Night Noodle Markets 2015 - Sydney, NSW

A couple posts ago, I did say mention that I liked avoiding the crowds...I may have lied. Can you really blame me though? When one of the biggest foodie events comes around, you don't really say no. I really didn't think I'd be attending the Night Noodle Markets this year but miraculously, the Mrs made the suggestion when her friends all decided to go. So, soon as the both of us finished work, we met up in the city and proceeded to Hyde park before the crowds formed. Being that it was the final week, the amount of people visiting has already decreased but I'm still really glad we decided to head into the markets before everyone else. This way, the Mrs and I could sample all the delicious offerings with minimal wait times before everyone came.

The Mrs and I started our night off with a couple of skewers from Daniel San, which I assume is a new addition to the line up since I didn't notice them last year. We bought one pork and one chicken skewer so that we could sample both. I personally liked the chicken better (I love chicken yakitori) but the Mrs thought the pork was better. I do agree that the pork did take on the marinade and glaze better but I'll always like chicken better...there's just something about smokey, grilled chicken meat on a stick which makes life amazing.

Seeing that the traffic had started to slowly trickle in, the Mrs and I thought it'd be a good idea to grab a table. We quickly found a large enough table and sat down in preparation for the arrival of our friends, which I took as an opportune time to scope out the other goods. By now, it's no secret that the Mrs loves Malaysian food so I quickly ran up to Mamak and ordered two servings of Roti Canai (one for me, one for her). Mamak's roti is always amazing...super doughy, fluffy and crispy, this combination is best served when dipped straight into that vibrant and fragrant orange curry....tear apart, dip, devour and repeat for maximum enjoyment.

I noticed that next to Mamak, Harajuku Gyoza had set up stall and being the mad gyoza fanatic that I am, I just couldn't help but order some for myself. For me, this was the biggest surprise of the night as I didn't really expect much from the gyoza...but it was absolutely, positively delicious. Gyoza is one of those commodities which is so readily available that it's hard to differentiate one from the other but this one...leagues above the competition. The crisp, crunchy bottom covers the juicy dumpling's filling which explodes with flavour as you bite into it. My experience was something straight out of a certain food-related manga...the nuanced and delicate flavours of this particular dish brought me to heaven and back...this is the one dish I legitimately wanted to go back for seconds for.

As our friends arrived, we were able to leave the table behind and go explore. The Mrs and I settled on Bao Stop as our next stall (the Mrs was interested in the fried chicken whilst I was more interested in the Peking Duck fries). I didn't actually order the fries in the end but I did order a trifecta and the chicken which was just as good. As we were in the line, the rain slowly but surely started to pour which was really not pleasant but for the sake of food, we (I) stood resilient as we waited. After we received our orders, I quickly dashed back to the group, making sure to shield the food with my body on the way. Unfortunately, it took us all a while to get to a comfortable spot and the sad thing about baos is that they tend to stick to the cardboard if you leave them there for too long. This made the whole eating experience rather messy but that was in no way detrimental to the food. The baos tasted great but I have to say the chicken stole the show...I'd say, rather ingenious the way they turned the distinct taste of XO sauce into a sweet and tangy glaze.

Didn't mention these...Korean style tacos

Apologies for the shaky focus...hard to hold still trying to dodge the rain.

Our friends saw our food and decided to venture off to the same location for their share. I was fortunate enough to be able to still try the Peking duck fries which they brought back. In retrospect, kind of glad I didn't order them because whilst I do love deep fried shoestring fries, the taste of gamey duck and hoisin only reminded me of the real deal therefore making me want that more.

Again, sorry...the rain really doesn't contribute to high aperture photos

At that point, the rain had started to clear up which signalled the continuation of the festivities. The group decided it'd then be a good idea to go and grab some ramen burgers from ONE tea lounge's stall. I abstained from this venture because I was very full at that point but nonetheless, we headed over and surprisingly quickly, ordered and recieved our food. I have to say, I am slightly disappointed in the ramen burger this year. We had the full ramen burger last year and that was absolutely delicious but as per their restaurant's menu, this year's offering was made in slider form. I think my preference is still for the mess that is the full sized burger though.

Additional to the sliders, one of our group members also purchased the fried ice cream baos. They came in various asiatic flavours (green tea, red bean and black sesame). I managed to get a taste of the green tea and I'll be honest, I wasn't really a fan. The deep fried bao just seemed a bit too bland for me and whilst they did pair it with ice cream and other sweet treats, the matcha flavour really wasn't as intense as I would have liked meaning the whole package just came across as mildly lacking.

At the end of the day, as much as I don't appreciate crowds...I'm still really glad that I got to go enjoy the Night Noodle Markets. The stalls only come around once a year and with the abundant selection of delicious samplings, you really can't go wrong if you spend a night out with great, fun people at the markets.

Mamak - Chatswood

The Mrs and I have been on a bit of a Malaysian food binge lately. I stand by my theory that my wife must have been a Malaysian in her past life because no matter how much we have it, she can never get enough. That is how we ended up at Mamak on Saturday night. As it was a Saturday night and we left for Chatswood quite late, the drive wasn't too bad. Parking though was horrendous....with the recent opening of Tim Ho Wan and all these other foodie joints, Chatswood really has become the hub of the North Shore.

After managing to find parking (all credit to the Mrs' keen senses and attention to detail) we headed over to Mamak and lined up in the cold. Although not nearly as ridiculous as it's other branch in the heart of the city, it was still impressive that they were pulling in a crowd at the hour that we arrived. We were seated almost simultaneously as another couple and although we were seated ever so slightly after them, we were the first to order because we already knew what we craved. Not gonna deny that we felt a bit pro.

The first things to arrive were our standard refreshments: Teh ice and Milo ice. The recipe is identical to the one they serve at Hawker (duh) and although it wasn't piled high with Milo powder, it was still creamy and refreshing. The Teh was as expected, absolutely delicious. Honestly wish they had an option to super jumbo size the drinks....I always polish my drink off in the first 5 minutes.

Next to arrive was the Kari Ayam (Curry Chicken). The curry itself was more viscous and spicy than we're used to but that's not to say it wasn't impressive. If I had an endless supply of that curry sauce and roti, I would be a very satisfied man. That said though, I personally wasn't a very big fan of the bony chunks of chicken, I prefer mine boneless.

When the next order came, we realised we may have overloaded on the chicken. We still gobbled up the Ayam Goreng (Malaysian fried chicken) all the same but it meant we neglected our curry quite a bit and had to take it home. This was my personal favorite meat dish of the night: the crispy exterior coated that juicy, succulent flesh perfectly with the delicious batter.

We each had an order of roti to ourselves (which was perfect because one dish of one type of curry as opposed to the other, no fighting over curry) and we ordered enough satay skewers to had 3 types of meat each. I still ended up having most of it though, not because the Mrs couldn't finish her portion but because she couldn't stand me constantly eyeing her food.

After dinner, we had thought about topping it all off at the choc pot. The Mrs fought hard to find the room for chocolate but couldn't do it. When we ascended the escalators though, our attention was immediately drawn to Miss Dipity. Ice cream was far too hard to deny. Good choice too as the Hojicha and Toasted Marsh mellow flavours were AMAZING.

I've very fond memories of Chatswood being that my father worked there for most of my life and I've had the opportunity to see it change again and again over the years. I'm happy to say I haven't lost any reason to visit. If anything, I've gained so much more reason to come back.

Hawker - Sydney CBD

About a week ago, I wrote about my lovely anniversary dinner at Papparich, one of Sydney's most accessible Malaysian restaurants. Now, they are good in the way that it's so easy to drive to your local branch and get some decent Malaysian grub. Not to mention their menu is simply staggering in the amount of options you have. So my point being: they're good.....not the best though. In my humble opinion, the best Malaysian restaurant is in the heart of the city. The place I'm referring to? Hawker on Sussex Street.

Hawker is the sister restaurant of the ever popular Mamak (the place in Chinatown that  pulls in a line no matter what day and what hour) and they opened up not too long ago. Primary difference between the two? Hawker serves a more Chinese-Malay fare. So expect great noodles.

The Mrs and I had actually decided to visit on a whim. We didn't plan way ahead on visiting this place but we sure were we did. The moment we sat down though, we already knew what we wanted to order (in part thanks to the short menu but concise menu): Laksa, Popiah and my eternal favorite: Char Kway Teow.

Food arrives lightning quick at Hawker, almost as quick as the Hawker centers in South-East Asia that they're named after. As usual, I just have to order the milo ice. Lets face it, it's really hard not to do it well and in that way, it's hard to differentiate a good one from a bad one. This one did it's job in that it was a nice, creamy beverage to go with your delicious food.

The popiah brought back memories. I'd scoured Sydney for good popiah but I was never able to replicate the delectable flavors I had back in the streets of Kuala Lumpur. My Malaysian friends would straight up murder me if I said this was as good Malaysia but I will say, it's good enough for Sydney.

The Laksa however was sensational. It didn't have creaminess of coconut milk (I almost thought it was omitted) I almost always expect from Laksa but that didn't matter. It was an absolute delight to eat. The soup was perfectly balanced in its spiciness and savoriness that it didn't matter that it wasn't creamy. The Mrs loved it.

The star of the show though had to be my Char Kway Teow. Almost ethereal in it's appearance, the dish was plated perfectly with the aroma of charred noodles and the banana leaf wafting through the air. One very welcome addition Hawker does that no body I know of does is the addition of cockles. Those chewy morsels of seafood take the dish to a whole new level.

Honestly, I'm so glad the Malaysian food boom along. Much like the ramen boom, our humble Sydney has turned into a food lovers delight. Lets hope Hawker is as successful as it's sister and eventually open up more locations closer to us.