Review: Saray Pizza

Apparently my sister and I are experts at trying to eat at well-ranked restaurants without booking. And I’m not talking about hatted restaurants, just humble neighbourhood eateries that happen to be highly regarded among their patrons. This time we tried to dine at Sultan’s Table on Enmore Road, but it was packed. There were only a couple of tables available outside, which normally wouldn’t be an issue but in this particular restaurant the alfresco area is not that nice.

We began walking towards King Street with the hope of finding something before arriving to the territory of the known. Not that the known is bad, but the unknown is more exciting. We passed by a couple of respectable potential targets but weren’t in the mood for fancy meals. We were craving something cheap and more takeaway-like. Saray Pizza ticked the boxes. Note that the name refers to Turkish pizza (a.k.a. pide) as opposed to Italian (a.k.a. proper) pizza.

Saray looks like an ordinary takeaway, borderline between cheap + cheerful and dodgy. There was a piece of syringe on the table were we sat. However, I’ve heard my Turkish boxing instructor rave about the food there, so we decided to stay.

Eventually a waitress cleaned our table and handed us the menu. By the way, all dishes are 50 cents more expensive if you dine in. We decided to share two plates and a small serving of babaganoush. All plates come with rice or bread and salad; we asked for no rice or bread and heard no complains.

The babaganoush arrived with a basket full of bread that was left untouched. Gladys thought about offering it to the couple in the neighbouring table but we were too shy to do it. Anyway, the eggplant dip was fantastic. I wanted to order a second serving but decided to wait and see if the rest of the food was enough to fill us up.

Babaganoush ($6.50)

The first plate we ordered was BBQ lamb but the waitress misunderstood me and brought us the char grill lamb cutlet plate. It didn’t matter because it was absolutely delicious. The meat was tender, as well as perfectly seasoned and cooked. The blurry photo certainly does not make it justice. The salads were generous and tasty. I was a bit concerned when I saw the tabouleh but fortunately the amount of cous cous in it was very small, so I just ate it hoping no gluten-induced adverse effects. I tried the hommus but didn’t eat it all. I like babaganoush better.

Char grill lamb cutlet plate ($18.00)

The sides in the mix kebab plate (“mix” meaning chicken and beef) were the same. At first sight the meats looked had that suspicious bright colour often indicates cheap, bad tasting meals. The morsels also looked like pancita, a Peruvian street dish made with marinated and grilled stomach and intestine pieces. After digging in we were proven wrong: the meats were super tasty.

Mix kebab plate (beef and chicken) ($13.50)

At this point we were stuffed so I had to leave the possibility of more babaganoush until next time.

Saray Pizza
18 Enmore Road
Newtown NSW 2042
(02) 9557 5310

View Larger Map

Review: Open Korea

When we moved to Camperdown one of the first things I did was to search restaurants in the area. There are not many, but one of them looked promising based on its reviews: Open Korea. Since then we’ve made a few attempts to go but every time something has gone wrong. One time I was sick (which happens roughly only twice a year), another time the tiny restaurant was packed and we were politely sent home.

But finally my sister and I made it for dinner. Both expectations and hunger were as high as they could be. Everything in the menu looked good but we had to narrow choices down to a couple of dishes: garlic prawns (King prawns with seasoned vegetables) and beef bulgogi (Scotch fillet thinly sliced and marinated in seasoned soy sauce). No Korean meal is complete without kimchi (they spell it “kim chee” in the menu, not sure which one’s correct) and na mul (assorted seasoned vegetables served cold).

While waiting for our food, which didn’t take long, I spotted a printout on the wall about a study made at Sydney uni that showed that Korean food is healthy. With lots of meat, fresh and fermented vegetables I have no doubts about it.

A small plate of na mul arrived shortly. A few minutes later the waitress apologised and changed the plate for a bigger one. If only this could happen more often! Then came the kimchi and the garlic prawns. Both vegetable sides were good but we’ve had better in other restaurants.

Na mul ($3.50)

Kimchi ($3.50)

The garlic prawns, despite their dull appearance in the photo, were good. Also, the dish had a good number of crustaceans for the price, in my opinion. Were they the best garlic prawns I’ve ever had? Definitely not.

Garlic prawns ($16.50)

The sight of enoki mushrooms on top of the beef bulgogi made me happy. The dish had a good taste, the beef was tender, and the portion, once again, was decently sized.

Beef bulgogi ($13.50)

We enjoyed our meal but our expectations were not met. Perhaps they were too high. I’m still planning to go back and try the marinated raw beef served on top of grated apples… sounds great.

Open Korea
154 Parramatta Road
Camperdown NSW 2050
(02) 9557 4993
openkorea.eatout-sydney.com.au

View Larger Map

Review: Doytao Newtown

First of all, I want to apologise for the terrible photos. I’ve said this before but it doesn’t hurt to remind people: I’m not a photographer. If some photos in this blog are half-decent is just because I sort of inherited a good camera from a photographer friend. Notice that all of those photos have been taken during the day. That’s why I prefer going out for lunch than for dinner, but unfortunately other people seem to don’t care about my lack of skills and prefer to go out for dinner.

Alvaro’s cousin Renato and his wife Susana came to Australia a few weeks ago. They stayed for a few days in Sydney, then travelled around the east coast, and came back before returning home. They had been living on burgers, steaks, some pasta and some home cooked meals. Why they chose to do that in a country which so much variety is beyond me. Alvaro suggested that we had Thai for dinner so that they could try something different for a change. We live 10 minutes away from King Street (by foot) so finding a place was not an issue, the real challenge was to find parking (we drove because we had the suitcases in the car).

We ended up in Doytao Thai. We had been before and we liked it, although it had been 2 or 3 years ago. Renato and Susana ordered a half boneless BBQ chicken, marinated with Thai herbs. The Cantonese-influenced restaurants in Peru serve fried rice as a side, so they thought plain steamed rice would be too bland. Instead, they ordered the King St fried rice, which comes with egg, ham, peas, pineapple, capsicum, sultanas and cashew nuts. They thoroughly enjoyed both dishes and proclaimed this the best meal they had in Australia.

King St fried rice ($12.50)

The chicken photo was extremely blurry, so I decided not to embarrass myself further. The half chicken costed less than the fried rice: $9.00.

Alvaro was in the mood for curry. We ordered a beef Panaeng curry and asked the waitress to keep it mild. Alvaro had boring (steamed) rice to soak up the sauce. We also ordered the roasted duck salad in Doytao’s spicy sauce which was fantastic as almost any dish that involves roasted duck. The curry was tasty, too.

Roasted duck salad in Doytao’s spicy sauce ($16.50)

Beef Panaeng curry ($14.50)

Doytao Newtown
543 King St
Newtown NSW 2042
(02) 9557 6334
www.doytaothai.com.au

View Larger Map

Review: Cafe de Lima

Up to a few months ago, when people asked me where to go to try Peruvian food I didn’t know what to answer. I knew there were a couple of Peruvian restaurants in Sydney but I decided not to try them based on their reviews. The La Bodeguita del Medio opened its doors with my compatriot Danny Parreno in charge of the kitchen. While the menu is meant to be Cuban/Latin American, he has introduced some Peruvian dishes and elements in the menu, and I must say the ones I’ve tried have been excellent. Then another compatriot, Alejandro Saravia, opened Morena, with a mainly Peruvian menu. Food is outstanding and I’m recommending the restaurant to anyone who asks, but with the caveat that is pricey, and it’s not your everyday typical cuisine. La Parrillada falls in the budget category, portions are large, food is tasty and service is great.

I don’t know how but my sister found Cafe de Lima a while ago. When I looked at the about page in their website I was pretty sure I had seen the owners selling Peruvian food in the Marrickville Festival before. We scheduled a visit ASAP.

The cafe is located in the heart of Marrickville’s commercial strip. A peak inside made it obvious that most of the customers are Latin Americans, presumably Peruvians.

We ordered two dishes from the regular menu and one special to share. The anticuchos can be made of prime beef or heart (we ordered heart, which is the traditional cut) marinated in Peruvian spices and grilled. The portion consists in 2 skewers with a side of potatoes, huancaína cream, and salad greens. The anticuchos tasted great but were a bit dry. We had decided to make an exception and eat potatoes and dairy to try the sides. Sadly, the huancaína cream was disappointing, too thin and bland for our taste. I loved that they put palmitos in the salad.

Anticuchos ($13.00)

The cebiche was better. It had a good fish/onion/chili ratio but lacked a bit of zing. Later I realised they cure the fish in lemon and lime juice, definitely the lemon lowers the acidity we’re used to.

Cebiche ($18.00)

Finally, we tried the adobo de chancho, marinated pork which is slowly cooked in a casserole with Peruvian spices. It was the best dish, hands down, flavourful and tender. I was very happy my allergy to pork is gone.

Adobo de chancho ($18.00)

We didn’t find the food breathtaking but it wasn’t bad. Prices are good, serving sizes are right, service is efficient and correct. And a bonus: it’s close enough to home. I reckon we’ll be back.

Cafe de Lima
208 Marrickville Road
Marrickville NSW 2204
(02) 9569 3331

http://www.cafedelima.com.au/

View Larger Map

Review: Tre Viet

Now that I don’t have much time to spend travelling to far away suburbs we’re finally getting to eat at more restaurants in the neighbourhood. One particular day the family and I landed in Tre Viet. It was almost packed except for a table at the back of the restaurant. Later I realised there was a Spreets voucher floating around, so that could be the reason. Luckily for us, a table at the front of the restaurant (with better lighting) was freed up and we moved there.

We had been walking for a while trying to find where to eat so all that Alvaro could think of was something sweet to drink (now that I think about it, he seems to want that regardless of the circumstances). He ordered a “healthy drink“, which apparently turned out to be cloyingly sweet (according to Gladys). Alvaro seemed to enjoy it.

Healthy drink ($4.50, I think)

As usual we ordered three dishes from a variety of animal sources to share. First came the charcoal grilled pork, which was fantastic. Yes, the salad served along with it wasn’t very impressive but who cares when the meat tastes great?

Charcoal grilled pork ($17.50)

The second dish was the stir-fried beef & seasonal vegetables. A classic that can sometimes be disappointing, but not here. The meat was very tender, and the meal was tasty and satisfying.

Stir-fried beef & seasonal vegetables ($17.50)

Our final dish was the grilled barramundi with chili & lemongrass. My first impression when it arrived to the table was “shit!, it’s crumbled”. I called the waiter and I was wrong, those crispy bits on the fish were the chili & lemongrass. Once again, minimal veggies on the side but overall a good-tasting and decently sized dish.

Grilled barramundi with chili & lemongrass ($20.50)

I wouldn’t go as far as proclaiming it the best Vietnamese restaurant I’ve been to (especially because I’m not an expert), but it was not bad at all.

Tre Viet
152/154 King Street
Newtown NSW 2042
(02) 9516 5500

View Larger Map

Recipe: Paleo Pad Thai with kelp noodles

Kelp noodles have been in my radar for ages. Kelp is a seaweed, and thus these “noodles” are grain-free low carb and a good source of iodine. I haven’t been able to find them in shops yet and I didn’t want to pay a fortune for the ones that are sold online (they come from the US). Fortunately I don’t crave noodles/pasta that often anymore, but I was still curious about them. Finally, I gave up and bought a package.

This 340g bag costs $10.50 plus shipping in the online shop I bought it from. The noodles come surrounded by liquid, and must be rinsed before using. They do not require cooking but you can soak them for a while to soften them up.

Given its appearance and texture I thought they would work better in an Asian-style dish than an Italian pasta remake. I chose a Pad Thai recipe and tweaked it to make it Paleo-friendly.

Paleo Pad Thai
Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 340g package of kelp noodles
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 1 small red chili (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 2 spring onions, in 2-inch pieces
• 1-2 teaspoons coconut or palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 8 large prawns, peeled and cleaned
• 250 g chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 100 g enoki mushrooms
• 40 g blanched & chopped almonds
• coriander leaves
• 1 lime in wedges, to serve

Directions

1. Rinse the noodles and drain them.
2. Combine tamarind with 1 tablespoon water.

Pound chili, garlic, and sliced spring onions (reserve the 2-inch pieces) with a mortar and pestle.

3. Combine both mixtures in a bowl. Add the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice.
4. Heat your wok. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Scramble the egg and reserve.
5. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Stir-fry the chicken, add the prawns, noodles and spring onion pieces.
6. Toss with sauce.
7. Mix with egg and serve topped with enoki mushrooms, coriander leaves and almonds.

Review: Thai Pothong

Another get together with friends brought me once again to Thai Pothong. I’ve eaten there at least a handful of times, for me a Guiness record. The first time was when Alvaro and I arrived in Sydney for the first time. We hadn’t had much Thai food back home (and none of it cooked by Thai people) so it was basically our first “real” experience. We really liked it. As we tried more and more restaurants we realised that it wasn’t that good. It’s a very nice restaurant with generally good service but food-wise it’s not that great, IMO.

This time I thought I ordered the right dishes but unfortunately it was a big disappointment. The green papaya salad with prawns was not very tasty. I was hoping for a fresh concoction of crunchy and fresh elements but it was a bit chaotic and not very pleasing to the palate. It had very few prawns, but I should have expected that given its price.

Green papaya salad ($12.90)

The BBQ octopus was average to say the least. What they could have described as “charcoal scent” I considered a burnt taste. Those thin strips on top of the octopus that look like sprouts were raw ginger, a big shock to the tastebuds. This dish was smallish, too, but again the price wasn’t very high.

BBQ octopus (entrée size $10.90)

I think I would have been very upset if this was a foodie outing, but it wasn’t. It was a special occasion to share with friends and it was time well spent.

Thai Pothong
294 King Street
Newtown NSW 2042
(02) 9550 6277
www.thaipothong.com.au

View Larger Map

A meditation course in Lutanda, Mt Victoria

Last month we had a Buddhist meditation course at a Christian camp. That’s not uncommon at all, Christian organisations seem to have good venues all over the world and they’re always keen on renting them out. Our deal included all meals; given that our group had a number of health concerns they did their best to try to accommodate for all of them.

Breakfasts were the trickiest meal in general. Regular items included assorted cereals, milk, yoghurt, tinned fruit, porridge, breads and spreads. Every other day there was either hot food (ham and bacon or sausages, plus rubbery eggs) or pastries. That meant that every other day there were no Paleo/diabetic-friendly options, just a one way ticket to a nice sugar high/crash just in time for a long day of teachings and meditation.

Breakfast cereals

Breakfast breads & spreads

Breakfast danishes

We knew about the alternating breakfasts so we were prepared. Our supplies included coconut chips, shredded coconut, sun-dried tomato & basil and zucchini & almond Flats, lúcuma powder, whey protein powder, beef and beef & pork sticks, fish oil, Super Greens, nori sheets, avocados, wild Canadian smoked salmon, tins of tuna in springwater, tuna in olive oil and wild salmon, macadamias and dark chocolate.

Our supplies

Lunches were better than breakfasts (no alternating scheme here) but some items were quite unappealing. The salads bar was often comprised of iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato, cucumbers and onions, plus some jarred artichokes, and tinned beetroot and beans. I heard several complains about the cold meats served with them. Ham and roast beef were fine, but the dry fridge-cold skin-on chicken drumsticks were not that great. I heard complains about the lack of proper vegetarian food, too.

Lunch

Lunch

As usual, huge amounts of bread were available, just because we humans love those sugar crashes.

Lunch bread

On the bright side, heaps of fresh fruit were also available.

Lunch fruit

Dinners were usually significantly better than the other two meals. All meat and veges were cooked and served hot, and while there wasn’t a particularly exciting variety, most dietary requirements were, in my opinion, well dealt with.

Dinner

Dinner

Dinner

This is what my plate looked like. Very similar to the meals I eat at home. Real butter was provided along with all sorts of man-made spreads. Alvaro and I ate liberal amounts of butter with all meals and gained zero grams. Because good fat doesn’t make you fat. Even bad fat doesn’t make you fat, just inflammed and sick.

My dinner

More bread for the masses…

Dinner bread rolls

…and a final insulin spike…

Dinner dessert & fruit

Lutanda Mt Victoria
3-6 Eltham Park Avenue
Mt Victoria NSW
lutanda.com.au/mtvic

Review: The Imperial Hotel

One good day we found ourselves in Mt Victoria, up in the Blue Mountains, needing a feed. The Imperial Hotel was nearby, so we drove there. We had been there before for drinks, and I’d say most of us found the vintage vibe quite appealing.

The place was dark, I was tired and hungry, and, well, I suck at taking photos. I’ve saved the least blurry of them for this post, so not all dishes will be depicted.

As I said, I was starving. I ordered a T-bone steak with salad and no sauce. Other dishes ordered at our table were the supreme chicken schnitzel, beer battered fish, lamb cutlets, beef pie and grilled salmon. The choice of sides were the standard salad, vegetables, chips, or mash, with staff willing to please customers’ mix-n-match requests.

Once again I wondered why I got asked how I wanted my steak, as it arrived well beyond medium-rare. It was dry and tough. The salad was pretty average.

T-bone steak with salad ($22.90)

I don’t know how good or bad were other people’s dishes but that doesn’t seem to matter that much when you dine with non-foodie friends.

Beer battered fish with chips and salad ($18.90)

Supreme chicken schnitzel with mash, salad & veggies ($18.90)

The Imperial Hotel
1 Station Street
Mount Victoria Village
NSW 2786
(02) 4787 1878
hotelimperial.com.au

View Larger Map

Review: Porteño

I’ve accomplished one of my few food-related wishes for the year: I’ve eaten in Porteño. It took a while and was definitely worth it. Gladys and I had the perfect excuse: it was her birthday and she thought an extra celebration (we had dinner with friends on the day) wouldn’t hurt. It was Mardi Gras day and we thought there wouldn’t be much people who day. We still arrived early (5:45 pm), which turned out to be a good idea because the line grew up exponentially within minutes.

Once inside the rustic decor almost makes you feel in one of the many restaurants in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires (people from Buenos Aires are called porteños, “from the port”). Except that you order in English, pay much more, and don’t get limitless amounts of booze with your meal. Oh, well.

Inside Porteño

The restaurant was packed as usual but the staff were not rushing around.

Chefs at work

The classic Argentinian cow cuts (yes, cuts are different in different parts of the world) is on display just in case you’re wondering where your order came from.

Cow cuts

Porteño’s most popular items are the chanchitos and corderos a la cruz, baby pigs and lambs that are “crucified” and cooked next to the fire. That’s the way the gauchos have been cooking for ages.

Chanchitos a la cruz

We wanted to order mollejas (sweetbreads) but they were no longer in the menu, according to the waitress due to a shortage in Sydney. Not to worry, we now have an excuse to come back another day. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share and asked the sommelier to help us choose a good wine match (we had a glass of Alma Negra Malbec each).

We were served chimichurri and salsa. The waitress offered to explain what they were but there was no need.

Chimichurri & salsa

Our first dish was caballa ahumada con palmitos y salsa golf (smoked mackerel, palm heart, avocado & pickled celery). I absolutely love palmitos but don’t eat them that often, mainly because they’re not that easy to find in Sydney. It was a long while since I last had golf sauce; it went well with the rest of the dish. I liked it but it’s not something I’d consider special, since it’s fairly easy to put together in 10 minutes given you have the ingredients at home (most of them come in a package).

Caballa ahumada con palmitos y salsa golf ($22)

To make up for the lack of mollejas we ordered a morcilla (blood sausage with red peppers in garlic). We both love it and have eaten some in Sydney, this one didn’t disappoint.

Morcilla ($12)

We were torn between a few of the salad/vegetable dishes, and finally chose the ensalada de hinojo (shaved fennel salad with apricot, black olives and amontillado dressing), which was delicious and a great fresh accompaniment for the other dishes.

Ensalada de hinojo ($12)

Finally, the star of the night arrived to our table the chanchito a la cruz. They cook it for 8 hours and the result is phenomenal. It was incredibly tasty and tender. The extra crispy skin was a big bonus.

Chanchito a la cruz ($44)

At this point we were officially and absolutely stuffed, so we declined the dessert menu (not that we would have ordered any). Before coming to Porteño I was afraid the food wouldn’t live to my expectations (having been in Argentina quite a few times they were pretty high) but it did. I’ll be back.

Porteño
358 Cleveland Street Surry Hills NSW 2010
(02)8399 1440
www.porteno.com.au

View Larger Map