Buns & Balls - 2013 Online influencers dinner

"My Hunger will go on" was invited by Simon from "SIMON SAYS" and Sian from "The Darlin Group" to attend the "Online Influencers Dinner" at Buns & Balls, this was certainly exciting for us to check out this new hang-out place at Kings Cross. Buns & Balls was a little bit away from the main street, so you do achieve that privacy if you wish to have a party or function here. Buns & Balls is said to be "casual and vibrant". With funky street arts on the walls, trendy lighting, pool table, live music, comfortable couches, happy hours and outdoor dining area, it no doubt will increase the heart beat of any individuals who seeks for a fun night out.


So on this particular night, we were allocated to our table outdoor. With colourful light bulbs hanging above our heads and the sun slowly waving goodbye, our intimate dinner at Buns & Balls kicked off.

Cocktails:
Pineapple, ginger beer, vodka & bitters (left), Watermelon, lime and vodka (right) - freshly squeezed, with or without alcohol

I picked the watermelon while Bun went with pineapple, we were not sure which one was better because they were very different in terms of sensation and flavour. I found the watermelon one was very refreshing, with that mixture of sweetness and tingling sourness, it would be a brilliant summer drink. While the pineapple one was rather a little creamy, with quite a strong taste of ginger beer and hints of sweetness from pineapple.

Gourmet Meatballs:
Beef & Pork

This was like one of those classic meatballs that straight away melts your heart. They were juicy, and full of flavours bursting with every bite. Buns & Balls certainly aced this one!

Crispy Tofu served with warm chilli nap sauce

I thought this idea from Buns and Balls was very creative and interesting, they were so soft that they collapse as soon as I lifted them up with my fork. The meatballs then broke down into little square pieces of Tofu, and they were indeed tasty.

Barrumundi Croquette served with Buns & Balls' tartare sauce

Comparing to the previous 2 meatballs, this one from Buns & Balls seemed a little more ordinary. The skin was very crunchy, with that stream of hot air flowing out after the bite with fresh aroma.

Gourmet burger: (you can order gluten-free buns too!!)
Char-grilled beef (Wagyu beef, cheese, grilled onions, tomato, lettuce, mayo & Buns & Balls' burger sauce)

When we eat a good burger, it makes us happy for many days. So when we heard that Buns & Balls was especially passionate about their burgers, our eyes glittered up. The beef burger certainly did not disappoint us from our expectations, it delighted us in so many ways! The ingredients were in perfect proportion, the patty was extra juicy along with the melting cheese and sauce. We loved this!

Sweet potato fries

This was something different, as we had so much experiences eating just potato fries. The sweet potato fries was somewhat more gentle in its taste, and they were less crunchy. I loved the dark brown parts as they provided a little bit of chewiness and sweetness.

Grilled chicken burger (Marinated & char-grilled chicken, cheese, grilled onions, tomato, lettuce, mayo and Buns & Balls' chilli sauce)

Bun said this one tasted a little like Portuguese chicken, for me, it reminded me of those Korean chilli chicken. The chicken was even juicier than the previous beef burger, which made me drool for more.

Fresh Salad:
Char-grilled chicken with a side of chilli sauce

Char-grilled steak with a side of steak sauce

We all agreed that the chicken salad was better than the steak one, I felt it was because the beef was a little bit dry comparatively.

Spicy Louisiana Wings with blue cheese sauce

Oh god, those chicken man...No doubt they were everyone's favourite from Buns & Balls, I swear we could just sit there and eat those all day. The spicy flavour totally sank into the chicken, so prepare to get your hands sticky on this one. I would absolutely recommend this to people if they come to Buns & Balls, they were totally delicious!



Now on the menu that was given us, it said dessert will be a sweet surprise, and indeed they were!

We received cookie and ice cream sandwiches and pieces of Krispy Kreme donuts with chocolate sauce. The funny thing about the cookie and ice cream sandwich was...because the cookies were very hard, the ice cream just creeps right out when you bite on them! That difference in their textures was somewhat amusing. Oh and everyone loves Krispy Kreme donuts :D

We bumped into Ando and Brenda from The Lamstock, so it was time for some happy happy photos~~~ smile!!


In addition, "My Hunger will go on" decided to shoot a short video of Buns & Balls for you to check out their fun atmosphere.




Thanks again to Simon and Sian for inviting "My Hunger will go on" to this intimate dinner, we had a great time. This is definitely somewhere we want to return to in the near future, and most likely with a group of friends for a quick drink to catch up!


Address:
33 Bayswater Road, Sydney NSW

Phone number:
02 9326 9054

Opening time:
Tue - Fri 6pm - late
Sat - Sun 3pm - late

Website:

www.bunsandballs.com.au

 

 

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Bloodwood

 

The Bloodwood Restaurant and Bar was located at the quieter side of Newtown, mysterious and secluded. The interior reminded me of the movie called "Inception" where no ordinary rules applied for its designs, thus you will see bottles forming part of the wall, random recycled materials, illusional patterns that merged with stairs, and light bulbs hanging down the ceiling like a starry sky.

 

We got allocated to a table upstairs just near the staircase, and we were delighted by the warm and friendly waiters. When the menus were given to us, we had absolutely no problem in selecting the first entree dish, as we came to try out this dish since the beginning.

Polenta chips with Gorgonzola sauce  $9.00

I've heard stories about these chips, mostly just about how fat and chunky they were. So we have decided to see it ourselves, and exactly how fascinating it was. The size of each chips were like wedges, except they were 10 times more delicious. The golden crust coated the soft inner core, and they were ready to be dipped deeply into the white Gorgonzola sauce. Bun said he found this dish quite bland and tasteless, but I actually liked it! (I have this weird habit where I like to eat the very original flavour of chips) Not sure whether it was because of the crust, or due to the creamy sauce, but I found every bite was very fulfilling.

PS: Polenta is a paste or dough made from cornmeal as used in Italian cooking. Gorgonzola is a type of rich and strong-flavoured Italian cheese with bluish-green veins.


Seared tuna, plum glaze, apple and snow pea tendrils  $18.00

This was quite an interesting dish, where the sweet and sourness of the fruits helped to highlight the freshness of the tuna. I liked how thin each slice was, and how easy it was to swallow them (very very smooth!). Although we had to say we wished the portion was bigger than that.


Glazed hombrea chicken with chickpeas, kale, smoked sausage and pickled onion  $32.00

Funny how with this dish, I actually enjoyed the vegetable side more than the meat. The vegetables were all soaked with full flavours and they complimented the meat really well. I liked the smoked sausage but still found it a bit salty to my taste. Along with the pile of crunchy chickpeas, there lied the row of juicy chicken, and I do find their skins were a lot more tempting than the actual meat.


Being the Best Bar with Food and Best Casual Restaurant previously, we found Bloodwood had some really smart and sophisticated dishes to offer for its customers. However, we thought the portion could be seen as quite small for some people. The restaurant itself had dim lighting, funky music and as well as a chatty crowd. We wouldn't mind to return to this place again one day, just to try its range of cocktails and desserts.


Address:
416 King Street, Newtown NSW

Phone number:
02 9557 7699

Opening time:
Mon  5pm till late
Tue  CLOSED
Wed & Thu  5pm till late
Fri & Sat  midday till late
Sun  midday till 10pm


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El Loco

We were immediately drawn to the blue entrance, along with diamond patterns looking like the ones from a poker set and colourful chairs accompanied by cactus order plates. El Loco was somewhere we wanted to go for a long time, just to see what the $5 Tacos are really like.

The interior design was just as colourful, and there were vibrant pictures, posters and paintings on the walls. I realised a corner with Frida Kahlo's self-portrait (she was a Mexican artist whom I loved a long time ago), and these little decorations assisted to bring out the atmosphere instantly. You can see a bunch of staffs working

Corn chips with Guacamole and Salsa  $5.00

We ordered the Corn chips to start off our meal, and it had a bigger portion than we thought it would be. They were fresh and very crunchy, and it was something we haven't had for a long time.



We noticed the three tiny bottles of chilli sauce, they were definitely essential for the foods here. Now I'd like to make a comment on each of them as we had a fun experience with them. I started off with the red one (just because we all assume red is always the most spicy one), and it tasted more like those sweet-chilli sauces you get with BBQ or spring roll dips (so I would give it 3/10). Then we tried the green one, and how wrong we were to think it's actually OK. You can't really feel anything when you first taste it, then a strong sense of numbness is followed. The numbness basically stayed for about 5 minutes for me...geeez (5/10?). Lastly, the brown bottle of DEATH. It came with a rather sour scent, but just a tiny bit of it makes you sweat like no tomorrow. The taste was quite strong and it will remain for a while until you can taste anything else (so I agree with a 7 or 8 out of 10 for this).



Pollo - Chicken sweet corn salsa  $5.00








Carne Asada - Lemongrass beef, salsa verde, queso  $5.00

We found both Tacos didn't have the intense taste as what we have imagined, so that was why we kept adding the sauces. They were good for like...afternoon snacks or something, but it won't be enough to have it for lunch or dinner for sure. Alot of people actually ordered the hot dog too, they looked yummy...maybe we will try it in the future sometimes.



Address:
64 Foveaux St, Surry Hills

Phone number:
02 9211 4945

Opening time:
Mon & Tue  12pm until late
Wed  12pm - 1am
Thu - Sat  12pm - 3am
Sun  12pm - 10pm


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Chat Thai - Westfield Sydney

If I could use 3 words to describe Chat Thai, it would be lively, delightful and approachable. Winning many awards for its sweets and being a popular stop for cheap eats, Chat Thai tables become more and more demanding as time goes on.

 

The restaurant was casual, welcoming, and full of energy all around the place. You can easily walk in and find something that captures your attention. Like the tints of yellow colours, the odd decorations on the wall or even the cup like below...

 

 I found this quite amusing to be honest, as usually you would expect a plain glass or plastic cup to contain water. Those patterns fascinate me, and they really made me felt like I'm in the middle of Bangkok with revolving sounds of friendly Thai locals.













You just can't help it but to stare at the yellow colours that stood out on the tables!

I can tell you this straight, this was probably one of the very few times where I had no clue of what am I going to pick from the menu. Why? Because I wanted to eat everything!!! As for sweets-lovers, I guarantee that when you land your eyes on the wide selection of desserts, your brain will become malfunctioned!

 

Watermelon Blend $5.00

This drink was very cool and refreshing. Perhaps you will need this if the table is going to be bombarded by spicy dishes.

Starters:
Todt mun goong gaeng keaw $16.00
fried green curried prawn mousseline, drizzled with pickled plum sauce

The starter was a surprise, as we didn't expect the serving portion to be so generous. The prawns were quite big for a bite, and they were beautifully cooked. The crust was thin and crunchy with a moist core of prawn, and the addition of chilli sauce just fully brought out the flavours.

Curries & Soups:
Gaeng daeng bped $20.00
red curry of roasted duck with pineapple and holy basil

Beware, this dish is HOT! I found the initial taste wasn't too chilli, but it gradually builds up. Soon you will find the chilliness swirl up like hurricane in your mouth, and yes they do burn! I dare you to try those lychees hiding around the basils! They were like spicy bombs that explode instantly! The only thing was that there were only few small pieces of ducks which wasn't enough for 100% satisfaction.

Starters:
Bangkok Wings $13.50
lightly battered and fried chicken wings

I can't let go of fried food, and fried chicken wings was irresistible. You get quite a big bowl full of chicken wings, and it was a decent amount to make you burp sooner than you think. Dip in that chilli sauce! You will love it!

Desserts:
Khao nieaw sangkaya $4.50
sweet coconut milk infused sticky rice and coconut custard

We had a hard time trying to decide what dessert to get, everything seemed good by their descriptions. So finally we came up with this one and...it wasn't too bad. The sticky rice was as good as it could get, and the layer of coconut custard was gentle on the taste bud. But I will definitely come back here to try some other desserts in the future!!


What to conclude about Chat Thai? It suits people who like crowd, who love noise, who totally adore vibrant atmosphere! If that's you, this is the place to go for some good food at prices that make you smile. If not? There are plenty of other choices on the same level.



Address:
Level 6, Market Street
Westfield Sydney


Phone number:
(02) 9221 0600


Opening hours:
Open everyday
Lunch: 10am - 5pm
Dinner: 5pm - 10.30pm



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