Thai-Namic - pleasantly surprised

We actually stumbled across this gem after trekking across Canley Heights on a friday night and not finding a restaurant we wanted to go to, Holy Basil was packed as usual and we forgot to book for Chi and Co.

We initially settle on Twelve Spices down the road at St Johns St, but after a disastrous blunder of communication, somehow we ended up at Thai-Namic, 8.30pm, cold and hungry, willing to settle for anything.

Luckily, we drove past Canley Vale Rd and the nice decor of the restaurant immediately attracted us.

There's a lot on offer on the menu so be careful not to be overwhelmed by it all. 

Watermelon, Lychee, Jackfruit Blend

We pretty much order the usual at a Thai restaurant, Pad Thai, fried rice, and maybe the not so usual Crying tiger and Grilled king prawns. The highlight of the whole night would have to be the desserts. Man oh man, were they good.

Pad Thai in egg net

The Pad Thai was the stand out dish of the mains. It strikes the perfect balance between sweet, sour and savoury. Incredibly tasty that makes you want to keep coming back for more, especially for that peanutty crunch!

After stuffing ourselves to the brim and pretty much over-ordering we somehow made room for dessert and it was completely worth it.

The pandan creme brulee is a must try. The flavours stay true to pandan and it has a creamy texture with the perfect crunch from the sugary top. Ours came with green tea ice cream and this crunchy concoction of shredded coconut, walnuts and other good stuff.

Pandan Creme Brulee

My friend ordered the fried ice cream which looks strikingly similar to that of Holy Basil. I didn't get to try it but she demolished it all, even after being stuffed from mains, which must be a sign that it's good.

Fried Ice Cream

Overall we were all very satisfied with our meals, the service was quite good and friendly. I'd say this is pretty good for your average Thai, of course not as good as Red Spoon or Chat Thai, but nonetheless worth a visit if you're in the Fairfield region.

Rating:
7/10

Ippudo Ramen Sydney Review

It's that time of the week again! Time for another review!

Today I wanted to share with you guys some snaps of my experience at Ippudo Ramen, the new ramen joint in Sydney.

So I already had a taste of Ippudo from Hong Kong last year when it just opened in October or November, can't quite recall but it was the new buzz in town.

The Ramen was so good, the Tonkotsu soup was thick and rich in pork bone flavour. The gyoza was also reminiscent of the ones I had in Japan - plump and juicy dumplings filled with flavours of heaven!

When I saw that Ippudo ramen was opening in Sydney I was uber excited!

So we went on a Saturday at around 3.00pm, and the place was still packed and there was a pretty long line (around 10 people in front of us). But the line went pretty quickly, and we waited about 10 minutes or so before we got a table.

The seating was pretty comfy and if you're into your dim lights then you're gonna love this place!

We started off with a Japanese classic, the gyoza.

It was smaller than I expected, and smaller than what I remembered it to be in Hong Kong. But nonetheless it was still super tasty, especially good if you add a dash of chilli oil to the soy sauce.

Now onto the pork buns. These were definitely the highlight of the whole meal! So delicious and definitely lives up to the hype. The pork was tender and juicy, and the sauce made it so moreish. I loved the bun it was encased in. It was super soft and reminds me of the Chinese white buns (man tou) texture, except lighter and fluffier. The combo is definitely a winner and will be coming back for more!

This next dish is the Bakuretsu Tofu. I actually ordered this because the picture on their Facebook page was so enticing, bubbling away in that thick chilli soup, lookin' all hot 'n steamy. It came served in a stone pot and was still bubbling at the table. Again, this was much smaller than I expected it to be, about the size of a rice bowl. I would say it was mild on the chilli scale but very flavoursome and went wonderfully with the silky texture of the tofu. Oh and there were also some noodles in there, which was a nice surprise.

This is the classic ramen topped with egg and tasted exactly like the bowl I had in Hong Kong. Thick tonkotsu soup with perfectly cooked ramen! What more could you ask for?

And lastly I had to try their Karaka Men which is the classic tonkotsu broth topped with a spicy miso paste. I must say, this went beyond my expectations. It was so flavoursome and I could still taste the thick tonkotsu broth as the chill was not too overpowering. Definitely one of my favourites from their ramen range!

And on another note, the service was amazing. Everyone was super friendly and attentive.

Overall I would say come check this place out, definitely one of the top ramen joints in Sydney. But in my opinion, I still think Menya Mappen takes the cake for the best ramen in Sydney, although this place comes close if it wasn't for the price, and the slightly less rich of a tonkotsu soup.

Rating:

8/10 :)

Oh, and before I leave... wanted to share these delectable nutella and cinnamon cupcakes I made ! So good and so easy!

Got the recipe from Beautycrush on Youtube, who got it from http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/07/06/nutella-stuffed-cinnamon-sugar-muffins/ if anyone's interested in how to make these babies.

Peace out
x

Hi.

So this is going to be my first blog post hey?

Well here it goes...

The last time I blogged was probably back in 2009 and since I'm a university student now it seems I have a lot of spare time on my hands and so I thought, hey why not start up a blog?

I have a fair idea of where this blog is headed.

It will mainly be a daily diary and posts about food, fashion and beauty all jumbled into one and perhaps any interesting events in my life.

Mandiie x