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

Crane Bar Restaurant's first birthday party 2013 - The Golden Age

Thanks to Simon again, "My Hunger will go on" was invited to attend the Crane Bar's first birthday celebration. The Crane Bar Restaurant's location was actually just diagonally opposite of Buns and Balls! The theme for the party is "The golden age", and it was perfect for this party as gold colour always tend to represent wealth and prosperity.  The waitresses were in gold dresses, along with gold balloons floating all across the rooms and outside the bar.

The Crane Bar Restaurant was very crowded when we got there, with busy DJ and bartenders on the spot to bring joy and laughter. The whole bar had a warm glow with candle lights and gold decorations. The lighting behind the alcohol bottles at the bar just added an extra fancy touch to the evening.

We found lots of Sake standing neatly on the shelves, and the range at Crane Bar Restaurant was quite impressive. I wondered if they had Umeshu somewhere? (My favourite Japanese drink - Plum wine)

We saw a huge line behind the bar area, then we realised the live action of Sashimi making. They were really fresh and thick, which added the ultimate satisfaction of swallowing them. The chefs were quick and steady in cutting, slicing and arranging the Sashimi. We could see that the crowd were very pleased at these at the Crane Bar Restaurant, as the queue seems forever non-stop. The rice was very soft too, with just the right amount to give a good proportion.

We also found some skewers and fried chicken circulating around, and we decided to take a photo of this juicy one.

Unfortunately, we had to leave the event early and did not get a chance to explore as much as we would like to. Nevertheless...Happy first Birthday Crane Bar Restaurant!!! Now...why not have your own party/function here? And enjoy the delicate Japanese fusion cuisine and endless choices of cocktails and Sake :)

Here's is a short video clip of the night at the Crane Bar Restaurant:




It's getting extremely busy for us before Christmas time, but "My Hunger will go on" definitely have a few more exciting posts scheduled and looking forward to share with all of you soon!


Address:
32 Bayswater Road, Potts Point NSW

Phone number:
02 9357  3414

Opening time:
Mon & Tue Closed
Wed - Sun 5pm - 4am


View Larger Map

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


View Larger Map

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/



View Larger Map

How to make Takoyaki

Ingredients:
1 spring onion
3 crab sticks
200g of Takoyaki flour
2 eggs
3 cups of water
Takoyaki sauce
Mayonnaise (or Japanese Mayonnaise)
Bonito flakes

Serving:
About 24

Level:
Easy


I have always been a super fan of Japanese cuisine, and I always wanted to try to learn how to cook them. On this lazy afternoon, I decided to give a shot on cooking my very first set of Takoyaki. So I have got most of the ingredients from a Japanese grocery store in the city called Maruyu.




(Left to right: Bonito flakes, Takoyaki sauce, Takoyaki flour)


It's really hard to find a proper Takoyaki pan in Australia, so I bought this pop cake pan from Kmart instead.




I am only a beginner, so I have only included 2 very simple ingredients as fillings. That was 1 spring onion, and 3 crab sticks (proper ingredient is actually boiled octopus, but I ran out of them so I have decided to use crab sticks that I found in Asian grocery store instead) being chopped up to small pieces (I have seen many people adding tempura pieces and Japanese ginger into the fillings as well). I like to separate each ingredient into different bowls, that way makes it easier for me to pick them up and start cooking.




To start off, I have measured 200g of Takoyaki flour into a large bowl and cracked 2 eggs into it, then mix with 1/2 cup of water.




Afterwards you can add in 1/2 cup each time and mix well until it all finishes, then the mixture should turn into a watery state.




You can then get a brush to brush oil evenly into each hole on the pan, and then pour the mixture into each hole. Then quickly add on the chopped up spring onions (leave a little bit left for garnish later) and crab sticks into each Takoyaki. After the edge of the Takoyaki is cooked, use 2 sharp sticks (or tooth picks) to turn each of the Takoyaki about 90 degree. Repeat the rotating step until all Takoyaki are cooked (turning into golden brown colour).




Place each Takoyaki on a plate and squeeze on the Takoyaki sauce and Mayonnaise, then add on the Bonito flakes and the rest of the spring onion pieces (you can also choose to add on seaweed flakes instead).

TA-DA! It's all done and time to enjoy the Takoyaki!!


PS: Feel free to drop me any comments or suggestions on the recipe, I would love to learn from all of you guys :)

Sepia

It was Bun's birthday, so we have decided to try Sepia for this special occasion. The restaurant was located near Darling Harbour, so it was nice that we could take a walk after dinner.

The initial impression that Sepia gave me was that the staffs had great manners, and the decorations somewhat combined the Japanese and Western styles. The seats and tables were in dark colours, with merely a small amount of dim lights above our heads and a candle light on our table. I spotted a tree near the back wall, it reminded me of cherry blossom. We were given the beverage menu, and slowly anticipated the upcoming degustation menu for a Saturday night.


(Menu as of Saturday 3rd August 2013)


House made chevre, rye, smoked roe, pickled seaweed

Here was our Amuse bouche, numerous of round roe sat comfortably on the chevre (goat cheese), along with the sprinkle of rye and pickled seaweed hanging around. There's something I love about goat cheese, the creaminess and the freshness of roe seemed to go well together in a funny way.




Sashimi of Southern Blue Fin tuna, steamed Japanese omelette, white soy jelly dashi onion cream, puffed buckwheat, green apple and wasabi

This was such a refreshing little dish, and I love it when sashimi combines with any kind of jelly textures. The slippery soy jelly dashi has gone down the throat with the cooling tuna, together with the spongy omelette, in which they have created such a fulfilling moment. This dish made me feel like I was at the bottom of a deep ocean, searching for that scene where fish and other sea creatures swimming wildly.




Sashimi of bonito, flavours of roasted chicken, umeboshi, upland cress, green tea, nori

This was quite an unique dish where crispy chicken skin was combined to the seafood flavours. I found the taste was a little complex, especially with the addition of green tea powder. But Bun seemed to love it as he crunch down the chicken like the sound of those Kettle chips.




Yabby, seaweed puree, ginger, shellfish and blood orange emulsion, sorrel

LOL I totally didn't expected this but here we are, a cute little yabby snuggling on the plate. That first bite was totally satisfying along with the great sensations of blood orange emulsion. Although...I personally don't like ginger very much, so when I tasted that subtle hint of ginger, it made me shiver a little.




Sea scallop, sudachi, grain mustard and ox cheek dashi mousse, potato and garlic crumb

This has got to be my 2nd favourite dish for the night, as I loved every single bit of it. It was mushy and creamy, with a beautiful aroma coming from the crumbs. The textures contrasted with each other, making that mouthful more exciting than usual.




Charcoal grilled wagyu rump, sea urchin and wasabi butter, garlic chive mustard leaves, ponzu

TA-DA! My favourite dish of the night, Wagyu beef!!!! Oh god, I can never resist the meat dishes can I? But what I want to say here was...I couldn't believe how perfect the wagyu was cooked. I usually eat median rare, and I found the meat were often not juicy enough. When my teeth sank into this one here, I was really about to cry in tears. Not to mention the sauce made it even better! I think I can just have this for the rest of the night...




Seared Mandagery Creek venison, boudin noir, chocolate crumb, macadamia nut yoghurt blackcurrant, shichimi pepper

Comparing to the Wagyu, the next dish definitely didn't seem as outstanding. I wonder if it was because of the type of meat itself, the venison seemed rather harder to chew off. In general, we didn't have too much memories of this dish, as I think it was because all our attentions have been absorbed with the previous one...

Frozen strawberry, sheep yoghurt sorbet, Champagne cream wild strawberry sherbet

When this dish arrived, we stared at each other and questioned how this was made. I found it very fascinating and I loved the bright colour it came in. When I cracked it open, we found the heaven of creaminess inside. This definitely created a little highlight of the meal, and it has put a smile on both of our faces.




Soft poached meringue, truffle ice cream, hazelnut praline, malt

For some weird reason, I always found the texture of meringue a bit odd. Not surprised that this pre-dessert gave me the same feeling. Although I liked the little pieces of hazelnut praline spread around the meringue, they were quite amusing to chew on.




Soft chocolate, hazelnut and almond, orange and thyme cream, sour cherry sorbet cocoa brandy jellies, green tea, licorice, chocolate twigs

So this was the legendary "Winter chocolate forest" that Sepia is famous for, as depicted to be one of the top 10 dessert in Sydney from Good Food Guide. We are not really sure what words and phrases to use here for its description, but it was "different" to what we had pictured. I loved the presentation of it, and they really did remind me of a forest. However, I found a million of different texture, taste and temperature pieces exploding simultaneously in my mouth, in which made me no longer understand what was I suppose to taste? On the other hand, it could be that we were so bloated by the time we reached this last dish, thus the flavours just didn't seem very appealing to us as expected.


PS. The waiter congratulated us for finishing the dishes (YEEEHAAA!)


Address:
201 Sussex St, Sydney NSW

Phone number:
02 9283 1990

Opening time:
Tue - Sat  Dinner from 6pm
Fri and Sat Lunch from 12pm
Note: For Fri dinner and Sat lunch and dinner, Sepia offer degustation menu only.


View Larger Map