Costco Bulgogi Bake - Auburn - Sydney, Australia

Costco Bulgogi Bake

What is bulgogi you may ask? I wasn't sure myself till I tasted this bake from Costo. I know bulgogi is related to Korea and it is something to do with beef but other than that I didn't know what it was. After searching on Google, bulgogi is bascially grilled marinated beef!

The 'Bulgogi Bake ($4.99)' has been a standard item on the menu at Costco fast food restaurant outside of the main entrance since it opened. It just never appealed to me given that the other items on the menu were so much cheaper and better value for money.

Marinated beef strips which I don't think have been grilled, diced onion, mozarella cheese, shallot and an unknown dressing sits inside a bread type crusty exterior similar to a pizza. The outside crust is so crunchy and addictve but it appers mine was a tad overcooked. The beef is soft and coated with the gooey cheese. I'm not a big lover of beef and find this bake quite average and would have preferred more vegetables in it as it got quite sickening after having half. I know I know, I sound like an elderly here.

It has been praised by many so do give it a try if you're at Costco and feel like some beef.

Where?
17-21 Parramatta Rd
Auburn NSW 2141
Australia

Phone no. 02 8756 2141

Opening Hours
Refer to Website

Website
www.costco.com.au

Allpress Espresso Cafe - Rosebery - Sydney, Australia

Allpress Espresso Cafe 

Allpress grinds their coffee beans on site and serves their coffee fresh to the customer. They sure make a mean coffee but be prepared to wait during morning hour rush. Their iced coffees are just beyond any normal ice coffee.

I'm not sure if they bake their pastries/cakes/scrolls on site or outsource but some of them are sure deliciously good.

The 'Cinnamon Scrolls' are pricey at $5.50 but they are absolutely delicious. Moist and full of flavour.

The 'Friands' are a great afternoon tea cake. Nice and moist.

The 'Maple Pastry ($5.00)' is overly sweet and drenched with maple syrup but is crunchy and buttery like how a pastry should be.

This 'Pastry ($2.00)' was a special they had on the day and again it had a hint maple syrup in it but wasn't as overwhelming as the other one. Think they charged me the wrong price on this one.

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/
 

 

Photown - Hurstville - Sydney, Australia

Photown

A relatively new Vietnamese restaurant that just opened in Hurstville, further down towards the quieter end of Forest Road.

The internal decor is minimal but nice, clean and airy.

The food is authentic Vietnamese and cooked and served by Vietnamese people. There is a nice selection of different items on its menu from the popular 'Pho' to the more rare items you usually don't see in other restaurants like the 'Bo La Lot (Grilled Beef in Betal Leaf)'.

The 'Pho Bo Dac Biet (Special Beef Noodle Soup) ($12.00)' is a decent serving size and contains various cuts of meat like tendons, beef balls, beef slices, ox tail and tripe. The soup is not overly seasoned and just right in flavour. Ingredients are fresh so that's a positive.

'Pho Duoi Bo (Oxtail Noodle Soup) ($11.50)' is not a Pho I have seen before with the oxtail bones sitting on top of the noodles and soup. It has nice flavour and cooked well with the meat falling off the bone but it's missing beef slices? The Pho from Fat Noodle uses this type of bone to cook their Pho stock as well but with their version, there is beef slices on top. I find that the soup becomes gelatinous after sitting there for a while so it would have been better if the bones weren't added.

Decent authentic Vietnamese food in the south of Sydney but prices are a bit steep.

Where?
281-283 Forest Rd
Hurstville NSW 2220
Australia

Phone no: 02 8034 1573

Opening Hours
11am - 9pm
7 Days a Week

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

Crust Pizza - Gymea - Sydney, Australia

Crust Pizza

With many franchises Australia wide, they are known for their healthier, gourmet pizza's compared to the usual pizza chains like Pizza Hut and Dominos. Even though they are healthier or as we believe, flavour is not compromised.

The 'Peri Peri Chicken' and 'Cajun Chicken' are my absolutely favourite. It's a must order!

It is usually packed with toppings and the sauce on top is finger licking good.

Where?
Many locations around Australia

Opening Hours
Check website for hours

Website
www.crust.com.au

Taste of Shanghai - Hurstville - Sydney, Australia

Taste of Shanghai

On a quest to find 'really good' Xiao Long Bao' we end up at Taste of Shanghai on a Friday night.
We arrive before 6pm and there is already a queue forming. We end up waiting for 20 minutes before our ticket is called. I noticed that no bookings were taken maybe cause they're relatively new but their sister restaurants currently have this option available.

The interior is pretty small, hence the long waiting times.

As you walk through, a whiff of vinegar goes to your nose.
At present no alcohol is available possibly due to licencing restrictions. However, it is on the menu.

Soya sauce, chilli sauce and vinegar are available at the table.

The 'Xiao Long Bao ($8.80)' is much thinner than the one served at New Shanghai and is a crowd favourite. The skin is smooth and the meat is juicy. A must order if you're here.

The 'Pan Fried Pork Dumpling with Sesame Seeds ($9.80)' is a bargain considering the serving size. 8 big buns are fried to perfection which sit on a white plate. Each mouthful is delicious as piping hot soup erupts from the first bite you take at the edges.

'Poached Pork Dumpling in Chilli Oil ($9.80)' is a huge serve with 10 decent sized pieces of dumpling . The dumplings skins are smooth and slippery. There appears to be a hint of water chestnut and coriander in the filling which gives it a nice crunch. The chilli oil  doesn't have that spice factor at all but then again it maybe because I have a high tolerance to chilli.

The 'Salt and Pepper King Prawns ($22.80)' come out in a small basket. It is nicely fried but the batter has soaked in a lot of the oil which is rather sickening after eating one or two. The fried shallots on top give it a good crunch.

I don't find the 'Special Fried Rice ($13.80)' special at all. It has a few pieces of prawns, some beef and red onion and again. This is again too oily.

We also order the 'Sesame Taro Pastry ($7.80)' consisting of 6 halves but it takes too long to arrive and since we're so full that we ask for take-away. Nothing special but worth a try if you haven't had before.

Would come here for the dumplings but would reconsider the mains we had. Will give other mains another chance next time.

Where?
177 Forest Rd
Hurstville NSW 2220
Australia

Phone no: 02 9585 8826

Opening Hours
TBA

Website
www.tasteofshanghai.com.au

 

Nan Tien Temple - Chinese New Year - Berkeley, Australia

Nan Tien Temple

On Chinese New Year we usually head off to the temple the night before or on the actual day to pray for a blessed year ahead. This year's CNY was on a Sunday which meant those who worked full time couldn't celebrate it on it's actual day.

We headed to Wollongong just after 9am and got there just before 10am. There were a lot of cars queuing to enter the temple and since there is only one way in and out of the parking lot this created a traffic jam. But thankfully we got there earlier than most and found parking straightaway towards the bottom of the hill.

The temple was nicely decorated with CNY ornaments and was a big change from what it looked like daily. There was an abundance of food stalls and the food hall was open as well. I was getting squashed and there was barely any space to move within the food stalls. It was that packed.

The 'Bun Canh Cuo  - Crab Noodle Soup ($10.00)' had that real crab meat taste to it but it was vegetarian. The quantity was was small and not very filling. Too much soup! I didn't really enjoy the mushrooms cause in I don't like the taste of enoki mushrooms.

The food from the hall was pretty standard which I blogged about previously.

They had a lot of foods worth trying.

Perhaps next year?

Where?
180 Berkeley Road
Berkeley NSW 2506
Australia

Opening Hours
Tuesday - Sunday
9am - 5pm
Closed Mondays

Website
http://www.nantien.org.au