The Meeting Point, Taiwanese, Haymarket, Sydney

The Meeting Point 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.

Chong Qing Chinese, Chinatown, Sydney

Enter Chong Qing and you're transported to China... or one vision of it, lacquered furniture, tables with glass tops, low ceiling.  This is hyper-China, Chinatown.

Supermeal Chinese Restaurant, Chinatown Sydney

So the decor is modest, service is when you can get it and the food is meant to be good, fast and cheap.  But does Supermeal pull off the 'cheap and cheerful' Chinese restaurant model?

Golden Sichuan Chinese Restaurant, Chinatown, Sydney

Golden Sichuan is a good restaurant that often gets overlooked because it's next door to that roti sensation, Mamak.  It must be heart-breaking to see the queues outside the Malaysian restaurant when your restaurant is only half full. But I'm attracted to this place simply because the lack of queues, when I'm in Chinatown and feeling hungry, I know I can always rely on Golden Sichuan.

Milliore Restaurant, Korean, Chinatown, Sydney

I get the feeling Milliore Restaurant was originally set up to serve the local student students because the prices are reasonable for a CBD location.  It's authentic too, with an extensive menu, fair servings and fast service from young, friendly staff.

However, being the closest restaurant to the Capitol Theatre they're attracting a different crowd, you often see the theatre crowd breeze in for a quick meal before the show.

Tonight I'm with a big group of friends and we're seriously hungry.  The fried dumplings worked for me, crispy pastry covering pipping hot mince filling.  The fat and the meat instantly quelling my hunger.

Taste of Shanghai, Chinese, Sydney

Noodlies Sydney food blog came to the World Square branch of Taste of Shanghai because a friend recommended it.  I've been to their Ashfield restaurant which is always busy and is remarkably authentic and good.



The handy location at World Square is a big plus and I came expecting a lot.  The food came out fast, presentation was very good - stunning for the dumpling plate below.  But for taste, we tried both types of fried dumplings and came away underwhelmed.  While they came out hot and the juice just squirts out upon first bite (I like that!), I couldn't get the flavour I was expecting.

Similarly, the sauce of the hand made noodles Beijing style was a bit plain (maybe that's the Beijing style), but again, I was expecting more spice and flavour.

Have you been to Taste of Shanghai, World Square?  What do you think of their food?

My favourite dish was the fried sweet buns with condensed milk. The skin was golden and inside the dough was fluffy ready to absorb the condensed milk.

Have you had the same experience, or have a different point of view? Let me know what you think.

Taste of Shanghai
Shop 907 World Square
644 George St, Sydney
(02) 9261 8832

Gumshara Ramen, Chinatown, Sydney

Walk past Gumshara Ramen located in one of Chinatown's food courts and you'd be forgiven for dismissing it as any other decent but average food court eateries, except this one looked untidy to boot.  The laminated menu photos looked tired and faded.

But everyone has been raving about this place; food bloggers who have much more ramen experience than me wax lyrical about Gumshara Ramen.  Noodlies Sydney food blog had to try it!

The menu was not that extensive which tells me this place really does want to to a limited menu, but do them well.  I ordered the number 1, pork ramen with extra egg on top.  The sign at the counter politely let customers know they can request less salt or less thickness for the soup, just tell the staff...



And it's true, you can see in the video above, the soup is brown and very thick.  And I can attest its saltiness, although at first taste it didn't seem so, however, by the end of the meal the saltiness was very evident.

Gumshara proudly boast that the richness comes from using fresh pork bone; the marrow of the bone and soft bone to be exact.  No MSG is added, that in itself was different given the Japanese are big producers of this flavour enhancer - Ajinomoto being one company I can rattle off without even thinking.  That debate we'll probably have another time.

I thought the $13 odd dollar for the ramen was a tad on the high end for a food court.  But the bowl was large and the servings of pork very generous, the ramen well cooked but not over cooked, overall it's a class act.  My favourite bit was the wonderful egg - outside well boiled and white, while the yoke a defiant glistening, gluggy orange.

Gumshara Ramen
Eating World Harbour Plaza (near the pagoda)
Shop 209 25-29 Dixon St Haymarket, Sydney

Mamak Malaysian, Chinatown, Sydney

For roti, satay, curry, this Malaysian institution is the favourite for many Sydney-siders and food bloggers.  For years I've been wanting to go but the queue outside this phenomenally popular restaurant have just been too long (I have a major aversion to queuing).

Today, by some freak of nature, we were walking past and there was no line - I even took a picture (above) to prove I hadn't gone crazy from Mamak deprivation.  We quickly slid inside as fast as we could.



The other thing I was dreading was the service, for a place with a reputation like Mamak,  I was expecting tossy, unhelpful staff. Not so.  They were all efficient, warm, almost to the point of being friendly, despite the frantic pace that comes with such a consistently busy restaurant.

We ordered up big, four courses for two people, not knowing when we can manage to get into Mamak again, queue-free.

Mamak's roti is hailed as the best around so we had to order it.  Besides seeing them made in the open kitchen has only increased my curiosity (see video below).  It came as a light, tasty ball, ready to absorb the incredibly tasty range of sauces and sambal that came with it.  And it came out incredibly fast.



We also had the onion roti below. The onion roti was flat, the onion wasn't as strong as I was expecting, in fact it was cooked perfectly so that the onion became sweet and provided an additional, light punch to the roti.

My pet hate is under cooked potato in any curry, I'm astounded how often this happens, perhaps in the rush to get the dishes out to table?  Not so at Mamak, the potatoes were perfect, cooked but not crumbly, similarly with the chicken, which weren't falling off the bone.

Finally, the stunningly presented chicken satay sticks.  Our dozen was well cooked on the outside but retaining the softness inside.  They glistened and begged to be dipped in the sauce, which wasn't as hot as I was expecting, the flavour and consistency was dominated by the peanuts in the sauce.

Noodlies Sydney food blog can now see why Sydney-siders love Mamak: fantastic food, great location, fast, friendly, efficient service... what more could you ask for?

Mamak
15 Goulburn St
Haymarket, Sydney
(02) 9211 1668

Where are the Chinese New Year Festivals in Sydney 2011?

Ok, so you've heard a lot about Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year or Tet.  It's a stunning celebration of noise, colour, food and fun.  If you want to find out a bit more about this festival, click here.

For 2011, it's on Thursday, 3rd February.

This year is a little different because the animal representing the year is different for Chinese and Vietnamese communities - it's rabbit for Chinese and cat for Vietnamese. Why is it different?

In Sydney, celebrations are usually organised by local councils with support from the local Asian community.

Want to see, feel and taste this festival which is the largest Asian festival in the world?

Noodlies readers have asked me if there's a Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year festival in Sydney.  The answer is, heaps! Whether you live in Sydney's CBD, inner, north, west or south, there's a festival where you can experience all the fun and spectacle.

If you know if any others, please email me to update this list....

And thanks to Rei for letting noodlies know about Burwood and Ryde festivals, I've added them to the list below.

Sydney CBD: 28 Jan - 13 Feb

The City of Sydney's Festival is large, loud and in your face, with events held in the CBD and Haymarket, this festival will have the highest profile.

Events include: Launch, Markets, Twilight Parade, Dragon Boat Race, Talks and Tour program and of course, Food.

Photo credit: City of Sydney CNY website

Hurstville (south):  29 Jan - 26 Feb

In its eigth year, Hurstville Council claims it's the largest celebration outside Sydney CBD, with some 30,000 people enjoying the festival celebrations.

The main event, the Street Festival takes place on Forrest Road on 29th January.  Other events include a Chinese Film Festival at the Civic Theatre,  Exhibition at the Hurstville Museum and Children's activities at the City Library. Photo credit Hurstville Council.

 Kogarah (south): 10 Feb, 6.30pm - 8.30pm

Held in Kogarah Town Centre, the Council says it will provide a colourful mix of Chinese performances including dancing, singing, a martial arts demonstration and the ever-popular traditional lion dance with fire crackers.
Photo credit: Kogarah Council.

Rockdale (south): 12 Feb (10am - 2pm)

A relatively modest celebration at Council Chambers on Bryant Street.

Activities include Lion Dance, Chinese National Magic, Traditional Chinese musical instruments, ancient Chinese Palace Dance, CASS Children's Ballet, Tai Chi Fan Dance, Cantonese Opera, Red Lantern Dance, Traditional Chinese New Year singing and dancing.

Cabramatta (south west): 29 - 30 Jan (9am - 5pm)

Organised by Fairfield Council, the event is over two days in 2011 and the emphasis is stronger on being a Vietnamese celebration given Australia's largest Vietnamese population resides in this council area.  Expect street stalls and eat at the 60 odd restaurants in the area.

Photo credit: Fairfield Advance.

 

Fairfield (south-west): 4-6 Feb, entry fee $7 adults, $3 children

Organised by the Vietnamese community, this event usually lasts for three days, including night events.

Held at Fairfield Showground and attracting over 60,000 people, if you want to experiennce how Vietnamese celebrate Tet, including great food, this is the one to go to. Photo credit: VCA.

Bankstown (south-west): 29 Jan (10am - 3pm)

Lion dances, God of Good Fortune, New Year Garden, amusement rides, children's activities, together with non-stop entertainment at Bankstown City Plaza.

Photo credit: Bankstown Council.

Chatswood (north): 12 Feb (10am - 4pm)

Organised by Willoughby council this modest event aims to bring the colour of the year of the rabbit to Sydney's north.

Chatswood Mall comes alive with markets, food, singing and dancing.

Full program.

Photo credit: Willoughby Council.

 Eastwood: 3-12 Feb - Main Festival on 12th.

The actual festival is on 12 Feb with lion dance, Korean marshall arts, entertainment and the finals of a cooking competition.  Full details.

Photo credit: Ryde Council.

Burwood: (inner) 12 Feb (5pm - 9pm)

This Burwood Council evening event includes chinese music, acrobats, magicians, lion dancing and fireworks.

Photo credit: Burwwod Council

Parramatta: (west) 11 Feb

Lunar New Year will be celebrated with the usual cultural entertainment.  New for this year will be a gigantic banquet table where visitors can taste cuisines from many different cultures.  Photo credit: Parramatta Council.

Campsie: (south west): 2 Feb, noon

Canterbury Council is celebrating with traditional lion dance and will be handing out red envelopes (probably NOT containing money) and fortune cookies!  They say the festival celebrates this important event in the Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean calendar.

 Photo credit: Canterbury Council.


If you want to find out a bit more about Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year or Tet, click here.

If you know of any other celebrations around Sydney, post a comment on noodlies Sydney food blog and share it with everyone!

Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet, Chinatown, Sydney

Mother Chu's is meant to be a place where you suffer bad service, long queues for the ultimate trade off - delicious and fast food.  Noodlies can confirm the queue and slow service but sadly there was no positive trade off.



Yes, the food was fast, but when it arrived, I couldn't find anything special.  The steamed dumplings shell was over-cooked and watery while the filling seemed to lack taste, despite generous use of vinegar sauce.

The steamed round dumplings were the same story, looked the part, but wasn't very special in the taste department.

The noodles and mince looked the part, but the noodles were a tad over cooked and broke a bit too readily.  Mince had some flavour but was too watery.

It's not that the food was especially poor, but it just wansn't special.  I'd gladly put up with lack-lustre service, or even line up (if the queue's not too long) but the food must be worth the sacrifice.  On this visit to Mother Chu's, it wasn't a positive trade-off.

Have you been to Mother Chu's recently, love to get your thoughts on this place....

Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet
86-88 Dixon Street, Sydney
(02) 9211 0288

Chefs Gallery Restaurant, Chinese, Sydney

After a few months of trial and testing, Chefs Gallery had its official opening today.  Noodlies Sydney food blog was lucky enough to be invited.  We were treated to great food and wine.  The marinated cucumber was both delicious and stunning, it was crisp and light in flavour, makes a great starter.

Kiroran Silk Road Uygur Restaurant

Uygur is a Turkic ethnic group in Eastern and Central Asia.  The majority, some 80% of the people live in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.  But the diaspora can be found in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan and also Turkey and Russia.

Go up a brightly lit stairway on Dixon street and you're in Kiroran Silk Road Uygur restaurant, but you'll feel feel like you're in someone's home in another part of the world.  Several pieces of woven carpet and one lone guitar adorn the red walls, the whole room lit with bright yellow tungsten lighting.

Equally beguiling are the customers: some looked Chinese, some were Russian at another table were a group of three from Central Asia (I can't make out the language), two Japanese looking for an experience who were completely spun out by the menu, and me, a Vietnamese.

The Japanese at the table next to me were gagging at the thought of lamb tongue salad and I can't help but order it in the spirit of solidarity with my Uygur brothers!  Apart from the offending ingredient, the salad also included carrot, cucumber, shallots with a light vinegary dressing.  For some reason I was expecting much stronger flavours, but this was good, you could taste the lamb and salad.

 

The beef hand made noodle dish looked fierce but was also much milder than I was expecting.  It's obviously a version of the soup found in the xibei restaurants, not surprisingly since they both come from the north west region of China.  But this version, while still spicy had a lot less pepper. The hand made noodles were delicious, the soup had a wonderful red colour.

Kiroran Silk Road Uygur Restaurant
Shop 3
6 Dixon St, Sydney
(02) 9283 0998

Pepper Lunch, Japanese, Sydney

The sign proudly says that Pepper Lunch is from Japan, this is a novel fast food chain that serves food on very, very hot iron plates.  Like other fast food places you order from the menu, although it's a lot more extensive here.  But unlike the KFC and Macca's they bring it to your table.

I had the wagyu beef (above), which arrived pretty much raw and literally cooked it myself by stirring the meat.  I couldn't taste any marinade, but the beef did taste fresh and tender.  It came with bean sprouts, some green beans and sliced carrot and rice on the side.  It was particularly nice with the garlic soy provided at the table.

Walter had the kim chi beef, which was very presentable, with the rice in the middle of the hot plate and kim chi and sauce on top, the beef on the side and needed to be stirred to cook. 

While obviously not as fast as other fast food places, we still got our order within a few minutes and they delivered it to our table.  I reckon Pepper Lunch makes a nice difference, although it is pricier than other fast food places, the dishes were between $12 - $15 each.

Pepper Lunch is next to the Sydney Cinema strip on George street and towards World Square.

Pepper Lunch
537 George St, Sydney
(02) 9264 3555

Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant, Sydney

By Noodlies, Sydney food blog guest reviewer, KLui. 

Masuya Japanese Seafood is a great place to eat with friends! Plenty of spaces between tables! The food served is fresh and delicious!

Entrée – Sea Urchin Sushi Boat: people either love it or hate it. It all comes to the creaminess and freshness of the urchin.

Mother's Crepe, Japanese, Sydney

Today was the official grand opening of Mother's Crepe, a Japanees chain that is spreading across Asia, North America and is now in Australia, although overseas (and even in Canada) it's called Mazazu Crepe (I'm guessing Mazazu is Mother).

Chefs Gallery, Chinese, Sydney

Tataki Wagyu beef with Sichuan style dressing

Chefs Gallery is a labour of love by owner Kaisern Ching, who originally brought Dai Tin Fung to Australia, and Edward Zhao his executive chef.  The restaurant has been opened for a few months now after a couple of months spent developing and testing the menu.

Noodlies was invited to sample the menu.

My overwhelming impression of Chefs Gallery is a sense of confidence which comes from exacting attention to detail.  The confidence exudes from the strong, bold front signage, the sharp angular lines, open liberal use of glass, through to the innovative menu.

Golden Sichuan Chinese, Chinatown, Sydney

It must be heart breaking to be located next to Mamak and seeing the long queue for lunch and dinner, but that's what Golden Sichuan, on Goulburn Street in Chinatown must contend with.  Mamak has seen off many, many restaurants next door.

In fact, in what must be a compliment, Golden Sichuan is probably one of the longest running restaurants on that site.

We really don't like to queue, even for Mamak, so Golden Sichuan is great for a feed without the wait, although you do pay for that privilege.

Mizuya Japanese Restaurant and Karaoke, Sydney

By Noodlies Sydney food blog guest reviewer, KLui.

This is where we went for my work farewell party and I had some demanding prerequisites; yummy food, variety of drinks and lots of fun! There were 10 of us on this crazy night and there was 3 hours of non-stop drinks, food and singing...

Mizuya is part of a Sydney food group which offers a wide range of food and entertainment services. Their food is great compared to many instant food offerings at Karaoke places.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the tone of these pictures are very blue due to the fluorescent light the private room.

Seaweed sprinkled on deep fried fish - This can work as a healthy alternative to chips; they're crunch and don't taste very fishy.