The Village - Invitation to "Ladies lunch"

It was a pleasure for "My Hunger will go on" to be invited to The Village for "Ladies Lunch" in this lovely afternoon. "Ladies Lunch" was a 3-course meal with a glass of sparkling on arrival, and it was indeed as glamorous as the name suggested.

The Village was actually located right opposite of Gastro Park, standing at the edge of Kellett Way at Potts Point. The entrance was a little bit hard to see at first, but I'm sure you won't miss the coloured building and its huge number "1".

The interior was separated into different parts, and it was divided into 2 floors. We stayed at ground floor, where the courtyard, the bar, the private dining room and the high table and chairs were at.

One random thing: we found the patterns of the tables quite amusing, as they reminded us of Menthols...lol

The friendly waitress greeted us and delivered 2 small plates of snacks. I really enjoyed the variety of nuts on the first plate...but only touched 1 piece of the olives (I'm not very good with olives, especially when they have a tangy taste).


So here are the 3-courses of sweet and savoury plates from "Ladies lunch" ($59.00):

Entrée (Share platters to start)
Salt & Pepper Calamari with Parmesan Aioli & fresh Lemon, Sweet corn & Basil cappuccino with Tempura Cauliflower, Rocket Pear & Parmesan salad with Lemon oregano vinaigrette, Butter nut pumpkin Arancini with Buffalo mozzarella & Fresh basil.

The Entrée plate from "Ladies Lunch" was quite impressive, with its neat and refreshing presentation. We dug into the Salt & Pepper Calamari first, and quickly dipped into the sauce. The Calamari was cooked really well as they can be bite off and chew without much efforts, I've only found the sauce was a little too sour for me. Then we had the fresh rocket pears from the salad, along with few sips of the hot corn and cauliflower soup (Oh the soup was perfect! I totally loved the creaminess). The pumpkin balls were so cute as they sat lazily on the sauce, we really liked that combination.

Main
Crispy skinned confit chicken with Warm potato & Shallot salad with Red wine jus.

With the main dishes, you get a choice between the two, so we decided to try one of each. I loved how the chicken was so succulent and everything was delivered at the perfect temperature. The juice just seemed to drip off the edges and landed mischievously onto the plate.

Seared Fillet of Huon Salmon with marinated fetta, rocked & parmesan salad.

This was probably our favourite dish for the day, as we couldn't describe how wonderful that feeling was to crack the crispy skin. We loved every bit of it as the salmon simply melted into our mouths, leaving us with the craving for more of it.

The Village Dessert Tasting Plate - Selection of The Village signature desserts

I was so happy to see the dessert plate finally arrived, despite the fact I was so full up to this point (seriously, girls will always have room for their desserts!). It was such an adorable and delightful plate, decorated by a variety of colours and shapes. We decided to start off with a less sweet dessert which was the small lemon meringue, and it was really nice as it was soft. Then we moved onto the Nutella tart, and they weren't as sweet as we thought but rather with a tiny hint of bitterness. After that, the moment I've been waiting for has finally come: the White chocolate Panna Cotta. Oh Dear God, it was so good (although very funny as it tend to stick to the plate, as if it doesn't want to be eaten lol), definitely my favourite out of all the desserts. It was very sweet but somewhat gentle rather than an overwhelming sweetness. Lastly, we finished off the plate with three Macarons, the only thing I didn't like was their filling seemed almost invisible.


Thank you very much again to Lilian and The Village for inviting "My Hunger will go on" to this lovely "Ladies Lunch". If anyone is curious, it's served on Saturday only from 12pm onwards (minimum 3 guests or more) but is flexible for other days for group of 15 or more. Reservations are essential so make sure you grab your girls and book them in for a fantastic time!

In addition, they also have event and corporate packages at reasonable prices, so whether you are looking for a 2 hour cocktail course or a complete day package, do check out The Village at this lively location of Potts Point :)


Address:
1 Kellett Way, Potts Point NSW 2011

Phone number:
02 8084 6057

Opening time:
Tue - Thu  5pm till late
Fri  5pm - 3am
Sat  12pm - 3am
Mon and Sun  CLOSED

Website:
http://www.the-village.com.au/index.html

Gastro Park

After being away from my computer for so long, I am finally back for a post from awhile ago. That night was actually my birthday, so we went to Gastro Park! I have always been admiring (and drooling in front of) the pictures of different dishes from this restaurant, so it was really nice to see and taste the real thing!

 

I really liked how the restaurant was presented, it felt like I could turn around at any point and find some artistic objects. I've heard about how creative the dishes were like, so I was really looking forward to the 7-course degustation.



Firstly we started off with a selection of snacks:

Mmmm...talking about crunchy things...yum yum. I found it really fascinating that they were placed on a stone rather than an actual plate.

We got a little cheese stick, and I felt like waving it and let the wind blow on it! Somehow it reminded me of those spirits gathering stick thingy from an ancient temple...lol

Sourdough bread

Ofcourse, how can we not have sourdough bread in a degustation? Except this one came in an extraordinary presentation that almost reminded me of a rock, a wave and bits of glittering diamonds floating in the black sea.

Foie gras, cherry, rhubarb, toasted grain.

Ok, I won't lie, when I first saw this, I thought it was some kind of animal lying on a rock plate. First thing came into my mind was "lobster", then some random bug with long legs. It was visually surprising, and definitely challenges your tastebuds.

Spanner crab, carrot, endive, pork pebbles.

By this time of the meal, I already knew that every dish will turn out to be an artwork. I was very pleased at how well they balanced the colours and textures for each dish. This one was a little mischievous, almost like something we usually see in children books, where the plants grow in all sorts of directions. I loved that combination of spanner crab and pork pebbles, it's that perfect almost of saltiness that stimulates your senses.

Roast scallop, cauliflower tofu, leaves & crisp, lobster reduction.

Comparing to the last few dishes, this was a little bit less outstanding in appearance. Yet the satisfactions from its taste did not disappoint us at all. We especially liked the cauliflower tofu, as it was like the softest food on Earth.

Liquid butternut gnocchi, shimeji, mushroom consommé.

When this came, I was like "nooooo! Egg yolks!!" (Yes egg yolk is not one of my favourite), but then I realised what it was suppose to be. Gnocchi, yep, you got it, it was POTATO. I carefully placed one in my mouth, then closing it, and then...BITE. Oh that sudden juicy feeling down the throat, it was somewhere closer than heaven. I loved it, and it was definitely my favourite of the night.

Crispy scaled jewfish, smoked potato puree, calamari crackling, ink sauce.

We got a choice between two main dishes, so I decided to go with the crispy jewfish. Those scales were so crunchy and they make quite a bit of noises as you chew on them. I liked the idea of calamari crackling, as it was a completely refreshing taste. The only thing I didn't quite enjoy was the ink sauce...I found it a little too heavy in the taste for me.

Salted bush baltarra lamb sirloin, cabbages, blood pudding, aged sherry vinegar.

Bun picked this one...just because it's meat...? It was a simple dish, but the combination of the lamb and vinegar was quite a good one.

Chocolate, honeycomb, vanilla sphere, cardamom, saffron, ginger.

We also got to pick a dessert out of the two, so Bun decided to go with this one as he found it amusing to crack eggs. That initial crack took a little while, and then all you see was an explosion of all the sweet goodies, flowing out eagerly into the bowl. It was a little sweet but still a really nice dessert.

Cooked & raw cherries, red wine pear, bolero snow, hibiscus ice cream, sesame sponge.

I actually regret a little about picking this one after I've seen how entertaining Bun's dessert was. Although it was nice, I wished it had something more to it. I think my favourite part of this dish was actually the sesame sponge, and I found the idea pretty interesting mmm...


Overall I really liked this place, particularly its creative dishes! I would highly recommend this restaurant to people, you can order either a 7-course or 10-course tasting menu...mmm I wonder what's the 10-course is like?


Address:
5-9 Roslyn Street, Kingscross NSW

Phone:
02 8068 1017

Opening time:
Lunch
Thu - Sat  from 12 noon
Dinner
Tue - Sat  from 6pm till late

The Sydney City Guide - in collaboration with boohoo.com

Hello everyone! Check out this "The Sydney City Guide" created in collaboration with boohoo.com, it was contributed by Chocolate Suze, Sydney Men's fashion, Leather and Lattes, Boohoo and us :D

 

Thanks and hope you enjoyed reading it~~

 

Website:

http://www.boohoo.com/aus/page/home

Golden pan fried dumpling (Gyoza)

As promised, I have made my first set of Gyoza following the visit of "Harajuku Gyoza" and decided to share the experience with all of you ^^


Ingredients:
1/4 Cabbage
1 spring onion
250g pork minces
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
About 25-40 dumpling skin (can be purchased from Asian grocery - see image below, or made from scratch)
1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil

For the mixture:
Grated garlic..........1/2 tablespoon
Salt...........1 and 1/2 teaspoon
Sesame oil..........1 tablespoon
Oyster oil..........1/2 tablespoon

For the crispy skin (This is the key point if you like it crispy):
Water..........100cc
Flour..........2 teaspoon

*Recommend to do this step just before you need to use it

Serving:
25-40 dumplings (depending on how much fillings you use for each)

Level:
Easy

1. Chop up the cabbage (optional: you can mix in some salt), wash and then squeeze them dry.
2. Chop up the spring onion and mix with the cabbage.
3. Squeeze the pork minces a bit with your hands and then combines with the cabbage, spring onion and the mixture (from ingredients).
4. Now here's the fun part, let's start making some dumplings!!! You can watch this short clip below that I've made for a simple tutorial.
(make sure you don't put too much filling in each one ^^")




Did you enjoy that??? Repeat the process and look how many wonderful dumplings you can make!

Ta-Da! They are all ready to go!

5. Add about 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil, and pan fry the dumplings until the bottoms are turning gold. (I like to cook in sets of 8 or 10)

It's gold!!!!

6. Now do the mixture for the crispy skin (from ingredients) and pour it into the pan. Then put the lid on immediately and leave it for about 5 minutes on medium heat.

7. After 5 minutes, open the lid and put a few drops of sesame oil, then wait until all the liquid evaporates.

8. It's done! Ready to serve!! Oh, don't forget your sauces!! I've used Soy sauce, Vinegar and Chilli oil here.

This is a really simple recipe and yet tastes really good as an appetizer/entrée dish. When you finish the dish, the bottom should be quite hard and it will make a loud crackling sound when you bite into them...Mmmmm...


Thanks for reading and enjoy the dish!! Also, any comments or suggestions are welcomed ^^

Harajuku Gyoza

Hope everyone had a fantastic New Year's Eve! It is 2014 now, can you believe it???

On this particular night (still in 2013 ><), me and Bun walked pass this restaurant called "Harajuku Gyoza" at Potts Point. What comes into your mind when you thought of "Harajuku" (a place in Tokyo)? The first thing come up to my mind is fun, a place that's full of creativity and vibrant culture, and somewhere with loads of unique surprises. So when we saw this huge Kawaii ("cute" in Japanese) dumpling character on its exterior wall, we thought it would be cool to check it out!

The restaurant is actually in "Izakaya" style (a casual Japanese place for after-work drinking, usually attended by businessmen), with a bunch of bar chairs surrounding the centre (cooking area) and a few tables scattered around the room. The whole restaurant was mainly decorated in black and red colours, giving that modern and mysterious feeling. The staffs were very friendly and attentive (notice the kitchen staff doing the "peace sign" in the last picture? LOL), and the food actually came pretty quick.

We found those photos printed on the plates :)

Here are the sauces of soy sauce, vinegar and chilli oil. I prefer to use these separately although you should combine all 3 together to get the best flavour.

Pork Belly Kakuni $13.00

This is one of their popular dishes, and it came in 4 chunky pieces on the plate. Our first impression of this dish was...SO JUICY! It was absolutely fulfilling. We loved how the fat took up half or more of the proportion, yet the whole bite didn't feel too oily at all. It was a really good dish to accompany a bottle of beer too!

Pork Gyoza (poached) 5pcs $8.00

Since we were getting the Lobster Tail Gyoza as grilled, we decided to pick a poached set of Gyoza. This little dish of Pork Gyoza certainly allowed us to enjoy and appreciate the ultimate combination of the sauces. Personally, my favourite is still the chilli oil ^^

Lobster Tail Gyoza $12.00

The name attracted our attention, as we were curious of what it would taste like. We found the lobster tail was a little bit light in terms of flavours, although it was nice and chewy. To us, we probably still preferred Gyoza with whole loads of meat + vegetable inside, so we actually liked the pork Gyoza more than this one.


This will be a pretty cool place to hang out after work for drinks, or for those who don't have too much time and just wants to fill the stomach in a rapid speed. I loved how they can incorporate such a cute dumpling character to be the logo of the restaurant and how creative their Gyozas were. For a personal comment: I think the grilled Gyoza always tasted more interesting than the poached version!


PS: For our next post, I will write about my first home-made Gyoza with recipe (Yes, thanks to the inspirations from Harajuku Gyoza!!!) ^^


Address:
9-15 Bayswater Road, Potts Point NSW 2011

Phone number:
02 9356 3834

Opening time:
7 days - midday to late for lunch and dinner


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How to make Spicy chicken (Korean style)

Firstly, hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! :D I love cooking so today I decide to share another 1 of my simple recipes!


Bun always loved Korean food, and especially chilli food. So I decided to make a simple homemade version of Korean spicy chicken, served with rice and a bottle of beer for Bun to enjoy.


Ingredients:
600g chicken thigh
Milk (an amount that covers the chicken thigh)
Potato starch (enough for the chicken thigh)

For marination:
Soy sauce..........1 tablespoon
White/cooking wine..........1 tablespoon
Grated garlic..........1 teaspoon

For the sauce:
Chopped garlic..........1 teaspoon
Chopped onion..........1 tablespoon
Tomato sauce..........2 tablespoon
Korean spicy sauce (BekSul)..........2 tablespoon (or more if you prefer more chilli)
Soy sauce..........1 teaspoon
Sugar..........1 tablespoon
Sesame oil..........1 teaspoon
Water..........60ml

(The Korean spicy sauce and potato starch can be found in Asian grocery stores.)

(Chopped onion and garlic and the sauce in separate bowls)

Serving:
1-2 people


Level:
Easy

1. Wash the chicken thigh and soak it with milk for about 20 minutes, this helps to get rid of any smell from frozen chicken and makes the meat tenderer.

2. Wash the chicken again, drain the water and chop into desirable sizes. Then marinate them for at least 30 minutes.

3. Roll each of the marinated chicken onto the potato starch evenly, and then leave them aside for about 3-5 minutes.

4. Start deep frying the chicken in the oil pan (set on 180 degrees) until golden, then leave aside to drain the excessive oil.

 

5. Get a large pan and stir fry the chopped onions and garlic until aromatic. Then put in the sauce and chicken and stir them to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed over the chicken.

TA-DA! It's ready to be served with rice!

You can probably try to add in pieces of pineapples or sprinkle some white sesame over the top, as these will make the chicken tastier!


I am still a beginner (total noob actually ^^") and seeking for many ways to improve on my dishes, so feel free to drop me any comments on suggestions :D Have fun cooking and eating!!!