@mammaskitchen

Mamma's kitchen is an old favourite of ours since way back in high school. Although management has changed throughout the years, it's always been there for us in times of teenage girl talk, farewells, birthdays and random night outs! As you may have noticed we were not particularly hungry that day and decided to choose healthier options.

Sandwich - I am a huge sucker for anything with grilled cheese melting on top of warm tomatoes. So i'm sure you would have imagine, this dish could not go wrong for me. It's a perfect snack to tease your tummy!

Strawberry white sangria - This was absolutely delicious! Felt very fresh and bubbly, mainly because we were the only customers in there at the time and the girl making it put a lot of effort into it, and it really paid off! She was very friendly and eager to make us a nice drink, which made the whole experience that much better.

A perfect chick drink with a sweet combination of strawberry and tangy white wine.

Salad - This was sort of back when I just started working out and felt really motivated to eat right (although caesar salad isn't really the healthiest choice), so I settled for the salad knowing VERY well that it wouldn't satisfy my hunger. But it was a fail safe option as it's tasty and not a very heavy meal. Nowadays i've given up on restricting my eating and just eat anything I want, but try to balance it out with regular exercise!

@rusticpearl, @hanahana

Rustic Pearl

Lamb ragu fettuccini w/ olives, spinach & a hint of chilli topped w/ gruyere

It really does look incredibly appetizing as I look back on these photos again, however the pasta was a little bland. It's not to say it wasn't pleasant, but for the price we really could have done a bit better.

rp. b'fast bun ~ Schulz smokehouse bacon loin w/ fried egg, rocket, seeded mustard tomato relish & hollandaise, served in Sonoma French style brioche

This was definitely a bun with a gastro pleasing attitude. The tangy mayo prancing around with the peppered egg, the crunchy tender bacon and rocket was a sure winner to my snack craving belly.

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Hana Hana

Hana Hana is a cute, decorative eatery that has a whole array of Japanese style noodles downstairs, with delectable desserts upstairs. The udon/sides were pretty good; extremely cheap so definitely a plus, but it's the dessert I want to talk about. The decor upstairs is an immediate pleasure for the eyes, and then you get to feast on small chocolate delights and sip on creamy, smooth coffee. There's a variety of options, such as crepes, ice cream, waffles etc. in different flavours like chocolate, strawberry, banana...and you pretty much get the gist. I love the chocolate waffle as they have small mochi pieces inside, so you get a chewy texture when you bite into it, with the serving of ice cream and cream on the side! Definitely worth a visit as it in no way harms your wallet, and is an enjoyable experience all round.

@hanabi

It feels like we haven't done a food related post in a while! Anyway Hanabi has been featured before, but we frequent it way too much to not have a second mention. The pumpkin/meat dish is like comfort food for us, it's always hearty and never fails to satisfy our hunger. Super delicious and just a great meal in general!

This is my ultimate favourite dish in the Korean restaurants in the whole of Sydney! The soft tender boiled meat softly disassembles in the mouth whilst highly complimented by lavish pumpkin. Mmm my mouth waters once more just thinking about it. Although Anna & I demolished this thing (serving size 3-4 people) and we literally could not walk for the fear of popping stomachs! The great thing about every Korean restaurant is their generous free side dishes =D Although this one compared to others were a little stingy, I guess we couldn't complain because it was still free.

@ichibanboshi

Tokyo Ramen; the most popular style of ramen, it has roast pork and egg in a soy flavoured soup

I get this ramen almost every single time. It’s such a classic and as the description says, there definitely is a reason for being the most popular. I love the soup and simple but delicious taste.

Kimchi Ramen; Shio ramen with roast pork, vegetables and korean hot chilli pickles (kimchi)

Ichiban boshi never fails me for a tasty ramen. The width of the noodles were not too dense and not too stringy so it was perfectly chomped up =). The only flaw i would have to pick is that you get REALLY thirsty as a salty taste accumulates in the mouth. The kimchi was tangy adding a perfect crunch to the soft pork mMmmm.

@arisun

Prawn fried rice

I just had a craving for some fried rice this day, and I know Arisun's prawn fried rice is quite filling and tasty, so that is why I chose it. It pretty much tastes exactly like how you would expect fried rice to taste, but sometimes it's the tried and tested flavours that you trust and go back to!

Crispy spicy chicken

An all time korean favourite, it’s spicy and it’s chicken, what can go wrong? Nothing really, the tanginess kicked in my mouth and i enjoyed the soft chicken underneath the crunch sweet casing. This is a never-fail dish =)

This is highly enjoyable for anyone who loves chicken with a nice crispy crunch and a slight spicy kick. Probably a good introduction dish to Korean food as well, if you're new to it!
Noodles in black bean sauce

You pretty much cannot go wrong with this dish. It’s signature chewy soft texture enabled the sweet saucy noodles to glide into my mouth.

@vbar

Normally V bar is a bar i would walk past all the time and never consider to go inside, however on an empty week day it felt some what private (like i hired the whole place or something), making it a perfect place to catch up =)

Candy Apple; Making every girl weak at the knees. A shake of butterscotch schnapps, apple schnapps, apple juice, fresh lime and delicious passion fruit puree.

As a FAN of green apples, the sweet sour tang blended perfectly with bitter yet refreshing flavours. I would definitely come back for this one.

Scarlet Passion; Fresh watermelon is muddled and shaken with Absolut Citron, Alize Wild Passion and lychee liqueur. This drink is double strained and served with fresh watermelon pieces which absorb the refreshing flavours of the drink.

I have to admit, I make the same mistake every single time. I suppose i'm just a sucker for watermelon anything because that's pretty much always what i'll order, but I never really enjoy watermelon and alcohol together so I just don't get why I keep getting it. The description just got me with all its watermelon and lychee goodness. Alvina liked it so it could just be me, but i'll pass on this one next time.

Seafood pancake; A delicious combination of seafood served Korean pancake style

Unfortunately we witnessed them blatantly calling the korean restaurant across the road to order it from them to give to us… Which pretty much took away from the bar’s image for us..

It wasn't that nice either, really bland and hardly any seafood as you can see from the photo.

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2/5

1.5/5

@home

Dumplings

These were DELICIOUSLY tangy & sweet, encased by its soft,tender yet flavoured wrap. The zesty meat ball pieces definitely rolled with ease in my mouth.

Home is actually my absolute favourite place to dine whenever i'm in the city, which is quite a lot. When I first discovered this place, I went about twice a week, sometimes even twice a day. Haha safe to say I was addicted! Anyway, this entree is just divine. The sauce has quite a sweet flavour and it just works perfectly with the chewiness of the dumplings.

Beef salad

There was only one phrase to describe the exuberant combination of spicy tangy zesty refreshing flavours : A party in the mouth !! =)

Okay, this is my favourite. I have ordered this pretty much every single time i've eaten here. It's THAT good. Love how it's quite chilli, but you don't realise it until you keep eating, and by the time you do it's too late. Haha gets me every time but I will probably never stop, I just keep eating. The great thing about Home is, even though the dishes taste exceptionally good, the prices are very wallet friendly. $25 can get two people a tasty meal which will keep you happy and comfortably full. The only one thing that might let you down is the wait to get in. There's always a lot of people during peak times, but they do also make up for it by delivering the food to your table within a very short timeframe.

Pad thai

I usually find pad thai pretty boring because i get sick of the flavours pretty quickly after halfway but this one was awesome! Due to the fact that the noodles were vermicelli ( which are magical noodles that only make me hungrier !!). Overall I would definitely come back for all these dishes, they were beautiful flavours but also quite cheap too!!

This is another one of my usual orders, although definitely not as much as the beef salad. It is just a classic pad thai, but I just think the vermicelli noodles make all the difference. I used to prefer pad se ew over pad thai, however now i'm always ordering the latter, but with vermicelli of course! This version is definitely highly recommended, as is this restaurant.

4/5

4.5/5

@thaifoon

This post is long overdue because we ate these dishes waaay back in early Feb! The photos had been saved with all our other photos but somehow got lost amongst all the folders and content. But then they were discovered so we can share it with you all! :)

We loved the decor, it offered escape from the rush of the rest of the city it was amongst. The crowded yet ambient place was perfect for viewing Sydney city’s beautiful harbour whilst enjoying exotic Thai flavours.. This would definitely be an awesome place to be festive or even just to have a late dinner.

Duck pancakes

From memory we ordered this because of our previous encounter at Monkey Magic, and I have to say this did not match up AT ALL to the one we had before. There was no need for a comparison whatsoever because they were practically two different dishes. A bit of a disappointment.

These were tender with the perfect complimentary crunchy fillings of veggies and juicy duck ..I’ve tasted better but this was sufficient to tease my taste buds =)

Noodle salad

This was quite delicious. And remembering this is quite a feat in itself! The dish was fresh and zesty, just how it should be ^_^

 I quite enjoyed the zesty plush prawns combined with tangy refreshing salad. It was a party in the mouth with numerous flavoursome guests LOL..

Panang curry

Because this is from such a long time ago, my memory of the flavours are a little vague. But it definitely didn’t strike me as unpleasant, so I guess that’s a good thing. It was pretty much very similar to Thai curries that you can try anywhere else, although this one is probably a bit pricier!

The curry was a little sweet but was harmonious as it was smoothly blended with the soft chicken pieces. As I prefer savoury curry i wouldn’t pick it again, but hey i don’t complain either for the taste =)

Also we are thinking of adding scores at the end of every food “review”. What do you guys think about it?

@minhhai

We met up with our high school friends and headed to the closest Vietnamese restaurant named MINH HAI on George St for a quick meal.

I’m not quite sure what type of laksa this was. It had prawns, chicken, tofu, and just about anything else you can think of. Possibly a combination laksa? Anyway, it was almost enough to fill two people, because the servings were huge (not just for this, but everything else as well). I wasn’t very hungry but I still enjoyed it, because it had the pleasant laksa taste, with the delicious coconut flavour.

There is not much i can say about this dish, as i have tasted various versions of this dish in countless Vietnamese restaurants. This one specifically however, did not stand out for me. It was too dry, the veggies didn’t have that fresh “zing” and the sauce was nothing spectacular. It did fill up my tummy but I can only sit on the fence for this one.

@daejanggeum

We both weren't feeling well so decided we needed some hot soup to relax and warm us up. The best choice? Korean soup!

Ahhhh (in a soothing tone not screaming), the most welcoming dishes of Korean restaurants, free side dishes with free re-fills =)

Fish roe soup

Yumm..I want some right now! This is quite a generous serving because I couldn’t finish it, and I do eat quite a bit. Being the very cool summer that it was (now you can tell how long ago this was..), this warm soup was perfect for a hearty dinner. I think I ate too much of the side dishes though…we Alvina had to keep asking for refills!

Soft tofu soup

Lovely, moist, soft, crumbly pieces of tofu flying around the spicy tangy soup. Mmmm, this was a highly appropriate choice for the day as I was already feeling unwell (One more trigger of dense food for Anna & I and it could of been a path to indigestion). 

@pepperlunch

Pepper Lunch is the perfect destination for a quick and easy meal, which you have to cook yourself (kind of). As you can see, depending on what you order (shown here is kimuchi beef), the ingredients are placed on this hot, sizzling plate, and you mix, add sauce (personal preference), and then dig in!

@starbar

I didn't even know Star Bar sold food until recently, and since then i've been back a few times, because the food is affordable, filling, and quite tasty. I'm not one to be full on salad, but this one managed to do the trick, and for the price I paid it was a pretty good deal!

Pub food is always hearty so it never fails to satisfy my hunger. Compared to all the pubs i have visited in my life, this didn’t really stand out in terms of flavour. The chicken was saucy but it could of been a little more tender. There is nothing really i can say, it wasn’t nasty but it wasn’t outstanding. Star Bar is just a nice place to chill with your mates after work and fill up any hunger holes in the tummy.

@azumapatisserie

My English Breakfast tea. I’ve been having a lot of it lately, it’s soothing and warm, and makes me feel calm inside.

 Loved the sponginess of the cake but there was a cinnamon version we tried earlier which was the sole reason we came. However we were devastated to hear it was no longer selling T_T!

 Unfortunately we were deceived by the glam “swiss ice-cream” imagery!!! Note to self: Do not fall for the luxury European marketing ploys.. This was WAY too sour for pleasure, my face literally screwed up like a pug after one spoonful.. This place is actually quite famous for their pastries and yoghurt ice-cream. I recommend the macarons here, they are actually quite tasty and the yoghurt ice cream is a delight =) but stay AWAY from the rip off small SOUR tasteless movenpick ice-cream!!

@encasa

Encasa is a beautiful restaurant; you pretty much always need a reservation to get a table. The food really is fantastic, and the atmosphere is cosy yet bubbly. We recommend it, definitely!

mMm No one can refuse a jug of sangria. Personally i prefer sangria to be a little bit on the sweet side, but this one was a little bitter rather than a refreshing hit.

This was pleasant, but not overwhelmingly amazing that I wanted to drink glass after glass of. I personally prefer the one from Winery but then again that one is more fruity and has less alcohol(?).

Gambas al Ajillo; Peeled king prawns in sizzling garlic oil and chilli

Prawns and garlic. Can anyone resist?

Patatas Bravas; Fried potato w/ garlic mayo and spicy tomato salsa

A MUST for anyone to get when they go to Encasa. It could not be any more perfect!

The potatoes were perfectly seasoned with a crispy texture.

Vieiras en Azafran; Scallops in the shell with saffron, shallots and cream

MmmMm this was delicious as well. The sauce was AMAZING. Wouldn’t mind having another one…or two…or three..again.

The cheese complements the chewiness of the scallops excellently and the fun part was to suck the left over cheese out of the shells. 

Paella Valenciana; Saffron rice with chicken and seafood

I have to say i’m not really that big of a fan of paella, although it could be considered as the highlight of the meal. I would much rather prefer to have more of the smaller tapas dishes, than fill up on this. Looks amazing though.

The burnt rice at the bottom was good, and the taste of the seafood did manage to absorb into the rice. I thought this was a perfect complementary dish for salty tapas. So i strongly recommend not to have this one on its own..

Photography, Fashion, Food

Although we are quite slow on the updates, we went to 'Shoot the Chef', one of the events held by the Crave Sydney Food Festival, which went for the whole month of October. How? Alvina won tickets! :D It was held in Chifley Plaza, and for the one night, most of the stores had special deals and promotions to accompany the music, food, and art, so it was definitely something to get excited about.

Can’t be a festive night without a bit of bubbles, there was free champagne and unfortunately we did not get drunk enough to get into foolish situations to make this blog more interesting hehe.

 

Live music is a million times better, the classical string quartet was quite appropriate to enjoy with the echoey spacious halls.

This was one of my favourites, but sadly I didn't quite capture the details as well as I should have. Those badges and emblems on "The General" are actually all kinds of food, as are the small things on the map. I thought it was quite a clever idea!

This was my other favourite. What can I say, just looking at it was pure enjoyment.

The lower floor was filled with people anticipating a pleasant night. If i must comment as a social spectator, it was actually quite a bourgeois affair (aka people trying to be all hosh posh). Why did this image come into mind? As the gentle piano caressed the wide marble floored halls, the brows of narcissistic women were raised and there was gliding of sombre foot steps. I actually didn’t mind this tranquil yet facade like atmosphere but just thought it was hilarious when the crowd transformed from swans to a swarm of hungry elephants when the canapés were served. We eyed a delicate looking breadstick wrapped in proscuitto, and the waiter even saved one for us stating “Do leave that one for the girls”, however the malicious old ladies had no mercy and took every last bread stick…

My favourite pick, i like the expression on his face because it makes me wonder what he is staring at. The rawness of the photo attracts my attention and the lifesaver’s hat definitely adds an extra touch to the colour palette.

The man here is the photographer of the photo behind, which was one of the winning ones.

All eyes of prey leered at these little babies for the whole night.. Tuscan canapés were being served. We found most of them a little too salty yet flavoursome. Which i do prefer rather than blandness.

Sorry for the blurriness, I think something was happening at the time and I couldn't give my full attention to the photo. However you can still see how stunning Pia Anderson looks...so it was a lovely surprise to see her around.

The lovely Pia Anderson, she was a model in one of the finalist’s portrait. She definitely added a vibrance and sweetness to the photograph.

Finished the night off with a bit of sweetness! Overall we had a fun night, admiring the photos, eating several canapes, shopping, talking, drinking, and enjoying each others company.