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.

Pasticceria Papa

Pasticceria Papa Review:

In Sydney, you can spend $65 for four fragile and sophisticated-looking desserts. Unfortunately, we are not talking about that for this week. Instead, we will be talking about one of the best Italian desserts place in Sydney… and most of their cakes are around $5 or less. How good is that!

For those of you living in Inner West, the name Pasticceria Papa will not sound too foreign for you. Their shop in Haberfield has been around since 1988. They started off as a bread and pastry shop. Now, they have a full-fledged restaurant in addition to the shop.

Mini Ricotta Cake – $4.50

This is what Pasticceria Papa famous for. Mini ricotta is the smallest that you can get… perfect to be devoured by yourself… no sharing!

The ricotta cake is scalable to be as large as you wish. I’ve been to a birthday party where they have a 20-person ricotta cake from Pasticceria Papa.

Vanilla Baba – $3.50

I was quite curious about this dessert… well, partially because it was rum-soaked. Vanilla baba is a yeast cake with vanilla custard on top of it.

Arancini – $4.50 – Chicken / Veal / Mushroom

We came across the arancini completely by accident. We were looking for something savoury at Pasticceria Papa but we were not that interested in the pesto pasta at that time. There was only one mushroom arancini left at that time and we had no expectation whatsoever.

Pizza – $5.50 – Mushroom / potato

It was quite a sorry-looking pizza slice and we weren’t interested in ordering. However, the little one managed to choose that for his dinner and ended up finishing it.

The final verdict for Pasticceria Papa

Getting a decent dessert for less than $5 is pretty unheard of these days. Pasticceria Papa delivers that with a taste of Italian desserts that is unmatched in Sydney!

Did you know?

We visited Pasticceria Papa in Haberfield. They have two other stores in Sydney: Bondi Beach and Five Dock. The Haberfield and Bondi Beach stores are also setup as a proper Italian restaurant. But maybe that’s for next time.

Rating for Pasticceria Papa:

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.5 / 10

Price: $3.50 – $5.50 per slice

Place: 8.0 / 10

Details:

145 Ramsay Street, Haberfield Sydney NSW 2045

+61 2 9799 9531

http://ppapa.com.au/

Aug 26, 2016
678 Korean BBQ Restaurant

678 Korean BBQ Review:

My friends told me that 678 Korean BBQ was one of Sydney’s hottest restaurants at the moment. It was quite early in the evening when we got there but the queue was already quite stifling. So, my expectation was already pretty high.

Customary in any Korean restaurants, we were given Banchan (Korean side dishes) upon sitting down at our table. The side dishes were so many that we hardly had any space left for our main dishes!

Being a Korean BBQ place, obviously the spotlight was placed in the BBQ dishes. The good thing about it was that they use charcoal for cooking… grilling with charcoal on a mesh is so much better than gas!

Our choice went to a few BBQ dishes that were staple to our group, like beef tongue and short rib. Their price ranges from $21 (for the beef tongue and brisket) up to $38 for Wagyu Chuck Tail Flap.

For four adults, our table was extremely full. You really need to get busy real fast or you won’t be able to move!

The menu was divided into three big sections: BBQ, lunch, and meal. There are also a few meal dishes that we ordered on the night.

Marinated Fresh Wagyu Beef Sashimi – $29

One of my favourite dishes in life. Known in Japanese as Yukke, this delicate dish has to be top notch or you will be in all kinds of problems consuming it. My only problem with this dish was the price. The place that I frequently visited include yukke in their buffet set.

Spicy seafood soft tofu stew – $16

Korean soups are always good to have in cold winter days.

Egg Soup – $2

For $2, it’s quite a bargain!

The final verdict for 678 Korean BBQ

It was apparent that quite a lot of people enjoyed dining at 678 Korean BBQ restaurant. However, I think my friends sold it a tad too much to me.

Did you know?

678 Korean BBQ is actually located in the 1st floor. The entrance to the building was quite narrow and there was only a sign outside the building.

Rating for 678 Korean BBQ:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $15 – $36 per dish

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

Corner Pitt St and Goulburn St, Sydney NSW 2000

+61 2 9281 8997

https://www.facebook.com/678Sydney/

Aug 19, 2016
The Henson

The Henson Review:

In the last few years, we have seen a trend in Sydney where pubs tried to transform their image to a more family-oriented establishment. One of the more successful pubs to have transformed their image is The Henson in Marrickville. They transformed the back of the pub into this family-friendly garden with a spacious place for the little ones to play games including ball pit.

This week’s review of the Henson actually came from our two visits to the restaurant: one in the afternoon and one at night time.

‘K.F.C.’ Haloumi w smokey BBQ sauce – $8

The Haloumi cheese was shaped like chicken nuggets. It was looking okay-ish until we tasted the smokey BBQ sauce… whoa!

Avocado and Lime Smash – $6 and White corn chips -$4

We were planning to just order the avocado and lime smash. Then, the lady at the counter asked us whether we wanted the chips to go with the avocado. I guess it was pretty reasonable to have the chips!

½ Kilo Buttermilk Chicken Wings, verde picante – $17

The buttermilk chicken wings were the reason why I wanted to visit the Henson in the first place. In the picture below it looked like a regular chicken wings. However, I think it was the salsa sauce that got everyone hooked… just like the smokey BBQ sauce for the Haloumi cheese… better yet, mix the salsa with BBQ sauce!

‘Knuckle’ Sandwich – $19 – wagyu brisket, fennel slaw, swiss cheese, smokey mayo on rye + chips

I had the sandwich on my second trip to the Henson. I think it was the perfect lunch meal. It wasn’t the ‘traditional’ pull-apart brisket but it was more of a soft-textured beef. It was pretty good, but the sandwich was a tad small for me.

Dirty Bird – $26 – ½ flame grilled ten spice free-range chicken, yellow rice & raw slaw

My wife ordered the dirty bird. It was quite big and quite frankly too spicy for my taste buds. It’s also quite rare to have yellow rice in Sydney.

There is quite an extensive list of kids menu at the Henson. The two dishes below were from that list.

Beef Burger w/ cheese + chips – $10

Macaroni with Sugo Sauce + cheese – $6

Milkshake – $4 (kid’s size) – Salted Caramel, Real Vanilla Malt

The picture below is for the adult-sized milkshake.

The final verdict for The Henson

The Henson is a great pub restaurant to go to if you have small children in the party. We think that the finger food was a slightly better value than the main meal.

Did you know?

You should try their mulled cider ($6)… it’s a pretty good drink to be enjoyed in winter time! Also, there is a condiment called Tamari… get that! So Good!

Rating for The Henson:

8.0 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: $14 – $30 per main dish

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

91 Illawarra Road, Marrickville NSW 2204

+61 2 9569 5858

http://www.thehenson.com.au/

Aug 9, 2016
Super Simple American Smoky Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce

Recently, there is a surge of burger joints in Sydney that serve American-style burger that looks pretty messy and possibly disregard any health concern. I tried a couple of them, especially the smoky beef brisket, and was instantly loving it. Coupled that with a tv show called “Man Fire Food” and here I am searching a way to make smoky beef brisket!

I read a recipe from Taste.com.au on how to make smoky beef brisket and tweaked it a bit. This way, I don’t need to purchase additional ingredients that I might not need in the near future.

What do we need to make Smoky Beef Brisket?

This is the original recipe:
1. 1/2 cup smoky bbq sauce
2. 1/4 cup bourbon
3. 3 garlic cloves, crushed
4. 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
5. 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6. 1.3kg beef brisket

I substituted the sauce and bourbon to 3/4 cup of McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ sauce (because this is the one I currently have at home). I also use Mexican chili instead of cayenne pepper.

The preparation for making Smoky Beef Brisket

Combine all of the ingredients above in a baking dish (quite a big one). Make sure you coat every part of the beef brisket (turn several times if needed). Once the beef brisket is fully immersed in the marinade, cover the dish with cling wrap. Leave it in the fridge overnight (or a minimum of four hours in the fridge).

You might also want to buy burger buns and coleslaw for the salad.

How do we make the Smoky Beef Brisket using conventional oven?

1. Preheat oven to 160 °C or 140 °C fan-forced.
2. Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil.
3. Bake for 2.5 hours.
4. Turn the beef upside down. Be careful when taking the dish out as it is very hot.
5. Bake for another 2 hours or until you can easily scoop the beef with fork.

Half way

A little tips to make your perfect Smoky Beef Brisket

1. For the cup measurement, I use the standard kitchen cup (possibly something around 237 ml).
2. Be generous with the marinade sauce. Be VERY generous!
3. Add extra chili for extra kick!

Jul 12, 2016
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016

For the first time in what feels like an eternity, Noma from Denmark is not featured in the top three. In fact they dropped down to number 5. The top restaurant for this year was last year’s runner up, Osteria Francescana from Modena, Italy. Last year’s winner, El Celler de Can Roca from Girona Spain, is now the runner up. Second runner up belongs to Eleven Madison Park in New York, USA.

Australian Restaurants in the 50 best restaurants 2016

It is becoming an annual event that Attica from Melbourne is the only restaurant from Australia included in the 50 best restaurants list. Their ranking is pretty steady at 33.

There are only two other Australian restaurants in the top 100 list:

– Brae at 65. Brae is a countryside restaurant in Birregurra, Victoria. According to the 2006 census, Birregurra was only inhabited by 688 people!

– Quay at 98. Quay is still the only restaurant in the list that we have visited and they have been sliding down consistently.

The list for the top four restaurants in Australia is very similar to the one voted by Australian chefs in Financial Review.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016

Asia’s top restaurant according to the list is Narisawa in Tokyo, Japan. However, according to a separate list from the same publisher, called Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016, Gaggan from Bangkok is #1. Gaggan was third best in the main list after Narisawa and Amber in Hong Kong.

Indonesia’s best restaurant in 2016

Indonesia was represented by one restaurant at number 49 for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016. The restaurant is called Locavore in Ubud, Bali.

The full list of 50 Best Restaurants 2016:

1. Osteria Francescana, Modena (Italy) – also best restaurant in Europe
2. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona (Spain)
3. Eleven Madison Park, New York (USA) – Best restaurant in North America
4. Central, Lima (Peru) – Best restaurant in South America
5. Noma, Copenhagen (Denmark)
6. Mirazur, Menton (France)
7. Mugaritz, San Sebastian (Spain)
8. Narisawa, Tokyo (Japan) – Best restaurant in Asia
9. Steirereck, Vienna (Austria)
10. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo (Spain)
11. D.O.M. , Sao Paulo (Brazil)
12. Quintonil, Mexico City (Mexico)
13. Maido, Lima (Peru)
14. The Ledbury, London (UK)
15. Alinea, Chicago (USA)
16. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu (Spain)
17. Piazza Duomo, Alba (Italy)
18. White Rabbit, Moscow (Russia)
19. Arpège, Paris (France)
20. Amber, Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
21. Arzak, San Sebastian (Spain)
22. The Test Kitchen, Cape Town (South Africa) – Best restaurant in Africa
23. Gaggan, Bangkok (Thailand)
24. Le Bernardin, New York (USA)
25. Pujol, Mexico City (Mexico)
26. The Clove Club, London (UK)
27. Saison, San Francisco (USA)
28. Geranium, Copenhagen (Denmark)
29. Tickets, Barcelona (Spain)
30. Astrid Y Gastón, Lima (Peru)
31. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo (Japan)
32. Restaurant André, Singapore (Singapore)
33. Attica, Melbourne (Australia) – Best Restaurant in Australia
34. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin (Germany)
35. Vendôme, Bergisch Gladbach (Germany)
36. Boragò, Santiago (Chile)
37. Nahm, Bangkok (Thailand)
38. De Librije, Zwolle (Netherlands)
39. Le Calandre, Rubano (Italy)
40. Relae, Copenhagen (Denmark)
41. Fäviken, Järpen (Sweden)
42. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai (China)
43. Biko, Mexico City (Mexico)
44. Estela, New York (USA)
45. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London (UK)
46. Combal.Zero, Rivoli (Italy)
47. Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau (Switzerland)
48. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Tarrytown (USA)
49. Quique Dacosta, Denia (Spain)
50. Septime, Paris (France)

Jul 7, 2016
Wagyu House Korean BBQ

Review:

Everyone in my inner circle would know that my top two all you can eat restaurants in Sydney are Suminoya and Churrasco. This week’s restaurant we reviewed has proven itself to be a genuine contender for that spot! Wagyu House is an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant in Croydon. It is always busy on weekends and parking is very limited on the venue. So, I suggest you start early!

Wagyu House charges $29.90 per person and $12 for kids aged 5+… such a great deal for an all you can eat place! Bear in mind that the usual restrictions of an all-you-can-eat place applies here: 2-hour limit and finish what you take or you will be charged for excess.

They have quite a system when you go to the restaurant. You will need to get a table first, then go to the other building in the venue to pay for it. You need to get the meat from that other building and you can get the ice cream from there too. There are two big chillers full of meat. The left one is predominantly beef and pork while the right one is an assortment of chicken wings, pork, beef and calamari.

Back to the main dining hall, they have the kimchi station where you can get… well… kimchi and more than a dozen of Korean side dishes. You can also get Korean Pancake and Korean glass noodles at no extra charge!

One thing that I love about Wagyu House is that they still use charcoal (instead of gas) as a method of cooking! They have quite a decent exhaust system that doesn’t make our shirt to have that smoky smell… or probably we were there early enough and not that many people around us.

Obviously, when you see the price tag, you will immediately raise this question: How about their quality? Is it a compromise?

They don’t use the ‘fancy’ seafood and chicken pieces, in fact they only have calamari and chicken wings. They might also have a limited cut of beef. However, they covered that limitation by having different marinaded cuts.

The final verdict for Wagyu House

All you can eat for $30 with decent quality meat? It’s not a surprise they have customers willingly queue there!

Did you know?

I have to write this separately. They have an assortment of beef cuts in the chiller that is part of the $30 but individually packaged at about 400gr each. Apparently, this is the more ‘premium’ selection but have to be consumed as a package. I suggest you choose this over the regular cuts, just be mindful of your own eating capacity.

Rating for Wagyu House:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $29.90 per person

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

668-670 Parramatta Road, Croydon 2132

+61 2 9797 9999

Wagyu House Korean BBQ on Zomato

Jul 1, 2016