Chinese

Who would have thought that a TV show like Underbelly would enhance a dining experience? I was recently catching up with some friends at one of the relatively new hot spots in Kings Cross, Llankelly Place - LL Wine &... Continue reading LL Wine & Dine »

If any of these dishes look familiar, it's because they were prepared by Eric Wong, the former head chef of one of Chinatown's most prominent restaurants - BBQ King. In a courageous step, Eric has recently opened up his own... Continue reading Eric's BBQ »

I don't know about you, but when I go to a suburban sports club or RSL, all I expect them to serve me is a roast of the day! I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that a large percentage... Continue reading Yum Yum Brasserie, Auburn Soccer Club »

One of the best things about winter is being able to savour hot pots (steamboats) without breaking into an unbearable hot sticky sweat. I've recently found myself become a regular at SiChuan Hot Pot because the DIY (do-it-yourself) fun is... Continue reading SiChuan Hot Pot (Steamboat), Burwood »

Inbetween the four days where the Australian F1 Grand Prix was on, besides the occasional shopping and time spent at our grandstand seats, Zen and I also took the time to catch up with some familiar faces. One of the... Continue reading Wonton House, Melbourne »

Here's the first of ten stories about my recent trip to Melbourne. Long time readers will know that this has become a yearly event which of course coincides with the Formula One Grand Prix. In fact, I think this was... Continue reading Claypots Seafood Bar »

I wasn't going to blog about this but as soon as I reviewed the photos taken on my point & shoot, I couldn't wait to share the excitement, the sweetness and the fun. So here are a few snapshots of... Continue reading The ChocolateSuze Wedding Extravaganza »

Childhood memories of Chinese New Year have always featured elaborate homemade banquets on the eve of the New Year followed by a day witnessing the roaring of firecrackers and drums as the lion dance parades through masses of crowds in... Continue reading Chinese New Year 2010 and our suckling pig »

In celebration of the new year, I thought it would be suitable to look back at all of my best eats in 2009. Here, I've included some of my most frequently visited restaurants as well as a few memorable favourites.... Continue reading Top 10 list of the best I've eaten in 2009 »

Vincent's Noodle House has long been serving Lidcombe locals affordable Asian cuisine. While they no longer appear to be a small family-run business, having moved in to Dooleys Catholic Club, they're still bloody popular. Their pho dac biet (special beef... Continue reading Vincent's Noodle House »

With a name like this, how can anyone not like them? Smiling doughnuts are also commonly known as smiling mouth cookies, happy mouth cookie balls, deep-fried sesame cookie balls or from it's direct Cantonese translation, 笑口枣 means smiling mouth dates.... Continue reading Smiling Doughnuts (笑口枣) »

I don't care what you call it (or how you spell it): slushee, slushy, slushie, slurpee or granita. But this has to be the world's best tasting and looking slush. Served on large martini glasses, LNC Dessert House offer over... Continue reading The world's best slushee »

I'm a big fan of Time Out. I would never visit a city without first consulting the local Time Out guide. Time Out Sydney's Food Awards 09 winners were announced this week, so let's see who made the cut: People's... Continue reading The best of Sydney, according to Time Out »

While many are drawn to the Crown Complex at Melbourne for its gaming floor, I kept coming back for the food. It was New Years Eve 2008 and amidst the loud crowd building up outside, Sho Noodle Bar was busy... Continue reading Sho Noodle Bar, Melbourne »

My family isn't big on tradition and without any relatives in Australia, Chinese New Year celebrations usually consist of a home-made banquet with plenty of leftovers. This year, my Mum thoughtfully cooked up this modern Chinese dinner, some inspired by... Continue reading Chinese New Year 2009, Year of the Ox »

After being away from home-cooking for over a week, I found myself hunting down a Chinese restaurant. Claypot King sits on Swanston Street and immediately grabbed my attention because... well, how often would you find a Chinese restaurant with alfresco... Continue reading Claypot King, Melbourne »

One of the perks of working in the service industry is free food (and booze, but I like to focus more on the food). Last night, we took one of our clients out to The Malaya.... I had pre-booked the... Continue reading The Malaya »

It has been 2 years since my first and last meet-up with other Sydney food bloggers so I was thrilled to receive the email invitation to a yum cha meet and greet at East Ocean. Who was there? Suze from... Continue reading Sydney food bloggers meet up at yum cha »

I love nothing more than stumbling across a great restaurant. And that's exactly what happened within the first few hours of arriving in Hobart! Shu Yuan is a tiny Chinese vegetarian restaurant, hidden within the Bank Arcade. It's probably the... Continue reading Shu Yuan - Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant »

Talk of Din Tai Fung's perfect xiao long bao aka soup dumplings (or steamed mini pork buns) has been all over town. And as a result, it has been reviewed by almost every food blog and lifestyle magazine in the... Continue reading Din Tai Fung, World Square Sydney »

I accepted a very last minute invitation last week, to Zen's sister-in-law's 27th birthday party. It was going to be a small one with just her husband & kids, housemates, Zen, my baby brother and me. It started off well... Continue reading Birthday party with a surprise »

I'm not sure there are many restaurants out there with a Facebook page of more than 700 fans. Chinese Noodle Restaurant is a cheap and cheery place, popular with students, grads and just about everyone else... and has 719 fans... Continue reading Chinese Noodle Restaurant »

As I'm making my way to Shanghai Night (confusingly, the dumpling / noodle house next door), a woman fiercely slides open the door of New Shanghai and beckons us to sit down. The menu was practically identical to its rival... Continue reading New Shanghai Chinese Restaurant »

On the weekend... I found myself at the Buddha's Birthday festival in Darling Harbour. I was there for the vegetarian food fair ofcourse! The Chinese Garden Forecourt was filled with hungry families and volunteers from BLIA (Buddha's Light International Association) and IBAA (Fo Guang Shan Nan Tien Temple). Continue reading Buddha's Birthday vegetarian food festival 2008 »

I have found it. Fresh and cheap seafood that doesn't compromise on taste! Okay, so the service can be a hit and miss at times, but the food is casual Chinese at its best. Continue reading cheap and delicious, Auburn Chinese Restaurant »

I have just discovered a local Yum Cha that is comparable to those in the City. Rhodes Phoenix is neatly tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Rhodes Shopping Centre (also home to giant outlet Ikea). It is the 4th child of the Phoenix Restaurants family, the other siblings being Sky Phoenix, Hilltop Phoenix and Manly Phoenix; so I suppose it's success isn't really that surprising. Continue reading Rhodes Phoenix, Yum Cha »

I've been working across the street from Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen the last 9 months. So I jumped at the opportunity of finally lunching there when 2 workmates mentioned that they were planning on trying something new. The elderly Chinese have a respect for this place, and I can totally understand why. They serve delicious vegetarian alternatives and the Buddhist culture is truley brought out in the casual decor, genuine service and hearty menu. Catering for strict Buddhists means that there's no alcohol consumption on the premises. Sparkling juices are prepared in replacement of wine and beer. And tofu or soybean of all shapes and textures are served looking and sometimes even tasting like the meaty variation. Continue reading Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen »

Way back on the 9th of February, the Chinese New Year festival was officially launched... Continue reading Launch of Chinese New Year festival, Belmore Park »

Port Orient Restaurant transforms into a karaoke bar after 9pm. So while we were really here to embarrass ourselves, the food was surprisingly impressive. For $59.90 per person, we had the 'Special Christmas Banquet' with two entrees (four pieces for $10). And what a great night it was -there was plenty of laughter, great entertainment and fablulous views which overlooked the harbour. Continue reading Port Orient Restaurant (and Karaoke) »

The Nan Tien Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere... so it has kind of become a tourist attraction for any visiting relatives. And depite the rain yesterday, it was no exception for my great aunt. The temple is gloriously tranquil, filled with the grandeur of giant monuments, fancy landscapes and rich chandeliers. The dining hall, too, maintained the airy and peaceful ambience, with Buddha statues, soothing chants in the background and staff whom were extremely quiet and courteous. The vegetarian lunch set menu is available on Tuesdays to Fridays, 11am - 2pm, and on weekends from 11:30am until 2:30pm. Continue reading Lunch at Nan Tien Temple, Wollongong »

Iron Chef Chinese Seafood Restaurant is meant to be a part of the new breed. Along side it's sister restaurant, Zilver, they clearly stand out from the traditional Chinese restaurants, in terms of menu range, ambience and furnishing. The restaurant is classically decorated in royal red hues, live bamboo shoots and fancy spotlights. It is probably one of the best looking Chinese restaurants I've ever been to. Continue reading Iron Chef Chinese Seafood Restaurant »

Mother Chu's isn't a place you go to for service or cleanliness... The seating is crowded, but nonetheless, we ordered, and paid upfront. The food was fairly cheap, and as expected, very greasy. Passbyers can watch these starchy goodies being made from scratch by a family of women in the kitchen... rolling, kneeding, wrapping, steaming and frying. Continue reading Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet »

What a nice ending to a very hectic week. The Eyeblaster AU team switched on our Outlook out-of-office assistants, and diverted our direct lines for what we hoped to be a peaceful Friday afternoon... Lunch was served at the Moore Park Golden Century Seafood Restaurant. The ceiling to floor windows exposed us to the lovely landscaped streets of the Entertainment Quarter. The interior was spacious and airy... also unexpectedly quiet. Continue reading Moore Park Golden Century Seafood Restaurant »

Early Sunday morning, crowds gather amongst the steps of this restaurant to wait for a seat. Towards the busier afternoon, numbered tickets are handed out to ensure that it's a smooth process (yes, hungry yum-cha goers can sometimes make a scene if the queue is unjustified). Once our number is called, we feel a sense of pride... as though we've just won exclusive entrance to a celebrity fested event. I felt everyone's envy as we were hushed into the busy restaurant. Continue reading Yum Cha at Crystal Seafood Restaurant, Strathfield »

My family has been regulars at Auburn Chinese Restaurant for almost a year now. Before that, we never really tried any local restaurants. But this place has restored our trust! Now, it has become our alternative to home cooking. The Auburn Chinese Restaurant offers simple hearty Chinese food, with BYO. It is great casual dining for those lazy days. Be sure to turn up early though, because it gets packed by 7pm. Continue reading Auburn Chinese Restaurant »

Zen's constant craving for Peking Duck drove him into taking me to Sydney Beijing Restaurant, at Ashfield. We chose the Sydney Beijing Restaurant because after a quick search in Google, we couldn't help but notice the number of Chinese bloggers commenting at this restaurant's similarity to the original flavours in Beijing. Continue reading Sydney Beijing Restaurant »