Fisces.

I'm quitting this blog.
It's not that I've stopped eating. More like, combining this food blog together with my normal blog.
Because, why bother handling two blogs when I can just do one? Lazy you say. Well. I guess so.
So on my 30th post, I bid goodbye.
If you still want to know more about food, visit my original blog.

don't ever go unprepared

ASIANA. 181 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park.
Sorry this Chinese restaurant review has to go without picture as I was caught off guard by an appointment to go there.
It was a great dinner with my brother's girlfriend's sister and her husband. (Yup, have fun decyphering that)
We had scallop dumplings in Laksa soup for starters.
Then we had tiger prawns with sweet and sour sauce. I think. It tasted close to Scampi yet it's better than any Scampi I've had.
We had Peking Duck. It's TDF. Probably the best Peking Duck I've ever had in my life. Really.
And we had this beautiful black pepper beef on Choi Sum. It's not your regular beef stripes beef. I'm talking about steak quality beef.
How much did the dinner cost you ask? I dare not imagine. David paid. Such kindness. Such generousity.
And yea, we got a complimentary dessert because we ordered a really great wine as well. Unforgettable night.

don't ever say I went Sydney for food again

Left to right:
1. DA NIANG DUMPLINGS. It's so so. The dumplings are really good though. Fried rice was alright. The cold dish was interesting. We had pig ears. Crunchy.
2. EAST OCEAN RESTAURANT. Yum Cha! My friend said it is probably the best place in terms of quality and value. I enjoyed it. Egg tarts. Yummm. Egg tarts...
3. STEAMBOAT. Well, my friend's friends prepared the steamboat. If you really want to know. Call room 553 in International House, USYD.
4. MAX BRENER'S. See review below.
5. KOPITIAM. Malaysian restaurant. Small and full of tourism posters to Malaysia. Haha. Maybe I miss home too much. Although it's not as authentic, but I enjoyed the curry and sambla.
6. Ahhh. I've forgotten the name of the restaurant. We had supper there after watching Initial D the movie. Sooo good. Fried dough and porridge is the ultimate mix...

don't ever say I went Sydney for food

From left to right:
1. KRISPY KREME. I'm sure they don't need any more introduction. They are THE doughnuts to die for. According to Chris Rock: Krispy Kreme doughnuts are so good, if they were to tell you there were drugs in them, you'd believe it.
2. ICHI-BAN BOSHI. A Japanese franchise in Sydney. We had to wait for seats. The Dan Dan Ramen is great. My friend ordered the Tokyo Ramen. He said he's addicted to it now. Quite reasonable I must say. The waitresses are pretty. They speak Japanese.
3. MAX BRENNER'S. Ah. Chocolate shop. Nothing but chocolate. I tried the Suckao for the first time. Yum.
4. FISH MARKET. We ate at the Barbeque Grill Shop. The commercialised one with the BLACK banners and signs. It's a seafood platter for 2. Costs $26.50. The top left corner was a salmon Sashimi for $5. The Sashimi's practically melted in my mouth. Mmmmmhmmm.
5&6. PANCAKES ON THE ROCKS. See review below.

don't ever go there during peak hours.

PANCAKES ON THE ROCKS. 10 Hickson Road, The Rocks, SYDNEY.

Whenever I look at that photo, I feel like throwing up.
In a good way.
The last time I was there, I was so full that my stomach hurts.
Apparently it's THE place to eat in Sydney.
My friends and I went in at 6pm. At 6.30 pm there was already a queue going on. And it stayed until 8pm.
Obviously the Pancakes are the best dish in POTR. Yet do not neglect the other items on the menu.
Our party of four had Nachos, Chicken Ceasar Salad, Thai Chicken Crepe, Chicken and Bacon Pizza, Chocolate Pancake, and Macademia Nuts Pancake.
Now you understand why I was full.
I ended up eating most of the food.
Urgh. I felt so guilty. I thought of the starving children in Africa. I thought of the homeless people around.
But... but IT'S SOOOO GOOOOD!
Apparently I heard that the steaks were good too. But quite pricy: $25+. Of course, you can always share with your friends.
Then again, Sydney's quite far.
If you live in Sydney, I hate you.

don't ever expect big portions

IKU YAKITORI. 139, Sydney Road. Brunswick.

This restaurant here serves the best Gyoza.
Really. The skin is actually soft and tender, like the dumplings were actually pan fried instead of the normal deep fried crunchy greasy feelings you get.
I've tried the Dan-Dan Ramen as well.
I think 'Dan-Dan' dishes only come from Shanghai?
Oh well, so it's pretty much ramen topped with mince spicy pork in soup. As disapporving as it sounds, it was good.
Damn good I might say.
Their signature dish here is obviously the Yakitori's. But they cost a bomb. And the portions are small.
I forgot what I ordered, some grilled chicken breast with plum sauce(?). As you can tell, it didn't leave a long lasting impression.
I strongly urge you to order the Dan-Dan Ramen & Gyoza against the Yakitori's. It's only chicken on sticks anyway.
But still, expect to pay $15 for a meal.
Ouch! Don Don, anyone?

don't ever bring more than $10

CAMY SHANGHAI NOODLE HOUSE. Tattersalls Lane, China Town.

Ah. Cheap food you say?
This is as cheap as it gets.
15 dumplings for $5.80.
You can choose from a classic dumpling, soup dumpling. chili oil soup dumpling, or pan friend dumpling.
If yous share it among 2, you pay $3 each.
The noodles are pretty much the same price. Big servings. I always struggle to finish them. I think sharing is a better solution now.
I suggest the Shanghai fried noodles. I still wouldn't say it's the best ever. But it's still better than Spicy Fish.
Still don't have the courage to try the spice-famed Dan-Dan Noodle. Tell me how it is if you do happen to come across it.
I strongly recommend the pan cake with spring onions above. It's not actually pancake. It's like Chinese fried dough.
Nothing can go wrong with fried dough.
This restaurant is listed among the '100 things to do below $10' in Melbourne. I think. Maybe it's outdated.

don't ever crown the laksa

LAKSA KING. Shop 3, 320 Rececourse Rd, Flemington.

Sorry for the long absence.
Although it's called Laksa King, their Laksa was appaling.
Go back to Chili Padi.
BUT! But, their other dishes are superb.
Most people are head over heels for their Fried Kueh Teow. That's because you can actually see deep friend dices of pork fat.
And if you're an expert in FKT, that's the essence.
I've tried the Tomato Spare Ribs on Fried Rice.
As well as the Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice.
Both good. Both satisfying.
Expect to pay the normal 7-9 dollars range for Laksa King.
I'd say the most difficult part of eating in Laksa King is finding your way there. If you have no car, make friends who do.

don't ever miss it

BRUNETTI. 194-204 Faraday Street, Carlton.

This will be a short review.
Simply put: no one I've met ever said anything negative about Brunetti. Ever. No one.
Everyone seems to have their own favourite item in Brunetti. The cakes or the biscuits or the chocolates or the drinks.
For me it used to be their Mocha. But after I discovered their italian hot chocolate. Woo. Wooa. Wooaaahahaha.
Every sip is like an orgasm. Trust me.
It's small, but I always find it difficult to finish it.
So go. Now. Like now. Add 'trying the Italian Hot Chocolate' to your to-do-list before you die.

don't ever believe everything

Ah. I just realised I haven't put on the scores for the past two review. Seriously, I don't think I need them anymore.
Maybe I've found my conscience(highly doubt so), for the past few days I'm pretty reluctant on reviewing restaurants.
I am no cook. And setting myself up as a know it all, taking cheap shots at the people trying to make a living peeling calf tongue, peeling liver membrane, scalding their hands on red hot steel pot while I sit in my room and type with nice clean fingers.
That's just not right.
Those who can, do. Those who can't, well, they criticize.
I'm just a mouth and a computer.
This has been bothering my so much that I think I should quit writing review. But then again, I thought: I'm not making money out of this.I'm writing these reviews as a recommendation to my friends, which are the people who visits this blog anyway.
It is based strictly upon my own subjective sense of taste.
If you're unhappy, leave. This applies to any of my blog. And I insist that we have the same right towards restaurants.
If some restaurants give crap services. I have the right to know and avoid. But that doesn't mean that I do not appreciate the effort of the workers, especially the chefs.
So I'll keep writing. As a guide. As a recommendation. As my way of life, food wise. Read with care. But do not take it personally.

don't ever complain about health

MEIJI JAPANESE CAFE. 105, Little Bourke Street.

The specialty of Meiji would be the Kamameshi rice dishes. It is, I would assume, a really healthy dish.
They'd toss the ingredients and rice into this metal bowl on a wood stand, and steam it till it's cooked.
I tried the chicken and prawn kamameshi while my friend ordered the salmon, ham and egg kamameshi.
Tha latter tastes better.
It's not greasy nor sticky and tastes like something my mother would cook back home: 'Aiyo food outside so unhealthy!'
It's not that popular judging on the number of customers. But it's good so that you get to talk better with your friends.
It's not the 'I'm out of business' type of empty. The shop is empty, but with pride and dignity.
I'd say do try out the Kamameshi. Apparently Meiji is the first restaurant to introduce this dish.

don't ever order the noodle

SPICY FISH. Little Bourke Street. Next to Target.

Personally, I think Spicy Fish is a really bad name.
Why is it so difficult to get a good translation? In Chinese, if you translate literally, the shop's name is The Residence of Fish Village. It's terrible anyway, but better than Spicy Fish!
Anyhow, about the food.
My parents and I ordered Shanghai noodles, Sweet and Sour fish, fried dumplings and stir friend Kai Lan.
The fish tasted like frozen fish pieces dipped into a pre made S&S sauce. I think they use it for pork and chicken as well.
Except for the dumplings and Kai Lan, the rest are pretty crappy. Then again, the dumplings are quite greasy.
The Kai Lan was really tough but the sauce is good.
I gobbled as much as I could anyway since it's been a while since I had Chinese stir fried vegetables.
It's a well decorated restaurant. But the location just turns you off. At one side you've got pedestrians walking past you along Lt. Bourke, and at the other you've got people walking in and out from Target supermarket. All of them, staring at you.
The price is not reasonable.
I know, I know it's a chinese restaurant. But I do not think the noodles or the Kai Lan cost $11 each.
I advice against this restaurant. But then again you might have different taste in Chinese food like I do.

don't ever expect to relax

PHO BO GA MEKONG VIETNAM. 241 Swanston Street.

Disregard the rumours. That they reuse the soup.that they resuse the food. That they never wash the bowls. That it's really dirty in the kitchen. That people get food poison constantly.
I mean, hey unless you can give me proof that it's true, or confirm to me that other restaurants NEVER do that, I'm eating there.
Yet something I can confirm, is that Mekong is a really small restaurant. It has walls of mirror to create the illusion of space. Yet to fuck that up they've got giant photos of Jackie Chan, Samo Hung, Michael Chang etc pasted on the mirror walls.
I know it looks sleazy compared to the shops along Swanston. In fact, I'd never notice it at all if I weren't brought there.
Traffic is busy in Mekong. It's crowded and you have to elbow your neighbours while eating.
The menu is quite limited. Well, it's either noodle or rice. Well, they've got steamboat on the menu but I doubt it's popularity.
The dishes are flexible though. You can choose from a whole range of bull intestines to chicken liver to egg yolks to meat balls to chicken breasts. Or all of the above in S, M or L size.
I say don't try anything else before you try the noodles. The magic about Mekong noodles, is the soup base. I don't blame people suspecting them reusing the soup, as it's awesomely sweet and tasty, either with rice or egg noodles.
And the fried spring rolls. Whatever you do, order the chicken and prawn spring rolls! It's like, the best spring rolls I've eaten in Melbourne. Oh, and the sweet chili sauce. The sauce!
Overall, it's a great 'uni student' kind of place. Not entirely a wholesome meal but you get satisfactory.

Quality: 10 Service: 8 Value: 8 Variety: 5
Score: 7.75