Tag: No Pork

A list of restaurants in my blog that is considered to contain no pork to the best of my knowledge

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
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
Potluck

This week will be our Special Potluck Event. We invited 12 friends to share dishes. We had three appetisers, three main courses, two desserts, and a drink menu. I am going to list the dishes based on its order of serving. Since there will be 9 items here, I will only describe what it looks like.

The Experience

Appetiser #1 – Pacific Oysters with Tetsuya’s Vinaigrette

Coincidentally, my dish was presented first. It was a kind of too-simplistic version of Tetsuya’s infamous Vinaigrette Oysters. It was simply a mixture of ingredients stirred together to form the vinegar and, then, poured on a freshly shucked Pacific oyster.

Appetiser #2 – Hokkien Prawn Mee

Our second dish for the day was made by Pin Fong. Two perfectly cooked prawns and fish cake were laid on a bed of Hokkien mee and glass noodle with a handful of bean sprouts, sliced egg, and excellent prawn-based soup. This was Pin Fong’s traditional dish when he lived in Kuching, Malaysia.

Appetiser #3 – Chicken and Mushroom Pie

A classic Australian meat pie, made by Shienny was next on the menu. Chunks of chicken breast, mushrooms, and onions were baked and covered by layers of crunchy pastry. It was so delicious that we could not believe it was her first attempt!

After the appetisers, we had a one-hour break to lessen our tummy’s tension before getting into the main course. Some of us played the Board Games ‘Acquire’ and some just watched some cuddly animals on TV.

Main Course #1 – Indonesian-style ‘Empal’ Beef

Maria and Sud presented a finely decorated plate of ‘Empal’ beef. It is an Indonesian-style dish that was made using the pressure cooker method and then sweetened and fried. It was accompanied by Indonesian Rice Crackers.

Main Course #2 – Roast Lamb

This one is Wil’s all-time favourite, Roast Lamb. It was an oven-roasted lamb with Wil’s special mustard marinade. He cooked it in a way that the lamb was still tender and juicy. It was another simple dish with a big taste!

Main Course #3 – Singaporean Chili Mud Crab

Another first-attempt dish of the day, Singaporean Chili Mud Crab by Inggita. A mixture of blue swimmer crabs and mud crab twice cooked in Singaporean-style chilli sauce. It goes well with Basmati Rice.

This time we also took an hour-or-so break to prepare for the always-so-devilishly-delicious desserts.

Dessert #1 – Blueberry and Chocolate Mousse

Jason brought in a beautiful looking cake which was layers of dark chocolate mousse, chocolate hazelnut biscuit, blueberry compote with a mirror of blueberry glaze.

Dessert #2 – Homemade Tiramisu

This one is Rahmat’s fully-perfected homemade Tiramisu. The tiramisu needs to be chilled for a day before serving. It was also non-alcoholic due to dietary requirements of some of the drivers.

Drink – Fruit Punch

Apart from regular soft drinks, we were also treated by Arein’s special Fruit Punch. A mixture of sliced fruits are combined with heaps of fruit juice that created a very refreshing drink.

Did you know?

According to Wikipedia, apparently Potluck was originated from England in Middle Ages.

Location:

Our Apartment, Maroubra Junction NSW 2035

Website:

http://ardipradana.com/

Oct 4, 2010
Max Brenner

Rating:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 8/10

Price Range: $5 – $15

Place: 7/10

Review:

It’s the dessert week and I am writing about One of the best dessert / chocolate place in Sydney! They also open quite late into the night. Max Brenner is THE number one destination for quality desserts, great place, and affordable price. Since it’s all about dessert, I’m going to give you my top 5 favourites from Max Brenner:

1. Belgian Waffle

The thing I love the most about this Waffle is its customisability (Yaay! That’s actually a word). Whether you choose the all-in Tutti-Frutti Waffle – that’s 1 or 2 Waffles with 3 bowls of Strawberries, banana, and Vanilla Ice Cream – or just a single Belgian Waffle covered in warm milk chocolate. This waffle is the answer to all of your pains and sorrows. Dramas aside, the waffle is actually really crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, creating a perfect combination with the chocolate.

2. Chocolate Fondue for Two

The ultimate self-indulgence dessert- if you decided to eat it yourself. The fondue has everything that you could ask for: two pots of heated dark and milk chocolate served with bowls of fresh strawberries, bananas, marshmallows and banana bread on top of a wooden tray with two dip sticks. Make sure you bring an extra tummy to share this with you, otherwise you might as well skip your whole meal tomorrow.

3. Chocolate Dip

Okay, seriously the top three dishes can be ordered according to the degree of enjoyment you want with the chocolate. This one was all about light and refreshing dessert. 6 luscious strawberries arranged beautifully around a small pot of milk chocolate. These are not just ordinary strawberries! They were massive, juicy and taste very sweet.

4. Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

Originated from Poland or thereabouts, Babka is a very nice and soft spongy cake with cinnamon and chocolate fillings. The cake is also served with a small pot of milk chocolate. This cake is perfect as a lunchtime menu because of its muffin-size.

5. Choc-Banana Pizza

Last, but definitely not the least, is the no ordinary pizza. It’s a very unique pizza covered in milk chocolate then baked with all the yummi-ness on top of it.

There are countless of drinks that you can enjoy, from hot to cold, and I’ve tried some of them and they’re all equally nice. However, my all time favourites are still the very basic Milk Hot Chocolate and Café Latte. Served in a hug mug, the Chocolate gives us an extra kick to the already chocolate-y night. And if you need extra caffeine, then the Latte will do the job for you.

Did you know?

There was no Max Brenner in real life. The shop was opened by guys name Max and Brenner.

Max Brenner always open their shops in premium spots in Sydney, from the CBD to the posh Bondi Junction. I personally like to go to the Bondi Junction one for the whole going out experience, from dinner to movie to dessert; it’s all available in Bondi Junction.

If you need to find something after midnight, you might as well go to Pancakes on The Rocks because that place open 24/7.

Location:

All over Sydney – Fave place: Level 6 Westfield Bondi Junction

http://www.maxbrenner.com.au/

Jul 13, 2010
Takigawa Restaurant

Rating:

7 / 10

Taste: 7.5/10

Price Range: Rp. 90,000++ » $10

Place: 6.5/10

Review:

One of the surprise finding of my trip to Indonesia, Takigawa restaurant captured my attention with their nice display of the food, great taste, and nice ambience (they have free Wi-Fi connection too!).We typically oversaw this restaurant because of the bigger-name chain restaurants available at the mall.

On with the starters for the day… Shiitake Ball and Kawa Salad. An early surprise for me, this deep-fried shiitake mushrooms were filled with minced beef, then garnished with Katsuobushi, Japanese mayonnaise and sauce; An excellent combination of savoury starter. Kawa, deep-fried skin, salad added a nice addition of freshness to the starter.

We started the main course with a nice plate of Chahan, Seafood Fried Rice. A generous serving of seafood for its price, Chahan acted as the tummy-filling main course. My all-time favourite dish came next: Syake kabutoyaki, a.k.a. Salmon Head Teriyaki. Yes, you read it correctly… the best piece of salmon (yet, the cheapest!) grilled and salted to perfection with teriyaki glazing. Granted that this part of salmon took a bit of effort, but it’s only 1/5^th of the price of Salmon Belly and you got twice as much meat.

Our last main course of the day was Cheezy Seafood Pan. Bear a striking resemblance to Sushi Tengoku’s baked scallop, this dish was an absolute killer. Layers of grilled scallop, salmon, tuna and crab stick baked in a melted cheese and mayonnaise with tobiko. It’s just wonderful to taste, but unfortunately the portion is quite small (you might need to order two plates).

For refreshment we chose the all-too-standard Hot Ocha (Japanese Green Tea), but it was a free flow! So, you can have the tasty Green Tea as much as you like. We also ordered Green Tea Smoothies. Again, the taste of it was as expected of any other Japanese Green Tea. Chocolate Melt seemed to be the big kick to end the night, however the Chocolate Souffle was sort of a letdown in what could have been a perfect dinner experience.

Overall, it’s still a worthwhile visit to the restaurant and we’re still eyeing for the Green Tea Creme Bruleé, they were sold out when we were there. Additionally, there are like 100+ choices that you might want to explore in this restaurant.

Did you know?

As mentioned on my other review, Surabaya Town Square (Sutos) is the newest shopping mall in Surabaya. If you want to go there, don’t go on weekends since there will be crazy amount of people trying to get into the mall. Traffic management has become the main cause of chaos surrounding the venue. Lack of parking space and poor parking space design has led to congestion in every entrance and exit of the mall.

Sutos is the place to be when it comes to asking your date out. It has everything you want to do, from the only 3D cinema in town, to the best Karaoke lounge. It has nice restaurants and also a pool bar.

Location:

Surabaya Town Square Plaza Level Unit P 31-32 Jl. Aditiawarman No. 55 Surabaya

http://www.takigawaresto.com/en/home.html

Jun 26, 2010
Fish n Co

Rating:

7 / 10

Taste: 7.5/10

Price Range: Rp. 90,000++ » $10

Place: 7/10

Review:

The restaurant visit happened nearly a month ago and unfortunately some of the drinks name escape my mind… my apology. However, I can still describe how it tastes. There were 5 of us but we only ordered 2 appetisers and 2 main courses since the portion was massive.

Located in the newest shopping mall in Surabaya, Fish & Co (or Fish n Co) picked the prime spot of the mall, near the centre stage. It provided both good and bad for us customers. When there are events on centre stage, the place can be really crowded and noisy. Just like most of good seafood restaurants, Fish & Co is decorated with marine and harbour theme. They have wooden wall decoration and wooden fish placemats.

We ordered the most basic appetiser: Bread with Garlic Butter. As you can tell the taste was – well – garlic-y. The bread was nice and warm with a nice butter spread. For the second appetiser we had Soft Shell Crab Salad. It was pretty disappointing since there was only one TINY crab. Fortunately the salad was fresh with a nice dressing.

We also had two main courses: Seafood Platter For Two and Spaghetti with Mushroom Sauce. In our opinon, the first course was not for two, because we (5) had difficulties in finishing it. It consisted of one grilled fish, 10 tiger prawns, grilled squids, and 4 grilled mussels in a bed of fries and yellow Mexican rice. To supplement the platter we were also given tartare and sweet chilli sauce. The seafood was really nice. Our second main course was also fabulous. It was a simple presentation of spaghetti in alfredo sauce with mushrooms and cheese.

Unfortunately we could not remember the drinks name, but we remembered one was with passionfruit and the other with lychee. The drink came in a massive glass as seen in the picture. You could order the iced coffee for a much smaller glass or soft drinks.

Did you know?

As mentioned on the review, Surabaya Town Square (Sutos) is the newest shopping mall in Surabaya. If you want to go there, don’t go on weekends since there will be crazy amount of people trying to get into the mall. Traffic management has become the main cause of chaos surrounding the venue. Lack of parking space and poor parking space design has led to congestion in every entrance and exit of the mall.

Sutos is the place to be when it comes to asking your date out. It has everything you want to do, from the only 3D cinema in town, to the best Karaoke lounge. It has nice restaurants and also a pool bar.

Location:

Surabaya Town Square, Unit P.03 & P.05, Surabaya, Indonesia

http://www.fish-co.com/

May 15, 2010