As the region borders Laos and Cambodia, the food is quite different from the Thai that we are used to. First of all, there are a lot of salads and soups, and most dishes are eaten with sticky rice (kao niao). The flavours are explosive and not only because it is spicy.

All the memories from my journey to Isaan came flooding back when I dined at House, the latest offering from the Spice I Am family. House looks like a cross between a bistro and a beer garden. While the setting works perfectly for the food, it is a little irritating to have to venture next door for drinks (there’s also no BYO, unlike the original).

The grilled dishes at House are outstanding and easily the staple here. The pork neck skewers (Moo Ping) are perfectly marinated and cooking by chargrill adds a smokey caramel flavour to the meat. The ox tongue (Ping Lin) is tender and fleshy pink in the middle, accompanied with a tangy dipping sauce. The grilled chicken (Gai Yang) isn’t as juicy and plump as pictured on the menu, however, the flavours are aromatic and nicely balanced.

Moo Ping $10

Ping Lin $10

Gai Yang $16

The salads are vibrant and fresh, although the flavours slightly one-note as they all share the same chilli and lime dressing. The Som Tum Thai is as tongue numbing as the original Spice I Am. Eating this at the start coats your tongue in throbbing chilli, a sensation that stays with you long after the meal is over.

The Yum Woon Zen, which combines vermicelli with pork mince, calamari, prawns and celery, is milder and features a nice sprinkling of ingredients. Meanwhile, the Yum Naam with steamed fermented pork sausage is an interesting take on what’s usually eaten plain with sticky rice.

Som Tum $7

Yum Naam - $12

Yum Woon Zen - $14

The soup selection also lack variety – the base in each dish is essentially the same (tom yum) so ordering two soups almost seems redundant. The flavour in the tom yum is more pungent and amplified than the Thai version. The Tom Yum Powng Kai with embryo eggs came highly recommended, but I found them very rubbery with no real texture or flavour at all. The Tom Nua Toun, a slow cooked beef spicy soup, is an easy favourite with its meltingly soft beef pieces.

Tom Yum Powng Kai $16

Tom Nua Toun $14

We finished off our meal with a slew of desserts, including the now famous BTS or ‘Better Than Sex’. This dessert features one thick sliced brioche deep fried and topped with a scoop of pandan ice cream and palm syrup. It is a really interesting combination and is strangely addictive. However, at $15, it’s not a cheap dessert.

The other two desserts on the menu – a shaved ice number with taro and ruby chestnuts and a simple ice cream sandwich combo – lack the drama and cheekiness of the BTS. They are nice desserts but no real wow factor to be seen.

BTS $15

Kati num kang dai $5

Bread and ice cream $5

I don’t immediately see Spice I Am fans taking a liking to House. Like Spice I Am’s restaurant in Darlinghurst, the menu is completely different to the original. House has a very limited offering when it comes to main dishes, however, dishes are under $18 which is an attractive price point for budget conscious diners.

Having been three times now, I’ve noticed that the serving sizes have gotten smaller as House gets busier (thanks to the string of positive publicity in all the key food review sections). On our last and most recent visit, our portion of Som Tum was only two thirds the size of our first visit and our BTS was pricier. We couldn’t help but feel a little ripped off, especially given our relatively positive experience during the first two visits. Let’s hope they introduce some consistency to their sizing and pricing, or they may struggle to find loyal customers.

House

House
202 Elizabeth St
Surry Hills
NSW 2010
# 02 9280 0364

Open daily from 12pm to 2am.

Fat Noodle consulting chef, Luke Nguyen

Star City has been undergoing major renovations in the last year with the aim of transforming into a world class dining and entertainment complex – in other words, more like the Crown Casino in Melbourne. The launch of the open plan Fat Noodle brings Star City one step closer to realising this dream.

Fat Noodle

This open plan noodle bar is effortlessly inviting and sits right next to the Baccarat tables and 1c poker machines. There’s something very Vegas about the new setup and if this is where Star City is headed, then I am looking forward to the final reveal.

The very glamorous 'Fat Noodle' hostesses

The launch of Fat Noodle was a star studded affair, spruiking the likes of Sarah Wilson, Sean Connolly, Mikey Robbins and Tony Squires to name a few. It wasn’t until Matt Preston’s fashionably late arrival that got us food bloggers excited. Sporting a brown blazer, suede boots and a pink-and-white cravat, Matt was a vision of style and elegance. Chowing into Luke Nguyen’s signature ‘fat pho’ noodle cups, he said, “Luke, what’s with the tiny portions!”

Matt Preston with Luke Nguyen

The food was flavourful and there was plenty of it – a handful of waistaff worked the room holding tasting platters filled with pork neck skewers, prawn and pork dumplings, crisp parcels, rice paper rolls, salt and pepper tofu, ‘fat’ pho and slow braised wagyu. The stand-out for me were the dumplings (beautiful skin with lots of bite) and the slow braised wagyu (tender pull apart beef in a rich aromatic broth).

Crisp parcels with pork

Grilled Byron Bay organic pork neck skewers

Roast duck Vietnamese rice paper rolls

Roast duck with vermicelli noodles

Handmade pork and prawn wontons

Slow braised wagyu beef brisket and tendon with noodles

Salt and Pepper silken tofu

Great food is always complemented by great drinks and a real highlight for me on the night was the cocktails, which included tamarind and palm sugar martinis and lychee margaritas.

Bar staff prepping the tamarind and palm sugar cocktails

Perhaps the thing that appeals to me most about Fat Noodle is its late opening hours – 2:30am on school nights and 6:30am on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s the perfect spot for a late night Vietnamese hit!

Fat Noodle
Star City Casino
80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009
# 1800 700 700
www.starcity.com.au

Open from 11.30am to 2.30am on Sundays through to Thursdays and 11.30am to 6am on Fridays and Saturdays.

One restaurant I did cross off over the weekend was Sugarcane, one that’s been on my radar for a while now. Headed up by ex Longrain chefs Kitsana Aunarerom and Milan Strbac, Sugarcane opened last year in Surry Hill’s Resevoir Street. Longrain is admitedly one of my favourite restaurants in Sydney, so I was curious to see how Sugarcane would stack up.

Ironically, Sugarcane is located within walking distance from Longrain. Spanning only 20 or so square metres, Sugarcane is fitted with modest tables and an unassuming, minimalist decor. It is Longrain stripped back, doing away with the formalities, queues and slight pretense that comes with visiting the former.

We came here on a Saturday night before a dessert date with some friends. The restaurant was buzzing, but not at full capacity when we arrived. After taking our seats, Mr. Taste and I settled on the Beef Rendang Curry and the Pork Hock Vietnamese Salad. There was a broader mix of South East Asian flavours on the Sugarcane menu, including influences from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

With only two chefs in the kitchen, the food service at Sugarcane was painfully slow. We waited a good 40 minutes before our first dish arrived and this long wait did burst my bubble of excitement about dining here. With direct views of the kitchen, Mr. Taste and I looked on yearningly at each dish leaving the kitchen bench, hoping it was ours.

The wait did indeed proove worthwhile. Sugarcane’s rendition of the classic Beef Rendang was probably one of the best dishes I’ve had in a long while. The flavours were unexpected and exciting: the sauce was full bodied with a hint of acidity while the meat was pull apart tender. It’s a relatively small serving, but oh so satisfying.

The Pork Hock salad was just as pleasing. It is a reincarnation of Longrain’s caramelised pork hock (a personal favourite) and in many ways, Sugarcane does it better. First, the meat is crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. I’ve had this dish many times at Longrain and more often than not, the meat has been too hard on the outside and dry on the inside. The salad of paw paw, kaffir lime, coriander and mint provides the perfect base for the sweetly acidic dressing. The sauce is almost identical to the one at Longrain, albeit a little too sour for my liking.

While it’s hard to resist comparisons to Longrain, I think Sugarcane offers a breath of freshness that sets it apart from the former. The dishes are well balanced and thoughtfully crafted, not to mention reasonably priced. Sugarcane is the younger sister, who’s setting herself apart and coming into her own.

Sugarcane
40 Reservoir Street
Surry Hills
# 02 9281 1788
www.sugarcanerestaurant.com.au

Open for lunch on Monday to Friday (12-2:30pm) and dinner (6-10:30pm) on Monday to Saturday.

Pan Asian

During my recent trip to Melbourne, Ziba from Harvey Publicity invited us to dine at Pan Asian, an asian fusion restaurant located on the Chapel Street precinct. Feeling adventurous, I put my skepticism aside and kindly agreed.

Pan Asian

Walking into Pan Asian is like steppingback in time onto an old Chinese movie set. There’s an eclectic mix of antique dark wood chests, woven bamboo chairs and grand floor-to-ceiling carved wooden screens. The manga-style mural on the kitchen wall is a little over the top, but no doubt adds to the atmosphere of the place.

Pan Asian

Once seated, we were greeted with dinner and drink menus. Pan Asian has quite a refined menu offering with an interesting mix of dishes – some more bold (or should I say, ‘fusion’) than others – such as the stir fried shark or blue cheese and leek gyoza.

We start with drink orders, and the lychee infused black tea catches my eye. As does the mojito on the cocktail list, which our waitress reveals to be the most popular cocktail on the menu. I can’t say I’m usually a fan of mojito, but the Pan Asian version, I can certainly warm to.

Lychee infused black tea

Pan Asian Mojito

As we wait for our dishes, we are brought two shots of the housemade soy mushroom broth.

Soy mushroom broth

The first dish to arrive is the beef tataki. The slices are thin but tender and come accompanied with Japanese mayo, black sesame seeds and shoots.

Beef tataki with Japanese mayo, sesame and shoots

Our next order is the char grilled cuttlefish and green papaya salad. Papaya or paw paw salad is a personal favourite of ours and although we’ve had quite a few variations, this dish lacks the depth of flavour and spiciness we’ve come to expect. That said, it is quite light on the palate and the supple cuttlefish curls are a nice addition.

Char grilled cuttlefish and papaya salad

Char grilled cuttlefish and papaya salad

The tea smoked duck breasts was a real stand-out for me. Although the duck alone was a winner in its own right, it was the pickled watermelon rind and toasted pistachios that brought all the flavours together in one intoxicating mouthful. I’ve never seen or tasted anything like the pickled watermelon rind – it was both sweet and sour and resembled the texture of a firm pear. I couldn’t get enough of it!

Tea smoked duck breast with pickled watermelon rind and pistachios

Tea smoked duck breast with pickled watermelon rind and pistachios

The last main to arrive on the night was Chinese style pork belly. We were both surprised by the generous serving of pork belly, it was probably the most generous we’ve ever seen in any restaurant. The strips of pork belly arrived doused in a blood orange sauce and tossed with celery and radish. While I didn’t eat as much of this dish as I would’ve liked (Mr. Taste and I were both loosening notches on our belts by this stage), I thought it was an interesting, if not clever combination.

Chinese style roasted pork belly with blood orange, celery and radish

Chinese style roasted pork belly with blood orange, celery and radish

Of course, we couldn’t leave without having dessert.

Our order of pandan panna cotta, blood orange sago and mandarin shortbread was absolutely amazing. This was the perfect fusion of flavours for me and I couldn’t have been happier to end the dinner any other way. The panna cotta was velvety smooth, with just the right amount of pandan. The blood orange soup was a little unusual but a treat with the sago pearls. And finally, the mandarin shortbread was delightful end to the meal.

Pandan panna cotta with blood orange soup and mandarin shortbread

Blood orange soup with sago

Mandarin shortbread

Pan Asian
267 Chapel Street
Prahran, Melbourne
# 03 9533 7022
www.panasian.com.au

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00-3:30pm and from 5:30pm to late.

Darlinghurst’s trendy Vietnamese eatery, Phamish is unique in that I’ve heard both extremes – while some adore it, others wouldn’t dream of going back. It wasn’t until my first visit there that I realised why.

Papaya and Beef Salad - $16.50

I have a pet hate for restaurants that don’t take bookings. Phamish is one of these restaurants. The first time I visited Phamish, my girlfriends and I arrived 15 minutes after opening and missed the first sitting – which meant that we had to wait an hour before getting a table. The second time, Mr. Taste and I made sure we were there 6pm on the dot. We figured it was worth killing ourselves to get there on time than face the agonising wait.

Front Counter

Both times I’ve visited, the service was unfriendly. I’ve also heard horror stories of customers getting screamed at for missing their spot in the queue. The staff don’t take orders, so you have to line up at the counter to place your order (on most nights, the line is as long as the restaurant itself). While the food does come out quite fast, you’re also expected to vacate your table just as quickly. Dishes are cleared almost as soon as you take the last bite.

Duck and Prawn Pancake - $14

Bad service or not, the food is definitely worth coming for. Some say Phamish is a mix of Vietnamese and Thai, but I think it’s more Chinamese fusion in that it takes a fresh approach to Chinese and Vietnamese cooking. The duck and prawn rice paper rolls here are sensational. These jumbo sized rolls combine duck pancake, banh xeo and rice paper roll all in one fascinating mix. They are definitely one of the first dishes to be taken off the menu on a busy night, so make sure you order these early!

Blue Swimmer Crab Dumplings (with dipping sauce) - $12

The Blue Swimmer Crab Dumplings are just as popular. These crispy wontons are stuffed with a crab meat filling with shitake mushrooms and corn. A word of warning, the dumpings are prepared fresh from the deep fryer, so be careful not to burn your tongue!

Papaya and Beef Salad - $16.50

The papaya salad is quiet mild in comparison to the ones Mr Taste’s aunts make. It’s still plenty tasty though, especially with the pan-fried beef slices.

Other signature dishes include the salt and pepper squid, lamb curry and the banana blossom salad.

Phamish

And one last thing….. For those of you who’ve been, what is up with the chairs? While I love the look, they’re awfully uncomfortable to sit on. After two hours on these seats, I’m in need a good back rub.

Phamish

Phamish
Shop 109, 50 Burton St,
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
# 02 9357 2688

I remember sharing Kuay Chap with my mother on one of our many trips to Cabramatta as a little kid. It had big flat rice noodles in a soya sauce soup, random pig inside parts, not so random pig outside parts and blood jelly. I would eat the giant, almost impossible to chopstick noodles with the braised pork belly parts and the blood (looove the blood) while she would eat all the offally parts.

Kuay Chap $7.90 - Lunch Only

Unfortunately, our long adventures to Cabramatta now always ends up at one of the popular Vietnamese restaurants or at Vinh Phat for yum cha. Ms. Taste tells me off whenever I suggest the food halls (“we didn’t drive all this way to eat food court”). So when we were in the Surry Hills area, I am pleased when she suggests we head down to check out Spice I Am’s lunch menu, which offers both Kuay Chap and Boat Noodle.

Spice I Am’s Kuay Chap has its noodles neatly rolled up for improved usability. There was no offal to be seen, only regular pork bits, fried tofu, a boiled egg, some bits of blood jelly and a few crunchy pork crackle bits. The soup had a rich, slightly salty flavour.

Boat Noodle is another favourite of mine. Contrary to its name, it does not contain a boat, nor does it come served in a boat. My theory is that it is supposed to be blood noodle, but got changed in translation to increase its appeal. The blood jelly and a handful of the usual bunch of fragrant thai herbs and spices are blended together and then slowly added to a beef stock which has been stewing for many hours. The stock cooks the gory looking mixture and lightly thickens the soup, creating a super tasty place to put your noodles.

Boat Noodle $7.90 - Lunch Only

Spice I Am’s Boat Noodle has a thin rice noodle, topped with sliced beef and finely chopped celery. The soup was not too thick, slightly garlicky and very spicy (as with most dishes on the menu). Not usually a fan of celery, Ms. Taste said it provided a nice contrast to the spicy soup.

Spice I Am

Opt for one of the alfresco tables to cool off from the 'heat'

A word of warning to those who have never been: Spice I Am doesn’t take bookings and has very few tables. I’d advise to arrive as close to opening time as possible in order to secure a table. Lunch times are usually quieter.

Spice I Am
90 Wentworth Avenue
Surry Hills NSW 2010
http://www.spiceiam.com/eatin-takeaway/index.asp

Tuesday – Sunday
Lunch: 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Dinner: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM