Category: Cities

This is a category for cities. All about food have reviewed restaurants in cities like Sydney, Singapore, Bali Island, Surabaya, and Bandung.

兰州 Chinese Noodle Bar Burwood

兰州 Chinese Noodle Bar Review:

We went to this restaurant last week because one of us wanted to eat in a Halal Chinese restaurant. Chinese Noodle Bar is the name of the restaurant in English. I think in Chinese it’s called ‘Lanzhou La Mien‘ or Noodles from Lanzhou.

Being a noodle bar, I think it comes as no surprise that their menu predominantly features noodles in any shapes and kinds.

Crispy jellyfish and cucumber in sauce – $8.00

Jellyfish is one of my favourite cold dishes in a Chinese restaurant. It is kind of a safe bet as most restaurants would serve this nicely.

Tofu with preserved egg – $9.80

The price might seem a bit much for a cold dish in a Chinese restaurant. However, if you see the portion, it was actually quite big for a cold dish. Lots of tofu, that’s for sure!

House Specialty Beef Noodle Soup – $10.80

Our first noodles dish is the soup one. The kids truly enjoyed this dish so much that they ordered an extra serving of noodles.

Stir-fried noodle with Mix Seafood & Veg – $14.80

The portion for this stir-fried noodles was quite massive.

BBQ Lamb Skewer – 1 for $3 / 4 for $11.00

The skewers were well presented but I don’t think it can match the ones I have had before.

Pan fried dumplings (Beef/Chinese chives and egg) – $12.00 – 12 pieces

$12 for 12 pieces of pan fried dumplings? Don’t you think it’s a very good deal?

Personally, I think this is the best value and best overall dish in the restaurant. Also, it is particularly hard to find halal pan fried dumplings in Sydney.

Shallot Pancake – $8.00

The pancake was quite soggy and lacking the taste.

Main Noodles Dish – flat rice noodles with potatoes and chicken

Apologies, I could not find the name of this dish. It is the first signature dish on the menu.

The dish came in three sizes (S, M, L). We ordered the medium one and they said it was perfect for 2-3 people. We believe it’s more for 4-5 people!

The dish was quite spicy and we believe there was not enough sauce.

Mapo Tofu

The final verdict for 兰州 Chinese Noodle Bar Burwood

Chinese noodle bar was quite okay if you live around the area. It is also a good place if you are looking for dishes with massive portion. One thing to note tho, the pan fried dumplings are a must!

Rating for 兰州 Chinese Noodle Bar Burwood:

6.5 / 10

Taste: 6.5 / 10

Price: $15 – $20 per person

Place: 6.5 / 10

Details:

183 Burwood Road, Burwood 2134

+61 2 9744 6680

Aug 26, 2017
Suzuya Japanese Restaurant

Suzuya Review:

A while ago, I was introduced to this little restaurant by my work colleague, SR. Suzuya Japanese Restaurant is located in a small street in the middle of Surry Hills. Unless you are a local or someone referred you to it, you will most likely never heard about this place. It is now becoming a meeting place if I meet my colleague for lunch around Surry Hills.

Their menu is quite unusual. They have a lunch menu on the left hand side that is just marginally cheaper than the set menu on the right hand side. Suffice to say, I would strongly suggest to choose the set menu on the right hand side. You will see why…

Their set menu is like a flow chart that you need to navigate around it.

First stop, you must choose one from the following options: Sushi, Sashimi, California Roll, Salmon or Tuna & Avocado roll, or vegetable roll.

You must then choose one of the main meals: Teriyaki (A stir fry flavoured with sweet teriyaki sauce) Beef/chicken/fish, Katsu (Japanese style schnitzel) Pork/chicken, Tempura (Tempura-fried fish, prawns and vegetables), nabeyaki udon noodles

Most of the set menu comes with a bowl of rice, miso soup and agedashi tofu. Obviously the nabeyaki udon does not come with bowl of rice and miso soup.

All of that for only $16.9 or $18.9! Great deal eh?

Agedashi Tofu and Soup

Chicken Katsu

Teriyaki Beef

Tempura

The final verdict for Suzuya

They served massive portion for lunch at Suzuya Japanese restaurant. The taste does not disappoint either!

Did you know?

You really should know where you are going and have the GPS handy. Suzuya is not in the main road.

Rating for Suzuya:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: Under $20 lunch

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

210 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills

+61 2 8399 1639

Suzuya on Zomato

Aug 18, 2017
Chefs Gallery Macquarie

Chefs Gallery Macquarie Review:

Three years ago, we were lucky enough to be invited to Chefs Gallery Feng Shui Blessing opening party for Chefs Gallery Macquarie Park. I went back to the restaurant recently because we had something to do around the area.

They have quite a different menu from when I first reviewed them in Town Hall.

Prawn and squid shu mai – $11.90 – topped with avocado and fish roe paste (4 pieces)

When you go to a yumcha restaurant, shu mai is considered one of the mainstays. Chefs Gallery managed to make it ‘gourmet’ by adding avocado and fish roe paste to the dish.

Ox tail slow cooked – $26.90 – in a mix of Chinese herbs, then fried with lemon grass, eschalots, ginger, chilli, galangal, kaffir lime and basil leaves. Served in a sizzling hot pot.

Ox tail is a dish that I enjoyed the most when I was living in indonesia. It is probably not the healthiest dish in the world, but it is so yummy! Also, this dish is probably one of the most expensive ox tail dishes in the world.

Spinach handmade noodles – $19.90 – wok fried with prawns, mussels in shell, baby calamari tubes, julienned carrots and fresh shiitake mushrooms

When they had the opening party, noodles played a big part. Chefs gallery prides itself with their handmade noodles. The spinach handmade noodles is one of them and they were very good.

Wok fried medium grain rice – $16.90 – with three kinds of eggs (chicken egg, salted duck egg and century egg)

Why stopped with one egg when you can put in three kinds of eggs in your fried rice?

Smiley egg custard buns – $4.90 each

If you are eating out with the kids and not planning to have any desserts, don’t show this section to them. In addition to the emoticons custard bun, they also have the more famous piggy face bun.

The final verdict for Chefs Gallery Macquarie

Chefs Gallery Macquarie Park is probably one of the more expensive Chinese restaurants chain. However, their handmade noodles are very good.

Did you know?
One dish that we did not order this time around but you should really try is the Peking Duck Roti.

Rating for Chefs Gallery Macquarie:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $35 per person

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

Shop 407, North Ryde NSW 2113

+61 2 8040 7483

http://chefsgallery.com/

Aug 10, 2017
Al Aseel Lakemba

Al Aseel Lakemba Review:

We went to one of Al Aseel restaurants in Lakemba for this week’s review. The restaurant wasn’t as prominent nor as busy as the one in Greenacre. However, they have exactly the same menu and price.

Fried Lebanese Bread – $2 – and Baba Ghanouj – $11 – Delicious eggplant dip made from blended fresh bbq eggplant, tahini & garlic served with diced tomato & extra virgin olive oil

Al Aseel gives you complimentary Lebanese bread and a few pickles. What interests me is that for a mere $2, you can get the upgraded version of the bread, deep fried! I love having deep fried Lebanese bread and baba ghanouj dip.

Shish Barak & Mjadra – $25 – minced lamb dumplings cooked in yoghurt & served with rice & lentils (mujaddara)

This dish is part of their main special item on the menu. The lamb dumplings were quite interesting. Unfortunately for us, the yoghurt was quite prominent. It was quite an acquired taste and we did not get it.

Al Aseel Mixed Skewers – $32 – 2 skewers of marinated bbq chicken breast, 2 skewers of lamb & 2 skewers of kafta served with garlic dip

When we went to Al Aseel the first time, we liked this dish so much. This time around, it was a no-brainer.

Samka Harrah with Rice – $22 – oven baked barramundi fillet topped with a traditional spicy tahini & coriander sauce served with seadieh rice & topped with nuts

Fish is probably the last thing on your mind when you go to a Lebanese restaurant. We chose this just because my wife felt like having a fish that day. It was a good decision!

Crumb Calamari & Chips – $10 – fresh fried calamari rings served with golden brown chips

We ordered this to appease the little one. It is the safest and generic option in the restaurant.

The final verdict for Al Aseel Lakemba

Al Aseel Lakemba has quite a similar tasting to the original one in Greenacre. However, the table setting isn’t as fancy despite the same price structure.

Did you know?

We reviewed Al Aseel in Greenacre more than a year ago.

Rating for Al Aseel Lakemba:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $25 – $40 per person

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

135 Haldon Street, Lakemba 2195

+61 2 9758 0000

https://alaseel.com.au/

Aug 3, 2017
Sally’s Grill and Hotpot

Sally’s Grill and Hotpot Review:

Our friends told us that there was a new Halal Korean BBQ restaurant in Kingsford. We went to Sally’s Grill and Hotpot at the end of last month. The restaurant was actually owned by the same group who owned Halal Thai restaurant a few doors down the road.

The menu looks like a mashup between Korean and Japanese BBQ. Their two main offerings are the hotpot and BBQ grill. You have to spend a minimum of $30 for the BBQ grill. Just like in Korean restaurants, you get a few complimentary side dishes.

Cheese spring roll – $8 – 4 pieces – and Takoyaki – $8 – 7 pieces octopus balls

The cheese spring roll was quite the favourite here. The name ‘spring roll’ might be a bit misleading as it is just cheese coated with bread crumb and deep fried. With the takoyaki, I’m sure a lot of restaurants can make a decent takoyaki.

Braised beef short rib hot pot – $30 – cook on the table with vegetable and sweet potato noodle in homemade Bulgogi sauce

I am actually quite happy with the size of the hot pot.

If you don’t want the preset hotpot, you can also choose the shabu-shabu option, This way, you can choose your own ingredients for the hotpot.

Snow cheese fried chicken – $12 – 8 pieces

The snow bit is actually coconut shaving. Nevertheless, the fried chicken is interestingly sweet and crunchy.

BBQ Grill

They have assortments of meat and seafood dishes on offer. However, you have to order at least $30 initially. It’s not that hard to do if your choice goes to the wagyu meat.

Interestingly, the vegetables are pretty cheap in this restaurant. Everything is $3!

The final verdict for Sally’s Grill and Hotpot

Sally’s Grill and Hotpot automatically has a place in the mind of those who looked for halal BBQ restaurants.

Did you know?

As I previously mentioned, this restaurant is part of a rather successful Thai restaurants group: It’s time for Thai.

Rating for Sally’s Grill and Hotpot:

6.5 / 10

Taste: 6.5 / 10

Price: minimum of $30 for BBQ

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

315 Anzac Parade, Kingsford 2032

+61 2 9357 6100

Sally’s Grill and Hotpot on Zomato

Jul 25, 2017
Manmaru

Manmaru Review:

There is a little cafe in Dulwich Hill that has recently been transformed to a Japanese-inspired cafe called Manmaru by its owners. Their menu heavily features vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. The fun part is: they don’t have a fixed menu. They change the menu according to the fresh produce they could find on the day. Interestingly, they managed to combine Japanese ingredients with your usual Australian brunch options.

Miso Beef Brisket – $10 – with asian slaw shichimimayo

The burger might be the cheapest and simpler item on the blackboard that day. However, the brisket was so tasty and worked really well with the asian slaw.

Koji scrambled egg – $16 – with miso butter mushroom

The koji scrambled egg looked like a simple egg, mushroom and a few slices of toast. However, that mushroom is anything but simple. They are jam-packed full of flavour!

Organic lamb with sweet potato – $13 – with housemade tomato chutney and salad

There were four different pies that day. They ran out of our first choice, chicken leek and mushroom. Considering that we are not big on black beans and vegetarian option, our pick went to organic lamb. The pie had a more middle-eastern influence.

White chocolate matcha latte – $6

Considering it’s quite a cold day last week. The white chocolate matcha latte really suited the occasion. The cold weather did not stop the kids to try their rose lychee milkshake tho!

The final verdict for Manmaru

I like a little variety for my brunch. Manmaru delivered a Japanese-inspired brunch that was quite a rarity in Inner West, or even Sydney.

Did you know?

Manmaru also has little cakes and pastries if you are looking for a more bite-sized treat.

Rating for Manmaru:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $10 – $18 per dish

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

495 Marrickville Road, Dulwich Hill 2203

+61 4 1456 6624

https://www.manmaru.com.au/

Jul 21, 2017