AU2010 - King’s

Although we did not have a good impression of King’s Chinese Restaurant in the past, we decided to give it a second chance by having our farewell lunch there.

 

 

While still maintaining the old interior for the front section …

 

 

… a lot have changed since we last visited, from the renovated dining area at the back to the staffs and menu (possibly an ownership change along the way?).

 

 

Like any other Cantonese restaurant, the soup was served first, where we had the West Lake Beef Soup. Next came the soft shell crab …

 

 

… and roast duck.

 

 

Following that, the steamed egg and seafood …

 

 

… and pork ribs were served.

 

 

We then had the stewed beef …

 

 

… Shandong chicken …

 

 

… and spicy fish fillet.

 

 

As the food wasn’t enough to feed the 10 starving postgraduate students (i.e. us), we made a last minute order of the cashew nut lamb.

 

 

And to clean all that oil, roasts, grills and deep-frieds that we just had, we conclude our farewell lunch with the stir-fried kai lan …

 

 

… and steamed broccoli.

 

 

During our visit, it seems that their services and food have improved quite a bit, compared to our last visit. I guess it was worth giving them this second chance!!

 

 

King's Chinese Restaurant
26, Flinders Street, Wollongong, NSW 2500.
+61 2 4228 6976

AU2010 - The Sugar Cube

Famous for their homemade Liege Belgium waffles, it is said that each and every waffle served at The Sugar Cube is freshly made to order.

 

 

The only problem, however, was which flavour to choose? Strawberry? Toffee? or Chocolate?

 

 

During our visit, we decided to greedily have all 3 of them with the Ultimate Waffle, consisting of melted Belgian milk chocolate, fresh strawberries with strawberry coulis, vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, homemade toffee sauce and fresh cream.

 

 

Besides Belgian waffles, also on offer are a selection of hot and cold drinks, including Cappuccine Australia’s Freezoccino Frappes …

 

 

… where we tried their new Summer flavour, Mint Chocolate Chip. Not a bad start to our Summer sweet-tooth cravings!!

 

 

The Sugar Cube
13, Crown Street, Wollongong, NSW 2500.
+61 2 4227 3888
http://www.thesugarcube.com.au/

AU2010 - Merry Christmas, everyone!!

 

 

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

AU2010 - Izakaya Kasumi

We are back to Kasumi again, but this time to try out their lunch menu.

 

 

Although not as fun as their dinner menu, Kasumi offers a superb deal on their lunch boxes and drinks.

 

 

Here, we tried their Teriyaki Chicken Set …

 

 

… and Grilled Salmon Set.

 

 

As for drinks, we ordered the Iced Lemon Tea …

 

 

… and Lemon Lime Bitter.

 

 

Upon finishing our meals, we were served a complimentary dessert each, something that caught us by surprised.

 

 

As we missed their famous Salmon Skin Chips again (only served during dinner), I guess another visit to Kasumi is inevitable!!

 

 

Izakaya Kasumi
12/2-8, Dixon St, Sydney, NSW 2000.
Phone Number: +61 2 9283 6678

AU2010 - Scoops

While USA has Häagen-Dazs, Australia has Nörgen-Vaaz.

 

 

To be frank, when I first heard about the name, I thought that the Australian version is an imitation to the USA’s. But, Nörgen-Vaaz was actually founded in 1958, whereas Häagen-Dazs only started their business 3 years later.

 

 

With retail stores and resellers spreading all over the country, Scoops in Kiama is definitely one of the best place to taste Nörgen-Vaaz’s creations, also known as the Creamiest Ice Cream in Kiama.

 

 

During our visit to Kiama, we decided to check out Scoops to try Nörgen-Vaaz’s Vienna Coffee, …

 

 

… Boysenberry Twist and Jaffa Orange.

 

 

The coffee flavoured ice cream was a little disappointing, but with over 35 flavours to choose from, I can’t wait to go back again to try the rest!!

 

 

Scoops Ice Creamery and Cafe
60, Collins Street, Kiama, NSW 2533.
+61 2 4232 3100

AU2010 - Harrigan’s Irish Pub

While waiting for the Christmas Lights Spectacular event to start, we decided to have our dinner next door at the Harrigan’s Irish Pub.

 

 

In keeping with the theme, Irish artefacts are authentically crafted and decorated throughout the pub and restaurant.

 

 

Here, we also learnt that Harrigan's was actually named after a popular song from the musical, Yankee Doodle Dandy, which was written by an Irishman, George Michael Cohen.

 

 

After browsing through their menu, …

 

 

… we decided to try their steak burger, pork bangers, and pizza, all with a little hint of Ireland.

 

 

The Gourmet Steak Burger consists of a yearling 150g Scotch fillet, marinated with KILKENNY caramelised onion jam, served with lettuce, tomato, beetroot and cheese inside a toasted damper bun brushed with tomato chutney.

 

 

Next came the Irish Pork Bangers and Mash, a twice cooked Irish pork sausages with mash potato, gravy and mushy peas.

 

 

Last but not least, the Yankee Doodle Dandy pizza is served, where ingredients included BBQ chicken, avocado, Spanish onion, and a sour cream swirl.

 

 

Harrigan's Irish Pub
Hunter Valley Gardens, Broke Road, Pokolbin, NSW 2320.
+61 2 4998 4300
http://www.harrigansirishpub.com.au/

AU2010 - Bluetongue Brewery Cafe

Besides being famous for their Shiraz and Semillon, …

 

 

… Hunter Valley is also slowly making a name in the brewery scene, through Bluetongue’s creation of premium quality beers with a stamp of the local region.

 

 

Being Pokolbin’s first brewery, …

 

 

… Bluetongue offers a range of six boutique beers, namely their Alcoholic Ginger Beer, Premium Lager, Peroni, Premium Light, Traditional Pilsener, and Premium Black Ale.

 

 

In addition to premium beers, Bluetongue is also getting famous for their cafe, a favourite lunch stop for most bus tours around the Hunter Valley.

 

 

During our trip, we decided to join the crowd by checking out the Bluetongue Brewery Cafe for lunch.

 

 

Here, we tried their Homemade Beef Pie …

 

 

… Chips with Aioli …

 

 

… and Beer Battered Fish and Chips, famed as the best fish and chips in the wine country.

 

 

Not forgetting also is their $12 unique tasting paddle that consists of a sample of all the six beers on offer.

 

 

Want more? Return the paddle to the bar and receive a free middy beer. Not a bad deal to further cleanse the throat!!

 

 

Bluetongue Brewery Cafe
Hunter Resort, Hermitage Road, Pokolbin, NSW 2320.
+61 2 4998 7777
http://www.hunterresort.com.au/bluetongue/index.htm