Eating Out: Pho at Swinburne Uni

 I know I'm supposed to be spending every waking moment studying for the end of year exams which start in under 3 weeks!!! But to take a break and relax I went out for lunch and had PHO. Unfortunately I still crave pho....how does that work? Sorry I don't have a name of the place, I don't even remember reading one. K仔 took me there. Just off glenferrie rd.

Special Combination Beef and Chicken Regular $8.80

It was a pretty decent sized regular. Loads of beef and some chicken. Beef slices, beef balls, some sort of tripe, beef tendon like things and some chicken breast. Totally worth the money. Only let down was the broth wasn't as clear as what I'm used to and it was really rich in beef flavour. 

Bun Bo Hue $8.80

Out of the 3 bun bo hue's I've had I think this would be the best. Even better than springvale? Well personally I liked this one. Good broth, definitely spicier than all the ones I've tried. Best thing was the entire top was covered with toppings. Some of which I didn't even know what it was and probably didn't want to know. Anyone else find that Bun Bo Hue noodles are impossible to grab with chopsticks because they are so short?

But luckily these noodles weren't too soft so it wasn't as hard to pick up.

Overall it was decent viet noodles at a very good price. Whether I would come back? It's glenferrie rd, so many other choices and I probably won't be able to find this place again. Somewhere near maccas I think.

Mid Autumn Festival Box Hill LONG OVERDUE

This is about a month late. But I think it's worthy of blogging about. Mid Autumn Festival is awesome because it means MOONCAKES. Lotus paste with egg yolk encased in a almost biscuit like dough covering. Unfortunately the Mid Autumn Festival is no where near as big as in HK. But it was none the less fun to go to Box Hill and celebrate...or mainly to eat some awesome food.

Char Tow Kueh $4ish

Little stir fried rice cakes. A malay dish. Weren't too great especially when all squashed together. I know it should be a lot better but I've never actually had it anywhere else before I don't think

Taiwanese Oyster..something $5ish

Seriously this was soooooo weird. Blobs of this translucent jelly like floury stuff. In a never tasted before sauce. With an oyster or two thrown in with egg. This dish just wasn't for me. Maybe it's an acquired taste?

Xinjiang Lamb Skewers 5 for $10

This is the exact reason why I go to these festivals and line up for 30 mins with smoke blowing into your face. Juicy lamb chunks cooked over a charcoal fire, sprinkled with cumin and chilli. I could eat 5 or more of these, no problems. I know you can get them in the city opposite state library for $3 each but I have yet to try it.

We had a few other things like deep fried school prawns and octopus. Although they were on the salty side it was really nice. One thing I really wanted to try was the deep fried spiral potato chip. Except at $5 a stick which was one potato it was insanely expensive. I might try it make it myself after exams. 

Sorry about the photo quality, all taken using my phone. Next time a festival is on make sure you check it out, there is awesome food there and some of it you can't get in restaurants.

Cooking: Curry Tonight

The commonwealth games are on....and to be honest I'm not interested and too busy to care. Since I've got so much study to do I was aiming to make something simple for dinner on Friday. So for convenience you turn to canned or jarred stuff and since PATAKS curries were half price at Coles, dinner was sorted. However I guess everyone wants curry this week because when I got to the curry section, there were only 6 or so butter chickens, madras' and korma's left. No vindaloo =[

I was trying to figure out how to plate my curry so they don't mix and a rice bridge was the best option. The butter chicken tasted different to the butter chicken you get at indian restaurants. But the madras was alright. Also bought some roti to soak up all the sauce. Add some boiled vegies in to complete the meal.

Only way to make the curry look presentable and half decent was to use the dslr. Good excuse to take it out and play with it.

Cooking: Roast Pork

I don't really like roasts. I find them take forever to cook and the amount of meat is somewhat overwhelming. But since my bro asked for roast pork for many weeks on end I thought I'd give it another go although in the past there haven't been many good outcomes.

Pretty much just score and salt the skin generously leave it for a while like 30 mins, soak up all the water and try to get all the salt off. Salt it a little more, rub over some oil and roast at like max temp of oven or 250 degrees for 30 or so mins. It isn't perfect crackling but it's better than chewy crackling.

Only roasts I like are chicken and lamb. I think it's because they aren't so dry. 

Product: Jay Chou Chips

Found these in the pantry one day.

For those who are asian you should know who that is. JAY CHOU. In Asia they use celebrities to advertise everything. And Jay Chou found his way onto a chip can. For those who don't know who Jay Chou is, he's an awesome singer. As for acting and dancing I'll let you decide. But his songs are the best.

Back to the chips, they were like Pringles. Except the flavour wasn't that good. SUPPOSEDLY made from 3 ingredients, and on the front of the can it says tomato flavour...now how does potato, palm oil and salt make tomato flavoured chips? Anyways after peeling off the sticker and reading the chinese list of ingredients you understand. The list is about at big as the sticker they put on top of it. It went a little like this, 调味粉,什么什么粉, but like 10 or so different types of flavouring powders. Potato, palm oil and salt......?

So this might be my last post for quite a while. Exams in under 4 weeks. If I can find some time I have a few things yet to blog about. But rest assured I will make up for it over the summer holidays. 3 months!!!!!

CAN'T WAIT

Good luck to all those who have exams!

Cooking: Takoyaki Recipe

I finally admit after eating 18 takoyaki(sakeyaki since it was salmon) for lunch I'm starting to get a bit sick of them. I've found the recipes online have been pretty good. But this is the one I use for my takoyaki machine(makes 18).
It's as simple as 1,2,3. 1 egg, 200ml of plain flour (i actually use around 180ml plain flour and 1 tbs self raising to make them puff more), 300ml of dashi (1 tsp instant dashi ganules made up to 300ml).  Add a pinch of salt. You should end up with about 2 cups of batter.
For the filling I put in whatever I can find.I know that's not authentic but who can be bothered making tempura bits. I still haven't made or bought takoyaki sauce and have been using hoisin sauce instead, it's quite different but better than just plain mayo. I think I might give takoyaki a break now.

Eating Out: Jalan Alor [7/206 Bourke St Melbourne 3000]

This place is so new that theres still someone out the front doing the final touches....now isn't that supposed to be done before you open? Well it's newly renovated and very modern. Encountered a problem before even entering, there's no front door...you naturally assume that a restaurants door is at the front right? But no, here the front is a window and a gigantic mirror. You enter from the side corner...who would have thought of that first? With no sign or person to direct you? Anyways I think that's enough about a door...I better not get started about having a pot plant on the tiny table...I think that was a first experience too. Not sure whether sitting next to planter boxes with flowers indoors was a first experience either. I guess it makes the meal memorable?

I think they should proof read their menu. Misspelling corkage maybe very minor but when it says "cockage" I think it needs to be fixed. Oh, and the numbers weren't in order but no biggie.

Kari Laksa $9.50

There are two Kari Laksa's on the menu, one is chicken one is prawn, same price, same name...

It came with two types of noodles, 2 large shelled prawns, 2 large mussels, tau pok (beancurd) and slices of fish cake, in my opinion there just wasn't enough to accompany the noodles especially compared to Coconut House's one from two days ago. However this bowl was bigger but I believe the noodle portion was about the same. The soup was pretty good, not too much oil and enough coconut milk. The chilliness was just right. One problem I didn't encounter was trying to figure out how to deshell the prawns and where to put the shells,  luckily the waiter saw me or heard me and quickly gave me a little plate. The prawns actually had a prawn taste which was excellent because prawns at restaurants nowadays are only about texture. Same case with the mussels. Overall a decent laksa.

Nasi Lemak $9.50
Since this was K仔's dish, asked him to review it.

"Was definitely not what I expected. Expected A LOT MORE sambal and expected it to be served with a pandan leaf and like…an omelette thingy. But obviously this place has its own take on what a nasi lemak should be like….and I guess it just wasn’t to my liking. I guess I’m used to eating it in Malaysia so definitely there is more sambal and everything. Granted they did have everything as a nasi lemak is expected to have on a plate….but I guess just not to the right proportions? Love the ikan bilis though and nuts…BEST PART OF THE DISH! Followed by the sambal =D The chicken meat was tough…kinda tasted like it was old chicken meat and they might have just microwaved it or something =S was a bit….EWWWWEY!!! Rice was coconut-ey which was goooooooD!! Love coconut rice!! Yummy lah"

Food: 7.5/10 It's not bad but it's not spectacular. Prices are reasonable.

Service: 7/10 We were seated but not given menus. I'm sure it was just an accident though.

Environment: 7.5/10 It's modern. You sit at wooden tables and wooden stools like you're at the park. There's a pot plant on you're table. However this place is called Jalan Alor....I believe that it's not a park in Malaysia but a street filled with hawker stalls....with no pot plants on the tables. But not a bad environment for a casual date since it's sort of memorable.

Verdict? I would come back again and try some other dishes. China Red is literally next door, their touch screen menu is enticing too though.

Eating Out: Ramen Ya [Shop 25G Melbourne GPO 350 Bourke St Melbourne, 3000]

This place proves that you don't need to have a prime location to have good business. It's one of those places you will walk past and not even realise that it exists. However at No. 9 on Urbanspoon, it's doing quite well. Why? Because it serves good authentic food.
I never realised how ramen obsessed David Chang was until I started reading his book, and boy is he dedicated to ramen. And now he's made me somewhat addicted. If you give me a choice of soup bases for ramen I will always choose tonkotsu, always always always. Not saying the other ones aren't nice but I just love tonkotsu.

Charshu Tonkotsu Ramen $10

I always think $10 is starting to get pricey for a bowl of asian noodles. But here, that $10 is cheap and so worth it. Of course I chose the house specialty. Comes with four thinner than thin slices of charshu. Nothing particularly special, tasted a tad like the one I attempted to make, a slice of naruto of the same thinness =[, BAMBOO!! (Never realised ramen is supposed to have bamboo until I read Momofuku  and this stuff isn't that random canned stiff crunchy stuff, it was actually floppy), sprinkle of spring onions, seaweed sheets, picked alarming red ginger and half a boiled egg (unfortunately not the awesome soft boiled ones).

It was sooooo nice. Lots of soup to go with the large serving of noodles which were thick and chewy in a good way. Sure the soup was salty but it was delicious, so delicious you forget about it's saltiness which you are reminded of 30 mins later when you're thirsty as hell. 

Probably be a long time before I'll get to eat tonkotsu ramen again =[

Seafood Gyoza Ramen-Shoyu base $10

Essentially the same except the charshu become gyozas. The gyozas aren't bad but I don't particular like any sort of dumpling which has a mushy/puree texture for the filling. Still like tonkotsu base better than shoyu/soya base. Nothing will change me. I know I'm stubborn.

Love the feel of Ramen Ya which apparently means ramen shop. Their spoons are even cooler, although it is a little awkward to use since it's so big. Reminded me of year 7 when we made wooden spoons for woodwork at school. Mum never used my spoon as she didn't know whether it was safe to use with food. 

Food: 9/10 Based purely on ramen. They've got everything that should be in ramen in ramen I think. 

Service: 8/10 Speak up when you order so the guy can hear you. Otherwise no problems with service.

Environment: 7.5/10 Nothing glamorous. Quite cramped. Only let down was since it was raining many of the chairs were wet although the place is covered water drips down the side.

Verdict? Cold rainy day + hot bowl of delicious ramen = comfort. 

Did you know ramen noodles don't actually contain any eggs?

David Chang you have taught me so much =]