Me, Me & Me

Hello hello and hello readers! Thank you to WX for the kind, timely and succinct introduction. Just thought I'd be a bit more personal and post something myself before I get serious with this blogging business.

Some of you may know me, some of you may not but you may all just call me AY. I will be the one in charge of all that technical stuff so hopefully in the very near future, you will see a facelift for this blog. If all goes to plan, I also hope to perhaps purchase a domain and get ourselves a webhost with a more user-friendly blogging utility. Beyond that, perhaps being a bit ambitious, I hope to drive more traffic to this blog and see our efforts fly high in the world of foodie-ism.

As WX has noted, I am but a food lover on training wheels. Neither my tastebuds nor my knowledge of food is as well trained and in-depth as hers, but rest assured, my time spent here will fine tune those (hopefully). My previous web design experience with HTML, PHP, blogging platforms and Photoshop will help me revamp and continue to innovate our website. And finally, as an aspiring photographer, I hope to capture the best angles of food to satisfy your eyes and subsequently those salivating mouths.

My aim here as contributer is to help WX and help you guys - to point you in the right direction for food and to make you want to eat. So let us begin...!

Review: Yulli's, Surry Hill

--- Written and Photos by WX

As a conflicted carnivore torn between being somewhat paranoid about developing anaemia and being unable to absolve the guilt of killing animals for personal indulgence (yes, I consider eating meat an indulgence), I've often contemplated what the step into the vegetarian world would feel like. It's places like Yulli's that really spark hope in myself that I would perhaps one day take the difficult leap successfully. Eating meat is almost like a nicotine addiction - except they don't make patches for it.

Alas, I'm too dramatic for my own good.

Yulli's is situated on the busy Crown Street in Surry Hills, next to the White Horse across the road from Clock Hotel. The place bustles with grooviness (yes, that's really the only way to describe it), and the warmth and artsy decor could only be described as being evocative of a certain liberalism.

One quick glance at the menu, and you instantly think that if it were possible for food to possess a political compass, the offerings at Yulli's could only be described as left-wing. In fact, I would go so far to say that they would be the appropriation of Bob Brown ideology, in food form.

On the other hand, just as one would always ooh and aah at Asian-Mediterranean mixed race babies, the fusionesque menu at Yulli's attracts the same sort of entrigued and misguided "so-does-it-look-more-like-the-mother-or-father?" reaction.

The service here is perfectly casual, but attentive and informative. There is little claustrophobic upper-class snobbery and everyone is seemingly down to earth and non-pretentious. The atmosphere is friendly, warm and laid back. If the restaurant was a canvas, this place would be a coherent and expressive masterpiece.

Baby Burrito Plate (spicy beans, sour cream, salsa, avocado and tiny tortillas) - $15.50

First up was the Baby Burrito Plate. The bean salsa was exquisitely tangy and mildly spicy. The tortillas were as soft and warm as a baby's bum. Definitely more-ish, in a non-weird-pedophilic way.

Mixed Chip Plate (sweet potato, taro, lotus root, beetroot and spanish onion) - $12.50

FW was the Mixed Chip Plate's number one fan. The dish came with 3 dips - rosemary salt, tomato salsa and dill yoghurt. I only managed to get a taste of the taro and lotus root chips with the yoghurt and salsa dips. I was an instant fan of the taro as it was fragrant and really crisp. The lotus root was also very crispy, but lacked the originality and distinctiveness of its own flavours.

Eggplant Involtini (grilled eggplant stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and spinach, topped with lemongrass and tomato sauce, served on roti) - $17.50

The involtinis were my absolute favourite for the night. They were cheesy, tangy and exploding with fresh flavours of basil and tomato. In the middle were perfectly grilled eggplants which oozed with flavour and sweetness. The roti base was crispy and mildy sweet which provided a beautifully elegant balancing act against the tanginess of tomatoes.

Salt & Pepper Tofu (served with a green papaya salad) - $15.50

Another winner for the night was the green papaya salad served with the salt and pepper tofu. It was peanutty, crispy and once again, tangy but not the slightest bit overpowering. The salt and pepper tofu was nice, but could have done with a little more of both salt and pepper.

Vegetable Sambal (fresh seasonal vegetables, stir-fried Indonesian style, served with jasmine rice) - $15.50

Next up was the vegetable sambal. The sambal itself was fresh, spicy and bursting with flavour. The rice was fragrant and provided a good accompaniment.

Grilled Haloumi Toasted Bagel (served with avocado, grilled mushroom, caramelised onion and hummus with chips) - $14.50

Haloumi featured on quite a few of the dishes on the menu. We eventually settled for the Grilled Haloumi toasted bagel. The waiter kindly warned us that this was a dish that was difficult to share, but we nevertheless attempted to do the undoable. The haloumi was absolutely wonderfully grilled and nicely chewy in texture.

Spring Rolls (with fresh vegetables and served with a light sweet chilli sauce) - $8.50

Spring rolls were part of the second round of ordering which occurred later in the meal. The fillings were beautifully delicate in flavour, but quite peppery. I was sad to only eat a half - that's just cruel teasing.

Pad Thai Linguine (with fresh seasonal vegetables) - $16.50

Lastly we all shared a serve of pad thai, which was actually one of the more fascinating dishes. The use of linguine was an interesting substitute. Furthermore, I could swear to God that I tasted Chinese pickled vegetables (Zha Cai 榨菜) in the dish. Whatever it was, it gave a wonderfully crunchy texture to the sweet and spicy dish. Definitely food for thought - in an abstract sense.

Overall we had a great evening in Surry Hills, finishing off with a box of cupcakes from Cupcakes on Pitt. (Yes okay, Sparkle was across the road, but I think it was closed at the time).

My verdict? Definitely recommended.

Yulli's
417 Crown Street
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9319 6609

Review: Pizza e Birra, Surry Hills

--- Written by WX, Photos by AY

Last Friday, FW claimed he had the best place in mind to take everyone. I was quickly told that the place is called Pizza e Birra. In my semi-comatosed state after my visit to the dentist (yes I'm exaggerating), I replied in a confused state:

"Pizza e WHAT?"
"Birra - it's the place name."
"Bulla? What?"
"No, BIRRA."

Then I was told to just shut up and get in the car. My dream had finally come true. My friends were kidnapping me to feed me. Perhaps now is the time to store a bone in my purse so they can keep fattening me?

The buzziness of the place was apparent from the first moment I stepped in. Rustic overtones and a distinct earthiness oozed from every corner of the restaurant. Most noteworthy observation was the use what I can only describe has fancy butcher paper with a stamp of "Pizza e Birra" on it as table coverings. Big tick for the "something different to tickle your fancy" box.

Complimentary bread and olive oil were served promptly after ordering. Yes, just bread and warm olive oil. While the bread and the oil were nice per se, I generally prefer mine with a little balsamic vinegar. You could imagine my surprise when I dipped my bread into the accompanying dish, only to discover that I had merely been soaking up olive fat. Yummy and warm olive fat. Hehe.

Service on the whole was a bit absent throughout the night. There were quite a few moments where we felt we should have brought a fishing line with us in hope to catch any waiter swimming around all the tables. Speaking of tables, I think I would have been much more comfortable with a little more space so that I didn't have to eat with my elbows tucked in tightly, in fear of KO-ing someone as I'm eating.

Calamari Fritti - $23

We ordered two entrees to share. First up the Calamari Fritti was well executed and light. It could have used a little more salt and pepper, but on the whole they were a nice way to start the evening. The rocket provided an interesting and refreshing accompaniment.

Arancini - $7

The arancinis were appetising and perfectly cheesy to my liking. Overall they were moist and tasty. I definitely could have had a few more.

Quattro Formaggi - $21.50

The Quattro Formaggi was nicely cheesy and tasty - perfect for the cheeselover. However I did notice that quite a lot of the cheese around the edges were far from melted, and that the crust was a tad on the overly-makes-my-jaw-hurt chewy. Nevertheless they were enjoyable.

Pizza e Birra - $24

Signature dishes always have the trouble of needing to live up to expectations. All I can say that Pizza e Birra definitely met mine, and I was terribly sad that I only ended up having half a slice, sharing it with FW. The spinach was soft and wonderfully tasty - I never really thought about how spinach might work on a pizza. Hi rocket, I think you have just been bumped.

Linguine con Vongole - $23

FYL also chose the Linguine con Vongole demonstrated how pasta should be cooked and the definition of "al dente". The flavours were subtle and it really gave the vongole a chance to show off its flavours.

Pappadella con Ragu Atrano - $23

Pappadella con Ragu Atrano was perhaps my absolute favourite for the night. It belongs in my list of "Bait-Dishes" - those dishes which transforms me from a "researching-foodie" into a "returning-customer". The duck was so wonderfully tender and juicy, bursting with flavour in the rich tomato ragu. The pappadella was also cooked al dente and wrapped itself gracefully around the delectable sauce. More-ish would be an understatement.

Overall I'm a bit torn about how I feel about the restaurant. The food was excellent and wins my heart over instantly, likewise the buzzy ambience and the warmth of the place. What turns me off somewhat is the poor service by some waiters, the lack of attention paid to the table, and just things like clearing out your table too quickly and having to chase for your bill.

I don't know. I'm still undecided. Duck ragu or no ragu?

Pizza e Birra
Shop 1, 500 Crown Street
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9332 2510

Dear Readers: Nom is now a team effort!

Hi all,

After spending a long time thinking about the future and the vision I have for this blog, I'm happy to announce that we now have a new writer joining us here.

AY is one of my best friends and also a fellow foodie. So you could probably imagine my horror when he announced to me the other night that he was readying himself to create his own foodblog in order to create some competition. Perhaps it was the freshly brewed Commerce blood in me, but after doing a few sums (or rather, thinking about the logistics of everything), I quickly decided to pounce on the opportunity to recruit that bastard. After all, two brains are better than one, and you guys definitely deserve better than my sporadic blogging habits.

In other news, since AY has experience in webdesign, it is likely that Nom will be undergoing some general plastic surgery to improve her looks in the near future. Judging from what I know of my skills in technology, I'm going to warn everyone that there may be days where the site will only be half-working because I will have accidentally deleted half the coding without knowing it and then be chased after with a pitchfork.

Okay, now that I have issued my introduction, warning and wastage of 5 minutes of your life, you may resume your daily activities.

Review: Hoya, Sydney

It's always nice to try new places out and not know what to expect. I suppose that really is half the fun.

Let me set the scene.

*Clears throat*

'Twas a dark and stormy night. Rain bucketed down heavily and quickly turned CBD roads into grand rivers....

Yeah, no not quite. But you get the drift. Long story short the place we had originally wanted to go to was booked out, and we were silly enough to attempt to find a place to eat in the city without a booking on Friday night. Oh and let me add, we were in a rush to get somewhere as well.

Surely Maccas or KFC would have sufficed me very well that night, for all I cared about was getting to somewhere warm and dry. But alas the foodie in me got the better of me, and before we knew it, we showed up like a couple of starved, stray cats drenche from head to toe on the doorsteps of Hoya.

"Where are we?"
"Somewhere. At least there are seats."
"Has anyone been here before?"
"Nope."
"I don't think I've even read a review on it."
"Err guys, you know empty restaurants kind of scare me a little."
"It's okay. Guys. We're going on an adven-chuurrrr. Yeah Charlie, we're going on an adven-chuuuurrr."
Pep talks aside, it was a while before we finally decided what to order. But luckily we did it as quick as we could, because the wait for the food was possibly the worst I've ever come across. It took well over 20 minutes for the first few dishes to arrive, and then even longer for everyone else's to arrive. I think during times when you're really hungry, waiting ridiculous amounts of time for your food probably ranks worse than receiving less-than-average food.

Bad first impressions aside. Service is simply one of many criteria to judge a restaurant by. If the food is good, then maybe we can still be friends.

Tofu & Avocado Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing - $11

First up, being a lover of Japanese salad, I ordered the Tofu and Avocado Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing. I must say I was a fan instantly, not only of the taste and the appeal of the whole dish, but also with the sheer size of the serve I received. The whole dish went together beautifully, and the only complaint I have is that they could have been more generous with the dressing. As much as I love tofu, bland tofu just doesn't hit the spot sometimes.

Spider Roll - $9

Unfortunately the Spider Roll did not receive the same positive reception when it came out. The sushi rice barely stuck together, which meant that the roll easily collapsed upon itself when you try to pick it up. As you can also see from the picture, there was barely any soft shell crab present either.

Chicken Katsu served with salad and Tonkatsu Sauce - $14

AY went for a totally different approach and headed for the Chicken Katsu instead. While there was little to complain about with the chicken katsu, AY found himself unsatisfied after eating it, and ended up ordering a serve of Spider Roll as well.

Sushi and Sashimi Deluxe - $25

AW and her new boy TC decided to share two dishes for the sake of variety. First up was the Sushi and Sashimi Deluxe, which contained a selection of different fresh sashimi.

Curry Udon - $12

They also shared a Curry Udon. The smell emanating from the bowl was simply divine. And is it just me, or do Japanese food always photo well?

BBQ Eel and Rice in Stone Bowl, served with Konbu Dashi Soup - $20

Lastly, FW opted for the BBQ Eel and Rice in Stone Bowl. This seemed rather similar to the typical Unagi Don minus the egg and plus the stone bowl. FW said he had no complaints, and happily finished off the bowl.

Sea Urchin Boat Sushi - $9

He also treated himself to a serve of Sea Urchin Sushi. I've been told that it resembles Lobster brain. I think I'd have to up my experience as a Foodie a little more before I think I'll tackle the stuff.

Hoya
Basement, 119 York Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9267 0822

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

Dear Readers: The Problem with Exams

Okay...how do I phrase this? I just want you to know that I haven't been fasting, nor have I been lazying about and not doing anything. Truth is, I have been eating plenty, and taking many snaps and notes at every restaurant I've been to, and I've also been coming up with new recipes. The only thing I haven't been doing is posting about them. The reason for this is simple. It's that time of the semester again (that being finals), so I really haven't had much of a chance to just sit in front of my computer to type decent articles and reviews and what not. I want to do justice to each of the restaurants I've been to, so I do spend quite a decent amount of time writing each post - and time is simply something I haven't had in the past 2 weeks.

I have a final on both Tuesday and Wednesday this week, after which I'll be able to settle down briefly to provide some decent posts. Thanks all for your readership and I promise I will do your patience justice when I return from my exams.