Soju Girl

I've always wanted to come to Soju Girl and after who knows how long, i've made it! We went there on a Saturday night and as expected, it was busy. Soju Girl's decor is classic-chic with a hip and trendy twist; it is divided up into sections where you can enjoy some nibbles and drinks at the lounge area or you can have a proper sit down dinner. The menu focuses primarily on contemporary Asian fusion food done in small and large plates to be shared around and of course, best enjoyed with the variety of fun and fresh cocktails that Soju Girl has to offer.

We started with a few small plates to share:

- Tiradito of King Fish, Yuzu, White Soy, Radish: the kingfish was fresh and well dressed by the yuzu dressing. The sourness from yuzu was quite prominent but balanced well with slices of cucumber and radish.

- Thick Cut Bonito Sashimi with Yuzu Koshu and Japanese Soy (part of the specials menu): the bonito sashimi was fresh and matched deliciously with the yuzu koshu in Japanese soy.

Alice Thai Restaurant

Honestly, i wouldn't have found out about Alice Thai Restaurant if it wasn't for a friend of mine, who raved about how good their Pad Thai was. Alice's location is not exactly the best because their entrance can be easily go by unnoticed and their sign is often hidden behind the dance studio one. Alice's is not very big but you can tell that the owner has meticulously selected the paintings and decorations to create a traditional Thai atmosphere in the restaurant.

Sanur's Balinese Restaurant

Hi SMB readers,

Sorry for the lack of posts as i've been quite busy lately but i hope you have all had a wonderful 2011. Wishing you a HAPPY (super belated) 2012 too! 

**

Sanur's Balinese Restaurant was the last restaurant that i've visited in 2011. It was a rainy and cold night after work and all i wanted was a hearty meal. Sanur's it was, since a lot of places were already closed for the holidays. It is a nice looking restaurant boasting full length glass windows and humbly decorated with interesting Indonesian ornaments.  The staff is friendly, polite and very helpful in describing what each component was.

We decided to order a Sate Sanur's for starters which was a combination of beef, chicken and prawn satays and it was accompanied by rice cake, pickled cucumber, sambal and Sanur's satay sauce. The satays were nicely served on a small pretty griller but that was just for 'decorative purposes'. Taste-wise the satays were alright but i wish they were served hot instead of near-cold; the accompaniments were nice though, especially the satay sauce. 

Dickson Asian Noodle House

Sorry guys for the lack of posts! I was busy finishing an article about Canberra for Tiger Airways! >.<"
Anyways, i am back!
**
I haven't been to Asian Noodle House (4/19-29 Woolley Street, Dickson (02) 6262 5903) for a long long time and as far as i remember, my last meal there wasn't that great. Past aside, i decided to give it another go after hearing a few good comments about it and seeing its high rating on Urbanspoon. 'Maybe they have really improved afterall' - i thought to myself. 

The restaurant hasn't changed much, the same dark square tables and plain walls with minimal decor. We went there for lunch and ordered a Duck Laksa and a Hainan Chicken Rice. I must say that the laksa was not bad. The soup was very tasty but i just wasn't really happy with the random artificial-looking chunks of duck inside of the soup. At least at Streets of Asia, you get a nice chopped up roast duck drumstick.

Then there was the Hainan Chicken Rice. At first sight i went 'Wow, the portion is quite generous". Second glance i thought to myself "O-kay, it looks dry". The disappointing thing with this Hainan Chicken was that it had no skin nor bones, it felt dry and they just looked like pieces of chicken that are put in noodle soups. I was quite disappointed with the dish and it was quite painful to finish the whole plate of dry chicken pieces, although the sauce did help in a way.

Overall, lunch was not all that satisfying. The laksa was okay but not the Hainan Chicken Rice. I gave it a second chance and sorry to say this, but i won't be coming back anytime soon.

Pho Phu Quoc

Pho Phu Quoc (6 Cape St, Dickson (02) 6249 6662) is one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants here in Canberra. It's unpretentious, simple and focuses mainly on serving great food to those who visit. I can't believe that i have not blogged about it although i've been there on countless occasions (i guess they were all impromptu, thus no camera in hand). On my last visit, i was pleased to see that they've done a few upgrades to the restaurant by adding more decorations with a Vietnamese flare to its walls. We started our meal with a Vietnamese Three Colour Drink which was nice and refreshing. It is made with herbal jelly, red bean, green jelly strips, red jelly strips, ice and coconut milk and my favorite part? The green jelly strips.

Au Lac Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant

I've never been a vegetarian in my whole life but i was rather eager to try a vegetarian restaurant in Dickson: Au Lac Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant (4/35-39 Woolley Street, Dickson (02) 6262 8922). It is reputable for its mock meat dishes, so i decided to be a bit adventurous and give it a try. The worst case scenario will be me resorting to vegetables and tofu, which i love anyways.

Au Lac is not a fancy place but a small and simple restaurant with a few Vietnamese-themed decorations here and there. Its menu looks very similar to a normal Vietnamese restaurant's except the fact that its meat it's not real meat but soy meat.

As soon as i saw  Roast Soy Duck on the menu i knew i had to get it. I was really curious to see how the 'fake' roast duck would look and taste like. To my surprise, the mock duck actually had crispy skin and even 'stuff' that resembled duck fat (sorry, but i don't know what the fat is made of), that's imitation at its best no? The taste was pretty decent for an imitation of the real roast duck, although i still prefer to have the real thing.

Rasa Sayang (Dickson)

Not long after trying Nyonya, we decided to give Rasa Sayang (43 Woolley Street, Dickson (02) 6249 7284) a go. It is a Chinese-Malaysian restaurant that looks suspiciously dark from the outside with a bright red neon sign - a bit intimidating...which is why i never tried Rasa Sayang all these years. As soon as you step in, however, you get a completely different feel. The restaurant feels warm, cozy and has a nice Chinese-Malaysian-restaurant-style decor.

We ordered three dishes (plus a dessert) which was more than enough for two people and extremely filling! We got Itek Panggang (Roast Duck a la Kuala Lumpur style, served with chilli plum sauce), Kedah Beef Curry (Tender Beef curried in chilli, lemon grass, crushed salted beans and tomato) and Eggplant Sambal. The roast duck was beautifully done, soft and tender inside with a very crispy skin outside - recommend it! I wasn't too fond of the beef curry, mainly because of its texture which was a bit thick and concentrated. Don't get me wrong, the flavours are nice...i just prefer smoother curries. The last dish - Eggplant Sambal - was very yummy (despite it being oily) and something for a change!

 Itek Panggang

 Kedah Beef Curry

Eggplant Sambal

For dessert, i ordered a Gula Melaka because i just couldn't get enough of it when i visited Nyonya (as you already know). I was hoping that it would bring back that deliciousness experience that i had or better. However, when the dessert came...my heart sank. It didn't look nearly as nice as the one i had in Nyonya but i decided to put the looks aside and leave it to the taste. It was alright but there wasn't enough palm sugar syrup and thus, it felt like i was eating sago drowned in coconut milk.

The dinner at Rasa Sayang was a pleasant one and NOT scary or dodgy like i thought previously (i even thought i would be kidnapped if i ever ate there a few years ago). The staff is very attentive and polite, making sure that you have a good dining experience. The highlights for me were the roast duck and the eggplant sambal - give it a go too! I might be back to try other dishes =)

Nyonya

Recent addition to the collection of Tuggeranong restaurants is Nyonya (Shop 13A Hyperdome - (02) 6293 3733). The restaurant features a modern and simple decor and specializes in Chinese and Malaysian cuisine. The owner is very friendly and he even gave us a free dessert (Gula Melacca) and a Roti Canai (yey!) - that's because the restaurant had just opened.

The dishes that we ordered were mainly Malaysian, as the Chinese dishes did not really appeal to us. We started with some Roti Canai and to my delight, they are made on spot. The roti was light and fluffy, served with their lovely home made sambal, dal and sugar. Loved the sambal!

Next up were the noodles, the Seafood Laksa Lemak and Char Kway Teow. My first impression of the laksa was that its portion was quite generous and it was truly seafood! By that i meant that it wasn't consisted of crab sticks and fish balls but of fish fillet slices, prawns (lotsa them) and calamari. The Char Kway Teow was alright but way too spicy for my liking and for that reason, i didn't really like it.

Seafood Laksa Lemak

Char Kway Teow

We also ordered some dishes to go with rice including the No.1 Hot Pot, Assam King Prawns, Hainam Chicken (with rice), Loofah with Garlic and Kangkong Belacan (water spinach stir fried with spicy shrimp paste). We ordered No.1 Hot Pot thinking that it would be something 'cool' but it was just like a combination hot pot (with a bit of everything). The Assam King Prawns tasted good and the sourness was well balanced; it went well with the rice and i just couldn't get enough of it!

I really liked the Hainam Chicken as it was soft, smooth and tender - even the cucumbers tasted nice! This could be nicest Hainam Chicken in Canberra so far, worth trying! Sadly the chicken rice wasn't as good as i expected it to be; i think they might have used some sort of Hainam Chicken rice pre-mix condiment.

Loofah with Garlic was awesome and i loved that subtle sweetness in the loofah. If you prefer something that is full of flavour with a hint of spiciness, try Kangkong Belacan - a Malaysian favorite! *thumbs up for both vegetable dishes!

No.1 Hot Pot

Assam King Prawns

Hainam Chicken

Loofah with Garlic

Kangkong Belacan

For desserts, we ordered the Symphony of home made ice cream which consisted of home made durian ice cream, sweet corn ice cream, banana ice cream and mango ice cream. I am usually not a fan of durian, but the taste in the durian ice cream was alright and bearable. I liked all flavours and the banana ice cream stood out the most because i wasn't expecting it to be that nice and so un-artificial! The sweet corn one was good as well and it even had some corn kernels in it. Gula Melaka (sago pudding) was delicious! I liked how the palm sugar syrup oozed out of the sago pudding blending nicely with the coconut milk around it...definetely worth a try.

Symphony of home made ice cream

Gula Melaka

Overall, the dinner was good with some hits and misses. The service is friendly but still needs a bit of work. For me, the desserts and the Hainam Chicken were definitely the highlights of the dinner. 

If you are looking for a friendly and casual place to have a meal with family and friends, Nyonya is the place to go.

Thirst Wine Bar & Eatery

Thirst Wine Bar & Eatery (Melbourne Building, 20 West Row, Civic) is a relatively new addition to the eateries in Civic offering a Modern Thai menu (owned by the former owners of Anise Restaurant). As its name suggests, it does have a bar area where you can enjoy a few drinks and some snacks. Alternately, you can just head to the restaurant area to enjoy a meal. The place looks modern, simple with small and big drawings of fire adorning the walls of the restaurant. The menu is not extensive but it offers both traditional and non-traditional dishes, such as the Green Curry with Trout Dumplings.

We ordered a Crispy Fish Salad as a starter and i quite liked it. The dish consisted of small deep fried whitebait with slices of green mango, coriander, roasted peanuts with a hot chilli dressing. It's light, refreshing and packed with flavours that just makes you wanna keep on eating it.

As mains, we decided to order the Chiang Mai Noodle and Green Curry with Trout Dumplings. Chiang Mai Noodle is the equivalent of laksa in Northern Thailand and it uses a curry broth. The broth is flavoursome and the chicken was nice and tender. The crispy noodles at the top definitely added a nice touch to the whole dish.

The dish that i was really looking forward to was the Green Curry with Trout Dumplings because i've never tried something like this. The so-called dumplings are actually minced ocean trout fillets mixed with garlic, ginger & coriander root shaped into balls (like meatballs) and cooked in a classic Thai green curry. The curry was light and matched with the delicate flavours of trout dumplings quite well - worth trying for its uniqueness.

Chiang Mai Noodles

Green Curry with Trout Dumplings - can't see the dumplings as they are all submerged in curry

And what is a meal without desserts? *especially when they look tempting...

We ended up ordering a Coconut & Pandanus custard with a caramelised sugar top. Glad that they caramelize the sugar upon order so that it is still hot and ready to make that beautiful cracking sound when it arrives at the table. The custard itself was lovely and fragrant and had that nice green colour too. And ohn yeah...i had the honour to crack it! *winks

On top of the custard, we also greedily ordered two scoops of sorbet. It was a must because the flavours were so different and we just HAD to try them. We got a Pineapple & Ginger Sorbet and a Lime & Kaffir Lime Sorbet. Loved the lime one as it was so refreshing and the kaffir lime added that edge to it - warning: could be sour for some people! If you prefer something sweeter, then the pineapple & ginger sorbet should be nice - fruity and 'gingery'.

Dinner was enjoyable and it was nice to try something different such as the Green curry with Trout dumplings and to savour new and exciting sorbet flavours. Not to forget that cracking the custard was a highlight too...love doing that!

HK: Afternoon Tea - Steak Expert & Match Too Cafe

One of the things that i love about HK is that you can eat anytime and anywhere you want! Afternoon teas are very common here and it's not all about cakes and coffee. It is offered in most restaurants and cafes and you can choose from pasta, rice, fried food, you name it...

The afternoon tea menu tends to be cheaper and perhaps smaller but the food is usually as good as the food from the lunch menu. Here are two different places that we went for afternoon tea: Steak Expert and Match-too.

Steak Expert

(2/F, In's Point, 530-538 Nathan Road, Mong Kok)

Steak Expert has quite a few franchises all around HK and has been around for as long as i can remember. I remember coming here with mom and siblings when i was little and we'd share a steak or two with some sides. I always got excited when the steak came on a sizzling plate and i eagerly waited for the moment when the waiter would gently pour the sauce over it and "Shiiiiiiiiiiiz". It was quite fascinating! (don't know why).

In regards to the food, honestly, i was never a fan of it. Their steaks always tasted as if they were soaked in bicarbonate of soda and the other dishes didn't have much of a taste in them. This time we decided to give steak another chance by ordering the most expensive steak meal (HK$ 438 - AUD$63) that came with a Superior Rib Eye Steak, bread roll, soup of the day and a drink. To my surprise the steak was quite nice: juicy and tender. The moral of the story? You get what you paid for.

Soup of the day & bread roll

Premium Rib Eye, you don't even need to dip the steak in the sauce.

We also ordered some French Escargot and a bowl of Ramen with Beef Slices from the afternoon tea menu. As expected they didn't taste really good. The escargots were really salty and weird; the noodles were overcooked and the beef slices didn't taste like beef at all. 

French Escargot

Ramen with Beef Slices

Steak Expert is a place that you get what you have paid for. I don't recommend ordering any steaks that are below HK$200, to be safe, go for the most expensive. The things on the afternoon menu are cheap, but i don't think i will be back for them. The service was attentive and helpful though.

Match Too Cafe

(Shop 403, 4/F, Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong, Mong Kok)

Heel and Sandal

Match Too Cafe is located inside the unique Langham Place and has a rather cute logo containing one high heel and one sandal. The place is small but it has comfortable arm chairs *thumbs up. We ordered a Korean Kimchi & Seafood Soup Rice served in a stone bowl meal and a Vietnamese deep fried chicken wings with fries meal. 'Meal' being 'with a drink' and I ordered a HK-syle Ice Lemon Tea. The cup is so adorable and it even features the cafe's name.

HK-Style Ice Lemon Tea

A while after the drinks arrived, we got our food. The Korean Kimchi & Seafood Soup Rice served in a stone bowl was done well and the amount of seafood was quite generous, considering that the whole meal was only (HK$40+ - AUD$6) - probably my favorite of the two meals. The Vietnamese deep fried chicken wings with chips was alright but nothing WOW, and the only thing that made the dish 'Vietnamese' was the dipping sauce.

Korean Kimchi & Seafood Soup Rice served in a stone bowl meal

Vietnamese deep fried chicken wings with fries

Match Too Cafe is a good place to relax especially after a hectic shopping trip. The food is quite decent and inexpensive. It will probably be the place that i would go for an afternoon tea if i had to choose between this and Steak Expert.

HK: One Dim Sum

What will a HK trip be without having yum cha?

There are so many places to go for yum cha that you can scratch your head for a good half an hour, just to decide where to go. I wanted to go to Tim Ho Wan - the 1 Michelin star yum cha place - but since it was packed (and granny didn't want to wait) we ended up in One Dim Sum (Shop 1 & 2, G/F, Kenwood Mansion, 15 Playing Field Road, Prince Edward). This place is presumably on par with Tim Ho Wan, according to a recent magazine review.

One Dim Sum (一點心) is a very small and humbly decorated place, so if you don't get there early enough, expect to wait for a while.

We ordered quite a few dim sums and it didn't take long for them to arrive. In no time, we see ourselves eating at an increased pace to make sure that our tiny table could still hold all the dim sums that kept coming. Pretty hectic!

One Dim Sum offers traditional dim sums and here below is what we ordered.
Shrimp Har Gow: Can't go to a yum cha place without ordering this! The skin of the har gow was thin and the prawn filling tasted fresh and juicy.

Beef balls with beancurd skin: i normally don’t order this dish because the taste of coriander is so strong that overpowers the whole dish. Since mom likes this dish, we ended up ordering it anyways. To my surprise, i adored this dish! The balance of beef and coriander flavours were good and the beef balls were very juicy. They usually serve it with worcestershire sauce. I recommend it =)

Steamed Rice Rolls with BBQ Pork and Cha Leung (Yau Tiu wrapped with steamed rice rolls): The ‘skin’ wasn’t really smooth as i expected but the BBQ filling was yummy. The Yau Tiu in the Cha Leung tasted good but it wasn’t very crispy!

Steamed Rice Rolls with BBQ Pork

Cha Leung

TeoChew Dumplings: I never really liked this particular type of dumpling; it's more to do with the texture of the dumpling skin. Since there were only 3 of them, i didn’t eat it. Here is a photo of it (nonetheless):

Deep fried beancurd parcel: the parcels were crispy and golden and the filling was made nicely. Worth trying if you like deep-fried dim sums.

Baked Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Bun): Although the buns were missing the honey glaze on the outside, they still tasted lovely. The BBQ pork filling was nice and saucy, definitely worth a try! Tip: If you are used to the white steamed BBQ pork buns, give this a try!

Pork Ribs and Chicken Feet Rice: I am not a fan of chicken feet but the pork ribs and the rice were superb! The ribs were very nice and juicy (especially with the small soft bones in it!) and the rice tasted awesome after i drizzled the 'special' soya sauce that came with the dish. I really liked this dish and recommend it as well!

Boiled Choy Sum with Soya Sauce: as usual, i love vegetables! yum~

Egg Shatters (蛋散): what a funny name, this is!
Egg shatters 'is a Cantonese dim sum dessert that is made from a dough of eggs, flour, sugar, and lard. The dough is rolled out flat, cut into strips, then twisted and deep fried. Malt syrup (or sometimes honey) is drizzled over the cooled finished product, which is sometimes also sprinkled with coconut flakes.' – this is an little explanation about egg shatters taken from here. These egg shatters were made well and tasted good – it was light, crunchy yet still soft and sweet with a distinct taste of eggs. The honey and the mixture of crushed peanuts & sesame seeds drizzled on it complimented the egg shatters really well.

The last dish to come was the Malaysian Steamed Cake. It was a medium round cake cut into 6 pieces; the cake was super soft, springy and not too sweet *thumbs up for that! Due to my unprofessionalism, we finished the cake before i could take a photo of it! =P

Overall we had a very satisfying lunch and most dishes are worth trying. The best thing? Most dishes are just around the HK$15-20 mark (~AU$2.20-3) which is also considered inexpensive for Hong Kong yum cha standards. It's definitely worth coming back...maybe after i pay a visit to Tin Ho Wan?