Pies, dogs and pasties @ Harry's Cafe de Wheels [Haymarket], Sydney

When we were in Sydney last October, I was craving the Tiger Curry Pie from Harry's Cafe de Wheels. It had been years since we had last been to the pie cart in Sydney CBD, and the lack of readily available hot meat pies in Hong Kong made the craving all the more stronger. This time we had more mouths to feed, so we ordered a couple more items to share for our mid-morning snack. The kids loved them!

Harry's Cafe de Wheels pie cart in Haymarket:

The boy wanted Harry's Cheese Dog, and this was perfect for him as the hot dog bun had no sesame seeds which he is severely allergic to:

The Curry Tiger Pie was as delicious and enjoyable as we remembered it:

We also got a Chicken Pastie, which was tasty:

Harry's Cafe de Wheels [Haymarket]
Hay Street (near crn of George)
Outside entrance of Capitol Square Shopping Centre, next to Paddy Maguires Pub
Haymarket, NSW 2000
Tel. +61 2 9281 6292
Email haymarket@harryscafedewheels.com.au

Tasty Malaysian @ Alice's Makan, Sydney (Australia)

During my pregnancy with #3, I experienced terrible sickness and food aversions, and I lost 4kg by the time I reached my third month. There was little I could eat or cook that wouldn't make me feel ill or throw up, but I would get strong cravings for a particular food. These were often for unhealthy food that I don't eat (like McDonald's burgers, which I haven't had for over 15 years!), and I just could not bring myself to satisfy some of these unhealthy cravings. I remember seeing a photo of a delicious-looking plate of chai tau kueh pop up on my Facebook feed, posted up by a friend during his trip to Singapore, and it spurred on an immense craving for them greasy, salty and oh-so-delicious fried radish cakes. Unfortunately, I had no idea where to get such a dish in Hong Kong that was a good enough version of this Malaysian/Singapore street food, and I also didn't have the energy to venture far from home. So this craving went unsatisfied for a month, until our trip to Sydney, and my younger sister had promised to take me to a place that did dished out yummy chai tau kueh. I know I can get good Malaysian food easily in Australia, and that is one of the many things I look forward to whenever we visit Australia. Alice's Makan is located inside a busy food court, and I was pleased to note that it was a popular choice at lunch time amongst the office workers and casual lunchers like us. Malaysian cuisine is delicious but the appearance and description of many dishes may prove too different, "too exotic", for unadventurous non-Malaysians, so I am always happy to see people outside of Malaysia enjoying my birth country's cuisine. There were quite a few items on the menu board, a nice variety for a food court shop. Indeed, there was chai tau kueh on the menu - labelled as 'Fried Radish Cake' on the menu board - and I could finally satisfy my month-long craving!

The food court in Pavilion On George:

The ordering counter at Alice's Makan:

Sister ordered Wonton Mee (AU$11), with an iced Teh Tarik. The noodles were delicious - springy and nicely seasoned with a black sauce:

Hainanese Chicken Rice (AU$10.50) for the kids - the soft fragrant rice with silky poached chicken is always a favourite for the little ones:

Char Hor Fun, also known as Wat Tan Hor (AU$13) as labelled on the menu - one of hubby's favourite Malaysian food. Grilled flat rice noodles with seafood and vegetables, topped with egg sauce. This version was nice, but it lacked a certain depth of flavour that comes from wok hei. The menu described this as grilled, not fried, so perhaps therein lies the difference:

And my beloved Chai Tau Kueh, aka Fried Radish Cake (AU$11). Eggy and spicy, this was a good version of chai tau kueh:

There were very good-looking Nonya kuih for sale, and my sister bought Ang Koo Kuih (red tortoise cake, made with glutinous rice flour and sweet mung bean paste)and Kuih Dadar (pandan crepe with sweet coconut filling). Both were excellent:

I was happy with our experience at Alice's Makan, and would love to try all the other items on the menu another time.

Alice's Makan
Food Court, Pavilion On George
580 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
Tel. +61 2 9262 7771

Burger lunch @ Burger Project [World Square], Sydney (Australia)

One of the things I love about Sydney is the food! And of course my Sydney sisters and their families. Coincidentally, just prior to departing for our trip to Sydney a few months ago, The Food Pornographer did a write-up about her trip to Sydney and the food she ate. The food porn made me want to try every single place she went to, but that would be impossible to accomplish with two young children and no car at our disposal in Sydney. Instead I took note of a few places that have easy access from train stations, and Neil Perry's Burger Project was the only one we managed to get to. Burger Project in World Square is located next to Din Tai Fung on the upper level, which is easily accessible from the ground floor by a set of stairs, but we had to go in search for the lift because we had the stroller. Upon entering the burger joint, I spotted Neil Perry speaking to his staff, and I nudged hubby and told him that was the famous chef. Hubby said I should snap a photo with him, but I was too embarrassed to ask. To my slight horror, hubby stopped the chef as he was about to walk past us to the exit and requested a photo, to which Perry graciously said yes to.

I always get a little star-struck meeting celebrity chefs. Neil Perry, famous for his Rockpool and Spice Temple restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth, and for creating menus for Qantas First and Business class. This was taken when #3 was still a bump in my belly:

The burgers here are made with grass-fed beef from Cape Grim in Tasmania, and the classic featured just the beef with pickles, tomato, onion, lettuce and a 'secret sauce'. There were a few other options with cheese, bacon, double patty, chilli, beetroot, even the option to go bun-less. The mushroom and chicken burgers were the respective vegetarian and non-beef versions, and there were hot wings and chips available too, as well as ice cream desserts, milkshakes and even wine, beer and cider. Prices were reasonable for gourmet burgers, and the quality of the service, food and environment were likewise as expected for an upmarket burger joint. We all had an enjoyable experience (well, as enjoyable as dining out with kids can be).

The ordering counter:

The main indoor dining area. There were also tables outside by the entrance:

Three burgers: The Aussie (AU$10.90) for hubby, Fried Chicken (AU$10.50) for the kids to share, and the Classic (AU$8.90) for me:

The Aussie has beetroot and cheese in addition to the Classic style. To hubby, beetroot completes a burger (along with egg and bacon but this combination was not on the menu), so he was pretty happy with The Aussie. The beef patty was cooked just right (to medium), and it was deliciously juicy and moist. I'm not a red meat eater but I did enjoy this:

The Fried Chicken featured free range chicken breast, pickles, tomato, lettuce, cheese and rose mayonnaise - a yummy option for non-red meat eaters like me:

Though chicken breast was used in the Fried Chicken burger, it was succulent and tender:

Burger Project is worth a try for burger lovers.

Burger Project
Shop 6, Level 1 (next to Din Tai Fung)
World Square Shopping Centre
644 George St
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Malaysian @ PappaRich [Chatswood], Sydney

In October, we went to Sydney to meet my younger sister's firstborn baby. It was really good to see my sisters and their respective families again, and for our first meet-up, we chose a reliable Malaysian restaurant chain, PappaRich. To date, we've only had three experiences with PappaRich, and each has been in a different city. Our first PappaRich experience a few years ago was in Melbourne, newly opened at the time as the brand's very first international franchise. We tried PappaRich again, this time in its homeland, Malaysia. It was expensive by Malaysia's standards, but still a lot more affordable than its Australian counterparts. PappaRich is popping up in more locations around Australia (including three branches in Perth!), and it is proving popular with Malaysian expats and the local population alike. After trying PappaRich in yet another city, I'm pleased to say that the food quality is rather consistent, even on different continents. Now I just want PappaRich to expand to Hong Kong so that we can enjoy reliable good Malaysian cuisine on a regular basis!

Nice clean interior at PappaRich Chatswood:

There is even an outdoor dining area:

And an indoor play room for the young ones to run amok as they please:

Pappa Wat Tan Hor (or what we know as Hor Fun) - wok-fried thick rice noodles with prawns, fish cakes, chicken slices, choy sum and fried shallots in egg gravy. This was delicious, but not the best hor fun we've had:

Pappa Char Kuey Teow - wok-fried flat noodles with prawns, fish cakes, egg, bean sprouts and chives. CKT is hubby's favourite Malaysian dish, and we almost always order it at Malaysian restaurants when available. This plate could do with more egg, but it was seasoned nicely and the fresh ingredients used made it a worthwhile order:

Younger sister ordered Curry Laksa - Hokkien noodles in spicy coconut curry soup with chicken slices, tofu puffs, foo chok (beancurd skin), bean sprouts, eggplants and fish cake. I had a little taste, and it was yum:

A combination of Chicken and Beef Satay - cannot go wrong with satay at PappaRich, especially with a large group:

Roti Canai with Beef Rendang - the PappaRich roti range are good, and roti canai with beef rendang a good choice:

We could not resist ordering Ais Kacang. A delicious ice treat:

All the young cousins playing in the play area:

I like the facilities at this PappaRich the best out of the three PappaRich restaurants I've been to. Very kid-friendly with delicious Malaysian food.

PappaRich [Chatswood]
63A Archer St
Chatswood NSW 2067
Australia
Tel. +61 2 9411 3207

Revisit: Delicious Malaysian @ Mamak [Chinatown], Sydney (Australia)

One of the things we always look forward to on our trips back to Australia (besides meeting up with families and friends, of course) is the promise of good Malaysian food! Australia is a favourite country for Malaysians to migrate to - for studies, to retire, or better future for kids - and the cuisine followed the migrants. My own parents moved our family to Australia 21 years ago for the kids' education, and for that I will always be grateful to them, as it gave me much more opportunities than I would otherwise have had if we'd remained in Malaysia. It has always been fairly easy to find delicious and authentic Malaysian food in most of the Australian cities, and that was one of the things we dearly missed when we moved out of Australia almost 9 years ago. The situation for Malaysian food is better in Hong Kong than Tokyo, but we still think that the availability and taste of Malaysian food in Australia rates the best outside of Malaysia. In downtown Sydney, a solid choice for Malaysian food is Mamak in Chinatown. It is extremely popular, that it is not uncommon to see a long queue outside the restaurant. It had been years since we were last there, so when we were in the CBD with my family one day during our trip to Sydney last October, we suggested having dinner at Mamak. One sister was not so keen on the idea as she didn't want to wait in a queue for a table (neither did we as we had two little ones to put to bed soon), so we agreed to dine at Mamak only if there was no wait. Amazingly, there was no queue outside the restaurant! And we didn't have to wait long for our tables (which were actually two tables separated by a narrow walk way as there were no other tables available). The restaurant was operating at full capacity, and a queue formed shortly after we were seated, so our group arrived at just the right moment. My parents were seated at our table, and the following photos are most of the dishes we ordered. We also enjoyed Sambal Kangkung and Lamb Murtabak but photos didn't turn out well - they looked the same as the ones we had last time.

Rojak (AU$14) - Malaysian-style salad with prawn and coconut fritters, fried tofu, hard-boiled eggs, freshly shredded yambean and cucumber, topped with a spicy peanut sauce. Delicious and crunchy:

One of my parents ordered the basic Nasi Lemak (AU$9) - coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, crispy anchovies, cucumber and hard-boiled egg. There are optional extras too (which my son ordered):

The other parent ordered Roti Canai (AU$5.50) which came with two curry dips and sambal sauce. Half the roti had already been eaten when I took the shot:

The Nasi Lemak with added Fried Chicken (AU$12) for the 6-year-old boy. We requested for the sambal and peanuts to be served on the side, as one is too spicy for the boy and he's allergic to the other:

Cendol (AU$6), served dessert-style in a bowl. A refreshing icy dessert/drink of sweet pandan noodles with gula melaka syrup, coconut milk and shaved ice.:

One of our favourite Malaysian icy treats, the Ais Kacang (AU$6) - there are red beans, corn, grass jelly, rose syrup and condensed milk on shaved ice. Yummy:

After four years, it is good to see that the food quality has remained the same. Looking forward to another good eats at Mamak the next time we're in Sydney again!

Mamak [Chinatown]
15 Goulburn St
Haymarket, NSW 2000
Australia
Tel. +61 2 9211 1668

Xiao long bao, noodles and dumplings @ Din Tai Fung [World Square], Sydney

Here we are, at the end of another year! Time certainly flies by quickly when you're having fun, and I hope your 2015 will be filled with fun and adventures too. Speaking of fun and foodie adventure, I popped my Din Tai Fung cherry a couple of months ago when we were in Sydney. Given Din Tai Fung's popularity over many years and its prolific chains worldwide, I'm surprised myself that it took me so long to give it a try. I suppose I was always deterred by the long queues to get in any of the Din Tai Fung restaurants - whether in Japan, Singapore or Hong Kong. We met with my father-in-law a final time before his flight back to Brisbane, and hubby wanted to introduce something good to him that he hadn't yet tried. I did a quick search and came up with Din Tai Fung at World Square, and everyone thought it was an agreeable choice. This was the first time I encountered a Din Tai Fung restaurant without a long queue, though I suppose it helped that we visited just before the peak lunch period on a weekday. We were given a pager and waited only a few minutes before it beeped to let us know our table was ready. There was a lot of people and not very much space in between, so I felt a little crowded in. The busy atmosphere was a little akin to the fast food environment but with more class and restaurant prices. Service was brisk and efficient, and the food was tasty! Din Tai Fung is popular for good reasons.

Din Tai Fung at World Square:

Fried Rice with Shrimps, for the boy. It was eggy, full of shrimps and yummy:

The must-have Xiao Long Bao (pork soup dumplings). I must admit, these were good - thin-skinned but didn't tear easily. And the black truffle ones were even better than the ordinary ones! Apparently these dumplings are made to order, which takes about three minutes:

Cha Jiang Noodles with Minced Pork was mildly spicy with a good ratio of toppings and noodles. :

Dan Dan Noodles - the spicy version. Consists of nothing but noodles, spicy sauce and a sprinkling of sesame seeds, this is the perfect dish for noodle enthusiasts:

Shrimp and Pork Shao Mai. I thought this was a novel way to present this ubiquitous dim sum item:

Pork Bun, which the father-in-law ordered:

Taro Gelato and Golden Taro Bread - a great choice for taro fans:

The Golden Lava Bun was a signature dessert, and hubby was curious. Turns out to be a bun with a salted egg yolk custard filling, which I enjoyed, but hubby is not a big fan of salted eggs. It was pretty rich so I could only handle one bun, and I was pretty sad to see one bun left behind in the steam basket uneaten:

Steamed Mini Black Sesame Bun. So good!

Good food at Din Tai Fung. Just remember that it is popular so plan to arrive outside of peak dining periods or be prepared to wait.

Din Tai Fung [World Square]
Shop 1104 Level 1
World Square Shopping Centre
644 George St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Australia
Tel. +61 2 9264 6010