Gumshara Ramen - Eating World - Haymarket / Chinatown

Maybe I went to Chinatown too much in my young days, but I've suddenly developed this aversion to the place. I think it was a good year in between visits to Chinatown. So when Gumshara started popping up in all sorts of conversations, its taken me this long to actually get there. I guess I couldn't have picked a worse time to go try it. Hot and humid and sticky isn't the type of weather that calls for thick gelatinous Ramen soup. But hey, how often do I come out?!

Although the menu is limited, it still took me ages to decide what I want! It was actually the side dishes that confused me! In the end, I settled for the standard Tonkatsu ramen with the soft boiled seasoned eggs and a side of Gyoza.

As I stood there waiting for my Ramen, I understood why everyone raves about the place. The chef doesn't just boil ramen and dump some soup ontop. Every bowl is individually seasoned, taste tested, re-adjusted and taste tested again until the chef is happy. I can see Gordon Ramsay just clapping his hands in glee!

Tonkatsu Ramen

The broth is extremely rich and gelatinous, and every bit deserving the praise that its gotten. There's no taste of msg that plagues many Japanese restaurants around Sydney. However, it was still a bit too rich for me. Luckily they give the option for less rich and salty stocks, I might give that a go next time. The noodles had a lovely bite to it and I loved the little condiments bar they have on the sides where you can add extra sesame, pickles etc.

Seasoned soft boiled egg

I don't know if you can see from the photo, but the egg white surrounding the yolk had barely set and was still wobbling when I picked it up with my spoon. Definitely a must order!

Gyoza

Thin crispy gyoza skin wrapped around a soft pork filling. I don't order Gyoza often, but this was pretty good compared to what I've had before.

For a little food court stall, their ramen is OUTSTANDING. This really puts a lot of other "ramen" restaurants in Sydney to shame.

Gumshara
Eating World Food Court
Shop 209, 25-29 Dixon Street
Chinatown


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Hai Au - Canley Vale

I actually went to Hai Au a while ago, and never had a chance to blog about it. Why? Errrrrr......I didn't actually know where I was.... *cough* I mean, I did get a lift from a friend to another friend's house. Then we jumped into another car and went somewhere where there was a detour and then it got dark and then I just got lost! *LoL* Plus my friend had no idea what the restaurant was called. She just knew how to get there!

Anyway, thanks to Google Maps and Streetview, I finally figured it was Hai Au! I rarely EVER come to this part of town, especially on a week day, ESPECIALLY at night. So I was quite surprised how many people were actually in the restaurant, including a huge party of about 15-20 people. It took me 30mins to realise that party of 15-20 people was actually my friend and her family!! haha

Anyway, because of the detour and us getting lost, I was ravenous by the time we got to the restaurant. Even though there were 3 of us, we insisted on order 4 main meals! Never let me order when hungry!

Firstly, let me explain that I rarely, if EVER have Vietnamese main meals. 95% of the time I end up getting Pho considering how much I love it. The other 5% will either be noodle salads or other noodle soups. This is probably the first time I fully remember ordering mains.


So I had no idea what we were really ordering when we got the pork, prawn and lotus root salad. What came out was quite different to what I expected. Expecting the standard lotus roots, I was wondering what the heck those sticks of white stuff were.

The white stuff is actually pickled lotus roots. If you look at the ends very VERY carefully, you will see the same holes you find in the normal lotus roots. This salad was unbelievably refreshing! I absolutely loved the crunch of the lotus roots with the pickled daikon and carrots. The acidity cuts through the fatty pork and goes perfect with seafood. I enjoyed it so much I bought a jar of the lotus roots as well! I just need to know how to use it! hehe

Sour fish soup

This is one of my favourite dishes when I went to Vietnam. Its got the lovely sweetness of seafood, sour tang and loads of herbs giving the soup a perfect balance. I loved mixing the broth with plain boiled rice and eating it just like that.

Stewed pork belly and eggs with coconut juice

I was surprised how small this dish was compared to the others, especially the price they were charging. Its nice, but I reckon I make a much better version ;) With that said, the pork was melting in your mouth. Don't forget to cut the egg open and let the yolk soak up all the sauce.

Hot and sour beef

Another nice dish. Not sure how Viet this is. I didn't really eat much of this because by the time it came out, I was stuffed to the brim! This is the problem when you order 4 mains for 3 people! hehe

Hai Au Restaurant
48a Canley Vale Rd
Canley Vale NSW 2166
Phone (02) 9724 9156


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St Patricks Tavern - King St

I used to walk up and down King St, thinking there are only dodgy pubs on the street. But since working around the corner, I've actually discovered that those "dodgy pubs" may look dodgy after 10 beers at night, but actually serve pretty good food during the day!

Having walked past St Patricks Tavern heaps of times, and noting they had signs outside that use the phrases "Duck", "Rump Steak" and "Seafood", I decided to go check it out with a friend.

St Patricks Tavern is actually below ground level, drowning out all the noisy traffic and people on King St. The decor is like a standard Irish pub with a bistro/dining area.

I was starving when we arrived, and promptly ordered a serve of Garlic Bread.

Garlic Bread - $4.50

Man.....these were huge! I was expecting 2 small slices of bread, not these huge garlic bread rolls! I limited myself to just 1 before the main came out in case I get full.

Beef and Guiness Stew - $16.95

I order the Beef and Guiness Stew. Rich hearty beef stew that melts in your mouth. I couldn't really taste the Guiness since they were a bit heavy on the tomato, but I don't like Guiness anyway! hehe They served it with creamy mashed potatoes! AWESOME! The Irish really know how to use potatoes.

Fish of the Day grilled and served with Lime Hollandaise, Salad and Wedges - Market Price

My friend ordered the fish of the day. A big slab of flakey and moist fish served with chunky home made wedges. Very different to the ones you get at a normal pub that are heavily spiced. This was good since you don't want anything overpowering the fish.

St Patrick's Tavern
66 King St
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9262 3277
http://www.stpatrickstavern.com.au/



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A hidden Hawker stall - Ashfield Cafe

The first time I heard of Ashfield cafe, my initial reaction was "There's no such place in Ashfield!!". I mean, I've only been a local for the last 20 odd years. However, after hearing about the cafe, I took a different route to the station and realised that OMG! There IS a Ashfield Cafe and OMG! They serve Malaysian/Singaporean food! WTH?!

Basically, what used to be a milk bar that sells BBQ chicken, chiko rolls and sandwiches got sold awhile back. The new owners didn't bother changing the exterior in any way. They sometimes still sell food in a hot box out the front to cater for all the school kids in the morning. However, if you actually go inside, the old fryers and grills are now gone. In its place are giant woks and jet flames to give the lovely breath of wok charred taste.


They've also used the old chalk boards to display their menu. From memory, they used to contain the price of various sandwich fillings and burgers. Now, sections of the boards contain differnet types of Laksas, noodle soups, stir fried noodles, rice and curries. Basically your typical Hawker food, in a VERY Australian Milk Bar setting.


Ashfield Cafe is also only open Monday to Saturdays. I NEVER walk past on a Saturday as its right next to the train station and I always drive on the weekends instead. After work, the shop is actually closed since they're not open for Dinner. I can't believe how many years its taken me to realise that there is a Malay/Singaporean cafe right on my door step!

I specially woke up earlier on Saturday and convinced a friend to go try out this place with me. Luckily we got there early, as the place only has limited seats and was completely packed out within 5mins of us arriving.

Chicken Laksa

First up, their Chicken Laksa.The bowl is deceptively small when it arrives. Its only when you start digging with your chopsticks that there is a heap of noodles and chicken all crammed into the small bowl. Aromatic and not too creamy, just the way I like it. I find the Ashfield Cafe Laksa a bit more "watery" compared to Malay Chinese, but considering how hot it was, I actually quite enjoyed it. I found the spiceiness just perfect for me, but my friend reckons what goes in hot is going to come out hot. *cough*

Less spicy bowl

Hokkien Mee

I was actually hoping for the Malaysian Black Hokkien Mee extra saucy version, but this was almost as good. Big juicy prawns, slippery charred noodles and heaps of other goodies.

Most of the meals average from $7-10. Definitely a good bargain for the quality of food coming out of a Milk Bar! hehe When we were there, big crowds of people ended up ordering take away since there were limited seats. From what I can see, the portions take away are as big if not bigger than eating in. Something to keep in mind when its packed!

Ashfield Cafe
2 Hercules St
Ashfield NSW 2131
Ph: (02) 9799 4539


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Kura 2

I've walked past Kura 2 many times. It was only recently that I realised why the Kura menu looked so familiar. Kura 2, is a branch of Kura the original, which is the little hole in the wall Japanese restaurant on the corner of Thomas St and Ultimo rd behind Market City. I used to frequent Kura the original, but never knew the name of the place. I just remembered cheap food and huge servings.

Since Kura the original is always quite packed, I decided to try Kura 2 for a bit of a nostalgic fix. Kura 2 has a fairly large variety of dishes, with the option to add in a side dish for a few extra dollars. However, this option is only available with certain dishes. I.e. not available with noodles!

I went for my all time favourite, Nabeyaki Udon.

Nabeyaki Udon

I forgot how big the serves were and had a bit of a fright when they put this pot down infront of me.

The soup is flavoursome and not overly rich for a hot summers night. Usually you only get 1 tempura prawn, so I was pleasantly surprised to see 2! Not to mention all the other goodies buried in the pot. I quickly fish out my tempura prawns and place it on a plate. I hate having soggy tempura, even though it does impart all the yummy fried goodness into the soup. Plus, I leave it til last so I can enjoy every last bite!

My friend ordered the Katsudon with a side dish of Karage Chicken that we both shared.

Karage Chicken

The Karage chicken was nice and crispy and not overly oily. My only complaint was that it should have been doused with kewpie mayo! Because like bacon, everything tastes just that little better with Kewpie Mayo!

Katsudon

Miso soup

My friend rated the Katsudon as good for Australian standards, but average by Japan standards. So I guess that's....good.....right? *shurgs*

The serves are quite big, regardless of the price you pay. And in this case, the prices are very decent as well. Certainly great value for a quick feed, especially when you're starving and low on cash!

Kura 2
Corner of Dixon St and Liverpool St
Sydney, NSW

New Season - Burwood

Burwood Rd has become an eat street in my eyes. Every few shops in another restaurant or cafe, all clambering for your business. Back in my "younger days", Burwood used to be ma hood. Now days, I tend to go to Burwood mainly for Chinese Roast. So when a new roast shop opened up, we went down to check it out.



Unlike some of the other roasts shop in Burwood, New Seasons seem to cater more for the dinner crowd, with big family size tables available. The menu also offer a range of main meals rather than meat + rice, meat + noodle combos. They also had a few set menus available to the dinner crowd with offerings of fresh fish from the tank and other goodies. Being lunch time, we opted for the noodle and rice options.

First up, complimentary soup.

Sampan Congee

Oh yeah! This is one of my favourite congees, although not everyone likes it. Mainly because there's a combination of fried pork skin, cuttle fish and pork stomach in it. Meh, just means more congee for me.

Combination Stir Fried Noodles

Whenever I order congee, I always try to order a stir fried noodle of some sort. Most of the time its the dry fried beef rice noodles, this times its Combination stir fried noodles. Then I put some noodles in a bowl, then top the bowl with congee. Stir and eat. MmMMmm does anyone else do this?! haha I find the noodles "spread" their deliciousness to the congee, and the congee somehow mellows and spreads the taste all throughout your mouth. Hard to explain, easy to eat. ;)

Double stir fried noodles

We weren't too sure what this was when we ordered it. Turns out its 2 types of noodles stir fried together. In this case, its vermicelli and egg noodles stir fried with bean sprouts and various sliced meat. Its a simple dish, but very very tasty. Must be very bad for me...

Hokkien Fried Rice

If you've never had a Hokkie Fried Rice before (Sometimes called Fukkien fried rice, but I don't want to swear), its a plate of fried rice topped with a very saucey combination of diced meat, seafood and veggies. When I eat it, I stir everything together to make it into a clump of gooey goodness. I've converted many friends onto this dish! A must have.

New Season
Approx. 93 Burwood Rd
Burwood, NSW


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Habib's Charcoal Chicken - Bankstown

Gum? Check! Mints? Check! More Gum? CHECK! Ok. Now I'm ready to go Habibs. And if you don't have enough gum and mints on you, I would recommend only going to Habib's with friends who don't mind smelling your breath. Why? Because Habibs has the best Garlic sauce you'll ever taste!


Habib's is no Tetsuyas. There's no white linen cloth or 5 different wine glasses on your table. What you will get is plastic covers, plastic chairs and no nonsense service. But none of this matters. All that matters is the Garlic sauce.


I've only ever eaten in at Habib's. Never take away. Mainly because when you eat in, you get so much more value for food. (You do pay extra, but I think its worth it).

Habib's 1/2 chicken

If you're after a standard bbq chicken to go home and eat with mash and gravy, then you're at the wrong place. When you order chicken at Habib's you're first thought is that its quite expensive. But what you actually get is chicken...

Unlimited lebanese bread....

Unlimited pickles...

unlimited garlic sauce...

Ontop of the unlimited sides, you must order yourself a side of their super crispy french fries. If you ask for Chicken salt (Which I think is a must!), they'll give you the shaker so you can go nuts yourself! Oh yeahhhhh!!!

Tabouli, Hummus, Babaganoush

They also have different salads and dips you can order. Not pictured here is a delicious fried cauliflower which I sometimes order. And I hate cauliflower!

To eat:

1. Get a piece of lebanese bread
2. Slather with garlic sauce
3. Add a few shreds of chicken
4. Add a few salted fries
5. Add pickles to taste
6. Add other salads and dips to taste
7. Roll and take one bite
8. Top with more garlic sauce
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you finish.
10. Start all over again

If you should run out of lebanese bread, pickles or god forbid, the garlic sauce, they will happily top it up for you! Becareful with what you order, because there is a lot of food! My friend who generally eats an entire BBQ chicken in one sitting, only managed 1/2 of a Habib's chicken.

Oh, don't forget to get a fizzy drink, it helps when you need to burp more garlic than your friends! hehe

Habib's Charcoal Chicken
24 Restwell st
Bankstown NSW 2200
Phone (02) 9708 2219


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