The Food Experience Part 2

My short stay in Sydney and Melbourne was very memorable, and a lot of it will be because of the food. The two cities were different in many ways but were equally wonderful . Sydney gave me the impression of a big and busy city while Melbourne was much smaller but had so much to offer. I was at some pretty amazing places and it was a tremendous experience. There's so much more I could have actually done in both cities, the people living there should be feeling very fortunate.

I'll start off with Sydney, the place with the most awarded restaurants in Australia.

El Loco, Surry Hills
If you want to taste some exceptional Mexican food, El Loco is the place to be. Located in the food haven of Surry Hills, El Loco is the best Mexican place I have ever been to. Although the crowd is a bit of an issue, the other side of the coin is this place is awesome. The hot dog, corn chips with guacamole and salsa, tacos and Torta sandwich was simply amazing. What a high benchmark to start off the trip

Gelato Messina, Darlinghurst and The Star
As if El Loco didn't already make my day, Messina made it memorable. Mind my frequent using of the word 'best' because Messina serves the best Gelato I've eaten. What I really like about this place is the creation of so many flavours that were rare in terms of Gelato. Their selection was exceptional, with more than 30 flavours available. The salted caramel,pandan coconut and blood orange sorbet were the highlights, but there were so many more I would have love to try.

Sydney Fish Market, Pyrmont
In terms of types and varieties of seafood, this place is the best in Australia. We had some really nice sashimi and a delicious dish of huge prawns with noodles. There were so much more things to try like oysters and lobsters. It was Australia's seafood at its best.

Adriano Zumbo, The Star (also in other locations) 
Masterchef made famous Adriano Zumbo created some of the most mouth-watering and difficult desserts on the show. I had to try his famous macarons and his Ssnowmanorr which was the final pressure test of the first Junior Masterchef. Although I got the lychee feeling instead of the original pear, it was quite a treat. It was certainly an appreciation of the delicate and skillful techniques to create this dessert. It didn't blow me away, but it was really good.

Bird Cow Fish, Surry Hills
This place wasn't planned but was an alternative to the very booked Toko next door. It turned out to be a good choice. My highlight was the beef brisket on special and the sword fish.

Kopitiam, Ultimo
If one of my friends had visited this restaurant, I don't think he can ever leave Sydney. Kopitiam represents Malaysian food at its best. The thing about Malaysian food is its diversity and combination of different cultures. Kopitiam is definitely a place for some authentic Malaysian food. My picks would the the chicken rice and claypot rice drop noodles (low see fun).

Black Star Pastry, Newtown
Located in a cozy and narrow street of Newtown lies one of the best patisseries. Many people would not imagine having watermelon in their cake but this place made it possible. Their Strawberry Watermelon Cake with Rose Cream was exquisite.

Max Brenner, Ultimo (also in other locations)
A heavenly place for chocolate lovers. Had some delightful waffles and ice cream. Not far from San Churro though.

Harry's Cafe De Wheels, Woolloomooloo (also in other locations)
It was on top of my list to try on what I reckon now to be the best meat pie I ever had. I knew this place through Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and it was always kept in memory. Meat pies are something really hard to differentiate. It has to be so different and special. Well, Harry's did it. I had their signature Tiger, which had beef, mash potatoes, mushed peas served on a pastry topped off with beautiful gravy. It definitely isn't your typical Mrs Macs, it was one hell of a meat pie. I even expected to pay more. I heard their hot dogs are really good as well.


Baroque | Bistro Bar Patisserie, The Rocks
I knew this place through French Food Safari, which is a brilliant program. I had to try their macarons as shown on the program. I expected it to be good and it was. On a Sunday afternoon, located with a beautiful view of the markets and good weather, it was terrific.


Pancakes on The Rocks, The Rocks
Rewarding our efforts on crossing the Sydney Habour Bridge, it was time for some pancakes and pizzas. It was the prefect place as it rained as well. Pancakes and pizza was really good.

Melbourne
The Visit Melbourne site describes Melbourne as a maze of hidden laneways, opulent bars, exclusive restaurants and off-the-beaten-track boutiques. I would consider this place one of my favourite cities. The restaurants, bars, cafes, shopping, markets, lanes, sports and a host of others makes this city a world class destination. So here are my favourite places to eat in Melbourne.

Bratwurst, Queen Victoria Market
It's another place I knew through Anthony Bourdain's show. This market is huge to the extent we took awhile to find this place. Bratwurst is a German term describing the sausage and how is it made. Overall we had some good sausages with different flavours, it was quite satisfying.


Brunetti, Carlton (also in other locations)
Brunetti had the largest range of pastries and cakes I have ever seen. We had some delicious tarts, cakes and a very good canned lemon drink. It wouldn't fall into the 'best' category but still a place worth visiting.

MoVida, 1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne
One word to describe this place, "Wow". This place absolutely knocked it out of the park, it was just sensational. This is the best place I've been to in Melbourne and clearly the best Spanish restaurant I have visited. It certainly isn't considered fine dining but it is more than capable of turning into one. We had the anchovy, croquetas and lamb breast for tapas. For raciones (bigger than tapas), Air-dried wagyu, octopus with chorizo, beef cheeks and seafood stew. We had some lovely sorbet for dessert. One of the top restaurants in Melbourne, no doubt.

Chin Chin, Melbourne
From MoVida onwards, things didn't improve, well it couldn't because it was that good. The Chin Chin column deserves some respect so I'll stop mentioning MoVida. Chin Chin serves very delicious Thai food. The ambience is really nice, it certainly did not look like a Thai restaurant. We had a really good Pad Thai and soft shell crab.

P M 24, Melbourne
Another unplanned visit as we needed to wait for several hours for another restaurant (see below). Philipe Moucel is one of the most respected chefs in Melbourne for his work in several Michelin star restaurants around the world and has worked under the legendary Paul Bocuse, the father of Modern French cuisine. P M 24 opened in December 2010, and is one of Melbourne's top modern French bistros. On the upside, we actually ate in this restaurant, the downside, we didn't go for the mains. The restaurant had a fantastic layout and wonderful ambience. We had the pistachio souffle, creme brulee and Canele de Bordeaux. The people there might have had a very few encounters with people ordering dessert at 6.30pm and this was one of them. The desserts were very special, the Canele de Bordeaux stood out. We even saw Philipe himself!

Mamasita, Melbourne
We waited about 4 hours for this place. Was the wait worth it? For a first timer, yes it was. It was a highly recommended place and its queues were already there at 6pm. The food did compensate our wait, it is one of the best Mexican restaurants I have been to. But the Mexican award will remain with El Loco for now.

Cumulus Inc, Melbourne
Our last day in this wonderful city, one of my friends was not leaving till he had his breakfast. It was a really good first meal of the day and it was one of those places that gets your day going. Definitely worth a visit. Cumulus has a rating of 15/20 which is the same for MoVida.


Notables
Passion Flower, Melbourne -A really nice place for desserts and ice creams. Really liked the green tea ice cream.

Places on Lygon Street - We would have visited more places if we had more time. Carlton Espresso was pretty good.

Places on Degraves Street - Some great places for coffee and food.

Melbourne, oh Melbourne, I had a fantastic time. Oh damn, I just thought of the hotel. I can't go on, I'm going to miss it even more.Lol. Cheers to the states in the east!

~deyao~

The Food Experience: Perth

 

If there's a few things I love about about Australia, it would be the food. Contrary to most people missing Asian food while living abroad, I really enjoyed all the different types of food in Australia. Food with so much difference influences from the Middle East, Europe and of course Asia, there was so much to try without having to leave the country. . During my time Down Under, I got to experience and appreciate all the wonderful produce the country had to offer and of course all the wonderful restaurants that left a big mark on my taste buds that I can never forget. I had such a big opportunity to dine in some absolutely fabulous restaurants during my time in Perth and my short stay in Sydney and Melbourne. I will share my experiences in some of the best places I've ever eaten in.

Perth is one of the most livable cities in the world and is situated in Australia's largest state, Western Australia. Although Perth's eastern counterparts do offer more variety and is a comparatively bigger dining scene, Perth should not be discounted as insignificant. Here are some of the best places I have been (not in any particular order)

Hong Kong BBQ, Northbridge
If I have to name the best Chinese restaurant taking into account taste, consistency and value, HK BBQ will be the one. The ambience is great, presentation is nice and their food distinguishes them from most of the other Chinese restaurants. The fish, meat and vege dishes are delicious and I haven't found anything I've disliked.

Yu, Burswood
Yu comes second for Chinese restaurants. Ambience and food is excellent. It has been awhile since my only visit but I can remember it was a good meal. In terms of value for money, HK BBQ is much better.

Prophet, Victoria Park
I never tasted Lebanese food before I had Prophet. And Prophet made it clear I have missed out on one of my favourite cuisines I never knew. Their kebab skewers, rice in different spices and bread are an absolute hit. Their use of spices and lentils leaves their food without a substitute.

Tony Roma's, Perth
A global franchise recognisable in almost every country but this was the first time I tasted such delicious pork ribs. It still remains the best pork ribs I ever had. Generous helping with nice sides as well.But do mind the waiting and booking policies.

Jus Burgers, Subiaco (also in other locations)
The name says it, it is all about the burgers. It's serves the best burgers I know today. The doc may recommend its competitor Grill'd, but Jus Burgers would win the culinary award. Their various beef, fish, chicken and lamb burgers have perfectly grilled bread, patties and quality sides.

Amuse, East Perth
The Good Food Guide's annual awards 2011 ranks Amuse as the top restaurant in Western Australia. Knowing that, I feel privileged to have dined in this restaurant. There is no menu, they only have a 8-9 course degustation. The venue doesn't look very posh from the outside or even the inside, but its food speaks for itself. Amazing was spelled over every course. Texture, flavour, taste, balance and technique was top draw. It was the first time I tasted kangaroo meet and hopefully the last. French cuisine is one of the most respected in the world and Amuse showcased the best of it. It was pretty costly meal, however it will cost you a lot lesser than Vue De Monde or Jacques Reymond.

Rockpool Bar and Grill, Burswood
Owned by the renown Neil Perry, this place is home to the best steak I've had. I wouldn't guarantee it will be everyone's favourite, but I've never eaten a better steak. There's a few reasons their steak is one of the best; good beef, dry aging expertise and perfect cooking. Their sides were exquisite as well. It's fine dining at the highest level and to top it off, having the best wine list in Western Australia. On the downside, it's probably the most expensive steak you'll eat in your lifetime (but it's not out of reach).


Little Creatures, Fremantle
This is one of my favourite places in Fremantle. The Modern Australian restaurant is located in the brewery itself and it needs no mentioning Little Creatures is the name of its beer. Apart from its signature beers, this place serves up very good food. The chili mussels, pizzas, nachos, chorizos and much more are my favourites.

Ciao Italia, South Perth
Just by looking people lining up at 5.30pm waiting for the restaurant to open pretty much tells the story, their food is excellent. I reckon it is the best Italian restaurant in Perth. Pizzas, pasta, chilli mussels and tiramisu are just sensational. A taste of their carbonara or squid ink pasta will leave you very satisfied. It's a wonderful place if you don't mind the long queue everyday, slightly pricey pasta and narrow sitting arrangements.


Other Notables

Clarence's, Mount Lawley - I celebrated my birthday there and it was fantastic. The food was good, the ambience was cozy and the service was good as well.

La Galette de France, various locations - Home to delicious almond croissant and super macarons. Their almond croissant is one of the things you need to try before you die.

Barrett's Bread, Nedlands - A wonderful place for good breads, sandwiches, pastries and cakes. The standout for me is the pistachio tart, which is one of my favourite cakes/tarts of all time.

Corica, Northbridge - One of the prides of Perth for THE best apple strudel. I don't know what else to say because it is simply the best. The amount of people leaving Perth with at least a box of them in their hands is a pretty good sign.

Good Fortune, Northbridge - Duck is seldom on my order list, but I'm more than happy to eat their roast duck.

Dragon Palace and Royal Seafood, Northbridge - People from Hong Kong say you don't have to look any further for some good Dim Sum because the ones here as just as good!

Infusion, Perth - One of my friends loves this place for their excellent coffee. I tried it once and I have to agree. Definitely a place for coffee lovers.
  
The Quarie, Hammond Park - Possibly the best restaurant in its postcode. Has a nice bar and serves decent food. Nice building as well.

Places to consider which I have not visited for food

The Loose Box, Mundaring (French)
Andaluz Bar and Tapas, Perth (Spanish)
Must Winebar Restaurant, Mt. Lawley (French)

That's it for Perth, the city that has come a long way. It will always be a very special place for me. Cheers to Perth! Next up, Melbourne and Sydney.

~deyao~