Marigold - Yum Cha - CBD

Seems this weekend was one of non-stop eating. Simon's friend Dan was visiting from Tasmania, and he wanted to go to a good yum cha place - so naturely we took him to Marigold.

Arriving on Sunday at 1pm, the place was already packed and buzzing. Luckily with with typical Chinese efficiency, the queue moved along pretty fast, and we were seated within 5 minutes.

We found out, however, the efficiency came with a cost, as the table we were led to were still dirty, and we had to sit there whilst the waiter came and took away the used plates and cutleries, and changed the table cloth. We soon got over this as the trolley ladies began to wander by, shouting Cantonese at us and flashing their 'wares'. It always amused me they address any oriental-

looking customers in Cantonese, even though we may or may not understand it.

Being a bit of yum cha fanatic, even I know enough to order the classic prawn dumplings and pork dumplings. What I like about Marigold is the freshness of the dim sum dishes - I guess because the table churn is so quick that the dishes never sit in the trolley for long.

The prices were pretty standard: small dishes are $2.80, medium dishes $4.20, large dishes $5. I never know the exact costs because of speed of the dishes getting on the table and the random stampings that seem to end up on the order form. From past experience, I find Marigold comparable to Sky Pheonix and maybe just a touch more expensive than East Ocean restaurant and Zilver in CBD.

Yum cha is best done in multiple of three's, as the majority of the dishes are served in three pieces per plate.

As we form the perfect trio, everyone got to have a piece and there was no fighting.

I love going to dim sum with different people, as everyone has their must-have dish and often it's something I've not tried before.

The scallop and prawn dumpling was something new to me, the scallap was sweet and tender with a generous king prawn wrapped inside the soft glutinous skin.

The seafood mix on bitter melon was also a first, and it tasted much better than I expected. The bitter melon was not bitter at all - but then that could be because we misinterpreted the Cantonese name.

My favourites of the day were the steamed bean curd rolls with pork and chinese seaweed inside, as it was flavoursome and the bean curd roll's papery texture was softened by being immersed in the sauce and absorbed the sweetness from the meat. The barbeque pork buns were the best I've tasted yet: fluffy buns filled full with char siu and most importantly, they were still hot inside.

We then moved on to get some 'authentic' plates - the ones would scare most westerners away...

Yes, bring on the glorious pheonix claws (i.e. chicken feet) and the beef tripes... I like the soft, gooey texture of the chicken feet, although I find eating it a hassle, as there are lots of small toe bones that you have to watch out for whilst you gnaw at it. The tripes were great (although could be spicier). It offers something thats crunchy and chewy at the same time and I'm pretty sure it's good for you.

And no, we were not done yet. Afterall, yum cha is all about feasting your eyes and letting greed instead your stomach lead you. I looked around for my favourite pan-fry trolley and when I spotted her my heart leaped with joy. Finally my turnip cake arrived (this is my must-have). It was soft inside, crispy on the outside, flavoursome with bits of lap yuuk (sweet cured meat) sprinkled in - it was everything that I expected a good turnip cake to be. We also had the pot sticker dumplings which were lovely as it was juicy inside, although I would prefer a more charred texture at the bottom.

On the something sweet: the deep fried dumplings make a perfect transition between savoury and sweet, as the savoury pork inside is wrapped by a thick layer of sticky glutinous filling, before they are thrown into the deep fryer to get the extra crispy texture. Then a perfect finish with the custard egg tarts, which were baked with precision to deliver a result of flaky pastry with the custar filling just set and still a tad gooey inside.

At the end of the meal I felt about 2kg heavier - definitely need to go for a walk to digest of the enormous amount of food we consumed. The bill came up to $92.00, which averaged $30 a head. Given that we ate a lot it seemed reasonable, and the food here was definitely worth it. Our experience was slightly marred by the head waitress shouting at us for trying to pay at the till - she ordered us backed to the table like we were school children. Oh well, no tips for her... and anyways, who expects quality service at yum cha anyways?

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Mamak - CBD

Simon and I decided to go to Mamak, one of my favourite joint in Sydney as they have have mouth-watering rotis as well as a respectable collection of other Malaysian food. I especially liked Mamak after I heard the story of it starting out as a stand at the Chinatown night market, and as it got popular it opened this little hole-in-the wall, which has since then earned a one-hat status.

I haven't been back since the refurbishment, so was interested to find out what has changed. Arriving on a Friday night at 7pm, it seems it's business as usual - the queue was long full of punters seeking good food at low prices. We joined the tail of the queue, and waited patiently.

There's a no booking policy at Mamak: it's a test to see how much you really want it, and I guess we all want in on the action. The queue quickly grew and within a couple of minutes we were in the middle of the line without moving an inch forward.

Luckily, the open kitchen by the window kept us diverted as we watched the chefs work their magic. It was fun to see the roti 'dough', so moist and soft it looked like tofu to me. It was even more entertaining to watch the chefs work the dough - to make the thin rotis they flip the dough round and round almost like a pizza base, it is then stretched until it is millimeters thin. Depending on the type of roti they are making they may layer it to give it a flaky texture, or to twist it like a pretzel so it's thick and round.

It ended up being around 30 minutes before we were seated. We were lucky because the churn of table for twos was a lot faster - if you were a large group my guess is the wait could be up to an hour. The benefit of waiting, however, is that it heightens the anticipation. My mouth was salivating from looking at twenty or so rotis turn a delicous shade a golden brown in the kitchen. I also made a mental note to order the 'pyramid' roti I saw them making.

Inside Mamak, it was bigger than it looked as the restaurant has its own little tuck-aways where tables are set. I didn't notice too much change to the interior (afterall, that's not why I go there), apart from some new pictures on the wall. The tables were still set in

long rows, with narrow gaps in between which allows one waiting staff to walk up and down to serve the food - there's always mini traffic jam as people head to the toilets located at the back of the restaurant. The loud chattering from diners remains familiar. If you want somewhere romatic, Mamak is definately not the place to go.

Simon decided on the Murtabek ($10.50), a roti filled with meat, cabbage, onions and egg. I had it the first time I came here and I remember having to wait (it does say it takes longer on the menu) whilst my companion half-finished her food. I went for the cheap and cheerful Roti canai ($5). Simon then changed his mind last minute to go for Nasi Lemak with lamb curry ($10.50) which I was doubtful about, as the kitchen had brainwashed me into sticking to their roti specialty.

We both ordered hot Malaysian tea, with me getting the classic Teh tarik ($3.50) and Simon getting the Teh halia ($3.50).

The teas arrived first in sizable mugs.

The Teh tarik was very sweet, like Chai but it's frothy from being 'stretched', which is just another word for saying it's been poured between two jugs from a sizable height. Personally, I prefered the Teh halia, which was basically Teh tarik with added ginger. The gingery taste balanced out the sweetness of the Teh and gave it more warmth and depth.

We were half way through our Tehs when Simon's Nasi lemak arrived. It looked amazing - and totally justifies the "arguably Malaysia's national dish" statement on the menu. The colours on the plate from the sambal, cucumbers, peanuts, achovies and egg around the cococut rice formed a glorious combination. And the lamb curry. Yum-o. The lamb pieces were so tender it fell apart in my mouth. Simon lapsed into total silence as he concentrated on eating.

Lucky for me it wasn't long before my roti arrived, looking beautifully fluffy and accompanied by sambal and two different curry dips. My favourite was the spicy sambal. One of the curry dip was tangy and the other one more like Indian curry. I liked to rip a chunk of the roti and roll it around all of the dips so that theres a combination of flavours.

After we finished I had a big smile on my face: yes, it was time for dessert. I found out my pyramid roti was in fact Roti tisu ($9) and better yet, it was served with ice cream. It took a while coming, and when it came, the roti was paper thin and extra crispy as promised, coated with a layer of suger. I wondered how to attack this but Simon seemed to know what to do. He commenced to hack it from the side with a spoon, and because it is so crispy, it will just break. I quickly followed suit, and together we made a sizable dent.

It was very tasty, especially with the ice cream to add moistness to the dry crumbly texture - I am not sure however, it justifies $9 - after all, that is more than what I paid for my main! Another scoop of ice cream would have been nice. Also I should add that it was extremely sweet - probably best for sharing between more than two people to more evenly distribute the calories.

Overall, I was surprised to say that the Nasi lemak was my favourite of the day. When I next return, maybe I will venture out of my roti-rut and try the other dishes - I am confident that Mamak will not disappoint.

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Sydney Madang - CBD

Tamsin, who joined my company 2 months ago, is leaving already. To celebrate her escape we decided to go to Sydney Madang for lunch, given that I've read about it being one of the most popular Korean joint in town.


It was fairly easy to find, tucked away in an alleyway on Pitt Street (opposite the Telstra building). I was impressed with the interior as the the journey to the front door suggested something grottier.

We got sitted right away and I was happy to hear chattering in Korean - that's how I judge a restaurant's authenticity. As soon as we were given the menu and the lunch specials, Tamsin and I both navigated straight to the bibimbap section. I ordered the beef bolsot bibimbap ($13), and Tamsin the fancier fish roe bibimbap ($14). Unfortunately we didn't have enough people, otherwise the restaurant seems to be a perfect setting to huddle around the bbq grill set in the middle of the table.

We got the waiter's attention using the nifty little service bell located at the side of the table, and shortly after the table condiments arrived with our sizzling meals.

It was an interesting mix of four dishes: Kimchi (marinated spicy cabbage) which I absolutely adore, iceburg lettuce with a sweet, light garlic dressing, spicy tofu (what a shame there were only two pieces) and the sticky sweet lotus roots.

I should mention that free condiments are one of the reason I love going to Korean restaurants, especially after I found out you could get free refill. I ate all the kimchi in the space of 2 minutes - they weren't very generous with the serving size - and promptly asked for more.

The bibimbap I left in the hot clay pot whilst I polish off the condiments. I like to give the rice sizzling for a bit to get that crispy burnt texture, then I mix everything together with generous dollops of chilli sauce. I think Tamsin was horrified to see how much chilli sauce I was adding (about 10 teaspoons), given that I don't react well to spice. In truth, however, I find the korean chilli sauce much gentler than say chinese or thai sauces - it has a sweetness to it which balances out the chilli.

We both wolfed down our dishes quickly - and nodded in agreement of our satisfaction. They were generous with the rice and the vegtables so the meal was well balanced and very filling. Tamsin couldn't even finish hers (I was tempted to do it for it, if I didnt already eat all of mine and two plates of kimchi....)

Overall the dining experience was great - the decor felt authentic, the atmosphere relaxing, the service no-fuss but quick, the prices reasonable and the food was yum! Sydney Madang is definitely a place I'd like to return to try the other dishes they have to offer.

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Est. - Merival Winter Feasts - CBD

What better way to start my blog than to eat at one of the best (3-hat) restaurants in Sydney? Luckily I didn't need to stretch too far out of my budget to experience fine dining: as part of merivale winter offer (or as a result of the GFC) all the merivale restaurants are offering $35 meal with a glass of wine throughout June, July and August (http://www.merivalewinterfeasts.com/).

I must confess initially I had my mind set on going to Mad Cow, but booking proved to be a hassle as they seem to have a longer waiting list, so I thought why not upgrade to Est.? As Est. is located on the 1st floor of the popular city bar, Establishment, on Friday night Simon and I met up after work, went for a drink before going upstairs to Est. sharp on 7pm. Unfortunately they were running late so we had to wait 30 minutes for our table. During the wait at the posh cocktail bar (which has no prices against its menu, I can only presume it'd be twice of what they charge downstairs), I had a chance to examine the surrounding (suited diners in their 40s in a formal double tablecloths setting) and their impressive looking wine cellar.

The maitre'd and the waiters were very attentive, which I guess justifies the prices. The service was at a very laid-back pace and it was nice to simply sit back under the dimmed lighting and soak in the atmosphere of light hum of conversations and chinkering glasses.

We chose the Merivale special (of course) and agreed on trying different courses. To my delight, the linguine starter looked almost like a main course, which was tasted nice and moist, although I would have prefered a heavier kick of chilli; I found the flavours to be located at the bottom of the plate which needed to be mixed more thoroughly in - once I found the parsley and the chorizo at the bottom I was happy. The pork cheek and hare terrine Simon ordered tasted 'unique' - there was a sweetness that reminded us of the chinese lap cheung, but there were also the pistachio which was interesting as it added freshness and a depth to the texture.

The mains arrived which made me laugh - Simon had ordered the special veal (which wasn't on the menu but which the waiter highly recommended) and it came out looking more like chicken kiev pieces... I'm not sure breadcrumbed veal was something I expected to see at a Merivale restaurant - but Simon assured me it was nice. My fish was cooked to perfection - crisp on the outside and tender inside. If I was a masterchef judge I'd be banging the table. However, the presentation seemed to be simple and minimal fuss. Looking at the table next to ours who didnt go for the Winter Feasts menu and their dishes seemed to have more of the art-on-a-plate feel - I began to wonder if you really do get what you pay for.

Then the desserts arrived. For me this was the saving grace. The desserts were by far the best part of the meal - they looked amazing, tasted great and the fact that the desserts on offer seem to be the sames ones as what is on the 'normal' menu made me feel that I got my value-for-money. We literally cleaned out the dishes. If I could go back just for the desserts I would.

The cheque arrived with a plate of complementary chocolates which was a very nice touch. The couple next to us were celebrating their anniversary and even though they didn't order desserts, they were given a scoop of sorbet with a candle on it. I thought that summarised the service. At Est., they make you feel that extra-special. Definately one to go for occasions.

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