Chefs Gallery - Lunch - Townhall - Sydney,Australia

Chefs Gallery- Take Two

 

 

This is my second post on Chefs Gallery but this time we were here for lunch not dinner. A new menu has been introduced recently and I knew we had to come here to try. The menu is much more elaborate with many more options and photographs to match. It makes me want to order everything as it looks way too appealing to the eyes.



Arriving a bit just after 12pm, normal seating was fully booked out and the only option available was gallery seating. I didn't mind as I've always wanted to see what the chefs were making. The only negative was the sunlight that was coming through the window which made it rather warm.



'Jasmine Tea ($1.90/pp)' is a must have drink at a Chinese restaurant. It helps wash down that after greasy taste left by the foods. Not only that, it is also refreshing and soothing. Here is it served extra hot and perfect with the food that is to come.



The 'Traditional Dan Dan Noodles with Pork Ribs ($13.90)' arrives first and I can smell the peanut fragrance. The handmade noodles and springy and al-dente. The broth is rich and spicy combined with finely minced prawns and peanuts giving it that nutty taste. The pork chops is a great addition and we finish this in no time.
 

'Prawn and Pork Wontons in a Spicy Sauce ($7.90)' is a must order. The wontons are full of flavour and the sauce is addictive. It's very similar to the one at Din Tai Fung but I prefer the one here. I ordered this last time around but I just had to order it again.

The last time we were here, plain roti wasn't available. This time around, the revised menu had 'Fluffy Plain Chinese Roti ($5.90)' which was very light and airy. I much prefer this over the roti's with filling.

 



The 'Pan Fried Daikon Radish Cakes ($5.90)' was a disappointment. Mum makes this regularly at home and I find that shredding the daikon makes a big difference to the taste of it. The Daikon has been cut into chunky bits and combined into the flour. The cake hasn't been fried enough and I find it soft. This is left to the side as I find it bland.



 

The greeeeennnn pandan sauce. How could one resist? The 'Mini Bread Rolls Fried ($4.90)' is basically mantou buns deep fried in oil and served with a creamy pandan sauce. I love fried things and anything pandan. So this is a winner for me. Condensed milk is no longer served with this dish but I'm sure you can ask for it.

I don't remember ordering 'Mixed Seafood and Tako Fritters ($8.90)' before as the picture in the menu looks different to what I had before (Seafood Rolls with Wasabi Sauce) so I order it again. Oops. The waiter takes it out and it looks and tastes like what I had last time. One word -very oily.

 

To finish off our meal, we end up with 'Silken Tofu with Ginger Tea and Goji Berry Served Hot ($5.90)'. The portion size is large and is suitable for two. I have to say that the tofu is one of the best I have eaten. It's very silky and smooth and not too soft. The ginger tea doesn't taste like tea at all but rather the usual ginger sauce you see on these desserts. The goji berry is just for decoration and has no flavour impact.
 

We find ourselves over eating and over ordering once again. An enjoyable meal.

Where?

Shop 12, Ground Level Regent Place Shopping Centre

501 George St

Sydney NSW 2000

Australia

Phone no: 02 9267 8877

Opening Hours

Lunch

Monday - Friday: 11:30am - 3:00pm

Saturday - Sunday: 11:30am - 3:30pm

Dinner 

Sunday - Wednesday: 5:30pm - 10:00pm

Thursday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm

Website

www.chefsgallery.com.au

Canton Noodle House- Hurstville - Sydney, Australia

Canton Noodle House

Why won't this miserable weather go away? The drive to Hurstville today was great, with perfect clear skies and sunshine in sight. Then all of a sudden, grey clouds took over and a down pour of rain ruined everything. It's just not how Summer use to be in Sydney.

It was our regular weekly grocery run to Hurstville and lunch was at Canton Noodle House.

 

From the outside, it looks like a run down place with minimal decorations and Chinese menus over the walls. Looks can be deceiving. It's actually a two level eatery and most opt to sit upstairs with the kitchen being on the lower floor. We choose the latter. It's 12pm and the place is nearly full. There is a different mix of crowds ranging from families, young, elderly and mixed ethnic groups.

Upon seating, a menu is presented in both Chinese and English. Complimentary tea is served by the many staff wearing red polos. One serviette plus a disposable chopstick is put at each seat possibly to minimise waste and washing up.

An order is place and the food comes out very soon after.

 

The 'Combination Chow Hor Fun Noodles (Thick Noodles) ($11.50)' is cooked to perfection. There is an assortment of fresh ingredients used ranging from prawns, squid, choy sum, beef, chicken and carrots. The gravy is tasty and goes well with the thick fried noodles. This is balanced out by dipping the ingredients into chilli and soya sauce.



The 'Hokkien Fried Rice ($13.50)' is a dish I regularly see on other tables but have never actually ordered it myself. I really wanted to try it and on this occasion I did. The bottom layer consists of fried rice and egg. The top layer is stir fried seafood, duck, vegetables cooked in a gravy sauce. It was tasty but I think I prefer the regular fried rice.

Overall, a great place to have an cheap and tasty meal that won't break the bank. It has been opened for many, many years and the people continue to come which is a good sign that they serve decent Chinese food.

Where?

206 Forest Rd

Hurstville NSW 2220

Australia

Phone no: 02 9580 0588

Opening Hours

TBA

Website

None

 

Happy Lemon - Townhall - Sydney, Australia

Happy Lemon

I love 'Easyway' tea so much that I have to have it everyday I'm at work which means every weekday. I normally get the 'Lychee Green Tea' without fail. It's a bad addiction but so I prefer it over soft drink.

Whilst walking around during lunch, I noticed a new bubble tea joint called 'Happy Lemon', a franchise chain originating from Hong Kong. It's bright yellow colours drew my attention so I had to give it a try. The first store opened in Ultimo some ago but it's way too far from my workplace.

Exterior

Interior

There is a wide selection of drinks ranging from milk tea, fresh tea, rock salt drinks, mousse drinks and much more. New flavours are introduced seasonally. There is one flavour that sticks out and that is the 'Oreo Milk Tea'. Who can resist Oreo anything? I can't but I decided to try it next time around and stick with the fresh tea.

I got the 'Kumquat Green Tea ($4.50)' which came with lychee jelly at the bottom. It was nice and refreshing. It was made fresh on the spot and wasn't premixed like 'Easyway'.



Kumquat Green Tea



I still prefer the drinks from 'Easyway' cause I like that artificial taste. Weird I know. 'Happy Lemon' is becoming a popular place for bubble tea as seen by the long afternoon queues.

Where?
George St
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Opening Hours
TBA

Website
www.happy-lemon.com

85c Bakery Cafe - Townhall - Sydney, Australia

85c Bakery Cafe

These little 'Ingots ($3.80)' as they call them, are light sponge cakes with a custard filling. The sponge is so light and airy, it melts in your mouth. The custard cream is just delicious and whipped to perfection.

4 Little Ingots



Look at the Soft Spong



One Little Ingot

 

Yummy Custard Filling


Must try at 85c.

Where?
Meriton Shop
Shop 9, 545-551 George St
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Phone number: 9264 8585

Opening Hours
Refer to website

Website
www.85cafe.com.au

Phuong Special Vietnamese - Chinatown - Sydney, Australia

Phuong Special Vietnamese

The little shop is located at the entry to Eating World in Chinatown. I get to the store a bit after 12 and the lunch time queue starts to form. There is a selection of rolls ranging from pork rolls, chicken rolls, pork skin rolls and meat ball rolls which all fall under the $5.00 mark. The bread isn't baked on premises as the space is very small.
 

I go with the most popular option which is the 'Banh Mi Tit' also known as the 'Pork Roll ($4.30)' which is very cheap considering food prices in the City can be steep. Chilli is optional and free of charge.



The roll is crusty and fresh and the inside is spread with Vietnamese style butter and pate. Within the roll contains the usual ingredients consisting of cold meats, shredded carrot, cucumber, coriander, spring onion and red onions put together with their special sauce and soya sauce. It tastes fantastic but can't be compared to my favourite one in Cabramatta but still does a good job of delivering the authentic pork roll. 
 

So if you're after a quick lunch in the City, drop by to get the real deal. 

Where?
Eating World
25-29 Dixon St
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Opening Hours
TBA

Website
None

Hurstville Chinese Restaurant - Hurstville - Sydney, Australia

Hurstville Chinese Restaurant

Having moved to the South area not too long ago, we find ourselves at Hurstville on a regular basis for weekly grocery shopping and eating at the many eateries along Forest Road. There are a lot of Chinese restaurants as the main population of Hurstville and surroundings consists of the Chinese people. A few other restaurants such as Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese are also scattered around.

This is our fourth time at 'Hurstville Chinese Restaurant' located on the main stretch of Forest Road on a corner. The place is normally packed with locals for both lunch and dinner. A few awards are displayed at the door and this is a sign that they are pretty good. The inside is nothing fancy and looks like the typical Chinese restaurant with minimal decoration.

 

The place looks like a family favourite amongst the many locals. It's a noisy place with people chatting away while eating but that's what I like about Chinese restaurants. I don't have that sense of awkwardness that I experience at those quite places.
 

A full a-la-carte menu is given to use which has both Chinese and English for lunch. A separate orange sheet lists the set menus but this is only in Chinese. We want to order a set menu but with only an understanding of English words we fail to recognise what is in each set. Dad can speak mandarin but does not read which makes it rather difficult but he manages to ask the waiter what is in each. We choose to have 'Set C' which costs $54.80 between three people.
 

The ginormous bowl of 'Century Egg and Pork Congee' arrives and we don't know how it will be finished. It's topped with spring onions and fried pastry. I attempt to scoop up the fried bits as I like it so much as adds that crunch factor. The congee tastes like the yum cha version which I much prefer over the Teo Chew version.
 

The 'Shallot Pancake' is next to arrive and it goes well with the congee. The dough has been fried to perfection and just melts in your mouth after each bite. Words can't describe how it tasted.






Four 'Medium Spring Rolls' are served with sweet and sour sauce. It's a very common dish and tastes like any other but it not as oily which is good.



Slippery, saucy and smooth 'Fried E-Fu Noodles with Pork' hits the spot. Chives and bean sprouts are added to even out the texture. This is liked by everyone.






The last dish to arrive is 'Fried Pork Shreds in a Sweet Sauce' which is pleasantly fried till golden brown and then coated with a special sauce and I find myself munching on these till the plate becomes clean.

The service is fast and typical Chinese so you may be offended if you haven't experienced a place like this before. This is made up by the great food and prompt service and we know we will be here again very soon.

Where?

184 Forest Rd

Hurstville NSW 2220

Australia

Phone no: 02 9586 0828

Opening Hours

Open 7 Days a Week

Lunch

11:00am - 3:00pm

Dinner

5:00pm - 10:30pm

Website

None

Chefs Gallery - Sydney - Sydney, Australia

Chefs Gallery

Ni Hao! Ni Hao! Ni Hao!


Meaning Hello in Mandarin, these are the words muttered by the staff upon entry to the restaurant. It took a while to get use to and to refrain from laughing. So childish we are.



This is my second visit to Chefs Gallery within Regents Place. Many have said that their concept is simila rto that of Din Tai Fung but I defer. The menu items are extremely different and they are more known for their handmade noodles rather than the dumplings. Their food genre is Taiwanese modern and reminds me a lot of Chinese food.

My friend A hasn't been here before and requested we meet up for dinner after work so Chefs Gallery it was. T and I have been here before but have a faint memory of what we ordered last time around only remembering what we wanted to try this time around.

I made a book a day prior online and the only time slot before closing was 5:30pm, 5:45pm and 6:00pm. They open at 5:30pm and I chose the 5:45pm due to different work finishing times. On the day, a staff member advises me that we only have one hour to eat.



The 'Lychee Green Tea ($4.90) is ordered by me and it is refreshing and cool with a lychee that sits at the bottom of the glass. A has the 'Chrysanthemum, Rose Buds and Goji Berry Tea ($6.90)' which she thinks is cold but is served hot and has a light taste to it.



T has the 'Lychee and Mint Juice ($5.90)' and at first taste, she gives a disgusted look. I have a taste and all I can taste is grass and no lychee. She struggles to finish this and leaves it to the side.

Two menus are on offer include the 'Night Yum Cha' and the 'A-la-carte' and we choose the latter even though both can be ordered at the same time.




'Spinach Noodles Wok-Fried with Seafood ($17.90)' is light green in texture from the spinach and the handmade noodles are made within the premises and the thumping of the flour can be heard in the background. The flavour is just right with a hint of pepper and this is a favourite of ours. 



The next noodle dish 'Sweet and Tangy Diced Chilli Chicken Tossed with Handmade Noodles ($13.90)' is just like what the title says but instead it should be sweet and sour. The sauce reminds me of what they use in sweet and sour pork and we all find this really unusual and weird so a lot of it is left behind.



The 'Prawn and Pork Wontons in a Sichuan Spicy Sauce ($9.90)' is like an exact replica of the one at Din Tai Fung. The filling is plump and satisfying coated in the smooth wonton skin. The sauce is relatively spicy but not to spicy for those who can't take chilli.



The 'Friend Mini Bread Rolls with  Condensed Milk ($7.90) came a tad early and we left this till last which meant it was cold and not as crispy as it should have been. It was so nice and those two things just go together too well.



Sticky and saucy 'Sweet and Dark Pork Ribs ($19.90)'was a generous serving which was a lot to be shared between three. It was salty and flavoursome and went well with the noodles.



Wasabi. I normally stay away from anything with that word. A convinces me that it tastes nice with 'Seafood Rolls with Wasabi Sauce ($12.90)' and it definitely does. The outside is deep friend and the wasabi sauce is mixed with mayonnaise to give it a lighter flavour. T found this dish to be a bit too oily for her.

We have once again over ordered and stuggle to finish everything. No dessert this time around. The one hour mark reaches and the waiter stares at her watch. We call for the bill and notice that a long line awaits outside in the pouring rain.

Where?

Shop 12, Ground Level Regent Place Shopping Centre

501 George St

Sydney NSW 2000

Australia

Phone no: 02 9267 8877

Opening Hours

Lunch

Monday - Friday: 11:30am - 3:00pm

Saturday - Sunday: 11:30am - 3:30pm

Dinner 

Sunday - Wednesday: 5:30pm - 10:00pm

Thursday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm

Website

www.chefsgallery.com.au

 

Tuong Lai Vietnamese Restaurant- Cabramatta - Sydney, Australia

Tuong Lai Vietnamese Restaurant

Tucked away in the little alley way off John Street is Tuong Lai. A traditional family owned Vietnamese restaurant that serves what you would expect if you were to visit Vietnam. It's a place my family have been frequenting since I was younger and still continue to go to these days. It is small and humble restaurant that hasn't changed much since it opened many, many years ago probably except for slight changes in the furniture and décor.

Interior

 

Even though we have moved out to the south, we still drop by at least once a month. The prices are low and the food is  consistently good. The food is very authentic Vietnamese and not that food court type food that you eat elsewhere. The majority of its customer base is Vietnamese and that is a sign that it is good. Be warned the menu on the wall is not in English but the staff would be able to assist you.

Tissues, cutlery and condiments are on the table and can be used to your liking. Hot tea is served upon arrival. The service is very fast and efficient and you find that waiting time for a table is very little in peak hours as people eat fast and leave fairly quickly.

 

Hu Tieu Nam Vang

 The 'Hu Tieu Nam Vang ($7.50)' is clear glass noodle soup combination served with an assortment of meats, fried shrimp, one prawn and beansprouts for that added crunch. I normally add fresh chilli to mine to give it a kick. It's soothing and I find that the generous portion keeps me full till dinner. The golden, fried prawn is just so delicious. Wish I had the recipe.

Com Dam Bi Suon Cha

Nuoc Mam

The 'Com Dam Bi Suon Cha ($7.50)' is broken rice with pork strands, pork chops and a pork patty. This is eaten with 'Nuoc Mam' which is also known as made up fish sauce. It also includes a small bowl of soup. This is a dish I recommend you to try.

We finish our meals in a short time and can see that people are queuing outside. We pay at the counter and make our shopping rounds around Cabramatta.

Where?

3 Belvedere Arcade
Cabramatta NSW 2166
Australia

Phone number: 9727 2650

Opening hours:
Open 7 Days a Week
8:30am - 6:00pm Daily

Website

None

Menya Mappen Oiden - Sydney - Sydney, Australia

Menya Mappen Oiden

A place that specialises in rice bowls?

On a particular day at work, I wanted to have a light but filling meal rather than the normal heavy foods that I usually have and I knew the right place for it. On a recent lunch with my workmates to Menya Oiden, a Japanese Restaurant within Sky Plaza, I noticed that there were a few salads on the menu so I came here to takeaway the salad the next day. I know what you must be thinking 'the boring salad'.

I had the Teriyaki Chicken Salad which comes in either small ($4.90) or medium($5.90). I opted for the medium size as small is way too small and wouldn't be filling at all. I also chose the sesame dressing which was put into a clear plastic container. The chicken was grilled and well marinated in teriyaki sauce. It looks very normal but it tastes oh so great and refreshing. There was a mixture of veges including tomato, lettuce, cabbage, corn, capsicum and rocket.

For that price it is worth a try. The restaurant specialises in rice bowls and you can buy additional fried items to add to your meal. If you're  in the mood for noodles , you only have to head next door to Menya Mappen, which is also owned by them.

Where?

Shop 12, 537-551 George St

Sydney NSW 2000

Australia

Phone no: 9267 1368

Opening Hours

Open 7 Days a Week

11:30am - 10:00pm Daily

Website

www.oiden.com.au