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

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 ^^

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!!!

Hurricane's Grill and Bar - Top Ryde

It was our friend's birthday so we decided to visit Hurricane's Grill and Bar at Top Ryde for some awesome steaks and ribs! For super meat lovers (ie. Bun), this place is like a total heaven. The restaurant was about 95% full when we got there, and just when the giant Christmas tree started to lit up in front of Hurricane's Grill and Bar.

The waiters and bartenders were extremely busy, and diners inside Hurricane's Grill and Bar seemed happy and enjoying their meals. The atmosphere at Hurricane's Grill and Bar was vibrant and cheerful, quite perfect for the festive season coming ahead. We stood there a little to wait for our booked table, while the irresistible sights of ribs and steaks hovered around us a couple of times to make us swallow our own drool.

Garlic Roll $4.50

Finally after we sat down at our table, we decided to pick this starter to kick off our meal. The crust was quite crunchy, so I guess we all loved this as it was gone in a speed of light.

Natural Oysters (half $21.00 / dozen $38.00)

How can we ignore the oysters on Hurricane's Grill and Bar menu? As soon as we saw it, we decided to order a dozen. It comes with fresh lemon and Tobasco sauce for us to indulge, and the oysters lied neatly above the rock salts. I loved that moment when you gulp down the oyster, when the salty flavour hits you with a tiny sting, and they were so fulfilling.


Main dishes (drum roll):

Orders from our friends A and J (below), they seemed very happy with their meal...mmmm meeeeat!!!

Our orders for the night:

Junior T-Bone (400gm) $32.00 (either with chips or baked potato) with pepper sauce ($2.50)

Bun has always been a fan of T-bone steak (median rare), when I asked him why, he always says it had a different taste to other parts (yes, Bun has popped out again...). While he was imagining the steak talks back to him and admiring its juiciness, I managed to take a snap shot. One bite of this was good enough to make you dance around in joy, as it was extremely tender with a tiny bit of fat to compliment. We swear at Hurricane's Grill and Bar, you probably don't even need sauce to go with its meat, it was already so good just by itself.

Beef Ribs (Half $31.90, Full 42.90) either with chips or baked potato (You can also pick lamb or pork ribs)

This was said to be Hurricane's most famous dish, so I knew I had to pick this to have a try. While everyone else on the table having fun eating their meal, I waited another half hour or so until it finally arrived. The waiter gave me one of those (shown in bottom right picture) to me to prepare me for the craziness later on (I can sort of imagine the bits and pieces from the ribs flying everywhere as I get too excited). This certainly entertained the others as I looked like a chubby baby trying to learn how to eat for the first time. I don't know what the "secret sauce" at Hurricane's Grill and Bar is, but it definitely hit the right spot! My hands were covered with this sticky sauce with that bit of sweetness, and I really couldn't resist licking the fingers like what people did on the other table. As you bite off one side of the rib, the beef just started hanging down to give you that amazing second to bite all the rest of the meat in one bite. Mmmm...200% SATISFACTION. Oh, the bonus point? Order it with the baked potato!!


All of us loved Hurricane's Grill and Bar, they were certainly one of the best places in Sydney for meat lovers! We noticed that they actually had burgers and skewers on their menu too...oh well...next time :D


Address:
Top Ryde City Shopping Centre
Shop R 3006 Ground Level
Cnr Blaxland Road & Devlin Street
Ryde NSW

Phone number:
02 9130 7101

Opening time:
Lunch:
Mon - Fri 12pm - 3pm
Dinner:
Mon - Fri 5pm till late
Sat, Sun & Public holidays 12pm - late


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Jones the grocer (Sydney Westfield) - Food blogger invitation dinner

With a relocation of its flagship store from Woollahra, Jones the Grocer landed in Sydney Westfield with a deluxe look of a dark and sophisticated theme. It continues to serve high quality gourmet food with natural ingredients produced by specialists, and as well as offering a range of products such as coffee & teas. Jones the Grocer also has an in-house bakery and patisserie with lots of delights to provide throughout the day.

Thanks to Jessie from Cav Con and Jones the Grocer, "My Hunger will go on" was invited for a food blogger dinner consisting of a 3 course meal with beverage. It was a wonderful opportunity to see this unique place which already had several world-wide stores including Australia, Qatar, Singapore, UAE and New Zealand.

Parker's organic sparkling drinks:
Pink Lemonade/ Mango & Orange

We picked these as our drinks for the night, and they had an ultra-smooth taste with very gentle sensations. The mango and orange flavour was sweeter than I thought as the mango taste seemed to have dominated the flavour, while the pink lemonade was simply refreshing with tiny tingling feelings on the tongue.

Salt and Pepper squid, yuzu mayonnaise, Thai herb salad dressed with tamarind, chilli and lime sauce.

The salt and pepper squid at Jones the Grocer was very fresh and chewy, along with a powdery sensation when it first made contact with your lips. The tamarind (leguminous tree with pod-like fruit from Africa) dressing and along with the sophisticated sauces has made the squid stood out even more as the contrast of the tastes were strong.

Angel hair pasta with blue swimmer crab, chilli, rocket, garlic & grana padano

I couldn't get enough of this entrée when it arrived at our table, as it was so delicious and addictive. The portion was very generous that we actually thought it was a main dish! This pasta at Jones the Grocer was probably one of the thinnest and smoothest one that I have ever tasted, and not to mention how perfect the rest of the ingredients mixed together. You get that that refreshing feeling while those flakes of grana padano (one of the most popular Italian cheese with grainy texture) added the extra bits of playful flavours.

Duck leg confit with French lentils, apple & spinach salad with grape seed dressing

One thing we love about the dishes at Jones the Grocer is the surprisingly fresh salad and dressings, as they have perfectly complimented the main part of the dishes. For example like this one, we were so fascinated by the different textures presented by the salad along with the French lentils, because you get that crunchiness and mushiness all in one go. Of course, the duck leg was just as brilliant. As soon as the knife sank into the meat, they fell off as if they couldn't wait to be eaten.

Roast wild Barramundi with crushed potatoes & sauce antiboise

This was another dish that we adore at Jones the Grocer, simply because of the magnificent outcome of the Barramundi skin. Not only the skin was so crispy, but the Barramundi itself was so juicy. With every bite, it just melts in your mouth with that everlasting tenderness. The potatoes showed a similar texture with crispy skin and a soft and mushy core. We didn't even need to add any extra salt and pepper as the flavours were just as excellent as they were.

Young coconut rice pudding with mango & almond crunch

By the time we got to desserts at Jones the Grocer, we were both very full. Both of our desserts were visually appealing, whether it's colour-wise or form-wise. The one Bun has picked was young coconut rice pudding where the warm coconut flavour has fully soaked in. The mango actually came in slices rather than blocks, and they were presented just like strokes of yellow paints on a white canvas. Then the almond crunch covered the top layer, scattered freely to add in that healthy touch.

Warm sticky date pudding with salted caramel sauce & vanilla bean ice-cream

I loved how cute this dessert from Jones the Grocer looked, as it was like an erupting volcano island in the middle of an ocean. The ice-cream melted slowly from the heat waves of the sticky date pudding, and then they drip down into the pool of salted caramel sauce to form artistic white patterns. I'm not going to lie, it was really sweet, but they combined so well together. That contrast of temperature from the warm pudding and cold ice cream, along with the stickiness of both the sauce and the date, has left a great impression at the end of the night.



With Bun's steady hand, My Hunger will go on managed to shoot a video of Jones the Grocer. Check out their stunning interior, and get a close-up view of their dishes!



Thanks again for inviting "My Hunger will go on" to this memorable dinner, we certainly hope to come back soon in the future to try out more dishes.


Address:
Shop 5018, Level 5 Westfield
Cnr Market & Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW

Phone number:
02 8072 7755

Opening time:
Mon - Sat 8am - late
Sun 8am - 7pm

Website:
http://www.jonesthegrocer.com/



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