Paris 2007: The Rest of It (Food Review) Part 2

This is the last part of my food review in Paris and also my favourite restaurants in Paris.

Cafe Le Faubourg
Rue La Fayette
This cafe is located just around the corner from our hotel. Not till the 3rd day of our stay in Paris did we give this cafe a try and we were delighted with our decision to have our lunch there.


Plat du jour: Quiche Lorraine
"Silky, creamy, savoury, yummy..." These words kept repeating themselves as we savoured this dish.


Confit de Canard (Duck confit)
"So good, so good, I love you...."
This is basically duck braised in its own fat over long hours then pan-fried to get the crispy skin and usually served with potatoes sauteed with leftover duck fat and garlic and a serving of green salad. No gamey smell or taste whatsoever, even non duck-lovers will give their thumbs up.

Infact, so impressed were we with this little bistro that we went back for dinner on the same day. But ok, I admit, they weren't many options open since we had just finished shopping (late night shopping on Thursday) and it was close to 11p.m. and most kitchens were already closed for the night.

French Onion Soup
Cheesy goodness (melted cheese over pieces of bread) on top of a hearty broth. Perfect for a cold night.


Confit de Canard, round 2 (notice that this looked different from the one we had earlier but tasted just as good)
So you can imagine how good this was, no further explanations required...


Roast Chicken
Something similar to confit de canard, only that this is chicken. Good but not as good as the original confit.


A block of gouda cheese. Creamy with an underlying bitter taste, this goes very well with the somewhat sweet muscadet (a type of dry French white wine) that we enjoyed rather generously that night.


Le Faubourg, lovely at night as well....

Cafe du Marche
38 rue Cler (at rue de Champs)

Do a Google search and there are quite a number of reviews on this place inlcuding this one. This restaurant is located along the cobblestone street of the Rue Cler. In the earlier part of the day, the street is lined with a variety of stalls selling groceries that is reminiscence of a market place that was a slice right out of the 1950's. Too bad we missed that....


Confit de Canard
I don't think we would get sick of this dish just yet... The crispy skin, tender meat and tasty potatoes. This dish comes highly recommended for this place and I am not surprised. But honestly, I would not say that this was better than Le Faubourg's though. Both were equally good.


Plat du Jour (Dish of the day) - Poached Fish served on top of sauteed snake beans with a Asian-influenced slightly spicy bean sauce
This is another winner! A big chunk of fish with meat so tender and fresh. And the sauce that came with it complimented it perfectly. Truly fantastic!


Dessert: Warm Chocolate Cake with home-made Vanilla Ice-Cream
Nothing exciting as this dessert had become so common but what's even more important is that it tasted absolutely divine. A gorgeous souffle-like chocolate cake with a rich melted goeey center; and with the vanilla ice-cream to give a cold contrast to the warm dessert, it will send you directly to chocolate heaven...haha

Paris 2007: The Rest of It (Food Review) Part 1

Leon de Bruxelles
63 Av des Champs Elysées

This picture was taken at about 8:30p.m.
This is a popular chain of restaurants throughout Paris with reasonable prices and their specialty? Mussels! Cooked in various styles. My friend and I shared their set meal (mussels+fries+dessert).


Complimentary basket of fresh baguette.

Moules à la Marinière
A bucket of mussels cooked in er...no particular style? Initially, I thought Marinière means Marinara (tomato-based seafood style) but no, it was actually cooked in its natural form. Meaning, the mussles are cooked but there is no sauce whatsoever. So although fresh, they were a little "too fresh" for my liking. I could literally taste the sea! Well, luckily the Tabasco sauce helped quite a bit.

Frites à volonté
One good thing, it comes with free-flow of thick-cut fries. Yummy!

Gaufre au sucre
Plain waffle with a dusting of sugar. I remember reading somewhere that their waffle came highly recommended so we ordered this and ended up being somewhat disappointed. It wasn't "bad" but it's just waffle, plain and simple. With a dusting of sugar; no butter, maple syrup or any other condiments. It might have been promising if the waffle was served warm but sadly, it wasn't.


Chez Clement
123, av des Champs Elysées
12 charming restaurants in Paris and Paris area. The chef prepares a simple and authentic cuisine.....
We sat outside with a fantastic view on the "Arc de Triomphe" on the Champs-Elysees although I should say that the interior is also very charming indeed. Reasonable prices, they are rather well-known for their rotisserie menu.


I like their sliced fresh baguette. Just the right amount of crusty and chewy factor.


French traditional "pâté"
Erm, although not mentioned in the menu, somehow I envisioned it to be a block of duck/goose liver pate but instead, we got some kind of terrine served with gherkins. Fallen short of expectations, this dish was already doomed from the beginning in my eyes....


Half a dozen of fresh oysters
Very fresh but not big enough (I found out later that they actually came in different sizes, the bigger the pricier lar....)


Rotisserie" Slice of beef, pork spare ribs, Loué "label Rouge" farm chicken "
A little bit of everything, it was done very well with a tasty and creamy mash topped with a brilliant brown gravy.

Paris 2007: Buddha Bar

The infamous Buddha Bar of Paris. Check out the cool interior (before the stroke of midnight, this place will be jam-packed with the trendsetters of Paris and..... a load of tourists too.)


and the most yummilicious champagne cocktails!


and also one very cute and friendly bartender.....(not pictured, unfortunately)

Buddha Bar
8 Rue Boissy d' Anglais M. Concorde

Memorable Meals (Bouillon Chartier & Cafe Les Deux Magots)

Most memorable meals in Paris, not the best meals but they are memorable in terms of experience.

1) Bouillon Chartier 7 RUE DU FAUBOURG MONTMARTRE (Near Opera: Boulevard Montmarte)
Extracts from its official website:
"Classified historic building in 1989, the restaurant has already known two centuries and is well prepared to get through this brand new one. It is both a prestigious actor of the restaurant business and a privileged witness of parisian life. In this wonderful place, favourable for sweet nostalgy, fifty billions bellies have been satisfied since its creation.So the description below that would like to satisfy your curiosity will of course not replace a nice visit 7th, rue du faubourg Montmartre, in the ninth district, the best place to feel Paris.It seems that you enter to work at Chartier as if you intend to enter in religion.This principle is tacitly admited as only four different owners have ruled the place since its creation in 1896. As well the crew "makes" the place, daily honouring their engagement dressed in their traditional room clothes, le rondin (a black waistcoat with many pockets) and the long white apron..."
Actually, we discovered this place by chance. We were walking along a street when I saw a busy restaurant located in a small alley just off the street. I pulled my friend into the alley to check the place out and saw a very busy and crowded restaurant (although it was just about 7p.m., a time considered very early to have dinner in Paris). We then decided to go back there for dinner later since our hotel is just about 5 minutes walk away. Returning at about 9pm. we regretted for not remembering to make reservations earlier for the place was full and the queue was like 10 persons long and still growing. Unbeknownst to us until later, this place is a classic/historical food institution (read excerpt above).

Twas a rainy night

Interior of the restaurant

True to its description, the place is a simple and no-frill place serving simple and authentic, no-frill dishes. So crowded was the restaurant that we had to share the table with 2 other people. Majority of their waiters were in the "senior citizen" bracket. That also means that they have a lower tolerance level to any ignorance (helpless or not) to their national language which we would later learned. In fact, this is the only place that we dined at which we truly felt helpless at ordering. And the lack of help (and also the lack of any willingness to help us) coupled with the impatience with our "Ah Gong" waiter did little to improve the situation. We wanted to order their suggested dinner set (consisting of 1appetizer, 1 main & 1 dessert) plus 1 additional appetizer to share. But our "Ah Gong" waiter said that we have to order 2 mains (at least that's why I made out from his frenzied gestures) so I just told him to choose another main for us for I didn't want him to leave and then come back to us later (his last attempt at this took almost 20 minutes).

Appetizers:

Salade de tomate et concombre 2.20 € (This is part of their suggested menu. I didn't know it would really be just tomatoes and cucumbers only - Almost RM10 for this small dish. Adui...).

6 escargots French-style (not the usual cheesy sauce that we are accustomed to). This was good.

Main: Roti de porc gratin de choux fleurs (what looks like pork chops with potato gratin and cabbage stew). Very rustic and hearty flavours - good!

Main (recommended by waiter): Escalope de veau panee milanaise (Milanese veal escalope with sauteed potatoes). I don't know how on earth our "Ah Gong" waiter could have think that a petite Asian lady could finish this dish. One whole plate full with strips of veal. The flavour was good but the meat were a combination of tough, chewy and tender pieces. Obsviously, I prefer the tender ones. I think I gave up less than 1/2 way through chewing.

A very nice bottle of apple cider that we ordered.

Dessert: Coupe de creme chantilly (some kind of chestnut pudding topped with creme chantilly). The pudding was seriously (and sickeningly) sweet. We could only managed a couple of spoonfuls. This was also the time when the earlier other 2 diners at our table left and 2 younger men (1 French and 1 Italian who was quite a looker) joined our table and started chatting to us (that was how we learned about this restaurant's famous history). They were pretty entertaining and funny so it brighten up the otherwise forbidding ambience that we were feeling from the restaurant's waiters' austere facial expression.

Cafe Les Deux Magots (6 place Saint Germain des Prés)

Another cafe that is rich in history, it was a regular "hang-out place" for legendary figures of the art and literature world such as Verlaine, Mallarme, Oscar Wilde, Guillaume, Dora Maar, Picasso, Jean Paul Sartre and Earnest Hemmingway. During the pre-war days, the area of Saint Germain was the intellectual centre of Paris.

We stopped here for a much needed break during a shopping day at the left bank and area of Saint Germain. Food wise, nothing to shout about.

Salade Deux Magots: Green salad, chicken, ham, boiled egg, tomatoes. Rather uninspiring...

Beef carpacio with green salad: Ok but not the best... And the best? The complimentary fresh mini baguettes. I love the crusty exterior and soft, chewy interior. If only they would give me some olive oil and balsamic vinegar to go with the bread.

Paris 2007: Meals: Outside Paris

1) Light Meal at Creperie Au Chat Gourmand - La Boule
One of my favourite dining places during my trip. We discovered this place by chance. What seems to be the only place open for a late lunch, it was a really cute and quaint restaurant that serves crepes and galettes (aka creperie). The owner must be a serious cat lover because the entire place, from tip-to-toe (including bathroom accessories) are decorated with cat's motifs.


The savoury galettes were all great! Light yet filling at the same time, I could eat galettes everyday!


The dessert crepes were wonderful as well! And the nicest accompaniment to these meals, apple cider! Mmm..... refreshing and slightly sweet and boozy at the same, it's perfect for a lazy, sunny afternoon.


2) Favourite Meals - Salads (Cafe in Nantes, near main shopping square)
I have always love salads. One of my biggest disappointment is the lack of good salads in PJ/KL ,so imagine my delight when big variety of salads are found everywhere in France. Here are some good ones that we had for brunch before shopping in the city of Nantes.

Grilled Saint Jacques (Scallops) Salad with sesame dressing

Smoked Salmon Salad

Thai-styled Poached Chicken Salad

3) Dinner at La Croisette, La Baule
We were lucky to get a place within 20 minutes at this place without prior reservation, especially given the fact that after we sat down, we saw the queue grew to more than 10-feet long. One of the best restaurant dinners that I have had in France.

Steak Tartare with some kind of Moroccan sauce

Beef Carpacio in 2 Styles - so exquisite!


Best Salad - Their house salad that has a bit of everything - mixed greens, foie grais, confit de canard (slow braised duck), bacon, cold cuts dressed in simple balsamic olive oil dressing (they give you a cute miniature bottle). The serving was huge and more than sufficient as a main meal!


Main Dishes with Scallops - The scallops in this town is so fresh, huge and juicy!

Pizza Marinara - Again check out the generous amount of scallops!


Best moments: Dessert Time! Tiramisu (ok) and Creme Brulee (delish!)

Paris 2007: Meals - Home-cooked Meals

This trip, I was fortunate enough to stay at my dearest friend's place in the small town of Pornichet near to La Baule (one of the leading resorts on the French Atlantic coast, with a very beautiful beach several kilometers long).which is near to Nantes (near the Atlantic Ocean, western France; and most important city of historic Brittany). Her apartment fronts the beach side which makes it such an ideal place to chill for a few nights. Not only that, my delightful hosts churned out such delicious meals, night after night that it was tough for me to say goodbye when it was time to leave.


Lovely town of Pornichet

View of sunset at Pornichet beach from balcony at 9+p.m.

Freshest seafood from the market


One of my favourites - Saint Jacques (scallops). Superbly good when grilled with cheese.


I love, love, love the fresh vegetables in France. I can even eat them raw all the time. So sweet and crunchy!


A taste of my friend's cooking: Pasta a la Jenn (a marinara type pasta topped with lots of freshly grated parmesan)

and Sauteed french beans and mushrooms

Even the male chef in the house has a natural talent in cooking. Just look at these pictures of the most divine beef balls and rich and creamy whipped potato with creme fraiche.

Assembled dish.

Always some fresh baguette on the side.

Plentiful of wine provided. Pictured here is a very good and hearty Merlot fro Saint Emilion, Bordeaux and also a fine 30-year-old aged sweet sherry.

And also the darling of the house: a sweet one-year-old English Bull by the name of Rage Winston (handsome name, isn't it?)

Thanks Jen and Pasi, for a truly fantastic time!

Paris 2007: Desserts & Snacks

What is Paris without a mention of its numerous delectable desserts?

Best of the Best!
Desserts from Laduree and Pierre Herme. I can't decide which I prefer so I will name them as my top co-favourites.

From Pierre Herme:

Signaure Creation: Ispahan - fresh raspberries and lychees sandwiched in between rose-flavoured macaroon biscuits in a delicate rose petal cream. Desserts can't get any finer or delicate than this!

Macaroons - So, so addicted to this together with those from Laduree's. I daresay that they might have a wee bit more flavours than Laduree. I love Rose, Olive Oil, Jasmine, Abricot and the list just goes on.

It was also here where I discovered the best Almond Croissant that I have ever tasted! Light, fluffy, flaky and buttery layers of goodness. "Two" bites are never enough!
My qualms: That I didn't manage to try more goodies from them (I should aim at trying at least 50% of their selection) and that they only have 2 (TWO) outlets in the entire city of Paris and that they do not have an indoor seating area - everything is takeaway. Tsk! Tsk!

Laduree
My first sighting of macarons was a Laduree standalone stall inside Printemps. I had to stop immediately and bought 2 macarons from them - Caramel and Chocolate Amer. Those 2 were the first macarons I have tasted in Paris and so began my love affair with these delectable morsels.

Laduree's famous macaroons
I think over the days, all in all, I have tried like over 10 flavours of their macarons. In some shops, the shop assistants are nice enough to let you have one entire macaron of your choice for sampling. My only regret is that I didn't manage to get any back. My fault really for I planned to get them at their shop/restaurant along Champs Elysees on my last day but since it was a Saturday, the queue for takeaways and eat-ins was too LONG for me to wait in-line.
But luckily, few nights before, my friend and I managed to have post-dinner dessert and tea at the same outlet. We had such a enjoyable time then for the restaurant was almost empty (in fact we were the last customers to leave). There was no rush, no long waiting periods; service was pleasant and attentive enough. In fact, we like all the selections that our waiter recommended to us.
Over an excellent pot of "The Melange Special Laduree" tea (delicate blend of citrus fruits, rose, vanilla & cinnamon), we enjoyed two of the finest desserts we have ever tasted. In fact, these are stuff which dreams are made of...

Pompadour: Soft coconut macaroon biscuit, erotic fruit compote, vanilla cream

Elysees: Cocoa "succes" biscuit, thin crispy praline, thin crispy chocolate leaves pure origin of Madagascar, smoth chocolate cream, chocolate zabaglione mousse, chocolate biscuit and cocoa soaked in cocoa syrup.
I still feel bad that I didn't get to try their Hot Chocolate (chocolate chaud) as planned on my last day.

Classic snacks in France
Canelés
With its signature caramelied crust but a moist, soft and slight chewy center, tasting of rum and vanilla and usually small in size, canelés can pretty much be a very addictive snack.

Little beauties from the best bakery in the town of Pornichet, so my friend claimed.

My favourite canelé from the famed Dallayou (from the food hall in Galleries La Fayette) pictured together with an amazing Pistachio Paste croissant-like pastry.

Crepes
I would say that crepes is the unofficial national street snack in Paris or whole of France for that matter. And if it is, I would not be surprised. There is definitely nothing unappealing about a thin, chewy pancake generously filled with sweet filling. My personal favourite? Check out the pic below.


Crepe with Nutella! (optional: additional sliced bananas)

A different type of sweet crepe was discovered at a morning market in the town of Pornichet, La Baule.

Thicker texture, paler in colour with "burned" spots all over instead of an even golden hue like those found in Paris , this looks to be more rustic. Filled with chocolate, it definitely deserved another thumbs up!
Besides these sweet crêpes (crêpes sucrées), there are also savoury types, typically known as gallettes. And I had a very good meal at one of the many creperies in La Baule which I will post later.

Other desserts
Ice-cream / Gelato

Amorino & Berthillon.
Do a google search on these 2 and you will find many posts and opinions on these 2 brand names which are said to be the best/most famous in Paris (or whole of France?).
The first one I tried was Berthillon. About 4.50€ for a double scoop on a cone, the flavours that we chose were a fruity sorbet (can't remember which fruit) and a creamy Honey Nougat. Were we blown away? Nope. But they were yummy enough but not enough for us to be awed by it. We much preferred the fruity sorbet, the tangy-ness and tartness of its flavour overshadowed the latter.

The next day, while shopping in Galleries Lafayette, we saw a long line queueing for what seems like an ice-cream counter. On a closer look, to my delight I discovered that it was Amorino, the other famous ice-cream in Paris. Initially, my friend and I wanted to look for a cafe to rest our poor feet but upon seeing how good the ice-cream looked (especially on cones, where it was expertly crafted to look like a blooming flower - sorry, no pic), we just couldn't resist. We opted for the medium size cup (we thought that it will be more value-for-money since it can probably hold more..hehe). When we asked how many flavours are we allowed to choose, much to our excitement, we were told as many as we like. However, we didn't yield to our greediness. Instead we asked for a very reasonable 3: Amareno, Caramel and Fraises (strawberry). How we chose in view of dozens of available flavours, all equally appetizing was to judge it by its popularity (aka how empty is the container...) In this case, we made the right choice(s). Truly smooth, creamy and in short, yummilicious, we preferred this to Berthillon. And a better bargain too since 3 generous scoops only costs us about 4€!

Paris 2007: Breakfasts!

Breakfasts! My favourite meal of the day! Like the saying goes, "Eat like a king for breakfasts..."

Needless to say, I love breakfasts in Paris. Why? Because of the 2C's. Excellent coffee and croissants! These two are made so well in Paris that now, I am suffering from withdrawal syndrome.

1st thing in the morning: A definite must for me.

Coffee or in this case, espresso. I like my espresso sweet and strong. My only complaint is the serving is too small (yes, I do know that this is the standard espresso size). Strange, I couldn't find any long black in Paris. The other option is au lait which I don't really fancy. When I am craving for a larger dose, I just order a grande which is basically, double espresso.

The other must to go along with the coffee is of course, a piece of of bread or pastry. So far, I haven't came across any bakery with yucky bread. Yes, Paris is indeed a heaven for a bread-lover. I like croissants. They are so good; crispy and flaky, even when they are less than warm. But what I like even more is pain au chocolat, which is basically a rectangular croissant-type (puff) pastry filled with chocolate. Eat it warm and you will want more than one.

Pain au Chocolat

Croissant aux amandes - usually dusted with icing sugar. Inside: All warm and delicious!

Another variant of croissant that I really, really like is Almond Croissant (croissant aux amandes). Flaky croissants filled with almond paste and encrusted with almonds on top, it is simply divine. And the ultimate best Almond Croissant that I have had was from Pierre Herme. Words can't describe it, but trust me - it's one thing that will really makes you go "mmm.., mmm.., mmm...."

Best, best, best Almond Croissant!


Other breakfast staples: Multi-grain baguette, chocolate custard pastry, raisin custard pastry

So while in Paris, a typical breakfast usually consists of a glass of orange juice, a piece of croissant, baguette or pastry (like this):

or as extravagant as this Sunday Champagne Brunch that my friend made for me at her place in Pornichet, La Baule (a seaside resort town near Nantes).

Sunday Bubbly Brunch: Moet & Chandon, sweet muscadet (their region specialty), a selection of cold cuts and parma ham, a selection of table cheese, sunny-side eggs, fried bacon on warm toasts, a selection of juices, fresh strawberries and sweet cherry tomatoes. I was SO SPOILED during the vacation!

The best cafe breakfast that I had in Paris was on a cold, drizzly morning (which was rare throughout my trip) on the way up to Montmarte. It was near 11 o'clock and we were famished as we went to a open-market earlier but didn't see anywhere nice for a sit-down breakfast. So we stopped at a corner-shop cafe cum bistro cum bar which didn't looked promising at first but after stepping in, we were enveloped in the warmth of the interior of the cafe. We had their breakfast set: coffee/tea, juice, baguette with jam and butter and a choice of either fried eggs or scrambled.

I opted for their scrambled eggs and my friend had the former.

Best scrambled eggs that I have ever eaten.
Once we started eating, silence dawned on us as we made it a point to savour each delicious bite of the eggs and bread. So good, so, so good....

Good ol' Sydney! (Aug/Sep 2006): Breakfasts (Part 1)

Breakfast at Cafe Nine On Ultimo

Fruit Jam Friand with "Skinny Latte. Love them both! Absolutely addictive!
Oh, Australia. Land of good coffee. For a coffee lover like me, I have reached "caffeine heaven"-haha.
Seriously, the coffee served in Sydney makes our "non-local" coffee pales in comparison. I am not talking about coffee served in fine-dining outlets but those served by typical cafe or deli-style eateries. Having said that, not all coffee are created equal. Ultimately the type of coffee bean used as well as the barista make a very important difference.
I was lucky that the cafe besides one of the hotels I stayed in served excellent coffee. Just thinking about it starts my craving for coffee, which neither NESCAFE or STARBUCKS could satisfy. Cafe Nine On Ultimo serves such good coffee that I ended up having most of my breakfasts there. Each time, I ended up having their A$5 daily breakfast set of 1 coffee and 1 muffin/bread/pastry/cookie.


Long Black and Toasted Raspberry & Pear Bread served with butter & jam. Looks black because it is toasted. Their Banana Bread was very good as well. I enjoyed it toasted.


Yummy Friand with Fruit Jam Filling



Giant Orange & Chocolate Chunk Cookie by Spotted Cow Cookies Co. If you like Jaffa, you will LOVE THIS! The barista is highly-talented and quite a "looker" too. *grin*

And the highlights were the coffees, of course!
They were as good as they look, if not better.

Skinny Latte, Skinny Cappucino, Long Black.

Good ol' Sydney! (Aug/Sep 2006): Breakfasts (Part 2) - Bills

Darn it! I have just finished typing a long post. When I clicked on "Publish Post", the darn system hang. Don't you just feel like 'pulling your hair out' when this happened?

Anyway, back to square one. I am too lazy to recall back what I typed and to re-type everything so this post would be a summarized version.

Breakfast at bills, which has become almost an institution for breakfast dining in Sydney. Even before reaching Sydney, I already planned to try their famed breakfast menu there. So although my 1st attempt failed (Swee and I went during dinner time expecting to have their "all-day" breakfast menu only to discover it wasn't "all-day" after all but till 4p.m. only), we were back again at the Surry Hills outlet a few days later. And although having been advised that we have to wait about 30 minutes for a table (small place and long waiting list), we bravely beared with our growling stomachs for the next half and hour, standing outside on the pavement on a warm, sunny morning (felt like summer).

By the time we sat down, we were pretty sure what we wanted. So what did we order? Whatever they are famous for of course....

Swee ordered: Sweet Corn Fritters with roast tomato, spinach and bacon.

Interesting dish. Somehow, it reminds me of our local 'vadai'. But the sweet corn provided a nice and juicy crunch. I love the roast tomato too!

I ordered: Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter and Banana

Similar to pancakes but made with ricotta cheese. Still tastes like the usual pancakes to me but of course, they were good. Fluffy and nice. What made the dish more interesting was the honeycomb butter - yum! It looks dry in the photo because when it came, the waitress forgot to bring the maple syrup until I asked.

Extra order: Creamy scrambled eggs

This dish was said to be 'the' dish that propelled bills to greatness. It was creamy and smooth for a 'generous' amount of cream went into this dish (which I tried not to think about while consuming it). However, it was slightly less than warm when it arrived at our table. In my opinion, all eggs should be served warm unless if it is hard-boiled and used in salads.

My morning must-have: A good strong cup of coffee. Love at first sip!


Overall, breakfast at bills was good, as expected but not 'mind-blowing' fantastic. Go if you want to try something new, go if you want to check out what the hype was all about, go if you have RM100 to spare for breakfast (yep, our total bill came to more than RM100 - hehe).

Good ol' Sydney! (Aug/Sep 2006): Dining @ The Apparentice

One of the best meals that I had in Sydney was at The Apparentice at the Sydney TAFE Campus in Ultimo.

Granted, it is actually a training restaurant for its students, for other than the slightly nervous trainee serving staff (who were actually students at the college) you would hardly feel that you are in a "training" environment.

The environment was simple but modern. Table arrangement was pleasant.

At just A$20, you get a selection of 3-course plus a drink. I opted for their house white which was pleasant enough. Here's what my dining companion and I had:
(*Disclaimer: Due to time lapsed, I could no longer remember exact name of the dishes served so I would just have to make do with simple descriptions of them.)


Complimentary Bread Roll


Starter: Grilled Prawns on top of Chinese Bok Choy and Grilled Chinese Sausages ("Lap Cheong") - GOOD!


Starter: Murray Bug (similar to Balmain Bug) served with Roasted Vegetables and Toasts - GOOD!


Main: Mushroom Risotto. My friend seemed to enjoy it.


Main: Err, I think mine was a Salmon. It was quite a big portion and the fish was fresh enough. A bit dry though. And that was all I could remember about this dish.


Dessert: Strawberry Lychee Pudding or Panna Cotta served with ice-cream. Quite alright.


Dessert: Warm Chocolate Cake served with ice-cream. Can't go wrong with this dessert.


Dessert: At th end of the meal, we were served with complimentary Mini Chocolate Crepes. How nice!

Overall, I enjoyed my meal at The Apparentice very much. Catching up with an old friend whom I have not seen for a long time over a highly satisfying meal in a pleasant environment, it was one of my most memorable meals in Sydney. And what a steal at just A$20. If I have stayed on longer, I would surely make repeat trips back to the restaurant.

Good ol' Sydney! (Aug/Sep 2006): Dining @ bills

It was supposed to be Swee and I first attempt at trying their breakfast menu. I thought I read somewhere that their famous breakfast menu was served all-day. So we went during dinner time only to be told that their breakfast menu is served till 4p.m. daily. Ceh! And I thought we were being clever to go at dinner time to avoid the morning crowd.

So we looked at their dinner menu and decided to share some dishes.

Appetizer: Grilled Garlic Prawns in Lemon Herb Sauce served with Toasts.
Fresh and juicy prawns. I like this dish.


Main: Crispy Salmon served on Lentils
Rather good. It went along well with the greenish sauce. Couldn't remember what it was though.


Side: Broccolini with toasted Almonds
First time tasting broccolini which was a hybrid between Chinese Kale and Broccoli. Cool. Yum..., I love this! The broccolini was sweet and crunchy. My favourite dish of the night.


Dessert: Berries and Rhubarb Crumble
My first time tasting rhubarb. Not quite what I expected. Slightly sourish, it was quite ok - I supposed.

Despite the fact that only a few tables were occupied, service wasn't attentive enough. Swee and I had to wave our hands a few times before we were finally noticed whenever we needed anything. But I had good company so that didn't bother me much.

Good ol' Sydney! (Aug/Sep 2006): Dining @ Pier 26

Salt & Pepper Battered Squids on Toast with Avocado

Pier 26, Darling Harbour. Its website says "Cold Beer, Great Food, Hot Views!"
I can attest to the latter 2, can't say much about the first but I did have a very good, cool and crisp bubbly.

The weather was behaving, it was a clear and sunny day. Temperature was just nice to sit on the outside with good views of Darling Harbour.

Food was very good and reasonably priced. I enjoyed every dish.

Beer-battered Fish and Chips (one of the best I ever had)


Spicy Prawn Spaghetti with Spinach, Tomato and Parmesan


Warm Chocolate Fondant