Author: Ardi

Sushi Tengoku

Rating:

6.5 / 10

Taste: 8 /10

Price: $20 – $30

Place: 6/10

Review:

Before I start this review, I must give you several advanced warnings when visiting Sushi Tengoku. 1. For your convenience, you MUST book in advance. 2. If you want to order Baked Scallops, you MUST mention it when you make the booking. 3. Be prepared to allocate 1 – 1.5 hours of dinnertime since the dishes will sometimes take a while to be served.

I have never found this restaurant to be empty during dinnertime, maybe if you arrived past 9 PM you would have better ambience. The tables were quite densely arranged. They had a very simple menu (a 2-sided list of food) and if you knew your Japanese food, you could order any Sushi, even they were not on the menu!

If you only exclusively eat the Sashimi or the raw Sushi then you might be able to blitz thru the night because they are always the first ones to arrive. With that being said, our first dishes of the night were (surprise surprise) Aburi Scallops and Salmon. These were not your everyday Sushi. They were gigantic! They were so big that you could not even see the rice below the fish (with the case of Scallops, they put two on one rice).

We then had the entrees dishes, Takoyaki and Crabmeat and Avocado Salad. The takoyaki was just average. The salad looked pretty bright and tasted nice. Both dishes were sort of a staple dish that you can get out of any Japanese restaurants in town.

The next dishes that came to our table were the Salmon Head Teriyaki and Sushi Rolls. The first dish might not be for everyone, but I do love fish head. This one particularly was fabulous. They deep fried the fish and dip it in Teriyaki sauce, creating a crunchy, yet soft, fish skin and meat.We ordered two Sushi rolls on this occasion, Soft-shelled Crab and Tamago Roll. The rolls were brilliant, and massive. The crab was crunchy and the tamago (egg) was soft and sweet.

One of our longest wait was the Baked Scallops. But I’m telling you it was worth the wait. It was a quite small dish of baked scallops and salmon on a bed of mayonnaise and fish roe. The real turn off was really the wait, but other than that everything was so perfect.

The final verdict: If you can get past a long waiting time, slightly above average price, and average table setting, then Sushi Tengoku is a good place to eat. I was going to give a higher rating for this one for the taste, but other factors dragged them down considerably.

The sushis are massive and baked scallop is just over the top. If you don’t mind a fish looking at you, then the Salmon Head is really a bargain!

Did you know?

Kensington is also one of the suburbs without an outstanding restaurant. There are several non-chain restaurants but I am not sure of their quality.

Location:

121 Anzac Parade, Kensington NSW 2033

May 11, 2011
Indo Rasa Restaurant

Rating:

7 / 10

Taste: 7 /10

Price: $12 – $17

Place: 7/10

Review:

This will be my first review of Indonesian restaurant in Sydney and I decided to go to one of the newest, Indo Rasa Restaurant. They face a daunting task of competing with well-established Indonesian restaurants in Kingsford.

Upon entering the restaurant, you felt the décor was more thoughtfully done than the others’. There was a sense of blandness in the middle of the restaurant. There are plenty of foods to choose from the menu. You can either choose the set rice menu or share plates.

In the order of appearance, the first one to arrive was the Lamb Satay with peanut and sweet soy sauce. It’s a rich lamb satay with a nice grilled taste. There’s an optional fresh lime if you want a little taste of sourness. Then came Sambal Eggplants. Though sambal translated directly to chilli, this dish was not hot at all. I think the bright red came mainly from the tomato sauce. The dish was also rather sweet.

The next one was probably one of the better dishes of the night. It was Grilled Squid. This was the only way I like my squid to be grilled. Basted with sweet soy sauce, the squid left no hint of soggy-ness. It was perfectly dry and yummy.

We also had Ca Kangkung (Stir fry water spinach). This and the next one are more like Indonesian-Chinese dish. I particularly like this one because it was half-soupy dish. Then, the very last dish served was Ayam Goreng Mentega (Butter Chicken). I must stress out that this was NOT Indian’s butter chicken. The Indonesian adaptation of butter chicken was actually more like a sweet soy and chopped-onion fried chicken. The highlight for this dish was the chicken. It was mighty tender, yet tasty.

There were a side dish and a dessert that can only be enjoyed with an acquired taste. Fried gizzards dish was basically the complement of chicken’s liver. They had a chewy texture and were usually served plainly on a side plate. Then, there was also Iced Durian. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Durian had this unique smell that was fantastic (to me). This particular dessert was a combination of fresh Durian fruit and Durian ice cream.

The final verdict for Indo Rasa Restaurant

Indo Rasa is just another Indonesian restaurant. The dishes are all decent and the portions are slightly bigger than other Indonesian restaurants in the area, but nothing really stands out. If I have to choose, my favourite would be the Grilled Squid.

Did you know?

As I mentioned on the first paragraph, there are a lot of Indonesian restaurants in Kingsford area that you can try. I am indifferent towards any of them, since I think nothing stands out and I tend to choose whichever has less people.

Location:

Shop 1, 309 Anzac Parade, Kingsford NSW 2032

Website:

https://www.facebook.com/indorasa.sydney/

May 5, 2011
Bentley Restaurant and Bar

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Bentley Restaurant has moved to a new venue in Radisson Blu Hotel.

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Bentley Restaurant’s Rating:

8.5 / 10

Taste: 8.5 /10

Price: $85 per person

Place: 8.5/10

Review:

This is our anniversary week and we are in for a treat. We had the honour of experiencing Australia’s two-hat restaurant, Bentley Restaurant of Surry Hills. Once we stepped into the restaurant, it was a totally different experience. Instead of spotless white tablecloths and brightly lit rooms, we were taken to sort of dark bar décor with wooden tables and a simplistic table setting.

Duck Liver Foie Gras Parfait – with Puffed Rice & Pickled Raisin

We started off the night with this ‘Appetisers to share’. Beautifully decorated Foie Gras with Rose Petals ensured the night started off with a bang. The combination of strong duck flavour was complimented by the sweetness of the raisins. It was the ‘OMG-I-can’t-believe-it’s-very-good’ dish of the night.

Balmain Bug – with Lamb Sweetbread, Black Bean & Coconut Curd

The Entrée for the Mrs and another nicely arranged. We weren’t really paying attention on the details at first and thought the sweetbread could’ve been a brain. However, the overall combination was lovely and the sauce’s bitterness was just the right amount.

Ocean Trout – with Ocean Trout Mousse & Fennel Pollen

Unfortunately this one was less appealing, presentation-wise. My wife reminisced the sauce to be the same as Indonesian traditional’s pepes, which I wasn’t really fond of. The trout had a really nice texture and the mousse was really soft.

Brussel Sprouts – with Smoked Yoghurt

This was the side dish for the night and it added a little green in what otherwise be a ‘meaty’ night.

Roast Spatchcock – with Sweet Corn Polenta, Pistachio & Asparagus

The spatchcock was roasted to perfection. The polenta and pistachio further enhanced this Game bird’s taste with a hint of crispy texture from one element on the dish I couldn’t quite work out.

Slow Roast Duck Breast – with Cuttlefish & Mushroom

I always enjoy a good duck and – I know it could be disastrous if not handled properly – this one was definitely one of the good ones. The duck was really tender with a hint of sweetness. I’d have to guess that the black grainy thing was the mushroom, but it was very tasty. The combination of the three key ingredients created a unique experience.

Frozen Goats Cheese Mousse – with Violet, Buckwheat Praline & Passionfruit Ice Cream

There were quite a few elements on this plate, the cheese mousse, the sweet and sour passion fruit, the cake, the granules, and the sweet green sauce.

Our opinion was divided on this one. I think that the mousse was perfect without the overpowering taste of passion fruit, whilst she thinks that the passion fruit actually balanced the strong goats cheese’s taste. So you have to try and experience it yourself.

Malted Milk Marshmallow

Technically, it was just a well-burnt marshmallow on a stick, but they presented it in a nice board and a nice-looking stick with malt powder.

The final verdict for Bentley Restaurant

Bentley certainly had the complexity of a fine dining restaurant. Every dish was presented beautifully and tasted wonderfully. Love the different ambience and unique décor of the restaurant. Unfortunately the share plate, Foie Gras, was much better than the rest of the night.

Did you know?

There is also a degustation menu that they offered for $120, but I found it disappointing since it only listed one main and 4 entree from the regular menu, which is not an incentive for me to try.

Surry Hills is a suburb full of exciting restaurants. However, you are wise to check the reviews on these restaurants or you might be left with a high bill and feeling disappointed.

Location:

320 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

+61 2 9332 2344

http://www.thebentley.com.au/

Apr 25, 2011
Sydney Fish Market

Rating:

7 / 10

Taste: 7 /10

Price: $15 – $30 per person

Place: 7/10

Review:

We will not take you to a particular restaurant this week, but instead it’s the infamous Sydney’s Fish Market. You have two choices here: one is the posh oh-so-expensive restaurants outside, or the big ‘food court’ type bargain shop.

Somehow, I never get enticed by the ‘fancy’-ish restaurants outside and always opt for the ones inside the big dome. We also have the same sets of restaurants to go to: Grill shop second from the left and Sashimi shop second on the right. You can also get a nice grilled eel from the third shop on the right or bargain scampi on the left hand side towards the end of the building.

In the grill shop, there are a variety of platters for two, including the one with Lobster or the cold cuts. This time, we ordered Seafood Platter and Fried Platter for Two. For the seafood platter we got, grilled octopus, 2 scallops, Killpatrick and Mornay Oysters, Deep fried prawns, fish, and calamari on a bed of chips (or you can also get rice). The fried one consisted of Soft-shelled crab, king prawns, octopus, calamari and fish. This is what I called the staple food to actually fill up the tummy. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still really good and, like I said, you can also get an optional lobster.

From the same restaurant, you can also get all kinds of Grilled fish they have. This time we tried Grilled Salmon. If you really want a grilled fresh Salmon that are still light pink on the inside, this will be the one for you.

The Sashimi stores only have three most common Sashimi: Tuna, Salmon, and Kingfish. They also have an assortment of Fresh Oysters, Sea Urchin, and Seaweed. No matter which shops you go to, that are the only selection you’d get. All of them are equally nice and fresh, but the difference is only in the price, so I reckon you should shop around to see which shop offers the best price for the day.

One of the rare products sold in fish market is the Scampi. Technically, they are still crustacean and are actually more related to lobster than prawn. Size-wise, they are more of a shrimp, but they have a distinct sweet taste. One piece of Scampi Sushi is usually sold at a price of $4.5, but in this place you get 25 scampi for $15… It’s a really good bargain! I must admit that you must de-shell the Scampi yourself which is a bit of a challenge if you don’t have any scissors handy.

The final verdict: It’s a really nice place to get bargain and fresh seafood products. You just need to find out which restaurants offer the lowest price on that day. But if you don’t mind $1 difference, you can go to any restaurants without a problem. All fresh and all good…

Did you know?

There’s a seemingly good Yum Cha Restaurant on its second floor. I’ve been recommended to try but can’t seem to get past the irresistible first floor’s choices.

Location:

Sydney Fish Markets, Bank Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009

Website:

http://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au/

Apr 21, 2011
Kobe Jones

Rating:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5 /10

Price: $69 per person

Place: 8.5/10

Kobe Jones review

This week is another special week, because we are going to travel to one of the nice places in Sydney and it’s also a specially limited menu that they offered only for a day (maybe in the future they’ll do it again). Kobe Jones had this ‘Sentou’ banquet menu consisted of 12 dishes and a dessert platter. Minimum of three people must be present to enjoy this menu. Without further ado, here are the 13 of them, along with their formal descriptions. FYI, this 2 – 7 were served at exactly the same time, thus making our table looked like a total chaos. Then dishes 8 to 11 came at also the same time.

Number One Special – Crab salad with avocado wrapped in kingfish and baked with Kobe Jones’ secret sauce

I know the title might be a bit cheesy, but I think it opened the night with a bang. It resembled a big white chocolate with slightly burnt top.

Anago Scallops – Tempura Hokkaido scallops stuffed with crab salad and asparagus, drizzled with a bittersweet soy sauce glaze

This time, there was neither crab nor sweet taste, because of the overpowering bitterness of the sauce. It was really a dish to forget.

Sashimi Salad – Garden greens topped with fresh sashimi, crab salad and drizzled with ponzu dressing

They omitted seaweed from the list here. It’s a nice and refreshing salad with overabundance of greens.

Wagyu Tenderloin Tataki – Seared and chilled, served rare with garlice, ginger and ponzu sauce

I kinda dislike the combination of tataki and ponzu, it created a sense of uncooked beef satay.

Seafood Poke – Hawaiian-style sashimi cubes marinated in poke sauce

Another funnily named dish and intentionally left seaweed out of the description. This one was nice tho. There was a hint of sesame in the sauce and tasted kind of Yukke sauce, without the egg yolk and the beef.

Sizzled Scallop Carpaccio – Scallop sashimi, sizzled with heated extra virgin oil, and drizzled with wasabi pepper sauce

My favourite dish of the first wave of food!Fresh-tasting sashimi with a hint of wasabi were a great combination and a must for scallop lovers!

Hawaiian Roll – Prawns, cucumber, burdock root and pineapple chilli jam topped with tuna and avocado and drizzled with poke sauce

It was an ok dish without any visible ‘mistakes’

Volcano Roll – Oven-baked scallops layered on a crab salad and avocado roll, with our special cream sauce and a sesame seed and shallot sprinkle

Another crab salad in a sushi, but this time it was covered by baked scallops. This was more decent than any of the previous dishes.

Chicken Kara Age – Do I really need to explain??

Well, not the best kara age I’ve ever tasted… ‘nuff said…

Alaskan Crab – Grilled to highlight the sweetness, then chilled and served in the shell with fresh lime

Finally… A dish truly worth to mention! Described perfectly, the meat of this crab could pop out easily from its shell. It had a nice sweet taste and great to be served chilled.A little bit of advice for you: Do not use the sauce if you don’t want to lose the sweet taste.

Vegetable Tempura – Seasonal vegetables served with dipping sauce

We kinda feel full at this point and I reckon they were just another vegetable tempuras.

Wagyu Hot Rock – Self-cook your wagyu just the way you like it, served with seasoning and two dipping sauces

At this point we already lost hope of actually getting something special out of this place. Then came this solid and sizzling black rock (witha caution from the waiter: DO NOT TOUCH). He then demonstrated how to cook the meat ON the rock! For a real connoisseur, you should be well aware that wagyu beef is best served lightly grilled. The sauce just accentuated the great taste of Wagyu.

Ama Ozen – Kobe Jones’ famous selection of dessert samplers with chocolate chopsticks

The platter was served while the Brulee was still flaming. If we go clock wise from the top we had: Strawberry Cheesecakes, Dark Chocolate cake with Green Tea Ice cream, Berry Yoghurt, Mango Sago, Green Tea Brulee, Strawberry cream with fairy floss, Green Tea macaroons, and the Dark Chocolate Chopsticks. Most of them can be rated as better than the other dishes (except for the crab and Hot Rock)

The final verdict: I must admit that I was thinking of putting off writing this review, because for the first 7 meals, they were all pretty average. However, after the Alaskan Crab onwards, I was convinced that I needed to write this straight away. Highlight of the night at Kobe Jones was definitely the Wagyu Hot Rock. Best dish of the day (or maybe the Ama Ozen for the ladies).

Did you know?

King Street Wharf is located next to Darling Harbour. They have a big selection of upper-market restaurants. However, you might want to be careful not to be trapped in an overpriced-yet-not-tasty restaurant. Best way is to research these restaurants before you make the reservation.

Location:

King Street Wharf, 29 Lime Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Website:

http://kobejones.com.au/locations/sydney/

Apr 12, 2011
Layar Seafood Restaurant

Rating:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 8 /10

Price: Rp. 75,000 – Rp. 150,000 =$8 – $17

Place: 7/10

Review:

We concluded the month of Indonesian food journey with one of the best seafood restaurants (in terms of taste) in Surabaya,Layar Seafood Restaurant. I put the bracket there because its table was poorly set; in fact it was only covered with layers of plastics for their ease of cleanups.

Although they have gained considerable amount of fame, Layar still managed not to charge exorbitant price for its menu. You can either pick your food straight from the fish tanks outside, or choose from the plenty choices on their menu. We started the night with the drinks, Lychee Juice and Iced Tea. As with any other Indonesian dinner, we had share plates for tonight as well.

The first two starter-ish dishes were Garlic steamed oyster and Deep fried eels. The oysters are sold individually because of its size. One massive oyster was served on a heated aluminium serving plate. It had a nice taste, although it lacked chewiness due to its size. The other dish was extra crunchy and the dipping sauce created an extra taste of yumm!

The two vegetable dishes that we ordered were Ca Kangkung (loosely translated into stir fried water spinach) and Sambal Eggplants. The water spinach added a touch of freshness to our otherwise ‘greasy’ night. The eggplants were served in a sizzling hot plate with a hint of chilli taste, though not overpowering. They were sort of twice cooked and were quite soft – unlike the hard, grilled eggplants from BBQ.

I must say that the highlight of the night came from the next two dishes. First one was Salted egg yolk Soft-shelled Crab. I must admit that even with the lettuce garnish, it still didn’t look appealing. However, when you had them with your steaming hot rice, they were perfect. The crab’s crunch and coarseness of the egg created a nice combination for us to enjoy.

Then came the ‘actual’ crab, Crab with Padang-style sauce. This was actually a work of art. The aroma, the presentation and the taste were all appetising. Even with all the difficulties of eating a crab, this was still the dish to order. You will be able to choose between, small, female (with egg), or Jumbo (they might sometimes call it Super) crab. Personally I like the ones with egg, because of the added taste of the egg, but if you want value out of your crab, I suggest you order the Jumbo ones. They were all massive and meaty.

The final verdict for Layar Seafood Restaurant

Their Padang-sauced crabs and Soft-shelled crab in egg yolks were dishes to die for. They were absolutely amazing. Feel free to explore the different kinds of fish they have, especially the steamed ones, because unfortunately we didn’t order any this time around.

Did you know?

Layar is possibly the fastest growing seafood restaurant in Surabaya this 00’s decade. It started off as a tiny off-the-street restaurant and grew over the last decade to have two restaurants on major streets of Surabaya. They simply provide one of the freshest seafood with great taste.

Location:

Jl. Manyar Kertoarjo No. 62, Surabaya, East Java

Apr 4, 2011