19May / 2012

Chelsea Hotel, Chatswood

On Thursday night, we headed out of our usual neck of the woods to Chatswood for dinner. I read some good reviews of Chelsea Hotel, which does simple pub food with specials from Saturday to Thursday night like Bangers and Mash for $10 and $8 cocktails (normally $16) from 5pm. Benian and I used to go to these cheap bistro eats when we were both uni students, but it’s been a long time since we’ve chowed down on pub food at the University of Sydney adjacent Lansdowne Hotel. Part of me was curious to find out if our standards have risen much over the last 4 years, or if a $10 steak really is as satisfying as I remembered.

Lemon Lime Bitter

Lemon Lime Bitter

After a shopping spree at Kathmandu (Benian and I are travelling to Japan next month—more on that later), we arrived at Chelsea Hotel in time for an early meal at 6pm. The downstairs courtyard was packed with white collars blowing off steam after work, but after finding our way up the dark staircase, we were pleasantly surprised to find a rather quiet dining area. Menus are found on the ridiculously tall tables and food is ordered at the counter. To qualify for the specials, you have to order a drink, so us lightweights started with a couple of lemon lime bitters.

Benian

After we decided what to order, I approached the bar and listed it. As usual I blurted the order out in a flury which left the staff frantically punching the details into their point of sale system and me having to repeat my order. The staff were pleasant, but not overly talkative and definitely straight to business.

After taking our drinks and buzzer back to our table we waited and talked till our buzzer went off to collect our food. I did comment at one point to Helena that I was surprised at how long our order took to cook. I hope I was not being harsh but I considered how many people were in the place without food already, how long I remember bistro food taking from previous experience and what we had ordered. I guess I was all the more excited (and hungry) when the food was ready and my Chicken Schnitzel with Mash and Mushroom Gravy arrived!

Chicken Schnitzel with Mash and Mushroom Gravy

The schnitzel was thin, so it was not as moist as it could have been. Fortunately it was quite tasty with a nice bistro styled crumbing around the outside. The mash was a standard affair and the gravy was really punchy with mushroom flavour. I think I have slightly grown up in taste over the past few years as I felt the flavours were very sharp without subtlety.

In relative terms to another similar meal I had at the food court near my office, it actually did not stack up and was in the end more expensive.

Lychee Caprioska

Lychee Caprioska

With our stomachs full, we decided to take advantage of their Thursday night cocktails special and ordered two drinks. I originally requested a Toblerone as I thought Helena would probably liked it and we could share, only to find her toting the Toblerone with a Lychee Caprioska back from the bar because she thought I’d prefer the latter. She was absolutely right, we found it hilarious we had just bought each other drinks.

The Lychee Caprioska was really refreshing, the lime worked wonderfully with the sweet lychees and the way it was muddled really brough out the flavours.

Helena

Rump Steak with Pepper Sauce and Chips

Rump Steak with Pepper Sauce and Chips

I ordered the 250g grain fed rump steak with chips and pepper gravy (you get your choice between mash/chips and diane, mushroom, pepper or onion gravy). The steak was thick and juicy, perfectly medium rare as I requested), but quite a lot of charring on one section of the steak gave off a bitter burnt taste. Chips were really hearty drenched in the pepper sauce, although the gravy was a little on the thin side. I would have also liked the pepper fiery hot, but it tasted as though it just had a little cracked pepper on top.

Toblerone Cocktail

Toblerone Cocktail

My Toblerone cocktail was like a velvety chocolate milk. I didn’t quite get the “Toblerone” and wouldn’t have guessed it had anything to do with the chocolate bar if I hadn’t seen the name, but I loved it nevertheless. It was quite lovingly made by the bartender, with chocolate sauce scribbled on the inside of the martini glass and a heady mix of Frangelico and Baileys shaken with cream and honey and dusted with cocoa powder.

Our Ratings

Benian gives Chelsea Hotel 5.5 out of 10. The food overall was not bad, but as one of my coworkers always says “it’s not something to write home about”. Given the huge food offerings in Chatswood I would only go back if I was in another bistro mood. It was a very comfortable locale with nice dim lighting and a chilled vibe. I think the pair sitting next to us had the right idea – cocktails and D & Ms (cocktales?).

Helena gives Chelsea Hotel 6 out of 10. The service was curt and the seats literally tearing at the seams but aside from a little charring, the food was fulfilling, and hit the spot with both of us famished after a long day at the office. As usual, I had plate-envy, and think I probably would have enjoyed the chicken schnitzel more, but I’d definitely go back if I was in the neighbourhood again and starving to death. In terms of answering my own question about whether or not my standards have changed; I think the answer is a definitive yes. I would much rather pay triple the price for a really spectacular steak (or just get Benian to fry me one up at home with extra cracked pepper please) but then again, it was totally worth ending the night giddily with two extremely good value cocktails.

The Need to Knows

Location: Chelsea Hotel, 10-14 Railway St, Chatswood, NSW, 2067

Contact Number: (02) 9411 4995

Website: www.chelseahotel.com.au

Bookings: Just for functions.

Parking: Not sure about parking, but Chatswood station is across the road. Taxis and buses aplenty.

Pricing: Around $15pp including drinks for specials or around $16–21 for other selections off the menu. Cocktails normally $16 but $8 on Thursday nights.

Chelsea Hotel Chatswood on Urbanspoon

03Apr / 2012

Moochi and Noggi, Strathfield

In case you haven’t visited Strathfield recently and seen the long lines near the train station along Albert Rd and Church Ave, summer brought along two new frozen yoghurt (“froyo”) joints that have opened within walking distance of one another. For now however, it seems there is plenty of business to go around. On the 4-5 occasions we’ve ventured to satiate our froyo cravings, both stores have been swarming with customers.

Moochi

Moochi, Strathfield

Moochi, Strathfield

Moochi, Strathfield

Moochi, Strathfield

Moochi was the first place we tried. The clean white walls offset by the vibrant pink feature wall behind the counter immediately give the store a cheerful and enticing atmosphere. Moochi is an independent business that set up shop just a little before Noggi, a franchise founded in 2009, moved in next door. Our first visit shortly after the store opened was warm and welcoming, with the staff behind the counter oozing with friendliness and charm, frequently using my name before handing me my cup of froyo with a super nice “Enjoy your Moochi!”

At Moochi, you choose between Original (plain), Green Tea, Watermelon, and Pomegranate flavour. I have tried them all and I have to say, they mostly just taste like froyo! There’s a light whisper of the flavour but I would never be able to guess what they are in a blind test. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; there’s a light, fresh subtlety to them that makes all three choices safe bets for anyone who might not usually be fans of those flavours. The consistency of Moochi’s froyo is silky and smooth, and showcased the delicate flavours really well.

Green Tea Frozen Yoghurt

Green Tea Frozen Yoghurt at Moochi

Pomegranate Frozen Yoghurt

Pomegranate Frozen Yoghurt at Moochi

On my first trip to Moochi, I asked the staff member to recommend some toppings for a Green Tea flavoured froyo and he said his picks would be mochi, strawberries, and watermelon but added that that was just his opinion and his colleagues would have their own preferences. I opted for his recommendations and really loved how the sweet, juicy pieces of fruit complemented the soft chewiness of the mochi in what was an all-round refreshing and delightful recipe. The subsequent visits were less of a standout, with staff members looking noticeably more stressed. I asked a different staff member for topping recommendations on my second visit when I ordered Pomegranate, but she proceeded to top my order with strawberries and blueberries rather than giving me a choice.

Watermelon and Green Tea Frozen Yoghurt

Watermelon and Green Tea Frozen Yoghurt at Moochi

Moochi froyos start at $3.90 for the regular size with as many toppings as you’d like for 50c extra each. If going with a friend/partner, it’s a little more economical to share a larger size and ask for different flavours in the small cup.

Noggi

We tried Noggi for the first time a couple of Sundays ago when the line at Moochi after dinner snaked halfway down Church Ave. A quick peek around the corner into Noggi showed a much shorter line (though it only took about 3 minutes for the line to catch up to the size of the one at Moochi) so we reluctantly joined them there. I’m all about power to the little guy and I have to say I wasn’t planning on falling in love with franchise-moving-in-on-territory-of-indie-store Noggi, but I was pleasantly surprised.

From the outside, you only see the counter side-on so you don’t really get a good sense of their menu or topping selections just by walking past the store. That’s perhaps another reason why we never felt as enticed to venture into Noggi as we did with Moochi. The décor is mostly white with some green features, but the ambience feels more cold and clinical than Moochi. There’s a covered courtyard area at the back with closely clustered tables, but because it’s almost, but not technically enclosed, it attracted a lot of smokers. Poor Benian is asthmatic so it wasn’t the most pleasant space to be in.

Biscotti Frozen Yoghurt

Biscotti Frozen Yoghurt at Noggi

Green Tea Frozen Yoghurt

Green Tea Frozen Yoghurt at Noggi

Original Frozen Yoghurt

Original Frozen Yoghurt at Noggi

They were really busy on the night so unsurprisingly, the service was brisk and a little frenetic. Similar to Moochi, you choose your size and flavour, but between the choices of Original, Green Tea, Biscotti, and Wildberry. I went with Green Tea again so I could compare between Noggi and Moochi, and I have to admit Noggi’s Green Tea froyo is much more discernibly green tea. It also tasted thicker and milkier, slightly more ice cream-like than Moochi. I chose to have it topped with mochi, lychee, and ‘honeycomb choc’ (Cadbury Crunchie). Mochi is one of my favourite toppings to have with my froyo and until recently, Moochi was the only store that offered it. However, it seems like Noggi caught on about how good it is and recently introduced it as a new “seasonal” topping. Benian had the Biscotti with toppings of Oreo and cornflakes, which he didn’t think tasted like biscotti at all, but I found it had a nice nutty hint of almond.

The prices are really similar but Noggi is slightly more expensive at $5.70 for a regular size froyo with up to three toppings or $4.20 without toppings.

The Need to Knows – Moochi

Location: 1/7-9 Churchill Ave, Strathfield, NSW, 2135
Contact Number: 0404 454 596
Website: www.iheartmoochi.com.au
Pricing: Regular froyo with three toppings $5.40

The Need to Knows – Noggi

Location: 2/2 Albert Rd, Strathfield, NSW, 2135
Contact Number: 02 9737 8242
Website: www.noggi.com.au
Pricing: Regular froyo with three toppings $5.70

Parking: Parking available in Strathfield Plaza. Rooftop generally has the most available parking spaces. Park your car closer to the side of the station and there’s a small staircase from the parking lot that comes out into the footpath outside Crystal Seafood Restaurant. Moochi and Noggi are both just across the road, 1 minute walk away.

Moochi, Strathfield

Moochi, Strathfield

Our Ratings

Moochi and Noggi come really, really close to me. In terms of ambience, Moochi has a more aesthetically-pleasing and inviting décor but Noggi has more seats. Both play videos on flat-screen TVs mounted on their walls and blast music. When I went to Noggi on Sunday, they were advertising an upcoming store performance by Kina Grannis (a singer who started out on YouTube), so as a larger business, Noggi has more of an ability to organise these sorts of events. I feel as though Moochi has a slightly older clientele (early to mid 20s) while Noggi seems to be more frequented by teenagers (excluding the smokers). In terms of price, although Noggi is minutely more expensive, I did feel Noggi packed the froyo into the cup more tightly whereas I’ve dug into a cup of Moochi in the past to find it was quite hollow inside. That being said, I feel Moochi has been more generous with the toppings. However, I can’t compare the portions for sure; this is just my very subjective impression. Service is virtually identical in both stores. So when it comes down to it, I would say go for the store with the shortest line!

Personally though, I have to say my loyalties still lie with Moochi even though my experience at Noggi was equally enjoyable. The idea that a franchise opened up its doors so close to an indie store and copies its popular toppings rubs me the wrong way. I’ve seen a few blog posts where Noggi employees have posted with less than respectful comments about their competitor, which does nothing for their image as a corporate bully. You’ll also be able to see below that their Urbanspoon ratings are quite curious: as two stores who opened up roughly around the same time with roughly the same number of customers at all the points in time I visited Strathfield, somehow Moochi has three times as many ratings (n=103) compared to Noggi (n=34). Moochi has a large number of negative ratings from reviewers who did not leave comments, lowering their satisfaction rating on Urbanspoon to 75% compared with 94% for Noggi. In particular, the reviewer “Foodlover” for Moochi from 22th November, 2011 sounds super suss as it’s the user’s only review and it explicitly says Noggi’s products are better. Curiouser and curiouser.

Moochi on Urbanspoon   Noggi on Urbanspoon

17Mar / 2012

Chefs Gallery, Sydney CBD

A month ago, a friend of mine introduced me to Chef’s Gallery, a Chinese ‘tapas style’ (yum cha) restaurant tucked right into the heart of Sydney CBD. Their professional service and inventive foods impressed me so much that I immediately suggested it for a noming adventure when Benian asked me where I wanted to have lunch on a wander through the city.

Benian

Knowing we would be ordering dessert we started with the Steamed Dim Sim Sampling Platter to share. The platter comes with 8 pieces of dim sim including pairs of the ever-popular cha shiu bao (white buns, which are stuffed with barbeque pork) and shiu mai (mince chicken and prawn wrapped with wheat flour skin. In addition to those choices, there are three pieces of dumplings: one prawn; one mildly spicy prawn; and one rice paper stuffed with mixed vegetables. My favourites were the chicken and prawn shiu mai, followed very closely by the spicy prawn dumpling.

Steamed Dim Sim Platter

Steamed Dim Sim Platter

The shiu mai had lovely chunks of prawn through it, not completely blended in like shiu mai is so often at yum cha. While the spicy prawn had that delicious vinegar chilli sauce that keeps you salivating and wanting.

In general, I felt the dim sim could have been a little more generously stuffed and a bit moister. When the platter arrived the skins of the dumplings were already dry indicating they had already been airing out for a while.

For those playing at home, if you are looking for dim sims to steam yourself, try out Best Taste Dim Sims in Homebush West. Although not in any way fancy like Chef’s Gallery, they have some of the tastiest dim sims you can eat at home. Their dim sims are made on site and frozen from fresh. If you are lucky you will sometimes find that they have just been made and have not had a chance to freeze as yet!

Our other savoury dish for the afternoon was the Handmade Noodles, Wok Fried with Prawns in Chilli Prawn Paste and as per usual just thinking of it is making my mouth salivate. The dish in a way is similar to a variant of Mee Goreng that my mum once made with the inclusion of the prawn, chilli and tomato flavours throughout.

Handmade Noodles, Wok Fried with Prawns in Chilli Prawn Paste

Handmade Noodles, Wok Fried with Prawns in Chilli Prawn Paste

What made it really special was the incredible wok flavour that found throughout eating the dish. My dad would describe it as “Wok Hei”, the air or the breath of the wok. “Wok Hei” can only be had from a very hot and well-seasoned work and I would describe it as caramel oil flavours with a hint of charring.

Helena

For dessert, we ordered the Steamed Sesame ‘Piggy Face’ Buns, which seem to be an iconic feature of Chef’s Gallery. The gorgeous presentation is delightfully backed up by the flavour as the buns come filled with a sweet and sticky black sesame paste.

Piggy Buns

Piggy Buns

We also had their seasonal Daily Made Mango Pancakes, which were as soft and moist as you’d expect for a fresh dish, with juicy mangos and cream inside. However, the slices of mango in our plate that day were not very sweet or flavoursome and overall left the dish too plain. I could have also done without the chocolate sauce drizzled on top, which tasted like the cheap ‘chocolate-flavoured’ sauce you can find at the supermarkets without the thickness and depth of real chocolate.

Mango Pancakes

Mango Pancakes

The Marshmallow ‘Totoro’ coated with desiccated coconut was a treat! (I think in the dinner menu they used to call them marshmallow rabbits.) You get three pieces which look super adorable and have a very light, delicate flavour that are a nice way to end a satisfying meal. I would definitely order this one again.

Marshmallow Totoro

Marshmallow Totoro

The Need to Knows

Location: Shop 12, 501 George Street (shop front on Bathurst St), Sydney, NSW, 2000
Contact Number: 02 9267 8877
Website: www.chefsgallery.com.au
Bookings: Bookings are recommended, which can easily be made via the Dimmi system on their website. We were just fortunate to be there at the right time to get a table for two.
Parking: Sydney CBD parking, probably recommended getting public transport in. It is a 30 second walk from the southern Town Hall exit near KFC.
Pricing: For lunch, has yum cha like pricing with individual selections ranging from $5-10, platters and noodle dishes from $10-$15 and desserts around $10.

Our Ratings

Helena gives Chef’s Gallery 7 out of 10. The ambience makes it one of the best places I have visited for yum cha and the service is prompt and professional. It’s also a bonus that you can see the chefs whipping up a storm in the kitchen through the glass windows (as in a ‘gallery of chefs’) and their fast and fluid technique is definitely something impressive to behold. If you are very familiar with yum cha though, you may find this place a little wanting in terms of value. The prices tend to be much higher than most yum cha places and the portions are smaller and flimsier, even if they may be more attractively presented.

Benian gives Chef’s Gallery 7 out of 10. I would have loved to see more variety in the dim sim part of their menu but otherwise a good experience. I am enjoying where they are taking modern Chinese and I think it is a case of watch this space. If it is anything to go by, we are going to Chef’s Gallery again tomorrow, this time with my family.

Chefs Gallery on Urbanspoon

29Feb / 2012

February Favourites

Dear fellow Nomsters, after a long month of job-hunting, Benian has received three offers from three great companies. Now we’re just biting our nails and waiting for one of these companies to confirm commercial approval before Benian can sign a contract and continue spending his week noming and blogging with carefree abandon. Thanks for all your support! In the meantime, let me share with you some of our adventures this month in eating.

Love,
Helena

****

Crackling Pork

Crackling Pork

Sashimi Salad

Sashimi Salad

Sashimi Salad

Sashimi Salad

So this is not technically February, but we had a wonderful Chinese New Year with Benian’s family. These last two photographs you see is a Chinese Malaysian tradition—a salad made with sashimi, jellyfish, shredded carrot, radish, and chives and topped with fried youtiao, similar to croutons, and crushed peanuts. Before we eat, everyone has to use their chopsticks to toss the salad. It is said that the higher you toss the salad, the greater your success and prosperity will be for the coming year. Benian and I generally avoid superstition, but I admit it’s hard when they are so delicious.

Preparing the BBQ

Preparing the BBQ

Grilling Kebabs

Grilling Kebabs

Dwindling Flames

Dwindling Flames

Earlier this month, some of our friends had a ‘housecooling’ BBQ to commemorate their moving out. Benian and I sort of share a fetish for punctuality so we regularly find ourselves setting up the BBQ. However, you may have noticed with the state of those kebabs that we were a little too keen with the fire.

Waiting for brekkie at Hello Happy

Waiting for brekkie at Hello Happy, Strathfield

Coffee at Hello Happy

Coffee at Hello Happy, Strathfield

Afternoon Tea at Hello Happy

Afternoon Tea at Hello Happy, Strathfield

You might remember from our NYE post that we had discovered a café in Strathfield that makes a tasty green tea latté. Actually, it’s become somewhat of a favourite hideaway for us and we’ve returned at least three times since. They have an exquisite selection of cakes in the window, but when you go inside, you’ll find cabinets full of breads and biscuits via self-serve (à la Bread Top style). The picture directly above shows their cinnamon mocha, which has quickly become another favourite.

The Need to Knows

Location: 22 The Boulevarde, Strathfield, NSW, 2135
Contact Number: None
Website: No website
Bookings: None, but there are generally plenty of tables out back for small groups of 2–4.
Parking: Easy walk from Strathfield Plaza, which has free 3-hr parking.
Pricing: $3–6 for breads and cakes and around $4 for the special drinks.

Hello Happy on Urbanspoon

12Feb / 2012

Gumshara Ramen, Haymarket

If you are a follower of our blog you might have realised that we have not posted up in a while, I am actually the cause of this, spending all of my free time at the moment looking for a new job. So for updates on when our new entries will be out do subscribe either on the panel to the right or like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheNomsters)! I will endeavour to be more consistent during this change and if you know anyone hiring comment below.

Lots of love,
Benian

****

      It was quite hilarious actually. We have a slight running joke that Helena and my dad always order the same thing when we go out to restaurants as a family. So on the day I get home from having lunch with my dad at what he described to be a “really popular ramen place” and Helena rushes to tell me about this “great ramen place”, it was needless to say, both hysterically funny and uncomfortably uncanny when we confirmed they were indeed the same place.

Helena

Before embarking on this ramen trip, my research of food bloggers suggested that Gumshara Ramen’s tonkotsu can be quite polarising. Some people love its intensity, others find it too much too handle, too rich and salty to finish, or even too one-dimensional and generally overrated. A sign at their counter indicates that you can request a thinner, less salty soup, but as it was my first time, I decided it would be better to have the ‘original’ before I requested the adjustments.

I ordered the BBQ Pork Ramen with an added soft-boiled egg. I was so excited I could barely contain myself and immediately slurped a spoonful of the soup when we finally figured out where we were supposed to find spoons (by the condiments, in case you’re wondering). I was surprised to find that it wasn’t anywhere near as salty as I had imagined, but rather inelegantly remarked to Benian that it was like, “drinking a pig”. In all seriousness, the flavour was intensely rich, but I also found great depth and complexity that really showcased the multilayered flavour of pork.

BBQ Pork Ramen

BBQ Pork Ramen

The slices of BBQ pork are what really packed a punch in terms of the saltiness, but were mouth-watering morsels in between respites of the perfectly smooth and chewy noodles. I did notice that the longer the pork slices had to stew in the soup, the saltier the soup itself became. If I hadn’t greedily rushed to guzzle down the soup the moment we were seated, I may have missed the complexity of the flavour in that first gulp.

Benian

Having eaten there just a day or so ago, I knew what to expect. Gumshara Ramen is located in one of the saddest looking food courts in all of Sydney, it has the worst possible lighting for food photography and tacky soundless televisions hanging from the ceiling.

If you look at a lot photos of from people who have visited Gumshara they really vary in quality, the reason for this is the dim white florescent lighting in an otherwise dark food court. I remember coming to this food court as a child and it was dreary then, fifteen years on and age has indeed wearied it.

The previous visit I had the BBQ Pork Ramen so this time I thought I would go the whole hog (pun intended) and get a Mega Ramen! As their priciest item on the menu (about $25) the Mega Ramen is characterised by a much bigger bowl, an extra bit of noodle and every additional topping added.

Mega Ramen

Mega Ramen

While eating the first half of your bowl of ramen, the thick pork soup is glorious. It is rich, complex and definitely moreish. I think where people become unstuck, is in the second half. By this time your tastebuds have been shocked to their core and the saltiness cuts through. This is definitely where having a beverage, some condiments and toppings will help!

The toppings really enhance your experience at Gumshara and I would get the Mega Ramen again solely for that reason.

The pork spare rib is insanely succulent and has a lovely sweet and caramelised flavour. It is very tender and is without a doubt one of the best pork spare ribs I have had to date.

The pork skewer is soft, fatty and has a smokey, charred flavour that is second to none. To be honest I wish I could just buy the skewers on their own and sit outside snacking on them!

Pork Skewer and Egg

Pork Skewer and Egg

The eggs are always so consistently cooked to ramen perfection. Whites are cooked while the yokes are thick and viscous. It is a must have with any ramen you may choose.

I am hankering to go back sometime soon and cannot wait till winter arrives. As I have said previously, one of my goals in life is to always eat Mega Ramen and not become tubby-mc-tub. We will see how that goes!

The Need to Knows

Location: Eating World Harbour Plaza Shop 209 25-29 Dixon St, Haymarket, NSW, 2000
Contact Number: None
Website: No website
Bookings: It’s a plaza food court, just show up :).
Parking: Easy walk from Central Station or George St bus stops, otherwise there are expensive carparks around Haymarket.
Pricing: $10–15 per bowl

Our Ratings

Helena gives Gumshara Ramen 8.5 out of 10, where the missing 1.5 is solely for ambience. The ramen is tantalising and unforgettable and much too good for the plastic furniture of its food court surrounds. I long for this place to have its own standalone store. I would move in.

Benian gives Gumshara Ramen 8 out of 10. I think Helena and I have very similar views on Gumshara. If we are looking at it from a food court experience the quality of food is probably one of the best in any food court in Sydney. It is definitely better than a lot of restaurants as well. The service is polite and makes do with their location. I have heard that during the week there is often a large line for ramen so do be prepared. I would love to see them move into a new location who’s ambiance reflects their food.

Gumshara Ramen on Urbanspoon