Review: Palate, Sydney

“Japanese…again?!”

When you have no time, no booking, no money, no sleep and have been eating fast and unhealthy meals during the week, the first cuisine you think of is Japanese. It’s quick, cheap and relatively healthy but for some (not me, I will never get sick of this cuisine), it becomes incredibly boring. So that was FYL’s complaint when I once again suggested Japanese. After this exclamation, we found ourselves standing under the staircase at World Square, peering into what appeared to be a fairly busy café.

“No. Not a café for dinner.”

Making our way around the corner, we reached a dimly lit restaurant, which seemed to be closed until a waiter signalled for us to come in the other entrance. Turns out, it was the restaurant version of the café we saw but perfect for us – quieter and exclusive called Palate. 

FYL was very happy with her selection, especially the privacy it brought us, until the waiter opened the main entrance and several other groups came in. The atmosphere and décor immediately made me feel comfortable and slightly high-class too but the prices didn’t turn out to be that expensive either!

Photo compliments of FYL 

Photo compliments of FYL

Photo compliments of FYL

We’d been told that canapés would be served at the party we were all heading to later on, so amongst the four of us, we decided to order three dishes.

Pumpkin & Beetroot Salad $11.00

Spending a whole week having quick lunches and dinners meant I had little veges to satisfy my nutritional quota for the week and the Pumpkin & Beetroot Salad was welcomed with open arms. The beetroot was sweet and juicy, juicy enough to warrant my careful gobbling to avoid staining my shirt. The roast pumpkin on the other hand may have been a tad overcooked so slightly on the dry side, but overall the salad was nicely refreshing.

 Mushroom Risotto $14.00

When we reached the Mushroom Risotto however, I’ll have to say, the presentation wasn’t the best attribute of this dish. In our little photo here, the Parmesan cheese has shielded you from most of the risotto but when we made our way past those top layers, the consistency was too gooey and brown – the resemblance was really too uncanny. I’d have to say it was also a bit too flavoured for my liking but partnered with our other two dishes, it made it through.

Salt & Pepper Squid $10

Finally, the Salt & Pepper Squid. What can I say? I love deep fried nibbles. Although it didn’t satisfy my health conscious self, it certainly satisfied my tastebuds, stomach and everyone else around the table – a good sharing tapas dish. This one had all my approval with its hint of garlic and chilli flavours.

Palate wasn’t our idea of a homely Italian restaurant bustling with energy but really suited that particular occasion where we just wanted to dine in peace before another late night out. The prices were quite reasonable and although a slight fluctuation on the taste, we will probably put this on the hit list for another relaxed dining experience, especially since it’s so conveniently situated inside World Square.

Palate

World Square

Level Upper Ground, Shop 17-18, 123 Liverpool Street

Sydney NSW 2000

PH: (02) 9264 3661

Review: Azuma Kushiyaki, Sydney

Gomenasai, this post is SO belated that it's almost ridiculous to be doing it now. But it seemed like such a waste if I didn't post about it, because out of all the Sugar Hit experiences that were on offer, this one simply blew away the rest of the competition.


Of course, I'm talking about the much raved Azuma Kushiyaki.

Since I'm so backlogged in posts, I'm going to stop my usual non-important ramblings and cut straight to the real deal here. Clearly you're not here to listen to my ramblings, so here it is:

For those who were unaware, Azuma's Sugar Hit menu was so popular that they were completely booked out for the whole of October (during which the Sugar Hit event was happening). Instead of sticking to the rules and forcing eager beavers like us to miss out completely, Azuma decided to extend their offer into November, which was when we managed to get our booking.

Just take a squiz above and its not hard to see what it was such a hit. Especially when you compare it to this one.

Mochi with Kinako, Vanilla Ice Cream and Japanese Brown Sugar Syrup

My favourite bit for the night was this Mochi with Kinako (which is a soybean flour) and Vanilla Ice Cream. The round balls of mochi were soft and chewy and I absolutely fell in love with the Japanese brown sugar syrup.

Japanese Brown Sugar Syrup, Nori Seaweed Langue de chat Biscuits, Green Tea rolled cake with Chestnuts

The Nori Seaweed biscuits was also a surprise hit with me. The seaweed had a toasted flavour and the biscuits were brilliantly crisp and fresh. I was so sad that I finished mine so quickly.

Brown Brothers Orange Muscat

Hennessy V.B

I love a bit of muscat, but the boys decided to go the Hennessy way. I felt like telling them that it just wasn't going to make them grow any bigger if they drank this stuff with their dessert.

Belgian Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla Cheesecake

Vanilla Cheesecake

My favourite part of a cheesecake is the biscuit base. In other words, I'm no fan of cheesecakes in general and this was no exception. But I have to admit that for cheesecake lovers, this probably would've hit the spot head on. On the other hand, I absolutely fell in love with the Belgian Chocolate Mousse. It was so beautifully light yet rich in flavour without being sickening and there were nice layers of either chocolate sauce or chocolate sheets in between which gave it an interesting contrast in texture at times.

I loved the experience here and would definitely recommend the menu to anyone. Sadly I'm not sure if it still on offer. However, given the showcase presented for the Sugar Hit event, I would think that whatever is on offer right now is sure to impress, and I would definitely return for a second stint sometime in the near future.

Azuma Kushiyaki
Ground Floor Regent Place Shopping
501 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9267 7775

Xmas Special: Sydney Foodies' Xmas Party 2009

This post is being done a little differently. All three writers are contributing their own little version of events on one day...

WX: Yesterday JL, AY and I had the fortunate chance to attend the Sydney Food Bloggers' Xmas Picnic, hosted by the lovely Suze and Helen. The gorgeous afternoon weather was perfect for the occasion - not too hot and showering us with plenty of sunlight.

Suze's Tower of Goodies

Not surprising there was plenty of food for all. Everyone brought their own plate of food (made or bought) and as a result we ended up having enough food to feed the whole of Africa.


Apple Cinnamon Tartlets (Ninja-ing as Fruit Mince Tarts)

It was a lovely afternoon meeting everyone. It was Team Nom's first time meeting the gang and needless to say we all struggled a little with all the names. Luckily, Suze and Helen were super-organised and provided name tags for all, just to minimise confusion and embarrassment.

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon scrolls (from a fellow Pioneer Woman Fan)

Being possibly one of the youngest groups in the circle, I must admit it was pretty inspiring to listen to all the stories people had to share and their own foodie escapades. It was also interesting to see what people actually did as their dayjob - sometimes you forget that people have lives outside of food behind the computer screen.

Kris Kringle Presents for all!

All in all it was a fun-filled day, with lots of surprises, especially with a steal-or-gamble style Kris Kringle. Funnily enough, JL's pick of a present exchanged hands many, many times - until finally Suze stole it back. I lost track of working out who the face plate was with.


AY: One word. Awesome! The weather was perfect for a large gathering of food-lovers in Hyde Park. Since this was the first invitation we’ve received to any sort of foodie event, I think I speak for both WX and JL when I say we were a tad nervous. But seriously? There was absolutely nothing to worry about. Everyone I spoke to was so friendly and willing to include a newbie like myself into the conversation – a conversation about food, photography and travels was almost like a mini journey for myself!

Billy cutting up his champagne jelly

I must’ve repeated myself constantly throughout the day but I felt like I was entering an entirely new industry – the industry known as food blogging – a job, a passion, a life where you live and breathe food and capture the true essence behind all those aromas and flavours. Talking to our fellow bloggers, whether they were new on the scene or veterans to the trade, I just became more driven to develop myself as a writer and consumer of foods. I think at some point, I became a bit self-conscious that I loved food but knew very little about it. This gathering really spurred me to learn more and write more!

Helen's awesome Elvis Cupcakes

I think when you look at the photos from the day capturing the wide expanse of food on that patch of grass at Hyde park, you honestly do begin to salivate. From cupcakes to jellies and fairy bread to chicken wings – I’ve never seen such a wide array of both home-cooked and purchased platters of food. I was pretty lucky that I didn’t give in to my hunger at lunch and just grabbed a small lunch! It was a shame that there was so much food and only one small stomach – so much I didn’t get to try!

The Kris Kringle activity which followed was an awesome pre-Christmas treat of hidden goodies. The catch? If you managed to pick out one of the smaller numbers and got to pick your present first, you were subject to group-wide scrutiny! Anyone who grabbed a larger number was able to either pick from the pile or steal a present from those already picked! I was a bit unlucky on that side of things and managed to lose my bobble headed Darth Vader figurine so instead, I ended up with a cool set of paper cups which have a range of different noses on them to make drinking from them quite a novelty!

Potato Pancake with Chorizo

Thanks to Helen and Suze, the party was a huge success and an extremely good networking and mingling experience for those of us who are fairly new to this amazing ‘industry’. Thanks so much! And of course, thanks to all the friendly and equally passionate food bloggers for making our Sunday an awesome one! We’ll be sure to expand our reading list :)

Review: Newtown Thai, Newtown

You know the feeling you get when you've walked up and down a street with a friend and compiled a long list of restaurants that you both want to try but you just can't choose? Well this was one of those days where WX and I had a lot of time on our hands, weren't particularly starving and just generally being indecisive. When you're faced with a street of eateries ranging from African and Italian to Japanese and Mexican, it really is hard to decide. But then again, when you're at the age that WX and I are at and you've been heading out to at least two 21st birthday parties every weekend, then the deciding factor is usually price. So after thirty minutes we finally settled on Newtown Thai.

Now, if you know me, you'll know that I have a ridiculously fast metabolism or digestive system. So when I mentioned that I wasn't particularly hungry, I wasn't lying - but by the time we sat down my stomach told me it was at the other end of the spectrum already and really needed feeding. For entree, we picked the Heavenly Crab and the Satay Chicken which I think was quite a nice balance between boring (but delicious) and different (but equally delicious) starters. If my parents had come along, I can just hear them saying, "It's not worth getting those fried foods, they're only there to attract Western customers - it's not worth the money blah blah blah!" I think both WX and I agreed that once in a while we actually wanted to disobey that rule and just eat fried foods to our hearts content, no matter how much it wasn't worth it. Aside from a bit of excessive batter taking away from the actual crab flesh, it sure did satisfy my craving!

Heavenly Crab (4pc) $6.60

When the Satay Chicken arrived, I was a bit taken aback by the large amount of sauce that overflowed from the dish. With that amount of sauce, I couldn't really taste much of the chicken but rather a huge flavour hit. I can't say I was particularly fond of this one in comparison to others I've tried but the satay sauce really spurred me on to finish the large bowl of rice that we ordered.

Satay Chicken (4 Sticks) $6.60

What followed the entree were two large dishes of what I'd like to call 'stomach impulse' or you could just call us greedy. WX ordered the Duck Curry while I went for a Chicken Pad See Eiw which, upon arrival, alerted us to the fact that plastic takeaway boxes were also in order. At this point, I was faced with a bit of a dilemma. My recent food fetish for duck meant that I was constantly attacking the former dish but trying hard to avoid the curry! Yes, I'm not a big fan of Thai curry but it seriously didn't stop me from loving the tender flesh of the duck. Next time however, if not for WX's determination to get curry, I will just get the stir fried form. Admittedly, for those who do like Thai curry, the duck really did absorb a lot of the curry flavour and aroma making it all the more succulent!

Duck Curry $12.90

The chicken was a lot nicer on my tastebuds and normally I would be complaining about the rough texture of the chicken breast but the way they cooked it made me keep my mouth shut for the duration of consumption especially with a nice balance of veges and flat noodles. By the time WX finished eating, these two dishes looked like they were virtually untouched and even though I tried to stomach as much as I could, we left the restaurant with two nice boxes of Thai to fuel our adventures of a new day.

Chicken Pad See Eiew $8.90

Newtown Thai might not be the best Thai around, but it's definitely value for money and generally a lot better than any of the Thai places in the heart of the CBD. Oh...and I forgot to mention, if you're ever in the area on the way home, this place does extremely efficient takeaway and although I haven't got any for myself, just sitting there for the duration of our dinner, we could tell that they're quite reputable in the area for takeaway - definitely worth a try! :)

Newtown Thai
177 King Street
Newtown, 2046
PH: (02) 9557 2425

Review: Jugemu & Shimbashi, Neutral Bay

Handmade cold soba noodles?
Tick.

IMHO the best okonomiyaki in Sydney?
Tick

Hot day and beer?
Tick.

A while ago I came across Simon Thomsen's review of Jugemu & Shimbashi while I was trawling through the web at work. What made its lasting impression in my mind was the mention of soba noodles made on premises by Chef Masahiko Tojo, and let's be frank here, who doesn't love the bite of freshly handmade noodles?


Before I create any confusion here, let me just take a moment to explain the unique structure of the restaurant. Essentially it is one restaurant split into two distinctive sections, each with its own style of decor and character. Jugemu is in the style of a Teppanyaki bar, while the side which JL and I were seated was Shimbashi, decorated in a traditional noodle bar fashion. It's still the same restaurant though, and dishes may be ordered from both sides.

In the front of the restaurant is a small room dedicated to soba-making. Flour is milled fresh on premise only hours before it is cooked to order. This gives the soba noodles a distinctively resilient bite and quite a rustic texture on every strand.

Mixed Sushi Platter - $28

We started off the evening with a plate of Mixed Sushi Platter. While the photo may not show it, but these were perfect bite size pieces of Tuna, Salmon, Kingfish, Scallop and Prawn Nigiri. In one corner were six salmon mini-rolls -- also bite size pieces.

Kamo & Kimoko Soba Noodles -$23

Being an avid duck lover, my pick was obvious - Kamo & Kimoko Soba noodles (Duck and Mushrooms).

The broth was beautifully tasty, and surprisingly light and non-oily given that it's duck. The duck meat was tender, though I wouldn't say melt-in-your mouth, but it was nicely seasoned with natural sweetness of duck and not overly rich either.


The noodles come out separately in a fan shaped dish lined with a bamboo mat. The way to eat it is you pick up a few strands of noodles with your chopstick and gently dip it into the salty broth, before slirping the goodness up. Once the noodles are finished, you are served a small pot of soba water (the water they cooked the soba in), and you pour it into the salty broth to dilute it to a level where you may drink the broth to finish off your meal.

It's an art I tell you...

Tempura Soba - $19

JL couldn't get past the Tempura Soba (and with good reason too). The tempura were all lightly fried and fresh. We're usually so used to seeing Tempura Udon, but I must say that to have it with Soba is definitely a lighter option.

Jugemu Special - Prawns, Scallops, Calamari - $20

Lastly, we had...

Ok I'm not exaggerating when I say this...but it really was the MOST DELICIOUS OKONOMIYAKI I've had in Sydney.

I'm not even a fan of the stuff usually, but this one here definitely blew my mind away. I was a tad sad that I didn't save enough stomach for it (soba is surprisingly filling...and beer too). The cabbage was sliced ever-so-finely and there was a perfect sauce-to-okonomiyaki ratio. The shrimp were bursty and the scallops were just cooked and still sweet and delicate. The okonomiyaki is actually quite thick compared to what we're used to seeing around the place and diehard purists would mourn the death of authenticity, but I think the thickness brings out the natural flavours of the ingredients and retains a good texture so much more than thin ones. I'm usually disappointed when I get to a point where I feel as if I'm eating more sauce than the okonomiyaki itself, but not this one.

We were sad to not be able to finish the plate, but we doggy bagged it so it wouldn't go to waste.

Would I revisit? Definitely. Especially since I've yet to discover the other half of the restaurant.


Jugemu & Shimbashi
246 Military Road
Neutral Bay NSW 2089
Tel: (02) 9904 3011

Dear Readers: We want your say!

We've been getting a lot of emails and comments from you all about what you think is good and bad about our food blog. Some have made comments about the layout, some about the content, others about the commenting system or the information we have on the sidebar. As we mentioned earlier, we are planning to revamp the site and move to a more user/reader-friendly blogging platform amongst other things but I just thought, as we're going through that process, I'd love to hear more from what you guys want. We made this blog and write our entries for every one of our readers so please, if you have anything you'd like to see an improvement in or a particular foodie subject you'd like to read about, feel free to leave a comment!

:) I'll keep you up to date with our upcoming revamped website!

Send emails to nomitlikeitshot@gmail.com

Review: Gumshara Ramen, Haymarket

So, after hearing all about the EPIC ramen at Gumshara in the Eating World Food Courts here, here and here, there was little I could do to control my urges and take a visit myself....and drag a few friends along while I'm at it.

I may just be reiterating what everyone already knows, but for those who don't - the pork stock used here is made from 120kg of pork bones and water bubbled for seven days! The store prides itself in its MSG-free stock, and the end result is a stock that comes out rich and thick with collagen.

Trust me when I say that your skin will say thank you afterwards.


On the down side, it may have just been the night we went to visit, but Dixon Street Food Court was emanating with a strange odour which made the eating experience somewhat less pleasant than what it should be. It was also quite busy on the night, and tables were simply not being cleared fast enough for the number of people there.

Nevertheless, we were there for the ramen, and ramen we got.

Hakata Style Ramen - $8.50

Luckily I had run into a fellow Japanese high school friend JP who gave me a little guidance as to what I should try at Gumshara. Apparently Hakata is a region in Fukuoka which has developed its own version of Ramen which features the milky and rich pork broth (tonkotsu broth) with thin noodles.

JP had warned beforehand that the ramen here at Gumshara would taste distinctively less salty than what most Sydneysiders are used to thanks to the likes of Ichiban and Ryo's. If I were to put the three on a spectrum from least salty to most, it would go something along the lines of Gumshara - Ryo's - Ichiban (a place which I have to eat ramen with an extra bottle of water on the side).

*jiggle jiggle*

The stock was thick, but not as sticky as I expected it to be. I have a strange feeling that it was a bad luck of the draw on the night, as I gave it the leave-it-still-for-5 minutes-and-see-if-a-skin-forms test, but to no avail.

On the bright side the pork was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth. They were sweet and ridiculously tender in an I-can't-believe-it's-not-butter fashion. The soft boiled eggs ($1.50) which I added to my bowl was also spot on, and my only beef with it is that I didn't get enough of it.

Tonkotsu Ramen - $8.50

The ramen here is very soft and slippery - and lots of slurping gets involved in the process. AY tried his luck at ordering the Pork Spare Ribs Noodles ($13, only 10 bowls per day) and unfortunately missed out. Considering the fact that we were there way past 7:30pm, I must say I was actually rather relieved that there was none left - if you get my drift.

It's also another excuse to come and revisit.


Gumshara Ramen
Shop 209, 25-29 Dixon Street
Haymarket, NSW
Tel: (02) Does anyone know?