Azuma - Chifley Square - Sydney, Australia.

Azuma Sugar Hit 2012

For many years, I have heard a lot and read a lot about the Sugar Hit's held around Sydney but have never had the chance to go to one. That was until now, when we were celebrating A's birthday a month later due to exams. This was the perfect time to go to a Sugar Hit as the first day of October marks the beginning of the Sydney International Food Festival. All Sugar Hit's are a measly $20 including a glass of wine between the hours of 9pm-11pm for the month of October.

After trying to limit our dinner, we always manage to over order not matter how much we try. We walk it off by walking for Chinatown to Martin Place in search of the Sugar Hit at Chifley Plaza.

Even though I called ahead to ask if a booking was necessary, the waiter insisted that this was not necessary. Upon turning up, we were told the place was full due to bookings for dinner and the only option was to wait for a long time or sit in the food court outside. Not the best atmosphere I say and I found it a bit odd at first since there were no others there but after people started coming, it wasn't too bad.

The menu on offer from Azuma consisted of the following:

East meets West - Dessert Bento Box

'Kawaii Panna Cotta' which is Japanese style panna cotta made from soy  and cow’s milk with brown sugar jelly, seasonal fruit Face with buckwheat soba noodle hairstyle.

'Home-made Yuzu Sorbet' with popping sparkles.

'Chocolate Gateaux' cake with fresh cream and seasonal fruits.

Marble Gateaux Cookies are homemade chocolate and vanilla marbled Gateaux cookies

'Sake Sample'
A sample of either Yuzu Nigori Sake, Nigori Sake or sweet Plum Wine
Served with your choice of a glass of –
Azuma’s Special Blend Japanese Green Tea
OR
Brown Brothers Cienna Rosso
A full sparkling wine which boasts a vibrant magenta red colour & a bubble that almost jumps out of the glass. Fresh raspberries and strawberries dominate the nose along with a distinct leafy note hinting at Cienna’s Cabernet parentage. It has a creamy palate with plenty of natural acidity and juicy flavours reminiscent of summer berries in a glass.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the desserts on offer except for the wine. I'm not a wine drinker and found it to be a bit too strong and struggled to finish it. However, the 'Yuzu Nigori Sake' was easy on the palate and went well with the chocolate brownie. Definitely a must have before the end of this month which is a few days away!

Where?
Chifley Plaza, Level 1, Chifley Square
Corner Phillip and Hunter St
Sydney Australia

Phone no: 02 9222 9960

Opening Hours
9pm-11pm till the end of October

Website
www.azuma.com.au

Kuma Japanese Restaurant - Rosebery - Sydney, Australia

Kuma Japanese Restaurant

 I always have the thought of whether Japanese restaurants are owned by Koreans or Japanese. The restaurant near where I live is a Japanese restaurant but the owners and staff all speak Korean with the food greatly influenced by Korean flavours. I don't mind their version of Japanese food but it's just not the same. The flavour combinations are different and even what's available on the menu varies with additions such as bimimbap.

Kuma has only been open for a few months but it has garnered a good customer base of locals and workers. They have made to order sushi, a selection of ramen and bento boxes.

The first time I went, I was actually quite disappointed after realising the staff were Korean but after ordering my mind changed. It appears the chef is a mix of Korean/Japanese and therefore the flavours are Japanese influenced.

The 'Teriyaki Chicken Box' is just the right portion size for someone who doesn't want to feel bloated after a meal. The chicken is cooked to perfection and the sauce is surprisingly sweet and tasty. I love the agedashi tofu which is served hot in a light soya sauce. The mixed vegetables is dressed with a sesame dressing which I much prefer over the vinegary types.

The serving of rice is adequate but a little more would be perfect.

Miso soup is pushed aside as I don't like miso soup at all.

Not the best 'Japanese' restaurant to go to but in an area where the food options are limited, this is pretty good.

Where?
5-9 Rothschild Ave
Rosebery NSW 2018
Australia

Phone no: 02 9663 2902

Opening Hours
Monday - Saturday
11:30am - 10pm

Website
NA
 

Kitchen by Mike (Breakfast) - Rosebery - Sydney, Australia.

Kitchen by Mike

This must the current IT place in the Sydney scene. I hear about it all the time and have read about it on numerous blogs. The ingredients used are fresh and the food items change on a daily basis. Their menu can be found on their Facebook page.

Working so close to Kitchen by Mike means that I can frequent the place for breakfast and lunch. But that cannot happen as one must have very deep pockets. The food is small portioned and costly when you add items together.

I was early to work one morning and was planning on going to Sonoma Cafe down the road but couldn't find parking and hence drove to Kitchen by Mike for breakfast.

The 'Cappuccino'($3.50)' was a ok coffee but it lacked that kick and had a weird after taste. They use organic beans I believe but I still prefer the normal beans as that is where the stronger flavour is.

There were a few items on offer but very limited compared to what's available at lunch. I decided to have the 'Eggs Royale ($12.00)' which appeared on the blackboard without any description to it. I was thinking it would be a toasted sourdough with eggs but was shocked when I was given my order. I should have asked what was in in beforehand.

The Eggs Royale was basically a small sourdough bun filled with one poached egg, salmon and hollandaise sauce. As I'm not a fan of the raw stuff, salmon was definitely something I wasn't expecting and it was all taken out. The eggs were poached beautifully and the yolk was still runny but I found the sauce to be a bit sour. Guess I won't be having that again. For $12, I was expecting something more filling.

A great place for lunch but don't think I'll be returning for breakfast.

Where?
85 Dunning Ave
Rosebery NSW 2018
Australia

Phone no: 02 9045  0910

Opening Hours
Refer to Website

Website
http://www.koskela.com.au/kitchen/

 

Allpress Espresso Cafe - Rosebery - Sydney, Australia.

Allpress Espresso Cafe

It's a brand synonymous with good coffee. Located within the industrial area of Zetland is this little cafe and the warehouse behind the cafe is where the coffee beans are roasted, grounded and then delivered to its customers.

The queues for the morning coffee here are way too long and I have waited 15 minutes once for a small cup of coffee. Given that I don't like waiting very long, I prefer to come here during lunch time as the waiting time is much less. I think they need another coffee machine to meet demand as there is only one machine available.

I'm craving for soup on this day but unfortunately it isn't available. The menu is limited to different kinds of sandwiches.

I have the 'Roast Pork Sandwich with Watercress ($8.50)' which is nice and crispy on the outside but it is cold on the inside. It's a nice sandwich but it would have been good if they grilled it for longer.

My friend has the 'Roast Beef Sandwich ($8.50)'. He says even though its nice, it's way too small for him and not filling.

Service isn't the best at times and staff may appear rude but the fast and efficient service makes up for it.

Where?
58 Epsom Rd
Rosebery NSW 2018
Australia

Phone no: 02 9662 8288

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday
7am-3pm
Saturday

Website
http://au.allpressespresso.com/

Crown Dragon Seafood Restaurant (Dinner) - Kogarah - Sydney, Australia.

Crown Dragon Seafood Restaurant

This is a long overdue post. I haven't been able to find the time due to weekly group meetings and studying for exams recently. But now that assignments are done for the semester I should have more time to blog. That's if my laziness doesn't kick in.

Fathers Day. The day we're expected to treat our father to a nice present or delicious meal. Dad opts for a meal instead of a present as he never seems to like anything we buy for him or finds no use for the goods.

Located within the St George RSL Club, is this Chinese restaurant. Having been here for yum cha, I was pretty happy with the food and quality of service and decided we should try it out for dinner. With no booking ahead of time due to a last minute decision on where to go, we find that the restaurant is only a quarter full by the time we arrive, which is just before 6pm. 

We're taken to a table and having looked at the menu online beforehand, we already know what to order. 

By now, I have forgotten the names of the dishes and its prices. But hopefully the pictures will make up for it.
 

First dish was Crab stir fried with ginger and shallots. Not really a fan of crab cause it's messy and hard to eat but dad really enjoyed it.

Mixed Vegetables. Plain but balances everything out.

Fried beef strips coated in batter. It was deliciously crunchy and sweet.

 

Fried tofu and seafood with a mushroom sauce. I quite enjoyed this and the portion size was huge.

I was so full by the end of this and then they brought out the fruits and dessert. The biscuits were made in house and it was so nice, I wanted to take it home. But it was gobbled up by everyone.

A decent place to go for a nice dinner. Dad really liked it and would return again next time. The ingredients are fresh and it appears no MSG is used. 

Where?
St George Leagues Club
124 Princess Highway
Kogarah NSW 2217
Australia

Phone no: 02 9587 1022

Opening Hours
Refer to Website

Website
http://stgeorgeleagues.com/dining-bars/crown-dragon

 

Singapore Shiok! - Haymarket, Chinatown - Sydney, Australia

Singapore Shiok!

Another hidden gem tucked away in Eating World. This restaurant has been here for a few years now and I was first introduced to it by my friend who loves eating Hainan chicken and for him to say its good means its really good. The owners are Singaporean as I can tell from their accent so its authenticity isn't doubted.

They offer a wide variety of dishes you could expect to find in Singapore from laksa, char kway teo and even har mee. I use to be a frequent diner here but now days I only go once every so often due to my proximity to the city from work.

I always have trouble deciding what I should eat before Uni. The choices are endless and my stomach is sometimes too full from lunch to have a heavy dinner.

On this occasion, I decide to go with the 'Hainanese Roast Chicken Set ($11.95)' and was great value for money.

The chicken skin has a slight crunch to it and the meat is silky and smooth. It goes well with the thick soya sauce and the accompanying chill/ginger sauce.

The green vegetables dressed in oyster sauce balances out the flavour of the chicken.

The soup is bland and lacks that depth chicken stock flavour other places have.

I published the post and realised I forgot to mention whether the rice was any good. One of the most important parts of the meal! The rice was fragrant and bursting with chicken stock flavour. It wasn't sludgy and gluggy. One of the best ones I've had.

Authentic chicken rice found in Sydney!

Where?
Eating World - Harbour Plaza
Level B1, Shop 213, 25 Dixon St
Haymarket NSW 200
Australia

Phone no: NA

Opening Hours
11am till TBA

Website
NA

Cho Express - Hurstville - Sydney, Australia.

Cho Express

For those of you who have been to Cho Dumpling King in Chinatown, this is the sister restaurant. There are two Cho Express in Hurstville, one within Westfields and the other near the  railway station.

My Taiwanese uni friend first introducted me to the concept of 'boxed taiwanese lunch' meals a few weeks back and at first thought, I wasn't really interested but decided to go with the majority of the group and try it out. It took me by surprise and I actually really enjoyed the flavour combinations.

Living near Hurstville means I can actually have it more often since it so close. Though it may be unhealthy due to the amount of oil and salt they put in.

The box lunch comes with two options from a wide selection in the baine marie for $6.95 and for $1 extra, a shaken iced green/black tea is available. It's tasty and fresh. A bargain I say!

My lunch meals to date:

Where?
Cho Express
Westfield Centre Hurstville
or
Centro Centre Hurstville

Opening Hours
10am - Late

Website
NA

Azuma Cafe & Patisserie - Sydney - Sydney, Australia

Azuma Cafe & Patisserie

Azuma Cafe is located in Regent Place and serves a range of beautiful Japanese desserts such as creme brulees, tarts, macarons, cheesecakes and roll cakes. But they are well known for their green tea yoghurt and chiffon cakes.

I'm a frequent customer of this store and usually take away the desserts. The flavour is well balanced and there is less sugar compared to Italian sweets. The sign outside draws my attention every time I walk past which advertises the 'Chiffon Cake Set ($8.90')' which includes a chiffon slice and a drink from their selection.

Today, I'm able to get the set as we're eating in. I choose the 'Matcha Latte' which means Green Tea Latte and the 'Vanilla Chiffon' slice with cream for an extra 50 cents.

The 'Matcha Latte' is for me a bit overpowering. The green tea is definitely not subtle and I struggle to finish the drink as I'm not a big fan of strong green tea. However, the drink is smooth and creamy.

The chiffon with specks of vanilla bean was airy and light. It went well with the cream. My other favourite flavour would be the black sesame.

A great place to catch up with friends over some desserts.

Where?
Regent Place
580 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Phone no: 02 9267 7701

Opening Hours
Monday to Thursday 12pm to 10pm
Friday and Saturday 12pm to 10.30pm
Sunday 12pm to 9pm

Website
www.azuma.com.au