Sunday, September 29, 2013

Eats lately via iPhone #3

Hello fellow readers! Sorry for the lack of posts as of late - this last semester of my bachelor's degree is proving to be very hard with a lot of work :( But I haven't forgotten about this little blog nor have I disappeared and as proof, here's a little round up of all the things I've eaten recently! Whee, lots of food incoming.

Banh mi, $3.95
Pork rolls always hit the spot for me. There's something so comforting about the combination of pickled carrots (they must be pickled!!), cucumber, onions, coriander and pork. This one is from my favourite store in Ashfield. It's a chain of the original which started in Marrickville!

Ashfield Vietnamese Rolls
224 Liverpool Rd
Ashfield, NSW, 2131

Banh mi ga xa (lemongrass chicken), $6.95
Whilst I do love pork rolls, this lemongrass chicken roll stole my attention and I was feeling like something different. This store is just down the road from my work place so it's perfect if I want to grab a quick lunch. What's great about this place is they offer a variety of different breads (I chose multigrain) and offer to toast it for you which makes it so much more awesome. This roll was very tasty and especially refreshing from the addition of mint leaves. Their pork rolls are also cheap at $3.95 - a great price for lunch in the heart of the city!

Bank Mi K
G2/730-742 George Street 
Haymarket, NSW , 2000

Banh mi k on Urbanspoon

Broadway roll - part of a set
The sushi definitely satisfied my sushi cravings at the time. Loved the spicy sauce that came with it. We got this as part of the meal set which also came with noodle so it was very cheap at $10.

Takoyaki
Because it's a standard order when eating Japanese, yay!

Maki Maki
169 Broadway Sydney
Ultimo, Sydney, 2008 

Maki Maki on Urbanspoon


Special beef noodle soup, $12.50
I walked past a new Vietnamese in Burwood and made a mental note to visit soon. And that was exactly what I did and ordered a big bowl of steaming pho. Because pho is so comforting. The waitress came with the bowl of pho and I was wowed by the sheer size of it. The soup was flavoursome and clean tasting. I felt like I barely made a dent in the noodles! Definitely will try the rest of their menu. Business seems to be going well for them - it's always packed during lunch times!

Mint Vietnamese Pho and Cuisine
226 Burwood Rd  
Burwood, NSW , 2134

Mint Vietnamese Pho and Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Smoked salmon and fennel salad, $16.00
Perfect combination of smoked salmon, fennel and spinach. There were currants to add sweetness and capers that burst in the mouth. The creamy dressing really tied everything together.

Le Monde
83 Foveaux St 
Surry Hills, NSW , 2010

Le Monde on Urbanspoon

Cocktails, $15.00
Caught up with one of my girlfriends at Fratelli Fresh over excellent truffle risotto. We also ordered cocktails because we're girly like that. Mine was a wonderful concoction of grapefruit and cucumber while my friend chose the peach and champagne combination.

Cafe Sopra at Fratelli Fresh
11 Bridge Street 
Sydney, NSW, 2000
Underground

Café Sopra at Fratelli Fresh on Urbanspoon

Peanut butter milkshake, $8.00
Jazz City Diner was still closed, so we ended up again at the Milk Bar to which I proceeded to order this amazing peanut butter milkshake. I took one sip and felt giddy with happiness because it was THAT good. The peanut butter flavour is different from the peanut butter we have in Australia. It has a distinct American peanut butter flavour that I love - especially in Reese's peanut butter cups!

Coconut cream pie, $8.00
Soft, fluffy cloud of meringue on top of a smooth custard and flaky pastry. I think I went to pie heaven. It wasn't too sweet so I felt like I could continue eating it with no problem at all! Don't worry all you coconut haters out there - the dominant flavour is not coconut! It's just a sprinkling of flakes on top of the pie :)

Jazz City Milk Bar
Republic 2 Courtyard Palmer St  
Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010

Chocolate & churros tapas
A tasting plate of mini churros, chocolate, deep fried chocolate truffles, choc brownie and strawberries. Love the churros at San Churros - perfect for dipping in melted chocolate!

San Churros
47 Glebe Point Rd 
Sydney, NSW, 2037
 
Chocolateria San Churro on Urbanspoon

Monday, September 9, 2013

Gumshara, Haymarket

"I love ramen," I said whilst slurping on awesome ramen, not giving a care in the world how I looked.
"Have you been to Gumshara?" my friend asks. 

And thus the legendary ramen of Gumshara was brought up again. I have heard its name far and wide, heard it was good, and that it was the collagen-rific soup of dreams but with all the hype, can it really live up to its name? So it was that one hungry afternoon, I made a pit stop with my sister to try this amazing soup that cooks for hours and hours upon their stove pot in the small kitchen of Eating World food court.


Gumshara is an unassuming little joint, with a little shop front. As long as we can order, that's good enough for me. I was very insistent upon trying the thick tonkotsu soup, but they don't serve that until 5pm ie dinner service. What a pity that was - so disappointing!

Garlic tonkotsu ramen noodle, $11.50
I settled upon the garlic tonkotsu ramen because how can you go wrong with garlic oil? ;) Best stuff ever! So how was it? Can I just say that the soup is the stuff of dreams? With an awesome hit of garlic! Love it. If this was the thinner soup, the thick one must be super intense! This was still sticky enough from all the collagen boiled down from the bones that you could feel it sticking to your lips. The flavour was strong and the noodles were awesomely springy. Of course I also had to nab those eggs first before my sister could even try to steal them. As everyone with siblings knows, first come, first served! Mm, googy eggs... And those ribbons of fat on the chashu! So tender and melt in the mouth... I really wonder if I could down a bowl of the thicker soup. I guess it warrants a revisit to test my limits!

Gumshara Ramen
Shop 211 25-29 Dixon St
Haymarket, NSW, 2000

Opening Hours
Monday: 11:30am - 8:30pm
Tuesday - Saturday: 11:30am - 9:00pm
Sunday: 11:30am - 8:30pm

Gumshara Ramen on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Movida Aqui, Melbourne

When in Melbourne, I managed to catch up with my doctor girlfriend A for dinner! And to give her 21 macarons for her 21st birthday from my Sydney friends and I ;D (oh the cheese). I managed to spend a lovely night chatting with her and  her boyfriend at Movida Aqui along with dessert at Brunetti afterwards! I know there's a Movida in Sydney now, but there are so many Movida joints in Melbourne so I couldn't help myself from dining at one.

Sangria, $9.00
We started with a glass of sangria, though a jug would've been preferable ;) There's something so refreshing about sangria with all the addition of fruity goodness.

Complimentary bread
 Nice crusty bread with olive oil to begin our meal.

Carrillera de buey, $23.50
I couldn't help myself from ordering the slowly braised beef cheek in Pedro Ximenez. It came sitting on a beautiful cauliflower puree that tasted almost like a dessert! It was so creamy and delicious that I could probably just eat a bowl of it by itself :P The beef cheek was extremely tender and just fell apart as soon as I prodded it with the spoon - win!

Cordorniz con lentejas, $21.50 + not sure how much extra for the third piece
I was very fascinated as to how rabbit would taste as I've never had it before. The rabbit had been minced and stuffed inside the quail along with pinenuts and jamon. The quail itself was still a shade of blushing pink and very tender and came sitting atop a bed of braised green lentils.

Movida Aqui seems to be a lovely place for social gatherings - it was very busy when we popped by and looked to be very popular with the locals!

So do let me know, has anyone tried rabbit and if so, what was your experience like?

Movida Aqui
500 Bourke St On Level 1
Melbourne, VIC, 3000

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 12:00pm til late
Saturday: 6:00pm til late

MoVida Aqui on Urbanspoon