Delicious Journey accross MEKONG on Kensington Street - Chippendale

If my school memory serves me right, Mekong is actually one of the longest river in Asia that flows and forms the border between Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and even Vietnam! But I guess enough of the geography lesson for now and let's talk more about this latest addition to Kensington Street and the food they offer~

Vietnamese Through Parisian Lense at Grand Duk - CBD

Grand Duk firstly opened its door as a sleek bistro in the heart of the CBD serving modern Vietnamese dishes with a French twist. I heard at first the menu focuses more on the slow cooked dishes like its sibling, the Naked Duck, but then Amy Lee, the owner, has decided to launch a new all day menu with some seasonal specials alongside their signature Grand Duk coffee blend supplied by Toby's Estate.

Breakfast is the most important meal and if you don't have time to prepare your own - get this Trifle and refuel on your way to work. Layers of fruits and nutty muesli topped with natural yoghurt and fresh berries, this kind of breakfast is not only yummy but also healthy and definitely rich in antioxidants. 

One thing that shouldn't be missed when talking about Vietnamese food is this Goi Cuon aka Rice Paper Roll. Freshly rolled with the right proportion of meat, vermicelli, lettuce, and served with hoisin peanut dip - they are sold individually and you can choose to have it with Sichuan Duck (my fave!) or Tiger Prawn or 5 Spice Tofu or simply one each if you can't decide!

I rarely eat salad for breakfast but I guess this Breakfast Bowl might change the way I think and plan for my next meal. Served with poached eggs, green leaves, mashed avocado, mixed nuts and seeds, and Vietnamese daikon & carrot pickles - this light and refreshing combination is bursting with sweet and tangy taste as well as extra crunchy texture from the pickles and the nuts. 

5 SPICE TOFU SALAD - bean sprouts, pickles, enoki, snowpeas, water chestnuts, herbs, peanuts & sesame vinaigrette

I always have a soft spot for Vietnamese food in my heart more because I feel healthy knowing that they use mostly herbs and fresh vegetables (with less oil too) - like this 5 Spice Tofu Salad, the peanut and sesame vinaigrette gives extra tangy kick to the combination of fresh veggies and Vietnamese pickles. 

Who will give the Salt and Pepper Squid a miss when it's served straight out of the fryer, fried to a light and golden crunch? For me personally, the refreshing green papaya salad is actually the attention-stealer with its tangy, sweet, sour and spicy flavours although I usually can't live without this tender, nicely spiced and deep-fried glory!

Duck Meatballs Bahn Mi 

Sticky Master Stock Pork Belly (on the right)

Ginger Baked King Salmon

I'd say out of these three, my favorite is their Ginger Baked King Salmon! The salmon gives a very nice Asian flare with a hint of ginger and garlic. Every bite with the pho duck broth is so flakey, moist and flavourful that leaves me craving the more I eat it. The Duck Meatball is another interesting approach to the usual Bahn Mi, it is juicy and tender but unfortunately a bit too salty for my liking. Another everyone's favorite, the Sticky Pork Belly is slow-cooked till flavorful (definitely has strong lemongrass taste) and served Asian style with steamed brown rice on the side.

Grand Duk creates the humble Mango Pudding and Deep Fried Ice Cream into something extraordinary! At a glance, their Coconut Crumble Deep Fried Ice Cream looks like a crispy golden brown lamington with smooth vanila bean ice cream awaits within the hot crispy shell. Served chilled with the addition of ginger sago and kaffir lime caramel, the Mango Pudding has smooth and creamy texture with rich mango and gingery taste and a hint of citrusy fragrant.

Grand Duk

Address:

225 George Street, CBD

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday 7am - 4.30pm

-Let's Nomnom dined as guest of Grand Duk. Thanks Amy for the warm service and hospitality. All opinions here are our own and independent-

Salaryman - Surry Hills

Somehow I remember my Japanese friend's story when I hear about this place. She told me in Japan becoming a salaryman is the expected career choice for young men and they typically stay with their first company throughout the whole career. She also told me after working long hours, they usually go to casual places (Izakaya) for after-work drinking with their colleagues.

Taste of Shanghai - CBD

I love dumplings, Mr. Nomnom loves dumplings, and I certainly believe everyone loves dumplings! There's no reason not to like this soul-satisfying comfort food and they're easily found anywhere you go around the world. 

Cre Asion - CBD

If you ask me what is my favourite cafe in Sydney? Cre Asion will be my first answer! A once a week visit has become a routine simply because I am a huge fan of matcha. Some people may dislike it for its bitter aftertaste but for me it's the bitter the better

Brainwave - CBD

Brainwave Cafe is a new addition to Ultimo area tucked down an alley off Harris Street serving modern Australian dishes with some twists from Thai and Vietnamese flavours.

Petal Met Sugar - CBD [ Closed ]

If I told you a flower bloomed in a patisserie cafe, would you believe it? 

Elsa Li (ex The Observatory, Adriano Zumbo, and Merivale) together with Angela Wong have turned their dream into reality with this sleek all white tiny cafe called Petal Met Sugar, combining good pastries and desserts with fresh flowers - a few of my favorite things, on the ground floor of a new apartment in Woolloomooloo.

Stepping inside, the strong buttery fragrance floats in the air invites you to linger a little longer while admiring all colorful and beautiful flowers situated just next to the desserts cabinet.

From pretty finishing touches to lending an additional subtle flavours, this place's certainly proved that flowers aren't just for decoration. Currently they have 5 selections of sweets and will be offering more floral-influenced desserts once they have settled in a bit more.

Terrarium is simply a too pretty to be eaten masterpiece and definitely my favorite! This delicate and delightfully tangy panna cotta has both passion fruit and finger lime complementing each other in such positive harmony that it leaves you wanting for more. The cocoa nib soil, baby lemon balm and edible flowers add extra flavors and textures with the sweetness of the Callebaut 29.5% white chocolate balances out the overall tanginess.

Look at those Peach Oolong's luscious layers! The subtle and fragrant Lupicia Peach Oolong Tea brulee is gradually overtaken by the rich and tangy layers of yoghurt mousse and blood peach compote. It tastes almost like a smooth slice of peach yoghurt with extra sweetness from coconut macaron and coconut glaze. 

I always get excited everytime I see Eclair lies beautifully with its shiny glaze on a display cabinet. Filled with a deep amber coloured sour rhubarb jam and topped with vanilla bean creme patissiere and rhubarb chips, we unfortunately didn't really enjoy it very much as the choux pastry was quite dense for our liking.

Went here on another visit as we just couldn't get over it and ordered this breath-taking Chocolate Candy Bar! The base is a rich and creamy texture chocolate flourless sponge topped with burnt butter ganache and praline feuilletine. I love how the crispy feuilletine flakes adds a textural element to the fudgy ganache and the light and airy milk chocolate mousse makes it look extra luxurious! The addition of creme anglaise (only available if you dine in) gives you some extra fun as a drizzling sauce while enjoying this beauty.

Not just sweets, Petal Met Sugar also excelled in extraordinary croissant! Their light and flaky Vanilla Bean Croissant smells so highly fragrant with intense flavour and visually satisfying for being able to see the little black specks within the layers inside. 


Petal Met Sugar
Address:
Ground Floor, 68 Sir John Young Crescent, Woolloomooloo
Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Friday 7am - 3.30pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Closed on Sunday and Monday 
 

Lotus The Galeries: Lotus Express! - CBD

How do you spend your lunch break? Do you quickly go to the nearby deli or maybe eat a lunch pack at your desk with one hand on your keyboard? 

Since we all have limited time for lunch break, Michael Jiang, the owner of Lotus Dumpling Bar has teamed up with Head Chef Chris Yan (ex-Billy Kwong and China Doll) to create a Lotus Express menu, where in 30 minutes they will serve simple and accessible modern Chinese menu that goes beyond their award-winning dumplings.

Kansas City Shuffle - CBD

Located in the old Cadbury Chocolate factory in a hidden corner of The Rocks, Kansas City Shuffle (KCS) is a new addition brought by Ben Sweeten and Chef Kayne (ex-Proud Mary) serving American diner-style favourites with a twist as well as superfood dishes.

Blaq Piq - CBD

Blaq Piq has just recently opened but it has already been creating a buzz on social media lately. At first I thought they would open as a BBQ place with its name sounds like a black pig (plus their cute pig tail logo), but they turn out serving Asian-fusion brunch!

Ramen Zundo - CBD

As the weather finally warms up and just about the right time to answer Mr. Nomnom's ramen craving, I start paying attention to Ramen Zundo after hearing some recommendations to try their Tsukemen.

DONUT miss this! 5 Spots to Fix your Nutella Donuts Craving!

There's no reason not to love this super popular chocolate hazelnut spread.. Actually I don't think I've ever heard of anyone hating it (unless you have nut or chocolate allergy).. I could sit and devour the whole jar with a spoon as Nutella is pretty damn delicious on its own (Well, that's the case if I'm watching TV on my own.. LOL) or simply slab it on just about anything and it has that HUGE power to shake the world!

Let's Nomnom Top Healthy Eats in Sydney!

Yap! As much as I love to please my eyes and stuff my tummy with all the decadent foods we often see.. Sometimes all I really want is a healthy (and also yummy) meal especially during this winter season.. The colder it gets, the more I crave for comfort foods!

Healthy foods are not limited to mere salad bowls or raw fruits and not having desserts at all.. There is no need to eat bland and boring dishes since there are so many healthy eateries nowadays..

So, we've gathered the 12 best healthy eats in Sydney and here's what we've got for you..

Indulge in Lao-Thai's dishes at Green Peppercorn - CBD [ Closed ]

I always think that Thai cuisine offers unusual and intriguing treats.. The way it looks, how it smells and the unique blend of spicy, sour, sweet, salty and citrus tastes.. All those different elements and complexity bring a harmonious finish on our palate..

Yasaka Ramen - CBD

Lately the weather has gone wild! Non-stop heavy rain plus the gusty winds and broken umbrella have successfully convinced me to postpone all plans.. I'm left with nothing but cleaning our camera.. As I go through the old photos I realise I have forgotten to post this ramen joint.. LOL!

With the cold weather start dampening our spirits.. We're all in the mood for a comfort food.. What would make it even better to have a hot bowl of ramen and some deep fried chicken to warm our belly?

Teddy's Place - CBD [ Closed ]

If you walk along George St, you must have noticed this newly opened dessert bar called Teddy's Place..