Cuckoo Callay, Newtown

Bacon! Bacon! Bacon! It was no surprise that I jumped for joy when I first heard about Cuckoo Callay holding a Bacon Festival back in February. Was even happier when I realised this will be going on for 12 weeks. Fast forward many weeks and multiple visits later. Well I haven't managed to try the whole menu but for what I did try, I was really satisfied. By now, this post is probably a bit too late since it will be ending pretty soon but hey better late than never? 

Conveniently located right next to Newtown station, there is so much to love about Cuckoo Callay when it comes down to their fun and down to earth approach. Even on the menu with lots of cute names such as "Birdy Nom Nom", "Cinderella's Breakfast", "Georgeous George and #HashTag Browns 3.0 (heh). According to the take-away menu on the front, they give out free hugs but I haven't had the guts to ask. I probably need one though sighs.

Skim Mocha ($4.00)

Skim Latte ($3.50)

Cuckoo Callay uses Single Origin Roasters house blend. So far, I've been really impressed by the coffee here. The mocha was slightly sweet but not in an overwhelming way and the coffee art was always a highlight. Been starting to drink lattes as well and the one I've had was smooth and not too bitter.

Drizzle Sticks ($10.00)

Bacon dipped in chocolate may not sound as appealing at first but it got quite addictive after a few bites. Loved biting into the sweet chocolate while getting mesmerised by the meaty bacon strips. Great to have when the weather was warmer.

What a Croque of Bacon ($19.00)

As a lover of croquettes (if it's done right), I couldn't go past this dish. It looked slightly similar to the #HashTag browns 3.0 dish on the regular menu except without the avocado and replacing the bacon steak/salmon/haloumi with long Bourbon bacon strips. The thick-sized vintage cheddar croquettes were chunky and creamy on the inside whilst crispy and crumbly on the outside. Enjoyed mixing the bacon and croquettes with the pea puree and the gooey egg yolk (more on that later). With its reasonable serving size, it was definitely one of my fave dishes that I would order again if I get the chance. Just the colourful appearance of this dish alone will bring a smile to your face.

Bacon All the Rules ($24.00)

If you really LOVE your bacon then get this dish. There's 5 (YES FIVE!) different types of bacon in this one dish alone. This consisted of Black Forest Smokehouse maple bacon, bourbon bacon, bacon steak, bacon sausage and (*gasp*) bacon-crumbed poached eggs served on sourdough toast. Man I'm getting meat sweats just writing that last sentence. Yup this was certainly not one for the faint hearted but I couldn't look away. Just that experiencing so many different forms and textures of bacon was a culinary journey that I was gladly happy to explore whether it was the tiny specks of crumbed bacon or the salty yet juicy bacon sausage or that thick slab of bacon steak.

Oh yeahhh

That yolk porn...

Also the poached eggs NEVER EVER fail to disappoint me. So many gooey times here.

Ya Bacon Me Crazy ($20.00)

While it may be a dish that you would likely to get for dessert after a savoury meal, it was surprisingly filling enough on its own to satisfy your hunger. Thanks to the maple bacon and the waffles, there was still a bit of that warm, savoury and slightly salty flavour as you sink your teeth into this towering plate of cinnamon ice cream and choc-coated bourbon bacon indulgence.

Best. Chips. Ever ($9.00)

While I can't comment on whether these chips were the best ever, they would certainly rank high on my list. So thick and crispy on the outside and incredibly fluffy on the inside. Great to share with a group of friends though it can be very addictive.

While the food may be on the pricier side of the spectrum, the service has been welcoming and accommodating. The portions were quite generous so that made up for the price. Sadly the Bacon Festival is ending very soon after its 12-week run (around early-mid May which is just around the corner!) so if you love your bacon, hurry to Cuckoo Callay before the pigs fly away!

Disclaimer: I paid for every single meal mentioned in this post.

Cuckoo Callay

324a King Street, Newtown NSW 2042

(02) 9557 7006

http://www.cuckoo-callay.com.au/

Mon-Fri: 6:00am - 4:00pm

Sat: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Sun: 8:00am - 3:00pm

Six States of Beer [QLD] at The Oaks, Neutral Bay

It is no surprise that I do love a drink. Most types of drinks actually. Whether it's whisky, wine, vodka, gin and tonic or even beer depending on the occasion. While I do like to drink, I'm not much of an expert on beer so I was surprised to receive an invite to attend Six States of Beer at The Oaks in Neutral Bay. This is an ongoing series of events where it focuses on a selected range of craft beers made from the state and a themed degustation of matching dishes (previous events involved cheese, chocolate, pork and bites). This was the fifth installment of the Six States series which focused on beers from QLD and matching seafood dishes. It was hosted by the passionate beer expert, Kirrily Waldhorn with food being prepared by The Oaks' chef, Danny Russo.

Bighead - Burleigh Brewing Company

The Bighead was served to all diners on arrival. While this drink is a 100% natural, full-strength beer with loads of flavour, it also has zero carbs! With its smooth, balanced texture, this was easy to drink with any meal such as a pub lunch or dessert at a French restaurant.

Hef - Burleigh Brewing Company

Another beer from the same brewery was the Hef, an unfiltered wheat beer brewed from malted barley, malted wheat, water, hop and yeast. This was inspired by German wheat beer with its smooth, creamy texture and a slightly sweet banana and clove flavour. Out of all the beers I've tried, this was definitely my favourite of the bunch. 

Crab cake and Oaks slaw slider

The one dish I have been looking forward to the most out of this event was the crab cake slider. Been dreaming about getting my hands on crab cakes ever since watching it featured on numerous American food travel shows but been disappointed that this has been rare to find around Sydney. When it arrived packed inside a brioche bun, I was surprised that it wasn't in its crumbed form that I usually see in those aforementioned US food travel shows but was delighted at the healthier look of the shredded crab meat. These bite sized treats were fresh and delicious though also quite salty. Wouldn't mind trying more of this.  

Pale Ale - Four Hearts Brewing Company

This craft beer was an American pale ale with a passionfruit sweetness followed with a strong, deep and bitter malt flavour. You can also taste a bit of marmelade as you sip this beer. Apparently the bitterness is average for this type of drink so I didn't mind it at all. This is the first drink brewed by the Four Hearts Brewing Company, which will become an official brewery by the end of this year.

Crispy flash fried squid and school prawns served with squid ink aioli

This was accompanied by the crispy squid and school prawns with squid ink aioli. The squid was tender and juicy with a nicely crisp batter while the school prawns were crunchy and not too sharp so it was easy to pop in your mouth. This also came with a wedge of lime that gave a good flavour boost to this dish. 

Anzus Ipa - Fortitude Brewing Company

Unlike the pale ale, the Anzus Ipa had a very clean and light malt backbone by placing focus on the hops this time. By boosting the amount of hops in this beer, this gave the beer an earthy, piney and fruity aroma and flavour that is suitable for the Australian climate. It certainly helped in cooling down our tastebuds from the heat and spiciness of the following dish.

Whole baked snapper with Thai flavours, Asian greens and rice

And boy was this one intensely spicy fish!!! We were amazed at the size of the baked snapper when it arrived to our table. This was cooked with a Thai green curry to soften the fish and add a hint of creaminess to the overall dish. While the fish was well cooked and freshly made, the spiciness was close to the level that you can expect at Thai restaurants. Was so glad to have that beer to cool down that heat.  

For that extra hotness if you dare!

White chocolate and raspberry Pilsener - Bacchus Brewing

While it looked like a glass of cocktail or wine, this was actually beer! It was a strange but lovely mix of spicy Czech Pilsener with the flavour and aroma of raspberries and white chocolate. This was perfect for the final paired dish of the night.

White chocolate mousse with raspberries and sea salt snow

The night finished off with the equally matched white chocolate mousse with raspberries and sea salt snow, which had a creamy and milky taste mixed with...pureed scallops! There's even a hint of anchovy in this dish as well. Never expected seafood to show up in a dessert like this since I didn't even detect it as I tasted this dish but it was a nice surprise.

Beermosa

I rushed through this final drink because I had to leave pretty early (living in south west Sydney is a pain) but from what I tasted, this drink had that sweetness that I would expect from a citrus-based beverage with the added beer taste. Would like to get another one of this.  

Had a great time learning about various beers across Queensland and getting into the tasting experience where you explore your senses. As for the Oaks, there are heaps of decent quality dishes to try and lots of space to chill even on busy nights. The next and final Six States of Beer event for 2014 will focus on Beer vs Wine from SA. This will be held on Wednesday 10th December 2014. Tickets cost $60 + booking fee which is worth it for the four course plus drinks degustation experience.  

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie dined at The Oaks Hotel as a guest, courtesy of Wasamedia. Opinions are however, my own.

The Oaks Hotel
118 Military Road, Neutral Bay NSW 2089
(02) 9953 5515
http://www.oakshotel.com.au/
Mon-Wed: 10:00am - 12:00am
Thurs-Sat: 10:00am - 1:30am
Sun: 12:00pm - 12:00am

Papparich, Parramatta (II) - featuring Poh Ling Yeow!

Can you believe it's nearly the end of October? Neither can I. It feels like yesterday that I posted up my initial PappaRich Parramatta review when I was approached once again for another lunch at the restaurant - with Poh Ling Yeow this time. Although I haven't been watching Masterchef (in fact, not that much TV at all) in the last few years, I still remembered the first season very well and it's good to see her making her mark in the food industry. Considering I was at the peak of my stomach bug at the time of the actual event, I was actually hesitant on pigging out on this occasion but then I was too tempted at the thought of meeting Poh in person...for lunch!

On the day, Poh was making a special appearance at Westfield Parramatta earlier that day where she demonstrated some of her favourite Malaysian dishes at a pop up restaurant. After demonstrating the dishes, the people at the pop up restaurant got the chance to sample the finished product. Looked very cool from afar.

Lychee Cincau ($5.90)

While it may not looked pretty, Poh said that this was one of her fave PappaRich drinks out of the extensive beverages menu. 

Ribena Melon ($6.90)

It was a warm day so I went with the fruity Ribena melon (mainly because I do have a soft spot for Ribena drinks). It may look simpler than the many other beverages at this restaurant, but I personally enjoyed its lightness. Plus I do like the lychees stuck on the straws.

Pappa Fried chicken skin ($8.90)

We started off on a high note with PappaRich's signature fried chicken skin zomg. While the fried chicken skin was a tad chewier than my last visit, it was still addictive to the point that I kept popping many of these babies into my mouth. Dammit fried chicken why do you have to be so bad for me?

Pappa Fried Chicken Wings ($8.90)

There was more fried chicken goodness happening when the wings arrived to our table. While the skin does have that tempting crispiness, the meat had that juicy and well-cooked texture, which was what I personally preferred when it comes to chicken wings.

No matter which Malaysian restaurant I go to, the roti was always a must order for entrees to share. This time we went for the basic roti canai, which I always enjoyed for its flaky, crisp yet soft texture. We did note that it was a bit sweeter compared to rotis at various other Malaysian joints but it was still tasty for me especially when using the dipping sauces.

Satay Chicken ($12.90 for 6 pieces, $21.90 for 12 pieces)

The satay chicken was well cooked and easy to chew this time around though I still enjoy dipping the roti into that satay sauce.

Before the mains were served, we got to check out a live Teh Tarik demonstration. It's amazing how he was able to pull this off so perfectly. I struggle at pouring a drink out from a low distance let alone that high.

Nasi Lemak with Curry Chicken ($13.50)

My pick of the main dish this time was the traditional Nasi Lemak with curry chicken. Apart from the red sambal (?), it wasn't as flavour intensive as the other dishes I've had previously at PappaRich, which was good for the tummy at the time, though the veggies did cool me down a bit. The curry chicken was deliciously tender and not too spicy and the rice wasn't too soft or hard. 

Pappa Char Kway Teow ($13.50)

I sampled a bit of Mel's main dish pick, which was the Char Kway Teow. It was slightly spicier though from what I've heard on what CKT was meant to be, I presume this was the norm. Really liked the taste of the noodles as well as the smokey flavours and aroma from the renowned dish. 

Dry Kway Teow with Steamed Chicken ($13.50)

When I spotted this dish on the other table, I know I had to try a sample. It's saucier and slippery than the traditional CKT but I do like the twist on this dish. Regretted not ordering this as my main dish of choice but I was happy with what I got. 

Dry Curry Egg Noodle with Steamed Chicken ($13.50)

Another dish that I am very keen to try on my next visit was the dry curry egg noodle. Didn't get to sample this but wished that I did since it looks mighty tasty especially with the rich sauce. Like the other main plates, this looked very filling though also great to share with a large group. 

Pappa Chicken Rice with Steamed Chicken ($13.50)

Biryani Rice with Red Chicken and Sambak Eggplant ($13.50)

This was another dish that I also wished I ordered if I had a bigger stomach. Did not look like a dish I would expect at a Malaysian restaurant but it looks yummy. Can imagine the huge range of flavours from various components of this plate.

Assorted vegetarian dim sum dumplings ($4.90-$6.90)

If you are a vegetarian and the amount of meaty dishes have put you off, don't fret. There is a menu full of vegetarian dishes including the vegetarian versions of fried mee hoon, char koay teow and four different types of dumplings catered for this market. 

By the end, we were too stuffed to have dessert but we did have lots of fun taking selfies with Poh. All in all, I had a good time at PappaRich on this visit. Especially discovering dishes that I didn't even notice on my first visit. While the queues are still crazy, the prices are decent enough to get you full by dinner. If you are not familiar with Malaysian cuisine, PappaRich offers a generous range of dishes to explore your taste buds whether you like laksa, curry, nasi lemak or roti. 

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie dined as a guest of PappaRich Parramatta, courtesy of Wasamedia. Opinions are however, my own. 

PappaRich Parramatta
Shop 2185A, Westfield Parramatta
159-175 Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150
(02) 9633 3387
http://papparich.net.au/

March into Merivale 2014 Launch Night, Sydney CBD

It's that time of the year again when there are so many food festivals to check out that your tummy will explode. I know mine is right now. At this time of the year there will be NSW Food and Wine Festival, the newly launched ArgyleXchange Festival, Bars March, Taste of Sydney and March into Merivale. Can you feel your stomach going mad right now? This is of course about the March into Merivale launch which was the start of countless special deals and food events happening from 12 February to 11th April 2014.

The weather wasn't as great especially later in the evening but that didn't damper our spirits. There was so much good food and drinks to enjoy. As always, the festival was incredibly packed that it was hard to move around and the queues for some of the stands can be notoriously long and insane. Due to the lack of seating areas, you also had to stand up eating, which can be messy.

This year's theme is 'Born to Cook' featuring kiddie versions of Merivale chefs including the likes of Dan Hong, Jeremy Strode and Peter Doyle in the festival booklet (sooooo cute!!!). This theme is inspired by personal childhood foodie memories recounted by the Merivale chefs, which you can read about in the booklet.

At the launch night if you need to top up your tokens card, you pay $35 for 8 tokens or $15 for 3 tokens. One of the changes that I really loved at this year's launch was that most dishes this year only costed 1 token. There were a few larger dishes that were 2 tokens but most of them decreased to 1 token at the later hours of the night so keep an eye out for that next year.

This year, March into Merivale Launch Night has also seemed to incorporate Saturday night's Pacha club night into their live entertainment with dancers entertaining the crowd in the main room. There were also DJs and street musicians entertaining diners across the venue.

Of course there were heaps of delicious food to same throughout the evening. Most of them were really packed so it was a struggle taking photos in that crowd. Unfortunately many of the photos didn't turn out too well. 

Ash Street Cellar

Chicken and beef empanada

Cuban Sandwich

Kingfish Ceviche

The Beresford Hotel

Half Shell Scallops, Caper and Horseradish, Lemon Butter 

Preparing the seared tuna

Seared Tuna, Brown Rice, Vegetable Salad

Gnocchi, Roast Lamb Shoulder Ragu, Parsley and Parmesan

Bistrode CBD

House smoked Salmon, Melba Toast and Pepe Saya Creme Fraiche 

Suckling Pig

El Loco

Secret Taco

Black Bean Queso Fresco and Huilacoche Quesadilla

Kingfish Tostada

Est

Yellow Box Honey Mousse, Fresh Figs, Orange Caramel and Honeycomb

Felix

Herb-crusted Lamb Shoulder, Slow Cooked Tomato and Caramelised Onion - FAVE

The Fish Shop

Poached Salmon, Beetroot, Cos and Boiled Egg Salad

Fish n Chips

Ivy Poolclub

Margherita Pizza (San Marzano Tomatoes, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil)

Merivale Events and Desserts

Macaron Tower 

8-Hour Smoked Pastrami 

Mr Wong

Scallops with Ginger and Shallot Dressing

Duck Spring Roll 

Scallop and Prawn Shu Mai Dumpling

Salt and Pepper Lamb Cutlet

Ms G's

Mini Snow Crab Tostada with Green Papaya, Guacamole and Chilli and Lime Dressing - FAVE

Palings

Chicken and Avocado Salad, Pickled Cucumber, Watercress, Cashews and Chilli Oil

Sticky Lamb Rib, Grilled Tomato and Fennel Salad

Pumpkin, Pea and Parmesan Arancini with Aioli

Bert's Mini Beef Pie with House-made BBQ Sauce - FAVE

I didn't end up taking any pics of the food at the Papi Chulo stand but this newest Merivale restaurant from Manly delivered some delicious American-style food such as pulled pork shoulder and slaw roll and smoked hot wings.

Sushi E

Whole Yellow Fin Tuna - 3 Ways: Sashimi, Sushi Roll and Nigiri, Ceviche 

Uccello

Pork Belly Rolls

One of the most notoriously packed stands was Lorraine's Patisserie because seriously who doesn't love desserts? And yes they really were worth the wait and the messy queues.

Macademia and Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart - FAVE

Lime and Strawberry with White Chocolate Ice Cream (can't remember the actual name but CC really loved this!) - FAVE

With more than 60 events happening for March into Merivale 2014, you better book fast because they do sell out very quickly. Check out the $33 meal deals happening in the duration of the festival at all of their venues including the 3-star Est. 

Here's some of my top picks for this year (in random order):
1. Just Desserts presented by Foxtel's Lifestyle Food - featuring dessert stations from Mr Wong, Ms G's, est and Lorraine's Patisserie. If you saw the crazy queues at Lorraine's Patisserie stand or you have tried the desserts at the other restaurants, you know how epic this will be. 
2. European Laneway - twilight street festival held on Ash Street laneway. Similar to the launch event where you receive tokens to sample various dishes.
3. Things on Sticks - kid-friendly event for food on sticks. Also check out the menu for a Merivale favourite ;)
4. Hands on activities including the Taco Challenge (if you are up for a food eating competition), Mixology 101 (cocktail masterclass) and Mozza-making (learn how to make burrata and mozzarella)!
5. Generation Next with Gourmet Traveller - trying out the dishes made by upcoming chefs from across Australia. $10 per ticket goes to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
6. Where There's Smoke - if you want to try Papi Chulo but Manly is a trek for you and you love your meat. In partnership with Palings, Papi Chulo is heading across the bridge to let you sample their renowned meat dishes. 
7. Spanish Inquisition - exploring regional Spanish cuisine with Peter Doyle of Est
8. Fiesta El Loco - a fiesta event consisting of Mexican food, markets, live music, tequila and margaritas.

You better hurry before it ends on 11 April 2014. Happy wining and dining everyone!

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie attended March into Merivale 2014 as a guest of Merivale. Opinions remain personal.

For more info on March into Merivale events and special deals, go to http://merivale.com.au/