ACME - Rushcutters Bay, NSW

One of the benefits of being a couple is that you can have a differing opinion from your significant other and it can be totally okay!....most days. This logic applies almost in every superficial facet of your life: clothing, music tastes and of course, food. To give you a little context on why I'm going the #deep introduction: I can get somewhat salty (sensitive) when things don't go my way...for example, when I put a lot of effort into planning and thinking about where to take the Mrs on a special day and when it doesn't turn out to be absolutely perfect. In retrospect though, after thinking about it for a few days, our differing opinions about our meal actually helps me to appreciate my experience a lot more.

Such is the case with our recent visit to ACME. Now, to make things clear: I'm not trying to say that we had a bad meal at ACME. In fact, we had a comparatively good time and were very well taken care of but throughout, there were a couple of things that did throw the Mrs off (more on that later). I've personally known about ACME for a while now but the Mrs only really found out about it when we watched the first Sydney based Chef's Night Out video from MUNCHIES. In the video, you sort of get a glimpse of head chef, Mitch Orr prepare the signature dish: the macaroni with pig's head and egg yolk (which he described as sorta being like filipino sisig). Being the proud Filipina she is, she became rather interested in the dish and thus really wanted to try it. Since then, I guess the idea of eating at ACME just kept stewing in our heads, slowly but surely getting us more and more excited about eventually eating there. So, sure enough, the perfect opportunity came up when I was tasked with finding a venue for our Valentine's day dinner.

Unfortunately however, the only option for night was a pre-paid $100 per head dinner for a special chef's "crush me" menu. Not deterred by that fact that we wouldn't be able to try the dish that we'd been craving, I quickly made my reservation and paid for the meal, thinking that "hey, if they're so highly rated and well liked...no matter what they serve, it's gotta be good!". Valentine's day being a Tuesday, the Mrs and I decide to meet in the city after work and head over to Kings Cross station where the restaurant is just a short walk (do not ever try to find parking in the area...near impossible)

We're one of the first couples seated as we walk in 6pm on the dot. To my surprise, we're given an almost ideal position at the restaurant: this little island in the middle of the dining room right by the stairs where we get a perfect spot to watch the dishes come off the pass. The staff are super attentive and make us feel right at home where we quickly get settled, order some drinks and quietly anticipate our meals to come.

First course to come was a small appetiser called Jat'z Amore (such a punny name...I love it!) which consisted of basil pesto, sliced bocconcini, a slightly roasted half of a cherry tomato on a Jat'z cracker. I personally loved this dish as I could see the humor and ingenuity of the name and the pure simplicity of this dish but I believe this is one of the things that threw the Mrs off a bit. As she puts it, she felt it little odd to be served Jat'z biscuits on a $100 per head meal when a box of Jat'z costs $2 at Coles.

After that, the second course to come was fried chicken wings ala Moon Park. Now, I never got to try Moon Park before they permanently closed down but if this was any indication of how good they were, I had a definite feeling that I would have loved to dine there. The outside coating was crunchy and savoury whilst the inside was succulent, juicy and very flavoursome. The coating was intensely umami packed which led me to believe there may have been some sort of soy-based glaze used....or it could have been the sesame seeds.

The third course consisted of figs, stracciatella cheese and wakame. Compared to the previous course, this dish was milder but creamier and in terms of overall, each individual component and flavour profile is allowed to be more pronounced. It was at this point that I was able to identify a bit of an ongoing theme for that night's dinner...the composition of each dish had been thoroughly thought out with each element engineered in a way which highlights the individuality and natural flavours of the ingredients. This alone, to me, justified the premium I paid for the meal.

The course after had to be the absolute highlight of my night: marron with tomato butter and caviar. I mean, come on...how could you not love marron? Truly, it's the royalty of the crustacean world with flavours so intense it rivals the mud crab and with flesh so tender and meaty, you would almost believe that you're eating lobster or scampi. I guess that's why any restaurant who's doing anything spectacular with food is currently serving this stuff....never comes cheap either but always totally worth it. The butter had a really intense and almost bisque-like quality to it which was really accentuated by the herbaceous flavours of the chive and the luxurious yet mellow salinity of the caviar.

The next course was another great dish...spaghetti and meatballs alla "Lady and the Tramp". Perhaps the most impressive part of the dish was how incredibly well prepared the pasta was. Al-dente is not even apt enough to describe the amount of spring and chew the pasta had. The sauce of the pasta had a simplicity and purity about it...sweet, tangy and refreshingly tart. Finally, the meatballs were rich and deliciously meaty...sorta wished there were more of them.

After the carbs came the protein...unfortunately, this is probably why the Mrs didn't enjoy her dinner as much as I had anticipated her to. I made the assumption that she genuinely liked duck meat since she never seems to have a problem eating peking duck at my Parent's place. Turns out, that's the only duck that she seems to like. Traditional western preparation of duck (medium rare) is a bit too gamey and chewy for her liking. As a result...I ended up eating both pieces of the duck but I actually have no problems with it since I'm accustomed to eating French cuisine. I actually found this a rather interesting dish as I could have sworn that there was some Chinese black vinegar used in the sauce....it had a rather familiar pungent fragrance and taste to it which I found really enlightening!

Dessert happens to be where I was a little bit let down. Dessert consisted of two dishes: assorted fruits with champagne jelly as well as a chocolate fudge slice. I'm guessing the intention of the first dessert was to replicate the taste of a flute of high class champagne but I found the jelly to be a bit heavy on the alcoholic flavour. Have it with the fruits though and you start to appreciate the natural sweetness of the fresh produce. The chocolate fudge came as a welcome bit of richness as the deep, bittersweet flavour of cacao really helped round off the meal in a nice way.

Without a doubt, the Mrs and I had a wonderful meal at ACME. Despite not being able to try the dish we had anticipated for some time, it was our (my) choice to proceed with the dinner plans and I can definitely say that I wasn't disappointed in the slightest with the quality and presentation of the items. For the Mrs, I believe that it was truly the duck dish that threw her off and being the frugal, value conscious consumer she is, she's reached the point in her life where it takes more for her to justify the cost of eating out at slightly fancier venues. For me though, I think every dollar I paid at ACME was well justified. In the video Foraged, Mitch explains the difficulties and costs of running a restaurant. Coming from a family raised on my father's hard work as a chef and myself having worked a large portion of my younger years as kitchen staff....I understand the hardships of running restaurants and how little the staff get paid comparative to how hard or how many hours they work. We do live in the 2nd most expensive city in the world so even if it seems like a high premium to pay, I just think of it as paying for the hours of hard work and dedication Mitch and his team put into getting to where they are.

Moving out! - Peakhurst, NSW

There's been a slight slowdown of posts lately and there's a very good reason for this....it's because I've just moved out of home! For the first time in my life, I've branched out on my own and started living independently from my family. Aside from not initially having electricity, gas or internet for the first half of my first week...I think I did well! Just before I moved out though, the parents decided to give me a proper send off by cooking all of my most requested dishes. Although they didn't explicitly specify that it was for me, when every dish is your favorite, it's pretty obvious.

The way my family interacts is weird one: we don't really verbally show any affection towards one another. Instead, you learn to take in little hints here and there and slowly, you pick up how to interpret each other's true feelings and motives, That night, it was very obvious that my family loved me very much and were feeling sentimental. My dad cooked up a storm as per usual but he made sure that each and every dish was one that I would thoroughly enjoy and remember...I'd always appreciated that about him.

As with most Chinese banquets, there's no particular order in which things come out. Instead, everything is laid onto the table as they become ready and you just dig in when we all come to the table. With that in mind, I'll speak about the dishes in no particular order. Firstly, dad prepared oysters two ways: deep fried and steamed with ginger and spring onions. I love oysters in all shapes, sizes and forms but I have to admit, fried is probably my number 1 most beloved way of consuming these bivalves. A super crunchy exterior coats the piping hot and creamy oyster flesh which makes each bite a hazard and a joy. The steamed oysters were also amazingly fresh tasting and delicious...the aroma and taste of fresh spring onions and ginger complements the oysters so well.

Aside from the oysters, dad also made XO sauce pipis served with a side of crispy egg noodles. On a normal day where my appetite has been piqued, I can single handedly down a whole dish of these with no issues...that's how much I love XO sauce pipis. Adding in the carby, chewy noodles makes the experience so much better as the crispy exterior clings to the sauce and makes it easier for you to sop up that hot and spicy gravy.

By the time I'd gotten around to gorging on the third item, I was most definitely getting full. Still, my stomach will always make room for Peking Duck. I recently had an experience where I had authentic Beijing style Peking Duck with my friends and for some reason...it just didn't taste right. It's something about how Cantonese chefs do this dish that make it so, so good...it's probably the grease but I'm not complaining. Juicy, succulent slices of duck in the perfect ratio of meat to crispy, spiced skin wrapped in a chewy, doughy chinese flour tortilla and consumed with slices of cucumber and hoisin sauce. When I was a kid, there was no greater joy to me than to eat out with friends and family and be able to get parental approval to eat the two or three extra plates of Peking Duck wraps. I still feel the same nostalgic happiness when my dad decides to make this for me.

Not to disappoint the other family members, dad also decided to make steamed fish (his favorite). There's something rather elegant about this dish's simplicity: it really is just a fresh fish that's steamed and then served with ginger, spring onions and special soy sauce but it's just irresistibly good. I'd never really learned to appreciate this dish until I started dating the Mrs...fish can sometimes be very hard to appreciate (especially for picky eaters) since they can be "fishy" and boney but when you have something as fresh and delicious as this...you learn to get over it.

As if there wasn't enough food already, dad also decided to make Chinese style braised pork as well as a dish of woodear mushrooms marinaded in a chinese chilli vinaigrette.  The pork was tender and fall-apart which made it wonderful to have with rice. The accompanying veggies were also great in that they soaked up all that braising liquid and added a layer of flavoring. The woodear mushrooms were crunchy and fresh and the vinaigrette was super appetising which worked really well since it cleansed the palate and allowed you to consume more delicious food.

When reminiscing about this meal (that occurred a week and a half ago), I find that I'm filled with a sense of regret and sadness. Regret in that in my time at home, I'd never been able to verbally show or even just tell my family how much I appreciated their support, kindness and care for me and sadness in that although I can always head home and have the same kind of meal every Tuesday, that familiar care-free feeling will forever be lost to me as that chapter in my life closes and a new one starts. But with that sadness, I'm also filled with a sense of excitement and renewed energy with the upcoming events that are about to unfold. For now: I'm proud to announce that chopsticks headquarters has officially moved and settled into North Parramatta. 

A Work In Progress - Sydney CBD

I'm very fond of my home town. I go back to Hong Kong once every year or so and as the years pass, I've also grown to love more and more about my heritage and where I've come from. In particular, I feel an immense passion and pride for the cuisine of my hood. My dad has spent most of his life cooking Cantonese cuisine and as a result I've been blessed enough to have a lot of good memories containing delicious Cantonese food. This is partially why I've been dying to try this new place cause I hear the head chef Patrick Freison knows his stuff.

The Mrs and I arrive just in time as the place was just starting to get busy. The system is very simple: order up at the counter, get allocated a table and wait a little till your delicious goods arrive. We opted to try the Supreme Wonton Noodles, the Curry Beef Lo-Mien (stirred noodle) and a half and half order of chicken (ginger fried chicken & chilli fried chicken). They also have a variety of cocktails and Kirin on tap: sold. 

The food came really quickly which was a good thing because after a long day of work, I was definitely famished. The Mrs and I tried a bit of each noodle first and then swapped to compare. I tried the Supreme Wonton first and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed. The soup itself would have benefited from a bit more heat in terms of temperature but the flavor and the noodles were spot on. They weren't lying when they said these noodles were the closest you'd get to the HK experience. The Mrs however was harder to impress, she thought that the wontons were particularly heavy on the ginger. Overall though, on authenticity points, this dish definitely scores highly. 

The curry beef lo-mien was also good, they chose to use thick noodles instead of thin egg noodles which I thought was a good touch. The beef itself I thought was flavorsome but texture-wise it was missing something. I believe it the beef could have benefited if was more fatty and tender.

The main highlight of the night was definitely the chicken. I've had a lot of fried chicken in the past (that's just Sydney alone) but this fried chicken is most definitely top tier. Crunchy, juicy and flavored perfectly: if you want a feed, make sure you order enough so you don't have to share. The ginger chicken was really good when dipped into the sauce but the star of the show has to be the chilli chicken. Succulent pieces of chicken covered in a spicy and sweet glaze, it had to be the best thing I had tonight. 

I was initially a bit skeptical of the noodles, not wanting to be disappointed and being left with a more intense desire for the real deal. However, I can say with certainty that A Work In Progress does not disappoint. We (by we I mean myself) will definitely hit up WIP again.