essen, Broadway

Q. What is a Reuben Sandwich?

A. Between two delicious pieces of rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut (sour cabbage), swiss cheese and thousand island dressing.

Q. Where can I get the best Reuben Sandwich in Sydney?

A. You’re about to find out:

Okay lets start it off short, I came here for one thing and one thing only. To taste what has been claimed Sydney’s best Reuben. To my surprise though, I got a lot more than just this legendary sandwich. Lets start off with the actual place as usual.  Being conveniently located about 10 minute walk from central (5 minutes from you UTSers!), the decision wasn’t very hard. We were two very lazy people. Perfect.

Now walking in, what can I say? It felt like I was in a different country. The place just felt like it belonged in Germany. Everything about it just felt right for what I was just about to eat. We were greeted by your typical bleach-blonde-haired German fellow (with that accent too!), walking along the old wooden floors and admiring the decor of the German culture.

Mysterious staircase

Skis. It has Skis.

Now that’s how you hold cutlery!

After we were done admiring all of this however, we started to get hungry. Being it a Friday and lunch time, essen had really worthwhile lunch only deals. This included the famed Reuben sandwich and a mini-version of their Jurassic Pork challenge (The JP Express!). Of course being in a beer cafe though, I thought it’d be appropriate to start the lunch with something nice to wash everything down (it’s never too early):

German Pilsner anyone? – $6

But yes. The food. Lets start off with the Reuben:

The Reuben Sandwich + Pickles + Wedges – $16

Yes, if you’re drooling at this point I totally understand. It was a damn good sandwich. Everything about it was right. Even that knife through the top. Felt majestic pulling it out like King Arthur and the Excalibur. No but seriously, that meat was perfect and the sauce being not too overpowering but definitely there, it was a winner. Sauerkraut however, as I understand, is not for everyone. Compared with the Bavarian’s one, it was a lot less strong so it really tied the sandwich together. Along with this, they also gave us some really nice sauces to eat with it (both Mustard based) and just smothering each bite with that sauce made it amazing. Try it? YES.

But wait I’m not done yet:

JP Express + Chips – $16

Okay so what is this exactly? Basically it’s a slow-cooked marinated pulled pork (moist mmm), coleslaw and this magical BBQ sauce (I suspect homemade) altogether in a lightly toasted white bun and stabbed with the crispiest bacon I’ve ever had (seriously, it was so crispy). While it was no Reuben to me, it was delicious nonetheless. The thing was literally loaded with pulled pork (cutting through it just summoned a limitless amount of it leaking out of it) and not only that but it was so damn well-cooked. Tender and perfect!

So that brings us to the end of my German food adventure. Was it well worth it? Hell yes. Easy to get to, a great deal on a ridiculously large portion (we were both struggling weren’t we?), beer, and, while I’m not an expert at the Reuben yet, the best Reuben I’ve had so far. Also I heard their schnitzels are giant too so I would like to revisit and I suggest you come here yourself as well

NOTE: The Reuben is ONLY Wednesdays-Fridays during lunch (12PM-2:30PM), they close after lunch to prepare for dinner so prepare!

The Milk Bar by Cafe Ish, Redfern

Lets backtrack a month or 2 back and you would’ve recalled me going to a place also called “Milkbar” (http://fightthecraving.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/milkbar-newtown/). You probably would’ve also recalled me going to there because it was “second” choice when I had discovered Cafe Ish’s one was closed for the day. Well, slowly, but surely, I finally got to try this kick-ass joint:

I’ve been to quite a few quirky cafes and this being considered one of them, I found it a slightly underwhelming atmosphere when I walked in. While it had its own characteristics of its own, the interior didn’t really feel all too comfortable (but it did have two awesome retro-gaming tabletops). The staff were pretty cool people too, so that was a plus.

Wall of gigs coming up

This is what you call a tabletop

Coming into a Milk Bar, clearly one of the things on my mind were the milkshakes. A bit pricey at $7.50 each but (in my opinion) could definitely fit as a serving for 2 (you’ll soon understand why). To start off our soon to be meal, we ordered up a PBJ shake, Orient Express (matcha green tea shake with red bean) and a salted caramel milkshake. In short; these milkshakes were out of this world.

PBJ Milkshake – $7.50

My Peanut Butter Jelly milkshake, if I were to describe it as simply as possible, tasted like a Peanut Butter Jelly sandwich in drink form. It completely nailed the taste. Filled with chunks of Jam and peanut in it as well (this actually got a bit annoying because it was annoying to drink out of the straw), it certainly was a heart-clogging, pupil-dilating cup of deliciousness.

Orient Express

Unfortunately I didn’t take a snap of the salted caramel milkshake but really, it was one of the best I’ve had (coming only second to Reuben Hills). It was thick and the caramel flavours were just exploding in my mouth. Also the Orient Express was delicious. Maybe lately I’ve been in the green-tea mood but really, I think it appeals to everyone. With the red bean in it too, it certainly was a killer.

And if you think $7.50 is pricey, it’s probably worth mentioning that the malt cup sitting beside these photos (given to you along with it) was about halfway filled with more of these miracle liquids! Definitely give this one a try.

Now combine these shakes with food and you got yourself a meal. The Milk Bar has really earned a name in making burgers. In case you don’t know how it works, you choose your choice of burger (cheese, chicken, falafel etc.) and the real magic lies behind the toppings. On top of the burger you have your choice of various toppings (varies about $5 each) such as Italian (and other things which I forgot woops). But they do have other things. On my agenda, we had Ai’s Freaking Awesome Chicken Wings, a falafel burger (for you veggie lovers) with Italian topping, a chicken burger with Italian topping and my Crab Omelette.

Food did take a while to come out but it’s ok, we had double milkshakes to fill the void.

Ai’s Freaking Awesome Chicken Wings – $13

Now the chicken wings were crispy to the days. I don’t know what they did to this thing but all you could feel was the crunch when chomping into it. You also had a choice of sauce and as the chef told me “should’ve gone with vinegar”. Unfortunately we went with hot sauce which really, wasn’t too bad either. Rookie mistake! In retrospect though, they were great chicken wings. Could definitely go for a batch right now.

Chicken Burger with Italian Topping – $9

Falafel Burger – $?

Unfortunately I didn’t get to have a try of these burgers but from what I was told from my foodies, they were some great burgers. Fulfilling and delicious!

I did however, get to eat this thing:

Crab Omelette with Chips – $15

Words to describe it…”yum”. It was something different and I liked it. The sauce that went with it was very sweet and tangy (with the extra zest added with the lime juice) and went beautifully with the omelette itself. Digging into that, I loved every bit about it. You had textures of the soft egg one end of your mouth and the slight crunch of the soft shell crab in the other. Along with that sauce, chips and a milkshake..yes please. If I were to put my finger on one aspect of the dish, it’d probably be the sauce being slightly too overpowering. It’s the kind of sauce you finish up needing a glass or 2 of water.

So to summarise my journey to this cafe in Redfern; the shakes were phenomenal, the food was great, staff were friendly but theinterior lacked decor for a welcoming atmosphere. In all, thanks to the shakes, the Milk Bar has certainly earned its right to be called a milk bar, along with the benefits of delicious food.

circa, Parramatta

I know, I apologise to all of you about my absence, I swear I’ve been buried with work and everything! But not to worry foodies, I come today with a nice treat for all of you..

For those unfamiliar with the name, circa is a quirky little cafe almost hidden in a small street away from the loud and busy Parramatta environment (21 Wentworth St Parramatta, NSW). Conveniently located 5 minutes away from the station and next to a shopping centre parking lot (with 3 hours free parking), if you ever feel the need for a delicious feed, you definitely don’t need to worry about the hassle of getting there.

Being sandwiched between a house and a shop just out near the station, it was definitely a place easy to glance your eyes over:

Front of the Cafe

The interior of the actual cafe was very cosy and somewhat remedial; the kind of place you’d sit with a coffee and lose your sense of time. While I was there, I constantly looked around and yet kept finding something new amongst the decor.

Example of the funky wall art

Where the magic happens

To start off my afternoon brunch, I had one of their house-blend lattes. Now I’m not the biggest coffee drinker but I can definitely tell a good cup from a terrible one. This coffee was nothing short of amazing! I usually add sugar to mine but having a sip of this creamy goodness, I felt that it’d be an offence to taint it with sugar. It had a nutty smooth flavour to it and the subtly sweet after-taste left you wanting more.

House-Blended Latte ($3.50)

But of course, this isn’t a drink-blog it’s a food-blog. For the meals, we ordered an Ottoman Eggs and of course, Baked Eggs! Before I start off the food though, I should probably add, service was top notch. Quick, waiters were nice and very organised!

Lets start off with the Ottoman Eggs:

Ottoman Eggs – $13

The Ottoman Eggs was a piece of sourdough bread piled with garlic labne (like a yoghurt spread), some crumbed eggplant (YUM) and topped with a poached eggs, roasted chilli and sage. One word to describe it? Delectable. The key feature of this dish was definitely that crumbed eggplant oozing with the garlic labne. It was tangy, crunchy but contrasted perfectly with the mushy eggplant texture. Now combine it with a perfectly poached egg with that runny yolk and sourdough bread and you have a winner in my mind right here–and yes, it’s vegetarian!

Now for the delicious baked eggs:

Baked eggs with Sujuk – $13

The baked eggs..my god…the baked eggs. I’ll start off with what’s in it before I start to drool on my keyboard. The dish itself wasn’t on a dish but rather a pan. Simple, aesthetic and efficient (kept the food warm, less cleaning up etc.). Now the ‘pan’ itself was composed of 2 oven baked eggs in a bed of Sujuk (for those who don’t know, it’s like a spicy Turkish version of a chorizo that’s made of lamb), tomatoes, Greek feta cheese and topped with a bit of rocket with a side of sourdough bread. In short..it was definitely one of my best breakfast/brunch meals. Everything in the dish worked perfectly together. The Sujuk was meaty and spicy and slightly chewy from the oven but it matched perfectly with the soft tomatoes and the tang of the Greek feta. Combine with the runny yolks and with the crunch of the sourdough bread and you have yourself a party in your mouth.

TL;DR?

Now just combine everything you just read together. Relaxing environment with quirky decor, great service, amazing coffee and sublime food to go with your cuppa…what more could you ask from a cafe? If I had limitless money, time and a stomach that could fit everything, I would definitely try that entire menu.

But seeing that I can’t, circa will be expecting me in the new future and you should definitely try it out yourself, it is definitely the hidden gem of Parramatta

Pesci’s Mediterranean & Seafood (A Cairns Special)

I know, I know; I’ve been gone for a while, but don’t worry, I will try to get it regularly updated again. As you can see from the title, I did indeed go to Cairns (so goooood) and well I decided to spend at least one night to work on a Cairns foodblog post. At last here it is; Pesci’s Mediterranean & Seafood:

If you ever take a visit to Cairns, you should know that along most the city, lies an almighty waterfront. Being along a pier (Pier Market Place, QLD), the view from the restaurant is no exemption from a great great view. As we walked into the area we were greeted by the most giddy waiters I’ve ever encountered in my life. Italian accent to the bone they took us to our table in what almost seemed like a routine comedy act. So my impression at this point: atmosphere? You’re sitting in front of a quiet water view along a pier (so that would be a “good”). Service? Yeah these guys were good, know exactly how to handle a hungry customer! (Except maybe not a grumpy-hungry customer, perhaps a bit intrusive at times). Along with that, upon sitting down, we were given a bowl of complementary cinnamon snacks. Savoury and a bit sweet, it was a nice simple snack:

Now to the menu! What did it have? Your typical Seafood Italian menu but also with a slight mix of Spanish (beverages and food; we’ll get to that soon). So to start off we got ourselves a huge jug of delicious Spanish sangria, mind you, it was really really nice:

Sangria – $(oops forgot, around $40)

And now..fooooood (sorry for the wait). Prices were I’d say in the mid-high range but reasonable for a tourist!

So to start things off, a plate of something different. Watermelon Oysters. Basically oysters topped off with some sweet watermelon juice and chunks, replacing your normal lemon juice. Putting some rock salt on top, really brought out the taste of that watermelon. It was new..and weird but crunch from the watermelon and slimy oyster texture was a nice combination!

Watermelon Oysters – $17 (for half a dozen)

For the mains, I got myself a delicious Conchiglie & Ragu. Basically it was large shell-like pasta cooked with an extremely tender and slow cooked beef in pomodoro sauce mix. Packed with flavour and that ridiculously well made fresh Conchiglie, it was certainly a home run!

Conchiglie & Ragu – $29

Along with that there was a plate of fresh Mussels steamed and topped with a super tasty White Wine and herb sauce (seriously, I could’ve drunk that thing). It also had some bread topped off which had a hint of garlic and went so well with that sauce, they were made for each other.

Black Mussels – $20

Last but not least, we also had something from the Spanish side of things. A Seafood Spanish Paella. Cooked with some prawns, fish, chicken, chorizo and other meaty goodies, it was also topped with some Moreton Bay Bus and served in traditional Paella pan! How was it? Yeah it was nice. Wasn’t exactly a traditional tasting Paella, but the flavours with the seafood worked. Wasn’t my favourite but it was definitely above standard.

Seafood Paella – $40

So to end a well-deserved trip to Cairns, I think Pesci’s did a pretty good job. Food service was quick on their feet and the atmosphere and food was great. Sitting on the pier during the sunset, drinking a glass of delicious Sangria and eating some great Mediterranean cuisine? Yeah I’d come back if I ever go to Cairns again and if you ever decide to drop a visit, you should too!

Milkbar, Newtown

Having original intentions of visiting Milk Bar by Cafe Ish in Redfern, I came here to the Newtown as a second option because Cafe Ish was closed for the day (what a shame)! But oh well, things happen. Here’s my review of Milkbar in Newtown (not to be confused by Milk Bar by Cafe Ish):

Walking in felt great. Really enjoyed the interior. Simple but as Angela would put it, somewhat “rustic”.

Along with the great environment, it was also worth mentioning the service. The waiters were nice, responsive and food didn’t take long at all to come out (aww yiss..food)

So we’ll just start off with drinks. Nothing at all too fancy, Steven and I went with a Banana Hazelnut smoothie (yes x100) and Clarissa and Angela with a mango smoothie:

Banana Hazelnut (Front) and Mango Smoothie (Back)  ~$6

Mango smoothie ($5.50) was nice, it was refreshing and filled with flavour! But now, the Banana Hazelnut ($6)…that was on another level. Not only was it just jam packed with the flavours of banana and hazelnut but there were chunks of both floating around. Every sip was just amazing! I highly recommend you give this a shot.

Another side note for the drinks, it comes with those fancy red and white straws you see, but it’s worth noting that  it has a paper exterior so the longer you were drinking that, the straw eventually got soggy and after every sip would have that annoying thing where it sticks to your mouth because it’s paper. Cool straws though.

Onto food. Menu was alright, it had a mix of Mexican to Italian to your regular cafe stuff. I guess variety is okay but you have a trade-off of that traditional taste. So we got a Traditional Beef Burger, a char-grilled Chicken Burger (both burgers served with chips and extra aioli sauce), a Chicken Quesadilla and a Linguine with smoked bacon and mushrooms.

Traditional Beef Burger ($14)

What was amazing about this burger? Nothing really. It was actually as it is on paper..an overpriced traditional beef burger. Which I’m pretty sure they forgot tomato relish or something even remotely close to a sauce. At least the bread was nice though. Tasted fresh and had the freshly-toasted crunch to it. Disappointing!

Char-Grilled Chicken Burger ($14)

Again, another disappointment. I didn’t even try to move things around in the burger for a better shot because I wanted to show something wrong with this picture. Can you see it? I’ve got at least 30 whole lettuces shaved onto that thing. The chicken was char grilled to the point of it being a piece of chicken jerky and the peri peri sauce that was put on it barely made an impact to the taste. It felt like “why bother putting it there?”.  Again, bread was nice, everything else…disappointed (and overpriced)!

Chicken Quesadilla

The Quesadilla was actually quite nice (and the most inexpensive item out of what we ordered). Wasn’t dry, wasn’t too crunchy. It was pretty good. Went really well with the corn and sour cream too. At last, a dish that wasn’t overpriced and disappointing. As Steven said as well, it was filling as well!

Unfortunately I didn’t get  a photo of the Linguine (somebody was too eager to eat it *cough* Angela). But from what I ate, it was salty. I think a lot more salty than it should be. Everything else was relatively ok as well. You could taste that smoked bacon and mushroom flavour throughout so that was a good sign!

Overall? Drinks: Yes! Brilliant, they’ve hit the nail on that one (just going to emphasise that Banana Hazelnut again, damn!). Atmosphere: Very chilled, very relaxing. Service: Good! They were kind and drinks and food didn’t take too long! Food: No. Very disappointed. I think the menu is overpriced and somebody needs to rethink how they’re throwing this stuff together.

If you’re looking for a drink and just to relax, this is the place. If you’re looking for food, it’s a hit and miss.

Chilli Jam, Parramatta

Hello all! I am back! Had a lot of work and just had no time to keep up the foodie business but don’t worry!

Now I know…another Thai restaurant? Okay, okay I know, but hey, I was just walking along John St, remember someone telling me about it so why not. Chilli Jam ladies and gents:

Just along Church St towards the end of the strip of restaurants in Parramatta (325 Church St Parramatta NSW), it wasn’t a relatively congested part of the restaurant area, so navigation to it wasn’t too much of a hassle. Walking in I hadn’t that much of a high expectation. It seemed like your typical Thai restaurant. Restaurant interior was nice, it was modern somewhat combined with Thai decor. In short, had a real lively atmosphere (sorry, no snaps of this!).

Now to the food…having eaten at quite a few very nice Thai restaurants, I couldn’t really order things that were new to me. The menu had quite a lot of variety but nothing out of the ordinary. Stir-fries, curry, soups; your typical Thai stoof. So what we ordered: Red curry with duck, Tom Yum Goong Soup and I guess what you would call, their ‘speciality’; a Chilli Jam stir-fry with Fish.

The Red Curry was actually quite nice…neglecting the Duck (which really, should’ve been the trophy of the dish). It was creamy, full of flavour, vibrant (presentation-wise) and contained lychees and pineapples which contrasted really well and was mildly refreshing. The real let down though was definitely the duck. It was dry and the skin just didn’t have that drooling-factor. Skin felt like it had been left out and all those juices gone to waste! For their sake, I hope it was a one-off.

Here’s the Tom-Yum Goong! Now…in comparison to other Tom-Yum soups in other restaurants…there’s not much to comment on, especially because it’s such a generic dish (sorry for the boring choice). The prawns were cooked nice though and there were plenty of greens and mushrooms (maybe a bit more mushroom-y than others). Overall..nothing special!

And here is their ’speciality’. A chilli-jam stir fry with fish in it (you can opt to which meat you want). As a stir-fry, yeah I guess it was pretty nice. The chilli-jam had a nice sweetness to it, worked really well with everything and very nice with rice/sticky rice. But again, chilli-jam is a relatively generic ingredient and the flavours were nothing out of the ordinary to your average Thai dish.

Overall? Well, the food here was nothing out of the ordinary. Flavours seemed relatively generic with some parts being just hit and misses (roast duck!). If you’re looking for Thai cuisine, no doubt this will suffice..but just by the minimum. It had no ‘wow’ factor for me, but keep in mind again, having eaten at many Thai restaurants, my opinion on the quality may differ to yours!

Reuben Hills

Was a must on my things-to-do-list, and tl;dr, it didn’t disappoint! That’s right, the notorious Reuben Hills, fellow foodies!

So for you who don’t know what it is, Reuben Hills is a super trendy, super cosy cafe located about a 10  minute walk from Central station (61 Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW). If you didn’t know the exact location though, fear not, it wasn’t hard to find…especially with the crowd outside. That’s right, there was a line…at 11am. But hey I guess it wasn’t too bad, the moment we walked in we got our names on the list and was waiting in the line. It was only about a 15 minute wait so meh, can’t complain! Besides, got some nice shots of the interior:

(yes!! an empty table for us)

So what’s the cafe looking like so far? Quick service to get a table set up (it was already super busy), nice chilled beats playing, decor was really modern looking (dat water bottle!); atmosphere? Check!

But I know what you want, you want that food. Alright, how about we start off with drinks? So word of mouth is that this place made amazing milkshakes…so we got ourselves a salted caramel milkshake and a coconut&lime milkshake.

(okay it’s not the best photo but it’s just milkshake alright?!)

 

Comments? Salted caramel milkshake….yes. So much yes. So good. It was smooth but rich in that salted caramel goodness. The kind of goodness you want to bathe in every evening. And that coconut&lime milkshake, it was really rich too, came with shaved coconut in the bottom so drinking it had different textures. Not too big a fan of coconut so this one definitely goes to the salted caramel (yeyesyeyesyseyeyes)

Now to food. Firstly, should probably add, the menu was really entertaining to read, things like an “Affogato: that shit cray” and my favourite, “really f@#$%^g great fried chicken”. But enough babbling, what did we order? a NOT reuben wagyu brisket sandwich, a heirloom tomato, goats cheese, rocket etc. on rye and of course..the master soft baked eggs (we’ll get to that shortly).

the NOT reuben wagyu brisket sandwich on rye? Yum. I only had a little taste (wasn’t my dish!) but I can tell you, that meat is to die for. It was tender, full of flavour and just worked with everything. Definitely thumbs up on this ($16):

Next up we got the heirloom tomatoes topped with some rocket and confit garlic on top of a bed of labna cheese spread. Now I didn’t actually try this but I’m going to take the words of the feeder, “damn this stuff really works well together”. Vegetarian too so if you’re an omnivore, give it a try!

I know it looks like a salad, but look! rye bread is hiding there

Now for mine, the soft baked eggs. I’m just going to straight out and say it. This stuff is the bomb. Yes x100. So a run-down of what you have, 2 baked eggs (basically felt like poached eggs) on a bed of ranchero sauce (like a salsa) and on top was a bed of spinach and some jamon (like prosciutto). On the side of course you also have some toasted rye bread. What can I say. The eggs were cooked to perfection, yolk was like a river, whites weren’t runny and that combination between spicy and sour from that ranchero with the egg was sublime. Along with the spinach and ranchero? Wouldeat10xaday. Definitely give this a try. Do it.

So overall, definitely give it a try. Certainly lives up to the right to be featured on sites! Milkshakes (salted caramel; frothing) were amazing, Food was delicious, atmosphere was awesome and the prices were ok. Service was maybe a bit iffy here and there (we felt maybe a bit rushed since they were trying to get people moving about and the waitress was terribly unenthusiastic). But hey, it’s a nice feed to start the day! And if you’re lazy like me it’s not too hard to get to either which is the best news you can get.