Ippudo at Central Park, Ultimo

Ah winter days are over, and that means the days of hot bowls of ramen are coming to a close... But my adamant love for ramen demands that I squeeze it in as much as I can before the weather gets much too hot to handle steaming hot ramen! Australian summers, you are just much too brutal. I was kindly invited by Sana on behalf of Ippudo to try out their newly opened branch in Central Park Sydney - definitely a convenient location for you USYD and UTS students. She was an absolutely delight to speak to and went over the menu with us, sadly informing us that the pork buns are not currently available on the menu. Ah well, there are other items to try!

L to R: Iced oolong tea, $4.00 / Homemade lemon lime & bitters, $5.00

Warm days mean cool drinks! I was glad to taste an unsweetened iced oolong tea and lemon lime bitters are always a refreshing drink to have on standby at any restaurant really.

Seared salmon sushi, $13.00

Salmon has got to my favourite fish. And when it's seared, there's just this delicious smoky flavour that's hard to beat. Naturally, this dish had to be ordered! Plus our curiosity over the mentai mayo really got us. It turned out to be a very welcome addition indeed, adding a lovely creamy zing to the palette. And we all know that avocado and salmon is a classic combination. Fatty salmon and more healthy fats from avocado? Don't mind if I do!

Extras plate

 Since we ordered the ramen specials, both came with its own plate of extras including a soy egg, bean sprouts, seaweed, bamboo shoots, black fungus, chopped spring onion and extra chashu (win!).

Miso tonkotsu special, $25.00

I absolutley love corn in my ramen because it adds that little burst of sweetness that goes really well with the tonkotsu broth. I found that the addition of miso to the tonkotsu broth made this one quite incredibly salty. Whilst still tasty, it was a tad much after a while but at least we had our oolong tea and lemon lime bitters! The noodles were cooked with just enough bounce - the perfect texture :D

Shiromaru special, $23.00

The original tonkotsu broth was less sodium based than the miso tonkotsu version and I preferred this one a lot more. As before, there was nothing to fault with the way the noodles were cooked and along with all those toppings, I was one happy ramen eater. I would recommend you put the egg in the soup to warm up a bit as it does come cold on the extras plate. What I did like was that the yolk inside was still soft and definitely not overcooked!

Blue Mountains, $13.00

And of course one cannot finish dinner without dessert. Though Gingerbreadmanne and I were incredibly full, we couldn't go past this green tea sundae. Who can resist green tea icecream, red beans, mandarins, oranges, apricots and coconut jelly? The icecream was so smooth and creamy and despite our initial thoughts of only having a few spoonfuls, we managed to polish off the entire thing (no ragrats, not even one letter).

At this stage, we were incredibly full and so very, very content with all that was eaten. Service here was incredibly efficient and the staff were nothing short of friendly with all the Japanese greetings - love that subtle touch of authenticity to add to the dining experience! You can find our more about Ippudo Central Park here.

Crystal Noir and friend dined as guests of Ippudo Central Park courtesy of Motoyama Sana of SD Marketing. Opinions however, are entirely her own.

Ippudo
Lower Ground, Central Park

28 Broadway Chippendale, NSW, 2008

Opening Hours

Monday - Wednesday: 11:00am - 10:00pm

Thursday - Saturday: 11:00am - 11:00pm

Sunday: 11:00am - 9:00pm

Takumi, Haymarket

The one thing I really do love about sushi trains is how quick and convenient they are. The sister and I stopped by Takumi inside Market City for a quick feed before our shopping spree. The sign that mentioned $2.50 special for students was what lured us in. This discount also applies for those who park inside Market City. For $2.50 per plate, how could we resist? Just flash your student ID and you're good to go!

Chicken cream cheese, $2.50

This was a pretty solid start to our sushi extravaganza. The sweet chilli sauce was a surprise but one that we didn't mind.

Grilled salmon, $2.50

 Mm, there really isn't anything that could go wrong with grilled salmon, a sweet teriyaki sauce and mayo.

Grilled scallop, $2.50

Like salmon, grilled scallop is hard to fault. Unless it is overcooked but that wasn't the case here. The scallops were still soft and silky and absolutely delicious.

Takoyaki, $2.50

I have a penchant to order these deep-fried octopus goodies! Yum as always. And you get a serving of four for just $2.50. Is that good value or what?

Chicken kushiage, $2.50

While these were enjoyable to eat with their crisp crumb coating, the chicken was just a tad dry (probably because of the small size of these chicken pieces) and I couldn't help comparing them to the chicken karaage we ordered at Sushi Hotaru, which were double the size at only $3.00 for the plate.

Salmon tobikko, $2.50

Loved the texture of this - silky salmon, creamy cheese, the slight bite from the rice and the salty burst from the roe. I did notice however that the salmon on both these were cut unevenly with one piece being significantly thicker than the other which you don't get from skilled sushi chefs who have trained in mastering the technique of cutting raw fish. I however, cannot do much better and it's not a big deal for me as the salmon tastes the same however thick it's cut :)

Prawn fry, $2.50

Yay for deep-fried prawns! The rice wasn't packed together very tightly so it fell apart as soon as I picked it up with my chopsticks which makes it harder to eat... What was very different was the tartare sauce on top - I've never had tartare sauce served with prawn tempura at Japanese restaurants.

Crab cheese, $2.50

My sister and I both thought there is nothing that could ever go THAT wrong with sushi. This one dish proved us wrong. Alarms should've run when I saw them take this out from the griller. It wasn't cream cheese they used but cheddar. The crab stick also became extremely fishy and rubbery from being cooked in that particular manner. The flavour combination didn't sit too well with us both and it wasn't very pleasant to eat at all.

Other than the crab and cheese sushi, my sister and I had a pleasant enough experience at Takumi. The staff were friendly however their English was very limited so there were a few communication mishaps at times. Though if I were to choose a cheap sushi train to dine at, Sushi Hotaru would be my pick. Serving sizes are more substantial and both the quality and execution is better. Takumi isn't bad, but I would avoid the crab cheese sushi at all costs!

Takumi
9 -13 Quay Street, Level 3 Market City
Sydney, NSW, 2000

Opening Hours
Open daily 11:30am - 9:30pm

Sushi Hotaru, Sydney CBD

Just before I begin my blog post for today, I'd like to celebrate the fact that my blog is now over a year old! What a whirlwind this year has been - it has all gone so quickly but it has been amazing.

This past year, I've discovered how much I really love food, and my hungry eyes have scoured the internet far and wide for recipes, especially of the nutritious kind! (Though it may not look it from the way I eat on my blog :P). There's still so many places not just within Sydney to explore, and I want to see it all! I want to keep sharing my love for food with all you wonderful people who take the time to stop by, read my blog and say hello. I am truly thankful for each and every one of you dear readers. I want to connect with all of you much more! There is so much still to do in Sydney, especially eat. So here's to another year of happy eating!

Onto something to which my love ever wanes - sushi! I've always noticed this one sushi train inside the Galeries that always seem to have really good business. I always wondered what was so great about it that there always seemed to be a line? My questions were answered after finding out that each plate on the sushi conveyer belt was $3. And what joy wouldn't be etched upon anyone's face upon the discovery of $3 sushi plates on a sushi train right in the middle of Sydney's CBD? That's right, you heard me, $3. Each plate is $3! Time to go cray with the stacking of empty sushi plates ;)

Scallops, $3.00

Scallop sashimi! Super soft and melt in the mouth.

Soft-shelled crab, $3.00

If there's one thing I can never get enough of, it's soft-shelled crab. Love the spicy mayo and the addition of the crunchy lotus chip! Those things are addictive.

Grilled salmon, $3.00

The salmon was still pink on the inside, yet had a wonderfully smokey outer.

Wagyu beef, $3.00

The wagyu beef was cooked rare which was almost like beef takati. Works well with sushi!

Grilled scallops, $3.00

My sister and I couldn't resist grabbing another scallop one because for $3, that's great value. This time we went for the grilled. Prefer this over the raw one as it has that smokey flavour and I think I prefer the texture when it has been ever so sightly cooked :)

Chicken karaage, $3.00

The hot items you have to order so that they are cooked fresh for you in the kitchen which is a great idea. I can imagine everything going soggy and cold if just left on the conveyer belt... This chicken karaage was super addictive. Succulent chicken, wonderful crunchy batter. Squeeze on the sauce given on the side onto the chicken and you have a winner.

Okonomi, $3.00

Japanese cabbage pancake! Had to order this for my sister to try as she had never had one until now. She was sure missing out.

Takoyaki, $3.00

And who doesn't order takoyaki when at a Jap restaurant? Definitely one of my favourite foods of all time!

So do you all like the idea of being to eat as soon as you enter a restaurant like sushi trains, or do you prefer the idea of relaxed dining? To be fair, who can resist the temptation of such good value for sushi? ;)

Eats lately via iPhone

Sorry I've been MIA for a while! I'm currently doing Chinese at summer school and boy is it intense. So many characters to learn and so little time. Not to mention getting the tone and pronunciation right... But it doesn't mean I haven't been eating :P

Burnt butter gelato, $6.00

With all the hot weather going on lately, gelato has been a must! This burnt butter one reminded me much of salted butter caramel.. Mm, so good.

Check out the mountainous claw of gelato! The perks of bumping into a friend who works there :P

N2 Extreme Gelato
43-1 Dixon St
Haymarket, NSW, 2000

Happy birthday cake, $9.00

As with all of Adriano Zumbo's cakes, this one was incredibly rich. How could it not be with a flourless chocolate biscuit, chocolate sabayon mousse, chocolate brownie, milk chocolate chantilly and passionfruit glaze? Definitely delicious though! But I think my heart lies with the V8 ;)

From L to R: candy cane, johnny walker, citrus, salted butter caramel, & salted butter popcorn, $2.50 each

Wasn't the biggest fan of the candy cane, Johnny Walker or citrus (which had gone soggy) but salted butter caramel and salted butter popcorn have always been favourites of mine at Zumbo!

Adriano Zumbo Pattisier
80 Pyrmont St
Pyrmont, NSW, 2009

Clockwise from top: coconut, maple, & fruit salad fairy floss

I bought these on a deal website for $5.00 (I think?) each with $10.00 shipping. It definitely is interesting trying new flavours, especially gourmet, artisan fairy floss! If anyone is interested, Spun Fairy Floss has stores around Sydney.

Iced tea and scone with jam & cream

I finally made a trip to the Tea Cosy with a few of my high school girls to catch up. And my, this apple and cinnamon scone was absolutely delicious! So fluffy and with the home made jam plus cream, I fell in love with scones all over again. Must visit this place again!

The Tea Cosy
33 George St
The Rocks, NSW, 2000

San churros signature classic Spanish hot chocolate, $5.95

This was a different experience having a hot chocolate this thick! I really did love it, but nearing the end of the cup I was finding it a bit too thick and a bit too sweet. Great in smaller doses though! And maybe not after a huge meal, like I had...

Choclateria San Churros
2-10 Darling Dr,
Sydney, NSW, 2000

Khao nieaw sangkaya, $4.00

Sticky rice steamed with coconut cream and palm sugar accompanied with a steamed coconut custard? Yes, please!

Chat Thai
20 Campbell St
Haymarket, NSW, 2000

Volcano sushi

Couldn't resist snapping a photo of this extremely pretty volcano sushi dish we managed to nab on a sushi train. So much cream cheese!

Kz's Sushi Experience
59 Burwood Rd
Burwood, NSW, 2134

Grilled lamb salad, $22.90

This salad really did win my heart. It was amazing of all sorts! There were so many elements yet they all seemed to work together. The sweetness from the pumpkin and beetroot, cous cous for texture, baby spinach for our daily dose of greens (and iron!), walnuts for crunch, lamb for protein and a delicious mint and coriander dressing. Too good.

Blackbird Cafe
Harbour St
Sydney, NSW, 2000

Girls Day Out

A couple of days ago, I went out with a friend all day for some girly shopping! Surprisingly, we didn't buy too much. Feeling peckish mid-afternoon, we decided that we wanted some tea. The Tea Salon in Westfield Sydney was the first destination we had in mind, but alas it was not meant to be. The line was so long! Wandering around, we managed to find another place hidden inside the Glasshouse called the Tea Centre so we settled ourselves in for some refreshments.

Large pot of tea, 2 scones with strawberry jam & cream, $15.00

We ordered a pot of pina colada tea. It came all pretty and pink! It smelled divine, like creamy coconut. But I have to say, it didn't taste like that at all! It was more on the fruity side however, it was quite bland and on the watery side. The scones arrived a bit flat (looks like we got dud scones!), but weren't too bad lathered with cream and jam ;) Maybe the kitchen was having an off day because I see big fluffy scones on other blogs who have visited.

Continuing on, I was definitely excited about two notebooks I bought from Typo though - they are so cute, don't you think?

Typo notebooks, normally $16.95 each

My friend works in the Cotton On chain so I received 50% both these purchases. I love how they look like novels but are actually notebooks!

Aren't the interior covers amazing?

Our shopping day turned into dinner at Mizuya after feeling like some sushi. Turns out, they also have Happy Hour from 5-7pm daily.

L to R: Pina Colada, Coconut Kimono, $10.00 during Happy Hour (normally $14.80)

There are definitely some major perks to being a girl - we can order girly cocktails with whipped cream and cherries on top all the time! These two were deliciously drinkable cocktails with the pick of the night being the Coconut Kimono with Malibu, plum wine and coconut juice, topped with whipped cream. I don't know what exactly made it blue, but it tasted amazing!

Spider roll, $14.80

 Because who can say no to soft-shelled crab?

Eel roll, $14.80

And throw in a grilled eel roll for good measure.

Shopping is definitely counted as exercise in my books. We managed to walk non-stop for over 6 hours!

The Tea Centre in The Glasshouse
146 Pitt St
Sydney, NSW, 2000

Opening Hours
Monday-Wednesday, Friday: 9:00am - 5:30pm
Thursday: 9:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am - 4:00pm



Mizuya Japanese Restaurant and Karaoke
Basement, 614 George St
Sydney, NSW, 2000

Opening Hours
Sunday-Thursday: 11:30am - 12:00am
Friday-Sunday: 11:30am - 2:00am

Sushi Hon, Westfield Sydney, CBD

We had a site visit to the beautiful State Theatre on Market St today and I definitely did not expect the interiors to be so incredibly beautiful! It was the biggest clash of styles with Baroque, Neoclassical, Greek and Art Deco all combined to somehow create a gorgeous interior. I really was mesmerised and would love to have this over the top style for my house one day, a la Marie Antoinette ;)

Anyway, I met up with the boy afterwards for some jeans shopping. That was actually the longest time I've spent just shopping for something he needed! Normally I'm the one out buying things... The shop assistant at YD was definitely one of the nicest ones I met and was so incredibly eager and helpful with all the different styles - he really knew his stuff! I chatted with him while the boy tried on at least 10 pairs of jeans and he mentioned that the atmosphere at races are amazing and convinced me that I should go for the experience! Does anyone have any comments about the Spring races? I love how everyone dresses up for the occasion! With all the fancy hats haha. It definitely is something I want to go to at least once. He ended up buying a black pair of jeans with a tinge of blue, and we thanked the helpful assistant and were on our merry way for some dinner.

If it's one thing that I love, it would have to be fancy sushi! Sushi Hon on the level 5 food court in Westfield Sydney definitely caught my eye with all these exotic looking sushi on their menu. And the best thing about sushi trains is being able to eat as soon as you sit down!

Lion King Roll, $5.80

Consisting of a coleslaw centre topped with grilled salmon doused in teriyaki sauce and kewpie mayonaise, both of us agreed that this was a winner. Great start!

Blue Mountain, $6.80

Once again, grilled teriyaki salmon sushi, topped with a scallop and a mountain of avocado with a sprinkling of fish roe! This definitely was a hard one to eat as it was a massive sushi tower!

Gold Butterfly, $6.80

If you can see the trend going on, we've been getting all the expensive plates because they're not normal offerings on normal sushi trains... The presentation for this one was lovely with the scallops being sliced in half and spread out to look like butterflies on top of a coleslaw and avocado centred sushi piece.

Jumping Crab Roll, $5.80

Crab innards topped with something that I'm not too sure what it is but it sure tasted great!

Cheese Dragon Roll, $6.80

I liked the cheese in this one, but I've had better tasting Dragon Rolls elsewhere. Not to mention there were still bones in the eel which managed to get stuck in my teeth... Awks.

Bamboo Roll, $4.80

I adored the sweet marinated tofu strips inside this roll which was topped with slices of creamy avocado.

Twins, $4.80

The prawn tempura was wonderully crispy, sitting on top of a buttery egg mix and was finished with a little dollop of sweet chilli sauce.

Creme Brulee, $6.80

And to finish, I nabbed a creme brulee! The strawberries were sweet and juicy. The toffee top made a satisfying crack as I hit it with my spoon and eagerly dug in to the sweet, creamy yet eggy custard. Addictive combination.

As you can see, overall price did total to quite a bit, which was incredibly easy when you're going "Ooh, what's that?" while already making a grab at it. Though all in all, the sushi did taste amazing so no complaints there.

I even managed to fit in some late night shopping - new tights, jeans, and a tank top!

Sushi Hon

188 Pitt St
Level 5 Westfield Sydney
Sydney, NSW, 2000