Purple Carrots with Udon Noodles

Stir fried udon noodles with purple carrots and other veges

I was very excited when I found purple carrots at Coles the other day. I wasn't sure how to use them and they've been in my fridge for over a week. Today I was game enough to give it a go and decided to make hubby stir fried noodles for lunch.

So here is my concoction. Hubby normally dreads concoctions because he never knows what he's going to get. Luckily I passed the test and he really enjoyed it. Next time I will add plenty of pepper and fresh chilli as well.

Recipe Notes:

• Prepare vegetables into julienne strips.
• Stir fry 1 purple carrot and 1 small orange carrot in 1 tbsp oil for about 2 minutes.
• Add 1/4 red capsicum, 1 cup cabbage, shallots, 1 packet udon noodles, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, a splash of sesame oil, 2 tbsp water and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Serves 1 hungry hubby.

Laksa with Chicken, Prawns & Tofu

Chicken & Prawn Laksa

 

 

A weekly meal at mum's seems to be a soup dish. More often than not, I find myself cooking Laksa, simply because it's so yummy and easy to make. Especially coming home after a long day of work, with a throbbing headache and having already volunteered to cook dinner, this dish also allows me to take short cuts as well as improvise. It's a type of dish that goes well with chicken or prawns or seafood or any combination you like. For a slight twist, I chose not to add bean sprouts this time but instead put in thinly sliced tripe for crunch.

 

Recipe Notes:

• Bring 1.5-2L water to boil, add 2 pieces chicken merryland, simmer until just cooked. 
• Take chicken pieces out and shred roughly, removing bones. 
• Peel and devein 1/2 kilo king prawns, reserve heads and shells.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp lemon grass, prawn heads and shells for about 5 minutes.
• Add half the chicken stock and boil rapidly for 5 minutes, then using a sieve to strain, pour into main stockpot.
• Cook king prawns in stock and set aside. Blanch tripe quickly and set aside.
• Add 200g jar Laksa Paste, 400ml coconut milk, fried tofu and 2 tbsp fish sauce.
• Prepare bowls of fresh thin rice noodles with pieces of cooked chicken, prawn & tripe.
• Add tofu and laksa soup. Garnish with chopped fresh chives, fried shallots and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Food World Gourmet Cafe, Wollongong

I am a bit biased when it comes to Food World. After all, I have been dining there since 1995 and saw the expansion from a small little takeaway shop with too few tables and the usual long line of customers queuing outside, to the size it is today. I do miss those days when they were open 7 days a week and I could buy a bowl of delicious suy kao or wonton soup for $5. Alas, their prices have increased over the last 15 years (not surprisingly) and their menu expanded considerably.

Spring Rolls (with pork and prawn)

Char Keow Tew (stir fried flat rice noodles)

I still order my old favourites (being a creature of habit) and Char Keow Tew and Spring Rolls being the first on my list even though I eat everything else on their menu. Their spring rolls remind me of the ones my mum makes with pork and prawn and they even look hand-made in that they are not perfectly shaped. That's what gives spring rolls their character! 

Their stir-fried noodles are always a hit. I have found myself asking for "less less oil" when I order though (just a little tip for those healthy conscious) but nothing beats the "char" taste of a stir-fry coming from a very hot wok. You just can't get that taste at home (never mind the sticky-oily feeling on the floor and walls and the smell in your clothes when you do try to cook it yourself).

This is the place to go if you're looking for affordable meals, generous sized servings and an extensive menu to choose from including entrees, soups, rice and noodles as well as a variety of drinks and desserts.

Kagaya, Hurstville

After nearly 10 years, this is still one of my favourite restaurants. Although the menu has expanded considerably over the years, I still find myself straying back to the traditional set menu-for-2 simply due to the value-for-money. With five in our group this evening, we ordered a few sides and the highlight was definitely this dish. This cucumber/avocado/fish roe salad was delightful, the oyster/mango combination refreshing. I highly recommend this restaurant (and especially this dish) anytime!

Wasabi Bar & Bistro, Darlinghurst

After all the bad reviews, I have to admit I was quite hesitant about going but I already paid for the coupon months ago. Fortunately, it was an enjoyable experience.

We went for lunch on a Saturday and had booked 2 weeks in advance, thinking they would be super busy. They weren't. The decor is "interesting" and definitely a topic for conversation. I wasn't impressed with the plastic cups for water or the plastic shoyu sashi. The waitress had trouble understanding our order and I had to repeat myself several times. I was trying to practice patience and be positive about it (after all, it was the first date my husband and I have had in a long time since our son was born, and it was our wedding anniversary). OK, so maybe we should have chosen a more intimate setting and a spent a few more bucks.

Anyway, they brought the complimentary sake and the food started coming and we found that we enjoyed ourselves!

There was more than enough food and all the staff were pleasant (although it was hard to understand them and they didn't seem to understand us). Although it was a 7-course tasting menu for 2, I counted more than 7 dishes and the portions were quite generous. We had the Fried Gyoza, Agedashi Tofu, Prawn Tempura, Assorted Sushi & Sashimi, Tofu Wakame Salad, Teriyaki Chicken, BBQ Beef (the mains came with rice, side salad & Miso Soup).

Having parked in a one-hour zone, we ran out of time and they let us takeaway the dessert which was Green Tea Ice Cream and a very yummy Black Sesame Ice Cream.

We left happy.

Yiu's Asian Gourmet, Beverly Hills

Everyone has been raving on about how great the French Style Crab is that I was afraid I would be disappointed due to my high expectations. However I am a 100% satisfied customer. They definitely exceeded their reputation and the french style sauce and crab combination absolutely melted in my mouth. As we went in a large group, we had the luxury of sampling several dishes and I must say that I was delighted with all them. I think it worked out to be $50 per head (which is quite expensive for Chinese Food) but each dish was worth every cent.

Bamboo Inn, Beverly Hills

Overall it was quite a pleasant experience. Friendly service and the food was good value for money. Tasted like home cooking with a modern touch.

Imperial Peking Restaurant, Blakehurst

This is our Number 1 restaurant for YUM CHA as the staff can actually speak English and the service is friendly (our favourite waiter always says "Hello Hello" in a jolly voice). Although I agree it's a bit over-priced compared to other YUM CHA places, they do have a good variety of tasty dim sims available and I never leave without having a classic Mango Pudding. We went once for dinner and the meals were quite ordinary (maybe it was what we ordered but everything turned out to be greasy). We will always go back for YUM CHA as we don't mind paying extra as the food and service is worth it.

Asahi, Beverly Hills

The Chefs are very friendly and entertaining and the service is very good. I was disappointed in the food as it taste quite ordinary and the portions were small considering the price that we paid. I suppose when you go to Teppanyaki it's more for the fun and you're really paying for the service, not the food. I would recommend it for work functions, or when you don't have to pay.

Forest Court, Hurstville

For some reason I always end up at this restaurant. Not sure why but most of my friends and relatives prefer this place. Personally, I believe that for YUM CHA it is not the best. Then for DINNER there is not much to choose from if you don't like seafood or shy away from the more traditional dishes. Otherwise, I have to say that the steamed ginger & shallot fish (Morwong) is delicious if you can afford to celebrate. If not, start with an entree of steamed scallops & oysters which are very reasonably priced and taste superb.

Kagaya Japanese Restaurant, Hurstville

This is one of my favourite restaurants. If you are looking for yummy dinner where the food just keeps on coming, I suggest the dinner sets for 2. My boyfriend and I both agree it's value for money. The best thing about it is my boyfriend doesn't even eat seafood and he still loves it. Try the Teriyaki Dinner and you will see what I mean. I get to eat all the sashimi I want. *sigh* I am hungry now just thinking about it.

Como Garden Chinese Restaurant, Como

My first dine-in experience was quite pleasant although since then we've only ordered take-away (not sure why, no reason except that it was just as quick and convenient to do so I guess). It was our default meal when we were too tired to cook after work. Good value for money.

Lim's Charcoal BBQ, Hurstville

I love the noodles !!! I think that is the dish that keeps me coming back. I love the fact that I get to cook my own meat (to perfection) and there is a good selection to choose from. There are a couple of dishes that I'm not too fond of including the fruity potato salad (with sultanas) and these crescent-moon shaped sweets, so I stay clear of those. Otherwise, the miso soup is very yummy when it's hot enough.

Trang Vietnamese Restaurant, Wollongong

I have to admit that I’ve only ever been to this place once and I doubt I will ever be going back. I was expecting traditional Vietnamese food and was disappointed by the quality and lack of knowledge of ingredients required for even the simplest dishes. To make matters worse, they couldn’t even cook the food properly. My friend ordered combination noodle soup and the chicken was still raw and the noodles soft, soggy and overdone.

Sunny's Seafood Restaurant, Hurstville

So far I'm rating this restaurant as the best YUM CHA in the area. There is so much variety, especially in the steamed dim sims that you want to try them all. Just a warning, in a group of 4 or less it can get quite expensive. It is worth it if you go in a large group so you can order more things and it almost always works out cheaper.

Fuji Yama Tepanyaki Restaurant, Wollongong

This is a place which I go for the entertainment. The food itself is too bland for my tastes however I like the idea of your personal chef cooking right in front of you. It's also fun to see him spinning the salt and pepper shakers when he's seasoning the food and then throwing food into your bowl for you to catch. I've been here on several occasions and each time I enjoy myself and think "it must be healthy" because there isn't much flavour. And I have room for dessert.

Food World Gourmet Cafe, Wollongong

This place was always packed. I remember when they hadn't expanded yet there would be queues lined up outside the door every night. After the expansion they only got busier! This was my favourite restaurant during my uni days. The crispy chicken is a favourite amongst the students (only one other place makes it better, and that's in Cabramatta). I usually tried to order something different each time I went there and was never disappointed (I still haven't tried the whole menu). My boyfriend typically gets the dry beef rice noodles and satay chicken sticks.

Co May Vietnamese Restaurant, Wollongong

This is the place to go if you are looking for traditional Vietnamese food which is cooked and prepared authentically and not trying to pretend it's something which it's not. I ordered rice paper rolls for an entree and they were delicious. (Nothing beats my home-made rice paper rolls, but these do!). The spring rolls are also yummy. So are the noodles. Actually there hasn't been anything which I didn't like. This is the best Vietnamese Restaurant I've tried in Wollongong.

King's Chinese Restaurant, Wollongong

My dad absolutely loves this place. It's traditional chinese food with a handful of western dishes available. For a family of six, it's very affordable dining. One of my friend's even has his wedding reception here. This is the default restaurant we go to when we don't feel like trying something new and just want a good feed for a decent price. I have to recommend this but I'm not exactly sure what the dish is called. I just remember we ask for the tofu with the seafood on top.

Roppongi Japanese Restaurant, Wollongong

This was my first experience with Japanese food. I was delighted to find out that there was much more to it than raw fish. Sushi and Sashimi was interesting and then I discovered Wasabi and I fell in love. I always order the BBQ octopus and the fried bean curd.