El Jannah, Granville - Sydney

This is the best charcoal chicken, they said.

El Jannah charcoal chicken

Is it, though?

Well, after trying, I do think that the chicken lives up to the popularity.

El Jannah is one of many Lebanese charcoal chicken restaurants in Sydney. Many have said that this particular eatery, which can be viewed easily from Granville railway station, is the best among all. The mother has a high fondness of charcoal chicken, although I do not. Before trying El Jannah, every charcoal chicken that I had tried tasted bitter and unpleasant.

El Jannah, Granville

The first impression is really assuring, with the never ending queue and packed seating both inside and outside the restaurant. The rule is that we have to order at the counter, and the food will be delivered to our table as soon as possible. I am not sure if we can order extra menu once we've already seated, but it seems to me that everyone is ordering everything at the counter.

Counter and queue

The whole chicken meal comes with a complete array of condiments: garlic sauce, pickles, and Lebanese bread. The only thing I regret is that I forgot to order the tabouli (Lebanese parsley salad), which will compliment the chicken perfectly.

The garlic sauce is actually one of the heroes of the meal. Very garlicky and creamy, it does amazing wonders to the chicken and the chips; practically everything that is dipped into it. Divine is the right word.

Condiments: garlic sauce, pickles, Lebanese bread

So how the infamous charcoal chicken tasted then?

The chicken is obviously grilled, leaving black grilling marks here and there which can taste a bit bitter. Despite the dry appearance, it is actually very tender and juicy. A bit too salty for the mother, and I can see why. It is saltier than any charcoal chicken I have ever tasted, but it doesn't ruin the overall flavour of the chicken. It also has this beautiful smoky aroma and flavour; very mouthwatering by the time it touches the table.

The best? Very likely.

Whole chicken - $19.90

And what''s a charcoal chicken meal without a huge bowl of fries/chips? I was quite surprised that $6 can give us this huge bowl. These crunchy chips are dangerously addictive, with sprinkles of salty chicken salt. I can never get enough chips in my life.

Large chips/fries - $6

My advice for you when dining here is to make the most of the free condiments. Take the very chewy Lebanese bread, put a thick slab of garlic sauce, put one (or more) strips of the pickles, put some fresh tabouli (which in this case is absent), and if you are in for the game, include one or two chips too. Bite into it and the flavours will just dance in your mouth.

I found that the pickles is way to salty if consumed excessively, and I am not fond of the radish pickle (the bright pink ones) so I opt for the cucumber pickles only. But again, garlic sauce makes anything better. I just wish they have chilli sauce or anything spicy to bite me.

Eating it my way

Amazingly, the aunt decided to try the chicken roll, which means more charcoal chicken for me. Oh thank you Auntie!

The chicken inside is less salty, the bread is crispier, and everything works perfectly in that roll. Fresh and really delicious.

Chicken roll (with garlic sauce, tomato, onion, lettuce and pickles) - $7.90

Having tried the highly recommended chicken, will I come again? Very possible, especially for those chips and the garlic sauce.

Another advice is: do not attempt to eat the garlic sauce before an important meeting or an appointment, unless you have a really, really strong minty candy or gum to neutralized it. The smell is, well, intoxicating.

El Jannah's logo

Currency: $1 = IDR 9,500


Rating: 4/5 (Recommended)
Lovely charcoal chicken and rolls, price is a bit expensive for dine in, service is quick and efficient, ambiance is nice although can be crowded in peak hours.








Address:

EL JANNAH

6 South St, Granville 
NSW 2142

Phone: (02) 9637 0977

Website: www.eljannah.com.au

Ninotchka Coffee Parlour and Diner, Jakarta

I honestly think they don't need anymore advertisement.

Ninotchka's macs

I do believe Ninotchka Café has become one of the hippest café in Citra Garden City, West Jakarta area (and vicinity) now, judging from their Twitter activity and friends' reports.

Anyways I think I need to publish my second and third visits to the tiny café, which were done before I went back to Sydney, or else I will forget all the dishes' taste. So this is just a short post, as I actually want to publish two-digit posts each month.

Different from the first visit, the drinks that were ordered this time are macchiato and cookies and cream. My macchiato is light while being a bit bitter, but a small jug of liquid sugar makes it enjoyable. Roo's cookies and cream is more adored, sweet and creamy with crushed Oreo bites.

Macchiato (IDR 12,000 - $1.3) and cookies and cream (IDR 16,000 - $1.7)

I was sticking to dessert this time; I asked them beforehand if the macarons were available. So only one main is ordered: the chicken cordon bleu. Roo was kinda dismayed to find that it's accompanied by lines of mayo and thousand island, as he has issues with sauces. After swapping the sauce clean though, he found that the fried chicken breast with smoked beef and cheese filling is very enjoyable. It's crunchy, has perfect level of saltiness, and chunky fries as a side is always welcomed.

Chicken cordon bleu - IDR 25,000 ($2.6)

While he was enjoying the chicken, I was in my own world with these lovely macarons. They are, in fact, the best homemade macarons I have ever tasted in Jakarta (well, I haven't tried the infamous Manon yet). I only ordered three: vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate-coated grape.

Macaron - IDR 5,000 ($0.5) each

These are good macs, I say. Crunchy shell with chewy, wonderful middle part. They all have the same vanilla flavoured filling, which has the perfect sweetness level and creaminess. My fav one would be the chocolate-coated grape; partly because I love anything chocolate-coated but also because the grape flavour is tangible.

Macaron innards

Obviously, three small macs cannot satisfy my glutton yet. Chocolate lava cake, it is then!

As delicious and chocolatey as always, served warm with contrasting cold ice cream. Yummy maximum. However, I still think mine's better :p

Chocolate lava cake - IDR 15,000 ($1.6)

It seems that they have expanded the dessert menu, to red velvet cupcakes and rainbow cakes. I would love to try them, and will do as soon as I got back home. Red velvet macaron is also intriguing, don't you think?


Rating: 3.5/5 (Really worth the try)
Great tasting food and dessert, but size and price need improvement. Very unique and cozy ambiance, great service. I will give higher rating if only the portion is increased.









Address:


NINOTCHKA CAFE


Circle West Citra Garden 6 C28
West Jakarta, 11830


Phone: 0816-1105316
Website (complete info): www.ninotchkacafe.blogspot.com

Manmaruya, Campsie - Sydney

If you think you have enough ramen already, think again.

A giant bowl of ramen with super delicious broth is what I need with this chilly weather of Sydney. Or, a warm rice with tender pork cutlet atop is very welcomed too.

So where can I get such delicious menus? Manmaruya is the answer.

I have never been to this Japanese eatery, which is housed near Campsie Railway Station. It doesn't stand out in terms of the signage, but I will be really sad if I missed it.

Manmaruya, Campsie

I went there with the extended family, and had to wait for about 10 mins for a big enough table. They're very popular, obviously, with seem-to-be endless queue on the entry. Upon entering, I noticed that the dining area is rather small, with wooden tables and chairs. There are also seats facing the ramen-making counter, which looks very interesting.

The family had to squeeze in a medium sized table, which I believe is intended for 5 or 6 people max. Not many decorations here, but overall it is a lovely eatery. I just don't like the blue lights, such enemy for food photographing.

Clockwise from top left: entry, lovely decoration, counter, seating

Browsing the menu, is interesting and confusing at the same time. Many different types of Japanese food, with numerous lists entailing each one; all sounding tantalizing.

The elder ones chose the safe options; lunch boxes. The teriyaki chicken and salmon is really nice and well seasoned, but I prefer the salmon.  The salad accompanying is a tasty bowl of greens, dressed simply yet perfectly.

Clockwise from top left: menu salad and miso soup, teriyaki salmon lunch bento ($12.8), teriyaki chicken lunch bento ($9.8)

Appetizer came in the form of fried octopus balls; the takoyaki . The best ones I have ever had, I assure you. Crunchy skin outside, but fluffy and soft filling innards, completed with chewy (in a good connotation) octopus bites. Simply yum, just like Manu said.

Takoyaki (6 pcs) - $5.8

The aunt, I am guessing, wanted to eat a bit healthier this time. She ordered soft shell crab salad (deep fried soft shell crab with salad and sesame dressing), much to my excitement.

It is beautiful, both in sight and in flavour. The salad is sexy, but not as sexy as the soft shell crab. They're crunchy, drenched with the tastiest dressing. The portion is huge too! Enough for me to steal the second and third bites.

Soft shell crab salad - $13.8

Spicy tam-tam ramen (sesame flavour, topped with premium pork mince) is recommended by another aunt, saying that this is the best ramen she ever had. It packs some heat, the broth is milky and has a great depth of flavour. Nori sheets, bamboo shoots, and the sexy egg compliment this bowl perfectly.

Is it the best ramen, though? I still prefer Hakata's ramen, to be really honest.

Spicy tan-tan ramen - $13.8

The mother's teriyaki chicken ramen (soy flavour) is a bit too bland to my liking. It is still a tasty, hearty bowl of ramen though. The teriyaki chicken is tender, and I love the perfectly cooked noodles in both of the ramen dishes.

Teriyaki chicken ramen - $13.8

My pork katsu curry is the best dish, I reckon.

It surprised me to see a cauldron escorting my bowl of rice and delicious looking pork cutlet. The curry sauce is served separately, which is a great move to avoid the cutlet becoming soggy and loses its crunchiness.

Pork katsu curry - $13.8

This is the most polite picture of my dish after the sauce's involvement.

The real picture is me emptying the curry sauce cauldron, pouring all of it onto my rice bowl. Seriously, the curry sauce is incredible. Thick and oh-so-tasty, I just can't spare any drop of it. The pork cutlet itself is tender and juicy, which makes this dish even more dreamy.

With the curry sauce atop

Another interesting about this restaurant is that they serve rice-tasting green tea. That's really unique, I think, but I can't enjoy it very much. They said it's Japanese rice tea.

I don't think you need a summarizing closing sentence, do you? This restaurant has really really great dishes, that's undoubted. In fact, the mother and I have made a plan of dining here again soon. Wanna join?

Currency: $1 = IDR 9,500


Rating: 4.5 (Very recommended)
Really great dishes, friendly and fast service, price is reasonable, ambiance can be very crowded but quite cozy.








Address:


MANMARUYA JAPANESE NOODLE BAR


193 Beamish St
Campsie, Sydney
NSW 2194


Phone: (02) 9789 5759

Pho 76, Wetherill Park - Sydney

It was a shopping night. Turned out to be an eating-out night.

Ran Muoi (Salt and Pepper Squid)

You know, there is a quite big department store in Wetherill Park, ans that was where the aunt wanted to do some shopping. It was dinner time and my stomach started to grumble due to KFC's chicken aroma wafting in the air. Although we had some chicken schnitzels waiting for is at home, we simply couldn't resist the idea of hot, tasty pho. So to Pho 76 we went.

Pho 76 is one of the restaurants lining up at the aisle, along with other fancy-looking restaurants. It has an outdoor dining too, and the interior looks clean and welcoming.

Pho 76, Wetherill Park

There's only one table occupied when we were there, which made me wondering a bit. The interior is simple and clean, with wooden tables and comfortable cushioned chairs. There's drink counter at the back area, which I believe to be connected with the kitchen.

The menu is provided with pictures and explanations, so it's actually fun scanning through it. And oh, make sure you tell them you're a food blogger, because they told me that they don't permit snapping pictures.

Clockwise from top left: menu, interior, fresh herbs condiments

The pho bo (Vietnamese beef rice noddles soup) is a must everytime a Vietnamese restaurant is visited. They say a yum cha restaurant is as good as the har gao goes, and I kinda put the same rule for Vietnamese restaurant here. When the pho is delish, there won't be much complaining.

Unfortunately, there's nothing much I can brag about this special pho bo. The broth is pretty light but I find it a bit bland to my liking. The noodles are nice though, completed with raw beef slices, beef tripe, and meatballs.

Pho Bo (Special Beef Rice Noodles Soup) - $11

The pepper steak tomato rice is more flavorsome and interesting, with tender and peppery beef cubes along with tomato-ey rice. There's not much love given for the accompanying veggies though.

Cam Bo Luc Lac (Pepper Steak Tomato Rice) - $11

Despite the high expectation, the salt and pepper squid didn't quite deliver.

The thin batter is surprisingly crunchy although thin, and I find the squid to be tender enough. However, I think it's a bit too salty, it kinda overwhelms the pepper's involvement. If only there's less amount of salt included in the bed of crunchy, I reckon the dish will be much better.

Ran Muoi (Salt and Pepper Squid) - $15.5

The least impressive dish of the day would be the stir fried vegetables (stir fried various vegetables with tofu), I found it to be too bland for my liking. It provides some healthy nutrients, anyway, after all of the fried squid.

Stir fried vegetables - $11.5

Overall, it was a nice dinner, but maybe should have gone to KFC instead? :p

Currency: $1 = IDR 9,500


Rating: 2/5 (OK/Average)
Decent dishes, great service, lower prices than few Vietnamese restaurants I have ever visited, clean and nice ambiance.








Address:

PHO 76

C04 Stockland Shopping Centre
Polding St
Wetherill Park, NSW 2164

Phone: (02) 9604 7776

Chat Thai, Haymarket & The Galleries - Sydney

I hate Thai food.

No. 51 Grapao crispy pork belly with rice

LOL nah, I am just trolling with you. The fact is, Thai food holds a special place in my heart. Thai dishes are flavorsome and bursting with herbs flavour, also many of them are spicy; my tongue can really accept them happily.

I can't say I have tried many Thai restaurants in Sydney, let alone in Indo. So far, my favourite one is Satang Thai. I am still on my search though, any recommendations?

Chat Thai is one of the restaurants I had on my must-try list. I can finally cross it from my list, when an old friend tagged me along to the restaurant as a meetup lunch. Chat Thai has 5 branches in Sydney, and my first visit was at the Thaitown, Haymarket branch.

The place is tucked at the side of a rather wide road, and will be easily missed if there's no their signature yellow chat-cloud signage.

Clockwise from top left: interior, unique water cup/bowl, take away padt thai

It is not very bright inside, but quite cozy. There's an open dessert kitchen right next to the restaurant's entry, and I love watching the chef making the sweet Thai treats.

There are two stories of dining area, both using wooden tables and simple stools. I do love the open brick walls, I always love such a natural setting. The three of us were seated at a communal table, and I found the area to be too cramped. I would really prefer the individual tables, which look much less cramped. Well, it was kinda a full house that day.

The water cup is very unique and looks authentic with lovely patterns, and although the water is cool, I felt like trying their drinks. The young coconut juice is pretty much the same like the ones in Indo, and I don't really taste anything special.

Foreground: sweet young coconut juice; Background: Thai iced milk tea (cha dum yen) - both about $4 each

Gai satay or chicken satay was ordered as appetizer. We had one each, and that's a good call I say. The chicken satays are huge, compared to Indo's satay I usually have. It's tender and full of flavour, but I reckon the peanut sauce is not really needed although it's creamy and nice. Still, I prefer Indo's chicken satay.

Gai satay (chicken satay with peanut sauce) - $2 each

I chose padt thai (stir fried thin rice noodles with chicken, dried shrimps, bean sprouts, garlic and chives in a tamarind and palm sugar sauce), simply because I have to try every padt thai from every Thai restaurant that I visit.

It comes in very generous portion, I struggled to finish my meal. Loaded with contrast of flavours and textures, this one is a winner. Sweet, sour, nutty, and savoury sensations danced happily in my mouth, and the noodles are lovely. Having said that, I still think Satang Thai's padt thai is still my favourite among all that I've tried.

Padt thai - $10.9

I was still curious about Chat Thai, so I went to The Galleries branch, which is included in the food court. The great thing is, I had no problem grabbing a seat and table.

They're consistent with the black and yellow theme, and they also offer a hot bar here too. It's a pre-made hot food, choose some and they're ready to be served on your plate. The desserts, I notice, are served in take away containers, ready to be consumed anytime.

Chat Thai, The Galleries

There are also some seatings beside the counter, only fit for about 4 groups of people. I chose food court seating instead.

Most of the 'one plate wonder' menus are listed on the black board without any descriptions, so it may be confusing for those who aren't familiar with Thai menus. Rest assured, they also have paper menu lists on the counter which include menu description, and I will suggest you to read and choose the menu from there instead of wondering what the hell 'khao mok gai' is that written on the menu board.

Clockwise from top left: the counter, seating inside, customer pager and paper menu, menu board

After spending some time contemplating what to order, the words 'crispy pork belly' won me over once again. The menu no. 51, grapao crispy pork belly (stir fried crispy pork belly, fresh chilli and holy basil with fried egg and rice) was then immediately ordered.

In went the first mouthful, and I was over the moon with this menu. Again, the rice portion is really generous, but it'll be such a waste if I didn't finish all of it. The stir fried pork belly is definitely the hero; crispy skin, perfect layer of fat, and tender meat. They are quite spicy, and very flavoursome. The fried egg is also impeccable with half-gooey yolk in the middle, and the greens given are one of the tastiest greens I've ever had. Overall, a must try.

Grapao crispy pork belly with rice - $13.9

I am not quite satisfied my my Thai food venture here, but at least I know they have a magnificent grapao rice. Next up, let's try mango and sticky rice!

P.S. I know some of you want Vietnamese posts, and it's coming! This post was prepared first so I decided to post this one first. Cheers!

Currency: $1 = IDR 9,500


Rating: 4/5 (Recommended)
Great Thai dishes, esp the grapao pork belly rice; nice ambiance for both branches, very friendly and welcoming service, price is reasonable.








Address:

CHAT THAI

The Galleries
Shop 1 Lower Ground,
500 George St.
Sydney

Phone: (02) 9283 5789



Thaitown
20 Campbell St.
Haymarket, Sydney 2000

Phone: (02) 9211 1808



Website: www.chatthai.com.au

Sushi Feast - Homemade Sushi Rolls

Again with the family thing here.

Sushi tower

I just love spending time with family, especially when good food is present.

So in case you're not following me on Twitter, there was a sushi feast at home last Saturday. The aunt came over, bought all the ingredients and announced that we're having a sushi roll feast today.

I wasted no time prepping the rice, which is a very different type of rice with the usual long-grain rice. I was informed that the sushi rice is available in grocery store and Asian supermarket, at affordable price.

The other condiments were nori sheets, mirin (Japanese soy sauce), sushi rice vinegar, rice seasoning, and wasabi paste.

Nori sheets, wasabi paste, mirin, sushi rice vinegar, and rice seasoning

The fillings were colourful and had been neatly julienned; consisting of cucumber, omelet, carrot, blanched spinach, and Japanese sweet pickled radish. We also have avocado, ripe and very creamy and a perfect filling for sushi rolls.

Fillings: carrot, spinach, omelet, sweet pickled radish, cucumber

We weren't doing any sashimi that day, so no raw fish included in the party. All we had are sauteed salmon and teriyaki chicken. They don't have strong flavour, but still tasty anyway.

Fillings: sauteed salmon and chicken teriyaki

It's actually a real fun making the rolls! It's easier using the bamboo rolling tool, indeed, but I reckon I'll still manage without it. All I had to do is to dip my hands in water, put the rice on and spread it 1/3 part of the nori sheet, and then put any filling I fancy. We did a lot of combinations, and I can think of dozens more if I have sausage, SPAM, bacon, tempura, etc. Do you think SPAM will make a great filling? The possibilities are simply endless.

Then I rolled it carefully, and start cutting the roll into bite sized circles.

Making the sushi rolls

Dip them in soy sauce or dab some wasabi, and there you have a light but filling meal.

We made some with all the filling combination, including canned tuna mixed with mayo. Yummy.

Assorted sushi rolls

Let me tell you, these sushi rolls are a perfect finger food for a family gathering. Easy to eat and filling at the same time. And tasty, of course.

Sushi rolls, anyone?

So tell me, have you ever made sushi rolls at home? What would be your fav filling for a sushi roll?