Review: Stra Pocha, Strathfield

Someone should have warned me about the ring of fire I was going to get.

...and we didn't even order the famous "Fire Chicken".

A couple of weeks ago we arrived at the doors of Stra Pocha for a last minute surprise dinner for a dear friend who was in need of a bit of Cheerios. Situated on the bend of Everton Street, right across from Strathfield station on the "non-plaza side", this little place was definitely a very convenient place to meet and just settle down for a good time.

On most nights this place is pretty filled, and booking in advance is definitely recommended. One of the perks of the place are the little private dining rooms which they have where everyone gets to sit on the floor and dangle their legs in the the pitch of darkness under the table.

Unfortunately for us, we only got a comfortable little booth tucked in a cozy corner of the restaurant.
Like most Korean restaurants, after orders are taken, individual side dishes such as kimchi and potato salad are quickly distributed. I don't know about you, but these little dishes have often saved me from certain death from starvation.

Kumja Tang-Spicy Pork & Potato Soup - Medium - $42

For the night was had the Kumja Tang-Spicy Pork & Potato soup. I think when we saw the word 'spicy', we really did underestimate just how spicy the soup would be. I mean, c'mon, it was only rated ONE chilli (aka. mild). Little did we know our tongues were soon burning - not that it stopped us from devouring it though - the soup itself was definitely worth the pain, and the meat off the pork bones were certainly to die for.

Whole Chicken Pieces & Baby Octopus on Hot Plate - $40

And well, if we were dying from a ONE chilli rating, then you could probably imagine what it was like trying the Whole Chicken Pieces and Baby Octopus on Hot Plate. If you're wondering, it had a TWO chilli rating.

Ooooooh. Gangster.

Luckily, we soon learned that there is nothing in the world that a glass of Shoju cannot fix. In other news, the rice cakes in this dish was definitely the highlight for me. I'm a sucker for rice cakes.
Ooooh, grill.

Now the reason why I chose Stra Pocha was to relive my memory of its delicious BBQ. FYL originally complained about how Korean BBQ's always make your clothes stinky by the end of the night. To me, that simply interprets into a night of fun in clothes-you-don't-really-care-about-so-you-just-throw-them-into-the-washing-machine-when-you-get-home. The formula in my head is simple.

Clothes vs. Food?

Is that even a question?

Marinated Juicy Pork Ribs - $38

Now where was I...oh right, reliving the memory part. I've been to this place a couple of times before - perhaps a few years ago, and I remember it distinctively for its selection of wonderfully marinated meat and seafood. Alas I could not resist and ordered the Pork Ribs.

A big plus of this place is the huge serving sizes. At $38 per serve, it may seem steep when you first order, especially if you go by the standard sizes served at other restaurants. I would say that for 3 girls and 2 boys, the amount we had satisfied us perfectly. No wastage, no complaints of stinginess.

*Sizzle Sizzle*

So was I disappointed by this visit? No, definitely not. Not by a long shot. I would probably rate this place higher than Suminoya in terms of BBQ alone. Suminoya still kicks major backsides in the realm of unlimited sashimi and awesome salads. (I'm keeping this blog PG rated, for those who are raising their eyebrows at me.)

Please don't start egging my house. Each to their own okay? Just chill.

At least TC's Mr. Smiley Cupcake agrees with me.


Stra Pocha
19-21 Everton Road
Strathfield, NSW 2135
Tel: (02) 9745 5959

Review: Han Cook Restaurant, Sydney

Winter = Hot pot time. I don't think there is another equation in the world that is easier than that one.

A couple of weeks ago AL, VH and I decided to check out a new place on our radar tucked away on Pitt Street prior to attending a friend's farewell. The place is rather hard to find, but I'm happy to say that Han Cook was definitely a hidden gem in the bustling city.

I say hidden because when I say the place is on Pitt Street, right opposite The Galeries Victoria, most people would think of the random discount shop or the Takeaway Sushi shop (or perhaps even Hungry Jacks or something of the sort. Not many people would seek to venture behind the set of stairs blocking the view to the entrance of Han Cook.

We were there on a Friday night, and as we walked in most of the tables were relatively empty. Empty tables in a restaurants often makes me nervous, but I reasoned with myself that we were there fairly early in the evening, so it was perfectly normal for a restaurant to be quiet.

As we walked in, we were seated straight away and before long, we had already finished ordering and our complimentary side dishes arrived, much to everyone's delight. I love these Korean side dishes. My mother once joked that she would choose a Korean restaurant based on the quality of the side dishes they provide.

We ordered a serving of gyoza to start off. As you can probably tell from the photos, they were rather deep fried than pan fried, so possibly not so great for your body. I couldn't care less as they tasted great and were so generous in portions.

On a side note, we noticed that the place was filling up pretty quickly and there were a few people waiting outside for tables. What a difference a couple of minutes makes.

Kimchi Hot Pot - $39

Then our main arrived. We had chosen the Kimchi Hotpot to share and needless to say, we were absolutely delighted at the sight of it coming to our table. Slices of sweet pork belly laid between spring onions, kimchi and Korean rice cakes.

AL was the first to comment as I had been too busy entertaining myself with the kimchi from the side dishes.

"Hey guys, this is really good stock! You gotta try it!"

I spooned a little soup into my bowl and honest to God, I say this with little exaggeration, but it was definitely one of the tastiest hot pot stocks I've tried so far. Mind you, I've tried a lot of duds, but this one here was definitely a stand-out. At $39 a serve, it was such great value as it fed the 3 of us quite comfortably- we couldn't even finish the entire thing.

I have to say it was a really pleasant surprise to start off a great night out in the city. I'm definitely coming back for more.

Han Cook Korean Restaurant
238-242 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9267 6500

Review: Tomato Cafe, Chatswood

If there ever was a place that really would have benefited from a shot of the front entrance, it would have been Tomato Cafe.

Why?

Well when I asked AW where this place was, she promptly replied that I should not judge this place by the entrance, because I may feel as if I was being led towards some seedy R-rated place hidden away in some strange corner of Chatswood.

By some strange corner, I really just mean some place I never would have thought of visiting on Victoria Ave. Mind you, this place was perfect for our occasion, as we had just finished our exams and just wanted to chill in some secluded corner on a rainy, rainy day with some good, cheap food. (And sofa chairs!)

And the choice of Korean? Well, let's just say AW is a huge fan of everything Korean, and I simply enjoy the perk of having a neverending supply of free Kimchi. (Shown in one of the small dishes above)

Teriyaki Chicken with Curry Rice

The Teriyaki Chicken with Curry Rice was LT's dish that night. Even though I didn't end up trying it myself, I have been told that the teriyaki chicken was disappointing because it resembled more like honey chicken than teriyaki. Judging by the colours of the dish, I don't doubt him.

Somehow I don't think they brought out the right dish?

Spicy Pork with Rice Cakes

To be honest I don't remember what that dish was called at all. I really just made the name up on the spot just then. The point is, it had pork, and rice cakes and was deliciously spicy in that yummy Korean way. I know I'm probably not making much sense in this paragraph, but it's because I salivate everytime I see this and I'm trying my best to keep my saliva IN my mouth.

So what is this dish? Well, we don't actually know because a funny thing had happened on the night.

Remember the part where I mentioned that AW liked everything Korean? Well she had been taking Korean lessons all semester and was keen to try out her new language skills on the cute waiter. In her attempt to read the Korean on the menu, she failed to notice that the Korean appeared ABOVE the English translation (she thought it was below), and ended up ordering the wrong dish.

All I can really say is that it tasted like beef. Marinated beef Korean style. And I'm just going to leave it there. (It was delicious though!)

Korean Broad Noodles in Seafood and Vegetable Broth

And lastly, this was my Korean Broad Noodles in Seafood and Vegetable Broth. My verdict was that it definitely hit the spot for me that night because there's nothing like a warm bowl of soup noodles on a cold night. The noodles were nice and chewy still (so not overcooked), and the soup was so delicate in flavour. The seafood itself was nothing spectacular, but I wasn't expecting it to be considering it was only $10. Yeah, you heard right! $10!

The night was good, despite the few let downs here and there. But the night had been made because we had a chance to just chill and enjoy some good food and wine in a nice warm place where the ambience just makes you want to stay there with your friends forever.



Tomato Cafe
Level 1
370 Victoria Avenue
Chatswood, NSW 2067
Tel: ?

Korean Glass Noodles (Jap Chae)

I love Korean food. I think I would marry Kimchi and Korean Rice Cakes if I could (and if it wasn't such a weird idea).

Korean Glass Noodles, are also on that list of to-marry's. What I'm going to produce here is possibly not the most authentic recipe for Japchae, but it's simply my attempt at reproducing the stuff in the comfort of my home.

Now, given the sad state of my fridge and pantry yet again, I ask you kindly to imagine that you see carrots somewhere in that picture of ingredients, and that I DID NOT buy ready-sliced shiitake mushrooms.

I emphasis that latter part. My food-conscience is eating me up alive.

The recipe itself is pretty straight forward. First, boil your potato noodles until they are tender. Strain and toss with a few drops of sesame oil to prevent sticking.

Just remember to use sesame oil sparingly. One or two drops will go a long way.

Next, stir fry your vegetable juliennes. This is where you imagine strips of orange bits in my wok.Slowly get everything else in the pan. Season with soy sauce and SUGAR. Don't forget the sugar. It helps balance the saltiness of the soy sauce on your tastebuds.

When everything is cooked, toss the glass noodles back into the wok and briefly reheat the noodles and mixing all the vegies through. Drop 2 more drops of sesame oil and serve on a platter.

And hopefully, if you followed those steps, you'll end up with this:


Korean Glass Noodles (Jap Chae)
Serves: 4 (entree portions)

Buy:
1/4 bunch of choy (or roughly two sticks), chopped into 5cm lengths
1/2 carrot, julienned
1 handful of rehydrated black fungus
1 handful of rehydrated shittake mushrooms, sliced
1 coil of sweet potato noodles
2 small blocks of five spice firm bean curd, julienned
1/2 onion, sliced
1 stick celery, julienned
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
2 spring onions, chopped into 5cm lengths (or sliced)

2 tblsp soy sauce
1 tblsp Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce for Steaming
1 tsp sugar
1 tblsp cooking oil
Sesame Oil
Toasted Sesame, to garnish

Cook:

1. Boil sweet potato noodles until just tender.
2. Drain and toss with 2 or 3 drops of sesame oil, set aside.
3. In a wok, heat cooking oil and fry onion, bean curd and celery
4. After onions are transparent, add black fungus, garlic, mushrooms and choy and stir fry until almost tender.
5. Season with soy sauce and sugar
6. Add noodles into wok and toss around
7. Remove from heat and drizzle 2 or 3 drops more of sesame oil. Toss gently
8. Serve on a large dish, garnish with toasted sesame

Nom it hot or cold. It's great either way.