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.

Review: The Counter, Crows Nest

Look. The concept is simple. It works. And it tastes good.

And because everything fits together like a glove, I'm going to simplify into something that resembles a problem question in primary school.

Problem:
What is choice in a burger?

Answer:
A page full of ingredients allowing over 312 120 different combinations to build your own burger- is that choice enough for you fatty?

While SK had been over in the US on exchange, I had frequently emailed her about the brilliance of epic burger combinations our friends had come up with at The Counter. Despite being back for almost 3 months, last Friday was the first time we managed to find a slot in our timetables to meet up and visit this place.

Choice, actualised.

Every time I've visited this place I've always had to print out a version of the menu hours beforehand just to be able to make my mind up on what I would have in my burger. This process would often take up to an hour on my VERY indecisive days.

Look, there simply no easy way of going about choosing between caramelized onion marmalade, roasted garlic aioli, country buttermilk ranch or Mexican caesar. Honestly, how is one meant to decide on the spot?

"50-50" Onion strings and Sweet Chips - $5.50

The onion strings here are to die for. They are perfectly seasoned and crispy when they come out. This 50-50 plate of onion strings and sweet potato chips were a bit much for 2 people, and it got a tad oily towards the end, but alas, the thought of these is making me salivate as I type.

These guys here inbuild "choice" into everything. Why only have one sauce with your chips when you can have three?

Right?

Chocolate Brownie Coffee Malt Shake

SK and I also shared a serve of the Shake of the Month. Look, when these guys say that it's a Chocolate brownie shake, expect real chocolate brownie bits in your shake. They really do just throw the real thing in the blender and whizz it up for you. Tastes dayam good if you ask me.

Ingenius.

Ok, onto burgers...

Exhibit A: SK's burger
150g beef patty with imported swiss cheese, grilled pineapple, grilled onions, mixed baby greens, tomatoes, caramelised onion marmalade, all on a wholemeal bun.

Verdict:
A little hard to eat given the size. Even harder to finish. The caramelised onions and the grilled onions were very, very similar. Grilled pineapples had pretty grill pattern on them.


Exhibit B: My Burger
150g beef patty, gruyere cheese, beetroot, lettuce blend, grilled onions, roasted corn and black bean salsa, sauteed mushrooms, country buttermilk ranch sauce, all on a hamburger bun.

Verdict:
Probably wouldn't order the salsa again - black bean was a little hard and dropped everywhere onto the plate. Beef tad overcooked on the outside - but incredibly most and yummy on the inside. Also realised that beetroot is a must have in my burgers from now on. The world is simply not the same without it. Probably should have ignored my conscience and included a fried egg as well.

Oh wells, there's always a next time. And there most definitely will be one.

The Counter
118 Willoughby Road
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Tel: (02) 9436 2700

Review: Passionflower, Capitol Square

"Celebrated heads of state, and even great communicators - did they have brains or knowledge? Don't make me laugh - they were Popular!"

As you can probably tell, I'm pretty Wicked-ed out.

Green apple jelly with Soda and hint of vodka

Passionflower is currently celebrating the showing of Wicked! at Capitol Theatre with a limited-time only selection of Witch-Green desserts and drinks. These range from green apple flavoured jelly with ice cream (green tea ice cream lends a hand to the occasion) to other fancy green-coloured cococtions.

If the green thing ain't for you, by all means there's the usual menu from which you can select old favourites.

Super Duper Brownie

AW and TC ordered the Super Duper Brownie to share. And share they must for there was no way any one person could have possibly finished this baby. So what's inside? Triple chocolate fudge brownies with chocolate mud, cookies and cream, white chocolate and hazelnut, and I believe we also had a little coffee in ours. Not sure if it was on the menu, but it tasted like heaven anyway.

VH's tiramisu was also delightful, albeit a tad rich for my liking. Hidden deep beneath are sponge fingers, all dark from soaking up the espresso and topped with mascarpone.

Really, what more could anyone want?

And don't say tickets to Wicked. Besides, we had them anyway. (AND IT WAS GREAT! If I had a blog about musicals I think I would have written an epic, godly review of Wicked).


Passionflower
Shop G12, Capitol Square
730-742 George Street
Haymarket NSW 1240
Tel: (02) 9281 8322

Review: Menya Noodle Bar, Haymarket

Miso Tonkotsu Ramen - $10.00

The first time I visited Menya was back during the days of high school. Friday nights always involved basketball, restaurants, and a bucket of ice cream pre-game. Yes, yes we had ice-cream BEFORE our games. I believe we also told ourselves that a 40minute game would burn off all the extra calories we took in from the bucket.

Yeah...in retrospect I'm not sure if any one of us believed in that. But it didn't matter, because when you're young and had your entire life ahead of you, the calories from a bucket of ice cream wasn't going to stand in anyone's way.

The Miso Tonkotsu Ramen was one of the best I've tasted around. The soup was quite thick, and heavily flavoured without being too rich or salty. The ramen had a certain spring in texture, and for once does not remind me of two minute noodles. In my very honest opinion I've preferred Menya ramen over Ichiban Boshi for a very long time, except the one in Haymarket had always been a bit difficult to get to - especially when work was all the way up the other end of town. Good to know that they've opened up elsewhere as well now.

Menya Mini Shoyu Ramen - $6.90

VH ordered the mini ramen as she is perhaps the smallest eater I know in the entire world. I love eating out with her because two bites of anything and she's full - and guess where the rest goes? *grins*

Either way, the mini ramen was of the same standards as the regular sized ones. No complaints whatsoever.

Dragon Shoyu Ramen (Dynamite hot) - $11.90

JL's Dragon Shoyu Ramen was definitely not as hot as we expected, but he claimed that it was probably one of the nicest bowl of ramen he's had. The mix of flavours had been spot on, and definitely more-ish - even at the finish line.

However, chilli does what chilli does, and JL ended up locking himself up in the mens room after we got home. Despite that, he claims that he would go back for more.

Tori Katsu Ramen - $10.90

Last but not least, was the Chicken Katsu Ramen, ordered by FW. He was sitting a bit far from me so I never really got a chance to ask how good the dish was, but judging by speed that he demolished the bowl, it was definitely a thumbs up.

On a side note, while the food here was great and definitely worthy of numerous revisits, our visit this time round was tarnished by very unprofessional service. It was a hot 30 degree day and the air conditioning was broken, which probably explained why everyone had been in a lousy mood. Nevertheless, we ran into a misunderstanding with the staff concerning seating, and while it was partly our fault to begin with, the waitress had dealt with issue in a very unprofessional manner which resulted in everyone being left unhappy. Given how small a restaurant this is, all I could say is that there definitely was an air of awkward left lingering as we ate.

Menya Noodle Bar
Shop TG8
8 Quay Street
Haymarket NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9212 1020