Ghostboy Cantina - Chinatown, NSW

At the moment, I'm making a mad scramble to catch up on my posts. I've been eating out so much recently and I've let the content build up. I really, really don't like leaving things too long as I find I can't visualise the flavours as well the longer I leave it. That said, there are places you eat at that you can't really forget...such a Ghostboy Cantina. You will rarely find a place which has you dreaming about it each and every day.

Although it wasn't too long ago that I dined with them, I feel like it's appropriate for me to write about them since they left such a deep impression on me. Firstly, their name is mad hilarious! I literally figured out the meaning as I was standing there waiting for my tacos...you see, Ghostboy is located near the back of the Dixon House food court which is in the middle of Chinatown. As if not the most out of place store there, they take it a step further by making a tongue-in-cheek prod at that fact: when translated to Cantonese, ghostboy become gwai zai or "white boy"...yes, as in young Caucasian lad.

That said, the titular "gwai zai" is mad impressive: Toby Wilson, who was the previous owner and head barista of Wedge Espresso in Glebe has a magic ability of seamlessly blending Asiatic and Latin flavours and presenting it in a bite size package of absolute flavour. I managed to sample all their current offerings by visiting twice over the course of two weeks. On my first visit, I was stressed for time so I could only really order takeaway. 

I chose to order the beef and pork with an order of fries knowing that I'd be back for their cauliflower taco. You'd assume that being takeaway, it wouldn't be as good anymore but no, you'd be wrong...it's still bloody fantastic. I bit down on the beef taco and as I do, the thin, double layered flour tortilla (which is actually toasted peking duck wrapper) gave way to the tender, rich beef. All the other ingredients: the onion, coriander, salsa and bean sprouts combine in your mouth and just for a moment, a familiar joy floods my mouth as I feel the sensation of a delicious bowl of pho compounded into one, single bite. I just stand there...smiling like a dork.

From my second visit

I think I ate the tacos in the wrong order because after the beef, the pork (which, according to Instagram is actually the crowd favourite) just really didn't bring me the same happiness. I mean, it's still a great package: fatty pulled pork sits on top of the same toasted wrapper with crisp, fresh and sweet peach cubes, basil, salsa roja and verde...still a great taco but just not at decadent and moreish as the beef.

On my second visit (last weekend), I shared some tacos with the Mrs and my good mate. There, I had the beef and pork again but this time, we also ordered the cauli. This led to another mind-blowing moment because the cauli was also intensely delicious!! Fried florets of cauliflower, salsa verde, onions, herbs and this amazing cashew and macadamia cream...all topped with fried shallots. If you don't like vegetables...you will after to take a bite of this.

Both times I've visited, I also made it a point to order the fries which were great (well seasoned and slightly tart) but really, when you have tacos as amazing and well made as the ones described above...nothing else matters.

Toby has stated in an interview that he doesn't know how long Ghostboy will stay around but Toby, if you are reading this: you're doing amazing work and I'm sure hoping you'll be around for a long, long time.

Mejico - Miranda, NSW

When you've moved out of home, you will occasionally get a little sentimental and home sick. Even if they're only half an hours drive away, life normally gets in the way of you seeing your family. There is a good side to it though...it really highlights how you should cherish the time you have with those that are important to you. Spurned by that thought, the Mrs and I headed down south to Miranda to grab some dinner with my younger sister.

I used to work in Miranda prior to the redevelopment of the shopping mall but since, I haven't actually gone back all that much. We took this opportunity then to introduce the Mrs to the suburb and survey all the new eateries that have opened up. On this occasion, we chose to dine at Mejico which is a popular and well known Mexican eatery. The Mrs and I have always wanted to try the place but we'd never really found an opportune moment. Fortunately as well, since we'd never gone, the responsibility of ordering went to my sister who was a regular at that particular restaurant...woohoo!

We ordered quite a bit to share but we started with their most well known guacamole which is made right at the table and served with plantain chips. All the ingredients are brought fresh to your table where the service staff will personally prepare the guacamole in front of you in a large mortar and pestle. Tangy, creamy and refreshingly light...the guacamole makes for a wonderful dip for the moreish chips.

After the guac, our tacos started to come to the table in quick succession. We ordered the chicken tacos, Salmon Tacos and Pork tacos. I'll elaborate on them a little from the ones I liked the least to the one I liked the most (bear in mind, all of these tacos were amazingly delicious in their own right). Of all three tacos, I personally liked the pork the least which is a little disappointing because I love pork but to me, the tacos had a deep and impressionable impact at first but quickly became overly heavy on the flavours. Texturally and flavour-wise, there wasn't enough to cut through the intensity.

After the pork, I would rank the chicken tacos second best. The chicken is flavoured really well and goes nicely with the chorizo. The cucumber and other spices help to create a layered and complex combination that works together really well.

Finally and most surprisingly, my favorite of the night were the salmon tacos. I normally strongly dislike cooked salmon as it's so easy to overcook it and make it mediocre but the small and well portion salmon pieces worked really, really well in this instance. Cooked to absolute perfection with a delightfully smoky char, made just that much better with a sour element from the cabbage, spice from the jalapenos and the creaminess from the mayo....it just works so wonderfully.

Additional to our tacos, we also got the salmon ceviche which was really good but I'd say something I'd pass on ordering next time. The crunchy radishes and creamy creme fraiche work really nicely with the salmon but I'd have to say that the salmon flesh was chewier than I'm normally used to. On top of that, the tortilla strips came off as a little stale to me.

We'd also ordered the beef short ribs and patatas bravas to share between the three of us but they sort of forgot our order so it took some time before we got to dig in again. No complaints after the first bite however as the beef was so amazingly tender I couldn't have cared how long it took. This dish was all kinds of fatty, beefy goodness with a chipotle chutney that really helps add a tang to the generally heavy and moreish meat. Beef always goes well with carby, starchy potatoes...especially when they have a crunchy, crispy exterior and it's all smothered in a rich, decadent spiced aioli.

It was a great night out catching up with family whilst having amazing food and drinks, I can honestly say that I wouldn't have had our Friday night any other way. Now, I know the Mrs and I have been a little quiet lately but if we haven't mentioned already, a very, very important event is edging dangerously close and we've been flat out trying to keep it all together...which is to say, we haven't forgotten about our readers but we'd like to ask everyone to stick with us a little longer as we have exciting news coming soon!

Family Potluck - Bexley, NSW

Earlier today, the Mrs and I posted an entry about our visit to Cafe Oratnek, well...that's not all we did (ate) over the weekend. Aside from enjoying a beautiful brunch, the Mrs and I had been invited to attend a potluck hosted by one of my close family friends. For the uninitiated, a potluck is an event or meal where each guest is in charge of contributing one dish. I quite enjoy our semi-regular potlucks as our families have always been close friends (our fathers all worked together at the same restaurant for many, many years) and as a result of being so close to the dining scene, our love for the culinary is equal to each others.

I decided that I'd take this opportunity to try an idea that's been floating around my head for a while: yakiniku tacos with radishes pickled in rice vinegar and asian inspired chimichurri. To make the dish, I marinated a couple of beef flank steaks in a house made yakiniku marinade overnight. The marinade is just equal parts cooking sake and soy sauce cooked with onions, garlic, sugar and honey (next time I might even try to add some fruit like apple or nashi pear in for some acidity). For the pickles, I sliced radishes on a mandoline slicer and pickled them in a rice vinegar pickling liquid overnight. Finally, I made the chimichurri out of the white parts of some spring onions, some garlic cloves, italian parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a green chilli. Overall, I was very pleased with the result. I would have preferred to use a more tender cut (such as harami/skirt steak) and maybe marinade it for less time but the interplay of the sweet and crunchy pickles and the spicy, herby sauce made for an excellent party dish.

My friend decided to make ribs and takoyaki (a weird combination I know, but it worked). The ribs were very tender and flavoursome which really reflected the amount of effort he put in to make the ribs. It would have been even better if it was warm enough to have a backyard barbeque where he could have put some smoke and charcoal on it. My friend also took the opportunity to try out various ideas for takoyaki flavours. My two favorites of the night were the XO takoyaki and the truffle aioli takoyaki. Being that the takoyaki was already very creamy inside, the addition of the tobiko and aioli really pushed it to a new level of decadence....a must try for any truffle fan. The XO was also really nice as the chilli oil from the XO sauce melded with the batter to create a ball of spicy goodness.

Another friend also took the time to make a pot of spicy napolitana penne. Although she did indicate that it wasn't her intention to make it as spicy as it was, we were all really glad that it came out the way it did because it was deliciously appetizing. As with any good chilli dish, the heat built up with each mouthful which made you want to eat more. Additionally, some other friends made quiches in potato cups. The quiches were perfectly contained in nice, crispy and carby cups which made them rather delectable treats.

For dessert, we were served lemon curd cupcakes and a chocolate tart. The lemon curd cupcakes were amazing and had a perfect balance of creaminess to tartness. It really was a wonderful way to cut through the intense flavours we had earlier in the dinner which was great because it gave us the ability to kick on and eat the decadently rich chocolate tart. Topped with sliced strawberries and shavings of white chocolate, this chocolate tart was all manner of lovely. Honestly, I probably hoarded half the tart to take home because it was that good.

I truly love the way our families have remained so close and still somewhat regularly find the time to get together and enjoy some great food. I genuinely hope that even as the Mrs and I move further to the west, our ties will remain strong and we still find the time to get together and cook up a storm.