Slurpfest 2017 - Newtown, NSW

So, it's been another whole month since my last blog post but this time...I've had a good reason for that. The end of August and most of September has been all about my all-consuming obsession: Ramen. I think I've had more ramen in this month than I've had 2016 combined (and I eat a ramen pretty often). The reason for that is because 2017 marks the inaugural launch of Sydney's only ramen dedicated event: Slurpfest 2017 hosted by RamenRaff and Rising Sun Workshop. In Sydney, we've had item specific events before (i.e. Bacon Fest, Burgerpalooza, Meatstock etc) but I think this is the first event of its kind...not only for ramen but I think for Asian food in general (like, I don't think there's been a Pho-fest or some kind of Bao festival before) so the significance was huge.

I follow RamenRaff quite heavily and even I had no idea that this kind of thing could happen. At first, the teasers sort of suggested to me that Raff might be opening his own shop (the guy makes some pretty mean looking noodles) but alas, I was totally off. I don't think anyone else would have been able to pull off an event like this...I doubt anyone else has so much pull with Sydney's tight-nit Ramen-ya community so, kudos to you Raff, it was lovely getting to know you better over the course of five nights and to share Ramen ideology with you.

As soon as the tickets became available, I immediately went online and purchased all five nights one after another. The mildly inconveniencing thing about Eventbrite was that you couldn't buy all five nights in one go but that was a very, very slight thing that the organisers had no control over so that did not at all dampen my excitement about the event at all. And to be honest, good thing I bought all five nights in one go because the tickets almost immediately became sold out a day or two after. This was honestly both the most surprising and gratifying thing to me...that I wasn't along. That ramen fanatics in this city were as keen as I was. For those who didn't get to attend or read any collateral about the event, the way it works is each night the event was hosted, there was a different guest chef making something limited and unique for the event.

On the first night, I was keen as a bean and so I arrived 6pm on the dot so as not to be late (in Japanese culture, it's very impolite to be late)...and, I had no idea that I could rock up at anytime 6pm - 9pm. Not a bad thing though as it meant I was one of the first people through the door. At that point, I hadn't had the courage to strike up a conversation with RamenRaff so I stuck to myself and was seated at one of the single bar seats on the upstairs seating. Unfortunately, this also meant I had terrible lighting for the photos I took for the first night (Sorry, Higashida san).The first night was Gumshara's Higashida Mori san with the Meaty Tonkotsu ramen. For all who follow Sydney ramen culture, there is no way you won't know about Gumshara and their signature gravy like thick soup reminiscent of their mother shop, Mutteppuo in Japan. This night, the ramen was his usual standard of fantastic but I could taste a little bit more depth in the soup...it had a ever-so slight more of an umami based oomph to it. The highlight would have been the gigantic pieces of meaty-ass chashu that was fashioned into a little meat-lotus on top of the noodles. Comparitive to the usual fatty rolls of chashu, the meatiness and deep, porcine flavour of the chashu was most definitely outstanding. For each bowl, I think I'll proceed to give each a personal ranking and a title (at the end). For the first night, the title I give it will be the True O.G (Original Gangsta) because out of all the bowls...this deviates the least from the source material (not a bad thing for Gumshara die-hards).

The second night, I had something on so I could come a little later than I did the first night. That "something" I had on also meant I came on a half-full stomach which impeded on my ability to crush the bowl with absolute satisfaction. That said, Chaco Bar's turn was an absolute eye-opener. The title I give this particular bowl would be The Innovator. Out of all five nights, Chaco Bar's interpretation of Ramen was the most stylish and outlandish (at least, the one I picked was). You had a choice of two bowls....you could either stick with their signature Fat Soy OR, you could push the envelope and try their Occy Shabu Shabu ramen. I'm so, so glad I went ahead and picked the shabu shabu ramen because BOY WAS IT TASTY. I don't usually enjoy spicy ramen but this bowl had a really gratifying Sichuanese punch to it (you know, the one that builds and builds to a numbing orgasmic pain). That elevated the complex and rich, viscous soup to next levels of tastiness. Along with the fantastically chewy noodles, you also got their signature John Dory dumpling, sprigs of coriander, kikurage and, AND thinly sliced curls of Octopus meat. As if that wasn't enough carb, you also got a side of Octopus Tentacle Shime Gohan with it. Apparently, you were meant to mix it into the soup at the end to soak it up but....I just ate it plain which has it's own merits. The rice helped calm the spice and give your palette a good cleanse.



The third night was interesting....it was held on the same night that there was a SSM rally at Town Hall so Newtown was PACKED. Fortunately, those who know me know I have this almost magical luck with parking and I got parking a few doors down from Rising Sun. Now, it was time for the Artisans to show us what they got (eh? EH? You like what I got?). Cool Mac Cafe has fast become one of my favourite ramen-yas in the city. Somewhat to do with how close they are to where I currently work but mostly because their ramen is F%#^ing Delicious. They remind me of the first time I stepped into Batch Brewery in Marrickville. Before then, I had no idea Beer could taste that damn good and that there could be such variations from putting this artisan care into the product. Cool Mac's ramen is small batch based with heavy emphasis on this layered yet impactful stock. The ramen (named the O.G Kumamoto) was epic...UNBELIEVABLY good aburi chashu (fatty, tender and MELTS straight away), intense yet deep and satisfying broth, egg, menma, shiraga negi and toasted garlic. The highlight though was this....smoked schmaltz that they had on top. Like, game over man, game over.

Before the fourth night, I thought it'd be a fantastic idea to make my entire week about ramen so on the Thursday, I had the Super Volcano Ramen from Makanai @ Chatswood, the Miso Ramen from Ryo-Tei (for all who wonder, my all-time favourite...reminds me of my spiritual home, Sapporo) AND to top it off, one last bowl of Butter's Fried Chicken Ramen before it left for good. That was the same day/night I would go for Slurpfest again so yes, I can have ramen several times over a couple of days and not get sick of it.

The fourth night really brought back memories for me....Chef Haru Inukai's Truffle and Potato Potage ramen....the very last bowl I had from Ramen Ikkyu before they closed up shop for good. To me, Chef Haru (and his bowl) deserve the title of Iron Chef because he reminds me of one of my childhood heroes, Chef Hiroyuki Sakai from the SBS re-runs of the Japanese version of Iron Chef. The first time I had his food was at Blancharu celebrating the very first year of the Mrs and I dating. This was the degustation that blew my mind for the first time and made me fall in love with fine dining. So, since Chef Haru decided to take the Salaryman route and close up Blancharu to open a ramen shop, I've been a fan. I was absolutely heartbroken when I heard Ikkyu closed so night #4 was sorta this, long awaiting reunion with an old friend.The flavour was as good as I remember it to be....delicate, complex and clean with this distinct yet not overpowering taste of truffle lingering at the bottom of the soup. The chicken breast was perfectly tender and juicy and the pepperiness of the roquette really, really did wonders for the overall flavour profile.

So, in between the fourth night and the fifth night, Coolmac announced that they would do Friday Ramen Nights....KEEN! That Friday, I finished work at my usual 4:30pm, trained it to Milsons Point and happily waltzed over like an idiot at like....4:45pm. (Way too early, service starts at 5:30pm). So, I walked off, took a seat by the station and read manga until just before 5:30pm (actually walked a bit more to add a few minutes and not to appear too keen) but I'm happy to say I'm one of the first people to make it. Two bowls were on offer that night: their O.G Kumamoto from night #3 or a Torigara Shoyu. I'd been craving a really good Shoyu (like the one I had at Kamakura Honten Dotonbori) so i opted for that. F#$% me that was good....best. shoyu. thus. far! The stock had a depth and richness to it that I had not experienced in any other shoyu ramen to date. And the whole package just tasted of the best and most delicious roast chook you've ever had. On top of that, I also pigged out and got the Aburi Chashu and Miso Mayo Donburi which supplemented my meal rather well by giving me pork fat glazed grains of delicious rice to consume.

SO, final night....both dejected that it's over and excited to see how good the last bowl was. Last shop to present their work was O-san Ramen which I quite like as well. Haven't had their bowl since the massive fire at Dixon that made them relocate. Again, diners had two choices: the Ozzy Tonkotsu which was pork, chicken and clam based or the Modern Classic which was an entirely fish based stock. Sticking to the theme, I chose the Ozzy Tonkotsu for the thickness and my love for clams. O-san's offering was the only bowl to use thin, straight noodles which I think really helped carry the soup's flavour through and through. As soon as I took the first sip and bite, it reminded me of the days I used to go to Fook Yuen and have Chinese Banquets on the regular....in particular, the steamed oysters. That sweet, salty and umami packed Chinese soy sauce, the abundance of shallots/spring onions and ginger and the brininess from the giant oysters....all prevalent in this bowl. Furthermore, the chunky pieces of grilled chashu they had on the bowl had a really nice black-pepper punch to it....very enjoyable indeed. The title? Definitely The Dragon...it's almost feels like O-san has soaked up a lot of influence from where it's based (Chinatown) and infused it into his style. Most definitely has some Bruce Lee impact in there!

Overall, I have to say that this September has proven to be one of the most memorable of my life. Not only did I get to absolutely indulge in my one passion (I got a few people notice my ramen tattoo and shirts) but I also got to experience a fanatical community that I never believed, even existed. I got to meet two of my long-time follows (Thank you RamenRaff for allowing me to sit and chat with you and thank you to RamenWithFriends, you guys are amazing!) and see so many people who loved ramen almost as much as I do. When I ate upstairs, there were two nights where I got seated at the communal tables where you get to make conversation with other diners....two fond memories I had was when I got to show my ramen chops in-front of a couple who lived (literally) on top of Yasaka Neutral Bay and Japanese mother-and-daughter pair. Another night where I got to sit with a group of friends where one of them even asked me about my blog after.

The other thing I found amazing was the quality of the ramen. Like, watching videos on Youtube from Brian @ RamenAdventures, I had this pre-conception in my mind (however, false that assumption was) that ramen festivals would mirror the ones in Japan: heaps of shops setting up temporary stalls to show us some special items. And, in a way, this was just like that only I felt that there was a mild hesitation to push the envelope. Each shop (with the exception of Chaco Bar) showed of in spectacular fashion, what they do best. There is no denying that each of the guest chefs are masters of their own right but what I would have liked to see was more experimental types (i.e. Tsukemen or Mazemen). That said, in discussing this with Raff and Rising Sun, that wasn't the point of this session. This was more of an exercise in proving the sustainability of an event like this....in validating the fact that Sydney loves ramen. I think next year (hopefully), the theme will reach into individual expression. Allowing each chef to use us as willing guinea pigs to try out any and every idea they have brewing in their brilliant minds. I most definitely look forward to next year (that said, I won't be let out on Sundays for a while now....)

Oh, and if you're STILL reading this, my ranking is as follows and AGAIN, this is entirely personal preference....don't hate on me:

1. The Artisan (Cool Mac Cafe/Junichi Okamatsu)
2. The Iron Chef (Haru Inukai)
3. The Innovator (Chaco Bar/Keita Abe)
4. The O.G (Gumshara/Higashida Mori)
5. The Dragon (O-San/Kazuteru Oh)

Outback Steakhouse Australia Event - North Strathfield, NSW

So this sudden resurgence of my motivation to write is...odd. My last post was at the end of August (almost 2 months ago) and though I may have mentioned here and there why I suddenly stopped, I never went into full detail. This sudden hiatus was caused by a multitude of factors but mainly, something had happened between someone else and I that I thought it best not to mention but regardless...it made me lose faith in the community (of food bloggers). Let's just say: try not to meet your heroes...they probably won't be who you expected them to be.

For a while, I was out of it and that, compounding with the increased momentum at work...I became really, really dejected. I really thought it was all over for me...then I got invited to an event by Outback Steakhouse Australia.

I mean, I'm not in it for the events but...it's Outback Steakhouse. That name may only mean an Australian themed American restaurant to most but amongst the Mrs' circle...it's the communal hangout where friendships and good times are forged. People in the north western community gather around the Parklea branch like a community hub...first jobs, gossip, news and occasionally, lunches where you ask for permission to marry people are had there. So I had serious bragging rights when I could say that we were personally invited to attend an event.

We originally assumed that it was just a small event over drinks but oh, we're we so wrong. The turnout was surprisingly big and despite all that, it felt really tight nit. We got to see someone we knew and got to meet a some new people who were really, really nice! Shoutouts to Drool Worthy World! It was really nice meeting the both of you and we can't wait to see you again at another event.

Now, the unfortunate thing is that it's been some time since the event so I can't clearly recall every detail however, I still have the photos from that night and you know what they say...a picture speaks a thousand words:

Needless to say, there was plenty to eat, drink, share and snap so the event turned out to be a really, really lovely evening. We even got a signature Outback Steakhouse mug to take home as a prize which was really an added bonus. Overall, the Mrs and I had a wonderful time enjoying Outback Steakhouse's phenomenal hospitality. Not that we didn't already know they were amazing but this experience really just cemented the spot they had in our hearts as long-time, loyal customers.

Instafoodies Event - Glebe, NSW

We're back! Back again! And this is true in more ways than one! It really has been more than a while since our last blog post and there's very good reasons for that: unfortunately, our computer needed to be re-formatted. With the recent release of Overwatch, my old tower wasn't capable of running the game so I had to spend weeks figuring out how to update my computer to the point where I could play the game. No regrets though since it's been heaps of fun playing online with my friends and in the heat of the new game, I've completely forgotten to write anything about our recent adventures!

So we're back on the blog again! and this time, we find ourselves back at Hem Nine Nine! See, we had such a blast at Hem Nine Nine last time that when we got an invite to come back and attend an instafoodies event (organised by Robbie from it'd be rude not to), we knew we just had to come back. On the day, there were no markets on so parking was a bit easier to find than the first time we went. As we walked in, Robbie was there to greet us and it was so great to finally see him in person. The magic of social media is that you will get to know people rather intimately without ever having met them at all. I'd followed Robbie on Instagram for some time now but the event was the first time I'd actually met him. This becomes this sort of reoccurring theme throughout the event as I come to see a lot of people I follow of Instagram as well.

So as the place quickly starts filling up again, we found ourselves back on the table we sat at the last time. Since there were so many invitees and space was becomes scarce, we were seated with other instagramers and attendees (who we quickly got acquainted with...nice to meet you Erika, Mandy, Vee, Susan, Lily). As we get to know each other, the food starts rolling in dish by dish (which at that point was really exciting since we were starving!). Better still, we were presented with dishes that we didn't get to try last time! (we're only two stomachs...couldn't order that much even if we wanted to). Now, we were given a LOT to eat (we were SO full by the end of it) so I can't go into too much detail about each but I will give you a good run down of each dish (further descriptions can be found on our Instagram):

1. The duck rice paper rolls. Tasted like peking duck but with a little Vietnamese influence. I liked the addition of pickles!

2. Fish balls! you would not believe how happy I was when this arrived at the table. So reminiscent of my childhood trips to the home town of Hong Kong. Spicy, springy and delicious!

3. Wagyu Bo Luc Lac skewers. I mean, I love Bo Luc Lac (shaking beef) already but to make it with Wagyu and then put it on skewers? Ingenious! Super tender cubes of beef, char-grilled and served with sweet capsicum and slaw on the side.

4. Ox tongue: very tasty and savoury sauce that glazes these slices of tender ox tongue. A good squeeze of citrus really helped cut through the rich, beefy flavour and sauce.

5. A platter of soft, toasted bread rolls serverd with roasted bone marrow, chopped fresh chilli and pickled onions. Sort of like a...decadent and buttery do-it-yourself sandwich. Very delicious.

6. The grilled lemongrass pork skeweres we had last time. Still just as good! Still just as flavoursome and fatty.

7. Pork belly Baos. I believe these are also served on their "Mama Linhs" food truck and whilst the serving of pork belly in a Chinese bun is nothign new, Hem Nine Nine's rendition really stands out from the rest in that they pack in the sauce and the pickles that come with it are fantastic.

 

8. Crispy skin chicken! I mean, how can you not love this perennial Vietnamese favourite? Very crunchy deep fried skin that sits on top of the juicy chicken meat. It's really great how they chopped it all up and it had no bones in it at all so it makes for a great drinking snack.

9. Bo Kho...I can never pronounce it right whenever I try to order this at a Vietnamese restaurant but I love it all the same. Less sweet than most other versions I've had out there but definitely packing in the rich, meaty flavour. Love the addition of other cuts of beef and the general omission of the tendon (not a big fan of tendon).

10. By this point, I was well and truly stuffed...could not imagine handling more food. Then someone mentioned that the last dish was gonna be Pho...I almost freaked out! Luckily, it was Pho but not as we knew it. What we got was the Pho Banh Mi which was this bread roll stuffed with tender, fall apart beef that's been cooked in Pho spices and then served with generous amounts of sriracha mayo and other veges you typically find with pho. Very ingenious way of modernising one of my favourite noodle dishes.

Finally, after all the food that we gorged on, Robbie comes out to address the crowd. Kudos to Robbie for organising such a successful event! Additionally, for dessert, we got treated to a slice of the amazing cake from Desserts with Lynda! I've been a massive, MASSIVE fan of hers for a while and it turns out that she reads our blog too! Such a wonderful delight to know that someone you follow on Insta reads your content as well and it was amazing having met her...such a humble person for the amount of success she's accumulated in such a short time.

The cake was super moist and I loved the addition of the pandan cream! Would 10/10 love to eat something like this again! Overall, the Mrs and I had a blast attending this event. If I haven't said this before, I'll say this now: Hem Nine Nine serve up a fine Vietnamese fiest I'm honoured and glad to have been able to dine there twice already. I'm certain that things will only get better for them from now on and I do recommend giving them a try when you can! Thank you to Mama Linh, Chef Peter, Hem Nine Nine for the wonderful food and hospitality and thank you for inviting us to celebrate the birthday of the food truck! A special thank you to Robbie for organising as well!