All too often, falafels are dry and crusty, without much flavour. Sabbaba’s magical falafel are made fresh to order and served piping hot. They’re so fresh in fact, there’s a machine dispensing balls of chickpea goodness right into the deep fryer. The result is hot fluffy falafel with a crispy golden exterior.

Sabbaba’s falafels are best enjoyed wrapped in pita bread topped with tomatoes, pickles, hummus, babaganoush and nutty tahini. It is a delicious combination that isn’t as sinful as the Double Down, but just as satisfying! I knew I wasn’t alone in thinking this as line to order stretched to the door when we popped in.

For the carnivorous, Sabbaba offers generous share plates with a nice selection of lean meats and fish, grilled to order. There are also fresh salads, Middle Eastern sweets and homemade pink lemonade.

Perhaps not the most authentic spot for a taste of Middle East (you won’t find El Jannah’s legendary garlic sauce here or Al Awafi’s smokey charcoal chicken), but Sabbaba does deliver wholesome food with great flavours in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

Sabbaba Newtown
148 King Street
Newtown NSW 2042
www.facebook.com/sabbaba

Open daily from 7am – 10:30pm Monday to Wednesday and until late from Thursday to Sunday.

Thanks to Splendid Communications for organising our visit, no falafel will ever be the same again.

From their first store up the northern end of Bondi, Doughboy has expanded across Sydney, from the beach, past the city and up the river to their newest branch in Abbotsford. We’ve heard lots of great things about the pizza chain, so Ms. Taste and I decided to pay the new Doughboy a visit.

Do you want some free Doughboy pizza? Scroll down and win!

Joined by our bud and photographer Ivan the Ironman, we find an easy park on a nearby street, right behind a car that has been toilet papered. Closer inspection finds that it is the work of soccer hooligans, “Inter rules! Barca sucks!” messily scrawled across one strip. This little town loves their Italian football and they love their pizza.

We take our seats at the long communal table, with other patrons patiently waiting for their takeaway pizza at the other end. The phone is ringing off the hook, the pizza boys are busy tossing dough in the air and we’re all studying the menu eyeing which pizzas have our big ticket ingredients.

Check out that iPod playing The Beatles and the Stones! Yeaaah!

The pizzas at Doughboy are reasonably authentic – you won’t find the Aussie bacon and egg or a tandoori chicken here.

Pizza in a can! What an invention!

Garlic and Cheese Bread $7.50

We start with the garlic and cheese bread, which is drizzled with pesto and covered with thin slices of parmesan. Each of us fight for the last bits of cheese, dipping our soft but crunchy bread sticks madly at the plate to soak up the last pools of the garlicky basil oil.

Carbonara - Thyme and Garlic Créme Sauce, Double Smoked Ham off the bone, Peas, Mushrooms, w/ Parmesan & Parsley. Medium $15

The Carbonara pizza is the unanimous favourite, polling #1 at the end of the night. The mushrooms were the star of this pizza, generously heaped on, their strong earthy umaminess cut through the bite of the subtle flavours from the thinly sliced smoked ham and parmesan.

Muchacho (foreground) - Spanish Salami, Eggplant, Bocconcini, Jalapeños, w/ Garlic & fresh Basil. Medium $15

The Judd is also popular with its tasty chorizo and classic olive flavours whilst the Muchacho has a pleasant spicy kick and the marinated artichoke on the Vegetarian being the dominant flavour.

The Judd - Tomato, mozzarella, chorizos sausage, cherry tomatoes, fetta, olives, chilli, w basil & garlic. Medium $15

Vegetarian - Tomato, mozzarella, goats curd, roasted capsicum, mushroom, marinated artichokes, spinach, w pesto & fresh basil. Medium $15

Each pizza is a delight to eat, with the care taken in choosing fresh, quality ingredients very obvious on each bite. The crust is so light and chewy, we polished off all 4 pizzas with no sign of “eater’s remorse” that usually hits immediately after a pizza session.

Win one of five Doughboy pizza packs!

Doughboy and tasted by two are pleased to offer our readers 5 giveaway packs, consisting of a pizza voucher and Doughboy t-shirt. To be in the running, become a fan on our Facebook fan page and tell us which pizza you’d most like to try at Doughboy.

Competition closes on Friday 7 May, so get in quick!

Doughboy Pizza
308 Great North Road
Abbotsford
NSW 2046
# 02 9713 6600
www.doughboypizza.com.au/

Peri Peri - Chicken Breast Fillets, Shallots, Roasted Capsicum, Caramelised Onions & Bocconcini, topped with Peri-Peri sauce $20 Large

Crust Gourmet Pizza is taking Australia by storm. With stores popping up in key surburbs all over Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Crust’s hook is in their fresh gourmet ingredients – take that! Pizza Hut. A few even have the Heart Foundation’s tick of approval (although I’m not so sure it’s such a great measure considering McDonalds, Milo and Fruit Fix are also on that list).

We are regular Crust go-ers – their piping hot pizzas are great for lazy nights in and when we have company over. There’s also plenty of flavours to choose from – our favourites so far have been the Aussie, Peri Peri, Magherita and Proscuitto.

At $20+ for a large pizza, it is not the cheapest takeaway pizza around but there is free home delivery thrown in!

Peri Peri - Chicken Breast Fillets, Shallots, Roasted Capsicum, Caramelised Onions & Bocconcini, topped with Peri-Peri sauce

Aussie - Ham, Bacon, Egg Large $15

Prosciutto - Prosciutto, Roma Tomatoes, Garlic, topped with Shaved Parmesan & Wild Rocket Large $20

For a slice of the action, visit www.crust.com.au.

This is the whole premise behind Ruby L’otel‘s weekend ‘Feed the Family Yum Cha Menu’. The stylish new bar in Rozelle takes yum cha to a whole new level with its outdoor garden restaurant which serves up an impressive variety of dim sum served the Aussie way.

Chicken Broth Hot Pot - $4 per person

Ruby L'otel

But don’t come here expecting your prawn dumplings to be like the ones at East Ocean. What you will get is dim sum served to suit the aussie palate – salt and pepper squid with tangy lemon dipping sauce, fried prawn won tons and ‘do it yourself short soup’. While I can’t really see my parents wanting to come here for yum cha, I know several friends who will. Ruby is also family friendly (I know! A family friendly bar!), kids love new experiences – especially when there’s face painting and balloon animals thrown into the mix.

Yum cha table setting with menu

Yum cha here doesn’t come on rickety trolleys, it is cooked fresh to order. The prices aren’t cheap though – a trio of dumplings will set you back at least $7 or $8, which is probably on par with the top notch yum cha joints. For two people, it’s just a tad too expensive to come as a regular but nice for a catch up with friends – especially if you want to avoid the hassles of getting a park in the city.

Black tea

Four sauces - soy with ginger, chilli, Nobu style miso and xo sauce

What I liked best at Ruby was the chicken broth hot pot. While the broth is very light in flavour (no MSG by the taste of it), it springs to life when the vegies, dumplings and soy are added. It’s all a matter of personal taste and having the freedom to make your own short soup is pretty special.

Salt and Pepper Squid with White Pepper and Lemon Sauce $12

Asian Greens with Tamari and Lemon $12

Mr. Taste and I are very big on steamed dim sum. While we enjoyed the Crab and Spinach Siu Mai, the Prawn and Scallop Dumplings were a little disappointing. The skin was quite thick and the filling wasn’t as saucey as we would like. I did enjoy the Pork Soup Dumplings though – it can’t compare to Din Tai Fung but the flavour is wonderfully balanced and not too salty.

Crab and Spinach Siu Mai $10

Steamed Prawn Dumplings $7

Steamed Scallop Dumplings $7.50

Pork Soup Dumplings $7

Although I was slightly surprised to find that there wasn’t much of a dessert selection, my favourite Mango Pudding was on there. It was slightly gooey but beautifully fresh and very different to the ones I’ve had at yum cha. I’m not sure it’s worth the $7 price tag though – my dad makes me feel guilty enough when I pay $4 for this little treat at yum cha (why order dessert when you can order another dumpling!).

Mango Pudding $7

If you’re looking for a relaxed way to enjoy yum cha without the hour-long wait – then do give Ruby a try. It’s not the best yum cha in town, but it sure inspires us to experience new ways of enjoying the popular weekend ritual.

Ruby L'otel Garden Restaurant

Note: Ruby L’otel’s ‘Feed the Family Yum Cha Menu’ is available from 11 am through to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Ruby L’otel
68 Victoria Road
Rozelle 2039 NSW
# 02 9555 1900
www.rubylotel.com.au

Open Sunday to Tuesday from 11 am to 10.30 pm and Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am – 12 midnight

Thanks to Katie at Magnum PR for organising our tasting at Ruby.

One of our favourite Sichuan restaurants is Red Chilli Sichuan, which offers two branches in Chinatown and one in Burwood. We visited the upstairs Chinatown branch once for all-you-can-eat hotpot and we are yet to visit the new downstairs branch down the street. However, we come to Burwood branch quite regularly to appease our sichuan pepper cravings.

Stewed Sliced Fish with Sichuan Chilli and Pickled Vegetables $28.80

Bits of white fish, chinese cabbage and sour pickled cabbage floating in an extremely flavourful stew filled with garlic, tiny green chillies, tiny red chillies and plenty of sichuan peppers (and probably a jar of MSG). The soup is incredibly addictive, each mouthful delivers an assortment of different flavours.

Boiled Pork Slices in Garlic and Chilli Oil $9.80

Boiled Pork Slices in Garlic and Chilli Oil is a cold dish and has only 2 chilli icons on the menu. There’s no confusion here, thin slices of fatty pork belly drenched in a deliciously unique garlic chilli oil and the ever present sichuan peppers, topped with sesame seeds. Totally addictive and totally delicious. Once I’m finished with the pork, I cover my rice with the delicious oil to prolong the flavour with each further mouthful.

Other favourites here include the Dan Dan Noodles $7.80 and the Spicy Soup in both lamb, fish and chicken varieties $22.80.

The restaurant is quite tiny. There are only 6-7 tightly packed tables downstairs, while upstairs has a few extra circular tables. Expect to wait outside in the freezing cold with international students in their under-dressed outfits and cigarette smoke.

As with most Chinese restaurants nowadays, any special requests or assistance with the menu items are totally lost in translation (want no nuts? Ok, here’s extra nuts for you). I saw a gentleman walk in and ask for the takeaway menu a few times, only to be met with blank stares before being ushered out.

That said, the service here is very prompt and the tables are turned around very quickly – and that’s all that really matters doesn’t it?

Rice $2 per person
Tea $1 per person

Red Chilli Sichuan
35C Burwood Road Burwood
# 02 9745 2258
http://www.redchillirestaurant.com.au/

Situated on the Darling Street strip, About Life runs a busy cafe with all day breakfasts as well as a tasty lunch menu touting organic burgers and soups. Close by, there is an impressive selection of organic and gluten free products, ranging from fruits and vegies to juices, breads, pastas, poultry, meat and household items. There’s also plenty of friendly staff around to help out if you need it.

After a quick wander through the aisles, I grab a table outside with Mr. Taste and we deliberate over what to have. I pick the 3 Organic Egg Omelettes (smoked chicken, avocado and caramelised onions) while he chooses the Sweet Corn and Shallot Fritters (with grilled field mushrooms, chorizo, spinach and tomato chutney). I head over to the counter and place my order after a short wait.

Our food arrives not long after. And looking at Mr. Taste’s fritters, I question whether I should’ve been more adventurous with my selection.

Sweet Corn and Shallot Fritters

One bite of the fritters and I’m absolutely blown away. The flavours just work – from the sweetness of the corn, to the spices in the chorizo and the sauciness of the chutney. No doubt one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long long time.

3 Egg Omelette - Smoked chicken, avocado, caramelised onions and goat's cheese

Meanwhile, my omelette is pale in comparison. The flavours are all there, but it lacks the tongue smacking goodness Mr. Taste is enjoying across the table.

Altogether a very nice way to spend a Sunday morning!

Note – About Life is now also open in Bondi, replacing the old Macro site.

About Life Rozelle
605 Darling Street
Rozelle NSW 2039
# 02 8755 1333

About Life Bondi
31-37 Oxford Street
Bondi Junction
# 02 9389 7611

www.aboutlife.com.au

Monday to Thursday 6:00am – 8:00pm
Friday 6:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday & Sunday – 7:00am – 7:00pm