All About Food

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.

  • Doughbox Diner

    Doughbox Diner

    Doughbox Diner Review:

    Halloween is usually one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States. Our visit to an American Restaurant, Doughbox Diner, on Halloween’s day was no different. They had a tombstone at the entrance and a few halloween-inspired dishes.

    z10 Doughbox Diner

    Burgers, crepes and lots of desserts dominated their menu. They also had a few hot dogs and starters.

    As a starter, they gave out complimentary bowl of popcorn.

    Buffalo Wings (10 pieces) – $18.99 – Fried Chicken Wings tossed in our Spicy Buffalo Sauce served with Celery Sticks and Ranch Dressing

    The first dish to arrive on the day was buffalo wings. They warned us about how spicy the wings was with three chilis symbol right next to the list. However, it was not hotter than our usual chili sauce. The wings were nice and super saucy.

    Onion Rings – $12.99 – Crispy Battered Rings served with our Zesty Dipping Sauce

    Their onion rings were quite thin and super crispy. The dipping sauce really made it zesty!

    Johnny B Goode – $17.99 – 2 Beef Patties, 3 Slices of Cheddar, House Relish, Red Onion, Lettuce, American Mustard, Sweet BBQ Sauce

    Our original order was a burger called Sloppy Joe. However, they said it was not available on that day. We then focused our attention to Johnny B Goode (named after a song by Chuck Berry). It has all the hallmarks of something American with stacks of burgers and cheese. It is the second largest burger in the menu.

    Avocado Bite – $14.99 – Chicken, Bacon, Mushrooms, Spring Onion, Fresh Tomato, Avocado & Sour Cream, Cheese

    Avocado bite is part of their crepe cone range. They claimed their crepe cone to be highly addictive…. and we did not blame them. I used to eat a savoury crepe when I was a child with a lot less fillings in them. So, a massive cone with lots of fillings is like a dream come true!

    z3 Crepe Cone from Doughbox Diner

    We had to ask for a takeaway box as we were quite full and we knew the dessert would come next.

    Scream Sundae – $12.99

    The only halloween-themed item on the menu that we ordered on the day. The sundae came in a skull goblet with LOTS of halloween candies. It was not probably our best move, considering it’s only Tuesday!

    The final verdict for Doughbox Diner

    Doughbox diner was definitely a fun restaurant to visit. They had quite a reasonable price and we were super nourished!

    Do you think I should go?
    If you enjoy themed restaurant that will make you full and happy… Of course!

    Rating for Doughbox Diner:

     

    7.5 / 10

    Taste: 7.5 / 10

    Price: $15 – $22 burgers

    Place: 7.5 / 10

     

    Details:

    137 Enmore Rd, Enmore 2042

    +61 2 9565 1995

    http://doughboxdiner.com.au/doughbox/

    Doughbox Diner Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

     

  • The Mexican Cafe

    The Mexican Cafe

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    The Mexican Cafe has moved to a new venue, please check restaurant’s facebook page for its new address.

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    The Mexican Cafe Review:

    We went to The Mexican Cafe by accident as we walked down Enmore Road trying to figure out what to eat. We went in to the usual Mexican’s friendly vibe. They just recently opened the restaurant and did not have a liquor license yet. So, yes, bring your BYO Mexican beers and/or Tequila (a little note: please drink responsibly!)).

    Looking at the menu, I was fixated on the chimichanga – more on that later on. They also have specials throughout the week, most notably $3 Taco Tuesday.

    Small Nachos – $14 – A pile of corn chips topped with sour cream and layered with salsa, beans, cheese, and your choice of filling (beef, chicken, fish, seafood, pork, or veg)

    Pictured below is a SMALL plate of nachos. We thought it might be perfect for the little one. However, we ended up eating most of it. I don’t want to think about how big is the large one!

    Soft Tacos (Beef) – $13.50 – Two soft flour tortillas filled with lettuce, salsa, cheese and sour cream. Served with beans and rice

    Taco is the baseline dish in a Mexican restaurant. It is the safe bet and can hardly go wrong.

    The portion for the soft taco is also quite big for us.

    Chimichanga – $19 – A large tortilla filled with beans and cheese, deep fried, with your choice of filling (beef, chicken, fish, seafood, pork, or veg). Served with rice and beans.

    The chimichanga was big and sinful with so much cheese and beans and meat. To top it off, it was deep fried!

    You can have assortments of filling, but we chose seafood on this occasion.

    (SUPER) Hot Sauce

    Long time readers and friends might know that I really hate chili sauce. So, I don’t know what I was thinking when testing one of the hottest sauces in the world. I’m pretty sure it’s borderline madness!

    If my math doesn’t betray me, this sauce is 357 times hotter than the normal Tabasco!

    The final verdict for The Mexican Cafe

    The Mexican Cafe ticked a lot of boxes for me: big portion, nice tasting, and friendly atmosphere.

    Do you think I should go?

    Definitely! The BYO thing is also nice, eh?

    The great thing about Enmore is that there are a lot of things to do around the area. Including if you are having early dinner before the concert at Enmore Theatre.

    Rating for The Mexican Cafe:

     

    7.5 / 10

    Taste: 7.5 / 10

    Price: $20 – $25 per person

    Place: 7.5 / 10

     

    Details:

    80 Enmore Road, Newtown 2042

    +61 2 9357 6100

    The Mexican Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

     

  • The Eate, On The Spit and Off The Grill

    The Eate, On The Spit and Off The Grill

    The Eate Review:

    I don’t know what the best description for The Eate. Personally, I think it is as an upmarket charcoal chicken and/or burger joint.

    Looking at their menu, they put much emphasis on their spit roast meats. Burgers and Yiros are the next main items in the menu.

    Spiced Eggplant Chips – $10 – with pomegranate, mint & parsley

    Every once in a a while you find something on the menu that is very unusual and make you wonder how it would taste. Eggplant chips is one of them for me. Seriously, how can you resist deep fried eggplant?

    The Fish – $12 – Flathead fillet with herb aioli, chesse, lettuce, guindillas

    Before writing this review, I have to google guindillas first. Apparently it is a Spanish word for chili peppers. Don’t be alarmed, the guindillas they used were super mild.

    Yiros – $11.5 – Spiced chicken with onion, parsley, guindillas, shallots, garlic sauce, tomato, chips, in fresh made pita

    A friend of ours told me that when you visited The Eate you must order their charcoal chicken. Their spiced chicken is actually a derivative of the charcoal chicken, enhanced further with spices for the yiros.

    Chicken Wrap from The Eate

    Small salad – $6

    They have a few different salad dishes you can choose from over the counter. If you are feeling a bit peckish you might want to order some.

    Latte – $3.50

    Their coffee is actually not bad when compared to the ones around the area.

    The final verdict for The Eate

    The Eate is quite a decent burger/yiros joint. You might want to try their charcoal chicken when you are there.

    Did you know?

    The Eate’s location is a bit out of the way in Dulwich Hill unless you came by light rail. It is just next to the Dulwich Grove station.

    Rating for The Eate:

     

    7.0 / 10

    Taste: 7.0 / 10

    Price: $15 – $20 per person

    Place: 7.0 / 10

     

    Details:

    555 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill 2203

    +61 2 9568 3283

    http://www.theeate.com.au/

    The Eate Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

     

  • New Shanghai Ashfield

    New Shanghai Ashfield

    New Shanghai Ashfield Review:

    Early days of my blogging, I wrote about New Shanghai in Chatswood. To say the least, the experience was not memorable. We went past New Shanghai Ashfield a few times and it is usually extremely busy with people lining up outside the restaurant at dinner time.

    As per the other New Shanghai restaurants, they put a slightly premium price compared to the other Chinese restaurants around the area.

    New Shanghai Ashfield Menu

    Roast duck with plum sauce – $26.6

    I love a good roast duck. Unfortunately in this restaurant is just literally a small plate of roast duck with plum sauce served on the side.

    Crispy tofu with salted egg yolk – $17.8

    In theory the soft tofu with the tasty salted egg yolk would be perfect. Although the tofu was soft and fluffy, the egg yolk wasn’t salty enough.

    Spring Onion Pancakes – $7.2

    We ordered this because we saw this flying to tables around us. I love its extra crispy texture and flavorsome taste. It was probably the best dish we had for the evening.

    Deep fried ice cream

    The deep fried ice cream was super doughy. Some people might like it that way, but I like more ice cream and crispier and thinner coating.

    The final verdict for New Shanghai Ashfield

    Service at New Shanghai Ashfield is definitely better than the one in Chatswood, but still quite low when compared to the Australian dining standard. The food is also better than the other venue.

    Did you know?

    New Shanghai is famous for its Pan Fried Bun and Xiao Long Bao. We did not order that this time around to see what else they have.

    Rating for New Shanghai Ashfield:

    6.5 / 10
     
    Taste: 7.0 / 10

    Price: $35 pp

    Place: 7.0 / 10

     

    Details:

    273 Liverpool Road, Ashfield 2131

    +61 2 9797 7284

    http://www.newshanghai.com.au/

    New Shanghai Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

     

  • Appetito Pizza Pasta Bar

    Appetito Pizza Pasta Bar

    Appetito Pizza Pasta Bar Review:

    We were walking down Circular Quay when one of our close friends saw us. He is responsible for overseeing a dramatic change in Appetito, a restaurant in an iconic building at The Rocks. They revamped their menu and hired a new chef, Luigi – not to be confused with that fictional plumber. I had the pleasure of trying it out for the first time (although I still need to fully pay for it ^_^).

    As the name suggested, their menu is predominantly pasta and pizza. They also have a few main courses and weekly specials.

    Pane All’Aglio – $8 – Garlic butter sourdough bread baked in house daily

    You might want to skip this if you are eating the pizza as it’s the same in-house-made dough. If you don’t, then I would suggest you to order it. It is one of the better garlic bread I have ever tasted. It was crunchy and fluffy at the same time!

    Risotto Pescatora – $34 – Calamari, prawns, mussels, clams, in a light tomato sauce

    They cooked their risotto al dente, as any proper Italian restaurant would. They also gave a generous serving of seafood on the plate.

    Scaloppine Ai Funghi – $34 – With a selection of truffle and field mushrooms & smashed potatoes

    Thinly-sliced veal with mushroom sauce is probably one of the more common dishes in Italian restaurants or pubs in Australia. At first glance, this dish looked just like another one of those. Things got astronomically exciting when you actually tasted the sauce. The depth of flavour was amazing!

    Asparagus Gratin – $13 – Lightly browned with melted cheese

    When I saw the ‘melted cheese’ description, I was imagining something like potatoes sprinkled with raclette. I don’t think the cheese was melted at all on this occasion.

    Spaghetti Bolognese – $15 – Kids menu

    One of the simplest way to judge a kids menu for us is whether or not the little one want to share it with us. All I can say is he would not even let us touch it!

    Cocktail of the Week – The Pink Lychee – $17.00 – Vodka, Lychee Liquor, Cranberry Juice, Lemon Juice & Sugar

    I. Absolutely. Love. It.

    There is really nothing more to say about this drink.

    The final verdict for Appetito Pizza Pasta Bar

    The revamped menu from the new chef at Appetito hit the spot for us. I really love the scaloppine. I would definitely come back for it. Also, I would want to try their pizza and compare them with the more established pizza joints in Sydney.

    Did you know?

    Appetito have a bar above the restaurant (or on the street level to George Street). They also have a few stylised function rooms.

    Rating for Appetito Pizza Pasta Bar:

     

    8.0 / 10

    Taste: 8.5 / 10

    Price: $150 for two plus one

    Place: 8.0 / 10

     

    Details:

    100 George Street, The Rocks 2000

    +61 2 9247 1920

    http://new.appetito.com.au/coming-soon/

    Appetito Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

     

  • 兰州 Chinese Noodle Bar Burwood

    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.

    z6 Giant Noodles from Chinese Noodle Bar Burwood

    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

     

    Chinese Noodle Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato