Top 10 late night dining spots in Sydney
I can relate with anyone who gets hungry in the wee hours of the morning. So I’ve put together a top ten list of my fave restaurants for late night dining.
- Superbowl's (35 Goulburn St & 41 Dixon St, Sydney) menu caters for all your typical Chinatown cravings up til 2am every day. Feel like a midnight splurge? Try the delicate peking duck. Or if you're feeling peckish, I'd recommend sharing a pork and preserved egg congee (with deep-fried bread sticks of course), stir-fried pipis in a spicy XO sauce and one of the best salt and pepper prawns. Definitely give the noodles a miss though!
- Seoul Ria (Level 2, 605-609 Cnr of George and Goulburn St, Haymarket) beats Superbowl by an hour, opening until 3am daily. This is the place to be for all-things Korean. Their kim-chi pancakes are scrumptious but be prepare to queue up if you're planning on dining here during normal eating hours.
- Pancakes On The Rocks (4 Hickson Rd, The Rocks)... you can't ask for more from a place that offers breakfast 24 hours a day.
- Hey Hey Kebabs (Parramatta Rd, Auburn) defies the common kebab and pizza joint by offering sandwich pressed kebabs and crispy fried chips which are seasoned generously with chicken salt, leaving you feeling moreish at 4am. The friendly service and odd jokes makes this place a winner with inner-westies.
- Harry's Cafe De Wheels (Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo) is the legendary late night eatery that has been serving up pies, peas and mash for decades. Harry's operates til 2am Monday - Thursdays, til 1.30am on Sunday and 4am on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Mamak (15 Goulburn St, Sydney) makes the local Malaysians feel at home. They serve nasi lemak, roti kaya, cendol & ice kacang all day, right through to 3am.
- City Extra (E4, Circular Quay & 301 Church St, Parramatta) is a commercial-type cafe covering a little bit of every cuisine, 24 hours.
- Guzman y Gomez (Bayswater Rd Cnr of Pennys Ln, Kings Cross) makes it possible for you to munch on authentic Mexican quesadillas, tacos and burritos until 10pm Sunday - Thursdays and 2am on Friday & Saturday.
- BBQ King (18-20 Goulburn St, Sydney) do great Chinese dishes but are a tad pricey. Good thing they're open til 2am daily 'coz where else would you get such crispy glazed BBQ meat cuts this late?
- Star City's Trophies Foodcourt opens until 3am on Sunday to Thursday and 6am Friday & Saturday. They're a bit like an international food court. Cheap, tasty and umm, fast.
June 22, 2008
Chinese Noodle Restaurant
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 & counting!
Over the years, Chinese Noodle Restaurant has fine-tuned its process to meet its peak hour demands such that by the time a table is available for you, the order you had placed outside is served almost immediately. The service is as quick as fast food and rather quirky. Cans of soft drinks are stored in eskies and like most Northern Chinese and Uighur restaurants, there are grape vines hanging from the ceiling and wall tapestries on all sides.
At Chinese Noodle Restaurant, there's even a tiny squared window for customers to view the kneading, whacking and stretching of handmade noodles.
One of my favourite dishes here, is the eggplant special. Chunky pieces of eggplant are fried and coated in a light crisp glaze... thankfully, they have never been overbearingly soaked in oil.
I was in a classic kind of mood, so we also order these steamed pork and chive dumplings which are scrumptious with a dash of chilli and vinegar. The serving size was plentiful with a 12 serve only costing us $8.50. Other variations include egg & chives, pork & Chinese cabbage, pork & seafood, lamb & celery, lamb & onion and lamb & carrot. The dumplings can also be boiled or tossed in a light pan-fry.
These pan-fried mini pork buns were piping hot and so filling! The crunchy base was addictive so I found myself finishing off more than I should have! But I think I'd still prefer the crab filling from Shanghai Night / New Shanghai in Ashfield.
Today, the signature Xinjiang handmade noodle stir-fry was heavier than usual but the combination of Chinese cabbage, tomatoes and capsicum provided relief.
Nothing beats a tasty, authentic and highly addictive midweek dinner at Chinese Noodle Restaurant.
Chinese Noodle Restaurant
Prince Centre, Shop 7 / 8 Quay St, Chinatown
(02) 9281 9051
May 15, 2008
Buddha's Birthday vegetarian food festival 2008
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).
Here are some of my snapshots -
Buddha's Birthday Festival 2008
Saturday 10 - Sunday 11 May 2008
Darling Harbour
For more information, visit the official Nan Tien Temple events page: http://nantien.org.au/en/news/News_View.asp?NewsID=13
March 25, 2008
Valentines Day at Yoshii Restaurant
I celebrated Valentines Day a day early this year because the man had a work thing on the next night. That makes this post exactly 41 days late. Nonetheless, the 'Yoshii Course' degustation was truly memorable and simply marvelous. Even just reading through the menu, I can recall the taste of the black cod marinated with blue cheese flavoured miso. Ah, and the milk fed sashimi served with forest mushroom dressing was divine also... as was the blue swimmer crab and goats curd avocado roll.
I heart Yoshii... and you too, Zen ;-)
On arrival, I was pleased to find that the restaurant was just as intimate as my first visit. Candles were lit in tiny Moet & Chandon glasses against the wall. As we cleansed our hands with the warm towels, a young Japanese woman highlighted the different degustation sets. She took our drink orders and then bowed as she went to prepare them... leaving us in to adore the tantalising menu.
The sea urchin egg cup was a fabulous starter. The stock and egg white was light like custard and the egg yolk and sea urchin was rich and savoury. The snow pea and radish balanced and enhanced this dish.
The quintuple of entree was a tasteful artwork. It consisted of ocean trout with wrapped nashi pear served with kimizu, blue swimmer crab and goats curd avocado roll, grilled pacific oyster Matsumae style, deep fried kanpyou marinated with ginger juice and soy; and camquat with foie gras mousse pie.
This blue swimmer crab and goats curd avocado roll was my favourite of the five. The avocado's creaminess was matched perfectly with the delicate crab flavours. From memory, the leaves below were tiny trimmed shiso leaves... full of freshness!
The other entrees were interesting but not outstanding... and the cumquat with foie gras mousse pie was a disappointment as I tasted nothing but pastry. On the other hand, the next course was by far my absolute favourite! Who would have thought blue cheese would go so well with miso? Served with lotus root, celery and sesame toast, I tried desperately to extend the the buttery flavours in my mouth. I'd love to be served nothing but this as a main course.
The milk fed veal sashimi served with forest mushroom dressing was gorgeous to look at. The accompanying vegetables were cut into pretty flowers and some were shaved into tiny dainty shreds. The veal could have better been classified as rare than sashimi since the sides were grilled and not completely raw. But hey, I'm not complaining! The centre was a tender pink and the soy-based dressing was earthy and scrumptious.
After having the rose gum smoked wagyu beef with horse-raddish and turnip puree in tamari reduction, I promised myself I'd never consider becoming a vegetarian. It was tasty... very tasty... & the presentation was adorable too.
Ooo... this sushi platter had so many varieties of fish I instantly forgot them all! It was uber yummy :-)
For dessert, we had a few options to choose from. Zen opted for the mousse of mascarpone with soy powder and black sesame and I had the red bean spring roll with green apple and wasabi sorbet. Considering the fact that I've just had over 9 courses... this 1 dessert course didn't feel enough.
That night ended with a regular scoop of cookies and cream ice-cream in a waffle cone. It didn't look or taste as good as the green apple and wasabi sorbet, but at least it satisfied my sweet tooth.
Yoshii Restaurant
115 Harrington Street Sydney
Phone: 9247 2566
Web: www.yoshii.com.au
You can also read about my previous visit to Yoshii here.
December 04, 2007
ginger and pistachio brulee tart
Every time I'm in the Broadway area, which isn't often... I cannot resist stepping into Bourke Street Bakery. Yesterday was no different.
However, I think I ate the bad batch. Is there really such a thing, you ask?
I left the 5 megapixel point and shoot camera at home to charge... so here's my proof, taken with the handy 2 megapixel camera on my Nokia 6110.
The tart, clearly becoming a signature item has increased to $4.40. The case and custard was still as I had remembered... divine. The brulee was unfortunately a bitter, burnt toffee.
So, this visit wasn't as satisfying as my previous... but it's not going to stop me from trying another batch, another day.
Bourke Street Bakery on Broadway
130 George Street / Parramatta Road Broadway
Near Kinkos & Mountain Street
Phone: 9281 3113
Also at:
633 Bourke Street Surry Hills
474 Gardeners Road Alexandria (on the corner of Ellis Ave)
December 01, 2007
5 year anniversary at Flying Fish
This is the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from my seat. Fabulous aye?
Flying Fish is located in a warehouse along Pyrmont's Jones Bay Wharf, just off Pirrama Road. The story hasn't changed much since Zen and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary at Aria Restaurant. Monday morning, I had asked Zen to make a reservation at Ocean Room... Friday morning comes and he finally makes the call, only to be informed that they were booked out for a private function. Flying Fish was second on my list, so off we went to a double booked table.
We arrive early and eager at 6:00pm with a 6:15pm reservation. We're reminded that they must clear the table at exactly 7:45pm for the next table and the waitress also recommends we go for a 2 course, of either entree and mains or mains and dessert. If the weather permits, we can even take our dessert and tea or coffee to the outside deck.
So, it's 6:00pm and the restaurant isn't ready yet. We sit outside on the bar as the lounges have been taken by business suits. I order the cheeky cheeky mocktail which consists of crushed mandarin, caramelised something and ginger beer. Zen has the Peroni... one after another.
It is now 6:30pm and a few new arrivers have been taken in. We signal that we're ready and are swift away, upstairs to the best seat in the house. It's a private table for 2... facing the cloudy harbour. This is my view of the kitchen (raw bar)... I loved the huge timber walls and light features.
The service is kind and efficient. We're brought out warm linseed or white bread rolls, warm butter and sea salt flakes as the waitress introduces the daily specials and live tank.
We order the Seafood Tapas to share as an entree and it arrives in no time. The scampi sushi was fresh and so tasty, it was my favourite of the four. The other tapas included a kingfish sashimi and an eel dish.
My main course was the Humpty Doo barramundi. It was cooked to perfection with soft flaky flesh. The figs were sweet and ripe, and the pear and herb salad was crisp and simply delicious.
Zen had never seen white asparagus before but was delighted with the taste. The Wagyu was char-grilled to a tender medium and was much bigger than it looked.
Now, look at these huge hand cut chips with chilli salt. They were thick, golden, crunchy and so flavoursome.
At precisely 7:40pm, not rushed at all, we asked for the bill and left our gorgeous table view. There were a few seats outside and the rain had cleared... but we were too full for dessert.
Flying Fish is now one of my favourite restaurants. The ambience was stunning, the food was fabulous and the service was sweet.
Happy 5 year anniversary, Zen.
Flying Fish restaurant
Jones Bay Wharf, Lower Deck
19 - 21 Pirrama Road Pyrmont
T: 9518 6677
W: www.flyingfish.com.au
November 12, 2007
Eugenia's Hens Night
[!] This post isn't really about food
Eugenia is the first of B.DesComp's 2004 grads to get married... woohoo! So here we were on Saturday night, to congratulate the bride-to-be.
For $55 plus drinks, we were fed and entertained...
Starters were bread, fried eggplant, dolmades (aka stuffed vine leaves), celery & carrot sticks with dips. The tzatziki was deliciously refreshing and the fried eggplant was light and crispy.
The Greek salad was traditionally tossed with plentiful olives, onion, feta cheese, tomatoes and cucumber.
I really loved the fried halloumi cheese. It was pan-fried to a golden brown and was flavoured with oregano, olive oil, salt and lemon. The texture was hard... quite similar to chicken... and very addictive!
We were then served more filo pastry with spinach and feta cheese... as well as a seafood and meat platter. All you need to know is that Mykonos is very generous with the serving portions. We were stuffed... but luckily burnt it out on the dance floor :-D
The theme was 'devilicious'... like our horns?
![Eugenia's Hens Night at Mykonos on Crown - [L - R] Jodie Nguyen, Jennifer Lam](http://www.jenius.com.au/images/eugenia_hensNight_018.jpg)
For more photos of the night (including a few R-rated ones), visit my Flickr set flickr.com/photos/foodiejenius/sets/72157603100981425.
Mykonos on Crown
248 Pitt Street Sydney (Basement of Zodiac Hotel)
Web: www.mykonosoncrown.com.au/php/welcome.php
October 30, 2007
Machiavelli
Machiavelli needs no introduction. It's reputation has been flourished by the high rollers and politicians of Sydney and with that, expect to pay the high prices.
Tradition and familiarity are key aspects of Machiavelli's success. Old men, all groomed well in black suits and bow ties fuss about the preparation table while others wait tables. The menu is small but has the fine usuals including Bolognese and Steak Diane.
We started off with some smoked salmon, served fresh with generous amounts of capers and thinly sliced onion.
The fried zucchini flowers were delicious too. The innards were filled with a gorgeous ricotta blend and the blossoms were airy and crisp.
I ordered the fusilli crab as my main. Tender flakes of crab meat were intertwined with a creamy white wine sauce. It was a huge serving but was it $38's worth?
Funnily enough, we had walked past a McDonald's on our way here... and the French Fries were exactly reminiscent of that. They were identically fried to a golden brown crunch, but served in a cute iron pan.
My companion had the pepper steak which was a perfect medium-rare...
The strawberries were irresistible... All night, I watched as they were picked, cut and flamed over a blue light. MmMmmm...
We walked out, full as can be... greeting and waving to some old Italian friends. Machiavelli isn't a place you'd go daily... not unless it was a business-paid-for expense of course.
Machiavelli Ristorante Italiano
123 Clarence St Sydney
Monday -Friday 12 noon - 2:30pm & 6 - 9 pm
Closed weekends and Public Holidays
Tel: 9299-3748
Web: www.machiavelli.com.au
September 28, 2007
Bourke Street Bakery
I love this place with passion. Bourke Street Bakery has delicious savoury breads, sourdough of all sorts and my favourite tarts.
They used to do an amazing pistachio and ginger brulee tart which seems to have been replaced by this vanilla brulee tart with strawberry puree. (A good thing since strawberries are in season now)
The tart was gorgeous. A delicate layer of crystalised sugar floated lightly above the creamy vanilla filling. The buttery case was rich & just as satisfying!
I also picked up a plain croissant to munch on... it was light and flaky.. mmmmmm :)
Bourke Street Bakery on Broadway
130 George Street / Parramatta Road Broadway
Near Kinkos & Mountain Street
Phone: 9281 3113
Also at:
633 Bourke Street Surry Hills
474 Gardeners Road Alexandria (on the corner of Ellis Ave)
September 26, 2007
Nagoya Yakiniku
This post was due a few weeks back when I was craving Yakiniku. Nagoya doesn't compete against Iwa in terms of class, style and presentation... but hey! It's a buffet. That's right -all you can eat for 1.5 hours.
There are various buffet options with respective prices. I went for the Wagyu and sashimi option which includes the following and much, much more:
We munched down 2 huge plates of Wagyu. Sliced paper thin, the well-marbled and endless supply of wagyu was a dream come true. The custard was steamy hot and silky as it should be. It was fragrant with the shitake mushrooms... well worth the 15 minute wait.
This was my first taste of yukke... and I think it was also my last. The raw beef looked slimey and unedible. It was rich with sesame oil and creamy with the egg yolk... but my taste buds didn't enjoy it.
The takoyaki balls were yummy! No where as good as in Osaka but still delicious.
... And we finally finished the 1.5 hour of gorging with a last order of ice-cream and oranges.
Another popular buffet yakiniku is Suminoya... which i will visit soon.
Nagoya Takiniku
Tel: (02) 9212-0007
Shop 3, 78-86 Harbour St, Sydney
September 19, 2007
Caliniere
Here's our second team lunch, to make up for the first unsuccessful attempt... and ofcourse to welcome a new member to the team!
I've walked past Caliniere plenty of times... but have never really noticed it as one cannot help by stare at the bull's balls along World Square's Hordern Arcade. Calinere's sophistication is evident upon a glance. The light bulb installation is a modern day chandelier. And the floral wallpaper completes the glamour of such a small restaurant.
I love French and Modern Australian food. It combines the best of both worlds; fresh produce which is served in a rich but not pretentious manner.
Complimenary bread is often a prequisite in European restaurants. Here, it wasn't offered... nor was it on the menu. But when requested, a basket of lovely hot baguette was served with a dazzling mix of balsamic and olive oil.
For some odd reason, N ordered an entree only. One plump ravioli sat in a creamy light sauce. Small and delicious.
I had the scotch fillet which was cooked to a perfect medium. In contrast, the steak was a little cool but the accompaniments were piping hot. Check out my Jenga fries!
M and D both ordered the silver dory... E had the pork belly which looked and smelt scrumptious.
You've probably noticed this... I have a weakness for brulee. I've tried quite a few variations now and this aniseed flavour is on top. I'm used to aniseed being used in savoury dishes such as in the stock of Pho (Viet beef noodle soup). But I have to admit... the spice was such an exquisite twist to the classic creme brulee. I loved it!
There's a promotion running at the moment: purchase 2 main meals and get a free dessert to share! Offer ends 31st October 2007.
Caliniere Restaurant
Web: www.caliniere.com
Diethnes Greek Restaurant
One of the perks of being a food blogger is the exposure to hidden treasures. Thanks to one of my regular readers, I have recently discovered a fabulous Greek gem. The ironic thing is, it’s not so much hidden… as there’s a huge neon sign… and I only just work next door!
The Pitt Street entrance to Diethnes leads you down a staircase to a large underground room with plentiful ornaments (perhaps to distract you from the fact that there are no windows). We feel the Greek vibe immediately as we're greeted by jolly waitstaff who leaves a huge basket of bread on the table. The chilled butter was not a good sign as I prefer it at room temperature. Thankfully, the crusty baguette was loaded with sesame and tasted of freshness.
The menu included several banquet options which all looked superb... but there was a minimum of four per order. So without a choice, we skimmed through the house specials and they were just as enticing. I ordered the beef bifteka which was served with a garden salad on the side (not sure why it wasn't a greek salad! I would have loved some herbs, feta and olives...). The biftika was delicious. It was hot, hearty but not too meaty... and somehow light at the same time.
My two lunch buddies ordered the lamb dishes... both of which said the lamb was so tender it fell right off the bone. I'm not a fan of lamb... there's something about the smell. But try it. I've been told it's the one thing you must order at Diethnes.
Albeit full with our belly protruding, we couldn't resist having dessert. The creme caramel was bouncy... jelly-like and gorgeously sweet. The custard pie reminded me of baklava although less syrupy and more caramely. The cream was divine also. It was so airy... & completely disappeared the second it touched my lips, but i'm sure the effects still went down to my waist!
Diethnes definately gives you your money's worth and they cater well for large groups! I'd love to try the Moussaka soon too... but this time, I was positively too full.
Diethnes Greek Restaurant
336 Pitt St Sydney
Web: www.diethnes.com.au
August 31, 2007
Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen
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.
Mother Chu's also do vegetarian peking duck! But considering our limited hour, we only had the San Choi Bao. There were bits of bamboo shoots, shitake mushrooms and water chestnut. I didn't really take notice of the other ingrdients but each bite was full of flavour. You could barely tell that it didn't consistent of meat!
Next was the honey glazed pumpkin and apples. The photo talks for itself. A thick yet light crisp batter coated the sweet pieces of pumpkin and apple. The glazed honey was perfect and wasn't one bit too sticky nor sweet. I'm coming back here for the dessert fritters... available in pineapple, banana and more.
The hot pot was meant to add greenery to our meal. But instead we were served white vegetables (cauliflower, potatoes & Chinese cabbage) in a glutinous curry sauce. The soybean and nori rolls were fried to a golden brown and tasted a lot like fish!
Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen was warm & cosy. The generous serving sizes and yummy food makes it one of the must visit places along Pitt Street :)
Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen
367 Pitt St Sydney
Mon-Fri 12:00pm- 3:00pm
Mon-Sat 5:00pm-10:00pm
Tel: (02) 9283-2828
Web: http://sydney.citysearch.com.au/E/V/SYDNE/0020/16/08/1.html