It’s all about the spice @ Urban Tadka

November 27, 2018November 29, 20182 Comments

Located in Terrey Hills, Urban Tadka is what we would describe as fine dining Indian.

If you’re from the Eastern Suburbs like us or anywhere on the southern side of the Harbour Bridge, you’ll almost need your passport and a VISA for the journey. If you love Indian food and curries, it is well worth travelling for. You’ll need a car to get here and as you travel through Terrey Hills, follow the directions closely and you’ll pull into a large car park and on this huge site amongst a few galleries is Urban Tadka. The art in the opening foyer is absolutely incredible.

Be sure to ring and book ahead as when we were there it was almost full and we also know they do lots of weddings and also have a huge catering business.

The restaurant is more a venue than simply a restaurant, it is in a lovely bush setting, it has a huge outdoor space, plenty of room indoors for dining, a large bar with a cushioned couch area and a function space.

The food can be described as authentic Indian with a modern twist. Food is plated beautifully and popping with colour and cooked with a diversity of flavours and spices. Cooked in a variety of methods; smoked, slow cooked and wok tossed. Drinks wise, there’s a fully stocked bar or you can order a typical Indian non alcoholic drink, a mango lassi which went down smoothly!

We began with papadums and a 3 dip colourful platter of tomato/onion dip (kachumber), salsa and beetroot yoghurt. A great start to prepare you for the culinary adventure ahead.

The Mahararja Kebab Platter was recommended by the staff, and like its name, this amazing tandoor mixed meat dish is fit for a King. This dish was served on a cool home made display stand, crafted from copper pipe. The meats all tender and juicy with a good amount of spice;

The lamb cutlets are flavoured with garlic, ginger, yoghurt and tandoori spices (Adraki Champein)

The Tandoori smoked shelled prawns are amazing – seasoned with garlic and spices (Zatar Lasooni Jhinga).
The (Donalli Seekh Hazaarvi) a kebab meat roll of chicken and lamb mince are rolled with herbs and spices

The chicken tandoori fillets (Murgh de Tikka kararee) were so succulent.
Sitting on the bottom of the frame was the tandoori marinated barramundi fillets with ginger, lemon, dukkah and garum masala (Dukkah machi Patrani) and this was a great addition to the platter.

There were a good range of mains to choose from including chicken, lamb, pork and seafood options as well as vegetarian selections. This made for a tough decision and it’s probably best to go for a banquet if dining in a group.

It is pretty much obligatory to order a curry when you’re at an Indian restaurant and the Kesari Lamb sufiyana – made with tender slow cooked pieces of lamb in a beautifully rich creamy cashew sauce with mace and cardamom is a good choice. The curry sauce has a nice sweetness and a good spice kick.

The show stopper, as extravagant as a Bollywood blockbuster, was the Urban Agari Lobster – the sweet lobster meat wok tossed in a pan with a combination of special spices and ingredients that are aromatic and compliment the sweetness of the lobster. Presented nicely with the shell of the lobster tail. It was incredibly flavorful, so much so, there was not a skerrick of sauce left on the plate.

You couldn’t be at an Indian restaurant and not have some naan. We had the cheese naan and ordered a serve of basmati jeera rice, for mopping up the tasty curries and sauces. Urban tadka also sell biryani and roti.

If you’re here in a large group, the Banquet “Dawat” would be great, for $49.90 pp, you receive the Papadums, dips, 5 entrees, 4 mains, breads, rice and dessert. For $60.90, they add in an extra entree and main. Dawat means a festive or joyous meal, and the food here is certainly something that will provide that.

The meal finished with another highlight, an enormous Dessert platter with Chocolate, Mango and a stunning pistachio kulfi.

There was also the Mango mousse cake with coconut, cream cheese and raspberry, so light and fluffy and not overly sweet.

Another light dessert on the platter was the chololate and pistachio mouse served as a dome with a light green glaze. This dessert was nice and airy, perfect to follow the rich spicy food we enjoyed beforehand.

The platter also includes the Urban Tadka version of the Black Forest cake served on a crisp chocolate biscuit base of cereal.

We had an abundance of food with unique flavours and this culinary journey was one we very much enjoyed.

Urban Tadka

321 Mona Vale Road
Terrey Hills
New South Wales 2084

We dined as guests of Urban Tadka. Thank you to Spooning Australia http://www.spooningaustralia.com/ for extending the invitation.

Where to experience world class harbour dining this Winter

August 8, 2018August 8, 2018Leave a comment

The best things come in threes. Like it’s namesake, The Ternary, derived from the latin word, “ternarius” – constitutes three elements; bar, wok and grill with three dishes on this Winter Warmers menu.

Located in the Novotel, Darling Harbour, the soft hues of flamingo pink reel you in as you ascend into the space, the warmth of the fireplace provides sanctuary from the winter cold as its flames and embers whisper distinctly through the bustling main dining area.   The walk to our table takes us through the ‘ternarius’ core, heading past the award winning bar, Asian kitchen and tandoor and finally passing the sizzling grill.   We’re reminded of our fondness of this venue with its world class rationale of creation, with the panoramic backdrop of Darling Harbour.

Pan seared scallops with thai sauce and hot smoked salmon served on betel leaf and nam jim sauce are beautiful bite sized bursts of flavor comes as one of the common canapés on their functions menu. It was an outstanding prelude to the showcase of new items.

 A selection of locally sourced and imported cheeses are accompanied with a bottle of McWilliam’s Shiraz Wine in the ultimate Winter board. Taking sanctuary in the lounge area, the slow paced grazing excites with a complexity of flavors from the different stages of cheese maturation that’s been assembled.

After several visits to The Ternary over the years, there’s one thing we know. When they make a dish, it’s made with intention and truth. This winter you will find that attribute in their Penang Prawn curry. A multi-layered assault of pungency in salt, fish sauce, thick creamy coconut and peanut sweetness with eye watering fire the dish in its original form was designed yet beautiful streaming through the sauce in perfect waves.

The pièce de résistance and only luxurious roast fitting for this 4.5 star rated hotel establishment is Wagyu. It’s exquisitely tender texture and luxurious taste can be accompanied with a choice of sauces including: shallot red wine, green peppercorn, mushroom, truffle mustard butter or garlic herb butter. Resting on a bed of potatoes and spinach, this dish is recommended with a pint of Furphy Ale.

Easy access to the venue up the escalators, it is a destination not only for visitors to the city but also for nearby locals and workers ready to embraces the best version of dishes of classic favorites.   Their Winter Warmer menu is available until the end of August. Ranging in price from just $35-$49 including a glass or pint of alcohol, it’s a very reasonable night out for a world class harbour dining experience.

Joseph Lloyd, Contributor
Photo Credits: @sydneyfoodfreak_ Ben, @pixbyash

Celebrating the rich symphony of Malaysian Flavour @ PappaRich, Castle Hill

July 1, 2018July 1, 2018Leave a comment

Their concept is simple: bringing the traditional Malaysian Coffee shops into the 21st Century. Their continual expansion to become the household name of ‘authentic Malaysian cuisine’ replicated for the eighth time at its new home in Castle Hill, opening just a month ago, with owner, Grace at the helm.

Typical dishes from the hawker market stalls are brought from the open streets into a sit-down dining experience that’s really setting expectation levels for this style of cuisine to a new standard. You’ll find this in the classic Satay peanut sauce which we had with our chicken skewers (also available in beef). The meat on its own soothed with the marinade of lemongrass and turmeric, just as good on its own. But the dipping action required here rounds off the staple experience which is essential when opening your Malaysian cuisine experience.

Throughout the meal, keeping us entertained were the ever so flavorsome crispy chicken skin. A mountainous heap of indulgence perfectly queued to enhance the bite of the curry, bring crunch to the softening noodles, to dip into the sambal, satay and sweet chili sauces, but a nice prelude to the mains.

Malaysia has been fortunate to carry influences of Chinese, Indian, Thai and Indonesian. It its tastes, smells and colors, you’ll see an exotic blend of cosmopolitan cultures.
There was something very familiar about The Crispy Noodle dish, Pappa Wat Tan Hor, which we enjoyed. Almost reminiscent of a Chinese chow mein yet distinct characteristics in the consistency of the egg that is weaved through and left to cook in it’s hot broth while adding the texture that coats the prawn, fish cake and chicken. The wok fried noodles retain their crunch but absorb that rich sauce and as you work your way through the bowl, its the chow sum that provides the essential crunch to this dish.

Perhaps a descendant of the Thai influence would be in the Pappa Char Koay Teow. Much like the Pad Thai is the very familiar flat noodle, prawn, fish cake, egg, bean sprouts and chives. Again the subtle elements making it very Malaysian, the smokey charcoal flavor that comes through due to the way its cooked.

These influences extend from the use of the wok to the combinations of spices used in both these dishes.

When traditional Southeast Asian herbs and Indian spices meet, fragrant combinations of the Malaysian curry base (coriander and cumin) with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cardamom, star anise and fenugreek fill the air. You’ll see the obvious merge of these cultures in the Roti Canai. That all too familiar contrast of inner fluffiness and crisp outer casing designed for dipping into the Curry Chicken sauce and accompanying dhal. Malay food is generally spicy. Dishes are not always necessarily chilli-hot per se, but there will always, at the least, be a chilli-based sambal on hand.

Rice is an essential staple in Asia, so naturally, at the core of Malaysian cuisine. The Nasi Lemak uses an Indian basmati, which is common in many biryani dishes. The elements of is why it is considered to be the national dish of the country. A dish of rice steamed with coconut milk, served with dried anchovies (ikan bilis), peanuts, hardboiled egg, cucumber, however this rendition uses samba fresh prawns (instead of dried shrimp) and curry chicken (the best of both worlds). A great salute to the past while modernising the portion and variation for big appetites like ourselves.

It’s essentially, a malaysian coffee shop, so the coconut juice was a nice way to cool things down between dishes.

One of the desserts demonstrates the versatility of Roti when paired with banana and vanilla ice cream – simple flavours working in magnifcent unison.

However, if you enjoyed the dipping action at the start of the meal, why not end it the same with with the Roti Bom, A thicker and sweeter Roti Canai with the dough wound in a spiral, served with condensed milk and sugar.

All in all, it was a symphony of flavours, showcasing the best of Malaysian and its highly complex and diverse flavours.

We would like to thank PappaRich for their hospitality and to Wasamedia for the invitation to dine.

www.papparich.net.au

Shop 10, 6-14 Castle Street, Castle Towers, Castle Hill, Sydney

02 8626 9436

Open 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM

Blog by Joseph Lloyd, contributor for aroundtheclockfoodie

Bistro Mekong offers a culinary journey through Indochina

April 13, 2018April 13, 2018Leave a comment

After much success at their Kensington Street restaurant in Chippendale, Mekong restaurant have opened a new restaurant in the North Sydney suburb of Castlecrag. Bistro Mekong with its relaxed atmosphere and alfresco dining space helping make the updated Quadrangle Arcade in Castlecrag a foodie destination. Bistro Mekong is already very popular with the locals, this due to the quality food on offer, providing a culinary experience inspired by the countries, cultures that rely on the Mekong River as a lifeline. The menu displaying tasty and exciting food from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Bistro Mekong describe their fare as contemporary Indochinese and that is very evident with the Bistro Mekong share plate, which is a combination of small bites with a modern take the flavours of the regions that the Mekong flows through. The share plate is made up of the tasty yellow pancake, the spanner crab Taco, the pork belly in betel leaf provides a full flavour explosion and the Thai flavoured smoked ocean trout on chickpea crisp.

Mekong is also a licensed venue, with a range of craft beer, wine, and cocktails on offer, that pair nicely with your meal. The smokey flavours and chilli kick of the smoked and spiced Margarita was both enjoyable and paired nicely with the share plate.

Bistro Mekong had a range of tempting mains including the Vietnamese papaya salad, soft shell crab masala, Phuket style Hokkien noodles with seafood and the Cambodian beef curry. We were tempted by the curries and having done some prior research, their signature Royal Amok curry was a must. This is a lighter Cambodian seafood curry made with perfectly cooked seafood including king prawn, scallops and barramundi. The curry cooked with strips of young coconut which gives freshness to the dish.

The duck curry is always a favourite and the Bistro Mekong version was very good. A heavier Thai red curry with a beautifully prepared confit duck with pineapple and tomato to cut through richness. We also ordered a side of crisp roti and pillow like milk buns to mop up the delicious curry sauce.

Bistro Mekong a must visit, perfect for a group dining experience or date night. Bistro Mekong allowing you to experience exciting dishes from the many regions that the Mekong gives life to. They do great food and have some menu options that you do not commonly find. It is a little pricier than your usual Asian fare, but the food is refined and prepared to perfection and well worth the extra dollars.

Thanks to Bistro Mekong for the great dining experience and to Cardinal Spin Communication Agency for arranging our visit.

Some photos supplied by Cardinal Spin

Bistro Mekong

100 Edinburgh Road, CASTLECRAG New South Wales 2118 ·

Ho Jiak is a top Malaysian Restaurant

January 12, 2018Leave a comment

Ho Jiak has long been in Strathfield but has now found a second home in the relatively new Haymarket location. Ho Jiak specialises in Nyonya (Chinese Malaysian Cuisine), which which we can only describe as flavour upon flavour and even more flavour! The food is inspired by the Chef’s Grandmothers home cooked meals with exotic ingredients making for a flavorful dining experience.

The interior of the restaurant is set up into two dining spaces. The downstairs portion of the restaurant reflects how we picture the streets of Penang in Malaysia to look with plenty happening – there is a hawker style set up, with splashes of colour everywhere. Beautiful artworks adorn the walls. The upstairs section takes you into Grandma’s home, with some beautiful mosaic tiles imported from Malacca, some elegantly painted family portraits and family photos. There are also Malaysian antique crockery and cookware, adding to the authentic homely feel, it definitely feels like you are visiting someone’s home. The upstairs part is perfect for larger dining groups as well.

Ho Jiak is a licensed venue, so you can enjoy a glass of wine, which the suggestion of Pinot Gris perfectly matched the food. We visited with foodie friends Spooning Australia and e.m.i.l.y_eats which afforded us to try many dishes on the menu. The starters were creative and moreish. The Pai tee was a big hit, with paper thin crisp pastry cups you can fill with a tasty topping, they also come with lettuce cups to make a type of san choy bao. If you want to try something a little different, try the loh bak which is pork jowl wrapped in bean curd and deep fried. It is damn tasty.

We of course had to try some Malaysian favourites, what we know as comfort food including: the char kway teow, this is simple and delicious. This noodle dish could never disappoint. The Ho Jiak version is super tasty and had a good whack of chilli. Their indomee goreng with the inclusion of premium ingredients with the salted duck egg and crab meat elevating this dish to next level and the chilli also providing some heat.

Another display of premium ingredients is the wagyu portion of the menu, the Rendang Gu another traditional meal. This version was made with quality wagyu. This stew was popping with colour, full of flavour and the meat melt in your mouth.

All of the items served were of a high standard, but there were some particular standouts. These included the Sam Wong Dan: a savoury custard made with a trio of egg; the century, duck and humble chicken egg. This dish had amazing flavour and silky texture and is a must order. The most suprising was the kangkung belachan. This is one for the vegetarians. The kiam ah nui squid, stirfried with salted duck egg yolk, butter and curry leaves was a flavour sensation and we would go back and undoubtedly order this. The Laksa is one of their signature dishes, and as to be expected was also very good, and be prepared – this is also hot.

Desserts are inspired by Teh Tarik (pulled tea), or poured back and fourth between two jugs. This is the national drink of Malaysia and is a mellow way to finish after a taste sensory overload from the preceding meal. To sooth the taste buds a teh tarik ice cream or teh tarik affogato made with the teh taic ice cream with kopi(coffee). Ho-Jiak also do a housemade teh tarik liqueur or a cognac hot chocolate to sip on, these options are great if you have gorged and are lacking capacity for dessert.

Ho Jiak is a top spot to get a Malaysian meal. The chef’s inspiration from his Malaysian upbringing evident in the setting. He is passionate about his restaurant and his cooking and this was inspirational to hear. The food is ridiculously good, using premium ingredients and traditional Malaysian flavour. It is at the top of our list for Malaysian food in Sydney. Make sure you pay it a visit.

Ho Jiak

92 Hay Street,
Haymarket, Sydney NSW

Indian cusine from Harris Park to Barangaroo @Spiced by Billu’s

July 27, 2017Leave a comment

Spiced by Billu’s is in the trendy dining precinct at Barangaroo, just by the ferry terminal, so it has a lovely view of the water. It would also be a great place for a long lunch on a weekend. We were here for a Sunday evening dinner, the seating is alfresco (yet covered) under dimmed lights and heaters to keep us warm.

Originally set up in Harris Park, known to cater for celebrities such as Chris Gayle and Steve Waugh. They have opened this upscale restaurant in Barangaroo and as soon as we met the host, we felt like we were dining with experienced restauranteurs. It is a little pricy, but you aren’t in Harris Park and lets face it you are paying a little extra for the location and the view.

The tables are set with some beautiful crystal and copper cutlery. There are a lot of great choices on the menu, hard to make a decision. They do a banquet menu to help you decide, if visiting in a group of 4 or more $40-$45.

We were offered drinks, they have a small bar and have a good range of alcohol including Indian beer, one of my favourites; Kingfisher beer. We began the meal with a Vegetarian platter including the onion bhaji, lovely soft filling and light crispy outer crust), the paneer an Indian cheese which had a nice spice coating and the the vegetable samosas were quality, with a nice soft filling with a spice kick.

We followed this with dhal tarka, one of the best we have tried. Naan is a standard whenever we visit an Indian restaurant and the cheese naan was perfect to mop up any left over sauce.

Speaking of sauce the braised lamb shank had a deliciously fragrant sauce and good balance of spice. As to be expected, the lamb fell off the bone.

The biryani was recommended and did not disappoint. A traditional rice dish, the indian version of fried rice. An explosion of taste and texture, the rice cooked with onions, garlic, ginger, cashew nut, raisins and spices.

Thanks to “I am strategist” for introducing us to Spiced By Billu’s at Barangaroo and to the staff for hosting us, the restaurant was well managed which was reflected by the quality service. Add a great location and food to the mix. A great Indian dining experience in the city.

https://www.spicedbybillus.com.au/

Modern Indian @Masala Theory

June 10, 2017June 11, 2017Leave a comment

Masala Theory is a new modern Indian restaurant on Crown Street in Surry Hills. With a funky modern fit out to match, the interior is bright and vibrant with plently of colour. With a touch of Bollywood and some flourescent light. The restaurant puts forward a modern twist on classic Indian flavours. Vegetarian options are also available.

We sampled much of the menu through the banquet, starting at $45. We were glad to see some classics being served including; naan, raita, pickle, goat curry, butter chicken and masala dosa is always a favourite.

There were also some interesting options including the bubble gum lassi which was nice enough, however next time I will go for my favourite, the mango lassi.

Other interesting dishes include the crispy tasty fried prawns, the wada pav which is a slider with a potato dumpling sauced with a garlic chilli and mint chutney and the keema pav which is a slider with spiced lamb mince.

For dessert we had the deconstructed motichoor laddoo, a nice dessert to finish with, usually a deep fried dumpling simmered in sugar syrup. Thankfully this version was not too sweet.

Although friendly, service was a little slow, which is common with newly opened restaurants. As always with Indian food, plenty of flavour and keeping it interesting with a modern twist. This along with the funky fitout making and modern music making for a decent dining experience.

We thank Masala Theory for their hospitality and for inviting us to enjoy their modern interpretation on Indian cusine.

www.masalatheory.com

Flavour-Bang on @Bombay Street Kitchen

May 29, 2017May 29, 2017Leave a comment

Back to Glebe a suburb full of choice when it comes to dining out. We were fortunate to visit a gem of an Indian restaurant called Bombay Street Kitchen. A family run business having once called Nelsons Bay home, now thankfully running a new operation in Sydney. Bombay Street Kitchen has alfresco dining as well as indoor seating. There is a projector screen on the roof of the outdoor area playing retro Bollywood classics. The menu is wide and varied and as the name would suggest, brings exciting Indian street food options that you may not have known to exist. To help familiarise you with these exciting new treats, the menu listing are accompanied by a short story detailing the origins of each dish.

So much choice and exciting new food to try we were momentarily a deer in the headlights. We decide to order a drink whilst we perused the menu. With plenty of choice, soft drinks a beer selection including Indian variety, as well as a few cocktails that took our fancy. Like the tamarind martini or the rum spiked Lassi’s called the Sassy Lassi. We decided on the Sassy Lassi’s. We got the mango as well as the rose and cardamon which are a must if visiting this place.

The inspiration coming from the magnitude of street food available in Bombay. An great place to stary is with the Pani Poori; a crisp little pastry pocket stuffed with, potato, puffed rice and chutney, add the spicy tamarind sauce to taste. A mouth full of texture and a flavour explosion!

The bright almost fluro red koliwada prawn fried in spiced butter, served with a lemon yogurt are sure to light up the table. Another favourite of Bombay workers being the Pav Bhajji, a vegan like sloppy joe; a buttered bread roll seved with spiced mashed veggies, served with a side of fresh spanish onion, corriander and a lemon wedge for added freshness.

The pefectly spiced lamb cutlets cooked at high heat in the tandoor sure to have your mouth watering. We also ordered a chickpea and mango summer salad for some added freshness an option from lunch menu. They have a bombay lunch box for under $10, great for a cheap eat.

Also cooked fresh in the tandoor are the naan and roti which we ordered to accompany some classic curries. The railway goat curry cooked on the bone, a full flavoured curry that will have you licking your lips in delight. Another go to, the paneer palak, was on point. Add a serve of flavoured rice on the side to soak up and savour the curry sauce.

Make sure you leave some space for dessert and you are in for a treat. The mango kulfi, a weiss bar like dessert cooled us down after a night of spice. The Gulab Jamun a classic, not overly sweet in this instance, the dessert served warm making the dumplings nice and soft and served with cardamon and a creamy coconut ice cream.

A very enjoyable and exciting Indian dining experience. Thank you to Manasi and family for inviting us to sample and enjoy your passion for food which translates to the quality meals being served.

thewhereto

food | travel | lifestyle

Tag: curry