Category: Global Cuisines

All About Food Blog loves trying different cuisines from all around the world. Sometimes food has the same name but completely different look and taste.

Bórn by Tapavino

It’s been more than 2 years since I last wrote about my experience dining… around the first time the pandemic hit this world 🙁

We are slowly moving back to the new normal and started to eat out again with friends and families… even coming to the office on a more regular basis.

For this edition, I went to Born by Tapavino, for a company lunch. Born by Tapavino is located in Barangaroo, Sydney.

The Menu at Born by Tapavino

Their lunch set menu is priced at $65 pp with an option to add Jamon Croqueta for $6 pp.

They provided a shared-plate set menu that consisted of 1 snack, 4 tapas, and 1 substantial with a side. There was also the dessert of the day: Pavlova 🙂

They also have the a la carte menu available if you’re not really with a big group of people.

Jamon Serrano with Sourdough bread

For the group, they actually served a very generous amount of Jamon Serrano!

The sourdough bread was the one that stole the show for us. They were so very warm and delicious that we actually had to order some extra!

Manchego Churros, Tomato Jam

I believe the churros were the fastest dish devoured by the group on that day!

They were very nice and perfect bite size… it’s a shame we couldn’t have some more extras like the bread 🙂

Galician Octopus, Kipfler Potatoes

I love how they cooked the octopus, Galician style with generous sprinkles of paprika!

They also put substantial amount of potatoes on the plate… which made us struggle towards the end to finish the set menu… good struggle tho 🙂

Gambas al Ajillo, Garlic Prawns

This dish doesn’t need an introduction. Pretty much a staple in most if not all Spanish Tapas.

Did we say we order extra bread? To dip into the garlic sauce!

Char-grilled Chicken + Patatas, Chilli Salt and Sherry Mayo

More potatoes… different kinds but equally good!

The chicken was super juicy with very tasty salsa sauce!

Dessert del Dia – Pavlova

I couldn’t really enjoy this to the fullest because I had to go to another meeting. However, the one scoop I had was very good!

The Final Verdict for Born By Tapavino

It was a very good lunch set menu at Born By Tapavino.

Do you think I should go?

If you do it on a weekday, you might want to clear out the rest of the day for meetings. The set menu was super filling and it might take a while to go through them all.

Rating:

Una’s Darlinghurst

8.5 / 10

Taste: 8.5 / 10

Price: $65 Lunch Set Menu

Place: 8.0 / 10

Details:

9A 23 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo NSW 2000, Sydney

+61 2 8072 7387

https://www.borntapavino.com.au/

Sep 29, 2022
Una’s Darlinghurst

For this edition, we went to Darlinghurst to try one of the legendary restaurants in the area, Una’s. I’ve heard about them for many years, according to their website they have been around since the 70s!

One dish that kept popping up as a suggestion when visiting Una’s is their Schnitzel.

The Menu at Una’s Darlinghurst

If you look at the menu below, you’ll see Schnitzel basically occupies the top 6 main dishes.

You could also order entrees or side dishes, but only if you’re feeling peckish. Their Schnitzel is pretty big.

Jager Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce – $24.40

Here’s a comparison of the size of schnitzel with a hand of an adult… pretty big eh?

With their schnitzel, you can choose between veal, chicken or pork. Jager schnitzel comes with mushroom sauce, cabbage salad and rosti.

Jager Schnitzel – $24.40

I was thinking about ordering the Gypsy Schnitzel but the temptation of schnitzel with mushroom sauce was too great!

Pork Knuckle with Sauerkraut and Rosti – $27.50

The pork knuckle is even bigger than the schnitzel for only $3 extra. You also get sauerkraut with bacon and the giant rosti.

Cherry Strudel with Ice Cream – $8.90

After a few pints and a schnitzel, you would want something that’s sweet to finish your dinner. Strudel is generally the choice when you go to an Austrian/German restaurant.

A slice of cherry strudel with a scoop of ice cream is only $8.90… yep, it’s not a typo!

Apple Strudel with Ice Cream – $8.90

If you don’t fancy cherry, perhaps you would like to try apple strudel instead?

The Final Verdict for Una’s Darlinghurst:

I’m sure you’ve picked up what you should order at Una’s Darlinghurst from our choices above.

Do you think I should go?

I don’t think you could find a schnitzel for under $25 in the city with this size.

Rating:

Una’s Darlinghurst

7.5 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $22.40 – $27.50 for main

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

340 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst 2010, Sydney

+61 2 9360 6885

http://www.unas.com.au/

Feb 2, 2020
Kushi Bankstown

We originally went to Little Saigon Plaza in Bankstown to try another restaurant. However, we couldn’t resist the temptation to try Kushi Charcoal Skewer Buffet, or we’ll call it Kushi Bankstown in this post.

It’s even crazier to see the price at $19 for the lunch buffet!

The main attraction for Kushi Bankstown is obviously its skewers. They have three different types of skewers: normal, seasoned and spicy.

There are not a lot of different types of meat, but they just called it beef, lamb, and chicken. They also have skewers of pumpkins, garlic and other veggies.

If you can’t wait for the skewers to cook, you can have a selection of kimchi, fried chicken, pancakes, or jap chae from the hot food section.

They also serve a hot soup area with a selection of noodles and skewers of fish balls and fish cakes.

However, the highlight of the day is obviously the wait for these skewers to cook to your liking.

The good thing is you don’t even need to constantly turn it! The machine does everything for us!

View this post on Instagram
We were so happy the first time we went there that we came back for more ^.^ All you can eat yakitori at Kushi in Bankstown #yakitori #allyoucaneat #kushi #AllAboutFoodBlog #lunch A post shared by All About Food Blog (@aaf_blog) on Apr 17, 2019 at 12:03am PDT

The final verdict for Kushi Bankstown

Kushi Bankstown is a very affordable Korean buffet.

Do you think I should go?

If you go at lunchtime, they are even cheaper!

Rating:

Kushi Bankstown

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $19 – $25 per person for lunch | $29 – $35 pp for dinner

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

Ground Floor, Little Saigon Plaza, 462 Chapel Road, Bankstown 2200

+61 424 239 393

Kushi Charcoal Skewer Buffet on facebook

Jan 14, 2020
Koku Culture Cafe

Koku Culture Cafe is located at the far end of the Ashfield shopping strip towards the junction to Croydon. This little Japanese cafe is always very busy… and I think we know why!

Coffee By Single O

While you wait, you might want to order the coffee that they are serving.

Ice cream and honey on toast – $8

This is a big hit for the kids. The bread was a thick cut Japanese milk bread from Azuki Bakery in Enmore. If you add a scoop of ice cream, a sprinkle of 100s and 1000s and a dash of honey, you get an instant favourite.

Torched Confit Alpine King Salmon Fillet – $19 – with Koku miso dressing & green tea noodle salad.

I love the fact that they put an effort into making the skin crispy. The salmon itself was perfectly cooked.

They were giving you an option to add a 63-degree egg for an extra $2. This is almost a no-brainer… you just had to add the egg.

Crispy Rice Burger with Chips – $15 – Cheese Burger with Koku Secret Sauce

I love rice burger ever since I tasted one a few years ago in Sydney. They are always super crunchy!

The shoestring fries at Koku Culture Cafe made this dish a crunch fest!

Extra Corn Fritter – $5

The corn fritter wasn’t actually part of our original plan. We ordered it upon seeing one passing our table. We knew we just had to order it.

The final verdict for Koku Culture Cafe

Koku Culture Cafe serves us quality food with amazing hospitality.

Do you think I should go?

You are almost likely needing to wait for your table at the restaurant. However, the food there is sure worth the wait!

Rating:

Silvester’s

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $10 – $23 per person

Place: 8.0 / 10

Details:

1/355 Liverpool Road, Ashfield 2131

+61 402 697 475

https://www.kokuculture.com.au/

Nov 14, 2019
Segar Restaurant, Singapore

This is quite a late post from my trip to Singapore. Segar Seafood restaurant is sitting at the heart of Chinatown in Singapore.

They had quite a simple menu of assorted seafood and non-seafood dishes at quite an affordable price. If you feel a bit adventurous, you should try their special: Curry Fish Head!

Hotplate Chicken with Dried Chilli – $12

This is for your friends who don’t eat seafood…

Long Beans with Prawns – $10.80

Long bean with shrimp paste and prawns? This is the only way I know how to eat my veggies!

Salted Egg Prawns – $14

Anything salted egg is why I eat so much every time I go to Singapore. So, when I saw this dish at Segar restaurant, I couldn’t help but order.

I love the combination of crunchy deep-fried prawn and the salty/savory taste of the salted egg. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Assam Curry Fish Head – $20

I know most people in Australia wouldn’t even consider eating fish heads. However, the curry fish head could be considered a delicacy in South East Asian countries.

I love the challenge of going through each part of the fish head. The best thing about it was that the part was always so juicy!

One of the key factors that we chose this restaurant was that the halal certification that they had.

The final verdict for Segar Restaurant:

Segar Restaurant is a quick and affordable restaurant that served pretty nice food.

Do you think I should go?

Getting a halal restaurant in Singapore can be quite challenging. Segar is one of them.

Rating:

Segar Restaurant

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $12 – $20 per main dish

Place: 6.5 / 10

Details:

B2-39/40/41, 133 New Bridge Road, Chinatown Point, Singapore 059413

+65 6444 1778

Segar Restaurant on facebook

Nov 6, 2019
Silvester’s

At the end of September, we dined in Silvester’s restaurant that is located in Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel.

From the menu design, I’m guessing they have a minor refresh every month. Interestingly, the menu item is separated by types, rather than the usual entree, main, and desserts… actually, desserts is another menu altogether.

Entree at Silvester’s

Rockliff Spanner Crab – $34 – Avocado, grapefruit

The spanner crab was wrapped in a beautiful layer of avocado. The texture of the spanner crab was so smooth with such a rich flavour.

“Signature Oysters – $5 – Coriander, ponzu, finger lime

It’s a nice and simple oyster with ponzu. Just beware, that finger lime is super sour!

Kangaroo Loin Tartare – $24 – Soy, sesame, pear

We actually didn’t manage to eat too much of the tartare as the big one pretty much hogged the plate and helped himself with a generous serving of the dish.

From the small piece that I tried, the tartare was really fresh and delicious.

Silvester’s Main Course

Dry Aged Pinnacle Rib Sirloin – $48 – 300 gram, served with our signature ‘Cafe de Paris’ sauce

I love a nicely aged meat. This rib sirloin was nicely done and the complementing sauce worked wonderfully with the steak.

The waitperson explained to us that the sauce wasn’t technically the real Cafe de Paris sauce but rather their rendition of the original sauce. I have never tried the original sauce, but they said it was very similar to the real one.

50C Tasmanian Ocean Trout – $32 – Aerated hollandaise, celeriac crumbs

Unlike the steak, the ocean trout looked beautifully simple. 50C referred to the temperature that they cooked the salmon, also known as sous-vide.

The smooth-textured salmon got a nice crunchy accent from the celeriac crumbs. It then got a light and acidic hollandaise sauce.

The salmon looked and tasted beautifully.

House Made Potato Gnocchi – $28 – Pumpkin, miso, native dukkah

Unfortunately, the gnocchi took out the prize of the most un-glamorous out of the three main. Despite the average look, the gnocchi itself was so soft and chewy. Very nicely done!

Roquette Salad – $12 – Pecorino, balsamic dressing

Northern Beaches Baby Corn – $12 – Chipotle butter

To accompany the main dishes, we had a rocket salad (pretty much the only salad I would ever consider ordering) and the baby corn.

I’m quite curious if they’re talking about Sydney’s Northern Beaches. I don’t recall seeing any farm in Northern Beaches. However, the website stated they are in Ingleside.

The Desserts

Uji Matcha Lava Tart – $15 – Yogurt ice cream, rhubarb coulis

If you like lava cake and matcha, you simply must order this. The yoghurt ice cream, rhubarb coulis and cheese wafer made it that much more lively.

Raspberry & Lychee – $15– Hibiscus gel, meringue

We had to order this twice as our son refused to share.

The interesting bit about this dessert is the icy lychee stuff underneath that gel and meringue. It was simply yum!

At the end of the service, they gave you a cone of lime and mousse and a chocolate truffle.

I’m already pretty happy even without these two.

The final verdict for Silvester’s:

It is very rare that a restaurant can serve great food with great service. Silvester’s did exactly those, and did it admirably.

Do you think I should go?

This is not your typical ‘hotel food’. You should go!

Rating:

Silvester’s

9.0 / 10

Taste: 9.0 / 10

Price: $30 – $40 per person

Place: 9.0 / 10

Details:

Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel

+61 2 9259 7330

https://silvesters.com.au/

Oct 21, 2019