Ippudo - Sydney - Sydney, Australia

Ippudo

I saw this restaurant in Singapore before it opened in Sydney and the queue for it was so long that I gave up cause it could have easily been a half an hour wait.

Having opened in Sydney recently, we were keen on trying it out given it had so many rave reviews worldwide.

We went within its first month of opening for dinner and not much people knew about it yet. It was straight through the door without waiting.

Service was prompt and efficient. The interior is nicely decorated and everything is evenly spaced which doesn't make it feel squashy.

The 'Ippudo Pork Bun ($4.00 each)' was basically a steamed bun with braised pork and sauce. I wasn't really a fan of the flavours but my friend loved it. The bun was soft and airy which covered the melt in your mouth pork belly.

The 'Shiromaru Motoaji Ramen ($15.00)' was served with thin noodles in a tonkotsu broth and topped with pork, cabbage, black mushroom and shallots. It was just 'normal'. Looks like there was more soup than anything else.

The 'Akamaru Shinaji Ramen ($16.00)' is pretty similar to the 'Shiromaru Motoaji' but with the additional blended miso paste and garlic oil. Even though all elements of the ramen were good, it just wasn't as great as I was expecting. The portion size was fairly small compared to other Japanese restaurants.

As we were about to leave, we noticed the line was pretty long. So be prepared to wait if you arrive later in the evening.

Don't think I'll go out of my way for this ramen as I much prefer Menya Ramen. Given the price and the portion size, I don't think I'll be in a hurry to return but if I did, I'll try out some other items.

Where?
Westfield Sydney
Level 5, 188 Pitt St
Sydney NSW 2000

Phone no: 02 9573 0011

Opening Hours
Everyday
11am - 11pm

Website
http://www.ippudo.com.au/

 

Ms G's - Potts Point - Sydney, Australia

Ms G's Lunar Feast

Having been to Ms G's before and thoroughly enjoying the food and experience, cousin W found a promotion that was running during February at Ms G's. It was a 8 course meal for $50.00 including a slushy.

I booked two weeks ahead of our lunch and the earliest available slot was at 2:00pm. Pretty late for lunch but ey, no option really cause it opened at 1:00pm. It was pretty packed by the time we were seated.

We sat on the top floor with a nice view out to the road. The opposite side of the building has views out to the harbour.

The 'Green Tea Slushie' was an alcoholic drink with a strong hint of vodka perhaps with a hint of cinnamon and mint? We were all hit by its alcoholic content and couldn't stop yawning by the end of the lunch.

The 'Prawn Toast' was my absolute favourite. It's a modern twist on the traditional way it is made but way more tasty and the slashing of mayo on top just made it more delectable.

The pickles were just pickles. Nothing great about it.

This was another one of my favourites. The spring roll was crunchy, tasty and not oily. Wrapped together with the cup of lettuce and mint and a dollop of thick vietnamese fish sauce made it an unforgettable dish.

The 'Salt and Pepper Chicken Chops' still had the bone to it but that's how I like my chicken. I don't know how they cook it but it was one of the best fried chicken I've every had.

The 'Steamed Shallot and Ginger Fish' was divine. The fish was cooked to perfection and the accompanying soya sauce was so good we kept drizzling it onto our rice.

Pork Belly Pancakes. I'm didn't really like this much as I'm not a big fan of pork belly with hoisin sauce. I much prefer traditional BBQ roast pork. The others thoroughly enjoyed it though.

'Baby Bok Choy' in a delicious sauce. It was eaten with the steamed rice.

Everything on the menu was so delicious except for the 'Buddha's Delight 2.0' which was basically a vegetable salad with a weird algae taste to it. That was barely touched by anyone.

Then came dessert. The coconut sorbet was refreshing and went well with the other elements. I found the passionfruit fizz to be a bit sour for me but then again I like everything sweet.

Overall, a great catch up location for great food. If it's on again, I'll definitely be going.

Where?
155 Victoria St
Potts Point NSW 2011
Australia

Phone no: 02 8313 1000

Opening Hours
Lunch
Friday 12pm - 3pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Dinner
Monday to Saturday 5pm – 11pm
Sunday 5pm - 9pm
Bar opens until late

Website
http://merivale.com.au/

 

Ramen Kan - Haymarket - Sydney, Australia

Ramen Kan

It's hidden from the main road and if you blink, you may miss it.

Since changing management recently, the food seems to taste better and the portions much larger. It serves authentic Japanese food and you can tell from the ingredients  that it is fresh.

They seem to have increased their selection and the prices haven't really gone up since my university days or have actually remained the same.

The 'Takoyaki' which was served as 3 pieces on a bed of cabbage was only 3 dollars! It was piping hot and fried to perfection and coated with that delicious Japanese mayo. I don't like bonito flakes so they were pushed to the side.

The 'Chicken Nan Ban Bento Box' is from their lunch specials and it is well worth its money. The only negatives were that the fried chicken had soya sauce on the bottom which made it soggy and the agedashi tofu wasn't fried enough which again was rather soggy.

The 'Tempura Udon' was again very decent in size and taste. The tempura was crispy and the noodles were al dente. It surprisingly came with a side of salad.

If you're after a place that serves decent Japanese fare at low prices in the city area then this is the place to be.

Where?
Level 1, 90 Hay St
Haymarket NSW 2000
Australia

Phone no: 02 9211 6677

Opening Hours
TBA

Website
NA

 

Marrickville Pork Roll - Marrickville - Sydney, Australia

Marrickville Pork Roll

There is currently a lot of hype surrounding these Vietnamese rolls from this little joint in Marrickville. I am a huge fan of pork rolls and am on the quest to find the best.

We're here early on a Sunday morning and it isn't very busy. A steady flow of customers but no visible line.

An abundance of fresh ingredients line the cabinets.

The 'Pork Roll - Banh Mi Thit ($4.00) is a bargin considering the size of the bread roll. It is packed to the brim and they are very generous with their fillings.

The bread is ultra crusty, the ingredients are fresh and the sauce is mouth watering. The spicy chilli gives it that extra flavour kick.

In you're in the area, then definitely drop by and grab one of their rolls.

Where?
236A Illawarra Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204
Australia

Phone no: 0411 167 169

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday - Sunday 7:30am - 5:30pm

Website
NA

 

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Gong Hei Fat Choi!

Wishing you a year of great health, prosperity and happiness in this year of the Snake!

Jenny