Movin Out!

Hey Guys, sorry for the long hiatus of Foodyphile! We have moved to www.foodyphile.wordpress.com Its still the same, just different provider and different layout! We are still catching up with updates that needed to be done after many months, but we are back in town and updating it as much as we can. Thanks for the support fellow foodies!

Do give us a visit at our new website and tell us how it looks!

Cheers!
Foody & NomNomNom

www.foodyphile.wordpress.com

Tokyo & Yokohama - Sneak Peak

Heyyaaa!

Update has been unbelievably slow lately, sorry guys! Foody is currently on holiday in Tokyo & Yokohama and will be visiting Hong Kong & Macau next week. While I have the chance to hog some net, then I will post There are still lots of photos to edit, but heres just a little sneak peek of what will come up Below are just pictures and a little description. In depth review will come soon!
Hope all of you out there are having an amazing time. Merry Christmas & Happy Nu’ Year! Lets hit 2011 with all we’ve got!




Ramen – Yokohama (Will get the name soon)




Best Japanese Spaghetti House! – Shibuya


Im in heaven. Mont Blancs!


Dad’s Recommendation, damn he knows his food too!




Everything and Anything about Green Tea, Everything&Anything!


BRING THIS TO THE REST OF THE WORLD PLEASE?!


Gyu Bei – Ropponggi

There will be alot more posts guys, in the meanwhile, enjoy the pics!

Perth Again

What else can you do in Perth besides residing and relaxing while viewing the spectacular view provided in their most natural state. There is such a difference when you compare Sydney and Perth. Sydney is havoc and Perth is tranquil. But don’t let the cool & collected manner fool you. Perth has some of the best restaurants I have ever tried. Some people say that I’m biased towards Perth, but when I take them to my favorite restaurants, they always get the surprised factor. I’ve brought friends over from Sydney just for a quick holiday trip to Perth and all of them miss Perth’s food.

I think the food in Perth has gotten up high on the ladder of delicious foods, due to the fact that Perth is rich demographically and topographically. Weather plays an important role to fresh produce and especially towards their taste. 

Dim Sum - Golden Century, Perth

For this second part of the Perth’s post, I’ve decided to hit upon my favorite Chinese restaurant. Dim Sum in the morning, I don’t think you can go wrong with Dim Sum in the morning. There are so many varieties to tingle your taste buds, sweet, sour, salty are balanced perfectly. When you think your stomach is about to explode, then try ordering their Jellied Tofu with Ginger Sugar syrup.

A must order when you are having Dim Sum, Siu May – Fresh Prawn and Pork dimsim, Hagao – Fresh Prawns wrapped with soft, chewy flour skin, Ja Liong – Chinese fried Doughnut wrapped with think steamed rice flour and served with tasty sauce, Ham Sui Kok  - Braised minced pork and mushroom encased in rice flour dough and deepfried,  Lo Mai Gai – Sticky rice with pork, salted egg yolk and Chinese sausage, Pai Kuat – Braised Pork Spare ribs, Char Siu Pao – Steamed bun wit bbq pork fillings. 

Fried Squid Tentacles! Lovely!

Fresh steamed meatball.

Lo Mai Gai

Pai Kuat.

Siu May.

Dinner - Hong Kong BBQ Restaurant, Perth.

Having Chinese for dinner can lead into a jaw dropping moment just even by looking at the menu size. There will be at least 50 different types of dishes and the server would come to the table ready to take your order, after only 5 minutes you have been seated. For dinner, we went to Hong Kong BBQ and started the night with Snow Crab cooked with salted egg yolk. 

This is my favourite style of cooking snow crab, it is crispy, salty and theres a slight hint of sweetness to it too. The batter has crumbled egg yolk in it and also, it has onions, celery and crumbled egg yolk all over the dish. Crab is perfectly cooked, sweetness of the meat shines right through. Cracks the shell open, and meat just glistens all the way. It is not everyday that we can afford snow crab, but once financial support is right behind you, make sure to try this beast of the sea out!

Scallops, steamed with xo sauce and vermicelli. Food is about balancing flavours and this dish exactly produces such magnificent flavour. The heat and saltynes are provided by the xo sauce and the vermicelli acts as the sauce holder. The sauce has this slight sweetness to it and all of these flavours compliments the delicate texture of the scallops.

Steamed Chicken, sounds simple, but, this dish is nothing but simple. You have to order it 24 hours prior eating it. The yellow coloured chicken might help you to jump to a conclusion that the chef had used colouring to achieve such colour, but, the yellow colour has been achieved by making extreme master stock using lots of dried scallops and reduced. This chicken dish probably one of the best thing I have ever tried in my life. It is so succulent, it is salty but it wont distract your palette. The aroma of ginger, dried scallops and herbs are projected very vividly in this dish. A must try if you ever have the chance!

Deep Fried Squid with Salt and Pepper, I got introduced to this dish a long time go by my dad and until now, we almost certainly will order this everytime we go out for a meal. Batter has to be perfect, it has to be crispy, but it also needs to cook quickly to allow the squid  not to be overcooked. There is nothing worse than an overcooked squid. For me, a squid needs to be able to be eaten with such ease, it should never be tough and must always be fresh.

Golden Century Restaurant

1/191 James Street
Northbridge WA 6003
(08) 9328 2388

Hong Kong BBQ Restaurant

76 Francis Street
Northbridge WA 6003
(08) 9228 3968

Vans Cafe, Perth

Yes, I am in Perth now for a quick gateway and the first thing I did was to visit my favorite cafe- Vans Cafe. This cafe has been opened for a fair bit of time and it surely hasn't lost its customers. I went in today and it was still packed as usual. Good food served with good service. Atmosphere is also nice, just people chilling and enjoying their amazing food.

The menu changes according to the season, which I think, is a must to all restaurants. Its using the very best ingredients at its peak in terms of quality. At Vans, we ordered Handmade Chips with Aioli, Pink lamb wellington with minted pea puree and goat cheese mash and Harvey Fillet of beef served with Polenta chips.

Lamb Wellington, seared lamb wrapped in prosciutto and wrapped again with pastry. Pastry is perfect, lamb is moist even though it could be more on the pink side, goat cheese mash was amazing and minted pea puree cuts the richness very well. Overall, a very good dish. Bravo!

Vans make some amazing handcut and handfried chips I must say. It is crispy and mash potato-like on the inside. A must try.

Harvey Fillet of beef. Beef was cooked to perfection. We ordered Medium Rare, it came out pristine! Jus was tasty, but it could do with some more refinements. Polenta Chips was amazing. It melts, it crumbles and its so delicate!

Afterwards, just across from Vans, theres also one of my favourite coffee shops. Cimbalino. Cimbalino originally started in the suburb of Dalkeith but now, they got a couple of shops opened across the city. My preference is the Cottesloe's shop. Latte made to perfection. Its creamy, slides down your throat and the house blend is lovely too. Sweetness is visible, aroma is well developed and the blend is very well balanced.

A Taste of Nostalgia (Singapore)

Singapore is synonymous to a food haven. Ranging from quaint Kopitiam tucked away under a building to the World top 50 renown Iggy's restaurant. While those ubiquitous Western fast-food chain continues to infiltrate Singapore, I find myself craving for the authentic street food in this little red dot I have called home for almost 4 years. This short trip back to the island was like walking down a memory lane and more about tracing back my old favorites, rather than finding new ones. Enjoy!

The almighty Yakun kaya toast Set A with iced coffee, my all time favorite. In between the crispy toasts is kaya or coconut custard spread and slabs of butter. Mix those gooey egg yolk with a bit of soy sauce and eat it the Singaporean way- lather those scrumptious yolk on the toast and sink your teeth into heaven! Wait till you hit the thick slab of butter, it only gets better with the slight salty taste of butter amidst the sweet fragrant kaya. I have tried various other toasts around Singapore, from Toast Box to Killiney Road coffee shop, but Yakun kaya is still the winner!

I am also unabashedly addicted to its iced coffee or kopi peng - iced milk coffee (sweet). Coffee, condensed milk and ice never taste better!

A trip back to Singapore will not suffice without eating its national favorite food- chicken rice! My personal favorite has always been Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice. Conveniently located at Thomson Road, Novena, this place serves the most succulent, plump and silky chicken. I like my chicken steamed, not roasted, simply to savor the juicy skin. The rice is fragrant and separated, just the way chicken rice should be. The chilli here is sans rival! It has the garlic kick needed to spice up the chicken to another new level, a perfect balance of spiciness and sweet. Scoop the rice, chicken, chilli, a tinge of ginger and drizzle it with sweet soya sauce. Now that's the perfect scoop for you!

I have also tried the exorbitant version of chicken rice at a whopping $25 per plate in the new Marina Sands Bay and it does not even come close to Wee Nam Kee! As a testimony to how much I love this dish, I came back to this place thrice during such a short trip.





Just a few shops beside Wee Nam Kee is a famous Mee pok stall- Whitley Road Noodle. This has been one of my favorite local haunt for dry Mee pok! Upgrade your noodle to a $4 Mee pok and you get generous toppings of fish balls, sliced fish cakes, minced meat and tauge (or bean sprouts). Consisting of chilli, oil, vinegar and soy sauce, the sauce is a testimony towards the cook's skill and experience. The lard (so bad for the waistline but heaven in your mouth!) also adds to the smooth texture of the noodles. The noodles here are springy with a good consistency, so well cooked that you'll be slurping the noodles with such vigor that heads turn and mouths drool!

Sambal belachan is a staple in Singapore dishes. This condiment is made from pounded chilli with toasted shrimp paste (belacan) in a stone mortar to which sugar and lime juice are added. You will see this chilli paste added almost anywhere to your dishes, especially noodle dishes like Mee pok.

I am paying homage to another noodle place- Tiong Bahru Wanton Mee! This noodle is of a different texture than a meepok. Smaller in size, its a smoother version of egg noodles. This dish has char siew, crispy wantons, ngoh hiang (minced pork and prawn, rolled inside a beancurd skin and deep-fried) and of course, sambal belachan.

Never underestimate the sea of people queuing for food during lunch time. Singaporeans are willing to wait for good hawker food, regardless of the heat and jostling. Getting a table in hawker centres in Singapore is also near to impossible, requiring ample of patience and a bit of selfish die-hard mentality. The only way to ever get a table during lunch time is with a "Tissue-booking of tables" system- literally placing packets of tissues on the table to indicate that the tables are taken.

Have a look! http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/200300/tissue_booking_of_tables_i_ve_never_seen_such_behaviour_in_other.html

This trip is not complete without snacks! Squeeze in time to try all these:

- Bon Chon chicken wings at Ion. The new rage from Korea! Finger-licking good.

- Durian pancakes for the durian lovers at Takashimaya Food Hall. The pancake is crispy to a crepe texture with cold, creamy durian flesh wedged generously in it.

- Beard Papa cream puff at Takashimaya Food Hall. Scrumptious cream puff coated with chocolate with vanilla bean filling. YUM!



- Japanese tako yaki balls with diced octopus filling. It is topped with okonomiyaki sauce, ponzu, mayo, green laver and fish flakes

- Udders Icecream at 155 Thomson Road (besides United Square). Ice cream for adults with flavors so wild it blows your mind. I have tried their Connoisseur section inspired by alcoholic beverages. They have flavors like Rum Rum Raisin, Bailey’s & Bourbon, Lychee Martini and Orange Choc Bitters, not to mention the Asian-inspired flavors and my personal favorite, their Mao Shan Wang Durian ice cream!

- The $1 ice cream vendor by the road side. Blocks of icecream sandwiched between wafers or bread, your choice!

Min Sok Chon, Sydney

There are lots of places to go to eat Korean in Sydney. Many of my friends have suggested me to try Min Sok Chon. I went there tonight with a couple of mates just to have dinner and to try their food. When I eat Korean, I expect the meats to be well marinated, tender and juicy and the taste has to be there but not overpowering. A good test for a Korean restaurant is to try their basics and see how they turn the basics into something memorable. Basics for me ranges between Bulgogi, Galbi, Gamjatang, Pae Jun and Jap Chae.

I enjoy Korean food very much when it is spectacular. Lucky for us Sydney people, I have to say, I have tried many awesome Korean food especially at Strathfield area. It is a fair bit of a drive if you live in the City area, but trust me, its worth the drive. One of my favorite Korean restaurants has got to be Bassim in Strathfield. Order their So Galbi when you are there. Mind blowing.

Back to Min Sok Chon, so we ordered Bulgogi, Jap Chae, Braised Pork Belly and Korean crispy chicken wing. As always, when you are in a Korean restaurant, the first thing that comes on to the table would be their many condiments. Kimchee, stewed potatoes and cold sweet and sour beansprouts just to name the few. My first comments to these condiments are, its tasteless. I love the sweet, sour and salty beansprouts usually. But this time, it was just tasteless. It seems like they made it, so that the condiments are there. Made with no love and passion and it shines right through.

The first dish that came was our Jap Chae. Jap Chae is a clear mung bean vermicelli, marinated with soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil and tossed with vegetable and a touch of thinly sliced meat. Jap Chae is supposed to be not too overpowering in flavors, but the balance has to be extremely perfect between salty and sweetness. The Jap Chae tonight, was very sweet. The flavors were too bold and they need to tone it down a bit.

Bulgogi was the second dish to come and Bulgogi is basically, thinly sliced beef that needs to be marinated with grated pear, soy sauce, garlic, salt, sugar and sesame oil and fried quickly with vegetables. The key to the perfect Bulgogi is that it has to be tender, especially with the thinly sliced meat, it is very easy to overcook it. But once again, the meat was from the wrong cut of beef and there was a lot of sinew.

Third dish was the Braised Pork Belly. Braised with sugar, soy sauce and I tasted some cooking wine in it too. Pork belly is a cut of meat that needs either to be roasted or braised really slowly until the meat is very tender. The meat tonight was dry and tough. Only means one thing, that they didnt braise it long enough. The taste was substantial but if it had been able to melt in your mouth, then it would have been so much better.

Fourth dish, the battered chicken, deep fried and coated with a sticky sweet sauce. This was probably the highlight of the whole dinner. Chicken was succulent, sauce was reasonably tasty, but it seems that they were using frozen battered chicken wings. The batter was tough and it wasn't light at all. Its like chewing through a crispy dough. But other than that, it wasn't too bad.

In conclusion, I would not eat here again if I don't have to. But push comes to shove, when am craving for Korean food really badly, I think I'll visit this restaurant again.