Nom Nom Nibblies- we live, we laugh, we cry, we eat.

Mad Mex- Fresh Mexican Grill

2010-06-08T21:10:00.003+10:00

This Subway-style Mexican food bar is great for fast, fresh, healthy and quality options! Their food is packed with authentic flavours, service is friendly and they have funky lights and mosaic wall hehe

Mad Mex

L’s chicken quesadilla was a great snack option for the cold weather! The grilled tortilla came with a filling of cheese and a choice of meat is served with salsa and sour cream, add two dollars for extra guacamole :). The sour cream to our surprise was quite thin and had a liquid consistency – perfect textured to be used as a dip hehe

Chicken Quesadilla ($8.90) extra Guacamole ($2)

J had a small pork burrito with black beans, rice, cheese, lettuce, salsa and sour cream wrapped in a piece of soft tortilla :) This was a lighter option but because of the quantity it actually got J pretty full with no room for dinner! The pork was tender and juicy, and the entire burrito was packed with flavours thanks to the authentic herbs and spices :D

Small Pork Burrito ($7.90) extra Guacamole ($1)

(umm.. yeh.. should've taken the photo before they wrapped it haha woops)

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Mad Mex

2/241 Crown St,

Darlinghurst NSW 2010

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Ayam Goreng 99 – Indonesian style chicken

2010-06-04T21:30:00.001+10:00

Still craving the infamous Indonesian style chicken from Ayam Goreng 99, L and J headed off to Kingsford again with two other friends P and S.

L, P and S all had their famous char-grilled chicken :) The authentic Indonesian chicken was nicely marinated with a choice of breast or thigh. It was bursting with flavor compared to your typical charcoal chicken and you could really taste that char grilled flavour.

J tried the deep fried Javanese style chicken which was somewhat similar to the char-grilled version (it even looks the same haha, we had to ask the waiter which one is which :P). This one was probably more dry comparatively, but it’s a good sort of dry… the meat was more fluffy and lose, definitely in a good way :D

Oh and don’t forget the ketchup sauce (not the tomato sauce haha but the sweet Indonesian soy sauce kecap manis :P) or the chili sauce that both go really nice with the chickens!

L also tried the deep fried soybean and tofu which was nicely fried with a thick batter. They were relatively plain in flavour but made as a good alternative to rice to eat with the chicken.

Charcoal grilled marinated chicken ($6), Deep fried marinated chicken Javanese style ($6), Deep fried soybean and tofu ($2 each)

We also tried the Chicken satay :D which came covered in a really thick and rich peanut sauce, sweet soy sauce and deep fried shallots :)

Chicken Satay ($8 for 5 sticks)

For drinks, we had the avocado juice and cendol :D The avocado juice might sound really rich and filling, but it’s actually quite fresh! The mix of mocha and condensed milk made the drink more like a milkshake making it very addictive. On the other hand, the ice cendol was probably more heavy but still very good with everything in the right proportions :D

Avocado juice with Mocha, shaved ice and condensed milk ($5)

Green jelly with Palm sugar and coconut milk ($5)

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Ayam Goreng 99

464 Anzac Parade,
Kingsford NSW 2032‎

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Happy Birthday Chocolatesuze! (belated :P)

2010-05-31T01:15:00.003+10:00

soooo it was chocolatesuze’s birthday/ food blogger meet up on saturday… despite the bad weather, J & L both managed to arrive at the city hotel..though a bit late hehe.. dressed up according to the theme- back to school :D

We finally got to meet the many faces behind the blog that day - some who only just joined the family like ourselves and also some pretty popular food bloggers and of course the birthday girl suze :D!

It was actually really overwhelming to see how many Sydney food bloggers there are! and that was just a small portion of them! it’s such a lovely feeling when you meet all these other people who share the same interest and passion as yourself :)

Thanks again Suze for hosting the very successful food bloggers event ! The cake was awesome ! It was a great chance to meet and greet...and eat ! :P

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

Pinangsia- Indonesian Noodle House

2010-05-28T00:01:00.003+10:00

When someone recommends a particular dish or restaurant and often keeps suggesting it, you know it’s definitely worth a try. Our friend P absolutely adores the well known grilled chicken at Ayam Goreng 99 and always been urging us to try. So after day of hard study at uni hehe we decide to head over to Anzac Parade and reward ourselves with this delicious chicken.

Arriving promptly at 5:00pm, we were eager for an early dinner.

“OMIGOSH! I forgot it doesn’t open until 6 for dinner!!” exclaimed P as we stared at the closed signed displayed in front of the empty restaurant.

Ultimately, were torn between waiting for another hour or to go to another place instead. In the end, our stomachs won the battle and we decided to go somewhere else, meaning that we would have to come back another time for Ayam Goreng :P

So we end up at Pinangsia Noodle House, another Indonesian restaurant famous for their giant meatballs.

The three of us were hungry and we decided to share a few dishes.

Bakmi Goreng Ala Jakarta aka Mie Tek-Tek Goreng ($8)

This was a special Jakarta style fried noodles with a mixture of tomato, cabbage, shredded chicken and prawn crackers. With thick and soft egg noodles, this dish was pretty filling. Though it had a little bit too much pepper..

Nasi Goreng Kombinasi ($8.50)

The combination fried rice had BBQ pork, beef balls, fish balls and a fried egg. This dish was a bit like a rice version of the fried noodles, also a bit too peppery. But fried fish balls and fried egg with fried rice can’t go too wrong :D

Ayam Goreng Bumbu Bali ($7.50)

Still craving a good fix of chicken, we opted to try the Ayam Goreng Bumbu Bali, a Balinese style deep fried chicken topped with a melted peanut sauce blended with sweet soy sauce and onions. The peanut sauce was quite rich and creamy, and had big chunks of nuts hehe! It made for a very tasty addition for the tender chicken.

Bakso Goreng ($1.50/meatball)

And of course we couldn’t leave without trying the fried meatballs. They’re reasonably large in size (about a tennis ball ;P) and were a delicious side dish. They were fried nice and crunchy on the outside with a thin and sort of chewy meat layer inside. They were good on their own or dipped in chilli!

Martabak Bangka ($6)

This traditional Indonesian pancake was also recommended by P and we chose peanut, chocolate and cheese for the fillings. It looked like a thick crumpet with the toppings piled on. Though chocolate and melted cheese might sound a bit weird, this combination was an excellent choice :D ! The crunchy nuts and smooth chocolate were quite sweet, with the subtle hint of saltiness from the cheese, it made a very rich and satisfying dessert. Even thought we were already very full, we still managed to finish the entire plate: P.

Anzac Parade provided us a pleasant early dinner and our hunger was satisfied. But we definitely needed to go back another time for Ayam Goreng 99 :P

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Pinangsia

319 Anzac Parade,

Kingsford NSW 2032

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Churras – The Brazilian Barbecue

2010-05-24T20:52:00.004+10:00

One of our friend S is a huge fan of meat, so when it was time for our next get together, she specifically requested if we could catch up over a “meat fest”. So then it just came to picking a place that would satisfy her cravings. Ribs just seemed a bit too casual and a steak house didn’t quite seem right.

“Oh! I know ! Why not Churras!” suggests P. “It’s all you can eat meat!” “And they have the nicest sangria!”

It sounded perfect. So after confirming a booking, the five of us (J, L, P, E and of course S) were set to eat our way through the ‘Rodizo’ - basically 16 types of skewered meat.

How it works is they come to us with skewers of bbq meat every so often :D, and on the table we had a plastic square which was red on one side and green on other. Whenever we wanted the meat flow to continue we were to put the green side facing up. Anytime we wanted a break, we simply flipped it to the red side and no meat came to us for awhile.

The meats were quite salty so it was really good to eat them with some rice or potatoes. We tried most of the 16 skewerrs but our particular favourites included the garlic bread where we could really feel the char grilled flavour, the chicken wings which was tender and nicely cooked and the very juicy chicken legs.

To balance all the meat, we also all shared a fresh garden salad, creamy potato salad, rice with black beans, deep fried bananas and chunks of deep fried cassava and polenta (all included in the all you can eat). The rice and black beans were rather bland and tasted just like plain beans, which was a good balance to the salty meat. The polenta had a nice crunchy coating but was quite salty.

The prawns had an interesting burst of coconut flavour and the honey cinnamon pineapple cooked with a very intense mix of spices that was too strong for all of us except for J who didn’t mind it.

Rodizo - $35 pp

Salad

Deep fried banana, cassava and polenta

Rice with black beans

Our friendly waiter with our favourite Garlic bread :P

Chicken legs

Mushrooms

Sirloin

Chicken wings

Chili rump cap

Chicken thighs

Pork Neck

Chicken Hearts

Garlic rump cap

Beef ribs

Coconut prawns

Honey Cinnamon Pineapple

The White wine sangria had a mixture of fresh and canned summer fruits, sort of like a fruit punch but with white wine :D. It was very light and accompanied our heavy meats very well. We found it so addictive to just keep drinking more. Despite the hefty price, this was an absolute favourite for all of us.

Sangria ($28/jug)

Overall it was a really tasty experience and definitely satisfied our meat cravings. All the meats were all very succulent and rich in flavour but were quite salty so we ordered multiple servings of garlic bread, potatoes and fried bananas. Feeling absolutely full as we left the little restaurant, it was just the “meat fest” S had been wanting :P

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Churras

219 Oxford St
Darlinghurst NSW 2010

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Melbourne: Shoya Nouvelle Wafu Cuisine

2010-05-16T00:15:00.006+10:00

Shoya is one of Melbourne’s best Japanese restaurants offering a wide range of degustation menus composed of both traditional and modern Japanese dishes at its finest. After hearing very good feedbacks from their relatives, J and her family decided to treat themselves to lunch on the last day of their trip to Melbourne.

After comparing the menus, most of us went for the Shoya Festive Course priced at $100 per person as it is probably offers the most for its value with salmon caviar, truffle, wagyu beef and Taraba crab leg etc. :p

The eel canapé and grilled perch were extraordinarily tasty… the luxurious flavours of the truffles, caviar, and foie gras perfectly complements and enhances the aromatic grilled fish… these should definitely be eaten in one big bite as it creates a great sensation on the tastebuds as the rich flavours from each layer of ingredient unfolds one after the other inside your mouth! haha

Unagi Canape- Grilled miso marinated eel canapé topped with crab meat salad, Salmon caviar and truffle

Golden Perch- Lightly grilled miso flavoured perch topped with tomato mousse, foie gras, and semi dried Mullet Roe

Look at this crystal ball! or maybe.. ice ball? haha what a great way to keep your sashimi nice and cold :D especially when it’s this fresh. their wasabi also seems to be freshly grinded :)

Assortment of Sashimi

The stewed ox tongue was very soft and tender, flavoured with a hint of sweetness possibly from Mirin? The spinach soufflé was more like a sheet of pastry :)

Beef Spinach Roll- Stewed Ox Tongue wrapped with spinach soufflé served with lemon, basil yogurt

It actually looks much smaller than it really was! The crab leg could probably extend from the elbow to the palm when stretched :O note how the salt is mixed with green tea powder!

Crab Tempura- Whole ‘Taraba’ crab leg deep-fried in tempura style

The fish steak of the day was tuna toro (which is the best part of the fish from the underside, graded according to fat content, similar to wagyu) :D

Fish Steak- Chef selection of fresh fish fillet, served then laid on a bed of teriyaki sauce and sesame vinegar

The wagyu also had a sweet flavour to it similar to the ox tongue. It was served with a slice of pastry, possibly a potato quiche?

Wagyu Beef Steak- Wagyu eye fillet dressed with black truffle, enoki, shiitake miso sauce

The light and mildly flavoured mixed rice was a perfect way to end the series of savoury dishes :)

Mixed Rice- Mixed tasty steam rice with chicken, vegetables and mushrooms

Today’s dessert were a chocolate mousse cake and a sea urchin cheese cake. Though none of us could really taste the sea urchin, the cheese cake was fluffy like most Japanese cheese cakes. And the mousse cake was velvety rich in chocolate :D

Chef’s Dessert

The Shoya Special Business Lunch Set at $65 was similar to the Festive Course menu, just without the Stewed Ox tongue and fish steak… well and there was only half a crab leg and the wagyu from the Festive course was of course of higher grade and had no truffle. But it was already very satisfying :D

The lunch sets were more simple and basic, but were also of high quality :) … The Kaisen Oyako Set ($24.80) included Kaisen Oyako Don, Mini UDON, Chilled Bean Curd, Savory Egg Custard, Dessert.

Kaisen Oyako Don- Sushi rice topped with Salmon Sashimi and salmon roe

The Ume Set ($32) included Sashimi, Seasonal Grilled Fish, Tempura, Teriyaki Beef, Savory Egg Custard, Mixed Steamed Rice, Miso Soup and Dessert.

Does anyone else think that the presentation of the sashmi looks kind of like a bird? or maybe my imagination is just a bit too crazy :P hehe.. and also note that the white-ish looking thing beneath the leaf is acutally a frozen half orange!

Assortment of Sashimi

The seasonal grilled fish was eel :) with edamame

Grilled Eel

The teriyaki beef is prepared in the same style as the wagyu beef in the business lunch set.

Assortment of Tempura

Savory Egg Custard

The dessert was a choice of ice cream. The sesame ice cream was very nice and was probably house-made. The flavour was very strong, the texture was very smooth and creamy with actual pieces of crushed black sesame :)

Shoya also serves a many other styles of authentic Japanese dining including bbq, a la carte and you could also rent your own chef! (wow :O!) It was definitely one of the best dining experience J has had in Melbourne this time :) really looking forward to going back next time! hehe

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

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Shoya Nouvelle Wafu Cuisine
25 Market Ln
Melbourne, 3000

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Melbourne: Café Vue at 401

2010-05-12T18:46:00.005+10:00

Owner of the Vue de monde group is one of Melbourne’s greatest chefs- Shannon Bennet. His café on 401 St. Kilda Road is a more casual and relaxed version of the Vue de monde restaurant. Their food was simple but exceptional.

Soft shell crab with tomato and cumin sauce($19)

Duck ravioli with sage butter ($19)

Terrine du jour

This 12 hour cooked beef cheek was incredibly soft and tender.

Braised beef cheek with baby vegetables ($30)

Miso marinated barramundi with clams meuniere ($30)

Ocean trout with sorrel sauce ($30)

This dish is the epitome of 'simple but exceptional food' mentioned above... The roast chicken was perfectly cooked- not only was the meat very tender, but it was also still firm and did not lose its texture. The chips were also very addictive as they were more solid and firm compared to ordinary ones. Possibly the best roast chicken and chips out there! :D

Roast chicken with mash potatoes or fries

And for dessert...

Madeleines with honey ice cream ($16)

Pistachio crème brulee ($16)

Pear tart tatin ($16)

Pistachio, chocolate, coconut, orange, strawberry and passion fruit macaroons

The bitter sweet warm chocolate mousse went very well with the sour poached plums. The chocolate biscuit or cake crumbs added more texture to this delight :)

Poached plum with warm chocolate mousse ($16)

Café Vue at 401 had a very stylish and modern interior. The vibrant colours definitely creates an upbeat atmosphere and makes an impression in the minds of many- especially their washrooms, possibly the red-est one out there haha

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Café Vue at 401

401 St Kilda Rd
Melbourne, 3141

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Coco Cubano

2010-05-08T23:57:00.004+10:00

With the weather cooling right down in Sydney, one of the best ways to warm up is having a relaxing chitchat over a cup of hot chocolate… or maybe more than just one cup :P

Still feeling the need for something sweet after dinner, J & L ended up at Coco Cubano. Located on the corner, the Cuban café boasted a big cursive script sign, customers all scattered in their outdoor section and huge menu boards behind the counter. Our eyes went straight to the list of premium hot chocolate which attracted us immediately. With so many new and exotic flavours on offer, we seriously were torn and in the end we couldn’t resist but try a few …

Mojo – Irish Cream Hot Chocolate ($4.75 for small)

If hot chocolate could get more indulgent, then it would be the Mojo. A Hint of Irish Cream (Think Bailey’s!) mixed with smooth creamy chocolate resulted in an extremely creamy but not too overpowering drink. It was sweet and made a delightful after dinner drink. This was our favourite !

Valentino – Rose Hot Chocolate (4.75)

This was a delicious concoction of chocolate and rose. The smooth velvety chocolate was a pleasure to drink and reminded us of the rose and lychee combination – just like the cupcakes from Sparkle Cupcakery!

Berry – Strawberry Hot Chocolate ($4.75)

This was a nice drink, although being the least exotic out of the three. It tasted like a smooth liquid version of chocolate dipped strawberries!

Coco Cubano also had an eclectic décor, with mismatched photos and frames all around the wall, mismatched chairs and sofas and even book-like cardboard boxes to signify our order. The perfect place to catch up and and escape the chilly wind for awhile :)

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

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Coco Cubano

191 Oxford St

Darlinghurst

NSW 2010

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Melbourne: Tea House On Burke

2010-04-23T21:07:00.002+10:00

J’s family are quite regular diners at Tea House. The award winning Chinese restaurant offers both traditional and contemporary Cantonese cuisine including the old favourites as well as some creative inventions :) oh! and a key is not to order from the menu, because most of the best stuff are not on it!

These dishes are some of the family’s favourites :) ! note that the prices are all approximations since these were not on the menu..

The golden prawns are sautéed with salted duck egg yolks. It’s not too salty or oily, the prawns are fresh and crisp and the amount of duck egg is just right to impart flavour onto the dish. They also serve wasabi prawns that are similar to the golden prawns, but the salted duck egg yolks are substituted with a mild wasabi and mayonnaise paste. The wasabi flavour is not strong at all- even J who normally isn’t fond of it can eat it :) though of course she prefers the ones with the duck eggs hehe

Golden Prawns (~$40)

The twice cooked pork is first braised and then sautéed. It is served with a light sauce and strings of thinly sliced apple :) The sweet yet sour fruitiness from the crispy strings of apple goes really well with the succulent slices of pork.. in fact J loves eating the apple alone with the sauce as it refreshes the taste buds in the middle of her meal :P

Twice Cooked Pork (~$30)

The BBQ beef eye fillet with black pepper sauce is not like the normal ones you get from Chinese take-away. The beef is not well done but is still pink and tender :) and is served with sweet and crunchy snow peas.. the sauce is light and not overwhelmingly peppery, though it is served on the side, satisfying the needs of those who like it spicy and those who like it simple at the same time :D

BBQ Beef Eye Fillet with Black Pepper Sauce (~$30)

We also decided to try the Chinese style pan fried barramundi that night and it certainly did not disappoint! the fish was soft and moist, served with the sort of light soy sauce and spring onions you would normally get with Chinese steamed fish :)

Chinese Style Pan Fried Barramundi (~$40)

A good bowl of fried rice should be relatively dry where each individual grain of rice is separated and not stuck together. The rice should be chewy and not mushy, flavoured should be from the ingredients and just lightly seasoned. The Yeung Chow fried rice at the Tea House fulfils all of the above criteria, and is also one of J’s aunt’s favourites… (Yeung Chow fried rice is the type typically with shrimps, BBQ pork, egg and spring onions added) though some of us thought that this time it might have lacked a bit of salt, but other than that, it sure was a hearty bowl of fried rice :)

Yeung Chow Fried Rice (~$20 per plate)

This dessert is one that the family always orders regardless of the restaurant. The Chinese crepes are usually made with red bean paste, but here they offer it in taro paste :D ! The dish is served warm with the outside fried till crispy and golden :) the thickness of the batter here is just right and the taro paste inside is smooth (some can get dry and lumpy) and not too sweet. A perfect finish to our meal :D

Chinese Crepes with Taro Paste (~$15)

Tea House is always a lovely dining experience with some interesting and well prepared Chinese food.. The prices are reasonable considering the quality of food served..The staffs were helpful and intuitive- let them know what sort of food you like and they’ll take care of it for u :)

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Tea House on Burke

911 -913 Burke Road,

Camberwell, VIC 3124

H2O Cafe Pyrmont

2010-04-19T20:58:00.001+10:00

After a late night out, the best feeling the next morning is waking up to a sunny day, complete with blue skies, a slight breeze and a big delicious brunch =)

View from H2O Cafe Pyrmont

The group of us five walk over to H20 Cafe Pyrmont which was already quite crowded. Seated by the kitchen at a breakfast table big enough for eight people, it felt very spacious and made us feel very homey.

Breakfast is served all day on weekends, so we all had some difficulty in deciding to go for the breakfast or the lunch option. In the end it was half half.

L wanted something bit heavier and opted for the Beef burger which was served on turkish pide topped with melted tasty cheese, grainy mustard, rocket and caramelized onions. The burger was juicy and quite tasty, and the accompanying chunky fries were golden and crispy. It was the perfect meaty fix she was hoping for!

Beef burger ($18.50)

Y went with the Big Breakfast with eggs, toast, sausage, tomato, mushrooms, bacon and house made beans. It was quite filling and the home made beans definitely had a different touch- they were chunkier and less soggy compared to the canned baked beans :) though the bacon seemed a bit too salty for Y’s liking

Big Breakfast ($18.50)

K ‘s waffles were served with grilled banana, toasted hazelnut cream and maple syrup. The waffles were crispy but moist and soft on the inside and turned out to be quite filling.

Waffles ($13.50)

F decided on penne pesto with fetta, sun dried tomato and extra chicken. The pesto was zesty and the grilled chicken was very juicy and tender :)

Penne pesto ($18) add chicken ($5)

J opted for the Lemon chicken couscous served with salad and Mediterranean char grilled vegetables. This was much of a disappointment really. We were expecting a generous bed of couscous with warm cooked marinated chicken, but instead, after a long long wait [it came when everybody else was practically done with their meals :( ], we were served a dish of a cold chicken slices with tiny pieces of couscous that you could barely even see. The whole dish was basically filled with leaves with little chucks of grilled zucchini and eggplant. The chicken was cold and bland. We felt like we should have gotten more than this for the price we paid :(

Lemon chicken couscous ($19.50)

J and F also decided to order an Ice Mocha after seeing the table next to us order one. A mountain of whipped cream topped with chocolate sauce always seem to tempt us very well :P

Ice Mocha ($5.50)

Situated near apartments, a playground and overlooking blue water, this waterfront cafe and restaurant is a pretty idyllic place to have a relaxing brunch on the weekend :)

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

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H2O Cafe Pyrmont

Shop 1, 1 Harris Street

Pyrmont NSW 2009

Sabbaba - light, fresh and healthy :D

2010-04-14T21:28:00.009+10:00

It actually looks like a small coffee shop. Where people pick up their daily coffee fix or sit in the few little tables to enjoy a pastry or two.

Sabbaba

But of course, it’s much more than that. Their idea of “Food Music & Friends” is clear the minute you walk inside their tiny shop. An aroma of grilled meats fill the air, upbeat Lady Gaga music is playing and the waitress seems to know the regular’s usual orders.

So when L and Y were particularly hungry one day and were confused where to else to eat in Bondi Junction, J naturally suggested Sabbaba.

“Their food is SO good!”raves J. “Their juices are fresh, their pita bread is sooo soft! And they have really nice falafels!”

Taking on J’s advice, we shared the Meat, salad and dip plate with chicken (meat of your choice can be chosen), hummus, tahina, babaganoush, salsa, chickpeas, garden salad, tabouli, red cabbage and pickets. Also served with two freshly home baked pita. Still wanting to try their falafels, we ended up upsizing to the value meal where if you add $4.90 to any pita, plate or bowl you get two more items from vine leaves, hot chips, any drink, falafel balls, side salad, dessert, chick peas with paprika& olive oil, corn chips with guacamole. We chose the falafel balls and a dessert :)

Meat, salad and dip plate($17)

Feeling thirsty as well, we also chose to get their fresh juices. These were excellent thirst quenchers! They didn’t taste diluted at all and were definitely freshly squeezed as they started rusting after a while!

Freshly squeezed Apple and Lemon Juice and Apple Juice ($4)

The food too was just as tasty as J had recommended. Making pita pockets with the bread, we stuffed them with the chicken breasts, the vegetables and the dips. The dips were very fresh and tasty and went well with just the soft and fluffy pita bread alone :) The grilled chicken breasts were nicely marinated but were unfortunately a bit dry- for more juicy chicken, try the chicken shish :P

Fresh and soft Pita Bread :D

Stuffing food into our pita pockets hehe :)

The falafels were absolutely delicious! Not only were they in just the right size and were very crispy and seasoned perfectly- unlike those huge but soggy and overly sour ones hehe :P

Falafel balls

Even though it looked quite small, by the time we had eaten our way through the plate we were feeling stuffed and weren’t sure if we could fit in that log dessert...

“Oh! But you guys HAVE to try it! It’s really good!!” gushes J.

Log

So halving the dessert, L and Y tried it and were instantly glad they didn’t skip dessert. The top layer was a light and crispy pastry while the bottom layer consisted of a creamy texture with different sorts of crushed nuts. Combined together, it was a deliciously rich dessert that had us wanting more.

Check out how flaky it got, thats how crispy it was hehe

On a side note, just a few weeks ago when J first tried this place, she ordered the corn chips & guacamole as part of her value meal. The fresh avocado dip was very thick and smooth :D perfect when eaten with the crispy and lightly salted corn chips!

Corn chips & guacamole

With its catchy name, Sabbaba was extremely satisfying, particularly its falafel balls and that delicious dessert! Everything we had, from salad to juice to hummus, had been very fresh! It is definately the perfect place to go for a light and healthy yet still very tasty meal :) It also reminds us not to judge things from the front- while it may look just like a small cafe, its much much more than that ! :P hehe

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

Ps: some of you might have noticed our new like/dislike button, but for those who haven't..you'll find it at the top of our posts =D !!

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Sabbaba

Shop 1/71-91 Spring St

Eastgate Shopping Centre
Bondi Junction NSW 2022

Melbourne: Meko Dining - Fusion Cuisine

2010-04-10T23:51:00.005+10:00

J was down in Melbourne for a couple of days to visit her relatives during the Easter break. Being a member of a foodie family, the first thing we did upon our arrival was undoubtedly going to be dinner hehe

Meko might not look like much from the outside, but they certainly do serve some quality Japanese fusion cuisine.. and for pretty good value too :)

The dinner banquet menu for $29.90 included the Beef Tataki as an entrée and the main was Garlic King Prawns pan fried in garlic butter sauce served with steamed rice and vegetables. The beef tataki is thinly sliced beef that has been briefly seared so that it remains raw on the inside. It is only briefly marinated so the dish really depends on the freshness and the flavor of the beef itself. The meat at Meko was tender and fluffy and the dish was enhanced by some shaved parmesan cheese.

Beef Tataki

We also ordered some Meko platters to share. The platter was huge and very filling even though it was just an entrée, included were some salmon sashimi, sea scallops with fish roe, mussels, salmon tartare, smoked salmon, gravlax, hokigai, oyster shooter, cold cooked prawns, prosciutto with melon, chicken karaage (Japenese deep fried chicken), cherry tomatoes with mozzarella cheese, grilled capsicum, beeg tataki and goji berries (some sort of dried berries) salad with seaweed. The sashimi scallops fresh and sweet, the beef tataki was as nice as the ones from the dinner banquet menu and the salad and cherry tomatoes were particularly refreshing once you’ve had a bite of everything else on the platter hehe :P it was also very thoughtful of them to serve it on a lazy susan, making it much easier to share :)

Meko Platter (minimum 2 serves, $23.50 per serve)

We also had some drinks while waiting for the main courses. The Summer Garden was a very colourful mocktail made with orange juice, pineapple juice, soda and grenadine and the Flamingo, which we expected to have looked prettier, was a sweeter mix of mango, banana and guava juice.

Summer Garden Mocktail ($8)

Flamingo Mocktail ($8)

Lemon, Lime & Bitters ($4)

A while later, our main courses arrived :D The garlic king prawns came with a very tasty sauce that tasted a bit like a prawn/lobster soup- perfect together with the rice.

The duck was slightly overcooked but went nicely with the Japanese plum sauce, which worked in a similar way to an orange sauce.

Breast of Duck Umeboshi ($28.90)

A piece of white turnip puff added slight a Japanese twist to the piece of grilled beef with black pepper sauce.

House Aged Eye Fillet of Beef ($28.90)

The braised ox tail was very tender and the ginger, mandarin peel and star anise made an interesting and distinctive combination.

Braised Ox Tail ($26.90)

The tempura of whole flounder must be the most impressive of all dishes in terms of presentation :) The meat of the fish was separated and cooked as a tempura, the meat was still very moist and juicy; and the rest of the fish was deep fried till even the bones were really crispy and edible :D

Tempura of Whole Flounder ($27.50)

Everyone was pretty full and satisfied with our meals until we all got tempted by the baked Alaska that was being served to our neighboring table so we ended up ordering one …… and some of the other desserts too hehe :P

Baked Alaska ($12.50)

Tri-Colour Ice-cream: Green Tea, Red Bean and Black Sesame ($9.00)

Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Mousse with Soy Bean Cookies ($12.50)

Having never tried any chili flavoured desserts, J opted for the platter of three crème brulee with vanilla, green tea and chili chocolate. To her surprise, she couldn’t actually taste the chili flavor, though it definitely gave the sharp tanginess!

Taste of Crème Brulee ($12.50)

This was another interesting and spicy one- black pepper panna cotta with rhubab compote and ginger-scented mango salsa.

Black Pepper Panna Cotta ($12.50)

Though it might seem like just another local restaurant, Meko was definitely more than that… the dishes were nicely prepared and presented.. the owner always wore a smile on her face and the place has a somewhat homey atmosphere.. you can feel that owners have put some thought into their food and the restaurant, making our visit quite an enjoyable experience :)

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

Ps: Stay tuned for more posts from Melbourne :)

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Meko

Shop 31, Wantirna Mall

348 Mountain Hwy

Wantirna, Victoria 3153

Kimama Kitchen

2010-04-07T23:58:00.006+10:00

L and J were already running late for Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour :( but knowing that we would be dancing and jumping around the whole night, we knew it would be a bad idea if we went with an empty stomach.

Kimama Kitchen

So we thought the food court would be a quick and easy option. We originally wanted to have ramen at Gumshara but unfortunately the place was closed due to broken kitchen equipment of some sort :(. So we settled for some Karaage Don from Kimama Kitchen just next door. They offered a wide range of sauces to go with the deep fried chicken :D L ended up trying the new miso garlic sauce while J, being a vinegar-lover, went for the soy and vinegar.

Chicken Karaage with miso garlic sauce($8)

Chicken Karaage with soy and vinegar sauce (served in separate container)($8)

Hmm… is there a particular reason why the miso garlic sauce is infused into the chicken while the soy and vinegar is served in a separate container?

haha anyway…the chicken was juicy and tender and both sauces were quite tasty and went well with the crispy chicken :) the soy and vinegar sauce gave the dish a zesty tanginess and the miso garlic sauce added a strong garlic flavour to the chicken.

We also found their service really friendly and thoughtful when they asked if we’d like extra sesame (for soy and vinegar sauce) or some fried garlic (for miso garlic sauce) on top of our dishes :) Also, rice and miso soup are also generously available for free refill hehe, though a single portion should probably be enough to fill you up! Neither of us could finish our meal even though we were literally starving before we ate- or is it because you know how when you’re too hungry, you’ll tend to get full easier when you eat? hmm.. but either way, our tummies were satisfied and we’re ready for our bad romance with lady gaga!

Lady Gaga <3 (photo credit: Grandia)

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

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Kimama Kitchen

Shop207, Eating World Habour Plaza

25-29 Dixon St

Haymarket NSW 2000

Bite Me Burger Co.

2010-04-03T23:51:00.011+11:00

J&L are still looking for that perfect burger. Buns warm and crisp yet soft in the centre, meat patties cooked but still with the succulent juices and all the glorious fillings to make that burger more than just 2 slices of bread and meat...

So we set off to try Bite Me Burger. Offering a wide range of gourmet burgers as well as Pat and Stick’s Ice Cream and creative cocktails it looked like a very promising contender. Besides, how could we not go to a place that offered burgers called “Wagyu Me” or “Steak Me” or even “Pluck Me”? hehehe

We entered the store and were greeted by mannequins wearing Bite Me’s very own merchandise T-shirts next to signs that says “Make the World a Burger Place!”- it is then when we knew this was the right place, even if the food don’t turn out to be a 10/10, their attitude is definitely a winner :D

J& L had planned this out strategically so we could try as many burgers as we can! Being a group of 6 (J,L, Y, P ,K and F), we would each have one of the 6 Mini Burgers and then share the Mega! On top of that, Y also had a caramel shake while P chose an Iced chocolate :) perfect drinks to go with burgers! We also ordered some hot chips to share, after all, what are burgers without hot chips! hehe

Caramel Shake ($5)

Iced chocolate with vanilla ice cream, topped with cream ($5)

Small Chip Me ($3)

Mini burgers: Mini Beef Burger, Mini Lambtastic, Mini Pluck Me, Mini Bloody Mary, Mini Jack Daniels, Mini Vegetari Anne ($26 for 6)

The Pluck Me was probably the best- Grilled corn-fed chicken breast topped with melted King Island brie, iceberg lettuce & seeded honey mustard. The chicken was juicy and tender, the flavours of the cheese and mustard were not overpowering, making it a very light yet tasty chicken burger!

Mini Pluck Me

The Bloody Mary sounded like an interesting one- Grain-fed beef, smothered in our Bloody Mary sauce including vodka, Worcestershire, Tabasco & tomato sauce served with cos lettuce. Though it turned out not as expected, the flavours were not strong and tasted more or less like the ordinary beef burger just with a subtle hint of Tabasco.

The Vegetari Anne somewhat resembled the flavours in a falafel kebab - Delicious lentil burger, grilled capsicum, haloumi cheese, rocket & chermoulah yoghurt.

Mini Vegetari Anne

All the burgers were quite tasty and filling even tho they were the mini size. We finished all burgers before realising we still had the Mega to come. The mega was “A pound (450g)

of delicious grain-fed beef topped with tasty cheese, bacon,tomato, iceberg lettuce, sautéed onion, pickles & your choice of tomato sauce or BBQ sauce. Served on a giant bun”

The burger was indeed “mega” and we had to split it into 6 slices – just like a cake! Haha :P

Each “slice” was quite thick and we were all pretty full by the time we were done.

MegaBite ($29)

MegaBite VS Mini Burgers

But of course, what’s a meal without dessert?

So we end up sharing Pat and Stick’s Ice Cream Sandwiches. J and F’s Caramel Pecan had a very yummy dough which tasted a bit like digestive biscuits with little pieces of pecan in it, L’s favourite. Y and K went with Mochaccino, whose ice cream was rather bitter compared to the common coffee flavoured ice creams –J’s favourite. L and P had the Vanilla Choc, it was a simple combination but with good quality ingredients, it makes all the difference hehe- Y’s favourite. Haha, turns out we might have all ordered the wrong thing :P but next time we know which one to get!

Caramel Pecan

Machaccino

Vanilla Choc

Pat and Stick’s Ice Cream Sandwiches ($5 each)

It was overall a very filling and satisfying meal. Even though the service was really slow, and each time we tried to make an order, the waitresses would say “one moment please”… The décor was very vibrant and striking and the innovative burgers were definitely more than your typical bun and meat patty combination and dessert proved to be the perfect way to finish up. Looks like we’re not doing too bad to find that perfect burger ;) !

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

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Bite Me Burger Co.

Harbourwalk, Star City Casino (next to Duffys)
80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont NSW 2009

Bourke Street Bakery

2010-04-01T23:01:00.010+11:00

The fresh aroma of bread and other baked goods,, colourful pastries displayed at the window,, customers sitting outside on assorted tables and benches,, the word “boulangerie” in cursive script hanging above the door... That’s all it took for J&L to enter Bourke St Bakery.

Bourke Street Bakery

With its confined space, we were pretty much cramped with the other customers and had to make quick decisions about our choices. In the end, we chose one savoury and one sweet for a balanced snack.

The Pear and Almond Tart was J’s choice. The cute little tart had a firm and crispy crust with a soft, sort of crumbly textured almond filling. The sweet delight is then garnished with a lovely slice of caramelized pear :)

Pear and Almond Tart ($4)

L decided to try the Spinach Corn and Feta Quiche which was a light quiche with a good balance of spinach corn and feta. The feta was creamy but not too overpowering. The spinach and corn gave a good substance to the quiche filling.

Spinach Corn and Feta Quiche ($4.50)

J also noticed the bakery’s mini fridge stocked with various drinks – in particular Bourke St Bakery’s own Belgian Chocolate Milk .This milk was absolutely delicious. Cool and milky smooth, it reminded us of the distinct malty flavour of lindt chocolates! It was a really nice refreshment and the fact that it was packed in bottles meant that we could easily bring it back home!

Belgian Chocolate Milk ($3.50)

Bourke St Bakery also has a cute row of benches and tables stacked on the side of the shop- a very friendly environment that is perfect for a catch up with old friends over coffee (or one of the ice drinks :P) … and perhaps a pastry or two hehe :)

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

ps: have a happy easter everyone <3 ! enjoy the long weekend, take care, be safe, eat lots :)

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Bourke Street Bakery

633 Bourke Street

Surry Hills 2010

Indonesian Night Markets!

2010-03-29T23:46:00.006+11:00

Let’s start with the Chicken Satay – skewered pieces of tender grilled chicken smothered with a dollop of smooth creamy peanut sauce and few servings of fresh rice cakes. Then perhaps move on to Bakmi Ayam – very thin egg noodles in a clear chicken soup with chunks of chicken meat and a few sprigs of fresh onion. And for dessert? The Martabak looks like an appealing choice. A thick crumpet-like pancake oozing with chocolate, peanuts and cheese. Or maybe even the Pisang Bakar? Grilled Banana Slices topped with condensed milk and grated cheese…

The Indonesian Students Association (PPIA) of UNSW proudly present the INDONESIAN NIGHT MARKETS (INM) 2010 “BACK TO BATIK” where you can truly have experience a “market-like” atmosphere and treat yourselves to an authentic Indonesian feast!

Being the largest event hosted by PPIA, and the second largest event in UNSW after O-Week, the 2010 Indonesian Night Markets ‘BACK TO BATIK’ will be held on Tuesday 27^th April 2010 at the UNSW Main Walkway from 4-9pm !

In addition to the numerous food stalls on offer, “BACK TO BATIK” also features a lively entertainment showcase including Indonesian student bands, traditional regional dances and for the first time ever, a batik inspired fashion show to honour the Indonesian icon.

So for an unforgettable night of fun, friends and of course food, head on over to the 2010 INM, where you can experience a true taste of Indonesia!

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

SpiceMe Thai

2010-03-27T13:53:00.014+11:00

“Hey, have you eaten yet?”

Half the time, that’s how our meals tend to occur. Realising that we both hadn’t eaten yet, leads to a quick meal decided in minutes. So one particular day where we both end up finishing uni around the same time and hadn’t had the chance to have lunch , we end up at Spice Me Thai – a corner Thai eatery inside Bondi Junction’s Westfield. Starved after a day of study, we order our dishes and sit at the wooden benches to enjoy them.

J went with the “make-your-own” stir fry option where one can customise their order to their liking picking their type of noodle, sauce and fillings.

With the various options on offer, J finally decides on the Chicken Stir-fry with curly noodles and oyster sauce. She also had a deep fried tofu as a side dish. The noodles actually had an appearance and texture very much similar to instant noodles... hmmm actually, we were pretty sure they were instant noodles hehe.. and the sauce was a bit too salty for her liking. Though the deep fried tofu was quite nice and pretty- looked like a cute little gift tied together with a noodle ribbon hehe :)

Chicken Stir-fry with curly noodles and oyster sauce ($11.50)

Golden Tofu ($1.50)

L chose fish cakes to begin with and the BBQ Chicken complete with a small side salad and a tower of sticky rice. The Fish cakes were a good starter, nicely seasoned and went well with the the accompanying salad. The BBQ Chicken was barbecued well and the sticky rice had a nice chewy and starchy texture and it is coconut scented! :D

Fish Cakes ($2.20)

BBQ Chicken ($15)

Since we hadn’t had a good serving of Thai food in ages, it was a pretty satisfying lunch overall. Though we wouldn't say that the food is exceptional, it’s a pretty good place for a quick and easy nibble after a day of shopping or before a movie :D

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

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SpiceMe Thai

Level 1, Shop 1021

Westfield Bondi Junction

(500 Oxford St Bondi Junction NSW 2022)

Ghermez Cupcakes

2010-03-22T21:04:00.013+11:00

The display of perfectly lined up decorated cupcakes at the red and white store was just too much of a temptation for J&L.

Regular Cupcakes on display at Ghermez

“Ugghhh... I want oneeee!” L proclaimed

“Me toooo!” J chimed. “They’re SOOOO cute!”

So even though we had just had our lunch and were pretty much stuffed, we couldn’t help but settle on a compromise – we’d get the MINI cupcakes! It wouldn’t be too heavy on our already filled stomachs and yet we would still get a dose of a Ghermez cupcake... hehe :P

Ghermez cupcakes

L went with the Mini Red Velvet Cupcake. A red velvet chocolate cake with coconut cream cheese icing. Some of the bottom bits were unfortunately burnt but overall the cupcake was not too sweet with a good balance of cream cheese, chocolate and coconut. The cake itself was really moist and fluffy, making the perfect texture :)

Mini Red Velvet Cupcake ($2.20)

Though on the other hand, J’s chocolate marshmallow cupcake was a bit of a disappointment. It was a good choclately flavour but nothing too special.

Mini Chocolate Marshmallow Cupcake ($2.20)

The counter also had a sample tray of generous chunks of 4 cupcakes which we gladly helped ourselves to hehe :p

Fresh Banana Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Icing, Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Icing, Vanilla Cake with Milk Chocolate Buttercream Icing, Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Icing

The Strawberry Cupcake was made with fresh strawberries and was extremely light and fluffy with the strawberry flavour not being too overpowering. It was surprisingly much better than expected and didn’t have that artificial strawberry taste (reminded us of the fresh strawberry milkshake at Perfection, Rose Bay hehe)

The Banana Cupcake had an eerie resemblance to freshly baked banana bread but with a creamy milk chocolate icing.

The Vanilla Milk Chocolate was nice and rich and was just like eating a moist brownie. The texture was nice with an incredible aroma. Definitely a was guilty pleasure to enjoy hehe.

The Vanilla was not too sweet with a really light and smooth buttercream icing on top :)

Our mini cupcakes and samples was a good compromise after all. There will always be temptations...but sometimes are there are temptations that are just too sweet to pass up ;)

Mini Cupcakes on display at Ghermez

Giving in to the sweet little devils, J bought home a caramel cupcake and another red velvet cake- the more than vanilla but not quite chocolate goodness really gets her hehe :P

Regular Red Velvet ($3.80)

The caramel cake itself was more firm than the others but it goes well with the sticky caramel layer on top :D

Dulce de Leche ($3.80)

Ghermez makes some of the best cupcakes we've tasted so far :) All their cupcakes had a really soft and fluffy cake base with a light and smooth butter cream icing which are not too sweet overall :) ...Classic flavours made of fresh and fine ingredients with a pinch of glamour and a dash of style as they would say hehe

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Ghermez cupcakes

Westfield Bondi Junction

Level 5, 500 Oxford St
Bondi Junction, NSW 2022

Mizuya Japanese Karaoke Restaurant

2010-03-18T21:26:00.009+11:00

When it came to pleasing their target market, Mizuya definitely got it right. Sleek touch screen menus, sophisticated karaoke rooms and even 50c Green Tea Ice Cream Takeaway... it all appeals to the young urban Asian demography – the typical residents of Sydney’s George St.

Mizuya Japanese Restaurant & Karaoke

J&L had already tried lunch at Mizuya some time ago but with the desire to try some of the dinner-only items AND the opportunity to try their karaoke rooms, we grabbed along a few more stomachs (and voices :P) to join us. Accompanying us was Y, P and T and we were starved! =)

Dim lit, air-conditioned and separated private booths, it was a perfect place to relax and escape from the heat. Upon arrival though, we discovered that the dinner karaoke package required us to spend a minimum of $198!
“Umm... Wasn’t it like $20? For Food and Karaoke?” questioned Y.

“Yeah! That’s what we read last time...I remember! ” J confirmed.

A quick reference to the menu, it turns out that during lunch Mizuya offers a Karaoke and Lunch Package for $20 (2 hours) and a Karaoke and Dinner Package for $198 (3 hours). With that in mind, we decided to just skip karaoke and go straight to the food...after all that’s what we were most interested in anyways right? ;)

We really wanted to try these test tube drinks which we saw from our previous visit. But even after several attempts to find it on the menu, we still couldn’t find it =( So we asked the first waiter passing by ...

“No sorry. We don’t have them anymore. Probably later,” he brusquely explained before rushing off to assist another table.

Still unfeeling satisfied, we couldn’t help but ask the waitress this time.

“Ohhh...we might have finished them already today! But let me check with the kitchen first ok?” she offered.

A few minutes later she came out with a smile on her face

“Do you still want the test tubes? We can make them for you!”

“Awwww yes please... THANK YOU! ” we chorused, ecstatic that we had asked a second time.

Mizuya Test Tubes ($18)

The test tubes came in a rack of 6 with 2 of each of the flavours – peach, grapefruit and pineapple. They had very little alcohol, making it a nice light fizzy drink. It was actually quite hard to get the crushed ice and liquid to come out, but we definitely enjoyed this novelty.

Looking at all the hotpots around us, J Y and T decided to follow their lead. Y went with the Wagyu Beef Shabu-Shabu while J and T chose the Wagyu Beef Sukiyaki. The Shabu-Shabu was a light and clear meat broth, whereas the Sukiyaki was a stronger-flavoured sweet soy soup base. They both came with the same ingredients- thinly sliced tender wagyu, vegetables and mushrooms… it was a feast on all of its own. Extra rice or udon noodles can also be ordered to eat with the tasty soup.

Small Wagyu Beef Sukiyaki ($15.50), Small Wagyu Beef Shabu-Shabu ($15.80)

Shabu-Shabu

Sukiyaki (with cracked egg in soup :P which you're not supposed to do as it's meant for dipping-like a sauce)

Udon noodles ($4.80)

P had the Ochazuke- a tea soaked rice dish with a generous serving of salted salmon, japanese pickles and seaweed on top. The portion was very tasty and very filling for P.

Ochazuke ($6.80)

L went for the Salmon Kushiage which was crunchy thanks to its deep friend coating. The salmon inside was moist and very soft. L also ordered the Chicken & Prawn Chawan-Mushi which actually took ages to come out – even after alerting the attendants multiple times. It was however a pleasant dish with generous chunks of chicken, vegetables and prawn in the soft steamed egg mixture.

Salmon Kushiage ($4.00)

Chicken & Prawn Chawan-Mushi ($4.00)

One bad thing about having a touch screen menu with us is that we get to see photos of all the dishes they offered. Flicking through the menu again and again, we got so tempted by the looks of the cheese baked oyster and scallops! Mmmm… anything topped with baked cheese can never go wrong hehe

Creamy Miso Cheese Oyster ($10.80)

Creamy Miso Cheese Scallop ($9.80)

And of course... dessert =) We couldn’t resist ordering the Green tea Crème Brûlée which was a definite pleaser. A Japanese take on the classic dish, we could taste the creamy green tea goodness with the unmistakable top layer of caramelised sugar.

Green tea Crème Brûlée ($6.50)

While Mizuya lacks in restaurant service, the menu boasts affordable prices and a wide range of innovative choices. Next time we go, we’re thinking karaoke... for lunch :P

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

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Mizuya Japanese Restaurant & Karaoke

Basement, 614 George St
Sydney 2000

A simple BBQ =)

2010-03-16T00:13:00.011+11:00

L and J’s friend M just recently brought home a new family member – the cutest labrador retriever puppy!! So we decided to drop by for a visit to meet this cute little fluff ball (well…. and also to do some cooking hehe :P)

he is absolutely adorable <3

At the time he still didn’t have a name so M asked us for some opinion, being the food-obsessed girls we are, we came up with ones like butterscotch, baileys, cookie etc. and for a few hours we called him butter :D, which we thought really suited him since it was golden in colour and… um… well it was just a cute name! haha but this name only lasted for one night until M’s family disagreed thinking butter was too girly :(

nawwww look at his sad face :(

But anyway… we played with the cute little puppy and took lots and lots of photos of him for an hour or two until we started getting a bit hungry :P and after looking at what was available in M’s kitchen, we decided to make some butter & lemon sugar crepes!

our recipe was similar to this, with an additional spread of butter, a few pinches of sugar and a generous squeeze of lemon juice to taste :)

butter & lemon sugar crepes

Not very satisfied with just crepes for dinner, we ended up having a small barbeque and cooked some steak, lamb cutlets and mushrooms and corn :D

bbq cutlets

M, being a healthy eater, actually started eating the corn raw when we were preparing our food.. so then we all joined in :P corn is actually really nice when eaten raw, it’s just natural goodness! they’re very crunchy and each kernel is guaranteed to be bursting with freshness and sweetness! corn is in fact the rawer the better hehe.. because they start losing flavour and also nutrients when cooked for too long..

fresh and raw corn :D

we covered our corn with some mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, lemon pepper and salt and chucked them into the grill, though we might have added a bit too much so it turned out quite salty woops hehe… but then we realized if we scraped off the coating of seasonings, the corn actually tasted really good all the flavours were captured into each little kernel making it very very zesty and delicious!

our recipe was similar to this.

grilled cheesy corn hehe

button mushrooms are best grilled with the cap upside down so all the sweet mushroom juice that seeps out as it cooks can be all collected inside... they look especially appetizing if the stalk was peeled off before cooking so it would turn out like a mini bowl of soup, only that the whole thing is edible hehe..

grilled button mushrooms

we also made some Chinese deep fried green beans with minced pork aka Sichuan dry-fried green beans. traditionally it is made with pickled vegetables, but we didn’t have any at the time, so we substituted it with some minced olives, which worked pretty well and gave the dish a western twist :)

you may want to try this recipe,which we have yet to give it a try :P but looking at all the positive comments, it seems pretty dependable hehe

Sichuan dry-fried green beans with pork & olive mince

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

Taste of Sydney 2010!

2010-03-12T01:11:00.026+11:00

UPDATED (13.3.10)

Thanks to Jenius, J&L had the fantastic opportunity to win tickets to the 2010 Taste of Sydney (TOS) restaurant festival! Dubbed as the “foodie event of the summer”, we seriously couldn’t wait to see and taste all the food on offer! Opening night finally came round and we prepared our cameras and stomachs for a feast to remember…

Accompanying us were Y and K, who decided to come along last minute. Very little convincing was needed - a quick glance of the irresistible tasting menu and they were in ;)

Taste of Sydney 2010

Arriving around 6:30, entry was simple. We got our menus, handed our tickets and were immediately welcomed by complimentary Ferrero Rondoirs – a dark chocolate that had just joined the Ferrero Chocolates family. Only a few minutes wait to trade our money for Crowns ( Purchases in TOS must be through Crown tokens!) and off we were to eat and eat and eat !

Ferrero Rondnoirs

We loved the many samples and tastings on offer, particularly the City Tatterstalls Club which offered tastings of mini wagyu burgers, tempura soft shell crab, dulce de leche & Chocolate pannacotta and mini Bramble cocktails… YUM !

These were our highlights of the night so check them out when you go!

Balzac’s warm chocolate fondant with vanilla bean ice cream, the complimentary churros at El Toro Loco – they were warm and crunchy!,

Pilu’s Risotto with Crystal Bay prawns and zucchini,

Danks Street Depot’s Beef Ribs Smoked in Watermelon with a Watermelon and Avocado salad,

and City Tatterstalls Club’s Apple, Cranberry and Cinnamon Doughnuts injected with either sour cherry or white chocolate filling!

Dank Stree Depot's Beef Ribs Smoked in Watermelon with a Watermelon and Avocado Salad ($12)

The meat was very tender and nicely flavoured. They went surprisingly well with the sweet and juicy watermelon, which added a bit of crunchiness and coolness to the dish!

Marque's Slow Cooked Lamb Rump, Confit Capsicum, Eggplant caviar & Black Olive Oil ($12)

This one had a subtle hint of sweetness to it, but we couldn’t figure out what it was.. though it enhanced the sweetness of the veggies! hehe

Pilu's Suckling Pig panino with apple, mustard and rocket served on Sonoma sourdough ($10)

Couldn’t really taste the apple :( but the suckling pig was definitely very tender :D The soft meat contrasted well with the sourdough making it very tasty!

Pilu's Risotto with Crystal Bay prawns and zucchini ($12)

YUMMY!! much much much nicer than the risotto at Spigolo :P hehe The prawns and zucchini were fresh and a good combination with the well cooked risotto. This dish was full of zest and flavour!

Plan B's Organic Grass Fed Wagyu Beef Burger ($12)

Jonah's Alba White Truffle popcorn ($8)

When L & J saw this on the menu, we knew it was a must try! how creative is this though, white truffle popcorn!! At first none of us could really taste the truffles, but the more of it we ate, the more we could taste it. The flavour really comes out when you eat a handful at once instead of a few morsels. Cinemas should start selling these :P hehe

El Toro Loco's Paella a la Maestre ($10)

The El Toro Loco had a lively vibrant atmosphere, enthusiastically yelling out “paella” each time someone ordered it. The paella though? Hmmm these were a bit disappointing actually, being a bit too dry and undercooked :( but cooking with a pan that big that’s sort of understandable..

Complimentary Churros at El Toro Loco

Mmmmmm..The complimentary churros nearly made up for it – being freshly made! They were crunchy on the outside but VERY soft and moist on the inside :D

Longrain's Ping Pong - Lychees and passion fruit skahen with 42 Below Vokda and fresh lime juice ($12)

This was actually quite a strong cocktail even with the mixture of fruits. After drinking it for a while though, the ice had melted and diluted the drink, making the taste more to our liking. The fresh lychees were a great end to the drink!

Assiette's Sydney rock oysters with Vietnamese dressing, crispy shallot and baby coriander ($10)

Berrowa Waters Inn's Quail Breast & Truffled Risotto Croustillant ($12)

Couldn’t really taste the truffle :( but the texture was good.. crunchy on the outside and the risotto was soft and chewy :D overall it was pretty nice and went very well with the green puree

Restaurant Balzac's Warm Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream ($10)

This is heaven on earth <3!! warm, rich, moist, excellent texture and flavour, it was baked to perfection ! Mmmmmm :)

Restaurant Balzac's Crispy Wagyu Beef with Wild Mushroom and Truffle Foam ($10)

It didn’t turn out as what J expected- she was expecting the wagyu itself to be crispy without the pastry. But the truffle foam was yummy and you could really taste the mushrooms :D the braised wagyu was tender and juicy so she was satisfied hehe

City Tattersalls Club's Awesome Complimentary samples!!!!!!

Mini Wagyu Cheese Burgers with Capscicum Relish

These were absolutely cute and delicious! Fitting into our mouths in just one go, they were very satisfying. The wagyu was tender and was nicely complimented with the capsicum relish, rocket and cheese.

Apple, Cranberry and Cinnamon Dough Nuts with White Chocolate or Sour Cherry

Ahh these were so fun to eat! We got told to squeeze the sauce into the freshly fried donuts which were still hot! The texture was different to your ordinary donuts, a fried crisp coating with soft and moist insides :D

Tempura Soft Shell Crab with Lime and Ginger Aioli

The crab was still piping hot when we tasted them. They were very crunchy and were perfectly accompanied with a lime and ginger aioli dressing.

Dulce de leche and Chocolate Panna Cotta

These were so nice as well hehe very nice and smooth.. and they had really cute spoons that sits on the edge of the glass! hehe

White Chocolate Martini

This was a fresh cocktail with a hint of chocolate. It wasn’t too strong and each sip had pieces of white chocolate as well. Was very refreshing and tasty!

Although we were stuffed at the end, there were still plenty of other dishes that we would have LOVED to try ! Jonah’s at Whale Beach’s Fries with Eyes (Crisp school prawns with a spicy Cajun remoulade) and their Vanilla pannacotta with lavender honey and fresh pomegranate).

It was definitely an unforgettable night... We met Simon from Simon’s Food Favourites and even spotted celebrity chef Pete Evans from My Kitchen Rules! Going home with an satisfied stomachs, sauces from Nandos, copies of Gourmet Traveller magazine, Nudie juice key rings juice from preshafruit and tons of delicious pictures, it was pretty much decided that we’d definitely be back next year ;)

With only three days of the festival left, head on over to Centennial Park for your chance to get YOUR taste of Sydney .. it’s pretty delicious ;P

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Taste of Sydney

11-14 March 2010 Centennial Park

Tickets sold presale (via Ticketek) or at the door

Sparkle Cupcakery

2010-03-09T00:44:00.011+11:00

They’re unique. Their flavours are somewhat exotic. Their weekly flavour charts are exclusive. They’re more than just your typical cupcakes. They’re designer cupcakes. And of course, L&J just couldn’t resist. ;) With its sleek black and silver décor, Sparkle Cupcakery very much resembles a professional photography studio. After much consideration and thoroughly matching up the available cupcakes to the flavour chart we decide on our choices.

Sparkle Cupcakery

L decided on the Oriental Flower – "a lychee and rose cake with a sweet rose petal topping". L can never resist the perfection combination of rose and lychee! It was also the gluten free choice of the day so even better (marked with the little white dot hehe :D)! Check out how sheek the cupcakes look by the way, they match the patterns on the mirror :P The cake was nice and moist with actual chunks of lychee. The frosting was light and complemented the cake. It was light and very enjoyable.

Oriental Flower Cupcake ($4.50)

J went for Lavender and Honey- "soft scented lavender with a creamy honey frosting". This had a much stronger taste than expected. It was quite a powerful flavour. Despite the nice texture, J did not enjoy the cupcake as much as she thought she would. Having never tasted lavender cake before, the powerful scent really gave her a shock at first bite.. and the first thing that poped into her mind was those lavender scented air-fresheners.. heh :p... hmm it was probably a bit too gourmet for her tastebuds hehe

Lavender and Honey Cupcake ($4.50)

At the end of last year, L & J also managed to get hold of some free sparkle cupcakes that were given out in darlingharbour during one of their festivals. We had a Milk Chocolate- "moist belgian milk chocolate cake and frosting"; and a Coconut ice- "tropical shredded coconut cake, topped with coconut ice". From memory they were both really nice (part of the reason which led to our visit to the store :p)! soft and fluffy cake, not too sweet, J definately enjoyed these two more than the lavender one :p hmmm it would be probably better for her to go with the safer choices next time hehe

Milk Chocolate and Coconut Ice Cupcakes

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Sparkle Cupcakery

132 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills 2010
Between Bourke and Crown Streets.

Jenius Taste of Sydney 2010 Competition!

2010-03-04T23:13:00.005+11:00

A chance to win free tickets to Taste of Sydney 2010!
Here is L & J's go at Jenius's competiton...

Click here to view competition details! (even though it closes in virtually one hour =S so hurry! )

Jenius at front of Etch

Angel Jenius in Etch's basin =P
Jenius in Etch's Cuckoo Clock! hehe (its a gif so please wait for a bit if it doesn't load ><)Captain Jenius at the front of Balzac Jenius peeping out from Balzac =P

Brunch at bills

2010-03-02T00:12:00.018+11:00

Some things are best planned on the spur of the moment. Although it wasn’t quite the spur of the moment, planning a brunch just a few hours before was pretty last minute for J&L. The idea was brought up and plans were made. In a matter of minutes it was all settled - We would be going to bills at Surry Hills with Y and K - simple as that =)

Arriving on the end of Crown Street, we took a leisurely stroll whilst preparing our stomachs for the first meal of the day. Walking into the restaurant, the place wasn’t too full and we were immediately given a comfortable booth at the back.

bills - Surry Hills

Feeling absolutely ravenous, we ordered once the menu hit the table, starting with drinks.

L opted for the Sunrise Drink of orange juice, banana, yoghurt and berries after eyeing the purple coloured drink on many nearby tables. The drink was more sour than expected but was fresh with a yoghurt feel, and a perfect drink to start the morning =)

Large Sunrise Drink ($7)

Y chose the Mango Smoothie which surprisingly more milky than fruity.

Small Mango Smoothie ($5)

J went for bills hot chocolate made with Callebaut. This was the prettiest drink! The drink was not too rich (which was good because it doesn't make you feel sick afterwards :P) and tasted just like one from a chocolatier made with the finest chocolate =D! Perfect way to warm up on that windy morning!

bills Hot Chocolate made with Callebaut ($4)

K went for a lighter choice and stuck with Green tea and Lime. A soothing and refreshing drink to complement the food that was to come!

Green tea and Lime ($4)

The four of us chose 3 of bills classic dishes and shared them.

Scrambled organic eggs with sourdough toast ($13.50)

The perfectly cooked eggs were rich and creamy making them quite powerful when eaten alone, but went very well when accompanied with the sourdough.

Ricotta hotcakes with fresh banana and honeycomb butter ($17.50)

The hotcakes had the perfect texture! Fluffy, soft and very delicious! The sweet bananas added to the flavour and the honey comb butter was VERY addictive – we found ourselves wanting more hehe!

Sweet corn fritters with roast tomato, spinach and bacon ($18.50)

4 words – BEST corn fritters ever! Crunchy on the outside but soft in the inside, moist and made with a very generous amount of corn hehe! These fritters were bursting of flavor! The roast tomato, spinach and bacon were great sides to the crunchy fritter but they were so good, they are definitely can be enjoyed on their own! J&L’s highlight of brunch: P hehe

Even hours later, we were still raving on the awesome corn fritters – we’ll definitely be going back for more!

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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bills

359 Crown Street

Surry Hills NSW 2010

Peanut Erasers

2010-02-24T20:51:00.008+11:00

L & J just managed to stumble across this cute stationary shop on their trip to surry hills one day. We love looking at all those colourful notebooks, wrapping paper, pencils, ribbons etc. etc.... and look what we found! :D

Look at these peanut rubbers! How real do they look :O makes us want to eat them hehehe

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

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Paper2

477 Crown Street,

Surry Hills NSW 2010