Boon Cafe at Jarern Chai Asian Grocer - Central, NSW

Lately, the Mrs and I have been getting busier as we come up to the end of the year. If I haven't mentioned already, we're trying to plan and organise a relatively large event so our weeknights/ends have been taken up by planning, meetings and generally being super-exhausted. I'd like to apologise to the Mrs here and admit that in the midst of being stressed and generally feeling useless/not helpful, I've kinda neglected to acknowledge how wonderful she is and how much I love her. Luckily, the Mrs and I still managed to find the time to squeeze in a quick date night at a place she's been wanting to try for a while: Boon Cafe.

The most recent venture by the guys at Chat Thai: during the day, the menu is more cafe/brunch like but at night, the items change to more of what you'd find in the streets of Bangkok. The Mrs and I thought it'd be a nice idea to try it on a whim and we were lucky enough to grab one of the limited tables so I let the Mrs take charge and order away. We'd originally ordered the dessert to come later but maybe due to some minor miscommunications with the staff, the Pandan toast became the first to come...not a bad way to start a meal though. The toast was nice and fluffy but I'd have to say, the spread was mildly disappointing in that there wasn't a deep enough pandan flavor nor was it noticeably sweet...in my opinion, could have definitely have definitely benefitted from more sweetness/flavour.

Additionally, the Mrs had originally intended to order the Thai milk tea that she was accustomed to but had somehow ended up ordering Thai red tea which is essentially the same thing without the condensed milk. Due to that fact, the Mrs didn't enjoy it too much initially but I definitely did, the spiciness of the drink helped cool me down after a long day and regardless of what she had originally expected, the Mrs still grew to like the drink after a couple of sips. 

Soon after, our first hot dish came and boy, were we excited to dig in. The Mrs ordered a half order of the Gai Yang which is Thai style grilled chicken. The chicken here is marinaded really well and rather flavoursome which is good though the Mrs did say it was less juicy than another restaurant we frequent. I think it was an issue with the pieces she picked because each piece I picked was juicy and tender. It could have been a bit more charred but overall, very enjoyable. 

Next came the grilled sausages which was personally, my favorite. I love sausages from all cultures and cuisines and this one was very representative of the flavour profiles you'd find in Thailand. Intense and mouth-numbingly spicy, we identified some elements of chilli, ginger and potentially lemongrass mixed in with the meat. If you'd ordered this, be warned: have a glass of milky, sweet beverage ready as this dish is as authentic as it comes. It's so addictively spicy that the Mrs had to stop part-way and recuperate before she could continued eating it.

Shortly after our grilled sausage arrived, the beef salad also arrived at our table. At this point of the dinner, our mouths were burning from the sausages so it was a welcome and refreshing change of pace. The salad was still packed it's own punch but not nearly as intensely as the sausage did. The green leaves, onions and sweet dressing really helped calm our palates allowing us to enjoy the tender pieces of beef strewn throughout the salad.

Our meal was rounded off by the carbs that came last. At $5 a bowl, the Mrs thought it appropriate to order to separate bowls of noodles (one for me and one for her). I got the spicier Thai styles noodles which was great because I was used to eating similar noodles from Do Dee Pai Dang noodle cafe. Cheap and satisfying, you didn't get to choose the level of spice but for that price, you really wouldn't mind. I have to say, I really enjoyed the rice noodles they used a little more than the glass noodles I normally have at Do Dee and the soup I think was more sour and appetising than I was used to which was great.

The Mrs got the bowl of Thai style egg noodles which she seemed to relish because the sweet and savoury broth offered a much needed reprieve from the flames burning in her mouth. I didn't get to eat much of it but I assumed since the Mrs demolished most of it that it was delicious. From the small amount that I did get to have, the flavor reminded me most of the tiny microwavable bowls of wonton noodles you can get from Costco. 

Reminiscent of our current lives and schedules, the dinner was a bit of a mess at the beginning but regardless, what mattered most to me was that I was able to sit down and have a nice, enjoyable meal with my beloved. Super sappy of me to say but I truly believe that no matter what life throws at me, as long as the Mrs and I have each other, we'll be fine and happy no matter what life throws at us. 

From the bottom of my heart: Thank you for everything that you've done for me and for us. We wouldn't come as far as we have and I definitely wouldn't be who I am today without your constant support, patience and guidance. I'm so excited for the future we share together and for the many meals and laughs we'll have in the future.

Love you always, turtle.

The Mister's Fantastical Ramen Weekend - Sydney, NSW

Hello everybody! Apologies for the small hiatus, the Mrs and I had a few things which had recently kept us rather pre-occupied so as result, we didn't get much time to blog. But that doesn't mean we didn't have time to eat though...oh no, we ate plenty. I recently had the most wonderful weekend packed with bowl after bowl of my absolute favourite noodles: Ramen.

So the Friday night before last, the Mrs and I headed to Newtown to attend a friend's birthday party. As the festivities were scheduled at a later time, we took this opportunity to go grab a bite to eat. Surprisingly, the Mrs allowed me to choose what to eat so I chose this small ramen shop on King St which looked relatively new. Tokyo Noodle Bar Zu Zu Zu looked exactly like what I was craving so without hesitation, we went in and ordered our noodles. I typically order a Miso ramen (if available) as that was the first flavour I had back in Japan and I use it as a benchmark for how good a place is. Soup wise, this place did the dish right. The soup was thick and held a lot of umami from the miso. The noodles were of the straight white variety and the toppings were rather standard. The disappointing thing was that the Chashu (roast pork) wasn't nearly as thin or tender as it should have been and the eggs weren't marinaded but overall, a great bowl to stave of the winter chill.

The next day, I was lucky enough to be able to grab lunch with my mum and sister where we went to a local favorite: Manmaruya. Personally, I'm a bigger fan of their original store in Campsie but as Hurstville was closer, that's where we decided to go. Mum went for the Spicy Miso Ramen which is typically what I order. The Chashu here is also not as tender as it should be but compared to the bowl I had at Zu zu zu, this has more character. The fresh chillies and ra-yu (japanese chilli oil) give the already flavoursome miso a good heat and kick which makes every slurp of slightly wavy noodles all the more exciting.

I saw a special called the Samurai Ramen and intrigued, I order that as my ramen and I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. As is the more popular variety now, Manmaruya seems to also have embraced Gyokai fever by adding a spoonful of powdered bonito to their standard tonkotsu ramen. A small difference goes a long way as the flavour of fish really layers the soup and adds a level of complexity to it. I also appreciate how as opposed to their standard ramen, they serve the egg in the Samurai whole.

The sister wasn't all too hungry so she went with a Salmon Sashimi Donburi (which I didn't remember to photograph) and Takoyaki. As a special, they had blue fin tuna available so without hesitation, I ordered a plate of that as sashimi. I didn't get what all the hype was about blue fin tuna before but after eating this, I'm sold. The decadent slices of fresh fish marbled so magnificently makes for a tremendously satisfying treat. For the premium that this dish demand, I can't say I'd be making this a regular purchase (I'll just stick to my Salmon belly) but you definitely can't deny how pretty each slice is.

On the Sunday, the Mrs and I decided to go shopping and upon remembering that Ippudo had also opened up at Macquarie Centre, I demanded that we go there for lunch. Unlike the city branch, the Macquarie Centre branch is much less busy, possibly due to the fact that this place has a diminished menu...sorta like Ippudo express. The Mrs and I both chose to have the lunch set where I chose the Akamaru Shinaji and Gyoza, she chose the Karaka men and Karaage. Ippudo really is famous for a reason: you can't go wrong with their Shinaji. I was a little disappointed that my order of additional egg was missed but it really didn't detriment the bowl of noodles all too much. The combination of spice from the bomb and the hit of garlic from the black garlic oil really works well with the viscous, milky pork bone soup.

The Gyoza was another delight as I had never tried a place which offered Yuzu Kosho as a condiment. When mixed in with the dipping vinegar, the gyoza had a slight but refreshing bitterness and pepperiness which made it really nice to eat. The karaage was....different which is what I believe they were going for. The crunch and flavour was decent but not nearly as good as other places which offer that standard starchy crunch. I think in this case, I ordered the better side. She did order the better ramen though...

Overall, I'd have to say that I had a wonderful weekend (obviously at the expense of the Mrs) but I'd say I earnt it, what with all the brunches I take her to. We'll return to our regular content regularity very soon once we get a few things sorted this month but stay tunes for more coming this week!

Canton Noodle House - Hurstville

Firstly, before I go on my usual spiel, I'd like to say a few things first. I know it's been a while since my last post, the Mrs and I have been extremely busy organising various things, we haven't even had the time to sit down and breathe! Luckily, a nice, mellow season is coming so I can continue to try and keep the content coming. Secondly, I'd like to announce that we've hit 1000 total pageviews! We'd like to honestly thank each and every reader that's ever come by our blog. In comparison to more well known bloggers, this seems like an insignificant number but to us it means the world. It's a massively humbling and gratifying feeling to know that so many people have read our page. A very big thankyou to everyone!

Now, I'm a St. George boy through-and-through (believe me, my inevitable move to the west scares me...the things you'd do for love) so it absolutely baffles me how long it's taken me to write a blog about this place! It's a Hurstville staple and in my humble opinion, the best cantonese noodle joint in Sydney. It may be the fondness from my high school days speaking but this place is the regular for the Mrs and I. She absolutely loves the won-tons they serve here. 

In the past seven days, I've had the opportunity to visit twice in the same week. On my first visit, I went with the Mrs for a nice Friday night dinner. Whenever we come here, the Mrs will always order (make me order) the same thing: Wonton noodles w/ 'Laam Tsup' or beef flank sauce. Canton does a killer beef flank but if you're not feeling like demolishing a large bowl of noodles AND plenty of beef, you can actually order a plain wonton noodle soup with a ladle of the reduced sauce they make the beef flank with. The noodles are cooked to a perfect al-dente and the large, plump wontons are simply.The perfect combination of prawns,pork and crunchy wood ear makes for a delightful accompaniment to the beefy broth and the abundant noodles. 

I on the other hand felt like something dry so I opted to order the combination chow mien. Now, this might seem like an awfully western thing to order but trust me, When the standard of food is so high, even something so ordinary becomes spectacular. Crispy noodles surround the outside which give the whole dish a crunch factor but if you dig into the middle, you'll find the glossy noodles coated in the immensely flavoursome chinese gravy. Made from the restaurants own superior soup and other sauces. Each item on the dish is coated in the stuff which not only keeps it at a perfect temperature for longer but also accentuates the flavour profile ten-fold. I could have a just a bowl of rice and that stuff and I'd be perfectly happy.

Above all else though, if you ever visit this place you must (and I mean MUST) order the Hong Kong Milk Tea. I can vouch for this place...it is as legit as it comes. One-for-one like the streets of Kowloon and Hong kong. Just like you'd get each an every morning at your local Tea lounge. No place in Sydney does milk tea quite like Canton does. As odd and embarrassing as it is, the Mrs will request (make me) go in and just order takeaway milk tea...and she actually has. I personally have a preference to have it cold but if you want the OG Hong Kong experience...have it hot. They'll even give you the classic stainless steel sugar tin. 

For those who don't live in the south, fret not as there is a secondary branch in Burwood but in my personal opinion, Hurstville is the place to go.

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.

Ichiban Boshi - Sydney CBD

Ramen is hands down my favorite noodle dish. I mean, I love noodles of all shapes and sizes whether they come with soup or no soup but above all else, I love ramen the most. For me, it's always been part nostalgia and part obsession. The very first bowl of ramen I had was a bowl of miso ramen that I had on my first trip to Tokyo. It changed me, opened me up to my love for all things Japan. All the countless hours spent watching anime, building gunpla, learning Japanese and eventually meeting the Mrs through our mutual appreciation for Japan....all from a single, delicious bowl of miso ramen.

So when Sydney is going through a particularly bad weather season, what do you suppose is the best thing to eat? Ramen! Meeting up with the Mrs after work, we decided to hit up one of my all time favorite ramen joints: Ichiban Boshi. This place was one of the original noodle bars which did the dish justice...of course now, Sydney's ramen game has improved a significantly (Menya, Ryo-tei, Yasaka, O-san, Ippudo...the list goes on) however this place still holds a special place in my heart. If it's one thing they do well, it's miso ramen.

On top of the fact that it was super cold and rainy, we lucked out even further when we found out that the elevator had broken down, no line! We were seated immediately and then proceeded to order our favorite comfort dishes. The Mrs was feeling like Katsu curry today so that's exactly what she ordered. Despite being a noodle bar, they do their Katsu curry particularly well! The cutlet was crispy, tender and unbelievably juicy, after a bite I was most definitely hooked. The salad and pickles were a welcome addition too.

For me however, the main star tonight was most definitely the steaming, hot bowl of ramen noodles. Nutty and aromatic in all the right ways, it was the perfect way to drive off those chills. The noodles were particularly springy today which was perfect because there's nothing worse than soft, soggy noodles. Every slurp carried with it an appropriate amount of that delectable broth, bating you into taking another mouthful and then another mouthful until you quickly realise...you're out of noodles. I normally wouldn't (be allowed) to do this but I just had to order a kaedama (extra order of noodles). Totally worth it though as that was just the thing I needed to satisfy my hunger.

Wonderful in it's simplicity.

If it's one thing I'll never get sick of it's ramen. I can only hope that one day, I too am able to live my dream and sling noodles for a living. Till then, I'm glad that Sydney's noodle scene is well taken care of by the many ramen purveyors we have available.

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.