Author: Ardi

PappaRich Malaysian Delights – Broadway

Review:

“PappaRich Malaysian Delights” was the name mentioned when I asked my circle of friends to name a good Malaysian restaurant in Sydney. However, we were kind of lazy to cross the bridge to Chatswood for a Malaysian cuisine. So, when we went to Broadway and saw the sign ‘PappaRich’, I could not be more delighted. We were also just in time to avoid the queue!

If you went there for the first time, the menu can be quite intimidating. It feels like an endless list of food with big pictures! So, on this occasion, I’ll try to let you know the different dishes you can expect to find at PappaRich Malaysian Delights.

From the first part of the menu, we had Roti Canai with Tandoori Chicken ($14.90). It was quite a simple arrangement of a quarter tandoori chicken, a pretty big piece of roti and two kinds of sauce (spicy sambal and yogurt mint). We then picked 6 sticks of Satay Beef ($13.90), alternatively you can choose to have satay chicken.

The rice department has quite a few choices to offer. At the top of the list, the Pappa Chicken Rice with Steamed Chicken ($13.50) was too hard to miss. A Malaysian favourite that comes complete with tender boiled chicken, fragrant chicken rice, chicken soup, bean sprouts and a combination of chilli, ginger and dark soya sauce for dipping. You can also have a variety of Biryani or jasmine rice with two choices from the following: red chicken, sambal eggplant, sambal prawns and beef rendang. The costs vary between $13.00 to $16.90.

There were also a handful of choices from the Noodles department, unfortunately we only got the chance to try Crispy Egg Noodle ($13.50) – wok-fried egg noodles with egg gravy, prawns, chicken slices and fish cakes. My Malaysian friend told me that a good Malaysian restaurant was judged on the way they created their Laksa. She also said that PappaRich’s was very nice. This last dish was my personal favourite, Pappa Deep Fried Chicken Skin ($6.90).

They serve a lot of traditional Malaysian drinks, such as Ice Blended Bandung (Rose Syrup with Soya Milk) with Grass Jelly ($4.90).

The verdict for PappaRich Malaysian Delights – Broadway

I love a good serve of deep fried chicken skin and PappaRich gave us a great serve of them! In line with the buzz, PappaRich lived up to the expectation. The price tag was justifiable by the big portions they served.

Did you know?

Looking at PappaRich’s main Malaysian website, I was actually quite surprised that they already opened restaurants in six countries!

Rating for PappaRich Malaysian Delights:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: $20 – $25 per person

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

Shop 5, 185 Broadway, Ultimo 2007

02 9281 3228

http://papparich.net.au/

May 20, 2014
Sushi Tengoku

Review:

Back in 2011, I reviewed Sushi Tengoku with one major issue: wait time. So, what’s so different this time around?

Sushi and Sashimi

Sushi was the thing I love the most at Sushi Tengoku. They are nice, extra large, and served pretty fast! We never miss ordering aburi salmon and aburi scallops. Some people said that the sea urchin sushi was nice, but we always have difficulties in trying to find which one to cut from our order.

If you want variety, we suggest you to order sushi or sashimi moriawase.

Sushi rolls and small dishes

Whenever we are in Sushi Tengoku, we always ordered tamago roll and spider roll. Sushi tengoku’s sushi rolls were humongous as always! Trying to finish them was quite a task.

If you can stand fish head, I suggest you to try teriyaki salmon fish head. For only $5, it is by far the best value for money dish.

Specials

Specials are the one place that was problematic last time around. This time, we upped the ante and ordered two specials: Baked Scallops and Volcano Roll.

We were pretty pleased that the baked scallops were served reasonably fast and they were actually bigger. Baked scallops consisted of scallops, salmon, fish roe, and mayonnaise.

The volcano roll was pretty interesting. There were eight sushi maki with charred (aburi) crab meat.

The new verdict for Sushi Tengoku

We’re pretty impressed with the changes that happened at Sushi Tengoku! Still the same gigantic sushi and baked scallops, but now without the ridiculously long wait time!

Did you know?

My Japanese friend once told me that a good sushi was not judged by the quality of meat, but was actually the intricate process to produce its rice!

Sushi Tengoku is the second restaurant that All About Food blog revisited (Churrasco being the other one).

Why do we revisit?

Some restaurants we visit regularly. If we think that the restaurant has improved significantly, we’ll try to get a new post for that restaurant.

Sushi Tengoku’s Rating:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $20 – $30 per person

Place: 6.5 / 10

Details:

121 Anzac Parade, Kensington NSW 2033

02 9663 3388

They don’t have a website, but they do have Sushi Tengoku facebook page.

May 12, 2014
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014

The award season is here! It is the world’s 50 best restaurants 2014. To be named in this site as the world’s 50 best restaurants is probably the highest accomplishment a chef can get.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014

Despite a different winner, there were no surprises in the Top 3 list this year. Noma reclaimed the top spot as the best restaurant in the world. This Danish restaurant came up second last year but winner of the previous three. El Celler De Can Roca from Spain was knocked back to number two. Osteria Francescana from Italy is the third best for the last two years.

Australia’s best restaurants in 2014

Despite falling 11 places to number 32, Attica from Melbourne is still the best restaurant in Australia. Attica is also the only Australian restaurant in this 50 best restaurants list. This year, they even won the Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Australasia.

Quay, the only restaurant that all about food blog has reviewed, fell 12 spots to number 60.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014

As a spin-off to the list, they also produced the 50 best restaurants list for Asian region.

This year’s top Asia 50 best restaurants is Nahm from Bangkok, Thailand. Last year’s winner, Narisawa, got the runner up position. Interestingly, Nahm became the top restaurant in Thailand after being the first (and only?) Thai restaurant in London to receive a Michelin star.

Indonesia’s best restaurant in 2014

As an Indonesian descent, I am happy to know that one Indonesian restaurant in on the list! Sarong Restaurant Bali was listed at number 47 in the Asia’s 50 best restaurants 2014. Founder chef, Will Meyrick, was known to be an apprentice for Gordon Ramsay. He used to own Longrain restaurant in Sydney. Looking briefly at the menu, it looked like a mishmash of Asian food.

… and here is the list of 50 Best Restaurants 2014:

1. Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
2. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
3. Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
4. Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA
5. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, UK
6. Mugaritz, San Sebastián, Spain
7. D.O.M, Sao Paulo, Brazil
8. Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
9. Alinea, Chicago, USA
10. The Ledbury, London, UK
11. Mirazur, Menton, France
12. Vendôme, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
13. Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
14. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
15. Central, Lima, Peru
16. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
17. Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand
18. Astrid y Gastón, Lima, Peru
19. Fäviken Järpen, Sweden
20. Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
21. Le Bernardin, New York, USA
22. Vila Joya, Albufeira, Portugal
23. Restaurant Frantzén, Stockholm, Sweden
24. Amber, Hong Kong, China
25. L’Arpège, Paris, France
26. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
27. Le Chateaubriand, Paris, France
28. Aqua, Wolfsburg, Germany
29. De Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands
30. Per Se, New York, USA
31. L’Atelier Saint-Germain de Joël Robuchon, Paris, France
32. Attica, Melbourne, Australia
33. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo, Japan
34. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain
35. Martin Berasategui, San Sebastian, Spain
36. Mani, Sao Paolo, Brazil
37. Restaurant Andre, Singapore
38. L’Astrance, Paris, France
39. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy
40. Daniel, New York, USA
41. Quique Dacosta, Denia, Spain
42. Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark
43. Schloss Schauenstein, Furstenau, Switzerland
44. The French Laundry, Yountville, USA
45. Hof Van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Belgium
46. Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy
47. The Fat Duck, Bray, UK
48. The Test Kitchen, Cape Town, South Africa
49. Coi, San Francisco, USA
50. Waku Ghin, Singapore

May 5, 2014
Lucio Pizzeria

Review:

The first time we went to Lucio Pizzeria was because we asked a simple question to an Italian: Beside your home-cooking, which Pizzeria was closest to the ‘real deal’? The answer was quick and certain: Lucio Pizzeria. It is located on a nice side street in the buzzing suburb of Darlinghurst.

Entree

The best value for your money would be the antipasto misto (mixed appetisers), for $26 you got a whole range of stuff, including prosciutto, arancini, grilled eggplant, and olives. For big eaters like me, I strongly suggest this!

If the antipasto misto sounds a bit too much for you, maybe you can try its Fig and prosciutto, Zucchini or Calamari Fritti ($19). However, the portions were rather small.

Main Course

The unique thing about Lucio Pizzeria is that they only serve pizze (or its variation) for the main course. We have managed to order several of them (Siciliana, Fume, Tartufata, Bufalina) and agreed that the base was the best part of the pizza. It was crunchy and chewy at the same time!

The only other main course is calzone, which looked kinda like a folded pizza. I felt that the calzone had more fillings/toppings than the pizza.

Dessert

If you still can’t get enough of the pizza, feel free to order their Nutella Pizza for dessert. It was created using the same pizza dough as the main course, with nutella topping. If you like Nutella, then this is the dessert for you.

Alternatively, I suggest you to try their Affogato. They gave quite a generous serving of ice cream (two scoops) and a strong shot of espresso. The ice cream was pretty smooth and the extra touch of frangelico is always welcomed!

The final verdict for Lucio Pizzeria

Lucio Pizzeria is currently our favourite pizzeria in Sydney. There was a different feel to the pizza base than any other pizza joints! Granted that you might not be getting a big range of toppings, but that’s what pizze are in Italy!

Did you know?

Lucio Pizzeria does not accept bookings, so I suggest you to come to the restaurant early.

Also, being an Authentic Italian Pizza, they don’t do fancy toppings. So you wouldn’t be seeing something like cheesy burst crust with lobster toppings!

Rating:

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $20 – $25 per pizza

Place: 8.5 / 10

Details:

248 Palmer St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

02 9332 3766

http://www.luciopizzeria.com.au/

Apr 30, 2014
Triple Pick Coffee

Triple Pick Coffee Review:

This week, I present you a rather unique review. Instead of reviewing a restaurant, this will be the first time that All About Food blog reviews a coffee establishment. For that reason, we will not be using our usual rating concept.

Triple Pick Coffee is the shop that we always go to for a great cup of coffee. They are located in a small street just across the loading bay for Westfield Bondi Junction’s Coles. Despite the busy nature of Westfield Bondi Junction, this location actually creates a more relaxed ambiance.

Triple Pick Coffee only uses Sumatran Mandheling for its coffee. The beans were imported directly from family plantations in Medan, Indonesia. This way, it was ensured that you would get the same quality every time you sip their coffee.

In the summer, you might want to try their Ice Coffee. I love how they do it differently. Instead of having a normal ice cube and whipped cream, they have coffee cube and coffee whipped cream. That way, you will never get diluted feel of the ice coffee. They also have a selection of small bites, homemade sandwiches and cakes to accompany your coffee.

Roasted In-house

One of the unique traits of Triple Pick Coffee was that their coffee beans were roasted in-house. There are only a handful of coffee shops that are also a roaster. What is so special about roasted in-house coffees? Freshness! You just can’t beat the taste of fresh coffee off the roaster.

In Triple Pick Coffee, you can actually see the process of coffee roasting and smell the finished products just as they leave the roasting machine.

The final verdict for Triple Pick Coffee

I have tried several coffee shops that have their coffee beans roasted in-house. I felt that Triple Pick Coffee was the closest one to my taste buds.

Did you know?

Sydneysiders are very particular about their coffees. Coffee culture is so deeply-rooted into the society that great coffee shops often have people lining up just for a sip of their famous coffee.

Details:

17 Gray Street, Bondi Junction

02 9388 9015

http://www.triplepickcoffee.com.au

Apr 22, 2014
Rockpool

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Unfortunately, Rockpool has closed its doors in 2016. They are now rebranded as Eleven Bridge.

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Rating:

9.0 / 10 Taste: 9.5 / 10

Price: $79 for three courses

Place: 9.5 / 10

Review for lunch menu:

Neil Perry is probably one of the better known chefs in Australia, not only because he has quite a few up market restaurants in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne, but also Qantas’ consulting chef. We went to Neil Perry’s flagship restaurant, Rockpool, for a three-course lunch. Rockpool has just reintroduced lunch menu when they moved to Bridge Street at the end of last year. As expected, we won’t be doing the degustation menu for lunch.

Before any of the dishes arrive, customary (and complimentary) bread and butter were always served. There was also a side of ricotta cheese with a hint of olive oil for an added flavour. I really loved the combination of the butter with a hint of honey and sourdough bread. It really boosted the feeling that it was going to be a nice lunch.

Entrée

For the first entrée, we had rainbow trout ‘grenobloise’ with capers, lemon and butter sauce. The rainbow trout was excellent! The trout’s skin and the little grenobloise bits were really crunchy, but the meat itself was perfectly fried. However, the lemon butter sauce was too sour to my liking.

We also had chirashi zushi of squid, prawn, kingfish and tuna for our entree. The one thing stuck in my mind was this kimchi-looking thing that had very strong taste but without any lingering hot effects. The chirashi zushi had a beautifully balanced flavour.

Main

We originally ordered rib eye (that commanded an extra $20), but then the waiter apologetically said that the last rib eye was ordered just before he entered our order. Slightly not happy (but would have $20 cheaper bill), we then opted to go with Angus beef fillet, poached oysters, potato and prune terrine with a carpet bag sauce. After doing some ‘googling’ about carpetbag, oysters were actually a great combination for the steak.

The next dish was almost like eating a super fancy Chinese dish (that doesn’t involve shark’s fin or abalone), Suckling pig with shiitake oat porridge, preserved eggs, puff crackling and Ceylon spinach. The suckling pig was presented in a bread crumbs roll that resembled crackling skin of roast pork. It was quite a heavy dish with lots of meat and oat porridge. The heavenly bit was obviously when you reached its fat.

Sides

Since we switched the main dish, we also had a slight adjustment to the sides. Eventually, we ordered Rockpool salad with palm sugar vinaigrette. We were so happy that we made the switch! As a big fan of sweet stuff, I truly loved the palm sugar vinaigrette. It was so heavenly sweet and for salad haters like me, coming back for second was virtually impossible! … yet, I had my third and fourth bites!

Dessert

The ‘Strawberries and cream’ ricotta parfait with strawberry compote, crème Chantilly, sparkling wine was quite literally sparkling. I loved the sound of the parfait cracked open. It was actually a bit too sweet and I think that was because of the Moscato they used for the sparkling wine.

For the second dessert, we had Passionfruit soufflé with passionfruit ice cream. Delivered straight from the kitchen, I was recommended to cut a hole in the middle of the souffle and pop the ice cream into it. I loved how full of taste the souffle was. The combination of hot and cold also worked wonders!

The final verdict for Rockpool

Having lunch at Rockpool was probably one of the best lunches we had in life. Granted that having a three-course for lunch might be an overkill, but every dish was executed perfectly.

Did you know?

Rockpool Sydney has an interesting concept for its degustation menu. It starts at $125 for eight tasting item and one additional choice. They also have options for two and three choices as well as their wine matching.

Details:

11 Bridge Street, Sydney 2000

02 9252 1888

http://www.rockpool.com/sydney/

Apr 13, 2014