Restaurants Archives | Page 18 of 20

Korean Fried Chicken at Gallus Gallus (Chatswood, NSW)

30 November 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 3 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

From discovering a cafe, we discovered where we to eat delicious Korean Fried Chicken in Chatswood.

After falling in love with Korean cuisine, the immersion won’t be complete without having a taste of their Fried Chicken. Korean Fried Chicken is prepared in such a way that the chicken skin becomes thin and very crunchy, then usually bathe in spicy sauce or garlic soy.

We’ve found some Korean take away shops in Sydney that sells Korean Fried Chicken which I sometimes buy if I’m too lazy to cook. I also learned how to cook them at home (will share recipe later).

We’ve heard about a Korean restaurant named Hello! Kyochon before but haven’t had the time to visit until it closed and was bought by another Korean businessman who named the restaurant Gallus Gallus (scientific term for Chicken).

A short chitchat with the staff of Gallus Gallus confirmed that they still cook the same Korean Fried Chicken they served when the restaurant was named Hello! Kyochon. There was a slight change in the menu as some Korean dishes were eliminated but their friend chicken remains their best dish.

Korean Fried Chicken at Gallus Gallus (Chatswood, NSW)

It was rainy and cold when we dined at Gallus Gallus so we ordered their Seafood Soup to keeps us warm. Not very flavourful but abundant with fishballs, tofu and mussels.

Other than soup, we only ordered chicken, as in! They offer regular chicken, chicken in garlic and soy and chicken in chili sauce in half and whole sizes. Since the Husband wanted the garlic & soy chicken and I wanted the spicy chicken, we ordered half a chicken for each flavour. I had to ask the staff if we’re allowed to take home leftovers (not all restaurants allow customers to bring home leftovers) and when they agreed, we ordered a whole chicken.

The smell of freshly cooked fried chicken was enticing. We smelled the chicken even before we saw the staff carrying the plate full of chicken to our table.

The chicken skin was amazingly thin but crunchy. The flavour of the chicken can be tasted thru the innards of the chicken. I enjoyed the spicy chicken as it really slowly burns the mouth while the garlic & soy has become my favourite as it had great fusion of salty and sweet flavours.

The leftover chicken we brought home tasted delicious still. I just chucked them inside the over and heated them up and they tasted great!

Nowadays, KFC has a different meaning as it can also mean Korean Fried Chicken.

Gallus Gallus

Shop 3, 76A Archer Street

Chatswood NSW 2067

Phone: 02 9411 8766

Cafe: Oliver Brown Belgian Chocolate Cafe (Chatswood, NSW)

22 November 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, Deep Thoughts, Food, Restaurants

What do you do when the person you’re supposed to meet up is running late?

I’m not really patient by nature and I used to get annoyed when schedules run late but life has taught me that delays can be an opportunity for some unexpected “Me” times and discovering places I never thought existed.

Last week’s Thursday meet-up with the Husband at Chatswood was supposed to be at a Korean place that serves Korean fried chicken. And as I arrived at our meeting place on time, the Husband called to say that something came up at the office and he will be late for our dinner date.

I immediately went on “wanderlust” mode and walked around Chatswood and looked at shops and restaurants in the area. There was a Night Market at that time too but I had to go inside Westfield after a few minutes because it rained.

Since my legs were also needing rest from all the walking and I was craving for coffee, I went inside Westfield. Tucked in the corner of the 2nd level, I saw a cozy-looking cafe called Oliver Brown.

Cafe: Oliver Brown Belgian Chocolate Cafe (Chatswood, NSW)

Oliver Brown is a Belgian Chocolate Cafe that serves great tasting chocolate and coffee. The cafe looks attractive with its contemporary design and iconic patterned tiling.

I just love it when restaurant owners are consistent with branding the little details inside their restaurant–like the cups and serviettes. It makes the service more personal. And yes, I always take note of these little things when I dine out.

I ordered a Cafe Latte and it was creamy and beautiful.

I love that they served a few bits of their Belgian Chocolate with their coffee. Their chocolates were delicious so I decided to buy some truffles for the Husband when he arrived.

I bought two dark chocolate truffles, two white ones and a nutty truffle. The truffles were not as expensive as the ones made by famous chocolatiers but they were good chocolate.

Another great cafe find during my unexpected “Me” time.

Oliver Brown Belgian Chocolate Cafe
Level 2, Store 212
Westfield Chatswood
Phone: 9410 3774

Malaysian & Singaporean Restaurant: Temasek (Parramatta, NSW)

21 November 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

I’ve been wishing to eat Hainanese Chicken in Sydney and I’m so grateful to one of my dearest friends for bringing us to Temasek Restaurant in Parramatta. On the Friday night we dined at Temasek, I discovered a love for Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine that I thought I never had. Why? Because Temasek made me a believer.

We made reservations for 6PM as we opted to meet up straight from work and to avoid the crowd. With the recommendations of our foodie friends, we ordered our preferred dishes in one go and in less than 15 minutes, our table was laden with delicious-smelling and mouthwatering dishes.

Sambal Prawns. Hot and spicy, this one surely throws a punch. Prawns were perfectly cooked and the sauce thick, flavourful and smooth.

Malaysian & Singaporean Restaurant: Temasek (Parramatta, NSW)

Kecap Manis Sotong (AUD$19.80). Lightly-fried Calamari in sweet soy and a hint of spice. This dish is addictive with or without the rice.

Sambang Balacaan Kangkong (AUD$16.++). Likened to the Filipino version of Kangkong with Bagoong (Shrimp Paste). A mountain of Kangkong mixed with fermented shrimp. A harmony of salty, sweet and spicy flavours all in one mouthful. A perfect partner to almost all the meat dishes in the menu.

Nasi Goreng (AUD$14.80). Packed with flavour and all the components that make this fried rice irresistible.

Chicken Curry (AUD$17.80). This is the only curry that I love because it does not overwhelm the palate and my sense of smell. An uncomplicated dish that gives you a kick of spice.

Hainanese Chicken (Half Boneless at $18.50). I think the reason why I love this dish is because of its simplicity. Served cold in its unpretentious “whiteness” with the thick soy sauce and chili sauce on the side to help in enhancing the chicken’s flavour. The chicken was tender and juicy.

We ate here two weeks ago and I can’t wait to try out all their other dishes next time.

Temasek Singapore and Malaysian Cuisine
The Roxy Arcade, 71 George St, Parramatta, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9633 9926

Open Tuesday to Sundays (closed on Mondays and public holidays)
Lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner 5.30pm – 10.00pm (last orders 9.30pm)

The Lab of Adriano Zumbo (Rozelle, NSW)

23 October 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

On the birthday of the Husband in September, I decided to bring him to Adriano Zumbo’s The Lab at Rozelle for breakfast. The Husband has a sweet tooth, a chocolate fiend and one who loves to bake (yes, all rolled into one!), I thought he would enjoy starting his day at a place where I can indulge his love for pastries and desserts and be able to watch pastry chefs create magic in the kitchen.

Every Adriano Zumbo Patisserie has a concept. His Manly branch is just a place where you buy take away treats while his Rozelle branch had a concept of a laboratory where customers can sit in bar stools (there were only 9) overlooking the kitchen. The wall are adorned in graffiti-like paintings.

Other than pastries and desserts, they offer breads, sandwiches, meat pies and beverages.

Water stored in laboratory bottles are available at one corner of the cafe.

The Husband ordered a cup of Cafe Mocha and the Apple Turnover. Crunchy pastry with sweet juicy apples inside.

I indulged in a cup of Cafe Latte and their Almond Croissant. Perfect chewy pastry enveloped in almonds.

We loved their deliciously-made coffee. You can taste the richness of the coffee with almost no bitterness and amazingly, no aftertaste. Really smooth, which is how coffee should be.

The Husband enjoyed his breakfast as he watched Adriano’s pastry chefs produce hundreds of Macarons and make pastries and cakes. It’s like being in a Willy Wonka movie! 🙂

Visiting Adriano Zumbo’s patisserie will never be complete without bringing home some treats.

We enjoyed a few of his Macarons, a slice of brownie and a peach tart with almonds at home.

Adriano Zumbo – The Lab (map)
114 Terry Street
Rozelle, NSW 2039

Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday6:30am till 4:00pm

Saturday & Sunday7:30am till 4:00pm

Closed on Public Holidays

Cafe Pascucci (Seoul, Korea)

16 October 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 5 Comments Category: Food, I Love Seoul, Restaurants

Situated in the heart of Myeongdong, this cafe is one that can’t be missed.

Cafe Pascucci is a local cafe in Seoul that serves Italian Coffee. The cafe also serves cakes, pastries, sandwiches and gelato.

We visited Cafe Pascucci for afternoon tea on our final day and had our usual Cafe Mocha (for the husband) and Cafe Americano (for me). Their coffee was rich, a little on the strong side but smooth nonetheless.

We weren’t really hungry due to a heavy lunch at a Japanese restaurant that day. How I wish we could have some Gelato Honey Toast but we instead opted to share a slice of their creamy, smooth Cheesecake.