Underwhelming dim sum

REVIEW: PING PONG

I felt uneasy as soon as I walked into Ping Pong on Great Marlborough Steet.  I couldn’t put my finger on the reason why, and being my first time dining in London, I decided to stay positive and give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt.

However, things did not start well.  Despite having made a reservation for lunch and there being only one table occupied, we were not allowed to take a seat until all of our party had arrived.  I can understand such a rule being enforced when a restaurant is full – but not when it is empty.   And by the time we did take our seats, we were greeted by a couple of surly waitresses.

Of course, being the first time since I have been in a Chinese restaurant since arriving in the UK, I would have forgiven this all for some well made dim sums.

Unfortunately, it was not to be.  The white doughy skins of the steamed dumplings (the har gau and chive dumplings) were far too thick and by the time that they arrived at the table, no longer steaming hot.  And by the time that I munched through the chewy skins, I was only disappointed to bite on, in respect of the har gau, skinny little prawns.

This was largely representative of much of the meal. The siew mai (pork dumplings) and the char siew pao (steamed pork buns) were better than average but underwhelming.  Probably the result of being spoilt by Chinese food in Sydney, I expect my siew mai to be bursting with juices and flavours, my pork buns to be fluffy and filled with rich barbeque pork.  The spring rolls were not crispy, but rather, much too dense and again arrived at the table lukewarm.  On a more positive note, I found the prawn toast to be quite tasty and novel, however, again it didn’t arrive hot with the result that the corners of the little triangle toasts had to be carefully negotiated inside eager mouths.

Yum cha needs to be served hot – so hot that you have to stop yourself from immediately tucking in so that you don’t burn the insides of your mouth.  What made this particularly unforgiveable, in my view, is that the food is brought to your table to order – not from trolleys that ply their way between the tables.  So there is really no reason why the food shouldn’t arriving steaming.

By the time we finished, the restaurant was largely full with a short line at the door.  So maybe there is something to be said for Ping Pong.  All that I know is that I will not be returning any time soon.

Details:

The Place: Ping Pong

Where: 45 Great Marlborough Street, Soho (they have a number of different restaurants in London)

Food: Yum cha

Tip: They do offer some interesting teas on the menu.

Butcher’s Bill: ₤17.50 per head on a Sunday all you can eat deal plus a few extra pounds for drinks.

Who should go: Anyone who hasn’t had yum cha in Sydney or Hong Kong.

Sushi me

REVIEW: SUSHI FUSION

OP and I have spent so many Saturdays at this place over the last few months, that I thought it was only fair that I share it with you all. We had tried a number of sushi trains in the Sydney CBD area, and eastern suburbs, but none really come close to Sushi Fusion in Randwick.

On Belmore Road, it is small enough so that you are close to the sushi-making action, but not so small that your dining neighbour is uncomfortably close. The staff are friendly despite being sometimes a little run off their feet with the lunch time trade. And the decor, although not particularly striking, feels clean and polished.

The food is what has brought us back week after week. The actual sushi menu is not particularly special – the ubiquitous selection of sushi. However, the fish is fresh and each little piece of sushi is made with care. Highlights for me are the crumbed calamari rolls with tartare sauce, raw tuna rolls coated in tempura flakes and the dainty raw salmon sushi.

For me, what set Sushi Fusion apart from a lot of other sushi places are its handrolls. You can choose between raw or cooked salmon and tuna, teriyaki chicken, scallops or prawn. Add cucumber or avocado as an extra filling, then select a sauce (mayonaisse, spicy mayo or teriayki). Your selection is rolled in rice and a crispy seaweed skin. It would be fair to say that OP and I visit Sushi Fusion more for its handrolls, than its actual sushi.

I have eaten at a number of sushi trains which would be more aptly described as sushi train wrecks. It is a relief and comfort to be able to sit down at Sushi Fusion and know that your meal will fall to chance.

Details:

The Place: Sushi Fusion

Where: 7 Belmore Road, Randwick

Food: Sushi

Tip: Try a handroll, or, if you feel like something warm, the udon soup.

Butcher’s Bill: About $32 for a quick lunch for two.

Who should go: Fans of Japanese food looking for a good sushi-train experience.

Doing fish well

REVIEW: GARFISH

The period which begins a couple of days before Christmas eve and ends a week into the new year is my favourite time of year.  This year, particularly, the summer heat has not burned too strong, making it much more enjoyable to be outdoors.

Last weekend, it was decided that lunch was to be spent in Crows Nest.  After wandering Alexander Street, we headed for Garfish as our hunger began to get the better of us. 

We had been to the Garfish at Kirribilli a few months ago, so I am able to say that the outdoor dining area at Crows Nest is the more pleasant spot on a hot summer’s day.  Most of the seating is under an awning (or perhaps verandah), whereas at Kirribilli, sun umbrellas provide most of the shade.  If you are planning a long lunch, this does make a difference as you won’t be sweating profusely by 4 o’clock.

The food was excellent.  A generously thick fillet of blue eye trevella in a light green curry sauce was very well prepared.  A properly grilled piece of fish is a joy in itself and the curry flavours were subtle enough that they did not overpower the fish. 

The snapper pie was impressive (I must find a recipe!) and, in my opinion, is a close second to the one prepared at the Boathouse.  That said, Garfish’s pie had a wonderfully homely feel – it reminded me a lot of the pies which my mum used to make – perhaps it was the brocolli.  My only complaint is that the pinches of sea salt on the pastry top were not really necessary – especially as there is salt at the table.  Another friend settled for the crab tagliolini – I can’t comment on it, as I didn’t try any, however, at least half of it was left on the plate which is usually a good measure of the fare.

Dessert at Garfish is a surprisingly simple affair.  Belgian waffles make up about half the offering.  I found my waffles too heavy – more like bagles.  The ice cream and oter assorted accompaniments were nice, but for the price you pay, I can’t profess to being a huge fan.  The affogato appeared to be the dessert of choice that afternoon, as I lost count of the number I saw leaving the kitchen.  And at our last visit to the Kirribilli Garfish, OP gave the raspberry and white chocolate tart high marks, so I will probably revert to this tried and tested performer next time.

The service was warm and friendly.  It was the same at Kirribilli, and Garfish are well served by their wait staff.  My only complaint was that the food took a little too long to come out, even factoring in the long lead time for the snapper pie.  It was little noticed, however, as we were so relaxed and happy with a whole afternoon to kill.

I can summarise my experiences at Garfish very succintly – Garfish does fish well.  The fish is the centrepiece, and the garnishes neither overpower nor take attention away from it.  I should have mentioned this above, but the salads (especially the baby spinish, fetta and beetroot) are great.  So a simply prepared piece of fish and a bowl of salad may be the way to go.  I can say, with little hesitation, that summer lunches at Garfish have become part of my annual tradition.

Details:

The Place: Garfish

Where: 6/29 Holtermann Street, Crows Nest (02 9966 0445) and 2/21 Broughton Street, Kirribilli (02 9922 4322)

Food: Seafood

Tip: Find out what the daily recommendations is.

Butcher’s Bill: About $65 per person – there were four of us – each had one main, 2 salads/sides to share, bottle of riesling, desserts and coffee.

Who should go: Anyone looking to relax with friends over a seafood lunch on a Sydney summer’s day.

Intimate in Melbourne

REVIEW: SUD 

For a Sydney blog, I have been writing an awful lot about Melbourne lately. That said, there is something about the Melbourne dining scene that is missing in Sydney. My theory is that, although the food is similarly priced, being a lower cost city allows enterprising Melbournians to experiment a bit more with their restaurants. Not only are liquor licences and rents lower than in Sydney, but the lower cost of living means that you are more likely to find professional wait staff.

I found myself at Sud last week, having travelled south of the Murray for a work trip. Unfortunately this review will be short, due to the passage of time and alcohol through my system since then.

We were greeted by Vincenzo, the larger than life maitre-de (and owner of Sud, I think?) Sporting a very cool nose neighbour, Vincenzo explained that Sud does not operate with paper menus. Everything is on the wall, which allows the kitchens to cook what is fresh, and what suits their fancy.

Entrée for me was a de-boned quail on a rocket salad. The quail was tender and rich, although like any quail, a bit lean on the meat. It was well complemented by the rocket salad and proved a good starter for the evening.

An oven-braised rabbit leg followed, served on a polenta and herb base. Tasty but not gamey, I thoroughly enjoyed the rabbit. To me, the polenta accompaniment was good but not spectacular – I think I expected something with a bit more kick to partner the dressed down rabbit. I am not a big liver eater, but the fried rabbit liver, wrapped in prosciutto, went down a treat.

Unfortunately, I didn’t taste much of the dessert, being too busy chatting away to my dining buddies. I did lunge at an oh-so-rich looking scoop of chocolate gelato, only to be beaten to it by niftier fingers.

Sud is a fine example of what people mean when they say dining in Sydney and Melbourne is different. Located in the CBD, in a space which you would likely walk past if you didn’t know to look out for it, a part of Sud’s charm is that it is frequented by loyal diners who count the small establishment amongst their favourites.

Details:

The Place: Sud

Where: 219 King Street, Melbourne (Ph: 03 9670 8451)

Food: Italian

Tip: The menu is always changing – go with what your gut tells you

Butcher’s Bill: Entrees about $17-20, Mains about $28-33

Who should go: Anyone looking for a intimate but fun evening