My Sweet, Sweet Day at Uni

There are a few perks of going to uni. Tropicana is one of them.

And the other? Well, meeting new people of course! You just never know who you might come across.

For me, my surprise came when I discovered that the guy who shoved a USB stick containing DOTA in my wallet turned out to the be the guy whose family owned Cupcakes on Pitt.

Kodak would've paid me to take a shot of my face when I found out...

Now despite the fact that IT practically lives in the world of dota, he showed up to uni this morning delivering not THREE (which was the original plan), but an entire box of assorted cupcakes from his store! For your convenience, I've labeled them all so you may salivate at the thought of nomming on some...let's see...perhaps Cookies & Cream cupcake? Or perhaps.... Strawberries & Cream?

Mmm....

You could clearly see the dilemma I was having upon the sight of this gastronomical excitement.

Needless to say, it didn't take long for the whole box to disappear. I would've eaten them all, but I think my conscience and friends alike would have murdered me with pitchforks...

Or pens...

Or accounting textbooks...

I ended up having the honeycomb (my faaaavourite) and the mango coconut and shared the rest with all those that tackled me down the halls of ASB. They were absolutely divine and totally made my otherwise really gloomy day at uni.

Don't these babies just light up? They're so gorgeous!

So thank you IT for this box! They were really really really the highlight of my day!

Cupcakes on Pitt - CBD Stores
Shop 2, 323-327 Pitt Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9264 4644

61 York Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9262 4660

Cupcakes on Pitt - Parramatta
Shop 1163 Westfield
Parramatta, NSW 2150
Tel: (02) 9633 4343

Cupcakes on Pitt - Bondi Beach
112a O'Brien Street
Bondi Beach, NSW 2026
Tel: (02) 8300 8306

Review: Caffe Incontro, North Ryde

Big Breakfast - Sausage, scrambled eggs, toast, tomato, mushrooms and bacon

Oh Lazy Saturdays, how I love thee!

Well, it's been a while since I've had a bit of time to just relax and enjoy the morning sunshine. I woke up on Saturday morning absolutely starving and JL felt like demolishing a big breakfast before heading out to his soccer game. There was no food in the fridge or pantry, and alas, no soy milk in the fridge for my morning coffee.

JL knows better than to let me out of the house before my morning coffee, so he quickly locked me up in a cage, packed me into the car, and drove down to Cox's Road for some brekky.

Haha, I joke.
Mushroom and Cheese Omelette

Caffe Incontro is a family run cafe and the food there is very much like what you would get at home, except you pay to not have to get groceries, cook or do the washing up. We've been here a few times now, and if it weren't for the fact that we were really feeling like brekky as opposed to seafood/italian/the-most-amazing-charcoal-chicken around (I have not yet visited El Jannah's), I don't think this place would have crossed my mind.

I can't stress this enough, but homecookery is what best describes this place. As you can probably tell from the pictures, foie gras and truffles are definitely not on the menu, but they do a satisfactory job with what is available.

I was thoroughly disappointed with my soy cap though. The froth bubbles were GINORMOUS - to the extent where it was pop in your face as you tried to sip it. I don't think the person at the machine was the real barista. The coffee was fine the last time I visited the place, and I had a quick squiz at the coffees on other tables and they looked fine.

Oh well, can't have everything in the world.

Caffe Incontro
203 Cox's Road
North Ryde, NSW 2113
Tel: (02) 9888 9901

Review: Ju Ju, Kings Cross

Mixed Sashimi Platter

Disclaimer: This is by far my worst set of photos. Both JL's dslr and my back-up point&shoot were on flat batteries, so I had to resort to my mobile. Dear Samsung, please fix the colour capture on your mobile cameras. The following exhibits will break any photographer's heart.

The name of this place brings out the Grey's Anatomy fan in me.

Jujujujujuju, Jujujujujuju (remember the OCD guy? and the whole death comes in 3's and 7's stuff? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about)

Anyway, I was at a NS's 21st birthday dinner on Friday night. The pick of the birthday boy had us heading over to the Cross for some Japanese. Once again, this was my first time at this restaurant, but JL had informed me that it was pretty good the last time he went, and apparently one of the waiters looked like Brad Pitt.

Brad Pitt?

I was sold.

Dragon Roll

The place is pretty funky. The whole place looks like an underground Japanese Karaoke bar, and before you step onto the elevated platforms (the whole restaurant is elevated from the level at entry) you must take your shoes off at the entrance and the waitress would then kindly hand you a plastic bag to store them in during your visit.

The picture above is the Dragon Roll. It was quite deleeesh, but I definitely prefer the dragon roll they have a Wagaya. The eel on top was a tad on the small and thin side, so there was really nothing special about the dish except its presentation. The rice was quite sticky compared to what we are generally accustomed to, but it just means there's not as much vinegar used on the rice which is actually to my preference.

I hate it when they use too much vinegar on the rice. Rice should not be sour. *Glares at Sushi Junction, Mosman*

Tofu Steaks

Oh and you may wonder why the place is elevated. It's because the floor of the restaurant is also your seat for the evening, and you get to dangle your feet into a hole underneath the table (which is further elevated from the floor). Does it make sense? No? Oh well, you'll just have to visit yourself and check it out.

The Tofu Steak we had was possibly one of the perks of the evening (after the sashimi platter. Oh baby, nothing can EVER beat a fresh sashimi platter) The tofu was coated in a light, crisp batter, then dressed with a sweet Japanese soy. To top it off, there was a thick and gooey corn starch glaze poured on top with a few bits of marinated slices of shiitake mushrooms.

Okonomiyaki

I'm not usually a fan of Okonomiyaki. I blame it on my High School Japanese teacher for devirginising my tastebuds for okonomiyaki with a severely undercooked and underflavoured okonomiyaki she cooked at school. I STRESS the undercooked part. There's nothing worse than biting into runny oko batter and have it dripping down onto your school uniform on a hot summer day.

Nevertheless, I decided to give this a second chance and I was extremely glad that I did. This okonomiyaki (can you tell I love the word?) was full of flavour, but not too salty, and well done all the way through. It was a bit doughy in certain areas, but I don't think it can really be helped.

I believe I am now on the hunt for the best Okonomiyaki in Sydney.


Ju Ju
Kingsgate Shopping Centre
Shop 320, Bayswater Road
Kings Cross, NSW 2011
Tel: (02) 9357 7100

Review: Tropicana, Kingsford

Hello there sexy! Mmm Tofu Laksa

Some people say you are not a student of UNSW until you have experienced the Tropicana Laksa Broth.

Well...actually they don't, I just made that up. The point is, I can't stress enough that if you're ever wandering past UNSW or running a marathon down Anzac Parade, it is an IMPERATIVE that you drop by this Malaysian eatery for a bit of nom nom.

Having said that, despite my years at UNSW, this was my first time nomming at Tropicana.

That was my bowl of Tofu Laksa. I had been previously warned of the richness of the Tropicana laksa broth, but it never occurred to me just how rich and thick it was. There was definitely a sense of guilty pleasure in me as I slurped up the delicious noodles and spooned the coconutty goodness into my mouth.

It doesn't register all that highly on the heat-o-meter. In other words, if you're looking to eat laksa with spice-noobs then this place is definitely worth considering. However, the tofu was a tad on the salty side, but the broth was simply delicious.

SL's BBQ Pork Laksa

I'm not the biggest fan of BBQ Pork, and the thought of having it in laksa still makes me raise my eyebrow. However, judging by the look of the dish, it was probably just the exact same broth plus a few pieces of BBQ Pork thrown in. I suppose that's how they do it in a lot of places - nothing wrong with that, who am I to complain about a perfectly well tested method?

JL's Seafood Laksa

If there ever was an enemy of the sea, the first person to come to mind is JL. (The last being LT hehe). Once again, the broth was pretty much the same rich broth that came in the other two, but this time filled with the likes of prawns, tofu, fish balls and sliced fish cakes. The prawns looked bursty enough - nicely soaked in bicarb water for the texture to be all nice and almost crunchy.

Given that this place targets poor uni students as their main market, you could probably expect quite good value for money. However, I don't think I would ever make the trip out to Kingsford for this bowl of laksa, but at the same time, this place is definitely one of the perks for a foodie going to UNSW.


Tropicana
Shop 2, 243 Anzac Parade
Kingsford, NSW 2032
Tel: (02) 9662 8896

Review: Kansai Japanese Restaurant, Sydney

Gyoza - $6.90

Ever since my friends realised that I had started a foodblog, it seems that they turn to me whenever they're in need of a place to eat.

Well, at times that may be a blessing.

But when they ask at a time when all you think about is your impending doom (exam) in the next 2 hours, the only thing that I could really suggest to them was KFC.

Dragon Roll - $17.50

There's nothing like a good ol' bucket of potato and gravy to drown your nerves in. And then feeling guilty about.

Oh wait. Guilt? What guilt? I joke too much.

Italian (?) - $12.50

So then when my friend MS first suggested that we goto Kansai, I had no idea that I would end up at a small, tucked-away Japanese restaurant right next to work. In fact I could not even care where I ended up. It's bizarre really, because I swear in the past two years I've probably walked past this place about 400 times not knowing that it was a pretty amazing place for food at exceptional prices.

Salmon Skin - $9.50

The place is unassuming and entirely missable if you weren't really looking for a place to eat. I've seen people eating there during the busy workday lunch hours and what not, so it may very well just be me being a bit slow on the uptake.

I guess some things never change after all...

Volcano - $15.50

Times are tough, and no doubt are uni students feeling the GFC harder than anyone else. (Haha, ok fine, a bit of an exaggeration - but there's a hint of truth if you would just scratch the surface.) A place like Kansai is really ideal for a simple night out with a bunch of rowdy friends. Good food, good value, great service.

Sometimes, simplicity is really the real charm of life.

Tempura Udon & Sushi - $18.50

Ambience-wise there's not really much to say. It's quiet on a Tuesday night, with a few empty tables here and there and I liken the feel of the place to that of a typical sushi parlour. There's nothing extravagant in its decor or restaurant design, but it's made clear that the attention to detail is placed in the food rather than any sort of pretentious design of the place. I could honestly say that my bowl of Tempura Udon was possibly one of the nicest I've had. The batter was light, and not too oily, and the tempura sauce was just as light and exceptionally tasty in flavour. Portion-wise it was spot on, and for the slightly bigger eaters there was the option of having a set which came with an extra platter of assorted nigiri (pictured above).

Crunch - $9.50

We had a pretty good time there. All of us were filled to the brim with really good Japanese food, with the exception of MW who probably got a little over-excited with the amount of food available. I'll definitely be coming back here.

Life is good when you enjoy a few cheap thrills.

We nommed it all up and would nom it some more.


Kansai Japanese Restaurant
Shop B1, Hunter Connection
7-13 Hunter Street, Sydney
Tel: (02) 9231 5544

Request Line - SJ

Disclaimer: I'm technically not meant to be cooking+blogging, but I need a bit of de-stressing which only cooking will provide.

Aaah, the classic stir fry. How many times have I failed thee.

It seriously took my father years before he worked out the secret to making a good stir fry. For a while, every dish he made would either have overcooked beef which was tough and chewy, or undercooked vegies which were dull in flavour and colour.

And then one night, sometime during his late 30's, it suddenly occurred to him that there was a vital step to this whole stir-fry bizzo which we didn't know about.

Steaming.

The idea works the same way as parboiling your potatoes before you bake them. Except you parsteam your vegies before you throw it into your stirfry so you don't end up with undercooked vegies. This is homecooking we're talking about, so don't start telling me about how they do it differently in the restaurants. Most homes simply don't have enough flame to heat the wok hot enough to cook the vegies through before the meat simply dries up and dies.

And yes, I equate badly cooked meat with killing the animal a second time round. Please, please don't do it. The animal deserves a dignified path to the next part of its life.

Another key to good stirfrying is knowing the order to cook everything in. Because of the speed of everything, once you throw your first piece in, you really don't have much time to think about what should go in first or what not. It has to be done right, straight away.

So how does it all work?

Things which will withstand a fair bit of cooking - try and get these in the pan first:

• Dried and reconstituted mushrooms. (These buggers don't seem to die in the pan and will retain its shape even after HOURS of cooking.)
• Firm tofu, tofu sponges, deep fried tofu (soft tofu will retain its shape, but it will release a LOT of liquid during the cooking process, and even after the cooking has been done - so try not to use them for stirfrying purposes)
• Black fungus
• Dried shrimp
• Ginger
• Chicken (unless you're really really slow at getting the ingredients in the pan)
• Onions

Things which require pre-cooking:

• Un-bicarbed meat (if you don't use bicarb during the marinating process, make sure you give the meat a quick fry until its NEARLY cooked, take it out of the wok, and rest aside until all the other ingredients are cooked, then just throw everything together in the wok.)
• Vegetables (as I said before, steam, then throw into wok at the end.)

Things which can't stay in the pan for long:

• Beef
• Pork
• Prawns
  

I thank my father for discovering the procedure in his 30s so that I didn't have to.


Classic Pork Stirfry Cheat guide
Serves: the family

Buy:
1 tblsp Mushroom Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/8 tsp MSG (optional)
1/2 tsp Bicarb Soda (optional)
1 tblsp Oil
Oyster sauce, to taste

2 Small Sticks of Choy (any type will work)
250g Pork Fillet, sliced thinly
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1/2 chopped onion
5 Shittake Mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped in half
a handful of Black Fungus
Oil to cook

Marinate:

1. Combine pork fillet, bicarb soda, tablespoon oil, MSG, sugar and mushroom dark soy together, making sure every piece of the pork is nicely coated
2. Leave aside for 5-20mins

Cook:

1. Steam choy for 3mins, or until choy is brightly coloured
2. Remove from steamer and set aside
3. In a wok, heat oil until almost smoking, add black fungus and shittake mushroom and stirfry for about 2 minutes. (Please be careful, this stage the wok will spatter out a lot of oil.)
4. Add onions and garlic and toss around for another minute or two.
   
5. Throw in marinated pork and add roughly 2~3 tablespoons of oyster sauce (or to taste)
6. Stir fry for about 3minutes, or until pork is cooked
7. Throw in steam choy and turn off heat. Toss everything around so the vegetables are nicely coated in the sauce, and serve straight away. If you leave it in the wok the vegetables will keep cooking and turn yellow.

Nom it good with a bit of rice.

My Life, as of Week 7

Dear Readers,

Let's all examine the picture posted above. To the naked eye, what you see is merely a pile of textbooks and notes and magazines "neatly" assembled on the floor in what appears to be the typical style of a second year university student during mid-sem exams.

What you don't see is that, beneath that pile, is in fact, my brain.

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet, but it's here to let all you know that this blog and I haven't died (though unlike the blog, I'm barely breathing). I've just been swamped by my uni workload.

Give me another week in ICU and everything will be back in action!
Thanks for all your readership!

Love, WX