Thievery - Glebe, NSW

Kleptomania...the urge to steal, usually without a need to or consideration of personal profit. I seriously had a intense case of this last night when the Mrs and I went to celebrate our 68th monthsary (yes, we celebrate the day we met each and every month). I'd been setting up this dinner for the better part of a month now and it's been really, really hard to keep a secret from the Mrs. However, I stood my ground til the end and as we walked through the doors of our chosen restaurant, I just couldn't contain the excitement I had for what we had ahead of us. 

Thievery is a modern take on middle eastern fare run by the guys who also pioneered the Sydney food truck scene, Eat Art Truck. I had dined with the truck before on two separate occasions and was thoroughly impressed on both occasions so I was expecting quite a bit from them. Their menu is also supposedly "stolen" from a very famous chef so that must mean they're good. The setup is like a middle-eastern themed wine bar which is really great because the small, cosy space lends a lot to the intimacy of the diners...almost like you're conspiring to commit a crime. The bar and the bartender was also legitimately in the room with you as there was no bar table separating diner from the establishment. The Mrs also really,really loved the background music (90's R&B and the like) which set our night off to a great start.

Upon arrival, each table is provided with a small dish of lupin beans which our waitress advised was "kinda like firmer edamame beans". The menu also clearly states that they can kill you (if they aren't cooked properly)...nothing like a little adrenaline from the fear of imminent death to spice up date night right? But, in all seriousness, it was a great snack albeit a bit harder to ngaw out of the skins than edamame is. 

The Mrs and I also ordered two cocktails: the Mo-Money Mojito and the Hotel Georgia. I had the Hotel Georgia which I found to be surprisingly good. Surprising because I liked all the ingredients when I read it on the menu but as the drink came, I smelt a strong whiff of almond. Now, the ingredients didn't say it had almond in it but I smelt it and usually, I can't stand the smell of almond but in this case, I was really taken aback by how great the drink was. Sweet yet tart, I could help but keep drinking away at it. The Mrs had the Mojito which she claims "is the best mojito she's ever had". Can't argue with her at all as the drink was really refreshing and well balanced.

The first dish to come was the Baba Ghanoush which was a smoked eggplant dip with pine-nuts, sheep's milk yoghurt and burnt butter. I was originally going to order the Hummus (as the menu clearly stated it had burnt butter and I'm obsessed with that stuff) but I did some research before hand and according to notquitenigella, the Baba Ghanoush also came with burnt butter. This had to be one of the best decisions I made that night as the dish was amazingly good. The smokey eggplant works really well with the nuttiness from the pine nuts and burnt butter but that sheep's milk yoghurt just wins. It is to die for...so intensely creamy and moreish.

We had almost succumbed to the suggestion from our waitress for more flatbread but we abstained which was a great decision because it gave us a small window to cleanse our palates for the next delectable arrival: the LFC or Lebanese Fried Chicken with Squid Ink Toum. The Mrs asked me what was so special about this chicken, to which I told her that this chicken was made with 72 spices. Yes...72, and you can almost taste all 72 flavour profiles as you bite into that crispy yet succulent and juicy chicken. The amount of spices may sound overwhelming but it really isn't. It's so well balanced that you can enjoy the taste of the tender fried chicken and still comprehend and feel the impact of the spices. The squid ink toum was lacking some impact (the Mrs and I are used to EJ's toum) but was added to the overall experience when added to your chicken.

To round off our dinner, the last dish to come was our orders of the Slow Roast Lamb Kebab and wagyu beef sharwarma kebab. The lamb kebab was really well packaged as the richly fatty roast lamb was complimented really well with that creamy sheep's milk yoghurt and the pickled garlic really helped cut through that creaminess and fattiness. It can get a little intense for those not accustomed to the taste of lamb which is why the portioning really helped keep it all in check. The beef is a entirely different case as I felt as though there just wasn't enough. The portion size was exactly the same as the lamb but because the beef was so damn good that I just wanted more. I cannot even put into words how good the beef was...the Mrs said I had a moment where I was in pure bliss and in all honesty, I genuinely felt like I was brought to tears with just how great it was. That spice from the harissa and smoked garlic, the kick from the pickled pepper and that herbaceous flavour from the coriander all compounded by the intense meaty flavour of the beef and complemented by that doughy flatbread....just heaven.

Sorry if this looks different from the other photos, other pic just didn't look great.

You get the idea that Thievery is a great place to dine and it really is. They execute each dish with so much finesse and balance that you find yourself wondering if you'll eat anything else as good. I can honestly say that I won't be able eat another mediocre beef kebab again...I wanted to steal that beef recipe from them so badly but alas, we'll have to wait till the next time we dine there. 

Roastville - Marrickville, NSW

The Mrs has been a bit busy this weekend with the in-laws heading off on a holiday for a few weeks so she this morning, she had to get up early and help drive them to the airport. Knowing the Mrs, she wouldn't have been all too happy about that (she loves her sleep) but one definite benefit of going to the airport is that you're extremely close to where all the brunch action is. That's exactly what the Mrs had planned and as soon as she dropped off her parents, the three of us (the brother-in-law, her and myself) all headed off to Marrickville to checkout a place we've been hearing about: Roastville.

 

The original plan was to go there and check out their fried chicken and waffles which has been circulating instagram lately but unfortunately, upon arrival we'd learned that the waffles were only available from 11:30am onwards...shame. Still, that didn't deter us from having a great meal there so we promptly ordered coffee and food. The coffee beans are roasted in house and therefore, it's obvious that you have to try what they have on offer. The Mrs looked impressed so that's a good sign but I'll be honest, despite being great there really wasn't any outstanding or notable differences...then again, I'm really no coffee connoisseur.

Well, I really didn't come here for the coffee but for the epic looking food. The brother-in-law and I both ordered the dirty bird benedict (which I didn't actually know was their signature dish) and I have to say...it was amazing. The excessiveness of the dish is the first thing you'll notice...when you look at the dish, the first thing you ask yourself is "how am I even eating something like this in the morning?" but it totally works. There isn't too much hollandaise (a crime a lot of other eggs bennys are guilty of) but what you get really helps to accentuate the dish. It's a perfect amount of moorish creaminess and tartness with what a really delicious kick from that mild harissa. The chicken is super tender and juicy (so juicy) with ample tonkatsu-like crunch (the Mrs said they probably use panko bread crumbs). Finally, that bread...it was so moist and flavoursome that it was almost biscuit like in texture...definitely my highlight of the day.

The Mrs wanted to be different and ordered the eggs on toast with a side of chickpea, kale and tomato ragout as well as some chorizo...which surprisingly, totally worked. The toast is nice and rustic (just the way she likes it) and the beetroot relish really helped cut through the butter egg yolk and give it some sweetness. The ragout was delicious in it's own simplistic way with crunchy kale, chickpeas and a slight tartness from the tomato which to me, tasted like there was almost a middle-eastern spin on the ragout. The chorizo was also great in that they didn't use the smoked variety which at times, ends up a bit dry when cooked. Instead, they opted for the unsmoked kind which made it really sweet fatty and meaty.

Although I am admittedly slightly disappointed that I didn't get to try the fried chicken and waffles, today was definitely no loss as I got to try their spin on my favorite breakfast and we are extremely impressed with their execution of the food. They strike a very fine balance between healthy, raw ingredients and excessive yet satisfying and soulful dishes. Marrickville was already an amazing foodie destination but I believe it's now gotten even better with it's addition of this delightful cafe.

Sokyo Ramen + Yayoi Galleries - Sydney CBD, NSW

You would not believe how excited I was when I found out that Sokyo was doing a ramen pop up...like, Chase Kojima and ramen? That's like a dream come true! I just had to go try it no matter the effort or cost. It also just so happened that I had the opportunity to go and attend training in the CBD for work. So I decided that I wouldn't let the day end without having headed to The Star to experience what I anticipated to be one of the best bowls of ramen in the city.

I started my day off by arriving in the CBD early. I had originally intended to go to my favorite cafe (the Q on harris) for breakfast but unfortunately, they weren't open...sad face. So I made my way over to World Square where my training was to be held. Being almost an hour early meant I could afford to sit down at Cherry Beans and have a relaxing breakfast to start my day and nothing says breakfast better than eggs benedict. I'll be honest, not much to rant on about as it was pretty standard but still...a great way to start your morning.

I had already researched and planned out my trip the day before but I always knew it was going to be tight. Luckily, the lunch break started early so without any hesitation, I sprinted down to capitol square and caught the light rail to The Star. As I got off, I literally bolted for the food court...I was lucky enough to get into the line just as it was getting busy (any later and I would have really suffered). I believe staff at the casino conditionally have to pay via card for their staff benefits to apply...which is why it seemed to take so much longer than I would have liked to get to the counter. Fortunately, I'd already known for a fortnight what I was wanted and so I quickly ordered my tonkotsu ramen, paid (in cash) and waited ever so patiently for my buzzer to ring.

When I got my bowl of noodles, I could not even...like, couldn't even contain my excitement and anticipation and as I found a nice empty table, I sat down to admire it and take it all in. If I had to describe the flavour...I'd have to say that it's very Sokyo-esque. For those who've been fortunate enough to dine at Sokyo, you'll understand what I mean. For those who haven't yet (please do, it's very much worth it), what I mean is that the soup base is extremely refined and layered in flavour....fine-dining ramen to be precise.

Comparative to other tonkotsu ramens available in Sydney, Sokyo's has a textural balance of viscosity and gravy like thickness. Each element and flavour profile comes in layers and never interrupts the other...almost like a slow waltz with multiple dance partners. First, the pork bone comes in and introduces the creamy richness and then the seafood which adds the deep umami and then finally the chicken which refines the package and sharpens the whole bowl to provide some very welcome clarity. Although I personally would have liked the noodles to be ever-so-slightly firmer, the thin straight noodles cling to the soup well and the additional (and unusual) addition of umeboshi helps to cleanse the palate and re-appetise you throughout the eating process. At first, the pork cheek chashu may look plain and deceptively dry but you'll know it's good when you pick it up with your chopsticks...it literally just melts in your mouth.

Having satisfied my ramen craving, I ran back to training and as my day finished up, the Mrs met up with me in the CBD for our usual Friday night dinner. We decided to stick with the Japanese theme and have Yayoi at the Galeries Victoria for dinner. When we stepped in, dinner service had only just started so it wasn't that busy but as we sat down, we looked outside to see that the line had doubled...lucky us right? I ordered the miso tonkatsu teishoku (set) and the Mrs ordered the wagyu sukiyaki teishoku. The main selling point for Yayoi is the quality of their rice and it really does differ as you can distinctly taste the sweetness of the grains. Every part of my set was a joy to eat but I think my favorite item was the miso sauce tonkatsu. The pork is crunchy and tender and when covered in the sweet and nutty miso sauce, is a wonderfully savoury item to eat with your rice.

The Mrs has again selected the better item as her sukiyaki beef was so sweet and delicious, I almost wanted to switch with her. It's the perfect accompaniment to the rice as the beef was cooked to a perfect tenderness and when dipped into that delicious slow cooked egg, had a wonderfully moorish buttery texture. Add to that the saucy udon noodles and you have a really, really great all encompassing dinner set.

We finished the night off with an order of warabi mochi and headed home for the night. Overall, I'd say that I had a pretty productive day in foodie terms. I don't think I'll be able to get over Sokyo's brilliantly executed rendition of this quintessential Japanese dish but if they do decide to make ramen a permanent fixture, I'm sure we'll see many more exciting and wonderful flavours from Kojima san and team.

Manmaruya BBQ - Beverly Hills, NSW

The family and I used to go out quite frequently on Thursdays (because that used to be dad's day off) and we'd almost always make it a point to go out and eat well. Times have changed and as we get older, our schedules busier...I find that the times we get to go out are getting rarer and rarer. To my surprise, the sister had made a booking at a local yakiniku restaurant that we hadn't yet tried which made me heaps excited (and hungry). And so, we got ready and headed out to enjoy a nice night out at a local BBQ restaurant.

Located close to pancakes on the rocks, Manmaruya BBQ is the yakiniku/Japanese BBQ branch of the Manmaruya chain of ramen restaurants. Comparative to it's closest sibling, the feel and atmosphere is definitely more upscale and the prices definitely do reflect this. Still, this didn't hamper our excitement as we ordered some of our favourite meats and some sushi to share. We started our meal with a standard avocado and salmon salad. I'll be honest, there really wasn't anything particularly special about it but the tangy sesame sauce did help pique our appetites and prepare us for the glorious barbeque to come.

First to arrive was our combination platter, which consisted of ox tongue and pork neck slices. The moment you put these items on the grill, the sizzle of the meat and the smoke carries an irresistible aroma straight to your nose. As you wait (impatiently) for the meat to finish cooking, you watch as the colors slowly change and the sides get slightly charred. As a preference, we like my ox tongue a little under so just as they gained a little bit of colour, we grabbed it off the grill and I had mine with the sweet soy based tare and rice. The quality and freshness of the meat at Manmaruya BBQ is actually pretty good. The ox tongue is soft, fatty and tender all at the same time.

The pork neck took a bit longer to cook (common sense says we need to cook pork all the way through) but the end result was well worth it. Melt in your mouth from the first bite, You know to expect great things just looking at the fattiness and the smell generated when meat hits metal really ups the anticipation but it really doesn't prepare you for how good it really is. If I could realistically have just a whole plate of that, I would most definitely be happy and satisfied. 

Aside from ordering meats, we also ordered some seafood in the form of sushi and grilled mackerel. Within the  Hurstville area, the Manmaruya restaurants are probably one the restaurants who do the most decent sushi service. For the Hurstville ramen store, the sushi quality used to be a whole lot better prior to their installation of the conveyor belt. As with any establishment where speed and supply of the product is the selling point, attention to detail and quality normally drops as a direct result. Manmaruya BBQ brings back that quality by slowing things down and making the sushi ala-carte. Still, being the traditionalist that I am, I would have preferred to order simpler sushi however the salmon avocado nigiri we ordered really wasn't that bad at all.

From the moment I saw grilled mackerel on the menu, I knew I had to order it. I have a thing for Japanese grilled mackerel, being one of the only ways of preparing fish where I'd actually willingly eat it. It's the simplicity of the dish is it's defining trait as nothing more is necessary other than just this fish and some rice. I still would have preferred the skin to be crispier and I would have loved to have the standard condiments of grated daikon and ginger but the sauce it came with was still pretty refreshing and complimented the fish well. The belly portion of the mackerel is the most delightful piece to finish the dish with as the fattiness just explodes in your mouth as you eat it, leaving just the memory and taste lingering in your mouth as you sit there in satisfaction.

The final dish to come for the night was our second platter which consisted of galbi (short-rib) and harami (skirt). By this point, the three of us were starting to get slightly full but this didn't deter us from putting the meat on the barbie and watching it sizzle. I personally have a preference for the harami (the piece that's super marbled) because it's typically more tender and renders better on the grill but the short rib was also pretty nice in that it was beefier and held more flavour. I'd recommend this platter for any beef aficionado as it lets you devour the best of both worlds. Also, if at any point you're still feeling a bit peckish, Manmaruya BBQ lets you order a mini bowl of bibimbap for $5 when you've ordered any of their meat platters. That's exactly what we ordered which came at a great time because nothing goes better with grilled meat than carbs.

Overall, I'd say our time at Manmaruya BBQ was worth it. For the area, it might seem a bit upscale in terms of pricing but you definitely get good quality for what you pay for. If you're like me and seek comfort in abundance, I'd suggest visiting Koh-ya or Suminoya but for a local yakiniku establishment, Manmaruya BBQ does really well in bringing the allure and charm of Japanese barbeque to the suburbs.