Manpuku - Kingsford - Sydney, Australia

Manpuku

 

I will be on a hiatus from blogging for a month as the dreadful exams are coming up and I won't have much time to explore many eateries during that period of time. Do not fret as I'll be back here soon. So keep watch!

 

A colleague at work, Mr Purple, was nice enough to drive us all to a Japanese eatery called Manpuku in Kingsford. I love how there are so many restaurants along Anzac Parade, yet it relatively easy to find parking.

 

Manpuku specialises in Japanese ramen and a number of flavours are on offer. For those that prefer to eat rice, mini rice bowls are also available. I'm here for one thing only and that one thing is the ramen.

 

We get there right at 12pm and there are not queues and fairly quite. However, the students from the nearby UNSW start to fill up the place very soon. Upon entering, there is a chant in Japanese to welcome their customers. We peruse the menu and have difficulty deciding, as everything looks so good.

Condiments are freely available including pickled vegetables, red ginger or roasted sesame seeds.

 

The 'Manpuku Red ($13.90)' is a pork tonkotsu based ramen in which I opt for 'extreme' spicy. I couldn't help myself. They also had a special on for students where they were offering free 'Oomori - extra noodles ($1.50)' for free. Yay! With my high tolerance to chilli, I actually find it quite spicy. Mr White on the other hand, didn't find it very spicy at all. We're talking about extreme chilli levels here.

The thin noodles were cooked perfectly al dente. There were a lot of noodles but a lack of meat. One piece of fatty pork which melted in the mouth  and a runny egg wouldn't have been enough if it wasn't for the extra noodles.

 

The stock was thick and rich with flavour. I would have liked it if it was less thick but that's my personal preference.  I especially like the addition of black fungus as a lot of places don't put this in anymore due to allergies people may have.

Mr Purple found the soup way too thick and said this may have been because of the addition of too much corn starch. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it may be due to the amount of time that the pork bones have been left simmering for.

There isn't many good ramen places in the Eastern suburbs and this has got to be one of the better ones. Service is great as the staff are bubbly and ultra friendly. Hopefully I can return to try out their other delicious ramen.

 If you're in the area and feel like something warm and tasty, then do give Manpuku a try.

Where?
482 Anzac Parade
Kingsford NSW 2032
Australia

Phone no: 02 9662 1236

Opening Hours
Tuesday - Sunday
Lunch
11:30pm - 2:30pm
Dinner
5:30pm - 9:30pm

Website
NA
 

Nom - Darlinghurst - Sydney, Australia

Nom Japanese Restaurant

We took the wrong turn and ended up in the quiet, dark, back streets of Darlinghurst and before we knew it we arrived at our destination, Nom. Located off Oxford St and not visible as it is quite hidden amongst other closed restaurants/cafes. My friend recommended this place as her Japanese friend frequently visits this restaurant which says a lot about its authenticity.

We arrived at 5:30pm and much to our dismay, the new opening time is from 6pm! We then proceeded to walk around Oxford St to waste time. There are just so many weird and very weird shops around there...

At first glimpse from the outside it looks like a Chinese restaurant with some bright lit sign outside and it's name actually sounds Thai to me. Upon entry, the two ladies greet you and they are just so friendly. It appears to be a family owned restaurant run by the mother and daughter. The daughter reminds us that this is a 'Japanese Restaurant' in which we laugh at this. A lot of people must get confused.

I felt like I was in Japanese home. The restaurant is tiny and it only has a few tables with Japanese music playing in the background and menus plastered over the walls. They even had coat hangers scattered around! Was just oh so relaxing sitting there.

The menu is very old school. It's handwritten on sheets of paper and prices are very decent. They are known for their sake selection but on this occasion we didn't have any. Always a next time :P

The 'Mentaiko Potato Salad ($6.50)' was so good. It didn't taste like a normal potato salad and that is what was great about it. We couldn't stop ourselves from eating it and finished the plate clean. A must order if you're here.

'Yellow Tail Fish Sashimi ($6.50)' was a decent serving size. Didn't try it myself as I don't eat raw fish but friend finished it all.

'Rice Ball($5.00)' which is also known as an onigiri was huge. It was rice mixed together with pickles and salmon wrapped in seaweed.

I opted for the boring 'Steamed Rice ($2.00)' and that is what it was. I love my rice.

The 'Teriyaki Chicken ($9.00)' was cooked perfectly. Chicken was moist and full of teriyaki sauce flavouring. Wish there was more of that tangy lettuce on the side.

'Tamako (Rolled Omelette) ($10.00)' did not turn out to be what I expected. I was imagining an Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) but  we ended up getting a very traditional rolled egg omelette. It was a mix between sweet and savoury which I didn't fancy very much but I guess it's good to try new foods.

We couldn't leave without ordering dessert. There were two on the menu and we got both to share.

The 'Apple Pie ($5.00)' was homemade and wasn't overly sweet. The pastry was crumbly and apple was soft but not gluggy.

'Homemade Custard ($5.00)' was our favourite. Custard was soft and smooth. It went well with that bitter syrup and I wanted to have more.

'Green Tea ($3.50)' and 'Table Water ($0.00)'.

All this for only $52.50. Excellent food and great service at a reasonable price.

A hidden gem in Darlinghurst. Even though it may look like a hole in the wall type of place it is way better than what you can find at a lot of places in Sydney. If you're after the real Japanese home style dining experience then you have to come here. Seats and tables are limited so get in early. I will definitely be back.

Where?
166 Riley St
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Australia

Phone no: 02 9332 1156

Opening Hours
Best to call for opening times

Website
NA

 

Hot Dish - Rosebery - Sydney, Australia.

Hot Dish

A Chinese restaurant that serves both Chinese and Thai fare. The food is decent and fresh which is good but not the best Chinese food. Since it's located in an industrial area, there isn't much competition around and as a result the prices are much higher than what can be found in the city.

The 'Chicken Laksa ($8.00)' is good value. It's loaded to the brim with lots of vegetables, some bean sprouts and a few chicken breast pieces. Depending on the day of the week, vegetables may change depending on availability. Not a traditional laksa but filling and satisfying.

Where?
679 Botany Rd
Rosebery NSW 2018
Australia

Phone no: 02 9698 1722

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday
10:00am - 9:00pm

Website
NA