tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46604248806410914222024-03-06T03:58:44.513+11:00Noodlies sydney food blogthang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.comBlogger438125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-38719523636816577402011-05-26T15:08:00.001+10:002011-05-26T15:44:53.663+10:00Food Takes Centre Stage Campsie Food Festival – 4 JuneCelebrity cook and 2010 MasterChef contestant <b>Alvin Quah</b> is one of the major attractions of the 2011 Campsie Food Festival.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8YbtvgznwCsTt1ThzabSLkqKqLTCUheMhlMbNDJfeB8s20LFcJVppMlDkduAfoW4oqf4nxkOahxO3UILIZ3OB2hPcqtWSxaAv1MnYmt7R75HRtqW_8BuDSrwef9uEeEFKO2gnKiCkXNo/s1600/Alvin+Quah+and+Robert+Furolo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8YbtvgznwCsTt1ThzabSLkqKqLTCUheMhlMbNDJfeB8s20LFcJVppMlDkduAfoW4oqf4nxkOahxO3UILIZ3OB2hPcqtWSxaAv1MnYmt7R75HRtqW_8BuDSrwef9uEeEFKO2gnKiCkXNo/s400/Alvin+Quah+and+Robert+Furolo.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Alvin Quah and Canterbury Mayor, Robert Furolo</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>“Now in its twelfth year, the Campsie Food Festival has become an opportunity for food lovers to satisfy cravings and their appetite for foods from all over the world,” Canterbury Mayor, Robert Furolo said.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Alvin will cook two dishes – Malaysian fried noodles and Malaysian chicken curry incorporating products from Festival sponsor, Ayam.<br />
<br />
Two other chefs will share the stage with Alvin at the Campsie Food Festival – one will complete a <i>Mystery Ingredients Challenge</i>. <br />
<br />
There will also be a noodle making demonstration and samples for festival attendees to try.<br />
<br />
“The Campsie Food Festival is a feast of flavours, with over 60 stalls, a cooking stage, the SBS radio stage, cultural performances, eating competitions and rides for kids - it’s the Seoul of Sydney, reflecting our cultural diversity and great community spirit,” Mayor Robert Furolo said.<br />
<br />
For more information on the Campsie Food Festival phone 9789 9300, visit www.campsiefoodfestival.com.au join Campsie Food Festival <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Campsie-Food-Festival-2011/181622898550556">Facebook page</a> and follow on <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/canterburycity/">twitter</a>. <br />
<br />
The 2011 Campsie Food Festival will stretch along Beamish Street and into Anzac Mall, Campsie, on Saturday, June 4, from 10am-4pm.<br />
<br />
<b>The 2011 Campsie Food Festival is proudly presented by:</b> Platinum Sponsors: Campsie RSL, SBS Radio, and Lebara Mobile. Gold Sponsors: Torch Publishing, Commonwealth Bank Campsie, Department of Health and Ageing, NSW Transport. Silver Sponsors: Bulldogs, Ayam, Nandos Canterbury, Channel 9, Noodlies – food blog; and bronze CurlyMoo.thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-51894503048768780722011-05-22T08:57:00.002+10:002011-05-22T15:32:36.771+10:00noodlies Cabramatta Food Tour, May 2011noodlies Sydney food blog's <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/04/cabramatta-food-tour-with-noodlies-21st.html">Cabramatta Food Tour</a> came and went today and it was a wonderful success. We met at a local temple and were greeted by the nuns. Walter gave everyone a brief tour of the temple and read an exerpt from his book Destination Saigon. And the lovely nuns and their volunteers whipped up a storm in terms of wonderful vegetarian food.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7iACCpqYUmk?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
We were shown how to make our own Vietnamese <b><i>rice paper rolls</i></b> (goi cuon) adding our own filling which included several types of home made vegetarian 'meat', vegetables, mint, vermicelli and more!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nB8ctkU2V4enPw_6sZTFSBqb2OxhO4s9KNaN_lpac5bUAXbGhwby1Z_3z3UCR2D1gAo2sCnMeXlxg1MZPeS_M7xB2yJpZyt7KvZR9pMJ8ZK26bzFSozo_I-04s6GlkthE8-BRI8Wpt-e/s640/_temple_food.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="456" /></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">digging into delicious vegetarian temple food</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Then we also dug in to freshly made <b><i>spring rolls</i></b> and pipping hot, hearty Vietnamese <b><i>corn soup</i></b>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMic1XesWblM1RuZzQLvlQaYpQoLwBnFURtzKAuPaf5likmaKxUfO-e0KXuiIZqhWf5uDjTDipl5fICKJLFGe2i35MnCuKZi_tlLZMfhZxRt_VP1Mw1FXxjmQiZhn_-w5cc-BhBqbvI-7/s1600/_temple_meat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMic1XesWblM1RuZzQLvlQaYpQoLwBnFURtzKAuPaf5likmaKxUfO-e0KXuiIZqhWf5uDjTDipl5fICKJLFGe2i35MnCuKZi_tlLZMfhZxRt_VP1Mw1FXxjmQiZhn_-w5cc-BhBqbvI-7/s640/_temple_meat.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">homemade mock 'meat'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Dessert was a fruit platter of ripe <i><b>persimmons </b></i>and <b><i>Fuji apples</i></b> with warm <b><i>jasmine tea</i></b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sYyBwfERRJmjjK6Xc3iw7UuktM-VLV850M3ekqkGNgePfpqbDK2P_OSaDOplY2xn4sH7CP_uNQ0w5wdbMVaKxwg-Fz8AloZfBQ7msF8QH1-GDzjTg3BjaHbaoxW078kzpmO0HxVjSmrZ/s1600/_temple_persimons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sYyBwfERRJmjjK6Xc3iw7UuktM-VLV850M3ekqkGNgePfpqbDK2P_OSaDOplY2xn4sH7CP_uNQ0w5wdbMVaKxwg-Fz8AloZfBQ7msF8QH1-GDzjTg3BjaHbaoxW078kzpmO0HxVjSmrZ/s640/_temple_persimons.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br />
The wonderful nuns and temple volunteers were so wonderfully helpful and friendly, they were stars! (For two of the tour members who asked me to pass on their donation to the temple, I delivered it to them last night, thanks for your kindness).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DCgIfFYEdXB6762wX5I6FF6ZaR-65cvCXrhzHeHM3oSxXyyaGyxNXcwi1GOiDz43MZxqQKksrWpLW-C7h-1bLtZBrjpkIYZraNfjQ_04kgrbddnga1htoLnPQtaaN8hkgBMPsXhi8ghM/s640/_tour_show_bags.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
Then we strolled into Cabramatta CBD for some serious shopping and for a bowl of <i><b>pho </b></i>at one of my favourite places, Pho Minh.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBjOdLBeBNTIBtKV6-zOr9Ii1vYo_Zx7vo0fCHDSv9cAtjF_TMDg8De7h5UK8JNEGMdiPqCOMLfenF8SVomXinG3NWEX_61jqKZ9udtUjpmYerB8xeIwr5XJ_EB1yOVV7Hn-0ZhsjCG0X/s640/_avocado_shake.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
And Cafe Nho where we had a smorgasbord of <i><b>Vietnamese dessert shakes</b></i>, including apple and lychee, tangerine, and coconut and avocado (above). These shakes are made without any ice cream or yogurt but taste amazingly creamy and rich! Oh, and we had Vietnamese coffee as well, a strong, intense espresso that was a very effective heart starter!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiMtXB0irBCcBqUtZOWWU-9NOOXx-sUrr0jFyB9zWpgYGSX1rHzgz5tHAkMznx1wD61dOdUMQgXqynyq8gLw-r_tvPVCmDlXQ_qB-0IXK8ffZn5iXZi_AsbsMMvrEE4C86SQlBpeQ2gO_/s1600/_cabra_tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiMtXB0irBCcBqUtZOWWU-9NOOXx-sUrr0jFyB9zWpgYGSX1rHzgz5tHAkMznx1wD61dOdUMQgXqynyq8gLw-r_tvPVCmDlXQ_qB-0IXK8ffZn5iXZi_AsbsMMvrEE4C86SQlBpeQ2gO_/s400/_cabra_tour.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Everything went right today; the wonderful warm, sunny weather, our 14 engaged and enthusiastic tour members, Walter who added so much knowledge to the tour (watch him reading from his book in the video below), to the wonderful temple/restaurants and my sponsors and partners:<br />
<ul><li>Fairfield City Council</li>
<li>Royal Umbrella Rice: everyone got a 1kg bag of premium jasmine rice </li>
<li>Allen & Unwin</li>
<li>Good Reading Magazine</li>
</ul><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hGkw9i8GxyU?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
This was going to be my last Cabramatta Tour, but seeing everyone so happy, maybe I might do a few more.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Send me a comment if you're interested and <a href="http://thangblog.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=05c061a700a88a975127c20c6&id=b862acf09d">subscribe</a> to noodlies e-newsletter to find out when the next tour will be.</b></div>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-21334040870989726492011-05-21T16:18:00.007+10:002011-05-24T14:00:15.442+10:00The 2 of Us, Walter Mason and Thang Ngo, Good Weekend, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sQS6bY7DWR1EELqgCUr_ZpK2WJ2zDLqIbpIffAXxHWGXdoKzRhZ9N6k8RSKv8qllDJVveWi5MVUoQv9cGGdQkVIPlCUlVfvb4AdK352uFlomfYwyyBRBcVHiJdA7hT44E4KfudzC_t-f/s1600/2_of_Us_21_May_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sQS6bY7DWR1EELqgCUr_ZpK2WJ2zDLqIbpIffAXxHWGXdoKzRhZ9N6k8RSKv8qllDJVveWi5MVUoQv9cGGdQkVIPlCUlVfvb4AdK352uFlomfYwyyBRBcVHiJdA7hT44E4KfudzC_t-f/s640/2_of_Us_21_May_2011.jpg" width="507" /></a></div><br />
<b>Walter Mason & Thang Ngo</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>Author Walter Mason, 40, is doing a PhD on Australian self-help literature. Thang Ngo, 44, is a strategy and planning manager at SBS Radio, has a popular food blog [noodlies] and, from 1999 to 2008, served on Fairfield City Council in Sydney. The couple met when Walter was 19.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKwfw3VHpW-ZQGKJUdtmXDOBEjbc5rjYZ6TINS4qMuwj328z7SjrFwpI_5egw6xNs7DiOg7K3xzuoVFtpoHElOoOFFMMcxmiQ5HciJ71hLLqWRxE9XXCEttuN32IZARD0uMWSW2cj3uDB/s1600/2-of-us21_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKwfw3VHpW-ZQGKJUdtmXDOBEjbc5rjYZ6TINS4qMuwj328z7SjrFwpI_5egw6xNs7DiOg7K3xzuoVFtpoHElOoOFFMMcxmiQ5HciJ71hLLqWRxE9XXCEttuN32IZARD0uMWSW2cj3uDB/s320/2-of-us21_photo.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><b>WALTER:</b> We met at a nightclub in Oxford Street in 1990. It was purely lust. We danced for an hour before introducing ourselves. Then we went outside to his friends. He didn’t want them to think he’d just picked someone up, so he said, “This is my good friend, Warren”, and I had to say, “Excuse me, my name’s Walter.” Neither of us was interested in having a partner. His mother had just died and I’d had several very unsuccessful relationships. We spent this insane, intoxicating period together and we’ve never left each other’s side since. He saved my life, because I wasn’t a very stable person. I was an angry, depressed party boy doing the drug scene. I couldn’t hold down a job and had no vision of my own possibility. He encouraged me to think about the future.<br />
<br />
He’s incredibly generous. He’ll do anything for me and my family. We hadn’t been together long and my grandparents, uninvited, came to stay in our bedsit in Darlinghurst. Thang collected them from the station and treated them beautifully. <br />
<br />
Often I think we have no problems and then I catch myself in a screaming fight. Admittedly, it’s always me screaming. I can be very emotional and he’s the opposite. If he’s upset he won’t express it. In 1999, we split up because of that. He was unhappy with my behaviour and hadn’t told me. After that, we both agreed that we’d treat each other with the same respect that we’d give to someone outside the relationship. <br />
<br />
I’m an all-or-nothing person. If something slightly difficult happens, I throw up my hands and say it’s all impossible. I went to university before we met and quit two years into it. Then I went again and quit again. It wasn’t until I was 35 that I got a degree. <br />
<br />
I went to Vietnam with Thang in 1994. It was the first time I’d left Australia. Initially, I hated Vietnam, but then I fell in love with it. I would never have gone if I hadn’t met Thang. I certainly wouldn’t have had such an attachment to the country and learnt the language. <br />
<br />
He was a representative of Cabramatta on Fairfield Council when the Vietnamese community had a really bad image. He was part of the reason why that changed. It’s not easy to negotiate community politics and I found his behaviour absolutely faultless. I was very proud of him. I joke that I’m a dilettante, whereas Thang’s built this incredible career. He’s worked hard and strategically moved jobs and extended his skills. He’s a well-off, clever career man. And I seem to have been incapable of that path. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcOTth4kEhEm-9lpAALBKGjcE3f0bjHwe1chm7G8Zt3hyH9Tjm7Wajd5lb6hd70sppKda3XwyLELS2fePM7w7yA-tG7c0gT54EGg6EANWAKgLNUyKcFexkx8Y92LBwPA5euj66mVOJmO1/s1600/Walter%2526Thang-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcOTth4kEhEm-9lpAALBKGjcE3f0bjHwe1chm7G8Zt3hyH9Tjm7Wajd5lb6hd70sppKda3XwyLELS2fePM7w7yA-tG7c0gT54EGg6EANWAKgLNUyKcFexkx8Y92LBwPA5euj66mVOJmO1/s320/Walter%2526Thang-013.jpg" width="320" /></a>He’s like a mountain for me. If I have a problem, I know he’ll be able to solve it. He works out the insurance and buys the cars. <br />
<br />
We were at a dinner party recently and I was telling this story he’s heard a thousand times. Everyone was laughing and he was laughing the loudest of all. I thought, “That’s really nice, after 21 years he still thinks I’m hilarious.” I have utter faith in his ability in everything and he has faith in my ability to be interesting at every turn. He jokes about what would happen if he dies, and I say I’ll go and live in a monastery.<br />
<br />
<b>THANG:</b> We met when he was 19. It was Anzac Day. Walter really helped me to come out to my dad. Walter said if you love me, you’re going to have to tell him. It had to be explicit – “This is my partner.” <br />
We used to hold hands going up Oxford Street in the old days. That wasn’t done in a gay relationship in the early ’90s. But it wasn’t an act of politics or defiance, it was just love. <br />
<br />
I never thought it was a serious separation in 1999. It was lack of communication. I bottle things up. What turned it around was a scratch our dog, Mimi, gave me, which got infected, and the fact that Walter insisted on coming with me to the 24-hour doctor. It was just to get antibiotics, but I realised he really wanted to be with me, even though he had no role to play. <br />
<br />
What gives me huge joy when we go to a party or have friends over is to sit back and watch him entertain and be witty. Since his book Destination Saigon was published, he’s done a lot of author talks and I’ve been to most of them. He tells the same stories and reads the same excerpts, but I still think they’re funny.<br />
<br />
He’s made so many attempts at going to uni. It was always something a lecturer or tutor did, which he couldn’t accept, and he wouldn’t go back. But now, although he gets criticised all the time at university, he copes with it. <br />
<br />
I grew up with fundamental Christian beliefs as my parents were part of the Vietnamese Evangelical Church. But I became interested in Buddhism when Walter took it up about five years into our relationship, and I saw the change in him. He was a destructive personality but the difference Buddhism [made to] him was profound.<br />
<br />
I used to find it hard to accept that he was such a perfectionist. He’s still pretty stressy, but nothing like what he was. He does get anxious. Half of our relationship is me saying it’ll be sorted, it’ll be fine – like when the computer goes wrong. He always has to get somewhere on time, which usually means we get there really early and that frustrates me a lot. <br />
<br />
We are very different and we still move in different circles. I play tennis and have my tennis friends who he’s never met and he’s got his group of friends I’ve never met.<br />
<br />
His weight is a huge worry. I’ve tried so many times to help him lose weight. Then before he went to Cambodia recently he started going to Weight Watchers and lost eight kilos in four weeks. Also, he takes too many painkillers – about eight a day. I want to be with him forever and he always says, “I think I’ll live until I’m 50”, which really upsets me. <br />
<br />
It’s the little things that keep us together, like making tea. We give the other person what they need: three months off to write his book, or nine years for me to do council.<br />
<br />
I didn’t think he was always going to be a writer, but I’ve always known he’ll be brilliant. He’s very happy now and in his element. I still can’t understand how he can get upset about what I see as trivial things. He’s quite exacting like that. Brilliant people are.<br />
<br />
<b>2 of Us</b>,<b> <i>Good Weekend</i></b><br />
Sydney Morning Herald, The Age<br />
Saturday, 21st May 2011<br />
Interview by: <i>Rosamund Burton</i><br />
Photo: <i>Joshua Morris</i>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-80193763386151398682011-05-21T15:34:00.000+10:002011-05-21T15:34:20.819+10:00Dong Ba Restaurant, Vietnamese, Cabramatta<b>Dong Ba</b> is spreading like wildfire, there's two branches specialising in Bun Bo Hue noodles and one in Bankstown. Now they've just opened a new restaurant, the third Dong Ba in Cabramatta. This one claims to offer more general Vietnamese food.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tre1uTvoubA?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
When noodlies Sydney food blog tried it recently, we found the menu selection, well, very broad, they still have the single serve dishes like <b><i>pho</i></b>, <i><b>com tam</b></i>, <b><i>mi</i></b>, but added to that are mainly seafood dishes that you order for a family meal.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKuR1305DpJ0j5gDtLMHE_fN9xs_zUhv6Y-YfIKAH6JrklStD9Ksklm4yPU6Z1Vf1U3NXvo2WGlzfZHa_ZHjfftqGE4Z-8VUCbmopedpl1BksvU09T9AMiJNpoEiV0I7tyr13-MNApHL8/s1600/_new_dong_ba.jpg" /></div><br />
My <i><b>bun cha goi</b></i> (vermicelli noodle with spring rolls) was a decent size and the wrapper on the spring rolls more traditional, they puff instead of brown. Everything was there, but it didn't soar for me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeVr4g2rsJrkE-BYWfp1JcYOmXo_SBdGb1eXubzk078sVMaeMta0xTMJOfpoB3iVy6gOFVvzYgGeeB9m6TIJA8cCrJamxuEpL-Hxzi5_gFDV58dLGHe3Ah6HAX0kcxeqNA1RlLf-SwugN/s1600/_com_tam.jpg" /></div><br />
Walter's <i><b>com tam</b></i> (broken rice) was much more successful, lovely marinated pork, the egg running, exactly the way I like it!<br />
<br />
It can be challenging moving from a specialist restaurant to a generalist model and it shows, at this Dong Ba, it can be a hit and miss affair.<br />
<br />
The latest Dong Ba is located on the busy John and Hill street corner and replaces the now defunct<b> My Thuan</b> restaurant.<br />
<br />
<b>Dong Ba Restaurant</b><br />
117 John Street, Cabramatta<br />
(02) 9727 4822thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-38330138055894247162011-05-20T22:53:00.002+10:002011-05-20T23:07:19.891+10:00Rahmen Genki, Japanese, ArtarmonArtarmon is one of my favourite suburbs on the north shore. It's villagy, great public transport and is home to some great eateries too. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YyS08UwASrw?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>Rahmen Genki</b> is a Japanese noodle bar that serves your usual<i> <b>ramen nori</b>,</i> <i><b>teriyaki</b> </i>and <b><i>gyoza</i></b>, fast and delicious.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPSy1Tp5Y0nWqGqbSFLZds-zeRkprkoXAqbl0tu9fh_bJxKbFPUSOoFh3B9FZLt1cOOlUo-QsF91_-GoNhhXJGp87buvHT99dfXlgwxt8JdbnGBGZPLS2mJxZlwlvjmKzSuZ6LlY814LR/s1600/_gyoza.jpg" /></div><br />
My <i><b>gyoza </b></i>comes out hot and cooked right through, which I love. It's dark almost burnt on one side, just the way I like it. The filling is steaming hot but unfortunately there's no juicy squirt often found in Chinese versions.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVu1dNhoFsNOiht-M8Lj67JCwZpYwdwwEzArx7dO6StRaYISpK8JHbxHDIBfiKxQtprdUwhCjPoxjb62_JSvFlSpKN2QPXSC_4tix4zkZmkQJVN-c2DGfbA_tPkVLxPDiuCzz30dosp_gZ/s1600/_rahmen.jpg" /></div><br />
My <i><b>rahmen </b></i>with old style shoyu noodles looks like ramen with pork, egg and various vegetables. The broth is tasty but not over powering. What was over powering, but I absolutely love is the burnt onion that is shown at bottom of the picture above. Delicious.<br />
<br />
Note, this restaurant accepts cash only and you need to order before you sit down. <br />
<br />
<b>Rahmen Genki</b><br />
Sho 6, Wilkes Avenue, Artarmon<br />
9410 3777<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/751827/restaurant/New-South-Wales/Lower-North-Shore/Rahmen-Genki-Sydney"><img alt="Rahmen Genki on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/751827/minilogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-87287077141007225692011-05-20T09:57:00.000+10:002011-05-20T09:57:41.482+10:00The Coffee Club, Brunswick St, Brisbane<i><b>Fresh from a recent speaking engagement in Brisabane, author <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/">Walter Mason</a> writes a guest post for Noodlies, Sydney food blog.</b></i> <br />
<br />
First, let me just say that I do in fact have an obsession with breakfast. You may have noticed that most of my guest posts concern that most important meal of the day, and anyone who knows me will vouch for the fact that,unless I have breakfast pretty pronto after waking up, I can become a little, er, difficult. What can I say? Blood sugar problems? Probably.<br />
<br />
I often say that the only two things you need to worry about when selecting a place to stay in a strange city is 1) Can you get a good breakfast very close by and 2) Can you get a late night snack when you are drunk and ravenous? For both of those reasons I always stay in The Valley when I am in Brisbane. There’s something about The Valley I love – its old-school sleaze, its incredible crowds late at night, its high-energy buzz and the fact that there is a 7 Eleven for every two residents. It’s heaven.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtthlW2mRHwM4XIIUfH43d5o-GiWkroQyQR3ZkPZ4d2pZyzWesG0QnV9ymFmomrGcXvaNEZHr6YlXZXSw06nmUDV5AhQaFToAFTOJq-M9J5tT2rYOWe-Qq_iTnJjO28qeRMS5PIe52WUW/s640/_coffee_club.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
<a name='more'></a>Right downstairs from where I stay is a Coffee Club – that ubiquitous Queensland coffee chain that is a cut above the other two brands that Shall Remain Nameless. Now, the Brunswick St. Coffee Club must have just about the sweetest and most attentive staff ever. Even if the food and coffee were terrible (which they aren’t) I would have come back every morning just to be treated with the kindness and good cheer of the baristas and waiters. In general I find that service in Queensland, though casual, is significantly more polite than in any other state in Australia, but here it’s off the radar. Someone is treating these guys well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1ndbtfQ6RNeIW29w8STsYK0HRoe9eqOxj4v5nQZFQQolCrMADgNOzhrA9zbKV9MfGdanZ-VI5Y9sOLZFIQtrlgxJBBIIBy77GYdQiADxK-B9vTEIgoIaxcx6JQ8bz6MuqI2F03pBZ4Oh/s1600/_coffee_club_2.jpg" /></div><br />
Plus I had an Incident, and nothing can gauge the quality of people better than how they deal with an Incident. One morning, befuddled and anxious on my way to deliver a paper at a conference, I foolishly left my iPhone on the table at the cafe. I didn’t realise until I had arrived at the university, and I was driven into a wild panic – what on earth would I do without my phone? I couldn’t even call someone for help, because I haven’t remembered a phone number since about 1989. So I jumped back into a cab (please don’t ask about the cost of all this foolishness) and sped back to Brunswick St., sweating with worry. Of course, I had just stepped in the door when the sainted woman behind the counter beamed up at me and handed over my phone. At that stage I would have offered her my firstborn.<br />
<br />
I should tell you what else is good about this particular branch of Coffee Club. There is free Wifi, and generally in the morning the place is quiet enough to get a bit of work done. Coffee is perfectly reliable, and the extensive breakfast menu, served all day, is a real beauty. Bacon & egg on Turkish, eggs Benedict and, my eventual favourite, pancakes! A big stack of the babies, thick and yummy. My only complaint is that I could have done with a smidgin bigger scoop of ice cream. But I loves my ice cream. So breakfast heaven, really.<br />
<br />
A great place to make your base when you are visiting Brisbane.<br />
<br />
<b>Coffee Club</b><br />
Shop 1 Central Brunswick<br />
335-421 Brunswick Street<br />
Fortitude Valley, Brisbanethang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-676508272954801772011-05-18T20:58:00.003+10:002011-05-19T08:52:38.518+10:00No. 1 BBQ House, Chinese, CampsieThe line for takeaway at <b>No. 1 BBQ House</b> went out the door. Luckily for me on this cold Wednesday evening, I could get a seat inside to dine in. And within minutes my order was taken and my dish is delivered.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/65ayrBJXgKw?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>No1 BBQ House is a typical Chinese bbq establishment serving <b><i>bbq duck, pork, chicken</i></b>, mainly for takeaway. There are a few tables for those who want to eat in and it's the usual <i><b>egg noodle or rice</b></i> with bbq meat.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1Fzg-ceKJgebOiZfX49d3fIUS-V1Q7oBwW_ooi045WY2cbLws_t8DmlKVL9FUBChD8viVMMltTKp54AWkI-4SzASKQO2PDVKTPXwG7I1VPAqgRNVAG_Vy4FWt4PAPL8OhfURouGUWC_H/s1600/_no_1_bbq_noodles.jpg" /></div><br />
It's cold tonight so noodlies Sydney food blog orders, well.. <i><b>egg noodles with roast duck</b></i>. It's perfect for a cold evening and the soup arrives pipping hot. The first thing I notice is that the soup is much darker than I'm used to and a taste confirms a strong soy seasoning. The duck serving is very generous and cut in thick pieces which allows you to enjoy the tender meat but stops it from getting soggy. I particularly like the five spice flavours.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvQHSXJmm-zS126Mvv4f7iRZcAK3BCn3CqUID6bHjgTCaOUwRY_xMK7LQdo02ifwz8W8wf3enClpKxQ7HRR-Hem4S1CLXiiwceNiO7qJ0z6iLQ03mnIWrb4_uac_Zs-Vy7zG1K-nnGpkM/s1600/_no_1_bbq.jpg" /></div><br />
My meal there must have taken about 30 minutes. During that entire time there was a continuous queue and the owner was slicing the meat continuously.<br />
<br />
The food here is no nonsense, the decor simple and the people extremely friendly and efficient. No wonder they're called No. 1 BBQ House.<br />
<br />
noodlies is a media supporter and exclusive food blogger for <a href="http://www.campsiefoodfestival.com.au/">Campsie Food Festival 2011</a> -<i> the Seoul of Sydney.</i><br />
<br />
<b>No. 1 BBQ House</b><br />
152 Beamish Street, Campsie<br />
9718 6147thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-47707612245131711752011-05-18T20:55:00.001+10:002011-05-18T20:56:29.605+10:00Walker's Doughnuts, Melbournenoodlies Sydney food blog just can't go past their doughnuts and hot chocolate whenever we're in Melbourne. Because it's near our Melbourne office, I'm always finding an excuse to pop down to <b>Walker's Doughnuts</b>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HtsZ2usRW9o?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Walker's Doughnuts is located on the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth Streets, Melbourne, which ensures it's always buzzing with people and activity, day or night.<br />
<br />
This particular evening I have a <b><i>cinnamon doughnut</i></b> and manage to resist the<b><i> hot chocolate</i></b>. <br />
<br />
Walker's Doughnuts<br />
Cnr Flinders & Elizabeth Streets, Melbourne<br />
(03) 9662 2254<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1492428/restaurant/CBD/Walkers-Doughnuts-Melbourne"><img alt="Walker's Doughnuts on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1492428/minilogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:15px" /></a>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-31626790385495335612011-05-17T22:45:00.003+10:002011-05-17T23:03:58.156+10:00Yu-U Japanese, Flinders Lane, MelbourneDescend a small, dimly lit flight of stairs and you enter a stunning open expanse that is dominated by a wooden counter that encases the open kitchen. The wood glows under the discreet but intense spot light. When your eyes adjust, you see a another couple of stand alone wooden tables, each seats about eight.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R4CbYRs7YGk?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>noodlies Sydney food blog is intrigued by <b>Yu-U</b>. They don't advertise, the entrance is off the lane, there's one discrete exterior sign. The only way you'd know they're open (after finding them) is that the wooden entrance door is slightly ajar.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjsnEBKe3VJkhQAomQ4SDtu8X4uF9QJ5gqswnnaJp57W-qcT9wja4EMVvwhuqiHeo8uNs3Dr1glsNpgNhg3vZ3mPV6zIZubE_-6SXKJ_4eGomQ5R5hlbEVEy6raKcv5zbD1cSJlUCMhmp/s640/_Yu-u.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
Yu-U, I mean even the name is intriguing, giving not much away. And they politely ask you not to film or take photos (a request I polite and discreetly ignore). Despite every effort not to promote themselves, on this bitterly cold Monday night, Yu-U is 'packed by 6.30pm.<br />
<br />
The staff are in dark, smart contemporary uniform and they appear from the dark recess. They are polite and move about silently and efficiently. When the paper menu is presented to you, with separate sheets for specials, standard menu and wine/sake list, it feels like you're a spectator in a tea ceremony - each movement, exact, deliberate almost contemplative.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8zSPivRvK_hMgggAIBDGLay0SWgPrRyR3XG6A393lSkbferXgSdsCYK8qtSzNEp-ym_ZUZX6u9sgGe06oSgTffLEY7M-gcGpt0lJxRdOt12PwFhyphenhyphengz_h8FMLpH8N8yC1GX0Wl6oxiklp/s640/_pork_belly.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
I quickly choose the <i><b>pork belly</b></i>, four thin slices of perfectly cooked pork over a bed of lightly cooked bean sprouts. The pork covered with a subtle soy based sauce that is also slightly sweet. Soft, elegant and delightful.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKO3HWFBf8AKHzqaKh0jNY7k8aBKJu_XBnLxZ4K1rCkrxvDmJG1sso-7f19tW_dZ1IhHoUONXMypg2VIJNNx7VubIDpGZBNMRXf7zBN6jFxf0JKsCtn2YZ3SGaFoQyIouAvir8rANR_oz2/s640/_tempura.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
My eyes spot <i><b>tempura corn</b></i> and I order this as my second course. The main feature of this dish is actually the fish, which is thick and meaty, soft and almost flaky the tempura batter much lighter than it looks. Sweet potato is also thickly sliced, soft but not mushy. The corn is cooked but still maintains some juiciness. Everything is so minimal but at the same time so full of flavour.<br />
<br />
Everything is delicious. The servings aren't large, leaving you craving for more. But tonight I'm content to meditate over my meal for the rest of the night.<br />
<br />
I leave feeling satisfied but eager to return soon and selfishly happy that Yu-U is still relatively undiscovered.<br />
<br />
<b>Yu-U</b><br />
137 Flinders Lane, Melbourne<br />
(03) 9639 7073<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1442213/restaurant/Victoria/CBD/Yu-U-Melbourne"><img alt="Yu-U on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1442213/minilogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-42714323322655186682011-05-17T21:54:00.001+10:002011-05-17T21:56:50.239+10:00Chocolate Buddha, Federation Square, MelbourneA work colleague introduced me to the delights of Chocolate Buddha a couple of weeks ago when we were in Melbourne for work. This week, I'm back in Melbourne for a couple of days and have a sudden craving for their delicious Japanese udon.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PpJv8pveq9Q?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Chocolate Buddha has several things going for it, it's conveniently located in Federation Square, the decor is simple, pleasing and functional, the glass walls afford uninterrupted view of Federation Square forecourt. And the service is friendly, fast and efficient.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5M3scorhTh7qE-YnliLcFz0DQF5QzMTd03qB-fF5mGI0Xs_eNkhSttTTQEiimI2M7BwUU5zvM66I5TbctwfAV1gzK2H2Q6JBt5LOgYP4npeWwP49ClKHXMdhWtNt8Ms5lTQ_1J5bq5iu_/s640/_udon.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
Today I opt for the gyu ramen: chili marinated and char-grilled beef served with vegetable dumplings, swiss chard and udon noodles. The chili worked well with the medium cooked beef and subtle soup. An extra splash of chili sauce spicing up the spinach and swiss chard. Delicious!<br />
<br />
<a href="www.chocolatebuddha.com.au">Chocolate Buddha</a><br />
Federation Square<br />
2 Swanston St, Melbourne<br />
(03) 9654 5688<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/760467/restaurant/Victoria/CBD/Chocolate-Buddha-Melbourne"><img alt="Chocolate Buddha on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/760467/minilogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:15px" /></a>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-8881649690176722572011-05-15T19:12:00.003+10:002011-05-15T22:09:25.858+10:00VietTUB, Cabramatta Tweet UpA few <b>noodlies </b>Sydney food blog tweet conversations materialised into a tweet up in Cabramatta, at <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2010/11/fairfield-advance-billys-pho-is-souper.html"><b>Pho Minh</b></a>. In fact, we ended up taking two tables so many people turned up. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xWIOPEvK90s?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>It was a chance me to meet my tweeps in person for the first time the amazingly energetic @hollingsworth (Tony), @johnalchin (John), @franciejones (Frances), @salisburydowns (Caro) and to meet new tweeps @vinhvanlam (Vinh) and @stuarthorrex (Stuart).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOZdmJlaltq1PfcYt4ohBDvZ1XgEtUc0bF7hJB7pOQtZqzZkfp_QLGv5spcH11-IdOFxWWgDCEgrXhSWG5BETMFaVL1bfI_Pa3cRecng4SwannkVrMIJHihwplzC_7x-MbGX1BENfEevt/s1600/_tweet_up.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Caro and Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZk9PDtzKoK1CjVxtvr0VaAv-oV7wMbk5PMhcBoO8Nw64kwHM5oW0MPpA5mvGeBhZh7LYVFOq70QEkqoJicCuo8TocZDrAvnKyfYT1Nh5Y2xwyHksLQ08CZlKoSIPCKLTcu6oLJmCniPp5/s1600/_pho_tai.jpg" /></div><br />
We chatted to the owner of Pho Minh, Billy, who's such as sweet and accommodating man. The <b><i>pho tai</i></b> was a hit as was <i><b>congee </b></i>and <i><b>sam bo luong</b></i> drink as you can see from the video above.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOxiuk97U4e9OzMb_ZKOPKx7xRM9qnJpnDFnmjqBYIMN-HZMmozVEU9FXZ3474twfQOlzGml8pxo0Fwexje9VLa_o9P9yzmDz6beUFLtvLm-aheoV8obW0W1Hg_6U2g12Y5X8VdsJubOq/s1600/_sam_bo_luong.jpg" /></div><br />
Thanks everyone for coming out, great to meet you all!<br />
<br />
<b>Pho Minh Vietnamese Restaurant</b><br />
42 Arthur St<br />
Cabramatta NSW 2166<br />
(02) 9726 5195<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1459290/restaurant/Sydney/Pho-Minh-Cabramatta"><img alt="Pho Minh on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1459290/minilogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-16363356845033390122011-05-14T09:54:00.002+10:002011-05-14T09:56:49.277+10:00Wagas Cafe, Donghu Rd, Shanghai<i><b>Fresh from a recent trip to Shanghai and Nanjing, author <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/">Walter Mason</a> writes a guest post for Noodlies, Sydney food blog.</b></i> <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="405" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UlX3gxcIhkQ" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
Let me just say at the outset that no-one is more committed to the glories of the 5 Star hotel breakfast buffet than I. The heaven of coming down to groaning tables of things you’d normally never eat, even at midday, is just about the best part of any holiday. But at the same time I am, by nature, an abstemious type. I come from a Methodist family, for heaven’s sake. So unless I am travelling with the famously indulgent Mr. Noodlies, I tend to stay at a more humble class of hotel where, even if breakfast was included in the tariff, you wouldn’t want to eat it. I remember once staying at a “boutique” hotel on Suriwongse Rd. in Bangkok, and when I came down for my all-inclusive “Continental” breakfast the young man staffing the front desk made me some toast (at the check-in counter), poured me a glass of tetra-pack juice and waved me off to my busy day. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>So, when I am economising I like to fend for myself on the breakfast front. Imagine my joy when, while staying recently on Donghu Rd. in Shanghai, I discovered there was a <b>Wagas cafe</b> right next door. Being a notorious early riser, I was even more delighted to find that they opened at 7am – a rare enough event in Shanghai. So every morning I stood outside their front door waiting for them to open, and sampled almost everything on the breakfast menu. The only thing I passed over was the glasses of red wine the two French lesbians who regularly joined me always had. I rarely take alcohol before 8.30 am. But hey, they were French.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvErpGqgUo4IrhAQAlK7pqW8IE60OOzHBRHR9TXDxQEeJevFKGQ7axH3uiCESy5cmkajVnKWLyJRMPrSlDDRdRtCDSSiGegGFyYRF8PLNM66RlJbqXPlp8zDLW00YmcB2VKKE5d9-foh-e/s640/_wagas_5.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
Wagas is the Shanghai cafe supreme. Sleek and ubiquitous, they supply western-style food (and some Asian-fusion dishes) at all hours for those seeking consistence, air-con, moderately decent coffee and English-speaking staff. And really, it is the staff that make the Wagas experience such a pleasure. I have griped before on these pages about the customer service in Shanghai, but whoever is doing the staff training at Wagas is doing something right, and I always encounter smiling, helpful and efficient staff whenever I visit. And while I speak a species of Chinese, it is always comforting to be able to order scrambled eggs and a flat white in English first thing in the morning. I like to allow my tepid mind to develop linguistically as the day matures and the caffeine level increases.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtomQTomU3T2fDyIP3l4uCCRDz4gpoq2a_PK7FxjoWv3WYBVv9paWmT5nQoWL5X1QynG3LIAu_d8_gsbCG6G4teY5cVoyKmUSPRG1LZ0WlR8-HVhDZZCt7w1X7iH1SkcjY8Co6LHcZyIwt/s1600/_wagas_2.jpg" /></div><br />
I should also mention that Wagas is a great favourite among young Shanghainese, who find it as bewilderingly foreign and exotic as a Sydney teenager would find a Sichuan restaurant. Most of the young Chinese people who sat by me spoke English to each other in thick American accents as they flicked through interior design magazines or tapped away at their laptops.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuDmj297IVXyapk0ZGTep9XlTJfWkkXfwKLX115AtKAND2kVudjQEV51_qbjqEybiTD8pXzKRYEjTCt_SzlQ0KDQybGvi6lxAov9VT1N_DZWwf0lLEN5KaeHHCiWaArL8cDmr9U7jY_nQ/s1600/_wagas_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuDmj297IVXyapk0ZGTep9XlTJfWkkXfwKLX115AtKAND2kVudjQEV51_qbjqEybiTD8pXzKRYEjTCt_SzlQ0KDQybGvi6lxAov9VT1N_DZWwf0lLEN5KaeHHCiWaArL8cDmr9U7jY_nQ/s1600/_wagas_1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
What to have? Well, the <b><i>coffee </i></b>is ok, though can be hit and miss. I had the awkward situation of my favourite (i.e. the hunkiest) barista being the worst at making coffee – I was torn. Well, not really, because the only other option for coffee in that area is Mister Donut, and if you’ve ever had a coffee at Mister Donut you’ll know that’s no competition at all. Breakfast pastries and muffins are good, as is the egg and spinach wrap. The sandwiches are fantastic and fresh, though subject to frequent and perplexing cancellations – one day no ham, another no chicken. Oh well, I suppose that underlines the freshness of the ingredients. For dinner it’s pastas and cakes and an odd variant of underwhelming Thai food that tastes exactly like what you’d get at a suburban Thai restaurant in Australia. That said, these dishes are wildly popular with Asian customers, and were almost always what my Shanghainese friends would select.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGm27xyDXT3tU7Lg0CBpBsOme9qnej96dswNSQafWFEyWR0MeYAu3X8h1tnUgbjYpMiMCNJ2HBDpCZoU6OBc3RDBe5_d7QgSCeSMEvyrBegRXQMZWOaIZRqelDqmBJQUqNOxfkpcvSlq_R/s640/_wagas_4.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
The Donghu Rd. Branch becomes quite packed of an evening and at lunch, but in the mornings it is pleasantly quiet, and a nice place to surf the net or read a book. I have returned a Wagas fan – won’t someone open one in Sydney?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYurdjwqSBNMkyRhAraUI9efcVCHLy0kFJJIwhk3tZcUjkq10BMF_o5W3hUrsiHapVCJCO1Ar1pCYc13BVRDkj6vXQEpVl9wMvZTeUUksLze92Evri2PCdU1QQBy_wglphxpGeJuo4kY-D/s640/_wagas%25293.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
<b>Wagas</b> <br />
Donghu Rd, Shanghai,thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-25220644023085909602011-05-11T21:46:00.002+10:002011-05-11T22:15:32.578+10:00The Meeting Point, Taiwanese, Haymarket, Sydney<b>The Meeting Point</b> is like many other modern Chinese restaurants in town that caters for Chinese students in Sydney. So they have to have quick fast meals like noodle dishes, soups as well as coffee and a good selection of desserts. And in a vaguely young and hip environment, usually in a convenient position. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Pp-33kk1hIU?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Well it's conveniently located especially for UTS students but a tad hard to find, being in one corner of Market City near the light rail station. Watch the video and you get a good idea of where it is.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFZ7HgXoe6SWmnrCijI5VRT9VGaNI-la023epXzWKedvoir9Z22fl8Bo7kbdsNUkQLF3Rl9FUvQRToW2EPOlWWSKHJVibbTl_qAHgP5AgSvn4GDhsbL97Ordmk8Vi5_JWktR6pwbGxoCI/s1600/_chicken_spring_rolls.jpg" /></div><br />
I've heard mixed reviews about The Meeting Point, so noodlies Sydney food blog decided to give them a go for a late Sunday lunch. Walter and I order a dish each and share a serving of the <b><i>chicken spring roll</i></b>, which is delicious. We're not in gourmet territory, but this dish is simple and honest; chicken chunks wrapped around a thick fried roll covered generously with chili sauce. The cucumber in mango sauce is interesting, but I'm not a fan of sweet mango in savoury dishes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnCiTrfO8O8gBcy4dSY6cIFhS4eqQx4MP0ZoPa3rOuf4SMJKPHaHBSKD8KEHJzGTIlPSSZbAzyO_790PnGJoZRmd9Ar3yUGY4Rm9vZHA6g2NTbpCMxT4-iCLdkoJlhYp-QDy5QrpRR2XX/s1600/_noodles_mince.jpg" /></div><br />
My dish is a disappointing, it was pretty much "what you see is what you get" plain<b><i> boiled noodles with relatively plain mince</i></b>. While you could taste the Asian heritage, this dish sails dangerously into <b><i>spag bol</i></b> territory. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJONO6Bm-luPCqpLfMtR4t1U8jn2fpF2AQh8bZHgIdX8lMW8Q1yWlqOgiEp_FWNqAHj2BIfGIJQSP9h77672YGltuOJzWAfhpRkI_4vlTCQDRPY6EwSdNvFRm7YGr3yzf3k_E5g1N2Mug/s1600/_noodles_soup.jpg" /></div><br />
Walter's <b><i>beef noodle soup</i></b> is much more successful, strong flavours, dark rich soup, beef that melts in the mouth.<br />
<br />
For what it is, The Meeting Point does a good job, but like any place that offers a wide selection of dishes both savoury and sweet and drinks, it's gonna be a bit hit and miss.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.themeetingpoint.com.au/"><b>The Meeting Point</b></a><br />
Shop R1.01B Hay Street, Market City <br />
(02) 9280 3680<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1548562/restaurant/New-South-Wales/Chinatown/The-Meeting-Point-Sydney"><img alt="The Meeting Point on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1548562/minilogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-30136525527525826422011-05-11T10:56:00.001+10:002011-05-11T10:57:03.508+10:00Fairfield Advance: Tea Time for Thang - Australia's Biggest Morning TeaFront page from this morning's Fairfield Advance: Tea Time for Thang: "<i>Canley Vale resident Thang Ngo is the toast of the town after being named an ambassador for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea...</i>" full story below.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac176/Thangngo66/FairfieldAdvance11May2011frontcroppedsmall.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Tea Time for Thang</b><br />
by Lauren McMah<br />
<a href="http://fairfield-advance.whereilive.com.au/news/story/tea-time-for-thang/">Fairfield Advance, 11 May 2011, p1</a>.<br />
<br />
CANLEY Vale resident Thang Ngo is the toast of the town after being named an ambassador for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. <br />
<br />
Mr Ngo, founder of the food blog Noodlies.com, has joined the ranks of food luminaries Adriano Zumbo, Matt Moran and Justine Schofield to raise awareness for the Cancer Council’s fundraiser event on May 26. <br />
<br />
“I think it’s a reflection of our community in south-western Sydney that we’re getting more recognition,” Mr Ngo said. <br />
<br />
“My philosophy is that there’s not enough attention paid to people in south-western Sydney, but it seems that the Cancer Council really wants to reach out to our diverse community.”<br />
<br />
He said being a Cancer Council ambassador is particularly close to his heart, as his mother died from bowel cancer in 1990.<br />
<br />
Mr Ngo said his mother did not act early enough to get her symptoms checked by a doctor. <br />
<br />
“It’s ironic, because the health-care system is much better here than in Vietnam, and I feel it could have been prevented if she’d gotten checked out earlier,” he said. <br />
<br />
“She had actually booked her ticket to go back and visit her family in Vietnam for the first time since we came here in 1975 and I feel cancer took that from her. I don’t want that to happen to any other family.”<br />
<br />
Each year more than 36,000 people in NSW are diagnosed with cancer.<br />
<br />
Mr Ngo said it was important for people to realise that cancer can affect anybody.<br />
<br />
“My mother was always healthy and we thought she would outlive my father,” he said. “I think people don’t realise that just because you’re healthy and strong that cancer won’t ever happen.”<br />
<br />
This year the Cancer Council is aiming to raise $11 million through Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea to help fund cancer research, prevention, information and support services. <br />
<br />
Mr Ngo said morning tea fundraising events can be held anytime throughout May.<br />
<br />
“I encourage everyone in their own capacity to host a morning tea event with their family, friends or colleagues,” he said. <br />
<br />
For fundraising tips or to donate, visit the website at biggestmorningtea.com.au.thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-21548278784902142722011-05-10T13:04:00.004+10:002011-05-18T21:29:18.679+10:00Sidhi Vinayak Grocery, CampsieWhen I think of Campsie, the first thing comes to mind is Korean food, one of our early favourite restaurants was just off Beamish street; that was over a decade ago. But now it's so much more. On a recent visit for lunch, we found ourselves parked outside an Indian grocery store. Which was just perfect, because it saved me popping down to Liverpool later to pick up some supplies. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4sAD7evBcyU?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>Sidhi Vinayak</b> grocery store was small but neat and cramped packed with lots of great supplies. Watch the video above and you'll see particularly piles and piles of colourful bags of <i><b>basmati rice</b></i>.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIcDAGbA7J8KbmEOCT5VnETEags2IGCeMvnyIy6nfiAcsEbMxPms3WM9WcxBYhTG5TS9-XX_kjxdpDT4qmwRq-Ao-AOkRnl-MNh9N_vccV4staWSOvMDpo_FUPKC2BCyb22byJI2ZsiFw/s1600/_indian.jpg" /></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>We've been looking high and low for some more <b><i>masala chai tea</i></b> and left with a couple of boxes. Our incense collection was also re-stocked, a particular favourite is the two tubes of <i><b>cinnamon incense sticks</b></i>. And you may have read my review of <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/02/bollywood-chinese-halal-fairfield.html">Bollywood Indian/Chinese</a> restaurant in Fairfield; I'm fascinated and bought a packet of <i><b>schezwan stir fry mix</b></i> to try at home.<br />
<br />
But my favourite is the <b><i>Vicco turmeric cream</i></b>, I swear turmeric is the best thing for all types of skin, Himani Gold turmeric cream has previously been my fav, but sadly seems like no one stocks it anymore!<br />
<br />
We left with the stash above for around $25. I can't believe how cheap things are in Campsie!<br />
<br />
noodlies is a media supporter and exclusive food blogger for <a href="http://www.campsiefoodfestival.com.au/">Campsie Food Festival 2011</a> -<i> the Seoul of Sydney.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Sidhi Vinayak Grocery Store</b><br />
268 Beamish Street<br />
Campsie NSW 2194<br />
(02) 8065 4613thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-28781401122699496462011-05-07T22:01:00.003+10:002011-05-10T13:25:15.898+10:00Manmaruya Japanese Noodle Bar, CampsieIn the weeks leading up to <a href="http://www.campsiefoodfestival.com.au/">Campsie Food Festival</a> on Saturday, 4th June, <b>noodlies </b>Sydney food blog wanted to sample some great eats in Campsie. <b>Manmaruya</b> has been in Campsie for three years and is an amazingly popular local restaurant attracting both locals and visitors.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QsdM7z63glA?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
The first thing I notice about Manmaruya is that it's been properly designed. It's zen-minimalist, attractive and very functional. And immediately I'm struck by the fact that the place is very, very popular, it's packed today for lunch.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjqLiJUdEoOjLCfAVb3sm9JeiVtGS5-xYssBqKRcaD1ep5gcCJHKBZJgkBd-FlSFXa1Joj7SRS6THRuvzORtJ12tvCI0SmpJpYmv6JMOWxolwx34GPUIALrehRhkZfHh209ZfNvnkIuRn/s1600/_seared_sushi.jpg" /></div><br />
<i><b>Aburi sushi</b></i> is an exciting new find for me. The sushi is ever so lightly seared and then drizzled with teriyaki sauce. It's presented in a turquoise glazed plate, the sushi looks just stunning, glistening and confident. The dish retains delicate flavours but heightened with the soft teriyaki sauce. According to chef and owner, <b>Goto San</b>, it's one of their most popular dishes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3gG_NtPoUHRQpu95Ed2yE16TbVUvG9KUcDOEWZhDhoAIzhYvrvNXvcjU3YciSL4MqKRjVzH4CAAunsh1TR9QCqWXI5LeqMgPdZa32dLfA4ImJnnGtsGBl4hmLwhw2fO4PaaXIo2adMAs/s1600/_ramen_miso.jpg" /></div><br />
How could noodlies not order a noodle dish! I wanted to try the <b><i>pork miso ramen</i></b> to compare it with other eateries around town. Again, excellent presentation, layed out in that exacting, precise Japanese way. The large pork slices perfectly cooked, loving both the bamboo and mushroom which just works. I'm also liking the miso soup, it's not as heavy as <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/01/gumshara-ramen-chinatown-sydney.html">Gumshara</a>, but manages to achieve both subtlety and taste. It's a generous serving, as you can see, packed and hearty.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjlBTHxOfmQRc5a0f9hyd6RRPKkoAx81G8-jP4NOVc9frIUk7dwyFba5bglHCq-LgjZOdjOPKsNiqa-BmivlCb1V8U_H7HMwvoQNiubMkxbpCz8wdbIdGaGKb0P0sVzOdaF2VOdyTH7UY/s1600/_tako_yaki.jpg" /></div><br />
A dish recommended by Goto San is the incredible <b><i>tako-yaki</i></b>. It's one that demands attention; at first glance, they're simple octopus balls topped with thin translucent flakes. But them you notice the bonito flakes alive and moving. It's hard to describe, you just need to see it for yourself in the video below. <br />
<br />
<iframe width="500" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vUsJIxZhbSM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
Isn't it just stunning?!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLniGMWy5mZz5C2HjwmasuKIatdfcAEUwtG3d-aIrTYpRXrFT6GFxWlW8Vf0kSgKIFVMRfN0wcUz31kdJdLlZeqS4P5R9b21gYZn_ytXFifkaUUj6QCETa29LTBumQVyUlwctfCzZ-QKl/s1600/_pork_kim_chi.jpg" /></div><br />
Walter's <i><b>spicy fried pork kim chi</b></i> is served with rice and obviously Korean inspired. Again, that Japapnese subtlety controls the extreme sweetness found in equivalent Korean executions. It's very much to my taste, subtle but flavoursome.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OEfZwJ5ru_k?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
I had a chance to sit down with chef and owner, Goto San to ask him a few questions:<br />
<ul><li>why Campsie?</li>
<li>what's popular on the menu?</li>
<li>what's the relationship of this restaurant to sister restaurants in Hurstville and Eastwood?</li>
</ul>Overall, Manmaruya is an amazing little gem in south western Sydney. You just wouldn't expect high quality Japanese in Campsie, but it's here, it's busy and it really does work!<br />
<br />
This noodlies Sydney food blog experience was courtesy of <b>Manmaruya </b>and Canterbury Council's Campsie Food Festival 2011 on Saturday, 4th June.<br />
<br />
noodlies is a media supporter and exclusive food blogger for <a href="http://www.campsiefoodfestival.com.au/">Campsie Food Festival 2011</a> -<i> the Seoul of Sydney.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Manmaruya Japanese Noodle Bar</b><br />
193 Beamish St, Campsie<br />
(02) 9789 5759<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1483535/restaurant/New-South-Wales/Canterbury-Bankstown/Manmaruya-Restaurant-Sydney"><img alt="Manmaruya Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1483535/minilogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-9036249538021966252011-05-07T10:57:00.006+10:002011-05-18T21:27:54.614+10:00Campsie Food Festival 2011 - Sat, 4th June 10am - 4pmnoodlies Sydney food blog remembers going to this annual event years and years ago before it was rebranded in 2004 as <b>Campsie Food Festival</b>. It was good then and it's even better now, showcasing the cultural diversity of the Canterbury local government area.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhePwxPEEVQoGqluuWAG02PZO0c1cWjG_OFe-UD75ZAzq49eVhjnn1mJ29urbPhC6IpAY_lBJKCo-3yAhWRNgLwtMTYrYrofWNqpHOQNBiAnrJ4WEtAK5X6tv_HOFP7wTZIoLTEqT654w/s1600/_cff_website.jpg" /></div><br />
I love how food has been at the forefront of bringing people from different cultures together. This year, the Mayor of the City of Canterbury, Cr Robert Furolo is expecting over 15,000 Sydney-siders at the event who will enjoy wonderful culinary delights from all over the world: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Greek, Himalayan, Colombian, Turkish, and of course, Korean.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Best Council Event Website</b></div><br />
Considering the limited resources of a south western Sydney council, I'm awarding the Campsie Food Festival 2011 website as the best website to promote a council event. It's a big call especially considering the City of Sydney's fantastic Chinese New Year website - but heh, Sydney's resources are of Goliath proportion when compared to Canterbury's limited David resources. I know that Canterbury developed the website using internal resources which only makes it an even more wonderful feat in my eyes. For me, the <a href="http://www.campsiefoodfestival.com.au/">Campsie Food Festival 2011</a> website wins hands down.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZySVhNirphaqAAHHyiCTCUxsvtDuG8g551ZcjhpJLPUdxnmxW_KFugMVI9UKmAEMoVktLzbnBGWz1p85ajIQmaVAOpF9IoAnBIbsHHXZr6d1paIdOqnavTRzkdmhNlhdBFafy7t4td-QB/s1600/food_107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZySVhNirphaqAAHHyiCTCUxsvtDuG8g551ZcjhpJLPUdxnmxW_KFugMVI9UKmAEMoVktLzbnBGWz1p85ajIQmaVAOpF9IoAnBIbsHHXZr6d1paIdOqnavTRzkdmhNlhdBFafy7t4td-QB/s400/food_107.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>noodlies exclusive! </b></div><br />
noodlies Sydney food blog is all about uncovering authentic, diverse food and culture all around Sydney - it was exciting to be appointed <a href="http://www.campsiefoodfestival.com.au/sponsors.html">media supporter</a> and exclusive food blogger for this event.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-6K3V-lpUa6_ZIGzGfbfEG_OP5bvk_enV0owZGDtWfoPrcqmTMf9C6JnYn-jK7b9Jaz3y1-9VljLRx-oTSrN4wx45l_vVS0OJ5iHltQ8bLrDxFptMVbZkmUvE10yitplBeWl8lPACA_F/s1600/_cff_noodlies.jpg" /></div><br />
In the coming weeks you'll be reading more noodlies previews about Campsie Food Festival 2011! <i>Join <a href="http://www.facebook.com/noodlies">noodlies Facebook fan page</a> to make sure you get regular updates on this great community event.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjcFsLJvxwlyvOs6cBeGdajXWwKxKeP8djgMstMu03hipoTw-rn-QkB5B4C3J4EW7QhtVlAbPFg-lsFTsg8mRCXsWtQApgrLluZK5KeeMvkZWNPp7j6q1kOk6ACUfg_47emmAb6J04G2h/s1600/food_087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjcFsLJvxwlyvOs6cBeGdajXWwKxKeP8djgMstMu03hipoTw-rn-QkB5B4C3J4EW7QhtVlAbPFg-lsFTsg8mRCXsWtQApgrLluZK5KeeMvkZWNPp7j6q1kOk6ACUfg_47emmAb6J04G2h/s400/food_087.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Your recommendations... </b></div><br />
Do you have a favourite restaurant in Campsie? Let me know, would love to review it.<br />
<br />
<b>Campsie Food Festival 2011 - Highlights</b><br />
<ul><li>Kim chi eating competition</li>
<li>Alvin Quah (Masterchef 2010) cooking demonstration</li>
<li>Di Dim Sori Korean drumming performance </li>
<li>Over 60 stalls including lots, and lots of food</li>
</ul>All the action of the 2011 Campsie Food Festival will stretch along Beamish Street and into Anzac Mall, Campsie, on Saturday, June 4, from 10am-4pm.<br />
<br />
For more information on the Campsie Food Festival phone 9789 9300, visit their <a href="http://www.campsiefoodfestival.com.au/">website</a>, join Campsie Food Festival <a href="http://www.facebook.com/campsiefoodfestival2011#%21/pages/Campsie-Food-Festival-2011/181622898550556">Facebook page</a>.<br />
<br />
<i><b>More Campsie food:</b></i><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/05/manmaruya-japanese-noodle-bar-campsie.html">Manmaruya</a> Japanese Noodle Bar</li>
<li><a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/05/sidhi-vinayak-grocery-campsie.html">Sidhi Vinayak</a> Grocery </li>
<li><a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/05/no-1-bbq-house-chinese-campsie.html">No.1 BBQ House </a></li>
</ul>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-55449995600408477852011-05-01T20:42:00.007+10:002011-05-04T11:31:42.024+10:00"Pick 6 dishes that represent Vietnam"...Says my new journo friend, <a href="http://daisydumas.com/">Daisy Dumas</a>, she's doing a story for <a href="http://bit.ly/jSRV4B">CNNGo.com</a>. <i>Oh, and they have to be in Cabramatta and we need to eat them in one sitting</i>... I was soooo up for the challenge!<br />
<br />
I selected six dishes that transport me back to Vietnam, dishes that we commonly eat and one or two that are just so uniquely Vietnamese... <b><i>What do you think of my selection? Leave a comment...</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>1. Pho: at <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2010/09/pho-tau-bay-sydneys-best-pho-2010.html">Pho Tau Bay</a></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVw0gB4GQY6GLvdJqPbX3K6iwk9pY22vSyo79oLThmDkRmXYF4G4BJJsgJKWbxCb2B9cbZClleF39XNWsdZy4KnedYcbN0dW_3NbkHB8jag0CtMeexAHNXNARFdYGHaQseCjtodGGvs9e/s1600/_pho_tau_bay.jpg" /></div><br />
No list would be complete without <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2010/07/what-is-pho-pho.html">Pho</a>, Vietnam's most famous soup. It comes in several types: beef, chicken, vegetarian, even seafood. And Pho Tau Bay was voted <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2010/09/sydneys-best-pho-winner-announcement.html">Sydney's best Pho</a> in 2010.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>2. Com Tam (broken rice) at Pho Tau Bay</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltRu1ibGIDLIPDpurvjZlGN8aC93G9I83UW7CMugfk7nm7at6yvEDPtkD-3ViYgUDaZYzH0EN16fG6qByQ3wWFYG9rBm7KqhAjzJGG8xoQk0kNwLgucv7e2aPoa9Qfw-6-ZGP21qtRLmf/s1600/_com_tam.jpg" /></div><br />
<b><i>Com tam</i></b>, is 'broken rice' with pork chop, cha (baked minced pork), bi (thin slices of pig skin) and runny fried egg is an optional extra. <b><br />
</b><br />
<b>3. Banh Cuon at <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2010/05/phu-quoc-restaurant-cabramatta.html">Phu Quoc</a></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dAVcfxWAEubSKr82hvFgbUB0ld1sZxL7U3RR-iuFhHOJKGSHeyiGGGGRIgiEppAVy5Z2N4uM0CI1muzrzgkp3Bv2TlmEUv9RBdgLaVZ6DRlJWDdzfuWhWhHoxmAHY8VrsZCMEp0Y-Y9A/s1600/_banh_cuon.jpg" /></div><br />
<i><b>Banh cuon</b></i> are little ice noodle pockets are filled with mince served with cured pork, fried onions and range of mints including coriander and basil. A good banh cuon is distinguished by how thin the rice noodle is, and by the dipping sauce. There are only two places I know of in Cabramatta that sell this dish and I reckon Phu Quoc serves probably the best in all of Sydney.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Bun Bo Hue at <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2010/11/dong-ba-vietnamese-restaurant.html">Dong Ba</a></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoayR7oKqSYKo4wdIZgj8iiw7L8sUYk5RQY8yhvQfZar6Uobudf5o7hEDAqZsO1eVyw60mV7QSKKvHtbBwdykanJo_evA2NsYcqoMiyGWvB6fl_fQH06665YAW4x-iwlQ_u77DsSJvbNM/s1600/_bun_bo_hue.jpg" /></div><br />
This challenging dish is for those who graduate beyond pho. <i><b>Bun bo hue</b></i> in fierce, lemongrass and chili dominate, that red isn't from tomato paste! There are several types of meat, including beef, pork, pork devon, and congealed pork blood as well as pig trotters. One of my favourite dishes!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>What do you think of my selection so far? Leave a comment and let me know...</u></i></b></div><br />
<b>5. Goi ga (chicken salad) at Dem Hen</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTUHRwNL6CKd2szuXyKxtOwhWIsT8Xu_E7hPhpoo4Ijp3xNBzM65ohmv27S6HtAvReBVbc1SSp2vG4JHOqlawiVCMYk4F4OCAjQDHjv5Ysi-Uif_ZsvArMTYHYmchzK7sjkUOIH0HjMOs/s1600/_chicken_salad.jpg" /></div><br />
<b><i>Goi ga</i></b>, with congee is one of my all time favourite things. At Dem Hen we order <i><b>goi ga chay bo</b></i>, running chicken or free range chicken. The meat is tougher gamier, but ultimately more satisfying. The cabbage, mint and lettuce and other greens, together with the lemon juice with a touch of fish sauce really works with the chicken. And a couple of <b><i>chicken feet</i></b> indicates this place will never compromise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0VeCYUGKLyF3ps4UGjS_3TcVKXdeBXLStpJRbfFRJ09zyLLgxy8xfDxxu2_SAQ6YgAjqiPDIyxe33w3vHwTT1iwO7L8UVI4TDzW9-netuhFWoC-q5hyphenhyphen-O5y0QwdjMUZc7qaqb-TjtOIh/s1600/_chicken_salad_thang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0VeCYUGKLyF3ps4UGjS_3TcVKXdeBXLStpJRbfFRJ09zyLLgxy8xfDxxu2_SAQ6YgAjqiPDIyxe33w3vHwTT1iwO7L8UVI4TDzW9-netuhFWoC-q5hyphenhyphen-O5y0QwdjMUZc7qaqb-TjtOIh/s1600/_chicken_salad_thang.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>WARNING: please don't read on if you're squeamish - the following is about fertilised eggs.</b></u><br />
<br />
<b>6. Hot vit lon</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NKwXSF2e0GnbZNktbfGUUJ6LEWiSaBqAwv-d5eovUHLdYeHqh9WSQUlfK-8yBQZydFZAsp3ibu2m0SMDzqv7GoX1BfDLZCptzyZnvX9UxNU5DZSPqt6a9FSRscneChKBXLEIeeaMKc6z/s1600/_hot_vit_lon_2.jpg" /></div><br />
Hot vit lon are soft boiled fertilised duck eggs, eaten for protein and to aid fertility. They're also eaten in many south east Asian countries, including the Philippines where they're called balut.<br />
<br />
For a full description on how to eat hot vit lon and what it tastes like, visit this noodlies Sydney food blog <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/05/how-to-eat-hot-vit-lon-fertilised-duck.html">post</a>.<br />
<br />
The challenge started today at 10am and five and a half hours later, at 3.30pm we finished, full, satisfied - it was such an enjoyable and filling experience!<br />
<br />
<b>Pho Tau Bay</b><br />
12/117 John St, Cabramatta<br />
9726 4583<br />
<br />
<b>Phu Quoc</b><br />
11/117 John St, Cabramatta<br />
9724 2188<br />
<br />
<b>Dong Ba</b><br />
40 Park Rd, Cabramatta<br />
9755 0727<br />
<br />
<b>Diem Hen</b><br />
205 Canley Vale Road, Canley Heights <br />
9724 9800thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-44314201956486197762011-05-01T20:41:00.001+10:002011-05-01T20:43:43.068+10:00How to eat hot vit lon, fertilised duck eggs, balut<u><b>Warning: this post contains images and video of fertilised duck egg, please don't read if it may disturb you.</b></u><br />
<br />
<i><b>Hot vit lon</b></i>, is a common delicacy in Vietnam and across many south east Asian countries including Thailand, Laos and the Philippines. Basically, hot vit lon are fertilised duck eggs, at some grocery shops you can buy them of varying ages from around 7 days onwards. Of course, the older they are, the hairy and more fully formed is the foetus. They are soft boiled.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1RhLTr7o39ckrAmRn6UHdSZiM03S0QlxhsOS-FXmi36JRZxmfymed2ok6UK5N0yYHHiTUx1AZEPK70Q1eCjerdcctCzjl8mRRC_iaxDJa8ctCj3pSlYJSs7r7N5G_PndQEOn6fQt-P8w/s1600/_hot_vit_lon_2.jpg" /></div><br />
Some restaurants in the Cabramatta area serves hot vit lon and today noodlies Sydney food blog took a journo friend, <a href="http://daisydumas.com/">Daisy Dumas</a> to a secret location to try one...<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21EkcmubSz8U0W5sELfLeFVR0DPYptQnSeA1E-RM9l_Z77gocSiHAa80hwwO1pwHT25ZuXg4EZmuCIEChQ-2Ht9IlBE_7sj9y1pFL6BpsCBiRJWGS8H3CWf9v6H4paDTg0qndeKmQKZOG/s1600/_hot_vit_lon.jpg" /></div><br />
The eggs were traditionally eaten by men as a sign of their manliness, the older the egg, the bolder the man. While women eat them to help with fertility. The truth is, many eat them for the nutrition and protein.<br />
<br />
There are four parts to the egg:<br />
<ul><li>the sweet clear juice that runs through the egg </li>
<li>a soft yellow protein section at one end which is flavoursome</li>
<li>the foetus in the middle which can be hairless or very hairy depending on age</li>
<li> and a hard, crunchy white husk at the bottom</li>
</ul><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pn7hi5zi4i8?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
Sweet Daisy was a great sport. I talk her through how to eat a hot vit lon and you can see her live reaction in the noodlies video above.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HNQJ7BXqlcc?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
I describe the taste in the video above.<br />
<br />
Hot vit lon isn't for everyone, "it's a difficult dining experience" <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXucin9iIaE">Anthony Bourdain</a> says, but it's my cup of tea.thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-8552108211170843872011-05-01T19:36:00.001+10:002011-05-01T19:37:10.855+10:00Buddha's Birthday 2011, Freedom Plaza, CabramattaBuddha's Birthday falls on the first day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, which means it falls on different days each year, but mainly in May. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha%27s_Birthday">Wikipedia</a>, in 2011 Buddha's Birthday falls on 10 May.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.nantien.org.au/en/team/BLIA.asp">Buddha Light International Association</a> (BLIA), the group behind the Nan Tien temple in Wollongong and several other centres around Sydney organised the festivities on Cabramatta Freedom Plaza today.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jHgEw6fGq1s?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
Freedom Plaza was transformed today by the Buddhist festival, as you can see in the video above, there's an enormous Buddha shrine, stalls selling vegetarian food, giving out Buddhist literature.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjc58tjsAQR7wW3CLL2okYhCrrrUG9q5XsbYvfTHsOWiG15HT5v0k8Qxn7m0B9FBXBj_vmTIZijds5w64Q_C7bEYKQU003_60azHbn4MdYZU9WxcQzLYlwX33l0SRx6GVi6iYdv5xzqrD/s1600/_buddha.jpg" /></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XwippqA-8Hc?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
And of course, lion dancing as you can see in the noodlies video above.<br />
<br />
<b>Buddha's Birthday 2011</b><br />
Freedom Plaza, Cabramattathang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-19020340718135172942011-04-30T21:16:00.003+10:002011-04-30T21:36:29.003+10:00Dai Jang Gum Korean Restaurant, CabramattaWe're at <b>Dai Jang Gum Korean</b> restaurant at least <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/01/korean-restaurant-dai-jang-gum.html">once a week</a> and there's something comforting when it's your usual. We have our own table at the back next to the Korean doll display and right under the TV screen that pumps out K-Pop and Korean tourism messages.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gQps1O4aukU?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
Tonight I'm on my own and the owner greets me with a complimentary <b><i>Korean pancake</i></b>, watch the video above and you get an idea of its huge size... and the wonderful atmosphere of Dai Jang Gum.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>She entreats me to try something new and recommends the <b><i>fish roe clay pot rice</i></b>. I oblige, it's always good to try different things, I think.<br />
<br />
This dish, she says is a variation of <b><i>bi bim bap</i></b> with beef and egg replaced by fish roe. What I wasn't prepared for was how much I'd enjoy it, or how there was a special way of cooking it. The owner brought the dish to my table and showed me how it's done. And I've captured it on video, below.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-fMcVj9MyCg?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
It was stunning, burnt rice with fish roe and that you can do this with bi bim bap too!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgWrPtVslUwplxiW86S-XWXJ2mb4fG-0TQX3MnI-RzwV7FnssHV__S7Zwmi-7AXfLE9ZwGm9Mopuv78dm8MCijQC0j7QwnrGdl2JTg3dfzS0Qz6nYRJ54IUdAbbnV12jmDwR1UKeZSFaC/s1600/_fish_roe_rice.jpg" /></div><br />
Can you see the burnt/crusty rice?<br />
<br />
<b>Dai Jang Gum</b><br />
1/100 John Street, Cabramatta <br />
02 9728 3386thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-24937031671771249242011-04-30T13:45:00.003+10:002011-04-30T15:44:52.318+10:00The old ladies of CabramattaI've talked about the entrepreneurial <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2010/12/supporting-old-ladies-in-cabramatta.html">old ladies of Cabramatta</a> before and the trials and tribulations they face at the hands of Fairfield Council inspectors.<br />
<br />
Today, marks the 36th anniversary of the fall of Vietnam an event that has changed the lives of millions of Vietnamese. I thought today would be an appropriate one to show my support for my lovely old ladies of Cabramatta.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YUJrdqZthl4" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
Today, I stop by to get something for lunch and dinner. Seems ridiculously cheap, each box is just $3 each. And I've 'unboxed' one of them below, it's in the same 'family' as <i><b>banh beo</b></i>, but this version uses glutinous rice.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/M-knEV4bYZA?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
There are about 10 delightful glutinous rice dumplings and the orange inside their opaque outer is a little prawn. Pour a little fish sauce (provided) over them and it's an instant lunch. These gorgeous snacks are made fresh daily.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KxEhCGhakPSkC0RQcWmD_PxwZTXxFyoaqfLHX_JlfIyl0lcYPgcmcqcu-qmvSRGDQcnGKh-C3pwb0bB4SIsVn7wO8M8Ay4xJOZxW6vFIfWrZO1LlfJYc3nOHAXqMcmcCzVQwUc1eIdFJ/s1600/_street_food.jpg" /></div><br />
How could I resist the old ladies of Cabramatta?<br />
<br />
<b>The old ladies of Cabramatta </b><br />
John St, Cabramatta<br />
(watch them sprint when the council inspector is nearby)thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-82033946965421498932011-04-28T22:37:00.003+10:002011-04-28T22:44:59.443+10:0088 Steak House, Fairfield Hotel, FairfieldIt's a rainy Thursday night in a suburban hotel in Sydney's south west. The <b>Fairfield Hotel</b> is relatively empty but for a table of middle aged Vietnamese.<br />
<br />
One couple is singing karaoke, it's a love song, melodramatic in typical Vietnamese style. My Vietnamese is not good enough to fully comprehend. But I sense the raw, barely controlled emotion. When he hits the high notes his voice gets louder as if to mask his feelings, she responds with a kind, feminine, considered croon.<br />
<br />
Another couple are swaying slowly, close to each other, but their minds are somewhere else. While others watch on... like the Pacific Islander barman with a greying beard. He's bemused but he too, senses something tonight.<br />
<br />
Even the pre-recorded karaoke track seem to ooze pathos tonight.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rTSqttA1ZiI?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I too get caught up in this empty room that is full of emotion and watch on, amazed, wide mouthed. As the song comes to and end, I'm almost in tears. Suddenly I'm filled with love for these strangers in a strange land - in their own way, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar, fumbling for happiness. Tonight I feel close to them as they sing and sway, in solidarity with their fleeting happiness and in sync with their flashes of loneliness. <br />
<br />
Then it struck, in two days time, it's the 36th anniversary of the fall of Vietnam, that moment in time that binds us like an umbilical chord.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="405" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Obba2sfbvUM" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
Vietnamese music can be nostalgic and sad, aided by string instruments which pluck at your heart, little by little until you surrender. The video above is a case in point, beauty mixed with pain.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fF8jRsL3IhXbt40DHYlfKP9xU-l7jLcHb-muN0Fgc3JF67o_KzRLUHWGe8uW5jUd_f3ldtJKZRmB_otgdPwpokcLNiKfF7iNXuo2N_cCL9aBCVfomXRnkji6pt8qHaMESCGroxlqYf36/s1600/_pepper_steak.jpg" /></div><br />
Who'd knew, just half an hour before I was enjoying a deliciously generous <b><i>pepper steak</i></b>, with salad and chips covered with chicken salt - all for $9. <b>88 Steak House</b> is a kitchen on the side of the Fairfield Hotel. They offer fantastic value steaks and other Aussie pub meals.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5B86sciWbLM?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
But even as I was enjoying my steak, the music drifting in was quietly tugging me to join my fellow country men and women.<br />
<br />
<b>88 Steak House</b><br />
Fairfield Hotel<br />
1 Hamilton Rd, Fairfield<br />
9642 7300thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-6764841378577023312011-04-27T20:49:00.001+10:002011-04-27T20:50:16.085+10:00Que Huong Vietnamese, Cabramatta<i>Noodlies </i>Sydney food blog has been going to<b> Que Huong</b> for over a decade, when they were a successful Vietnamese dessert eatery in a small Cabramatta shopping arcade. Today, they're a fully fledged Vietnamese restaurant offering uncompromising Vietnamese food.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="311" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h2ZKA6pbReE?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
They specialise in many home style Vietnamese dishes like <b><a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2010/09/banh-xeo-home-made-and-delicious.html"><i>banh xeo</i></a></b> (pancake), <i>banh hoi</i> (vermicelli cakes) and a different type of Vietnamese fresh roll called nem cuon; instead of prawn and pork, the meat is <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/02/tet-vietnamese-new-year-2011-fairfield.html"><b><i>nem</i></b></a>, a cured pork mince that is bright red as you can see in the video above and the photos below.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQ1gv9AFVSqw9N3FBJJbDevsxGTqu90QuwlnN2aoHEun_8gkf2RRK4bDJvRDpDvIcUE9v8LaoQTEYJBHaoAb_n_bhkmS77H978pxqGTZaDZZbuEoBp1_p8NdRtJMNk3_GL0K-l2dZT18t/s1600/_nem_cuon.jpg" /></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkgYQG37i-WHxr8o7ZFvROllUrCrwRktPUhQpCSsjh0irGKcOKS-ISogbxiLmj-wlWyHVeDpJS2aLvATy7c55Qeyxc1sznvYQRLyiGjCHFz_tDa1YY9rSQOAfdpyeiR7nVq9KXF1vPaR5/s1600/_nem_cuon_cut.jpg" /></div><br />
Walter has the banh hoi with meat and spring rolls, below. It's a wonderfully 'fresh' dish because there's lots of mint, pickled vegetables, lettuce etc to contrast with the fried meat and spring rolls. The fish sauce at Que Huong is strong in fish flavours, which I like, but may be too strong for some.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahMCL417YLo_4HgtQ7LPgJi0m4H6KriD5tiyBC9wxXRqCCovpGTTWNtyjsxiABEYQ4icwYMKEqdvPbkbD1w2yEEoUKRZQlI4eeeoehHbyuJ8_rnwlgsH6qP_5Z4sIiOHdYPx_eEbohjft/s1600/_banh_hoi_cha_gio.jpg" /></div><br />
You can eat it from the plate or roll it up as Walter demonstrates in the video below. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="311" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9UcDSKoB_sA?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
I have the <i><b>bun rieu</b></i>, a contrast to the vegetarian version from yesterday at <b><a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/04/thien-truc-vegetarian-vietnamese_26.html">Thien Truc</a></b>. As you can see below, bright red colour, from the predominant tomato base. While, relatively mild, this dish is strong in seafood flavours, with generous use of minced crab meat.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOBo93wAaRkc4yOMwpIJaINo22EEiAq6F-1sHYvgN71hWQbh-2Rx4seGCeDmjBAeGZAaojKBnsqzN1EG9qtbmLb5LEIagN3UAs3Idl-fb8WkQyJoQygv3dk3aHGqrLWlXJq3oeHx5Z9wO/s1600/_bun_rieu.jpg" /></div><br />
Que Huong is a must if you want to taste some of the lesser known Vietnamese dishes, everything is authentic and uncompromising... oh, and I noticed today they've added an 'Aussie' menu including steak and fish and chips... something for everyone!<br />
<br />
<b>Que Huong Vietnamese Restaurant</b><br />
Shop 16, 70 John St (enter via the alley), Cabramatta<br />
9723 9916<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1549043/restaurant/Sydney/Que-Huong-Cabramatta"><img alt="Que Huong on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1549043/minilogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660424880641091422.post-74002206924951658702011-04-26T21:49:00.004+10:002011-04-26T22:48:05.971+10:00Cafe Dan, Shanghai, China<i><b>Fresh from a recent trip to Shanghai and Nanjing, author <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/">Walter Mason</a> writes a guest post for Noodlies, Sydney food blog.</b></i><br />
<br />
Shanghai is a big place, and if you are travelling by yourself it can, quite frankly, become a little daunting. All alone there recently, I felt drawn to the groovy and very intimate Tianzifang precinct. This is a gorgeous collection of little connected alleyways filled with groovy shops and any number of intimate (in the extreme!) restaurants, bars and cafes. Tianzifang is, as my local friend says, “old-style Shanghai,” and I feel completely at home there.<br />
<br />
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="500" height="405" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/n11A37dZlpo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
There is a fabulous shop in one of the alleys selling Tibetan beads, jewellery and religious implements, all at outlandish prices, but presided over by the most magnetic (and gorgeous) shopkeeper, whose handsome, muscular form beams out at you from photographs placed throughout the shop of him and in the embrace of various Tibetan Buddhist masters. In Tianzifang there is also an outlet for Demeter perfumes, surely the kookiest parfumier in the world, with its fragrances recreating almost to perfection such distinctive smells as ‘Snow’, ‘Rain’ and – my favourite – ‘Earthworm’.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7GVV_ohtk90k16KLgLAPaCF3hoMYJO1nz4An2n5sGFyDQtMOuMqTLEeo10Uf-dM5TTRS9Onu3m6vSJHdOA4t3o0QpRE5a3_z87_fqkfdLiwfqlQa0PPoFZXADJsEAiKXlPtrnVas_Wbe/s640/_cafe_dan.jpg" width="456" /></div><br />
I discovered the terrifically homey <b>Cafe Dan</b> because I was aching for something a little sweet, and they had a large picture of a slice of <i><b>cheesecake </b></i>displayed on their menu board. It was as though they knew I was coming. When I opened the door I was confronted with an empty vestibule and a steep and incredibly narrow stairway. Making my way up (were they even open? I wondered) I was greeted at the top by some young and beautiful staff, and I squeezed my way to one of the tiny tables. Like all the restaurants in Tianzifang, Cafe Dan is a TINY place which probably seats no more than 20 people.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyNlAnvLabjC2KYrtXuRFP9OcMBJEgUhA5URGt7HSPIaoZYx2GH0YdmS_3pl8Lyd5BduSEDp94CX8w2qQIR0456flCQX-wjxzX0LR-50M_a5aENER7PZR2wltF8iZSjAZizOc-6pAR8Ek/s1600/_cheese_cake.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Cheesecake</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>A young and very glamorous woman was at the table next to me, and somewhat disconcertingly she photographed me at every stage of my snack. I ordered the longed-for cheesecake, and I couldn’t resist the <i><b>green tea latte</b></i>. Both were delicious, and suitably expensive. There seems to be a Japanese hand at work at Cafe Dan, as it offers a range of savoury dishes that are Japan-inspired.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie27HM4DVVmhnPiXLR8JAIv0hvJhrCVs8WiawnaHrtlNwovS4KsgfdT2xu0cIAYRw-tdpE8Iiqx_BRxP43XyMJF_Zn2EyWr2JGRyCcEw456bVE5QIEuaVNJlHOTaRFuxJI4C9-Xp0-OHVu/s1600/_green_tea_latte.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Green tea latte</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It felt instantly like home. Though it was small and about half-full, I was left to enjoy my green-tea latte in leisure while I read a book and took notes. The staff were scrupulously polite, even friendly – a rare enough thing in Shanghai all on its own. The next day I wanted to go back, and I know that if I spent any time in the city Cafe Dan would become one of my special places.<br />
<br />
For those interested in ethical eating, Cafe Dan was the only place in Shanghai I saw advertising organic, natural ingredients, and even their menu was littered with ecological messages. <br />
<br />
Most of the eateries in Tianzifang can get very crowded at lunchtime, so try to visit slightly off-time – 11, maybe, or 2.30pm. That way you’ll be sure to get a seat. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.idancoffee.com%20/"><b></b></a><b><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4660424880641091422">Cafe Dan</a> </b><br />
Tianzifang, <br />
Lane 248 Taikang Lu, Shanghai<br />
田子坊泰康路248弄, <br />
近思南路<br />
PHONE: 6466 1042<br />
HOURS: Daily, 10:30am-10pmthang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.com5