Momofuku entrance

Momofuku s a noodle bar in the East Village. 

 Celebrities get papped here all the time…so we ventured off to the West Village to see what the fuss was about. 

 I had the Pork bun and Sauteed Bok Choy. 

They were alright. Not brilliant but alright. 

According to NY Mag: 

“This is Japanese ramen by way of a Carolina whole-hog barbecue, with more than a soupçon of French technique, deriving its super-porky flavor as much from hot, fatty slabs of succulent Berkshire pork belly and deep-pink shredded shoulder as from the long-simmered stock (made from 70 pounds of chicken legs, roasted pork bones, ham hocks, and bacon). Almost in atonement, the toppings are conspicuously fresh and nourishing—the chopped scallions and slivered snow peas, the chewy preserved bamboo shoots, the optional (but highly recommended) Greenmarket corn, briefly sautéed and still crunchy, the delicate sheet of nori propped on the rim. Sure, the noodles could be a little firmer. But there’s even a bit of performance art, as a cook gingerly cracks a slow-poached egg and its golden yolk oozes at the prod of a chopstick over the the whole glorious affair. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld 

Best Meal Under $10 

The BBQ pork buns are the trendy new East Village version of the Wimpy burger. They’re pocket-size, portable, and good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Eat five in one sitting, or maybe ten. Recommended DishesMomofuku ramen, $16; Korean stuffed pork buns, $9″  

More info: 

Momofuku: 

171 First Ave., New York 

www.momofuku.com

I went to Joloff, which has Senegalese cuisine.

Where is it?

Joloff:

930 Fulton St Brooklyn NY

I was greeted by an African lady…in traditional dress…a lady that you wish you could hug.

I wish she was my long lost aunt.

A warm smile later….I could see the question marks in her eyes.

‘What are two Australian girls doing in my restaurant.’

Me: “Hi! I have never had African food…”

Her: “Oh you will like it”

As we were leaving she invited us for a party.

Joloff was celebrating its 15 years of operation…wish I could have made it…but I had to fly out!

So here is what we had:

Something that tastes like deep fried banana but isn't...

Our main meal

PINK BERRY...YUM!

I love Pink Berry!

If you’re in the USA you HAVE to try Pink Berry.

Its frozen yoghurt with every topping you can dream of!

The Braza restaurant in Leichhardt

Yesterday I went to a Brazilian BBQ…wow…what an experience.

The BBQ

I went to :

BRAZA

 Ph. 9572 7921
13, Norton St. – Leichhardt, NSW

www.braza.com.au

You pay $42 for an all you can eat banquet.

The salad,sides and most importantly meat comes to the table non stop.

The food was so good I couldn’t stop eating!

Looking for a new cuisine to try? Go to a brazilian BBQ…but make sure you don’t eat all day…as you will be so full after you leave…you might not be able to leave the table!

Little nobs...Green mean bring food...red means no more food...

spot the hot bartender....

I went to Jimmy Liks bar/restaurant yesterday. The dimly lit venue was rather cool. I felt like I had stepped into a bar in Soho New York. The crowd was stylish…but I couldn’t pick what ‘type’ of crowd it actually was. There were more men than women, which looked a bit odd. As you walk in…there is a long bar that you can sit at and then tables towards the end. It’s quite small and you look over the cocktail and food menu with a pen light. 

It has this ’smokey’ type atmosphere…like you expect to see some fat mafia man sitting in the corner with a cigar and a blonde bombshell, pin-up girl giggling next to him…in saying that you also expect a pretentious ‘it’ crowd.. sitting, engaged in conversation…yet looking around to see who they can spot. 

I can’t put my finger on it, but it is definitely worth checking out…even if its only to be served by the hot bartenders. 

Jimmy Liks 

Address
186-188 Victoria St
Potts Point, 2011 

Telephone
02 8354 1400 

Venue Website
www.jimmyliks.com 

Opening Times
Mon-Sun 5pm-12pm

Tapas….

Ok..so I love tapas and Sangria. I go probably once a week.

All my favourite restaurants are in Bondi.

Here they are:

1.Mojo’s Tapas Bar & Cafe‎

32 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach  (02) 9130 1322        

2. Flying Squirel
249 Bondi Rd, Bondi                        (02) 9130 1033    

http://www.flyingsquirreltapasparlour.com.au/

3. Roy’s Seafood Tapas Oyster Bar

141 Curlewis Street Bondi Beach      0450 955 987

The Winery by Gazebo, Surry Hills

I went to dinner at The Winery, Surry Hills on Monday night. It was my first time, so was pleasantly surprised that it was a well decorated, trendy place with a hint of… I’m not sure…Paris…maybe Rome…and then again maybe it reminded me of Tuscany. Not for any direct reason… it just had a certain ambience and fairy lights. Yes maybe it was the fairy lights that got me.

The Winery is a ’nice’ establishment with an entire wall covered in ferns and staghorns. It also has a huge outdoor area that overlooks the city (which is where I sat)… I haven’t been to Gazebo  so can’t comment on that, but I’ll definitely check that one out too.

Food wise it was delicious.

We shared some plates:

Crusty bread & dip board, salt cured ham, chunky cheddar, mixed olives 19

Vine ripened tomato & mozzarella salad, red wine onions, olive oil 18

Brandied chicken liver pate, cornichons, toasts 18

I think I prefered this option than ordering a main meal, it made it more intimate.

The Wine list was impressive and had 50 + wines on it, that were available by the glass.  So you can have one glass of amazing wine…and yes one glass may cost you $99 but at least you got to try what it would taste like without having to buy the whole bottle!

 Make sure to book a table as they’re packed every night.

The Winery by Gazebo

Where:
285A Crown St, Surry Hills

When:
Mon-Thurs 3pm-12am, Fri-Sun 12pm-12am

Contact:
9331 0833

www.thewinerybygazebo.com.au

Mine ALMOST look this good!

Here’s my pikelet recipe, adapted (slightly) from Matthew Evans.

You’ll need (for 20 mini pikelets):
- 135g self-raising flour
- a pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp castor sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 160ml milk (full-fat)
- 30g melted butter
- extra butter or oil for frying
- any fruit toppings: strawberries, rasberries, blueberries, cherries (you can feed them to him?), jam & whipped cream!

Method:
Put the flour, salt, sugar in a bi mixing bowl. Dig a hole in the middle and add the egg. Then gradually stir in the milk and melted butter. Beat until smooth. Melt some butter or oil in a frypan (non-stick), then use a tablespoon to put mixture into little puddles on the pan. If your mixture appears too thick, you can add more milk, if too runny, add more flour. Test it out. When you see small bubbles appearing, flip your pikelet, and check the underside is lightly browned. Then cook slightly on the other side. Serve them up, and maybe add a dolop of chocolate sauce for fun!

Donna Hay is helping me along the way – with her recipe for a fab “caramalised pineapple and bacon burger” – since I don’t eat bacon, I’m going to simply replace it with a nice meat patty. (Donna’s touch just has the patty wrapped in bacon, so simply diss the bacon if like me, you’re not a fan).

You’ll need:
- 500g beef mince
- 1 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 slices fresh or canned pineapple
- 4 burger buns, split
- 4 slices chedder (or any) cheese
- optional toppings: lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced betroot, onions, worcestershire or bbq sauce, fried egg, mayo

Method:
Place mince, tomato sauce, (and other sauces if wanted), garlic, salt, pepper in a bowl and mix well to combine. Divide and shape into 4 patties. Head a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Brush the patties with oil and cook for 4-5 mins each side or until cooked through. Brush the pineapple with oil and cook for 2 minutes each side or until caramelised. Place the split burger buns on a baking tray and top half with cheese. Grill under a preheated hot grill until golden. Top the buns with patties, pineapple and your choice of other toppings. Serves 4. Now, Eat!!

Here’s to my prep and dinner for tonight. Let’s hope all goes well!