Grub & Tucker, Newtown

How was it? 

Food: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Ambience: 6.5/10  

Value: $$ 

Happy Australia Day!

Amuse Bouche: Tomato Soup

I think that being away from home makes me feel much more patriotic! Anyway, here's a meal I shared with a few girlfriends last year. After some after work drinks, we decided to walk down King St to find some food. We ended up walking into Grub & Tucker. People either love or hate the name. I love the name, it conjures images of home cooked, hearty meals. 

 

Bread platter with mixed dips 

Grub & Tucker is a combination of modern Australian fare with a French inspiration, from what I gathered. We perused the menu for quite some time before deciding on what we wanted to order. We were then served an amuse bouche of tomato soup. As I am not a big fan of tomato soups in general, I didn't enjoy it that much. But I thought it was a nice little touch. For our entree we shared a bread platter with a mixture of four dips. Thankfully we were sharing because it was such a huge portion! The bread warm lovely and warm and the dips including guacamole and cream cheese were great accompaniments. 

Specials Board: Tiger Prawn & Scallop Risotto with Proscuitto, Parmesan and Fresh Herbs $19.50

JJ-bird ordered the tiger prawn and scallop risotto from the specials board. It was definitely a generous portion, with a decent amount of seafood scattered throughout. I had a little taste and it was certainly very flavoursome and cheesy.

Pan Fried Barramundi Fillet 

with creamy risotto of tiger prawns, baby spinach & smoked salmon $19.50 

Smurf ordered the pan fried barrumundi fillet. It had a lovely crispy skin and the flesh was soft and moist. The risotto was also quite generous and really flavoursome.

Rib-Eye Steak with Mash 

PB ordered the rib-eye steak with mash. I forgot to take note of the exact price of this dish, but I think it would have been between $19 - $23 (just guessing!). The steak was cooked perfectly and PB was quite happy with this dish. 

Snapper Fillet with lemon herb crust, French beans, baby spinach and tomato butter sauce $19.50 

I ordered the snapper fillet. I loved the crispy lemon herb crust. The snapper was soft and moist, like the barramundi. The accompanying sauce was light and flavoursome. There was no way that I could finish this dish though, it was way too big! Actually, I don't think any of us managed to finish our meals cause they were huge! 

Overall: 

The servings at Grub & Tucker were huge, so it's definitely a great place to take the boys or someone who hasn't eaten in a few days! All of our meals were very flavoursome and reasonably priced. Not bad a bad option and something different to the millions of Thai restaurants around Newtown! 

Grub & Tucker 

191 King St, 

Newtown NSW 2042 

Tel: (02) 9516 4970

Open 7 days 

Sushi Roll, World Square, Sydney

How was it? 

Food: 7.5/10 

Service: 6.5/10 

Ambience: 6/10 

Value: $$ 

In the midst of the madness that was December of '09, we stumbled into this lovely sushi joint in World Square. I was actually in the mood for Makoto (as I always tend to be these days), but not in the mood to wait, so we decided to walk around and give Sushi Roll a try. 

Salmon & Avocado Sushi $3.60

Salmon & avocado is pretty ordinary, but it's also pretty fantastic and we love it. The mini salmon & avocado rolls were tasty little morsels of goodness. The rice was lovely and soft. Off to a good start and I was pleasantly surprised. 

Salmon Sashimi $6.80

The gold plate of salmon sashimi! It's pretty funny that back in the school days I would have never dreamed of touching the stuff, let alone eating it! Thankfully, I've seen the light and really love sashimi now. This one was lovely, light and fresh. 

Salmon Roe & Salmon Ship Sushi $5.60

I took this plate off the train simply because it was so very pretty. Both sushi's came wrapped in salmon sashimi. One was topped in salmon roe, whilst the other was topped with chopped up salmon mixed with mayo (I think!). They were both delicious, I love all the different textures when biting into it. 

Grilled Salmon Nigiri $3.60 

Oh, I just realised that everything we ordered was salmon! We're so very adventurous. Anyway, I really loved the grilled salmon nigiri. The salmon was lightly grilled giving it a lovely smoky flavour. This was my favourite of the night. I wanted to get a few more plates of this, but I thought that would have been a bit excessive, so I refrained. 

Takoyaki $3.60

Some takoyaki balls were ordered. They were crisp on the outside and lovely and gooey inside. 

Vegetable Soup 

I was in the mood for something warm and filling, so we decided to order the vegetable soup. It was a clear broth with a mixture of vegetables and tofu. It was very flavoursome, and we both thought that it was actually much better than the soup that we tried at Makoto. 

Black Sesame Ice Cream 

A scoop of black sesame ice cream was ordered for dessert. It really had a strong black sesame taste, so I thought maybe they made it there. It was really very tasty and a perfect end to the meal. 

Hot Sake

Overall: 

A great little sushi joint in the heart of the city. It's one of those places that I've walked by so many times without noticing. The food was great, service was friendly, and I definitely recommend it for a quick and easy meal. 

Sushi Roll 

Shop 10.19 World Square, 

644 George St, 

Sydney NSW 2000 

Tel: (02) 9283 1881

Open 7 days 

www.sushiroll.com.au

Afternoon Tea @ Sir Stamford Hotel, Circular Quay

How was it?
Food: 5/10 

Service: 6.5/10 

Ambience: 8/10 

Value: $$$

A girly birthday celebration and afternoon tea are a match made in heaven. So for Steph's birthday back in November of last year, she organised for us (Karen, Leona, Lisa and I) to go to afternoon tea at Sir Stamford Hotel in Circular Quay. We all walked in with high hopes and were excited to meet the tea master. Walking through the lobby and corridors, I was in constant awe - everything was so pretty! I loved the Victorian decor and feel, and I could easily imagine us all wearing corsets, sipping tea and being oh-so-ladylike in this beautiful hotel.

I walked into the dining room to meet the girls and found out that they had lost the booking that Steph had made, therefore losing the memo on the fact that she is allergic to nuts! But they quickly set up a table for us and all was ok. My only thought was 'when is the tea master coming out?'


We ordered the traditional afternoon tea for $40 per person, which consists of a selection of sandwiches, scones, sweets and tea. Accompanying our tier of goodies was a little pastry served on a separate plate. I wasn't sure whether this little pastry was sweet or savoury, by the looks of it. But after biting into it, we realised it was a curry puff! A very pretty and tame curry puff. It wasn't too bad, but a nice little appetiser.

Sandwich: Smoked Salmon & Horseradish cream

Sandwich: Roast Chicken & Lemon Mayo

Sandwich: Cucumber & Watercress

First up, I decided to try out the sandwiches. There were three kinds - smoked salmon with horseradish cream, roast chicken, and cucumber and watercress. The roast chicken sandwich was surprisingly tasty, however the other two were rather average. And I noticed that they had left some of the crust on some of our sandwiches. I thought that that was rather sloppy.

Roast Vegetable & Pesto Wrap

Along with the sandwiches, there were also some roasted vegetable & pesto wraps. I wasn't a fan of the wrap, I thought that it was a little bit soggy, but I'm not a big pesto in wrap fan to begin with. However, some of the other girls did enjoy it.

So the verdict on tier 1: It could have been better, but we're here for the scones, sweets and tea, so we move on!

Scones with cream & jam

Small portions of jam & cream

We were all a little bit puzzled by the slanting scones, but we eagerly slathered on the jam and cream (or however much of the measly portion we could), hoping for the best! Alas, these scones were not having a good day. They had a distinct cheesy smell and taste, even the cream and jam couldn't mask it. Not like the beautiful, soft and fluffy scones at The Tea Room :(

So the verdict on tier 2: Major scone fail. Major disappointment.

I think at this point, we also realised that there was no tea master :( Could it get any worse?...

Chocolate Biscuit & Mousse Stack 

Lemon Meringue Tart 

Mixed Berry Tart 

White Chocolate Cupcakes 

Creme Brulee with pistachios 

Moving onto the selection of sweets. I remembered having a bite of each dessert and putting it back down on my plate. The top of the creme brulee had a nice toffee crackle, which was promising, but the custard was very eggy and did not have a nice and smooth consistency. The chocolate biscuits were very powdery and bitter, leaving a strange aftertaste in my mouth.

So the verdict on tier 3: It just wasn't very spectacular, but luckily we had our lovely teas to soothe everything.

Overall:

I wasn't very impressed with the food at Sir Stamford, but perhaps our expectations were way too high to begin with. Despite that fact, the location, surroundings and decor are beautiful and definitely worth a look. It also helps when you're in the company of some lovely ladies, which tends to make everything better. Hope you had a great day Steph :) xx

Sir Stamford Hotel Circular Quay 

93 Macquarie St, 

Sydney NSW 2000

Tel: (02) 9252 4600 

Afternoon tea served daily between 1pm - 5pm

http://www.stamford.com.au/sscq/page.asp?e_page=438920&special=772816

Pempek Clovelly, Kensington

How was it?

Food: 7/10

Service: 5/10

Ambience: 5/10

Value: $

Whilst on the Kensington/Kingsford food tour, Lorraine introduced us to Pempek Clovelly. And ever since that day, I had been dying to go back for more!

Pempek Kombinasi

Mixed Fish Cakes $17.50

Pempek Clovelly serves Indonesian food, specialising in fish cakes!

"Pempek, Mpek-mpek or Empek-empek is a delicacy from Palembang made of fish and sago. Pempek is served together with a dark, rich sauce called cuka (cuko, lit. vinegar) and Baso Palembang. Cuka is produced by adding brown sugar, chilli pepper, garlic, vinegar, and salt to boiling water." 

Pempek Bulet 

Fish Cake Ball 

To get a taste of everything we ordered the mixed fish cakes dish. This comes with a variety of different sized and shaped fish cakes, all swimming in a sweet tamarind-like sauce.

Pempek Tahu 

Fish Cake Tofu 

Pempek Lenjer 

Fish Cake Stick

Pempek Telor/Kapal Selem

Fish Cake with Egg 

Pempek Telor/Kapal Selem 

Fish Cake with Egg 

I loved the texture of the pempek's. They were soft and chewy. I especially loved the fish cake skin, which I forgot to take a picture of (oops!). It was sweet and slightly crispier than the others! The fish cake with egg was so filling - it could have been a meal on it's own! And you can tell that it's slightly special because it costs $7.50 on it's own, whereas, the other varieties are a measly $2.50 each. But, honestly I'd probably just got for the other ones!

Gado Gado Lontong Ulek 

Vegies and rice cakes with peanut sauce $9.00 

To balance things out, I thought we'd better order some vegies. The fact that they're covered in peanut sauce is a non-issue! I'm a huge fan of gado gado, especially at Java Indonesian Restaurant in Randwick and at Pinangsia in Kingsford. Both very different, but awesome in their own way.

Gado Gado Lontong Ulek 

Vegies and rice cakes with peanut sauce $9.00 

The gado gado at Pempek Clovelly also came with rice cakes. When I first tasted it, my immediate thought was 'hmm... different'. It was a little bit different because the peanut sauce was really quite thick and goopy. It was ok for the first few mouthfuls, but afterwards I found it too sticky, thick and goopy.

Overall: 

I'd definitely go back to Pempek Clovelly to try some of their other dishes, especially the martabak desserts :) I think I'd probably just order one of the fish cakes next time, a noodle dish and martabak for dessert. Hehe. I haven't put much thought into it at all, I swear! So, if the holidays have put a dent in your wallet, and you're looking for a cheap eat - I would suggest you check out Pempek Clovelly (except maybe hold off on the gado gado!).

Pempek Clovelly 

198 Anzac Parade, 

Kensington NSW 2033

Tel: (02) 9697 0009

Open Tuesday & Thursday - Sunday: 12pm - 8pm

Happy New Year: Best of 2009

Hello All! 

Happy New Year! I hope 2010 brings much happiness, love and success for you :) 

I thought I'd start my first post of 2010 with a very short & sweet round up of some of my favourites of 2009. 

An Oldie but a Goodie: 

Thousand Spices, Homebush 

I can never get enough of their naan bread and delicious curries! 

So Glad I Found You: 

Manmaruya Japanese 

A local Japanese restaurant in Campsie that I'm always going back to. I especially love their huge portion of seaweed salad! 

I would wake up extra early on weekend for breakfast at: 

Kazbah on Darling, Balmain 

Exciting, beautifully presented and orgasmically (is that a word?!) delicious! 

Most unique dining experience: 

Govinda's 

Dinner & movie! Delicious Indian vegetarian buffet meal followed by lazing/sleeping on big lounges and cushions to watch the movie. 

I always have the biggest cravings for: 

Makoto Japanese 

I can't get enough of their sushi! 

I felt super special at: 

Aria 

Each dish was packed full of flavour and exquisitely presented. The service was the highlight and it definitely made me feel like royalty! 

I never thought I'd: 

Bake banana bread 

Before I started blogging and reading foodblogs, I never really thought about baking. But after baking my own banana bread, it'll be hard to go back and pay $3.50 for a slice! 

***

Of course there are so many more places that I've love love loved, but here are just a few. Look out for some tasty new posts coming your way very soon!  

Seasons Greetings

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Hi All!

Have you missed me? I sure have missed you. Things have been super busy around here, hence the lack of posts. But I just wanted to quickly say - best wishes to you all for the holiday season! Whether you are celebrating Christmas or simply just enjoying all the fun and yummy treats that come along with it.

Stay safe, have fun and eat lots :)

Betty xx

Kazbah on Darling, Balmain

How was it? 

Food: 8.5/10 

Service: 6.5/10 

Ambience: 7/10 

Value: $$

I love that above picture so much, that it is now my twitter background image. Not only was it a stunning looking dish but just one bite sent me into foodie heaven. This dish, of course, was at none other than Kazbah on Darling in Balmain. I had been there once before, pre-foodblogging days, and I raved about it all the time and thought that it was high time that I revisited. 

The coolest water jug you've ever seen

Thanks Little J! 

Stepping into Kazbah feels like you've been transported to an exotic resort. Mosaic plates and trinkets dot the walls and a huge flower setting takes centre stage. I love all the colourful plates and especially the water jug! The cuisine at Kazbah is described as North African, Middle Eastern and Moroccan. So get your tastebuds ready for a real treat!

Feta Potato Cake, Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche, Red Wine Onion Marmalade $19.50 

Feta Potato Cake, Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche, Red Wine Onion Marmalade $19.50 

Little J and I decided to order two items to share. The first dish to arrive was the feta potato cake. It was absolutely amazing! The textures of each different layer were gorgeous and I could not stop moaning! 

Feta Potato Cake, Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche, Red Wine Onion Marmalade $19.50 

The feta potato cake was soft and crumbly, and the thin slices of smoked salmon were perfect with the crème fraîche. The red wine onion marmalade was very interesting. I loved that there was a strong onion-y taste, but it was lovely and sweet at the same time. You must get a little bit of everything in each mouthful to get the full effect. It was simply amazing! 

Breakfast Tagine $18.00 p/person 

Roast Pumpkin, Spinach, Roast Capsicum, Roast Tomato, Caramelised Onion, Feta, Eggs, Turkish Toast and Lebanese Bread 

Next to arrive was the famous vegetarian breakfast tagine. It was just as good as I remembered. I loved the sweet roasted pumpkins, mixed with all the veges and the gooey egg. 

Two types of bread are offered with the tagine - Turkish bread and Lebanese bread. Both were great with the tagine, although I'm a sucker for Turkish bread and if it's in front of me for long enough, I'll most likely eat it all! 

Hot Chocolate $4.50

Little J's hot chocolate with real chocolate pieces inside! She was very happy! 

Juice of the day: Watermelon & Ginger $6.50

I ordered the juice of the day which was watermelon and ginger, which was very refreshing and perfect for the morning. I was surprised to see that it was $6.50 on the bill though?! I thought that was a bit steep, considering how tiny the glass was :( But, oh well.. at least it was good! 

Crayons are provided in a little cup to keep the kiddies entertained (or the young at heart!) 

Kazbah are taking part in StreetSmart which is "a unique bridge between the community and small, grassroots agencies that assist people experiencing homelessness". Some restaurants are helping to raise money by adding a small amount ($2) to your bill. You can read more about it here. 

Overall: 

I loved the breakfast here at Kazbah. The atmosphere was buzzing, I loved the decor and the food was amazing. I think it's something that is really unique and definitely worth a try. If only I lived closer, I'd be there all the time! 

Kazbah on Darling

379 Darling St, 

Balmain NSW 2041 

Tel: (02) 9555 7067

Open for breakfast & lunch - Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays 

Open for dinner - Wednesday to Saturday

http://www.kazbah.com.au/