Food Review at Manta Restaurant, Woolloomooloo

Beautiful view from the restaurant

Today’s food review takes us to Manta Seafood Restaurant at 6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011. The restaurant is located along the wharf overlooking the beautiful skyline of Sydney CBD with the beautiful yachts docked at the wharf and the sea breeze blowing gently onto our face. This is a fine dining restaurant, therefore our expectations on the quality and presentation of the food are high.

"Classic" baked spanner crab lasagne

We started our lunch with the Manta “classic” baked spanner crab lasagne with shellfish reduction and chervil as starter. It is stated in the menu that this dish is meant to be shared. Well, it is also interesting to note that this dish is listed under the heading “Small” which we take it to mean that portions under this category are meant to be starters or entrees. When the crab lasagne was placed on the table, we could see that the portion was definitely small and it was just enough for us (there were 3 of us in this dining experience) to have one bite each. The crab lasagne is very rich and it is meant to be savoured slowly to appreciate the sweetness of the crab meat together with the chervil and the sauce which was lightly poured by the waiter when it was served. We would give this dish a 7/10 for its quality, taste and presentation.

The King Trout

Our first main was the king trout with crispy skin, celeriac puree, herb gnocchi, Alaskan king crab meat, green peas, shaved brussels sprouts and lemon butter. It is stated in the menu that the king trout was aqua-farmed and came from Gouldburn River in the state of Victoria. The trout was moist and well cooked. However, the “crispy skin” was a let down. It was more “chewy” rather than “crispy”. The celeriac puree gave the trout a nice balance in flavour. We would rate this 7/10 for its quality and taste. As for presentation, we would rate it 8/10.

King George Whiting

Our second main was the King George Whiting, pan-fried sourdough crumbed fillets, kipfler potatoes, preserved lemon, aioli and cornichons (savoury pickled cucumber). The menu states that the whitings come from Kangaroo Island in South Australia and was line caught. We must say that the whiting was fresh however when pan-fried, it changed the texture of the fish and became a bit too dry for our liking. The aioli together with the cornichons complement the whiting but we found that it did not bring justice to the flavour of the fish. We would rate this dish 6/10 for its taste, 7/10 for its quality and 6/10 for a very simple presentation of the dish.

Grilled King Prawns

Our third main was the whole grilled king prawns with parsley, garlic and extract virgin olive oil. The king prawns were fresh and succulent. The grilled parsley, garlic and extract virgin olive oil complements and bring out the beautiful flavour in the prawns. Amongst all the mains, we love the king prawns. We would rate this dish a high 9/10 for its taste and quality and 8/10 for its presentation.

"Angel" chips with truffle oil

We also ordered a side order of Manta “angel” chips with truffle oil and parmesan. The chips or fries were cooked well and tasty. We would rate this side order a 8/10.

In conclusion and based on our dining experience at Manta Restaurant, we enjoyed the ambient of watching the skyline of Sydney CBD in the background and the waterfront in the foreground. The service was attentive as well as prompt. Like in any fine dining restaurant, expect to pay premium prices for the food and service.

Recipe - "Wa Tan Hor" / Cantonese Style Fried "Kway Teow" (Rice Noodles)

Cantonese Style Fried Rice Noodles “Kuey Teow”/ “Wa Tan Hor”

Growing up in Malaysia, one of my favourite hawker fare is the Cantonese style fried “kway teow” or in Hokkien, commonly known as “Kong Hoo Char Kway Teow” or just simply known as “Wa Tan Hor”. I can still vividly remember the hawker stall which was operated by a husband and wife team. Those days, it was common to find hawker stalls selling “Wa Tan Hor” together with the other famous hawker fried dishes such as “Hokkien Mee”, “Lor Mee”, “Chinese Fried Rice” and “Mee Soup”. The husband and wife would be operating as a very efficient team where one would do the frying while the other would be picking the ingredients to create that dish. Well, here is my recipe for “Wa Tan Hor”, hope you enjoy cooking it!

Ingredients

(per serving)

A

250 gm rice noodles
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark caramel sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg yolk

B

1 tbsp shallot oil (refer recipe : http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/jennifers-secret-ingredient-in-her.html)
1 tsp chopped garlic
4 slices of chicken meat
4 shrimps (peeled and de-vein) with tail intact
4 slices of fish cake
1 squid (cleaned and cut into 4 pieces)
Vegetables (“choy sum”/”sawi”/mustard greens); trimmed and washed

Marinade chicken meat with soy sauce, salt, pepper, ginger, sesame oil and corn flour
Marinade shrimps and squid with salt and pepper

C

300 ml chicken stock
[Chicken stock : simmer 1 kg of skinless chicken drumsticks with 1 ½ liter of water for at least an hour. The balance of the stock, you can freeze it for future use.]
½ tsp salt
½ tsp chicken stock powder (optional)
1 tsp chestnut flour or tapioca flour (Dissolve it with some water)
1 egg white

Unlike in Malaysia, you don’t get fresh rice noodles here in Australia. The texture of  the noodles are a little bit hard. So I would suggest that you gently wash the rice noodles in cold water. Boil a pot of hot water and blanch the rice noodles. Set aside and let it cool.

Procedure A

Heat the wok or pan. Put vegetable oil. Stir fry the rice noodles with soy sauce and dark caramel sauce. Add the egg yolk and stir fry until noodles become brownish in colour. Turn off the heat. Remove and place it on a serving plate.

Procedure B

Heat the wok or pan. Add shallot oil. Add the garlic and saute it to lightly brown. Put in chicken, squid, prawns, fish cake and lastly vegetables. Stir fry until cook. Once cooked, remove and set it aside.

Procedure C

In the same wok or saucepan, pour the chicken stock, bring it to boil. Add salt. Put all the ingredients from procedure B. Boil it together for a few seconds. Taste the gravy. Add the chicken stock powder if necessary.

Add in the chestnut flour or tapioca flour. Stir it. Turn off the flame. Add the egg white and stir it well.

Dish the gravy and pour over the fried rice noodles. Sprinkle with some fried shallots. Serve it hot. Best eaten together with pickled green chillies (Recipe : - http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/recipe-pickled-green-chillies.html )

Recipe - Fried "Bee Hoon" / Rice Vermicelli

Recipe Fried “Bee Hoon” / Rice Vermicelli
In this post, I will be sharing with you the recipe for fried “bee hoon”. The main sauces are Chilli and Tomato which are sauces that are not often use in cooking. However in the case of “fried bee hoon”, I find that it makes the dish really delicious! So, let’s get on with it:-

Ingredients

250 g “Bee Hoon” / Rice Vermicelli
1 tsp garlic finely chopped
1 brown onion finely chopped
20 gm dried prawns (de shelled, wash and pound)
10 fresh prawns (peeled and de-vein; cut into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size of the prawn)
1 tbsp soy sauce
¼ white pepper
2 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp seafood seasoning stock or ½ cube anchovy stock
Fish cake
2 eggs
Vegetables (choy sum/cabbage/bean sprouts)
200 ml of tap water
3 tbsp of shallot oil or vegetable oil

Soak the “bee hoon”  in cold tap water for approximately ½ hour.
Drain and set aside.
Rinse, wash and cut your vegetables. Set aside.
Beat the eggs, add pepper and salt. Fry eggs omelette style. Cut thinly in strips. Set aside.
Fish cake; slice in strips and pan fried it. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix all the sauces together; soy sauce, white pepper, tomato and chilli sauce.

Heat a big wok or a large frying pan to high flame. Add the oil. Once oil is hot, lower the flame to medium.
   
Firstly, saute the brown onions until medium done, add garlic and saute both till golden brown. Add in the dried prawns and cook it well until it produces an aromatic smell. Next, add the fresh prawns. Once cook, pour all the sauces into the wok/pan.

Put water and bring all your stock to boil. Add the seasoning follow by the vegetables and next put in the “bee hoon”. Mix well with all the ingredients.

Once the “bee hoon” is cook, lower the heat to the smallest and fry the “bee hoon” until it is quite dry. Have a quick taste, add salt or soya sauce if it is not to your taste. Put in the fish cake and mix it well. Turn off the flame.

Remove the “bee hoon” and serve on a plate. Top it with the eggs and garnish it with chopped spring onions (optional) and fried crispy shallots (refer recipe : http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/jennifers-secret-ingredient-in-her.html )

Recipe - Dry Wan Tan noodles

Dry Wan Tan noodles recipe:-

Dry Wan Tan noodles with choy sum, char siu, homemade braised mushroom and pickled green chillies.

My grandma used to make Wan Tan noodles for breakfast and sometimes she packed it for us to bring to school. She loved it spicy and always mixed the noodles with Lingham’s chilli sauce. I prefer to eat it with pickled green chillies.

In Malacca, I lived two houses away from a hawker stall selling Wan Tan noodles. Back then, I love to watch Ah Lek cook the noodles. The noodles textures are always springy and firm never mushy.

Wan Tan noodles are easily accessible in wet markets or Asian grocery stores if you live in Australia.

Ingredients

One handful of fresh wan tan noodles approximately 100gm
Choy sum, trimmed and washed

Sauce (per serving)
1 tbsp shallot oil (refer to recipe : http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/jennifers-secret-ingredient-in-her.html)
½ tbsp dark caramel sauce
½ tbsp light soy sauce
½ tbsp sesame oil
½ tbsp oyster sauce

Prepare a pot of boiling water, add a drop of oil and a pinch of salt. Blanch the choy sum for 20 seconds until cooked. Remember to put the stems first follow by the leaves. Once cooked, set aside.

Separately prepare a bowl of cold water and a bowl of hot boiled water.

Discard the vegetable water. Bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook it for a minute (taste to test whether it is cook). Then, blanch it in the cold water. Thereafter, quickly blanch into the bowl of hot boiled water. Preferably use a sieve to remove the noodles from the cold/hot boiled water.

Mix all the sauces into a bowl or plate, follow by the noodles. Mix it well.

Serve the noodles with char siu, stewed shiitake mushroom (refer to recipe below), choy sum, a bowl of  Wan Tan soup and pickled green chillies (refer to recipe below). You may also sprinkle some of the crispy fried shallots on top of the noodles.

Recipe for pickled green chillies : (http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/recipe-pickled-green-chillies.html )

Recipe for stewed shiitake mushroom : (http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/recipe-braised-shiitake-mushroom.html )

Recipe - "Pickled green chillies"

For most Malaysians and Singaporeans, one of the “must have” side dish or condiment in any Chinese meal is the “pickled green chillies”. The “pickled green chillies” have that vinegar sour and sweet taste to it. They complement very well with many Chinese dishes. However, we were told in Hong Kong, if one should request for “pickled green chillies”, one would be frowned upon by the waiters, waitresses and staff of the restaurant. One of our friends related to us that when he requested for the “pickled green chillies”, the cook actually came out from the kitchen and pointedly asked him, “Is my food that bad that you need “pickled green chillies”?” Naturally, our friend was taken aback that such a simple request would result the cook being offended and big time at that! Apparently, some people feel that “pickled green chillies” would suppress the actual taste of the dish. Therefore, it is assumed that if you eat the food with “pickled green chillies”, you are not appreciating the actual taste of the food. Be that as it may, many people enjoyed “pickled green chillies” and find that they complement the food very well. So, for those of us who are located in places where we can’t readily find “pickled green chillies” or those of us who prefer to have home-made “pickled green chillies”, here is the recipe:-

“Pickled green chillies”

“Pickled green chillies” are a spicy condiment often served with Asian dishes, especially noodles in Malaysia and Singapore. I love eating it with my dry Wan Tan noodles and Cantonese Fried Kuey Teow (Wa Tan Hor).

Ingredients

500g green chillies
500ml white rice vinegar/distilled vinegar/apple cider vinegar
Boiled hot water in a bowl
2 tbsp sugar (add or minus according to your taste)
Glass container or Jar

Wash and pat dry the green chillies. Cut chillies into round slices. Remove seeds that look brownish. Transfer all the sliced chillies into the bowl of boiled hot water and leave it for a few seconds. Drain well. Spread evenly on a flat surface plate or tray. Dry it with kitchen paper towel or under the sun.

Dissolve 1tbsp of sugar with the 250ml vinegar. Pour mixture into a glass container or jar with 250gm of the sliced green chillies. Do the same for the other half of the ingredients. Transfer it into a glass container or jar and store it in the fridge. “Pickled green chillies” will be ready to serve the next day.

"Lunch Special" at Oriental Dream (Korean Restaurant), Chatswood

The Korean side dishes at Oriental Dream

There are quite a number of Korean restaurants in Chatswood that offer “lunch special” in their menus. The prices for the “lunch special” range from AUD10.00 to AUD15.00 which is quite reasonable by Sydney standard. We noticed that almost all of the restaurants that offer “lunch specials” have their own regular customers. As many Korean food lovers would know, there are always side dishes such as “kim chi” (spicy pickled vegetables), steamed or fried bean sprouts, spicy radish, spinach with sesame seeds, sliced fried bean curd that accompany the main course. These dishes are included in the main course and the customer can request for refills if they want additional helpings. The number of side dishes that accompany the main course will depend on the individual Korean restaurants. We had come across one that gave us 3 side dishes and there was one that offered 10 side dishes plus a complimentary fried tofu with egg! But the norm is about 4 to 6 side dishes.

For this posting we will share with you our dining experience at Oriental Dream (Korean Restaurant) which is located at Shop G3C at 7 Help Street, Chatswood. Oriental Dream is quite a small restaurant and gets pretty crowded during lunch hour. However, the server is attentive and prompt in taking orders. We ordered a variety of “lunch special” - “short ribs jjim”, spicy pork, wagyu beef teriyaki and soft tofu stew (seafood). Unlike my days living in Los Angeles where I used to frequent Korean restaurants, here in Sydney, they do not serve complimentary barley tea or any other tea for that matter, here the Korean restaurant serve only complimentary plain water.

"Short ribs jjim"

Our first order was “short ribs jjim” which was made up of short ribs cooked in soy sauce with assorted vegetables and glass noodles served with steam rice. The beef was tender and well cooked that came attached to the rib bone. The meat was easy to cut and melts in the mouth. The only thing that we could think of that perhaps would make this dish better was to reduce the sugar in the dish. The “short ribs jjim” is one of the “lunch special” where the price is above AUD10.00. The “short ribs jjim” costs AUD13.00. We enjoyed the “short ribs jjim” and would rate it 8/10.

Spicy pork

The second dish was spicy pork which comprised of stir fried spicy pork with carrot, onion, zucchini, cabbage, onions and fresh chilli served with steam rice. This is quite a colourful dish due to the various vegetables that added colour to the spicy pork. However, we found the meat to be dry and lost its flavour due to lack of moist. We will rate this dish 6/10.

Wagyu beef teriyaki

Our third dish was wagyu beef teriyaki which comprised of stir fried wagyu beef in teriyaki sauce, red capsicum (bell pepper), cabbage, onions, some sesame seed and a fresh garden salad. The wagyu beef was nice and moist. The combination with the hot steam rice made it palatable and delicious. We rate this dish 8/10.

Soft tofu stew with seafood

 Our final dish was sofu tofu stew with seafood. The soft tofu stew came with a choice of pork, chicken or seafood. In view that we already had quite a few meat dishes, we decided to have the stew with seafood. The sofu tofu was cooked with chilli paste, baby clams, slices of fish and some squid -all combined and made into a hot steamy stew. The stew was delicious and it came with a bowl of hot steam rice as well. The best way to eat this dish is to put the hot steam rice into the stew and eat it as a hot and spicy stew porridge. We would rate this dish a 10/10, simply delicious.

In conclusion and based on our dining experience, we find Oriental Dreams a pretty decent Korean restaurant providing good service and wonderful food at reasonable price.  As a matter of fact, except for the “short ribs jjim”, all the other “lunch specials” which we ordered cost AUD10.00 each. We will definitely make this one of our regular Korean restaurants.

Food review at Sedap, Malaysian cuisine at Westfield, Chatswood

Sedap at Westfield, Chatswood

Today takes us to Sedap, a food stall selling Malaysian cuisine at Shop 432, Level 4, Westfield, 1 Anderson Street, Chatswood. Sedap is located in a fairly large food court and gets really crowded during lunch hour. Even though it sells Malaysian cuisine but I noticed that the stall was run mainly by the Thais. We ordered “loh bak” (Malaysian deep fried meat roll), “Assam laksa” (Malaysian sour and spicy noodle), “Char Kway teow” (Malaysian fried rice noodle), Hainanese chicken rice and “Wah Tan Hor” (Cantonese style fried rice noodle) and a cup (in this case, a tin cup) of “teh tarek”. Once you have placed your order, the cashier will give you a device that will buzz when your food is ready.

"Loh Bak"

The first dish was “loh bak” which is the Malaysian deep fried meat roll. We found the “loh bak” very meaty and when we took a bite, we couldn’t taste anything else but meat, meat and more meat. Oh yes, the “loh bak” came with some chilli sauce, so it was the taste of meat and chili sauce. As the dish was just meaty, we give it a rating of 3/10.

"Assam Laksa"

The second dish was “Assam laksa” which is made up noodles, chopped onions, chopped pineapple, mint leaves, sliced chilli, slices of fish and prawn paste. It was served in an old canteen style “tin plate” and metal spoon. The broth was quite average with a tinge of sour and slightly spicy. The presentation was well done using the “old canteen” concept. We will give “Assam laksa” a rating of 6/10.

"Char Kway Teow"

The third dish was “Char Kway Teow” which is Malaysian fried rice noodle. It is made up of  rice noodle, a few pieces of prawns, some fish cakes and bean sprout. The “Char Kway Teow” has got the “wok hei” or “burning” smell and taste, which speak well for the dish. We will rate this dish 8/10.

"Wah Tan Hor"

The fourth dish was “Wah Tan Hor” or the Cantonese style fried noodle. Sedap’s “Wah Tan Hor” is made up of some meat, a couple of prawns, some vegetables, a few pieces of squid, fried rice noodle all soaked up in a gravy which in our opinion is nothing more than an “egg drop soup”. We find this dish rather disappointing and give it a 3/10.

"Hainanese Chicken Rice"

The fifth dish was “Hainanese chicken rice” which made up of rice cooked with chicken stock, steam chicken, a few slices of cucumber, tomato and some pickles on the side. A small container of chili sauce is given together with this dish. The rice wasn’t aromatic and the steam chicken in the soy sauce were just plain average. We will give a rating of 5/10 for the “Hainanese chicken rice”.

"Teh Tarek"

As for the “tin cup” of “teh tarek” which is boiled tea mixed with condensed and evaporated milk and then “pulled” to create the bubbly appearance was rather good. It has the right amount of sweetness, milk and the strength of the tea was just right. It was served in a “tin cup” which made it really authentic. We will rate the “teh tarek” a high 9/10.

In conclusion and based on our dining experience, we didn’t find Sedap (at least the one in  Westfield Chatswood) all that fantastic as some friends suggested. Some of the dishes were good while others, could be better. Overall, it was just an average dining experience.

Recipe - Fried golden brown delicious chicken wings!

Fried golden brown chicken wings!

Today, we are going to share with you a simple recipe - Fried Chicken Wings!

Fried Chicken Wings

Fried chicken wings - simple, nice and tasty! The best thing about it is that it is easy to make. Fried chicken wings are perfect for party snack. Generally is everyone’s favourite.

Ingredients:-

1 kg of chicken wings
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp of white pepper
1 egg
Self raising flour

Cut the wings into half. Discard the tips. Marinade the wings with all the ingredients above except the flour. Leave it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat the wok or pot over high flame. Pour enough vegetable oil into it. Once oil turns very hot, lower it to medium flame.

Coat the wings with the self raising flour and gently place the wings in the oil. Deep fry it till golden crispy brown. Remove it and drain on paper towels. Serve it hot.