WatervieW in Bicentennial Park - Take #1

After a hectic morning in the lead-up to the wedding, I was eager to get to WatervieW in Bicentennial Park and eat something substantial beyond the egg tarts and cream Swiss rolls served prior the wedding at the bride's house.

Starters

Being part of the bridal party, I was allowed into a side-room off the main hall that was stocked with platters and drinks:

Mezza Platter

Antipasto Platter

Given our concern for the potential lack of time to eat during the reception, I happily gorged on the food before our entrances into the main hall. However, upon getting to our seats, I was highly surprised by the sheer volume of starters spread across the bridal tables, which mostly went to waste.

Entrée

Grilled King Prawn Cutlet on Herb Risotto with
Watercress and Lemon Chilli Oil

Tomato & Basil Fettuccine with Roasted Zucchini & Aubergine,
Basil, Feta and Parmesan

The risotto was slightly under-cooked but I guess it's better than being served an overcooked blob. I liked how the herbs were mixed into the risotto and the combination with the chilli oil was good. The fettuccine wasn't spectacular - just a vegetarian pasta - but the serving was rather big for an entrée.

Main

Seared Barramundi Fillet, Crisp Potato, Asparagus and Green Peas,
Lemon and Caper Butter with Chilli Jam on Side

Roasted Half Spring Chicken with Thyme Jus, Creamy Potato Mash,
Snow Peas and Dutch Carrots

The serving of barramundi was rather massive and its presentation could have been improved. I was disappointed to find that the skin wasn't crispy (probably because the fish had been left to cool for too long). I don't remember seeing any snow peas with the spring chicken...

Dessert

Chocolate Fondant with Strawberries and Mint Cream

Passionfruit Crème Brûlée with Wafer Stick

I was served the fondant - it was slightly overcooked but the centre still oozed a little at first before solidifying. My fellow bridesmaid got a crème brûlée that was riddled with passionfruit seeds (perhaps from the end of the batch?) but the top half could be salvaged. It wasn't overly sweet so it was heartily savoured.

There are some amazing wedding photo opportunities at Bicentennial, especially around sunset at the lake. Despite it being mainly overcast during the daytime, the bride and groom were lucky to get some awesome sunset pictures. Just after we left Bicentennial Park, the heavens opened and rained cats and dogs...

Based on this experience, I don't think WatervieW is suited to catering for parties with over 300 people. From behind the scenes, everything was chaotic:

• The blinds to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hall were initially closed, making the entire hall very dim. However, when they were finally opened, the windows brought in sunlight and gave a wonderful view of the park.
• Table numbering was mixed up so the bride and groom's families weren't seated in front of the bridal table at the front-centre of the hall.
• Hall was overcrowded in order to fit 25 tables.
• Bridal party was meant to be able to select anything from the available menu but we were just served alternate food, as per guests.
• Meals came out behind schedule (e.g. 20+min into the scheduled eating time) and started to cool due to the large volume of food that the kitchen had to churn out.
• They brought out a wishing well for the following reception early and placed it at the front of the hall so guests placed cards inside it throughout the reception. We ended up having to break into the wishing well using a dinner knife (and later a Swiss army knife) in order to retrieve the cards before we were kicked out of the reception hall.

Let's say the bride was not happy over the first two fails.

On the other side of things, the guests thought that everything went well and had a good time - I guess that is most important.

Post for second (reception) experience can be found here.

KIN by Us, Macquarie Park

Located on the ground floor of a recently-built apartment block close to Macquarie Uni station, this place can be easily missed with the trees and bushes lining along the pathway along Herring Road. However, if you know where to look, you'll discover a hidden gem.

KIN by Us is opened by cooking duo Uel and Shannelle of MKR fame and brings an Asian spin to otherwise Western dishes:

I thought the drinks and food menus were simple and well-designed - each menu item is accompanied by a brief description and a small picture:

Drinks Menu

Food Menu

With such a great (but small) selection of food on the menu, it took us a while to decide on what to eat/drink:

Black Sesame Shake ($8)

Durian Affogato ($7)

I thought the black sesame shake could have done with more black sesame mixed into the drink (beyond the small amount sprinkled on top) and the mound of whipped cream on top just made it feel gluttonous - it seemed a little over-priced (like the Golden Gaytime Shake) compared to the other drinks. The durian affogato was an interesting spin on the standard affogato (also available for the non-adventurous types).

And then came the food:

Waffle Belly: Caramel Soy Pork Belly, Potato Waffle, Onsen Egg,
Mushrooms, and Cabbage ($17) 

A take on the normal waffle + bacon combo, the Waffle Belly was the perfect combination of the sweet, salty and pure indulgence.

Miso Yummy: Miso Salmon, Onsen Egg, Sesame Spinach, Sourdough ($17)

 
I looovveee the onsen egg (soft-boiled egg dipped in a subtle soy sauce) and there was two(!) served on the plate *high five*. The salmon was well-seasoned and infused with a distinct miso flavour - definitely a plus on my side - although I thought the ball of sesame spinach was a bit weird presentation-wise (you could form a face on the plate? Hehe...).

From visit #2:

On a rare day off, I came back for a late lunch and tried their Sub-marine:

Sub-marine: Soft-Shell Crab Brioche Roll ($18)
Milo Mocha Dinosaur: Milo Mocha Shake ($5)

The soft-shell crab was placed in a soft brioche roll that has been smothered in a thick, spicy, curry-like sauce, which I thought was amazing, and topped with coriander and sliced chilli - definitely an item to be eaten using a knife and fork. The milo-mocha shake was average but was enough to fulfil a milo craving, accompanied by an added coffee kick.

You're best to travel here by public transport as there are limited parking spots along Herring Road and you'd need to compete with shoppers if you park at the nearby Macquarie Shopping Centre (3hr limit).

The Missing Piece, Macquarie Park

There is a lot of hype surrounding The Missing Piece, especially about their funky drinks and their amazing coffees. The constant line of expectant customers waiting patiently for a free table proves that this cafe has a loyal fan base despite its location at the end of the fashion section of Macquarie Centre.

After the prerequisite wait, my friends and I got seated at a small table overlooking the void. Note to all future customers - these tables along the glass barriers are suited to two people only (i.e. one on each end and not along the aisle) because the waiters, and customers, will bump into you EVERY TIME they walk by, no matter how close you sit to the table.

Cacaonut: Cacao Powder and Coconut Milk ($8)

Coffee ($3.50)

I tried the Cacaonut as I'm a major fan of coconut milk and chocolate (who isn't!), however I found the drink really hard to consume. Firstly, it was topped with the biggest branch of mint possible, which was promptly discarded, and the drink itself was seriously thick and unsweetened - it was like as if they poured coconut cream/milk from a can into the cup and mixed/topped the drink with cacao powder! Drinkable coconut milk is normally diluted and lightly sweetened to enhance the coconut flavour and adding the cacao powder, which is naturally bitter, did not help at all.

After a 20 min wait, the food finally came along:

Old-Fashioned: Bacon and Egg Roll, with Crispy Kale and BBQ Sauce ($8)

Smashed & Smoking: Smashed Avocado on Sourdough, topped by Marinated
Wood-Smoked Salmon, Lime and Olive Oil ($15)

Brioche Sliders with Slow-Cooked Shredded Pork and Coleslaw,
served with French Fries and Tomato Sauce ($16)

The smashed avo and salmon on sourdough was average (wouldn't you serve the lime on the side, rather than on top? The plate was funky though) and it was hilarious watching my friend eating the bacon and egg roll as it kept dripping oily juices onto the serving board whilst she was consuming it. Despite the coleslaw, the brioche sliders were a little dry without any chutney or sauce inside and lacked seasoning - I had to alternate between bites of the sliders and fries to achieve the right salty balance. 

I really wanted to like this place but I thought it was a bit of a let-down. There are a lot of cafes that offer a better selection of food (and tastes better) but it does require you to travel further - personally, I'd make that extra effort.

However, they do stock flavoured cronuts to tempt anyone with a sweet tooth:

Cronuts (Peanut Butter; Cookies and Cream) ($6.50)

The deep-fried oily goodness is not for the faint-hearted and definitely to be eaten in moderation.

The Foodie's Guide to Kingsford

This post is dedicated to uni days, lone student diners and budget meals around Kingsford. Listed in no particular order are some popular eats around UNSW in Kingsford on ANZAC parade. Uncle G and I spent a semester collecting these reviews so we hope you enjoy. 

Albee's Kitchen (Malaysian)

I've been to Albee's Kitchen in Campsie, so their menu is not unfamiliar to me. At this place you can expect a good variety, good portion size and reasonable pricing. The food is probably not as refined and service is slightly lacking.

I ordered the Hainanese Chicken. As you can see the serving is definitely generous!! But you can also see... Is that sweet chilli sauce?! That was truly disappointing... especially seeing as the staff were too busy cleaning and preparing to close to pay attention to my needs. I later saw they did have the correct chilli sauce on another patron's table. Guess I just got the short straw?

Uncle G ordered the Laksa. Again it was a big serving, very rich and chockablock full of noodles and chicken, egg and other regular laksa essentials. I personally found it too rich for my liking. I preferred my Albee's Kitchen experience in Campsie. 

So Good Kitchen (Chinese)

So Good Kitchen is a bit further down Anzac pde. What drew me to this place was the promise of '鸡公煲 (Chicken Hot Pot). I haven't seen this dish elsewhere in Sydney yet and do hope its available more readily soon!

What is Chicken hot pot? A sizzling pot of chicken stew, intensely aromatic from lots of onions, garlic, chilli and veges in a soy base. Depending on the size you order, the whole or half chicken is chopped into pieces and cooked on the bone to keep the meat tender and extract all those umami flavours into the sauce.

The ordering process is much like hot pot. Pick the size of your chicken dish, level of spice (we went for medium) and extras to cook in the sauce hot pot style after the chicken is finished.

Our chicken stew arrives and does not disappoint! Flavoursome and aromatic, you can smell it from a mile away!

We finish off the chicken, then its time for the extras! Uncle G gets his usual fix of extra meat - but personally I feel the carbs and veges soak up the flavours of the sauce perfectly. Ask the waiter to add stock to your chicken pot once your done with the chicken, then let the extras simmer in the hot pot.

Tasty Eating House (Chinese)

Probably one of the poorer chinese restaurants on the strip. We found the dishes here similar to what its neighbours had to offer but its flavours weren't quite spot on.

We ordered the 'mouth watering chicken'. Though it looked authentic, the sauce and chicken pieces were somewhat flavourless. Maybe because the chicken was cut to big?

Uncle G got the curry beef noodle soup. Again, the curry flavours weren't strong enough for my liking. My own noodles were somewhat bland also.

Everise (Northern Chinese)

Unfortunately I don't have photos of this place. Which doesn't do the restaurant justice as it is probably the single restaurant we frequented the most over the semester. This eatery specialises in Northern Chinese cuisine. Our favourites are the diced beef noodle stir fry and the 大盘鸡 (w added noodles). We've also tried their dumplings, lamb roll, soup noodles, chive cakes, spicy chicken stir fry etc.  

Sinma Laksa House (Singaporean/Malaysian)

So prior to my Singapore trip, I really really wanted to try Singapore chilli crab, so we found this place in Kensington. The kebabs here are quite authentic, with a lovely satay sauce and served with Ketupat (or lontong). These are pressed rice cakes are commonly served with satay sticks in Singapore but rarely seen in Sydney.

We got beer fried chicken, pepper beef and sambal prawns also. But I personally would miss the stir fry dishes next time - especially the prawns which our whole table was disappointed in. There wasn't enough prawns to go around a group of 7.

And time for the main event - the Chilli Crab!! The crab was plump and saucy - at the time of dining - it did not disappoint! (Although after having it in Singapore - the Sydney version doesn't quite measure up). The sauce itself is much sweeter than spicy, with distinct ginger tones. Perfect when mopped up with deep fried sweet asian buns. These were so good we had to order seconds! 

Passionflower (Dessert)

On the same night, we wrapped up dinner with dessert at Passionflower. Check out the crazy stash of ice cream!!!! Assorted flavours including green tea matcha, black sesame, thai milk tea, sticky rice, lychee and rose, cookies and cream, taro etc.

Pedalling Street (Malaysian)

Yumm... sometimes there's nothing better than a Char kuew teow. I prefer the Kuew Teow in Sydney to that in Singapore and Pedalling Street lives up to expectations. A good serving size, plenty of prawns, egg and flavoursome toppings. 

The beef rendang was good too. I didn't have too much but Uncle G vouches for the quantity of meat and rich flavours.

Manpuku (Ramen)

I've done a number of posts about Manpuku now. Everyone probably knows by now - ok so Aunt T loves Manpuku. So enough said about this place.

Miss Yu's (Taiwanese)

Business at 'Little Food Republic' has steady slipped down hill over the last 3 years. Most of the restaurants within are not even open anymore? (Not sure if this is 100% correct as they haven't been pulled down but they're not open at dinner time either?)

The exception to this is the relatively new Miss Yu's stand at the very front of the row of eateries. They specialise in in food on a stick and Taiwanese cuisine. I personally haven't tried many of their options.

Everytime I come here I always get the same braised beef noodle soup, because I'm in love with it! Sure its not top notch in most people's books but I love the flavours! There's often nothing I feel like more! It's a little bit spicy, lots of umami, got a good texture in the noodles and cheap cheap cheap!

Taiwanese Express (Taiwanese)

I was excited when I first saw this place and its bento boxes and traditional taiwanese of menu choices. It has snacks, rice and noodle dishes  - just like how I remember Taiwan!

I ordered the 鲁肉饭 with crispy chicken and a green tea. The 鲁肉饭 was just ok - it doesn't quite measure up to expectations, not even compared to some of place around Sydney. I recently visited Hu's Inn in Chatswood which does a much better rendition. I prefer when they use chopped pork belly rather than pork mince - the pork just isn't fatty and melty enough.

Mamak Village (Malaysian)

This is where you go when you've got a fraction of an hour before class and want a quick snack. I do warn you though, this isn't Mamak as you know it - I wouldn't go expecting the same quality of food as in Chinatown.

 Roti with 2 curry dips for only $5!!!! That's a student deal perfect for winter snacking!