Tan Viet Noodle House

Famous for its Crispy Chicken, it seems Tan Viet Noodle House in Cabramatta never ceased to have long waiting lines outside. When we got there just a little earlier than lunch time, the line was relatively shorter. It was a very hot day, but the people waiting there had such enthusiastic faces!



The interior was simple with blue walls, and the space was a bit bigger than I imagined. This place was full of people when we got in, although it wasn't too crammed due to its relatively bigger space (2 levels).

3 colours sweet $4.00

I ordered this drink just as I have always done in all other Vietnamese restaurants, simply because I can't get over the layers of different textures. It was icy and absolutely refreshing on such a hot day.



Crispy chicken served with Tomato rice $12.00

Here it comes! Both me and Bun ordered the legendary crispy chicken with tomato rice! We don't think we have ever tasted any chicken skin as this crispy before, every crunch made that delightful sound that's almost like the sound of swinging wind chime after a soft breeze. The meat was moist, extremely tender, and the portion was fair. We found the tomato rice was quite nice too, as it soaked evenly into the light tomato flavour and served at the perfect temperature.

We were both very full at 3/4 way of the dish, but the temptation to keep eating was too strong. So...it ended up with Bun having a very satisfied face just like in that picture. You can eat the crispy chicken with noodles too, it seemed just as delicious...too bad we were bloated, maybe next time.

Honestly, this place should really open after 7pm as well, I'm sure alot of the local people would love a quick supper there!


Address:
100 John St, Cabramatta NSW

Phone number:
02 9727 6853

Opening time:
Daily 9am - 7pm


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Kobe Jones

Kobe Jones is located at King Street Wharf, looking out to The Star. The view there was magnificent, especially at sunset time.



As soon as we walked in, we noticed the design of this spacious restaurant. It was very tidy, with a sense of romance. Somehow I adore the contrast of red and black colours, as it's like the contrast of sugar and spice, very different but mixed together to form the essential elements for a good meal.

The atmosphere here was definitely excellent, and we just couldn't wait to see what the nightfall will bring to us behind the huge windows.


Now onto the food...

They had lots of deals on so we managed to grab some vouchers from Spreets, for the spring menu at $69pp with 13 dishes served over 7 courses.


Kobe Jones' signature crab salad with avocado

Avocado and seafood is just the most perfect combination I can ever imagine, it's so fresh to start off. It only took one bite to enjoy that blob of awesomeness.



Tantalising tasting plate (clockwise from top): Freshly shucked akuma oyster, calamari panko, seafood poke, lollipop sushi, saffron spider roll

If you ask us which dish was the most appealing one, we would point out the lollipop sushi. It was such a creative presentation where all the seafood just get wrapped by a thinly peeled cucumber to form a circular shape, that just makes you want to pick it up and eat it like a little kid. This one is definitely the winner out of all! Others weren't too bad, but rather abit too ordinary.



Chilli Wagyu tenderloin tataki

Tataki was always a nice little cold dish for entree, and we were quite pleased with the addition of chilli sauce. The onions served also add a bonus flavour where you won't get too much meaty flavours in the mouth.



Flamed scallop carpaccio

The tiny pieces of Hokkaido scallops with the drizzles of wasabi came at the perfect time to clear away any residual flavours in our mouths :)



Agedashi Tofu

From all the previous dishes, we could tell that Kobe Jones was very generous with the portion of their dishes, but we had no idea the Agedashi Tofu would be this GIGANTIC!!! While this may be good for some, it was abit overwhelming for us. Mainly because we had the image of a small portion of soft and wobbly fried tofu...This one certainly wasn't wobbly, and it wasn't that soft either. The core was actually abit dry and it just seems impossible to finish this. So as you can imagine, we only managed to eat half way until we totally gave up ><



Bondi roll

This dish was my favourite out of all! Whatever that spicy secret sauce is, they certainly worked absolutely well! Maybe the presentation was a bit messy but the taste totally made us forget that point. It was very hot, the prawns were totally immersed into the chilli sauce and every bite burns like a volcano eruption.



Slipper lobster tobanyaki

I remember reading the menu beforehand saying that this dish was "Western Australia slipper LOBSTER meat on a bed of rice with mushroom and Kobe Jones' seaweed butter, BAKED in a special CREAM sauce", see where the highlights was? Although, I admit it was quite a creamy dish...and it can make you feel quite full if indulged too much.

Wagyu hot rock

We were so excited as it was a DIY dish, and it was WAGYU beef! Mmmmm....so when this hot rock arrived, the waitress gave us a piece of fat so spread evenly (god that delicious aroma just rose into the air and gone straight into our nostrils). Then we put all our meats on the rock and watch it sizzle happily next to eachother. After a few minutes of waiting, flipping, staring and squeezing our chopsticks, they were finally ready! Look at them, those juicy meats were smiling at us...so satisfying!

(By the way, it's Bun at the bottom corner. Guess he will be popping out sometimes on my pictures...)



Kobe Jones tiramisu (the other choice was Flaming anko)

Ok, here comes our regret for the night. It wasn't bad, but just normal...so when we saw the waitress brought out the brulee inside that pot full of blue-orange flame, we wish we could've just swapped our one immediately. Even though we didn't know how that dessert tasted like, but the visual effect certainly amazed us!!


This deal was absolutely worth it! We don't think we have been to a lot places where the portion of the dishes were much more than we expected, but Kobe Jones is definitely one of them! Their dishes were also very creative, that fusion of Japanese cuisine and Californian twist was outstanding.



Address:
29 Lime St, King Street Wharf
Sydney

Phone number:
02 9299 5290

Opening time:
Lunch:
Mon - Fri 12pm to 3pm (open for lunch Christmas Day and Mother's day and closed on other public holidays)

Dinner:
7 days from 6pm


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Sparkle Cupcakery and Rekorderlig Cider, Mango-Raspberry Limited Edition Launch Party

From today the 14th till end of November 2012, Sweden's premium cider, Rekorderlig (recently awarded as "Best Cider in Australia") will partner with Sparkle Cupcakery at Surry Hills to launch the lovely Mango-Raspberry flavour cupcake - Limited edition.

This fun and delicious cupcake is based on the Mango-Raspberry cider ingredients, looking forward to delight the beginning of summer with fresh raspberry and mango tastes. The cupcakes at Sparkle Cupcakery are baked daily using the highest quality ingredients, ready to give you a sweet boost of energy for the day.

Not sure if anyone would feel the same way as I do, but I like the sound of anything that's "Limited edition", so I was actually quite excited when I received an invitation to attend the launch party yesterday at Sparkle Cupcakery at Surry Hills (Thank you!!!).

I brought Bun along with me and we arrived with friendly staffs and cups of PINK colours welcoming us after entering the doorway. There they were! The premium Mango-Raspberry ciders from Rekorderlig! The initial sip just brought summery feeling into the air, so refreshing. The light and crisp sensation almost reminds you of a splash of water under the sunlight at a beach party, preparing for the excitements ahead.




There were a whole row of Mango-Raspberry ciders, and we also spotted "The Little Black book" launched earlier last year from Sparkle Cupcakery.



Apart from these Mango-Raspberry ones, they actually have six other flavours!






The crowd got bigger later on, and everyone seemed like they were having a great time :)

Ta-Da! Here it is!! The Mango-Raspberry cupcakes!! I actually like the colours, you can just imagine them popping up in summer parties...in your backyard, at your tea table, outdoor weddings etc. I see the burst of yellow colours like sunshine, sparkling brightly when they appears.

 

Here's a close up of it! It was short, but sweet, the quick indulgence makes it a perfect delight. I can see why some people are so addicted to cupcakes now, as you can probably just sit there all day and let time slip away slowly while you grab several of them. Listen to your favourite classic music, read an incredible book, catch up with your favourite friends, whatever it is, this Mango-Raspberry cupcake will make a great company :)

If you like to try the Mango-Raspberry cupcakes, make sure you pop over to Sparkle Cupcakery before end of this month!! We could see that Sparkle Cupcakery have plenty of other interesting cupcake flavours too, like the Green Tea & Bubbles, Lavender & Honey, White chocolate and Strawberry, Afternoon delight etc. It's probably a good idea to give them a try sometimes too...Mmmmmmmmm.



Address:
132 Foveaux St, Surry Hills

Phone number:
02 9361 0690     Mon - Fri 9am-5pm (Customer inquiries and orders)

Opening time:
Mon to Fri   8am - 5.30pm
Saturday  9am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm


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Pho An

I would recommend this as one of the best Pho place in Sydney to you, so pho sooooo gooood indeed.


Just check out the crowd here! Those people were eating, sniffling, and enjoying the warm soup and its chilliness.

Che ba mau $5.00

It has always been my favourite drink to go with the Pho, just because it's so refreshing. Each layer has different textures and tastes, mixed along with the sweetness of coconut flavour. Some are chewy and slippery, while the others are soggy. The 3 layers of colours form a pleasant visual presentation.


Here's the typical bean sprout plate, time to grab a handful and put into the Pho!





















Chin $12.00(medium), or $13.00(large)

oh this is how we started...
1: The plain pho with floating vegetables and clear soup, and the meat hiding underneath waiting to be found.

2. A sprinkle of fresh chilli instantly added colours to the bowl, now it's starting to look like flower and leaves.

3. The ultimate weapon of chilli sauce, we added a little bit to start off (thank god it was only a little bit) and this is when the excitement begins.

4. Then we added all the bean sprouts and mix mix MIX! We digged hard and let all the beef flip out, and this would be the time to start drooling, alot.


Any thoughts afterward? I think it was totally mouthwatering!



Address:
27 Greenfield Parade
Bankstown NSW

Phone number:
(02) 9796 7826

Opening time:
7 Days 7am - 9pm


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