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Twisted Noodle Bar, Chinatown

10:54 PM | Labels: Chilli, Chinatown, noodle

I have a poor chilli tolerance. I become a walking sponge in the presence of chilli but that's never stopped me from intaking the red stuff in buckets. I'm a little crazy. I'm also not a pretty sight; I start getting teary, my cheeks puff up and I start stiffing a lot. That being said, compared to others, I'm halfway decent. I smirk at those who can't handle the maximum hotness at Nando's. Now I know what it feels like.

Twisted noodle bar is right next door to the hugely popular n2 liquid nitrogen gelato and provides a good reason to have some icy cold ice cream afterwards. I say this because it's hot hot hot. Especially when you decide on medium spicy and start going upwards.

Xishuang Banna Noodle 10.2

The servings are large for the prices you pay for which is always good. It's not the most porkiest of broths compared to other shops and it's a little thin in flavour but there's little treasured lumps of meaty chicken mince that's enjoyable to fish around for.

Jun-an 13.2

Speaking of fish, my fish soup in contrast had a slightly lighter soup. Sour and hot are the most dominating aspects but the fish is well cooked, the noodles were of the perfect consistency and texture and it's good to get the heart going.

Our little sides arrived as a chicken deepfried in flavoured crumbs and a chinese sausage.

Lemon Tea 3.8

Their Hong Kong flavoured ice teas arrive as the perfect match to relieve the heat. It's house made rather than bottled, are sweet and flavoured and arrive in really cool mugs.

It's very one dimensional food. You get very hot and sour depending on your preferences but don't go expecting a lot more than that. Nevertheless, it's definitely worth a visit if not you could do it to jack up your metabolism.

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Chur Burger, Surry Hills

5:12 PM | Labels: cheese burger, chips, Milk Shake

Kudos to Warren Turnbull (the Mastermind behind Assiette, District Dining, Mexico Food and Liquor and recently Albion St Kitchen) for making the difficult sacrifice and caving into Sydney's mexican and cheap food trends although it's a bit sad to see Assiette and District Dining go. His latest venture sees an area at the back of where Albion St Kitchen is become a burger hot spot, named Chur Burger. The name is possible an homage to his homeland, New Zealand, as well as a reflection of the casual nature of his little eatery.

Their location is great, right behind Albion St Kitchen (the spot where Assiette used to be) and it's only accessible by going through the laneways and not through an actual street. Sort of reminds me of Melbourne's CBD.

Pot plants filled with chillies, tomato plants that haven't fruited yet, carrots, thyme and rosemary bushes fill the area. I wonder if they actually use it in their burgers...

You order at the front from a very easy to read and simple menu and attempt to find a place to sit on top of high stools.

Beef Burger 10

Wowee, their burgers are really superb. It's a messy eat, but only the best burgers are. Drippings are unavoidable with the juicy thick patty of beef that's all snuggled up in a yellow coat of melted cheese, dressed in a sweet tomato sauce for balance, the slightly piquant taste of mustard and a generous helping of sliced gherkins to cut through it all. I generally don't mind that it's fairly pink in the centre of the burger but I'd imagine that it can be a little offsetting for many other diners. I really hoped they handled their mince with care.

Just a little qualm, you gotta be careful with your mince guys. During my period of wonderful burger eating bliss, a little rock hard bone nearly took out a tooth of mine.

Hot Chips with Smoked Chilli Salt 5

Their chips are quite good; mostly crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the inside and the chilli spice reminds me a little of Red Lea's chips.

Heilala Vanilla Milkshake 7.5

The Heilala vanilla milk shake I had was quite good. You can't see it in the picture but you get a generous amount of vanilla beans with good flavour although it could do with maybe a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream pulsed through it to give it a bit more body and viscosity.

Service is nice and relaxed although the pace could be faster. I suppose it was just the hot day getting to us but there were a fair few people doing bulk take-away orders so I'll give them credit for that. Still early days. Despite this and a few minor inconsistencies aside, Chur Burger is fast becoming my lunch time happy place. I really like it. I can envisage the words 'Chur, Bro' become a cultural phenomenon that's started at this very place. You'd better get down there as soon as possible lest the rest of Surry Hills find out about this place. I fear it may be already too late.

Edit: Due to a recent fire in the kitchen, Albion St kitchen and Chur burger will no longer be in operation until further notice. A severe set back to Sydney's culinary scene. I hope nobody got hurt.

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Cafe Nice, CBD

8:19 PM | Labels: chocolate, french, millefuille, ratatouille, roast chicken

Anything to do with Fratelli Fresh and you're in for a treat. I've been a regular patron of their restaurants since Andy Bunn's appearance and still am long after he has left. I've also made it no secret how much I adore French food. It's rich and decadent, it's vibrant, produce drive. When those two collide, it's a match made in heaven. Cafe Nice is the recent inception of the gourmet produce providore after several successful Cafe Sopra chains.

You'll be making a fair few decisions here as the menu is decked out with surprisingly affordable dishes. You'll have some fun trying to guess what the french words mean in English although the waiting staff are more than happy to help you.

You might get a little distracted, though, with the beautiful dining area, complete with wooden tiling, paintings and a smart choice in plenty of mirrors to help the natural lighting along and give a very relaxed casual ambience. You also can't miss the views of Sydney Harbour Bridge, ferries checking out at the end of the day along with the occasional train going by at eye level à la metro. You know you've hit the right place. With Quay's views constantly covered up by giant flippin' cruiser, it doesn't really get better than this.

When you do decide, you'll slowly realise the subtle injection of Italian elements courtesy of Fratelli Fresh's other restaurant, Cafe Sopra's influence. It's a smooth transition that doesn't feel jarring at all, especially when the countries are so close to each other. Tiramisu, mozarella, gnocchi, risotto, pappardelli and polenta all make guest appearances here. I don't really mind here, it's the taste I'm after, not the authenticity.

Pissaladière 17

A rich, crumbly and buttery pastry, to which I'm not sure how it's even remotely considered similar to pizza, is a perfect medium for blankets of soft and mellow, blonde onions to cover up. It's a devilish luxury that only helped along with the saltiness of olives, capers and a fishy anchovy fillet that delights our tastebuds.

Ratatouille Niçoise with slow cooked egg 18

A trip to France is not complete without ratatouille, a traditional French stew, and so is a trip to Cafe Nice. The flavours are all mashed up and feel a little lost on each other and it's slightly difficult to taste the individual vegetables but the overall dish is heartwarming and rustic, combined with a gooey egg and a dab of toast and you've magically been transported to a farm in the French countryside.

Poulet rôti for two with confit garlic, herbs, carrots an radishes 56

If you want to play it safe because you don't know what to get, their poulet for two is your best bet... that was an unintentional rhyme. It's a massive serving of a small whole chicken for two, cut up beautifully and it disappears quickly. It's perfectly cooked, marvelously tender, perfect for sponging all its juices. It's served simply with a side of carrots and sliced radishes in a herb sauce. There's a lot of love that goes into this dish and it's why the surrounding tables are also ordering it.

Chou-fleur with saffron gratin 10

For a side, we were recommended the cauliflower gratin. The cauliflower is a great medium for the saffron that gives it its lucid yellow colour. A golden crust is almost there as the cheese has inconsistently melted up and it could do with a little more sauce to perfect it.

Chocolate noir mousse with cocoa nib brittle 14.5

Can't ever finish a meal without some dark chocolate so we get a not too sweet rich and velvety chocolate mousse. It's lightened a little with some requisite cream and broken up with the crunchy textures of cocoa nib brittle.

Berry and lemon curd mille feuille 14.5

My dining partner happily declared it as one of the best dessert she's ever eaten and it's hard not to agree save for Flour and Stone's caramel chocolate cake narrowly taking it up to this point. They get the balance right with the superb match of sweet strawberries, chantilly cream and brulee that's cut right through with a smooth and tart lemon curd. It's then sandwiched together with multiple thin layers of crispy and slightly buttery puff pastry. Happy days.

You aren't paying a premium for semi-decent bridge side views and the prices are very reasonable. I love this place like a Frenchman loves his croissants. I'm assuming that's a lot. Seriously, I can't get enough of this place and although it's a bit premature, it'll certainly on my favourite list of restaurants this. Nice one, Fratelli Fresh you've done it again, I'm smitten. With a return trip inevitable, anyone want to come with?

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Excelsior Jones, Ashfield

5:45 PM | Labels: ashfield, benedict, cheese burger, cheesecake, egg, salmon

I'm a breakfast sort of person. You know what they say, it's the most important meal of the day. But there are days where you just don't want to get up and the meal quickly turns to brunch. I find myself in Ashfield one day and the newly opened Excelsior Jones grabs my attention for that very meal.

It's located in a very unassuming part of Ashfield suburbia. Only 3 weeks old, the locals have quickly taken it in. It doesn't fail to be busy; the team are revved up on the coffees they serve, pumping out take away order after order.

That's not to say you'll find a table easily either; they're always filled up on a group keen for a long brunch on a weekend, but that's typical of most cafes.

It's a nice look: soft brown timbers, a casual atmosphere, solid white chairs and sweet baked goods out on display.

Butterscotch milkshake 6.5

I order one of their butterscotch milkshakes which has just the right consistency and loaded with enough sugar to get you going for the rest of the week.

Their coffee is a custom blend roasted by 5 senses, a well known wholesaler.

Regular Cappucino 3.5

We get a cappuccino going on that has a good body and aroma, not too bitter and a soft finish.

House Cured Salmon Has 16

Their salmon hash is very good. Thick cut slightly crisp potatoes and fried buckwheat soak up all the salty smoky goodness of the salmon's firm flesh and yolk of the perfectly poached egg that's just asking you to split it up.

Eggs Benedict 14

That aforementioned poached egg makes another appearance on an old classic: eggs benedict. They nailed the hollondaise; the balance of acidity and decadence was spot on and marries well with the rich yolk that runs all the way down to be all soaked up on two muffin halves and ham.

Cheeseburger 16

Can I has Cheezburger? You'll certainly want one of Excelsior's with a juicy thick patty and melted cheese slathered all over. The aioli looked like it split a little but it tasted fine and it's probably a good indicated that they made it themselves. The spuds are really something. You know that feeling you get when you see the word fried and you get slightly disappointed when they're all oil soaked and terrible? Yeah that didn't happen here. They were smashed a little and fried to absolute crispy perfection.

Cheesecake 4.5

We finish off with a smooth and velvety cheesecake that's studded with the rarest trace of vanilla beans and topped off with a sweet strawberry jelly. It's a little let down with a soggy crust that has a texture that's a little too similar to the cheese filling. A little more crumblier and biscuitier and it would have been perfect.

Now that Excelsior Jones is off my eat list, it's made its way onto my permanent breakfast list. The locals certainly know a good thing and it looks like it's a welcome unique addition to a neighborhood with more dumpling stores than you have fingers and toes. Now... to only find out what the name means...

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Singapore Shiok Truck, Circular Quay

5:33 PM | Labels: laksa, Singapore, sting ray

I've made it no secret how high up I hold the EatArtTruck concept. Korean flavours Americanised is absolutely delectable. Their shichimi chicken wings have to be one of the best things ever in existence. Having visited Singapore only mere weeks ago, you can imagine how ecstatic I was when EatArtTruck announced it would be transforming itself into Singapore Shiok Truck serving out Singaporean hawker market-styled snacks at the same price.

The truck temporarily features Audra Morrice developed recipes. It seems the best choice; her being an ex-Singaporean resident and a 2012 masterchef finalist. She's out there dragging in droves on the day I went with her affable nature and smile that rivals even the Sydney Harbour bridge metres away from her.

There are heaps of people on the day, needless to say during CBD lunchtime peak hour. It quietens down closer towards 2 pm where the crowd disperses because workers have to ... well work.

Owner, Stuart Mcgill and his team are out there under the pump dishing out round after round of food served on cool wooden plates to satisfy the hungry crowds. Needless to say, they've transformed the truck's art, as they always do, to a colourful Singapore Shiok mural.

Shiok is a colloquial word in Singaporean English, or more accurately Singlish as they like to put it, that's uttered to signify extreme enjoyment.

Popiah

The cuts were all miscellaneous sizes but I didn't really care. I've never had one before. It was difficult to eat as it falls apart easily but certainly a delicious bite, each wrap packing loads of julienne vegetables, a bit of prawns and pork in the form of belly and lap cheong.

Katong Laksa

The laksa I had was a bit unusual, it could do with a lot of coconut cream to slightly water it down because lacking it made the flavours more intense but almost overwhelming and it was missing some of that necessary soup. I coughed a few times after the first bite but you get used to it. The noodles were could do with a couple of seconds less in the boiler and were a tad overcooked. In retrospect I may have left the noodles to soak a little longer than recommended explaining both things.

Sambal Stingray in banana leaf

Stingray was quite interesting. Cooked almost perfectly, it has a texture and flavour almost similar to sole with no bones. The sambal was ridiculously good; it's the teensiest bit sour and a little chilli and the fragrant nutty fermentation of the belachan doesn't overpower and only just rounds the flavours together. It didn't look very attractive but it was a really beautiful dish.

Singapore Shiok truck was a very wise marketing strategy by the Singaporean Tourism Board. It aims ask you to go beyond the usual things typical of Singapore and explore more of Singapore or 'get lost and find the real Singapore'. Their slogan is In Singapore, I was living on a diet that consisted of hainanese chicken rice, satay, singapore chilli crab, copious amounts of ice cold kopi, the occasional roti and rarely anything besides that. In discovering all the food I missed out on, it's hard to imagine myself not being back to Singapore again in the near future.

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Twisted Noodle Bar, Chinatown

Chur Burger, Surry Hills

Cafe Nice, CBD

Excelsior Jones, Ashfield

Singapore Shiok Truck, Circular Quay