed Shrimp and Chives Dumplings – $13.80 – 8 pieces

We ordered these dumplings for those of us who did not eat pork.

Drunken Chicken – $11.80

Drunken chicken was part of the cold dish in the menu. The steamed chicken was soaked in Chinese liquor and chilled.

Jelly Fish with Cucumber – $14.80

This was another dish from the cold section. You can buy cheaper-version packaged jelly fish from a Chinese store. Obviously, this one was a bit fresher than that.

Sweet and Sour Baramundi – $43.80

Despite being one of the centrepieces, the fish was quite underwhelming.

Whole Peking Duck with pancake – $68.00 – 16 pieces

When we go to a fancy Chinese restaurant, peking duck becomes one of the units of measurement. The peking duck in Shanghai Stories despite being pretty good was pretty expensive. We only received 16 slices of duck with 16 pancakes. So, technically, it’s not even a whole duck.

Second course – Fried Noodles

This dish came at the very end. They probably have forgotten about it if we didn’t ask.

Prawn and Rice Crackers in Tomato Sauce – $24.80

When the dish arrived, it did not remotely look like the one in the menu. Instead of beautiful big prawns like shown in the picture, we received these tiny krills. Ironically, the soup ended up being our favourite for the night.

Boiled Bean Curd Slices Yangzhou style – $26.80

Personally, I think it was just tofu and greens. It should be noted that the tofu was very fine.

Salt and Pepper Squid – $28.80

It was quite an uneventful salt and pepper squid.

Chinese Milk Dough – $8.80

This perfect pairing for a mud crab dish was transformed into quite a sweet dish with condensed milk.

The final verdict for Shanghai Stories 1938

The high price point at Shanghai Stories 1938 was not met with high standards in service and food.

Did you know?

Shanghai Stories 1938 is part of a restaurant chain with the likes of Taste of Shanghai.

Rating for Shanghai Stories 1938:

6.5 / 10

Taste: 6.5 / 10

Price: $45 per person

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

Shop 4 & 6, The Concourse
405 – 409 Victoria Ave, Chatswood 2067

+61 2 9412 3880

http://tasteofshanghai.com.au/brands/shanghai-stories-1938/

Apr 20, 2017