Bodega 1904 - Forest Lodge - Sydney, Australia

Happy Australia Day! For those in Australia, I hope you all had an amazing day celebrating this national day. I'm thankful for being able to live in this beautiful country. We managed to catch the fireworks at our local beach in Cronulla. 

Back to posting about Sydney's local dining scene.

As part of the restoration of the Rozelle Tramway Depot, Tramshed is the new food destination at Harold Park, bringing together a number of famous restaurants and newbie eateries in a European style setting.

The space is open, airy and industrial looking with a warehouse feel. There’s even an unused tramcar on display. 

Bodega 1904 is a joint collaboration between Bodega and Porteno.

They serve a range of Spanish and Latin American inspired tapas which you wouldn’t usually find at a typical restaurant, taking a spin on the classics with a modern interpretation.  The food here is meant for sharing, even the mains. That’s a positive as you get to try more right?

We started with the ‘smoked eggplant, caramelized baby onions and goats milk feta ($14.00)’. Rich, slightly smoky and creamy. This was divine and reminded me very much of the Lebanese baba ganoush. The eggplant was wonderfully smooth to the palate and really tasty. 

The ‘Polish salami and picked chilli ($12.00)’ complemented well with the other tapas dish. The thinly shaved salami was slightly salty with hints of spice from the cracked pepper. Be warned the pickled chilli is hot, very hot. 

The tapas were eaten with fluffy ‘1904 Sourdough Bread ($4.00)’, served with a side of creamy cultured butter which was absolutely delicious we ordered another serving. 

‘Smoked pigs head sausage, crispy potatoes and plum sauce ($24.00)’, is a popular dish on Instagram so we decided to order it. The plump pork sausage was juicy, moist and bursting with flavour. The pureed mash potato was velvety and the fried shreds of potato went well with it, adding a crunch factor.

Usually I’m not too keen on trying lamb when they’re on menus as I find that that the meat is too gamey if not cooked correctly. The ‘roast lamb neck, chickpea, pistachio, preserved lemon and sorrel ($38.00)’ here was pretty amazing.  Perfectly roasted, the meat fell off the bone and melted in the mouth. It was so soft and tender.

The dishes here are simple and homely, made using fresh ingredients but packed with loads of flavour. If you’re a wine enthusiast, they have a boutique wine store in house.  Delicious food with great company is always a winning combination. 

Where?

1 Dalgal Way

Forest Lodge NSW 2037
Australia

Phone no: 02 8624 3133

Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday: 12pm to 11pm

Friday: 12pm to 12am,

Saturday: 10am to 12am

Sunday: 10am to 10pm

Website
www.bodega1904..com.au 

Cow and the Moon - Enmore - Sydney, Australia

Cow and the Moon

If you like gelato and read the newspapers recently, then you've probably heard of 'Cow and the Moon'. It was named the world's best gelato maker at the 'Gelato World Tour' held in Italy, taking out the prestigious title by beating ice cream artisans from all over the world. To be honest, I've never heard of them till I read about them. This ice creamery is secret no more.

Now, how did that happen? You would think that the best gelato would be awarded to a gelateria in Italy as this is where gelato originated from. But no! This family run, suburban gelateria, located in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney won this acclaimed award for its 'almond affogato' flavoured ice cream, a twist on the classic affogato.

Since we were in Newtown lunching at the Pie Tin, we thought we would drop by the neighbouring suburb, Enmore, and join the masses in giving this famous ice cream a try. Indeed, we already had our fair share of dessert at the Pie Tin but that wasn't enough for our greedy stomachs.

We proceeded to walk a good 15 minutes from Newtown to Enmore, to walk off the food we ate earlier. From afar, we could see a queue that was snaking around the block and it didn't seem to get any shorter as we approached this corner store. It seemed as though everyone in Sydney had one thing in mind that day, and that was to taste the world's best ice-cream. We joined the queue and we waited in line for about 20 minutes.

They have a number of flavours on offer from the classics to the gourmet. Coffee and various desserts are also available.

Now, on to the famous ice-cream. We opt for the 'Small Gelato ($5.00)' which entitles us to two flavours. The almond affogato flavoured ice cream is based on the classic affogato, featuring single origin coffee and caramelised almonds with a Madagascar vanilla base. Doesn't that sound appealing? It's a winning combination and you have to taste it to know why.

The ice cream is creamy, rich and velvety smooth. The mix of flavours is superb, though a bit on the sweeter side for me. It tasted great, like how a good ice cream should taste. A perfectly balanced ice cream with a vanilla base and coffee infusion, which was subtle but indeed delicious. Together with the crunchy bits of almond and caramel, it was satisfying and refreshing on a hot day. If you're not a coffee lover, then you may not like it. I had this with a scoop of 'vanilla' ice cream.

JJ asked the question of, "How do you judge the world's best ice-cream?''. That is a good question, as we all pondered how the judging process works. For us as individuals, deciding on what flavour we like is a matter of personal preference and it's subjective.

The gorgeous Spring weather has finally kicked in, so give yourself a sweet treat and visit this ice cream bar and try it for yourself. Be prepared to wait.

Where?
181 Enmore Rd
Enmore NSW 2042
Australia

Phone no: 02 9557 4225

Opening Hours
Monday - Sunday
8:30am - 11:30pm

Website
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cow-and-the-Moon-GelatoCoffeeDessert-Bar/

Red Pepper - Strathfield - Sydney, Australia

Red Pepper

If you've read my last few posts then you may be thinking I'm Korean. As all I seem to posting about lately appears to be Korean related. I think this year, I have eaten more Korean food than I have ever had in my life. I guess you could say I'm trying out new things and being more adventurous. As previously mentioned, I wasn't a very big fan of Korean food but it's starting to grow on me and I'm learning to appreciate it more. I actually have a lot of other restaurants to post about but I think I'll continue with another Korean restaurant that I went to recently that stood out.

Fried chicken, fried chicken and more fried chicken. All I seem to be eating these days is fried chicken. I just can't get enough of this deliciously crunchy chicken that is so satisfying to the soul. That chicken is no other than the Korean fried chicken (KFC).

Red Pepper is a Korean restaurant that sits inside the Strathfield Sports Club. If you haven't seen or read about Red Pepper before then you may be thinking that it is a restaurant that specialises in red pepper dishes or very spicy dishes. Actually it's quite the contrary. What everyone namely comes here for is the Korean fried chicken and many have said it is one of the best. When one mentions that word 'best', then it is a must try.

The drive from the Shire to Strathfield is actually not very far, about a 30 minute drive. On that particular Saturday night that we decided to go, the traffic there was horrendous. We were crawling there and traffic was bumper to bumper. It ended up taking close to an hour.

What made it worse is that there was no street parking available when we reached and the parking lot connected the club was full with either club patrons or people using the sporting facilities. Finding parking took another 20 minutes or so, and by this time we got a spot, we were tired and hungry. Do note that the parking lot doesn't have many spaces, so street parking may be the better option. Prior to entry, you have to sign into the club.

Red Pepper is tucked at the back of the club with the bar. It isn't very big and more like a bistro opposed to a restaurant. There is a small open window where the staff take orders and then you grab a table number after placing your order. You can also order from your table if you prefer.

There is plenty of seating available but on that night it was full! A mix of diners but mostly Korean friends and families enjoying their food, vouching for authentic Korean cuisine. With no inside seating available we resorted to sitting outside in the cold thanks to my brother. There wasn't much lighting and I didn't really know what part of the chicken I was eating at times, so the photos turned out to be a failure. That was not an eventful first experience but a few weeks later I decided to return not once but twice as the food turned out much better.

If you want to beat the surrounding traffic and the crowds, I recommend going during lunch. There is plenty of street parking available and finding a table is so easy as there aren't many people at that time. Parking on the street is also free on Sunday as it's usually metered.

The main item on the menu is the fried chicken, with or without bones, half or whole and served a number of ways. There is a large variety to choose from and you're spoilt with choice. They do have other traditional Korean dishes but there isn't many compared to what you would find at a regular Korean restaurant. Also, they do offer a number of western dishes.

The hot pot's look so tempting in the menu but we are here for the fried chicken only. That shall be for next time.

Fried chicken is usually served with a side of pickled radish cubes but here it also comes with pickled cabbage as well.

Metal cutlery.

'Original Fried Chicken ($16 half or $30 whole)' is regular chicken coated in a 'premium' light batter. Look at the difference between the half and the whole. There appears to be so much more in the whole chicken plate.

It's done perfectly right here. The chicken pieces are crispy and crunchy without being greasy, and still is light but not dry. Even without sauce it is extremely tasty. I like how the chicken is still juicy Fried chicken at its best! My favourite of the lot.

'Hot & Spicy Chicken ($17 half or $32 whole)' is the original fried chicken coated in a hot and spicy sauce. The sauce is spicy and does burn your lips, even for those highly tolerant to chilli and spice like myself. Chewy rice cakes are added to the plate for presentation and there is even more fresh chilli to give it that extra kick!

The 'Soy Sauce Chicken ($17 half or $32 whole)' is the original fried chicken coated in a garlic and soy sauce combination. The sauce is faint and not as strong as I would have imagined.You would expect it to be salty with the soy sauce but the flavours worked well and I liked how it was subtle. It does however get soggy quickly due to the moisture and sauce, so it has to be eaten hastily.

'Spring Onion Chicken ($17 half or $32 whole)' seems to be a popular choice. The original fried chicken is coated in a wasabi dressing and then topped with a bunch of sliced spring onions. I found the wasabi flavouring to be relatively robust for my taste buds. This is coming from a person who has a very low liking to wasabi and anything wasabi flavour related. The rest of the table enjoyed it. This photo was taken in the dark so please excuse the horrible lighting.

The 'Black Sesame Chicken ($17 half or $32 whole)' is boneless fried chicken made from the drumstick part of the chicken, coated with black sesame seeds. Apparently popular with kids because of the extra crunch factor, it definitely didn't disappoint in terms of taste. We were surprised it was served with sweet chilli and mustard sauce as none of the other ones came with this. It didn't need that extra sauce as it was already flavoursome, leaving it barely touched.

The 'Dolsot-Bimimbap ($15.00)' is a dish that's hard to get wrong as your basically placing assorted items on steamed rice. The version here is made with beef and an assortment of vegetables, topped with a raw egg, in a sizzling stone pot. The chilli sauce can be added accordingly. The sizzling hot pot left a nice crispy rice which I thoroughly enjoyed chomping on.

Another bimimbap that is only available for the lunch, from the specials is 'Nakji Dolsot-Bimimbap ($13.00)'. It is similar to the one mentioned above but instead of beef, it uses octopus. The portion was much smaller in comparison and it might have been because it was a special.

How could I forget the complimentary sides? If I were to come here for anything else other than the fried chicken it would have to be the banchan. It changes on a regular basis but I've liked every single one and I would rate this as one of the best. These were the sides we got over two separate visits and how many sides you get depends on how much you order.

Please note you only get picked radish and cabbage with fried chicken. To get the other banchan, you would have to order something besides the fried chicken from the Korean cuisine menu.

This place isn't flashy nor fancy. It's casual, cheery and has that typical club feel with limited customer service. Food is cheap and if shared among a big group, it works out to be even cheaper. If you're in the area, do give it a try and see what you think. I don't believe it's the best fried chicken out there but it was indeed nearly spot on. Now that the sister restaurant, 'The Sparrow's Mill' is open in the Sydney CBD, serving pretty much the same items as Red Pepper, getting your fried chicken fix couldn't be any easier.

Where?
4A Lyons St
Strathfield NSW 2135
Australia

Phone no: 02 9701 0911

Opening Hours
Refer to website

Website
www.strathfieldsportsclub.com.au