Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant, Chinatown

Just like how there are so many Chinese languages, there are numerous different regional Chinese cuisines. Cantonese, Shanghai, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Xin Jiang, Fujian and many more. Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant specialises in Sichuan (aka Szechuan) cuisine. This type of cuisine emphasises on bold and strong flavours in their food especially the use of pepper, spices and garlic. It also has a surprisingly large number of branches across Sydney including two in the Haymarket area which made things very confusing when we were trying to find the restaurant. 

Apparently the restaurant we went to was the fancier looking Harbour Plaza Branch as opposed to the other Haymarket branch which was situated upstairs somewhere on Dixon Street. From the reviews it looked like most of the food was the same at all Red Chilli Group branches. Although it was a Saturday night, it wasn't too packed though still fairly noisy at times.

When your restaurant has the word 'chilli' in it's name, you know what to expect. However if you cannot handle spicy food at all, there is a guide in the menu that shows which dishes are spicier by the number of chillies next to the menu item. 

All the dishes we had were shared mainly due to huge portions of most plates. The guys were keen for the lamb with onions and cumin spice. The meat was succulent that I ended up being quite greedy and trying to grab every lamb piece for myself (and yes I love the taste of lamb). It also came with assorted veggies, cashew nuts and capsicum stir fried together along with dried chilli pieces, which added a generous amount of hotness to the dish.

Lamb with Onion and Cumin Spice ($22.30)

The prices were quite intriguing. While it looked small in the menu photo and the price was much cheaper, the portion was generous and great to share with a few friends. The noodles were slippery and spicy with the amount of chilli contained in the soup. The minced pork and cabbage on top of the noodles was my favourite part of the dish for the extra texture and meatiness when the chilli oil takes over.

Spicy Dan Dan Noodle ($6.80)

I had not tried anything with duck egg yolk before but the guys were keen on trying it. Upon seeing them coughing when they tried a piece, I was initially hesitant to try one myself however it had no effect on me. Actually I thought that it was incredibly tasty with the sticky, crispy and crumbled duck egg yolk. So addictive that I wanted to try more from this dish. The pricing was confusing since the portion was smaller than the previous dish but the price was much higher in contrast. 

Stir fried prawns with duck egg yolk ($20.80)

If the many chilli dishes scare you to bits then fear not. With the huge amount of chilli dishes that we had devoured, these mild dumplings were actually much needed to sooth our tongues. I actually had not tried boiled dumplings before but was delighted at the slightly thick, cooked dumpling skin with the hot broth inside. We still made good use of the soy sauce and vinegar for the added flavour but perfect to have if you don't like any spicy dishes. Certainly a surprise hit for the table.

Boiled Dumplings with Cabbage and Pork ($9.90)

Another relatively mild dish that we dug in was the salt and pepper squid. Thanks to its lightly crispy batter, these were popular at our table. While it was scattered with sliced capsicum, it was still fairly mild in comparison to other dishes. At $26.60, we thought it was a tad pricier compared to some other dishes with larger portions and lower prices. 

Salt and Pepper Squid ($26.60)

Recently, I returned again for another visit after seeing the amount of other dishes that I wanted to try from the menu. Been a fan of bean noodles since starting my diet earlier this year thanks to my parents' dinner suggestions.Red Chilli Sichuan's version was served cold and incredibly slippery. So slippery that sour and spicy (chilli oil) sauce was splashing every across the table including my phone screen. While the bean jelly noodles were soft and served cold, the peanuts gave it a decent crunch which was also a relief once the spiciness hits you. Again, the serving was more generous than I expected so will recommend this as a shared dish. 

Sichuan Bean Jelly with Sour and Spicy Sauce ($8.80)

The generous serving also applies to the below dish. I was so addicted to the egg yolk batter from the prawns that it got me curious enough to try the stir fried corn with salted egg yolk dish...even if though it is not doing your weight loss any favours. Still, I adored the crumbly and sticky batter that  rubs onto your tongue.

Stir-fried Corn with Salted Egg Yolk ($16.80)

After loving the boiled dumplings on our previous visit, I was compelled to attempt the sweet and spicy version. The serving size was smaller than the non-spicy version but packed with tons of flavour including from the chilli oil to the sweet sesame sauce. The dumpling skin was firm, silky, thin and packed with pork inside - reminded me of a won ton dumpling actually.

Boiled Dumplings with Sweet and Spicy Sauce ($7.80)

While the food was nice and unique to what I usually had, the service could have been better. For a restaurant in the Chinatown/Haymarket area this was expected however at one point, we also ordered rice but it did not showed up at our table yet we still got charged for it. Thankfully this was fixed as we were full as well. Also, there were a few staff members who thought that I was Chinese. The communication barrier is pretty evident here since my friends communicated their orders in Chinese and there were a few wait staff who didn't understand me when I made my order. Despite that, we enjoyed the food even though the prices were leaning towards the expensive side on some dishes. Since most of the dishes were made to share with its large servings, the prices can be reasonable if you are here with a medium-large group of friends if you are keen to try as much as you can. 


Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant
25-29 Harbour Street, Harbour Plaza, Haymarket (also at Dixon Street, Haymarket; Chatswood; Glebe; and Burwood in NSW)
(02) 9211 8130
http://www.redchilligroup.com.au/

The Little Snail, Pyrmont

Many apologies for my recent lack of action on The Random Foodie. Over the last month, I have finally started my diet (low carb...no pasta *cries*) and I have also started my full time job in the heart of the city. Not to mention daily trips to the gym near where I live straight after work! So yes, life has been one crazy rollercoaster for me.

Back in Year 8, I used to study French whereby we were supposed to be on an excursion to The Little Snail like many year groups before us. For some weird reason, we never got the chance to dine there. Since then, I was keen on checking this place out whenever I get the chance though it does seem to be on the more expensive scale. Finally, a friend decided to have her birthday dinner at this restaurant. Amazingly, it has been around since 1966! This is interesting to know considering the many recent restaurant closures over the past 12 months.

The weather was absolutely terrible that day - and by terrible I mean it was notoriously hot in the early-mid 40s and then extremely cold and windy in the evening. So going inside after a worse than horrible public transport experience was a mighty relief. It certainly has a romantic atmosphere with the dim lighting, elegant decor, that intriguing spiral stairs and you have the choice of seating in the top or bottom level. We went with the 3-course dinner for $59 option as it is a really good deal especially when you compare some of the dishes with the individual A La Carte prices. 

The majority of us chose to have snails for the entree dish. I shared a couple with others since there was so many snails on the table. The snails tasted similar to the ones in France which is pretty good and I definitely enjoyed having it with the garlic butter sauce. While some weren't too keen on the idea of eating snails for the first time, I would be glad to eat all the snails after trying a couple as it does a good job in making it well cooked and not too chewy. Had I ordered this dish, I also would have gladly dunked the bread into that garlic sauce until it's gone.

Escargot de Bourgogne

Because there was so much I wanted to try from the entrees menu, I went with something different from the majority. Upon seeing the word 'crab', I ended up choosing the Boulette de Fruits de Me (Salmon prawns and blue swimmer crab, steamed, served on tomato and chervil veloute). I thought it tasted too creamy for my liking and the salmon has overpowered the rest of the dish that I could barely taste the crab. 

Boulette de Fruits de Mar

 Not sure how French this dish really is. But the calamari does look pretty tasty. The friend who had this dish seemed to enjoy it.

Salt and Pepper Squid

I found it interesting that this was listed under Entrees. Anyway, the friend who had this dish opted for a main size version but I always found Bouillabaisse to be a reasonably sized meal. From what I've tried, it was quite tangy and zesty and the bread is very useful to scoop up that lovely soup. Will definitely recommended this for a future visit.

Bouillabaisse de Marseille

 I wasn't too sure about the idea of eating kangaroo meat but some of us were keen to try it. This did look appetising and got the thumbs up by my fellow diners. They also said that the kangaroo meat was soft and tender to their liking. The garlic pommes (potato) puree mixed with the honey bordelaise sauce would have surely been the highlight for me.

Kangaroo fillet on garlic pommes purée with Dijon mustard and honey bordelaise sauce 

I love my lamb and I needed some spinach into my diet so this sounds like something I want to try. While the presentation of sliced lamb piled neatly like dominos was appealing, the lamb seemed to be a little bit tough when I ate it. Not as tender as I would have liked. This did not deter me from the dish as it tasted really good with the jus. The thyme jus seems to have a heavy texture which worked well with the meat, greens. I also enjoyed the thinly-sliced potatoes which were cooked just right as it wasn't too hard but it definitely wasn't too soft either.

Loin of lamb with wilted baby spinach, maple glazed pommes boulangères & thyme jus

Yay desserts! When my friend ordered the Handmade Profiteroles with creme patisserie and mint chocolate sauce, the first thought I had was a croquembouche tower full of profiteroles. Of course, it was presented as a single profiterole on a bed of mint chocolate sauce, topped with cream and a pretty little chocolate garnish. Did not try this but it looked quite creamy when my friend was trying it out. I seriously wanted that dish mainly for that chocolate ganache alone haha.

Handmade Profiteroles with crème patisserie and mint chocolate sauce

I went with the Chef-churned Hazelnut and Praline Ice Cream which I find to be quite divine. The ice cream has a sweet and crunchy texture from the hazelnut and praline combined with the shortbread base. It is then topped with the sticky Grand Marnier caramel toffee, which adds to the presentation. The taste is quite rich but the delightful combination of creamy, smooth and crunchy ingredients has made this as one of the highlights of my dinner. My only minor issue was cutting through the biscuit but in the end it still tasted good especially when combined with the ice cream. 

Chef-churned Hazelnut and Praline Ice Cream

Overall, the dinner was very enjoyable for everyone. Some of the food didn't seem too French compared to other French restaurants I've been to. In fact there were a few I've spotted on the other tables that seems to belong to a Modern Australian restaurant. But if they've been around for 45+ years, then they must have been doing something good to keep going strong till this day. I am pleased that I have finally got the chance to try out The Little Snail after so long and it does have its charm with its statues and the classy vibe. More importantly, there were some dishes that I am keen to try at my next visit - especially those snails. 

The Little Snail
50 Murray Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009
(02) 9212 7512
http://www.thelittlesnail.com.au/

Hurricane's Grill and Bar, Darling Harbour

I haven't had ribs for a long time. If there is any place I'd recommend for ribs, it has to be Hurricane's Grill. It's almost impossible to resist the temptation of going into these restaurants when you can easily smell it from outside Harbourside. Then you get to the restaurant where the aroma came from and realise the horror of lining up in a long queue if you haven't make a booking.

CC and I were having cravings for both Hurricanes ribs and Moo Gourmet burgers in Newtown but I haven't had Hurricane's for a while. Eventually we decided on ribs, made a quick booking and off we went along with a couple of our mates. Thankfully we didn't have to wait to get to our seats.


We started off with complimentary bread which is pretty crusty but nothing memorable. CC, MT and I are very keen on getting the pork ribs while DD (who already had ribs at this restaurant recently) went with the Hurricane's Beef burger. I didn't end up getting a pic of the Hurricane's beef burger but I can tell DD enjoyed it a lot.

We look good in this ;)

Each of us ordered a half rack of pork ribs which is served with a side of either chips or baked potato with sour cream and chives. We all had the chips on the side which was seriously crunchy. I also decided to get a Mango Gland Sauce (similar to a sweet and savoury BBQ sauce) to dip the chips. These chips were also very useful when the ribs got very saucy too.

Half rack of Hurricane's Pork Ribs with Chips and Monkey Gland sauce

Did I mention these are the best ribs I've ever had in Sydney!!! Well it's pretty freaking awesome for a good reason. The meat was incredibly tender. So tender that when I cut into the meat, it just fell right off the bone effortlessly after a small touch from the knife. The ribs got really saucy the end so the bibs came in handy. Better off eating with friends rather than having a date night here as you will look very messy by the end.

We were so glad that we got a half rack instead of a full one as we struggled to finish it off but we managed eventually. The service was alright although there was a bit of confusion with the bill at the end. Also, the dinner was pricey but standard for a restaurant in a tourist area like Darling Harbour. Other than that, the ribs are definitely worth checking out at least once for some mouth watering meat satisfaction.


Hurricane's Grill and Bar
Harbourside Shopping Centre,
Darling Harbour, NSW, 2000
(02) 9211 2210
http://hurricanesgrill.com.au/

Blackbird Cafe, Darling Harbour

It's Friday night and a friend of mine held her birthday dinner at The Blackbird Cafe at Cockle Bay Wharf in Darling Harbour. It was not a huge surprise since it was close to where we were planning to club later that night but looking at reviews, it has not been exactly positive. Not to mention, my previous visit years ago was not up to scratch. However, a lot has changed in a few years. The restaurant has been redesigned with more garden-esque decorations. It even has a DJ at the corner with a booth similar to a nightclub with some space to dance.


Before we ordered, the staff had a prize draw where the winner gets a free pair of sunnies. Since there were not many people at the time the draw finishes, my friends and I had a very good chance. Eventually I needed to use the restroom which coincided with the announcement of the winner. When I got out, my friends said that I won the prize! Since it was my friend's bday, I gave it to her as a pressie. If only winning prizes was this easy.


The menu ranged from Italian food such as pasta and pizza to burgers and seafood. Basically a bit of everything. We all agreed to order some entrees based on the staff advice and that several of our friends will be arriving late.


Several of us ordered the szechuan pepper squid with rocket and aioli sauce. I had a bite and thought it was average. Good as a shared dish.


Most of us had the bruschettas as entrees. What we did not expect was how big they really were - for an entree dish. Couple of us tried tomato and feta bruschetta while I tried the sand crab variant with cherry tomatoes, wild rocket, baby capers, bean puree and balsamic glaze. I found this to be alright and especially enjoyed the crab meat. It was a bit too filling but I held it for the main dish.


A couple of us also ordered scallops with haloumi, poached pear and fig jam. I did not end up trying it but my friend said he enjoyed it. The presentation made the dish looked very tempting to try if I was not already full from the bruschetta and still waiting for the main meal.


Finally the main meal came. Several friends ordered pizza while a few friends near my end and myself tried the baked lamb meatball tagine which is a Moroccan style dish. This was my favourite dish of the night with its flavours throughout the dish and its spices. Served with olives, capsicum, lemon, spicy tomato sauce and cous cous; this dish has a variety of tastes and textures which will be an interesting sensation for your tastebuds.


With friendly staff, good social atmosphere and a dj who plays at the restaurant every Friday and Saturday nights, I will be honest to say that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it especially based on reviews and past experience. If they keep up with the standard that they performed on this night, I wouldn't mind coming back again. Although it is a tough competition with Hurricanes, Criniti's, Meat and Wine Co and the Braza Churrascaria place opened at the new Darling Quarter to keep the tourist crowds and clubbing people happy.

Blackbird Cafe
Balcony Level, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour
Harbour Street, Sydney
Contact no: (02) 9283 7385
http://loveblackbird.com

The Meat and Wine Co, Darling Harbour

It's my freakin' birthday! Well actually it was last month but I have been a bit slow with the blogging until recently so bear with me while I try to catch up.
This time my birthday falls on a Friday night so it was a good time to go out and go hard. Once again we didn't end up booking (big mistake!) and we (D and myself) ended up in Darling Harbour finding any restaurant that does not have a lengthy waiting time. After failed attempts at Criniti's, Hurricanes and even the Hard Rock Cafe, we settled for Meat and Wine Co where we only waited for about 10 minutes before getting a table. WIN!

Monte select 350g Rib-eye steak served with super crunchy chips ($37)

At this 3-level restaurant, the menu boasts an extensive selection of different cuts and qualities of steaks with premium prices. If you want the best steaks that they offer, be ready to fork out your money. The waiters recommended the Wagyu steaks (lowest price was the wagyu rump MB 6+ 500g at $47) but it was too much money for us to handle. Instead, I settled for the Monte select 350g Rib-eye steak. This was served with super crunchy chips and a choice of sauce (mine was peppercorn sauce) for an extra $4.

Served medium rare, this steak was definitely a winner for me. The meat was so succulent to taste as it falls apart in your mouth. The basting on the meat adds a grilled flavour texture which made it taste even better. Dipping the meat with the green peppercorn sauce added a peppery taste to the meat which I loved and was saddened when it ran out fairly quickly. The crunchy chips were delivered. And as the name promises, how crunchy they were!

Grilled chicken breast served with cherry tomates, zucchini, roquette, eggplant and super crunchy chips, ($26)

D chose the grilled chicken breast with salad and crunchy chips along with his choice of sauce (also peppercorn). I tried a bit of the salad to balance the flavours of my own dish. I did not try the chicken breast but my friend was satisfied with it and it looked nicely cooked.

This was one of the most amazing birthday dinners I've ever had. I will definitely come back for more sometime soon with a bigger wallet to try the wagyu steaks and some of their other dishes on offer. They also have a bar for some drinking action but we decided to save out livers for clubbing later that night. A must try for meat lovers!

The Meat and Wine Co
L1, 31 Wheat Road IMAX Theatre Complex, Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour
Contact no: (02) 9211 9888
http://themeatandwineco.com/