Follow the White Rabbit [On The Road: Melbourne]

One busy place in Melbourne was no doubt Chin Chin. Hectic restaurant, noisy, quite busy, Asian influence, including Thai and Vietnamese dishes, open every day but Christmas day, walk ins only, actually just one 10-12 people table that you can reserve, modern industrial décor, and the rolling stones trembling the walls. 

The place

Décor

My first visit was a starter attack, after studying the menu I decided only to eat starters, first the spicy corn and coriander fritters, beyond imagination, crunchy texture created by the iceberg where you wrapped your fritter, good spicy kick from the chilli jam, excellent execution. Moving on to one of my favourites chilli salt chicken wings, one of the best I have had, the battered spot on, chilli, saltiness, and acidity thanks to the lemon, excellent. Then wok fried salt and pepper squid, finally a spot on the white dress, it was good, nice flavour, but the texture wasn't the correct, a bit too chewy. Finally the Pork roll ups, back to top performance delivery, full of flavour, the red braised suckling pig outstanding with the sweet sauce a perfect pair. 

Fritters

Fritters close up

Wings

Squid

Pork

My second visit got the son in law eggs with chilli, the chilli sweet jam was awesome, good combination with the boiled egg. Then moved to scud city, jungle curry, wild boar, pickled garlic and ginger, really spicy, to the point you start to lose the flavour of the dish, the texture put me off a bit, not their finest.

Scud city

Son in law

For drink they have a decent selection of local beers, my choice a dirty granny, you have to love Australian's beer names. 

Dirty granny

The bar

Food is so good that as soon as you tasted you forget all the noise and racket, just get immersed into the strong aromatic flavours. Service a bit inconsistent, good at full throttle then got a bit relaxed. 

Policy

Menu

Granny reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Non-Fat Yogurt” 

Newman: Well, I wouldn't hear of it. I said, nice try, granny! And I sent her to the back of the line! 

Jerry: Hello, Newman 

Newman Hello, Jerry, say, this yogurt is really something, huh? And it's non-fat! I've been waiting for something like this my whole life, and it's finally here!

Chin Chin
T: +61 3 8663 2000
Asian Cuisine
Approx Damage: AU$60pp
Area: CBD
Melbourne
Twitter: chinchinmelb

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Opera Kitchen [On The Road: Sydney]

It was my first time in Sydney so I had to do the classic sightseeing, when we arrived into the Opera House, Gian recommended to do a stop there to grab a bite and have a beer with the amazing view. Opera Kitchen is popular for tourists visiting the landmark, and locals going after work for a drink. 

Opera Kitchen

The place is like an al fresco food court with amazing view. You have to choose between, sushi and sashimi from Kenji, Vietnamese from Misschu, John Susman’s seafood place Cloudy Bay Fish Co, Justin North’s new burger concept Charlie & Co, and finally again Justin North’s French bakery Becasse Bakery. 

The view

My final choice was Vietnamese, Nga Chu AKA Nahji established Misschu as a catering company in2005, hand made finger food, basically a fine fast food option. Saw the menu and went for a bbq pork char sui steamed bun, deep fried prawn and crabnet spring roles, and finally scallops and prawn steamed dumplings. 

Misschu menu

The food was quite good regarding they are in a touristic location and quality might be highly affected by that, spring roles were fine, not the best ones I have tried, but good enough, nice flavour, the chilli sauce and hot spices sauce was excellent and played well with the rolls, the bun was well executed, puffy, the pork was good and the juices moist the bun, and finally the steamed dumplings were quite good. 

Bun

Dumplings

Spring rolls

Food ok, the spot is perfect, the view terrific, it’s the perfect place to go with a group of friends to have a chat and some drinks. 

Vietnam reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Burning” 

Student: So, what seems to be bothering you today, Mr. Kramer? 

Kramer: Well, I guess it started about twenty years ago when I got back from Vietnam, and this was the

only friend I had left 

Mickey: Hey! That's my cirrhosis! He's stealing my cirrhosis! You want to be sick? I'll make you sick

Misschu

T: +61 4 5009 9888
Vietnamese cuisine
Approx Damage: AU$30pp
Area: CBD
Sydney
Twitter: misschutuckshop

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Burger Wars Episode XLVII: The Flipper One on Eat St

A market I had on my list to visit as soon as I was back was no other than Petra Barran's Eat St. They took on King's Boulevard in King's Cross to bring from Tuesdays to Fridays, lunch time only, a rotation of the most exciting food merchants, including Big Apple Hot Dogs, the elusive Kimchi Cult, Luardos, Homeslice, Yum Bun, and many others. 

This way

The merchants

I saw the line-up for the week and immediately knew what day to go, my chance to try the Mother Flipper burger was finally at my reach, this burger vendors usually operate at Brockley Market, which is pretty much too far, almost a day trip going that part of town, but now they are also on the rotation at King's Cross. 

Mother Flipper

But before getting my burger, I was distracted by Banhmi 11, and the smell of pork belly. Vietnamese street food, basically Pho and of course Banh Mi. The stall is a resident in Broadway Market, brought to you by Van and Anh, two passionate ladies from Hanoi that are sharing what they love with London. 

Vietnamese menu

Fillings

I got a crackling pork belly Banh Mi, slow roasted and marinated with five spices and lemon juice. To complete the picture a baguette with carrot, daikon pickle, cucumber, and coriander. The baguette was nice and crispy, medium spicy kind of mild, the filling was a bit scarce, nice flavour but wouldn't mind more pork belly in my belly, overall nice balance, and good flavour. 

Banh Mi time

But now back to business, three burger options, the mother flipper cheeseburger, the chilli flipper, and the double candy bacon flipper. All of them in a brioche bun, patty made of 28 day aged chuck steak, and cooked medium rare. My choice the chilli one. 

Flipper menu

Flipping action

Almost there

Satellite view

The verdict, nice burger, cooked between medium and medium rare, good flavour, good spicy kick from the spicy chutney, apparently a mix of green chilli, green pepper, onions, and some spices, quite good. 

The damage, 5.5 quid for the burger, no fries, no money no honey. 

The conclusion, good burger, street style, I would put efforts on having a homemade kickass sauce rather than commercial ketchup and mustard, the spicy chutney quite nice, the cheese was ok, not completely melted on my burger which was disappointing as I have seen these amazing pictures of heavenly dripping melted cheese, the bun wasn't toasted which would have been a plus, flavour is there, just a couple notches. I will give them a 7 in my scale. 

Burger Time

Eat St

Vietnam reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Burning” 

Student: So, what seems to be bothering you today, Mr. Kramer? 

Kramer: Well, I guess it started about twenty years ago when I got back from Viet Nam, and this was the only friend I had left 

Mickey: Hey! That's my cirrhosis! He's stealing my cirrhosis! You want to be sick? I'll make you sick 

Student: Cirrhosis of the liver and PCP addiction

Bahmi11

T: 077 7502 9365

Vietnamese Cuisine / Street Food

Approx Damage: £6pp

Various Locations

Twitter: bahnmi11uk

Mother Flipper

T: 079 0366 1071

Burgers / Street Food

Approx Damage: £6pp

Various Locations

Twitter: MotherFlipperuk

Eat St (King's Cross)

Food Market

Area: King's Cross

Borough: Camden

Twitter: EatStreet

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Cay Tre with the real hustle and bustle of a Vietnamese cafe

A few days back my friend Patty came by to London just for a day, a quick stop to continue her trip but long enough to go for diner. The unusual suspect this time was Cay Tre, a Vietnamese restaurant, serving traditional street food "Pho" which is a Vietnamese noodle soup, and keeping the rest of the menu with traditional recipes and flavours.

The Place in Soho

Menu Style

Two locations Soho and Shoreditch, and another two siblings for the group Viet Grill and Keu. We ended in the Soho restaurant, eating this amazing food in a white clear atmosphere.

The place 

Almost empty dining before closing

For starters we got red sea prawn and steamed pork summer roll, and the charcoaled pork ribs coated in honey and lemongrass. Both starters were excellent, but the ribs were spectacular, I could eat those babies all day. Then for main I went for the Com Saigon after I remembered a post from Kang. Patty’s sister Cristina pointed out that the dish looked like a “Bandeja Paisa” which is completely correct is amazingly similar to the Colombian dish quite popular in Antioquia. Finally as a side we got the Tonkin Jasmine flowers which are stir fried with dried chilli and the Vietnamise Kim Chi with ginger pickle. The food was very good, my Bandeja Vietnamise (Com Saigon) was great, the jasmine rice was good the duck egg was perfectly cooked, and the grilled pork chop was excellent. The sides were quite good especially the Jasmine flowers, the Kim Chi was a little bit too gingery for me.

Summer Roll 

Summer Roll 

Pork Ribs 

Jasmine Flowers 

Kim Chi

Com Saigon or should I say Bandeja Vietnamese 

An excellent diner with good company.

The company ready for the Vietnamese delight

Vietnam reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Burning”.

Mickey: Oh, my liver! Why did I drink all those years? Why did I look for love in a bottle?

Dr. Wexler: Mr. Kramer? You're up.

Mickey: Wait a minute. You are doing gonorrhoea, aren't you?

Kramer: Well, we'll see.

Student: So, what seems to be bothering you today, Mr. Kramer?

Kramer: Well, I guess it started about twenty years ago when I got back from Viet Nam, and this was the only friend I had left.

Mickey: Hey! That's my cirrhosis! He's stealing my cirrhosis! You want to be sick? I'll make you sick.

Student: Cirrhosis of the liver and PCP addiction?