@ 119 King Street, Newtown
I've been saving going to this joint for a bit now and finally I made my way in a number of weeks ago. The place is always packed late at night particularly on the Thurs to Saturday shifts and it's little wonder. The decor is gorgeous, brimming with dark brown wooden chairs and tables and a rich red wall. The service is great too, extremely attentive and helpful.
Starving and desperate to get home to a good meal, I pushed my way inside Asakusa and browsed the menu. I decided the best way to go would be a Dinner Box and ordered the Furu. A box of chicken balls in teriyaki sauce, dumplings and grilled chicken in teriyaki sauce. I didn't know how they'd deliver to to me as these dinner boxes usually come in pre-set boxes, but they had the answer down pat with their own plastic version.
The meat was well cooked and the sauce divine. I licked it up and then some. The chicken balls were hearty and the dumplings were good but what I loved was the grilled chicken. Dripping in sauce with just enough salt and just soft enough to sink my teeth into, they had me craving for more. Yes, the wait was over and it was definitely worth it.
Times hit: 1
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Simply Noodles
@ 273 King Street, Newtown
Simply put this is ... simple. What I didn't like about this place is it tries to be all things Asian and noodly when clearly it's not qualified enough to be. When I say things are authentically cooked, it's usually because there's someone in the kitchen who is versed in a certain cuisine so well that they kill it first go, every go. Now I'm not too sure what the cook at Simply Noodles is versed in, but it definitely isn't all and every type of Asian noodle dish in the world.
Looking at the menu simply confuses me. What to choose? Which country to eat from? Finally I settled for something simple. A flat, white noodle dish with some vegetables and beef. Though the price was decent the meal was nothing special. The portion size was average and so was the taste. The ambience as well was quite without. The look of this restaurant is a narrow, long kitchen and counter on one side and a series of white tables down the other, which opens up into the back area creating a little more room but not much. The white decor doesn't do this restaurant any favours either, giving it no atmosphere and making it seem less "deco" and more "sterile." I ate here once years ago. I don't have to tell you twice that I haven't returned since.
Times hit: 1
Simply put this is ... simple. What I didn't like about this place is it tries to be all things Asian and noodly when clearly it's not qualified enough to be. When I say things are authentically cooked, it's usually because there's someone in the kitchen who is versed in a certain cuisine so well that they kill it first go, every go. Now I'm not too sure what the cook at Simply Noodles is versed in, but it definitely isn't all and every type of Asian noodle dish in the world.
Looking at the menu simply confuses me. What to choose? Which country to eat from? Finally I settled for something simple. A flat, white noodle dish with some vegetables and beef. Though the price was decent the meal was nothing special. The portion size was average and so was the taste. The ambience as well was quite without. The look of this restaurant is a narrow, long kitchen and counter on one side and a series of white tables down the other, which opens up into the back area creating a little more room but not much. The white decor doesn't do this restaurant any favours either, giving it no atmosphere and making it seem less "deco" and more "sterile." I ate here once years ago. I don't have to tell you twice that I haven't returned since.
Times hit: 1
Gloria Jeans
@ 156-158 King Street, Newtown
**Finally, Gloria Jeans has been pushed off the strip and replaced by... another chain store. Mad Mex. Not sure if that's a complete improvement or not.
It's been a while since I went to this Gloria Jeans. In fact, I've only visited it once. It looks nice on the outside but I guess I'm a Gloria Jeans snob because I've not returned since. In fact, I'm such a snob that when Max Brenner opened up no less than 5 doors down from Gloria Jeans I was smirking like a naughty little school kid who's just played a prank on their teacher.
Sure the ambience looks nice, it's quite roomy and there are stacks of comfortable chairs. But one Gloria Jeans is like another and the only times I would ever go to it is if it were the only option or on a late night cake binge - which this Gloria Jeans can't even fulfil as it closes so damn early.
To all you GL fans, enjoy. To the rest of us, there's always Max Brenner, Urban Bites, Buzzzbar and Cafe C.
Times hit: 1
**Finally, Gloria Jeans has been pushed off the strip and replaced by... another chain store. Mad Mex. Not sure if that's a complete improvement or not.
It's been a while since I went to this Gloria Jeans. In fact, I've only visited it once. It looks nice on the outside but I guess I'm a Gloria Jeans snob because I've not returned since. In fact, I'm such a snob that when Max Brenner opened up no less than 5 doors down from Gloria Jeans I was smirking like a naughty little school kid who's just played a prank on their teacher.
Sure the ambience looks nice, it's quite roomy and there are stacks of comfortable chairs. But one Gloria Jeans is like another and the only times I would ever go to it is if it were the only option or on a late night cake binge - which this Gloria Jeans can't even fulfil as it closes so damn early.
To all you GL fans, enjoy. To the rest of us, there's always Max Brenner, Urban Bites, Buzzzbar and Cafe C.
Times hit: 1
Lite Bite
Dear Eddie, sorry it took me so long to create this post. Best of luck with your next endeavour. Lite Bite is now officially closed and has been replaced with Di Steffano.
@ 67 King Street, Newtown
This one's quite new to the strip. Less than a year new. I visited it when it first opened and was remembered ever since for being one of the first customers to enter the premise. As you can already guess, it's a cafe with a healthy angle to it. There's a couch and stools at front for customers to look out onto the street and some good sitting room on the inside.
I popped by in the wee hours of the morning hoping to grab a coffee for breakfast and a meal for lunch later on at work. I ordered a caramel latte and a lamb roll. Apparently it was too early for a lamb roll though, the owner hadn't even fired up the grill yet, but after a little communication confusion, he was more than happy to cook my order up so long as I was willing to wait.
I was. In the meantime we enjoyed a good chat. He'd just bought the place hoping to become his own boss and combine the two things he knew best and was passionate about most: hospitality and carpentry. He did a decent amount of the shop's woodwork and, due to his Vietnamese background, serves up Vietnamese roll inspired meals. Now, I say inspired because as you can already guess, lamb usually is not on that menu. There are a lot of other opinions besides and you can pick and choose what else you'd like in that roll of yours. For breakfast there are also your typical bacon and egg rolls and a series of healthy juices to tuck into.
The service was wonderful and the food was good and did the job. Definitely a good place to chill during the day and when looking for a "lite" meal.
Times hit: 1
@ 67 King Street, Newtown
This one's quite new to the strip. Less than a year new. I visited it when it first opened and was remembered ever since for being one of the first customers to enter the premise. As you can already guess, it's a cafe with a healthy angle to it. There's a couch and stools at front for customers to look out onto the street and some good sitting room on the inside.
I popped by in the wee hours of the morning hoping to grab a coffee for breakfast and a meal for lunch later on at work. I ordered a caramel latte and a lamb roll. Apparently it was too early for a lamb roll though, the owner hadn't even fired up the grill yet, but after a little communication confusion, he was more than happy to cook my order up so long as I was willing to wait.
I was. In the meantime we enjoyed a good chat. He'd just bought the place hoping to become his own boss and combine the two things he knew best and was passionate about most: hospitality and carpentry. He did a decent amount of the shop's woodwork and, due to his Vietnamese background, serves up Vietnamese roll inspired meals. Now, I say inspired because as you can already guess, lamb usually is not on that menu. There are a lot of other opinions besides and you can pick and choose what else you'd like in that roll of yours. For breakfast there are also your typical bacon and egg rolls and a series of healthy juices to tuck into.
The service was wonderful and the food was good and did the job. Definitely a good place to chill during the day and when looking for a "lite" meal.
Times hit: 1
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Ladda's The Thai Takeaway
@ 593 King Street, Newtown
Ladda's looks like a little street vender. In the front counter there are stocks of premade curries and noodles and vegies ready to be dumped into the boiling water to be cooked in an instant. There aren't too many tables in Ladda's possibly six in total. That doesn't matter, either you're there for a quick meal or you're picking up some takeaway on the fly.
I was the latter.
I was also expecting to have to wait for my meal. Not so. The lady behind the counter just spooned the mixture into a container on the spot and handed it to me. She asked if I'd like some rice. I told her no. I had some leftovers waiting at home and preferred to use them up. The container she offered me was measely (I ordered a small), but upon opening it I realised she'd managed to pack quite a bit in there.
The order was green curry with chicken. It was spicier than expected (in a good way) and creamy to boot. There was a good helping of meat in there too. For $6.50 it was a steal and worth every cent. Especially since I had to wait less than an sec for it.
Times hit: 1
I was the latter.
I was also expecting to have to wait for my meal. Not so. The lady behind the counter just spooned the mixture into a container on the spot and handed it to me. She asked if I'd like some rice. I told her no. I had some leftovers waiting at home and preferred to use them up. The container she offered me was measely (I ordered a small), but upon opening it I realised she'd managed to pack quite a bit in there.
The order was green curry with chicken. It was spicier than expected (in a good way) and creamy to boot. There was a good helping of meat in there too. For $6.50 it was a steal and worth every cent. Especially since I had to wait less than an sec for it.
Times hit: 1
Polka Dot
@ 601 King Street, Newtown
**Polka Dot has now been replaced by another sweet treat sensation: Mak Mak Macarons. Full review coming soon.
This place used to be "by appointment only" but has just of late opened its doors to the public. The hours are restricted - something like 10-5 everyday and so is the selection. When entering the premises I thought I'd be met with jars upon jars of delictable sweets. Instead I was probably met with a selection of 10. Not too impressive in all honesty.
The feel inside Polka Dot is definitely boutiquey. You know the kind where, when you enter, you feel really uncomfortable because it's so open and there's hardly anyone in there. Oh, and also because it feels like whoever is inside is judging you over whether you truly "belong" to be standing there. Yes, it feels like that. The decor is cute, lots of white and baby colours. And, after mulling over a couple of jars of macarons and general biscuits I finally landed on a couple of liked.
Purchased was one strawberries and cream macaron and three speciality cookies. The total running cost of my "snack"? $14. The macaron was nothing special, but the cookies were well treated. Exceptionally even on all surfaces, decorated to perfection and the taste was well and truly overflowing with quality. Would I return? Maybe if I were a millionaire.
Times hit: 1
**Polka Dot has now been replaced by another sweet treat sensation: Mak Mak Macarons. Full review coming soon.
This place used to be "by appointment only" but has just of late opened its doors to the public. The hours are restricted - something like 10-5 everyday and so is the selection. When entering the premises I thought I'd be met with jars upon jars of delictable sweets. Instead I was probably met with a selection of 10. Not too impressive in all honesty.
The feel inside Polka Dot is definitely boutiquey. You know the kind where, when you enter, you feel really uncomfortable because it's so open and there's hardly anyone in there. Oh, and also because it feels like whoever is inside is judging you over whether you truly "belong" to be standing there. Yes, it feels like that. The decor is cute, lots of white and baby colours. And, after mulling over a couple of jars of macarons and general biscuits I finally landed on a couple of liked.
Purchased was one strawberries and cream macaron and three speciality cookies. The total running cost of my "snack"? $14. The macaron was nothing special, but the cookies were well treated. Exceptionally even on all surfaces, decorated to perfection and the taste was well and truly overflowing with quality. Would I return? Maybe if I were a millionaire.
Times hit: 1
Amazon Steakhouse
@ 357 King Street, Newtown
I'll admit. I've kind of been avoiding having to go to this place. The decor is at best, tribal. With bamboo sticks that look lit and a neon blue light at the bar, it doesn't exactly scream "enter". But what I've learned to discover about many of Newtown's culinary delights is that looks can be deceiving.
There is plenty of room inside Amazon Steakhouse, all dressed with thick bamboo and warmth. On a cold, rainy night, it was a godsend. The waiter was sweet and extremely patient. And, although not the best choice of food for the night or the venue, we decided meat was a little too much for us and, at a steakhouse, we ordered vegetarian dishes.
Needless to say, AS does vege as well as it looked like it did meat (we were eyeing a couple of other dishes we saw other people order). Filled with helpings of boiled vegetables and cheeses, our meals were crisp, clean and filling enough to send us home happy.
Images: Crumbed capsicum feta and vegie patties.
At about $20 each, the price was decent and I've definitely got my eye on this place the next time I'm graving some good hearty, meat dishes!
Times hit: 1
I'll admit. I've kind of been avoiding having to go to this place. The decor is at best, tribal. With bamboo sticks that look lit and a neon blue light at the bar, it doesn't exactly scream "enter". But what I've learned to discover about many of Newtown's culinary delights is that looks can be deceiving.
There is plenty of room inside Amazon Steakhouse, all dressed with thick bamboo and warmth. On a cold, rainy night, it was a godsend. The waiter was sweet and extremely patient. And, although not the best choice of food for the night or the venue, we decided meat was a little too much for us and, at a steakhouse, we ordered vegetarian dishes.
Needless to say, AS does vege as well as it looked like it did meat (we were eyeing a couple of other dishes we saw other people order). Filled with helpings of boiled vegetables and cheeses, our meals were crisp, clean and filling enough to send us home happy.
Images: Crumbed capsicum feta and vegie patties.
At about $20 each, the price was decent and I've definitely got my eye on this place the next time I'm graving some good hearty, meat dishes!
Times hit: 1
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