Eat Art Truck, Sydney

One of the biggest things to happen in the food scene this year is the advent of food trucks. And it's no surprise that it is welcome with tremendous hype although many of them arrived much slower than we all expected. Thankfully by now most of them are trekking the streets to deliver their own speciality of treats to the hungry masses. One of the first trucks that arrived on the streets is the Eat Art Truck which now has their own store 'TruckStop' in Bondi.

One of the biggest hypes about this truck in particular is their chef Stuart MacGill (not the cricket player apparently...) who was formerly the sous-chef at Tetsuya's. It is no surprise that some of Tetsuya's influence has prevailed on the menu with a bit of Japanese-American fusion. If you haven't experienced food trucks yet, just letting you know that the menu changes every time I pass by this truck so the food I review below may not be available on the day you check this out.

I have tried this when I first got back from Europe months ago. Recently, I haven't seen this available on the Eat Art menu but it may pop up eventually. I hope it does as it is pretty healthy and nourishing. Not to mention it is gluten free and vegetarian-friendly. The beetroot made this dish very juicy. I especially liked the use of puffed wild rice as it is something I don't usually eat but would like to try more often.

Beetroot salad with seeds, sprouts, puffed wild rice ($8)

The kingfish cerviche is just full of colours in one plate from the crunchy chips to the soft cubes of kingfish and the creamy mayo. It was similar to nachos but without the cheese and slightly healthier and refreshing. Perfect to have on a hot day.

Kingfish ceviche marinated in lime juice, shallots, coriander and chilli with tortilla chips ($10)

The one that always gets the attention from the masses is the pulled pork in a bun. I love pulled pork so I had to try it whenever I pass by this truck. I would recommend to buy this on its own as the servings are decent. The bun is sweet like the bread you may get at Breadtop but much tastier, fresher and soft enough to bite through the bun. The smoky pulled pork is so tender and packed in generous portions into the bun with mustard cabbage - it is enough for you to get full pretty quickly. Adding the sauce (available in hot or sweet sauce) and you get a pretty messy eating experience. I was a bit surprised about the carrot sticks but I found them to be very useful once the smoky pork and the sauce becomes a bit overwhelming after many mouthfuls. Very juicy and full of flavour from every ingredient.

Pulled pork in a bun with mustard cabbage with hot sauce ($12)

Gotta try the chicken wings with shichimi pepper, and the spatchcock next time! Hopefully there will be more new interesting items added to Eat Art's menu soon and that its trading hours operate later than 11:30pm as the pulled pork bun is great for a post-hangover snack.

Check it out on various Sydney locations by following their Twitter and Facebook page:

Eat Art Truck
Twitter: @EatArtTruck
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EatArtTruck
Website: http://www.eatarttruck.com/

Pho Pasteur, Parramatta

When you ask where is the best place for Pho, Parramatta will not be the first suburb that comes into mind. Despite that, they have quite a few Vietnamese restaurants including two under the Pho Pasteur brand. Back in my uni days, Pho Pasteur at Haymarket has been a regular place to eat in between and after lectures/tutes. The newer, glossier branch is located at Westfield near Nando's while the original Parramatta branch lies a bit further on the quieter side of Church Street. This review focuses on the latter.

Despite the availability of two Pho Pasteur restaurants in close proximity, the old-school branch with retro-style décor still gets very packed throughout the day. In fact when I got in, there was at no seats available bar a small table near the back. Yay!

Clockwise from top: Vietnamese mint, Bean sprouts, lemon, chilli

Digged into the small bowl of rare beef noodle soup ($10.50). Even a small bowl is filling enough for one person to eat. The rice noodles were thick and well-cooked and the generous portions of beef were tender to my liking. In fact, it's the tender and soft beef at Pho Pasteur that brings me back to its many branches across Sydney and the one at Parramatta is no different. Always enjoyable to have with a side of bean sprouts, Vietnamese mint and a touch of lemon to lift the taste of the broth. Another thing that I did like is the big slices of onions clustered on top of the beef as they do have a nice bite even when cooked. With all of these flavours, I cleaned up the bowl pretty quickly.

Rare beef noodle soup ($10.50/$11.50)

The soya bean milk (sua dau nanh) is always a great refreshing drink to have after a hot meal.

Soya bean milk

While the decor may look old-fashioned if you are used to extravagant restaurant layouts, what is more important is whether the food is satisfying. And you can't go wrong with the pho here. Great place for a cheap and quick meal that will get you full.

Pho Pasteur
137 Church Street, Parramatta
(02) 9635 0782

 

Malay Village, Haymarket [CLOSED]

Previously known as More Cha Cha, it was changed recently and is now owned under the Mamak Village Restaurant Group. It is interestingly placed right across the street from the much busier Mamak (no relation) but MT has recommended us this place and we cannot be bothered with the Mamak lines this time. We got a table, ordered and received our food very quickly within 10-15 minutes. But how does it fare with the neighbourly competition?

The menu has the usual Malaysian traditional food like nasi lemak and various rotis and some of the lesser known but equally loved dishes like the Penang Chicken Rice. We ordered the roti canai (plain, original) and the roti Hawaii (filled with chicken, cheese, tomato sauce, and pineapples; topped with mayo). The roti canai was a bit dense and crumbly in some parts while the roti Hawaii was presented with the word Malay Village written in mayo on top of the flat roti - which is quite pretty. It actually tasted similar to a Hawaiian pizza with all those fillings especially with the tomato sauce and cheese - just with chicken instead of ham. Although I prefered Mamak's roti canai mainly for its light and fluffy texture, we were amazed by the entertainment by one of the staff members spinning the roti around in the middle of the restaurant as if he was throwing a pizza dough. 

Roti Canai

Roti Hawaii

The first thing that came into my mind when I saw the Penang Chicken Rice on the menu was Haianese Chicken Rice. It looked a bit similar but with grilled chicken instead of boiled chicken. It looked well presented, refreshing to eat, and MT seemed to enjoy it. Will try it next time.

Penang Chicken Rice  

I didn't mind this main dish mainly for the pull-apart beef. It certainly was useful when I mopped up the excessive curry with the roti canai. It was a lot for me to finish as I already ate some roti. Ended up ordering a side of coconut rice to pour the curry on top. I would recommend eating this dish on an empty stomach as it gets filling very fast even without the rice.

Beef rendang curry

Coconut rice

One of the signature dishes from the Penang region, CC thought it was a decent dish though quite spicy.

Penang Char Koay Teow Kerang

Not sure if D enjoyed this dish. Wouldn't mind scopping up the curry sauce with the roti but otherwise, it didn't catch my immediate attention with the presentation.

Nasi Lemak Istimewa 

The staff themselves were friendly and patient when most of us left to get money from the closest ATM. The layout is more spacious with the inclusion of the outdoor courtyard. Is it better then Mamak? To be honest, I still prefer the roti at Mamak. But if you are impatient with the lines and you are craving for Malaysian cuisine with the option of outdoor seating; I would suggest this as they do offer similar food but with more unusual choices from the Penang region if you are curious to try anything new.

Malay Village
Shop 87, 1 Dixon Street
Darling Harbour NSW 2000
(02) 9264 4780
http://mamakvillage.com.au/

Xanthi, Sydney CBD [CLOSED]

Thanks to my visit to Greece, I was craving for Greek food since coming back to Sydney. Thought that a visit to Xanthi would be a good start as there are heaps of items on the menu that I am very keen to try.

Xanthi's layout is very elaborate like a fine dining restaurant but with reasonable prices. Pretty much the entire menu is shared-based so you can get full at just 2 small dishes alone. Their serving sizes are fairly huge as well. When you enter inside, you cannot help but be amazed at the gold curtains draped across the ceilings like a tent. The lighting was dim so it was a bit of trouble taking photos (and I left my camera at home so it was up to the trusty iphone!).

We started with vine leaf dolmathes, which are vine leaves stuffed with rice, veggies and herbs and covered with egg lemon sauce. This is one of my favourite Greek foods that I remember trying back in Corfu and this was no exception to how much I enjoyed it. The rice and vine leaves are well cooked enough to enjoy and the creamy sauce made it taste even better. Definitely keen on making this at home!

Vine Leaf Dolmathes

I normally wouldn't order haloumi but many of my friends are big fans of this cheese so I gave it a go. And it was an order I did not regret at all. The cheese was smoky, chewy and charred to our liking and topped with chopped tomatoes, spring onions, figs and a side of lemon. These accompaniments help to balance the flavours once the smokiness begins to overpower the dish.

Barbecued Haloumi

One dish that we did end up regretting (considering how much we ordered...) was the polenta chips. They did taste very delicious with the crumbly yet soft-in-the-inside polenta, but it got so filling that it made us struggle with the mains. And man those chips were huge!

Feta and dill polenta chips

Thankfully, the mains took a while to arrive to our table.We couldn't help but gaze at how beautiful the pork belly baklava dish looked. It is a rich dish with the amazingly crispy, twiced-cooked pork belly; the sweet and flaky pastry; and the even sweeter filling of dates and pistachio nuts with date sauce. It looked small at first but it ends up being a mouthful that I would recommend this to share for sure or if you only intend to buy one dish here. 

Pork Belly Baklava

The same can be said for our other main dish - the lamb skaras, which is a slow braised lamb shoulder marinated in paprika and garlic. We struggled again by this point but kept going as the lamb was tender, delicate, flavoursome and slow cooked to perfection. The texture of the meat was delicate, soft and juicy. It is the ideal meal to have on a cold winter night.
However, the potatoes were too much for us to handle but the lemon oregano brought out the zesty flavours to something that would have otherwise been plain.

Lamb Skaras

We were just too full but CC the dessert girl went crazy upon seeing the desserts especially when seeing anything with caramel. We ended up sharing the caramel baklava ice cream - another favourite from the night. It is presented to us in 3 thick slices of vanilla bean ice cream filled with pistachio nuts and baklava along with a dollop of caramel sauce - looking similar to an ice cream sandwich. I did not expect to enjoy it as much but man it was one of the best desserts I've had! Every incredibly sweet component is a match made in dessert heaven: both in taste, texture and presentation.

Caramel Baklava Ice Cream

The service is decent on the night with reasonable prices and it is hard to believe that this is situated in a Westfield Shopping Centre. On the Tuesday night we went, it is already very busy so it's best to come early or make a booking. We never learn our lesson with ordering too much but despite that, it was a tasteful and eye-opening feast especially since we don't eat as much Greek food. If I knew about David Tsirekas' previous restaurant, Perama, I would have been keen to check it out as well. The plates can be very filling even on one dish alone, so if you want to try as much as possible, bring at least 2 very hungry friends.

Xanthi
Level 6 Westfield, Cnr Pitt Street Mall & Market Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9232 8535
http://xanthi.com.au/
Monday–Saturday: 11am–3:30pm, 5pm–11pm
Sundays: 11am–8pm

Holy Basil, Sydney CBD

Opened about a year ago, this has become one of the places my friends and I like to go for dinner during the weekend without making a booking although there were occasions where we have to deal with crazy lines. It does get packed but compared to the original restaurant at Canley Heights, the waiting time to get a table isn't too bad. Thought it was pretty cool opening this branch in the city and giving new life in what used to be a very secluded area at Shark Hotel which formerly served really dodgy buffet food.

The prices are pretty decent when you look at the really massive servings. As with most of our visits at Holy Basil, we end up over ordering with a mighty feast.

Vegetarian Curry Puff

Very enjoyable to eat with its soft filling and firm puff pastry. I wasn't too keen on the potato inside the filling but that's just a personal preference. It is a great starter to the evening.

Papaya salad - Laotian style

I found this very nourishing and a bit spicy. I would recommend to let the waiter know about the level of spiciness as even 'mild' can be overwhelming.

Nok Tod - Marinated Quails

I tried a bit of this dish although my friend had most of this. It is incredibly crispy and my friend enjoyed it for sure.

Salt n Pepper Calamari

This is my favourite from the night. The batter is incredibly crispy and light and so addictive to eat each of the calamari even though it is a shared dish. This will get you full fast if you buy this for yourself...but oh soo good!

Laos Sausage

I did not expect to enjoy this but it was seriously very tasty. The meat was soft inside and grilled on the outside. It even tasted better with the dipping sauce on the side. Again I wanted to eat the whole plate here.

Pad Thai with Chicken

While I really enjoyed the noodles, I found this to be too sweet to enjoy compared to the pad thai at Canley Heights.

Beef Massaman Curry

I ordered this dish for myself but with all the other dishes we ate, it is just so much to handle. Despite that, the beef is so tender and soft as well as enjoyable to mix with rice.

Gang Dang - Red Curry

I found this more spicy than the Massaman curry, yet full of flavour. The curry itself is very creamy, moreish and perfect to eat with rice to balance it out.  

Fried Ice Cream

By this time, I was waaay too full. Some of us are keen and ordered 3 fried ice creams to share. And for something called 'fried ice cream', it is bigger than I thought - surprisingly worth the $13.90. Even with a few bites, you can see why this fried ice cream is so renowned. The creamy ice cream filling wrapped and deep fried with filo pastry, and decorated with caramel sauce and strawberries...when you bite into its many layers, it is a match made in food heaven. Worth the hype!

Our stomachs were practically bursting by the end but it was worth the experience. While there were a few dishes that I preferred at the original restaurant, there are still some worthy ones and it is easier to get to if you don't live in South-West Sydney. 

Holy Basil - Sydney CBD
Shark Hotel, 127 Liverpool St
Sydney, NSW 2000
(02) 9283 8284
http://holybasil.com.au/

Gumshara Ramen, Haymarket

On days when the weather was freezing, it's pretty much the perfect time for ramen. I've gotten a few recommendations about this place for a while and I was craving for ramen that night. Well hidden inside the Eating World food court, the layout is similar to the hawker centres back in Singapore - though very cramped, noisy, and not as clean. But that doesn't stop anyone from trying this out. There was already heaps of people (students, workers, tourists etc.) waiting for their order so it is clearly very popular with the masses.

Good luck charm ^.^

Upon looking at the menu, you can see that this place is dedicated to making ramen as it occupies more than half of the menu with flavours ranging from their infamous Tonkotsu ramen to Miso ramen to Mega Ramen! From hearing what everyone else has to say about Gumshara Ramen, it is that their ramen is THICK! This is mostly because unlike most other restaurants that serve ramen, Gumshara makes their stock using pork bones, bone marrow, collagen and water, and without any MSG. And many are unable to finish their bowl. I was very hungry that evening and I think this calls for a challenge. Sidenote though: I wonder if anyone has been able to complete the Mega Ramen? Or even the spicy Bomb Ramen?

Sneak peek behind the scenes

Mega Ramen - are you up for it?

Chilli Bomb Ramen

I decided to go easy and went with the traditional Tonkotsu Ramen. The one that gets the praises and the notoriously full stomachs. It took a while for them to make it due to slow-cooked process as explained above. On the side, there is a stand full of condiments (including pickled garlic and sesame seeds) to add to your ramen as you please to add a bit more flavour, which I made the most of it. You can also add an egg for an additional $1.50.

Self-serve condiments stand

There is a reason why it's frequently known to have a thick, rich, salty broth. The ramen really was thick and rich with a helping of bamboo shoots and generous, thin slices of pork. It is understandably a generous serving for one person to finish. I really enjoyed the noodles which has a nice chewy bite. As I eat through the dish, the broth has gotten thicker and the porky flavour was stronger and richer. While the taste is different from most ramen dishes I've had, it is the unique taste that made me enjoyed it.

Tonkotsu ramen

While it was a struggle, surprisingly I did finish the whole bowl and it was a tough, interesting and tasteful challenge. I am still keen to come back to try another bowl or a different flavour as I did enjoy eating it. Make good use of the condiments as it may help you with finishing it up. Whether you enjoy ramen with thick and rich broths or not, I would recommend this place for the experience at least and it is clear to see why many people have named Gumshara as one of their top ramen places in Sydney.

Gumshara Ramen
Eating World Harbour Plaza, Shop 209, 25-29 Dixon Street,
Haymarket NSW 2000