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.

Lanterne Rooms

Being awarded 1 hat by the Sydney Morning Herald last year, I was more than thrilled when I discovered that dinner had been booked at the Lanterne Rooms. This restaurant especialises in Nyonya Cuisine but it also has some Chinese, Indian and Western influences. The restaurant's design cleverly incorporates dark wood beams, bamboo shutters and beautiful detailed lamps to create an elegant Asian-influeced dining venue. The menu is not very extensive but enough to keep you excited. We ordered a few entrees to share starting with Cured Ocean Trout on Fennel and Carrot Confit. The trout was fresh, nicely cured and it blended well with the sourness from the fennel and carron confit. 

La Cantina

It feels like ages since i last posted here and i do apologize for that. On the other hand, i do have a few places that are eagerly waiting to be posted! 

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For quite a while, i have been wanting to visit La Cantina - a nice rustic and cozy Italian restaurant located in the quiet surrounds of Narrabundah. The restaurant is nicely decorated with an array of oil paintings set against the thick brick walls, and definitely loved the brick archways that were cleverly lit by some simplistic modern lighting. Beautiful restaurant, i must say. 

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.

Homemade Orange & Star Anise Infused Quail Salad

Despite being tired and all, i decided to cook quail for the first time! *YEY

Since it was my first time cooking it, I decided to stick to the fairly traditional combination of flavours - orange and star anise. Overall, the salad tasted nice but i wished the quail was a bit more moist =P. Here is a photo of how it turned out: