From me, the highest recommendation to scoot on out to Maroubra Junction and dine at Kitchen by Jamie. I like food with a story, and I’m charmed by this one, as years ago, Jamie and Daniela invited me (and some friends) over to their place for the concept ‘Dine with…’, a sort of dinner party with a professional chef. It combined wonderful food that you couldn’t make yourself with the comfortable feeling of home.
That same feeling has been transferred to their new restaurant, that feels both high-end and polished, but also like hanging out with friends or family. It was all the more comforting that we stopped by for Sunday lunch when there are the Sunday roast specials. We couldn’t resist.
Possibly the largest Yorkshire pudding that I’ve ever seen, a very rich gravy, perfectly crisp roasted potatoes, carrots, green beans and for me: roast pork (delicious, tender, perfect) and for husband: roast beef (tasty, he said).
Our vegetarian guest had homemade gnocchi, the first time she’d tried it, and was impressed with it, as well as the generous sprinkle of almonds. The dishes we had did remind me of my first meeting with Jamie and Daniela. The food is beautiful and of a quality that’s clear a professional is in charge here (he describes his cuisine as combining British and French). It’s beautifully plated on gorgeous plates. But it’s also not fussy or complicated food, and the real emphasis is on food that is perfectly tasty.
We managed to get through the desserts too (that came with the roast dinner). A rocky road brownie, replete with marshmallows and dried fruit; and one of the best sticky date puddings I’ve ever had. The food really is wonderful and the hospitality unbeatable. Do go check it out!
Belanchan is a chili shrimp paste found as an ingredient in both Indonesian and Malaysian food. I’m not so familiar with it from my Cantonese background, but find it earthy and complex, with a hit of spice. So, to see it as the feature ingredient of the Char Kway Teow, the fried rice noodles dish that I love (and I find the Malaysian and Indonesian versions of this more flavourful and interesting than the Cantonese version I had as a kid), this was a no brainer of a choice.
Surprising that after only discovering the Medan Ciak on Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills recently, I came upon their CBD branch (which I’d seen but not taken note of). It’s just around the corner from GetUp! where I’m doing some volunteering in the lead-up to the national election. So, I’ll have the opportunity to make it a regular lunch spot!
A friend introduced me to the Botany View Hotel for a meal a few weeks back, and I found the experience so fun, we thought we’d do another pub dinner in Enmore (the bottom end of King Street, Newtown).
The Union Hotel has been around for yonks, though I think they change the menu and chefs every few years. On a Wednesday night, it was nicely buzzing; it’s what I liked about the feel of the other pub. Friends and couples and families out for a treat, a nice meal in a relaxed and casual atmosphere.
The food was good. I’ve been kind of interested in the concept of a ‘chopped salad’ and how I don’t think I had really understood it, and I don’t think it’s a ‘thing’ in Australia, but in the USA, it seems to be a long-established food trend, where you simply chop a salad into small pieces and coat it with the right amount of dressing.
Sometimes called a Cobb Salad, it’s said to date back to the 40s, but seems to have had a resurgence in recent years. It’s all about getting a perfectly well-distributed biteful of a good mixture of taste and crunch. More complicated than it might seem, but I could definitely see the appeal, in the Southern Fried Chicken chopped salad that I had, which was basically a delicious mixture and combo (in fact, if you’re at all interested, this 
My pal had a haloumi salad and also enjoyed it; we also had a side of slightly sad garlic bread, and inexpensive house wine and lemon, lime and bitters. All in all, a fun night out, and I have to say that I liked the kooky decor too.
Biting into a whole cardamom is always unpleasant; it’s soapy and pungent, with a concentrated punch. But the thing is, as I know from when I’ve used it in my own cooking, it’s a good sign: that a dish has great spices, and not just ground powders. And Medan Ciak serves up Indonesian food with great flavour.
The Longtong Sayur looked the most foreign to me, even though I was tempted by a special of an Indonesian style of wonton with roast pork. I’m glad I ordered it: a rich sauce and gravy, lots of different bits of food (a hard-boiled egg, crispy dried fish, a piece of chicken) and with the base starch a sort of rice cake, which was unfamiliar to me.
I would guess that the reason I didn’t review Dead Ringer before is because I’ve only had cocktails here. But what cocktails! An interesting selection with enticing descriptions in a fun, casual, hip atmosphere. I sent friends here who told me they’ve been back more than once to flirt with the cute barmen. But finally, I managed to get a meal here, and it didn’t disappoint.
In any case, an Australian, a Swede and a Canadian meet at Dead Ringer. We split three mains, the gnocchi with wilted greens, smoked mozzarella and pine nuts ($26), the blue-eyed cod with pepperonata and charred salsa ($33) and charred flat-iron steak with a celeriac remoulade ($32), which I think was our favourite and the only one I got a photo of (I think I forgot to take photos as we were having such a good time).
I’d heard recommendations but hadn’t made my way to the Lankan Filling Station in Darlinghurst. We arrived a little after 7pm on a Tuesday and it was packed; we had to wait another half an hour to get in. Then, it’s a crowded little place with tiny tables, and I wasn’t sure of what to make of the menu: like a yum cha place where you tick off the orders on your own.
But we got into the groove of things. The Beef Pan Rolls could have been not so pleasant in someone else’s hands. Plain flour crepes stuffed with ground beef, and then fried. But it was perfectly crispy, contrasting with the soft inside. The spices were great, as was a bright red dipping sauce.
I find hoppers, either the crisp pancake kind, or the ones made out of rice noodles, a very tasty creation. We had ours with an egg in the centre, which I liked. But what really excites me are the sambals: with grated coconut and spices and pickles: I should pay more attention. But they’re really good mixed and matched with various bites (photo at the top!)
Goat curry is one of my favourites: such a strong flavour. The issue is that it usually is so full of bones that it’s hard to get at any meat. So, a boneless curry in an intense black curry, made of clove, cinnamon, cardoman and coriander seeds, charred and ground: heaven.
Likewise the eggplant, with shiny fried curry leaves, a hit of sour in there somewhere to go with the spice. It’s got both tamarind in it and tomatoes. I loved this dish.